Downtown Express

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Serving Tribeca, Battery Park City, the Seaport and the Financial District VOLUME 30, NUMBER 10

JUNE 01 – JUNE 14, 2017

s u n o i w c i o l t e n D w o D Dine Around Downtown draws foodies from far and wide — Page 9 Photo by Tequila Minsky

Coworkers Erica Delrosario, A.B, and Katie McDermott took advantage of Dine Around Downtown on May 23 to sample the fare from local restaurants that they hadn’t tried before.

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Urban Umbrella

Urban Umbrella’s snazzy scaffolding looks more like a decorative fl ourish than a mandatory safety precaution.

Umbrella clause New scaffolding firm aims to turn Downtown’s blight into a boon BY JACKSON CHEN A startup company wanting to revolutionize the city’s sidewalk scaffolding industry is getting a warm reception from Downtowners eager to be free of the neighborhood’s signature blight. The founders of Urban Umbrella wowed members of Community Board 1’s Quality of Life Committee in April, and presented their innovative designs to the full board on May 23. Urban Umbrella is the brainchild of designer Young Choi, architect Andres Cortes, and structural engineer Sarrah Khan, and they want to transform the image of the scaffolding that wraps around so many buildings Downtown with designs that make the mandatory safety sheds seem almost decorative. “There hasn’t been innovation in the scaffolding industry in over 50 years, so the product looks exactly the same,” said company co-founder Ben Krall. “We’ve designed the Urban Umbrella to do the opposite.” Unlike the dark, claustrophic sidewalk sheds that blight so many Lower Manhattan streets, Urban Umbrellas have translucent tops that bring in natural light and offer open views to those walking underneath. To reduce congestion and improve mobility, the design also does away with the horizontal beams that corral pedestrians. The design also eliminates the upper plywood facings that obscure storefronts.

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

And at night, the structures are lit by LED lights that both increase visibility and save energy. “[Urban Umbrella] is a whole new redesign that’s never been done before,” Krall said. “We let more sunlight onto the sidewalk with translucent paneling, we’ve got LED lights built in and created a safe pedestrian walkway.” The company was first introduced to the city after winning the 2009 urbanSHED competition under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, leading to a contact to deploy its unique take on scaffolding around a development at 100 Broadway in December 2011. But being more expensive than the entrenched providers of traditional sheds, Urban Umbrella couldn’t gain a foothold in a New York real estate industry still reeling from the financial crisis, so the company refocused its efforts on Canada, where its designs were well received. Following their experience with our neighbor to the north, Krall decided it was time to return to the Big Apple now that demand is picking up, and developers — especially of the type of luxury projects proliferating Downtown — are increasingly concerned about their image. The company’s first batch of Urban Umbrellas, totaling around 1,000 feet of scaffolding, are already booked by several “high visibility developers” for DowntownExpress.com

community, scaffolding that for some unknown reason had been up for many years,” said Pat Moore, chairwoman of CB1’s Quality of Life Committee. “Let alone scaffolding that goes up to start a new structure, we’re talking about scaffolding for repairs that stays up for no apparent reason.” Moore said the many complaints they’ve heard about Downtown’s conventional scaffolds include accumulating garbage, attracting homeless villages, and creating sidewalk congestion. After Urban Umbrella’s presentation and a

discussion at a CB1 full board meeting on May 23, Moore said they’ll be talking to the mayor’s office to find ways to encourage more building owners and developers to use more innovative scaffold designs — from Urban Umbrella, or anybody else. Though she said Krall’s group already seems a few steps ahead. “We would want to see any scaffolding company that is available,” Moore said. “We’re not just saying it has to be Urban Umbrella, but it seems to be the only company that is not only aesthetically pleasing but it’s functional.”

Urban Umbrella

Urban Umbrella’s scaffolding design brings in light from above while reducing the clutter of posts and crossbeams below.

a handful of projects to be completed in the fall, Krall said. Now the Urban Umbrella founders are hoping to build wider interest by presenting their product to residents they

think will be most positively impacted — and they found a highly receptive audience at CB1. “We’ve been working on the issue of there being so much scaffolding in our

Urban Umbrella

Sidewalks covered by Urban Umbrella’s scaffolding have a completely different look and feel from the dark, claustrophobic sheds that plague Downtown.

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

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BY JANEL BL ADOW We kicked up our heels as summer got off to a spectacular start last weekend. So many fun things around the hood. GLAMOUR GALA… Dress up in your fanciest whites and come out to support neighborhood businesses and our community on June 6! Attend the second-annual benefit gala for the Old Seaport Alliance, an organization of business owners and community leaders with the mission to improve our seaport. The event is Tuesday, June 6, 7–10 pm (Thursday, June 8, is the rain date). Come aboard the beautifully restored Wavertree at Pier 15 for an evening of great local food, festive party drinks, lively music and neighborliness. Organizers promise lots of great live and silent auction items and surprises, including a tattoo booth for those who want to get their “sailor-style” on! This year’s sponsors are the South Street Seaport Museum, Suntory Toki Whiskey and North Street Creative Studio, among others. Tickets are $100 donation and available at www.501auctions.com/OSAGala. SEA SERENADE… Another (sea) worthy event coming up aboard the ironhulled, three-masted ship Wavertree is an evening of “Sails, Stars and the Sweet Sounds of Classical Music.” On June 15 at 8 pm, the beautifully restored ship, built in 1885, will be decked out with dramatic, festive lights and festooned with colorful nautical flags. The Seaport’s own Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra celebrates South Street Seaport Museum’s on-going 50th anniversary with an “exquisite, one-of-

