The Villager Express - July 18, 2019

V i s i t u s o n l i n e a t w w w .T h e V i l l a g e r. c o m

THE

S S E R P X E

July 18, 2019 Volume 4 • Number 15

The Paper of Record for East and West Villages, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, and Chinatown

END THE CYCLE OF SORROW Bikers die-in for safe streets P. 6 PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

When c yclists recently held a mass die-in in Washington Square Park, this man was arrested for blocking traffic.

GET YOUR VOTE IN TODAY!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BARS, RESTAURANTS, DOCTORS & MUCH MORE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27TH AT

BESTOFNEWYORKCITY.COM LIMIT ONE VOTE PER CATEGORY PER PERSON PER DAY

718-260-2554

2

July 18, 2019

TVG

Schneps Media

Lights amid immigration darkness

PHOTOS BY JIMIN KIM

Congressmember Jerrold Nadler, chairperson of the House Judiciar y Committee, left, spoke out against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies at the Lights for Liber t y rally.

Hundreds gathered in Lower Manhattan’s Foley Square on Fri., July 12, for Lights for Liberty.

and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On the same day, there were more than 700 Lights for Liberty rallies

The protest criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the deportation raids by Immigration

worldwide protesting anti-immigration policies and immigrant border camps between the U.S. and Mexico.

Bike shop, visitors coming to Essex Crossing

BY GABE HERMAN

C

ycling in the city has been a hot topic of late, from installing more bike lanes to the tragic growing rate of cyclist deaths.

What’s clear is that the number of city riders has been growing in recent years. In the wake of the booming local bicycle culture, a cycle shop will be opening in August in the ever-growing Essex Crossing development on the Lower East Side.

Hilltop Bicycles will be rolling into 175 Delancey St., at Clinton St., with a 2,000-square-foot shop on the ground floor. Based in Summit, New Jersey, the company was founded in 2012 and now boasts four locations in the Garden State. It is Jersey’s largest bicycle retailer.

For its new L.E.S. location, Hilltop will partner with Specialized Bicycle Components, a top manufacturer from California, to sell commuter, fitness and racing bikes. A line of Specialized Turbo e-bikes will also be sold.

“When the opportunity to open a store in the Lower East Side just steps from the Williamsburg Bridge and its bike traffic was presented to us, we felt this was an obvious step in our growth plans,” said Thomas Dunn, Hilltop co-

Schneps Media

INSTAGRAM/HILLTOP BICYCLES

Hilltop Bic ycles will open soon in Essex Crossing on the Lower East Side.

at the Prusik Group, a developer of Essex Crossing. “With the Williamsburg Bridge’s significant bicycle traffic and proximity to the store’s location, we have a unique opportunity to serve New York City’s growing cycling community.”

With the ongoing rollout of the Essex Crossing development, including

founder.

“Plus, the neighborhood itself has that unique combination of gritty, real history coupled with a revitalized hope.

We just love what that stands for.”

“Bringing a top bicycle shop to the Lower East Side was a goal as soon as we began planning Essex Crossing’s retail,” said S. Andrew Katz, principal

TVG

a large movie theater, Essex Market and the largest Trader Joe’s on the East Coast, it may come as no surprise that recent data show an upswing in foot traffic to the area.

According to Placer.ai, a company that analyzes foot traffic data, the area got 3.2 million visits in 2017 yet was on a steady decline over the course of that year. Visits began to increase in mid-2018, which largely coincided with more retail and other openings at Essex Crossing.

And increased foot traffic has continued into 2019, with Essex Crossing getting 1.8 million visits in the first five months of the year from 648,000 unique visitors, putting it on pace to surpass each of the previous two years.

The area is also getting more visits from locals who live nearby, and a much more diverse group of visitors than Hudson Yards, that other recently opened Manhattan megadevelopment.

Visitors to Essex Crossing are 45 percent more likely to be Hispanic and 87 percent more likely to be African American than visitors to Hudson Yards, according to the data.

The entire Essex Crossing development project, which includes nine sites across six acres, is scheduled to be completed by 2024.

July 18, 2019

3

Police Blotter Anyone with information should contact the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hot Line at 1-800577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the CrimeStoppers Web site at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577. All tips are strictly confidential.

First Precinct Arrested for attempted rape On Sun., July 14, police said they had made an arrest in an attempted rape in Lower Manhattan from the previous Sunday.

Clarence Bradley, 23, of the Bronx, was charged with fi rst-degree attempted rape, fi rst-degree robbery and public lewdness.

Police said that on Sun., July 7, around 12:45 a.m., Bradley approached a 73-year-old woman in front of 11 Greenwich St., near Bowling Green in the Financial District, and demanded sex from her. The senior refused and Bradley then reportedly proceeded to punch her repeatedly in the face, seriously injuring her and knocking out some of her teeth.

The goon then took her bag containing $20 before fleeing.

The victim was removed in serious but stable condition to an area hospital to be treated for a broken eye socket, plus multiple cuts and bruising.

Two days before he was collared, police put out a notice for Bradley’s arrest, which included his name and identifying tattoos. According to police, he has “RIP JOE” on his right forearm, “OCT 11” on his torso, a mouth with a tongue sticking out on his arm, “CLARICE” on his left forearm and a red feather on his arm.

According to the criminal complaint, a police officer who checked surveillance video from the scene, said it showed Bradley with his penis exposed at the time of the incident.

Bradley reportedly subsequently told the officer that he was masturbating when he saw the victim, that he asked her the time, then punched her eight to 10 times and took her bag.

Ninth Precinct Avenue D fatal shooting A Crips gang member with a long trail of violence was gunned down outside the Lillian Wald Houses in the East Village early Saturday morning, police said.

On July 13, around 2:46 a.m., police responded to a 911 call for a male shot in the rear of 20 Avenue D, at E. Third St. Responding cops found a

4

July 18, 2019

Violent beau

COURTESY N.Y.P.D.

The alleged Union Square subway mugger.

35-year-old man in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the face.

E.M.S. transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.

On Saturday morning, a spokesperson said police were waiting for the victim’s family to be notified before they release his name publicly. Surveillance cameras were being checked for what they may have captured of the shooting and a possible suspect.

“It’s very early,” the spokesperson said. “Detectives are out there doing video canvass.”

As of Monday afternoon, police still were not releasing any more information about a possible suspect — but they did have some new details about the victim, who sported a lengthy rap sheet.

“The victim was a Crip — a gang member,” another police spokesperson said. “He does have a history of violence and weapons possession. He has 28 priors, consisting of assaults and robberies, among others.”

The victim was a male black, but other than that, the spokesperson did not provide further details about the man, including his name or where he lived. A motive for the shooting was not given, either.

COURTESY N.Y.P.D.

A photo of the alleged Times Square subway groper.

that on Sat., June 29, around 3 a.m., he woke up in his room in New York University’s Alumni Hall dorm, at 33 Third Ave., between E. Ninth and E. 10th Sts., to fi nd his cell phone and credit card missing.

A subsequent investigation determined that an unidentified male had made several unauthorized charges with the card at a New Jersey Walmart.

Police did not say where or how the man thought he might have lost his phone and wallet.

10th Precinct Times Square subway groping There was a subway groping incident inside the Times Square subway station on Sun., July 7, police said.

Around 1:50 p.m., a 31-year-old woman was walking through the station’s mezzanine, when a man grabbed her buttocks. The woman started to yell and the man fled in an unknown direction. Police released a surveillance image of the wanted man.

Card turns up at N.J. Walmart A 21-year-old student told police TVG

A domestic incident turned violent in front of 364 W. 18th St., at Ninth Ave., on Sun., July 14, police said. Around 9:50 p.m., a woman and her boyfriend were arguing, according to a witness, which escalated into a physical altercation. When the girlfriend was later interviewed, she told police that her boyfriend pushed her to the ground and strangled her, causing redness to her neck. She said the man continued to smack her while she was on the ground. The victim had cuts and bruises on her arms and left wrist. She also said that the man threw her phone against a wall, breaking it. She refused medical attention at the scene and at the 10th Precinct stationhouse.

Jonathan Clarke, 31, was arrested for criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor.

13th Precinct Union Square subway mugging There was a recent attack and mugging on a subway at Union Square, according to police.

On Mon., June 24, around 3:25 a.m., a 44-year-old man boarded a Downtown 6 train. Another man then punched and kicked him several times, before taking his wallet — which contained a credit card — before fleeing.

The victim suffered swelling to his left eye, but turned down medical attention at the scene.

Police released a surveillance image of the wanted man, who is described as 18 to 25 years old, wearing a yellow do-rag and dark clothing.

Gabe Herman and Lincoln Anderson Schneps Media

INJURED? WE WIN YOU $$$ CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Have you been seriously injured through a fault of another party? s #AR !CCIDENT s )NJURED AT WORK s 5NSAFE 3IDEWALK s -EDICAL MALPRACTICE s 0OLICE MISCONDUCT s #ONSTRUCTION !CCIDENT s 3LIP AND FALL h7E HAVE BEEN HELPING INJURED Serving All Boros PEOPLE GET COMPENSATED FOR Hablamos Espanol WRONGFUL INJURIES SINCE v OfямБce is Handicapped Accessible HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS No fee unless we recover RECOVERED FOR OUR CLIENTS Free Consultation

Piergrossi & Peterman wewinyoucash.com Schneps Media

844-300-6648 Call our TOLL FREE hotline for your complimentary consultation

TVG

July 18, 2019

5

Cyclists die-in, demand safe streets

BY GABE HERMAN

T

oo many cyclists are being killed on the streets, and to drive home the point that something needs to be done about it, hundreds of cyclists held a mass die-in in Washington Square Park on Tues., July 9.

Despite the push for increased street safety under the Vision Zero plan, there have been 15 cyclist deaths so far in the city in 2019, compared to seven at the same point in 2018, and 10 for all of last year.

