Our Town Downtown - December 15, 2016

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The local paper for Downtown wn

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A New Year’s coming, and we have some ideas about where you should spend it. We’ve come up with our Best of Manhattan, as we do every year. The concept of “best” is, we realize, subjective — and fun to argue about. with strong opinions, and we’re We’re New Yorkers, after all, here partly to spark a dialogue on what’s worthy. But we also hope encourage moments where you to dive into the city you call home. So go ahead and have a conversation with a good friend in a restaurant toddler to story time. Enjoy a play you’ve never tried. Take your – or a playground. Get the dog groomed. train or in a car and head out of Or put yourself on a bike or a the city. There’s a whole host of experiences waiting outside your apartment door.

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Best of Manhattan 2016 was written by Christopher Moore and designed by Heather Roland-Blanco

WEEK OF DECEMBER

Pets

Kids

RESPONDING TO HATE CRIMES With a rise in bias incidents, some New Yorkers step up while others stand by BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Kelvin Kendall, 17, participating in the first New York City foster care hackathon on Dec. 3. Photo: Diamond Naga Siu

TECH AND SUPPORT FOR FOSTER KIDS Innovators, including those within the system, cultivate technology to find solutions, help shape policy BY DIAMOND NAGA SIU

Kelvin Kendall, 17, was kicked out of his house on a recent Friday. By the next morning, he was leading a discussion at eBay headquarters on Sixth Avenue in Chelsea on how to ameliorate similar situations for other youth. Kendall is one of nearly 30,000 people in the New York City foster care system. And on that Saturday, Dec. 3, he was participating in the first New York City foster care hackathon, working with a team of activists and techies to create an app that brings accessible after-hours support to people in the foster care system. Many of the participating hackers are in a similar situation to his — they are present or past foster care children. “Our entire world is driven by how we interact with technology, so we have on our phones countless apps that can help us order pizza quicker, order packages on Amazon and know exactly what’s happening to our package,” said Rafael Lopez, commissioner of the federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families. “Why not learn other sectors and apply to human services the

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Spurred by a 35 percent increase in hate crimes throughout the city since the election of Donald Trump, about 50 New Yorkers spent two hours of a recent Thursday night learning when and how to speak up for victims of bias attacks. Rachel S. Blum Levy, a social worker who organized the free workshop, walked attendees through the four D’s of bystander intervention — direct, delegate, distract, delay — and provided specific tactics to carry them out. “Your instincts are really important and you have to listen to them,” she said at the Nov. 8 workshop. “Oftentimes, not always, but oftentimes using our voice is enough to defuse a situation.” Opportunities to speak up have been all the more available lately. Last week two Muslim women — one a police officer and one an MTA employee — were verbally and physically assaulted in different incidents. Swastikas have appeared in graffiti in multiple locations, including a 1 train and inside the elevator in state Senator Brad Hoylman’s apartment building. Some New Yorkers are stepping up to educate themselves and help others, but some are looking the other way. On Dec. 3, a Muslim student was attacked on the subway by three men who screamed “Donald Trump” at her and tried to rip off her hijab. According to the New York Daily News, no one intervened. “People were looking at me and looking at what was happening and no one said a thing,” 18-year-old Yasmin Seweid told the Daily News. James Mulvaney, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and former deputy commissioner of the New York state Division of Human Rights, isn’t surprised by New Yorkers’ capacity for vitriol. “While you have a diverse population, it doesn’t mean that it’s a melting pot,” Mulvaney said. “There is still a substantial

Participants during a Nov. 12 march in New York City. Photo: wasikphoto.com, via Wikimedia Commons. amount of tension — racial, religious and economic.” Imam Ali Mashour of the Upper East Side Islamic Cultural Center, however, was shocked and disappointed. “Outside of New York it would be something I would

2016 “BEST PRESCHOOL”

Downtowner < CITYARTS, P.12

WHERE CHILDREN

Learn & Thrive!

WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

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

brighthorizons.com/NYC

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

n OurTownDowntow

COM

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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expect,” said Mashour, who attributed the recent incidents not directly to Trump but to the “outrageous” campaign he led. Mashour was surprised by Trump’s elec-

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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PIER 40 MOVES AHEAD WITH CONCESSIONS TO COMMUNITY Next steps for Johnson’s deal with the city and developers BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

For months, preservationists and the Chelsea community fought against a proposal to redevelop the St. John’s Terminal at Washington Street between West Houston and Spring Streets. Their concerns included its 1.7-million-square-foot size, the potential influx of big box stores, additional traffic congestion and the amount of affordable housing. Most of all, the planned transfer of 200,000 square feet of air rights to the property from nearby Pier 40 led some to worry that the pier’s beloved recreational sports facility would be lost and that other historic buildings along the Hudson would be in danger of redevelopment. In response, Council Member Corey Johnson negotiated a deal with the city and the St. John’s developers — Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital — that addresses many of the community’s concerns. It was approved by the

The local paper for Downtown

City Council’s zoning subcommittee Dec. 5. The deal states that no subsequent air rights transfers be allowed within Community Board 2, protecting the neighborhood’s historic sites from future developers who might want towers overlooking the river. Johnson also succeeded in limiting the size of retailers — except a planned grocery store — at St. John’s to 10,000 square feet, eliminating the opportunity for large stores like Target or Lowes from moving in. He also sped up the process of establishing a South Village Historic District, which the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved Dec. 13. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) called the vote a “huge victory” in an email to supporters, and thanked everyone who wrote letters and attended hearings. Some have criticized GVSHP’s approach to the Pier 40 project, saying the organization should have opposed

it altogether, but Berman insisted that collaborating with the developers was better than having no say in the process. “Had the Council simply rejected the plan altogether, the developer could have gone back to building what the current zoning for the site allows with no approvals needed — a massive hotel/office/entertainment complex with no height limits for the new development whatsoever, no public space, no affordable housing,” he wrote. Johnson is quoted in the Villager newspaper as praising the deal’s approval. “These are an extraordinary array of benefits,” Johnson said before the zoning subcommittee’s vote last Monday. “At each step along the way, this application got better and better, with more benefits for the community at each turn. I think we can now see a clear picture of how this development will integrate with the community, and how it can be a real asset to the West Side and to our city as a whole.” The Hudson River Park Trust, which

Advertise with Our Town Downtown today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

A rendering of plans as they would have played out along West Houston Street, looking toward Pier 40. Photo: courtesy of COOKFOX Architects runs Pier 40 and its beloved neighborhood sports facility, will use the $100 million from the sale of its air rights to restore the pier’s crumbling pilings. Other benefits include a $14 million contribution to the pier from the city, a promise from the Department of Transportation to conduct a $1.5 million traffic study of the area and more one-bedroom units in the development’s senior affordable housing

building. The full City Council is expected to vote on the project on Dec. 15, at which point it will go to Mayor Bill de Blasio to be signed, completing the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Icons & Innovators: Norman Lear

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, 6PM The Greene Space | 44 Charlton St. | 646-829-4000 | thegreenespace.org Enjoy a sit down with Norma Lear (All In the Family, Good Times, The Jeffersons) as he speaks with award-winning television producer Susan Fales-Hill and the filmmakers behind the new documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. ($25)

The Women of Othello: Speaking Truth to Power

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19TH, 7PM New York Theatre Workshop | 79 E. 4th St. | 212-780-9037 | nytw.org Ayanna Thompson (Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America) leads a panel discussion of the still-resonant themes in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. ($20)

Just Announced | Consciousness Hacking: Seeking Enlightenment Through Technology, Psychedelics, and Meditation

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 7PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com Can technology facilitate mindfulness? (You can imagine that Silicon Valley hopes the answer is “yes.”) Learn more from Christopher Kelley, a doctorate in Buddhist Studies. ($20, includes wine)

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

sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG IMPERFECT PARKING SPACE

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct Week to Date

SPADEWORK Perhaps Kate Spade should put Sam Spade on this case. At 10:27 a.m. on Dec. 1, a man walked into the Kate Spade store at 454 Broome St., removed two coats, together valued at $3,396, from the display rack, and left the store. An employee saw the shoplifter heading eastbound on Broome before making his way southbound on Broadway. A search of the neighborhood failed to turn up the thief or the stolen merchandise.

Tony Webster, via flickr

A BRIEF FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR STUFF On the morning of Dec. 2, a Thompson Street resident who was loading his car left his briefcase leaning against a fire hydrant outside his residence. He went back inside

the house to gather more belongings and when he returned to his car, his briefcase was missing. The items stolen included a black Briggs & Riley briefcase valued at $1,000, a U.S. passport, four Consumer Points cards valued at $1,000, and a variety of credit cards.

Come Experience Auctions at Showplace First-Time Bidders Welcome! Sunday, December 18, 10am

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We buy estates! Entire or partial contents Immediate payment Professional and discreet

Year to Date

2016 2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change

Murder

0

0

0

0

1

-100.0

Rape

0

0

0

9

7

28.6

Robbery

1

2

-50.0

55

70

-21.4

Felony Assault

0

1

-100.0

72

83

-13.3

Burglary

0

1

-100.0

109

120

-9.2

Grand Larceny

17

18

-5.6

1,001

1,006 -0.5

Grand Larceny Auto

1

0

-

48

20

140.0

CLEARING THE DUANE

SON OF A FITCH

Pricey boutiques may have their charms, but shoplifters still can’t resist hitting Duane Reade stores. At 12:50 p.m. on Nov. 27, two men entered the Duane Reade store at 250 Broadway and made off with quite a load of merchandise. The items stolen included 38 bottles of Essie nail polish, 49 Gillette Venus Embrace Swirl razors, 26 Dove bar soap six-packs, 9 Calvin Klein body sprays, 5 Kenneth Cole body sprays, 9 Beverly Hills Polo Club fragrances, and 2 bottles of Davidoff Cool Water fragrance, making a total haul of $1,722.

Even a nice store can have its share of baddies lurking inside. At 4 p.m. on Nov. 25, a woman was shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch at 199 Water St. when someone got inside her purse and took her wallet. Her bank later told her that unauthorized usage had turned up on her cards. The items stolen included $1,000 in cash, a D&B wallet valued at $80, a New York State driver’s license, and various debit and credit cards.

“

My IDNYC card helps us easily access city resources, from the library to the city hospital. I can get discounts on groceries, medicine, and movie tickets.

“

One restaurant employee found little cause to celebrate the perfect parking space. At 10:40 p.m. on Dec. 2, a man parked his white 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee in front of 80 Pearl Street before going to work at the Mad Dog and Beans Mexican nearby. When he left work just after midnight, his car was gone. The victim reviewed surveillance video inside the restaurant and discovered that three men had entered the restaurant’s employee locker room and removed his car keys from the pocket of his jacket. The trio then left the restaurant and used the victim’s keys to take his vehicle. A license plate reader captured the Jeep eastbound on the Brooklyn Bridge at 11:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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TECH FOR FOSTER KIDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Participants duriing a Nov. 12 march in New York City. Photo: wasikphoto.com, via Wikimedia Commons.

HATE CRIMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tion, but thinks the damage would have been done even if Hillary Clinton had prevailed. Over the course of the 17 months Trump spent campaigning for the presidency, minority groups were targeted by his supporters and his Twitter account. According to widely reported NYPD statistics, New York’s hate crime count has doubled since this time last year, with 43 incidents in the 27 days following the election. The NYPD was not available for comment for this article. Historically, New Yorkers have a — possibly misplaced — reputation for apathy that dates back to the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964, which gave rise to a national conversation on the “bystander effect.” News accounts following Genovese’s death said that multiple people had witnessed it or heard her screams for help but no one came to her aid. The bystander effect is defined by Psychology Today as “when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation.” Dr. Celia Fisher, psychologist and director of the Center for Ethics Education at Fordham University, said people are more likely to intervene in a situation if the victim is a member of a group they identify with. “When you have groups that are being dehumanized or considered the ‘other,’ there’s something else that’s at play when people don’t do anything,” Fisher said. “People are violent against others because it gives them a sense of power and belonging to a larger group. In order to combat that, it’s a larger cultural issue in terms of beginning to talk about minorities ... in terms of Americans who are one of us.” At her workshop last week, Levy laid out

nine strategies that bystanders can use to defuse potentially dangerous situations whenever they encounter them. “Forced teaming,” for example, suggests that bystanders use “we” statements to form a kind of false alliance with the perpetrator so that they feel like someone is on their side and no longer need to be verbally or physically violent. Assertively interrupting the perpetrators, pointedly ignoring them and naming their behavior were a few of the others. “My goal for all of you is to be able to leave and think about how you scan your environment, how you assess danger, and then be able to think critically about what tactics you can employ,” Levy told her audience. In response to the rise in hate crimes, elected officials have spoken out condemning them. “These acts of hate will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and those responsible will be held accountable,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement after the Muslim MTA employee was assaulted earlier this month. “New York will continue to set the example for the nation – safeguarding our diversity and our differences, and rooting out bigotry and hatred wherever it exists.” Two weeks before that he had announced the creation of a new state hate crimes unit and said he was expanding New York’s human rights law to apply to all students. Previously, as determined by a 2012 state Court of Appeals decision, public school students were excluded from its protections. Despite the possibility that the pattern of attacks could continue through the next four years, Mashour isn’t as worried as some. “Honestly I don’t think it’s as concerning as it’s being made out to be,” he said. “I hope that I’m right.” Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

same kinds of lessons that are being learned? Especially for child welfare.” Encouraged by a similar hackathon in Washington D.C. in May, Lopez helped organize the New York City version. Kendall took part in the policy hackathon, choosing one of seven different policies to hack: support after hours, empowering youth advocacy, encouraging healthier decision making, easing the transition out of foster care, bettering support services, finding suitable family pairings and lowering failed adoption rates. “You could be locked out, not safe, running away or need basic needs, and you don’t know who to call,” Kendall said. “This is supposed to give kids that are in crisis a way out — this situation happens to me a lot. And it happens to others too, like the people I work with, because everyone in foster care goes through some kind of crisis.” Courtney Ramirez, the executive director for youth and parent engagement within the city’s Administration for Children’s Services, helped formulate the policy list with a team of people in the foster care system. “It can be really easy to focus on individual outcomes like fewer days in care or the number of foster families, but I think it’s really important that we focus on the fact that this is an individual,” Ramirez said as she gesticulated to Kendall. “Yeah, he’s in foster care, but he’s also a student athlete. This is a young man who has passion and drive and dreams and goals, and we need to make sure that we shape the policies around supporting his visions.”

