I agree with Erik — every street in this neighborhood should be as nice as Cortland Alley — Tribeca Guy on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

Couldn’t be happier about Ct 2.0!! Mystery solved. Thanks Erik! — Kennedy Cogan on Six More Restaurants Worth Going Aboca

Why green? From the "CITY COUNCIL CITY OF NEW YORK, TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES of the COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND BUILDINGS, April 30, 2013" COMMISSIONER LIMANDRI: Well, currently today I do think that what we’re looking for is consistency. There have been conversations that blue is an interesting choice and so is green. What we are looking for is a color that is you know what maybe psychologists think are soothing colors. And so we chose green. COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: Okay. CHAIRPERSON DILAN: That’s better than hearing that somebody owns a lot of stock in hunter green paint. [...] RICHARD ANDERSON: Thank you Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee. I am Richard T. Anderson, President of New York Building Congress. Mr. Chairman, I mean this is good legislation. It makes a great deal of sense and my testimony will go at Council member Lander’s question directly how we in the industry intend to respond to this legislation. The Building Congress is pleased to support this bill which would require construction fences to display a detailed construction information panel. As we heard a single work permit and use of the uniform green color on all fences and sidewalk sheds and I can tell you that in London that’s exactly what they do. It’s a deep forest green and if you look at construction sites in London you will find they are uniformly attractive and this is one feature, one reason why. — James on Nosy Neighbor: Why Are Construction Fences Always Green?

Great to see these supportive comments, especially James's, which nail it! Victor: tolls will be lower for off-peak trips into the "congestion zone," so your trips on Saturday & Sunday mornings will be charged a lot less than full freight. Re your belief that "Only someone who has no car and doesn't drive to downtown" would support congestion pricing, that describes a majority of NYC households -- the vast majority, for the "doesn't drive downtown category." But every HH depends on our subways, which congestion pricing will help improve. Let's try to think of the greater good, as James suggested. — Komanoff on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

Sorry, but this site has a no-emoji rule, which is why yours were redacted. — Erik Torkells on Six More Restaurants Worth Going Aboca

Chilaquiles at Atla are [great]. — En_b on Six More Restaurants Worth Going Aboca

While we are finally considering ways to address the massive quality-of-life costs of cars on urban life, I'll dream bigger: - let's enforce laws against non-emergency horn honking - let's finally ban car alarms - let's enforce laws against red-light running, speeding, blocking "the box", etc… — Marcus on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

The Zoning Resolution defines a street thusly: Street (2/2/11) A "street" is: (a) a way established on the City Map; or (b) a way designed or intended for general public use, connecting two ways established on the City Map, that: (1) performs the functions usually associated with a way established on the City Map; (2) is at least 50 feet in width throughout its entire length; and (3) is covenanted by its owner to remain open and unobstructed throughout the life of any #building# or #use# that depends thereon to satisfy any requirement of this Resolution; or (c) any other open area intended for general public use and providing a principal means of approach for vehicles or pedestrians from a way established on the City Map to a #building or other structure#, that: (1) performs the functions usually associated with a way established on the City Map; (2) is at least 50 feet in width throughout its entire length; (3) is approved by the City Planning Commission as a "street" to satisfy any requirement of this Resolution; and (4) is covenanted by its owner to remain open and unobstructed throughout the life of any #building# or #use# that depends thereon to satisfy any requirement of this Resolution; or (d) any other public way that on December 15, 1961, was performing the functions usually associated with a way established on the City Map; or (e) a #covered pedestrian space# that directly links two parallel or substantially parallel ways established on the City Map, for which a #floor area# bonus may be awarded or was awarded pursuant to a prior definition of such amenity, that may, by certification of the City Planning Commission, be deemed to be a #street#, provided the Commission finds that: (1) no portion of such space is located within 50 feet of the intersection of two ways established on the City Map; (2) such space is unobstructed for a minimum width of 15 feet and a minimum height of 15 feet, except for enclosures at the entrances; (3) such space is located at an elevation no more than five feet above or below #curb level#; and (4) the space functions as a #street# providing access to another #street#, shops and other #uses#, and that such access is graphically and visually evident to the pedestrian. All provisions of this Resolution shall continue to be applicable to such space without being modified, varied or affected by the qualification of such space as a #street#. The City Planning Commission may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards to achieve public utilization of the #street#. For purposes of paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this definition, a #private road#, or a driveway that serves only to give vehicular access to an #accessory# parking or loading facility, or to allow vehicles to take on or discharge passengers at the entrance to a #building#, shall not be considered a #street#. — James on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