“Ultimately, the balance of our streets should be tilted in favor of people — not the cars that clog our streets and hog our curbs,” wrote Ellen McDermott, co-interim executive director of Transportation Alternatives, on Streetsblog before the die-in. “Ever greater reclamation of street space is the answer — like we reclaimed Washington Square Park from the automobile six decades ago and never looked back.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio responded earlier this month to the growing number of cyclist fatalities.

“We are seeing a dangerous surge in cyclist deaths on our streets, and we are taking action,” the mayor said on July 1.

“I have directed the N.Y.P.D. to immediately launch a major enforcement action that will encompass every precinct and crack down on dangerous driving behavior like parking in bike lanes.

“At the same time,” the mayor continued, “I have charged the Department of Transportation with developing a new cyclist safety plan to make biking in our city safer. No loss of life on our streets is acceptable. Last year was the safest year on record — and we have to keep pushing the envelope and increasing our efforts until we achieve Vision Zero.”

The next day, the Police Department said a three-week-long citywide initiative from July 1 to July 21 would pay special attention to dangerous parking and moving violations, such as doubleparking, parking in or blocking bike lanes, and speeding, failure to yield and distracted driving, like using a phone while behind the wheel.

Patrol supervisors will also respond to incidents where cyclists or pedestrians have been struck to investigate whether a right-of-way law has been violated.

Auxiliary police officers also will be doing education outreach for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about safety tips, according to police.

Despite the promised crackdown, some cyclists have reported that police cars themselves have been part of the problem in recent years when it comes to blocking bike lanes. There is even a Twitter account devoted to the issue, called Cops in Bike Lanes, which was started in 2013.

“The N.Y.P.D. will work with all of

6

July 18, 2019

PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

C yclists held a die-in at Washington Square Park on July 9.

PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

A protester lay on top of a yellow cab near the die-in on July 9.

our city partners to implement a comprehensive plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate bicycle fatalities,” said

Police Commissioner James O’Neill when the mayor’s July initiative was announced. “The N.Y.P.D. vigorously

TVG

supports Vision Zero, and enthusiastically promotes safety for everyone on our city’s streets.”

Schneps Media

MORE BENEFITS

-%* "!+ !$ 3 , %'6 $ + 5%) ! ' $ *"" ! ! -%* # - 7* "! - %' ) , ' & % /0 4 ' * ) &" $ ) ( &" $ ) ) %; '( #%' 5 $ 9)( ) $ 4'! !$ " ! ' !$ "* !$ 2 +% %

& )% 0 11 !$ ' !)( )% 5*- ") ' " ) !) #( -%* # - $ & % 2

0 )%, ' $) " ( '+! ( + 0 $ & )% 1 %$ , - '! ( + '- - ' ' % 2

$$* " 8 # $ 0 ' !) + '- - '( %' '!$ +! (

(. 2 -

/ 1 . . / - 3 % /

# !" # ++ " # : & # "% " )!# -( , 6

,'%% // ) / " $( ' !$(*' ) '%* $!) ") ' $(*' $ %#& $- %' %$ % !)( /"! ) %#& $! ( ! ' + $) %' $!. )!%$ ,!) ! ' %$)' ) $ %$)' ) ,!) ) ) ) ! ! '% ' # $'%""# $) !$ ) &" $ & $ ( %$ ) &" $ ( %$)' ) ' $ , " ,!) ! '

Schneps Media

TVG

July 18, 2019

7

Obituary

Poet Steve Cannon, 84, of Gathering of Tribes

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

P

oet Steve Cannon, the legendary founder of the East Village’s A Gathering of the Tribes, died at 2 a.m. on Sun., July 7. He was 84.

Cannon was rehabbing from a broken hip at the VillageCare Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, at 214 W. Houston St., across from the Film Forum. He had fallen and broken his hip in his East Village home on June 12, after which he had surgery at the Veterans Affairs Hospital on E. 23rd St. and First Ave. He transferred to VillageCare on Sat., June 29, according to poet and friend Melanie Maria Goodreaux.

Goodreaux said Cannon went to the V.A. for surgery because he was a former paratrooper. She had seen him the Tuesday before he died.

“He said he was bored in the hospital and he was really looking forward to going home,” she said. “He was still talking, still laughing, and we were still talking about art.

“He was there to rehab his hip,” she said. “He had to learn to stand and walk around. He was going to be in rehab about a month.”

But three days before he died, his condition took a turn for the worse. Cannon was sent to the intensive-care unit at the V.A. Hospital Saturday night. Among those at his bedside in his last hours were his daughter Melanie Best and poets Bob Holman and Chavisa Woods. Also there during the final week were poet Steve Dalachinsky and artist/writer Yuko Otomo.

According to those with him in his final days, Cannon apparently had an abscess that burst. Indeed, Woods, who was with Cannon in the ambulance to the I.C.U., said she believes the cause of death was septic shock.

East Village performance artist David Leslie said Cannon had been suffering from a bed sore when he recently visited.

“He had a cyst or some sort of abscess,” he said. “He said he had gotten like a bed sore on his ass, which needed to be cleaned up.”

Leslie said that he had, by coincidence, been visiting Cannon with some friends just about 40 hours before his death.

Cannon had been sleeping, and so he woke him up.

“Steve seemed perfectly fine. He was joking and in good spirits,” he said, “and the next thing I heard, he had died.”

But Goodreaux said, although people are saying sepsis, she thinks it was simply Cannon’s age combined with the serious hip injury.

“If he wasn’t blind, they probably would have let him out by now,” Leslie added. “People get out with a broken hip.

But you wouldn’t want a blind person stumbling around with a broken hip.”

8

July 18, 2019

Steve days.

Cannon

in

his

younger PHOTO BY SARAH FERGUSON

Steve Cannon at the finale of A Gathering of the Tribes in its former space on E. Third St. in 2014.

Cannon went blind from glaucoma in the late 1980s.

He was born in New Orleans, the youngest of 12 or 13 children, and raised by his grandparents. He moved to New York City in the early 1960s. Early on, he collaborated with black artistic luminaries novelist Ishmael Reed and artist David Hammons.

In 1990, Cannon created the East Village/Lower East Side literary magazine A Gathering of the Tribes, and soon afterward turned his East Village home into the Tribes literary salon and art gallery.

In 2014, Cannon was forced to vacate the space, though he had thought he had an agreement to live there until he died.

“It’s the end of an era,” said Holman, the founder of the Bowery Poetry Club.

“The Gathering of the Tribes was just that, where all artists were welcomed under one roof. He embodied the generosity of art. Artists who were doing it, or artists who didn’t know they were artists. There was an ever-welcome mat at Steve’s doorstep. His was the ‘In’ that always had room. The loss is incalculable.

“And now we’re in the new New York, which seems to be looking everywhere — technology, globally — but is missing the human contact, which is what Steve saw everywhere. He was the ‘Great Connector’ — the person at the center of the tribes.”

Holman said that even in his final years, in his Habitat for Humanity apartment on Avenue D, Cannon’s place remained a gathering spot.

“There was a constant stream of visitors,” he said. “The door was unlocked, as it had been on Third St. There was always someone there.”

It was East Village journalist Sarah Ferguson who found Cannon that apartment after he lost Tribes, Holman noted.

Similarly, Woods said, “He was magnetic, magnanimous. He created the most open space I’ve ever participated in — for better and for worse. He was expansive, warm, explosive, energetic, eccentric and strange. He really believed in the mis-

sion of bringing people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives together for the purpose of creating art and community. And sometimes it was really messy and sometimes it was spectacular.”

Cannon was known for his tough love toward young poets.

Poet/playwright Liza Jessie Peterson posted a fond recollection on Facebook of Cannon at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe shouting at young poets to dispense with the introductions and explanations of their work and “Just read the damn poem!”

“He was definitely a guide. He gave counsel,” Peterson said. “He was just on the surface like that — really mean, a strict teacher. But he brought out the best in you. He was tough, he wasn’t mean.

He just raised the standard. He gave us, like backbone, courage, to get up there and just, ‘Read the goddamn poem!’ …

He would just scream it.”

Sitting at the corner of the bar, Cannon was the toughest critic in the place.

“It was like Steve’s sacred spot at the bar,” she recalled. “This was in the ’90s, you could still smoke inside. He was just this Lower East Side cat. He just had a keen ear. When you’re blind, it heightens the other senses. He didn’t want no bull crap: Just get up on that microphone.”

Today a playwright and actress, Peterson has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for her acting in her play “The Peculiar Patriot.”

Goodreaux noted she knew Cannon for 27 years, ever since arriving in the city.

“When I moved to New York in the late ’90s, I would read the newspaper to him in the morning, and his e-mails and books,” she recalled. “Not just me — many, many people read to him.”

This January, Cannon published a book of Goodreaux’s poems, “Black Jelly,” and Goodreaux said his impact as an independent publisher must be acknowlTVG

edged.

“I think he’s one of the most important publishers in the history of the city,” she stated.

On top of that, Cannon was always simply encouraging people to write and hone their chops.

“If we went to a movie, he’d say, ‘Write a review of it, put it up on a Web site,'” she said. “He was constantly pushing people to write. He wanted to educate people and he wanted them to understand the importance of being an artist. But he was also down to earth.

“He went to every play I ever had,” she recalled. “He was constantly hungry for art.”

Woods, who worked for Cannon for seven years and said he was her longtime mentor, is the author of four books, including “Things To Do When You’re a Goth in the Country.” She said she would often read entire books for him in one sitting, sometimes lasting up to eight hours.

Afterward, they would discuss them, and he would talk about the authors’ writing and share anecdotes if he knew them personally.

Holman noted that one thing Cannon regularly had read to him was The Villager newspaper, of which he was a fan.

“It was his newspaper,” he said. “The Villager was a regular part of his literary diet, for sure. That and The New York Times, the London Review of Books. He was a true intellectual, an intellectual of the people.”

