8 Lower Manhattan Stories You May Have Missed Last Week

LOWER MANHATTAN — Here are some of the stories that made headlines in Lower Manhattan this week:

1. Bad Santas Damage East Village Bar, Steal Liquor and Decorations During SantaCon: One and One bar owner Paul O'Sullivan told the Daily News that a large group of Santas entered the unopened lower-level lounge of his bar and allegedly smashed glassware, stole Christmas decorations and booze. O'Sullivan said he even saw some Santas drinking straight from booze bottles while standing on top of the bar, and believes about $5,000 in damage was done.

2. NYPD Storms Hells Angels’ East Village HQ After Weekend Shooting: More than 30 NYPD officers raided the Hells Angels' East Village headquarters with a vengeance Dec. 13, after members of the infamous biker gang refused to help officers solve a shooting that occurred outside the clubhouse Sunday morning, multiple news outlets report. NYPD told Patch four summonses were issued, and the Department of Sanitation removed items from the headquarters at 77 E. 3rd St.

3. Lower East Side Tenants Sue 'Slumlord' Over Dilapidated Apartments, Intimidation Tactics: The tenants of 159 Stanton St. are suing indicted slumlord Steve Croman. Among their haunting tales from within the brick walls of 159 Stanton: Rampant mold. Rats scurrying across their floors. Collapsing and leaking ceilings. Wall cracks so wide residents can spy on each other. Surprise visits from a private investigator. A man who wandered in from the street and defecated in an empty apartment.

4. Lower East Side Saw Biggest Rent Decrease in NYC in 2016: Report: Lower East Side rents saw the biggest price change in 2016, according to the Manhattan Rental Market Report issued by MNS Real Impact Real Estate Wednesday. The report found rents went down 7.8 percent from Nov. 2015 to Nov. 2016.

5. New Yorkers Wait in Bitter Cold for 2 Hours for Opening of Tim Ho Wan Dumplings: Tim Ho Wan, the lowest priced restaurant in the world to get a Michelin star, opened it's first U.S. location on 4th Avenue in the East Village on Dec. 16. Hour-long lines were reported before the restaurant even opened it's doors at 10 a.m, since nothing stops New Yorkers from getting what they want—not even an arctic blast.

6. NYU Hospital Fire Caused by Unsafe Construction Site, City Says: The city has issued a violation to Turner Construction Company, the contractor employed by NYU to manage construction at 424 East 34th St. within the NYU Langone Medical Centercomplex, after a massive fire broke out at the building Dec. 14.

7. Murray Hill's Own Silicon Valley-Style Live/Work Space Opening Soon: Real estate developer Steven Forkosh, son of developer Alex Forkosh, has announced that Society 34, an "incubator/live/work space" at 237 E. 34th St., will open its doors in early 2017. Applicants will be hand-selected by Forkosh, based on whether or not they fit into the "target demographic." He defined this demographic in an interview with Patch as "thriving entrepreneurs — the next creators of Uber, the next creators of JetSmart."

8. Cyclist Hit, Killed by Cement Truck in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan: A cement truck driver traveling west on West 55th Street toward the Hudson River waterfront, trying to make a right turn onto 12th Avenue, struck and killed a male cyclist early Thursday morning of Dec. 15, according to the NYPD. The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lead photo courtesy of the FDNY