APRIL 23, 2014, CHELSEA NOW

VOLUME 6, NUMBER 15 APRIL 23, 2014

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL'S KITCHEN

Number Crunching at the Core of Affordable Housing Squeeze

BY EILEEN STUKANE New York City does not just have an affordable housing problem. This city has a human problem. “My experience in the trenches is that it’s both the poor and the middle-income who are being left out,” says Bob Kalin, tenant organizer for Housing Conservation Coordinators (HCC).

“A pretty disturbing thing for me is, in the last couple of years, I’ve started to see clients of mine who we kept in their apartments for years, get evicted and become homeless in our community.” It is difficult for him to speak, as he tells of seeing one of his clients begging for coins in the Columbus Circle subway station.

In “What New Yorkers Want From The New Mayor: An Affordable Place to Live,” a study by the Community Service Society (CSS), a nonprofit advocacy group for lowincome New Yorkers, researchers found that the city lost more than 385,000 units of affordable housing from 2002 through 2011. Tom Waters, a CSS housing policy analyst who co-authored the study, explains that a family of three bringing in $37,000 a year — which the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers very low income — would

be able to afford an apartment for $900 a month. “So I asked what happened to those $900 or lower rent apartments,” says Waters. “Their numbers dropped tremendously. Every time an apartment turns over, if it was $900 before, the landlords renovate, raise the rents on regulated apartments, people cannot afford the increases, so they have to move out and rent goes to market value.” Gentrification of once-gritty neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen also provide an opportunity for landlords to increase rents.

What happens to homes for teachers, police officers, fire fighters, nurses, cooks, shopkeepers, men and women at the start of their careers or those who are winding down their work days — in other words, people who had once been considered the middle class?

“What do you mean when you say middle income, or the gap in the middle? That’s the biggest question,” says Moses Gates, program director for the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. It’s an important question because developers decide what income level will be acceptable for the units they set aside for affordable housing.

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Photo by Sam Spokony

Long road to fair wages: An April 10 rally on the High Line addresses conditions at nearby buildings, where workers earn much less than their unionized counterparts.

Upscale Buildings Underpay Workers

BY SAM SPOKONY Hundreds of union workers marched across the High Line alongside non-union workers, elected officials and local advocates on April 10 to call for better wages for the nonunion employees of numerous luxury residential buildings in West Chelsea.

Non-union doormen, porters and concierges at ultra-wealthy residences around the High Line make substantially less than their unionized counterparts, and many don’t even get health insurance. The recent march follows months of similar protests around those buildings, where the non-union workers have desperately sought meet-

ings with building management as part of their attempts to organize collective bargaining efforts and improve their working conditions.

“I work 40 hours a week, sometimes more, but I still can’t afford to live on my own,” said Manuel Matos, 25, who makes $12 per hour with no benefits as a concierge at 540 West 28th Street, which is owned and operated by the Ekstein Development company.

“There are million-dollar apartments in that building, so I know can they afford to pay me enough to live on,” said Matos, who lives in Washington Heights.

Juan Olivo, a doorman at 231 10th Avenue, a condominium building, said he recently got a raise from $13 to $17 per hour after six years of work — but he explained that while the building’s condo board had also recently provided him access to health insurance, most of the cost for that insurance began coming out of his own pay, virtually erasing the raise.

“I need a living wage for my family, just so we can try to have a better life and not have to worry about being able to pay for our groceries,” said Olivo, 42, who lives on the Lower East

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

New Venus has a New Look! High Line March Protests Low Pay

Photo by Sam Spokony

Signs of solidarity: Members of 32BJ SEIU join underpaid non-union workers at an April 10 march.

Continued from page 1

252 Eighth Avenue (at 23rd Street) 212 243 0980

Side and attended the April 10 rally with his 10-year-old son.

Around 90 percent of non-union workers across other parts of the city — including equally affluent areas like the Upper East Side — receive the current union-standard wages of $21 per hour (or around $44,000 per year), according to 32BJ SEIU, the building workers

union that led the rally.

“Everywhere else, they pay those workers wages that allow for a middle-class life and a future,” said Rob Hill, vice president of 32BJ, “but not here around the High Line, where they’ve decided that they’re too rich to follow the rules of the rest of the city.”

Among the other non-union-staffed buildings targeted by the protest was 525 West

Continued on page 3

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Upscale Buildings Deny Workers a Living Wage Continued from page 2 28th Street — also known as the AVA High Line, a rental building owned by AvalonBay Communities.

ELECTEDS EXPRESS SOLIDARITY

Dubbed “Occupy the High Line” by organizers, the protest began at 520 West 23rd Street — also known as the Marias. Developed by the Hudson Companies, the non-unionized 107-unit luxury co-op was also the starting point for an October 31, 2013 Halloweenthemed costumed procession that was attended by then-aspiring City Councilmember Corey Johnson (since elected as the District 3 rep) and State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried.

Gottfried attended the April 10 action, which made its way onto the High Line, then back down to street level, at 28th Street and 10th Avenue — at which point the crowd (now at over 200) heard from Gottfried, Hill and State Senator Brad Hoylman.

“We have some very wealthy folks living around here,” said Hoylman, “and they don’t want their workers to be paid a living wage?

Shame on them!”

Gottfried pointed out that the West Side building in which he lives is actually a union building, staffed by 32BJ workers.

“And if the people in my building can afford to live with the 32 BJ contract and those standard wages, then certainly the people who live in and develop these [High Line] buildings can easily afford to pay those wages,” he said.

TRYING TO START A DIALOGUE

Prior to the April 10 march, the elected officials and 32BJ leaders had already put a great deal of effort toward trying to communicate with leadership at two of the High Line area buildings — 231 10th Avenue and 520 West 23rd Street — in hopes of creating a better environment for the non-union workers.

But those attempts have yet to lead to any real negotiations.

During the time of the aforementioned costumed rally last October, workers at the West 23rd Street building were in the middle of a two-day strike, in response to alleged intimidation by the building’s co-op board after the workers had begun trying to organize a union in order to boost their wages. And after that failed to lead to any positive results — at least in the eyes of the labor advocates — the workers and their union counterparts staged a sit-in protest inside the building’s lobby last December, specifically seeking a meeting with the 520 West 23rd Street co-op board, according to 32BJ. When that was once again met with silence, another rally followed later that month, but it still didn’t lead to an allimportant sit-down meeting.

Finally, during yet another rally inside the building’s lobby in February, Assemblymember Gottfried was able to reach the building’s co-op board via phone, after which the board reportedly promised a meeting to discuss collective bargaining and increased wages. But that meeting never took place, according to

Gottfried, 32BJ and the workers — leading them to continue their efforts most recently on April 10.

The 520 West 23rd Street co-op board did not respond to request for comment.

Starting a dialogue with the condo board at 231 10th Avenue on behalf of its non-union workers has been somewhat more successful, according to 32BJ officials, but those talks have also lead nowhere thus far in terms of tangible results for the workers.

Last October, several weeks before the end-of-the-month strike undertaken by their counterparts on West 23rd Street, workers at the 10th Avenue building had held a two-day strike of their own. Following additional protests over the next several months — some of them coinciding with rallies outside the West 23rd Street building — a 32BJ official was eventually able to secure a meeting with Peter Wilson, chair of the 231 10th Avenue condo board, to speak on behalf of the non-union workers, according to 32BJ. That meeting with Wilson took place in February, and the non-union workers’ demands for better pay and health insurance were discussed — but, as with the other building, nothing came of the talks, and no followup meeting took place, according to 32BJ. Wilson declined to comment on the situation after this newspaper reached him by phone.

So it was with those stifled efforts behind them that the non-union workers marched across the High Line, alongside 32BJ and the elected officials, on April 10, seeking some real steps forward for them and their counterparts at other luxury buildings in the area.

And following the most recent rally, when asked about what the future holds for this push — not only at 520 West 23rd Street and 213 10th Avenue, but also at the other aforementioned buildings — 32BJ President Hector Figueroa stressed that the fight is still not over, regardless of past roadblocks.

“If the luxury buildings along the High Line continue to turn a blind eye to the inequality they are creating in Chelsea, the workers there will have no choice but to take this struggle to the next level,” said Figueroa, in an April 21 email statement sent to Chelsea Now. “They are fighting for their families, and their ability to make a living in this city.”

RESIDENTS CAN AFFORD, SHOULD PAY, UNION WAGES

Looking back to the April 10 rally, Hill, the 32BJ vice president, had specifically called out the wealthy residents of the High Line buildings — and especially the co-op and condo board leaders — for, in his opinion, not caring about the welfare of their less affluent fellow citizens.

“There’s nothing wrong with being rich,” said Hill, “and there are a lot of rich people out there. But most rich people at least know that they got where the got with the help of other people.

“Working-class people built [the High Line], and all these buildings around here are worth what they’re worth because the whole city came together and built the park,” he

continued. “And the problem is that the rich people who now live in these buildings have decided that they don’t just need someone to open doors for them, but they also need to spit on those workers as they walk in, because they won’t give them the same benefits and pay that everyone else in this city is willing to pay.”

REBUILDING OR ‘STRAIGHT UP GENTRIFICATION?’

Also, aside from the issue of non-union wages, the April 10 High Line protesters were joined by local residents who called for more affordable housing in West Chelsea, pointing to an overall atmosphere of rapidly rising rents that have forced out both working-class tenants and many small businesses.

“People try to say that this community is rebuilding…but it’s not rebuilding, it’s straight up gentrification,” said Miguel Acevedo, president of the tenant association at Fulton Houses, one of Chelsea’s public housing complexes.

“And I’m tired of my residents saying they can’t afford to shop around here anymore, that there are no affordable stores because the mom and pop stores are being forced out.”

Acevedo explained that he hopes to continue teaming up with 32BJ in order to tie the concerns with affordable housing and fair wages together as an issue for both Chelsea and citywide, along with, he hopes, creating more local jobs for his public housing residents.

“We need to take this all over New York,

to let everyone know that we were born and raised here, and we’re not going anywhere,” he said. “And if you want to build here, you have to build for the people.”

MEANWHILE, A VICTORY FOR UNION WORKERS

Amid all the struggles on behalf of their non-union counterparts, 32BJ workers celebrated a victory of their own on April 11, when the union announced it had reached an agreement on a new labor contract with the Realty Advisory Board, which represents city property owners in such negotiations.

The agreement, which covers the next four years, will give 32BJ’s 30,000 residential building workers a gradual — but certainly celebrated — wage increase. While the average building worker’s pay will remain at the aforementioned salary of around $44,000 per year until next April, those wages will increase nearly three percent each year, boosting the average salary to around $49,000 by the end of that four-year term, according to the agreement.

