Seaport Bookstore
It’s an Amazon world — but some independent booksellers continue to survive and thrive. McNally Jackson Books at 52 Prince St. in Soho is one that has bucked the odds. Since 2004, the store has offered a great selection, attracted interesting authors, hosted great readings and has the coolest machine ever — the Espresso Book Machine that can print a book on demand.
So rejoice, book lovers, as Howard Hughes Corporation announced Wednesday that owner Sarah McNally will open an outpost in the Seaport in 2017. Located in historic Schermerhorn Row, often called “the first world trade center,” the new store will be 9,000 square feet with a family-friendly reading area for children and a 1,000-square-foot cafe with outdoor seating, according to a Hughes release and the New York Post, which had the size.
“The Seaport is a beautiful neighborhood that has captivated me for decades,” McNally said in a statement. “I can’t imagine a better setting for a bookstore than the old buildings of Schermerhorn Row. It will be thrilling to sit in the deep sills of those old windows, surrounded by books, looking out over the cobblestone streets to the river and the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Harvey Hoopla
In case you missed it, Matt Harvey, one of the Mets’ aces (kind of cool that we can’t say “Met ace” without causing confusion as to who we’re talking about), had a good ol’ Tribeca time — actually more like a new trendy jaunt — Monday night at American Cut restaurant. It caused an overblown kerfuffle Tuesday when he showed up to practice after it was over.
The reason for the tardiness was sketchy but it could have been traffic-related.
It’s always fun to see how the citywide papers play these things. The Times and News, used the exact same David Wright quote, who was “clearly miffed,” if you believe the News, while at the same time he “avoided any direct criticism” of the Dark Knight, the Gray Lady told us.
Let’s step back here. No one with the Mets really seemed upset at Harvey’s admitted “screw up,” and this oh-so-important workout was three days from the first playoff game with the L.A. Dodgers, and six days before Harvey’s scheduled start.
And let’s give him credit for apparently ignoring agent Scott Boras’ desire to end Harvey’s season early, by imposing an artificial innings limit.
We’re not going to jinx anything, but Harvey’s trip Downtown does reminds us of a nearby noisy canyon where — if we’re lucky — he, Wright, Thor, Cespedes and the rest of the team might be visiting in style in a few weeks.
Don’t start PAC-king
The PAC, man, gets eaten again. The PAC, as in the notion of the World Trade Center’s Performing Arts Center, has had so many delays and setbacks over the post-9/11 years, we’re wondering if we can really call it news what the Port Authority’s Glenn Guzi delivered to Community Board 1 this week.
The Port has to move its last temporary PATH station before a little bit of real work can begin on the PAC — more money is also needed.
The Port had hopes of moving the station earlier this year, but “at this point, today, there is no date in terms when the station will close,” Guzi said Oct. 5. “Clearly, we do need to shut that station down and dismantle it and deconstruct that station to make way for…the PAC infrastructure below grade.”
Board 1 has been one of the PAC’s greatest champions for more than a decade, but we heard nary a sigh from the weary members, when Guzi delivered the latest news.
