DOWNTOWN EXPRESS, SEPTEMBER 28

downtown ®

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 20

PROTEST GROUPS OCCUPY WALL ST., PG. 2

express THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN

SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4, 2011

Chinatown B.I.D. opponents vow to keep fighting

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

Running in a hero’s footsteps On Sunday, Sept. 25, over 30,000 runners took part in the annual Tunnel to Towers Race in honor of Stephen Siller, the fallen firefighter who ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in full-gear on 9/11 to get to the World Trade Center site. Turn to page 16.

BY ALINE REYNOLDS After a highly contentious debate among community members, the City Council unanimously voted in favor of the Chinatown Business Improvement District at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s signed the legislation on Tuesday night.

More than three-quarters of the B.I.D.’s first-year budget, which totals $1.3 million, will be allocated to supplemental sanitation services, while the remaining funds will finance holiday lighting, maintenance of street lampposts and furniture and other area services.

Assessment fees range from $1 for condominium owners

to up to $5,000 for large property owners, the majority of whom will pay $700 annually. Approximately three-quarters of the district’s 2,300 property lots will owe $1,000 or less per year.

With respect to trash, the Council advised the future B.I.D. to increase garbage collection prior to 8 a.m. based on concerns raised by local business and property owners. “The B.I.D. will enhance and retain business in Chinatown by supplying very significant sanitation services within the B.I.D.’s boundary,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn at a Sept. 21 press conference announcing the City Council vote.

Continued on page 15

Photo exhibit at future site of Park51 showcases children of the world

BY ALINE REYNOLDS Pristine white walls splashed with photographs of playful children now make up the 4,500-square-foot remodeled space at the future site of the proposed Islamic community center known as Park51.

The art exhibit, entitled “NYChildren,” features a series of 169 photographs of first-generation or immigrant youths ages 12 and under that now live in New York City. The youngest child is a 34-day-old toddler from Ethiopia, who is shown sleeping peacefully on her parents’ bed in their New York home.

The exhibit has been showcased

at a dozen other locations domestically and in Denmark, according to the photographer, Danny Goldfield, who has 24 children left to photograph to complete his project. When finished, there will be one child from every country in the world. The inspiration behind Goldfield’s project was Rana Sodhi, brother of Balbir Sodhi, a Sikh in Arizona who was shot and killed in front of his family-owned gas station four days after 9/11. Sodhi’s death was one of the first post-9/11 hate-crime murders in the country, Goldfield noted.

It was Sodhi brothers’ innovative and good-hearted spirit that inspired

Goldfield to take on the daunting project, the photographer said in a speech he made at the exhibit’s opening at 45-51 Park Place on Wednesday, Sept.

26. Goldfield described Balbir as a generous individual who gave away candy to customers and their families and, hours before he was murdered, emptied his pockets at a local fundraising drive for 9/11 victims’ families.

Goldfield admired Balbir’s brother, Rana, who despite his loss, had a desire to open his heart to others.

“He had this simple prescription of making the world better by meet-

Continued on page 12

OH, THE HORROR! Frightening prospects for Downtown Halloween happenings. See page 23.

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Occupy Wall St. gets sprayed with attention For the last 11 days protestors have been camping out in Zuccotti Park, decrying the role of big business in politics and how, in the group’s opinion, a wealthy few have used their power to influence government.

That was the message behind the “99 percent” march on Saturday, Sept. 24. The march’s moniker referred to the notion that the wealthiest one percent of Americans, via corporate interests, have exerted their control over the remaining 99 percent of Americans.

The media had largely ignored the “occupation” until Saturday. As the protestors marched along Broadway to Union Square in the afternoon, they veered west one block to University Street. When the protestors began to block traffic the NYPD stepped in and the result was a mass arrest of dozens of marchers. In total over 80 arrests were made on Saturday.

At the corner of Broadway and 12th Street, a group of protestors corralled behind a NYPD barricade received a shot of pepper spray to their faces. The NYPD has acknowledged the use of pepper spray to control the crowd but would not comment on the specifics of the incident.

As the police began arresting the marchers and lining them up along side of a building on 12th Street and 5th Avenue, crowds gathered to gawk and voice their support for the marchers. Due to the high number of arrests, in addition to the regular NYPD vans, the police used an MTA bus to carry the arrested marchers to the First Precinct. The officers loaded the arrested protestors onto the vehicle twoat-a-time, and the crowd chanted, “Shame on the MTA,” as the bus pulled away.

As of Tuesday the protestors were still occupying the park.

—- John Bayles

Downtown Express photo by John Bayles

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9, 12-21

D

OWNTOWN DIGEST

PUBLIC HEARING ON D.O.E.’S SCHOOL REZONING A full house can be expected next Tuesday, Oct. 4, at P.S. 234 when the city’s Department of Education will seek public input on a major new rezoning plan for Lower Manhattan public schools.

The proposal was released last week by the D.O.E. and is most notable for its inclusion of a new zone for the school at Peck Slip, which is projected to open in 2015. Another major alteration to the existing zoning is the division of Tribeca.

The plan basically cuts the neighborhood in half, with residents living above North Moore Street being required to send their kids to P.S. 3 in Greenwich Village instead of the neighborhood school, P.S. 234.

Other changes include residents of Gateway Plaza in Battery Park City being rezoned for P.S. 276 instead of their current assigned school, P.S. 89.

The district’s Community Education Council must approve the plan prior to its adoption. The Oct. 4 public hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. in P.S. 234’s auditorium.

TRIBECA SUKKAH CONTROVERSY ENDS The debate over constructing a 12-foot by 14-foot Sukkah at Duane Park in Tribeca came to an end this week when Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin stepped in and identi-

EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 - 27

fied an alternative site.

Rabbi Zalman Paris of the Chabad of Tribeca/SoHo appeared before the C.B. 1 Tribeca Committee earlier this month with his proposal to construct the primitive hut, meant to commemorate the 40 years that the Jews spent trekking through the desert during their exodus from slavery in Egypt. The Jewish holiday, Sukkot, lasts seven days.

Menin reached out to Jaffe Real Estate, who owns a vacant lot at 70 Warren Street. She brokered a deal with Rabbi Paris, the Church Street School for Music and Art (the neighboring property) and the Friends of Duane Park that will allow the Sukkah to operate for the full seven days between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

UPDATE ON PARK51 As Park51 eagerly awaits gaining official nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service, Chairman El Gamal Sharif and the organization’s other board of directors are already selecting members for its advisory board. “We’re already in business [as a nonprofit], and we have the power to conduct business as a charity in New York State [granted] by the state attorney general,� said Park51 Spokesperson Larry Kopp.

So far, they have secured firm commitments from a former U.S. ambassador, a prominent Imam, a rabbi, a celebrity and a publishing mogul, according to Kopp. The 15 or 20

CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

M

C.B. 1 EE TING S

A schedule of this week’s upcoming Community Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, all committee meetings are held at the board office, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6 p.m.

The list of C.B. 1 meetings was not available as of press time.

For a list of upcoming Community Board 1 meetings, please visit the board’s website at www.nyc.gov/ html/mancb1.

advisors, whose names will be publicly announced in the coming weeks, will help formulate Park51’s mission and programming.

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

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POLICE BLOTTER Downtown bank robber

Bergtraum star’s murder

A man entered the Sovereign Bank branch at 2 Gold St. at 9:15 a.m. on Monday, Sept.

26, put a plastic bag on a teller’s counter and passed a note saying, “Put the money in the bag. I have a gun,” police said. The robber fled from the bank with $2,258 and ran north on Gold Street.

Two suspects in the Sept. 11 Harlem murder of Murry Bergtraum senior Tayshana Murphy, 18, were arrested on Sept. 21 in Columbia, S.C. Robert Cartagena, 20, and Tyshawn Brockington, 21, were awaiting extradition to New York. A third suspect, Terique Collins, 24, was arrested shortly after Murphy’s shooting death in a stairwell of the Grant Houses. The killing is believed connected to a dispute between gangs in the Grant and the nearby Manhattanville Houses. Murphy, who played basketball for Bergtraum’s women’s team, was hoping for a career in the professional Women’s National Basketball Association.

Chinatown pesticides Ten Chinatown shop owners were charged in state and federal courts in Manhattan last week with selling “dangerous and illegal pesticides” in their shops.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced on Sept. 19 that some of the illegal products, with labels in Chinese, “look and smell like cookie crumbs, making them especially dangerous to children.”

He added that some of the products were so toxic that a single small vial could kill a grown man. The investigation by the D.A., and state and federal environmental agencies began in April.

Had her bag A woman patron of Starbucks at 55 Broad St. stopped for coffee around noon on Monday, Sept. 26 and discovered a short time later that her wallet, with four credit cards, a bankcard and $300 in cash, had been stolen from her bag. The woman, 24,

told police that the bag had been in her possession all the time she was in the shop.

Soho auto thefts A Jersey City man parked his 2011 black Audi sedan opposite 15 Wooster St. around 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 and returned at 5 a. m. the next day to find it had been stolen.

A man who parked his 2007 JTN stunt motorcycle at the southeast corner of Greenwich and Spring Sts. near his home at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 discovered two days later that the bike, valued at $5,000, had been stolen.

Shoplifters A man entered the Steven Allen boutique at 103 Franklin St. in Tribeca around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 and managed to distract an employee while he opened a locked drawer, took a Rolex watch valued at $2,600, fled without paying for it and made his escape in a silver Honda, police said.

An employee of the Cole Haan boutique at 128 Prince St. in SoHo noticed that three handbags were missing on Thursday, Sept.

22. He went to the store surveillance tape to find an image of a man entering the place around 10:52 a.m., grabbing the three bags with a total value of $1,044 and walking out

without paying for them, police said.

A man walked into the Georg Jensen shop at 125 Wooster St. around 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 21, asked to see a gold bracelet, then snatched the $6,700 item and fled with it, police said.

An unknown suspect walked into the Coach boutique a 143 Prince St. around 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 and made off with two handbags with a total value of $1,416, police said.

Soho cell phone snatch A visitor from Spain, 32, was getting a water bottle out of his book bag around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24 at the northwest corner of Spring and Wooster Sts. when a passing stranger grabbed the bag containing an iPad and a camera and fled on foot west on Spring St., police said.

Picked on train A woman resident of the Upper West Side told police she got on a crowded No. 2 rain around 8:55 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 and discovered at the Chambers Street station that her handbag was unzipped and her wallet had been stolen.

— Alber t Amateau

Noise is legal, but residents say it’s unbearable

BY ALINE REYNOLDS John Street resident Barbara Minsky couldn’t sleep for two straight nights this week due to jack hammering being performed by Con Edison.

Con Ed has pulled multiple all-nighters over the last week to locate a steam leak under the roadway that could be causing damage to a residential building in the vicinity.

Between Con Ed’s 24-hour emergency work along John Street and weekend construction happening at 180-182 Broadway (the neighboring site), Minsky, who lives on the sixth floor of 12 John St., feels as if she’s living in a “dungeon” of noise and vibrations.

“I put on my air purifier and my air conditioning and I could still hear the noise,” said Minsky. “Six days a week is too much for people to endure this kind of noise. We need some time off to recuperate.”

