Our Town Downtown February 2, 2012 by OurTown Downtown

INSIDE: THE NEW YORK FAMILY 2012 ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMP

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FEBRUARY 2, 2012 | WWW.OTDOWNTOWN.COM

Fashion

Invasion PHOTO BY JONATHAN HÖKKLO | HOKKLO.COM

❯

From food to drink, Downtown hot spots for fashionistas (P8)

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The toll of the tents: The sneaky bottom line of fashion week (P7)

❯ Talking Up NYFW with Stylecaster CEO Ari Goldberg (P9) GET ME OUTTA HERE! Snarled Soho traffic (P6) | TALKING UP DOWNTOWN: The Daily Show’s Rory Albanese (P18) iSNATCHER: Recent rash of Apple robberies (P2) | GROUNDED: Armond White on George Lucas’ Red Tails (P12)

� C R I M E WATC H

A String of iThefts

$40k rock goes missing While most of us like to don jewelry that has some sentimental value, like a wedding band, graduation bracelet or necklace to remember a friendship, when the item surpasses the cost of an average monthtly mortgage payment, it is perhaps best to leave it at home. A 29-year-old woman went into a nail salon last week wearing a $40,000 engagement ring and came out with bare digits. The woman told police that she put the ring into her bag while getting her nails done and realized the next morning that the 2.1 carat, princess-cut diamond with a platinum band was missing. Suspecting a technician had stolen the piece of jewelry, the woman returned to the salon but the ring has not been recovered. ATm ThefT We’ve always assumed that ATMs were unbreakable, but apparently that isn’t so. A machine at a café on Broadway in Lower Manhattan was broken into last Sunday, Jan. 22, and $1,500 in cash was stolen from it. On a side note, we also always suspected that ATMs carried more legal tender. cAughT on TApe Even employees’ cubbies aren’t sacred to enterprising thieves. A 21-year-old woman who works at a pet store on Nassau Street placed her bag on a hook underneath the

Last year, the NYPD reported a growing trend of iPhones, iPods, iPads—really, all things “i”—being stolen out of the hands of innocent citizens in the subway system of New York City. According to two recent reports from Lower Manhattan, it seems the trend is continuing. A 26-year-old woman was riding a downtown 5 train last Thursday, Jan. 19, when a man snatched her iPhone 4S and leapt out of the car right as the train doors were closing. In another case last week, a woman was on the subway—when it stopped at Fulton Street, two men in their 20s riding in the car with her grabbed her iPhone 4S and exited the car. These bold ithieves carried out their crimes in the afternoon. illUstRAtion BY EvAn soAREs

cashier’s counter in the morning. When she returned a few hours later to get something out of her bag, she discovered it was missing. Video surveillance of the store shows a man weighing about 175 pounds, standing 5-foot-10, snatching the sack and walking out of the store. While the young woman’s credit cards didn’t show any unauthorized charges, a $330 Apple iPod Touch and a $400 pair of bamboo earrings were among the stolen items. mAking ouT Like A BAndiT A tall man was able to snatch over $3,000 in jeans from a clothing store on

GETAWAY DESIGNER AND BUILDER OF UPSTATE COTTAGES

An uncLeAn fighT Sometimes, one can be in the wrong place at a very wrong time. Last week, a 26-year-old man was casually drinking with a co-worker at a bar on Exchange Place when a man, who was a stranger to the victim, hit him in the face with a barstool. The aggressive man, whom a bartender later identified as a regular, ran out of the bar with a friend and drove off in a Mercedes. According to police reports, the victim wasn’t seriously injured and only had cuts to his left eyebrow and nose. —CompilEd BY mARissA mAiER

p r i n g

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Open House

undays at JASA

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 SA

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Prince Street in Soho last week, Wednesday, Jan. 18. According to police, a man dressed in a dark jacket, light hoodie and jeans was carrying a red bag when he entered the shop and swiped 10 pairs of jeans. Each pair cost $319, for a total loot of $3,190. This incident, however, wasn’t the worst—or most expensive— example of retail theft Downtown last week. At a clothing store on Greene Street, a man walked in, took a $4,295 mink jacket off the rack and proceeded to run out of the store.

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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

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

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SPRING IS BLOOMING AT SUNDAYS AT JASA, NEXTACT AND IFSA

The baby boomers are coming! 76 million of them are starting to edge towards their retirement. What are boomers doing as they age? Savvy individuals, even by age 55, are planning for their “next act.” For boomers, older adults, and those on the edge of retirement, continuing education has become very popular. The mind is refreshed, social connections are invigorated, and interests, new and old, are stimulated. Volunteering and political advocacy have also become meaningful sources of energy for those looking to make a difference in society. Find out about all these possibilities and more. On February 12, adults over age 55 are invited to explore educational and cultural programs at John Jay College at the free Open House of “Sundays at JASA,” from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. That is also the opening date for Registration for the spring semester, including classes and programs from February19 through May 20. John Jay College is located at 899 Tenth Avenue, between 58th and 59th Street. Sundays at JASA, a continuing education program for adults 55 and over, has been providing high caliber courses and lectures for 28 years. It is one of the few programs to provide Sunday classes. Sundays at JASA provides informal and intellectually stimulating classes, such as Current Events, Comedy, Shakespeare, Creative Writing, Opera, Acting, Basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, bridge, and computer. In addition, there is a Sunday Morning Workout and a Tai Chi class. Some new courses this spring include Genealogy 101, Laughter Yoga, a digital photography class, and Campaign 2012 – The Primaries and Beyond. There is also a crossword construction course – “Get A Clue!” – during which the students will construct a puzzle for submission to The New York Times. The class has had three puzzles in the New York Times. Classes and lectures on Jewish topics will also take place during the season. Are you concerned about budget cuts, changes to pub-

lic transportation, senior center closings & Social Security? Join the Institute for Senior Action (IFSA), a program of JASA, and learn how to get more involved in the legislative process and be an effective advocate! The 10-week IFSA program integrates critical aging policy issues, with practical grassroots action. The workshops are led by a diverse and knowledgeable group of instructors from New York City, Albany and Washington D.C., and focus on a wide variety of subjects, including: navigating the federal, state and local legislative processes, public speaking, understanding senior benefits and entitlements, and much more. The fall term will be held on Wednesdays from February 22nd to May 2nd (10am-2:30pm) at Cooper Square, 200 East 5th Street, Manhattan. To learn more about IFSA, or to request an application, please contact Rebekah Glushefski at 212-273-5262 or email ifsa@ jasa.org. All adults 55+ are invited to apply. JASA’s NextAct program has a series of upcoming events, kicking off the spring season on the evening of February 28th with a lecture by David Edelstein, New York magazine film critic: “Aging Gracelessly in Hollywood: The Obsession with Youth in Film and Culture.” This event takes place at UJA-Federation, 130 E. 59th Street, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., followed by a wine and cheese reception. On Thursday, March 15th NextAct will offer a Career Panel: The Art of Networking, also at UJA-Federation from 6:00 – 7:30, followed by a wine and cheese reception.

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OPEN THINKING | ON A NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT No. 2 IN A SERIES

CAN CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE LIKE MUSIC? By Yongling Lu Curriculum Specialist, Avenues

In our global society, becoming fluent in a foreign language is a huge advantage for any child. Fortunately, learning language today doesn’t have to be an endless exercise in verb conjugation and translation. It helps to think of language as music, with its distinctive rhythm and melody. The most effective way to teach a language is to help students learn to “sing the music” of a new language — through stories, games and theatrical performances. Read the rest of Yongling Lu’s article about learning language at www.avenues.org/ylu. You’ll also find articles, video interviews and details on parent information events hosted by the leadership team of Avenues: The World School. Yongling Lu is the curriculum specialist in the Mandarin Chinese program at Avenues. Avenues is opening fall 2012 in Chelsea. It will be the first of 20 campuses in major cities, educating children ages three to 18 with a global perspective.

The JASA Volunteer Ventures Expo takes place on Wednesday, March 7th, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at UJA-Federation – 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 . For additional information on Sundays at JASA, Institute of Judaic Studies and NextAct , or to receive a catalog, please call Sara Tornay at 212- 273-5304.

