Our Town Downtown - October 27, 2016 by OurTown Downtown

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WEEK OF OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

27-2 2016

Battery Park City. Photo: Anthony Quintano via Flickr

BATTERY PARK AUTHORITY TO ALLOW COMMENTS Residents can weigh in during meetings BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

At the multitude of community board meetings that occur every month throughout the city, public comment is allowed. Sometimes no one shows up to voice an opinion, but at other times not even the two-minute speaking limit can keep a meeting from lasting for hours. New Yorkers take their opportunity to talk. And now the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), which is unlike a community board in many ways, has acquiesced to residents’ calls for the chance to speak at the monthly meetings. At its next meeting, in late November or early December, time will be set aside for up to 10 community members to weigh in. “Senator [Daniel] Squadron had approached the board and asked us to reconsider the decision we had made in June, and Chairman [Dennis] Mehiel is a man of his word,” said Nick Sbordone, a spokesman for the authority. This summer, elected officials and Battery Park residents organized a town hall to push for public comment at the board’s meetings, which until now have only allowed written testimony to be submitted. Justine Cucchia, a public member of Community Board 1 and resident of Battery Park City, is pleased that some progress is being made. “This is a wonderful step,” she said. But there is more she would like to see done. Of the seven authority members, only one lives in Battery Park City. Two of the seven seats are currently vacant. A petition Cucchia helped

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A six-foot median separating a two-way bike lane on South Street is bedecked by abstract, colorful ﬁgures. Photo: Diamond Naga Siu

WHIMSY, COLOR BRIGHTEN SOUTH STREET New safety median bedecked by more than 100 abstract sculptures

BY DIAMOND NAGA SIU

Cars, cyclists, busses and skateboarders move along South Street. And now they are accompanied by stationary, colorful ﬁgures mounted on a new safety

Holleran spearheaded the project together after submitting and winning a request for proposals from the Department of Transportation. “Sam and I are interested in doing work that’s community based but very participatory, and we hadn’t collaborated before,” Travieso said. “We both wanted to make work that was both in collaboration with people in the area and trying to really encapsulate

median. The city officially unveiled the ﬁgures and safety measures last week as part of an art installation titled “We Call This Place Home.” It serves to beautify the area while bringing more visibility to the six-foot median separating motor vehicle traffic from a two-way bike lane. The installation stretches from Clinton to Rutgers Street, and artists Chat Travieso and Sam

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Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts

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Top 5 Real Estate 15 Minutes

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WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

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

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

9-16

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

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

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

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

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

n OurTownDowntow

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Newscheck Crime Watch Voices

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

2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes

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the existing neighborhoods.” Their project wanted to celebrate the people who live in the area, and Travieso said that the duo spoke with people of all ages throughout the neighborhood. Travieso and Holleran hosted workshops where residents crafted figures that represented their various ideas of what grounds community.

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NADLER CHALLENGED BY ROSENTHAL Congressional District 10 Jerrold Nadler, Democrat/ Working Families/Women’s Equality What three things do you most want to get done as Member of Congress during the next two years? My top three priorities are: 1. Continuing to advance civil rights and protect civil liberties. 2. Increasing investment in transportation that will grow the economy, create jobs and protect the environment. 3. Pursuing intelligent economic policies that will stimulate our economy, protect working families and help people emerge out of poverty. Do you think you will be able to work with the opposition party? How? I am happy to work with my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives, on issues where we have commonality. For instance, I am

Rep. Jerrold Nadler

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

deeply proud of the bi-partisan passage (and renewal of) the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act that I led with my colleagues Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Peter King (R-NY). This law provides critical health care and compensation for our 9/11 responders and survivors. I was also particularly proud to have introduced, with Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte (R-VA), the USA Freedom Act, which President Obama signed into law last year. This law is the ﬁrst-ever legislative curtailing of the Patriot Act. The legislation prohibits the intelligence community from unconstitutionally engaging in bulk data collection within the United States. Additionally, as the Ranking Democratic Member on the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet of the Judiciary Committee, I introduced the Fair Play Fair Pay Act legislation with Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). This bipartisan legislation would harmonize and modernize the outdated rules that currently govern music licensing for digital and terrestrial radio broadcasts.

threat to Israel and our great city. I would provide funding to rebuild our military and expand our missile defense, and ensure that we support our allies, like Israel. We need to provide real school choice to parents and allow experimentation and competition in education. I support charter schools and would offer parents vouchers, education tax credits and education savings accounts. Too many New Yorkers are struggling just to pay the rent. We have special tax deductions for homeowners, but do nothing for renters. I want to sponsor a bill to create a 10% renter’s tax credit for residents who pay more than 40% of their income in rent and are not in a highincome bracket. Do you think you will be able to work with the opposition party? How? Of course! I’m a physicist, lawyer, and entrepreneur, not a career politician, so I know how to work with people – and contrary to prevailing sentiment, both Democrats and Republicans are people. In my company, we regularly partner with competitors. In fact,

What book has had the greatest impact on you, and why? “The Other America” by Michael Harrington. I read this book when I was a ninth-grader at Stuyvesant High School. I became interested in the book because President John F. Kennedy mentioned that it had a profound effect on him. The book opened up my eyes to the extent of real poverty in America. The book is also credited with moving President Johnson to create the War on Poverty – his Great Society Program – in 1964, the goal of which was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice in the United States. Philip Rosenthal, Republican/Conservative/Independence/Stop Iran Deal What three things do you most want to get done as Member of Congress during the next two years? I want to keep us safe. The Chelsea bombing is the latest proof that we are not. I strongly oppose the Iran nuclear deal, which created an existential

Philip Rosenthal

outside of Washington, a difference of opinion is seen as an opportunity for a creative solution, and compromise is not a dirty word. The gridlock in Congress is shameful – Congress has well earned its single-digit approval rating. If my customers gave us such a low approval rating, I’d be ﬁred. It is time for us to vote out all incumbents who have not demonstrated the courage to cross party lines and put constituents ahead of party. A Congressman can do much more than just vote, and must be a voice of the community on all issues that matter – whether local or federal. One must lead and bring people together with no excuses. What book has had the greatest impact on you, and why? “Rebbe” by Joseph Telushkin. It’s loaded with wisdom about how to be a better person and positively impact people. Every leader should read this book. It also gave insight into the problems faced by our education system and provided a new perspective on the proper role of religion in a secular society.

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

FORMER STATE SENATOR’S CONVICTION UPHELD A former New York state senator was properly convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison, according to an appeals court. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan last week rejected the arguments of Malcolm Smith nearly two years after the Democrat was convicted of trying to pay off local Republican leaders so he could join the GOP ballot line in the 2013 New York City mayoral race. He was sentenced in July 2015 after his conviction on conspiracy, bribery and other charges. He is scheduled to be released in December 2021. Smith, 60, was in the state Senate for over a decade before his 2013 arrest. Prosecutors said Smith authorized about $200,000 in bribes to secure Republican leaders’ backing to avoid a crowded Democratic primary and run on the GOP line. On appeal, Smith argued that evidence was insufficient and that New York bribery laws and an honest services statute were unconstitutionally vague. The appeals

court rejected Smith’s effort to base his challenge to his conviction in part on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision reversing the public corruption conviction of former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell. The Associated Press

reported that the woman distracted a salesperson before taking an 18-karat rose-gold bracelet valued at $17,500 from the store.

CHILD’S PREY Did a shoplifter use a child as a distraction? At 1 p.m. on Oct. 8, a woman described as in her 40s with a child went into the David Yurman store at 114 Prince St. shopping for jewelry. A 42-year-old male employee

Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for Week to Date

Year to Date

2016 2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change

MEATHEAD

Murder

n/a

-100.0

Can eating burgers cause some people to lose their wits? At 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 11, a 64-year-old man left the Bareburger at 155 William St., forgetting to take his belongings, including a sportcoat with a $10,000 Rolex inside. When he returned 45 minutes later, his property was gone. All told the man lost about $12,375 in stuff.

Rape

n/a

80.0

Robbery

-50.0

-14.3

Felony Assault

-100.0

-2.9

Burglary

-100.0

104

-5.8

Grand Larceny

14.8

837

855

-2.1

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

133.3

SCARFED UP

Tony Webster, via ﬂickr

STATS FOR THE WEEK

A shoplifter apparently couldn’t resist Burberry’s famous scarves. At 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 16, a woman took 13 scarves from the Burberry store at 200 Vesey St. She ﬂed in an unknown direction, and police were unable to locate her in the neighborhood. The stolen scarves were valued at a total of $5,690.

