Buy & Fly - New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District

“Buy & Fly” Contest 

Shop Downtown and win a chance for 

a pair of American Airlines Tickets 

SPONSORED BY 

American Airlines • New Rochelle BID 

DOWNTOWN NEW ROCHELLE BID [1] 

Home Town Media Group • New Rochelle Business Retention Fund

[2] DOWNTOWN NEW ROCHELLE BID

DOWNTOWN NEW ROCHELLE BID [3]

[4] DOWNTOWN NEW ROCHELLE BID 

Photo/Greg Maker 

Mayor Noam Bramson (center) with BID Executive Director Ralph DiBart (left) and 

BID Chairman Marc Jerome at the Downtown Showcase. 

Dear Friends: 

Welcome to urban living in New Rochelle. The BID’s unique Downtown Showcase highlights 

all that our community has to offer: the finest housing, the most creative design, 

and the widest range of quality services. 

Our emerging Downtown is a blend of the old and the new, with gleaming towers sitting 

alongside charming, historic structures. Restaurants and galleries energize our street life 

and celebrate cultural expression. While our Library, with its spacious green, serves as 

a meeting place and live entertainment venue for families of every tradition and background. 

Block by block, business by business, New Rochelle’s potential is being realized through 

a partnership between the BID, entrepreneurs, government, individual citizens and community 

organizations. 

Through the Downtown Showcase, we aim to establish stronger bonds between residents 

and the business community – raising awareness about all that New Rochelle has 

to offer and ensuring that our downtown population has access to the best services close 

to home. 

In this spirit, it is my pleasure to thank all those who contributed time and energy to 

this worthwhile endeavor, beginning with the exceptional designers whose work is being 

displayed: Venera Evanko, Lynn Breindel, Susan Simone Halliburton, Chenoa Maxwell, 

Timothy McVey, and Michelle Sanchez Boyce. 

Let me also extend my appreciation to Marc Jerome, Ralph DiBart, and the New Rochelle 

Business Improvement District for their vision and leadership. 

Working together, we will make New Rochelle an even greater city. 

Sincerely, 

Noam Bramson, 

Mayor 

Mayor Bramson kicks off 

Downtown Showcase

Urban living is being featured 

at the New Rochelle BID’s 

unique Downtown Showcase. Six 

New Rochelle interior designers 

teamed up with more than 35 New 

Rochelle Downtown businesses to 

BID Downtown Showcase features urban lifestyle 

share their vision of downtown living 

at Avalon on the Sound East, 

a luxury 40-story high-rise apartment 

building in downtown New 

Rochelle. The public is invited to 

tour the fully furnished two and 

“Buy & Fly” 

Contest 

Spend $25+ at any of these Downtown 

New Rochelle businesses and register to 

win a pair of American Airlines Tickets. 

There will be two winners for two tickets each; 

employees and family are not allowed to participate. 

Contest ends December 21, 2009 

SPONSORED BY 

American Airlines, New Rochelle BID 

Home Town Media Group, 

New Rochelle Business Retention Fund 

three bedroom apartments with 

incredible views of Long Island 

Sound and midtown Manhattan. 

BID Executive Director Ralph 

DiBart said, “With more than 

1,500 new luxury condo, livework 

loft and rental apartments, 

downtown New Rochelle has become 

increasingly residential. As 

a result, New Rochelle now has a 

new lifestyle choice -urban living 

that has been attracting young 

professionals, families, and empty 

nesters, who want car free access 

to the train station, goods and services, 

and dining and entertainment 

as well as on-site amenities 

and maintenance free leisure. And 

many want to enjoy the drama of 

the incredible light and towering 

views offered by high rise apartment 

living.” 

While this urban lifestyle in the 

suburbs has attracted many new 

residents to downtown, the New 

Rochelle Business Improvement 

District (BID) realized that many 

people are not familiar with downtown 

living. To introduce the 

community to urban high-rise 

apartment living and to downtown 

New Rochelle the BID created 

its Downtown Showcase. 

Meet Rochelle and Rock 

Davenport, a couple in their thirties 

who recently moved to New 

Rochelle from New York City. 

Rochelle is a freelance professional 

photographer with clients 

in New York City, Boston, and 

Washington, DC. Rock 

is an architect working 

in New York City. 

They were attracted to 

New Rochelle for its livable 

downtown, access 

to metro and regional 

trains, and car-free lifestyle. 

