Recent Comments

  • Can't measure noise in the city? What about in the 90s when they cracked down on cars going up 6th avenue in the West Village? They had them then. So many cops are part of these gangs (yes, gangs) so they look the other way. — mruptight on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • This is a great project for TriBeCa and it's great to see that the space is going to be used for such a wonderful purpose. — Elliman NYC on City Building to Get Residential Makeover

  • Interesting- was so curious about all the birds last year- "The lights have caused confusion for thousands of migrating birds, trapping them in the beams, and requiring that the lights be switched off for 20-minute periods to allow the birds to escape.[14] To ensure the lights do not affect migrating birds, the Municipal Art Society works with the New York City Audubon on the illumination" — en_b on Seen & Heard: iPic Cinema Deal

  • Marie and Sick of It, I feel your pain, but you should know what you're up against. Many years ago (pre-9/11) I had a long conversation with the Officer in Charge of Deflecting Residents' Concerns, or whoever it was, at the First Precinct. I was trying to find out how to get them to stop the motorcycles with the loud exhaust pipes, up to fifteen of which park daily (and nightly) on my narrow street with tall buildings on either side, a perfect echo chamber at 2 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. when the regulars arrive and depart, with appropriate revving of engines and riding up and down the street. After a lot of circular conversation, it came down to: They can't stop them because they can't quantify how loud they actually are, so it isn't fair to the motorcycles. The gist of the conversation follows. Me: "So don't you have one of those things that measures how loud a vehicle exhaust is?" Officer CDRC: "No; that's not something you usually find in a city. It's more like something that is used on the New Jersey turnpike and places like that." Me: "You mean the greatest police force in the country doesn't have one of these but New Jersey does?" I don't remember his answer but I'm sure it wasn't to the point. I know when it's time to end a conversation. — Hudson River on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • It looks like a perfectly nice building but I do not envy whoever will oversee it's operation. Given the structure's location, all of its presentations -- theatre, performances, movies et al. -- will have to be vetted for political sensitivity, to say nothing of correctness. Otherwise public outcry is sure to occur. No creative efforts ought be subject to such constraints. Some years ago it was proposed that an art exhibition space be included in the complex but the idea was abandoned for just this reason. — George Bacon on First Look: The Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center

  • Rag & Bone construction appears to be done. — James on Seen & Heard: New Yoga Studio Confirmed

  • As a law abiding dog owner, what's my solution then? Should I join them because there's no support for changing the rules? Maybe if we make the change a) those dogs will better confine themselves to the permitted lawns and b) we can correspondingly increase enforcement and ticketing, as the burden will be lower with fewer dogs to police... — mg on In the News: 1 World Trade Center Is for Sale

  • We need more late night places to eat and drink at — PerryR on A Sibling Restaurant for the Greek

  • I don't know that it's the entire space. The application estimates only 50 seats at tables and 10 seats at a bar. — Erik Torkells on A Sibling Restaurant for the Greek

  • Agreed those hours are ridiculous for that very residential area. That is also a very large space and filled with that many people would be serious noise for the residents of that building. — Deborah on A Sibling Restaurant for the Greek

  • According to the article linked below, this year is supposedly the last organized 9-11 motorcycle ride. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Last-Sept-11-Memorial-Motorcycle-Ride-Comes-to-Ground-Zero-390841971.html I'll believe it when I see it. Or rather when I no longer hear it. The article reports the end of one specific interstate organized ride that leaves a trial of 5-to-10-mile backed-up traffic across five states on their way to delighting our residential neighborhood with their patriotic exhaust pipes. The organizer is disappointed that law-enforcement no longer wish to inconvenience locals along their route. But these heroic flag-wavers have established a precedent and plenty of others are ready to take up the cause. In fact, here's a fb link to the Long Island 9-11 ride meet up: https://www.facebook.com/events/1787491844828401/ According to the page it's POLICE ESCORTED and "definitely something you don't want to miss!", "…be sure to check out the Freedom Tower!" Yippee. So let's all take a moment to thank our own local law-enforcement for ensuring that these dignified motorcyclists arrive safely and promptly to our neighborhood at midnight for their solemn remembrance. And I'd like to personally thank these patriots for their tradition of waking my sleeping children thus ensuring that the future generation never forgets. While you're at it, why not organize an annual midnight monster-truck rally at Arlington National Cemetery on the Fourth of July to support our troops? Let’s all chant together now: U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A! — Sick of it on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • The fireworks were in Hoboken (not this city, not this state). Every year, they have fireworks for their Italian festival and usually it is the second Saturday of September. Unfortunately it was on September 10th this year. But it is a tradition that predates 2001, so you can forgive them. The Long Island motorcycle get-together every year at midnight is annoying. It is not licensed or sanctioned by the local police is my understanding. I saw near road rage last night with a motorcyclist trying to block traffic to let the motorcade through by jumping on the hood of a cab. Complete craziness. For the solemn character of the event they should crack down on that wild get-together especially given the neighborhoods already tolerates the motorcycles the afternoon of September 11th. Hopefully enough people protest so they will put an end to it in the future. — Trib gal on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • My daughter dresses better than 113.5% of these moms and dads (myself included), and she gives it 3.65 seconds of consideration. — Jim Smithers on In the News: Back-to-School Fashion