“Today we are proud to say that we have made it a little easier for 30,000 New Yorkers to make this great city their home,” said Figueroa, in a 32BJ statement released on April 11. "In a city that has become increasingly unequal, this contract will keep 30,000 building workers on a pathway to the middle class, which will also benefit the communities in which they live.”

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

No Place Like (an affordable) Home Continued from page 1

FEDERAL DATA AT ODDS WITH LOCAL REALITY

At the federal level, HUD takes a lot of data (including income, cost of living, census figures and more) to create an Area Median Income (AMI) that varies according to where you live. In New York County, the 2014 Median Income is $62,500. Developers who are getting a potpourri of incentives (a 421a tax credit, a low-income housing tax credit, 80/20 low-cost financing and property tax breaks as well as inclusionary and other rezoning regulations that allow them to build bigger) are guided by the AMI figures when offering their units to renters. In other words, units can be offered to those at 50 percent of AMI ($29,400 a year) or 80 percent AMI ($47,000 annually) or even 120 percent AMI, which Gates considers uppermiddle income.

“There’s no resemblance to actual incomes of New Yorkers,” says Gates. “There’s a lot of data, the entire area is put through a big mishmash of manipulation and at the end of the day HUD comes out with a number which has consistently been about 20 to 25 percent higher than the actual median income of residents of the five boroughs. New York City median income has varied between about 70 and 80 percent of AMI pretty consistently since 2005. Housing that is developed at 80 percent AMI ($47,000 for one person; $60,400 for a family of three) is almost exactly middleincome, which is 53 percent of New York City households. But the government calls that low income.” Gates sees most city housing programs being offered at 60 percent AMI, what he considers close to middle-income, while the real low-income folks are being neglected. “The gap is at the low end,” he says. “We have a huge unmet need in low-income housing. It is more difficult and challenging to build low income housing rather than middle income.”

Joe Restuccia, executive director of Clinton Housing Development Corporation and cochair of the Community Board 4 (CB4) Housing, Health and Human Services Committee, does not argue the AMIs: “The AMIs are censusdriven. They’re a federal standard, nationwide.

I think you hear, ‘We don’t like them’ and ‘We need them more tailored for our locality.’ They create a lot of discussion — maybe we should do this differently, maybe it should be local, by community board. My job is to be parochial in terms of the neighborhood but not to put blinders on. I feel pretty strongly about that. What are we talking about here? Let’s say we need to reach broader ranges of income bands. How do we do that? It means reaching broader ranges of AMIs, low end and more moderate middle end. That’s what’s being said underneath this.”

CAN CREATION AND PRESERVATION GOALS BE MET?

With the combination of rent increases and job losses, Bob Kalin has noticed clinical depression surfacing among community residents. “If you came here as a young person to make your career, it’s very hard to give that

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Opening this spring, the 33-story Abington House (at 500 W. 30th St.) borders the High Line. Of its 312 units, 78 are set aside for affordable housing.

up,” he says. “Sometimes I have to sit someone down and say, ‘You can get mad at me if you want, but the bottom line is you cannot afford New York. You can continue to struggle here and get in worse shape mentally or you can just accept it and move on.’ It’s definitely a hard aspect of what’s happening.”

The mood of a city fuels the engine that runs the machine. Despair is not good fuel — security is. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan called for the creation and preservation of 165,000 affordable units by 2014, at the end of his 12 years in office. The economic crash in 2008 brought a virtual halt to new construction so the Mayor focused more on “preservation” — and by the time he ended his third term, approximately 66 percent of his 165,000 projected units were government-subsidized and rentstabilized residences that had been retained rather than created. Meanwhile, in spite of the numbers of people who are fleeing the city due to economic hardship, New York City’s population increased from 8.1 million in 2010 to 8.4 million in 2013. Along with the arrival of the wealthy, is the rise of the poor. Where is

everyone going to live?

Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that he plans to build or preserve 200,000 affordable units over 10 years. Unlike Bloomberg, who gave developers the option to build bigger if they set aside 20 percent of their units for affordable housing, de Blasio would require developers to set aside low-and-moderateincome apartments, in effect creating mandatory inclusionary zoning and towering structures.

The Mayor has said that he will announce his housing plan in May. When asked his opinion on whether the 200,000 goal can be reached, Restuccia says: “There are a lot of very substantive discussions back and forth. I’ve been in meetings with HPD [NYC Housing Preservation and Development], with Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, with all kinds of housing organizations. You can really say that from within the administration, the Mayor, the Borough President, Councilmembers, everybody is focused on this [affordable housing] and that makes a big difference.”

Eric Bederman, spokesman for HPD, reports: “We are looking at as many options as possible

to find new or improved ways to reduce the cost of construction, financing, and regulatory compliance, and to provide new tools to leverage private investment for the production and preservation of affordable housing.”

In Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, CB4 has been putting developers’ feet to the fire in recent years to demand that 80/20 affordable housing be included in the building boom on the Far West Side. Among other developers, they have had success with Related Companies in its Hudson Yards project and other properties. Related’s The Abington House, 500 West 30th Street, bordering the High Line, opens this spring with 78 of its 312 units as affordable housing, more than 20 percent. Using subsidies from its purchase of Manhattan Plaza, Related has constructed a totally affordable 139 unit building at 529 West 29th Street with 70 percent of the apartments designated for artists, 15 percent for local seniors, and 15 percent for locals of all ages. In the works, Clinton Housing Development Company has partnered with Taconic/Ritterman to create three new or converted buildings along West 52nd and 53rd Streets between 10th and 11th Avenues, bringing 210 affordable apartments to the neighborhood. Glitches are being worked out along the way.

Elected officials and community boards have learned to fight for certain issues — among them, confirmation from developers that apartments will be permanently affordable and not revert to market value rate in 20 or 30 years when a mortgage is paid; that cabinetry, appliances, fixtures will be to the standard of market rate apartments; and that amenities in a building, such as gym, spa, rooftop, will be as available to affordable apartment renters as they are to market value renters. The question then is: How does one get an affordable apartment that offers a secure base in New York City?

MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN

Community Boards often ask developers to set aside a percentage of affordable apartments for residents within that community. There are other preferences, such as set asides for seniors, or disabled people, or city workers. Certain buildings offer affordable housing for specific trades, like Manhattan Plaza, which has apartments for performing artists. A way to learn about preferences in affordable housing is to make sure you are on your community board’s emailing list. CB4, for example, is good about notifying residents with information about start dates for affordable housing applications in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. An application, however, is just the beginning of the quest for an affordable apartment. It’s a lottery!

Launched in 2012, NYC Housing Connect (nyc.gov/housingconnect) offers current listings of addresses taking applications for affordable housing in all boroughs. (This is not the only way to learn about availability. You can call 311 and ask for the Affordable Housing Hotline, check local newspapers, even look for posters at construction sites.) An application can be submitted online or by mail if you feel

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

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How to Play the Housing Lottery Continued from page 4 that your household income and credit history meets eligibility requirements. (Often there is a fee of about $25 for a credit check.) Before the existence of NYC Housing Connect, the city relied on a labor-intensive paper process.

Some people searching for affordable apartments still use paper only applications and work through specific developers. A Catch22 is that a lot of people who should be applying for affordable housing are poor and without computers, or seniors who lack computer skills. Some community boards either help with the application process directly, or send people to organizations that will help.

The Actors Fund regularly schedules Finding Affordable Housing in NYC workshops to educate performing artists and others about the application process. Information can be found at actorsfund.org clicking on housing, or by calling its Housing Resource Center at 212221-7300, extension 107.

There is still a lot of paperwork involved even if you do apply online. All eligible applications done through NYC Housing Connect are selected at random, in lotteries overseen by HPD, the New York City Housing

Development Corporation (HDC) and New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA), and given a log number based on order of selection. If your number is selected to move forward in the process, you will be invited to come to an interview with a packet of documents including a birth certificate, pay stubs, tax returns, proof of address and more. Then you may be selected to see an apartment or you may be on a waiting list and notified months, maybe a year or more later about an apartment.

Developers now hire service organizations such as Common Ground Community or the Settlement Housing Fund to take charge of the interview process. A property may have 200 applications or 40,000. “You’ve got to jump through a lot of hoops,” says Kalin. “It’s extremely tough, because maybe out of every 100 people who apply, one gets in, and the ratio may even be higher than that. Out of the thousands who apply, some people go onto a waiting list, and never leave it. I’ve been at HCC for 30 years and I have clients who have been on the waiting list for Manhattan Plaza the whole time.” In New York City, affordable housing is in great demand, and there is not enough supply. Are AMI levels leaving out the poorest citizens? We wait to hear what Mayor de Blasio will say in May.

Her Long Road to an Affordable Home Connie Perry was one of the lucky ones.

She sent in her application for an affordable apartment in July 2008. In winter 2009, Perry was asked to come in with all of her documents for an interview. She did as directed, but no apartment materialized.

Then, since she is a freelance publicist and not salaried, every three months she had to go back to the developer with updated financials. She would go back and forth, on and off a waiting list.

“I was consumed with going to see them [Related Companies, the developer].

I got rejected but then I appealed it, and just before Thanksgiving 2011, they told me I could come and see an apartment

and if I liked it I could sign the lease right then and there,” she says. “They never did say why they had rejected me, but I amended my projected income. It was the most stressful application process because quite frankly, there’s no way to know how they determine how you fit in.” It was three years after she had started her quest when she signed that lease for a large studio in a luxury building in Hell’s Kitchen.

That’s a better story than her friend Tamu Favorite’s, who has been on her quest since 2005, has applications at 27 buildings and still has no lease. Sometimes she’s told she makes too much money, sometimes she hears it’s not enough.

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Subsidies through Manhattan Plaza gave Related Companies funding to build this 14-story, 139-unit building at 529 W. 29th St. Set to open in May, 70 percent of its units are set aside for artists, 15 percent for local seniors and 15 percent for locals of all ages.

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

Forum Tackles Pedestrian Safety, Overdevelopment

BY SAM SPOKONY Pedestrian safety was a hot topic at an April 21 community forum at the Hudson Guild community center on West 26th Street, marked by the announcement from Councilmember Corey Johnson that he believes new speed humps will soon be coming to that very street.

The news came in the middle of the forum — which was hosted by the Hudson Guild’s Senior Advisory Council and Neighborhood Advisory Committee — when Johnson responded to a question from residents of the Chelsea-Elliot Houses, the public housing development located between West 25th and West 27th Streets and Ninth and Tenth Avenues. Those residents have long called for the installation of speed humps on West 26th Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, to slow traffic and protect residents of the development — especially seniors and children who utilize the playground and public space on that block, which sits just outside the Hudson Guild entrance.

So, the residents asked, when are those speed humps coming?