Mary Ann Moy, who lives on the floor below Minsky, is equally perturbed by the daytime noise that permeates the block. Her recent calls to 3-1-1, she said, have proved futile.

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“You couldn’t possibly sit there and read or concentrate on any sort of work without having some overlay noise of your own,” said Moy. Upon receiving these and other complaints, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver decided to intervene this week, calling Con Edison directly to request that they modify their

“Residents are entitled to enjoy their homes, have peace and quiet and [be able to] sleep at night, so that’s why we got involved.”

Sheldon Silver

construction hours to placate the residents.

“They’ve agreed to stop the overnight jack hammering and limit the evening work hours going forward,” said Silver.

“Residents are entitled to enjoy their homes, have peace and quiet and [be able to] sleep at night, so that’s why we got involved.”

Con Edison couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The rest of the disruptions, however, aren’t slated to end any time soon. Now that the building at 180-182 Broadway has been fully demolished, developer SL Green Realty Corp. is working on the foundations of the future 23-floor dormitory. Rock drilling at the site is expected to continue for the next six weeks, and the project isn’t scheduled to be completed until late 2012. Meanwhile, the restoration of the nearby Corbin building — part of the Fulton Transit Center project — continues, and an edifice at 24 John St. is being converted into a hotel. The residents agreed, however, that most of the sounds and tremors are coming from 180-182

Broadway site and the Con Ed work along John Street.

Construction has also been a nuisance to residents at 176 Broadway such as John Reuther. Since returning from a summer-long trip earlier this month, the vibrations, he said have been “dramatically stronger” than he remembers them being in May and June.

Reuther is mostly concerned with the structural safety of his building. He suspects that part of its façade has shifted, since he now has difficulty opening one of his bedroom windows. “The bottom of the window is now scraping on the inside window sill, so it’s either been dislodged or part of that wall has shifted to the point where it’s made the window frame shift,” said Reuther.

Tom Kunkel, director of environmental compliance at the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, said he is doubtful the surrounding construction has caused any changes to the building’s position in the ground.

Such major vibrations, Kunkel explained, “would be picked up by the [vibration] monitors, and it would be difficult to hide it. They’re actually quite sensitive.”

While the noise and vibrations don’t frighten her, a longtime resident from 176 Broadway who requested anonymity said she frequently notices her mirrors and wall pictures shaking.

“It’s just annoying,” she said. “It’d be nice if the building would be ready and done so the students could come in and live there.”

Catherine McVay Hughes, vice chairperson of Community Board 1, reiterated the community’s concern to SL Green representatives that appeared at the Financial District Committee meeting earlier this month.

Hughes was particularly disturbed to hear that a ceramic object in the apartment of fellow 176 Broadway resident Annie Wing recently crashed to the ground and broke during one of the construction-related tremors.

“We know you listen, but it never changed,” said Hughes.

“We hope that, going forward, the foundation process is an

Continued on page 7

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

More specifics on Seaport Museum takeover disclosed

BY ALINE REYNOLDS The Museum of the City of New York is moving forward with its plans to get the Seaport Museum New York back up and running. Priority number one is to remedy the maritime museum’s dire financial conditions by carving out a path to long-term sustainability, according to M.C.N.Y. Director Susan Henshaw Jones.

“You keep a nonprofit museum afloat with earned income and contributed income,” said Jones. “It’s that blend that we’re going to have to work on in the next 12 months.”

Other key elements of M.C.N.Y.’s strategy to revitalize the dying institution is to reorganize its library and archives, reactivate its historic printing shop and open a new exhibit in its Fulton Street gallery space, Jones said.

“We think that it would be a terrific thing to reopen Bowne & Co., Stationers for the holiday season,” said Jones.

The famed printing company, whose Water Street headquarters date back to the early 19th century, is known as one of the world’s largest international financial printers.

“It represents a great deal more than I think many people realize,” Jones said. “It is

in its own right a little museum unto itself.”

While Jones will primarily be using internal staff and resources to manage the mari-

‘You keep a nonprofit museum afloat with earned income and contributed income. It’s that blend that we’re going to have to work on in the next 12 months.’

— Susan Henshaw Jones time museum, the director intends to hire master printers for the print shop as well as an archivist to assist in the revamping of its library. The M.C.N.Y. is also beginning to brainstorm themes for a forthcoming exhibit in the galleries to open later this year or early

Rudin moving forward on St. Vincent’s plan

BY ALBERT AMATEAU The Rudin Organization came to a raucous Community Board 2 hearing last week with its proposal for new zoning and special permits for the $800 million residential conversion of the east side of the defunct St. Vincent’s Hospital campus.

As expected, the emotional high point of the Sept. 15 event was the demand for a new full-service hospital by Yetta Kurland and her partisans. But Community Board 2 members stuck to the environmental review issues at hand.

The central issue was Rudin’s large-scale development application to replace a similar zone that the city granted in 1979 for St. Vincent’s Coleman and Link Buildings on the east side of Seventh Ave. Rudin plans to demolish Coleman and Link, along with two other buildings in the former hospital campus and replace them with the adaptive reuse of four buildings, a 203-foot-tall apartment tower on Seventh Ave., a new mid-rise building on 12th St. and five townhouses on 11th St., with a total of 450 luxury condos.

The proposed 113-foot-tall mid-rise building on 12th St. would replace the existing 109ft. tall Reiss Building.

The plan also includes the conversion of the O’Toole pavilion on the west side of the avenue into a comprehensive community health center and freestanding emergency department to be operated by North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.

A 15,000-square-foot park is planned for

the triangle on the west side of the avenue across 12th St. from O’Toole. On the east side of the avenue the plan calls for 9,400 square feet of back yard gardens between the 11th St. townhouses and the residential buildings on 12th St. In addition, Rudin is seeking a special permit for an underground accessory garage with parking space for 152 cars with an entrance/exit on 12th St. Without a special permit, an accessory garage for the residential project would have space for no more than 98 cars.

Rudin is also seeking a zoning text amendment to reduce the existing open space requirement for the east side of the avenue and a waiver of height and setback requirements for the project’s new buildings.

The project, which is beginning the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (U.L.U.R.P.), also needs a permit to allow doctors’ offices to be located on the second and third floors of the avenue high rise. A permit would also allow three retail sites on the ground floor of the avenue building.

Community board members focused on the details of the project, despite almost constant heckling by opponents. David Gruber said he was reluctant to support a rezoning that would recreate zoning granted in 1979 for a hospital. “You’re asking us to rezone back to what was for a community benefit.

It was for a hospital. It was not designed for

Continued on page 20

next year.

“I haven’t had a chance to sort of flesh that out, but there will definitely be an element that focuses on the history of the Seaport,” said Jones. “We’re also thinking we’d like to utilize the space with other edgy Downtown types of exhibitions.”

Meanwhile, Save Our Seaport, a grassroots coalition formed earlier this year to help resuscitate the Seaport Museum, continues to meet a few times per month to discuss updates and developments.

The M.C.N.Y.’s takeover of the Seaport Museum is “far more promising than other options we’ve been looking at,” S.O.S. member David Sheldon said after the group’s most recent meeting last Thursday, Sept. 22.

The group, moving forward, will serve as the museum’s local outreach arm, Sheldon said.

“We’re very excited about what’s happening,” chimed in fellow S.O.S. member Sandy Eames. “It’s probably the best news all year.”

Beth Childs, who has served as volunteer coordinator at the Seaport Museum for several years, was equally delighted to hear about the takeover.

“I want to see the museum reopen in a functional way to serve the community,” said Childs. “I want everyone to have the opportunity to volunteer as crew or to go out [on the ships] as paying passengers.”

Childs can’t wait to get back to work at the Seaport.

“The friends that I made when I started volunteering there in 1984 are still my good friends,” said Childs. “They feel almost like family.”

Jones, who was scheduled to address Community Board 1 at the Sept. 27 fullboard meeting, said she welcomes a separate meeting with S.O.S. and supports the group’s participation in publicizing the maritime museum’s mission.

“I think that it’s a terrific role,” said Jones. “The community needs to use the Seaport more, for sure, and we’re amenable to that.”

Specifically, Jones wants to solicit advice for the future use of the museum’s eight vessels, which won’t be back in full until sailing season resumes next year.

“The boats right now need to be winterized,” noted Jones, “but I want to talk to [S.O.S.] to see if we could revive some of the [vessel programming] for the springtime.”

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

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downtown express

Optimism at Dance New Amsterdam

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER The news was not good for Dance New Amsterdam on Sept. 7 when the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation announced the recipients of $17 million in Community and Cultural Enhancement grants. The 27-yearold dance company whose classrooms and performance space are at 280 Broadway at Chambers Street got nothing from the L.M.D.C. despite having been on the ropes for more than a year because of large rent arrears.

However, D.N.A. Executive Director Catherine Peila reports that things are now looking up. D.N.A.’s landlord, Fram Realty, “is willing to work with us,” she said, “which, I think, is great. Fram has compromised and D.N.A. is compromising. Everyone is coming to the table with some sort of compromise.”

Peila said that specifics of the lease still have to be worked out but that she is optimistic that they will be. She said that NY State Sen. Daniel Squadron and City Council Member Margaret Chin “have been very supportive as has D.C.A. [the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs].”

Pace University, which currently rents space from D.N.A. for dance classes, received $1 million from the L.M.D.C. It will be used to expand dance rehearsal space.

“We have plans for a new dance facility, but where it will be and what it’s going to be are still in the planning stage,” said Christopher Cory, a spokesman for Pace. He said that as of this fall the University has a program focused on “commercial dance” that provides specialized training for dance careers on the stage and in film and television. The B.A. in Theater/Commercial Dance is the first of its kind in the country and is designed to give students the skills to earn a Continued on page 18

Photo courtesy of Florence Baratay

An advanced modern class at Dance New Amsterdam with instructor Oliver Steele. Despite not having yet nailed down a new lease for its space at 280 Broadway, executive director Catherine Peila is optimistic about future.

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

Construction noise more than bothersome Continued from page 4 uneventful, free vibration process.”

“I know it’s not perfect, and I’m not going to stand here and say that it is,” replied Julie Greenberg, a spokesperson for SL Green. “We’re trying to control it as much as possible and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to move forward the project as quickly as possible.”

Representatives of SL Green weren’t available for comment.

Joseph Houton, account executive at Key Real Estate Assoc., the management firm of 176 Broadway, said the disturbances are simply the cost of progress Lower Manhattan residents have to pay. While the company is in regular contact with SL Green, there is little that can be done to mitigate the negative impacts, he said.

“The building is in the middle of a construction zone — of course there are going to be disruptions,” said Houton.

Tishman Construction, the project’s general contractor, said the company has abided by the noise mitigation rules set out by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, including placing mufflers on all of its machinery.

Responding to the residents’ complaints, Tishman is “going beyond what is required by the [Department of Buildings] and other

Photo courtesy of Barbara Minsky

Con Edison is ripping up John Street to investigate a steam leak, as seen from Barbary Minsky’s apartment at 12 John St.

city agencies to ensure the safety and security of neighborhood residents,” according to John Gallagher, the company’s vice president of public affairs.

“We will continue to work with [C.B. 1] and other stakeholders to address concerns,” he said.

