| Summer in the Square
Sizzles With Excitement |
|
Head over to Union Square Park’s south plaza
every Thursday through August 14th for FREE
entertainment as USP and TheaterMania.com present Summer in the
Square. July promises to be an eventful
month with children’s pop rock, caricature artists,
smooth jazz and an Off-Broadway Review. Come out this
Thursday, July 3rd at 12:30 PM for high-energy
children’s music and dancing with Astrograss,
revitalize your body and mind at 3:00 PM with East
West Yoga, and at 5:30
PM enjoy the sweet, folk melodies of Jennie
Arnau.
Special thanks to Summer in the Square
sponsors TheaterMania.com, ABS Partners, Bank of
America, Con Edison, Festival Network, JVC Jazz
Festival, New York University, ORDA Management, The New
School, Virgin Megastore, W New York -
Union Square, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation,
McBurney YMCA, and the 14th Street
Y. |
| Tumbling Mirages Debuts in
Union Square |
|
Tumbling
Mirages is the latest work of noted
artist Dennis Oppenheim, an influential figure in
international contemporary art whose work fuses an
interest in architecture with sculpture. The colorful,
futuristic tumbleweed-like sculptures will inhabit the
southeast triangle of Union Square Park from May
– November 2008. Tumbling Mirages
consists of three gigantic spheres, 15 feet in diameter,
made of steel and fiberglass. "Tumbling Mirages
are a hybrid sculpture, combining the characteristics of
tumbleweed with the optical illusion emanating from a
desert mirage," said Dennis Oppenheim, who lives and
works in New York. The installation is sponsored by the
Edelman Gallery in cooperation with USP and NYC
Department of Parks & Recreation. Since 1967, the
Parks Department has produced over 1,000 public art
projects in City parks. |
| Harvest in the Square Tickets on
Sale July 15th! |
|
You're invited to a fabulous
evening of gourmet food, drink and fun on Thursday,
September 18th. Tickets for Harvest in the
Square, Manhattan's premier tasting event, go on
sale July 15th at unionsquarenyc.org. The event
under the big tents features over 50 of the area's
finest restaurants preparing their signature dishes.
Proceeds from the annual event benefit the Union Square
Partnership's neighborhood programs including the
beautification of Union Square Park. |
| Annual Meeting & Networking
Reception Brings Together Area
Stakeholders |
|
On Thursday, June 5th, over 260 area residents and
employees, property owners and local business owners,
representatives of cultural and community groups, and
other key stakeholders gathered together for the Union
Square Partnership’s 24th Annual Meeting &
Networking Reception held at the W New York–Union
Square. The event was a wonderful evening in celebration
of the Union Square community and USP's many successes
over the past year. A highlight of the evening was the
presentation of our Community Service Award to Union
Square Park Gardener Deborah Hulse (pictured above with
USP President James Gabbe, Parks and Recreation
Manhattan Borough Commissioner William Castro and
USP Executive Director Jennifer Falk) in recognition of
her many years of working to beautify Union Square Park
using her considerable talents. For a copy of our annual
report, click here. |
|
Neighborhood Favorites With ABS
Partners' Gregg Schenker |
|
ABS Partners Real
Estate, a New York-based real estate
investment, brokerage, management and consulting firm
with their main office of over 50 employees at
200 Park Avenue South, has been a prominent presence in
the neighborhood. USP caught up with ABS
Co-Managing Partner Gregg Schenker (pictured above) to
ask him about his favorite places in Union Square.
Best place to buy ties.
Rothman's has a
great selection of vineyard vines and other ties
with fashionable patterns.
A hidden gem in the neighborhood.
The Union Square
Café is one of my favorite restaurants
with consistently excellent service and food.
A relaxing getaway. The
National Arts
Club is a real treasure on Gramercy
Park.
Fastest way to reach the Square.
