The equivalent of 1 out of every 26 Americans visited Lower Manhattan in 2014. These 12.4 million tourists, a 30 percent surge from 2013 levels, are just one indication of the ongoing real estate renaissance documented by a new report from the Downtown Alliance. “Lower Manhattan Real Estate Year in Review: 2014” illustrates that the…
Help Redesign the Skyline
When is the last time a developer asked the Downtown community what features should be included in a new Lower Manhattan skyscraper? Trinity Church, which is redeveloping its building at 74 Trinity Place (along with a smaller structure next door, at 68 Trinity Place), is inviting stakeholders (including local residents) to participate in a series…
Theatre Verite
“One Day,” a powerful new musical about the complicated lives of young people, will open Thursday at Lower Manhattan’s 3-Legged Dog (3LD) Art and Technology Center. “It’s about all the issues facing teenagers today, from bullying to drug abuse to sexual awakening,” says Michael Sottile, who wrote the score and book for “One Day,” as…
There Will Be Joy in Millenniumville This Spring
Millennium High School, a selective public secondary school in the Financial District that gives admissions preference to Lower Manhattan applicants, has succeeded in record time with an unprecedented campaign to raise funds in order to launch a girls’ softball team this spring. In less than three weeks, the school has collected almost $10,000 in contributions,…
Letters Department – February 12th
To the editor: Every year I read about the vast sum for “affordable” housing that Battery Park City’s unique revenue sources provide, this year a record $167 million. But never has this sum ever been tracked to specific affordable housing projects by anyone. Scott Stringer promised this, as did other electeds. Certain projects have been…
Pushing Back to Bounce Back
Lower Manhattan may be in danger of becoming the poor stepchild of New York City disaster and resiliency planning. Out of $4.21 billion in federal Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) awarded to the City in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, only some $10 million (or less than one-quarter of one percent) has…