News and events in Lower Manhattan
Volume 6, No. 53, Jan. 27, 2022
QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Lies often detected and refuted are still revived and repeated, in the hope that the refutation may have been forgotten or that the frequency and boldness of accusation may supply the place of truth and proof."

— Alexander Hamilton

CONTENTS:

Letter from the Editor: Scandal and Disgrace
Speaker Adrienne Adams appoints City Council committee leadership and members
Bits & Bytes: Sheldon Silver dead at 77; Insurers must pay for at-home Covid tests
Bulletin Board: Ice Sculpture on Governors Island; Covid-19 test scams
Calendar: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at the Museum of Jewish Heritage

For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx/.

COVID-19 CASES IN NEW YORK CITY: As of Jan. 26, 2022 at 5:29 p.m.
2,209,242 confirmed cases * 37,756 deaths * 7,009,216 vaccinated in NYC

Go to www.DowntownPostNYC.com for breaking news and for updated information on facility closures related to COVID-19 

MASTHEAD PHOTO: A portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York. Feb. 4, 2016 (Photo: ©Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2021)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: SCANDAL AND DISGRACE
Alexander Hamilton's birthday was on January 11 and I didn't want to let this month come to an end without expressing my affection for this great man. Even before the Broadway musical brought him to widespread attention, I was one of his admirers. I knew him to be brave, intellectually brilliant, a persuasive writer, and the engineer and architect of many institutions that enabled the fledgling United States to take root and flourish.

In many places where I've lived or have visited, I crossed paths with him — in Nevis, where he was born, in St. Croix, which he left in his teens after his mother had died, in Princeton where he fought in a Revolutionary War battle that the British decisively lost, in and around Philadelphia, in Manhattan and specifically in Lower Manhattan where he studied, worked, and is buried in the cemetery of Trinity Church. I used to live down the street from his grave and never passed it without stopping for a moment to pay my respects.
But although I could dwell at length on his many admirable qualities and accomplishments, what I'm thinking about today is an event known as the "Reynolds affair" that tarnished his career. In brief, Hamilton was lured into an affair with a woman named Maria Reynolds and subsequently blackmailed by her husband. Hamilton's numerous political enemies eagerly broadcast the details of what happened and wouldn't let the matter rest.

In 1796, four years after Hamilton believed that he had permanently dealt with the attempted blackmail, a muckraker named James Callender resurrected it. In a pamphlet published in 1797, Hamilton wrote in his own defense, placing what was happening to him within the larger context of mudslinging as a political tool.

Calling what the yellow journalists were doing "calumny," he wrote, "It is essential to its success that the influence of men of upright principles, disposed and able to resist its enterprises, shall be at all events destroyed. Not content with traducing their best efforts for the public good, with misrepresenting their purest motives, with inferring criminality from actions innocent or laudable, the most direct falsehoods are invented and propagated, with undaunted effrontery and unrelenting perseverance. Lies often detected and refuted are still revived and repeated, in the hope that the refutation may have been forgotten or that the frequency and boldness of accusation may supply the place of truth and proof."

Hamilton has a great deal more to say on this subject. I don't have room to quote it here, but if you're interested in the Reynolds Pamphlet, here's a link. You can read it for yourself.

I'm bringing this up now because of what happened to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. When, on Aug. 3, 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James solemnly announced that two outside investigators had found that Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women, the story immediately became front page and prime time news associated with the words "scandal" and "disgrace." Rita Glavin, Cuomo's attorney, responded almost immediately by saying that the investigation was "biased" and "willfully ignored evidence inconsistent with the narrative that [the investigators] sought to weave from the outset." Glavin went on to say that "the Governor has repeatedly made clear— including in his sworn testimony — that he never made any inappropriate sexual advances to anyone nor inappropriately touched anyone in a sexual manner."

Glavin said at the time, and has said subsequently, that she was not given access to the testimony underlying the report. In subsequent weeks and months, she and her team managed to ferret some of it out, but to this day, have not been given full access.

Meanwhile, on Oct. 29, 2021, Letitia James announced her candidacy for New York State governor. It had long been suspected that that's what she had in mind. Many people noted that Cuomo would have been an obstacle to her candidacy, which she subsequently rescinded saying that she was going to devote herself instead to her duties as attorney general.

