Chelsea Now

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 11

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

FEBRUARY 6 - 19, 2013

PROGRESS REPORT 2013 Hudson Yards • High Line • Hoylman • Gallery District

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

5 15 CANAL ST., U N IT 1C • MAN H ATTA N , N Y 10 013 • C OPYRIG HT © 2013 N YC COM M U N ITY M ED IA , LLC

2

February 6 - 19, 2013

A New Neighborhood, from the Ground Up The recent groundbreaking of the Hudson Yards project will usher in five years of construction that will extend the High Line to West 34th Street, build platforms over the rail yards, construct massive commercial and residential high-rise towers and provide public spaces and a K-8 school for new residents.

Dec. 4, 2012: Break ground on Hudson yards

May 2010: Oxford Properties Group partners with Related, signs contract with MTA for development right of 13 million square feet at Hudson Yards

Jan. 14, 2013: Break ground on Manhattan West — building platform August 2013: Superstructure of South Tower completed Photo by Winnie McCroy

2014: Platform over rail yards to be completed

2014: Platform over rail yards to be completed 2014: Groundbreaking on Tower D, 80/20 housing 2014: Construction on Hudson Yards North Tower to begin 2014: High Line Section 2 to 34th Street, including interim walkway

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

2015: Hudson Yards South Tower completed 2016: Manhattan West open to tenants

2016: Tower D completed, with 80/20 affordable housing 2017: Culture Shed public area to be completed

2016: Entire Eastern Rail Yards completed

Turn to 2017: Western Yards construction begins

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

2024: Entire Hudson Yards project completed

Image by James Corner Field Operations / Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Courtesy Friends of the High Line

PAGE 10 For Full Coverage

February 6 - 19, 2013

measuring progress We measure progress in many ways throughout our community. Crime rate: higher or lower? Test scores: better or worse? Housing costs: less or more expensive? But in the six months since becoming publisher of Chelsea Now, the challenge of our community to “progress” has not been easy — or easily measured, due to the unexpected challenges hoisted upon us by Superstorm Sandy.

This Progress Report is our opportunity to look at all aspects of the neighborhood, and neighbors, who survived and continue to thrive. It is impressive to see where we have been, and inspiring to see where we are going.

There are a few changes at Chelsea Now to highlight. Last week, we launched a new look for our website, chelseanow.com. Now, your favorite neighborhood news can be found anywhere, anytime (that also means Aunt Chelsea, our resident advice columnist, is just a click away). We welcome your reader comments, and hope you’ll sign up for our e-blast, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

In many ways, 2013 will be a turning point for our neighborhood — and Chelsea Now will continue its commitment to bring uniquely informed analysis to the vital issues impacting local residents (including City Council elections, West Chelsea District expansion, the ongoing construction of Hudson Yards, a reexamination of the ULURP process, assessing post-Sandy

IN THIS ISSUE Brad Hoylman Q&A.................4-5, 16 On Chelsea Reform Dem’s Radar..........6 Block Association Concerns......7, 17-18 From Selma to Stonewall................8-9 Chelsea Galleries, Post-Sandy.....13-15

fallout and coverage of the city’s finest gallery scene).

Chelsea Now will be your eyes and ears, reporting the news and engaging with the community to keep everyone informed and connected — neighbor to neighbor.

Sincerely,

Ask Aunt Chelsea............................19 Editorial/Letters to the Editor..........20 Community Contacts.........................21 Just Do Art...................................23

Jennifer Goodstein Publisher, NYC Community Media, LLC

HEY IT’S NOT OVER YET… SMALL BUSINESSES BANDING TOGETHER TO REBUILD THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER SANDY The small businesses of South Street Seaport are coming together to crowdfund their recovery and reopening.

January 17, 2013, New York – It has been four months since Sandy devastated the tri-state area. It has been four months, but the small businesses you know and love have yet to finish rebuilding. It has been four months and South Street Seaport is still a ghost town – with most businesses still shuttered, empty. Pier 17, once a beacon of urban revitalization, is now just a shell of its former self.

Nine businesses of Historic Front Street (listed below) have come together to organize a large crowdfunding campaign so they can rebuild their neighborhood by rebuilding their businesses. But this isn’t charity, no not at all. These are pledges to shop. Every pledge made will be met with a gift certificate of equal or higher value that customers may redeem when these businesses reopen their doors. These pledges to shop allow the businesses to spend on reopening today and reward their supporters in the (near) future. Together, these nine businesses hope that they can bring back South Street Seaport to its former glory.

The campaign can be found at www.luckyant.com/southstreetseaport (some projects are not live yet).

The nine individual businesses are: The Salty Paw, Il Brigante, Da Claudio (formerly Barbarini Mercato), Jack’s Coffee, Bobby Buka M.D., Nelson Blue, Stella Bistro, SuteiShi and Bin 220 Customers are asked to either pledge to an individual store and receive a gift certificate in return or donate to the overall campaign and all funds will be distributed equally amongst the merchants.

We don’t need to wait around for outside aid.

We as New Yorkers can help rebuild our city simply by pledging as little as $10 to support the businesses we love.

3

4

February 6 - 19, 2013

our man in albany: q&a with brad hoylman

BY SCOTT STIFFLER The following excerpts are from a January 25 phone interview with New York State Senator Brad Hoylman.

CHELSEA NOW: In late December, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly sent a letter to City Council Speaker Quinn — in which he denied a request to realign the 10th and 13th Precinct boundaries so a small patch of East Chelsea would be covered by the 10th. That action had the support of Quinn, and many community groups. What is your position on precinct coterminality?

SENATOR BRAD HOYLMAN: To me, it seems long overdue. It certainly is a logical request by the community boards to have the precincts aligned with their district. I completely understand how confusing it is. Issues spring up in different boards, the precincts have to attend both [boards], and everybody’s job is made much more difficult.

I’m strongly supportive of CCBA [the Council of Chelsea Block Associations] and their efforts. The local electeds are generally in agreement on the necessity [of precinct realignment]. The argument that it would be beneficial for those who live in the neighborhoods as well as the NYPD is our strongest case. So I’m going to continue the work of our local electeds, and work in concert with them.

I am disappointed by Commissioner Kelly’s refusal to make it happen. One of the goals of our police force, I know, is local engagement. Of course, I have tremendous respect for the exceptional work of the commanders and officers of both precincts, and coterminality facilitates their community engagement.

CN: As part of the City Council’s approval of Chelsea Market’s vertical expansion, Community Board 4 and City Planning are looking into making some changes to the

BROADWAY PANHANDLER

COOKWARE SALE FEB 13 - FEB 18, 2013

GREAT SAVINGS ON ALL-CLAD, LE CREUSET, & MORE 12-inch Stainless Steel Fry Pan with Lid

$99.98*

Made in USA

Sugg Retail $185 *While Supplies Last

Family Owned & Operated Since 1976 In-store Everyday Low Prices • Expert Staff • NYC’s Largest Selection

65 East 8th Street

212-966-3434

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm • Thurs 11am-8pm • Sun 11am-6pm www.broadwaypanhandler.com

Special West Chelsea District (SWCD), which was created in 2005. Do you think brining other areas into SWCD coverage is necessary?

BH: I think the community board [CB4] is doing precisely the right thing in initiating a public process that’s collaborative and will explore the expansion of the district. As a former community board chair [of CB2], I appreciate when elected officials press the pause button and see what the local community wants. This is a process from the ground up.

Rather than impose my views at this point, I want to see what CB4 comes up with. Then, I look forward to working with them. That’s what community-based planning is all about, not having elected officials lord over our boards.

CN: CB4’s January Chelsea Land Use Committee meeting on the topic of SWCD expansion addressed the new realities of building in Zone A. How should we approach the notion of more development on the west side, given the lessons learned from Sandy?

BH: I’m very interested in what Governor Cuomo said in his State of the State, and in his budget remarks — that we need to rebuild, but we need to build better. I think that applies to every property in Zone A, and I have significant concerns — not just about mitigation, but about how we can protect against rising water on the entire West side of Manhattan.

To move forward without a full examination of that would be a mistake — and that would include any attempts to build on Hudson River Park or any part of the West Side that is in Zone A. So I’m hopeful we will get some answers from both the state and the city on how we should proceed.

Until we do, and the governor has a number of commissions looking at these issues, we need to take a deep breath and wait for a full decision.

CN: Does that mean halting plans for construction until these commissions recommend or require policy changes?

BH: Certainly for new construction, it would be prudent to understand how we can prevent future surges — whether it’s storm surge barriers, which is an idea I think we need to full explore, or other ways to shore up the west side of Manhattan. We need full analysis.

That would apply to the east side as well. My district was hit by the East River and the Hudson. We had a major hospital on the East side hit, and they’re still not up and running — a major trauma center [Bellevue]. At this point, you have to go up to Cornell [Medical Center] if you have traumatic injury. So the consequences are enormous, and it’s in everybody’s interest that we ascertain how we can prevent this from happening in the future.

CN: During the long public vetting process that ultimately allowed for Jamestown Properties to expand Chelsea Market, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process

was criticized for its lack of transparency. What changes, if any, do you think should be made when a developer submits a ULURP application?

BH: We need involvement in the first stages of discussions, because many of us get the strong sense that these plans are approved behind closed doors by City Planning, and then rolled out to the community in a way that anticipates there will be small concessions made as part of the negotiations.

Instead, I think a better way would be for the community boards to be in the developer’s first presentation. We’ve ceded too much authority to the Mayor’s Office when it comes to local planning. I’ve seen it time and time again, whether it’s major rezonings or variances. The central mayoral administration makes the decisions, then we’re left to chip away at the margins.

CN: Can you cite one of those instances?

BH: Three letters: N-Y-U. I and my colleagues on CB2 [Community Board 2] were in the thick of it. This was a plan that was pre-approved, and local officials were left to make trims to the margins. If there was a public discussion at the stage of the initial meeting with City Planning, then I think we’d all have had a better sense of what NYU was really asking for, and what they wanted.

Bottom line, none of those meetings between developers and City Planning would be behind closed doors. We need some sunlight on the early stages of the development process. I’m hopeful that a new city administration will examine the process. Public input always results in better outcomes, and I’m hopeful that the next mayor will agree with that.

CN: But the majority of public input, in the case of Chelsea Market, was that of staunch opposition — and the project was still approved, albeit with some community benefits such as affordable housing and High Line funding that many view as too little, too late. Did the opposition’s refusal to budge hurt its ability to be part of the negotiations?

BH: Again, this is why we need to be at the first stage, when the project is revealed. Developers bring these projects to communities in hopes that the core of the proposal will remain, so they’re much larger than they’d be otherwise.

That then results in local neighborhood groups taking oppositional positions that are resoundingly negative, and with good reason.

But if local community activists were at the ground floor, perhaps we’d all be dealing with reality and not be so polarized. Both sides are polarized, because of the nature of the process. Chelsea Market is an example of that. NYU is another example.

Continued on page 5

Saturday, Feb 23 - Sunday, Feb 24, 2013

PS3

490 Hudson Street

(btwn Christopher & Grove Streets)

Greenwich Village, NYC Come Explore The World of Paper! plus collectables, prints & more Saturday 12-8 Sunday 12-5

www.gvabf.com

• • • • • • PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE • • • • • • The Hudson River Park Neighborhood Improvement District Steering Committee in conjunction with Friends of Hudson River Park will be hosting 4 Public Meetings on the proposed Improvement District. We hope you can join us to get more information, ask questions, and show your support at one of the following meetings:

Monday Feb. 11th @ 3:00pm Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave.)

Tuesday Feb. 12th @ 6:30pm Manhattan Youth Downtown Community Center (120 Warren St.)

For more information please contact Jeffrey Aser at 212-757-0981 (Jaser@fohrp.org) www.HRPNID.org

February 6 - 19, 2013

5

Hoylman Outlines Albany Agenda that apparently occurred…the lack of preparedness on getting those developments up and running after the storm. I testified last week at a hearing. Dick Gottfried and I cowrote a letter of testimony.

