'Wild Man' of SoHo Haunts the Neighborhood's Streets, Locals Say

SOHO Spring Street residents and workers are living in fear of a 6-foot-5 drifter they've dubbed the "Wild Man" of SoHo, who has repeatedly been arrested for threatening and assaulting them, but keeps turning back up on neighborhood streets.

The hulking 240-pound menace Richard Pearson, 48, has been likened to Larry Hogue, the "Wild Man of 96th Street" who haunted the Upper West Side in the 1990s, after Pearson was charged with throwing a brick at someone on Spring Street. Locals are begging authorities to rein him in.

Fliers about Pearson have been plastered throughout SoHo and Nolita, urging locals to help keep the repeat offender behind bars. The fliers ask people who have been victims of Pearson's or witnesses to crimes to send letters to Justice Charles Solomon before Pearson's next court date June 25.

"SoHo does not need another 'Wild Man' in NYC like Larry Hogue, who infamously and similarly terrorized the Upper West Side during the 1990s," the fliers read.

Pearson allegedly threw a brick at someone at Spring and Lafayette streets at about 9 a.m. Friday, May 17, injuring the victim's arm, court records show. According to court records, he was found with cocaine and was arrested on May 22.

He was charged with felony assault and a misdemeanor drug charge and is being held on Rikers Island in lieu of $5,000 bail. But a grand jury voted Wednesday to drop the assault charge.

Pearson has been cuffed by police 16 times in the past 30 years, according to court records.

Leshana Theodore, manager of the Spring Street boutique Variazioni, said Thursday that the 48-year-old New York native regularly makes sexual comments to her, enters the store and gropes mannequins and, about a month ago, violently grabbed a customer's wrist.

"One time he came up close like he was trying to kiss me," she said, noting she is careful to never exit the shop alone at night.

At Lafayette Smoke Shop, worker Ripon Roy said Pearson who court records show has been arrested four times in the 5th Precinct in the last year and a half has attacked workers and damaged merchandise.

"He's tried to hit us. He's always in a fighting mood," Roy said.

Both locals said they have called police about Pearson multiple times with little result.

"They come and take him, and the next day he comes back," Roy said, estimating the cigarette and magazine shop's staff has called police more than 10 times in the past year, as the store's manager told The Villager.

Pearson's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Judges take victim impact statements into consideration when determining criminal sentences, a spokesman for the city's office of court administration said Thursday. Statements submitted by community members may also be taken into consideration but do not hold the same legal significance.

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After Death of Original 'Ray,' Village Pizza Shop Vows to Carry on Legacy

GREENWICH VILLAGE As Mario DiRienzo prepared to reopen his pizza shop at Sixth Avenue and West 11th Street this spring, he taught his nephew the family trade. 

Then an unemployed business student, Christian DiRienzo, 27, learned the secret recipes for the sauce and dough used in the legendary slice shop his uncle first opened as Famous Ray's Pizza in 1973 and rejuvenated as Famous Roio's Pizza this April. 

Christian DiRienzo wasn't sure that inheriting the family business one of the first slice shops in the city to have the ubiquitous Ray's name was for him, so he kept his distance from the shop. 

"I wanted to try to do something on my own," he said. 

But just months later, after Mario DiRienzo's death in September, Christian DiRienzo has found himself at the helm of the pizza shop, where he says he will try to continue the pizza baron's commitment to top-notch pies. 

DiRienzo died Sept. 17 at age 71, leaving his nephew, two nieces and an employee of more than 20 years to keep the pizza ovens burning, Christian DiRienzo said Monday. 

"When he died, I thought [running the business] would be the right thing to do," he said in between ringing up customers Monday in the busy shop. "He wanted to keep this place going and see it have a comeback." 

After the business changed hands several times since the '80s, Mario DiRienzo told DNAinfo.com he was proud to reopen the slice shop with its original management and recipe. 

"I'm coming back. New York needs me," he said in February before he took over the shop in April. 

The 465 Sixth Ave. shop and dozens of other pizza places in the city named Ray's were targeted in a lawsuit last year by rival eatery Famous Original Ray's Pizza that challenged use of the moniker. 

So, DiRienzo who worked in embassy kitchens in Rome and as a chef for corporate executives in the city before opening his shop   renamed the restaurant in honor of his central Italy hometown, Roio del Sangro.

This fall, he was buried there, Christian DiRienzo said. 

"He found out he had [lung cancer] and he went quickly," he said. 

Christian DiRienzo and his sisters, 31 and 34, are still getting the hang of running the business and assembling the cheesy pies, he said, so they're leaving the dough-tossing to the more experienced employees. 

"Everything I'm doing, I'm doing from scratch," he said. 

The Madison, N.J. resident who now works at least 10 hours a day, six days a week, said he had not fully understood the legacy of his uncle's shop until the pizzaiolo died.

"After hearing stories from all the customers who come in, I have a different view of the importance of this place," he said. 

Famous Roio's manager Samy Mahmud, an Egypt native and close friend of DiRienzo who said the owner helped bring him to the U.S. in 1988, said he wanted Village residents to remember DiRienzo not only for his pizza, but for his kindness. 

"He had a good heart," said Mahmud, remembering that his boss gave free pizza to anyone who could not pay. 

"I want people here to hear about Mario forever," he said. 

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Village Leaders Vow to Protect New Playground from NYU Expansion

GREENWICH VILLAGE A new playground opened Thursday on a Greenwich Village block slated to undergo a massive overhaul by NYU for its planned expansion next decade but local leaders vowed to fight to keep the play-space from being shuttered.

Elected officials, city Parks Department representatives and eager children attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for Adrienne's Garden, a greenspace on the southeast corner of West Third Street and LaGuardia Place. The toddlers' playground memorializing late Village activist and teacher Adrienne Goldberg features a dragon-shaped sculpture on which kids can climb on the dragon's scales and slide down its tongue.

But the playground is only set to remain open for nine years, when NYU will begin city-approved construction to create additional space on its campus.

Alicia Hurley, the university's vice president for community engagement, said Adrienne's Garden will need to be shuttered when construction on the planned LaGuardia Building located on the northern "superblock" of the expansion plan begins in 2022.

"Once construction begins on the building planned along LaGuardia Place on the northern block, the garden will be displaced," she said in a statement. "But at the conclusion of construction, the garden will be expanded and relocated on the city-owned strip of land along LaGuardia Place."

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin promised to fight to keep Adrienne's Garden where it is.

"We will make sure that the playground will continue to be here," she said.

David Gruber, the chair of Community Board 2 which was a fierce critic of the NYU 2031 plan also vowed to fight the displacement of the playground.

"Residents, those stakeholders in the NYU community and park advocates will fight unabated to keep this playground undisturbed, un-relocated, untouched by any proposed development schemes circling overhead," he said.

City Council approved the controversial NYU expansion plan in July 2012. The university will create four new buildings on the two large blocks bordered by LaGuardia Place, Mercer Street, West Houston Street and West Third Street.

Lawrence Goldberg said Thursday that his late wife, who died of illness in 2008 at age 63, designed the playground over the course of six years with the Parks Department, the neighborhood association Friends of LaGuardia Place, the Center for Architecture Foundation and local kids.

"She would have been so happy today," Goldberg said. "She would have had a smile from ear to ear."

Once Adrienne's Garden closes in 2022, families will have access to Mercer Playground, located on Mercer Street between Bleecker and West Third streets, through 2027, an NYU spokesman said. Construction is scheduled to start then on the Mercer Building included in the university's expansion.

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Award-Winning Austrian Chef Serves Up a Taste of Home

WEST VILLAGE Jet-setters fresh from trips to the Tyrol and New Yorkers looking for a taste of Europe can warm up with traditional Austrian cookies and hot, spiced wine in the West Village and on the Upper East Side. 

The West 11th Street Austrian restaurant Wallsé and two other spots owned by Michelin-starred chef Kurt Gutenbrunner have begun serving hot, spiced Glühwein and Austrian cookies for the holidays.  

Gutenbrunner who shared his Glühwein recipe with DNAinfo.com New York said Monday he hopes his "classic"  cookies like Linzer tortes with raspberry jam, vanilla kipferl almond crescents and multicolored florentines with chocolate and almonds will taste like they've come straight from his home country.

