MARCH 13, 2014, THE VILLAGER

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The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933

March 13, 2014 • $1.00 Volume 83 • Number 41

Zipper reconsidered: N.Y.U. retools project it says it can still build BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A PHOTO BY SARAH FERGUSON

Theresa Byrnes holding her son, Sparrow Joe Louis, a few days after his birth on Feb. 13.

An East Village artist reveals her fierce path to motherhood BY SARAH FERGUSON

A

rtist Theresa Byrnes has never been one to shy away from a challenge. After being diagnosed at age 17 with a rare degenerative disease called Friedreich’s ataxia, she traveled to the Australian Outback and Brazilian rainforest, determined to explore the world on her own while her limbs

could still carry her. When the disease, which causes progressive damage to the nervous system, forced her to begin using a wheelchair, she took on bodybuilding, Kundalini yoga and other disciplines to keep her muscles and spirit toned. Such drive earned Byrnes a Young Australian of the Year award in 1996 for her work in establishing a foundation to seek a cure for F.A. In

When it’s time to retire, will you be ready?

1999, she published her autobiography, “The Divine Mistake,” which chronicles her fearless path as an artist coming to terms with her disease. She’s mounted more than 25 solo shows and staged provocative performances — smearing herself with paint and oil, or mounting her near naked body on a giant spinning wheel in the dead of winter — in CREATING LIFE, continued on p. 8

working group of mostly N.Y.U. faculty members last week issued its recommendations on what should be included in a new building at the current Coles gym site. They suggested a mix of classrooms, performing-arts space, equal space for stu-

dent and faculty housing, and student study areas, but no retail space. They also said the university’s development plan is fiscally responsible, but urged the school not to increase tuition or other expenses to help meet construction costs. In addition, the group recommended the creation ZIPPER, continued on p. 4

Conservancy, C.B. 2 feel unmitigated heat at very tense meeting BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER

R

ichard Caccappolo, chairperson of Community Board 2’s Parks and Waterfront Committee, might have been putting Sarah Neilson on a witness stand. “State your name and

your title,” he said at the beginning of a meeting on March 5 to discuss Washington Square Park and the Washington Square Park Conservancy, which was formed last summer to supplement services provided by the Parks Department. PARK, continued on p. 14

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Rally blasts pavilion bistro as mayor remains mum BY SAM SPOKONY

A

PHOTOS BY SAM SPOKONY

s Mayor Bill de Blasio remains silent on the issue, a coalition of park advocates and politicians gathered near the Union Square Park pavilion on March 9 to call again for him to kill the Bloomberg-era plan to place a seasonal, high-end restaurant in the public pavilion. The advocates recently lost their legal battle against the plan, which will allow the Chef Driven Market bistro to open as early as a month from now. But the court decision that greenlighted the scheme also states that the city can terminate that contract at any time. So the restaurant’s opponents want de Blasio to block it now, before the public space — which has long served as a recreation area for local residents, especially children and seniors — can be privatized. State Senator Brad Hoylman attended the rally with his 3-year-old daughter, Sylvia, declaring that she and other local children should not lose a valuable playspace in an area already oversaturated by bars and eateries. “That’s why we’re asking Mayor de Blasio to put an end to this farce,” said Hoylman, “and make certain that the pavilion is returned to the people, and to park users like Sylvia.” Citing a severe lack of parkland around the Union Square area, Congressmember Carolyn Maloney called the restaurant plan “one of the dumbest ideas I have ever seen.” Also at the rally, civil rights attorney Norman Siegel highlighted the pavilion’s history as a gathering space for labor leaders and other activists. He claimed that privatizing the property would deeply dishonor that history — while possibly also infringing on free-speech rights. Referring to de Blasio, the attorney said that the advocates’ request to keep the space public should not be a difficult task for a “progressive” mayor. “So, Mayor de Blasio, this is a test for you,” Siegel exclaimed, “to see whether

State Senator Brad Hoylman and his daughter, Sylvia, rallied against the Union Square pavilion restaurant on March 9, alongside U.S. Congressmember Carolyn Maloney and other elected officials.

your actions will meet your rhetoric.” One of the people who has, in fact, used the pavilion as a site for labor activism is George Altomare, a longtime East Village resident and a co-founder of the United Federation of Teachers. Speaking after the rally, Altomare, 82, fondly recalled speaking in Union Square in the 1960s and ’70s alongside legendary U.F.T. president Albert Shanker, among others, as they fought for teachers’ collective bargaining rights. He explained that he has already written to de Blasio, urging him to keep the space public. “I would be deeply disappointed in [de Blasio] if he doesn’t stop this,” said Altomare. “I’d honestly have to re-evaluate my opinion of him, as well as my vote for him.” The Mayor’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

Children’s Magical Garden sues to reclaim lot slated for building BY SARAH FERGUSON

A

fter being fenced out for 10 months, members of the Children’s Magical Garden filed a claim of adverse possession on Mon., March 10, against Lower East Side developer Serge Hoyda and the development entity 157, LLC, seeking to reclaim the portion of the garden that Hoyda took over last May. The gardeners say they staked their claim on “lot 19” and two others on the corner of Norfolk and Stanton Sts. more than 30 years ago, when it was just a vacant patch of land festering with trash, rats

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March 13, 2014

and used needles. They planted fruit trees and vegetables, transforming the parcel over the years into a vital green space and learning center for L.E.S. children. “After Plaintiff’s claim and uninterrupted possession for thirty years, Defendants cannot now re-emerge to seize this land for themselves. Lot 19 belongs to the Children’s Magical Garden,” claims the lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court on March 10. In June, the city transferred the garden’s other two lots to the Parks Department to preserve them as green space. Whether this suit can put a halt to development plans already afoot for this sliver of land remains to be seen. In No-

U.F.T. co-founder George Altomare recalled using the Union Square pavilion as a freespeech platform in the 1960s and ’70s.

vember, Hoyda’s firm filed plans to erect a six-story, six-unit residential building on the site, replete with penthouse and gym. And in January, Hoyda sold the lot for $3.35 million to 157, LLC, a limitedliability corporation registered to David Marom, owner of the Horizon Group, a Yonkers-based real estate development

and investment firm that is developing another luxury residence off Delancey St. C.M.G. members held a press conference and rally at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday morning to explain their legal strategy. They promised “News, Justice and Donuts,” along with free hot chocolate to anyone who showed up on the way to work or school to show support.

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TAKING IT TO THE STRIPS: After the recent court victory against N.Y.U.’s 2031 superblocks development plan, parks and open-space advocates from across the city, joined by local politicians, will celebrate with a party at LaGuardia Park (on LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker and W. Third Sts.) on Sat., March 15, at 1 p.m. Actors Matthew Modine and Susan Sarandon will lend their voices to the cause, along with elected officials, including Congressmembers Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler, Public Advocate Letitia James, Assemblymember Deborah Glick and City Councilmember Corey Johnson, among others. In her Feb. 7 ruling, Judge Donna Mills said that three of the superblocks’ open-space strips — including Mercer Playground, LaGuardia Corner Gardens and LaGuardia Park — are parkland, and that N.Y.U. can’t use them for its construction projects without the state Legislature first “alienating” them, as in, make them not parks. ROSIE AND THE ROSES: Well, we finally got Rosie Mendez’s take on Judge Mills’s decision. The East Village city councilmember came to last month’s Community Board 2 meeting, and after she had finished giving her report to the board, C.B. 2 member Lois Rakoff asked her opinion on the ruling. Mendez responded generally, but said she was giving it a lot of thought and even doing extra research on the decision. Rakoff, who said she, too, considers herself a “sister” of Mendez’s, told us she was satisfied with the councilmember’s answer. “She came out smelling like roses,” Rakoff said. Of course, Mendez, before casting her vote for the N.Y.U. 2031 superblocks project in July 2012, said she was doing it for Councilmember Margaret Chin, her “sister.” The hotly disputed project is in Chin’s district, and Chin was the Council’s lead negotiator on it. We spoke with Mendez at greater length outside the C.B. 2 meeting, and from the sound of it, she supports most of Mills’s ruling, but isn’t sure whether the LaGuardia Corner Gardens is, in fact, parkland. Mendez said it seems to her that Mercer Playground is clearly “implied parkland.” She cited the fact that former Councilmember Kathryn Freed allocated $200,000 in capital funding toward what she understood to be a permanent park. “And that’s not an easy thing to do,” Mendez said. “And they had a ceremony with elected officials… . The signs that were there with Parks Department leaf symbols. If it looks like, acts like a park, it probably is.” As for LaGuardia Park, she supports Mills on that one, too. “Allowing a group to put in a statue,” she noted, citing the Fiorello LaGuardia monument. However, she said, “There’s one that I want to read a little more about — the GreenThumb garden.” She was referring to the LaGuardia Corner Gardens. She said that back

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when Eliot Spitzer was attorney general — when the battle was raging to save the East Village and Lower East Side’s gardens from development — there were some distinctions cited, as she recalled it, between GreenThumb gardens, for example, and other types of community gardens. “There are different types of garden structures and I just want to do a little more reading on that,” she told us. As for the strip with the Mercer-Houston Dog Run, Mendez said Mills’s position — that it is not parkland — is correct. “I think her decision was very persuasive, in terms that the dog run was private and you have to be a member,” Mendez remarked. Asked if she now regrets supporting Chin on the N.Y.U. 2031 project, in light of the lawsuit victory, Mendez answered, “I backed Margaret for several reasons. She did negotiate a better project than what was proposed, bringing down the height, scale and bulk. And she saved 505 LaGuardia Place. Getting permanent affordable housing at 505 LaGuardia — that to me was huge. Those families would have been displaced.” The affordable housing wasn’t part of the development project, but was being negotiated with N.Y.U. simultaneously. We told C.B. 2 member Sean Sweeney — who is the director of the Soho Alliance, a plaintiff in the community lawsuit — of Mendez’s uncertainty on the LaGuardia Corner Gardens. “What!” he exclaimed. “They’re growing plants and vegetables! What, is she crazy? That’s more of a park than anything.”

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RESOLUTE AGAINST N.Y.U. PLAN: In addition, Swee-

ney’s political club, Downtown Independent Democrats recently passed a unanimous resolution, which was also approved by the Village Reform Democratic Club, which they sent jointly to Mayor Bill de Blasio, demanding he drop the city’s “misguided appeal” of Mills’s decision. The resolution reads: “Whereas most elected officials, thousands of citizens, N.Y.U. faculty, Community Board 2 and over 35 community and civic associations support the legal ruling that the New York City Council did not have the right to transfer publicly owned land to New York University and that only the New York State Legislature has such right; Whereas New York University is appealing this significant ruling and New York City has now also joined the appeal; Whereas if Mayor Bill de Blasio and our elected officials truly support the people they represent and stand on the principles for which they were elected, they will drop their appeal; Whereas we and the community ask New York University to return to the drawing board and present a plan that is accountable to and respects the community, and not continue to take public lands illegally; Therefore be it resolved that the Downtown Independent Democrats demand Mayor Bill de Blasio and our elected officials drop this misguided appeal and respect the court’s ruling in favor of the people.” In fact, only notices of appeal — not actual appeals — have been filed at this point.

LOOK EASTWARD! St. Mark’s Bookshop is doing an online fundraiser at Indiegogo to help foot its moving costs to its new East Village location. So, does that mean they have a new spot nailed down? Not quite, Terry McCoy, the store’s co-owner, told us. “We have a draft lease for a space, and we have a lawyer reading the lease on our behalf,” he told us last week. The fundraising target is $50,000. “But we’d like it to be double that, really,” McCoy said. As a result, they’re thinking of doing a mid-June benefit concert. The musicians will be “people we know,” he said. As for the hoped-for space, it’s near Avenue A and smaller than their current location. “We feel good about relocating, and it’s close to the rent we have here,” he said. “And it really feels like the East Village over there.” As for the Astor Place / Cooper Square / Third Ave. area, he said, it has lost its soul due to “all these big, glassy buildings springing up.” SCOOPY’S, continued on p. 16

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Working group, N.Y.U. reconsider Zipper Building, ZIPPER, continued from p. 1

PHOTO BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

of a Superblock Stewardship Advisory Committee, which would provide “improved stewardship” by the university of the superblocks land and buildings to “enhance the neighborhood’s quality of life.” The group stated that the university “should continue to concentrate its academic activities within the [campus] Core to the greatest extent possible and that increasing the density of activities within the Core improves the academic quality of the institution.” Several days later, President John Sexton announced that he, deans and members of his senior leadership team enthusiastically supported all the working group’s recommendations and were prepared to pass on the report to the university’s board of trustees with their glowing seal of approval.

FOCUS ON THE ZIPPER After Judge Donna Mills’s Feb. 7 ruling, in which she found that three out of four disputed open-space strips on the university’s two South Village superblocks are indeed public parkland, New York University is now focusing its development plans on the Coles site. Mills ruled that the open-space strip in front of Coles is not public parkland, so N.Y.U. says it maintains the legal right to proceed with its building plans there. The new Zipper Building slated for the spot would partly sit on the open-space strip currently used by the Mercer-Houston Dog Run. The dog run would be relocated to the west of the new Zipper. In addition, the working group noted it is focusing on the Coles site since, under the agreement with the city when the N.Y.U. 2031 plan was approved in July 2012, construction could not start on the north superblock until 2022 anyway. Over all, the group said, regarding any potential construction on the north superblock, as well as on the Morton Williams supermarket site, the university should again consult with a similar advisory group on how to proceed. The 26-member University Space Priorities Working Group was convened by Sexton in October 2012. Last Tuesday, they issued their report.

UP TO 80 CLASSROOMS Saying academic space was their main priority, the group recommended that from one-third to one half of the new Zipper Building be set aside for academic uses, including 132,000 to 214,000 square feet for 80 classrooms, ranging in size from small seminar rooms to large lecture halls. They also called for creating 195,000 square feet for

At the Tues., March 4, release of the University Open Space Priorities Committee report, working group members, from left, Professor Lawrence White of the Stern School of Business; Allyson Green, associate dean of the Institute for Performing Arts; Ted Magder, associate professor at the Steinhardt School; and Laurence Maslon, arts professor at the Tisch School of the Arts.

academic space for performing arts — including a large, 500-seat, proscenium theater and four, smaller black-box theaters; plus, 40,000 square feet for general student study space that could serve commuter students, among others. In addition, they said, the Zipper should contain a 150,000-square-foot sports center, which would be air conditioned (unlike the current gym), and could double as an emergency community facility; plus 150,000 square feet for student housing and 150,000 square feet for faculty housing. Under this scenario, the new building’s size would be in the range of 817,000 to 899,000 square feet. The current Coles is just one story, 29 feet tall. The buildable envelope for the Zipper, on the other hand, as stated in N.Y.U.’s agreement with the city, is nearly 300 feet tall at its highest point.

