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WEEK OF OCTOBER
20-26 2016
CITY PROPOSES STREET FAIR CHANGES Residents speak largely against proposals BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Next year’s street fairs could feature fewer socks and more local businesses. But more than 100 people turned out at a public hearing last Thursday largely to oppose proposed rule changes for fairs and festivals in the city. The proposals came from both two city offices: Citywide Event Coordination and Man-
Denny Meyer is among tens of thousands of LGBT veterans denied benefits because of their sexual orientation. Photo: courtesy of Denny Meyer
HOPE FOR LGBT VETERANS LACKING BENEFITS Hoylman bill would provide access to dozens of programs but has stalled, as has federal legislation BY ALEXANDRA ZUCCARO
When Denny Meyer was in college, anti-Vietnam War protests raged. Students railed against United States foreign policy, marched in the streets and burned their draft cards — and the American flag. As a first-generation American, this didn’t sit well with Meyer, whose parents had emigrated from Germany in 1938. He was proud of his country and believed that protesters were taking their freedoms for granted. Meyer decided he wanted to enlist in the military. Although recruiters welcomed volunteers with open arms during the Vietnam War, Meyer, as a gay man, anticipated facing some hostility. In fact, many draft-age conscripts were able to get out of serving by claiming to be homosexual. But for members of the gay community who wanted to serve, this meant concealing their sexual identity. For Meyer, this was just the beginning. He had 10
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Most of us can’t afford brickand-mortar stores. Because of the street fairs last year I was able to start doing this full time, and for that I’m very, very grateful. I’ve met some of the most hard-working, talented people you could ever meet at these street fairs. We’re not just tube sock and phone case vendors.” Street fair artist
agement, and Street Activity Permits. Changes include capping the number of street fairs that can occur in a given community board and requiring that 50 percent of vendors have a “business or local presence within the same community board” where the fair takes place. The aim is to end a 12-year moratorium on new street fair permits without overburdening the NYPD officers who patrol the fairs. In the first hour of the hearing, fewer than five people testified in favor of the new rules.
A Manhattan street fair. Photo: Paul VanDerWerf via Flickr Wally Rubin, district manager of Community Board 5, said he would welcome some relief from the approximately 60 annual street fairs in his district that “all look virtually alike with their ubiquitous tube socks and kebabs.”
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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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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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Rubin attributed this to the domination of for-profit companies that organize and host many street fairs, eliminating the individual-
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
BUILDING WORKERS HONORED The heroes who are as close as our front door won rare recognition last week, as the 2016 Building Service Worker Awards were handed out. The ceremony at 32BJ was held in conjunc-
tion with Straus News. The evening reception for honorees — including doormen, supers, cleaners and others — was rich in detail and full of celebration. New York 1
anchor Roma Torre kicked things off by remembering building workers who have made such a difference in her life. The winners got their say. Julio De Leon, a doorman for 31 years, grabbed a would-be jumper at the George Washington Bridge — but in accepting his Life Saver Award, he insisted that anyone there would have done the same thing. Wayne
Blanks was cheered for cleaning each and every window at the 1,200-room Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Street. Yolanda Geronimo, a midtown office cleaner at WeWork space on West 18th Street, smiled and quietly thanked her husband. “I have never been awarded anything in my life,” she had said earlier, explaining why she was so happy about her honor.
Doorwoman of the year Orla Ditaranto, from the Beatrice on West 29th Street, left, and commercial security officer of the year Cheryl Pennant. Photo: George Cade
City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, Straus News Manhattan publisher Jeanne Straus, Downtown doorman of the year Duilio Bini, and 32BJ president Héctor Figueroa at the Building Service Worker Award winners at 32BJ headquarters Oct. 13. Photo: George Cade
How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever.
City and Country School Keeping the progress in progressive education. Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade
Open House: Thursday, November 17, 6:00 - 8:00pm 146 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802
www.cityandcountry.org
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG LIFE’S A BURCH
ETAN PATZ RETRIAL STARTS It took nearly four decades to find and try a suspect in the haunting disappearance of first-grader Etan Patz. The trial itself spanned three months of testimony and 18 days of deliberations before a jury finally deadlocked. Now it’s about to unfold all over again. Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley said opening statements were expected this week in the retrial of a case that reshaped American parenting and the pursuit of missing children. Etan, who vanished while heading to his New York City school bus stop in 1979, was among the first missing children whose face was put on milk cartons, and his case prompted many parents to stop letting their children roam their neighborhoods alone. Prosecutors will have to reassemble a murder case that was already complicated by faded memories, the deaths of witnesses and the fact that no trace of Etan has ever been found. The defense goes in knowing the last jury voted 11-1 to convict.
Tory Burch became the latest downtown boutique to be hit by a shoplifter. At 7:51 p.m. on Oct. 6, a man entered the store at 200 Vesey St. and made off with items of merchandise. The items stolen were a variety of watches in different colors with a total value of $1,475.
Reported crimes from the 1st precinct Week to Date
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
1
-100.0
Rape
0
0
n/a
8
5
60.0
Robbery
0
1
-100.0
46
52
-11.5
Felony Assault
3
3
0.0
67
67
0.0
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Burglary
1
3
-66.7
98
100
-2.0
A reminder: If you put your bag down, don’t let your guard down. At 12:10 p.m. on Oct. 6, a 32-year-old man visiting from Vietnam laid his bag on the sidewalk to take pictures in front of 14 Wall St. When he went to pick up his bag, it was not there. The dark blue bag valued at $10 contained $6,000.
Grand Larceny
20
24
-16.7
809
828
-2.3
Grand Larceny Auto
1
0
n/a
42
18
133.3
Tony Webster, via flickr
UNSAFE HARBOR A bathroom break turned out to be a bad break for a young woman from Brooklyn. At 11 p.m. on Oct. 4, a 31-year-old woman placed her purse, which held about $11,000 worth of jewelry, on a hook under the bar at the Pier A Harbor House inside 22 Battery Place. She left her seat for a few minutes to use the restroom and upon returning fifteen minutes later, noticed her belongings were missing. The items stolen included a black Kate Spade purse, white-and-yellow metal earrings, a white-and-yellow metal square-links bracelet, a white-and-yellow metal ring, a personally designed yellow metal ring, an unspecified Sephora product, a Guess jacket raincoat, and various credit and gift cards. The total value of the items stolen came to $11,400.
STATS FOR THE WEEK
UNEASY RIDER A man was slashed on the E train on Oct. 8 after twice trying to walk away from a stranger mumbling incoherently, police said. The alleged assailant got on board the southbound E train at the Chambers Street station, took a seat and began to mumble. The man then turned to a 31-year-old man and
said, “What you looking at?” The man walked away, but the other person followed him and punched him in the back of his head. The 31-year-old again tried to walk away, but this time the deranged man slashed him with a knife on his left shoulder and hand. The victim was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. There was no word on suspects.
