OCTOBER 2006

Visit the Union Square Partnership online at www.unionsquarenyc.org

New B2B Blast
The Union Square Partnership has recently launched our B2B Newsletter to ensure that the members of our vibrant and diverse business community can stay informed about relevant and important news. Please contact the Partnership's Director of Economic Development, Jonathan Lachance, at 212.460.2376 or lachancej@coned.com for more information or to sign up.

Partnership News

Bring the Kids to the Pumpkins in the Park Festival

Our Second Annual Pumpkins In the Park is scheduled for Saturday October 28. Come bring the little ones to the Center Lawn in Union Square Park from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. We'll be giving away free pumpkins from our Union Square pumpkin patch. In addition, there will be pony rides, magic shows, face painters and crafts for all! Last year's event was a great success, over 200 families joined us to celebrate the joys of autumn. The event is FREE and open to the community. Make your plans now to join the USP at our annual family fall event.

Make a Difference in the Life of a Washington Irving High School Student

The Union Square Partnership Education Team is currently seeking volunteer tutors and mentors to support its education initiatives at Washington Irving High School. Opportunities require a minimum one-hour commitment per week, for the duration of the school year.
Mentors are needed to assist students with academics, career goals, and life skills. This program is a wonderful way for students to foster relationships with caring adults and to gain exposure to careers in a variety of fields. Tutors provide academic assistance to students in Math, English, Global and U.S. History, and Science (including Living Environment, Chemistry, and Physics). Tutors also assist students in developing good homework and test-taking skills, while providing encouragement and support for students' academic and personal goals.
For more information, please contact Lanthy Truong at truongla@coned.com. Programs are currently beginning, so sign-up today!

The USP Tackles Park's Quality of Life Issues

The Union Square Partnership is working to address the community's concerns regarding quality of life issues, especially excessive noise conditions in the later evening hours. The USP arranged a meeting involving the 13th, 9th and 6th Precincts along with Park Enforcement Officers and local residents to discuss this issue. The September 28 meeting gave residents the opportunity to address their concerns and questions directly to the officials. The local precincts agreed to proactive enforcement to eliminate loud street performers and night life noise. In addition, the USP extended our Public Safety Officer's hours from 8pm to 12midnight, Friday through Sunday, until November 1 to help monitor conditions. The USP will continue to work with all involved to ensure this issue is resolved.

The District's Streets and Sidewalks are Clean

Today, the total number of people in the United States hit 300 million and some days it seems as if most of them are hanging out in Union Square! Thank goodness for our Sanitation team. Under the guidance of Joe Tango, the USP's Director of Operations, Sanitation team members have stayed ahead of the curve in keeping our streets and sidewalks clean. For 2006, the Union Square Partnership has received a perfect 100% score for sidewalk cleanliness and an average score of 98.9% for street cleanliness from the Mayor's Office of Operations.

Union Square is a Chocolate Lover's Haven

It's official, Union Square is New York's chocolate destination. The opening of Chocolatiers such as Michel Cluizel, Max Brenner, and Chocolat Modern has pushed the area to the top of the chocoholics' most delicious neighborhood list. The Partnership's first annual "Union Square Chocolate Lover's Walking Tour" took place this past weekend and was a huge success! All three tours sold out and participant feedback was very positive. We're already planning our next series of 2-hour tours that will circumnavigate the tasty world of Union Square's Chocolate purveyors. Many thanks to our notable Chocolate hot-spots as well as The City Bakery, Havana Central, Tarallucci E Vino, Tisserie and Union Square Wines and Spirits. Keep your eyes out for the next tour!

Union Square Welcomes Back Students!

Over 5000 students took part in Union Square's annual Back-to-School Event on Sunday, September 14th! The annual music, fun, and food program, co-sponsored by the Union Square Partnership, Time Out NY and New York University, welcomes back students to a new school year and encourages them to support local businesses and organizations. This year's event, entitled: "Back-To-School-Blowout", raised awareness for the USP's Education Program at Washington Irving High School. Cartons of much-needed school supplies were collected by NYU students to support the USP's efforts at Washington Irving. A big thank you goes out to all the students who took part in the fun, community-oriented event.

Neighborhood News

Hold Your Next Event at These Union Square Hot Spots

Union Square is the place to party! As you plan your holiday get togethers, consider hosting your event in one of Union Square's fabulous restaurants or entertainment venues. B.R. Guest offer several exciting venues. Throw a Spanish fiesta at Barça 18 for up to 35 guests in their semi-private Back Deck or plan your event at Blue Water Grill, with up to 22 guests in the Jazz Dining Room, which features live jazz nightly, and 35 guests in their sound-proof, private Bank Vault. For all party inquiries, please contact B.R Guest's Special Events department at 212.331.0328, or e-mail us at events@brguestinc.com.

For a complete list of Union Square entertainment venues, contact the USP at 212.460.1200.

Virgin Megastore Hosts John Legend and Flavor Flav

John Legend gives a special performance and autograph signing on Tuesday October 24 at the Virgin Megastore Union Square, located on 14th Street between Broadway and 4th Avenue, at 6:00 PM in the Virgin Megastore Dance Room. Purchase a copy of John Legend's new CD on Tuesday, October 24, beginning at 8 AM at the Union Square store to receive a wristband to attend this special event. Space & Time are Limited so arrive early. 1 wristband per customer.

Meet Flavor Flav on October 30 at 11:00 PM at the Virgin Megastore Union Square. Flavor Flav will be autographing copies of his brand new CD. Purchase the new CD beginning at 10:00PM to receive a wristband to meet Flavor Flav.

Havana Central Presents Latin Wine Week

Beginning Monday, October 9 through Friday, October 13, Havana Central, located on 17th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue, will host Latin Wine Week!
Each night, Havana will feature a flight of four top wines from a different Latin country along with Latin grapes for $16.

On Mondays, beginning October 16 and running through November 20, join them for their Fall Latin Wine Series.
Each class will feature 6 - 9 Spanish and Latin wines with different themes.
Classes are $60 and begin at 7:30 PM each Monday. All wines are paired with Havana Central's award-winning Cuban cuisine.

For more information and reservations, call 212.414.4199

Citifitness Opens in Union Square

The Union Square Partnership would like to welcome CitiFitness, a brand new, multi-faceted fitness center that prides itself on creating a supportive environment that stresses the fundamentals of fitness. They are located on 244 E. 14th Street, off 2nd Avenue and are open 24 hours, seven days a week.

Join now and get a great price on an annual membership.

A Paid in Full membership is only $588 plus tax compared to the standard cast of $708 for the entire year.

An Annual Membership to be billed monthly is only $59 per month compared to the standard cost of $69.

Visit http://unionsquare.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=cwAKAAACswAA2eU for more information

Straight From The Crate is Open

Straight from the Crate has opened a new location at 140 East 14th Street (between Irving Pl. and 3rd Ave.). Now with 8 stores in Manhattan, the Crate focuses on furniture for small spaces. You'll find everything you need for the bedroom, dining room, living room and home office. All priced right with quick delivery options available, most items delivered assembled for no extra charge. Call 212.358.8575, stop in and say hi, or checkout their website at: http://unionsquare.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=cwALAAACKAAA2eU

The Union Square Partnership, a non-profit organization, works to ensure the community's vibrancy as a center for business, culture and education and to improve the quality of life for its residents and businesses, by providing supplemental public safety, sanitation, business promotion and economic development services throughout the district. The Union Square Partnership, comprised of a Business Improvement District and Local Development Corporation, facilitates economic development by spearheading educational, economic development and park enhancements and acting as a liaison between community, business and government leaders.