Our Town Downtown May 29th, 2014 by OurTown Downtown

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WEEK OF MAY

29 2014

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HELPING TO EASE THE EMOTIONAL PAIN AT 9/11 MUSEUM NEWS The museum has tried to address the substantial emotional impact its exhibits will have on visitors BY JENNIFER PELTZ

A ﬁrst responder views the damaged ﬁretruck from Ladder 3 in the museum. Photo courtesy of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum via Facebook

DOWNTOWN There are prominent videos of the twin towers collapsing and photos of people falling from them. Portraits of nearly 3,000 victims and voice mail messages from people in hijacked planes. But behind the wrenching sights and sounds of the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan lies a quiet effort to help visitors handle its potentially traumatic impact, from silent spaces and built-in tissue boxes to a layout designed to let people byCONTINUED ON PAGE 5 pass the most intense exhibits.

LANDLORD VS. TENANT GOES TO COURT PROPERTY Did Lynda Engstrom’s apartment really need an electrical upgrade? BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Lynda Engstrom is 73, a widowed daughter of Holocaust survivors who lives in a prewar building at 89th Street and West End Avenue. Right now, her rent-regulated apartment looks as if a hazmat team gave it the quarantine treatment. The living room furniture -- all of it -– is jumbled together in a hulking, shrink-wrapped mass in the middle of her living room; in her painting studio, plastic sheeting covers a wall of old photos and mementos. The guest bedroom in the back of her apartment is similarly shrouded in plastic sheeting. “I just got my own bedroom in order,” said

Discreet oak-leaf symbols denote items connected to the dead, and the images of falling victims are in an alcove marked with a warning sign. Designers made sure rooms have ample exits, lest people feel claustrophobic in the underground space. And American Red Cross counseling volunteers were standing by as the museum opened to the public Wednesday. “There’s a lot of thought given to the psychological safety of visitors,” said Jake Barton, who helped create the exhibits. It didn’t seem like enough to Lori Strelecki, who was among the first people to tour the museum Wednesday. She said she had seen a visitor crumpled over, crying. “Is that something you want to evoke?” asked Strelecki, who runs

Engstrom. Engstrom blames her plight on a campaign by her landlord to force her out -- and replace her with tenants paying higher rents. Such stories have become increasingly common throughout the city, as rents have continued to soar. “They’re waiting for us to die,” said Engstrom of rent-regulated tenants, eight of which she said have left her building since 2004 due to harassment. She believes once her apartment is vacated, and its rent-regulated status discontinued, it will be converted into a co-op and sold at a premium. The problems for her started in 2011, she said, when one morning she awoke to the sound of incessant and loud banging on her apartment door. Peering through the eyehole, she saw six men who claimed to be from the building’s management company, who told her they needed to upgrade her unit’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

IF YOU GO NATIONAL SEPT. 11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM: Liberty Street and Greenwich Street 212-266-5211 www.911memorial.org Open daily, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Adults: $24; U.S. veterans, college students and seniors, $18; children 7-17, $15; children under 6, free. Free for all visitors from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Security screening required.

Lynda Engstrom with a photo of what her living room used to look like before workers performed - needlessly, she said - an electrical upgrade in her apartment. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons

In Brief MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES IN N.Y.C. A Manhattan church marked Memorial Day weekend with a sermon from the U.S. Marine Corps chaplain and the tying of hundreds of memorial ribbons on the church’s fence. Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben preached Sunday at the Marble Collegiate Church on West 29th Street. Afterward, worshippers including sailors, marines and Coast Guard members visiting New York for Fleet Week also tied ribbons on the fence. There were gold ribbons for U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan, green ribbons representing prayers for peace and blue ribbons for the people of Afghanistan.

TRIAL OPENS IN CRANE COLLAPSE A construction crane owner who was acquitted of manslaughter in a collapse that killed two workers is now facing a civil wrongful death trial over the accident, which helped spur new safety measures. The slain workers’ families are suing crane owner James Lomma, his company and others involved in a Manhattan high-rise construction site where a crane snapped apart in May 2008. In opening statements Friday, lawyers for the families lambasted Lomma, whose 2012 acquittal they saw as a blow. “Cranes are not supposed to fall from the sky,” said Bernadette Panzella, who represents crane operator Donald C. Leo’s family. “James F. Lomma didn’t do what he was supposed to do.” Defense openings are due Tuesday. Lomma’s lawyers have indicated they may suggest that Leo’s handling of the crane contributed to the collapse, echoing his defense at his criminal trial.

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK Actor David Schwimmer helped police ﬁnd a stabbing suspect after a brawl near his East Village townhouse was captured by his security footage.

