Cherry Blossoms at Seaport and Disappearing Mailboxes on UES

Cherry blossoms the NYC way—South Street Seaport’s Watermark venue at Pier 15 has a spectacular Cherry Blossom Festival through April 30. It’s a wonderland of pink everything—pink drinks, pink apps, pink sliders, pink desserts, and other pink-y creations.

My friend Marlena Brauer attended the fest’s opening night in my stead. And, celebrant that she is, posed for a photo op in an old-fashioned phone booth festooned with cherry blossoms. Marlena’s transition to iPhones and texting was a no-brainer. Not so much for moi. My go-to’s remain flip phones, landlines, emailing. And how I miss those phone-booth days. Not too sure of their final demise dates. Something like 2015 when LinkNYC structures starting cropping up. I do appreciate Watermark’s taking the time to remember and bring back the phone booth.

Watermark’s been at South Street Seaport’s Pier 15 for 10 years. Their events are trendy and spectacular. For their Spring Fling Cherry Blossom Festival, the 10,000-square-foot outdoor bar and restaurant was transformed into a cherry blossom waterfront vision. Dining’s in cozy, heated outdoor “igloos,” which can be reserved, Private or Semi-Private.

The Festival runs through April 30. Mon-Thurs, 4:30 to 11 p.m.. Fri, 4:15 to 11 p.m. Sat noon to midnight. Sun, noon to 11 p.m. While it’s possible to get to South Street’s Watermark via bus or train, a taxi or Uber is suggested if you’re not into long, long walks to get there. Nothing to do with congestion pricing.

Waiting for Cava–The block between East 86th and East 87th streets on Third Avenue awaits the arrival of Cava, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant. It promises to be in the storefront alongside Bond Vet where Papaya King started to relocate before moving around the corner on East 86th. For a while, Taim, another Mediterranean restaurant, was fixing to move to one of the storefronts occupied for 125 years by Wankel’s Hardware, on Third Avenue between East 88th and East 89th, just a block north of where Cava’s coming. Despite at least a years-long try, Taim’s never moved in. Instead came Lucia’s Pizza. It’s non-stop busy day and night. So is Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery, which moved into Wankel’s storefront. It’s also a day-and-night success. Lucia’s and Mia’s are separated by two apartment buildings.

What’s happening to our mailboxes?—Phone booths are no longer with us. But mailboxes? Latest I hear from Yorkvillian/Upper East Sider Frank Wilkinson is that something’s happening to those big blue boxes. And it doesn’t sound good. Here’s Frank’s unedited email: “After over fifty years, the mailbox at E. 88th St. York Ave. has vanished. And so have the mailboxes in front of the E. 85th Street Post Office. The one at E. 90th and York Ave. remains, but its daily pickup is at 9 a.m. I’d rather not leave mail in there overnight, that corner being lightly trafficked.”

My go-to for Post Office matters of this nature is Upper West Sider Alan Flacks. At press time, Alan was unavailable. Wilkinson advised me that Flacks would get back to me. Stay tuned.