  • You can already hear the moms who didn't get shot stewing all over the streets of Tribeca! They will send their kids to school with a nanny in protest for sure. — Tribeca Dad on In the News: Back-to-School Fashion

  • I don't think even Serafina knows when it will open. And it's my understanding that, yes, the Chambers side is hotel — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Progress at Serafina

  • Do you know when is Serafina planning to open now? they kept postponing... Also do you know what they are doing in those two spaces on the sides of the Cosmopolitan's entrance on West Broadway? Are they just expanding the lobby? — Carlo on Seen & Heard: Progress at Serafina

  • I am heart broken! I LOVED these people. They gave me so much help and saved the day many times during construction snafus. Thanks for everything, you will be terribly missed. — Betsy on George Taylor Specialties Is Closing

  • Presumably the delays were the result of decision by committee, as it were, attempting the impossible task of pleasing all parties, from developers, to residents, to those who lost loved ones in the attack. So perhaps there is a benevolent cause to the delays (which does not negate the possible additional merely bureaucratic causes). — Marcus on First Look: The Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center

  • Yeah, so Steve's radio is bothersome but more importantly, what idiot granted a fireworks permit for the evening of 9/10? They were extremely loud and inappropriate for the solemn occasion of 9/11. In addition, this IS Ground Zero and the very loud noise had a lot of people very frightened by the noise. I guess if you grease the right palm, you can get anything done in this city. Just terrible. Haven't been able to find what the "occasion" was yet or the person responsible for this. And while on the noise topic: Why in hell are motorcycles permitted to run through the neighborhood at all hours with those loud bikes; all totally unnecessary when the sound can be muffled. In a city where a honking horn gets you a ticket, how are motorcycles getting away with it for years? Never even becomes a question. Muffle those things. — Marie Benedetti on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • Yes, the one at 90 Washington has been up for over 10 years. The beer garden downstairs has lights and other decor attached to it. It looks pretty permanent. — Lana Dai on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • A good article about sheds is here: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160124/REAL_ESTATE/160129960/scaffolds-are-everywhere-in-new-york-city "THE EVER-PRESENT SHED on Delly's Harlem block sprouted up about four months after the four-story, eight-unit building was acquired in 2004 by Muhammad Shahid. "Shahid, who is listed in city records as president of a firm called Zamzam Realty, said the shed has stood for so long because the area's landmark status has made it hard to get renovation plans approved. 'I have no idea when the shed will come down,' he said. "Shahid may infuriate people who live near his property, but he's one of many landlords who have concluded it's cheaper to keep up a shed—and pay fines for violations—than it is to fix a building. "Here's the math: To erect a 200-foot-long shed costs around $25,000, half of which is paid upfront and the rest when the shed is taken down. In between, the shed builder would collect about $700 per month in rent. Suppose the building owner needed to replace loose bricks and masonry, tighten the parapet and waterproof the roof. If the building were higher than 15 stories, he would need to employ a full-time site-safety inspector, install protection over neighboring buildings, and put up a shed that extends 20 feet past the end of its façade in each direction. The entire cost of the renovation project, including the shed and scaffolding? Easily $250,000, according to Cowley. Even a prosperous building owner would probably flinch at that expense; the less wealthy simply put up the shed and worry about when it will come down some other day. "This could be remedied with legislation similar to the law requiring the Housing Authority to take down its [dormant] sheds. But City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito wouldn't comment on whether she would support such a law, and the state couldn't pass one without the city giving its go-ahead." — James on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • What about the one at 90 Washington (southwest corner of Washington and Rector)? Hasn't that been up for like ten years? — Hudson River on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • Sheds are a huge problem. When there is a problem and the sheds have to go up, it is much cheaper to put the sheds up than to actually fix the problem. It is also much cheaper to extend a permit than to take the shed down and put one up again later. This is a problem that seems to be getting worse not just here but all over Manhattan. I do have good news about the sheds on Dutch & John (45 John) and Gold & John (80 John). 45 John is wrapping up its conversion to a rental tower and should be ready for leasing by the end of the year and therefore should no longer need its scaffolding. 80 John's scaffolding should be coming down by November as their project is wrapping up as well. — Luis Vazquez (FiDi Fan Page) on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • The noise from Steve's radio is horrible. And, yes, he starts at 6am and does not care about the residents in the area. Instead of calling 311, you need to call the police multiple times when it occurs - they will come out. Tell them that the noise is waking you and your family up. It is best if everyone who hears the noise calls. The police will do something if many folks call. Also, call Infependence Plaza as the offender is one of their glorious tenants. Also, something should be organized with CB1 regarding Steve. He has been doing this for years. Most people are very annoyed, but assume someone else will take care of the problem. It is time to bring this to an end. — Rodney on Seen & Heard: Is 101 Warren’s Sidewalk Shed Permanent?

  • Erik, you nailed it! Harrison is the face of Whole Foods for me. If I recall correctly, he's been there since the beginning. Let's do a flash mob parade for him one day! — TribecaTechDad on Valentine No. 53