Our Town Downtown - June 8, 2017

11

The local paper for Downtown wn

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|Chelsea Clint

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BY CHRISTOPHER in the city for y exist, staying doesn’t actuall sticking around in the Hamptons good news about When your house option. But there’s t town in the world. es a more likely in the greates summer becom get free time own guests. Don’t g season: you rs and out-of-t during the sizzlin other people’s your family membe into and es — you for online glimps Options abound subways and sidewalk. r be about stifling are as hot as the just let the summe memories that out and create getaways. Get

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WEEK OF JUNE

8-14 2017

‘THAT HAPPENED TO ME’ HOUSING Tenant advocates take aim at state’s department of housing

BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Mayor Bill de Blasio signing an executive order June 2 pledging that New York City will remain committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions despite President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

CITY WILL ADHERE TO PARIS ACCORDS ENVIRONMENT de Blasio’s executive order cites moral, public health and economic imperatives

BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

On June 1, the United States joined Syria and Nicaragua in opposing the 2015 Paris climate accords when President Donald Trump withdrew the country from its commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

“I cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the United States,” Trump said, though the countries involved in the agreement volunteered their own goals and were not placed

under any legal obligation.

Since his announcement, leaders from around the globe have condemned the decision. Mayor Bill de Blasio is one of them; he signed an executive order June 2 that promises to keep New York City on track to limit its own contributions to climate change.

In a tweet, de Blasio called Trump’s withdrawal “a dagger aimed at the heart of New York City.” Citing moral, public health and economic duty, the executive order pledges to adhere to the Paris agreement’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, “deliver climate actions” that keep the increase of the global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, and collaborate with people and cities worldwide to keep the

United States on track to meet the accord’s provisions, among other steps.

“We thought we could depend on our federal government,” de Blasio said at the signing. “The actions of President Trump have undermined what we’re doing ... and that means we have to go farther.” He added that he has directed all city agencies to develop plans over the next four months that will speed up and intensify their individual efforts to be more environmentally responsible.

Dan Zarrilli, the city’s chief resilience officer, is optimistic that this will be enough to temper the effects of Trump’s withdrawal. “What we’re seeing is a groundswell of cities like New York stepping up and leading on

“Is [the Department of Homes and Community Renewal] getting worse?” So read the subject line of an email to roughly 500 subscribers on an affordable housing information list, which frequently boosts local news and inquiries like this one that came from attorney David Hershey-Webb. “In the last year it seems as though there have been an increasing number of bad decisions and incompetence from DHCR,” he wrote. “Anyone else having this experience?”

Hershey-Webb, of the firm Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph LLP, had still more harsh words for the staterun agency, which was established to “build, preserve and protect affordable housing and increase home-ownership” according to its website. “I have noticed, over the last three or four years in particular, growing problems in regard to due process, in regard to the thoroughness with which they review rent-increase applications,” he said.

“On too many occasions they interpret the laws in a way that leads to the loss of rent stabilized housing.”

The department did not respond to request for comment.

Some of the incidents he cited include granting landlords’ major capital improvements (MCIs) without giving tenant associations enough time to respond, allowing landlords too much time to correct hazardous violations, not considering tenants’ arguments against MCIs, not sending inspectors when

O OTDOWNTOWN.COM @OTDowntown

necessary and misfiling or losing paperwork.

Sharon Canns spoke to the Spirit last fall about an MCI in her building on the Upper West Side, for which residents were charged even though the improvements were not finished. Major capital improvements are one way for landlords to raise the rent on stabilized apartments, but they are required to complete the improvements before applying to DHCR for the MCI. “I don’t know what DHCR is doing,” Canns said in exasperation. She has been fighting her landlord, Stellar Management, since its MCI was approved last September with no success. “It feels like it’s happening just to you, but then

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Downtowner

OurTownDowntown

Sharon Canns, pictured on her balcony last fall after she was charged for repairs she says were never finished. She and several other tenant advocates attribute many rent-stabilized housing issues to lack of oversight by the DHCR. Photo: Madeleine Thompson

Crime Watch NYC Now Voices Restaurant Ratings

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Business Real Estate 15 Minutes

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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

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

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JUNE 8-14,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

WHERE’S THE JUSTICE FOR TRAFFIC VICTIMS? VIEWPOINT The daughter of a man killed by a speeding motorcycle reflects on a system that has made her feel “disempowered”

BY KATHLEEN MCANULTY

My father Thomas McAnulty was killed in January 2016 on 96th Street and Amsterdam by a speeding motorcycle at 5:30 p.m. My brother and I were raised on the Upper West Side and my parents still lived in the same apartment on 96th Street. He was killed on the block where he lived.

Words are inadequate to describe the shock, horror, grief and loss my family has endured since that day, so I will not begin to try. My dad was well known on the Upper West, and numerous people whom I had never met before have approached me at different times in the neighborhood to express their sadness. My dad, known as Tom Mac, embodied humility. He came from a very blue-collar Irish Catholic background in Philly and took a different route in life by following his passion for art. He worked construction

for years and then later in life caught a break to teach art at Adelphi University. What a gift that was for him. He was the most humble person I knew; he never bragged or carried on about his accomplishments.

I feel compelled to share with the community at large the injustice that we have experienced. The person who killed my father was recklessly speeding on a Ducati motorcycle. Both the Manhattan DA’s office and the Collision Investigation Squad were aware of this; in fact, they informed us of this, and it is clearly stated in the police report. When we met with the DA’s office, we were told that because there was no intent to kill Dad, their hands were tied and they could not charge him. When I asked about the motorcyclist being held responsible because he was speeding, they said, talk to DMV and the City Council. We went to the City Council and they said, talk to the police department, which we did; the police told us to talk to our Assembly member and state senator. We took their suggestions and met with our local elected officials. It turned out that all of their hands were tied.

The driver did not receive any formal consequences, no ticket, no charges, no license suspension, nothing.

Thomas McAnulty My family and I are not naive and certainly do not expect to be treated any differently from anyone else. We are also painfully aware of the many public safety issues that people and communities deal with in our city.

I appreciate the mayor’s discussion of Vision Zero, but unless there are people held accountable for their actions, there will be no change in our society. I am sickened by all of the PSAs and the billboards about how

speeding causes fatalities, but again, there is no accountability, no change.

Decades ago, drunk driving was acceptable and very common. Through policy, accountability and after many deaths, there are now steep financial and license consequences for drunk driving, which is no longer an acceptable practice. Sure, it still happens, but at least there is some accountability.

I have watched an unjust system from the sidelines my whole life and

seen communities of people abused by our system, consistently held accountable and held to a completely different standard. These communities have been disempowered by our system.

Now, this system has disempowered me. This experience has reconfirmed my profound distrust in this system, the DA’s office and the police. One gets a ticket for parking in front of a fire hydrant, but exceed the speed limit on a speed bike at 5:30 p.m. and kill someone, and nothing happens. Nothing at all.

I commend and thank Families for Safe Streets, a group comprised of victims of traffic violence and people who have lost loved ones to traffic fatalities. Among many things, they advocate for accountability and offer support. My family’s story is not uncommon. We continue to adjust to our new life without Tom Mac, but things will never be the same. Something has to change — our DA’s office, our police department and our elected officials must be held accountable. I cringe when I think of another family having to hear from their public servants that their hands are tied, and how sorry they are that there is nothing they can do.

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG TOURIST MUGGED IN SUBWAY

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct

At 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, police said a visitor from Scotland was walking along the upper mezzanine of the Broadway/Nassau Street subway station when she was approached by a woman who snatched her iPhone 5S cellphone out of her hand. The Scotswoman demanded her phone back when the thiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accomplice, another woman, blocked the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path and then punched her. The victim then followed the pair to the A/C train platform, where the second thief grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly. The two women then ďŹ&#x201A;ed the station, and police were unable to locate them in the vicinity. The victim had suffered bruises and scratches to her neck area but refused medical attention. The phone is valued at $767.

Week to Date

CARTED OFF Not all is fair in love and foodcart war. At 10:24 a.m. on May 27, a 48-year-old male vendor had a dispute with another 39-year-old man regarding the location of his food cart in front of 30 Wall St. Their argument escalated until the 39-year-old struck the other man in the face, knocking him unconscious, police said. The victim

2017 2016

% Change

2017

2016

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

1

0

n/a

Rape

1

0

n/a

8

5

60.0

Robbery

3

3

0.0

25

24

4.2

Felony Assault

4

1

300.0

30

31

-3.2

Burglary

2

2

0.0

23

55

-58.2

Grand Larceny

13

23

-43.5

366 433 -15.5

Grand Larceny Auto

1

3

-66.7

7

photo by Tony Webster via ďŹ&#x201A;ikr

was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital for evaluation, and his assailant, Sameh Amer, was arrested later that Saturday and charged with assault.

LOST LACOSTE Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Lacoste alligator when you need him? At 12:25 p.m. on Monday, May 22, a 24-year-old female employee of the Lacoste store at 541 Broadway witnessed ďŹ ve male teens come into the store, take and conceal items from displays. The boys then left

the store but soon returned. One of the boys said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We going to show you!â&#x20AC;? and took more shirts from a display table.

The employee grabbed that teen to try and retrieve the merchandise, but the teen punched her in the face. One of the others also pushed the employee to help the second escape. All ďŹ ve then ďŹ&#x201A;ed on foot southbound on Broadway, and police were unable to ďŹ nd them.

The employee refused medical attention at the scene. The stolen merchandise included nine shirts worth a total of $710 and a watch valued at $125.

