Cape Sneer!
A Tribeca panel thumbed its nose this week at naming the northeast corner of Franklin and Greenwich streets “Robert De Niro Way” in honor of the Oscar winner’s 80th birthday.
“I just don’t see why he has to have a street named after him … He already has recognition. People all over the world know him,” sniffed Community Board 1 member Patricia Moore.
Moore was unimpressed that the “Taxi Driver” actor cofounded the Tribeca Film Festival after 9/11 to revitalize the area, saying he didn’t do enough to help those most impacted by the terrorist attacks.
The corner commemoration would mark the headquarters of the Tribeca Film Festival as well as the location of De Niro’s Tribeca Grill and his Tribeca Film Center.
Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company for the festival and other De Niro ventures, proposed the idea to mark the “Raging Bull” star’s milestone birthday.
“But perhaps even more importantly to recognize an honorable son of the city, who has for over 50 years contributed to the cultural and economic growth of a city, of a community and a district which he loves,” said Peter Downing, the company’s creative director.
Among the problematic issues — the “Goodfella” is still among the living.
The board’s newly drafted guidelines require an honoree to have been dead for 20 years, or have extraordinary accomplishments.
The city Department of Transportation could cite only one instance where a street sign was installed for someone still breathing — the 2017 designation of Willie Mays Drive in Harlem for the baseball legend.
“I mean ‘Meet the Parents’ is one of my favorite movies,” confessed Jess Coleman, a committee member. “With all due respect to everything that’s been said here, I think granting this request would basically tear up all the work we did, all the guidelines we made.”
Tammy Meltzer, the community board chair, said it could set a dangerous precedent for other local luminaries.
“Fast forward 10 years and Taylor Swift, who lives just down the road from where we’re talking about, comes out and does an amazing amount of things,” Meltzer said. “And five years after that, she’d like to have her street renamed to ‘Taylor Swift Way.'”
