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WEEK OF NOVEMBER - DECEMBER
TAKE A BOW, DAVID HOCKNEY
30-6
◄P.12
2017
LITTLE AUSTRALIA’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE COMMUNITY BY MIHIKA AGARWAL
Mayor Bill de Blasio denounces “Trumpism” and rails against the “scam” GOP tax plan at a rally with seniors and union workers outside Trump Tower on November 21st. Photo: Ed Reed / Mayoral Photo Office, via flickr
SCANDAL? WHAT SCANDAL? IOWA BECKONS LEADERSHIP Even before he’s sworn in for a second term, Mayor Bill de Blasio will hit the Hawkeye State to rev up his national profile — despite intense blowback from bogus leadpaint inspections at public housing BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
When the going gets tough, Mayor Bill de Blasio gets going — as far away from City Hall as politically, geographically and logistically possible. It’s been a four-year pattern. And now, even as his administration reels from a mushrooming scandal at the New York City Housing Authority
(NYCHA), it is about to repeat itself: The mayor next month packs his bags for Iowa, home of the first-in-thenation caucuses — and graveyard-inthe-cornfields for outsized dreams and overreaching politicians. Fresh from his reelection triumph and two weeks before his swearing-in for a second term, he’ll headline the fifth annual holiday party for the liberal advocacy group Progress Iowa in Des Moines on December 19th. It is the classic testing-the-waters event — one that Bernie Sanders keynoted in December 2014 as he geared up for his 2016 presidential bid. “Welcome back to Iowa,” said Matt Sinovic, the group’s executive director and a “BBQ sauce competitor” at the Iowa State Fair. He said the mayor’s
“progressive leadership and passion for common-sense solutions provides a model for the entire country.” Perhaps. But at the largest public housing authority in America, the home of one out of every 14 New Yorkers, there’s been a spectacular lack of common sense. Not to mention absence of compassion for the vulnerable. Even disrespect for the rule of law. It turns out that NYCHA over a fouryear period failed to conduct leadpaint safety inspections in thousands of its apartments as mandated by state and federal laws, then lied about it by submitting false claims, the city’s Department of Investigation revealed in a November 14th report.
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On a chilly November morning, Two Hands Café, at Mott and Broome Streets, is bustling with Australian expats. A few are serving avocado toast and flat white lattés, others are partaking of those distinctly Down-Under delicacies. One of these is Matt Webb, who, along with his wife, moved from Australia to the city on a green card. “I wanted to move to the States — either L.A. or here — and we chose New York for the adventure and because it’s a completely different lifestyle,” said Webb, who waits tables at Two Hands in Nolita, a neighborhood known to some as
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Two Hands Café on Mott Street, which replicates Australia’s beachside vibe. Photo: Mihika Agarwal
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Little Australia for its multitude of Oz-inspired outlets. According to U.S. government data cited by New York-based non-profit The Australian Community, the number of tourists from Down Under to the United States has nearly doubled since 2007, with 1.3 million Aussies visiting in 2015 – despite the relative plunge of the Australian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar. But if tourists making the rounds through the States have climbed, longer-term visitors positively spiked recently. Australians on B1-2 visas, which typically allow longer stays Stateside, grew 54 percent last year, from 8,359 in 2015 to 12,872 in 2016.
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
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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