I like John Derian as much as anyone, and certainly Ben’s owes no small debt to him. (And Derian's work is definitely more sophisticated.) But there’s a lot more in the store beyond decoupage (which Derian hardly invented). And I don’t believe Derian does custom decoupage. — Erik Torkells on Seen & Heard: Another New Barbershop

like the construction site drawing. like all the comments. — robert janz on Seen & Heard: More on the Kids Soliciting Donations

Bens Garden is a direct knockoff of John Derain on 2nd street. John pioneered these decoupage home items and has a small business run he personally runs- Bens Garden is a shameless copycat Long Island version. I don’t patronize knockoffs whenever possible but when it threatens to put a creative small business owner at risk I go out of my way the thwart the copycat. This new shop is exactly what Tribeca should not be about. — Allison on Seen & Heard: Another New Barbershop

Thank you so much Erik and Jane for these. They are amazing. — Lisa Stefanelli on Tribeca Then and Now: Lower Greenwich Street

The nursery was called "Farm & Garden Nursery" — Andy on When Tribeca Was Small (Part One)

Why don't the police stay around the areas where these lowlife's hang out? It's the same thing as the kids on the train selling candy from boxes for school or a sports program. Everybody has a scam. It's disgusting. — Sara Rosen on Seen & Heard: Remembering Nobu Downtown’s Chef

Ok people let's stop looking at this like a place for the homeless these are criminals they need to be away from good neighborhoods so long doesn't happen could happen. First they need to find guards that would do the job they are supposed to do while there with inmates too much corruption in jails and guards treating inmates unfairly that needs to be clean up then Society can look at rehabilitating inmates for those who can't be rehabilitated to stay there away from home and anyone else in the world. We need to start using common sense on where to have things like shells away from neighborhoods to keep family safe. We are talking about a jail on a summer camp people please make safe decisions for everyone God bless us all — Angel on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

Agree mruptight, I walk by that area minimum 2-4 times a day. I love how surprised they are when I don’t donate. Sorry but when I do donate to charity it’s going to be tax deductible and less susceptible to fraud. — ChrisB on Seen & Heard: More on the Kids Soliciting Donations

Someone needs to call the cops on those super aggressive "Save the ____" kids outside Whole Foods or City Hall Park. They really can't understand why I hate animals and children. — mruptight on Seen & Heard: More on the Kids Soliciting Donations

After politely rejecting one of the kids soliciting for the James Smooth Music and Leadership school, the young man said, “I should shoot you, dumb bitch.” Real quiet, right in my ear. I yelled very loudly back at him, “Did you just threaten to shoot me?” Over and over until he walked away. I then told the people at Manhattan Youth because I was so shaken that I had to tell someone. Be careful people. — DeeDee on Seen & Heard: More on the Kids Soliciting Donations

Laight St storefront will be a hair salon. — Remington on Seen & Heard: Arcade Bakery’s Summer Break

I doubt that facts will have much of an impact on anyone’s opinion, but here they are anyhow.... “On an average day in Fiscal Year 2017, there were over 9,000 people incarcerated in city jails. More than three-quarters of the people held at Rikers were simply waiting for their cases to be tried, most because they could not afford bail... ...Rikers’ facilities and design are woefully antiquated and unsafe. The conditions for incarcerated individuals are deplorable and negatively impact both detainees and staff. The poor layout encourages bad behavior and exacerbates problems, such as poor physical and mental health. Moreover, the very location of Rikers... impedes the fair and efficient administration of justice. The location has a negative impact on the individuals most directly affected and the justice system as a whole, including: payment of bail; meetings with lawyers; the ability to connect with family members and loved ones; and traveling to and from court on time. The difficulty in getting to Rikers deters family members from visiting. Indeed, in 2017, the visitation rate at Rikers was roughly half that at the borough facilities. In short, Rikers seems to be a living symbol of just about everything that can go wrong in a penal system. Finally, the current fiscal cost of incarcerating an individual in a city jail is now approximately $270,876 a year, or $742 a day. If no changes are made, the burden on New York City taxpayers will be almost $2.4 billion in fiscal year 2018. Put simply, the costs of maintaining Rikers and the existing system are staggering. We recognize that any plan will require the building of alternative facilities. However, building new facilities presents an opportunity to re-think design so as to provide for increased safety, a healthier environment for detainees and staff, and more on-site programming, such as mental health, job training and reentry services. It is clear that any investment now will result in significant financial savings as the number of incarcerated individuals declines [because of other initiatives]... (Through its Corrections and Community Reentry Committee, City Bar members and leaders have been afforded a high level of access to Rikers and have toured the facility on a number of occasions, meeting with guards, doctors, people running programs, as well as the people incarcerated there. These visits have helped to inform the understanding and the thinking of City Bar members involved in this area of work. ) https://www.nycbar.org/media-listing/media/detail/rikers-island-must-be-closed — A. on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

