Our Town Downtown January 19, 2012 by OurTown Downtown

january 19, 2012 | www.otdowntown.com

DaNGEROUS

DELANCEY The recent death of 12-year-old Dashane Santana sheds further light on safety concerns for this LES street. (P7)

Talking Up Downtown with Maggie Siena the future fearless leader of the peck slip school (P18)

photos by george k. denison

Mad for MooMah Tracey Stewart has created a magical playhouse in Tribeca (P12)

SaddLE UP Frederick Wiseman takes on a nude revue in Crazy Horse (P10)

� CR I M E WATC H Cash Thief ThwarTed aT Magazine shop Beware, the person who attempts to steal from a magazine store. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, a 57-year-old man was arrested at a Varick Street periodical shop after attempting to steal $760 in cash. The perp allegedly took the money from behind the counter and tried to flee by pushing a customer aside. Police were soon on the scene. group of Kids sTeal Thousands in CloThes When it comes to stealing, sometimes there is safety in numbers. Police report that a group of five youths ranging in age from 16 to 23 stole $1,639 in clothing from a premium jeans company’s Wall Street store. The young thieves took three hoodies and seven T-shirts off the display racks, put them into two duffle bags and ran off, down Wall Street. This puts a whole new spin on corporate fleecing. Cards, Cash and MeTroCard TaKen froM diaper Bag It’s amazing how much can

be carried—and stolen—from a modern-day diaper bag. A 30-yearold New York woman was dining at a Chipotle on Little West Street the afternoon of Dec. 30 when her $1,000 Louis Vuitton wallet was taken from the diaper bag hanging from her child’s stroller. When the woman returned home, she realized everything in her wallet was missing, including three $50 MetroCards, $150 in cash, four credit cards, a Harvard ID card, an insurance card and her driver’s license. CauTionary Tales of walKing alone laTe aT nighT While Manhattan is certainly safer than it was decades ago, when the subways were littered with graffiti and the Meatpacking District was known more for its prostitutes than boutique restaurants, it still isn’t a good idea to walk around late at night alone. Take it from a 32-yearold man who was strolling on Vesey Street around 3 a.m. Thursday, Jan 5. The victim reported to police that a man came up behind him, grabbed his bag and demanded he give up his cell phone and wallet. “I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it,”

the perp allegedly said, but scurried away when a couple approached the men. The same advice goes out to 58-year-old man who was walking through a Battery Park City playground around midnight Monday, Jan 9. Police say he walked past five teenagers, ages 12 to 15, who stopped him in his tracks and started to shout “Money.” When the man, who obviously has some chutzpah, said “No,” one of the youths punched him in the cheek before the group was allegedly scared off by a construction worker and fled.

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The pleasures of a luxurious pedicure or nail treatment come with a price— sometimes a very steep one, at that. At a Soho beauty and nail salon on Thompson Street, customers can enjoy browsing on an iPad 2 while their coat of color dries, but someone, or a group of someones, seems to have taken this perk a little too far. An employee reported to police on Monday, Jan. 9, that two iPad 2s, worth $1,258, were stolen from the business. Unfortunately, there were no suspects in sight. If only there was a way to nail those gadgets to the wall.

The JaCKpoT’s in The TrunK Some people on the go carry their lives in their cars, but for a 65-year-old Greenwich Street resident, this method of storage proved ill-advised. She reported to police that she had parked her 2009 Jeep at the corner of Greenwich and Watts streets the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 9, but when she returned, the back had been pried open and over $8,000 worth of belongings had been stolen. Among the missing items were a $2,500 Apple laptop, a $1,500 Leica camera, $920 Helmut Lang leather pants and a $250 Wolford lace bodysuit.

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� N E I G H BO R H O O D C HAT TE R Your doctor retired to where? sTREET sCENE

“Love, Love, Love” on Houston Street and 6th Avenue.

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LOWER MANHATTAN DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE HOLDS LOVE STORY CONTEST Did you meet your soulmate by chance along the promenade of Battery Park City? On the Wall Street trading floor? During your lunch hour in City Hall Park? Whatever your Lower Manhattan love story is, the Downtown Alliance wants to hear it. In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, the Alliance is running a contest asking citizens to submit their tales of love in 500 words or less for the chance to win a dinner for two at Wall & Water restaurant, a one-night weekend stay at the Andaz Wall Street hotel and a $250 gift certificate from Greenwich Jewelers. The panel of judges who will pick the best story include Toni Hinterstoisser, general manager of Andaz Wall Street; Melissa Andreev, president of the FiDi Association and manager of La Maison du Chocolat; Christina Gambale, owner of Greenwich Jewelers; and Sara Cancellaro, general manager of Flowers of the World. While the contest ends Feb. 8, the winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day. For those interested in participating, please send your entries to ContactUs@ DowntownNY.com (subject line: Lower Manhattan Love Story) or to The Downtown Alliance, Att.: Lower Manhattan Love Story, 120 Broadway, Ste. 3340, NY, NY, 10271. All entries must be received by midnight Feb. 8. CHINATOWN HEARING FOR SOLDIER CONNECTED TO DANNY CHEN’S DEATH Specialist Ryan J. Offutt, who, among seven other soldiers, has received charges in connection with the death of Chinatown native Private Danny Chen, underwent a preliminary hearing in Afghanistan on Sunday, Jan. 15. Offutt’s charges reportedly include maltreatment, assault, involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. While details from the hearing weren’t

readily available, the Chen family and their supporters have asked that all hearings in connection with Chen’s death take place in the United States for more transparency. CITYWIDE COMPROMISE SEAL LIVING WAGE BILL After over a year of debate, it seems a living wage bill is closed to being inked in the City Council. On Friday, Jan. 13, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced a compromise on the legislation in the form of a new bill. While her bill, set to be introduced next month, will require companies receiving over $1 million in city subsidies to pay their employees at least $10 an hour with benefits or $11.25 an hour without benefits, it will not make the same requirement of tenants of development projects. “The requirement that tenants in subsidized projects pay more when the city has no financial connection with them is a provision that I believe would have cost us future retail jobs. Placing this requirement on businesses that don’t receive a direct benefit is simply unfair,” said Quinn in her remarks before the City Council. Despite this compromise, several elected officials and stakeholders in this process seemed pleased with the outcome. “I am pleased that an agreement has been reached among all stakeholders on a living wage bill for New York City,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “More than 15 cities across the country have passed similar laws, and I am proud that New York will be joining that list.” Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union President Stuart Appelbaum added, “Our campaign was called Living Wage NYC for a reason, and we have achieved a key goal: a new policy framework that say all workers on subsidized development projects, including retail employees, should be paid a living wage...We have highlighted the importance of a higher-wage economy that will reduce inequality and rebuild the middle class.”

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Julie Menin Fundraises in Soho

hile Julie Menin currently serves as the chair of Community Board 1 in Lower Manhattan, she is eyeing a new, as yet officially unnamed political office in 2013. Last week, Menin held two fundraisers in Soho: one at the home of philanthropist Henry Buhl and another at SoHo Alliance President Sean Sweeney’s abode. This series shows the scene at the Buhl gathering, colin kelly which included many noted guests including Tribeca Film Festival founders founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro. —Photos by Colin kelly text by staff

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OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

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Lights On…In Lower Manhattan In a new recurring feature, we have partnered with the Downtown Alliance to present Kelly Rush’s “Lights On . . . In Lower Manhattan” blog in print. Rush keeps her finger on the pulse of the business scene at the southern tip of Manhattan—you can follow her at www.DowntownNY.com.

Now that it’s January and we’ve eaten far too much and feel disgusted with ourselves, I thought I’d mention a health food restaurant and some non-food openings in Lower Manhattan, including a medical facility that specializes in pain management. Lower Manhattan has a lot of new openings on the horizon, particularly in Battery Park City around the Goldman Sachs building. As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a longtime friend, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I’ll check them out. openings Maxwell Medical 99 Wall St., 10th Fl. (at Front St.), 212-952-9355. “You should never wake up with pain.” That’s Maxwell Medical’s mantra, and they take it seriously. I violate this rule every day, so I stopped in for a massage and was rewarded with a pain-free neck and shoulders the next morning. The multidisciplinary

medical center specializes in physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, sports medicine and manual therapy (a more specialized form of massage therapy). They’re against medicine, as far as pharmaceuticals are concerned, Marketing Director Erum Hussain said. The idea is to find out what is causing a patient’s pain and treat it through therapy instead of medicating. The staff also incorporates diet and exercise consulting into their treatment plans.