  Gluhwein recipe  

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Dana Camisa

"A lot of people are familiar with these treats already," he said.

"They go skiing in Austria and are looking forward to having [Glühwein and Austrian cookies] here, too," said the Financial District resident who moved to the United States in 1988.

The Glühwein, made with the Austrian red wine zweigelt, port, oranges, black pepper and juniper berries, is being served for $8 a mug at Wallsé, at 344 W. 11th St. It can also be found at Gutenbrunner's 713 Washington St. wine bar The Upholstery Store, and at Cafe Sabarsky, which is located inside the Neue Galerie at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street. 

The cookies are being served for no charge with meals and can be specially ordered from Wallsé, with prices upon request. 

Gutenbrunner, who also owns Cafe Kristall in SoHo and Blaue Gans in TriBeCa, is still working on holiday lunch and dinner menus for his restaurants, which will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas. So far, goose, duck, venison and foie gras are in the running. 

"This is always a nice time of the year," he said sitting across from the huge Julian Schnabel portrait of him that hangs in Wallsé. "The house smells like cookies and sugar and honey." 

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'Sephora for Jewelry' Opens SoHo Pop-Up Store

SOHO City trend-seekers have a new spot to search for affordable accessories.

The previously online-only jewelry seller BaubleBar opened a huge pop-up store on Greene Street Thursday that makes ample use of technology, with iPad stations to personalize pieces and video screens with style tips.

BaubleBar, which launched online in early 2011, wants to become a "one-stop shop" for trendy jewelry priced around $40 for a necklace or bracelet, executive Ashley Fidel said Friday.

"We want to become what Sephora is for makeup," she said, referring to the makeup superstore. "If you ask someone where they go for jewelry, you get a blank stare. We want to be that destination."

Women who would ordinarily pay around $100 for a necklace, combining designer investment pieces with "fast fashion" from chains like H&M are initially skeptical of the quality of lower-cost items, Fidel said.

"But once women touch and feel our product, they totally get it," she said.

The 4,000-square-foot store at 131 Greene St. has interactive stations where shoppers can use apps on iPads to design customized jewelry, selecting fonts and colors.

Customers can look at sample merchandise in front of them and then use the iPads to customize it, said Conor O'Hollaren, a strategist with the Lower East Side-based creative agency Gin Lane Media. The firm worked with BaubleBar to create the technology, which will soon be available on the jewelry company's website, too.

"It changes the whole shopping experience," O'Hollaren said.

Customer Helen Howell, a social services director visiting from Seattle, shopped Friday for a present for her 13-year-old daughter. She said she spotted necklaces and bracelets she would wear, too.

"It's all very affordable," she said. "Who cares if it won't be in next season?"

BaubleBar, which was founded by young Harvard Business School graduates Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky, is testing its possibilities for opening permanent shops.

"It's something we're going to take nationally over the next year," Fidel said.

Located at 131 Greene St. between West Houston and Prince streets, BaubleBar will be open through August 13 Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Building Heights Reduced in Revised Hudson Square Rezoning Plan

DOWNTOWN Following community pressure, the developer seeking city approval to create up to 3,200 new apartments in the former industrial zone north of the Holland Tunnel unveiled plans Wednesday lowering maximum building heights in its proposed rezoning of Hudson Square. 

Trinity Real Estate representatives said at a City Planning Commission hearing Wednesday that the company would cut the maximum requested height of buildings on avenues in the area from 320 feet to 290 feet.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer requested these changes Tuesday in a conditional approval of the rezoning request. 

"We are amenable to Borough President Stringer's request that the avenue block heights be reduced," Trinity consultant Carl Weisbrod said. 

In an official recommendation to the commission on Oct. 18, Community Board 2 described support for Trinity's goal to create a "diverse and vibrant mixed-use community," but asked for even lower building heights, with a maximum of 250 feet on avenues.

Trinity which wants the city to rezone the 18-block area roughly bounded by West Houston Street, Sixth Avenue, Canal Street and Greenwich Street also announced changes to its plan, eliminating an unpopular, previously proposed subdistrict with a dramatically lower maximum building height. 

Previous designs would have limited buildings in the area in question roughly bound by Dominick Street to the north, Varick Street and Sixth Avenue to the east, Watts Street to the south, and the entrance to the Holland Tunnel to the west to just 120 feet. But residents said that would unfairly cut into their property values by limiting their ability to build above properties or to sell air rights.

"There really is no reason for Subdistrict B," Weisbrod said. 

But opponents of the rezoning said they want additional concessions from Trinity to further reduce building heights, create additional open space, and protect the quality of life of current residents of the area and adjacent neighborhoods. 

Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, who represents the area, asked Trinity and other developers to make annual payments to the cash-strapped Hudson River Park, which runs along the western edge of the neighborhood. 

"This is the main park that people [in Hudson Square] will be using," she said. "The park should receive some benefit from the development." 

Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, asked the city to couple approval for the rezoning with consideration of a request to landmark the area bordered by West Fourth Street, LaGuardia Place, Watts Street and Sixth Avenue. 

"The increased development activity catalyzed by the rezoning will no doubt increase pressure upon the adjacent proposed South Village Historic District, accelerating its already rapid destruction," he said in a statement.

Connie Masullo, 85, a third-generation Village resident, said she wants the city to weigh the benefits of new residential and commercial development against the potential that growth will push out existing small businesses. 

"I would like to see the cultural amenities and little mom-and-pop stores here last," she said.

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Pratt Institute Shows Off Art by Famous Alumni in 125th Anniversary Show

MANHATTAN What do graphic novelist Daniel Clowes and Betty Boop animator Myron Waldman have in common? 

They both went to Pratt Institute. 

Starting Friday, the private art college will celebrate its 125th anniversary with an art exhibition on West 14th Street displaying the work of Clowes, Waldman and dozens of their fellow Pratt alums.

Artists, architects and designers included in the show, "125 Icons: A Celebration of Works by Pratt Alumni and Faculty: 1887-2012," range from Chrysler Building designer William van Alen and Dunkin' Donuts logo designer Lucia DeRespinis to Scrabble creator Alfred Mosher Butts, according to a statement from the college. 

Pratt vice president and exhibition organizer Todd Galitz said the pieces in the show at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery which were selected by Pratt students, faculty and alumni from more than 300 works catalog the college's proudest moments. 

The collection of works on display are innovative, creative and representative of the impact that Pratts alumni and faculty have had on the world, he said in the statement. 

Thomas F. Schutte, president of the school with campuses in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Utica, N.Y., said the exhibition is the finale of the school's 16-month-long anniversary celebration. 

We're excited to bring together these iconic works at Pratt Manhattan Gallery and to commemorate the achievements of alumni and faculty who have helped make the Institute what it is today, he said in the statement. 

A documentary about Pratt broadcast on Thirteen/WNET called "Treasures of New York: Pratt Institute" will also be shown at the gallery on a loop. 

"125 Icons: A Celebration of Works by Pratt Alumni and Faculty: 1887-2012" will be open on the second floor of the Pratt Manhattan Gallery at 144 W. 14th St. Friday, Nov. 30 through Saturday, Jan. 19. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursdays until 8 p.m. The gallery will be closed Dec. 22. through Jan. 1. 

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18-Story Condo Tower Planned for SoHo Car Wash Site

SOHO An 18-story condo tower may rise on the site of a Sixth Avenue car wash that closed over the winter, documents show.

Developers are seeking city approval to construct a 27-unit building with ground-floor retail on the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Broome Street.

City records show property owners Madison Equities and Property Markets Group plan to turn the triangular plot of land that until March was home to a car wash into a wedge-shaped condo tower, including four townhouses of about 4,500 square feet each.

The developers need approval from the city Board of Standards and Appeals to proceed because the land is zoned for industrial, not residential, use. They will appear before Community Board 2 on Wednesday to ask for advisory support for the zoning exception at the site, which was home to a gas station until 2009.

Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, plans to urge the city to reduce the size of the tower, which he said would be surrounded by buildings one to six stories tall, most of which date back to the 19th century.

"We believe that if this development is to be allowed a variance for residential development at this location, it should be at the size and density which is allowed for residential development in the surrounding area," Berman said in a statement.

The development site falls within a zone GVSHP has long fought for the city to landmark.

