A. White Street already has the Tombs, which considering its location, is of considerable size for the neighborhood. There is already constant traffic, both foot and vehicle, and the proposed increase would make Canal Street's already terrible traffic impassible. I so concur with you that logical prison reform in addition to the inevitable decriminalization of marijuana would do a great deal to help reduce the City's prison population and backlog. For the residents of Chinatown and Northern Tribeca DeBlasio's "prison reform" plan is a cruel joke. It should be no surprise that his plans free up a huge swath of land to develop. Remember his whole "Save the Horses" in Central Park, whose stables coincidently happed to occupy a nice chunk of land developers were salivating over? Our dear Mayor is taking a real issue and twisting it to make more money for his develop backers and that is the sad truth. Maybe he does belong in Washington with the other sellouts, like he believes he does. — Adam on In the News: More local shutdown losses

Looking forward to more "veggie" options in the neighborhood! — Marcus on Seen & Heard: The Wonder and Lekka Burger updates

Congratulations Kristina! I can’t wait to check out Love, Henry! — Liz Studer on New kid around the corner: Love, Henry

I’m 65 years old and I love what Casey does in his videos. I enjoy his reviews and his work. I guess I don’t understand the negative reviews. He has taken to social media and made himself a brand. I respect the fact that his celebrity, fame and fortune came from hard work and perseverance. Hell I’d love to spend a day with him. Here is my suggestion for you nay sayers...if you don’t care for him, quit watching his videos. Keep up the good work Casey, I enjoy your videos! — Billy Futch on Casey Neistat’s New Tribeca “Factory”

Thank god Taco Bell is back downtown. Hopefully they come back to Chambers Street too. — Taco on In the News: Frenchette, Taco Bell and you

so awful to think that this ridiculous government shut down is hurting businesses in our neighborhood. Thanks for reporting on this story and helping make us aware of what's going on right around us. — Will Meyerhofer on In the News: More local shutdown losses

Thank you for the reply, A. Not necessarily a "fake proposal", but a fairly common negotiating tactic, to ask for far more than you know you can get, then negotiating down. Anyway, I hope you are right that the powers that be are operating properly. Regardless, the questions remain: Where is the evidence that moving from Rikers to these local sites will resolve the issues you mention, and others? I don't claim to know what the answer is for justice reform, but it doesn't sound like this is it. Similarly, reducing the inmate population can happen at Rikers as well as at new sites. Those reforms and the reduction of inmate population seem to be separate issues from closing Rikers and opening local sites. See here, for example: http://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/doi-to-council-closing-rikers-won-t-fix-systemic-woes/article_727b3764-3368-11e8-9009-f7091176de26.html — Marcus on In the News: More local shutdown losses

This surprises me, we take our kids here often and have never seen this. It's usually filled with families or not full at all when we've been there. — BPC Mom on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

So excited about this joint. I had access to an RPG and boardgame store with a big table in the back as a yute and besides being some of the funnest times of my life, really sparked my imagination at a critical time and looking back was a major waypoint, if not primary influencer in my own creative development. But those were the days when nerding out was definitely not as cool as it is today... haaaaaaa — ian s berry on New Kid on the Block: Brooklyn Game Lab

That's ok Belfast - the Irish have plenty of historical names to work with. It always seems a bit cheesy when the name TriBeCa is used outside of well, NYC! — TG on In the News: Belfast rejects Tribeca

How confident are you that you will get your back pay once it's over? I know Congress passed the bill, but... https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424919-congress-approves-back-pay-for-federal-workers-affected-by-shutdown — Pam Frederick on Seen & Heard: Local businesses feeling the pain of shutdown

I've been on furlough for three weeks. I used to go to Andy's deli 2-3 times a week. The great cashiers know me. I also would go to Starbucks, Chipolte, Potbelly, etc I"m just one person, now multiply that by an entire building of employees. And don't forget you are also eliminating all of the public that comes to the area to do business with the federal government. — Jana Gross on Seen & Heard: Local businesses feeling the pain of shutdown

