06/29/2010 at 1:02 pm

All Over the Sidewalk, Little Tidbits of Information

New York's 204th ticker-tape parade: NY Yankees in 2009

NY Yankees in 2009: New York's 204th ticker-tape parade

One of my favorite things to do in Lower Manhattan is to walk down the street and listen to what visitors say about our area. Awhile ago, I saw a couple checking out the turntables on Broad Street and react with complete awe.

This one is in a different direction. Walking down Broadway recently, I overheard someone say, “What are these little tidbits of info all over the sidewalk?”

What are these little tidbits of info all over the sidewalk?

What a great question. It’s funny, because we at the Downtown Alliance, think of them as the Canyon of Heroes markers, plaques in the sidewalk from the bottom of Broadway all the way up to City Hall, that commemorate every single ticker-tape parade New York City has held.

But the idea that the markers are “little tidbits of information” actually makes sense. Let me see if I can provide some background so you can enjoy these little tidbits yourself.

In case you aren’t old enough to remember, ticker tape was a one-inch-wide ribbon of paper on which the “ticker” machine recorded telegraphed stock quotes. Employees working in skyscrapers along Broadway realized that ticker tape sent swirling into the air created a dramatic effect.

The ticker-tape tradition started on October 28, 1886, with the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. The New York Times reported that the festivities of the day inspired so many employees to throw ticker tape out the windows that in a moment “the air was white with curling streamers.”

Almost 125 years later, we have held more than 200 ticker-tape parades, celebrating everything from the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration to foreign leaders and Olympic athletes, the first woman to swim the English Channel, soldiers returning from war and, most recently, New York sports teams winning championships.

From 1919 to the present day, the mayor of New York City has decided who will receive a parade. Before then, they were rather spontaneous celebrations. Because Downtown’s financial companies don’t use ticker-tape machines any more, New Yorkers now use shredded recycled paper.

To honor the Canyon of Heroes, the Downtown Alliance created a granite marker embedded in the sidewalk for each ticker-tape parade up Broadway—the “little tidbits” the person I overheard was mentioning. Each marker gives the date of the parade and the honoree. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space to include a description of each parade, but you can check out our Canyon of Heroes web page for more information and use our handy brochure for a full listing if you want.

I have been at the Downtown Alliance for almost eight years, and I have had the privilege of working on many different projects, including a pilot program to track the condition of each and every one of these markers. I’ve started at the Battery and walked all the way up Broadway, making sure the plaque that was in the sidewalk matched exactly what we have in our records and checking to make sure it wasn’t damaged or defaced. If a marker gets damaged, we replace it as quickly as we can.

To this day, I cannot step on any of the markers, sometimes doing a little two-step to avoid it if necessary, even though they obviously were built strong enough to be stepped on by millions of people every single year. They are wonderful little tidbits and I don’t want to cause them any damage or make them harder for the next person to read and enjoy.

I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy these little tidbits, maybe during your lunch, or on your way home from work one day. Please comment below or let me know what your favorite tidbit is. Maybe we can help someone else enjoy these little tidbits as well.

Posted by jgsatwork in Daily Clips | No Comments | ,

06/28/2010 at 5:44 pm

Downtown Alliance Proposes Top 10 Royal Experiences in Lower Manhattan

QE2

Canyon of Heroes commemoration of Queen’s 1957 parade

The Queen of England is set to make a first visit to view the World Trade Center site since the attacks of nearly nine years ago on September 11, 2001, and after meeting with first responders there, Her Majesty is expected to attend the official opening of The British Garden at Hanover Square and later deliver remarks before the United Nations General Assembly.

“Lower Manhattan is fit for a Queen,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance, the city’s largest Business Improvement District. “We are honored that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is coming to New York for the first time in nearly three and a half decades and will visit Lower Manhattan, so we have come up with an itinerary that will showcase the growth, vitality and diversity of one of our city’s fastest-growing communities.”