a-kind, maritime-inspired concert.” The sunset sounds include works by modern classical composers Igor Stravinsky and Charles Ives. The featured performance will be “Sea-Fever,” John Masefield’s classic poem, sung by tenor Glenn Allen Seven as set to music by KCO Director Gary S. Fagin. Tickets start at $20 and available at www.knickerbocker-orchestra.org/donate. GRAND OLE GAL… And while we’re singing the praises of the museum’s flagship, we must note that the Preservation League of New York State last month presented a special honor to all those who helped restore Wavertree to her glory. Those who worked and funded the year-long overhaul received an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, fittingly presented at the historic New York Yacht Club. The statewide program commemorates efforts to preserve New York’s architectural heritage. The last time the league celebrated a ship was the John J. Harvey Fireboat in 2002. GREAT GRUB… Foodies, your time has come! Eight award-winning chefs present six experimental menus for, as the promo goes, “one awesome summer.” Master chefs from across the country will each give New York a taste of their culinary wizardry with exclusive two-week residencies at the Seaport Food Lab, 203 Front St. at Fulton Street. Sponsored by Chase Sapphire, diners will see and sample never-beforetasted dishes by some of the country’s best chefs. Starting June 20 and running through July 2, a trio from Chicago — Paul Kahan (Blackbird), Cosmo Goss (Publican) and Erling Wu-Bower (Nico

South Street Seaport Museum

The new exhibit “Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914” shows how the rich traveled the seas in luxury — but the poor, not so much.

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

File photo by Milo Hess

The Wavertree’s 17-month, $13-million, city-funded restoration won an award for historical preservation last month, and the South Street Seaport Museum’s flagship will host two swank events this month.

Osteria) bring their talents. Following on their fry pans is the king of Southern style, Savannah’s Hugh Acheson (The Florence) from July 9–21. Beginning July 30 and running to Aug. 12, take “A Trip to Israel with Alon Shaya” (Shaya Restaurant, New Orleans) for some of his greatest hits — tabouleh, shakshouka and hummus. Then Aug. 20 to Sept. 2, Jessica Koslow (Sgirl) brings her unique West Coast style to the Big Apple to preview her new concept “Tel.” Rounding out this gastronomic extravaganza is Top Chef Dale Talde of his namesake restaurant in Park Slope. He’s bringing along steller friends: Iron Chef Makoto Okuwa, Charlestown’s Michael Toscano (Le Farfalle) and Beau Schooler of the Rookery Cafe in Juneau, Alaska. Tickets are now available for the first two events at https://resy.com/ cities/ny/seaport-food-lab. The following three residencies tickets will go up closer to the dates. SHOWING CLASS… The latest exhibit at the South Street Seaport Museum explores the vastly different ways the rich and the poor sailed the oceans a hundred years ago. “Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914” examines

the great divide between First Class and Third Class passengers on ships such as Titanic, Olympic, Lusitania, Mauretania, Aquitania and Imperator during the golden age of transatlantic travel. While First Class passengers sailed in the lap of luxury in wood-paneled suites and crystal chandelier dining rooms, nearly 13 million immigrants made the voyage in stuffy, overcrowded lower decks. Drawing on the museum’s permanent collection of ocean liner memorabilia, this exhibit displays sideby-side the two classes, on the same ships but worlds apart. Master woodcarver Deborah Mills will evoke the spirit of grandeur by replicating a wood panel that adorned the interior of the Smoking Room of the RMS Mauretania throughout the run of the show. And every Wednesday, visitors can tour the Maritime Craft Center (209 Water St.) to see the piece evolve. Films featuring ocean liners and immigrants and harbor life at its heyday are not to be missed. The exhibit opens June 23, Wednesday through Sunday 11 am–7 pm, at the museum’s mezzanine gallery level, accessible from the main entrance of the museum on 12 Fulton Street. It runs through Jan. 7, 2018. DowntownExpress.com

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

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Cramming for BMCC CUNY’s most crowed campus requests city funds to expand BY COLIN MIXSON Space is always tight in Downtown Manhattan, and the neighborhood’s community college offers a masterclass in making do in cramped quarters — but an effort is under way to expand the curriculum, so to speak. The Borough of Manhattan Community College — the biggest little college in the CUNY system — is requesting funds from local elected officials to help fix problems that have arisen from the “peculiar” design of its Chambers Street campus. BMCC’s surreal main campus building forces students to go up to get down, and to go outside to get inside, and the institution is asking for $900,000 from

the city to bring a little sense to the mixed up structure. “The Chamber Street building is very peculiar,” said G. Scott Anderson, the vice president of administration and planning at BMCC. “I don’t know whether it was a nightmare the architect had, or if they thought it was a great idea, but it doesn’t work in terms of the flow of traffic.” With 27,000 students, the Downtown community college is cramming the city’s largest population of undergraduate students into the smallest city campus, and the oddly designed main building at 199 Chamber Street doesn’t make things easy for a school struggling with capacity issues, Anderson said. For example, scholars heading from

Photo by Colin Mixson

Borough of Manhattan Community College has the largest student population and smallest campus of any school in the CUNY system, and is exploring various options for dealing with its capacity issues.

class are forced to go outside and hike about 60 feet through the elements to access student services, including the registrars office, counseling, job placement, and even the disability and health services offices — despite the fact that they’re located in the same building. The city funding would allow BMCC to erect an enclosed pedestrian walkway connecting the disjointed halves of the building, allowing students to

access services without having to brave the elements. The addition will also allow the school to consolidate the two separate entrances into one, allowing them to focus security at one location, in addition to easing congestion, Anderson said. Perhaps best of all, the construction would displace the smokers who typiBMCC Continued on page 10

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SMOOTH MOVE A thief made off with a piece of heavy machinery stored in a van on Church Street on May 22. The victim told police he parked his work van between Franklin and Whitehall street at 12:30 pm, and returned less than four hours later to find a lock securing his vehicle busted, and his floor sanding machine, worth $6,800, stolen.

