The local paper for Downtown wn A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME AT MOMA, < P. 12
WEEK OF AUGUST
25-31 2016
THE POWER OF NEIGHBORS Some observations on small-town newspapering in the world’s largest media market BY KYLE POPE
For the last three years, I have been a small-town newspaper editor in the middle of Manhattan. That means people called me to complain that the cost of paper towels at the Duane Reade store downstairs from their apartment was 30 cents higher than the store down the block. It means that they sent me photographs of potholes that not only twisted their ankle, but their neighbor’s as well. It means that when the local gym canceled its gymnastics program, I heard not only from outraged parents, but from a clutch of distraught teenage girls. The term of art for what we do here is hyper-local, and it’s a surprising slice of the media world. Who would have thought that in this age of instant communication, of Twitter and Snapchat and YouTube, that local newspapers, largely in print, would soldier on in one of the most intense media markets on earth? Yet they do, and I am convinced that one of the reasons is because they help recreate the notion of a small town. It is a return to the notion promoted by the social activist Jane Jacobs, whose 1961 book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” noted that the vitality of a place can be found on its sidewalks and stoops, and that the glue that holds a place together is the interplay among neighbors. In many parts of New York City, her argument, about the need for central gathering places and public squares, has been lost, blasted away by gentrification and a
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
REFLECTING ON CHELSEA, AND NEW YORK CITY BY ISIDRO CAMACHO
New York is rapidly changing. Architectural mock-ups of the Big Apple’s skyline in five years reveal a surge of vertical development, and a transformation of midtown and downtown into clusters of shining towers. The city is becoming more of a glamorous tourist destination than a place where people actually live. Manhattan often feels like it might be one of the most expensive places in the U.S. The price of MetroCards and cups of coffee seem as malleable as the wet cement outside one of the hundreds of new developments popping up throughout the island. Chelsea is one of the places where the direction the city is headed in is the most apparent. The Whitney Museum and the High Line draw visitors from around the world. The luxury store Barneys has recently moved its flagship store back to its original home on Seventh Avenue and 16th Street. Chic cafés and restaurants dot the avenues closer to the water. Before the era of the High Line, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District were largely industrial areas. As the High Line crept up the edge of the neighborhood closer to its terminal on 34th Street so did trendier business and apartment complexes. I wrote solely about Chelsea during my time at Our Town. I constantly walked around area to check the neighborhood’s pulse, to see what kind of issues might be pertinent to our readers. Spatially, Chelsea is quite small, but its demographic makeup makes it one of the most interesting places in the city to write community news. According to a city report, the median household income in Chelsea in 2013 was $114,486, and more recent reports suggest the current figure is closer to $150,000. There are two large housing projects the northern and southern borders
More than any other single project, the High Line helped transform Chelsea into an exclusive city enclave. Photo: David Berkowitz, via Wikimedia of Chelsea. Residency in these communities is predicated on incomes vastly smaller than those in the surrounding luxury apartments. Walking around this section of Chelsea I saw a diverse community and I would stop in a real bodega for some candy.
The further south I walked the less variety and bodegas I saw. It was often during these walks around the beat that I was struck by the neighborhood’s glaring extremes. On one of my first tours I walked down 26th Street toward the Downtowner
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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water. I passed a group of youngsters piling into a bus coming out of P.S. 33, the public school at the edge of the Eliot-Chelsea housing projects. I walked down the street more to see
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
Chapter 26
EVE AND OTHERS BY ESTHER COHEN
Previously: The building of amateur detectives were gathered at the 20th Precinct on West 82nd Street to listen to Detective Bruce, a former Blank Panther who claimed that he could solve any mystery. Bruce, who recited Langston Hughes, announced that he had found Alyosha. The group waited for details. Detective Bruce stood in front of the room, an imposing man, addressing his crowd with all the presence of a Shakespearean actor. He measured out his sentences, and he carefully looked at every single one of them, to make sure they were all paying close attention. “There’s a famous poem by the Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka,” he began. “Know what you’re looking for. You’ll find it more easily.” Mrs. Israel, clipboard in tow, her pen held around her neck by a handmade pen holder, modeled on her eyeglass holder, spoke first. “Can I have
the poem for the record I’m keeping?” she asked. “Of course,” Bruce replied. “I’ll mail you a copy.” “A handsome ex-Black Panther who recites poetry,” Pin Ball shouted. He was dressed Gladys Knight today. His eyelashes were particularly spectacular. “Does no one here care about where Alyosha is? We’re not here for a poetry lesson,” Charles replied. “We were led to believe that he was found.” “It’s a side benefit,” said Naomi. “Who would have guessed? A literary detective. Maybe what we should do next is write a TV show. Eve can play the police chief. We can all have parts. What does everyone think?” Richard, as logical as Mrs. Israel, responded first. “Not that other ideas aren’t interesting,” he said. “But come on people. Where is Alyosha? Tell us please, Detective Bruce.” “He will,” said Richard two. “He’s building up to letting us know.” “Ladies and Gentlemen and everyone else,” said Bruce, with a special nod to Pin Ball. Pin Ball curtseyed, a deep low seductive curtsy. Bruce watched him carefully. “I thought you would have guessed by now. Alyosha himself is right here.” And then he clapped twice, a proficient game show host. A clue for a thin handsome man with
Illustration by John S. Winkleman a moustache, a man they all thought they knew well although they’d never seen him in the flesh, emerged. He twirled, he glided, he pranced. “Let them hear where you were, in your own words,” Bruce asked, and Alyosha stepped to the front of the room, to stand next to Bruce. “I am grateful for all your efforts,” he said. “I didn’t know that Albert cared so much about me. How sweet he is. What actually happened,” he
began, “is this. One night at the Electric Circus, I was dancing, dancing, and suddenly, a very handsome man came up to me just like that. ‘Come home with me,’ he said. And while I’d heard those words many, many times before, I knew this was different.” “After the first night,” Bruce confessed, “I broke my vows never to live with anyone.” “Don’t go home,” I told him. “I’m a detective. I know how often people
vanish. Chances are, no one will find you. If what you really truly want is to begin a new life. He did. And so did I. So it was really and truly ironic that you all came to me. To find a man I knew was right in my house.” No one said a word. Not a word. Then Pin Ball suddenly clapped. And they all joined in. “Mystery solved,” said Bruce, and he and Alyosha walked away, holding hands.
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
CRIME WATCH BY MARIA ROCHA-BUSCHEL
B’WAY PRODUCER CHARGED WITH SCAMMING INVESTORS FOR FICTIONAL PLAY A Broadway producer has been charged with scamming seven people by getting them to invest $165,000 in a nonexistent play about opera star Kathleen Battle supposedly starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. Roland Scahill pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges of criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny and scheming to defraud. His attorney, James DeVita, said he “stands on that not guilty plea.” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Scahill “put on an elaborate performance” to steal from the victims between October 2014 and January 2015. Prosecutors said Scahill falsely claimed he had secured the rights to Battle’s life story and had signed a contract with Nyong’o to star in the play, called “The KB Project.” Scahill also claimed that the Booth Theatre had been reserved for the play’s Broadway run and that Netflix
had agreed to film a performance, according to an indictment. Scahill owns a production company called RMS2 Productions. Prosecutors said the investors in the phony play included some of his closest friends. Battle is a celebrated diva who was fired from New York’s Metropolitan Opera. She is scheduled to perform a concert at the Met on Nov. 13, her first appearance there since what she called an “unexpected dismissal” in 1994. Nyong’o won an Academy Award for her role in the 2013 film “12 Years a Slave.” She made her Broadway debut in 2016 in “Eclipsed,” a drama about women caught up in the Liberian civil war. According to court papers, Scahill continued to insist that Nyong’o was going to star in his play even after her Broadway appearance in “Eclipsed” had been announced. Several investors demanded their money back, prosecutors said, and Scahill sent them checks that bounced. Scahill’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 20.
CITI BIKE MISSING SINCE 2013 RECOVERED Police arrested a 25-year-old man for possession of stolen property at the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue and West 21st Street Aug. 19 at 1:50 a.m. Police said that the man was stopped because he was riding the bike along
Eighth Avenue in the wrong direction. Officers subsequently found he did not have permission to use the bike and does not have a Citi Bike account. A customer service representative for the bike share said that the bike was last docked at East 20th Street and the FDR on May 27, 2013.
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct Week to Date
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
BAG STOLEN
Rape
0
0
n/a
9
4
125.0
A 22-year-old woman reported that her bag was stolen while she was inside Avenue at 116 10th Avenue Aug. 17. She told police that she left her bag unattended between midnight and 3 a.m. and when she returned to where she had left it, the bag was gone. She said that it contained her iPhone, $80 in cash and an ID card.
Robbery
0
3
-100.0
39
37
5.4
Felony Assault
1
3
-66.7
46
49
-6.1
Burglary
3
5
-40.0
84
83
1.2
Grand Larceny
14
26
-46.2
644
651
-1.1
Grand Larceny Auto
1
0
n/a
39
13
200.0
VEHICLE SIDESWIPED A 49-year-old man reported that his car was sideswiped by another driver while he was at the northeast corner of 11th Avenue and West 34th Street Aug. 19 at 9:09 a.m. he told police that he was driving south on 11th Avenue when another vehicle sideswiped his car and left the scene. He reported that the other vehicle was a yellow taxi and there were no injuries.
ASSAULT AT PETER MCMANUS A 36-year-old man reported that he
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was assaulted inside Peter McManus at 152 Seventh Ave. on just after midnight Sunday. He told police that he got into an argument with the suspect and the man punched his face, causing cuts to his nose and eye. The suspect fled the scene and the victim refused medical attention.
BOUNCER ARRESTED AT BATHTUB GIN Police arrested a bouncer for assault at Bathtub Gin inside 132 Ninth Ave. at 2:40 a.m. Saturday. The victim told police that he was at the bar when he got into an argument with the manager,
and when he was escorted out, the suspect shoved him by the neck, causing redness and scratches.
WOMAN HARASSED ON WEST 26TH STREET A woman reported that she was harassed in front of 441 West 26th Street at 6 p.m. Aug. 18. She told police that a man threw an open soda can at her, hitting her in the chest. She told police that she had been in an argument with the suspect prior to him throwing the can.
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct
19 ½ Pitt St.
212-477-7311
NYPD 6th Precinct
233 W. 10th St.
212-741-4811
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FIRE FDNY Engine 15
25 Pitt St.
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311
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222 E. 2nd St.