Continued from page 4 CN: What community groups have you met with, and how do their concerns fit into your legislative agenda?

BH: I’ve met with a lot of groups, and I support the work of many groups — like The Actors Fund, which offers free computer training classes [for seniors] in Chelsea.

That’s a practical way to support our senior community, which is growing. We also need to fully fund our senior centers and create a more age-friendly city — giving more time at the crosswalks; things that, when you’re 30, you don’t necessarily think of.

Also, certainly, I work with the tenant advocacy groups in my district, whether it be individual tenant associations or citywide associations. They [Tenants & Neighbors and the Metropolitan Council on Housing] have an agenda that I firmly embrace.

The tenant agenda is largely based in Albany, because that’s where the laws are made — and I’ve already seen the influence of the real estate lobby, in just the few weeks I’ve been there. So I’m cognizant of their influence, and of the necessity for representative like me to stand up for rent regulated tenants. That would include also our public housing tenants — and you know, I have serious concerns. I’ve written a letter to the Commissioner about NYCHA’s response after Sandy, and the foot-dragging

January 14: Senator Hoylman, with activists at the Family Planning Advocates Annual Day of Action, urging passage of the Women's Equality Act.

OPENING THIS WINTER! 18,000 Sq. Ft Preschool and Therapy Center Brand New ! y Facilit C O M PA N I E S

101 Norfolk Street | New York, NY 10002 (CORNER OF DELANCEY STREET AND NORFOLK STREET)

• Interactive Metronome • Therapeutic Listening • Feeding Therapy (SOS)

Introducing a State-of-the-Art Sensory Integration and Multi-Sensory Gym

• PROMPT Articulation Therapy • Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Program

• Myofascial Release • Lidcombe Program (Early Stuttering) • Play Therapy • Social Skills Training • Oral-Motor Therapy • PECS • ABA

Speech Therapy Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Special Education Counseling SEIT Evaluations We accept private insurance.

FOR INFORMATION AND TO SCHEDULE YOUR TOUR CALL SIREESHA EDARA 212.566.8853 x1412, sireesha@comprehensivekids.org

CN: Your predecessor, Tom Duane, was a staunch advocate of prison and parole reform. What is your position on both of these matters?

BH: I have a responsibility to live up to Tom Duane’s work, to continue that advocacy. I’m on the Corrections Committee, which examines that issue. It’s so important to our local communities that we focus more on rehabilitation and less on incarceration. I believe in second chances, but I also believe there’s this prison industrial complex in the state of New York. Unfortunately for some communities, prisons are job generators.

I represent many families in the city whose sons and daughters might be incarcerated hundreds of miles away from their homes. That’s why I’m concerted the governor has slated Bayview [a women's prison located at 550 West 20th Street] to be closed, as part of his budget.

The administration is claiming there are cost savings, which could be true. But there’s a public policy argument to be made that these women, largely from New York City, should be close to their families during their

Continued on page 16

6

February 6 - 19, 2013

TALKING POINT Not All Progress is Progressive

BY STEVEN SKYLES-MULLIGAN (a 20-year resident of Chelsea and longtime president of the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club) We have just been through a significant election in which our candidates performed well and our causes have advanced enough to nudge the core of our national discussion away from the right and back towards the middle. But that’s not what progressivism is about. In his recent book, “Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape America,” the Nation Institute’s Ari Berman points out that progressivism doesn’t work if it is merely about counting votes. It requires sustained grassroots activity — that’s all of us paying attention to what’s going on around us, at the national, state and local levels — and taking part in the discussion that shapes events and impacts our community.

Not all progress is progressive. We have certainly seen a great deal of “progress” in Chelsea over the past couple of decades. We are incrementally shedding that sleepy mixture of nineteenth century graciousness and rough-and-tumble funkiness that has defined the neighborhood for so long. Chelsea has become a destination as much as a neighborhood. The cranes sprouting from the far west side of our neighborhood point to still more expansion — and I recently heard a Republican candidate for mayor argue that the New York City Housing Authority should sell off some of its properties in prime locations (presumably including those in our neighborhood) to support those at the fringes of the city.

Progressive principles lead us to question each new development. Is it likely to reinforce or diminish the diversity of the community? Does it sustain permanently affordable housing sideby-side with new upscale dwellings? Will it provide new customers for reasonably-priced, local “mom and pop” businesses or will it accelerate their replacement with luxury stores and national brands? Finally, will the new development use its fair share of our resources — both natural (light, air and water) — and manmade (roadways, sidewalks and utilities)?

Posing those questions has led the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club and many other groups — including Save Chelsea, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and, in a somewhat

different way, Community Board 4 — to engage in struggles to support or defeat various projects.

The most notable success, of course, was the defeat of the proposed West Side Stadium. That boondoggle would have required taxpayer support for a very profitable business concern, while greatly increasing traffic and stressing the neighborhood’s resources. Another success was somewhat bittersweet: the rejection of The General Theological Seminary’s efforts to overbuild on its property facing Ninth Avenue. That battle reflects what can happen when an organization is in a community but not of it. The more recent struggle over the Chelsea Market expansion provides still more lessons. It appears that enforcement of many of the minimal concessions made by Jamestown Properties in exchange for substantial upzoning will rely on good will, not the law.

It is never easy to see where “progress” will take us or to judge whether the results are predominantly good or largely bad. A century ago, the far west side of Chelsea was full of manufacturing and services catering to the thriving ports of Chelsea Piers. Now art galleries and other “new economy” businesses flourish there. Blue collar jobs and pursuits have yielded to white collar ones. More dramatically, the High Line has been converted from an abandoned freight railroad to a stunning park. At the same time, it has arguably become the backbone of all the new development — and upward economic pressure — in our neighborhood.

Change will happen, of course. That is the nature of civilization — but members of communities have the power to channel that change, to alter its flow and shape it so that it is more likely to serve the common good.

Several groups in the neighborhood provide forums where these issues are deliberated freely. True progress occurs when more of us participate in those forums — whatever our personal viewpoints. It also occurs when we pull together to make our elected officials more accountable. Over the long term, that will require campaign finance reform, so that the public discourse is shifted back to “one person, one voice” from its current “one dollar, one voice” basis.

There is always a public cost to “progress.”

That cost should rarely, if ever, outweigh the public benefit.

February 6 - 19, 2013

on the block: ccba concerns

BY BILL BOROCK (President, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations) In the September 19, 2012 edition of Chelsea Now, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations (CCBA) identified some community problems, then suggested possible solutions. In the spirit of Chelsea Now’s Progress Report, we happily accepted the invitation to update readers on the status of some issues we discussed and new ones that have cropped up in the ensuing four and a half months.

possible closing of old chelsea posT office

Last week, CCBA found out about the possible closing of the post office (at 217 West 17th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. It is our understanding that the facility, which is government-owned, is under consideration to be sold, and that the goal is to find a smaller facility in the same neighborhood.

The Old Chelsea Post office is not one of the very large postal facilities. It is more like a mom and pop facility, easily accessible to many Chelsea residents.

There would be a lot of inconvenience to many in the Chelsea community if it were to close. That is why CCBA has contacted our elected officials and Community Board 4 (CB4), asking them to work with the community to keep it open.

A letter and/or post card writing campaign, addressed to the Postmaster General, asking to keep the facility open, will be initiated.

changing police precincT coverage

CCBA was very disappointed to receive Police Commissioner Kelly’s December 24, 2012 letter to City Council Speaker Quinn — rejecting our request to change the police coverage for West 14th Street to West 26th Street, Sixth to Seventh Avenue, from the 13th Precinct to the 10th Precinct.

Kelly’s letter mentioned the recent precinct change made in Downtown Brooklyn, which was done to accommodate the building of the Barclays Arena and the impact it would have on that neighborhood. He cited the Brooklyn reasons below as to why he would not approve our Chelsea request: • The boundary change was a significant task • Implications are both near and long term • The Department incurred considerable cost in terms of personnel, resources and technological reconfigurations • Systems involved were complaint tracking, emergency call tracking and emergency dispatch

The CCBA recognizes that change requires work — but if the community will benefit, then the work is worth it. In the short term, that means adjusting to changes. In the long term, East Chelsea would have better police services. As for costs, it’s probably a trade-off with regard to personnel, as some would be added to the 10th Precinct to cover the small addition of blocks and fewer personnel would be needed for the 13th Precinct, since their area of coverage would be reduced.

It’s important to note that in 1993, Commissioner Kelly approved a very similar change of Precinct request for the Murray Hill Section of Manhattan. A lot has changed since the 1993 realignment.

Back then, the NYPD was able to change Murray Hill’s personnel, resources and the collection of statistics — and still make data comparisons.

Today, we have more advanced tools for assessing resource changes. The request we made could be dealt with much better and easier today with all of the technical advancements that have taken place, especially with the use of computers. As for Kelly saying that there is the absence of a pressing public safety need, tell that to all the residents and business owners who over the years have pointed out the long response time — and sometimes, no response to calls for assistance.

Pamela Wolff’s Talking Point (in the January 23 edition of Chelsea Now) pointed out that East Chelsea is the home of the very large Bowery Residents Committee shelter (on 25th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues). Although its many programs provide a valuable service to those in need, its size — which many feel is much too large for the community — has impacted the surrounding neighborhood with far too many quality of life issues and complaints.

CCBA believes that the Police Precinct change we requested was not extensive and would not have been as costly, prohibitive, problematic and labor-intensive as Commissioner Kelly’s implied when he used the Brooklyn Precinct change as an example of why he decided not to approve the Chelsea Precinct change.

CCBA will continue to work towards changing our Police Precinct coverage from the 13th Precinct — which is not in our Community Board area and which does not serve [most of] Chelsea — to the 10th Police Precinct, which is in our Community Board, and which does serve Chelsea.

sidewalk cafe applicaTions

• The ability to compare past and present data would be undermined

As was mentioned in the September 19, 2012 article, sidewalk cafes can be fun to go to — but they can also be troublesome. CB4 has continued to alert us when a restaurant is applying for a sidewalk cafe license and, in turn, CCBA

• Absence of pressing public safety concern

Continued on page 17

7

8

February 6 - 19, 2013

From Selma to Stonewall, the President Leads

BY PAUL SCHINDLER President Barack Obama made gay history in his second inaugural address on January 21.

“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,” the president said, marking the first time the LGBT community was ever mentioned in an inaugural address, the most ceremonial moment in American political life.

For queer Americans, Obama’s most stirring words, however, came several moments earlier when he said, “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall.”

America’s first black president had placed the gay community’s defining act of political assertiveness into the mainstream of the nation’s fight for equality, alongside the women’s movement and the 1960s AfricanAmerican civil rights struggle.

In the setting of his inauguration, those words were profound, even revolutionary.

But was the formulation itself new for the president? And how were his words — particularly the pairing of Selma, site of a “Bloody Sunday” police attack on civil rights marchers in 1965, and Stonewall — recieved

by African-American voters, who are the president’s most loyal supporters? Obama’s posture at the inauguration inevitably raises questions about how his leadership has influenced the conversation about LGBT rights in America — and his ability to move public opinion in his core demographic is a particularly telling measure of that.

Discussions of how the African-American and the LGBT communities get along and view each other have always been fraught — particularly since 2008, when exit polls showed that black voters supported Proposition 8 by a 70-30 percent margin, versus the overall 52-48 edge the initiative achieved. Neither the obvious fact that many voters are members of both communities simultaneously nor followup research suggesting that black support for Prop 8 was more in the range of 57-59 percent has eliminated the volatile feelings surrounding this issue.

But even as black attitudes toward gays continue to arouse wide interest, LGBT support for goals sought by African Americans is less frequently discussed. Here, too, the role of queer leaders who are also black is a significant factor, though there is no denying that the LGBT community writ large continues to have a predominately white, and often male, face. True coalition politics, it would seem, remains a lofty aspiration as opposed to an everyday reality.