OUT OF SITE, OUT OF HAND A contractor left his toolbox on
the ninth floor of a construction site inside 5 Beekman St. on Sept. 29. When he returned at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5, his belongings were nowhere to be found. He searched the area, but nothing turned up. Apparently, multiple companies and employees had access to the construction site during the period he was away. The items stolen included a heated jacket valued at $350, a laptop priced at $350, an amp probe of no stated value, miscellaneous tools and a bag worth $200, eight 24-V motors tagged at $600 and a fan coil unit worth $200, making a total
JENNIFER PELTZ
lower manhattan has many landmarks. but only one hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. Just two blocks southeast of City Hall at 170 William Street.
nyp.org/lowermanhattan
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
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A City Council bill would make it illegal for circuses to perform unless they abandon acts featuring “wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement.” Photo: Moisés Lucas, via flickr
CIRCUS MIGHT NOT BE COMING TO TOWN City Council bill would ban “wild or exotic” animals from shows BY VERENA DOBNIK
If some New York City officials and animal advocates prevail, there’ll be no more tigers, lions, leopards, monkeys, zebras or even sloths whenever “The Greatest Show on Earth” comes to town. Two City Council members are sponsoring a bill that would make it illegal for Ringling Bros. and other circuses to perform in the city unless they abandon acts featuring “wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement.” Animal advocates say the use of such animals in circus performances amounts to cruelty. Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros, said the proposal “does nothing to advance animal welfare and would deny circus fans the opportunity to see the amazing bond that exists between our human and animal performers.” He said the circus adheres to strict animal welfare regulations, backed by inspections. The New York legislation was first introduced about a decade ago by Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, a Manhattan Democrat. Another Manhattan Democrat, Councilman Corey Johnson, recently joined in, saying that “trucking wild animals in and out of the city strictly for entertainment purposes is not a humane way to be treating them.” A council committee was to hold the first hearing on the proposed ban Oct. 20.
The circuses would have to refrain from using classes of animals that include sea lions, ostriches, alligators, penguins, pelicans, armadillos and zebras.
Trucking wild animals in and out of the city strictly for entertainment purposes is not a humane way to be treating them.” Councilwoman Rosie Mendez Exempt would be zoos, research facilities, religious celebrations, dog shows and educational events. And so would camels for Manhattan’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular. “The tide has turned, and the time is ripe for this bill,” said Joyce Friedman, the New York coordinator for The Humane Society of the United States. She cited growing public awareness of how wild animals are “trained with punishment and pain, bullied to perform unnatural and silly tricks, caged and chained in trains and trailers, and forced to endure months of grueling travel each year.” Ringling retired its elephants last May, heeding rising popular opposition. That put an end to the herd of pachyderms walking through Manhattan on the way to Madison Square Garden.
Ringling is to arrive at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in February — minus its elephants, for the first time. If the legislation becomes law, Payne said his circus would avoid New York altogether. “Where do we leave the animals, outside city limits?” he asked. The bill is backed by the NYCLASS animal rights group that tried to have Central Park horse carriage rides banned, unsuccessfully. About 60 municipalities across the country, including Jersey City last month, have passed legislation restricting non-domesticated circus animals. The Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil has never used wild animals. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus — its legal name — has been cited by the federal Department of Agriculture in the past for improper handling of dangerous animals, failing to provide veterinary care, and causing physical harm. The company denied any wrongdoing, but paid $270,000 in 2011 to settle the claims. The UniverSoul Circus has performed in New York but in recent years, city permits to use elephants were denied for alleged failure to follow health regulations. UniverSoul leased animals from exhibitors who also were cited for cruelty violations of the Animal Welfare Act and paid tens of thousands of dollars to settle. UniverSoul does not acknowledge any wrongdoing, saying, “We strongly oppose any form of cruelty or mistreatment of animals, wild or domestic — and will not tolerate any mistreatment on our circus site.” A UniverSoul spokesman declined to comment on its operations or the proposed city legislation.
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
HOW LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE HELPS CHILDREN DO BETTER IN THEIR FIRST. The evidence is now conclusive. Beginning language immersion in children as young as two actually helps the brain develop in ways that amplify lifelong learning, in a wide range of subjects. So learning Spanish at age three may help a student learn biochemistry at age 23. That’s why Avenues consistently pioneers the most effective immersion
techniques, with the largest number of Spanish and Chinese speaking teachers in New York. From nursery through fifth grade, Avenues students spend 50% of their time learning in English and 50% in either Spanish or Chinese. So our graduates will think like true global citizens— in whatever languages they choose.
To learn more about Avenues, attend a parent information event. They’re scheduled on November 3 and November 16. Sign up at www.avenues.org/calendar.
WWW.AVENUES.ORG
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HOPE FOR LGBT VETERANS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 years of hell ahead of him. “People like me who were gay lied and said we were straight so we could serve,” said Meyer, 70. “We called it ‘serving in silence.’” Since World War II, an estimated 114,000 service members have been dishonorably discharged since World War II because of their sexual orientation, according to state Sen. Brad Hoylman’s office. And as a result, many LGBT veterans have not received federal or state veterans’ benefits otherwise due them. “You have many gay people with still unrepaired dishonorable discharges,” Meyer, retired now from international marketing sales, said. “We’re not asking for special consideration, we’re asking for what we deserve.” In an attempt to remedy those inequities, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman introduced “The Restoration of Honor Act,” which would give LGBT veterans access to 53 New York State programs, benefits and tax breaks that are currently contingent on a service member’s discharge status. In 2014, a similar bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to give LGBT veterans access to federal benefits. Getting the bill passed has taken longer than anticipated. “The bill is lagging in Congress, which is why we wanted to work on a state level,” Hoylman said. “We are just trying to get our vet-
STREET FAIR CHANGES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ity and local character that made them popular. “CB 5 is, as you know, an extraordinary hub for the close to 60 million tourists who visit our city every year,” Rubin said. His district, which includes Times Square, was specifically cited by the city offices as an example of the problems they want to correct. Community boards 2 and 7 were listed as well. Many of the speakers who followed Rubin suggested that instead of applying sweeping changes to street fairs all over the city, the is-
erans all the support they need.” Hoylman’s bill, however, is being blocked for consideration by state Republicans in the State Senate. “This is a bill that I did not think would have fierce opposition,” said Hoylman, who said he has the support from a number of colleagues. “We need to address this stain on our history, where veterans were discharged simply based on who they are.” Many LGBT veteran advocates agree that passing this bill is not only important, but also just the beginning for LGBT veterans. Speaking during a City Council hearing in support of Hoylman’s bill and federal legislation, the NYC Veterans Alliance president, Kristen Rouse, while supportive of the efforts, said much more needs to be done to restore justice to veterans ostracized or even banished from the military because of their sexual orientation. “Automatic upgrades are important, but they won’t reverse the damage done,” Rouse, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, said at the December 2015 hearing. “There are still too many cases that won’t be upgraded because of aggravating charges, like when a service member fought back, went AWOL, or otherwise behaved in ways that responded to enforced discrimination, coercion, sexual violence, or other unreasonable and unjust conditions.” In her testimony, Rouse additionally recalled her own experience as a LQBT service member under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and described some of the challenges that she faced. “I internalized harassment and the near-daily
sues occurring in Community Board 5 be addressed separately. A resident named Rick who lives in Times Square said he was there to speak for the vendors. “You sign up to party with the big dogs, you play with the big dogs,” he said. “This administration promised us equality, not just for the one percent but for the 99 percent. This room is filled with the 99 percent.” That opinion was echoed by nearly every other speaker at the hearing. Vendors, community board members and individual residents criticized the proposed rule that 50 percent of vendors would have to be located in or connected to a street fair’s corresponding community board because so many vendors come
Denny Meyer, frustrated by what he thought were misguided protests during the Vietnam War, shortly after his enlistment in the U.S. Navy. Courtesy Denny Meyer
from far away to vend the wares that support their families. An artist who makes Japanese paper jewelry became tearful as she described how street fairs have allowed her business to grow. “Most of us can’t afford brick-and-mortar stores,” she said. “Because of the street fairs last year I was able to start doing this full time, and for that I’m very, very grateful. I’ve met some of the most hard-working, talented people you could ever meet at these street fairs. We’re not just tube sock and phone case vendors.” Still more concerns arose about the proposed rule requiring vendors to sign up no later than 90 days before a street fair, which would be
slanders of gay and lesbian people that were part of my work environment as simply the price I had to pay for serving my country,” she said. Testimony such as Rouse’s convinced Hoylman of the importance of LGBT veteran legislation reforms. He plans to continue pushing for passage of his bill in January, when the session reconvenes. He said he’s hopeful a change in leadership following the November election will help pass the legislation. “It did crystallize in my mind that we have been overlooking this specific subset of veterans,” said Hoylman. “I hope that new leadership will change this.” Many veterans still remain skeptical, however. Meyer would like to see more reforms for LGBT veterans, but doesn’t see anything happening unless there is a change in government. “Unless you have a million dollars and a big checkbook, you are going to get nowhere,” he said. This is unfortunate, Meyer added, because many LGBT service members could use the state benefits outlined in the state bill. For example, many veterans would have access to health benefits and to educational scholarships. The bill would also give LGBT veterans a chance to reclaim their honor that was stripped away from them when they were dishonorably discharged. Many forget about the emotional damage these actions have caused as well. “What we’ve done shows pure patriotism and pure courage,” said Meyer. “It’s been an insult to [the community’s] character and self-esteem ever since.”