FIFTY PERCENT FEWER FRESHMEN An earlier version of N.Y.U.’s South Village superblocks plan as recently as three years ago called for up to 1,000 students to be housed at the future Zipper. But the working group’s report recommends this number be halved to 500 freshmen, along with housing for roughly 100 N.Y.U. faculty families. In fact, the group said the issue of housing freshmen on the superblocks — which N.Y.U. considers part of its

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campus “core” — was one of its biggest concerns. “While recognizing the clear benefits for freshman students in providing more residential halls in the Core,” the report states, “the Working Group also grappled with the impact of a new freshman dorm in such close proximity to the two faculty housing apartment buildings that comprise Silver Towers. In December 2013, the Silver Towers Tenants Association reported strong apprehension about creating a residential unit for students so close to faculty members and their families.” The working group proposed that the freshmen be kept as far away as possible from the faculty residences: “Entrances to student residence halls should be located on Mercer or Houston Sts., away from the two Silver Towers apartments and the open plaza they share.”

‘OFF-SITE’ QUIET TIME However, beyond freshmen activity there is the issue of construction-related activity. Faculty members residing on the superblocks face the prospect of living in a “construction zone” if the Zipper is built. The working group’s partial solution: “Establish a ‘work-study center’ away from the construction site for faculty who currently work at home and who have no other office options.”

DRAMATIC GROWTH As for why such a large performing-arts component is being recommended for the Zipper, the group noted that the number of undergraduate performing-arts students at N.Y.U. has ballooned by 300 percent since the 1980s, but ZIPPER, continued on p. 5

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reduce number of freshmen beds from 1,000 to 500 ing?’ ”

ZIPPER, continued from p. 4

that the university’s space for them is subpar. Meanwhile, the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, in the new Kimmel Center on Washington Square South, isn’t really even for N.Y.U. productions. The Skirball theater, the report notes, “serves primarily as a presentation venue for short-term, outside productions, providing N.Y.U. and the broader community with a high-quality program of international and national work.”

TAKES A SLAP AT FASP

MARKETLESS ZIPPER Earlier plans also called for a supermarket to be included in the new Zipper, to replace the Morton Williams market at Bleecker St. and LaGuardia Place, a site that was to be redeveloped with a new N.Y.U. building and possibly a 100,000-square-foot public school. (The Department of Education has until the end of this year to decide if it wants to build the school there.) However, the working group’s recommendations for the Zipper don’t include any retail space. As for the retail strip on LaGuardia Place a block north of the supermarket, the working group said it should be kept well lit at night, and that efforts should be made to rent out its several empty spaces, or at least use them temporarily for classrooms.

Union Square is roughly one half mile and at least a 10-minute walk. Given the 15-minute gap between classes, even that distance poses difficulties.”

WANT TO KEEP IT IN CORE

SHOOT DOWN SATELLITE IDEA

In response to the argument that the university should expand its facilities elsewhere — namely, outside of the Village — the report said it doesn’t work for several reasons. For one, it’s too expensive. “At current rates,” the report states, “the purchase price of a site similar in size and location to the Coles site — if one could be found — would be roughly $600 million, a price that does not include the cost of any build-out to accommodate N.Y.U.’s specific needs for space.” The working group also noted they couldn’t find anyone who was “willing to give the university a building for free.”

As for the idea of N.Y.U. instead focusing its new development growth at satellite sites, the report says it would only work if those programs were self-contained. “A satellite site makes more sense if it was designed to function primarily on its own,” the group said, “as was the case when the Stern Graduate School was located in the Financial District until the early 1990s… .” The Stern school is now located on Washington Square.

TRAVEL TIME Plus, they said, the breaks between N.Y.U. classes are only 15 minutes, which doesn’t leave time to commute from, say, the Financial District to Washington Square. “The suggestion of 15 minutes of travel time between classes — whether by foot, bike, trolley or subway — is impractical,” the report says, “since it doesn’t leave any margin of error or account for the extra minutes it takes to enter and leave buildings, secure a bicycle, or gain access to public transportation, and then get into the classroom via elevator and stairs. The distance from Washington Square Park to

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An N.Y.U. graphic of the Zipper Building after it was reduced by 140,000 square feet by the City Council before it approved the N.Y.U. 2031 superblocks plan in July 2012.

‘IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY’ The report was unveiled last Tuesday by four faculty members of the working group, who noted they all live on the superblocks. As for why — unlike members of N.Y.U. Faculty Against the Sexton Plan — they don’t oppose the project based on its construction impact alone, Laurence Maslon, an arts professor at Tisch School of the Arts, said, “I think saying no to construction is certainly an option, but saying no is not an opportunity. Let’s be honest — nobody likes jackhammers and construction. But we felt this was an opportunity to create something in the core that benefits students, faculty and the university for the long term.” N.Y.U. and the working group both assert that the group was independent. “This was a very organic process for

us,” Maslon said. “We really started from scratch. We said, ‘What if we build noth-

Ted Magder, an associate professor at the Steinhardt School, and the working group’s chairperson, noted that N.Y.U. FASP has just 400 members out of the university’s total of 4,000 faculty. “They never gave a thorough and detailed response to [our] plan,” Magder said of FASP. “It’s disappointing to me, frankly, that FASP has been unwilling to engage with the working group.” FASP was the driving force behind the community lawsuit that, as a result of Mills’s ruling, has dealt a serious blow to N.Y.U.’s superblocks plans. About two-thirds of the university’s faculty live on the superblocks. After the press conference, Magder added, “I face Coles. N.Y.U. needs the space — not to grow, but for its academic needs.” Along with FASP, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and Assemblymember Deborah Glick were also plaintiffs in the community lawsuit. The plaintiffs, N.Y.U. and the city have all filed notices of appeal regarding parts of Mills’s ruling, so the legal battle could drag on for years. The plaintiffs say, that after Mills’s stunning ruling, the university should now go ZIPPER, continued on p. 24

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Police trying to ID suspect in W. 4th anti-gay attack BY SAM SPOKONY

P

Bartender’s

PHOTO BY SAM SPOKONY

olice are hunting for an unidentified male suspect who allegedly targeted and attacked an openly gay New Jersey man inside the W. Fourth St. subway station early on Sun., March 2. The victim, identified by media reports as J.P. Masterson, 39, was waiting inside the station with his partner around 12:30 a.m. that day, when the suspect approached them and asked if they were gay, police said. When they tried to ignore him and walk away, the man reportedly punched Masterson in the face — breaking his nose, his left eye socket and several other bones in his face. After initial treatment of the injuries at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side, the victim is now waiting to undergo surgery, according to media reports. Masterson told CBS on Thurs., March 6, that the attack was especially painful because he and his partner, Peter Moore, had just celebrated their 10th anniversary together with dinner and a Broadway show. Police last week released a sketch of the suspect — a white male believed to be in his late 20s, and around 5 feet 8 inches tall and 170 pounds. As of press time, police still had not made a positive identification, and the investigation is ongoing.

City Councilmember Corey Johnson, center, and state Senator Brad Hoylman, right, handed out fliers with the suspect’s police sketch near the W. Fourth St. subway station last Friday morning.

In hopes of aiding that investigation, state Senator Brad Hoylman and City

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Councilmember Corey Johnson were outside the W. Fourth St. subway station last Friday morning, passing out fliers showing the police sketch and informing rushhour passersby about the alleged hate crime. The fliers noted that police are offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.

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March 13, 2014

Police sketch of bias-attack suspect in Sun., March 2, assault at the W. Fourth St. subway station.

“And this is as much about supporting the victim as it is about catching the suspect,” said Hoylman. “We need to let [Masterson] know that the neighborhood stands behind him, and that we’re not going to tolerate this behavior.” Hoylman and Johnson said they have not yet had a chance to meet with the victim, but that sentiment of support cut

straight to the heart of something Masterson — who was apparently raised in New York City — was quoted as saying last week. “I can’t believe this happened in my city that I grew up in,” Masterson told CBS. “The West Village is where I first came out and explored and felt accepted… . The fact [is] that it’s now a danger zone.” The March 2 subway attack took place just steps away from the W. Eighth St. and Sixth Ave. site of last May’s fatal shooting of Mark Carson, 32, another gay man. Elliot Morales, the 33-year-old man who allegedly shot Carson in the head, is currently facing charges of murder as a hate crime. The Village saw a spike of several other anti-gay attacks last year, including some both inside and outside the W. Third St. McDonald’s that is also located just steps away from the site of the recent assault on Masterson. “It’s really very distressing that so many of these incidents have been taking place in this neighborhood,” said Hoylman. The state senator pointed out that last year’s attacks targeting L.G.B.T. individuals, as well as blacks and Jews in other parts of the city and state, led him to hold a hearing that has compelled State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to conduct an audit of the state’s oversight of hate-crime reporting. DiNapoli, who announced the audit in December, has said it will focus on making sure that police departments across the state are reporting those types of incidents correctly, and that cops are being trained to handle the crimes properly and effectively.

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POLICE BLOTTER Drunken confession

Idiotic ID try

Police arrested Jacob Barashick, 20, after he drunkenly told an officer that he stole and crashed a car on the night of March 7. Around midnight on March 8, Barashick approached an officer inside a parking garage on E. Ninth St. near University Place, and “spontaneously uttered” that he had taken the 2001 BMW without its owner’s permission, according to the police report. He also reportedly told the officer that he’d slammed the vehicle into two parked cars before leaving it inside the garage. Moments after his impromptu confession, Barashick tried to flee on foot, but was quickly stopped by a bystander and then apprehended by the officer, police said. By then, the cop had realized Barashick was extremely drunk, and then also discovered the man was carrying a small bag of alleged cocaine in his shirt pocket. Barashick later took a breath test that showed his bloodalcohol level to be .151 percent — nearly twice the legal limit. He was charged with grand larceny of an automobile, reckless endangerment, driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Police arrested Joyce Diaz, 30, on March 7 after she allegedly tried to convince a bank teller that she was an Asian man, in order to fraudulently access the man’s bank account. The employee for HSBC, at 354 Sixth Ave., told cops that Diaz walked in around 11 a.m. and tried to access the account by showing the 20-year-old man’s ID, as well as his credit / debit card. Diaz reportedly claimed she was the individual pictured on the ID and said she wanted to withdraw money, but she failed to answer some security questions correctly. Moments later, the teller called the victim and learned he had lost his wallet in December, after which the teller contacted police, who apprehended Diaz at the scene. Diaz was charged with identity theft, criminal possession of stolen property and petty larceny.

Meatpacking mayhem Security guards at a Meatpacking District bar tried to throw out a troublemaker early on March 8, but he responded by violently ripping a lamp off the wall, police said. A bouncer at 675 Bar, at 675 Hudson St., told cops he was ejecting Daniel Gonzalez, 20, from the premises around 2:45 a.m., when the man reportedly went ballistic. After tearing down the lamp, Gonzalez swung it into a crowd of people and hit another employee, though there were no injuries, police said. The problem patron then tried to run outside, but was detained by security until officers arrived and arrested him. He was found to be carrying a fake Venezuelan driver’s license, according to the police report. Gonzalez was charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, harassment and possession of a forged instrument.

They won’t check there A man arrested after attempting to pass off a fake check on March 5 later destroyed evidence by shoving another bogus check up his butt, police said. Cops initially apprehended Joshua Garner, 19, after he allegedly entered a Bank of America A.T.M. area at 36 E. 14th St., and tried to convince people to pay him $710 cash for a clearly falsified check made out for that amount. Officers who responded to the scene also found that Garner was carrying a bag of alleged marijuana, after which they slapped the cuffs on and hauled him back to the Sixth Precinct. Once they were inside the precinct, cops said they strip-searched Garner and saw him pull the second fake check out of his underwear, in an attempt to conceal it. But before they could take it away, he pushed the check up into his rectum, according to the report, preventing the officers from recovering it. Garner was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful possession of marijuana.

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Artist calls newborn son ‘my greatest creation — CREATING LIFE, continued from p. 1

works that explore the limits of her body and the fragility of life on the planet. Since moving to the East Village in 2000, her work has attracted patrons like Saatchi & Saatchi and Hollywood director M. Night Shyamalan. Yet at age 45, Byrnes says she is now confronting the biggest challenge of her life: being a mom. “When I first found out I was pregnant, I had no idea if I could carry a baby to full term, so the first thing I wanted to know, can I do this?” she recalled. She booked an appointment with her neurologist, Debra Shabas, at Beth Israel, who “was so overjoyed, I had to tell her to calm down,” Byrnes laughed. “She was like, of course you can do this!” Friedreich’s Ataxia is caused by a mutation of the gene for the protein frataxin (which regulates iron levels inside the mitochondria), but it can only be passed on if both parents are carriers of the abnormal gene. Since the baby’s father isn’t a carrier, there was no chance of Byrnes’s child developing F.A. Although the disease affects muscle control and coordination, studies show women with F.A. can deliver naturally and are no more likely to suffer complications during pregnancy than women without the disease. But other questions loomed. Beyond the physical demands of giving birth and

raising a child, Byrnes also had to confront how she would cope as a single mother, since the child’s father was not ready to commit to being a full-time dad. “I went down to the East River on a hot sunny day and just sat there for hours — really soul-searching and thinking about how I was going to do it, and how my whole life was going to change. I really had to think it through and take responsibility for my decision.” For more than 25 years, making art had been her driving force — and sole means of support. How would being a mom change that? And how would she take care of a growing child, given the increasing limits on her mobility? To attend to an infant, she would need someone there 24/7. “I don’t like getting a lot of help. So that was a really big issue for me — how much am I willing to let go of my own private space? As an artist, writer and a thinker, I need so much quiet time to percolate ideas. It felt like the death of my old self and rebirth of a new. It felt like letting go of my whole being. I was aware of all these things, but still this new life in me was undeniable. “Finally, I realized I am willing to make changes and put myself second,” Byrnes explained. “I thought, this is my last opportunity. It’s too special, too miraculous to deny,” she added, her eyes burning with

Theresa Byrnes performed her work “Measure of Man,” in which she was mounted on a 7-foot rotating disk, in her Suffer gallery on E. Ninth St. in 2010 during the Howl! festival. As she spun, engine oil pumped through her hair and around her body, dripping onto a canvas below her. The resulting creations were sold as paintings.

excitement. As if on cue, as she was speaking, her newborn son, Sparrow Joe Louis Byrnes, gave a small gurgle and extended a tiny hand from beneath his blankets, nestled inside his white wicker bassinet. He was born at Beth Israel Hospital on Feb. 13 at 6:20 p.m., after 15 hours of momentous labor. Giving birth when you’re past the age of 40 tends to freak hospital staff out. As your due date nears, they start sonogramming like crazy and feeding you stats about the higher risk of stillbirth for older moms — regardless of your own health history. So it was surprising to hear that Byrnes’s midwife and her supervising physician both assured her early on that she could have a vaginal birth. “They didn’t want to give me a C-section because of the problems healing,” Byrnes revealed. “I use my core so much, so it would be really hard to cope with an incision there.” Byrnes says her pregnancy was relatively easy. But at 39 weeks, her doctors began pushing for her to be “induced” rather than wait for her body to go into labor.

