Meet Our Staff: Andrew Breslau

Andrew Breslau
Vice President, Communications and Marketing

You started with the Downtown Alliance recently. What does it mean to you to serve in this position?

It’s a compelling opportunity. Lower Manhattan has a rich, complex history but is at the cusp of a transformative moment. It’s a fascinating and exciting time to be here; I hope I can communicate some of that excitement and draw attention to the incredible things unfolding here.

Who’s your mentor?

I would have to say former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger. I spent six years as her press secretary. Ruth is a person of remarkable energy, intellect and integrity. During my time in government, it was an enormous pleasure getting to know Manhattan from the Battery to Inwood. Learning from her how the hard work of government is a high art has always stayed with me.

As a journalist, what was the most memorable story you covered and why?

9/11. That day and the days and nights afterward remain deeply etched in me. I was at CNN and our bureau was at 5 Penn Plaza on an upper floor; our window provided an unobstructed view of the towers. Everything from the first scanner calls alerting us to a crash at the towers to so many awful, fearful sights that day to gathering moving stories of heroism and community, it’s hard to put into words how demanding and unrelenting those first days after the attacks were.

What’s something about the Downtown Alliance most people don’t realize?

The breadth of our activities; from sanitation to research, urban planning to security, transportation services to promotion and marketing, the scope of work that comes out of the Alliance is really impressive (and I’m not just saying that ’cause it’s my job!)

What’s your favorite dining spot in Lower Manhattan?

Force me to pick and I’d have to go with Les Halles. I’ve been going there forever—even back in the day when Anthony Bourdain was in the kitchen.

How do you see Lower Manhattan changing over the next decade?

It’s going to flourish. With Fulton Center, a finished World Trade Center, Westfield World Trade, Brookfield Place and the new Seaport all coming online over the next few years, all of those centers of activity are going combine with all that’s already here—the harbor, the robust evolving mix of business, tourist destinations and a growing resident population—to make for a vibrant, exciting downtown.

What do you do in your free time?

All the stuff that is best when shared with family and friends. Play and listen to music, go to movies and theater and try as many different cuisines as New York has to offer. Because of the last, I have to figure out how to find the time to get to a gym!