Brookfield Place is one of downtown’s go-to locations since its redesign after 9/11. The 14-acre, 5-building complex on the Hudson River is home to some of the world’s most innovative companies and one of New York’s most celebrated experiential, culinary, cultural, and shopping. DOWNTOWN’s Founder, Grace A. Capobianco, recently had the pleasure of visiting the newly redesigned Parm Brookfield Place, created by renowned chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, and restauranteur Jeff Zalaznick.
Parm’s original location opened in New York City’s Little Italy in 2011, offering classic Italian dishes. They are renowned for everything from their prized Chicken Parm, and homemade meatballs, to Rigatoni Carbone-dishes that the Michelin-starred chefs Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi ate growing up. Their goal has always been to make the best versions of recognizable dishes we’ve all come to know while remaining faithful to their history.
The newly redesigned space in Brookfield Place offers a light modern design, with an expanded bar with counter seating and tables. The menu has had some updates, but don’t worry, your favorites are still offered, and much more.
“My guest and I enjoyed experiencing everything on the menu during our visit,” says Capobianco.
Dishes from Parm
“Some of our fave starters, the Pizza Knots, are a must, perfectly cooked with pizza spices, garlic, and butter, served with a side of tomato sauce. Also loved the Fried Calamari with Italian green peppers, with a little kick, and Momma Maria’s meatballs. These delicious meatballs will have you wanting more; you can’t eat just one, no fillers, just fresh pork, veal, beef with their secret ingredients.”
Parm’s Mamma Maria’s MeatballsParm’s Pizza Knots
“We’re not done yet, on to the pasta dishes. We sampled the Penne Carbone, in a spicy pink vodka sauce, and Rotini Genovese, with basil pesto, and creamy burrata. This was a nice twist on pesto.”
Penne Carbone, with Spicy Pink Vodka Sauce.
On to the main course, a Skirt Steak Pizzaiola-grilled skirt steak, covered with roasted tomatoes and peppers. Their Lemon Garlic Chicken is served as a half organic chicken, cooked in a cast-iron pan covered in lemon, garlic, and parsley.
Parm’s Lemon and Garlic ChickenSkirt Steak Pizzaiola
“Desserts. A bit of advice, remember when ordering to save room for dessert. We did not!”
“We savored the Gelato Sundae with pistachio, mascarpone, & cherry gelato topped with whipped cream & a pizzelle cookie, and Mario’s Cannolis, comes with 3 to an order, and the Nutella Brownie served warm with mascarpone gelato & Nutella caramel.
We were rolled out of Parm, with bags of leftovers to savor for the next few days. To be honest, it did not make it past our staff’s eyes.
Parm is not only a great go-to neighborhood restaurant but also for global visitors. You have the option of dining in and or ordering delivery or pop in for a takeaway.” For more information, visit parmitalian.com
The New York International Children’s Film Festival is returning for its 25th anniversary starting today through March 19. Featuring new and emerging artistic films for kid audiences, the NYICFF is bound to surprise and delight families, children, and imaginative adults. With 20 different films to choose from in addition to exclusive short film programs, films ranging from animation to foreign drama to a child’s life will cover every scope of wonder a viewer could hope to have.
Films made in countries including France, Japan, Argentina, Germany, and beyond will be among those exhibited at this cultural festival. Children will find the stories and realities told in these films to be both personable and entrancing, making connections to their own lives and enjoying the possibilities of movie magic. The international scope of the festival also allows them to be exposed to other languages and cultures, which can instill an appreciation for diversity and foreign cultures from an early age. It can also support how children develop qualities such as an open mind and the ability to think critically.
The NYICFF has been carefully curated to offer the best qualities of an in-person movie theater experience while still cautiously planning around COVID-19 realities. In-person screenings will all take place at the SVA Theatre, located at 333 West 23rd St. in Chelsea. Proof of vaccination is required, and all theaters will undergo a rigorous cleaning regime between screenings to ensure complete safety for guests. Virtual programs for children both below and over 5 years old will also be available for those seeking to enjoy the festival from the comfort of their own home.
