The local paper for Downtown wn SPECIAL REPORT 2019
SENIOR LIVING GUIDE 2019
SENIOR LIVING
◄ P. 13
WEEK OF JULY
25-31 2019
INSIDE
LOCALS GIVE THUMBS DOWN TO FLOOD PLANS ENVIRONMENT
A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY
Residents slam details of massive Coastal Resiliency Project
Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team appeals a federal judge’s decision to deny bail, P. 9
BY JASON COHEN
Angry Lower East Side residents expressed their displeasure last week with the city’s plan to shutter East River Park for three years, from March 2020 to the summer of 2023, as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, which will storm proof the park from Montgomery Street to 13th Street. Borough President Gale Brewer held a public hearing on the project at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel on July 17th. The auditorium at the hospital was jam packed. Some of those in attendance draped caution tape reading “Tree Protection area.” around their necks, Jamie Torres-Springer, the first deputy commissioner at the city Department of Design and Construction, and Alyssa Cobb-Konon, the deputy commissioner for Planning and Development at NYC Parks, presented the plan. They did not receive a warm welcome. More than two dozen people tes-
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Mayor Bill de Blasio declares a heat emergency on Thursday, July 18 and signs executive order directing large office buildings to conserve energy. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
DEBATE: THE HEAT IS ON POLITICS NYC strategists expect longshot presidential hopeful Bill de Blasio to be aggressive in the second Democratic candidate forum. But the latest poll and money numbers are grim BY STUART MARQUES
As the second round of presidential debates approaches, Bill de Blasio says he’s still in-it-to-win-it, but lackluster fund-raising totals, poor poll numbers, the kerfuffle over his absence during the West
Side blackout and growing disdain from the city’s tabloids make his long odds even longer. “He has no realistic chance of getting the Democratic nomination,” says veteran political strategist Hank Sheinkopf. “No one sees him as presidential material,” says Democratic consultant George Arzt. “If he is still around come primary day, he’ll lose his home state of New York overwhelmingly.” Still, the mayor, who performed better than expected in the first debate by interrupting the others and pushing his way into the conversation, will be on stage next week for
CNN’s two nights of debates in Detroit on July 30 and 31. He drew the second night, which includes former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren headline the first night. Although all eyes will be on Biden and Harris given their memorable clash at the first debate, de Blasio’s appearance in that lineup could be advantageous to him, Arzt says. “He’s going to be aggressive and
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A SUPER SUMMER AT LINCOLN CENTER This year’s Out of Doors lineup of free events has something for everyone, P. 12
A MOTHER’S PLEA A year after cyclist Madison Lyden was killed on CPW, her family calls for action, P. 5
LEVAIN BAKERY OPENS ON EAST SIDE Company known for its decadent cookies expands to the UES, P. 40
Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
9-16
MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
n OurTownDowntow
COM
Newscheck Crime Watch Voices
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes
12 13 14 18
CONTINUED ON PAGE
25
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JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
‘WE CAN’T BREATHE’ ACTIVISM Amidst a New York City heat wave, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of City Hall last week to demand justice for Eric Garner BY MARGARET BARNSLEY
The demonstration last Wednesday not only marked five years since Eric Garner’s death, it came one day after the Department of Justice announced it would not pursue charges against the officer who was seen on video placing Garner in a chokehold and taking him to the ground. The decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo on civil rights charges reportedly came directly from Attorney General William Barr and was announced a day before the statute of limitations expired. For many, the DOJ decision was expected, but nonetheless gravely disappointing. Heaven, a youth organizer who spoke at the rally, said, “We believe that justice for Eric Garner would only be possible if he were not murdered in the first place. The only thing close to justice now, would be the firing of Pantaleo and the other officers involved in Mr. Garner’s murder five years ago.”
The killing of unarmed black men by police officers has sparked a national movement, one for which Garner’s last words “I can’t breathe” have become a rallying cry. In December 2014, after New York’s chief medical examiner ruled Garner’s death a homicide and a video of the deadly encounter was widely circulated, a Staten Island grand jury found that there was not enough evidence to indict Pantaleo, Ramsey Orta, Garner’s friend and the one who shot the video, is currently in jail and has claimed that the NYPD is retaliating against him. Now, the Garner family and their many supporters are demanding Pantaleo be immediately fired and held accountable. The tension between police and protesters was palpable. During quiet moments, the buzz of an NYPD helicopter could be heard overhead and a sea of officers in bright green vests surrounded the crowd at all times. Protesters did not shy away from directly and forcefully criticizing the NYPD. Loud chants of “How do you spell racist? NYPD” and “We can’t breathe” echoed repeatedly through the crowd. Speakers at the protest pointed out that since Garner’s death, Pantaleo has been placed on desk duty but has continued to receive pay and
Protestors marched on City Hall to mark the fifth anniversary of Eric Garner’s death at the hands of the NYPD. Photo: Margaret Barnsley
pension benefits. Police commissioner James O’Neil will ultimately decide what disciplinary action Pantaleo faces, “We want the officers involved to be held acThe local paper for Downtown
NORTHERN MANHATTAN STUDY OF METABOLISM AND MIND
NOMEM
countable. We want the mayor to hold them accountable. We will see to it, that while justice has been delayed, it is still delivered,” said Heaven.
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JULY 25-31,2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending July 14 Week to Date
Year to Date
2019 2018
% Change
2019
2018
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
1
0.0
Rape
1
0
n/a
10
15
-33.3
Robbery
1
2
-50.0
35
39
-10.3
Felony Assault
1
2
-50.0
49
31
58.1
Burglary
3
2
50.0
70
36
94.4
Grand Larceny
15
29
-48.3
495 543 -8.8
Grand Larceny Auto
0
0
n/a
9
HOMELESS WOMAN ASSAULTED A 55-year-old woman was assaulted by an unknown man at the intersection of Canal St. and Sixth Ave. at 3 a.m. on July 14, according to police. The woman, who is homeless, was reportedly drinking and smoking marijuana with the man when he allegedly punched her in the face and ribs. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital where they treated the laceration to her face, a hematoma in her left eye, fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. The victim was unable
11
-18.2
to describe her assailant to police.
STATEN ISLAND MAN ROBBED Police said a Staten Island man was assaulted and robbed by three men while walking toward Ferry Terminal 3 at 2:30 a.m. on July 13. The victim told police that while he was walking along State St. near Whitehall St., the men came up from behind and put him a chokehold before throwing him to the ground. While the victim lay on the ground, the perpetrators allegedly punched him the face repeatedly. The
Photo by Toni Webster via Flickr
victim told the assailants that they could take his wallet. They removed it from his from right pocket, and also took his cell phone. The victim was treated by EMS at the scene, but refused to be taken to the hospital.
UNATTENDED WALLET STOLEN A 25-year-old woman reported fraudulent charges to her credit cards adding up to $6,831.48 after her wallet was stolen on July 8. While using the restroom inside 85 Broad St., the woman left her wallet by the sink. When she returned, the wallet was missing. She checked her account
and saw unauthorized charges made at Walgreens, Open Market, the MTA and Square Cash.
$200 pair of AirPods and a New York State driver’s license.
INTRUDER ARRESTED
SNATCH AND SCOOT A woman’s pricey designer purse was snatched from a bench on the north esplanade of the Marina Pier behind 345 Chambers St. at 2:30 a.m. on July 9, Police said the 31-year-old woman had the $5,500 black leather Gucci purse next to her when a youth grabbed it and fled on a scooter. Police searched the area but could not locate the suspect. The woman canceled her credit cards, but also lost a $300 brown leather Louis Vuitton wallet, a
A 45-year-old man told police he returned to his apartment at 108 Wooster St. after walking his dog the afternoon of July 14 to find an intruder rifling through his belongings. The man was looking through the residents bags and other belongings before fleeing through a skylight. The police later found Josiah Smalls, 21, inside a basement bathroom at 120 Wooster St. Smalls was arrested and charged with burglary in connection with the incident.
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×á ÛÝÜÓç ÔàÝÛ áÝãàÑÓá Ýãâá×ÒÓ ÝÔ âÖÓ ÑãáâÝÛÓà á ÑãààÓÜâ àÓÚÏâ×ÝÜáÖ×Þ å×âÖ ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ¶ÏÜÙ Â µ Ýà ×âá ÏûÚ×ÏâÓá (åÖ×ÑÖ ×ÜÑÚãÒÓá ÒÓÞÝá×â ÐàÝÙÓàÏÕÓ ÏÜÒ ÚÝÏÜ*ÑàÓÒ×â ÏÑÑÝãÜâá) ÄãÐÚ×Ñ ºãÜÒá ÏÜÒ ËÖÝÚÓáÏÚÓ ÏÑÑÝãÜâá ÏàÓ ÜÝâ ÓÚ×Õ×ÐÚÓ ÔÝà âÖ×á ÝøÓà µÄÍ ÏááãÛÓá ×ÜâÓàÓáâ àÓÛÏ×Üá ÝÜ ÒÓÞÝá×â ãÜâ×Ú ÛÏâãà×âç ½ÜâÓàÓáâ ×á ÑÝÛÞÝãÜÒÓÒ ÒÏ×Úç ÄÏçÛÓÜâ ÝÔ ×ÜâÓàÓáâ ÝÜ ·¸á ×á ÐÏáÓÒ ÝÜ âÓàÛ ºÝà âÓàÛá ÚÓáá âÖÏÜ _` ÛÝÜâÖá (adc ÒÏçá) ×ÜâÓàÓáâ ÛÏç ÐÓ ÞÏ×Ò ÛÝÜâÖÚç ßãÏàâÓàÚç áÓÛ×#ÏÜÜãÏÚÚç Ýà Ïâ ÛÏâãà×âç (âÖÓ ÓÜÒ ÝÔ âÖÓ âÓàÛ) ºÝà âÓàÛá ÝÔ _` ÛÝÜâÖá Ýà ÛÝàÓ ×ÜâÓàÓáâ ÛÏç ÐÓ ÞÏ×Ò ÛÝÜâÖÚç ßãÏàâÓàÚç áÓÛ×#ÏÜÜãÏÚÚç Ýà ÏÜÜãÏÚÚç µ ÞÓÜÏÚâç ÔÝà ÓÏàÚç å×âÖÒàÏåÏÚ å×ÚÚ ÐÓ ×ÛÞÝáÓÒ ÏÜÒ ÑÝãÚÒ àÓÒãÑÓ ÓÏàÜ×ÜÕá ÝÜ âÖ×á ÏÑÑÝãÜâ ÇÞÓÑ×ÏÚ ÆÏâÓá ÏàÓ ÏÞÞÚ×ÑÏÐÚÓ âÝ âÖÓ ×Ü×â×ÏÚ âÓàÛ ÝÔ âÖÓ ·¸ ÝÜÚç µâ ÛÏâãà×âç âÖÓ áÞÓÑ×ÏÚ àÏâÓ ·¸ å×ÚÚ ÏãâÝÛÏâ×ÑÏÚÚç àÓÜÓå ÔÝà Ï âÓàÛ ÝÔ d ÛÝÜâÖá Ïâ âÖÓ ×ÜâÓàÓáâ àÏâÓ ÏÜÒ µÄÍ ×Ü ÓøÓÑâ ÔÝà ·¸á ÝÜ àÓÜÓåÏÚ ÒÏâÓ ÜÝâ áãÐØÓÑâ âÝ Ï ÇÞÓÑ×ÏÚ ÆÏâÓ ãÜÚÓáá âÖÓ ¶ÏÜÙ ÖÏá ÜÝâ×ùÓÒ çÝã ÝâÖÓàå×áÓ _ ` ¸ãÓ âÝ âÖÓ ÜÓå ÛÝÜÓç àÓßã×àÓÛÓÜâ ÜÓå ÏÑÑÝãÜâá ÛÏç ÝÜÚç ÐÓ ÝÞÓÜÓÒ Ïâ çÝãà ÚÝÑÏÚ ÐàÏÜÑÖ ÏÜÒ çÝã Ûãáâ áÞÓÏÙ âÝ Ï ÐÏÜÙÓà âÝ àÓßãÓáâ âÖÓ áÞÓÑ×ÏÚ àÏâÓ ÝøÓàá ÔÝà ÐÝâÖ ÜÓå ÏÜÒ Óæ×áâ×ÜÕ ÏÑÑÝãÜâá ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ àÓáÓàäÓá âÖÓ à×ÕÖâ âÝ ÛÝÒ×Ôç Ýà Ò×áÑÝÜâ×ÜãÓ âÖÓ ÝøÓà Ïâ ÏÜç â×ÛÓ å×âÖÝãâ ÜÝâ×ÑÓ Á×Ü×ÛãÛ ÜÓå ÛÝÜÓç ÒÓÞÝá×â àÓßã×àÓÛÓÜâ ÝÔ Ïâ ÚÓÏáâ r`c ^^^ ×á ÔÝà âÖ×á ÝøÓà ÝÜÚç ÏÜÒ ÑÏÜÜÝâ ÐÓ âàÏÜáÔÓààÓÒ âÝ ÏÜÝâÖÓà ÏÑÑÝãÜâ âÝ ßãÏÚ×Ôç ÔÝà ÏÜç ÝâÖÓà ÑÝÜáãÛÓà ÒÓÞÝá×â ÝøÓà ½Ô çÝã å×áÖ âÝ âÏÙÓ ÏÒäÏÜâÏÕÓ ÝÔ ÏÜÝâÖÓà ÑÝÜáãÛÓà ÒÓÞÝá×â ÝøÓà àÓßã×à×ÜÕ Ï Û×Ü×ÛãÛ ÜÓå ÛÝÜÓç ÒÓÞÝá×â çÝã å×ÚÚ ÐÓ àÓßã×àÓÒ âÝ ÒÝ áÝ å×âÖ ÏÜÝâÖÓà ÜÓå ÛÝÜÓç ÒÓÞÝá×â Ïá áâÏâÓÒ ×Ü âÖÓ ÝøÓà àÓßã×àÓÛÓÜâá ÏÜÒ ßãÏÚ×ùÑÏâ×ÝÜá ÃøÓà ÑÏÜÜÝâ ÐÓ 0 ·ÝÛÐ×ÜÓÒ å×âÖ ÏÜç ÝâÖÓà ÑÝÜáãÛÓà ÒÓÞÝá×â ÝøÓà 0 ÆÓÞàÝÒãÑÓÒ ÞãàÑÖÏáÓÒ áÝÚÒ âàÏÜáÔÓààÓÒ Ýà âàÏÒÓÒ a ÈÖÓ ÄÝàâÔÝÚ×Ý Ðç ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ÞàÝÕàÏÛ ÖÏá Ï ra^ ÛÝÜâÖÚç áÓàä×ÑÓ ÔÓÓ åÖ×ÑÖ ÑÏÜ ÐÓ ÏäÝ×ÒÓÒ åÖÓÜ çÝã ÖÏäÓ ÝÜÓ ÝÔ âÖÓ ÔÝÚÚÝå×ÜÕ ßãÏÚ×Ôç×ÜÕ ÐÏÚÏÜÑÓá r`c ^^^ Ýà ÛÝàÓ ×Ü ßãÏÚ×Ôç×ÜÕ Ú×ÜÙÓÒ ÐÏÜÙ ÒÓÞÝá×â ÏÑÑÝãÜâá (ÑÖÓÑÙ×ÜÕ áÏä×ÜÕá ·¸á º¸½·#×ÜáãàÓÒ ½Æµá) Ýà rc^ ^^^ Ýà ÛÝàÓ ×Ü ÏÜç ÑÝÛÐ×ÜÏâ×ÝÜ ÝÔ ßãÏÚ×Ôç×ÜÕ Ú×ÜÙÓÒ ÐÏÜÙ×ÜÕ ÐàÝÙÓàÏÕÓ (ÏäÏ×ÚÏÐÚÓ âÖàÝãÕÖ ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ µÒä×áÝàá ÀÀ·) ÏÜÒ ÑàÓÒ×â ÐÏÚÏÜÑÓá (×ÜÑÚãÒ×ÜÕ _^° ÝÔ ÛÝàâÕÏÕÓ ÐÏÚÏÜÑÓá ÑÓàâÏ×Ü ÛÝàâÕÏÕÓá ÜÝâ ÓÚ×Õ×ÐÚÓ) ½Ô âÖÓ ÄÝàâÔÝÚ×Ý Ðç ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ àÓÚÏâ×ÝÜáÖ×Þ ×á âÓàÛ×ÜÏâÓÒ âÖÓ ÐÝÜãá ×ÜâÓàÓáâ àÏâÓ ÝÜ ÏÚÚ ÓÚ×Õ×ÐÚÓ áÏä×ÜÕá ÏÑÑÝãÜâá ÏÜÒ Ò×áÑÝãÜâá Ýà ÔÓÓ åÏ×äÓàá ÝÜ ÝâÖÓà ÞàÝÒãÑâá ÏÜÒ áÓàä×ÑÓá å×ÚÚ Ò×áÑÝÜâ×ÜãÓ ÏÜÒ àÓäÓàâ âÝ âÖÓ ¶ÏÜÙ á âÖÓÜ#ÑãààÓÜâ ÏÞÞÚ×ÑÏÐÚÓ áâÏÜÒÏàÒ ×ÜâÓàÓáâ àÏâÓ Ýà ÔÓÓ ºÝà ÐÝÜãá ×ÜâÓàÓáâ àÏâÓá ÝÜ â×ÛÓ ÏÑÑÝãÜâá âÖ×á ÑÖÏÜÕÓ å×ÚÚ ÝÑÑãà ãÞÝÜ àÓÜÓåÏÚ ½Ô âÖÓ ÄÝàâÔÝÚ×Ý Ðç ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ àÓÚÏâ×ÝÜáÖ×Þ ×á âÓàÛ×ÜÏâÓÒ âÖÓ àÓÛÏ×Ü×ÜÕ ãÜÚ×ÜÙÓÒ ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ÄÝàâÔÝÚ×Ý ·ÖÓÑÙ×ÜÕ Ýà ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ Äà×ÛÓ ·ÖÓÑÙ×ÜÕ ÏÑÑÝãÜâ å×ÚÚ ÐÓ ÑÝÜäÓàâÓÒ âÝ ÏÜÝâÖÓà ÑÖÓÑÙ×ÜÕ ÞàÝÒãÑâ Ýà ÑÚÝáÓÒ \ `^_g ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ¶ÏÜÙ Â µ µÚÚ à×ÕÖâá àÓáÓàäÓÒ ¸ÓÞÝá×â ÞàÝÒãÑâá ÝøÓàÓÒ Ðç ËÓÚÚá ºÏàÕÝ ¶ÏÜÙ Â µ ÁÓÛÐÓà º¸½·
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JULY 25-31,2019
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A MOTHER’S PLEA VIEWPOINT A year after Australian cyclist Madison Jane Lyden was killed on CPW, her family calls for action to prevent further deaths BY AMANDA BERRY
