The local paper for Downtown wn THE MUSEUM AT FIT TURNS 50
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2019
‘I WAS IN A DARK TUNNEL’ SENIOR HEALTH
DANGER IN THE FOOD DESERTS ▲ P.2
TIMES SQUARE LOVE STORIES ▲ P.9
‘IF WE HAD A GYM...’ ▲ P.15
HE FOUGHT TO FIND HIMSELF ▲ P.21
How the Henry Street Settlement works to lift seniors from isolation and depression BY BRIAN DEMO
Basilisa Riggio, 76, came to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was two. She was surrounded by people for most of her life. She helped raise two children and is now a grandmother of three. She earned a master’s degree from Adelphi University and taught early education at Public School 42 in the Bronx. But her life changed. She and her husband divorced, the children began their adult lives, and she retired as a full-time teacher. She felt lonely. And that loneliness led to anxiety; and her anxiety deepened into depression. “I was in a dark tunnel,” she said. Today, she credits programs run by the Henry Street Settlement for teaching her how to manage her anxiety and depression, while giving her a sense of community. “The social work helped me. The exercises helped me. We have a lot of workshops. All those workshops helped.” Henry Street’s array of senior health offerings include NORC/ Vladek, a partnership with the NYC Housing Authority (NORC stands for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community); the Henry Street Senior Center; the Senior Companion program; the Center for Active and Successful Aging (CASA); and Health Seniors Select Meals on Wheels. In addition to on-site counseling, support and health services, Henry Street social workers visit seniors, who often remain at home for physical or mental health reasons.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
HOUSING Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer vows legal action if city allows private development on NYCHA land without public land use review BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial plan to allow a private developer to build a residential tower on the grounds of a Yorkville public housing development without a public land use review could spur a legal showdown with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In a Feb. 20 letter to de Blasio, Brewer signaled her intent to take legal action if the mayor grants zoning waivers to the project, rather than subjecting it to the city’s extensive Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP. Fetner Properties’ planned 500-foot tower, which would sit directly between the two existing 25-story buildings of the Holmes Towers campus at East 92nd St. and First Ave., would not adhere to zoning requirements governing open space, building spacing and setbacks. Brewer objects to the administration’s planned use of a mechanism known as a mayoral zoning override to waive these restrictions, effec-
Posters help raise awareness among seniors about free depression screenings. Photo: Brian Demo Downtowner
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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
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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
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
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DANGER IN THE FOOD DESERTS VIEWPOINT Access to affordable healthy options should be a right of all New Yorkers BY MARK LEVINE AND MICHAEL DAVOLI
In his annual State of the City address earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out a plan to provide affordable health care to all New Yorkers. “Health care is a human right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it,” said the Mayor. While we could not agree more with the Mayor, we also believe that all New Yorkers should have the right to the tools necessary to live healthy lifestyles — including access to affordable, healthy food. Unfortunately, access to healthy food has become a privilege for some instead of a right for all. While many of us can walk out of our homes in any direction and pick up healthy groceries, millions of New Yorkers live in food deserts, neighborhoods where affordable, healthy food options, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, are almost nonexistent. Meanwhile, fast food restaurants and corner stores with few healthy options are omnipresent in these same
neighborhoods. Living in a food desert means you are more likely to develop obesity because of a lack of healthy food options. Adding to the challenge for many New Yorkers are the few opportunities for physical activity and a lack of physical education programs in many city schools. The increasing lack of affordable healthy food comes at a particularly unhealthy time in New York City. After more than a decade of decline, the percentage of obese adults rose to 25 percent this past year. That’s more than a 22 percent increase since 2002, according to the recently released Mayor’s Management Report. When you include overweight — meaning not-yet-obese — adults, more than half of all adult New Yorkers tip the scales at unhealthy levels. Even more alarming is the sharp increase in obesity among youth in New York City. Nearly half of all elementary school and Head Start students are either overweight or obese. Research shows that overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults and experience other health risks. These trends are so alarming because approximately 18 percent of all cancers are attributed to poor diet, physical
A city program allows SNAP recipients to use their benefits at local farmers’ markets. Photo: Phil Roeder, via flickr inactivity, excess weight and excess alcohol consumption. Excess body weight, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition are also major risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other serious health issues. In recent years, New York City has taken significant steps to improve the health of its residents by launching a variety of programs designed to improve access to healthy foods. The City Council has funded an initiative that expands access to healthy food choices, including a program that allows SNAP recipients to use their benefits at local farmers’ markets. Mayor de Blasio has also provided millions of dollars to city
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schools to increase the number of physical education teachers and develop space for physical education programs. Yet, despite these initiatives, we know that too many adults are not eating any fruits or vegetables daily and that nearly a quarter of all adults are consuming sugary drinks daily. Some quarter-million children in New York City are still not getting the state mandated amount of physical education each week according to a recent report by the Department of Education. In 2015 Mayor de Blasio set a goal to cut premature mortality by 25 percent by 2040 as part of his OneNYC Plan. This is an ambitious goal and one that we must meet. But to do so, city officials need to respond to these alarming trends by using their authority to address the factors contributing to the obesity crisis.
If we want to improve the health of New Yorkers, some of the steps that we need to consider are: • Helping store owners bring and keep healthy foods on their shelves • Providing financial incentives to businesses willing to open healthy food establishments in underserved neighborhoods • Using zoning rules to promote healthy foods • Discouraging the consumption of sugary drinks • Further expanding SNAP benefits • Strengthening school nutritional standards • Making permanent New York City’s recent financial investment in physical education Like health care, access to affordable healthy foods should be a right for all New Yorkers. While the food and obesity crisis has been building for more
than two decades, it is up to us to look at our budgets and take decisive steps that will reduce obesity in our city and prevent even more unnecessary deaths. Access to affordable healthy food should not be a privilege afforded to those of us lucky to live in a food oasis rather than food desert. Access to affordable healthy food should be a right of all New Yorkers. Mark Levine is Chair of the New York City Council’s Health Committee and represents District 7 which includes the neighborhoods of Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville, Morningside Heights and Hamilton Heights. Michael Davoli is the Director of Government Relations in Metro New York for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and a member of the New York City Department of Education District Wellness Advisory Council.
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG TEAM WORK Two women in their 20s entered the Versace store at 160 Mercer St. on Wednesday, Feb. 13, Working together, they removed and concealed store merchandise without permission or authority before ďŹ&#x201A;eeing the location in an unknown direction. The theft
wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discovered until store personnel conducted inventory the following day. The items stolen included a handbag and pouch with a total value of $3,190.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE? Two shoplifters apparently dropped or abandoned some stolen cell phones.
On Saturday afternoon, Feb 16, a man and woman in their 30s removed two phones from a display table inside the Apple Store at 185 Greenwich St.. The pair then ran out of the store and ďŹ&#x201A;ed west toward BrookďŹ eld Place and the C2 level of the Oculus transportation hub at the World Trade Center. Remarkably, the phones were later recovered by police. The phones were iPhone XS Max devices, valued at$2,198.
GONE PHONE In this story, a stolen iPhone stays stolen. At 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13, an unknown man snatched a phone from the hand of a 30-yearold woman at the corner of Reade and Church Sts.. The perpetrator then ďŹ&#x201A;ed north. Police searched the neighborhood but couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ďŹ nd the thief or the phone. The stolen cell was an iPhone XS valued at $1,200.
THE NEW SWITCHEROO In the early morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 20, a 22-year-old man took a car service to the M1-5 Lounge inside 52 Walker St.. The passenger gave the driver his TD Bank debit card to pay his fare, but the driver dropped the card. As the passenger helped look for the card, the driver handed him a TD Bank debit
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Feb 17 Week to Date
Year to Date
2019 2018
% Change 2019
2018
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
0
n/a
Rape
0
2
-100.0 1
4
-75.0
Robbery
0
0
n/a
3
9
-66.7
Felony Assault
0
2
-100.0 9
6
50.0
Burglary
1
0
n/a
14
5
180.0
Grand Larceny
16
22
-27.3
123
137
-10.2
Grand Larceny Auto
0
0
n/a
1
1
0.0
card, which the passenger assumed was his. Once inside the club, however, the card was declined when the man tried to use it. He looked at the card and realized that the driver had given him a card belonging to someone else. The victim later discovered that someone had made unauthorized charges totaling $700 on his card before he could cancel it.
ON VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY, OF ALL DAYS As if a busload of kids wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
enough of a challenge! On Thursday, Feb. 14, a 54-year-old woman was driving a school bus at the corner of Greenwich and Chambers Sts. when she discovered that her wallet and other items had been removed from her bag by persons unknown. She soon canceled all her cards, and fortunately no unauthorized usage turned up. The items stolen included various credit and debit cards, $56 in cash, a MetroCard worth $26, a Metro-North ticket priced at $14, an insurance card and a Costco membership card. The total stolen came to $96.
