Midnight Run

As I stood in the freezing cold at 12:00 a.m., I looked around and a smile spread across my face while I watched my friends hand out clothes, toiletries and food to the homeless.

On Dec. 3, Sigma Phi Epsilon, a fraternity from New York University, sponsored the Midnight Run, which is a “volunteer organization dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless” according to the website.

It isn’t really a run; it’s actually making stops at certain “homeless hot spots” or locations in Midtown Manhattan. At the stops, we hand out the supplies.

Sig Ep set up tables and boxes throughout NYU’s campus so students could donate warm clothes, blankets or toiletries. I volunteered to help out along with some of the other members in my sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau.

We worked at the tables, handed out fliers and stormed the dorms (we went to all the rooms in a dorm and asked if anyone had extra clothes to donate). Then we collected everything and prepared to take it to the homeless people in the Garment District.

We arrived at our first stop at the top of Madison Square Park and started the run. Then we moved on to a church on 29^th Street, and we finally reached Penn Station as our last stop. I carried a bag of hats and scarves with me along the way while my friends carried jackets, underwear and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.

The experience was most gratifying at Penn Station. We had the more people stop for help there than the other places. They had heard we were coming and needed our help. It was a freezing night, and these people were bundled as best they could, but it wasn’t enough.

I was heartbroken at how these people had to live, and I wanted to help them. Serving the homeless gave me joy, and helping them gave me a sense of accomplishment that’s better than an A in school or making a great business deal.

The Midnight Run was a definite success, and everyone involved benefited from the experience.

The Election and the Economy

Just as a candidate could win or lose in this election, small business owners could be looking forward to the future or dreading more economic failure.

Shops in the Garment District like Precila Coats Collection, Little Diana and Prato need a better economy. Sammy Kdirny, a Prato employee and Obama supporter, plans to keep his prices down and look for cheaper merchandise. “People are about bargains now, they just don’t want to throw money away,” he said after explaining he can’t afford to lose any customers.

Kdirny is not the only one concerned. Kamran Ansari, the manager of Precila Coats Collection, believes if a certain candidate is elected business will get worse. Right now his store is 40 percent behind last year’s sales. If this election doesn’t help, he thinks he will have to go into service-oriented business like a restaurant.

Little Diana, a children’s dress shop, will be making more of its own clothes and raising prices. Employee Diana Astrada said the $10 dresses you could once find for your little girl won’t be offered any more.

Whether it be Obama or Mccain, these stores are hopeful that the economy will turn around in their favor.

9/11 and the World Trade Center

Many people say that 9/11 was the defining moment of our generation. Today, touring the World Trade Center ruins, that point really drove home. It affected people immediate to the area, who have their own perspective, but it also affected those looking on or who would move to New York City later.

Going there today still has a somber mood that can bring you to tears. Even after seven years have passed, the stories, memorials, pictures, and letters and quotes make it seem like it was yesterday. Your heart grieves for the families and friends that lost someone, and you are inspired by the uniformed services that offered their lives to save others.

John Henderson works at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center as a tour guide gave a heartfelt tour this morning. He took the group to the firefighter memorial first at the south side of the area and then moved on to the actual construction site. Looking at all of the new buildings and the plan set in place for the area makes you question how it will all turn out.

Occasionally Henderson would stop at sites around the devastation and let us look on while he told stories of people that survived the attacks and those that didn’t survive. It was heartbreaking to hear how some people just didn’t have the luck to get out while others were given a chance to escape.

Statistically, about 21,000 remains were found: 11,000 of which are unidentified. Fewer than 200 bodies were found intact. Those statistics aren’t the best to hear and add to the chilling effect of the attacks.

After the tour, Manny Papir, a 9/11 survivor, spoke about what his experience was like. At the time he actually worked for Mayor Giuliani as his personal assistant. From Brooklyn he could smell the towers burning, but after reaching the area and staying there so long, he lost all senses except for sight.