Cannon was married twice. His son from his first marriage died in his teens from hemophilia. Cannon was the adoptive father of five daughters from his second marriage to the late poet Zoe Angelsey. He has at least two sisters living in New Orleans.

A memorial was held last Sunday at Bowery Poetry Club. Friends said they are working with the family to plan another memorial later, possibly in the fall.

Schneps Media

Board 5 O.K.’s new protected bike lane

by Port Authority

COURTESY NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

A photo of existing conditions on Eighth Ave. between 42nd and 43rd Sts., which features a wide sidewalk and protected bike lane. The configuration on this block is, for the most par t, what D.O.T. is proposing for the sevenblock stretch between 38th to 45th Sts.

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

T

he Department of Transportation’s proposed Eighth Ave. protected bike lane and sidewalk extension from 38th St. to 45th St. has been approved by Community Board 5.

According to D.O.T., the plan is to paint 10-footwide sidewalk extensions along the avenue and create a northbound protected bike lane separated by a series of plastic bollards. Three feet of buffer space to the east of the bike lane would further protect cyclists from traffic. The traffic lane to the immediate right of the buffer space would be an alternating taxi lane and left-hand turn lane at 39th St., 41st and 43rd St. Sts. The proposed plan would also extend metered parking until midnight along the avenue between 38th and 45th Sts., with vehicles allowed to use parking spaces for five-hour intervals.

Outside of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, at 41st and 42nd Sts., the scheme changes a bit, with D.O.T. planning on creating a taxi boarding island to the east of a curbside bike lane and painted sidewalk. In other words, along this stretch, the bike lane and pedestrian space would flip, so that the taxi boarding area would be the one adjacent to motor-vehicle traffic.

According to the community board’s resolution, D.O.T. found that only 25 percent of taxi pickups at the Port Authority Bus Terminal use the existing curbside taxi stand. The plan also proposes banning lefthand turns at 42nd St. and consolidating M20 bus stops at 39th and 41st Sts. In its resolution, C.B. 5 insisted that the Police Department minimize the number of concrete barriers it installs and instead use plastic bollards whenever necessary, so as not to impede safety but also to maximize pedestrian space. The board also called on D.O.T. to return to the community board after the creation of the bike lane and extended sidewalk with data on the number of cars and bicycles using the section of Eighth Ave. with the new bike lane section.

The resolution notes that some community board members are concerned about dangerous cycling activity, in general, throughout the borough. Since the beginning of this year, 15 cyclists have died on the city’s streets.

C.B. 4 is slatted to vote on the proposed plan at its next full-board meeting on July 24.

Schneps Media

2.25

necb.com

NECB SUPER SAVER

% APY*

F U L LY L I Q U I D FDIC INSURED GUARANTEED RATE THROUGH 12/31/2019

OFFICES NEAR YOU: Chelsea: 242 West 23RD 3T s 4 Lenox Hill 34 !VE s 4 Fordham (Little Italy) % 4( 3T s 4 -ON 4HURS &RI 3AT 3UN CLOSED &ORDHAM 3AT FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF LOCATIONS AND HOURS, GO TO NECB.COM * NECB Super Statement Savings: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective as of June 24, 2019, and is subject to change without notice. $1,000 minimum balance to open the account. $1.00 minimum balance required to obtain stated APY. New money only. Minimum daily balance to earn the Annual Percentage Yield is $0.01. Fees may reduce the earnings on this account. No maximum deposit limit. Interest rate may convert to prevailing Statement Savings interest rate after December 31, 2019. This is a limited time offer and may be withdrawn at any time. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal.

necb.com TVG

July 18, 2019

9

Join us at the Google NYC Learning Center Register online for free classes and workshops to help you grow your skills, career, or business.

111 8th Ave Open Monday through Saturday g.co/GrowNYC

10

July 18, 2019

TVG

Schneps Media

Digesting the loss of The Coffee Shop

Our Perspective

For Retail Workers, Difficult Times in a Seemingly Strong Economy

BY MICAEL A MACAGNONE

T

he Coffee Shop, the BrazilianAmerican diner, was a Union Square staple and a second home for models. After being open 28 years, it closed last October.

Forbes reported that Coffee Shop was one of the 100 highest grossing independent restaurants in the U.S. in 2017, raking in roughly $14.3 million in annual sales. Even so, the chic eatery was not able to break even.

Charles Milite, Coffee Shop’s co-owner and president, told Forbes that rent ate up 27 percent of the place’s gross revenue.

Plus, he said, the $2-per-hour minimum wage hike that was set to take place last December would have added $46,000 to the restaurant’s monthly payroll, or more than half a million dollars a year.

“When a restaurant is one of the topranked restaurants in America, saleswise, and can no longer afford to operate, you have to look at that and say there’s a shifting paradigm in the business,” he told Forbes.

Some part of the former Coffee Shop space will now become a Chase bank branch. An application for the bank was approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury on June 4, Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York blog first reported.

Andrew Rigie, director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, described Coffee Shop as an iconic New York City restaurant whose closure is another example of the city’s expensive and complicated regulatory environment. He stressed that systems that protect small businesses, like the restaurant-industry tip credit — which allows restaurants to pay $10 an hour if employees’ tips meet or exceed minimum wage — must be preserved.

Rigie said eliminating the tip credit would be an enormous financial burden for small businesses on top of their normal operating costs.

Rigie added that Mayor de Blasio’s recent push for two weeks’ paid time off for employees, “on top of the already existent one week paid time off,” should not move forward.

“De Blasio should be figuring out how to support our small businesses, not how to make it harder for them to survive,” he said.

Rigie added, if people view two weeks’ paid time off as a moral imperative, then the city should subsidize it.

“We cannot address large societal issues on the backs of small business owners,” he emphasized. “Vacant storefronts and big chains are unrecognizable from what New Yorkers love.”

Rigie’s NYC Hospitality Alliance represents restaurants and nightlife venues throughout the five boroughs. He said he would love to see another local restauSchneps Media

By Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW Twitter: @sappelbaum hile the economy seems to be doing well, and retail companies, their CEOs, and their stockholders seem to be doing well, there’s a group that’s in danger of being left behind; retail workers, many of whom find daily life a struggle to not only advance, but to survive.

And that’s wrong, because traditional retail is still a strong and growing sector of our economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the retail industry continues to be one of the largest employment sectors in the U.S. and is projected to add half a million jobs through 2026. And while ecommerce is having an impact on brick and mortar retail, it still makes up less than 10 percent of total retail sales in the U.S. Traditional retail is still the dominant player today in the retail industry.

Unfortunately, retail workers have not benefited from growth in the industry, just like most working Americans haven’t seen any of the benefits of a supposedly strong economy. The median annual wage for a retail cashier stands at just over $22,000, and for a retail salesperson at just over $24,000. The Federal Poverty Level for a family of four hoovers at around $25,000.

Besides chronically low wages, especially for non-union retail employees, retail workers face a number of challenges that can make life a daily struggle of frustration. Scheduling issues abound, with many workers struggling with insufficient and inconsistent hours. The practice of “clopenings” – where workers are scheduled for late night shifts followed by early morning opening shifts – can wreak havoc with workers’ lives.

Harassment and inappropriate treatment by customers and supervisors is an issue for many retail workers, who are predominantly female.

E-commerce also presents challenges for retail workers, even while traditional retail remains strong. Stores often encourage customers to shop online, even while they are in the store, which can cost employees valuable time and commission pay. Customers will order products online, find they don’t fit or just don’t like them, and return them at brick and mortar stores, where employees have to process returns instead of making commission sales on the floor.

Above all, retail workers in the U.S. are getting fed up of being treated like commodities and having no say in their schedules, pay, and treatment.

That’s why over the past decade, many have sought union membership. In New York, workers at H&M and Zara have joined the RWDSU, negotiating strong contracts that give them the representation they need to help build better lives with their jobs. Longtime RWDSU members at retail stalwarts like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Modell’s have continued to negotiate good contracts that are helping adapt to the new realities of the marketplace and the competition and challenges brought upon by e-commerce.

There are almost 16 million retail workers in the U.S., and they are an important part of our communities, neighborhoods, and our economy. And while the retail industry is working for CEOs and stockholders, it isn’t working for many of the retail workers whose efforts are the underpinnings of an industry that continues to grow. For our economy to be truly strong, that needs to change.

W

PHOTO BY GOOGLE

After nearly three decades in business on Union Square West, The Coffee Shop closed last October.

rant in the Coffee Shop space, because that is what makes New York special and gives us our culture. He said while a Chase bank is great if you want to deposit money, it will never replace the culture created by New York businesses, like restaurants and nightlife.

Gail Fox, former co-chairperson of the Union Square Community Coalition, said she was disappointed by Coffee Shop’s closing, yet was not viewing its demise “so broadly.” She noted the place closed, in part, because one of the owners was moving out of the city. Asked if she saw the loss of the hot spot as part of a larger trend, she said no since it was not solely an issue of rent and there have been many restaurants that have “moved on” from the still “vibrant” Union Square community.

That said, she hopes the Chase bank is small — an ATM would be enough for her — and that the space remains a food business, like a small food court.

“You were surrounded by aspiring actresses and models,” Fox recalled fondly of Coffee Shop. “The owners were most gracious to the community. And the food was the kind that would make you want to stop in.”

She hopes that what enters the space lends itself to the community in the same way Coffee Shop did.

Jennifer Falk, head of the Union Square Partnership Business Improvement District, declined to comment on the Coffee Shop space. A BID rep sent a list of new businesses in the neighborhood, and cited the BID’s Q2 Biz and Broker report: “The BID’s ground-floor retail vacancy rate remains one of the lowest anywhere in New York City, at just 4 percent at the beginning of the second quarter of 2019.”

www.rwdsu.org TVG

July 18, 2019

11

Editorial

Sharing the city streets With the recent tragic spate of cyclists’ deaths, once again the city’s bike culture — and its car and truck culture, as well — are under the spotlight, as we all try to figure out what must be done to make our city safe and livable for all.

