Under whose authority is the south side of Canal between Hudson and Varick? That's one of the most depressing/dirty blocks in Manhattan and could be dramatically improved to encourage foot traffic if it had some trees, planters, etc. — DK on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

I remember it well. One summer a German artist named Uwe Mengel did an installation consisting of a number of different sites around the beach which you were supposed to visit to piece together a murder mystery: study the clues, figure out the murderer. I knew him a little and asked him, after I’d tried and failed to solve the mystery, who the murderer was, and he said he didn’t really know. He’d never worked it out himself. He liked that it was unsolvable, he liked baffling people. I miss the beach, as I miss the elevated highway, the best walk in New York. — AW on The Birth of Battery Park City

The Dead Rabbit Instagram page has their status updates. https://www.instagram.com/p/BksbeCcAqgT/ — JPL on In the News: Fire at the Dead Rabbit

Von Mises: "Economics does not say that isolated government interference with the prices of only one commodity or a few commodities is unfair, bad, or unfeasible. It says that such interference produces results contrary to its purpose, that it makes conditions worse, not better, from the point of view of the government and those backing its interference." — James on An Outpost of Pret a Manger Has Closed

I guess that’s the problem with interfering with market pricing. It all seems honorable and fair at first but in the end more people suffer. In this case all the servers who would be employed but no longer are — Rohin on An Outpost of Pret a Manger Has Closed

And Nadler was still "working" on it in June 2012: https://eastvillagernews.com/2012/06/nadler-two-way-verrazano-toll-is-coming-down-pike/ "Congressmember Jerrold Nadler says the hated one-way Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll — the bane of traffic-inundated Downtown residents — could be eliminated in as soon as two years due to high-speed E-ZPass and similar measures. [...] "Nadler attended Community Board 2’s meeting last month, giving an update on his doings in Congress. After he finished his report, the floor was opened to questions. Shirley Secunda, chairperson of the board’s Traffic and Transportation Committee, asked Nadler for the latest on the troublesome Verrazano toll, if legislation would be introduced to rectify it. "'That’s going to happen,' Nadler assured of readjusting the toll. 'It’s going to happen for a different reason in a couple of years. "'I don’t like to talk about it,' Nadler noted, 'because every time I talk about it, it makes headlines in the Staten Island Advance. They don’t want it out there.' [...] "After Nadler finished answering questions, he started to leave, but was cornered by Lora Tenenbaum in the hallway outside. The Soho activist laid into the politician over the long-festering bridge issue, telling him, that because of it, 'I stopped voting for you.' "'It’s not only Jerry,' she said. 'It’s also our U.S. senator, who made it a campaign promise — and he hasn’t done it. I just feel there’s been a lack of political will.' "Tenenbaum accused the two pols of being afraid to offend Staten Island residents, but Nadler protested that wasn’t true. "'I don’t care about Staten Island. [Senator] Chuck [Schumer] may,' he declared. 'It’s not in my district.' [...] "In a follow-up interview, Robert Gottheim, Nadler’s district director, fleshed out what he called the obstacles keeping the one-way toll from being addressed. He gave a chronology of events: "In 1998, the transportation bill was passed and the House at that time was under G.O.P. control. "'Vito Fossella was in Congress — it was not going to happen," Gottheim said, referring to the former Republican rep from Staten Island and any possible action on the one-way toll. "In 2005, the Democrats lost control of Congress. "The last long-term federal transportation bill expired in 2009. The Democrats had regained control of Congress by then, but, according to Gottheim, President Obama decided to put the transportation bill on the back burner. "'It wasn’t the priority of the president,' Gottheim said. 'He said, ‘Let’s put it off for 18 months.’ "In 2010, the Republicans regained the majority in the House. "Three years after the transportation bill’s expiration, it remains in limbo, with funding extended through so-called 'continuing renewals.'" — James on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

And in 2003 (and probably at the start of every Congress, in order to be able to say he did all that he could). 108TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 146 To eliminate a limitation with respect to the collection of tolls for use of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 7, 2003 Mr. NADLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To eliminate a limitation with respect to the collection of tolls for use of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York. — James on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

And in 2001 Nadler introduced a bill that obviously went nowhere: "107th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 140 ”To eliminate a limitation with respect to the collection of tolls for use of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 3, 2001 Mr. NADLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To eliminate a limitation with respect to the collection of tolls for use of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York." — James on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