Their neighbors, 

the Lawton’s, Rob and 

Laura and their children 

Austin and Olivia 

moved to New Rochelle 

for its blend of urban and suburban, 

with local cultural venues, 

libraries, downtown activities and 

great schools. The New Rochelle 

BID created these two fictitious 

families as clients for the 

design team. 

The design team made up 

of six New Rochelle designers, 

Susan Simone Halliburton, 

Chenoa Maxwell, Timothy 

McVey Michelle Sanchez-Boyce, 

and Venera Evanko and Lynn 

Breindel, furnished and outfitted 

the two apartments exclusively 

using businesses and services 

from the BID district. The 

Showcase apartments reflect the 

lifestyle, interests, and tastes of 

the two families. 

The BID Downtown Showcase 

is chaired by Candice Denslow, 

Consign It on Main; Tom Fahey, 

TF Andrew Furniture/Carpet One; 

Frederick von Mach, Von Mach 

Custom Painting; and Louis 

Vaccaro, The Curtain Shop and 

DOWNTOWN NEW ROCHELLE BID [5] 

General Store. Corporate partners 

for the BID Downtown Showcase 

include the Von Mach Custom 

Painting, Avalon on the Sound 

East, the City of New Rochelle 

Business Retention Fund, Monroe 

College, and the downtown business 

community. 

The Downtown Showcase gives 

visitors the opportunity to experience 

urban living in New Rochelle, 

with its new housing, shopping, 

entertainment, and transportation 

all within a vibrant pedestrian 

focused downtown community. 

The public is invited to visit 

at the free Open Houses and experience 

for themselves what the 

‘Davenport’s and Lawton’s’ have 

discovered about downtown New 

Rochelle. 

For information on the open 

houses, the Davenports and 

the Lawton’s and the six showcase 

designers, visit: www. 

NewRochelleDowntown.com. 

Visit the BID Downtown 

Showcase at a FREE 

open house at Avalon 

on the Sound East, 

40 Memorial Highway. 

Afterwards, dine 

Downtown with a 

special BID Downtown 

Showcase discount card. 

DATE EVENT / CLIENT EVENT TIME 

Wed 11/4 Open House 11am-2pm 

Fri 11/6 Open House 6pm-8pm 

Sat 11/7 Open House 6pm-8pm 

Wed 11/11 Open House 11am-2pm 

Thu 11/12 Open House 6pm-8pm 


Sat 11/14 Open House 6pm-8pm 


Sat 11/21 Open House 6pm-8pm


The New Rochelle BID has worked hard with 

its partners to liven up Downtown in 2009. 

This summer BID Music on the Green 

featured a Louisiana-style Dance Party with 

Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Caribbean 

cool with Pantonic Steel Orchestra, and 

Brazilian samba & jazz with Nanny Assis 

to record breaking crowds (with help from 

Avalon on the Sound). Our BID Movie on the 

Green, “ET” charmed a lawn full of happy 

families (with help from Monroe College). 

The BID Spring and Summer Sidewalk Sales 

helped residents shop and save money, especially 

during these economic times. Openings 

at BID Gallery 542(with help from Cornell 

Pace Inc.); BID Art Walks which allowed the 

public to visit artist and dance studios, and of 

course Art Fest, a weekend celebration of the 

Downtown: 2009 has been eventful! 

arts with the New Rochelle Council for the 

Arts, kept people coming downtown. 

BID Family Days (various Saturdays 

and Sundays at the New Rochelle Library) 

which continually brings hundreds of families 

downtown, continues throughout the 

school year. Sponsored by the New Rochelle 

BID, Family Saturdays is a partnership of the 

New Rochelle Public Library, School District, 

PTA Council and Department of Parks and 

Recreation intending to offer quality free entertainment 

for elementary school children 

and their families. In the coming months 

families can look forward to: 

• BID Family Sunday: All Aboard, 

Mexico! Day of the Dead Celebration; Sunday, 

Nov. 1, 1:30– 5:00 p.m. 

• BID Family Sunday: The Frog 

Prince, A Classic from the Brothers Grimm; 

Sunday, Nov. 15, 2:00 p.m. 

• BID Family Saturday: Make a Gift 

Fair; Saturday, Dec. 5, 12:30 -2:00 p.m. 

• BID Family Sunday: Family Concert 

for Hanukah and Holidays Around the World; 

Sunday, Dec. 13, 2:00 p.m. 

Look forward to more great events in 

2010. 

For information on Downtown 

events and BID Family Days, visit www. 

NewRochelleDowntown.com.



