What’s New

“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” Begins December 1st

Off-Hour Deliveries Program

The Off-Hour Deliveries (OHD) Program encourages goods delivery during the off-peak hours of 7 pm to 6 am in efforts to decrease congestion and truck emission

Due to the success of the OHD pilot program, NYCDOT is now seeking additional carriers and receivers to rethink their delivery schedule and shift to off-hour deliveries. The Off-Hour Deliveries Program is intended to increase the number of deliveries between 7 pm and 6 am in areas with high pedestrian volumes and limited curb space.

Delivery trucks and commercial vehicles are critical to the economic vitality of New York City (NYC), a population of 8.5 million. Without efficient freight transportation, retail stores would not have goods to sell, restaurants would have nothing to serve, offices would have no supplies, contractors would have difficulty building, and waste would remain on the sidewalk. Between 2010 and 2015, NYC added more than 370,000 residents and 520,000 jobs. Approximately 97,000 trucks and commercial vehicles cross NYC boundaries each day, 25,000 moving to and from Manhattan. That’s a lot of traffic during the busiest parts of the day. As NYC’s population continues to grow, the demand for freight transportation will also increase, resulting in more trucks on the road.

Off Hour Delivery Pilot

In 2009 and 2010, DOT worked with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a group of stakeholders and research partners to implement the Off-Hour Truck Delivery Pilot program, funded by USDOT. Participants agreed to shift their delivery windows to between 7 pm and 6 am. 

Businesses listed the following benefits from the Off Hour Delivery program:

• More time to focus on customers clients
• Fewer nnormal business hours deliveries
• Staff is more productive
• No waiting for deliveries during a 4-6 hour delivery window

Get Involved

NYC DOT is looking for additional partners for increased Off-Hour Deliveries (OHD) throughout NYC. We are ready to provide support and assistance to companies and organizations transitioning to OHD. We would also like to hear from truck and delivery equipment providers and manufacturers who have equipment that could reduce noise during the delivery process.

Please visit the program website to sign up.

If you have additional questions, email or call the Office of Freight Mobility. Someone from their team will be in touch with you shortly. 

 Photo via NYC DOT

SeatGeek Moves into Flatiron Headquarters

Last year, SeatGeek announced that the company would soon call Flatiron home. The fan-focused ticket seller and reseller relocated from its previous NoHo office to a 72,800 square foot space at 902 Broadway, more than doubling its size. SeatGeek is a leading mobile ticket platform that enables fans to buy and sell tickets for sports, concerts, and live theater. Headquartered in Flatiron as of this month, SeatGeek also has offices in the U.K., Israel, the Netherlands, and Italy. 

SeakGeek will occupy the eighth through eleventh floors of the 20-story building. The SeatGeek team sought updated office space to provide a home-away-from-home environment for its 250 employees. The sleek and modern space is open-form and features stadium seating, state-of-the-art conference rooms, lecture space, and custom stairwell murals.

Creativity peaks in SeatGeek's photo rooms, officially called #RetroRooms, and elicit nostalgia for the late '90s when Gateway desktops, Napster, Dunkaroos, and Backstreet Boys were all the rage. The staged bedrooms serve as an element of whimsy and were inspired by fans of live events where office visitors can take photos. 

SeatGeek's Director of Office Operations, Marta Zaharoff, shares some intel on the relocation and transformation since its creation ten years ago, and how SeatGeeks stands out in today's competitive market. 

SeatGeek is a leading mobile ticket events platform. Tell us about the company’s decision to relocate its headquarters to the Flatiron District, a move that you’ve described as a way of “giving our employees an office where they can continue to thrive.” Also, what do you love about Flatiron?

From the very early days SeatGeek has been built in NYC, and we’re very proud of that fact. It was important to us that we continue to grow our roots in an area that we know will provide a dynamic experience for our team, from the culture, to the lifestyle, to the talent. The Flatiron District is the best neighborhood for an office in NYC - it has character, history, parks, and bars and restaurants all within walking distance. It’s also easily accessible by the majority of subway lines, plus NJ Transit, LIRR and Metro-North, so it’s convenient for everyone.

Can you share with us how SeatGeek manages to maintain its edge in today’s ticket-selling market?

