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The local paper for the Upper East Side

East Midtown Partnership 2017 Annual Report to the Community

East Midtown Partnership 875 Third Ave., Mezzanine New York, NY 10022 212-813-0030 www.EastMidtown.org 2 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017

Message from the President & Chair of the Board of Directors Dear Friends: end of the ten-year cycle. The past year has been an important one for both Last year it became apparent that anticipated East Midtown and the East Midtown cost of living increases, coupled with some major Partnership, as major decisions were made that will unanticipated expenses (including the state- shape the future of our community and our Business mandated Minimum Wage increase and new security Improvement District. and sanitation expenses related to the district’s proximity to ) required us to look at our The East Midtown Rezoning will have a major financial needs. After more than a year of study and impact on our district as it rolls out over the next deliberation, the Finance Committee of the Board of two decades. The rezoning will allow for taller, more Directors recommended an increase in the annual modern buildings better able to attract the 21st assessment to $3.5 million, an amount sufficient to Century businesses needed to sustain the area as meet the needs of this community while continuing an international commercial center. The regulations Debra Fechter to keep the per square foot expense to our ratepayers also provide for mass transit and public realm Chair of the Board of Directors much lower than almost every comparable BID. That improvements that are vital to our quality of life. recommendation was approved unanimously by the Similarly, the Board of Directors and staff of the East Board in April, 2017 and is now pending before City Midtown Partnership spent much of the past year Council. planning for our future. We will continue to operate frugally and spend More than a decade ago, the Board developed a carefully, but the new plan will provide adequate ten-year financial plan, establishing a $2.2 million funding to deliver the essential services and high annual assessment on the district’s 28 million square caliber of programming reflective of East Midtown feet of commercial space (which, at approximately 8 Manhattan. With more than 800 storefronts, cents per square foot per year, gave East Midtown thousands of upper-floor commercial tenants, and an one of the lowest Business Improvement District increasing number of residents, we want to ensure assessment rates in the city.) That plan allowed for we’re able to meet the demands of our growing, the organization to accrue savings in the first few thriving community well into the future. Rob Byrnes years, while spending down its reserves toward the President 2017 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 3 We Are Connected Each week the East Midtown Partnership distributes information on district sales and promotions, community events, street closures, and more. When special circumstances arise – be it the United Nations General Assembly, Restaurant Week, or holiday programs – thousands of people turn to our bulletins, website, and social media posts for accurate, up to date information. Contact us at 212-813-0030 or info@ eastmidtown.org to find out how you can be connected!

Thursday, December 7, Join us 2017 for the 8:00 AM East Midtown Partnership’s Le Cirque 16th Annual Meeting 151 East 58th Street

