I don't know that it's fair to lay so much blame on the shops; if I were given the chance to testify against a competitor starting up in the area, I might do it myself. The SLA's system is simply broken. — Erik Torkells on Le Dû’s Wines Isn’t Moving Here Anymore

not shopping *there* anymore... - dang early morning outrage typos! — Jeff on Le Dû’s Wines Isn’t Moving Here Anymore

thank you all for your kind words and support over the years! — MADELINE LANCIANI on Spotlight: Duane Park Patisserie

I agree with Jeff. I'm so tired of all the empty store fronts..I can't even recall what used to be at 112 Hudson it's been vacant so long. — julieJ on Le Dû’s Wines Isn’t Moving Here Anymore

This is just absurd. Although I don't begrudge Frankly, Chambers, etc... from testifying, I hope they don't begrudge me from not shopping their anymore either. Was looking forward to having Le Du nearby — Jeff on Le Dû’s Wines Isn’t Moving Here Anymore

Well, we'll see how Ms. Chin does against Mr. Marte in the Nov. 7th election. She only beat him by 200 votes in the primary, but he made it onto the ballot as an Independent. — DeeDee on In the News: CB1 Regrets Supporting the Arcade Land Grab

I think you know how envious I am at this moment ;) Also, good work on the phrase "New Yorker their way to the cupola". Accurate and fun to witness for sure. — Andrea on Show Us Your Roof: The Municipal Building

Brava Madeline. You are our go to place for goodies and have been since he beginning. The flowerless chocolate cake always sends people into a trance. The cake you made from a drawing I did for my husband's 50th birthday 23 years ago will never be forgotten! — Huck's Mom on Spotlight: Duane Park Patisserie

I've called 911 and 311 numerous times about a rather large rubber garbage can locked and chained to a pole outside the Chambers Street subway and was asked "do you know what's in it?" Since the construction at the park has begun I'm assuming it's looked at. — Brian on Seen & Heard: The Far Right vs. Tribeca Grill

Wonderful addition and nice to get some art back into the area. — TG on A New Jazz Club

So good to see Madeline featured. We have countless photos of all the beautiful birthday cakes she has made for our daughter,'s birthdays. There isn't a celebration that a Duane Street cake, tart or plate of cookies aren't on our table. We aren't drinkers so in place of a bottle of wine we always bring DSP desserts and our friends expect us to at this point! — TG on Spotlight: Duane Park Patisserie

It’s definitely visible from the street (Chambers and Broadway), more so when the leaves have fallen from the trees in City Hall Park. — Erik Torkells on Show Us Your Roof: The Municipal Building

Re: "you’ll see a metallic carbuncle on the northern roof. How was that allowed on of one of the city’s landmark buildings?" - It is mechanical equipment - It does not damage a significant architectural feature of the building - It is not visible or minimally visible from any public street, park, or path See the Landmarks Preservation Commission's Rules: 63 RCNY §2‐19  Proposed Construction of Rooftop Additions. (a)  Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: [...] Mechanical equipment. "Mechanical Equipment" shall include, but not be limited to, heating, venting and air conditioning equipment, alternative or distributed energy equipment, such as solar panels, wind turbines or micro‐turbines; watertanks and their supporting structures; stair and elevator bulkheads; screens, dunnages, baffles and other accessory installations; and satellite dishes, but shall not include telecommunication equipment and conventional television antennas. For the purpose of this rule, mechanical equipment shall also include unenclosed decks, garden trellises, or associated railings. Minimally visible. "Minimally visible" shall refer to any rooftop addition which when viewed from any public thoroughfare, projects into the maximum line of sight from such public thoroughfare by not more than 12 inches in height, or, due to its placement and size does not call attention to itself nor detract from any significant architectural features. [...] (b) "CNE" shall mean Certificate of No Effect as defined by §25 306 of the Landmarks Law. [...] Public thoroughfare. "Public thoroughfare" shall mean any publicly accessible right of way including, but not limited to a street, sidewalk, public park, and path. [...]   Rooftop addition. "Rooftop addition" shall mean a construction or an installation of mechanical equipment and/or occupiable space situated on any structure's roof. Significant architectural feature. "Significant architectural feature" shall mean an architectural component of a building that contributes to its special historic, cultural and aesthetic character, or that in the case of an historic district reinforces the special characteristics for which the district was designated. [...] (2) The Landmarks Preservation Commission shall issue a CNE for any rooftop addition to be constructed on a structure which is an individual landmark of seven stories or greater in height which:       (i) consists solely of mechanical equipment; and (ii) does not result in damage to, or demolition of, a significant architectural feature of the roof of the structure on which such rooftop addition is to be constructed; and (iii) is either not visible from a public thoroughfare or is only minimally visible from a public thoroughfare — James on Show Us Your Roof: The Municipal Building

