Our Town Downtown - July 21, 2016

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The local paper for Downtown wn A WARHOLIAN FUNHOUSE AT THE ARMORY, CITYARTS, < P. 12

WEEK OF JULY

21-27 2016

STANDING UP FOR THE VILLAGE NEWS Community pushes back against a number of mega-projects in the far West Village BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Though in general the Alexander Hamilton craze may be slowing down, the founding father’s legacy popped up last week in an unexpected place, and this time Hamilton the musical wasn’t mentioned once. At a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on the conversion of 85-89 Jane Street into a mega-mansion complete with a separate glass tower, one community member’s testimony in opposition to the project cited Hamilton’s personal connection to the area as a reason not to allow the proposed development. “Jane Street was just a country lane … when Alexander Hamilton died in the Bayard Home in 1804,” she said of

Rosemary Kristiansen and Ron Shipley holding signs in protest of the planned Jane Street development, at the LPC hearing. Photo by Madeleine Thompson

the William Bayard House that once stood at 82 Jane Street. “The house was demolished, but the memory of Hamilton is still living, and is an important part of Greenwich Village’s history.” In recent months, the far West Village and the Meatpacking District have seen several large, luxury projects appear before Community Board 2 and the LPC that have brought residents out in droves -- the LPC received 250 emails from residents in response to the 85-89 Jane Street project alone -- to stand up for their historically diverse neighborhood, which was given landmark status in 2006. “While it’s incredibly charming, it’s usually very simple,” Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said of Greenwich Village architecture. Berman described some of the recent proposed developments as “castle-like” and out of scale. “I think what the applicant [for 85-89 Jane Street] is bumping up against is they have a very grand idea of what they want their home to be like, and as the commissioner said, it’s intriguing, it’s inventive, but it doesn’t belong in this spot,” he said. After nearly two hours of discussion

last week, the LPC ultimately took no action on the glass tower and renovated row house that were designed by Steven Harris Architects LLC for 8589 Jane Street. The commissioners’ comments on the huge single-family home made it clear that they did not find the buildings to be appropriate for the neighborhood, despite its striking aesthetic. “It is a very interesting presentation, and intriguing in terms of drawing from different building typologies and thinking creatively,” LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said. “But I think in the end all these ideas are not reflected in this building. I just grapple with the idea that this tower is representative of what has been identified as the inspiration, which are these water towers and other industrial-type smokestacks … The execution fails to make that transformation.” Srinivasan’s comments were loudly applauded by the audience, and went on to be echoed by every other commissioner. The conversion of a one-story garage at 11-19 Jane Street into a five-story residential building inspired similar ire and also resulted in no action from

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CHELSEA PARK DESIGN SPARKS DEBATE Preliminary plans for the new 20th Street Park includes a short fence BY JEFFREY KOPP

A preliminary design for the new 20th Street Park has been released and is causing some controversy, particularly with regard to the inclusion of a short fence. The design, presented by Parks Department officials at a July 14 Community Board 4 meeting, was prepared with input gathered during an April “scoping meeting,” when Chelsea

residents were given the opportunity to collaborate on the design of the newest neighborhood park. Common themes at that meeting were the needs for a relaxing green space, an area for children to play and a section for art to reflect the culture of the neighborhood. At last week’s CB4 meeting, Parks officials presented a “bubble graph” that depicted approximate areas for each proposed section of the park. It

Parks and community officials are discussing design plans for a park at this former Sanitation Department parking lot on West 20th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Photo: Jeffrey Kopp

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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice

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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits

SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS

A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311

n OurTownDowntow

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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced

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JULY 21-27,2016

Chapter 21

EVE AND OTHERS BY ESTHER COHEN

A group of people who live in the same building, a tenement in the Upper West Side, decide to band together to find a man who his neighbor says is missing. It was the eighties in New York City. The man’s name was Alyosha Zim. Come to Another Potluck Naomi wrote, in big balloon letters. She used a thick red Sharpie. Maybe the sign needed more explanation. We Have to Find Alyosha Somewhere she wrote, in smaller letters. We Need All of Us To Do This. Then she arbitrarily chose a day and time: Wednesday at 7 PM. Around the corner was a Xerox place, family-owned small store operated by a Korean family with relatives enough to keep it open long hours every single day. The store sold every possible stationery sup-

ply, from infinite pen choices to rainbow post-its. Their specialty was Xeroxing. Polly ran the store. She read every single document before she carefully placed it, centered, onto the Xerox machine. “Where did he go?” she asked Naomi. “Did he leave the country? People like the Caribbean. My guess is he’s there,” she said. She put flyers under every single door in her building and by Wednesday night, the apartment was once again full. Eve made a big pot of lentil stew. Just lentils really, but she called it stew. Even Charles made a dish: baked brie. A wheel of it stuck in the oven until it was extremely soft. He made a big daisy out of Ritz crackers, and placed the cracker dish right next to the cheese. Charles wore a top hat for the occasion of the meeting. And Eve a long black forties dress. Naomi wore her silver boots.

Mrs. Israel called the meeting to order. She stood in the center of the apartment, surrounded by people from the building, every single one of them some kind of artist, you’d think the word business didn’t exist: people who juggled, who wrote music that sounded like high pitched dog whistles and running water, operas about Pac-Man, hyper realistic paintings of Cabbage Patch dolls. Mrs. Israel was the odd exception, in her ersatz navy Chanel suit, her matching pumps. Her boxy handbag on the floor. Mrs. Israel was their queen with her clipboard, her yellow pad, her well-considered questions..” Mrs. Israel called the meeting to

HELP US SOLVE THE MYSTERY DEAR READERS of this serial novel: We are asking for your participation. Tell us what you think about where Alyosha might have vanished, and where we should seek out clues. Where

did he go? And why do people disappear in the first place? Do you know anyone who has disappeared or wants to? Tell us. Email us at news@strausnews.com

order. She stood in the center of the apartment, surrounded by people from the building, every single one of them some kind of artist, you’d think the word business didn’t exist: people who juggled, who wrote music that sounded like high pitched dog whistles and running water, operas about Pac-Man, hyper realistic paintings of Cabbage Patch dolls. Mrs. Israel was the odd exception, in her ersatz navy Chanel suit, her

matching pumps. Her boxy handbag on the floor. Mrs. Israel was their queen with her clipboard, her yellow pad, her well-considered questions: “How many weeks will we pursue this?” she asked the room. “What are your thoughts?” Pin-Ball spoke first. He was a surprising regular in the group, an old-fashioned drag queen with one fantastic outfit after another. For the Pot Luck, he was dressed as Cher in a Bob Mackie sequined gown. “Forever,” he said. “Until we find him.” “I think one more month is reasonable,” said tall Richard. “I disagree,” said Richard two. “Six more weeks,” he said. Albert, who had joined the dinner, Alyosha’s neighbor and occasional lover, stood up with vehemence. “We can’t give up ever,” he said. “We can and we will,” said Mrs. Israel. “A month seems reasonable to me. And I would guess that I am the most reasonable person here.” “All in favor say AYE,” said Charles. Everyone except Albert said AYE. “I want the chance for my NAY,” he said. “OK,” said Mrs. Israel, “but the ayes have it. One month from today,” she said. Everyone clapped.

“IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD CLEAN UP THIS PARK.”

BE THE SOMEONE. Every day, we think to ourselves that someone should really help make this city a better place. Visit newyorkcares.org to learn about the countless ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community.

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

PRICEY WATCH PROMPTS PROSECUTORS TO RAISE BAIL IN FRAUD CASE New York federal prosecutors have demanded an extra $2.5 million in bail for a Harvard University-educated businessman extradited from Colombia after they discovered he was wearing a $70,000 watch. Manhattan U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas agreed to boost bail for Kaleil Isaza Tuzman from $2.5 million to $5 million. But he didn’t require a doubling of $500,000 in collateral the government had requested. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says investigators found it “very disturbing” when Tuzman stepped off a government plane Thursday with an expensive watch. Williams says Tuzman claimed he was desperately raising money for his bail from friends and relatives. Tuzman pleaded not guilty Friday to an indictment charging him with misleading investors and regulators as chairman and CEO of technology startup KIT digital Inc.

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct Week to Date

Tony Webster, via flickr

ADIOS AUDI Your car’s glove box is NOT the place to leave a spare car key! At 9 p.m. on July 5, a 32-year-old man parked his 2015 Audi S5 sedan in front of 33 Thomas St. When he returned at 6:30 the following morning, the Audi was gone. He told police that he had left a spare key in the glove box. A license plate camera caught the car on the Williamsburg Bridge at 4:30 a.m. The vehicle is valued at $60,000.

HYPER SWIPER Area motorcycle thieves seem to have Ducati at the top of their hit list. At 4:30 p.m. on July 6, a 35-year-old New Jersey man parked his motorcycle at the northeast corner of Charlton and Greenwich Streets. When he returned

at 11:30 p.m., his bike was MIA. The stolen vehicle was a red 2013 Ducati Hypermotard with New Jersey plates. It’s valued was put at $15,000.