311
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42 South St.
311
IN KILLINGS’ WAKE, MUSLIMS WARY OF MORE SURVEILLANCE Some demand additional security cameras, while others oppose more scrutiny
ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin
165 Park Row #11
212-587-3159
Councilmember Rosie Mendez
237 1st Ave. #504
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
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Community Board 2
3 Washington Square Village
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Community Board 3
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212-533-5300
Community Board 4
330 W. 42nd St.
212-736-4536
Hudson Park
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Ottendorfer
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212-674-0947
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BY JAKE PEARSON AND EZRA KAPLAN
At an emotional funeral service for a New York City imam and his assistant who were gunned down on a Queens street, one friend of the victims took the microphone and demanded that the city install security cameras outside mosques citywide to help protect Muslims from harassment or violence. “Each street corner should have security cameras around our places of worship,” said Anwar Hussein Khan, a teacher. But in the days following that impassioned plea, the city’s Muslim community has since backed away from that request. Muslim activists and civil liberties groups here have spent years opposing police surveillance of mosques. At a meeting Wednesday night, representatives of dozens of Muslim community groups said surveillance of mosques shouldn’t be handled by the government. “We must look within to safeguard our houses of worship,” said Debbie Almontaser, of the Muslim Community Network, said at a news conference outside City Hall last week. The killings of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and his friend Thara Uddin have forced Muslims in New York to grapple with the push-and-pull of wanting police protection, but also being nervous about exposing themselves to more scrutiny by law enforcement. In a series of stories that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012, The Associated Press reported on efforts by the New York Police Department to seek out potential terrorists by infiltrating Muslim student groups, putting informants in mosques and sending operatives into Muslim businesses to listen to conversation. The tactics, when revealed, left many in the Muslim community feeling distrustful of the police. In 2014, the police department’s so-called Demographics Unit was disbanded
Photo: Peter Daniel, via flickr and a pair of lawsuits over the intelligence-gathering practices have been settled. “For our community we are also a target of police surveillance,” said Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. “It’s a difficult predicament to be in as a Muslim community right now.” Surveillance cameras are omnipresent in New York. Police regularly monitor areas of downtown and midtown Manhattan. In the boroughs, some religious groups and local government officials have used state and federal funds to put
cameras around synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods. But whether the cameras deter crime is unclear. Many are not monitored until after a crime has already occurred. For their part, police say they regularly advise businesses, places of worship and others on security practices, but can only do so much. “Ultimately at any private facility, whether it’s a religious institution, a school or a consulate, the physical security of the site is really the prime responsibility of site management,” said Stephen Davis, the police department’s top
spokesman. Authorities have not said what prompted the Aug. 13 killings, which occurred a few blocks away from a Queens mosque. They’ve declined to label the slayings a hate crime despite a feeling among some in Akonjee and Uddin’s largely Bangladeshi community in Queens that the killer was motivated by anti-Muslim political rhetoric. Prosecutors have called the killings an “assassination,” and charged a man of Hispanic origin, Oscar Morel, with murder. He has, through his lawyer, denied the charges.
AUGUST 25-31,2016
CHELSEA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 a similar scene of children in crisp white polo shirts walking out of Avenues, a private K-12 school that opened in 2011. When I returned back to the office I looked up tuition price at Avenues, which was close to $45,000. There were other times when I saw the two worlds of Chelsea in close contact with each other. Throughout the summer, public WiFi terminals were being erected on Eighth Avenue. One can use these black and silver monoliths to charge a phone or search online for directions. It would seem the terminals would be of help to tourists more than to New Yorkers. Nearly every time I passed one, however, a homeless person had taken a newspaper bin, propped it on its side, and used it as a seat in front of small screen, where he would either be watching a movie or listening to music. It’s not new that New York has a serious homeless problem. If you’re in a sketchy neighborhood and you see a homeless person you think very little of it. When you walk a block down from Google’s massive New York headquarters and see homeless people, however, the issue gathers a much different context. During my own lifetime I have seen the city’s image change. I grew up in Carroll Gardens, a once predominately Italian-American community in Brooklyn. The area was full of families and old Italian business that had been in operation for generations. It was a pleasant neighborhood but it was still Brooklyn in the sense that most people were tough and I grew up seeing fights in the park. Seemingly overnight, the neighborhood changed. There were more young people on my block and the bars on Smith Street grew crowded. The turning point came when a bakery specializing in producing milk that tastes like the
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl opened on my block, to the apparent glee of several of my new neighbors. My family has since moved to a neighborhood deeper in Brooklyn where things are more like they were during my childhood. One of my favorite stories this summer was about community backlash to a proposed park at Pier 55. The Barry Diller- and Diane von Furstenberg-backed floating island park’s construction would cost the couple and the city an astronomical price. When I interviewed people opposed to the project, they all echoed a similar sentiment: why is this park necessary? Most of them felt that the corporation was capitalizing on the city’s inability to say no to new public spaces. Surveys of Chelsea residents found that most of the community was completely indifferent to the proposed park. This call for things to stay the same resonated for me. Sometimes it’s better to maintain the sanctity of a neighborhood as it is than to blindly accept changes. As a lifelong New Yorker, and a soon-to-be independent young adult, I find it hard to wholly appreciate Chelsea. There are definite upsides to gentrification, such as stronger school systems bolstered by higher tax brackets and more attractive public projects, but gentrification is tough to digest when you’re living through it. There’s this feeling that the rug is being pulled out from under you and everyone is OK with it. Change in the city is inevitable but gentrification rapidly accelerates this change to point where you see — and experience — it on a month-tomonth basis. I would love to move back to New York after college but I’m not sure if I could afford it. And if I could, I’m not entirely sure I would enjoy it. Isidro Camacho, a student journalist at Straus News this summer, will be a senior at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, starting this fall. He is majoring in journalism and minoring in French.
Google bought the former Port Authority building on Ninth Avenue, just north of 15th Street, and across from the Chelsea Market in 2010. It is said to be the largest tech-owned building in the world. Photo: Ketzirah Lesser & Art Drauglis, via flickr
The Meatpacking District in Chelsea has gone from an industrial neighborhood into one replete with high-end retailers and restaurants in just a few years. Photo: La Citta Vita, via Wikimedia
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
AUGUST 25-31,2016
EDITOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 transient population. So we’ve been forced to find other approaches to re-villaging. Sometimes it’s through the internet, where we seek out and socialize with like-minded people, regardless of where they live. But it’s also in our own communities, where we find small, but significant, ways to picket fence our worlds. An example from our pages: Just before Memorial Day last year, a gaggle of ducklings was born in a fountain outside the lobby of a building on the Upper East Side. People sent us photos of the chicks and their mother hen. The superintendent at the building made sure they were fed and protected. Residents put up a sign announcing their birth. Then one day they disappeared. People were distraught. These hard-core city people, many of whom wouldn’t look you in the eye if you sat next to them on the subway, called to beg for our help in tracking down the ducklings. They feared local dogs, or Central Park foxes, or teenage pranksters. In fact, it turned out to be none of the above; an animal-rescue group, which had been approached by the residents to find a home for the ducks, carted them off to Long Island, and the word never filtered back to the people who had appointed themselves the keepers of the East Side ducks. That day, on that corner of Manhattan, nothing in The Times or Post or Daily News was as important to those people as the story of the missing ducks. The fact that we were interested told these readers that we understood why this story mattered: in a city so devoid of nature, finding such a pure, defenseless example of it steps from your front door meant something. In our community newspapers, we report on both the ugly and the beautiful sides of the return to small-town Manhattan. There is, for instance, the increasingly common effort by landlords to create an urban universe that is bucolic and self-contained, regardless of what they have to do to get there. Faced with pressure from Mayor Bill de Blasio to increase the affordable-housing stock in a cripplingly expensive city, developers are now pressured to add lower-cost units to their new apartment buildings. But some of them fear that the people who will occupy the affordable apartments in a luxury tower don’t fit in the kind of small town that the rest of the tenants are hoping to create for themselves. So developers, first on the Upper West Side and now throughout the city, built separate entrances for people who aren’t paying full price. It is the Manhattan version of the gated community, except here it’s vertical instead of sprawling. But the intention is the same: to create, artificially, a community we craft ourselves, welcoming the people we want
The Upper West Side is one of the city’s “small towns,” where vigor, vitality and texture is best experienced on its stoops and sidewalks. Photo: Roberto Faccenda, via flickr while keeping everybody else out. Liberal Manhattanites, who make fun of people living in golf courses on private country clubs in the suburbs, have essentially created that very lifestyle, a half mile from the Metropolitan Opera. This, then, is one consequence of America’s retreat into a small-town cocoon, of a piece with shutting off our borders, folding in on ourselves and turning away from the rest of
the world. It is the dark and ominous side of a shift driven by fear and the unknown. But it isn’t always ominous. A couple of months ago, an irate mom of two kids called our newspapers hoping we could help her find the family dog. The dad, who never liked the pooch, took it upon himself to go on Craigslist and find a new owner. Without telling anyone else in the family, he met up with someone in a park on the Upper West Side and gave
Kyle Pope was for three years the editor-in-chief of Straus News Manhattan.
the dog away. Once his wife and kids discovered what he had done, they papered the neighborhood with posters seeking the dog’s return, then called to enlist us in the search. We sent our reporter to interview the mom, who was furious with the husband and spoke darkly of divorce. But mainly she just wanted the dog back. She eventually found him. While I don’t know whether the father ever made his peace with the dog, or the husband with the wife, I do know that our readers who followed this little urban drama were drawn together in a very real way. One final story: Because our newspapers have been around for decades — a couple of them, nearly half a century — we often get calls from people wanting to search back issues for whatever reason. We oblige if at all possible. One day, I got a call from someone wanting to find out if we had run a police blotter item nine years ago about a teenager who had fallen out of a fifth-floor apartment in Chelsea. I don’t know if we did, I told the caller, but I’ll look. I asked, “Why are you interested?” “Because,” he said, “I’m the guy who fell.” Over the next three months, I worked with that guy, who turns out to be an actor named Ryan Casey, to recreate the events of that night in 2006 when he fell — or, he now suspects, was pushed — out of the window. And here’s where his story illustrates not just our interest in a minor police matter, but in the coming together of the
small town of Chelsea: neighbors began to get interested, as he went door to door, and apartment to apartment, asking people if they remembered him or that night. Seeing our story, a state assembly member helped cut through the bureaucracy of the police department to get answers. For years, Casey had lived with a secret shame: he had been convinced that his accident in 2006, which left him badly injured and hospitalized for months, was his fault. He was embarrassed to have put himself in such a dangerous situation. But now, thanks to the paper’s interest and the compassion of the community, he was rethinking that shame. Maybe he did nothing wrong, after all, or at least maybe someone else was as complicit in his injury. Maybe he shouldn’t spend his life feeling humiliated about it after all. This story, of someone going home with a stranger, and either jumping or getting tossed out of an apartment window, is not your typical smalltown yarn. But the response to it is, showing the contours of the picket fencing of New York City. After three years as the editor of these newspapers, I’ll soon be stepping down. Next month, I take over as editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review, where I’ll study my profession from a different perch. But I know I’ll miss these small towns, the boundaries visible only to their neighbors, hidden inside the biggest city in America.
