Hudson Square BID has big plans as city reopens
BY DEAN MOSES
New York City is known for its milestones,
as an ever-expanding metropolis
that builds both outward
and upward with architecture renowned
worldwide. But even with all the historical
feats that lay behind the Big Apple, the
citywide reopening could well be one of
its grandest.
In Lower Manhattan, the Hudson
Square Business Improvement District
(BID) is preparing to welcome residents
and visitors alike back to the area now that
social distancing rules and relaxations are
relaxed to an almost nonexistent degree, at
least for vaccinated New Yorkers.
District president and CEO Ellen Baer
joined the Chief Marketing Offi cer at
the Color Factory Alison Piepmeyer and
Houseman restaurant owner Ned Baldwin
at the Spring Street Park on May 18 where
they unveiled new community events coming
to the neighborhood.
“Welcome back everybody, we are so
excited to welcome back the city,” Baer
said with a joyous smile.
According to Baer, the Hudson Square
BID has been working tirelessly for months
to organize a host of activities for New
Yorkers to enjoy when it came time for the
The Hudson Square BID says they are ready to welcome back the city.
sun to come out and the masks to come off,
with some even being available to relish in
right now.
One of the projects already in operation
is the draw cart, a portable art station
that allows individuals to sit in the park
and draw on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
They have also created open street areas
so guests can remain socially distanced if
desired. Perhaps most signifi cantly of all is
their Reconnect Series, a program that will
introduce open-air art, singers, dancers,
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
and other live outdoor performances to
help bring back culture to Hudson Square.
Throughout the course of the COVID-19
pandemic, businesses that employ an
interactive experience like the Color Factory
— an experimental art exhibit — have
been shuttered. But now that the city is
reopening, the 251 Spring St. location can
welcome back patrons.
“Color Factory had to completely close
down for six months due to the coronavirus
pandemic—it was a really rough time for
us. But what I am really proud of is that
our team took that six months to refocus on
cleanliness. We have UV lights that clean
the air, we have foggers that disinfect the
surfaces and the air, we hired a team that
will come in and clean the ball pit on a daily
basis,” Piepmeyer explained.
Although the latest CDC mask guidelines
state that those vaccinated may now
remove their masks, coming on the other
side of a deadly pandemic remains a contentious
topic. Businesses will be afforded
the opportunity to decide if they will allow
those inside without masks.
“It is honestly tricky because the city
guidelines don’t always parse with what
our customers comfort levels are, so we
have to fi nd a middle ground. The staff is
wearing masks all the time, the customers
are wearing masks inside when they are
walking around the restaurant,” Baldwin
said. “It is really important to us that our
customers feel comfortable, that is really
the bottom line.”
This is an exciting time for those at the
Hudson BID and residents as they are at
long last able to leave their homes and
explore the city once more.
“We are ready for you, and ready we
are,” Baer said.
Educational Building in Village
offi cially a NYC landmark
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
One of the most historic buildings
in the Village is now a
New York City landmark.
On May 18, the New York City
Landmarks Preservation Commission
(LPC) unanimously voted to
designate 70 Fifth Avenue, known as
the Educational Building, in Greenwich
Village as landmarks. According
to LCP, the building — formerly
the home of the NAACP —embodies
the city’s diverse history and remains
culturally signifi cant.
“LPC is committed to ensuring
diversity and inclusion in our designations,”
said Landmarks Preservation
Commission Chair Sarah Carroll.
“As part of our equity framework
launched earlier this year, we are
prioritizing designations like 70 Fifth
Avenue ... to make sure that we are
telling the stories of all New Yorkers.”
Originally built in 1914, 70 Fifth
Avenue is a 12-story L-shaped
offi ce and loft building that housed
the national offi ce of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) from
February 1914 to June 1923. During
this time, the NAACP was able
to grow nationally and launched a
series of effective campaigns against
segregation, race discrimination,
and mob violence, particularly the
horrendous practice of lynching.
Since then, the building has hosted
a number of nonprofi t groups as
tenants, including the American
Union Against Militarism (AUAM)
who founded the National Civil
Liberties Bureau (later known as
the ACLU) in the building, League
for Industrial Democracy, League
of Nations Union, National Board
of Censorship in Motion Pictures
(later the National Board of Review),
National Child Welfare Association,
New York Teachers Union, Pan
American Society, Women’s Peace
Party, and World’s Court League.
In 1972, 70 Fifth Avenue was
acquired by The New School and
is currently a part of the Sheila C.
Johnson Design Center at The New
School’s Parsons School of Design.
“As an institution founded to
engage citizens in solving pressing
social issues, The New School has
long advanced the values of social
justice and equality to strengthen
our community,” said Tokumbo
Shobowale, Executive Vice President
for Business and Operations
for The New School. “We welcome
the designation, which recognizes
the vital history of this building
that today houses the university’s
acclaimed Sheila Johnson Design
Center, an academic and creative
hub located at 70 Fifth Avenue. The
space refl ects The New School’s rigorous,
multidimensional approach
to education and provides a streetlevel
view into the innovative work
of our Parsons School of Design
community.”
FILE PHOTO
70 Fifth Ave.
4 May 20, 2021 Schneps Media