I just got Margaret Chin's newsletter and here's the paragraph about the tour buses, with slightly different numbers. I am sure that there were several contradictions about numbers at the meeting or it could have been that I was sitting in the back behind a post and misheard. --- According to the state Dept. of Transportation (NYSDOT), the number of double-decker sightseeing buses in the city more than tripled from 57 to 194 between 2003 and 2013. Today, there are approximately eight NYC sightseeing bus companies that operate a fleet of 229 – with nine plates currently pending. The number of active, registered sightseeing buses was as high as 299 in September 2014. --- So the legislation would remove even fewer buses from the street than I said originally. I just don't see capping the number to be the solution; if there's 225, 224 of them will still want to go downtown. The solution has to be prohibiting buses in certain areas plus a whole slew of other disincentives. — Hudson River on In the News: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

Thanks for this. Tourist buses are annoying, no doubt, but on Broadway and Church the bigger disturbance is from commuter buses making their way up and down through Lower Manhattan every weekday morning and night. The buses are older—noisier and worse for our air quality—than MTA buses. My guess would be that the Downtown Alliance's count included a lot of commuter buses. — Erik Torkells on In the News: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

I thought exactly the same things in regards to food cost. They have a lot of expensive items like the proteins, cheeses, pates, nuts, chicken liver mousse, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see the selection decrease in the near future. Especially if hotel guest have any part of their meal subsidized. I hope it doesn't as i think it's currently one of the best deals in northern tribeca. — Brett on First Impressions: Harold’s Meat + Three

I'm glad to hear it—I think the "5 sides" might just have been an unfortunate choice (and it really shouldn't be $29), and that Harold's is priced better for people who want to eat some animal. As for the salad bar (or "continental buffet," as one server called it), I was talking with a person in the industry about it, and he marveled at how the restaurant could possibly cover the food costs related to it. He wondered how long the upmarket meat/fish options would be on there. — Erik Torkells on First Impressions: Harold’s Meat + Three

There was a lot of data but I zone out on numbers so this is what I got. The number of tour buses tripled from 2003-13. There are currently 237 buses operating, and the legislation would limit them to 225, so big whoop there. At one time there were many more bus companies but fewer buses; now there are only 5 companies. Some speakers were concerned about this and thought it should be easier for more companies to enter the market, but I think it's the same as everything else--big companies driving out smaller ones. Other trivia: *The people from the Bronx and Brooklyn who spoke are afraid that limiting the number will mean fewer buses going there, and they actually WANT more. *Someone from the DT Alliance counted 74 buses below City Hall in a short amount of time one day (sorry, not sure how many hours that was). *The Department of Consumer Affairs and CB2 speakers wanted to raise fines for traffic and parking violations and revoke licenses for having too many. *Another topic that came up were the "rolling buses"--the ones with the big ads and sometimes fancy lighting; when they're empty they just drive around anyway so they can display the ads. *There were two different figures given for tour bus licenses: either $25 or $100 every two years per bus--the first figure may have been for an initial fee and the second for the license plate for the buses but the first wasn't clear. At any rate, way too cheap. And a mere $115 per parking infraction. *Somebody read the legislation on the books re tour buses and it is so old that it includes horse-drawn vehicles. I don't get why they're not doing a complete re-do. — Hudson River on In the News: Legislation to Limit Tour Buses

Have been to Harolds twice for dinner and once for breakfast. Each time the food was very good and definitely a value considering other neighborhood options. I think it's worth mentioning that their salad bar has several proteins on it that can be considered main courses. So while the pricing is confusing, it is a real bargain in my opinion. Last time i was there the salad bar had prime rib carpaccio, baked salmon, country pate and chicken galantine in addition to your normal salad bar fare. — Brett on First Impressions: Harold’s Meat + Three

Play to win, Andrea. Don't play sloppy. Just don't. — Jim Smithers on Where in Tribeca…?

And I don't buy it. Smithers savors the win more than the rest of us combined. — Andrea on Where in Tribeca…?

I guess the trunk of that tree will never grow any wider. Amateur landscapers or....thieves! — Jim Smithers on Where in Tribeca…?