This is Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to New York since the 1976 Bicentennial. Her Majesty will be accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip. (Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles visited the World Trade Center site in 2005; Prince Harry visited the site last year and laid a wreath there.)

And to mark this occasion, the Downtown Alliance has developed the ideal itinerary –- a Top 10 to-do list — so that Anglophiles everywhere can get a British taste of Lower Manhattan:

1. Canyon of Heroes. Mosey down the Canyon of Heroes, stopping along the way on Broadway to marvel at the granite strips commemorating the 204 ticker tape parades that have taken place there. Pause just north of Liberty Street (on the east side of Broadway) at strip No. 136, which memorialized the Queen’s earlier visit on October 21, 1957 with Prince Philip. (And, there were quite a few parades heralding British heroes, such as Adm. Lord David Beatty, Commander of the British and Allied fleets during World War I (No. 10); David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War I (No. 13); and, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II (No. 58). (En route, there’s Trinity Church, which was designed by British-born American architect Richard Upjohn.)

2. Stone Street dining. After a visit to The British Garden at Hanover Square, we recommend a stroll south along Stone Street, a narrow, cobblestone lane first developed by Dutch colonists in the 1600s. With its two neat rows of picturesque, (mostly) low-rise brick buildings dotted by zigzagging fire escapes and old-fashioned black lighting fixtures, Stone Street is a centuries-old pathway that recalls the ambience of 19th century New York. The Dutch West India Company first sold what’s now called the Stone Street Historic District to European property owners in the 1640s. It was originally called Hoogh Straet, but the name changed to Duke Street under British control to honor the Duke of York. In 1794, the name was changed to Stone Street.

If the temperature is still rising, one should pop into the Stone Street Tavern (85 Pearl Street) and take a sip of a Boddingtons Cream Ale. If hunger sets in, perhaps there’s time for some of the tavern’s fish and chips, chicken pot pie or shepherd’s pie.

3. Fraunces Tavern Museum. A brief, brisk walk away is Fraunces Tavern Museum, Manhattan’s only Museum of the American Revolution (54 Pearl Street). The tavern – built in 1719 – played a significant role in pre-Revolutionary War activities and later housed early U.S. government offices of the departments of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs (today’s State Department). It’s best known as the site where Gen. George Washington bade farewell to officers of the Continental Army on December 4, 1783.

In 1904, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York purchased the tavern, saving it from the wrecking ball. A restored Fraunces Tavern was opened to the public 113 years ago as a Museum and Restaurant. Fraunces Tavern was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. (The tavern is undergoing renovations now, but the museum – with eight galleries of exhibits on two floors –remains open.)

4. Castle Clinton. Then it’s off to Battery Park, where a stroll down the promenade will lead to Castle Clinton, which was originally built to stop a British invasion in 1812. It is now a national monument, and the place where the Downtown Alliance is hosting concerts throughout the summer as part of the River To River Festival. Catch a Statue Cruises ferry to Liberty Island to the Statue of Liberty.

5. Free Ride Around Downtown. So many things, so little time. Take advantage of the Downtown Connection, the Downtown Alliance’s free (and air conditioned!) bus service with 37 stops all over Lower Manhattan.

6. Luxury Shopping on Wall Street. Exiting the Downtown Connection at Wall Street, one should head west, stopping by Tiffany’s (37 Wall Street), one of the premier retailers in Lower Manhattan. Nearby is Thomas Pink (63 Wall Street), a clothing business launched in 1984 and named after an 18th century London tailor known for fashioning red (“pink”) hunting jackets. (If in a frugal mood, though, there’s always J&R or Century 21 just blocks away.)

7. High Tea in the Financial District. Just a few steps away (and yes, it’s a French establishment!), one can partake in an afternoon tea at La Maison du Chocolat (63 Wall Street). The boutique shop serves Earl Grey tea paired with a complimentary rocher noir (a praline enrobed with almonds and roasted hazelnuts covered in dark chocolate). And, if in a mood for a favorite English pastry – scones – well, Crumbs (87 Beaver Street) is just around the corner.