LOSE YOUR CHOOS? Have Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big started a life of crime? At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6, a man and a woman entered the Jimmy Choo store at 111 Greene St. The woman removed shoes from a display rack and placed them into a brown bag. The man then picked up the bag and left the store without paying for the merchandise. The shoes stolen were a pair of Jimmy Choos valued at $1,875.

PRADA PROBLEMS Police said sei in arresto to three

Year to Date

2016 2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

0

0

n/a

Rape

0

0

n/a

7

3

133.3

Robbery

2

2

0.0

33

30

10.0

Felony Assault

2

4

-50.0

40

43

-7.0

Burglary

0

0

n/a

69

69

0.0

Grand Larceny

21

18

16.7

555

513

8.2

Grand Larceny Auto

3

0

n/a

31

10

210.0

shoplifters at Prada. At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 8. two men ages 27 and 26 and one woman aged 26, acting in concert, took several articles of clothing and other merchandize worth about $1,500 from the Prada store at 575 Broadway. The trio was later identified by witnesses, arrested and charged with grand larceny. Police identified the trio as Emmanuel Dinkins, Tyrell Gibson and Shoshana Morgan. The items stolen and recovered were two pair of denim jeans, a key ring and other items.

MINUS A PLUS At 5 p.m. on July 10, two teenage males snatched a 56-year-old woman’s cell phone from her left hand on the southbound platform of the Bowling Green Station at State Street and Battery Place and fled to the street. Police searched the neighborhood but could not find the pilfering pair. The stolen phone was an iPhone 6 Plus valued at $1,100.

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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.

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 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

LIBRARIES

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

TIME WARNER

46 East 23rd

813-964-3839

US Post Office

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212-645-0327

US Post Office

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US Post Office

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Clement Clarke Moore Park on West 22nd Street is scheduled for a renovation. Photo: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

CLEMENT MOORE PARK TO GET MAKEOVER The Parks Department is revising its renovation plan for the 22nd Street facility after input from local community board BY ASIA HORNE

A plan to renovate Clement Clarke Moore Park has met with mixed reviews. After the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation presented its plan to Community Board 4 earlier this year, members of CB4’s Waterfront, Parks and Environment Committee wrote department’s Manhattan Borough commissioner, William Castro, saying that while they were “pleased” with plans for the 22nd Street park, they also requested some modifications, including that an existing, tall wrought iron fence be

kept. The committee said the fence provided an extra layer of security, as well as helped safeguarded items left behind by park goers. The committee also expressed concern about an anticipated renovation timeline — estimated at about a year. “Given the paucity of parks in the Chelsea neighborhood, we ask that the timeline for the renovation be condensed, and that an effort be made to keep part of the park open while the other part is undergoing renovations,” the letter said. It also requested an additional play surface between planned small and larger play areas, another water feature, more picnic tables and seating, as well the addition of WiFi technology. It also asked that no murals be placed on the

east wall or the south fence. The committee also wants a plan for storm water retention. A Parks spokeswoman said the department is “working on some revisions” to the project. As presented to the community board, the department’s redesign consisting of two new play units: one for children 2-5 years of age and the other for children up to 12 years old. In addition to the play units, new swings were to be installed. The fence surrounding the park was to be shortened to 4 feet. Park goers said Clement Clarke Moore Park were looking forward to the upgrade. Melina Salifoska, a babysitter who frequently brings her charges to the park, said safety was an issue because of antiquated equipment. “The

cracks should be closed up, play-mats should be placed, the sprinkler area should be refurbished, and the rusty swings need to be fixed,” she said. Karen Cope, recently visiting Clement Clarke Moore with her grandson, also looked forward to a renovation. Her concern was more so for the variety of age groups that interact at the park. When the younger and older kids are integrated together, she describes the scene as “wild” and “dangerous.” With renovations expected to take up to a year, park goers will be looking for alternatives. “As long as the park is nicer and safer for children, I don’t mind switching parks for a while,” Cope said.

JULY 21-27,2016

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THROWING THE BOOK AT A BROADWAY FIXTURE NEWS olice crack down on booksellers in shadow of upscale retailers BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

An Upper West Side mainstay disappeared virtually overnight earlier this month, when police dismantled the sidewalk bookselling enterprises along two blocks of Broadway. The booksellers’ tables, near-permanent fixtures on the west side of Broadway between 72nd and 74th streets for decades, were removed by police on July 5 and 7. The sole bookseller to return to Broadway following the sweep, Kirk Davidson, said that although there had been previous enforcement actions aimed at the booksellers, this latest one was the most sweeping in the 31 years he has been on Broadway. “This is new,” Davidson, 58, said. “It is sad.” Police acted after property owners and tenants association leaders met with Public Advocate Leticia James to complain about the sellers, representatives from that office said. The complaints alleged that the row of tables constituted an encampment and the sellers themselves had become a nuisance and an impediment to more conventional commerce. The property owners said the sellers harassed residents, openly drank alcohol, urinated in the street and created an overall “hostile environment,” representatives from James’ office said. In one alleged incident, one of the sellers threw a brick through a nearby shop window. Following those discussions, James sent a staff member to investigate. After being shown pictures of the booksellers and their stands and concluding that the sellers had declined to be held accountable for any troubles, James called police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “It was taken care of within a few days,” a representative from James’ office said. About a week after the tables were taken apart and thousands of books impounded, Davidson, sitting in a small chair in front of the Chase Bank branch just south of 73rd Street, a few feet from a single folding table covered with books, said parked police cruisers were now a constant presence. On July 13, three police cars were parked curbside near Davidson’s table. A halfdozen officers, including a sergeant and a supervisor, conferred nearby.

Davidson, who was not present during the initial July 5 sweep, was issued two summonses, one for storing unattended property on a sidewalk. Davidson said he was undeterred. Although he was making a few sales from the few dozen books arrayed on the folding table, he said he would go to court to seek the release of the inventory seized by police. A five-page invoice documented roughly 2,000 books police had impounded. Most of

“You’re going to have some that like us, others that don’t,” he said of residents and property owners. On that Wednesday evening and the following morning, passers-by approached him to express sympathy and disbelief at the city’s move. “Again?” one woman said to him. “This has been happening for 100 years.” On Thursday, a window washer sponged and squeegeed the windows

minium building across from the Ansonia, who earlier this year said that “some lower volume” of booksellers could be tolerable if city officials also addressed the homeless whom he suggested congregate nearby. Davidson acknowledged that there were “trouble guys” among the vendors – “This is New York City,” he said – but he also chastised city officials for what he said was their lack of consideration for street vendors. He suggested that rather than facilitating the installation of increasingly ubiquitous Wi-Fi towers, the city should install a public toilet and washroom. Davidson, who has been issued dozens of summonses for a variety of offenses – for neglecting to put prices on his books, for obstruction and for leaving unattended property – during his three decades on Broadway, called the latest police move “nonsense.” As booksellers, Davidson and his col-

Police officers confer steps from Kirk Davidson’s sidewalk book table on Broadway near 73rd Street on July 13, a week after police dismantled several similar tables and impounded thousands of books along that stretch of the avenue. Photo: Richard Khavkine Davidson’s inventory, as well as that of the other booksellers, most of whom work for Davidson, is comprised of donations. He attributed the latest police action to what he called “major money boys.” With exclusive retailers such as Bloomingdale’s planting a flag in the neighborhood, and others likely on the way, he said, that stretch of Broadway was fast becoming a branded enclave that is, at best, wary of sidewalk enterprises. “Big money coming, little money got to go,” Davidson, wearing a pressed collared shirt and shorts and white sandals, said on July 13, the Wednesday following the sweep.

of the former Loehmann’s outlet while contractors cleared clutter from the bare insides, on the ground-floor of the Ansonia, the Beaux-Art condominium residence between 73rd and 74th Streets. News reports following Loehmann’s bankruptcy in 2014 suggested that asking rent for the 40,000-square-foot space was $4.75 million. Jesse Krasnow, president of Sirius Realty and the owner of the Ansonia for nearly 40 years, who earlier this year complained about the booksellers, did not return calls seeking comment. Neither did Gregg Wolpert, the president of The Stahl Organization and the developer of a 76-unit condo-

leagues are considered First Amendment vendors, meaning that they can set up shop without vending licenses. They must still abide by city regulations on where and how they display their wares, however. Norman Siegel, the civil rights lawyer, who has lived nearby for about 30 years, said he was puzzled by the city’s action. “The basic constitutional point is they do have a First Amendment right,” he said. “I don’t see any problem. They’re not blocking anything.” That the booksellers leave their wares overnight could, however, be more of a “gray area,” he said. And although Siegel alluded to the

