Landscape Firm Selected for BID

The Flatiron Partnership has selected the landscape firm Frank Bulfamante & Sons, Inc. to coordinate several streetscape beautification projects for implementation in the district in the upcoming year. Projects include: the planting of the Park Avenue South malls between 21st and 28th Streets; installation of hanging basket planters along 23rd Street; plantings in the public plazas at the intersection of 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue and Broadway; and planting of tree pits and installation of tree pit guards along 23rd Street. Bulfamante & Sons will be responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of these initiatives.

Bulfamante & Sons was established in 1958, and for the past 20 years the company has been working on public parks and residential properties in New York's Westchester County, Connecticut's Fairfield County and New York City. Bulfamante brings a wealth of experience to the district, having done work for Madison Square Park, Bryant Park, 34th Street Partnership, Chelsea Improvement Company and many others.

The beautification undertakings described above are the result of a master plan created by the landscape design firm Starr Whitehouse. These projects fall under Phase I initiatives set forth in the master plan, and as time progresses, the BID hopes to expand these programs beyond 23rd Street and Park Avenue South to other parts of the district, contingent on budget availability. Down the road, the BID will explore additional initiatives such as wayfinding signage and a lighting program. To view the BID's master plan, click here.

Safety Team Profile: Lennox James

"It never gets old walking around here," said Lennox James, who as a member of the Flatiron Partnership's Safety Team does a lot of it.

"I love seeing the landmarks like the MetLife Building and Baruch College, even just standing in the new plazas and checking out the people and the views. You get a great view of the Empire State Building from the plazas, especially at night when it's all lit up. It's beautiful out there."

For Lennox -- an extraordinarily good-humored fellow with a ready smile -- it's more than just the buildings that make his day. It's the people.

"This job has been great because you get to know different people, to be able to help them when they ask questions. 'Where can I find this? Where is that located?' I'm a people person so I like helping others."

That attitude extends even to Lennox's interaction with unlicensed peddlers.

"My approach is to be respectful, but to let them know they shouldn't be doing what they're doing," he said. "I'm never hostile to them. If you talk to people nicely, they respond nicely."

Lennox, who was born in Trinidad, celebrated his 25th birthday last month. He came to this country in 1997 and has lived in New York ever since, currently sharing an apartment in the Bronx with his parents. He is the youngest of five brothers and a sister.

Following graduation from the High School for the Humanities in 2001, Lennox worked as a construction-site security guard and bank guard for a year, then enrolled at Katherine Gibbs School and studied computer science. He dropped out after a year because he needed to go back to work, got another security job and then was hired by ACSS, the nationwide security company, which led directly to his job at the BID.

It is his fondest hope to get back to school and earn a degree.

"I'd like to work for a computer company or start my own business," he said. "I just want to enjoy life and try to live the American dream."

New Banner Design Makes Debut

The Flatiron Partnership rolled out a new streetlamp banner design across the district this month. The new banners, designed by world renowned design firm and BID member Pentagram, feature the BID's colors and logo in a bold and bright pattern that will help to brighten the winter skies.

Sixty banners, sponsored by 20 local businesses, property owners and organizations whose logos are prominently featured, hang from streetlamps throughout the district. The banners provide a great opportunity for these companies to show that they are vested in the neighborhood while also increasing awareness of the BID.

The streetlamp banners are part of the BID's overall sponsorship program, which supports many of the BID's marketing and public improvement programs.

Additional streetlamp locations are always available. For more information, contact the BID office at (212) 741-2323 or by e-mail at info@flatironbid.org.

ELEVEN MADISON PARK,
one of New York's premier restaurants, has been selected for membership in Relais & Chateaux, one of the world's most prestigious hotel and fine dining associations.

Cited for its "modern, sophisticated French cuisine," Eleven Madison Park, together with its chef, Daniel Humm, is the only stand-alone restaurant in North America to be inducted in 2008 as "Grand Chef." There are only 150 Relais & Chateaux restaurants in the world and just five others in New York: Per Se, Daniel, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges and Aureole. Eleven Madison Park is owned by Danny Meyer. Will Guidara is General Manager.

The restaurant, a Flatiron district destination for food lovers, is at 11 Madison Avenue, flanking the east side of Madison Square Park. It is part of the Union Square Hospitality Group, which is an active member of the Flatiron Partnership's Board of Directors.

