Our Town Downtown - December 20, 2018

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The local paper for Downtown wn AARON SORKIN HITS BROADWAY WITH AN ICONIC COURTROOM DRAMA ◄ P. 12

WEEK OF DECEMBER

20-26 2018

HOMELESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS NEIGHBORHOODS Complicated stories that defy expectations — and resources to help the most desperate in their times of need BY DEBORAH FENKER

I see it throughout the year,” said the doorman, who asked that his name not be used. “As the years have gone by, we’re getting more and more stuff.”

“Can you spare some change for the homeless?” It may be the most oft-heard plea on city streets, but just as shelling out coins won’t change most people’s status quo, no single individual’s experience defines “the homeless.” It is easy, maybe automatic, to lump all the homeless souls we encounter across the city — the addicts, the mentally unstable, the poor, the scammers — as one massive, baffling problem. And while those labels might apply to a portion of the growing homeless community, there are complicated stories among them that sometimes defy expectations. Drew, just 28, is not the face we normally associate with homelessness. When I met him recently at the Muhlenberg Library’s Coffee and Conversation meet-up in Chelsea, Drew (who did not want to use his full name) was wearing a coat that looked clean, natty. His hair was trimmed stylishly, the result of a salon-school cut that had begun to go awry in the hands of the student, so the instructor took over, giving Drew a professionalquality crop for just $4. The Muhlenberg Library program, held on the third Thursday of every month, is part of a greater initiative by the New York Public Library that aims to provide homeless individuals like Drew with vital resources. These include mental health care, job assistance programs, information about public assistance and even appropriate interview attire.

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Staff at residential buildings feel the brunt of the online retail surge in December, fielding increased package deliveries. Photo: Michael Garofalo

ONLINE PACKAGE BOOM DELIVERIES How residential buildings are adjusting to the new normal of online shopping BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But not for the doorman at an East 80th Street condominium building. “It sucks,” he said with a wry smile, gesturing to a row of cabinets in the building’s lobby filled with residents’ package deliveries. As New Yorkers increasingly rely on Internet retailers for their holiday shopping, he said, doormen are often left holding the box. “It’s definitely more emphasized at Christmas, but

In certain buildings, the guys at the front door may spend all day just logging packages and then distributing them throughout the building.” John Santos 32BJ vice president

An ironic juxtaposition. Photo: Deborah Fenker Downtowner

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Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts

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WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

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

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

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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

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

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Weather didn’t deter the bird counters. Photo courtesy of Riverside Park Conservancy

CITIZEN SCIENCE IN NYC PARKS NATURE Riverside Park was one of several participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count Despite grey skies and rain, the Audubon Society’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, Dec. 16th. The count is the nation’s longest-running citizen science

The local paper for Downtown

bird project, and Riverside Park was one of several city parks hosting the Bird Count. Members of the community explored the natural woodland and coastal areas between 125th and 96th Streets to identify and count the several species of birds that reside there. The data collected in the the parks will be conveyed to the NYC chapter of the Audubon Society, which contributes to a large-scale bird population survey conducted across North America, Latin America, the Carib-

bean, Bermuda and the Pacific Islands. The information gathered in this collective effort has enabled researchers and conservation biologists to study and log the health of bird species over more than a century. The Riverside Park Conservancy team met at 8 a.m. at West Harlem Piers (125th Street) to explore the species in Riverside Park and walked south to 96th Street, finishing around 1:30 p.m.

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In Riverside Park. Photo courtesy of Riverside Park Conservancy

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG MTA EMPLOYEE ATTACKED Rats aren’t the only creatures MTA workers have to fear in the subways. At 3:35 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, a 59-year-old MTA employee was performing his assigned duties in the Nassau Street station when he observed an apparently intoxicated man and woman arguing. The employee pushed two garbage bins into an elevator, at

which time the man approached and, without provocation, interfered with his work. The assailant punched the employee in the back of his head and said, “What are you going to do about it? I’ll stab you!� and motioned to his jacket as if he had a weapon, the victim told police. He was later transported to New York Downtown Hospital, complaining of pain.

WOMAN ASSAULTED BY CELL SNATCHER A young woman had a scary encounter in the subway recently. At 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, a 28-year-old woman was waiting on the northbound C train platform in the Spring Street station when a man approached and snatched her phone from her hands. She managed to get the phone back, but the assailant pushed her, knocking her to the platform, causing pain, according to police. The assailant then grabbed her wallet and threw it onto the tracks. It was later recovered.

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Dec 9 Week to Date

Year to Date

2018 2017

% Change 2018

2017

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

9

-88.9

Rape

0

1

-100.0 23

16

43.8

Robbery

1

1

0.0

74

68

8.8

Felony Assault

2

0

n/a

56

87

-35.6

Burglary

4

2

100.0

77

64

20.3

Grand Larceny

15

27

-44.4

1,026 1,006 2.0

Grand Larceny Auto

0

0

n/a

21

1

15

40.0

SOHO HEIST At 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, December 9, a police officer responding to a call at the Moncler store at 106 Spring Street found the side door open, with signs of forced entry. Surveillance video showed three men forcing entry at 3:50 a.m. and removing merchandise. The thieves ed in a dark-colored SUV. The stolen merchandise included 25 jackets with a total value of $43,330.

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APARTMENT BURGLARIZED

CITY VAN ROBBED

On Friday, Dec. 7, an unknown individual entered an apartment at 80 North Moore St. by forcing entry through the front door. The thief removed property and ed. The items stolen included an IWC watch valued at $5,000, a Tiffany bracelet worth $600 and a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses priced at $500. The total value of the stolen items was $6,230.

Items valued at $2,200 were stolen from a van that may have been left unlocked in front of 349 West Broadway at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5. The white 2004 GMC van was registered to New York City Dept of Design and Constructiion. The items stolen included a Microsoft tablet valued at $1,200 and an iPhone 7 Plus worth $1,000.

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Useful Contacts

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POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

NYPD 6th Precinct

233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

NYPD 10th Precinct

230 W. 20th St.

212-741-8211

NYPD 13th Precinct

230 E. 21st St.

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

25 Pitt St.

311

FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5

227 6th Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11

222 E. 2nd St.

311

FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15

42 South St.

311

ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

1 Centre St., Room 2202

212-669-7970

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

Community Board 3

59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

Hudson Park

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

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HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

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10 Union Square East

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CON EDISON

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TIME WARNER

46 East 23rd

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US Post Office

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US Post Office

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CORRECTION There was an error in last week’s Business story, “Goodwill Store on West 79th Street to Close,� (Dec. 13-19). The piece said that the landlord closing the Goodwill at 217 West 79th Street had also forced nearby Voila Chocolat at 221 West 79th Street to close due to rent. In fact, the owner of 221 West 79th Street, and former landlord of Voila Chocolat, had nothing to do with Goodwill. In addition, Voila Chocolate’s departure was not due to raised rent. Straus News apologizes for the mistake.