Call 212-813-0030 or visit our website for more information. 4 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING Our Website: An Updated, Crisper Design ‘Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown’ Doubles Drawing hundreds – sometimes • A modern, intuitive business Attendance, Wins International Recognition thousands – of weekly visitors, directory and map; our website is a valuable resource After you’ve drawn more than 1,000 children and parents to East • Features highlighting special for the community, as well as for Midtown to trick-or-treat at 60 local businesses, what do you do business promotions and Passport people from throughout the world. for an encore? Go bigger and better, of course! perks; We feel an obligation to give On Halloween, 2016, our second annual “Trick-or-Treat with our visitors the best experience • Enhanced event and news East Midtown” event brought more than 2,000 people into our possible. listings; and neighborhood. We checked the trick-or-treaters in at Tramway During the past year, we launched • An easy process for businesses Plaza on Second Avenue where they collected our branded an improved website with a to update their listings Halloween bags and visited a themed photo booth and face- cleaner, more user-friendly look. painters, enhancing the experience and capturing memories of the The feedback we’ve received Incorporated into the new www. day. Then those little ghosts and goblins, accompanied by their since unveiling the new design EastMidtown.org through the parents, visited our business community, where more than 80 has been uniformly positive, and redesign were: businesses handed out treats. makes it much easier to promote • Simplified organization and area businesses and events. This The feedback included comments such as: navigation; is especially true for the growing number of people who access “We live in East Midtown, and are so excited that • Optimization for mobile devices www.EastMidtown.org from you guys are doing this! We love this neighborhood and tablets; and are happy to see some community events for mobile devices. our kids!” Lunar New Year Brings “I’ve learned about businesses that I didn’t even know existed that are right around the corner from Thousands to me!” In January, 2017, we welcomed the Year of the Rooster with our “My kids have been so excited all weekend to come second annual event, “Madison and trick-or-treat in East Midtown. Thank you guys Street to Madison Avenue: A for doing this again!” Lunar New Year Celebration.” Once again we worked with And, ironically: our friends at the Confucius “We’ve been looking for a good dentist! Thanks for Institute for Business at SUNY, the Madison Avenue Business making the introduction!” Improvement District, and the In raw numbers, the event drew over 14,500,000 media Chinatown Partnership, and this the route. We also staged a series impressions and 36,531 unique East Midtown Partnership year we also welcomed the Grand of cultural activities inside the website and social media views. We had an impact. Central Partnership to the team. Harman store, at 527 Madison The unprecedented collaboration Avenue (at East ), as In fact, we had such an impact that the event won a Merit Award brought the rich culture of well as in outdoor heated tents. from the International Downtown Association at its September, Chinatown to Midtown East and 2017 annual conference in Winnipeg, Canada. Great recognition Again, the media noticed our the Upper East Side. for free family fun that also highlights our excellent East Midtown innovative programming. The business community. Thousands of people – New Lunar New Year celebration Yorkers and Asian visitors alike – earned 55 press hits with more This year we’ll be Trick-or-Treating on Tuesday, October 31. Plan to watched as teams of lion dancers than 109 million total media join us! made their way north up Madison impressions, and was promoted Avenue from East in four pre-event local to East 86th Street, delighting segments and 51 print/online retailers and pedestrians along pieces. 2017 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 5

OTHER PROGRAMMING Our Marketing and Business Development Committee worked throughout the year to enhance existing programming and develop new events to bring visitors to the district and highlight local businesses. Among other highlights were:

The Passport Card Launched in April, 2013, the East Midtown Passport card offers special benefits to customers at more than 100 area businesses. More than 20,000 consumers now carry our Passport card in their purse or wallet. From Just Salad to Le Cirque, from Harman to Extraordinary, the East Midtown Passport provides savings at a wide range of businesses with a wide range of price points.

Social Media Every day, we update thousands of followers with important information on East Midtown business promotions, community events, and transit and traffic through Facebook and Twitter. The Partnership also shares district images on Flickr and Instagram, and brings the professional community Holiday Décor together on LinkedIn. With over Once again, our unique red, yellow, blue and green lighted spheres help create a festive atmosphere in East Midtown dur- 6,000 social media contacts, we’re ing the dark winter months. This past holiday season, we added street-pole banners with a similar design theme, which one of the city’s most connected tied together the festive look throughout East Midtown. Business Improvement Districts. Sounds of the Season Weekly e-Bulletins (and more) In December, we hosted several days of joyful holiday music from Each week more people subscribe to our popular e-Bulletins. Over the community-based performers including: past 12 months, we’ve sent out more than 70 bulletins, which promote • PS 59 Chorus from Beekman Hill International School PS 59, local businesses, highlight beneficial community and governmental programming, report major public events and street closures, and, of • Lighthouse Vocal Ensemble from the Filomen M. D’Agostino course, update readers on our activities. Greenberg Music School, • Cathedral High School Marching Band 6 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017

BEAUTIFYING OUR COMMUNITY Open public space is at a premium in East , but we’re committed to finding new ways to enhance and expand streetscape beautification.

Tree Beds & Planters Brighten the Streetscape For the past nine years, we’ve The East Midtown Partnership is installed three colorful seasonal also responsible for planting and plantings in over 100 district maintaining 7 large planters placed tree beds, many of which were at the corner of and previously neglected. The visual East 60th Street by the New York impact is stunning in sections of City Department of Transportation. the district where our planting is Those planters were installed especially concentrated, including as a pedestrian safety measure, East and the perimeter but our greenery has made of Tramway Plaza. them an attractive addition to the streetscape.

