City Tavern No More

In honor of Climate Week, a coalition of scientists and activists reset the digital clock with red numbers seen on the side of a building in Union Square and changed it into a “ClimateClock.” The numbers now count down the years, days, hours, minutes and seconds the Earth has left to take action to stop global warming from going over 1.5°C more than the pre-industrial levels.

According to the organization, who aims to put the countdown clock in cities across the world, the clock’s calculation is based on the world’s current rates of emissions and the amount of CO2 that can still be released into the atmosphere. The clock simply counts down to when the “carbon budget” runs out. If the world manages to lower its emissions, more time will be left on the clock.

The clock is based on the carbon clock made by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) which uses data from the recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, ClimateClock says.

The artists responsible for putting up the clock in Manhattan told the New York Times in an interview that the display will be up until the end of Climate Week, Sept. 27. Artists Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd also told the paper that they created a mobile Climate Clock for Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg last year before her appearance at the UN Climate Action Summit.

With the backdrop of recent wildfires and hurricanes, which scientists say show how climate change is magnifying the extremes in weather, protests for climate action are expected all over the world on Friday.

Life in Union Square is about to get a little tastier. The Real Deal reports that Dylan’s Candy Bar signed a long-term lease for 3,300 square feet at 33 Union Square West between Blue Water Grill and Heartland Brewery. Loosen you belts, because sweet addition joins Breads Bakery on the west side of Union Square, which has already become a neighborhood hit with its sweet baked goods.

Between 12th and 13th St. on University Place, the cleaners is moving, the European cookie store that no one needed is closing, and the Verizon store is gone. Is it a case of all leases running out at the same time? Who knows? What’s next? Who knows???

Next week (April 11 to April 15), Contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, and load out material. We will continue to underpin both adjacent buildings with DOB approval of our means and methods. Drilling of tie-backs, lagging and sheeting around the perimeter will progress as well. The following week (April 18 to April 23), we will continue rock excavation and loading out, as well as underpinning both adjacent buildings, lagging and sheeting.

The very expensive new condo at 64 University Place will eventually have a very expensive bakery at street level. Dominique Ansel, inventor of the cronut, is bringing his talents to the street at Papa D’amour. Read all about it here.

Two new condos will soon be on the rise just across 5th Avenue. The larger of the two will be at 31 West 14th St. (rendering pictured below). The other one is at 5 West 13th St., the former block-through office of Social Services. Residents of the 14th St. side of our building will recall how many people mistook our building, at 12 East, for the office at 12 West. It was annoying.