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DEPRESSION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 To qualify for NORC/Vladek, seniors must be at least 60 and live in the Vladeck Houses – public housing and independent apartment living, which Betsy Smith, director of the program, urges hesitant elderly people to not mistake for nursing homes, assisted retirement communities, and similar settings. Among the services available to NORC residents are a blood pressure clinic and home visits by the program’s registered nurse. NORC/Vladek and the senior center both offer mental health screenings and referrals to CASA, a satellite mental health clinic. The senior center, for instance, uses the PHQ-9 Scale – “one of the most validated tools in mental health,” which can be used to “assist clinicians with diagnosing depression and monitoring treatment response,” according to the AIMS Center at the University of Washington. The center also works to create an atmosphere where seniors can learn about mental health and make friends through games and activities. It hosts presentations on aging and depression, as well as music, dancing, and art classes. Riggio loves to dance. She took tap and ballet classes as a kid, and dreamed of performing on Broadway. She found solace in the senior center classes. “We did belly dancing,” she said, “and Zumba.” Like any institution that seeks to ad-
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com dress depression, Henry Street faces ongoing challenges. Getting seniors to overcome the stigma attached to the condition and even acknowledge that they are depressed is an issue, Smith said. Getting them into treatment, and getting them to accept the treatment, is another. To compound matters, some seniors suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), said Cheryl Kamen, director of the senior center. “It could be from the Korean War, Vietnam. It could be 9/11.” Fidelia Gloria Dorival – an 88-yearold woman originally from Barbados – said she has suffered from PTSD since the World Trade Center attacks, which happened about two miles from her home. “I’m screaming and I don’t know what to do,” she recalled. She called the Henry Street Senior Center her “second home.” Yet, she also said. “In the silence, I’m depressed. I stay in bed; they beg me to get out.” Culture plays a significant role, Kamen said. Hispanic seniors, for example, who make up 60 percent of the NORC/Vladek program, may view depression as God’s punishment. And Chinese seniors, 35 percent of participants, are known by several Henry Street staff to be deeply hesitant to speak about mental health troubles, let alone depression, out of fear of bringing shame upon themselves and their families. Henry Street social worker Agnes Leong, a citizen of the U.S. and Macau who speaks Chinese, works carefully to make incremental progress with her
Basilisa Riggio said Henry Street Settlement programs helped her manage her anxiety and depression. Photo: Brian Demo clients. “Especially the older generation,” she said. “They think depression means they’re crazy. They won’t even say the word ‘depression.’ They just say, ‘I’m not happy.’” But Leong finds hard-earned progress fulfilling. “I love to see their smile after they complete something.” With counseling sessions from CASA and art classes at the senior center, Mrs. W., a 74-year-old Hispanic woman who prefers to remain anonymous, found
ASK YOUR DOCTOR TO TEST YOUR CHILD FOR LEAD Lead in peeling paint poisons children. • Tell your landlord to fix peeling paint. It’s the law. • Wash floors, windowsills, hands, and toys often.
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a way to deal with her depression. She smiled when she talked about her abstract drawings – done in colored pencils. She also said she feels isolated and gets distracted at home at night. Her husband, she said, rarely goes out and won’t discuss what his isolation means, or reach out for treatment. “If he’s gotta get help, he don’t wanna get help,” she said. Though more graceful in Spanish, she addressed Smith and her interpreter for the interview, case manager Cindy Campoverde, in English. “You understand my problems,” she said. The Henry Street staff work to normalize discussions of mental illness. They print and display posters showing photos of seniors who have been screened for depression. They also display posters (from the International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression) of famous people, living and dead, who have dealt with depression. Among them are Janet Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Social workers and other staff are taught to be aware and persistent in maintaining contact with their clients. For example, they call if they have not heard nor seen particular seniors in a while. If the calls fail, they visit. Even the Meals on Wheels delivery people let their supervisors know of red flags, such as excessive sluggishness or declines in home upkeep, according to their director, Cindy Singh. Henry Street also offers the Senior Companion program, which trains and deploys healthy and active elderly
5 to meet with homebound or isolated seniors. The program director, Rachael Singh, said her senior volunteers – the companions – fill a multitude of roles: from home visits to escorts for doctor appointments or community activities. Some relationships blossom into friendships. “A senior may have the same client for 10 to 15 years,” she said. And they’re never too old or too young to offer a hand. “Our oldest senior companion is 91, and our youngest is 55.” Wearing a black hoodie and jeans, Lillian Bermudez, who will turn 65 in July, described a scenario similar to Riggio’s. “I found myself waking up and saying, ‘Shit. Now what?’” Though she claims she is more introverted than Riggio and Dorival, she mentioned that she loves to go out dancing. Earlier this month, the senior center hosted its Valentine’s Day party. Under decorations and dimmed lights, seniors partied with energy that could rival a college dance. A mix of pop – a dance remix of Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and a “Blurred Lines” cover – and Latin music pumped through the center. Bermudez traded her hoodie and jeans for a red outfit. She applied red lipstick before motioning toward the dance floor to join Riggio, who was dancing with an elderly gentleman. Dorival was all in red as well, holding her walker and a heart-shaped balloon. And Mrs. W. was there, with a red ornament in her hair, smiling wide. “Don’t stay home. Get out there,” said Riggio.
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
NEW DETAILS ON 92ND STREET MTS RAMP COMMUNITY Construction of connection to Marine Transfer Station will require playground removal, potential changes to traffic and bus patterns BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Though the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station will welcome its first garbage trucks this spring, the 92nd Street ramp that will eventually serve as the primary access point to the East River facility will not be completed until 2023. The new ramp, which will be located near the intersection of East 92nd Street and York Avenue and run through a portion of what is now DeKovats Playground at the northern end of Asphalt Green’s campus, will connect to the existing bridge that spans the FDR Drive at East 91st Street. Construction on the ramp is expected to commence in 2021 and will require the removal
of play equipment and a number of trees in DeKovats Playground. The $53 million project will also require changes to the surrounding streets, including the potential reconfiguration of East 92nd Street to accommodate two-way traffic between First and York Avenues. The East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station is expected to open March 25, following years of ultimately unsuccessful local efforts to block the controversial Department of Sanitation facility. The project remains broadly unpopular with Upper East Side residents and elected officials, who cite pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and air quality concerns raised by increased garbage truck traffic in the neighborhood, among other issues. Until the new ramp is completed, garbage trucks will access the East River waste transfer station using the existing ramp at 91st Street, which runs through Asphalt Green’s campus. The new ramp was first announced in 2015 in re-
The planned East 92nd Street MTS ramp would connect to the existing bridge that traverses the FDR Drive at East 91st Street. Image: NYC DDC sponse to community concerns with pedestrian safety and air quality hazards presented by trucks using the existing ramp between the complex’s athletic fields and playground.
Air quality monitoring and traffic agents The southern portion of DeKovats Playground will remain open during construction, and the Parks Department intends to replace the removed
equipment and redesign the entire playground once ramp work is complete. The estimated $3.2 million necessary to complete the playground project, however, is currently unfunded. The Upper East Side’s Community Board 8 urged the mayor’s office to allocate funding for the DeKovats Playground project in a resolution passed at its Feb. 20 meeting. The community board also
called for a more extensive air quality monitoring regime than the city plan currently in place, and for traffic agents to be placed at intersections around Asphalt Green and nearby schools to promote the safety of children and other pedestrians. “As much as we think it’s inappropriate to have the MTS, we realize that the city is determined to use the facility as planned, so we want to minimize the negative impacts and
safety issues,” said Alida Camp, the chair of Community Board 8. In addition to the introduction of two-way traffic on East 92nd Street, which garbage trucks will use to access and exit the Marine Transfer Station, city plans also call for adjustments to bus patterns in the area. Existing M31 and M86 SBS bus stops on First Avenue and East 92nd Street to be relocated to East 91st Street. Buses that currently lay over between runs on the north side of East 92nd Street would be assigned new layover zones on the south side of 92nd Street and on York and First Avenues. Trees removed during construction will be restituted in accordance with city law. A Parks Department spokesperson said that the agency will work to maximize the number of trees replanted in the area of the project. If the number of trees to be replanted exceeds the space available, the trees may be replanted elsewhere in the neighborhood.
THE CONGRESSWOMAN AND THE COMIC DIVERSITY Two very different people accept the special responsibility that comes with being Asian and successful BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
At first glance comedian Ronny Chieng and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng are not an obvious pairing. Chieng is a brash correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah who appeared in the historic blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians.” Meng is a congresswoman who advocates for child-safety issues. Chieng is a Chinese exPat, Meng was born in Queens. Chieng spends his nights cramming in as many stand-up performances as he can physically handle. Meng balances her taxing work on Capitol Hill with raising two sons. But the two do share something that a lot of people don’t: the responsibility that comes with being one of the few representatives for Asian people in politics and popular culture. Meng is the first Asian American member of Congress elect-
U.S. Rep Grace Meng and comedian Ronny Chieng appeared together at the City of the Museum of New York. Photo: Emily Higginbotham ed from New York. Chieng is the only Asian comedian cast on a late night show. It was this commonality that brought the two together the evening of Feb. 20 at the Museum of the City of New York to talk about the power of representation and how the reality of that representation is changing for Asian people in politics, media and entertainment. The discussion was moderated by New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir as part of the museum’s “Only in New York” series. Nir describes the ongo-
ing series as the types of unexpected conversations that you can only have in New York — conversations you might have with a cab driver taking you to the airport, or with the person behind you in line at Zabars — the kind you walk away from a better person. Nir kicked off the event inquiring about how Meng and Chieng’s presence in their respective fields is opening the door for the next generation. “How many of your idols look like you?” Nir asked Chieng, eliciting a stunned response.
