September News Roundup

With the first day of fall last week and the end of September upon us, it’s time for another installment of the BID’s monthly roundup of notable news highlights. This month saw media attention highlighting local education institutions, restaurants, and businesses.

• Earlier this month, the New York Post released its list of the top 40 public high schools in New York City. Three schools located in the Flatiron District- Baruch College Campus High School, Manhattan Village Academy, and School of the Future High School - all ranked in the top 15 of the list.

• It wasn’t just neighborhood high schools making news this month as Baruch College received a $30 million donation toward its school of public and international affairs. The donation made by Austin Marxe, a Baruch alumnus and investment banker, is the largest gift ever made to Baruch College. College trustees are expected to vote in favor of renaming the Baruch School of Public and International Affairs as the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs (via The Wall Street Journal).

• President Obama is no stranger to the Flatiron District food scene, having already dined at neighborhood favorites Upland and The NoMad Restaurant during his presidency. On their most recent visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the President and First Lady dined at acclaimed Mexican restaurant Cosme at 35 East 21st Street (via Grub Street).

• The Flatiron District’s local tech sector continues to flourish as a pair of startups based in the neighborhood recently received funding to expand their operations. Online used-car site Vroom received $50 million in Series E funding, while mobile marketing retention company Optimove raised $20 million in its first funding round (via Crain’s New York Business and New York Business Journal).

• September was also an exciting month for the Flatiron BID as we received Certificate of Merit awards from the International Downtown Association (IDA) for our annual 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer and Flatiron Summer Series programming in the Flatiron Public Plazas. The BID received the awards during IDA’s 62nd Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Atlanta (via City Limits). 

Image of Baruch College.