Agreed. I believe we can learn from the most beautiful European cities in this regard; those cities really know how to preserve the historic architecture while re-purposing buildings for contemporary use. At least we have Landmarks. Imagine what would have become of this entire downtown NYC without the Preservation movement — Marcus on The High Cost of Disney’s Move to Hudson Square

There can be rebirth while still preserving. There are examples in Hudson square where this has been done. — Dave on The High Cost of Disney’s Move to Hudson Square

Downtown is one big idling open air bus station, so this should be easy pickings. I have personally asked bus drivers to cut their engines and informed them of the fact that they are often illegally parked. They don't care and as long as idling and parking illegally are not enforced with fines, bus companies will continue to do these things. I took a look at the process for filing a report of idling. Its so sad that it is a pdf to be printed out, completed and sent through snail mail. The 311 app lets you make complaints about idling or illegal parking through the app with location and other information pre populated. If they could make it easier to submit these complaints, we might have the idling problem cleaned up in very short order. — cami on In the News: Three Stars for Frenchette

This isn’t a tragedy but a re-birth. Yes change is hard, but necessary. Disney workers and visitors will improve sales for nearby businesses. This area is more than just that one block. There is plenty of charm throughout Soho. We need to find balance. — Anna on The High Cost of Disney’s Move to Hudson Square

This is a shame indeed. While perhaps understandable that the lowest building (155 Varick) might not be of much use for a large company, assuming that air rights are included which allow building taller. But the other buildings could presumably be preserved and re-purposed rather than demolished. — Marcus on The High Cost of Disney’s Move to Hudson Square

The area is another unprotected "donut hole" in the LPC districts of Greenwich Village, Soho, and Tribeca. Trinity has too much clout for LPC to do anything here. — James on The High Cost of Disney’s Move to Hudson Square

By the way, I'm surprised the owners of the old bank building aren't pressing to have this counterfeiter problem resolved. I can't imagine they will find any takers for that space when it's surrounded by this chaos. — Marcus on In the News: Police Action on Counterfeit Peddlers

It's a good move regarding the counterfeiters occupying the sidewalks. Thank you to the police for this. Maybe all the cardboard the "vendors" store against the old bank building should be removed also as a deterrent. This ongoing problem with the illicit vendors can be resolved through consistent enforcement. For those concerned, please keep reporting to 311 also whenever you see the vendors occupying and obstructing the space. Enforcement should also include the vendors lurking on the corners and blocking the subway entrances, flashing photos of watches, sunglasses, bags. This is not only annoying, but creates an atmosphere of lawlessness. — Marcus on In the News: Police Action on Counterfeit Peddlers

https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/10/11/new-york-is-throwing-money-at-film-shoots-but-who-benefits/ "There have now been multiple state-level studies of film subsidies, [Michael Thom, a USC public policy professor who has studied film tax breaks nationwide] says, and 'all of them come to this conclusion it’s a negative return on investment.' "And even if a positive impact does exist, New York’s film industry spending may just be a way of treading water: a zero-sum game where states compete to throw increasing amounts of tax money at the same number of jobs. It’s a problem that corporate-subsidy experts in other industries have dubbed 'the economic war among the states' — and it serves mostly to funnel money out of public treasuries and into private pockets. [...] "The number of people employed in New York in 'motion picture and sound recording' (the state’s designation) and 'motion picture and video production' (the feds’) actually appears to have gone down in recent years, despite the subsidies, notes Thom. The former, at an average of about 58,000 individuals, is about the same as it was in 2000 — though there was a slight dip in 2003 and 2004, after Canada’s subsidies took full effect and before New York’s kicked in — and both have declined slightly since 2013. "How could one set of numbers show that film tax credits have led to a huge boom in production jobs, while others show little to no effect? One issue is that the state’s audits separately report each job stint, no matter how short, rather than converting to 'full-time equivalent' jobs — a tiny footnote in the Camoin study [for New York State government's "Empire State Development" authority of the film and TV industry] indicates that 'if one person is employed part-time for four months, then takes two months off and is hired again for four months that would be counted as two jobs.' As a result, the official state numbers double- or triple-count crew members who work on multiple productions in one year. "Another likely factor is that while the city has undoubtedly seen a jump in the total number of TV shoots, the number of hours worked may not be keeping pace. That’s because more and more local productions are for streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, which have both shorter seasons and smaller crews. 'Netflix and the like come at it more from an indie-film attitude,' with lower budgets, says [Joseph] Stephans [, an indie film producer (Wildlike) and location manager]. 'Network jobs economically are much more attractive than streaming jobs.' "Meanwhile, there’s still the question of how much of this frenetic filming pace is attributable entirely to state cash handouts. The 2017 Camoin Associates audit determined that New York State paid out $1.36 billion in subsidies across 2015 and 2016, while bringing in $1.55 billion in state and city tax money — a 14.5 percent return on taxpayers’ investment. But that assumes that none of that tax revenue would have come in without the credits — that, in other words, all currently subsidized film and TV production in New York would dry up if the state weren’t paying for it. "Some productions would undoubtedly take place here regardless — The Daily Show didn’t decamp for Vancouver even when a subsidy gap existed, and The Defenders aren’t likely to start patrolling Yonge Street. Thom says that a study by the California legislature estimated that one-third of production activity in that state would take place in that state with or without subsidies. If the same ratio holds true in New York, then even if the state cut off the subsidy spigot and two-thirds of productions hightailed it to more budget-friendly climes, the state would still collect more than $250 million a year in tax revenues on an expense of zero dollars. With the current program running about a $100 million annual return by the state’s own figures, this implies that New York state would bring in about $150 million a year more in net revenues if it cut off film credits entirely — money it could conceivably then spend on more effective job-creation programs. "Subsidies for film and TV production in New York aren’t going away anytime soon: Cuomo’s latest budget extended the program three more years, until 2022, and both the Motion Picture Association of America and film production unions have lobbied hard to keep it in place. (A bill to add a 'diversity credit' for salaries of TV writers and directors who are women or people of color has already passed the state legislature and is awaiting Cuomo’s signature.) "If you’re employed in the TV or movie industries in New York, that’s good: With the state paying 30 percent of your paychecks, that means producers are likely to be much more free with their spending. If you’re a New York State resident whose only tie to local entertainment production is watching Jessica Jones tear up Hell’s Kitchen, though, you’re paying a high price with your tax dollars. Maybe you’re right to gripe about that catering truck after all." — James on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