Kunkel affirmed that, judging by recent

Department of Buildings reports he has seen, “the vibrations [at 180-182 Broadway] have been within the acceptable limits of D.O.B. codes.” The decibel levels, meanwhile, which Kunkel’s team checks on a daily basis during its daily trips around the Financial District, have ranged from the low 70s to the low 80s — the equivalent to the amount of noise produced by ambient traffic.

“There is no question that this street has a large amount of work going on,” said Robin Forst, the L.M.C.C.C.’s director of external relations. “While it might not be in excess of New York City code, that doesn’t mean it isn’t noisy or difficult for the people who live there.”

Vibrations at 180-182 Broadway are now being limited to specific drilling operations that are monitored at street level, Gallagher noted. However, individual apartment monitors previously installed in Minsky’s home have been removed, according to Minsky. While they had been placed in the apartments during the demolition period at 180-182 Broadway, Gallagher said they are no longer required by city code.

And, as the symphony of noises and tremors persist, the residents’ lives continue to be put “on hold,” as Moy described it.

“I’m hoping to ride it out a little bit,” she said, “but they’re making it very, very unpleasant.”

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downtown express

September 28 - October 4, 2011

8

Stopping puddles before they become ponds

Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

Storm-water run-off that accumulates at street curbs and leads to “ponding,” as seen above on Canal Street between Centre Street and Baxter Street is the subject of a new study commissioned by State Sen. Daniel Squadron.

Trinity Wall Street THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1pm Concerts at One The West Point Woodwind Quintet Trinity Church SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 10am Practicing the Presence of God: Through Peace & Reconciliation A 12-part series that explores how to feel God’s love in the thick of a complex world.

This week: Samir Selmanovic, Christian pastor, interfaith activist, and author.

74 Trinity Place, 2nd Fl, Parish Hall SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1pm Forum: the Most Rev. Albert Chama, Archbishop of Central Africa The Archbishop talks about current challenges in his multi-national province, which includes Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana.

74 Trinity Place, 2nd Fl, Seminar Rm

Let’s do something together

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2pm Sunday Recital/Lecture Violist Junah Chung, clarinetist Pavel Vinnitsky, and pianist Anna Vinnitsky Charlotte’s Place MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1pm Bach at One The Trinity Choir and Trinity Baroque Orchestra present a weekly service of J.S. Bach’s music, accompanied by poetry readings.

St. Paul’s Chapel MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1pm The Broad Way Discuss how the Gospels can be interpreted and applied to contemporary life. Bring lunch.

74 Trinity Place, 2nd Fl TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 5-7pm Trinity Knitters Knitters, crocheters, and those who wish to learn are welcome. Materials and instruction provided.

Charlotte’s Place

“We can see an increase of mosquitos and flies all over… it’s just not something that’s beneficial to our community at all.”

Squadron’s team detected the greatest concentrations of ponding on Bayard Street between Bowery and Baxter Street; Mulberry between Worth and Canal Streets; Mott between Worth and Hester Streets; Baxter between Leonard and Canal Streets; and Elizabeth between Bayard and Hester Streets. Eleven additional ponds were found along Market Slip between East Broadway and Monroe Street.

A recent study conducted by the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation identified 177 instances of ponding and showed significant overlap with Squadron’s study.

According to Squadron’s survey of nearly 350 Chinatown residents, business owners, workers and visitors, 94 percent said they have observed instances of ponding.

Seventy-two percent of the respondents said that ponding negatively impacts their eating or shopping experience in Chinatown and 40 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to visit the neighborhood because of the standing water.

More than two-thirds of respondents said the city’s response to ponding is “poor” or “below average.” Seventy-seven percent of

Continued on page 21

trinitywallstreet.org

worship SUNDAY, 8am and 10am St. Paul’s Chapel An energetic celebration of Communion in the round.

8pm Compline, music, and prayers SUNDAY, 9am and 11:15am Trinity Church Preaching and Eucharist in the best Anglican/Episcopal tradition.

Sunday school and child care available.

MONDAY – FRIDAY, 12:05pm Trinity Church Holy Eucharist MONDAY – FRIDAY, 5:15pm All Saints’ Chapel, in Trinity Church Evening Prayer, Evensong (Thurs.)

Watch online webcast

TRINITY CHURCH Broadway at Wall Street

Leah Reddy

BY ALINE REYNOLDS This year’s heavy rains have led to considerable flooding throughout the Tri-state area and have exacerbated the longstanding problem of “ponding” in Chinatown. The rains also caused State Senator Daniel Squadron to commission a report identifying close to 100 Chinatown “ponds,” or standing bodies of storm-water run-off, that hadn’t drained within 48 hours of the initial rainfall.

Squadron’s team conducted a survey this summer after receiving numerous complaints from community members about the dirty, road-damaging puddles. Water accumulation leads to cracks, potholes and depressions in the streets’ concrete and asphalt that can spread throughout blocks if left unattended, according to the Senator’s report.

“The point is real and serious: ponding is the beginning of serious road conditions,” said Squadron at a Sept. 23 press conference at Columbus Park. “In and of itself, it’s a hazard and a blight to the community, and we should do something about it.”

Apart from damaging the streets, the ponds, which are often contaminated with trash and liquids, become breeding grounds for insects. Chris Kui, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality, said the puddles are a health hazard.

“I think it’s more than just [about] attracting tourists in the community… it’s really a quality of life issue for residents,” said Kui.

Stop by Charlotte’s Place to see the “Out of Many, One” flag, created by community members and artist Muriel Stockdale.

ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL Broadway and Fulton Street

All Are Welcome

CHARLOTTE’S PLACE 109 Greenwich St, btwn Rector & Carlisle

All events are free, unless noted.

212.602.0800

The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Vicar

an Episcopal parish in the city of New York

downtown express

9

September 28 - October 4, 2011

Silver visits New Amsterdam Market for first time

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER Sheldon Silver, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, had heard about the New Amsterdam Market on South Street near Peck Slip. In fact, he had supported it in various ways since founder, Robert LaValva, put the New Amsterdam Market on the Lower Manhattan map in 2005. But Silver had never seen it.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, he had a few minutes in his schedule before dashing off for a ribbon cutting at the new Battery Park City ball fields, so he stopped by. “It’s really important to see the market in the context of its site and in relation to the vision we have for the old fish market,” LaValva said.

LaValva has his eye on those old Fulton Fish Market buildings, which could allow the New Amsterdam Market to expand into a permanent presence, like the famed Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Speaker Silver arrived at 11 a.m. just as the market was opening. “He enjoyed seeing that we already had a crowd of shoppers even then,” LaValva said. “He commented on the liveliness of the scene. And he was very interested in the fact that we were hosting so many small businesses and that they were beginning to grow here. He liked hearing that.”As Silver strolled through the market, he asked a number of the vendors if they were making money. Chris Forbes, coowner of Brooklyn-based Sour Puss Pickles, was one of them. “I told him that the market

has helped us enormously,” Forbes said.

Forbes and his partner, Evelyn Evers, started their business early in 2010, pickling many kinds of seasonal, fresh vegetables.

Forbes said the New Amsterdam Market had helped them gain recognition in the community. They also sell their pickles at the Fulton Stall Market on the other side of South Street, he said, and at specialty grocers.

Forbes said he wasn’t surprised to see Speaker Silver. “There have been a number of people of renown who have come through here,” he commented. Chef Alice Waters made a particular impression on him.

On the Sunday of Speaker Silver’s visit, there were many vendors from upstate New York. “Today we have a group of individuals representing different coalitions who are very concerned with the practice of fracking,” said LaValva. “This is something that’s being debated in New York State government right now and when they approached me about having a forum at the market, I was happy that we could provide that. I think that’s the role of a public market – to be a forum for discussion.

“Their concern is how fracking could impact agriculture and when you begin to look at it you realize that so much of New York State agriculture production is in areas where there’s potential fracking. So the whole point of them being here today is to show our shoppers how much of their food could potentially be affected – not just in New York State but, for example, we have a

Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Robert LaValva, founder of the New Amsterdam Market on South Street, with New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Paul Goldstein, head of Silver’s district office, when they visited the market on Sunday.

crab cake vendor who is getting crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and the Chesapeake Bay is directly affected by what happens in New York State because of the Susquehanna River that runs down into the bay. If poisons were flowing down the river, that could damage that whole ecosystem.”

LaValva said that he had “let the Speaker’s staff know that these groups would be there and he made a point of stopping by, shaking their hands and taking some of their literature.”

The New Amsterdam Market is growing,

and has just received a grant of $250,000 from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation that should help it to grow even more. LaValva said he will use the L.M.D.C. money for marketing. “If we build an increasing shopping audience, it will help us build an increasing vendor audience,” he said. But, he added, “For us it’s a very careful process to bring on new vendors because they have to represent the mission of this market and not every person does that.”

LaValva explained what he meant by that.

“The Greenmarkets revived the tradition of farmers bringing fresh produce and other farm goods into the city,” he said. “The New Amsterdam Market was created to support small businesses that support farmers by sourcing their ingredients from them. These small businesses such as butchers, grocers, cheesemongers, bakers — and pickle makers — work with farms and farmers’ markets to develop a new food system. We are only at the beginning of this process.”

On November 13, the New Amsterdam Market will be hosting the Peck Slip Pickle Festival — an offshoot of an event that had been previously held on the Lower East Side.

“That event was very popular so we hope Pickle Day will bring a whole new audience to South Street,” LaValva said, “demonstrating how the New Amsterdam Market is leading the revitalization of the Fulton Fish Market and the East River Market District.”

downtown express

September 28 - October 4, 2011

10

EDITORIAL PUBLISHER & EDITOR John W. Sutter

Making the right decisions

ASSOCIATE EDITOR John Bayles ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Aline Reynolds Albert Amateau Lincoln Anderson SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini ADVERTISING SALES Allison Greaker Karen Kossman Ellyn Rothstein Julio Tumbaco RETAIL AD MANAGER Colin Gregory BUSINESS MANAGER / CONTROLLER Vera Musa ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters ART DIRECTOR Mark Hasselberger GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Paakkonen CONTRIBUTORS Terese Loeb Kreuzer • David Stanke • Jerry Tallmer PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess • Jefferson Siegel • Terese Loeb Kreuzer

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New York City has never been at a loss when it comes to the media shining a spotlight on its liberal ideals, its ultimate acceptance of all cultures and its diversity in terms of its residents and their opinions.

This last year, and this last week, is evidence of that fact.

First there is the “Occupy Wall Street” protest that has lasted longer than anyone predicted. It represents the freedom to assemble, a principle that has formed part of the foundation on which our nation was built and continues to thrive.

Second there is the symbolic opening of Park51, the Islamic Community Center that polarized both this city and the entire country a little over a year ago.

And finally, there is the debate that has occurred over a 12-foot by 14-foot sukkah, or hut, that the Chabad of Tribeca/SoHo wanted to assemble in Duane Park to commemorate the Jewish holiday, Sukkot. The holiday, which lasts seven days, recognizes the 40 years that the Jews spent trekking through the desert during their exodus from slavery in Egypt.

The last two examples have something in common: Lower Manhattan’s Community Board 1, which, while only comprised of 52 members, is charged with the duty of representing the community as a whole, stepped into the midst of a thorny issue with a real potential of polarization, the separation of church and state.