It’s been almost a year since we lost our daughter, Madison Jane Lyden. She was smart, adventurous and beautiful. She was hit and killed while riding her bicycle along Central Park West last August. On that day, she was forced into traffic because a livery cab was blocking the bike lane — the space that was supposed to be safe for our daughter. She was forced to swerve into traffic to avoid the cab. An inebriated garbage truck driver ran her over from behind after she had safely and legally merged into the traffic lane. Madison was 23-years-old, and was supposed to be on the trip of a lifetime. She had traveled from Australia to the Philippines, Japan to the United States and was so excited to experience the magic of New York City in the summertime. Madison’s trip was to conclude in Bali. Sadly, she never made it. It is impossible to convey the feeling of losing a child. Each time I hear mention of NYC, it feels like a knife going through my heart.
A “ghost bike” memorial was dedicated to Madison Jane Lyden last year, at the site of her death on CPW. Photo: Michael Garofalo
The Comfort of Strangers Last year, the local community came out in solidarity with Madison, and created a beautiful monument to her memory at the site where she was killed. It was deeply moving to see so many strangers come together and let us know she wouldn’t be forgotten. We also initially found some relief in knowing that local elected officials had called on Mayor de Blasio to create a truly safe space for cyclists along the corridor where Madison was killed, so that no other family would have to endure what we lost last summer. A couple of weeks ago, New York City’s local government received community endorsement for the safety redesign of Central Park West. We are so happy this has finally happened, to keep cyclists from harm’s way or worse .... death
DEMAND JUSTICE Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy or by authority figures at school have rights. NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LAW HAVE EXTENDED THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH TO FILE YOUR SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM. ACT NOW TO GET YOUR CLAIM TIMELY FILED.
CLERGY ABUSE ATTORNEY HOTLINE 800-444-9112 ATTORNEY ADVERTISING DOUGLAS & LONDON, P.C. 59 MAIDEN LN, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10038 THE MATTHEWS LAW FIRM, PLLC, 244 5TH AVENUE, SUITE 2882, NY, NY 10001 MAIN OFFICE: 2905 SACKETT STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77098
The author with her daughter in February 2018. Photo: Courtesy of Amanda Berry
One year after Madison’s death, we cannot believe the city has not yet implemented these changes. No improvements have been made to Central Park West this year, and with peak tourist and bicyclist season now here, far too many people remain unacceptably endangered on New York City streets.
Act Now, Mayor de Blasio We know there is a plan to make Central Park West safer, and we encourage its implementation as soon as possible. These are common sense changes that would have kept our daughter safe. I know 400 parking spaces is a loss
to the community, but is a car park worth a life? A bike lane that was fully separated from moving traffic would have kept Madison safe. We have been watching from afar, with great sadness, as the number of bicyclists killed in New York City this year has increased dramatically. So much more can and hopefully now will be done to prevent this. We can’t wait for another tragedy to act. As we approach the first anniversary of Madison’s death, we are hoping the mayor of New York City will prioritize implementing these changes immediately, and make
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If you have information regarding alleged abuse
Central Park West safer for the hundreds of thousands of people who, like Madison, use that street to visit Central Park every year. Hard as it might be, we will travel from Australia to spend time in August at the site where my beautiful baby left this life. Please Mr. Mayor, we beg of you, don’t let us see Central Park West in the same dangerous condition that led to Madison’s death. Seeing where Maddy was killed will be torture enough for us. Please let us see that life-saving changes have been made.
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OUR LOCAL HISTORY CREATES A GLOBAL IMPACT JUL 28â&#x20AC;&#x201C;AUG 31
harlemweek.com | 1-212-862-8477
JULY 25-31,2019
JULY 25-31,2019
7
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
FROM SUNDAY, JULY 28 TO SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
WELCOME TO HARLEM WEEK 2019 Now in its 45th year, HARLEM WEEK celebrates all the history and culture that makes Harlem unique. Running from July 28 to August 31 and with over 100 events, ranging from the Harlem Jazz & Music Festival (August 24 to August 31) to Harlem Restaurant Week (August 19 to September 1), there is something for everyone. This year’s theme — Our Local History Creates a Global Impact — recognizes the very special impact this incredible neighborhood has had on the rest of the world in everything from music and literature to activism and food. For the full calendar of events, check out www.harlemweek.com. Highlights include:
A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM
“SUMMER IN THE CITY”
HARLEM DAY
SUNDAY, JULY 28
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18
U.S. Grant National Memorial Park (Riverside Dr. b/w W. 120th St. & W. 124th St.)
Uptown Saturday Concert 12–9pm W. 135th St. b/w St. Nicholas Park & Malcolm X Blvd.
W. 135th St. b/w St. Nicholas Ave. & 5th Ave.
Higher Education Fair & Expo W. 135th St. b/w ACP, Jr. Blvd. & Malcolm X Blvd.
Upper Manhattan Auto Show
International Cultural Showcase Regional Gospel Caravan Fashion Fusion “A Concert Under the Stars” Harlem Music Festival
1–3pm 3–4:15pm
4:30–5:30pm 6–8:30pm
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DAY THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 Columbia University (Broadway b/w 114th St. & 116th St.) Business Summit
9:30–11:30am
Health Summit
9:30–11:30am
Public & Private Sector Business Expo
10am–3pm
Outdoor Farmers Market
10am–5pm
Basil Paterson Business Awards Luncheon Technology Meet-Up Summit
12–2pm 3–5pm
12–5pm
Dancing in the Streets | HAA Artz 12–6pm Rootz & Rhythm | Fashion Flava | Memphis/Harlem Artists St. Nicholas Ave. Stage (W. 135th St. b/w St. Nicholas Park & 5th Ave.) NYC Children’s Festival Part I 12–5pm W. 135th St. b/w Malcolm X Blvd. & 5th Ave. Harlem “Spelling Bee” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
3–5pm
Memphis/Harlem Artists | 6–9pm ImageNation Film Festival Screening of If Beale Street Could Talk St. Nicholas Park Great Lawn (W. 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave.)
Parade of Automobiles
9–10am 10am–4pm
Business Expo
12–6pm
Health Village
12–6pm
12–7pm Sundae Sermon | Apollo Amateur Hour | HAA Artz Rootz & Rhythm | Concert featuring Ray Chew & The Crew St. Nicholas Ave. Stage (W. 135th St. b/w St. Nicholas Park & 5th Ave.) Back to School Fashion Show | Taste of Broadway YMCA Stage (W. 135th St. b/w ACP, Jr. Blvd. & Malcolm X Blvd.)
12–7pm
Tribute to Cal Ramsey | Auto Show Awards | NYC Children’s Festival Part II | Memphis/Harlem Artists W. 135th St. b/w Malcolm X Blvd. & 5th Ave.
12–7pm
HARLEM RESTAURANT WEEK AUG 19–SEP 1 With Harlem’s unique diversity and thriving restaurant scene, there is no better place to try the full flavors New York has to offer. Try the best of Cuban, Caribbean, Southern, Dominican, and European cuisine. Visit harlemrestaurantweek.com for more info.
8
JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Voices UES SENIOR HOUSING BOOM Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to
otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Senior power — Manhattan may be a mecca for the millennial class but they are getting competition from their elders. Senior residences abound in the borough and more are coming. The six low-rise buildings on York Avenue between 85th and 86th Streets, when demolished, will be replaced by a 14-story senior assisted
living facility. Inspir, a 23-story combination independent and assisted living senior residence, opens next year on Second Avenue between 93rd and 94th Streets. And word is that a senior residence will be built at the northwest corner of East 56th Street and Lexington Avenue. While millennials tend to be transitory in their home base, seniors stay. Seniors vote and may need accommodation in registering and/or having access to polling places. Politicians, public officials, and the powers-that-be at
senior residences please take notice and do something about it. NY needs voters. See, but don’t believe — that the Bus Arrival clock at Lexington Avenue and 88th/89th will give you arrival times, or that you can get wine at Bread and Wine cafe several blocks up the avenue. The arrival clock hasn’t worked since its arrival, and I doubt it ever will. The cafe arrived several weeks ago and is waiting for its license. My guess is that the wine license will arrive but that time will
never tell at the bus stop. Just saying. Reader readbacks — By the time this item appears, the world knows that Dean and DeLuca is closing several, if not all, of its locations. However, reader Barbara Lowenstein emailed in early July that she and neighbors were shocked that the 85th and Madison Avenue store had just closed without any sign or notice that it was closing. Reader Sami Tanner wants to know if the Yours Truly coffee shop
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SOME DOGS ALLOWED I work in food retail on the Upper West Side. And if you believe dog owners, every single dog on the Upper West Side is a “service” animal or emotional support animal. This bald-faced lying would be amusing were it not for the fact that it adversely affects those with bona fide service animals. Under current ADA law, only trained service animals are permitted in food establishments. And owners and staff are only permitted to ask two questions: is your animal a service animal, and what task(s) is it trained to perform. You can often tell when someone is lying because they will tell you that you are not permitted to ask anything beyond whether it is a service animal; owners of bona fide service animals know the two questions, and do not get defensive when the second one is asked. You can also tell because many owners will offer to show you the “registration” or “certificate” for their dog — something owners of bona fide service animals would never do. This is because the liars
take advantage of the numerous organizations that offer bogus registrations and certifications (as well as “service animal” gear) that look quite authentic. That said, I have always felt that emotional support animals should be treated like service animals. However, before that happens, there are three things that need to occur. First, there needs to be a way to certify that an animal is, in fact, an emotional support animal — beyond a simple letter from a doctor or vet, which are also often bogus or contrived. This of course means having some sort of bureaucracy or organization authorized by the EEOC (or expanding the EEOC). Second, the EEOC (and law enforcement agencies, if appropriate) must crack down on companies and organizations that offer bogus registrations, certifications and “service animal” gear. It also means the EEOC needs to issue a single, easily identifiable registration card for all owners of bona fide service (and, eventually, emotional support) animals. Third, owners and staff of food establishments need to be able to ask to see
Roxie, a Rottweiler mix, serves as an emotional support animal for her owner, Faith Marnecheck. Photo: Fait Marnecheck
that card (which would obviate the need to ask the other two questions at all). Ian Alterman Upper West Side
SPONSORSHIPS FOR SUBWAY ELEVATORS There are solutions to the ongoing lawsuits against MTA for the lack of
sufficient accessible subway stations for riders with disabilities. Here are ways to obtain financial support to pay for accelerating the number of subway stations to reach compliance with the Americans Disabilities Act. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority receives $1.4 billion in annual assistance from various Federal Transit Administration formula
on Third Avenue near 89th Street is in or out of business? It hasn’t been open for about two or three weeks, yet looks like its staying. Reader Marcelle M. responded to the item about the late-night noise kerfuffle between The Beekman coop and Vaucluse, its restaurant tenant. Ms. M wants to know if “you need a special permit for a music club as opposed to a restaurant?” My question — are there “noise” level and “hours” requirements when there’s music in a restaurant or a club?