Tramway Plaza Gets a Makeover Tramway Plaza, on Second limited resources, we’ve also Avenue between East 59th taken charge of pest control Street and East 60th Street, measures, which are vital to is only four-tenths of an acre creating an enjoyable park in size, and the planting beds experience. make up less than half of that. And thanks to a City Council But it’s the only accessible grant through Council member public space in the district, Dan Garodnick, in summer, and an oasis for people who 2017 we were able to want to escape the city’s rehabilitate the planting beds. bustle for a while. That’s why Old plants were removed, and the East Midtown Partnership our team – made up of NYC is committed to keeping Parks employees, a crew from Tramway Plaza clean, safe, and The Doe Fund, Partnership welcoming. Support For the Malls administrative staff and security Our Clean Patrol sweeps the officers – completely replanted The center malls on Park financial sponsor of programming plaza several times each day, the beds with colorful flowers Avenue are one of the city’s developed by The Fund for Park and East Midtown security and greenery. More than a few treasures, featuring beautiful Avenue, a privately funded not- officers and staff members passersby stopped to watch us seasonal flowers, public sculpture for-profit organization. Fund for educate the public to discourage at work and tell us what a great exhibitions, and the traditional Park Avenue administrators also bird feeding. Knowing that improvement it was for the holiday tree lighting. The East sit on our Board of Directors the Parks Department has community. Midtown Partnership is a and help guide our community beautification efforts. 2017 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 7

The Clean Patrol Keeping Midtown Clean & Green

Keeping our streets and sidewalks clean has long been the East Midtown Partnership’s primary commitment. In fact, our sanitation program was the first service we rolled out in Spring, 2002. Since then, our contractor – The Doe Fund, Inc. – has removed almost 20 million pounds of trash from our streets. But we don’t just sweep up litter. The East Midtown Clean Patrol also clears snow and ice during the winter, sweeps puddles away from overwhelmed catch basins when it rains, paints street furniture, removes graffiti and illegal posters, power-washes sidewalks, and polishes our receptacles. We were the first Business Improvement District in the City to launch a public recycling program, allowing pedestrians to properly Fiscal Year 2017 Cumulative dispose of their newspapers and (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017) (2002 – 2017) paper items. Our pilot program Total Pounds of Trash Removed 1,121,767 19,582,027 rolled out in late 2012, and by Total Pounds/Recyclable Paper 327, 4 33 1,311,844 October, 2013, we had installed 120 custom-designed, green- Number of Trash Bags Collected 110,28 3 1,553,171 capped recycling units on district No. of Recyclable Bags Collected 32,329 132,789 sidewalks, ensuring that no one Incidents of Graffiti Removed 428 4,245 is more than a block away from the opportunity to recycle. The program and into full-time private success of this program can be sector employment since we measured by the volume of paper began the sanitation program in we’re now recycling: more than 2002. 327 thousand pounds over the Street and sidewalk sanitation will past 12 months! always be a top priority for the Our relationship with The Doe East Midtown Partnership, and Fund is rewarding on many levels. we’ll continue to keep our busy, The Doe Fund’s East Midtown heavily-trafficked streetscape Clean Patrol keeps the streets and clean and attractive. If you see sidewalks of our community well- an unsanitary condition – whether maintained… with enthusiasm and a one-time incident or a chronic a smile. Second – and every bit its success in breaking negative more than 800 Clean Patrol problem – contact us immediately as important to us –the program is cycles and instilling in its trainees “alumni” have graduated from at 212-813-0030 and we’ll address it. well-known and well-honored for a strong work ethic. We estimate The Doe Fund’s workforce training 8 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017