“Very soon,” said Johnson, who explained that he’s had one-on-one conversations with new Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg about traffic safety issues in Chelsea, and specifically about the new measures for West 26th Street. “[Trottenberg] has told us, ‘If you give

AVID CYCLIST HOYLMAN BACKS CONSEQUENCES FOR BAD DRIVING

Photo by Sam Spokony

L to R: Assemblymember Dick Gottfried, State Senator Brad Hoylman and Councilmember Corey Johnson at the April 21 forum.

us specific locations where we can immediately make a change that’s going to make a street safer, we’re going to do it,’ ” Johnson continued. “So we’ve put this issue front and center with DOT multiple times, and we’ll be following up again this week to see what the status [of the speed humps] is. But I can tell you that they’re very aware of this issue, and we’ll continue to push for it.”

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will have to approve the installation — confirmed on April 22 that those discussions with Johnson have taken place. Although a review of the speed hump request is ongoing, the spokesperson did not state that the DOT has yet agreed to move forward with the new safety measures. Instead, the rep told Chelsea Now that the DOT will continue its analysis of the street and provide an update on the review at some point in the future.

Another issue raised at the forum — which also featured State Senator Brad Hoylman, State Assemblymember Dick Gottfried and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer — involved ongoing concerns from Chelsea seniors about rogue bicyclists and their effect on pedestrian safety. That came on the heels of Johnson’s March 25 town hall meeting, when NYPD Captain David Miller, commander of the 10th Precinct, stressed that his officers are continuing to ramp up enforcement against cyclists who ride outside bike lanes or blow through red lights.

Many local seniors, especially those living at the Penn South co-ops along the busy Eighth Avenue bike lane, believe that enforcement of those rules is still lacking, especially considering that 68 bike accidents occurred within Chelsea last year.

All of the electeds generally agreed that more resources should be provided to the NYPD in order to catch and ticket bad cyclists, while also stating their belief that DOT should take the initiative on putting forth more comprehensive public education materials for bikers, especially with the advent of Citi Bike in many city neighborhoods. But Hoylman — perhaps surprisingly, given his penchant for Citi Bike and

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

Continued from page 6 cycling in general — went a bit further in his thoughts on potential actions.

“I believe there should be consideration for creating a specific bicycle enforcement unit within the NYPD, which could set and uphold stricter standards for all cyclists,” said Hoylman, who actually rode a bike to the forum that night. “And if a cyclist injures someone really severely, then maybe that person should not be cycling any more, or maybe we should have a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy like we have with some driving infractions.”

“I hope this isn’t headed toward licensing of all cyclists, or other laws that will restrict the rights of cyclists,” the state senator continued, “but if things don’t get better [in terms of pedestrian safety], then everything should be on the table.”

Those words got some applause from the approximately 100 residents attending the forum, the vast majority of whom were seniors.

SUPPORT FOP PRE-ULURP PLANNING

A very different topic raised at the forum — but certainly one that inspires just as much passion among longtime Chelsea residents — focused on concerns regarding both luxury residential and commercial overdevelopment.

In response to a question about what the elected officials are doing to push back on big developers, Brewer shared a strategy that she and other officials have already put into practice farther Downtown, at the South Street Seaport. In that case, the Howard Hughes Corporation plans to go through ULURP (the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure), which requires input from the local community board and borough president — as well as approval from the City Council — in order to move forward with a rezoning to allow for a major mixed-use development at the historic site.

But before the ULURP could begin, Brewer helped form a committee — including local elected officials, community board members, residents and representatives for the developer — that aims to create a development plan that is more palatable to the local community than Howard Hughes’ original plan, which included a 600-foot tower. Those committee meetings have already begun, and more will take place before the plan enters the ULURP process.

“This is how we can start to curtail some of the overdevelopment, by starting way in advance, and at the community board level,” said Brewer. “It’s a great way to see what people really want out of a new development, before the formal process even moves forward.”

Johnson agreed that there are currently flaws in the ULURP process, at least from the perspective of local communities.

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New Bus Service M12 Proposed Service

To establish the M12, a new local bus operating between Columbus Circle and the West Village in Manhattan.

The M12 would have a southern terminal at 8th Avenue and Jane Street, traveling north via 8th Avenue, West 14th Street, West Street, 11th Avenue, West 24th Street, 12th Avenue, West 57th Street, 8th Avenue, and West 58th Street, with a northern terminal at West 58th Street and 7th Avenue. It would travel south via 7th Avenue, West 57th Street, 11th Avenue, West 18th Street, 9th Avenue, and Hudson Street. The M12 would operate 7 days a week every 30 minutes between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm. This service is planned to begin operating in September 2014.

X21 Proposed Service

To establish the X21, a new express bus operating between Eltingville in Staten Island and Midtown Manhattan.

The X21 would have a southern terminal at Richmond Avenue and Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, traveling via Richmond Avenue, Eltingville Transit Center, Arthur Kill Road, and the West Shore Expressway. It would enter Midtown Manhattan via the Goethals Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel, traveling via 42nd Street to terminate at 42nd Street and 1st Avenue. The X21 would operate with five trips from Staten Island to Manhattan during the morning peak period and five trips from Manhattan to Staten Island during the evening peak period.

This service is planned to begin operating on September 2, 2014.

New Weekend Bus Service M8 Weekend Service

To make permanent Saturday and Sunday service on the M8, operating between the West Village and East Village in Manhattan. Weekend service operates every 30 minutes between 7:00 am and 1:00 am on Saturdays and Sundays. This service was introduced on an experimental basis on April 6, 2014.

Q31 Weekend Service

To make permanent Saturday and Sunday service on the Q31, operating between Bayside and Jamaica in Queens. Weekend service operates every 20 to 30 minutes. On Saturdays, northbound trips operate between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm and southbound trips between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm. On Sundays, northbound trips operate between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm and southbound trips between 10:00 am and 7:30 pm. This service was introduced on an experimental basis on April 6, 2014.

Q77 Sunday Service

All of the electeds generally agreed that more resources should be provided to the NYPD in order to catch and ticket bad cyclists.

“In many ways, it’s a broken process, and it’s a process that really benefits developers first, because community boards and borough presidents only have an advisory role,” Johnson said of ULURP. Brewer’s approach at the Seaport could be a big step forward in bringing those stakeholders more deeply into the process, the pols agreed.

“The key is that we can’t just keep fighting battle by battle, development site by development site,” said Johnson. “We need to look at the big picture here, by reforming the land use process itself.”

To make permanent Sunday service on the Q77, operating between Laurelton and Jamaica in Queens. Sunday service operates every 30 minutes between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm. This service was introduced on an experimental basis on April 6, 2014.

Proposed New M12 Local Route

Proposed New X21 Express Route

Time and Place of Hearing: Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 5:30 p.m.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority 347 Madison Avenue, 5th floor Board Room, New York, NY 10017 Please note: For security purposes, you will be required to provide a government-issued photo identification upon entry to our facility. In order to expedite the check-in process, we ask that you RSVP prior to the meeting.

We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

The hearing will begin at 5:30 p.m., with registration to speak remaining open until 7:30 p.m. All registered speakers will be heard. Each speaker is permitted up to three minutes to testify. Written comments will be accepted on the MTA website www.mta.info until 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2014.

Directions:

By bus: Take the M1, M2, M3, M4, M42, M50, Q32, X1, X10, or X17

By subway: 4 5 6 or 7 to Grand Central

For more information about the proposed service changes, or to pre-register to speak at the hearing, call or write to MTA NYC Transit Government Affairs, 2 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004, 646-252-2660. You may also pre-register to speak at www.mta.info For hearing-impaired individuals or non-English speaking attendees wishing to arrange for a sign language or foreign language interpreter, please call or fax MTA NYC Transit Government Affairs until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2014, at 646-252-2660 or fax 646-252-2661.

The hearing location is accessible to the mobility impaired.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Going your way

www.mta.info

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

EDITORIAL Ban Horse Carriages; Keep Citi Bikes Two topics that have been getting a lot of heated discussion lately are horse carriages and Citi Bikes. In a way, they’re related, since they’re both modes of transportation — if horse-drawn carriages in New York in this day and age can be called such — but in a lot of ways, they’re very different issues.

During the mayoral campaign, Bill de Blasio pledged one of the first things he would do if elected would be to ban the horse carriages. “It’s simply the humane thing to do,” he said. True to his word, he’s moving ahead with a plan to end the horse carriages that ply Central Park and the Theater District — mainly ferrying around tourists — and replace them with electric vintage cars.

Ideally, many, hopefully all of the 300 carriage horse drivers would get jobs driving the cars.

It’s the right thing to do. Yes, there has been no shortage lately in the daily newspapers of paeans to the unique, wonderful relationship between humans and horses that has existed ever since the latter were domesticated thousands of years ago on the steppes of what is now Ukraine, no less, or about how the horse helped build the modern city and so on. But society evolves, the world moves forward. There’s no reason these majestic creatures must continue to be beasts of burden — much less on New York City’s mean streets. The “nose-to-tailpipe” argument is very valid: Horses walk with their heads down, right at the level of car exhaust pipes.

They are easily spooked by noises and sudden movements, and so wear blinders.

Some say that it would be okay if the equines are merely limited to Central Park and kept off the main city grid. Well, what about Smoothie, a 12-year-old mare who was startled by loud drumming in Central Park, then bolted, got her harness stuck between two poles, and died as she struggled to keep running?

Yes, it’s nice to think about what horses mean to us, and how quaint their clip-clop on the hard asphalt is. But what about the horses? They’re out there in all weather, in blistering heat or bitter cold. One look at them in their queue on Central Park South shows they’re miserable; they look dejected, listless, exhausted.

New York has more tourist attractions than anyplace, Central Park itself being one of the biggest. We don’t need the horse carriages. More important, it’s simply abusive to these poor creatures.

And, hey, a lot of us have animals we can commune with already, namely, dogs and cats.

We agree with de Blasio, PETA and — despite conflicting polls — many city residents. It’s time to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City.

As for Citi Bike, the tabloids, again, seem delighted that the new bike-sharing system is struggling financially. Let’s face it, it was a brutal winter and early spring, and that hasn’t helped daily ridership, which is how Citi Bike makes money, as opposed to the super-affordable annual memberships, which are only around $100, though there are murmurings that rates may rise.

De Blasio announced he won’t “bail out” the privately financed Citi Bike with government funding, which was music to the ears of many of the “haters.” We’re not so sure that’s the right approach, however. Bike-share is now an integral part of the city’s transportation infrastructure. It’s nonpolluting, and we’re sure it’s far less expensive to operate than the MTA subway or bus system. In other words, bike-share is a bargain, and a healthy transportation option, for the city. To use the “P” word, it’s progressive, forwardthinking.

Yes, at 45 pounds, the blue bikes are heavy, but they’re stable and slow, plus have excellent brakes — meaning they’re safer and less likely to be involved in accidents.