AUGUST 25-31,2016
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Voices
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OLYMPIAN LESSONS OF THE VERY FIRST KIND MY STORY BY BETTE DEWING
Now this is pretty “out of the box,” but the greatest good to come out of the Olympic Games could be if all-out attention were paid to how just one night of excessive drinking got three champion U.S. swimmers in a whole lot of trouble, especially Ryan Lochte. Ignored too long is how what is euphemistically called “partying” has the potential for so much risky, reckless and regrettable behaviors — behaviors which would never occur sober. Except for drunk driving, the alcohol factor is seldom indicted even when present in violent disputes, assaults and other serious crimes. Also suicide. But all that deserves another column or volume. As you know — all too well — maybe it wasn’t the Olympian swimmers’ drunkenness that caused the worldwide “scandal” (maybe it should), but the false claim to media that the swimmers had been robbed at gunpoint on Rio de Janeiro’s late-night
streets. That’s what Lochte originally told his mother for fear his girlfriend would learn about his all-night “partying” (with maybe some women?). Concerned mother tells media and her son then has to back her up. Did I get that right? Well, you know what really happened was the drunken trio had trashed a gas station, even breaking down the restroom door. Police were called. Ah, but what needs remembering most is the Brazil police chief’s heart-ofthe-matter assessment – how their violence and trashing the gas station happened “because they were intoxicated.” Indeed his words should have been headlined and “prime-timed’ with follow-up editorials and columns about how often reckless, anti-social and even violent behavior is caused by being “intoxicated.” And how we must stop giving overdrinking a pass. But it turns out Lochte has a record of similar incidents at home — public urination, drunk and disorderly conduct — and just maybe has a problem. And the greatest good he could do is very, very publicly seek treatment —
SPYING THE CITY OP-ED BY MELITTA ANDERMAN
New York, New York. Nobody sang it better than Frank Sinatra and nobody can beat this town in anything. The people in our town are the most unique, vibrant, diverse group that ever inhabited an urban community, with teeming cultures from the entire planet Earth. Sometimes I feel like I’m persona non grata as I mingle and listen to different voices and mannerisms while on public transportation, in cinema houses, theaters and restaurants. It’s difficult to try to be invisible with
STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source
friends, making conversation while trying to catch snippets of small talk at another table or in other venues. Lately I’ve become pretty good at talking out of one side of my mouth while perking up my ears. Sometimes I get caught out by a friend who thinks I’m not paying attention to the pearls of wisdom emanating from an overwrought imagination. As a rule I blame it on my glass of wine. Nobody knows about my secret vice of spying on other people. New York is such easy prey. Can you spy in the suburbs, where you need a car to get chewing gum or where the drawn shades in your neighbor’s dwelling could be an indication of a homicide scene or some other melodrama and you are the only player in this game.
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Ryan Lochte in 2012. Photo: nrcphotos, via flickr get help. High profile celebs can be powerful role models for others and especially young people who might then think, “If Lochte admits having a problem, I should also admit mine.” I might add that Alcoholic Anonymous group phone numbers are often and most commendably listed in small town newspapers. The New York City number is 212-647-1680. And to stay
with the need to raise public awareness about the alcohol and things you’d never do or say sober link, the open AA meetings “before and after” true stories really need to be heard. Elected official and wannabees should attend. Every policy maker should. So should we all. There’s also intervention (thank you, Betty Ford!), which is too seldom
What a bore! I’m in an uptown bus watching who gets on and off. Nothing special but I do see a black backpack on an empty seat. Who belongs to it? It’s all by itself and this worries me. I get up and make the driver aware of this, keeping my anxiety to a low. The driver merely looks at me and says he will report it. Are people blind or totally indifferent? I’m not taking any chances and get off the next stop. As the bus rolls away I expect to hear an explosion but nothing occurs. I’m very happy but now I have to walk 15 blocks out of my way. Still, my inner security blanket is having a field day having escaped a possible calamity. I am jinxed when it comes to seating arrangements in theaters. The person sitting in front of me is invariably tall and wears a hat or baseball cap. It never fails; somehow these people are drawn to me like a magnet. My usual comment is “why me?” I can either
change my seat, suffer in silence or speak in a pleading voice that hopefully will appeal to the giant in front. Could he please scrunch down in his seat or keep his head to the right so I can turn my head to the left for a better view. Sometimes it works. The worst are the hat people, especially women. They seem to believe that wearing an ostrich feathered nest in a darkened theater is de rigueur. This is not an international venue but a New York City one where most people (especially in the summer) are attired in flip-flops and shorts and munching gluten-free popcorn and sipping diet sodas. Once I asked a young man to take off his baseball cap. He bluntly said no. Has anyone ever thought why people go to a movie and have their cellphone open? At a recent TriBeCa Film Festival I sat next to a woman who was constantly checking her phone. She didn’t
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utilized. This too needs a’ changin’. Unfortunately, only extreme alcohol/ drug cases were portrayed in the TV Intervention series, which no longer airs in New York. The most wellknown local intervention center is the Freedom Institute at 212-838-0044. Unlike 12-step groups, there’s a fee. But if only the Olympic scandal story hadn’t drawn attention away from the unimaginable hardships and heartaches wrought by the historic Louisiana flooding and the devastating California fires. All involved in the high-risk and traumatic rescue and recovery efforts and now the arduous endless rebuilding are truly Olympian people. How can we help? Give what we can, and work for a more connected society where neighbors and relatives habitually help one another. Also remember that 12-step recovery groups’ high success rate comes from members helping each other. In Manhattan apartment houses’ staff members are the primary helpers. Maybe they should give lessons, and get medals. Yup, it can be done if enough of us try. And, hey, also remember to smile.
miss my leering sideway looks so she put the phone inside her jacket so now she could just flip open her lapel and peek. As the film ended I had a little speech prepared and just as I opened my mouth she vanished. Maybe she was an acrobat that was able to slither down the stairs unseen. So we are now at the point where instead of being advised where emergency exits are situated, we get tutorials about turning off phones, putting candy in one’s mouth before the lights go out and coughing beforehand. Back to grade school admonitions or you will be forced to go to the back of the class. A funny thing happened to me on the way to the pharmacy when I met my son’s dog walker with his four-legged entourage (at least ten dogs). Among them was the family Shih Tzu who recognized me, started barking and waddling towards me. A New York thrilling moment to bolster life in the city.
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
AUGUST 25-31,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
AN ACT OF MERCY BY ROBERT MARKOWITZ
Having fled my lawyer job several years back, I was not provider material. At 38, the only job I really wanted was playing music for children, and few gigs were coming my way. The last thing I bargained for was for a stunning woman to tell me on a first date that she was looking for a man to support her as a stay-at-home mom. But after a Sunday service at Unity Church on the West Side themed “What you want may not come the way you think,” a woman jostled past me, her satchel slamming against my knee. “Ouch!” I cried, a potent pick-up line if there ever was one. She had blue eyes and long blonde curls, was clad in jeans, a lace top. Silver bracelets dangled on one wrist. I stood, looking down at her from 6 feet, 5 inches, wearing my rust-colored hair longer than in my lawyer days. “Are you OK?” she asked, stopping. “With a few weeks of physical therapy I’ll be fine.” Smile lines surfaced on one side of her mouth, an engaging, crooked grin. We started talking, and I told her how I had left law for teaching kids but was no happier in that profession. She had a diagnosis ready. “Law killed your creativity. This teaching job sounds worse. In your world, is it possible to make money and be creative at the same time?”