Art venues are expanding 

downtown with help from the 

BID Artist Spaces Program. This 

new program helps property owners 

renovate and lease long-term 

vacant upper floor space for artist 

studios thus preserving the city’s 

tax base. In addition it is bringing 

scores of artists and art businesses, 

promoting economic development, 

and supporting downtown 

restaurants and stores. At the 

same time it is helping emerging 

artists pursue their careers in a 

city with a long and distinguished 

history in the arts, thus insuring 

that New Rochelle’s future 

will match its past. Studies have 

shown that Westchester County 

businesses and residents rank the 

arts very high as a factor that contributes 

to the County’s excellent 

quality of life. 

This year more than 10,000 

square feet of vacant space has 

been renovated and tenanted 

through this program. New studio 

spaces in formerly vacant 

The arts are alive Downtown! 

spaces at 81 and 82 

Centre Ave. are now tenanted 

by Ballet Atlantic 

(formerly of Pelham), 

Westchester Yoga Arts 

(formerly Pelham Yoga). 

In addition, many artists 

from New Rochelle 

and other Westchester 

communities including 

Yorktown, White 

Plains, Larchmont and 

Mamaroneck have rented studios 

in downtown. These artists 

include Lara Ivanovic, Faith 

Goldstein, Janet Rogow, Judie 

Benzer, Patrick O’Meara, Leigh 

Ann Rooney, Louis Netter, Barry 

O’Meara, Michelle Lewis, Moira 

McCaul, Nancy Miller, Peridot 

Smith and Steve Brock. 

They join established downtown 

dance studios and art galleries 

such as Dance Connection, 

Capoeira Performance Arts, and 

Roof Top Rhythms Dance Studio, 

Backstreet Gallery and the New 

Rochelle Public Library Gallery. 

In addition, a permanent art installation, 

a collaboration between 

Susan Doban Architect, PC and 

Jason Gorsline of A&G Designs, 

has been installed in the lobby of 

81 Centre Ave. The installation 

interprets the intricate designs 

incorporated in the terracotta facade 

of this historic building that 

was restored through the BID 

Facade Improvement Program. 

As part of this program, BID 

Gallery 542 opened at 542 Main 

St. in space donated by Cornell- 

Pace Management Company. For 

its November show, New Rochelle 

painter, sculptor and musician 

David Tobey, a long time violinist 

member of the Westchester 

Philharmonic, has joined with the 

New Rochelle BID to raise funds 

for the orchestra with an exhibition 

and sale of his art. There 

will be an opening reception on 

Thursday, Nov. 12 from 5:00 to 

9:00 p.m. In December, Gallery 

542 closes the year with a holiday 

arts and crafts gift store. 

Of course, Downtown’s major 

entertainment venues continue 

to attract crowds. They include 

the 18 screen Regal Cinema 

that offers current films and the 

Metropolitan Opera’s simulcast 

productions and Funfuzion offering 

something fun for everyone in 

the family. 

“We are delighted to welcome 

new and established artists and 

studios to our growing Arts 

Community, and to our downtown,” 

said Mayor Noam Bramson. 

“Their presence will enliven our 

central business core and is the 

perfect complement to our emerging 

restaurant district. The BID’s 

Downtown Artist Spaces Program 

will build on New Rochelle’s rich 

tradition of artistic and cultural 

excellence and help ensure that 

the ‘creative class’ has a valued 

place in shaping our future.”



It’s Happening Downtown



BID Facade Improvement Program preserves New Rochelle’s history 

BEFORE AFTER 

Talner Jewelry, 565 Main St. Talner Jewelry, 565 Main St. 

Downtown has a distinguished architectural 

past which is fortunately preserved 

in its many historic buildings. Through its 

Facade Improvement Program, the BID, 

offering technical assistance and matching 

grants, helps restore the facades of many 

of these historic structures and retain New 

Rochelle’s past. 

Last year the Preservation League of 

New York State awarded this BID program 

its prestigious Excellence in Historic 

Preservation Award for its work in restoring 

the facades of such buildings as the Curtain 

Shop, Diamond Glass, Talner Jewelry 

Store, 542 Main Street and the Terracotta 

Building - 81 Centre Avenue. Another important 

Facade Improvement partnership 

was forged by the BID with numerous property 

owners along Division Street, helping 

them restore more than a dozen neglected 

storefronts into one of Downtown’s most 

vibrant and popular streetscapes, a block 

that is also becoming known as Restaurant 

Row. 