After the most recent cyclist’s death, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a three-week enforcement blitz, including cracking down on vehicles parked in bike lanes. Obviously, blocking bike lanes and double-parking create dangerous conditions, forcing cyclists to veer out into car traffic. This kind of enforcement is long overdue.

But a few weeks’ focus is not enough: This problem needs constant monitoring.

Meanwhile, sadly, in some cases, cyclists who were killed were somewhat at fault for making bad moves — such as riding off a curb into traffic or veering out of a crowded bike lane and into heavy-duty vehicle traffic.

Admittedly, New York City’s bike lanes can be pretty narrow. Not everyone rides with the speed and skill of a bike messenger. Yes, it can be frustrating to be stuck behind a clump of slow cyclists when you want — or need, perhaps because it’s your job — to go faster. It all happens so fast on the streets: One false move…

Even for expert riders, it is still a dangerous city for cycling.

Ideally, the city’s bike lanes are widened. That would be a start, and would help ensure that more cyclists, for their own good, stay in the protected lanes.

At the same time, there’s a lot of talk — and critical op-eds being penned — arguing that New York City is “not Europe,” has bigger streets, faster and meaner traffic, and that we will never have a Continental bike culture here. In other words, Gotham will never be a bike nirvana like Copenhagen. Frankly, that’s nonsense.

If we have proper bike infrastructure and if both drivers and cyclists are educated about street conditions and show respect for each other, it will work.

One thing that is not constructive, however, is the level of hostility and intensity involved right now. Bike activists proclaim that every time a new bike lane is blocked, it means climate extinction is just one step closer. Meanwhile, many local residents — such as in the Village and Chelsea, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side — complain too many cyclists are rogue riders, with no consideration of pedestrians or the rules of the road. Many older New Yorkers, especially, whose reflexes, quickness and balance are diminished, dread the thought of cyclists bearing down on them. One bad fall can be a death sentence for a fragile senior.

And let’s face it. We all know what’s causing all the traffic in our city. It’s not the bike lanes. It’s all the app-hail cars, the Ubers, Lyfts, etc.

The younger generation wants a bike-friendly city, and, no question, we are heading that way. If we all tone down the intolerance, we might reach some solutions on how to get there, while also making the streets safer for everyone.

THE OPENING OF THE TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK CHILDREN’S GARDEN IN 1934. (NYC PARKS ARCHIVE)

A children’s garden opened in Tompkins Square Park in the spring of 1934. This photo is from an opening ceremony that was performed that April.

STORY: “14th St. bus-plan rollout rejected, again” (posted on thevillager.com, 7/5/19) SUMMARY: The city Department of Transportation — not taking a long weekend after July 4 — went to court Fri., July 5, trying to get a judge to lift a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the city’s “busway” plan for 14th St. But the judge said the situation was not an emergency, plus did not want to create a “ping-pong effect” by lifting the recently enacted T.R.O., which remains in effect until at least Aug. 6.

Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and Manhattan Express PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER CEO & CO-PUBLISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF REPORTER CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTORS ADVERTISING

CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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 others errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

Published by Schneps Media One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (718) 260-2500 Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.thevillager.com E-mail: news@thevillager.com © 2019 Schneps Media

12

July 18, 2019

VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS LINCOLN ANDERSON GABE HERMAN MICHELE HERMAN BOB KRASNER TEQUILA MINSKY MARY REINHOLZ PAUL SCHINDLER JOHN NAPOLI MARCOS RAMOS CLIFFORD LUSTER (718) 260-2504 CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM MARVIN ROCK GAYLE GREENBURG JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO ELIZABETH POLLY

REACH: 603 as of 7/16/19

Member of the New York Press Association

Member of the National Newspaper Association

Member of the Minority Women Business Enterprise

TVG

Schneps Media

Op-Ed

Gansevoort needs nature and a field

BY LYNN PACIFICO

W

hen our mothers told us to go out and play, they might have just wanted us out of the house. But we benefitted from those afternoons in the park — in more ways than we imagined. Science is proving the staggering benefits of spending time in nature for all of us, but especially for children.

But West Village children can actually get a ticket for climbing a tree in the Hudson River Park. This area is lacking a real park, not a manicured garden parkway but a natural area, in which all children, including those who play league sports, can climb a tree and appreciate the wonder and magic of nature.

We have the chance to do this with Gansevoort Peninsula.

What makes the peninsula so special is that it is land — albeit, landfill — as opposed to the piers in our waterfront park.

This is especially important in Downtown Manhattan where we have so little park and open space. Here we cover our fields with plastic and our new “pocket” parks are being fitted with synthetic turf instead of grass, damaging not only to our ecosystem but also to us and our children.

To turf any part of Gansevoort would be a crime against nature and a missed opportunity for our community. Humans are a part of nature — something we forget. Our time on the ground is made even more valuable considering most New Yorkers live in the air.

We need at least one natural area in the West Village with native trees, wild flowers, bushes, grasses and weeds. (Weeds feed migrating wildlife, and should be allowed to grow where possible.) A nature trail winding through healthy, climbable trees and tall pines with picnic benches under shade trees would be a wonderful respite from the dry, concrete, brickand-asphalt of our active “denser by the day” city.

A get-down to the water where small boats could be launched would promote water activities and provide a meeting place for boaters.

We also need a sandlot multiuse field since there is none for our community after we lost JJ Walker field 20 years ago. If the Gansevoort field is turfed, the majority of our community will be locked out — again. A multiuse field is needed for people who want to play catch, Frisbee, make snow people or run their dogs during “off leash” hours, etc.

Off-leash hours have been amazingly successful where permitted, mainly in large city parks, but we have smaller parks south of Central Park. The entire city enjoys morning and evening off-leash hours except for Downtown Manhattanites.

Lately, it has become popular to say it’s unsanitary for children to play where dogs play. But, realistically, these are the same pets that sleep in the beds of their owners — adults and children alike — and which are kissed and loved intimately as family members. Having a dog has proven to be healthy on all levels, as well as aiding the prevention of childhood developed allergies. Our ancestors lived with their animals for millennia before disinfectant wipes.

Once, Gansevoort was the western end of a Native American trail. Back then, the area was used for fishing and planting, but I am sure that folks relaxed and played there, too.

At the new Gansevoort park’s opening ceremony, it would be fitting for the peninsula to be blessed by Lenape tribe members. They could rededicate it to nature — and the “wild,” natural part of it could be regiven its last Lenape name: Sapohanikan.

Pacifico is president, Dog Owners Action Committee

Schneps Media

Letters to the Editor Bone-nanza for tours

Hitting the wall

To The Editor: Re “Bones to be reburied in Washington Square Park” (news article, July 11): This is dignified, and it makes me proud. Thank you, Community Board 2, for your resolution that says the community board “looks forward to consideration of additional narrative markers which might elaborate on the rich history of the park.”

I hope these markers are illustrated and include information about the area’s Native American heritage.

Jared Goldstein Goldstein is owner, Jared The NYC Tour Guide

Feeling the Pride again!

To The Editor: Re “Alterna March reboots to Pride roots” (news article, July 11): This! This is what I used to go to when attending a Pride parade! Love this! Thank you for publishing.

Kelli Anne Busey

Losing pride in Pride To The Editor: Re “The problem with Pride” (Guest Editorial, by Elissa Stein, July 4): We’ve just banned billboards on barges on our rivers.

Let’s stop letting commercial groups use our L.G.B.T. and ethnic parades as an advertising medium. If they really want to support the groups staging the parades, let them hold up a banner on the sidelines or get listed in a program for the event. But taking up all that space and time with their tacky walking and squawking ads is intolerable and stretched this “Pride” parade into a 12½hour ordeal.

My first Christopher St. Liberation Day march was in 1974 and it was joyous and I have attended every one since until this year. In time, however, the march turned into this unrecognizable parade to nowhere.

TVG

PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

At the Queer Liberation March, John Kelly, spor ting a Howl! Happening galler y T-shir t, held a sign for Marsha P. Johnson, the legendar y Greenwich Village gay-liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Johnson was a prominent figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.

Time for the city to set limits on commercial exploitation of these events. Thank goodness for Reclaim Pride — a true commemoration of the Stonewall Rebellion.

Andrew Humm

Rave review for Reinholz To The Editor: Re “Wolff dishes more (alleged) Trump dirt” (arts article, July 4): Mary Reinholz’s superb writing style, plus her excellent research into the facts, make this a nuanced, informative and thought-provoking read.

Kudos to you for having such an outstanding journalist contributing to your paper.

To The Editor: Re “Just say No to East Side Resiliency Plan; I did” (op-ed,

by Paul DiRienzo, July 4): Great to see someone reporting on and taking a stand with their positions about the city’s plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan. Regarding Gouverneur Gardens, I wanted to just clarify a couple of quick things.

In his column, Paul DiRienzo writes: “Gouverneur Gardens would have to cede land along Montgomery St. for a wall that the Mitchell-Lama co-op building would then apparently have to care for and insure.

The wall’s ability to protect the E.S.C.R.P. from nature’s flanking maneuver isn’t a sure thing.”

My current understanding is that we won’t be giving up our land, but rather ceding access to the city to our property for their floodwall system. In our case, the floodwall would be on the public sidewalk adjacent to our property. Never have we been told that we would have to care for the wall, and we certainly wouldn’t agree to that.

One of our biggest concerns, however, is liability. But I don’t believe we are being asked to cover any insurance for the floodwall along our area.

Your comment about the wall’s ability to protect us all is duly noted and will remain a concern we seek to address.

Thanks for your continued care on this very important issue — and especially for taking the time to highlight Gouverneur’s role and concerns within all this. It’s much appreciated.