At SeatGeek, we’re focused on our customers - the fans of live events. We are proud to be the fan-first ticketing brand in the space. We aim to provide more than just a ticket to a live event, giving fans an overall superior experience from the moment they buy their ticket to the encore.

The company celebrated its 10th anniversary in September. What has been the biggest transformation within the company since its debut? 

When we started, SeatGeek was simply a ticket search engine to help customers find the best deal. In the last few years, we broke into primary ticketing to directly compete with the biggest names in the space and became primary ticket partners for several sports teams including some of the biggest in the world like the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, and Manchester City.

You've been with SeatGeek since April 2018. You’re also a former English teacher who holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. What aspect of your role at SeatGeek do you find most rewarding?

I love creating experiences that inspire people, so building this office has certainly been among the most rewarding things I’ve done at SeatGeek. Through this process, I’ve had the chance to work with a diverse team both within and outside of SeatGeek, and learn about the world of real estate - from commercial leases to interior design to mechanical engineering. I’m excited for the entire company to experience the space and can’t wait to see the brilliant things the SeatGeek team will build here.

To date, what have been some of the most popular ticket-selling events offered by SeatGeek?

Many of the biggest live events are annual - we always see a ton of demand for the Super Bowl every year. Other hot events we’ve seen are tours for huge artists like Elton John, Billy Joel, and Taylor Swift.

SeatGeek speaks to a wider trend of Flation's growing Technology, Advertising, Media, and Information (TAMI) sector. We're excited to have the team join the neighborhood. 

Flatiron Thanksgiving Dining Guide 2019

Get stuffed this Thanksgiving in the Flatiron District, and enjoy a stress-free gathering at one of the neighborhood restaurants below. Please contact restaurants individually for reservations and more information.

Blackbarn, 19 East 26th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, 212-265-5959 | Menu
Enjoy comfort food made with local, artisanal ingredients at Blackbarn this Thanksgiving. Blackbarn’s Thanksgiving three-course prix fixe menu includes family-style appetizers, followed by the main course, five side dishes for everyone to share, and a choice of four desserts. $95 for adults and $35 for children 12 years old and under.

Bouley at Home, 31 West 21st Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, 212-255-5828 
Bouley invites you to enjoy an all organic Thanksgiving tasting menu featuring organic, pasture-raised, heritage breed turkey. The special menu will be available from 11:30 am to 9 pm for $195 per person, and an optional wine pairing for $125 per person. To-go Thanksgiving dishes are also available here. 

Dig Inn, 1178 Broadway, corner of 28th Street, 212-335-2010 | Holiday Catering Menu 
Let Dig Inn take care of Thanksgiving cooking for you! Dig Inn offers a Thanksgiving Catering Package that includes roast turkey with vegetable gravy and cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, charred Brussels with honey-chili oil and cornbread. New items like the Jasper Hill Cornbread and Apple-Berry Cobbler are available. 

Harding’s, 32 East 21st Street, between Park Avenue South and Broadway, 212-600-2105 | Menu
Harding’s invites you to sit down for a special Thanksgiving meal available from 3 pm to 8 pm. Enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu featuring items like slow roasted turkey, roasted butternut squash soup, and Mississippi mud cake. $59 for adults and $29 for children.

(
Image via Hill Country BBQ Market, Thanksgiving Feast

Hill Country Barbecue Market, 30 West 26th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, 212-255-4544 
Hill Country is offering a Texas-sized Thanksgiving feast on Thanksgiving Day. Bring the whole family for Pit-Smoked Turkey, a signature barbecue, and all the traditional Thanksgiving sides and desserts. Everything on the Thanksgiving Day menu is also available for pick-up. 

Hill Country Chicken, 1123 Broadway, 212-257-6446 | Pie Menu 
Let Hill Country Chicken help with the holiday cookin'!  Whole nine-inch pies and assorted 6-pack holiday pie cups are available for pick up for Thanksgiving. Pies such as Bourbon Pecan, Chocolate, Whiskey Buttermilk, and Banana Cream are available. 

ilili, 236 Fifth Avenue, between 27th and 28th Streets, (212) 683-2929 | Menu
Join ilili on Thursday, November 28th to give thanks to friends and family with a Lebanese-Mediterranean feast. ilili will be offering a 4-course prix-fixe menu with all your favorite à-la-carte menu items and Thanksgiving specials. $77 per person / $37 for children under 13 years old and younger. Available 1 pm to 9 pm. Enjoy ilili from the comfort of your own home with their Thanksgiving Catering Package.