The Downtown Alliance’s KELLY RUSH tells us what business is coming in—and what is going out

benches and grassy lawns that I predict will become very popular in the spring. The lower level contains two glass-paneled buildings; one will house a restaurant and the other will house a maritime museum. The way the deck was designed, with steps leading down to the water, gives you the feeling you could dip your toes in, but you can’t—and in this weather, you wouldn’t want to anyway.

T.J. Maxx 14 Wall St. (betw. Broadway & Nassau St.), 212-587-8459. This retailer is open and ready for bargain hunters. Walk through the brass gate on Nassau Street between Wall and Pine streets, take a trip down the escalator and peruse designer handbags, clothing, shoes and home décor at discount prices. In other words, you’ll get the max for the minimum price. I stopped in recently and found a wide selection of everything you need to stay warm, including coats, hats, scarves and some cashmere items for people tired of warm but scratchy wool.

Basics Plus 85 John St. (betw. Gold & William Sts.), 212791-6870. Founded in 1989 at the corner of University Place and 13th Street, the first Basics Plus store sold everything from keys and hardware to an expanding line of household products. The retailer recently opened a new location in the Financial District focusing on housewares. It’s known as “the corner store that carries everything,” and customers can find well-known kitchen staples such as Cuisinart and simplehuman there or try out eco-friendly cleaning products such as Mrs. Meyer’s and Totally Bamboo.

Pier 15 (at South Street Seaport) The stretch of waterfront south of the Seaport has a new place for visitors to sit, stroll and enjoy views of the East River. Pier 15 features an upper and lower deck with

Beans and Greens 245 Murray St. (betw. North End Ave. & West St.), 212-786-4760. Beans and Greens’ grand opening presages a host of new retail offerings in Battery Park City, which is growing so fast it’s hard to keep

track. You won’t find produce treated with pesticides at this organic eatery; their menu features organic Stumptown Coffee and organically farmed greens and dairy products. The café has several different stations where patrons can choose their toppings, including a yogurt bar, an omelet bar and a salad bar. Or choose a chef-inspired entrée salad such as the sweet greens salad with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, veggies and grilled chicken. norTh end Grill 104 North End Ave. (at Vesey St.), northendgrillnyc.com. Blue sMoke 255 Vesey St. (betw. North End Ave. & West St.), bluesmoke.com. I mentioned a host of new openings in Battery Park City and would be remiss if I didn’t point out these two highly anticipated restaurants. They’ve just opened and are serving limited menus at the moment, but I’ll have more details in my next column. Closings Milk sTreeT café, 40 wall sT. duane reade, 147 fulTon sT. Visit the Alliance for Downtown New York at www.DowntownNY.com, where you can check out an interactive map with details on hours, locations and services.

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JAN UARY 19, 2012 | otdowntown.com

� N EWS As Cold Sets in, Few Occupiers Remain Despite barricades coming down, some OWS members long for the reoccupation of Zuccotti Park

| By AnAm BAig The barricades surrounding Zuccotti Park were taken down Tuesday night, but the Occupy Wall Street movement has seemingly abandoned its former residence for warmer ground. McGuiness, a white-bearded anarchist who prefers to go by one name, has occupied the park since September. On the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 12, he and only a few other members of the movement were hanging around Zuccotti Park, hoping, they said, for a rebirth of the revolution. “The cold is keeping the people away, but no revolution has stopped because it was cold or rainy or snowy. When the park was evicted, there was an attempt to occupy Duarte Square, but it fell through,” McGuiness said. “Now, most of the occupiers have either gone home or are waiting for the spring—or they’re up at 60 Wall St. But I think that’s stupid; a movement loses momentum like that. Clearly, the protest wasn’t planned for the winter, even though it was started in September. “I’ll be here, though, night and day,” he said, “whether I have to sleep under a

OWS occupiers linger in Zuccotti Park on the evening, Jan. 10, that the barricades were taken down at the movement’s former encampment site in Lower Manhattan. PHOTO BY JAgz MARiO

bench or on a train.” According to the occupiers, there were four arrests last week; three of them occurred the night the barricades were taken down. One person was arrested for sitting on a barricade and two others for lying down in the park, said OWS members. All allegedly received charges of trespassing. An atrium at 60 Wall St., a 55-story skyscraper that is the headquarters of Deutsche Bank, is now the new meeting spot for pivotal members of the 99 percent movement. This area, as required by City Council, is a privately

owned public plaza where people can meet, eat and stay warm, an ideal location for OWS members working on meetings, marches and other movement business. Most of these occupiers, however, were hesitant to give interviews. This could be due to media burnout or, as one occupier, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed last week, rumors of CIA and FBI involvement. The scene at OWS’ new location is decidedly low profile. As the mild winter rages on, the movement has brewed to a simmer, but some promise a full comeback by spring.

Stringer Pushes Back on Sale of Buildings Elected officials ask to turn city property into schools

| By VAtiShA Smith In a wind-chilled outdoor press conference Tuesday, Jan. 17, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer spoke about his plan to block the sale of three city-owned buildings, a measure proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week. Joined by several Lower Manhattan residents, Stringer discussed his plan to prevent the sale of 49-51 Chambers St., 22 Reade St. and 346 Broadway to developers. City agencies occupy all three buildings: The Chambers Street building houses offices of the Board of Corrections, Community Board 1, the Department of Education and the New York Police Department; the Broadway building is home to a Cultural Affairs office, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Veteran’s Affairs; and 22 Reade St. is devoted to the City Planning Department. The mayor cited poor occupancy rates

and an effort to save taxpayer dollars as the motivation behind the plan. Vehemently opposed to the sale, Stringer stressed the need for the community to have access to these spaces for the development of low-cost housing and badly needed new schools. “Smart government business means smart planning,” said Stringer. Stringer pointed to a section of the New York City charter that says the mayor cannot dispose of property without the approval of the Borough Board, of which Stringer is chair. With that clause, the borough president is planning to block the sale until all necessary parties become part of the decision-making process. “The mayor has made it obvious he does not see this as a collaborative effort,” he said. Stringer stressed the need for the public to be aware of the sale. He said he understands the city’s need for a cash infusion but concluded, “If [Bloomberg] can settle Kingsbridge, [he] can certainly settle this.” He was referring to the Kingsbridge Armory, a five-acre building complex in the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx that has been

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

vacant for over 15 years. During the mayor’s State of the City address in the Bronx last week, Bloomberg announced a cooperative effort with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. to commercially develop the collection of buildings. Julie Menin, chair of Community Board 1, who also attended the conference, spoke of the increase in new residents of Lower Manhattan by at least 30,000 in recent years, causing a severe need for more schools. “I urge the city to assess the potential of 22 Reade St. for use as a public school to serve the west side of Lower Manhattan,” Council Member Margaret Chin said in a statement. “We are all aware of the severe overcrowding downtown and the need for more elementary seats in school district 2. All open space in Lower Manhattan must be automatically considered for use as a school because our need is so great.” With a combined total of 696,000 square feet of space available, Stringer estimated the value of the buildings at a minimum of $100 million. “The last thing we need,” Stringer noted, “is another high-priced hotel.”

Is 6 the Charm for WTC Arts Center? | By jOSh rOgErS

The idea of a cultural building at the World Trade Center has at times been likened to a forgotten orphan, but the idea inched further away from fantasy and closer to reality last week when it unofficially got something its WTC brothers and sisters have always had: an address. Though the site for the proposed Performing Arts Center was determined years ago, it has usually been identified as “PAC” on WTC maps. Tom Goodkind, a member of Community Board 1’s WTC Committee, said that with 7 WTC open across the street, there is a missing number that should be reserved for the PAC. “That should be a 6,” he said at a committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 9. “It’s just logical.” Glenn Guzi, a program director at the Port Authority, which owns the WTC, agreed, saying “unofficially,” the Port considers the arts building to be at 6 WTC. The original 6 WTC was the smallest building in the complex and housed the U.S. Customs House before it was destroyed in 2001. The Center got a bigger boost three weeks ago when Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairperson of the 9/11 Memorial Foundation, named five members to a fundraising board. They are Julie Menin, chairperson of Community Board 1; Christy Freer, CEO of Vidicom, whose husband was killed on 9/11; Larry Silverstein, the WTC developer; John Zuccotti, co-chairperson of Brookfield Properties; and Zenia Mucha, executive vice president of the Walt Disney Company. The move was made to free up $100 million of Lower Manhattan Development Corp. money, which was conditioned on the city and state creating a PAC board. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not named any members to the board. Each board member has promised to raise $5 million, the Wall Street Journal reported, and will serve with Dep. Mayor Patricia Harris, an ex-officio member who has not made a pledge. The LMDC had previously committed $55 million to the PAC. Bloomberg administration officials first said they would take the lead role in getting the PAC built in 2006, but little progress was made as fundraising and construction priorities centered on the WTC Memorial and train station. The 2003 site plan for the WTC designed by Daniel Libeskind included several arts buildings as a buffer between the memorial and office buildings, but over the years, content objections raised by some 9/11 family members ,as well as the competition for space, reduced the size of the cultural center.