DAVID SCHWIMMER HELPS STABBING INVESTIGATION The New York Post reported that actor, director and former star of the TV show “Friends” David Schwimmer helped the NYPD catch a suspect of a violent crime. After a brawl broke out near Schwimmer’s East Village townhouse, the actor was able to aid the police investigation by handing over surveillance footage from his security system. The fight happened on the first floor of a building on East 6th Street at 5:40 a.m. on Monday morning. A 26-year-old man had allegedly refused to pay another man for his services as a prostitute. The john wound up with several stab wounds after an argument broke out, and a third man, Robert Rainey, 21, of Newark was arrested and charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery, according to the Post. The alleged prostitute fled the scene. The violent fight spilled into the street, and Schwimmer was able to help police ascertain who was to blame for the assault after reviewing the security footage. Neighbors, who once regarded Schwimmer as a wealthy interloper on the block after he paid $4 million for his townhouse at 331 East 6th Street and proceeded with a major renovation of the historic home, expressed gratitude

for his help in solving a neighborhood crime. New York Post

CITI BIKE TURNS ONE The bike share system Citi Bike reached its one-year anniversary on Tuesday, May 27. Metro US reported that the system, which started last year with 6,000 bikes and 322 stations -- most in Manhattan, and some in Brooklyn and Queens -- has reached some impressive stats, despite questions over the future of its funding and expansion viability. According to Metro, there have been 8,759,138 trips taken on Citi Bikes for a total of 14.7 million miles traveled. The average number of daily trips during peak season, from June to October, was 33,038.

The system has over 104,000 annual members, the majority of whom are male (68 percent) and between 30 and 39 years old (37 percent). There have been about 100 crash reports, a quarter of which resulted in trips to the emergency room, and 511 ﬂat tires ﬁxed in a popular month of ridership. The most popular station was found to be at West 20th Street and 11th Avenue. Metro US

COPS CRACKDOWN ON DRIVERS The NYPD announced that they had issued 4,814 speeding tickets in a twoday crackdown period last week, CBS New York reported. The police targeted speeding drivers between 12:01 a.m.

on Tuesday, May 20 and midnight on Thursday, May 22, as part of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate pedestrian deaths from traffic accidents and reduce unsafe driving in the city. There were 1,175 tickets issued in Manhattan during the summons spree. Fines range from $90 to $600 and speeding tickets can also result in penalty points added to a person’s driver’s license. The citywide speed limit is 30 mph unless otherwise posted, and new slow zones have been established on arterial roads at 25 mph; school zones are an even-slower 20 mph. Studies frequently cited by the NYPD and safety advocates indicate that a person struck by a vehicle traveling 40 mph has an 80 percent chance of dying, while a person struck at 30 mph has only a 45 percent chance of dying. If hit at 20 mph, a person has only a 5 percent chance of dying. CBS New York

SILVER ENDS BID FOR NY TIMES CORRECTION State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office has dropped a request for a correction from The New York Times in connection to a decades-old development project. The Times said it had documents that showed Silver pushed city officials in the 1970s to allow a mall to be built on a large swath of land in his district on

the Lower East Side instead of lowincome housing. The assemblyman’s office backed down from a request for a correction after seeing the documents, the Times said. But his spokesman, Michael Whyland, said Silver was never a lawyer for the nonproﬁt United Jewish Council that tried to block the low-income housing. The lawyer for the group, Whyland said, was a man with a similar name -- Sheldon E. Silver, a Minneapolis-born lawyer who moved to Brooklyn in the 1970s and died in 2001. Silver told a state Democratic Party convention breakfast Thursday that he “was forever confused” with Sheldon E. Silver, the newspaper said. Whyland told the Times it was not surprising that the assemblyman worked with the UJC, a “major community group in his district many times over 40 years in office.” “In fact, it would be more surprising if they had never worked together,” he added. The Times said Shoshana Silver, the other man’s widow, said her husband worked for the UJC only brieﬂy. He was let go in 1974 so any UJC material that had Silver’s name on it after that would have had nothing to do with her husband, she said. Silver’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. AP

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG PURLOINED PANTS A group of men shoplifted pants from a clothing store. At 12 noon on Tuesday, May 13, six men entered a clothing boutique on Grant Street, while another man stayed outside the store entrance acting as a lookout. One of the men entered the shop, removed a pair of yellow shorts, and concealed them in his pants. A second man entered the store and hid another pair of yellow pants in his sweatpants. The first man then left the store, picking up three more pairs of shorts and passing them to one of his accomplices, who threw the items over the security sensor before exiting the store. All the men then fled westbound on Grant Street. The items stolen were five pairs of Robin jean shorts and pants valued at $209 apiece, for a total of $1,055.

CUTTER NUTTER A man was arrested in a bizarre holdup attempt. At 6:30 PM on Saturday, May 17, a 38-year-old man from Woodbridge, NJ was approached at an ATM location on Broad Street by a heavyset

man who identified himself as a police officer. The heavyset man removed the 38-year-old man’s debit card from the ATM machine and demanded that he leave the location with him. When the man from Woodbridge refused, the alleged police officer shoved the victim in his face. Then a second man, an accomplice, entered and pointed a yellow box cutter at the victim, saying, “Give me the money, or I will kill your wife and children in Egypt.” The second man then threatened to cut his own arm before lacerating his left upper arm with the box cutter, saying, “I will tell them you hurt me, and you will go to prison.” When the arresting officer arrived on the scene, the first man – the fake officer – fled, and the second perpetrator told the real officer that the victim had assaulted him with a box cutter. Video at the location confirmed the victim’s story, and the officer arrested the second perpetrator, charging him with robbery.

Greenwich Street. When he returned to move it for alternate side parking on May 15 at 7:30 AM, he found that the scooter was missing. Video cameras at the location may have captured the theft. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the missing bike, which was not at the tow pound. The items stolen were a blue 2012 Vespa with New York plates 83RL95, valued at $6,000, a motorcycle helmet costing $250, and a top case priced at $250.