Il Fiorista, 17 West 26th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, 646-490-82409 | Menu
Il Fiorista is a restaurant celebrating flowers and herbs in their edible forms. For Thanksgiving, enjoy a 3-course menu served family-style from 1 pm to 8:45 pm (last seating). The menu includes dishes like chamomile roasted turkey and sweet potato ice cream. A special cocktail menu and vegetarian menu will be available. $85 per person and $40 for children. 

John Doe Bar & Kitchen, 253 Fifth Avenue, 646-882-4007 | Menu
Join John Doe this Thanksgiving for great food and drinks! Enjoy a 3-course pre-fixe menu for $38 per person featuring dishes like a Turkey, Ham & Stuffing plate and Grilled Lamb Chops for your main dish, and a classic dessert, Apple Pie A La Mode. 

La Pecora Bianca, 1133 Broadway, corner of 26th Street, 212-498-9696 | Specials
Give thanks with La Pecora Bianca on Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy their full menu, a la carte items, and seasonal pasta and turkey specials! A Slow Roasted Turkey and Butternut Squash Gramigna curly pasta will be served.

Leonelli Taberna, 7 East 27th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, 212-451-9495 | Specials
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Leonelli Taberna! Leonelli will be offering their full a la carte menu on Thanksgiving Day, along with a festive Turkey special: Heritage Turkey Plate that includes Roasted Breast & Braised Leg, Brussels Sprouts, Stuffing, Cranberry Mostarda and Sage Gravy. Available 12 pm to 8 pm. Walk-ins welcome. 

Imabge via Leonelli Focacceria, Apple Crostata

Leonelli Focacceria, 7 East 27th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, 212-451-9495 ext. 2005 | View pies 
This Thanksgiving, Leonelli is offering two Italian-inspired holiday pies to add to your table spread! A Cranberry- Ricotta Cheesecake ($30) made with creamy ricotta and dolloped with cranberry jam, and an Apple Crostata ($25) made with local apples and a vanilla glaze. Each pie serves 8-10 people. Available in-store daily. Pre-order via phone or email cakeorders@leonellirestauarants.com. 

Park Avenue Autumn, 360 Park Avenue South, corner of 26th Street, 212-951-7111 | Menu
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Park Avenue Autumn to enjoy an impressive meal this holiday season. Park Avenue Autumn is serving a three-course prix-fixe featuring seasonal dishes like pumpkin ravioli to start, Thanksgiving Turkey, trimmings for the table to share, and desserts like the candied yam creme brulee. $89 for adults and $39 for children. Vegan options available upon request. 

Sarabeth’s Park Avenue South, 381 Park Avenue South, corner of 27th Street, 212-335-0093 | Dine-In Menu | Take-out Menu
Sarabeth’s Park Avenue South is happy to serve you this Thanksgiving. Enjoy chef-prepared Thanksgiving pick-up items for a meal at home, or sit-down for a a 4-course dinner available from 2 pm to 9 pm including dishes like pumpkin soup and free-range turkey. $75 per person and $35 for children. 

Scampi, 30 West 18th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, 212-888-2171 | Menu 
Come celebrate Thanksgiving at Scampi, a Southern Italian inspired restaurant, between 12 pm and 8 pm. Scampi is offering a 3-course menu featuring turkery with brioche stuffing and branzino. $85 per person and $45 for children. 

Scarpetta, 88 Madison Avenue, corner of 29th Street, 212-691-0555
Scarpetta invites you to spend Thanksgiving enjoying a special 4-course menu for $95 per person from 1 pm to 8 pm, and a limited a la carte menu available at the café /bar. The prix-fixe menu includes options like butternut squash soup or creamy polenta with truffled mushrooms as appetizers, NY strip or roasted turkey as your main course, and dessert choices like a dulcey cheesecake or apple tart. 

Simon & The Whale, 23 Lexington Avenue, corner of 23rd Street, 212-475-1924
Join Simon & The Whale this Thanksgiving for a throw down feast. Simon & The Whale is serving the classic bird and all the dressings, plus a little added pizzazz! $100 per adult, and a children's menu will be available.

Header image: ilili's Thanksgiving Feast.