She said that while people face systemic issues in foster care, it is also important to keep the focus on individuals and their success. Ramirez said that people sometimes lose focus about what success and transitioning out of foster care looks like and that it is important to look beyond getting people in foster care to the age of 21 — when they leave foster care. She thinks that figuring out how to ensure everyone in the foster care system receives the attention they deserve is the crux of foster care system issues, so he encourages people to ask themselves what they want for their own children when thinking of the foster care system. Kendall formulated four different circumstances when people in the foster care system could use the app, but he and his team struggled to find six situations — the suggested amount by their adult mentor. The team already had getting purposefully locked out, running away from the home, not feeling safe and finding unmet needs. They formulated ideas to add to the list as their mentor took the sheet to show other people. “I feel like I need to speak about it and find solutions for these problems,” Kendall said. “Emotionally, I don’t think a person should have to go through everything, and if we can get this to happen, kids don’t have to go through life as frustrated.” They wanted to keep the functions of the app simple, since it served one purpose: to give people in the foster care system assistance once the typical workday ended. When their mentor returned, he added two more: getting stuck somewhere and needing an occasional break from the family. “This is beautiful,” Kendall said as he picked up the sheet of paper. “I really hope this happens.”

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We’re right beside you helping you plan for your future. It’s why we’re hosting free AARP MoneySmarts wnancial health workshops, featuring unbiased information to help you achieve your wnancial goals. Or if you’re wondering what’s next for you, join us for a free Life Reimagined seminar where we’ll give you tools and advice to help you navigate life transitions and achieve your dreams. Get to know us by calling 866-227-7442 or visit aarp.org/nyc /aarpny @aarpny

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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THIS WEEK AT THE RUBIN MUSEUM

Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com Broadway 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Free Join a city-wide prank lead by Huffington Post Queer Voices and Huffington Post Women by reading “I Love Dick� by Chris Kraus on the subway. 212-206-4400. www. huffingtonpost.com

ENCOUNTER TIMELESS ART AND WISDOM IN A SPACE FOR CONTEMPLATION

RITMI DELLA TERRA Alwan for the Arts, 16 Beaver St. 8 p.m.-midnight. $20; $15, members Listen to original sounds from Mediterranean cultures such as the fast-paced, dramatic Southern Italy tunes. 212-967-4318. www. alwanforthearts.org

Sat 17 GOTHAM PULP COLLECTORS CLUB Muhlenberg Library, 209 West 23rd St. 1-4 p.m. Free Pulp readers and collectors meet once a month to talk about popular ďŹ ction magazines from the ďŹ rst half of the 20th century. 212-924-1585. www.nypl. org/events/calendar

â–ź NOT STRAIGHT AGAINST HATE Washington Square Park, Fifth Avenue 5-10 p.m. Free Rally against hate, ignorance

Photograph by David De Armas

Photograph by Filip Wolak

FEATURED EXHIBITION

PROGRAMS

Sacred Spaces: Himalayan Wind

Awakening Practice: Morning Mindfulness in the Shrine Room December 17 11:30–12:15 PM

“I think my heart rate and blood pressure were both lower by the time I went downstairs...a relief after a stressful week.â€? —Rubin Museum visitor Transport yourself to the high Himalayas through an immersive sound experience by Soundwalk Collective at the Rubin Museum. Hear the whistle of VWURQJ ZLQGV WKH Ă DSSLQJ RI SUD\HU Ă DJV DQG WKH FKDQWLQJ RI EOHVVLQJV DW some of the highest Buddhist monasteries in the world. Sacred Spaces: Himalayan Wind is made possible through the generous support of Christopher J. Fussner, The Hoch 2009 Charitable Lead Trust, Rasika and Girish Reddy, and Audio-Technica. Additional support has been provided by Bob and Lois Baylis, Ashwini and Anita Gupta, Preethi Krishna and Ram Sundaram, William and Pamela Michaelcheck, Tulku Tsultrim Pelgyi, Manoj and Rita Singh, Venkat and Pratima Srinivasan, the Zakaria Family Foundation, and contributors to the 2015 and 2016 Exhibitions Funds.

THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART 150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG

Connect Himalayan art, culture, and practice in this guided meditation session held in the Museum’s Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room. The session explores different approaches to meditation, including mantras, mudras, and mindfulness.

The Secret to a Good Life December 17 3:00–4:30 PM 98-year-old yoga teacher Tao PorchonLynch will share her wisdom with psychologist Karl Pillemer in an on-stage conversation.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SAT/SUN

11:00 AM–5:00 PM CLOSED 11:00 AM–9:00 PM 11:00 AM–5:00 PM 11:00 AM–10:00 PM 11:00 AM–6:00 PM

Thu 15 â–˛ PANCAKES AND PAJAMAS Bright Horizons, 20 Pine St. 8-10 a.m. Free Bring pajama donations and enjoy some pancakes during this family friendly, pajama clad event. 212-509-1580. www. brighthorizons.com

BALANCING YOUR MOOD THROUGH HYPNOSIS Gilda’s Club NYC, 195 West Houston St. 6-7:30 p.m. Free A group hypnosis session for mood balancing relaxation with the New York City based hypnosis Alexander Ivlev. 212-647-9700. www. hypnosisrapport.com

Fri 16 â–ş READ ‘I LOVE DICK’ ON THE TRAIN MTA New York City Transit, 2

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

and bigotry towards the LGBTQ community, and then march up to Trump Tower. 212-836-3249. www. trumptowerny.com

Sun 18 LATKEPALOOZA! Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Pl. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 or free for Children and Grandchildren of MJH/NYTF/WC Members Play dreidel, decorate menorahs, nosh on latkes and jelly donuts, sing along with your favorite Hanukkah songs, and watch an original play. 646-437-4202. www. mjhnyc.org/calendar.ht

PRAYER FAN MAKING WORKSHOP Goldish, 71 Murray St. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $250 Make your own prayer fan with former Golden Drum pilgrim m Xango Shola and Flying Bear founder Brooke Hamre Gillespie. e. 212-233-8690. www. begoldish.com

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and toy drive. 212-253-0477. www. drinksweetwater.com

JINGLE JOB Lole, 112 Mercer St. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free Participate in a five-kilometer run throughout SoHo, led by Belly from She Runs and Pacer Darlene. 212-226-6820. www. lolewomen.com

Tue 20 ▼ WOMEN WHO WHISKEY Marie-Lou & D, 345 West Broadway 6:30-

8:30 p.m. $23 Enjoy some cocktails and whiskey hosted by stylists and beauty experts from Marie Lou & D. 212-390-8666. www. mldnewyork.com

SING ALL WE MERRILY Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St. 6:30-9 p.m. $15; $12, members Enjoy balladeer Linda Russell and her trio’s performance as they sing various holiday songs and recite literature. 212-425-1778. www. frauncestavernmuseum.org

Wed 21 WANDERLUST FITNESS CLASS Samsung 837, 837 Washington St. 7:30 a.m.8:30 p.m.

Mon 19 ▼ TOY DRIVE Sweetwater Social, 643 Broadway 7-11 p.m. Free Compete for a prize in an uglyy sweater party while bringing a toy for this third annual party

Free Join Layla Luciano with exercises to strengthen your upper body, lower body and core without any equipment. 844-577-6969. www. samsung.com

VIEWING AND PERFORMANCE Sounds of Brazil, 204 Varick St. 7-11 p.m. Free Watch a viewing of Charles Hamilton’s “Faultlines” and enjoy an intimate performance from him afterwards. 212-243-4940. www.sobs. com

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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Voices

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WHEELING AND DEALING EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT

Right of way — 86th and Lex bus stop. Narrow sidewalk. Driver lowering ramp for wheelchair to get on. As the ramp lowered, a woman hurrying up the street, busily talking on her cell, tried to beat the ramp, telling the man in the wheelchair, “I’m in a hurry, you understand.” Lady, it’s not to understand. It’s to wait your turn. DO YOU understand? Of course not. Branding ties — My fellow Americans — make that NYers — let’s face it, we’ll never stop our newly elected president from doing business — and that includes personal, family and multifaceted enterprises. Some of us may not have to sit back. With bravado and bucks maybe somebody can play at the same game and make it pay off. Here’s a starter. Just this past week, The New York Times had a great front page Salvatore Ferragamo color ad for their men’s ties in a news cycle immediately following the photo of the back of Prez-elect Trump’s red tie held together by scotch tape. No question that the Trump brand sells down market and that Ferragamo is the crème de la crème — but in the new Americana, Ferragamo had better start thinking about going vogue with rogue. Remember, there are no “ties” with Trump. Only wins. Ferragamo’s got the euros to mount a cool men’s tie campaign, scotch tape and all. Maybe their newly minted ties can have a faux scotch tape with the logo “Make America Great Again.” Go for it! And Ferragamo, unlike Gucci, who is a Trump Tower tenant, won’t have to worry about getting evicted. The big picture. No fine print — Popeye’s food chain displaying a poster advertising a $5 special of 5 (some promos say 6) boneless wings, red side, biscuit and dipping sauce. Good deal. Only problem ... the poster includes some really tasty-looking french fries. Guess they’re priceless — they just don’t come with the deal. Making the grade on one’s own — Several weeks ago this column noted that Two Door Tavern on Third Ave in the 80’s was displaying a Grade A rating that pre-dated their opening and which belonged to Uptown the prior restaurant at the same location. The good news is that they got their own Grade A after a recent inspection.

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While there was no doubt that Two Door Tavern could earn its own Grade A, displaying a grade that didn’t belong to them was verboten. Restaurant take-out delivery redux — About those restaurants that don’t provide their delivery people with shirts or jackets identifying their establishment — residents of buildings with doormen should become proactive and ask when they call for takeout if delivery people have visible ID. They should also implore building management to deny entry to deliverers who aren’t wearing shirts or jackets displaying the name, address and phone of the establishment for whom they are delivering. GrubHub and other delivery services should also be on the hook if the establishments don’t comply. It’s a safety measure on the streets and a safety measure within apartment buildings. There was a time when restaurants that left menus under doors or in mail rooms were banned from buildings. Let the no-ID ban begin. CNN vs. ESPN — Happy hours are always happier for me when the tv screen is blaring CNN news and not ESPN sports. The only way I can seem to have happy hour with Jake Tapper or Wolf Blitzer or Don Lemon is to have sake or wine at a Japanese or Thai restaurant or at Uno Grille on East 86th. High brow. Low brow. From Burger King to haute bars, it’s all sports, all the time. Not fair. Sushi rice — Comes in white, brown, and black (aka “midnight”) — and described as a blend of white and brown rice and it’s all the rage at Whole Foods. There’s a chart alongside the sushi packaged in plastic giving the calories, carbs, sugar, salt, etc. I prefer my sushi at a sushi bar and always with white sushi rice. Never brown. However, since this was all news to me, I wanted to comparison shop the sushi. Surprisingly, I liked the brown. The black tasted OK but was too thick and you didn’t get the taste, which I like, of the rice grain. And “midnight” looked like a thick clump of date rice. The white could have used more time out of the fridge before hitting the chopsticks. The packaged wasabi was too strong and the ginger didn’t taste fresh. Fairway sushi doesn’t have black rice. Overall, though, their sushi is superior and so’s their ginger and fresh, not packaged, wasabi. Everything counts. And on Wednesdays, there’s a sushi special for $5. Can’t beat that. Otherwise, the price of sushi at Whole Foods and Fairway are comparable.

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Photo: Teri Tynes, via flickr

ALLEZ ELAN! GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN

A friend’s husband died last week and I went, in the pouring rain, to the memorial. So did about 300 other people. The husband had been a “personage” in the community. It was beautiful, and sad. He had been ill for many months ... but still. And he was 94 years old ... but still. Death is death, no matter what age. Final, the end, finis. And at my age, there are more and more funerals and memorials to attend and weep at. All I can think of as solace is to enjoy life, to live it with “elan,” as a friend of mine says. The dictionary describes elan as having energy, style and enthusiasm. That’s all easier if you don’t have arthritis, fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis, plus bad knees. But it’s worth having as a goal. So elan, here I come. As my friend’s husband did, the idea is to live life every day to its fullest. I am going to try hard to do that. I have zero influence with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Still, I have to have my say. The bus situation is awful. For one thing, they hardly come. Everyone I know and speak to is complaining; where are the buses? I’ve waited as long as a half hour on Broadway, Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. And that’s only the beginning. When a bus does come, the driver is always announcing “move to the back?” Hah! When the walkers have to give way to the wheelchairs, and everyone else has to fend for himself, it’s a ridiculous situation. Yes, I understand that it’s wonderful that people with disabilities can now use public transportation. Of course it is. But along with that comes the responsibility to SEND MORE BUSES. It seems as though there’s been a cutback in service along with the new laws regarding disabilities. OK, I’ve had my say. Did you know that some theater performances are being captioned? Shari Eberts writes that she attended her first open-captioned performance on Broadway. It was the musical “Tuck

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Editor-In-Chief Account Executive Alexis Gelber Fred Almonte editor.ot@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor Barry Lewis Richard Khavkine editor.otdt@strausnews.com

Everlasting” and asks the question, “Would you want to live forever?” The captions were sponsored by The Theater Development Fund, a citybased non-profit. They were set up discretely in one corner of the stage. Shari Eberts is a hearing health advocate and blogs at LivingWithHearingLoss.com. Check it out or connect with her on Facebook. For more information from TDF about this service call 212-912-9770. AARP has released a new e-book — “Where We Live: communities for All Ages” – that highlights more than 100 initiatives launched by mayors nationwide. New York City is included for work done by Mayors Bloomberg and de Blasio. Wellness 65+ is a program initiated by Rite Aid Pharmacy that promotes health and well-being in older Americans. It includes health- and wellness-themed events the first Wednesday of every month and includes information on vaccinations, screenings, chronic diseases, smoking cessation and skin care protection. A free pharmacy consultation is available in many languages. This event also includes coupons for selected products and discounts. One last note. Something strange is going on with the young waiters and waitresses in restaurants I’ve patronized lately. They all seem like robots programmed to smile and smile and then forget everything I’ve asked for. They’re so pleasant and accommodating, but if I’ve asked for jam or extra salad dressing, I never see it. If I’ve asked for water, it’s as if they have to go find a well to get it. And on and on they smile. But I’d rather have what I asked for than all those smiles. Plus, they seem to disappear into the ether once they’ve put the plate on the table. Gone, disappeared, along with my jam and my salad dressing and my water. Half the time they don’t even show up to get paid. Once I got so frustrated that I left an approximate amount on the table and hightailed it out. I’d rather have a grumpy waitperson who brings what I ask for and maybe comes by once in a while to see if I need anything. There must be a special room somewhere where the staff disappears while reapplying their smiles. But please, you can leave out the good cheer, just bring me the jam. Happy Holidays to all. Let it snow, let it snow let it snow.