SCOOTER LOOTER

STROLLER STRESS

Someone stole a man’s parked motorcycle. At 5:30 PM on Tuesday, May 13, a 40-year-old man parked his motorcycle on

Someone took a pocketbook from a woman’s stroller. At 12:30 PM on Tuesday, May 13, a 40-year-old woman was

1ST PRECINCT Report covering the week 5/12/2014 through 5/18/2014 Week to Date

Year to Date

2014

2013

% Change

2014

2013

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-16.7

Robbery

n/a

-30.4

Felony Assault

-100

-3.6

Burglary

-29.6

MIDDLE-AGE CRISIS

Grand Larceny

335

406

-17.5

A man left his debit card in an ATM machine and paid the consequences. At 8:31 AM on Thursday, May 15, a 53-year-old man used an ATM machine at a bank on Broadway and walked away before he realized that he had left his card in the machine. When he returned to retrieve the card, he found that someone had removed it and withdrawn $600 from his account.

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

-81.8

sitting in Washington Market Park at the northeast corner of Greenwich and Duane Streets, when she discovered that someone had removed her pocketbook from the stroller. She canceled her credit cards before any unauthorized usage turned up. Other items stolen were a black Prada purse valued at $800, a green makeup bag priced at $190, $160 in cash, a Cole Haan wallet valued at $150, a Metro Card, a California driver’s license, a Coach keychain priced at $100, as well as a gift card

and various credit and debit cards. The total theft amounted to $1,658.

MISPLACED TRUST A man lost his cell phone and laptop to a man he trusted to watch them. At 11 PM on Saturday, May 10, a 31-yearold man went to the restroom in a bar on Warren Street, after leaving his cell phone and laptop in the care of an unknown man he had met at the bar. When he returned to

the bar, his belongings and his new acquaintance were gone. The victim searched the bar and interviewed the bar staff, who gave him the impression that the other man had indeed taken his stuff. The victim tried the Find My iPhone app, but it failed to disclose the location of his stolen phone. The items stolen were an HP Split X2 laptop valued at $900, an iPhone 4S costing $600, a portable speaker priced at $50, and a prepaid Visa card valued at $30, making a total of $1,580.

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Our Town MAY 29, 2014

Useful Contacts

Amealya Blake with patient Ina Katcher, who is 87 years old. “I love her,” Katcher says of Blake, “she takes such good care of me.” Photo by Mary Newman

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CARING FOR AN AGING CITY

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On the front lines with New York’s visiting nurses STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY NEWMAN

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Aging in New York City has always been harder than in other cities: Consider walk-up apartments, trouble using public transportation, and pressure from aggressive landlords to free up rent-stabilized apartments. Amealya Blake has been working as a registered nurse for 11 years, covering a 20-block radius on the Upper West Side for the Visiting Nurse Services of New York, a non-profit that helps approximately 163,500 New Yorkers stay in their homes. Many of her patients live in the Lincoln Towers apartment complex at 170 West End Ave. between 66th St. and 70th St. Growing up in the Bronx, she is familiar with both the positives and negatives that come with living in New York City. She applies this understanding and familiarity to helping her patients adjust to aging in New York comfortably. “The closeness and convenience of everything is what Manhattan really has to offer seniors,” she explained. “I’m able to really get to know my patients since I am assigned to one neighborhood, and we try to offer different ways of promoting different ways for seniors to socialize and stay healthy.” In partnership with

VNSNY and Lincoln Towers, Blake helps with the community program Project Open, which offers a monthly blood pressure clinic. Visiting an average of 10 patients per day, Blake has seen a rapid increase in the number of seniors who need at-home care. In addition, there is a lack of space in nursing homes, and many families cannot even afford to send their loved ones to a home. Blake mentioned that although she once wanted to work in a hospital, she realized that working with her patients in their own home allows her to give each patient much more specialized and effective care. Most of the patients using VNSNY have been assigned case workers, nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists after they have been discharged from the hospital, helping seniors through a variety of life changes. “It is a very sensitive and critical time for patients when they ﬁrst come home from the hospital,” Blake said. “It is my job to help someone comfortably transition back into their daily life.” Kathy Petrullo also started working for VNSNY 11 years ago, working as an occupational therapist assisting patients with activities in daily living. When someone has been referred to VNSNY, they are assigned a social worker who evaluates the necessary services needed, and the number of visits that will best beneﬁt the patient. “It really is a multi-team effort, we all have different perspectives and responsi-

bilities so communication is very important,” Petrullo explained. Having worked in a hospital for four years, she has also seen the added benefits of assisting seniors in their home. “I really thought I could be more effective working in their actual living environment. At the hospital I always had to make these blind assumptions based on the little information I had about their at home lives.” Describing at-home caretakers as the bridge between the hospital and home, Pertrullo pays very close attention to small dangers around apartments that can lead to dangerous falls, and other injuries. She starts her day by calling to confirm appointments. By 11 a.m. she has started seeing her patients, averaging six visits a day. Pertrullo covers the Upper West Side neighborhood from 126th St. and Riverside Dr. to 148th St. “I don’t ever look at the clock when I am with one of my patients, because for me I just want to make sure that everything is taken care of before I leave,” Pertrullo explained. The end of her day is used to fill out the necessary documentation, making doctor’s appointments, and ordering equipment like tub benches, railings, and supportive bedding. “People are getting released from hospitals and nursing homes a lot earlier than they used to,” explained Pertullo. “It is important to recognize that not only will there be more seniors living in New York, but people are living much longer lives. Improving their quality of life is the most important thing.”