PHOTO BY GEORGE K. DENISON

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A few months ago, a NYPD officer stood in the middle of the intersection of Delancey and Essex streets, out of breath and sweating. Occasionally, a driver would roll down his window to shout at him. “Tell this guy to move up already!” said an angry blonde woman in a green Jeep. In the middle of the intersection, with three honking cars behind her, she was attempting to turn toward the Williamsburg Bridge before the light changed. This isn’t just typical for a Saturday afternoon—it is typical for any time at this intersection just before the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge. Currently labeled one of the deadliest thoroughfares in the city, Delancey Street cuts through the Lower East Side. It is known for a recent string of fatalities and over 500 car accidents in the last 12 years. The chaos, which usually ensues on weekends and at rush hour, has built up over the years as more people populate the Lower East Side

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MAIER, WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ANDREW RICE

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| BY LILLIAN RIZZO AND MARISSA

A recent tragedy proves once again the deadliness of the LES’ main thoroughfare

1. Last August, a cyclist was killed at Delancey and Chrystie streets. 2. A woman was killed by a garbage truck at Delancey and Essex streets last May. 3. In 2010, a man was killed crossing the street. 4. A cyclist was killed in 2010 as well. 5. Dashane Santana was killed near Clinton Street last week. MAP BY SAHAR VAHIDI

and more cyclists use the bridge. The most recent accident to occur on Delancey Street claimed the life of a 12-yearold girl. The NYPD reported that Dashane Santana was killed Friday, Jan. 13, after being hit by a minivan. Police say the girl was crossing the street with a group of friends near the intersection of Delancey and Clinton streets, close to where the road feeds into the Williamsburg Bridge, when a 2006 Toyota minivan struck her. Gothamist interviewed one witness who

was with the girl, who reported that the group was crossing the street when the light changed quickly and Santana tripped. NYPD officer Michael DeBonis revealed that Santana attended M.S. 345 CASTLE Middle School, located on nearby Henry Street, but was said to have had dreams of applying to the Juilliard School. She reportedly lived in the East Village’s Jacob Riis II Houses. The driver of the vehicle, DeBonis continued, was a 58-year-old Asian man who

Dashane Santana, a 12-year-old CASTLE middle school student, who was killed on Delancey Street last Friday, Jan. 13. FAMILY HANDOUT PHOTO

remained on the scene after the accident. While the investigation is ongoing, police at this point are saying they don’t suspect criminal charges will be issued. The 911 call came in at around 2:36 p.m., but FDNY representative Jim Long said Santana was already in cardiac arrest and wasn’t breathing by the time medical personnel arrived at the scene. She was rushed to New York Downtown Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 JAN UARY 19, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM

THE 7-DAY PLAN

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IFC Center, 323 6th Ave. (at W. 3rd St.), ifccenter.com; $13. Renowned documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman visits the IFC Center to present a screening of his startling 1967 work Titicut Follies, which takes the viewer inside the Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts.

THURSDAY

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FREE RAC Grand Opening

Culture Fix, 9 Clinton St. (betw. E. Houston & Stanton Sts.), culturefixny.com; 12–9 p.m. After three years of making work, the art collective Recession Art has teamed up with Downtown bar and gallery Culture Fix, a venue that provides exhibition, sale and performance space for emerging or aspiring artists. Photographers, painters and multimedia artists involved with Recession Art include Megan Berk and Gabriela Vainsencher.

FREE Freeze Tag on Wall Street

Corner of Wall & Broad Sts., levysuniqueny.com; 12–3 p.m. Relive your childhood with the sixth annual Freeze Tag on Wall Street. Games like blob tag, wolf sheep rock and red rover, among others, will be taught to those in need of reawakening their inner children.

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Blockade Anthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Ave. (at E. 2nd St.), anthologyfilmarchives.org; 8:45 p.m., $9. Written by Sergei Loznitsa and composed solely of rarely seen footage found in the Soviet government’s archives, this documentary brings the momentous events of the World War II siege of Leningrad vividly to life.

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

Down With the Building ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington St. (betw. Suffolk & Clinton Sts.), abcnorio.org; 8 and 11:30 p.m., $20. The last show of Michael Alan’s long-standing Living Installation at the historic ABC No Rio. Watch, get lost or be a part of the massive art exhibit as every movement, material and texture is placed on the body, turning the performers and the space around them into a living, breathing exhibit.

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Open Rehearsal Cino Theater, 155 1st Ave. (at E. 10th St.), theaterforthenewcity.net; 3 p.m., $10. Written and directed by absurdist playwright Lazarre Seymour Simckes, Open Rehearsal offers a unique flavor of the avant-garde rooted in the Jewish experience. Simckes takes on the darker aspects of everyday life like cancer, suicide and divorce, and transforms them into his vision of a comedic human experience.

Behind the Scenes at Print Restaurant 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (at Vestry St.), 92y.org; 12 p.m., $80. Join NYC’s only full-time forager, Adam Block, on a tour of his kitchen at Print restaurant with food historian Alexandra Leaf. Then kick back with an included three-course meal of Print’s seasonally inspired fare featuring locally sourced ingredients. Lunch includes a glass of wine and some food for thought.

TUESDAY

The Store Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer St. (betw. Prince & W. Houston Sts.), joyce.org; 7:30 p.m., $18, $15 students/seniors. The Store returns to NYC, offering a glimpse of six individuals brought together by a single unforeseen event in a neighborhood deli. An interwoven multimedia performance combining dance, video and music, The Store offers a rich experience that tells a uniquely human story.

Bad Movie Night 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (at Vestry St.), 92y.org; 8 p.m, $12. If you’re one of those moviegoers whose guilty pleasure is a deliciously terrible film, you’ll love Renny Harlin’s 2009 flick 12 Rounds—filled with important how-tos of terrible filmmaking such as stopping a moving car with a speedboat and insulting a terrorist with petty name calling. The picture also stars Danny Fisher of WWE fame.

Push the Night Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St. (betw. White & Walker Sts.), santospartyhouse.com; doors at 10 p.m., $5 before midnight, $10 after midnight with RSVP, 21+. Set the tone for 2012 with Push the Night. This latenight dance party kicks off the new year of fun downstairs at Santos Party House with a headlining set by DJ Brad Miller—get ready for raw and pulsing sounds.

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

Submissions can be sent to otdowntown@manhattanmedia.com.

The Liar Show 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (at Vestry St.), 92y.org; 7 p.m, $12 and up. Five writers and comedians perform and tell short, personal stories that will be sure to have you laughing. The catch is that two of them are lying. Interrogate the cast and uncover the frauds!

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Visit otdowntown.com for the latest updates on local events.

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If You Are Dead, You Are Here HERE, 145 6th Ave. (betw. Spring & Dominick Sts.), here.org; 8:30 p.m., $15. The charged encounter between an American soldier and an Iraqi girl blogger plays out through the technologies that aid and connect them in this play written by Christine Evans and directed by Joseph Megel. The show melds live action with animated landscapes from “Virtual Iraq,” a simulation program used in PTSD therapy for veterans.

FREE Rough Cut

Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St. (at Canal St.), tribecacinemas.com; doors at 6:30 p.m., film at 7. Written by Kim Ki-Duk, this high concept knuckle-buster about a spoiled actor, famous for playing gangsters, who hires the real thing to appear in his new flick. This film ignores clichés and instead focuses on the conflict between a man used to getting his way through celebrity and one used to getting his way through violence.