Gay City News, our sister publication, spoke to five African-American gay and lesbian leaders and academics here in New York and nationwide and also looked to the conclusions of one black straight ally — Tulane University political scientist Melissa Harris-Perry, who hosts a weekend news forum on MSNBC — to probe the impact of Obama’s support for LGBT rights among

North Carolina’s Mandy Carter and Brooklyn’s Terrance Knox both spoke enthusiastically about the impact of President Barack Obama’s leadership on LGBT equality within the black community.

black Americans and how, in turn, his leadership might influence the way the gay rights movement goes forward.

Those half-dozen voices offered different perspectives on how new the president’s words were as well as on the nature of attitudes among African Americans into which his statements enter the mix. All agreed, however, that Obama is moving opinion and that the embrace of mutual interests between the African-American and LGBT communities holds bright political promise.

Harris-Perry, in an article in the Nation magazine, saw Obama’s inaugural words as profoundly important. “When the president name-checked the watershed moments of the women’s rights, civil rights, and LGBT equality movements, he offered a powerful moment of official recognition,” she wrote.

She acknowledged that symbolic recognition only means something if it leads to equal treatment, but went on to argue, “Fair recognition and just distribution are not alternatives; they are companions in political struggle.”

Mandy Carter, a longtime lesbian activist who lives in North Carolina, used the word “wonderful” over and over again in assessing the impact of the president’s words. Asked if his statements represented a new articulation of his support for the LGBT community, she responded, “Absolutely.”

Carter is currently coordinating the National Black Justice Coalition’s Bayard Rustin 2013 Commemoration Project, which honors the lead role the late gay black civil rights leader played in organizing the 1963 March on Washington at which Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. One of five LGBT co-chairs — of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds — of the president’s 2008 campaign, Carter believes his inaugural remarks and his endorsement of gay marriage last May represent attitudes he’s long held. “I thought

Obama got it about the marriage equality issue from the start and he was not willing to go there yet politically,” she said.

E. Patrick Johnson, a professor of Performance Studies and African American Studies at Northwestern University, echoed that view. “He used the language that he ‘evolved’ on the issue of gay marriage,” he said. “I don’t think that that’s true. For expediency reasons, he did not disclose his views until it was a time when the country was ready.”

Coming from a multicultural family, Johnson said, the president is instinctively “more accepting of differences” and “gets the connection on civil rights between all sorts of communities.” Prior to his entry into politics, while he was a community organizer in Chicago, Johnson said, Obama “had lots of LGBT people in his circles.” The harsh conservative pushback the president has gotten since becoming president, he said, has shown him how much right-wingers “really despise people who are different,” an experience that likely deepened his empathy for LGBT Americans.

Terrance Knox, a former president of Brooklyn’s Lambda Independent Democrats, an LGBT club, talked about the impact of the president’s words on those he grew up around. For people in Kansas, AfricanAmerican and otherwise, he said, news coverage of the inaugural address likely provided “an ‘aha’ moment.”

Others were less inclined to see the January 21 comments as a significant departure.

Juan Battle teaches sociology, public health, and urban education and runs the Africana Studies Certificate Program at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan. Obama’s words, he said, “were definitely not a new formulation. It was a higher platform and a larger audience at the inauguration. But, he’s made these links between civil rights and gay rights many times before.”

Laura Martin, an activist in Nevada who works for a statewide social justice organization, shares Battle’s view, saying of the inaugural remarks, “I think it’s been what he’s been saying for a while.” Recalling stump speeches during the 2008 primaries where he included “refrains about abolitionists, suffragettes, civil rights and gay rights,” Martin said, “He’s always been tuned in to how his presidency ties into all the social movements.”

The only thing that surprised Martin about Obama’s recent remarks was realizing “this was the first time these kinds of comments were made at an inauguration.”

The fact that Martin doesn’t see his recent formulation as new doesn’t mean she views the president’s posture as any less powerful in shaping attitudes among black Americans.

“He’s definitely seen as a leader of the community,” she said. “And my community often takes its cues from people seen as our leaders.”

Others who spoke to Gay City News agreed with that assessment, but also challenged prevailing narratives about an AfricanAmerican community beset by homophobia.

Carter was not alone in pointing to the “scandal” of “white gays [who] blamed blacks for Prop 8.” Political scientists Kenneth Sherrill of CUNY and Patrick J. Egan of NYU used precinct-level data to peg African-American support for the California anti-gay marriage initiative at less than 60 percent as opposed to the 70 percent level found in exit polls.

Polling data from this past November indicated increased support among black voters for marriage equality. An estimated 46 percent of African-American Marylanders supported the narrow victory of gay marriage in that state, and nationwide, 52 percent of black respondents said they are in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples. Under the leadership of Ben Jealous — who has often spoken about his transgender brother who lives in San Francisco — the NAACP endorsed marriage equality last spring just days after the president spoke out.

Carter did not dismiss the reality of homophobia in the black community and among African-American church leaders. At the same time, she pointed to the leadership that Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, president of the NAACP chapter of North Carolina, brought to the fight against Amendment One, a ban on gay marriage, in that state last spring. No exit polling was done on the North Carolina marriage vote, and Carter complained that black hostility toward LGBT aspirations nonetheless quickly became part of the narrative that emerged from that losing fight. Northwestern’s Johnson also brought up mobilization by some African-American religious leaders to fight Amendment One in North Carolina, and Carter noted similar efforts in the District of Columbia when its marriage equality law was hotly debated in 2009.

Despite the preponderance of whites in leadership posts in the LGBT community, Johnson and Carter both argued that blacks have played critical roles every step of the way, dating back to Stonewall.

Continued on page 9

February 6 - 19, 2013

9

Joining the Journey, the President Leads “Most people don’t give a shit,” he said of controversies over gay rights.

Like Martin, others agreed the presiThe civil rights movement, Carter said, dent’s outspokenness on LGBT equalhas its LGBT heroes, as well. More than ity has been influential with blacks. half a century ago, Rustin’s visibility as an For Johnson, it has meant the end to a out gay man drew resistance among some “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” climate toward fellow civil rights activists — and made homosexuality. “It is no longer not him an easy target for segregationists like something you talk about publicly,” he South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond said of conversations popping up more — but, significantly, Martin Luther King often at the water cooler and in barberdid not walk away from him in the face of shops and beauty parlors. such pressure.

Carter said Obama’s comments in In Brooklyn, Knox sees shifting black his inaugural address might have been attitudes toward the LGBT community ignored if made by a white politician, from a different perspective. Serving but are “transformative” coming from on the community board in his Fort him. “I think a lot of African Americans Greene/ Clinton Hill neighborhood, he knew he was right but needed permissaid he has worked on HIV/ AIDS issues sion to say so,” she asserted. for years. “In talking in some places Those who spoke to Gay City News about AIDS,” he recalled, “I used to agreed, however, that direct analogies hear, ‘Oh, that’s not our issue.’ I don’t between the civil rights struggle and hear that as much now.” Cultural differ- the LGBT movement can be grating for ences, he indicated, fade in the face of a some African Americans. Martin and Carter emphasized that context is key, common health threat.

Martin and Battle, meanwhile, sug- and said some easy comparisons even gested that discussion of black-gay ten- put them off. “When I’ve heard people sions is overblown. Martin said she say, ‘This is our Rosa Parks moment’ or hasn’t seen homosexuality become a ‘This is our lunch counter moment,’ I divisive issue in Nevada’s black congre- say, ‘No, it’s not. There was only one of gations. Battle said he hopes African those, and you should be happy we’re Americans “would be more worried not there.’”

Johnson suggested that because “peoabout issues of poverty, immigration, ple feel and experience their race at a the military-prison complex.” very early time, earlier than sexual orientation,” some African Americans have a difficult time seeing the challenges facing blacks and gays as comparable. That difficulty is often generational, with younger black Americans Did your job give you more willing to agree that “civil rights is civil rights If you suffer from Mesothelioma or Lung Cancer, and were exposed is civil rights,” in Carter’s to asbestos on the job – even decades ago – you may be entitled to compensation (even if you were a smoker)! words.

Contact the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg today for a free and confidential consultation. We have won billions in verdicts and settlements, and it What Carter and othcosts you nothing up front if we accept your case. ers remain concerned about is how much investWe’re with you – every step of the way! ment the LGBT move700 B | N Y , NY 10003 888-411-LAWS ment is willing to put WWW.LUNGCANCERTRUSTS.COM into other social and eco-

Continued from page 8

Lung Cancer?

ROADWAY

EW

ORK

USE YOUR SMART PHONE TO SCAN THIS CODE FOR MORE

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Prior results do not guarantee a future outcome. If no recovery, no fees or costs are charged, unless prohibited by State Law or Rule.

�

������������ ����������������

������������������������� �������� ���������

��� !��"#$%#������&&'�( �����������&)**���+������� ���+(�,�

�

nomic justice causes important to blacks and other communities of color. Asked whether queer leadership was sufficiently attentive to coalition politics, she was emphatic in responding, “No!” Martin noted that the earliest mainstream gay outreach to communities of color she witnessed was institutional — discussions with the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza, for example, groups that in turn did work within their memberships. The recent successful state marriage fights, she said, showed LGBT advocates doing better at direct grassroots mobilization among black and Latino voters.

Battle said he has watched AfricanAmerican activists at mainstream gay groups, such as Donna Payne at the Human Rights Campaign, “working on race and poverty literally every day.” His concern is focused on how a small number of major LGBT donors — mainly white men — will target their resources once marquee goals like marriage equality are achieved.

Knox recalled a white activist from a leading gay rights group asking him “why blacks were so eager to vote for Prop 8.” He responded, “Well, if you go in to do after-school projects, and meals on wheels, and skills training, those communities will not turn their backs on you.” The other man “didn’t sound

convinced he had the time for that,” Knox added.

Johnson voiced a different concern about the future of the LGBT rights movement — its increasingly heteronormative character. “I remember when it wasn’t about living in the suburbs and having kids,” he said. “It was radical and sex-positive.”

Everyone Gay City News spoke to agreed that in the wake of the president’s inaugural address, the die is cast for his second term. Whether or not Vice President Joe Biden “dragged him” into his endorsement of marriage equality, Battle said, “the fact that he supports it consistently now is where the rubber meets the road.”

Johnson said that even though Obama “underestimated how constricted you are in what you can do in Washington” in his first term, “in a second term, where you have nothing to lose, even if you can’t get everything you want, you can say everything you want.”

In Brooklyn, Knox saw the January 21 speech as “the opening salvo” in what he expects to be “true left-ofcenter progressive leadership” from the president over the next four years.

“And if it doesn’t turn out that way,” he added, “it’s incumbent on us in the LGBT community to get on him and say, ‘Don’t you remember what you said?’”

10

February 6 - 19, 2013

hudson Yards set to alter skyline, Transform neighborhood

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

An aerial view of planned construction at Hudson Yards.

BY WINNIE McCROY The landscape of New York City is about to be altered forever, with the addition of a new neighborhood known as Hudson Yards. Over the next five years, construction efforts will transform the no-man’sland in the West 30s into a thriving commercial and residential hub, featuring more than 13 million square feet of development over a 26-acre site.

“Developing Manhattan’s final frontier is the next major step in our city's ongoing economic revival,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a press release sent on the day of the project’s December 4, 2012 groundbreaking. “The Hudson Yards project — whose construction will create 23,000 jobs alone and whose existence will support thousands more — is a testament to our city's economic strength. Related and Oxford’s massive and bold investment in this project and the commitments from these tenants demonstrate the confidence in the city's future and the future of the West Side.”

At the groundbreaking, Bloomberg, City

Council Speaker Christine Quinn and a coterie of city and state officials gathered on West 30th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues with Related Company’s Stephen Ross and Coach, Inc.’s Lew Frankfort to break ground on New York’s next new neighborhood, Hudson Yards.

The moment reflected years of negotiations with local elected officials and Community Board 4 (CB4) to make sure the area melded commercial, retail, affordable residential, open space, a new school, and Culture Shed (a focal point for arts, performance and cultural activities in the community, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and David Rockwell).