“None,” Chieng said after a long pause. “Do I look like Gilbert Gottfried?” He now takes it upon himself to use his clout to elevate other Asian comics. “I have made it a point to get Asian men and women involved. If I don’t ask Asian comics to open, no one will.” For Meng, her presence as a Chinese American in Congress means pushing for legislation no one had thought to push for before. “A constituent brought a court document in which they were described as ‘oriental.’ This was in 2009,” Meng said, recalling an incident that was the catalyst for her pushing to erase the term from state laws while she served in the State Assembly. When she was elected to Congress, she continued the push to replace terms such as oriental, eskimo and negro in federal codes with descriptors that are more politically correct. The pair also talked about using their platforms to push back against harmful stereotypes about Asian Americans. In 2016, prior to the presi-
dential election, “The O’Reilly Factor,” on Fox News, aired a segment in which contributor Jesse Watters conducted man-on-the-street interviews in Chinatown, asking Chinese voters how they felt about Donald Trump. However, during the segment, Watters took cheap jabs at Asian stereotypes and targeted elderly people, who were unlikely to speak English, in an attempt to embarrass them. In response, Chieng went down to Chinatown for the Daily Show and spoke to people in their dialect of Chinese. His segment went viral. “People lined up to give their opinions on it,” he said. “We should take heart that the negative reaction to (the Fox clip) was so overwhelming. Most people knew it wasn’t cool.” “On a personal level, it was offensive,” Meng said of Watters’ segment, adding that she could imagine her own grandmother being targeted and embarrassed because she doesn’t speak English. “People think it’s part of our culture to not speak up or stand up for ourselves.”
She said she tries to teach her sons to speak up when they are being harmed or picked on because of their culture. Since Asian representation in our politics and media is low, Meng and Chieng are often asked to represent all Asian groups, and that can be tricky. “It’s not a monolith to say the least,” Chieng said, adding that the distinction between Korean Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, Thai Americans, and so on, are not often made, and the groups are lumped together. “Even if you address them generally, there are competing philosophies between the different groups,” he said. “At The Daily Show, I have to rep the entire continent. I have to show them the point of view of these people, or say this isn’t a joke we can say.” He said one way to move forward would be to create context for Asian stories in the United States. “We need to set a base level of storytelling,” he said. “That’s how you get “Get Out.” That’s how you get “Black Panther.”
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Photo: joiseyshowaa, via flickr
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A TRAFFIC PROPOSAL In light of the congestion pricing talk and ways to cut down traffic, I have an observation and thought. On my daily walk to the gym, I go up 90th St. between Second and Third Aves. and I often see at least a third to half of the parking spaces on that block taken up by cars with out-ofstate license plates. Why are out of towners able to park on our streets for free, taking up spaces local residents should be using? And bringing their cars which we are trying to curtail, to clog our streets? This has been bugging me for years and I have mentioned it to some of our elected officials with not much enthusiasm on their part. If we are going to allow this, there should be a simple mechanism to charge out-of-state drivers for a parking pass to allow them to park on the streets. With today’s technology, there would be ways for drivers to go online, pay for, let’s say, a 24-hour parking pass or 48 hours/weekly/monthly/annually. They could download a sticker or something to put in the window as they do today with parking meters. One could argue that these are visitors to NYC who spend money in the city while they are here. But at what cost to the city and neighborhoods? We are missing out on a big revenue source that could go towards improving our subways. One could also argue that drivers pay to get into Manhattan via our bridges and tunnels. But that fee should not include being able to park for free on our streets. If the city is going to consider congestion pricing in Manhattan, they should also consider charging out of state cars for
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
street parking in all of Manhattan’s neighborhoods and earmarking those funds for subway improvements. Nancy Ploeger Upper East Side
ABOLISH THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE Any public opinion poll can tell you that the average citizen believes taxpayers would be better off if the useless Office of Public Advocate was abolished. It has only provided temporary employment for past Public Advocates Mark Green, Betsy Gotbaum, Bill de Blasio and most recently, Letitia James. All engaged in a non-stop series of press conferences, news releases, letters to the editor, guest columns in newspapers and publicity stunts for years. All of this was at taxpayers’ expense to raise their name identification with voters and grease the wheels for running for another public office. NYC will have a $92 billion budget in fiscal year 2019 with over 230,000 employees. This is greater than most states and many nations. Members of 59 community planning boards, their district managers along with every municipal agency provide better customer service to residents that any public advocate does. The same is true for NYC Council members, borough presidents and city comptroller who also periodically conduct audits of municipal agencies. The Office of Public Advocate just duplicates these functions, with taxpayers paying twice for the same services. No one would notice if the Office of Public Advocate was abolished. Funding for the Office of Public Advocate would be better spent on more critical municipal services such
as transportation, police, fire, sanitation or education. Larry Penner Great Neck, NY
LINDA FAIRSTEIN AND HUNTER COLLEGE Since 1878 Hunter College has been a shining beacon in secondary and higher education, community involvement, and providing NYC with the finest teachers, lawyers and doctors. Unfortunately that light dims when Linda Fairstein is set to anchor a series of writer seminars at this wonderful institution. For those too young to know, she achieved her claim to fame by prosecuting the Central Park Five in the notorious jogger case. As the chief sex crimes prosecutor for the Manhattan DA, Fairstein turned an ambiguous mound of evidence into an outcome that sent five young men of color (ages 15 to 18) to jail for many years. The documentary “The Central Park Jogger” reveals how poorly the case was developed, using draconian techniques to coerce confessions from these teenagers. The film also reveals how the five defendants were vindicated by evidence that should have been brought to light at the time. Now the reinvented Fairstein is going to be celebrated as a great author. I believe that every artist should have a platform for her art. But in this case she attained fame and fortune in large part from her previous career. As a proud graduate of the CUNY system, I ask for Hunter College to rescind this invitation for cause. And those concerned about justice should protest if they do not. Steve Urevith Upper East Side
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Voices
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SMILES, WORDS, PLACES WE NEED BY BETTE DEWING
Why am I smiling while writing this column? Although always a labor of love, it’s sure not fun to do, and as writer Dorothy Parker once mused, “I hate writing, I love having writ.” Does that make you smile? I hope so, and that’s what this column is first about — how the very act of smiling does soothe the brain as well as sweeten the social climate around us. And don’t we need that — and leaders who set the example. And leaders who set the example right now, above all, in Hanoi. But on the home front — everyday life, no smiling at wrongdoing or wrongdo-
ers, of course. But back to soothing the brain to reduce the stress, somehow this Rx never really got out there, like so much it would help us to know. And even more, about caring communication skills, which exist but again, are not “hot topics,” So again, let me remind you of Lenox Hill Hospital’s Dr. Sarah Flannery’s most caring response to my recent accident, “I’m so very sorry this happened to you.” Needed of course are Flannery’s follow-up words, “Don’t worry, we will help you get well.” And. of course, she smiled. Speaking of faith groups and Ash Wednesday, with ash smudges on
Catholic foreheads that day, Lenten resolves should above all include using Dr. Flannery’s caring communication skills. Again. it’s up to the leaders to set the example — this time it’s faith group leaders. And as for the smiling Rx, these leaders should remind their members to always give an acknowledging smile to those sharing their pew. You mean they don’t? And how good it is when clergy respond with thanks to a critique, such as their faith group needs to be more involved in the lives of their congregations. I do believe the pews would be fuller if they were, and clergy never defensively said, “But
we are doing this and that...” Ah, but I am so very sorry to learn the Church of the Epiphany on York Avenue will be replaced by Weill Cornell Medical Center’s housing for medical students. Epiphany members will be relocating to the building that has housed Jan Hus Presbyterian Church (which is moving as well), but it won’t be the same, especially for longtime members. And for some it may not even be accessible. The population is aging. But the neighborhood is also a big loser, surely Epiphany’s presence, along with its offering of public service meetings and events, will be missed. Lost is yet another public gathering place. Say that again, please. And can we afford to lose another church (or synagogue) — and with it its beacon of hope type architecture, replaced by another
A MESSY MODERN FAMILY BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL
Bravo’s Andy Cohen recently welcomed a baby boy, Benjamin, into his life via surrogate. He’s now joined other celebrities such as Kimye, SJP, Tyra Banks, Neil Patrick Harris, Nicole Kidman, Dylan Lauren, Elton John, Giuliana Rancic and Jimmy Fallon to name a few, who’ve used this nowmainstream practice to expand their families. Although all have used this alternative birthing method without incident, Falguni Kothari, author of “The Object of Your Affections,” shows us what can happen when the surrogate is a BFF who has a crush on your husband. Naira and Neal both have baby fever; too bad they aren’t married to each other. Widowed and childless Naira’s bestie, Paris, is Neal’s wife and doesn’t want children. She however is willing to compromise on this issue to hold on to her husband, as long as she doesn’t actually have to have the baby. “Naira, I’m asking you, I’m begging you to take the kid off my hands.” I read this line and the words watch