Frank Avila-Goldman

E-mail letters, maximum 250 words, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-2292790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 MetroTech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

Janet Wolfe

July 18, 2019

13

Village paramedics saved his life

BY GABE HERMAN

L

enox Health Greenwich Village came in for some mixed reviews at a Community Board 2 public forum in May about the stand-alone emergency department. But one grateful patient recently thanked paramedics from the facility for saving his life.

After Sam Swartz’s heart stopped on a scary day in 2018, two paramedics were able to shock him back to life while they were transporting him to Lenox Health Greenwich Village, at Seventh Ave. and W. 12th St. Swartz was one of six patients to thank Northwell Health E.M.S. first responders at a Northwell Health Second Chance Luncheon on May 22 at the company’s corporate headquarters in New Hyde Park, Long Island.

Swartz thanked paramedics Sonny Hodge and Christopher Foote, saying that he felt “very, very lucky to have had this crew that day.” He added of the paramedic pair, who brought him into the cardiac catheterization lab for a procedure once they reached Lenox Health, “I felt like we were all on the same team that day: We were all on team ‘me.’”

Swartz has had three separate cardiac-related issues.

“One day, I’ll figure out how I survived these events. But I know I couldn’t have done it without you,” he told the paramedics.

COURTESY NORTHWELL HEALTH

Sam Swar tz with life-saving paramedic s Sonny Hedge, left, and Christopher Foote.

Lenox Health Greenwich Village opened five years ago at 30 Seventh Ave., between W. 12th and 13th Sts., across the street from the former St. Vincent’s Hospital main campus. The hospital closed in 2010.

The C.B. 2 Social Services Committee held a forum two months ago to get community feedback

on the now five-year-old freestanding emergency department’s performance. Some local residents at the forum described good experiences at the facility, including with doctors and staff. Others, however, voiced strong dissatisfaction on issues like long waiting times to receive care and unexpectedly costly bills.

Celebrate With Us! YEARS for US

$

for

YOU

To qualify for the $90 bonus, you must open a Flushing Bank Complete Checking account1 during our celebration month of July, an opening balance of $1,000 is required with an average balance of $1,000 or more each month through October 2019.

Plus, get up to $200 when you open a new Complete Checking account and complete the required activities2. For more information, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 (855.540.2274 TTY/TDD) or visit www.FlushingBank.com.

Small enough to know you.

Large enough to help you.® 1 Effective June 3, 2019 through July 31, 2019. New Complete Checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. A new checking account is defined as any new checking account that does not have any authorized signatures in common with any other existing Flushing Bank checking account(s). An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. The minimum opening balance required for Complete Checking is $25, but a minimum opening balance of $1,000 is required in this account to qualify for the respective advertised bonus. The new account must remain open, active, and in good standing through October 31, 2019 with an average balance of $1,000 or more each month. One $90 bonus per new Complete Checking customer which will be credited to the qualifying Complete Checking account in November 2019. A 1099 statement for the bonus value will be issued. The promotion and offer are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. 2 This offer is limited to one Complete Checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking account is $25. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit – You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Bill-payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time.

Flushing Bank is a registered trademark

14

July 18, 2019

TVG

Schneps Media

The 14th Republic; bank opens NYC branch

PHOTO BY JILLIAN NELSON

Gristedes supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis, center, and fellow VIP’s showed a united front of optimism at the pre-grand opening reception for the new Republic Bank branch at 14th St. and Fifth Ave.

Republic Bank and its founder, Vernon Hill — and his valued associate Duffy — held a VIP reception at 90 Fifth Ave. on July 10, two days before the grand opening of the bank’s new branch at 14th St. and Fifth Ave. This is Republic’s 28th location in the U.S.,

and its first in New York City. Hill, the current chairman of Republic Bank, was the founder of Commerce Bank, which was sold to TD Bank. The new Republic 14th St. location reoccupies the former space of a Commerce Bank branch that opened in 2003.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN NELSON

Republic’s Vernon Hill and Duff y were totally loving this one: a $1 million deposit from former mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis. Not pictured behind jumbo-sized check: Duff y wagging his tail like craz y.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN NELSON

You can take that one to the bank! Republic employees swear on the Bible of Vernon Hill, who writes that patrons should be more than mere customers: If a business is doing it right, Hill holds, they should be fans.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN NELSON

The man of the hour, Republic Bank founder Vernon Hill, and the star of the evening, Republic’s mascot, Duff y.

Schneps Media

TVG

July 18, 2019

15

Save our pavement! Tompkins skaters cry

BY GABE HERMAN

L

ocal skateboarders are pushing back against a Parks Department move to lay down synthetic turf in a corner of Tompkins Square Park that has been popular with skateboarders going back three decades.

The planned upcoming East Side Coastal Resiliency Project would close East River Park for three-and-a-half years while 8 to 9 feet of dirt is piled up there to protect against flooding.

Meanwhile, to compensate for that park going offline, the Parks Department intends to make alterations to other nearby parks to provide supplemental green space.

But despite Parks calling these modifications “improvements,” the idea of turfing over the northwest corner of Tompkins Square Park has sparked a major protest campaign from the “skating” community.

Tompkins is one of five sites slated to get the new synthetic turf, to accommodate many of the hundreds of baseball and softball players who currently play in East River Park, according to Parks.

“The decision to install turf in the designated location in Tompkins Square Park in 2020 wasn’t made lightly,” said Crystal Howard, a Parks spokesperson. “It is part of neighborhood-wide enhancements being made to provide

16

July 18, 2019

INSTAGRAM/EXTINCTMFG

The #savetompkins hashtag has become popular on Instagram. Ex tinct MFG Co., a local skate brand, posted this photo of Tompkins Square skateboarders and asked people to sign the online petition.

supplemental recreational space for the

“The reconstruction at East River Park is a $1.45-billion flood-protection and park-improvement project that responds to the severe threats posed by climate change,” Howard added, “and will provide much-needed flood protection for 110,000 New Yorkers in this area.”

She noted that the plans were presented at community board meetings and open houses.

But the skateboarding community wasn’t consulted, according to local skater Adam Zhu, who started an online petition to save the asphalt. The petition has garnered more than 21,000 signatures so far.

“Once I learned the grass was going there,” Zhu said, “I felt it would destroy the DNA and culture of the neighborhood, and exclude and displace the skateboarders, who are an important part of the community.”

Zhu, 22, said he grew up skateboarding in the park and has now been doing it there for more than 10 years.

“It’s my home,” he said. “It’s the place that I consider extremely important to the identity of the neighborhood.”

Zhu and two friends started the hashtag #savetompkins, and asked people to share it and send it to city officials, as a way to focus the voices of the plan’s opponents. The response to the Twitter campaign was so great, Zhu decided to start the petition at Change.org.

Some of the petition signers have also posted comments of support.

“Tompkins needs to remain the same,” wrote William Strobeck. “Generation after generation it has been a melting pot for all types of artists.”

“This is a great skate spot and skate-

community writ large during the reconstruction of East River Park.

TVG

boarding kept me out of trouble as a kid,” wrote Sean Okonsky.

The outpouring of support on the online campaign and petition was not surprising to Zhu. “That’s how important the park is to so many people, and how culturally important the park is,” he said.

Other park users, like softball and hockey players, had their interests heard, said Zhu, who noted that those groups pay for permits. He said the hockey people were asked about supporting the skaters’ cause, but they declined and said Parks had already contacted them concerning a compromise plan for their area of the blacktop.

The impressive online campaign, along with media coverage, does seem to have produced some progress, though. Zhu said that on Tues., July 9, he and other locals met with a group from Parks, including Bill Castro, the department’s Manhattan borough commissioner.

The meeting was held in the Tompkins Square Library basement, Zhu said. The Parks officials told them they were trying to prioritize the needs of youth leagues that are facing being displaced from East River Park.

In response, Zhu said he made it clear that the skaters moving someplace else, away from the Tompkins spot, was unacceptable.

“Its cultural and historical significance can’t be replaced; it doesn’t work that way,” Zhu told this paper about the Tompkins location.

Even moving to another spot within the park is not an option, as far as the skaters are concerned.

“There’s another basketball court in Tompkins and no one skates there,” Zhu stated. “It doesn’t hold the same history.”

Zhu stressed that skateboarding is very site-specific, involving factors like the smoothness of the ground and the surrounding environment.

“There’s something about this place that people keep coming back,” he said of the longtime Tompkins “skaters’ corner.”

Although bigger skate parks have been built in the city, Zhu claimed they aren’t as approachable and comfortable as Tompkins. He said the East Village park is a place for marginalized people to come, and is open to all people. He added that the number of girls skateboarding is now on the rise, but that they feel less comfortable in big skate parks versus the more approachable Tompkins spot.

The Parks reps at the July 9 meeting said they understood the skaters’ concerns and felt optimistic a solution could be found, according to Zhu. “I definitely left the meeting feeling hopeful,” he said. He added that the Parks group said they would be in touch again early next week.

Schneps Media

Free checking that’s really free.

No monthly fees, and no minimum balance required.

Carlson F., Member Services Representative

BETHPAGE FREE CHECKING Visit our Chelsea branch at 111 West 26th Street, call 855-248-0050, or visit lovebethpage.com/checking.

Refer a friend to open a Free Checking Account, and receive $25 in your account!†

Everyone can bank at Bethpage.∞ † This “Refer a Friend“ promotion is open to all members with a Bethpage Free Checking account who refer a friend or family member to Bethpage and whose friend or family member opens a Bethpage Free Checking account. The “Refer a Friend” promotion may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice. “Refer a Friend” promotional payments will be deposited into the member’s account only after the member’s referred friend or family member opens a Bethpage Free Checking account. The deposited “Refer a Friend” promotional payment is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. A member is limited to 10 referrals per year, for a total promotional payment of $250 per year. Membership requires a $5 minimum share account. ∞Membership requires a $5 minimum share account.

Schneps Media

TVG

July 18, 2019

17

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

“Training Poses,” by Sam Lavigne, lets visitors interact with machine learning.