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OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

downtown social

The Year of the Dragon

his past Sunday, Jan 29., hundreds of New Yorkers gathered in and around Chinatown to bid adieu to the previous year and welcome the Year of the Dragon. The celebration wrapped up a week of festivities associated with the holiday that began the previous Monday. The veronica hoglund day included an extravagant parade and an outdoor festival where musicians, dancers and other artists performed for an enormous crowd of all ages. As poppers cracked loudly on the concrete, confetti floated through the air and extravagantly bright colors decorated the heart of Chinatown, all were confident that the Year of the Dragon would be a spectacularly lucky one.

� N E I G H BO R H O O D C HAT TE R LOWER MANHATTAN NO CHARGES YET IN NEWS ANCHOR GREG KELLY’S ALLEGED RAPE CASE Last week, both national and local media news outlets were abuzz over an alleged rape case involving Good Day New York co-anchor Greg Kelly, who is also the son of NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. According to reports, the alleged victim, a woman in her late twenties, visited the 13th Precinct Tuesday, Jan. 24, to report that Kelly had raped her in October in the Lower Manhattan legal office where she works. The pair reportedly met on the street at one point and had drinks at a Downtown bar directly before the incident occurred. It has been further reported that the woman became pregnant as a result of this incident and later had an abortion. NYPD spokesperson Paul Browne confirmed to several publications that the woman’s boyfriend confronted Commissioner Kelly about the incident at a public event around the holidays and Commissioner Kelly urged the man to write a letter to the NYPD. Due to the possibility of a conflict of interest if the NYPD were to investigate the case, it has been handed over the district attorney’s office, which is refusing to comment. No charges have been filed yet. In an emailed statement, Kelly’s lawyer, Anthony Lankler, wrote, “Mr. Kelly is

The Greatest City on Earth

Linda Zacks’ piece, part of the Re:Construction installation series by the Downtown Alliance. Photo BY LisA shimAmURA coURtEsY oF thE Downtown ALLiAncE

aware that the New York County district attorney’s office is conducting an investigation. Mr. Kelly strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind, and is cooperating fully with the district attorney’s investigation. We know that the district attorney’s investigation will prove Mr. Kelly’s innocence.” LMDC APPROVES $14 MILLION FOR PIER 42 Lower Manhattan is about to get a whole lot greener, as the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation voted to approve $14 million in funding to redevelop Pier 42 at Wall

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Last week, the Downtown Alliance announced their latest Re:Construction installation, The Greatest City on Earth, by artist Linda Zacks, located at Nassau Street between John and Fulton streets in Lower Manhattan. “As Lower Manhattan continues to grow, construction can be tough on small businesses and confusing for pedestrians. While we look forward to all the great improvements happening Downtown, this latest Re:Construction installation is a creative and resourceful way to support small businesses, direct visitors, residents and local workers and beautify Lower Manhattan all at the same time,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, Downtown Alliance president. The Greatest City on Earth is an ongoing series of skylines by Zacks. Funded by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Re:Construction is a public art program produced by the Downtown Alliance. To learn more about the project, visit www.downtownny.com/programs/reconstruction.

Street and complete the East River waterfront terfront and open space we’ve long fought park. The vote included $1.9 million set aside for, while continuing the revitalization of for the East River Greenway. The overall redeLower Manhattan. By connecting Lower velopment project for this area would create Manhattan’s waterfront parks, it will create an almost continuous greenway from Battery a ‘continuous green ribbon’ and move us a Park around to East River Park. big step closer to a Harbor Park—a central Last November, State Sen. Daniel Squad- park for the center of our city. ron and Sen. Charles Schumer announced “I’d like to thank LMDC for approving that they had secured these funds. this key funding, Senator Schumer, CB3, “For over a year, I worked with SenaCB1 and the many community leaders tor Schumer and our colleagues to secure who fought to make this a reality and funding for the redevelopment of Pier 42 Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo, and the completion of the East River waterSpeaker Silver, Council Member Chin and front park,” said Squadron. “This funding T:4.917” my colleagues in government for their will be a step toward the world-class wasupport,” he continued.

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FE B R UARY 2, 2012 | otdowntown.com

�

N EWS

Young and Politically Engaged | By marissa maier

With Occupy Wall Street shining new attention on the much sought after—and often underrepresented—young voter pool, we sat down with our district leader, Jenifer Rajkumar, to discuss why the youth vote matters. What is the New York Democratic county Youth committee? It is a brand-new political committee created in the fall of 2011. Our members are young Democrats in their twenties and thirties who are passionate about making social

change through politics. Our mission is to increase youth participation and representation in the political process by advocating for issues that directly affect local youth and coordinating youth-related activities for the Democratic Party. Our committee is a platform for young people to voice our concerns about the future of our planet, about laws at a local level and about the type of political leaders we would like leading our generation. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle actually believed that engaging in politics was a way of building your own character and practicing virtue. How different this moral view of political engagement is from the view many have of politics today! Through the youth committee, we are redefining what civic engagement and political leadership means.

it is interesting that a way that many people see youth being politically engaged right now is through the occupy movement, but the committee seems to offer a different route for young voters. Occupy Wall Street saw a lot of people come to the public square to make their voices heard. The New York Democratic County Youth Committee started at the same time as a way for young people to make their voices heard through the political system. OWS didn’t want to align with any political party. Our committee offers another avenue for young people who want to make a change. The Youth Committee offers a way for us to make change through the political system at the local level of New York County. If you come to our committee meetings, you will see a shared, common belief that our new youth committee is a platform where we can be heard.

on the street Patricia Voulgaris asks, “Who do you think will win the Super Bowl and why?”

BERNARD LOUIS: “The Giants, because I’m a New Yorker.”

Stringer Says Soho Is an “Unholy Mess” of Traffic

An example of vehicle congestion on Broome Street. phoTo CoURTESY oF mAnhATTAn BoRoUgh pRESidEnT SCoTT STRingER’S oFFiCE.

Last week, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer stood with community leaders and residents on the streets of Soho, urging the Department of Transportation to address the traffic gridlock that has long choked the streets of the neighborhood. At issue is the westbound traffic on Broome Street toward the Holland Tunnel. The deluge of vehicles during heavy traffic periods not only blocks other cars from crossing the thoroughfare but also creates a daily symphony of honking horns. “For residents of the Soho and Hudson Square communities, horn honking has become the lullaby of lower Broadway,” said Stringer at the press conference. “Broome Street has turned into a pedestrian nightmare filled with impatient drivers. We’re speaking out now about the noise and congestion and demanding that the Department of Transportation take long overdue action.” Residents have also complained to Stringer’s office about blocked cross-

walks, which force some pedestrians to weave through cars in order to cross the street. There is, however, a law on the books outlawing this practice of “blocking the box,” but Stringer pointed out that the violation—carrying a $115 fine—is rarely enforced. Stringer co-authored a letter with Rep. Jerrold Nadler, State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Council Member Margaret Chin to transportation officials asking that the following improvements be undertaken: the installation of additional traffic cameras to help enforce “Don’t Block the Box” laws; improved signage about these laws; repairs to deteriorating crosswalks on Mercer and Greene streets; and increased communication with the community. The third point speaks to the cobblestones on Mercer and Greene streets, which are falling apart. According to Stringer, these streets were paved roughly 20 years ago but that pavement has since deteriorated, causing deep cracks to form in the road. —CompilEd BY STAFF

POLA REBISZ: “Patriots, just ‘cause my husband loves that team.”

ISRAEL RAMIREZ: “New England. Better team—defense, offense.” ELIZABETH TORRES: “I don’t like football.”

Council Holds Hearing on Danny Chen Resolution

The City Council held a hearing last Friday, Jan. 27, to discuss a resolution related to the death of Private Danny Chen. The Chinatown native was subjected to racial prejudice and abuse while serving in the army in Afghanistan and was found dead in a guard tower last October from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. The resolution asks the United States Department of Defense to examine their cultural diversity and sensitivity policies and to enact more effective cultural awareness and diversity training for military personnel. “It is tragic when soldiers abuse each other based on their race or ethnicity. Unfortunately, Private Chen’s experience

is not unique. It has been suggested that many other soldiers have been exposed to similar abuse, which can leave no doubt that the military must take steps to correct the conduct of its personnel,” said State Sen. Daniel Squadron in his testimony before the Council. “The nature of the discovery of information about the death of Private Chen is also deeply troubling,” Squadron added. “It is unacceptable that outrage from the community was required to bring charges against eight soldiers and for the family to come to understand the true nature of Private Chen’s death.” “Eight soldiers have been charged in con-

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

nection with Private Chen’s death. Recently, the most serious charge against one of the accused was dropped. Private Chen’s family and the rest of our community deserve more information about why the charge was dropped,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver added in a letter sent to Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “As we continue to deeply mourn Private Chen’s death, we are hopeful that this case will serve as an opportunity for the Armed Forces to improve conditions for Asian Americans—as well as other members of minority groups who are regularly targeted— within its ranks,” Silver said. —CompilEd BY STAFF

RON WHITE: “Pats. Tom Brady is the best quarterback and has the most motivation.”