Chipotle

Chipotle, the nationwide chain of casual Mexican specialties, has opened its second unit in the Flatiron district and its 23rd in Manhattan. The new Chipotle is at 125 East 23rd Street, between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue. Another Flatiron unit is at 680 Sixth Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets. Chipotle now has over 800 locations in North America. The newest has seating for 38 and a menu featuring burritos, tacos, guacamole and salads. Orders for pick-up can be made online or sent by fax. Chipotle is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, call (212) 673-6904. To place an order online, go to www.chipotle.com.

FIKA Espresso Bar

In Sweden, the word "fika" refers to the traditional twice-daily coffee break. The appropriately named Fika Espresso Bar, newly opened at 407 Park Avenue South, between 28th and 29th Streets, is the second unit in Manhattan. The other is at 41 West 58th Street. Fika offers coffee, chocolates, home-baked pastries, sandwiches with such Scandinavian specialties as Swedish meatballs and gravlax and salads with lingonberries. It imports its coffee beans from the Swedish roastery Löfbergs Lila, founded in 1906.

Fika is open Mondays through Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Delivery service and catering menus are available. For more information, call (646) 649-5133, or visit www.fikanyc.com.

Solstice Sunglass Boutique

Solstice, a national chain of designer brand sunglass boutiques with units in more than 30 states, has opened its newest branch at 168 Fifth Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets. It is the chain's fifth store in Manhattan and seventh in New York City. The Flatiron store carries some two dozen internationally known designer brands, including Gucci, Dior, Armani, Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs and Maui Jim.

Unlike many other upscale sunglass boutiques, Solstice has a "hands-on" open-sell format. With few exceptions, it does not keep its stock in locked cabinets or behind a counter, but encourages customers to try on selections as they wish. Solstice is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, see www.solsticestores.com.

L.O.L. Kids

Joe Schoenfelder, the owner of L.O.L. Kids, is branching out into the retail world with the introduction of a ground-floor store at 22 West 21st Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. L.O.L. Kids has been in the Flatiron district for 20 years, operating as a children's wholesale clothing business located on an upper floor at the same address. The new 1,500-square-foot street-level space welcomes a new line of customers, offering high-end children's clothing that includes brands such as Monnalisa, Moschino and Miss Grant.

L.O.L. Kids is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (212) 929-7200.

Asia Rustic

Asia Rustic has come to the Flatiron district. The store, specializing in Asian antiques, furniture and small gift items has opened at 37 West 23rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. According to Christopher McNeur, the project developer, Asia Rustic has products from most Asian countries, including soap and spice sets from Cambodia, porcelain from Vietnam, jewelry from India and Indonesia and silk scarves from Laos. Most of the furniture is from China and most of the small gifts were made in Thailand.

The store remains open while renovations are being made. Another Asia Rustic retailer, in Tribeca, will close its doors next month, making the 23rd Street location the company's only one in New York.

Asia Rustic is open daily from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, visit the company's website, www.asiarustic.com, where products can be ordered online, or call (212) 414-5939.

Empanada Joe's

Empanada Joe's has opened its third location in Manhattan, at 668 Sixth Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets. There are 11 types of empanadas - pockets of baked pastry, stuffed with a variety of ingredients. Empanada Joe's selections include egg whites, chicken, beef, pulled pork and cheese steak, complemented by such accompaniments as peppers, Spanish onion and Cajun spices. Rice and a variety of salads are offered as sides, and sweet empanadas, with ingredients like chocolate, bananas and pineapple, are available for dessert.

Empanada Joe's is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. For more information, call (917) 338-4780, or see www.empanadajoes.com.

Reservations are now being taken for Restaurant Week Winter 2009, a two-week event presented by NYC & Company. From Jan. 18-23 and Jan. 25-30, more than 250 restaurants will offer three-course prix-fixe lunches for $24.07 and three-course prix-fixe dinners for $35. Beverage, tax and tip are not included. This celebration of dining dates back to 1992.

A number of restaurants in the Flatiron district are participating. They include such local favorites as: A Voce (lunch only), Aspen, Bar Stuzzichini, Bread Bar/Tabla, Blue Smoke, Country, Dos Caminos Park, Eleven Madison Park (lunch only), Giorgio's of Gramercy, Ilili, Olana, Pranna, Primehouse NY and Tamarind (lunch only).

Reservations can be made at www.nycvisit.com.

ANY NEW YORK CITY
resident who has a significant stake in his or her community and is interested in serving on one of the 12 Community Boards in Manhattan is encouraged to submit an application to the Manhattan Borough President's office by Jan. 15. Community Board members work with neighbors, elected officials, city agencies and others to address quality of life issues that impact their community. Issues commonly discussed at Community Boards include liquor license applications by local businesses, park and open space issues, pedestrian safety routes, sanitation pick-up, construction projects, and development of housing. To view the application, click here.