what you wish for began to flash neon sign-style in my head. Can they all truly embrace this modern family they’re about to create? Well, the title of the novel’s Part Two, “The Tri Mess-ters,” shows you the direction things are going in. The story is set ever-appropriately in New York City, where friends asking too much of friends is de rigueur. Unlike natives like me, most Manhattanites have left relatives far behind and form families out of colleagues, neighbors and friends of friends. It’s comforting for one to know there’s someone to call at 11 p.m. for an ER escort because errant Krazy Glue landed in one’s eye, but the bigger the asks get, the more of a chance the friendship will fizzle. Carry my baby is a pretty big request, oh yes, and will you co-parent, too? The book is a roller coaster ride of watching downtown-via-the Upper East Side Paris hatch her plan, get Neal on board, and Naira to agree then go through IVF, and give birth to twins no less; all the while Naira and Neal get closer and Paris becomes jealous and resentful. Kothari is a gifted storyteller, but
rather than hoping that Paris will suddenly be overcome by maternal instincts, I kept wondering if she would have been happier had she been true to herself. When she gets word that Naira is in labor, Paris hesitates before rushing to join the surrogate mother-to-be and Neal. She never wanted any of this. An ambitious ADA, this feminist derived satisfaction from fighting for social justice; working all day prosecuting criminals then volunteering for legal causes in the evenings. Changing diapers, attending — let alone making costumes for — the school play, policing the completion of homework; all the joys and tedium of being a mom could never hold her interest like a good closing argument. She knew it, and yet, she went through with it anyway. It sounds more familiar than I’d like it to. Both personally and professionally, I meet my share of divorced New Yorkers, whose marriages ended for various reasons, but seem to utter
characterless and non-public highrise? (Epiphany also has a back yard garden). I don’t think so, and maybe you too believe infinitely more needs to be said and done to save, and yes, restore these public places, whose mission it is to help people be a little more caring, first in their own congregation and community — and beyond — way beyond. No matter that they sometimes don’t live up to the love one another creed, and yes, this needs “outing” and repentance, but always remembering we can’t afford to lose the great potential for good they do. Saving faith groups can be done if enough concerned people try — no matter their belief or non-belief. So very much is at stake. bettedewing@aol.com
friends who were all engaged or married, or their significant others. Paris ended up feeling guilty for who she was, even though that’s who Neal fell in love with. “He’d accepted me with all my flaws. But as soon as I’d dangled the carrot of family in front of him ... he flipped. It had validated all my fears about us. Hadn’t I always known deep in me that we would end?” And they still might. As I closed this page-turner, I was so anxious for the sequel I began to write it in my head. In my follow-up: Paris had given motherhood the ol’ college try, but alas just could not muster up enough maternal feelings to see it as anything but a grind. She leaves Naira and Neal to nurture while she makes a success of herself. Paris returns when the kids are grown and she can relate to them more on a friend level. Cynical? Perhaps. You’ll just have to read “The Object of Your Affections” for yourself and decide if love and friendship are worth denying one’s own dreams.
Photo via Amazon.com the same phrase when telling their stories: “I never really wanted children, in fact, I never wanted to get married in the first place ...” but did, citing social pressure from a parent,
Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”
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TIMES SQUARE LOVE STORIES ROMANCE On Valentine’s Day, dozens of couples gathered to renew their vows. Our reporter spoke with two of them BY MICHELLE NAIM
Ah, love is in the air. Valentine’s day brought all sorts of celebrations to the heart of the city — weddings, surprise proposals, and even a large-scale vow renewal ceremony. Couples from diverse backgrounds were brought together in the center of the city to celebrate in the name of one commonality — love. The festivities began on Thursday morning in Duffy Square at West 46th Street and Broadway, where this year’s special Valentine’s installation (there’s a different one every year) evokes the universal symbol for a kiss. The giant X, made by Reddymade, an architecture and design company, has words such as “democracy,” “equality,” and “love” displayed on the inside. Couples flocked around the illuminated X on Thursday evening, taking photos with their significant others. One couple said they weren’t even in love when they got engaged. Rudra and Kripa Joshi were married in India, where it was the norm for parents to arrange a marriage. Kripa, a freelance makeup and hair stylist, said the lovely red dress she was wearing had been gifted to her by husband of six years. Although the couple got married in India, she and Rudra came to “The City of Love” for their anniversary because, “We are keeping the love alive ... I’m still in red after six years.” In all, 331 couples registered online with the Times Square Alliance to renew their vows that Valentine’s evening. Of those couples, 63 said they have been married for more than 20 years, according to TJ Witham, the Times Square Alliance director of communications. Some couples have been renewing their vows in Times Square for years, like Upper West Siders Jayne and PJ Kim, who were married there on Valentine’s day in 2014, and have been back every year since to reaffirm their love. They even named their youngest daughter Valentine.
When they first met, PJ said, Jayne couldn’t stop talking to him, but she was so “unspeakably beautiful” he couldn’t muster up the courage to speak a word to her until a few hours later. A mother of two (Emilie, 14, and Alexandra,12) at the time, Jayne was very protective of her daughters. In the initial stages of their relationship, she would even make PJ sit outside of her apartment while they spoke. And if he he got thirsty, she would bring out a glass of water. Eventually, she wanted to be a role model for her girls: “I thought they deserved to see what it was like to feel really loved and to love. [I kept thinking] ‘Where has he been my whole life?’ As a partner, and as a friend ... I never knew it could be that easy.” When the couple first heard about the opportunity to get married in Times Square,
Jayne thought “That’s really insane, but it sounds like fun, let’s do it! And we just applied.” After they were selected, Jayne bought wedding bands from a jewelry repair kiosk in a New Jersey shopping mall and purchased a wedding dress two days before the wedding. Both Jayne and PJ recalled the day of their wedding with utter joy and flashing red hearts in their eyes. “In the moment,” PJ said, “it really did feel like fate ... Time seemed to slow down. We made our vows and it felt like it was just the two of us in the world.” February 2014 was also the month that brought a heavy snowstorm to the city. But, Jayne said, “It stopped snowing [the night before the wedding] ... It was freezing, that’s what everyone else says ... but I didn’t feel a single bit of coldness ... It was beautiful, crystal, and clear.”
Valentine’s day has become a special part of the Kim family’s life. Since she was young, Jayne remembers her own mother buying her flowers and small Valentine’s cards. And now, the couple’s anniversary is on Valentine’s day, and their first child together is named Valentine. Naming their daughter Valentine was “pretty much a no brainer for us just because it represents love ... And then when we saw her ... we thought ‘She’s our Valentine,” Jayne said. “When we got married on Valentine’s day,” she added, “it not only was this day of love, but the day that our family joined together as one.” As PJ, Jayne, and their three children descended the steps above the TKTS box office to renew their vows as a family, it was difficult to envision a more picturesque moment. Two people began their journey of love in the City of Love, with those whom they love, and every year, they get to relive it all over again.
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Those smiling people in the center of this photo, the ones looking straight at the camera, are Jayne and PJ Kim. And they’re in love. Photo: Michelle Naim
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When their marriage was first arranged, Rudra and Kripa Joshi were not in love. But they are now, and they were in Times Square on Valentine’s day to renew their vows. Photo: Michelle Naim
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
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Are you experiencing stress or anxiety? Our Behavioral Health program supports people dealing with the effects of vision loss* and their emotional health. Our team is also here to help people of all ages cope with: ï Depression
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vision loss multiple medical issues family crises chronic illness
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Call us for an appointment 212-769-6263
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Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
EDITOR’S PICK
Sun 3 WE HOPE YOU HAVE FUN SubCulture 45 Bleecker St 10:30 p.m. $9 subculturenewyork.com 212-533-5470 Once a month, UCB gathers their favorite comics, improvisers, actors and raconteurs for an hour of fun. Hosted by Ruby Karp, with performances by, Emmy Blotnick (Colbert, Comedy Central Standup), Justin Silver (No Disrespect podcast, Funny For Fido), Rebecca O’Neal (Caroline’s on Broadway) and, Ziwe Fumudoh (Desus & Mero).
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Andy Warhol After Pop
FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST, 1PM The New School | 66 W. 12th St. | 212-229-5108 | newschool.edu In the context of Whitney exhibition Andy Warhol—From A to B and Back Again join a panel of scholars, curators, and artists for a new look at the artist’s less well known work from 1968 until his death in 1987 (free).