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

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

COMMUNITY FORUMS IN THE AGE OF TRUMP East Side, West Side: Council Members address concerns about social causes BY GENIA GOULD

On Dec. 8th, Council Member Helen Rosenthal moderated a panel with speakers from human rights organizations at John Jay College before a standing room only crowd. Across town, at High School of Art and Design, Council Member Dan Garodnick led a similar group of

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non-profit leaders, also to a packed room. The two gatherings were the latest in a series of meetings that the city’s elected officials have hosted for constituents since the election of Donald Trump. New Yorkers have expressed fears and concerns about a number of issues: will civil liberties under current laws be revoked? Will there be rollbacks in federal funding for Medicaid and public housing? Are undocumented immigrants at

risk of being deported? The meetings last week closely mirrored each other, featuring spea kers from the New York Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, The Anti-Violence Project, and representatives from the mayor’s office, among others. A central message, from both the East Side and West Side panelists, was that leaders from organizations across the city who work on a daily basis for civil rights and social causes will continue

Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal moderated a Dec. 8 panel with speakers from human rights organizations before a standing room only crowd at John Jay College. Photo courtesy of Rosenthal’s office facing the issues head on. They said that New Yorkers can help by stepping up support of these organizations, by staying engaged, donating money and attending rallies. After the meeting, Rosenthal said she was encouraged by the strong response coming from the de Blasio administration. On the mayor’s side, and on the city council’s side, she said, they are looking at worst-case scenarios: if the city loses federal funding, she said, “We are saying

‘how do we continue?’ No one is saying ‘do we continue?’” Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, reminded West Side audience members that New York City will continue its “sanctuary city” policies that protect undocumented immigrants; individuals are never asked about immigration status related to schooling, housing, or health care and hospitals. Rosenthal’s office prepared a packet for attendees listing

dozens of resources for civic engagement and political organizing, and New Yorkers were encouraged to check her website and Garodnick’s for updates. Garodnick’s Facebook page also posted a live recording of the meeting. Meg Barnette of Planned Parenthood said: “The key thing is that we have to recognize how interconnected all these issues are ... there’s no single-issue struggle, we don’t have single-issue lives.”

“IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD CLEAN UP THIS PARK.”

BE THE SOMEONE. Every day, we think to ourselves that someone should really help make this city a better place. Visit newyorkcares.org to learn about the countless ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community.

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“Best Pizza� -NYPress Best of Manhattan “Best Pizza Restaurant�NYPress Best of Manhattan Readers Poll “Best Slice of Pizza (Below 42nd St.)� -NYPress Best of Manhattan Readers’ Poll “Best Delivery� -NYPress Best of Manhattan “Best Pizza: Whole Pie Variety�-Best of Borough- OT/WSS

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Pizza

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Our standard pizza is made with fresh mozzarella, a San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with romano and fresh basil.

mozzarella, ricotta, romano cheese and fresh garlic. No Sauce. large eight slice ........................................................................... $27.50 small six slices ............................................................................ $23.50

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toppings

hand-shucked clams, oregano, fresh garlic, romano cheese, extra virgin olive oil and fresh ground pepper $35.00

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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2016

A New Year’s coming, and we have some ideas about where you should spend it. We’ve come up with our Best of Manhattan, as we do every year. The concept of “best” is, we realize, subjective — and fun to argue about. We’re New Yorkers, after all, with strong opinions, and we’re here partly to spark a dialogue on what’s worthy. But we also hope to encourage moments where you dive into the city you call home. So go ahead and have a conversation with a good friend in a restaurant you’ve never tried. Take your toddler to story time. Enjoy a play – or a playground. Get the dog groomed. Or put yourself on a bike or a train or in a car and head out of the city. There’s a whole host of experiences waiting outside your apartment door.

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Food and Drink Because the best is even better when it’s edible.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT CHUMLEY’S 86 Bedford Street 212.675.2081

Don’t expect to see a sign at 86 Bedford Street — even though it’s a sign of the times that Chumley’s is back. Indeed, if everybody who’s talked and written about Chumley’s over the years actually ate there, the place would be jammed every minute. Chumley’s closed in 2007. But now the name returns in even more elegant fashion. Expect leather banquettes and a modern take on the menu from the new owner, Alessandro Borgognone, famous for the success of his Sushi Nakazawa nearby. The new incarnation is one where you need reservations.

PIZZERIA SIRENETTA 568 Amsterdam Avenue 212.799.7401 pizzeriasirenetta.com

The big-city staple gets a contemporary upgrade on Amsterdam Avenue in 2016, with Neapolitan pizza you want to try. The owners are also the talents behind the Mermaid Inn, which moved into an expanded space next door. Now there’s a delicious little food empire in this Upper West Side neighborhood. At Pizzeria Sirenetta, you can enjoy the lively bar scene or the more sedate dining area.

A rare quiet moment at the bar at Pizzeria Sirenetta

The burger gets a modern twist at Bistro Le Steak

MIGHTY QUINN’S BARBECUE

DOVETAIL

BISTRO LE STEAK

1492 Second Ave. 646.484.5691 mightyquinnsbbq.com

103 W. 77th Street 212.362.3800 dovetailnyc.com

1309 Third Avenue 212.517.3800 bistrolesteak.com

Last February, they came from downtown—and thankfully they brought the barbecue with them. Mighty Quinn’s drew attention and diners from the moment it opened, and it’s no wonder with traditional barbecue favorites served in a clean, attractive space. The pomme frites, regular and “dirty,” don’t hurt either. And there’s delivery, so you can get that tender brisket at your door.

Discerning diners with upscale taste tend to worship at the altar of Dovetail. Executive chef and proprietor John Fraser continues to preside over a creation that satisfies in a variety of ways. He has nightlight vegan and vegetarian menus, and a three- or four-course prix fixe offer well worth exploring. At the bar, a nice destination in itself, there’s an a la carte menu too. Dive in at Dovetail, which remains at the top of its game.

The filet, the yummy au poivre sauce and the steamed spinach…ah, the glory is in the delicious details at Bistro Le Steak, a classy and consistent staple of Yorkville dining. Some praise the pork chop, others focus their passion on the potatoes. The point is that Bistro Le Steak has an oldfashioned warmth that seems to meet modern needs. Neighbors know the value of takeout too.

BEST RESTAURANT L’AMICO 212.201.4065 849 Sixth Avenue lamico.nyc

The Eventi Hotel isn’t just home to tourists visiting Chelsea. It’s also, since last year, home to Laurent Tourondel’s delicious take on pizza, pasta and much more. Expect elegance, and a mix. The chef is French-born, and the menu is a new American twist on traditional Italian fare. A lot of planning clearly went into this place – and foodies are noticing, crowding into a smallish space to try pasta and pies.

The beef filet and braised cheek at Dovetail, complete with carrot, creme fraiche and scallion

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

BEST SALAD PLACE WESTVILLE 246 W. 18th Street 212.924.2223

Westville’s been fashionable for a while, and the salads are a valid explanation as to why. Especially since there are so many options and varieties at play. The kale salad here isn’t healthy punishment, and it’s not alone. You can choose the Cobb, the Greek, the Caesar and the salmon salads, with plenty of sides also on the scene. Westville gets crowded sometimes – and there’s a reason.

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FREDS MADISON AVENUE 660 Madison Avenue 212.833.2200 barneys.com/restaurants/freds

Sure, you can go to Chop’t on Madison Avenue, and often you will. But you could also treat yourself at Freds Madison Avenue, comfortably ensconced in Barneys. The salads are standouts. Here ordering a salad isn’t a concession or a deprivation; it’s a celebration. Options abound: the kale and vegetable salad and what sounds like a standby, the summer salad, wherein the corn really does remind you of summer.

BEST PLACE TO EAT SOLO

SWEETGREEN 311 Amsterdam Ave. 212.496.4081 sweetgreen.com

Sweetgreen is taking over the world, what with the increasing appearances of the salad chain. There’s a new one up on Broadway near Columbia University, but some of our neighbors fell for Sweetgreen’s earlier incarnation on Amsterdam Avenue. You know the gig: you make the choices and they make the salad. Now the salad success here includes something called “warm bowls,” like the Pesto Portebello+ Shroomani, which takes us all well beyond the takeout salad and grains of old.

BUVETTE 42 Grove Street 212.255.3590 buvette.com

Fairway Café draws a crowd—but it’s also a good place for solo dining

The place is small, but it feels big-hearted. You can make friends easily in such a charming little location, or you can enjoy your own company – while you’re delving into delicious cuisine at a tiny table of your own. Open morning, noon and night, the place evokes Paris with the menu – but somehow it’s also the perfect New York spot.

FAIRWAY CAFÉ 2121 Broadway 212.595.1888 fairwaymarket.com

You can buy the burger at Fairway, or you can let them cook it at the Fairway Café. This upstairs gem feels far removed from the maddening crowds of the famous market. It’s a notable Upper West Side spot to share with a friend. But you

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really don’t need to, since this you can also do a solo breakfast or lunch solo. Indulge with a beer or a milkshake. It’s that kind of place, and nobody’s keeping track of your calories anyway.

foodies, and once you see the banana cream cheese stuffed French toast on the menu, you start to understand why. There’s less dramatically titled fare, too, and it’s, well, good too.

CHINA FUN

CAFÉ LUXEMBOURG

1221 Second Avenue 212.752.0810 chinafun-ny.com

200 West 70th Street 212.873.7411 cafeluxembourg.com

Need a solo spot for good Chinese food? China Fun isn’t fancy, but on both sides of Central Park we have visited the company’s outposts as solo diners. The service is as speedy as we want it to be, and the cuisine is proof that Chinese food is the modern-day American comfort food. There’s even a singing delivery dude — but that won’t matter if you head there to enjoy the won ton soup in person.

Make breakfast something special on the Upper West Side, where Café Luxembourg has a wide-ranging menu. There’s Eggs Benedict and the Florentine variety too, along with granola and a concoction called the Breakfast Bowl. There are gluten-free options too. And it’s all in a classy setting. An unusual way to start your day.

THE NEW AMITY RESTAURANT

BEST BREAKFAST GOOD 89 Greenwich Avenue 212.691.8080 goodrestaurantnyc.com

The burger at Good, a hot brunch spot

Yes, it’s good. Some fans say it’s great. It’s definitely good enough to earn this brunch spot a place on our breakfast list. We’ve had some great service and memorable meals. The late-morning meal draws the crowds, and the discerning

1134 Madison Avenue 212.861.3255

Sometimes all you want is a diner, a good one, and a simple egg dish. That’s why the New Amity is here. It’s a regular restaurant in an increasingly upscale retail landscape, and maybe that makes us appreciate the omelets and the pancakes and the side of potatoes even more. At the Amity, there’s a feeling of a regular American restaurant, which in our city sometimes seems like the most unusual thing you could find.

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT BLOSSOM 187 Ninth Avenue 212.627.1144 blossomnyc.com

Before Blossom went bigger, it started in a twostory townhouse in Chelsea. It’s still there, still thriving, and your best bet is to get reservations. Then get anything from the black-eyed pea cake appetizer to the tofu BLT. Brunch is busy time, too, complete with the Blossom Benedict. This upscale and organic world is a good place to try a different way of eating — and dining.

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PEACEFOOD CAFÉ

CANDLE 79

460 Amsterdam Avenue 212.362.2266 peacefoodcafe.com

154 East 79th Street 212.537.7179 candle79.com

It’s labeled a “vegan kitchen and bakery,” and it delivers on both counts. Founded in 2009 on the Upper West Side by two friends, the eatery drew media attention — and diners. Things get creative on a menu that starts with something called “The Other Caesar” and takes visitors through the tahini sprout sandwich and a vegan cheeseburger burger and a mushroom pizza before landing smoothly with desserts. Things are extensive there too, with macaroons and strawberry cheesecake and the solid old chocolate chip cookie. Going healthy doesn’t have to be dull.

The chicken parmigiana at Isle of Capri is a staple of the menu—and for good reason

for a heart-to-heart with someone who matters to you. Some conversations can only occur at a diner like this.

It’s the sibling of the Candle Café, and its website explains that it’s “dedicated to your health through our commitment to excellent vegetarian cuisine.” The Candle crowd gets both parts right, the excellence and the vegetarian. That’s why even meat-eaters come for pan-seared dumplings with sesame-ginger soy sauce, avocado salad and herb-grilled cauliflower. Organic wine and beer and eco-cocktails add to the sense of adventure here.

BEST PLACE TO EAT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION

CHEZ NAPOLEON 365 West 50th Street 212.265.6980 They’ve been dishing out fabulous French food for more than a half-century — and they’ve created a landmark at which you can dish with your friends. It’s quiet, it’s classy and it’s of another time and place. This isn’t the place to play with your cell phone; experience this. Here’s the spot for a special occasion or a special relationship. Order the dessert soufflé when you decide on your main meal, so there’s time to prepare that finale.

MALIBU DINER

ISLE OF CAPRI

257 West 14th Street 212.691.1369 malibudinernyc.com

1028 Third Avenue 212.223.9430 isleofcapriny.com

Just about the opposite of the Malibu in California, the Malibu Diner is a neighborhood hangout. If Chelsea used to take settling into a booth here for granted, that changed when the place became a focal point for visitors after the summer terror bombing nearby. Suddenly it seemed worth cherishing the not-so-fancy spot with the above-average burger, the aromatic soups and the array of desserts. The minimum order for delivery is listed at $8, which means you can get that Malibu essence at your place, without even making the effort of getting to the right spot on 14th Street. But go anyway, cause it’s the spot

This is old-school Italian, with Bloomie’s conveniently nearby. There’s are a couple of spaces for private dining, making this ideal for that landmark birthday, or you can turn a regular day special by sitting quietly and munching on old-school Italian comfort food. (One vote here for the chicken parm.) You can hear yourself think at Isle of Capri, which has the décor to match the food. This is the ItalianAmerican restaurant you always loved, a tradition kept alive on Third Avenue. But a warning: the bread and breadsticks can make a meal in themselves, so remember to leave room for your entrée.