Year to Date

11

-36.4

LIBERACE LAMENT

HARDWOOD KNOCKS

Clearly weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not in Kansas anymore.

At 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 22, a 65-year-old man had the Oz Moving & Storage company of Yonkers help him move his belongings from 100 Morton Str. to 50 West St. The man later told police that by the end of the move at 7:30 p.m. the movers had transported all his boxes of property except for one that was missing, containing a candelabra valued at $25,000.

A missing sander will surely raise oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dander. At 12:30 p.m. on Monday, May 22, a 30-year-old man working for Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Hardwood Floors of Montvale, N.J., parked his van on Church Street and went to work at a job in the building. When he returned to his truck at 4 p.m. a lock to the van had been broken, and his ďŹ&#x201A;oor-sanding machine, valued at $6,800, was gone.

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JUNE 8-14,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

NYPD 6th Precinct

233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

NYPD 10th Precinct

230 W. 20th St.

212-741-8211

NYPD 13th Precinct

230 E. 21st St.

212-477-7411

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

25 Pitt St.

311

FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5

227 6th Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11

222 E. 2nd St.

311

FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15

42 South St.

311

ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

1 Centre St., Room 2202

212-669-7970

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

Community Board 3

59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

Hudson Park

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

COMMUNITY BOARDS

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10 Union Square East

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TIME WARNER

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AS THE WORLD TURNS

BY PETER PEREIRA

JUNE 8-14,2017

5

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

DHCR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 when you start listening you start hearing other people saying â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no, that happened to me,â&#x20AC;?

Canns said.

A study conducted by ProPublica this past April found that landlords have been exploiting a loophole that allows them to manipulate rents and

PARIS ACCORDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 this,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Zarrilli touted the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing climate accomplishments, including quadrupling the amount of solar power over the last threeand-a-half years, expanding its electric vehicle fleet to nearly 1,000, and investing in protection against the risks of the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New York City, as the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest city, stepping up sends a huge signal to the rest of the world that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still in this ďŹ ght,â&#x20AC;?

Zarrilli said.

Some, however, noted the hypocrisy of the mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pleas for residents to take

hike them drastically without notice. While this practice is made legal by a 2003 state law, it is enabled by DHCRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of oversight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Landlords are supposed to set the maximum legal rents in accordance with the stabilization rules, which include allowances for renovations, annual rent hikes and other factors,â&#x20AC;? the article states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They submit the maximum legal and preferential even the smallest measures to reduce their carbon footprint while he travels 12 miles by car most morning to the gym. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How about you stepping up your game, leading by example, getting out of your SUV armada?â&#x20AC;? asked a caller on WNYCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brian Lehrer Show on Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you need to go to the Park Slope [YMCA] ďŹ ve days a week rather than a gym near you, why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you take mass transit or even once in a while ride a bike like the vast majority of your fellow New Yorkers so you will know how we are suffering under a transit system.â&#x20AC;?

In response, de Blasio said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just not going to take the bait, my friend.â&#x20AC;?

rents each year to [DHCR]. But the division rarely checks to make sure the legal maximums are in compliance. When it supplies an apartmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rent history to a tenant, it provides a disclaimer: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;DHCR does not attest to the truthfulness of the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statements or the legality of the rents reported in this document.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Hershey-Webb suggested the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems might According to a scorecard recently released by the Waterfront Alliance to assess the health, flood risk and openness of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterfronts, more than 400,000 New Yorkers have a 50 percent chance of experiencing a major ďŹ&#x201A;ood in their homes by 2060. Forty-one percent of those homes are in economically and socially vulnerable areas. By far most of those at risk in Manhattan are concentrated on the Lower East Side and in Lower Manhattan. The president of the Waterfront Alliance, Roland Lewis, called the withdrawal from the Paris accords â&#x20AC;&#x153;symbolism in the worst way.â&#x20AC;? But he said he was encouraged by the common-sense path of

be caused by understaffing.

Its website currently lists 13 positions for which it is hiring, and it disclaims that there may be more available. Harvey Epstein, a tenant representative on the Rent Guidelines Board and a project director at the Urban Justice Center, said the agency is complicated and its rules are often communicated in a way that tenants donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the root of the city government and its businesses, and emphasized the need for global collaboration.

But even in left-leaning New York City there are those who praised Trump for his decision. Marcia Drezon-Tepler, co-president of the Upper West Side Republican Club, wrote in an email that she was pleased that the president is â&#x20AC;&#x153;keeping his campaign promise.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a drain on the economy,â&#x20AC;? she wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think some of the science is flawed, and anyway, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think man can do much about affecting the climate.â&#x20AC;?

Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@ strausnews.com

the problem is that [DHCRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] mission is a defensive mission instead of an affirmative mission to help rent stabilized tenants maintain affordability,â&#x20AC;? he said. However, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily think the agency has

gotten worse recently. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just never been good and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still not good,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@ strausnews.com

In accordance with Section 1-13 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parksâ&#x20AC;?) has issued a Request for Proposals (â&#x20AC;&#x153;RFPâ&#x20AC;?) for the operation of mobile TShirt and related merchandise concessions at Central Park and Theodore Roosevelt Park, Manhattan.

Hard copies of the RFP can be obtained, at no cost, commencing Thursday, June 1, 2017 through Monday, July 10, 2017 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays, at the Revenue Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, which is located at 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 407, New York, NY 10065. All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted by no later than Monday, July 10, 2017 at 3:00PM. The RFP is also available for download, Thursday, June 1, 2017 through Monday, July 10, 2017 on Parksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; website.

To download the RFB, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/businessopportunities, click on the link for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Concessions Opportunities at Parksâ&#x20AC;? and, after logging in, click on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;downloadâ&#x20AC;? link that appears adjacent to the RFBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s description.

For more information related to the RFB contact Glenn Kaalund at (212) 3601397 or via email: glenn.kaalund@parks.nyc.gov.

TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) 212-504-4115

De Blasio Affordable Housing Myth #2 Mayor Bill de Blasio wants affordable housing and income equality for all New Yorkers. (Note: as long as it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect his bank account)

The Facts: Â&#x2021; Mayor de Blasio freezes the rents of stabilized apartment owners, but Landlord de Blasio has continued to raise rentsâ&#x20AC;Ś of his tenants in two homes he owns in Park Slope to cover his expenses.

(Source: PoliticoNY, 4/17/17). Â&#x2021; 'H %ODVLR LV D K\SRFULWH ² UHQW KLNHV IRU KLV WHQDQWV EXW KH GHQLHV WKH ODUJHVW SURYLGHUV RI DIIRUGDEOH KRXVLQJ WKH UHYHQXH WKH\ QHHG WR UHSDLU LPSURYH DQG PDLQWDLQ DSDUWPHQWV IRU WKHLU WHQDQWV

De Blasioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Housing Policies: Politics & Hypocrisy Next Week: De Blasio Myth #3

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com

A Woman’s Baseball Odyssey

THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH, 7PM Bergino Baseball Clubhouse | 67 E. 11th St. | 212-226-7150 | bergino.com When Ila Jane Borders took the ball for the St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League, she accomplished what no woman had done since the Negro Leagues era: play men’s professional baseball. She’ll tell her story (and sign her new book) at a special appearance. (Free)

Mad in America: Diagnosis, Drugs and Development

FRIDAY, JUNE 9TH, 7PM NYU School of Law | 40 Washington Square S. | 212-998-6040 | eastsideinstitute.org Two long-time activists and scholars look at American madness (both anger and insanity). They’ll also discuss other potentials, including different ways of seeing and becoming. ($35)

Just Announced | TimesTalks: Covering Trump

TUESDAY, JUNE 27TH, 7PM Symphony Space | 2537 Broadway | 212-864-1414 | symphonyspace.org President Trump has called out the media as “enemies of the people.” How are veteran correspondents to respond? Get a rare look behind the scenes with four New York Times journalists actively covering the Trump administration. ($40)

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.

The local paper for Downtown

Advertise with Our Town Downtown today!

Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

Thu 8 LIVE LOUD NOW | BENEFIT Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay & Lesbian Art, 26 Wooster St. $75 Summer benefit celebrating the power of art and social justice. Honoring: Silence = Death Collective; Honorary Chair: Gays Against Guns.

Music, beverages and hors d’oeuvres; DJ Billy Beyond.

212-431-2609. leslielohman. org

EYES OF THE WORLD | SIGNING

otdowntown.com

International Center of Photography, 250 Bowery 6-9 p.m.

Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos celebrate the release of their book, “Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism,” which documents the photojournalistic perspective of the pioneering war photographers.

212-857-0003. icp.org

Fri 9 ▲‘THE BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP’ | DOCUMENTARY IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. 7–8:45 p.m. $15 Intimate verité documentary

by Erik Ljung about the family of 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed black man diagnosed with schizophrenia who was shot 14 times by a Milwaukee police officer, and their struggles “to find answers and challenge a criminal justice system stacked against them.”

212-924-7771. ifccenter.com

MADONNATHON Rockbar NYC, 185 Christopher St. 9 p.m.

Monthly dance party: dress in favorite Madonna-inspired looks or T-shirt. Madonna videos, new remixes and classics spinning all night. Prizes.

212-675-1864. rockbarnyc. com

Sat 10 BOURBON BASH Noon-10 p.m. $65 Celebrate National Bourbon Day by “enjoying eight of Kentucky’s finest bourbons at eight of NYC’s best venues,” including The Copper Still, 2A and The Watering Hole. nycbourbonbash.com

PLAYS BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank St. 7-9:30 p.m. $15 “Merciful Delusions” features six of Tennessee William’s most popular one-act plays directed

by Tony Award nominee Lorraine Serabian.