FREE Shaken and Stirred

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The Delancey, 168 Delancey St. (betw. Clinton & Attorney Sts.), thedelancey.com; 10 p.m. Each week, a different cast of NYC’s finest burlesque stars and most gorgeous gaggle of go-go performers presents a night of high-spirited entertainment with $3 huckleberry vodka shots. DJ Jess provides the infectious tunes for the charming ladies of the Sugar Shack Burlesque, Runaround Sue and Scooter Pie to artfully disrobe to.

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER? Renee Flax, director of camper placement of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

Upcoming Fairs:

SATURDAY, JAN 28, 2012 Downtown Grace Church School 86 4th Ave. 12PM - 3PM

SATURDAY, JAN 21, 2012

SUNDAY, JAN 29, 2012

SUNDAY, JAN 22, 2012

SATURDAY, FEB 4, 2012

Upper East Side St. Jean Baptiste School 173 E. 75th St. 12PM - 3PM

Upper West Side Congregation Rodeph Sholom 7 W. 83rd St. 12PM - 3PM

Park Slope Union Temple 17 Eastern Pkwy 12PM - 3PM

Upper West Side Bank Street School 610 W. 112th St. 12PM - 3PM

New York Family magazine and the American Camp Association, NY & NJ are teaming up for their winter fairs! Meet dozens of different camp directors from local DAY CAMPS and SLEEPAWAY CAMPS from across the region. Great for children ages 3 to 17! pre-register at:

Newyorkfamilycamps.com For more info on summer camps:

TheRightCamp.com

JAN UARY 1 9 , 2 0 1 2 | ot d owntown. c o m

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Labors of Love

� DWE LL

The Townhouse Therapist on the benefits of fullbuilding living

30 Grove St. is one of Came’s current townhouse listings. The West Village building is divided into two plush duplexes.

| By marissa maier Tatiana Cames is known as the “Townhouse Therapist.” Though the title would make for a good interior design reality show, Cames is renown in the real estate world for being the agent in the know when it comes to selling and buying townhouses. What qualities do townhome buyers have? They generally are a person who needs more privacy. They want a larger amount of space, since most townhouses run 4,000 to 6,000 square feet. They tend to be appreciative of the history and scale of townhouses; it is very different than a skyscraper or tall building.

This series shows the upper level, which features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a deck, for a rental price of $9,500 per month. photos coURtesY of tAtiANA cAmes/coRcoRAN GRoUp ReAl estAte

Frederick Wiseman takes on a nude revue in Crazy Horse

| By Cullen GallaGher A new Frederick Wiseman documentary is usually cause for celebration. Since his 1967 debut, Titticut Follies, he has made a name for himself as one of the most distinctive, innovative and consistently revealing nonfiction filmmakers. His fly-on-the-wall style is unmistakable. Foregoing traditional narration and interview techniques,Wiseman’s films are characteristically distinguished by his patience and insight, allowing situations to unfold in front of the camera without his interjection. But with Crazy Horse, now playing at Film Forum, the very qualities that have pushedWiseman’s films to the forefront of his field and revolutionized the art of documentary filmmaking seem to hold him back. The subject of his film is Paris’ famously chic nude revue, Crazy Horse. With his first shot of a shadow puppeteer contorting his hands into a devil’s face, Wiseman clearly announces one of the major themes of his film: desire and

When you first purchased and renovated your townhome in the West Village in 1992, what was that experience like? I was a little reluctant. At 23 years old, I didn’t have much experience with this. The house was in an unsafe condition, things were falling apart, the floors were old and there were still tenants in the building. The building hadn’t been updated since the 1960s. There were linoleum floors and lots of pink salmon walls. It was hard to imagine the house being beautiful. It took a few years and it was a labor of love. We did a restoration and the transformation was wonderful. What are some the benefits and

The lower-level property at 30 Grove St.—a two-bedroom and two-and-halfbathroom abode that features a fireplace, wood floors, and a terrace, all for a $15,000-a-month price tag.

drawbacks of purchasing and living in a townhouse? The benefits is there is a lot of flexibility to grow in, or out, of the space. You can rent certain portions or not. You have flexibility in the layout and design. The garden, is really special. When you are in your garden it feels like you are in the country. The drawbacks are that you have to do a lot on your own.

A scene from Frederick Wiseman’s CrazyHorse.

� SE E Saddle Up

I’ve read that in the early 20th century, apartment buildings became more popular. When did townhouses and brownstones begin to experience a resurgence in popularity? During the 1970s, there was

an [economic] crisis in New York and a lot of people were not able to afford a full house, so townhouses were divided into many units. In the late 1980s and 1990s, there was more affluence in the city and people started to purchase these buildings and renovated them back to single family homes.

photo bY ANtoiNe poUpel coURtesY of ZippoRAh films

temptation are a performance, an illusion created by light, shadow and the creative contortion of the human body. The rest of the film is devoted to alternating between the backstage and onstage life at Crazy Horse. Exquisitely composed, Crazy Horse gives viewers a front-row seat to the theater’s show, Désir, one better than any audience member in the club would ever be privy to. There’s no holding back as Wiseman films the almost entirely nude dancers performing onstage. His camera captures not only the dramatic allure of their performances but the intricate interplay between the colored lights and other decorative veils that contribute to the aura of erotic majesty. Between the swirling of colored lights, the chest- and rump-thrusting choreography and the blasting music, Crazy Horse is a shoe-in for the most colorful and musical documentary of the year. The majority of the film, however, takes place behind the scenes, with Wiseman unobtrusively observing the rigorous—and decidedly un-erotic—rehearsal process. Unlike most backstage stories, which emphasize jealousy and competition, Crazy Horse reveals an intricate and finely tuned collaborative mechanism at work—a recurring theme in Wiseman’s films. From the educational system in High School to military procedures in Basic

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

Training, and from the small-town story of Belfast, Maine to the grand and theatrical La Danse (about another French cultural institution, the Paris Opera Ballet), Wiseman is fascinated by the nitty-gritty details of how groups function. Wiseman’s stars are the organizations themselves. In this sense, he’s a highly democratic storyteller; as such, Crazy Horse is as much about the behind-the-scenes technicians as the more attention-grabbing directors and performers. Longtime fans of Wiseman’s work will find these themes familiar. In a sense, it is comforting and admirable to see Wiseman sticking to his guns and his aesthetic. In another, however, Crazy Horse seems less complete than his other films. In particular, the backstage/onstage dynamic was better explored in La Danse. Wiseman’s ear for conversation, which proved so revealing in High School, seems

unfocused here in Crazy Horse. We only hear shades of the club’s fabled history, from its creation in 1951 to its new owners and the internal controversy surrounding its latest revue, Désir. With the exception of a few brief exterior shots of Paris, Crazy Horse takes place entirely inside the theater. Wiseman creates an insular world in which real time doesn’t exist—only showtime. There’s no linear timeline to the narrative, just an ebb and flow between the stage and the dressing room, forever repeating. But at 135 minutes, much of the footage quickly grows repetitive, and the ideas contained within the film cease to develop. The technical artistry of Crazy Horse certainly distinguish it as one of the more spectacular documentaries we’re likely to see on the big screen this year. But without history or context, the onstage magic loses part of its luster.

� EAT Where Every Table Is Popular Relive high school as an adult at the cafeteria-esque Earl’s Court | By AnniE LuBin The recent food court trend that has begun to creep up on the radars of hungry, working-class New Yorkers has been met with equal parts fanfare and derision. On the one hand, food-court-style eateries serve a major function for the busy batch of workers with a laughable lunch hour who want to eat quickly, cheaply and in a place with enough options to satisfy not only their cravings but those of their picky coworkers as well. On the other hand, there’s something about feeling like you’re sitting in a suburban mall food court or airport restaurant that is disturbing to the post-college crowd trying to get as far away as possible from any distant memories of the high school cafeteria. But if you fall into the first category and happen to work in the Financial District, rejoice: The area has just gotten its very own food-court-style eatery. Earl’s Court, at 90 John St., is a modern, updated version of the cafeteria

continued from page 7 Working on SolutionS “Today, an unspeakable tragedy happened on Delancey Street. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the young victim. We must continue to work together as a community to make Delancey Street safer for everyone,” said New York State Sen. Dan Squadron in a statement Friday, Jan 13. Santana’s death joins a string of other recent fatalities. In May 2011, a female pedestrian was crushed to death by a private sanitation truck in the crosswalk at Delancey and Essex streets. Months later, in August, a bicyclist was hit and killed by a semi-trailer at Delancey and Chrystie streets. The previous year, a pedestrian and a cyclist were both killed in vehicular accidents on the thoroughfare. These fatalities spurred local politicians, Community Board 3, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the NYPD to put together the Delancey Street Safety Working Group in September of last year. “I believe it is one of the more dangerous streets in the five boroughs,” said Squadron at the time. According to numbers obtained from the DOT, from 2005 to 2009 there were an average of nine pedestrian injuries per year

