More NY: Jane's Carousel, Central Park audio, MoMA
“Installation of Waste Not as part of Projects 90: Song Dong at MoMA” from MoMA’s YouTube channel.
Central Park cell-phone tour launches (Post) Starting today, signs posted throughout the park will provide a phone number and a code visitors can dial to hear the likes of Alec Baldwin, Kevin Bacon and Isabella Rossellini ramble on about the Ramble, the Great Lawn and the Reservoir.
Jane’s Carousel heading to Brooklyn Bridge Park (Brownstoner) The Carousel will be located on the western edge of the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park inside the pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel.
Airport security fast-pass company goes belly up (USA Today) A statement on Verified’s website said the company “had been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.” There was no information about whether enrollees would get refunds.
Federal judge nixes NYC’s hybrid taxi law (NY Times) Judge Paul A. Crotty of Federal District Court in Manhattan said a plan to financially penalize taxi owners who refused to buy hybrid cars amounted to an effort by the city to mandate emissions standards — a right that, under existing laws, belongs solely to the federal government.
A front-row chicken bucket and other horribly bad acts of Broadway theatergoers (Wall Street Journal) During a Saturday matinee of the Holocaust drama “Irena’s Vow,” a man walked in late and called up to actress Tovah Feldshuh to halt her monologue until he got settled. “He shouted, ‘Can you please wait a second?’ and then continued on toward his seat,” recalls Nick Ahlers, a science teacher from Newark, N.J., who was in the audience.
Parents pulling the plugs on Williamsburg hipster trustafarians (NY Times) Famed for its concentration of heavily subsidized 20-something residents — also nicknamed trust-funders or trustafarians — Williamsburg is showing signs of trouble. Parents whose money helped fuel one of the city’s most radical gentrifications in recent years have stopped buying their children new luxury condos, subsidizing rents and providing cash to spend at Bedford Avenue’s boutiques and coffee houses.
Coney beaches remain closed due to sewage contamination (Daily News) Hundreds of disappointed beachgoers were left cooling their heels on shore after fears surfaced that sewage might have spilled onto Coney Island and Manhattan beaches from a treatment plant.
Walking the five bridges of Harlem-South Bronx (Forgotten NY) New York City borders on an ocean, several straits and a tidal estuary (the Hudson River). This propitious location has given rise to over 400 bridges, including two of the four remaining rectractile bridges in the USA
Borough-by-borough, oldest homes in NYC (Bowery Boys) The oldest house in New York belonged to Pieter Claesen Wyckoff and he built it around 1652, living there approximately 43 years after Henry Hudson had sailed into New York harbor.
More NY: Tim Gunn, Coney's star, 'Coraline' reviews
Tim Gunn peruses the New York Public Library’s hidden fashion gems with Clayton Kirking, NYPL chief of art & information services. On NYPL’s YouTube channel.
Astroland star going from Coney to Smithsonian (National Air and Space Museum press release) Next week another huge star will arrive to stay—the 8-foot-high lighted star from Coney Island’s now closed space-age theme park, Astroland, will join the museum’s popular culture collection where it will be housed along other science fiction icons such as the Star Trek starship Enterprise. The Star will go on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center after construction of Phase Two of the center is completed in 2011.
Mere 4 pct tourism decline predicted (Crain’s) The city’s tourism bureau, NYC & Company, is predicting that more than 12 million visitors will arrive here during June, July and August. That’s just 4% below last summer’s levels, and a far better performance than experts had predicted.
Review roundup of “Coraline” Off-Broadway (Critic-o-Meter) While this adventurous Off-Broadway musicalization of Neil Gaiman’s dark fairy tale has some full-throated partisans who find it an imagination-stirring romp, most reviews are decidedly mixed on the production’s seam-showing, low-tech approach.
Q&A with Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet (Midtown Lunch) Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Mysore masala dosa, saag paneer, and brinjal bhartha at Minar (on 46th btw. 6+7th.) White rice, chicken, all the vegetables, no white sauce at the Halal Chicken Curry Cart (on 43rd and 6th.) …
$10 million more donated to High Line park (NY Times) The first phase of the High Line, which runs from Gansevoort Street in the meatpacking district to 20th Street, is to open this month. The meandering path 30 feet above the street — with plantings and water areas designed by Field Operations, a landscape architecture company, and Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the architectural firm — will ultimately extend to 34th Street.
Yankee Stadium home-run hitters have winds at their backs (USA Today) According to the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., there is a 40% chance of above-average temperatures for the next three months in New York, and warm weather will only help the baseballs travel farther.
Agreement reached to tear down most of Admiral’s Row (Brooklyn Paper) The city and National Guard reached an agreement to save two decrepit, yet historic, buildings in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and destroy eight others, ending an impasse and allowing the Navy Yard to proceed with its controversial plan to build a supermarket.