Madison Equities and Property Markets Group's lawyer did not immediately respond to an inquiry about how the tower would fit in with its neighbors, but documents submitted to the BSA point out its proximity to the 48-story Trump SoHo two blocks away, at Varick and Dominick streets, and the 18-story Hampton Inn Manhattan-SoHo, just one block away at Sixth Avenue and Watts Street.

GVSHP, along with neighborhood associations, is also fighting the construction of a condo tower one block north. The nonprofit God's Love We Deliver is planning to double the size of its Sixth Avenue and Spring Street building and sell its air rights to Quinlan Development Group so the company can build a 14-story tower. Opponents of the project say the building planned for 180 Sixth Ave. would block neighbors' views and light.

CB2's land use committee will hear a presentation on the Sixth Avenue and Broome Street development plan at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, located at 272 Sixth Ave.

CB2 will issue an advisory vote on the project at its full board meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, June 20.

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New Orleans-Style Snowball Stand Opening in Meatpacking District

MANHATTAN A summertime taste of the South is headed to the Meatpacking District.

The traveling food vendor Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls will sell New Orleans-style shaved ice treats from a stand on Gansevoort Street starting later this month, company founder Neesa Peterson said Tuesday.

The "snowballs," as they're called down South, will be sold at 54 Gansevoort St. near Ninth Avenue and will be available in 44 flavors, including traditional offerings like Mardi Gras King Cake and bananas Foster, along with more unusual options like watermelon jalapeño, chicory coffee, grapefruit and wedding cake.

New Orleans-style snowballs are a far cry from the crunchy snow cones with generic syrup that are familiar to New Yorkers, explained Peterson, a 28-year-old New Orleans native who lives in SoHo.

"This is like real snow with delicious flavorings. My ice machine shaves it super-fine," she said.

The treats cost $4 for a small, $5 for a medium and $6 for a large, plus an extra dollar for sweetened condensed milk, marshmallow cream or vanilla ice cream.

The Meatpacking District stand is set to be open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m., through September. The snowballs are also sold at the Hester Street Fair on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 26.

Peterson, who launched the company in summer 2011, said she's considering creating orange blossom and rosewater syrups.

"I'm coming up with new flavors every day," she said.

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Hudson River Park Storm Damage Estimated at $10M

GREENWICH VILLAGE The flood waters that filled Pier 40 ball fields, buckled paving stones in playgrounds and destroyed pricy infrastructure throughout Hudson River Park caused an approximate $10 million in damage.

Speaking about the storm's price tag for the first time at a community meeting Tuesday, Hudson River Park Trust president Madelyn Wils said the city-state partnership will have to fix the 5-mile park gradually as funds become available. 

"We're having to handle repairs piece by piece," she said. 

Before the storm, Hudson River Park, which runs along Manhattan's west side waterfront from Battery Park to West 59th Street, faced a projected $80 million deficit over the next 10 years. 

The $10 million assessment was reached by park staff and outside marina engineers, electrical engineers and others, Wils said. 

And the figure may climb. The longer the park stays closed, the more money the trust loses, Wils said. 

"We have a loss of revenue from parking, special events and permit fields," she said. 

The trust has applied for storm assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wils said. 

The storm damage has left thousands of New Yorkers without popular playgrounds and athletic fields. 

Piers 25 in TriBeCa, 40 and 46 in the West Village, 54 in the Meatpacking District and 84 in Hell's Kitchen are all closed until further notice, though inspections have found the foundations of all the piers survived the storm's battering.

And the entire park closes at dusk until further notice because electricity to power the lighting is still down. Engineers are evaluating damage to the electrical system now. 

"It's probably going to take a few months," Wils said. 

Proposals for raising funds for the park include the creation of a neighborhood improvement district that would tax nearby property owners and generate an estimated $10 million annually.

Supporters of the HRPT-backed plan say the tax would be modest, at 7.5 cents per square foot for residential property owners and twice that for commercial property owners. Opponents say the tax would be just another bill to pay, and they feared the cash would support commercial uses of the park rather than rebuilding piers. 

To be created, the NID plan would need to be approved by the City Planning Commission and City Council. 

Another plan, from an alliance of athletic groups that use the pier and call themselves Pier 40 Champions, would enhance Pier 40's ball fields and build two 15-story towers for residential or commercial use to generate revenue. 

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Mini Masterpiece Replicas on Display in Tiny Village Gallery

MANHATTAN Famous works by Andy Warhol, Piet Mondrian and Jeff Koons are on display on West 10th Street in tiny imitations created using 3D printers.

An art exhibition that recreates well-known pieces like Jeff Koons' "Balloon Dog" and Piet Mondrian's "New York City I" will be shown at a storefront gallery at 223 W. 10th St. near Bleecker Street through Friday.

Chicago artist Matt Chalker, who titled the project "Aura of the Synthetic," copied art-world classics at a 1:12 scale, in which every inch represents a foot.

Co-curator Jennie Lamensdorf said the show, which went on display in mid-May, explores the changing relationship between technology and art.

"Seeing a work of art in reproduction inherently limits the artwork," she said. "But what does it mean now that our technology is so advanced that instead of taking a photo of something, you can recreate it?"

"Aura of the Synthetic" is part of the Art-in-Buildings program run by the real estate investment firm and property management company Time Equities Inc. The company has dedicated space for contemporary artwork since 2006 and currently also has shows open to the public in office buildings at 55 Fifth Ave. and 125 Maiden Lane.

The West 10th Street space is Time Equities' sole storefront-only gallery.

Co-curator Natalie Diaz said the 3-foot-by-3 foot space at street level adds a little grace to the area.

"We see it as contributing a silent gesture to the neighborhood," she said.

Next up for the storefront gallery is an installation made from hundreds of fingernail clippers hung and draped to look like a chain-mail fabric, by city artist Heather Cox. The piece is set to be installed this weekend. 

Chalker, a Chicago resident who works with digital art tools at the Museum of Science and Industry, told Art-in-Buildings that he hopes his replicas can summon some of the same feelings as the original works.

"There is a sort of aura embodied within such exact reproductions," he said.

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Food Fight Over French Pastry Cart Seeking to Set Up in SoHo

MANHATTAN Bon appétit?

Upper East Side-based baker Céline Legros wants to introduce SoHo to the French pastry the canelé, but some residents wish she would take her gourmet treats elsewhere. 

Legros' company Canelé by Céline was selected earlier this year by the Parks Department to set up a food cart in SoHo's Petrosino Square in spring 2013, but boosters of the triangular park say the cart would hurt the over-saturated area by bringing commerce into a currently vendor-free park. 

"Canelé is a unique pastry from Bordeaux, France," said Legros, 37, explaining the canelé to the uninitiated. "It's caramelized on the outside and moist on the inside, with almost a crème brûlée filling." 

The business attorney-turned-baker said she thought SoHo seemed like the perfect place for the sweets, which last December the James Beard Foundation called a "food trend to watch out for."

"In SoHo there is really a community of gourmet foodies who like the finest refined things," she said. 

But the community group Friends of Petrosino Square, which objected to the food cart plan after it was presented to Community Board 2 last week, said it would like to keep businesses out of the park at the intersection of Spring and Lafayette streets. 

"Petrosino Park is the only open public space in our neighborhood that remains free of commerce," the group said Friday in a statement. "We would love to keep it that way."

The cart, which Legros is designing now, would be approximately 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. Cart workers would be responsible for cleaning up nearby trash created by the operation, she said. 

The pastries which are currently sold online and at locations, including Nespresso's shops on Prince Street and Madison Avenue would be available for about $1 each in flavors such as vanilla, dark chocolate, rosewater, salted caramel and orange. They would be sold individually and in boxes of four, six, 10 and 24.

In addition to canelés, the cart would sell financiers, the small, almond-flavored French tea cakes. 

A Parks Department spokesman said the agency will work with Legros and community members to reach a solution in the park, where it seeks to provide specialty food options "besides the standard hot dog and ice cream carts."

"We anticipate further discussion with the community board and members of the community before deciding on whether to issue a permit for a specialty cart at this location," the spokesman said in a statement.

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Developer Pushed to Shrink 'Modern Flatiron' Tower on Sixth Avenue

GREENWICH VILLAGE An 18-story residential building proposed for Sixth Avenue is too tall for the neighborhood, residents said at a public meeting Wednesday.