model with seven different food vendors: Earl of Sandwich, Billy’s Bakery, the Original SoupMan, Greens, Sushi Express, Lavazza and ShakeBar— which is either a dream for the picky eater or a nightmare for the indecisive. The food itself, though nothing spectacular, is very reasonably priced at $5.99 for a sandwich, $6.49 for a salad and $3.49 for soup. And even though the food is your standard, decenttasting lunchtime fare, you’ll probably find yourself going to Earl’s Court sometime in the near future—if not for the convenience, then for the ample choices. Because, honestly, what do most people want out of a lunchtime food place? To get their food fast, for it to taste OK and to not have to look at said food and think to themselves, Two hours of my workday wages were required to pay for this meal. The inside of Earl’s Court is bright, sleek and spacious, with a long connected row of barstools lining the outer edges of the space and separate tables with barstools through the middle of the space, offering the option to people watch through the windows or converse with coworkers. just at the intersection of Essex and Delancey streets. Between 2005 and 2010, there were two deaths at the intersection. Following the death in August, the DOT added countdown signals for the crosswalks. Barricades at the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge have also been added to guide cyclists away from traffic and toward the divider, where they can cross to a side street. “The crosswalk [signals] aren’t that long,” said Michelle Brick, 32, a volunteer for CreativeTime, who stood near Essex Street handing out fliers last fall. “When I was crossing, it wasn’t enough time.” The countdown clocks allow pedestrians roughly 30 seconds to cross before the light turns red, which doesn’t give most people enough time to walk across. Many people stop at the median traffic island. Lengthening crossing times and medians is one issue the Working Group hopes to tackle in the near future, reported Squadron’s office, which has been organizing the meetings. The group met in September, October and November of last year and will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss creating turning restrictions, implementing stop lines and configuring a new solution for bike traffic. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who also sits on the group, outlined a few

The food court flow of the joint is a bit confusing—there are separate ordering lines for each vendor and another line for payment and pick up—but it’s nothing a person who is around complicated financial models all day can’t figure out. The all-encompassing Earl’s Court: a dream for the picky eater or a The space also plays nightmare for the indecisive? PHOTO cOURTesY Of eARl’s cOURT host to an after-work bar, Libations, which begins to be spoiled with an actual 60-minute serving cocktails at 5 p.m. The Libations lunch hour, Earl’s Court might not be your side of the space resembles an urban or premier destination. But with the everrooftop garden, with picnic-style tables dwindling lunch hour and the usual mass surrounded by trees aglow with LED stampede toward eateries in the area that Christmas lights. Cocktails cost $8–$10 occurs when the lunch bell strikes, fast and beer is $6. eateries like Earl’s Court will continue to If you’re a foodie or are lucky enough be a welcome sight.

recommendations in a recent letter to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan: “The Department of Transportation should undertake a comprehensive safety study and recommend improvements that would enhance protections for pedestrians at several intersections. In the meantime...I am asking that the DOT post pedestrian managers at the most dangerous intersections of Delancey. “At the very least, managers should be required during school hours and other peak periods,” the letter continued. “In addition to pedestrian managers, I ask that the green light for pedestrians be extended so that people have more time to safely cross.” For their part, DOT spokesman Scott Gastel mentioned in an email that in addition to the countdown signals, the DOT has increased pedestrian crossing times at four intersections and is working on a project to extend the median areas at two intersections. He added that the DOT will continue to address issues at this corridor. Kelly Magee, communications director for City Council Member Margaret Chin, said the issue of safety on Delancey Street highlights a broader issue of pedestrian use outpacing changes to the layout of the street. She noted that heavy traffic can be found on both sides of Downtown Manhattan at

key times near the Holland Tunnel and the Williamsburg Bridge. She added that there is also parking on Delancey Street, which hinders visibility when turning onto the thoroughfare. For some locals, improvements to Delancey Street can’t come soon enough. R. Hughes, a 21-year resident of Clinton Street and mother of three, witnessed a fatality last year. “The lights here are too short. Even now, after getting halfway across the street, we only have three seconds left,” said Hughes while crossing Delancey. Waitress Cindy Chung, who has worked at the Olympic Restaurant, at 115 Delancey St., for 35 years, calls the stretch of road between Essex Street and the Williamsburg Bridge a “death street.” While the NYPD hasn’t disclosed the exact cause of the accident that killed Santan, Sal Medina, 54, who has lived in the Lower East Side for over 40 years and owns the Medina Newsstand at the corner of Clinton and Delancey streets, blames the fast traffic and the short pedestrian crossing lights for the fatal accident. He recounted a heartbreaking scene from Friday afternoon. “I heard this loud crack as the minivan hit her,” he said. “And then I saw her lying unconscious with her shoes knocked off in the street.”

JAN UARY 19, 2012 | otdowntown.com

� FAM I LY C O R N E R

The Mama of Moomah Tracey Stewart has created a magical playhouse for children and parents alike | By KaT HarriSon |

pHoToS By THaddeuS Harden

| STyled By joy SHerwood

t’s easy to see why folks from all over town flock to Tracey Stewart’s cozy corner of Tribeca. At Moomah, Stewart’s cafécum-art-space, the walls dance with beluga whales while shelves house sea turtle shadowboxes and oversized jacks. Old-school diner booths with red trim bookend metallic tables inspired by vintage wallpaper. A virtual room—the Funky Forest—unpacks an interactive ecosystem for its wee visitors. In the Stewart family home—which Tracey shares with her husband, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, and their children, Nate, 7 and Maggie, 5—the details are just as

inviting. Santa, the resident goldfish, resides atop the kitchen counter while a wallsized chalkboard that, for the time being, reads “Be Reasonable!!” hints at the household’s humor. From where I sit, Tracey balances the depths of New York City motherhood and a creative career with grace. She—like her home and workplace—echoes comfort, cool and a whole lot of funny. Read on for her family’s love of a certain cooking channel and why, above all, she believes there’s no place like home.

Moomah is your world. It seems to have everything! I know—my friends call it my playhouse. [Laughs] Describe it to me in one line, if you can. Honestly, I think of it like a womb. I really do. In what way? It’s very therapeutic down there. I always say to the staff, “When a mom comes in and she is screaming about her bagel and she’s upset—she’s really not an asshole. She’s just stressed and has no time for herself. Try to remember that and help that person along.”

Tracey Stewart, the mother behind Moomah.

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

When did it all begin? Prior to having children, I loved going out to eat, being in my neighborhood and visiting with my neighbors. And when I was pregnant, same thing. People open doors for you, they give you drinks of water. They are happy to see you! And then the minute that baby is on the outside, they want nothing to do with you. I would try to go out and never felt completely welcomed. I tried to do the classes—dancing around with your baby and singing really terrible songs. I wanted to shoot myself in the head. If I wanted to go out to eat and the place was welcoming to kids—the music was terrible, the food was terrible. It just felt like a part of my life had been separated that didn’t need to be separated. And I knew that I wasn’t the only one that was feeling like this.

NEW YORK FAMILY NEWSLETTER For the best guides to life at home and events around town, sign up for the free newsletter at nyfamily.com.

room to the next. We just sit around and cuddle all the time. And every now and then, we’ll get invited to something and go. If we’re going to go out, it’s because food is motivating us to leave the house. You don’t like being in the spotlight? Oh no, no. That’s why I watch Jon and I’m like, “I can’t believe you love to do that, you crave to do that, and you’re comfortable.” It’s shocking to me. How did you two meet? A blind date—we had a mutual friend who knew that I found him extremely attractive.

Stewart relaxes at home.