To learn more about the New York International Children’s Film Festival and purchase tickets, visit https://nyicff.org/festival/. The festival runs March 4 through March 19, with different films and programs available each day.
“Emanuele identified a real estate niche market amongst his fellow models who had moved to Milan”
At the age of 18, Emanuele Fiore, left Torino, Italy for Milan to start what would be a very successful modeling career, and he did just that and more.
While in Milan, Emanuele identified a real estate niche market amongst his fellow models who had moved to Milan from around the World to try their luck in the Fashion Capital. Emanuele started a real estate agency chain “CASA IN” handling rentals and sales throughout Italy as well as partnering with other agencies throughout Europe.
Having traveled the world for work as a model, Emanuele established a very strong and successful network in the fashion world, celebrities, politicians, and business leaders who are keen to be in the New York Real Estate market.
Being fluent in 4 languages, Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Emanuele has successfully par-laid that international experience into a discerning NY real estate career. Emanuele now with over 10 years of experience in the USA real estate market, can guide you through notable condominiums, cooperatives, and townhouses. He has worked with private individuals and developers to identify a townhouse for purchase, renovation, and resale at significant profits in addition to working with individuals to identify townhouses as long-term homes.
He is adaptive to client needs, discreet, and known for his careful negotiations on their behalf.
DOWNTOWN had the opportunity to interview Emanuele Fiore
DTM: What do you like most about being a broker in New York City?
EF: Being a broker in New York City, is probably the most difficult and competitive city in the world.. a good thing is that the price point of real estate is high compared to everywhere else, so once the hard work is done and the deal is sealed, the commission is worth the immense effort. I very much like being a broker here in New York, the properties are spectacular!
EF: Unit 56 at 23 East 22nd Street in Flatiron entered contract this week, with the last asking price of $16,995,000. Built-in 2009, this gut-renovated condo spans 3,310 square feet with 4 beds and 3 full baths. It features a 360-degree park, river, and city views, a private foyer with a south-facing view, a primary suite with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet, hardwood floors, and much more. The building provides a full-time doorman and concierge, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor pool, a steam room, a parlor room, and many other amenities.
Compass – Unit 56 at 23 East 22nd Street
Also signed this week was Unit 36B at 15 Central Park West on the Upper West Side, with the last asking price of $15,250,000. Built-in 2007, this condo spans 2,367 square feet with 2 beds and 2 full baths. It features unobstructed park views, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom white rift oak shelving and storage throughout, a paneled wall that accommodates a gas fireplace, an open eat-in kitchen with high-end appliances, a west-facing primary suite with an en-suite bathroom, and much more. The building provides a large fitness center, a lap pool, a private restaurant/catering, and many other amenities.
Unit 36B at 15 Central Park West
Looking for the perfect broker, while finding just the right home, look no further!
Emanuele Fiore Licensed Real Estate Salesperson M: 516.653.8279 efiore@compass.com
DOWNTOWN’s board member Elizabeth Velez was named to the board of MTA, along with Janno Lieber as Chair and CEO of the MTA Board.
“We’ve been fortunate to work with both Elizabeth and Janno, a perfect pair to ensure the continued success for MTA, and we are excited to see what the future holds for our public transportation system. We wish them the best in their newly appointed positions,” says DOWNTOWN’s publisher and founder, Grace A. Capobianco.,
Governor Hochul today announced Janno Lieber has been nominated to serve as Chair and CEO of the MTA Board and Elizabeth Velez has been nominated to serve on the MTA Board.
“As Governor, my first duty to New Yorkers is to ensure that those who serve our state are experienced, committed, and ready to tackle the challenges we face,” Governor Hochul said. “Janno is leading the MTA forward with expert management and vision, and Elizabeth will bring a wealth of invaluable knowledge and expertise to our challenges together. These are strong, competent leaders who will help steer the MTA through this critical time. We will continue to make appointments that ensure our transit system delivers for riders.”
