Seasonal flu vaccination program

October 21

Councilmember Alan Gerson is sponsoring regional seasonal flue shots to be administered. These are NOT the swine flue, or H1N1, shots.

To learn more, view the video and also call Alan Gerson’s office at (212) 788-7722

The number of people living in poverty soar

October 20, 2009

A new report out indicates that the real number of people living in poverty is far great than the government estimates. Covering the story, ABC Nightly News featured a Los Angeles shelter becoming overwhelmed with homeless.

See our previous stories about the New York City Rescue Mission and the growing homeless problem in NYC.

The USS New York leaving port

The USS New York is the fifth ship in the LPD 17 San Antonio class of amphibious transport dock ships.

The USS NEW YORK (LPD 21), built with 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center in her bow, was commissioned in New York City on Nov. 7, 2009.

(source USS NY web site http://www.ussny.org/)

Sunset

Good news for the NYC economy soon?

October 14

It is being reported that Wall Street is expected to pay out the largest total in salaries ever: more than $140 Billion. This will, of course, directly impact the struggling NYC economy.

The commercial real estate bubble

October 6

The other shoe to drop for New York City will be the massive rate of defaults on commercial real estate loans. Up to a trillion dollars in loans could go unpaid within the next year or two. Will lenders renegotiate or will they evict all of the businesses in those buildings causing an even great unemployment problem and tax revenue shortage?

More evidence of a commercial real estate shoe yet to drop

October 13

The WSJ has an interesting article about how hotels were caught at the worst time taking out large loans to renovate right before the economic collapse of lat 2007 through 2009. They focus on the Hawaiian hotel market as an example, but the data are relevant to New York City.

The growing homeless problem in BPC

October 15th

For the first time this decade, multiple homeless individuals are making the parks in Battery Park City their preferred location during the day. In particular, Wagner Park in front of the Jewish Heritage Museum is a popular spot.

James VarnHagen of the New York City Rescue Mission explains the reasons for this growing homeless problem. A key homeless shelter near BPC, the John Hughes shelter, did not receive a city grant and had to shut down causing many of the people that used to rely on it to spill into the park system. In addition, the budgetary problems of the city and increased unemployment have caused a 20% increase in homeless as the city shelters become overburdened.

To learn more and how to help, you may view the video now.

Surfs up! A very windy day

Gusts of over 50 mph on October 7th

More trouble in the high-end restaurant business

October 7, 2009

The Tribeca Trib is reporting that famed chef David Bouley has not paid rent on one of his buildings that was supposed to be a restaurant but was cancelled due to the NYC depression. In addition, one his other restaurants around the corner, Secession, has been gone out of business.

Art on the walls of closed retail shops

October 12, 2009

The NY Times has a story about how so many ground level retail stores are empty in NYC that the landlords have turned to painting art on the walls to downplay the depressing sights.

Meeting to go over Plan B options for Tire Swing Park