The local paper for Downtown wn GARMENT DISTRICT’S UNRAVELING ◄ P. 16
WEEK OF APRIL
6-12 2017
The winning entry of TransAlt’s “L-ternative Visions” contest proposed a 14th Street without cars, prioritizing shuttle buses and pedestrian malls for the 250,000 commuters that will be displaced. Courtesy of TransAlt
RETHINKING 14TH STREET TRANSPORTATION Impending L train closure sparks alternative visions for crosstown artery BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Can you imagine 14th Street without cars? Transportation Alternatives, a group advocating for more cyclistand pedestrian-friendly streets, along with news website Gothamist, asked New Yorkers to do just that by participating in a contest to redesign the street for heavy traffic in the wake
of the L train’s impending closure. When that time comes, thousands of commuters will be forced to come up with an alternative route. Or rather, an “L-ternative.” TransAlt’s “L-ternative Visions: Reimagining 14th Street and Beyond” contest solicited innovative ways to adapt 14th Street to the reality of life without the L train by showcasing “what a 21st Century street can be, with strong priority for more efficient modes,” according to TransAlt’s website. “The ... crisis that we’re all about to face is unique in many ways, but it’s also, as you know, emblematic of the deterioration that we’re seeing
throughout our transit system,” Paul Steely White, TransAlt’s executive director, said at the event announcing the finalists March 29. “The ideas that you pioneered throughout this competition are going to be relevant not just for this competition but for, I think, any other streets ... as we try to find more efficiency and more capacity with our service network.” Urban planning and architecture firms participated in the competition, but the members of the nameless group that took first place were identi-
Activists gathered downtown to protest President Donald Trump’s “refugee ban” at a 24-hour event hosted by Trinity Church. Photo: Trinity Church Wall Street/Jim Melchiorre
UNITY AND REFUGE RELIGION City churches host interfaith services, and activism BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Wednesday evening prayer services are part of the normal routine at Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue, but congregants at the March 29 edition of the weekly gathering were treated to a decidedly unusual sight: a Roman Catholic cardinal delivering a homily from the altar of a Protestant church.
O OTDOWNTOWN.COM @OTDowntown
Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Downtowner
OurTownDowntown
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, headed 20 blocks south on Fifth Avenue from St. Patrick’s Cathedral to join Dr. Michael B. Brown, Marble’s senior minister, for an evening of interdenominational worship at the historic church. Brown and Dolan emphasized themes of Christian unity in their remarks, calling for collaboration and solidarity between the two denominations, which Brown described as “different cars on the same train.”
3 8 10 12
Restaurant Ratings 14 Business 16 Real Estate 17
WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
9-16
MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
n OurTownDowntow
COM
Newscheck Crime Watch Voices
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes
12 13 14 18
CONTINUED ON PAGE
25
We deliver! Get Our Town Downtowner sent directly to your mailbox for $49 per year. Go to OTDowntown.com or call 212-868-0190