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

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you You’d

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a historic house museum in Pennsylvania. “It’s too much.” Steven Cennamo, a dentist, was impressed by the museum’s blend of spaciousness and artifacts as intimate as a victim’s wallet. Given the singularity of 9/11, “I don’t think you can overdo it,” he said. More than 42,000 9/11 survivors, victims’ relatives, ﬁrst responders and recovery workers had visited during the past six days, when it was open only to them, according to Executive Director Joe Daniels. It’s the latest in a series of memorials-as-museums that seek to honor the dead while presenting a full, fair history of the event that killed them. And the Sept. 11 museum strives to do that at ground zero while the attacks are still raw memories for many. Museum planners realized early on the challenge of trying not to shatter people “while at the same time being true to the authenticity of the event,” said Tom Hennes, founder of exhibit

security video and unobtrusive individual photos. Still, the display doesn’t shy from large projections of the towers crumbling. “It’s a dramatic presentation, but I think it’s a dramatic moment,” explained Barton, whose firm, Local Projects, handled the multimedia components. Other museums have faced difficult choices presenting the horrors of history. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, for example, decided to display photos of hair shorn from people in death camps, but not the hair itself, and ensconced some graphic film footage in walls too tall for children to see over. Beyond content choices, the Sept. 11 museum hopes a human touch can help visitors grapple with their reactions. Ret i red so c ia l worker Georgine Gorra helped people ﬁnd their way around the museum after Thursday’s dedication ceremony. They didn’t seem traumatized, she said, just tearful. “We all were, frankly.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

designer Thinc Design. Trauma specialists told museum leaders that sounds of voices and images of hands and faces could be particularly distressing and that visitors should get to choose what to see. To allow visitors an emotional breather, silent spaces with few artifacts surround the densely packed historical exhibit that follows the timeline of 9/11, set off by a revolving door. Elsewhere, a room where visitors can call up recorded recollections about individual victims was designed as a quiet sanctum for feelings, with tissue dispensers embedded in the benches and acoustically padded walls, Hennes said. The historical exhibit, crafted by another firm, Layman Design, envelops visitors in images, information, objects and sounds, but designers sought to avoid emotional overload. Ambient sounds of emergency radio transmissions and victims calling home are interspersed with the calmer tones of survivors recounting the day. The hijackers are included, but carefully, in grainy airport-

have

9/11 MUSEUM

Email us at news@strausnews.com

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH presents

The Marble Community Gospel Choir in Concert

POWER IN

AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE NEWS

PR AISE Sunday, June 8 at 2:30pm Our Award-Winning Gospel Choir presents a Joy-Filled Musical Celebration! Under the Direction of Djoré Nance. Admission: $20 at door | $10, students/seniors Save $5 by ordering in advance online at MarbleChurch.org/worship/Music Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org

You Never Forget Who You Grew Up With. The rough touch of tree bark, the scent of freshly mowed grass, the gentle hum of pollinating bees as a flower blossoms — green spaces touch lives and all five senses. Green spaces are a vital part of growing up — they enhance lives, make memories and connect people with their neighborhoods and communities. Be a part of preserving and enhancing green spaces where we live, work and play. To volunteer, to learn how to help your community and to donate, visit ProjectEverGreen.org or call toll-free (877) 758-4835.

projectevergreen.org (877) 758-4835

Upper East Siders opposed to Marine Transfer Station ratchet up pressure BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Eight Upper East Siders opposed to the city’s plan to build a waste transfer station at 91st Street and York Avenue were arrested last Friday protesting the Sanitation Department’s removal of trees at Asphalt Green, a popular athletics complex at the epicenter of the proposed construction. The department removed the trees because they were blocking access to a ramp that leads to the planned Marine Transfer Station. The city plans on demolishing the ramp, and the move was seen as proof that decisions about access to the transfer station had already been made without community input. Activists and elected officials characterized the move as a betrayal by the city, as a community task force had been set up and was involved in ongoing and regular meetings with the Sanitation Dept. on how best to proceed. “The city made a pledge to us to discuss and address our concerns and in the midst of those discussions, they all of the sudden move forward with removing these pear trees alongside the Asphalt Green ﬁelds,” said Sean Wood, a board member of Pledge 2 Protect, the biggest and most well-organized of the opposition groups. “Part of the discussion focuses on potentially moving the ramp, so it’s absolutely nonsensical to proceed with this. We’re outraged that the city would choose to go ahead with removing the trees without first completing the conversation with the community and addressing the concerns as promised.” P2P’s president, Kelly NimmoGuenther, was among those arrested. Also arrested were Carol Tweedy, executive director of Asphalt Green, NYCHA organizer Regine LaCourt, and local residents Dara Hunt, Gus Christensen, Carol Tichler, Joan Cavanaugh and Barbara

P2P’s president, Kelly NimmoGuenther, was among those arrested.