Shed opens door for emerging artists

BY GABE HERMAN

T

he Shed is the newly established arts and cultural center in Hudson Yards, and a new program there gives a platform to local artists trying to establish themselves in the art world.

Open Call, as the program is known, features a variety of disciplines, including digital media, sculpture and dance. The lineup currently features 52 New York City-based artists and collectives selected from more than 900 proposals.

Open Call is split into three groups this year.

Group One ran from May 30 to July 6. Group Two, which began June 19, is currently running through Aug. 25 in a big gallery space in the Shed’s building, at W. 30th St. and 11th Ave. Group Three will have performances from Aug. 9 to Aug. 25 in the Shed’s open-air plaza, when the roof will be retracted.

The current Group Two exhibit boasts 22 works in a large gallery space. Many media are represented in the works, which express a wide variety of perspectives and ideas.

“Training Poses,” by Sam Lavigne, examines the emerging field of machine learning. Visitors interact by posing to match figures shown on a screen, and then observing how the machine interprets their movements.

“A Kind of Pain,” by Moko Fukuyama, uses video and a sculpture to examine ethical issues around harvesting and eating fish, and society’s relationship to fish and the natural world.

An interactive work, “Llevatelo To’ No Me Deje Na,” by Gabriela Corretjer-Contreras, is a recreation of a room where people can try on different clothes, as a way of exploring Puerto Rican identity.

The piece offers insight into colonization and the island’s history of invasion and exploitation.

A goal of Open Call was fi nding emerging artists

18

July 18, 2019

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

In Group Two of Open Call, “Meditation on the Making of America,” by Kiyan Williams, includes a map of America made from soil and uses the African Diaspora to examine issues of displacement and dispossession.

who show potential, according to senior curator Emma Enderby. She said she is pleased with the quality of all the works.

“It shows the real thoughtfulness of the artists we’re showing,” she said. “They’re all extremely unique works. But certain ideas keep surfacing, showing a contemporary way of thinking, which I thought was interesting.”

Enderby said that when the city gave $75 million to The Shed, she and Tamara McCaw, The Shed’s chief civic program officer, focused on how to meaningfully apply that money in the center. Highlighting local artists in the city was important, she said, “in a place that’s been extremely difficult to work and live in as an artist.”

Another Group Two work is “Hedges,” by Hugh TVG

Hayden. It features a smaller, wooden version of a typical suburban house, with tree branches sticking out of it. Three mirrored walls surround the house, creating the illusion of an endless row of houses.

Hayden, 35, said a theme of the work is camouflage. This can mean blending into nature but also blending into society, as seen in the row of repetitive houses. But the natural wood and tree elements also evoke a natural environment, which animals might blend into.

“Over all, my work is rooted in this idea of belonging, being part of a larger whole,” said Hayden.

The trees came from discarded Christmas trees on Park Ave. “They would be mulch if I didn’t make something out of them,” he said.

Hayden said “Hedges” also addresses the narrative of the American Dream and homeownership, which often can be an illusion and unattainable for many, but is seen as a way of fitting into society.

“Part of being an artist is the ability to change someone’s perception of the world,” he said. “And if I can do that with a tree, this ubiquitous thing, if I can change the way you interpret the meaning behind something more mundane, then it’s a way in to have a greater effect or emotional impact.”

Hayden said the Open Call program gave him the ability to make “Hedges,” helping provide him with resources, plus a platform.

Enderby said that Open Call has been getting a lot of visitors, including locals and tourists alike.

But she said it’s a work in progress to get the word out about The Shed as a new addition to the city’s cultural scene and a place to see all kinds of art.

Open Call will be an ongoing program at The Shed. Group Four is scheduled to run in 2020.

Open Call is free but requires a ticket. More information can be found at theshed.org.

Schneps Media

Head to Barolo East for Northern Italian

BY GABE HERMAN

B

arolo East is an Italian restaurant in Midtown that opened seven months ago and serves Northern Italian dishes in a pleasant atmosphere.

Everything is made in-house, from pasta dishes to breads and desserts. Located in Midtown East at 214 E. 49th St., between Second and Third Aves., the eatery’s exterior is modest, with a narrow storefront and gray awning.

But inside, the restaurant opens into a big space, including a ground level with a bar, and a second and third level toward the back with plenty of seating.

There is also a nice outdoor garden area with more tables, in a courtyard amid other nearby buildings on the block.

Barolo East offers a full lunch and dinner menu. Antipasti dishes, ranging from $10 to $14, include fried calamari, scampi o sole mio with sautéed shrimp, and buffalo mozzarella. There is also a tasty salmon tartare, which is not listed on the menu but is available upon request.

The menu also includes salads, soups and vegetable sides. Pasta dishes, ranging from $15 to $25, include homemade ravioli with spinach, ricotta and tomato sauce; spaghetti al frutti di mare, with varieties of seafood; and fettucine alla

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Pollo dolce vita at Barolo East.

crowded for lunch and has a relaxed atmosphere, getting busier for dinner COURTESY BAROLO EAST

The restaurant includes multiple levels, with seating and an outdoor garden in the back with more tables.

and on weekends.

Barolo East will participate in the city’s upcoming summer Restaurant

grilled prime sirloin steak. Entrée prices range from $23 to $46.

There are also delicious dessert options, including crème brulee, panna cotta and caramel semifreddo.

The restaurant is generally less

ragu Bolognese.

Main courses include pollo dolce vita, with chicken, artichoke hearts and mushrooms in gorgonzola cream; veal dishes, such as vitello al pepe verde and broiled loin of veal; and bistecca,

Week, from July 22 through Aug. 16.

The prix fi xe lunch ($25) and dinner ($39) offerings will include antipasti, a main course and dessert.

More information about the restaurant can be found at baroloeast.com.

‘Seinfeld Experience’ coming to Gramercy

BY GABE HERMAN

S

erenity now!

Are you ready for this? A Seinfeld pop-up store will be opening in Gramercy this fall.

“The Seinfeld Experience” will be a ticketed attraction that offers an immersive and behind-the-scenes look at the classic ’90s sitcom, according to the company Superfly, which is behind the concept.

Superfly also produces live entertainment, including large-scale music festivals like Bonnaroo.

Even though much of “Seinfeld” was set on the Upper West Side, the space will be in the Gramercy neighborhood. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The attraction will include interactive exhibits with costumes, memorabilia, set recreations and props from the show. There will also be never-beforeseen content, though Superfly did not elaborate on what that meant. And there will be a retail store with limited-edition merchandise.

“We’re thrilled to bring ‘The Seinfeld

Schneps Media

Experience’ to life in an innovative way, combining nostalgia with immersive entertainment, and getting fans closer than ever before to the show and its beloved characters,” said Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly. “A show as iconic as ‘Seinfeld’ should be celebrated with an experience that truly matches its legacy and enduring influence.”

The new store comes on the 30th anniversary of the sitcom’s premiere on NBC, when the pilot aired on July 5, 1989. The second episode didn’t air until the following year, in May 1990. Despite that slow start, the show, created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, of course went on to be one of the biggest and most influential in television history.

“The Seinfeld Experience” will be open seven days a week. Tickets will go on sale in the coming months, according to Superfly, and will be available to buy through February 2020. A Web site has been set up, which can be found at theseinfeldexperience.com. Superfly has not yet disclosed the location for the Experience.

In 2017, Jerry Seinfeld headlined a new comedy festival from Superfly, called Clusterfest. The festival’s first year included a recreation of the set of the apartment on “Seinfeld,” along with facades of Monk’s Cafe and a soup stand inspired by the sitcom.

Jerry himself weighed in on the upcoming site this fall.

TVG

“Because I am Seinfeld, for a long time I was the only person to actually have the Seinfeld experience,” said Seinfeld when the announcement was made. “Now, these crazy Superfly people are going to make it so lots of people can interact with our silly ’90s TV show. All I can say is, in the general context of the world we live in, this now seems completely normal.”

July 18, 2019

19

Lessons Learned While On The Beat

Do you know THESE MEN?

By Eric L. Adams

Protecting Homeowners When I bought my first house, where I still reside today, I felt a mix of pride of fear. Homeownership is a tremendous privilege and responsibility – I had scrimped and saved to get to this point, but I knew that many challenges, financial and otherwise, still lay ahead.

Making a house into a home is a process that often takes several years.

Some people undertake ambitious floor-to-ceiling renovations, while others are comfortable with adding a few personal touches but leaving everything else intact. But it is a labor of love – we make a home because we are investing in our future. We envision settling down, raising a family, and growing old in a place we call home.

Even with the effort we put into building a home, homeowners – particularly in Brooklyn - are under increasing stress today. Some have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, others have lost their homes altogether. Foreclosures in Kings County last year reached their highest level since the housing bubble burst. And on top of that, a new epidemic of deed fraud has hit vulnerable homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods, accelerating displacement and leaving many homeless.

The kicker? The City may unintentionally be playing a role.

The Third Party Transfer program (TPT) allows the City to foreclose on “distressed” properties and hand them over to developers to fix up and rent out at affordable prices. The program began in 1996, and is administered through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

In theory, it sounds like a good idea. Using all the tools at our disposal to restore properties that have fallen into disrepair and increase affordable housing stock are noble goals. But the reality is much more complicated. Despite the City’s best intentions, TPT seems to be doing more harm than good.

Often, the City deems properties “distressed” over something as trivial as an unpaid water bill.

In November of 2018, after hearing from multiple people and sitting down with stakeholders throughout the borough that had firsthand experience with the program, I wrote a letter with Council Member Robert Cornegy to the Mayor outlining our concerns. We communicated our belief that TPT had unfortunately become tainted by fraud, and that homeowners were being stripped of their equity without the proper recourse. We also demanded that the City, State, and Federal government conduct a “full-scale, forensic audit” into the program.

20

July 18, 2019

Edward Pipala

Eric L. Adams

Francis Stinner

Gennaro “Jerry” Gentile

If you have information regarding alleged abuse or its cover-up involving these men, CONTACT US.