As for the sexual allegations against Cuomo, one by one most of them have been refuted, undermined or dismissed as additional evidence emerged. Although the initial reporting was laced with other allegations against Cuomo having to do with nursing home deaths and the circumstances associated with the writing of his most recent book, "American Crisis," so far none of that has been substantiated.

The chances are that you are aware of the charges against Cuomo that led to his resignation on Aug. 10, 2021. The New York Times headlined its coverage "Cuomo Resigns Amid Scandals, Ending Decade-Long Run in Disgrace." That's more or less what other news outlets said as well. But are you aware that numerous charges against Cuomo have already been dropped? I'm guessing that this has not come to your attention.

Rita Glavin called the initial coverage of Cuomo's alleged transgressions "a media frenzy." That's also what Alexander Hamilton was describing in his Reynolds Pamphlet. Once a publication or an outlet has committed itself to condemnation, it would be highly unusual for it to admit that its conclusions were premature and that it was wrong.

That's why this era of "instant news" and pressure to publish first is very dangerous. Regret may be warranted eventually, but by then it may be too late.

The Life and Legacy of Sheldon Silver

Triumph or tragedy? Sheldon Silver's life had both. He ascended from a childhood and youth on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where he was born on Feb. 13, 1944 to become one of the most powerful men in New York State government. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1976 and served as its Speaker from 1994 to 2015.

Although Silver regarded the Lower East Side as his lifelong home, he died on Jan. 24, 2022 hundreds of miles away at the Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Massachusetts, close to the Devens Federal Medical Center in Ayer, Mass., where he had been imprisoned. He had been convicted in 2015 of federal corruption charges for taking nearly $4 million in payment after using his position to help a cancer researcher at Columbia University and aiding two real estate developers. He went through several trials before exhausting his legal options. In 2020, despite having cancer and chronic kidney disease, he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.

The story of Silver's downfall should not overshadow the great amount of good he did in his life. In a New York Times article ("Sheldon Silver, 77, New York Power Broker Convicted of Corruption, Dies," New York Times, 1/24/2022), Assemblyman Richard Gottfried was quoted as saying, "Shelly Silver was one of the strongest forces for progressive issues in the New York State Legislature." Gottfried cited Silver's record on civil liberties issues, reproductive rights and the legalization of same sex marriage.

At Community Board 1's full board meeting on Jan. 25 — the day after Silver's death — Board member Bob Townley who heads the Downtown Community Center and Manhattan Youth said, "I think I just want to speak on Sheldon Silver who, for our community, was a patriot and after 9/11, secured and helped in so many issues." Townley paused. Then he said, "All right. I don't really know what to say. Shelly’s not here and I think he knew from some of us attending the trial and from communications to him that he was our Sheldon Silver, not simply Assembly member and Speaker. That's all I’ve got to say." Townley was almost in tears.

"We cannot let the day pass without saying 'thank you' to Sheldon Silver," said Tammy Meltzer, chair of Community Board 1.

Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Editor, Downtown Post NYC
New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver speaking to a constituent after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gateway Plaza Tenants Association on Jun 6, 2013. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.

HOW TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN POST NYC: I made Downtown Post NYC free to subscribers so that no one who was interested in reading it would be excluded because of cost. Downtown Post NYC is largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people have made contributions, which are much appreciated. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.
AFTER A DUST-UP WITH NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER ADRIENNE ADAMS ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS
City Council chambers in New York City Hall. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2013)
According to several news reports, New York City's newly elected mayor, Eric Adams, had hoped to install his own man, Councilmember Francisco Moya (D-Queens), as the Speaker of the New York City Council, but Adams lost that battle. When City Council members voted for Speaker, Adrienne Adams (no relation to the mayor) (D-Queens) got the nod instead as the leader of the city's legislative body. City Council creates laws, negotiates the city budget with the Mayor's office and oversees city agencies. In other words, City Council can cause the mayor plenty of trouble, or it can smooth the way for what the mayor proposes.