8. The South Street Seaport. At the South Street Seaport, drop by the vessel Wavertree, built in Southhampton, England in 1885 and one of the last large sailing ships built of wrought iron (and acquired by the South Street Seaport Museum in 1968).

9. Ale and Supper. Why not finish the day with a visit to an English-flavored pub, perhaps the Pound & Pence restaurant (55 Liberty Street) where it’s easy to imagine you’ve crossed the Pond? The menu – which marries the best of English traditional pub fare and contemporary American-influenced cuisine – includes shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, Guinness-battered shrimp and 10 brews on tap. The upstairs is modeled after an English club, with a fireplace, snooker table and leather club chairs. Or try Gild Hall’s Libertine (15 Gold Street), which has fish and chips and is modeled after a modern English tavern. New York Magazine said: “The leather-and-mahogany-bedecked Libertine is designed to evoke a swinging seventies-era London clubhouse.”

10. Corgi Care. Her Majesty’s beloved Corgis are well known but there’s something for dogs everywhere in Lower Manhattan. There’s Ciao Bow Wow (16 Beaver Street), The Salty Paw (38 Peck Slip), spot (21 Murray Street), and Petropolis (91 Washington Street).

And, if anyone should wander off the beaten path, there’s no need to worry. The Downtown Alliance has three visitor kiosks in Lower Manhattan, all loaded with information on what to do, where to go, and how to have fun. You can find them all at http://www.downtownny.com/discover/visitorservices/

Posted by James in Daily Clips | No Comments

06/28/2010 at 11:33 am

How to Make Water Street a More Vital & Exciting Center of Life

Water Street

Using what works to rescale a great boulevard: A new Water Street might someday look like this.

By Liz Berger

Water Street wasn’t always Lower Manhattan’s premier commercial corridor.  For 350 years, it was maritime central:  a port and shipyard, with a fish market, warehouses, noisy, late-night restaurants and hotels of questionable repute.  But its fortunes faded, and when the Pearl Street el came down in the 1950s, the roadbed was widened, the City’s Zoning Resolution was amended and Water Street was transformed.

Today, Water Street is home to 70,000 jobs, more than 19 million square feet of office space and some of the region’s most prestigious companies.  There’s the Police Museum, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Elevated Acre, one of New York’s best-kept secrets (and home of the Downtown Alliance’s free summer Movie Nights).  And there are new residential buildings and hotels, like the Andaz, which is about to launch a chef-sponsored farmer’s market.  Like the rest of Lower Manhattan, Water Street has something (including the world’s largest digital clock) for everyone.

But these attractions can be hard to find on a street with arcades and plazas designed for pedestrian circulation but all too often empty and austere. The problem is amplified by a street that is too wide for the amount of traffic it serves.

Tens of thousands of workers, residents and visitors make their way to Water Street every day, but they rarely dawdle.  The street life gives few clues to what’s happening in the buildings above, and here’s the irony:  With all the public spaces, there are not enough places to linger on Water Street and too few places to stop. The current transformation of the rest of Lower Manhattan into an intense mix of street-level uses and activities can seem distant here.

There’s lots that’s right about Water Street:  premium real estate, fantastic views, easy access to subways, buses and ferries, and a great place to catch a cab.  But that’s not enough to stay competitive.  Think Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the Ginza in Tokyo or Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. Water Street should be on that list.

So last year, the Downtown Alliance convened a committee of property owners, residents, real estate brokers, business owners, marketers, preservationists, restaurateurs, Community Board 1 members and other Lower Manhattan stakeholders, who chose a team led by local landscape architects Starr Whitehouse to figure out how. After 18 months of research, analysis, workshops and renderings, I am excited to share the results.

