I remember the way it was back in 1990. I would take it again any day. the neighborhood had artsy working class diverse people ( the originals who fought for Tribeca) PS 234, Food Emporium, Washington Market Park. They lived in Independence Plaza from the late 1970s when no one wanted to live here. I moved in in 1990. Yes it was quiet but it was home. I could afford to live here. Mom and pop stores in the area. We lived through 911 ( most of us sick from that exposure). Then they come in, they come in and little by little you can afford to shop or live in the neighborhood you built. It is really terrible. I miss those days when Tribeca had character ! — native on Tribeca Then and Now: The Unknowns (Part 1)

151 shops for rent . . . and not one of them a fit for Illya, the barber on Lispenard St. who is desperately looking for a new space in the neighborhood because at some point soon his corner will be be 'developed.' Very sad. — George Bacon on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

Philip's Poster Museum showing Janz torn street poster collages. All needed now is a poster for the occasion. — robert janz on Seen & Heard: Downtown Connection Changes Route to Thwart Scammers

To adopt the same tone as your point, "you really don't know much about economics." If the market won't bear the rents landlords are demanding, for whatever reason (Amazon, lack of population density in Tribeca etc) then how exactly are the rents "fair"? Landlords are holding out hope for a magical return to a leasing environment that is long gone - the faster they realize it, better for them and the community (i.e. commercial tenants and fewer vacant storefronts). — DDSS on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

"I think the issue is that landlords are legally allowed to write off something like 80% of their asking prices. So actually it is the taxpayers who are paying for the vacant properties." Just as a note; this does not exist. — Josh on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

#3, Hudson between North Moore & Beach Street- truck blocks exact same angle, but you get idea here: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7202303,-74.0085463,3a,37.5y,271.92h,88.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skao2VnOQxUW_Ktj-WskGxA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 — Robert Ripps on Tribeca Then and Now: The Unknowns (Part 1)

That looks like a rendering. The Elliman listing mentions a roof deck three times: the rendering, the text, and the floorplan. No change to the Schedule A allowing a roof deck. What a fraud. — James on In the News: The Mayor Is Jamming Through His Jail Plan

Went there this past weekend around brunchtime with my wife and two boys and we really liked it. The food selection felt a bit slim (but it was their brunch menu), but everything that we ordered was good. Price isn't too bad, considering the area, and the service was pretty good. — lowphat on New Kid on the Block: Seamore’s

Has anyone noticed the drug dealer that is basically living in the south east corner of Church and Worth using the new communication hub in that corner as his new office space and charging station?? — Drug dealing in Tribeca on In the News: Brooklyn Bridge Closures for El Chapo’s Trial

Erik,Thank you for this informative article. In my humble opinion, you hit the nail on the head: our neighborhood is not dense enough to support small businesses that depend on foot traffic. My bakery has not been able to survive on neighborhood traffic alone, even in the "old days". My catering and wholesale clients pay my rent. An idea that might be able to help is this: why not give landlords an incentive to rent spaces under market? this incentive could be in the form of a property tax abatement as long as the leasee qualifies as bringing /keeping value to the fabric of the neighborhood( in other words- no chain stores) otherwise, Tribeca will become a "destination" neighborhood for restaurants that charge $32 for a bowl of pasta or "flagship" fashion stores for those brand that can write off the rent as a marketing expense.(IOW, Soho) — MADELINE LANCIANI on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

I wanted to add a few other things that I have found that make it challenging to keep the lights on as a small service business in the city. 1.) Deposits: in 2010 deposits were 1-2 months, now 4-6 is typical. 2.) Personal Guaranty (often called good guy clause): When I signed my first lease 8 years ago, the GGC was 1 months at $2k/month. My most recent lease is 6 months at $10k/month. GGC are basically personal guaranties. Unless you have quite a bit of personal money, that is a huge chunk of change for most small business owners to guaranty. Open a few locations and that cost gets to be kind of scary. Of course one can say you should know within 6 months if you are going to close the business but it definitely increases the overall risk of trying to start something. 3.) Increase in Rent: Rent spikes are real. - My first location is BK was $2k/month. After that five year lease expired, they increased my rent to $8k/month. We moved to another location but that is an insane spike in 5 years. 4.) Paid time off (NYC sick leave): I don't disagree with this but it has greatly increased cost. 5.) Increase in minimum wage: (from ~$8-13 in 8 years). I also don't disagree with this but it has been a significant cost increase. — Jenny on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

