This is surprising indeed. Another factor which degrades our neighborhood (and the city at large), as indicated in the photo: the gum stains. Gum is often just discarded right onto these historic stones, and even on the metal plates with glass. It would be wonderful if NYC actually enforced anti-littering laws. Of course, it's not just gum: it's cigarettes, fast-food trash, etc. Our super cleans up in front of our building twice a day but can't keep up. I'm always cleaning up the debris of inconsiderate persons in the times between. It's really a shame. — Marcus on Protect Our Sidewalks and Vault Lights

There are often many financial rewards actually — Name on Protect Our Sidewalks and Vault Lights

GroupM (3 WTC anchor tenant) has already began fitting out some of their floors. Move in commences in July. — Anthony on Seen & Heard: IPN’s Sidewalk Shed Is Finally Down

Ahhh never mind! https://www.thepinnaclelist.com/property/sky-lofts-glasshouse-penthouse-145-hudson-street-new-york-ny/ — EM on Seen & Heard: Heightened Security at Trinity Church

The new season of Billions began last night and Axe moves into a new apartment in Tribeca. It looks like a penthouse and has a close view of the Citibank building - I’m trying to figure out which building they filmed in, but can’t place it. Do you know which one it would be? — EM on Seen & Heard: Heightened Security at Trinity Church

I don't think TriBeCa Citizen is the place to make a comment on a custody battle. Regardless of what your personal opinion may be of Ms. Adams I suggest you do a little homework and brush up on the number of women who are killed annually (many times in front of their children) by estranged husbands. Local celebrity gossip, openings and closings are what you do well - you may want to leave it at that. — TG on In the News: Taylor Swift’s First Expansion Plan Was Foiled

I heard Blue Moon will be back this Sat, March 31st. Hope it's true we've really missed their fish! — KG on Seen & Heard: Frenchette Said to Be Opening Soon

LPC's rules are vital to maintaining the integrity of the buildings that are individual landmarks and those that comprise the historic districts. Putting aside tear-downs, we have all seen the negative effect of the ghastly renovations of some historic buildings located just outside the historic districts. (ahem, 365 Broadway, ahem) That said, HDC's misuse and abuse of the word "incentive" here reveals a lot about their thinking. HDC wrote, "For covered vault lights that are deteriorated beyond repair, applicants would now be given the choice to replace them with new vault lights or remove them altogether. Similar to the issue of replacing bluestone pavers with concrete, this would remove all incentive for applicants to replicate this historic detail." "Incentive" is defined as "something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity." It is fine to have rules, but let's not pretend that these rules are "incentives" when they are not. LPC's rules are just that--rules. Despite what HDC writes, there are no "incentives" to follow the LPC rules. There are no choices. The rules are mandatory, obligatory, and compulsory. One ought to know that going in when getting involved with a building in a landmark district. There is no reward, other than the aesthetic and psychic utility, for an building owner who spends vastly greater sums on bluestone or replica glass lights than on tinted concrete or diamond plate, respectively. It is very complicated and expensive to re-use, repair, and maintain historic buildings without drawing a practical line somewhere as to what items must and must not be replicated. (Further, bluestone sidewalks and cast iron glass lights were originally abandoned as technologies--in favor of concrete sidewalks and electric lights--in part because they did not wear well and were hard to maintain properly.) If anything, these rules are DISincentives, and these disincentives minimize the common reward that neighbors enjoy from their neighbors' landmark renovations. These rules, and many others like them, discourage proper maintenance and repair of historic buildings by larding on all kinds of additional costs onto projects for replica versions of historic materials, many from a few specialty low-volume manufacturers whose products do not always match the historic versions well. (Those added hard costs are on top of the added soft costs in working on landmarked buildings. These include the delays and repeated resubmissions that are inherent in applying to LPC approval. Other portions of the proposed rules are trying to address those issues and standardize the process and the criteria.) The only "choice" is not to postpone the work or just not do the work. About 4% of landmarks are individual landmarks, that is, landmarks that are landmarks not be virtue of being located within a historic district, but because of their individual historic significance. LPC has no control over the sidewalks adjacent to individual landmarks, yet these buildings maintain their historic significance. Finally, new buildings constructed in landmark districts use modern materials all the time, whether concrete sidewalks, metal windows, manufactured brickface, etc. Why not mandate that these buildings be built the way buildings were built over 100 years ago, using bluestone sidewalks, wood windows and bricklayers to set individual bricks? — James on Protect Our Sidewalks and Vault Lights

Unless things changed after I threw up my hands in disgust at the process and stopped paying attention, it wasn’t rejected, but downsized to the point where it will merely be useless, which is why I said “not that I believe it will help the situation.” I have sent pix of the aforementioned Wisconsinites to CB1 and will send them to Chin and Brewer (the pix, not the Wisconsinites). — Hudson River on Seen & Heard: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

Erik Next time you are at Sahadi's try Yemen Cafe across the street, specially if you like lamb. The soup that comes with the main courses is delicious. Maryna — maryna lansky on Eight New Enthusiasms

I may be wrong, but I thought that a bus depot was rejected as part of the development of the site. Instead, we have 2 spots available for bus parking on West Street that are by reservation. Obviously, this was stupid and short-sighted and no one in their right mind thought this was going to work. What does that mean for residents? We get to inhale fumes of idling buses parked illegally or just circling our neighborhood. Also that "The Ride" bus is absurd. It always has less than 20 people on it. If we enforced the rules, residents might get some relief, but it doesn't seem to be on any one's radar. The bill Brewer and Chin hope to pass is not anywhere near what the neighborhood needs. So many other cities just created "no bus zones" to manage traffic and pollution, but it seems in NYC, bus operators have deepish pockets. — cami on Seen & Heard: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