While a ribbon was being cut last Wednesday evening to open a photo exhibition in the future home of Park51, an exhibition that represents exactly the type of programming we hope Park51 will offer, the other debate was brewing. On the surface the Park51 debate and the issue of constructing a sukkah in a public park might seem incomparable; however the two issues have much in common.

While many opponents of Park51 have been vocal about the construction of an Islamic Community Center so close to Ground Zero, the truth of the matter is that the building is privately owned. The owners are well within their right to put anything they would like that is legal and complies with city building and occupancy codes within the walls they purchased.

Similarly, when the Rabbi of the Chabad in Tribeca/SoHo approached C.B. 1’s Tribeca Committee two weeks ago, concern immediately surfaced.

Perhaps the proposal could possibly violate another principle our country’s founding fathers sought necessary to prominently place in the one document that our nation looks to in such an instance.

C.B. 1 Chair Julie Menin realized this.

Instead of searching for a bigger park or a more accommodating public space, she chose to look for a privately owned, vacant lot where the sukkah might be constructed. That solution was well thought-out.

The decision on what religious symbols or structures can be placed in public parks or public areas inevitably precipitates a series of “where to draw the line” questions. Best to avoid the appearance that governmental action indicates a preference for one religion over another.

Once again we are inclined to support our local Community Board for taking a solution-based approach in dealing with a very fragile issue.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Gerrymandering not the case

ment building, and Galloway narrowly won by only a handful of votes in his.

What has “gerrymandering” to do with those political realities?

To the editor: Re: “D.I.D. takes district leaders slots” (Downtown Express article, Sept. 21) Comments made last week by the losing candidate for male district leader in the 64th Assembly District, Part C, Jeff Galloway, and others attribute his defeat to gerrymandering.

In fact, the exact opposite of gerrymandering is the case. The Part’s current odd shape is the result of a court-ordered redistricting meant to ensure voter equality.

Part C looks a bit like a barbell, consisting of Battery Park City and the Financial District at one end and parts of the East Village and Lower East Side at the other, with a small bit of SoHo in between.

The current lines were redrawn as a result of a 1992 federal lawsuit brought under the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the Downtown Independent Democrats (D.I.D.) in order to overcome a previous gerrymandered district. Gerrymandering is, of course, manipulating electoral boundaries in order to favor one political party or class.

The court declared that the initial boundary, drawn the year prior to favor a West Side politician, was a civil rights violation because it discriminated against minorities by carving out an East Side district that eviscerated the voting bloc of the Chinese in Chinatown and the Hispanics on the Lower East Side.

The new district lines incorporated a unified class in Part C — namely, a predominately white, middle-class population — while creating a majority-Chinese and majority-Hispanic district in the other parts of the assembly district, as well as a predominately Jewish part along Grand Street.

So, instead of speciously dragging out the red herring of gerrymandering to rationalize his resounding defeat, perhaps Mr. Galloway should address the clear fact that he and his running mate, Linda Belfer, lost in their own stronghold: Battery Park City and the Financial District.

Indeed, Belfer lost in her very own apart-

Sean Sweeney Director, SoHo Alliance

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Letter to the Editor NEWS@DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM 515 CANAL ST., UNIT 1C NYC, NY 10013 PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER FOR CONFIRMATION PURPOSES ONLY

Offshore Wind Could Benefit New York To the editor: Our environment, health, and economy are threatened by our dependence on fossil fuels. Thankfully, New York is taking steps to transition to renewable energy to protect our environment and health, create jobs and rebuild our economy. New York has a goal of meeting 45 percent of the state’s electricity needs with renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements by 2015. Developing the tremendous wind power off of our coasts can help ensure that we meet this goal.

New York has a large and untapped potential for generating offshore wind power — the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated that developing wind off of the Atlantic and Great Lakes coasts could generate enough energy to power 44 million homes. An offshore wind project being proposed off our coast could create 4,700 jobs in construction and installation and 170 jobs in operation and maintenance. It could also power up to 210,000 households per year with little pollution.

Developing offshore wind in New York is critical to meeting our energy needs in a clean, responsible way while helping to renew our ailing economy. I urge Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer to support offshore wind development in New York and protect our environment and health by co-sponsoring the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act (S. 1397).

Amy Newsock Clean Energy Associate, Environment New York

downtown express

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

TALKING POINT Get up, stand up: Ziggy Marley thinks Israel rocks

BY MICAH HALPERN In the year 1930, Ethiopia crowned a new emperor. He took the name Haile Selassie and, like all emperors in Ethiopia, he traced his roots all the way back to wise King Solomon and his wife, the African beauty, Queen of Sheba.

This emperor, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I — also known as the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords and the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Elect of God — was thought to be a messianic figure among followers of the Rastafari movement. The religion, begun in the slums of Jamaica, holds that Africans are the true Israelites sent to exile in Jamaica as divine punishment.

On a visit to Jamaica in 1966 the emperor, who denied any divine abilities, unsuccessfully tried to convince Rastafari supporters of his mere mortality. Upon his arrival on the island a long drought broke, and it finally rained.

Among the many people transfixed by Haile Selassie and moved to convert to Rastafari was Rita Marley, the wife of Bob Marley.

Bob Marley changed the world through his music. He introduced the beat of Jamaican

music to the West. And as he popularized reggae music in the Western world, he taught what it means to be a follower of Rastafari — not just the dreadlocks, but the customs and the politics. Marley was not the first to combine music with politics, but he was one of the best.

Bob Marley’s son Ziggy follows in his father’s footsteps in music, in culture and — in accordance with Rastafari belief — in being a major proponent of marijuana.

This summer, Ziggy performed two concerts in Israel, one in Tel Aviv and the other in Jerusalem.

In an interview with YNET, an Israeli news Web site, Ziggy, whose middle name is David, as in King David, father of Solomon, described how he was envious of Jewish tradition and how he celebrates all the Jewish holidays.

Ziggy Marley married an Israeli woman named Orly and together they have three children who are, according to Jewish law, all Jewish. Ziggy’s wife and children all have biblical Hebrew names. Orly means “my light.”

Their daughter is named Judah Victoria, their

eldest son is named Gideon and their baby boy is Abraham Selassie.

Ziggy went on to explain that he has had a strong connection with Judaism, with Israel and with the Jewish people since childhood.

He said that the teachings of his father and learning Bible stories and the connection with Rastafari thought and Halie Selassie’s message were inspirational. He said they combined to instill in him a message of love and affinity. Marley acknowledged that he participates in Jewish holiday observances because his wife and his children are living the Jewish experience.

Although he knows he is not Jewish, Ziggy is very comfortable with Judaism and Jewish traditions. Jewish culture and the Jewish calendar are a big part of his life.

He would never boycott Israel the way so many other big name entertainers have done.

Ziggy Marley, like Bob Dylan, who just wound up a concert tour in Israel, are not about to be swayed by the scare tactics and virulent hatred spewed by the organizers and supporters of the most recent boycott against Israel.

B.D.S. stands for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. It is an umbrella organization that helps groups organize anti-Israel programs — especially boycotts of Israel on campuses around the world. In this age of electronic media, campaigns can be waged and wars won and lost all by way of the Internet.

It is easy for a pop star or for a company or a politician to fall from popularity because they sided with the wrong cause.

It is not popular to be vocally pro-Israel today. Ziggy Marley is taking a risk. But he understands the risk. It is something he believes in. Marley believes in the uniqueness of the Jewish people and in their unique connection to the land of Israel. He has known it since childhood — he was taught it at his father’s knee.

Ziggy Marley is carrying on the message of his father. He conveys the message through his actions and through his music. It is a message about culture and history that is interwoven into the fabric of Israel. The message is that Israel represents lofty, heavenly ideals of truth, covenant and connectedness.

Transit Sam

The Answer man

There’s a new traffic pattern in effect for Chambers St. that could throw drivers for a loop.

Just this past Monday, Chambers St. between Church and Greenwich Sts. was converted from two-way traffic to one-way westbound for the next 18 months as the city begins the second phase in upgrading the water main that runs beneath the road. During the first phase of construction, Chambers had been one-way westbound between Greenwich and West Sts. For the second phase, drivers on West St. will be able to turn onto Chambers St. However, eastbound traffic will be diverted onto southbound Greenwich St. and eastbound Warren St. Drivers will be able to turn back onto Chambers by making a left from Warren St. onto Church St. This comes at a bad time for Lower Manhattan traffic with heavy crowds still descending on the National Sept. 11 Memorial and nearby security checkpoints at the Holland Tunnel and Broadway narrowing traffic to just one lane.

From the mailbag:

Dear Katherine, The NYPD has been cracking down on cell phone violations big time, especially in light of new laws that created stiffer penalties for such infractions. But based on what you tell me, I think this went too far. I think you should plead not guilty. You’ll have to appear in person at the hearing, but here’s what you should do: The officer, under sworn testimony, will likely be asked whether or not he saw you physically holding the phone.

Undoubtedly, he will say he did see you hold the phone to your ear. You need to challenge that with the truth.

Explain in detail what you were doing at the time. The more specifics you offer, the more credible you sound. Describe where you were, was there a car in front of you, note the car’s make and color, was there lots of traffic in the opposite

direction... See if you can log in to your pre-paid account to view a list of your most recent calls. Since you use your phone so infrequently, the list of your incoming and outgoing calls should show that a call wasn’t made or received around the time you were pulled over. This should help you get a dismissal. And in a best-case scenario, if the officer fails to show up, the ticket will get thrown out and you win!

Transit Sam Confused about ever changing traffic regulations and transit operations? Need help navigating around lower Manhattan? If so, send me an e-mail at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012

IRA BLUTREICH

Dear Transit Sam, Last week, I received a ticket for talking on my cell phone. First, let me just say I was not on my cell phone.

Apparently, the officer assumed I was since I had my left arm on the window and my hand on my head while waiting to make a left turn. I’m 57 years old and I have a pre-paid cell phone for emergency use only. I asked the officer to check my phone to see when it was last used and he refused. Do I have any recourse? I just found out this is three points on my license and my insurance rates will go up. Plus, this ticket is $130. I don’t even know how to text!

Katherine, Lower Manhattan

Subway surfers ride without touching a thing!

September 28 - October 4, 2011

12

downtown express

Photo exhibit opens in future Park51 site Continued on page 17 ing his neighbors. I just felt it was incredibly brave,” said Goldfield. “It just reminds me of all of the generosity of all the families and all the children you see in these photos [who] were willing to allow me into their house and to document their lives.”

Goldfield, who was in graduate school in California at the time of 9/11, also felt a personal need to give back to the city he called home for several years.

“Thinking in real-time, I wonder [if] I wanted to do something to help, since I wasn’t here [on 9/11],” said Goldfield. “Maybe it was this idea of coming back and helping [New York] heal.”

A few hundred people showed up at the exhibit’s opening reception. There was also live entertainment by the New York Arabic Orchestra, who performed contemporary instrumental compositions from Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.

Sharif El-Gamal, C.E.O. of SoHo Properties, the developer behind Park 51, was bursting with excitement at the sight of the crowd.

“It’s exciting to be able to share with everybody a little glimpse into what our dream and our goal is [for Park51] in Lower Manhattan,” said El-Gamal. “It’s so humbling to have a packed house and a line right out the door… and we’re just getting started. We’re excited about what the future holds.”

