Downtown Alliance Fall 2017 Newsletter

Down Is What's Up Fall 2017

DowntownNY.com

Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. 120 Broadway, Suite 3340 New York, New York 10271

LOWER MANHATTAN

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

LOWDOWN LOWDOWN

{ dear neighbor} With all the transit woes plaguing the city this year, I’ve felt very lucky to be working in Lower Manhattan. As you know, we have real choices here: 13 subway lines, 2 PATH routes, buses, ferries, and bikes. That’s rare.

To dig a little deeper and better understand what that access means, the Alliance recently released a study, Lower Manhattan: New York’s Premier Transit Hub. The study, which can be found on our website, was done in collaboration with Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants. It identified several key findings and recommendations.

I wanted to share a few that stood out to me.

We discovered that 90 percent of jobs in Lower Manhattan are only a five minute walk from at least seven subway and PATH lines. That's unique among our city’s business districts. We also found that commuters using public transit from key urban residential markets, like Jersey City and Fort Greene, get here roughly 10 minutes faster than the metro average.

ALLIANCE HANDS OUT SUNPATIENS The Downtown Alliance’s Adopt-A-Plant event helps New Yorkers green up their homes and offices. On October 18th, more than 2,500 sunpatiens were given away. While these annual plants would not survive the New York winter outdoors, the move inside keeps them alive and brightens up the indoors.

DID YOU KNOW?…...that on October 26th, 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated on Liberty Island. Built by Gustave Eiffel, the statue represents

The study also made clear that redundancy is key. A multi-modal transit network is a commuter’s best friend. With multiple subway lines serving Brooklyn, the Bronx, northern Manhattan, Queens, and New Jersey, a plethora of ferries, and local, express and regional bus lines, commuters have multiple options for getting to Lower Manhattan in case of delays or outages. And, since there is no such thing as crosstown in Lower Manhattan, you don’t have to transfer.

I hope you will take some time to read the study and learn more about our recommendations for the future, like completing the PATH extension that will give us a one seat ride to Newark Airport and bringing the Second Avenue Subway down to the Battery.

Sincerely, Jessica Lappin, President

the Roman goddess Libertas and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS

KIWICUBA

SCOTCH & SODA

233-235 Front Street (212) 346-9090 | kiwicuba.com

18 Fulton Street (929) 229-5799 | scotch-soda.com

Lower Manhattan’s newest gastropub wants to transport you.

As the name gives away, KiwiCuba pairs the cuisines of Cuba and New Zealand and adds for good measure, views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Amsterdam has arrived on the East River. The Dutch clothier, Scotch & Soda, recently opened at the South Street Seaport. The Scandinavian designs feature a world’s worth of inspiration thanks to the design team’s global travels. With jaunts to locales as far-flung as Morocco, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, their racks are filled with internationally inspired men’s and women’s attire.

The restaurant prides itself on the seamless fusion of the islands’ offerings into a menu that stands as a testament to culinary evolution.

KiwiCuba gives diners the chance to visit Havana or Auckland without boarding a plane!

NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM SHOP

2 Broadway nytransitmuseum.org Straphangers and bus fans rejoice!

The New York Transit Museum opened its newest store right here in Lower Manhattan. The museum’s third gift shop is located at 2 Broadway— just across the street from the Bowling Green Station.

Whether you’re still playing with Thomas the Tank Engine or are old enough to remember the els rumbling above Manhattan avenues, the store has something for you!

Go one stop further and become a Transit Museum member when you visit.

Members receive discounts year-round and have access to museum-organized trips that explore the city’s transportation system.

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From the repurposed church in the heart of Amsterdam that serves as the company’s headquarters to the South Street Seaport, Scotch & Soda’s wares open consumers’ eyes to cutting-edge couture and make looking worldly as fashionable as it is global.

FEED YOUR SOUL

14 Wall Street (212) 732-9868 | feedyoursoulbakery.com It’s the little cafe that could. Unfulfilled by her stock market job more than a decade ago, Mya Zoracki started making cookies.

Twelve at a time, to be exact, out of her studio apartment across the river in New Jersey.

