Posted at 5:34 AM on 10-28-07 by Rob T Firefly
Early this month, a New York Observer article on the plan to demolish the Hotel Pennsylvania reported that “Preservationists citywide have responded to Vornado’s proposed demolition with a resounding ‘Eh.’”
This apparent local apathy is perhaps best explained in the article’s quote from Emmanuel Goldstein:
“Just recently, I was in Vienna and Pisa [Italy], where people expressed a great deal of concern to me over the fate of the hotel. It was hard (and rather embarrassing) to explain why New Yorkers might not care enough to get involved. The hotel was old; the rooms weren’t as big and luxurious as other more modern facilities; and New Yorkers simply weren’t in a position to grasp the importance of such a place since they normally don’t need cheap and easily accessible hotels if they already live here.”
A new article in the Observer indicates that while Merrill Lynch has “given every indication” that it intends to move to a new skyscraper built upon the site of the Hotel, there is still “a glimmer of hope.”
The Hotel Pennsylvania demolition project requires public approval, which could take a year, and would entail building over the railroad tracks that run beneath the hotel and pose engineering and security challenges.
A committee of the local Community Board 5 meets Tuesday to discuss whether the hotel merits consideration as a protected landmark. The meeting takes place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30 at 227 West 27th Street, 8th floor, Rm A802.
As Pirho of SaveTheHotel.org noted on the HOPE forums, “if this Hotel does not get the landmarking it deserves, then the fight is over.”
If you want to see this hotel stay, show up and speak at the Community Board 5 Meeting this Tuesday at 6PM.
This could be our last chance to save the Hotel Pennsylvania.
tags: history, hope, hotel pennsylvania, nyc, politics
Posted at 3:34 AM on 10-18-07 by Rob T Firefly
Jim, also kown as Red Balaclava, longtime contributor to Off the Hook and the NYC2600 and HOPE communities, suffered a serious stroke last Tuesday night. He is currently hospitalized in ICU under the close watch of his family, and has reportedly not yet regained coherence.
The news was made public at the beginning of last night’s Off the Hook, which you can listen to here for the full story as we know it so far.
With the permission of Jim’s sister, the address where you can send him mail was also given out on the air. Cards and letters of support can currently be sent to:
Lutheran Medical Center
Attn: Jim Vichench
Room #4637
150 55th St
Brooklyn, NY 11220
*EDIT 2-1-08: This is no longer the correct address. Please see this update for the current one.
Only cards and letters are encouraged. Jim is not in a condition to read them himself, but they will be read aloud to him by his family. Please do not send flowers. Please note also that he is in the intensive care unit, and therefore cannot receive visitors.
You can also send email to Off the Hook at oth@2600.com, with “Attn: Jim” in the subject line. The others will print them out and have them read to Jim.
Our thoughts remain with our friend and his family during this difficult time.
tags: jim
Posted at 12:33 PM on 10-17-07 by Rob T Firefly
Halloween is two short weeks away, and that is a big deal for many of us NYC2600 folk.
The main Halloween celebration in New York - and many say the entire country, if not the entire world - is our own Village Halloween Parade. Starting at Sixth Street and Broome Avenue, the parade marches uptown all the way to 21st street. Anyone in costume is welcome to march in the parade, from the quickest face-paint job or $5 drugstore mask to creations so elaborate your head will spin.
Many NYC2600 folks, including this editor, occasionally or regularly participate in the parade. In years past, we have often gathered with our scattered groups of friends and marched in pockets, often only bumping into one another by chance in the massive crowd afterward.
This year, we’d like to propose that all of us who are interested gather before the parade, and join up together. This way we can perform alongside one another, and possibly hang out afterward, on the one truly wild event of this scale our town has left.
Anyone interested? We’ve created this post in our Livejournal forum to gauge interest, and figure out some sort of plan. (A Livejournal account isn’t required to post comments, anonymous comments are enabled. An OpenID will also work.)
All are welcome to join us, regulars and newbies alike!
For more info on the Parade and its history, check out the official site.
For a look at some of us at parades past, here are this editor’s photo galleries: 2002 2003 2004 2005
tags: events, fun, nyc
Posted at 2:28 PM on 10-8-07 by Rob T Firefly
This month, Slashdot celebrates 10 years online.
In celebration, birthday parties are popping up all over the place for readers of the nerd news site, including this one in our neck of the woods.
Here are the event’s details:
Cake Shop
Monday Oct 15
6pm -> whenever. All ages.
152 Ludlow between Stanton / Rivington (Google map)
Downstairs bar has happy hour 5 - 8 with no cover.
Please respect the venue, buy something and leave a tip.
Come to the party, and welcome your Slashdotting New Yorker overlords.
tags: events, fun, nyc
Early this month, a New York Observer article on the plan to demolish the Hotel Pennsylvania reported that “Preservationists citywide have responded to Vornado’s proposed demolition with a resounding ‘Eh.’”