Community Board 5 covers the areas from 14th to 59th Streets and roughly Eighth Avenue to Lexington Avenue, which includes the Flatiron BID.

A Community Board 5 information session will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the First Alliance Church at 127 West 26th Street, 2nd floor, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer will be present along with several other elected officials. Issues to be discussed will include the roles and responsibilities of Community Board members, how to apply to serve on a Community Board, and how Borough President Stringer is reforming and empowering Community Boards. Please RSVP to (212) 669-4451 or rsvp@manhattanbp.org. To view the invitation, click here.

LOIS EIDA, WHO OWNS LOIS LANE TRAVEL, SAID SHE
discovered the secret of survival in New York when she started eating at Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop more than 30 years ago.

"When I moved to Manhattan, some friends gave me very sage advice," she recalled. "They said the way to endure in a big city is to turn it into a small town. Eisenberg's does that for me. Everyone there knows my name. I used to go in every day when my business was next door. Now I'm four blocks away and I still go two or three times a week. I love the breakfasts -- there are no better eggs in Manhattan. They're cooked in a frying pan, not on the griddle. And lunch time means the best tuna in town."

"We're just a fraternity of fellow eaters here," said Josh Konecky, the super-size fellow with the curly ponytail and the colorful shirts who can usually be found next to the cash register just inside the entrance. Konecky, 6-feet-6 and magisterial, is only the fourth owner since founder Monus Eisenberg emerged from the fur industry 80 years ago with his son Elias and opened a sandwich shop because the Depression was looming and this was one way to feed the family.

The stock market tanked in 1929 but Eisenberg's did not. It became one of the longest-running shows in town, dishing out its tuna fish and meatloaf and egg salad without interruption at its one and only location: 174 Fifth Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets.

Eventually, Monus's other children -- Barnett and Sylvia -- went into the business. In 1979, half a century after they fried their first eggs, the Eisenbergs sold the shop. It changed hands again about 20 years ago and in September 2005, Konecky took over.

A veteran of the printing business, Konecky had been an Eisenberg's regular for 15 years before buying the place. He is totally local, born 54 years ago and raised in Peter Cooper Village. Now he lives in Stuyvesant Town.

"You can see how far I've come in life," he said.

Change does not come easily to Eisenberg's. Konecky decorated it with Manhattan street and subway signs and hung photos of show business personalities ("some of whom you might actually recognize") and a back room was added about four years ago, raising the seating capacity to 62, but the menu has been essentially the same. Oddly, the shop never had burgers until Konecky came along ("it seemed natural to have an Eisen-burger on the menu"), but when he tried wraps, they fell flatter than an abandoned glass of seltzer.

The original marble counter is the heart of Eisenberg's. It accommodates 24 narrowly spaced stools where wheelers and dealers in business attire sit cheek to cheek with students, retirees and neighborhood residents and everyone shmoozes, an activity as important at Eisenberg's as eating. A section of the counter is known as The Hawaiian Room, memorialized in a small, neatly lettered sign marking its location. It's where a counterman named Phil Perry, who came from Hawaii, fed and sometimes frightened customers for 33 years.

"Oh, he was a character," said Konecky. "A guy might order bacon and eggs and Phil would just stare at him and not say a word. Finally, the guy would say, 'Wha'?' and Phil would say, 'What am I, a #@&!! mind-reader? How do you want your $%!#@ eggs?' He was a real New York counterman, cantankerous and tough. And people loved him."

Lois Eida did.

"Phil was there for me for almost 30 years," she said. "He served me with TLC. He knew my order before I did. He was like family."

Like family. Two words that, to many people, sum up the Eisenberg's experience.

(Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, 174 Fifth Avenue, Telephone: 212-675-5096; Mondays-Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Free Walking Tours Every Sunday

Free walking tours are sponsored every Sunday by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership.

Join our expert guides on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of the City's most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance building, the MetLife Tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building.

Time:
Every Sunday at 11 a.m.

Meeting Place:
The southwest corner of Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Broadway, in front of the statue of William Seward.

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• Mayor Officially Opens the Plaza
• Mayor Bloomberg and DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan Unveil New Public Space at Madison Square
• Pedestrian Plazas Already an Attraction
• Time Out New York: Flatiron Walking Tour
• Gotham Gazette: The Flatiron District
• 'Strengthening Communities' Panel Held
• BID Tells Businesses: Yes You 'Can'
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The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the area's reputation as one of New York's most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is undertaken by maintaining a clean and safe environment for those who live, work and visit the area; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.

For more information go to our website at www.discoverflatiron.org or email us at info@flatironbid.org.

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