His experience is only that he saw. He watched both towers fall, and ran to help with the evacuations. His life was affected through the experiences of others because he was close to many people who lost someone.

9/11 remains in our memory. Even thought the impact might subside over time, it will always define our generation.

Update on the District

The Garment District has a lot going on, so let’s bring it down to a few things:

Zoning has made the headlines several times and continues to be a key focus area within the Garment Industry Development Corporation. Because of the rezoning for Hudson Yards (a neighborhood bordering the district), a lot of buildings on Eighth and Ninth Avenues can be converted into office space or residences if they have less than 70,000 square feet.

Originally, this area within the Special Garment Center District could only be used for the apparel industry. Now the zoning changes allow more commercial and residential developments.

Some people over the years have even been illegally turning apparel space into office space. The Garment Industry Development Corporation tries to keep tabs on the zoning issues and plans to do what they can to preserve the area, but feel free to let them know if you think something is in violation.

One of the changes the district has seen recently would be the new Bank of America building. Construction has been ongoing at 42nd street and Sixth Avenue for almost a year now. Most of the building is finished, but the top of the building still needs work.

With the economy at a low, here are some ways the Garment District brings people to the community:

Bryant Park opens its winter skating rink on Friday and hosts a Tricks and Treats event on Halloween. Check both of them out if you want some fall fun! The ice skating rink, called the Pond, is free for the session and only 12 dollars if you need skates!

The park is one of the meccas of the Garment District. This month it hosted concerts that included acts from the New York City Opera and Piano in the Park. Tai Chi and New York Knits is offered on certain days. the Holiday Shops start in November. The city is on the verge of Christmas décor and spirit is rising so take advantage of it!

The New York Public Library hosts several events every season. People constantly relax on the steps and enjoy looking at the architecture, but what’s really happening in the library?

Right now a bunch of programs are going on. On Nov. 1 Donna Sweiden, a career counselor, will be speaking on planning and succeeding at a job search, on Nov. 3 Michele Bogart presents about New York’s art commission, and the New York Chocolate Show happens on Nov. 5. The library also has computer classes and artwork that you should stop by to see and enjoy.

Pete Hamill

Pete Hamill, 73, has seen New York City through its many stages, and he grabbed the attention of an NYU journalism class during an interview about his experiences.

Hamill's a well-known journalist who has written 10 books, most of which are national bestsellers or New York Times bestsellers. In "Downtown" he weaves nostalgia and velocity throughout the words of the book and creates an emotion of awe about the city, highlighting the parts he knows best.

While Hamill doesn't include much of the Garment District in his book, he eloquently described the huge trucks transporting the clothes rolling down the tiny streets, the racks and racks of

clothes passing by and the working women that came together to form a union for the district.

But beyond the Fashion Center, Hamill bursts with knowledge about the city in a way that makes you want to know more. He can grab your attention with one short phrase.

"Don't ever look down at somebody unless you're giving them a hand to get up," Hamill recalls his mother telling him as a boy, a lesson he never forgot. And through his writing, this is what Hamill believes he's doing.

His vast knowledge of New York City history along with the continuous change allows him to create a rhythm in his work.

He sets his writing to a song: maybe jazz, maybe classical, but he always finds the tone of the piece through music. While on the subject of music, he casually mentioned he knew Frank Sinatra too. That would inspire the average person to set a piece to music, but Hamill is no average guy.

He's full of randomly fascinating information that allows his writing to be entertaining and informative. He captures the ebb and flow of New York City that makes Manhattan truly unique.

If you are interested in "Downtown" or any of his other books, check them out Barnes and Noble.

Sean Basinski and the Street Vendor Project

Sean Basinski, who founded the Street Vendor Project, came into class today. You might see him walking around the street striking up conversation with the vendors. That’s because he used to be one himself, and now he works to help them.

He went to college at the University of Pennsylvania and readied himself for law school, but before that he made the shocking decision to open a street-vending cart of his own.