Nadler was also ”working” on this problem in 1998. Keep "working" on it. '''I am certainly going to make an attempt to repeal that law,'' said Representative Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. He said the toll should not be a Federal matter. quoted in "JAMMING; The Traffic Downtown Seems Worse Than Ever. Is the Verrazano the Villain? By BERNARD STAMLER Published: December 13, 1998, New York Times" — James on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

What's new is that traffic all over the city has gotten nearly unbearable due to these kinds of issues AND as of September 2017 the MTA had torn down toll booths all over the city and replaced them with EZ Pass and license plate cameras, taking away the toll plaza pollution and traffic reasons against 2 way tolls. (From the Broadsheet article: ”In the [sic] 1986, the United States Congress (responding to complaints from Staten Island residents, who complained about air pollution from Verrazano's toll plaza) enacted a measure making it illegal for the bridge to charge motorists in both directions.") https://nypost.com/2017/09/27/say-goodbye-to-nyc-toll-booths-this-weekend/ "Toll booths will vanish from all MTA bridges and tunnels this weekend. "Cashless tolling will be in place at the last two New York City-area crossings that don’t have them — the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and the Throgs Neck Bridge — beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday, officials announced Wednesday.” — James on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

Not to mention that the wage mandates will also lead to more self-service restaurants, at a wide variety of price points. www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/dining/san-francisco-restaurants-service.html "Restaurateurs who say they can no longer find or afford servers are figuring out how to do without them. And so in this city of staggering wealth, you can eat like a gourmand [sic], with real stemware and ceramic plates. But first you’ll have to go get your own silverware. “’Souvla was the beginning of this whole new onslaught of things that in every single way look like a full-service restaurant — nice décor; good wine list; tasty, healthy foods. It’s much more chef- and ingredient-driven,' said Gwyneth Borden, the executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. 'But it’s ‘take a number and go to a table.’ ' "She regularly hears from restaurateurs considering the model, who want to create the Souvla of Mexican, the Souvla of Italian. (Souvla is apparently to Bay Area restaurants what Uber is to gig-economy start-ups.)" See also table.skift.com/2018/01/22/restaurant-megatrends-2018-fine-casual-is-the-new-fast-casual — James on An Outpost of Pret a Manger Has Closed

For better or worse, the trend for restaurants to offer food prepared in central commissaries will continue. This is an unintended side effect of the recent wage mandates by NYC. — Larry on An Outpost of Pret a Manger Has Closed

I don’t understand why this is “new” (unless they’ve fiddled with the numbers and that’s the new part). Downtown residents have been complaining about it since 1986 and I seem to remember studies that had been done long ago. I didn’t realize it had taken an act of Congress to get to this mess though. So the options are 1) another act of Congress, 2) remove the tolls completely, or 3) move the toll booths to the Brooklyn side? Crossing Canal Street is the worst part of a walk AboCa (Erik’s word). — Hudson River on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

Unfortunately it's not in NYC's hands at all. The MTA runs the bridge, hence the Governor is in control of toll levels and the like, but the one-way (Staten Island bound only) toll is federal law. That's why the Daily News article on the topic quotes Jerry Nadler and Dan Donovan (SI's Representative). Lest any newcomers to the neighborhood think this is a new issue, here's the beginning of a 2010 article in the Downtown Express (http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_391/twowaytolls.html): "In attempt to alleviate congestion, U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler is working on federal legislation that would implement two-way tolling on the Verrazano Bridge: only this time, it would be cashless, thanks to a new system introduced by the M.T.A." — N on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

Hmm, I was incorrect and a bit late on that one! Good job Steve — Sonia F. Stock on Where in Tribeca..?

HI Erik, is it 1803 at 82 Reade Street? regards, Sonia STock — Sonia F. Stock on Where in Tribeca..?

Now any idea if they will be celebrating Bastille Day? — Steve on Where in Tribeca..?

Bingo! — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca..?

Frenchette? Entryway as appears in your post https://tribecacitizen.wpengine.com/2018/04/03/new-kid-on-the-block-frenchette/ — Steve on Where in Tribeca..?

Agreed. Seems a common sense approach to enforce traffic rules would keep intersections from being blocked improving safety for pedestrians and traffic flow for vehicles. Come on NYC! It’s an unnecessary mess. — Trina on In the News: Reducing Traffic Downtown

This is so awesome! I make the commute to WP to see him at his mom and pop shop there. So glad he is returning to the city! — Shaown Nandi on Tribeca Is Getting Another Barbershop

Nope.... — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca..?

1803? — Kate on Where in Tribeca..?

Afraid not.... — Erik Torkells on Where in Tribeca..?

Puffys Tavern — Native on Where in Tribeca..?