ELVIN MAYNARD: “The Giants, because if they don’t win, my roommates will be upset.”

New York FashioN week

Neighbors Cry Foul Over Takeover of Neighborhood Park | By Megan Bungeroth

or designers, buyers, reporters, photographers and clothesconscious consumers the world over, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week conjures images of the latest and greatest designs paraded around in a swirl of parties and publicity. For residents of the area surrounding Fashion Week’s Lincoln Center home, however, the event conjures headaches, concerns over safety and anger over limited access to a public park. “I don’t think Fashion Week belongs in this setting,” said Susan Koeppel, a resident of The Alfred at 161 W. 61st St. The residents there already combat construction from Fordham University and the Third Water Tunnel; many have rallied together to complain to the community board and local officials about the grievances they endure during Fashion Week’s set-up, shows and breakdown period that stretches for four to five weeks twice a year. “There should be other venues that wouldn’t have to impact the community in this way,” Koeppel said, citing noise as well as overflowing trash and loud parties disrupting the neighborhood. “It’s not an asset for the community. It may be an asset for people who are involved commercially, but for the people who live here and the people who work here, it’s a huge inconvenience.” Fashion Week, a eight-day event that draws an estimated quarter of a million people and over $230 million in revenue to New York, used to be anchored in Bryant Park. While that area is much more commercial than residential, Dan Biederman, president of Bryant Park Management Corporation, said that its neighbors had some of the same complaints about noise and crowding. “There were things we didn’t like about having the shows at Bryant Park,” Biederman said. “We had complaints about generators that were necessary for both the shows and the ice rink we run.” Ultimately, he said, the shows were cutting down the time they could have the ice rink open in the winter and crowding out the popular spot for regular parkgoers in the summer. “A lot of people think I’m out of my mind for giving up $2.5 million in fees,” Biederman said. “We couldn’t run the park the way we wanted.” Two years ago, the organizers moved to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, which offers more space and affords more designers the

opportunity to show their collections. IMG, the producers of Fashion Week, have coordinated with City Council Member Gale Brewer’s office as well as with the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District and Community Board 7 to address residents’ concerns, but some say not nearly enough has been done to mitigate the negative impact of the glitzy event. “They go nonstop, 24 hours a day with construction equipment,” said another Alfred resident, Neil Lawner, describing the banging and beeping of trucks late into the night. “What’s really being done, to the people in our building specifically and anyone who’s using 62nd Street generally, because it’s a popular thoroughfare, is [they’re] being held hostage, because private enterprise is doing what they want to do,” Lawner said. “It has evolved. I think the positive is that there is lots of economic opportunity all around, from the restaurants to the ancillary to the catering,” said City Council Member Gale Brewer. “We dealt with noisy generators last time,” she said, noting that Fashion Week has been obliging in modifying their generators to be less loud. “The real issue for me is the issue of Amsterdam Houses and people who wouldn’t normally have opportunities getting opportunities,” Brewer said. Fashion Week hires a handful of temporary employees from nearby NYCHA housing, but she would like to see their efforts expanded. “I still think we need to do a lot more for the NYCHA residents who are back to back with Fashion Week.” “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week takes its role as a community member seriously,” said a spokesperson for IMG in an email. “Since moving to Lincoln Center, we have worked diligently with the surrounding neighborhoods to make our presence as positive and unobtrusive as possible. MBFW and event producer IMG are grateful for the patience and cooperation the community has shown us thus far and remain committed to working with them to address any concerns that may arise in seasons to come.” The company sent out community notices in advance of construction this year, and also maintains a 24-hour hotline to address concerns. Even more pressing for some is the use of Damrosch Park for private events for much of the year, between the February and September Fashion Weeks and the Big Apple Circus commandeering the spot for much of the time in between. According to the Parks

photo BY AndREw schwARtz

FashiON Week’s eCONOmiC BOON While some residents gripe about the unfavorable ramifications of having Fashion Week in their backyard, there are benefits to the community for hosting the event. In august 2011, the Fordham Consulting group and Fordham university graduate School of Business released an economic impact study outlining the effects of Fashion Week on the immediate surrounding areas within a 10-block radius of Lincoln Center. the study estimated that the total economic impact is $20,902,193, taking into account spending by staff, crew, vendors, visitors, designers and sponsors. It also found that the twiceyearly event brings in an annual $9 million to area restaurants, $6 million to local hotels, $6.8 million in retail revenue and $11 million to venues. the Lincoln Square BID works with IMg World to develop programs to boost the event’s positive economic impact.

Department, the park is managed by Lincoln Center through a license agreement with the city. Parks spokesperson Phil Abramson wrote in an email that the park “consists of a hard-surfaced seating area and receives low visitorship levels during the winter.” Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, takes issue with that characterization and said that it’s because of the private intrusions that people stay away from Damrosch Park. “It’s certainly an issue that the public does not have access to that park for the majority of the year,” Croft said. “That parks belongs to the public, not to a private corporation.” He also voiced what has been a frequent critique of the Parks Department, that they allowed 67 trees to be cut down to accommodate the park’s new tenants. “All these trees were destroyed, all that flora and fauna, the hedges and stuff; they were destroyed. The public looks at tents most of the year now,” Croft said. Regarding those trees, Abramson wrote, “As restitution for the 67 trees that were removed, we planted 220 trees in the one-mile area around Damrosch Park. In addition, Lincoln Center planted a net increase of 88 trees on its campus and arranged for 11 trees to be transplanted.” Many are not satisfied with that answer. Cleo Dana, another outspoken resident of

“From our perspective, this continues to be great for the businesses,” said Monica Blum, president of the BID. “We do two promotions, one that’s aimed at the crews, and it’s just amazing to me that we’ve now lined up 23 quick-serve places to offer discounts to the crews.” the other program, Fashion Plate Prix Fixe, is a sort of restaurant Week for the Lincoln Center area, with restaurants establishing set menus at discounted prices. Popular spots like telepan and Boulud Sud offer special lunch menus, making their normally pricey fare a bit more accessible. Blum said she hasn’t heard complaints from residents over Fashion Week. “obviously there are some inconveniences,” she said. “they’ve tried to work with the community to minimize to the extent possible the inconveniences. on balance, it’s a really positive thing for the neighborhood.”

The Alfred, testified at Community Board 7’s last full board meeting, questioning whether Lincoln Center is the right home for such a big event. “Where to put Fashion Week? Not to the Javits Center where it belongs or to an Armory or even Carl Schurz Park, but to Damrosch Park, a New York City park that had the misfortune of being geographically located in Lincoln Center, the cultural heart of New York City’s performing arts,” Dana said. “Damrosch Park does not belong to Lincoln Center, although it is managed by it. It was deliberately created by Robert Moses as a separate entity from Lincoln Center. It was and is under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks and Recreation and as such must conform to city and state statutes that apply to terms of its use, noise, concessions and sanctity of its trees,” she continued. Sam Salant, who said that he used to regularly spend time in Damrosch Park and always noticed residents of the nearby Amsterdam Houses doing the same, said that he was pushed out of the park when he inquired about new construction. “One day I walked in and there was something being constructed where there was formerly a bandshell,” Salant said. “I asked about it and was told to get out of the way. They’re just chasing people out. There was nobody I could call who could answer me and tell me why that happened.”

FE B R UARY 2, 2012 | otdowntown.com

Downtown Hot Spots for New York Fashion Week | By ShAron FeIereISen

uring New York Fashion Week, restaurants, clubs and lounges engage in a veritable bullfight as they compete to attract designer presentations, after-parties and various other celebrity-studded promotional events. Here’s a look at where the glitterati will be holding it down during the week’s festivities.

the 40/40 CLuB

red egg

Le Baron

Boom Boom room at the Standard hoteL

CatCh

W.i.P. (Work in ProgreSS)

6 W. 25th St. (at Broadway), the4040club.com. It may have been temporarily shut down by the Department of health just a day after its flashy reopening, but the mere promise of potentially spotting Jay-Z will likely make The 40/40 Club an after-party go-to. Did we mention that the renovation set Mr. Carter back $10 million? now there’s someone who knows the meaning of “Big Pimpin’.”