Mayor Adams got a second setback when Speaker Adams announced the leadership of City Council and the chairs of its 37 committees, its three sub-committees and its task force. Mayor Adams had asked that Moya supporters be named as chairs for at least one-third of the committees, including the Oversight and Investigations Committee, which is authorized, when it deems necessary, to examine every nook and cranny of City government and can issue subpoenas. Mayor Adams wanted Julie Menin to head that committee. Instead, Speaker Adams chose Gale Brewer, a member of City Council between 2002 and 2013 and most recently Borough of Manhattan President. Brewer, who had herself been a candidate for City Council Speaker, withdrew from that race and supported Adrienne Adams' candidacy instead. Menin, on the other hand, had supported Moya.
Brewer said that she was "grateful to have been entrusted by Speaker Adams and fellow council members with the responsibility that comes with leading the Oversight and Investigations Committee. This committee has a crucial role in ensuring that laws are implemented effectively, that agencies are managed well and with integrity, and that government truly works for all."
Neither Brewer nor Julie Menin are strangers to Lower Manhattan. Brewer has been a long-time and ardent supporter of the South Street Seaport Museum. She threw her weight behind the Howard Hughes Corporation's controversial plans to build a 324-foot-tall residential tower at 250 Water St. in the South Street Seaport Historic District provided that HHC generated a $50 million endowment for the museum. The zoning that would permit that is currently being contested.
(Above) On Jan. 21, 2018, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer was among an estimated 120,000 people, mostly women, who marched through Manhattan to protest Trump’s presidency and the policies of the Republican-controlled Congress. (Below) Bob Townley, founder and director of Manhattan Youth and Julie Menin, who was then chair of Community Board 1, at Manhattan Youth's fundraising gala on Nov. 3, 2011.
(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Julie Menin directing the 2020 census count for New York City, which was made more difficult because
of the pandemic.
Julie Menin is also well known in Lower Manhattan. She once lived in the Financial District and owned a large restaurant and catering business that was just a few blocks from Ground Zero. Following the attack, she started a non-profit called Wall Street Rising to help small businesses get on their feet again.

She was chairperson of Community Board 1 between 2005 and 2012. On May 25, 2010, she presided over CB1's discussion and vote in favor of a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero. During that meeting there were NYPD officers in the room because of threats of violence from outside agitators.

Eventually Menin moved to the Upper East Side. For several years she served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs and subsequently as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Most recently, she was Director of the Census for New York City.
Menin's role in City Council draws on her Consumer Affairs experience. She has been named the chair of the Small Business Committee. She said that she is "ecstatic" about this. "I ran for City Council on a platform to help support our struggling small businesses with a detailed plan of action," she said. It will include "reducing onerous fines, implementing legacy small business legislation, reducing the commercial rent tax and creating a one-stop portal for licenses and permits." She noted that there are more than 200,000 small businesses in the city and hundreds of thousands of workers who depend on them for their livelihood.
Christopher Marte, the newly elected Council Member for District 1, replaces Margaret Chin, who served three terms and who was term limited. The district includes widely disparate neighborhoods as measured by income, housing stock and ethnicity.

Marte first ran for City Council in 2017 and narrowly lost to Chin. When he ran again in a crowded field in 2021, he was the clear winner.

Most of the time, Chin sided with real estate interests in District 1. She was crucial, for instance, to The Howard Hughes Corporation's gaining increasing control over ever larger parts of the South Street Seaport. Recently, she helped HHC to steer its plans for the one-acre lot at 250 Water Street through most of the necessary hurdles to upend previous zoning restrictions and to withstand community opposition to the project.

Marte, on the other hand, has sided with the parents whose children attend schools that abut what will be a multi-year construction project if HHC prevails. He has marched with the parents and their children when they staged protests and has added his name to the zoning challenge recently placed before the Department of Buildings by the Seaport Coalition to stop the proposed tower at 250 Water St. The challenge is based in part on the assertion that air rights from city-owned, de-mapped streets can't be used to justify the construction of a 26-story tower on a site that was zoned for a maximum of 12 stories. This and other "work arounds," the zoning challenge claims, "give away public assets and long-term control of public streets to a private developer, prioritizing company profits over rational planning principles."

