A demonstration tomorrow to keep the neighborhood from becoming Midtown South

The Greenwich Village Society For Historic Preservation is hosting a rally tomorrow (Saturday) at noon. Here are details via the EVG inbox...

Please join us on Saturday at 11th and Broadway, in front of the old St. Denis Hotel, for a demonstration to save our neighborhood. The historic former hotel, built in 1853, is to be demolished for a large glassy office tower.

This is part of a broader trend of demolitions and completely inappropriate new development in this area south of Union Square, fueled by a lack of zoning and landmark protections, the expanding tech industry in the area, and the commercial upzoning for the Tech Hub recently approved nearby on 14th Street. That deal, passed by the City Council and local Councilmember Rivera, failed to include any of the promised meaningful protections for the affected adjacent Greenwich Village and East Village neighborhoods.

Developers now increasingly see this area of our neighborhood as an extension of the ‘Midtown South’ office district and of the tech industry’s “Silicon Alley” ... we are continuing to push for landmark protections that will preserve this and other buildings in the area.

Find more info on the rally here.

Status update: Facebook signs the priciest deal ever for Midtown South in Astor Place

Some news from Friday to note via Crain's.

The social media giant, which has surpassed $200 billion in market value, will add 80,000 square feet at 770 Broadway, the large office building south of Union Square where it first took space almost two years ago.

The building’s rents have risen substantially since then. According to sources, Facebook is paying rates above $100 per square foot for the new space—at least 20% or 30% more than the price of the space it initially leased. Indeed, the deal is among the priciest ever signed in midtown south.

In total, Facebook now rents 270,000 square feet of the 1.2 million-square-foot building on Broadway/Lafayette and East Ninth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Facebook unveils its new office tonight in Midtown South on Astor Place

Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

Facebook unveils its new office tonight in Midtown South on Astor Place

Facebook is throwing its official unveiling ceremony tonight to show off its new 185,000-square-foot space at 770 Broadway and East Ninth Street... an area of the city that the media likes to refer to as Midtown South. (We've gone over all this before.)

The headline in The Wall Street Journal today reads — Facebook Sees Midtown South Office as Recruitment Tool.

What can the 500 Facebook employees expect on the 3-floor space?

Food and coffee are focal points. The coffee bar, which at evening events can double as a real bar, serves four kinds of coffee and offers five different preparation methods.

The daily cafeteria menu is created by Facebook New York’s executive chef, Nate Eckhaus, who has worked at such city restaurants as Eleven Madison Park and Blue Smoke. At different stations, labels note the provenance of the fare — as in, organic red cabbage from a New Jersey farm or shaved organic fennel from Pennsylvania.

And what about the Facebook effect on this Midtown South neighborhood?

“A company like that would have influence wherever they go, between the local retail and local businesses,” said Jim Wenk, executive vice president at real estate service firm JLL. “They also have a lot of high-paying jobs.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

Condo conversion one possibility for 61 4th Avenue, now on the market for $15.5 million

There's a new listing for 61 Fourth Ave. via Massey Knakal.

Let's take a look at the pitch:

Located on the east side of 4th Avenue between East 9th and East 10th Streets, this six story mixed-use building will be delivered vacant. This is an excellent condominium conversion opportunity or a live-investment given its centrally located between the East Village and Greenwich Village. Although the current C of O is a mix of office and art studio space, the building could be converted to residential as-of-right. The building is across the street from Facebook’s new office at 770 Broadway and one block from 51 Astor Place which will soon be the headquarters of IBM Watson and 1stdibs.

Asking price: $15.5 million.

And apparently the push continues to expand "Midtown South" into a neighborhood that already enjoys several names ... the accompanying marketing materials show that 61 Fourth Ave. is aka 61 Park Ave. South ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village — the new Midtown?

Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently

Your guide to the new neighborhoods of New York City

In the ongoing discussion yesterday about what to call the Midtown South area of the former East Village now that Facebook is moving to 770 Broadway at East Ninth Street. ... EVG reader Giovanni provided some inside information in the comments, which we shall replay here for your horror/amusement — or both!

Actually the real estate moguls who shape NYC like so much silly putty in their dirty little hands have a few other names planned for the area formerly known as the East Village:

SoFaBo: South of Facebook

NoFaBo: North of Facebook

ZuckerVille: where Mark Zuckerberg lives, right next to FarmVille.

LoJackita: the neighborhood to which your car was towed to make room for the new CitiBike racks.

BroHo: in honor for the residents who have recently moved in from places like Ohio. As in, "Yo bro, you seen my ho?" Also known as WooHooville.

Stuyversy: The merger beween Stuytown and Gramercy into one giant neighborhood with lots of trees, no stores, and thousands of drunk NYU students. You'll know you live there when they raise your rent mid-lease by 50% and you have to move out.

CitiBike City: for the place formerly known as Alphabet City. Avenue A will be Adventure Avenue, B will be Bankster Boulevard, C will be Cupcake Drive, and D will still be Avenue D, since no developer can ever seem to figure out how to gentrify it.

Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

[770 Broadway as seen in the reflection of the Death Star]

As various media outlets reported this week, Facebook is moving its NYC HQ to 770 Broadway at East Ninth Street.

And various media outlets noted that this was the latest tech company to move to Midtown South.

Right!

Sydney Brownstone at Runnin' Scared was as confused — and annoyed! — by this as anyone else around here.

When did the area immediately surrounding Astor Place (i.e. the Village) become Midtown South? Was it when 51 Astor birthed that terrifically lame office building? Did Midtown suddenly annex the rest of the world, turning Brooklyn into Midtown East and Canada into Midtown North?

We weren't the only ones surprised by the characterization of the 'hood.

"I am fairly certain that Astor and Broadway are not considered to be within our boundaries or even generically considered as Midtown South," wrote John Mudd, president of the Midtown South Community Council, in an email to the Village Voice.

And the Voice helpfully posted this map from Midtown South Community Council:



Meanwhile, some EVG reader reaction:

Richard Bensam said...
We have to fight this. No, I don't mean Facebook moving in -- we have to fight the "Midtown South" label. Slapping a classy-sounding new name on a neighborhood can be worth millions in real estate. This name is a big deal to them. Deny them this victory. Don't use it. Don't let the developers colonize and gentrify our very language and thoughts the way they do our streets and buildings.

And!

Alex in NYC said...
What the fuck? They call it MIDTOWN because it's in the MIDDLE OF TOWN. Astor Place, meanwhile, is DOWNTOWN, because it, by its very geography, is SOUTH (i.e. DOWN) from the MIDDLE OF TOWN.

So no. Midtown South.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Facebook is moving into the neighborhood; Midtown South expands its boundaries, apparently