32 Mulberry St. (at Mosco St.), clublebaron.com. It took two years and a temporary Bowery pop-up, but this Paris import is finally open (albeit unofficially). Already legendary as a fashion favorite in Paris, expect the highly anticipated nightclub to boast a super-tight door (there have been rumors of passwords) and, given that it’s owned by André Saraiva, who was involved in both The Beatrice Inn and Kenmare, the glossiest of the Downtown cool set.

21 9th Ave. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), catchnewyorkcity. com. While Tenjune may be well past its heyday, eMM Group hasn’t lost its magic. Proof positive of this is Catch, already slated to open in Miami, which not only boasts above-average eats but a consistently starstudded, glass-enclosed lounge.

1oak

453 W. 17th St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), 1oaknyc.com. When it slowly morphed into the stereotypical Meatpacking meat market, the astute folks behind this five-year-old hot spot realized it was time for a change. now, after briefly shuttering, the space has been completely renovated and re-opened to coincide with the flashy 1oAK debut at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas.

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

202 Centre St. (betw. Hester & Grand Sts.), redeggnyc.com. We can thank red egg’s Simonez Wolf, who is also behind Madame Wong’s, for the city’s current pop-up obsession. With a Chinese-Peruvian menu and dim sum sans carts served throughout the day, this is guaranteed to be the chicest spot for fashion folks to indulge in both chicken feet and martinis.

SonS of eSSex

133 Essex St. (betw. Rivington & Stanton Sts.), sonsofessexles.com. Courtesy of The eldridge’s Matt Levine, this recently opened restaurant is likely to edge out nearby competitors like Beauty & essex with its swank décor, hopping bar scene and cozy leather banquettes. Plus, we all know that, when it comes down to it, no fashionista can really resist a killer grilled cheese and some mac ‘n’ cheese.

848 Washington St. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), standardhotels.com/new-york-city. Boom, Top of the Standard—whatever you want to call it, Andre Balazs’ boite may have some newbie competition but it’s undeniably still a hot spot sure to attract some of the week’s most high-profile events. Also worth an honorable mention is Le Bain, the hotel’s second rooftop haunt opened with help from Le Baron’s Saraiva.

34 Vandam St. (at Varick St.). There are countless places in Manhattan worth busting out your iPhone camera for, but few to the extent of this basement club located below Greenhouse. With every square inch, including the concrete staircase, outfitted with an eye-catching array of rotating artwork, it’s the perfect space for outside-the-box-thinking Downtown designers.

the eLeCtriC room at dream doWntoWn

355 W. 16th St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), dreamdowntown.com. nur Khan is back on top with his new basement hot spot, which developed an immediate reputation for its unbeatable post-1 a.m. scene. Unfortunately, mere plebeians have a near nil chance of getting in. (Insider tip: If you can’t get to Khan, try your luck cozying up to his svelte producing partner, Cristina Civetta.)

Physique 57

If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that fashion industry folks take staying in shape seriously. Unfortunately, come Fashion Week, many aren’t able to find time for their regular workouts. To that end, industry fave Physique 57 now offers two condensed workouts: Physique express and ArMed & fAB. The studio has also released a book, The Physique 57 Solution, and its co-author, Tanya Becker, underlined that “all the exercises in the book as well as any of our six workout DVDs can be done at home. Some of our signature exercises include The Pretzel, which targets the entire seat, abductors, hamstrings and obliques (also known as the muffintop area), and Thigh Dancing, which targets the quadriceps and core.” Staying in shape, however, is as much about exercise as it is about a healthful diet. Becker underlines that it’s imperative to keep alcohol intake to a two-drink maximum and remember to hydrate with water between those drinks, adding, “Try and stick to wine instead of hard liquor (more calories) or beer (causes bloating), and remember to have some crudités or fruit before you go to an event.” “Snacking before,” she said, “will fill you up so that you don’t overindulge at the events. When you first get to the event, drink seltzer or water. By staying hydrated, you will be less likely to go for carbs.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANNIJO, BAND OF OUTSIDERS, YIGAL AZROUEL, CHRISTIAN COTA

YIGAL AZROUEL PF ’12

CHRISTIAN COTA RTW ’12

TALKING UP NEW YORK FASHION WEEK DANNIJO F ’12 BAND OF OUTSIDERS PF ’12

Ari Goldberg

CEO AND FOUNDING PARTNER, STYLECASTER MEDIA GROUP

| BY SHARON FEIEREISEN

an about town and CEO/founding partner of StyleCaster Media Group Ari Goldberg has long been immersed in the Downtown fashion and social scene. Now, in partnership with Ford Motor Company and the 92nd Street Y, he is spearheading the inaugural State of Style Summit. We chatted with Goldberg about the much-buzzed-about event and his Downtown Fashion Week standouts.

ARI GOLDBERG

Can you tell us about some up-andcoming designers we should keep an eye out for this Fashion Week? Fashion design is one of the most competitive industries, so it’s great to see high-quality talent emerge Downtown. Among the standouts showing their collections Downtown this season are Christian Cota, Yigal Azrouel, Band of Outsiders and Dannijo.

SPENCER WOHLRAB, STYLECASTER PHOTOGRAPHER

What are the hot editors’ lunch spots around Milk Studios? I’d expect to see a bunch of the

editors hanging out at Soho House, Pastis and Chelsea Market. Do you have suggestions if you have an hour to kill between shows? If I’m near Milk Studios and have some time to kill, I’ll just head over to Soho House and knock out a few emails or wander aimlessly through the Meatpacking District and soak up the influence that New York Fashion Week has on the streets and how it’s affecting the style of real people. One-stop-shop for a fashion emergency? Uniqlo. What’s your two-minute spiel on the State of Style Summit? Who should go and why? The days of the fashion dictatorship should come to an end. It’s great to have teamed up with 92Y to present the counterpoint narrative to Fashion Week. This one-day summit will democratize fashion; anyone who is passionate about style and cares about its future should be there.

FE B R UARY 2, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM

THE 7-DAY PLAN

BEST PICK

Zammuto

Nick Zammuto, co-founder of the NYC-based band The Books, known for their mindbending sampling, makes his 92YTribeca debut. Like The Books, Zammuto’s live show features video projection synced with the performance. Also premiering is Achantè, a short film about Haitian voodoo with an original score by Zammuto.

THURSDAY

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

[2/4]

92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (betw. Vestry & Debrosses Sts.), 92Ytribeca.org; 8 p.m., $12.

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Barnes & Noble Tribeca, 97 Warren St. (at Greenwich St.), barnesandnoble.com; 6 p.m. Mike Doughty reads from his memoir of his addiction and the doomed-from-the-start, eight-year roller coaster ride of his former band, Soul Coughing. Publisher’s Weekly says The Book of Drugs is “hardly your typical rock star memoir. Doughty is brutally honest about life as an addict.” Doughty will also perform a solo music set and participate in a Q&A session.

Epyllion HERE, 145 6th Ave. (betw. Spring & Dominick Sts.), HERE.org; 7 p.m., $15. When satisfying our hearts, carnal and spiritual desires often collide. Inspired by the fantastical imagery of magical realist painter Remedios Varo and the poetry of Rumi, Aeolian Theatre presents the world premier of Epyllion. Performers seek to reawaken the primal desires and emotions of audience members through puppetry, dance, ritual and song.

Pretty Poison Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), filmforum.org; $12.50. Filmmaker Noel Black’s classic dark comedy Pretty Poison (1968) stars Tuesday Weld as a murderous teenager and Anthony Perkins as her ex-con mentor. The motley pair go on a series of “secret missions” that ends in murder.

Battle of the Bands Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (betw. E. 4th St. & Astor Pl.), joespub.com; 6:30 p.m., $25. The Loser’s Lounge presents “Steely Dan” vs. “The Doobie Brothers” in a battle of the bands for the first time ever as they tackle each band’s impressive and extensive catalogues. The battle stars house band extraordinaire The Joe McGinty Seven and their eclectic cast of guest singers who will croon your favorite tunes.