Marte, like his colleagues Gale Brewer and Julie Menin, is serving on several City Council committees. In Marte's case they include committees devoted to aging, civil and human rights, education, parks and recreation, and resiliency and waterfronts. He is also serving on a subcommittee that will consider issues related to senior centers and to food insecurity.

New York City has a rapidly growing senior population. In addressing the problems faced by the elderly, Marte will be taking up where Margaret Chin left off. Chin chaired City Council's Committee on Aging and devoted much time and thought to finding ways, large and small, to make it easier to be old in New York City. The newly appointed chair of the Aging Committee, Crystal Hudson from the 35th District in Brooklyn, has said "Older adults are at the mercy of deeply deficient systems — from housing to long-term care to food insecurity to nursing home care. I will fight to ensure that older adults are finally prioritized at all levels of city government."

Although Marte is a newcomer to City Council and at 32 years old is relatively young, he has already been recognized by his colleagues for his leadership. Along with Council Member Erik Bottcher of Council District 3, Marte has just been elected as co-chair of City Council's Manhattan delegation. At a Community Board 1 full board meeting on Jan. 25, 2022, former City Council member and newly elected Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said of Marte "He's probably too modest to brag but it's really a big deal — he actually won an election among the Manhattan Council members to serve as co-chair." This "wasn't just an appointment," Levine continued. "It's really great for Downtown and one more reason why I'm looking forward to working with Chris on behalf of Manhattan."

— Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Christopher Marte addressing Community Board 1’s full board meeting on Sept. 26, 2017. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Bits & Bytes
SHELDON SILVER DEAD AT 77; INSURERS MUST COVER AT-HOME
COVID-19 TESTS; SATURDAYS ARE 'DOG DAYS' ON GOVERNORS ISLAND
At a press conference on April 11, 2010, Sheldon Silver, then the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, was flanked by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York State Governor David Paterson. Silver addressed the press conference announcing the transfer of Governors Island to the city. Governors Island is in Assembly District 1, which was Speaker Silver's Assembly District. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2010)
"Sheldon Silver, a New York Power Broker Convicted of Corruption, Dies at 77," New York Times, 1/24/2022. "Sheldon Silver, the once-indomitable leader of the New York State Assembly whose career and reputation were undone by a 2015 corruption conviction, died on Monday," The New York Times reported. "He was 77. Mr. Silver had been incarcerated at Devens Federal Medical Center in Ayer, Mass., according to Judith Rapfogel, his former chief of staff. Kristie Breshears, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Prisons, said in a statement that Mr. Silver had died at the nearby Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The cause of death was not immediately clear, but Mr. Silver had a history of cancer and chronic kidney disease, according to statements made by his lawyers in 2020." For the complete article, click here.

"Insurers Will Have to Cover 8 At-Home Virus Tests Per Month," New York Times, 1/10/2022. "Private insurers will soon have to cover the cost of eight at-home coronavirus tests per member per month" says The New York Times. "People will be able to get the tests at their health plan’s 'preferred' pharmacies and other retailers with no out-of-pocket costs, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. They can also buy the tests elsewhere and file claims for reimbursement, just as they often do for medical care...Roughly 150 million Americans, or about 45 percent of the population, are privately insured, mostly through their employers. Each enrolled dependent of the primary insurance holder counts as a member. At out-of-network facilities, insurers’ responsibility would be capped at $12 per test, meaning people could be responsible for any additional costs. But if a health plan does not establish a network of 'preferred' retailers where patients can get tests covered upfront, it will be responsible for whatever claims its patients submit for their eight monthly rapid tests, with no limit on the price." For the complete article, click here.

"At Té Company, the Persimmons Are Hung Up to Dry," GrubStreet.com, 1/14/2022. "In the time of COVID, one man’s empty dining room is another’s hoshigaki parlor," says GrubStreet.com. "At least that’s what visitors to the West Village tearoom Té Company might have surmised when they stopped in for a takeout order in December only to look up and see the ceiling hung with neat rows of slowly drying hachiya persimmons, each acorn-shaped fruit attached to a beam with a length of red-and-white butcher twine knotted around a screw embedded in its top. Frederico Ribeiro, the chef who owns Té with his wife, the Taiwanese-tea maven Elena Liao, first encountered the traditional preservation technique as a sous-chef at Per Se, where the seasonal fruit was aged in dry storage and sometimes served on the cheese plate, and he began experimenting with it himself at Té. But it wasn’t until the pandemic caused the snug shop to suspend table service that Ribeiro ramped up production from what had started out as a few recreational hachiyas behind the counter to this year’s room-dwarfing crop of 200." For the complete article, click here.