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A pack of five delinquents brazenly ransacked a Broadway fashion boutique on May 22, running in and out with stolen goods, and attacking a worker when she attempted to intervene. The victim told police she was tending shop at the retailer between Spring and Prince streets at 12:25 pm, when the rascals swept through, nabbing shirts and other items off the shelves, and concealing them as they fled with their ill-gotten attire. But they weren’t satisfied with their first sweep, and the thieves returned for a second, more brazen attempt, according to police. As the crooks sought to make off with their second haul, the victim grabbed one of the goons, who, along with an accomplice, beat her in order to make good on their escape, cops said.

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Photo by Tequila Minsky

’ D7> @]]Tb]^ >O`bg Rahul Riazada enjoyed his sliders from The Malt House so much that he said he’s plan’ BSOhS ning to swing by the eatery later to check out ’ >`WRS 7aZO\R it’s happy hour. ’ ;O`QV @SdWSeW\U AbO\R B] S\bS`( 5Og1Wbg<Sea \gQ >`WRSBWf % 8

June 01 – June 14, 2017

A thief made off with a woman’s bag and laptop as she dined within a West Broadway eatery on May 19. The victim told police that she’d placed her satchel on the floor beside her seat at the restaurant between Broome and Grand streets 6:45 pm, and discovered a few hours later that someone had managed to snatch it out from under her. The woman’s bank later informed her that the thief had used her cards to conduct two bogus transactions, cops said. A good Samaritan later recovered the victim’s bag and handed it to an officer at the First Precinct for safe keeping, but when the woman came to retrieve it, she found her $1,700 laptop was missing, according to police.

FOOD FIGHT Cops arrested a man for allegedly beating a food vendor for parking his cart on Wall Street on May 27. The victim told police he set up his mobile eatery between Nassau and William streets at 10:24 pm, when the suspect started bickering with him over

the spot before allegedly slugging him in the face, knocking him out cold. The food vendor was transported to Presbyterian Hospital, while police managed to round up the suspect following a brief search, cops said.

BAD CALL A woman snatched the phone right out of a straphanger’s hand at a Fulton Street subway station on May 27, before beating the victim mercilessly after she tried to retrieve her property. The victim told police she was walking through the mezzanine of the station near Nassau Street at 12:45 pm, when the brute snatched the iPhone 5S from her grasp. The woman demanded her property back, but all she got was a knuckle sandwich, and after the victim continued pursuing the thief, the other woman grabbed her hair, threw her to the ground, and assaulted her with an onslaught of kicks, cops said.

RUSSIAN ROULETTE A gunman knocked off a Fulton Street newsstand on May 20, nabbing cash and lotto tickets. The victim told police he was manning the counter between William and Gold streets at 7:53 pm, when the armed robber appeared wielding a silver pistol and cracked him on the side of the head. The thief took $3,000 and a stock of lotto tickets as loot, before fleeing towards the Hudson River on Fulton Street, cops said.

DECLINED! A woman caught two thieves in the act as they attempted to use her credit cards for an illicit spending spree on Liberty Street on May 17. The victim told police that she was eating at a restaurant near West Street at 5:12 pm, when she received a text alert from her bank notifying her of suspicious activity on her card. The woman then checked her purse, which she’d had under the bar as she dined, to find her credit cards were missing. As turned out, her bank told her the crooks were at a different store in same building, and she ran to the other retailer and shouted, “Someone is using my card!� At that, the crooks revealed themselves by suddenly fleeing, and the victim was able to cancel the illicit transaction and her cards before any serious harm was done, cops said. — Colin Mixson DowntownExpress.com

Downtown Delish Dine Around Downtown tuns plaza at 28 Liberty St. into alfresco buffet BY TEQUIL A MINSK Y Good weather, hungry locals, and curious foodies made last week’s Dine Around Downtown a succulent success. The plaza at 28 Liberty St. was filled with alfresco diners on May 23 eager to join the fun. “It’s nice to see this plaza so animated,” said one co-worker to another as they grazed. Thirty-six local taverns and restaurants offered sample tastings — sliders, burgers, mac-n-cheese, pizza and specialty sandwiches — from $3 to $7. The event fulfilled its purpose of bringing people out of their offices in the surrounding buildings and giving them the chance to try foods from a plethora of Downtown eateries, from The Tuck Room at the Seaport to Le District at Brookfield Place. “This gives us a chance to sample restaurants that we haven’t tried,” said Erica Delrosario. The promotion of Dine Around

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Photos by Tequila Minsky

Downtown also hit the food-lover websites, drawing the curious from far and wide. This is the third year Brooklyn resident Shannon Flam has attended Dine Around Downtown. “I like to eat,” she said, rattling off what she had already tried — the salmon boru, swordfish tacos, and the minilobster roll.

(Above) Bavaria Bier Haus grilled up steak on site to make its famous sandwiches. (Left) The Seaport’s Tuck House showed off its chocolate donut holes and liquid-nitrogen-chilled ice cream. (Right) Rahul Riazada enjoyed his sliders from The Malt House so much that he said he’s planning to swing by the eatery later to check out its happy hour.

Two colleagues joined architect Lisette Mendez Boyer for an extended lunch hour — and ate strategically. The three would share each others orders, first bacon, then a burger, then mozzarella, so they could try many things without becoming stuffed. Then, along with dozens of others, the three joined

the long, snaking line for the tasting that was the star this event, The Tuck House’s dessert: double chocolate donut holes in liquid-nitrogen-chilled ice cream.

June 01 – June 14, 2017

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BMCC Continued from page 6

cally congregate where the new addition would be — and whose fumes have a tendency to get sucked up by a nearby air intake, and vented into on the school’s most popular community rooms, according to Anderson. BMCC also has a few other projects in the works, many of which are related to expanding capacity and adapting the aging campus to serve the school’s expanding student body. During the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, BMCC lost roughly 40 percent of its student capacity when 70 classrooms were destroyed at Fiterman Hall on Greenwich Street. The administration expected enrollment to taper off the following year in light of the destruction, but it actually did the opposite, and the school’s overall student body increased by several hundred students. The trend continued in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008 — when people needed to fortify their resumes — and the community college again boomed while just about everything else went bust, Anderson said. “When the economy dips community college enrollment shoots up — and since 2008, it’s been climbing, and climbing, and climbing,� Anderson said.