Death By Roo Roo: Your F’ed Up Family 307 W. 26th St. (betw. 8th & 9ths Aves.), ucbtheatre.com, 9 p.m., $10 Death By Roo Roo takes all your family pain and dysfunction and induces stomach-churning laughter. Did your sister accidentally set fire to the kitchen? Has your father tried to kill your mom’s boyfriend? If anything of these sound familiar, you’ve gone to the right place.

Nerd Nite Trivia Open House Gallery, 201 Mulberry St. (betw. Spring & Kenmare Sts.), openhousegallery.org; 7 & 9 p.m. $10. Nerd Nite returns to Open House’s indoor pop-up park in Nolita with back-to-back trivia sessions. Teams of up to five people compete in four rounds of increasingly interesting questions. The smartest cookies will win oversized bean bags, picnic blankets, Built NY iPad cases and Apple gift cards.

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CULTUREMART HERE, 145 6th Ave. (betw. Spring & Dominick Sts.), HERE.org; all shows $15. HERE presents their annual CULTUREMART festival, which provides a platform for resident artists to blur the boundaries between dance, theatre, music, new media, puppetry and visual art. Through Saturday, Feb. 11.

MONDAY

❮

FREE Adult Education Presents: Miscellany

Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby St. (betw. E. Houston & Prince Sts.), housingworks.org; 7 p.m. A monthly event series, Adult Education features various speakers who present brief, multimedia lectures on a shared theme. Tonight’s focus is miscellany. Highlights include Drew Dernavich, who will explain the origins of American gospel and blues music via Jerry Seinfeld, John Tesh and Star Trek, and writer Jill Stoddard on how to make money off of Occupy Wall Street.

WEDNESDAY

Submissions can be sent to otdowntown@manhattanmedia.com.

FREE The Book of Drugs

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

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

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

❮

FREE Gotham Writers Workshop

McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St., (betw. Lafayette & Mulberry Sts.), mcnallyjackson.com; 6 p.m. Noted writer Kelly Caldwell will teach aspiring writers how to relay their life stories through the finesse of fiction. Participants should bring a pen and paper to complete a short writing exercise that will help them start their own piece.

James Shapiro on William Shakespeare Poets House, 10 River Terr. (betw. Murray & Vesey Sts.), poetshouse.org; 2 p.m., $10. Famed Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, author of Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? hosts an in-depth discussion of the late bard’s poems, with a special focus on his later sonnets.

Brooklyn Boheme Open House Gallery, 201 Mulberry St. (betw. Spring & Kenmare Sts.), openhousegallery.org; 7:30 p.m. $15. Tell winter to shove it and head down to the Open House to see Brooklyn Boheme, a documentary film about the cultural explosion in Fort Greene in the 1980s and 1990s, while relaxing in an indoor park. Ticket price includes popcorn and soft drinks at the park with its plush grass, picnic blankets, hammocks and beanbag chairs.

The Fray Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby St. (betw. E. Houston & Prince Sts.), housingworks.org; doors open at 7:30, $40. A rare intimate treat with The Fray as they celebrate the release of their new album, Scars and Stories. On the record, the band transforms their real-life experiences into a collection of songs that are reflective but still manages to maintain a pop sensibility. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Housing Works, whose mission is to end AIDS and homelessness.

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The Ugly One Soho Rep Theatre, 46 Walker St. (betw. Church St. & Broadway), sohorep.org; 7:30 p.m., $30. The New York debut of Marius von Mayenburg’s 2007 play, The Ugly One, tells the story of a brilliant but hideous electrical engineer, Lette, who is barred from presenting an electrical plug he invented at a convention in Switzerland because of his looks. Lette decides to get facial reconstruction surgery, which makes him so handsome that most of the other characters follow suit and decide to get exactly the same face.

❯ DWE LL

Let There Be Light Flatiron gem boasts the best of the old and the new | BY MARISSA MAIER

A little bit of the old and the new, with lots of light. Clockwise from top left: the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen and the second-floor master bedroom. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITI HABITATS

For some buyers, the words “apartment in an historic building” might conjure up images of squat rooms with slim windows overlooking nearby buildings. An open, bright abode in a 1910 cast-iron building at 901 Broadway in the Flatiron District bucks this idea. The two-bedroom, two-bath apartment boasts spacious, long rooms, 13-foot ceilings, original brick walls and 12 windows in all—and every room is painted in a pearly white, making the place appear even more spacious. According to Citi Habitats agent Lucie Holt, a senior vice president associate broker with the firm, this pad is especially unique. It offers the best of the old, in the form of an historic building currently undergoing a delicate year-long facelift, and the new—the 2,500-square-foot apartment recently had a gut renovation to modernize its amenities. Other perks of the place, which rents for $15,500 a month, include a master bedroom and bath that occupy its own second floor and a cozy Juliet balcony off the living room. The convenience of living near Union Square, Holt gushes, is another selling point. Potential lessees would be close to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, a cinema and numerous retail shops like Barnes & Noble and Best Buy, in addition to a multitude of restaurants. “I think this apartment would appeal to everyone because it is so unique. It is very special,” said the native Londoner with a British lilt. “I would like to live there, actually,” Holt joked.

Ground Line Redefines How Women Artists Have Evolved | BY JOE BENDIK

Daniele Marin’s current exhibition, Ground Line, at Noho Gallery explores how women in art and society have evolved over time. By using iconic imagery along with the mundane, Marin recontextualizes these images to create nonlinear narratives. Doing this makes the historical information seem fresh. Marin also uses fabric in the acrylic paintings, creating texture and delineating space. As Marin said, “The incorporation of fabric shifts the expectation about traditional feminine arts.” It also serves as an anchor point for the eye, a place of return. Marin considers the painting surface a stage where different techniques communicate with each other. In fact, the paintings themselves seem to speak to each other. The color of each painting works within the bigger concept of the show. Marin is particularly interested in “the ground line,” the foundation for this exhibit, which is the horizontal plane on which objects sit. She weaves this into all of the works, establish-

“Ground Line #1.” Painting (Acrylic & Mixed Media. 9’x30”x22”).

ing unity while referencing “still” images from the past, thereby reclaiming and redefining their roles as ‘feminine.’ The result is a new way of viewing traditional materials. Marin was born in Paris but lives in the United States. She has an MFA from the Pratt Institute and has won two paint-

ing awards from the Visual Arts Center in New Jersey. She has been featured in Art in America and Woman’s Art Journal (Rutgers), among other publications. Some of her works are in the collection of the Newark Museum, the Montclair museum and Merrill Lynch, as well as

private collections. This show runs through Feb. 4. While visiting the exhibition, I had the eerie feeling of walking through a different state of being; somehow becoming a part of the ground line myself, as if I was inside the paintings. FE B R UARY 2, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM

� SE E Jar Jar Binks Goes to War Lucas crashes Red Tails | By Armond White

George Lucas’ sales tactics for Red Tails, his $93 million production about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in the armed forces, make a bigger bang than the film itself. On the publicity rounds, Lucas has talked about the dearth of movies with AfricanAmerican heroes, promising that Red Tails will give black teens the kinds of on-screen heroes and patriotic good feeling they’ve been denied. Apparently, Lucas has missed all blaxpoitation, post-blaxploitation and posthip-hop cinema, not to mention the 1995 TV film The Tuskegee Airmen. Lucas’ ignorance condemns Red Tails to be irredeemably condescending. It’s also one poor piece of filmmaking. Red Tails’ 332nd Fighter Group are a bunch of superficial GI stereotypes, black only in the brown-skinned Obama sense, displaying superficial personal traits. Their captain, Easy (Nate Parker), drinks for courage, and pilot Lightning (David Oyewolo) is a brash daredevil. Their commanders, Col. A.J. Bullard