funding grant programs. The MTA based upon the courts will have to update their ADA Key Stations Compliance Plan with FTA. This is currently in place and approved by the FTA Washington Headquarters Office of Civil Rights. Without an approved plan in place, it is difficult for the FTA to approve any new grant funding. The upcoming MTA $30 to $50 billion 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan will probably have to program up to a billion more for New York City Transit to dramatically increase the number of additional subway stations reaching full ADA compliance. Why not ask any major business, college or hospital that benefits from adjacent subway stations to sponsor the installation of elevators. Let them split the cost 50 percent with the MTA NYC Transit in exchange for naming rights to the elevators. The MTA may have to make some difficult decisions as to what other projects and programs may have to be canceled or reduced in the next $30 billion or more MTA 2020 — 2024 Five Year Capital Plan to find additional funding for installation of ADA compliant elevators at more subway stations. Larry Penner Great Neck, NY
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JULY 25-31,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team is expected to appeal a federal judge’s decision to deny bail BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
A New York federal judge denied bail last week for Jeffrey Epstein, who is facing charges of sex-trafficking in Manhattan, saying he doubted any bail proposal from the defense could overcome the serious danger Epstein poses to the community. “The government application for continued remand is hereby granted,” U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman said at the start of the July 18 hearing. The defense had proposed Epstein be released and confined to his $77 million Upper East Side mansion, but Berman said in his 33page written decision that “Epstein’s past sexual conduct is not likely to have been abated” and that he feared for the safety of past and prospective victims. “Mr. Epstein’s alleged excessive attraction to sexual conduct with or in the presence of minor girls — which is said to include his soliciting and receiving massages from young girls and young women perhaps as many as four times a day — appears likely to be uncontrollable,” Berman wrote. Epstein’s legal team filed an appeal to Berman’s decision on Monday, July 22. According to charges in a federal indictment, Epstein, 66, “sexually abused dozens of minor girls at his homes” in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla. The document details allegations that Epstein used some of the victims to recruit other girls, paying these recruiters several hundred dollars for each girl they brought him. Epstein, wearing a navy blue jumpsuit, walked into the packed court room Thursday with his legal team without showing much expression on his face. He sat looking straight ahead as Berman announced that Epstein would be denied bail.
Missing Check-Ins When deciding on the bail proposal, Berman said he considered the “poignant” testimony of two women — Annie Farmer and Courtney Wild — who, in a hearing earlier last week, said Epstein had abused them. In tandem with their testimony, he cited that Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein (date unknown). Photo from the Florida Sex Offender Registry
had missed required sex offender check-ins and pointed to “sexually explicit photos” of what appeared to be underage girls that were recovered from Epstein’s home after his July 6 arrest in New Jersey. Additionally, Berman agreed with prosecutors that Epstein’s wealth and resources — including private planes and residences in Paris and the Caribbean — made him a flight risk. Investigators also found $70,000 in cash, dozens of diamonds and an expired Austria passport that used Epstein’s photo but a different name. Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is being held in Metropolitan Correctional Center. If convicted, Epstein will face 45 years in prison. He previously spent 13 months in the Palm Beach County Jail after making a secret — and subsequently controversial — deal with Miami federal prosecutors, led by Alexander Acosta, then the U.S. Attorney for Miami, to plead guilty to two charges of prostitution. During his time in jail, Epstein was allowed to leave the jail for 12 hours a day, six days a week to work.
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NEIGHBORHOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST To place an ad in this directory, Call Douglas at 212-868-0190 ext. 352.
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The New School - Glass Box Theater 55 West 13th St 8:30 pm - $20 Founded by composerperformer John Zorn, the Stone at The New School serves as an artist-centric home and community for experimental and avant-garde artists, where they can perform what they want without any interference. thestonenyc.com 212-229-5600
South Street Seaport Museum Pier 16 1:30 pm - $35 Visit the museum, a cultural institution dedicated to telling the story of the rise of New York as a port city and its critical role in the development of the United States, and travel on the W.O. Decker, one of the last steam-powered, wooden tugs built in New York southstreetseaportmuseum. org 212-748-8600
Esplanade Plaze 8:00 am - Free Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the river provide a serene background for the ancient ďŹ&#x201A;owing postures. bpcparks.org 212-267-9700
JULY 25-31,2019
11
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
We Shall Overcome: Steve Schapiro on James Baldwin
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST, 7PM McNally Jackson | 52 Prince St. | 212-274-1160 | mcnallyjackson.com The texture of the civil rights as illuminated in James Baldwin’s 1963 The Fire Next Time gain an additional dimension in a new letterpress edition illustrated with Steve Schapiro’s period photographs. Hear from Schapiro as he looks back at a still-crucial era (free).
▲
Sun 28
WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION 2019 10 Corso Como 1 Fulton St 12:00 pm - Free Visit the World Press Photo Exhibition 2019 on its world-wide tour showcasing the stories that matter with photography from the 62nd annual World Press Photo contest. worldpressphoto.org 212-265-9500
Mon 29
Celine Santini: Kintsugi, Finding Strength in Imperfection
FOR FAMILIES: PICTURING PRIDE
The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com
Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Ave. 11:00 am – Free with admission Explore photographs by Fred W. McDarrah to discover stories of life during the tumultuous 1960s into the dawn of the 1970s. Then make your own accordion booklet to store your own photo memories. mcny.org 917-492-3371
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST, 7:30PM Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold. Hear from Céline Santini as she explains how the inspiration of kintsugi can help people today embrace adversity, heal wounds, and improve resilience ($15 gift card purchase or $16.99 signed book).
Just Announced | Inaugural International Lou Reed Tai Chi Day
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 8PM Brooklyn Cent. Library | 10 Grand Army Pl. | 718-230-2100 | bklynlibrary.org Celebrate Lou Reed in the borough of his birth. Reed’s longtime Tai Chi teacher Ren Guang Yi gives demonstrations, joined by teachers representing a range of disciplines. In the evening, Prospect Park holds an event that includes a live performance of Reed’s drone music (free).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
Tue 30
▲
AUSCHWITZ: NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY
BEN FOLDS: A DREAM ABOUT LIGHTNING BUGS (WITH SARAH BAREILLES)
The Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Place 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, $16 - 25 This groundbreaking exhibition brings together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums around the world. mjhnyc.org 646-437-4202
Wed 31
Strand Books at Cooper Union 30 Cooper Sq, Great Hall 7:00 pm - $20 Ben Folds, singer-songwriter beloved for songs such as “Brick,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” and “The Luckiest,” former frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, shares his brand-new story of growing up and into his voice with fellow singer-songwriter Sarah Bareilles. strandbooks.com 212-473-1452
12
JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
A SUPER SUMMER AT LINCOLN CENTER This year’s Out of Doors lineup of free performances and events has something for everyone BY MARY GREGORY
Get out your calendars and markers, digital or analog. Lincoln Center Out of Doors starts its season on July 24th and runs till August 11th. It’s free, fun, multicultural, multi-genre, multidiscipline, and, like the city that hosts it, smart and sophisticated. Music, art, dance, spoken word, and film will fill the stage at Damrosch Park and places around Lincoln Center’s campus with events for audiences of all ages and interests.
Padron Carlito, part of the Caribbean Cultural Center’s presentation. Photo: Eduardo Perez anecdotephoto
Start with Some Soul An appearance of the Black History Mobile Museum at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center on July 24th opens the season. That evening, Damrosch Park’s stage presents a celebration of Soul, commemorating the festival’s early years, when acts like The Pointer Sisters, Billy Preston and Ike and Tina Turner headlined. This sea-
La Santa Cecilia. Photo: Courtesy Lincoln Center
son, “Soul at the Center” features The Illustrious Blacks, Baby Rose, The Last Poets, Roosevelt André Credit and the Lappelle Choir, along with Lalah Hathaway, daughter of Donny Hathaway, premiering a set of her father’s classic songs.
Sri Lankan Dance Academy. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
“Coco” and Wilco What could be better than an under-the-stars screening of Pixar’s film, “Coco,” except if it follows a concert by Grammy-award winning Latin fusion band, La Santa Cecilia? That happens on July 25th. Wilco front man, Jeff Tweedy, and experimental jazz cellist, Helen Gillet, follow. The list gets more tempting and eclectic as it goes on. “Turning the Tables,” in partnership with NPR Music, highlights under-recognized women performers and authors in “The Motherlode.” It’ll include music composed and performed by women as well as readings by Sonia Sanchez and Angela Davis. On July 26th and 27th, “Shine a Light” transforms Lincoln Center outdoors with illuminated puppetry.
Sri Lankan Dance and David Crosby Evenings of stand-up comedy; Sri Lankan dance; South Asian–American hip-hop, tap, rap and R&B; AfricaOkay’s Adekunle Gold & the 79th Element in their New York debut; and a family fun day at Hearst Plaza around the fountain promise something for just about everyone. The season concludes with the Roots of American Music Weekend. “Americanafest NYC” fills two evenings, one featuring Patty Griffin and Yola, the other bringing Anaïs Mitchell and David Crosby and friends. The full list, much more extensive than discussed here, with info and times, are on the Lincoln Center Out of Doors website. The entertainment is free, and like the song says, at night it’s a different world.
Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Photo: Kevin Yatarola
David Crosby. Photo: Anjali Ramnandanlall
The local paper for Downtown own
SPECIAL REPORT 2019
SENIOR LIVING
THE AGING BRAIN FINANCES AND FRAUD HOMES AWAY FROM HOME 10 QUESTIONS FOR SENIORS
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JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
10 QUESTIONS FOR SAVVY SENIORS BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
Life is a marathon, so as long as you’re in the running, it pays to stay fit from head to toe. Here are some answers to questions arising along the way.
1
WHY DOESN’T MY FOOD TASTE AS GOOD AS IT USED TO?
The problem’s not your sense of taste says Charles J. Wysocki, a neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. It’s your sense of smell. Here’s his proof as reported on Webmd.com: Hold your nose closed, and pop a few jelly beans in your mouth. Taste buds on your tongue which recognize sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory), will announce “sweet.” But actual flavor chemicals come in through your mouth and escape from your nose where they are decoded. In other words, you have to open your nose to tell if the jelly beans are cherry or lemon or lime. With age you lose receptors that do the job, your sense of smell decreases and food may not “taste” the same. The tradeoff? Irritating stuff like horseradish and hot peppers may not be as irritating. Bring on the chili.
2
WHY IS ONE DRINK SUDDENLY AS POTENT AS THREE ONCE WERE? Alcohol is metabolized primarily in the liver which grows bigger but less efficient with age, says Gary Murray of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In addition, your body makes less alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. The result, in Murray’s words: “A bit bigger buzz.” Possible solution? One and done. PS: because many drugs are metabolized by the liver, this is also one reason why your new prescription may be a lower dose than your old one.
3
4 5
SHOULD I ADOPT A DOG?
If you live alone, caring for a living breathing creature in the house makes life more pleasant. Can’t walk a dog or just don’t want to? Get a cat, a creature who manages her own personal business. Or choose an aquarium-size school of fish. They’re also alive, and, like music, watching the tank is known to soothe even the
SHOULD I BE EMBARRASSED THAT MY 10-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER HAS TO SHOW ME HOW TO USE THE SPLIT SCREEN ON MY COMPUTER? Not if you decide to check your local Public Library branch for one of NYPL’s free TechConnect programs ranging from oneon-one sessions for true newbies to actually learning how to code. Ace-ing that last one ougthta show them young’uns.
WHY DO I NEED TO EXERCISE? The National Council on Aging says that regular exercise, even something as plain and simple as a brisk half hour walk each day, will strengthen your bones, reduce the risk of falls and maybe even smooth out the occasional emotional turmoil which exercise seems to exorcise.
most savage breast. Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the Humane Society of New York says HSNY experts will work with you to determine exactly which adorable adoptable cat or dog best fits you and your lifestyle. As for fish, select from full color pictures on PetCo’s website (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/ petcostore/category/fish/live-fish) and pick them up at your local store. Woof. Meow. Swish.
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WHERE DID I PICK UP FIVE EXTRA POUNDS? As you age, your metabolism slows, your body loses muscle mass, and you add fatty tissue, so even if your calorie intake stays the same, you’re likely to pick up pounds and find it hard to lose them. One remedy: Step up your activity to increase your muscle mass because muscle
burns calories more efficiently than fat. Be aware, though, that a few extra pounds cushion bones and while the top “healthy” Body Mass Index (BMI) is set at 24, several studies here and abroad suggest that adults older than 50 who hold their weight steady at a “moderately overweight” BMI 27 tend to live longer than those who periodically lose or gain weight. What does BMI 27 look like? This: A person 5’3”tall/153 pounds or a person 6’1” tall/205 pounds. Find where you fit by calculating your own BMI at https://www.nhlbi. nih.gov/health/educational/ lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
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Health issues: What you need to know about food, drink, exercise and facelifts
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DO I NEED TO TAKE VITAMINS EVERY DAY?
Falls are not inevitable at any age, but The National Council on Aging says they are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. That being true, if you live alone, an alert thingee is a smart idea. After all, who wants to lie on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor yelling for help that may take its time in coming when you can reach someone just by pushing a button. To choose a system, check Consumer Reportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s detailed report at https://www.consumerreports.org/medicalalert-systems/how-to-choose-a-medical-alert-system/
Maybe. Maybe not. Vitamins and minerals may be natural, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also medicines with specific health effects. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a vitamin deďŹ ciency disease such as scurvy (not enough Vitamin C), yes, you need your vitamins. But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re healthy and your varied diet provides the nutrients you need, taking more than you need may be problematic. For example, B vitamins are water soluble so any excess should be flushed away in your urine, but megadoses may trigger adverse effects ranging from skin rashes to muscle cramps and an irregular heartbeat. As for the often-recommended calcium and vitamin D, a mega-study in China with data from 33 different trials enrolling more than 50,000 patients showed no evidence that the combination could reduce the risk of broken bones but high doses of calcium may increase the risk of kidney stones and even low doses can bind with and inactivate certain antibiotics such as tetracycline. In short, check with your doctor before checking into the Health Food store.
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NYC VS. NY STATE: HOW SENIORS COMPARE A look at some key health data about coverage, community and mood SOURCE: UNITED HEALTH FOUNDATION & NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
In NYC 21% of older adults live below the federal poverty line
ADULTS AGED 65+ LIVING IN NYC ARE LESS LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION
In NY State %
12.2 In NY
In NYC %
9.0
State
11.4% of seniors live at or below the poverty line
In NY State
In NYC SENIORS IN NY STATE RECEIVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT
FEWER ADULTS 65+ IN NYC DRINK EXCESSIVELY vs.