I think the issue is that landlords are legally allowed to write off something like 80% of their asking prices. So actually it is the taxpayers who are paying for the vacant properties. The landlords can lower their profits by these "liabilities" and then pay less in taxes. The best thing to do would be to stop allowing these loses to be written off and also to institute a "vacancy tax". You can see what de Blasio is proposing here: https://nypost.com/2018/03/30/de-blasio-eyes-vacancy-tax-for-greedy-landlords-seeking-top-dollar/ (as well as probably other more official places) Also we all need to acknowledge that the retail landscape is changing. People do not buy most things from physical stores. The types of businesses that have staying power are services- delis (maybe), nail salons, gyms, kid care/services, OT/PT, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc. The current number of commercial spaces in Manhattan is likely more than will be necessary for the amount of service industries required. I think the city should rezone some of the excess commercial spaces to residential which would also then help with the housing shortage. Having empty storefronts is not only an eye sore but also not safe. As Jane Jacobs pointed out, areas with mixed used are the ones with the lowest crime rates. Safety in numbers. I fully believe she was right. — Jenny on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

I miss the old Tribeca, with small restaurants and boutique shops. Live here for OVER 20 years and seen so many great idea stores to closed within 2 years. I support a vacancy tax, landlords are waiting for the next big thing, or developers to come in and build. — Sandra on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

This is an amazing report. I fully appreciate the time and energy you spent on this, Erik. Thank you! — Michelle G on Ghost Town: The 2018 Retail-Vacancy Report

Maybe my expectations were too high—having read so much about it—but the Eisenman memorial was so abstract that I could almost not blame people for treating it like a concrete playground. It's stunning, of course, but it didn't affect me emotionally the way the Track 17 memorial did (especially with the help of a guide), or even more so, the little metal plaques embedded in the sidewalk in front of houses of people whose lives had been stolen. — Erik Torkells on In the News: The Mayor Is Jamming Through His Jail Plan

If in Berlin, be sure to visit the magnificent Peter Eisenmann/Richard Serra monument to murdered Jews. — Heide Fasnacht on In the News: The Mayor Is Jamming Through His Jail Plan

I feel sorry for the poor pig. — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Pig Roast

The food and the illustrations hold up after repeated visits. Last night the stracciatella salad with patty pan squash was delicious. We enjoyed it so much that the woman sitting next to us ordered it too. — Susan on Valentine No. 66

Awww thanks Erik!!! — Ned Baldwin on Valentine No. 66

FiDi is rapidly evolving into a wonderful neighborhood. The number of projects that will bring more and more residential options will also bring still more retail and restaurant choices, although we already have a few premium malls, food courts, and restaurants in the hood. The quiet and safety of this neighborhood are largely undervalued by those not living downtown, not to mention our easy access to waterfront facilities for strolling, exercising and just taking in stunning sunsets may soon be more beloved as more and more people discover that FiDi is one of the cities best neighborhoods. — Steve on In the News: Brooklyn Bridge Closures for El Chapo’s Trial

I know it's frustrating to get spam like this on your phone (and not feel like you can block it)...but you can..just go into phone-->settings--> and you should be able to block this number. If you're receiving a ton of texts from his campaign office from different numbers..than you may be SOL. — JulieW on Seen & Heard: Pig Roast

From Gothamist, here's the info on community input session regarding jail coming to 80 Centre: Borough of Manhattan, September 27, 2018, 6:00 PM Manhattan Municipal Building 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 So ironic a jail is right next to Columbus park. http://gothamist.com/2018/08/15/nyc_draft_plan_rikers.php — TribecaMom on In the News: Brooklyn Bridge Closures for El Chapo’s Trial

True, for now...... :-) I count every thing below Chambers as FiDi, but in the end, it doesn't matter. The three neighborhoods are increasingly intertwined and that's been a big plus for everyone. — Luis Vazquez (FiDi Fan Page) on In the News: Brooklyn Bridge Closures for El Chapo’s Trial

Unfortunately, politicos think texting is a good thing: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/technology/campaign-text-messages.html “There’s no question that texting is the breakout tech of 2018.” — Brian on Seen & Heard: Pig Roast

"Official" because of Community Board 1? As if. I count everything north of the World Trade Center as Tribeca—and I'm pretty sure any property owner between Chambers and Vesey would rather be in Tribeca than FiDi. — Erik Torkells on In the News: Brooklyn Bridge Closures for El Chapo’s Trial