212-989-6540. hbstudio.org

Sun 11 NYC X JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL SOBS, 204 Varick St. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. $25

JUNE 8-14,2017

Festival connects Japanese artists and Japanese community often considered “hardly related,” to deepen the Japanese music culture: hiphop artists, singers and dancers.

212-243-4940. sobs.com

married couple at each other’s throats. It’s kill or be killed in this fantasy of revenge, death and rebirth.” (Part of TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series 6/12, 6/19, 6/26.)

212-714-7628. truonline.org

FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS & MUSIC▼

ALL ABOUT SAUSAGE▲

Jefferson Market Garden, 70 Greenwich Ave. Kids can explore the Jefferson Market Garden and the flowers, schrubs and shade trees that bloom there. The festival includes educational and art activities, live music and entertainment. All ages.

212-777-7662. jeffersonmarketgarden.org

Le District, 225 Liberty St. 6:30 p.m.

Learn about many kind of sausages, from the boudins to the merguez, from their making to their grilling, and sample various homemade examples.

Class led by in-house chef charcutier Nicolas Rafa.

212-981-8588. ledistrict. com

Christina Chiu and Pen Parentis founding director M.M. DeVoe. Readings by Jennifer Probst, Marcy Dermansky and Gint Aras. penparentis.org

SEAPORT YOGA South Street Seaport, Fulton St. Promenade 6-7 p.m. Free. RSVP Outdoor yoga class “on the cobblestones.” Orly Mallin, of NY Health & Racquet Club, leads the class.

212-732-8257. southstreetseaport.com

Wed 14

Everything you like about Our Town Downtown is now available to be delivered to your mailbox every week in the Downtowner From the very local news of your neighborhood to information about upcoming events and activities, the new home delivered edition of the Downtowner will keep you in-the-know.

And best of all you won’t have to go outside to grab a copy from the street box every week.

It’s your neighborhood.

It’s your news.

‘THAT WHICH REMAINS’ IRT Theater, 154 Christopher St., #3B 7 p.m. $20 online/$25 cash at door “A re-imagining of Shakespeare’s turbulent ‘Titus Andronicus,’ using movement as primary vocabulary. Improbable Stage tells the turbulent story of the Roman General’s heroic postwar return home after smothering the Goths, and through her (yes, her) slow decay into madness.”

212-206-6875. irttheater.org

21ST CENTURY FEMINISM

Photo By Anupam_ts via Flickr

Mon 12

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Tue 13

‘CATHARSIS’

SUMMER LOVE | WRITERS SALON

SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St. 7 p.m. Free. RSVP “A violently funny dramatic comedy, a beautiful Greek island. A tacky hotel. A young

Andaz Wall Street, 75 Wall St. 7-9:30 p.m. Free Three authors who write about love featured in a panel discussion moderated by author

Lower Eastside Girls Club, 402 East Eighth St. 7 p.m. $40 Conversation focuses on “How to Construct a 21stCentury Feminism,” featuring poet Eileen Myles, with Jezebel founder Anna Holmes, followed by performance by JD Samson of Men and Le Tigre, along with students from The Lower East Side Girls Club. 212-204-6674. creativetime.org

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Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.

EQUAL TIME FOR FATHER’S DAY

BY BETTE DEWING

For those who once complained about a Father’s Day column because “those who aren’t fathers feel left out on this holiday,” I again remind, “but we all have, or have had fathers, and they’re what the day is all about.” The same goes for Mother’s Day, of course.

And I know some of you have also come to believe that Father’s Day deserves the same attention Mother’s Day receives. Speaking of equality.

And also that fathering qualities should have the same cultural value as mothering ones — to solve many of our seemingly intractable social problems. Of course they must be role modeled in high places — like

this White House especially. Dream on? Well. why not. Set one good example the world could sure use now, and not only on Father’s Day. Note as well other studies which say fathers need to treat very young sons the same as they do to very young daughters — singing to them and talking to them — a lot. This helps boys become more empathetic and communicative. A very good thing.

And to save healthy relationships, also health, there’s no greater than caring communication, which this Father’s Day column about. Most potentially nurturing, of course, is the voice-to-voice and in-person kind.

And about a most favorite invention, the telephone, the landline phone is

preferred for its mellow tone and its clarity. (Elder advocates please note.) The cell is great for emergencies. But iPhone use needs a whole lot of limiting, but not when it comes to communicating with longtime dads. They may not even have access, and far more needs to be said and done about that.

Thankfully, we do hear about studies about children feeling unloved by mothers and fathers who use iPhones too much in their presence.

Imagine! To quote former columnist Russell Baker, “Progress Strikes again!”

Except it’s not funny, and so let’s make a Father’s Day vow to set limits — to find that healthy balance, and between generations, so that no one

Voices

is left out. This is the plight of many longtime dads in a culture where generational apartheid is advanced.

Sad stories are rarely told, not only because elders rarely share them, but also because males are subject to a culture still rife with macho dictates and demands. So maybe they talk about sports instead.

And not only on Father’s Day, let’s make family gatherings truly nurturing. Let there be enough talk about what really matters so Father’s Day will not be a day of remembering in a year of too much forgetting — unintentional indifference.

Ah, and if there are no families or close friends, here’s to groundswell support from neighbors, civic- and faith-group people — and above all, the media, whose rare “old folks coverage” is about the highly active and very atypical elder. Gotta change that, especially with the

FACING FINITUDE GRAYING NEW YORK

BY MARCIA EPSTEIN

Can we talk about loss? Yeah, I know.

It’s a downer. Half of my women’s group refuses to discuss loss, only wanting to focus on the positive. But loss is a part of growing old; there’s no escaping it. I also try to focus on the positive, but I can’t deny what I’ve lost.

We’ve all lost people; parents, friends, sometimes husbands and wives.

But it’s the other losses, things that we used to take for granted, that can be the hardest to accept. I used to love playing tennis, that’s not possible anymore. Pingpong is my substitute, and I resolutely endure my knee and back pain to keep doing it. The things I used to take for granted are gone.

My agility, my ability to walk without pain, my willingness to try almost any sport. I used to like to travel (though I wasn’t terribly adventurous. Just bus tours to places like England, the Scottish Highlands and Italy). Now, I never know how I’m going to feel from one

day to the next. I’ve lost the knowledge that I will get out of bed feeling ready for the day. Sometimes I’m still tired, sometimes I hurt a lot. I haven’t traveled anywhere farther than New Jersey in years. I’m afraid my aches and pains will ruin a trip.

We’ve lost the certainly of youth, the vigor and the taking for granted of our health. Of course I know that young people get sick also, they die also. But it’s rare. With us, it’s not rare, it’s common. We’ve also lost the gift of years to come. The gift of time extending indefinitely. I know I won’t see my grandchildren as adults. I never doubted I would see my own children as adults, and now I am seeing them as middle-aged adults. The truth is, I’ve lost the certainty of tomorrow, next week, next year.

I know I couldn’t hold a job; I forget things from one minute to the next.

It’s a common complaint I hear from my compatriots. “Why did I go into this room? What was I looking for?”

Loss is just what happens when you get old. That’s not to say that you can’t

Photo: Paul L Dineen, via flickr live a good, fruitful and even active life. I know people in their 80s traveling, exercising, living full lives. They

are busy, busy, busy with classes, projects, cultural activities. That can be a huge benefit of retiring. And there

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fastest-growing age group being the 85-plussers. But do you know of any strong advocates since we lost Dr. Robert Butler?

I again urge you to call elected officials whose numbers are conveniently found in this paper’s Useful Contacts column, Tell them, attention must be paid to this age group which potentially has the most problems, but rarely gets to civic meetings to share them. Or even gets to faith services because our culture has yet to urge the able-bodied to automatically assist those who are not. And shouldn’t that become the law of the land? Not to mention the “It takes a village” mandate.

Remembering your father and mine with very much love — and also much needed action for all the above. dewingbetter@aol.com

ARE benefits (reduced fares anyone?).

There is time to do just what you want to do. But I think they are the exceptions. The limitations caused by aging bodies, aging joints, replaced hips and knees, is bound to affect most of us as time goes by.

Let’s face it, the losses pile up. A friend gets sick, we wake up with new and scary symptoms, someone we know dies. Our eyesight deteriorates; sometimes we need cataract surgery, sometimes it’s worse than that. Our hearing fades; I only go to foreign movies now so I can read sub-titles and not have to struggle with making out what they’re saying. Why do they all mumble? I can’t eat what I used to, and neither can most of my friends.

This or that causes intestinal distress. We take powders just to move our bowels. Didn’t we used to do that automatically? I do envy those who only talk about how happy they are in retirement, how many pursuits they have. But I don’t quite believe their sunny optimism. Let’s face it, youth was better. Endless energy, forward thinking. Lust for adventure, eagerness for what the future will bring.

We seniors know what the future will bring, and we also know that the future is limited. I’m sorry to be a downer, but loss does come with old age.

Editor-In-Chief, Alexis Gelber editor.ot@strausnews.com Deputy Editor Staff Reporters Richard Khavkine Madeleine Thompson editor.otdt@strausnews.com newsreporter@strausnews.com Michael Garofalo Senior Reporter reporter@strausnews.com Doug Feiden invreporter@strausnews.com

Summer Guide 2017

BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE

When your house in the Hamptons doesn’t actually exist, staying in the city for the summer becomes a more likely option. But there’s good news about sticking around during the sizzling season: you get free time in the greatest town in the world.

