Bob Townley, above right, and others led the pine off the pier a few weeks ago. The tree caught some snow at its new Warren St. spot, below left.
A tree moves in Tribeca
The Tribeca tree saved from demolition at Pier 25 and moved to Warren St. felt its first snow flakes this weekend.
In all, it took about 18 men and women to complete the larger-than-life, two-day job, of moving the tree. It started on Saturday, Nov. 12. The group met up at Pier 25, at the end of N. Moore St. in Tribeca, armed with pick-axes, shovels, some rope, two dollies and plenty of entrepreneurial spirit. The rag-tag ensemble led by Bob Townley, executive director of Manhattan Youth, removed the 30-ft.-tall tree just in time for it to be saved from destruction before the pier is readied for demolition.
The pine, which had planted on a shallow plot of soil layered on concrete toward the entrance of the pier, was carefully moved to its new, permanent location outside of the youth groups new facility on Warren St. between West and Greenwich Sts.
It was an important and symbolic move, Townley said. We wanted to show two things: That everything that can be recycled should be recycled, even if it is difficult and doesnt make immediately make sense because in the future it will make sense. And that the Manhattan Youth group is closing a chapter in its history and were starting a new one.