I made a show of bending my head forward, cradling my face in mock dejection. But her repartee made it clear that she was really listening, and I liked that.“I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out for my hand. Her fingers were warm and soft. “So you want to be a teacher but this job isn’t for you?” “Yes,” I said, flustered. I was about to tell the truth but stopped myself. If I let on that I wanted to be a children’s musician, she would see the true extent of my confusion, and peg me as broke. “It’s important to know what you want,” she said after a silence, echoing the theme of the sermon. But her thin tone gave away that she smelled a rat. It was crummy to lie to sympathetic eyes. But I didn’t want to disqualify myself by showing how strapped I was teaching at a second-rate private school. “Hey,” I said, noticing that the crowd was thinning out, “why don’t we take a walk in Central Park?” “Sure, I’d like that,” she said. I offered to carry her satchel and she let me. We entered the park at Tavern On The Green and peeked in on couples dining al fresco. There was a celebration, balloon centerpieces, waiters in yellow shirts and black trousers serving patrons in the warm fall weather. As we strolled on, her eye caught an artist sketching the portrait of a little girl. “If you had a child, wouldn’t you love to get her picture drawn in Cen-
Robert Markowitz and guitar tral Park?” she asked. From the passion in her voice, I took in that the portrait would be a symbol of how much she would love her future daughter. “That would be special,” I said. After that we strolled in silence for a while, our paces matching nicely. When we got to Strawberry Fields there were some cut flowers scattered around the psychedelic tiled circle with the word “Imagine” in the center. Orange leaves littered the blacktop. “Wanna get a bite to eat? I’m hungry,” I said. “Sure,” she said, “I know a place.” We exited the park and she pointed out a small bistro. Before we sat down, I asked for a menu, and looked at the prices. It was going to be an $80 lunch. Was this a test? If I flinched, would I fail? I really liked this woman. But I
was no longer an attorney, and I suspected she sensed the truth about my state of affairs. What was the point of pretending otherwise? “A little rich for my blood,” I confessed. “Can we go Dutch?” She looked at her cell phone. “You know what? I’m late,” she said, taking back her satchel. “Wait,” I said, “what’s going on?” “Do you really want to know?” she asked, keeping up her forward pace. “Yeah,” I said, following her out the door, “I can see that you’re leaving my life in about eight seconds. Tell me.” “Well, you asked.” She stopped grudgingly. “I’m 37. I’m looking for a guy who wants to settle down and support me while we have a family. You seem nice, but you’re not him. Remember the sermon at Unity? It’s fine to know what
IF I WANT PICKLES I’LL GO TO KATZ’S EAST SIDE ENCOUNTERS BY ARLENE KAYATT
Politics and Primaries — It’s September and if it’s the UES and Roosevelt Island, there must be a Democratic Primary for judicial and alternate delegates and a party position, this time for male state committee member. The clubs involved are the Lenox Hill Democratic Club and the Four Freedoms Democratic Club (of which I’m a member and candidate for judicial delegate). If the two clubs could get back on track and honor a system of selection for these positions that worked for many years, it would be beneficial to taxpayers (primaries are paid for with taxpayer dollars) and to the club members and candidates who should be working together more collaboratively on community issues and interests and getting Democrats elected to county, city, statewide and national races. Each club is putting up a slate of 14 judicial/alternate delegate candidates in the Sept. 13 Primary
this year and each club is running a candidate for male state committee member. Frank Wilkinson, the Four Freedoms candidate, was district leader for over 20 years and is an experienced, effective leader who has won the endorsement of the UES’s and Roosevelt Island’s former Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, and current Councilmembers Dan Garodnick and Rosie Mendez. Kudos and congratulations to Frank. Poor Piff or what is going on at the ASPCA — A reader’s 12-year-old male cat wasn’t eating or roaming around the house as he usually did. A quick look-see revealed that his right paw had ballooned to three times its normal size. Reader and her niece hurried him over to the walk-in emergency at ASPCA, three blocks from their home, on a Monday at 2:30 in the afternoon. Piff was weighed and measured. Not examined. Reader paid the $85 fee and was told they would have to wait between two to ten hours for Piff to be seen; that there were other animals ahead of Piff. Amazing that he wasn’t
Piff and his sore paw. examined to determine if he required immediate attention — and equally, if not more amazing, is that the person at the Admissions Desk imparting all this news, the reader learned, was a veterinarian. While Piff waited, other dogs and maybe a cat were seen. None were emergencies. At 5 p.m., reader asked the vet at the desk when Piff would be seen. She said that Piff was “next” except if a dying animal came
in and then Piff would be returned to his place on the list. Piff, the reader and her niece had had enough. They got back the $85 fee and left. At a private vet visit the next day, Piff was diagnosed with a either a bacterial infection or cancer. They will know more in about a week. He’s on antibiotics and is being treated. So far the bill’s over $3,000. The reader’s conclusion to the ASPCA’s conduct is that
9 you want.” She smiled, spun the corner north, and was gone. She had been easy to talk to, and beautiful. I kicked myself for balking at the price of the restaurant. Then, standing on the street corner, I hastened through a mini five stages of grief. Denial — No big deal let her go. Anger — What woman of this generation is looking for a cash cow? Bargaining — God, bring her back and I’ll spring for it. Depression — I’m a failure! Acceptance — I didn’t quite make it to acceptance. As I walked home, I was still angry. When days went by, and the anger didn’t abate, I began to suspect the real reason for my lasting burn. She was acting on her clear goals and I had ceased taking steps towards being a children’s musician. How dare she go for what she wanted while I wallowed in defeatism? And frankly, she had scared me with that talk about a fantasy daughter posing for a street artist in Central Park. I balked more from the terror of fatherhood than the $80 lunch. She read me from across the table. Abandoning me on that street corner was an act of mercy. It pointed the way for me as clearly as a street sign. If she were prepared to find a man who would court her, marry her and support her, before her biological clock ticked down, and I was betting she could, then why shouldn’t I be able to launch my music career? A musician who lived a couple of hours north of the city had offered to show me how to land gigs. It had seemed like a long drive up there to consult him, but that weekend, I got up early, loaded my guitar into my Impala wagon, and set off for the Catskills.
they don’t want to deal with walk-ins and prefer to take people they know and who use the ASPCA for their veterinary services. If they haven’t seen you before, they aren’t interested, and from Piff’s experience at the ASPCA, thinks that they don’t care if your pet dies in their waiting room. Pretty strong stuff. Over the years the ASPCA has made a complete turnabout in its policies and procedures for the betterment of animals. Hopefully the reader’s experience is not emblematic that the ASPCA is on a reverse course. But something has to be done about that veterinarian at the Admissions Desk. Like Now. Out-of-store smells — This is a plea to patrons and proprietors — Keep outside food out of self-serve establishments. In recent months, in places like Lenwich and Starbucks, to name but two, I’ve encountered the smells of pickles, pastrami, curry, to name but three. If I want pickles and pastrami, I’ll go to Katz’s. I don’t want to endure the sight and smell of some guy cutting up an oversized pickle and chomping away at a sandwich he brings in from someplace else. The sight is bad enough. The smell unbearable.
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
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Out & About Your Guide to Spiritual Happiness
More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com
We are Happy Science! A Global Movement and Happiness Revolution working to make YOU a happier person and THE WORLD a happier place. We have the motto, EXPLORING THE RIGHT MIND. This means to explore and activate our divine nature by putting into practice the Four Principles of Happiness, which are LOVE - to give love to others, instead of taking, WISDOM - to study spiritual Truth to gain higher perspective in life and live in the Truth, SELF-REFLECTION - to examine our thoughts and purify our minds by removing the ego, and PROGRESS - to share happiness and keep improving ourselves while improving the world. Creating a HAPPIER family, HAPPIER society and HAPPIER world starts from each one of us.
Join Us for Weekly Sunday Workshops at 1 pm Weeknight (Tues-Thurs) Meditation Sessions 6:30 - 7:30 pm Upcoming Open Workshop
Thu 25 Fri 26 CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL SCREENING: BILL EVANS: TIME REMEMBERED
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The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music’s Jazz Performance Space, 55 West 13th St. 7:30 p.m. RSVP required Bruce Spiegel has produced a complete documentary giving you insights into Bill Evans the musician and the person. Postfilm discussion with Spiegel. www.cityparksfoundation. org/events/
FREE KAYAKING PIER 26 The Downtown Boathouse, 235 Hudson River Greenway Tue, Wed, Thu evenings through Sept. 15, 5-7:30 p.m. Weekends & holidays through Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The free activity also serves to educate how far environmentalists have come in cleaning up the Hudson River. www.downtownboathouse. org
WHO’S THE KING? ► New Amsterdam Library, 9 Murray Street 2 p.m. Adults and teens, beginners and masters, play chess, checkers and Scrabble and compete for the right to be crowned King. 212-732-8186
‘THE NIGHT PORTER’ (IL PORTIERE DI NOTTE) Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. 9:30-11:30 p.m. $10 Simon Critchley introduces this showing of Liliana Cavini’s 1974 psychological drama starring Charlotte Rampling and Dirk Bogarde. 212-620-5000. rubinmuseum.org/events/ events
Sat 27 2016 MILES FOR MELANOMA NEW YORK CITY ▲ Roosevelt Island, Firefighter Field, 405-425 Main Street. 7:30-11 a.m. Free. A 5k run/walk for the whole family that will allow participants to help raise funds to support research, education and advocacy for melanoma. 202-591-4058. join. melanoma.org/site/TR?fr_ id=1220&pg=entry
SIGN-LANGUAGEINTERPRETED SHABBAT SERVICE Town & Village Synagogue, 334 East 14th St. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. A service with full readings from the Torah and Haftorah with Naomi Brunnlehrman and Craig Fogel. A Kiddush (refreshments and social hour) will follow Services. All are welcome. tandv.org/
AUGUST 25-31,2016
Sun 28
Tired of Hunting for Our Town Downtown?
HUDSON RIVER NATURE WALK Christopher Street Fountain — Pier 45 at Hudson River Park, 353 West St. 9-10 a.m. Free Learn about Hudson River Park’s wildlife by joining knowledgeable naturalists on guided nature walks along the Park’s esplanade every Sunday at 9am. 212-627-2020. www. hudsonriverpark.eventbrite.com
INAUGURAL WALK FOR THE HYDROCEPHALUS ASSOCIATION Hudson River Park, Pier 84. 8:15 a.m. Money raised will support the HA’s national goal to raise more than $1.5 million for critical hydrocephalus research and program services. To register or participate, visit HAwalk.kintera. org/NYC, call 888-598-3789, x21 or email at walk@hydroassoc. org.
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Subscribe today to Downtowner FEDERAL RESERVE BANK TOUR 33 Liberty St. between Nassau and William Streets 1-2 p.m. Free, reservations required Learn about the role of the New York Fed and the Federal Reserve System in setting monetary policy, promoting financial stability, and serving communities to advance economic growth. (212) 720-5000 www. newyorkfed.org
Mon 29 Tue 30 COMMUNITY BOARD 4 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
NY COMICS & PICTURE-STORY SYMPOSIUM
Board Office, 330 West 42nd Street, 26th Floor 6:30 p.m. www.nyc.gov/html/mancb4/
The New School, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 2 West 13th St. 7 p.m.