Another design flaw with the 1960sera Chambers Street campus is its heating and cooling system, which was designed to accommodate a little more than 8,000 students and faculty. The environmental systems in the building are so woefully inadequate that the school routinely shuts down nonessential electronic equipment, including computers and copy machines, to keep the building from overheating at night. “Back then, God hadn’t invented PCs and photocopiers,� said Anderson. So the school is also asking the city for $1 million to outfit the school with LED lights, which are not only brighter and create less heat, but will also help cut down on the school’s energy bills. “We’re trying to get away from the fluorescents we’ve been using,� Anderson said. “It’s old school and burns up a lot of energy.� Meanwhile, the college is looking to rent out additional space at its 70 Murray Street campus, which would give the school between 15 and 20 classrooms to use in its fight against overcapacity. And given BMCC’s track record, the space will be put to good use. “We start classes at 7 am, and our last class breaks at 10:45 pm,� said Anderson. “In terms of space utilization, no one comes near BMCC. What we have, we use.�

Photo by Louis Chan

Money well spent Borough of Manhattan Community College hosted its BMCC Foundation “Invest in a Future� fund-raising gala on May 18 and raised more than $1.12 million for the BMCC Scholarship Fund. The scholarships allow ambitious students from all over the world attend the Downtown community college that for many is the first rung on the CUNY system’s ladder of success. The driven students who receive the financial aid are inspiring examples to their fellow students, alumni, and the BMCC staff. One recipient, for example, Tesfamichael Demeke, (pictured here thanking the gala donors) is a pre-med student who recalled running a mile to school every day growing up in home country in the hope of arriving early enough to get a seat on one of the school’s few benches. As a BMCC student, he has been working several jobs to afford tuition and books. This scholarship, he told the crowd, will allow him to quit one of his outside jobs — so he can devote that time to doing medical research with one of his professors.

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Dates: Thurs., June 1–Wed., June 7

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES SUSPENDED THURSDAY FOR SHAVUOT Demo alert! The March for Truth, will bring demonstrators to Foley Square, between Centre, Worth, and Lafayette streets, at 9 a.m. on Saturday. At 10:30 a.m., the crowd will march down the east side of Broadway, ending on Beaver Street, between Broadway and Broad streets. On Saturday, the Village Fair and Expo will close University Place between Waverly Place and 14th Street, causing delays on Broadway and on 14th Street, and impacting Fifth Avenue. Also Saturday, the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, at Liberty State Park at 11 a.m., will cause Holland Tunnel backups. The Philippine Independence Day Council Parade and Festival, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will close Madison Avenue between 27th and 38th streets, Park Avenue between 24th and 27th streets, and cross streets in the area. This will cause backups on lower Park Avenue, impacting Lexington and Third avenues. The FDNY will honor the bravest of the Bravest, with Medal Day, on Wednesday. The ceremony will be held in City Hall Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parking will be provided for attendees on the city

streets near City Hall. Expect Broadway, Park Row/ Centre Street, Chambers Street, Church Street, and Barclay Street to be extra slow throughout the day. This will also affect traffic to and from the Brooklyn Bridge. Dear Readers, Mayor De Blasio has committed to a crackdown on placard abuse—good for him! Anyone who follows my work knows this has been a pet peeve of mine for 35 years, since I first became traffic commissioner. The mayor now asks for your support— report placard abuse by calling 311. Here’s the rundown. Even if someone has a placard (and I suspect a good number are counterfeit) they may not park in the following zones: No Stopping, No Standing, crosswalks, sidewalks, driveways, fire hydrants, bike lanes, turning lanes atop arrows, and hatched areas. I’m deputizing all my readers to assist in this crack down. Nowhere is placard abuse more widespread than Lower Manhattan. It cripples the community in multiple ways: placard abusers park in truck loading zones, forcing trucks to double park and cause congestion. Then truckers then get tickets, or worse, are towed for double parking, which means cost for deliveries goes up and there’s more pollution and noise. So, work with the city to curb placard abuse.

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VOLUME 30, NUMBER 07

APRIL 06 – APRIL 19, 2017

DOT=NOT Going to bat City passes buck on school trafďŹ c safety

BY COLIN MIXSON City bureaucrats with the Department of Transportation are telling locals that the safety of schoolkids on the streets around the upcoming Trinity Place School isn’t their problem, and any trafďŹ c studies or changes with have to funded by the developer. Parents and school advocates are abbergasted that the city would suddenly shift the responsibility to a private company that now has little incentive to make changes — which they see as a short-cited recipe for tragedy. “[The developer] can just build it the way it is, and then kids will get hit by cars, and then the city will fund the change — except it will cost more money at that point, and someone will already have gotten hurt,â€? said Eric Greenleaf, a member of the Lower Manhattan School Overcrowding Task Force. The city has purchased property within the residential development helmed by Trinity Place Holdings at 77 Greenwich Street as a site for a 476seat elementary school, which is expected to open sometime in 2022. But the narrow sidewalks surrounding the future school — and the site’s location adjacent to the bustling exit of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel — has led community members and local lawmakers to request a number of trafďŹ c changes in the area to reduce risks to students. These include closing a west-bound lane on Edgar Street between Greenwich Street and Trinity Place to accommodate a sidewalk extension that would provide plaza where students and faculty can congregate without the this of getting hit by a speeding bus, according to Community Board 1’s youth committee co-chair and member of the overcrowding task force. “All they have is this roughly 650-square feet courtyard — that’s tiny and it’s not adequate for drop off and pickup for the school,â€? said Tricia Joyce, a member of Community Board 1 and advocate of creating the so-called Edgar Street Pedestrian Plaza. “A plan has to be in place by the time this opens.â€? But bureaucrats at the city’s transit agency

