SOUTH STREET SEAPORT — A local South Street Seaport association is taking to the water to support the neighborhood.
The Old Seaport Alliance, an organization formed by many of the longstanding business owners along historic Front Street — businesses that are still recovering from the floods that wrecked their storefronts during Hurricane Sandy — is hosting its first gala benefit, a cruise around New York Harbor Tuesday.
The "Sail into Spring" ride, on newly appointed citywide ferry service provider Hornblower Inc.'s luxury, eco-friendly yacht, the Hybrid, will be open for guests starting at 6 p.m. and will set sail for a two-hour cruise at 7 p.m., organizers said.
Proceeds for the benefit go toward the nonprofit's local events and neighborhood betterment projects. The Old Seaport Alliance hosts seasonal night markets on Front Street and other events to enliven the area and bring more to attention to the working businesses in a community that is still very much under redevelopment.
A ticket to the fundraiser cruise, which costs $95 if purchased online by midnight Monday, gives you access to an open bar and a variety of food, including a raw oyster bar, and music.
The event will also feature a silent auction — some things up for purchase include a signed copy of the famed "New Yorkistan" cover of the New Yorker, by the two artists who illustrated the works. The artists, Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz , once lived in the Seaport.
Other items up for grabs include 30 pounds of live lobsters, VIP tickets to the Bacon & Chocolate experience, and tickets to The Blue Man Group, whose founders also founded Seaport school, the Blue School.
"This neighborhood means quite a bit to me and so many others, it's wonderful to see some of the fruits of our labor being recognized," said Amanda Byron Zink, the longtime owner of pet grooming shop The Salty Paw. "This fundraiser is an opportunity to get a lot of the major players in the neighborhood together to celebrate just that, while raising money so we can keep doing more to improve this wonderful place we call home."
To purchase tickets and for more information, head here.