PUBLIC SAFETY Assisting the Community and Keeping Midtown Safe

Our public safety patrol is small, but dedicated and knowledgeable. The seven men and women in our patrol force – six of whom have been with us for more than a decade – are on the streets six days per week, offering directions to pedestrians, watching for safety hazards, monitoring street vendor conditions, and responding to merchant concerns. On an average day, the East Midtown Partnership security team assists more than 44 individuals. In addition, our security team makes frequent visits to businesses, updating them Through their professionalism and on East Midtown Partnership Fiscal Year 2017 Cumulative knowledge of the district, East programming, information from Midtown security officers have (7/1/2016 – 6/30/2017) (2002 – 2017) the NYPD, and other matters. earned the respect of the three This year they also began making local NYPD precincts – the 17th, Directions Given 12,552 320,626 regular visits to homeless 19th, and Midtown North – as individuals and panhandlers in well as the people who live and Incidents Reported 25 1,371 the area, offering them access to work in the area. If you need our services. As our eyes and ears on assistance, please call us at 212- Street Conditions the street, they’re invaluable to our 52 987 813-0030. Reported organization. Peddler Conditions 0 647

Homeless Outreach Working to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers

Since November, 2002, the women on our streets. grow, although the number of with the BRC to reach the East Midtown Partnership has placements has declined. That is homeless individuals living in and Over the past 14 years, BRC contracted with the Bowery largely because we’ve reached the passing through this community Homeless Outreach workers Residents’ Committee for the most reachable, while the most in an effort to meet their needs have had almost 55,000 one- provision of Homeless Outreach reluctant to accept services remain and integrate them back into on-one interactions, and placed Services in our community. The on the streets. Neverthless, productive livelihoods. more than 700 people in recovery terms of that contract are unique we continue to make progress. programs… people who might The BRC is in East Midtown 40 in specifying that BRC can – and Convincing someone to come in otherwise still be living on city hours each week, at all times of should – work with homeless from the streets can be a complex streets. the day and night. If you are aware individuals not just within the process entailing weeks or months of a homelessness situation, district boundaries, but in adjacent In recent years, the number – or even years – of interaction please contact the BRC 24 Help areas. Our goal is to provide a of interactions our outreach to build trust and understanding, Line at 212-533-5151. path to rehabilitation and recovery workers have had with homeless and the East Midtown Partnership for the vulnerable men and individuals has continued to remains committed to working 2017 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 9 Finances fiscal year fiscal year 2018 2017 (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) (July 1,2016 - June 30,2017) Administration

Personnel $530,000 $480,000

General Expenses $170,000 $150,000

Insurance $40,000 $25,000

Professional Fees $30,000 $20,000

Subtotal $770,000 $675,000 Operations

Sanitation $925,000 $775,000

Security $460,000 $400,000

Homeless Outreach $120,000 $105,000

Subtotal $1,505,000 $1,280,000 Programming

Business Promotion & $225,000 $205,000 Marketing Beautification $240,000 $195,000

Streetscape Improvements $110,000 $60,000

Subtotal $575,000 $460,000

Expenses $2,850,000 $2,415,000

Revenues $3,500,000 $2,200,000

Revenue Over Expense $650,000* ($215,000)*

* In keeping with Best Fiscal Practices for Not-for-Profit Organizations, the East Midtown Partnership maintains a reserve fund, held in insured investments.

Budget information and Audited Financial Statements are available on our website, and can also be obtained by contacting the East Midtown Partnership office, 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022. Phone: 212-813-0030 or e-mail [email protected]. 10 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017