NYC
3.0%
NY State
Each adult aged 60+ in poverty gets
994
$
94%
97%
8.1% Seniors 65+ have 1+ people they consider their doctor or health care provider
Seniors 65+ are covered by some form of health insurance
on average
Communities can support senior health by increasing physical safety while reducing the risk of injury Dying from pedestrian injuries is more common for seniors than any other age group in NYC.
GRAPHICS: NICK FAULHABER
JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Who Says You Can’t Remain Informed, Engaged, and Inspired? The NYU School of Professional Studies offers a wide array of nondegree courses that many older adults will find of interest in their desire to continue the lifelong learning process. From remaining current on world politics; to exploring art, great literature, theatre, and history; to gaining the skills to write a short story or your memoir, you will find a wealth of options from which to choose. Courses are taught by experts in their respective fields, who guide you through the content, while encouraging lively classroom discussion. You’ll meet and mingle with classmates who share your interests in a supportive and stimulating learning environment. Reduced Rates for Older Adults The NYU School of Professional Studies offers many courses to older adults at reduced rates. If you are 65 years of age or older, you can receive a 25 percent discount on most non-degree courses, except where otherwise indicated.
To Register: Online: If you have previously taken a course at NYUSPS, visit our website sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways, locate the course in which you are interested, click on it, and follow the prompts for registration. If you have NEVER taken a course at NYUSPS, visit sps.nyu.edu/login and create a noncredit portal account. Then, register for the course following the directions above. You will need to provide your proof of age at a future time. By Phone: Call 212-998-7150, register and ask for the older adult discount. Mon.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. You will need to provide your proof of age at a future time. In Person: Visit the Office of Noncredit Student Services at 7 East 12th Street. Mon.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. You can provide your proof of age onsite. Please note: Offices are closed on Sunday. Phone and in-person registration are not available.
New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2019 NYU School of Professional Studies.
List of Courses GLOBAL AFFAIRS Daytime Courses A Holistic Look at Iran: Economics, Religion, Politics, and More Cuba After Fidel: Economic Reform, Political Liberalization, and Foreign Relations First Principles of Globalization: Stress Testing the Logic, Goals & Outcomes of the Post-War World Fresh Water – A Challenge for the 21st Century Global Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership and Governance: Populism, Pluralism and Everything in Between Strategic Snapshots: The Global Response to Trump Foreign Policy The US, EU, and UK: International Relations, Foreign Policy, Trump, and Brexit World Politics: America and the New World Order taught by Ralph Buultjens Weekend Courses Decision-Making in Foreign Affairs Emerging Economies in the International Financial System The Global Financial System: Understanding Data and News HUMANITIES Daytime Courses A New World: Art and Literature in the Hudson Valley Comparative Religion: From Christianity to Confucianism Contemporary Photography: From Richard Avedon to Ai Weiwei Dancing to the Music of Time The Novels of Anthony Powell Developing Connoisseurship: Learning to Look Dictatorship and Its Discontents Through the Lens of Latin American Literature England’s Bath: Three Centuries of Scandals and Celebrities From Page to Stage: Great Irish Playwrights of the 20th Century From Russia with Love? The Mueller Investigation and the Transformation of American Politics Global Hotspots Through Foreign Film Images of Women: From Edith Wharton to Jhumpa Lahiri Introduction to Drawing Islamic Art History NYUSPS Curated Lectures Masterpieces of 19th-Century Fiction Mozart: The Man and the Music Novels with a Social Conscience: From Orwell to Baldwin Satirical Political Musicals: Brecht/Weill to Kotis/Hollmann Shakespeare: King Lear and Twelfth Night Sites of Seduction: Death in Venice and its Ancient Greek Inspiration The Italian Response to the Holocaust Themes in Early New York City Cultural History The Met Revisited: Exploring the Untold Stories of New York’s Greatest Museum Travel Accounts from Tudor England US Religion and Politics Vienna 1900: Artistic Modernism and the Austro-Hungarian Empire Women Artists from the Renaissance to the 21st Century Women in the Ancient Near East Writing Midlife and Beyond
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
AGING IN PLACE: A RESOURCE GUIDE A look at learning centers, programs for seniors, housing, transportation and disability services BY MARGARET BARNSLEY
LEARNING Pace University’s Active Retirement Center (PARC) Designed for individuals 55 years or older, PARC offers senior citizens the opportunity to attend “innovative programs, dynamic lectures, and exciting social functions.” A membership fee of $100 includes access to the Coffee & Culture lecture series, the summer 2019 movies series, the use of Pace University’s downtown campus library and computer lab, and intergenerational technology assistance. Admissions are rolling. www.pace.edu/PARC 212-346-1244
Marlene Meyerson JCC The JCC offers the 60+ community programs that include “discussion groups + learning, recreation, creative arts, outings + trips,
computer learning opportunities, health, wellness + support, and Wise Aging.” Program liaisons will “assist you in tailoring your JCC experience to meet your personal goals and interests, and provide you with new and exciting opportunities.” https://www.jccmanhattan.org/ communities/60-plus/ 646-505-4412
Council Lifetime Learning A community service project of the National Council of Jewish Women New York (NCJW NY), Council Lifetime Learning offers members an array of programming including art and performing arts classes, exercise classes, discussion groups, and healthy living workshops. www.ncjwny.org/event/summer-2019-cllclasses/
Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s disease? The T2 Protect AD is a national research study testing whether an investigational drug can protect against, slow, or improve memory and thinking problems in people with Alzheimer’s. The T2 study is happening at clinical sites across the New York Metro area. To learn more, call the national coordinating center: 1-833-382-7883 (toll free) www.T2Protect.org T2study@ucsd.edu
JASA senior center members at Penn South participating in the AileyDance for Active Seniors program, part of Ailey’s Arts In Education program. Photo courtesy of JASA
SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES JASA (Jewish Association Serving the Aging) JASA, one of New York’s largest nonprofits for older adults, works to serve seniors across New York by providing “lifesustaining social services.” JASA’s 22 senior centers across the city host events such as lectures, college-level courses and advocacy training. JASA’s senior center at Penn South in Manhattan recently hosted 12 weeks of dance provided by instructors with the AileyDance for Active Seniors program. JASA offered members the opportunity to learn about the legacy of Alvin Ailey while experiencing, first-hand, his iconic choreography from dances such as “Revelations.” www.jasa.org 212.273.5200
SAGE NYC (Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders) SAGE works to support and advocate for LGBT seniors. Their Manhattan centers, located in Harlem and Midtown, offer programs including daily cultural and social events, free or low-cost meals, support groups, as well as health, financial, and social services. They also have special programs geared towards providing support for elders who are veterans and those living with HIV/AIDS. www.sagenyc.org 212-741-2247
92Y Himan Brown Senior Program Members of the Himan Brown Program gain access to a number of weekly classes with topics including “fitness, bridge and chess instruction, art, music, literature, writing, technology, dance, drama and current events, as well as discussion groups and language conversation circles.” Members also enjoy discounted tickets to 92Y events. Annual membership is $700. www.92y.org/himan-brown 212-415-5633
DOROT The nonprofit organization DOROT, whose goal is to “alleviate social isolation and provide concrete services to older adults,” offers many programs available to New York elders. These include delivered meals, transportation, transitional housing, visits from volunteers, as well as weekly classes and events. The organization places a particular emphasis on intergenerational connection. www.dorotusa.org 212–769–2850
Fresh Food for Seniors As part of a program initiated by Gale Brewer, the Manhattan borough president, seniors can receive a bag of local fresh fruits and vegetables for only $8. Every two weeks, seniors can purchase and pick up their bag at a participating senior center or Speaker Corey Johnson’s office. www.manhattanbp.nyc.gov/issues/seniorfood-program 212-564-7757
JULY 25-31,2019
TRANSPORTATION
HOUSING Access-A-Ride (AAR) A ride-sharing service for disabled New Yorkers, Access-A-Ride provides door-todoor service as well as trips to and from NYC subway or bus stops. AAR operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. http://web.mta.info/nyct/paratran/guide.htm 877-337-2017
Reduced Fare MetroCard Senior citizens over 65 and people with (qualifying) disabilities can apply for a reduced fare MetroCard and ride NYC subways and buses at half price. https://new.mta.info/fares-and-tolls/subwaybus-and-staten-island-railway/reduced-faremetrocard 718-330-1234
Accessible Dispatch If Uber and Access-A-Ride had a baby, it would be Accessible Dispatch. Either call, book online, or download the app to request a ride and Accessible Dispatch will instantly connect you to the nearest accessible taxi. Now available in all five boroughs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. www.accessibledispatch.org/ 646-599-9999
Parking Permits for People with Disabilities (PPPD)
Accessible Dispatch will connect you to the nearest accessible taxi via phone, online or app. Photo courtesy of Accessible Dispatch
People with disabilities can apply for a permit to enjoy special parking privileges, such as being able to park in any metered parking space free of charge as well as any “No Parking” space regardless of hours. www.nyc.gov/pppdinfo
DISABILITY SERVICES Visions — Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
www.nyc.gov/POH/311
Home Sharing A program of the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, Home Sharing matches older New Yorkers (60+) with housemates. When matched, both people “benefit from reduced housing costs and the possibility of companionship to offset the isolation and loneliness experienced by many living alone.” www.nyfsc.org/home-sharing 212-962-7559
Project Open House Project Open House works to serve disabled New Yorkers by removing architectural barriers in their homes. Services include widening doorways, converting steps to ramps and installing accessible fixtures. To see if you’re eligible and apply, visit their website.
Emotional Support Animals in Housing Disabled New Yorkers with emotional support animals to accommodate those disabilities can live with their animals despite building pet policy. Housing providers cannot discriminate on the basis of disability and must allow support animals. Visit the website below to see the NYC Commission on Human Rights’ fact sheet on the issue. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ cchr/downloads/pdf/materials/ EmotionalSupportAnimals_Housing_ FactSheet.pdf 718-722-3131
HEALTH GetCoveredNYC GetCoveredNYC assists New Yorkers in person, in their language, and for free, in enrolling in health care coverage that is right for them. www.nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC 311
Service Program for Older People (SPOP) SPOP is an organization dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of elders. Their services include counseling, bereavement support, substance abuse support, and therapy for caregivers. Counseling is provided inhome for those with disabilities and offered in multiple languages. www.spop.org
212-787-7120 302 West 91st St., New York, NY 10024
Alzheimer’s Association — NYC Chapter The Alzheimer’s Association is a health organization dedicated to eliminating Alzheimer’s through research, caring for those with the disease and reducing the risk of dementia by promoting brain health. Their NYC chapter hosts support groups and free workshops for people with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers and families. www.alz.org/nyc Chapter Phone Number: 646-418-4466 Helpline: 800-272-3900
LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Visions is a nonprofit that “helps individuals who are blind or experience vision loss.” Their senior center offers social services, such as support groups and workshops, and health and wellness programming, including a book club, hot meals and computer classes. www.visionsvcb.org 212-625-1616
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
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Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) — Elderly Project Designed to serve low-income New Yorkers 60 and older, VOLS’ Elderly Project provides pro-bono legal service. Their services include “direct counseling on critical issues involving housing, government benefits,
The Lighthouse Guild coordinates medical care for eye health. Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Guild
“HLAA opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support, and advocacy.” Their New York City chapter meets the third Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 40 East 35th Street. www.hearinglossnyc.org 212-769-HEAR (4327)
Lighthouse Guild Lighthouse guild is an organization “dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss.” They do this by coordinating medical care for eye health and engaging in advocacy. 250 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023 www.lighthouseguild.org 800-284-4422
and consumer debt, and the drafting and execution of wills, powers of attorney, and other essential life-planning documents.” www.volsprobono.org/projects/elderlyproject 212-966-4400
Creativity for Older Adults Step out of (or into) your comfort zone! Come sing with New York City’s Encore Chorale or Encore ROCKS The nation’s largest choral program for older adults No auditions necessary! 23 locations!
www.encorecreativity.org
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JULY 25-31,2019
CONFRONTING THE R-WORD A Manhattan leader on lessons learned in the transition to retirement BY STEPHAN RUSSO
The demographic trends of the growing aging population are clear. By the year 2060 the number of Americans ages 65 and older will more than double from 46 million today to over 98 million, and the percentage of the over 65 cohort will rise to 24 percent of the population from 15 percent. These are startling numbers. The baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are more and more entering into their later stages of life with little guidance about how to deal with the impending changes. There have been myriad articles on the financial implications of retirement, especially whether there will be enough in the Social Security trust fund past 2020. It’s also not hard to find advice on how to stay healthy or the best way to mitigate the aching effects on the aging body. However, there doesn’t seem to be much attention given to the emotional or psychological impact of moving into this next phase. It seems that denial of what looms ahead runs deep. I entered this proud group over two years ago when I was sixty-six and decided to leave a job I loved. I have spent the last two-plus years adapting to a lifestyle where I don’t have to get up every morning and head to the office, but can stay involved in issues I care about and am freed from having to be accountable to an array of others from former co-workers to growing children. I am often asked how I like “retirement.” I try not to use the R-word, since retirement sounds like a sudden ending when I prefer to think of my decision as a new beginning. I always respond that I have begun a new chapter which is both exciting in the limitless possibilities but frightening “as you know what” since it is less about external forces than about my own internal state of being. I will confess that the transition has not necessarily been that easy, and while I have successfully discarded my former role and embraced what I am now doing, (helping several immigration organizations, mentoring newer nonprofit leaders and writing an occasional human interest story for
We grew up in the sixties and seventies. Our identity, especially as career women, has been defined by the work we did. To me, giving back to other organizations is an important way to create a new inner identity. Joan Malin, former head, Planned Parenthood NYC this newspaper), I am not alone in confronting this challenge.
Missing the Pressures of Work I decided to see if I could make sense of this by talking to several friends and colleagues about lessons learned or pitfalls to avoid when facing the decision to undertake this major life change. I asked what their motivation was for taking this step, what has been difficult about the transition and any lessons they could share with others. Some spoke of the difficulty in making this leap. As one colleague told me, “In an instant you go from being highly important in your field to completely irrelevant. The myth is that others will continue to call you and ask your advice. They won’t.” Another expressed guilt at not being able to fill up all the free time and confessed to missing the pressures of work. I also admit to an inherent bias in this inquiry. It did not represent the eighty percent of Americans who have less than one year’s income saved for retirement. Those I spoke with were well-educated and highly respected in their fields who have transitioned to their next chapter by choice — a law partner at a well-known firm, leaders of other nonprofit organizations, a former reporter of a major newspaper, a Hall of Fame college coach and a consultant who has become a serious poet. Some also refused to use the R-word, and although the circumstances of each of these people differed, the issue raised a certain level of angst and introspection. The impact of retirement may also very much
HOW TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS Common themes and practical suggestions from the recently retired: • Make sure you have figured out your financial situation and can continue leading the lifestyle you desire. • Do not rush into anything. Take your time deciding what your next steps are and expect the unexpected. Embrace the freedom and flexibility you now have, and be open to new experiences. • Work can be a solipsistic endeavor.