Now that the warm weather is finally here, Citi Bike ridership will ratchet back up, and the program will have its first full summer of operation. Instead of rooting for this program’s demise, we’re hoping it becomes even more firmly established — and accepted — as part of the city’s transportation system. And, yes, we do support using public funding, if needed, to keep it running.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Losing the unexceptional is unacceptable To The Editor: Re “LPC Likely to Protect Ladies’ Mile Buildings From Demolition” (news, April 9, 2014): When the Landmarks Commission protects banal buildings such as these two, they make the best possible, if amoral case, for no landmarking at all. There is nothing intrinsically important or significant about these particular buildings...even the buildings themselves have little to do with each other except for their scale and modesty of construction and design.

Taken as a whole, there are still some blocks (or parts of blocks) in Ladies’ Mile, or in the Fur District, or Garment District, or on Sixth Avenue or Broadway in the 20s and 30s, that conjure a sense of place. None of the individual buildings are great, but together, they add up to more than the sum of each other. They add up to a real, authentic feeling neighborhood and they give rhythm and variation to our experience of the street. When these crummy insignificant buildings come down, they are inevitably replaced by largerfootprint developments that are anti-diversity and antiindividualist.

These two buildings are as common as corn in every borough. There is no cultural or aesthetic reason to keep them as architectural specimens. What do we give up by losing these two structures?

What these buildings mean to us is much more subtle than any physical thing that we can put our arms around. They are plain, basic, unglamorous. What happens when we forfeit the bland background fabric, when we take away the structure and are left with... blank? It's easy to trash the cotton muslin; will we be able to live with acrylic velour, nylon velvet, faux brocade or performance microfiber?

How do we preserve our dignity, our souls as a city and at the same time, allow our city to evolve?

Robert Cole CORRECTION The article “Neighbors Crusade Against Church Air Rights Sale” (April 9 edition) incorrectly cited an April 2012 document, filed through the city’s Department of Finance, as a deed of sale for the air rights to 126 West 16th Street. That document referred to a previous agreement regarding air rights transfers at the site, but had no bearing on any sale. The article also incorrectly stated that the Einhorn Development Group received city approval for the purchase of air rights from 126 West 16th Street — but that was based incorrectly on an earlier statement by the developer to a local resident, and such city approval is not legally required for a private air rights sale. On the afternoon of April 10, the chelsaenow.com version of the article was updated to reflect these facts.

Reader Comments from ChelseaNow.com Re “Neighbors Crusade Against Church Air Rights Sale” (news, April 9):

Done deal, pointless fight Bloomberg zoning blight will live on forever in this City of greed, and now even churches have fallen sway to survive. All the yelling and complaints didn’t stop the closing of our St. Vincent's Medical Center and trauma center, so what do these rabble-rousers expect

at this late date? The deal was already done, just like St. Vincent’s.

Barbara385

Enough, already So just roll over and go back to sleep? I don’t think so, Barbara. That is precisely what these forces want you to do. You seem to have a good grasp of the situation, how about getting off the sofa and joining with your neighbors to say, “enough!?”

Nickn’chelsea

Something’s fishy Doesn’t anyone else think it’s fishy that Valery Einhorn was a deputy vice president of the Transit Authority, a Manhattan Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, as well as the chief architect for station design of the New York City Transit Authority — and that the “church” that has, according to their own public records, only 30 congregants have joined forces to ruin one Chelsea neighborhood that has managed to hang on to its middle class affordability until now?

Affected Neighbor

Chelsea Now overdue for truth Hoylman, Gottfried and Corey Johnson oppose 11 stories? These three are poster children for bad development. Look at Hudson Yards which they all big-time support. Hoylman used to work for the developers.

When will this paper print the truth about these pols?

Guest

Fortress look has no style Too high; but also the design is poor and not in keeping with the prevailing architectural style of the block.

Besides the “bushes” on the terraces make it look like a fortress — or a prison!

PAC39p

Pols late to the party The politicians had opportunities to fight this and instead chose to wait until its too late, then pretend to fight alongside the people for a photo op. Another intentional too little too late to make it look like “I am opposing” when “I am really wheelin and dealin to build it.”

The pols whose words are met with their actions — like Senator Warren — are the true fighters for the people.

These guys are fakin’ it. We see you for who you really are.

Alix

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or fax to 212-2292790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes.

Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

April 23 - May 06, 2014

Community Contacts To be listed, email scott@chelseanow.com.

info

to

COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4) CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). The board meeting, open to the public, is normally the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is Wed., May 7, 6:30pm, at Roosevelt Hospital (1000 Tenth Ave.). Call 212736-4536, visit nyc.gov/mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4. org.

COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (CB5) CB5 represents the central business district of New York City. It includes midtown Manhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamond districts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park. The district is at the center of New York’s tourism industry. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building and two of the region’s transportation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station) fall within CB5. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thurs., May 8, 6pm, at Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., btw. 5th & 6th Aves., 2nd fl.). Call 212-4650907, visit cb5.org or email them at office@cb5.org.

THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at 300wba@gmail. com.

THE WEST 400 BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at w400ba@gmail.com.

CHELSEA GARDEN CLUB Chelsea Garden Club cares for the bike lane tree pits in Chelsea. If you want to adopt a tree pit or join the group, please contact them at cgc.nyc@gmail.com or like them on Facebook. Also visit chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com.

LOWER CHELSEA ALLIANCE (LoCal) This group is committed to protecting the residential blocks of Chelsea from overscale development. Contact them at LowerChelseaAlliance@gmail.com.

THE GREENWICH VILLAGE-CHELSEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.

THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIVE Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185.

PENN SOUTH The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-2433670 or visit pennsouthlive.com.

THE BOWERY RESIDENTS’ COMMITTEE: HOMELESS HELPLINE If you know of anyone who is in need of their services, call the Homeless Helpline at 212-533-5151, and the BRC will send someone to make contact. This number is staffed by outreach team leaders 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous. For more info, visit brc.org.

THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter.org or call 212620-7310.

GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC) At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.

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

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

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

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

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

PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR

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

HUDSON GUILD Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multi-generational community serving approximately 14,000 people annually with daycare, hot meals for senior citizens, low-cost professional counseling, community arts programs and recreational programming for teens. Visit them at hudsonguild.org. Email them at info@ hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9800. For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-7609830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710.

THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING This organization promotes the wellbeing of individuals 60 and older through direct social services and volunteer programs oriented to individual, family and community needs. Call 212-879-7400 or visit burdencenter.org.

FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE Email them at fultonyouth@gmail. com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310.

WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212956-2573. Email them at wsna@ hcc-nyc.org.

CHELSEA COALITION ON HOUSING Tenant assistance every Thursday night at 7pm, at Hudson Guild (119 9th Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition.cch@gmail.com.

FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIVER PARK Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981.

HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212627-2020.

SAVE CHELSEA Contact them at savechelseanyc@ gmail.com.

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

Sean Egan Maeve Gately

PUBLISHER EMERITUS John W. Sutter

SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini RETAIL AD MANAGER Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Allison Greaker Michael O'Brien Rebecca Rosenthal Julio Tumbaco

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DISTRICT 3 CITY COUNCILMEMBER COREY JOHNSON Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc. gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml.

STATE SENATOR BRAD HOYLMAN Call 212-633-8052 or visit bradhoylman.com.

CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas on protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@crdcnyc.org.

THE SAGE CENTER New York City’s first LGBT senior center offers hot meals, counseling and a cyber-center — as well as programs on arts and culture, fitness, nutrition, health and wellness. At 305 Seventh Ave. (15th floor, btw. 27th & 28th Sts.). Call 646-576-8669 or visit sageusa.org/ thesagecenter for menus and a calendar of programs.

At 147 W. 24th St. (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.)

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

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

THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color center for community organizing. Visit alp.org.

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Shirey GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrew Goos Chris Ortiz CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Caruso Martin Denton Sean Egan Ophira Eisenberg Roger Miller Paul Schindler Trav S.D. Eileen Stukane

DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson

VIDEO SEGMENT PRODUCER Don Mathisen

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

POLICE BLOTTER Grand Larceny: Cycle of theft A 2009 blue Kawasaki motorcycle valued at $7,500 was reported stolen, shortly after its 23-year-old owner witnessed four men removing the two-wheeled ride from the W. 500 block of 37th St., just after 5am on Sun., April 13. Video footage confirmed the owner’s account, in which the men placed the motorcycle into the back of a white pickup truck, and then fled the scene.

Assault: Cabbie catches flak, takes it on chin This passenger had friends, but they weren’t they type that came with benefits.

Shortly after last call (4am) on Sat., April 4, a cabbie stopped to pick up a young female passenger, who flagged him down on the corner of Ninth Ave. and W. 28th St. As she unexpectedly got into the front

seat, four males filled up the back of the cab — exceeding the legal limit of passengers. When the driver pointed this out and refused to take the fare, an escalating argument caused him to exit the cab, and attempt him to forcibly remove the passengers. The four men complied, only to the extent that they also exited the vehicle — at which point one of them punched the driver in the face, causing significant swelling to his left eye. The group fled southbound on Ninth Ave. Police canvassed the area but were unable to find the perps. The driver was escorted to Roosevelt Hospital, for treatment.

Grand Larceny: Shutterbug couldn’t curb his loss

after the fact — that he lost thousands of dollars worth of property on his way to Virginia. That’s the point at which the 65-year-old placed his camera bag on the curb (at Eighth Ave. and 23rd St.), while hailing a cab. Once inside, he realized the bag was missing. The report didn’t note whether he circled back or proceeded directly to his mode of interstate travel — but once back in the Big Apple, he notified the 10th Precinct of his loss, and told them he’d provide serial numbers at a later date, in the event that the (presumably stolen) goods surface. For now, though, he’s out of pocket for what was in the bag: A laptop (valued at $1,500), a Nikon camera and lens ($4,200), a $900 pair of binoculars, another lens ($100) and the bag itself ($400).

What pull does the Old Dominion State have on forgetful Chelseaites? A local resident told police — several days

Grand Larceny: Sleeping beauty awakens to ugly scene Someday her prince will come — and with any luck, he’ll be an insurance agent with a check in tow to replace all the pricey accessories that walked away during her post-shindig slumber. A four-

Cigarette slasher

Police are also looking for an unknown man who they say robbed an Eighth Ave. convenience store and stabbed an employee early on April 7.

The suspect walked into the Mobil Gas Station Mart, at Eighth Ave. and W. 13th St., around 1:50am, cops said. He then reportedly snatched a cigarette pack and ran out, after which a male employee, 18, chased him outside.

The suspect, pictured above, pulled out a knife, turned around and slashed the employee’s left hand before fleeing the scene, police said. The wounded employee was later treated at Bellevue Hospital, receiving stitches to his hand, police said.

