Photos courtesy of Patrick McMullan/patrickmcmullan.com

Last week, the Downtown Alliance launched its fourth annual Holiday Shopping campaign. Alongside print and outdoor advertising, direct mailings and promotions, the Alliance has released the 2012 Lower Manhattan Shopping & Dining Guide, designed to showcase the district’s 1,300 options for purchasing holiday gifts or gathering with family and friends for an amazing meal. Download or pre-order a free copy of the guide at www.downtownny.com/holiday or download the Downtown Alliance’s mobile app on iTunes.

The Alliance is also spreading holiday cheer by decorating the streets of Lower Manhattan with 167 shooting stars and 41 star clusters. This marks the 16th year the Alliance has put up holiday fixtures, which are custom-designed for the nonprofit Business Improvement District. The decorative lights will stay up through January.

“The Downtown Alliance is proud to add a bit more sparkle to the holiday season for our 309,000 workers, 56,000 residents and 9 million annual visitors,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, president of the Downtown Alliance.

Downtown Connection, the Alliance’s free bus service that makes 37 stops and connects the South Street Seaport to Battery Park City, welcomed a new fleet of state-of-the-art buses. While the older models could accommodate up to 19 passengers, the newer editions have room for up to 25 people. The bus runs seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and boasts 900,000 rides per year.

Photo caption: Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, J & R Chief Executive Officer Rachelle Friedman and Alliance for Downtown New York President Elizabeth H. Berger kickoff the Downtown Alliance’s Holiday Shopping Campaign. (Photo courtesy of the Downtown Alliance)

Tribeca
FILM FEST WELCOMES NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced this week that Frederic Boyer, who recently ran the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, has been named the artistic director of TFF.

Boyer, 52, has served as artistic director and head of programming for the Directors’ Fortnight since 2009. From 2004 to 2008, he was the head of Cannes’ Film Selection Committee. He is the artistic director of the Les Arcs European Film Festival at the Les Arcs ski resort in the Alps. Before joining the Directors’ Fortnight, he created and managed Videosphere, a renowned video store in Paris with a library of some 60,000 titles, including a wide range of arthouse films.

“The Tribeca Film Festival has always been a platform for a wide spectrum of filmmaking, and Frederic shares our passion and curiosity for film and storytelling,” said Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “We know he will make our festival team even stronger and enhance the Tribeca experience as we enter our second decade.”

“I could not be more honored and excited to begin this new chapter at Tribeca. This Festival has matured and developed so impressively from its origins, but there are many more frontiers to explore while keeping the core focus on discovering new voices in filmmaking,” Boyer added.

Other changes to the TFF executive structure include the promotion of Genna Terranova, former senior programmer, to director of programming.

The 11th annual TFF will be held April 18-29 in New York City in 2012.

Battery Park City
ASPHALT GREEN’S NEW WEBSITE

Asphalt Green, a not-for-profit health and fitness center, recently launched its new website, www.asphaltgreenbpc.org, to provide details on their new Battery Park City facility that will open in February. The Asphalt Green Battery Park City location will include two pools, a gymnasium, state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a culinary center, a performing arts space, and six multi-use studios and classrooms. Babysitting services will be available for members.

Programs for children will include training in swimming, soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, volleyball, martial arts, culinary and cultural arts programs and a summer camp. Adult programs will include sports leagues and specialized training for marathons and triathlons, as well as a wide variety of exercise classes including yoga, Pilates, Zumba, cardio kickboxing, spinning, swimming and water exercises and extensive culinary and cultural arts programs.

Asphalt Green Battery Park City will be located at 212 North End Ave., between Murray and Warren streets. A temporary membership office has been opened across the street, at 211 North End Ave. Membership information is available on the website and by calling (212) 298-2980.

Correction

Issue of Nov. 24, 2011
In the article, “A Citywide Guide to Eating Out on Thanksgiving” it was incorrectly stated that Griffou chef Mark Strausman was the former executive chef at Fred’s at Barney. Strausman is still the executive chef at Fred’s, in addition to his role as executive chef for Griffou.

Boyer, 52, has served as artistic director and head of programming for the Directors’ Fortnight since 2009. From 2004 to 2008, he was the head of Cannes’ Film Selection Committee. He is the artistic director of the Les Arcs European Film Festival at the Les Arcs ski resort in the Alps. Before joining the Directors’ Fortnight, he created and managed Videosphere, a renowned video store in Paris with a library of some 60,000 titles, including a wide range of arthouse films.

“The Tribeca Film Festival has always been a platform for a wide spectrum of filmmaking, and Frederic shares our passion and curiosity for film and storytelling,” said Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “We know he will make our festival team even stronger and enhance the Tribeca experience as we enter our second decade.”

“I could not be more honored and excited to begin this new chapter at Tribeca. This Festival has matured and developed so impressively from its origins, but there are many more frontiers to explore while keeping the core focus on discovering new voices in filmmaking,” Boyer added.

Other changes to the TFF executive structure include the promotion of Genna Terranova, former senior programmer, to director of programming.

The 11th annual TFF will be held April 18 through 29, 2012, in New York City.

Photo by Xavier Lambours. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.