Michael Long Presents His New Anthology “We the Resistance: Documenting a History of Nonviolent Protest in the United States”
FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST, 7PM Bluestockings | 172 Allen St. | 212-777-6028 | bluestockings.com Editor Michael Long appears in support of his alternative history, which shifts focus from the likes of military triumphs to courageous individuals and movements on the side of resistance (free).
Just Announced | “The Women’s Suffrage Movement”
FRIDAY, MARCH 8TH, 7PM The New School | 63 Fifth Ave. | 212-229-5108 | newschool.edu The centennial year of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is 2020. Hear from trailblazers Gloria Steinem and Sally Roesch Wagner and Times gender editor Jessica Bennett discussing a compilation of diverse voices across two centuries ($15; $25 admission and signed copy).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
Thu 28 Fri 1
Sat 2
▲ CRAFTERNOON
ARTIST AT WORK: CHARWEI TSAI
CLAIRE CHASE: DENSITY 2036
The Rubin Museum 150 West 17th St 3:00 p.m. Free with Museum Admission As part of her work in the exhibition The Power of Intention: Reinventing the (Prayer) Wheel, Charwei Tsai will write the mantras of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) on spiral incense custom-made in Taiwan. rubinmuseum.org 212-620-5000
The Kitchen 512 West 19th St 8:00 p.m. $25 Claire Chase premieres new works by Olga Neuwirth, Phyllis Chen, Pamela Z, and Sarah Hennies, featuring Constellation Chor. She will also be joined by instrumentalist and composer Tyshawn Sorey for a reprise of their collaboration from Density, part iv. thekitchen.org 212-255-5793
Mulberry Street Library 10 Jersey St 4:00 p.m. Free Make a seasonal craft in the Children’s Room. For children ages 5-12 years old. nypl.org 212-966-3424
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST Feb. 21, 2019
Feb. 24, 2019
THE ETERNAL ORPHANAGE COMMUNITY A Yorkville priest and the head of an elite private school thrash out a plan to memorialize a beloved vestige of a 19th-century chapel — even as its inevitable disappearance looms
I do not doubt that one day, this relic of the past will reemerge to astonish future generations.”
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
The clock is quickly ticking on the future of the Ghostly Remnant of East 90th Street. But there’s good news, too: Due to a breakthrough deal hammered out in a Feb. 15 meeting, the majestic ruin will be commemorated forever. Construction of a new field house for the Spence School on the block between First and York Avenues is already underway. And as it advances, the beloved fragment that survived from the chapel of the old St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum will vanish from view. Built in 1898 to serve the orphanage, which was founded in 1857, the neo-Classical, brick-and-stone church has endured, in truncated form, ever since. That won’t change. But late this year or in 2020, the vestige is expected to be obscured, perhaps indefinitely, behind the six-story, 85-foot tall athletic complex that Spence is now building directly to the east. It won’t go quietly: Its fans have been fighting to save it ever since Our Town chronicled its history, status and uncertain future in two articles in January, “The Ghostly Remnant” and “Rallying for a Remnant.” In response, East Side City Council Member Ben Kallos — who once lived in the condo at 402 East 90th St. in which the remnant is spectacularly
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
City Council Member Ben Kallos
A seven-story vestige of an old Yorkville chapel, embedded into a neighboring building, stands sentinel over an empty lot where the Spence School is constructing a new field house. The facade will vanish from view when the work is completed, but the chapel will be memorialized both inside and outside the new Spence building. Photo: Sarah Greig Photography / FRIENDS of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
Oct. 19, 2018
Nov. 20, 2018
‘GRAMMAR ZEN’ IN VERDI SQUARE COMMUNITY New Yorkers talk tricky tenses, punctuation passions and more at Ellen Jovin’s UWS pop-up table
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
▲ DRUG TEST
MASTERPIECE CLASSIC: WOMEN IN ART
DUOPOLY
Caveat 21 A Clinton St 7:00 p.m $20 Since the dawn of mankind, humans have tried to get high in one way or another. This show welcomes a panel of experts and comedians to discuss how these drugs work! caveat.nyc 212-228-2100
UCB Hell’s Kitchen 555 West 42nd St 9:00 p.m. $9 The thespian. The artisan. The student of the dance. They all have one thing in common: their hoo-has. Join host and living legend Laura Linney (A character by comedian Hallie Haas) on public television’s most beloved profile series. ucbtheatre.com 212-366-9176
The PIT 123 East 24th St 8:00 p.m. $8.00 Come see Duopoly, a night of two-person improv sets from some of New York’s sharpest and most dynamic minds. Experience the joy of twoprov, where connectivity and inventiveness are at their maximum. thepit-nyc.com 212-563-7488
BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Are you prepositionally challenged? Hesitant around hyphens? Undergoing a comma crisis? Simply enraptured by the beauty of a well-placed ellipsis? Ellen Jovin wants to talk grammar with you. Jovin has become familiar to Upper West Side word lovers in recent weeks as the face and founder of Grammar Table — a public forum for open-ended discussion of all things language. Armed with a folding table and an array of reference books and style guides, Jovin sets up shop near the northern entrance to the 72nd Street subway station on Broadway to d l li ( ih
dole out complimentary (with an “i”) pointers, guidance and emotional support to all comers, from devoted syntacticians to the downright grammar-averse. “Hi, this looks lit,” a young woman said on a recent afternoon as she approached Grammar Table (lately Jovin has been trying out the name without the definite article). The woman introduced herself as
a fifth-gr and soon had found vin. A spi the joys o ensued. A steady paused in hour scru the Gram were wa embolde
August 16, 2017
Oct. 30, 2017
A NEW TEA HOUSE COMES TO THE UWS
Wed 6 ◄ ROZ CHAST: GOING INTO TOWN The Strand 828 Broadway 7:00 p.m. $15 Join New Yorker cartoonist and New York Times bestselling author Roz Chast as she shares about and signs her book! strandbooks.com 212-473-1452
Silence, light and art are the hallmarks of a tranquil space on West 72nd Street BY ELISSA SANCI
Each morning, Elina Medvedeva starts her day by sitting in silence and drinking
tea at Floating Mountain, the recently-opened tea house she co-owns with business partner Roza Gazarian on West 72nd Street between Broadway and West End Avenue. She believes that a silent tea bowl ceremony is the proper way to start the day, and so, from 11 a.m. to noon, she sits cross-legged on
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
THE MUSEUM AT FIT TURNS 50 “Exhibitionism” celebrates a halfcentury of collecting and curation at the Manhattan fashion mecca BY VAL CASTRONOVO
FIT alum Michael Kors calls it the “fashion insider’s fashion museum.” After seeing the “Jocks and Nerds” exhibit in 1989, he started doing menswear, he says in a tribute video created to mark the half-centennial of one of the most unique museums in a city full of them. Founded in 1969 as The Design Laboratory and Galleries at FIT, it was initially housed in a “teaching building,” explained director and chief curator Valerie Steele at a preview the day before New York Fashion Week kicked off. The name was changed in 1994, but the museum discovered its mission decades before. It all began when the first director, Robert Riley, had the idea to honor 20th century American costume designer Gilbert Adrian (“Adrian”), creator of the outfits for the Wizard of Oz. “It wasn’t a real exhibition,” Steele said. “It was a live fashion show.”
