New York City in Brief

Brief reports on events around New York City.
New York City in Brief
1/25/2010
Updated:
1/25/2010

Firms Relinquish Stuy Town and Peter Cooper Village


NEW YORK—Tishman Speyer and BlackRock Realty relinquished control over Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village on Monday.

In 2006, the two real estate firms bought the two complexes for $5.6 billion, which was the most expensive real estate transaction in United States’ history. Overall, both complexes house approximately 25,000 tenants in 11,000 apartments.

It is unknown who the new owners are. Tishman Speyer and BlackRock were going to turn the rent-stabilized apartments into luxury housing, however, the state ruled recently that rent increases were illegal, fining the two firms $200 million.

On Monday, a spokesmen for the two firms told reporters that they relinquished the two properties to banks because it was a better alternative to bankruptcy, citing the recent financial crisis as a primary reason for the partnership’s problems.

Picasso Painting Torn by Woman at Met


NEW YORK—A woman tripped and fell into a Pablo Picasso painting and ripped a 6-inch portion of it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday.

The woman was attending an art class at the time. The Picasso painting that was damaged was “The Actor,” which measures around 77 inches by 45 inches.

The museum did not give any specific reasons as to why the woman fell, according to various reports. The Met said the painting will be repaired in the next few weeks, saying that the rip, which is located on the lower right side of the painting, was “unobtrusive.”

Picasso painted the piece around 105 years ago.

Classical Carnegie Concert Benefits Children in Haiti


Acclaimed pianist prodigy Lang Lang, conductor Christoph Eschenbach, and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra are planning a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall on March 21 that aids children in Haiti, according to a public announcement on Monday.

Eschenbach and Lang Lang had scheduled a 21 city North American tour, but when news of the earthquake broke, the artists felt compelled to bring their concert to New York for one night to support UNICEF’s efforts in Haiti.

“I have served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for six years,” said Lang Lang in a release, “so it seemed only fitting that an evening that puts young artists in the spotlight also benefit an organization that seeks to improve the lives and futures of the children in need.”

Participating artists have donated their fees for the evening to UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Fund.