Julie Menin, chair of Community Board 1, praised Goldfield for his vision. “Lower Manhattan is obviously the birthplace of our great country… and so to have this

Continued on page 17

Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

Calvin Alfarius and his sister, Samira, represent the country of Indonesia in Danny Goldfield’s “NYChildren” exhibit, currently on view at the future site of Park51.

KIDS & TEENS START A NEW CHAPTER GET BACK TO READING AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

Bring back your overdue books, check out a new book, and have your fines waived!

THROUGH OCTOBER 31!

NYPL.ORG/NEWCHAPTER MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF

McGraw-Hill

downtown express

13

September 28 - October 4, 2011

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION, PART TWO.

AVENUES NYC CAMPUS ON THE HIGH LINE

WWW.AVENUES.ORG

14

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER CONSTRUCTION DELAYED: Construction on 2 World Financial Center was supposed to begin around now, with all of the stores in the southern wing shuttered by Sept. 25. But construction has been delayed by a month.

SouthWest NY, The Grill Room, Columbus Bakery, Boomerang Toys, Urban Athletics, Cobbler Express and Add Accessories will all remain in place through the end of October. Hallmark will re-locate to the lobby level of 2 World Financial Center in the same corridor as Ann Taylor.

Ciao Bella and Godiva have already closed. The Gap will close on Sept. 30.

SOUTHWEST NY’S NEW DIGS: After closing at the World Financial Center, SouthWest NY hopes to reopen in early November at the site of the former Gate

September 28 - October 4, 2011

House on South End Avenue at Albany Street. Even if the restaurant can’t open exactly on schedule, the kitchen will be built by then and will deliver.

The right side of the old Gate House space, which used to sell sushi, is being converted to a bar called The Black Hound. It will have a lounge in the front and will serve American tavern food. It will be completely separate from SouthWest NY, which will occupy the southern part of the old Gate House space and will have exactly the same menu as it has had in its present location at 2 World Financial Center.

Owner Abraham Merchant said that he hopes to rehire most of the current staff and that the management will be the same.

Merchant anticipates that his newly situated restaurant plus Merchants River House on the Battery Park City esplanade will have increased business because of all the restaurant closings in the World Financial Center.

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

On the day before the annual Tunnel to Towers run honoring firefighter Stephen Siller who died on Sept. 11, 2001, Matt Long and Andy Gertler created a sand sculpture on Vesey Street to honor all the firefighters who died that day. Long said that Siller had worked for him as a truck driver before becoming a fireman.

downtown express

The common name for Colchicum ‘Lilac Wonder,’ now blooming in Wagner Park, is “Naked Ladies” because the leaves sprout in spring and then die back long before the flowers appear. This hybrid was developed around a hundred years ago. Its wild ancestors would have come from Western Asia and Europe.

SouthWest NY will continue to be open daily until midnight. “We’re the only restaurant down here that’s open until midnight,” Merchant said. He expects that The Black Hound will be open until 1 a.m.

ARTIFICIAL TURF-COVERED BALL FIELDS OPEN: It was a long slog to get artificial turf on the Battery Park City ball fields, which are just north of Murray Street and between West Street and North End Avenue, but on Sunday, Sept. 25, the turf made its official debut. New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was present for the occasion, as were representatives of the Downtown sports leagues, Community Board 1, the Battery Park City Authority and numerous kids with their relatives.

This being Battery Park City — the Queen of Green — no ordinary artificial turf would do. “The fields are amazing and will be the first in the city, and one of the first few in the world, to use coconut shells — yes, coconut shells — as infill,” said Mark Costello of the Downtown Little League. “No rubber anywhere!” The grass is made of recycled polyethylene over a substructure of peat and sand for better drainage.

Most artificial turf fields are constructed of rubber tires that support nylon grass fibers. If the Battery Park City fields wear well, they could be the prototype for others.

The new fields will permit year-round use and will be brightly lit at night.

SAND SCULPTURE: On Sept. 24, the day before 25,000 people visited Battery Park City for the annual Tunnel to Towers Run honoring firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on Sept. 11, 2001, Matt Long and Andy Gertler were at work on Vesey Street creating a sand sculpture in memory of all the firefighters who died that day. Long, who has a wood restoration business on Staten Island, said that Siller had worked for him as a truck driver before becoming a fireman. Sand sculpting is Long’s avocation.

Every year since the first Tunnel to Towers Run in 2002, Long has created a sculpture of firefighters.

Siller married in 1990. “I knew Stephen before he was married,” Long said. “I must have been to a dozen memorial services for him.”

Sept. 11, 2001 would have been Stephen Siller’s day off. He had been planning to play golf, but when he heard that the first plane had struck the Twin Towers, he went to his firehouse for his gear and drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. It was already closed to traffic, so wearing 60 pounds of gear, Siller ran through the tunnel, hoping to find his company. He left behind a widow and five children.

In the last 10 years, the Tunnel to Towers Run has raised more than $7 million for burn victims, wounded servicemen and orphaned children.

BATTERY PARK CITY IN BLOOM: On the southern side of Wagner Park, flowers of vivid purple cause some people to stop in their tracks for a second look. Colchicum ‘Lilac Wonder’ resembles the crocuses of spring, but the flowers are larger and are not bolstered by leaves. The leaves sprout and die back before the flowers appear, giving rise to the common name of the plant, “Naked Ladies.”

Colchicum is a genus with around 60 species native to Western Asia and Europe.

The ‘Lilac Wonder’ hybrid was developed in the early 20th century. All parts of the plant contain a poisonous alkaloid called “colchicine.” Infamously, a 19th-century British woman named Catherine Wilson who worked as a nurse used colchicum to poison her victims after getting them to leave her money in their wills. On Oct. 20, 1862 she was hanged for murder.

However, colchicine does have pharmaceutical benefits in very small doses. The Federal Drug Administration has approved it for the treatment of gout.

downtown express

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

New York Times ★ ★

Michelin ★

“Marc Forgione is rustic and urban at once, a loft that might be in a Hudson River mill town. Service is warm and practiced, the food about three times better then it needs to be” - Sam Sifton, The New York Times

Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

Councilmember Margaret Chin (far left) and Council Speaker Christine Quinn (at podium) announce the City Council’s passage of the Chinatown B.I.D. at a press conference last Wednesday.

Opponents to keep up fight Continued from page 1 The B.I.D. won’t be up and running until next year, since it typically takes between four and nine months for B.I.D.s to be established once they pass the Council, according to a spokesperson at the city’s Department of Small Business Services.

Councilmember Margaret Chin deemed the B.I.D.’s passage a victory for the neighborhood that was a long time in the waiting.

“This is a historic moment for us in the community and we will celebrate,” Chin said. “The bottom line is Chinatown residents and business owners deserve clean streets, more customers, and prosperity.

Now, Chinatown will be ready to join the rest of Lower Manhattan in its rebirth. We will be able to enjoy a clean environment that’ll be great for everyone.”

Rather than garner additional support, however, the Council’s sweeping pro-B.I.D. vote only fanned the flames among its chief opponents such as neighborhood property owner Jan Lee. Lee, who helped amass 600 objections to the B.I.D. as part of an antiB.I.D. campaign over the summer, said he was disappointed in the City Council for “completely ignoring any further investigation about the legitimacy of whether or not the community wants” the B.I.D. That said, Lee is “optimistic” that the B.I.D. is a temporary entity rather than a permanent fixture in Chinatown. Lee and fellow property owners that objected to the B.I.D.’s passage are even considering taking legal action against the entity once it is formed.

“We’re going to continue with protesting, [Freedom of Information Law] requests, and inquires,” said Lee. “We will use every resource available to us until the B.I.D. is fully dismantled.”

According to the city’s Department of

Small Business Services, B.I.D.s can be dissolved if at least 51 percent of the district’s property owners, or alternatively the property owners of 51 percent of the district’s total assessed value, submit written petitions to City Council.

“The bottom line is Chinatown residents and business owners deserve clean streets, more customers, and prosperity. Now, Chinatown will be ready to join the rest of Lower Manhattan in its rebirth.”

— Margaret Chin

“The B.I.D. law makes provisions for B.I.D.s that have been installed and are unpopular,” said Lee. “We will make every effort to prove legally that this is not only unpopular, but that it was installed completely under dubious conditions.”

Lee and other neighborhood property owners are now fearful of losing their groundfloor commercial tenants, some of whom have said they would have to close down shop if they incur an additional expense.

Sam Kwok, owner and manager of Shanghai Asian Manor at 21 Mott St., would have to fork over hundreds of dollars more to Lee per year once the B.I.D. is in

Continued on page 19

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

downtown express

Over 30,000 retrace a hero’s footsteps The annual Tunnel to Towers Run, hosted by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, took place on Sunday, Sept.

25 and boasted over 30,000 participants, including the widow of the fallen firefighter for whom the foundation and race is named.

Sarah Sillers, (left) retraced her late husband’s footsteps with the rest of the participants and did so while wearing Siller’s FDNY turnout coat.

The run commemorates Siller’s actions on the day of 9/11, when he ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in full-gear to get to the World Trade Center site. Many firefighters run the route as Siller himself did, wearing over 60 pounds of equipment.

This year, participants included a group of U.S. Marines (below) as well as Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer, who earlier this month was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Unlike previous years, the finish line for Sunday’s race provided added significance, as the runners approached the W.T.C. site and saw One W.T.C. rising steadily into the sky.

The 2011 race raised over $2.5 million for the foundation, which uses the money to advance its mission of providing support to children that have lost parents and to firefighters and military personnel who have been injured in the line of duty.

— John Bayles

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

Park51 site photo exhibit Continued from page 12 exhibit here, really reflecting a diversity of cultures and a multitude of cultures, is incredibly appropriate,� said Menin. “It’s great tonight to see and to hear so many children who are here, because they’re the future of our neighborhood.�

Indeed, several of the children featured in the photographs came to the reception to see younger versions of themselves on the wall — including eight-year-old Julia Petkov from Bulgaria, who Goldfield captured in a moment of excitement in front of a Chistmas tree when she was a toddler. “I’m really excited to see my picture,� said Julia. “I always wanted to be famous!�

Queens resident Rini Haryani, whose Indonesian children are featured in one of the photos, said she hopes the exhibit will help dispel post-9/11 discrimination against Muslims by shining a light on New York’s multiculturalism. “It’s going to be a good memory for them to meld in with different kids from all other countries so they can grow up and make peace,� said Haryani. “The idea’s really good and stuff, and I feel kind of famous, ‘cause people are seeing us,� said Haryani’s daughter, 13-year-old Samira Alfarius, who was photographed kissing the cheek of her younger brother, Calvin Alfarius. “I like that my sister was kissing me ‘cause I love her so much!� chimed in Calvin.