Construction is now underway on Tower C (aka, the South Tower) — a 1.7 millionsquare-foot, 47-story structure at the northeast corner of Tenth Avenue and 30th Street. It will serve as the future home of anchor tenant Coach Inc.’s global corporate headquarters. The projected LEED Gold tower, designed by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, will be completed in 2015.

“We recently broke ground on South Tower, which does not need a platform to be built over the Rail Yards,” Related spokesperson Joanna Rose recently told Chelsea. “We are currently doing excavation work, which is for the foundation, and then we will work to build Tower C. The superstructure will be completed by July or August of this year.”

As the flagship tenant, Coach has committed to purchasing nearly 740,000 square feet of the South Tower, creating a vertical campus with a soaring atrium as the visual anchor for the High Line.

“Coach committed to be one of the anchor tenants in the South Tower last year, and since then, we have 80 percent space committed in that tower,” said Rose.

residenTial housing, much of iT affordable, also planned

Although it may seem like ancient history now, the West Side Rail Yards were once destined to become a new West Side Stadium — a proposed football stadium that was part of the city’s centerpiece bid to

attract the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Local elected officials shot down the idea, CB4 worked with the Borough President and the City Council in a multi-year process to create a Hudson Yards development plan that benefited the entire community. Affordable housing options were at the top of the list.

“We fought for a significant amount of permanent affordable housing on the site, ample open space for parks and recreation, a brand new school, and making sure it was mixed-use, so that if there was going to be retail, there would also be residential,” said CB4 Board Chair Corey Johnson. “This took thousands of hours of community board meetings, and we are hopeful that this brand new city on the Hudson is going to integrate well into the community.”

Johnson said that in addition to the on-site residential buildings, the community would also get two more affordable housing sites in Hell’s Kitchen, in two MTA/city-owned sites.

Rose also noted that Related owns a building

Continued on page 11

February 6 - 19, 2013

11

The Towering Ambition of Hudson Yards Continued from page 10 at 500 West 30th Street that is already in superstructure to become a 32-story, 386-unit rental building, to be completed by 2014.

Later that year, Diller Scofido + Renfro and Rockwell Group will begin work on Tower D, on the southeast side of 30th Street and Eleventh Avenue. This 72-story residential tower, called The Corset, will be half rentals and half condominiums — and will feature a network of crisscrossing straps that cinches the tower at its midsection, squeezing the rectilinear lower half of the building into a curvaceous upper half.

“Tower D will be completed in 2016, and will be affordable housing — both buildings will be 80/20, and affordable housing options will also be built at 529 W. 29th Street. There will be 139 units, and we are trying to make that 100 percent affordable housing,” said Rose.

“The opportunity to design the residential tower and the last phase of the High Line gives our studio the rare chance to create an urban ensemble in New York that brings living, culture, and recreation into one location,” said Liz Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro in a statement.

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

A view of the completed Hudson Yards project, from Chelsea.

mately 30 feet wide, bordered by the pedestrian-friendly Hudson Boulevard.

In the middle of everything will be The Public Square at the Eastern Rail Yard, a large plaza with 6.5 acres of landscaped open space by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, to be connected to the High Line and featuring gardens, art exhibitions, fountains, and cafes.

“Essentially, we want it to be a living room for Manhattan’s west side,” said Rose.

“You can enter it from the High Line, from Eleventh Avenue, from Hudson Boulevard, or via the new #7 subway station.”

Brookfield Builds Manhattan West Around Hudson Yards

Although not officially part of the Hudson Yards plan, construction is also underway on the west side of Ninth Avenue.

On January 14, Brookfield Properties launched a massive $4.5 billion skyscraper project. The Manhattan West development will be built above part of the West Side Rail Yards, and will consist of two commercial towers along with a third residential building. It will span the area from Ninth Avenue and Dyer Avenue from West 31st to West 33rd Streets, across from the future Moynihan Station transit hub.

But before additional building can happen, construction must begin on a huge, $680 million platform that the two towers will sit upon. The platform will be comprised of 16 bridges set over the active rail yard, to be completed by 2014.

Rose said that Related will also need to construct a platform over the Rail yards in order to build their North Tower, but that construction on that platform wouldn’t begin until 2014.

This tower will feature 2.4 million square feet at the southwest corner of Tenth Avenue and 33rd Street. The two towers will be linked by a major retail complex, for a total of 6 million square feet of commercial space.

Supertowers Connected by Retail and Health Complex

Connecting the north and south towers will be Tower E — a 1.1 million square foot, 60-story retail, health club, office and residential building located where the Hudson Yards open space turns westerly toward the Hudson River.

The site offers open views in all direc-

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

The High Line will be extended to 34th Street, providing access to Hudson Yards.

New K-8 School Will Serve Hudson Yards Youth

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

This cantilevered observation deck, which juts 80 feet out, will become a new tourist destination for those seeking scenic vistas.

tions, and is inspired by the idea of windswept stone between canyons. The abstract, sculpted facade will be set back to reveal its many functions and to increase views and outdoor terrace space on multiple levels.

Kohn Pederson Fox Associates are responsible for the Hudson Yards master plan, as well as the design of two commercial towers and the retail area. The two buildings will tilt in opposite directions, one gesturing toward the city and the other toward the Hudson River. They will be clad in shingled glass walls, and feature a cantilevered observation deck that juts 80 feet out into the air.

KPF’s Senior Design Partner Bill Pederson said he revels in the opportunity to create urban commercial buildings that have interactive relationships with their surroundings.

Hudson Yards will feature modern commercial space, a cinema, retail outlets, and restaurants, with more than 750,000 square

feet of destination retail space spread over five floors. Elkus Manfredi Architects are designing a dynamic interior space, plus vantage points for viewing the park and public space. Among the many offerings will be a Level 4 “Kitchens at Hudson Yards” dining court and more upscale upper level restaurants.

“We view the West Side as the next great neighborhood for the city of New York,” said Rose. “It is a natural evolution coming north and it will help knit together the neighborhoods of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. We are creating a vibrant, mixeduse neighborhood, from restaurants and amenities to commercial and residential public spaces.”

Connecting the new Hudson Yards area with Chelsea will be the new Hudson Park and Boulevard, a sweeping four-acre thoroughfare of parks and trees, from West 33rd to 39th Streets. It will be approxi-

Among its many amenities, Hudson Yards will feature a dedicated elementary/ middle school to serve the influx of families into the neighborhood. Schools are a resource sorely needed in this area.

“The city is building a 750-seat K-8 public school in the Western Yards, where the majority of residential buildings will be. We think having a dedicated school on site will be a fabulous amenity for the residents,” said Rose.

Recent school rezoning just changed the lines for schools in Chelsea and Greenwich Village, among them PS11, PS33, and PS51. Johnson said that when Hudson Yards is finished, the new school will mandate zoning lines changes once again.

“While none of those plans have been finalized or fully determined, this would be a local, zoned school serving the neighborhoods surrounding it, meaning Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen,” said Johnson. “I haven’t heard anyone talk about the school as a drawing point yet, but I think it’s hard for folks to contemplate what’s actually going on there. There will be more than 12 million new square feet of development, and once it’s done, it will transform an area which for so long has been desolate.”

Continued on page 12

12

February 6 - 19, 2013

Welcome to a Neighborhood: Hudson Yards Continued from page 11

Waterproofing Measures Taken To Prevent Flooding

After flooding from Hurricane Sandy left 230,000 Manhattanites without power — many of them south of 30th Street on the West Side — people were concerned about the integrity of the construction plans.

Because of its proximity to the Hudson River, the Hudson Yards project has been the source of much speculation regarding future protection from flooding.

“The inherent design of the Yards is resilient toward flooding due to the fact that the platform puts our first floor well above the flood plain, at elevation plus 40, and hence all of our electrical and supports systems are above grade,” Rose assured.

She did admit that there were problems with the South Tower plan, to be built on terra firma, but noted that, “Since Sandy, we’ve made some minor adjustments to the design to make it even more flood proof.”

These adjustments include moving the fuel pump up and sealing and waterproofing the elevator pits below the 100-year floodplain.

Rose said the construction plans always had transformers and other major equipment situated well up in the air, away from the threat of flood.

Courtesy of Related Companies and Oxford Properties

Hudson Yards, envisioned here from New Jersey, will drastically alter the Manhattan skyline.

Subway and High Line Extends to Serve New Neighborhood

An essential component for this neighborhood’s success is access to public transportation. And the Metropolitan Transit Authority has stepped up to the plate, extending the #7 train to West 34th Street and Eleventh Avenue. The projected completion of the subway extension is 2014 — long before any of the buildings will be ready for occupation.

“We are delighted that the Hudson Yards project is taking such a tangible step forward," said then-MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota in a December 4, 2012 release. “This project and the extension of the #7 subway will revolutionize the far west side and spur the creation of a new neighborhood.

And once again, the MTA will be there to serve those new residents and to bring many others here.”

The success of the High Line prompted plans to extend the elevated public park to where it ends at 34th Street to serve as a walkway to bring residents and tourists alike into this new neighborhood.

“We absolutely expect the High Line to bring people from Chelsea to Hudson Yards, and vice-versa,” said Rose. “The High Line is an unequivocal success, and its connectivity to this side of Hudson Yards will allow people from Penn Station and Hell’s Kitchen to come in.”

The renovation of the High Line was a watershed moment for Chelsea, attracting an estimated 4.4 million visitors last year alone.

The extension of this elevated rail line turned public park has created an overwhelmingly positive buzz.

“The reality is that expansion is coming

Image by James Corner Field Operations / Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Courtesy Friends of the High Line

Looking west, toward the Hudson River, just east of 11th Ave.: The primary pathway will slowly ramp up, creating an elevated catwalk that will raise visitors approximately two feet above the High Line level to take in panoramic views of the cityscape and Hudson River.

to West Chelsea with or without the High Line, and I think we’re making the neighborhood better than it would have been,” said Peter Mullan, Vice President of Planning and Design for the Friends of the High Line.

The High Line currently runs from Gansevoort Street to West 30th, along Tenth Avenue. Construction has begun on the northernmost section, which curves around from 30th to 34th Street, and includes a spur that crosses Tenth Avenue. It will turn west around Hudson Yards, and lead to an expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The renovations will be broken down into three phases. First, they will renovate from the end of Section 2 to 34th Street, including the full build-out of the area just beyond the northern terminus, and the interim walkway on the western stretch of the railway, to open in 2014.

Construction on this phase is currently underway, with workers sandblasting the

railway, and waterproofing and painting the underside and railings. Following that, they will remove rail tracks and ballast. Finally, they will construct the park landscape, with access points, pathways, plantings, seating, lights, and other features.

Phase two will include the renovation of the Tenth Avenue Spur, and the area where the High Line at the Rail Yards travels through Coach’s new global corporate headquarters building. When the Hudson Yards construction is finished, it will be slightly elevated from the High Line, making the required pedestrian connection lead right into the Hudson Yards plaza. The second location of egress will be on the Western Rail Yard, sloping into the open lawn space that leads down to the river.

“The High Line goes along the West Side Highway and then moves east, and at 34th Street, has an at-grade connection

that allows it to be handicapped accessible,” said Mullen. “That is really amazing, because it’s an important entrance, and in the long term will be a major northern gateway to the High Line.”

A third phase, not yet on the timeline, will involve the full buildout of the western stretch of the High Line at the Rail Yards.

The capital construction comes with an estimated $90 million price tag, with the first two phases projected to cost $60 million.

The good news is that Related Properties and Oxford Properties Group will be providing $27.8 million for construction and more for maintenance, with the city throwing in $10 million, and the Friends of the High Line committed to raising $20 in private contributions.

“My own personal opinion is that we should be doing more to fund parks with city money. There isn’t enough allocated toward parks, and we should fight for more of that,” said Johnson. “The High Line has been a very expensive project to build, and given its uniqueness, if Related is willing to put in the money, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for either the High Line or Related, and it will benefit Hudson Yards.”

Mullen said that the community worked on aspects of the Hudson Yards project for many years, through multiple rezonings. He touted the expansion of the High Line as a major boon to the city, and anticipated that the end result would be transformational.

