The people have voted: “Bring quality music to the Conrad Hotel”

The results of our survey are in. Ideally, if the business model made sense, our viewers liked the idea of a high-quality jazz and performing arts venue to go into one of the remaining retail spots of the Conrad Hotel, owned by Goldman Sachs.

Multiple answers per rater are allowed, so the total exceeds 100%. “Joe’s Pub” and “Lincoln Center Jazz” are similar options.

Some “other” suggestions included a children’s retail shop, an Indian restaurant, and a strip club.

We will leave the survey active and see how it changes over time. Although, the results will be very unscientific.

Click here to take the survey

Wall and Water

You can now rate this restaurant by clicking here, and post your comments in the section below.

75 Wall Street in the Andaz hotel

212 699 1700

Too many Fuddy-duddies stifle entertainment Downtown

December 9, 2011

The Financial District, Tribeca, and Battery Park City have few places for the citizens to enjoy good music, drinks, and New York class society. The main problem is that the local press consists of Fuddy-duddy people who have zero interest in promoting this culture. As Mayor Bloomberg progressively required earlier and earlier closing times as a condition for liquor license renewals, this all went unreported for the most part.

An example of this pro-boring reporting was in a local throw-away today. The W New York Downtown and their Living Room bar attempted to throw a Rock and Roll style party with art. The paper focused on the noise and nuisance to the city, see below. The W Hotel is a few feet from the massive noise of the World Trade Center construction site and anyone living nearby should be quite accustomed to noise.

The Battery Park Broadsheet article read, “W New York — Downtown, the hotel located at the intersection of Washington and Albany Streets, made W history with its first-ever rock concert on Wednesday evening, but raised more than a few hackles among local residents kept awake by noise levels during sound testing on Tuesday and the concert on Wednesday. The event — which celebrated ROCKED, a photo exhibit of cutting-edge musical talent featured in W Hotel concerts — took place in a temporary, plastic tent behind the hotel without more than a few hours advance notification….Lucas Visser, a resident on West Street, said that the W hotel alerted his building manager at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the concert. “During the day on the 6th and 7th they were blasting music so loud that my windows were shaking badly. It was loud enough that talking on the phone was near impossible. The actual event began last night at 6:00 pm and lasted until midnight, and again the windows were shaking. My children were up later than usual, though amazingly they were able to get to sleep. My wife and I weren’t as fortunate,” wrote Mr. Visser in an e-mail…..Noise concerns were not as important as the lack of advance notification for Esther Regelson, a 26-year resident of Washington Street. “That space behind the W Hotel was supposed to be public space, and that space lay fallow until suddenly they have a party to pat themselves on the back. It seemed outrageous! They should be having a party for the neighborhood. It just smacks of being a bad neighbor,” she said.”

W Hotel Living Room

W New York Downtown

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123 Washington Street

New York, NY 10006

Marriott New York Downtown

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85 West Street

Manhattan, NY 10006

Conrad New York hotel

Opens February 2012

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102 North End Avenue,

New York, NY, 10282, USA

1-212-945-0100

World Center Hotel

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144 Washington Street

New York, NY 10006-1033

The Greenwich Hotel

Produced and Directed by Steven Greer

The newest hotel near Battery Park City is also one of the best in the city: The Greenwich Hotel. Newly constructed less than two years ago, one would never guess that it is a new building. The architects went to great lengths to give the exterior the look of a hundred-year old building. The interior is made of luxurious imported materials, such as antique wood beams from Japan that line the indoor poolroom.

The Greenwich Hotel is a boutique hotel near the best restaurants of Tribeca, such as Nobu, Tribeca Grill, and the new Italian restaurant in the hotel called Locanda Verde. It has all the amenities of the finest hotels, including one of the best indoor pools in the city, spa treatments, a bar, and a quiet courtyard. Unlike many New York City boutique hotels, the rooms of the Greenwich are not small and do not skimp on the furniture. Rates begin at $475 per night.

General Manager Philip Truelove, formerly of The Mercer Hotel, gave us a nice tour of the Greenwich. For more information, call (212) 941-8900. http://www.thegreenwichhotel.com/

A new view: the Deutsche Bank eyesore is gone

May 18, 2011

If you walk by the W hotel, you might notice something: you can see the new WTC looking northward. The dilapidated scandalous death trap of the old condemned Deutsche Bank building has finally been removed. Some have speculated that the building cost far more to demolish than it did to build, adjusting for inflation, not to mention the lives lost.