Howard Hughes Corp. steps up to the plate for local Little Leaguers, replacing damaged gear BY COLIN MIXSON The Downtown Little League’s new season was saved in the bottom of the ninth when a local developer volunteered to help replace the league baseball’s gear that was discovered ruined by improper winter storage just weeks before opening day. The little league, which pro-

vides competitive outdoor baseball and softball fun for about 1,500 Downtown boys and girls, typically relies on players’ moms and dads in the off season to store the hundreds of bats, gloves, pads, and other equipment essential to the Great American Pastime. This year was no different, except that the parents who stored

Photo by Tony Falcone

Ma t z apalooz a! Bright-eyed Battery Park 3-year-old Zoe Fisher enjoyed the arts and crafts activities at “Matzapalooza!� at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on April 2, presented by the Workmen’s Circle and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. The event included a scavenger hunt, costumes and a photo booth, klezmer music and dancing.

TRAFFIC STUDY Continued on page 14

all the league’s baseball paraphernalia didn’t anticipate construction work that left the equipment encrusted in caustic dust and mold, according to Community Board 1 Vice Chairman Paul Hovitz. “One of the parents volunteered to store the equipment in their building, and apparently there was construction going on, because the equipment got covered in soot and mold — and even after an extensive cleaning a lot of it was unusable,â€? Hovitz said. Making matters worse, the mistake was only discovered a few weeks before the league’s April 22nd opening day, Hovitz said, leaving organizers to scramble to ďŹ nd a well-endowed emergency sponsor who could help replace $30,000 worth of gear — and fast. “They were in trouble and they were really nervous about how to raise this kind of money,â€? Hovitz said. Enter Saul Scherl, executive vice president for the tri-state area at Howard Hughes Corporation, the developer transforming the oncedeclining historic South Street Seaport District into shopping and dining destination. He stressed the importance of preserving traditional pastimes and old-fashioned sportsmanship “When something like this happens, it’s important for us to help the kids,â€? said Scherl, “In this day and age, when we’re tied to phones and other modern-day tech, little league is so important. It’s nice that the kids get out on the ďŹ eld and LITTLE LEAGUE Continued on page 14

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17

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

BY LENORE SKENAZY About 15 years ago, some friends whose kids went to the same Pre-k as ours invited us to visit the bungalow colony an hour upstate where they spend their summers. “Great!” we said. “But … what’s a bungalow colony?” As it turns out, it’s a time portal that can transport you back to 1958. There you will find yourself in a world of impromptu coffee klatches, potluck suppers and, best of all, NO PLAYDATES. Kids just run around and make their own fun. I know. Surreal. In practical terms, we learned, a bungalow colony is actually a cluster of small, basic cabins — maybe 10, 20, up to about 100. Usually they’re near a lake, and most of them are an hour or two outside the city. The one we’d been invited to, Rosmarins in Monroe, NY, opened in 1941. There used to be hundreds of these “colonies.” And while different ethnic groups would settle their own enclaves, somehow Jews took to the phenom the most enthusiastically. In fact, the old nickname for the Catskills was “The Jewish Alps.” Bungalow colonies thrived from the 1920s till about the 1970s, when they started dying out thanks to “The Three A’s” — Airplanes (once people could travel to more exotic locales, they did), Air-conditioning (no need for mountain air when you could crank up a cool breeze indoors), and Assimilation (once Jews and other minorities were allowed to join clubs and neighborhoods previously closed to them, they didn’t have to hang out just in their own enclaves.) But even as many colonies were closing up — or transitioning to an ultraOrthodox clientele — Rosmarins not only continued to operate much as it

had since it opened, it continued to exist in some kind of time bubble. Run by the same family for nearly 80 years, its cabins still boast Linoleum floors and Formica tables. But best of all, kids keep organizing their own games — cards, wall-ball, Manhunt (tag at night with flashlights). We visited our friends and felt nauseous with envy. Back in the city, we felt we had to watch our kids all the time. Here, our friends actually instructed us to simply let the kids go out and play. We did — and it was Heaven! By the next summer, we had a bungalow of our own, and have been coming ever since. We still quote our younger son walking out the screen door that first summer, saying, “I’m going down to Johnny’s bungalow.” He was three. And off he went. When that same boy turned nine and took the subway by himself, I founded Free-Range Kids, the book, blog and movement dedicated to the idea that our kids are smarter and safer than society gives them credit for. But I wonder if it wasn’t possibly bungalow life that made me see, with my own eyes, the importance of unstructured, unsupervised time in childhood. Back in the city, we had the kids in science camp, soccer lessons, all sorts of enrichment. What I’d forgotten was how much more pleasant it is to have free time and figure out how to fi ll it. Not that our kids became great novelists or baseball champs by goofing around. But they did end up spending their sum-

mers plain old playing — an activity increasingly rare in this era of supervised, structured activities for kids. Peter Gray, a Boston College psychology professor and author of the book “Free to Learn,” says that one of the saddest things we’ve done to kids is deprive them of the chance to play together in mixed age groups. For instance, he says: A group of 7-yearolds might not be able to play a game of gin rummy. But if they’re playing with a couple of 9-year-olds, they can. The older kids tell them, “Hold up your cards better! We can see them!” and, “Why did you throw that card out? You need it!” For their part, the 7-yearolds are so desperate to act like the “big” 9-year-olds, they hold it together when they lose, instead of crying like babies. In this way, everyone gets socialized: The older kids learn patience and empathy. They grow more articulate as they explain the rules to the little kids. And the little kids grow more self-controlled as they strive to be as cool and mature as the 4th graders. They focus. They may even learn some math — without a teacher in sight. All those lessons kick in when adults back off, which is what parents used to do come June, and what they still do at a bungalow. Obviously, not everyone can rent a summer place. But everyone can reach back and remember their own summers, and the joy of hours stretching forth without anything to do but play. As we try to give our kids every advantage, remember that the greatest gift just may be free time. Lots of it. Have a great summer. Lenore Skenazy is founder of FreeRange Kids, a contributor to Reason. com, and author of “Has the World Gone Skenazy?”