There is a great deal of empty space near Gracie Mansion. Another positive is that the police presence in that area could also assist at the jail. — Larry on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

If he wanted consideration in Battery Park, Hercules Mulligan should have donated to Cuomo's campaign. — James on In the News: History of a “Butter and Egg” Building

Queens should definitely keep it or any jail. — KK on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

Staten Island wasn't listed in "neighborhoods to destroy" because just like Rikers, it isn't convenient or easy to travel to. — KK on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

This typical DeBalsio. Insider real estate deal done in the shadows. As for your bullet points: 1) Closing Rikers (yes a terrible place) is just another land grab. Start the countdown to condos, a ferry stop and expanded LGA runways. 2) This is the equivalent of a guy tripping you and then asking if you are ok. 3) Dead on point. 4) Brilliant. Maybe you should run for office as our current leadership is making Dinkin’s time in office look good. As for the Staten Island comment, somehow DeBlasio forgot to include them on the list of neighborhoods to destroy. I wonder how much that cost? — Adam on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

Sadly it's a predominantly immigrant community, where most residents do not speak much English and also not politically active. When they built the Tombs, they did the same deal with affordable housing. They built Chung Pak Senior Housing on Baxter St as an olive branch. History repeating itself... — TribecaMom on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

It's difficult to justify all the negatives of this scheme by saying it will make family visits more convenient to those arrested and/or convicted. — James on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

Closing Rikers is a must. It is not just a "management problem". Families cannot visit the facility easily - usually it takes a full day for a one hour visit. The facility is old and inadequate. With the hoped for criminal justice reforms/bail reforms the jail population will be greatly reduced and can be handled by several local facilities. We are part of a broader community, not just "Tribeca" or "FiDi" but NYC. These reforms help us all. — G on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

It's also extremely disturbing that this was done in a relatively closed and furtive manner, "community leaders are upset that they were not told about the proposal" and were not invited to the meeting. Is the Community Board getting involved? The communities of the affected neighborhood should have an say in this. Also, what about the Rikers closure? Is that a foregone conclusion, or there still possibility that the decision can be reversed if enough public critique comes in? This all just sounds like throwing good money after bad, causing more problems while resolving none. That is to say, politics as usual. — Marcus on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

A horrible idea in so many ways. Expensive, will not resolve the management problems, destroys a good buildling, poses all sorts of traffic and potentially safety issues for the neighborhood. Agreed: Reform Rikers management; mismanagement will not be resolved by relocating. Addressing the "violence plagued Rikers Island" (quoting the Daily New article) by moving its facilities into a living/working neighborhood sounds like a textbook example of insanity. How best to actively voice our dissent on this? Write to de Blasio, Chin? — Marcus on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

I'm not a huge fan, but I'll concede that it generally works. Of course, it benefits greatly from being in an area where the contemporary tower fits in—unlike the Civic Center, where such a tower would not. Also, I doubt the city would get Norman Foster to do it. — Erik Torkells on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

The Hearst Tower on West 57th Street by Norman Foster is a successful example of building a tower on the shell of a terrific building. It can be done. — Ron on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street

I agree with option number 4. — Sandra on The City Wants to Build a 40-Story Jail on Worth Street