NOT RIGHT AT THE SITE

3:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, a construction worker locked up his tools at a site on the 5th ﬂoor inside 56 Fulton St. When he returned to work on Oct. 17, his equipment was missing. He searched the site, but could not locate his tools. He told police that other trades worked at the construction site and had access to all ﬂoors. The items stolen were a small Nibco press gun set valued at $2,500 and a Miller welding machine priced at $2,750, making a total stolen of $5,250.

Here is yet another tale of tools stolen from a construction site. At

PLANET PLUNDER One gym-goer was ﬁt — to be tied — when he returned to ﬁnd his locker open. At 8:50 a.m. on Oct. 11, a gymgoer placed property inside a locker at the Planet Fitness location at 25 Broadway, and secured the locker. When he returned to the locker at 10:15, his combo lock was missing and his belongings had been taken. The items stolen included an Apple MacBook Pro valued at $2,500, an iPhone 6s costing $900, and $40 cash, making a total value stolen of $3,440.

Need Help Paying For Medicare Costs? We can help you apply for programs that may save you money on prescription drugs and more. Our experienced counselors offer Free Medicare Counseling by appointment or telephone.

For more information, call 311 and ask for “HIICAP” or email HIICAP@aging.nyc.gov

Bill de Blasio, Mayor Donna M. Corrado Commissioner

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

NYPD 6th Precinct

233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

NYPD 10th Precinct

230 W. 20th St.

212-741-8211

NYPD 13th Precinct

230 E. 21st St.

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

25 Pitt St.

311

FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5

227 6th Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11

222 E. 2nd St.

311

FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15

42 South St.

311

ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

1 Centre St., Room 2202

212-669-7970

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

Community Board 3

59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

COMMUNITY BOARDS

LIBRARIES Hudson Park Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

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TIME WARNER

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This statue of author Hans Christian Andersen near Conservatory Water is one of 23 representations of real humans within Central Park, all of them men. Photo: -JvL- via Flickr

CENTRAL PARK’S ‘BRONZE CEILING’ Activists, Girl Scouts endeavor to place first monument to women by 2020, centennial of the women’s right to vote

So far, the nonproﬁt raising private donations — the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund Inc. — has collected at least $150,000 of about $500,000 needed to create and maintain the monument. About the same amount would cover landscaping and an educational program.

BY VERENA DOBNIK

Wander through Central Park past monuments to ﬁgures including Christopher Columbus, Alexander Hamilton, William Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott, and it may suddenly hit you: Where are the women? There are none, if you discount ﬁctional characters like Mother Goose and Alice in Wonderland. Even a heroic dog has its place amid the park’s 843 acres of greenery, but every one of the 23 statues or busts of real humans in the park honors a famous man. Some Girl Scouts are now trying to change that. They’ve joined activists raising money for a park monument to two women who revolutionized the country: suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. “We’re trying to crack the bronze ceiling,” deadpans Pamela Elam, who is spearheading the effort along with Stanton’s great-great-granddaughter, Coline Jenkins. The aim of the awareness and fundraising campaign — called Central Park, Where Are The Women? — is to erect the statue by 2020, the centennial of U.S. women’s right to vote. “There are no statues of women, and there’s tons of men,” says Pippa Lee, 10, a scout with Manhattan’s Girl Scout Troop 3484. “We really need a woman’s statue for girls to look up to, not just Mother Goose or Alice in Wonderland. They don’t

The statue of the inventor of the wire telegraph, Samuel Morse, at Inventor’s Gate, on Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street, is one of 23 statues or busts of real humans within Central Park, all of them men. Photo: Alejandro Mallea count.” The effort has drawn the support of the Central Park Conservancy, a private nonproﬁt whose millions of dollars help beautify the urban oasis. Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver also has given the green light to the suffragist monument, which is to rise by Central Park West at the 77th Street entrance.

Across the street, the New-York Historical Society plans exhibits and lectures on key roles of women in American society. On a bright fall Thursday, 10 scouts from Troop 3484 joined activists in the park to make their case. Stori Small, 10, noted that she wants women to be represented by “an actual person; I don’t want it to be a cartoon character.” During one weekly scout meeting in Central Park, the fifth-graders collected $123 from passers-by on a sidewalk near the future statue site, while chanting “Where are the women?” Sunflowers graced the girls’ hair, a symbol of the suffrage movement that began its march to victory with a convention in upstate New York in 1848. The girls plan to collect donations on Thursdays through the fall. For the same cause, students from Manhattan’s LaGuardia High School are selling bracelets inscribed with the words “Bring women of history out of the dark and into the park.” Any artist may submit a monument design following certain criteria, with a handful of finalists creating models to be displayed at the New-York Historical Society. A jury will pick the winner sometime next year.

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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Jacob Sanchez Diagnosed with autism

Lack of speech is a sign of autism. Learn the others at autismspeaks.org/signs.

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

FENCING CHAMP MOREHOUSE SHARES OLYMPIC MINDSET Why an Upper West Side club attracts range of students BY GENIA GOULD

For Tim Morehouse, the founder and owner of his own fencing club, the sport first appealed to him when he was a teenager. Raised in Washington Heights and Riverdale, he took up fencing after he saw a sign posted at his school, Riverdale Country School. The message: Join the fencing team. Get out of gym. He did, and he wound up winning the silver medal in the men’s sabre as a member of the fencing team at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. He’s actually been to the Olympics three times. But now he can be found at his Tim Morehouse Fencing Club. “I didn’t even know what fencing was when I was a kid,” said Morehouse, 38. “It was sword fighting. I was just having fun with it, but then I started figuring out just how complex it was, not like in the movies, but way more strategies and techniques.” Even after 25 years Morehouse says he’s still learning. He explained how the details matter so much. It might be an ever so slight positioning of the blade, and moving a little bit down can be more effective. In fencing one is always sending signals, he said, and when you’re going to execute a move, you want your opponent to think you’re doing the opposite. There are infinite number of subtleties in the sport, which he said is often compared to chess because there are a lot of different moves that work together. And there are many types of games, there’s “more aggressive forward, there’s more patient reading, there’s going with more blocking, there’s going with more counter attack,” to name a few. It’s in the classroom where More-

Tim Morehouse at his fencing club. Photo: Genia Gould house’s love of the Olympics and fencing education come together, he said. Last year, Morehouse, who is the founder of Fencing in the Schools, established his own school for fencing on West 91st Street. His goal, he said, is to create one of the best fencing

clubs in the world. “I want the next Olympic fencing champion coming from here,” he said. Currently, there are about 150 students training at his club, including fencers gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. About 40 of his

students are 12 and younger. The 4-6 year olds are called Musketeers. Several older students last month were traveling around the country for competitions in Puerto Rico, Detroit and New Jersey. Can he identify future Olympic con-

tenders at his club yet? “It really starts with the mind,” he answered. “One can already see the kid, if they have focus, if they have drive, if they’re able to handle learning and dealing with mistakes – and not getting down about it. You have to go after it for years and years and years.” Winning at the Olympics was a validation for Morehouse. The victory came, he said, after “years and years and years and thousands and thousands of hours of work.” “There was a moment I had a referee who was not giving me any of the points and instead of getting down about it I just celebrated the fact that I was executing correctly,” he said. “And that’s when you realize you’re not going to score every point but if you’re executing correctly, you have to sort of celebrate that. Doing the right thing over and over again will ultimately win out in the long term.” Morehouse and his coaches spend a portion of every day talking about the mindset of the students, he said. “You’ll hear us talking about how champions don’t cut corners, champions love challenges, champions have a plan, champions are intentional, and to become a champion you have to be able to train like one and think like one,” he said. “That’s what we try to instill in the lives of the kids.” Morehouse continues, “Everyone loves winning, everyone can handle winning, but champions are able to handle losing and turning it into something productive. I think that’s one of the most important lessons we teach our kids here.” At the end of an interview, Morehouse extended his left hand for a handshake – because in the fencing tradition, it’s considered discourteous to use the weapon hand.

MY FENCING LESSON A dramatic on-deadline training session on how to snap a sword BY GENIA GOULD

Reporter Genia Gould gets a fencing lesson the Upper West Side. Photo: Matt Casey

A friendly coach at Tim Morehouse’s Fencing Club on the Upper West Side hands me a straight jacket. I mean a fencing jacket. It zips up snug, like a soft, worn-in motorcycle jacket. A mesh mask reminds me of the closeness of an MRI — don’t fence me in. Some former experience practicing Tai Chi tells me how to relax into my center of gravity for correct form. We practice forward and backward footwork and forward footwork with a lunge.

