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Mayor's Panel: NYC to burn then submerge in coming century

The Mayor's office released a new report today that spells out fears we've had for a long time. Climate change projections reveal that by the year 2080 New York City will experience average temperature increases of 4 to 7.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The number of days where temperatures over 90 degrees will increase by increase by "approximately 2.5 to 4 times more." Annual precipitation will increase by 5 to 10 percent.  Frequent and intense coastal flooding will also occur. Sea levels will rise by 12 to 23 inches. That is the conservative estimate. Studies show that ice melting from Greenland and Antarctica is happening at an increasingly faster rate and levels could possibly rise as much as 41 to 55 inches by 2080.

Complied by the New York City Panel on Climate Change, the report also details the expected impact on infrastructure. We can look forward to more frequent power outages along with fluctuations in voltage which will damage equipment. There will be a decrease in water quality and more street, housing and sewer flooding. That leads to even more delays on public transit systems. The degradation of area water system will put a strain on upstate reservoirs, not to mention local wetlands and low-lying areas, which will suffer from an encroachment of saltwater in freshwater ecosystems.

This makes the financial crisis look like a walk in the park.

Buy when there's blood in the streets

While the credit crunch depresses residential home sales, the commercial real estate market has problems of its own. With billions of outstanding loans that need to be refinanced and a tight credit market for months to come, what will happen to the commercial mortgage real estate market?

Craig Evans and Robert Sammonds at Colliers ABR lend an inside perspective.

City hunts down the source of maple syrup smell

While most New Yorkers thought it was a visitation by an extraterrestrial House of Pancakes, it turns out that the mysterious maple syrup smell that was the source of so many 311 calls is a fragrance factory on the other side of the Hudson River.

A swat team composed of the Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Environmental Protection tracked down the unoffending odor. By analyzing air samples they determined the sweet smell (actually foenugreek seeds) wasn't toxic, but couldn't figure out what the heck it was or where it was coming from. Because so many of the calls originated from the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights, the city was able to trace the wind and atmospheric conditions and finally deduced that the smell was coming from New Jersey.

Sometimes, it's just better not to know these things.

photo from NotBloggingNotWriting.com

Obama single-handedly revives newspaper industry by creating news people actually want to read

Zipper Theater Closes

Just like that. Playbill announced that they closed their doors today, but theater owner Lee Z. Davis provided no explanation. The theater's website still lists upcoming shows. In fact, it had just booked shows for Pinchbottom's Murder Most Naked, starring several New York neo-burlesque stars. Even this small homegrown Manhattan based Burlesque industry is hurting from the recession. It had been four months since they've had a new show.  All Jo Boobs Weldon could say was, "Sad, sad, sadness."--Sherry Mazzocchi

Sweetie Pie takes the cake

Sweetie Pie, a new restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, by W. 10th Street, is many things, most of them good. It is very romantic. Not in a schmaltzy, cheesy Valentine’s Day kind of way. With its red banquettes and mirrored surfaces, all lit by white candles in polished silver holders, it is quietly elegant.

It can’t be described as upscale, however. You can order an omelet with caviar as well as steak, fried chicken and fish and chips. Offerings of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cream of tomato soup (not Campbell’s) and BLTs are also on the menu. There is an extensive wine list and the bar looks fully stocked.  Desserts, displayed on a trolley, were tempting morsels of pastel cakes (we didn’t have any.)

Since we are now all unemployed (and probably shouldn’t even be eating out in the first place) we ordered modestly. I had the Eggs in a Nest—scrambled eggs served in a little “nest” of Parmesan cheese. This was much better than I thought it would be. I also had a side order of leeks. The waiter told us, “The leeks are amazing.” Now when a waiter tells you something is amazing, it really better be good. They were prepared with garlic, olive oil and a little thyme.  And when they came, they didn’t disappoint. Everyone at the table thought they were absolutely delicious. The creamed spinach was also quite yummy.

The burger, I’m told, was reliably tasty, although a bit on the small side, and served only on white bread. It came with a nice side of thin, lightly crisped fries. The egg salad sandwich, also accompanied by fries, was a bit more robust.

But the point of a restaurant like Sweetie Pie is not the food. It is more about the magical space they have created. Oddly enough, one of my dining companions saw Barbara Walters, discretely tucked away in a booth.  While the front room is a long mirrored hall with a 1950’s style soda fountain/bar, the back room is a fantasy landscape, populated by horses, zebras and a goddess.  All in all, it is a lovely place. Go with children because they will love it, too. Sit in the birdcage. And order the leeks.--Sherry Mazzocchi

Love Saved the Day

After 40-some years (and over 20 at its location on Second Avenue and 7th Street), Love Saves the Day will close on January 15th. The East Village will never be the same again. We loved you and now we will miss you, too.

 

A new paradigm for our time?

Teun Hocks New Works exhibit opens at P.P.O.W. Gallery on January 8th.

14th St. utility pole advises on economic crisis

 

Frozen Fountain

The frozen fountain made us remember that this park at the intersection of Horatio St. and Greenwich and Eighth Avenues always had a number of people who regularly sat both in and outside the park for years, no matter the weather. But the parking lot across the street is giving way to a large structure that will ultimately contain 35 luxury condominiums. The park itself now has wireless access and will even have a tree-lighting ceremony next week. Previously, the only thing ever lit in that park was a cigarette stub or the people who smoked them. Coincidence? You tell us.