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.
You may remember The Adore on the 13th St. block. Now, a couple of doors down at the former site of the copy shop and, briefly, Blossom de Jour, will be a new French/Japanese bakery called Patisserie Fouet.
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.
It looks like shuttered Indian restaurant Babu Ji may be rising from its wage theft lawsuit ashes into the old All’onda space at 22 East 13th Street. A neighbor happened upon the space at an opportune moment, when a garbage bag hanging over a brand-new sign at the address fell down, revealing the words “Babu Ji” for all to see. It’s an unexpected changeover for the space — up until very recently, Red Farm restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld was planning to take the space for a new restaurant called The Mess. The restaurant with chef Zod Arifai was completely built out and had even hired staff and hosted friends and family in February when all work came to a halt in March. Schoenfeld previously told Eater the hold-up was initially a result of issues with the Community Board, who recommended a denial of the space’s liquor license. Schoenfeld did not immediately respond to inquiries, and Babu Ji owners Jennifer and Jessi Singh declined to comment.
A fascinating photo of the good old days. The view is north up Union Square East to Park Ave. South, then known as 4th Avenue. Note that the George Washington statue used to reside at the intersection of 14th St. and 4th Ave.
Laura Maniec, one of only eighteen female master sommeliers in the world and, at 31, currently the youngest, is about to open her own studio and wine bar. Maniec, who served as wine director at BR Guest for ten years and has just launched the wine program at Niko, has signed a lease on a space at 13 East 13th Street in Union Square and plans to unveil Corkbuzz in May. “It will be an extension of your living room and a place for all things wine,” she tells us. In addition to serving vintages from all over the world, Corkbuzz will offer small plates from oysters and sea urchin to pastas and cheese. The 2,500-square-foot space will also host classes, tastings, and events.
The city’s biggest Duane Reade has opened on 14th St. next to Best Buy and Nordstrom Rack. It’s open 24 hours, as is Best Buy. Shop all night.