Based on surveillance footage, the suspect is described as white, about age 35 and around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds.

—Sam Spokony

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

CRIME STOPPERS

A surveillance camera image of alleged slashing suspect.

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If you have info regarding a crime committed or a wanted person, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, text “TIP577” (plus your message) to “CRIMES” (274637) or submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

hour snooze, taken after what was by all accounts a long and successful party, cost the 22-year-old hostess just over $15,000 in stolen property. The victim told police that quite a few people were still in her West Chelsea apartment when she went to her bedroom around 8am on Sat., April 12. She awoke at noon to discover that although a few stragglers remained, most of the guests had left during her ill-timed retreat. Also missing from the scene: a Rolex (worth $13,400), a David Yurman bracelet ($1,350) and just over $600 in cash. The victim maintains the property was still in her room before she nodded off.

—Scott Stiffler

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Commander: Captain David S. Miller. Main number: 212-741-8211.

Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212741-8245. The next Community Council meeting, open to the public, takes place at 7pm on Wed., Feb. 29.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Ted Bernsted. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380.

Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meeting takes place at 6:30pm on the third Tues. of the month.

April 23 - May 06, 2014

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Cop of the Month's Hollywood-Style Collar

BY SCOTT STIFFLER It’s a reality check cops like to deploy when the public expects a crime to be solved with all the action, and speed, that unfolds on the big screen: “Things only happen like that in the movies.” Well, most of the time. Every once in a while, though, life imitates art — and that deserves recognition. An awards ceremony, sans red carpet, was held as part of March 26’s 10th Precinct Community Council Meeting. Commander David Miller called Officer Susan McKenna to the podium after unspooling a narrative worthy of a hardboiled Hollywood plot.

On February 1, Officer McKenna and her partner were called to Eighth Ave., btw. W. 26th & 27th Sts. — where three men had just robbed a woman, at knifepoint. The victim accompanied the officers on a ride around the neighborhood, in an attempt to identify them.

Playing a hunch, McKenna drove to Rainbow Station (Eighth Ave., btw. W. 20th & 21st Sts.) — where, earlier, she observed individuals matching the descriptions provided by the victim. Two of those men soon exited the store, and were arrested.

Several days later, with the third perp still at large, McKenna returned to Rainbow Station and spoke with the clerk, who said the wanted man was in the back of the store at that very moment. As McKenna approached him, he made a run for the front door — sprinting down the aisle and

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Cop of the Month Susan McKenna receives the honor from Captain David Miller, commander of the 10th Precinct.

knocking over merchandise in an attempt to slow her down. She dodged the obstacles, overcame him and made the arrest…just like in the movies.

In a final scene straight out of central casting, McKenna’s mother and father (both retired from the police department) beamed with pride as their daughter received accolades from her commander, applause from the crowd and citations of recognition from local electeds.

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

A Neighborhood Full of History Where So Much is New

Image Courtesy of Related Companies

A penthouse at Related’s One MiMA Tower, 460 West 42nd Street.

BY LAUREN PRICE

GO WEST

Not so many years ago, it might have been unimaginable for someone to suggest living in Hell’s Kitchen. Today, the gentrification of what was once a rough and tumble swath of tenements, factories, warehouses and parking structures into a white-hot neighborhood –– from Eighth Avenue west to the Hudson River, between 30th and 57th Streets –– is the talk of the town.

Driving forces behind the transformation include the evolution of Hudson River Park, the nation’s second largest waterside urban open space, the development of the High Line and Chelsea Piers and, most dramatically, the sale of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s storage yards to make way for the creation of the mixed-use Hudson Yards community on what is Manhattan’s largest undeveloped parcel of land.

Some Hell's Kitchen neighborhood favorites, of course, have been around for decades.

Officially christened as Restaurant Row in 1973, the block of 46th Street between Eight and Ninth Avenues offers diners the choice of some 35 eateries. Established in 2000, Theater Row, on and around 42nd Street mostly between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, is a beloved complex of renovated historic theaters, including the Acorn, the Beckett, the Clurman and the Lion. The weekendlong Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, since 2003, has turned the block of 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues into a value-hunter’s paradise. There, vendors hawk everything from greenmarket goods to vintage clothing, antique jewelry, collectibles, furniture, books and toys.

The Hudson Yards property, however, is an historic, even unprecedented gamechanger.

“When there is an opportunity to develop

Image Courtesy of 540West.com

A duplex at Halstead Property Development Marketing’s 540West, on 49th Street.

a very large area of land, builders have the freedom to create projects that cannot be accomplished elsewhere in Manhattan,” said Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats. “As our city continuously evolves, Hell’s Kitchen has steadily grown into a booming neighborhood where everyone wants to live.”

Take the no-fee rentals at Gotham West –– a new building at 550 West 45th Street with LEED-certification, a green construction seal of approval –– as an example of how the neighborhood is changing at lightning speed. In-home amenities include floor-toceiling windows, wide-plank quarter sawn oak floors, washers and dryers, and kitchens outfitted with KitchenAid appliances and granite worktops. Some have walk-in closets and separate kitchen pantries.

This full-service building boasts complimentary weekday breakfasts, curated art works, a business center, a demo kitchen used by invited professional chefs, a billiards

room, a fitness center, three outdoor spaces –– including the Sky Terrace with an outdoor movie screen –– a bike porter for last minute tune-ups, complimentary shuttles to Sixth Avenue for weekday morning and evening commutes and on-site parking. The blocklong Gotham West Market features artisan vendors and excellent dining choices. Rents begin at $2,975 per month. (gothamwestnyc. com) No-fee rentals are also on tap at the brand new LEED Gold-registered Abington House at 500 West 30th Street. Leasing studios to two-bedroom units with open plans, the building offers some units with private outdoor space. All homes feature large windows, oak floors, and washer/ dryers, with some also affording breathtaking views of the High Line, the Hudson River and the skyline. There are three communal terraces,

Continued on page 14

Recreation Rocks on the River

BY LAUREN PRICE Restored and reimagined piers, dazzling water views, lush grassy expanses and a 32-mile bikeway –– the nation’s most heavily used –– are among the highlights at Hudson River Park, which has become the elegant front lawn for Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods Comprised of multiple ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, skating venues and a myriad of aquatic pleasures, the park is also home to an 18-hole miniature golf course with sand traps, foot bridges, a pond, a waterfall, a children’s carousel with handcarved wood figures of Hudson River Valley animals, a Trapeze School that had Carrie

Bradshaw flying through the air on HBO a decade ago and a seasonal sand area for beachfront volleyball.

Annual summertime events for all ages are neighborhood favorites, too. Starting July 12, kids can enjoy movies at Pier 46 at Charles Street in the West Village, while adult fare is screened at Riverflicks at Pier 63 at 23rd Street in Chelsea.

Pack a picnic dinner for concerts at RiverRocks beginning July 11 at Pier 84 at 44th Street, and, from July 14 on at this same pier, the city’s largest, you can dance the night away to some of the best bands around at MoonDance.

Pier 84 also offers the annual Blues BBQ

Festival on August 24, an interactive outdoor water play area, and bicycle rentals.

Hudson River Park hosts youth enrichment programs throughout the year, ranging from Riverside Rangers, where kids explore the river’s ecosystem through discovery-based science experiments and natureinspired crafts, to big city fishing –– all led by experts.

“Our educational programs are a vital resource for thousands of families and students,” said Nicolette Witcher, the park’s vice president of environment and education. “This summer, our line-up is better than ever. And we’re thrilled to be partnering with New York Hall of Science this fall

to present SUBMERGE!, a free, day-long marine science festival devoted to New York City’s coastal waters that will feature noted marine scientists, interactive demonstrations, and hands-on activities for all ages.” (hudsonriverpark.org) Summertime is a particularly active time for youth at Chelsea Piers, with 16 specialty sports camps for children and teens, ages 3 to 17. Programs include golf, gymnastics, soccer, ice-skating, bowling and basketball.

Camps run from June 16 to August 29, and enrollments range from one week to 11 weeks. Sign up before May 23 and early bird pricing will apply. (chelseapiers.com/ camps).

April 23 - May 06, 2014

green Leaf commute

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home on the high Line

abingtonhousenyc.com | 646.346.6551

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

No Frills or Full Service, to Rent or Own Coop and Condo Avg. Price / ft2

Coop and Condo Count of Closed Deals

$1,400

70

$1,200

60

$1,000

50

For the Area from 30th Street to 57th Street West of 9th Ave

COUNT OF CLOSED DEALS

PRICE / FT 2

For the Area from 30th Street to 57th Street West of 9th Ave

$800

$600

40

30

$400

20

$200

10

11Q1

KEY: CONDO

11Q2

11Q3

11Q4

12Q1

12Q2

12Q3

12Q4

13Q1

13Q2

13Q3

13Q4

14Q1

COOP

11Q1

KEY: CONDO

NOTE: Closed Deals registered with the NYC Acris system through April 4, 2014.

11Q2

11Q3

11Q4

12Q1

12Q2

12Q3

12Q4

13Q1

13Q2

13Q3

13Q4

14Q1

COOP

NOTE: Closed Deals registered with the NYC Acris system through April 4, 2014.

Courtesy of Cityrealty

CityRealty’s tally of condo and coop sales closings and average price per square-foot from the first quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2014.

Continued from page 12 one of them dedicated to barbequing, along with party rooms, indoor/outdoor screening rooms, lounge areas and the exclusive grooming, walking, training and play date services offered by Dog City. Rents start at $3,000 per month. (related.com) The Ohm at 312 Eleventh Avenue at 30th Street was built with no-fee rental units ranging from about 560 to 1,020 square feet, 20 percent of them in the affordable housing category. They all showcase floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, open kitchens, washer/ dryers and safes. Communal amenities include a lounge, a sky deck, a fitness center, complimentary shuttles to and from Penn Station for weekday morning and evening commutes and on-site parking. Rents start at $2,695 per month. (ohmny.com) For no-frill renters willing to pay a broker’s fee –– especially those who don’t mind

living in a building without an elevator –– the Oxford Property Group has dozens of listings in Hell’s Kitchen from as low as $1,600 per month for a renovated studio with new Thermopane windows, high ceilings, hardwood floors, a walk-in closet and granite worktops in the kitchen. For $2,100 a month, this brokerage also offers a number of onebedroom homes. (opgny.com) For buyers who prefer mid-rise dwellings, 540West, on 49th Street, is made up of two seven-story interconnected buildings. With a unit mix that runs from studios to two-bedrooms, including duplexes and penthouses, square footage ranges from 501 to 1,625 square feet. As expected in a newer building, this one offers residences with floor-to-ceiling windows, white oak floors and washer/ dryers. Resident-only amenities include a fitness center, two roof decks, a lounge, a courtyard with reflecting pool, an open-air movie theater and a pet spa. This building is sold exclusively through Halstead Property

Development Marketing and priced from $725,000. Owners can expect to move in by the end of the year. (540west.com)

A RAIL YARD AWAKENS

In what was once an isolated area of rail yards, empty factories, warehouses, parking lots and even strip clubs, Related Companies’ 28-acre Hudson Yards, between 30th and 34th Streets west of 10th Avenue, will include 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space — including 100-plus stores (with negotiations reportedly underway with Neiman Marcus), 20 restaurants, a luxury hotel, park areas and a 750-desk public school. An extension of the number 7 subway line from Times Square to 34th Street and 11th Avenue is set to open in late 2014.