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On 22nd St. and Seventh Avenue, the tidiest homeless encampment in Chelsea. Photo: Deborah Fenker

HOMELESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Drew is clearly driven, but some unfortunate curveballs left him to his own resources at a vulnerable age. He started with nursing school, but suffered some mental health issues that spiraled into what he deemed a “psychotic breakdown.� With no money saved and no one to rely on but himself, he turned to whatever he could to get by: “I was hustling,� prioritizing survival over playing by the rules. He got himself into a little trouble with petty theft and some drug use, all of which is over now, he says, but which tarnish his record. He had been working retail, but lost the job during some cutbacks. Now with those pockmarks on his record and a competitive job market, he has been living in the Schwartz Assessment Shelter on Ward’s Island (the south end of Randall’s Island) for about a month and a half. The shelter maintains strict regulations along with its programs designed to encourage

residents (who must be approved) to eventually achieve independent living. Residents receive three meals a day, but must be up and out by 9 a.m. Drew says the shelter meets his immediate needs, but “There’s no reason to be where I’m at right now.â€? No neighborhood is untouched by the city’s homeless problem. In Chelsea, a neglected, unoccupied building on the corner of 22nd Street and Seventh Avenue complete with a sheltering scaffold, has attracted an array of homeless. One man has a mattress and bedding, neatly stacked bags of what are apparently donated or collected provisions, toys and food. Sometimes he’s alone, often with a cigarette dangling from his ďŹ ngertips, a potential fire hazard both for him and the dilapidated building. Other times, two or three people huddle on the mattress in various states of consciousness. More than 60,000 individuals stay in city homeless shelters each night, a number that includes thousands of families, The shelter population has increased 75 percent over

the last decade. To determine how many people are living outside the shelter system, the department will conduct its annual homeless count, known as HOPE (Homeless Outreach Population Estimate), next month. This massive effort enlists volunteers to canvass 1,500 survey areas into the wee hours of the night (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.) to assess the number of homeless living on the streets. The sheer number of affected individuals compounds the problem, even with the extensive resources available in the city. In addition to city-funded programs, there are private efforts, such as the Holy Apostles Church at 296 Ninth Ave. in Chelsea, which serves 1,000 meals to the homeless and hungry every day. The church also provides haircut vouchers, entertainment, meditation, discussion groups and writers’ workshops, all aimed at maintaining a sense of normalcy and providing a sense of community. For Drew, and for all those who come for a free meal, there is a story behind their situation. Hopefully, they ďŹ nd solace their time of need.

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“It makes my work harder, which, like anybody else, I’m not particularly thrilled about.” The number of packages on a typical day in December is “crazy—at least double, sometimes triple the rest of the year,” according to another doorman at a nearby Yorkville co-op who also requested anonymity, but took a more ambivalent position on the increased workload. “Sometimes it’s good,” he said with a shrug. “If there’s nothing going on, a package can occupy you. It all depends.” John Santos, vice president of 32BJ and director of the union’s residential division, said that two decades ago, before online retail rose to prominence, doormen would typically field only a handful of deliveries each day, usually small packages and overnight envelopes. Today—as more than 40 percent of New Yorkers receive deliveries at home “at least a few times a week,” according to a 2017 study by the city’s Department of Transportation—building service workers find themselves handling everything from mattresses to appliances, not to mention perishable food items delivered by companies like FreshDirect and Blue Apron. “Not only has the volume gone up but also the size of the packages has increased,” Santos said. But as the online shopping boom has created more work for doormen, it has also created more jobs. “In really big complexes, I’ve seen instances where buildings have added staff just to keep up with the load,” Santos said. “In certain buildings, the guys at the front door may spend all day just logging packages and then distributing them throughout the building,” he said, adding that it’s not uncommon for

buildings to bring on temporary help to handle increased deliveries during the holiday season. One such building is the AVONOVA, at 219 West 81st St., which has added a second doorman during the month of December for the last three years. Michael Carroll, the president of the building’s condominium board, said the extra coverage is necessary not just to handle the surge in package deliveries, but also the increased number of guests visiting residents’ homes for holiday parties. Expanded staffing allows one doorman to handle package deliveries while the other works the door and announces visitors. Seasonal staffing changes are just one aspect of the building’s adjustments to the year-round reality of online retail. The building added cold storage four years ago to hold groceries, flowers and pharmaceutical deliveries, and has also expanded each of its two storage rooms in recent years. “We decided we needed extra storage when we saw packages being left by the doorman in the lobby, and we didn’t like that look,” he said, adding, “We might need to expand again because the package count just increases every year.” E-commerce’s share of the U.S. retail market has more than doubled since 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Amazon’s October announcement that it would build new corporate offices in Long Island City brought renewed attention to the myriad impacts the online retail boom has had on life in Manhattan, from vacant storefronts reflecting the decline of brick-and-mortar retail to the increased proliferation of delivery trucks on city streets, which transportation experts often cite as a contributing factor to worsening congestion. As residents in buildings without doormen have increasingly turned to Amazon

Lockers and other remote package pickup services to receive deliveries and avoid package theft, full-service buildings have had to adjust operations to accommodate additional packages. Margie Russell, executive director of the New York Association of Realty Managers, said she has worked with staff in residential buildings to streamline package handling. She recommends buildings deliver packages in batches to residents’ doors during designated hours or upon request rather than individually in the lobby. “It’s far more efficient than dealing with package after package at the desk in the evening, when it’s a high-security time,” Russell said. In many cases, she added, buildings can avoid hiring new staff and raising monthly maintenance fees by adjusting the hours of existing staff. Michael D. Rothschild, vice present at AJ Clarke Real Estate, said that at older buildings without doormen or livein superintendents, property managers have fewer options. Owners can install virtual doorman systems that allow operators to remotely monitor entrances via closed-circuit video feeds and grant access to delivery workers– “quite an expensive proposition”—but storage areas are virtually nonexistent in most prewar walkup apartment buildings. “Even if there were someone to leave it with, there would be nowhere for them to keep it,” Rothschild said. Rothschild said that a number of his firm’s full-service buildings have adopted software that automatically notifies residents via text or email when a package arrives. “It just makes people more aware that something is waiting, and makes it more likely that they’ll quickly pick it up,” freeing up limited storage space, he said. “We can’t change what people’s habits are, and we’re not looking to do that,” Rothschild said. “It’s a fact of life.”

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SOLD: TWO FABLED UES CHURCHES

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST 10-19-18

12-8-18

SCANDAL? WHAT SCANDAL? IOWA BECKONS

EXCLUSIVE “Bedpan Alley” marches north into Yorkville as a medical school buys a religious institution — which turns around and purchases another church

LEADERSHIP Even before he’s sworn in for a second term, Mayor Bill de Blasio will hit the Hawkeye State to rev up his national profile — despite intense blowback from bogus leadpaint inspections at public housing

BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

Jan Hus Presbyterian Church — a storied house of worship on the Upper East Side that once boasted thousands of Czech parishioners — is selling its 1888 building on East 74th Street, Straus News has learned. “We’re relieving ourselves of a burdensome asset so we can live into the future God intends and New Yorkers desperately need,” said Rev. Beverly Dempsey, the senior pastor. “We’re giving ourselves the opportunity to serve the most vulnerable populations of New York City for generations to come.” The Church of the Epiphany — built in 1939 to minister to the nearby hospitals and the only place of prayer on York Avenue — is buying Jan Hus, which sits one block to the west, pastors and lay leaders of both congregations confirmed. “Our building doesn’t work for us, we don’t have enough space, we’re not accessible,” said Rev. Jennifer Reddall. “Now, we’ll be able to significantly expand our ministry to the neighborhood, and at the same time, we’ll get to save a historic building.” A third venerable local institution — which also has a healing mission, and boasts a far richer endowment — is making the twin transactions possible: Weill Cornell Medicine, which includes a graduate school and a medical school that traces its origins to 1898, is buying Epiphany, the church told worshippers in a Nov. 13 “Dear Friends” letter. “This is a transformational transaction,” the letter says. It describes the goal of Epiphany’s vestry, which is made up of its elected lay leaders. They say that the church’s endowment will grow by a “minimum of $13 million,” and “hopefully more,” after it buys Jan Hus,