It seems to me that one goes too far by comparing the relocation and extermination of a country's own citizens to the detention of illegal immigrants. Certain actions can be fairly described as terrible without people having to race to the Hitler / Nazi analogies. — James on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

Like what? Can you give examples of the jobs they create? For people who live in the area? — Ellen2 on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

"[Okoumou] showed no regret for stomping all over the Independence Day of hundreds of Liberty Island visitors, saying the only reason she would not do it again is because a federal magistrate judge ordered her not to. [...] "[Okoumou] remained silent, however, when asked about the people who 'saved their money' to visit the symbol of freedom on the Fourth of July and were denied entry because of her stunt. "'Hopefully they know that there are people out there like Patricia … trying to protect their civil liberties, which I would have faith that they treasure more than a trip to the Statue of Liberty,' her lawyer, Rhiya Trivedi, said." https://nypost.com/2018/07/05/activist-who-climbed-statue-of-liberty-not-sorry-for-forcing-evacuation/ — James on In the News: Statue of Liberty Evacuation

DeLury Square is maybe 885 sf. total. And nobody uses the lawn, except for people who use it as an illegal dog run (which I also have seen in the playground at Pearl and Fulton). — Lynda Lippin on In the News: Police Action on Counterfeit Peddlers

I wonder what Patricia would tell the hundreds of families and children that saved their pennies all year to come to the Statue of Liberty on July 4th - only to be turned away due to her protest. — Marc on In the News: Statue of Liberty Evacuation

No one is saying that ICE's behavior is appropriate, just watch those analogies...! — Marc on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

I love the film shoots in the neighborhood. It's all part of being in NYC. From the looks of it, they sure seem to create a lot of jobs in the area too. — JMc on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

Ok so Kathy didn't like the protestors approach to exercise but she had some Greenpeace balls to scale a bit of ol' Liberty. — TG on In the News: Statue of Liberty Evacuation

Cool sculpture. I like the revolving art pieces in the little triangle park. Check out the sculpture show at Met Breur. Worth the trip uptown. — TG on Tribeca Park’s New Sculpture

Tell me Scott, how may times are you stopped and asked to confirm your immigration status? Get out of here with your bullshit. — Sean on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

This is a refreshing take, Scott. — Jonathan on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

Confirming legal immigration status and shipping folks to concentration camps are hardly comparable. — Scott on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

ICE rounding up immigrants is eerily reminiscent of the Gestapo rounding up Jews for "relocation." The more vulnerable a group is, the more likely they are to be targeted for attack by our new dictator. It is horrifying. — Will Meyerhofer on Seen & Heard: ICE in Tribeca

@steve - funny you should say that, as i moved here 2 years ago and have yet to find a mani/pedi place that's close to my apartment. Use to live on the UWS- was a nail place on every corner there! — merle on Three New Tenants on Church Street

DANNY!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU???!?!?!? I have not seen Danny in a few weeks and our family is concerned. Some people are saying he is sick. Danny has been selling iceys since I was a young teen and now to my children 19 and 12 and they ask for him every day. I just want to make sure he is ok #TeamDanny #TriBeCaFamily — Melinda on Nosy Neighbor: Where Has Danny the Ice Man Gone?

The close-up image is so intriguing. Can there be a contest to guess how many bones there are? — Alex on Tribeca Park’s New Sculpture