Options abound for you — and your family members and out-of-town guests. Don’t just let the summer be about stifling subways and online glimpses into other people’s getaways. Get out and create memories that are as hot as the sidewalk.

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FAIRS AND EVENTS N U F E R R E E H S M T R M A U S ST Rubin Museum block party. Photo: Lyn Hughes

It’s not just tube socks anymore

SNACK IN THE CITY Taste of Times Square Event free, “taste tickets” start at $1 Monday, June 5, 5 to 9 p.m.

West 46th Street, between Broadway and Tenth Avenue timessquarenyc.org/events/taste-of-timessquare/index.aspx#.WSRZBFLMy_s Chow down in the center of it all. More than 40 Times Square area restaurants will show off their wares in the theater district’s central spot. Expect musical entertainment too, as befits the dramatic setting.

STAYING OPEN LATE Museum Mile Festival Free Tuesday, June 16, 6 to 9 p.m.

Fifth Avenue, 82nd to 105th Streets Enjoy free access to participating museums during this three-hour period. In addition to 23 car-free blocks, the Museum Mile Festival features live bands and entertainment and plenty of art in the street. Special activities are set up for kids during this family-friendly event marking Fifth Avenue’s role in the city’s artistic life.

CHELSEA PIERS SUMMER CAMPS 15 Camps & 11 Weeks to Choose From For Tots to Teens (Ages 3-17)

JUNE

19

CAMPS START JUNE 19 Sign up for 1, 2 or more weeks!

GREENERY AND CRAFTERS 39th Annual Plantathon and Crafts Fair Sunday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

West side of Broadway, 72nd to 86th Streets mortandray.com/schedule.htm On this June Sunday, the famous fair company Mort & Ray Productions puts a green twist and a passion for crafts together with idea of a warm-weather fair. It’s just one of the Mort & Ray shows this season, which will run through the fall festivals that traditionally appear on Broadway in September.

A VILLAGE GET-TOGETHER

BUS TRANSPORTATION and After-Care Available for Full-Day campers.

chelseapiers.com/camp

Washington Square Fair Saturday, Aug. 26, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Waverly Place Clearviewfestival.com/events/ Clearview Festival Productions produces fairs throughout the summer, right through to this lateAugust event in the fabled setting at Washington Square. Go online to learn more about Clearview’s all-around-the-boroughs lineup, including stops on First Avenue on June 3, on Liberty Street on June 25, at Union Square on July 2 and on Third Avenue on Aug. 20.

POWER OF PRIDE The Pride March Sunday, June 25 at noon https://www.nycpride.org/events/the-march/ If it’s the last Sunday in June, it’s time for pride.

The parade steps off at noon on Fifth Avenue and 36th Street, winding down to a Christopher Street finale. But the parade it just one Pride event in a city that marks the occasion all year long. See other ways to spice up June at nycpride. org/events/ — from a VIP rooftop party on June 24 to a Patti LaBelle appearance the night before.

SING OUT LOUD Summer on the Hudson: #TotallyPublicKaraoke Friday, July 7, 6 to 10 p.m.

Pier 1 in Riverside Park South, West 70th Street nycgovparks.org/events/2017/09/01/ summer-on-the-hudson-totallypublickaraoke Do you like doing a little karaoke with your pals at the local pub? Then take it to the next level with this Summer on the Hudson event. Also on Aug. 4 and Sept. 1.

A STREET’S BEAT Rubin Museum Summer Block Party Free July 16, 1 to 4 p.m.

West 17th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues rubinmuseum.org/blockparty The creation of art, performances and in-gallery sound experiences are all part of the Rubin Museum of Art’s plans for its Summer Block Party. Special museum tours, family programs and community tables featuring neighboring and Himalayan community groups will be there too — rain or shine.

UPGRADING THE FAIR Pop Up New York events Free popupnewyorkevents.com Pop Up New York aims to upgrade the familiar fairs of old. The goal: “creating a new wave of the street experience.” That means teaming with varied neighborhood restaurants. In Manhattan through November, there’s a lineup of eatsoriented events covering Midtown East, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, the East Village and Washington Square. See the website for dates and details. Things kick off on June 2 with “Midtown Munchies” on East 52nd Street, between Third Avenue and Lexington.

JUNE 8-14,2017

The 172nd Dutchess County Fair

THEATER In this city, the show goes on all year long

HAIL ‘CAESAR’ OUTSIDE Shakespeare in the Park Delacorte Theatre, Central Park Free https://www.publictheater.org/FreeShakespeare-in-the-Park/ You can go from talking about politics and power in D.C. to talking about politics and power in William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” Through June 18, see the Public Theater’s production of “Julius Caesar.” Check online for the four methods of securing tickets. And then do it all again for the theater’s second summer show, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which runs from July 11 to Aug. 13. All performances start at 8 p.m.

‘EYES’ OPEN AT 59E59 My Eyes Went Dark $35 59E59, 59 East 59th Street www.59e59.org/moreinfo. php?showid=284&utm_ source=59E59+Calendar&utm_ medium=referral&utm_term=na&utm_ content=na&utm_campaign=MULTI

Rhinebeck, NY Summer’s for light comedy only? No way.

Matthew Wilkinson’s play, after making a splash in Edinburgh, comes to 59E59, an off-Broadway treasure close to home. Based on a true, searing story, a family is lost in a plane crash — and a father goes for revenge. The drama runs through July 2 at 59E59, which since 2004 has been showcasing great works from around the world.

August 22 - August 27

ONE-ACTS ACTING UP The 36th Marathon of One-Act Plays, Ensemble Studio Theatre $25 ($20 for students and seniors) 545 West 52nd Street http://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/ currentseason/ Series A ended earlier this week. But the good news is that you still have time to catch Series B and Series C, two different nights of one-act plays. Known for provoking thoughts and fine acting, the Ensemble Studio Theatre offers its alternating summer shows through June 30.

3 DOORS DOWN

BROTHERS OSBORNE

Tuesday - August 22 - 7:30pm Wednesday - August 23 - 7:30pm

SHAKESPEARE REIMAGINED That Which Remains $20 online and $25 cash-only at the door IRT Theater, 154 Christopher Street #3B www.improbablestage.org From June 14 through June 24, Improbable Stage offers its take on William Shakespeare’s divinely fraught “Titus Andronicus.” The idea here, Improbable Stage promises: “utilizing movement” as the primary vocabulary in an hour-long show, and examining “whether or not revenge is sustainable if it is the only dish on our plates.”

SEE SHOWS, TALK BACK TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series Free, but reservations required.

Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street truonline.org Add meaning to your Mondays with three upcoming play-reading presentations by Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU). RSVP at least a day in advance for the 7 p.m. performances by calling 212-714-7628 or emailing TRUVoicesReservations@gmail.com. “Catharsis,” a violently funny dramatic comedy, plays June 12.

A romantic comedy, “Moonshadow,” runs June 19.

And “Radio Galaxy,” on June 26, examines what happens when a 17-year-old science prodigy faces the risks of a bone marrow transplant to help his biological father’s daughter. The purpose of the series is to develop new plays — and a talkback will be held after each show.

DOWNTOWN, DRAMA ABOUNDS

Declan Conlon in “My Eyes Went Dark”

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Ice Factory Festival June 28 through Aug. 12 New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher Street NewOhioTheatre.org The Obie Award-winning Ice Factory Festival will present seven new works over seven weeks, starting June 28. The first one, “Fernando,” tackles the international art world with a tale that mixes romantic farce with a psychosexual thriller.

Summer in the city has its drama — and then six more of them. This year’s Ice Factory also includes “Fridays on Ice,” a late-night performance series.

FREE SHOW

THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW Thursday - August 24 - 7:30pm Friday - August 25- 7:30pm

FAIR SPECIALS! Tuesday: Admission $10 ALL DAY Wednesday: Ride Wristband Day – $25 To Ride ALL DAY. Thursday: Admission $7 after 5pm (Purchased At The Gate) Sunday: BUY ONE $15 Admission GET ONE 1/2 OFF (At Gate Only) *Advanced Sale Admission Tickets: $12 *Advanced Sale Ride Tickets: 10 Rides for $20

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JUNE 8-14,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

THIS SUMMER, PREPARE FOR SUCCESS IN GROWING FIELDS

MOVIES Films on the Green at Columbia. Photo: N. Charles

Watch films indoors and out

MOMA MOVIE MAGIC

Deepen Your Knowledge, Focus Your Expertise, Expand Your Network Business and career opportunities in NYC and around the world are growing and changing. What’s your plan for professional success? The NYU School of Professional Studies offers Career Advancement Courses that take your career to the next level by deepening your knowledge, focusing your expertise, and expanding your network. In as little as one semester, you can increase your marketability by building in-demand skills that set you apart. Learn from working professionals who have their finger on the pulse of the trends and techniques that matter most.

Take Charge of Your Career.

There’s Still Time to Enroll for Summer.

Visit sps.nyu.edu/careeradvancement16 or call 212-998-7150

Accounting • Applied Health • Arts • Building Design • Cities • Construction • Design Educational Test Preparation • English as a Second Language • Entrepreneurship Film and TV • Finance • Foreign Languages • Fundraising • Global • Grantmaking Hospitality/Restaurants • Humanities • Language Proficiency Testing • Law • Leadership Management • Marketing • Public Relations • Publishing • Real Estate • Sports • Technology Tourism • Translation and Interpreting • Writing and Communications New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2017 NYU School of Professional Studies.

Modern Matiness: Becoming Jennifer Jones Museum of Modern Art Adults $12, seniors $10.