The opening of her Feed Your Soul Cafe on Wall Street earlier this summer marked Zoracki’s triumphant return to Lower Manhattan. And she has swapped out her apartment for a factory that can turn out more than 5,000 cookies per hour!

Stop by for all your cafe needs and make sure to save room for their exceptional ice cream cookie sandwiches.

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WHAT’S UP DOWNTOWN

WHAT’S UP DOWNTOWN

WILMERHALE & DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE TO CONTINUE FREE WI-FI PROGRAM

WilmerHale recently signed on for a sixth year of partnership with the Alliance for Downtown New York as the co-presenting sponsor of the business district's free Wi-Fi program. The firm's support of the Lower Manhattan Free Wi-Fi Program, since moving its office to Lower Manhattan in 2012, has helped with more than 2.3 million connections to free internet access over the last five years.

The firm’s partnership expanded last year to include Lower Manhattan Headquarters (LMHQ), a community-oriented resource created by the Downtown Alliance to grow the creative and entrepreneurial community of Lower Manhattan through collaborative opportunities and programs that inform and inspire.

WilmerHale’s commitment to the success of Manhattan’s downtown business district extends beyond their support of the wi-fi program. Charles Platt, partner-in-charge of the firm’s New York office, serves on the Alliance’s Board of Directors and partner Molly Boast is a member of the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association Board.

WilmerHale strives to provide a voice for all through pro bono contributions that range from cases of national importance before the US Supreme Court to litigation on behalf of individuals who lack the means to secure necessities as fundamental as housing, adequate medical care, and protection from abuse and exploitation. The firm's pro bono counsel extends to work with the Alliance for Intellectual Property matters. The New York office also supports numerous local legal aid organizations committed to access to justice, including partnership with Sanctuary for Families and Year Up, supporting their crucial work in stabilizing local families and building the economic independence of young people.

THE AMERICAN STOCK EXCHANGE GETS FASHIONABLE What do you get when you pair the opportunity to visit the shuttered American Stock Exchange building and explore the history of an iconic French fashion brand? The answer is Louis Vuitton’s “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibition.

Running from October 27 through January 7, 2018, the exhibit traces Vuitton’s history through trunks, steamer bags and related historic artifacts.

While the exhibit has already appeared in Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul, the New York installation will feature new components that are relevant to Vuitton’s history in the Americas.

More information about the exhibit can be found at louisvuitton.com.

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NYC FERRY RIDERSHIP STEAMS PAST TWO MILLION MARK Less than six months after the first NYC Ferry boats took to the water, more than two million riders have used the service.

Lower Manhattan’s Pier 11 is at the center of it all as the terminus for the four routes that are up and running, and the two—service to the Lower East Side and Soundview in the Bronx—that will begin next summer.

The most recent route came online in late August and connects Lower Manhattan to Astoria’s Hallet’s Cove. The new service slashes commutes for some Queens residents by half thanks to eliminating the need for transfers from the bus to the subway. This route is already a hit with New Yorkers. In just the first three weeks, 28,000 riders hopped on that ferry.

And there is even more good news for ferry riders across the city. Three of the six boats that will be delivered in time for next summer will be able to carry 350 passengers -- an increase in capacity of 200 riders. These new boats will make it easier for New Yorkers to get where they want to go, regardless of if their destination is the Bronx, Bay Ridge or the Rockaways.

KEONIG'S SPHERE IS BACK ON DISPLAY Fritz Koenig’s Sphere sculpture is once again open to the public at the World Trade Center.

After spending the past decade and a half in Battery Park, it arrived at its new home in Liberty Park in August. After the Port Authority finished cleaning the sculpture, it was opened to the public in September.

Commissioned for the original World Trade Center, it was completed and installed in time for the buildings’ openings in 1971. The Sphere was designed to symbolize world peace through world trade. Officially titled Great Spherical Caryatid, the sculpture survived the 9/11 attacks with dents and holes.

The sculpture, forever marked by that fateful day, is now seen as an “icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of this country.”

