The local paper for Downtown ntown TOP DOGS
◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
WEEK OFOF WEEK SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER
5-11 5-sep2019
INSIDE
CPW BIKE LANE TURMOIL ROLLS ON
CANNABIS AND TEENS An expert advises parents on how to talk to their kids about marijuana. p. 21
STREETS
As tensions remain high on the Upper West Side, new bike lanes are planned for Amsterdam Avenue and two crosstown streets in the 50s
Ice Theater of New York performs “Molecular” at the Chelsea Piers rink on the Hudson River. The nonprofit, alleging it was looted of $10,000 in a fraudulent “Ponzi-like scheme,“ is suing NYCharities.org in state Supreme Court in Manhattan for “ripping off” the contributions of its donors. Photo: Darial Sneed / Ice Theater of New York
BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
Two hundred parking spaces have vanished from a nearly mile-long stretch along Central Park West in the name of bike safety – and two hundred more are slated to follow. The catalyst for construction of the protected bike lane that is replacing the spots was the death of a 23-year-old Australian tourist last year. Madison Jane Lyden was cycling north near 67th Street when a livery cab pulled into the bike lane, causing her to swerve into traffic where she was struck and killed. But despite Lyden’s death, and the 18 cyclists killed in the city so far this year, the addition of the protected bike lane, and removal of parking spaces, has become a fraught issue for residents living along the street -- particularly for those who live in the Cen-
DANCE OF DECEPTION A “ghost bike” memorial was dedicated to Madison Jane Lyden last year, at the site of her death on CPW. Photo: Michael Garofalo
tury Condo building at 25 Central Park West. The condominium’s board filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing the bike lane installation would cause “a wide-spread and comprehensive change to the traffic patterns on Central Park West.” The board also claimed the bike lane could not go through, as the city did not perform a sufficient environmental review. The protected bike lane has been a source of great tension among neighbors along Central Park West, which manifested during a raucous
meeting in July when Community Board 7 gave its approval for the project. Plus, one resident of the Century has gone against the building’s board by filing a motion with the court arguing that the condo’s by laws prevent the board from taking on such a lawsuit, Streetsblog reported last week.
Pedestrians vs Cyclists Residents outside of the Century have concerns too; not only about the loss of parking spaces, but also the
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FRAUD
dra Duque Cifuentes, at least
A widening scandal that has stripped the city’s nonprofits of charitable assets has battered the performing arts sector – and hit the financially vulnerable dance community particularly hard.
“We live or die by our donations.” Elizabeth Fort, general manager of Tribeca-based Doug Varone and Dancers
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
five local dance companies have incurred losses in that range – and at least one ended the fiscal year with a deficit for the first time in its long history. The culprit is NYCharities.org, an online fundraising
The executive director of Dance/NYC frames the issue bluntly: A loss of $5,000 to $10,000 in donor revenue can take a small Manhattan dance company “from the black to the red.” Unfortunately, says Alejan-
THE FUTURE IS FURRY Entrepreneurs gather to share ideas for high-tech products for pets and pet owners. p. 18
PORT AUTHORITY PLANS The 69-year-old facility will be the subject of a public hearing. p. 6
LEARNING TO DRIVE IN MANHATTAN Down these mean streets he came, determined to master the skills required to operate an car. p. 13
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
WEEK OF APRIL
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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 a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really 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 indiArbitration Man, 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 actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking 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 lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert 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 on the Over the past 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 Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you 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
Newscheck
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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