Most recently the BID announced that 

the former Palace Shoe Store, 514-518 

Main Street, an outstanding monument 

to Art Deco design, is being historically 

restored. Mr. Simone, President of Simone 

Development Corporation and the building’s 

owner, stated: “As a New Rochelle 

based corporation, we are happy to contribute 

to the BID’s efforts to restore Main 

Street to its historic majesty. The Palace 

Shoe Store building is an important part of 

our Downtown history. We have completely 

renovated the interior of the Palace and 

now look forward to restoring its monu- 

mental facade, together with those of two 

neighboring historic buildings from the 

late 1800’s.” 

New Rochelle City Historian Barbara 

Davis remarked, “William Kahn, replacing 

the original wood frame structure he 

opened prior to 1913, rebuilt his Palace 

Shoe Store on New Rochelle’s Main Street 

in 1932. He built it in the popular architectural 

style of the day – Art Deco, creating a 

glamorous-looking façade of polished black 

granite, and clean geometric lines highlighted 

by decorative details. Because of its 

striking Art Deco style, the former Palace 

Shoe Store is one of Main Street’s most 

important structures. Frank Sanchis in 

his definitive book American Architecture: 

Westchester County, New York wrote that 

the Palace ‘… is an outstanding example 

of the (Art Deco) style...’ I am thrilled that 

the Palace is slated for renovation by Mr. 

Simone and look forward to seeing it display 

its original glory.” 

The BID is in negotiations with property 

owners to restore a dozen additional storefronts 

over the coming months. The BID 

Facade Improvement Program has won 

more than $750,000 in matching grant 

funds for downtown from the New York 

State Housing Trust Fund Corporation, the 

New York Main Street Program, the Port 

Authority of New York and New Jersey, the 

Empire State Development Corporation, 

the Community Preservation Corporation 

and the New Rochelle’s Awnings and Façade 

Program. In its eight year history, the BID’s 

efforts have resulted in $80 million of new, 

private, taxpaying downtown development.



Dine Downtown = Great food. Good friends. Gracious hospitality. 

Downtown has achieved an inviting 

concentration of sit-down dining restaurants 

with cuisines from around the world. 

Diners are awarding them great reviews. To 

help the public learn about this growing 

restaurant district, the BID, working with 

more than a dozen popular eateries, has 

created a Dine Downtown Campaign. 

In his introduction to the campaign, 

Chairman Marc Jerome of the BID stated, 

“The BID, the city and the business community 

have worked together to create a 

downtown environment inviting to restaurants. 

Now that we are seeing a rise in the 

number and type of delicious downtown 

dining opportunities, we created ‘Dine 

Downtown’ to invite the public to discover 

this quickly emerging restaurant district.” 

The campaign began in May with “Discover, 

Dine and Save with BID Sawbucks.” The 

BID issued its own Sawbucks, humorously 

designed “$10 bills,” that were redeemed at 

participating restaurants. This campaign 

attracted old and new customers. The 

campaign’s second phase featured Dine 

Downtown Alfresco in which restaurants 

offered outdoor and sidewalk dining with 

free WiFi. This popular program that will 

return in the spring. 

Throughout, the BID has continued to 

work with community organizations to 

host Tastes of Downtown New Rochelle at 

Avalon on the Sound’s Top of the Roc and 

at the Terraces at Trump Plaza. 

In addition, the campaign has expanded 

the restaurants’ Internet presence, thus 

helping those new to downtown discover 

downtown dining. Next year campaign’s 

plans include a Downtown Restaurant 

Week and cookbook. 

Maha El-Hawi and Billy Pinou, owners of 

Brickyard Bistro, a recent addition to the 

Downtown Dining District, reported, “Since 

we opened, we have gotten great reviews 

from our New Rochelle, Larchmont, and 

Pelham patrons and the Dine Downtown 

campaign is encouraging others to discover 

dining downtown. Working with 

other restaurants on the Dine Downtown 

Campaign has convinced us that we made 

the right business decision to locate in New 

Rochelle.” 

For information on downtown restaurants 

visit: www.NewRochelleDowntown. 

com.



It’s Happening Downtown 

Check out 

photos from 

all over 

New Rochelle’s 

Downtown as 

the Business 

Improvement 

District continues 

to hold numerous 

events for not only 

New Rochelleans, 

but all of 

Westchester 

to enjoy.



Division Street, New Rochelle - Before & After 

BEFORE 

AFTER 

FACADE 

PROGRAM





It’s Happening Downtown





M E D I A G R O U P 

Are Proud Sponsors of 

this year’s 

“Buy & Fly” Contest 

New Rochelle 

Business Retention Fund 

SHOP LOCAL

Buy & Fly - New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District

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