Valerie Steele, chief curator of the Museum at FIT. Photo: Zach Hilty/BFA
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT” WHERE: The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Ave. at West 27th St. WHEN: Through April 20, 2019 And what a show it was. When MGM got wind of the event, it gifted garments worn by Hollywood icons Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and the like. Think of these costumes as the seeds of the collection, now comprising some 50,000 items of clothing and accessories (they have 4,000 pairs of shoes!), from the 18th century to the 21st century, stored in two climate-controlled rooms in the museum’s home on Seventh Avenue and 27th Street. Garbo’s gown from Camille (1936), with shoulder wings in tulle, is on view in the first room and evokes Depression-era, damn-the-torpedoes glam. It’s fabulously retro and sets the tone. “Exhibitionism” is a salute to some of the most influential, thematically important and provocative shows in the institution’s history, 33 out of more than 200. It’s a hit parade, from “Paul Poiret, King of Fashion” (1976), “Fashion and Surrealism” (1987) and “The Corset” (2000) to “Eco Fashion” (2010), “A Queer History of Fashion” (2013) and “Black Fashion Designers” (2016). The selection has historical range and “a range of curatorial MOs, modi operandi,” Steele said. The fashion treasures are on display in the dimly lit rooms of the Special Exhibitions Gallery, where viewers are in for an illuminating flashback. “As you go through, you can see how different directors and different curators come up with different approaches,” said Steele. “They really weren’t all about showing a bunch of pretty dresses. They all were doing research. A good museum is like a good university. It really does do in-depth research and advances knowledge about the field.” The exhibits have spawned a cottage industry of books, brochures, lectures, symposia and websites. They have an afterlife. There is a Facebook page for
From the exhibit “Fairy Tale Fashion” (2016): An Alexander McQueen evening gown from 2007 with Rapunzel’s golden locks fashioned from gold bugle beads. The Museum at FIT. Photo: Val Castronovo 2013’s seminal show on queer fashion, with regular postings “so it can be a continual resource for people wanting to study LGBTQ influence on fashion and influence on culture in general,” Steele said. From the outset, the focus of most of the museum’s directors and curators has been on building the collection, not mounting shows. “I wanted people to realize we weren’t a kunsthalle [a place for temporary displays],” she said. “We don’t just bring in exhibitions from outside. We create them ourselves.” You don’t have to be a fashion junkie to appreciate the extremely inventive concepts and creations showcased here, some with mise-en-scène props and design elements from the original exhibits, or photos of them, to take you back. A sampling from curator Colleen Hill’s popular “Fairy Tale Fashion” (2016), which looked at the role of clothing in fairy tales, features a mannequin in an Alexander McQueen eve-
From the exhibit “Global Fashion Capitals” (2015), left to right: Lisa Folawiyo, striped cotton dress with glass bead fringe, spring 2015, Nigeria. The Museum at FIT, Gift of Lisa Folawiyo. Big Park, denim and satin screen-printed dress, spring 2015, South Korea. The Museum at FIT, Gift of Big Park. Uma Wang, red and black wool dress, fall 2014, China. The Museum at FIT, Gift of Shanghai Uma Wang, Fashion Co. Ltd. Photo:© The Museum at FIT ning gown with Rapunzel’s long golden locks — fashioned from gold bugle beads — cascading down the front of the garment. A towering silk curtain with digitally printed blonde tresses frames the figure. Steele organized “Gothic: Dark Glamour” in 2008, one of more than 25 shows she has curated at FIT since 1997. She recalled: “It was when I first became aware that mise-en-scène was important, and we had not just the vampire idea of coming out of the coffin, but we also had a ruined castle and a laboratory. Fashion experiments would be taking place.” She did not say whether Frankenstein’s monstrous experiment was a part of the elaborate staging, but a goth mannequin in a Thierry Mugler little black vampire dress walks out of a coffin here, so he would have fit right in. Young curators have orchestrated some of the most exciting shows. “Global Fashion Capitals” (2015), organized by Ariele Elia and Elizabeth
Way, spotlighted more than a dozen emerging fashion cities, such as São Paulo, Lagos, Seoul and Shanghai. Don’t miss one of the show’s signature pieces by Nigerian designer Lisa Folawiyo, the Queen of Print — a fringed cotton dress, inspired by Ankara (African print) textiles. As Steele said about another very imaginative presentation, “The Body: Fashion and Physique” (2017), curated by Emma McClendon: “The cool thing about working with some of my younger colleagues is that they would ask [questions like], ‘Can we be a bit more open to different kinds of body types?’ That’s something a young female curator would be more prone to think about.” Mixing historical and cutting-edge designs, “Exhibitionism” demonstrates that this fashion capital, though half a century old, has evolved and stayed nimble. “I would say a museum of fashion is like a shark. It has to keep moving or it dies,” said Steele.
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS FEB 13 - 19, 2018 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.
Momo Sushi
Saigon Market
El Cacto
The Bean
Be Juice
239 Park Ave S
9193 University Place
54 East 13 Street
54 2nd Ave
121 University Pl
Not Yet Graded (22) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 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. Grade Pending (23) 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution. Grade Pending (41) Toxic chemical improperly labeled, stored or used such that food contamination may occur. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. 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. Grade Pending (25) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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.
Roast Kitchen
27 E 13th St
A
China Star
145 1st Ave
Grade Pending (25) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill
33 University Place
A
Barnes & Noble Cafe
33 East 17 Street
Grade Pending (24) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20 Street
A
Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken
28 East 1 Street
A
Ray’s Pizza Bagel Cafe
2 Saint Marks Pl
A
Le Cafe Coffee
145 4th Ave
A
& Pizza
740 Broadway
A
Kellogg’s NYC
31 E 17th St
Grade Pending (27) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. 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.
Sahara East Restaurant
184 1 Avenue
A
Horus Cafe
293 East 10 Street
A
Taverna Kyclades
228 1St Ave
A
C&B
178 E 7th St
A
Arepa Factory
147 Avenue A
A
V-Nam Cafe
18-20 1 Avenue
Grade Pending (25) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Molly’s Cupcakes
228 Bleecker Street
A
Santina
820 Washington St
A
Sushi on Jones
210 W 10th St
A
Moustache Restaurant
90 Bedford Street
Grade Pending (19) 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. 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.
Casa
72 Bedford Street
A
Murray’s Cheese Bar
264 Bleecker Street
A
Plunge
18 9th Ave
A
Kish Kash
455 Hudson St
Not Yet Graded (18) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Mamoun Falafel
119 Macdougal Street
A
Off the Wagon
109 Macdougal Street A
Rubirosa Pizza & Ristorante
235 Mulberry Street
A
Sant Ambroeus
265 Lafayette Street
A
Soho Room
203 Spring St
Grade Pending (2)
Grunhaus
101 Rivington Street
A
Wolfnights
99 Rivington St
A
72 Cibao Restaurant
72 Clinton St
Grade Pending (17) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
Noga
120 Allen St
A
Yonah Shimmels Knishes
137 East Houston Street
A
Hester Street Cafe
235 Bowery
A
East Broadway Pizza
127 East Broadway
Grade Pending (40) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 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. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live animals other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
Sonnyboy
65 Rivington St
Not Yet Graded (40) Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Go Believe Bakery
239 Grand St
A
Mughlai
6 Clinton St
A
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
15
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
NEIGHBORHOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST To place an ad in this directory, Call Douglas at 212-868-0190 ext. 352.
EDUCATION
DINING
Eleanor Roosevelt H.S. uses a dance studio for a gym, but it is narrow and has a low ceiling. Photo: Courtesy of Eleanor Roosevelt H.S.
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;IF WE HAD A GYM, I WOULD ...â&#x20AC;&#x2122; SCHOOLS Students at Eleanor Roosevelt H.S. on the UES near 5,000 signatures on a petition to the city BY JASON COHEN
In a little more than two weeks, students at an Upper East Side High school have reached close to 5,000 signatures on a petition asking the city for a gym for their school. The petition is being hosted by Councilman Ben Kallos, and as of Feb. 22, had 4,709 signatures. The school, which has been at its current location since 2003, uses a dance studio on the second ďŹ&#x201A;oor as a gym, but it has low ceilings and is very narrow. In 2018, several students attended a town hall with Mayor Bill de Blasio to request space for a gym. Kallos told Our Town that he has visited the school, met with the students and feels a gym is needed. He hopes that the petition will pave the way for a gym at Eleanor Roosevelt in the next year or so. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of the schools in my council district do not have an appropriate gymnasium and make due with dance studios, converted class rooms, and using cafeterias or auditorium for physical ďŹ tness,â&#x20AC;? Kallos said in a statement on the petitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. In June 2017 the de Blasio administration announced a Universal Physical Education initiative to provide all schools with a designated PE space by 2021. The initiative is focused on around 200 schools, out of a total of 1,629, that do not currently have a gymnasium. However, Roosevelt was not one of them. Dimitri Saliani, the principal of Eleanor Roosevelt
High School, commended his students for their action and praised Kallos for his assistance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great opportunity for our community and friends of the community to help support us in this endeavor,â&#x20AC;? Saliani said. Saliani explained that not having a gym causes many challenges. Some of these issues include crowed gym classes, Public School Athletic League teams must practice at nearby locations such as Wagner Middle School at off-hours, such as before school starts, with practices often starting at 6:30 a.m. or earlier to get access to the spaces â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which means some kids have to get up around 4 a.m. to make practice. The school also has no real place for home games for many indoor sports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our school community, past and present have hoped for access to a nearby space for use by our PE program and our PSAL teams for the past 17 years,â&#x20AC;? Saliani said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been one of our limitations as a school. We have shown resilience through the years and worked with our generous neighbors to share their spaces to enable our indoor sports programs to find space to practice and compete. It would be a dream come true for our current school community and those that will soon become a part of it in the coming years, if we could alleviate the reality of not have a proper gym space for a high school of over 500 students.â&#x20AC;? One student who signed the petition is Quentin Thiery, 17, a senior, who plays basketball. Thiery echoed his principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concern about how having to practice at early hours at other schools take a toll on student athletes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not only does the inconvenience of practicing before
school weigh heavily on the physical endurance of many athletes, but just as much the mental aspect as well,â&#x20AC;? Thiery said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Personally, waking up at 4 a.m. for four to five months has not only wavered my ability to perform at the highest level on the court, but just as much in the classroom.â&#x20AC;? He added that because the school does not have a gym most of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s games do not begin until 6 or 6:30 p.m., compared to most schools, which are right after school. This causes kids to get home late, be up late doing work and be exhausted the next day. Thiery noted that often there are more fans of other teams at their â&#x20AC;&#x153;home games.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would be lying if I said those early mornings and late nights made loving the game of basketball a lot of work,â&#x20AC;? he remarked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thankfully I have developed the ability to manage these tough days after four years ,,, I do not exaggerate when I say that literally everyone at my high school is disadvantaged somehow by us not having a gym to call our own.â&#x20AC;? However, on a more positive note, the teen is elated that the school has reached nearly 5,000 signatures in more than two weeks. While he will wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in school when it receives a gym, he will be proud he was part of the change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love the fact that we have the opportunity to actually make this happen,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eleanor Roosevelt having a real gym has always been more a joke between my friends and I than anything else. It has always been a â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we had a gym, I would...â&#x20AC;? situation. Now that those â&#x20AC;&#x153;ifsâ&#x20AC;? can actually be a reality for the future generations of Eleanor Roosevelt students is something that we, as all fellow petition-signers, are proud to be a part of.â&#x20AC;?
Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x2019;Â&#x2014;ČąÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Čą Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;ČąÂ?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2019;Â&#x153;ČąÂ&#x160;Â? Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;ČąÂ&#x160;Čą Čą Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â&#x153;Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Â?ǡ Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x17D;Čą Â&#x160;Â&#x203A;Â?¢ȹ Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2013;Â&#x153;ČąČ&#x160;Čą Â&#x17D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;¢ȹ Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â&#x152;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąČ&#x160;Čą Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â? Ĺ&#x2122;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2013;Čą Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â?ČąĹ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x2122;Â&#x203A;Â?Čą Â?Â&#x203A;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â?ČąČ&#x160;ČąĹ&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2DC;ČŹĹ&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x153;Ĺ&#x203A;ČŹĹ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x2013;    ǯÂ?Â&#x17E;Â&#x203A;Â&#x201D;Â&#x17E;Â&#x160;ÂŁÂ&#x203A;Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x160;Â&#x17E;Â&#x203A;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?ÇŻÂ&#x152;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2013;Čą
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Business
OFF TO CAMP IN CHELSEA A new combination store, showroom, activity hub and canteen appeals to kids and grown-ups alike BY DEBORAH FENKER
Depending on your faith in groundhogs, spring may or may not rear its idyllic head earlier than usual. But regardless of any predictions, we still have a bit to go before the calendar corroborates the equinox, and probably even longer before the thermometer encourages flip-flops and picnics. So if you’ve got stir-crazy kids grumbling about the confines of a small apartment, or maybe you feel like one yourself, there’s no time like to now to visit Camp. Camp is almost two months old now, still a neonate in its own right, but it behaves like a very precocious youngster — full of wide-eyed enthusiasm and potential. It is the brainchild of Ben and Nikki Kaufman, who quite charmingly first met one another at summer camp themselves as
children, before serendipitously reconnecting as adults, marrying and collaborating to co-found Camp. The product of their union is now open on Fifth Avenue and 16th Street: a destination for joy, exploration and even rejuvenation of the mind and soul. A combination store, experiential showroom, activity hub and canteen, Camp quite literally has something for everyone. The front of the venue is a gift shop, with products that appeal to kids and grown-ups alike. The staff circulates to answer questions and encourage interaction; they are so energetic and friendly they really do seem more like the best camp counselors ever, rather than store clerks. I spoke with one of the managers, Guy Puglia, who says, “We all get into it. It’s the best place to work.” And how can one not feel a little mirth, with addictively squishy, shape-shifting Googly Balls, pony-sized hobby horses that you can actually ride, an L.E.D. disco floor to rival Saturday Night Fever and the
Play area with directional sign. Photo: Deborah Fenker
Entrance at 110 Fifth Avenue. Photo: Deborah Fenker crazy-popular Lick-a-Bubble machine, spewing out customflavored edible bubbles into the air to the delight of each tongue they burst on. There are nostalgic throw-backs like Monopoly, sets of jacks and Jack-in-theBoxes, and innovative learning toys so creative you’d wonder what you might have been ca-
pable of had you had access to them in your youth. Then there are grown-up items, like a make-your-own gin kit and a sampler of bitters, but all the merchandise is expertly curated to fit into the whole outdoorsy, camp-friendly, authentic feel. Exploring the space, one really can’t tell who
Sword-fighting the “Lick-a-Bubble.” Photo: Deborah Fenker
is happier to be there: the kids, their parents or the employees. And there is a lot to explore: Camp isn’t just a store. A “secret door” opens up into a magical experiential space, where it’s all hands-on. It transports you into another world, forestlike and wild, with stuff happening at every turn. There’s a life-sized camp bunk, complete with a bright yellow tube slide that deposits you from the upper bed onto that illuminated dance floor. In addition to acting as a showroom to test-drive all the products in the store, Camp offers a full calendar of events, usually $25 per child, ranging from music lessons and yoga to creating your own illuminated dreamcatcher. And what is a camp outing without snacks? Camp has collaborated with Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar to create a crave-worthy canteen featuring an array of camp-themed sweets. The current speciality exclusive to Camp is a S’Mores sundae, featuring her signature cereal milk soft serve, crunchy compost cookie crumbs, toasty charred marshmallows and gooey fudge and marshmallows sauces. Camp will continue to offer creations inspired by the changing themes of the Camp
experience, which will update ever three or four months, maintaining the sense of adventure for newcomers and attracting all types. And there will always be a full DIY sundae bar, plus classics like Crack Pie (you can tell the kiddos it’s called that because the crust cracks when it bakes), as well as elegant pastries from Ceci-Cela and a full menu of Counter Culture coffee beverages to keep parents as energized as their sugar-fueled offspring. So far, there’s just one Camp. But there are plans in the works for new locations in other states, and perhaps even more Camp sites in different New York City neighborhoods. For now, though, Chelsea residents and whoever is willing to make however long a jaunt to is required to visit are the lucky ones. If you decide to venture in, try and make it during the week because on weekends it is already very popular, and subsequently chaotically crowded. Even though this winter hasn’t been that harsh (thus far), it is great to have somewhere to go, non-weather dependent, that is like the best summer camp your may or may not have ever attended. If you fall into the latter category, now is your chance.
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
LITTLE PERSIA ON 73RD STREET RELIGION A growing Jewish congregation made up of refugees from Iran and their families is developing a new spiritual home in two buildings on “Carriage House Row” BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
It was 1979, and the Shah of Iran had been ousted in the revolutionary furies unleashed by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Propelled by the collapse of the Peacock Throne, thousands of Jewish families whose roots in Iran went back centuries fled their homes. Most of the exiles settled in America, and in Brooklyn and Beverly Hills, Queens and Great Neck, they reinvented their lives. A much smaller number found their footing in the apartment buildings and townhouses of the Upper East
Side, mostly in the East 60s and 70s. But unlike their cohort in California, Nassau County and Brooklyn, they never developed the critical mass to build synagogues and community centers in the neighborhood where they reside. Now, exactly 40 years after the eruption of the Islamic Revolution, that is about to change. The Persian Jewish Center of Manhattan has bought two landmark buildings on East 73rd Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, a block known as “Stable Row,” or “Carriage House Row,” because of its centuryold history as a base for the horsedrawn livery business. It plans to convert the five-story, 1906 Beaux-Arts parking garage at 177-179 East 73rd St., and the threestory, 1860 Italianate-style rowhouse at 175 East 73rd St., into a religious sanctuary and social hall, according to proposals filed with the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.
We have been trying to build our own community synagogue for nearly 30 years.” Rabbi Jeremy Rosen
LPC has already approved exterior renovation plans. Approvals are still pending from the city’s Dept. of Buildings and City Planning Dept., and once they’re secured, the synagogue could open its doors by 2021 or 2022. The move will be transformative for what has become a booming congregation: Ever since it established its own minyan in 1986, it has been renting a small sanctuary for Shabbat services in the Park East Synagogue at 163 East 67th St. Now, amid growing pains, and after 33 years as a tenant, it will finally hold title to its own space. “We would not have survived” without Park East, said Rabbi Jeremy Rosen, who has headed the Persian Jewish Center since 2009. “We are grateful to them. We will miss their friendship and support. But we need to move on.” In an emailed response to questions, Rosen said the premises the shul rents are “no longer suitable for our needs as we have been growing in recent years.” “Part of this is through natural/ organic growth and part is because more Persians have been moving into Manhattan from Great Neck,” he added. It is a trend that appears to be increasing,” he said.