5 neighborhood’s changed profile as a possible motivation for city officials to remove the booksellers, he lamented their loss. “There should be Upper West Side tolerance toward the booksellers,” he said. But Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, whose district includes Broadway in the lower 70s, said she had heard complaints about the booksellers from nearly her first day in office in 2013. “I actually encouraged this to happen,” she said of the booksellers’ removal. Rosenthal said the booksellers’ presence was often raised at the 20th Precinct’s monthly community council meetings that she attended. The issue, she said, was among those of most concern to constituents. She said she had on several occasions met with residents and the police, but not with the booksellers themselves, to discuss residents’ concerns. “We get so many qualify-of-life complaints about vendors that don’t abide by the rules, in this case leaving things overnight unattended for a really long time,” she said. “It’s just a matter of abiding by the law,” Rosenthal said, alluding to the sellers’ unattended storing of their wares, which is addressed in a provision of the city’s administrative code originally targeting abandoned cars. “This was not done lightly.” Although Rosenthal said she was assured by police that all of the confiscated property was inventoried and catalogued, Davidson said a sizeable quantity of books was hauled away by trash collectors. Officials at the 20th Precinct referred questions about the books’ removal to the police department’s public information office downtown. An official there said by email only that that police “removed and safeguarded the unattended property.” The official did not respond to a follow-up inquiry asking why tables that were attended were also disassembled, or to claims that some books were trashed or about the number and types of summonses issued to the booksellers. Davidson has battled and sued the city following similar enforcement actions and obtained financial settlements totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars for, among other matters, malicious prosecution, Davidson and his attorney, John Levy, said. Levy declined to detail the settlements or what he called “ongoing litigation” against the city. He did acknowledge that the neighborhood’s increasingly upscale character put pressure on the police. “Bloomingdale’s likes everything to be clean and neat,” he said, admitting that the booksellers’ trade sometimes “gets a little messy.” Still, he suggested that Davidson and other booksellers should not be shoved aside. “He can sue,” Levy said. “He is very honest. He’s out there trying to make a living.” Richard Khavkine: editor.dt@strausnews.com

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NAVIGATING THE TALL GRASS Sightings of elusive Psyducks, Dratinis, Venomoths in Central Park, the city’s Pokemon headquarters BY SILAS WHITE

Central Park has long been a spot for long nature walks and relaxation, but a recently a new breed of park goer has cropped up. Droves of (mostly) millennials can be seen looking at their phones, going on a digital safari to try and catch ‘em all. “It’s just another Pidgey,” they say, swiping away on their phones on the hunt for a more elusive catch. Any intrepid Pokémon GO player in New York City will tell you that Central Park is like Pokémon headquarters, but some places are better than others. If you’re going on a Pokémon safari,

these tips might help you out. Heckscher Playground is home to Magnemites, Venomoths and Pincers. It’s also a Pokéstop, so if you’re entering the park from Columbus Circle it’s a good stop to make. The Pond is a great place to catch a couple water Pokémon like Goldeen, but we also found a Vulpix, an Ekans and a Sandshrew. There are a few Pokéstops around the perimeter of The Pond, so make sure you find the ones with active lures to make the most of your time. Bethesda Fountain is another good spot for catching rare water Pokémon. We were able to catch a Horsea, a Psyduck and a Slowpoke. A Squirtle was listed as being nearby, but none were seen. The fountain is also a Pokéstop, naturally. South of the fountain is the Rumsey Playfield, where an Exeggcute was seen. A Dratini was listed as being near the Model

Rhyhorn by the Pond. Photo: Silas White

Boat Sail, but none were observed. The nearby Alice in Wonderland statue is a Gym, so come prepared if you’re looking for a fight. Lastly, Cedar Hill by East 79th Street is a frequent spawning point for the Pokémon Tauros, among other more common Pokémon like Pin-

PARK DESIGN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 included planting around the perimeter of the park, shaded seating, a public gathering space, two separate areas for children to play — one for ages 2 through 5 and another for 5 through 12 — and a decorative water feature, plus space for a small stage and rotating public art. While attendees at the meeting were generally pleased with the design, a proposal by the Parks Department for a 4-foot-tall fence at the front of the park ignited the crowd. The planned height of the fence is part of Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver’s plan for “Parks Without Borders” — that is, parks whose outer features are designed to make them feel more welcoming — and it’s already caused controversy at Clement Clarke Moore Park on West 22nd Street. There, neighborhood residents say that even with the existing 8-foot fence surrounding the park they have found empty alcohol bottles and used syringes; the Community Board requested in a letter dated May 3 that the Parks Department leave the fence as-is. “What works in some places doesn’t work in others,” said Lowell Kern, co-chair of the CB4 Waterfront, Parks, and Environment committee.

JULY 21-27,2016 cers and Pidgeys. All of the above Pokémon were sighted in the morning and afternoon, by a level 8 trainer. One should note that different Pokémon come out at different times of the day, and that the rarity of the Pokémon a trainer finds is effected by her level so experiences may vary. A fellow trainer gave us a tip that the game was built on the foundation of Ingress, another augmented reality game made by Niantic, the same developer of Pokémon GO, and that rare Pokémon can be found at the same locations of powerful “portals,” from Ingress. Essentially what this means is that places with lots of history are good places to find good Pokémon. A map of Ingress can be found on their https://www.ingress. com/intel, you can disregard whether the points are blue or green, but Pokémon can allegedly be found at the same spots. Note that you must create a free account in Ingress to view the map. Pokémon GO also marks more obscure places as Pokéstops, such as trees or bridges you might not have known had significance, so keep an eye out. Whether you’re Team Valor, Instinct or Mystic, happy hunting. “What you’re giving us is, ‘This is what the commissioner decided.’ But just because it’s what the commissioner decided doesn’t mean it’s right for our neighborhood.” While many voiced concerns about needing a taller fence, some felt the opposite and thought a fence was unnecessary. “It’s old fashioned to think that if you put these huge, ugly fences in that it’s going to prevent bad things from happening,” said Diane Nichols, who lives in the building directly across the street from the new park. “I’m a senior citizen and I’ve lived across the street for 35 years. I don’t feel worried at all about the safety of the park. In fact, I think having a 4-foot fence is a compromise — I would prefer no fence at all!” Matt Weiss, an organizer for the community organization that first proposed the park, Friends of 20th Street Park, said, “I tend to agree that an overly large fence would take away from the openness of the park ... I think it’s a balancing act. I hear everybody on the safety concerns. I have three little ones myself.” Overall, though, he said, “They were able to put in a lot of amenities in a small footprint. The Parks department made a great first effort to accommodate the needs and interests of a bunch of different groups.”

On the hunt near Hallett Nature Sanctuary. Photo: Silas White

JANE STREET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the LPC when it was brought before them in late June. “Certainly the trend we’ve been seeing in the far West Village is these areas are becoming increasingly expensive and desirable for new people moving in,” Berman said. “And in a lot of cases what that’s resulting in is a desire to make some pretty dramatic changes to the landscape even in areas that are designated historic districts or landmark districts.” Ironically, though wealthy buyers targeted by projects like 85-89 Jane Street are moving in because of the old, charming architecture, they appear not to be interested in preserving it.

Zack Winestine, a founder and co-chair of the Greenwich Village Community Task Force, thinks the new era of the neighborhood he has called home for 28 years began a while ago. “I wouldn’t say that they’re going to usher in a new era because I think that, fortunately or unfortunately, that era has started some time ago,” he said. Winestine lamented the loss of the mix of industrial and residential buildings with small businesses that made the community feel like home. “Formerly, [85-89 Jane Street] had been the Steinway piano showroom,” he said. “It was a place where pianists could come down and practice. The building was serving a cultural function.” But Jane Street is not the only road in this part of the Village that could soon look dramatically different. At 500 Washington Street, a block in from the Hudson River across from Pier 40,

Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital Group came before Community Board 2 in late May to present a massive residential-commercial development featuring three tall towers. The project would be made possible by a transfer of air rights from the aging Pier 40 to the St. John’s Center at 500 Washington Street between Clarkson and Spring Streets in exchange for the developers’ investing $100 million in the renovating of the pier. At the time, GVSHP’s special projects director Harry Bubbins expressed concern about the precedent that could be set for more “projects of this enormous scope” to be built so close to the waterfront. And at 46-74 Gansevoort Street, just two blocks from 85-89 Jane Street, the LPC recently approved a proposal to redesign the whole block on the eastern side between Washington and Greenwich streets. “There are definitely cases

where we feel that they have been too weak, much too weak in fact,” Berman said of the LPC. “They have approved things that really I think don’t hold up to the standard that they’re supposed to enforce which is appropriate for a historic district.” He acknowledged that he has seen them be appropriately critical of some of the more outlandish projects, like with 85-89 Jane Street, but he said he’s “not counting our chickens before they hatch.” In his testimony at the LPC hearing last Tuesday, Berman emphasized that he is not opposed to change in Greenwich Village and said the project may come to be a “welcome addition” to the area with direction from the commission. At the moment, however, like the other luxury developments that propose to drastically alter the face of a simple, charming neighborhood, it is most unwelcome.

JULY 21-27,2016

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Community Forum Protecting Your Financial Future

RONALD A. FATOULLAH Managing Attorney Ronald Fatoullah & Associates Elder Law & Estate Planning

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Come hear how to recognize the latest scams and find out what you can do to protect yourself and family members. Get unbiased financial information and tools for helping you to reach your financial goals. Hear what local resources are available to answer your questions.