When the going gets tough, Mayor Bill de Blasio gets going — as far away from City Hall as politically, geograph-

ically and logistically possible. It’s been a four-year pattern. And now, even as his administration reels from a mushrooming scandal at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), it is about to repeat itself: The mayor next month packs his bags for Iowa, home of the first-in-thenation caucuses — and graveyard-inthe-cornfields for outsized dreams and overreaching politicians. Fresh from his reelection triumph and two weeks before his swearing-in for a second term, he’ll headline the fifth annual holiday party for the lib-

10-19-18

11-20-18

‘GRAMMAR ZEN’ IN VERDI SQUARE COMMUNITY New Yorkers talk tricky tenses, punctuation passions and more at Ellen Jovin’s UWS pop-up table BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, a 130-year-old ecclesiastical jewel, is being bought by the nearby Church of the Epiphany, another religious treasure in Yorkville. Photo: Trix Rosen Photographer Ltd / Friends of the UES Historic Districts pays for renovation and transaction costs and gives a share to the Diocese of New York. Currently, the endowment for Epiphany, located at 1393 York Ave. on the northwest corner of 74th Street, is $3.25 million. “We didn’t want to sell our property and be homeless, and we couldn’t afford to buy Jan Hus without selling our own building,” said Rev. Reddall, the rector of the Episcopal church. Epiphany plans to relocate in early 2021 to the Jan Hus space, at 351 East 74th St., between First and Second Avenues, after a two-year retrofit, adding an elevator, reconfiguring parts of the interior and making the building fully ADA accessible. Asked if Jan Hus would be gutted, Rev. Reddall said, “That’s the wrong word to use — but it’s a real fixer-upper! Now, we’ll have the funds to make it beautiful again.” She said the deal “takes all the pressure off our finances.” In a statement, Weill Cornell Medicine said it was in the “early stages of an agreement” with Epiphany to acquire its

York Avenue property for a “future residence hall for students in the coming years.” “Providing the students of our medical and graduate schools with convenient housing within walking distance of the main campus is a top priority,” it said. “However, we are in a preliminary phase and any result is not immediate.” Jan Hus and Epiphany signed contracts of sale and purchase on or around Nov. 12. Separately, Epiphany and Weill Cornell inked contracts on the same day or week. If all goes as anticipated, the three parties will close on the two real estate deals in the first quarter of 2019, the churches confirmed. Weill Cornell didn’t address the timetable of a closing. So far, all three parties are declining to disclose sales prices. “While this time of transition might be challenging — as Epiphany moves to what is now Jan Hus, and Jan Hus arranges another home in our community — it’s also a time for relief,” said state Assembly Member

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Are you prepositionally challenged? Hesitant around hyphens? Undergoing a comma crisis? Simply enraptured by the beauty of a well-placed ellipsis? Ellen Jovin wants to talk grammar with you. Jovin has become familiar to Upper West Side word lovers in recent weeks as the face and founder of Grammar Table — a public forum for open-ended discussion of all things language. Armed with a folding

table and an array of reference books and style guides, Jovin sets up shop near the northern entrance to the 72nd Street subway station on Broadway to dole out complimentary (with an “i”) pointers, guidance and emotional support to all comers, from devoted syntacticians to the downright grammar-averse. “Hi, this looks lit,” a young woman said on a recent after-

1-25-18

11-27-18

NEW DETAILS ON DISPUTED ESPLANADE BRIDGE WATERFRONT EDC presents basis for proposed 54th Street bridge location, which has stirred opposition from some Sutton Area residents BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

A plan to install a pedestrian bridge in a small park near 54th Street and Sutton Place that would provide access to a new section of the East Midtown Waterfront Esplanade has become a source of neighborhood controversy. Representatives from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the lead agency on the project, laid out the rationale for the location of the proposed bridge at a Jan. 22 meeting of Community Board 6’s land use and waterfront committee. The “flyover,” as EDC officials have termed the proposed span, would create an access point bridging the FDR

Drive to the new span of riverfront esplanade set to be built between 53rd and 60th Streets on the East River. The entrance to the bridge would occupy much of what is now the northern portion of Sutton Place Park South, a small area of green space with riverfront views along Sutton Place South between 53rd and 54th Streets. The proposed bridge is opposed by some residents, who fear that the entrance ramp would have a negative impact on the park’s character, resulting in a loss of walking space and benches, drawing additional bicycle and pedestrian traffic to Sutton Place,

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A BROADCAST TO ACT ON BY BETTE DEWING

Thank you longtime friend and nearby neighbor, Marcus C. for alerting me to WCBS local coverage of the St. Ignatius Loyola school kids singing carols on the church front steps. Indeed, they were seen and heard briefly numerous times during Lonnie Quinn’s weather reports. And the weather was blessedly pleasant, so this welcome event could be held outdoors. (Incidentally, I so believe several choir members singing on the steps before a service might prompt passersby to go inside). More later about this much-needed peace on earth goodwill concert, but this recent newscast aired other news we need to know about and act

upon, like the Salvation Army’s request that the public donate money or instruments to keep the Harlem School of Music’s Phil Ramone Orchestra for Children up and running. Other news that needs infinitely more coverage is the fire that destroyed a block of small stores in Queens and damaged the adjacent apartment. And now, the popular Upper East Side restaurant Jacques, at 200 East 85th St. and nearby homes are the latest victims of a fast-moving fire on Dec. 14. Fires are always disastrous, but especially when neighborhood stores and livable affordable homes are on the endangered species list. Worse, of course, is when lives are lost or grievous injuries occur. Infinitely

more must be said and done about prevention; the media, especially, must repeatedly stress the critical need for working smoke detectors. And now some warnings are needed about dry Christmas trees and faulty decorative lights. The newscasters also interviewed grieving parents who are now working against the drunk-driving crime which killed their beloved young son, who was walking with other Boy Scouts in Manorville, Long Island;/when he was brutally and senselessly struck down. And oh how drunk driving, and indeed irresponsible drinking in general, needs to be opposed. Too little is said about the violent and regrettable behaviors due to excessive drinking.

That’s a lot to think and act on. Again, how we need media to remind us! And how we need more media fare like the Loyola school kids singing Christmas carols. Not covered was the Christmas pageant that occurred later, and was planned in large part by the eighth grade graduating class. Reportedly, the place was packed with adoring family members. Ah, an important aside about grandparents and the extended family: this year they are included in my friend Marcus and his wife Cathy’s Christmas photo greeting card. May it start a long overdue trend. Of course, the trend most needed is for more TV coverage of peace on earth and joy to the world events all year long. That’s not to mention talk shows which further good relationships between family, friends and neighbors - not only at holiday gettogethers. Hey, it’s not an impossible dream. Oh, and bring back “The

THE MYTH OF THE MAGIC NANNY BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