From Tehran with love
A preliminary rendering of the Persian Jewish Center of Manhattan, which will open by 2022 on East 73rd Street between Third and Lexington Avenues on the site of a landmark 1906 parking garage. Rendering: OMA / NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
The purchase is being bankrolled by Joseph Moinian, a philanthropist and developer who was born in Tehran and relocated to the city in the early 1970s, several years before the exodus that followed the fall of the Shah. He is the founder and CEO of the Moinian Group, a property development firm that has been active downtown and in the Hudson Yards. Aron Kirsch, senior vice president of development at Moinian, didn’t return calls. But property records filed with the city show that a company called 177 East 73rd JM LLC, which lists Moinian as its “sole member and managing member,” shelled out $25 million to purchase the garage in Nov. 2017. Then on Jan. 18 this year, 175 East 73rd Owner LLC, a buyer listed as “care of the Moinian Group” spent another $9 million to buy the old townhouse. The combined $34 million purchase price doesn’t include the tab to convert the properties into a religious
The landmark 1906 Beaux-Arts parking garage on East 73rd Street between Third and Lexington Avenues that is being converted into the new home of the Persian Jewish Center of Manhattan. Photo: Douglas Feiden and communal center. The renovation will maintain the exterior appearance of the two facades as separate structures, though they will function internally as a single building. “We have been trying to build our own community synagogue for nearly 30 years, and only now thanks to Mr. Joe Moinian, have we been able to acquire suitable premises on the Upper East Side where most of our congregants live,” Rosen said. The term “Carriage House Row” dates from the street’s history as a place where low-lying stables, garages, chauffeur’s residences and private carriage houses were built to serve the uber-wealthy who lived a couple of blocks away on Park or Fifth Avenues. Many of those buildings survive today, and there is a cluster of 15 separate individual landmarks on that single block. “The garages were built on streets that were convenient to the East Side mansions — but not so close that their noises and smells would mar the exclusive character of the residential streets,” the LPC wrote in its designation report for 177-179 East 73rd St. The building is considered to be among the earliest purpose-built car
garages ever erected in the city, according to Friends of the Upper East Side, a preservation group. “Both the restorative measures and proposed new design features, such as the charming Persian-inspired entry door design, display a high-level of stewardship towards the Beaux-Arts monumentality of the garage building,” said Sara Kamillatos, a preservation associate at the Friends group. “We hope that the new tenants’ care and consideration can be a model for future adaptive re-use of individual landmarks and buildings within the historic districts around the Upper East Side,” she added. Meanwhile, Rosen is anticipating that many Persian Jews who joined other Sephardic synagogues in Manhattan because his community lacked a permanent home will soon return to the fold: “Now, with our own facilities, and much larger and appropriate opportunities for religious and social activities, we expect some of them to join us and to grow significantly in our new premises,” he said. invreporter@strausnews.com
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
He loves solving problems. So he gives. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer plans to take legal action if Mayor Bill de Blasio attempts to unilaterally waive the zoning requirements for a planned tower on the Holmes Towers campus rather than subjecting the project to a public land use review. Image: NYCHA
TOWER PLANS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tively precluding formal public review. She argues that the project is instead subject to ULURP, which the City Charter requires for “Housing and urban renewal plans and projects pursuant to city, state and federal housing laws.” “Given that the [New York City Housing Authority] campuses are quite clearly ‘projects pursuant to city, state, and federal housing laws,’ the use of land that is within a NYCHA campus requires review by the Community Board, Borough President, and City Council pursuant to ULURP,” Brewer’s letter reads. “If the administration does not proceed accordingly, I am prepared to challenge what I believe to be improper action by pursuing appropriate legal remedies,” the letter continues. The Fetner project is part of the city’s plan to raise funds for NYCHA by selling rights for
I am prepared to challenge what I believe to be improper action by pursuing appropriate legal remedies.” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer so-called “infill” development on NYCHA land. In exchange for its 99-year lease at Holmes Towers, Fetner will contribute $25 million to NYCHA, which has almost $32 billion in unfunded five-year capital needs. Holmes Towers alone has nearly $59 million in capital needs. Half of the new building’s 339 residential units will be market rate and half will be publicly subsidized affordable housing. According to Brewer, the project will receive $60 million in public subsidies — a figure well in excess of the funds it will
generate for NYCHA. “Full public review will allow a complete airing of the costs and benefits to the City as a whole and the surrounding community,” Brewer wrote. “We do not see ULURP as a way to defeat infill; rather we see it as a way to improve infill,” she continued. “In the absence of subjecting infill projects to ULURP, we disengage from the very communities we claim to be trying to assist, and risk creating situations in which we are hastening the gentrification that may lead to displacement. Thoughtful review, opportunity to comment, and genuine negotiations will result in projects more beneficial to all.” Mayoral spokesperson Olivia Lapeyrolerie did not address Brewer’s letter in an emailed statement. “We are using every tool in our arsenal to reverse decades of federal divestment in NYCHA,” Lapeyrolerie wrote. “This project will raise $25 million in critical repairs for Holmes Residents (sic).”
William Donnell turned to The New York Community Trust to help him share his good fortune. Together, we preserve parks, support the LGBTQ community, and fight poverty. He also put The Trust in his will. “Long after I’m gone, The Trust will keep using my money to make New York better for everyone.”
What do you love? We can help with your charitable giving. (212) 686-0010 x363 or giving@nyct-cfi.org www.GiveTo.nyc
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes
HE FOUGHT TO FIND HIMSELF How combat sports helped one man figure out what would bring him happiness BY MAC BLAUNER
Chad Hernandez is an accomplished grappling competitor and MMA fighter, whose accolades include the two amateur championship titles in MMA and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The Manhattan resident, now 29, explains how a life spent in fighting brought him back to the classroom, and eventually led him to develop his own cerebral approach to combat sports.
How did you get into MMA? I think a lot of men and boys wonder if they could protect themselves in a fight. I wondered this a lot too as a kid. I was bullied a lot. I wondered what would happen if I stood up for myself? How do you fight? Do you just close your eyes and swing? What would happen? I just didn’t have an answer. When I was 17, an opportunity arose to train in martial arts for free at a youth program in White Plains. It was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is this system that essentially allows you to
play-fight without getting hurt, but also learn a highly effective form of combat. I was instantly hooked. It answered this primal question in my mind, how can I protect myself? After graduating high school, I met the man who would turn me into an MMA fighter. He saw I was a poor young kid, with no money. We made a deal. I’d keep on training, and he would allow me to train for free. He took me under his wing. Soon enough, I was his protégé. One day he asked me If I’d be interested in trying an MMA fight, and I said sure. The training we did, I now recognize it was too much, or way beyond what was normal, or maybe even bordering on abusive. During fight camp we trained all day, from 10 in the morning to 10 at night, insane physical conditioning while wearing an oxygen deprivation mask, constant screaming. The whole idea was to break me down mentally. At the time, I just accepted all this as normal. I come from a rough home and hitting and screaming had been the norm for discipline. Besides, we were learning to fight. The idea was to be tough, right?
What was your first fight like? At the time, amateur sanctioned MMA was not legal in New York, so my first fights were in an organization called the Underground Combat League, which were secret illegal fights that would occur throughout the five boroughs. I remember being on the 6 train, going to the Bronx to this small run down boxing gym where the fights were being held that night. It was a scary, surreal experience. My opponent was 10-15 pounds bigger than me. He’d had 6 fights already. It was bad odds for me. But all the hellish training I’d done paid off. I dominated for three rounds and won a unanimous decision.
How did that feel? Winning that first fight made me realize I wasn’t a loser, that I could be successful at something. I’d never been praised for anything in my life before, and suddenly people were congratulating me! It was addictive. So I kept fighting. The next year I won an amateur championship in Virginia. The year after that I became the champion of the Underground Combat League. I ended up having eight fights in total. My last fight was at Madison Square Garden. I’d decided I was going to go pro as a fighter, but leading up to that fight, tensions with my coach had started to rise. My preparation for that last fight did not go well. I didn’t know how to cut weight properly and the day before the weigh ins I was in pretty rough shape. I ended up losing a tough decision to a guy who would go on to fight in the high-level MMA promotion Bellator as a professional. That loss made me question if the life of a pro fighter was really what I wanted, and if it would make me happy. Thankfully, my fiancé talked to me. She said “Look, you have to do something with your life. If you aren’t going to be a professional fighter, you have to go back to school or do something.” So I signed up for classes at City College, leaving MMA with a 6-2 record.
“Winning that first fight made me realize I wasn’t a loser,” said Chad Hernandez, who now teaches at Evolution Muay Thai, on West 27th St. Photo: Mac Blauner teaching and training MMA had given me a better idea of how I learn and how to be a student. I realized I could apply this same discipline to my schoolwork. It worked. For the first time in my life, I was getting A’s. Even classes I was scared to take, I was hitting them out of the ballpark. I’d always felt like a dumb person, but by going back to college I was able to overcome this negative belief I had about myself.
What was that like? Now 29, Chad Hernandez started training in martial arts when he was 17. Photo: Mac Blauner
Going back to school was scary! I had not been a good student before. But as it turned out, I found that my experience
What did you study? I was going back to school to be a high school history teacher. But in college, I was sud-
denly surrounded by people trying to find their own meaning in life. Not just to find a job, but to find happiness. It made me think to myself: what would bring me happiness? The answer was teaching martial arts.
Which brings us to today. Now I teach at Evolution Muay Thai on West 27th Street. I love it. As a teacher, you see people in a different light, their strengths and weaknesses. I take a much more thoughtful approach than what I experienced in my early years of training. No screaming or hitting. I build my students up,
instead of degrading them. It feels like a way of giving back. My experience in combat sports had changed me so much as a person. As a teacher, I could guide others through their own journeys, whether they want to fight or not, and help them rebuild themselves in the same way I have done for myself.
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