Members of Community Board 2's land use committee want the city to force Madison Equities and Property Markets Group to reduce the height of the condo tower they're planning for the site of a shuttered car wash at Sixth Avenue and Broome Street.

Worried that the new building at 120 Sixth Ave. would block light and stick out among its low-rise neighbors, board members and local residents want the city Board of Standards and Appeals to limit the building's height. The developers need approval from the BSA to proceed because the land is zoned for industrial, not residential, use.

"We want it down as far as it can go," said board member Terri Cude.

But Madison Equities CEO Robert Gladstone said the building devised over the past three years needs to be as tall as it is in current plans in order to be financially viable.

"This is the lowest building we can build," he said. "Height gives value."

At Wednesday's meeting, architect Cary Tamarkin of Tamarkin Co. presented plans for a 223-foot building covered in blond bricks, calling the wedge-shaped structure a "modern Flatiron."

It looked more like an "eyesore," to Thompson Street resident Jicky Schnee, though. The actress and artist rejected the developer's and architect's references to the heights of the nearby James Hotel and Trump SoHo Hotel as a way of justifying the new building's 18 stories.

"You're using buildings like The James as a comparable, but those are buildings that have been fought over for the last seven to 10 years," she said.

CB2 member Frederica Siegel asked the developers to turn private gardens behind four 4,500-square-foot townhouses that are also part of the project into public green space.

"That's an amenity they should cultivate, not turn their backs on Sixth Avenue," she said.

CB2 will issue an advisory vote on the project at its full board meeting 6 p.m. June 20.

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5,000-Square-Foot Houston Hall Beer Bar Set to Open This Weekend

WEST VILLAGE Bottoms up! 

A cavernous new watering hole on West Houston Street just east of Varick Street is set to open this weekend. 

Houston Hall, a 5,000-square-foot beer hall on the border between the West Village and Hudson Square is on track to open Friday if workers can put the finishing touches on the bar on time, a manager said Thursday. 

As DNAinfo.com New York first reported, Heartland Brewery chain owner Jon Bloostein signed a 21-year lease for the 222 W. Houston St. space in March, city Department of Finance records show. 

The spot built inside a former garage will move in alongside the Brooklyn-themed bar The Brooklyneer, Film Forum and the music venue SOB's. 

Community Board 2 supported a liquor license application for the bar in September 2011 with the stipulation that the restaurant use doors on Downing Street only as an emergency exit. The board also insisted that Houston Hall close at 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 1 a.m. Sunday and Monday. 

CB2 rejected an initial proposal by the restaurant to have rooftop dining, citing concerns about excess noise.

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Online Craft Site Etsy Opens SoHo Store for the Holidays

SOHO Indie craft fans no longer have to wait for Santa's sleigh or UPS to deliver their holiday gifts. 

The craft and vintage goods website Etsy is operating a holiday pop-up store in SoHo, marking the first time the company has operated a physical store. 

Chock full of items like gloves stitched with a heart formed when the wearer places his palms together ($30), the Etsy Holiday Shop at 131 Greene St. below West Houston Street is selling quirky clothing, accessories and home goods through Saturday. 

Chad Dickerson, CEO of the Brooklyn-based company, said Etsy items like a coffee cup cozy crocheted with a mustache ($12.50-14.50) offer gift-givers unique options. 

"We want shoppers to know that they dont have to buy the same old gifts this year Etsy sellers offer a better choice," he wrote on the company's blog. 

Etsy consultant Dana Mauriello, who was overseeing the store Monday, said shoppers there could get something different than they could at an ordinary store. 

"Not only can you buy a piece of jewelry here, you can get it engraved and you can watch as it's made," she said. 

The Etsy store is hosting a long list of workshops and performances, including a Dec. 6 talk by public radio show host Jesse Thorn, a Dec. 7 gingerbread brownstone-making demonstration and a Dec. 8 show by comedian and musician Reggie Watts. 

Nick Sambrato, co-owner of the Orlando-based custom print shop Mama's Sauce Letterpress & Silk Screen, stamped out gift tags bearing Etsy's name on Monday using a 100-year-old letterpress machine. 

Sambrato, 32, attributed the recent popularity of handmade products to many people's desire to feel connected to what they wear and use. 

"A lot of my friends, they could tell you who made the shirt they're wearing," he said. "It's a really cool thing that people are starting to value that more and more." 

The Etsy Holiday shop at 131 Greene St. is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 8. 

Thank you for reading article Online Craft Site Etsy Opens SoHo Store for the Holidays

David Barton Gym to Bring 'Sexy and Sultry' Workouts to Christopher St.

MANHATTAN Disco balls will meet medicine balls at this new West Village fitness club.

David Barton Gym will launch its fourth Manhattan outpost this fall in the Archive Building at Greenwich and Christopher streets, the company announced Friday.

The nearly 13,000-square-foot gym, which will displace the existing gym there, Crunch, will have DJs to create a "hipster, fun, rock-and-roll" vibe, luxurious locker rooms and atmospheric lighting, a spokeswoman said. 

"It will be a nightclub environment that's dark, sexy and sultry," she said.

The Village location will be David Barton Gym's 10th nationally. Its membership office is set to open Monday.

The gym signed a 15-year lease for the space, the Commercial Observer reported.

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Big Gay Ice Cream Shop Brings 'Golden Girls'-Themed Treats to West Village

WEST VILLAGE West Side residents can now feed their need for Bea Arthur-inspired ice cream without going too far from home.

The new 61 Grove St. location of Big Gay Ice Cream Shop opened this week, making it the second outpost for the frozen-treats purveyors, who launched with a food truck and expanded just last fall with an East Village storefront.

Co-owner Bryan Petroff, 40, said the LGBT history of the West Village made it a natural choice for another Downtown spot selling items like the Bea Arthur cone ($4.50), which includes vanilla ice cream, crushed Nilla Wafers and dulce de leche.

"We're at the corner of gay and gayer," he joked Tuesday.

The 900-square-foot West Village shop location will serve favorites including the Rue McClanahan ice cream sandwich, named for another "The Golden Girls" actress, which consists of bourbon-flavored ice cream between pecan praline cookies. A cone called the Salty Pimp ($5), which is made from vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt and chocolate, is also on the menu.

"The Salty Pimp is far and away our most popular item," Petroff said.

Ice cream toppings ($1 each) include Awesome Sauce spicy chocolate topping, Maker's Mark Bourbon Butterscotch, and olive oil and sea salt.

Petroff and partner Doug Quint, a former Juilliard School doctoral candidate, got into the ice cream business in the winter of 2009 on the suggestion of one of Quint's classmates. The classmate, who was operating a Mister Softee truck, said her truck depot was looking for more drivers.

"We just thought it was too funny to pass up," said Petroff, who then ran corporate trainings.

They made gourmet tweaks to the truck's offerings and started a blog about their experiment to document their "misadventures."

The truck got its name after Quint wrote a Facebook post asking his friends to read the blog.

"He said something like 'Check out my big gay ice cream truck,' and we said, 'There's the name,'" Petroff said.

Two years later, in the summer of 2011, they quit their jobs, and that September opened the store at 125 E. Seventh St., which regularly has lines out the door.

For the winter season, Big Gay Ice Cream Shop is serving Gobbler sundaes ($6) with vanilla ice cream, crushed pie pieces and whipped cream. They come in two varieties: apple butter and bourbon butterscotch sauce, and pumpkin butter and maple syrup.

As the temperature drops, the ice cream shop will sell spicy hot chocolate and their version of the Italian ice cream and espresso treat dessert the affogato only they call their version an "affo-gay-to."

"This has all been bigger than we thought," Petroff said.

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, 61 Grove St., is open daily from noon to midnight.

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Plaque Honoring PFLAG Founder to Be Installed at Village Church

GREENWICH VILLAGE The woman who started the national LGBT allies' group Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays will be honored this weekend in the Village.

A plaque memorializing PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford will be installed outside the Church of the Village, located at 201 W. 13th St., Sunday at 11:45 a.m., according to the church and plaque sponsor the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

Manford died in January, at age 92, 40 years after she convened the first meeting of the LGBT rights organization at the United Methodist church. The organization that now has more than 350 chapters nationally began with a room full of 20 people, according to PFLAG's website.