prohibitive because many vendors don’t want to commit until a few days beforehand so they can ensure good weather. The fee structure may also be changing from a flat fee to a percentage of the fair’s profits, which could cut into organizers’ profits and reduce their incentive to host festivals. If the Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management decides to change the rules for hosting street fairs, they could begin to be implemented starting in 2017. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE! at OTDOWNTOWN.COM
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
On the outside, we’re a historic bedrock of the New York landscape. But on the inside, we’re taking a brand-new approach to health care.
Two years ago, we opened an around-theclock, 911 receiving emergency center in the former National Maritime Union Building and brought innovative health care to Greenwich Village. Since then, we have been offering state-of-the-art care with you and your family’s best interest in mind.
Now our outpatient imaging center is open for business, utilizing the most advanced techniques and equipment available. And there’s much more to come. We will be introducing additional medical services in the facility and continuing to raise the standard of healthcare in your neighborhood.
Visit us on Seventh Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets. Emergency center (646) 665-6911 Imaging (646) 665-6700 Administration (646) 665-6000 Lenoxhealth.com
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HOW ABC’S ‘HOUSEWIFE’ GIVES CITY A BREAK BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL
For once, New York City moms are off the hook. Usually, when there’s a book, movie or TV show about superficial, Birkincarrying, size-0 women, the setting is usually Manhattan’s Upper East Side. But ABC’s “American Housewife” (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET) has cut us a break and honed in on Westport, Connecticut, the coastal town 47 miles northeast of New York City. (If I lived there, I would not be pleased.) I can’t say I enjoyed the show, but since I’m a stay-at-home-mom as well as freelance writer, I thought I might be able to relate. What I got was Jill Kargman’s “Odd Mom Out”—the suburban franchise, complete with blonde mom nemesis. Katy Mixon (“Mike & Molly”) plays “Katie Otto,” a seemingly pleasant woman in her late thirties with a husband and three kids. Her eldest is a teen daughter with head cheer-
Shops along Main Street in Westport, Connecticut. Photo by: Mark Goebel via Flickr
leader looks. Her son is Alex P. Keaton 3.0. Her youngest is a daughter with O.C.D. Even before we find this out, we surmise, from her glasses and Pippi Longstocking pigtails, that she’s “precocious” and has a hard time fitting in. The Ottos are billed as “an average middle-class family” who have to move out of their league to this wealthy enclave because it had a school that could accommodate, not only her mainstream children, but the one who needs extra help. She lost me right there. In NYC, we know that one size does not fit all. A school is picked by whether it fits the child; hence you will hear moms with, say, three kids, talk about how they’re always out of breath from running among a trio of schools. And if a child with special needs is involved, they make sure that student is enrolled somewhere that specializes in teaching those who learn differently. Then there’s the mainstay that is
the basis of Kargman’s Bravo show, where Katie and her friends are not part of the condescending, tiny-butt, two Fitbit-wearing crowd. (Newsflash: everybody thinks she and her friends are the “normal” ones.) As a 22-year veteran of motherhood, I learned long ago that the I’m-regularand-above-all-the-craziness mothers are the biggest hypocrites of all. As I sometimes lose patience watching oddity “Jill Weber,” who rolls her eyes at her “neurotic” peers obsessing over private school admittance, then races through the streets to make sure she gets hers in under the deadline, I have none for Katie. We are now living in an age where fat shaming is akin to killing someone. Women are told to love the skin they’re in; and plus-size models are the new It girls. Katie—who I happen to think is quite beautiful—takes umbrage with “the skinnies” who make time to exercise and run around in yoga pants to
show off the results of their efforts, yet is preoccupied with her self-anointed “second fattest housewife in Westport” status, yet wants to be told by her husband and BFFs that she’s not fat. This, while polishing off her second breakfast. To add insult to injury, the rail thin actress, and Gwyneth Paltrow looka-like, Leslie Bibb—aka Double Fitbit Mom—is Katie’s new neighbor. Oh the antics that are sure to ensue. If I’m going to watch a show about a harried mother who doesn’t always say and do things exactly right—at least not compared to the “perfect mommies”—I think I’ll stick to my own kind. “Odd Mom Out” has been renewed for a third season and returns in 2017. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Back to Work She Goes” and “Fat Chick.”
UPTOWN, CROSSTOWN AND HEAVENWARD EAST SIDE ENCOUNTERS BY ARLENE KAYATT
Transfer rights — Man gets on uptown bus on a late weekend evening. Has an unpleasant exchange with driver. Mumbling, the rider takes a single seat towards back of bus. Seemingly done. Not. Suddenly the driver shouts out, “Hey you, Mister, get off the bus.” Rider comes rushing up to the front of the bus. Words fly. Rider reaches into his pocket. Comes up empty. Driver tells him to get off the bus. Rider threatens to call the police. Driver halts bus. Another rider offers him a transfer. Ignoring it, still mumbling, he gets off the bus. Yet another rider, seated behind the rider who offered the transfer, says “Since you’re giving away the transfer, let me have it.” Sure. Share and share alike. Anytime. Anytime. Should I stop or should I go? Only
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Verizon knows — Pedestrians crossing 90th and Lex going from the southeast to the southwest corner have been beleaguered every weekday morning (don’t know about other times) by a Verizon truck blocking the traffic signal which lets pedestrians know the number of seconds they have to cross the street. It seems that the Verizon truck is working in conjunction with the T-Mobile store on the corner immediately behind the traffic signal. Pragmatic pedestrians try to overcome the problem of getting across the street safely by looking over at the traffic signal on the opposite northwest corner. No go. There are a gazillion trucks traveling down Lexington that invariably block the traffic signal on that corner as well. And a further complication is that the Verizon truck is standing in a bus stop. Verizon and T-Mobile have to do something about this dangerous situation. If not, the NYCTA/MTA, the NYPD have to intervene. This unsafe, unwieldy has to be remedied.
