Results tagged “over”

When Red Hook residents were fighting to stop IKEA from opening up in their neighborhood, one of the deal-sweeteners offered by the Swedish retailer was a promise that locals (and all New Yorkers) would be able to take advantage of free Water Taxi service back and forth to Manhattan, even if they never spent a dime in the store. Well, it's been just over a year since the grand opening, and already the bait has been switched. The Brooklyn Paper reports that on weekdays the Water Taxi will start charging riders $5 each way, unless they spend $10 in IKEA. Manager Mike Baker says, "We have implemented this policy because our customers are using the Water Taxi service, but the cost is such that we cannot continue subsidizing it during the week as a commuter service for those who are not IKEA customers." Compare that with last summer, when an IKEA rep said, "We support mass transit, and if people are using our services and not going to IKEA, that's fine with us as well." Now they tell us the Water Taxi service will still be free on the weekends, but how can anyone ever trust Sweden again?

       

[UPDATE BELOW] Well, that was short and sweet, and everybody gets out of here in time for lunch! Except for the protesters, who were promptly arrested in an efficient, well-organized raid. Because the students had been threatening to "shut down" the New School since April 1st, the fuzz had plenty of time to prepare, and Bob Kerrey wasn't about to let this thing turn into a prolonged media circus like the last one.

The third and final day of Summer Streets was Saturday, and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan tells the Times, “I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. When I was along the route, most people I talked to wanted it done every weekend in the summer.” But as previously noted, some retailers complained about losing business during the five hours that streets were closed to motor vehicles – particularly "destination" shops like T. Anthony Ltd., a luxury luggage store on Park Avenue. Owner Jack Weiss theorizes that, “If someone is coming to buy luggage, they’re generally going to bring a car.”

                      

Well, that's that. McCarren Pool – the giant Robert Moses-era landmark that's been revived as a music, theater, dance and film venue after decades of neglect – hosted its last free 'pool party' yesterday. The Bloomberg administration has allocated $50 million to renovate the pool for swimming, restore the historic bathhouse building, and build a year-round recreation center that is to include a skate park and an ice rink.