(Click photos to enlarge)

The new unobstructed view

The old building

Firefighters Robert Beddia, 53, of Engine Company 24, left, and Joseph Graffagnino, 33, of Ladder Company 5 are shown. The two firefighters were fatally injured Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007 while battling a seven-alarm high-rise fire at the former Deutsche Bank building (Firefighter Nation)

The Best of Battery Park City and Vicinity: 2009

BatteryPark.TV took a stab at listing some the best resources in Battery Park City (BPC) and the surrounding neighborhoods. Please post any comments you may have.

Best Park: Wagner Park

We could have chosen virtually any of the parks in Battery Park City or Battery Park. Tear Drop Park, for example, rivals Disney Land. We chose Wagner Park for its impressive horticulture displays and amazing views of the Hudson and Statue of Liberty. Also, on many occasions during a summer day, one can have the entire park to themselves. We have several videos of the park (Monarch butterflies, Fall flowers).

Best place to catch a shark: The esplanade

An angler on the esplanade caught a small sand shark recently. This little posting went viral as New York Magazine picked it up.

Best Monument: The Irish Hunger Memorial

Constructed shortly after “September 11”, The Irish Hunger Memorial is a meticulously recreated chunk of Ireland. BPCA Chairman James Gill gave us a tour.

Best Hotel: The Greenwich Hotel

An outstanding boutique, The Greenwich Hotel, quietly opened up in nearby Tribeca and took the gold medal. Keeping with Robert De Niro’s demand for excellence, this hotel nailed the details, from the imported Japanese wood in the pool area to the furniture in the rooms. The pool and the spa are probably the best in all of New York City. GM Philip Truelove gave us a tour.

The New York economy took its toll on the former best hotel in BPC (and best in the world according to Institutional Investor Magazine), the Ritz-Carlton. The corporate suits trimmed back on amenities like the 14^th floor roof bar. 2010 might be a comeback year for the Ritz.

Best Museum: The Fraunces Tavern

Downtown New York City is where the most important events of the Revolutionary War took place, and The Fraunces Tavern was a key location. George Washington and many others made it their “hang out” and held important meetings regarding the war. Anthony Wellman gave us a nice tour of the museum and restaurant.

The Skyscraper Museum is also an interesting way to spend a few hours. Take a look.

Best Restaurant Overall: Bouley Upstairs

Battery Park City has a great demand for quality restaurants. As the economy recovers and the new Goldman Sachs crowd comes to the area, hopefully more restaurants will open up actually within BPC, west of the highway.

For 2009, we selected Bouley Upstairs as the best overall restaurant in the area. Famed chef David Bouley opened “Upstairs” next to his larger, more formal, Bouley. “Upstairs” is a small cozy dining space with an open kitchen. Chef Leo Marino, a new addition to the team, will be a just few feet away from you if you have any special requests. The sushi/Japanese kitchen in the opposite corner is quite respectable as well.

Most types of cuisine can be ordered, ranging from French to American to Japanese. The menu is very reasonably priced with many entrees under $15. But make no mistake, the quality is the same as the full Bouley around the corner. That is the beauty of “Upstairs”.

At “Upstairs”, one can sit next to Meryl Streep, see the food prepared nearby, and have a complimentary chocolate truffle made across the street by the Bouley pastry chef, and all for under $30. The “secret” to the success of “Upstairs” is that David Bouley shows up to work six days a week and cares about quality.

Best Coffee: Kaffe 1668

There is a big demand for a coffee house with a full-time barista that would offer a variety of beans, ground on the spot, and brewed on a cup-by-cup basis. Battery Park City now has such a haven: Kaffe 1668.

Best fried Chicken: Tibecas Cornerstone

This quaint window for take out in high-rent Tribeca might be extinct soon, but take advantage while you ca. they make skinless dipped fried chicken and it is inexpensive. Click here for more details.

Best Italian: Locanda Verde

Opened recently in the building of The Greenwich Hotel, Locanda Verde covers the bases well. The social scene attracts the A-list and it is backed up by the food. Chef Andrew Carmellini has created some novel appetizers that will make you take notice, in addition to the main entrees. Locanda is another piece of the Robert De Niro collection of fine dining.

For a smaller dining room experience with less of a scene, try Il Giglio. It is essentially a clone of the more famous Il Mulino with the same absurdly-high-quality-ingredients.

Best Steak: You decide

The steakhouses in the area each offer a unique style and one cannot really pick a favorite. We toured Dylan Prime and Palm. Take a look for yourself. Il Giglio serves a great cut of beef as well.

Best Chinese: Mr. Chow’s

The next time you have a group of fashion models to party with, take them to Mr Chow’s new Tribeca location across from Bubby’s and down the street from The Greenwich Hotel. The menu offers smaller tapas-like selections conducive for groups. Nearer to BPC, Au Mandarin has the best hot-sour soup and General Tso’s chicken.