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Nod, nod, wink, wink — New York Republicans recently won approval from the State Board of Elections for a new “Stop de Blasio” line on the November ballot. A recent column in the Post quoted New York County GOP Chairwoman Adele Malpass as telling then Post columnist Fredric Dicker that the purpose of the new line was to give “the large numbers of Democratic and independent voters” who are unhappy with de Blasio’s policies “a place to cast their ballots without feeling uncomfortable about voting Republican.” Sounds to me like a politic way of trying to protect local — or down ballot — candidates from a trickle-down disaster from the top of the ticket in the November election. Where’s the elevator? Residents in an UES condominium aren’t happy that all of the elevator floor indicators have been kerflooey for weeks, if not months, on end. It’s odd that, despite elevator shutdowns and repair service intervention, the problem hasn’t been solved. One resident complained that
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Photo: Jason Kuffer, via flickr her young children were afraid to get off the elevator because they pressed “10” and when the doors opened at their floor, the indicator said “22.” Other residents were concerned that, in the event someone was stuck in the elevator, responders would not know where to go. What’s the problem with getting it finally repaired before there’s a disaster in the very high-rise apartment building? Herring heaven — My favorite takeout herring is at Sable’s in the East 70s on 2nd Ave where there’s herring of many a persuasion. Zabar’s on Broadway is another herring haven but the herring’s not as good as
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it is at Sable’s — IMHO of course. You go to Sable’s and Zabar’s for herring and smoked fish and other appetizing take-out. While you can sit down in adjoining cafes (I wouldn’t call Sable’s a sit-down a cafe, but there are tables and seating), they are not where you go for a casual setting to savor herring, smoked salmon or gravlax. You can do that at the newly opened Great Northern Food Hall in Vanderbilt Hall on the street level of Grand Central Station where herring is served as an open-faced sandwich (“smerrebred”) on organic rye bread baked with whole grain rye and sourdough. Worth the trip even if you’re not traveling north.
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Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
WHY MAN-MADE DISASTERS MAY BE THE WORST KIND BY BETTE DEWING
Just home from the hospital — and all I needed to see was scaffolding going up around the building at 81st and East End Avenue. You probably know the one — it houses several dozen rental tenants and a Gristedes grocery store and East End Kitchen. Call it like it is, an unnatural disaster and premeditated murder of affordable homes and above all places that serve the entire community’s needs. An 18-story luxury condo replaces all that after several years of bombarding the neighborhood (the environ-
Call it like it is, an unnatural disaster and premeditated murder of affordable homes and above all places that serve the entire community’s needs. An 18-story luxury condo replaces all that after several years of bombarding the neighborhood (the environment!) with air, noise pollution and enormous energy use.” Bette Dewing
ment!) with air, noise pollution and enormous energy use. Of course, natural disasters are so horrific and now such terrible losses and suffering on our own east coast from Hurricane Matthew. And let’s not let the election take our minds off that, and all the desperately needed help when it comes to rebuilding. Just unimaginable. But natural disasters are not preventable except for working to cool down the climate and of course, preparation. Again, what does all this massive construction do to the environment? Unfortunately, I have a view of this particular destruction site and it
East End Avenue and 81st Street these days. Photo: Juana Frias seems there should be some sort of protesting or maybe weeping by the neighbors out there. But taking photos of this destruction of places we need — getting them in cyberspace or in regular media — would help the cause. Photos and stories of how the community suffers from the loss of these public places needs to get out there. Attention must be paid. And that’s really an understatement. And, of course, these man-made di-
sasters are happening all over the city — have been happening for decades really, but until recently there’s been no real protest, which is mostly online. But I am so grateful that some members of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church are now actively concerned. That’s in part because of Our Town and my column’s frequent coverage, but this group will need all the advice and help possible. Maybe other faith group members will join them.
And I’m remanded of some biblical warnings — “What does it profit a man when he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Or in this case, “What does it profit a city, when there’s no affordable or accessible place to buy or break bread?” And there’s also “Where there’s no vision, the people perish.” Well, the people surely do languish without neighborhood places which meet everyday needs.
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It can be done it enough of us try — and at least “talk about it,” as Mayor Ed Koch used to say during the water shortage. The small neighborhood business shortage must become a top concern for New York to remain a great a democratic place to live — and not only to visit. Bette Dewing can be reached by email at dewingbetter@aol.com
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Out & About YOUR FATHER KEEPS WANDERING AWAY FROM HOME. BUT IT’S YOU WHO FEELS LOST.
More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com
INTRODUCING THE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM. Caring for a family member who has trouble with thinking and memory can be extremely challenging. So challenging, in fact, that caregivers may feel overwhelmed, struggling to maintain their own health and well-being. NYU Langone’s Family Support Program provides convenient, personalized, and ongoing support to people caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or other thinking and memory disorders. The program is provided free of charge to individuals living within the five boroughs. You will receive access to counseling; connections to doctors and support groups; and compassionate guidance by being paired with a caregiver who has had a similar experience. Join a community dedicated to providing the support and guidance you need, for as long as you need it.
For more information or to enroll, call us at 646.754.2277 or visit nyulangone.org/memorydisordersupport. The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Family Support Program is supported by a grant from the New York State Department of Health.
20 Fri 21
Thu
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ASIAN FOOD ▲ Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St. 6:30-8:30 p.m. $65 general admission, $45 members Join the Asian Food Mafia for some Chinese food samples as they discuss Asian food in America over time. 855-955-6622. www. mocanyc.org
SHINE ON Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South 6:30-10 a.m. $15 early bird, $22-$32 Have fun and relax through meditation, dancing, live art and yoga at the Judson Memorial Church. 212-477-0351. www.judson.org
Sat
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HOWL-O-WEEN FUNDRAISER
NEW YORK QUEER ZINE FAIR 2016
Pups ‘N Coffee, 75 Wall St. 5-7 p.m. Free Celebrate Halloween doggystyle with a Pups ‘N Costume Contest and a chance to adopt a dog from the Humane Society of New York. 212-752-4840. www. humanesocietyny.org
Bureau of Genera ServicesQueer Division, 208 West 13th St. 1-7 p.m. Free Peruse a variety of queer magazines at the New York Queer Zine Fair as it returns for two days. 212-620-7310. www.bgsqd. com
GEOMETRIA NEW YORK 3-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WEST VILLAGE EATS Onegin Restaurant, 391 Sixth Avenue 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Free Join Geometria, a multimedia company, for a dinner to celebrate its establishment in New York. 910-777-7770. www. geometria.tv
PS2 Charrette School, 490 Hudson St. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free Find 20 of the West Village’s most notable restaurants as they congregate in support of education at West Village Eats. 212-691-1183. www.ps3nyc.org
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
struggles in Middle East and Western Nations over Islam with the Brookings Institution scholar Shadi Hamid. 212-312-8800. www.911memorial.org
MASTERMIND POWER BREAKFAST NYC Duet Restaurant, 37 Barrow St. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $35 Network over breakfast while listening to a guest speaker at Lady Savant’s event How She Did It. 212-255-5416. www.duetny. com
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Sun
▲ BLACK & PINK AFFAIR: BATTLE FOR A CURE 49 Grove, 49 Grove St. 3-10 p.m. $20 Have fun for a good cause at LiveWire Productions’ fundraiser for women with breast cancer. 212-727-1100. www.49grovenyc.com
HOW TO BE KIND TO OTHERS MNDFL, 10 East Eighth St. 2-3:30 p.m. Free Learn how to enact transformative practices to better connect and understand other people with teacher Megan Mook. 212-477-0487. www. meganmook.com
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Mon
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES DRAG SALE Boots and Saddle Drag Lounge, 100 Seventh Ave. 4-7 p.m. Free Get a Halloween drag costume ready at this drag costume sale that features sellers such as Harmonica Sunbeam and Vicky Boofont. 646-892-4800. www. bootsandsaddlenyc.com
CINEMA VILLAGE, 22 EAST 12TH ST.