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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.

CONFESSIONS OF A WANT AD JUNKIE OP-ED BY MELITTA ANDERMAN

I used to be addicted to reading the help wanted ads. The Sunday edition was the ultimate, large print, enticing leads, and lots of pages. I read the ads for sheer pleasure. The call for executive/administrative positions was my field (the industry did not matter but a glamorous office would be heaven). The one ad that kept me puzzled (maybe disturbed) was the call for a hands-on ability. Hands on who and what and how many were involved. Everything in the ad sounded very legit except the physical part. Then the calls for or pleas for personal assistants. I had all the qualifications for that job (or so I assumed). The wife of a prominent art dealer needed help for her charitable commitments but a physical disability kept her from doing the leg work. In other words the lucky job winner

would be a runner. Did a bicycle come with the job? Would the job be a replica Devil/Prada situation? The lady required the assistant to be available at all times. How about a bed to snatch a few winks in between? I could see a marathon type permanently wearing running shoes and support bras to leap over city blocks. I’m too delicate and must have my nightly sleep. So I put a big X through the ad. In due time my passion for reading ads became more than a passion since I needed a job. First I had to assess my wardrobe and come up with an appropriate look which would pass the scanning test of the eagle eyed interviewer of the Human Resource Department (it used to be called Personnel). These interviewers with their titles were the darlings of the graduate classes who would infiltrate the business world with their limited knowledge of real life but were given status because the times were changing and the executive look was in. They could delve into your past without blinking an eye (the

blinking might signify there was a soul in the interior). I was presentable, well spoken and could hold my own in a conversation. Why was I always besieged during an interview with scenarios out of hell, dialogued by a satanic personality with definite signs of a lobotomized brain. A doctor at a very prestigious hospital wanted the services of a highly qualified aide who would organize his forthcoming conferences and trouble shoot the daily logistics involved. I could see myself in my selected outfit waving my magic wand to shoo away the interlopers who could disturb the churning brain waves of my soon-to-be employer. I got an interview date and with an overexcited tummy arrived at hospital. The big man (no matter that he was on the small side and hunchbacked) shook my hand and brought me into his office. It was very small and fleetingly reminded me of my messy closet at home. Where to sit? He indicated a little chair (memories of the three little bears) and

Voices Photo by neetalparekh via flickr he perched opposite. That our knees touched wasn’t so bad but did his knee have to get between mine? I tried to be calm as he asked questions and my automatic answers got stuck in my throat due to the on going knee jerking activity. After a fluttering few more minutes I managed to get my knees together, stood up, thanked him for seeing me and left the closet office. His office called to arrange a second go-around which I declined. One of my nicest interviews led to a job with a pharmaceutical company. On my first day of work my boss took me to lunch to make me feel welcome. I did but

IN DEFENSE OF THE POLICE LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: Your recent piece on the protests against the police cites a number of anti-police quotes from protestors but does not mention that there is another side to this story. So I am writing this letter to hopefully balance out some of what is being reported about alleged police bias. The data regarding police shootings, in fact, shows the opposite - that police are not targeting or shooting African Americans because of their race. A fair amount of the media coverage and statements made by some of the elected officials have been unfair to police officers. Too often there is a rush to judgment after a shooting incident and important facts are left out of the discussion. It does seem odd that many trained lawyers assume police

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guilt before any type of investigation or trial. This past week a study was released by Harvard Professor Roland G. Fryer Jr. showing that when police use lethal force, there is no bias based on race. This study of 10 cities (NYC was not included) showed that in cases where they were not attacked, the officers actually used their weapons more often against whites than African Americans. Additional evidence produced in recent NYPD Firearms Discharge reports shows that use of firearms by NYC police officers has been trending to its lowest levels since the reports were first produced in the 1970’s. This very recent Harvard study and the information contained in the NYPD Firearms Reports both fly in the face of the assertions made by anti-police groups. I am not claiming that the police are

Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Photo by Dave Hosford via flickr always right or that there are not bad officers. We don’t have a perfect system and racism still exists. African Americans especially have been treated badly throughout much of the history of our country. But in the current climate, where racial tension has re-

Associate Publishers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Regional Sales Manager Tania Cade

emerged as a major problem, it is vital that we look at the facts, treat police fairly and remember that police have a split second to make life and death decisions that you or I will hopefully never have to make. As I write this letter news organiza-

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Fred Almonte Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com

it was short lived since my nice new boss got a better job. I was assigned to work with the office drunk in charge of stock inventory. I hated it but I was on the verge of my about to be imminent pregnancy. I stuck it out (not my stomach) for a few more months until the liquor aroma surrounding him did not agree with my lunch. Motherhood put a halt to my career of being an every woman to appease a wunderkind boss. It ended the human resource drill, the waiting time for call backs, and best of all, no more applications listing next of kin in case of an emergency and the name of my elementary school.

tions are reporting that three more police officers in Baton Rouge have been senselessly killed and a number seriously wounded. This pattern follows the ruthless assassinations of NYC Police Officers Ramos and Liu in 2014 and the recent killings of Dallas police officers who were simply doing their job protecting anti-police protestors. Police officers perform their jobs and take risks so you and I don’t have to. The men and women I have met in the NYPD are some of the most dedicated, hardworking and talented people I know. But it is unfair to ask them to take on broader societal ills that we have not been able to solve through our political process. By giving the police our support we send a message to bad actors that their violent malignant efforts won’t work and also shift the discussion to the real causes of these very difficult issues. Sincerely, Nicholas Viest President The 19th Precinct Community Council

Staff Reporters Gabrielle Alfiero, Madeleine Thompson Director of Digital Pete Pinto

Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

JULY 21-27,2016

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ON READING, AND OTHER SUMMER PLEASURES GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN

I never understood the concept of “summer readingâ€? or “a beach book.â€? What I read at the beach is what I read at home -- mostly literary novels and newspapers. If I don’t like what I consider bad writing at home, why would I enjoy it at the beach? I must sound like an awful snob, but I’m a compulsive reader and pretty picky (though I really ought to read nonďŹ ction, too, I do understand that). Given that, if I’m lying in a beach chair and enjoying a book, it’s a book I would enjoy in all environments. Beach reading is just a concept totally alien to me. Friends of Stryker Park is an organization that is committed to making the large plaza on 97th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues into a lively, multi-use space and public amenity. So far they’ve had three events, the last, on June 25th, which included music, coffee and treats from local retailers, and board games, as well as just sitting at tables and talking with neighbors. Bob Leonard, one of the group’s co-founders, says they want to transform the block into a

park. The three events were a pilot program with tables, chairs, umbrellas and plantings. The Department of Transportation is involved with this program and said it would support a pilot program starting in September. While the DOT is supportive, many community members are opposed to the idea. Some think that this area is already being utilized by people who stroll there without impediment (the sidewalk is five times the size of a normal sidewalk). Children can run and play freely. But others feel that the space is under-utilized and it would only enhance the neighborhood and enable people to mingle and get to know each other in what is often a lonely and isolating city. It has been agreed that the discussion will re-open in September when a larger hearing on the idea could be held at the monthly transportation committee meeting. Do you know about ReServe? My partner works for this nonproďŹ t that matches professionals 55 and older with nonprofits, public institutions and government agencies that need their experience. ReServists receive

Photo by LWYang via ickr a small stipend of $10 an hour (it’s called paid volunteering) and you can work up to 15 hours a week. So far, my partner has worked as a facilitator on health issues and now as an exercise coach at various senior centers around the city. He took special training for both and is happily engaged twice a week making a bit of money and helping other seniors in New York City. Contact ReServe at 212-727-4335 or

Dad went to buy milk for the ďŹ fth time today

www.reserveinc.org if interested. I saw the Roz Chast exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York. Of course I knew of Ms. Chast, who has published more than 1,200 cartoons in the New Yorker alone, along with several illustrated children’s books and an award-winning visual memoir called “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?� I saw a group of tourists being led to the door of the

exhibit, told a few tidbits about it, and then shepherded away. No wonder! You just have to be a died-in-the-wool New Yorker (and maybe a Jewish one at that) to fully “getâ€? this exhibit. I haven’t seen her memoir, but these cartoons are pure New York. “I found my mother!â€? I fairly shouted at one point, holding my sides with laughter. One whole wall was dedicated to her relationship with her parents, and it was so uniquely New York and really uniquely Jewish that I laughed and cried at the same time. I must buy her book, and I plan to send my grandchildren one or more of her illustrated children’s books. What a poignant, delightful afternoon I had. The Museum of the City of New York is a treasure I visit often. I remember it from the days when it had a oor of huge doll houses that my daughters loved. There’s always something worthwhile to see there, and of course to follow it up with a visit to the Conservatory Garden across the street just tops up the day to perfection. There are a few days that are just perfect. I try to savor them when they come. We all should.

