The NYC Wallace's

Sleepers

Owen & Dad's weekend bike ride

Andrew Wallace's Pix

Andrew Sila Wallace

Born 6/16/2008 @ 4:26pm, 8lbs 4ozs.

 

Day Five

Wishes Really Do Come True

The sun was back today.  Apparently, it was either 18 pennies worth of wishes in a fountain or the sun dance I did with Mom.  Whatever the case, we were back on the beach for another sun filled afternoon.

The only good part about the heavy winds and rain was it churned out a new crop of shells.  I've got a whole new collection of these souvenirs to bring home as a reminder of our first family vacation.  And I'm pretty sure I've had more than my fill of sand at this point too!

Here I am waving bye bye to the sun and sea, and hoping my dance and wishes are good for another day of nice weather.

Day Four

Wishing for Better Weather

Rainy days on vacation always get me down.  So we packed up the car and drove down to Naples, Florida.  What's in Naples you ask?  A great place to watch the boats, have lunch, and watch ceiling fans - pure heaven and distraction! 


After lunch we explored town, and Dad wisely avoided the part where all the fancy stores were.  I greeted many tourists on our walk, but the highlight of the day was when Mom and Dad taught me how to make a wish in the fountain.  I wished for the sun to shine again tomorrow and for more of that yummy fudge I had for the first time! 

Day Three

A Whole Lot More Relaxin'

About the only thing going on today was the sun!  Owen napped comfortably on Dad down on the beach, and he awoke to the smell of a BBQ  at the Mucky Duck - a local restaurant down the beach from our condo.  On the way home picking up sea shells, we saw a heron blending in among the locals on the beach.


This was also the second day in a row riding on the back of Dad's bike, and he's so cute back there.  See for yourself.

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to turn, so after taking in all the sun we could today, we're exhausted and ready for some different adventures tomorrow!

Day Two

Another Day of Firsts

Today we had strong Gulf winds, but the weather was otherwise perfect.  Owen walked on the beach in the morning and had a relaxing nap by the pool.  Today we also rented bicycles for the week, and Owen rode with Dad for the very first time.  He loved the view from his perch, and he chatted furiously with the world passing by, occasionally pulling on Dad's shirt to remind him to go slowly! 


The sunset tonight was beautiful, and while we were down on the beach, Owen met a "wa wa" Golden Retriever, named Rolly.  He was a nice reminder of home, but it's still a few more days before Owen goes home to the real wa wa.

Owen's Excellent Adventure

Florida sun... and Owen's First Flight

Owen is doing fine on his first adventure outside the Tri-State area and handled his very first flight like a pro!  "The Mayor" kept Mom and Dad on their toes running up the aisle to say "hi" to all his neighbors!  

From here on the sunny west coast of Florida, we're getting settled into our nice home away from home for the week.  Owen's first adventure was to the beach to reconnect with the waves.  He really seems to have missed the salt water this winter.  The bath isn't quite the same!  He was so excited once we were on beach, we had to hold him back from walking into the Gulf after getting full stride on his own in the sand!  

The highlight of day one for Owen though, was the blue slide that he could go down all on his own.  The bonus was a pile of fresh white sand at the bottom he could touch, throw and eat.  Yes eat.  He tried a few hand-fulls, and after after Mom and Dad shook sand away from his mouth, he signed for "more", which he was very upset to be denied.  Oh well, it was just the first day!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you the best in '08!

Merry Xmas 2007!

Happy Birthday Owen!

Owen's First Year

We have been remiss in posting recently to our blog, but this video of Owen's first year should more than make up for our absence!

Construction Progress - December 2007

Pictured is the WTC construction site as of 12/08/2007

New School in BPC!

Ready in 2010... just in time for Owen to enter Kindergarten.

A New ‘Green’ School for Lower Manhattan

NY Times 

The city will build a 950-seat elementary and middle school in Battery Park City, a recognition of the unanticipated surge in population in Lower Manhattan since 9/11, officials announced this morning.