Upper East Side mothers contend with a lot of good, bad, wacky, exhausting and often aggravating stuff in the course of the parenting day. I will be eternally grateful for being spared having had to bring a stranger into my home to help me care for my children. With Emily Blunt’s emergence as the uber-nanny in “Mary Poppins Returns” (in theaters everywhere December 19th), I am reminded how lucky I was to have my now 96-yearold mother taking care of my kids Luke and Meg, who are now 23 and 20 respectively. I admit though, I did not always appreciate the guidance and assistance she offered. In 1995 I was new to the mother game, but very much wanted to be large and in charge. It was hard to do so when the mother of all mothers was around. I can admit now that she was always right. Back then though, I often found myself sticking to my (wrong) way of doing something and arguing with her the way I had as a teenager, while thinking, “I should hire help;

someone to lend a hand with a shut mouth. Those people with nannies have it made.” And some did. I knew a few families who employed lovely people who stayed in the job for years without incident. That situation never makes the news; only the ones where the babysitter drowns her charges or shakes the life out of a child. Then come the exposés. From the ones I recall, there was invariably a snide remark about how “everyone wants Mary Poppins.” So much so, that a modern-day likeness of the icon was chosen for the cover of the 2002 cause célèbre, “The Nanny Diaries,” which had many UES mothers defensively putting the word out that they were not Mrs. X types. But who could blame people for wanting this mythical creature to care for their kids in their stead? Mary Poppins is fairly strict, yet sympathetic, cheerful and nurturing. She knows what it takes to make the medicine go down, and can handle any situation just by reaching into her carpetbag of tricks. (Plus, there’s the whole magic thing.) Hey, if she’d existed, I even would

have hired her. But she didn’t. And my guess is that she still doesn’t. Although I never knew anyone on the other end of the spectrum, where tragedy struck, most the time what I observed was that caregivers worked out for a bit, then would baffle the family by doing something too disappointing to understand or forgive. “She left my son in the park by Balto,” offered the mom sharing her tale with a group of us, all our mouths agape. “Then she went home to her house in Brooklyn and called me so I could call the police.” Another story went like this: The nanny left on a Thursday night, gave the key to the doorman, and never came back. The mother had to take a week off from work. They used her absence as a way to fire her. Oh yes, and I always ran into someone who knew someone with child care woes: The nanny locked a friend’s daughter in the closet; didn’t give the child his medication when she was supposed to; and then there was the au pair who ran off with her employer’s husband. There were parents who seemed to be forever interviewing for

Waltons” reruns! And here’s to communication skills that enable “the getting along” being taught by schools and faith groups. Included would be family and friend holiday conversations on how to stay vitally connected during the year, especially, but not only, for those who disperse to faraway homes. Ah, how could I forget how the ‘‘family rich” need to include the ‘‘family poor,” especially, but not only, during this holy day/holiday season. This has nothing to do with income. And faith groups with love for one another’s creeds should enable this cause, as well as enabling disabled persons to attend faith group services, with ample time spent with those unable to travel. But enough of all these spoken directives already. Let’s all do a lot more singing together and also alone – songs of peace and goodwill, what else? All year long, of course.

Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios

a new mother’s helper. This often led to being asked, “So where’d you find yours?” My answer elicited mixed reactions. Some women admitted they envied me because their own mothers lived too far away, still worked full time jobs or were no longer living. For others, it appeared to be a trigger, reminding them they had no relationship with their mothers, and it made them caustic. One woman once sniffed that mine must have time on her hands and how hers “had a life.” So did mine by the way; one she selflessly put second, first for me, who she had raised as a single mother, then for her grandchildren. I’m ashamed to say that it was only after a bout of cringe-worthy “what the caregiver did” stories that I’d feel humbled and appreciative that be-

cause Luke and Meg had their granny for their nanny, I was the one who has it made. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”

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Joe Preston holds up one of the coats he donated at the Union Square pop-up shop on Tuesday. Photo: Megan Conn

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A COAT DRIVE POP-UP SHOP COMMUNITY NYC nonprofit embraces a storefront trend to drive holiday donations BY MEGAN CONN

Union Square’s newest shop isn’t selling anything — instead, it’s inviting New Yorkers to donate winter coats to those in need. The Coat Drive PopUp, which opened Tuesday, is a project of the nonproďŹ t New York Cares marking the 30th year of the city’s largest coat collection. “We want people to come in and hang up their donated coat here like it’s a warm, cozy living room, because that’s the experience we aspire to for everyone who receives a coat,â€? said Exec-

utive Director Gary Bagley. The storefront at 14th Street and Third Avenue will be accepting new and gently used coats from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through this Saturday. The pop-up is part of the nonprofit’s effort to increase collections dramatically. This year, the agency aims to collect 130,000 coats, 25 percent more than last year. “There are 1.7 million people living at or below the poverty line in New York City,� Bagley said. “Even if we exceed our goal, there’s no shortage of need.� New Yorkers can also donate $20 to purchase a new coat for donation by texting COAT to 41444. The coats will be distributed by 600 partner agencies, with all those brought to the pop-up going to the Bowery Mission.

Last week, another pop-up in Lincoln Center collected over 500 coats in ďŹ ve days. Joe Preston, who lives a few blocks away, stopped in the Union Square pop-up to drop off two coats Tuesday morning.“I haven’t worn them in a few years, and there’s a good chance I won’t wear them again,â€? he said. “I’d rather give them to someone who really needs them.â€? Before he left, he stopped to write a note to the person who would ultimately receive the coat. Bagley said that’s exactly the kind of connection the pop-up is meant to foster. “We want recipients to know that somewhere in New York City, there’s another person who wants to help lift you up in a time of need.â€?

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EDITOR’S PICK

Sat 22 UNDERGROUND MANHATTAN: THE HISTORY OF THE SUBWAY New York Adventure Club, 1 Centre St. 2 p.m. $29 nyadventureclub.com It’s right there under your feet, but how much do you really know about the subway system? Join transit expert and guide Gary Dennis for an enlightening tour of some of the city’s most famous and beautiful subway stations, starting at Brooklyn Bridge—City Hall and working your way up to Grand Central.

Thu 20 Fri 21

Sat 22

THE BANG GROUP’S NUT/CRACKED

DRUMS OF ILLUMINATION

The Flea Theater 20 Thomas St. 7 p.m. $35-$55 Fasten your seat belts for the 16th season of The Bang Group in David Parker’s comic, neo-vaudevillian Nut/Cracked. Experience a classic holiday story like you’ve never seen it before. thebanggroup.com 212-337-9565

WHERE ARE WE GOING? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING? QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17th St. 7 p.m. $35 The Rubin Museum rounds out the Year of the Future with music collective Tenth Intervention, presenting iconic compositions dedicated to the fluidity of time. The set list includes pieces by John Cage and Olivier Messiaen. rubinmuseum.org 212-620-5000

Theater for the New City 155 First Ave. 8 p.m. $25 Go back in time with a performance of ritual percussion and dance from Native American, Afro-Brazilian, and Southern Italian cultural traditions. composer, dancer, and folk musician Alessandra Belloni aims to foster communication and world peace with this Winter Solstice concert. alessandrabelloni.com 212-254-1109

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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Sun 23 Mon 24 Tue 25 ▼ SCREENING: ‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’

▲ CHRISTMAS EVE CAROLING

IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. Showtimes throughout the day, $15/$11 children IFC will be screening “It’s A Wonderful Life” five times a day every day until Christmas, so you have plenty of time to take the family to see the beloved holiday movie that’s fit for all ages. Mary Owen, daughter of Donna Reed, will present the 1:30 pm shows, which will be shown in 35mm. ifccenter.com 212-924-7771

Washington Square Park 5 p.m. Free Put on your hat, scarf and gloves and head down to the park for some good oldfashioned caroling! The Rob Susman Brass Quarter will provide the music while you croon under the arch. nycgovparks.org 212-639-9675

KLEZ FOR KIDS Museum at Eldridge Street 12 Eldridge St. 12 p.m. $14/Free for children Celebrate the season at a joyous communal concert. Clarinetist Greg Wall’s band “Klezmerfest!” will have the whole family singing, dancing and dabbling in Yiddish. Dance in the aisles of this magnificent restored synagogue, and stick around to enjoy the museum’s exhibit of menorahs from around the world. eldridgestreet.org 212-219-0302

Downtowner

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Santa’s From West 23rd Street, and Other Secret Histories of New York Holidays

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Wed 26

Catch a night of hidden holiday science and history told by city experts. They’ll share winter solstice origins of contemporary traditions and the true (local) birthplace of Santa himself ($18).