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March 13, 2014

“They felt it was better for me to go to hospital and have a team in place and ready,” she said. But Byrnes was afraid if she went in too soon, she could wind up with a C-section. Finally, she agreed to be admitted at 40 weeks and a day. “But I really wanted to steer clear of Pitocin,” the drug used to induce labor, Byrnes explained. “I had read studies showing the benefits to the mother and child of oxytocin,” the hormone released during labor that causes a woman’s body to initiate contractions. Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin. Recent studies have shown it may have more adverse effects than previously believed — one study last year suggested children whose births were induced may have a higher risk of autism. “So I said, O.K., I’ll come in, but let me try to do the birth naturally first,” Byrnes said. To help bring on labor, her midwife inserted a small balloon to help expand her cervix. Then Byrnes asked the baby’s father to suck on her nipples to stimulate the natural release of oxytocin, which CREATING LIFE, continued on p. 9

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the death of my old self, birth of something new’ CREATING LIFE, continued from p. 8

helped dilate her cervix further. “That got me to 10 centimeters, but my contractions were still very far apart. They broke my water to speed the contractions up, but it didn’t, it just made them unbearable. I was shitting and projectile vomiting from the pain, so they gave me an epidural, and then all the doctors wanted to give me a very low dose of Pitocin. “And I said no, just give me 20 minutes my way, and if it doesn’t work, we can do it your way,” Byrnes recalled. “They agreed, but they were all still bickering, so finally, I yelled, ‘O.K, shut up!’ I grabbed [the baby’s father] and said, ‘Let’s do this, stimulate my nipples.’ So he was holding my right leg up and tweaking my nipple, and my best friend Kevin was holding my left leg, and the contractions were coming. “Everyone was cheering as the baby was crowning. I was listening to Hindu chants to the goddess Durga playing over on my iPod. She is the goddess who gave birth to the universe,” Byrnes explained. “I thought if Durga can do that, then I can give birth to a child. “My body is very strong down there,” added Byrnes, who practiced Tantra yoga for many years. “I have a really strong connection to my core and control of my internal muscles. “And I did it. I pushed him out in 20

minutes!” Byrnes said triumphantly. Considering her son was 8.5 pounds at birth, that’s quite a feat. “At the breastfeeding class in the hospital, there were two younger women there, and they both had had C-sections. It made me so proud of myself,” she said. Now Byrnes has embarked on a new journey — being a full-time mom. “He’s totally what I felt from the beginning,” she said as she positioned her tiny boy on her breast to nurse. “Now I’m meeting him and he’s exactly what I felt: really strong, very determined, very calm and totally present.” With his shock of black hair, caramel skin and alert brown eyes, he is a startlingly beautiful baby — “my greatest creation ever,” Byrnes laughed. She decided on the unusual first name of Sparrow because of her special affinity for birds. “Sparrows have trained me for motherhood,” she explained. “Since 2007, I have found or received sick sparrows to look after till they’re well. The last one fell from the nest and my friend brought him over. I was really being his mummy bird — he consumed my whole life. Then one day he just died. “I was devastated,” Byrnes continued. “I did portraits of him, and then I had a whole exhibition of [abstract] paintings

I made with with my hair and feathers, called ‘Sparrow Heart.’ It was about how connected I am to the birds. I wrote an essay about it for my blog (theresabyrnes. com/studiodiary), and then later that night I conceived. So I really feel that my baby is a gift from the sparrows. “His second name is for Joe, my father, who is my favorite male human being on the whole planet,” Byrnes continued. “The boxer Joe Louis was a great man as well, and a distant relative of Sparrow’s father, so that’s how I decided upon Sparrow Joe Louis.” But as any mother knows, giving birth is a piece of cake compared to the real labor of caring for a newborn. Theresa’s mother flew in from Sydney to see her through the final weeks of pregnancy and is now staying with them. Theresa also has a home attendant who comes every day for several hours to help with the baby. But making room for Sparrow was another dilemma. Bynes customized her tiny studio on E. Ninth St. to live independently in a wheelchair. But the place is simply too small to accommodate a baby and all the gear that comes with him — especially with her mom moving in. After Byrnes hired a friend to create a nursery by winterizing what was essentially a greenhouse attached to her storefront’s back porch, the landlord sent an eviction notice, accusing

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her of erecting an illegal structure. “Initially, I thought I would have to go back to Australia and live with my parents,” Byrnes revealed. But now, thanks to a Lower East Side group, People’s Mutual Housing, she has been approved to move in to a two-bedroom apartment — big enough for her mom to stay on if she wishes, or for a live-in nanny. “I have a great life in Australia, but I really want to stay here,” Byrnes said of the East Village. “I have my whole life here, it’s my neighborhood.” In fact Byrnes’s family has roots in the East Village: Her great grandfather was bricklayer on the Lower East Side in the 1800s, and her great grandma a New York Jew. Byrnes herself first visited the East Village in 1998. “I met [performance artist] Penny Arcade, got a studio, and had an exhibition at the Angel Orensanz Center,” on Norfolk St. “After that, I knew the Lower East Side was my home. But I went back to Sydney to finish my book and then returned in 2000.” She first moved into a basement space on Rivington St. — not exactly wheelchair accessible. “I would paint in there for three days straight,” she recalled. “The art store CREATING LIFE, continued on p. 13

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Named best weekly newspaper in New York State in 2001, 2004 and 2005 by New York Press Association PUBLISHER JENNIFER GOODSTEIN

EDITOR IN CHIEF LINCOLN ANDERSON

ARTS EDITOR

SCOTT STIFFLER

REPORTER

SAM SPOKONY

CONTRIBUTORS IRA BLUTREICH TERESE LOEB KREUZER JEFFERSON SIEGEL JERRY TALLMER

PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR TROY MASTERS

SENIOR DESIGNER MICHAEL SHIREY

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS CHRIS ORTIZ ANDREW GOOS

SENIOR VP OF ADVERTISING / MARKETING FRANCESCO REGINI

RETAIL AD MANAGER COLIN GREGORY

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALLISON GREAKER MIKE O’BRIEN ANDREW REGIER REBECCA ROSENTHAL JULIO TUMBACO

CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. MARVIN ROCK

PUBLISHER EMERITUS JOHN W. SUTTER

Member of the New York Press Association

Member of the National Newspaper Association

The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 is published every week by NYC Community Media LLC, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. Periodicals Postage paid at New York, N.Y. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2011 NYC Community Media LLC.

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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 others errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue. Published by NYC Community Media, LLC 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, NY, NY 10013 Phone: (212) 229-1890 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.thevillager.com E-mail: news@thevillager.com © 2012 NYC Community Media, LLC

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March 13, 2014

Hamanah, hamanah — whole lotta hamantashens A party of New York University Chabad members came to the Greenwich House senior center on Washington Square North bearing dozens of hamantashen — triangular pastries in the shape of Haman’s hat, with poppy seed, prune or apricot filling, for a pre-Purim party. They led the seniors in song and dance and told an abridged version of the Purim story — how Queen Esther delivered the Jews of the Persian Empire from the evil plans of royal vizier Haman.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bronx bummer To The Editor: Re “N.Y.U. cries foul” (letter, by Philip Lentz, Feb. 27): Apparently, Mr. Lentz was not an N.Y.U. employee when N.Y.U. owned the Bronx campus. Indeed, Mr. Leguizamo is quite correct that the university had a large Bronx campus. But, like so many mistakes the N.Y.U. administration makes, with the sale of its Bronx campus in 1973, N.Y.U. lost, along with academic buildings and dormitories, its athletic facilities and fields. N.Y.U. said it needed the site on Mercer St. to build Coles gym as a replacement, to attract students and maintain financial viability. Current N.Y.U. public affairs employees seem to have little grasp of the university’s 20th-century history. It’s also odd that N.Y.U. does not recognize it needs to go back

to the drawing board. Its 2031 ULURP plan has changed significantly with Judge Mills’s decision, and the new N.Y.U. committee report released recently that now asks for housing for 500 students and 100 faculty families, plus 80 classrooms — all of which will add thousands of people daily traversing the area and requiring multiple city services. Certainly, a new environmental impact study should be required. We call upon Mayor de Blasio to rescind the city’s appeal of Judge Mills’s decision on N.Y.U. 2031 and require N.Y.U. to submit a new ULURP that takes into account land use and requires a major impact study. Sylvia Rackow Rackow is a member, Committee to Preserve Our Neighborhood

We know the truth To The Editor: Re “N.Y.U. cries foul” (letter, by Philip Lentz, Feb. 27): Philip Lentz should have asked the people on the superblocks about N.Y.U. and its history — we are a living archive. May we invite Philip to join us for coffee or tea and a brick-bybrick, store-by-store history from those who lived it? Seeing brings feeling. Do any of those who are making decisions about our lives know Paul McGee and Arthur Vanderbilt and Leon Shimkin and Julius Silver? We did. We lived and studied and worked with a purpose at N.Y.U. We had tiny work spaces, limited access to major office equipment, a small bookstore and smaller libraries and trekked to work from all over the city because there was no university housing

for anyone. The first N.Y.U. classes were held at Clinton Hall near City Hall in 1832, and in 1835 N.Y.U. moved to Washington Square. N.Y.U. opened its University Heights campus in the Bronx in 1894, the same year it began construction on the Main Building (now known as the Silver Center) on Washington Square. The Heights Campus was sold in 1973 and we lost a beautiful campus and an amazing school of engineering. John Sawhill was named president of New York University in 1975, serving until 1979. He was best known for bringing about an academic and financial turnaround at the country’s largest private university. He cut to the bone, repurposed buildings (he was a consummate recycler), and spent no money on windowLETTERS, continued on p. 25

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Buying vintage, or The Levi’s Denim Jacket Manifesto TALKING POINT BY BILL WEINBERG

T

hree winters ago, I left one of my gloves on the subway. It was irksome, because it was one half of my favorite pair of gloves. I’d had them for years, and they were the only ones that ever really kept me warm on my bicycle in the winter, with a wool lining that extended up the wrist past the leather — a pretty simple thing to prevent the wind from blowing up the sleeves. I threw out the surviving glove because it was making me depressed, and resigned myself to having to get a replacement pair. I viewed it as a small bother. I never guessed it would be the start of a Kafkaesque nightmare. I spent countless hours searching in the beastly cold for a pair of wool-lined leather gloves. First, I tried the stalls on St. Mark’s Place. Nothing. The stores on Orchard St. Nothing. 14th St., Canal St., deeper into Chinatown. Nothing. Paragon, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports. Nothing. In desperation, I ventured above 14th St., into Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and the other bourgeois places along Fifth Ave., where I feel utterly alienated and out of place. To no avail. No gloves even close to the ones I was looking for. This demoralizing, fruitless quest repeated itself for another two winters. Each November I would start the hunt, determined; each time, by year’s end I had given up, resigned to another winter of discomfort. I did manage to find the Web site of the company that made my old gloves, and it listed one store in the city that still sold them — but when I went there, they told me they no longer carry them. Over the course of those two years, my raggedy old denim jacket finally gave out. I’ve been wearing denim pants and denim jackets my entire adult life. The pants used to last me three or four years, before the seat would be frayed by wear and tear (bicycling is rough on them); a jacket would last me about 10 years. Then, about 10 years ago, Levi Strauss closed its landmark plant in San Francisco and moved operations to Bangladesh and Cambodia. After that, the quality of their products declined dramatically — but not the price of course! A pair of Levi’s now costs more than it did a decade ago, but only lasts a year. So I was dreading having to replace my denim jacket… . Sure enough...I went to buy a new one at one of those places on Broadway south of Houston, with blaring techno-pop and sexy young people ogling themselves in mirrors. I was appalled if not surprised to find the cost to be nearly $100 — and I could tell just by looking at it that it was schlock that wouldn’t last more than a year or two of my typically hard use. I refused. Instead, I did something I never thought