The LEED Gold-registered 10 Hudson Yards commercial tower, with a direct link to the High Line, has inked deals to lease commercial space to world-class names including Coach, L’Oreal and German software pow-

erhouse SAP. An enormous Fairway Market will be developed under the High Line.

The first residential tower, LEED Goldregistered 15 Hudson Yards will open in 2017. Made up largely of condominiums, the building will have a 20 percent set-aside for affordable rentals.

Adjacent to that, the Culture Shed, the much talked-about multi-purpose venue offering seven levels of flexible performance and gallery space to host a dizzying range of art, design and special events, including New York City’s Fashion Week, is also slated to open in 2017.

LEED Gold-registered 30 Hudson Yards, a commercial tower with the city’s highest outdoor observation deck, will be ready by 2018. Time Warner has already acquired more than one million square feet of office space in this building for about 5,000 employees from corporate operations, including

Continued on page 23

Business Improvement District Takes Shape

BY LAUREN PRICE As a neighborhood rises from the ground up, the Hudson Yards/ Hell’s Kitchen Business Improvement District (HYHK BID), announced in mid-March an interim board of directors — a significant step toward becoming fully operational. The BID, created under legislation signed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg in December, covers more than 450 businesses between West 30th Street and West 42nd Street, from Ninth Avenue to the east side of 11th Avenue.

The 29-member interim board has elected Kevin P. Singleton, executive vice president of TF Cornerstone, as chair, and Oskar Brecher, executive vice president of development at the Moinian Group, and Andrew Cantor, vice president of development at Related Companies, as vice chairs.

The HYHK BID’s designation came in the wake of more than a year of advocacy from a broad swath of constituencies on the Far West Side. Commercial property owners and tenants, residential owners, neighborhood association leaders, Community Board 4 members and government representatives –– all of whom recognized the area’s emergence as one of the fastest growing and most desirable locations for new development –– came together in a BID planning committee in May 2012. That group worked with the New York City Department of Small Business Services to craft the enabling legislation.

run between 10th and 11th Avenues from West 33rd to West 39th Streets. Phase one of the Park & Boulevard, extending from West 33rd to West 36th Streets in the mid-blocks between 10th and 11th Avenues, is nearing completion. The entire project is expected to be complete by 2015.

• Implementing district-wide services and improvements, involving open space and greening, increased pedestrian and traffic safety, sanitation services in targeted areas and access to capital and technical assistance.

The BID’s immediate priorities include: • Overseeing development of Hudson Park & Boulevard, a roughly four-acre area of parkland and open space that will

• Advocating for Hudson Yards/Hell’s Kitchen area constituents by working with Community Board 4, neighborhood groups, city agencies and government representatives

April 23 - May 06, 2014

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CHELSEA: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RE/Mixed Media Festival Embraces the Theoretical and the Practical New tech intersects with the old art of creative appropriation RE/MIXED MEDIA FESTIVAL IV Sat./Sun., April 26/27, 10am-5pm Various locations, at The New School Registration at Arnhold Hall (55 W. 13th St. | at Sixth St.) Sat., April 26, 6-10pm At Culture Hub (47 Great Jones St., 3rd Fl. | btw. Bowery & Lafayette) Tickets & schedule: remixnyc.com Use coupon code VILLAGER for 30% discount on a festival pass Copyright Qualcomm Institute at Calit2

Lev Manovich’s keynote speech highlights the “remixability” of software as a cultural phenomenon.

BY TOM TENNEY In November of 2009, four Brooklyn artists sat at a dinner table in Bushwick, discussing the phenomenon of “remix culture,” the informally connected network of students, scholars, organizations, writers and policymakers who advocate for copyright reform and the artistic practice of systematically reworking and transforming existing works of art in the creation of new ones.

Remix, these artists agreed, was nothing new — it had been the de-facto methodology of art making for centuries.

With contemporary discourse about remix focused on piracy and copyright infringement, these four wondered how contemporary artists could have more of a voice in a conversation that seemed to be increasingly dominated by corporations, lawyers and mass media.

The result was the first RE/Mixed Media Festival, which premiered in May 2010 as an 11-hour marathon event in DUMBO, featuring such artists as Moby, Steinski, Jesper Juul and over 60 other musicians, performers, artists, designers and activists.

Now in its fourth year, the festival will cross the river into Manhattan, where the weekend-long event will be hosted on April 26 and 27 by the School of Media Studies at The New School in the West Village, and at CultureHub, La MaMa’s art and technology incubator on Great Jones Street.

Established in 1975, The School of Media Studies holds the distinction of being the

first media studies program in the United States, with a reputation for embracing both the theoretical and practical elements of media, making it the perfect breeding ground for an event that aims to wed critical theory with real-life aesthetic practice. RE/ Mixed Media Festival began their partnership with CultureHub in November 2013, as co-curator for a night of performances at REFEST — CultureHub’s annual celebration of new work emerging at the intersection of art and technology.

RE/Mixed Media Festival is itself a remix, a hybrid. Built on the idea that the creative work of artists and theoretical work of scholars are merely two sides of the same coin, the festival aims to infuse the traditional academic conference with films, performances, installations and exhibits.

Operating on a theory of “cross-pollination,” a festivalgoer may wander from a lecture entitled: “The Next TV: The Aesthetic Possibilities of Online Remix Audiovisual Rhetorics” and into a film screening or installation which puts the academic theories into practice. In fact, this element of discovery is fundamental to the festival’s mission. The event presents itself as a collaborative work, the whole adopting the shape of its constituent parts.

While the festival embraces both the theoretical and the practical, its focus leans decidedly towards the aesthetic. The very word remix has an artistic pedigree, coined

in the 1970s as DJ lingo for extended dance versions of disco songs, created by reworking the original or mixing in new elements, often appropriated from other recordings.

This practice evolved into sampling, a sine qua non of early hip-hop, in which DJs used segments of existing recordings as building blocks in the creation of new tracks. “Paul’s Boutique,” the Beastie Boys’ 1989 acclaimed second album, included over 100 samples, and became one of the best-selling hip-hop records of all time.

Sampling survived as a popular practice amongst DJs and musicians until 1991, when rapper Biz Markie was sued by 70s pop musician Gilbert O’Sullivan over the former’s use of his 1972 hit, “Alone Again (Naturally).” Markie lost the case, and the judgment changed the sound of hip-hop music forever, requiring that all musicians using samples must first acquire permission from the copyright owners — a practice that, by definition, requires the payment of royalties prohibitive to most emerging artists.

As digital technologies took root in the 1990s and professional production tools became available to consumers, the term remix began to be adopted by other arts, such as film and video makers who used these tools to appropriate and re-arrange media content, often as a subversive cultural critique of the original.

Video remixers, or “vidders” as they

came to be known, created fan-videos of movies and television shows, often constructing alternate narratives by cutting and pasting pieces of the original content.

As these practices grew in popularity, they caused more than a few raised eyebrows in Hollywood, and resulted in further lawsuits, anti-piracy campaigns and proposed legislation that would limit technology’s ability to share content across digital networks.

Although the word remix has only been in the cultural lexicon for four decades, one point that the RE/Mixed Media Festival hopes to drive home is that creative appropriation — borrowing, sampling and reworking existing texts — has been used as an aesthetic practice for centuries. Nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays, one of the festival’s producers pointed out, rely on plots borrowed from other stories and poems, a practice not uncommon at the time. “King Lear,” for example, is a retelling of “Historia Regum Britanniae,” written in the 12th century by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In the 20th century, entire genres of art relied on appropriation, such as the Dadaist practice of photomontage, the Pop Art of Warhol and Lichtenstein and the sound experiments of Pierre Schaeffer.

By building on these traditions and exhibiting work that continues to utilize such tactics, the producers of RE/Mixed

Continued on page 16

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

RE/Mixed Explores the Intersection of Art and Technology

Courtesy of the Artist

Photo by Bob Gruen

Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, curates an exhibit that functions as a companion piece to the forthcoming anthology, “The Imaginary App.”

Tammy Faye Starlite (here, as Nico) will perform an adaptation of her acclaimed performance piece, “Nico/ Chelsea Mädchen.”

Continued from page 15 media festival hope that festivalgoers will come away with a newfound appreciation of creative appropriation, as well as its historical importance.

Some artists embracing remix culture argue that its foundational principals reach beyond both the aesthetic and political and into the realm of metaphysics. Robert Prichard, one of the festival’s producers and former owner of the downtown NYC performance space Surf Reality, is a practicing Buddhist.

He explains his conception of remix by quoting Gertrude Stein, who said, famously, “There’s no there, there.”

According to Prichard, Stein’s statement sums up both the Buddhist approach to ontology and the concept of remixing, i.e. creating new works out of old. “There is nothing intrinsic to a table that makes it a table,” Prichard explains, ”and a good carpenter can make it into a bookshelf or a chair by altering its arrangement and the interdependence of its parts.” The oft-misunderstood Buddhist concepts of emptiness and interdependence, he says, mean “nothing has a fixed meaning or identity, but is constantly shifting and moving, things arise from other things, relationships change and everything is dependent on something else. So according to Buddhism, the nature of reality is constant flux, or remix.”

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As technology continues to evolve and nations around the world struggle with their own questions surrounding copyright, piracy and file sharing, remix culture has become a global movement. International artists have had increasingly strong representation as RE/Mixed Media Festival has grown over the past three years. In 2012, festival producers teamed up with Italy’s nascent MashRome festival, an annual event that celebrates remix in film, and the partnership resulted in a nearly threefold increase in submissions from international artists. This year, nearly a third of the festival’s artists reside outside of the United States, and represent a total of 13 countries. There are plans in the works to create versions of the festival in Berlin, Tokyo and Amsterdam, in addition to other cities within the US. This broadening of the festival’s talent pool and audience, along with this year’s move from Brooklyn to the more centrally located Manhattan, has also attracted sponsors hoping to reach an international and culturally engaged audience. One of the 2014 sponsors, ThoughtWorks, a Chicago-based software company, is an outspoken champion of the open-source ideal, and sees the festival as an opportunity to expose their company’s work to a new generation of programmers.

