Secrets and Lies

A Victory in the Battle to Disclose City’s Knowledge of September 11 Health Risks

Quay to the Future

Lower Manhattan is on the verge of gaining a another great public space, thanks to the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT). Pier 26, along the Hudson River waterfront in Tribeca (between North Moore and Hubert Streets), is currently a blank slate. Apart from providing homes for the City Vineyards wine bar and the Downtown Boathouse...
This view from the south shows Pier 25 (with existing features omitted) in the foreground and West Street in the background. At the left of Pier 26 is a protected wetlands area that will welcome wildlife but be off-limits to human visitors. Suspended above this zone (with the blue rings in the center) is a triangular, elevated walkway, surrounding a netted area where guests can lounge or play. Moving right, the design calls for sand dunes on the south side of the pier and an elevated deck on the north side, with lounge steps connecting the two. To the right of these, athletic play fields (in orange) with give way to a forested glade with shaded walkways.

December 16

714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald while his wife Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. 1431 – Hundred Years’ War: Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris. 1773 –...
Wassily Kandinsky Composition Vlll

Lifeline for Pier 40

On Thursday, the City Council approved a deal that will bring a massive capital infusion to Pier 40 — a recreational facility considered vital by youth athletic leagues serving Lower Manhattan — which has been slowing falling into the Hudson River for decades. Located at Houston and West Streets, Pier 40 has been suffering from...
Pier 40, which serves as a vital recreational facility for local youth sports leagues, is in danger of falling into the Hudson River -- but will be bailed out by a plan to redevelop the St. John's Terminal building (visible behind the pier).

December 15

1161 – Jin-Song wars: Military officers conspire against the emperor Wanyan Liang of the Jin dynasty after a military defeat at the Battle of Caishi, and assassinate the emperor at his camp. 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British and French fleets clash in the Battle of St. Lucia. 1791 – The United States Bill of...
Sitting Bull was shot and killed in 1890, fearful that he would help lead the growing Ghost Dance movement aimed at restoring the Sioux way of life.

How Lower Manhattan Voted: Clinton vs. Trump

It will come as no surprise that in the recent presidential election, the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine won by comfortable margins throughout Lower Manhattan. In this regard, Battery Park City is representative of much of Downtown. In the neighborhoods six election districts (or “precincts”) that lie south of Vesey Street, a...

December 14

557 – Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake. 835 – Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the powerful eunuchs of the Tang court, but the plot is foiled. 1287 – St. Lucia’s flood: The Zuiderzee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses, killing over 50,000 people. 1542 – Princess...
Max Planck "Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve."