“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."

Raju Mann

President & CEO
  • 12/15
  • Art & Culture
  • BPC People
  • Community

NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2017

STATEMENT OF BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY ACTING PRESIDENT & COO B.J. JONES ON
DEDICATION OF KEONIG SPHERE
 

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey formally dedicated the iconic Koenig Sphere in a Liberty Park ceremony on November 29. The sphere, which stood in the center of the Austin J. Tobin Plaza prior to 9/11 and was recovered from the rubble after the attacks, was on display in Battery Park since 2002. It was returned in mid-August and has been visible to the public at its permanent home since September 2017.

“Though faced with unimaginable adversity on September 11th, 2001, each passing year gives us new opportunities to recover, rebuild, and honor those we lost.

“Now in this time and place, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial, the Koenig Sphere has at long last come to its rightful destination.

“Battered and beaten but structurally sound, may it forever stand as testament to our unyielding resilience and serve as a beacon of peace.

“Welcome home.”

[NOTE: This meeting has been rescheduled to January 22, 2018.]

Congressional Town Meeting in conjunction with
Borough of Manhattan Community College

Monday, December 18th, 6pm-8pm
199 Chambers Street

(located between Greenwich & West Streets on the BMCC campus)

At the town hall, which will take place at BMCC, the Congressman will provide updates on the latest news from Washington, DC and will answer any questions that folks might have for him. We’re encouraging folks to come early to the event, as admission will be on a first come first serve basis. Please RSVP to help us determine crowd size.
For more information click here.

BPC PEOPLE
Argenys Morban:

Finance part-time employee and former BPCA intern

Favorite BPC spot:
Wagner Park

 

A force on the field and in the board room, Bronx native Argenys Morban attended the Birch Wathen Lenox School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where he starred as a three-sport athlete. He was an MVP pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team, a coaches’ awardee in basketball, and rookie award winner in soccer. Argenys’ athletic talents were in such high demand that Princeton University took notice and wanted to recruit him to play baseball for the Tigers.

Argenys eventually decided upon Pace University, where he is currently a junior studying economics with minors in computer science and statistics. As a freshman, one of his professors told him about the Federal Reserve team at the school, and how Argenys would be a perfect candidate to join. Argenys joined the team his sophomore year as a research analyst and worked his way up to presenter his junior year.

Last week, Argenys and six of his teammates from Pace University took first place the National College Federal Reserve Challenge in Washington, D.C. competing in the Liberty Street division his team beat out those from Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell universities, among nearly 100 others. The experience was an invaluable one for Argenys and his teammates, and culminated in a meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen herself.

When Argenys isn’t competing in his school team, he is working as the COO of a non-profit organization called Special Ops NYC, which was founded in the summer of 2016. Special Ops NYC’s mission is to provide food and clothing for the homeless, and the organization delivered more than 200 Thanksgiving care packages as part of its first annual food drive this past November.

In his spare time Argenys enjoys playing the guitar – Slash from Guns ‘N Roses was an early inspiration – piano, and drums, creative writing, exercising, reading books, and fishing. He is enjoying his time working at BPCA and learning all he can for a bright future in either real estate or economics research.

Tushain Newman:

Administration part-time employee and former BPCA intern

Favorite BPC spot:
South Cove

 

Like Alexander Hamilton more than two centuries earlier, Tushain Newman followed a path from the West Indies to the nation’s financial capital here in New York City. Born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Tushain migrated with his family to the United States in 2004. And while the timing wasn’t quite right for a revival of “Hamilton,” he nonetheless joined the drama club at Bronx Preparatory Charter High School and starred in productions of “In the Heights” and “Dream Girls.” After graduation Tushain earned his associate’s degree in Business Administration at LaGuardia Community College, then transferred to Lehman College where as a junior he is currently studying economics.

It was through the Battery Park City Authority connection that he learned of the Federal Reserve Challenge; fellow intern Argenys Morban mentioned that Lehman had a solid squad that could be made even stronger with Tushain’s talents. A conversation with Economics Department Chairman Professor Nikolaos Papanikolaou led to Tushain’s swift recruitment, where he now serves as team Secretary.

Tushain and the Lehman College team recently participated in the National College Federal Reserve Challenge, a competition designed to bring real-world economics into the classroom. Competing in the Maiden Lane division, Tushain’s team took the top spot, beating out schools like Columbia, St. John’s, and New Jersey City universities, among dozens of others. Of the challenge Tushain says: “I learned more during that, I think, than I ever would in classes alone. It’s that real-world experience that’s invaluable.”

He is now eager to participate in the Bloomberg Trading Challenge (BTC), which runs from February 5 to April 3, 2017. BTC is designed to help students develop their skills in financial data analytics and view the market through the eyes of those who use the Bloomberg terminal daily. Winners of the challenge have the opportunity to get a first round interview for an internship at Bloomberg.

In his spare time, Tushain enjoys reading, photography, and investing. He plans for a future in investment banking and to eventually starting his own business aimed at modernizing the education system by recruiting subject matter experts from different sectors to develop curricula.

The New York State Mentoring Program 
Change a Life. Become a Mentor. 

The New York State Mentoring Program creates supportive Mentor relationships for students at risk of dropping out of school. This unique program takes place in a school-based setting, one-to-one between the mentor and mentee, with a school coordinator present who is selected by the principal. The program provides background checks and training for volunteer mentors and mentees.

Get involved by filling out the Mentoring Application or calling (844) 337-6304.