DELVING WITHIN: THE NEW SCIENCE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS
5-7 p.m. $8 seniors and children, $12 adults Enjoy a viewing of the Elmwood Puppets that is jointly hosted by HEAD and Elmwood Productions. 212-924-3363. www. cinemavillage.com
The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center 7-8:30 p.m. $5 for members Hear from psychologist Efrat Ginot and psychiatrist George Makari about the relationship between the conscious and unconscious minds 212-298-8648. www.nyas. org
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HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE SCREENING
Tue
HOW THE STRUGGLE OVER ISLAM IS RESHAPING THE WORLD 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Free Learn about the upcoming
W New York, 8 Albany St. 7:30-11:30 p.m. Open admission Enjoy a good view from the W New York hotel’s fifth floor terrace while watching a variety of Halloween Horror movies. 917-254-2990. www. wnewyorkdowntown.com
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
NOW ART BELONGS TO YOU AND ME Free thinking and free art at the Jewish Museum BY MARY GREGORY
How can you start a serious art collection on a budget? The Jewish Museum hopes you’ll take up their offer in the ambitious, thought-provoking, fun and memorable exhibition “Take Me, I’m Yours,” and take some home for free. Forty-two artists from around the world are participating, offering works they hope will spark serious discussion that will carry beyond the walls of the museum, as will the works themselves. Start your visit with one of Ian Cheng’s and Rachel Rose’s fortune cookies packed with pithy, sometimes politically charged messages, then take a bag from the wall, a gallery guide from the cleverly repurposed paper-towel dispenser, and head inside to look at, touch, think about and ultimately love or leave behind any of the works in the show. They’re all there for the taking. Other than the playful freedom of in-
teracting with artworks in a museum, which is refreshing and exciting on its own, the show addresses countless conceptual, societal and political realities. First on the list is why does art have to be precious and elitist? These artists are putting their money where their mouths are, saying emphatically that it doesn’t. Challenging the commoditization of art is particularly surprising considering that these are canonical artists, like Gilbert & George and James Lee Byars, whose works often command astronomical prices. Besides the democratization of art, the exhibition also speaks to the vision of the Jewish Museum itself. Jens Hoffmann, director of special exhibitions and public programs, explained, “I think every museum is part of a community, or if you will, every museum is a community. And part of a community — particularly in Jewish tradition — is the idea of giving and sharing. It’s very fundamental. So in this case, we’re really giving and sharing, not only ideas, but we’re also giving and sharing the artworks that are on display.”
“Take Me, I’m Yours” at the Jewish Museum invites visitors to take home free art. Photo: Adel Gorgy
Andrea Bowers’ “Political Ribbons” deliberately utilize what she refers to as a “girly” medium to deliver powerful messages. Photo: Adel Gorgy For a brief time, the museum, rather than protector or collector, has become the distributor of art. The exhibition is based on one that took place in 1995 in London’s Serpentine Gallery. It was conceived of by artist Christian Boltanski and Hans Ulrich Obrist, then director of the gallery. They’re both on board again for this iteration. Obrist worked with Hoffmann and Kelly Taxter, associate curator, to mount the exhibition which includes Boltanski’s “Dispersion,” a towering mass of used but still usable clothes in the center of the show’s main gallery. It’s surrounded by serious art presented in an approachable way — bins mounted on plastic milk crates hold much of the work. Bright, colorful paper cutouts by Dana Awartani are based on tiles in Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock. The shapes can be used to form a Star of David or patterns like those found in Islamic architecture. Awartani invites visitors to take them, get creative and make something that’s more than the sum of the provided parts. Near them hang racks of Andrea Bowers’ shining satin ribbons painted with texts that she hopes will spark discussion during the current election season. Ribbons have been used to carry slogans and to tie everything from trees to packages to pigtails, but none have borne messages like Bowers’ activist
Paper cutouts become tiles, Stars of David, or anything the viewer wants to make of them in “It Is He Who Created You From A Single Soul” by Dana Awartani. Photo: Adel Gorgy feminist statements. Text artist Lawrence Weiner offers pidgin English stencils and temporary tattoos that pronounce “Now Art Belongs to You and Me.”
Responding to a piece in which Dada star Marcel Duchamp bottled Parisian air a century earlier, Yoko Ono’s “Air Dispensers” come from 25-cent candy machines. Across the gallery, Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ candies wrapped in red, white and blue were the inspiration for the exhibition. Gonzalez-Torres created the piece in 1990 to give artistic voice and form to the idea of impermanence. The candy is sweet but ephemeral, and time and people will change the shape and size of the work. Mutability and decline were personal to the artist; he and his partner both died of AIDS in the ‘90s. Claire Fontaine, an artist collective, fills a windowsill at the close of the show with quarter-sized enameled medallions that read “Please God make tomorrow better.” Performances will also be given (away) throughout the exhibition, and the museum estimates that, on average, 10,000 of each work will be taken by visitors. The audience is invited to give back by posting photos on the museum’s website, and wall texts with hashtags like #Charity and #LucyLippard, define concepts, identify influential thinkers, and participate in one of the most enduring forms of sharing, the sharing of ideas. The exhibition runs through Feb. 5 and the art is being reproduced so it won’t run out.
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
UNDERGROUND NO MORE â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gay Gothamâ&#x20AC;? at the Museum of the City of New York celebrates LGBTQ artists BY DIAMOND NAGA SIU
Mae West is there. So are Leonard Bernstein, Harmony Hammond and Andy Warhol. From among more than 200 works â&#x20AC;&#x201D; photographs, paintings, postcards, letters and other materials â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s present, past and even distant gay culture surfaces from its sometimes secretive, often subversive and certainly marginalized scene to claim a space. A space called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gay Gotham.â&#x20AC;? The Museum of the City of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibit focuses on 10 prominent 20th century New York LGBTQ artists. The roughly 200 works within â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gay Gothamâ&#x20AC;? are an attempt by curators Donald Albrechtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Steven Viderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort seeking to add freshness and another dimension to their chosen artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was curating another show, I came to realize that the LGBTQ community was hidden and underground, which separated and fostered the need for community and networks and collaborations amongst these people,â&#x20AC;? Albrecht said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I noticed that they start sort of in the 20s and continue to the present day, but this show focused on the teens through the 90s.â&#x20AC;? While the sexuality of many of the artists represented in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gay Gothamâ&#x20AC;? was known within their communities, it was otherwise kept largely hidden from the general public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The personal and professional repercussions back then were very real,â&#x20AC;? artist Harmony Hammond said during a panel about art and underground culture in New York that launched Gay Gotham. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I coedited the lesbian art issue of Heresies Magazine in 1977, we found it extremely difficult to ďŹ nd historical material or to even convince contemporary lesbian artists to submit their work.â&#x20AC;? The following year, when Hammond helped organize â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Lesbian Showâ&#x20AC;? exhibition in SoHo, an alt-white lesbian artist was threatened to be dropped by her dealer if she participated, Hammond said. She said the treatment of LGBTQ artists of color was even worse.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Feminist artist Liza Cowanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences during that time period echoed Hammondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. But Cowan said that an important difference between gay and lesbian art was that lesbian art deviated from eroticism and largely concentrated on empowering other women. She suggested that was one of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gay Gothamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;? shortcomings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was very beautifully designed and laid out and comprehensive,â&#x20AC;? Cowan said of the exhibit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It did however focus mostly on gay men, but there is so much of lesbian culture that was left out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so much about women, really, that was left out.â&#x20AC;?