“I am honored and grateful to be nominated by Governor Hochul, who has been a supporter from day one of a smart transit system that serves all New Yorkers. I look forward to working with the governor, her team, and our partners in the legislature to ensure that subways, buses, and commuter railroads continue to be an engine fueling the region’s economic recovery,” Janno Lieber said. “Elizabeth Velez has a deep understanding of the value of transportation to New Yorkers, will be an excellent addition to the board and I’m eager to work with her on important issues facing the MTA, including a historic capital program that will modernize and expand the transit network and provide enhanced equity and accessibility to New Yorkers in the years ahead.”
“I am thrilled to be nominated by Governor Hochul to the MTA Board,” Lieber said. “The MTA is a crucial connection point for New Yorkers throughout our city. With the impending influx of infrastructure dollars, the MTA is central to not only improving essential transportation but also to create opportunities both in workforce and procurement that affect our communities.”
Janno Lieber will be nominated to serve as Chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board. He has been Acting Chair and CEO since July 2021.
Janno Lieber photo by MTA
In his role at MTA Construction and Development, Mr. Lieber oversaw the agency’s $55 billion five-year capital program, including State of Good Repair investments in infrastructure and facilities of New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels. He is responsible for upgrades to signals and other major systems, system expansions, and mega-projects such as East Side Access, the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway, and the Third Track expansion of the Long Island Rail Road mainline. He is also responsible for upgrading and professionalizing the MTA’s project management capacity and for integrating real estate planning and economic development into MTA infrastructure projects.
From 2003 to 2017, Mr. Lieber served as President of World Trade Center Properties LLC, where he was responsible for managing all aspects of the Silverstein organization’s efforts to rebuild the World Trade Center site, including planning, design, and construction issues; business, financing, and legal matters; and public affairs, government, and community relations.
Earlier in his career, he held positions in the administrations of President Bill Clinton and NYC Mayor Ed Koch and worked as an attorney in private practice.
Elizabeth Velez will be nominated to serve on the MTA Board. She is currently the President of the Velez Organization, a second-generation construction firm started in1972 by her father, Andrew Velez.
Elizabeth Velez photo by Velez Organization
To her credit are hundreds of projects which have come to fruition under her direction, including over 600 units of housing made affordable by state and federal grants in the Bronx and Harlem, and over ten billion dollars of significant educational, healthcare, and large-scale projects throughout New York.
She is a Trustee of Boricua College; an accredited private institution serving primarily Latinas through three campuses in New York. She serves on the advisory boards of numerous New York City and New York State agencies, industry non-profits, and groups supporting mentorship and scholarships for youth. She is a member of the Board for Catholic Charities and the New York City Police Foundation. She is currently serving as a Commissioner of the New York City Property Tax Reform Commission. Following Hurricane Maria’s disastrous landfall, Elizabeth was appointed to the NY Stands with Puerto Rico Recovery & Rebuilding Committee, the NY Memorial Commission for Hurricane Maria, and has spearheaded numerous workforce and economic development programs – including a satellite corporate office in Ponce Puerto Rico. On the international front, Ms. Velez is Co-Chair of Iran 180 – an organization that advocates for human rights and the end to Iran’s nuclear threat. She is a contributor to media outlets such as Matter of Fact TV with Soledad O’Brien, Fox News Latino, The New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, El Diario, La Prensa, Hispanic Business, ENR, City & State, and Crain’s New York Business, and most recently, DOWNTOWN Magazine.
She is an outspoken advocate for diversity and empowerment of women and a sought-after speaker on women’s leadership and work/family balance issues. In addition to numerous awards and recognition, Ms. Velez was recognized by City & State as one of the “Manhattan Power 50“.
Help us in congratulating both Janno Lieber and Elizabeth Velez.
A new plan to protect Lower Manhattan from rising waters and the effects of climate change was unveiled last week, calling for flood walls, improved stormwater infrastructure, new open spaces, and a drastic reshaping of the shoreline.