Best Working Man’s Deli: Cordato’s

For the average Joe who wants a good lunch for under $10, delivered fast with fresh French fries, we select Cordato’s as the best deli. The triple-decker sandwiches are excellent.

Best Upscale Deli: Samantha’s

For a more expensive sandwich or take-home meal, Samantha’s Italian deli is the place. At lunchtime, workers from the World Financial Centers line up ten to twenty deep. Have them place your Italian sub in the pizza oven to toast it up.

If you prefer a kosher deli, Izzy and Nats just opened up this year. They might give Samantha’s some competition for our 2010 list.

Best Bagel: You decide

Two restaurants in BPC make their own bagels on-location: Izzy and Nats and Pick-a-Bagel. You decide which is better.

Best Beer Delivery: NA

With the closing of JJ’s carry out on South End Avenue, there are no places that deliver beer, snacks, etc. to BPC for reasonable prices. The smart entrepreneur who meets this demand will make a killing. The space is open.

Best Grocery Store: Whole Foods

The opening of Whole Foods in Tribeca met a huge demand in the area. The meat and fish sections are exemplary, as is the coffee section (see Best Coffee mention above)

Best Outdoor Drinking: PJ Clarke’s

The view of the North Cove Marina and Hudson River from the outdoor dining area by PJ Clarke’s makes for the best summertime outdoor hangout. The service is not always the best, but you will not likely notice after a few pints.

Best cocktails: Ritz-Carlton

For well-prepared cocktails and martinis, try the Ritz-Carlton in BPC. Tell Manny that we sent you. Also, Vintry Wine and Whiskey is a new place that just opened over on Stone Street and makes some interesting whiskey-based cocktails.

Best Thunderstorm: July 26

The most impressive display of the year by Mother Nature was the tornado-spawning front that passed over New York Harbor on July 26. Take a look.

Now, for the not so desirable “Best” list.

Best disturber of the peace: Con Edison

This November, Con Edison decided to dig up West Thames Street, yet again, and jackhammer into the early morning. This outraged the neighborhood. See the video. The company who runs the New York Waterway ferries was a close second as Best Disturber of the Peace. The new ferry added in the early morning schedule was rattling windows in Gateway Plaza.

Best place to get injured or killed: The Albany Street crossing

The construction of the West Side Highway and closure of the pedestrian bridge has created a deadly risk for people trying to cross the street. One person has been killed and at least one other was severely injured. Manhattan Borough President Stringer discussed the matter with BP.TV.

Disclosure

There are no financial disclosures to report. All of the choices were made on merit alone and are not commercials. We tried to create video tours of as many selections as we could.

Why is the city shutting down at 2:00 AM?

October 18^th, 2009

This weekend, on a survey of more than five hotel bars, regular bars, and restaurant bars in Bowery, SOHO and Tribeca, all of the establishments shut down no later than 2:00 AM despite having plenty of customers. What is the explanation for this seemingly voluntary forfeiting of lucrative revenue?

The answer lies in a citywide effort to limit hours of operation of liquor-licensed establishments using Community Boards as the tool. This article written in 2008 explains it well.

2 a.m. Closing Time Becoming Norm for Manhattan Bars

http://gothamist.com/2008/04/17/2_am_closing_ti.php

When Hog Pit co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater on April 7th confirming the closure of her Meatpacking District BBQ joint, she insinuated that “the mayor and the State Liquor Authority are now only issuing Liquor Licenses until 2 a.m. It’s very sneaky, but in 5 years the 4 a.m. liquor license will be a thing of the past, without any community input.” Today the NY Sun backs Dell up, reporting that many Manhattan bar owners are finding it “nearly impossible to open new nightlife establishments that are permitted to serve alcohol until 4 a.m.”

While the New York State Liquor Authority can’t arbitrarily impose a specific closing time before 4 a.m., Community Boards have been demanding bar owners agree to curfews before they recommend approval to the SLA. The Sun looked at the most recent records available from Community Board 3, which covers the East Village and the Lower East Side, and found that not a single liquor license recommendation was granted to a bar that would close after 3 a.m. on weekends and 2 a.m. on weekdays.

And in Tribeca, Community Board 1 killed Matthew Piacentini’s plans to open a lounge in a commercial building on Hudson Street by telling him he’d have to close at midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. The early closing times are a big problem for bar owners; a recent survey found that 58% of their revenues are earned between those magical hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. These are also the hours when some of us lose 58% of our dignity, so maybe it’s all for the best?

Harbor Week on the Hudson