endured such an unaccepting environment to express their art and identities. Gutierrez also said that it was simply to be able to take in an entire exhibition of LGBTQ art, rather than just a single artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in a gallery. Basil Rodriguez, and actor and photographer, similarly appreciated the museum showcasing LGBTQ art, and he said that as a gay person, he had sought out homoerotic art since puberty, either clandestinely or overtly. But this occasion allowed him to view and appreciate it explicitly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I came to New York in the late 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, so much of this is a great
Lois Weaver, Peggy Shaw and Deb Margolin performing as Split Britches in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Upwardly Mobile Home.â&#x20AC;? 1984. Photo: Eva Weiss. Courtesy Eva Weiss Cowan created and edited DYKE Magazine, which focused on and celebrated lesbian feminist activism, and she said that the lesbian art and politics of the 1990s was very creative and intricate, though it was largely invisible to anybody unfamiliar with lesbian art. But 22-year-old Marcelo Gutierrez said that the sheer symbolism of so many iconic, queer artists in one space and the resulting recognition not just as creators but also as queer, gay, lesbian and transgender was remarkable. Still, Gutierrez said that homoerotic art today is not as valuable as before. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because of the internet, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s porn everywhere,â&#x20AC;? Gutierrez said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now homoeroticism is like finding that moment or seducing someone, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really such a thing as homoerotic art anymore. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s erotic anymore.â&#x20AC;? Even amid the ubiquity of previously underground art, he said, it is important to recognize these artists, since they
memory trigger so for me,â&#x20AC;? Rodriguez said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But in terms of homoerotic art, the more that things change, the more they stay the same.â&#x20AC;? Rodriguez said that much of the art that shocks and intrigues people today works with the same homoerotic themes that were explored years ago â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the exact concepts and art in which the exhibition displayed. Cowan felt that this selection of art clearly demonstrated how both the LGBTQ community and society have changed over time. But she thought the male-dominant collection highlighted the historically less progressive, open and inclusive treatment towards women. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What the exhibit doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really discuss is how ďŹ&#x201A;ourishing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; how it was like a Renaissance of â&#x20AC;&#x201D; womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture, which if you were part of it, it was everywhere,â&#x20AC;? Cowan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That just means thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for a new exhibition that is about women.â&#x20AC;?
THIS WEEK AT THE RUBIN MUSEUM
EXHIBITIONS ON VIEW
FAMILY PROGRAMS
Monumental Lhasa: Fortress, Palace, Temple Experience Tibetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most renowned architectural sites through historical and contemporary eyes with more WKDQ Ă&#x20AC;IW\ UDUH GUDZLQJV SDLQWLQJV DQG photographs that show how landmarks KDYH VKDSHG WKH LGHQWLW\ RI /KDVD IRU FHQWXULHV
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THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART 150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SAT/SUN
11:00 AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5:00 PM CLOSED 11:00 AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;9:00 PM 11:00 AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5:00 PM 11:00 AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;10:00 PM 11:00 AMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;6:00 PM
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCT 07- 14 2016
Ryehouse
11 West 17 Street
Grade Pending (24) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page The Half King
505507 West 23 Street
A
Spain Restaurant & Bar
113 West 13 Street
A
Up And Down
244 West 14 Street
A
Bar Six
502 6 Avenue
A
The Hummus & Pita
112 Greenwich Avenue A
585 Avenue Of The Americas
A
A Salt & Battery Horchata
470 Avenue Of The Americas
A
Stolle Bakery
109 W 10Th St
Gotham Pizza
144 9 Avenue
A
Legend Bar & Restaurant
88 7 Avenue
Grade Pending (24) 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. 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.
Not Yet Graded (43) 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. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Mahzedahr Bakery
28 Greenwich Ave
A
Tapestry
60 Greenwich Ave
A
Rubin Museum-Gabriel Vega
150 W 17Th St
A
Flavors
100 West 23 Street
A
Tom And Jerry Bar
288 Elizabeth Street
A
Great Jones Cafe
54 Great Jones St
A
Cherche Midi
282 Bowery
Grade Pending (21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 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.
Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern
93 Macdougal St
A
Bread
30 Kenmare St
Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Cafe Grumpy
177 Mott St
A
Sweets By Chloe
185 Bleecker St
Not Yet Graded (30) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
Amorino
162 8Th Ave
A
Gingersnaps Organic
113 W 10Th St
A
Jue Lan Club
49 W 20Th St
A
Blossom Du Jour
259 W 23Rd St
Grade Pending (23) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Alta
64 West 10 Street
A
Salinas
136 9 Avenue
A
Slice & Co. Brick Oven Pizza
527 6 Avenue
A
Gotham Comedy Club
208 West 23 Street
A
Saikai
24 Greenwich Ave
Grade Pending (45) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Sushi Para 88
212 W 14Th St
A
Paowalla
195 Spring St
A
Buddakan
75 9 Avenue
A
Champion Coffee
56 Great Jones St
Boxers Nyc
37 West 20 Street
A
Grade Pending (30) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
.Tao
92 9Th Ave
A
Dojo Restaurant
10 West 4 Street
Claudette
24 5Th Ave
A
Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill
47 West 14 Street
A
Kopi Kopi
68 West 3 Street
A
Quantum Leap
226 Thompson St
A
Grade Pending (26) 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. 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.
Ahimsa
210 Thompson St
A
Pirch
200 Lafayette St
A
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
17
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
SCALED-BACK JANE STREET PROJECT APPROVED But Save Gansevoort group files lawsuit to overturn other plan BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Over the summer, residents of Greenwich Village found themselves faced with numerous development projects that proposed to alter their historic district. Between a mega-development at 500 Washington Street, luxury mansions at 11-19 and 85-89 Jane St., and the renovation of a whole block of the Meatpacking District at 46-74 Gansevoort St., the residents and preservationists who have showed up to defend each of these sites oppose everything from the scale to the building materials of the proposals. Sometimes paper signs and petitions have little effect on the powers that be, but other times they see some results. The Landmarks Preservation Commission last week approved a much subtler redesign for 85-89 Jane St., which the panel first heard about at a mid-July panel. The original design, by Steven Harris Architects LLP, proposed to build a four-story singlefamily home with a large window and a 80-foot translucent glass tower in the middle of a row of brownstones. After it was deemed inappropriate by
89 Jane St., center, in 1969. Photo: New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. the Commission and denounced by residents, the redesign ditched the glass tower in favor of a glass-walled garden and stepped-back penthouse. Andrew Berman, director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said in his testimony at the hearing that the redesign was a “vast improvement” over the original.