Our concerns turned out to be justified. In March of this year, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Mark Partnow ruled against the City and restored properties to six homeowners who had their properties seized through the TPT program. In his decision, Justice Partnow wrote, “While the Third Party Transfer Program was intended to be a beneficial program, an overly broad and improper application of it that results in the unfair divestiture of equity in one’s property cannot be permitted.”

There is still a lot of work to be done. In July, the City Council held a hearing on the TPT program, and our office submitted testimony. In the testimony, we reiterated our call for a full-scale investigation, and urged the Council to pass Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ bill imposing a two-year moratorium on the program until we could implement the necessary reforms and strengthen oversight.

In the coming weeks and months, we plan to roll out an ambitious, comprehensive agenda formulated with the input of experts and advocates that combats housing theft and rein in the excesses of TPT. I am also encouraging the Governor to sign S1688, a bill the legislature passed in the most recent session that would return stolen properties to their original owners.

After all the time spent making a house a home, it is almost unimaginable that it could be taken away from you over arrears or a bureaucratic error. Unfortunately, that is how TPT is currently structured. We have an obligation to homeowners throughout Brooklyn and the City to ensure the homes they spend years cultivating remain in their hands.

Eric L. Adams is borough president of Brooklyn. He served 22 years in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), retiring at the rank of captain, as well as represented District 20 in the New York State Senate from 2006 until his election as borough president in 2013.

The NY Child Victims Act may be able to help you!

646-351-0587

52 Duane Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10007

Connected Creativity

LOOK FOR OUR CIRCULAR IN TODAY’S PAPER!

VISIT PCRICHARD.COM FOR A STORE NEAREST YOU TVG

Schneps Media

Manhattan Happenings Lockers available for personal items. In Hudson River Park, at Pier 96, at W. 56th St.

BY MICAEL A MACAGNONE

MARKET

Dance for seniors: Dances for a Variable Population master teacher Naomi Goldberg Haas and members of the intergenerational company lead dance workshops for adults of all ages and abilities, with a special focus on seniors. Celebrate moving in strong and creative ways. Thurs., July 18, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Pier I in Riverside Park South, W. 70th St.

Summer Ice Cream Blizzard: While the Grand Bazaar NYC runs every Sunday, this weekend it will be especially chill. That’s because the indoor/ outdoor market will feature the “best and most unique artisanal ice cream makers.” In addition, as usual, there will be more than 130 artists, designers, craft-makers, vintage dealers and food vendors. Grand Bazaar NYC is the largest curated weekly market in New York City and it donates 100 percent of its profits to four local public schools. Admission is free. Sun, July 21, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 W. 77th St.

PERFORMANCE “The Bacchae”: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, The Classical Theatre of Harlem presents new and classic works that will stand the test of time. Their current show is “The Bacchae,” the story of Dionysus, the god of wine, prophecy, religious ectasy and fertility, as he returns to his birthplace of Thebes to clear his mother’s name and punish the insolent city state for keeping people from worshiping him. Tuesday to Sunday, at 8:30 p.m., until July 28. Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, 18 Mt. Morris Park W., in Marcus Garvey Park. Free, no tickets required.

M. A .K.U. Soundsystem will be shaking it up in Riverside Park South with their Colombian grooves.

ART Creating women: Ceres Gallery, a feminist nonprofit gallery in Chelsea, hosts its annual “Raising Women’s Voices” group exhibition of drawing, painting, prints, sculpture and photography by its 25 members. Through July 20.

Award-winning pix: Works by the 40 winners of Soho Photo Gallery’s 24th annual juried national photography competition will be on display through July 27 at this Tribeca gallery.

Soho Photo Gallery, 15 White St. Free admission.

MUSIC Hudson River Amplified Sundays: Enjoy live music accompanied by spectacular sunsets over the Hudson River each Sunday in July. This Sun., July 21, enjoy the tunes of M.A.K.U Soundsystem, whose music has been described as “traditional Colombian percussion meets unshakable grooves.” Pier I in Riverside Park South, at W. 70th St., from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. To hear some of MAKU’s music, check their Web site, makusoundsystem.com/music.

EXHIBIT Shark Week at Paley Center: Go deep below the ocean’s surface and into the natural habitat of one of nature’s most feared — and often misunderstood — creatures. The “ocean journey” includes a photo-op with sharks, a tour of a Shark Week sand sculpture and photos, of course Shark Week trivia, plus Shark Week programs in the Bennack Theater. Sat., July 20, to Sun., July 28.

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and SunSchneps Media

Underwater neighbors: Join the educators from the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater to catch, observe and identify fish and invertebrates. Participants will observe the river and discuss its history and learn more about how our everyday choices have an effect on the health and vitality of this amazing resource. Sat., July 20, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the 172nd St. Beach in Fort Washington Park. Free, but seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis starting one to two hours before the event.

Kids and adults can learn about our Hudson River neighbors, as in the river’s aquatic life, cour tesy of the Hudson River Sloop Clear water.

day, noon to 6 p.m.; Thursday until 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. The Paley Center for Media in New York, 25 W. 52nd St. Free and no advance ticketing.

Fri., July 19, 8:30 p.m. or dusk.

“Moonstruck,” Hudson River Park, Pier 63 lawn, at W. 23rd St., Wed., July 24, 8:30 p.m. or dusk.

MOVIES

OUTDOORS

“When Harry Met Sally,” Hudson River Park, Pier 63 lawn, at W. 23rd St., Wed., July 17, 8:30 p.m. or dusk.

Free kayaking: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Oct. 13; also Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., until Aug. 28. Participants must be at least 18 years old and know how to swim.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Hudson River Park, Pier 46, at Charles St., TVG

Artistic collaboration: Condo New York is a collaborative exhibition by 38 galleries across 18 New York spaces, from Tribeca and Chinatown to Chelsea and the Upper East Side. It runs through Fri., July 26. Free admission.

For more information, visit http:// www.condocomplex.org/newyork/ .

COMMUNITY BOARD Community Board 4 full board meets Wed., July 24, 6:30 p.m., at Hudson Guild Elliot Center, 441 W. 26th St., Dan Carpenter Room A/B. Community Board 3 full board meets Tues., July 23, 6:30 p.m. at M.S. 131, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Middle School, 100 Hester St., between Eldridge and Forsyth Sts. July 18, 2019

21

Manitoba’s punk bar closes after 20 years

BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

O

ne of the last punk rock bars in the East Village has closed.

Manitoba’s, first opened by The Dictators frontman Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba in 1999, shut its doors for good on Tues., June 25.

For the past 20 years, visitors to 99 Avenue B, between E. Sixth and E. Sevenths Sts., found a rock ’n’ roll dive bar in New York City plastered with iconic photographs of The Ramones, Blondie, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop and beyond from punk’s stratosphere. The bar’s photo booth captured many a drunken, loving moment. Meanwhile, the place’s cushioned, sunken seats conformed to your bottom and kept you in place, as at any moment you might catch Manitoba himself pop in — most likely barking about his beloved Yankees.

On the two screens, the odd ’60s sexploitation or music films and concerts played beneath the music from the bar’s jukebox, filled with punk classics and even some Motown, doo-wop and Elvis, in between. Anyone could create their own punk rock “mixtape” while downing the beer-and-shot special.

“The bar, in the 20 years, was a rollercoaster,” Manitoba told this paper.

“At times, it rode high. At times, it went straight down at 180 degrees. Toward the end, there were nights when there was very little money coming in and no one watching the bar enough.”

Manitoba admitted the bar had financial difficulties for a while, which ultimately led to its closure last month. The lack of a proper manager didn’t help.

“I took a salary in order to survive,” said Manitoba, who lost his DJ job on E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt’s SiriusXM channel, the Underground Garage. “I came by more often and watched the door on the weekend, but I couldn’t always be there,” he said.

“What we needed was a trustworthy and hard-working manager. As the bar got smaller, we couldn’t pay for this.”

It’s another loss of a piece of the New York punk era. Manitoba said losing the bar has been a blow, along with the double whammy of what feels like the end of a longtime friendship with the guitarist.

“With the bar closing, there’s a sadness,” he said. “It was my clubhouse, and the clubhouse isn’t there. And it’s the real end of my relationship with Little Steven after 40 years. He lost so much money, and he was getting madder and madder at me.”

Van Zandt was a majority owner of the

22

July 18, 2019

PHOTO BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

Manitoba’s bar was a mainstay on Avenue B for t wo decades, and a favorite of punk-music fans.

today is nonexistent, with the exception of his son’s communication and visits with his mother. Manitoba even wrote a song, “8th Avenue Serenade,” for his upcoming album, inspired by a photo his son took of the couple when he was 10 years old.

Manitoba’s bar may be gone, but Handsome Dick is going strong. He’s a few weeks away from signing his first solo album, the 13-track “Born in the Bronx.”

He has a book deal, and wants to grow his “You Don’t Know Dick” podcast. And he has a one-man show he wants to take FILE PHOTO

Dick Manitoba gave it his best shot, but couldn’t keep his eponymous Avenue B bar open.

“Off-Off-Off” Broadway.

Manitoba’s spirit will also live on through its Web site, which he’ll keep updated with posts about personalities,

The Bronx-born Manitoba, 65, is focusing on raising his 16-year-old son, his child with ex-girlfriend Zoe Hansen, Manitoba’s former manager and bartender. In February 2018, there was an alleged physical altercation between the couple. The case was later resolved in court and Manitoba pled guilty to disorderly conduct. The two have since parted ways after an 18-year relationship.