Orient yourself around something that is meaningful to you and to others who can benefit from your immense wisdom and experience. • Be prepared to look at things differently than before. The decision to retire is a family decision and the dynamic of your relationships will change. Your daily life with your partner may not intersect in the same way as it had when you were working. —Stephan Russo
The author’s breakfast club at The Flame Diner on Ninth Avenue and 58th Street (clockwise from bottom left): Joan Mailn, Michael Zisser, Stephan Russo and Nancy Wackstein. Photo: Stephan Russo
be affected by gender, class and socioeconomics. The wage earner who has done physical labor his/her entire life might approach this phase differently. Yet I contend that the sense of loss and perceived diminished personal value, regardless of career path, transcend these differences. Joan Malin, the former head of Planned Parenthood New York City, retired two years ago after leading the organization for 17 years. “The transition has been psychologically challenging,” she said. “We grew up in the sixties and seventies. Our identity, especially as career women, has been defined by the work we did. To me, giving back to other organizations is an important way to create a new inner identity.”
“You Can Pick and Choose” To a person, there was a sense of having to redefine one’s purpose outside of work. “I went from 100 miles per hour to zero in an instant and was at a loss,” a friend said. “I decided to retire at 62 because of the economic incentives. The system is geared to cleaning out the dead wood and transferring more responsibility to a younger generation. I decided that I had to quickly jump into the void and reorient myself so I joined a leadership program focused on giving back to others.” But not a l l were thrown by the change. “I had prepared for my retirement and was comfortable from the beginning,” said Michael Zisser, former CEO of the iconic nonprofit organizations University Settlement on the Lower East Side and The Door, which serves youth citywide. “Every day is dif-
ferent and if you are staying in New York City and interested in the same issues you’ve spent your life fighting for (and not going to Florida to play golf), there is much to become involved in. The beauty is that you can pick and choose.” There was a palpable desire to stay relevant, and an urgency to pursue what is of paramount personal importance. This took the form of writing books or articles, enrolling in an educational or ecumenical program with others facing a similar transition, developing a mutual support network (I am part of a monthly breakfast club), spending more time with family and grandchildren, as well as employing one’s organizational skills to work on an important social issue or mentoring the next generation of leaders. “You can do all the planning you want,“ Malin commented. “But I can guarantee that your initial idea of how you will spend your time will change over time. There were many interests I wanted to explore. This was the powerful lesson I learned.” Stephan Russo is the former Executive Director of Goddard Riverside
JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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HOMES AWAY FROM HOME Where to live next: Senior residences in and near Manhattan BY ARLENE KAYATT
BROOKDALE BATTERY PARK 455 North End Ave., near Chambers St. 212-791-2500 brookdale.com Facilities: 217 apartments, from studios to twobedrooms Fees: from $7,995 to $12,845 per month Waiting list: High occupancy; first come, first served Type: Independent Living Brookdale is a “hidden gem where you can meet your next best friend right next door in lower Manhattan,” says Gail Hochfeld, Director, Sales and Marketing, describing senior life at Brookdale Battery Park’s independent living residence. The 20-year-old building, located in downtown Manhattan, is urban living in Battery Park City and within walking and viewing distance of the Hudson River and upscale shopping and dining at Brookfield, and an MTA bus ride (M20) or Uber to midtown’s Theater District. Shuttle buses are available for shopping and cultural activities around the city. Brookdale was specially designed for seniors — from wide hallways and built-in
ledges for extra support to apartments with low counter tops. All apartments have Alexa as a virtual personal assistant. Residents get to meet with the chef to discuss food trends, nutrition, menus. Breakfasts and 15 dinners are included in the monthly fee. Fifteen additional meals are available for a $200 a month. The lobby, with large common areas, floral displays and paintings, is lively with residents coming and going. Pets are allowed. So are their dog walkers. There’s a full schedule of activities — including weekly film screenings, medical runs, synagogue and church runs, as well as in house and resident run programs. Monthly fee also includes 24hour emergency response, exercise, health and wellness program, and a monitoring system to check in on all residents. Al K., a businessman and entertainer, who moved here eight years ago after his wife of 65 years died, revels in life at Brookdale, “You walk outside, you look out the [dining room] window, you see kids from the high school [Stuyvesant], little ones [from pre-k], and I’m 10 minutes from the Financial District.” What could be better?
CARNEGIE EAST HOUSE 1844 Second Ave. 212-410-0033 carnegieeast.org Facilities: 98 apartments, studios to twobedrooms Fees: from $2,800 (affordable studio) to $7,825 (market rate two-bedroom) Waiting List: 2 to 3 years Type: Independent and Assisted Living “Getting around the city is so accessible, and making friends easy,” is how 85-year-old Ruth Dombrow describes living at Carnegie East House. It’s a perfect fit for the lifelong 85-year-old New Yorker, born and educated here and who has lived on the UWS and in Westchester County. Two-and-a-half years ago, she moved to the UES’s Carnegie East House where she enjoys a supportive lifestyle and describes her spacious, bright onebedroom apartment, as “just the right size.”
Dombrow is an accomplished painter, and her artwork fills the walls of her apartment. Diverse activities are designed to keep residents happy, healthy and intellectually stimulated. Choices include wellness and exercise classes, nightly movies, lectures, classes by professional dancers and a theater group that puts on its own production in their very own Carnegie Hall. For residents who need assistance managing their medication, medical management is available for an additional monthly fee. Medications are paid with private insurance. A licensed nurse is on duty seven days a week. Market rate apartments include three meals a day, weekly housekeeping and laundry. Pets are allowed. A beauty salon and solarium are on the premises. Executive Director Joseph Girven sums up life at Carnegie East House as a “vibrant supportive living community” for a “dynamic body of residents to lead full and enriched lives.”
TAKE ON
EVERYTHING NEW YORK CITY
HAS TO OFFER
TODAY Today is yours for the taking. And AARP is here in our community, helping you make the most of it. Whether you’re a family caregiver looking for some support or have ideas to help improve your neighborhood, we’re here to connect you to the tools you need. So go make today and every day the best it can be, New York City.
Learn how at aarp.org/nyc
JULY 25-31,2019
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Be Well.
Be Social.
Be Artsy.
Outside of Lott Assisted Living Residence on Fifth Ave. Photo courtesy of Lott Assisted Living Residence
LOTT ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENCE 1281 Fifth Ave. 212-534-6464 lottresidence.org Facilities: 127 studio apartments Fees: Monthly private rent: $6,000 Medicaid and set rent: $1,261.00 (identified by State yearly) Waiting list: From 2 weeks to 8 months Type: Assisted Living “Living at Lott is being at home,” is how Lott’s President and CEO Nicole Atanasio, a registered nurse, describes the residential life at Lott Assisted Living, now celebrating its 20th year. Located directly opposite Central Park, residents enjoy the perks of the park. Armed with a wrist pedometer, Ike, a Korean War veteran who lives at Lott, counts the ticks of every second of his “24-minute” daily walk. Lott accepts Medicaid and private pay. Because Medicaid is accepted, pets are not allowed (except for visits) and overnight guests in wheelchairs must meet certain requirements. There’s a concierge desk at the building’s entrance with Rite-Aid flyers for doit-yourself shoppers. Attractive sofas and seating for residents and guests look out onto a green garden. Carmen R., who has lived at Lott for at least 7 years, enjoys spending time knitting in the daylight of her apartment. “I just love it,” she says while showing off her beautiful handiwork. There’s a full calendar of activities in-house and around the city. All residents have Alexa as a personal assistant. There’s a wellness center and exercise equipment. A physician is on site five days a week and on call weekends. The monthly rate covers 3 meals a day, and such personal services as housekeeping and laundry. Lott’s 14th floor dining room is a favorite with its view of Central Park south of 110th St. and the Conservatory Garden. “All seniors come to Lott with their life’s stories and that Lott is the next chapter,” says Atanasio, and “residents need to know they are home at a place where they are able to build on their stories, make more memories and additional chapters.”
THE 80th STREET RESIDENCE 430 East 80th Street 212-717-8888 email: 80thStreetResidence.com Facilities: 70 rooms Fees: Starting at $16,500 to $21,500 per month Waiting list: Check for current status Type: Enhanced Memory Care Assisted Living “Activities help residents get through their depression, feelings of loneliness,” says Jacqueline Lebau, Recreation Director at The 80th Street Residence. Most residents have had careers as executives, artists, educators, politicians and world travelers, and 80th Street’s mission is to keep them engaged at their comfort level. Many are lifelong New Yorkers who thrive on city life experiences. Residents can enjoy the view from the Penthouse Terrace and spend time in the outdoor lounge to relax or join a gathering or barbecue. There are trips to museums and Lincoln Center, as well as indoor activities like musicians performing at the residence, Shakespearean readings by performers and residents alike, intergenerational programs with local schools. The all-inclusive services at 80th Street include nurses and care managers trained in cognitive impairment, medication management, transportation and escort for nearby off-site medical appointments and a full range of group and one-to-one activities. The monthly fee includes salon services, toiletries, TV and furniture. In a boutique, luxe setting on the Upper East Side, each resident lives in a neighborhood with others who have similar cognitive abilities. Each apartment opens onto a homelike dining and living room. which is staffed 24-7. In the transition period, when a resident moves into the residence from their home, 80th Street provides a private personal care attendant to ease the transition. Jackie Lebau sums up 80th Street’s mission: “We strive to see that the individual is smart, intellectual, creative.”
Be You.
201-836-9260 | ArborTeaneck.com 600 Frank W Burr Boulevard, Teaneck, NJ 07666
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Jewelry-making at Isabella House. Photo courtesy of Isabella House
ISABELLA HOUSE & ISABELLA NURSING 515 Audubon Ave., near West 191st Street 212-342-9200 Isabella.org Facilities: 78 independent-living apartments from studios to two-bedrooms Fees: Starting at $2,500 to $3,200 per month Type: Independent Living, with additional support as needed Located in Washington Heights, at the tip of northern Manhattan and surrounded by parks and gardens, Isabella is a diverse independent living residence for seniors 62 and over. Occupying the top six floors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 12th to 17th â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in one of two buildings on Isabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus, residents have spectacular views of the city skyline. All apartments have emergency pull-cords and accessible bathrooms, some with â&#x20AC;&#x153;roll-inâ&#x20AC;? showers for walkers or wheelchairs. Hallways are wide. The monthly fee includes lunch and
dinner, cable TV, utilities, fresh linen weekly. Housekeeping is extra. Guest room per night is $100. Guest parking is free. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Isabella is mission-drivenâ&#x20AC;? and, being not-forprofit, â&#x20AC;&#x153;extra income increases programming, training, hiring more staff,â&#x20AC;? said Betty Lehmann, Isabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of Marketing and Community Relations. In 2017, Isabella became a member of MJHS Health System which raises funds to help support quality programs not covered by insurance or government programs. In addition to senior housing, Isabella Geriatric Center has a short-stay 705-bed rehabilitation and long-term care center with special dementia-related programs. Isabella is a participant in the activities of the local community and welcomes the involvement of volunteers from the local schools and universities. Its desirable views and location make it a natural for filming, a feature not overlooked by Lin-Manuel Miranda when Isabella was selected as a location for filming his â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Heights,â&#x20AC;? an apt description and testament to Isabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s citycentric senior living residence.
Marilyn Karpoff Founder & CEO 212.358.8044 www.karpoffafďŹ liates.com mkarpoff@karpoffafďŹ liates.com
Calling on a resident at Isabella House. Photo courtesy of Isabella House
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INSPIR CARNEGIE HILL 1802 Second Ave. 203-567-4397 Facilities: 215 apartments, studios to twobedrooms Fees: Starting at $12,500 to $21,500 per month Type: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, Memory Care 2020 is fast approaching and Inspir Carnegie Hill, the 23-story residence created for senior luxury living, will be opening its doors. At lnspir’s Upper East Side location seniors will be able to continue their lifestyle near family and friends in the midst of the city’s culture and buzz with easy access to the city’s best doctors and hospitals (Weill Cornell Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital). In addition to independent living, Inspir has three programs for assisted living and for residents who require memory care, or enhanced care: SOL is for residents who need assistance with personal care or who may require intermittent enhanced care services.
OCEANA is memory care for residents with dementia or other cognitive impairments. TERRA is for residents with chronic enhanced care needs who may also require ongoing skilled nursing services. Smart apartment technology and floorto-ceiling windows are in every residence. One and two-bedroom apartments feature washers and dryers. Utilities are included in monthly fee as is 24-7 licensed nursing, daily meals and daily housekeeping. All residents enjoy the vast two-level high atrium and terrace with interior and exterior seating. Situated on the 16th floor, it allows all residents access to the indoors with its extensive natural light and to plush greenery outdoors. For relaxation, there’s the heated pool, state of the art fitness center, or one of the lounges. Inspir is where senior residents are able to embrace their independent lifestyle in an environment of luxury designed to meet changing personal wellness and health needs — and a Mercedes house car is available daily for those who didn’t bring their own.
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THE NEW JEWISH HOME 120 West 106th St. 212-870-4715 jewishhome.org Facilities: 514 beds. New Jewish Home runs a Westchester campus (in Mamaroneck) and senior residences in the Bronx, including independent living and assisted living. There is also an Adult Day Care Program (off Hutchinson Pkwy) Fees: A mix of private-pay, Medicare/Medicaid Type: Skilled Nursing, Home Care, Rehab
Muriel Fisher (left), 85, enjoys Scrabble with a fellow resident at Riverview. Photo courtesy of Riverview Senior Independent Living
RIVERVIEW SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING 519 West 49th St. 212-586-4546 email: RiverviewNYC.org/Living@ RiverviewNYC.org Facilities: 80 apartments Fees: From $3,400 (Studio) to $4,400 (one-bedroom) per month Type: Independent Living “I enjoy the well-educated, stimulating dinnertime conversation” and that “the food’s getting better” (there’s a newly diversified menu), says resident Muriel Fisher, describing life at Riverview, which opened just over a year ago. Moving in at the end of 2018, Muriel, 85, who retired as an educational director at a private kindergarten some years ago, is now living on the same block as her grandson, so she gets to get a “kiss and hug.” Riverview’s monthly fee covers three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, cleaning, weekly linen service and deep cleaning, utilities (except internet and phone) as well as 24-hour security and pendant system, a full activity schedule and wellness program. Culture is easily accessible. There’s a full spectrum of social and recreational activities - from cooking classes to painting andceramics - to excursions to places of interest in Manhattan and Atlantic City. Muriel’s Scrabble partner, Gabrielle Wagner, who celebrated her 91st birthday on June 3 at Riverview, is another native New Yorker. Her spacious, light one-bedroom apartment is decorated with her own furnishings. Muriel’s alcove studio, also with her own furnishings, has two closets and two windows. For family members and guests of friends guest rooms are available for $120 a night.
