I have the skinny: according to the two treesmen, SOHO could not make it down for the delivery of the trees due to the pandemic. Greg's is running it this year as a place card holder. The two men are workers from SOHO, who kept them on board as they know the clients well. — Bynorthemore on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

As a reader of this newsletter, I am also very disheartened / unimpressed with this report in general and especially some of the comments. It is a poor reflection of the Tribeca community and I think you should seriously consider taking it down for the following reasons: It is easy to sit from home and misidentify the person in this video and their motive for taking down the net. Pointing your finger at John Jones from a grainy video watched from the comfort of your home is wrong, unwise, and could be considered racist by many who read this thread. This is a shameful reflection of our community and I for one am extremely embarrassed that this has even been published. What's more, I shouldn't even have to explain that comparing an 83 year old tennis instructor to a Mafia boss is extremely inappropriate. The comments on this thread not only baselessly accuse an elderly man of this action, but also completely vilify him and slander his reputation. I've been happy to call Tribeca home, but I am repulsed by this display of our 'community'. Do better. — Also Unimpressed on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

If I am correct, John negotiated a new (badly needed) net with The Parks Department, therefore, would probably have been taking down the old one before the putting up of the new one. So many mean and unwarranted words here leave me feeling that people have a lot of time on their hands. Ease up guys. This is not a criminal but a person who has physically maintained this court for 30 years. The plaque was not put up by him but a group of players many years ago when we had a community. Come on! — Equally Unimpressed on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

To be clear, whomever is in the video didn't change the net. They took it. The signup sheet is no longer a valid way to play tennis, ever since the parks dept issued COVID guidelines. Tennis players have had to democratically show up and wait to play (like at other public tennis courts in the city). First come first served. Since COVID, there has been a renewed interest in the courts (understandably so, since well, quarantine). Perhaps whomever took the net down didn't like the new process, and decided no one should play. So they took the net, and then didn't know what to do with it, so they tossed it in Washington Market Park. A new net was immediately put back up by the Parks Department within a day. In the meantime, creative players tied yellow caution tape from pole to pole to allow for continued play time. FYI: The BMCC police or security guards are rarely watching the tennis courts as they are fairly far away from them and their view is blocked. — Harriet the Spy on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

Walkers is such a fun restaurant. Let's all do our part and support locally. Thanks for the article. — jules on Local Business Update: Walker’s

Are you seriously accusing an 83 year old man of vandalism for which he has no motive by “identifying” him from a blurry video taken from 100 feet away? You people need a life. You’re also outraged about a tennis net being stolen, so please check your privilege. John’s name is on the court because he lobbied the parks department to build it in the first place. If you have an issue with the way a NYC public tennis court is run, take it up with the Parks Department but please leave the armchair detective work and accusations to someone else. You sound absolutely ridiculous. — Unimpressed on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

Charlie, who are you to say what "offense" can be held by someone and for how long? Nineteen years was a long time ago, yes. Is there a statute of limitations on principles? À chacun son goût, I say. — Loren Harkin on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Agree, Morgans Market is a gem. They practically created Tribeca. The were the first market downtown, struggled through thick and thin, and many local disasters. While every flees Tribeca they stand firm and provide quality products. Always my favorite. — Craig S on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

I've bought my tree on Greenwich every year and just checked my credit card statement - it was Soho Trees at least last year (think it was every year). While the tree was always beautiful, and they had some really unique varieties, I found they dried up too quickly for the high price (last one was $150, most expensive was ~$200). Yet I kept going back :) — Kristin on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Tribeca Grill is a wonderful part of Tribeca -- warm, friendly, spacious -- you never feel crowded in. They greet you by your first name -- I've had 3-hour lunches there and I am not a big spender. Hamburgers and onion rings, an occasional salad. Never felt rushed or boxed in. Seating far apart from others. So, so gracious. I do hope they-- and all the others-- survive this. ( Boy, we could use Robt DeNiro taking people on tours of Tribeca eateries once this is all over. Remembering the post 9/11 days...) — Martine on Tribeca Grill and Bâtard will close — for now

Why the hell should I have to pay full price toll on bridge just to get to my own home. All the other boroughs have free connecting bridges. We are not talking about the ferry so that point is irrelevant. We have to pay a bridge toll to get home from new jersey and the rest of NYC would you want to pay $19 a day to cross a damn bridge just to get home??!!! I travel by car from SI to Brooklyn, queens or long island and back on the regular not Manhattan. Your point is only based on travel to "the city" which not everyone on SI does so why should I have to pay again $19 to get home!! My gosh try living in Staten Island maybe you will understand. I grew up in Seattle I had no choice but to come to Staten Island at the age of 15. People are born and raised here they did not have a choice to live on this island or not so stop the ignorance and hate!! People just don't get it. Also living in NYC is expensive period. We all pay crazy money for continuous poor road conditions. Where the hell is all this money really going to. Straight robbery!! Wake up!! — SI on Verrazzano Bridge toll will soon go both ways