His street vending wasn't typical though. Basinski sold burritos instead of the regular food you see walking down Seventh Avenue or in Herald Square. He decided there wasn’t enough Mexican food in New York City and wanted to bring it to the streets.

After dabbling in the street vending world, he headed off to Georgetown for law school (of course), completed his studies there and founded the Street Vendor Project, an organization to help street vendors. He knew the problems vendors had and took it into his own hands to help them.

Now the organization has grown to include a board and members. The Street Vendor Project addresses issues like opening blocked streets, trying to increase the number of licenses and permits, lowering ticket fines and stopping police harassment.

It’s not as easy to be a street vendor as it seems. The city doesn’t provide an unlimited amount of licenses. In fact, if you want to sell merchandise (toys, trinkets etc), you can’t because there has been a waiting list for over 25 years since only 853 merchandise licenses are available.

Food vendors have a better chance because 3,000 licenses are available, but then they need a permit which is limited too. Sometimes people sell them on a black market, so the vendors have to pay someone who doesn’t even have a cart.

That’s where Basinski steps in. He makes the vendors aware of what’s going on. Sometimes they don’t even realize what’s wrong; they just think that’s the way it’s supposed to be!

It’s a difficult business to get started, so Basinski’s there to help out the vendors as the unlikely guide when they aren’t exactly sure of what they should do.

Street Vendor

Ever find yourself walking down the streets of Manhattan absolutely starving? Well, luckily there are street vendors all over the Garment District! But if you are looking for good food and a pleasant experience, stop at Kamruz Zaman Chowdhury’s street cart on 37th street and Seventh Avenue.

Chowdhury makes and sells those mouth-watering hot dogs and pretzels all over New York City. Recently he was on 37th street and Seventh Avenue, but he moves around trying to find the best business. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll bump into him.

He started the street vending business about five years ago to support his family of six: a wife, two sons and two daughters. He’s a focused man. Everything he does, he does for his family.

He began street vending because he couldn’t find another job. He survived two heart attacks and went through heart surgery, and companies wouldn’t hire him. He’s only 51 years old and still has a young family, so the only job he could think of was street vending.

Now he works 12 hours a day, starting around 11:00 a.m. or a little earlier depending on how he feels. He makes about 50 or 60 dollars a day, which doesn’t seem like much to the corporate world of Manhattan, but he gets his family by.

He caters to the tourist and to the local, answering any questions you might have. You can even ask him why you should buy his food, and he will kindly tell you that you can try any other street vendor, but you should stick with him.

If you visit Chowdhury, you can definitely tell he’s a family man. He’s very open to his customers and treats them respectably. He doesn’t rush you out of his space, and has a pleasant attitude toward what he does. If you do happen to run into him, be assured it will be an enjoyable experience.

Frankie and Johnnie's Steakhouse

Frankie and Johnnie’s Steakhouse in the Garment District is a place to relax and enjoy company in the former townhouse of famous actor John Drew Barrymore.

The original Frankie and Johnnie’s, located on 45^th Street, started as a speakeasy in the 1920s. In a way, it represents the dynamic nature of the district because it holds on to history but moves forward with its menu and style of service.

The Garment District has always been a place of wholesale shops and sample sales, but now it’s changing. As of 2003, Frankie and Johnnie’s made 37^th Street its new home. This steakhouse retains a bit of its past while allowing a new crowd to gather in the entryway.

The restaurant has now developed into a mini-chain, with three other locations. At the 37^th Street steakhouse, the bar provides a vibe similar to the days before Prohibition while the restaurant itself has a more romantic ambiance.

Downstairs the bar consists of cozy quarters filled with mahogany furniture, dark wood finishes and bottles lining the shelves. Seating only 187 people, this skinny room feels like a true speakeasy from the 1920s. The dim lighting enhances the updated bar, making it seem like a secretive meeting place for the business crowd that gathers after work.

The atmosphere upstairs is more sophisticated. The deep red of the carpet, the chandelier and sconces, and the large windows illuminate the room. People can imagine themselves in Barrymore’s generation or fill their minds with a romantic imagery of modern day life.