“Completing the High Line to 34th Street and letting the public experience the full length of the High Line — for us, that’s the real prize,” said Mullen. “When we finished section two, it doubled the length. It opened up people’s experiences to different parts of the city they hadn’t interacted with. And when we open this new section, the High Line, Hudson Yards and the Javits Center will be connected by a distinct architectural thread. That’s pretty exciting, and it’s happening much sooner than anyone expected.”

February 6 - 19, 2013

Gallery District Still Weathering Sandy

13

Know-how

gives you more for your money.

Photo courtesy of Winkleman Gallery.

Standing water in the basement of Chelsea's Winkleman Gallery, due to Hurricane Sandy.

BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN On January 12th, more than ten weeks after the devastating storm surge of Hurricane Sandy hit the Chelsea gallery district with unexpected and unprecedented force, things finally seemed to be getting back to normal.

That day, the last group of galleries located on the block of 27th Street, between 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway, officially re-opened after

months of arduous and costly repairs.

Jeff Bailey Gallery, Derek Eller Gallery, Wallspace, Winkleman Gallery, and Foxy Production, all of whom experienced major damage due to flooding — inaugurated their 2013 season with newly finished floors and freshly painted walls. Installed on these are now a selection of strong and versatile solo

Continued on page 14

PLUS HIGH YIELD SAVINGS

1.00

% APY

1

with free Plus Checking2

• Free ATMs anywhere, anytime4 • No minimum balance3 • No monthly service charge3 • Free Online Banking and Bill Pay • Easy access to your funds

VISIT ANY OF OUR NEW YORK CITY LOCATIONS.*

800-772-1090

peoples.com

1 1.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective on a Plus High Yield Savings linked to a Plus Checking. APY effective 1/30/13 and subject to change daily. A minimum of $50 is required to open a High Yield Savings Account. A minimum of $25 is required to open a personal checking account. Fees may reduce earnings. Offer may be withdrawn without notice. The Plus High Yield Savings account must be linked to an open active personal checking account in order to receive the high yield rate.

In order for the checking account to be considered active you must initiate four (4) or more transactions during the monthly qualification period in your linked checking account. If all of the conditions are met during your monthly qualification period your High Yield Savings Account will earn the higher rate on your average daily balance during the statement cycle. If these conditions are not met then your High Yield Savings Account will earn the lower, standard rate of 0.60% APY for the monthly statement cycle.

We reserve the right to convert your account to a Statement Savings account without prior notice if you close your linked checking account. 2Free of monthly maintenance fees. 3When linked to a Plus Checking account. 4We will not charge you a fee for using any ATM. People’s United Bank will rebate to you all domestic ATM fees other banks may charge when you use your People’s United ATM card. Tax reporting may apply. *New York City includes the five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. ©2013 People’s United Bank | Member FDIC

13PUB080_SavingsRate_485x114_CN.indd 1

1/29/13 11:16 AM

14

February 6 - 19, 2013

Artists, Gallery Owners Reflect on Sandy’s Wake Continued from page 13 shows, some of which (one consciously, the other coincidentally) make faint references to the storm.

At first glimpse, visitors to the area might feel that not much has changed since Sandy. Galleries are open, the streets abuzz. However, in conversation with local gallerists and artists who show or have their studios in West Chelsea, one finds that this “return to normal” took an incredible effort.

Many of the exhibitions that were scheduled for the fall are currently up on the walls. At David Zwirner, which in late October was just about to mount exhibitions of Luc Tuymans and Francis Alÿs, these installations were postponed and will remain on display through February 9 (at 519 and 525 West 19th

‘You don’t see any visible evidence of the storm outside the building now, but the damage remains. There are a significant number of artists who lost much, if not all, of the physical history of their careers.’

—Nick Lamia Street). Meanwhile, at Jeff Bailey (625 West 27th Street), where the basement was flooded all the way to the ceiling, Jackie Gendel’s exhibition had only been up for two weeks before the hurricane. Momentum was lost — and while the gallery was renovating, Gendel embarked on a new group of paintings. Some of these, depicting dramatic waterlines, are now installed under the title “Revenge of the Same” (through February 9).

“A lot of attention was paid in the press and blogs to the galleries and dealers who lost their inventory or whose businesses sustained damage, but the majority of artists, whose entire livelihood, healthcare and studio practice for one or two years at a time can rest on the sale of just a few crucial pieces (not to mention the feeling of personal loss), weren’t really the subject of that reporting,” states Gendel. She explains that she and other fellow artists, helped their gallerists during the early days of recovery.

“Christian Maychack, Fabienne

Courtesy of Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York

Jackie Gendel: “Carried Woman II” (2013, oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches), part of “Revenge of the Same,” is on view through Feb. 9.

Courtesy of Winkleman Gallery, New York

Installation shot of Michael Waugh’s “Political Economy (The Wealth of Nations, parts 19, 20, & 21” (2012, ink on mylar, 3 panels, 84" x 42" each).

Lasserre, Louise Belcourt, Chris Gentile, Josh Marsh and others dawned waders or rubber boots, head lamps and gas masks and headed down into the basement where they pulled out work after work. There must have been hundreds.

An assembly line was formed from the basement up the stairs to the outside of the gallery, where it was chilly. Work was photographed, taken out of bubble wrap and frames and wiped clean. Later, the assembly line carried work three or four floors upstairs through the darkness to storage rooms to air out.”

Artist Nick Lamia, whose studio is located in the well-known 526 West 26th building that also houses various galleries, Galerie Lelong and MitchellInnes & Nash, reflects: “My studio, being on the eighth floor, came through the storm unscathed, but the building itself, and other artists who had things stored in the basement, were not so fortunate. A friend who lives in a loft across the street described that she was able to literally watch the water rising, coming up the street from the river to the west. When it got to the middle of the block, it’s steady progress mysteriously stopped. When she looked more carefully, she realized the water had stopped moving from west to east because it was flooding down into the basement of my studio building, damaging the boilers. We were without heat for two or three weeks.” In fact, 524 West 26th Street still does not have a working passenger elevator, making it hard for some of the businesses in the building to welcome their clients.

Lamia reflects further that for days after the storm, “the sidewalk in front of the building looked like a shantytown built from the soggy remains of artworks, rolls of drawing paper and canvas, filing cabinets, old desk chairs and other office materials being dredged up from the flooded basement. You don’t see any visible evidence of the storm outside the building now, but the damage remains. There are a significant number of artists who lost much, if not all, of the physical history of their careers.”

Though by now the dumpsters filled with massive piles of ruined office supplies, artwork and other gallery paraphernalia have long been picked up and most water pumps and portable generators have vanished, it is clear that the storm has left behind a major imprint on all individuals involved. However, not everyone is eager to discuss the extent of their losses. Some galleries have to face millions of dollars worth of damages — and worse, some artists have lost most of their life’s work.

One art dealer who wished to remain anonymous explained his polite decline to participate in this article by stating that, “In the art world, showing weak-

Continued on page 15

February 6 - 19, 2013

15

west chelsea artists: digging in or bailing out?

Continued from page 14 ness will not get you sympathy…but it might be your downfall.”

Edward Winkleman, who shared reflections and photographs during the past weeks on his blog (edwardwinkleman.com), does feel comfortable discussing his experience. While looking at a stunning large triptych by Michael

recovery team to clean and renovate the spaces.”

Both Bailey and Winkleman note that it was the disaster relief fund, put in place by the Art Dealers Association of America, that helped in their recovery. Founded in 1962, the ADAA is a non-profit membership organization of the nation's leading galleries in the fine arts, counting about 175 members.

Remarkably, their member-funded relief

Only a few Chelsea galleries own the property they occupy. Most are renters, and those who have experienced major damages will certainly re-consider their location as soon as their lease is up for renewal.

Waugh featuring a ship battling a massive tidal wave, he explains that he and partner Murat Orozobekov talked about the pros and cons of being open about the challenges they faced. Deciding that they could not hide anyway what was going on (“everybody who was walking by could see themselves how we were doing”), they were surprised to find farreaching support. During the first most upsetting days, when art works piled up outside on the cold street, the only place to assess the damage in the light due to the lack of electricity, “we asked our artists to stay away until we could review the situation with each one individually.” However, they were surprised to find colleagues, neighbors and also collectors willing to help.

Bailey shares the sentiment: “the outpouring of support has been fantastic, from artists to clients and friends of the gallery. Many people leant a helping hand during those first few weeks, and it made a big difference in getting things done: Moving artwork to storage, cataloguing, photographing, cleaning up. The landlord brought in a disaster

effort was made available to affected members and non–members alike. “The ADAA reached out and provided grants to galleries to help with hurricane related expenses, which was very generous,” says Bailey. “We are almost back to normal, and that will be a welcome change.”

“The relief fund was available quickly,” Winkleman explains, adding that, “It was crucial in a time when we were facing a lot of unexpected bills, like ordering dumpsters.” In the issue of this month’s Artforum, the ADAA took out a whole page ad, listing Acquavella Galleries, Mitchell Innes & Nash, and David Zwirner Gallery, among others, as major donors.

While larger galleries might be able to keep their efforts more private, Gendel points out that “emerging artists and smaller galleries don't have the luxury of secrecy, the resources to hide the mess, the clout with insurers who wouldn't pay small timers without the entire public knowing the extent of it.”

The question arises, what kind of long-term decisions have been made.

Before Sandy, most ground floor galleries

Apply Today

877-479-0705 19 Degree Programs including:

Build Your Future with Us!

Paralegal • Medical Assistant • Graphic and Game Design • Electronics Technology • Business Management • Computer Technology •

Accounting • Administrative Assistant • Renewable Energy • Computer Programming • Pharmacy Technician • CADD & HVAC and more!

•

Exam Prep & Free Tutoring • Financial Aid Available • Flexible Class Schedules Affordable Tuition • Job Placement Services • Career Internships The Bramson ORT Programs Employment Disclosures are posted on www.BramsonORT.edu

used their basements for inventory storage. Today, nobody will leave anything of great value on a subterranean level.

Though large galleries often have off-site storage in specialized and costly facilities in New Jersey or Long Island City, smaller galleries are now facing the need for renting new additional space above ground. However, rent is of course determined by square footage, no matter if basements are used or not.

Only a few Chelsea galleries own the property they occupy. Most are renters, and those who have experienced major damages will certainly re-consider their location as soon as their lease is up for renewal. Nobody I talked to rules out that a similar situation might occur in the near future.

Ultimately, it might be high rents and the shifting demographic of the neighborhood however that will have more impact on the art district than Sandy. With the opening of the Highline, major tourism has swamped the area.

On 10th Avenue, between 17th and 20th Street, stores and restaurants rather than galleries have begun to open their doors. In addition, new rental and condo constructions increasingly dominate. Some high-profile galleries have recently looked at Midtown and Uptown as a possible base. Peter Blum Gallery (formerly located on 526 West 29th) recently moved to 20 West 57th Street — New York’s original art district, before Soho and then, Chelsea, became fashionable. Other possible destinations might be Long Island City or Brooklyn — where last year, Chelsea staple Luhring Augustine opened another venue at 25 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick. On the other hand, Hauser & Wirth (which is based in Zurich, London and the Upper East Side) recently opened its massive Chelsea branch in the former Roxy (511 West 18th Street, between Tenth Avenue and the West Side Highway).

Only time will tell if Chelsea will remain the city’s foremost art district or if the scene will become more scattered.

In the meantime, galleries have resumed

Photo by Scott Stiffler

On Nov. 4, gallery owner Jack Shainman takes a break from consigning waterlogged basement items to the trash bin.

their exhibition programs.

This month, it might be in Gendel’s work that we find one of the most poignant traces of the faceted experience.

In her new paintings, the waterline runs through the middle of the canvas — where the gallery would center its plumb line. Though at Bailey, where the water flowed into the basement, Gendel’s line begins to read as high water mark (and for many galleries whose ground floors were flooded, that would indeed have been the case).

Looking at this abstracted memory of a disaster past, one wonders how and when another storm might challenge what we usually deem safe and until then, take for granted.