Benjamin Marra and Josh Bayer discuss process, influences and what it means to be cartoonists who are much indebted to comics history as they are committed to making their permanent mark on comics future. events.newschool.edu/
STARGAZING ▲ On the High Line at West 14th Street Dusk to 30 minutes before park closes. Free Get up close and personal with the celestial bodies. Peer through high-powered telescopes with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. www.thehighline.org/ activities
Wed
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SIXTH PRECINCT, COMMUNITY COUNCIL 25 Carmine St. 7:30 p.m. Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month. 212-741-4826
‘THE PRIMATES OF PARK AVENUE’ Mulberry Street Library, 10 Jersey St. 6 p.m. Discussion the book by Wednesday Martin. Copies available at the library. 212-966-3424
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
MOMA’S BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME Reinstalled galleries feature art of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s BY MARY GREGORY
Interested in how, when and why New York came to be the capital of the art world? (And yes, it still is. Sorry, London.) MoMA’s curators have stirred the pot again, to delightful results, installing, on the fifth floor, a selection that brings across the development of the New York art scene in the 1940s and ‘50s. It’s followed by a bursting-at-the-seams overview of the 1960s that fills the entire fourth floor with iconic, signature works. The story of how it all started is not immediately obvious, and that’s a good thing. Other than selfies, the whole reason we go to museums is to consider, learn, reflect and have things revealed, gradually and wondrously. The first piece in the show is a charming painting by William H. Johnson, an African-American painter from South Carolina who worked his way
to the National Academy in New York and later to Paris. “Three Girls” (1941) blends elements of realism, abstraction and folk art. It’s easily readable on one level, but hardly hints at the complexities of a life plagued by prejudice both at home and in Europe. His work was declared “degenerate,” and he had to flee Nazi persecution. Johnson wasn’t the only artist to run from the horrors of World War II. Our shining city welcomed many European artists, art dealers, intellectuals and writers, who, in turn, reinvigorated post-Depression New York. No one could deny the horrors of the war, but in this modern, elegant, free and welcoming city, together, they could face it. Maria Martins’ bronze “The Impossible III” hints at the anguish and terror of those years. Surrealism, expressing an alienated, often torturous alternate reality, seemed to ring true for many. Masters of the style, Roberto Matta and Max Ernst arrived in New York just in time to influence American artists. Between Matta’s dizzying
Maria Martins’ bronze “The Impossible III” expresses the horrors of World War II that brought many European artists to New York in the 1940s. Photo: Adel Gorgy
It takes an entire room to capture the zeitgeist of an era reflected in James Rosenquist’s “F111.” Photo: Adel Gorgy “The Vertigo of Eros” and Ernst’s unsettling “Napoleon in the Wilderness” hangs Dorothea Tanning’s “On Time Off Time.” Tanning holds her own with inexplicable, dreamlike imagery of flames, billowing smoke, halo-like sunflowers and a blindfolded woman all caught within an illogical architecture. Ernst’s influence on her — and hers on him — is hard to deny. They fell in love, married and moved back to Paris together. But not before getting to know the rest of the New York arty, intellectual crowd. Parties at Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery led to cross-fertilization of already fecund minds. Painters like Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko and Philip Guston are all represented in the next gallery with major works of Abstract Expressionism. To the psychological blitz of the war they added their responses, filled with American optimism. The wall texts point out that Rothko wrote in 1947 that “pictures must be miraculous.” Newman spoke of expressing “his connection to others.” Guston’s “Painting” and Rothko’s “No. 3/No. 13” pulsate with an energy that’s palpable and uplifting. Pollock’s masterpiece, “One: Number 31, 1950” vibrates on a frequency that can only be experienced in person. The following gallery covers the mid1950s. By then, Pollock and Rothko were already stars. It was time for something newer than new, and Robert Rauschenberg obliged by sticking his whole bed, droopy quilts, pillow and all, up on an easel and painting it. His “Combines” still shock in their unrepentant unconventionality. Cy Twombly, the curators point out, rejected the lofty status of oils and used only humble house paints, crayons
and pencils to create his enigmatic, poetry laden art. Together with artists like Jasper Johns and Frank Stella, they ushered out Abstract Expressionism and made room for something completely different. The Sixties fill the fourth floor. There’s no time here for dawning realizations. Everything happens 1960s style. Big. Brash. Bold. Hallucinogenic. Rocket fast. Warhol riffs on fame and glitz via Marilyn. James Rosenquist’s room-filling “F111” is a mind trip. Even Agnes Martin’s spiritual minimalism is gold-plated. There’s an entire wall of ‘60s concert posters, across from a life-sized photograph of a Greyhound bus. You can almost hear the twang of Bob Dylan’s guitar at a case filled with artworks inspired by and devoted to him. The Beatles get a wall, too. Social unrest and protest is addressed in — surprisingly — a group of photographs from France. Henri Cartier-Bresson’s strik-
ing students and farmers remind us that the search for justice has been played out in marches across decades and continents. Yet, as much as things never seem to change, certain moments can never be repeated. The final gallery is dedicated to 1969 — the year of the moon — and the impossible to match experience of watching humans walking on the lunar surface. There’s a wall of photographs from NASA, across from Rauschenberg’s homage “Sky Garden.” The final work is smaller than a fingernail. This tiny piece of ceramic, “The Moon Museum,” contains imagery by Rauschenberg (a line), Warhol (a phallic-looking rocket ship), John Chamberlain, Forrest Myers, David Novros and Claes Oldenberg (a Mickey Mouse drawing). It’s part of a series of 12. Myers reported that he snuck one onto the Apollo 12 spaceship and it was left on the moon. You can see it at MoMA, or imagine it next time you’re looking up.
A look at Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the moon walk (real, not a dance move) at MoMA’s focus on the 1960s, Photo: Adel Gorgy
AUGUST 25-31,2016
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Lea Bertucci and Lori Napoleon
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 6:30PM The Drawing Center | 35 Wooster St. | 212-219-2166 | drawingcenter.org Two performances explore the links between sound and drawing, including the use of obsolete phone equipment for music; the programming complements the current exhibition Gabriel de la Mora: Sound Inscriptions on Fabric. (Free)
Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 6:30PM Fraunces Tavern | 54 Pearl St. | 212-968-1776 | frauncestavernmuseum.org Get a revolutionary view of history at a lecture on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Immortal 400â&#x20AC;? regiment that kept the Continental Army ďŹ ghting at the Battle of Brooklyn. ($10, includes admission/refreshments)
Just Announced | Antonio Damasio & David Chalmers with Marcelo Gleiser: The Mystery of Consciousness
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6TH, 8PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org A neuroscientist, philosopher, and physicist come together for three distinct perspectives on what makes a human. ($32)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
Victor Bailey, on bass, at Shapeshifter Lab. Photo: Amy B. Barone
TWO POEMS BY AMY B. BARONE
SWINGING JAZZ (Inspired by bass player Victor Bailey) A steamy July set the mood for jazz. Victor Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s putting on a party to tape music he adores. Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to wait or waste. Dropping our Manhattan cool, we give in to Brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pull â&#x20AC;&#x201D; air and space, Shapeshifter Labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wide white room, walls splashed with vibrant murals of musicians at play. Fans and friends jive to a booming bass. The ensemble elicits a high. Drummer Lenny White carries the beat. Alex Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horn seduces.
Mino Cinelu on percussion creates magical sounds. Sweet guitar licks ďŹ ll the night. A ďŹ&#x201A;irting ďŹ lmmaker records the show. We salute the moment with Spanish white. Victor basks in rhythm and swing, inspires and energizes. A sapping illness lurks, but Victorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faith and funk drive his spirit. A spontaneous family formed. Ready to dance again.
A BRIDGE TO ANTONIO My lone recollection is visiting you at Lankenau Hospital, as a curious four-year-old granddaughter. In a post-stroke state, a mop of white hair and round wire-rimmed glasses framed
your fragile smile. For years, my father wondered what went through your head as you trudged home from a laborerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job to a family of eight kids, tucked into a three-bedroom row home. I hear you carried debts when you courted my grandmother, and feared her ire.
standup2cancer.org #reasons2standup #su2c
I hear you loved to joke with friends. I hear you helped build the Brooklyn Bridge, a landmark in the city where we both landed. Amy B. Baroneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest chapbook, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kamikaze Dance,â&#x20AC;? is from Finishing Line Press, which recognized her as a ďŹ nalist in the annual New Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Voices Competition.
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
Noho Star Restaurant
330 Lafayette Street
Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Parisi Bakery
198 Mott Street
A
Soho Park
62 Prince Street
A
Blue Ribbon
97 Sullivan St
A
Ramen-Ya
133 W 3Rd St
Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. 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.
Frozen Sweet
184-186 Mulberry St
A
Ground Support Cafe
399 West Broadway
A
Manna House Bakery
87 East Broadway
A
The Falafel Shop
127 Rivington Street
Closed (67) 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. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Clock Work
21 Essex Street
A
Lee Chung Cafe
82 Madison Street
A
Golden Steamer
143 Mott Street
Grade Pending (47) 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. 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches 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. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
AUG 12 - 19, 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 www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Auntie Guan’s Kitchen 108 108 W 14th St
A
Milk Bar Chelsea
220 8th Ave
A
People’s Pops
425 W 15th St
A
Bec
148 8th Ave
A
Very Fresh Noodles
425 W 15th St
Closed (30) Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
Haven’s Kitchen
109 West 17 Street
A
Tapestry
60 Greenwich Ave
Not Yet Graded (21) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Goloka Juice Bar
325 E 5th St
A
Juice Generation
28 E 18th St
A
Mamak
174 2nd Ave
Grade Pending (49) 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. 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Supper
156 East 2 Street
A
Drop Off Service
211 Avenue A
A
One And One
12 1 Avenue
A
China Wok Kitchen
63 Avenue D
A
2A
25 Avenue A
A
Hoy Wong Restaurant
81 Mott Street
A
Physical Graffiti
96 St Marks Place
A
Biny
393 Canal Street
A
Desi Galli
172 Avenue B
Not Yet Graded (63) 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. 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. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
Black Tap
529 Broome St
A
Lan Larb Soho
227 Centre St
Grade Pending (2)
Meet U
54 Mulberry St
Not Yet Graded (2)
Famous Calabria Pizzeria
27 Saint James Pl
Not Yet Graded (11) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Pisillo Italian Panini
97 Nassau St
A
Artists Loft
181 Front St
Not Yet Graded (39) 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
One World Observatory
1 World Trade Ctr
A
Pret A Manger
125 Chambers St
Not Yet Graded (3)
Lilly O’briens
18 Murray St
A
Subway
165 Church Street
A
Wichcraft
325 Broadway
A
Cowgirl Hall Of Fame
519 Hudson Street
A
Pieces
8 Christopher Street
A
Art Bar
52 8 Avenue
Grade Pending (19) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Bell Book & Candle
141 West 10 Street
A
Boom Boom Room, Le Bain, 848 Washington The Standard Street
A
Dominique Bistro
A
14 Christopher St
AUGUST 25-31,2016
Liz Pasqualo, left, who manages an East 75th Street coffeehouse, is having a show of paintings at a nearby hair salon.