Water Street: A New Approach —Transforming Lower Manhattan’s Modern Commercial Boulevard is a blueprint for change that can— and must—happen now.  It’s about four simple ideas that will take Water Street from 0 to 60, preserving what works and reinventing what doesn’t:

Rescale Water Street as a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, with a median, dramatic plantings and monumental public art — Lower Manhattan’s Park Avenue.

Connect Water Street to the waterfront and to the historic Financial District with signage, easy crossings and two new public gathering spaces.

Rethink decades-old zoning to encourage more street-level retail activity and restaurants.

Add more culture, entertainment and events during the day, in the evenings and on weekends.

New York City owes a massive debt to Holly Whyte, the author who famously chronicled the patterns of activity that make New York New York. He spent a lifetime observing and thinking about place-making, and wrote: “The street is the river of life of the city, the place where we come together, the pathway to the center.”  This is Water Street’s past, and we propose that it be its future.

—Liz  Berger is President of the Downtown Alliance.

Posted by Liz in Daily Clips | No Comments | ,

06/24/2010 at 11:34 am

Deconstruction Update

New 06.23.10

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation announced on June 18 that deconstruction of the building at 130 Liberty Street is making significant progress. The structure above is currently down to 13 floors and getting harder to see from Broadway. The photograph below was taken last December, when the building was at 25 floors. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010. The deconstruction of 130 Liberty is integral to Port Authority excavation work that will advance the progress of the Vehicle Security Center. To find out more about the project, visit the LMDC website.

New 12.17.09

Posted by Dackerman in Construction Projects | No Comments | , ,

06/23/2010 at 11:26 am

Bennie’s Thai Cafe: A Hidden Gem on Fulton Street

Bennie and her daughter Am behind the counter at Bennie's Thai Cafe

Bennie and her daughter Amy behind the counter at Bennie's Thai Cafe.

As you walk down Fulton Street and dodge the never-ending construction work, you could easily miss a booming business, and some of the best Thai food you’ll encounter in this city.

Bennie’s Thai Cafe has been in business since 1996, and if you head toward the East River, look down just before you reach Gold Street and there it is, an unpretentious, relaxing haven.

The owners didn’t even start out pursuing a Thai restaurant. Back in the late 70s, Bennie Boon, her husband, James, and some friends partnered up and bought two Blimpie franchises in Chelsea and on Trinity Place in Downtown. Since most of the employees were Thai, Bennie decided to cook something for the staff, meals that routinely included pots of curry or noodles.

Then word got around Thai circles that there was a place owned by Thai people in Lower Manhattan.

So, Bennie started a small steam table out of the back of Blimpie’s called: Bennie’s Thai Corner.

When the Boons were bought out back in 1992, they searched for spaces in Lower Manhattan where they could re-open Bennie’s Thai Corner again. After a short stint on West Street, the couple rediscovered a space that sat empty for a number of years on Fulton Street.

It wasn’t an ideal space at the time – after all, it’s easy to miss – but Bennie’s Thai Cafe was born.

Today, Bennie’s has become a sort-of cafeteria for office workers during lunchtime and, in the evenings, a home kitchen for residents of the ever-growing Financial District neighborhood. (The Downtown Alliance’s residential survey recently noted the dramatic growth, from about 25,000 people in 2001 to 55,000 folks today south of Chambers Street.)

As a regular customer for more than a decade, I can easily say it’s worth the trip. While my favorite is the steamed dumplings, you should try the Pad Thai, Spicy Noodles, Curry Puffs and Jungle Curry (note to readers: some of the dishes are very spicy so ask about the heat level first!).

Some of Bennie’s more interesting items are the Thai salads, called “Yum,” a mix of tamarind, lime juice, fish sauce, chili peppers, onions, and cucumbers, and whichever meat or seafood you want to add. It’s a perfect representation of Thai flavors of sweet, salty, sour and fiery, all at once.

Stick around for dessert if you can and try the Thai sweet sticky rice with mango or custard, baked acorn squash filled with custard, and fried bananas. (Oh, and before I forget, bring cash or American Express; that’s all they take.)