RESEARCH STUDIES FOR: • Arthritis • Crohn’s Disease • Pediatric Depression • Gout • COPD • Low Back Pain R

We are currently enrolling people for NO COST research studies. Qualify and receive study-related care from a local doctor and study medication.

Health insurance is NOT required.

COMPENSATION UP TO $1,375

R

Call: 888-259-1522 or Visit: www.AcurianHealthStudies.com

16

February 6 - 19, 2013

Hoylman’s Albany Agenda Continued from page 5 period of incarceration — particularly since it’s a medium security facility. That support network is crucial to their rehabilitation, to have their families nearby.

CN: Talk about some of the work you’re doing in Albany that doesn’t address hyperlocal concerns [such as Zone A], but still impacts Manhattanites.

BH: We should all be concerned about our state budget, and how it impacts the most vulnerable in our society — and certainly, when there’s a call not to raise taxes, yet we’ve already cut social services to the bone, we need to make certain we have a social safety net. I think it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. We need to have a reality check on pledges like No New Taxes, and we [the state] need to, like our federal government, ask those who can afford it to pay a little more.

There is a rural/urban divide when it comes to topics like guns. There are issues like casino gambling. Some upstate communities may see that as a job generator.

In Manhattan, we may see it as a scourge, because of the negative impact it may have in our neighborhoods…not to mention traffic, and you could argue it’s not the most familyfriendly of industries.

There are lots of other urban issues — the way the lines have been gerrymandered in the State Senate makes the Republican interests disproportional to their votes, which is why you have control of the State Senate

by Republicans, which dilutes not just urban [issues], but the impact of minorities; people of color, women, LGBT folks. Let’s face it, I’m the only openly-LGBT person in the State Senate. That seems extraordinary to me.

CN: What LGBT issues are at the forefront of your concerns in Albany?

BH: Making that final push to full equality concerns people who are of the transgender experience. The fact of the matter is, in many parts of New York State, you can get fired from your job for being transgender, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You have no recourse.

CN: How can that be addressed legislatively?

BH: When you speak to advocates, one of the major [policy] concerns they hear is, what bathroom should they use? It’s preposterous. I was at a hearing this summer that Senator Squadron organized along with Assemblymember Gottfried — and they spoke about how they heard testimony from police chiefs in different cities across the state, who said that a transgender rights bill would make everyone safer. We need to set parameters for society, and underscore what is acceptable.

Treating trans people differently is inhumane.

CN: Getting to know a gay, lesbian or bisexual person, as a friend or co-worker, seems to make a difference when it comes to embracing

the notion that they deserve equality, and protection under the law. Why does empathy for trans people seem so lacking, in comparison?

BH: That’s part of the challenge [of getting laws passed]. I think it’s rooted largely in ignorance among people who don’t know anyone who is transgender. There are fewer [day to day personal] encounters, so it’s going to be up to the legislators and advocates to share their experiences. It’s going to require an education campaign — and a lot of that work is being done already. We have great advocacy groups in New York, and then there’s the work of so many pioneers like Tom Duane and Chris Quinn. We have marriage, the bullying bill. There will be other challenges, of course — but the last horizon, in many respects, is full trans equality.

Another group that is marginalized, and historically without a voice, are runaway LGBT youth. In my district, it is an issue, and we need greater support for them. So I’m working with groups in that regard — not just as a senator. As a middle-aged gay man, it’s my responsibility to look after those coming after me, and make sure they have the support they need.

CN: What are your top priorities for the local infrastructure and economy?

BH: Certainly, [mass] transit is big in the district. I take it every day, as do probably every one of my neighbors. So whether it’s the extension of the 7 or fully funding the MTA while keeping fares low, we need to find new revenue sources; a commuter tax or congestion pricing or encouraging other modes of transportation. I’m a strong supporter of cycling lanes. But people who use our city streets, who use our services, need to support the system.

Finally, we have an incredibly rich tech sector. Both Twitter and Google are located in my State Senate district, so we should be exploring ways to encourage entrepreneurship and attract talent to our city for the next generation of industry. We relied on Wall Street for too long — and as trading desks move to places like Singapore Shanghai, New York City needs to find ways to fill that void.

Also in my district is the Alexandria Center [for Life Science], which is a new life sciences hub on the East side, where new companies are moving in — and with the help of the city and state, they’re creating new drugs. The company that makes Tamiflu, that I’ve already taken once this season, is now based in my district. So that’s the future of our tax base, these new technology jobs. The city works to attract these companies by creating excellent public schools, an efficient mass transit system, public parks and cultural opportunities. That’s why young people want to live in New York City. That’s why I moved here as a 27-year-old.

To receive New York State Senator Brad Hoylman’s newsletter, via email, send your contact information to newsletter@bradhoylman.com. His office can be contacted at 212-633-8052. Visit bradhoylman.com and follow him on Twitter: @BradHoylman.

February 6 - 19, 2013

17

ccba gets doT to green light Traffic signal change uptown instead of going straight. DOT approved the request, the change was made and the problem of cars entering the wrong direction has effectively ceased.

Continued from page 7 reviews their proposals (and we meet with them, as needed, to discuss their plans).

Recently, we had involvement with two such requests which were approved by CB4.

requesT To sTop alleged illegal phoTo shooTs/business acTiviTY and excessive filming in a residenTial area

liquor license applicaTions

Complaints were being made about excessive alleged illegal commercial photo shoots and excessive filming happening on a specific block in West Chelsea, which is zoned as residential. CCBA coordinated a meeting with the Mayor’s Film Office, CB4 and others to discuss the situation.

Follow-up on the matter seems to have resolved the problem.

As with sidewalk cafes, CCBA has continued to interact with CB4 with regard to liquor license applications for restaurants located near our member block associations and we recently gave our support for one located near the High Line.

muni-meTer change requesT

CCBA supported the request of small business owners on the 100 block of West 17th Street, to change some of the Muni-Meters from three-hour commercial parking to one-hour regular parking — because the business owners felt that it would of benefit to them.

The matter was also supported by CB4 and the request was sent to the Department of Transportation (DOT), which approved the request. The changes were supposed to take place in December 2012, but were delayed because of Hurricane Sandy. We have been notified that the changes will be made within the next week or two.

julY 24, 2012 ccba leTTer To doT commissioner sadik-khan

Photo by Scott Stiffler

This three-page letter, posted in the Old Chelsea Post Office lobby, was the public’s only notice that the facility was under consideration to be sold.

requesT To insTall flashing arrow lighTs on Traffic signal

For many years, the 500 block of West 19th Street was experiencing cars enter-

ing their street in the wrong direction instead of turning uptown. CCBA coordinated the efforts to have the DOT install flashing arrow lights on the traffic signal which would direct the drivers to turn left

CCBA still has not received a written response to the letter we sent, which contained constructive suggestions with regard to milling and resurfacing work on streets. The suggestions included decreasing the lag time between the milling and the resurfacing, doing work during the day so residents won’t be kept up at night, installing signs to warn drivers of the bad/ dangerous street conditions caused by the

Continued on page 18

18

February 6 - 19, 2013

ccba on steam, street fairs, specTra and...

Continued from page 17 milling and replacing cross walk markings in a timely manner after they get removed because of the work being done. The letter was initiated by concerns raised by the 100/200 West 15th Block Association after work was done on their street.

CCBA was advised that DOT’s Road and Repair Unit would be reviewing our su g g e s t i o n s , a n d t h a t D O T ’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner would be responding.

CCBA did get a verbal response from the DOT Chelsea representative to two of our suggestions but the responses still left questions to be answered. As a consequence, we will be attending the next CB4 Transportation Committee meeting to discuss our suggestions and concerns. We plan to pursue getting a written response.

requesT for bus shelTers

CCBA supported the 100/200 West 15th Street Block Association’s December 3, 2012 request to CB 4’s Transportation Committee asking for bus shelters at bus stops on West 14th Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenue. The block association received a written response from DOT Borough Commissioner Forgione dated January 31, 2013 which stated that the installation of bus shelters were not feasible for a variety of reasons such as the existence of a subway entrance, fire hydrant, building scaffolding, street light, tree pit, pay phone, electrical plate in sidewalk and manhole cover.

sTeam coming up from sTreeTs

A call was made to 311 a few weeks ago, about steam rising from cracks in the street and from metal plates and metal vents, all along Seventh Avenue between West 14th Street and West 23rd Street. A couple of locations had smoke stacks which directed the steam away from people. The 311 call was specific to the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and West 17th Street, where the steam was engulfing people and cars. The 311 response said that there was no problem.

The matter was shared with CB 4 — and on January 27, the following information was provided. “Con Edison places orange and white stripped smoke stacks over locations where steam is escaping from their steam system or water from the city water or sewer system is leaking onto their steam equipment. This usually happens in very cold conditions, especially if there is snow.

The purpose is to vent the resulting vapor above the level of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The vapor does look denser in cold weather because the steam condenses back to water faster.

There is nothing to be concerned about.”

A few days later, a smoke stack was placed over the rising steam on the northwest corner of West 17th Street, and people and cars are no longer being covered by steam.

sTreeT fairs: noTificaTion To block associaTion/residenTs

Months ago, the residents of the 200 block of West 15th Street woke up to a Street Fair taking place on their block — and it wasn’t their Street Fair. The block association and the residents had not been informed about it. The event was disruptive, especially with loud music being amplified.

Subsequently, the block association and CCBA have been trying to find out how this happened, and to prevent it from happening again. As it turned out, the organization that was having the Street Fair was from around the corner (on the 200 block of West 14th Street).

One piece of information which still has not been confirmed as being true is that two-way traffic streets will no longer be allowed to have Street Fairs. If so, this will put more stress on the smaller side streets — and, if true, it would explain how the organization from West 14th Street (which is a two way street) ended up having the Street Fair moved to the next block on West 15th Street.

CCBA is following up on this matter and will be discussing it with CB4’s Quality of Life Committee and we also plan to try to talk to the City’s Street Activity Permit Office about it.

Certified home health aides immediate hire! hire! Work a available! vailable!

Paid Vacation • Direct Deposit • 401K • Paid in Service • Referral Bonus

FREE 13 DAY HOME Upon hire $ Sign On BOnuS$ HEALTH AID TRAINING $125 LiVE-in/ Nassau 2/25/13 to 3/13/13 suFFOLK 3/4/13 to 3/20/13

upon hire

$50 Certified HHA upon hire

Nassau 516-681-2300 suffolk 631-654-07899 Queens 718-429-6565 Bronx 718-741-9535

587085

Call for an Appointment

EOE

FAMILY AIDES INC.

cooperaTion among communiTY boards

CCBA will be following up the Borough President's office with regard to seeking better ways to have cooperation with other Community Boards on issues which impact more than one Board. For example, earlier, mention was made of trying to get more bus shelters on West 14th Street. Those of us who live in Chelsea will walk to West 14th Street to take the bus. However, if there is an issue with the eastbound bus, it is covered by Community Board 2 (CB2), the Greenwich Village Board, and if it is the westbound bus that is being dealt with, it falls under the jurisdiction of Chelsea’s CB4.

Years ago, there was a 14th Street joint committee which dealt with West 14th Street issues, but it was disbanded (it was made up of CB2 and CB4 members). When it existed, it was cooperation between two Boards, the kind of cooperation CCBA would like to see still going on. The Borough President’s responsibility includes coordinating the Borough Service Cabinet (BSC) which deals with more than one Community Board. CCBA would like to see more use made of the BSC with regard to dealing with those community problems/ issues impacting more than one Board.

hudson river park neighborhood improvemenT disTricT

Representatives from the Hudson River Part Trust who are in the process of trying to create a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) attended one of our monthly meetings and spoke with us about the NID they were trying to form, and why. They have asked CCBA to support their efforts. At our January meeting, CCBA voted not to take a position. It was our consensus opinion that the decision whether to have a NID or not should be made by the residents who live in the designated area and who are the ones who will be assessed a certain amount of money yearly. We reached this decision because only one of our block association members falls inside the area which will become part of the NID if it is approved.

con edison 1,500-fooT exTension To The specTra gas pipeline

CCBA has concerns about the proposed 1,500-foot extension of the Spectra gas pipeline which would run from the vault in the basement adjacent to the Whitney Museum on Gansevoort Street, up 10th Avenue to West 15th Street.