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Best Steakhouse Lincoln Square Steak, 8 UI 4U t 1 t MJODPMOTRVBSFTUFBL DPN TripAdvisorÂŽ consistently ranks Lincoln Square Steak the #1 Steakhouse in NYC. It’s the only restaurant on the Upper West Side that offers everything you’d expect from a classic New York steakhouse: Dry-aged steak, seafood, pasta and an extensive wine list. Just four blocks from Lincoln Center, the restaurant has four private dining rooms. Sample its signature Porterhouse steak and toast the New Year. Lincoln Square Steak is a steak lover’s paradise! Reservations required. Zagat 2017 - “Lincoln Square Steak is welcoming‌ charming‌ and delicious.â€?

Best Window Fashions Metropolitan Window Fashions, t XJOEPXGBTIJPOT DPN Metropolitan Window Fashions at 82nd and Amsterdam is delighted to announce the Grand Opening of their new Hunter Douglas Gallery. This beautiful new showroom displays both manual and motorized shades. Metropolitan has been serving customers for 82 years - and has been recognized as the National Retailer of the Year. Metropolitan offers FREE in-home consultations for custom draperies, shades, blinds, bedding and upholstery. Call now at 212-501-8282 and save up to $200 per window during their annual decorating sale. Visit windowfashions.com for more information.

Best Choice Of An All Girl Catholic College Preparatory School The Mary Louis Academy, 8FYGPSE 5FSSBDF +BNBJDB &TUBUFT /: t t UNMB PSH The Mary Louis Academy is recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent college preparatory high schools for young women. Our reputation for dedicated teachers, academic rigor, outstanding facilities and committed students has distinguished us for more than 80 years. TMLA is a Catholic school sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, New York. The CSJ charism of unity, reconciliation, and all-inclusive love is reflective in all aspects of The Mary Louis Academy experience. All of our graduates – yes, 100% - go on to college. Many are accepted into the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. The Class of 2016 received more than $43 million dollars in academic scholarships.

Best Appraiser SLM APPRAISALS, #SPBEXBZ t 1 t TNBTPO!TMNBQQSBJTFS DPN t TMNBQQSBJTFS DPN SLM Appraisals is a full service personal property appraisal firm providing estate, insurance and donation appraisals for art, antiques, furniture, jewelry and silver. In addition, we are able to find qualified buyers for a single item or entire contents. If you are downsizing, moving, have inherited items, or just have too much stuff, we can help. With our Roadshow At Home service, we come to your home and do a walk-thru—your own private Antiques Roadshow™. Sheri Mason, member of the Appraisers Association of America, approaches every situation with sensitivity and discretion. Phone and e-mail consults are free. Photos always welcome!

Best New School On Upper East Side Wetherby-Pembridge School, t JOGP!XFUIFSCZ QFNCSJEHF PSH Opening in September 2017, Wetherby-Pembridge School will be located on the Upper East Side at 7 East 96th Street, near Central Park. The school will offer a unique curriculum model combining the strengths of the British and New York educational systems for families that seek both academic rigor and a forward approach to teaching. The school vision is to awaken curiosity, cultivate high standards, celebrate successes and encourage children to continually question and create in the world around them. Families participate as full partners in the education of their children. The school is accepting applications for entry in September 2017. Info@wetherby-pembridge.org or call 212-328-9529

Best Union For Registered Nurses. The New York State Nurses Association - NYSNA, OZTOB PSH The New York State Nurses Association - NYSNA - represents 40,000 registered nurses, most of them working at hospitals in NYC, including major facilities in Manhattan. These include Mt. Sinai and New York Presbyterian, as well as Bellevue, Harlem Hospital and Metropolitan. NYSNA is the largest association and union of registered nurses in the state and thousands of our nurses care for tens of thousands of New Yorkers in Manhattan alone, as well as visitors to the island, and all receive the finest quality care at our hospitals. We care for All New Yorkers!!

The Only Community Owned Jewish Funeral Chapel Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, "NTUFSEBN "WF t QMB[BKFXJTI PSH Established in 2001,Plaza Jewish Community Chapel is the only communally owned and operated Jewish Funeral Chapel in the NY Metro area. Dedicated to the belief that the process of grief is not a business proposition but rather an emotional, human passage to be treated with dignity and conscience. Plaza is governed by a board of directors comprised of clergy from all denominations, community leaders and executives of social service agencies. We take pride in giving back to the community in a variety of ways and provide educational programs as well as support to those working in end of life.

Kids There’s nothing better than growing up in the heart of it all – and here are just some of the reasons why. Storyteller Andy Laties shales tales with children at Bank Street Bookstore

BEST STORY HOURS BOOKS OF WONDER 18 West 18th Street 212.989.3270 booksofwonder.com

A few years ago, the staff here kicked off a new series for the next generation of readers. On Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., youngsters enjoy the story time session at Books of Wonder, a wondrous and longtime literary presence in Chelsea. It’s a “good, old-fashionedâ€? story time, the store promises. Sometimes there are scheduling conicts, so double-check before to make sure that the story’s all set to be shared.

BANK STREET BOOKSTORE 2780 Broadway 212.678.1654 bankstreetbooks.com

Tuesday through Saturday at Bank Street, there are free 10:30 a.m. story hours for toddlers. It all happens in the special setting of Bank Street, a bookstore for children and their parents and teachers. And the store plays host to a range of other events too, like NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan’s recent appearance celebrating his new children’s book. Check the web site for Bank Street’s latest plans.

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART 1000 Fifth Avenue 212.535.7710

The museum’s Nolen Library has quietly become an important part of the lives of the city’s toddlers, one story at a time. Museum admission is not required for the Toddler Story time offered weekdays by the Met, but it’s a ďŹ rst-come, ďŹ rstserved situation, so be there beforehand. There are regular story times and toddler versions, covering children from 18 months through six years old.

BEST PLAYGROUNDS OR PLAY AREAS CITY TREEHOUSE 129A West 20th Street 212.255.2050 citytreehouse.com

This is a perfect indoor play space for youngsters during the winter. The concept here is to “learn through play,� and that happens through playtime, classes and events. Since a guiding philosophy includes the notion that it’s “fun to get wet,� you might want to bring an extra set of clothes just in case. Up to 25 children can share the play space here and you do not need to be a member to get in. Check the web site for pricing – and for ideas.

ELEPHANT PLAYGROUND 40 Riverside Drive 212.870.3070

A playground so cool that even realtors in the neighborhood know it’s a draw. A few years ago there was an upgrade, and even before that it was a standout playground for kids form the area — and it’s worth traveling too. It’s got New York elegance and an official name, Neufeld Playground, although the famous sprinklers mean that it deserves the elephant label. The play equipment isn’t unusual, but the playhouse provides an artistic touch. And somehow the children here make the space their own.

BILLY JOHNSON PLAYGROUND Fifth Avenue and 67th Street

So close to so much, and still somehow the perfect place for a child’s imagination to wander and wonder. It’s not about big stuff or even bigness at all; instead it’s a manageable, imagination-inspiring spot in Central Park that kids love — and their parents appreciate. There

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Best Services www.EastMidtown.org The best shopping, dining, and services in the city can be found in East Midtown Manhattan. Since 2002, the East Midtown Partnership has worked to promote their local businesses through a variety of innovative programming, including their holiday concert series, “Sounds of the Season,� and popular Lunar New Year and Halloween events. Visit their newly-redesigned website at www.EastMidtown.org for more details.

Best Neighborhood Community Bookstore and Cardshop Logos Bookstore, :PSL "WF #FU SE UI 4UT t t MPHPTCPPLTUPSFOZD DPN Logos Bookstore is two bookstores in one, with a wonderful card shop. Logos is not only a sensational regular bookstore with a strong selection of children’s books, fiction, biography, history, poetry, philosophy, psychology, science and nature and cookbooks. It is also a spiritual, religious bookshop representing the religions of the world: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and others and the best collection of diverse, eclectic greeting cards on the Upper East Side. Known for its 18 year old book group, Kill Your TV Reading Group (KYTV), Logos Bookstore also has a Sacred Texts Group and a Monday Children’s Story Time from baby to 5 years old. The Great Lawn in Central Park remains a favorite of city teenagers. Photo: Carley Lhasa via Flickr

are baby swings, stunning views and, in warmer weather, cool water spots. It’s worth waiting for spring just to return to the scene.

BEST MUSEUM HANGOUTS AND HAPPENINGS

BEST TIMES FOR TEENS THE RUBIN MUSEUM 150 West 17th Street 212.620. 5000 rubinmuseum.org

DELICATESSEN 54 Prince Street 212.226.0211. delicatessennyc.com

Kids really get the mix of cool and comfortable, and can get both at this elegant take on American cuisine. There are three private event spaces here, too, so it’s not a bad spot for the birthday bash that’s coming up. But this Delicatessen in Nolita can make an afterschool break seems special. And the all-day breakfast menu doesn’t hurt for kids who want to wake up on their own schedule.

TOTTO RAMEN 366 West 52nd Street 212.582.0052 tottoramen.com

There are several Manhattan outlets of Totto Ramen, and your kids might have their own favorite. But we like the bustle of Hell’s Kitchen. Teens appreciate the speedy service and yummy menu items. Nobody can blame them. Ramen’s big — and this is one big reason why.

THE GREAT LAWN Central Park centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/great-lawn.html

Sometimes the simple things are the best. A big ol’ lawn, conveniently located in the center of the universe, is the perfect place for sharing conversations, analyzing angst, monitoring a changing political landscape and people-watching. New Yorkers of every age and background have noticed it — and so have our kids.

Try CafÊ Serai, Tibetan-inspired cuisine in a cool setting. This isn’t your average museum restaurant. Then again, it’s not your average museum — and there’s lots going on at the Rubin, which is smaller than the mega-museums, so it can feel more manageable. And more adventurous. There’s funky stuff happening, like the Brainwave lecture series, a range of musical options and summer workshops for teenagers.

METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE AT LINCOLN CENTER 212.799.3400 metopera.org

Now you don’t even have to go the opera to go to the opera house. Earlier this fall, the Met started allowing visitors during weekday mornings to tour the famous facility. The latest innovation in the “open house� initiative: brunch. The Metropolitan Opera’s Grand Tier Restaurant has a new menu — and plans for diners to enjoy brief recitals from members of the company’s young artist program. Also, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Sunday, the Met’s grand staircase, chandeliers and balcony overlooking Lincoln Center are all open to the public.

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK 1220 Fifth Avenue 212.534.1672 mcny.org

It’s not just the new permanent exhibit, “New York at Its Core,� that’s winning raves at the Museum of the City of New York. There’s also an event to go with it, “Music to My Ears,� which is a family-friendly program at 11 a.m. on Dec. 18 and 24. This is a way to learn about how music matters in the city and (way) beyond, and goes nicely with upcoming events like Hanukkah family day and “Winter Scene Painting.�

Best Upper East Side Church Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, & 5) 45 /: /: t +BO)VT PSH !0OF)PQF/:$ Jan Hus Presbyterian Church is a mega-ministry on the Upper East Side, striving for justice and transforming lives. The Urban Outreach Center at JanHus is a comprehensive onestop social services operation that meets the vast needs of nearly 27,000 vulnerable New Yorkers with dignity and compassion. Our congregation offers several faith formation experiences tailored to embrace the diverse corners of our City. At JanHus, we’re equipping people just like to you upend the systems of our world that hold people back from being their very best. Stop by. All are welcome.

Best Credit Union Bethpage Federal Credit Union is proud to be a new member of the Chelsea community. And because we are a credit union, not a bank, we offer better rates, lower fees, and friendlier service. Bethpage is federally insured by the National Credit Union Association and we offer a wide range of banking products including Free Checking plus interest. Everyone can bank at Bethpage so please stop in at 111 West 26th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, Mon. – Fri., 8:30am – 4:00pm. Or visit lovebethpage.com.

Best New Channel: NYXT.nyc NYXT.nyc (pronounced next dot N.Y.C.) is a new cable channel and digital platform that shines a spotlight on the organizations that are building connected communities in Manhattan. NYXT.nyc helps participants and viewers connect, build and enhance their communities. A project of Manhattan Neighborhood Network, NYXT.nyc is presented in partnership with 60+ Manhattan community content partners. Produced in the heart of the most important city in the world, its innovative program format showcases Manhattan’s many voices and provides pathways for community engagement and involvement. Find NYXT.nyc in Manhattan on Spectrum Cable Channel 1992, FiOS 38 and online at nyxt.nyc

Best Moving and Organizing Consultants – Celebrating 20 years! Moving Mentor, Inc., t JOGP!NPWJOHNFOUPS DPN t NPWJOHNFOUPS DPN Thinking about a move? It can feel overwhelming. We ease the way - guiding you through each step so you are balanced and in control. We specialize in working with seniors and their families, providing expertise and peace of mind. Not moving? Need help organizing your space? Moving Mentor gets you above the clutter so you can breathe easier, bringing order and relief to your life. Move your life along. Call or email us to arrange for a 30-minute free phone consultation.

Best Geriatric Center Isabella House, t JTBCFMMB PSH Isabella Geriatric Center located in verdant Northern Manhattan, provides high quality care and diverse programs designed to promote independence and healthy living. Our residents have the flexibility to live their own lives yet have support services available if they need them. We are a high-rise building comprised of independent-living apartments for adults ages 62 or older. Our comfortable dining room offers lunch and dinner buffet style. Activities are abundant and diverse, including music, dance and exercise programs, poetry and art classes, computer training and more.

Best Pre-School 2016 Bright Horizons, CSJHIUIPSJ[POT DPN OZD Bright Horizons is the leading provider of high-quality early education and preschool here in New York City. Our programs empower children from infancy on to become confident, successful learners and secure, caring people. We strive to grow young readers, scientists, artists, and explorers who are engaged and curious. Our programs invite children to approach school and academics with skills, confidence, and a drive for excellence. Brighthorizons.com/nyc.

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The Local restaurant is a foodie paradise in downtown Rhinebeck, N.Y.

Recreation There’s a whole world out there beyond your apartment. See it.