If the City can take whole blocks of buildings by eminent domain, they can take a couple of cellars under the private street, too. — James on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

people who dont understand eminent domain, only see the view from where they are looking. its what you dont see or know that determines ownership. its whats under the alleyway, streets need to be 30 feet wide as well. the study is more about sidewalks in between property lines. — gatekeeper on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

Agreed. See Canal Street! :-) — James on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

My grandfather remedy for cold & some flu ( U+T) — Zdislav David Lasevski on Argo Electronics Has Closed

Public ownership hardly guarantees that a street will be clean; see Cortlandt Alley. — Erik Torkells on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

Also, there is currently a legally-mandated study underway by NYC Department of Transportation to study private streets for taking by the City. Perhaps the unit owners of 5 Franklin Place should contact the DOT to make sure their private street is included in the study. See https://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-dot-survey-of-privately-owned-streets-could-end-in-takeover-1.13475993 See also Local Law 52 of 2017: "The department of transportation shall conduct a study of private streets that are not within its jurisdiction. As part of such study, the department shall obtain from each borough president and from the department of city planning the locations of private streets in the city, to the extent such information is available, and shall review the factors that may be considered or necessary for the acquisition of built private streets. Upon completion of such study, and no later than June 30, 2018, the department shall issue a report on the study’s findings to the mayor and the speaker of the council. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, any locations of private streets in the city obtained from each borough president and the department of city planning pursuant to such study." — James on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

I think the unit owners of 5 Franklin Place would be happy to have the alley condemned by eminent domain. They will all get paid for a piece of an alley they apparently thought was a public street anyhow; that is found money. The garage for 8 cars was legally approved by Department of Buildings and shows on the C of O; why would they lose access to a street being converted from a private street to a public street? Plus the street can be properly rebuilt, lighted, and kept free from private obstructions, scaffolding, etc. that encourage the negative conditions you describe. — James on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

From the Report - Fix NYC Advisory Panel - Jan 2018 "Moreover, those who choose to highlight these proposals as regressive also choose to ignore the facts. Census data indicate that only four percent of outer borough working residents commute to jobs in Manhattan in a vehicle, or approximately 118,000 residents. Of those 118,000, more than half are higher income individuals, more than a quarter are moderate-income individuals and less than 5,000 of them qualify as working poor. Compare those numbers to the 2.2 million New York City residents, including 190,000 of the working poor, who rely on mass transit to get to work day in and day out, and who would benefit from transit improvements paid for by the zone pricing plan. Consideration should be given to a tax benefit for these lower income commuters most impacted by the pricing zone who have no choice but to commute in vehicles." The plan calls for variable rates of $5.50 for off hours on weekends and late night, $8.50 for prime time and $11.50 for rush hours of 6am to 9am weekdays. But these plans first require that all the current traffic laws be enforced, that For Hire Vehicles pay a surcharge in the zone and that trucks pay a 2x amount over cars. Cars would be the last phase and not for years to come. Read the report here - http://www.hntb.com/HNTB/media/HNTBMediaLibrary/Home/Fix-NYC-Panel-Report.pdf — Steve on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

