About Robert Simko

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News A Satiety of Cenotaphs Attempting to Prevent a Monumental Mistake Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) unveils the Mother Cabrini Memorial (overlooking South Cove) in October 2020. The statue portrays the Catholic saint and two children, precariously afloat in a paper dinghy crafted from folded paper, representing her devotion to […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News ‘Please Resign’ Niou Calls Upon Cuomo to Step Down Above: Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is embattled by accusations of sexual harassment, personal bullying, and an alleged coverup of deaths among elderly residents of nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic. Below: State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou: “Our Governor is […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Downtown Depreciates Reports Show That Lower Manhattan Properties Are Dwindling in Value A range of reports indicates that the Downtown real estate market has imploded in the wake of the recession brought on by the pandemic coronavirus. The Downtown Alliance’s “2020 Lower Manhattan Real Estate Year in Review” […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Beyond The Fringe Two Extremists Face Charges for Online Threats Former Occupy Wall Street protestor Brendan Hunt (also known as “X-Ray Ultra”): “Start up the firing squads, mow down these commies and letʼs take america back” A pair of men for whom Lower Manhattan holds a troubling allure have […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Great Scott Comptroller Renews Calls for BPCA to Commit Funds to NYCHA Upgrades City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Scott Stringer proposes to, “reroute hundreds of millions from the Battery Park City Authority to NYCHA.” New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer is proposing to divert more […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Wall Street’s Secret Santa: “It was love right away” Rest in Peace, Arturo Di Modica Charging Bull, the monumental bronze sculpture secretly fabricated by artist Arturo Di Modica with $360,000 of his own money, and then plunked down on Broad Street in front of the New York Stock […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Flood of Ideas Residents are Urged to Brainstorm About How to Protect FiDi and the Seaport from Climate Change A conceptual rendering illustrates the general look that more than 100 acres of new landfill along the East River might resemble. As the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News The Gangs That Couldn’t Shoot Straight Crips and Bloods Exchange Gunfire at FiDi Hotel, But Hit Nobody Above: The Artezen Hotel, at 24 John Street, was the scene of a recent shootout that resulted in nine arrests, along with the recovery of eight guns. Below: Captain Thomas P. […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Report More Survivors than Responders Now are Submitting Claims September 11, 2001 Dust and debris from the collapsing tower engulfs Lower Manhattan. photo: NYPD The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has released its annual report for 2020, which documents some significant developments. Over […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Uncivil Servants CB1 Decries Expanded Free Parking for Scofflaws with Badges For years, cars bearing law enforcement placards have parked illegally on the west side of River Terrace each day. More recently, they have begun commandeering spaces on the east side of the street, once used to drop […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Flying on One Wing Lower Manhattan Raptor Struggles to Survive Financial District resident Janet Fish was walking home from her morning shift volunteering at the Bowery Mission recently when she found herself face to face with a local aristocrat. As she passed a pizzeria at the intersection of […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News ‘Such’ Nonsense Appeals Court Focuses on Meaning of Four-Letter Word to Block Suit Against Two Bridges Development Plan Above: An architectural rendering of the four new residential towers proposed for the Two Bridges neighborhood, which would contain more than 2,700 apartments. The tower at left is already largely […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News A Shot in the Arm Downtown Lags Five-Borough Averages for COVID Vaccination Lower Manhattan residents are being vaccinated against the pandemic coronavirus at a slower rater than other New Yorkers, according to data from the City’s Health Department. Lower Manhattan is lagging behind the City-wide averages for rates […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News The Larceny of the Commons City Planning Commission to Consider Endorsing Privatization of Public Space in Tribeca Above: Signs on the outside of 240 Greenwich Street forbid the public from entering a lobby that was created as a public amenity, in exchange for multiple benefits to the building […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Developer Named for Five World Trade Center Nine-Hundred Foot Tower Will Include 300-Plus Affordable Units Above: The structure planned for Five World Trade Center (right) will include retail, office, and community uses, as well as 69 floors of rental apartments. Below: A schematic rendering breaks out the various […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News “We Are Violently Pursuing the Kingdom of God” State Attorney General Files Federal Suit Against Anti-Abortion Protestors New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed suit in federal court, to end the obstructive, threatening, harassing, and violent activity by the Defendants, Bevelyn Beatty and Edmee Chavannes, at […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Murder Arrest Suspect in Chambers Street Subway Stabbing Taken Into Custody Amado Garzon Morales, seen here on police surveillance video, is shown fleeing from the scene of an October 4 murder at the Chambers Street subway station, across the street from City Hall. A suspect in the October […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News A Debt of Gratitude City Council Candidate Argues Against Squeezing Schools City Council candidate Christopher Marte: “Since enrollment in many District 2 schools has gone down severely, schools will have their budgets slashed at the very moment when they need money the most.” City Council candidate Christopher Marte […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News A Shore Thing HRPT Moves Ahead with Plans for ‘Beach,’ Park and Historic Sculpture for Gansevoort Peninsula Above: An overview rending of the Hudson River Park Trust’s plan for the Gansevoort Peninsula, with the proposed scenic beach at left and “Day’s End” sculpture at left, the ballfield in […]

View as Webpage Lower Manhattan’s Local News Fulton Felonies Transit Hub Becomes Venue for Multiple Violent Crime Above: The January 29 attack at the Dunkin Donuts within the Fulton Center begins, as the victim is punched from behind. Below: As the victim attempts to flee, more members of the gang converge on him. The Fulton […]