And say “Hi” to Bennie (or her daughter, Amy) who you can always find behind the counter or in the kitchen.

Posted by jsimmons in Discover, Eating, My Downtown | No Comments | , , , , ,

06/22/2010 at 11:00 am

Mess Around Downtown: June 22, 2010

to do

Welcome back to Mess Around Downtown!

The Mess Around Downtown Summer To Do List:

1) See a movie on the Elevated Acre. This 4 week series kicks off on July 29th with Woody Allen’s Broadway Danny Rose. Check the schedule here. I’m sad I’ll be out of town when The Muppets Take Manhattan to close out the season.

2) Tour the Gold Vault under the Federal Reserve. This one is for when it’s too hot to play outside. Reserve your tour here.

3) Learn to sail at Manhattan Sailing School based out of the North Cove in BPC.

4) EAT here on July 8th.

5) Have an adult beverage at MacMenamin’s Irish Pub, Water Taxi Beach & Beer Garden, and Fresh Salt all in one night. Why? To celebrate the fact that they were all featured as summer drinking establishments this week in Time Out New York. MacMenamin’s and Water Taxi for their outdoor vibes and Fresh Salt for being dog friendly. So, why not? Anybody have a dog I can borrow?

Check out the River to River Festival guide and let me know what I should add to my list.  Read on for new establishments that opened these past couple of weeks. You can find anything you need with our handy Downtown Directory. Don’t be afraid to email me at tre@downtownny.com. Thanks.

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Subway – 1 World Trade Center: currently sitting on the 27th floor and rising every couple of weeks

Ironworkers get very hungry and this article explains it all. Fascinating, I say.

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Arome Cafe - 5 Dey Street: 212-786-3336

Someone has to feed all those Century 21 shoppers and Arome seems to have it covered. The crowds are lining up for their salad bar, pizza station, endless sandwiches and fruit smoothies. Plenty of seating for tired legs and big windows for people watching.

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Vietnamese Sandwiches - 164 Pearl Street: 212-952-1699

The name says it all people. The menu consists of eight sandwiches to choose from all priced at $6. They close when they run out of fresh baguettes for the day. Usually around 4:00. With Baoguette on Maiden Lane and Mangez Avec Moi on West Broadway also serving up these sandwiches, is it possible we have a Banh Mi showdown happening Downtown? Oh what a tasty Downtown showdown it is.

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22 Thai Cuisine- 22 Maiden Lane: 212-766-0988

Serving up all your Thai favorites. From curries to coconut soup, 22 Thai has you covered. This stretch of Maiden Lane between Broadway and Nassau has turned into an ethnic foodie paradise with Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Chinese and Italian restaurants, all setting up shop in the last couple of years.

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Chambers Beauty Spa -160 Chambers Street: 212-608-2818

Manicures, pedicures, waxing, threading, facials, massages, hot stones, eyelash extensions, eyebrow tinting, ear candle therapy and, yes, sinus cavity cleanses.

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Mildred Elley College – 25 Broadway, 16th floor: 212-380-9004

Looking to train in a health care profession? Look no further than right here, Downtown. Check out Mildred’s site to learn about how this new campus will offer practical nursing and medical assistant training.

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Vacancy Alert

-1834 Bar & Burger at 62 Pearl Street has closed.

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As always, thank you for being on the lookout and please continue to send any changes you come across to tre@downtownny.com

Posted by The Mess in Mess Around Downtown, Shopping & Dining | No Comments | , , , , , , , ,

06/21/2010 at 12:53 pm

Are you the next Ben Folds or Billy Joel?

Sing for Hope Piano on Coenties Alley at Stone Street

If you want to tickle the ivories during your lunch break – or during any daylight hours – here’s your chance to kick back and impress your friends. A piano now sits at Coenties Alley at the foot of Stone Street until July 5th as part of the Sing for Hope program; 59 others are spread out across the city as well. If you happen to have any photos or video, send us your best ones at ContactUs@DowntownNY.com and we may be able to show off your musical prowess.