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Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. 7 p.m. $65 Sandra Bernhard’s annual year-capping residency at Joe’s Pub blends irony, wistfulness, sentiment and tongue-incheek (maybe) rock songs. This year she will be backed by the Sandyland Squad band, and promises “a brief respite from the endless madness” of the world. joespub.com 212-539-8500

Drums of Illumination

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22ND, 8PM Singer/percussionist Alessandra Belloni, director of I Giullari di Piazza, unites Native American, African, and Italian folk traditions for a journey back in time into a world of ritual drumming, vocals, and trance dances ($25).

Just Announced | The Coddling of the American Mind with Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt, Lenore Skenazy, and Malcolm Gladwell

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 7PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org A panel of authors gathers to address the decline in American civil discourse and the way it relates to partisan shifts in political conversation and the rise of overprotective parenting ($35).

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

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

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

AARON SORKIN HITS BROADWAY WITH AN ICONIC COURTROOM DRAMA THEATER “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a contemporary adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee novel BY MARK KENNEDY

This isn’t a class field trip. It’s not an exercise in nostalgia or an homage.” Sorkin’s adaptation crackles with energy and his trademark soaring language that made hits of “The Newsroom” and “The West Wing.” He has brilliantly cut the undergrowth of minor characters and enhanced others, particularly two prominent African-American characters: the maid Calpurnia and Tom Robinson, a client falsely accused of rape, both of whom are mostly silent in the coming-of-age novel about racism and injustice. “I understand that, in 1960, using African-American characters only as atmosphere would probably go unnoticed. But I couldn’t pretend that I was writing the play in 1960. I’m writing it now and it is noticeable and it’s wrong. It’s also a wasted opportunity,” he said. LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who plays Calpurnia opposite Jeff Daniels’ Atticus, said Sorkin examined the subtext and innuendo of her character and built Calpurnia an existence she never had before.

Aaron Sorkin is a huge fan of courtroom dramas, both as a reader and as a watcher. His first Broadway play was Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Photo: Julieta Cervantes the swashbuckling military justice “I don’t know of anyone else who U.S. president did not denounce them. story, “A Few Good Men,” and he’s recould have done what Aaron has done. “Suddenly it started to sound to me turned with another legal thriller this He truly has lifted the essence of ev- in 2018 like there were ‘fine people winter. But this time he had to shake erything that was inside that Harper on both sides,”’ Sorkin said. Atticus off a real courtroom drama. Lee book,” she said. “She might have would have to come off his high horse. A lawsuit earlier this year threatwritten it in 1960 but the translation “In the play, I wanted him to struggle ened to delay or even derail Sorkin’s with the questions.” is totally 2018.” adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee Sorkin in person is how you’d expect The script also has Atticus’ children, 1960 novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Scout and Jem, and their best friend, — affable, energized and knowledgebefore the Oscar- and Emmy-winning Dill, played by adult actors who nar- able about virtually anything. He’ll go writer made a few minor changes to rate, argue over memories and, in a from explaining the origin of the term his script to keep the show on track. self-referential way, comment on what “three-dog night” to the finer points of “There was a very scary few weeks,” they’re doing. (“This is where I come finding good pizza in Greenwich VilSorkin acknowledges during an interin,” one says when he appears.) Sor- lage or recounting a story about opera view in the Shubert Theatre, where kin used the technique once before in diva Maria Callas. his adaptation is a big draw. “We were He was raised in the New York his last Broadway outing, “The afraid we were going to lose this suburbs and his first theatrical exFarnsworth Invention.” theater and therefore not be able Perhaps his most ambitious perience was watching “Man of La to be in any theater.” change was with Atticus, a wid- Mancha,” a moment when “suddenly The legal maneuvering began owed father and open-minded theaters became cathedrals.” His iniwhen Lee’s estate complained progressive in the Depression- tial career goal was to write for muthat the play’s script wrongly era South, played to perfection sical theater and now gets a kick that altered Atticus Finch, the noble by Gregory Peck in the film ver- he’s in the Shubert Theatre, where he attorney at the heart of the novsion. “He’s a godlike figure in saw “A Chorus Line” many times as a el, and other book characters. the book and in the movie who young man. That lawsuit was met by a counWhen he first was asked to adapt “To can do no wrong. He’s kind of tersuit and eventually mediated carved out of marble,” said Sor- Kill a Mockingbird,” he acknowledges discussions broke the deadlock. his first draft was cringe-worthy. He kin. Sorkin expects no lingering bitAtticus is so morally grounded simply took all the best scenes from terness. that he tolerates intolerance, the book and strung them together. It “When [Lee’s heirs] come see believing that there’s good in “wasn’t really much more than a cover the play, I really do hope that everybody. As Sorkin wrestled band doing it,” he said. they’ll see that it was written “Once I made the decision that I with humanizing this smalland directed and performed by town lawyer, events in the real shouldn’t be swaddling the novel in people who have enormous reworld seeped in. White su- Bubble Wrap and gently transferring spect for the source material,” premacists marched down a it to a stage, that this was going to be a Sorkin said. “But we didn’t want to do a museum piece. Poster for “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Photo courtesy of DKC/O&M Virginia city’s streets and the new play where we took a new look at

familiar material, it kind of freed me up to start doing my own thing.” He said he felt a kinship with Lee, calling her prose the “Southern Gothic musical arrangement of the way I write.” To create dialogue, he’d say a line of Lee’s and start adding his own words to it. “Before too long I was writing my own song in the same musical style that she had written.” The lawsuit by Lee’s estate did lead to a few changes, including Atticus no longer taking the Lord’s name in vain or wanting a stiff drink, both attempts by Sorkin to make him more accessible. “I cut those two things in order to get this play done. And that is the only compromising that was done at all.” There’s more courtroom drama in Sorkin’s future when he adapts his “A Few Good Men” for an NBC live telecast and sees “The Trial of the Chicago 7” hit theaters. As soon as “To Kill a Mockingbird” opens, he’ll be hard at work on the script for the film “Lucy and Desi,” a biopic of TV icon Lucille Ball. He may even revisit one of his older projects — “The Social Network,” his film about the origins of Facebook. In recent days, a darker vision of the company has emerged and “The Social Network” producer Scott Rudin has reached out about revisiting the subject. “I’ve gotten more than one email from him with an article attached saying, ‘Isn’t it time for a sequel?’” Sorkin said.

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS

Big Arc Chicken

233 1st Ave

A

DEC 5 - 11, 2018

The Pokespot

120 4th Ave

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 www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.

Moge Tee East Village

69 Cooper Sq

Not Yet Graded (29) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Kung Fu Tea

27 Waverly Pl

A

Mi Tea

19 Saint Marks Pl

A

Buttercup Bake Shop

61 E 8th St

Grade Pending (40) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

Elsewhere Espresso

335 East 6 Street

A

Il Mulino Gramercy

43 E 20th St

Not Yet Graded (14) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

New Andy’s Deli

873 Broadway

A

Momo Sushi

239 Park Ave S

Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Bagel Belly

114 3rd Ave

Grade Pending (15) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

The Wing

45 E 20th St

A

Meet Fresh

37 Cooper Sq

Grade Pending (45) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

Silky Kitchen

137 E 13th St

A

Modern Gourmet

793 Broadway

Grade Pending (49) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not 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. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Frozen Palm

770 Broadway

A

Cooper Town Diner

339 1 Avenue

A

Starbucks

1325 Astor Place

A

Blue Water Grill

31 Union Square West A

Nyu Kosher Eatery

511 University Place

A

Gyu-Kaku

34 Cooper Square

A

Iggy’s Pizzeria

173 1 Avenue

A

Think Coffee

123 4 Avenue

A

Bravo Pizza

115 East 14 Street

A

Asiam Thai Cuisine

259 First Avenue

A

Sao Mai Vietnamese Cuisine

203 1 Avenue

A

The Bean

147 1 Avenue

A

Han Dynasty

90 3rd Ave

Grade Pending (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.