11 West 53rd Street https://www.moma.org/calendar/ film/3844?locale=en How did Phylis Lee Isley turn into Jennifer Jones, who won an Oscar for “The Song of Bernadette,” her 1943 smash? Take a trip into film history and rediscover a great American actress, thanks to MoMA’s summer film series.

MUPPET MAGIC Summer on the Hudson — Pier 1 Picture Show: The Muppets Movie Wednesday, Aug. 2 @ around 8:30 pm. Arrive early.

Free West 70th Street in Riverside Park South https://www.nycgovparks.org/ events/2017/08/02/summer-on-thehudson-pier-picture-show “The Muppets Movie” is just one of seven special films slated for this West Side pier. The series runs from July 5 with “Blazing Saddles” through Aug. 16 and “Beetlejuice.”

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL Films on the Green City parks Free face-foundation.org/ films-on-the-green/ The outdoor French film festival has already begun its 10th anniversary in city parks, thanks to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson in “Bill Nye: Science Guy” at Human Rights FACE Foundation Watch Film Festival 2017. Photo: Erika Kapin and NYC Parks. Two movies are coming up in Washington Square HEAD BACK TO THE 1970S Park: “Tey (Today)” on June 9 and “La Traversée de Paris” on June 16. Then it’s on to Pier 1 in New York in the 70s Riverside Park at 70th Street and Columbia Wednesday, July 5 through Thursday, July 27 University — and throughout the boroughs. $14 (members $8) 209 West Houston Street MOVIES THAT MATTER http://filmforum.org/series/new-york-in-the70s-series Human Rights Watch Film Festival Programmer Bruce Goldstein is known for $14, $11 for seniors and students finding famous and undiscovered flicks — and Lincoln Center, West 65th Street ones that you didn’t even know you wanted to filmlinc.org/festivals/human-rights-watchsee. He’s at it again, with “Gloria” and “Serpico” film-festival/ and “Taxi Driver,” among others. Expect to see dirt, Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2017 kicks grime, crime — and talent and stunning visuals. off on June 9 at 6:30 p.m. with “Nowhere to Hide,” about a male nurse at work and also raising children in Iraq. The next day there’s “Bill Nye: Science Guy,” a look at the TV personality and his campaign to defend scientific evidence of climate change.

JUNE 8-14,2017

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MUSIC The summer scene features tunes for any taste

MITCHELL MAKES MEMORIES Brian Stokes Mitchell $90 and up June 14 to 24, 7 p.m.

Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 West 54th Street 54below.com Broadway biggie Brian Stokes Mitchell shows that his warmth and talent extend to solo shows in his latest appearance at the cabaret mainstay Feinstein’s/54 Below. The two-time Tony winner will be accompanied by a trio, including pianist Tedd Firth.

STILL IN TUNE Dick Hyman Forever!

Tuesday, July 18 @ 7:30 pm From $65 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue @ 92nd Street https://www.92y.org/event/dick-hymanforever See a jazz master at work — and at play. Dick Hyman marks his 90th year with a special concert, including appearance by fellow pianists Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal. Also on the scene: vocalist Sandy Stewart. It’s a birthday with some summer swing.

Elvis Costello. Photo: Paul VanDerWerf, via flickr

MUSIC’S OWN MONTH New York Music Month Prices set at individual venues around the five boroughs www.nymusicmonth.nyc/schedule/ The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has teamed with NY is Music to brand the month of June as New York Music Month. That means there’s a website chronicling a host of upcoming moments running through the summer, including Sheryl Crow’s “Be Myself” tour at the Beacon on the Upper West Side on June 28 — and beyond.

OPERA’S ‘GLORY’ Opera Upper West at West Harlem Piers $30 to $45 nyoperafest.com Right now opera’s getting an immersive twist this summer at the West Harlem Piers, when Opera Upper West’s production “Glory Denied” is presented aboard the aboard the Baylander IX-514, a decommissioned U.S. Navy helicopter carrier from the Vietnam era. On June 9 and 10, things will be site-specific for the show by New York composer Tom Cipullo. “Glory Denied” is based on the oral history by Tom Philpott, described by Oliver Stone as “one of the most honest books ever written about Vietnam.” There’s a pre-show 1960s social, beginning on the flight deck at 7:30pm. The opera starts at sunset, about 8:30 p.m., on jungle deck.

BILLY’S IN RESIDENCE Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden July 5 and Aug. 21 $65 and up http://www.ticketmaster.com/billy-joelmadison-square-garden-new-york-ny/ venueartist/483329/735392 He’s 68 and he’s using the Garden as his main

piano-playing place – and his fans are visiting en masse. The musician in residence keeps up the “Piano Man” shtick all through the summer.

ELVIS IS IN THE PARK Elvis Costello & the Impostors SummerStage, Central Park $55 cityparksfoundation.org/event/elvis-costelloimposters/ Elvis Costello, a living musical landmark, is making music news lately by focusing appearances around his 1982 album, “Imperial Bedroom.” On June 15 at a 6:30 p.m. concert in the park, he will get a welcome from his huge age-range of fans.

June 14, with dance, music, theater arts and visual arts presentations. Expected highlights include: “A Marvelous Order,” an opera about the epic planning battle between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and “Harbored,” a site-specific show taking up residence at the Winter Garden in Brookfield Place.

RSVPs for some events can be accepted starting June 1, and everything’s free.

A CENTER’S CENTERPIECE Mostly Mozart Festival Lincoln Center venues lincolncenter.org/mostly-mozart $60 and up, check Rubinstein Atrium for discounted tickets From July 25 through Aug. 20, the famous Mostly Mozart festival will live up to its name — but don’t forget the “mostly,” since this year there are “Mostly Schubert” concerts and, once we get to August, a “Contemporary Classical” component that proves it’s not a contradiction in terms.

CATCH THE BEAT World Beat: Percussive Sounds from Around the Globe $35, $10 for students Saturday, June 17 at 6 p.m.

120 Claremont Avenue bsmny.org/worldbeat The percussion program at the Bloomingdale School of Music has come up with an appropriate way to raise funds — and attention. The school’s playing host to what it calls a “multicultural, educational and artistic journey exploring rhythm.”

Purchase tickets on the website.

‘RIVER’ RUNS IN LOWER MANHATTAN River to River Festival Free http://lmcc.net/program/river-to-river/ The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s annual River to River Festival brings joy to Lower Manhattan each year. This year the fun starts on

Brian Stokes Mitchell. Photo courtesy of Feinstein’s/54 Below

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KIDS

3579 Harlem River Drive rownewyork.org Since 2004, Row New York has offered summer rowing camps for sixth- through twelfth-graders.

In Manhattan, the three-week camp rows out of the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse off the Harlem River Drive. Check out the above website to learn about the range of camp options for students of various ages.

CREATE A YOUNG ARTIST

A city full of adventure, for children and their parents

MAKE A SPLASH Free outdoor pools nycgovparks.org/facilities/outdoor-pools Swimming isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for when you leave town.

The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public pools reopen on June 29, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dotted around the five boroughs. In Manhattan, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Asser Levy Pool at Asser Levy Place and East 23rd Street, the John Jay Pool east of York Avenue on 77th Street, the Lasker Pool at 100th and Lenox Avenue, the Tompkins Square Pool on Avenue A between East 7th â&#x20AC;&#x201D; among others. Check the website for rules and hours.

LEARN TO DANCE Ballet HispĂĄnico Los Explorers camp $425 per weeklong camp, $350 for shorter class 167 West 89th Street ballethispanico.org/classes/preschool-camps At a premier Latino dance organization, Los Explorers are the three- to eight-year-olds who this summer will experience a multi-sensory journey through the rhythms, cultures and dances of Brazil, Argentina and Spain. And this is just one of many class options, since the dance school has offerings for students of all ages. See online at ballethispanico.org to learn more about those.

A WAY TO GO ROW Row New York Camp: $750

Arts in Action summer camps 711 Amsterdam Avenue at 94th Street One camp: $880 artsinactionvap.org Arts in Action Visual Arts Program, headquartered on the Upper West Side, is a nonprofit aiming to educate children of all ages about the fine arts, regardless of economic status. The founder and director, Angela Tripi-Weiss, started the program when the funding for the art teacher at her daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school was eliminated. There are four different summer sessions slated, with size kept small so each camperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs can be addressed. Classes in the well-lit studio are held in the mornings or the afternoons, and there are weekly visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

MOVING MOMENTS Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dance!

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum of Manhattan 212 West 83rd Street Museum admission: Children and adults, $12, seniors $10 cmom.org The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum of Manhattan, starting on July 1, will be home to a daily dance party.

Also, expect special dance programming and

performances. Sundays, starting July 2, will be the day for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sundays Were Meant for Dancing!â&#x20AC;? That series of 30- to 40-minute shows, at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., will highlight dance history and include audience participation. From June 29 to Aug. 31, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Throwback Thursdayâ&#x20AC;? will let families learn about dance history through interactive workshops.

OLD ORGAN, NEW MEMORIES Camp Rhythmo $545 The Hughes Center, 32 Prince Street camprhythmo.com From July 24 through 28, students in grades 2 through 7 can learn about the pipe organ, or the â&#x20AC;&#x153;king of instrumentsâ&#x20AC;? as its fans call it. The range of experiences offered is extensive: physics lessons about sound, movement and yoga, singing and vocal workshops. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clearly not your average camp.

