New Neighbor: PetSmart

The Flatiron Partnership is thrilled to announce our highly anticipated newest neighbor: PetSmart! The Flatiron District is packed with pets, so PetSmart makes for a great addition to the neighborhood. 

PetSmart's Flatiron District location is hosting its grand opening on Saturday, April 28th, kicking off with a celebration at 9 am for pets and pet lovers alike. All shoppers visiting the location during the grand opening will receive free giveaways like discount coupons, pet treat samples, T-Shirts, and pet toys while supplies last. The first 50 shoppers will receive mystery gift cards that range in value from $5 to $50.

“We’re excited to be a part of the Flatiron community," said store leader, Hamerton Joseph. "Like so many in the neighborhood, we love pets and look forward to meeting our new neighbors. We encourage the community to check out the store, and of course, pets are always welcome too!”

The Flatiron PetSmart location is nearly 16,000 square foot providing for any and all of your pets' needs with over 10,000 products, accessories, and supplies. The modern space features a Pet Nutrition section that offers natural, minimally processed, grain-free, high-protein, and raw pet food products, such as the paleo-inspired brand, Only Natural Pet, for which PetSmart is the exclusive national retailer. The Flatiron PetSmart also features a self-service dog wash station that is free for its first two weeks of opening, a full-service grooming salon with academy-trained, safety-certified stylists, and training and day camp services. You can find interactive small animal habitats within the store as well. 

The Adopt Spot at PetSmart facilitates the in-store adoption of pets so they may find long-lasting, happy homes. PetSmart is a leading advocate for ending pet homelessness helping over 7.9 million animals get adopted, including its quarter-annual National Adoption Weekends, where over 30,000 pets find a home in a single weekend. The Flatiron location will have a specialized cat adoption center, creating a unique space for cats to socialize.

PetSmart is open for you and your pets Monday through Saturday 9 am - 9 pm. Sunday from 10 am - 9 pm.  

PetSmart, 632 Broadway, on the corner of 24th Street, (212) 475-0893

NYC Department of Small Business Services FY17 BID Trends Report

By working with government partners and community stakeholders, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) like the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership help create vibrant, clean, and safe neighborhoods across New York City. Last week, NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Gregg Bishop announced that the City’s 75 BIDs invested over $147 million in New York City neighborhoods during fiscal year (FY) 2017, boosting over 93,000 small businesses. 

The announcement is part of SBS’ annual FY17 Business Improvement District Trends Report. The report highlights the daily impact of BIDs in providing quality of life improvements and innovative solutions to modern challenges. During FY17, BIDs provided the following services in their districts:

• Collected 4.0 million trash bags;
• Removed over 108,000 instances of graffiti;
• Held 4,719 public events for 12.1 million New Yorkers and visitors;
• Maintained 127 public spaces; and
• Sponsored 147 public art installations

To view the full report and learn more about the local impact of NYC BIDs, visit nyc.gov/site/sbs/neighborhoods/bids.

Fun for Kids on 'Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day'

The annual Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day is this Thursday, April 26th, which means we'll be seeing a lot of kiddos learning all about what Mom and Dad do at the office each and every day. 

The Flatiron District is full of kid-friendly activities and restaurants for you and your child to enjoy at lunch or after work this Thursday. Also included: a few reasons for you to bring them back to Flatiron on a more relaxed day off!

Neighborhood Fun on Take Your Child to Work Day:

The LEGO Store, 200 Fifth Avenue, (212) 255-3217

Inspire your child's creativity at the Lego Store! The experiential store has a large selection of models for different age groups and interests, including superheroes, princesses, and architecture, as well as a large wall of LEGO bricks for in-store play. 

National Museum of Mathematics, 11 East 26th Street, (212) 542-0566

Need an escape from the office mid-day? Stop by the National Museum of Mathematics to celebrate the influence of mathematics as your child learns about math with 30 interactive exhibits. Popular attractions include a Square-Wheeled Trike, a Robotic Basketball Shooter, digital painting, and 3-D doodling. The museum is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. 

Madison Square Park, between Fifth Avenue & Madison Avenue, from 23rd Street to 26th Street, (212) 520-7600

Walk through scenic Madison Square Park as the spring plants bloom and enjoy some time at the Police Officer Moira Ann Smith Playground. After, swing by the original Shake Shack for their famous frozen custard.