Jessica Sauer, who lives in the Bronx with her three young children from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, heard about Goldfield’s project on the news and reached out to the photographer. “I love seeing the diversity of the pictures,� Sauer said. “We were excited to be a part of a project that shows how diverse and wonderful New York City is.�

Sauer and other parents in attendance said they were pleased with Goldfield’s choice of photographs. “Whatever he selected really captured the personalities of what these kids prob-

ably were like,� said Bob Callahan, admiring the candid shot of his daughter, Eliza Callahan, mowing the lawn of the family’s former backyard in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. “It’s a nice thing to take a break and look to see the human possibilities and the potentials of kids.�

‘I like that my sister was kissing me ‘cause I love her so much!’ — Calvin Alfarius

“I think [Goldfield] did a wonderful job capturing their essence,� echoed Cape Verde Islands native Sergia Andrade, whose 18-year-old daughter, Zoe Andrade, is featured in a photo playing in a Brooklyn park. The photo of her daughter, Andrade said, “is very much [Zoe]. She was very active as a kid.�

Saman Naquvi from New Jersey, who has been praying at the Park Place mosque since last fall, was pleasantly surprised by the sprawling adjacent space that she hardly knew about. “Since I’ve been coming here, the whole side of the building has been boarded off,� said Naquvi.

Naquvi called the exhibit “gorgeous� and said she felt like it “definitely illustrates how American� the space is.

While the photos themselves might not necessarily quell the opposition to Park51, Naquivi noted, “If people look at them and realize how diverse New York is and how this kind of space is representative of that, maybe their hearts will change.� “NYChildren� will be on view at 45-51 Park Place through Wed., Dec. 21. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www. park51.org.

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

18

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D.N.A. optimistic about future Continued from page 6 living as dancers. Students are admitted by audition.

Pace’s new facility will have an impact on D.N.A., but not in the immediate future.

D.N.A.’s struggle to arrive at an affordable lease has mostly affected foundation funding, said Peila. “The foundations are looking to give funding to organizations that are stable, especially in this environment.

This is why we’re working so hard to stabilize our lease agreement. That will give more confidence to the foundations that we’re going to be here. And that will give greater confidence to the artists and our faculty.�

Meanwhile, D.N.A. has announced a performance schedule that started in September and extends through February. There are fewer performances scheduled for this season than for last year at this time, but Peila commented that, “A lot of organizations have cut their performance schedules in half because of the funding situation and we’re exactly the same.�

Nevertheless, classes are continuing at the school at a robust level. “We have a new education director, Jamie Dowd,� said Peila, “and she and Laurie de Vito and Lynn Simonson — two of the founders of D.N.A. — are working closely together to create a stronger curriculum. An emerging artist who is just becoming a performer can

“A lot of organizations have cut their performance schedules in half because of the funding situation and we’re exactly the same.� — Catherine Peila

come in and take classes all day.�

Peila was also encouraged because Bloomberg Philanthropies arranged for Michael Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center, to meet with her and her staff. “He not only cares about the business bottom line – that there’s a balanced budget and strengthening the business – but also has an eye on the mission,� Peila said. “It’s not just about getting money. It’s also about having good programming.�

Peila said that Kaiser met with her and her staff last week and will continue to offer advice.

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downtown express

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

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(Left to right) Alyce Lau, Mee Wong, Sou Lin Ng, Jan Lee and George Lou are vowing continue fighting the Chinatown B.I.D.

Chinatown B.I.D. opponents vow to keep up the fight Continued from page 15 place. As a result, Kwok said he might have to shut down his restaurant entirely. All 30 restaurant employees would be out of work since he wouldn’t be able to afford opening his business at another location. “I’m very upset,� said Kwok. “We can maintain streets [on our own]. We don’t need an organization to do this.� “I’m worried I might not have my job,� said Kelly Chang, assistant manager of the Manor. “It’s not easy to find a job nowadays, so if he closes, it’s really bad. Hopefully a miracle happens.�

An added fee would be an insult to injury for Robert Purnick, owner of a Mott Street retail store named Whole World Fashion Boutique, who said he might have to shutter his business because revenues are declining every month. Purnick and other local business owners are responsible as is to pay for private carter companies to collect their trash. “It just seems like a total waste,� Purnick said of the B.I.D. “We have to clean in front of our stores and pay for sanitation anyhow.� “I find it pretty unfair. We pay the tax [already], and the city’s supposed to do the cleaning,� echoed Mee Wong, who owns property at 88-90 Walker St.. “We don’t need a duplicate expense to clean the street.�

Chin, however, contends that B.I.D.s are implemented precisely to help businesses flourish, to not hinder their success. The assessment fees, she explained, will be offset by the profits businesses will rake in from the added clientele the B.I.D. will encourage by way of signage, advertising and other forms of publicity. “When we attract more business into the community and the community becomes more prosperous, I think a lot of these busi-

ness owners will also be able to prosper and pay the fees,� said Chin.

Other neighborhood property and business owners believe the B.I.D. will supply muchneeded supplemental services to the community. Longtime neighborhood property owner Wellman Wu, who owns buildings on Mott and Canal Streets, said he isn’t worried about the assessment fees. “I just consider that as part of our business espense,� Wu. “People do some service, you have to pay for it. If it’s a dirty area, then we will lose our customers.�

Peter Lau, who owns and runs two pharmacies in Chinatown, believes the area’s improved streetscape will improve Chinatown’s reputation and therefore generate higher revenues. “As local residents and business owners, we feel we are uplifted in a way by cleaner streets,� said Lau. “And, if you have better lighting, people will want to come and shop more, and the neighborhood will become more desirable.�

Bethany Li, a staff attorney at the AsianAmerican Legal Defense and Education Fund, argued that the gentrification caused by the B.I.D. would eventually lead to the displacement of local residents and small businesses. “The developers are quoted as saying they’re welcoming the approval of the B.I.D. because they see it as a nice link and next step towards [re]zoning Canal Street to allow for more luxury high-end development,� said Li. Chin, however, insists that the B.I.D. will improve the quality of life in Chinatown without ousting residents or businesses. “I do not buy the argument that a B.I.D. will cause gentrification or a rapid increase in property values. That’s not the way it works,� said Chin. “These criticisms are leveled by the same people who oppose any and all efforts to make our community better.�

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downtown express

September 28 - October 4, 2011

20

St. V’s redevelopment moving forward despite opposition Continued from page 5 luxury housing,” Gruber said.

Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, speaking at the open public session of the hearing, agreed. “It is fundamentally wrong to recapture that [1979] zoning so that it can be used for private residential and commercial purposes,” Berman said.

But Melanie Meyers, Rudin’s land use lawyer, replied that only the Link and Coleman Buildings were built in 1979; the other buildings went up even before the current 1961 zoning rules were adopted. She noted that Rudin is seeking permission to build on 590,660 square feet, down from the existing 677,360. “A residential project makes absolute sense for this community,” Meyers added.

Nevertheless, Richard Davis, a member of the C.B. 2 St. Vincent’s Omnibus Committee, found fault with the plan for an accessory garage. He questioned the need for any garage in the project. The proposed garage would be the fourth on W. 12th St. between Seventh and Sixth Aves. and the fourth one on the block with entrances/exits on W. 12th St. Meyers replied that the project is expected to increase the demand for parking, and the developer wants to accommodate the demand within the project. John Gilbert, chief operating officer of the Rudin Organization, said later that the new project would occupy 13 percent less square footage than what is now on the site. “Obviously, people want another full-service hospital, but we all know there is nobody out there to run one.” Gilbert said.

He noted that the Rudin Organization has guaranteed the plan for a new public elementary school for 563 students on the bottom six floors of the Foundling Hospital on Sixth Ave. at 17th St., which is expected to open by the fall of 2014.

Downtown Express file photo

St. Vincent’s O’Toole Building.

The proposed 16-story avenue building on the St. Vincent’s campus would be as tall as the Coleman Building now on the site and about as tall as the residential condo at 175 W. 12th St. across the street from the site.

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“Other voices need to be heard – Local 1199 [representing hospital employees] and the building trades council support the project, to say nothing about the first property taxes to be paid on this site in more than 150 years,” Gilbert said.

Flu Shots and Screening Events in Manhattan Bellevue Hospital Center 462 First Avenue October 6 10am-4pm Gouverneur Healthcare Services Baruch Health Center 280 Delancey Street October 4, 18 1pm-4pm

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downtown express

21

September 28 - October 4, 2011

When puddles turn into ponds Continued from page 8 respondents said they didn’t report ponding when they observed it and 58 percent of respondents claimed not to know how to report the issue. Heeding the responses, Squadron reached out to the NYC Department of Transportation to establish a better 3-1-1 protocol for processing ponding calls so that the agencies could more effectively record the complaints and track the status of street repairs.

“The D.O.T. has to do a better job coordinating with 3-1-1 to fix these problems,” Squadron said.

A spokesperson for the D.O.T. said the city allocated an additional $2 million to this year’s original $190.4 million budget for paving and pothole repair operations on city streets due to severe weather conditions. Squadron argues, however, that the city should take preventative measures to keep the puddles from forming to begin with.

“They should take some of those dollars [allocated to] road conditions to deal with the ponds before they become serious problems,” said Squadron.

Numerous community members who attended the press conference attested to the

pervasiveness of ponding, including Susan Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3. This year, Stetzer said, ponding in Chinatown has worsened to the point that it has become unmanageable.

“We’ve all seen how ponding can make sidewalks inaccessible,” said Stetzer. “People can’t get where they’re going and businesses lose customers.”

“Our seniors slip and fall as they walk through the uneven pavement and the ponds, and people who come from oversees think that it’s such a messy place,” said Virginia Kee, founder of the Chinese-American Planning Council, a grassroots community advocacy organization. “It doesn’t have to be [that way].”

Some of the puddles are caused by faulty water mains, according to William Su, president of the Myanmar-Chinese Association of New York. “We need to get this place cleaned up so we can live in a better Chinatown,” he said.

Ponding forms with or without rainfall, echoed Councilmember Margaret Chin, and they are as dangerous as they are smelly.

“People have to walk around them to cross the street,” said Chin. “In order to make [Chinatown] brighter, cleaner and ready to attract more tourism… we have to deal with this problem.”

How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever.

Progressive Education for Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade

Open House | City and Country Wednesday, November 9, 2011 from 6-8pm Please visit www.cityandcountry.org for information and application materials.

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State Sen. Daniel Squadron held a press conference at Columbus Park on September 23 to announce the completion of his report on “ponding.”

click on “Junior Sailing Programs”

downtown express

September 28 - October 4, 2011

22

COMPILED BY NIKKI TUCKER & SCOTT STIFFLER

MANHATTAN YOUTH OUTDOOR SPORTS Manhattan Youth began 24 years ago as a modest youth football league.

Now, Bob Townley and his crew return to their gridiron roots — with Flag Football every Sunday at 9:30am. Other outdoor sports options for 4th and 5th graders include Boys Kickball (Mondays at 3:30pm) and Girls Kickball (Fridays at 3:30pm, starting Oct. 7). For a registration form, and more info, visit Manhattanyouth.org. Or, email them at Pier25@manhattanyouth.org or call 212-766-1104, x263. All events take place on Pier 25 (Hudson River Park). Open registration (programs run to the new year, weather permitting).

JEFFERSON MARKET GARDEN HARVEST FESTIVAL Free kid-sized pumpkins and supplies to decorate them on-site, entertainment sponsored by the New York Public Library, seasonal autumn crafts, goodies and the rare opportunity for city kids to commune with big bales of straw are what makes this event an essential part of your fall calendar.