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West side seating area of Union Square Park Noon–1:30 p.m. Free Students from the New School’s School of Jazz will spice up your lunch hour with some tunes. Events.newschool.edu

GLASS ETCHING Seaward Park Library, 192 East Broadway 2 p.m., Free Geared towards ages 13 to 18, participants will learn to etch the logo of their favorite sports team into glass containers. All materials will be provided. www.nypl.org/events/

COLLECTING INJUSTICES, UNNECESSARY SUFFERING Whitney Museum 99 Gansevoort St. 8 p.m. $22 Jill Kroesen, longtime matriarch of the downtown performance art scene, presents her new work after a 30-year hiatus. www.whitney.org

K2 LOUNGE Café Serai at the Rubin Museum, 150 West 17th St. 6–10 p.m. Free During K2 Friday Nights, Café Serai becomes the K2 Lounge, offering a special pan-Asian tapas menu to accompany the evening’s DJ and programs. www.rubinmuseum.org

Sat

23

BOOKS AND ART STORY TIME McNally Jackson Books, s, 52 Prince St. 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Free Yvonne Brooks hosts ann hour where children revisit favorites, orites, then create fantastic art together. Open to all ages.. www.mcnallyjackson.com/ om/

OPEN STUDIO AT THE HE WHITNEY The Whitney Museum of America, 99 Gansevoort St. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Freee Use the Whitney’s Hearst rst Airspace to create your own wn unique art piece. whitney.org/

JULY 21-27,2016

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Sun

VIEW OF ‘PAINTED NAILS: A DOCUMENTARY’ Asian American International Film Festival, 181 Second St. 1 p.m., $14 This new documentary that tells the story of the Vietnamese nail salon world. aaiff.org/2016/

BEVERAGE TASTING Fulton Stall Market, 207A Front Street 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Free EscapeMarker’s second pop-up shop at Fulton Stall Market will feature a tasting of beverages, samples from food producers, live music and presentations by local farmers. fultonstallmarket.com/

25

Mon

ALMIGHTY: COURAGE COURAGE, RESISTANCE, AND EXISTENTIAL PERIL IN THE NUCLEAR AGE The Half King, 505 West 23rd St. 7:00 p.m. Free Listen as Dan Zak, a reporter reporte for the Washington Post, hate reexamines America’s love ha relationship with the nuclear bomb in his new book. www.thehalfking.com

‘THE AUDIENCE’ NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia LaGuar Pl 7 p.m., $15–$25 NYU’s performing arts center cent hosts a showing of the 1993 West End play starring Helen Mirren. events.nyu.edu/#event_id/ events.nyu.edu/#event_id

Tue26 ‘WE ARE NEW YORK’ ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP Chatham Square Library Library, 33 East Broadway 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Free “We Are New York” is an Emmy-Award winning TV show created to help peop people learn and practice English. www.nypl.org/events

KATE DAVIS AT THE BATTERY Waterfront Plaza, Battery Park City 5 p.m. Free Hosted by Arts Brookfield is an event featuring the vocal styling of Kate Davis and her band at Waterfront Plaza. Come listen to a multi-instrumentalist over the Hudson River. http://www.downtownny. com/events/kate-davis

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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.

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Wed

WAR PORN: AN EVENING WITH ROY SCRANTON McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St. 7 p.m. Free Scranton, who served in the US Army from 2002 to 2006, including a fourteen-month deployment to Iraq, discusses his new book. www.mcnallyjackson.com/ event

‘A CHILD’S FIRST BOOK OF TRUMP’ The Strand, 828 Broadway, at 12th Street 7 p.m. Michael Ian Black reads and discusses “A Child’s First Book of Trump” with Fox News host and collaborator Meghan McCain, and signs the book along with the book’s illustrator, Marc Rosenthal. 212-473-1452. www. strandbooks.com/events/

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JULY 21-27,2016

A WARHOLIAN FUNHOUSE AT THE ARMORY EXHIBIT Art is everywhere, and in every form, at the Martin Creed show BY VIRGINIA RANDALL

When artist and musician Martin Creed tried to explain his work before “Martin Creed: The Back Door,” opened at the Park Avenue Armory, he shuffled and squirmed like a boy who had to recite in front of the whole class. “I’m not sure what people think about art,” he began. “It doesn’t have a clearly defined goal, like sport, with clearly defined rules and goals.” He picked up speed as he spoke. “Life’s very stupid. Nature is stupid. It does things for no reason. It seems very chaotic. So we make up rules, like in sport, doing things like running as fast as you can. It’s like narrowing things down to one thing,” he continued. “That’s kind of artificial. It goes against life. Life is all over the place.” Creed’s life (and his art) is certainly all over the Armory’s entire first floor, and it’s a carnival ride through his boyish whimsy and obsessions. His paintings, sketches, sculpted works, videos, music and performance/conceptual art installations pervade rooms, hallways, trophy cases and the Armory’s very walls with abandon. Stripes on the Armory walls (Work No. 798)? Sure! An installation (Work No. 129) consisting solely of a door opening and closing, or a light turning on and off (Work No. 160)? Why not? In this massive setting, the work that earned him the Turner Prize in 2001 – and outraged the British public - “The lights going on and off” is a mere sideshow. (A few years ago he explained

it with “I’ve always liked switching lights on and off.”) Co-curated by Tom Eccles and HansUlrich Obrist, “The Back Door” (at the Armory until August 7), is the largest U.S. survey of this eccentric artist’s work, and the most extensive single artist installation at the Armory to date. Don’t come expecting traditional art. Creed’s eccentric vision is part fun house, part schoolyard prank – the vision of a man who has retained his childlike sensibility. For instance, Work No. 2734 “Roving musicians” is his choreography of a small group of musicians wandering throughout the space, playing two songs from “Thoughts Lined Up,” his album set for a July release. Both “I can’t say no” and “Where you gonna be?’ are plaintive and simple songs about his mother, who must have been extraordinarily indulgent (“I can’t say no”) and loving. Not all the art is for everyone. Anyone who grew up with brothers will have flashbacks of “gross out” contests and a fascination with bodily functions, but a close reading of the list of installations will alert visitors where to find (or avoid) the short films “Shit” and “Sick,” showing women engaged in both. Only Martin Creed could create, specifically for the Armory’s 55,000-foot Drill Hall, “The Back Door” video series, including his “Open and Closing Mouth” video series … and get his mom to participate. (She really can’t say no.) The standout exhibit, however, is in the Colonel’s Reception Room -- Work No. 2497 “Half the air in a given space.” The open door invites visitors to enter a staid 19th century wood-paneled study half filled

Photo by James Ewing, courtesy the Park Avenue Armory with opaque white balloons, each about 24 inches in diameter. It’s fun to bounce the balls around, at first. Once you stop, though, the balloons close in, sounds become muffled and it’s impossible to look ahead, or behind or even up.It reproduces a kid’s experience of going somewhere adventurous for the first time -– it’s fun for the first couple of minutes, and then things get increasingly scary. At the Exit, you may well have

the same sense of relief you had finally catching sight of mom at a crowded amusement park. Creed’s placement of his works is as much a commentary as the works themselves. The ticking of the Metronomes (Work No. 2575) in the Mary Divver Room beating a steady tattoo similar to a drumbeat march, are a constant reminder that the show takes place in a military facility, while in the Library, crumpled paper balls (Work. No. 88,

Work No. 218) sit on plinths sit in trophy cases, a witty counterpoint to the gleaming silver loving cups and trays. Overall, the Creed show is an extended look inside a unique and original creative mind who may well be Andy Warhol with a Scottish accent. This show is a funhouse, and after going through it, you might just take a second look at all the portraits of military figures. The smiles on their faces might strike you as genuine this time.

JULY 21-27,2016

LAFAYETTE RETURNS DOWNTOWN Fraunces Tavern Museum’s exhibit on “The Lancelot of the revolutionary set”

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Untapped Cities Tour: The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam, Tracing the Castello Plan

BY ERICA MAGRIN

Any and all exhibits concerning Alexander Hamilton have skyrocketed in popularity since the rise of composer LinManuel Miranda’s hit musical, “Hamilton.” The life of this often-overlooked founding father has suddenly become more interesting than just a history lesson. Trinity Church is the burial site of Hamilton and his family, including his wife, Eliza; his sister-in-law, Angelica; and his son Phillip, who are all characters in the musical as well. Visitors to Trinity Church’s historic cemetery have increased significantly since the show’s fall opening. Recently, the church even hosted a pop-up exhibit featuring the first U.S. treasury secretary and his lineage. The Alexander Hamilton room at the American Museum of Finance has also benefited from the upsurge, with the museum posting: “you’re not a true “Hamilton” fan until you’ve visited [this site].” But with popularity comes mass influx, and this founding father’s history is no exception. With everyone demanding more Hamilton, the Fraunces Tavern Museum is turning to another figure featured in the hit musical. “Lafayette,” the new exhibit at the downtown landmark, showcases Hamilton’s brother-in-arms, General du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette — a name which the musical rhymes with “the Lancelot of the revolutionary set.” In a similar way to that of his financially minded friend, interest in this historical hero has become more prominent, hence the Fraunces Tavern Museum exhibit. The new exhibit features 20 different artifacts relating to Lafayette, including his pistol, sash and calling card. Also on display is a “life masque” of the war hero, crafted by noted French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. This was molded in 1785 “by placing layers of plaster of Paris over Lafayette’s face,” according to the museum. “There are three versions created after the original, all of which are in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The one exhibited here is a [20th century] Louvremade copy. This later 1790 ver-