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“I can still do the things I did before my stroke — and more,” says Manhattan resident Dominga Marquez. “From the nurses to the housekeeping staff, they take the time to get to know you as an individual.” Because of their “help and support,” adds Marquez, “I can knit and crochet with one hand.” New Jewish Home’s comprehensive health care systems are all-inclusive: Short-Stay Rehab, Care at Home and Long-Term Skilled Nursing Care are available in Manhattan. Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Housing are in the Bronx. The Home’s 20-story Green Project building, being constructed at 97th and Columbus, will open in 2022. The Green House is for long-term care living, and 12 residents will each have their own room with private or shared bathrooms. Rooms open onto a central living area, with a kitchen where staff can accommodate residents’ food choices and activities. Until the new facility is ready, the Home has been integrating the green house principles, making accommodations within the existing hospital f1oor plan with a full range of activities and religious services for residents and patients. The Jewish Home has a long tradition of diversity as well as a commitment to having a welcoming living environment for LGBT seniors. Summing up the Home’s mission, Administrator Marie Rosenthal says, “The Manhattan campus offers residents and patients unparalleled clinical excellence in a caring environment,” along with “robust
spiritual care, therapeutic recreation, and intergenerational programming.” It’s a place that provides for all stages of care and services.
VILLAGE CARE 510 West 46th St. 212-977-4600 email: www.46and10village.org Type: Assisted Living “Everyone’s so nice and helpful and you can come and go as you please, and nobody bothers you. I like that,” says one Village Care resident, 87-year-old Peter Blaxill, a retired Broadway musical actor with a long and varied career in theater. He’s still active and is readying his book of poetry for publication, working daily on his home computer in the bright daylight streaming through his studio apartment. Village Care’s location and urban lifestyle are the reasons many residents choose to live there. It’s within walking distance of the Hudson River to the west, and several blocks east to the Theater District. And there are at least three or four restaurants per block with menus that reflect the cultural mix of NYC. Village Care residents enjoy the comfort of having the personal and health services that make life easier — 24-hour concierge and security service, housekeeping, laundry services, meals and a calendar of activities to participate in — or not. A registered nurse will complete a nursing assessment and develop a personalized plan of care so that each resident’s needs are met. Blaxill is a legend at the residence. Ten years ago he placed his name on a waiting list Village Care had at the time, but he never heard back and never followed up. When he was ready to follow up two years ago, Village Care no longer had a waiting list and they were ready to accept him. He did not want to lose any priority he thought he had because of his initial application, and fearful that there would be a snafu, he was at the ready with his “proof” (his initial application and documents). Home at last.
OUTSIDE OF MANHATTAN ARBOR TERRACE TEANECK 600 Frank W Burr Boulevard, Teaneck, NJ 07666 201-836-9260 ArborTeaneck.com Facilities: 142 one-, two-, and three-bedroom Independent Living apartments Fees: From $4100 (one bedroom), $4800 (two bedrooms), $6300 (three bedrooms) Type: Luxury Independent Living Father’s Day at Riverview. Photo courtesy of Riverview Senior Independent Living
“Residents are free to be as involved as they would like,” says Riverview’s Director Jessica Schmidt, summing up senior independent living at the residence. “They can take advantage of the activities we offer, their own programs, or simply just socialize when they come for meals. Riverview is basically an apartment building with perks like three meals a days, housekeeping services and utilities.”
Arbor Terrace Teaneck is located just four miles west of the George Washington Bridge, right off of I-95 and Route 46 and sits next to the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. Arbor Terrace is in close proximity to theater, arts and cultural institutions, dining, as well as places to work or volunteer. If travel is on the itinerary, Arbor Terrace is close to several international airports and Amtrak train service. Arbor Terrace Teaneck is operated by The Arbor Company, which has more than 30 years of experience in luxury senior living. The team at Arbor Terrace pride themselves on building
personal, trusting relationships, and use innovative programs to connect with residents and understand their unique needs and wishes. Residents at Arbor Terrace Teaneck can embrace a lifestyle that’s active and busy — or enjoy a more relaxed and leisurely pace. From exquisite dining to invigorating fitness to a vibrant social calendar, residents can engage with whatever brings them happiness, joy, and contentment — while making new friends and living life on their own terms. Apartments at Arbor Terrace are generous, offering 1, 2 & 3 bedroom spacious floor plans, washer & dryer, full kitchens, 9 ft. ceilings and HVAC systems. Arbor residents have access to wellness services and a customized care program partnership. The unique service allows their residents to have independence when they want it and care when they need it. At Arbor Terrace they are so confident in their community that they are prepared to give newcomers money back if they aren’t satisfied — “just give us 60 days to prove we are the best.”
JULY 25-31,2019
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Do you have diabetes, vision loss or healthcare needs?
We can help! Lighthouse Guild Health Center provides coordinated vision and healthcare. We have specialized programs to maximize your functional vision and we address underlying medical issues. We provide: ï Diabetes care and selfmanagement education
ï Occupational therapy
ï Primary care and specialty physicians
ï Behavioral health services including individual and group therapy, and medication management
ï Vision rehabilitation services
ï Physical therapy
We are a Medicare and Medicaid provider and accept many insurance plans.
Located: 250 West 64th Street (bet. Amsterdam & West End Ave.)
Call us for an appointment 212-769-6313
lighthouseguild.org
@LighthouseGuild @LighthouseGld @LighthouseGuild
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Lifestyle choices can help older adults maintain their cognitive health BY DAVID NOONAN
GOOD OLD BRAIN
Aging is not a disease, and many of the brain changes that accompany it are normal. Even in healthy adults, parts of the brain shrink as it ages. Fortunately, aging brains do more than merely shrink. They also adapt and find ways to compensate. Imaging studies of older and younger subjects performing the same cognitive task, for example, show that some older people recruit additional brain regions and pathways to get the job done. That flexibility is the aging brain’s secret weapon. As one study puts it, older brains have “considerable reserve potential.” But brains are like muscles — you’ve got to use them to keep them in shape. Staying engaged and active as the years pile up is the key. Here are four things people can do that have been shown to improve cognition in older adults.
GET SOME EXERCISE Researchers have found that regular exercise can increase the amount of gray matter in the adult brain, improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairments, including memory problems. Higher aerobic fitness has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline in people over 60 by as much as 40 percent. In multiple experiments, aerobically fit older adults routinely outscore their sedentary and less-active peers in tasks that measure problem-solving skills, processing speed, attention, verbal fluency and several types of memory. And while even modest amounts of exercise have been shown to confer clear cognitive benefits, studies show that sessions lasting longer than 30 minutes offer greater benefits. In one study, published in 2017 in the online journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, involving a six-month training intervention with 60 sedentary adults from 64 to 78, the people randomly assigned to aerobic exercise exhibited “a broad improvement in cognitive performance” compared to individuals assigned to stretching and toning. And a 2018 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which analyzed 39 randomized controlled trials of physical exercise interventions (the largest such analysis to date), concluded that they “are effective at improving the cognitive function of older adults, regardless of baseline
cognitive status.” Psychologist Arthur F. Kramer, director of the Center for Cognitive & Brain Health at Northeastern University, has been studying the aging brain since the 1970s. In his exploration of the effects of physical activity — “I mostly work with older adults, and we’re basically just getting people off the couch to walk more” — Kramer has his previously sedentary subjects exercise an hour a day, three days a week for periods of six months to a year. That doesn’t sound like much, because it isn’t. But it gets the job done. “Maybe they’re improving their aerobic fitness 10 or 15 percent, at the outside,” Kramer said, “but those kinds of improvements show pretty dramatic changes. Essentially, in terms of brain function, you can think of it as turning back the clock to a younger age.” The impact of exercise on mental health, and depression in particular, was confirmed in a large study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry in 2018. Researchers followed 33,908 healthy adults for 11 years and found that regular exercise was associated with reduced incidence of future depression. “The majority of this protective effect occurred at low levels of exercise and was observed regardless of intensity,” they wrote. They estimated that “12 percent of future cases of depression could have been prevented if all participants had engaged in at least one hour of physical activity each week.”
KEEP BUSY The relationship between busyness and cognition in older adults has recently begun to attract the attention of neuroscientists. Findings so far suggest that a calendar filled with activities and tasks that are mentally challenging, that people enjoy doing and that matter to them, can counter the negative effects of age on reasoning, intelligence and memory, and even improve those vital functions. Or, to quote a groundbreaking research paper from the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas at Dallas: “Greater busyness is associated with superior cognition.” “Mental stimulation is what really matters,” said Denise Park, founder and director of research at the center, who led the study. “And if you’re very busy you’re probably leading a mentally stimulating life.” Park and her colleagues used a questionnaire to rank 330 people between ages 50 and 89 on a busyness scale and then subjected them to a battery of cognitive tests. (The subjects were all part of a larger, long-term project on aging called the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study.) The busiest people, folks who told the researchers that they sometimes couldn’t find enough time in the day to finish everything on their todo lists, were decidedly sharper, with brains that solved problems more efficiently, processed strings of numbers faster and remem-
bered lists of words better. On top of all that, age was not a factor — a busy lifestyle was as much of a benefit for people in their 80s as it was for people in their 50s. More research is required to understand exactly how busyness makes the brain work better, but the authors of the UT Dallas paper describe several potential mechanisms. One possibility is that busyness leads to the creation of new groups of linked brain cells — neural pathways — that are needed to meet the demands of a packed and varied schedule. In addition, they write, it could be that a busy lifestyle basically forces the aging brain to be more efficient in the way it processes and stores information. Another, elegantly logical idea is that busy people “encounter more diverse stimuli, may be required to make more complex decisions, and may encounter and have to solve ill-defined problems,” all of which are believed to promote better cognition.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW There is abundant evidence that taking classes, learning a new skill or a new language, is one of the best things people can do to keep their minds sharp. Denise Park and her team explored the cognitive benefits of new learning in another study they conducted called the Synapse Project. It was an ambitious experi-
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ment in which volunteers from 60 to 90 years old took up digital photography and quilting, complicated activities that they had never tried before. And they weren’t just dabbling. While most brain-training studies involve a few sessions in front of a computer playing different sorts of games, the Synapse Project amounted to a lifestyle change; the participants spent an average of 16.5 hours a week for three months learning about and pursuing their demanding new pastimes. The two activities were chosen because they taxed multiple cognitive functions, including reasoning, executive function and several types of memory. One group studied digital photography, one quilting, and a third group studied both. In addition, three control groups spent the same amount of time in “low challenge” social activities — reminiscing, watching movies, going on field trips and such — that did not require them to acquire any new knowledge or skills. A total of 221 people completed the program. Initial results showed that the folks who participated in the demanding photography and quilting pursuits had a significant improvement in episodic memory when compared to the control groups. Episodic
memory is a basic function that underlies just about everything you do. “It’s what you rely on to manage your life,” said Park. “It’s your memory for past events, for what you did yesterday, for your grocery list, and for what you plan to do.” In an effort to understand how new learning could enhance brain functions, and whether the changes were lasting, Park and her team used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to examine the brains of Synapse Project participants in a follow-up study, a year after the original study ended. The people who had learned and practiced digital photography and quilting were found to have functional changes in three different parts of the brain that are involved in attention and semantic processing, a basic form of thinking in which words are assigned meaning and context. Those in the control groups did not have those brain changes. In their analysis of the fMRI findings, the researchers suggested that engaging in new, mentally challenging tasks for a sustained period of time had resulted in the “restoration of brain activity to more youthlike states.”
STAY CONNECTED Research has shown that people with strong social connections — who are socially active and get out and do things with other people — live longer, healthier lives, and when they do get sick they fare better. Friendship has been linked to everything from reduced mortality from all causes to improved cognitive performance to greater resistance to the common cold. One study showed that even casual friendships with “the more peripheral members of our social networks” carry a definite health benefit. Conversely, older people who lack these kinds of connections, who are socially isolated, are at increased risk for cognitive decline, heart disease and more. A 2017 study involving nearly 20,000 aging adults, published in the journal Aging & Mental Health, concluded that “social participation” had as much influence on an individual’s cognitive functioning as physical health, physical activity and depression. The role of social media was examined in a
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small 2017 study that looked at Facebook’s potential “as an intervention to maintain or enhance cognitive function in older adults.” Forty-one older adults were divided into three groups and spent eight weeks either on Facebook, an online diary website or on a wait-list. At the end of that period, “the Facebook group showed a significant increase in a composite measure of updating, an executive function factor associated with complex working memory tasks, compared to no significant change in the control groups.” The authors concluded that “learning and using an online social networking site may provide specific benefits for complex working memory in a group of healthy older adults.”
FINANCES AND FRAUD A legal expert on what NYC seniors need to know about programs to keep rising housing costs in check — and how to deal with scams targeting elders BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
The transition to living on a fixed income can be a vulnerable time for seniors as they adjust to a new financial reality. Peter Kempner, who serves as the legal director and the Elderly Project director for the Volunteers of Legal Service, says seniors need to be cautious and thoughtful when it comes to dealing with new problems ushered in by retirement. From housing insecurity to phone scams, Kempner talked to Straus News about what seniors can do to when facing these issues.
What is one of the most common financial difficulty seniors who live in New York City have to figure out once they retire? The biggest challenge for most New York City’s seniors living on fixed income is keeping up with the rising costs of housing in the city.
What resources or strategies are available to mitigate the problem? Seniors need to make sure that they take advantage of the programs that are available to them to keep rising housing costs in check. If they are eligible, seniors should take advantage of the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program which freezes the rent for seniors living in regulated housing and the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption (SCHE) program which gives a property tax break for seniors who own their home, condo or co-op. Both of these program are very underused and many seniors do not know they are eligible for this benefit. (Eligibility criteria can be found for SCRIE at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/rentfreeze/index. page; and SCHE at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ finance/benefits/landlords-sche.page)
Something we’ve seen a lot of recently are phone scams that target seniors by claiming to be the IRS or the Social Security Administration and are able to defraud people, sometimes of thousands of dollars. What do these scammers say that are so convincing? I think that so many seniors rely on the Social Security Administration and say that is some-
one’s sole source of income; they call you and say that there is a problem with your social security, then that really raises a lot of flags for folks and makes them concerned. I think that that is rare but it’s a bulk business what they’re doing. They call hundreds if not thousands of people and they get just one or two people to bite and are able to get a lot of money out of that person then it makes the whole criminal enterprise worth it.
