Celebrating New York City Mothers: Julie Menin

Julie Menin is the very vocal chairwoman of Community Board 1 in Lower Manhattan. If there is something going on downtown, she knows about it. Menin makes sure that the Tribeca, Financial District, and Battery Park City neighborhoods are being treated with respect and getting what they need. I first recognized Julie Menin when her name kept popping up in the Battery Park City Broadsheet. She is a woman about town and about the political circuit, but she's also a mom. In honor of Mother's Day, let's take a look at why downtown loves Julie Menin.

Julie Menin is not only chairperson of CB1, but she is also a conntributer for the Huffington Post and host of NBC's "Julie Menin's Give and Take." She's written op-eds for the Downtwon Express, the New York Times, Gotham Magazine, the Daily News, and Crain's. Along with being in the media, Menin is very active in the neighborhood and works on the boards of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Municipal Art Society, Downtown Alliance, WTC Memorial Foundation, Columbia College Alumni Board, Downtown Hospital and Women's Campaign Forum, and others.

A political podium does not seem to be the driving force behind Menin fighting for Lower Manhattan; she seems to have a resounding love for the neighborhood she calls home. According to a story in the New York Post in 2005 from Annie Karni, when the twin towers were destroyed on 9/11, Menin was the owner of Vine Restaurant on Broad Street. Menin opened the doors to Vine and fed those who no longer had a home. When Vine closed due to the hard times downtown, Menin founded Wall Street Rising, which is a nonprofit to help renew the Tribeca neighborhood.

Menin's work for the city has resulted in two new community centers, three playgrounds, $2 million for the ball fields, $3.5 million for the Battery Park City Public Library, $1 million for Manhattan Youth's Community Center, rezoning of Northern Tribeca, and the launch of a bill that led to epi-pens being included on all ambulances, among many other milestones.

Keep in mind through all of this, Julie Menin is also a mother. She fiercely protects her family as is evidenced in that she does not include information about her kids in her bios on "Julie Menin's Give and Take" or The Huffington Post. This shows that Julie Menin the mom takes great care to keep her family out of the limelight, which helps keep focus on her issues she believes in and keeps her kids from turning into some sort of TLC circus act.

Often times when reading Broadsheet, Menin is fierce in her comments. She is truly an outspoken member of this community with countless positive results. She likes to be informed and does not like when things are done in the neighborhood without CB1 being told, and perhaps the same is true with her kids. One would imagine she has a good handle on their nutrition, where they are after school, and how they are developing.

Happy Mother's Day, Julie, and thanks for being there for Tribeca, Battery Park City, and Lower Manhattan.

Sources:

http://juliemenin.com/about/

http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20080622/Living+Julie+Menins+Family+Friendly+Downtown+Loft

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-menin