The Queens elementary school teacher and mother of a gay son helped change the lives of countless gay people, GVSHP executive director Andrew Berman said at a memorial for Manford held in April.

"Because of Jeanne and PFLAG, I, like many other LGBT people of my generation, had to struggle a little bit less, and found greater love and acceptance from family, friends and peers," he said.

PFLAG began soon after Manford carried a sign in the April 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day march, reading Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children," according to the organization's website. 

The plaque-installation ceremony is open to all, but reservations are encouraged. They can be made by calling (212) 475-9585 x35, or emailing rsvp@gvshp.org.

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10 Helpful Hospitality Desk Hints

Hospitality desks can add tremendous value for corporate event and meeting attendees. A hospitality desk can be:

• a place for guests to receive a welcome drink, moist towel, welcome ameneties, and information packages upon arrival
• a central point of contact where guests can get answers to questions and have their concerns addressed
• a spot where guests can connect with dedicated meeting concierges and/or travel directors
• a dedicated space where attendees can get information about local tours, excursions and dining options and booking them

Here are 6 helpful hints to ensure that hosptitality desks operate smoothly and effectively:

1. Be sure to identify all associated costs so that there are no surprises.
   In addition to labour costs, be sure to include taxes, service charges, and, if applicable WiFi charges. Determine what meals, snacks, and transportation costs (including parking) will need to be covered for staff.
2. Determine local laws and union regulations, if applicable, and set up the schedule to include all required meals and breaks.
3. Select a strategic location where guests are likely to congregate.
   If it's an incentive trip and guests plan to spend most of their time at the pool and bar near the beach, there is no point in setting up the hospitality desk in the lobby.
4. Provide a phone line and place to hook up a laptop.
5. Ease of access is essential for hospitality desk effectiveness so make it mobile.
   Arrange to set a hospitality desk up whenever there is a welcome lunch, reception, dinner, or group meeting or event.
6. Provide local maps and extra copies of the resort map, group itinerary, and tour brochures.
7. Be sure to come up with customized tours, excursions, and any other optional activities if guests will be responsible for booking directly.
   If all options provided are "off-the-shelf", guests will simply treat them as a commodity and comb the Internt until they find the most cost-effective option.
8. Communicate options in advance to give guests ample time and information to make decisions.
9. Set up a dedicated web page or create an app to give guests access to information and an opportunity to book in advance and when the desk is closed.
10. Be sure to provide support for the website or app.

Photo Credit: Tassoman

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Incentive Destinations: Phuket Thailand

Phuket, an island to the west of the Malaysian Peninsular in Thailand, is a lush setting with rainforests, waterfalls and secluded beaches. For corporate incentives and executive retreats, it's the ultimate getaway. Along with Penang Island in Malaysia, it's one of Asia's most stunning tropical resort settings.

Phuket is pronounced Poo-ket as PH does not produce an "f" sound in the Thai language. It's easy to get around, as Phuket is 48 kilometers long and 21 kilometers a its widest point.

Green Season

From May October, during green season (low season), it rains for short periods every day until the monsoons peek between September and October. Activities to enjoy include rafting, sailing, dragon boating, scuba diving, exploring the Phuket Aquarium, and a visit to the Thalang Museum to learn about the history of Thailand.

High Season

Humidity is low and the climate highly favorable during high season from December to March. Temperatures range from 75 - 89° F (24 - 32°C). Some of the best activities to enjoy during high season include snorkeling, diving, jungle safaris, elephant treks, and golf at 8 world-class courses. It's also the perfect time to enjoy Phuket's beaches. Groups can select from over 35 beaches. In addition to Patong Beach, Surin Beach, Karon Beach, Layan Beach, and Kata Noi Beach are highly recommended.

Places to Stay in Phuket

Phuket has a reputation as a destination for top luxury resorts with extensive spa facilities. Banyan Tree Hotel and Spa, an all-villa resort that is known for its beach, meeting facilities, and world renowned spa.

Groups can also select from Laguna Phuket, JW  Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, The Sarojin, and The Surin Phuket (formerly The Chedi Phuket).

For more places to explore in Thailand, also consult Royal Residences to Explore in Bangkok and Pleasures and Palaces for Galas and Special Events. For help in planing your trip to Phuket, consult the Phuket, Thailand Event Planning Guide.

Photo Credit: The Surin, Phuket

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Rare Marilyn Monroe Artifacts on Display at SoHo Spa

SOHO Marilyn Monroe wore a silky eye mask to combat insomnia, her black stilettos were size 7.5 and her library included the book "The Roots of American Communism."

Those items from the actress' personal life along with clothing she wore on screen and behind the scenes and other possessions are now on display in SoHo through the end of December.

The exhibition, "To Marilyn, With Love," is being shown in the United States for the first time at the Erno Laszlo Institute, 382 W. Broadway, a skincare store and members-only luxury spa.

The Monroe items including an ivory satin robe the star wore on the set of the 1958 film "Some Like It Hot" are owned by German collector Ted Stampfer, who began buying them at auctions in the late 1990s after they were put in storage following the actress' death in 1962.

Stampfer said seeing Monroe's possessions allows a glimpse into her life beyond the scandals.

"The pieces allow us today to get closer to Marilyn Monroe and her true identity," he said in a written statement.

Monroe was a former devotee of the Laszlo Institute, which Hungarian-born skin care guru Dr. Erno Laszlo opened on posh Fifth Avenue in 1939. The institute, whose skin treatment services cost $3,000 a year, once counted actresses Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner as members.

Marilyn held a special place in Dr. Laszlos heart. He famously formulated unique products for her," company CEO Charles Denton said in a statement.

Laszlo's name appears in Monroe's phone book, which is on display at the shop that opened in November.

Store manager Gabriella Czukker said Monroe fans have poured into the opulent, 10,000-square-foot shop to see artifacts like this. 

"People are shocked to see her personal items," Czukker said.

The Marilyn Monroe Exhibition will be on display at the Erno Laszlo Institute at 382 W. Broadway through Dec. 31. The spa and shop are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

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Woman Groped in Central Park

A woman told police a man groped her on West Drive in Central Park on June 18, 2013.

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Flickr/wallyg

NEW YORK Police are on the hunt for a man accused of groping a woman in Central Park Tuesday afternoon.

The man grabbed the woman near West Drive and 67th Street at about noon and then fled, police said.

A description of the suspect was not immediately available.

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The Pillars of Customer Service for Corporate Events

So often we talk about the content and format of events, but I haven't seen much talk about customer service at events. At the end of the day, our attendees are the most vital component of our events, and it's important that we take the time to listen to their concerns, provide them with info and generally offer great service. So - what are the keys to great success?

BE AVAILABLE
This is one of the more important aspects of great customer service. Make it easy for your clients and attendees to reach you. Don't hide your phone number or email address on the website. Don't direct everyone through standard contact forms. Make your contact info Front and center of your website, your emails, and any other ways that you want people to connect with you. Make sure that you have a very big visual presence on site at an event and always challenge yourself by imagining you are an attendee and figuring out how you would want to connect with the brand.

RESPOND
Make sure you have staff ready and available to answer any questions before, during and after the event. When people reach out with any kind of inquiry, it's important that you respond them them in a timely manner. If you don't have the staff available to have someone on call all the time, set up alerts so that you are notified when inquiries come in. Quick responses make for great experiences.

BE TRANSPARENT
When problems arise, and they always do, be transparent with your customer and let them know what the challenges are. Let them know why something is happening and what you have in your control to do to fix it. If there's something that you have no control over, be transparent. Don't set deadlines that you can't meet and don't promise things that you can't deliver on. If things go wrong, your attendees will appreciate your transparency and will learn to trust your brand when you're honest with them. Everything doesn't have to be perfect, but great communication makes the difference between a horrible customer service experience and a great one.

MAKE IT RIGHT
In the end, it's important that you do whatever you can to make it right for your attendees. This means going above and beyond to do whatever you can to fix their problems and even take an extra step to offer them something extra. People will remember that you took the time to answer their questions and did whatever you could to make it right. Even if you feel like the problem was not your fault or out of your control, your efforts will not go unnoticed. 