The Tuskegee Airmen in Red Tails. PHOTO cOURTEsY OF TwEnTiETH cEnTURY FOx Films

(Terrence Howard) and Maj. Emmanuel Stone (Cuba Gooding Jr.) are shallow lifers given to speeches about perseverance. All are cartoon figures; visually, the film also resembles a cartoon: postcard colors that make the squadron’s base at the Ramitelli Airfield in Italy look like it was shot in Southern California (oops!). Cartoonishness defines Lucas’ approach to Hollywood revisionism; he doesn’t take World War II any more seriously than he took the Galactic Empire, and the Tuskegee Airmen mean no more to him than the Jedi knights. The pilots, who due to military segregation were denied the right to fly combat missions but were used as escorts and decoys for white fighter pilots, perform selflessly to unspecific codes of conduct, as if they were uninvolved in history (their war chant: “To the last plane, to the last bullet, to the last man, we fight, we fight, we fight!”). This is goofball heroism, though totally without a sense of humor—less, even, than Snoopy’s fantasy

dogfights with The Red Baron, which Red Tails frequently evokes. Why comic strip artist Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks) participated in co-writing the screenplay is mystifying given the film’s total lack of his usual sarcasm. McGruder, too, must believe in The Force, which has infantilized American cinema since Star Wars, and so answered Lucas’ call to sign up. That meant signing on to the notion that moviegoers wouldn’t respond to a serious depiction of young men who fulfilled the intellectual requirements of aviation or comprehend the complexity of young black people who felt duty-bound to fight for the country that denied them basic civil rights. Director Anthony Hemingway—recruited from TV’s overrated The Wire—must only be comfortable with ghetto stereotypes and urban miscreant clichés. His images of principled military men and the 1940s era are unconvincing, and the post-synch dialogue has the same laughable impact as a badly dubbed Japanese monster movie. Nothing in Red Tails

Welcome to Hughesville

summer Camp heads to the ’80s Sankey made them a MySpace page. | By Christine WerthmAn Since the song experiment was just for If Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley were in a John Hughes movie, their relationship trajectory would have gone something like this: Pearl-wearing Sankey falls for leather-jacketed Warmsley after he makes her a mixtape and the closing scene catches them leaving the prom together, much to everyone’s shock and awe. In real life, Sankey and Warmsley grew up on the same side of the tracks in Southwest London, Sankey was the one who made the mix and the camera is currently closing in on them as, yes, a couple, but also as bandmates in their synth and guitar-pop project Summer Camp—no prom involved. Sankey, 27, and Warmsley, 28, first met at one of Warmsley’s shows in London. They eventually got serious enough that Sankey made Warmsley a mix CD onto which she put “I Only Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos. The two loved the song so much that they recorded a cover of it, and while Warmsley was mixing their rendition,

fun, she chose to leave off the pouty photos of herself and Warmsley and instead posted a found photo of seven women, their feathered hair suggesting the late ’70s or early ’80s. The default country for the MySpace account came up as Sweden and Sankey embraced it, designing a band bio that described a group of Swedish friends who had met at summer camp. And thus the band was born in October 2009. Summer Camp’s page remained hidden for all of 30 minutes before Sahil Varma, of the blog Transparent, discovered it and introduced his readers to the “seven Swedes” and their Flamingos cover. “People were emailing us in Swedish and we were trying to reply with Babelfish translator,” Sankey said. When the jig was finally up and the two had to identify themselves, Sankey and Warmsley started recording some original songs. At the time of Summer Camp’s formation, Warmsley had a steady solo career going but Sankey had never sung on stage. She wasn’t a

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

SUMMER CAMP

total stranger to live performance, however; she had attended drama school in the U.K. But the duo’s combined experience did not guarantee Summer Camp a flawless first show. “It was terrible,” Sankey said of the band’s first headlining show in London, held at the Lexington. “A lot of people at the beginning said that we were really bad live, and they were right.” But Summer Camp kept on playing, writing and watching John Hughes films. “My favorite is Pretty in Pink for Ducky, but it’s Sixteen Candles for how funny it is and for Anthony Michael Hall.” Warmsley didn’t know many Hughes movies when he and Sankey met, so she gave him a crash course—not only because she’s a fan but because his movies deal with themes that fit with Summer Camp’s songs. “John Hughes had this way of talking about teenagers and articulating the feelings and the problems and the emotions of being a teenager

shows serious artistic commitment. By promoting Red Tails (named for the Airmen’s customized new P-51 Mustang aircraft) as a correction of Hollywood bigotry, Lucas shows that he knows nothing about how popular culture works. In a New York Times magazine puff piece, Lucas explained his wish for cultural crossover: “...which is what you get with sports. Which is what you get with music. I wanted to do it with just being an American citizen.” He ignores how black moviegoers have often identified with white movie heroes and enjoyed cinematic patriotism—and not vicariously. When Red Tails’ Airmen fraternize with white officers, they never so much as ask which states they came from. This isn’t American culture; it’s beer commercial bonhomie. Red Tails not only insults the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen, it is disconnected from the figures of black male dignity that audiences embraced when forged by Rex Ingram, Paul Robeson, Juano Hernandez, James Douglas, Canada Lee, Woody Strode, Ivan Dixon and others that George Lucas forgets. He’s Jar Jar Binked us again. in a way that wasn’t patronizing,” Sankey said. The result of these influences is the band’s debut LP, Welcome To Condale. The album, released in November, is a joyous, synth-pop romp through the teenage concerns that often follow us into adulthood: phone calls from exes, unrequited love, My So-Called Life references (one of the songs is titled “Brian Krakow”). Both Summer Camp members take turns on vocals, but it’s Sankey’s sultry, Morrissey-style pleading and note drags that ring out clearest alongside the skuzzed-up guitar, drums and synth zags. The title is another wink at a Hughes idea. Much like Hughes’s Shermer, Ill., Condale is a fictional town, meant to be an L.A. suburb where teenage hijinks ensue. “It felt like it exemplified the America we see in movies. It’s the America that we grew up looking at.” Sankey said. And though the band realizes that this is a fictionalized vision, who really prefers American high school reality to the views of Hughes? All in favor say, “Simple Minds.” Feb. 6 at Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (betw. Ludlow & Essex Sts.), mercuryloungenyc. com; 6:30 p.m., $12. Feb. 7 at Glasslands Gallery, 289 Kent St. (at S. 2nd St.), glasslands.blogspot.com; 8:30 p.m., $12.

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER?

S I M

N O SI

Renee Flax, the associate director of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

SATURDAY, FEB 4, 2012 Upper West Side Bank Street School 610 W. 112th St. 12PM - 3PM

Pre-register for a chance to win NJ Nets Tickets! 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

F E B R UARY 2 , 2 0 1 2 | ot d owntown. c o m



� EAT

Battery Park City Heads Out to Sea Floyd cardoz brings seafood to a starving neighborhood

| By reGan HoFmann

For a neighborhood with more ferry stops than subway stations, Battery Park City has long lacked a proper seafood restaurant to call its own. To be fair, it’s lacked pretty much any proper restaurants—residents of the planned community have had to make do with glorified food court fare for the 9-to-5 World Financial Center crowd, pan-Asian for their after-hours expense account revelry and pizza for the kids. For innovative, vital cooking, they’ve had to look longingly east to Tribeca and beyond. Now they long no longer. After the post9/11 desertion and years of serious boosterism by the Battery Park City Authority, the quiet riverfront community is officially up-and-coming. In their most recent coup, the new Goldman Sachs headquarters and its accompanying Conrad Hilton hotel have brought not one but three Danny Meyer res-

taurants to the same square block: a branch of his burger chain Shake Shack, which can be found as far afield as Dubai; the second location of his Murray Hill BBQ joint Blue Smoke; and North End Grill, a brand-new restaurant from Floyd Cardoz, former executive chef of Tabla and winner of Top Chef Masters season 3. “Danny Meyer was approached by the people who own the hotel; they were trying to upgrade and update their restaurant and the entire area and we thought it was a great opportunity,” said Cardoz. “Battery Park is a neighborhood that has tremendous potential.” The restaurant is a new concept for Cardoz, who built a name for himself with his seasonal, Western-inflected approach to traditional Indian food at Tabla, which shuttered in 2010 after 12 years in the Flatiron District. North End Grill is, as might be inferred, an American seafood restaurant, all clean lines and dark wood, with an emphasis on the grill and an extensive scotch selection. Though it may seem like a departure, the new cuisine makes perfect sense for Cardoz, who trained in Europe and is an avid fisherman. “I don’t cook Indian food at home every day; I cook like I’m cooking now because my kids were born here,” he explained. In fact, the concept was developed by Meyer and Cardoz together after Meyer was approached to move into the space on North End Avenue. “We chose seafood because of the [restaurant’s] proximity to the water and my propensity to cook seafood.” With plans to open a rooftop garden to grow produce for the kitchen and an affinity for the East Coast waters that lap at the es-

