Boba for All

Next week (February 25 to March 1), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building as well as roof work. Additionally we will begin work on the new sidewalks around the building. We have begun dismantling the construction hoist on the building exterior and will continue to do so for the upcoming weeks.

The following week (March 4 to March 8), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors and roofs as well as sidewalk work.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, February 23rd for interior, superstructure, sidewalk, and hoist removal related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

A report:
In honor of Barack Obama’s 100th day in office, an artist has painted what is just one more rendering of Obama as Jesus Christ complete with crown of thorns. ‘The Truth’ will be unveiled on April 29th in Union Square in New York City. No, it’s not some clever blogger’s photoshop or cartoon. It’s a real painting by artist Michael D’Antuono and it’s called ‘The Truth’ in honor of Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office.

The acrylic painting depicts The One appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross with a crown of thorns on his head. He is opening the curtain (much like biblical symbolism of ‘the curtain ripping’ at the crucifixion) revealing the Presidential Seal.

The popular artist, insists he isn’t claiming The One is Messiah, but only inviting ‘individual interpretations’ of his painting. And he generally paints non-political subjects, but felt the need to make a statement.

Once on display in Union Square, the painting will be seen by one viewer at a time behind a voting booth-inspired set up. Kitschy!

It’s a bit of a hike, but the new Wegman’s supermarket at Astor Place is worth a visit because it is so huge and so suburban. Prices are competitive across the board, and the variety of items beats any other store in the area. The sad and tired Gristedes on University Place should be worried.

From The Villagher:

Union Square Park has new and improved free Wi-Fi. The service can accommodate up to 250 people simultaneously using wireless devices, from laptop computers to iPhones and other P.D.A.’s. Two Altai A8 antennas are situated on rooftops at the park’s north and south ends, providing coverage to users in the park, as well as the surrounding area There’s also a local community portal Web page with event listings and recommendations on places to dine and shop.

Vanity Fair reports:

A month after its opening, the new Union Square Café is booming. With two bars, an extensive mezzanine, and two spaces for private dining, it holds 198, as opposed to the 152 it could accommodate on 16th Street. Some of the old art is on the walls, and the menu, though revised, still includes the bibb and red-oak-leaf lettuces salad and the tuna burger (now the 19th Street Yellowfin Tuna Burger). It also features a New York strip steak with marrow mashed potatoes and radish salad, which two women friends, on separate evenings, pronounced the best they had ever eaten. On one of those nights, I had the roasted pork rack with shell beans, kale, and fennel-apple mostarda, which was choice. The other time I chose the very rich, very satisfying pappardelle with duck and chanterelle sugo, Brussels sprouts, and winter squash. For any and every meal I would recommend for dessert the pumpkin-bread pudding with caramelized white-chocolate ice cream, because it is unforgettable and unmatchable.

Like its sister restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, only two blocks away, Union Square Cafe now stays open straight through from noon to 10 P.M. The sharp, better-paid staff, still warm and welcoming, now wear white shirts, open at the neck

Next week (July 16 to July 20), Mechanical equipment deliveries and work on them will continue at the 17th and 18th floor levels. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue. Curtain wall installation will continue.

The following week (July 23 to July 27), we will be working on the machine room levels on the 17th and 18th floors. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, July 14th for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day so as to avoid any excess noise.