Well, I tried. — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Bogardus Plaza Scavenger Hunt

So sorry to say that as of last Tuesday afternoon the captions had not be corrected. — HCR on Seen & Heard: Bogardus Plaza Scavenger Hunt

Great place. World class music, the likes of Eric Alexander, Jimmy Cobb, etc for 25 bucks. My prediction is, go there before they close because it is too good to be true for NYC in 2017. Of course nobody will ever know about this place in time because if you google "75 Murray st nyc jazz" you get, Kitano, Django, Blue note and a few other listings of "CLOSED" places. Depressing. You can go to the Moma for 25 to see world class art on its walls, to get it in your ears you usually have to pay a lot more these days so I say, go down to 75 Murray and enjoy yourself. — tom on A New Jazz Club

This is great!...TriBeCa is becoming quite the jazz destination! Roxy Hotel Lobby, The Django, B flat, 1803 (has jazz begun there yet? I haven't checked it out yet), now this place. I hope jazz lovers, and those new to the pleasures of the art form, will support these places and keep them going for many years to come. (At this place, I do hope there will be nights with lower cover charge, or maybe the cover charge is waived or reduced if one buys a certain amount of drinks&food) — Marcus on A New Jazz Club

Maybe. It's really surprising to me how many times I open an unlocked locker at my gym and find a handbag there, especially the ones at the end of the row near the main aisle, allowing for quick unseen getaway. — N on In the News: CB1 Regrets Supporting the Arcade Land Grab

Thank you for posting about the Oculus greenmarket. Russeted apples are my favorite, and not easy to find! — Andrea on Seen & Heard: “A Few More Weeks” for Tetsu

Let's see how 101 Barclay certifies this violation "corrected" (or the one issued before it): NYC Department of Buildings ECB Violation Details Premises: 97 BARCLAY STREET MANHATTAN Filed At: 101 BARCLAY STREET , MANHATTAN , NY 10007 BIN: 1001416 Block: 128 Lot: 2 Community Board: 101 ECB Violation Summary VIOLATION OPEN ECB Violation Number: 35272195X Severity: CLASS - 2 Certification Status: NO COMPLIANCE RECORDED [...] Violation Date: 08/22/2017 Violation Type: ZONING Served Date: 09/07/2017 Inspection Unit: SPECIAL OPERATIONS Infraction Codes Section of Law Standard Description 2B1 ZR 11-62 VIOLATION OF DISCRETIONARY ZR CONDITIONS PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC SPACE Specific Violation Condition(s) and Remedy: SEC. 37-727 VIOLATION OF DISCRETIONARY ZONING CONDITIONS ON PRIVATELYOWNED PUBLIC SPACE. FAILURE TO COMPLY W/A CPS SPECIAL PERMIT C 800477ZSM & PLAN 800477 ZSM,DATED 9-18-80 24HRS. NOTED: AT TIME OF INSPECTIO [...] Certification Status: NO COMPLIANCE RECORDED A Certificate of Correction must be submitted to the Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) for all violations. A violation that is not dismissed by ECB will continue to remain ACTIVE or "open" on DOB records until acceptable proof is submitted to the AEU, even if you have paid the penalty imposed by ECB. ECB Hearing Information Scheduled Hearing Date/Time: 02/22/2018 8:30 Hearing Status: PENDING ----------------------------------------------------------------- NYC Department of Buildings ECB Violation Details Premises: 97 BARCLAY STREET MANHATTAN Filed At: 101 BARCLAY STREET , MANHATTAN , NY 10007 BIN: 1001416 Block: 128 Lot: 2 Community Board: 101 ECB Violation Summary VIOLATION OPEN ECB Violation Number: 35260118Y Severity: CLASS - 2 Certification Status: NO COMPLIANCE RECORDED [...] Violation Date: 05/12/2017 Violation Type: ZONING Served Date: 06/01/2017 Inspection Unit: SPECIAL OPERATIONS Infraction Codes Section of Law Standard Description 2B1 ZR 11-62 VIOLATION OF DISCRETIONARY ZR CONDITIONS PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC SPACE Specific Violation Condition(s) and Remedy: VIOLATION OF DISCRETIONARY ZONING CONDITIONS ON PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLICSPACE.NOTE:SPECIAL PERMIT C 800477ZSM AND PLAN C800475HUM DATED NOVEMBER 1979 INDICATES THAT THE "L" SHAPED PUBLIC LOBBY IS OPEN TO THE PUBL [...] ECB Hearing Information Scheduled Hearing Date/Time: 01/18/2018 8:30 — James on Seen & Heard: Beautiful Bridal Shoot