planade just a block away, North End Grill intends to be as locally sourced as possible. “Right now it’s a little hard, just because of the winter, but once we’re up and running and a little more in control of what we’re doing, my hope and my wish is to get back to that, like I did at Tabla,” said Cardoz. Even in the dead of winter, the menu proudly proclaims which ingredients are homegrown; scallops from Nantucket Bay in the shellfish cocktail and the ubiquitous Berkshires providing pork chops for the land-faring fare. But it’s not just expense account-baiting surf and turf. The burger here is a blend of shrimp and bacon, served with cumin-dusted fries. The soup is pumpkin-crab, and the traditional meunière preparation, famously cited by Julia Child as the dish that sparked her love Fred Cardoz brings seasonal, local seafood to Battery Park City. PHOTO BY KEn gOOdmAn of French cooking, is applied to cod throats, an oft-discarded, Cardoz can almost always be found, he overlooked portion that shares the knows when they’ve hit their mark. “We’ve same rich, tender qualities as beef cheeks. “Every menu everywhere has something that had people from the Upper East Side, people from the neighborhood, people who work people may think is risky, but, whatever it is, is here, people from New Jersey—we have eaten by some culture somewhere in the world,” people from all over the place,” he said. said Cardoz. “It’s important to me that anything “Most people stop by to say, ‘Hey, it was a I put on the menu makes me feel good.We’re great menu, it was a great restaurant.’” proud of what we have on the menu, and we A restaurant that draws crowds from truly think that people will enjoy it.” around the five boroughs and beyond? Looks Since patrons who enter the restaurant like Battery Park City has made it after all. have to pass by the open kitchen, in which

for the DIe-hArD gIAnts fAn

Blind Pig 255 E. 14th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), blindpigbar.com. you don’t have to spend big to bleed blue. Blind Pig takes that 1920s speakeasy feel and tosses in more flat screens than those that shine on the Vegas strip. chow down on the football food of the gods with their impressive wing menu, where everything is delicious. Be sure to get there early so you’ll have a place to stand!

for the Best, CheAPest DrInks

wicked willy’s

| By andrew rice If You Are rootIng for the PAtrIots

Rivieria Cafe 225 W. 4th St (at 7th Ave.), rivieracafeny.com. not everyone who likes football likes the Giants, even though they probably should. For Boston expats or simply those who love Tom Brady, root for the Patriots at the city’s original Beantown sports bar, with 16 Hd TVs, fried foods and lots of drafts for game day. even if you’re not interested in football, the place has an impressive view of Sheridan Square.

Professor Thom’s 219 2nd Ave. (betw. 13th & 14th Sts.), professorthoms.com. The establishment is named after Professor Jerry Thomas, the first american bartender. while this is another new england bar nestled in a sea of blue, the watering hole boasts a large selection of draft beers, cheap pitchers, even cheaper shots, 17 Lcd flat screens and legendary nachos to boot. The tailgate party starts at 3 p.m. with a two-hour open bar and free party favors. after the game, enjoy getting home when they start their famous reverse happy hour, which goes from 10 p.m. until closing.

for the Best eAts

Wildwood BBQ 225 Park Ave. S. (betw. 18th & 19th Sts.), wildwoodbbq.com. with lots of BBQ options and a huge bar, snack on some delicious ribs or pulled pork sandwiches as you watch the game.

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

PHoToS By PaTricia VouLGariS

Where to Watch Super Bowl XLVI

blind pig

wildwood also has a good selection of beers on draft—if you’re lucky and guess the winning team, you’ll get a chance to win a free keg!

If the VIewIng exPerIenCe MAtters to You

The Porterhouse at Fraunces Tavern Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl St. (at Broad St.), frauncestavern.com. what better way to watch ny go head to head with the Pats than on an 80-inch projection screen with surround sound? $50 gets you access to an open bar and an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with all your football essential food groups: wings, nachos, sliders, potato skins and more.

professor thom’s

If You Are goIng for the PArtY

Wicked Willy’s 149 Bleecker St. (at Thompson St.), wickedwillys.com. For $45, drink as much domestic beer and scarf as many wings down as you can possibly handle here. if the 15-foot theater screen and 10 big-screen plasma TVs aren’t enough, there is always the chance for your own piece of glory with their plethora of beer pong tables and cheap pitchers.

suPer Bowl sPeCIAls

The Downtown Alliance, the Lower Manhattan BID, has also put together a list of spots and events related to game day. To check out their listings, visit

www.downtownny.com/superbowl.

� DI G ITI ZE

3-D Printing Saves the Universe Only 300 years to go

he process of 3-D printing is called additive manufacturing, and it’s a pretty simple idea: A machine squirts some material in layers based on a 3-D computer model until the design becomes a real-life object. There are a few different methods and processes to choose from, but here I’m focusing on fused deposition modeling, aka fused filament fabrication to avoid patent battles, which uses spools of plastic filaments that are melted and layered to make solid objects. 3-D printing technology has existed for decades, mostly for companies focusing on one-shot industrial uses like proof-of-concept prototypes and small-run orders of items that wouldn’t, or couldn’t, be mass-produced. There are also companies like Freedom of Creation and Shapeways that allow consumers to upload designs to have custom products printed. Customers can also choose from a catalog of limited-run creations from contracted designers, most of which are accessories, jewelry and iPhone cases and intricately designed furniture. Until now, these sites have remained on the periphery of Internet offerings. But with growing consumer relevance and falling prices of 3-D printing technology, there has been a major shift toward at-home desktop 3-D printing (D3D). Why do you need a 3-D printer? Really, you don’t. Everything that can be printed can also be bought at the store. But stores are essentially as much a symptom of inability as convenience. Before 3-D printing, that justification could have been inverted—everything that can be bought at the store can also be printed. Add to that logic that D3D happens

at home and at a fraction of the price and you’ve got a winning argument. Anyone who is down to build a 3-D printer from a kit or buy one at a carib guerra pre-built premium uses open source communities to share new developments. Users can easily download 3-D model files, and newer interfaces include 3-D scanner hookups and even use Microsoft Kinect as an input, making 3-D modeling super easy. The last obstacle facing D3D was the easiest for enthusiasts to ignore but the single largest deterrent for the consumer market: basic aesthetics. Even the bestlooking D3Ds were clunky jerks an obvious departure from almost any home decoration scheme. In a technological and designminded leap that may leave these DIY printer models looking like an old Apple IIGS competing in a beauty pageant against an iPad, 3-D Systems, along with Janne Kyttanen, founder of Freedom of Creation, has unveiled The Cube desktop 3D printer. The Cube shoots this problem right in the eye of the beholder. It’s compact and attractive; inviting, even toy-like. You see it sitting there and all you want to know is: “How do I play with this thing?” At a price point ($1,299) within the range of models offered by Makerbot and Printrbot (from $500 to $2,400), The Cube is a creature on the consumer landscape with no immediate competition. This is the 3-D printer that will be on your desktop. Along with The Cube comes the Cubify. com community, where users are encour-

A textured wall light decoration shows the endless possibilities of at-home 3-D printing. PHOTO cOURTEsY OF FREEdOm OF cREATiOn

aged to “Market your creations. Upload designs or apps and earn money.” While this business model may seem like a sellout punch to the pride gut of established open source communities, by giving members a user-driven marketplace where clever/useful designs stand to make cash, Cubify seems at least initially guaranteed to quickly build a user base. No exact release date has yet been set for The Cube, but with the potential inherent in bringing manufacturing to the masses, I’m very excited to see where this

will take the Future of Stuff. Personally, my early interest in 3-D printing stemmed from an intense love of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Replicators onboard the USS Enterprise made everything from Captain Picard’s Earl Grey tea to medicines used by Dr. Beverly Crusher and allowed the post-scarcity utopia of Gene Roddenberry’s universe. While the printers available now are a far walk from the miracle machines of the 24th century, we’ve still got 300 years to get this stuff right. Engage.