Karma Kids, 25 West 23rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, (646) 638-1444

This yoga studio for kids teaches a variety of yoga tools that promote strength, flexibility, confidence, and coordination through creative stretching, music and stories, and breathing and visualization techniques. No pre-registration or reservations required (see schedule and rates here). 

Flying Tiger, 930 Broadway, corner of 21st Street, (212) 777-1239

Flying Tiger has a wide selection of affordable, quirky trinkets and gifts that both kids and adults will love. 

Eataly, 200 Fifth Avenue, (212) 229-2560

This Italian marketplace is the destination for anyone craving something sweet. Stop by Eataly's Gelato counter, Il Gelato, for a wide variety of gelato and sorbet flavors and toppings. Eataly's cannoli bar, Cannoli di Eataly, is also nearby, and the Nutella Bar serves an assortment of crepes, waffles, gelato, and pastries covered in Nutella. 

Reasons to return on your day off:

NY Kids Club, 38 East 22nd Street, (917) 525-4559

NY Kids Club is a children's enrichment center with an open play space where kids can enjoy a 20-foot trampoline, a 20-foot rock wall, a rope swing, parallel and uneven bars, and rings. The Center offers a pre-kindergarten program, gymnastics workshops, musical classes, and science, engineering, math developmental classes. Please contact NY Kids Club Flatiron directly for package availability. 

TADA! Youth Theater, 15 West 28th Street, (212) 252-1619  

See a show at TADA! Youth Theater. TADA is a performing arts center that features shows produced by children and teens throughout the year. From April 28th through May 20th, the talented kids of TADA! will be putting on the original play Geniuses (tickets available here). TADA! offers summer camps, workshops, and musical theater classes for Spring, Fall, and Winter sessions.

apple seeds, 10 West 25th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, (212) 792-7590

apple seeds is an all-in-one play space for children newborn to five years old. apple seeds has a large indoor playground with NYC-themed exhibits and offers over 100 interactive classes each week including music, cooking, art, sports, and dance. Playground packages are available and Class Schedules can be found here. Doodle Doo's at apple seeds is an attached children's hair salon and toy store with modern and classic toy options.

Flatiron Summer Series - Throwback Thursdays, Flatiron North Public Plaza starting June 21st

The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership offers free summer programming, by the community and for the community, for eight consecutive weeks from June through August. "Throwback Thursdays" are especially kid-friendly, with free cornhole, board games, giant Connect 4, and coloring books. On select weeks, the Center for Book Arts provides free bookbinding and art projects. Throwback Thursdays 2018 kicks off on the summer solstice, June 21st. The National Museum of Mathematics will construct a sundial on the plaza where everyone can mark their shadow throughout the day, and Eataly will serve free gelato as a part of our Summer Scoops feature during a live performance beginning at 6 pm. 

Kid-friendly Flatiron Restaurants 

&pizza, 15 West 28th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue, (646) 968-4634

Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, 174 Fifth Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets, (212) 675-5096

Hill Country Chicken, 1123 Broadway, corner of 25th Street, (212) 257-6446

McDonald's, 26 East 23rd Street, (646) 682-9277 & 686 Sixth Avenue, (212) 604-0621

PN Wood Fired Pizza, 2 West 28th Street, (646) 964-4834

Schnippers, 23rd Street and Madison Avenue, (212) 233-1025

Shake Shack, Madison Avenue & East 23rd Street (inside Madison Square Park), (212) 889-6600

TAPPO Thin Crust Pizza, 49 West 24th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, (212) 807-9200

 Photo Credit: LEGO Flatiron Store Flatiron District

New Neighbor: Mykonos Blue Grill

The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership is pleased to announce the opening of Mykonos Blue Grill. As a part of Hotel Henri, a contemporary boutique hotel with a Broadway-inspired style, Mykonos Blue Grill offers a dining experience that transports you to Greece complete with authentic Greek food, wine, and spirits.

The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring all-natural ingredients. Breakfast dishes include an omelet with spinach, feta cheese, and mushrooms, eggs benedict with Canadian bacon, and smoothies made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, blueberries, and bananas. Start your lunch or dinner at Mykonos Blue Grill with small plates like gyro empanadas with house made tzatziki, octopus with fava puree and mint onion relish, or Rhodian meatballs with whipped feta and herbs. Lunch and dinner entrees include lamb chops with hand cut fries, pepper crusted tuna with wilted spinach and hoisin mushrooms, whole baby chicken with roasted vegetables, and a classic Greek salad topped with fresh vegetables, olives, and feta cheese. To complement your dining experience at Mykonos Blue Grill, treat yourself to a post-dinner drink with a view at Sir Henri Penthouse Rooftop.