You mean the neighborhood could use a good restaurant, period. — Chris on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

The last iteration of the space was a preschool that was supposed to be an extension of Preschool of America (now renamed MetroKids). The owners of the preschool, Joanna Xiaoping Fan and her husband, are convicted felons from years ago when they used federal funding meant for the kids' meals to buy themselves huge mansions on Staten Island and high-end apartments in BPC. They have been trying to unload this space for years due to the lack of enrollment at the school, but I'm surprised they are working with a restauranteur and trying to turn this space into something more lively. — LZ on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

Those in favor need to walk by Treadwells, any day, including Sunday, from 11 am to 2 am, which was proposed as a "family beer garden" and is instead a daily fourteen hour riot that has taken over the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the rioters are many of the neighbors who enjoy it as an adult fraternity party that never ends. — minnie 309 on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

If they had simply done better outreach - it would not be as big of an issue - they never even contacted the condo board of the building they are in! If your apartment was on top or next to it or if your kids were in the preschool next door to it you would also have concerns too - where will the kitchen be vented, garbage, sound panels, etc.? There are lots of good places to eat in and around the area, one more will add to it but it needs to be done right. — TM on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

BPC desperately needs new restaurants, there really aren’t many good options and a more diverse choice of food is sorely needed. I don’t understand how or why locals are opposed to this. — Oz on BPC residents thwart (for now) chef-driven omakase restaurant

Warren Wilhelm, is that you? — Jeff on In the News: More local shutdown losses

@ Marcus I am an original Tribeca resident (40 years) who has held senior positions at two major NYC government agencies. What you describe is not the way government operates. It has neither the staff nor the resources to waste time putting out fake proposals nor would the oversight agencies allow it. The City has a problem at Rikers and is looking for solutions. Other than putting it somewhere - anywhere - else, how do you propose that they solve it? Hint: a real solution would be to reform NYS’s horrific bail laws that keep the poor incarcerated for years because they can’t pay. And to stop bad arrests. Things like that would reduce the size proposed replacements really quickly. Would you actively work to support them? I have read your comments, and those of other residents, for a long time. This community opposes any type of criminal justice project - were you around for the hysteria over the Summons Court? People of color arrested for nonsense crimes and the community worked about the women! The children! Please. — A. on In the News: More local shutdown losses

Taylor Swift bought the rest of the Tribeca building. — Tip on Is Taylor Swift Building a Franklin Street Compound?

Sorry, it was the 18th. They post the videos (eventually) here: https://www.nyls.edu/center-for-new-york-city-law/video-archive/ — Pam Frederick on Seen & Heard: Seafood coming to Blaue Gans space

Cynics unite. — Pam Frederick on In the News: More local shutdown losses

New York Law School Breakfast series item missing date and time. — Cheryl Fish on Seen & Heard: Seafood coming to Blaue Gans space

"The head of the commission to close Rikers said the buildings proposed for Worth Street as part of the plan are too big and out of scale with the neighborhood." The cynic in me speculates that this is all part of the long game by the powers that be. First: propose something truly outrageous, sure to set the community in a righteous uproar. Then gradually scale back, in phases, to somewhat less outrageous options, which at that point start to seem like reasonable "compromises" by the powers, and "victories" of people power. Gradually exhaust the community protesters at the same time. In the end, get exactly what you actually wanted. The community is stuck with the boondoggle, the jail/prison system doesn't get any real reform, the taxpayer foots the $20 billion bill, and someone somewhere upgrades their McMansion. Or maybe not, and everyone is really just acting out of benevolent interest in the good of society. — Marcus on In the News: More local shutdown losses

That's what I thought! But I got a press release from BMCC saying it was open and including all that detail -- so I thought maybe it was delayed again?? — Pam Frederick on Seen & Heard: BMCC pool opens after 6 years