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SATURDAY, JULY 23RD, 2PM Untapped Cities | untappedcities.com Discover the remnants of the city’s beginnings on a walking tour, including Manhattan’s first City Hall, original coastline, and the street grid that’s still embedded in Lower Manhattan. ($30)

The Museum of Interesting Things: Back to the Futurist! Secret Speakeasy

SUNDAY, JULY 24TH, 6PM Loft at Prince Street | 177 Prince St. | 212-274-8757 | secretspeakeasy.com Films, records, antiques, and presentations from a posthuman philosopher, the Futurist Society, and The NY Stereocopic Society highlight this Soho loft happening. ($10)

Just Announced | Our Humanity: Past, Present, and Future

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 4PM Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse | 70 Lincoln Center Plaza | 212-875-5456 | whitelightfestival.org Amid a season of discord, John Schaefer leads a White Light Conversation panel that asks “What makes us human?” Science, psychology, religion, and art will all be brought into play. (Free)

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

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

The local paper for Downtown

“Lafayette,” at the Fraunces Tavern Museum, features 20 artifacts related to the French Revolutionary War hero. Photo: Erica Magrin sion replica hides Lafayette’s well documented long sloping forehead with a wig.” Various portraits of the revolutionary solider are on display with the artifacts as well, some of which were engraved as early as 1790. Lafayette played an important part on the battlefield in both the American Revolution and the French Revolution, having been a military officer in both the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. Because of this, historians often refer to him as “the Hero of Two Worlds.” Born a French aristocrat, he was commissioned an officer of the military at age 13, and soon came to the colonies because he found the idea of the American Revolution noble and committed himself to the cause, becoming a major general when he was only 19. It was at this point in his life that he made the acquaintance of Alexander Hamilton and company. After aiding the colonists in victory at the Battle of Yorktown, Lafay-

ette returned home to France in 1787. With the intersection of Thomas Jefferson he assisted in authoring the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. After the storming of the Bastille, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the National Guard of France. Eventually being forced to flee the country by a radical faction, Lafayette returned to France once again in 1797 and became a member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1814. He returned to the United States in 1824, for an 16-month tour of all 24 states. He debarked at Castle Clinton, steps from the museum, to a hero’s welcome. He died 20 years later in 1834 and is buried in Picpus Cemetery in Paris, under soil from Bunker Hill. Lafayette is on view at until the end of the year. The Fraunces Tavern Museum is located on Pearl Street. Ticket prices are $7 – a lot less expensive than the sold-out musical.

Advertise with Our Town Downtown today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

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IWantToBeRecycled.org

JULY 21-27,2016

JULY 21-27,2016

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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUN 24 - JUL 15, 2016 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 http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page

Daily Grind Coffee

65 Nassau St

A

Stamina Grill & Juice Bar

80 Nassau Street

A

Fuzhou Anping Fishball

25 Catherine St

Grade Pending (19) 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.

Ambrose Hall

18 Fulton St

A

Niko Niko Sushi & Bowl

133 John St

A

Bin No 220

220 Front Street

A

Orient Express

325 West 11 Street

A

Pace University - Cafe 101

1 Pace Plaza

A

Mulino A Vino

337 W 14Th St

Lane Deli & Catering

75 Maiden Lane

A

Nelson Blue

36 Peck Slip

B

Grade Pending (16) 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.

Kuu

20 John St

A

Panca

92 7 Avenue South

Asian Wok

88 Fulton St

A

Blimpie

69 Nassau Street

A

Jersey Mike’s Subs

80 Maiden Lane

A

D Elici

71 Nassau St

A

Grade Pending (27) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.

Cafe Patoro

223 Front St

A

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

61 Grove Street

A

Captain Fried Chicken

39 Madison Street

A

Burrito Loco

166 West 4 Street

A

Wxyz Bar

49 Ann Street

Not Yet Graded (30) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

2Nd City

525 Hudson St

A

Amber Village

135 Christopher St

Grade Pending (47) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches 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.

Brass Monkey

55 Little West 12 Street

A

Benton Cafe

123 William St

B

Tj Byrne’s Bar

77 Fulton Street

A

Bonsignour

35 Jane Street

A

Terri

100 Maiden Lane

A

Bleeker Street Pizza

69 7 Avenue South

Grk Fresh Greek

111 Fulton Street

A

Deb’s Catering

3 Madison St

A

Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Suteishi

24 Peck Slip

A

Hummus Place

71 7 Avenue South

A

Open Kitchen

123 William St

A

Blenheim

283 West 12 Sttreet

Manna One Bakery

27 Catherine Street

A

Grade Pending (17) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Madison Bagel And Grill

5 Madison St

A

Gentilly

64 Carmine St

Andy’s Cafeteria (Hpd Building)

100 Gold St

A

Shun Wei Restaurant

45 Catherine Street

Grade Pending (17) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas.

Chickpea

110 William Street

A

Not Yet Graded (29) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/ refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Haagen-Dazs

16 Fulton St

A

The Butcher’s Daughter

581 Hudson St

Wanted

104 Fulton St

Grade Pending (36) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Not Yet Graded (33) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Gallo Nero Iii

1 7Th Ave S

A

A

Le Gigot

18 Cornelia St

A

Zaro’s Family Bakery

200 Broadway

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

In Brief

Business

CITY APPROVES “LOWLINE” PROJECT After the smash-hit success of Chelsea’s High Line, the first round of approval for a Lowline on the Lower East Side was handed out last week. In what was once the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and the New York City Economic Development Corporation gave the okay for, according to the press release, “the world’s first underground park.” In order to achieve such a vision, the project will have to raise $10 million in the next year, and must involve the community in the design and progress of the park. Crain’s NY reported that Lowline Executive Director Dan Barasch has already set up “an open laboratory and subterranean horticulture exhibit” to workshop the technology that will make the park so innovative. On weekends until March of next year the lab, which has already attracted 70,000 visitors, will be free and open to the public. “The Lowline represents an incredible fusion of technology and public space,” Glen said in the press release. “For 80 years, this underground space has sat idle. … We can’t wait to see this experiment unfold.”

MAYOR ANNOUNCES INCREASED ACCESS TO FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation making feminine hygiene products free and accessible for public schools, shelters and jails in New York City. “There should be no stigma around something as fundamental as menstruation,” de Blasio said. “These laws recognize that feminine hygiene products are a necessity – not a luxury.” The bill was introduced earlier in the year by City Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, and it passed unanimously in June. According to the Huffington Post, 300,000 school girls and 23,000 women in shelters will benefit from the policy. While jails are already required to offer menstrual products, their availability is generally known to be inadequate. “Under the new law, jails will have to offer feminine hygiene products to inmates immediately upon request,” the Huffington Post reported. “The legislation makes New York City the first city in the nation to proactively guarantee access to menstrual hygiene products.” First Lady Chirlane McCray, who has long been an advocate for women’s’ rights, expressed her vehement support for the law in a press release. “Young women hear far too many negative messages about their bodies,” she said. “I’m so proud our city has chosen to send such a decisively positive one.”

REMODELED SECTION OF GOVERNOR’S ISLAND OPENS TO THE PUBLIC Governor’s Island has gotten a makeover that finally opened for public enjoyment on Tuesday. The Hills, a section of the island that was once a parking lot, has been under reconstruction since 2013 to implement the new design of landscape architect Adriaan Gueze. “In his design of the new 30-acre park, Geuze included a maze of hedges, four cascading slides and four summits composed largely of debris from the buildings that were torn down to make room for them (the highest of the perches is 70 feet above sea level),” wrote the New York Times Style Magazine after their preview tour of the Hills earlier this month. At 172 acres and seven minutes from the tip of Manhattan, the Hills features 360-degree views of the Statue of Liberty in addition to its user-focused design strategy. According to the Guardian, measures have been implemented to protect the park from climate-related changes and weather events like Superstorm Sandy, though during Sandy the island remained safe and dry thanks to a previous decision to raise its lowest part by 15 feet. “A stone shelf juts out from the coast into the sea, covered by large rocks which absorb and dissipate the pounding waves,” the Guardian reports. “Should water breach this, a further, subtle barrier is set back from the cycle path.” The anticipation that has been building for months will peak on Tuesday as the first public visitors explore the Hills. Governor’s Island is open until September 25, until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends.