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Rory Albanese Writer and executive producer, ‘the daily ShoW’

| By Mark Peikert

Photo courtesy of 92ytriBeca

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

or the second time this year, 92YTribeca will play host to the minds behind Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with The Daily Show Live: Stand-up Comedy from The Daily Show’s Staff. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning writer and executive producer Rory Albanese, the night features correspondents, writers and graphic designers trying their hand at entertaining audiences below Canal Street. The next performance will be Thursday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m.; we caught up with Albanese over the phone about the event—and why Richard Nixon impressions still happen. Why a group stand-up show? We’ve done other shows. We work with a lot of people who do stand-up outside of their day-to-day job at The Daily Show— we’ve always tried to do our best to encourage people to have other creative outlets in the sense that this place can be overwhelming. And it’s great for younger stand-ups. I know for me it helped a lot when I first started working here—it kind of gets you in the door. So it’s a way to put together a show and let some of the people inside of the building who perform and who are very funny get out and do it. What makes 92YTribecca a good fit? We did [shows] for a while at Comix, which closed down. At a comedy club, it’s different. There’s a two-drink minimum and you have to have dinner—we’re not doing this as a way to generate money. And 92Y kind of came to us and asked if we wanted to take that show and alter it a little bit and do it at their space. Do people show up expecting political humor because of The Daily Show connection? I think sometimes people expect a certain kind of humor from The Daily Show staff and they get something else. When you get one of the correspondents up there, you kind of know what you’re going to get from their style. I’ll put it this way: We were very careful in how we advertised the show so people wouldn’t think it was a live performance of the show. I try to give my best political jokes to the show! The first show we did went really well because we had a really great crowd and we all were a little rusty. I hadn’t done stand-up in a while and I was hosting, and it was fun for me. What was nice about it was we had

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | FE B R UARY 2, 2012

the time on stage, so I went a little long and everyone was kind of finding their material. 92Y is open to different forms of entertainment, so they’ve been great. And there’s a balance to what we’re doing. Who will be included this time around? JR Havlan, Elliot Kalan. John Oliver may be the headliner. And then one of our graphics guys, Mike Hogan, wants to try stand-up, so he’ll do a little five-minute set. It’s just a great way to get the staff to come outside, instead of me sitting in a green room in Baltimore with a bunch of road warriors. For me, it’s great because I love having some of the guys I work with [there], particularly John Oliver—we’ll watch each other’s acts and give notes. And John’s one of the reasons my doing stand-up turned into a half-hour special. So will this become a regular thing? I think we’re gonna try to do it once a month, and as we do it, I hope more and more of the staff will come down. I just got an image of Jon Stewart coming to the show and getting outraged that you used better jokes for it than you gave him.

[Laughs] The other night I was watching the State of the Union, and I was writing down the jokes for the next day on my laptop and some of them were coming out like tweets and I thought, Uh oh. Can’t do it! But my priority will always be the show, and getting jokes on the show is super rewarding. Getting a big laugh live is rewarding. I did a half-hour special a year or so ago and now I’m trying to work on a new act, and that new act can’t be as instantly topical as what we do on the show. You want a nice mix of topical and evergreen. We’ve all seen comedy and stand-up where somebody has been doing the same act forever. We always joke about the impressionist who will say one topical thing and then segue into his Richard Nixon impression. “Did you hear what the president said about Segways? Have you ever wondered what Richard Nixon would look like on a Segway?” The Daily Show Live: Stand-up Comedy from The Daily Show’s Staff Feb. 9, 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (betw. Desbrosses & Vestry Sts.), 92y.org/tribeca; 9 p.m., $15.

8 million stoRies

VATISHA SMITH discovers that some block parties invite even the rats

ats and loud music. When you live in New York City, you’re bound to confront one or the other. Maybe even both simultaneously. Unfortunately, one summer I encountered both. I live in a one-bedroom apartment at the rear of the first floor of a well-kept building in the Bronx, where I pay a decent enough rent that I don’t complain about my view of the alley that runs behind my building. My neighbors and I often use it to go to and from the laundry room in the basement. Garbage and recyclables are stored in the side alley, where every other day my super neatly bundles everything for the early-morning sanitation trucks. I’m not saying it’s the Garden of Eden back there, but he puts in a lot of effort to keep it clean. However, the building directly behind mine has an alley as well, but its condition is a totally different story. Like a two-way road with lanes separated by a single yellow line, both alleys are separated by a tall chain-link fence. In the daytime there is very little activity in either, but at night the other alley offers a very different view from mine. It was something I had never noticed until a houseguest pointed something out to me one New Year’s Eve. We had opened one of my windows to get a little air and were joking around when suddenly she

The summertime is always ripe for insaid, “Look!” directing my view to the other considerate neighbors to insist on sharing building and its alley. “What?” I asked. their latest iPod playlists at 15,000 decibels Then I noticed that the ground appeared till the early a.m. But what I found when to be moving. I squinted a little, letting my I walked into my apartment that night eyes adjust to the darkness. startled even me, when I realized that my Turns out it wasn’t the ground that neighbors had decided that their ratwas moving; it was a group of rats. Rats infested alleyway would be a great place running back and forth. Rats squeakto throw a barbecue, complete with tables ing. Rats tumbling and climbing over and chairs and a real live DJ. The music one another. It was like they were having was so loud it sounded their own party back like they were in my there. “Ughhh!” The music was so loud it sounded living room, even I exclaimed, like they were in my living room, after I closed all of disgusted by the even after I closed all of my my windows—which display. “It’s like is never a great idea they’re having windows—which is never a great in the summer. a goddamned idea in the summer. Hoping the union meeting police would sympaover there!” As I thize with my plight, since they are known closed the window, I was relieved that at for being so empathetic, I headed toward least it was the other building’s alley that my neighborhood precinct to ask for had the rat infestation, not mine. Not my help. Spotting a police car patrolling the problem, I thought. neighborhood, I approached the officer in That changed the following summer. I the driver seat. “Officer, I’m sure you can was walking home around 10 p.m., enjoying the beautiful evening when that same friend, hear the music coming from that alley.” He nodded as I pointed out the location. “The who was staying with me again, passed noise is right against my window. Would me on her way out of the building. “I can’t you mind asking them to turn it down? I stay here tonight,” she said, sounding tired. “What happened?” I asked. “The music is too would really appreciate it.” I figured that since cops often lament much. I can’t sleep at all.” I shook my head feeling a lack of respect from the people because I knew I was in for a long night.

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they are sworn to protect, a polite approach might go a long way. The officer nodded again and told me he would see what he could do. A short time later the volume lowered considerably, bringing a sigh of relief. No more than 10 minutes later, however, the music increased to the ear-shattering level it had been at before. OK, I reasoned to myself, they’ll probably stop around midnight. They did not. After numerous calls to 311, 911 and anyone else I could think of, I gave up the pretense that I’d ever sleep and trekked to my neighborhood precinct again at 2 a.m. With my face set in determination, I refused to accept any excuses as I entered the building. I stood stoically directly behind the waist-high gated barricade meant to protect them from us and practically begged the police to have mercy on me and everyone else who likes to sleep at night. I needed them to demand that those people who like to party with filthy rats pipe down! The looks they gave me were surprisingly compassionate, but still nothing was done. It wasn’t until around five in the morning that the music finally stopped and the only sounds left were people cleaning up. As I finally fell into a deep slumber, I imagined the rats were grateful, too. They had a book club meeting in the morning.

Acting Young. There’s one thing to feel young but another to act young. The residents at Isabella House have found an entirely different way of acting young. During performance days you might be walking by and hear a dramatic rendition of Macbeth or a famous line from King Lear may capture your attention. But these are not professional actors being brought in to put on a show for the residents. Nope, these are the residents of Isabella. Partnering with the People’s Theatre Project of Northern Manhattan, Isabella began to offer acting classes for their residents. The classes provide the opportunity for our residents to live someone else’s life for a few hours each day. Classics such as Macbeth and King Lear are performed live in front of their fellow residents—who can be the harshest critics. The classes’ help our residents feel lively and vibrant and more importantly, it keeps them fresh. The acting classes are in addition to Isabella House’s Tai-Chi, Chair Yoga, Posture Exercise, poetry and painting classes. For more leisure-oriented activities they offer Game Nights and Movie Nights. Residency at Isabella House also comes with lunch and dinner served restaurant style in our elegant dining room. Getting out and about is easy – whether you choose our weekly transportation to local stores – or decide on local buses, subway or taxi to nearby midtown Manhattan. Isabella House offers the best of life, whether you want a dynamic schedule of activities – or the freedom to relax in the quiet of your home. For more information or to arrange a visit, please call (212) 342-9539. Isabella House is located at 525 Audubon Avenue, New York, NY 10040. Visit their website at www.isabella.org

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