Since its inception, RE/Mixed Media Festival has attracted artists of all disciplines who embrace the concepts of collaboration, sharing, appropriation and a strong cultural commons from which they draw, and to which they contribute. This year, one of the most outspoken proponents of remix culture, Paul D. Miller — aka DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid — will curate an exhibit at the festival entitled “The Imaginary App.” The exhibit is a companion piece to Miller’s forthcoming anthology of the same name, edited

by Miller and Svitlana Matviyenko. “The Imaginary App,” as noted on the festival’s website (remixnyc.com), features original icons of nonexistent apps contributed by artists and designers from around the world.

Lev Manovich, author of the 2013 book “Software Takes Command” as well as the seminal 2001 text “The Language of New Media,” will deliver the festival’s keynote speech on Saturday, highlighting the “remixability” of software as a cultural phenomenon. Another featured speaker, author David Shields, will speak about his 2010 literary mashup, “Reality Hunger,” a manifesto constructed entirely from existing texts ranging from Picasso to Jonathan Lethem.

In addition to speakers and exhibits, and true to its credo, the festival will also feature a variety of installations

and performances throughout the weekend. One of the performers, electronic musician and singer Erin Barra, recently released “Dear John,” a single from her upcoming album “Undefined,” through the website blend.io — an online collaboration tool for musicians that has been used by Moby, Prefuse 73 and Plus/Minus. Barra’s strategy is to make the “stems,” recorded segments of the song, available online to fans for “listening, remixing, and reimagining.” Barra maintains that the sharing of culture is a win-win proposition for musicians and audiences alike. “It’s the inheritance of the masses,” she said. “A 15-year-old kid in Lithuania gets to have the files and mess around with them because that is his right and I have granted it and whatever he does with that is his own prerogative. I’m alright with that.”

Another performer at this year’s festival, Tammy Faye Starlite, has been a staple in the NYC and international music and cabaret scenes since the mid-1990s. Starlite, who is best known for her satiric characterization of a biblethumping country singer, has recently charted new territory with her portrayal of Nico, erstwhile Velvet Underground singer and Warhol superstar. On Saturday afternoon, Starlite will perform “Ein Nacht Mit Nico: A Funereal Cabaret,” a production that has been adapted from her much-lauded performance piece, “Nico/Chelsea Mädchen.”

All told, the 2014 RE/Mixed Media Festival will host over 70 artists and speakers over the course of the weekend, with Saturday programming broken into two parts — daytime events will be held at The New School from 10am-5pm and, after a break for dinner, will continue at CultureHub from 6-10pm. Both halves of the day will employ the “crosspollination” programming strategy and include performances, installations and discussions. Sunday is dedicated mainly to hands-on workshops in everything from media literacy to hip-hop. At the festival’s closing event on Sunday, Erin Barra will perform a live remix of all the festival’s works — the films, music, talks and installations — a fitting culmination to a weekend devoted to the art of remix.

Tom Tenney — a contributor to this publication on the topics of music, media and technology — is an artist, educator, writer and producer. He is the co-founder and director of the RE/Mixed Media Festival, a contributor to the forthcoming anthology “The Routledge Companion to Remix Studies” and a professor of media studies at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY.

April 23 - May 06, 2014

You’re in the Office Now

Israeli military movie has wicked humor and moving drama

Photo by Yaron Scharf

Drawing on her own military service, Talya Lavie’s debut feature immediately establishes her as a distinctive and original voice.

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW ZERO MOTIVATION Written & Directed by Talya Lavie In Hebrew with subtitles Runtime: 90 minutes 4/24, 10:30pm At Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 260 W. 23rd St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)

Info: tribecafilm.com or 646-502-5296

BY SEAN EGAN The premise this new dark comedy — an examination of the daily life of young women soldiers working in a military office — is so ripe with narrative possibilities, it’s astounding it hasn’t been used until now. Director Talya Lavie manages to create a supremely confident, highly moving and entertaining first feature.

Everything works so well you’re left wishing she’d return to that world again.

The plot centers on a group of young Israeli women in their late-teens and early-20s carrying out their mandatory military service by working in a records office, as they attempt to stave off boredom, and, perhaps, grow. The movie’s split into distinct chapters, to take closer look at three characters: Zohar, a bitter records clerk, whose only goals in life are to master Minesweeper and be as insubordinate as possible; Daffi, her best friend who dreams of transferring to the cosmopolitan Tel Aviv base; and their commanding officer, Rama, who’s tough as nails in order to carve a career out in the male-dominated military.

Pulling from her own firsthand experience

in the Israeli military, Lavie establishes a world that feels deeply lived in, but is never inaccessible. Basing the bulk of the action in an office building allows even a foreign audience an easy entry point, and produces some of the best humor from white-collar ennui this side of “The Office” or “Office Space.” The script (also penned by Lavie) carefully establishes multifaceted characters that are very sympathetic and relatable. Their stories are touching, without ever becoming overly sentimental or cloying. It helps that everything is tempered by a wicked streak of dark humor, as well as surprising moments of moving drama. Lavie’s direction is very assured, and has sense of vibrancy and life to it — and a lightness of touch that lets things go down easier without sanding down its rougher emotional and darker, dramatic edges.

And make no mistake, things do get fairly dark. In addition to dealing with the expected sexual politics the premise suggests, Lavie and her characters also confront depression, suicide, rape and alienation — all while living within an apathetic bureaucratic system. Lavie and company aren’t afraid to look into the bleakest of situations and manage to find both humor and pathos. The two work in a complimentary fashion with the moments of darkness grounding the comedic escapades in a reality with serious consequences, and the comedy helping the characters (and the audience) cope with reality.

It’s a difficult balancing act, but one that makes watching the movie all the more rewarding.

The cast is also uniformly stellar, and the film allows them each ample time to shine.

Dana Ivgy, as Zohar, raises looking disenfranchised into an art form, yet expresses her hurt and insecurities just as well. Nelly Tagar, as Daffi, is high-strung and constantly on the verge of snapping (to hilarious effect), but also convincingly sells her character’s transformation from slacker to leader. And Shani Klein, as Rama, takes the stereotypical authority figure role and turns it into something altogether more vulnerable and unique.

With her debut feature, Talya Lavie has already established herself as a distinctive and original voice, a master of tone and a talented director. These skills all help make “Zero Motivation” refreshing, hilarious and touching — something special that shouldn’t be missed.

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 10AM – 6PM GREENWICH STREET TRIBECA Mark your calendars for the neighborhood’s biggest party! Food, games, shows, movies, sports, crafts and more.

April 23 - May 06, 2014

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Blood Thinner: Indie Auteur Stretches Himself Despite flaws, Tukel’s vampire comedy has some bite

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW SUMMER OF BLOOD Written & Directed by Onur Tukel Runtime: 86 minutes 4/24, 9:45pm | 4/26, 10pm At Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 260 W. 23rd St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)

Info: tribecafilm.com or 646-502-5296

BY SEAN EGAN At one point in “Summer of Blood,” Eric, the movie’s motormouthed protagonist, nonchalantly says that he’d be interested in making a film, and doing the whole “auteur” thing — writing, directing and starring. It’s a winking reference to the fact that the line is delivered by Onur Tukel, writer, director, editor and star of the indie-vampire comedy unfolding onscreen.

The joke not only reveals Eric’s misplaced confidence but also the fact that this film con-

Photo by Jason Banker

Endless summer: writer, director, editor and star Onur Tukel lives forever — on celluloid — as a new member of Bushwick’s undead club.

tains a lot of Tukel — which is both its greatest strength and greatest weakness. The success of the whole thing rests entirely on the shoulders of Tukel and his comic creation, Eric — and though his admirable attempts to hold it together are frequently entertaining, it doesn’t always click the way it should.

You see, Eric is, to put it mildly, kind of an asshole. The character is prone to spouting misanthropic, jaded one-liners, vocalizing his worry about “Middle Eastern men with backpacks” and spending an inordinate amount of time in a public restroom, masturbating to pictures of a coworker. Naturally, he’s also commitment-

phobic, turning down a marriage proposal and subsequently breaking up with Jody (Anna Margaret Hollyman), his significantly out-of-hisleague girlfriend. Eric, learning nothing, goes on with his life, talking himself into corners at work and on ill-fated dates — until, of course, he’s transformed one night by an undead, deadeyed hipster vampire.

The film gets its biggest laughs by toying with the idea of what a man who is equal parts slacker and egotist would do when vampiric powers and urges are suddenly thrust upon him. The results include using mind control in humorously mundane ways, using his newfound

powers to enhance his sex life and bungling his way through a few awkward feeding sessions.

Funny as this all is, it becomes a tad exhausting, largely because of Eric’s pervasive abrasiveness. While your mileage may vary when it comes to Tukel’s shtick, his total commitment to the part is impressive, even if you do wish that he’d just be quiet for a minute. All throughout, he remains just charismatic enough to make Eric’s behavior far more palatable than it has any right to be. It also should be noted that he can be very, very funny, producing unexpected belly laughs with his non-sequiturs and left field zingers. He’s at his best when he has another skilled actor to bounce off, such as during hysterical scenes with a delightfully deadpan coworker played by Alex Karpovsky. But when he’s allowed to run his mouth unchecked, things become far more uneven comedy-wise and the character becomes an overbearing presence that threatens to suffocate the film.

The episodic nature of the plot helps move things along at a brisk pace, and it’s clear that Tukel is a gifted comedic writer, consistently coming up with wonky situations and dialogue that amuse. Unfortunately, his direction is less polished and the cinematography is kind of bland (and at its worst, muddy and blurry).

The film has an endearing, homemade quality however, and the location shooting in Bushwick gives it a cool vibe. It’s unfortunate that for every good thing Tukel and company bring to the table, there’s something else that undermines it. So while a mixed bag, Tukel has managed to create a distinctive film that has some bite to it.

Behind Blue Prison Bars in Tbilisi ‘Brides’ a fine addition to the incarceration chronicle genre

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW BRIDES Directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili Screenplay by Tinatin Kajrishvili & David Chubinishvili In Georgian with subtitles Runtime: 90 minutes 4/26, 1pm at Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea (260 W. 23rd St., btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)

Info: tribecafilm.com or 646-502-5296

BY RANIA RICHARDSON A young Georgian woman struggles to hold her life together as she waits for the father of her children to finish a ten-year prison sentence in this fine addition to an ever-expanding body of international incarceration chronicles.

The drama is even more poignant with the knowledge that director Tinatin Kajrishvili and her co-writer, husband David Chubinishvili, based it on their own true-life experiences when he was behind bars. The debut feature for Kajrishvili world-premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Turbulence in post-Soviet Georgia left many families with members in prison — and here, seamstress Nutsa (Mari Kitia) awaits Goga (Giorgi Maskharashvili), who is in jail for an unspecified crime. “They’re all here for ‘stealing a bike,’ ” sighs one official in the correctional facility. A new rule allows women to visit their men for an hour each month if they are married, so women of many generations gather there

for a quick function that will legalize their unions and make them “brides.”