“The historic buildings we urged be maintained are to be largely preserved and restored. And the proposed additions are much more modest and in keeping with the character of the street and the neighborhood,” Berman said. “This is a good example of what the Landmarks Preservation Commission should be doing — pre-
serving our neighborhoods’ history and character, listening to the concerns of the public, and working with applicants to find ways to address their needs while fulfilling their mandate to protect our landmarks.” The Landmarks commissioners approved the new design with the caveat that the developers work with the commission to ensure that one of the cornices is satisfactory. But not all such stories have a happy ending. Last week, the Save Gansevoort group filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court to overturn the commission’s approval of the 4674 Gansevoort St. project. Aurora Capital and William Gottlieb Real Estate were given the go-ahead in early June to turn five buildings on a low-lying block of the Meatpacking District into much taller commercial and office space. “Unless annulled, vacated and reversed, the determination would pose a risk to every district in New York City, as [Landmarks], henceforth would be free to remove the very historic, culture and aesthetic fabric of every designated neighborhood,” the lawsuit read. Zack Winestein, a founder and cochair of Save Gansevoort, has been fighting preservation battles for 25
MAD DOG COLL, FELLED IN A PHONE BOOTH Prohibition-era gangster met his end in a Chelsea pharmacy BY RAANAN GEBERER
In every gangster movie, there’s one guy who’s crazier than the rest. He’s totally reckless and trigger-happy and finds it hard to accept the discipline of the mob. Eventually, he becomes a danger to the gang and they have to take him out. In “Goodfellas,” such a character, Tommy DeVito, was played by Joe Pesci. In Prohibition-era New York, a real-life role was played by Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll. While Coll lived most of his life in the Bronx, he spent his last year or so in an elegant hotel in Chelsea before he was shot and killed at a pharmacy on West 23rd Street. Coll was born in Ireland in 1908, but came to New York with his family the following year. He grew up in dire poverty, was sent to reform school several times, and eventually joined the Go-
phers street gang. Like many young hoods, he found his opportunity with Prohibition and joined Bronx beer baron Dutch Schultz’s mob as an enforcer. By 1929, Coll was on thin ice with Schultz after he robbed a Bronx dairy company without his permission. Coll also asked Schultz to become an equal partner in the gang, but Dutch refused. Coll and his brother Peter then formed their own gang. The final split between Coll and his former mentor came in early 1931, when Coll was arrested for another infraction and Schultz put up $10,000 of his own money for bond. Coll, though, jumped bail. Before long, Coll’s outfit and Schultz’s respective gangs were at war. To finance his nefarious activities, Coll, in just his early 20s, embarked on a dangerous game — kidnapping wealthy bootleggers for ransom. One of his victims was Frenchy DeMange, an important member of Owney Madden’s West Side Irish mob. Madden
Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll (second from left) leaving court in 1931, surrounded by policemen. Photo: Library of Congress paid the ransom, but he and Schultz also put a $50,000 bounty on Coll’s head. Coll earned his nickname of “Mad Dog” as the result of a shooting outside a social club in East Harlem that was the hangout of Schultz associate Joey Rao. Coll and a few of his gang members drove up to the club, intending to either kill or kidnap Rao (sources differ on this). They drew their guns and started firing rapidly, injuring several young children who were playing nearby. One of those children,
5-year-old Michael Vengalli, died the following day. Coll was arrested for the boy’s murder, and the case went to trial in December 1931. Coll hired high-profile lawyer Samuel Leibowitz, who a short time later became famous for his defense of the “Scottsboro Boys,” a group of Black teenagers who were falsely accused of rape in Alabama. In the Coll case, Leibowitz poked holes in the prosecution’s case, and the jury returned with a verdict of not guilty. Immediately after the trial, Coll
years and was part of the successful effort in 2003 to disallow retail, office and restaurant development in the Meatpacking District. “The developer who’s trying to put up two massive buildings on this site has acknowledged that he will be going back and trying to get the amendment changed to allow for office use,” Winestein said back in June. “The rationale for destroying the one- and two-story market buildings is that they’re returning it to a previous configuration when there were tenement buildings on this street. We think that’s pretty bogus.” Save Gansevoort is being represented by attorney Michael Hiller. He helped stop the conversion of an Upper West Side church into luxury condominiums at the same time the Gansevoort project was approved. The case of 11-19 Jane St. was put on hold when the commission did not take action on it this summer and has yet to be re-proposed. And the largescale redevelopment of 500 Washington St. is still in the community review stage, under the jurisdiction of Community Board 2. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com
married fashion designer Lottie Kreisberger and lived with her at the Cornish Arms Hotel in Chelsea, where the two of them had already been staying. The Cornish Arms didn’t have the cache of the nearby Hotel Chelsea, but was considered an attractive hotel into the 1950s. In the ‘60s and ‘70s it fell on hard times and became a nursing home. Eventually it was renovated, and it’s now the Broadmoor co-op at 315 W. 23rd St. By 1932, time was running out for Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll. On Feb. 6 of that year, he walked into London Chemists, a Chelsea pharmacy. He stepped into a phone booth, waiting for a call from Owney Madden, who supposedly wanted to call a truce. Three gunmen burst into the store, opened fire and ended Coll’s life. He was 23. The pharmacy where Coll was rubbed out was at 312 West 23rd St., according to the “Infamous New York” website. A Petlands store is now at that location. As for Coll’s wife, Lottie? In 1933, she and two male gangsters were arrested for robbing a jewelry store and killing a woman in the course of the robbery. She was charged with seconddegree murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. After serving her prison term, she dropped out of the public eye.
18
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
COLLABORATING IN HARMONY The Musicians Emergency Fund, founded during the Great Depression, has an evolving mission BY ANNIE NOVA
So Jin Kim will perform at the Junior/Senior Concert by the Musicians Emergency Fund at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 22. Photo: Courtesy of MEF
It was The Great Depression and violins, flutes and pianos were left alone, untouched and gathering dust. Few people were hiring musicians. Then, in 1931, a group of established musicians formed The Musicians Emergency Fund to provide musicians with a chance to pick up their instruments and perform before an audience. “Professional musicians during The Great Depression had no other way to make a living except for performing music,” said Marie Ashdown, the executive director of The Musicians Emergency Fund. When World War II broke out, the organization turned its efforts to performing concerts at military bases and providing free music lessons to servicemen. Eighty-five years later, classical music is still in a state of emergency, Ashdown said. Jobs for classical musicians are scarce. Most classical musicians start practicing between the ages of three and five. They continue playing their chosen instrument until they’re accepted into a conservatory. But, once they graduate, it’s often difficult to make a living, Ashdown said.
“They’ve got to find a job,” Ashdown said. “They study that instrument all their lives.” So, each year, The Musicians Emergency Fund offers a select group of up-and-coming musicians the chance to perform at Lincoln Center — an occurrence that can alter a budding musician’s course. “You can see what that means on their resume,” Ashdown, 89, said. “When they send that out, people pay attention.” She said the organization believes that classical music brings people to a higher level of awareness. Ashdown calls the genre “the ultimate abstract,” in that it improves upon silence. The group works to make sure opportunities still exist for those who are passionate about Beethoven and Mozart, since that number is also shrinking. “We are losing our audience,” Ashdown said. Most families don’t have time to sit down with their children and teach them to appreciate classical music, she said. “We’re trying to do everything to rectify that by introducing young people to classical music.” The organization selects eight novice musicians to play in the spring and fall concert. This year’s fall concert will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Alice Tully Hall at 3 p.m. Cho-Laing Lin, a world-renown violinist, will perform
LANDMARKS PANEL OKAYS MUSEUM EXPANSION Unanimous approval after much community opposition BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
In a blow to Upper West Siders fighting the American Museum of Natural History’s expansion plans, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission last week unanimously approved the institution’s application to expand its campus with a new building. Unlike most of the numerous public meetings that have taken place since the museum’s plans were announced in late 2014, the landmarks hearing was both orderly and extremely complimentary of the proposed Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation. “I think this is completely arresting,” commissioner Wellington Chen said at the Oct. 11 hearing. “Very seldom do you a see design that’s soaring, that’s inspiring. I wish I were a kid
again.” Other commissioners’ comments were similarly glowing. They described the Gilder Center, designed by architect Jeanne Gang, as exciting and innovative — a perfect place to get its youngest visitors interested in science. Commissioner Kim Vauss credited the design with creating a sense of wonder that will draw kids in. “It’s really about the experience that children are going to have ... and my sense from the renderings is that they’re going to have a ball,” she said. Members of Community Board 7, which approved the design on Oct. 5, were also generally appreciative of the design. Their constituents on the Upper West Side, however, derided everything from the design to the environmental impact to the proposed building materials of the Gilder Center. The central cause of concern for residents has been Theodore Roosevelt Park, which surrounds the mu-
A 3D model of the museum, with the proposed expansion, on display at last week’s Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing. Photo: Madeleine Thompson seum and is a popular spot for play and respite for the community. The Gilder Center will intrude into the park by a quarter-acre and will require the relocation of seven trees. In response to the outcry from residents, the museum has worked with a group of them to redesign a section of the park so that the feeling of a safe, intimate space remains. The preservation commission did have some reservations about allowing the Gilder Center to consume 11,000 square feet of park land, but not nearly enough to reject the project. “A quarter-acre somewhere else on this
campus perhaps would be unthinkable, but ... it’s hardly, truly a park experience in there now,” commissioner Fred Bland said. “So we’re not taking that away. And what we’re adding in terms of additional trees and much improved landscaping to me is certainly worth that quarter of an acre.” During the hearing’s public comment section, too, there were more supporters than opponents. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, representatives from Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal’s office and Jay Adolf, co-chair of the CB 7 preservation committee, all spoke in favor of the expan-
We are losing our audience. Most families don’t have time to sit down with their children and teach them to appreciate classical music... We’re trying to do everything to rectify that by introducing young people to classical music.” Marie Ashdown, the executive director of The Musicians Emergency Fund along with the musicians. The concert is being dedicated to the memory of Alan Waxman, an MEF board member and legal counsel to the organization, who died in May. Ashdown said that people have suggested she change the organization’s name, because of the alarm raised by the word “emergency.” But, she won’t be changing it any time soon, she said. “Emergency was not a pejorative word,” Ashdown said. “It meant helping in a fast way.”
