The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Shake it off, shake it off. — James on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

Jeez Louise...We all enjoy this site and all the work Erik does...enough with the virtue signaling. — JulieW on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

Sure hope that you are more concerned about the new JAIL that will be placed in your backyard than Erik's comment. Shocking that the placement of a bunch of rapists and other criminals that will endanger our daughters, wives and girlfriends does not get the attention of the social justice warriors. But, the PC police comes out in force to MIS-interpret a very appropriate comment by Erik. Let's hope to see you at the anti-jail protests so that we can focus on what matters for women's safety in the area. Just saying... — Patty on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

To totally insensitive. Up there with the Plascos. Can't believe the neighborhood is devolving into a purveyor of hate and roughness. Hugs people...we need hugs. — Stuart on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

That’s not even close to the worst kind of clickbait, and as you noted, “mantrap” is an entirety accurate word for the situation. Are there other phrases that would also work? Sure. I chose the one I thought was funny. Judging from “Blank Space,” Swift has enough of a sense of humor about her reputation that I doubt she’ll be much offended. — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

I agree completely with Elizabeth. This was a very pointed and sexist comment aimed at Taylor. With all going on socially, you should really think before writing things like this. — Shannon Smith on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

The linked DOB AI-1 notes that this alteration plan needed approval from the DOB Manhattan Borough Commissioner, who granted it "for security concerns." — James on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

I understand that the expression “mantrap” may be used in construction. I run a company that has some of these at our residences, and we have always called them, “sally ports.” Regardless, I think your headline with regard to Taylor Swift and her safety precautions was the worst kind of click bait, and was unnecessarily sexist and inflammatory. — Elizabeth on Seen & Heard: Taylor Swift Is Building a Mantrap

Act here to push for landmark status of the 80 Centre Street (= Lefkowitz) Building: http://hdc.org/featured/historic-districts-council-rfe-for-80-centre-street-to-lpc http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7965-show-the-lefkowitz-some-love Write the mayor, and write to Landmarks, if you wish to voice your support of preserving this building. — Marcus on The Worth Street Mess

"how the changes could impact pedestrians" Surely the hope is that they won't impact pedestrians! — Marcus on In the News: Issey Miyake’s Proposed Signage

On another note: good to see ol' Johnny Rotten in the NYT. I often listen to "Never mind the bullocks here's the sex pistols" while walking my pup just to keep that spring in my step! It was a blast 40 years ago and is a blast today. It was sheer youth and anger battered together into the perfect mash of punk. Nothing like it but from which many other bands born. — TG on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

If a restaurant wants to start serving alcohol for the first time, it needs a new liquor license (not a change of operation). And happy hour isn't something the SLA concerns itself with. But it is possible that the Chipotles around here (save 281 Broadway) sold beer but not margaritas, and so they'd need to upgrade from a beer/wine license to a full liquor license. It sure would be nice if the agendas had a bit more info along these lines.... — Erik Torkells on The Worth Street Mess

I heard the finish date for the Worth Street project is 2021.... — AJ on The Worth Street Mess

Do the neighborhood Chipotle outposts involved sell beer, margaritas, and have a daily happy hour? I don't know, but some in the City sell beer, margaritas, and there was a happy hour trial run last summer. If not, maybe that's the change. — Eric on The Worth Street Mess

If you oppose the jail at 80 Centre Street, please note the following listing above: 10/11 Landmarks & Preservation Committee – 6:00 PM Location: Community Board 1 – Conference Room, 1 Centre Street, Room 2202A-North 3) 80 Centre Street, application for landmark status – Resolution — James Bogardus on The Worth Street Mess

Great ideas and thoughts. NYC has a rich (and poor) history of race relations that we can look at and learn from, many of which are within a close proximity to our neighborhood. Hopefully this too can be a teachable moment. — Robert Ripps on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

The space is great but who crafted the menu? It's awful. They don't serve real food. — Mo Tribeca on Seen & Heard: Change Is Afoot at Greca

It’s NYC. You want fields, move to the suburbs. This area has more fields than most. How about amenities that all New Yorkers can use? They should also get rid of most of the baseball fields in Central Park. Return them to park or at the very least turn them into more flexible fields for soccer etc. — Cd on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