"Dogs will be allowed on Governors Island for the first time ever," TimeOut NY, 1/19/2022. "For the first time, Governors Island will allow dogs to take the ferry over and explore its 172 acres on 'Dog Days,' Saturdays, from 7am to 3pm," TimeOut NY reported. "Their humans are welcome to enjoy the whole crowd-free island, while off-leash dogs can enjoy a centrally located off-leash island dog park (behind Liggett Terrace) every Saturday to coincide with 'Dog Days.'" Dog Days started on Jan. 22 and will last through April. For the complete article, click here.

"PS 260 Moves Downtown With 8K-SF Lease at 30 Broad Street," Commercial Observer, 1/19/2022. "Media production company PS 260 will move from Midtown South to Downtown Manhattan as the group signed a 7,615-square-foot lease at 30 Broad Street," Commercial Observer reports, citing tenant broker Avison Young. Avison Young’s Peter Gross represented the tenant in negotiations while Newmark‘s Daniel Appel and Andrew Peretz represented the landlord, 30 Broad Street Venture, in the 10-year lease. With offices in Boston and Los Angeles, PS 260 will relocate from 260 Fifth Avenue where it has been maxing out on much-needed workspace, according to the firms." Gross explained that “The firm was drawn to the building’s prime downtown location and private outdoor space offered via the two large terraces that accompanied their new space.” PS 260 specializes in producing creative content, development, production, editorial, post-production, visual effects and graphic solutions." For the complete article, click here.

Gifts from Té Company

include
tea, cookies, tea pots and tea brewing sets
plus special snacks for the Lunar New Year

The tea room is open for takeout from Friday to Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
163 West 10th St.

To order from Té Company by mail, click here.
For more information about Té Company, e-mail: hello@tecompanytea.com

Bulletin Board
ICE SCULPTURE ON GOVERNORS ISLAND; COVID-19 TESTING SCAMS;
BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION
On Feb. 21, 2013, Shintaro Okamoto, owner of the Okamoto Ice Sculpture Studio, stood among some finished ice sculptures on the plaza next to the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City. This year, the Trust for Governors Island and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council are sponsoring the Inaugural Governors Island Winter Ice Sculpture Show during which artists selected to participate will have two hours to create ice sculptures with the help of professional ice carvers from the Okamoto Studio. The event will take place on Feb. 26, 2022. For more information, see below. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Ice Sculpture Show on Governors Island: The Trust for Governors Island and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) are staging an ice sculpture show on Governors Island. Artists of all backgrounds and disciplines are invited to submit an idea for an ice sculpture, to be completed during a two-hour public event on Feb. 26, 2022. Selected artists or teams will receive an award of $2,000 to participate and will be provided with tools and production materials. Professional ice carvers from Okamoto Studio will provide technical guidance. The deadline to submit proposals is Wednesday, Feb. 9. Ten projects will be selected by a jury, with the winners announced on Friday, Feb. 18. On the day of the event, the artists and artist teams will receive some "additional fun prizes" awarded with audience participation. The sculptures will remain on view on Governors Island until they melt. For more information about the ice sculpture show and how to apply, click here.

Warnings re free Covid-19 testing scams: The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is warning the public about scammers taking advantage of the free COVID-19 test government program to steal personal information for unscrupulous purposes. A press release from the DCP states that "Due to the high demand, scammers may start using techniques that typically arise with a free government event such as: falsely claiming to be online providers of the tests; sending fake emails and texts that contain harmful links designed to steal your personal information; and using robocalls to pitch testing information....Consumers should be aware that the ONLY website for the free at-home test kits is https://www.covidtests.gov/." This link will direct you to a United States Postal Service page to complete the free at-home test kit request form. The form only asks for your name and address. It does not require you to enter a Social Security number, credit card number, health insurance number or any other personally identifiable information. The service is free. Every home in the United States is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. Tests will typically ship within 7 to 12 days of ordering.