Manhattan College and the EVAC Project Opens Pop-Up Gallery of Portraits Honoring Veterans in the Flatiron Building

“Story Portraits of US Veterans: World War II – Today” runs through the end of the year, with support from the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership and GFP Real Estate.

Manhattan College and the EVAC Project (Experiencing Veterans & Artists Collaboration), with support from the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership and GFP Real Estate, opened a new pop-up gallery of portraits honoring veterans from multiple generations and all branches of service, on the ground-floor of New York City’s famed Flatiron Building (949 Broadway) on Sunday, November 10.

Titled “Story Portraits of US Veterans: World War II – Today,” the exhibit features visual presentations and descriptive narratives, including a World War II Marine who fought in Okinawa, a Gold Star mother, and a post-9/11 82nd Airborne veteran who served multiple tours as part of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joining these are 21 additional images and stories of those who have served our nation.

“We are excited to partner with the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership and GFP Real Estate to bring the EVAC Project gallery to New York City. This is a great opportunity to share stories of veterans with the public to remember and honor those who served,” said Tiana Sloan, Director of Veterans Success Programs at Manhattan College.

Flatiron’s Madison Square, steps from the Flatiron Building, has been the site of New York City’s annual Veterans Day memorial ceremony and parade since its inception, the largest such observance in the country.

 “Flatiron is a neighborhood rich with meaning for our veterans, so it’s a fitting location for this moving exhibit honoring those who fought and sacrificed for our country,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership. “We are honored to work with our partners at Manhattan College, the EVAC Project, and GFP Real Estate to bring these portraits and stories to the Flatiron Building. We encourage all New Yorkers and those visiting our city to come and see this important exhibit.”

“Story Portraits of US Veterans: World War II – Today” will be free and open to the public through the end of the year, six days a week (closed on Tuesdays and holidays).

For more information on the gallery, click here.

About Manhattan College
Manhattan College is located at West 242nd Street near Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line and accessible by MTA subway line No. 1.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Lasallian Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of liberal arts, business, education and health, engineering and science, along with continuing and professional studies, and a graduate division.

About the EVAC Project
Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaborations (EVAC) is an art project that brings together veterans and artists. EVAC curators interviewed veterans about their experiences, and artists made an edition of prints based on their interpretation of those stories. The prints are exhibited with excerpts from the transcribed interviews. EVAC works to bridge the often precarious gap between military and civilian life. For more information about the EVAC Project.

Warm Up with wagamama this Winter

Warming up with a hot bowl of ramen will get anyone through the cold season. wagamama, a Japanese-inspired fast casual restaurant by way of the United Kingdom, is a go-to spot for great ramen in Flatiron.

Executive Chef Steven Mangleshot shares what makes the restaurant unique, the inspiration behind the newly launched chili shrimp, beef, and duck leg ramen dishes, and the process behind creating new menu items. 

What differentiates wagamama from other restaurants?

The first would be that our menu offers a modern twist on traditional recipes, since each dish represents a blending of Asian-fusion flavors. For example, each of our ramens offer a lighter broth than the traditional pork stock. We do this because we want our guests to feel nourished but also leave with that good kind of full. The space of the restaurant is also unique because we believe in eating informally on long, communal benches. We enjoy having a variety of guests and feel everyone should be able to dress in what makes them comfortable and represents their personality.

What was the inspiration behind the winter menu?

As the temperature drops, we wanted to bring new dishes to our guests that would be the perfect combination of comfort and nourishment. Afterall, what goes better with cool weather than a steaming bowl of ramen? The ramens we’ve introduced are our beef brisket tantanmen, chili shrimp + kimchi, and grilled duck. We were extremely excited to announce a kimchi ramen since kimchi is such a fundamental ingredient in Korean dishes and we wanted find a new dish to showcase that flavor. 

Describe the process of creating new dishes from brainstorming to execution.

The beginning of each new menu creation starts with our guests. What dishes currently on the menu are their favorites and how can we continue to surprise them with new ingredients and flavors? I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel and continue discovering new inspirations that can be brought back to wagamama. There’s also a very skilled team of chefs within our restaurants that I work with to test each dish and provide feedback based on what they see happening each day at wagamama.

wagamama, 210 Fifth Avenue, at 26^th Street, (212) 920-6233, @wagamama_usa

Park Avenue Autumn's Pumpkin & Maple Swiss Roll

Park Avenue Autumn (also Spring, Summer, and Winter depending on the time of year) is a New American restaurant with rotating seasonal menus and decor. The autumn themed space channels the Pacific North West with a nautical theme featuring wooden tables and a cascading 10-foot tall floral arrangement. The menu consists of classic fall flavors with dishes like Pumpkin Ravioli, the Autumn Spritzer, and Candied Yam Creme Brulee.