THE SEAPORT SCENE Migrants and Millionaires exhibit Adults $12, seniors and students $8 South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street southstreetseaportmuseum.org Teach your child that the Seaport is more than just a shopping and dining destination. Check out the South Street Seaport Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new exhibition, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Millions: Migrants and Millionaires Aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914,â&#x20AC;? opening June 23. The exhibition examines the dramatically different ways that new Americans arrived, giving visitors a look at first-class versus thirdclass passage. The museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Drop off household fruit and vegetable scraps at select Greenmarkets citywide.

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JUNE 8-14,2017

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REGISTERED NURSES REHABILITATION THERAPISTS MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS CERTIFIED HOME HEALTH AIDES

SENIORS For longtime New Yorkers, a season to get out and get going

workshop for seniors of all ages and abilities.

Celebrate moving in strong and creative ways.

BECOME A LEGAL EAGLE

WEATHER-READY

Senior Law Day Free Monday, June 12 at 11 a.m.

Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior Center, 312 East 109th Street Registration is required for the second Carter Burden Network Senior Law Day. Here’s a chance for free legal and financial resources and information, designed for area seniors and their families. Robert Freedman hosts “What Every Senior Needs to Know about Legal and Financial Planning.” To register or for information, contact Alexandra Jurenko at 212-423-9665 ext. 458 or atjurenkoa@carterburdennetwork.org.

Carter Burden Network emergency preparedness workshop Free Carter Burden Luncheon Club, 351 East 74th Street (between First and Second Avenues) Wednesday, June 28 at 11 a.m.

Walk-ins are welcome at this preparedness workshop. The focus here is on getting ready for extreme weather conditions. For details, contact Abigail Unger by email at ungera@ carterburdennetwork.org.

KEEP MOVING Summer on the Hudson: Senior Movement Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.

Free Pier 1 in Riverside Park South at 70th Street nycgovparks.org/events/2017/06/15/ summer-on-the-hudson-senior-movement From June 1 through July 27, seniors can take to this waterside space under the tutelage of Naomi Goldberg Haas. She’ll lead a dance

GO TO GRACIE Tours of Gracie Mansion Weekly tours this summer at 10 a.m.

Free nycgovparks.org/events/2017/05/23/tourof-gracie-mansion It’s your city, your mayor and your it’s your city’s mayor’s house. To learn more about the historic 11-acre site that traditionally — and currently — hosts the mayor’s family, RSVP for a tour by visiting nyc.gov/gracietour. There’s even a new exhibit marking the 75th anniversary of the historic structure.

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Senior law day. Photo courtesy of Carter Burden Network

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ROAD TRIPS When you just need a few days away

GOING TO THE GROVE Ocean Grove, NJ The talk these days is about always-evolving Asbury Park, where gays spruced up the houses and Bruce Springsteenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always in the ocean air. But neighboring Ocean Grove has smalltown pleasures (think ice cream in an old-style venue like Nagleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cafe), a focus on family fun and, yes, that beach. The Melrose Inn, a recently spruced-up mainstay, is a warm home base for your journey.

SUMMER: SARATOGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SEASON Saratoga Springs, NY saratoga-springs.org Browse at Northshire Books, an outpost of the fantastic Vermont-based bookstore. Eat at Comfort Kitchen, where charm and cuisine mix well and the proprietors emphasize â&#x20AC;&#x153;real American food.â&#x20AC;? Stay right downtown at the Saratoga Arms.

The townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous for racing, but you can also pass the time doing what feels like nothing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and everything.

Photo: Peter via Flickr

MUSEUMS, MUSIC AND MORE The Berkshires, western Massachusetts berkshires.org â&#x20AC;&#x153;Picasso: Encountersâ&#x20AC;? just opened this month at the Clark Art Institute, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the most recent reason to explore the beautiful visual arts landmark â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and its environs. Pay the $20 entrance fee (free for kids) and a grand collection of European and American paintings, sculpture, photos and decorative arts. And then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all that other stuff in the region: fine food, cute bed-and-breakfast options and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. The theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season kicks off late this month with playwright Jen Silvermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new comedy, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Roommate,â&#x20AC;? with S. Epatha Merkerson and Jane Kaczmarek.

DAY TRIPS Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. Photo: Shinya Suzuki, via ďŹ&#x201A;ickr

When you just need a few hours away

his grandfather, is a lovely landmark. Lucky for visitors, though, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also home to new exhibitions and programs, a place where the iconic American artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is celebrated â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and inspires others.

Through Aug. 6, the work of Mercedes Helnwein, under the title â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chaos Theory,â&#x20AC;? eyes the potential power of seemingly mundane moments.

SEEING SHAKESPEARE The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey $49 and up shakespearenj.org Daring and diligent in its commitment to the classics, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey means theatrical thrills for visitors. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth a trip, and starting July 5 the theater is conjuring up Molièreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rarely produced â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bungler,â&#x20AC;? a comedy about a clueless young lover. In Madison, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a charming downtown, too, where you can get a pre-show burger at Poor Herbieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and wander through a used-books paradise, Chatham Bookseller.

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Sandy Hook Beach $15 per-car fee for drivers. For ferry, see Seastreak.com for schedules and costs. sandy-hook.com/sandy-hook-information. shtml By hopping on the Seastreak ferry, a 40-minute ride from the Wall Street area to your ultimate summer destination, you can start a journey in the morning and be back in the city for dinner.

Your day at the beach could include surf casting, swimming, munching or just admiring the stunning scenery of a nearby natural wonder.

A HOPPER HAPPENING Edward Hopper House Nyack, N.Y. $7 ($5 for seniors, kids free) edwardhopperhouse.org Artist Edward Hopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthplace, built by

Museum of the American Revolution 101 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA Adults $19, seniors $17, youths $12 www.amrevmuseum.org You need to get a timed ticket for entry to the Museum of the American Revolution, which earlier this year became the latest high-profile addition to Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already impressive lineup of museums. Objects, artworks and manuscripts come together at the museum, which investigates what the revolution was, what happened â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and who exactly those revolutionaries were.

WALKWAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A WONDER Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, NY Free Entrances on either side of the river walkway.org Is it crazy to drive two hours to take a walk?

Or to take MetroNorth up to the station near the Walk Across the Hudson? Not if you throw in a nice lunch nearby. Since October 2009, crowds have been coming to walk from Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County to Lloyd in Ulster County â&#x20AC;&#x201D; over the Hudson River. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stunning (even on a cloudy day) and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something every New Yorker should do at least once.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS Exercising your right to finding better health â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and inspiration

MIDTOWN YOGA Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga Wednesday, June 21 in Times Square Free timessquarenyc.org/events/solstice-intimes-square/index.aspx#.WSNQR1LMy_t Starting at 5 a.m. with the early risers, eight different yoga classes will mark the summer solstice in dramatic fashion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in a dramatic venue. Do your downward dog right in the middle of Times Square.

TENNIS ANYONE? TENNIS EVERYONE!

Photo: Amanjeev, via ï¬&#x201A;ickr

Courts, New York City Parks Locations include: Central Park, Riverside Park, East River Park, Queensboro Oval and Washington Metro Park nycgovparks.org/facilities/tennis Most tennis courts in city parks are open from 8 a.m. until dusk, leaving plenty of time slots to share with your fellow New Yorkers. See the city parks website to learn about purchasing a permit, and a look at the rules and regulations. There are courts around Manhattan, and indeed the five boroughs. The city uses its site to tell about the different surfaces, locations and phone numbers, and where lessons are offered.

TAKE TO THE STREET Summer Streets Free Aug. 5, 12, 19 For walkers who like a car-free environment, these are three special Saturday mornings. From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, participants walk, run, bike and just enjoy a dramatically different sense of the city streets. The event extends along Park Avenue and connecting streets, with easy access from all points in New York City.

DO SOME GOOD Help the DEP to clean up beaches You can help prevent beach closures by monitoring floatables, waterborne waste materials. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the kind of person who wants to do something active and helpful on a day off, give an hour or two and help the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Environmental Protection. Especially needed: volunteers to conduct surveys along the East River, including the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport and Battery Park, and along the Hudson River, including the Chelsea Pier area, the 60th Street Sanitation Department building and the 79th Street Boat Basin and the Harlem River. If you have any questions, please contact: Robert Gans, Volunteer Beach Floatable Program Coordinator at (212) 889-4216, cell (917) 6582380 or email ozonelayerllc@me.com

The Mary Louis Academy Excellence in Education for Young Women since 1936

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A TWO-TRACK MIND ENTERTAINMENT How a kindergarten teacher, an outspoken celebrity, and a casting director helped one woman pursue her dream — and what she’s doing to pay it forward

BY GAIL EISENBERG

At five years old, Nikki Kimbrough was known as “the little girl with the big voice” at her Richmond, VA church. She’d been enrolled in a performing arts program in kindergarten, and Gary Yarbrough, a teacher for the initiative, helped to hone the special something he saw in her.

“I knew about Diana Ross, but Mr. Yarbrough introduced me to Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan, and would teach me Broadway and jazz songs that sparked my interest to learn more,” says the Upper East Sider.

With her mom’s and Mr. Yarbrough’s support, it wasn’t long before Kimbrough would score a role as the only African-American orphan in Rich-

mond’s Haymarket Dinner Theatre’s tre’s production of “Annie.”

“When the show ended, I looked ed at my mom and said, ‘One day, I’m going oing to move to New York City and sing ng on Broadway.’ I had just turned eight,” ght,” says Kimbrough.

Education would have to come first, and as it did another talent emerged. rged.

Kimbrough received a full track k and field scholarship to the University ty of Virginia, and then ran on the Olympic mpic Development Circuit while getting g her Masters in public relations at Syracuse University. Sports filled much ch of her time, but the arts bug still nagged gged at her. Then came a sign she couldn’t ldn’t ignore.