Yes they are, but...Hrrumph. — Andrea on Where in Tribeca…?

It's a little late to be gracious. — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca…?

No, NO, NO! I was helping Andrea! I can't take the win! No, SIR! Nosy Neighbor - did they "borrow" these cobblestones from when the recobbling of Harrison, etc. was taking place? — Jim Smithers on Where in Tribeca…?

Amateur...Between Church & Broadway, Prep School — Jim Smithers on Where in Tribeca…?

That's two big blocks! — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca…?

Between Broadway and West Broadway? Hard when I can't walk over and check today. — Andrea on Where in Tribeca…?

Jeremy, Thanks for your feedback. I think "inappropriate" is far too strong, but I appreciate your point. This rendering gives a bit of a false impression, actually, our goal would be creating a new building that retains essentially all of 22 Reade's LPC features. Ideally the buildings would actually look the same (with technical improvements). In these renderings, the building looks different in large part due to the coloring of the brick on the northern wall. It would remain red. The buildings would be redeveloped in a very LPC friendly way. By improving structural problems and introducing a publicly accessible and open ground floor, we would introduce a lot more light and air to the Burial Ground Memorial and improve accessibility in that area. We've gone through an exhaustive exercise to decide how to best utilize the LPC features: the iron work, cast facades, the brick, and the 3 buildings' merged design. We'd be targeting an adaptive-reuse-renewal approach, where we could use the historic features to complement a new, efficient green building; incorporating a large eductional, cultural, or museum facility. This is a very early stage and we're trying to create a dialogue to engage with the City and community on this project. So even if you don't necessarily like the design, I hope you appreciate our goal of putting an under utilized space into play as a cultural center or live-work-learn space, and continue the conversation with a City representative, because I'd really like to see movement on this project. Thanks. — Dan Hoeg on City Building to Get Residential Makeover

More specific, please. — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca…?

Reade Street? — Andrea on Where in Tribeca…?

That bar looks like my kitchen - well, sort of, I haven't found my globe yet. — Andrea on Seen & Heard: The Annual Halloween Parade

Just what my thirty year olds need. (Feeling snarky this morning. — Janet on Tribeca’s Eleventh Kids’ Clothing Store

It will be crowded and dirty in no time. — Janet on Seen & Heard: The Fancy New Starbucks

" Better to build affordable house where land and construction costs are more modest and the cost of living is affordable on a middle class income." this is the same logic that created the housing projects of the sixties. it's a bad bad idea. — j on In the News: Phone Snatchings

The C of O issued in 1996 shows the legal use on the 1st floor being a store with max occupancy 10 people. That said, the building filed and actually got DoB approval in 1991 to amend the C of O for some kind of theater use. They apparently never finished the work and never obtained the theater C of O to legally conduct business under that use. The stipulations were clear: "AT 1ST FLR, CONVERSION OF EXISTING STORE (UG6) TO THEATRE (UG8A). MINOR PA RTITION AND PLUMBING. HUNG CEILING, MECHVENT. AT CELLAR, C OF O NOMENCLATU RE CHANGE FROM "STORAGE FOR STORE" TO ACCESSORY STORAGE", AT MEZZANINE FROM "OFFICE TO"ACCESSORY OFFICE" FILE REVISED SCH A". SCH A REMARKS 1 NO SCENERY OR SCENIC ELEMENTS TO BE USED 2 NO REFRESHMENT STANDS 3 NO ORCHESTRA STAGE 4 NOT A MOTION PICTURE THEATRE NOTE NO INCREASE IN OCCUPANCY BEYOND 70 PERSONS TO BE PREMITTED WITHOUT OBTAINING AMENDED C OF O." http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=2&passjobnumber=100176195&passdocnumber=01 It is hard to believe this was a surprise. — James on Soho Rep Has Left Tribeca

I watched the Buddha Bar hearing via SLA webcast and I have a feeling that this is going to go to court or be settled when of the parties threatens litigation with all of the arguing went on between Buddha Bar and the opposers. — Alex Atallah on Seen & Heard: Buddha Bar Battle Paused

I sent an email to the company's press room. — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: The Fancy New Starbucks