Mykonos Blue Grill is open for breakfast every day from 7:00 am to 11:00 am and daily for lunch from noon to 4:00 pm. Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm with extended hours until midnight on Friday and Saturday. 

Mykonos Blue Grill, 37 West 24th Street, (212) 727-0258 

Photo Credit: Mykonos Blue Grill

Flatiron Foodies: Flatiron Green Cafe's Avocado Toast

Flatiron Green Cafe, located on the Flatiron South Public Plaza, offers a wide variety of local and organic foods including baked goods, smoothies, hot drinks, paninis, wraps, and an assortment of creative Greek yogurt combinations. Developed with an eye toward healthy, delicious, and affordable fare, they keep it simple with a healthy breakfast or snack anyone can make, the ever-popular avocado toast.

Avocado Toast

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 whole ripe avocado
• 2 slices multigrain toast
• Mesclun greens
• Cherry tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pinch of coarse sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, to taste

 Preparation:

1. Toast the multigrain bread. 

2. Mash and spread the avocado on to the toast, and plate with the mesclun mix and cherry tomatoes.

3. Add red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to the toast; add salt and pepper to the salad.

4. Dress the toast and salad with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. 

5. Optional: great additions to this dish include poached eggs, smoked salmon, or feta cheese.

Pictured above: Avocado Toast with poached egg and mesclun salad

Pictured below: Benvenuto Cafe/Flatiron Green Cafe Chef Vasilios Mallas

Consulting Day for NYC's Nonprofit Community

On April 19th, The Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management (CNSM) presents Consulting Day for New York City's Nonprofit Community. This event is co-sponsored by Con Edison and Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. 

Thursday, April 19, 2018

9:00 am - 3:15 pm

Baruch College, Newman Vertical Campus

Conference Center, 14th Floor

55 Lexington Avenue (at 24th Street)

This complimentary event is a great opportunity to:

• Meet with a consultant and discuss the challenges facing your orgnization
• Receive up to two appointments consisting of a 45-minute one-on-one session
• Network with over 100 leading NYC nonprofit organizations 
• Attend 1-2 workshops led by experts in the nonprofit sector

The cost of free and space is very limited. Appointments are required and will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Appointments and workshop registrations must be made in advance. 

For the full schedule, and to RSVP, click here.

RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, April 18

Call (646) 660-6743 or email nonprofit.workshops@baruch.cuny.edu 

New Neighbor: Cofesta

The Flatiron District is ideal for coffee lovers and we are happy to welcome Cofesta to the neighborhood! Cofesta's spacious location at 33 West 26th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, offers coffee, tea, fresh pastries, and classic breakfast dishes. 

Cofesta's coffee menu, featuring Brooklyn's Devocion roasters, features everything from espresso to cold brew to pour-over specialties. Teas include three types of green tea, and in-house "Special Teas" such as matcha latte and golden chai latte. Almond milk, hemp milk, and Oatly milk is available to compliment all coffee and tea beverages. 

The cafe's food options include avocado toast with feta cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and pumpkin seeds topped with dried cranberries and optional smoked salmon add-on, and a grilled cheese sandwich made with mozzarella, cheddar, and fresh basil. Each sandwich is made with fresh-baked bread from Balthazar Bakery and all of their pastries are baked by The Native Bread and Pastry. Cofesta also hosts a non-alcoholic happy hour with homemade hibiscus sangria for $3 from noon to close. 

Cofesta is open from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Flatiron District Grilled Cheese Guide

April is Grilled Cheese Month, and April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day! The Flatiron District is home to plenty of spots offering tasty takes on this classic comfort food staple.

Luke's Lobster, 5 West 25th Street, (646) 657-0747 

Luke's Lobster, which promises traceable and sustainable seafood, has brought back the Lobster Gruyere Grilled Cheese and Crab Gruyere Grilled Cheese to its seasonal menu through the end of May. Fresh lobster or crab meat is topped with a hefty layer of melted Gruyere between generously buttered toasted organic white bread plus Luke's secret seasoning. 

Photo Credit: Luke's Lobster

Schnippers, 23 East 23rd Street at Madison Avenue, (212) 233-1025 

Serving up feel-good, old-fashioned American food, Schippers has three cheesy melt options: the Classic Grilled Four Cheese on sourdough bread with add-ons such as bacon and plum tomatoes, the Tuna Melt on sourdough with American cheese and tuna salad, and the Chicken Bacon Cheddar Melt made with applewood smoked bacon, white cheddar, baby arugula, plum tomatoes, and Schnipper sauce on ciabatta bread. 