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I would do, something I had eschewed as slightly pretentious. I went to a vintage clothing shop — specifically, the one at Lafayette and Bleecker, below the “Peace Pentagon” — and after some hunting there managed to find a Levi’s denim jacket from a generation ago. It had barely been used, so I’m confident it will last me a decade — and it actually cost me slightly less than a schlocky new one would have. But it leaves me with foreboding feeling: What am I going to do when I need to replace it again 10 years hence? Will any of the good old ones still be available? At a vaguely affordable price? And finally, last year I realized it was time to replace my long-serving but now thin-worn bathrobe. Again, something I thought would take five minutes turned into a time-wasting, despair-inducing, weeks-long odyssey. From Kmart to Macy’s, no dice. It seems in New York City, you can either get an overpriced designer bathrobe, or a cheap synthetic one — but not a good old ordinary cotton bathrobe. I eventually had to order a bathrobe online. Now, this is what I don’t get. New York City is supposed to be the world capital of consumerism. And I’m reduced to ordering a bathrobe online as if I were in goddam Oshkosh. How does that work? I mean, I could see if this were Moscow in 1938 and I was told, “I am sorry, comrade, but our stock of bathrobes is completely exhausted. We failed to meet our production quota because of the famine in the Ukraine. We must all sacrifice for the revolution.” But New York goddam City in 2013, the heart of the consumer-society, instant-gratification Spectacle, and... you can’t even get a GODDAM BATHROBE?! This is what exposes capitalism as totally bogus. Even in New York City, you can’t even buy anything decent anymore because globalization is turning everything into shoddy, overpriced crap. They can’t even keep a decent pair of gloves in production, or make a good moderately

priced bathrobe readily available. And this downward spiral toward endemic shoddiness and planned obsolescence is justified (or masked) as changing “fashion,” as if there were some intrinsic worth to mere novelty, even at the expense of quality. And as if decisions made in corporate boardrooms about what to produce and market, purely on consideration of profit margin, were actually a response to popular demand. This is the fallacy of consumerism: that the consumers have any real choice, that public opinion is followed rather than created. Just a couple of weeks ago, I finally found the solution to my glove dilemma. It is a testament to the depth of my desperation that a skinflint like me was actually considering buying overpriced designer gloves from Italy because they were the only pair I could find that had the wool liner extending up the wrist like the pair I lost. The idea of buying gloves online struck me as absurd — how can you tell if they are going to fit? And sure enough... twice, the warehouse in San Francisco sent them out to me; twice I returned them because they were a poor fit. Finally, I gave up on the mail-order option and, in a sudden epiphany while browsing through Chinatown, came up with a D.I.Y. solution — combining a pair of old leather gloves with a wool liner that I found for all of eight bucks on Mott St. I felt pretty proud of that. But how many hours did I waste in searching for gloves, denim jacket and bathrobe over the past year? If I hear one more time how I should be grateful to the capitalist system for meeting all my needs, I’m gonna lose it. Yes, capitalism has remarkable powers of creation, but even greater powers of destruction. Nothing good that it produces sticks around. And globalization is making the whole damn world beschissen — crappy — as my grandfather used to say. As with food in New York, the middle

is being squeezed out of the market. With restaurants, this means we get either fastfood chain outlets or haute-cuisine bistros for the yuppie class, but no unpretentious wholesome fare. With gloves and bathrobes, we get either shoddy “pleather” and polyester knockoffs, or ostentatious designer models. Nothing simply sensible, well made and affordable is available. I’m of the last generation that will remember when you could actually get a decent pair of jeans. I’m reminded of a song by Malvina Reynolds: Another generation will forget the taste of meat, Of tomatoes from the garden and of bread that’s made of wheat, And they’ll never even notice, when it’s plastic that they eat, That the food is terrible. This is the future that capitalism offers us, even if we manage to avoid nuclear war or global ecological collapse — a relentless decline into shoddiness. Even after Occupy Wall Street, I fear there is insufficient appreciation of how this is inherent to the system. Even those who purport to oppose “the system” focus way too much on mere ephemera like the Federal Reserve Bank, or ghosts like the Illuminati. Even those who are concerned with the mounting signs of ecological apocalypse — the disappearing glaciers, the receding sea ice, the collapsing fisheries, the unprecedented drought in California — seem blind to the more quotidian realities that equally portend imminent dystopia and outright doom. A public expropriation of the entire industrial apparatus and its conscious reconstitution toward social and ecological ends is the only alternative — not only to the collapse of the biosphere, but also of human culture. Seize the means of production! Starting with glove production.

EVAN FORSCH

March 13, 2014

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Planner refuses to let streetcar dream be derailed BY ALBERT AMATEAU

G

eorge Haikalis wants to go back to the future to improve pedestrian and public transportation in Greenwich Village. For the past 18 years, Haikalis has been president of the Village Crosstown Trolley Coalition, which advocates a streetcar line on the Eighth St. corridor from river to river along Christopher and W. Eighth Sts., St. Mark’s Place and E. 10th St. The plan would make the corridor autofree or partially auto-free and would replace the existing crosstown bus. “A half century after the demise of streetcars in Manhattan, now is the time to replace crowded, dangerous and unpleasant streets by combining light-rail transit with auto-free pedestrian space,” Haikalis recently told The Villager. The history of the Village transit corridor dates back to 1873 to the Christopher and 10th St. Railroad, a horse-car line that ran from the East River terminal of the Greenpoint ferry to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Hoboken ferry pier on Christopher St. It was electrified before the end of the century and had branches north to Central Park, south to Delancey St. and, for a few years, over the bridge to Brooklyn before the line was dismantled on March 3, 1936. Haikalis, 78, a civil engineer and transportation planner, came to New York from Chicago in 1959 on the 20th Century Limited, a fabled New York Central Railroad line. “I’ve always loved railroads,” he said. A graduate of Northwestern University, Haikalis came to work for the Tri-State Transportation Commission, a planning agency sponsored by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller with representatives from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. “Douglas Carroll, a great planner who had earned the first PhD in urban planning from Harvard, was on the staff,” Haikalis recalled. “I worked for him in Chicago. Our goal was to create a comprehensive, integrated transportation system. But it failed. The Port Authority didn’t want to be a part of it and New Jersey pulled out. The M.T.A.

was created instead.” Nevertheless, Haikalis worked for the agency from 1963 to1982. As a director of research for the tri-state agency, Haikalis wrote a paper that was “leaked” to the press: “Is Westway the Best Way?” The paper questioned the benefit of the proposed $2 billion Hudson River landfill and underground highway project. Haikalis was among an increasing number of opponents to the federally funded project, which finally fell apart and was abandoned in 1985. Since then, Haikalis has been a persistent critic of what he calls the “plutocracy’s policy that gives little or no thought to the relationship of people and public space.” He cites as a fact that 30 percent of all the land in Manhattan is dedicated to streets, almost all of it to automobiles. Haikalis organized Auto-Free New York, a nonprofit civic group advocating just what the name says, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on Feb. 18. Realizing that “auto-free” is a hard sell, Haikalis in 1997 joined with others to organize the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility (IRUM), which in 2008 completed a study suggesting that congestion pricing in Manhattan’s central business district could pay for free public transit. Despite the Village Crosstown Trolley Coalition’s 17-year tradition of holding an October street fair on Astor Place between Broadway and Lafayette St., Community Board 2 was reluctant last month to approve the event for next fall. “We keep denying it, but the city Street

George Haikalis.

Sizzling square: Few retail vacancies

T

he weather of late may have been arctic, but Union Square’s climate — at least for retail — is feeling hot, hot, hot! The district ended 2013 with one of the lowest ground-floor retail vacancy rates in the city — 1.2 percent — “bolstering the neighborhood as one of New York’s hottest locations for both retailers and shoppers,” the Union Square Partnership trumpeted. Nevertheless, some key “flagship” retail spaces in the heart of the area are still available. The largest is on the busiest corner in the neighborhood — 14th St.

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March 13, 2014

and Broadway — where the Feil Organization is putting the finishing touches on a renovation of 853 Broadway, transforming the space into five floors and 31,000 square feet of retail space. Dozens of new retailers, eateries and other businesses signed leases in the district in 2013. In the spring, Reebok will open a FitHub on the corner of 14th St. and Union Square West. It will be the largest of the brand’s stores in New York City and will include a 4,800-square-foot apparel shop, plus a 6,800-square-foot CrossFit gym.

California-based streetcar manufacturer TIG/m offers several different types of selfpowered trolleys. Brad Read, the company’s president, said that for Eighth St., a four-car fleet would work best, including one open car for summer, one closed car for winter and two convertible cars with removable panels that would be all-weather. Double-decker streetcars, like the model above, are the most popular by far with riders, he said. Read appeared with George Haikalis at a talk on transportation at A.I.A. on LaGuardia Place last year.

Activities Unit keeps granting it,” remarked David Gruber, C.B. 2 chairperson. “We don’t understand why the group needs a street fair. I don’t think they reach many possible supporters at their booth. We’re inundated with street fairs; residents and merchants don’t want any more.” In recent years, C.B. 2 has been trying to cut down the burdensome number of street fairs in its district, by recommending permits be denied to those sponsoring organizations that appear to lack a strong neighborhood connection. But, after the city’s repeated failure to support the board’s recommendations, C.B. 2 is essentially throwing its hands up in the air and just approving all the applications for now, while waiting to see if there will be any change under the de Blasio administration. As a result, the Village Crosstown Trolley Coalition got approval from C.B. 2 and the street fair will be on Sat., Oct. 11, this year. Haikalis’s preference for trolleys over cars is not limited to Greenwich Village. In 1997, he helped organize Vision 42, which calls for a river-to-river, light-rail line along 42nd St., entirely or mostly auto-free, in a landscaped pedestrian mall. According to a Vision 42 brochure, given the massive increase in commercial and residential floor space in West Midtown and Hudson Yards, which has been approved by the city, light rail is critically needed to supplement the No. 7 subway line extension. Haikalis said that Vision 42 is now conducting a design competition for the project. Sam Schwartz, the city’s former Traffic

commissioner and former first deputy commissioner of the Department of Transportation, is a member of the Vision 42 board of directors. Schwartz supports urban streetcar development but cautions that there is a big difference between light rail — like the one in Jersey City and Bayonne, N.J. — and trolleys or streetcars. “Light rail is pretty heavy and expensive," Schwartz told The Villager. “Selfpowered streetcars, with no overhead wires or underground power source, can use tracks on streets that also accommodate motor vehicles and pedestrians.” Schwartz, who designed the trolley line along the island of Aruba’s Mainstreet, which began running last year, said trolleys would be ideal for 42nd and 34th Sts., and might well work on a Village crosstown line. “Streetcar development has come a long way,” Schwartz said. “A modern trolley can run all day on a single charge of the battery. They can recharge themselves on deceleration as well as breaking.” Haikalis told The Villager that his long antipathy to cars goes back to his childhood in Decatur, Illinois, where he got his driver’s license after high school but concedes he was a terrible driver. The trouble started even earlier. “My mother used to walk me to Sunday school at the little Greek Orthodox church in Decatur,” he said. “And one day there was a terrific car crash just as we were about to cross the street to the church. We weren’t hurt but it sure scared me.”

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Jean Kwok, 81, tai chi master, wife of Village preservationist OBITUARY

STORAGE

J

ean Gee-Hing Kwok, 81, passed away peacefully on Feb. 5, at the Village home she had shared with her late ... ...husband, Arnold Bergier. Jean was a devoted and loving wife to Arnold, whom she married in 1970. He was a prominent sculptor and a founder in 1959 of the Save the Village Committee, which fought evictions and high-rise development. The two had an adventurefilled and happy life together, shared a sense of the absurd, and could make any occasion full of fun. Jean also cared for her mother living in San Francisco, Cal., where she spent most of her time when away from New York. She was a culinary enthusiast and a world traveler. Jean shared laughter with her family and friends, who knew her for her hearty and jovial disposition. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland, Cal., worked as a computer programmer in the 1960s and ’70s, and later in life taught tai chi in her Downtown New York loft and at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. A well-respected tai chi master with a loyal following until her retirement in 1997, she maintained close relationships with her students.

WE knOW

Jean Gee-Hing Kwok.

Jean is survived by her mother, May Kwok; brother, John Kwok; her stepchildren, Thomas Bergier, Wendy Ashley and Barbara Bergier; six step-grandchildren and nine step-great grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made in Jean’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A memorial service will be held in New York in May.

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Born naturally, he’s her Sparrow CREATING LIFE, continued from p. 9

would deliver my materials. And every three days, a friend of mine would carry me out. I’d go to the gym, the cafe, buy food — then I went back down again. It was hard-core!” she laughed. In 2003, she got a storefront on E. Fourth St. Every Sunday she opened her front door and turned her home into a salon. When a Chinese restaurant wanted to take over her space, her landlord offered her a lease on E. Ninth St. For a time, she rented a large painting studio in Chelsea. Then in 2010, she opened her E. Ninth St. gallery, Suffer — where she has hosted jam-packed openings, performances and film screenings. When asked how she thinks being a mom will affect her career, she rolled her eyes. “No idea. Obviously, I am going to paint portraits of my son all my life,” she said. “But I’m not driven by my work right now.” She’s holding a fire sale of her works to raise money for Sparrow from March 15 to April 6 (theresabyrnes.tumblr.com), then subletting her gallery for a year to devote herself to mommydom. A Los Angeles film company is making a movie about her life based on “The Divine Mistake.” And her literary agent is clamoring for her to finish

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her second autobiography. She’s returning to her homeland in May for a solo show in Sydney. So, even if this latest chapter in her life was very much unplanned, it seems like everything is falling into place. Still, doesn’t she worry that as the disease progresses, her son could be left someday without a mom? Studies show most people with F.A. survive 30 to 40 years after diagnosis. “There’s no point worrying, ‘what if? what if?’ ” Byrnes responded. “People die all the time. I could be hit by a train tomorrow. I’m all right now, and I think I’m going to be around for a long time. “If I only have 10 years left, in 10 years things will work out — they always do,” she added, displaying her unflagging optimism. “I have amazing friends and family here and in Australia, so the right people will come forward if they need to. “I’ve never lived my life I fear,” Byrnes explained. “I trust that the universe will look after everything — it always has in my life. Look at my life and what I have achieved. Look at the birth. “People say, wow, you’re a force of nature. But it’s not me. Nature is amazing. I’ve embraced nature, and that’s what I’m going to teach Sparrow: To embrace nature and not live in fear.”

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Conservancy and committee take heat at tense meeting PARK, continued from p. 1

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PHOTO BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER

“Sarah Neilson,” she replied, “administrator of Washington Square Park and executive director of the Washington Square Park Conservancy.” Without going any further into Washington Square Park issues, many people in the audience already thought that this was a problem: having Neilson, a public employee, also head a private entity — the conservancy — that, critics say, has only minimal accountability to the public. Caccappolo invited her to stand and give a presentation about the park — wearing both hats. She seemed nervous. “We’re hoping to have the park’s house [office and comfort station] open by the end of March,” she started. Someone in the audience snapped a photo. “Could you please hold your photos to the end so it doesn’t distract me?” she said. The last nine months, since her appointment to the dual position, cannot have been easy for her. The Washington Square Park Conservancy, started by four wealthy women who said they wanted to help keep the park “clean, safe and beautiful,” has aroused great suspicion in the community that the new group’s stated intentions would turn into gentrification of a spirited public space. The specter of N.Y.U. also cast a shadow. Would it have its way with the conservancy as it has attempted to do elsewhere in the Village? Despite efforts at civility, the room grew increasingly tense. “A lot of residents are very resentful of the conservancy,” said a woman in the audience. “They feel that they’ve taken control. They don’t represent the neighborhood.” “So how would you propose to mitigate that fear?” asked Caccappolo, a question that he would repeat often during the next two hours. “I think that if you work for the city and are a public employee, then you shouldn’t be such an active participant,” the woman said, referring to Neilson. “There is an appearance, in any event, of a conflict of interest. Other members of the community feel very uncomfortable and therefore suspicious, and it would be a simplification if [Neilson] didn’t hold those two positions that some people view as a conflict.” Neilson replied that this model had worked in other parks and had kept those conservancies from coming up with proposals that the parks really didn’t need. She said there were “checks and balances.” Since this January, Maria PassannanteDerr, a Community Board 2 member, has been on the conservancy board of directors. As a condition for its approval by C.B. 2 last June, the conservancy had agreed to have a member of the community board on its own board. “All financial decisions come before the board. She would know what those steps were,” Neilson said of Passannante-Derr.