BEST SEASIDE ESCAPES CITY ISLAND, THE BRONX Sometimes you can get out of the city without actually leaving the city. As in City Island, the wayuptown respite from big-town living. The island in Long Island Sound is a place to see a charming New England village of sorts, without having to trek to New England. Instead, take the 6 train and the Bx29 express bus. Then walk about. Breathe. And of course eat—maybe at the famous family restaurant, Sammy’s Fish Box, at 41 City Island Avenue.

ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY It’s doesn’t just have to be part of Bruce Springsteen’s history; it can be part of yours too. And Asbury Park seems just about finished with its high-profile revival. Go and you’ll see the houses that have been renovated, not far from

the restaurants and lively pubs that have arrived on now-busy Cook Avenue. This is increasingly a second-home option for New Yorkers, but start out with a weekend. Especially since famous designer Anda Andrei is behind the look of The Asbury, the upscale hotel that arrived this year.

BEST BIKE BREAKS NYACK Looking for a bike getaway nearby? Start by heading west over the George Washington Bridge. Then make your way to charming Nyack, where you can grab a tasty lunch in a downtown that can feel like a mini-vacation from Manhattan living. Don’t forget that Nyack is home, too, to

GOVERNOR’S ISLAND Go to Governor’s Island — and don’t hesitate to take the bike with you. Governor’s Island holds its Art Fair each September, and it’s increasingly a recognized part of the city’s art scene. But bikers abound too, and they should. The bike loop on the island takes riders around the army barracks of old, providing stunning views and good exercise simultaneously.

BEST CAR – OR TRAIN – GETAWAYS HUDSON, NEW YORK You can drive or take Amtrak. Either way, the Columbia County city that shares a name with its neighboring river is making news these days. It’s not just an upstate version of Brooklyn. It’s a just-gritty-enough, just-charming-enough combination with restaurants, bars, galleries and the kind of independent stores who used to be able to rent space in Manhattan. Consider staying over at 26 Warren Bed & Breakfast, where the décor is warm and there’s easy access to Hudson’s gifts.

MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT Speaking of the Long Island Sound ... the Mystic River flows into it. That river takes center stage in Mystic, Connecticut — which technically is within Groton and Stonington. But Mystic is a state of mind, too, and a restful one for visitors, who flock to the maritime museum and seaside buildings. It’s a beautiful place to watch sun shine on water, even in cooler months, and a getaway from the hustle and bustle. And it’s incredibly convenient by rail travel.

the Edward Hopper House, which is more than a memorialization of an essential American artist. It’s also very much an art museum itself.

RHINEBECK, NEW YORK Walkable downtown Nyack is a possible destination for bike riders. Photo: Doug Kerr via Flickr

It’s weird sometimes to drive for two hours and then wind up in a traffic jam at the community’s central corner. But then you see all the activity

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2016 “BEST PRESCHOOL”

WHERE CHILDREN

Learn & THRIVE! brighthorizons.com/NYC

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near that corner. There’s the Beekman Arms, which bills itself as the first-ever inn in the nation. Franklin Roosevelt spoke on the porch; now yuppies do. Nearby is The Local, one of the great dining options in Dutchess County, where the servers may know more than you do about what you want. This town has Upstate Films, where the programmers display especially good taste in their choices, and Oblong Books, a smartly stocked independent bookstore. Not far away is the idyllic, best-breakfast-ever Whistlewood Farm, open for weekends during the winter. There’s a two-night minimum, but it’s worth it to walk down to the barn with engaging proprietor Maggie Myer when she feeds the horses.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA The getaway doesn’t have to be rustic. Some of us love cities — so much so that, even though we live in the best one, we also like to see others. You’ve been hearing for years about the renaissance in Philadelphia, and how foodies there can afford to open a restaurant that takes chances and doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune. Go see, especially since it’s all true. And don’t be surprised if the old favorites — that Liberty Bell, the one you saw on the elementary school field trip — somehow steals your heart all over again.

BEST PLACE TO WORK YOUR ABS

The famous piers development is home to a members-only sports center. Photo: Erik Drost via Flickr

BEST MIND/BODY PRACTITIONERS SONIC YOGA 944 Eighth Avenue 646.791.4240

CHELSEA PIERS 212.336.6000 chelseapiers.com

No, it’s not just about hitting a baseball or seeing the view of the river. Chelsea Piers is home to a members-only sports center with more than 175 group classes every week, and your abs will thank you — eventually — if you get busy there. CoreExtreme and CoreBall get you in shape. Seniors and students have their own membership categories, and would-be athletes of all ages can call the number above or inquire about membership through the website.

THE BARI STUDIO 23 Leonard Street 212.966.2274 thebaristudio.com

These people know how to get you in shape, especially with their hybrid workout approach. But fans say that classes focusing on abs are effective. Feel the burn in the core, sure, but at least you’re noticing your own progress.

ASPHALT GREEN UPPER EAST SIDE 555 East 90th Street 212.369.8890

There’s a new dedicated Pilates reformer studio at the longtime Upper East Side location — and that’s a neighbor we should all greet. Asphalt Green is such a familiar part of life on the far Upper East Side that it’s easy to forget what’s so right under our nose — but neighbors can enjoy an array of activities, especially aerobic ones.

The atmosphere here is accepting and somehow simultaneously energizing. With a new location on Eighth Avenue, Sonic Yoga has a home from which to care for its students — paying attention to their individual development, providing non-judgmental instruction and always encouraging the next pose. One great class: “Flow Fundamentals.”

DIANA RILOV Equinox, Exhale and JCC dianarilov.com

She makes meditation seem like something that even a skeptic can embrace. She’s got practical advice — and believes in more than one path to the promised land of meditation, speaking with warmth and humor about the different methods. Rilov teaches excellent, mind-calming classes at Equinox and Exhale for members. She also does a gig at the JCC on Amsterdam Avenue where you don’t need to be a member.

LIFE IN MOTION YOGA 2744 Broadway 212.316.3338 Lifeinmotion.com

The class that Mary Nichols does on Sundays, “Gentle Yoga,” is a good one for beginners. She goes beyond that gym version of yoga, explaining and championing and even seeming to live the concepts right in front your eyes. Nichols and others here will get you into physical positions — and states of mind — you never thought you’d get into. A single-class can cost $10 as an introduction. Then later you might want a 10-class card for $150. Once you’re hooked.

Diana Rilov, a yoga teacher with classes at Equinox, Exhale and the JCC, often tells students that there’s more than one way to meditate

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WEEKDAY SPECIAL Monday - Friday: receive $5 off Package A or B!

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Best Makeovers When – and where – pampering yourself really matters.

BEST NAIL SALON FOR MEN BLISS SOHO 568 Broadway 877. 862.5477 blissspa.com

place that’s all about the men, but they certainly seem to be part of the scene at this Upper West Side salon. It’s unisex for hair and for nails, and in both cases the impulse here seems to be to treat everyone well. The service meets the good vibe, too, with excellent manicures for men the standard here.

DYANNA SPA

Bliss isn’t just for women. At all. The “manly cure” at Bliss gets your fingers in shape for a certain professional look. And it’s a personal pleasure to enjoy this escape from the stress and strain of regular life. Bliss indeed—for customers of any gender or age.

SALON G83 100 West 83rd Street 212.769.3908

When it comes to keeping the place clean and the mood welcoming, SalonG83 excels. It’s not a

40 East 21st Street 212.995.2355 or 150 East 39th Street 212.213.0011 dyannaspa.com

Some spas feel unwelcoming, especially for guys. But that’s not Dyanna, where everybody’s a pal you haven’t met yet. And where there’s nothing wrong with a dude wanting to keep his nails clean, clipped and looking good. The Flatiron-area store is our favorite, but maybe that’s because Harding’s restaurant and a good Chinese place are right down the street.

Beyond Bespoke is a a good spot for professionals to spiff up their look

The Mary Louis Academy

T M L A+

At The Mary Louis Academy, you will find your own voice distinctive, confident, intelligent, creative, and empowered a voice that will be one of your greatest assets in life.

OPEN HOUSE October 16th, 2016 10am-3pm

SHADOW A STUDENT buddy@tmla.org

176-21 Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432 | Phone: 718-297-2120 Fax: 718-739-0037 | @WEARETMLA | #HILLTOPPERNATION | TACHS #016

VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.tmla.org

The Mary Louis Academy is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York. Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Chartered by the State of NY.

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

BEST BLOWOUT SPOTS BLO Five Manhattan locations, including the Upper East Side (260 East 72nd Street, 646.478.7988) and Chelsea (800 Sixth Avenue, 212.725.4500) blomedry.com

It’s a national franchise with local options, where the company says “you won’t find cuts or color,” but you will get “blo-wn away.” This the place for those who think blow-drying your own hair is as sensible as performing surgery on yourself. At Blo they’re ready for your extensions, your braiding plans and your love of the head massage and deep conditioning.

DRY BAR UPPER WEST SIDE 69 West 71st Street 212.500.1658 thedrybar.com

Why didn’t they think of this earlier? As in decades earlier? Yes, it’s part of a national trend, but when the beauty of the blowout goes local, you wind up feeling pampered in the perfect way. You pick the style you want, whether it’s the Cosmo or the Southern Comfort or the appropriately named Manhattan. You also get the sense of taking a needed time-out for your day.

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WO’S CUSTOM TAILORING

BEST TAILOR

1386 Second Avenue 212.988.9889 wocustomtailoring.com

THE ORCHARD STREET TAILOR SERVICES

It’s old-fashioned and gets the job done. More than that, though, this is a tailor with a motto: “In anything we do, we do it well, and we do it with love.” Workmanship matters here, and you’ll find help for suits, shirts, gowns and a range of alterations. Customer reviews emphasize a higher-than-average degree of happiness from New Yorkers, who have been known to hold their tailors (and everyone else) to a pretty high standard.

145 Orchard Street 212.228.0429

It gets a little crowded in this famous, helpful and ongoing New York institution. But that only makes sense once you see the workmanship on display. This is pretty much the opposite of pretentious and the epitome of practical, a place where they won’t be surprised by what you show them—and more than a few New Yorkers swear by this classic enterprise.

BEYOND BESPOKE 45 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor 212.918.1966 beyondbespoke.com

“Nick Torres grew up with a tape measure draped around his neck,” the stylish Beyond Bespoke website tells us. The second-floor location reflects a similar tale, and is a good spot for a professional to get his suit and jacket spiffed up. Make appointments for either in-home or in-shop consultations. A sister spot, Beyond Bridal, caters to wedding dress alterations, so the Bespoke industry seems to have a lot of areas covered. Tailors often use one word to get their message – about their service—across. Photo: Lee Lilly via Flickr

When it comes to professional, friendly service, Wo’s Custom Tailoring exceeds expectations.

NYSNA NURSES: Proud to Care for ALL New Yorkers nynurses | nysna.org

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Arts &

Culture

Because the world’s greatest attractions might just double as your neighborhood haunts.

BEST LOCAL THEATER GROUP IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE 132 West 22nd Street 212.727.2737 irishrep.org

John Rottman and Marin Lee is a recent TACT production, “She Stoops to Conquer.” Photo: Marielle Solan

The delicious new production of “Finian’s Rainbow” has been extended to Jan. 29, giving more would-be audience members a chance to visit the Irish Repertory Theatre’s new home. The place is lovely, but it’s still the plays themselves, classics that deserve to live in fresh new ways and modern-day voices breaking through, that make

this company a standout. The group started in 1988 and picked Chelsea as a full-time home in 1995. But one current offering, through Jan. 7, is being done in conjunction with the American Irish Historical Society. At the society’s Fifth Avenue headquarters, there’s a fresh take on James Joyce’s “The Dead,” this time called “The Dead, 1904,” and starring Kate Burton and Boyd Gaines. Set in the classic mansion setting, the dinner scene this time plays out with an actual dinner — shared by actors and audience.

THE ACTORS COMPANY THEATRE Office: 900 Broadway, Suite 905 212.645.8228 tactnyc.org

Get a Jump on January!

Register now for classes at all 24 CUNY campuses starting in January 2017.

Winter Session’17

cuny.edu/winter

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Best Manhattan Youth Athletic Association Yorkville Youth Athletic Association, t ZZBB PSH t JOGP!ZZBB PSH The parents have spoken‌ “Great environment for players and parents!â€? “Both my daughter and son have participated since the 2nd grade in basketball, baseball, tennis, even drama, and they’ve loved every minute of itâ€?. “Get the kids out for good old-fashioned fun!â€? Since 1968, the Yorkville Youth Athletic Association has offered sports, performing arts, and after-school programs for boys and girls pre-K through 12th grade. Programs include baseball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, dodge ball, football (flag and tackle), hockey, tennis, theater, and more. To sign up, or learn more about these exciting programs, visit www.yyaa.org, email info@yyaa.org, or call 212-360-0022.

Best Kitchen Makeover Tru-Facers Kitchens, -FYJOHUPO "WF CUXO UI UI t t USVGBDFST DPN Tru-Facers Kitchens can give your kitchen a dramatic makeover for a fraction of the time, cost and mess of a full kitchen renovation. With the Tru-Facers method, they will remove your old doors and drawer fronts, make and install new doors of your choice on new hardware with new handles, and veneer the exterior surfaces of your existing cabinet boxes to match. Compliment your new cabinet doors with a new quartz or granite counter top, back splash and floor tile, or new appliances. Full kitchen and bath renovation services are also available. Call today for a free in-home estimate.

Best Doggy Daycare Facility on the Upper West Side Playground Pups, "NTUFSEBN CFUXFFO OE BOE SE t t QMBZHSPVOEQVQT DPN Established in 2009, Playground Pups is the Upper West Side’s premier doggy daycare facility, offering daycare, crateless boarding, grooming, training, a free weekly puppy playgroup and a small boutique. Owner run and operated, we are known for our passion for our dogs. Our experienced daycare staff treat every dog as if they were our own. Offering an introductory 1⠄2 day of daycare ($40) at no charge, now through the end of January. First half day assessments are done 7 days a week, by appointment only. Free puppy playgroups are for new puppies up to 8 months of age and are given every Saturday from 10 -11am. No reservations required and your puppy needs only age appropriate vaccines to come. Check us out on Yelp, Google, Facebook or our website at www.playgroundpups.com.

The Actors Company Theatre

These are the people who almost singlehandedly put the drama back in the staged reading. Even a stripped down production at The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) felt fully developed, right from the start 23 seasons ago. Since then, TACT and its company of familiar faces and great talents have breathed new life into plays we thought we knew. Like when Cynthia Harris broke hearts and scared audiences as the domineering grandma in Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.� See a TACT show and fall in love with theater all over again. Your next opportunity: “The Gravedigger’s Lullabuy� comes to Theater Row’s Beckett Theatre on West 42nd Street in February.