“Spike Lee was a guest speaker er at Newhouse [School of Public Comommunications], and he said he thought ught most of us were really performerss at heart, but had chosen Communicaications because we were afraid of the instability. I totally felt like he was talking to me,” says Kimbrough. h. “I got a Backstage trade paper, and two days later I was on a bus to New York City to audition for ‘The Lion King.’”

Kimbrough didn’t get the role, but

she found another champion in castcast ing director Mark Brandon, who placed her in the workshop chorus. In the meantime, she quickly parlayed her athleticism into a business to offset the erratic income.

Today she’s considered one of the top fitness experts in the country, and shares her knowledge in maga-

Today, GMA, zines and on the likes of T and The Steve Harvey Show.

Sho A chance meeting at an a open call Kimbrough with would reunite Kimbr full-circle fashBrandon, who in fullNaion cast her in the Broadway Br “Dreamgirls,” and tional tour of “Dream childhood dream in 2013, her childh Kimbrough materialized — K Broadway debut in made her Broadwa “A Night with Janis Joplin” in James and a Jothe roles of Etta Jam plinaire. years, KimFor the last three y it forbrough has been paying pay ward as the Executive Director of Theater Group the Harlem All-Stars The (HASTG), a non-profit whose mission is create extraorto cre dinary theater dina experiences expe that educate, tha encourage, and enc inspire young ins people ages 6 peo to 117.

“I truly feel meeting the me people I met pe along the way alo changed my ch l i fe,” says

Kimbrough. “I’ve been given so much, the least I can do is to give back and open up opportunities to a bunch of kids. It’s amazing to watch them grow into these performers, and I want to let them know that they’re superstars.”

Kimbrough, along with the HASTG creative team, including founders Ikay Henry and Linda Hazlett, build upon previous years’ productions of “Annie” and “The Wiz, Jr.,” with “The Lion King, Jr.” opening its two-night run at The Tato Laviera Theatre at Harlem Repertory on June 9.

Kimbrough was recently the Broadway guest for Rosie’s Theater Kids, an arts education program started by Rosie O’Donnell in 2003.

“It was great to see the structure of their program, and how they really change the kids’ lives. I want to do that with HASTG,” says Kimbrough.

If her track record is any indication, there’s an excellent chance she will.

Performances of The Lion King, Jr. run June 9th and June 10th at 7:00 p.m. at The Tato Laviera Theatre at Harlem Repertory 240 East 123rd Street $10 advance, $15 at door.

To buy tickets and learn more about HASTG go to www.harlemallstarstheater.group Follow HASTG on Facebook

Upper East Side Broadway singer-actress-dancer and fitness expert Nikki Kimbrough. Photo: Fadil Berisha

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241 Bowery

A

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.

Spicy Village

68B Forsyth Street

A

The Boil

139 Chrystie Street

A

Sel Rrose

1 Delancey Street

Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.

Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Raw Mkt

61 E 8Th St

A

Pressed Juicery

7 E 14Th St

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Dunkin’ Donuts

175 Varick Street

A

Wafels & Dinges-Landing

393 West St

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Happy Express Cafe

4 Allen St

A

Cool Fresh Juice Bar Inc

333 6Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (28) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.

The Late Late

159 E Houston St

A

Mr Taka Ramen

170 Allen St

A

A

Lianjiang Restaurant

88 Division St

Grade Pending (24) 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 contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Pier 60

Pier 60 23Rd Street And West Side Highway

A

Sweets By Chloe

185 Bleecker St

Porto Bello Restaurant

208 Thompson Street A

Broadway Gourmet

584 Broadway

A

Chipotle Mexican Grill

625 Broadway

A

Cafe Grumpy

177 Mott St

A

Gregorys Coffee

649 Broadway

A

Goa Taco

101 Macdougal St

Not Yet Graded (40) 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.

Umami Burger

432 Avenue Of The Americas

A

Gelato Giusto

164 9Th Ave

A

A

Google Water Tower Cafe

111 8 Avenue

A

Sammy’s Steakhouse

155157 Christie St.

22

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

JUNE 8-14,2017

Business

SECOND AVENUE BUSINESSES FACE NEW CHALLENGES Construction disruptions are over, but anxiety over rising rents remains

BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

When the Second Avenue subway opened on New Year’s Day, few people were happier than the owners of small businesses along the Upper East Side corridor. Second Avenue retailers endured nearly a decade of disruptions during the construction of the line’s three new subway stations, as street closures, obstructed sidewalks and incessant noise inhibited pedestrian traffic and sales. But if the new subway line brings an anticipated increase in commercial rents, many small business owners fear they won’t necessarily be better off now that the Q train is finally running.

For 27 years, Caryn Klauser has owned Promises Fulfilled, a children’s store on Second Avenue between 82nd and 83rd Streets on Second Avenue that specializes in personalized toys and accessories. Access to her storefront was blocked by barricades and trailers for years during the subway’s construction, which she said impacted her business “terribly.” Business owners were left to fend for themselves, Klausner said. “There was really no one to help us.”

Klausner, like many of her neighbors in Second Avenue retail stores, is pleased to see people back on the sidewalk, but is now concerned that the new line could cause rents to rise.

She pointed to the number of vacant storefronts in the area as evidence that rents are already too high. “There are so many empty stores,” she said.

“It’s definitely not good for small busi-

An empty storefront near the Second Avenue subway’s 96th Street station. Photo: Michael Garofalo nesses, if you’re not a bank or a CVS” Maggie Clark, a community planning fellow with the Fund for the City of New York, found that retail occupancy rates on Second Avenue remained relatively stable from 2010 to 2017. She also discovered that there wasn’t a significant difference in turnover rates between storefronts near the line’s new stops, which bore the brunt of obstruction during the construction period, and stores farther away from the new stations.

Clark, an urban planning student at the Pratt Institute, will present a study examining business turnover along the corridor at a June 13 meeting of Community Board 8’s small business committee.

Now that construction is over, Clark said, the main concern for local businesses is that real estate values will in-

crease. But if commercial rents do rise, she explained, the impact likely won’t be immediately visible, since many businesses are operating under longterm leases. Additionally, it will be difficult to isolate the new subway line’s impact on rental rates from citywide retail trends. But Clark is hopeful that her study will provide a framework for analyzing the ongoing impact of rental rates on Second Avenue stores.

“I hope that this can be useful in tracking which small businesses are most vulnerable to that kind of turnover and how they can be more directly helped,” she said.

Albert Khaimov, manager of L’MoshAliz Salon near 84th Street and Second Avenue, said local businesses are already feeling pressure from the real estate market. “Some people are already out of business, or when their

lease is up they’re not going to renew it,” he said. Khaimov, whose lease will be up for renewal in a year, said he’s not sure if he’ll be able to stay in his current location if his rent goes up.

“I’m not complaining,” he said. “That’s how it is.”

Robert S. Schwartz, owner of Eneslow Pedorthic Enterprises, said business at his retail shoe store on Second Avenue near 79th Street was down 30 percent during subway construction. “From the time they put the barricades in front of our store in 2010 until they took them down in December 2016, it was a struggle,” he said. Schwartz said he saw an immediate jump in business after the line was finished, but that sales have since flattened, which he attributed to larger economic factors.

While the new line was being built,

ON THE SIDE STREETS OF NEW YORK INTEGRAL YOGA INSTITUTE — 227 WEST 13TH STREET The Integral Yoga Institute is dedicated to showing students the way towards peace, love, and balance in life. It was founded in 1966 in an Upper West Side residence when Sri Swami Satchidananda came from India to speak about his practices. His words influenced many New Yorkers of the time to take yoga classes and adopt an alternative lifestyle away

from popular psychedelic drug use. In 1970, the Institute moved into its current home on 13th Street, and two years later, Integral Yoga Natural Foods opened, introducing a vegetarian diet — a new trend at the time.

To read more, visit Manhattan Sideways (sideways. nyc), created by Betsy Bober Polivy.

Photo: Alex Nuñez Caba, Manhattan Sideways

Schwartz chaired the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Second Avenue Subway Committee, which worked with the MTA to launch a marketing campaign that promoted businesses impacted by construction. “We tried, he said. “I would say there was a very good effort to get some changes made by people who were not in a position of power.”

But despite those efforts, small businesses along Second Avenue still saw their sales negatively impacted by construction, and many owners feel that more should have been done to ease the burden. Schwartz was disappointed that the city didn’t grant any benefits or redress to businesses along the corridor during construction, such as commercial rent tax abatements or sales tax breaks. “We got no relief of any kind whatsoever,” he said. “All we got was less business.”

Schwartz, who has operated stores in various New York City locations since 1973, believes Eneslow may be forced to close its Second Avenue and Park Avenue South retail stores because of rising rents, which he says have outpaced increases in business.

“My anticipation is that I will have to downsize and close both locations in 4 years when my leases are up,” he said, noting that Eneslow has another retail location in Little Neck, Queens. “I know they’re going to double or triple my rent.”

Klausner said she was concerned at the prospect of businesses being priced out of the neighborhood after years of subway-related disruptions.

“It would be terrible for that to happen,” she said. “If you’ve lived through this and then you can’t stay here to reap your reward.”

JUNE 8-14,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

23

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

JUNE 8-14,2017

DISCOVER YORKVILLE’S HIDDEN GEMS Food, drink and stories from the neighborhood’s unique small businesses Hidden in plain sight on Yorkville’s side streets are unique bars, restaurants and niche shops, some of them among Manhattan’s most celebrated and alluring. And on June 21, a few of these neighborhood gems will open their doors for an exclusive tour of the East 80s.