Peacefood Cafe Downtown 41 East 11 Street

Grade Pending (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Atlas Cafe

73 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (19) 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. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Hunan Bistro

96 3rd Ave

Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Shu Han Ju Restaurant II

58 3rd Ave

Grade Pending (26) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

McDonald’s

102 1 Avenue

A

A & C Kitchen

134136 Avenue C

A

Brindle Room

277 East 10 Street

Grade Pending (26) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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.

Happy Wok

175 Avenue C

A

Baker’s Pizza

201 Avenue A

A

Fresno II Deli

31 Avenue C

Grade Pending (32) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Live animals other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Village Pizza

65 8 Avenue

A

Emily

35 Downing St

Grade Pending (25) 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Extra Virgin

259 West 4 Street

A

The Duplex

61 Christopher Street

A

Fig And Olive

420 West 13 Street

A

Sushi West

556 Hudson Street

A

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

15

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

CHURCHES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

YORKVILLE’S LOSS = ARIZONA’S GAIN

Rebecca Seawright, who represents the district. “Both congregations have managed to find a way to remain in our community, both for worship and for the extraordinarily beneficial outreach and social services they provide our most vulnerable neighbors,” she added.

PASSAGES For 15 years, she gave her heart and soul to the Church of the Epiphany. Now, as her church sells its home and buys another, she’s ready for her next challenge BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

Light and Air vs. Glass and Steel Driving the sales are the perilous finances long bedeviling religious institutions in the East 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Faced with soaring costs to heat, maintain and upgrade cavernous legacy buildings, church stewards have been shrinking their footprints and monetizing their holdings to remain fiscally solvent. And as sacred sites contract, the neighborhood’s medical spaces are bursting at the seams, adding to the rapid pace of change in Yorkville. The mediplex along York Avenue — long dubbed “Bedpan Alley” by its residents and known as the “Scientific Corridor” to its hospitals — was traditionally bounded by Rockefeller University to the south and 71st or 72nd Street to the north. Not anymore. As the area became increasingly chockablock with health and hospital facilities, Memorial Sloan Kettering became the first institution to crash the symbolic 72nd Street barrier. Its 23-story, 750,000-squarefoot David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care, on the south side of 74th Street at the FDR Drive, is scheduled to open in 2019. Now, Weill Cornell is pushing the boundary up to the north side of 74th Street, even deeper into the residential heart of Yorkville. That’s already sparked a backlash: “It shouldn’t be all medical, medical, medical, medical,” said Jill Eisner, an East Side community organizer and Democratic district leader who lives across the street from Epiphany and is active in Residents for Reasonable Development. The church is a unique structure, she says, and its property offers light, air and green spaces, all of which would likely disappear if Weill Cornell develops a residence hall in its stead. “We need a mixed community,” Eisner added. “It shouldn’t be just another big, high, ugly glass monstrosity.” Meanwhile, one block away, Jan Hus, the oldest Czech

The Church of the Epiphany on York Avenue, a 79-year-old ministry, is buying Jan Hus Presbyterian Church down the block — and is being purchased in return by Weill Cornell Medicine. Photo courtesy of the Church of the Epiphany Presbyterian congregation in America, is in the final stages of either buying or leasing a home for both its worship services and its Urban Outreach Center, the one-stop, social services operation that ministers to the elderly, homeless, impoverished and food and housing insecure. The church has to vacate what it calls its “all-consuming, 130-year-old building” in the first half of 2019. In briefing parishioners about the sale, its pastor said the funds will “secure our worship, ministry and mission well into the future, prayerfully and in the fear of God.” In an interview, Rev. Dempsey said the church may be within days of securing “reasonably sized” space, substantially less than the 23,000 square feet it now occupies, within walking distance of its current home. “We are not a people who lack hope,” she said. A deal would let Jan Hus seamlessly pursue its socialjustice mission, providing basic human needs to 28,175 vulnerable New Yorkers a year, offering a place for 340 homeless adults to collect their mail and running 55 twelve-step groups that meet weekly to serve 12,320 men and women in need. The church, which for generations provided a spiritual and communal home for Czech immigrants and offered Czechlanguage services, keeps close ties to the Czech consulate and conducts genealogical re-

search for Czech families. “Jan Hus has been an important part of the Upper East Side for over 141 years,” said City Council Member Ben Kallos. “The church has been welcoming of all by proudly flying an LGBTQ flag above its entrance for as long as I can remember.” Kallos said he’s convening the leaders of Epiphany, Jan Hus, Weill Cornell and city officials “to ensure services not only continue but also improve in our community.” Preservationists and lovers of great architecture will be watching carefully. Jan Hus “creates an incredibly evocative streetscape” with “asymmetrical massing, red brick, rock-faced brownstone, terra cotta ornamentation and distinctive Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival details,” said Rachel Levy, executive director of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts. Culturally, it is integral to Yorkville’s Czech and Slovak history, she added. “In recognition of the direct link with Yorkville’s immigrant history and its remarkably intact exterior, we have urged the Landmarks Preservation Commission to hold a public hearing to initiate the designation process so alterations to the building can benefit from the LPC’s expert review,” Levy said. “We want to see the Jan Hus site remain as a physical and visual reminder of our neighborhood’s past.” invreporter@strausnews.com

To grasp how dramatically the finances of the Church of the Epiphany have changed in modern times, says the Rev. Jennifer Reddall, examine the names on the wall of its longago donors. Among the inscribed plutocrats are Mellons and Rhinelanders, Cornings and Livingstons, Pynes and De Peysters — plus household names like J. Pierpont Morgan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. “None of those families come to my church,” she says. “We no longer are a community of inherited wealth. Instead, we have many of those who work hard, but are cash poor, and so we need to find alternative sources of income beyond the parishioner-giving that traditionally paid for the church.” Now Reddall, who is rector of the Episcopal church, and its lay leadership, have done precisely that. Epiphany is under contract to sell its 79-year-old house of worship to Weill Cornell Medicine – and with the anticipated proceeds from the medical school, it is also under contract to buy Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, which sits a block away on East 74th Street. It isn’t just the church that has reached an inflection point in its pastoral life: So has Reddall, who arrived at

Rev. Jennifer Reddall, rector of the Church of the Epiphany on York Avenue. Photo courtesy of the Church of the Epiphany Epiphany in 2003 as associate rector, became priest in charge in 2011 and was called as rector in 2014. The 43-year-old California native was elected as the sixth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona at its diocesan convention on Oct. 20, and when she is ordained and consecrated in Phoenix next March, she will become the first woman elected bishop in the state’s history. She’ll also take her place as the youngest member of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, which has 300 active members and is one of the two houses that forms the governing body of the church in America. Dec. 25 will mark the last time she presides over her congregation at 1393 York Avenue when she conducts a “Blue Christmas” service at 10 a.m. “It is aimed at those for whom the holidays are sad, lonely or complicated,” she said.