So you created Moomah. [I wanted to] create this space where you can really have quality time with your child. But the misconception is that people think that it’s motivated from wanting to build a magical place for kids.—the main motivation is for parents. Kids have it good nowadays. They’re OK—who’s not OK? The parents of those kids. What was the thought process like? It was really just thinking about all my experiences as a mother and every little thing that would make a mom’s life easier. In the beginning, when the kids are young and you have to pack the wipes and the diapers and you’re sleep deprived and completely overwhelmed, sometimes you just want to have a sandwich. And so the bathroom has wipes, a beautiful changing table, there’s a potty seat, there’s a chair in case you didn’t want to breastfeed out in public. But I didn’t want it to be [exclusively] “Mommy World.” I wanted everybody coming in. So we got fantastic coffee. We also paid a lot of attention to make sure that there were things that kids would eat and were healthy but also delicious. And we got beer and wine. But that’s really for the moms. Where does the name come from? Moomah was the name of my security blanket when I was little. I wanted it to be like a security blanket for moms. What was your childhood like? When I was young, my mom wasn’t negligent, but it was definitely considered OK that you would put your baby in the playpen,

you’d watch your soap operas and you would throw some toys in there for them every now and then. Do your kids frequent Moomah? Yes, that’s the beauty of it. I think they feel proud. They get to bring their friends and I can tell that they feel really good that this is their mom’s place and they even feel like it’s their house sometimes. Which is a problem because they are so comfortable. A lot of the classes that were created [were] based on what I knew they liked.

Like me, she could be in a fit of tears and be laughing a minute later. I always say that she’s me on the inside and Jon on the outside. And Nate is Jon on the outside and me on the inside. Do you have any TV rules at home? Before we had kids, we had all these ideas. First, it was that they wouldn’t watch TV. Then [when] we had them, [we said], “Well they are definitely going to have to watch TV because I need to sit down for a second.” Then we realized that there was certain TV that they got so much joy from and that we all liked to watch together.

The art projects, too? Initially, I come up with some of the ideas Like what? that I want to do. We are obWhat do my kids I always say to the [Moomah] sessed with The like right now? staff, “When a mom comes in and Food Network. What’s happenshe is screaming about her bagel We watch Restauing in the world and she’s upset—she’s really rant Impossible, that kids are Cupcake Wars, interested in? not an asshole. She’s just stressed Chopped and Iron Then we’ll sit and has no time for herself. Chef. That’s pretty down in a meetTry to remember that.” much all we watch ing and the artists anymore. Before, explode my idea. I was watching Little Bear and suffering. But They take it so far beyond what I could even now we all equally enjoy what we watch. And imagine. [the kids] get really motivated, so they want to cook. What are Nate and Maggie like right now? My son is very gentle, sweet, sensitive, What else do you do you like to do as a emotional and kind. He loves Star Wars family? and football. He is going to be a really good We all love to stay home. Jon always husband some day and is a good cuddler. He makes a joke that if there was a heat-seeking loves to go out at night. Maggie is hilarious satellite going above our apartment, it would and irreverent, like her dad in girl form. She just be a blob that would move from one says the craziest things and is very dramatic.

And I hear you have quite the engagement story. We used to do The New York Times crossword puzzle every night… It was two days before Valentine’s Day and he comes home and [says], ‘I remembered to bring those crossword puzzles home.’ So as I start to fill [it] out, there’s all these words in it that relate to us. And then the [clue] is “Valentine’s Day Request.” And it’s “Will you marry me?” And another one is “Recipient of the Request.” I’m looking at it, saying, “It almost looks like my name could fit in there.” I look over and he’s crying and I’m like, “Is that what this is?” He had met Will Shortz backstage at Conan O’Brien and asked him to do it months ahead of time. It made it hard for everyone who got engaged after me! Adorable! How do you and Jon navigate parenthood together as a couple? We both think the same things are funny and we both value the same things. So parenting for us is very easy as far as our relationship goes because we always see eye to eye [with] the kids. When we were first dating, we used to play [this] hockey video game. He was really good at it and I wasn’t. I would get agitated and he’d say, “Let’s never play against each other.” So if we’re some place [with] a board game, he’ll never play against me. He always has to be on my team. And I feel like that’s a philosophy that we keep in parenting, in our marriage: that we’re working for the same thing. Any advice for a mom who is just starting out? I’m very fortunate to be in a place where I can talk to other moms every day. I get great advice on a regular basis. If I was going to give my own, it would be to make sure that you get the emotional support you need. Loving these little creatures as much as we do can be very taxing. We need to take care of our families, ourselves and when time allows, I always suggest that we remember to take care of other moms. Sharing our stories, our triumphs and our failures creates a sense of community and reminds us that we’re not alone.

JAN UARY 19, 2012 | otdowntown.com

� SPEC IAL SECTION: CONTI N U I N G E D U CATI O N New York College of Health Professions and The Open Center, a Match Made in Chakra New collaboration offers courses in holistic care for nurses | By SeaN Creamer The New York College of Health Professions, which is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, has been offering education in the fields of Western, holistic and integrative medicine for 30 years. After great success in their Long Island location in Syosset and two locations in New York City, the college will now collaborate with the world-famous Open Center to hold continuing education classes for even more students, starting Feb. 3. For many years, the college only offered classes at its Syosset location but, according to Barbara Carver, vice president of marketing and communications for the College, the program began to attract students from Massachusetts and Connecticut, which prompted them to begin expanding into New York City. “One of the fastest-growing occupations for nurses is holistic care, which would be utilized in assisted living conditions,” Carver said. The partnership between these two educators is a momentous occasion for both institutions because it exempli-

fies the growing acceptance of holistic practices in the Western spectrum of medicine. “We are going to be working jointly with Open Center staff,” Carver said. Both organization have been working in the field for over 25 years, each teaching in differing styles. The New York College of Health Professions welcomes both new and continuing education students and offers classes to members of the public who wish to enhance their knowledge of Eastern medicine. One of the most popular classes offered by the College is “The Science of Self-Improvement,” where students learn how to assess their strengths and weaknesses versus their personal goals. This type of learning characterizes the outside-the-box style of education that the College offers. The College was the first to give degrees in acupuncture and massage therapy, according to Carver. As holistic medicine begins to take hold in Western practices, the College has gained “a worldwide reputation for being at the top of the field,” She said. The College offers many of its programs to the public, such as massage therapy, healing arts and energy work and physical arts. These classes are all included in the curriculum of the continuing education major and serve to expand upon the culture behind the medicine,

PhOtO By eDeN PiCtUreS

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

a facet of holistic care that is crucial to implementing it in a field dominated by Western medicine ideals. Although the College offers many of its programs to the public, the focus of the curriculum can be found in its continuing education program, where registered nurses, doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors take classes in the aforementioned fields to be certified as holistic caregivers. While the College has been accredited to award degrees in the field of holistic care in traditional college-style classes, The Open Center explores much more the spirituality of holistic care while still teaching the techniques of the trade. The Open Center has been teaching the practices for over 28 years, bringing “over 500 programs of exceptional depth and integrity to audiences totaling more than 10,000 annually,” according to The Open Center’s website. Akin to the New York College of Health Professions, The Open Center offers classes in the many fields of holistic care, ranging from the physical to the spiritual side. The Open Center focuses not only on teaching the practice of holistic medicine but on living it. This is a notion that the College shares as well, requiring that continuing education students take one class in yoga, tai-chi or reiki because “physical arts play an essential and vital role in the education of our holistic health practitio-

ners [as they] grasp an understanding of the culture behind the medicine,” according to the College’s course description. Now that these two programs have united, students will be able to take advantage of the best of both worlds, working toward accredited degrees from the New York College of Health Professions while taking advantage of the many spiritual classes offered by The Open Center.

Lifelong Learning with Baruch’s CAPS | By VatiSha Smith

Baruch College has a program in its Division of Continuing and Professional Studies (CAPS) for anyone looking to expand their skillset or fulfill a personal goal. Courses range from accounting to yoga, with many costing as little as $150. One of the largest CUNY colleges, Baruch is always evolving, determined to bring relevant education to meet ever-changing interests and career trends. Ann Clarkson, assistant dean of CAPS, stressed Baruch’s effort to help individuals overcome a “skill gap,” nurturing what she calls “a belief in lifelong learning.” Lifelong learning is the idea that one

never stops learning and that there is always room to grow. Clarkson said that there aren’t any specific subjects regularly pursued by those who register in CAPS programs, but that many of its students come from a business background. Over 100 years old, Baruch’s goal is to provide graduate programs focusing on professional preparation that enable students to become innovators in their fields. Some of the continuing education courses they offer include project management, certificate programs and real estate licensing. Advisement staff are also on hand to help with students’ goals. For more information and a list of programs, visit baruched.com.