At the morning news conference, community leaders applauded the announcement. Julie Menin, the chairwoman of Community Board 1, called it the “the best possible thing for the area, adding that she had lobbied city and state officials for a new school since last year. “We desperately need this,” she said. “The schools are literally bursting at the seams.”

Owen & Martha Stewart?

Breaking News from In-Touch Weekly! 

See if you can spot our boy in the picture below, which was taken at a recent taping of the Martha Stewart Show.  Clearly, what Owen thinks is a 'good thing' is sleep!      

Hint: see left-hand side of the page.

Owen. Zero to 6...months.

An Uncle Ken Production.

Construction Progress - Sept. 2007

We've dedicated this blog to Owen as he grows up surrounded by the rebirth and historic transformation of the WTC site.  With lower Manhattan growing up as fast as Owen, we hope you'll enjoy the ongoing story unfold here on these pages. 

Pictured is the WTC construction site as of 9/11/2007

Standing Up

Owen enjoying the bench as a ladder to help him stand-up.

Final Renderings of the New WTC Site

Future Site of Deutsche Bank

JPMorgan Chase's "Beer Gut"

Construction currently ongoing at the site:

First Solids

Banana for Monkey!
The pediatrician gave the all clear for solid food today, but we were pretty confident a while ago that Owen would embrace the idea.  See for yourself, here with his first bite and plotting for his next of many, many more...

Six Month Doctor's Appointment

17 lbs 6 ozs, 28.1 inches!

Owen's First Mets Game

Mets Win... And I meet Mr. Met!

My first ever visit to Shea... the home team wins 5-4 AND we get a picture with the famous Mr. Met!   Does it get any better than that?

Due to my tender young age, we stayed for the first 5 innings, but it was enough to meet Mr. Met and watch David Wright and Carlos Delgado belt home runs!  It was so loud that I cried a little, but they were tears of joy.

I can't wait for my next game!

BPC History - Part 2

"Futuristic" Plans

The original master plan for Battery Park City was developed between 1962-1975 under Governor Nelson Rockefeller.  The vision was to expand the area of lower Manhattan; to get people living downtown again; and to provide lower Manhattan with more trees and open spaces. 

The original "futuristic design" incorporated pedestrian traffic with park-like spaces on one level and transportation uses on another subterranean level.

The Rockefeller vision, however, was tabled when New York City's economy faltered in the late 1970's.   

Owen's First St. Patty's Day

Three Month Doctor's Visit

12 pds 10 oz and 24 inches!

Battery Maritime Building

The NYC Economic Development Corp is waiting for a new tenant to occupy the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan (next to the Staten Island ferry terminal). 

We heard a rumor that the site was going to be used as a 140,000 square foot gourmet market, modeled on the Pike Place Market in Seattle. 

Bring it on!

Tracking the construction - March 2007

Another month of progress

Last month we posted a photo of continuing WTC construction from Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's web site.  This month we're switching to Project Rebirth's "Weather Bug."  Seems the LMDC is no longer keeping a watchful eye.  Oh well, luckily we still have a source to keep tabs on the progress!

Uncle Ken - Stand-up Comedian!

Our Uncle Ken will be a special guest performer in the Improv troupe called, "The Monkeys in the Atrium".  Anything that has monkey in the name, of course, has to be a winner!!  Back to the point - Ken's "BIG show" is on March 25th at Comedy Cellar.  One day, when Uncle Ken is famous, Owen will say: I knew him when he lived in a basement apartment in Queens, and he brought the $2 blue plush toy to me in the hospital.  Those were the days! 

Good luck Ken, have a good show!

Doctor's visit

How big will Owen be?

The measurements are in!  At Owen's two month doctors visit yesterday, he weighed in at 11 pounds 13 ounces - that is a 2 pound weight gain in the past month!  Thanks again for voting in our poll.

Owen also grew two inches and is now just shy of two feet tall.  According to growth charts, Owen is well on his way to topping off at a whopping 6' 1" tall.

Next visit will be March 16th.

Downtown Skyline

Gehry's Beekman Tower Will Redefine the Skyline

Architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, is designing a glass and titanium skinned tower at 8 Spruce Street, one block south of the Brooklyn Bridge entrance and half block east of City Hall.