I’m taught three parries—positions of self-defense—with the saber (as opposed to epee or sword but generically called a blade). The starting position is neutral with the blade facing down, the next is a slight movement across the body (“blocking the left side, in the case of right-handed fencers”). And to guard one’s head the blade is raised up horizontally. I’m instructed to lunge and tap my coach Matt Casey’s head with the tip of the blade (“called a cut or an attack”). But not before some wacks to my head. That gets my attention. I lunge and wack back. Most unexpected to me: the way the saber handle is held. One doesn’t

grip it, but one holds it like a ﬂower with thumb and forefingers, which increases control and allows one to better execute snapping motions. Casey shows me his over-developed thumb muscle on his “weapon” hand. He says the snap of the sword is the quickest motion in the Olympics, second only to the speed of a bullet. I barely scratch the surface of the the subtleties of the sport, let alone the basics, but I honor a great Olympic sport with an ancient and fabled history and an impressive following. It’s fun to watch, and I learn that for many reasons it’s a great sport for young and old of every ethnic and socio-economic background.

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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BATTERY PARK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 start for another Battery Park City resident to be appointed has more than 2,500 signatures. According to Sbordone, “The choice of candidates for the board is entirely within the purview of the governor with a confirmation process in the senate.” Those who wish to speak at a board meeting must fill out a form on the authority’s website by 5:30 p.m. the day before and say what they would like to speak about. There will be a two-minute time limit on speaking for up to 10 people. Mehiel stressed that the BPCA agenda would be available a minimum of 48 hours in advance of the meeting so people would have time to consider it. At last Wednesday’s meeting, before the decision was made official, the board discussed whether the public should be allowed to speak about anything they want or whether they should only speak about items on the agenda. “We’re going to get beat up,” Mehiel joked. Member Martha Gallo, however, said she didn’t think that would be the case. “Not necessarily,” she said. “I think we’re going to hear what’s on people’s minds. We should give it a shot for a quarter.” As significant as this step may be to the residents who have fought for it, Mehiel reminded the authority that they “retain the right as a board to change this policy for any reason or no reason.” “That’s critical,” he added. In the BPCA’s press release announcing the new policy, several elected officials expressed their support. “I am pleased that the Battery Park City Authority agreed to post agendas in advance and allow community members to provide public comment at Board meetings, as we have long encouraged,” Assembly Member Deborah Glick said. “This momentous change will allow community members to have an active role in the community they helped build.” Anthony Notaro, chair of Community Board 1, also called the move a positive sign. Among the issues that community members will likely want to bring up at the next BPCA meeting, Notaro listed a redesign of South End Avenue and “being able to have a voice as a stakeholder.” “The authority has often made decisions and we learn about them after the fact,” he said. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

A six-foot median separating a two-way bike lane on South Street is bedecked by abstract, colorful ﬁgures. Photo: Diamond Naga Siu

SOUTH STREET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “We want to be sensitive to existing context and basically make sure a lot of people have their voices heard,” Travieso said. “And now, people who live there can walk to the waterfront and see the shape, and it might be their neighbor or their daughter or themselves who designed one of these shapes.” Dylan House, the community design director at the Hester Street Collaborative, said 116 different shapes comprise this installation, with partici-

pants ranging from elderly people at the Chinatown YMCA to children in afterschool programs. “Most public art through the Department of Transportation is only up for 11 months, so we could have another installation and replicate a similar community project with a different artist,” House said. “Several of the residents have expressed that they would like to continue doing public art projects within their own abilities and with their community.” House said that with so much residential support, he hopes the concept of community art can build momentum in the area and to further explore

what community means for the surrounding residents. Two Bridges Towers Resident Association president Trever Holland helped with the community outreach and advocacy for the project, and he said that the residents who participated in the project were keen on seeing their creations improve the neighborhood. “Our residents’ association and neighborhood association have been advocating for years to have improvement around South Street,” Holland said. “I’m happy it’s there, and it helps ground people to the neighborhood.” Holland said that he hopes to see the

artwork expand beyond just this median but thinks the artwork in collaboration with the new safety measures is a good start. And House said that at the end of the day, it just makes walking around the area a more pleasant experience. “It was really fun, and I think what’s really nice about it is that it really does transform what is not a very inviting stretch of the waterfront,” House said. “Now people can drive into something that is a little bit more fun and playful and deﬁnitely puts a smile on your face as you’re walking or biking along there.”

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? Email us at NEWS@STRAUSNEWS.COM

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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Voices

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WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE BLOOMINGDALE’S BY MELITTA ANDERMAN

Who remembers Lois Lane, reporter and girlfriend of Clark Kent (alias Superman)? I seriously don’t consider myself in her league, but people talk to me and feel confident in my presence. I wish I could say the same, but you can’t have it all. Nevertheless, my antennas are ﬂitting around and here and there I have a good catch. Bloomingdale’s has a neat little eatery on the sixth ﬂoor among the pots and pans. No atmosphere, but low prices and easy for a quick bite, with a few tables and high stools. I found a spot where a lady was seated and grabbed my safety valve (Good Housekeeping magazine) to avoid unnecessary chit-chat. I noticed my companion had a lot of employee acquaintances and they kept coming over to speak with her. Probably she was an ex-worker. I detected an accent in her

Photo: Bartlinssen1968 via Flickr speech I could not place and looked at her again. She was a small neat little woman with a trembling mannerism. I asked

where she came from and she told me Latvia, not to be confused with Russia. She then volunteered she has been eating at Bloomingdale’s daily

for years. I inquired if she lives in the neighborhood. Oh, no. She travels from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn every day by subway. One hour and twenty minutes each way to eat in the kitchen section of this prestigious store. Imagine, two hours and forty minutes for a self-service meal. Every day, ﬁve days a week, for years. Does Bloomingdale’s realize they have the greatest living advertisement right under their nose? She should to get free meals. The lady expanded her talk and said she was not going to sit with the other old people in the park or on the boardwalk. And she would rather spend time in the subway reading her book, return home and watch television. That’s her day and she considers it well spent. She knows her personal diagnosis of the trembling is Parkinson’s disease, even though her doctor

MY MEMORY’S SCARING ME GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN

I haven’t put my shoes in the freezer or my keys in my underwear drawer. Not anything like that, and hopefully it will never happen. But my memory problems are beginning to scare me. Thank heavens for my women’s group at the JCC. We are all having similar problems and we are all kind of freaking out. It’s not just walking into a room and forgetting why. It’s not just starting a sentence and forgetting what we were going to say. It’s not even just forgetting names and where we’ve put things. It’s things like the total blank-faced look we get when something happens that we can’t explain. I remember getting the envelope for my granddaughter’s Bat Mitvah reminder because it was misspelled on the label, but I cannot remember the invitation inside. I asked my daughter why I hadn’t gotten the reminder and she told me

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that I had. She reminded me that I had mentioned the odd envelope, and I did remember that. But the contents…no way, not even today. Now that’s scary. And where in the world could that maroon sheet and pillowcase set have gone? I mean come on, maroon. You can’t just misplace a maroon sheet and two pillowcases. Except that I did. Gone, and never found. I have sticky pads to write down things I have to do. I have even gotten out of the shower to write a note to myself, because I know that I will not remember if I don’t do it right away. I put the reminder on my kitchen table, several at once if needed. A notebook itself wouldn’t work; I might forgot to look at it. Several of my friends have done that. They’ve also done things such as forgetting they had tickets to a play, forgetting to meet a friend and forgetting whether or not they’ve taken their medications. We all have complex systems for medications, but even so, I’ve forgotten within a half hour whether or not

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Photo: Dvortygirl via Flickr I took something. I’m now learning to upgrade my complex system so that I can’t forget, such as elaborate pill boxes with detailed labeling. My women’s group has made a pact never to leave the kitchen while something is boiling on the stove. We have had several incidents of burnt pots and near ﬁres. There are age-related reasons for memory problems in the older population. There are physiological

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changes in the brain as we age. There is even a condition called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), in which the symptoms are short of dementia but worse than in normal aging. People are able to live a normal life, but family and friends may notice memory lapses such as forgetting important events, conversations and appointments. Some people with MCI go on to develop Alzheimer’s, but many do not. However, the majority of seniors