Toys R Us buys FAO Schwarz (Reuters) “We will work tirelessly to preserve the distinctiveness and integrity of the FAO Schwarz stores and brand as we grow the business,” Jerry Storch, chief executive of Toys R Us said in a statement.
Roosevelt Island tram unlikely to close in July as planned (Roosevelt Islander) “As of today, tentatively postponed until September, to reopen February. Will finalize decision tomorrow. All parties are here in our office for progress meeting.”
Free waffles on Thursday (@waffletruck on Twitter) We’re pretty happy with our new truck. In fact, we SO happy we’re giving out free waffles tomorrow betw 12pm and 1pm (at 45th and 6th).
Payard Patisserie warns workers the shop may shutter (Crain’s) Landlord, Stephen Kirschenbaum, wants to double the rent for the space on Lexington Avenue between East 73rd and East 74th streets to $1 million annually.
Burberry tonight flips the switch on its new skyline neon (Shophound) Older New Yorkers will remember this space as one that once held the Newsweek sign and, more recently, one for New York Magazine, but now it belongs to the British luxury brand who has won the signage by taking four floors in the building for its headquarters serving both North and South America.
Gehry may get bumped from Brooklyn Nets arena project (Daily News) A midwest architectural firm that has designed dozens of professional sports arenas could bump Frank Gehry and his glitzy arena vision from the Atlantic Yards project.
HP/American Airlines survey shows travelers hungry for wi-fi (American Airlines) More than 47 percent of business travelers surveyed indicated Wi-Fi was the most important airport amenity, outscoring basic travels needs such as food by nearly 30 percentage points.
Baja Fresh now open on Lexington between 45th and 46th (Midtown Lunch) Glad to hear they give you free chips (a huge plus) and that the salsa bar is in effect… although I’m a little wary of the mango/pineapple salsa. Don’t remember ever seeing that in SoCal. And $7.75 for a burrito is a bit more expensive than I was hoping, so it’s not all good news.
Governors Island opening day logistics (Governors Island blog) Gates to the polo match will open at 11 AM. The public is invited to watch the match free of charge. Bleachers and lawn seating will be available to the public on a first come, first served basis. You are welcome to bring your own food, or you can purchase food once you get here.
Non-Cupcake Breakfast Cakes at Sweet Revenge (Serious Eats) Though known for their cupcake and wine pairings, Sweet Revenge strays into savory ventures as well. On their breakfast menu, the “Croque Monsieur” ($5.50,) is a loose interpretation of the classic French sandwich—a fist-sized ham and Jarlsberg cake, with a honey Dijon sauce on the side.
New Water Street mural (Dumbo NYC) The theme is one of harmonizing artists of different styles with the 4 elephants representing each artist. The message that in life, there are obstacles and barriers that are lifted away to result in success.
Spencer Finch Piece Installed on the High Line (High Line Blog) The River That Flows Both Ways, is made up of 700 individual panes of glass, each hued to represent a color of light reflected off the Hudson River.
Free Family Friendly Shakespeare—Beyond the Park (Mommy Poppins) From “Shakespeare on the Run” where the audience literally has to chase the performers to the comedic Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, there’s plenty of more accessible Shakespeare to be seen
Gunnery, new and old (Tugster: A Waterblog) Why is this bollard so strangely shaped? It’s a repurposed cannon in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In this case, as weapons systems were upgraded, older tubes were redefined, not scrapped.
Metro-North station opens at Yankee Stadium (MTA) “Today, it has finally arrived. The new Yankees – E. 153rd Street MTA Metro-North Railroad station is the first railroad station to open anywhere in the Bronx in decades.”
Q&A with Danny Meyer (Wall Street Journal, via @palafo and @mollyblock) There is an enormous amount of discounting going on, which is highly unusual in our end of the business. I understand the rationale for discounting now because there is 20% to 25% less demand for restaurant seats than there was a year to a year and a half ago.
International Art & Design Fair cancels fall NY dates (Antiques Trade Gazette via ArtInfo and ArtNet) Fairs at the Park Avenue Armory on Upper East Side are especially vulnerable to the recession – the Armory is famously expensive and payment is in advance – and this is the Haughtons’ second casualty of the year following the cancellation of the International Asian Art Fair planned for March.
More NY: Jack mural, 1549 luggage, subway thinning
Jack Nicholson mural tribute on Delevan Street at Van Brunt, Brooklyn. Picture by Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Salvaged luggage returned to Flight 1549 passengers (sans cash) (NY Times) Still, Ms. Barnhardt said, she was pleasantly surprised by the condition of things that had spent days on a plane that had been submerged in the Hudson in midwinter. She said that a pair of running shoes “looked brand-new” and that she was able to retrieve the data from four computer flash drives.