Richard Caccappolo, chairperson of Community Board 2’s Parks and Waterfront Committee, responding to comments from the audience about the Washington Square Park Conservancy at the March 5 meeting. Beside him, from left, were committee members Judy Paul, Frederica Sigel and Shirley Secunda.

City Councilmember Margaret Chin also has a representative who attends the conservancy meetings. “This is not a new thing that was invented for Washington Square Park,” said Tobi Bergman, another C.B. 2 board member. “It exists for many parks and has existed for around 30 years.” Caccappolo next asked Neilson to talk about the conservancy and its activities. She described planting flowers and bulbs, weeding, hiring a summer playground associate and hiring extra maintenance staff. “My goal from this conversation — there have been a lot of questions, a lot of concerns, a lot of theories,”Caccappolo said. “Quite honestly, some rather mean claims have been made.” A woman in the audience called out, “Not so, Rich!” “I try not to take it personally, but there have been claims that this board rushed the decision [to approve the conservancy],” Cappappolo continued. Members of the audience interrupted him: “They did!” “That’s your opinion,” Caccappolo said. “If you have an opinion, a concern, all that I ask is that you express it in a way that allows us to truly understand a very tangible fear. The fear is that N.Y.U.’s going to take over?” “Yes!” shouted out a woman in the audience. “Let us tell you why…what the process is…ma’am!… what the process is for mitigating that, O.K.?” Caccappolo responded. “And when we get to the end of that, I’d like to have people walk out saying, ‘My questions have been answered, my concerns have been noted,’ and then we can work on how to mitigate that.” Caccappolo was intent on “mitigating fears,” which he seemed to think had no factual or objective validity. Many of the audience comments were about the perception that the conservancy was acting in secrecy and not being forthright about its plans. “I disagree with a lot of what the Parks

Department does, but we don’t have any say at all over what the conservancy does,” said Kevin Axelson, a member of the audience. “It’s not a matter of whether we trust [them] or not,” said Keen Berger, a C.B. 2 member. “It’s not a matter of whether we like money going to the parks or not. We all like money going to the parks. But I think there’s an underlying concern about how decisions are being made for the park that we cannot be [a party to because we are not] major donors. I personally think that something in the public realm ought to be put out there and understood by everybody. Otherwise you get this undercurrent of suspicion about who, why, what.” “That’s a very nebulous concern,” Caccappolo replied. “Do you have a specific concern?” “Who is making the priorities?” Berger asked. “The fact that the Parks Department is calling the shots does not always make me feel happy.” “Give me a scenario of a bad call,” said Caccappolo. “Tell us what you’re worried about, then we can mitigate it.” “It’s not just mitigating the worries,” said Berger. “It’s dealing with the deep concerns.” The interchanges grew increasingly hostile. Cathryn Swan, who writes the Washington Square Park Blog, said that she had uncovered evidence through the Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL, that the conservancy was kowtowing to N.Y.U. as feared, and that the group had, at one point, been discussing a licensing agreement with the city that would increase its power and jurisdiction in the park. “Betsey Ely [one of the conservancy’s founders] said in an e-mail that they had to meet with Bill Castro, Manhattan Parks commissioner, before coming before C.B. 2 to avoid any murky areas that might not satisfy public inquiry,” Swan said. “You think it was legitimate for her to state that? They did everything secretively. The community never wanted a conservancy, so ev-

erything was done in secret.” Ely and Gwen Evans, another founding conservancy member, both attended the meeting. Caccappolo asked Swan if she had “a specific feeling that you would like us to mitigate?” “N.Y.U. is a concern,” Swan replied. The university put up $500,000 to help renovate the park building and comfort station and has pledged another $500,000 to the conservancy, Swan maintained. However, the Parks Department back in December told The Villager the remaining N.Y.U. money “would be directed to the Parks Department, through a fund for the park set up by the City Parks Foundation.” The conservancy is saying, “that N.Y.U.’s money is just a pledge,” said Swan. “There are five e-mails where N.Y.U. is discussed… ‘N.Y.U. wants to know what we’re going to do with their money,’ ” she said, citing one of the conservancy members’ messages. Susanna Aaron, the Parks Committee’s vice chairperson, responded to this remark with increasing anger. “I think that a lot of the things that you found out in your e-mails raise interesting questions and we asked those questions,” she said. “Question: Does N.Y.U. have undue influence on that money? Answer: No. Question: Do they [the conservancy] have a license agreement with the city? Answer: No.” Swan said that the answers were based on what the conservancy thought the public wanted to hear. “So are you saying that you think that they’re lying?” Aaron asked sharply. “It’s not character assassination but…,” Swan started to reply. Aaron interrupted her. “It IS character assassination.” Caccappolo said that Swan was charging him personally and the committee with malfeasance. “I’m tired of being maligned,” he said, “and I’m tired of this committee being maligned.” After the meeting, Swan reflected, “I was really surprised at how protective of the conservancy the community board was. The board wasn’t ready to ask harder questions and really address the concerns. Instead they seemed to want to say there were no concerns, when there clearly are. “We had incorrect information. There was manipulation of the truth,” she said. “We need to start anew.” Axelson said he doubted much would come out of the meeting or that much would change in the short term. “I think, though, in the longer term, it’s very likely that a private group with lots of money at their disposal will begin to take initiatives of their own outside of the boundaries that they’ve said they’re going to follow,” he said. The committee does not plan to draft an advisory resolution calling for any action or change, but instead will give an update on the conservancy to C.B. 2’s full board.

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Little Italy parish saddened by pastor’s retirement know when we’ll see Father Fabian again.” DePalo explained that about 400 people in total attend the four Masses held every weekend. “On Saturday, there are some who travel by train from Brewster for the 5:30 Mass,” she noted. Meanwhile, the 2 p.m., Sunday Vietnamese-language Mass draws 200, and is led by a Vietnamese priest. Marieteresa Porcher Allen comes in from Riverdale with her mother, Karenbeatrice Porcher, every weekend for Mass. She was an altar server with Father Fabian on this past Ash Wednesday.

BY TEQUILA MINSKY

A

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‘I’m very close with the people.’ Father Fabian

PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY

s he has done many times before, Father Fabian Grifone, 88, celebrated afternoon Mass on Ash Wednesday at the Church of Most Precious Blood on Mulberry St. “I’m supposed to be retired, but not as yet,” he said. He was referring to the constant murmurings of his imminent retirement that have the Little Italy parish’s members in a state of anxiety. An architecturally beautiful house of worship, the Church of Most Precious Blood has an ornate front entrance on Baxter St. and a far more modest back side on Mulberry St. The church has been at the location in Little Italy since 1898. The parish was founded in 1891 by the Franciscan Order. As for Father Fabian, he said, with emphasis, “I’ve been here for 21 years and four months.” Pastors have a mandatory retirement age of 75. Yet, while he technically has been retired, he proficiently and happily still performs all his pastoral duties. A few years back, Father Fabian had a severe health issue that put him out of commission for a while. “I’m recovered,” he said. “I’ve 98 percent of my strength back. I feel like I’m 55 or 60 years old. I think I can shoulder my pastoral obligations.” Regarding his tenure, he simply answered, “I’m continuing until they appoint a new pastor.” From the Mulberry St. rectory, Father Fabian will move to the Franciscan retirement home on Thompson St. “Hopefully, I’ll come back to visit,” he said. “I’m very close with the people. You never can tell when I can come back to help out.” Emily DePalo has lived in Little Italy her whole life — “I went to P.S. 130,” she noted — and has been the church’s secretary for two years. “I was confirmed, had Communion, buried my family at this church. My sister was married here,” she said, listing her lifelong connection to Most Precious Blood. “We feel bad,” she said about Father Fabian’s leaving. “He loves the parish. He has so much energy and a sharp mind. “We don’t know why they can’t find a Franciscan replacement,” she said, explaining that the Franciscans are giving the church back to the Archdiocese of New York, and though continuing as a Catholic church, it will be unaffiliated with any order. Prior to the Ash Wednesday Mass, one parishioner paid her yearly fee for four commemorative (electronic) candles lit at the base of different saints. DePalo greeted George and Mary Tropia, who drove 40 miles from Freehold, N.J., to attend the 12:10 p.m. service. “Most Precious Blood Church is the jewel of Little Italy,” George remarked. “We don’t

Father Fabian Grifone on Ash Wednesday in front of the altar at the Church of Most Precious Blood.

Father Fabian daubs ashes on a worshiper’s forehead on Ash Wednesday.

“She was baptized and had first Communion with Father Fabian,” her mom recounted. “We’re devastated. She’s been crying ever since she learned he’d be leaving. He’s very in tune with the younger generation,” she said of Father Fabian. Given how vibrant they say the father is, and how he connects so well with young and old alike, some parishioners are calling it age discrimination. The church was started to serve Italian immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were a devoted population mostly from the Naples region and southern Italy. Eventually, many moved to the outer boroughs and neighboring states. The largest service is the Mass on the last Saturday of September in honor of San Gennaro, who was martyred in 305 A.D., the namesake of the annual Feast of San Gennaro. The church has a relic, a bone, of San Gennaro. The first San Gennaro feast was celebrated on Mulberry St. in 1926. As the host church for the 11-day event, the statue of San Gennaro is taken from Most Precious Blood on a procession through Little Italy’s streets. Proceeds from the feast and from selling religious items year-round pay for the church, which is self-sufficient, DePalo explained. An archdiocese spokesperson said he could not comment on whether Most Precious Blood would continue to be the feast’s sponsor. The church has seen its share of wear and tear in its 115 years. Of the time he’s been at Most Precious Blood, Father Fabian particularly noted his efforts in taking care of the physical building, which needed a lot of work when he arrived. The sanctuary, hall, rectory, courtyard and facade all have been renovated under his watch. In 1997 Cardinal O’Connor attended the church’s rededication, expressing great approval. March 13, 2014

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Committee is turned off by design for sex shop site BY SAM SPOKONY

PHOTOS BY SAM SPOKONY

A

developer hopes to replace a Village sex shop with a five-story mixed-use building featuring three large residential units — but the plans didn’t get much love from Community Board 2’s Landmarks Committee. The current, 70-year-old, one-story building at 192 Seventh Ave. South — at the southwest corner of the avenue and W. 11th St. — has for the past decade been occupied by Fantasy World, an adult sex products shop. The property was bought early last year by the Jackson Group for $4.1 million, according to city finance records. Last November, the developer filed plans to construct the new building, which would have around 1,200 square feet of ground-floor commercial space under its two full-floor apartments and crowning duplex, according to Department of Building records. And although no demolition

A design rendering of the Seventh Ave. South side of the proposed building, as shown to the C.B. 2 Landmarks Committee.

A rendering of the W. 11th St. side of the proposed building.

plans have yet been filed, the developer told several real estate blogs last year that the sex shop would definitely be replaced by a more mainstream, high-end tenant. Since the Seventh Ave. South site lies within the Greenwich Village Historic District, the project requires the approval

of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission before it can go forward. The developer recently took the next step in that process by sending the building's architect, S.R.A. Architecture and Engineering, to present its exterior plans to the C.B. 2 committee on March 10.

Renderings of the building showed an approach based on stark duality — an approach that ultimately failed in the eyes of the committee. The design for the building’s W. 11th St. side, which includes the residential entrance, featured a brick-clad facade lined with relatively small windows. The Seventh Ave. South side, which includes the commercial storefront, was sheathed almost entirely in a glass-andmetal facade, with a slim strip of that residential brick running down one side. This side only rises four stories tall. Three members of the C.B. 2 Landmarks Committee, including its co-chairperson, Sean Sweeney, said they actually didn’t think the building looked too bad over all. But the other eight members variously declared it “ugly,” “hideous” and “schizophrenic,” with that last term directly referring to the project’s two-sided, yet somewhat overlapping design. The committee split along those lines for an eight-to-three vote, recommending L.P.C. deny the application.

Panty raids par for course at Soho Victoria’s Secret BY SAM SPOKONY

N

ow here’s a store that can’t help getting caught with its pants down. Soho’s Victoria’s Secret has become a haven for shoplifters, with 10 reported crimes over the past year that have collectively cost the lingerie shop more than $17,000 worth of stolen merchandise. The most recent incident at the 591 Broadway outlet, on Feb. 21, involved an unidentified woman who successfully made off with 105 pairs of panties, according to police reports. And a month before that, four women got away with swiping 300 pair, after three of them were apparently able to distract and confound both the sales staff and security guard before dashing out the door. Those crimes might suggest that Victoria’s Secret didn’t quite learn its lesson after hundreds of panties, thongs, garter belts and bras were stolen from the Soho store throughout 2013, with only one shoplifter during that time — a 32-yearold woman who snatched up four bottles of perfume — actually being caught by store security and arrested by cops. On top of all that, a customer’s cell phone was stolen while she

MOVIN’ ON OUT: The School of Visual Arts will be leaving the building it has been leasing for a 100-bed residence hall at Third Ave. and E. 10th St. at the end of the spring semester. Javier Vega, S.V.A. director of admissions and student affairs, said the school is building a new 500-bed, 14-story residence at E. 24th St. and First Ave., and that while the E. 10th St. dorm had a good 10year run, it’s more cost effective for them not to lease it anymore. S.V.A. houses about one-third of its 3,500 students, including 353 at its new dorm at Delancey and Ludlow Sts. Vega said the L.E.S. dorm is for older students, since “there are a lot more distractions down there.” N.Y.U. spokesperson Philip Lentz said they’re not interested in the E. 10th St. building. PARK PRISON? Intrepid blogger Cathryn Swan recently

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March 13, 2014

reported that the Police Department may have a space inside the new park building in Washington Square Park. For around 15 years or so, there has been a police trailer outside the park, with monitors (but not always a police officer) for the park’s plethora of surveillance cameras. Swan cited a rumor that the building will have a police holding cell. We asked Parks spokesperson Phil Abramson for clarification. “There will not be any police holding cells inside the Washington Square Park building. That is a false rumor,” he told us. “We are currently communicating with the N.Y.P.D. on how we can best facilitate public safety in the park and the surrounding area. I can’t comment on what use there may be [in the park building].” We’re told by a reliable source, however, that “a small room is likely” for the police in the park building.

PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

SCOOPY’S, continued from p. 3

was browsing the shop last October. A recent visit to the Broadway store showed a single security guard standing idly just inside the front door, who explained that he’s not actually employed by Victoria’s Secret, but instead works for an outside agency, whose name he didn’t disclose. The guard, who also didn’t give his own name, said he works alone at the store, from opening to closing time, four days a week, in tandem with a second guard who works the other three full days. And those are long shifts — clocking in at around 12 hours for Monday through Saturday, and eight hours on Sunday. So, the reporter wondered, maybe those two guys could use some help in terms of breaking up the shifts and getting a fresh pair of eyes on the door? But the guard said he isn’t aware of any plans to bolster security, even after all the shoplifting problems, and Victoria’s Secret’s corporate office doesn’t seem to want to talk much about the issue. “We take matters of theft seriously and work closely and in cooperation with local state and federal authorities on these types of investigations,” said a company spokesperson, in response to questions about the many undergarments that have unlawfully passed through the Soho shop’s doors. “We do not have any additional information to provide at this time.” The Soho location may not be quite as rife with intrigue as Victoria’s Secret’s flagship store at W. 34th St. and Sixth Ave., where last October a 17-year-old shoplifter was caught also carrying a dead baby in her bag.

Oi! The first sign of spring? A punk displayed his plumage in Union Square this week. Clocks were set forward one hour last weekend, and the vernal equinox is on Thurs., April 20, the first day of spring.

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Buhmann on Art

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LORETTA HOWARD GALLERY

Installation shot, from “David Row: There and Back.” Left: “Pooka” (2014, Oil on canvas, 84 x 148 inches). Right: “Concentric Blues” (2013 Oil on canvas, 67 x 116 inches).

BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN stephaniebuhmann.com

DAVID ROW: THERE AND BACK

Row’s first New York solo show in years features stunning shaped canvases and related works on paper. While their unusual polygonal form is new for the artist, the compositions still reflect his signature abstract vocabulary. For decades, Row has employed heavily worked layers of lush oil paint to gradually form intriguing networks of marks, lines

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and curvilinear bands. Still rooted in this tradition, these paintings also reveal a new sense of clarity and dynamism. While saturated, they are primarily monochrome, highlighting their overall geometric as well as graphic quality. The shaped canvases of Ellsworth Kelly and Leon Polk Smith are aesthetic reference points — but Row proves that he has a hand and eye that are clearly his own. It is exciting to see his work properly featured again, coming back with a splash. Through March 29, at Loretta Howard Gallery (525-531 W. 26th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. Call 212-695-0164 or visit lorettahoward.com.

KATHERINE NEWBEGIN: VACANT

For the past nine years, Newbegin has photographed vacant spaces of leisure, travel and transitional occupancy. She tracked down numerous gigantic Sovietera hotels for example, which were built by the government for nation-building purposes and which were often used as a reward for the best workers of the Soviet Union. Since then, they have become obsolete relics. All of the spaces Newbegin photographs still reflect traces of the human activities that have taken place in BUHMANN, continued on p.18

March 13, 2014

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Buhmann on Art IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LESLEY HELLER WORKSPACE

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LESLEY HELLER WORKSPACE

Katherine Newbegin: “Room 11 (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)” (2009, Digital C-Print, 30 x 40 inches). Part of “Vacant,” at Lesley Heller Workspace, March 16-April 20. See p. 17.

Katherine Newbegin: “Hotel Turist (Chisinua, Moldova)” (C-Print, 2007, 40 x 50 inches). Part of “Vacant,” at Lesley Heller Workspace. See p. 17.

them. It is this glimpse of realities past that provides these pictures with a distinct eerie quality. March 16-April 20, at Lesley Heller Workspace (54 Orchard St., btw. Hester & Grand Sts.). Hours: Wed.-Sat., 11am-6pm, Sun. 12-6pm. Reception: March 16, 6-8pm. Call 212-410-6120 or visit lesleyheller.com.

REBECCA MORGAN: NO CHURCH IN THE WILD

Morgan originally hails from a small Pennsylvania farm town, and her paintings and cartoon-drawings depict the culture clash she encountered after moving to New York. Her characters often reflect the stereotypes of crude and uncultured rural redneck Appalachia. Devoid of romance, her paintings reflect both a constant critique and defense of rural living. Through March 29, at Asya Geisberg (537B W. 23rd St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. Call 212-675-7525 or visit asyageisberggallery.com.

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© LESLIE WAYNE. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY, NEW YORK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASYA GEISBERG GALLERY, IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST & GALLERY.

BUHMANN, continued from p. 17

“Green Face Jug” (2014, Glazed Earthenware, 9.5" x 6" x 5.5"). See "Rebecca Morgan."

Leslie Wayne: “Paint/Rag #32,” (2013, oil on panel, 15 x 9 1/2 x 6 inches). On view at Jack Shainman Gallery, through March 22.

CORRECTION In the Feb. 27 edition of The Villager, photos of Leslie Wayne’s work appeared, with incorrect descriptive text. We regret the error.

evokes the experience of geology and natural phenomena. Her relationship to landscape is rooted in memory, especially in the light, colors and geography of the West. Based in midtown Manhattan, Wayne approaches her subject as an opportunity to depict visual manifestations of physical forces: compression, subduction and morphogenesis. These are not pictures of nature in the traditional sense, but lyrical contemplations of movement and instability. Through March 22, at Jack Shainman (524 W. 24th St, btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. Call 212-6451701 or visit jackshainman.com.

LESLIE WAYNE

Wayne manipulates the medium of painting by approaching oil paint as a sculptural material. She often scrapes, folds, cuts and builds up her surfaces, creating works that take on three-dimensional textures. The tactile quality of her work

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Just Do Art BRYAN AND THE AARDVARKS

Fabian, Joe and Bry are in a box here — and at Cornelia St. Café on March 20 (with Aaron Parks subbing for Fabes).

This March, Irish history comes alive — inside “Manhattan’s most haunted house.”

Fourth St.). $10 cover, $10 minimum. Call 212-989-9319 or visit corneliastreetcafe.com. Also visit bryanandtheaardvarks.com. —Sam Spokony

12:30, 2 and 3:30pm (included with admission) celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. “A Tribute to the Tredwells’ Irish Servants” includes a visit up the narrow staircase, to the justrestored fourth floor servants' quarters. At 6:30pm on March 21, the “Spirits of the Irish Candlelight Ghost Tour” explores the museum’s well-earned reputation as “Manhattan’s most haunted house.” The scene of ghostly sightings for decades, many of the most compelling occurrences have been related to the Irish servants. This 50-minure tour is $20, with reservations required. The next ghost tour, sans Irish theme, happens on April 18. At the Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East Fourth St. (btw. Lafayette & Bowery). Find a full schedule of events by visiting merchantshouse.org or calling 212-777-1089. Also see facebook.com/ merchantshouse and, on Twitter: @merchantshouse. Regular museum admission: $10, $5 for students/seniors. Hours: Thurs.-Mon., 12-5pm. —Scott Stiffler

IRISH EVENTS AT THE MERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM On “Downton Abbey,” the ruling class may hold the purse strings and claim the greater status — but all the really interesting stuff happens downstairs, where the servants love, laugh, gripe and gossip while they wait to be called upstairs by the ring of a bell. Over a half-century before Carson would give that newfangled toaster a proper dressing down, the Irish servants employed at 85 East Fourth Street, New York City, tended to the Tredwell family’s every need. Called by the same bell system as their TV counterparts, it was backbreaking work — performed without the benefit of

Downton’s domestic assistance contraptions (no sewing machines, no refrigerators). But where did they come from, how did they accomplish their work and what did they do on a rare day off? Like those busy servants, The Merchant’s House Museum does some impressive multi-tasking of its own — with a series of March events highlighting the role of Irish servants in local 19th century life. It’s a fitting tribute. The wealthy Tredwell family’s lavish home (which remains intact, as it was during the 1835-1865 period) is one of NYC’s oldest remaining sites of Irish habitation. At 1pm on March 16, 23 and 30, “In the Footsteps of Bridget Murphy: A Walking Tour” begins at the house, and then explores the surrounding neighborhood — revealing where the servants shopped, worshipped and went to find employment. The 45-minute event is $10, $5 for students/seniors. On March 16, tours at

EstablishEd sincE 1880

Famous Dylan Thomas Watering Hole

White horse Tavern 567 Hudson St. NYC * 243-9260

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COURTESY OF THE MERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM

PHOTO BY RUSSELL MOORE

There’s no simple way to label the harmonically swirling sound of Bryan and the Aardvarks. Is it jazz? Yes, probably. Is it chamber pop? One would think so. Or could it fit within some intricately lush movie soundtrack? Well, you could make the case for that too. But regardless of how anyone spins it, the group, led by bassist and primary composer Bryan Copeland, offers up a tonal blend that is both intellectually impressive and entirely accessible. And for any listener, it’ll be clear that Copeland’s tunes have a fundamentally progressive aura — embracing genre overlaps, rather than clumsily accentuating them — while also featuring plenty of solid improvisation and constant interplay among the band. Those who have the pleasure of checking out Bryan and the Aardvarks at Cornelia Street Café on March 20 will also get to see some interesting twists on that sound, courtesy of a couple of guest performers. Three of the group’s regular members — vibraphonist Chris Dingman, guitarist Jesse Lewis and drummer Joe Nero — will be in attendance for the gig, but the spot generally filled by pianist Fabian Almazan will be taken by fellow pianist Aaron Parks, an equally engaging player who’s sure to add some unexpected sparks into the set. Other satisfyingly surprising turns will surely result from that night’s addition of a vocalist — namely, the Chileanborn Camila Meza, who is already pretty tight with the Aardvarks, having briefly performed with them in the past. In any case, you’ll have to decide for yourself when it comes to categorizing their sound — preferably over a drink on Cornelia Street. Or, perhaps more likely, you’ll be captivated enough to forget about all that damned terminology and just dig the tunes. Thurs., March 20, 8:30pm. At Cornelia St. Café (29 Cornelia St., btw. Bleecker & W.

We knoW it ain’t easy being green, but For st. Patrick’s Day We’ll be the green horse tavern,so come Drink anD get your irish uP With us! We’ll be serving comPlimentary corneD beeF & cabbage 4 P.m. till... March 13, 2014

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Defining Class, After the Market Crashed FIT exhibit puts extravagant elegance in its proper context

FASHION ELEGANCE IN AN AGE OF CRISIS: FASHIONS OF THE 1930s Free Through April 19 COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM AT FIT

At The Museum at FIT Seventh Ave. at 27th St., southwest corner Hours: Tues.-Fri., 12-8pm, Sat., 10am-5pm For info, visit fitnyc.edu/museum Twitter: @MuseumatFIT

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

W

y

Joan Crawford wore this wool evening dress and capelet with bugle beads in 1937’s “The Bride Wore Red.”

at

ot oF choc P r ou nd of the Ra ol th

ee

inb o

e at w

Fin d

into everything from Art Deco architecture to the emergence of a 40-hour work week to the legacy of the previous decade’s rising hemlines. Displayed in two dimly lit rooms “designed to evoke the restrained style of the era,” most of the clothing on display looks showroom new — but the eight shoes worn by Hollywood hoofer Fred Astaire, with their split leather and scuff marks, give the exhibit time capsule cred to burn. Other sources of context abound. “The 1930s was a time of grand transformations,” one placard tells us, “when fashion truly began to reflect the streamlined art moderne aesthetic.” Elsewhere, the curators acknowledge the “compelling irony that the elegant and progressive qualities of 1930s fashions emerged during one of the most tumultuous periods of modern western history. Yet despite these crises — or maybe in reaction to them — culture during the Great Depression was not only elegant, but also buoyant, effervescent and escapist.”

COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM AT FIT

hether under glass or just out of reach, you’ll long for their touch — but where would you go, really, if you had access to these sleek, elegantly crafted, extraordinarily detailed garments that transform a well-proportioned body into a walking work of art? The red carpet comes to mind. It’s just too bad that Oscar’s recent fashion victims didn’t draw from the lavish collection currently on display at The Museum at FIT. They’d have avoided the wrath of Joan Rivers, while reminding us that escapist design can be about much more than wearing a dress made of meat or resembling a swan. Set in the era between the stock market crash of 1929 and the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, “Elegance in an Age of Crisis: Fashions of the 1930s” dazzles with its millinery, footwear, swim suits, Hollywood glamour, evening wear and at-home ensembles. It’s also a top-notch history lesson that ties 1930s fashion

This Gardner and Wooley LTD velvet and satin smoking jacket (1936, London) is from the collection of Alan Bennett, Davies and Son.

172

All your favorite St. Patrick’s Day Chocolates 325 W. 14th St. New York, NY 10014 (212) 242-1456

www.reddenfuneralhome.net NY State law mandates that funeral trust funds for Medicaid recipients pay for funeral and burial only. The contracts are irrevocable.

