Results tagged “seaport”

Over the years more and more outdoor venues have sprung up out of the lush park land and the not-so-lush concrete spaces of New York. From Central Park Summerstage to the Seaport to McCarren Pool (RIP), there's no shortage of outdoor music venues during the summer months. But now the NY Post is pitting them against each other! They say that while Summerstage used to be "a magnet for denizens of the five boroughs, as well as hordes of tourists," its reign may be challenged as people are beginning to voice complaints of it "being too hot, too crowded, too greedy."

This past Sunday night some of the city's most talented, young and old, stood under the roof of Radio City Music Hall for the Dark Was the Night show. The evening was in celebration of the recent release of the same name, put together by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National for the Red Hot organization. The night started off with a bang as the Dirty Projectors performed their epic song "Useful Chamber" off their upcoming Bitte Orca release (which will undoubtedly make it to everyone's "Best of" lists year/decade/century/in perpetuity). The night continued with multiple appearances by David Byrne, and sets by the National, Bon Iver, Feist and former-Rikers Island corrections officer turned soul singer Sharon Jones. Stereogum has the full rundown, with setlists, a photo gallery and video.—Jen Carlson

When the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing Monday night to consider an ambitious proposal to raze the Pier 17 mall at the South Street Seaport to make room for boutiques, a hotel and a 42-story condo, there was fierce objection from the Municipal Arts Society, who opposed not just the "out of scale" tower but plans to relocate a 1903 landmark building from its current location in the shadow of the FDR to the pier's edge. Formerly part of the Fulton Fish Market, it's called the Tin Building, and NY1 reports that many people don't even know about it because of its lousy location and also because it was gutted by a fire in 1995. The developer sees moving it as an opportunity to restore and rebuild it with "authentic materials," but MAS says relocating it would "set a troublesome precedent...The Tin Building is important because it's really the only historic building on the water side of the FDR Drive."

Never mind that mall owner General Growth Properties—the current leaseholder of the South Street Seaport, as well other retail outlets nationwide—has been scrambling recently to refinance massive debt by selling off $2 billion in rapidly devaluing stock. The company is still pushing forward with an ambitious plan (rendered above) to turn the underwhelming Seaport tourist trap into a more vibrant destination, by razing the existing Pier 17 mall, relocating the landmark Tin Building, and throwing up a 42-story waterfront condo/hotel tower, as well as a wood-based boutique hotel and two-story retail structures designed by SHoP Architects.

Let’s not let the bitter turf war between the Fancy Food Show and the Unfancy Food Show eclipse the other fine food event going down this weekend. Sunday marks the third seasonal New Amsterdam Public market – the winter version was a big hit last December, drawing thousands despite a huge snowstorm. The one day-only event draws fine artisanal food vendors to the plaza fronting the New Market Building down by the South Street Seaport.