JULY 21-27,2016

MICRO LIVING, AT 260 SQUARE FEET PROPERTY “Micro” apartments make up in amenities what they give up in space BY KATHERINE ROTH

New York City’s first “micro” apartment complex is open for business, challenging the limits of minimalist living. What the tiny dwellings lack in square footage, they try to make up for in amenities. Carmel Place, a 55-unit complex that opened June 1 in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, represents the first time in decades that the city has allowed apartments to be built this small -- ranging from 260 to 360 square feet. That’s roughly the equivalent of a one-car garage. It’s the latest entry in a national trend toward smaller urban housing. The rise in single-person households -- now nearly a third of New York City’s households -and ever-higher rents led the city to approve the experimental project. Carmel Place got city land and a waiver from New York’s 400-square-foot minimum on new apartments, set in 1987. Frank Dubinsky of Monadnock Development, which built Carmel Place along with the Lower East Side People’s Mutual Housing Association, said there would probably be more new micro-apartments in New York soon. Compared to other modern buildings in its neighborhood, Carmel Place offers relatively modest rents, and services and amenities -- such as multi-functional furnishings -- that are aimed at making small-scale living a little easier. Architectural elements like 8-foot windows and nearly 10-foot ceilings are also meant to make small spaces more livable. The complex of services and amenities were put together by a company called Ollie, its name inspired by the words “all inclusive.” “Just because people need a living room and a bedroom doesn’t mean they need a designated living room and a bedroom. They just need the functionality of both rooms,” explains Chris Bledsoe, cofounder of Ollie, which did design work on the apartment interiors as well. The firm nArchitects designed the interior and exterior of the building. The amenities are meant to save tenants time and money, and create a sense of community, he said. Carmel Place is “a more plug-and-play living experience -- one that solves a housing need for the next two years of someone’s life, not forever. You don’t need to buy your own

Photo by Mekko Harjo furniture or hire a cleaning company. Everything is set to go,” he said. In addition to Internet and Wi-Fi, rent includes a weekly tidying service and a monthly deep clean, along with dog walking, dry-cleaning pickup and even a butler app called Hello Alfred, for customized errands. The nine-story complex also includes shared spaces. Thirty-two of the units are market rate, with rents from $2,446 to $3,195. Another 14 apartments have rents set by affordable-housing programs topping out at $1,490 per month; 60,000 people applied for those in a lottery. “In cities, space is at a premium and the only real solution is to make living spaces smaller,” said Lisa Blecker, spokeswoman for Resource Furniture, which provides most of the furniture included in the micro-apartment units. The furniture -- much of it made by the Italian company Clie --- emphasizes slim lines and multi-functionality. The 9-footlong sofa converts into a queen-size bed. A tiny cube of an ottoman transforms into dining chairs. A slim console table expands to seat 10.

Although the pieces are pricy -- Resource Furniture’s Swing wall-sofa-bed surrounded by cabinets costs between $10,000 and $15,000 -- Blecker says clients see savings in housing costs and “the realization that 350 square feet can feel luxurious if it’s well designed with the right furniture.” Bledsoe said micro-apartments’ convenience and affordability can be particularly appealing to young singles, empty nesters, long-distance commuters, and baby boomers in transition or looking for an urban pied-a-terre. Of course, tiny apartments in New York are not exactly new. Veteran appraiser Jonathan Miller estimates there are about 3,000 older apartments citywide that measure less than 400 square feet. And some real estate agents say New York’s young professionals are increasingly seeking small studios, willing to sacrifice space to be near work and away from roommates. Cities from San Francisco to Boston have OK’d some micro-apartments in recent years, seeking to address housing squeezes.

JULY 21-27,2016

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A PACKED, HEATED HEARING ON SCHOOL REZONING NEWS Plan would change the boundaries for a number of elementary schools BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Last week, on a positively steamy Thursday, more than 70 parents, principals and community members filed into the auditorium at P.S. 333 on W. 93rd Street to hear plans for a sweeping school rezoning of the Upper West Side. The meeting of the Community Education Council for District 3’s Zoning Committee was supposed to take place in a much smaller -- and much cooler -- upstairs classroom, but the crowd quickly became too large to fit. They were there to get an update on the Department of Education’s plan to rezone much of the neighborhood to alleviate the overcrowding that plagues the area, particularly at P.S. 191, P.S. 199 and P.S. 452. “We wanted this meeting to take place today so that public comment could be offered at the July 20th CEC meeting,” Kim Watkins, chair of the CEC 3 zoning committee, said by way of introduction. “The basis of the working group today is to show maps

of the scenarios that we’ve been talking about and to digest them.” Then, the signal was given to hand out the maps. In Scenario A — so dubbed to avoid confusion while discussing the two proposals — a new elementary school would be created where P.S. 191 currently stands at W. 61st Street and Amsterdam Avenue, and P.S. 452 would stay where it is at W. 77th Street and Columbus Avenue. P.S. 191 would then move a block west into a vacant building that was being constructed for a new school. Six school zones would be redrawn, affecting students up to W. 90th Street. In Scenario B, which had already sparked an outcry from opposing parents prior to last week’s meeting, P.S. 452 would move to P.S. 191’s current building 16 blocks further downtown than it is now. P.S. 191 would move into the vacant building a block away from its old location, and 11 school zones would be affected all the way up to W. 116th Street. Both proposals are intended to be implemented for 20172018 school year, and have several more levels of scrutiny to go through before either one is accepted. The disapproval for this plan is, at surface level, based on P.S. 452 par-

Audience members at the hearing examining maps of the city plan. Photo by Madeleine Thompson ents’ wish to keep the school close by and to stay at a place that, though only six years old, has become an academic success. But there are signs that their opposition could also have to do with the fact that P.S. 191 is in a lower-income area and does not boast test scores as high as the others. According to the news site Gothamist, a resident of a luxury co-op near P.S. 452 posted last month on a message board that moving the school to an area with a “very different demographic makeup” could “greatly affect” the value of neighbors’ homes. Sixty-four percent of P.S. 452 consists of white students, while P.S. 191 is made up of 81 percent black and Latino students. “I have faith in our parents,” Watkins

said of the racially charged undertones accompanying the rezoning discussion. “I don’t want to comment on the rumors of what parents want in terms of keeping their all-white school.” Many attendees of last week’s meeting asked the CEC — to loud applause — what was being done to alleviate the segregation, and expressed their hopes that the rezoning would be a step forward. A group of parents wrote an op-ed for the education-focused site Chalkbeat in June in support of moving P.S. 452. Schools in the upper part of CEC 3 in Harlem are suffering from many of the same problems that face P.S. 191, but the Harlem schools are out of the scope of this particular rezoning project. Some

MEDICAL CENTER IN UES MANSION CEASES OPERATIONS The building housing the Center for Specialty Care on East 69th Street likely to go on the market BY BEN SCHNEIER

The Center for Specialty Care, a freestanding ambulatory surgical facility on East 69th Street, terminated its operations in May and closed its medical offices permanently on June 30. The outpatient clinic served over 5,000 patients a year and housed over 150 physicians in a unique mansion, offering a wide variety of medical procedures and specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The Center and its owners, the Smith family, declined to officially comment on the closure, but a spokesperson said the building “is not on the market yet.” Massey Knakal Capital Services valued the five-story building at approximately $40 million on the residential market in 2012, and it would likely fetch an even higher price if sold today.

Dr. Charles Maltz, a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell who formerly worked at the Center, said that the owners had previously attempted a private sale, and that he had spoken to a doctor who considered purchasing the facility. “In terms of selling the whole thing to someone else, they had somebody, but I guess the deal fell through,” he said. Maltz added that the closure was surprising, if not particularly monumental. “They decided rather abruptly to close it, with only a few weeks notice,” he said. “People will find other places, I don’t think it’s going to have much of an impact.” Adam E. Zeidel, CEO of real estate development firm Coconut Properties, noted the building’s specificity and corresponding high value, which was likely not being maximized as an outpatient clinic. “[This kind of building] is very rare, so if you have a type of use that can

The Center for Specialty Care, a freestanding surgical facility in an East 69th Street mansion, closed on June. The five-story building is likely to go on the market. Photo: Ben Schneier benefit from this type of aesthetic, there are very few buildings with this kind of opportunity,” he said. “There is a relatively smaller set of people who would bid on this kind of thing, but those people would be willing to bid a lot for it.” The building most likely cannot undergo significant structural changes since it’s in a historical district, but

Zeidel suggested the mansion could possibly be converted into an art gallery restaurant, or boutique as well as residential use. The Center was singular in its combination of hospital-quality care and a luxurious, elegant building. Dr. Barry M. Weintraub, a renowned plastic surgeon, worked there for over two decades. He left four years ago to open

JULY 21-27,2016 feel the Harlem schools should benefit from this rezoning as well. Theresa Hammonds is the parent of a sixth grader in the district and a CEC member, who emphasized that she was speaking only as parent and not as a member of the CEC. “We need to be sure that all the schools in the district are serving the needs of all of the students equitably,” Hammonds said, emphasizing that she was speaking only for herself. “We have a situation in this particular district where the northern schools are competing with charter schools who take all the higher performing students, leaving all the other students that the public schools can’t refuse. So then parents who are moving into the area look at the test scores; they’re horrified. … [My daughter’s school is] under-enrolled because those parents would rather kind of huddle here.” Lucy Phillipp, who has a second grader and incoming kindergartener at P.S. 452, said she is against moving P.S. 452 because the families who have spent the last six years making it a success should be able to enjoy it. “If both proposals eliminate overcrowding at P.S. 199 [and] achieve the same level of desegregation with plan A adding more elementary seats and leaving a school community intact, I think common sense is the go with plan A,” Phillipp said. She originally wanted to send her children to P.S. 87’s bilingual program but was crowded out. Community members affected by the rezoning will have the opportunity to speak their minds at the next CEC 3 meeting this Wednesday at 6 p.m. at 735 West End Avenue.

his own plastic-surgical facility, which he said was inspired the Center’s luxury and quality. After the recent closure, he noted an influx of physicians and patients to his establishment. “Quite a number of plastic surgeons who were previously operating at the Center for Specialty Care are now operating at my facility on the Upper East Side. The news of the closing was rather sudden, and has affected quite a number of surgeons who, from my understanding, quickly needed to find another elegant facility in which to operate,” he said. While some surgeons who previously operated there will likely move to hospitals, “for certain patients who require a hospital-grade facility that is much more private and elegant, there are fewer options. There aren’t many facilities in New York City like the Center for Specialty Care,” he said. Dr. James W. Smith, a noted plastic and reconstructive surgeon, founded the clinic in 1985. It was created to offer outpatient surgical care without the inconveniences of overcrowded operating rooms in other city hospitals. While the shuttering may have some as a surprise, according to Zeidel, this kind of occurrence is commonplace. “It is not at all unusual. New York is a city of constant change.”

