The local paper for Downtown wn
WEEK OF MARCH A CUSTOM-MADE ARMORY SHOW ◄ P.12
14-20 2019
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THE MOST DANGEROUS TURNS IN TOWN ▲ P.5
The M31 crosstown bus travels at an average speed of just 3.9 mph, according to a report from the Bus Turnaround Coalition. Photo: Michael Garofalo
HOW YOUR BUS MEASURES UP TRANSPORTATION
STOP AVOIDING THAT COLONOSCOPY ▲ P.6
Elizabeth Street Garden is the proposed site of a 123-unit affordable housing development for seniors. Photo: Brafford33, via Wikimedia Commons
Sluggish speeds and poor reliability plague Manhattan routes BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Does your bus route deserve a passing grade? It’s not likely, according to a new study. Thirty-three of 41 Manhattan bus routes got an “F” in the Bus Turnaround Coalition’s annual report cards, which assign letter grades to every route in the city based on speed and reliability metrics. Most Manhattan routes posted average speeds well under the citywide average of 6.6 mph — no surprise, given the borough’s congestion woes — with some routes barely outpacing the average pedestrian walking speed of 3.1 miles per hour, the study found.
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SUIT FILED IN ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN BATTLE COMMUNITY Supporters of community garden sue city to block planned senior housing development BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
The long-running dispute over the fate of Elizabeth Street Garden is heading to court.
Supporters of the Nolita community garden filed a lawsuit March 5 in Manhattan Supreme Court in an effort to halt plans to build a sevenstory affordable housing building at the city-owned site. The development, known as Haven Green, would create 123 studio units reserved for low-income seniors, as well as retail and office space. Plans call for the building to occupy roughly two-thirds of what is now Elizabeth
Street Garden, a sculpture-filled green space on a mid-block lot stretching between Elizabeth and Mott Streets. The remaining area — roughly 6,700 square feet — would be preserved as publicly accessible open space. The development has attracted fierce opposition from supporters of Elizabeth Street Garden, who argue that Haven Green would destroy
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WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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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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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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SOS FOR THE UWS ‘COMMERCIAL DESERT’ ▲ P.16
‘KISS ME KATE’ IN THE AGE OF #METOO ▲ P.19
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