In her 15 years of service, Reddall guided the expansion of the church day school, whose enrollment soared from 23 children to 70, and oversaw or initiated a range of homeless, social justice, medical and neighborhood outreach programs. She supervised a staff of 22 employees, including teachers, ministered to a growing parish and school with a modest budget of $1.9 million, raised $600,000 for capital projects and increased pledged giving by 27 percent. And on her watch, the church, which had few children when she first arrived, became remarkably diverse in terms of race and age. “Newcomers would sometimes tell me they liked the church, but they needed to find a place where their children could find community,” the rector said. “Now, families join the church because of our children’s programs — Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, choirs, our youth group, and of course, the Day School. And those families are a virtual United Nations of race and ethnicity.” As for the move down 74th Street, she says, it will ensure the continued growth of parish, worship, programs and ministry: “Without it, it is likely the Epiphany community would not have been able to continue to thrive,” Reddall adds. “We’ve been a parish for 185 years, and moved five times. Our sixth move will ensure that we have a sustainable future – for the next 100-plus years.” invreporter@strausnews.com

Your neighborhood news source

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Business

Photo: Steven Strasser

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS REAL ESTATE Buyers looking for apartments in December are serious. Four ways to tempt them BY FREDERICK W. PETERS

New Yorkers dance through December in a whirl of holiday activities. Hanukkah, Christmas, parties, performances — and let’s not forget shopping! — all consume us between the beginning of December and the day after New Year’s. As a result, many sellers of real estate believe that it’s a good moment to refresh their listings by removing them from the market. There is a certain intuitive sense to this. Buyers often slow or even stop their searches, especially as the middle of the month approaches. It can be an inactive time. But this year I suggest a different approach. Taking an apartment temporarily off the market for three weeks or a month does not reset the clock for the total days on the market. The listing still comes up in most online searches. Most importantly of all, buyers

looking in December are serious. Here are a couple of ways to tempt them: Make It Affordable. Most agents and owners will wait to drop prices till the first two weeks of January. A price drop today will actually generate more attention than one initiated at the same time as many others, when new listings also appear on the market in larger numbers. If you know the property is overpriced, try making the reduction now. Sometimes turning conventional wisdom on its ear works! As an agent, I remember making at least two or three deals during Christmas week. I even finalized one deal for a particularly interesting 5 room apartment facing Central Park late in the day on Christmas Eve. Make It Beautiful. Even if the property has been staged (but especially if it hasn’t) take advantage of the season to make the property especially appealing. Seasonal flowers and plants (excepting perhaps the ubiquitous and poisonous poinsettia) create a sense of happiness and hominess in any property. Make It Interesting. Since almost all successful marketing now appears online, think hard about how your property appears on your website and on aggregator websites. Does

the copy entice without giving everything away? Do the photos showcase the property’s attributes while minimizing its drawbacks? (HINT: Photos in which the brick wall directly outside the windows dominates the perspective probably won’t help sell the property.) Make It Known. As agents, we try to think outside the box to sell our listings. I like to remind our agents that sitting by the phone is not a strategy. Lifting the phone and dialing, however, moves you to a whole different place. As an agent, I found that outreach to other top agents in my community was often the most effective marketing I could do. A group email creates far less impact than a personal email or a call. Every property, whether in December of 2018 or in January of 2019, will benefit from these strategies. But they can be particularly effective when the market seems quiet, as in these weeks between now and the New Year. Sometimes UNconventional wisdom is the way to go. Frederick W. Peters is Chief Executive Officer of Warburg Realty Partnership.

SINATRA ITEMS MAKE $9 MILLION HIT AT SOTHEBY’S AUCTIONS Auction features memorabilia, jewelry and paintings by the crooner The private treasures of Frank Sinatra and his wife Barbara were a multimillion-dollar hit at auction. Sotheby’s reported Friday that the couple’s entertainment memorabilia, art, jewelry, books and other personal items sold for $9.2 million — about twice their pre-sale estimates. Nine paintings by the legendary crooner went for more than $850,000, against a high estimate of $120,000. The 20-carat diamond engagement ring Sinatra presented to his fiancee in a glass of champagne fetched nearly $1.7 million, surpassing a top $1.5 million estimate. And a Jewish skullcap with Frank’s name embroidered on it shot past a high estimate of $500, selling for more than $9,000. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage, California, which counsels victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. —The Associated Press

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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Photo: Regan Vercruysse, via flickr

‘YOU’RE AMONG FRIENDS HERE’ MONUMENTS Wall Street’s Fearless Girl statue gets a new place of honor — a permanent home in front of the New York Stock Exchange BY KAREN MATTHEWS

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The Fearless Girl is making her stand outside the very temple of American capitalism. The h a nd s-on-her-h ips statue that spent most of the past two years staring down Wall Street’s Charging Bull sculpture, becoming a spunky symbol of feminine empowerment, was unveiled Monday at her new permanent home, in front of the New York Stock Exchange. “We’re honored to welcome Fearless Girl to the very spot that has captured the minds of business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs,” Betty Liu, executive vice chairman of the stock exchange, said at a ceremony to reintroduce the 4-foot (130-centimeter) statue. “You’re among friends here at the New York Stock Exchange.” The statue was commissioned by Boston-based investment fund State Street Global Advisors as a way to push for more women on corporate boards. It was originally positioned

across from the Charging Bull, on a traffic island near the tip of Manhattan, but was removed last month, in part because the admiring crowds around the two sculptures were creating a hazard. The bull will eventually rejoin Fearless Girl near the stock exchange, but no date for the move has been given. State Street CEO Cyrus Taraporevala said companies with female directors on their boards “tend to be better managed.” “So for us, advocating for gender diversity is not some part of a political agenda. It’s about our long-term performance agenda. This is about value, not values,” he said. Taraporevala said 301 companies that State Street identified as having no women on their boards have added at least one since Fearless Girl made her debut in March 2017. State Street’s own 11-member board has three women, according to its website. The statue was originally intended as a temporary display but quickly gained a fan base among tourists and locals who lined up to pose for photos with her. “She really captivated all New Yorkers,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Manhattan Democrat. “New Yorkers really did not want to see her go.”

Now, Maloney said, “instead of staring down the bull, she’s going to be staring down all of business right here in the center and capital of business for America here in New York City.” Visitors to the stock exchange area said they were glad to see Fearless Girl there. “She’s out for battle,” said New Yorker Theresa Smith, 45. “She’s going out for the big stuff. When you think of the stock exchange, we are talking money, we are talking New York City, we are talking capital, and she’s headed to the top and she’s on her way.” The reinstallation of Fearless Girl comes as New York, like other U.S. cities, is grappling with questions of whether its monuments are truly representative. There are only five statues of real historical women in public places in the city; officials announced last month that a monument to pioneering congresswoman Shirley Chisholm will be the sixth. “Having a young girl in a place of great male dominance and power is appealing because right now it seems to me that women still are invisible,” said Setha Low, a professor of anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

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SPRINGSTEEN SHOW CLOSES, FILM DROPS ON NETFLIX MUSIC Fans who couldn’t get tickets to the Broadway show can see it on Netflix, in a film out hours after the singer’s last performance BY DAVID BAUDER

To director Thom Zimny, the key element in his filmed version of Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway show was in the star’s eyes. The Netflix documentary made its first appearance on the service early in the morning of Dec. 16, hours after the singer’s 236th and last performance of “Springsteen on Broadway” at the Walter Kerr Theater. A soundtrack is being released Friday. “I wanted to capture Bruce’s eyes in a way that you don’t get from being in the theater,” he said. “It’s another sense of intimacy, another sense of the performance.” That focus paid off when cameras caught Springsteen’s emotion during an introduction to the song “Long Walk Home,” telling of an unexpected visit by his father just before Springsteen’s first child was born. His dad said he hadn’t been the best of fathers and hoped his son would do better. Anyone familiar with Springsteen’s music knows the import of that acknowledgment. Those are the moments, subtle enough to be missed by most of the live audience, that Zinny feels makes the “Springsteen on Broadway” film unique from the “Springsteen on Broadway” show. Another was the look of loving remembrance on Springsteen’s face when he played piano and talked about his late band member Clarence Clemons, one he