For more insights, read A 5-Step Plan for Dealing with Event Gripes.

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24-Hour West Village IHOP to Open Next Week

WEST VILLAGE Got a hankering for a Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity?

That's a craving you'll soon be able to satisfy around the clock in the West Village.

The Seventh Avenue South and Carmine Street location of the pancake chain IHOP is slated to open next week, staff said Thursday afternoon.

This week, workers were putting the finishing touches on the 24-hour restaurant, which will be the fourth IHOP in Manhattan.

Manager Sylvia Onyewuenyi said the location is hoping to satisfy families by day and patrons of nearby nightclubs by night.

"We hope to provide a family environment, which IHOP is known for," she said. "It's definitely going to be a more club-and-bar crowd in the early morning."

As DNAinfo.com New York reported in June, IHOP franchisee Trihop signed a 49-year lease for the triangular property at 80 Carmine St. in May.

IHOP's East Village location has a nightclub-style bouncer and has fielded neighborhood complaints first about the strong smell of bacon outside and then about noise made by a machine used to reduce the smell, according to Gothamist.

IHOP plans to open more than 25 new locations in the tri-state area, Trihop owner Ben Ashkenazy told The Real Deal last October.

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NYPD Sued for 'Unconstitutional' Muslim Surveillance Program

Muslim nonprofit leader and Brooklyn resident Asad Dandia, 20, is one of several plaintiffs to sue the NYPD June 18, 2013 with a claim that surveillance of Muslims was conducted unlawfully.

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NYCLU

MANHATTAN The NYPD unlawfully profiles Muslims, infiltrates mosques and monitors private conversations, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The lawsuit argues the NYPD's Muslim Surveillance Program violates the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion.

The NYPD is supposed to protect New Yorkers, but it is instead stigmatizing hundreds of thousands of community members as disloyal and inherently dangerous simply because of their religion, NYCLU legal director Arthur Eisenberg said in a statement. "This program not only violates our Constitution and our values as Americans and New Yorkers, but it promotes ignorance and prejudice.

But the city Law Department defended the police tactic.

"The NYPD's strategic approach to combating terrorism is legal, appropriate and designed to keep our city safe," said Celeste Koeleveld, a lawyer for the city who deals primarily with public safety issues. "The NYPD recognizes the critical importance of 'on-the-ground' research, as police need to be informed about where a terrorist may go while planning or what they may do after an attack, as the Boston Marathon bombing proved. Cities cannot play catch-up in gathering intelligence about a terrorist threat."

Plaintiff Asad Dandia, a 20-year-old Brooklyn resident, said someone who he later learned was an NYPD informant infiltrated the community service nonprofit he founded, Muslims Giving Back, ate dinner at his home and even spent the night. After the informant revealed himself, Dandia's group had difficulty attracting new members.

"Islam requires giving back to the community that you have been given by God," said in the NYCLU statement. "Ive done nothing wrong and yet I am unable to practice Islam fully because of what the Police Department did to me.

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Expanded Flood Evacuation Zones Now Cover 600K More New Yorkers

MANHATTAN More than half a million additional New York City residents could be told to evacuate their homes during future hurricanes after the city expanded flood evacuation maps in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The city's Office of Emergency Management and Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway released an updated hurricane evacuation zone map Tuesday in which more than a third of New Yorkers' homes now fall within danger zones.

The new system, with evacuation zones numbered 1 through 6, replaces the former A, B and C system and is the result of six months of collaboration between the city, the National Weather Service and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The new zones incorporate the best-available data and will help the city to more effectively communicate to those most at risk, depending on the characteristics of a particular storm," Holloway said in a statement.

OEM said they determined the borders of each zone by accounting for the areas' risk of flooding from storm surge, their elevation and their accessibility to roads and bridges.

The new maps also take into account the intensity, placement and size of storms, an OEM spokeswoman explained. The models being used by the city will help people brace for larger, slower-moving storms, she said.

Additional portions of Harlem and Chelsea now fall within evacuation zones. Additional areas on the eastern coast of The Bronx have also been added.

In Brooklyn, flood zones now include additional parts of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Brownsville, Flatbush and Bensonhurst. In Queens, Maspeth, Elmhurst, Jamaica, Ozone Park and Jackson Heights have been added to the maps.

On Staten Island, flood zones have crept inland as well.

The new evacuations zones now include 175 of the city's 334 public housing complexes, up from 149 covered in the city's previous flood map. Twenty-five hospitals are now found within the flood zone, up from 21. And 69 nursing homes now fall within the evacuation zone, up from 60 in the previous map.

Detailed zone maps and storm-readiness tips can be found at maps.nyc.gov/hurricane.

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West Village Rec Center Closed Indefinitely After Sandy

MANHATTAN Spring Street senior James Woods usually wakes up near dawn six days a week to swim 40 laps at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center on Clarkson Street.

But since Hurricane Sandy struck, his 7 a.m. routine and those of hundreds of other rec center members has been disrupted.

The city Parks Department-run fitness center at 1 Clarkson St. has been closed because of water damage since the monster storm hit on Oct. 29, and five weeks later there's still no expected reopening date.

Flooding damaged the boiler at the center, cutting off the heat and hot water, a Parks Department spokesman said Wednesday.

"We are working on the repairs but do not have a timeframe yet as to when the center will reopen," he said in a statement.

Woods, a 66-year-old computer technician, said Thursday that the closure of Dapolito which has indoor and outdoor pools, exercise machines and ping-pong tables has limited his exercise schedule to two or three times per week. In the meantime, he has been walking from his SoHo home to the Chelsea Recreation Center on West 25th Street between Ninth and 10th avenues.

The gym closure has affected the fitness regimens of lots of older Dapolito members, he said.

"A lot of seniors, this is what they do," he said. "This kind of shuts us down."

The Parks Department is reminding members at Dapolito and the Asser Levy Recreation Center in Kips Bay, which was also damaged by the storm, that they can use any facility in the five boroughs. The center's low membership fees run anywhere from $150 per year for access to all the centers, to just $25 per year for seniors. 

To accommodate members whose local centers are closed, the Parks Department has added Sunday hours at the Chelsea center and Recreation Center 54, located on East 54th Street in Sutton Place, through December. Those locations are now open Sunday from 9:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Workers at the Chelsea location said Thursday they have seen an uptick in foot traffic since the storm, but that there have been enough pool lanes and ping-pong tables to go around.

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Prepare for the Unexpected, Part II: Rain or Shine

By Jeff Caldwell

Nobody has to tell you that this years weather has been crazy. From spring snowstorms to surprise heat waves, you never know whats going to happen nextand, when youre an event planner, this makes planning outdoor activities tricky.

How can you decorate outside spaces in a way that creates a consistent experience, no matter what the weather does? What decor choices will work whether its raining, shining or hailing? To help answer these questions, heres a look at some of the most important tips to remember when youre decorating for outdoor events:

• Prepare Guests Ahead of Time: Hosting a wedding in a grassy field? Holding a corporate event in a barn-turned reception hall? Prepare your guests expectations by suggesting flat shoes for the wedding and a casual dress for the barn party.
• Choose Weather-Resistant Decor: Because you cant count on the weather to do what you expect on your event day, choose decorating options that are adaptable to various weather changes. Instead of cushioned chairs that will soak up rain, go with steel or plastic seating that is easy to clean and resistant to weather damage. Instead of lightweight flower centerpieces that can easily blow away in the wind, add anchors to the vases that will keep them cemented even if its blustery outside.
• Add Comfort-boosting Features: As you already know, its often the little touches that make all the difference between an event that feels ho-hum and an event that feels special. In terms of weather, wow your patrons by taking extra steps to account for potential discomforts. On hot days, hand out mini fans, water bottles and sunscreen. If its raining, hand out umbrellas to people who are running to get their cars. When an area is hilly and potentially hard to walk through, have baskets of disposable flip-flops available for guests to grab.

  RELATED:  Don't Let Bugs Bug Your Guests at Outdoor Events

• Make a Plan B: Should inclement weather threaten to ruin your event, its good to have a backup plan. Whether this means moving your party indoors when its raining or putting up a big tent if its especially hot, knowing that you have another option is sure to calm your nerves, not to mention protect your event when unexpected weather changes strike.