I’ve been in city government a long time, I’ve never seen peaceful demonstrators arrested like that. These are Upper East Side grandmothers.” CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY Heyman. Christensen is running for Assembly in the 76th District on the Upper East Side. Pledge 2 Protect and their supporters received wind of the city’s plans the night before, and at 5 a.m., planted themselves in front of the gate at Asphalt Green that leads to the ramp and the transfer station. Police showed up around 6 a.m. and cordoned off the area. According to Wood, a police sergeant announced three times that those who did not want to get arrested must move out from in front of the gate. Eight people stayed. “I knew there was a possibility of getting arrested because I knew the plan was to block the gate,” said Tweedy. But as one of the leaders of the antitransfer station movement, she felt she should stay out of jail and help direct those still demonstrating. “However, when I had the emotional experience of see-

ing them start to cut down the trees, and saw all of the supporters by the gate, and Kelly [Nimmo-Guenther] said to me, ‘the leadership really has to be in this,’ I said, ‘I’m in,’” said Tweedy. “But when I left home this morning I did not tell my husband I thought I was going to get arrested today.” Tweedy said she doesn’t regret the decision because she feels strongly about the issue. Local elected officials also attended the demonstration, and in the aftermath strongly expressed their displeasure with the city’s actions. “After being told that the Sanitation Dept. would study alternative locations for the ramp to the marine transfer station before starting construction, this community rightly feels betrayed that this action was taken before the study has been completed,” said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in a statement. In a separate interview, Maloney said, “They had a meeting with us last week where they were saying they wanted to work with us, and they didn’t do any of it. Then all of the sudden they’re jamming this thing in through a Memorial Day weekend. I’ve been in city government a long time, I’ve never seen peaceful demonstrators arrested like that. These are Upper East Side grandmothers.” Councilman Ben Kallos condemned the arrests and the city’s actions. “We as a community joined together in a grassroots action to exercise our First Amendment rights,” said Kallos. “It’s a dark day for democracy when an administration is arresting seniors and NYCHA residents who are trying to protect a children’s playground from a garbage dump.” State Senator Liz Krueger agreed the Sanitation Dept. acted in bad faith, but that the larger issue is the unsustainability of the city’s waste management plan. “Of course the far bigger issue is that the City of New York continues down a path of wasting a billion dollars on a project with negligible impact on the environment and zero impact on decreasing residential waste in the other boroughs,” said Krueger. “If built, this [transfer station] will negatively impact more people, parks and schools than any other [transfer station] in New York City, and it will be built in one of the few remaining poor air quality hot spots in the city.”

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

Engstrom with her living room furniture. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons

A CAUTIOUS VICTORY FOR TENANTS NEWS Residents of the First Avenue Estates warily celebrate a win over the owner trying to tear down their homes BY MEGAN BUNGEROTH & OMAR CRESPO

The Landmarks Preservation Commission issued a resounding “no” to a landmarked building’s owner who was ready with a wrecking ball.

LANDLORD VS. TENANT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 electrical system. Instead of opening the door, she called the police, and later hired a lawyer to defend herself against what she is convinced are attempts by her landlord, Samson Management, to illegally evict her through intimidation. Lawsuits were ﬁled on both sides. “[They] decided to harass me through this electrical upgrade that I did not need,” said Engstrom. “They’re doing it in the most savage way you can imagine.” Last year, a State Supreme Court judge granted Samson Management access to the apartment, but said before any work could be done the two sides would have to come to a legally binding and detailed agreement on what work would be performed. It took another year to draw up those plans up, and on April 27, Engstrom vacated the apartment for a week so workers could get the job done, as per the agreement. Before she left, and also in accordance with the agreement, a moving company came in and shrink-wrapped everything to protect it from dust. Engstrom said she came back to ﬁnd both her apartment and her belongings damaged. A ceiling fan was removed and sitting on the floor, she said. Built in window-seats that look out onto West 89th Street had cracks in them, where she said workers had apparently stepped on them to access the ceiling. A coffee table with storage space inside of it had

one of its doors hanging off the hinges, which she said was not how she left it. As for the work that was done, the only evidence that remained was some dust and a strip of wall in the foyer that had been patched and sanded, and just needed a coat of paint (Samson Management was required to pay for any repainting in accordance with the court agreement, as well as for movers to rearrange Engstrom’s furniture when the work was completed). Samson Management bought 317 West 89th Street in 2004, and began converting as many of the building’s 20 units as possible into co-op apartments. About 10 rent-regulated apartments remain, according to Engstrom, who feels the building lost its communal and friendly feel once co-ops began to get bought up. “There’s no longer a community spirit in the building of everyone helping each other,” she said. “Nobody talks to each other in the elevator anymore… we used to be like a commune.” A couple years ago, former tenant Marianna Marwell took a $100,000 buyout to vacate her mother’s rent-regulated apartment. Her mother died two weeks before a state law would have transferred ownership of the apartment to her. As for Engstrom, she worries her troubles are far from over. “I dread the time this is wrapped up and [my lawyer] is free to go on to other cases,” said Engstrom. “The wolves will literally be knocking at my door.” Engstrom’s lawyer, Stephen Dobkins of Collins, Dobkins and Miller, LLP, declined to