For more information:

The New York State Mentoring Program

State’s Former First Lady Matilda Cuomo Returns to her Alma mater to Launch Mentoring Program

BPC PARKS
WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Thursday, Dec 21
Pier A Plaza at Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution)
 

Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In ancient cultures the long nights inspired stories to entertain and explain natural phenomena. Hear two astronomers describe astronomical alignments of ancient sites around the world including tombs in Newgrange, Ireland where elaborate carvings are visible for a few hours a year on Winter Solstice. Enjoy Celtic music by Mary Courtney and very old legends by Marianne McShane.

Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) is a site-specific art installation by Autumn Ewalt and Dharmesh Patel featuring 9,000 prisms that respond to environmental light and the Earth’s revolution.

Professors K.E. Saavik Ford and Barry McKernan are Research Associates, Department of Astrophysics, at American Museum of Natural History and teach astronomy at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College. For more information click here.

STORIES & SONGS

Our signature music program for young children is now FREE!  
Wednesdays, January 3 to April 4
Session 1:  (6 mos.-3.5 yrs.)  9:40-10:20am
Session 2:  (13 mos.-3.5 yrs.)  10:30-11:10am
Session 3: (13 mos.-3.5 yrs.)  11:20am-12:00pm
6 River Terrace

Share the experience of live music performance and creative storytelling  with your little one. Professional musicians will illuminate and brighten the spirit through song, movement, and dance. Rhythm instruments provided. For young children with accompanying adult
REGISTRATION REQUIRED AS SPACE IS LIMITED.

To register, please email registration@bpcparks.org

PRESCHOOL PLAY & ART 

New reduced fees !
Thursdays, January 4 to April 5 
Session 1: 10-11:30am
Session 2: 3:30-5pm

6 River Terrace
Encourage imagination and discovery through child-directed free play. Take delight in story time, dress-up and wielding blocks and vehicles. Engage in art projects with your walking toddler that include painting, clay and more!
Fee: 14 sessions $200

To register, please email: registration@bpcparks.org

PARENT & BABY YOGA

New reduced fees !
Mondays, January 8 to April 23
(except 1/15, 2/19)
6 River Terrace
Enjoy yoga in a safe, supportive environment while learning postures and exercises specifically suited for new parents and babies- newborns through crawling.
Cycle1: January 8- February 26
Fee: 6 sessions $90 or $20 drop-in
Cycle 2: March 5- April 23
Session 1: 1-2:15PM
Session 2: 2:30-3:45PM

Fee: 8 sessions $120 or $20 drop-in

To register, please email: registration@bpcparks.org

RECYCLE YOUR TREE
December 26 – January 26
Battery Park City
 

Help BPC Parks stay green this holiday season! Please deposit your tree without decorations on the curb. Park staff will pick up trees until January 26th. Trees will be chipped and used for mulch in the parks of Battery Park City. We appreciate your assistance! For more information, call 212-267-9700.

BROOKFIELD PLACE
The Rink at Brookfield Place
Monday – Sunday through April 1
(weather permitting)
Three World Financial Center, 230 Vesey St,
New York, NY 10281
 

PUBLIC SKATING HOURS
Monday – Friday
1:00pm – 2:30pm
3:00pm – 4:30pm
5:00pm – 6:30pm
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Saturday – Sunday & Holidays
10:15am -11:45am
12:00pm -1:30pm
2:00pm – 3:30pm
4:00pm – 5:30pm
6:00pm – 7:30pm
8:00pm – 9:30pm

PUBLIC SKATING PRICES
$15 single public session (90 minutes)
$5 skate rental

For more information click here.

Luminaries
Through Sunday 1/29
8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Brookfield Place Mall – Winter Garden
 

Luminaries is a mesmerizing holiday light installation designed by the LAB at Rockwell Group, based on the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, and community. Visitors are immersed in a canopy of glowing lanterns suspended within the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place, each changing color and intensity. For every wish sent by the public during the holiday season, Brookfield will donate $1, up to $25,000, to the GRAMMY Museum and its music education programs.

For more information click here.

Saturday Morning Show
Saturday, Dec 16
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
230 Vesey St, New York, NY 10281 – Brookfield Place Mall – Hudson Eats
 

This week’s lineup features a music band and magic!

Shira & Friends
Shira & Friends is a kindie rock band who performs all over the country for their audiences, who love to dance along with them and become part of their show.

Mario the Magician
Part retro, part rock and roll, Mario the Magician is an artist and inventor who creates his own props. Despite his use of cutting edge technology, he never sacrifices the old-school slapstick vibe that families so love. You may have seen Mario on Sesame Street or NBCUniversal’s Sprout or live throughout NYC and beyond. Free to attend

For more information click here.

MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE
December 25 At The Museum
Monday, Dec 25
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
36 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10280
 

Spend the day at the Museum. See the unique Core Exhibition and three special exhibitions. Adult and family-friendly tours are free with Museum admission.

Enjoy National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s production of “The Sorceress” at 2 PM (separate ticket required and advance purchase strongly recommended at nytf.org). The Museum’s restaurant, LOX at Café Bergson, is open during Museum hours. For more information click here.

Exhibition tour schedule is as follows:
11:30 AM      Adults Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann
11:30 AM      Family-Friendly Core Exhibition
2:30 PM        Adults Core Exhibition
2:30 PM        Family-Friendly Core Exhibition

SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM 
Millennium: Lower Manhattan in the 1990s
Wednesday – Sunday ongoing exhibit
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
39 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280
 

Multimedia exhibition, running from November 8, 2017 through April 2018, vividly recaptures this strange and formative time in the history of New York’s historic commercial hub, through a striking combination of architectural drawings and models, archival and contemporary photographs, original posters, maps, sketches, renderings, and other documents of the era. MILLENNIUM revisits this recent history of lower Manhattan in the years just before Downtown’s identity was cataclysmically recast as Ground Zero, and a new era truly began.

Admission: $5; $2.50 for students and seniors
Children under 12: Free

For more information click here.

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