Annual Art Exhibition: The opening reception for the Battery Park City Authority's annual art exhibition of work created in BPCA classes will take place on Jan. 30 at 6 River Terrace between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Meet the artists and the artist/educators who lead the programs. All are welcome. The art will be on view Mondays and Tuesdays from Jan. 31 to Feb. 29 between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (But not on Feb. 21.) Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required to attend. Masks must be work at all times in 6 River Terrace. No food or drinks.

Travel with the Museum of Jewish Heritage: The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City is offering six live-streamed walking tours of cities that currently have or have had significant Jewish communities. The tours, all of them led by knowledgeable guides, include Marrakesh, Paris, Venice, Seville, Istanbul, and Krakow. Each tour will be a one-time event and will not be available for subsequent playback. The first tour was of Marrakesh and took place on Jan. 19. The next tour will be of Paris on Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. Cost: $18 for museum members; $36 for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Lower Manhattan Jump Start program: The Alliance for Downtown New York in partnership with the consultancy Streetsense has created a free program to help new retailers and restaurants get started in Lower Manhattan. Businesses accepted into the program will receive four interactive sessions with Streetsense tailored to the needs of each business but broadly dealing with physical operations, digital marketing, public relations and e-commerce. The package of consultancy services has an estimated value of $10,000 per award. To be eligible for the program a business must have a signed lease or letter of intent dated on or after July 1, 2021 for a storefront commercial lease in Lower Manhattan. The lease must be for at least one year. The location can't be open at the time of application and must be an independent business with no more than five locations in New York City, including the new one. For more information about the program and to apply, click here.

Governors Island ferry access: Access to Governors Island is by ferry, with timed ticket reservations required. Ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. in Lower Manhattan. The ferries are always free for kids 12 and under, for seniors 65 and up, for residents of NYCHA housing, for military servicemembers, Governors Island members, and for everyone on weekends before noon. Starting later this year, NYC Ferry will serve Governors Island daily via the South Brooklyn route. A launch date for this expanded service will be announced soon. NYC Ferry's shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 to Yankee Pier on Governors Island will continue on weekends until the launch of 7-day/week service along the South Brooklyn route. NYC Ferry riders on any line that makes stops at Wall Street/Pier 11 may transfer to a shuttle service to Governors Island on Saturdays and Sundays. Governors Island weekend ferry service from Brooklyn (Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook) is currently not in service and will return in Spring, 2022. The first ferry to Governors Island from 10 South St. leaves at 7 a.m. The last ferry from Governors Island leaves at 6 p.m. Learn more about Governors Island ferries and book tickets by clicking here.

Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets: There are Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets in Tribeca (at Chambers and Greenwich Streets) and at Bowling Green, City Hall, the Oculus and the Staten Island ferry. GrowNYC asks that shoppers wear a face covering inside the market space and maintain a six-foot distance between themselves, Greenmarket staff, farm stand employees and other customers. Dogs and bicycles should be left at home.

Click here for a list of the fruits and vegetables now in season.
Many of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are now on the Downtown Post NYC website. To see the bulletin board listings, click here.
To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's falllendar, click here. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required.
CALENDAR
Spotlight: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis
New York City Opera and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene present "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City.
(Photo: Sarah Shatz)
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at the Museum of Jewish Heritage

"The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" started out as a book by Giorgio Bassani, published in 1962. Then it became an Academy Award-winning movie directed by Vittorio de Sica, released in 1970. Now it is about to make its debut as an opera at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City.

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and New York City Opera are presenting the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's version of the story of an aristocratic Italian-Jewish family — the Finzi-Continis — who believe that they will not be affected by fascism, anti-Semitism and the repercussions of Italy's alliance with Germany. Sadly they discover that they are wrong.

The opera will be performed eight times between Jan. 27 and Feb. 6. Tickets range in price between $50 and $125. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here or call (855) 449-4658.

Proof of Covid-19 vaccination will be required to enter the theater.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer


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