Blue Moon Fish is seasonal. American Pride Seafood is there in the winter, but if it isn't around maybe its season ended.... From the Tribeca Greenmarket page: Attending Year Round Consider Bardwell Farm Animal Welfare Approved raw cow and goat milk cheeses, and wood-fired maple syrup from Rutland County, VT DiPaola Turkeys Turkey from Mercer County, NJ Francesca's II Bakery Breads and baked goods from Middlesex County, NJ Hudson Valley Duck Farm Heritage breed ducks and duck products from Sullivan County, NY Millport Dairy Cheddar cheese, beef, pickles and baked goods from Lancaster County, PA Prospect Hill Orchards Apples & pears, some certified Organic, from Ulster County, NY Sun Fed Beef Grass fed and grain finished Angus beef from Madison County, NY Troncillito Farms Orchard fruit from Ulster County, NY Yellow Bell Farm LLC Chicken and eggs from Columbia County, NY Attending Growing Season Only Blue Moon Fish Inc Wild-caught fish and shellfish from Suffolk County, NY Fantasy Fruit Farm Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and small fruits from Chenago County, NY Jersey Farm Produce Vegetables, herbs, and small fruit from Hunterdon County, NJ Lani's Farm Vegetables from Burlington County, New Jersey Lebak Farm Cut flowers from Burlington County, NJ Attending Winter Only American Pride Seafood Wild-caught fish and shellfish from Suffolk County, NY Holy Schmitt's Homemade Horseradish Fresh and prepared horseradish from Nassau County, NY (March 17, 24 & 31 ONLY) Solid Ground Farm Microgreens, sprouts, gourmet salad blends, and root vegetables from Ulster County, NY (every other week) — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Frenchette Said to Be Opening Soon

Any word on the seafood vendor at the Tribeca Greenmarket? They haven’t been there for a few weeks; not sure if it’s just a seasonal thing, vacation, or more permanent. Thanks! — Olivia on Seen & Heard: Frenchette Said to Be Opening Soon

As a fan of the Greek (and Greek myself), I was excited to check out Greca but I am beyond disappointed. This place lacks an identity, the food is nowhere near the quality of the Greek (but the price isn't adjusted downwards enough to make up for that) and what started out as a comfortable place for me to get work done and catch up with a friend turned into a club as it got later. Except there was almost no one there so I'm not sure who the thumping beats were for. Friend and I couldn't hold a conversation comfortably. It would work as a chill lounge/bar but not a fan of the current nighttime state. — Kelly Regas on New Kid on the Block: Greca

The website is frenchettenyc.com, but it's not live yet. I'd wager they're not taking reservations until they're 100% sure they're ready to open. — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Frenchette Said to Be Opening Soon

Any contact information for Frenchette to make reservations yet? — Alex on Seen & Heard: Frenchette Said to Be Opening Soon

A suggested finishing touch to our effervescent neighbors' bathroom: https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/maurizio-cattelan-america — David G. Imber on In the News: Duane Street’s Lost Tower

The bus parking at WTC is only for those that have tickets to the memorial museum and pay for it. It will not help the neighborhood for buses that drop off for a look at the memorial fountains or walk arounds. It is a drop in the bucket. — TAMK on Seen & Heard: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

I work in Logistics for a retail company. Alee is right in that UPS/FedEx will do whatever they can to minimize re-delivery attempts. However, the shipper (Aether or their fulfillment company) controls this behavior. Sometimes drivers will go rogue, but it's more likely UPS has offered them lower rates in exchange for dropping packages at authorized pick-up centers. Express your displeasure to Aether; they can change the delivery requirements with UPS. — K on Seen & Heard: Another Restaurant Has Become a Co-Working Space

The store is now closed as the roses outside on the pole and all inventory inside has been removed.. — Sonia F. Stock on Where in Tribeca…?

Areas are judged commercial or residential based upon how they are characterized in the Zoning Resolution. Also, emergency work, e.g. broken water pipe, gets approved with a higher priority, but some traffic flow must still be maintained. — James on Why Does So Much Street Construction Happen on Weekends?

I find that tour bus photo deeply disturbing. I must be watching too many zombie movies/shows. — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

Is Liberty Street closing so they can finally complete the road along 4 WTC? The extreme barricade overload along Tower 4 have been an extreme eye sore and pain in the a**. — Anthony on Seen & Heard: Another Restaurant Has Become a Co-Working Space

Namira is one of many "UPS Access Point" locations in the city. Scheduling a return trip to redeliver a package is expensive from the UPS end (fuel, vehicle wear/tear, time, etc.), and keeping missed deliveries takes up room. Returning a package after multiple missed attempts, even more money. These access points basically work as virtual doormen, same as the Amazon Lockers which you can have your Amazon orders delivered to. Pro-tip: for gifts you order online, the Amazon lockers and delivering to a UPS Access Point make for great delivery addresses, even if you have a doorman. No risk of a present being opened by accident. — alee on Seen & Heard: Another Restaurant Has Become a Co-Working Space

Went to Greca last night for cocktails. The Minos (habanero-infused Pamplemousse Rose, lemon) and Pisco Sour was exceptional. — citypixie on Seen & Heard: Cast Iron House Update