It’s also one of your last chances to enjoy that Greenwich Village urban oasis — the Jefferson Market Garden. One of NYC’s most beautiful and enduring community gardens, this treasured oasis of flowering plants and shrubs is open to the public Tues.-Sun. afternoons through October (then returns anew in May). The Harvest Festival is a free event. Sat., Oct. 15, 11am-2pm (rain date: Sun., Oct. 16). At the junction of Greenwich Ave., Sixth Ave. and W. 10th St. For more info, visit jeffersonmarketgarden.org.

PRENATAL YOGA Enjoy yoga in a supportive environment while learning postures and exercises specifically suited for pregnant women. Learn how to feel centered and strong during labor and delivery. All levels of yoga and all stages of pregnancy are welcome. Thursdays, through Oct. 27, 9:30–10:45am. PARENT & BABY YOGA is a multi-level class is designed to strengthen the body after giving birth, and allows new parents to practice yoga with their babies (newborns through crawlers). Learn to regain the strength in the abdominal muscles, develop inner and outer strength, and meet other parents and babies. Mondays, through Oct. 31 (no class Oct. 10), 1-2:15pm; 2:30–3:45pm. Thursdays, 11am–12:15pm. At 6 River Terrace (off North End Ave.).

Both classes are $140 for seven weeks (pre-registration required). See mayoganyc.com and yogafortwo.com for more info. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required for all classes. Contact Ellen at 212-267-9700, x366 or email emccarthy@bpcparks.org.

ENCHANTED FAIRIES & ELVES: PROTECTORS OF WOODS AND STREAMS

JIM HENSON’S FANTASTIC WORLD Meet Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Bert & Ernie at an exhibit dedicated to creative genius Jim Henson — creator of The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street. Puppets, drawings, storyboards, props and many other Henson artifacts are on display.

Even more fantastic is the program of events. At the Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Ave., Astoria). Until Jan. 16, 2012. Museum hours: Tues.-Thurs., 10:30am-5pm.

Fri., 10:30am-8pm. Sat. & Sun., 10:30am-7pm. Admission: $10 adults, $7.50 college students and seniors, $5 children under 18 (free for members and children under three). Free admission for all on Fri., 4-8pm. For info and a full schedule of events, visit movingimage.us or call 718-777-6888.

Photo courtesy of BPCP

If fairies and elves exist, then Battery Park City’s Teardrop Park is a likely place to find them. The bog, woodland gardens, prominent rock outcroppings and massive bluestone “ice wall” offer inviting nooks where the tiny mythological creatures would feel right at home. Known to protect and defend their natural environments, fairies and elves are found in cultures around the world (and have distinct traits and appearances depending on their habitat). This enchanting event lets kids use natural materials such as twigs, leaves, moss, flowers, acorns, seedpods and seashells to create their own fairy habitat to take home — in hopes that a fairy might pay them a visit. Participants will also make a set of wings from wire hangers, tulle, glitter and paint. Free. Sun., Oct. 2, 11am, at Teardrop Park Battery Park City (access Warren St. or Murray St.). This event is co-sponsored by Battery City Park Conservancy’s “Stories for All Ages” program (bpcparks.org) and Poets House (poetshouse.org). For a free 2011 BPCP program calendar, call 212-267-9700 or email info@bpcparks.org.

SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AT THE SCHOLASTIC STORE Every Saturday at 3pm, Scholastic’s in-store activities are designed to get kids reading, thinking, talking, creating and moving. At 557 Broadway (btw. Prince and Spring Sts.). Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm and Sun., 11am-6pm. For info, call 212-343-6166 or visit scholastic.com/sohostore.

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HOW DID DINOSAURS GET SO HUGE? Walk inside the giant body of a 60-foot-long, 11-foot-tall Mamenchisaurus at this exhibit about some of the biggest creatures to ever roam the planet. Long-necked and long-tailed sauropods could grow to be 150 feet — but what made them so huge?

“The Largest Dinosaurs” explores this question with up-close views of how the extinct giants moved, ate and breathed — and offers insight into why these functions are linked to the creatures’ size. At the end of the exhibit, learn how dinosaur fossils are discovered in an interactive replication of a dig site. Through Jan. 2, 2012. At the American Museum of Natural History (79th St. and Central Park West). Museum hours: 10am-5:45pm, daily. For museum and dino-exhibit admission: $25 for adults, $19 for seniors & students, $14.50 for children ages 2-12. Call 212-769-5100 or visit amnh.org.

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POETS HOUSE The Poets House Children’s Room gives children and their parents a gateway to enter the world of rhyme — through readings, group activities and interactive performances.

For children ages 1-3, the Children’s Room offers “Tiny Poets Time” readings on Thursdays at 10am; for those ages 4-10, “Weekly Poetry Readings” on Saturdays at 11am. Filled with poetry books, old-fashioned typewriters and a card catalogue packed with poetic objects to trigger inspiration, the Children’s Room is open Thurs.-Sat., 11am-5pm (at 10 River Terrace and Murray St.). Call 212-431-7920 or visit poetshouse.org.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, collage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects at this museum dedicated to inspiring the artist within. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving children the opportunity to experiment with materials such as paint, clay, fabric, paper and found objects. Drop in with wee-ones (ages 10 months to 3½ years) for the museum’s “Wee-Arts” program every Wed., Thurs. and Fri., 10:45am-12pm. Start the morning with Playdough, paints, glue and drawing — in an intimate and stimulating environment where experimentation, exploration and creative thinking are encouraged. Each session ($22 per family of three) ends with music and story time. Museum hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-5pm; Thurs., 12-6pm. Admission: $10; Pay as you wish on Thurs., 4-6pm. At 1345 Hudson St., btw. King and Charlton Sts. Call 212- 274-0986 or visit cmany.org. For group tours, call 212-274-0986, ext. 31.

NEW YORK CITY FIRE MUSEUM Kids will learn about fire prevention and safety through group tours, led by former NYC firefighters. The program — which lasts approximately 75 minutes — includes classroom training and a simulated event in a mock apartment, where a firefighter shows how fires can start in different rooms in the home. Finally, students are guided on a tour of the museum’s first floor. Tours (for groups of 20 or more) are offered Tuesdays through Fridays at 10:30am, 11:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are $3 for children and $5 per adult — but for every 10 kids, admission is free for one adult. The museum offers a $700 Junior Firefighter Birthday Party package, for children 3-6 years old. The birthday child and 15 of their guests will be treated to story time, show and tell, a coloring activity, a scavenger hunt and the opportunity to speak to a real firefighter (the museum provides a fire-themed birthday cake, juice boxes and other favors and decorations). The NYC Fire Museum is located at 278 Spring St. (btw. Varick and Hudson). For info and reservations, call 212-691-1303.

THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE MUSEUM The Junior Officers Discovery Zone is an exhibit designed for ages 3-10. It’s divided into four areas (Police Academy, Park and Precinct, Emergency Services Unit, and a Multi-Purpose Area), each with interactive and imaginary play experiences for children to understand the role of police officers in our community — by, among other things, driving and taking care of a police car. For older children, there’s a crime scene observation activity that will challenge them to remember relevant parts of city street scenes, a physical challenge similar to those at the Police Academy and a model Emergency Services Unit vehicle where children can climb in, use the steering wheel and lights, hear radio calls with police codes and see some of the actual equipment carried by The Emergency Services Unit. At 100 Old Slip. For info, call 212-480-3100 or visit nycpm.org. Hours: Mon. through Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 12-5pm. Admission: $8 ($5 for students, seniors and children; free for children under 2).

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? Listing requests may be sent to scott@chelseanow.com. Please provide the date, time, location, price and a description of the event. Information may also be mailed to 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York City, NY 10013. Requests must be received at least three weeks before the event. Questions? Call 646-452-2497.

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

DOWNTOWNEXPRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Oh, the Horror!

Frightening prospects for Downtown Halloween happenings

BY TRAV S.D. This, dear friends, is my favorite time of year — when theatres cease to be hotboxes and noisy refrigerators and the atmosphere outside is thick with the traffic of ghouls.

Theatre began as a means of summoning spooks (ones with names like Dionysus).

Contrary to popular misconception, you don’t need a crystal ball or even a Ouija board to get in touch with the spirits — just a bunch of exhibitionists and a stage!

Already open as of this writing is “Nightmare” — which bills itself as “America’s #1 Haunted House” (although I might give that honor to Congress at the moment). Created by Downtown theatre director/producer (and former publicist) Timothy Haskell, “Nightmare” is smarter than your average spook house (and by that I mean more conceptual, NOT less scary). This year’s theme is fairy tales. If you don’t think fairy tales are frightening (especially in their original versions, as they are presented here), you ain’t human!

Cannibalism, child abuse, murder, torture: and that’s just “Hansel and Gretel!” Staged

Contrary to popular misconception, you don’t need a crystal ball or even a Ouija board to get in touch with the spirits — just a bunch of exhibitionists and a stage! in the atmospheric old schoolhouse known as the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center (107 Suffolk St., btw. Rivington & Delancey Sts.), “Nightmare” is already in full swing and runs through November 5. For tickets, visit Hauntedhousenyc.com.

If “Nightmare” is calculated to trouble your psyche, the mission of its principle competitor “Blood Manor” seems to be to make you heave. Blood, gore and rotting zombie flesh are the principle ingredients — making this one more “Saw” than “Sleeping Beauty.” Its claims for supremacy are less grandiose (merely “New York City’s Premier Haunted Attraction” rather than “America’s #1”). But if dismemberment and the screams of innocent victims are your poison, “Blood Manor” is for you. It opens its creaky doors (located at 163 Varick St.) to the public on October 7. Additional info may be found at bloodmanor.com.

Also opening October 7 is Todd Robbins’

Photo by Beau Alluli

If a clown knocks, don’t answer. Good advice, from the cast of “the Tragedy of Maria Macabre.”

spook show “Play Dead” — an amazing, inexplicable experience (mostly because it’s hard to describe without spoilers). Directed

by Teller (the silent half of Penn & Teller), it gives us an evening of theatre starring sideshow king Robbins as he orchestrates a series of thrilling old school theatre illusions. There are long stretches of total darkness and the door is “chained” behind you before you are served up a full compliment of ghosts and murderous mayhem. To the best of my knowledge, every night one of the audiences doesn’t make it out alive. I hope it’s not you. More to the point, I hope it’s not me! October 7-November 6, at The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal St.). For Tickets and info, visit playdeadnyc.com.

If you like your thrills a little more literary, you may want to investigate the Chekhov Theatre Ensemble’s “Poe Project,” playing at Theater for the New City (115 1st Ave., btw. E. 9th & 10th Sts.), October 6-9. The show is a mélange of Poe’s most dream-like stories such as “Ligeia,” “The Angel of the Odd” and “A Dream Within a Dream.” Is Poe having the nightmare or are we? To find out, book your tickets through Theaterforthenewcity.net.

Opening October 8 at the Richmond Shepard Theatre (26th St. & Second Ave.) is a bloody little cocktail called “Vampure.”

This show must have something to commend it; it made its debut last Halloween season and it was successful enough for the producers to revive. Further, they’ve optimistically announced a run through December 17, just in case you want to get your vampire on between bouts of holiday shopping.