  RELATED:  10 Uses for a Tent
  While this isnt always possible with budget constraints and size of events, says Matt Walker at Endless Entertainment, having a place nearby in the back of your pocket that you can transfer the essentials of your event to in case of rain or bad weather can allow you to continue with the most important aspects of your event at a safe location.

Like it or not, you cant guarantee what the weather will be like on a given day, no matter how strategically you schedule things. Protect your guests and the success of your event from unplanned weather issues by following the tips above! By setting the right expectations, adding shade structures, choosing the right decor, adding comfort features and having a plan B in place, you can rest assured that everything goes according to schedule, even when unexpected weather makes it feel like it doesnt.

Jeff Caldwell is Brand Manager of Superior Shade in Carrollton, GA. Superior Shade provides custom umbrellas and other shade structures to fit your outdoor space.

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Man Stabbed in Times Square in Broad Daylight, Police Say

MANHATTAN A man was stabbed just steps from the Times Square Disney Store in broad daylight Tuesday, police sources said.

The victim, who was described as wearing a gray bandana, was stabbed in the chest near Seventh Avenue and West 46th Street at about 2 p.m. and transported to Bellevue Hospital, according to the FDNY.

A tour bus ticket agent standing near the crime scene said she saw a man swinging a chair at another man while holding his left side. The ticket agent, a 31-year-old who identified herself only as Edwina, said the stabbing victim fell to the ground.

"I don't think I'm going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it," he said, according to the witness, who said the attacker then walked away calmly, traveling south on Seventh Avenue and turning west onto 45th Street.

The stabber and victim knew each other and both worked setting up tables for vendors in Times Square, police said.

Police tape temporarily blocked the entrances to the Disney Store and a MAC Cosmetics store Tuesday afternoon, along with part of the sidewalk on the east side of Seventh Avenue between 45th and 46th streets. The sidewalk was reopened by 3 p.m.

Police were searching for a man in his 40s.

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International Snack Ideas for Business Meetings

On LinkedIn, a new event planner recently asked:

"What type of coffee break do you choose for events? "

I responded "It depends," then clarified my answer.

I've facilitated team building retreats and workshops and planned corporate events in 14 countries.

Through these experiences, I've learned that attendees in other countries usually expect more substantial fare than than what is offered on North American meeting menus.

By contrast, in other parts of the world, hot local favorites and some of the items served as hot hors d'oeuvres in North America are served for snacks.

North America

Morning coffee breaks generally include muffins or Danish pastry. In Canada, croissants are popular and one expect to find pain au chocolat in Quebec. (Pain au chocolat is also popular in France.)

Afternoon breaks usually include soft drinks, coffee, tea, and cookies or brownies. For a treat, finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries are served for afternoon tea.

Europe

In Europe snacks will vary depending on the country. Open face sandwiches may be served in Scandinavian country. In the Netherlands, assorted cheeses will be found on snack menus.

The menu for meetings at the Hotel Napoleon in Paris lists chouquettes, croissants, and Danish pastry for the morning break and French pastry in the afternoon. By contrast Ritz London has macaroons, scones, and tarts as snack items. Its afternoon tea includes:

• a selection of sandwiches
• scones and clotted cream cakes
• pastries and cakes

Asia

In Malaysia and Singapore, there will be a mixture of Chinese, East Indian, Malay, and Western snacks for tea break. (They aren't called coffee breaks.) Examples include Laksa, satay, spring rolls, prawns (shrimp), sticky rice, plain rice.

Even afternoon teas is a full meal with substantial hot items. For example, at the Tiffin Room at Raffles Hotel in Singapore the menu includes:

• assorted finger sandwiches
• a Dim Sum station
• savory items like sausage rolls and chicken pie
• scones
• hot desserts
• English cake
• assorted fresh fruit

In Japan, during meeting breaks, sushi, tempura, or yakatori are appropriate. Mochi is sometimes served for a sweet snack item.

The Caribbean

Fresh fruit and blended fruit drinks are enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Rum and raisin or grape nut ice cream are popular.

For snacks, in Jamaica, patties will be definite crowd pleasers. So will local sweets like grater cake (one of my favourites - pictured), "plain cake," bulla, gizzada, and coconut drops.

The Middle East

For breaks, pita bread with mini-falafels, vegetable samosas, kebbeh balls, or cheese ambousek may be served. Baklava is a popular sweet in the Middle East and some parts of Europe.

At the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, 4 different afternoon teas are served. The Ultimate Afternoon Tea includes:

• champagne, assorted sandwiches
• a daily beef dish from the chef's carvery
• rice or potatoes
• scones
• fruit tarts
• French pastries 

For more international snack ideas, also read  21 Delectable Desserts for Corporate Events, What's Cool: 40 Wonderful Winter Menu Ideas, and Foreign Festive Fare for Christmas Events.

Photo Credits: no name, jean, jpellgen, reggae treats

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Fatal Subway Shover Says He 'Didn't Mean to Push That Hard'

RIKERS ISLAND The man who confessed to fatally pushing a straphanger onto the tracks of a Midtown subway station earlier this week said he was high on pot during the horrific incident and never meant for victim Ki-Suck Han to die.

Naeem Davis, 31, an immigrant from Sierra Leone, said during an interview at Rikers Island Friday morning that he had no intention of killing Han, a 58-year-old Queens dad who was crushed by a Q train at the 49th Street and Seventh Avenue station Monday.

"I didn't mean to push him that hard," said Davis, who wore a bright orange jumpsuit and had a scraggly black goatee, "I just wanted him to get away from me.

"God was testing me. I failed that test."

Davis, who said he is bipolar but is not taking medication, claimed he began fighting with the victim shortly before 12:30 p.m., when Han grabbed him just as he was getting ready to walk through the turnstile.

"I'm going to kill you," Han shouted, according to Davis.

Davis, who was headed to 28th Street to pick up T-shirts and other items to sell in Midtown, said he yelled back, "I don't know you. Get away from me" and feared that Han was "under the influence of something."

The suspect, who claimed he was left homeless after Hurricane Sandy destroyed his house in the Rockaways, then said that Han approached him two more times once after both men passed through the turnstile and then again on the platform.

The second and third times Han approached Davis, the vendor, who said he was high on pot at the time, told himself: "Naeem, he's coming again, he's coming again."

The final time Han approached him, he lashed out, shoving him away. Han fell onto his backside on the platform and then "rolled" onto the tracks, Davis said.

Davis, who is being held without bail on a murder charge, said he was "in shock," never heard the conductor announce that a train was coming into the station and did not have time to help Han up.

"It happened so fast," he said. "I didn't have time to react."

The Q train pulled into the station, hitting Han so hard that Davis "heard his bones crack," he said.

Han was pronounced dead at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital and left behind a wife and 20-year-old daughter.

After Han was struck by the train, Davis ran from the station, but turned himself in the next day once he knew police were searching for him.

Davis said he is a devout Muslim who usually visits a mosque daily. He said he regretted Han's death.

"From the depths of my heart, I didn't mean to kill him," he said. "I've been praying almost every hour."

Davis said he would like to apologize to his victim's wife.

"I just want to see her face to face and say I'm sorry," he said.

Davis is due in court Dec. 11.

Thank you for reading article Fatal Subway Shover Says He 'Didn't Mean to Push That Hard'

Upscale Eatery Can Open in Union Square Park, Court Rules

A restaurant legally can open in Union Square Park Pavillion, a judge ruled June 18, 2013.

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Flickr/afagen

MANHATTAN High-end brunch is headed to Union Square Park, and the Holiday Market will be back this winter.

A state appeals court ruled Tuesday that a restaurant can open in Union Square Park Pavilion and the popup Christmas bazaar may continue to operate, knocking down a 5-year bid to eliminate commercial uses of the park.

The unanimous decision by the Manhattan Appellate Division will allow chef Simon Oren of 5 Napkin Burger to open a 200-seat restaurant on the northern end of the park, according to the city Law Department.

City lawyer Michael Cardozo said the decision affirms the Parks Department's discretion to allow restaurants and shopping areas to operate on parkland.

Seasonal amenities such as outdoor cafes and bazaars enhance the park experience for city residents and visitors alike," he said in a statement.

Parks Commissioner Veronica White also praised the court's decision, which dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Union Square Community Coalition.