� SPEC IAL SECTION: E DUCATI O N At Léman Prep, Critical Thinking is Key Pre-K through 12th grade immerses students in globally charged curriculum

| By AnAm BAig

Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, part of the Meritas group of international private and boarding college prep schools, promises a dynamic, culturally aware education for all of its pre-kindergarten through high school students. Formerly known as Claremont Preparatory School, it was acquired by the Meritas Family of Schools, a conglomerate of prep schools, last April. It was renamed Léman Manhattan Preparatory School after its sister schools, Collège du Léman in Switzerland and Léman International School in Chengdu, China. Both Léman campuses are located in the Financial District. Its lower school, ranging from pre-K through 4th grade, is at 41 Broad St., the former headquarters of Bank of America International—where Claremont Prep used to be.

The middle and high schools opened to students in September 2010 and are on the top four floors of the Cunard Building, located on Morris Street and Broadway right by the Wall Street Bull. The campus boasts a twofloor library, art and music studios, multiple computer labs, a café and an athletic facility with a 25-yard pool, full-size gymnasium and fully equipped exercise room. “We are located in the heart of American history. If you look outside our window, the Statue of Liberty is there, welcoming people as she has for hundreds of years. It’s just an amazing, amazing place to be able to teach children,” said Christine Karamanoglou, interim head of the Léman middle school. Léman Prep immerses students in a globally charged curriculum and promises an open forum for communication between parents, students, faculty and the administration, as well as with students at other Meritas schools located on three different continents. From day one, students are encouraged to be critical, culturally aware learners. Léman’s lower school curriculum focuses on educat-

p r i n g

ing the child as a whole, with careful attention to math, language and art. “Critical thinking is very important in the lower school. We strive to give our youngest students the tools they need to become independent learners, rather than just simply memorizing and reciting things they’ve read or heard,” said Rob Cousins, head of the lower school. The middle school furthers the critical thinking process for students, giving them insight into how to use the education they acquired in the lower school in a productive way. During this time, students are introduced to an advisory group, a concept many new schools are adopting in order to ensure a safe, fostering environment for the youth. These are usually small groups of students

headed by a teacher, forums for discussion that go past academia and into the personal lives of these growing individuals. The goal of the advisory system is to ensure every student is well-rounded before continuing with more rigorous high school and college education. The Léman Prep high school will graduate its first senior class in 2013. It provides its students opportunities for academic excellence, co-curricular activities, special projects and internships with neighboring government, nongovernmental and artistic, environmental, educational and financial organizations. By combining facets of local and international communities in the burgeoning neighborhood of the Financial District, Léman Manhattan Preparatory School continues to excel as a global learning community.

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Open House

Sundays atJASA A Program of Sunday Activities for Older Adults

Sunday, February 12 • 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue (58th-59th Streets), NYC

Classes February 19 – May 20, 2012 For additional information and catalog, please contact Sara Tornay at (212) 273-5304 or stornay@jasa.org

Save the Dates for Lively and Engaging Programs for Adults 55+ Aging Gracelessly in Hollywood: The Obsession with Youth in Film and Culture Tuesday, February 28 • 6 -7:30pm followed by a wine and cheese reception. UJA-Federation of New York, 130 E. 59th Street

NextAct a pr o g r a

t ma

Presented by David Edelstein, film critic for New York magazine, NPR’s Fresh Air, and a commentator on film for CBS Sunday Morning. Please contact Sara Tornay at 212-273-5304 or stornay@jasa.org to register.

JASA Volunteer Venture Expo Wednesday, March 7 • 10:30am -1:30pm UJA-Federation of New York, 130 E. 59th Street A free conference and volunteer opportunities fair for adults 50+. For more information or to register call 212-273-5222 or email volunteer@jasa.org. FIND

US ALSO AT WWW.JASA.ORG

JAN UARY 19, 2012 | otdowntown.com

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� TALK I N G U P D OWNTOWN Manhattan Media

editorial

exeCUTive eDiTOR Allen Houston ahouston@manhattanmedia.com MaNagiNg eDiTOR Marissa Maier mmaier@manhattanmedia.com CONTRiBUTiNg eDiTOR aND sPeCiaL seCTiONs eDiTOR Josh Rogers jrogers@manhattanmedia.com aRTs aND CULTURe eDiTOR Mark Peikert mpeikert@manhattanmedia.com FeaTUReD CONTRiBUTORs Whitney Casser, Penny Grey, Tom Hall, Regan Hofmann, Mary Morris, Robby Ritacco, Lillian Rizzo, Paulette Safdieh CONTRiBUTiNg PHOTOgRaPHeRs George Denison, Veronica Hoglund, Wyatt Kostygan, Andrew Schwartz iNTeRNs Andrew Rice

adVertiSinG

advertising@manhattanmedia.com PUBLisHeR Gerry Gavin ggavin@manhattanmedia.com DiReCTOR OF NeW BUsiNess DeveLOPMeNT Dan Newman assOCiaTe PUBLisHeRs Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth aDveRTisiNg MaNageR Marty Strongin sPeCiaL PROjeCTs DiReCTOR Jim Katocin seNiOR aCCOUNT exeCUTives Verne Vergara, Mike Suscavage DiReCTOR OF eveNTs & MaRkeTiNg Joanna Virello jvirello@manhattanmedia.com exeCUTive assisTaNT OF saLes Jennie Valenti jvalenti@manhattanmedia.com

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PRODUCTiON

PRODUCTiON & CReaTive DiReCTOR Ed Johnson ejohnson@manhattanmedia.com eDiTORiaL DesigNeR Sahar Vahidi svahidi@manhattanmedia.com aDveRTisiNg DesigN Quran Corley OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN is published weekly Copyright © 2012 Manhattan Media, LLC 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 Editorial (212) 284-9734 Fax (212) 268-2935 Advertising (212) 284-9715 General (212) 268-8600 E-mail: otdowntown@manhattanmedia.com Website: OTDowntown.com OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN is a division of Manhattan Media, LLC, publisher of West Side Spirit, Chelsea Clinton News, The Westsider, City Hall, The Capitol, The Blackboard Awards, New York Family, and Avenue magazine. To subscribe for 1 year, please send $75 to OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN, 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10016 Recognized for excellence by the New York Press Association

Maggie Siena principal of p.S. 150 and future principal of the peck Slip School

| By LiLLian Rizzo

photo By geoRge k. denison

PResiDeNT/CeO Tom Allon tallon@manhattanmedia.com gROUP PUBLisHeR Alex Schweitzer aschweitzer@manhattanmedia.com CFO/COO Joanne Harras jharras@manhattanmedia.com DiReCTOR OF iNTeRaCTive MaRkeTiNg aND DigiTaL sTRaTegy Jay Gissen jgissen@manhattanmedia.com

aggie Siena is taking the job as the new Peck Slip School’s principal starting in fall 2012, when it opens at its incubation site at the Tweed Courthouse. But Siena is no stranger to Lower Manhattan schools—she has been the principal at P.S. 150 on Greenwich Street for the last six years. In her new post, Siena will not only be responsible for a school in its earliest stages, she will be transitioning the students and staff from the incubation site to the brand-new school building in 2014. Siena sat down with Our Town Downtown to discuss what she has done at P.S. 150, what she’ll miss the most and what she looks forward to at Peck Slip. Why did you decide to leave P.S. 150 after six years? It really wasn’t a matter of deciding to leave; it was a matter of moving on to another project. As a matter of fact, if it would have come my way in another two years, I would have done it then and been just as happy. It was just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. What were some of your biggest challenges and accomplishments as P.S. 150’s principal? It’s always challenging to come into a school that is functioning really well and has a strong school culture and be the new leader. You want to make sure you keep the very best qualities of a school when you step into those leadership shoes. In many ways, that was my biggest challenge. For accomplishments, it’s really hard to say because a school is such a collaborative project. I am really proud to have worked with the staff here to build a strong social and emotional curriculum. One thing I feel personally proud of is the work to improve the facilities of the school. It was pretty clear that windows needed to be replaced—they were Plexiglas and from the 1970s—and it took a lot of work with a lot of different people. Getting Internet connectivity improved, getting a door put into the media center, renovating the music center—all over the last six years. Everything takes a lot of time and a lot of determination and that’s something I learned here. What will be the most difficult part about leaving P.S. 150? Because this is such a small school, I get to know members of the community very well and get to know the kids, their brothers and sisters, families and babysitters. I’m impressed how well our staff knows the community. It’s a special thing to watch kids growing from

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 19, 2012

kindergarten to 5th grade. One of the kids is writing a persuasive piece on why I shouldn’t leave P.S. 150. Other kids have given me hugs and expressed that they are sad I am leaving. But children are resilient and I know they’ll be just fine here. What are some of your plans for the Peck Slip School? I want to bring to Peck Slip a lot of things we’ve done [at P.S. 150]. Integrating arts with the curriculum, having a lot of strong work around content, really learning about things, in addition to learning how to read and do math. Integrating sustainability education in the curriculum so kids are learning about their role in the environment. We do everything with the arts and integrate our studies with the visual arts, dance, music and theater. Overcrowded schools in Lower Manhattan have become a big problem, leading to new schools, such as Peck Slip, being constructed, along with rezoning and kindergarten wait lists. Some expect there will be wait lists for Peck Slip before it opens its doors. How will you handle that? I don’t know how privy I am to the controversy around Peck Slip. I am sure it is challenging for parents to not have the opportunity to attend beautiful new schools, such as P.S. 276. I can say that the space at Tweed is really wonderful; it is a really good place to have a school. It is really magnificent; it has a beautiful area for children to play, a nice cafeteria and gorgeous, really large rooms. We’ll be in a good place for the next three years, and after that we get to have a new building. In terms of Peck Slip wait lists, it is something to work on with enrollment and work closely with the DOE and neighboring schools.