“Vampure” is described as a “late night Rocky Horror-esque romp about seven vampires forced into rehab to cure their vile addiction to blood.” Why, there’s even a vampire-addict talent show! Reality television is asleep at the switch if they’re letting an off-off-Broadway theatre company steal an idea like this! For more info, go to Vampure.com.

A number of years back, I caught a fun show called “The Go-Go Killers” — a selfconsciously exploitational tribute to Russ Meyer, Roger Corman, et al. This Halloween season, the two principle collaborators on that show (playwright Sean Gill and director Rachel Klein) each have a production of their own on the boards, both at the Wild Project (195 E. 3rd St.).

Gill’s “Dreams of the Clockmaker” (playing October 17-30) is the smaller scale of the two productions. A one-woman show starring Jillian Gill (the playwright’s sister and frequent collaborator), it promises to take you on a “mystifying voyage to one of those old, out-of-the-way places; a land of splinters

and shadows and the darkest corners of the world.…” Vague enough for ya? No vaguer than many of the great classics of the genre, so don’t let that stop you from investigating its mysteries. More dope can be found at juntajuleil.blogspot.com.

Klein’s piece, “The Tragedy of Maria Macabre,” is described as a Dia de los Muertos dance piece. Athough the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead starts November 2, this show runs October 20-30. But that’s okay — it also draws from 19th century European Circus imagery and silent horror films. Here’s the plot: “Arriving in the land of the dead, Maria Macabre is greeted by the King and Queen of the Dead, and many other ghoulish Hades-Dwellers including a maniacal Ringmistress, a Beauty Queen burnt to a crisp, a menacing French Clown, and three skeletal Mariachis!” Learn more at rachelkleinproductions.com.

October 22-31, don’t miss the stylishly horrific “Steampunk Haunted House” at the Abrons Arts Center (466 Grand St., at Pitt St.). Created by Third Rail projects, the producers promise an immersive experience featuring “neo-Victorian elegance and phantasmagoric clockwork horrors.” This year’s “Through the Looking Glass” theme

Continued on page 24

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24

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Continued from page 23 is a tribute to the visions of Lewis Carroll.

Beware the Jabberwock, My Son! Read more at steampunkhauntedhouse.com.

There is only one Downtown theatre company to party at on

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Halloween itself is the launch day of Dysfunctional Theatre Company’s “Brew of

the Dead II: Oktoberflesh� — a creeptastic confection all about zombies, the apocalypse and mind-altering drugs. The show is a sequel to the company’s earlier 2008 production, and takes us on a journey from a Canadian bowling alley to the first ever post-Apocalyptic music festival, all the while asking the musical question, “Can the dead get high?� The show previews at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place) on Halloween night and runs through November 19. More information, if you dare, at Dysfunctionaltheatre.org.

Lastly, there is only one Downtown theatre company to party at on Halloween: Theater for the New City — which has been throwing their huge Village Halloween Costume Ball for something like 30 years.

TNC co-founded the Village Halloween parade, and you will find the same mix of costumed bacchanalia and spooky ancient ritual at their 115 First Avenue location, inside and out. Every year, 1,200 people (or more) turn out for this extravaganza.

And if you don’t dress up yourself, there’s plenty weirdness to look at! It’s the East Village after all! Come to think of it, who needs to wait until Halloween? Tickets are $20 (although the outdoor performances are free). More info at theaterforthenewcity.net.

Happy haunting!

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Candace Burridge and David Zen Mansley strike an “American Gothic� pose, from the 2009 Village Halloween Ball.

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

Just Do Art! St). For tickets ($30), call 212-239-6200 or visit playwrightsrealm.org.

COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THEATER: FELIX & THE DILIGENCE Young, scrappy, sassy and occasionally dirty, the relatively young Pipeline Theatre Company has tackled everything from Bertolt Brecht (“The Caucasian Chalk Circle�) to Charles Busch (“Psycho Beach Party�). This self-professed “Downtown to the core� theater ensemble’s made good on that boast by staging every single one of their mainstage productions in the East or West Village. Their current production sees them tearing up the sod in that familiar stomping ground. “Felix & The Diligence� time warps its audience back to World War II — and injects a sense of wonder, chaos, confusion, innocence and optimism into what they promise will be “the greatest play about fishermen in the 1940’s you’ll ever see.� Well, they were right about being Downtown to the core, so we’ll take that as a sign that “Felix� is going to be something worth seeing.

If you’re still on the fence, consider this: It’s got mermaids, sea monsters and Nazi spies. You’d have to work very, very hard to go wrong with that formula.

Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 4, 5-8 at 8pm.

Late night performances at 10:30pm on October 1, 7, 8. Matinee at 3pm on Sept.

25. Reception follows the 8pm Sept. 24 performance. at the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St., btw. Aves. A & B). For tickets ($20, $15 for students/seniors), call 212868-4444 or visit smarttix.com. For info on Pipeline Theatre Company, visit pipelinetheatre.org.

THEATER: CRANE STORY Fusing elements Japanese Bunrakuinspired puppetry with magical realism, Jen Silverman’s “Crane Story� takes you on a quest through a magical land of the dead.

East meets west, and myth meets storytelling, when the suicide of her brother launches

ALL ABOARD! TRAINS ON FILM SERIES Mystery, glamour, speed and a hint of danger — there’s something about a train.

Friends of the High Line aren’t saying exactly what sort of intrigue happened back in the day when freight trains delivered dairy, meat, produce and other goods from Upstate New York into the warehouses and factories on Manhattan’s West Side on the rails of what’s now High Line Park. But the final night of their “All Aboard! Trains on Film� series gives a hint of the dark thrills that just might greet us when we innocently board a train.

Hey, if it happened to Farley Granger, it can happen to you. Frustrated with his marriage, Grainger plays a famous tennis player who makes a half-hearted arrangement with a strange fellow he encounters on a train — a disturbed man-child who takes his commitment to their deal to a deadly level. Directed

by Alfred Hitchcock, 1951’s “Strangers on a Train� screens on Fri., Sept. 30, 7pm, in the 14th Street Passage, on the High Line at West 14th Street. This event is free, and appropriate for all ages. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For info, visit thehighline.org.

Photo by Erik Pearson

Continued on page 27

L to R: Drowned Man puppet, Christine Toy Johnson and Louis Ozawa Changchein.

See “Crane Story.�

a Japanese-American girl on a journey to rescue his soul. This world premiere is being presented by The Playwrights Realm.

Dedicated to nurturing emerging young playwrights, they produce only a single full Off-Broadway play each year. But 2011’s production didn’t happen overnight. “Crane Story� was developed during the past four years, though a series of workshops and readings.

Tues. through Sat., 8pm (through Oct. 1). At Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

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September 28 - October 4, 2011

Just Do Art! Continued from page 25

DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS For quite some time now, Dan Zanes has been a major force in the realm of children’s music — but parents of a certain age still remember dancing to the beat of the tunes he played while a member of the 1980s group Del Fuegos. But this is 2011, folks, and the little ones only know (and care) about “Dan Zane and Friends.”

This upcoming event helps NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts launch its popular Big Red Chair Family Series — a program of live performances for young people and families.

Sun., Oct. 2, at 3pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at nyuskirball.org, or by phone at 212-352-3101.

The show runs approximately 70 minutes and is appropriate for all ages. NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square.

Image courtesy of the artist

ART: 4 SEASONS IN THE VILLAGE Don’t envy Ellen Bradshaw for working in the Village and watching the seasons change from the window of her studio.

You’ll be better off just enjoying the view.

Bradshaw’s “4 Seasons in the Village” allows you to contemplate a collection of new oil paintings documents the artist’s favorite streets, haunts and corners of the West Village. Painted in each of the four seasons, Bradshaw’s favorite West 4th Street view is the centerpiece of this show. Whether it’s summer’s brilliant rays casting shadows or snow covering the sidewalk outside of Village Cigars, the artist depicts the Village as the ultimate small town — “a refuge from the rest of the city,” as she puts it. Solitary amblers, shop owners, benchsitters, dog walkers, delivery trucks and bicycles propped against street signs convey a sense of routine and serenity.

Artist Receptions on Thurs., Oct. 6, 5-8pm and Sat., Oct. 8, 3-6pm. The exhibit runs from Oct. 4-29. Gallery Hours: Tues.–Sat, 11am-6pm or by appointment. At Pleiades Gallery (530 W. 25th St., 4th floor, btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For info, call 646-230-0056 or visit pleiadesgallery.com. For info on the artist, visit ellenbradshaw.com.

THE BEGINNINGS OF VIDEO GAMES Here’s a fun and educational event for a generation that has no idea “Pong” was ever an activity that didn’t have the word “Beer” in front of it. Well worth the trip out of Manhattan, Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image does a postmodern take on the question “Where did video games come from?” by offering a Skype chat with the inventor of the home video game (Ralph Baer) followed by a demonstration of William A. Higinbotham’s legendary analog computer game, “Tennis for Two.” That oscilloscope simulation of a tennis game is considered to be the first of its kind to introduce modern conditions of game play: multiple players, a screen display, and exter-

“Village Cigars” (2011; 15”x30”; oil on canvas). See “4 Seasons in the Village.”

Photo by Gala Narezo

Dan Zanes and Friends. From left: Elena Moon Park, Colin Brooks, Sonia de los Santos, Dan Zanes, Saskia Lane.

nal controllers for player-to-game interaction. The recreation of this 1958 game will be presented by Brookhaven National Laboratory scientist Peter Takacs and curators of the William A. Higinbotham Game Studies Collection (WHGSC) at Stony Brook University. Following the demo, audience members will be invited to play and share their reactions.

Tickets for “The Beginnings of Video Games” are included with Museum admission, and are available first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event ($12 adults, $9 college students and senior citizens, $6 children 3–12, and free for Museum members). Saturday, October 1, 2pm, at the Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Ave. at 37th St., in Astoria).

Subway: M (weekdays only) or R (all times) to

Steinway Street. N (all times) or Q (weekdays only) to 36th Ave. For more info, visit movingimage.us or call 718-777-6888.

MONK AT 94: COUNTDOWN TO 100 “Takin’ that note [that] nobody wrote [and] puttin’ it down.” That observation, from impromptu lyrics added by Jon Hendricks during a 1968 studio recording of Thelonious Monk’s “In Walked Bud,” nails it. Like the musician referenced in the song’s title (Bud Powell), there was never anybody like Monk, and there never will be again. Piano virtuosos including Cuban-born classical pianist Adonis Gonzalez, pianist and composer Jed Distler and rising Cuban jazz star Axel Tosca certainly think so — and to prove it, they’ll pay tribute to the prolific

Photo by Brian Palmer

Tennis, anyone? See “The Beginnings of Video Games.”

bebop architect at this annual birthday concert (which continues Arts World Financial Center’s 10-year march toward the Thelonius Monk centennial in 2017). “It’s a testament to Thelonius Monk’s brilliance and originality that his influence can be heard in the work of pianists across a variety of musical genres,” said Debra Simon, Artistic Director of Arts World Financial Center. “We’re thrilled to present the latest installment in our ten-year tribute to the preeminent jazz pianist of the 20th century and his many gifted disciples.”

Free (no tickets or reservations required).

Tues., Oct. 4, 12-4pm. At World Financial Center Winter Garden (220 Vesey St.). For info, call 212-945-0505 or visit artsworldfinancialcenter.com.

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