JULY 21-27,2016

UNDERSTANDING GRIDLOCK LECTURE BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Some New Yorkers may find traffic to be one of the least sexy topics out there, but the Museum of the City of New York’s first speaker in its “Fast, Cool, and Convenient: Meeting New Yorkers’ High Demands” lecture series could very well change their minds. “Gridlock Sam” Schwartz is a leading expert in transportation and urban engineering, and has held many of the powerful positions in the industry. He will be giving a talk on traffic at the City Museum at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday as part of the museum’s second partnership with the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York City Council for the Humanities. Two more installments in the series — one on air conditioning and one on plastics — will follow in August and September. Here’s a preview of Schwartz’s talk.

19

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bility versus mobility. Mobility allowed for you to live an hour out from where your school was, but after a while that mobility decreased because it took longer and longer to get where you were going. What

is probably less than half of what’s really needed to keep up with the demand.

Who is the ideal audience for your talk in terms of benefiting from your knowledge and recommendations?

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What are you going to be talking about on Thursday? I’m going to be talking about [Schwartz’s most recent book, “Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and Fall of Cars”]. Then I’m going to switch it over to how does that relate to New York City. The New York Academy of Medicine is a sponsor [of the series], so I’m also going to talk about the links between transportation land use policies and public health.

That’s a pretty broad topic. Can you narrow it down a little? What prompted the book is that for 50 years or longer … I watched the growth of vehicle miles travelled in the region, in the country, and saw that it always went up. More people were buying more people were driving. Sure, there was a little dip during the Great Depression … but it kept shooting up during the 20th Century. Around 2003, unbeknownst to anyone, it started to go down. For 10 straight years in this country vehicle miles travelled were going down, something we never saw before since the advent of the automobile. It’s largely millennials. This was a reduction of 20 to 25 percent in driving by younger people, which is astounding. We created this generation … that decided they like accessi-

the younger generation wants is to be able to go downstairs, go to a restaurant, catch a subway, go to a local bar, walking, without relying on a car. [Millennials] are driving a lot less but that doesn’t mean they’re doing a lot less. They go places without thinking about how they’re going to get home because they don’t have to. There are so many choices — it’s the cell phone.

Do you think New York City is prepared to handle the fact that vehicle use is declining for the first time ever? It’s a real risk. We’re already seeing deteriorations in service. Part of it is the bursting at the seams. I don’t see anyone recognizing that at a high enough level in government. A $27 billion transit program that the MTA put forward

Drivers. Parents who have teenagers. Manhattan is different … but in other places I say “if you don’t want to lose your children [to more accessible cities] you have to create a different pattern.” With a New York crowd I hope more people from the medical community come. There was a medical doctor who was a pediatrician and he said, “The reason I’m here is I see too many children in my emergency room and also I see too children with diseases that children didn’t used to get.” And he says “I see the link as transportation.” That’s the other thing [millennials do], they already know that being active equals being healthy for the most part. *This interview has been edited and condensed.

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GIVING BACK TO THE GAME Major League Lacrosse player spreads his love for the sport at city camps BY ANGELA BARBUTI

It was at summer camp that Max Seibald was first introduced to lacrosse so it’s only fitting that he returns to that setting to get children to appreciate the game the way he does. The midfielder for the Boston Cannons has been running his own lacrosse camps since he graduated from Cornell University in 2009. This summer, he partnered with Gold Coast Academy to help start a sports series at its camps in New York and New Jersey. As their lacrosse expert, Seibald built curriculum, assisted in selecting coaches and created a daily video message shown to all campers, who range in age from six to 15. When he is not playing or coaching, he is working towards a business degree at New York University and volunteering on the board of CityLax, a nonprofit that provides lacrosse programming in high schools throughout the five boroughs. The Long Island native, who has been playing professional lacrosse for eight summers, has been on fields all over the country, but always returns to his home in Manhattan. “With all my travel, I get to escape to other parts of the country almost on a weekly basis, especially in the summer,” he explained. “It’s nice to get away, but

also nice to live in the best city in the world.” I started at sleepaway camp in 1994. I was 6 years old turning 7. I went to Camp Starlight, an all-sports camp with a boys’ side and girls’ side. I was introduced to lacrosse that summer and kind of fell in love with it then and have been playing it ever since.

traded to New York and played for the New York Lizards for three years. And I’m currently on the Boston Cannons and this is my second season with them. I played professionally indoor as well for the Philadelphia Wings from 2010 to 2013. I played for the Team USA outdoor team in 2010. In 2011, for the Team USA indoor team. And then again in 2014 for the Team USA outdoor team.

You played at Cornell. How did you balance school with sports?

You are based in New York. Why do you think you always come back to the city?

Sports has always been a part of my life and given me structure. So it wasn’t much different than being at Cornell doing the same thing. The only difference being that you have a little bit more free time on your hands when you’re on your own in college. But for me, between practice and training and weightlifting, it gave me a schedule which allowed me that structure and time you had to get work done. And I’m an organized person, so at the beginning of each semester, I laid everything out so I knew what I had to get done and when. The school and team also provided support which helped me ease my transition into college. It was not too much of a challenge to keep the workload on point. Obviously it’s a very good school. Time management is key and that was one of the skills I had learned before going away, so it wasn’t too tough.

I’ve always been based in New York. I grew up in Hewlett, Long Island, and have been living in Manhattan since I graduated from Cornell. I have a lot of things based here. First of all, my family. I have two older sisters and now two nephews and a niece, all on the Upper East Side. My parents still live in Hewlett, so I’m close by there. I run a couple of business based out of New York. One is a lacrosse club team called LC New York, which are travel club teams based out of New York City. I run a couple of other training programs in New York City and Long Island in the off season. And I’m also currently in business school at NYU, so that’s another reason I’m in New York right now. And a majority of my friends from high school and college all reside in or around the Tri-State area.

How did you get started playing lacrosse?

Tell us about your pro career.

What skills do you think you need to be a good coach?

This is my eighth summer playing pro. I was drafted and played for the Denver Outlaws for three years. I got

I look at it as almost a teacher. You have to have extreme patience, obviously, for all different levels of

Max Seibald coaching. Photo: Adam Watstein kids. I think you have to understand whatever it is that you’re doing on a very fundamental level and be able to translate that to whoever you’re teaching or coaching in very basic terms. The beauty about lacrosse is that to be good at it, you have to really master the fundamentals. Keeping it simple and fun at the same time to try to keep the kids’ attention. And again, drilling the fundamentals and making it a competitive, but encouraging environment. I’ve played for a lot of different coaches and coached a lot of different groups in many different areas of the country. One thing I ask of the campers that I have to do myself is to be able to adapt, because kids in Long Island are a lot different than New York City which are a lot different than Texas and they all are exposed to different things.

You’re on the board of CityLax. Explain the organization.

Max Seibald coaching. Photo: Adam Watstein

It’s a not-for-profit, a public-private partnership based out of New York City that supports public schools in the five boroughs to play throughout the year. Because the state doesn’t fund the programs in the high schools, someone has to. We raise money to support the teams at the high school level. There’s over 40 high school boys’ and girls’ teams and they fund

the coaches, equipment, field, travel, transportation and anything that they need. And because at the high school level, it’s a little late for some people to start, we’re starting to transition to middle school, so the kids can start younger.

What are your future plans? I always plan to have some involvement in coaching and spreading the game. I’ve been doing it as a business now and have also been very active with CityLax. My playing career, I don’t know how much longer it will last. Having been playing for eight years, I’m definitely at the tail end of my career. So I think I have a couple more years left with that. I have another year or so of business school. Once that’s done, I’ll be entertaining other options full time outside of lacrosse, but I’ll always have that outlet to give back to the game that’s give me so much. www.goldcoastsportsacademy.com www.citylax.org

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10-16

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