I wonder what Ms. Chin Regrets... Quid Pro Portico June 15, 2016 The area covered by this proposal falls within the district of City Council member Margaret Chin. Although she does not sit on the Zoning and Franchises subcommittee, City Council procedure and tradition give deference to a member when considering a measure that falls entirely within his or her district. As a result, the Water Street Text Amendment would be unlikely to pass without Ms. Chin’s approval. For many weeks, Ms. Chin’s position was that she opposed the measure in its original form. In recent days, however, she negotiated several modifications to the Water Street Text Amendment that convinced her to give the measure her support. The changes include a caveat that requires arcades larger than 7,500 square feet to undergo the City’s standard land use review procedure. (The crux of the Water Street Text Amendment is that it allows building owners to avoid this process, and instead convert arcades to retail space after obtaining a sign-off from the City Planning Commission.) This will create greater oversight for six of the 17 buildings that will be eligible to convert arcades to retail use under the proposal. Other changes include limiting banks and drug stores to 30 and 50 feet of frontage, respectively, in the newly created retail space, and restoring compliance and reporting provisions that the original proposal sought to eliminate. At Tuesday’s hearing, Ms. Chin addressed herself to the dozens of residents and community leaders who testified against the proposal at multiple City Council hearings, and argued against it for months at successive meetings of Community Board 1 (CB1). “I heard you clearly and sought to make this proposal stronger in terms of community input, sensible ground rules, and long-term oversight,” she said. “The modified proposal seeks to strike a balance of community input and public oversight with regard to the infill of public arcades, while providing flexibility to achieve the desired goal of improved public space, neighborhood retail, and pedestrian experience. “With this proposal, the future of Water Street is brighter than ever before.” She then recommended that the members of the subcommittee vote in favor of the Text Amendment — which they did, unanimously. Ms. Chin later said, “this wasn’t an easy decision to make. There have been many passionate voices that wanted this proposal to be rejected outright, or conversely, wanted the Text Amendment passed as is. After much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that neither option would give our community what it desperately needs and deserves: Improved public spaces in plazas and arcades, small-scale neighborhood retail, and innovative indoor public spaces.” She continued, “after considering all of the viewpoints expressed at numerous Community Board meetings, City Council hearings and, most recently, at last week’s Town Hall at Hanover Square, I have reached an agreement with the applicants that I believe meets the goal of enlivening the Water Street corridor while preserving vital community and City Council oversight.” Ms. Chin added, “the modified proposal seeks to strike a balance of community input and public oversight with regard to the infill of arcades while providing flexibility to achieve the desired goals of improved public space, neighborhood retail, and pedestrian experience. Though some may not agree on the outcome of this process, I hope that all will understand that my decision is based on what is best for our community.” http://www.ebroadsheet.com/city-council-panel-okays-proposal-convert-water-street-arcades-retail/ — James on In the News: CB1 Regrets Supporting the Arcade Land Grab

And they let people sit on the stairs, blocking access to the few banisters that are there. — Hudson River on Seen & Heard: The Oculus’s Absurd Elevators

On the subject of land grabs, how does 101 Barclay get away with keeping their atrium closed to the public? Just like the arcade, 101 Barclay's lobby is designated as a POPS. It is supposed to have 24hr. public access and amenities. Here's the link to the municipal art society's page about it: https://apops.mas.org/pops/102/ — safe as milk on In the News: CB1 Regrets Supporting the Arcade Land Grab

How about artists agree to only paste onto empty commercial spaces... ;) — Robert Ripps on Museum of Modern Graffiti | October 2017

Re: arcades Why the heck did CB1 support such a broad sweeping plan without conducting due diligence? Made little sense... building owners gained without providing anything in return. The arcade proposals should be considered on an individual case by case basis judging each plans costs versus benefits to the public. If any plan is a net negative to the public it should not be allowed to go forward. There are some arcades that can be revitalized benefitting both owners and the public. — Rohin on In the News: CB1 Regrets Supporting the Arcade Land Grab