A wide demographic of people visit this house-turned-restaurant. Corporate workers from the surrounding offices come to relax, families arrive to dine and occasionally a few tourists stop by on vacation to see the historic site. People socialize, celebrate and fall in love in the dining room where Barrymore used to host his own house parties.

The Garment District in itself is a melting pot. While walking down the block, people pass by shops filled with formal evening gowns, bedazzled jewelry and fur coats, and construction of a new skyscraper. The restaurant creates a multi-faceted social scene that relates to the diversity of the district.

Things to Know and Places to See

Let's get into the issues and events included in the Garment District, but first let's learn how to navigate the streets.

The Fashion Center Business Improvement District, or the district's BID, opened a pedestrian mall on Broadway on Aug. 20. Instead of extra traffic, pedestrians can sit at tables in the road and watch people walk or bicycle by and taxis fly past on the other side of the street. Instead of taking the subway or a taxi, take your bike on the new pathway, and enjoy the sun!

Alright, now we're going to jump into the headline issues. Sample sizes are not the only sizing issue in the district, zoning problems haunt the streets as well. Currently the Garment District has been making headlines about rents that are too high forcing designers to move out. The city’s Planning Department changed some zoning restrictions to allow more residential and commercial construction causing the price raise.

Designers like Anna Sui and Nanette Lepore, who want to fight for the industry, wore T-shirts that said, "Save the Garment Center" at Fashion Week to display the issue. They are fighting to bring the designers of the district together to petition Mayor Michael Bloomberg to save the local industry.

Now onto events, which are plentiful in this district. First of all Madison Square Garden sits right at the beginning of the district, so finding something to do is easy. Some concerts in October include Janet Jackson, Retro Jam 2008, Vincente Fernandez, Madonna and New Kids on the Block. Then, of course, you have the New York Knicks games if you like sports.

The BID hosts events too. From October 16th to 18th, the 4th annual Arts Festival is going on. The festival includes new off-broadway plays, dancing troupes, gallery exhibitions and behind-the-scene visits to artists’ studios.

The Garment District has a lot to offer to entertain its visitors or residents with events of all sorts for every type of person. Make sure you keep up with the zoning news though, or you might find yourself walking into a building that wasn’t there before.

Check out the BID and Madison Square Garden Events!

Getting to Know the Garment District

If you want to see the center of fashion for New York City, the Garment District is the place to go. But, it's not what you might expect. Fashion Week and long lanky models come to mind, but it's more gritty than glamorous. If you want to delve into the industry, you have to go behind the scenes into the fabric stores and warehouses that make the designer clothing.

The Garment District has always had a reputation for fashion, but it took some serious reworking to get it in the state it is now. Government had to come in and eliminate mobs and gangs that ran the area and set up reform. Now it's finally becoming more of a commercial and residential spot that holds an air of charm it didn't have before.

It started with European immigrants who came over during World War II. New York started producing a lot of garments in 1880, but it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that the district really took off. That’s when the Europeans who knew how to make clothes started trickling in.

However, it took a bad turn in the 1920s when gangs ran the area. One of the biggest bosses, Carlo Gambino, controlled the worker unions with violence and took the government's power until 1990 when the feds took over.

Now a lot of the district has turned into commercial businesses with a few residences. Roughly 3,371 people live there between Eighth and Ninth avenues, and the demographic varies. The rents for designers are going up though, and they are moving out of the district. Some designers like Anna Sui have taken steps to “Save the Garment Center.”

But some big designers still have showrooms in there. Try to find Nanette Lepore, Oscar De La Renta, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Liz Claiborne and Nicole Miller if you want to celebrity spot!

It's a diverse area with young wannabe fashion designers walking around with the business types and the immigrants who have come over to make a fashion career for themselves.

So now that you have the background, I bet you are just itching to go visit! It’s a great place, and you can spend a lot of time just searching around for things to do. The district has a lot to offer so go enjoy!