Months ago, because of our concerns about the possibility of being exposed to radioactive radon as well as a possible explosion (which has happened with similar pipelines), we supported the efforts of groups asking Speaker Quinn to have the City Council hold appropriate committees hearings to discuss the proposals with the goal of having experts speak about the pros and cons of the planned pipelines, and any potential health issues. We did

not get a response to our letter, but we were verbally told something like the council has lots of hearings and they were not going to have any about the pipeline.

CB2’s Environment, Public Safety and Public Health Committee had a public hearing/meeting on December 4, 2012 — at which representatives of both Spectra and Con Edison participated. It is CCBA’s understanding that because of their concerns, they voted against the pipeline.

Because the Con Edison extension will come into Chelsea at 10th Avenue and West 15th Street, and because if an explosion were to occur it would impact more of Chelsea, we asked CB4 to hold a hearing and they agreed to do so. The Board’s Waterfront, Parks & Environment Committee will be holding its meeting on Wednesday, February 14, 6pm (at 351 West 42 Street, in the Piano Room).

chelsea markeT: leTTer To ciTY council speaker chrisTine quinn, requesT To cb4

CCBA — which opposed the Jamestown Properties plan for Chelsea Market because it required changing existing zoning (which now allows office buildings to be built on top of the iconic Chelsea Market), and because we believed that there were alternative locations where Jamestown could have built and/or utilized other office space — is now taking the lead, along with Save Chelsea and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, in pointing out that the city’s agreement is lacking enforceability with regard to things they “agreed” to — and that the shortcomings of the agreement need to be addressed.

All three groups recently met with staff from Speaker Quinn’s office to discuss our concerns about the apparent problems with the agreement. Their response was something like, although all the things Jamestown Properties promised to do may not be clearly stated, they gave their word. If one reads the agreement, one will find phrases like “we will try” and “if we can do it.”

As a consequence, we have sent Speaker Quinn a letter outlining the parts of the agreement with enforceability concerns, and we are requesting that CB4’s Chelsea Land Use Committee address the matter.

CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. The board meeting, open to the public, is the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is Wed., March 6, 6:30pm, at the Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. 17th & 18th Sts.).

Call 212-736-4536, visit nyc.gov/ mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4.org.

To contact City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml.

February 6 - 19, 2013

19

Making Some Definite Progress, thanks to… up, and take it as a compliment that his girlfriend “sees you as a dependable presence for which she no longer has to put on a show.” So here’s what Mr. Macho (who, one suspects, protests too much when he complains about having a gal like the one who married dear old dad) had to say about my advice:

Auntie: I asked you for advice a few weeks ago — and while at the time, I was not entirely happy with your suggestions, they did in turn prove to be correct. Darn you; and bless you. Thanks Auntie… and keep up the good work.

What a relief! Now, here’s an update from The Bothered Bather. In our November 28 issue, she wrote about living on the second floor of a building that’s recently been renovated. “The ceiling above our bathtub is leaking,” she said, noting that repeated attempts to get the attention of her super were getting her nowhere. I advised her to be persistent with the super and “introduce that leak to the business end of some duct tape and enjoy a long, hot soak courtesy of your own determined efforts.” Well, it turns out our beloved bather is bothered no more! She wrote:

Oh, my. Has it really been four months since Aunt Chelsea put down her trusty feather duster and slipped the surly bonds of early retirement to work “Advice Columnist” into her crowded third act agenda? Indeed it has, my dear readers.

To mark that milestone (and in the spirit of Chelsea Now’s “Progress Report”), my tough but fair editor simply insisted that I revisit a few people who’ve written in, and see what difference (if any!) old Aunt Chelsea’s advice made in their problem-filled lives.

I hope you enjoy catching up with them as much as I’ve enjoyed chasing the monkeys off their backs! And remember, you can always reach out to me through the modern miracle of email (at askauntchelsea@auntchelsea. com). I love all my readers, and I answer all of my letters! Now, let’s get down to business: In our October 17 issue, “Freaked Out” wrote in with an alarming situation: His long-term girlfriend arrived at that comfort zone stage of their relationship where she “started to only get out of her PJs after noon.” What’s worse (his opinion, not mine), she “is quickly becoming my mother-in-law.” It seems her behavior, speech patterns and jokes “are evolving into those of her mother.” I advised Freaked Out to lighten

Dear Aunt Chelsea: Your advice on dealing with my leaking bathroom ceiling saved my sanity. When I wrote my complaint, it was just before Sandy blew in, and after all of that, I realized just how grateful I was to have hot water at all. A cold drip from the upstairs shower was the least of our worries. In the meantime, a quick, duct tape fix (it really does solve everything!) kept the leak from getting worse. And, per your advice, I badgered my super constantly about it. I don’t think we’ll ever be friends, but the ceiling is patched, the hot water is back on and I am enjoying my evening soak sans chilly drizzle.

Thanks, The No-longer-bothered Bather The holidays have a way of plunging even the best of us into a seasonally depressive dither — as was evidenced by “Gifted in Chelsea,” who in our December 12 issue, wrote: “I’m confused by this notion that regifting is a no-no.” I advised the less-than-generous letter-writer that regifting was indeed a no-no…and a sign of passive aggressive recycling that was to be frowned upon. Why not, I advised, bring your unwanted items to a holiday party (assuming such a cheapskate was invited anywhere), then put it under the tree as a freebie?

“This is regifting in its most pure and noble form,” I correctly asserted, “because one person’s unwanted fruitcake is another’s tasty treasure.” Well, will wonders ever cease? It seems my harsh tirade sunk in, because “Gifted” recently wrote:

Dearest: It’s so fun to hear from a woman of a certain age. Being one myself, I often feel invisible.

Aunt Chelsea, you are a treasure. You are a gift that I gladly regift and regift. After reading your column, I realize that regifting is just another way of recycling — plus, it’s the law. You continue to

inspire me to speak from my heart and say what’s on my mind. Thank you for giving me a voice and a platform. Thank you for your ever-so-clever sass, Aunt Chelsea.

Well, I don’t know what “Gifted” expects in return for that flowery assessment of my skills…but whatever it is, she’s gonna get at least two of them! And now, in the spirit of humility, we end on a sad note.

In our last issue, “Hot for Tso” wrote about a “MAJOR” problem with the Chinese delivery guy refusing to deliver all the way to this terse letter-writer’s fifth floor walkup. I advised “Hot” to cool down, stop writing letters peppered with ALL CAPITAL WORDS and make amends. Well, as a wise person once said, “Pobody’s Nerfect” — because apparently, my advice (which I thought was right on the money) was way off target. “Hot,” who clearly has no intention of breaking off that love affair with capital words, wrote:

I don't know who you think you are, but you pissed off the WRONG sister! I tried taking your 'advice' about befriending my dear old Chinese delivery boy, going out of my way to bring him his over-due tip and trying (ever so sincerely) to make amends. From what I can understand, he seemed genuinely pleased (or surprised, I couldn't really tell) by my peace offering. So the following week, I resumed my usual routine, all the while looking forward to the return of my good ole Monday ritual.

Well honey, when the time was at hand, and I called the for-mentioned joint, they had the nerve to claim that they still will not deliver to my neighborhood. It is as if I have been branded with the scarlet letter C (that’s for CHEAP), with no signs of redemption. I even TRIED those other Chinese joints, but they simply do NOT compare! So I will NOT be thanking you for your so-called-advice, my dear auntie, because now not only am I out $20 in undeserved tip money, but I am STILL without my General Tso Chicken!

Mad for Tso

Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea!

Contact her via askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”).

20

February 6 - 19, 2013

editorial Landmark, then Rezone

The City Planning Commission’s recent approval of a major rezoning of Hudson Square means the clock is now ticking until the City Council takes up the application for a vote — in about a month and a half from now.

An extremely serious concern is the impact that approval of a residential rezoning for the currently manufacturingzoned enclave would have on the adjacent and vulnerable proposed South Village Historic District.

In short, the approval of the Hudson Square rezoning must be linked to the city’s designation of the full, proposed South Village Historic District. As we’ve stated before, for the most part, we support the Hudson Square residential rezoning and its various components.

But there’s no crisis facing Hudson Square if the rezoning isn’t passed in a few months. On the other hand, as of now, the unlandmarked sections of the South Village are already facing development pressure. Should a residential boom start in Hudson Square it would surely spill over into and impact the South Village, jeopardizing the historic fabric of this worldfamous area.

In 2009, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission designated one-third of the historic district that was proposed by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and there were indications that the rest would soon follow.

But more than three years later, unfortunately, that pledge still hasn’t been fulfilled. So, while about 250 buildings in the South Village have been protected, 500 more remain vulnerable to outright demolition and gross and inappropriate modifications.

Simply put, there should be a hold put on approval of the Hudson Square rezoning until Landmarks commits unequivocally to calendaring the remainder of the full, proposed South Village Historic District.

More to the point, Speaker Christine Quinn should use her power to make sure that this critical landmarking goes first, and the rezoning second.

This is the neighborhood where bohemians of yore and Beatniks famously made their scene, their art and their music, wrote their poetry and their novels. Some of the famed MacDougal Street coffee houses and clubs where Bob Dylan and his contemporaries performed, like Cafe Wha?, are still here. The Coen brothers’ highly anticipated new movie, “Inside Llewyn Davies,” about the Village’s ’60s folk music scene, will revisit, literally, this fertile ground.

Caffe Reggio on MacDougal Street, also still here, was where cappuccino was first introduced to America.

Over all, though, beyond the cultural history, the critical goal is to preserve the South Village’s historic, low-scale architecture. After all, that’s really what makes the South Village what it is. The debate can go on about how tall new buildings should be allowed to be in Hudson Square, but what makes the South Village special is its low-rise nature.

If the whole of the proposed South Village Historic District is not fully designated, but Hudson Square is residentially rezoned, there will surely be a rush to raze and redevelop in the former.

There’s no urgent need for this plan to be passed immediately — though, yes, we’d be happy if the prohibitions in Trinity’s rezoning that would require special permits for large hotels were O.K.’d tomorrow.

Meanwhile, people don’t come here from around the globe to visit MacDougal Street and Bleecker Street because of new glitzy architecture. It’s the history-soaked, low-scale architecture and historic cafes and venues that draw them.

It’s time for the city to follow through on its commitment to landmark the rest of the South Village, and not squander one of New York City’s greatest architectural and cultural treasures.

Let’s get our priorities straight, and not ruin what’s so special in a relentless drive for new development.

letters to the editor Still seeking help for Sandy losses To The Editor: In November, I submitted to Con Edison by mail a claim for loss of food due to Hurricane Sandy. I made a call to them several weeks ago and was told that I would be receiving a response by mail. I just received a response from their law department that because the storm was beyond their control, Con Edison is not responsible for property damage or other losses.

They suggest that I look to other agencies for help — which I did. FEMA denied me help. I was just seeking $150.00 to cover the groceries that I had purchased that very evening the outage occurred. I know that other people have it worse off. But I'm sure Con Edison has insurance and will be compensated. I would like to receive compensation at some point. People on welfare received compensation almost immediately for food loss. It’s not fair that hard-working people can’t get their fair share of help.

What can we do, the people of Chelsea and other areas, do to get some help? Most of us have limited incomes.

Thank you.

Christina Gonzalez

Sometimes right ain’t wrong To The Editor: The conservative right has been talking a lot lately about cutting back on government programs. And I

couldn’t agree more. A good place to start would be to eliminate the drone program. And do we really need a military base in Australia with missiles pointed at China?

Speaking as someone who served in the Army in Germany from September 1967 to December 1968, the only reason we left our troops in Europe after World War II was because the Soviet Union left their troops there. Well, not only does the Soviet Union not have its troops in Europe, it hasn’t even existed for almost a quarter of a century. Bringing those troops home would save billions, if not trillions, in tax dollars.