ST. BART’S PLAYERS 325 Park Avenue 212.378.0248 stbartplayers.org

Community theater in the big city is an actual thing—and they prove it at St. Bart’s every production. The most recent, “Company,� was an ably-acted take on the Stephen Sondheim classic — and as good as versions that got a lot more ink and cost a lot more for tickets. When the landlord’s a church, you might expect something toned down, but this is a sophisticated band of talents doing challenging work they love, and stuff that’s worth seeing for lucky audiences.

Best Photography Museum International Center of Photography (ICP) Museum, #PXFSZ t JDQ PSH NVTFVN 5VFTEBZ o 4VOEBZ BN QN 5IVSTEBZ BN QN $MPTFE .POEBZ Founded in 1974, the International Center of Photography is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. The ICP Museum hosts up to six exhibitions annually; these focused presentations reflect the past, present, and future of image-making. Diverse public programs, lectures, workshops, and free tours for school groups accompany each show. Featuring a multilevel gallery and free public space, the ICP Museum inspires fresh dialogue about images as mediums of empowerment and as catalysts for social change.

Best Classical Music Series Peggy Rockefeller Concerts at The Rockefeller University; :PSL "WFOVF BU UI 4USFFU The Rockefeller University, founded in 1901 by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., is the world’s leading biomedical research university. It is also the host of the Peggy Rockefeller Concerts, a series of outstanding musical performances by internationally acclaimed artists, in a venue unmatched in New York City – the University’s Caspary Auditorium. Our next concert on February 8, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. features pianist Charlie Albright. For more information on the concert series or to purchase tickets, please visit us at www.rockefeller. edu/peggy.

Best Way To Keep Up With Fast Changing Lower Manhattan The Alliance for Downtown’s jam packed and well organized web site (www. downtownny.com) is the place to go when you are looking for Lower Manhattan news, updates on community activities, sales and all the skinny on where to eat, drink and be merry every month of the year. With a comprehensive guide to all the area’s stores, restaurants and bars as well as a regular feature that highlights “Downtown Deals� and up to the minute info on where and when to hop on the Alliance’s free community shuttle bus, this site is the tool to become better acquainted with all that’s going on downtown.

Best Golf Club Chelsea Piers, DIFMTFBQJFST DPN HPMG No buckets of balls here! The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers, Manhattan’s only four-tiered, outdoor driving range, is also NYC’s only range with an automatic ball tee-up system. With 52 weather-protected stalls and a 200-yard fairway, there’s no better place to sharpen your swing year-round. The Golf Club also features a year-round teaching academy with PGA and LPGA pros, indoor Full Swing simulators, and a junior golf program. Whether you’re looking to get started or to fine-tune your skills, the Golf Club is NYC’s most popular place to learn, practice and play. Ready to tee up a better game? Visit chelseapiers.com/golf.

Patti Perkins & Patricia Kilgarriff in “The Dead, 1904� (Irish Repertory Theatre)

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

YOU THINK SOMETHING MAY BE WRONG. THE ANSWER IS NOT STARING YOU IN THE FACE. Avoiding eye contact is one early sign of autism. Learn the others today at autismspeaks.org/signs. Early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Michael Moore of the Wags West dogwalking company, and hiw friends, strolling on the Upper West Side

FROM THE GOLF CLUB

Pets A dog’s life has a whole new meaning in this town.

she says. “But some cats really need grooming because they can’t help themselves — especially the long-haired.â€? She says she has a lot of Upper West Side clients and pays special attention to a pet’s personality and speciďŹ c health needs. Ishikura’s bottom line: “Good grooming has many beneďŹ ts; not only the appearance of the pets, but for their mental and physical well-being.â€?

GROOMINGDALES 349 East 82nd Street 646.837.6404

BEST GROOMING DOWNTOWN DOGHOUSE 168 Ninth Avenue 212.924.5300

Lucky Downtown Doghouse customers just got a holiday-season-free-upgrade email, as if they needed a reminder of how much they appreciate the dog grooming given in a spa setting. Get a reservation before you go — and be aware of the Gramercy location too. The talents here do everything from hand-clipping to preparing show dogs for their moment in the sun.

!! ! $ !

# ! ! Buying gifts for the whole family can be tough, but Gift Cards from the Golf Club are a gimme!

A1 PET GROOMING A1petgrooming.com 212.369.3575

! ! "!

Atsuko Ishikura of A1 Pet Grooming, who’s on the team that provides an at-home service, says A1 freshens the look for both dogs and cats. Do cats put up with that? “It depends on the cat,�

It’s not just a cute name. Groomingdales wins plaudits from regular customers who admire the service — and the attitude with which it’s delivered. The salon says it specializes in poodles and bichons, but this is a spot where you can bring other breeds too. The aim, as the helpful web site promises: “the most enjoyable, relaxing experience possible.�

BEST DOG PARK TRIBECA DOG PARK Hudson River Park hudsonriverpark.org/explore-thepark/activities/tribeca-dog-park

At Pier 26 in Tribeca, big dogs and little ones are both welcomed. And the humans with them will appreciate the amenities, from benches and fences and trash cans and, when weather permits, running water. It’s a stylish place for stylish dogs, and even the people they bring with them.

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

105TH STREET DOG RUN Riverside Park at 105th Street

There are bigger dog parks, but the one at 105th Street within Riverside Park is an endearing little spot, for dogs and their owners and those standing outside and enjoying the parade of pups. This is a part of the park with a neighborhood feel, and that extends to the dogs who greet one another enthusiastically.

CARL SCHURZ PARK East End Avenue to East River, 84th to 90th Streets

Talk about being welcoming to dogs. Carl Schurz Park has two different dog runs, making it increasingly a draw for those with four-footed friends. The big dog run draws the bigger breeds, who put on an ongoing show for those without dogs. The little dog run is elevated above the boardwalk, making a ďŹ ne setting for canines and kicking off the day for many East Siders.

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Services include a free ďŹ rst-time home meeting, daily check-in emails and online scheduling and billing.

ON ALL FOURS CAT SITTING 917.623.0087 Onallfourscatsitting.com

Insured, bonded and veterinarian recommended, we know ďŹ rsthand the service offered by On All Fours. One apartment dweller on the Upper West Side was recently talking about his catsitters — only to ďŹ nd a neighbor three doors down on the same oor also used the company. Leslie Kaufman, a former Humane Society volunteer who is the president of On All Fours, takes seriously her job overseeing an able stable of sitters. She hires the kind of people who report by email about how your cats are doing when you’ve made the mistake of actually leaving them to go away.

WAGS WEST 910 West End Avenue 917.817.1073 wagswestnyc.com

Since 2006, Wags West has been taking care of dogs — and cats too — on the Upper West Side and in South Harlem. The company stresses lovingg and personal attention for the dogs it caress for, and will visit with a new puppy, do the traditional dog walk or do a 30-minute minute cat-care care stop.

Best Work Out in NYC CrossFit, 0OMZ UP TUBSU PS USZ B GSFF DMBTT ÜSTU t t DSPTTÜUOZD DPN People often think CrossFit can be intimidating. Or that you already have to get in shape to start, or that it’s only for the nutty and the already super fit. But nothing could be further from the truth as the people, coaches, and programs at CrossFit NYC make abundantly clear. CrossFit is an exceptionally effective way of losing weight and getting in shape. And it’s sticky: people who try CrossFit don’t quit. They get results. CFNYC is organized from top to bottom around safety, a supportive community, sound and careful progressions, and the personal needs of athletes new or advanced.services are also available. Call today for a free in-home estimate.

Best Bakery Glaser’s Bake Shop; TU "WF BU UI 4USFFU /FX :PSL t Glaser’s Bake Shop has been part of New Yorkers’ celebrations for over 114 years! John Glaser and Herbert Glaser Jr. are the 3rd generation owners of this German Yorkville landmark. It was opened in its current location on April 2, 1902 by their grandparents John and Justine. Their son Herbert Sr. took over the business in 1933, and though his sons have now been in the business for over 40 years, he didn’t retire until the mid-1990s. John and Herbert still continue making some of the delicious products that customers have come to associate with this treasured neighborhood. A family tradition lives on in Yorkville!

Best Shopping Area in New York DOG ROOM CLUB

BEST DOG WALKER AND CAT-SITTING

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1476 Lexington Avenue 646.964.5220 dogroomclub.com

The Dog Room Club does day care on-site and some fantastic grooming. But in a city where so many of us appreciate — and need — a betterthan-decent dog walker, it makes sense to put special emphasis on that task. This company tailors the experience to your dog, and her or his needs, rather than forcing a one-size-ďŹ ts-all approach. The Lexington Avenue facility is staffed 24/7, a relief to those who need to board their family members here.

Brookfield Place, #SPPLÜFME1MBDF/: DPN Oh What Fun! Schedule Your Visit with Santa at Brookfield Place Today! Capture the holiday magic with the man in red at Brookfield Place until December 24! Kids create holiday crafts and ornaments while they wait to share their wish lists with Mr. Claus. Plan a full day with Santa, skating on the waterfront, wish-making at the Luminaries light installation, and best-in-class shopping and dining. Photo packages begin at $27. Monday – Friday, receive $5 off Package A or B! Coupon Code: 850435. Not valid with other coupon. Must present code to redeem. Valid in 2016 at Brookfield Place NY only, at Cherry Hill Photo location. Visit BrookfieldPlaceNY.com for photo packages and reservations.

Best New Play about New Yorkers The Babylon Line, .JU[J & /FXIPVTF 5IFBUFS BU -JODPMO $FOUFS 5IFBUFS 8FTU UI 4USFFU XXX MDU PSH Levittown, 1967. Josh Radnor (“Disgraced on Broadway,� “How I Met Your Mother�) commutes from the city to teach creative writing to a class of housewives and others who barely want to be there. Except one, Elizabeth Reaser, (“The Twilight Saga,�) who challenges him in unexpected ways. “Radnor and Reaser show genuine heat� (Time Out New York) in this “beguiling and intoxicating new play� (Hollywood Reporter) with Maddie Corman, Randy Graff, Julie Halston, Michael Oberholtzer and Frank Wood. Written by Tony AwardŽ winner Richard Greenberg 5BLF .F 0VU and directed by Terry Kinney, it’s “funny, smart and revelatory� (The Forward).

Best Hospital NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, 8JMMJBN 4USFFU UXP CMPDLT TPVUIFBTU PG $JUZ )BMM 5P ĂśOE B QIZTJDJBO DBMM t OZQ PSH MPXFSNBOIBUUBO NewYork-Presbyterian, the #1 hospital in New York, is the only hospital in lower Manhattan. With 24/7 emergency care and a separate pediatric treatment area, NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan provides access to the best care in New York. Our physicians are all members of Weill Cornell Medicine, and offer adult and pediatric primary and specialty care at multiple locations in your neighborhood: t 8JMMJBN 4USFFU t 8JMMJBN 4USFFU t 8PSUI 4USFFU t #SPBEXBZ t &MJ[BCFUI 4USFFU Together with our nurses and staff, we are committed to medical excellence and the highest level of care, and are proud to serve this vibrant community.

Best High Quality Affordable Education The City University of New York - $6/: FEV CUNY’S high-quality affordable academic opportunities make it “the American Dream Machine,� in the words of the late City College alumnus and Intel Corp. co-founder Andres Grove. CUNY students dream big, work hard and accomplish much, winning the most prestigious awards in the nation. In 2016, these included 10 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships and 13 Fulbright Fellowships for research and teaching abroad – among many examples of the transformative value of a CUNY education.

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

LOWER MANHATTAN

THE PLACE TO SHOP, DINE & CELEBRATE DowntownNY.com/holiday | #DownIsWhatsUp

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

nyp.org/lowermanhattan

lower manhattan has many landmarks. but only one hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. Just two blocks southeast of City Hall at 170 William Street.

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

A BAROQUE TRIO Paintings by Guido Cagnacci, the long forgotten 17th century artist, are here for the holidays BY VAL CASTRONOVO

Guido Cagnacci (1601-63), the Italian Baroque master, is having a New York moment. Three of his paintings can be seen at three institutions on the Upper East Side — The Met Fifth Avenue, The Frick Collection and, most recently, the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, an arm of the Italian government located on Park Avenue. Cagnacci is little known to Americans and was only rediscovered in Italy in the 1950s, when exhibits including his paintings were held in Rimini (1952) and Bologna (1959). His unconventional artistic and personal style partly account for his obscurity, as does the absence of followers to carry on the master’s work. Earlier this year, The Met purchased Cagnacci’s “The Death of Cleopatra” (ca. 1645-55), which the museum’s website pronounces “utterly singular in its open sensuality.” The Egyptian queen’s suicide via an asp bite was a popular subject in Baroque art, which prized drama and tension. Another, quite erotic iteration (ca. 1660-63), with a half-naked queen, was unveiled at the Italian Cultural Institute earlier this month and will be on exhibit until Jan. 19. But as the Frick’s chief curator, Xavier F. Salomon, noted at a recent lecture, Cagnacci’s “Repentant Magdalene” (ca. 1660-63) — a theatrical rendering of Mary Magdalene renouncing her sinful ways — is “one of the most astonishing masterpieces of Italian 17th century art.” It’s a bravura work by the provincial painter from Romagna that now hangs in the East Gallery of the Frick alongside the van Dycks. Descriptions of Cagnacci and his oeuvre are riddled with code words such as “eccentric” and “idiosyncratic.” The man was, as the saying goes, a complicated person. He was born in the village of Santarcangelo di Romagna in northeastern Italy to a town crier, Matteo Cagnacci, and his wife, Livia Serra. When he was 17, he left to study art in Bologna and Rome, returning five years later to the Romagna region to paint mostly in its

main cities, Rimini, Forli and Faenza. He produced a string of altarpieces and other devotional works during this period, but was better known for his romantic adventures. As his biographer Xavier Salomon writes in “The Art of Guido Cagnacci” (2016), the painter began a liaison with a wealthy aristocratic widow, Teodora Arianna Stivivi, in the late 1620s and, when her family frowned on marriage, the couple eloped, “which without her family’s consent was illegal.” Teodora wound up doing penance in a convent, and Guido avoided the consequences by fleeing Rimini, though in 1632 “he was still officially demanding Teodora’s dowry from her family, but it was never granted.” This caper was followed by other colorful episodes. Cagnacci charmed one woman into signing a document leaving him all her property, and he is believed to have lived illegally for more than 10 years with another, who traveled with him disguised as a man and likely served as a model for his art. The painter is also known to have assumed false identities, notably in the 1650s in Venice, where he worked for almost 10 years and used a fictitious name to avoid association with his scandalous past. But then there was the work. “The Repentant Magdalene,” on view through Jan. 22, was painted for Emperor Leopold I in Vienna, where Cagnacci resided after leaving Venice. Critics there insinuated he could only paint single “half-figure” nude women, no feet. This painting, with multiple fulllength figures, proves otherwise. Based on a religious play and a 16th century collection of biblical tales, it presents a less-familiar moment in the story of Mary Magdalene, who renounces the life of a courtesan and converts to Christianity after a meeting with Christ in the temple. The canvas is at once a brilliant still life and allegorical work, set in an aristocratic residence, with Eastern carpet, damask cushions and servants. Cagnacci limns an emotional scene. In the foreground, Mary Magdalene is lying on the floor, having “cast her earthly possessions aside,” Salomon said, referring to the luxurious dress, shoes and jewelry strewn on the tiled

Guido Cagnacci (1601–1663). “The Repentant Magdalene,” ca. 1660-63. Oil on canvas. 90 1/4 x 104 3/4 inches. Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, California floor. Mary has ripped off a strand of pearls; the individual beads are scattered across the tiles, making for “an astonishing still life” at ground level, the curator said. The penitent, who is mostly naked and is being consoled by her virtuous sister, Martha, holds a gold chain like a rosary. Another drama unfolds in the background. An angel with large white wings (“Virtue”) is driving out a red-tinged airborne devil, complete with horns and tail (“Vice”). “They are locked in combat for Mary’s conversion,” said Salomon, who writes, “The combination of the Magdalene’s conversion with the allegorical figures of Virtue and Vice is altogether new.” A strong breeze wafts through the room, giving chase to the forces of darkness.