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Deputy Editors Richard Khavkine Fred Almonte editor.dt@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Christopher Moore Barry Lewis editor.ot@strausnews.com

disagrees. She doesn’t trust doctors and “they know nothing.” She came to the U.S. 35 years ago with her family and was a math teacher. She gave me her name and told me this was her whole story. Getting off the stool, dressed in overlong jeans and sneakers, she shuffled away. Her face had distinctive features and I could picture the young woman she must have been. Intelligent, strong, willful and unusually attractive. After her departure, I remained seated, almost in a trance. Her story stayed in my mind long after I left. She had made my day. Should I come back again to the eatery on the sixth ﬂoor and look for her or just keep the memory of our conversation intact? Sometimes a perfect moment does not require a second act.

with memory problems do not have an illness, though some of the things that occur can be darn frightening. We’re all afraid of the illnesses of old age: cancer, stroke, heart disease. But I think that the worst fear I hear about is Alzheimer’s Disease. The total loss of the self we were is terrifying, and the process of ﬁrst suspecting it and then having it conﬁrmed must be indescribable. Who are we if not ourselves? And yet all of us have seen this happen in friends, relative and loved ones. ‘Hopefully, my friends and I are just experiencing the normal effects of the aging brain, though thank heavens we have each other to share these incidents and attendant fears with. It’s happening to all of us in the group, and we range from our late 60’s to over 90. We wonder: where did those gloves go? I know I bought onions, but where are they? How could I forget my cousin’s birthday? But at least we still know what gloves are, and what onions are used for. And we keep on hoping it stays that way. Wait…..did I take that cholesterol pill today? And where is that darn pill box?

Staff Reporter Madeleine Thompson newsreporter@strausnews.com Director of Digital Pete Pinto

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

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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Out & About

congratulations to the lang students on a great summer Students in the Lang Science Program experience the Museum through science classes incorporating hands-on exploration, behind-the-scenes adventures, and meetings with scientists. The Program focuses on the sciences studied at the Museum— biology, anthropology, and physical sciences. Students in grades 6 through 12 design their own research projects, learn about Museum exhibits, and start preparing for college and careers.

Learn more at amnh.org/LANG The AMNH Lang Science Program and Lang Scholar Awards are made possible by founding and continued support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. The Museum’s Youth Initiatives are generously supported by the leadership contribution of the New York Life Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation. Complimentary test preparation and college admissions support for program participants is generously provided by Kaplan Test Prep.

Open Daily | Central Park West at 79th St. | 212-769-5100 | amnh.org

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Thu

BEN WANG LECTURE SERIES

OPEN STUDIOS

READING AND PERFORMANCE

China Institute, 100 Washington St. 6:30-8:30 p.m. $25-75 Wang discusses the literature of the six dynasty periods in China. 212-744-8181. www. chinainstitute.org

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW SALE Graey Studio, 14 West Eighth St. 12:30-10 p.m. Free Visit Graey Studio for its allday sale. Complimentary wine after 5 p.m. 212-254-3547. www. graeystudio.com

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, 125 Maiden Lane 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free Get a sneak peek of what dancer and choreographer Jodi Melnick is working on. 212-219-9401. www.lmcc. net

MORNING MASQUERADE ▲ Hornblower Cruises and Events, 333 West Side Highway 6-9 a.m. $15 Black Daybreaker Cap, $30 Tier 1, $32 Tier 2, $40 Tier 3 Break convention with the official New York City cast of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” by participating in a daytime masquerade ball. 646-576-8400. www. daybreaker.com

Alwan for the Arts 16 Beaver St. 7 p.m.-midnight. Hear Arabic poems by Syrian artists read aloud then translated into English with a choreographed performance accompanied by music. 212-967-4318. www. alwanforthearts.org

STORIES FOR ALL AGES Teardrop Park, Between Warren Street and Murray Street 11 a.m.-noon. Free Perry Ground tells Native American tales of the changing seasons, such as the traditional story “The Great Bear and Why the Leaves Change Color.” 212-267-9700. www. bpcparks.org

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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Thu

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BARKHAPPY NYC ►

Fetch Club, 85 South St. 4-7 p.m. $25; $20 early bird Spend Halloween Eve at a dog-ﬁlled charity night to beneﬁt Second Chance Rescue NYU Dogs. 212-401-8199. www. fetchclub.com

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THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Schimmel Center, 1 Place Plaza 7:30-9:30 p.m. $12 Nightlife personality Elizabeth James and transvestite Dr. Frank N. Furter perform this famous cinematic show. 866-811-4111. www. schimmelcenter.org

Thu

News of Your Neighborhood that you can’t get anywhere else

Dining Information, plus

31 Thu 1

ARTSPEAK ARTIST LECTURE

FIT, Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street 12-1:30 p.m. ARTSpeak 2016-2017, presented by the FIT’s departments of ﬁne arts and history of art, includes a series of lectures on the theme of the “Art History in the Mind of the Artist.” 212-217-7999. www.ﬁtnyc. edu/events-calendar/

COLLECTIVE READING High Line, Under The Standard ard at 13th Street 5-6:30 30 p.m. Free Reﬂect on the electionn with spokenn word artists inspired by Zoe Leonard’s text “I want a president.” ent.” 212-500-6035. -500-6035. www.thehighline. hehighline. org

crime news, real estate prices - all about your part of town Brecher “This Is Life,” accompanied by a performance. 212-989-9319. www. corneliastreetcafe.com

MAIL ART Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy St. Noon. Free Enjoy the mail art show’s opening day with around-theworld artists at the Hudson Park Library. 212-243-6876. www.nypl. org

CD RELEASE Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St. 8-9 p.m. p $20 The CD release of Kayle

Thu

BEARD ON BOOKS ▼ The Beard House, 167 West 12th St. Noon-1 p.m. $20 Discuss the big names of the food and cooking world at this gourmet literary session. 212-675-4984. www. jjamesbeard.orgg

NEW YORK GALA Manhattan Penthouse, 80 5th Ave. 6-10 p.m. $175 nonproﬁt members, $195 members, $250 nonmembers Join the National Employment Lawyers Association for its 19th annual gala with the theme of empowering women. 212-627-8838. www. nelany.com

Cultural Events in and around where you live (not Brooklyn, not Westchester)

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

GUILTY PLEASURE: FRAGONARD’S DRAWINGS AT THE MET One of the great figures of the 18th century is the subject of a new show BY VAL CASTRONOVO

Mention Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) to most art lovers in the city, and they will gush about the Fragonard Room at The Frick Collection, lined with paintings from his “Progress of Love” series depicting romantic adventures in luxuriant gardens. But many enthusiasts will be surprised to learn that this 18th century Rococo painter was an equally adept draftsman and printmaker, whose masterful drawings in red chalk and brown wash were stand-alone works marketed to private collectors — not studies for paintings and not official commissions. For Fragonard was quite the rebel, we learn from The Met Fifth Avenue’s new show, “Drawing Triumphant,” comprised of some 100 works, all from New York collections. He ultimately turned his back on the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and didn’t complete his reception piece. He even bailed on several royal commissions, preferring to follow his instincts and tap into the emerging art collectors’ market. As the show’s curator, Perrin Stein, said about the artist’s 1,300 drawings at a recent preview: “His works on paper were at the core of his artistic enterprise. Collectors allowed him to forge an independent career akin to a modern artist.” Working with private clients gave him the freedom to showcase his virtuosity. This unconventional son of a glove merchant was born in the city of Grasse, in Provence. When he was 6, he moved with his family to Paris, where he would later study in the studios of Jean Siméon Chardin, the still-life painter, and Francois Boucher, the Rococo painter famous for his pastoral scenes. After training at the official school of the Royal Academy, he traveled to Italy in 1756 to study at the French Academy in Rome, an ex-

perience that proved nothing short of transformative. The show’s early works are a testament to his infatuation with the Italian landscape — the gardens of the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, outside Rome, were a particular favorite and the inspiration for a brilliant series, “The Little Park,” which he executed in a variety of media. He completed six versions of the imagined Italian garden; ﬁve works on paper can be seen here, joined together for the ﬁrst time since the artist was alive. (A painted iteration belongs to The Wallace Collection in London.) Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761, but his Italian sojourn had made a

Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). “The Island of Love,” ca. 1770-80. Gouache over traces of black chalk underdrawing. 11 x 14–1/4 in. Private Collection, New York. Photo by Alex Jamison

Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). “Portrait of a Neapolitan Woman,” 1774. Brush and brown wash over faint black chalk underdrawing. 4–1/2 x 11–1/8 in. The Morgan Library & Museum, Thaw Collection. Photo: The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York

lasting impression. After suffering the rejection of his “Progress of Love” paintings for the pleasure pavilion of Madame du Barry, Louis XV’s mistress, he traveled back to Italy in 1773 in the company of a wealthy patron, Pierre-Jacques-Onésyme Bergeret de Grancourt. He produced a wealth of drawings during this second trip, which included a stay at Bergeret’s château in Nègrepelisse and visits to Naples and Rome, but the work became the subject of a lawsuit — Bergeret thought the drawings had been created for him, Fragonard thought they belonged to him. The resolution of the matter is unclear, but the beauty of the drawings is not in dispute. Some of the most outstanding works are the portraits of ordinary people — country people and street people, such as ﬁsherman, merchants and entertainers. A few standouts: “A Fisherman Pulling a Net” (1774), “A Fisherman Leaning on an Oar” (1774), “Portrait of a Neapolitan Woman” (1774). The portraits of ﬁshermen are keenly observed pictures that employ light and shadow and “take on a realism,” Stein said, noting that they were prob-

IF YOU GO WHAT: “Fragonard: Drawings Triumphant—Works from New York Collections” WHERE: The Met Fifth Avenue, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street WHEN: through January 8 www.metmuseum.org ably produced on a quai in Naples. The identity of the Neapolitan woman is unknown, but her portrait, in its honesty and directness, is one of the show’s most arresting works and very modern. Upon his return from Italy, Fragonard continued to sketch the Italian landscape, but his pictures were typically not identiﬁed with speciﬁc locations. “They were generated as memories,” the curator said, representing a melding of “memory and imagination.” (See the jewel-like pleasure garden “The Island of Love,” ca. 1770-80, in which he used gouache over a black chalk underdrawing.) Fragonard also

reveled in drawing children, a common subject in the 18th century. He would “invent happy scenes of rustic domesticity,” Stein said of the scenes of country life in the last gallery, which call to mind 17th century Dutch genre works. But this artist’s talents were not conﬁned to drawing, of course. A special section of the exhibit is devoted to printmaking to illustrate the range of his graphic genius. The organizers call his last print, “The Armoire” (1778), “one of the great achievements of printmaking in eighteenth-century France.” Consider the subject: a girl’s parents barge into her room during a tryst. She is seen weeping into her apron, while her paramour is found hiding in the armoire. “Fragonard was playful. He had whimsy. He wasn’t a self-important person,” the curator said, noting that he had used the signature “Frago” on works. The Met’s director, Thomas Campbell, called him “one of the most inventive masters of the French Rococo,” whose works were “a guilty pleasure.” Indulge in their light and airy pleasures.

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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Anne de Carbuccia at Westbeth Center for the Arts. Photo: Nicole Lockwood

TIME AND TIDE AT WESTBETH Anne de Carbuccia’s photographs, made in all corners of the globe, evoke finitude

BY NICOLE LOCKWOOD

Environmental advocacy and art have become one at Westbeth Center for the Arts, where activist and photographer Anne de Carbuccia has her “One Planet One Future” exhibit on display through Nov. 21. “This is my first show in America,” said de Carbuccia, who was born in New York but grew up in the south of France. “We were very welcomed by Westbeth, which was an honor being that it’s such a landmark. New York is great place if you want to have a voice because it gives you that option.” “One Planet One Future” brings light to the idea that this world cannot last forever, particularly given consumer trends and humans’ treatment of the environment. Through photos of landscapes from vastly different ends of the Earth, de Carbuccia strives to display the natural beauty the

planet holds, and the importance of working toward sustainability. Her photos often feature wildlife, bodies of water and native flora from such diverse locations as Africa, Antarctica, India, Italy and other countries and continents. “The main focus of the image is the time shrine, but the shrine is always made for what’s behind it,” she said “That’s why in the images I have a lot of perspective because the foreground is what recounts the story, and is the visual, creative part of the artist, but the real story is about what’s behind it.” These “time shrines” refer to the focal point of de Carbuccia’s photos, which typically consist of a skull, an hourglass and elements that can be found on location such as rocks and bones. These “shrines” are intended to be representations of vanity and time, more specifically the concept that time is not limitless. She said that profits from the sale of her images go to the nonprofit Time Shrine Foundation she created to support organizations working to protect the places and animals featured in her artwork.

“It’s not supposed to be a negative symbol, it’s a powerful symbol and reminder that we shouldn’t be too vain and we should appreciate a single moment in life and make the best of it because we aren’t immortal,” de Carbuccia said. The premise behind the artist’s collection was inspired during an expedition in Antarctica. Joined by fellow artists, de Carbuccia traveled to largely untapped destinations and implemented her time shrines in photographs on a trial basis. “It started as a bit of a test because one could say that what I do is very avant garde,” she said. “But when I came back from Antarctica I realized I had a series, and for an artist suddenly you have something that is much more than you thought. Now it’s a story.” Through her images, De Carbuccia hopes to relay the message that the time to act on environmental issues is now. She wants her audience to pause and consider what type of world they want to live in and foster for the future generations.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Dangerous Work: An Evening with Toni Morrison

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, 7PM The New School | 55 W. 13th St. | 212-229-5108 | newschool.edu Novelist Toni Morrison receives the 2016 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction in a gala evening complete with theatrical performances, jazz piano, and Master of Ceremonies Kevin Young, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. ($40)

The Future of Penn Station

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 7PM The Cooper Union | 7 E. 7th St. | 212-353-4100 | cooper.edu Some of the city’s leading architects, planners, and urban visionaries discuss the process of moving forward from the current Penn Station, offering lessons learned from the WTC rebuild, and looking forward to the elements of a successful long-term vision. ($10)

Just Announced | New York at Its Core: Gotham Groove

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 10AM Museum of the City of New York | 1220 Fifth Ave. | 212-534-1672 | mcny.org Celebrate the ultimate 24-hour city with a round-the-clock opening weekend for MCNY’s new permanent exhibition, covering 400 years of NYC. The museum stays open until Sunday evening with yoga, trivia, salsa, Walt Whitman tributes, and a silent disco. (Free general admission)

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

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

SECOND AVE. BUSINESSES STILL STRUGGLING But construction end’s in sight with subway set to open in December BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Unless you’re standing right in front of Maz Mezcal, on E. 86th Street between First and Second Avenues, you’ll probably miss it. The restaurant is hidden from view from most directions, due to extensive fencing and machinery. That’s all part of the construction of the Second Avenue subway, which has had a negative impact on business. “It’s been horrendous,” said Mary Silva, owner of Maz Mezcal. “Business – at least mine and most everyone’s that I’ve spoken to – has dropped anywhere from 30 to 50 percent.” In order to offset the ﬁnancial consequences Maz Mezcal and its peers are facing, the Department of Finance is offering them the opportunity to have any ﬁnes forgiven that they’ve racked up during the construction. Council Member Ben Kallos encouraged the community to take advantage of the program, which will allow Second Ave. business owners and buildings to have any penalties and interest voided for violations such as snow on the sidewalk, working without a permit, improper trash disposal and failure to conduct required inspections, among others. “It’s an opportunity for them to get to square one ahead of some legisla-

Fencing and machinery surround the businesses on Second Avenue at E. 86th Street, where subway construction is in full swing. Photo: Madeleine Thompson tion I’ve introduced that would actually put their businesses at risk if they haven’t been good neighbors,” Kallos said. At Kallos’ press conference last week, Finance Department Commissioner Jacques Jiha said almost 700,000 violations have gone into

judgment since the construction on the subway began. “The last time we offered any kind of penalty relief was in 2009, and we believe the time has come to give New York City taxpayers the opportunity and incentive to resolve their debt with the City,” Jiha said.

According to Silva, Maz Mezcal doesn’t have any ﬁnes, but if it did she was sure the forgiving ﬁnes program would “mean the world.” “I wouldn’t have been able to pay because there’s no money,” she said, crediting an understanding landlord with her restaurant’s survival. Though she has some loyal, repeat customers and has raised her prices, she’s concerned about the future of her restaurant. The end of the subway construction is near – it is currently scheduled to open in December – but even as it brings more business to the area, the subway’s arrival is also seen as likely to raise rents all around. “It’s very sad,” she said, tearing up a little. Over the last few months, Maz Mezcal has hosted several meetings for local business owners on the subject of forming a business improvement district, which they are considering as a way of protecting their livelihoods. Off the Rails, the bar where Kallos announced his campaign for City Council in 2012, is one of several establishments that have closed. Such changes are seen as likely due to construction, but the council member was hopeful that the subway line’s arrival will bring good news too. “Right now, nobody wants to walk down Second Avenue,” Kallos said. “But you’re going to have pedestrian traffic again.”