20

March 13, 2014

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On the Glories of ‘Homicide Hunter’

Impossibly sedate Lt. Joe Kenda has true crime charisma to burn

TELEVISION LT. JOE KENDA: HOMICIDE HUNTER On Investigation Discovery Channel 23 on Time Warner Cable For schedule, visit investigationdiscovery.com

BY TRAV S.D. travsd.wordpress.com

I

f you’re feeling stressed out by life in New York with all its attendant pitfalls and dangers, do what I do: gratuitously rubberneck at the disasters that happen in other cities. The Investigation Discovery channel’s

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show “Lt. Joe Kenda: Homicide Hunter” is a window into the murder culture of the small-to-medium sized city of Colorado Springs. And wouldn’t you know, they have a surprising amount of killing in that town! The show’s host, retired Colorado Springs police detective Kenda, spent several decades on the job. I’m sure every single day wasn’t the adventure it seems on the show — but having solved 397 murders (with a 92 percent success rate), he gives his producers more than enough fodder for an entertaining true crime series. There have been 29 episodes thus far, with a fourth season on the way. Around my house, Kenda is a rock star. An impossibly sedate man, slightly shlumpy, he relates tales of his career with a world-weary air, a man who has seen the worst mankind has to offer and would love to prevent more of it from happening. The show’s producers take this very distinctive tack of shooting Kenda in extreme close-up. It’s as if you’re sitting

COURTESY INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY

COURTESY INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY

He hunts the homicidal: Lt. Joe Kenda hails from central casting.

Joe Kenda recreation actor Carl Mariano has his own lawman cred, having been a Deputy Sheriff in New York State for 17 years.

across from him on a very intimate date. In his low-key manner, he weaves his amazing tales — which, of course, completely contrast with his implacable attitude. After all, these are stories of horror and murder. Kenda comes across as a decent man, appalled at the cold-heartedness of some of the people he’s had to deal with, and it’s made him just a touch cynical and jaded — not enough to corrupt him, just enough to give him a bit of droll gallows humor, of just the sort you’d want the cop from central casting to have. “I’m not a doctor,” he growls, “but I’ve seen a lot of dead people.” Something about Kenda’s manner reminds me of the assistant principal, the one who’s in charge of discipline. He makes the bad guys look not just bad, but invariably foolish. They are people who’ve done the worst thing a human being can do. And, well, who DOES something like that? For the most part, they ain’t rocket scientists. There’s the creep who ran over his ex-girlfriend in his car with two drunken buddies sleeping in the back seat and an entire neighborhood of witnesses looking on — and the stalker who became obsessed with his neighbor, strangled her, and left a tell-tale bite mark on her shoulder. “There are some people who

don’t deserve to be on the outside with the rest of us,” says Kenda. His job is to scoop ‘em up and throw ‘em in the tank. I am not the only one in the Kenda fan club. Others love to parrot his catchphrases, such as the ever popular “Well… my, my, my” (delivered to the perps in his stories with a single eyebrow raised) and “Now he’s got my attention” (usually delivered when a suspect has made a revealing slip-up during an interrogation). For maximum hilarity, he is played in the flashbacks by a man 20 years his junior, who looks little like him (par for the course in true crime re-enactments). Actor Carl Mariano, the Kenda standin, has more to offer than his movie star looks — having been a Deputy Sheriff in New York State for 17 years. We look forward to seeing both “Kendas” when the show returns for its fourth season later this year. Trav S.D. has been producing the American Vaudeville Theatre since 1995, and periodically trots it out in new incarnations. Stay in the loop at travsd.wordpress.com, and also catch up with him on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, et al. His books include “No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous” and “Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and its Legacies from Nickelodeons to YouTube.” March 13, 2014

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an on-premise license, #TBA has been applied for by Tipp One LLC to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 18 Murray Street New York NY 10007. Vil: 03/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a license, number 1276750 for wine has been applied for by the undersigned to sell wine at a hotel under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 312 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018 for on premises consumption. West 37th Street Operator LLC d/b/a Homewood Suites by Hilton New York Midtown Manhattan Times Square South Vil: 03/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP MW RESIDENTIAL PARKING LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 03/10/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 03/06/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP MW RESIDENTIAL RETAIL LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 03/10/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 03/06/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DWIGHT GROUP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/05/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Kalnick, Klee & Green, LLP, 767 Third Ave., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DR RISK SOLUTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/04/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 140 E. 81st St., Apt. 2D, NY, NY 10028. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: RO 35 W. 9TH STREET LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/11/13. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, c/o Goldfinger & Lassar LLP, 750Third Avenue, 11th Floor, NewYork, New York 10017. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 UPPER WEST SIDE PLAYGROUP, LLC a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 1/19/11. Office location: NewYork County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process toThe LLC, 10943 Mayfield Rd., Houston, TX 77043. General Purpose. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF NIGHTLIFE OPPORTUNITIES IN SELECTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC Authority filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/3/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 9/28/12. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: NIGHTLIFE OPPORTUNITIES IN SELECTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC 365 W 52nd ST Apt 1F, NY, NY 10019. DE address: 1521 Concord Pike Ste 301, Wilmington, DE 19803. Cert. of LLC filed with Secy of State of DE: 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A MOD SOCIETY LLC Articles Of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/05/14. Office location: BX County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: The LLC, 2930 Williamsbridge Rd, Bronx, NY 10467. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ADVANTAGE OPCO, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/24/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 7652 Narcoossee Rd., Orlando, FL 32822. LLC formed in DE on 1/31/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WP 112 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/27/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP, 902 Broadway, 13th Fl., New York, NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 118 GREENE STREET PARTNERS (NYC) LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/17/14. Name amended to 118 Greene Street Partner (NYC) LLC. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 203 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60601. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 568 DRIGGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/10/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Hope Kessler, 425 East 58th St., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ATC TOWER SERVICES LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/10/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 116 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116. LLC formed in DE on 1/1/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF VIVINT SOLAR ELYSE PROJECT COMPANY, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/24/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 4931 N. 300 W., Provo, UT 84604. LLC formed in DE on 2/3/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 170 BROADWAY NYC HOTEL LP Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/25/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004. LP formed in DE on 2/24/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 170 BROADWAY NYC RETAIL LP Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/26/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004. LP formed in DE on 2/24/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/13 - 04/17/2014 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a restaurant wine license, #TBA has been applied for by 815 Broadway NYC LLC d/b/a The Hummus & Pita Co. to sell beer and wine at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 815 Broadway New York NY 10003. Vil: 03/06 - 03/13/2014

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition for YUCA BAR & RESTAURANT INC. to continue to maintain, and operate an unenclosed sidewalk café at 111 AVENUE A in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Vil: 03/13 - 03/20/2014

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March 13, 2014

NY SNEAKER GAME LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/16/2013. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: P.O. Box 165, NY, NY 10033. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF AYTA CONSULTING, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/25/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 805 Third Avenue, 15th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 189 PKG, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/12/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Aronauer Re & Yudell LLP, Attn: Michael S. Scher, Esq., 60 E. 42nd St., Ste. 1420, NY, NY 10165. Purpose: any lawful purpose. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 118 GREENE STREET (NYC) LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/17/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 203 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60601. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a license, #1147737 has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine and/or liquor at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 228 Front Street, New York NY 10003. Jeremy’s Ale House Still. Vil: 03/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NAME: JAX BEACH HOUSE 28, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/25/14. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 487 Greenwich Street, Apartment 7A, NewYork, NewYork 10013. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014

747 STUYVESANT III, L.P. filed an App. for Authority with the NY Department of State on 2/13/2014. Jurisdiction: DE, and the date of its formation is 12/7/2010. Office location in NYS: New York County. The Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) is designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of such process is: Attn: Mr. Gijs vanThiel, c/o 747 Capital, LLC, 880 Third Ave., 17th Flr. NY NY 10022 The address in its jurisdiction if required or the office address: 2711 Centerville Rd., Suite 400, Wilmington DE 19808. A copy of the Articles of Organization may be obtained from Sect’y of State of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover DE 19901. The list of names and addresses of all general partners is available from the Secretary of State. The purpose of the LP is any lawful act. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 APP FOR AUTH FOR MARSDEN MEDICAL PHYSICS ASSOCIATES, LLC App for Auth filed with SSNY 02/19/2014 LLC. Registered in New Jersey on 05/04/1998 Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, c/o David Marsden, 266 Long Meadow Road, Kinnelon, NJ 07405. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 CITYSCAPE ABSTRACT LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 02/25/2014. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 111 John Street, Suite 1050, New York, NY 10038. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SKYFALL II LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/12/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/03/14. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 350 W. 23rd St., PHA, NY, NY 10011. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal and Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SKYFALL III LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/12/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/03/14. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 350 W. 23rd St., PHA, NY, NY 10011. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal and Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ARHC NPNPZNY01, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/21/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/16/14. Princ. office of LLC: 106 York Rd., Jenkintown, PA 19046. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o CSC, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 110 WILLIAM PROPERTY INVESTORS III, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/26/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/20/13. Princ. office of LLC: 10 E. 53rd St., 37th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, New Castle Cnty., DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John B. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF GG CGS BRAND CAPITAL LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/18/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 411 W. 14th St., 4th Fl., NY, NY 10014. LLC formed in DE on 11/12/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 03/06 - 04/10/2014

EL SENOR NEW YORK LLC a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 2/4/14. Office location: NewYork County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process toThe LLC, 159 Essex St., Ste. #C, NY, NY 10002. General Purpose. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF INTIMA CAPITAL, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/11/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 3 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 142 DUANE OWNER LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/28/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 150 E. 58th St., 39th Fl., NY, NY 10155. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 144 DEBT LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/9/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Bluestone Group, 225 Broadway, 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10007. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 151 BRUCKNER HOLDINGS LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 9/9/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Bluestone Group, 225 Broadway, 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10007. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 75 125TH HOLDINGS LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/9/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Bluestone Group, 225 Broadway, 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10007. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition for NORMAN’S CAY GROUP LLC to continue to maintain, and operate an unenclosed sidewalk café at 74 Orchard Street in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Vil: 03/06 - 03/13/2014

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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF RAD & DYLAN, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NewYork (SSNY) on 01/16/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: Rad & Dylan LLC,136W 131 st, apt-1, New York, NY 10027. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 1763 AMSTERDAM EQUITIES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/12/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Exact Capital Group LLC, 100 Park Ave., Ste. 1600, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WINTER ART CO. LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/13/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to princ. bus. loc. of LLC: 730 Fifth Ave., 12th Fl., New York, NY 10019. Purpose: any purposes permitted by applicable law. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 158 AVENUE C REALTY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/15/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 632 Broadway, 7th Fl., New York, NY 10012. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MEETSNYC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/16/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Cooperman Lester Miller LLP, 1129 Northern Blvd., Ste. 402, Manhasset, NY 11030, Attn: Barry R. Carus, Esq. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF VDK, L.P. Cert. filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/4/2013. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to the principal business addr.: c/o Virginia Commander Knott Family Trust, 232 Cleft Rd., Mill Neck, NY 11765, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from Sec. of State. Term: until 12/2/2063. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF YORK MULTISTRATEGY HEDGEFOCUS FUND LP Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/7/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 11 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10010. LP formed in DE on 2/5/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/27 - 04/03/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF CRANBERRY FAMILY OFFICE, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/29/14. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/20/12. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019. Address of the office to be maintained in the jurisdiction of its formation: c/o Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF KV URBAN ABSTRACT, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/03/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 39 W. 37th St., NY, NY 10018. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Kensington Vanguard Holdings, LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF IH4 PROPERTY WASHINGTON, L.P. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/05/14. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/10/14. Princ. office of LP: 345 Park Ave., NY, NY 10154. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LA CENTRAL MANAGER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/7/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 826 Broadway, 11th Fl., New York, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014

LINDSEY POLLAK, LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 01/02/2014. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 23 West 69th Street, Suite B, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF AIMS SENIOR LOAN ACCESS ADVISORS, L.L.C. App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/9/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 8/28/13. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 200 West Street, NY, NY 10282-2198. DE address of LLC: 2711 Centerville Road, Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014

APP FOR AUTH FOR GREENWICH STREET HOLDING LLC App for Auth filed with SSNY 3/9/2007 LLC. Registered in Delaware on 12/27/2004 Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, c/o Vendome Property Management Co., Inc. 330 Spring Street, #1E, New York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF AIMS SENIOR LOAN ACCESS LP App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/9/13. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 8/28/13. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 200 West Street, NY, NY 10282-2198. DE address of LP: Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19808. Name/address of each genl. ptr. available from SSNY. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF RS JZ GREENPOINT, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/3/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 9 W. 57th St., 33rd Fl., NY, NY 10019. LLC formed in DE on 11/12/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/20 - 03/27/2014 PREMIER ASSET LLC a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/21/13. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Brian Pun, 2 Mott St., Ste. 402, NY, NY 10013. General Purpose. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MANHATTAN GLORY - W 37B LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/04/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF KEN DEVELOPMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/29/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Carl Demler, 211 W. 58th St., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ORCHARD ANALYTICS, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/31/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/29/14. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Angela Ceresnie, 902 Broadway, Ste. 1611, NY, NY 10016. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition for JO_RACH, INC. to continue to maintain, and operate an unenclosed sidewalk cafĂŠ at 148 Mulberry Street in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years. REQUEST FOR COPIES OFTHE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSEDTO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Vil: 03/06 - 03/13/2014

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NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF LAM FUNDS GP LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/31/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/28/14. Princ. office of LLC: 405 Park Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. The regd. agent of the company upon whom and at which process against the company can be served is Jeffrey A Keswin, 405 Park Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WALL STREET PSYCHOLOGISTS, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/03/13. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o 132 East 35th Street, Apt. 7E, NY, NY 10016. Purpose: to practice the profession of psychology and any lawful activities. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014 NAME OF LLC: PPL SERVICES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State: 12/24/13. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Quinn McCabe LLP, 9 E. 40th St., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10016. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF AGI LIFESTYLE ENTERTAINMENT, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/24/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 9130 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069. LLC formed in DE on 11/27/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/13 - 03/20/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF URBAN RESTORATION, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/23/14. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to:THE COMPANY, c/o Slate Property Group LLC, 850Third Ave., Ste. 16-B, NY, NY 10022, Attn: Martin Nussbaum. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF INTEGRA SERVICECONNECT, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/29/14. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 1/23/14. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: National Registered Agents, Inc., 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011. Address to be maintained in DE: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC) Name: 393w49 2W LLC. Articles of Organization filed by the Department of State of New York on: 01/08/2014. Office location: County of New York. Purpose: any and all lawful activities. Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: c/o Richard E. Feldman, Trustee. Sonnenschein Sherman & Deutsch, LLP, 7 Penn Plaza, Suite 900, New York, NY 10001. The duration date of the LLC is: 12/31/2070 Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP MW RESIDENTIAL AFFORDABLE LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 01/29/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 01/16/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP MW RESIDENTIAL MARKET LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 01/29/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 01/16/14. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF THE FRIENDS OF LENOX LOUNGE LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/20/2013. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: The Friends of Lenox Lounge LLC, 45 West 132nd Street, Suite 10K NY 10037 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NYSANDY4 NBP22 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/21/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NYSANDY4 NBP23 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/21/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NYSANDY5 NBP24 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/21/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NYSANDY5 NBP25 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/21/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ALCHEMY HOUSTON PARTNERS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/24/14. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: One Penn Plaza, 34th Fl., NY, NY 10119. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, One Penn Plaza, Ste. 3406, NY, NY 10119. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 7321 KISSENA LENDER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/27/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 1407 Broadway, 38th Fl., NewYork, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BK FILM PROJECTS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/27/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 750 Lexington Ave., 28th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BUSTER K DOCUMENTARY PROJECT, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/27/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 750 Lexington Ave., 28th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LANDED NY L.L.C. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 1 Sheridan Square, Suite #6E, NYC, NY 10014. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF GL FAMILY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/8/14. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Maryellen Goble, PLLC, 302 Fifth Avenue, 8th Fl., New York, NY 10001. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ORCA TV, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 1/16/14. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in VA on 5/22/09. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. VA and principal business address: 10717 Falls Pointe Dr., Great Falls, VA 22066. Cert. of Org. filed with VA Clerk of the Corporation Commission, 1300 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 02/06 - 03/13/2014

March 13, 2014

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ACCOUNTING PROCEEDING FILE NO. 2012-2866/A CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO:

Unknown Distributees, Attorney General of the State of New York, Lois Ann Siferd, Janet Swartz, Margaret Malone.