► Guido Cagnacci (1601–1663) . “The Repentant Magdalene” (detail), ca. 1660-63. Oil on canvas. 90 1/4 x 104 3/4 inches. Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, California

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RANGER ROB, BIRD MAN How a sighting in Central Park changed a Brooklyn native’s life BY GAIL EISENBERG

Pale Male, the first red-tailed hawk to arrive in New York City, gave bird-watchers something to chirp about and became Upper East Side elementary school PS 6’s mascot. He also inspired Rob Mastrianni to pursue a career as an Urban Park Ranger. The Brooklyn native always loved wildlife and nature, but seeing the infamous hawk while hanging out in Central Park with friends one day in 2000 changed the course of his life. “I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘my gosh, this is right here in Manhattan?’ I figured I’d have to go upstate to the countryside to see such a beautiful bird of prey,” says Mastrianni. Just one look is all it took. The encounter ignited his passion, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ranger Rob started bird-watching on the lookout for other hawks, and eventually studied falconry to better understand raptor biology and history, and to learn how to connect with and handle the birds. More than a decade after his life-changing Pale Male sighting, Sgt. Mastrianni is now a Manhattan Ranger supervisor, partaking in numerous park activities. After reporting to work at Belvedere Castle, the day might find him teaching grade K-8 students about urban raptors or another program offered as part of The Natural Classroom initiative, leading a group on an evening “owl prowl” hike, or responding hands-on to wildlife rescues — like the hawk who flew into an office building window earlier this month. During his ten years on the job, Ranger Rob has come to the aid of skunks, raccoons and owls. He monitored a coyote in Central Park, and a deer in Fort Tryon Park. But his most heartwarming and memorable rescue thus far happened back in Inwood Hill Park, where he began his career in 2006 working seasonally with the Bald Eagle Restoration project, an assignment he calls “a super-exciting introduction to my career.” “I rescued the resident female red-tailed hawk there. She was on the ground very weak and bleeding from the mouth from secondary rodenticide. I

Rob Mastrianni releasing a hawk in Central Park earlier this month. Photo: Daniel Avila, New York City Parks & Recreation Department picked her up with my gloves and blanket, while her mate watched from a tulip tree,” recalls Ranger Rob. Mastrianni took the hawk to the Upper East Side’s Animal Medical Center, where they administered charcoal and vitamin K to purge the poison, then transferred her to MINORR

(Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation), a Long Islandbased non-profit specializing in the treatment of injured and sick raptors. Week after week, the male hawk eagerly awaited his mate’s return, perching himself next to the Rangers’ nature center, says Mastrianni. He would soar and cry out above the field, and would continue working on their nest. Just over a month later, the female hawk reunited with her mate. “It was the most amazing feeling to watch them immediately soar together and begin their courtship rituals,” says Mastrianni. “They had a successful breeding season that year with three fledglings, and have been successfully fledgling young hawks every year since then.” Ranger Rob’s next Central Park adventure is slated for Sunday, Dec. 18, 8 a.m. to noon, when he’ll be assisting with the 117th Christmas Bird Count, an annual conservation event hosted by the Audubon Society. He’ll escort different groups, including expert bird watchers, not familiar with the park, in an effort to tally its more than 230 different species of birds. “Since becoming a Ranger, I’ve participated in this great event every year except for one — it fell on my birthday weekend.” Visit nycaudubon.org to learn more about the Christmas Bird Count at Central Park and additional bird counts scheduled throughout the city.

CLEAN EATING ON THE UES: BLAKE LANE BLAKE LANE Chef: Diego Moya Address: 1429 Third Ave. New York, NY 10028

For more information or to buy tickets, visit artoffoodny.com.

Top chef Diego Moya of Blake Lane preps for the upcoming Art of Food event. Tell me about Blake Lane. It’s a concept that was put together by Suzannah Biel, she was a regular at the restaurant where I used to work. She wanted to do a small concept with healthy food. She has a passion for clean eating, balanced eating, no one fad: just an overall healthy diet. When they were going through the motions of opening up, they were looking for a chef and I was on my way out-had just finished working on a different project--so we came together to put this together. We have two different menus: a lunch menu which

is very brunch-y. We have a great egg sandwich. We also have a poke bowl, which marinated tuna on rice--originally a Hawaiian dish, but it’s really popular in New York right now. We have salads, smoothies, healthy tonics--which are drinks you have to kind of cleanse. It’s a really easy menu to eat every day. For dinner we switch gears a little bit: more developed flavors, entrees, more culinary.

How did you get started in the culinary world? I grew up in the kitchen. My parents owned a pizza place and restaurant in Long Island. I was 9 when I started working there, but I didn’t really consider cooking professionally until I was about 17. I went to college, graduated, and moved to Paris. I lived there for a couple years, and then moved back to New York.

What was the highlight of your time spent in Paris? I worked at a really great 3 Michelin star restaurant, L’Arpege, which was famous

for using vegetables instead of meat, so I really found my love for vegetables there, which follows me here to this concept at Blake Lane, which is very vegetable-centered.

What is one cooking tip you have? People don’t use enough healthy fats: things like olive oil and nut oils. They’re so important for developing flavor and for your own health. I think people shy away from using things like avocado and olive oil, but they’re just great for you.

Favorite thing to cook outside of work? Fish. I worked as a fish cook at some higher end restaurants, and it was always my favorite station. I love everything about it: I’ll go fishing, catch the fish, go home, clean it, and then come up with a really nice, simple dish. It’s a lot of fun. See what Diego is cooking up for The Art of Food by purchasing tickets at www.artoffoodny.com

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! at OTDOWNTOWN.COM Rob Mastrianni and hawk in Central Park earlier this month. Photo: Daniel Avila, New York City Parks & Recreation Department

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS NOV 21 - DEC 9, 2016

Eastwood

200 Clinton Street

A

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

Fools Gold

145 E Houston St

A

Triple Shot World Atlas Cafe

37-39 Clinton St

A

Minus Celsius Ice Cream

302 Grand St

A

Muscle Maker Grill

70 7Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (31) 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. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Coppelia Cuban Luncheonette

207 West 14 Street

Grade Pending (24) 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 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.

Coco

156 Delancey St

Grade Pending (18) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Yung Sun Seafood Restaurant

47 East Broadway

Grade Pending (2)

El Sombrero

108 Stanton St

A

Empire Cake

112 8 Avenue

A

Vip Club

20 West 20 Street

A

Bareburger

153 8 Avenue

A

16 Handles

178 8 Avenue

A

L’arte Del Gelato

75 9Th Ave

A

Oramen

579 Avenue Of The Americas

Not Yet Graded (20) 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.

Le Grainne Cafe

Burger Joint

183 9 Avenue

33 W. 8Th St

Grade Pending (22) 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. Grade Pending (22) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Great Burrito

100 W 23Rd St

A

Set BBQ Bistro

127 Ludlow St

A

Cafe Riazor

245 West 16 Street

A

Iguazu Grill Wine & Beer

26 Jefferson St

Not Yet Graded (33) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.

Go Go Curry Chelsea

144 West 19 Street

A

To Two Boonsik

97 Canal St

A

Cafeteria

119 7 Avenue

A

Metrograph

7 Ludlow St

A

Los Mariscos

409 W 15Th St

A

Ming Kee Kitchen

237 Grand St

Chalait

75 9Th Ave

A

Cafe Water

519 6Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (26) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Not Yet Graded (34) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Lian Jiang Restaurant

88 Division St

Green Cafe

599 6Th Ave

Not Yet Graded (23) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Not Yet Graded (30) Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.

Roasting Plant

81 Orchard Street

Closed by Health Department (50) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

King Bakery

90 East Broadway

A

Star 99C Pizza

156 Delancey St

Not Yet Graded (2)

Chatime

240A Canal St

A

Harold’s Meat & Three

231 Hudson St

A

Sons And Daughters

85 10Th Ave

A

Markle Residence

123 W 13Th St

A

Guckenheimer @ Twitter Cafe

245 W 17Th St

A

Freemans (Freemans Alley) 191 Chrystie Street

A

Katz’s Delicatessen

205 East Houston Street

A

Wa Lung Kitchen

557 Grand Street

A

Dunkin’ Donuts

351 Grand St

A

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

SCHOOL’S ROOFTOP BALL COURT OPPOSED Rodeph Sholom will go before Landmarks Preservation Commission BY GENIA GOULD

An effort by Rodeph Sholom School administrators to build a basketball court on the roof of the West 79th Street school was dealt a setback by the local Community Board, which cited residents’ concerns of noise and blocked views among reason for blocking the plan. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission will, however, have the final say on a proposed 20-foot high chain-link cage enclosure that would be placed on the perimeter of the school’s roof, above the historic building’s sixth story. The basketball court would allow the school’s upper grade students to play at staggered recess times throughout the day. Rodeph Sholom administrators had analyzed issues of noise, and changed court materials to ones that would better absorb sound. They had also reduced the height of the cage enclosure from 25 feet, which, according to an architect contracted by the school, was the recommended height for a basketball court for the age group, the architect said. “We respect our neighbors’ concerns, and we are working to address them as best we can while meeting the needs of the children for whom we are responsible,” Danny Karpf, Rodeph Sholom’s incoming head of school, said following the board vote. “Students, parents, teachers, and administrators all strongly believe in the importance of increasing the opportunity for outdoor recess for our Middle School students — and basketball is a key component of recess for this age group.” But a nearby resident, David Schatsky, whose bedroom window is about 10 feet away from the proposed roof play deck, said if the court was installed, it would “look like a grand penitentiary.” Speaking following a Dec. 1 CB7 committee meeting that addressed the issue, he cited additional concerns about noise and privacy, including “for people who work at home and for retirees.”

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Schatsky pointed out that the school already has two basketball courts, one in school’s gymnasium in addition to the one in the backyard. “Why do they need a third one?” he asked. At the Dec. 1 meeting, members of CB7’s Landmarks Preservation Committee listened to residents’ impassioned concerns, with one member reminded residents that the board is limited to determining “whether or not a particular project is ‘appropriate’ to the landmark or within the context of the historic district.” Despite their stated “narrow purview” on the matter, board members offered alternate ideas, many which had also been expressed by the public, including a garden, another suggested a green wall. “A green wall or two or three means a lot of green for those losing their view and could give sound protection, and may give the balance you neighbors are asking for,” one board member said. Carlos Haro, another resident whose apartment is also near roof level to the proposed plan, stated that he and his wife recently moved to the apartment

and have a 7-month old baby: “At that age they’re all about naps,” he said after the Dec. 1 meeting. “If from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every single day, there are eight balls dribbling at the same time, hitting the ground, the fence, the backboard at very close proximity, we will have to move.” It had also been brought up that in prior years the school had built a play deck in their back yard (which also features basketball) for lower grades, and to win favor from residents, had promised that they would never ask for the community to endure more changes of that kind in the future. A petition signed by 51 neighboring residents who oppose the court was presented to the full board before its Dec. 6 meeting, and the board ultimately voted against approving the height of the cage. Schatsky was encouraged by CB7’s decision, but nevertheless, cautious. “This is far from over, of course,” he said after that meeting. “The school may still seek a hearing with Landmarks, and Landmarks is not obligated to follow the community board’s recommendation.”

JASON HICKS: BRINGING A BRITISH PUB TO THE BIG APPLE JONES WOOD FOUNDRY Chef: Jason Hicks Address: 401 E. 76th St. New York, NY 10021

For more information or to buy tickets, visit artoffoodny.com. How’d you get started? I came into New York in ‘96. I had owned a restaurant when I was 19 in the UK. It had earned a bit of notoriety and soon after, I got a job in New Zealand, which I took. I immigrated to New Zealand to start up the restaurant, but the job didn’t work out. I ended up staying there for about 6 months or so travelling around, and then moved to Australia. I worked in various places there, and then moved to South East Asia for about a year. I was travelling for about three years. And then I ended up in New York. I wasn’t supposed to be staying in New York, I was just travelling through, but I had a couple of friends here. I had my luggage in arrivals, waiting for my connection, and I called them, they asked me to hang out for a bit-and I’m still here. I became a sous chef at a La Goulue on Madison Avenue, and was there for about 10 years as the executive chef, and then went to their sisterrestaurant Orsay, and was there for 5. After I left there, I decided I wanted to open up my own place. It took about a year or so to get it all together, and then I opened up Jones Wood Foundry.