Posted by jsimmons in Discover, Events | No Comments | , , ,

06/21/2010 at 12:32 pm

Music, Dance, and More! It’s River To River 2010

R2R Audience shot

How has the River To River Festival become the largest free summer arts festival in New York City, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to Lower Manhattan every summer?

First off, the festival offers free admission to all its events. From City Hall to Battery Park and across Downtown from the East River to the Hudson, the festival brings the richness of the arts in NYC—music, dance, theater, film, visual art and performance—to stages, street corners, historic parks, plazas and piers across Lower Manhattan.  Created to bring more people Downtown in the wake of 9/11, the River To River Festival has become the showcase for local, regional, and international performers who believe art can transform and unite communities.

This year’s festival runs from Tuesday, June 22, through Thursday, August 19.

River To River brings in world-renowned performers who call New York City home. Joining them are regional and international artists. In the past, the festival has featured established musicians such as Brian Stokes Mitchell, Dianne Reeves, and James Brown. Additionally, the festival has hosted concerts by some of the best alternative and indie rock bands: Sonic Youth, The Feelies, The xx and Spoon, to name a few.

Part of the festival’s broad appeal lies in its diversity. There are dance performances (Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, and Trisha Brown have been featured), as well as concerts by emerging classical and Latin artists. For film enthusiasts, the River To River Festival consistently screens a selection of classics such as West Side Story, Seven Year Itch, Imitation of Life, and Rear Window.

Audience satisfaction surveys attest to the festival’s ability to bring in audiences and stimulate interest in New York art events. Of festival attendees who don’t live or work in Lower Manhattan, 90 percent make a special trip from other parts of the city to see a River To River event. Ninety percent of festival attendees rated their experience as very good to excellent.

Three-fourths say the festival introduced them to a new artist and encouraged them to go online for more artist information. And 90 percent of attendees say the festival motivated them to attend more arts events. The festival is also a boon for Downtown businesses. Eighty-three percent of those who attend events snack or dine out while Downtown, spending an average of $17 per a person.

With world-renowned artists performing for enthusiastic audiences surrounded by the beauty of Downtown Manhattan, it is easy to see why the River To River Festival has become so admired and continues to grow in popularity. Oh, and did we mention that everything is 100 percent free? So come Downtown and check out New York’s finest summer arts festival.

Posted by nsalvage in Daily Clips | No Comments | , , , , , , , , ,

06/17/2010 at 3:16 pm

Boy Meets World Series Champ

girardi

Yes, that's me, in the Yankees cap, with the Skipper

On Tuesday morning, in front of the ever-impressive Woolworth Building, the ever-impressive Yankees made yet another impression on the lives of New Yorkers.  This time it came in the form of a granite slab commemorating their victory parade last fall through the Canyon of Heroes to honor their 27th World Series victory. Thousands of New Yorkers showed up in November to hail their favorite team and to cover the players–not to mention  Broadway–in shredded papers (we don’t ask what they’re shredding).

Seven months later, a much smaller crowd gathered in front of 233 Broadway.  And that was my chance to pounce.

As a season ticket holder, I was able to watch numerous games in person last year as the Yankees battled to gain baseball’s greatest prize.  And in the end, I was able to watch Game 6 from the left field bleachers as the Bombers beat the Philadelphia Phillies and were crowned World Series champions.  I took that Game 6 ticket home with me, tucked it securely away, and thought about the day, 50 years from now, when I would show it to my grandson and tell him about Matsui’s amazing performance and how I was there when the Yankees won it all (again).