And to the heirs at law, next of kin and distributees of Mary-Jo Vogelsang, a/k/a Mary Jo Vogelsang, if living and if any of them be dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence are unknown and cannot, after diligent inquiry, be ascertained by the petitioner herein; being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, devisees, beneficiaries, distributees, or otherwise in the estate of Mary-Jo Vogelsang, a/k/a Mary Jo Vogelsang, deceased, who at the time of her death was a resident of 2 Washington Square Village, New York, New York 10012. A petition having been duly filed by the Public Administrator of the County of New York, who maintains an office at 31 Chambers Street, Room 311, New York, New York on 10007. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the New York County Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street, New York, New York, on April 1, 2014, at 9:30 A.M. in Room 503, why the following relief stated in the account of proceedings, a copy of the summary statement thereof being attached hereto, of the Public Administrator of the County of New York as administrator of the goods, chattels and credits of said deceased, should not be granted: (i) that her account be judicially settled; (ii) that the above named person(s) be cited to show cause why such settlement should not be granted; (iii) that a hearing be held to determine the identity of the distributees at which time proof pursuant to SCPA Section 2225 may be presented, or in the alternative, that the balance of the funds be deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York for the benefit of the decedent’s unknown distributees; (iv) that the Surrogate approve the reasonable amount of compensation as reported in Schedules C and C-1 of the account of proceedings to the attorney for the petitioner for legal services rendered to the petitioner herein; (v) that the persons above mentioned and all necessary and proper persons be cited to show cause why such relief should not be granted; (vi) that an order be granted pursuant to SCPA Section 307 where required or directed; and (vii) for such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper. Dated, Attested and Sealed. February 11, 2014. (Seal) Hon. Rita Mella, Surrogate. Diana Sanabria, Clerk of the Surrogate Court. Schram Graber & Opell P.C. Counsel to the Public Administrator, New York County 22 Cortlandt Street, 16th Floor New York, NY 10007 (212) 896-3310 Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have the right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you and you or your attorney may request a copy of the full account from the petitioner or petitioner’s attorney. Vil: 02/20- 03/13/2014

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March 13, 2014

The Zipper reconsidered ZIPPER, continued from p. 5

back to square one and start its superblocks planning all over again. But N.Y.U. counters that Mills specifically shot down the plaintiffs’ argument that the city’s ULURP review for the entire four-building project was faulty, and so the university can proceed on the Zipper. Andrew Berman, G.V.S.H.P.’s director, said of the University Space Priorities Working Group’s conclusions, “The report’s recommendations seem to be in denial about the legal reality of the recent state Supreme Court ruling. Instead of looking at coming up with alternate plans for trying to accommodate the university’s needs, they are continuing to try to shoehorn more space into the superblocks and the Village where it simply does not belong.” Mark Crispin Miller, a leader of N.Y.U. FASP, accused the working group faculty of being, well, flunkies. “We’re not surprised that President Sexton thinks so highly of the working group’s report,” Miller said, “since it gives him exactly what he wanted that committee to provide: a quasi-academic rationale for pushing forward with the Zipper Building. That’s why he conceived that body in the first place, and then hand-picked its members and its chairperson — after his expansion plan had been worked up behind closed doors, without the faculty’s involvement.

“With all due respect to our colleagues who helped write it, this report is dubious in several ways,” Miller said. “It downplays or ignores key issues, offers questionable numbers, and misrepresents the Zipper as an academic building, although just a fraction of that space will go for classrooms. “We believe that N.Y.U. should table this report, along with the expansion plan itself, and make a fresh start at assessing N.Y.U.’s real need for academic space — this time with the faculty as partners.”

‘NO TIMETABLE’ FOR STARTING Although N.Y.U. has now decided what would go in the Zipper, the university isn’t charging ahead on the construction. Spokesperson John Beckman said, “While there is no legal impediment to us moving forward with the Coles site now, the next steps will be to establish the Superblock Stewardship Committee, as recommended by the Working Group, and to establish an advisory group to examine how to address the absence of Coles during the construction period, which is also consistent with their recommendations. “We’re working on the timetable for the next steps. There is no specific timetable for moving forward with construction at this point.”

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Continued from p. 10

dressing — just focusing on students and their studies and having the best faculty. How much space did Bill de Blasio have when he attended N.Y.U.? He should withdraw the city’s notice of appeal of Mills’s decision on the N.Y.U. 2031 plan and work with us to start over with a mutually beneficial plan. Judith Chazen Walsh Walsh is a member, Washington Square South Citizens Action Committee

Clear collusion To The Editor: Re “Little trust is left” (letter, by Cathryn Swan, March 6): Three cheers to The Villager for printing an important letter from Cathryn Swan. To get a clear picture of the collusion between the Parks Department and the four ladies who have taken over the running of Washington Square Park, it is imperative to read Ms. Swan’s Washington Square Park Blog. Here we can follow the continuing saga of the arrogant takeover of the park by a coterie of Fifth Ave. types with little or no feelings for us “common” Villagers who enjoy eating hot dogs in the park. Vahe A. Tiryakian

Save the pavilion! To The Editor: Re “Opponents want Bill to block bistro in Union Square pavilion” (news article, Feb. 22): Under Bloomberg, the Parks Department and the local business improvement district, Union Square Park’s historic pavilion was viewed as prime commercial property

to be leased for 15 years by a for-profit restaurant — the highest bidder. Bloomberg viewed parks as cash cows required to pay for themselves — forget about parks’ free use under the Public Trust Doctrine that says they are for public use to benefit children and the community. We need everyone’s help to stop a commercial restaurant from taking over our pavilion. The Union Square Community Coalition’s 10-year fight and expensive litigation against commercial use of the park’s pavilion now is in jeopardy, after losing the last round of our court fight. But we still have options. U.S.C.C. will not stop our efforts to keep the pavilion a free place for all of us. Our determination to succeed is supported by numerous elected officials, as well as local and citywide organizations. Mayor de Blasio has the absolute power to secure the pavilion as public space by canceling the Bloomberg-era contract designed to privilege the restaurant at the expense of our children and the community. Please help us stop this takeover of the pavilion. Call A.S.A.P. or write to Mayor de Blasio and the City Council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, urging them to do the right thing and cancel the contract. Edith Shanker Shanker is a member of Union Square Community Coalition and was a plaintiff in the pavilion lawsuit

I just don’t get it To The Editor: Re “HealthPlex E.R. opening June at St. Vincent’s site” (news article, March 6): All this language about emergency care, comprehensive care, “vast” capabilities, still means we don’t have a hospital. There’s an awful lot we are being told — smoke and mirrors — but still no hospital. When are we getting our hospital?

That “new concept” of care without a hospital is just to mask what we are not getting. It is a slap in the face to the community, a puppet show. “Emergency care” in this case is as much a misnomer as “urgent care.” In a true emergency this medical McMansion won’t help you. Heart attack? Stroke? Nope. You need hospitalization. “New concept”! Fie! We need a hospital. You know, sometimes we need to lie down and get real care, just as much as those who live in that hospital magnet for rich people, the Upper East Side. Rudin’s condos on the St. Vincent’s site are now encouraging neighborhood rents to skyrocket and people are being forced out of their homes. Perhaps when we’re sufficiently rich-ified, ah! — then we will get a brand new, real hospital. Carol F. Yost

Better brain care To The Editor: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Since 1997, I’ve tackled the ongoing daily ups and downs of my own wholly lifealtering traumatic brain injury — caused by exposure to Con Edison’s now socalled stray voltage when I was speaking on a street pay phone in the Village. Many of the injury’s symptoms are often recognized only by its survivors or the most sensitive care providers, who themselves are likely to be baffled by the overwhelming and even contradictory array of systemic challenges. Professionals and the public at large need to educate themselves about these injuries so as to improve prevention and care for this devastating, yet often preventable menace, for which everyone is at risk. Phil Vanaria

S.L.A. is listening To The Editor: Re “Lower East Side: A livable neighborhood in progress” (Progress Report, March 6): Over the past year the LES Dwellers have made numerous appearances before the State Liquor Authority. We are so fortunate now to have a considerate and open-minded commissioner heading the S.L.A., one who takes the community’s interest to heart. Our S.L.A. commissioner has made numerous statements indicating that he is well aware of the problems in Hell Square. Hopefully, this message is now getting through to the liquor-license applicants’ attorneys who have been in attendance at these hearings. When the attorneys start honestly advising their liquor-license clients that this neighborhood is done — no more licenses, don’t waste your time and money — then our neighborhood will be safe again. And many thanks to Michael at the Meatball Shop, at 84 Stanton St., for his efforts to put together a communityfriendly restaurants group in the Hell Square area. Please support his business and his efforts to be one of the many good neighborhood businesses that we are lucky to have in the community. David Troutman E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. The Villager does not publish anonymous letters.

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March 13, 2014

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GET HELP WITH MORTGAGE PAYMENTS! CATSKILL VILLAGE DUPLEX FOR SALE A lovely affordable duplex. Live in the 3-bedroom unit and rent out the 2-bedroom one to minimize your living expenses. Both units offer spacious rooms and off-street parking. 3-bedroom has 1 1/2 baths; 2-bedroom has 1 bath. Units are partially renovated; new kitchen appliances, new flooring, new carpets and new paint throughout. Walking distance to town, stores and restaurants. Asking $99,900 Contact Karen Deyo at Rip Van Winkle Realty 518-943-5303, or Colin at 646-641-9327.

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Flipping out on Lower East Side as two taxis collide On Sat., March 8, at 8:30 p.m., two yellow taxis collided at the intersection of Broome and Eldridge Sts. One taxi, the sedan, was reportedly traveling northbound on Eldridge St. “at a high rate of speed.” An S.U.V.-style cab heading eastbound on Broome St. broadsided the sedan cab in the intersection, flipping it onto its side. The S.U.V. taxi didn’t have any passengers. The sedan had a female passenger, who was taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as was that car’s hack. The sedan’s driver, standing at left, with a backpack on and with his back to camera, refused medical attention. At the time the photo was taken, no summonses had been issued. PHOTO BY C4

A tale of two markets: Hard to stomach these changes TALKING POINT BY ELISSA STEIN

I

t is the best of times if you want to purchase an expensive condo in the Village loaded with amenities — or, on the other hand, a surprisingly deep selection of beef jerky. Meanwhile, it is the worst of times if you’re valiantly searching for sponges or Saran Wrap. The reinvention of two of Sixth Ave.’s longtime markets into opposite extremes of the retail tenant spectrum leaves locals frustrated...and still longing for a supermarket. The site formerly known as Jefferson Market has been reimagined as an exceedingly private sales office for The Greenwich Lane, the upscale condo development under construction at the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site. One can get information on residences not yet built that will range from $2 million to $16 million. But only an appointment will gain you entrance into the secretive establishment — one cannot merely walk in off the street asking for information. From the outside, the offices are all but impenetrable, every window completely shrouded by blinds, no descriptive signs posted indicating what lies within. An outer

TheVillager.com

vestibule was recently erected to shelter prospective owners as they try to get through the front door — or, to further discourage people from casually dropping by, which, unless you’re expected, isn’t possible. So far, The Greenwich Lane is doing a remarkable job promoting itself as elitist and separate from the neighborhood it’s being built in. With amenities like a formal garden with a reflecting pool, a private lounge, a dining room with a guest chef’s kitchen along with a catering kitchen, screening room, children’s playroom, swimming pool, fitness center, golf simulator and charging stations for electric cars in the private garage, who needs the actual Village? On the other hand, Buddy’s Small Lots, which has moved into the former Food Emporium site for at least six months, wants customers not only to come in but to save up to 80 percent, so the glaring signs plastered on the facade implore. The space had been stripped of every last shelf and display. Makeshift fluorescent lamps are strung from the ceiling marked with exposed concrete beams. Scuffed floors are lined with temporary standing racks filled with items such as automotive supplies, china serving pieces emblazoned with roosters and pigs, low-end lighting fixtures, toy knockoffs and pet treats that have long since expired. It is apparent from the merchandise available that the stock wasn’t tailored to the neighborhood. Most in Greenwich Vil-

A pig bowl for sale at Buddy’s Small Lots.

lage don’t have garages that need flooring or the means to carry home sizable armchairs or bulky violet satin comforter sets. The store manager confirmed they’d signed a six-month lease after they had a successful pop-up store in Midtown for a couple of months. Should they do well, they were hoping to stay for a year. More than one local compared Buddy’s to what 14th St. used to be like. And while there are some staples like napkins, paper towels and certainly

plenty of plastic cups, one could not shop at Buddy’s for basic groceries. This stretch of the neighborhood was once a healthy mix of residential, retail, schools and services. But the balance has tipped. Basics, ranging from a varietypacked ice cream freezer to an emergency room and hospital, have been stripped away, leaving residents still scrambling for quality-of-life conveniences that were once an integral part of the Village. March 13, 2014

27


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