The master plan from the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency and New York City Economic Development Corporation aims to defend the one-mile stretch from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery from future storms like Superstorm Sandy and intense rainfall, like the soaking the city got from the remnants of Hurricane Ida last summer.
The plan would dramatically reshape the neighborhood’s relationship to the waterfront — adding more soft spaces to absorb water and extending the shoreline into the East River via a walkway. It calls for a multi-level construction that would add a water-level esplanade underneath the extended shoreline, where floodwalls would absorb waves from coastal storms. Piers and terminals for the NYC Ferry would also be reinforced.
The problem the plan is addressing is one that much of the borough, and the city, is facing in the climate crisis: Manhattan is made of hard surfaces, which give rain and floodwaters nowhere to go. The new plan would fix that via new stormwater pumps and green spaces that sponge up the water while creating coves to protect wildlife.
The project is expected to cost between $5 to $7 billion and would take an estimated 15 to 20 years to design and build. That’s already a tight timeline: according to the New York City Panel on Climate Change’s projections, rising tides have long been expected to flood Lower Manhattan on a monthly basis by the 2050s; in another 30 years after that, floods could become daily. Some frequent tidal flooding might occur as early as the 2040s, less than 20 years away.
This master plan is the last link in an overall Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Strategy that has already proposed makeovers to shore up the rest of the tip of Manhattan. This particular stretch of neighborhood holds extra challenges because the built infrastructure — like subway tunnels, roads, and shipping ports — provides less green space and less wiggle room than other stretches of the waterfront.
The plan used input from the Climate Coalition for Lower Manhattan, which includes the Alliance for Downtown New York.
It’s a spooky, haunted season, which means you don’t have to indulge too heavily at happy hour in order to start seeing things in the night. An immersive cocktail and haunting experience called House of Spirits is coming to Lower Manhattan.
The “haunted cocktail soiree” will mix the supernatural with magic and themed cocktails.
Step into a world of phantasmic refinement as you mingle with strange specters, witness secret ceremonies, commune with the spirits on a giant Ouija Board, and enjoy themed cocktails, magic, music, and more!
Experience the Hunted
Experience the haunting tale of Molly and Francisco Vega, a young couple who lost their baby during childbirth. The story is loosely based on the life and artwork of Spanish painter Francisco and his wife.
Francisco focuses his grief via art and begins a series of disturbing paintings, while Molly’s grief drives her to a much darker place. Loosely based on the life and artwork of famous Spanish painter Francisco Goya, House of Spirits, produced by Meyer2Meyer Entertainment and Fever, weaves an unnerving and interactive storyline certain to leave guests delightfully chilled.
Guests can freely roam the haunted mansion and interact with the haunting tale of Molly and Francisco Vega.
The event is held inside the Down Town Association, a landmarked private club building whose interior decor could easily stand in for a haunted mansion on a normal day.
Tickets for this Haunted Experience
Standard Ticket – includes:
Live Entertainment, Character Interaction and Experiential Environments
4 Miniature Cocktails
VIP Ticket – includes:
Live Entertainment, Character Interaction and Experiential Environments
Access To Our Exclusive VIP Lounge
VIP Check-In Line
5 Miniature Cocktails
Commemorative Cocktail Glass
General Info
Dates: October 8th to October 31st, 2021
Opening hours:
Thursdays & Fridays: 6pm & 9pm
Saturdays: 4pm, 6.45pm & 9.30pm
Sundays: 3pm, 5.45pm & 8.30pm
Duration: 2 hours
Age requirement: 21+ with a valid ID
Dietary requirements: there will be vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available for purchase. There will also be non-alcoholic beverage options available
Dress code: Guests are highly encouraged (but not required) to dress up for the soirée in time period specific fashion, costume, or elegant dress
Safety Measures: In compliance with NYC Health orders, in order to access this experience, you will need to provide evidence of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.
You can read the safety measures for this event where tickets start at $78 and include four miniature cocktails. Get your tickets here.