What can people do to protect themselves? What should you do if you think you’re a victim? The first thing to do is to never give your personal information over phone to someone who is cold calling you. Your bank is already going to know your name and address and they’re never going to ask you for your password or Social Security number over the phone. If there’s really a problem with your account, you can go into the bank and not just talk to someone who’s cold calling you. That’s the big one. Don’t give the personal information. If you’re a victim, that’s much harder. Sometimes the police are very reluctant to do a report on these kinds of things because it’s not a tangible crime in the same way that someone snatching your purse is. Sometimes it takes a little pushing at the police department to get them to file a report on your behalf. A police report is going to be really essential to them if they want to recover any loss that they had because of the scam. Any financial institution or government agency is going to ask to see a police report. That’s going to be one of the first steps.
Do we see this online as well? Absolutely. It’s not just emails. There are malware that gets into people’s computers and there are popups that come onto the screen that says you have a problem with your software or you have to update it. You need to put your credit card in order to update it and other identifying information that could lead to identity theft. One should be very wary of any kind of popups or malware on your computer. I think it’s really good to keep your antivirus software up to date so you don’t fall victim to that kind of scam. Peter Kempner is the legal director and the Elderly Project director for the Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS). Photo courtesy of VOLS
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Have you ever wondered about cremation or advance burial planning options? Did you know that SODQQLQJ IRU \RXU ÂżQDO ZLVKHV SXWV \RX LQ FRQWURO ZKLOH VKLHOGLQJ \RXU IDPLO\ IURP DGGHG HPRWLRQDO DQG ÂżQDQFLDO VWUHVV" -RLQ XV IRU RQH RI WKHVH LQIRUPDWLRQDO WUROOH\ WRXUV DQG OHDUQ DERXW Â&#x2021; +RZ WR VWDUW WKH GLá&#x201A;&#x2C6;FXOW FRQYHUVDWLRQ Â&#x2021; 7KH GLá&#x201A;&#x2021;HUHQFHV EHWZHHQ WKH SODQQLQJ SURFHVV DW WKH IXQHUDO KRPH DQG WKH FHPHWHU\ Â&#x2021; +RZ WR EHFRPH D JRRG FRQVXPHU Â&#x2021; 8QGHUVWDQGLQJ WKH RSWLRQV DQG FXUUHQW WUHQGV Â&#x2021; $QVZHUV WR DQ\ TXHVWLRQV \RX PLJKW KDYHÂŤ These trolley tours are free-of-charge and as a thank you for attending, you will receive a complimentary copy of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Lifeâ&#x20AC;? planning guide, an invaluable resource for organizing and PDNLQJ \RXU ÂżQDO ZLVKHV NQRZQ
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4199 Webster Ave., Bronx, NY 10470 718-920-1469
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
Go Go Curry
12 John St
Grade Pending(27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Grade Pending(21) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
The Great American Bagel Bakery
200 Broadway
A
R17 Seaport Nyc
95 South St
A
Jim Brady’s Restaurant
75 Maiden Lane
A
Audrey Bakery & Cafe
12 Chatham Sq
A
Grade Pending(45) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Bellini
33 Peck Slip
A
Deluxe Green Bo
66 Bayard St
Grade Pending(21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Two Hands Tribeca
251 Church St
A
Taste Taco House
178 Church St
Grade Pending(34) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Attraversa
225 W Broadway
A
Shinsen
44 Bowery
A
Nb Wing Wong
42 Bowery
A
Matchaful
359 Canal St
Not Yet Graded(43) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Sewage disposal system improper or unapproved. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Benvenuto Cafe
189 Franklin Street
A
House Special Restaurant
171 Hester St
A
Kung Fu Tea
234 Canal St A
Mission Ceviche
265 Canal St
A
Dunkin’ Donuts
381 Canal St
A
Greecologies Cafe
379 Broome St
A
Tous Les Jours
7 Division St
A
Las Lap
74 Orchard St
Not Yet Graded(52) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 3) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. 4) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. 5) Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed. 6) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
JULY 10 - 16, 2019 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Benares Restaurant
Arome
45 Murray St
325 Broadway
Manhattan Proper
6 Murray Street
A
Majestic Pizza
8 Cortlandt St
Grade Pending(44) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Hop Shing Restaurant
Temple Court
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
9 Chatham Square
5 Beekman St
Grade Pending(54) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Grade Pending(48) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
JULY 25-31,2019
Business LEVAIN BAKERY ARRIVES ON THE UES FOOD The company known for its decadent cookies opens its first location on the East Side — part of a national expansion plan BY EMA SCHUMER
An unlikely neighbor has joined the block of Third Avenue between 83rd and 84th Streets, home to health-oriented businesses including SoulCycle, Juice Press and Juice Generation. Levain Bakery — an Upper West Side-based company renowned for its decadent cookies that weigh six ounces each — opened its first Upper East Side location on the block on Monday. Activities on the day of the grand opening included a cookie giveaway to the store’s first 100 customers followed by the unveiling of a limited edition ice cream sandwich exclusive to the UES store in the afternoon (which garnered a line around the block). The bakery will donate all
proceeds from the UES store’s first day of business to Wellness In The Schools, a nonprofit committed to ending childhood obesity, a press release from the bakery stated. Before sunrise, Bonnie Smith, 72, was waiting outside the storefront to claim a free cookie. She read the New York Post to pass the time. Smith, who lives on East 81st Street, was the bakery’s first UES patron. “It seemed like a fun idea. I love the city, these are the kind of things that make it fun to live here,” she said. Smith, who said she had never actually tried a Levain Bakery product before, selected the bakery’s signature chocolate-chip walnut cookie and said she would heat it up at home and have it with coffee for breakfast. Over 20 other people lined the block on Third Avenue waiting for the bakery to open at 6 a.m. Dressed in workout garb, many said they were either coming from or going to a workout. Behind Smith on line was Rhiannon Aguilar, a resident of East 71st Street who said she had run to
the bakery with her friend. “It’s a little justification for eating cookies at six in the morning,” she explained. Levain Bakery cookies and working out may seem like an odd pairing, but exercise is practically baked into the Levain experiment. The bakery’s co-founders, Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, met training for an Ironman and created the monstrous cookie due in part to their large appetites. “I think that it’s amazing how many people love to workout and love to eat,” McDonald said. Weekes asserted that their products are “not unhealthy. It’s not a necessity but it’s all made with really good ingredients,” she said. Though the bakery may look like an outlier nestled within the fitness hub of the UES — SoulCycle, Rumble, Exceed, Just Salad, Sweetgreen, Juice Press, and Juice Generation are all within one block — McDonald and Weekes are not worried that the preponderance of health-oriented businesses in the area will hinder cookie sales. In fact, Weekes said
Cookie lovers lined up for the 6 a.m. opening on Monday. Photo: Ema Schumer
that the ethos of the block was part of their “strategy.” “The energy on this block is really great,” McDonald said. “Our customer is everyone,” she added. The UES opening of Levain Bakery marks the company’s plan to take their cookies national. Currently, in addition to the UES store, the bakery has two Upper West Side locations, a store in Harlem and one in the Hamptons. That will change this fall, when it opens a Noho branch, followed by store openings in select cities throughout the Northeast in 2020, New York Magazine’s food
blog reported. McDonald and Weekes said that they will be careful to maintain their business’s character as a “cozy neighborhood bakery” — as its website describes itself — when it emerges onto the national cookie scene. “No matter where we are, [we] still want to be that neighborhood’s bakery,” McDonald said. “Knowing the people in your neighborhood is what makes having a business fun for everybody — for everybody who works here [and] for the people who come in,” Weekes said.
A MEETING PLACE WITH A MISSION RESTAURANTS Peace Garden Café brings vegetarian fare to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza BY EMA SCHUMER
Turtle Bay residents, United Nations representatives, and Department of Parks & Recreation personnel alike sipped strawberry-mint-lime seltzers and tasted colorful vegetarian platters in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on Thursday to celebrate the opening of Peace Garden Café. Nestled between the United Nations, Katharine Hepburn Garden and Trump World Tower, the café, which is vegetarian, operates out of a concession stand on East 47th Street and First Avenue. To Shashanka Karlen, the founder of the café, owning a vegetarian restaurant only a stone’s throw away
from the United Nations is “the fulfillment of a dream.” A native of Switzerland, Karlen worked for his nation’s Mission to the UN in Geneva before moving to Queens, where he has operated two vegetarian restaurants. He hopes Peace Garden Café will serve as “a nice place where people can come relax, recharge, have a moment of peace, [and] have good food.” Sherrill Kazan, the president of Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza — an organization that finances the maintenance of the plaza — said that the restaurant will unite the people who make up the neighborhood, including midtown working folk, United Nations officers and Turtle Bay residents. “We are such a diverse community,” she said. “What better place than a café to share culture and different points of view.” Parks spokesperson David Cerron told the crowd of over 100 people that the café complements Dag
Peace Garden Café owner Shashanka Karlen (left) serving vegetarian food to patrons at his café’s opening. Photo courtesy of Bhashwar Hart
Hammarskjold Plaza, which Kazan said is the largest greenspace in midtown Manhattan. “Concessions are vitally important to the life of public parks. As we see today, they help activate our parks, they help bring people together, [and] they enhance the enjoyment of visitors.” Cerron also noted the café’s commitment to the environment through its eco-friendly menu and usage of com-
postable materials. The menu boasts bowls, salads, burgers and sandwiches made with meat substitutes, ice cream and specialty drinks. Though the menu is vegetarian, Karlen said his café is “absolutely open” to everyone. He noted that 95 percent of the patrons of his vegetarian cafés in Queens were not vegetarian. A vegetarian himself, Karlen said his favorite items on the
menu include the souvlaki and the Korean spare ribs, which are made using a soy-flour base. Karlen believes the mission of his café parallels that of its neighbor, the United Nations. “If you cook with good feelings, with a good spirit, with good intentions, I think it can be felt. It can come into the food and it can contribute to a more peaceful world,” he said.
JULY 25-31,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Real Estate Sales
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
THE HEAT IS ON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
JULY 25-31,2019
THUMBS DOWN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 We have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. State Senator Brad Hoylman tified against the project, asking why the park had to be closed for so long and expressing concern about a range of issues.
A Change in Plans
Mayor Bill de Blasio on West 64th Street on Sunday, July 14, the day after the blackout. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Not wanting a repeat of the blackout kerfuffle, the mayor cancelled his campaign appearances the following weekend to deal with a brutal heat wave bringing near 100-degree temperatures. go after the frontrunners,” Arzt says. “I think he’ll go after Biden who, right now, is ahead of the pack.” Sheinkopf agrees. “I expect him to be aggressive in trying to get his message across,” Sheinkopf says. “He’s very good on stage. He is very good as a candidate; he knows how to push his way into the debate.” Though most observers give him little chance of winning the nomination, de Blasio’s campaign staff insists he’s still in the hunt. “The mayor had three goals when he got into the race: raise over 1 million dollars, have a strong debate performance and start staffing up,” campaign spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg says. “He accomplished all three.” She did not address the poor polling numbers and fundraising totals. Optimism aside, he’s got a long uphill climb by any measure. The latest polls show de Blasio at
0 to 2 percent. A Politico poll taken in early July, had de Blasio at 0. Joe Biden led with 32 percent, compared to 19 percent for Sanders, 14 percent for Warren and 13 percent for Harris. The rest are in single digits. “He’s not well-known outside of New York and he won’t get his message out except for what he can do in the debates,” Arzt says. Sheinkopf says the polling data will affect his ability to raise money going forward. “As the poll numbers go, so goes the campaign contributions,” Sheinkopf says. The money totals reflect that. De Blasio pulled in just $1.1 million nationwide in the quarter ending June 30 — and almost all of it came from New York. Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, IN, with a population of just over 102,000, led the second quarter national money race with $24.8 million, followed by Biden at $21.5 million, Warren at $19.1 million, Sanders at $18 million and Harris next with about $12 million. De Blasio’s statewide money-raising efforts were just as lackluster. He raised $883,010 in New York, far behind Buttigieg, who raised $2.45 million in the state, followed by Booker who pulled in $2.3 million. Fellow New Yorker Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand outraised de Blasio statewide, pulling in $1.93 million in New York. Biden and Harris were each just below $1.8 million in their New York
fund-raising efforts. “On a national scale, you’re not going to be competitive unless you can raise a lot of money,” Arzt says. “$1 million doesn’t buy you much.” Locally, he’s got even more problems. He was campaigning in Iowa on July 13, when the West Side blackout crippled street and subway traffic and caused chaos for several hours. Although he rushed back to the city, his absence drew the ire of the Daily News and his arch-nemesis, the New York Post. On the Monday after the blackout, The Post began a front-page editorial with the headline: “DE BLASIO MUST GO.” The rest of the front page said: “As the lights went out in NYC, the mayor was a thousand miles away in Iowa. That moment captured his ego-driven failure of a mayoralty. Enough is enough.” Not wanting a repeat, he cancelled his campaign appearances the following weekend to deal with a brutal heat wave bringing near 100-degree temperatures. Arzt and Sheinkopf — neither of whom represent a Democratic hopeful — say they think de Blasio’s best hope from all this is to get a cabinet post if a Democrat is elected president in 2020. “Look, anything is possible,” Sheinkopf says. “If the left collapses, he wants to be there to pick up the pieces. I just don’t see that happening.”
“We feel like we haven’t been heard,” said an emotional Pat Arnow, an LES resident. “There’s going to be environmental damage and physical and mental health consequences for our community. We’ve been demanding a new plan or to revisit the plan the community helped create that was abandoned for a much more expensive, destructive plan we have now.” Many residents, including Arnow were infuriated with the fact that there is only a two-week extension on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) comment period. They wanted 60 days. However, the City Planning Commission will vote July 31 and a final vote will take place in September before the City Council. East Side Coastal Resiliency is a plan to protect the lower Manhattan communities along the East River that were most affected by Hurricane Sandy from the effects of future storms and sea level rise. The 2.4-mile-long project will install a continuous flood protection system from Montgomery Street north to East 25th Street. Flood protection would consist of a combination of floodwalls and deployable flood gates, raised landscapes and other structures, each individually tailored to the specific site in which they will be constructed. The city’s original plan called for flood barriers and beams along the FDR. But in September 2018, city planners came up with a newer version that could be implemented quicker, raise the park eight feet using a landfill, install flood gates and fix the drainage system. This did not sit well with residents, however.
Questions and Complaints Al Morales, 69, has been maintaining baseball fields for many years. He could not fathom as to how or why the city would need to close the park for three years. “It [the work] needs to be done in sections,” Morales said. “You cannot close this park down.”