Those eligible for the forgiving ﬁnes program have until Dec. 12 to apply, after which they will be responsible for the full amount of their ﬁnes. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

Sebastian Castillo, a server at Maz Mezcal, sets tables for the dinner shift. Maz Mezcal has lost a lot of business since the Second Avenue subway construction began. Photo: Madeleine Thompson

79TH AND YORK: NO LEFT TURNS Department of Transportation takes action at ‘unsafe’ intersection BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

To the relief of many Upper East Siders who have wanted the change for years, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has disallowed left turns onto E. 79th Street for cars heading north on York Avenue. Though there was never a turn signal at that intersection, the light would remain green for drivers going north on York after the other three lights had turned red so the northbound cars could make a left turn. This confused pedestrians, who would think all lights were red and would cross the street without realizing some of them were in the path of the northbound cars who still had a green light. “This is an intersection where I myself have felt unsafe,” said Council Member Ben Kallos, who helped ac-

complish the safety improvement. “I brought the concern to the Department of Transportation and we went over multiple different options.” After deciding that eliminating left turns all together was the best move, Kallos and the DOT took it to the East 79th Street Neighborhood Association for a vote. Betty Cooper Wallerstein, president and founder of the neighborhood association, is happy to see the intersection made safer, but frustrated that it took more than four years to do so. “People are used to, when the trafﬁc stops, crossing,” Wallerstein said. “The streets have to be safe for blind people, too. It never, never, never should have taken so many years to correct that mistake.” In a 2014 survey Kallos’ office conducted of his constituents, it was noted that “the uptown/downtown traffic lights appear to be out of sync.”

The new no-left-turn sign at 79th and York Avenue. Photo: courtesy of the office of Council Member Ben Kallos. There have been 74 collisions at 79th and York since 2012, resulting in 20 injuries, half of which were suffered by pedestrians. Jim Clynes, president of the Upper East Side’s Community Board 8 and a member of the East 79th Street Neighborhood Association, once set up a lawn chair in front of the Chase bank at the intersection to observe the situation for himself. “I could see how confusing it is,” he said. “It goes against common sense

to have one lane of traffic moving and the opposite lane stopped, because it gives the false impression that it’s safe to cross.” Community Board 8 passed a resolution about a year ago to have left turns eliminated, which Clynes believes helped motivate the DOT to speed up the process. According to Kallos, there are still plenty of dangerous intersections in his district to improve. As part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vi-

sion Zero pedestrian safety initiative, the intersections of E. 79th and Second Avenue, E. 75th and First Avenue, and E. 86th and Lexington Avenue are just some of the nearby spots slated for an upgrade. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCT 14-20 2016

Taqueria Diana

601 6Th Ave

Grade Pending (17) 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/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Chuck And Blade - Buns Bar

184 8Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (17) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Dunkin’ Donuts

544 6Th Ave

Sons And Daughters

85 10Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (28) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Coopers Craft And Kitchen

169 8Th Ave

Vivi Bubble Tea

65 W 8Th St

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 Jue Lan Club

49 W 20Th St

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

Salinas

136 9 Avenue

Slice & Co. Brick Oven Pizza

527 6 Avenue

Gotham Comedy Club

208 West 23 Street

Fika

180 9Th Ave

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.

Blue Bottle Coffee

450 W 15Th St

Megu

355 W 16Th St

Dunkin Donuts

225 7Th Ave

12 Street Ale House

192 2 Avenue

Kiin Thai Eatery

36 East 8 Street

Sushi Para 88

212 W 14Th St

Mid Winter Kitchen

327 2Nd Ave

Buddakan

75 9 Avenue

Angelica Kitchen

300 East 12 Street

Boxers Nyc

37 West 20 Street

Tao

92 9Th Ave

Claudette

24 5Th Ave

Grade Pending (27) 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. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

47 West 14 Street

Big Arc Chicken

233 1St Ave

Starbucks

145 2 Avenue

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.

Spice

71 1St Ave

Facebook

770 Broadway

Emojo Burger

261 1St Ave

Up And Down

244 West 14 Street

The Hummus & Pita

585 Avenue Of The Americas

Mahzedahr Bakery

28 Greenwich Ave

Tapestry

60 Greenwich Ave

Rubin Museum-Gabriel Vega

150 W 17Th St

Flavors

100 West 23 Street

Stolle Bakery

109 W 10Th St

Grade Pending (28) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

The Box ( Google)

85 10Th Ave

Old Town Bar & Restaurant 45 East 18 Street

KGB Bar

85 East 4 Street

Everyman Espresso

136 East 13 Street

La Sultana Cafe

124 East 4 Street

Benemon

108 E 4Th St

Hou Yi

97 2Nd Ave

Not Yet Graded (19) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Shinbashi Restaurant

85 1St Ave

Not Yet Graded (30) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food 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. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

L’apicio

11 East 1 Street

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In Brief

Business

NEW LAW TARGETS SHORT-TERM RENTALS State’s restrictions, aimed at Airbnb, are among the nation’s toughest

BY DAVID KLEPPER

Photo: Daniel Schwen on Wikimedia Commons

MACY’S: SHOPPING AND TURKEY ON THE SAME DAY Don’t count on Thanksgiving reverting to its traditional status of feasting on turkey and giving thanks. Macy’s announced it was staying committed to Thanksgiving Day shopping, saying it’ll open an hour earlier this year. The move dampened hopes that other key stores will back away from the “Christmas Creep.” The retailer plans to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with most Macy’s stores closing at 2 a.m., and then reopening at 6 a.m. Friday. It cited “ongoing customer interest in shopping on Thanksgiving, both at Macy’s and at many other retailers.” The department store chain has been open on Thanksgiving evening since 2013, but had remained open through the night. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, it said it surveyed store employees well in advance about their preferences. “We are working diligently to staff Thanksgiving with associates who volunteer,” Macy’s said. “Doing so means that our employees are able to make their own decisions about how they contribute to our most important and busiest weekend of the year.” The Friday after Thanksgiving had long served as the kickoff to holiday shopping. But over the past few years, more stores have opened earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving itself to lure early shoppers and amid online competition. The move has been a controversial one, as many workers complained that stores were putting proﬁts over workers’ time with their families. The Associated Press

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

New York state enacted one of the nation’s toughest restrictions on Airbnb last week with a new law authorizing ﬁnes of up to $7,500 for many short-term rentals. The measure signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo applies to rentals of fewer than 30 days when the owner or tenant is not present. Supporters of the measure say many property owners use sites like Airbnb to offer residential apartments as short-term rentals to visitors, hurting existing hotels while taking residential units off the already expensive housing market in New York City. “Today is a great day for tenants, seniors, and anyone who values the safe and quiet enjoyment of their homes and neighborhoods,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a co-sponsor of the bill. “For too long companies like Airbnb have encouraged illegal activity that takes housing off the market and makes our affordability crisis worse.” Airbnb said it would immediately ﬁle a lawsuit challenging the law. “In typical fashion, Albany backroom dealing rewarded a special interest — the price-gouging hotel

industry — and ignored the voices of tens of thousands of New Yorkers,” said Josh Meltzer, Airbnb’s head of public policy in New York. Enforcement of the new laws will be a challenge. Thousands of shortterm apartment rentals are listed for New York City despite a 2010 law that prohibits rentals of fewer than 30 days when the owner or tenant is not present. The new law won’t apply to rentals in single-family homes, row houses or apartment spare rooms if the resident is present. The complicated rules mean many New Yorkers may not know whether they can legally rent out their homes — and Airbnb says it does not have the ability to remove listings that violate the 2010 law. Supporters say the imposition of ﬁnes will likely be driven by complaints from neighbors. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal said the intention is to go after commercial operators who rent large numbers of vacant units in multi-apartment buildings. “That’s who we’re targeting,” said the Manhattan Democrat, who sponsored the bill in the Assembly. Airbnb mounted a last-minute campaign to kill the measure and this week proposed alternative regulations that the company argued would address concerns about short-term rentals without onerous ﬁnes. Most people who list a rental on