MAKING THE CUT AT THE HAIR SALON Coffee, coiffure and a dash of serendipity leads to a painting show BY MICKEY KRAMER
Oslo Coffee Roasters has served caffeine from its small space at 422 East 75th St. for almost five years. A few months ago, Blu Bocker hair salon, which features Japanese stylings and techniques, opened just a few doors away at 436 East 75th. The hair salon’s owner, Kotaro Suzuki, manager Sakiko Cooper and much of the staff found themselves drinking lots of Oslo coffee. As it is, the coffeehouse’s manager Liz Pasqualo — who is also a fine artist — and many of Oslo’s baristas have gotten their hair done at Blu Bocker. “I came in for a haircut, and we just got to talking about my artwork and a couple days later they asked if I wanted to showcase my artwork and I said, ‘of course,’” Pasqualo said. Pasqualo, 27, who has an MFA from Queens College, recently participated in an Art Students League of New York’s residency in Nyack. It was there that an exhibition of 11 of her paintings, which she has called “The View,” was born. “I am definitely inspired by
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
my surroundings and am particularly drawn to the human elements in these scenes. The evidence of the people who live there,” she said. Cooper thought the showing might be a way to bring in and meet new neighbors, and she was right. On Thursday last week, the salon was jammed with about 50 people. Among the attendees was Caroline Matthews, a former Oslo employee. Matthews had visited Pasqualo during her May residency and saw the development of the paintings firsthand. “I’m so proud of her as I’ve followed her work over the years and this is an amazing evolution,” she said. Many attendees were from the neighborhood. Pasqualo’s mother, grandmother, aunt and boyfriend all mixed and mingled as well. Diane Tomash made the trip all the way from the Jersey Shore and for good reason: she taught Pasqualo from when she was 6-13 years old. “Everything I taught her, she just took to it,” Tomash, an artist herself, said. Oslo patrons were among attendees as well, including Davinder Sandhu, who lives on East 67th street. “I like art, and don’t usually see things like this on the Upper East Side.
I had to come, and it’s great thing,” she said. One of Blu Bocker’s colorists, Lico, is also a bartender and created two cocktails especially for the evening. The View was tequila, lime, agave nectar and pineapple juice, and was concocted to look like Pasqualo’s bright white-yellow short hair, which Lico herself colored. The Oslo Bocker featured cold brew coffee, gin, bryrrh (a wine), plum, lime and soda. “I’m not usually a fan of gin, but this went down so smooth,” said Sandu, who also liked the paintings. “Really delicious,” Suzuki, Blu Bocker’s owner, suggested the show could be the first among others. “As an artist myself, we want to support artists and this went so much better than I expected,” he said. Pasqualo admitted to being nervous before the opening but the packed salon and a $400 sale, which she called the “icing on the cake,” helped ease the nerves. “Everyone from Blu Bocker did an amazing job. Also, I was so impressed at the support and turnout from the neighborhood,” she said. “I’m very grateful I had this opportunity.”
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Business
In Brief STUDY TOUTS SUCCESS OF IDNYC PROGRAM Mayor Bill de Blasio praised his IDNYC program for signing up more than 860,000 New Yorkers for valid identification documents that allow them to open bank accounts, vote and access many of the city’s cultural attractions for free or at discounted rates. “For too long, many New Yorkers struggled to get affordable, accepted, government-issued proof of identification,” de Blasio said. “With IDNYC, my team and I set out to right that wrong. This evaluation demonstrates how IDNYC creates a stronger and safer city that works for all New Yorkers.” According to the press release, more than 50 percent of survey respondents use the card as their primary form of identification, and for 25 percent of respondents it is their only form of photo ID. “Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents who were immigrants reported that IDNYC has increased their sense of belonging to the city, and focus group participants appreciated that IDNYC conveys no information about one’s country of origin or legal status,” the release states. During the mayor’s weekly radio appearance on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” one teenager articulated why proper identification was so important. “It would help a lot with traveling purposes because it’s very annoying and complicated when my ID doesn’t match what I look like,” the caller said. Anyone over the age of 14 can apply for IDNYC if they are able to present certain required documents.
ZIKA VIRUS SPREADS AMONG NEW YORKERS The Olympics in Rio de Janeiro may be coming to a close, but concern about the Zika virus persists. The mosquito-born illness that is believed to cause significant birth defects if contracted by a pregnant woman, resulted in widespread concern in the lead-up to the Olympics. According to Gothamist, 482 New Yorkers have tested positive for the disease as of last week. “Mayor de Blasio teamed up with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Mary Bassett at a press conference yesterday, urging Congress to pass a bill that would provide $1.9 billion to fight the virus,” Gothamist reported. “The bill was blocked by Senate Democrats in June ... but de Blasio & co. say this is a crisis that demands urgent action.” Though the majority of people who contract the virus show no symptoms, the CDC has issued travel warnings for pregnant women for Miami, Fla., where the disease has recently established a foothold. The DOH sprayed parts of Manhattan and Queens last week in an effort to keep the city free of Zikainfected mosquitos.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUBWAY CARS WITHOUT A/C GO UNATTENDED Within the last week, both WNYC and the New York Times have investigated the way the MTA responds to complaints about hot subway cars. In what has recently been deemed the hottest year in recorded history, New Yorkers are more aware than ever of the discomfort a un-air-conditioned car. “Car 1662 was flagged as problematic by a passenger on July 14th. But that wouldn’t be the last time,” WNYC reported. “The transit agency responded with a reference number and a promise to notify supervision. But on July 18, the same car was reported to the MTA. ... All told, 12 people tweeted at @ NYCTSubway or @MTA, notifying the agency that car 1662’s air conditioning was broken.” Ultimately, it wasn’t until August 16 that Car 1662 got its air conditioning fixed. According to The Times, the subway lines most commonly reported are the 1 and the 6, which typically use older trains that don’t have backup compressors like newer trains do. “They always raise the fares and they don’t do the right maintenance to the trains,” one rider told The Times. The MTA responded that they can’t take trains out of service to fix their air conditioning without disrupting or slowing down service.
AUGUST 25-31,2016
WORLD TRADE CENTER MALL REOPENS Hundreds of retailers will eventually occupy the 365,000-square-foot center BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
The reopening — and reinvention — of the World Trade Center mall last week reflects how much lower Manhattan has changed since the 9/11 attacks. Once a scene of massive destruction, the area is now a vibrant one of office towers and upscale hotels, with three times the number of residents as before the attacks, weekday employees in industries beyond Wall Street, and millions of tourists visiting every year. Shops from Apple to Forever 21 to H&M to John Varvatos will serve the increasingly diverse area where real estate experts say people have been eager for new stores and restaurants. The new spaces also let customers tap into technology, as some retailers use the space for their latest ideas. The location is a “symbol of hope, opportunity, progress and perseverance,” said Bill Hecht, chief operating officer of Westfield Corp.’s U.S. division. Westfield manages the retail properties, while the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns the real estate. More than 100 stores will occupy the 365,000-square-foot center, with about 60 opening earlier this month and the rest by the winter holiday season. Ford Motor Co. is set to open this fall the first FordHub, a showroom for innovations that’s not a dealership. Shoe purveyor Aldo Group Inc. is using the opening to launch an app feature for its store, which will be rolled out to other locations. Digital billboards include a 280-foot-long one. Food options include Eataly’s second Manhattan location, which features foods from Italy and coffee and gelato bars. It stretches along a four-block underground network that spans the bases of three office towers. While mostly below street level, light beams in through the windows of the winged Oculus, designed by Santiago Calatrava, that top the transportation hub of 13 subway trains and river ferries. More than 300,000 commuters use it on a daily basis, many for jobs beyond finance in advertising and media. “When you look at how many people now live in the neighborhood, how many commuters work in the neighborhood and how many tourists now are coming to the memorial, emotionally it was a no-brainer and financially it was a no-brainer,” Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s retailing chief, said at the store’s opening. More than 60,000 residents live within blocks of the World Trade Center area, about three times the number from right before 9/11. The former shopping mall in the World Trade Center was one of the
Photo: Marianne O’Leary, via flickr most successful properties in the world, but catered to daytime weekday shopping, said Robin Abrams, vice chairman of The Lansco Corp., a real estate advisory firm. The new mall is expected to have a vibrant night and weekend atmosphere, and Hecht noted a deliberate move to include shops with necessities like drugstore Duane Reade. Westfield says 15 million travelers are expected to visit the areas from the U.S. and around the world next year to see the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and other nearby places of interest. There is no signage on the side of the mall that faces the 9/11 memorial. “We have huge respect for this site,” Hecht said. On the anniversary of the attacks, the skylight of the Oculus — meant to symbolize the image of a dove released from a child’s hand — will open to bring in a slice of the open New York sky. Westfield said ensuring safety and security at the mall is the highest priority for it and the Port Authority. Uniformed police and private security will be present at the mall, Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said, but declined to give specifics about any other measures. “As with any high-profile public location and transit center, there are extensive security measures that have been put in place with law enforcement and others,” Westfield said. The lower downtown area has about $6.5
billion in annual buying potential, said Jessica Lappin, head of the Downtown Alliance, which manages the downtownlower Manhattan business improvement district. Hecht expects the mall will eventually generate about $1 billion in retail sales annually, making it one of the most productive of the company’s sites. Smythson of Bond Street, a British maker of luxury stationery and leather goods, has a store in midtown Manhattan but is “really excited to be downtown,” said Ruby Victor, the head of marketing. Given all the foot traffic, she hopes being there will raise awareness of the company. “We’re still a niche brand,” she said. Real estate experts believe the mall will complement the nearby Brookfield Place, which opened in 2015 and features highend shops like Gucci and Hermes. It will also be different from the Seaport Mall, which is being reopened next year and is focusing on catering to local residents. In addition to retail, a Beekman Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel as well as a performing arts center are coming, part of the $30 billion poured into the downtown area from public and private investment since 9/11. “Our sense is that there has been demand for a long time that wasn’t met,” said Lappin. “There may be some bumps along the way. This is an area that needs places to shop and eat.”