Beekman Tower will be 75-stories, 876-foot-high and primarily be residential. It also will house a K-through-8 public school and a medical facility for NYU Hospital.

Work kicked off in fall 2006, and the top floor will be up in winter 2008, completed by mid-2009.

First Subway Ride

Owen went underground to ride the rails for the first time this weekend, which officially solidifies his place as a "New Yorker". 

His first subway ride started on the R train from Rector to Prince St, and then back along the #6 line from Astor Place to Wall St. via the #4. 

The boy slept through almost the entire thing, though he occasionally peaked his eyes open when the muffled announcements were made over the train's PA system.  Overall though, he seemed perfectly at ease - like a professional commuter!

Project Rebirth

Ten 35mm time-lapse cameras situated around the World Trade Center Site have been shooting one frame of film every five minutes, seven days a week since May 2002.  This not-for-profit documentary project, called Project Rebirth, will continue until reconstruction is complete. 

The final film will become a feature-length documentary and is intended for a future memorial installation.

Happy Birthday Uncle Ken

Deutsche Bank

Owen and Dad took a lap around the WTC site yesterday, to inspect the  41-story former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St.  Steel removal will begin this month at the rate of one floor per week. 

Here is an animation showing the planned demolition work.

Continue reading to see more pictures from our walk, including a view of 130 Liberty St. from our apartment window.

Eight Weeks Today

Waterfront Project

East River Park

Redevelopment plans of the East River waterfront, stretching from Battery Park to East River Park.

Another project we're excited about downtown is the new park space and riverwalk along the East side.  As this project progresses, Owen will share his thoughts.

Storybook

Click to Read "Owen Buys a Swing"

We hope you enjoy the first edition of Owen's Storybook!

Smiles

Owen started to smile this week.  He'd been smiling a bit already, but only while he was sleeping.  Now he's giving us big smiles during play-time, and once in a while a little laughter too.

To everyone checking Owen's Flickr site, we wanted to let you know that we started a new photo album, because of the 200 photo limit on the Flickr free site. 

The "Owen Pix" link in the left-hand column will take you to the new album.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lazy Saturday

Plans for Governors Island

Competing design teams selected

Right here in Owen's backyard, across the river, will soon be another exciting "new" place to visit.  Though not itself new, Governors Island was one of the first settlements of the Dutch West India Company in 1624.  Now the Island is getting a brand new look.  The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation selected competing teams this month, to design plans for an open public space, which includes new parkland, a waterfront promenade, and historic district. 

Poll

Guess my foot size?

Paws up!

Construction milestone

One steel cage up, many more to go

NYT: A 70-foot-long steel cage was lifted by cranes yesterday and then lowered into a trench at the World Trade Center site.  63 cages will reinforce a concrete foundation wall at the site.

Though not everyone is a fan of the Freedom Tower.

Monkey!

Owen an extra?

Hey, Will Smith do you need any extras?

First he filmed Hitch in Battery Park City.  Now Will Smith is back downtown filming a $32M two minute scene for his new movie - I am Legend. 

We have some great head-shots of Owen if you need any extras for the shoot, Will?

A photoblogger was on the scene.

Long weekend

Owen rests up from his busy weekend.

New concept for playgrounds

Kids being kids?

A designer’s rendering of a proposed supervised playground in Lower Manhattan.

The New York Times and now Tribeca Tribune have spilled quite a bit of ink these past few weeks about a new playground concept slated for the Seaport area.  We'll let you know what Owen thinks of it, assuming the thing ever gets built.  Given how most of these projects work in NY though, I suspect we'll be submitting college applications by the time Mayor Andrew Giuliani (hey, don't be surprised!) presides over the opening ceremony.

Tracking the construction

Steel Columns at WTC Site

We walk by it often, and slowly but surely the signs of progress at the WTC site are becoming visible.  Here a live webcam of the site shows the steel columns that recently went in the ground for Freedom Tower.  By the time Owen is in school, the construction will be in full swing.