State Sen. Liz Krueger was a co-sponsor of a bill, now law, that institutes ﬁnes of up to $7,500 to people who rent out their apartments for less than 30 days when the owner or tenant is not present. Airbnb are looking to make a little money while they’re out of town, according to Chris Lehane, head of global policy for San Franciscobased Airbnb. The company says the 46,000 Airbnb hosts in New York City have generated more than $2 billion in economic activity. “It’s baffling to us in this time of economic inequality that folks would be looking to impose ﬁnes of as much as $7,500 on a middle-class person looking to use the home that they live in to help make ends meet,” Lehane said before the bill was signed. A spokesman for Cuomo said the administration gave the bill careful consideration. “Ultimately, these activities are already expressly prohibited by

ASK A BROKER BY ANDREW KRAMER

My 2-bedroom coop has been on the market for 3 months with little activity. It’s currently priced at $1,025,000 and my broker is suggesting we lower it to $995,000 to increase traffic. What do you suggest? This is a great strategy in theory, however it’s predicated on what the “true value” of the apartment is. If comps show that an apartment is worth $900,000 and a seller is insistent on putting it on the market for $1,100,000 (or the broker claims “they can get you that price” to land the listing), a price reduction to $1,025,000 or even $995,000 is a move in the right direction but I wouldn’t count on getting it sold

Photo: Spencer Means, via ﬂickr

in the immediate future. However, if that same $900,000 apartment enters the market with an asking price of $875,000 ... watch out as you’ve just opened the ﬂood gates

of activity! During the ﬁrst 2 weeks an apartment comes on the market, especially when it’s “priced to sell,” it attracts the largest pool of

law,” said spokesman Rich Azzopardi. An investigation of Airbnb rentals from 2010 to 2014 by the office of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman found that 72 percent of the units in New York City were illegal, with commercial operators constituting 6 percent of the hosts and supplying 36 percent of the rentals. Schneiderman vowed to ﬁght any legal challenge to the new law. “The law signed today will provide vital protections for New York tenants and help prevent the continued proliferation of illegal, unregulated hotels, and we will defend it,” he said in a statement. As of August, Airbnb had 45,000 city listings and 13,000 others across the state.

buyers. Serious buyers have already seen everything that’s currently on the market and they have learned to access value. Bingo! That $875,000 apartment receives multiple offers, oftentimes for more than its $900,000 value. The scales change for the buyer and it becomes “how much do I have to offer to get it” vs. “what kind of deal can I get.” This strategy is something sellers generally have difficulty grasping although I have seen it repeatedly yield successful results. In today’s market, it’s rare for an apartment in Manhattan to sell for less than what’s it’s worth. Andrew Kramer is a licensed associate real estate broker with Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

SHOPKEEPERS OPPOSE VENDOR PERMIT INCREASE City Council legislation would double the number allowed in the next seven years BY OLIVIA KELLEY

A proposal to double the number of street vendor permits citywide has increased tensions between business owners and street vendors on the Upper East Side. It’s no secret that brick and mortars have been butting heads with street vendors in the city for years. Some small business owners on the Upper East Side say the proliferation of vendors has translated into a decrease in sales. And several owners have complained to police, saying vendors operate illegally in front of their stores. “I don’t mind having a little healthy competition,” said Xavier Herrera, co-owner of Latin Bites on East 70th Street, a few doors west of York Avenue, where several food trucks and other vendors do a healthy lunch business on weekdays. “The only thing I’m against is people breaking the law.” The proposed legislation being considered by the City Council, the Street Vending Modernization Act, would double the number of street vendor permits by 2023. This has further heightened concerns on the Upper East Side. Michele Birnbaum, co-chair of Community Board 8’s vendor task force committee, said she’d received numerous complaints long before the new legislation was proposed. Birnbaum suggested that the increase in food vendors would further

Photo: eﬂon, via ﬂickr

affect quality of life on the Upper East Side. “The brick and mortars have rent and health regulations and employees that street vending does not have. That means it’s not an even playing field and it’s not in a community’s best interest to encourage street activity like that,” she said before a task force committee meeting on Oct. 20 at which the issue was discussed. “It creates crowding, odor and sanitation issues.” Dan Rossi, a hot dog vendor for 37 years, said that adding more vendor permits would complicate the issue. “We have nobody on our side. The government thinks they’re helping these poor immigrants. These poor immigrants will get the permits, they’re just gonna lease them out,” he said after the meeting. The City Council’s consumer affairs committee was to discuss the legislation on Oct. 26. According to Rossi, about 90 percent of vendor permits are being leased out on the black market for more than they’re worth. He said the only way to get rid of the black market is to allow for an unlimited number of permits. “There’s a way to do this to help people who want to vend, but this isn’t it. You should just take the cap off so there’s no value to the permit,” said Rossi, who sets up his cart in front of The Met Fifth Avenue. Business owners who attended the Oct. 20 meeting were less concerned with the number of permits available and more concerned with enforcing

Vendors in front of The Met Fifth Avenue. Photo: Shinya Suzuki, via ﬂickr current laws. Herrera “donated” a copy of the rules and regulations for street vendors to a police officer at the meeting, saying, “it seemed like (police) are not familiar with it.” Herrera and his sister, Maria, opened Latin Bites two years ago. Before that, he had been a street vendor for 18 years. He said for the past year, there

have been vendors parking illegally outside of his business. “Right in front of my business is parking for commercial vehicles only for half an hour,” he said. “(The vendor) gets here around 7 in the morning even though there’s no parking allowed until 10 a.m. and he stays all day.” Herrera said in the past year, his

business went down by 50 percent. If this continues, he fears he’ll have to close down. “This is my life savings I put together. It took about half a million dollars to do this,” he said. “My main concern is I have 11 employees with families to take care of — right now it’s very difﬁcult to make payroll.”

OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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GOP CANDIDATE FACES LONG ODDS AGAINST SCHUMER In second statewide bid, Wendy Long speaks well of Trump BY MICHAEL HILL

Sen. Charles Schumer is an established incumbent in line to become the chamber’s top Democrat, running for re-election against a little-known, Trump-embracing lawyer who lost her last race in a landslide.

Republican Wendy Long has attracted scant attention, relatively little money and, if polls are right, has the slimmest chance of defeating the three-term Democrat. As Schumer airs TV ads around the state promoting his work for New Yorkers, Long casts herself and GOP nominee Donald Trump as fellow warriors ﬁghting the corrupt establishment. “Somewhere along the way, the for-

Charles Schumer, if re-elected, is expected to become the leader for Senate Democrats. Photo: Courtesy of Sen. Schumer’s office

gotten men and women that Donald Trump speaks about – the regular, ordinary working people – have been left behind,” Long told a Women for Trump rally upstate this month. “And that is what inspired me to jump into this race alongside Donald Trump.” Though Trump has been badly trailing Hillary Rodham Clinton in the presidential race in New York polls, Long is linking herself to a candidate with a fervent following among many Republicans. Long is a 56-year-old New York City lawyer. Her conservative credentials include stints clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and as chief counsel to the Judicial Conﬁrmation Network, a conservative advocacy group. Long ran a low-budget but aggressive campaign in 2012 as Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sought her ﬁrst full term; Gillibrand won 72 percent to 26 percent. A Siena poll of likely voters released Wednesday points to a similar dynamic in this race, with Schumer supported by 66 percent to Long’s 27 percent. About three-quarters of the respondents either didn’t know who Long was or had no opinion about her. Schumer, 65, was first elected to Congress in 1980 and has not faced a

Wendy Long has tied herself to the top of the Republican ticket. Photo: Wikimedia Commons serious challenge in this heavily Democratic state since defeating Republican incumbent Sen. Alfonse D’Amato in 1998. He is expected to succeed retiring Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada as leader of Senate Democrats next year, meaning he would become majority leader if Democrats retake the Senate. Though he has a reputation as a

savvy operator in Washington, he often highlights small-bore issues back home, such as computerized ticket scalping. He’s known for tirelessly visiting every corner of the state. Long dismisses Schumer as a “phony” and likens his regular news conferences on relatively minor issues like caffeinated peanut butter as a “breadand-circuses routine.” Schumer declined to address criticism from Long and said he’s focused on doing his job. To the degree that Schumer shows signs of running a political race, it appears to be against no one in particular. His campaign ads highlight his efforts to funnel aid to New York after the Sept. 11 attacks and natural disasters, keeping the Buffalo Bills from moving and promoting Greek yogurt production in upstate New York. Though Schumer has taken in $25 million for his campaign, he disbursed $6.2 million to help other Democrats as he works to retake the Senate majority. Long’s latest ﬁling showed the campaign with $121,673 on hand. Long has relied on social media and volunteers to get her word out. She’ll also get a chance to take on Schumer directly when the two debate on Oct. 30.