Subway! There are only four locations in
New York City with access to such great public
transportation. |
| Enjoy the Dog Days of
Summer |
|
With a great dog run, a new canine drinking fountain,
and plenty of pet-friendly shops, Union Square is a
perfect respite for your four-legged friend. NYCSniff
and its dedicated team of dog lovers have compiled a
website full of fun things for you and your pup to do
this summer. Click here for a
full listing of dog-friendly sites in Union
Square. |
| Submit Your Stories
|
|
If you would like to make a submission for next
month's e-newsletter, please email
info@unionsquarenyc.org.
|
|
Union Square
Partnership |
|
The Union Square Partnership is a community-based,
nonprofit organization working to foster the best
possible metropolitan neighborhood for its residents,
businesses and visitors. We are comprised of a local
development corporation and New York City's first
business improvement district, two organizations that
have served as catalysts behind the area's
transformation. For more information, visit unionsquarenyc.org. |
| Links to Community
Websites |
| The City of New
York
Department of Parks
and Recreation
Department of Small
Business Services
Community Board
2
Community Board
3
Community Board
5
Community Board
6 | |
| Join NYC Restaurant Week's Food
Celebration |
|
From July 21st to 25th, and July 28th
to August 1st, experience some of Union
Square’s finest dining for a fraction of the usual cost.
During NYC Restaurant Week
Summer 2008, participating eateries offer a
three-course prix-fix menu with lunch for $24.07 and
dinner for $35.00 with options ranging from fresh new
spots to some of the most renowned eateries including
Blue Water Grill, Cafe Society/CSNY, Japonica, Rosa
Mexicano at Union Square, Tocqueville Restaurant, and
Union Square Cafe. |
| USHG Receives Top Honors at James
Beard Awards |
|
Congratulations to USP Board Co-Chair
Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group on
receiving two prestigious James Beard
Awards for Eleven Madison
Park and Gramercy
Tavern (best wine service and outstanding
restaurant, respectively). Deemed "the Oscars of the
food world," by Time magazine, the James Beard
Foundation Awards are the country’s most coveted honor
for chefs, food and beverage professionals, broadcast
media, journalists, and authors working on food, and
restaurant architects and
designers. |
|
FBI: NYC Named Safest Big City in
U.S. |
|
Once again, New York City has been ranked
the safest large city in the United States by
FBI’s preliminary Uniform Crime Report for 2007. Over
the past two years, citywide statistics show a 16.8%
drop in overall crime. The Union Square neighborhood has
also seen a drastic reduction in crime thanks to the
collective efforts of the 13th, 9th and 6th Precincts
who are hard at work to keep our streets, businesses and
homes safe. We have seen a 9.7% drop in crime in all
three Precincts in the last 2 years, and since 1993
the district has seen more than a 66% drop in total
crime rates. |
| New Business: Play N'
Trade |
|
For an interactive video game
store experience head over to the newly opened Play N'
Trade (137 East 13th Street; 212-674-0200).
The store is designed to be highly interactive boasting
a plethora of gaming stations where customers are
encouraged to try games before they purchase them. The
store will also be hosting local and national
tournaments in the months to
come. |
|
WIHS Culinary Club Gets a Taste for
Catering |
|
The USP Culinary Club at Washington Irving High
School, which provides students with an introductory
course in cooking skills and culinary history,
celebrated the end of the year with a field trip to
Hudson Yards Catering. Students were shown all aspects
of what it takes to operate a successful catering
business including food preparation, selection of
ingredients, delivery logistics and disposal of waste.
"Being in the environment and learning what it is like
working for a catering company was great," said
WIHS Senior Devon Henry. "The best part was
watching them work and learn more from people who are
following their passion for food." |
| Cutting the Trans
Fat |
|
In the coming weeks, New York City
restaurants will completely
eliminate artificial trans fat from the food they
serve. The final phase of the City’s trans fat
regulation takes effect July 1st, requiring
restaurants to clear artificial trans fat from all their
menu items. When first implemented last year, the new
standard applied only to fry oils and spreads. It will
now cover previously excluded items such as baked goods,
frozen foods, cannoli, and
doughnuts. |
| Kenneth Cole Brings Cool Looks for
Less |
|
For fashionable summer shopping, head over to Kenneth
Cole, (5th Avenue and 17th Street,
212-675-2550) for their July sales. From July 1st
–
6th there will be an additional 50% off all permanent
markdowns or stop by the mid-summer clearance sale from
July 24th – 26th. Mention this ad and
receive 20% off your next full price item
purchased. | |