On June 15th, I went back to that hiding place, pulled out my ticket (carefully protected from harmful sun rays) and stuck it in my bag. The Yankee Skipper, Joe Girardi was coming Downtown to unveil the new granite strip, and I was going to do my best to meet him.  At first it seemed unlikely.  The press blocked my entrance from one side, and police barriers and public safety officers were guarding his flank.  And from behind?  Phalanxes of Little Leaguers were lined up to help with the show… would it be bad form to trample a 6-year-old?

Thank the Downtown Alliance for respecting an obsession.  Like herding an 8-year-old girl to meet Miley Cyrus I was ushered to the front of the pack.  My ticket in hand, palms sweaty–what would I say?  A friend saw me moving closer and pushed a baseball into my hands, “Cotz! Get this signed too!”  This was it, standing right next to him now–this guy has 4 rings!  Do you know how hard that is?

But he wouldn’t turn around!  He was too busy signing baseballs and ballcaps for the Little Leaguers!  The nerve!  OK, don’t panic.  Just get his attention somehow: “Hey Skip! The big kids need autographs too!” Wow. Did I just say that?  Totally pathetic.  But it worked.  He turned around and took my ticket. “That’s Game 6 Joe!”  No response.  I think he was too nice to say what he really thought of me.

I got the ticket back, and with the left hand I entered the baseball into the scrum.  He took it and signed it as well.  Double score!  What a nice guy, continuing to smile as a bunch of grown men acted like a group of adolescents.

When I got out of the crowd I found my buddy and gave him the ball, Hercules dropping the Hydra’s head at the foot of the king.  He turned around and handed it to a stranger.  Turns out my favor to him was his favor to someone else.   And my getting to the front was a favor to me, so I guess that’s just how the world works.

I won’t soon forget the experience.  It was great of Joe to come Downtown, and the time he spent with the kids will, I’m sure, stay with them for a long time. I know my ticket will be getting promoted from a hidden folder to a frame on my wall.  And every time I walk by the Woolworth Building, and see that commemorative sidewalk strip, it will put a smile on my face.

But ultimately there’s only one way to beat this experience–with another World Series win and another ticker-tape parade.

Posted by Nick in My Downtown | No Comments | , , , ,

06/03/2010 at 2:35 pm

Visiting the Rise of Wall Street

wallstreet_banner

If there is one thing I have learned from working in Lower Manhattan, it is that the area is constantly changing. I rarely turn a corner without discovering a new shop or restaurant or a high-rise construction site. So it seems only fitting that the latest exhibition at the Skyscraper Museum would be entitled The Rise of Wall Street.

The exhibition traces the illustrious history of one narrow street in New York City and follows the rise of the skyscrapers along it. But it also touches on the evolution of the skyscraper throughout Manhattan and the world. One section focuses on green initiatives in modern towers. And visitors also learn how modern skyscrapers can reach thousands of feet into the air without collapsing.

The physical layout of the exhibition is impressive. Large columns with posters of Wall Street skyscrapers stretch up to a mirrored ceiling, and as I wandered in between them, it seemed as if I was actually standing on Wall Street, staring up at its skyscrapers as they reached into an endless gray sky.

One of the most interesting things I learned was how Wall Street got its name. Before industrialization, a stockade ran along Wall Street, separating New Amsterdam from the rest of Manhattan. The original structure—made of simple picket and plank fencing—was meant to protect the Dutch settlement from English colonial forces. In 1653, Peter Stuyvesant led an effort to build a stronger structure. They erected a 12-foot wall that could also protect the settlement from various Native American tribes. Thirty years later, the road that ran along the stockade was named—sensibly enough—Wall Street.

After my museum visit, I took my own tour of the real Wall Street, just a few blocks away. It’s amazing to imagine the small buildings that once stood where skyscrapers now loom. The Rise of Wall Street gave me a wonderful appreciation for the transformation that occurred on one particular street in Manhattan over the course of a few hundred years. The Skyscraper Museum at 39 Battery Place is open from 12 to 6 PM Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $5.

Posted by Tina in Construction Projects, Discover, My Downtown | 1 Comment | , , ,

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