I was involved in the renovation of Tweed and was the principal of the City Hall Academy for a year and a half. I’m familiar with the space and I have already run a small school without fancy facilities. At P.S. 150, we have an award-winning track team, but we don’t have a gym. We have stage performances, but we don’t have an auditorium. All of it is because of a great PTA and a great staff. Since Peck Slip will be located at the Tweed Courthouse for the next few years, how will you handle not having a cafeteria, gym or auditorium in your building? First of all, there is a cafeteria, they just have a warming kitchen, not where food is prepared. But it is delivered to the school and prepared to be served by the staff—it is the same as hot lunch and I’ve seen it myself. We don’t have a cafeteria here at P.S. 150 and the kids eat in the classrooms. For gym, in the first couple of years there will be a lot of space. You’ve got to see the four corner rooms in the Tweed Courthouse, we’ll be able to do some big activities and there’s a beautiful space outside at City Hall Park, which is what we’ve done at P.S. 150; have physical education classes outside. P.S. 150’s track team meets once a week, before or after school, and since we don’t have a gym they run outside. When the weather is poor, they run up and down the stairs here. In terms of an auditorium, we’ll have performance areas, and the classrooms are pretty humongous—they’re actually pretty big for that. If we do decide to do something on a stage level, we’ll find a friend to hold something. At P.S. 150, we’ve used the stage at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center—that’s where we do the end-of-year arts festival, which is an original performance that a music teacher writes with the children.

ON TOPIC

Celebrating the Zadroga Law’s One-Year Anniversary | BY REPS. CAROLYN MALONEY,

JERROLD NADLER AND PETER KING

e recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the signing into law of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. With his signature on Jan 2 of last year, President Barack Obama helped us give a much-needed holiday gift to the thousands of Americans who are suffering ill health as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. While this was the sweetest of victories, we are continuing to work to ensure that everyone sick or injured from the attacks gets the care they need. The collapse of the World Trade Center towers took 3,000 lives in an instant. Sadly, the giant plume of dust and debris that billowed so unforgettably through the streets of lower Manhattan ended up taking the health of more than 30,000 more in the months and years that followed. The Zadroga Act, which we authored, provides health care for those exposed to the toxic plume —which lingered over ground zero for months— and reopens the federal Victim Compensation Fund to provide economic relief to those harmed by the attacks. Regrettably, it wasn’t easy to get Congress to help those suffering from the worst-ever attack on our shores. We introduced the first

versions of the Zadroga Act in 2002, and none of us could have ever imagined how long the road to victory would be. Indeed, there were many times when it seemed like the Zadroga Act would never pass. In the final hours of the last Congress, with the clock ticking down and many in Washington wanting to go home for the holidays, we finally had our “Christmas miracle” and passed the Zadroga Act through both the House and Senate. Over the course of the last year, we have worked extensively with the Obama Administration to put into practice the health and compensation programs provided by the Zadroga Act, so that they can begin helping people. On July 1, the health programs provided by the Zadroga Act went into effect and $1.5 billion in guaranteed federal funding began flowing to the WTC Centers of Excellence established at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital Center and other locations in the tri-state area, as well as at specialized clinics nationwide. The World Trade Center Health Program, which is headed by Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, provides medical monitoring and treatment for those who became ill as a result of the attacks, and conducts research into emerging 9/11-related health conditions. In light of recent scientific studies link-

ing certain types of cancers to the attacks, we have petitioned Dr. Howard to consider covering cancers under the Zadroga Act. Dr. Howard and his advisers are expected to reach a decision on our request in the next few months. Definitive cancer studies may take years to complete. 9/11 responders and others exposed to the deadly toxins may not be able to wait that long. We know that they were exposed to deadly carcinogens, and we already have evidence that their cancer risk is increased. We urge Dr. Howard to follow the procedure included in the Act and add cancer as a covered condition. On Oct. 3, the reopened 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which the Zadroga Act provided with $2.8 billion in federal funding, opened its doors for business and began informing potential beneficiaries of their rights under the law. In general, 9/11 responders and survivors have until Oct. 3, 2013, to file compensation claims. We are proud of all those who worked with us —until, literally, the 11th hour— to do the right thing and pass this long-overdue assistance for the living victims of 9/11. We will be forever grateful to our colleagues in the New York congressional delegation, including New York’s senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, who worked diligently to strike the deal that got the bill through the Senate. And to Mayor Michael Bloomberg,

members of New York’s labor community, John Feal of the FealGood Foundation and the hundreds of 9/11 responders and survivors who fought like hell to make sure the bill became law —thank you. We could never have passed the Zadroga Act without you. But our work is not yet done. As part of the deal we struck to get the bill through the Senate, we reduced from 10 to five the number of years for which the bill would be authorized in law. Sadly, no one believes that those suffering as a result of 9/11 are suddenly going to get better four years from now. We and our partners in the fight to pass the Zadroga Act stand ready to work to make sure this lifesaving care is available for as long as the heroes, heroines, and survivors of 9/11 need it. The Zadroga Act is historic, but not unprecedented, legislation. In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks, Congress passed the War Hazards Compensation Act of 1942, which provided health care and financial relief to civilians who helped recover the dead and salvage what remained of our Pacific fleet. If you or someone you know would like more information about the World Trade Center Health Programs, you can call 1-888982-4748 or visit www.wtcexams.org . You may also contact the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund at 1-855-885-1555 or through the Fund’s website, www.vcf.gov.

JAN UARY 19, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM

NYT Award-Winners_ManhattanMedia 1/13/12 3:47 PM Page 1

More CUNY Award Winners Than Ever!

4 RHODES SCHOLARS 8 GOLDWATER SCHOLARS 7 TRUMAN SCHOLARS 9 NSF GRADUATE FELLOWS

in 6 YEARS in 3 YEARS in 6 YEARS in 2011

UJAJA TAUQEER, CUNY’S 2011 RHODES SCHOLAR, is exceptional but not the exception. CUNY students are winning more highly competitive awards and scholarships than at any time in our history. The City University of New York is attracting an ever-growing number of outstanding students. Our Macaulay

Honors College is home to many of this year’s winners. Assisted by a world-class faculty, they achieved their success studying at the nation’s leading urban public university. They are exceptional but not the exception.

Matthew Goldstein Chancellor

ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Zujaja Tauqeer, Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, Rhodes 2011; David L.V. Bauer, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Rhodes 2009, Truman 2008, Goldwater 2007; Eugene Shenderov, Brooklyn College, Rhodes 2005; Lev Sviridov, CCNY, Rhodes 2005, Goldwater 2004; Ayodele Oti, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Truman 2011; Gareth Rhodes, CUNY Baccalaureate at CCNY, Truman 2011; Anthony Pang, CCNY, NSF Fellow 2011; Jamar Whaley, Queens College, Goldwater 2009; Christine Curella, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Truman 2007; Celine Joiris, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Goldwater 2011; Claudio Simpkins, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Truman 2005; Ryan Merola, Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, Truman 2006; Don Gomez, CCNY, Truman 2009; Lina Mercedes Gonzalez, Hunter College, NSF Fellow 2011.

Visit cuny.edu/awardwinners 

O U R TOW N : D OW N TOWN | JA N UA RY 1 9 , 2 0 1 2