Amen. They are the last tree standing. We should be supporting them. — BobR62 on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Even allowing that 9/11 trauma can be enduring, it's sad to see someone carry any offense for 19 years ... and counting. I stop at Morgan's several times a week on my bike ride home from my office. The produce is generally top-notch and it's amazing how many items this modest-size store can carry. Every employee is unfailingly kind, helpful and communicative. I leave with a smile on my face just about every time. Now more than ever, Morgan's feels, to me, like a rock and an oasis. — Komanoff on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

My wife and I both commute across that bridge every day. I work in Brooklyn, and she works in Queens. There's no real viable way to get there without driving over the bridge. Without the resident discount, our household commuting expenses would increase by $6000/year. That's significant to the point where we may have to look for other jobs. $11/day (2 cars) vs $38/day that's a difference of $28/day or $140/week — SI Commuter on Verrazzano Bridge toll will soon go both ways

If John Jones, the man in the picture, who has illegally privatized the Washington Market Park tennis court for decades, wants to change the net on his court, you can see how he might think “What’s the big deal, it’s my court.” Nobody including every Washington Market Park Board for these, let’s say, two, could be three, decades has ever challenged his authority. Nor has Parks. When Jones put up the plaque on the court naming it after himself, nobody did anything. It’s still there. When he bullied neighborhood kids off the court because he needed those hours to teach lessons or had sold them to players who couldn’t or wouldn’t show up in the morning to sign up for them, silence. When he created his own sign up sheet and hid it on the court for his cronies to use, ditto. When he sells hours to pros from Midtown Tennis Club and other city tennis clubs to use to give lessons, he’s never been challenged. He created a 501c to administer the court. (see blog below) One year he told Parks when to start using city issued tennis permits on “his” court. Some years ago, tho not now I gather, if there was a problem on the court, the parks workers would call him rather than their Parks superiors. Anytime you have a scare resource in this city, if there is an administrative vacuum, a Mafia develops to control it. The Tribeca Tennis Godfather, John Jones, has had a long run. I know because I was one of his Henry Hills (Goodfellas). Now just because he changed a net, everybody’s bent out of shape? For more: chamberrstreettennissupporters.blogspot.com and a good Parks person who’s been following this issue is Sam Biederman@sbiederman on Twitter. — Brent Shearer on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

The tree prices there are ridiculous! They wanted $60 for a table top Charlie Brown. We wound up purchasing ours directly from a farm in New Hampshire (8 Ft Balsam Fir), and including shipping it was $140 total- $60 for Fedex/$80 for the tree. I always thought the previous owner was Soho Trees as well, though we never purchased from there as their prices were exorbitant as well. My wife and I are both New Englanders originally, and probably should chop one down ourselves, but we are NY'ers now. — Bynorthemore on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Thanks!! — Tribeca Citizen on In the News: 45 Park Place stalled out?

That rooftop is 25 N Moore. You can see the concrete corner design arches from google street view if you go look from Franklin and Varick. — DB on In the News: 45 Park Place stalled out?

Morgan's would be the last place on Earth I would spend my money in. The last time I was there was on Sept 12th, 2001. Price gauging in the aftermath of the day before. A curse on them. — JH on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Thanks — RM on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

How about trying a local store - Morgan's Market on Hudson & Reade. — GC on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

Looks a lot like John Jones. Guess he didn't realize the cameras were watching — John Smith on Tennis court net is cut down in dark of night

Hello M, let us know how tree hunting goes. I’ve got ours at the “exorbitantly priced” Soho Tree main location the past couple of years and would like to try a new place this year :) Thanks! — Rich on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

But did you see how much they were paying in fees? $35,000 is a lot of money. Add cost of transporting the trees, salaries, lodging... Maybe the prices weren't so exorbitant after all. — MC on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?

I’m the M in question! We haven’t bought our tree yet but are going to check the Greenwich and Chambers stand. That said, I have a different memory - 4 or 5 years ago I really do think it was Soho Trees in that location. This Tribeca Citizen post seems to suggest something similar, as do the associated comments: https://tribecacitizen.com/2016/12/05/seen-heard-shopping-for-a-christmas-tree/ I have no idea when it would have changed, but I’m happy to give someone different a try. The Soho Trees prices were brutal. — Mg on Nosy Neighbor: Who is running the Christmas tree market on Greenwich?