El Teddy’s Is Staying Put
Reports of the demise of El Teddy’s restaurant were greatly exaggerated.

Late last month, Christopher Chesnutt, owner of the iconic West Broadway restaurant, with its quirky facade and Statue of Liberty crown on top, signed a 10-year lease with his landlord, Steven Elghanyan.

"I’m happy to be able to remain in the neighborhood," Chesnutt said after inking the deal. "We’re a neighborhood fixture and should remain here."

Last year it had appeared that the restaurant’s days were numbered. Elghanyan had wanted to tear down El Teddy’s and put up a residential building, and after several hearings, the Landmarks Preservation Commission said he could do it. Because the building is in a historic district, the commission had to approve the demolition and Elghanyan’s new design.

The commission’s hearings sparked debate about whether El Teddy’s should be preserved. Some said that, as a cultural landmark it should be saved. Others argued that the building had little historical significance. When Landmarks eventually gave its approval, Elghanyan was reconsidering his plan.

"I was pretty sure we wouldn’t be leaving," said Chesnutt. "But people read articles that led them to believe that our fate was sealed. Now we need to lift that shadow."

Like many other Downtown restaurant owners, Chesnutt said his business has suffered since Sept. 11. He is renovating the restaurant’s interior and updating its Mexican menu, after flirting with other types of dishes.
Elghanyan could not be reached for comment.

Mayor Comments on Proposed Tweed Courthouse School
The school Mayor Bloomberg wants in Tweed courthouse will be "a chance to try something different," he said last month. "I don’t know what that is but first you have to get a chancellor. Bloomberg is determined to put the Board of Education, under his control, in the renovated landmark and said he wants a school on one floor there. He tossed off ideas such as a school for non-English speakers or disadvantaged kids, and seemed to dash hopes that it would be for the community. "You have to have bureaucrats who run the system [where] there are real kids with real problems," he said.

Soccer Registration
Registration for the Downtown Soccer League, open to children 6 to 14 who live in lower Manhattan, is extended to July 15. Games are played at Chelsea Waterside Park at W. 23rd St., Pier 40 and Chelsea Park at W. 28th St. Applications are available at Mailboxes, Etc., 275 Greenwich St. or from www.downtownsoccer.org.

New Hotline for Residents’ Financial Incentives
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) is moving forward this summer with its residential incentive program, which will provide substantial rent subsidies to people who live Downtown or move to the neighborhood.

A new information hotline, 866-RENEW-NYC, will be launched on July 15, and the LMDC says it plans to open a community outreach office open by late summer, when applications are expected to be available. The agency hopes to begin sending out checks in the early fall. Program details are on the LMDC’s website, www.renewnyc.com.

CB1 Honors FD, PD
Community Board 1 last month paid tribute to Lower Manhattan’s firefighters and police offers, awarding the First Precinct and each of five Downtown firehouses a plaque and a gift. The gifts, which included a kitchen prep table, workout equipment and a tv, were paid for with money raised from local residents.

Major Redevelopment Forum on July 20
Approximately 5,000 people from in and around New York City are expected to participate in a July 20 forum on the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site and Lower Manhattan and the creation of a 9/11 memorial.

Participants in "Listening to the City," organized by the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York, may voice their opinions on development issues and six planning options to be presented by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

The forum is at the Jacob Javits Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register, call 800-862-3154 or go to www.listeningtothecity.org.

Youth Sailing at Pier 26
The Downtown Boathouse at Pier 26, at the end of North Moore Street, is hosting a free, seven-week sailing program beginning on July 9, for children 11 to 13 who are competent swimmers. Classes are Tuesdays or Thursdays from 6–8 p.m. To reguster, call Martin Sweeney at 675-2595.

Yankee Ferry Tours
Jimmy Gallagher, captain of the historic Yankee docked at Pier 25, will give a free slide show and lecture on July 14 and 28 on the boat’s role as an immigration and Statue of Liberty ferry. Boat tours start at 12 p.m., shows at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more summer events, go to yankeeferry.com.

Coast Guard Sailing
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s 16-week course on the fundamentals of sailing and motorboating begins Wednesday, Sept. 4. Classes are held at the Coast Guard building next to the Staten Island ferry. The cost is $75. For information or to register, call Bruce Burik at 718-805-2730.

Seaport Greenmarket
A new Greenmarket is scheduled to open at the South Street Seaport in July. Farmers at the market will offer fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other goodies. The market will be open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m to 5 p.m.

More Tax-Free Days Downtown
There are two more tax-free shopping periods Downtown this summer, two more chances to save some money while supporting Lower Manhattan businesses. Purchases of goods and services up to $500 in the area south of Houston Street will be exempt from city and state sales taxes July 9-11 and August 20-22. The exemption includes restaurant meals and hotel stays.

Museum of Jewish Heritage Seeks Volunteers
The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City is looking for volunteer Gallery Educators to lead groups through the museum and facilitate discussions with student visitors. Applications are due August 15 and
people of all faiths, backgrounds and ages are encouraged to apply. Training will will take place on Thursday afternoons from Nov 7 through April 2 and will include presentations from Holocaust survivors, overviews of Jewish history, holidays an family life; and familiarization with the museum’s exhibitions, tours and pedagogy. For an application, call the museum at 968-1800, ext. 165, or go to www.mjhnyc.org. The museum is located at 18 First Place, just east of the Battery Park City esplanade.