Results tagged “westchelsea”

The Daily News suggests that when it comes to drugs, drunks, and overall debauchery, it's all happening in the Meatpacking District. With the NYPD's crackdown of West Chelsea ever since notable, violent crimes, apparently the action has moved south. From the News: "One reporter was solicited by three dealers within two hours on a Saturday night. Reporters watched a pair of twentysomething club girls vomit in tandem; a man urinate as he weaved along Washington St.; another man so blitzed he appeared paralyzed on W. 13th St." One resident complained, "It's gotten cool, and not in a good way." (Of course, the decline of MePa has been going on for years now.) Still, it doesn't mean Club Land is totally rehabilitated.

The woes of the downtown club scene continue to follow, even as the clubs themselves migrate eastward. Last night a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death outside of the Flatiron District club Strata. The man was stabbed in the torso and taken to St. Vincent's Hospital where he died from his injuries. Strata is a multi-level dance club at Broadway and 21st St. The name of the victim was not disclosed to reporters because his family had not been notified of his death. Police took one person into custody for questioning, although it was unclear whether the individual was a witness to the stabbing or a suspect.

Are Robert DeNiro and David Bowie battling it out in a sort of festival turf war? Though both turned up at the Vanity Fair party thrown in honor of New York's Tribeca Film Festival - it seems there's some animosity in the air...or at least in the press. Bowie's High Line Festival begins on May 9th, just three days after DeNiro's Tribeca Film Festival ends. NY Mag describes the difference between the two:

In February, the State Liquor Authority suspended the liquor license for Scores West, the West Chelsea exotic club where some employees were arrested for prostitution. Now, in the latest chapter of Scores West vs. the law enforcement, the Post reports that the manager for Scores West was "roughed up by lawmen" and is now in the hospital!

When I think of the word clown, I think of Krusty, not a small theater in West Chelsea, but that's exactly where one of the premiere clowns of our time, Eric Davis , works as a teacher at The PIT . Davis, who was recently hired by Cirque Du Soleil, discussed what clowning means to him, how he became the clown he is today, and what he expects of clowning in the future.

After last month's prostitution arrests at Scores West, the State Liquor Authority has suspended the strip club's liquor license. The SLA said that the West Chelsea "posed an immediate and imminent threat to the public." Now, while Scores West will still be able to operate, they won't be able to tempt their customers with drinks, which may very well impact the bottom bikini-wax line as it were. But there is always the original Scores location on the East Side!

It seems that Valle's girlfriend's niece Tiffany Turner got into an argument with the BED coat check girl around 4AM on Saturday morning. The Daily News reports that the 20 year old Turner was getting her coat when BED manager Granville Adams "made a gesture toward her."

The coat-check woman, who apparently is dating Adams, noticed and started screaming at Turner.

Continue reading "Trouble in Clubland: Man Killed At Chelsea's BED"

many things. While four strippers and two Scores managers say they are innocent, the police say otherwise.

There's always some sort of trouble in West Chelsea. Last night, two off-duty police officers were assaulted by a group around 4AM. Officers Richard Lomax and Robert DeFazio, friends who both graduated from the Police Academy last year, were in a Ford Explorer that apparently slid on ice at West 28th Street and 10th Avenue. They rear-ended a Nissan Maxima, whose driver and passengers were not happy: Lomax, who was driving, and DeFazio got out of the car, and the Maxima's passengers attacked them as Lomax was dialing 911.

After the police shut down West Chelsea nightclubs Crobar and Sol last week, the two clubs have reopened after court hearings.

Oh, to be a child again! The NY Times has a story about the city's efforts to develop a new playground concept for lower Manhattan. The city has been working with designer David Rockwell on a playground that would include things like foam blocks, water, cardboard tubes, burlap bags, ramps, climbing nets and even "play workers" to help kids, uh, play.

Developers of the Lower Manhattan project envision groups of children collaborating, for instance, loading containers with sand, hoisting them up with pulleys and then lowering them down to wagons waiting to be wheeled off to another part of the park.

Continue reading "Innovative Playground Ideas for NYC "

It's another round in the city vs. nightlife: Police shut down West Chelsea nightclubs Crobar and Sol last night. The Post says that police "cited nine instances of violence," drug arrests, and serving alcohol to minors. Yeah, that happens when people are shot in the leg.

They say New York is home to a million stories, and so far this year, we've published 7021 of them here on Gothamist. So in case you missed any of those, let's take a little stroll back in time, and review the most significant stories the past 12 months, shall we? Here's part one of a semi-chronological look at 2006; part two will go up tomorrow:

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn may propose "hefty fines and possible jail time" for those who use fake IDS, according to the NY Post. The City Council has made nightlife safety an issue after many nightlife incidents, most notably the case of 18 year old NJ resident Jennifer Moore being kidnapped, raped and murdered after a night of drinking in West Chelsea.