Thanks to all the businesses, property owners, community organizations, cultural institutions, and others who have participated in our programming over the past 15 months, including: 480 Park Avenue Corporation Boston Properties Elaine’s Fine Art illesteva Pediatric Dentists Breitling Elijah Peters Optique Illume Lampshades & Lamp Repair 59E59 Theaters Carlyle Convertibles Ethan Allen In/Where New York A La Mode Shoppe Carvi Hotel Extraordinary Inform Fitness Studios All Saints Church Cassina Eyes on the World Insomnia Cookies Allen Edmonds Cathedral High School Farinella Bakery InVite Health Allure Day Spa & Hair Design CBRE Fifty NYC Hotel Instituto Cervantes Amali Child Mind Institute Fig & Olive IWC Schauffhausen American Apparel Chinatown Partnership Filles et Garcons Jack Resnick & Sons American Cut Circle Realty Group The Fitz Jacques Torres Chocolates Anka Grill Cohen Brothers Realty Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel Corporation Jay Suites Grand Central Apple Bank for Savings French Institute Alliance Francaise Cohen’s Fashion Optical Jean Rousseau AT&T Mobileistic Fresh & Co. Community Board 5 Manhattan The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites Dr. Anna Avaliani Cosmetic & Friends of Art & Design Laser Surgery Community Board 6 Manhattan Jonathan Adler The Fund for Park Avenue Avis Budget Group Community Board 8 Manhattan Jersey Mike’s SubsJoseph Battisti Garden Grille Bar & Restaurant Salon Baked by Melissa Confucius Institute for Business Gardens NYC Just Bulbs The Bar Room Consult Podiatry George N Antiques Just Salad Barchi Bespoke Tailor & Shirt Corporate Suites Maker Glaze Teriyaki Grill Koleksiyon Mobilya Cucci Chiropractic Bareburger Gloria Cabrera Salon Kurant Wine Bar Currency Exchange International Beekman Financial Planning LLC Dr. Cynthia Gomez, DDS La Cava Wine Bar Daum-Haviland The Benjamin Hotel Grace’s Marketplace La Villetta Dentistry for Children & Benson Law Firm LLC Orthodontics Grand Central Partnership Lapicida Best Western Plus Hospitality Digby Management Co. LLC Greek Eats Le Cirque House Dos Toros Taqueria H. Lowy Cleaners & Tailors Le Pain Quotidien – Grand Central Bianca Jewelers West Dunhill Harman Big Apple Art Gallery & Custom Hastens 58th Street Learning Express Toys Framing Duxiana Hastens Madison Avenue Lerebours Antiques Bikram Yoga Grand Central Dylan’s Candy Bar Health King Levy School Choir of All Saints Bloom’s Tavern East Sixties Neighborhood Church Association The Health Nuts Bloomberg Lexington Hardware E. Braun High School of Art & Design Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s Lighthouse Vocal Ensemble Edible Arrangements Hill Cleaners Law Office of Harold A. Bollaci, Lillian Nassau PC Eileen Fisher Hilton Garden Inn Links of London Bon Vivant New York Elaine Lane Antiques HJMT Public Relations Inc. 2017 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 11