Manitoba is now living with their son in the East Village, and Hansen lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend. Manitoba says that his relationship with Hansen

bar, according to Manitoba. When the place originally opened, Laura McCarthy was a partner with Manitoba and covered more of the bar’s behind-the-scenes business. McCarthy is part owner — along with Jesse Malin, Tom Baker and Don DiLego — of Coney Island Baby, a bar and live-music venue that opened last April in the former Hi-Fi space on Avenue A. “In a nutshell, my bartender called me and said ‘Richard there’s no money in the bag,’’’ Manitoba said of the bar’s final day. “And I just said, ‘I guess the bar is closed.’”

TVG

events and news and stories behind the iconic photos that lined the bar’s sticky walls. Perhaps the bar may eventually even get a second life. Manitoba said he’s been floating an idea to McCarthy.

“I have been talking to her about giving me a spot in the worst bar, where I can have a Manitoba corner,” the veteran punk rocker said. “People who don’t have the Manitoba’s Bar anymore could go there. If I can make that work, that’s great.”

Schneps Media

Opinion

A turn for worse: Truck trashes tree on 12th

BY ELISSA STEIN

O

n Fri., July 13, a significant chunk of a statuesque tree in front of 79 W. 12th St. was shorn off by a truck that didn’t successfully make the turn off Sixth Ave. This was not the first time the tree had been hit, and the next day the city marked it to be taken down, saying it was too weak to survive the accident.

The awning in front of the building was irreparably damaged by the heavy branch’s fall and needs to be replaced, as well.

According to the city’s Department of Transportation, it is illegal for trucks of this size to be driving on side streets.

But, there’s no signage on 12th St. stating that, and since there is little visible regulation by the police or D.O.T., large trucks traversing side streets happens on a regular basis.

So now, one of the Village’s treelined blocks will have a gaping hole, which will take years to fill.

This unfortunate accident, in which fortunately no one was injured, leads to bigger questions and highlights serious issues. As of now, the city plans to move forward with an experimental (their word) 14th St. “busway/truckway,” which includes a vehicle ban on cars traveling across the city between Ninth and Third Aves. on 14th St. This will result in through traffic being shunted to side streets. Since 12th and 13th Sts. are the closest to 14th St. that

PHOTO BY ELISSA STEIN

A truck, which was not even supposed to be on W. 12th St., wrecked this tree near Six th Ave.

run from river to river, they will absorb much of the overflow.

In addition to that dramatic increase in traffic, vehicles now cannot make left turns from 14th St., so trucks have been, and will continue to use side streets for that purpose. Currently there is a temporary restraining order against the busway plan in effect until Aug. 6, when a hearing is scheduled to determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction.

While the city and monied forces beyond are working hard to vilify cars, there are key points that are buried underneath their “bikeways and PeopleWays for everyone” rhetoric.

First, Manhattan is an island and vehicles are necessary to bring goods to stores, and provide services to business and residents. This borough is home to residents of mansions as well as city housing projects, those who can easily take mass transportation and others who cannot, people who ride bikes and people who use wheelchairs, a destination for commuters and a home to residents.

This flippant attempt to cut traffic congestion in order to shave a few minutes off travel time has made our streets more dangerous. The death of a beautiful tree is a shame. But incidents and accidents are becoming more commonplace and the mayor and D.O.T. need to listen to people who are the most affected.

Stein is a Village resident, writer and community activist.

Extra!

Extra!

Local News Read all about it!

www.TheVillager.com Schneps Media

TVG

July 18, 2019

23

24

July 18, 2019

TVG

Schneps Media

Schneps Media

TVG

July 18, 2019

25

Real Estate

Manhattan’s most affordable 2-BR’s

BY MARTHA WILKIE

M

y kid got a lesson in real estate economics the other day.

We bought a hot dog from a cart on Fifth Ave. one day, and one from a cart exactly one block east the next. One was $3, the other $1.50. A classic example of “location, location, location.”

When it comes to Manhattan real estate, the term “affordable” usually means “less insanely expensive.” This week, the (relative) bargains (i.e., under $400,000) are all Uptown: Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood.

Don’t be fooled by that two-bedroom in the St. Regis Hotel, with maid service, for $260,000. It’s a timeshare.

All but one of these are H.D.F.C. (Housing Development Fund Corporation) co-ops with income requirements, e.g., “maximum income for 1 person is $87,720; 2 people, $100,200; 3 people, $112,680.” The seller may ask the usual 20 percent down payment, but others require an all-cash purchase. You’ll notice most of these have been on the market for months, waiting for that unicorn who can save up $239,000 while living in New York City on a salary under $87,720.

Cait Etherington of City Realty advises buyers to do their research.

“While some H.D.F.C. buildings resemble well-managed market-rate coops,” she wrote on her blog, “others have suffered from years of poor management and neglected maintenance.”

Listed by Compass, in Washington Heights, at 501 W. 156th St., a bright, pretty two-bedroom, one-bath co-op has windows in every room and French doors. “Well-maintained HDFC build-

COURTESY COMPASS

This prett y bedroom is in a “well-maintained” H.D.F.C. in Washington Heights.

ing.” $309,000.

Another Compass listing, a twobedroom, one-bath H.D.F.C. co-op in Harlem, at 30 Macombs Place, has a windowed, eat-in kitchen and original 1920s wall moldings. It’s a fourth-floor walk-up and requires only 10 percent down. $239,000.

COURTESY COMPASS

With this Washington Heights home, you’ll get high ceilings and beautifully finished French doors, among other features.

Also in Harlem, listed by Compass, is a newly renovated, quirkily furnished, two-bedroom, one-bath H.D.F.C. co-op at 3 E. 131st St., with a stunning white marble bathroom. The kitchen has high-end appliances, two sinks, vented range hood, and a garbage disposal.

(Don’t ask why the city now allows disposals while trying to get people to compost.) $345,000.

COURTESY COMPASS

Original 1920s wall moldings come with this Harlem apar tment.

26

July 18, 2019

TVG

Finally, a prewar co-op at 478 W. 158th St., in Washington Heights — listed by, you guessed it, Compass — boasts a common garden, high ceilings, beautifully finished French doors, an eatin kitchen, and a chic black-and-white bathroom with a claw-foot tub. Two bedrooms, one bath. Not an H.D.F.C., no income requirements. $399,000.

Schneps Media

D O N AT E Y O U R C A R

SERVING MANHATTAN AND THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA

HOUSE HOUSE CALLS CALLS

Wheels For Wishes benefiting

TOP $ PAID FOR JUDAICA COLLECTIBLES

SAME DAY SAME DAY SERVICE SERVICE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

ANTIQUES Q AND ESTATE BUYERS YERS R

Make-A-Wish ® Metro New York

WE PAY $ CASH $ FOR W

* 100% Tax Deductible * Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE * We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not * We Also Accept Boats, Motorcycles & RVs

ALL GOLD, GOLD & STERLING SILVER COSTUME JEWELRY, ALL COINS, PAPER MONEY & STAMP COLLECTIONS

WheelsForWishes.org Call:(917)336-1254

ALL GOLD...BROKEN OR NOT PRE- 1960 FURNITURE, CLOCKS & WATCHES (WORKING OR NOT) TIFFANY, BACCARAT, LALIQUE

* Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or

3ILVER 'OLD #OINS s 4OP 0AID (ERREND -EISSEN

+0- %TC !NTIQUE #HINESE *APANESE !RT *ADE 4OP 0AID for Antique #ORAL 0OTTERY %TC "RONZE 3CULPTURE !LL -USICAL 3TERLING )NSTRUMENTS ,0 2ECORDS 6INTAGE 4OYS 0RE

0ERSIAN /RIENTAL 2UGS /IL 0AINTINGS #OMIC "OOKS

(UMMELS ,,ADRO The List is Endless

4OP 0AID FOR $IAMOND %STATE *EWLERY

MILITARY

ted Collections Wan Swor ds, Knives, Helmet s, et c.

SEE OUR AD IN THE SUNDAY POST

516-974-6528 ASK FOR CHRISTOPHER

www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com

ANTIQUE & ESTATE BUYERS WILL TRAVEL ENTIRE TRI-STATE!

We buy anything old. One piece or house full.

WILL TRAVEL. HOUSE CALLS. WILL WE HOUSE CALLS. WILLTRAVEL. TRAVEL. WE MAKE MAKE HOUSE CALLS.

FREE

37W 47TH ST, NYC 1029 WEST JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, L.I.

Estimate

DEMAND JUSTICE Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy or by authority figures at school have rights.

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LAW HAVE EXTENDED THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH TO FILE YOUR SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM. ACT NOW TO GET YOUR CLAIM TIMELY FILED.

CLERGY ABUSE ATTORNEY HOTLINE 800-444-9112

If you are a survivor i off child hild sexuall abuse, b N New Y York law allows you to take action against the perpetrator and institution that protected him or her.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING DOUGLAS & LONDON, P.C. 59 MAIDEN LN, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10038 THE MATTHEWS LAW FIRM, PLLC, 244 5TH AVENUE, SUITE 2882, NY, NY 10001 MAIN OFFICE: 2905 SACKETT STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77098

#

$

/& 0 , $)*-% *$ *. "$

12132+ 3!4 ( Schneps Media

For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com

' / / !((!+ TVG

July 18, 2019

27

NEW LOW PRICES PERMANENTLY AND FOREVER!

Just Call Us

212-772-3211 929 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10065

WWW.GARNETWINE.COM USE THESE DISCOUNTS EVERY TIME YOU SHOP FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS

USE THESE DISCOUNTS EVERY TIME YOU SHOP FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS

20% OFF 30% OFF ALL LIQUORS*

ALL STILL WINES*

DELIVERY IN MANHATTAN

DELIVERY IN MANHATTAN

Coupon Code: VP20 *Regular Price

Coupon Code: VP30 *Regular Price

MINIMUM DELIVERY ORDER $100.

MINIMUM DELIVERY ORDER $100.

*$51(7 Wines & Liquors

.... NEW YORK CITY ....

Open: Mon-Wed 8am - 9pm Thurs-Sat 8am - 10pm Sun 12pm - 7pm

28

July 18, 2019

TVG

Schneps Media