New York Produce Show and Conference

Wherever you are in New York, we sure hope you made it down to the Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan for this year’s New York Produce Show and Conference.  It took place last week – between 7 to 9 November – and has been part of a long tradition “celebrating fresh,” for those in the produce industry to engage in useful networking; participate in the conference and trade show and enjoy the industry tours.  Set up by Eastern Produce Council and Produce Business, it indeed marks New York’s only annual produce show and conference in the entire city of New York.

The banners were up for some time advertising this event, so if you missed it, what were you looking at?  In other words, how could you miss it?  It was everywhere.  But you need not worry as rumor has it that the plans for next year’s show are even greater and even better.

So what can you expect at the show?  Many exciting things: demonstrations by top chefs; more than 300 booths displaying their top quality produce; tours of Hunts Point – the world’s largest online food distribution center – and Philadelphia markets; sports celebrity autograph session and much more.  Located on 54^th Street at the spectacular New York Hilton Hotel, you can take time for some pampering during your visit as well.

So if you missed it all this year, look out for the plans for next year as it is set to be even more spectacular.

Sweet Stuff for Sugar Publishing

Sugar Publishing – a private media company which runs PopSugar (lifestyle and entertainment community) – just signed a lease that will last for a decade for the ninth and tenth floors of an office building in Manhattan’s Midtown South district.  The exact venue is 386 Park Avenue South.  The lease was signed through Savanna and Monday Properties. 

Sugar Publishing’s current premises are at 532 Broadway.  W. Clark Finney of Cushman & Wakefield represented Sugar Publishing in the deal.  The deal marks 50,000 square feet of leases having been signed in this building since the beginning of the year.

Property Location

The property is at 27^th Street and the northwest corner of Park Avenue South.  It is next to a number 6 subway station. 



 

New York Historical Society

This week will witness the reopening of the New York Historical Society.  It has undergone a huge renovation, costing approximately $65m.  For those interested in learning about the history of New York dating back from pre-colonial times until the Occupy Wall Street movement, this is now a great educational, informative venue to visit. 

The renovation has been somewhat challenging in various realms.  On the one hand, there is a desire to maintain the museum’s historic feel, but on the other hand, we are living in the high-tech 21^st century world and thus those coming to the museum are accustomed to learning through technology.  The museum successfully reflects this.

As well as the hi-tech feel on the inside, the actual aesthetics of the place have changed, with a new entrance and lobby on Central Park West, as well as an Italian eatery that was not there prior to the renovation.  In addition, New York’s largest movie screen can be found at the museum (at 75 feet).  A children’s history museum has been added too.

Planning Ahead

In an effort to give people a sense of history as time goes by, there is also work on explaining the Occupy Wall Street protests, as in later years, this will be history too.  Researchers have thus been spending time at Zuccotti Park to observe and record these events. 

All the changes being made at the museum point to its main criteria – to give New Yorkers who love New York a real sense of the city.  History, present and future, this museum will have it all.

Sing-A-Long with Mangum

It didn’t take long for entertainer Jeff Mangum to invite his guests to sing along with him when he performed at Manhattan’s Town Hall last week.  “So,” he asked, “are you guys going to sing?” he urged. The response was slow at first, but after a little more encouragement from Mangum, many more guests joined in with “Ghost.”  Following his rendition of the song, he explained why he so wanted his guests to join him.  In a news article he said that when everyone joined in, it made everything “more human.”  He used to sing for his friends he added, as he asked for the lights to be put on so he could see everyone. 

Those who managed to get tickets for the event had no doubt waited a long time to see Mangum perform. Indeed, it has been nearly 10 years since Mangum has performed in public, due to the very intense private period he adopted after the success that became a cult of “In the Aeroplane.”  He did return last May, but that was for a benefit performance for a friend who was sick and he insisted it wasn’t to signify “the start of a comeback.”  But, as they say, man plans, God laughs and with Mangum it appears that this is exactly what happened.

Manhattan Endures Helicopter Crash

Last week a helicopter crashed just past midtown Manhattan at 34^th Street into the East River.  Some passengers aboard ended up in the water but were soon taken out by rescue workers on boats, ropes and ladders.  Five passengers (including the pilot) who were aboard the Bell 206 aircraft when it crashed, had to be rescued.  According to WABC (ABC news for the local area), within a few moments of crashing, the plane disappeared into the water.

It is not the first time a low-flying plane has crashed in the region.  Indeed, two years ago when nine people were killed during a collision between a helicopter and a small plane over the Hudson River, concerns were raised about low-flying planes and the dangers of the heavily-congested area.

Petula Clark Visits Midtown

Probably best known for her hit “Downtown,” Petula Clark is coming back to the Big Apple for a performance after about three decades!  The British singer who has been living in Switzerland for many years, will be performing at Feinstein’s, Loews Regency, Park Avenue at 61^st Street.  Catch her show in the new year between January 24^th to February 4^th.  According to her publicist, Clark will be performing many of her hits from her musicals.  The woman is definitely somewhat of a legend, having been the first ever British female to have a No. 1 hit on the US charts with the infamous “Downtown.”  But she was certainly not a one-hit wonder as this marked the first of many hits for her including “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love.”

Petula Clark Visits Midtown

Probably best known for her hit “Downtown,” Petula Clark is coming back to the Big Apple for a performance after about three decades!  The British singer who has been living in Switzerland for many years, will be performing at Feinstein’s, Loews Regency, Park Avenue at 61^st Street.  Catch her show in the new year between January 24^th to February 4^th.  According to her publicist, Clark will be performing many of her hits from her musicals.  The woman is definitely somewhat of a legend, having been the first ever British female to have a No. 1 hit on the US charts with the infamous “Downtown.”  But she was certainly not a one-hit wonder as this marked the first of many hits for her including “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love.”