Lips Smiles Park Avenue Dental Living Proof Nutrition Strength Sofia Pizza Shoppe Pilates Sprinkles Lladro State Bank of India MacArthur Management Sterling Optical Madison Avenue Business Improvement District Sumi Properties Group Madonna & Co. Sunflower Salon Madison Dental Group SUNY Global Center Manhattan Art & Antiques Center Sutton Area Community Manhattan Borough President’s Sutton Place Chropractic Office T-Mobile Manhattan Boutique Real Estate Talbots Manhattan Espresso Café NextStop NY Real Estate Pick A Bagel TD Bank Mark De Alwis Salon Ninth Street Espresso The Pierre Hotel Tracy Anderson Method Maurice Badler Fine Jewelry Oak & Barrel Pig ‘N’ Whistle on 3rd Treadwell Park Metamorphosis Day Spa Off the Wall Frozen Yogurt Piquadro Tufenkian Artisan Carpets Midtown Restaurant Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP Popular Community Bank Turtle Bay Association Miriam Silverberg Associates Orogold Cosmetics Potbelly Turtle Bay Music School Mon Petit Café Our Town Regus The Unforgettables Chorus Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Uni K Wax Midtown Garden OurHarvest Rigby & Peller Untamed Sandwiches Muscle Maker Grill P. S. 59 Rimowa Padoca Bakery Roger Dubois Upper East Side Dental Nare Sushi Innovations Palace Restaurant Rosen & Deutch DDS PC The National Bar & Dining Rooms Upper Story by Charlie Palmer The Paley Center for Media The Ross Art Group NYC Comptroller’s Office Vanderbilt YMCA Paname French Restaurant Rouge Makeup Salons NYC Council Verve Medical Cosmetics The Paramount Group Rudin Management NYC Department of Parks & Vivienne Westwood Recreation Park Avenue Dental Medicine PC Saks Off Fifth Vornado Realty Trust NYC Department of Small The Partnership for Parks Salon Amici Business Services The Walking Company Dr. Deena Pegler, DMD Salon Ishi New York Police Department, 17th Waterman Properties LLC Precinct Peoples Foreign Exchange Corp. Samuel and Sons Waterworks New York Public Library, 58th Perrine San Carlos Hotel Street Branch The Wellness Center of New York Pescatore Satori Laser New York Public Library, Terence Whiskey & Wine Off 69 Philip Colleck Ltd. Sherwin Williams Cardinal Cooke Cathedral Branch YMassage at Living Proof Physical Advantage Sirio The New York Resident Zales Newmark Holdings Piada Italian Food & Wine Bar Skintology Skin & Laser Center 12 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2017 Board of Directors, 2017 Debra Fechter, Chair Hon. Gale Brewer, Manhattan Andrew M. Freedman, Digby Management Co., LLC Borough President Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP Steven Cherniak, Vice Chair Represented by Lesly Almanzar & Jessica Mates Hon. Daniel Garodnick, NYC Council Cohen Brothers Realty Corp. David Brooks, Just Bulbs Represented by Grace Phillipp Brian Steinwurtzel, Treasurer Hon. James G. Clynes, Chair, Michael E. Keaveney, GFP Real Estate Community Board 8 Waterman Properties LLC Martin McGrath, Alternate Represented by Will Sanchez & Matthew Bondy Mark Baydala, Alternate Robert Steinman, Secretary Shane Cookman, Fitzpatrick Hotel Group Karla Kudatzky, CBRE Rudin Management Company, Inc. George Kurth, Alternate James Mallios, Amali Dorothy Cristani, Resident Carlo Mantica, Le Cirque Hon. Vikki Barbero, Chair, Fran Delgorio, Jack Resnick & Sons Community Board 5 Viena Margulies, MacArthur Management Represented by E J Kalarfski & Michael Greeley Marc Donohue, State Bank of India Barbara McLaughlin, Kathleen Bardolf, Terrence Donohue, Boston Properties The Fund for Park Avenue State University of New York Joseph DeGregorio, Alternate Jo-Ann Polise, Alternate Johanna Kendrick-Holmes, Alternate Noel Donovan, Bloom’s Tavern Charles Miller, Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s Brian Beirne, 59E59 Theaters Martin Dresner, Vornado Realty Trust M. Barry Schneider, Hon. Gregg Bishop, Commissioner Brad Leader, Alternate East 60s Neighborhood Assn. NYC Dept. of Small Business Services Hon. Rick Eggers, Chair, David Gillespie, Alternate Represented by Stephen Lee & Emily Edwards Community Board 6 Hon. Scott Stringer, NYC Comptroller Dan Breslin, The Paramount Group Represented by Kathy Thompson Represented by Michael Stinson Carol Scali & Brendan Shanley, Alternates Marilyn Francisco, Bloomberg E. Bingo Wyer, Resident

Acknowledgements The East Midtown Partnership thanks the following vendors for their services over the past year: BlenderBox, Website Redesign Edward Post, Park Avenue Mall Sanitation Skody Scot & Company, Accounting & Bowery Residents’ Committee, Homeless Electrical Illuminations by Arnold, Holiday Auditing Outreach Services Decor Sundberg & Associates, Graphic Design City 1 Maintenance, Street Furniture Landsite Group, Horticulture & Sunshine Sachs, Public Relations Maintenance Maintenance Susanne Gil, Bookkeeping Dennis Corsi, Videography Method Group, Information Technology U. S. Security Associates, Security Patrol The Doe Fund, Sanitation Services Ron Jautz, Jautz Photography, Services DuMor Inc, Trash & Recycling Receptacles Photography

Administrative Staff Rob Byrnes, President Sarah L. Hornung, Director of Marketing & Business Development Bob Iovino, Director of Operations