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FALL HIGHLIGHTS

SUGAR PLUMS! NUTCRACKERS! TCHAIKOVSKY! OH MY! SKATING SEASON KICKS OFF AT BROOKFIELD ICE RINK Sharpen those skates, dust off your Michelle Kwan impersonation, and get down to Brookfield Place. That’s because the Rink at Brookfield Place opened for the season on November 1st.

This boutique skating experience allows visitors to get on the ice and take in views of the Statue of Liberty! To top it off, US Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov will offer programs for all ages throughout the season.

If you’e interested in private events, parties, lessons or classes, e-mail info@eduskating.com.

Outdoor skating, Olympians, and gorgeous views mean winter fun in Lower Manhattan.

GET READY FOR HANNUKAH AT LATKEPALOOZA Kick off Hanukkah at the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Latkepalooza.

Presented by the Museum, The Workmen’s Circle and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene from 10 AM to noon on December 10th, it is sure to be an event that is fun for everyone in the family!

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this interactive event that features food, music and hands-on activities.

The activities include latke-making, menorah-making and crafts that are fun for kids, and educational for parents.

Tickets are $10 and sold at the door. The event is free for children and grandchildren of museum and theatre members.

FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN LOWER MANHATTAN

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On December 2nd and 3rd, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and all your favorites from the Nutcracker are coming to Brookfield Place. With New York Theatre Ballet choreographer Keith Michael choreographing the one-hour ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s famed score, audiences are sure to be in for a treat.

Before the performances on Friday and Saturday evening and Saturday’s matinee, audience members will be able to take photos with their favorite characters two hours before the show.

Seating is first come, first served, so make sure to get there early!

POWERFUL MURAL UNVEILED AT ALBANY PLAZA Thanks to a collaboration between the Downtown Alliance and street artist Chinòn Maria, Lower Manhattan’s newest public artwork is at Site 5 of the World Trade Center’s Albany Plaza. “One World, Our Children,” a 200 foot long temporary mural celebrating unity and raising awareness about refugees worldwide was completed last month.

Maria, an ambassador to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, started the mural along a 12 foot tall wall on September 25th. Completed in four weeks, the mural features nine portraits that highlight our common heritage through the tracing of human migration from Africa to regions across the globe.

The mural includes words submitted by neighborhood children that describe their ideal future. Wherever possible, Maria used the children’s handwriting.

The mural is designed to brighten the streetscape and broadcast a message of hope.

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ALLIANCE NEWS

WORKING TOWARD A BETTER WALL & BROAD Looking to make the area around the intersection of Wall and Broad streets more vibrant and attractive, the Downtown Alliance has convened a committee to oversee a study that will provide beautification and mobility recommendations.

Since early 2015, the Alliance has worked with the NYPD, the New York Stock Exchange and members of the community on this issue. Out of those initial conversations came the acknowledgement that even with the area's security requirements, much more could be done to address the unsightliness that has come to plague the area.

The committee includes local businesses, property owners, residents, cultural institutions, the community board and elected officials. In the coming months, the public will have a chance to submit their own ideas on how improve the area around Wall and Broad streets.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON LOWER MANHATTAN'S TRANSIT ADVANTAGE Last month, the Alliance hosted the panel conversation, “Moving Forward: Mobility Challenges and Opportunities in Lower Manhattan and the NYC Region” at LMHQ. Held in tandem with the release of the Alliance’s newest report, Lower Manhattan: New York City’s Premier Multimodal Transit Hub, the event’s panelists were the MTA’s Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber, Rudin Management CEO Bill Rudin, Regional Plan Association President Tom Wright and Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants.

The panelists discussed the report’s key findings, touching on the neighborhood's robust transportation options that include subway, bus, bikes, walking and ferries and the role it has played in Lower Manhattan’s success as a live/work/play community.

When the conversation turned to the projects needed to build on this success and ensure our transportation network meets commuters’ needs, the panelists mentioned the proposed PATH extension to Newark, the Move NY congestion plan and increased subway capacity.

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ALLIANCE WINS BIG AT IDA AWARDS It was a banner year for the Downtown Alliance at the International Downtown Association’s conference and trade show.