Tell me about Jones Wood Foundry.

Residents oppose a plan by Rodeph Sholom School administrators to build a basketball court on the roof of the West 79th Street school. Photo: Genia Gould

We aim to be a local pub pleasantly surprising people with the quality of the food. We have the authenticity of a real pub-not a typical New York bar or a gastropub or whatever. When I was looking for a space, I was looking for a place with bones and structure that would expose the soul of the restaurant before I even applied a lick of

paint-and I believe I found it here. There is so much history in this particular location: it used to be a foundry where they made manhole covers, and it’s located where Central Park was supposed to be. We’re more of a food-driven pub, but you can come to the bar here and buy a drink and not feel pestered into buying food. You can come in, hang out, chat with the bartender, commiserating, celebrating, the whole nine yards. If you come back into the dining room, it has the same style of service-very casual, but on point-we don’t trip ourselves around the table.

How did you get into cooking? Truthfully or romantically? Well, I was always into cooking. Growing up, my grandfather was an avid gardener. I got into learning about vegetables and appreciating food without even thinking about cooking. My mum and my grandmother were big cooks. As I went into school, I always took home economics. Thoroughly enjoyed it. As I went through school I wasn’t the perfect student. I ended up not wanting to be in school anymore, and got kicked out basically. I went to work at a steakhouse washing dishes, and got very quickly promoted to a chef position. I ended up leaving the restaurant and enrolling myself into a

culinary course. From there, I started cooking in various restaurants in England-calling myself a chef, and now we’re here.

What kind of food do you serve? I’m English-a proud Brit-and what I wanted to do was do some research to serve real, authentic British recipes. British cooking has a really bad rap, deservedly so in a lot of cases, but not in most. About 70% of the menu is fish and chips, bangers and mash, steak and kidney pie-things like that. And then the other 30% is composed from my experience-I’ve cooked on so many different continents, so we put that into play.

What are you looking forward to at the Art of Food? I’m very intrigued by the concept: getting a piece of art, feeling inspired by it, and creating a dish. I don’t do cookery competitions or any of that stuff. But this is something completely out of the box. Pardon the pun, but I’ll be starting with a blank canvas. It’s going to be interesting to see what comes to mind when I see the art. Catch Jones Wood Foundry at the Art of Food Feb. 4, 2017: www. artoffoodny.com

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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MAKING HISTORY IN THE SOUTH VILLAGE LPC approves new SullivanThompson Historic District

sociated with upkeep of landmarked buildings. They asked that their buildings, which they argued were not good examples of the neighborhood’s collective aesthetic anyway, be left out of the district. Corinne Engelbert, a researcher at the LPC, explained the commission’s justification for not doing so. “Since its inception, the commission has included non-contributing buildings within the borders of historic districts in an effort to avoid isolated, noncontiguous fragments that would undermine the continuity of the streetscapes as well as the sense of place,” Engelbert said. She added that the commission had received more than 400 letters in support of the designation. Of the roughly 157 buildings in the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District, only 15 percent were built after 1931. The area is largely comprised of residential, tenement-style buildings that were once home to thriving Western European and African immigrant communities. The completed South Village Historic District now cuts a choppy path encompassing blocks as far north as West 4th Street with Watt Street as the southernmost border, stretching between Hudson Street to the west and Laguardia Place to the east.

BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday morning unanimously approved its 140th historic district. The new Sullivan-Thompson Historic District stretches from West Houston Street to Watts Street, with most of its buildings located between Thompson Street to the east and Sixth Avenue to the west. Its designation completes the South Village Historic District, which has been in the works for the last decade. “Today’s landmark designation will preserve the neighborhood we have been fighting for a decade to protect from developers like Jared Kushner, who have recently bought up properties in this area,” Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said in a statement. “The South Village embodies New York at the turn of the last century when it was awash with immigrants who, from modest beginnings, transformed our city.” Berman’s organization was responsible for landmarking the first two phases of the historic district in 2010 and 2013. With significant help from Council Member Corey Johnson,

Neo-Grec Old Law tenements at 141-145 Sullivan Street, from 1875, now part of the Sullivan Street Historic District. Courtesy of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation they finally got the third phase on the LPC’s schedule earlier this fall. As part of negotiations over an impending redevelopment of the St. John’s Terminal involving a transfer of air rights from Pier 40, which many in the Chelsea community have vocally opposed, Johnson ensured that progress would at last be made on the SullivanThompson section. At a public hearing on Nov. 29, several property owners spoke out against landmarking the area, as they did not want to take on the extra costs as-

Sullivan Street with St. Anthony of Padua Church, built in 1886, now part of the Sullivan Street Historic District. Courtesy of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

SKIRMISH CASTS SHADOW ON PORT AUTHORITY PLANS The agency’s board postpones vote on capital plan BY DAVID PORTER

Another board meeting of the region’s major transportation agency produced few answers and continuing uncertainty over how the agency will spend its money over the next decade, particularly on a replacement for the nation’s busiest bus terminal, a battleground pitting New York and New Jersey factions. Board members of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey were to vote on releasing a draft 10-year capital plan this month for public review over the next 60 days, with the goal of voting on final a plan soon after. But several commissioners expressed concerns about the plan they reviewed earlier in the day during a closed-door

session, and no vote was taken. At its Dec. 8 meeting, the board agreed to hold a special meeting before the next scheduled board meeting in early February to try to reach consensus. The Port Authority, which operates the region’s bridges, tunnels and transit hubs and owns the World Trade Center site, has spent the better part of this year overhauling the capital plan after one released in 2014 was criticized for not including money to replace New York’s decaying, sixdecade-old Port Authority Bus Terminal. A draft plan initially was to be produced by September. The rift appeared to cast most of the board in opposition to Chairman John Degnan and Executive Director Patrick Foye, who said they and Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic New York Gov.

Andrew Cuomo supported the draft plan. The governors hold veto power over the Port Authority’s actions. New York legislators strongly criticized Degnan last month, demanding he recuse himself from the bus terminal negotiations because of allegations of favoritism shown to New Jersey’s interests. Degnan was appointed by Christie, Foye by Cuomo. New Jersey legislators accused Cuomo of holding the bus terminal project hostage to preserve more money for a redevelopment of New York’s LaGuardia Airport. A new bus terminal has been estimated to cost $7.5 billion, Degnan said. The $29.1 billion draft plan briefly summarized by Foye allocated $3.5 billion for the bus terminal. Degnan said the funding formula would be revisited once the design is refined and could include federal investment and

Photo: Rob Young, via Wikimedia Commons public-private partnerships. In a sign that Foye and Degnan — whose disagreements have often been aired openly at board meetings over the last several months — aren’t in complete harmony, Foye sent an email last week saying the draft plan “provides parity between the states and derails Chairman Degnan’s political agenda.” Foye went on to write that twothirds of the bus terminal funding

would be committed by New Jersey and one-third by New York — which “is directly proportional to the ridership from each state that uses the terminal.” Reached on Dec. 8, Degnan declined to respond to Foye’s charge of a political agenda. About the bus terminal, he said, “The plan speaks for itself. It was approved by both governors and it calls for $3.5 billion.

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DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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Our Town’s

ART OF FOOD at

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Geoffrey Zakarian Star of Food Network’s Chopped, The Kitchen, Cooks vs. Cons, author of “My Perfect Pantry,” restaurateur behind The Lambs Club, The National in NYC, The National in Greenwich, The Water Club at Borgata in Atlantic City, Georgie and The Garden Bar at Montage Beverly Hills and, coming soon, Point Royal at The Diplomat Beach Resort and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system, Margaret Zakarian President of Zakarian Hospitality, co-author of “My Perfect Pantry” and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system.

AMERICAN CUT Daniel Eardley

CAFE D’ALSACE Philippe Roussel

ATLANTIC GRILL Joyce Rivera

CANDLE 79 Angel Ramos

BLAKE LANE Kevin Wilson

CRAVE FISHBAR Todd Mitgang

BOHEMIAN SPIRIT RESTAURANT Lukas Pol

EAST POLE Joseph CapozzI

EASTFIELDS KITCHEN & BAR Joseph Capozzi FREDS AT BARNEYS NEW YORK Mark Strausman FLEX MUSSELS Rebecca Richards

JONES WOOD FOUNDRY Jason Hicks LUSARDI’S Claudio Meneghini MAGNOLIA BAKERY Bobbie Lloyd MAYA Richard Sandoval

MIGHTY QUINN’S BARBEQUE Hugh Mangum

SANT AMBROEUS MADISON AVENUE Andrea Bucciarelli

THE MEATBALL SHOP Daniel Holzman

5 NAPKIN BURGER Andy D’Amico

SEAMSTRESS Jordy Lavenderos

THE PENROSE Nick Testa

ORWASHERS BAKERY Keith Cohen

SHAKE SHACK Mark Rosati

VAUCLUSE Michael White

PAOLA’S Stefano Marracino

T-BAR STEAK Benjamin Zwicker

DECEMBER 15-21,2016

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To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes

YOUR 15 MINUTES

HOLIDAY GREETINGS WITH A PURPOSE Artist Anne Watkins on her philanthropic collaboration with Citymeals on Wheels BY ANGELA BARBUTI

Explain your work and how you got into that specific medium. I’ve always loved watercolors since I was a little girl; I don’t know why. I love the luminosity of it. I love the portability of it because I like to work primarily from direct observation. Since I was little, I’ve had kind of a resistance to opaque mediums [Laughs]. And I started studying in earnest in the mid-nineties when I was in between window display jobs, which I used to do. I went to the Art Students League of New York and studied with this real master watercolor painter, Mario Cooper, and bore down on the medium. A lot of people disparage it; they call it the most difficult. It does have a lot of possibilities, but I don’t feel like I ever get tired of exploring it. And I don’t like the idea that it’s difficult. Like anything, it just takes some patience and a lot of paper.

Most of your art is commissioned. Give

Weddings are a pretty special part of my business because it’s such an important day. It’s also a little bit of pressure, because it’s not like I can say, “Could you just walk down the aisle again for me, please?” It just happens and unfolds and I show up with my kit and record as many moments of the wedding. I also paint people’s pets and their kids. I like situations where people aren’t posing for me, where they’re actually doing something. I paint a lot of musicians, performers-situations where people are just doing their thing. It’s sort of like candid photography. It’s the same kind of approach.

Where are some interesting places you’ve painted in? Do you ever paint on the subway? Oh sure, I’ve painted on the subway. I’ve painted in Carnegie Hall. I’ve painted on barstools. I painted in parks, on the floor of Madison Square Garden, next to the dog shows. And people with their weddings have flown me all over the place. I’ve painted in St. Barth’s, Texas, California, Michigan. Not international yet…I think one of my favorite weekends ever, I painted a wedding down in Miami and it was so posh,, opulent and beautiful. And the he next day I flew back to New York k and I was upstate in a barn in the freezing ezing cold painting rescued pit bulls for an article for a magazine. And you know, both commissions were so satisfying and felt just right to balance each other.

ne An

Each holiday season, Citymeals on Wheels partners with local artists who donate their designs to create holiday cards. The cost of just one card provides an elderly homebound New Yorker with a meal, according to the organization. Watercolorist Anne Watkins got involved with the program five years ago and calls Citymeals on Wheels “one of the stars in our group of charities.” “It’s just so direct and has that very kind of handto-hand warmth that exemplifies the best of New York.” Her contributions to the Citymeals’ collection are wintry watercolors that use Manhattan landmarks, like Times Square, Wollman Rink and the Statue of Liberty, as their backdrops. This year, her image is of Bethesda Fountain, which she explained, “hit a note for the holiday that would be New York and peaceful and positive.” The Upper West Side resident, who has painted all over New York, bringing her watercolor kit everywhere from the subway to Carnegie Hall to Madison Square Garden, works mainly on commissioned art for clients. Her projects include sitting in church at a wedding, painting the bride walking down the aisle to portraits of rescued pit bulls for a magazine spread. “This is really what I love about the work I do, is that it’s personal and varied, to say the least,” she said.

us some examples of works you’ve created.

W atk ins Anne Watkins’ watercolor of Bethesda Fountain.

Tell us about your connection to Citymeals and how the partnership came about where you would design cards for them.

image to Citymeals for the holiday?” And I was like, “Of course.”

My relationship with Citymeals began with one of their board members, Janet Rodgers. Janet was one of my students when I had a private watercolor class at Picnic, which was a restaurant on 101st and Broadway run by friends of mine. When I was asking around for a place to teach, they said, “Come here on Saturday afternoons and we’ll just set up a few tables together.” I had seven or eight students, some of whom had not really made art before. We just worked in watercolor and only worked from life. And it was really a blast. So I got to know Janet through that, and in her very let’sconnect-everybody-to-everybodywho-can-help-anybody way, she said, “Would you ever consider donating an

Another benefit for me from getting involved in Citymeals, which I did not anticipate in the beginning, is that my first cousin, Watty Strouss, a longtime citizen of Hell’s Kitchen, was a beneficiary of Encore, which is a Citymeals’ breakfast and lunch program, right around the corner from where he lived. I was already involved with Citymeals when he began to use that program, and I can’t even tell you how gratifying that was for me. To know, personally, someone that I loved so much, would be able to walk in. Watty was gay and an active political person. He died almost two years ago. He had a great community of people there that he could visit with and I know it richened his life. From that experi-

You also now have a familial connection to the program.

ence alone, I will ever be grateful to Citymeals and they have to tear my hands off this program.

How do you decide on the images you contribute? The reason it’s difficult for me is because I have to think about it. Most of my work is just- I’m sitting somewhere and I’ll pull up my kit and do something. In the very beginning, I actually said to Janet, “If you can find something out of my thousands of paintings that I’ve already done that would work, go for it.” There are parameters because Citymeals like to be inclusive and secular and include a little bit about New York. So once I get all these factors in my head, I’m like paralyzed. I’ve done Times Square with the chestnut cart, Wollman Rink. Last year, amazingly, I did the Statue of Liberty, which was hard because I had to pretend that it was snowy.

What’s the design you created this year? My contribution this year is a blue watercolor of the Bethesda Fountain. And that is something I just did on my own, not thinking about the Citymeals cause. So many people liked it and wanted to buy it, that I knew it could be popular. To purchase Citymeals’ holiday cards, visit www.citymeals.org/support-us/holidaycards To learn more about Anne, visit www. annewatkins.com

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