AUGUST 25-31,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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AUGUST 25-31,2016
CALLS FOR CHANGE AT LA GUARDIA HIGH SCHOOL Petition seeks a refocus on artistic talent in admissions criteria
BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
“What if Jennifer Aniston, Adrian Grenier, or Robert DeNiro didn’t have the chance to study drama at a high school for the arts? ... Unfortunately, the next generation of talented artists may not have the same opportunity to develop their skills.” So begins an online petition put together a week ago by students, teachers, parents and alumni of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music & Arts and Performing Arts demanding that the school’s admission process refocus on talent rather than test scores. LaGuardia High School, on Amsterdam Avenue near West 65th Street, is renowned as a generator of successful artists of all kinds, and served as the basis for the 1980 film “Fame” and its 2009 remake. The petition, online at Change.org, was started by some who fear the school has veered away from its roots by giving priority to applicants’ grades and test scores instead of their artistic talent. Initially the petition’s goal was to gather 7,000 signatures, but it quickly surpassed that number and reset its goal at 10,000 names. As of Monday, there were almost 9,000. “Performing Arts was always a vocational high school,” said Sue Wartur, a former English teacher and public relations director at LaGuardia from 1971 to 1996. “For somebody to be a principal of this school requires something very special and something very expansive. ... Who’s getting the jobs today? I think the artists and dancers are much more likely to be employed.” Much of the blame for the school’s supposed shift in direction has been placed on the shoulders of its current principal, Lisa Mars, who did not respond to request for comment. “Since the 2013 arrival of principal Dr. Lisa Mars, LaGuardia’s admission process has been radically altered in favor of academic scores and attendance records,” the petition reads. “With these new admission criteria, talent counts for only 14 percent of the admission decision.” It goes on to list statistics from a Department of Education survey showing that teacher trust in and communication with Mars is worryingly low. According to a DOE spokesperson, “academic information is only considered for those students who successfully audition.” “LaGuardia’s policies are in accordance with all laws and regulations,” the spokesperson said. “The school continues to thrive academically and artistically.” A 2015 LaGuardia alum, who asked to
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts on Amsterdam Avenue. Photo: Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia remain anonymous, said she stopped wanting to recommend the school to prospective students. “What [Mars] is doing maybe would be great in another school,” the alum said. “She wants to raise the academic standard — awesome. But this is not the place to do it.” The former student cited several nixed policies, like having dance classes instead of gym and being able to rehearse in the hallways, as evidence of Mars’ differing ideology. The alum added that she has personally known several talented applicants who were not accepted for grade-related reasons or, in one case, because of a prolonged medical leave from middle school. She also said teachers and students who spoke out against Mars have
faced retribution from the principal, which is why she did not want her name used. “Even though I’m out of that school, I’m not sure what she’s capable of,” she said. “I’m sure that she’s not trying to ruin the school, I just think it’s really sad that such a prestigious school ... for kids who find solace in their art that they’re not going to be able to hone their craft because of someone who just doesn’t belong.” However, concern for the arts focus at LaGuardia High School is not new. An April 2014 article in The New York Times addressed the issue, brought up at the time by then-head of the dance department Michelle Mathesius. According to a letter she wrote to current schools chancellor Carmen Fariña, Mars rejected 43 of the 92 students recommended for acceptance by the
dance department that year but admitted 25 students with good grades who had been rejected by the dance department. “Such a practice is more than unjust: it is discrimination, pure and simple, a disservice to the children of this city,” Mathesius wrote in her letter. This time around, supporters of the petition have been similarly adamant that prospective students’ talent be valued more highly than their GPAs. Celebrity alumni such as actors Sarah Paulson and Geoffrey Arend have tweeted out the petition to their followers, and numerous signees have expressed their support in the comments. “As an alumni (2013), I was fortunate to have our previous principal, Kim Bruno, who instilled the love of the arts as LaGuardia High School was
meant to be,” wrote Antonio AlmedaLopez. “Although I understand her beliefs to promote academic excellence in the students applying, I disagree that her input to denying talented students with a lower academic profile to be unacceptable.” Wartur called any de-emphasizing of the arts that may be taking place “a travesty.” “As Howard Gardner of Harvard University pointed out to all of us, we all have multiple intelligences,” she said. “If your intelligence is in dance that doesn’t mean you lack intelligence. Dance is a form of intelligence and a profoundly impactful type of literacy.” Reporter Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com
AUGUST 25-31,2016
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ORWASHER’S RISES ON THE WEST SIDE The Upper East Side institution will open a location on Amsterdam Avenue BY MICKEY KRAMER
Whether it’s a baguette made with specially ordered flour from France or a fried donut filled to order with Beth’s Farm Kitchen local jam, the Upper West Side will soon get to taste what has made Orwasher’s an Upper East Side institution for a century. The bakery will open its second location on Sept. 1 on the northwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 81st Street. “I wanted to expand the brand and thought the Upper West Side was the place for me,” says Keith Cohen, owner of the artisan bread company since 2007. Unlike the East 78th street location, the much larger new space allows for 18 stool seats along the front windows as well as outdoor café seating for 20. It will feature all the breads and specialties, such as the aforementioned donuts, as the East Side location, but will also serve sandwiches and toasts, that Cohen describes as “best in class” such as avocado, radish and sunflower seeds on multi-grain bread and almond butter and grape jelly on cinnamon raisin. A full coffee bar will feature a small Brooklyn company, Nobletree. In the weeks to come, an old-fashioned soda
fountain will be added for egg creams and more. The open kitchen will allow customers to see the baking process of the baguettes, pastries and, yes, another new item, bagels.
Unlike the East 78th street location, the much larger new space allows for 18 stool seats along the front windows as well as outdoor café seating for 20. It will feature all the breads and specialties, such as the aforementioned donuts, as the East Side location, but will also serve sandwiches and toasts..” Joining Cohen in this endeavor is general manager, Jules Morland. Morland, 27, is from France, a certified pastry chef who also earned his MBA in management from St. John’s University. “The appeal for me was the huge challenge. I am more attracted to business openings,” he said.
Orwasher’s on the Upper West Side will feature an open kitchen.
Orwasher’s, an Upper East Side institution for a century, will open on Amsterdam Avenue and 81 Street early next month. “I connected with Keith right away,” Morland added. “Owners usually only care about money, but he’s really all about quality ingredients.” Morland speaks lovingly, specifically, of the pastries, noting the sticky buns, orange blossom brioche and canelé de Bordeaux as just a few of the standouts. “I saw myself in Jules when I was his age,” Cohen said. “That same hunger to master your craft.” In addition to the grand opening, Cohen, 45, plans to celebrate the 100th year of Orwasher’s with some special promotions at both locations. “This store will give me the ability to showcase the 100 years of baking pedigree we have,” he said. “It’s my way of paying homage to the past bakers and becoming the mentor to bakers 100 years from now.” While specific plans are not confirmed, the celebration will most likely take place in late September and Cohen advises customers on both sides of Manhattan to be on the lookout. Morland expects only the best on Sept. 1 and beyond. “We offer the best product in the city and I expect lines out the door, all the time,” he said. Cohen thinks a bit more long-term: “We want to keep innovating and constantly find ways to tweak our products. I want to set the tone with this store for the next 100 years.”
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
AN UPTOWN GIRL IN THE SADDLE Georgina Bloomberg on her riding career, philanthropy and her Upper West Side neighborhood BY ANGELA BARBUTI
From Sept. 21 to 25, Wollman Rink will be transformed into an equestrian playground for the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. Manhattan’s own Georgina Bloomberg will be participating in the one-of-kind competition, now in its third year. In 2014, she placed first in the event’s Grand Prix, only eight months after her son was born. Bloomberg became a professional equestrian in 2005. After graduating NYU, she competed in Europe with the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and credits that experience with influencing her decision. “That was the first time that I really saw what showjumping could be and the opportunities I could have if I really dedicated myself to it,” she explained. The 33-year-old has enjoyed an accomplished career, which includes penning equestrian-themed young adult novels and starting a philanthropy that provides riding attire to those in need. When asked about her father, she
said, “He’s very supportive of what I do and I’m very supportive of him. We do very different things, but I’ve been very lucky that’s he’s been very supportive in many ways in my career and with me as a person.”
Your mother introduced you to riding at 4 years old. When did decide to commit to it? I competed a lot in my junior career and took it very seriously. I always saw myself going to college and doing other things, having the door open to pursue other careers. I went to college and am glad I had the opportunity to do that. I started competing a little bit more overseas and in Europe being part of the US team. My first time going over and competing in Europe was in 2004, and that is when I really decided that I wanted to make a go for it and turn professional and see if I could make it at the top level.
You won first place in 2014 after having a baby the winter prior. Having a kid took me out of the sport for a little bit, but I stayed very fit during my pregnancy. And I made a pretty good comeback I think from being as fit as I could before I had Jasper. And I think having that time off mentally and physically was a good thing. Ev-
ery time I’ve been forced to take time off, whether it’s from an injury or a surgery or with my son, I thought it was a good thing and I came back well rested and very certain that I wanted to make another go at it. I think having that time off really made me come back stronger. And when I came back at the top level, it was probably July, right before the Central Park Horse Show, and I just started having success at the top level again. And it was sort of the perfect storm of being back in the sport for a couple of months and having the confidence, but still being very well rested and my horses were also rested. So everything came together at the right time for that night.
The equestrian community is a tightknit one. You must be close with one another. Yeah, we are. It’s a sport that is intense and time consuming and we travel a lot. We all spend a ton of time together. And when you go into the arena, you’re competing against each other and you want to win and you want the other person to lose. But at the same time, you form friendships and very strong bonds with other people in the sport. I really consider the people that I ride against, family. They are people I’ve grown up with and have gone through similar situations with me. The amount of time that this sport takes and the amount of traveling it takes and the way it sort of takes over your life, you really need to be able to rely on your fellow competitors.
Tell us about the philanthropy you started, The Rider’s Closet.
Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of the former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, rides Juvina at the Central Park Horse Show at Trump Rink on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 in New York. She was the winner of the Central Park Grand Prix sponsored by Rolex. Photo by David Handschuh copyright 2014
This is actually the tenth anniversary of starting The Rider’s Closet. It was something that I started sort of randomly collecting clothes when I was at NYU. I wanted to do something with the old riding clothes that I had outgrown. I became good friends with a girl who went to NYU with me and loved horses and wanted to join the equestrian team at NYU but couldn’t because she couldn’t afford the riding clothing and equipment. And you really can’t do without the proper safety equipment and boots. You need to have that stuff and it’s expensive. And that was how the idea came to me. So I started collecting riding clothing from people at horse shows and people started hearing about it and giving to me. And I began sending it off to different college programs and then pretty soon I started getting letters from individuals asking for clothing, boots and helmets, and it sort of grew from there. And now we’re based in Brewster, New York, at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding. They have amazing volunteers who take care of everything for me because it grew to be bigger than something I could just handle and that’s
Georgina Bloomberg a good thing. I wanted to help other people and we’ve been able to provide clothing for thousands of people each year all across the country.
You live on the Upper West Side. Why did you choose that neighborhood? It’s funny; I grew up on the Upper East Side, then moved downtown for a few years and really hated it. I tried to fit in downtown and just decided I really couldn’t. I was definitely an uptown girl and just felt at home and more comfortable there. I had always spent a lot of time on the Upper West Side. I had a couple of friends growing up who lived over there and I loved it and really wanted to try it. I still, to this day, am madly in love with my neighborhood and walk around and am completely in awe of how great it is to live there. I’m obsessed with the Upper West Side and will never ever leave.