The Alliance took home three awards­—an Award of Excellence for Game On! LMHQ and the “What’s Cooking,” video series each won certificates of Merit.

For the past three years, Game On! has successfully brought tens of thousands of people together in some of Lower Manhattan’s most underutilized public spaces while highlighting the area’s potential.

LMHQ is a membership space that hosts events and allows members to utilize it for off-site meetings, interviews, special events and more. It won a Certificate of Merit for its successful marketing efforts and strategies to recruit and retain businesses.

“What’s Cooking” is an Alliance video series that highlights the huge array of culinary experiences to be had in Manhattan’s southernmost tip.

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QUESTION & ANSWER

Sam Schwartz, "Gridlock Sam", is President and CEO of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants.

You worked at DOT in Lower Manhattan in the 1980s. What's the biggest change you have noticed in the neighborhood's transportation network in the past 30 years?

SAM SCHWARTZ

I go back a bit further having started at the old pre-DOT Traffic Department in 1971. One of my earliest jobs was to assist in designing the traffic patterns around the original World Trade Center which hadn’t opened yet. I also worked on this new slab of land called Battery Park City trying to figure out traffic demand and laying out the street system. In the 1970’s, there were few, if any, express buses. Ferries, other than the SI Ferry, were nonexistent. Around 1977, the streets around the South St. Seaport were pedestrianized. Perhaps the biggest change has been the removal of the elevated West Side Highway, aka Miller Highway, that allowed drivers to go from the Battery Tunnel to the highway almost directly without touching downtown streets.

How much do you attribute Lower Manhattan's comeback and growth to its multi-modal transportation infrastructure?

Lower Manhattan is the multi-modal capital of business districts in the U.S. During peak hours, more than 90 percent of employees arrive by modes other than the car. Its massive residential growth would not have happened if it were not a great walking area with terrific access to subway service and a wonderful promenade and park along the river.

What are the transportation projects that will help Lower Manhattan continue to be a destination of choice for business and residential growth?

First, subway service has to improve and be more reliable.

Even less reliance of motor vehicles would be helpful. The Move NY Plan provides revenue for transit and reduces traffic downtown. Two big gaps are a lack of good transit to the airports and a far west side transit line. With the development of Hudson Yards, it would be a natural to link the WTC/WFC areas to this new development. A streetcar up West Street is my mode of choice.

There are massive challenges ahead in terms of needed infrastructure upgrades and subsequent service interruptions, especially on the subway and regional rail. What can business districts like Lower Manhattan do to maintain access to commuters and promote mobility?

I recommend supporting the Move NY Plan which improves transit and reduces traffic. I would also promote better street designs for pedestrians especially in areas that have tight and unfriendly (but understandable) security infrastructure.

Better bikeways are also needed.

What's your favorite subway line and why?

The old West End line in Brooklyn, now called the D Train. It’s elevated much of the way with good vistas as it winds its way through Borough Park, Bensonhurst and Coney Island. I grew up looking out those windows as I trekked from Bensonhurst to the “city” for many years, so it has much nostalgia for me.

ALLIANCE FOR DOWNTOWN NEW YORK | BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cameron Blanchard | Hon. Gale A. Brewer | Hon. Margaret S. Chin | Betty Cohen | John V. Connorton | Fern Cunningham | Hon. Bill de Blasio | K. Thomas Elghanayan | David V. Fowler | Brett S. Greenberg | Francis J. Greenburger | Erik Horvat | Thomas M. Hughes | Steven Hurwitz | Rev. Phillip A. Jackson | Stephen Lefkowitz | Andrew S. Lynn | Miguel McKelvey | Ross F. Moskowitz | Anthony Notaro | Dan Palino | Antonio Perez | Edward V. Piccinich |

Seth Pinsky | Charles C. Platt | Peter A. Poulakakos | William C. Rudin | Frank J. Sciame | Cynthia Rojas Sejas | Allan G. Sperling | Hon. Scott M. Stringer | Kent M. Swig | Matthew Van Buren Ric Clark, Chair | Jessica Lappin, President

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