comment for this story, citing a busy schedule and a family matter. Since 2011, Engstrom alleges that Samson Management’s superintendent, Gregory Haye, directed service workers in the building to deny her services like trash removal. She said Haye has been in her apartment two dozen times without notifying her. Engstrom said building workers used to be friendly towards her, “and now they treat me like a pariah.” All of these tactics have been employed, she believes, in an effort to make her continued presence in the building not worth the hassle. But right now, she’s focused on getting her apartment back in order and resurrecting her stock-trading business, which she said was put on hold during her legal troubles. Engstrom said she lives on Social Security and what money she makes selling the odd painting, but needs to make more to cover rent, which she said is between $2,000 and $3,000 per month. Haye didn’t respond to requests for comment, but Samson Management, through a spokesperson, said the company is not at fault in the case. “The real travesty of this entire incident is that Ms. Engstrom effectively and selfishly delayed Samson for three years from making these legally necessary repairs and upgrades, to the detriment of the safety of the building’s residents,” Samson said. Engstrom said she’s open to a buyout but isn’t going down without a ﬁght. “The big fear is that people have the authority now to walk into an apartment and do whatever they want.”

BACKGROUND The First Avenue Estate buildings, at 429 E. 64th St., and 430 E. 65th St., were constructed in 1898 and 1915. They were designed for lower income New Yorkersas an alternative to dirty, crowded tenements, with courtyards that allow light and air into the apartments. There are 190 apartments, with an average of 370 square feet. The buildings were originally landmarked in 1990, but the Board of Estimates - the precursor to the City Council - appealed the LPC’s decision in a latenight closed-door meeting, as one of its last acts before it was abolished. Preservationists had been fighting to re-establish the landmark status ever since, and achieved that in 2006.

Stahl Organization, which owns two buildings on York Avenue between East 64th and East 65th Streets, has been trying to get permission to demolish the properties from the LPC since 2010. The company had ﬁled a hardship application, claiming that it could not get a reasonable return from renting the small apartments, and seeking the LPC’s approval to bypass the landmark designation and destroy the buildings in order to erect new condo units on the property. On Tuesday, the contentious and drawn out battle between Stahl, on one side, and current tenants, housing rights advocates, preservationists, elected officials and community board members on the other, came to a somewhat deﬁnitive conclusion (Stahl has vowed to appeal the decision) when the LPC voted unanimously to protect the six-story buildings. While many of the units are currently empty, there are still people living in the First Avenue Estates, despite the Stahl Organization’s assertions that the apartments are inhabitable. A recent visit to the complex confirmed what many tenants have been accusing - that the buildings have been neglected and left to deteriorate, regardless of the hardship that has imposed on current residents. Now that the LPC has given its final decision in rejecting the hardship application, some tenants are hoping that their conditions will approve, eventually. One resident, who did not want to give her name for fear of retaliation by management, said that she’s been living at the First Avenue Estates for 17 years now, and that she’s seen first-hand how neglect has lead to problems. “They have not done anything except let the building

deteriorate,” she said. “They do not take care of the walls and the marble ﬂoor; the scaffolding has been up for 5 years [and is now] used for pigeons coops.” The woman said that she’s one of only seven tenants in her section of the building, which could house 24 people. Many have accused Stahl of “warehousing” empty apartments intead of trying to rent them, in order to lend more credence to their hardship claim. In a report given to the LPC, Stahl claimed that they could only get $600 a month in rent for the units, a claim that the LPC rejected. Several tenants conﬁrmed that they currently pay over $1,000 in rent. “No one here is paying $600 bucks,” said another resident, Peter, who said he is subletting in the building. “It is not a low income housing building, some people are making upwards of $250,000 [a year].” Murat Kalipci, 55, has lived in his one-bedroom apartment in First Avenue Estates for 20 years. He pays $956 in rent, and said that on top of worries about losing his long-time home, he’s had to deal with untenable living conditions. “They are not doing any work and they are bringing pigeons and rats,” he said of the building’s management. “I have to keep my windows closed.” Another tenant, attorney Monica McLaughlin, has lived in her apartment for 24 years and has become the unofficial spokesperson for the other residents. McLaughlin said that while it’s a victory for tenants that the LPC denied the hardship claim, she is worried that Stahl still will not address the problems with the buildings’ living conditions. “I think their tactic was just to drag it out as along as possible, and possibly that they have enough political influence to change landmark law, I’m not sure,” she said.

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

Voices

< LOCAL KID: SAY NO TO BIKE LANES! BY NOA ZAPIN, AGE 8 1/2, WEST 76TH STREET

Take away the bike lanes. They are not safe and you could get seriously hurt by bikes if they use them. First, it is unsafe because we can’t get in and out of cabs because of the bike lane. Second,

Feedback

it cannot be plowed and it gets very snowy and icy. Last, the bikes can hit you when you are getting out of cars or walking across the street. The bikes do not have a light and they can hit you. Bike lanes are unsafe because people can get

hit because bikes often do not follow the lights. when they are supposed to stop. If we did not have the bike lines we would have more parking spots for drivers and it would be safer for pedestrians. unsafe because Take away the bike lanes or you could get hurt.

LETTER

AIR BNB STILL FLOUTING LAWS Caption

DERELICT LANDSCAPING AT GRACIE MANSION A reader says that sections of the historic mayoral residence’s lawn have been severely neglected BY DAVID B. MARTIN

Upper East Side Please advise what I could do to to bring attention to the terrible condition of the hill at the foot of 89th East End Avenue, Gracie Mansion’s backyard. It’s turned into a dog run with no grass. The mayor should be advised. The local volunteer gardeners are doing a great job with the ﬂower bed, fortunately they are fenced off. But the rest of the hill is a mess. Help!