Springsteen onstage at the Walter Kerr Theater. Photo: Raph_PH, via flickr didn’t see until reviewing tape later. Zimny wasn’t simply called in to tape a show near the end of its run. The filmmaker has a history with Springsteen and manager Jon Landau that includes a 2001 documentary with the singer and his E Street Band per-

With fans by the stage door. Photo: Raph_PH, via flickr

forming in New York. He was brought into the project while it was still in rehearsals. “I’ve seen the show so many times I’ve lost count,” he said. If not in the audience, he watched video and listened to audio tapes, to keep up with how the

performance tightened and changed throughout the run. At one point in the film, Springsteen confesses to the audience that “I’ve never worked five days a week — until now.” The weary observation meant more at the end of his Broadway run than the beginning. The filmmaker continually discussed the process with Springsteen and Landau. Their advice: “Plan a lot, but also be open to whatever the film gods or the music gods throw at you in the moment.” Zimny needed to match the intensity of a noted perfectionist. To wit: he watched the evolution of a small moment where Springsteen illustrates how little he knew about playing a guitar when he was young. He kept trying out different chords to get it just right in order to show his playing was just wrong. The film opens with the first words Springsteen says onstage to open the performance, which is a mixture of storytelling and song that builds off the singer’s autobiography, and credits roll with the final bows. Zimny wanted to recreate when the lights go down on a sparse stage and Springsteen simply appears, a moment “that puts you on edge,” he said. “You have to listen.” There is no nervous backstage foot-

age from before showtime, shots of Springsteen’s hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, or artificial interludes, techniques Zimny dismissed as cliched. “I never felt interested in cutting away from the show,” he said. “The power of the show unfolding was something I wanted to capture. There’s no need for cameras or editing to take away from that moment. There was no need to cut to footage of Freehold or anything. The tree in my imagination was much more powerful than anything I could film.” The tree was one Springsteen climbed as a boy in front of his house, that he later returned to as an older man. He’s now 69. The theater audience is rarely seen, except at the film’s end when Springsteen shakes some hands. “It was most important to capture a very abstract thing that goes on in the Broadway show — an emotional feeling and an arc where you go on a journey with Bruce,” Zimny said. “It’s hard to put into words. But experiencing the Broadway show is such a beautiful and intense presentation. I wanted the film to both represent that and also be slightly different — so if you saw the show on Broadway, you had a different understanding of the power of performance by seeing his eyes.”

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

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

A NIGHT OWL FINDS HER NICHE New York City’s first “nightlife mayor” Ariel Palitz talks noisy neighbors, curfews and growing up Uptown BY ANGELA TUCCIARONE

Earlier this year, Ariel Palitz was named Senior Executive Director of New York City’s Office of Nightlife, charged with finding a balance among businesses and residents. A former nightclub owner, Palitz spent her childhood on the Upper East Side. Palitz talked to Our Town about growing up in Manhattan and her new job.

What was it like growing up on the Upper East Side?

couple times a month. My mom still lives in the same apartment that I grew up in, and my father, aunt and cousin… everybody’s here. Now, instead of going to Carl Schurz Park to ride my bike I’m going to events at Gracie Mansion to visit my boss.

What role does nightlife play in the life of the city? New York continues to draw some of the brightest minds and the most creative people and entrepreneurs of the world. Part of the attraction here is our vibrant and diverse nightlife. It continues to be an extremely large part of who we are.

What concerns did you hear from residents on your five-borough listening tour? Are there any plans or programs in place to enforce noise ordinances and curfews?

It was a very unique and special experience. My favorite place to go before we were old enough to go out [to bars] was The Met steps. This is really where our first parties were when we were old enough to go out and not have too much of a curfew. The Meadow in Central Park after school was also a very big part of growing up, along with learning to ride my bike in Carl Schurz Park. When we were old enough to get into bars, it was all of the German bars in the neighborhood and some places that are no longer open like Mad Hatters.

We heard from residents about noise, sanitation and traffic congestion. The Office of Nightlife is not an enforcement agency, but our job is to make sure we are taking a proactive approach so that City agencies can work together to support both nightlife and residential communities . . . I personally understand the challenges from all sides, and I am committed to making sure nightlife works for everyone.

Do you still spend time in the neighborhood?

What is your advice to residents who are bothered by local nightlife?

I am there a lot. I have a very close family and I see my mom and dad a

We recognize it’s a compact city with mixed use of commercial and

residence. It is by no means a quiet city and those of us who live here know it. Very often people resort to 311, 911 and other city agencies to enforce quiet. [If you have a noise complaint] what we are encouraging is first reaching out to the venue during the day, having a conversation about the boundaries and trying to come up with an agreement. People who call 311 to complain will also be informed about the opportunity to set up free mediation.

What is your take on New York City’s 4 a.m. curfew for bars? New York City is unlike any other city in the world and the 4 a.m. curfew that we have is part of what differentiates us . . . I think there is room for [curfew] negotiation at times, depending on where venues are, on a case by case basis. Our 4 a.m. license is very much a part of our identity and our culture, and I think it should be protected and respected while we’re also respecting the needs for quality of life. That is really the balance and challenge of this office.

New York City nightlife needs more____. Space. A lot of beloved places have closed. We have seen a trend in the last 15 years or so of the closing of performance places. Live music [venues], art galleries and performance spaces – places that are not just bars, clubs and restaurants – need more space and more support.

As senior director of New York City’s Office of Nightlife, Ariel Palitz keeps watch over a $48 billion industry that supports nearly 300,000 jobs. Photo: courtesy of the Office of Nightlife

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement. Ariel Palitz, New York’s first “nightlife mayor” recently wrapped up a five-borough listening tour. Photo: Kenny Rodriguez

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K A X O M U N F A I R N E S S

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N C S E W U A B D A X L N V B

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D R C R O O K E D D V I N R T

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B T U N F A I T H F U L C J P

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D L K E B L M J T B J T I W F

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by Myles Mellor

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

Volume 2 | Issue 5

The Pulse of

Lenox Health Greenwich Village

Ice and snow mean take it slow: 5 tips to avoid slips and falls this winter During the winter months, ice, snow and cold temperatures can make life challenging for everyone—especially as we get older. Practice these safety tips to stay upright this winter.

1. Walk slowly and carefully. Take shorter, shuffle-like steps with your toes pointed slightly outward to maintain a stable base of support. Bend slightly and walk flat footed to keep your center of gravity over your feet as much as possible. 2. Watch where you’re stepping. Stay aware of the surfaces ahead of you. Look down with your eyes only. (If you move your head downward, you may shift your balance.) 3. Keep your arms at your sides. Carrying items or walking with your hands in your pockets makes it harder to catch yourself if you lose your balance. Consider carrying items in a backpack instead. 4. Use caution exiting your car. Plant both feet firmly on the ground before moving; steady yourself on the door frame until you have your balance. 5. Remove shoes before entering your house. Take off wet shoes at the doorway, so you don’t slip when you come inside.

Did you know…

Almost 25 percent of slips and falls are caused by improper footwear. Wear shoes or boots with treaded soles to lower your risk of injury. Did you know…

More than one out of four people age 65+ falls each year, but less than half tell their doctor. Be open with your healthcare provider— they can evaluate your risk of falling and help you prevent another accident.

We’re providing local residents with a new model of community-based care. From 24-hour emergency services to a full range of medical specialties, we’ve got you covered. Visit us at Northwell.edu/LenoxHealth or call (646) 846-6105.

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