Layoffs lead to lower subway ridership (Post) For the year to date, subway ridership was down 1.2 percent — about 4.7 million trips — compared to the same period last year.
H1N1 death in NYC: Asst. principal Mitchell Wiener (Daily News) Four students at Intermediate School 238 in Hollis also have confirmed cases of the new H1N1 virus, but Wiener had a particularly bad case that shut down his kidneys and ravaged his lungs.
Midtown Lunch redesigns, adds forms, amps up maps (Midtown Lunch) Part of that new design is a brand new map, which is not only more accurate, and comprehensive than before, but also allows you greater control over the type of lunch you are looking for near the spot where you are going to be.
Best NYC museum openings for Summer 2009 (Walking Off the Big Apple) What follows is a list of selected (meaning, not all) summer museum and other art center exhibitions opening in New York City in June, July, and August of 2009, along with continuing exhibitions that open in late May. I have starred * my recommendations.
Appeals court OKs eminent domain for Brooklyn Nets arena (NY Times) An hour after learning that a state appeals court had dismissed a major challenge to his long-delayed Atlantic Yards development project, the developer Bruce C. Ratner said he planned to break ground by October on an $800 million basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets in Brooklyn.
Subway geek anticipation for “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” remake (NY Times) But for anyone who has spent time past a turnstile, one of its chief attractions will also undoubtedly be how devoted it is to the look and feel of the subway and how well it pulls it off. In early reviews since the trailer was released on the Internet, even the most bloodthirsty critics — New York City subway buffs — have had a few nice things to say
Walking tour of Joe Gallo’s Brooklyn waterfront (Brooklyn Paper) A biographer who detailed the life and death of the iconic South Brooklyn mobster “Crazy” Joe Gallo will lead a May 9 walking tour that will highlight the gangster’s former haunts and hangouts, and remind attendees that the now twee Columbia Street Waterfront District was once the site of a bloody Mafia war.
April shutters: 24 restaurant closures (Eater) 24 restaurants, including midtown giants Kobe Club, Town, Lever House, and Atria shuttered this month. Not a encouraging number, but at least we’re doing better than January, when we lost 46.
Brooklyn to get a rock-climbing gym (Brownstoner) As it turns out, the 18,000-square-foot building will become a rock-climbing gym called Brooklyn Boulders. One of the partners in the venture says it’s slated to partially open the first week in July and be fully operational by the end of August.
Washington Square park gets its fountain back (Curbed) But while an opening is still unsure, today—right now—the famed Washington Square Park Tisch Fountain has sprung to life in its newly realigned home. A test run?
Police plan pedicab crackdown (Post) Officers in Central Park and surrounding precincts have planned a crackdown on pedicab drivers who break traffic laws. They will also ticket and seize bikes from unlicensed vendors.
At least eight students from a school in Queens will likely test positive for swine influenza, the NYC Health Department said today.
Although swine flu has proved fatal in Mexico, all the Queens students have only mild symptoms and none have required hospitalization, the Health Department said.
As a precaution, all New Yorkers are urged to cover their mouths when they cough and to wash their hands often with soap and water.
See the full Health Department press release after the jump:
More NY: free cones, Filene's for sale, Irena's fib
Picture by Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Suspect advertising from Broadway’s “Irena’s Vow” (Upstaged) “GIVE YOURSELF THIS GIFT!—NYTimes.com” (April 10); “BEST PLAY IN YEARS!—NYTimes.com” (April 11); … So where do all those rave reviews from nytimes.com comes from? The “Readers’ Reviews” section, that’s where: anonymous comments from anonymous people on the Times site.
Free ice cream (Serious Eats) Tomorrow (April 21) is Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day, celebrating thirty-one years of Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia.
Will the brides run again? Filene’s for sale (Bloomberg) Retail Ventures Inc., which owns Filene’s Basement and the DSW shoe chain, said last week it planned to sell the clothing retailer’s assets, shifting from an earlier plan to close about a third of its stores. Filene’s Basement’s performance “has continued to deteriorate significantly,” Retail Ventures said in an April 16 regulatory filing.
UNIQLO Brings Back Basquiat (Shophound) This year they are apparently commemorating the 21st anniversary, because an even bigger set of Basquiat t-shirts have appeared on the stores main wall this week.
Diamond District loses shine (Crain’s) New York’s once-sparkling diamond district is suddenly littered with dozens of vacant booths, empty showcases and “For rent” signs. Jewelers in the neighborhood report business is down more than 50% over the past 12 months, causing many longtime dealers to close up shop.
It’s the 6th Annual Immigrant Heritage Week (NYC.gov) Declared an official, annual celebration by Mayor Bloomberg, Immigrant Heritage Week is a unique celebration of the vibrant immigrant cultures, heritage, and communities found in every corner of the City.