The quiet film, shot in dusty hues, focuses on quotidian life and unremarkable moments. The tale is infused with an element of suspense after Goga describes a short story by Yukio Mishima to Nutsa, in which a prisoner and his wife commit mutual suicide.

Eventually Goga’s children and friends drift away emotionally. Nutsa is attracted to a customer who comes to her for sewing alterations, but her heart is with her husband. When conjugal prison visits are finally allowed, Nutsa unearths the polka dot dress from their first date to join him in a motel-like development surrounded by blue prison bars.

“I’ve been sleeping with 40 men for four years,” says Goga, incredulous that he can finally lay with his wife. The two share “forbidden” chewing gum and listen to the other prisoners singing to their loved ones. Their faces register the emotions of sorrow, even as their reunion seems joyful on the surface.

Photo by Goga Devarian

The brides, waiting to meet their imprisoned husbands.

20

April 23 - May 06, 2014

April 23 - May 06, 2014

21

Road Trip to the Past

‘Karpotrotter’ finds its own way by retracing the steps of another

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW KARPOTROTTER Directed by Matjaž Ivanišin Screenwriters: Matjaž Ivanišin, Nebojša Pop-Tasic In Slovene with subtitles Runtime: 50 minutes 4/24, 7:30pm | 4/25, 5:30pm & 4/26, 7:30pm At Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 260 W. 23rd St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)

Info: tribecafilm.com or 646-502-5296

BY SCOTT STIFFLER A bygone journey down a straight road “too lazy for turns” comes full circle, in this agreeably meandering homage to the early work of Karpo Godina — an important contributor to the “Black Wave” of Yugoslavian filmmaking.

In 1968, 25-year-old Godina is sitting in his apartment, presumably minding his own business — when fate literally comes calling. “I don’t know anything about directing,” the unidentified man on the other end of the phone says, “you don’t know how to handle a camera, so, together, we could create something huge.”

So K.G. hightails it from Ljubljana (then part of Yugoslavia, now the capital of Slovenia), spending a few “pleasant and exciting” months working a cinematography gig whose down time is filled with making love, eating “a ton of potatoes” and soaking his brain at the local pub. When he leaves, the camera goes with him, to document his aimless road trip throughout the ethnically diverse Vojvodina region.

Decades later, only fragments of the resulting film survive. Called “Imam jednu kuću,” which translates into “I Have a House,” the title comes from Godina’s vow to “make a house that will dwell within me” out of the stoic people and the shifting rivers, trees, wind and earth captured during his travels.

Or so we’re led to believe. It’s hard to tell, since we’re never quite sure if that vow, heard in the form of a voice-over, is a direct quote, the product of informed speculation or a convenient bit of wishful thinking. Just as iffy is whether, at any given moment, we’re watching Godina’s original Super 8 footage or con-

Photo by Marko Brdar

Same as it ever was: Velika mala vas, one of five villages getting the then and now treatment.

temporary portraits of the Slovinic landscape.

Best not to labor over making that distinction, since the five small villages revisited by director Matjaž Ivanišin don’t seem to have experienced a single demographic shift or aesthetic upgrade over the past four decades.

This gives the work of both filmmakers a seamless quality, although not necessarily a timeless one. Contemporary interviews with veterans of Godina’s first pass through town add real dimension to the static, largely dour group tableaus that represent the lion’s share of what remains from “I Have a House.”

We learn that Ficko, the imposing accordion player belting out a Rusyn folk song, was a veterinarian whose passion for boxing obligated you to fall down when greeted with an affectionate punch (an entire church choir once played along). Winnetou, standing to the right of his village’s muddy, horse-filled street while strumming the guitar and crooning in Romani, is remembered as a mentally unstable young man whose physical outbursts were followed by self-imposed exiles, then sheepish offers of eye-for-an-eye amends. Both men are long dead — victims of unforgiving disease and brutal beatings, respectively.

Ivanišin has an interesting technique for these then-and-now perspectives, which is to forego English translations of the lyrics in favor of running narrative commentary over the performances. With no subtitles to go on, it’s impossible to tell if they’re singing about life’s joy or its futility. Only those who speak the language know for sure, which keeps the rest of us at arm’s length.

This calls into question the extent to which an outsider can take away anything other than fleeting moments of pleasure and slivers of truth as they breeze in and out of town. Godina seems to have had the right answer, given that he’s remembered by contemporary villagers as an amiable and endearing type who spent just as much time drinking with the adults and

playing soccer with the kids as he did composing sober portraits of the townsfolk.

One gets the sense that Ivanišin must be operating behind the scenes in a similar manner, considering the intimate details he’s

able to draw out of people who come across hospitable but guarded. In this respect, both “Karpotrotter” and “I Have a House” are in possession of a solid foundation that’s built to last.

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April 23 - May 06, 2014

On High, and Facing the Hudson

23

THE QUESTION:

Who is the new voice in morning radio that everyone is talking about?

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Image Courtesy of Related Companies

Continued from page 14 HBO, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros.

Condominiums, a hotel and both retail and entertainment spaces at LEED Goldregistered 35 Hudson, with direct access to the High Line, Hudson River Park and Hudson Boulevard & Park (a planned ribbon of parkland that will wind it way between 10th and 11th Avenues) are also expected to open in 2018. (relatated.com/hudson-yards)

VIEW FROM THE TOP

In 1925, when the George Fuller Construction Company wanted to develop a new residential building on Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street, they had to convince cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post Hutton to give up her townhouse that stood on the site. She agreed, but only if Fuller created a 54-room penthouse for her on the top three floors. Interest in living at the pinnacle hasn’t flagged since. Penthouses with considerably fewer than 54 rooms remain a hot commodity, particularly when they offer the best views and outdoor living space. With new builds and conversions proliferating on the Far West Side, there are a number of available posh aeries facing the Hudson River, for both rental and purchase.

Penthouse seekers might check out the 959-square-foot two-bedroom with river views in the Atelier’s 35th floor at 635 West 42nd Street. The asking price is $1.9 million, and there’s a tax abatement through 2018. Communal amenities include

a resident-only lounge with complimentary weekday breakfasts, a basketball court and gym, a swimming pool, two roof decks with grill areas, complimentary shuttles across 42nd Street for weekday morning and evening commutes and on-site parking. (halstead.com) A sprawling triplex co-op on floors 13 through 15 is on the market at 347 West 39th Street, priced at $2.75 million and marketed through Douglas Elliman. The building has no flip tax. A loft-like, three-bedroom penthouse in a 2010 converted garment factory, it’s outfitted with high ceilings, huge windows, an open chef’s kitchen overlooking the dining/living spaces and a private corner terrace accessed from the 15th floor.

Two other standout features are the pair of wood-burning fireplaces and the private wraparound planting terrace on the triplex’s second level. (elliman.com) No-fee renters willing to pay sky-high prices to live sky-high will find the 2,200-squarefoot, convertible four-bedroom penthouse (including two master suites) on the 61st floor of the LEED Gold One MiMA Tower, at 460 West 42nd Street, just the ticket. Building extras include an Equinox and indoor lap pool, full-size basketball and volleyball courts, three landscaped terraces with private dining pods and BBQ areas, party rooms/ catering kitchens, outdoor/ indoor screening rooms, an Internet café and business center, a game room, and on-site training, grooming, walking and scheduled play date services from Dog City. This home will set you back $19,000 a month. (related.com)

PHOTO BY DANNY SANCHEZ

A view of the High Line from Related’s Abington House at 500 West 30th Street.

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24

April 23 - May 06, 2014

New York CitY’s teaCher exodus 516 Orange/

Former New York City Teachers

1,442

1,444

730 In addition to one of the highest percentages of needy children, New York City has the largest class sizes and the lowest teacher salaries in the region.

Westchester

Rockland

Suffolk Nassau

N

ew York City is in the midst of a teacher exodus. More than 32,000 teachers walked away from jobs in New York City classrooms in the last eleven years, with more than one in eight leaving for jobs in nearby suburban systems that have higher pay, lower class sizes and better teaching conditions.

The previous mayor claimed poverty while rolling up multi-billion-dollar surpluses.

His Department of Education raised class sizes, focused instruction on test prep rather than real learning, and forced teachers to generate reams of unnecessary paperwork. Tens of thousands left, and more than 25 percent of all city teachers are now contemplating leaving within three years.

For me as an educator, the most troubling part of this teacher exodus is that the number of resignations among mid-career teachers (6-15 years of experience) nearly doubled between 2008 and 2013, even

Poverty Index

District

Grade 3

Teacher

Mid-Career Salary

Teacher

Top Salary

NYC

78%

26

$78,885

$100,049

East Ramapo

78%

21

$93,429

$125,173

New Rochelle

48%

23

$88,040

$124,603

Great Neck

10%

19

$100,455

$128,924

Hempstead

84%

24

$88,601

$114,469

Half Hollow Hills

11%

24

$87,344

$125,594

in the teeth of the recession. These are teachers who have honed their craft, know how to reach struggling students, and are invaluable as mentors for their newer colleagues.

But under the circumstances it’s hard to blame the thousands of teachers who left our classrooms for the suburbs – or the

Attrition of Mid-Career Teachers is Growing ---------------------- vs. ---------------------In 2008, mid-career resignations were 15% of the total.

In 2013 they were 43%.

1000

900

800

2013

700

teachers who say they are now planning on leaving. Or the thousands of highly qualified graduates who will choose one of these districts rather than New York City for their first teaching job unless conditions improve.

Obviously teachers have a personal stake in this. But so does every public school parent.

If New York City is serious about having a first-class school system, it has got to find a way to slow the loss of teachers, particularly to the suburban areas where pay and working conditions are so much better.

The city’s economy is steadily improving, and honest budgeting will show that new resources are available from the city and the state.

C

ritics keep saying that New York City cannot afford to treat its teachers and students fairly. But the real question is this — can we afford not to?

— Michael Mulgrew

600

500

400

300

Class Size

2008

200

100

0

Resignations ons off teachers h with h 6 to 15 years’’ exper experience.

Source: NYC DOE payroll

United Federation of Teachers A Union of Professionals

• 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 • www.uft.org

Officers: Michael Mulgrew President, Emil Pietromonaco Secretary, Mel Aaronson Treasurer, LeRoy Barr Assistant Secretary, Mona Romain Assistant Treasurer Vice Presidents: Karen Alford, Carmen Alvarez, Catalina Fortino, Anne Goldman, Janella Hinds, Richard Mantell, Sterling Roberson