Continue reading "City Wants to Crack Down on Fake IDs"

West Chelsea can do no right, as now Miss USA Tara Conner is getting raked over the coals over her partying. Yesterday, TMZ reported pageant officials and NBC met to discuss Conner's status as Miss USA, given "alleged incidents of her inappropriate behavior, including her conduct at New York City bars." And by inappropriate, they mean underaging drinking at clubs downtown, alleged substance abuse, and missing Miss USA appearances, as Conner is only 20 years old. While Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageants (the winners of Miss USA, as well as Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe, live at Trump Place on the Upper West Side), said that officials were evaluating Conner's situation as she's "going through some personal problems and difficulties right now which could affect her ability to reign," she's still Miss USA.

Yikes! Two women got into a fight at a Midtown nightclub and one took her stiletto heel and hit the other woman on the head with it. Stiletto heels are total weapons, so it's not surprising that Jessica Miller was charged with felony assault; the Post says the maximum term is 25 years. The incident occured at Corner 51 and the victim, Vicki Herrera, needed two staples for her shoe-related wounds.

The General Theological Seminary takes up an entire block of West Chelsea between 9th and 10th Avenue. The seminary is the oldest Episcopalian seminary in the country-- it was founded in 1817! We've been peering through the bars for years on the way up to the galleries in Chelsea, and now, courtesy of Open House New York and our pal What I See, we finally get to take a peek inside. Check out his outdoor shots, as well as some interior pictures. And if you are interested in beautiful NYC seminaries, you should also check out the cloisters at Union Theological Seminary up in Morningside Heights.

One for the "The NYPD must have a ticket quota to fulfill" file: The Daily News highlights a middle-aged woman who was given a summons for being at the Rivington Street playground without a child. Now, most people are generally familiar with the Parks Department rule that prohibits adults from entering playgrounds without a child, if only by reading signs or the accusing sneers from parents, but in this case, belly dancer Sandra Catena didn't notice a sign and sought out a bench to sit on. Then two police officers approached her, telling her she was breaking the law because she was not accompanied by a child. They even called backup on her! Though one cop told her the judge would probably throw out the summons, Catena did them one better by going to the Daily News.

The NY Times on the announcement and Curbed with the LMDC press release. Learn more about Gehry from this Guggenheim show. And Chicago has lots of Gehry in the heart of the city, with Millennium Park; Chicaogist on Frank Gehry

, a group show curated by playful accessory company Fred Flare.

Curbed on Chelsea and the Meatpacking District and more on the gentrification of West Chelsea, just north of the Meatpacking District, or how an airlines' "cool" lower-cost business wanted to sponsor the Meatpacking District.

The Hudson Guild's mission: "To create and sustain a strong, effective community that acknowledges and responds to the potential, achievements and interdependence of its diverse members. Rooted in and primarily focused on the Chelsea neighborhood, we seek to empower all individuals and families to achieve their highest potential, while maintaining a priority focus on those in economic need."

Plus, take a look at our new Events page which can help you plan at least four possible options for the first part of the evening and at least five more for the later half; thanks to editor Mindy and editorial assistant Willa Paskin for a great first week.

Pulling himself away from becoming a referee for NY's Funniest Home Videos, Choire Sicha gives a thorough look at the changing face of the West Chelsea in the Observer, as the High Line, the 1.5 mile elevated track that runs from Gansevoort to 34th Street along 10th Avenue, looks like it will be preserved as a park. The continuing the gentrification of the formerly gritty neighborhood into "A DESTINATION" is bolstered by the future Frank Gehry designed headquarters for Barry Diller. Gehry and Diller's outsize personality prompt Choire to suggest we run to our bookies and Gothamist will put our money on Barry - he's way more scary.

Robert DeNiro's future TriBeCa hotel will open in 2005. The six-story luxury hotel, at Greenwich and North Moore, is partially funded by the state's Liberty Bonds, which also funded Barry Diller's West Chelsea headquarters. The design was approved by the Landmarks Commission, but as if there was any doubt - it looks like everything else in that neighborhood. Ten, fifteen years ago, this would have been more exciting, but now it seems to be average in that typical upscale/downtown/new development way. Yes, it's supposed to fit in...but it could still have a little more oomph. Gothamist does like what we're hearing about the working wooden shutters and wraparound steel canopy but we can't help hoping David Rockwell is saving the magic for the interiors.

It turns out that Barry Diller's new $138 million West Chelsea headquarters will be partly funded by the city's Liberty Bonds, which were created to help the city recover from September 11. Diller's InterActiveCorp won approval for $80 million of bonds, aided by promises of job generation. The 30 year-bonds have lower interest rates than banks, saving millions in interest payments and other taxes. This does not surprise us, as, of course, the man behind the Movie of the Week would be smart enough to save some money on his new headquarters.