AT&T AND TIME WARNER SPARK MERGER MANIA BY TALI ARBEL

AT&T and Time Warner are playing up how their $85.4 billion merger will lead to innovative new experiences for customers. But analysts, public-interest groups and some politicians are far from convinced. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said it should be killed. Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said less concentration in media “is generally helpful.” And the Republican chairman and Democratic ranking member of the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee said that the deal would “potentially raise signiﬁcant antitrust issues.” The potential harm to consumers from this deal could be subtle – far more so than if AT&T were simply acquiring a direct competitor like a big wireless or home broadband company. Time Warner makes TV shows and movies; AT&T gets that video to customers’ computers, phones and TVs. But the concern is that anything AT&T might do to make its broadband service stand out by tying it to Time Warner’s programs and films could hurt consumers overall.

WALLING OFF TIME WARNER The company certainly wants to do that. “With great content we believe you can build a truly differentiated service,” said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. “In particular, mobile.” Here’s how that would work. Because of Time Warner’s world-famous shows and movies – “Game of Thrones,” the “Harry Potter” ﬁlms, professional basketball – and AT&T’s ability to gather information about its tens of millions of customers, AT&T thinks it could do a better job tailoring ads and video to user preferences. It could then create more attractive subscription packages suited for phones, where people are increasingly watching video. But many consumers already consider ads that know everything about them creepy or invasive, and digitalrights groups complain that any preferential deal AT&T could offer with, say, HBO would hurt competition. Say AT&T reserved HBO for its customers only. That would cut HBO’s reach and hurt its value. “This creates massive strategic tensions that are almost impossible to resolve,” wrote Jackdaw Research’s Jan Dawson in a note. AT&T can either disadvantage Time Warner by

restricting who can watch its stuff or limit beneﬁts for its own customers so much that they barely rate attention, he suggested. FREE DATA FOR TIME WARNER There’s another way AT&T could favor its own media offerings. The company currently lets many of its wireless customers stream from the DirecTV app on their phones without counting it against their data caps, a practice known as “zero rating.” AT&T has suggested it may also zero-rate its upcoming live-streaming DirecTV Now service, which doesn’t require customers to install a dish on their homes. If AT&T did that with, say, HBO shows and TNT’s basketball games, it could upset other video providers, who could reasonably worry that customers might shun their streaming services to avoid exceeding their monthly data limit and possibly suffering slower data speeds as a result. The companies also say that relying more on targeted ads could help lower the cost of making appealing shows and ﬁlms. Even if that’s the case, the savings might not get passed on to consumers.

The Time Warner building at Columbus Circle. Photo: Seabamirum via Flickr Rich Greenﬁeld, a BTIG analyst, noted there’s no evidence that Comcast’s 2011 acquisition of NBC led to lower prices. In fact, prices have been increasing broadly, although Greenﬁeld

said there’s no way to know whether the deal contributed to that trend. “There may not be dramatic harm, but it’s certainly hard to find clear benefit,” Greenfield said.

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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2,2016

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YOUR 15 MINUTES MINUT TES

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SHARING THE ART OF AUSTRIAN COOKING A Michelin star chef brings the cuisine that he grew up with to restaurants in New York City BY ANGELA BARBUTI

In May, Chef Eduard “Edi” Frauneder opened Schilling in the Financial District, ﬁttingly named after his native Austria’s former currency. When asked why he chose that location for his newest venture, he explained, “A lot of people who live down there come uptown to eat, so why not have a neighborhood restaurant? I think the best model for any restaurant is to be inclusive of the neighborhood ﬁrst.” Tucked inside a tenement building on Washington Street, Schilling pays homage to Austrian cuisine with classic dishes such as wiener schnitzel, bone marrow and spätzle. The layout of the space lent itself to a 24-seat communal table, which Frauneder embraces. “I’ve shared tables with people who are still friends with me in New York City. I’m not saying it happens all the time, but I think the communal setting helps rebuild that community downtown.” The 39-year-old doesn’t just own Shilling, but has three other places as well — the East Village’s rustic Austrian restaurant Edi & the Wolf and cocktail bar The Third Man, and Freud, a brasserie in Greenwich Village.

You live a block away from Edi & the Wolf. Why did you choose to live and then open two spots in the East Village? I live a block away from Edi & the Wolf

Schilling on Washington Street. Photo: CDV

don’t expect it, can be not making you super happy. But once you settle in and are actually in the center of attention in the room, it actually feels very good.

What has been an interesting food request you’ve received and/or a memorable customer story? One of the funny requests is people ordering the schnitzel well done. Because it always is anyway. I had this really eccentric customer who is a germophobe m mo phobe and would walk in with hiss plastic gloves from his cab or h hi mode of transportation, and always drop off those plastic gloves in the hand of the waiter.

and The Third Man. When I was workrking at my other place, Seasonal, which ch was ﬁne dining, and earned a Michelin in star, I lived in Midtown. And I needed ed to get away from that area and have ve a different environment around me. I used to live on 58th and just walk to Seasonal. And after a while, I needed ed a clean break from the neighborhood. od. A relationship got sour, and I needed da change. So that’s when I moved to the he East Village and after half a year, realalized there were a lot of places to eat, at, but not many good ones. I walked by this pizzeria and realized it would be ea great place to open. I opened Edi & the he Wolf and then two years later, opened ed the Third Man because it got so busy, sy, and have been happy ever since.

What type of food is Austria known for? r? Austrian food is a melting pot of many different nations — Slovakian, an, Czech, Slovenian, Hungarian, Southhern German, Swiss, Italian. In Europe, pe, there are so many small countries coming together, so kitchens blend together. They develop their identity over hundreds of years. The AustrianHungarian Empire’s monarchy, in my opinion, created this very traditional Viennese cuisine. There’s French and Italian. Vienna is one of the few cities that actually has its own culinary identity spelled out. And the reason is because it was the center of power for over 300 years in Europe and they entertained a lot. Austrian cuisine is very seasonal; it’s very homey. It grew out of a necessity to cook on an open wood ﬁre and have long braising processes because they had to use every single part of the animal and get really

Edi Frauneder. Photo: Noah Fecks creative on their use of protein. You also ﬁnd good pastas, freshwater ﬁsh dishes. Most animals are used; there’s a lot of organ meats — kidneys, liver, brain — which are not very popular here in the city.

What are some dishes on Schilling’s menu that are Austrian inspired? The workhouse of the cuisine is the wiener schnitzel, above all. Then there’s the spatzle, which is egg drop pasta. It’s a very interesting technique. Basically you use the same ingredients as pasta dough dropped from a perforated hotel pan into boiling water. Once they’re cooked, they

actually float to the surface. You add a hint of sour cream, shallots, garlic confit, a bit of cheese and any seasonal vegetable you have, and garnish with crispy onions and marinated greens. It’s actually poor man’s food because water, flour and eggs, you always have in your kitchen. Bone marrow is also on the menu. It’s a classic delicacy with oxtail goulash and crème fraiche. Apart from that, my chicken dish with old sourdough bread. The bread is repurposed from the day before, which is a very classic technique of leftover usage in the kitchen.

Why did you decide to put in a communal table there? What are the pros and cons to that? Pros are multiple. I think that dining out is a communal thing to begin with. You go to a public place; you don’t sit alone in a private dining room. This is one good thought behind it. It’s also New York City real estate; you have to use your space wisely. In terms of the layout of the restaurant, its screams for a communal table. And people enjoy it because when you go out to dinner, you try to create good memories and foster friendships with old friends and it’s a nice opportunity to also foster friendships with new friends. A con is that when people have a reservation and have the expectation of having a table, especially a two-top, it’s always problematic because I only have three two-tops. And then you run into this shortage of resources. And I think the communal table, when you

What are the best and worst parts of your job? The best part is you have to love what you’re doing otherwise you would not be doing it. I spend my entire day with very dedicated, loyal and passionate people. I’m flexible and have the freedom to cook and serve whatever I want. And the cons are New York City being a very tough environment for small businesses and, unfortunately, Austria being not as big as Italy or France, it doesn’t have an equally popular reputation when it comes to European cuisine. There’s also a French or an Italian restaurant on every single corner in New York City, so people have no problems navigating that. But I believe that once you walk into an Austrian restaurant ... a lot of European friends bring their American friends and the American friends come back afterwards because they were very impressed by what we have to serve and how we go about it. Frauneder will be one of the 45 local chefs at New York magazine’s New York Taste on Nov. 1. For more information on the event, visit: taste.nymag.com

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