A reader argues that the apartment-sharing service is still operating illegally even if it complies with tax law, in response to our story “Air BnBware,” by Daniel Fitzsimmons, May 15, 2014 BY TOM CAYLER, WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE

UPPER WEST SIDE Airbnb suddenly wants to pay its taxes. It

STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com

Group Publisher - Manhattan Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Distribution Manager, Mark Lingerman

Publisher, Gerry Gavin

makes out that that is only the thing it is doing which makes its business model illegal in NYC. Mr. Fitzsimmons is right that NYC residential leases restrict subletting. Condos and coops even more so. So there’s the NYS Multiple Dwelling Law that requires Class A apartments to be rented for thirty days or more. NYC zoning laws restrict hotel use to Commercial zones. The FDNY fire code requires a higher level of ﬁre safety for transient ac-

Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth, Kate Walsh Classified Account Executive, Susan Wynn

commodations. Besides the hotel tax, which Airbnb is now willing to pay, there is state and city sales tax. And the 800 pound gorilla that Airbnb does not mention at all is the insurance problem. Landlords and tenants who “share” their apartments with transients are not covered for ﬁre, ﬂood, or liability insurance. There are no policies that cover transient use in a residential building. Residential insurance and hotel insurance are two differ-

Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Editor, Megan Bungeroth editor.otdt@strausnews.com

ent dogs. With these facts in mind, what is it that Airbnb and its “host” are doing, by renting full apartments in NYC, that is legal?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please send your letters, ideas, complaints, questions, suggestions and news tips to news@strausnews.com.

Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side

Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

Op-Ed

Check-out at 12 p.m.? Not at your local hospital BY H.P. SCHROER t happened to me and you, too, may have been overcharged. I was an inpatient at an Upper West Side hospital and checked out after my procedure at 10 a.m. I

noticed on my bill that I was charged for the entire day, even though I left in the morning. When I asked what constituted a day, I was referred to my medical provider. When I asked Blue Cross, I was referred to their booklet covering the Blue Cross Advantage Plus plan. The booklet simply stated the amount I was required to pay but did not explain what constituted a day. As I explained to them, when I check into a hotel, I am advised when checking in what their policy is regarding charges for the day I check out. Considering the prices hospitals charge for their rooms, shouldn’t I be entitled to this same informa-

tion? No one gave me an answer, so I refused to pay for the day I checked out. They threatened to report me to a credit agency. I still refused to pay. I did some research and found out that, according to Medicare regulations, the last billable day you are responsible for is the day preceding the day of discharge. For example, if you check in on Monday and check out on Thursday, the last day you are responsible for is Wednesday. When I brought this to the hospitals attention, they canceled their charge for me. But what about you and your friends? Who is looking out for you? After almost two years, I fought

3 TIPS FOR CHOOSING AN ASSISTED-LIVING HOME SENIORS Expert advice on how to avoid the biggest mistakes when searching for retirement communities Seventy percent of people age 65 and older will need long-term care at some point in their lives, according to a 2014 study by CareScout. “But that doesn’t mean they have to sacriﬁce their quality of life,” says Peder Johnsen, CEO of Concordis

Senior Living, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities. “A person who needs some assistance with day-to-day living will often ﬁnd he or she is much happier in a good assisted-living community with an atmosphere that reminds them of their former home.” It doesn’t have to be outrageously priced, notes Johnsen. The median price for a private, one-bed home in an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) community is $42,000, according to the CareScout report. By contrast, a semi-private nursing home bed costs a median $77,000 a year. But it’s up to prospective residents and their families to ascertain the quality of the community and whether it’s a good match for the person who will be living there. “ALFs are not federally regulated and states vary widely on the breadth of oversight they provide, so you can’t necessarily rely on the law,” Johnsen says. “And don’t rely on salespeople either – that’s the biggest mistake people make.” There are, however, a number of easy ways to see if a home has a truly caring atmosphere and well-trained staff.

• Ask to see the home’s state licensing survey, an assessment that usually includes inspections, audits, interviews with residents, etc. Every state has an ALF licensing agency and all have

some form of survey system for ensuring that certain standards of quality are met, according to the Assisted Living Federation of America. “Requirements vary from state to state about how often the surveys are conducted and how the public can access the reports, but no matter what state you live in, you should be able to ask the ALF for its most recent report, or obtain it from the licensing agency,” Johnsen says. The surveys will tell you if problems were found – or not – and what the ALF did to address them.

• Visit the ALF during non-business hours. Go before breakfast or after dinner – times when the administrators aren’t around. What’s the atmosphere? How do employees behave with the residents? “That’s a good time to talk to residents, too,” Johnsen says. Be a “mystery shopper,” he suggests. Pretend you’re just visiting the community – not scouting it out as a prospective customer.