The event, Sidewalk: Yorkville, will begin at Little Frog, where attendees will be served a glass of wine and have a chance to chat with the charming French bistro’s owner, Francois Latapie. Then, side street expert Betsy Polivy of Sideways.nyc will escort the group from one great small business to the next.

You will hear how the owner of Miss Madeleine’s was finally able to bring his entire family to the city to open his own bakery; discover what has made Maz Mezcal a neighborhood staple since the early ‘70s; learn the story behind Sutton Clocks from the shop’s second-generation horologist; and get the chance to peruse, taste and observe within four other commercial

Attendees to Sidewalk: Yorkville will visit Sebastian Law’s East 82nd Street clock and watch repair shop.

Sidewalk: Yorkville will conclude at Ryan’s Daughter on East 85th Street. treasures.

The tour ends with a beer and stories about the neighborhood at Ryan’s Daughter, a bar in operation since Prohibition.

Limited space is available. Reserve yours by visiting www.yorkvilletour. eventbrite.com or call Molly at 212868-0190

Staff at Swed Masters Workshop on East 82nd Street will discuss the silversmith’s craft during the Sidewalk: Yorkville event.

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JUNE 8-14,2017

25

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

YOUR 15 MINUTES

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes

GROWING GREEN SPACE The president of the Friends of Hudson River Park Playground Committee on its kids-centric mission

BY ANGELA BARBUTI

The Friends of Hudson River Park Playground Committee is a group of parents with a shared vested interest in a park that means so much to them and their children. As its president for nearly two years, Catherine Juracich was one of its 10 founding members. In that short time, the group has grown to 72 through recruitment and by word of mouth.

At more than 550 acres, Hudson River Park is Manhattan’s second-largest park and the longest waterfront park in the country. Juracich explained it is a resource to downtown parents, many of whom did not grow up in New York City, because it gives their children, few of whom have backyards, a green space in which to play.

Since the park does not receive any government funding, the money the committee raises goes to things like maintenance and programming.

“Part of the main thing about giving to the park and playground is you can give to people who are using the park that doesn’t include you, but you can also give to yourself. It’s something that’s twofold.”

As for her vision for the future of the committee, Juracich wants to contin-

ue to create a community of parents who support each other and their families. She also revels in the potential it has, reminding us that the park itself is only 17 years old and 72 percent complete. “So we’re part of this thing that’s being created as opposed to just coming into something that’s already done. And I think that really inspires especially downtown families…to be part of this thing that’s new and growing and they can influence.”

committees within Friends, like a Visionary Committee, that’s more for people who aren’t in the children crowd. Originally, it was complete word of mouth, so friends of friends.

And I recruited a lot of my friends and my friends recruited some of their friends. And then we had our first event, which was a luncheon over at Current at Chelsea Piers. We got 20 new members from that, but they still were basically friends of friends.

You were a founding member of the Playground Committee. How did the idea first come about?

In your opinion, what makes Hudson River Park special?

A donor from Hudson River Park used to be on the Central Park Women’s Committee in a leadership role.

She also was a prominent member of the Playground Partners, which started in the early 80s. The women’s committee is about 1,000 members and then they have a smaller group devoted to just the playgrounds. And so she suggested the idea to friends and they thought it was great and so they started the committee. I think for our first six months we were 10 members and I was one of them. And then I got asked to become president and grow the committee. And it has been almost two years and we’re at 72 members.

Are the members mostly parents? How are they recruited?

There’s not one that’s not a parent. The Playground Committee is catered to parents. There are other

Being downtown, we’re really deprived of green space as opposed to uptown, just based on Central Park.

So this is the largest green area that we have access to. It also happens to be on the water, which, I think, is an added benefit. That combination of things makes it really unique to these parents who don’t have a backyard to raise their children in. I think especially with the downtown population, many of us were not raised in New York City. And I’m not saying [that’s not the case for] uptown. But oftentimes with uptown, you find multigenerational people. They grew up going to Central Park and things like that. Downtown, that’s not what it is.

Most of my friends and most people on the committee were not raised here.

So we’re really looking for that park green experience that a background would provide. And we’re also looking for a way to build community within

Catherine Juracich. Photo: Katie Lyman. ourselves. Because when you have young kids especially, you’re looking for that community aspect for yourself, as well as your children.

You have four children. What do they enjoy most about the park?

My kids enjoy the play areas the most. Although we like the other programs, that’s their main go-to. And they like the things that are on the park as well, like the mini golf on Pier 25. As for other things, my kids really like Story Pirates where some people come and read stories to kids. My kids love that. They have this guy named Mr. G who does a magic performance.

And then they also have Big City Fishing, where the kids practice fishing off the piers and there’s instruction. My son loves that. Something that I’ve been working really hard on with the trust is there’s kind of a mismatch. At Hudson River Park, the main season for this type of programming is the summer. Unfortunately, a lot of people leave in the summer, especially a lot of donors. Something that we’ve been working on developing is the shoulder season, which is some more May and September programming. And that’s something that they launched this year, programming that started in May and is going to extend through September. Before, it was just June through August.

The funds you raise help the park to thrive. Tell us what the donation money goes towards.

First off, they go to park maintenance. Like, any of the playgrounds that are no longer what they used

Children at Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Lawn Bowl at Pier 62. Photo: Hudson River Park

to be. An example of that would be Chelsea Waterside, the wet water playground on 23rd and the West Side Highway. And that we took on the capital campaign to redo. By we, [I mean] us combined with elected officials, have already raised 2.1 million to date. And it’s supposed to commence this fall.… That park was 15 years old. I never knew this before I got involved in parks, but they do have a wear-and-tear factor. Fifteen years is a lot on a park, especially a water park, because there’s sand at this park and it got in the piping. And then there was flooding and water issues. And when you have to renovate a playground, you have to usually pull up the flooring to renovate some of the equipment. Once you touch any of the playground, you then have to make the whole playground safety specific.

You might start out doing a little playground renovation, and it becomes bigger. And then the other things are these programming events like River Keepers, which is a youth rangers on the river program, where they go in the river and catch fish and document them and things like that. And then all the programming that I just spoke of, like the Story Pilates, the movies, we fund all that too. www.hudsonriverpark.org/playgrounds

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

by Myles Mellor

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JUNE 8-14,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

JUNE 8-14,2017

CLASSIFIEDS

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

27

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Telephone: 212-868-0190 Fax: 212-868-0198 Email: classified2@strausnews.com

POLICY NOTICE: We make every eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to avoid mistakes in your classiďŹ ed ads. Check your ad the ďŹ rst week it runs. The publication will only accept responsibility for the ďŹ rst incorrect insertion. The publication assumes no ďŹ nancial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for any copy changes. All classiďŹ ed ads are pre-paid.

Directory of PUBLIC NOTICE Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call #BSSZ (212)-868-0190 ext.4 CBSSZ MFXJT@strausnews.com

FORT JAY FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITE RESTORATION ADVISORY BOARD ASSESSMENT

TO PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICE CALL

Barry Lewis at

(212) 868-0190 or

EMAIL

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is required to assess community interest in forming a restoration advisory board (RAB) at Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) every 2 years. USACE is investigating the former Fort Jay located on Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island off the southern tip of Manhattan, New York, under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program for FUDS. Construction of Fort Jay began in 1794 and was used by the U.S. Army for several purposes including coastal defense, recruitment, prisoner of war prison, supply base, and other military functions during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. USACE is issuing this notice to assess public interest at this site and determine whether the formation of a RAB is appropriate.

A RAB is one of many methods USACE may use to facilitate public participation. Regardless of whether a RAB is formed, USACE will continue to involve the community in accordance with FUDS regulations. The RAB provides a collaborative forum for the community, government agencies, tribes, and property owners to discuss and identify the most efficient and productive means to restore the environment. A RAB should be established when the following requirements are satisfied: A) There is sufficient and sustained community interest in a FUDS property, and B) One of the following: 1) At least 50 citizens petition the installation for the creation of a RAB; 2) Federal, state, tribal, or local government representatives request the formation of a RAB; or 3) USACE determines the need for a RAB based on community responses to a solicitation for input, correspondence, media coverage, and other relevant information that show that there is sufficient and sustained community interest in the establishment and operation of a RAB. Fort Jay comprised approximately 173 acres and was located on Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island, New York. As a result of historical operations, the Fort Jay site may contain environmental and safety concerns from prior use of munitions. Fort Jay was closed in 1966 and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard for use as a residential base. In 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard closed its facilities and in 2001 became part of Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island National Monument. The remaining part of the island was transferred to the people of New York for public use. The purpose of the ongoing Remedial Investigation is to further assess environmental and human health impacts associated with the historical use of the former Fort Jay.

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HIP Health Plan of New York (HIP) is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in HIP depends on contract renewal.

HIP is an EmblemHealth company. Plans vary by county. Limitations, copayments and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year. The pharmacy network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. This plan is a Medicare Special Needs Plan for people with both Medicare and Medicaid. Your eligibility to enroll in this plan may depend on your Medicaid status. Premium, copays, coinsurance and deductibles may vary based on the level of Extra Help you receive.

This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. EmblemHealth complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATTENTION: If you speak other languages, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-888-536-6537 (TTY/TDD: 711). ATENCIÓN: Si usted habla español, tiene a su disposición, gratis, servicios de ayuda para idiomas. Llame al 1-888-536-6537 (TTY/TDD: 711). 注意：如果您講中文，我們免費提 供相關的語言協助服務。請致電 1-888-536-6537 (TTY/TDD: 711).

H3330_126350 Accepted 5/13/17