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer organized and led the meeting. Photo: Jason Cohen
Other issues raised by residents were the need for an independent review of the revised plan and how it will affect the environment. “We really need an independent review of this project,” said Naomi Shore. “We need to know if this plan is worth it. We need to see if this plan will create climate justice in the long term. Why are we spending $1.5 billion on a project that does not even in any minimal way address the causes of climate change?” The verbal attacks on TorresSpringer and Cobb-Konon continued. Tommy Loeb said the new plan “blindsided the community” and really isn’t looking out for the residents. He asked the officials how the new landfill will settle and how long there will be a pile of dirt. He supports being prepared for another super storm, but there has to be a better way, he stressed. “We have no confidence in you (TorresSpringer and Cobb-Konon),” he said. Elected officials were also on hand. State Senator Brad Hoylman said the project has many holes in it and that he wants a third party to review it. Furthermore, the senator noted, it may end up in a lawsuit. “We have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers,” Hoylman said. “Sadly, we don’t have a lot of confidence that this project is going to go as well as our colleagues in the city say it will.” Natalie Dorset, who runs often in the park, asked Cobb-Konon and Torres-Springer if they had visited the park and seen how many go there daily. She asked if they had ever been there at 5 a.m. when people are running or fishing, or during the afternoon, when there are barbecues and birthday parties. “Get out there and see how the park is actually used,” she said. “Don’t just sit there in your air conditioned offices.”
JULY 25-31,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
CHELSEA’S FORGOTTEN FRENCH PAST BY DIANA DUCROZ
Unlike many of the ethnic communities that have flavored New York’s melting pot, the French are not usually linked with a particular neighborhood. A century ago, however, Chelsea was the ‘French Quarter’ of New York City. In the city’s early days, New York’s French community clustered south of Washington Square, but as Manhattan spread northwards in the late 1800s, the center of French life shifted to the blocks north of 14th Street and West of Broadway. In 1894, the Sun reported that “Twenty-sixth street west of Sixth Avenue begins to take on the air of the old French quarter. It has several French restaurants, three or four French shoemakers, displaying odd, shapeless specimens of their own handiwork; a French grocer or two, and several French bushelling tailors.” The New York Times wrote in 1902 about “New York’s French colony” of 26,000 residents in a city of four million. “These people constitute a rather remarkable body of importers, professional men, teachers, artists, musicians, chefs, waiters, artisans, forming a desirable element of the community.” By World War II, the French of Chelsea had mostly moved on, but a few traces of their presence can still be found around the neighborhood.
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 123 West 23rd Street The parish of St. Vincent de Paul formed in 1841 to serve the spiritual needs of New York’s French Catholics. The 1869 dedication of a new church on West 23rd Street helped establish Chelsea as the new heart of the French community. According to the New York Times in 1902, the
7th Ave
The neighborhood has a distinctive histoire française
9th
Ave
HISTORY HOME FOR FRECH WORKING GIRLS 341 W 30th St.
FRENCH APARTMENTS 330 W 30th St. JEANNE D’ARC RESIDENCE 253 W 24th St.
34 th S t 23 rd
FRENCH EVANGELICAL CHURCH 126 W 16th St.
St
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH 123 W 23rd St.
14t hS t
GRAPHIC: ADAM EMMERICH
orphanage of St. Vincent de Paul was established “by furnishing shelter for two waifs” in the rectory behind the church on West 24th Street. For 170 years, the parish served French speakers from all walks of life. In 1952, Edith Piaf married her first husband at St Vincent de Paul, with matron of honor Marlene Dietrich at her side. In more recent years, worshippers were more likely to hail from West Africa or Haiti than France. Despite appeals by parishioners to keep the parish open, the church held its last French mass in 2013. Efforts to obtain landmark designation failed as well, leaving the property open for redevelopment. The new owner has filed plans to build two towers connected at the base by the existing church. If the plan proceeds, St Vincent de Paul’s main facade and perhaps its barrel-vaulted interior may live on, but within a drastically different context. The boarded-up sanctuary lost its circular rose window in the 2016 Chelsea bombing,
but otherwise quietly waits to learn its future. The old rectory on 24th Street was demolished late last year.
French Evangelical Church 126 West 16th Street The fate of another Frenchspeaking congregation’s old church may shed light on what the future holds for St Vincent de Paul. The French Evangelical Church has ministered to its flock since 1866 in its red brick sanctuary on West 16th Street. To raise money for muchneeded repairs on the 180-year-old building, the congregation sold its air rights in 2014 to a condo developer, who is nearing completion on an 11-story glass, steel and concrete structure that cantilevers above the old church. Neighbors protested but were unable to stop the project.
Home for French Working Girls 341 West 30th Street In the late 1800s, the French Evangelical Church opened a home for young women in need of temporary lodging. The home was located
on West 30th Street in 1912, when the New York Observer reported that “shelter is afforded these young French women, while seeking and obtaining employment as teachers, governesses, maids or nurses. The number of those who, during its existence, have availed themselves of the benefits of this institution is upwards of nine thousand.” The four-story brick townhouse has more recently operated as a hostel and is now an apartment building.
French Hospital 330 West 30th Street/329 West 29th Street In 1881, the French Benevolent Society, a local charitable organization, opened a hospital on West 14th Street to assist the local French community. Staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the hospital admitted patients of all backgrounds and quickly outgrew three early locations, prompting the society to build a new 12-story hospital on West 30th Street in 1928. Its most famous patient was Babe Ruth, who was treated
If you look closely, you can see the peaked, red brick facade of the French Evangelical Church beneath a new condo building on West 16th St. Photo: Diana DuCroz
for cancer at the hospital in the late 1940s. Many babies entered the world in the hospital’s 62-bed maternity ward on West 29th Street. The hospital closed for good in 1977 and is now the “French Apartments,” but etched into the building itself are a few reminders of its former life: the words ‘Société Française de Bienfaisance” are carved above the main entrance and “Clinic Entrance” marks a side door. Located a few doors away at 317 West 29th, is a remodeled building that once housed the Petitpas boardinghouse
and restaurant run by three French sisters. Popular in the early 20th century with artists and poets, the courtyard patio was immortalized in John Sloan’s circa 1910 painting, “Yeats at Petitpas.”
Jeanne D’Arc Residence 253 West 24th Street Another home established as short-term housing for young French women, the Jeanne D’Arc Residence has provided affordable rooms to working women and students since 1898. Operated by the Sisters of Divine Providence, the home’s facilities include a small chapel.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
JULY 25-31,2019
THE POLITICS OF FRIENDSHIP BOOKS “The Chelsea Girls,” Fiona Davis’s new novel, recaptures the McCarthy era in NYC BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL
“Each room at the Chelsea remembers the people who have passed within its walls, as if the names and dates had been etched on the grubby doorframes.” So writes Fiona Davis in her new novel “The Chelsea Girls.” Hazel and Maxine met as USO entertainers during World War II. By 1950, after years of separation, the former is a Broadway playwright/ director, and the latter is a Hollywood actress seeking the legitimacy which only the New York stage can provide. They’re reunited as residents of the red brick hotel, “a handsome melding of Victorian Gothic and Queen Anne styles,” looming large over West 23rd Street. Furthermore, their friendship is revived when Hazel hires Maxine to star in her new production on the Great White Way. I’ve always been fascinated by the Hotel Chelsea. Even though I’ve lived here all my life, I’ve never set foot inside the landmark closely associated with Warhol and his factory cohorts, because quite frankly, I was never cool enough. Here’s who was: Mark Twain, O. Henry, Dylan Thomas, Sam Shepard, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Jack Kerouac, Thomas Wolfe, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Charles James, Julian Schnabel, Diego Rivera, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, Stanley Kubrick, Miloš Forman, Lillie Langtry, Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, Uma Thurman, Elaine Stritch, Russell Brand, Edie Sedgwick, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop, Marianne Faithfull, Édith Piaf, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Bette Midler, Jimi Hendrix, Sid Vicious and Janis Joplin. This, by the way, is the short list. I was ready to settle into what I thought would be a frothy read a la “Two Broke Girls” in the Truman Era trying to make it in the greatest city in the world, and their antics within the walls of the famed downtown residency. Instead, I found much meatier subject matter relevant to the politically charged climate in which we currently live. Nowadays, no matter where one goes, it seems civil discourse by con-
Fiona Davis. Photo: Deborah Feingold
Photo via Amazon.com
trasting parties is almost unheard of. Back then, it was everything The Chelsea stood for. It was a place “where people with opposing opinions mix and mingle without forcing one side or the other to leave.” Perhaps that’s why this bastion for freethinking creative people came under surveillance when the House Un-American Activities Committee headed east to NYC to probe communism within the Broadway theater community. After Hazel is served a subpoena, for tagging along with her brother to a political rally back in 1938, and her testimony at the hearing pretty much puts the committee in its place, she feels confident about going back to the theater, putting on her play, and being free of any more Are-you-now-or-have-you-everbeen-a-member-of-the-communistparty? accusations.” But Julius Rosenberg has just been arrested for passing secret nuclear technology information to the Soviet Union, and other “red” spies are
running scared and willing to do anything to keep from being caught — even if it means throwing friends under the bus. That’s where Hazel lands, never realizing that the crusade of Senator Joseph McCarthy had been so close to home all along. “The Chelsea Girls” is chock full of blacklists, conspiracy theories, boycotts, collusion with Russia, witch hunts, rallies, marches, testimonies before Congress, and the FBI railroading people. Not only that, but derailed careers, drained finances and destroyed lives. Sound familiar? It’s like nothing’s changed in 70 years. Then as now, a difference of opinion could mean irreparable rifts between friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members and even spouses — plus knock-down dragouts among strangers. Right after the presidential election, I was with a bunch of people and Trump happened to be on the venue’s television. As my husband
Julius Rosenberg arrest photograph, July 17, 1950. Photo: National Archives and Records Administration, via Wikimedia Commons
is a “tie guy,” always on the lookout for a new pattern to add to his collection, I mentioned The Donald was wearing a rather snazzy one. You would’ve thought that I’d whipped out a MAGA hat the way I was verbally attacked and accused of “supporting” a man one person in the group acknowledged was, “Not my president.”
What I learned from Hazel and Maxine is that crusades often drift into oblivion, and those who saberrattle for them usually move on to the next cause célèbre. None of them are worth losing loved ones over. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”
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6 2 7 4 9 8 3 5 1
3 1 5 2 6 7 9 4 8
8 5 1 6 3 4 2 7 9
7 6 3 5 2 9 8 1 4
4 9 2 8 7 1 5 6 3
12. Refuse to do business with 23. Son of Zeus who slew Medusa 24. Acceptances 26. Landmass that stretches across UK to China 27. Mild drink after a stiff one 28. Support on the sides 30. All in the imagination 31. Attack suddenly 32. Editing marks in ancient manuscripts 35. Advised, old word 37. Hoof beat
T V I X S M R N E Z F E A X N
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34. Neither here __ there 36. Honey 37. United by kinship 38. Bemoan 39. Birthright seller 40. Grocery store need 41. Pull the plug on 42. Eye piece 43. “Sitting on the dock of the Bay” singer 44. ___ Ventura 45. Peeve 46. Myanmar monetary unit 47. Had an edge Down 1. Eight-person band 2. Consider 3. Electric generator 4. Restaurant in London 5. Impalpability 6. Hammer end 7. Hire 8. French philosopher 9. Checkered 11. Cooker, in a way
U L Z W D Q B R T S L F I P R
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A W O O R W U H I V B N N I V
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E R C R W Q A Y D M A S A A T
M L P H D M Z B M Q T J V M X
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B R P O W D E R G C Y H W N L
S A L O N H X X Q X N C X E T
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D T C K J O S E Y T O B Q C A
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J N F B T H P U T W V Q J S E
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
O I C K Q N S U R G Q V L E L
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W C R F G M E A E B F R O N A
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Y A G E I T M K L K A W I O P
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Level: Medium
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Y B A P C O L O R S Y M P C M
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T V I X S M R N E Z F E A X N
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A W O O R W U H I V B N N I V
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E R C R W Q A Y D M A S A A T
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B R P O W D E R G C Y H W N L
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E
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Across 1. Discontinued 4. Service award 7. Food measurement 10. Bashful 11. Unit of heredity 12. False god from the Bible 13. Freight volume 14. Value 15. Gumbo pod 16. Alias 17. Neighbor of Pakistan 18. Fictional monkey 19. Boulder ___ 20. Mafia boss 21. Telephone part 22. Head guy 24. Top-of-the-line 25. Most like a tree from a horror movie 27. Bird beak part 29. Dissolution 32. Electrical resistance units 33. Exasperate
9
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6 3
D
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1
E
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9
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A
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
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CROSSWORD
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Downtowner 1
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NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARMENT SECURITY BY VIRTUE OF A DEFAULT PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By Virtue of a Default under Loan Security Agreement, and other Security Documents, Karen Loiacano, Auctioneer, License #DCA1435601 or Jessica L Prince-Clateman, Auctioneer, License #1097640 or Vincent DeAngelis Auctioneer, License #1127571 will sell at public auction, with reserve, on July 31, 2019, in the Rotunda, New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street., New York, NY 10007, commencing at 1:30 PM for the following account: Yvette I. Vigo, as borrower, 25 shares of capital stock of East River Housing Corporation and all right, title and interest in the Proprietary Lease to: 575 Grand Street, Unit E807, New York, NY 10002 Sale held to enforce rights of Citibank N.A., who reserves the right to bid. Ten percent (10%) Bank/CertiďŹ ed check required at sale, balance due at closing within thirty (30) days. The Cooperative Apartment will be sold â&#x20AC;&#x153;AS ISâ&#x20AC;? and possession is to be obtained by the purchaser. Pursuant to Section 201 of the Lien Law you must answer within 10 days from receipt of this notice in which redemption of the above captioned premises can occur. There is presently an outstanding debt owed to Citibank N.A. (lender) as of the date of this notice in the amount of $79,253.24. This ďŹ gure is for the outstanding balance due under UCC1, which was secured by Financing Statement in favor of Citibank FSB., Recorded on February 3, 2004, CRFN: 2004000063542. A UCC5 was recorded on June 21, 2019 in CRFN: 2019000195884 which corrected the lender to Citibank N.A. Please note this is not a payoff amount as additional interest/fees/penalties may be incurred. You must contact the undersigned to obtain a ďŹ nal payoff quote or if you dispute any information presented herein. The estimated value of the above captioned premises is $575,000.00. Pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code Article 9-623, the above captioned premises may be redeemed at any time prior to the foreclosure sale. You may contact the undersigned and either pay the principal balance due along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by Citibank N.A.. and the undersigned, or pay the outstanding loan arrears along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees
and out of pocket expenses incurred by Citibank N.A., and the undersigned, with respect to the foreclosure proceedings. Failure to cure the default prior to the sale will result in the termination of the proprietary lease. If you have received a discharge from the Bankruptcy Court, you are not personally liable for the payment of the loan and this notice is for compliance and information purposes only. However, Citibank N.A., still has the right under the loan security agreement and other collateral documents to foreclosure on the shares of stock and rights under the proprietary lease allocated to the cooperative apartment. Dated: June 26, 2019 Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for Citibank N.A. 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 631-969-3100 File #01-091726- #97306
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