sion. But plenty of concerns were aired as well. Kate Wood, president of Landmark West!, cautioned against the precedent the commission might set by allowing the museum to encroach on Theodore Roosevelt park. “This is a big deal,” she said. “Roosevelt Park is a public asset under the jurisdiction of the Landmarks Preservation Commission and worthy of preservation. ... The very presence of the park surrounding the museum is a significant part of the community experience of the individual landmark and the [Upper West Side] historic district.” The hearing concluded the first round of hurdles the museum needed to clear to begin construction, as they hope to, during the second half of 2017. And environmental impact statement for the project is scheduled for completion in January, and will then undergo similar scrutiny by the community and city agencies. In a statement, museum president Ellen Futter said she appreciated the “careful consideration of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.” She said she was looking forward to the next steps in the process. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com
OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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OCTOBER 20-26,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes
FROM ONE BROTHER TO ANOTHER Corey Zaretsky will run the New York City Marathon after donating his kidney just over two years ago
crazy s**t you want to do. ... If I wanted to go skydiving into the start of the marathon, and then run it just to prove my point, I would.”
BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Describe your brother’s illness and how you always knew he would need a donor.
In August of 2014, Corey Zaretsky donated his kidney to his younger brother, Matty. Just past the second year of what they call his “Kidneyversary,” Matty “couldn’t be healthier,” said Corey, now 26. Matty, a senior at Sarah Lawrence College, uses his Instagram account, @mattyzaretsky, to motivate those with disabilities. His life could have turned out much differently had Corey not made the decision to become his organ donor. Born with a rare genetic disease, Matty, now 24, had surgery in May of 2014 to remove his pancreas, gall bladder, spleen, appendix and parts of his intestines. And after a year of pancreatitis, which weakened his kidneys, Matty was on the transplant list. Fortunately, his older brother was a 95 percent match. Corey, who is the travel director for Elite Traveler Media Group, will run this year’s marathon on Nov. 6 not only to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation, but to dispel the stigma behind organ donation. “The key thing that I’m really out there to say is that you can be an organ donor, save someone’s life, and do any of the
My younger brother, we’re about two and a half years apart, and he’s my only sibling, was born with a very rare genetic disease called Nailpatella syndrome. This affects your body in several different ways, going from your vision, to your teeth, fingernails, toenails, and bone and muscular structure. And also, kidney disease is a major side effect of the disorder. So he was born with kidney disease, and my parents always knew that one day he would eventually need a transplant. And as I got older and understood more of what was going on with his life, I always knew that one day that day would come. The way I’ve come to look at it in the two years that passed, is that if you’re fortunate enough to have a sibling who is close to you in age, that’s really the person you’re going to be the closest with your entire life. My brother and I are extremely close. He’s my best friend in the world and my roommate. He’s finishing up his last semester at Sarah Lawrence in December and then he’ll be living with me. And I wanted to make sure that I did everything in my power to keep him around.
For a year, he suffered with pancreatitis, which caused his kidneys to begin to fail. In 2013, he developed this random pancreas disorder and to this day, no one knows what exactly caused it. They are still doing research on it today. He essentially had a bout of pancreatitis for a year, which is something that you get maybe once in a lifetime. It’s kind of like appendicitis in your pancreas. But obviously you don’t have your pancreas removed because you need it to produce insulin. My brother was in the hospital with these attacks every two-and-a-half to three weeks. This took him from whatever percentage of kidney function he had, which was fine, to complete kidney failure. He had to be put on a feeding tube because he couldn’t physically eat. And then he was on full-time dialysis because his kidneys were failing.
• As of January, 121,678 people were on transplant list waiting for organs. Of that number, 100,971 await kidneys • 8,000 people die every year waiting for an organ to be donated; that’s 22 people each day • Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national organ waiting list • Kidney and liver disease kill over 120,000 people a year *Sourced from the American Transplant Association, National Kidney Foundation and Organdonor.gov Take us through the process of donating a kidney.
Corey Zaretsky, left, donated his kidney to his younger brother, Matty, right, in August 2014. Corey will run the New York City Marathon Nov. 6. Matty will graduate from Sarah Lawrence College in December. Photo: Jane Zaretsky
On Aug. 14, 2014, I donated my kidney. In March of that year, I flew out to Minnesota [the transplant took place at the University of Minnesota Medical Center] and went through three days of testing. They test your blood type, tissue type, nutrition levels, body function levels, pretty much any rock they can turn over to look under. You meet with nutritionists, multiple different kinds of doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists. They pretty much do the most thorough workup possible to make sure that not only will you be healthy enough to have the surgery and survive, but you’ll be able to
Corey Zaretsky training for the New York City Marathon, just two years after donating his kidney to his younger brother. Photo: Christian Miles cope with having a surgery like that. It turned out that Matty and I were pretty much a 95 percent match. You really can’t get much better than that. But if I was not his perfect match, then I could have donated to a stranger and that would have taken them off the list and then Matty could have jumped up the list. So in my head I was fully willing to do whatever it took.
Did you have any side effects after the surgery? Literally the day after, both of us were out of bed, walking around the hospital. I felt pretty lousy. Your body is going through this change that it doesn’t understand and it’s overcompensating for the lack of a kidney. And my brother went his entire life from the second he was born until that moment, always with his body lagging behind. And for the first time, he has something in him that’s performing one-hundred percent. He was running around the hospital, meanwhile I was slowly snailing my way through the hallways. But he felt incredible. For me, that made me feel better, at least emotionally. It was instant gratification. It took me about six months until I felt back to close to where I was. It’s always harder for the donors because you’re so used to being fully healthy.
This is your first marathon. How are you training for it? I grew up playing baseball competitively throughout college. My whole life, in competitive sports, if you did something stupid or got in trouble in school, running was a punishment. And I’ve been accustomed to not liking to run. Now people are asking all the time, “How are you running a marathon?” My grandfather, who ran four marathons after the age of 50, is helping me train along with the teams at Lifetime Fitness and Title Boxing in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m running for survival and awareness. My goal is to go out there and have a really good time and pretty much run the whole thing; I don’t really want to walk any of it. And whatever time I get is the time I get. If I see friends in the stands, I’ll probably stop and say hi. It’s all about the message. To donate to Corey’s run, visit: www. crowdrise.com/nationalkidneyfdnnyc2016/ fundraiser/coreyzaretsky
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