with final design and engineering? It is wishful thinking that the Port Authority can count on billions in future federal funding to make up the difference. Don’t be surprised in waiting another 30 years until future Port Authority ten year 2027–2036, 2037– 2046, and 2047–2056 Capital Plans are approved before a complete $10 billion or more funding package is in place. This is necessary to support awarding

construction contracts. The Port Authority reminds me of the character Wimpy who famously said “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Tuesday may never come for Governor Cuomo, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and others who are looking for completion of a new Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel within their lifetime. Larry Penner Transportation historian

Posted To To the Editor: Governor Cuomo’s announcement that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey will spend up to $70 million for an environmental study as well as design and engineering for the Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel still leaves them $9.930 billion short to complete this project. How many more years will it take to complete this study, environmental review process, preliminary along

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Genuine Affection for ‘Artificial Jungle’ TBTB launches loving revival of Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical classic BY TRAV S.D. The summer of 1967 (50 years ago) is remembered today for many things. On the one hand, it was the “Summer of Love” — the Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and the Monterey Pop Festival brought together many of the top musical acts of the day. On the other hand, it was also known as the “long, hot summer,” when race riots erupted across the United States. It was a tumultuous time of radical change — and in the middle of it all, a brilliant actor, director, and playwright named Charles Ludlam broke away from John Vaccaro’s experimental Playhouse of the Ridiculous to found his own Ridiculous Theatrical Company, bringing with him a troupe of actors who would become legendary, including Mario Montez, Black-Eyed Susan, Lola Pashalinski, Bill Vehr, and John Brockmeyer. Ludlam’s brand of the style known as “The Ridiculous” was multi-faceted. A large portion of the company was openly gay. Drag performance was central to their art; “Camille” was to become one of Ludlam’s most famous roles as well as one of his most famous plays. Camp comedy was central to the Ridiculous sensibility, as was a firm grounding in the classics. Ludlam was just as likely to tweak the nose of Shakespeare or Wagner as he was Hollywood movies or vaudeville. High and low were thrust together in their work and New York audiences loved them for it, packing their Sheridan Square theater for two decades until Ludlam died of AIDS in 1987. Ludlam’s lover and right hand, Everett Quinton, then took over leadership of the company and managed to keep it going for another decade. Unthinkably, New York has now been without a Ridiculous Theatrical Company for 20 years, although their influence is everywhere — not just on stages, but in film and television. In his 1984 biography, “The Divine Bette Midler,” James Spada quoted the star as saying, “I got a great deal of my early inspiration from Charles Ludlam.” On the occasion of the Company’s 25th anniversary, John Waters gushed, “I used to run away from Baltimore to New York as a teenager just to see them.” JUNGLE continued on p. 21 DowntownExpress.com

Photo by Carol Rosegg

L to R: Rob Minutoli, David Harrell, Alyssa H. Chase, Anthony Michael Lopez and Anita Hollander in Theater Breaking Through Barriers’ revival of “The Artificial Jungle,” through July 1 at the Clurman Theatre.

Photo by Anita and Steve Shevett

L to R: Philip Campanaro, Charles Ludlam, Black-Eyed Susan, Everett Quinton and Ethyl Eichelberger in the 1986 production of “The Artificial Jungle.” June 01 – June 14, 2017

19

Just Do Art BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THE WASHINGTON SQUARE MUSIC FESTIVAL A sweet source of June swoon for music lovers of many stripes, The Washington Square Association’s free outdoor Tuesday night concert series offers the distinct possibility of moon and the certitude of croon. June 6’s opening installment tips its hat to Pride month by welcoming America’s first gay and lesbian chorus. Rendered by the venue as technically unable to raise the roof, but powerful nonetheless, The Stonewall Chorale lends its 60+ voices to Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” newly transcribed for chamber orchestra by timpanist and percussionist Charles Kiger. The series’ longtime musical director, Lutz Rath, conducts the Festival Chamber Orchestra — and returns for those duties on June 13, conducting the Festival Chamber Ensemble in a program featuring harp soloist Mélanie Genin. June 20 sees the Ensemble return with selections from Rameau, Boccherini, and Mozart — along with four works by the thunderously dynamic New York Taiko Aiko Kai drum ensemble. The series concludes June 27, with a “Mostly Argentinian” program of tango and jazz featuring master bandoneonist and composer JP Jofre, backed by a nine-piece band. Tuesdays in June at 8pm, in Washington Square Park (main stage south; Fifth Ave./Waverly Place, btw. W. Fourth & MacDougal Sts.). All concerts are free (seating on a firstcome, first served basis). Rainspace for June 6 & 13: Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square South, at Thompson St.); rainspace for June 20 & 27: NYU Tishman Auditorium (40 Washington Square South). Visit washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org or call 212-252-361.

Photo by Sally J. Bair

Seen here, Lutz Rath conducts the Festival Chamber Orchestra. Washington Square Music Festival concerts happen every Tues. in June.

Courtesy ARChive of Contemporary Music

Sizzling hot: ARChive of Contemporary Music’s summer sale has 33,000 musicthemed items (give or take) up for grabs.