It's so easy to do nothing, or look the other way. Here are some downtown excursions we have taken - each creates an opportunity for an age appropriate conversation. Visit the African Burial Ground on Duane Street at Elk. We went there the morning after Charlottesville to talk and play. I was incredibly depressed, and didn't share the details of what happened, but found that it was a good place to talk about the difference between people who chose to come to America and people who were forced. It's at once solemn and playful - and very well designed. https://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm -Visit the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park. Explain that each of the stones on the path has the name of a county. Read the words in the entrance, and talk about native plants. It's a good entry point for why immigrants come to America - it is a better place than their current situation (and you can see the Statue of Liberty around the corner). Also a great place have a talk about why we shouldn't waste food. It's way more fun than screaming "eat your peas" for the millionth time. - Visit the Museum of the Native American Indian downtown. I often remind my child that there were people in Manhattan before the buildings, cement, and the many waves of immigration. One activity you can do is research local tribes where you live, or in a place you visit. My child has African, European, and Native ancestry, so we talk about Columbus day and Thanksgiving with perspective. We talk about why school is off but it's not celebrated by everyone. We celebrate Thanksgiving, but also skip all the romantic notions/lies that I was taught. My child would not have existed if not for this world history, but at the same time, we can talk about what was right or wrong about the past. Also on questions: When my child asked why there are girls-only coding classes, I explained that some people *think* that girls can't code. We talked about why that might be, how it's not fair, and what we need to do to make safe spaces for people. On the questions "Can boys marry boys?" and "Can girls marry girls?" The answer is yes, love is love. The follow up is going to be "But how do they make babies?" And it's easy: "they get help!" This is actually how we ended up talking about adoption more broadly. Once your kid recognizes race, get the book "The Colors of Us." Wait, even better, make sure your kid has books that represent people of different races, religions, and cultures from day one. Net/net: Kids are smart and avoiding the difficult conversations only leads to preconceived notions later. — Even in Tribeca? Why, yes. on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

Governors Island Trust proposals are immensely out of proportion! Not sure a 316 foot tower (30 floors plus the 16 foot rise in the pedestal for resiliency) is required but its in the plan... No offense intended to NJ but the renderings of Governors Island remind me of getting off the ferry in Paulus Hook or Port Imperial. There is no contextual relevance to Governors Island. In 2015 the Gov't said that they wanted Govermor's Island to be developed as a public venue for exploration and discovery...the privatization of the land with office towers does not seem in line with any of those goals...and why are tall glass tower designs again? — TAMK on In the News: Harold’s Is No Longer a “Meat and Three”

Great article. This is going to be a wonderful addition to the Soho neighborhood. — J. Valach on A Brand-New Old-Fashioned Diner

"As important: share with your children that all people are equal and deserve to be treated fairly, regardless of skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation." Words to live by! Well said. — Maryann on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

I think this story illuminates the casual racism that is rampant in our community especially as it relates to nannies. I was told by a well-meaning friend not to hire anyone from 'the islands' because they are lazy. When I did anyway (a wonderful hardworking 'islander'), I can't tell you how many times she had her picture taken in parks to 'report her' (to whom??) for the fact that one of my children fell off the monkey bars or some such nonsense. It happened so frequently that I had to put a letter in the stroller from me to hand women who felt entitled to tell my nanny how to do her job. These incidents would never have happened if she were white. There are a lot of well-meaning moms in this neighborhood who have no idea how racist their basic instincts are. Maybe we all do a little introspection. — Before You Cast A Stone on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

Amen. — Charles Komanoff on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race

The family’s level of privilege is nauseating. “Plasco said that they didn’t owe her any more money because there was no contract, and that the suit is just “extortion.” “I’m not someone who has millions of dollars lying around to just pay off people that are coming after me for extortion. And now you’re playing straight into her hands,” fumed the banker, who once ran the UK’s biggest brokerage firm. “My wife was two months off having a baby, suffering from a very difficult situation. You’re going to go after someone like that? That’s not a very nice thing to do.” — A. on In the News: Tribeca Nanny Fired Because of Race