Concessions like restaurants and holiday markets have been a welcome addition to the host of amenities in our open spaces for over a century and we are very happy that we will continue that tradition at Union Square, she said in a statement.

Union Square Community Coalition board member Geoffrey Croft said he was disappointed by the decision.

"The Bloomberg administration and Union Square Partnership should be ashamed of themselves for trying to take away desperately needed play space in that community," he said in a statement. "It's disgraceful that the needs of the community and especially children not to mention park policy are allowed to be dictated by a [business improvement district group]."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg first announced plans for the redesign of Union Square Park in 2004, and some criticized him then for including a restaurant in the plan.

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Vivid Sydney Festival Illuminates Sydney, Australia

The Vivid Sydney Festival started last Friday and it runs until the 2nd Monday in June. This 18 day event is a joyous celebration with 3 main components:

1. Vivid Music: There's something for everyone whether tastes are classical or avant garde. Musical collaborations create a fusion of various genres. Performers will include Grace Jones, folk veteran Bill Calahan, the Melbourne Ska Orchestra,
2. Vivid Ideas: Ideas are fostered and exchanged through conferences, workshops, and keynotes. This year's line us includes:
   • Trust me I'm Creative in which a panel of experts will discuss how to unleash creativity and foster trust in the workplace
   • The Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC)
   • The Myth of Work Life Balance in a Get Ahead Culture
      
3. Vivid Light: Light because the fireworks and the magic of 3D projection mapping transforms the Sydney Opera House, Martin Place Circular Quay, and other prominent arts venues into a kaleidoscope of color and light. The Vivid Light Show Dinner Cruise is the ideal vantage point from which to view the illuminations. This year a Giant robotic Pac-Man will light up the festival.

Hyde Park Barracks will be transformed into a interactive PLAY[ground] during the June long weekend, celebrating birthday of Elizabeth II.

This year, the festival has expanded its culinary offerings. There are night markets at Central Park featuring culinary fare and Eveleighs Carriageworks has been transformed into a bespoke gourmet venue showcasing the cuisine of 4 popular restaurants. Newton Hotel has created a pop-up restaurant in Central Park.

Last year, Vivid Sydney was recognized as Australia's Best Tourism Event. It's the perfect time to plan a conference or corporate event Down Under. 

Places to Stay in Sydney, Australia

Corporate groups will have no shortage of meeting friendly places to stay in Sydney including Shangri-la Hotel, Sydney, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney and The Langham, Sydney, a 96 room boutique hotel.

Photo Credit: Jason James

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VIDEO: Cops Seek Suspect Who Attacked Elderly Woman in W. 13th St. Robbery

MANHATTAN A thief violently pushed down and robbed an 85-year-old woman in the elevator of her Meatpacking District home Saturday night, police said.

The woman was entering her apartment building at 305 W. 13th St. around 11 p.m. Saturday when the male suspect followed her inside, police said.

As surveillance footage shows, the towering man followed the small woman, who walks with a cane, into the building on the same block as Notre Dame School, the wine bar Zampa and the high-end clothing shop Y-3.

The thief sat in a chair in the building's lobby and then followed the woman into the elevator, where he shoved her to the ground and snatched her purse, tucking it into his sweatshirt, surveillance video shows.

The suspect is described as approximately 35 years old, standing between 6-feet and 6-foot-3, and weighing between 200 and 230 pounds, police said. He was wearing a brown sweatshirt and brown winter hat at the time of the incident, police said.

The victim was not injured in the attack, cops added.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES), and then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

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Mobile Smarts: 6 Ways to Save Wherever You Roam

If you're fortunate enough to live in a country that is a member of the European Union, then, due to legislation that comes into effect on December 15, 2015, you'll pay the same rates whether you make mobile phone calls or send text messages in your home country or throughout the European Union.

In other jurisdictions, as discussed in a previous Cvent Event Blog post, Travel Tips for Event Planners: Watch Out for Roaming Charges, whopping mobile service bills can await when planners return to home base.

Here are 6  options to explore to save while roaming:

1. Disposable Phones: American police TV shows often make reference to disposable phones. I'm not familiar with them in Canada but they are readily available in U.S. destinations. WalMart has them from $8.97 to 59.98. These are pre-paid phones and you can pay as you go. If you're going to be away for a long time, the cost of service can add up.
    
2. SIM Cards: Pre-paid Sim Cards make it possible for you to roam on the local network. They can be purchased at retail outlets or online through services like Ready SMM USA. You can opt for talk, text and data or data only service. There are 7, 14, 21, and 30 day plans. A 30 day talk, text and data plan was $55.

   The only catch that to use SIM cards, your mobile device must be unlocked. I checked with my ISP and the cost of unlocking a phone was $50. For event planners organizing corporate events, the logistics of ensuring that everyone in the party has unlocked phones can be challenging.
    

3. KnowRoaming Sticker: The KnowRoaming sticker is a stick-on circuit that, when glued to a phone's SIM card, offers discounts in roaming charges. It can be used on any unlocked, GSM-capable mobile phone
    

4. Moblie Phone Rentals: At some destinations, mobile phone and satellite phone rental services like Roadpost, Trip Tel and Cell On Wheels are available. Rentals can be pre-reserved and often the phones can be picked up and returned at the airport.
    

5. Plug and Play Freedom Sticks: Users can select preferred roaming lists with plug and play sticks. FreedomPop Freedom Sticks are in effect, wireless modems that can be plugged into mobile devices.
    

6. Roaming Packages: I'm writing this blog post from New York City. I checked with my Canadian mobile service provider and ended up purchasing a text and voice plan for $30 for $30 days. I am able to phone and text throughout the U.S. and Canada without incurring roaming or long distance charges. To use this option for corporate groups, it would be best to give participants a credit that can be applied to pay for roaming packages with their own service providers.

Photo Credit: European Credit

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Alec Baldwin to Host Bill de Blasio Fundraising Dinner

Actor Alec Baldwin is endorsing Bill de Blasio for mayor.

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Frank Franklin II

MANHATTAN After entertaining his own potential to run for mayor of New York, actor and Greenwich Village resident Alec Baldwin is now campaigning for candidate Bill de Blasio.

De Blasio's campaign sent an email bearing Baldwin's name Thursday morning soliciting contributions and offering donors a chance to win two seats at an upcoming fundraising dinner.

With a subject line reading, "I'll save you a seat," the message signed "Alec" asks recipients to donate "$10 or whatever you can afford."

"New York needs a mayor who will stand up for every New Yorker: one who is willing to ask the wealthy to pay a little more so that every child has access to early education and after-school programs, one who knows that strong community-police relations are essential to public safety and one who understands the inequality crisis facing our city and has the strength and compassion to bring us back together," the funding pitch said.

When and where the dinner will be held are not provided on de Blasio's website.

De Blasio's celebrity backers include Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Alan Cumming.

As far as celebrity endorsements go, mayoral hopeful and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn reportedly has Brooke Shields, Candice Bergen and Whoopi Goldberg in her corner.

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Bob Marley Course Sparks Intellectual Fire at NYU

GREENWICH VILLAGE Jammin'!

Legendary reggae artist and activist Bob Marley has been elevated to high academia, after NYU added a three-week class in January dedicated to his life and times.

The Tisch School of the Arts course, "Topics in Recorded Music: Bob Marley & Post-Colonial Music," will cover Marley's music, Jamaican history and Rastafarianism, instructor Vivien Goldman said Monday.

Goldman, who did public-relations work for Marley in 1975 before writing two books about him, said the two-day-per-week class which costs $2,822, according to NYU's website is open to anyone with a high school diploma. 

"By studying him, you get a sense for the arc that he lived," said Goldman, an adjunct professor. "He was born in colonialism, and through his work he helped push society forward, toward the transracial, transnational unity that he summed up as 'One Love.'"

Goldman, a writer and educator originally from London, knew Marley from 1975 until his death in 1981.

"I stayed at his house in Kingston, and we got to know each other very well," she said.

"Bob Marley lived up to the image you have of him. He did walk what he talked and live what he preached," she said. "He really had an urge to improve the situation around him."

The graded, two-credit class will be held Tuesday and Thursday nights from Jan. 7 through Jan 26.

Non-NYU students can enroll online through Jan. 6, according to the site. 

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