Moving on to social programs: William Buckley once said, “It is time to take drugs out of the black market and put them on the free market.” Another conservative position that I agree with. This would not only take the burden off the prison system, but would eliminate many police and FBI task forces, and would also do away with the DEA, once again saving taxpayers billions of their hard-earned dollars that would otherwise be spent on an unwinnable drug war.

The list of programs that could be done away with could go on and on before touching even one penny that goes toward the comfort and well-being of the taxpayer. So, let me wrap this up with a final conservative opinion I agree with: Ronald Raygun once put his opinion on illegal immigration in the form of a Q&A. Q: “What do you call an illegal immigrant?” A: “A wiling worker.”

Peace.

Jerry The Peddler

The New & Improved

OK EBSPO C A ER F P A N .NEW S HO U A.NOW E D S L D E A ebook.com/C fac

US FOLLOW NowNYC ea @Chels P T SIGN U AoS L B E m UR chelseanow.c O FOil R t scott@ a tt o c S Ema

Check out our new website! www.ChelseaNow.com

February 6 - 19, 2013

community contacts To be listed, email info to scott@chelseanow.com. communiTY board 4 (cb4) CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). The board meeting, open to the public, is the first Wednesday of the month.

The next meeting is Wed., March 6, 6:30pm, at the Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw.

17th & 18th Sts.). Call 212-7364536, visit nyc.gov/mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4.org. communiTY board 5 (cb5) CB5 represents the central business district of New York City. It includes midtown Manhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamond districts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park. The district is at the center of New York’s tourism industry. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building and two of the region’s transportation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station) fall within CB5. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thurs., Feb. 14, 6pm, at Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., btw.

5th and 6th Aves., 2nd fl.). Call 212-465-0907, visit cb5.org or email them at office@cb5.org.

The 300 wesT 23rd, 22nd & 21sT sTreeTs block associaTion Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net.

The wesT 400 block associaTion Contact them at w400ba@gmail.com.

chelsea garden club Chelsea Garden Club cares for the bike lane tree pits in Chelsea. If you want to adopt a tree pit or join the group, please contact them at cgc.nyc@gmail.com or like them on Facebook. Also visit chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com. lower chelsea alliance (local) This group is committed to protecting the residential blocks of Chelsea from overscale development.

Contact them at LowerChelseaAlliance@gmail.com.

The greenwich village-chelsea chamber of commerce Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.

The meaTpacking disTricT iniTiaTive Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185. penn souTh The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-2433670 or visit pennsouthlive.com.

The bowerY residenTs’ commiTTee: homeless helpline If you know of anyone who is in need of their services, call the Homeless Helpline at 212-5335151, and the BRC will send someone to make contact. This number is staffed by outreach team leaders 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous. For more info, visit brc.org.

The lesbian, gaY, bisexual & Transgender communiTY cenTer At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter.org or call 212620-7310. gaY men’s healTh crisis (gmhc) At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.

Visit gmhc.org. Call 212-367-1000.

Member of the New York Press Association

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Published by NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

K

C

Y

M

1

14–20 FEB 2003

YOUR FREE � MARRIAGE PUSH WEEKLY NY advocates step NEWSPAPER up pressure P.4

� LOU HARRISON DIES AT 85

� SUNDANCE PIX

Contemporary composer, Eastern music pioneer

Queer flicks worth waiting for

Gay City P.5

P. 21

NEWS

� CATEGORY

head head head

TM

515 Canal St., Unit 1C, New York, NY 10013 Phone: (212) 229-1890 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.chelseanow.com E-mail: scott@chelseanow.com head

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

T

T

he 2004 federal budget proposed by the Bush administration on February 3 is drawing both praise and criticism from gay and AIDS groups.

“Generally, we have a mixed reaction to it,” said Winnie Stachelberg, political director at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), even as some leading AIDS groups, including the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), were more critical.

The proposal includes a $100 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a $5 million dollar increase in the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS

P. 10

� BOOKSHOP SHUFFLE Oscar Wilde up, Bluestockings down

�3

——————————————

� SIGNORILE There’s a place for us

� 13

——————————————

� THEATER Jews and Muslims work together � 32 ——————————————

CREDIT

� BOOKS Gay spaghetti western

� 42 CAPTION

headMedia, LLC © 2012 NYC Community ——————————————

ARTHUR30AVILES

more head more head more head

ext go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here Text go here

© GAY CITY NEWS 2003 • COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

P. 6 K

C

Y

M

Member of the National Newspaper Association Chelsea Now is published biweekly by NYC Community Media LLC, 515 Canal St., Unit 1C, New York, NY 10013.

(212) 229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $75. Single copy price at office and newsstands is 50 cents. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2010 NYC Community Media LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to Chelsea Now, 145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., New York, N.Y. 10013.

PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR

The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

hudson guild Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multi-generational community serving approximately 14,000 people annually with daycare, hot meals for senior citizens, low-cost professional counseling, community arts programs and recreational programming for teens.

Visit them at hudsonguild.org. Email them at info@hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9800.

For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710.

The carTer burden cenTer for The aging This organization promotes the well-being of individuals 60 and older through direct social services and volunteer programs oriented to individual, family and community needs. Call 212879-7400 or visit burdencenter. org. fulTon YouTh of The fuTure Email them at fultonyouth@gmail. com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310. wesT side neighborhood alliance Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212956-2573. Email them at wsna@ hcc-nyc.org. chelsea coaliTion on housing Tenant assistance every Thursday night at 7pm, at Hudson Guild (119 9th Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition.cch@gmail.com. friends of hudson river park Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981. hudson river park TrusT Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212627-2020. save chelsea Contact them at savechelseanyc@ gmail.com.

PUBLISHER Jennifer Goodstein ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson Sam Spokony EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Kaitlyn Meade Rania Richardson PUBLISHER EMERITUS John W. Sutter

BUSINESS MANAGER/CONTROLLER

Vera Musa SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini RETAIL AD MANAGER Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Russell Chen Allison Greaker Julius Harrison Gary Lacinski Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco

21

ciTY council speaker chrisTine quinn Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc. gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml. sTaTe senaTor brad hoYlman Call 212-633-8052 or visit bradhoylman.com. chelsea reform democraTic club The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator Tom Duane and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas on protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@crdcnyc.org.

The sage cenTer New York City’s first LGBT senior center offers hot meals, counseling and a cyber-center — as well as programs on arts and culture, fitness, nutrition, health and wellness. At 305 Seventh Avenue (15th floor, btw. 27th & 28th Sts.). Call 646-576-8669 or visit sageusa.org/thesagecenter for menus and a calendar of programs. at 147 w. 24th st. (btw. 6th & 7th aves.)

The sYlvia rivera law projecT

works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. Visit srlp.org.

fierce (Fabulous Independent Educated

Radicals for Community Empowerment) builds the leadership and power of bisexual, transgender and queer youth of color in NYC. Visit fiercenyc.org.

queers for economic jusTice is a progressive organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. Visit q4ej.org.

The audre lorde projecT is a les-

bian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color center for community organizing. Visit alp.org.

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Shirey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Arnold Rozon CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson

CONTRIBUTORS Ryan Buxton Martin Denton Lakshmi Gandhi Terese Loeb Kreuzer Kaitlyn Meade Duncan Osborne Paul Schindler Jerry Tallmer Maxine Wally PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess J. B. Nicholas Jefferson Siegel

22

February 6 - 19, 2013 September 9 - 15, 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

www.thevillager.com

3

sea Chelnow www.chelseanow.com

DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM MAIL 515 CANAL STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 TEL 646-452-2485 FAX 212-229-2790 REAL ESTATE PALM SPRINGS, CA. TOWNHOUSE CONDO FOR SALE OR RENT Please visit this link: www.alwaysonvacation.com and type in 809752 in the "where are you going" search bar for details about the property, incl pics.

TUTORING

COMMERCIAL SPACE SOHO MANUFACTURING SPACE

EMPLOYMENT

Tutoring for Gifted and Talented Classes Individual Sessions Have gotten children

Ground Floor aprox 1,550 sqft

into citywide and local G & T classes.

$120k per Anum.

Focused tutoring session $50 – 10 Sessions

Call 212-226-3100

$400.

Call 646-449-0604.

LIC PETITE 3BR DPLX LRG STUDIO RM

West Village Commercial Space Avail.

TaiChi-Qigong Classes

Backyard,Walk to Subways,

Considering Non Food Business at

6.30-7.30pm

Avail. August 1, $2195 per mo.

MR M 718-426-2800 BTW 10 AM-4PM

BROWNSTONE WANTED BROOKLYN/HARLEM please email details/photos to: mykonos55@yahoo.com

TRIBECA...

present. Approx.550 sq FT w Bsmt.

Call Owner 718-344-6468

Every Tuesday w/Karen 917-868-5181 Certified Wudang Taoist Instructor

DENTIST

Secure space beneath neighorhood bar.

Send email to schedule visit.

Info@m1-5.com

PERSONAL SERVICES

MASSAGE THERAPY

by BRITISH BARBIE

Sound off!

Tired of high prices and low service?

Call beautiful British Barbie

(212) 307-6781

“I'll give you the best massage you've ever had, 90% of my clientele are women.

That's how good I am, cheers!”

Write a letter to The Editor

Outcalls only, please!

Need a Professional Nanny?

street access. Space can be requirement.

MARKETING MANAGER BA business administration-marketing + 2 yrs exp.

Global Works Group LLC, 220 5th Ave., NYC 10001, Att: A. George.

Holy Apostles Church 9th/28th $18/24

Basement storage with elevator divided to accommodate

BA + 3 MOS. EXP. GLOBAL WORKS GROUP, ATT: A. GEORGE, 220 5TH AVE, NYC 10001.

Beginning 9/17 End 12/17

IF INTERESTED, CALL 323-493-3114.

Shopping, Etc.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE ENGINEER

You Saw It...

You Read It...

And so did thousands of our Readers.

To advertise, call 646-452-2496

    

Experienced in diabetes treatment Healthy Food Preparation Travel w/family (if needed) 15+ Years Experience References available

I can come to your home.

Your kids will love me. bridge4616@verizon.net or call 646-724-7266

www.chelseanow.com

February 6 - 19, 2013

Just Do Art!

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

ART@TEKSERVE: NYC STREET POP

One good character, chronicling countless others: For over 30 years, Ken Brown has been biking around town, making short films and taking photos featuring “only in New York” moments. Known for his postcards and graphics that were ubiquitous in the 1980s East Village, Brown’s photo work captures some of the city’s colorful citizens as they interact with ads plastered on walls, store window displays and the subway system. The end result? Brown’s wry, often comedic juxtaposition of famous things and fabulous beings produces a combined image that’s every bit as iconic as the famous landmarks (such as Coney Island) he holds so dear. Now, in celebration of their 25th anniversary on 23rd Street, Apple reseller and service provider Tekserve is presenting a collection of Brown’s films, photos “and other fun stuff” as part of their ongoing Art@Tekserve series. The “NYC Street Pop” exhibition will be shown throughout the store — and a Tekserve-produced 2013 calendar featuring Ken Brown’s photographs will

Your doctor retired to where?

Photo courtesy of the artist

The people that he meets when he’s biking through the streets: Ken Brown’s “NYC Street Pop” exhibition can be seen at Chelsea’s Tekserve, through Feb. 24.

be available, free with any purchase, while supplies last.

Free. Through Feb. 24, at Tekserve (119 W. 23rd St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.). Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9am-8pm, Sat., 11am-7pm & Sun., 11am-7pm.

Another reason to call.

You want an outstanding doctor and we can connect you with one who’s right for you. Whether near your home or office, doctors affiliated with Continuum Health Partners hospitals – Beth Israel Medical Center, Beth Israel Brooklyn, Roosevelt Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, New York Eye & Ear Infirmary – are conveniently located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Our doctors participate in all major insurance plans.

Need a great doctor?

Call 877.996.9336. w w w. c h p n y c . o r g

23

24

February 6 - 19, 2013