What are your favorite places there? I don’t even know where to begin with the things I like on the Upper West Side. There’s a new bar called the Dakota Bar which I love. It’s a great addition to the neighborhood and a nice surprise on the Upper West Side. One of my favorite restaurants is Santa Fe, which is just around the corner from my apartmen ... Atlantic Grill. One of my favorite places to go on the Upper West is Tavern on the Green, which is very touristy, but ever since they redid it, I just think it’s so beautiful. In the spring and summer, you can sit inside and in the winter, they have a great bar. It’s funny to say, but it’s a hidden gem. I think it’s one of those things
that as a New Yorker, you sort of overlook and consider to be just for tourists. My friends are always surprised when I suggest it, but that’s probably one of my favorite places.
What are your future plans? This sport is so full of ups and downs, so if you’re healthy and riding well and have a couple of good horses, you need to pay attention to that and need to give it your all. Because it could all change tomorrow. Every rider will tell you, one injury and you’re out or one injury to a horse and all of the sudden you have no horses. If you have things going in your favor, you need to ride that wave. I have lots of other things I’d love to do with my life. There’s lots of other business ventures in the riding world such as a riding clothing line. But I feel those are things I have to do in the future when I’m no longer riding. This is something I want to pay full attention to and really take advantage of while I have it. Because I’ve had those times when I haven’t had it and I know how that feels. For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com To learn about Georgina’s philanthropy, visit www.pegasustr.org/riders-closet
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Bu On Sa 13 10 15 siness BY EM ILY TOW parishioturday mo Minutes 16 NER rn and low ners, comm ing, archit 19 ered in er Manhatt unity me ects, mb vision St. Paul’s Ch an residents ers for Tr ap gat el hto discu inity Ch building ss urch’s The ex . new pa the rish Place acr isting bu ild been cle oss from Tr ing, on Tr inity inity Ch ared for 1923, urc de it the chu no longer sermolition. Buh, has tower rch and the ves the ne ilt in wi com ed The we ll be built in munity. A s of new in a ser ekend me its place. eti — collabies of commu ng was the needs orative for nity “charr fifth an um ett the low d wants of s to addre es” a whole er Manhatt the church ss the and an com . “In ou munit of r y initial as about charr buildinghow we wa ettes we talked for the to be a homented th is pa hood,” homeless an for the spi rish rit fer, Tr said the Re d for the neigh ual, v. Dr. Wi ini bor“We tal ty Wall Street lliam Lu ked ’s prector What ab . they wo out minis try act look,” uld be ivi Lu marke pfer said. , how they ties. wo t underst study in ord“We condu uld cte desires and neighbo er to objec d a dream as well as rhood needtively s.” parish s and He sai hopes and sion em d the churc tality braces a ph h communit The can tha ilo ride in coming t is “open sophy for y’s viCe carouseldidate’s owne ho , flexibl .” On the ntral Park. “We wa e and spifamilia puts New Yo rship of the wela white wall next to nt it street r bind rkers in , access to be visiblP.9 > that rea placard wi the entrance a Gemm ible to e from the com and Re ds, “Trum th red letter is well, a Whitema the CONTINU p Ca munit gulat ing who we n and ind It’s y, BY DAN Engla ED ON Joel Ha re on lat icatio ions” -- rousel Ru PAGE 6 weekd e afternoon IEL FITZSIMM presid ns that Do one of the les day, nd and rode vacation uxONS ay, an on only sai the en fro nald a mi tial d lining opera bearing d they notic carousel Mo m up to pakids and tou ld winter tes the candidate, J. Trump, ed the Trum ntially ow car ris y Tr $3 for “It p’s ns an placar New Yo a qu ts are see um p’s po ousel. d ma was in my name. OurTown d rk mo lit ics ping int n, he ment: intesenDowntow wh ad o the car have be 20gav a carou weigh 16 e he en asked ,” said Wh n gu sel an aft a deep ernoo ousel, as rid n in En r pause. “H if the realiz iteOTDOW O n esc ly divisiv gla ati ers e’s NTOW like, ‘Do nd, so in my not very lik on e candid ape again N.COM st he ed I want ate. Newsche to give ad I was a bit ck money @OTD CO Cri me Wa NTINU to this owntown 2 Cit tch ED ON y
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Accor DOB, Coding to sta STREETORY OF OU tis R agency nEd report tics provid S ed by over 20 in 2015, a ed 343 shutoff the The 40 Ruby BY DAN trend 14’s 67 shu 0 percent s to the New Yorworst and the IEL FIT ey on Mak has been ap toffs. increa ZSIMM takeo An So far pears to be Monday k were both best of ONS ut tha spending mid-d in 2016 increa d the upwa se on displa mo mo issert n acc mid a the sin re rd docto ording y town. rning on 36th mong eve re ha ation is worki Street in ng at lea , and her ne rate stude “Since to the DO ve been 157 n more: Ca rol “A lot nt B. Da shu w rice st as uplaise, toffs, noticing the spring owner cooker to eat of it is just ou hard. the a no gas, a lot of pe of last year crossingof a jewelry com 77-year-o cook at lot more,” t of pocket, op we sta going rted water either cookin le coming Street Madison Av pany, was ld steam home it’s jus said Mak. “W ,” out in ing an said Donna g gas or he that had when a during the mo enue at 36th cally.” things with t a rice cooker hen we at livery-cab rning rus it, or ma Ameri d commun Chiu, direct and hot cor . You can ner h dri ity or can La st Se and hit ke rice, her. ver turned the Chiu cal s For Equa ser vices forof housptemb The basihundred er Asian said AA led the inc lity. arresteddriver of the car no natur s of others her bu ild ing ing an FE is worki rease “freak pedest for failing to was joi ned an ins al gas, cut across the d pe off town almost a dong with Ma ish,” and been citrian, and cop yield to a Building ction blitz by Con Ed city with an ser vic d the Lowe zen others k’s buildtraffic vioed for at leasts say he had a month s that bega by the city’sison after es. 10 oth lations advocat And Ch r East Side in ChinaIt sin wa East Vil after a fat n last April, Dept. of iu, lik ce 2015. er es, ha al ga e ma to restor exp les litany ofs but the latest lage tha s t claim s explosion s than lon loitation by witnessed ny housinge that hav traffic deaths in a sad ed two bu g servic in the a lives. e interr ilding owne pattern of Mayor e lingered on, and injuries rs wh uptions curb traBill de Blasio’s despite CONTINU in an eff o proffic crashe efforts ort to ED ON Da to uplais s PA
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accuse capita d of overleve l. very James Beninati anraging invest lions aftCabrera, we d his partn or re BY DAN Antar er the firm sued for mier, The Ba IEL FIT es ZSIMM condo uhouse Gr assets was stripp ’s collapse, lONS and ou ed of mo in p’s 90 the lat project on A rep the late-a st of its 0-foo Sutto n Place t the Ba resentative ughts. velopmeest lux ur y res for uhouse fundin nt to suffer idential is a req Group Beninati an ue de g, fro did st for d - tim as inv ingly comm not return estors m a lack of e. wary ent by are inc of fin at the Sto press rea ler an top a surpl end of the cing projec s- Deal ne also spok outlookus in inven market du ts a notic wspaper las e to the Re tor e will ma on whether y and a tep to ap ar tmeable decre t month ab al ase out affluent terialize id lig en News buyer hted ma t sa les, whin high-end down of s the roa the 80 rke ich hig squa re avera d. -st ge nu t data tha hmb April, foot propo or y, 260,0 t apart ments er of days said the an 00 squat d sent the sa l broke las spent in new for-sa neigh and sleepy comparative t perce on the marke developme le VOL. 42 bo nt munit rhood int Sutton Pla ly and the between t increased nts , ISSUE o the y 47 en 09 tions, Board 6 vo a panic. Co ce “E very d of last yea end of 20 man ice 14 on d r. d Council e’s a its ob Kallos Stoler lit jec the bu came out str member Be - $2,50 told TRD. “W tle worri ed ilding 0 ’s heigh ongly again n lende [per square ith anything ,” plicat ions. rs are t and soc st at foo t] ver or But it Stoler ial imtold thi y cautious.” more, opposit wa sn’t jus s ne wspape house ion workingt commun CONTINU r that ED ON Mi aelprincipal Jo against Baity PAGE 5 seph u20ch Sto ne r16 at the ler, a mana Beninati. Jewish invest ging pa son Re wome me n and the wo backg alty Capital, nt firm Ma rtgirl rld by rou lighting s light up candle tares Inv nd also plasaid Beninatidis every the Sha yed bbat Friday 18 min a role. ’s Benin estment Pa eve utes bef < NEW An ati co Friday ore sun ning -foundertners, the fi schoo S, Ma set. l rm P.4 For mo rch 11 – 5:4 boast classmate thad with a pre 1 pm. re info ed $6 rm www.c billion t at one po p habadu ation visit int in ass pperea ets, wa stside.co s m.
WEEK OF MAR CH
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AN EN D "BR TO WINDO OKEN WS"? NEW
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VOL. 2, ISSUE 10
10-16
Our To wn ha The pa s much 2016, per celebrat to be thank an OTTY d this we es its 45th ful for. ek Award anniv made ersary winnershonors its a un lat The OT ique differe , noting pe est group in ople wh of nce on You -- TY award the o ha s ha munit ve always -- short for OuUpper East ve Sid be y strong. service, an en a reflect r Town Th e. d this anks year’s ion of deep Our ho list is parti combusiness norees inc cularly owners lude co heroe mm an s. Cardi We’re also d medical anunity activi na tak fall’s wi l Timothy ing a mome d public saf sts, Franc ldly succes Dolan, who nt to recog ety is. nize sheph sful vis Kyle Po In his interv erd it iew wi to the city ed last pressi pe, Dolan by th Our ref ng Town Pope warning issues sti lects on thaCI Editor ll TYit, ARon movin s he receiv facing the t vis TS, g to Ne city,2 an>d on the w York ed from his P.1 Read nine his profile, seven years friends be the OT TY an fore ag Thom awards d the profi o. pso les of the oth We are n, in the spe by repor the wi proud to bri cial sectio ter Madelei er nners n ne part of ng it to you inside. our com , and pro ud to cal munit y. l
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