Park Avenue's Executive Pastry Chef, Cory Colton walks us through an impressive dessert that is sure to impress this celebratory season. This Pumpkin & Maple Swiss Roll is stuffed with a maple cream cheese with candied ginger and topped with caramel, whipped cream, and pecans. Think outside your go-to recipe and bake this wow-factor pastry for your holiday dessert table.  

Pumpkin & Maple Swiss Roll

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour 
• ½ tsp Baking Soda    
• ½ tsp Baking Powder           
• 1 tsp Cinnamon    
• ½ tsp Clove                          .
• ½ tsp Salt  
• 3 Eggs                           
• 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar     
• 2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree           

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 15X10-inch jellyroll pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, clove, and cinnamon.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the egg and light brown sugar until smooth and thickened. Beat in the pumpkin puree until smooth.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients.
5. Spread out the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. 
6. Prepare a thin cotton kitchen towel by dusting with some powdered sugar. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cake out onto the kitchen towel. Roll the cake up into the towel and allow it to cool in that position so the cake is inclined to retain that shape when unrolled and filled again.

Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz Cream Cheese at room temp               
• 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar               
• 3 oz Butter at room temp                                       
• Pinch of Salt                                        
• ¼ tsp Maple Extract                         
• ¼ Cup Diced Candied Ginger                      

Method:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, 10X, and salt until smooth.
2. Add maple extract, beat until incorporated. Fold in candied ginger by hand.
3. Unroll the cooled pumpkin cake, spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake. Reroll the cake and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour.

Decorate & Enjoy! 

Ingredeints:

• Confectioners Sugar
• Chopped Pecans
• Caramel Sauce
• Whipped Cream

 Method: 

1. Dust the roll lightly with confectioners sugar.
2. Drizzle the roll with caramel sauce
3. Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.
4. Finally, top off with piped rosettes of fresh lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Pictured Below: Park Avenue Executive Pastry Chef Cory Colton.
Photo Credit: Nicole Franzen.

Park Avenue Autumn, 360 Park Avenue South, at 26th Street, 212-951-7111, @parkavenuenyc

Veteran's Day Parade Travel Advisory

Event Recap: Celebrate Flatiron Partnerships 2019

More than 180 neighborhood business owners, employees, and residents gathered for the 14^th annual Celebrate Flatiron Partnerships networking event on November 5^th. Held at an exciting new venue, The Space at Flatiron, the event featured a select bar and passed hors d'oeuvres catered by type:social. Guests mingled with Flatiron colleagues, celebrating our dynamic community and 13 years of service by the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership.

Later in the evening the event’s co-chairs, Flatiron Partnership Board Chairman Michael T. Cohen and  Board Member Nick Athanail, the Partnership's Marketing Committee Chair, delivered welcoming remarks. “We’ve had a lot to celebrate in the neighborhood, with so many new things happening here,” Athanail noted. “It’s fitting that we have the terrific new venue, The Space at Flatiron, for this great event.”

“We are all very lucky to be part of this Flatiron/NoMad community which continues to grow and become even more vibrant,” Cohen said. “The Partnership has played an important part, keeping the area clean and safe so that all businesses and stakeholders can thrive.”

Next, the Partnership’s Executive Director James Mettham also addressed the crowd, praising the neighborhood’s growth during the Partnership’s 13 years in operation and looking ahead to the BID’s expansion plan. “Through the Partnership, over $30 million dollars have been invested in this neighborhood to ensure that it continues to thrive,” he said. “As we move to expand the BID’s boundaries, we want to extend our impact and reach further into NoMad and surrounding blocks to the south and west, to form a more cohesive, clean and safe neighborhood.”

Following the remarks, attendees took turns in a fun photo booth getting snapshots to commemorate the evening with friends, colleagues and neighbors.

The Partnership is grateful to Celebrate Flatiron Partnerships 2019’s sponsor, the Flatiron-based advertising company Xandr.

.