ARCHIVE OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC’S SIZZLIN’ SUMMER RECORD + CD SALE Everything old isn’t new again at the ARChive of Contemporary Music, because the recordings they collect (1950 to the present) never did and never will go out of style — certainly not in the hearts and minds of artists and scholars who flock to this Tribecabased nonprofit to access their library of over 90 million songs and over

20

June 01 – June 14, 2017

Photo by Rose Hartman, courtesy the filmmaker

Bianca Jagger at Studio 54 in 1977. Discover the backstory of this iconic image in “The Incomparable Rose Hartman,” opening June 2 at the Quad.

three million pieces of rare musicrelated photos, sheet music, press kits, and memorabilia. Twice a year (right now, then in December), ARC opens its doors to the general public, with a fundraising sale whose fair price “wow” factor is eclipsed only by the breadth of its offerings: 30,000 items representing the best of what was left after they did their Noah’s Ark thing (i.e., keeping two of everything for that ever-expanding permanent collection). There’s no gristle in this “Sizzlin’ Summer” sale,” whose offerings include a selection of Latin recordings pressed in South America, Classical LPs for $1, other LPs, $1-$5, CDs, box sets, 2,000 never-before-offered singles, music-themed VHS and LaserDisc titles, vintage ’60s psychedelic posters, magazines, and rare Fillmore East programs. Spurred to action by a recent donation of books (for sale at the sale, of course), the ARChive crew is a tempting trade agreement: bring in any music-related book not in stock and exchange it for one of “equal or thereabouts face value.” Prep for your act of amiable bartering by visiting arcmusic. org/catalogs/books to see the 9,500 titles already in their book catalog. Daily: Sat., June 3–Sun., June 18. Weekdays, 11am–7pm; weekends, 11am–6pm. At ARChive of Contemporary Music (54 White St., btw. Broadway & Church St.). Visit arcmusic.org or call 212-226-6967.

FILM: “THE INCOMPARABLE ROSE HARTMAN” “She’s

a

rose

w ith

thor ns,”

DowntownExpress.com

JUNGLE continued from p. 19

Courtesy the filmmaker

Bicycle Habitat’s Hal, from filmmaker Fredgy Noël’s “Seven Days in New York.”

says one keen observer, in this beg r udg ingly admirable warts and warts look at longtime West Village resident and photographer Rose Hartman — the woman who helped create the global face of NYC nightlife by confidently entering (then elbowing her way through) Gotham’s most fantastic parties, galas, and fashion shows. Labeled by an impressive parade of talking heads as everything from “a very complex character” to somebody who “just doesn’t quit, to the point that you really want to strangle her,” this selfprofessed “chiffon jungle” safari photographer has an essence far more difficult to capture than that of her subjects. Starting out as a strict observer back in the day when the A-List had names like Capote and Warhol, the film makes a compelling argument that Hartman’s gift for “impulsive portraiture” (as one person describes it) elevated her from paparazzi to “visual historian.” It’s telling, however, that few who sing her praises appear on camera with her — and for good reason. More than once, Hartman berates director Otis Mass, who, like so many before him, finally snaps. “Rose,” says the exasperated director, “shut the f--k up and let’s talk.” The exasperated viewer will feel the same way, and long before the film’s 70-minute running time has come to an end — thus granting Hartman’s desire: “I don’t want to be humanized. I like to come across as provocative.” Opens Fri., June 2 at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St., btw. Sixth & Fifth Aves.). Visit quadcinema. com. DowntownExpress.com

FILM: “SEVEN DAYS IN NEW YORK” Independent filmmaker, 12-year Gothamite, and tart nostalgist Fredgy Noël populates her satisfyingly candid documentary with one longtime New Yorker for each day of the week — outsized personalities all, but none of them reduced to the sort of “boy, they sure are real a character”-type depictions that have soured so many other lazy and/or uninformed attempts to get under the Big Apple’s skin. A smart decision by director, cinematographer and editor Noël to sit back and observe rather than engage her subjects in conversation or bring third party talking heads into the mix pays off every time, revealing hidden dimensions and yielding quiet moments that speak volumes (such likable tour guide Sherwood, who, unable to stomach looking at New Jersey because that’s where his ex-wife lives, plays it for laughs then gets caught by the camera having uttered a very telling slip of the lip). With seven character sketches unfolding in just under 50 minutes, “Seven Days in New York” knows how to dig in and drill down, then move on before we’ve had our fill. Harlem hair queen Monae, Billymark’s West bartender/co-owner Billy, and Bicycle Habitat’s Hal are among the witty, stubborn, natural born charismatics who made it here, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Their incurable love of the city is contagious. This film screened Wed., May 31 as part of the NewFilmmakers New York Film Festival at Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Ave., at Second St.). For info on future screenings and more artist info, visit fredgynoel.com. “Seven Days” will be available on vimeo.com in December.

Fiftieth anniversary commemoration events are already underway. A public reading and panel discussion with original cast members was presented at CUNY’s Martin E. Segal Theatre Center on May 15 — and Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB) is marking the occasion with the first New York revival of Ludlam’s last completed play, “The Artificial Jungle,” currently in previews and opening on June 8 (with readings of several other Ludlam works to take place on June 5, 12, and 19). Everett Quinton will direct. “Our most recent production, last season’s ‘The Healing,’ was a heavy, ultrarealistic drama,” said Nicholas Viselli, artistic director of TBTB. “So I thought our next production ought to be a comedy. As it happens, our general manager Steve Asher also used to be the managing director of the Ridiculous. He reminded me that we are coming up on the 30th anniversary of Charles Ludlam’s death. That seemed rather a grim occasion for us to mark, but we also quickly realized that the 50th anniversary of the Ridiculous happens around the same time. The show will also be open during Pride Month. So it all tumbled into place. I like to say the project chose us.” “The Artificial Jungle” is a hilarious Hollywood noir parody owing much to movies like “Double Indemnity” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” The Ridiculous aspect is that the events of the story are transplanted to a pet shop, a highly unglamorous setting where the stakes are absurdly small. The tale is told compactly, with a cast of five. For this reason, noted Quinton, “The Artificial Jungle” comes in second only to the two-hander “The Mystery of Irma Vep” as the Ridiculous Theatrical Company’s most-produced play nationwide. Yet the current production will be its first New York City revival. As it was the last play Ludlam ever appeared in, its selection will have even more significance. “It’s a perfect little play, perfect story, perfect for actors,” Quinton said. “But it’s hard to play. It demands one thousand percent of your energy. We’re lucky to have a group of extremely talented people in the cast. It feels like a miracle.” Perhaps even more miraculous: TBTB is an integrated company that is, according to its mission statement, “dedicated to advancing actors and writers with disabilities and changing the image of people with disabilities from dependence to independence.” Three of the five cast members are amputees, and one is legally blind. “People tend to think of disability as

Photo by Carol Rosegg

L to R: Alyssa H. Chase, Anthony Michael Lopez and David Harrell, from the 2017 production of “Jungle.”