Agreed! — Heide Fasnacht on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

I went to the new ice cream shop (sprinkles land) you mentioned just opened up on park row right next to my school. Saw their food pics on instagram and wanted to give it a try. They have really special soft serve ice cream served in wine glasses! they sell dim sum and bubble tea too. — Caitlin on Seen & Heard: Sprinkles Land Ice Cream Shop

Yes to congestion pricing! Use the income to develop and subsidize better mass transit options. — Marcus on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

Equinox Tribeca has really gone downhill. I have been a memebee there for maybe 12 years and it has really gone downhill. I have gone to other Equinox clubs in the city and Tribeca has dated machines. A crappier locker room. Given that it is the most expensive club and there are only a few other choices I guess they figure that Tribecans are just trapped. — GeorgeNYC on Seen & Heard: Concerns About Equinox’s Tribeca Gym

To all the owners of 5 Franklin place because you made a bad investment and where not told about the possibility of this alley being controlled by the city go after the developer and make him pay to redo your main entrance you guys are crazy to evan want to have a rat infested entrance where homeless sleep and per and shit all hours of the day and night,stop crying and go after the builder who bought this building for 15 million dollars and made millions on you guys — Moe on The Latest Salvo in the Franklin Place Battle

" Traffic has become an urban scourge, and not only in New York. Around the world, it is a drag on economic activity and the quality of life. People waste hours in it, all the while sending pollution into the air. [...] " Traffic is a classic 'tragedy of the commons' problem. The phrase comes from the ecologist Garrett Hardin, based on work by the 19th-century economist William Forster Lloyd. " Lloyd described British villagers sharing a plot of land where their cattle could graze. Any individual benefited from using the land as much as possible. But if they all maximized use, they could destroy the grass. " The space on city streets is like the village common. When it’s overused, it becomes less valuable to everyone. " The good news is that modern societies have developed a solution to the tragedy: Charge money to use the commons. Doing so not only discourages overuse, it also raises funds that can solve the larger need — to grow another field where cows can graze, say, or to build a well-functioning subway system. And, yes, I realize that both grazing cows and well-functioning subways sound far-fetched to today’s New Yorkers. "The charge for using clogged roads is known as 'congestion pricing,' and it works well where it has been tried, like London, Singapore and Stockholm. In New York, the daily charge to drive below 60th Street might be around $8, with additional charges for vehicles that linger all day. "Ken Livingstone, the London mayor when congestion pricing began in 2003, has said it’s the only thing in his political career that 'turned out better than I expected.' [...] "The reason more cities haven’t adopted congestion pricing, Livingstone says, is 'political cowardice.' People cling to the idea that driving should be free, even though it imposes big costs on others. [...] "I understand why politicians are afraid to support congestion pricing. We all like the idea of a free lunch — or a free road. But political leadership is supposed to be just that: leadership. It involves making tough decisions for the common good and winning over citizens." "How to Get New York Moving Again" https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/opinion/new-york-traffic-cuomo.html — James on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

Only someone who has no car and doesnt drive to downtown. Would think this. I drive to Manhattan downtown 2 days a week Saturday & Sunday morning and home when work is over. Also if i work overnight. "The lack to add tolls on the bridges" more from a person who doesnt drive NYC residents are excessively taxed via tolls. — Victor on In the News: How Congestion Pricing Could Help Downtown

Recently cancelled my membership at Tribeca Equinox after my running shoes were stolen while I was in the shower and had to walk home barefoot while the staff was totally indifferent. Thankfully, I locked my valuables during my 5 minute shower, but I guess I should have thrown my sweaty, dirty shoes in the locker too... Who steals a shoe? Honestly! — Fidus on Seen & Heard: Concerns About Equinox’s Tribeca Gym

Pasquale Jones delivers that delicious pizza to Tribeca via Caviar. You can order it uncut - a quick pop into a hot oven and it's like eating in the restaurant. The clam pizza is sooo good. — Alice on Six More Restaurants Worth Going Aboca