Photo Credit: Schnippers 

Maman, 22 West 25th Street, between Broadway & Sixth Avenue

Inspired by childhood memories in the kitchen, Maman's thoughfully curated menu features a grilled cheese with a French twist. The Croque Maman includes a thick layer of melted comté cheese topped with Parisian ham and béchamel sauce on homemade bread grilled to perfection. The sandwhich is served with a side of fresh mixed greens. 

 Photo Credit: Victoria Morris  

Flatiron Hall, 38 West 26th Street, (646) 790-3200 

The Victorian style Flatiron Hall offers a modern twist on the cheesy sandwhich with its Grilled Aged Cheddar, Tomato, Avocado Melt. The dish includes balsamic onions and fresh avocado served on toasted rosemary pullman bread sprinkled with sea salt. Fresh cut Idaho fries accompany the sandwich, and a cup of soup or a small salad can be added to your meal for $2.

Photo Credit: Spotluck

Bounce Sporting Club, 55 West 21st Street, (212) 675-8007

Bounce, the upscale sports bar and lounge, offers a Double Stuffed Grilled Cheese. This loaded sandwich is overflowing with farmstead white cheddar and Gruyere nestled between thick cut sourdough bread. The dish is served with housecut fries that can be substituted for sweet potato or truffle fries. 

                                                                                                     Photo Credit: Bounce Sporting Club

Recap: Intersections Speaker Series with Councilmember Rivera

Joined by constituents and local businesses, New York City Councilmember Carlina Rivera was the honored guest at the Intersections Speaker Series breakfast hosted jointly by the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership and the Union Square Partnership on Thursday, March 29^th.

The event, held at Almond Restaurant in Flatiron, opened with remarks from Jennifer Brown, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership, and Jennifer Falk, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership, followed by a discussion with Spectrum News NY1 Manhattan Reporter Michael Scotto, who asked questions that were crowdsourced before to the event. Following the discussion on local issues, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and learn about initiatives directly from the Councilmember.

Councilmember Rivera addressed various community concerns, including expressing support for small, independent businesses. The majority of businesses within Union Square and Flatiron are small and locally-owned. Councilmember Rivera highlighted the role government can play through zoning and legislation to help small businesses thrive, and highlighted ways the City can improve existing programs by better marketing services to help mom-and-pop businesses compete with large chain and online retailers.

On the impending L train closure and its impact on local residents, businesses, and employees, the Councilmember continues to meet with the MTA and the NYC Department of Transportation to help mitigate the congestion impacts caused by the temporary shutdown. Among her top concerns are the plan’s use of diesel buses along the corridor and its impact on air quality and the health and quality of life for residents and businesses.

Both the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership and the Union Square Partnership manage public spaces in their respective districts. Michael Scotto asked Councilmember Rivera about the Flatiron Public Plazas and Broadway Plaza and her thoughts on making the spaces, both nearly a decade old, into permanent public space. “I’m all for activating public spaces,” Councilmember Rivera said, noting how public plazas provide respite in an overcrowded city. “I think it’s a great idea, and that is why this relationship with the Union Square Partnership and the Flatiron BID has been very important to me.”

Finally, as co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, Councilmember Rivera shared her efforts to increase gender diversity in the New York City Council. Her stated goal is to increase the number of women representing New Yorkers to 21 by the year 2021, and emphasized her commitment to meet, identify, and mentor women to run for office.

“Business Improvement Districts provide crucial services and it’s always beneficial to hear directly from our elected officials so we can work together to better serve the people who live, work and visit our neighborhoods,” said Jennifer Brown, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “We are grateful to Councilmember Rivera for sharing her vision with her Flatiron and Union Square constituents.”

“Meeting with various stakeholders of Council District 2 – residents, small business owners, and people who work here – is one of the best parts of being an elected official. I was excited to join the Union Square Partnership and Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership for this broad and diverse discussion street safety, supporting small, local businesses, and how we can work together to improve our quality of life,” said Councilmember Rivera.

The Councilmember urged everyone to stay in touch by following her on Twitter (@CarlinaRivera where she encourages Direct Messages), sending an email, or by calling her office at (212) 677-1077.

Photo Credit: Liz Ligon