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The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933
July 17, 2014 • $1.00 Volume 84 • Number 7
Tenants battle Kushner over homes and garden amid a renovation hell BY ZACH WILLIAMS
A
backyard garden on E. Second St. between Avenues A and B doesn’t look like a place that would be the center of conflict, but it was there that a landlord-tenant dispute quickly escalated in April.
A new building manager announced on April 8 that repairs to a retaining wall required the demolition of the garden, which is where residents of 170-174 E. Second St. go to unwind and also hold their tenant association meetings. Ever since Jared KushKUSHNER, continued on p. 20
BY CLARISSA-JAN LIM
P
eyson and Plasm roam the streets, their sole belongings in backpacks hiked up on their shoulders. They occasionally stop by “bum feeds” or dig through dumpsters for food. They clandestinely drink alco-
hol from brown bags on the street or in parks with fellow “crust punks,” at times in the company of a dog or two. The “crusties” are unmistakable with their patched, black outfits and general unkemptness. Especially in warm weather, they’re a common sight in the Village, CRUSTIES, continued on p. 15
District champs, at last!...............page 31
PHOTO BY MILO HESS
From troubled homes to Village’s sidewalks: Crusty life on the street
TWILIGHT TUG: The 105-year-old tug Pegasus, berthed at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25, in Tribeca, offers free dockside tours and educational river trips. She spent her career towing barges and docking ships in New York Harbor.
V.I.D. is ‘riding the Zephyr’; Backs upstart versus Cuomo BY LINCOLN ANDERSON
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fter previously voting “no endorsement” in the Democratic primary for governor, the Village Independent Democrats last Thursday reconsidered their position, ultimately throwing their support behind political newcomer Zephyr Teachout. Teachout, a Fordham law professor, entered the Democratic primary in June after losing the Working Fami-
lies Party endorsement to Governor Andrew Cuomo — and after V.I.D., in a rebuke of Cuomo, had already voted 26-0 for “no endorsement” in the race. Before last Thursday night’s revote, the contenders first had another chance to address the club. Standup comic turned political candidate Randy Credico, a merciless Cuomo critic, chided V.I.D. for not backing him the last time around. “I earned the right to be endorsed by this club. But
this is not a radical club — this is a Jacobin club,” accused Credico, who is also a student of political history. He admitted, however, that Teachout has “got a lot of buzz” right now. “She’s a very dynamic candidate,” he said. “Cuomo is probably more fearful of her than me.” With a final impersonation of Jimmy Stewart, followed by a declaration of, “I’m the Robespierre of the DemoV.I.D., continued on p. 9
Stuy Town groper on the loose........................page 6 Brazilian restaurant is a real keeper............page 11 Hunger and the hidden Village.......................page 13 www.TheVillager.com