Photo by Anita and Steve Shevett

L to R: Black-Eyed Susan, Everett Quinton and Charles Ludlam, from the 1986 production of “Jungle.”

limiting,” Viselli said, “but we want to show how the possibilities for people with disabilities are actually limitless. ‘The Artificial Jungle’ is a high-energy physical comedy, and yet the demands of the play are not an issue. The ongoing issue for us is always more, ‘Are we going to be able to do this without the audience being afraid for the actors?’ Because the actors themselves know they can do it in a way without compromising or dumbing it down and everyone is on board with that. That’s what this company is all about.” Added Quinton: “Charles would have been very happy with this group.” “The Artificial Jungle” runs through July 1: Tues.–Wed. at 7pm, Thurs.–Fri. at 8pm, Sat. at 3pm & 8pm, and Sun. at 3pm. At Theatre Row’s Clurman Theatre (410 W. 42nd St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). Tickets are $52.25, via 212-239-6200 or at tbtb.org, where you can also find info. on staged readings of Ludlam’s “Turds in Hell” (June 5), “Der Ring Gott Farblonjet” (June 12), and “Galas” (June 19). June 01 – June 14, 2017

21

Photo by Nicholas Papananias

Installation shot, “Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia.” L to R, foreground, are the Orchestrions “Mechanical Aviary,” “Finky” and “The General,” created by Mothersbaugh in 2014 out of abandoned organ pipes and birdcalls.

Buhmann on Art ‘Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia’ at Grey Art Gallery BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN While a founding member of the pioneering band DEVO, Mark Mothersbaugh has also been a visual artist since the early 1970s. Over several decades, he has amassed a prodigious body of work consisting of paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, wildly inventive musical instruments of his own design, decorative arts, film, film scores, and performances. Samples of his eclectic practice will be presented in this fascinating show. Many of Mothersbaugh’s works were sparked by his extensive visual diary of over 30,000 postcard-sized drawings. Obscure historical information, massculture, and Western consumerism are among his predominant themes, evoking the concept behind DEVO (de-evolution), which postulates that instead of continuing to evolve, mankind has begun to regress. In addition, many of Mothersbaugh’s images involve physical mutations. His particular interest in this subject stems from his personal experience of suffering from severe myopia, a common type of refractive error, where close objects appear clearly but distant ones blurry. The fact that his nearsightedness was not diag-

22

June 01 – June 14, 2017

Photo by Nicholas Papananias

Courtesy the artist

Installation shot of Mark Mothersbaugh’s “50-Foot-Tall Scale Models of Proposed Farewell Arches to Luxembourg City” (2014. Painted fiberglass; each figure approx. 59 x 82 x 61 in.).

Mark Mothersbaugh: “Self Portrait with First Pair of Glasses” (2015. Painted inkjet print, 61 x 44 in.).

influences, informing the group’s distinctive look, which included hazmat suits and their trademark red “energy dome” hats. Looking at the works on display (including the world’s largest ruby crystal, molded into a soft serve cone), one will find that art is not simply another chapter within Mothersbaugh’s oeuvre,

but rather part of an ongoing multi-media exploration. Through July 15 at Grey Art Gallery (100 Washington Sq. East, btw. Waverly & Washington Places). Hours: Tues., Thurs., Fri., 11am–6pm; Wed., 11am–8pm; Sat., 11am–5pm. Visit nyu.edu/greyart or call 212-998-6780.

nosed in his early childhood has left him to relate to outsiders ever since. Approaching his subjects with a youthful perspective, his art and music continue to lack a sense of self-importance while aiming to shift our perspective on the status quo. Dada, Surrealism, and German Expressionism were among DEVO’s early

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

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ADVERTORIAL

TOP DRIVER DISTRACTIONS Using mobile phones Leading the list of the top distractions behind the wheel are mobile phones. Phones now do more than just place calls, and drivers often cannot pull away from their phones, even when driving. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, studies have shown that driving performance is lowered and the level of distraction is higher for drivers who are heavily engaged in cell

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June 01 – June 14, 2017

phone conversations. The use of a hands-free device does not lower distraction levels. The percentage of vehicle crashes and nearcrashes attributed to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.

Daydreaming Many people will admit to daydreaming behind the wheel or looking at a person or object outside of the car for too long. Per-

haps they’re checking out a house in a new neighborhood or thought they saw someone they knew on the street corner. It can be easy to veer into the direction your eyes are focused, causing an accident. In addition to trying to stay focused on the road, some drivers prefer the help of lane departure warning systems.

Eating Those who haven’t quite mastered walking and

chewing gum at the same time may want to avoid eating while driving. The majority of foods require a person’s hands to be taken off of the wheel and their eyes to be diverted from the road. Reaching in the back seat to share some French fries with the kids is also distracting. Try to eat meals before getting in the car. For those who must snack while en route, take a moment to pull over at

a rest area and spend 10 minutes snacking there before resuming the trip.

Reading Glancing at an advertisement, updating a Facebook status or reading a book are all activities that should be avoided when driving. Even pouring over a traffic map or consulting the digital display of a GPS system can be distracting.

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