• Ascertain how truly “homelike” the community is. In your own home, if you don’t feel like eating breakfast at 7:30 a.m., you don’t have to. You can have breakfast at 10. You can get snacks when you want them. “Depending on what’s important to your loved one, there are potentially many rules that can affect how ‘at home’ a person feels,” Johnsen says. “Some communities allow residents to have pets, others don’t. Some provide lots of activities. At some, residents can quickly and easily arrange for transportation or a service like hair styling.” Not every community can offer everything, he notes. That’s why it’s important to look for those features that are especially important to you or your loved one.

to get CMS, the government agency responsible for implementing such regulations, to have the medical insurance providers correct their booklets explaining what constitutes a billable day. But this information will not go out until late this year. In order to alert the public in the meantime, so millions of others will not be duped into paying these illegal charges, I have contacted Senator Schumer, Public Advocate James, Manhattan Borough President Brewer asking them to send a letter to all the Medical Insurance providers to alert the hospitals they deal with to give to all new inpatients

a statement explaining that the last day that copayments are required is the day preceding the day of discharge. I am not trying to pass any new legislation; it’s already the law. All I am soliciting from them is their help in protecting their constituents from paying charges which are illegal. Will I continue to be a voice in the wilderness, my quest for action become merely an exercise in futility? I hope not. H.P. Schroer lives on Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

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2 p.m.; Free Join a contemporary art historian for a tour of beautiful Teardrop Park. Meet at the Rock Wall inside the park. bpcparks.org

NEW YORK FUNNY SONGS FESTIVAL STREET PARADE

Botanic Lab, 86 Orchard Street at Boome Street 4:30 p.m.; Free This old school NYC block parade will feature music, candy and mayhem. Featured performers include Adam Blotner, Gaby Gold aka MC Mom , Jim Melloan, Tahlia Robinson, Trish Nelson, DEVO Spice, Katie Haller, Ken Turetzky, Tim Raymus. nyfunnysongs.com

BRIGHT! COLORS IN THREE DIMENSIONS Arts Brookﬁeld, 220 Vesey Street 12 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Free The artworks in Bright! showcase the possibilities of color in three dimensions. With the advent of digital and commercial technology, it has become easier to take the power of color for granted in twodimensional mediums. brookﬁeldplaceny.com

12TH BRAZILIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF NEW YORK

31 ART GALLERY TOUR IN CHELSEA 526 W. 26th St. (10th & 11th Ave.) 1 p.m.; $20 Visit 7 modern art galleries in the world’s center for contemporary art - we ﬁnd and explain this month’s most fascinating exhibits in painting, sculpture, electronic media & photography. Led by Rafael Risemberg, Ph.D. nygallerytours.com

PUBLIC ART TOUR: TEARDROP PARK Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, btwn Warren Street and Murray Street

Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick Street) 6:30 p.m.; $10 dedicated to presenting the finest new Brazilian films around the world—returns to New York for its twelfth year with a special tribute to Bossa Nova composer Vinicius de Moraes, co-writer of the worldwide hit song “Garota de Ipanema” (The Girl from Ipanema), in honor of the centenary of his birth. Two films will be screened in honor of Vinicius de Moraes. “Orfeu,” a film based on Vinicius’s re-telling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in Rio during Carnaval, and “Vinicius,” feature film based on his life and work. tribecacinemas.com

GRIT, GRAFT & GRANDEUR: THE BOWERY, A WALKING TOUR WITH ERIC FERRARA SE corner of Centre & Worth

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

Streets (Foley Square) 10:45 a.m.; $18/$16 students & seniors This two-hour walking tour explores the Bowery, one of the most important thoroughfares of New York City’s Lower East Side, as well as the historic neighborhood known as Five Points. Often associated with its 20th century reputation as “Skid Row,” this under-appreciated avenue was also once one of the most fashionable addresses in New York and is now a quickly gentrifying artery of the East Village. nycjewishtours.org

2 VIDA ROUNDTABLE Housing Works Books, 126 Crosby St 7 p.m.; Free VIDA brings together a dynamic group of women to discuss the complicated ways in which biography gives voice and shape to women’s lives. Panelists will include four women who have or are currently writing literary biographies. It includes New Yorker writer and Harvard scholar Jill Lepore (Jane Franklin), New Yorker writer Rebecca Mead (George Eliot/ Middlemarch), the former New Republic critic Ruth Franklin (Shirley Jackson), and Penn professor and the Nation blogger Salamishah Tillet (Nina Simone). vidaweb.org

3 EMILIO SOLLA JAZZ BAND & CD RELEASE Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th Street btwn Lexington and Park 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; $20 The pianist and composer Emilio Solla emerged from a generation of classically-trained Argentine musicians nurtured on a rich diet of traditional and nuevo tango of Buenos Aires, the “folklore” music of northwest Argentina, and modern jazz. Tonight—and only at Jazz Standard—he leads an expanded ensemble of exceptional players in a rainbow array of dramatic and beautiful sounds. jazzstandard.com

SHAVUOT/YIZKOR SERVICE

“THE PERFECT FATHER’S DAY GIFT”

West End Synagogue, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (at 69th Street) 10 a.m.; Free Our annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot will focus on the theme of “Sacred Unity: of Marriage, Equality, and Communal Transcendence.” Shavuot traditionally celebrates the Jewish people’s receiving of Torah at Mount Sinai, often imagined in Jewish literature through wedding imagery and the language of intimacy/union with the Divine. westendsynagogue.org

4 ZACH BROCK QUARTET & CD RELEASE Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th Street btwn Lexington and Park 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; $20 Equipped with what Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times calls “audacious ingenuity and masterful command of his instrument,” violinist and composer Zach Brock is forging a unique musical identity. 2013 proved to be a landmark year in Zach’s career: He toured as a co-leader with pianist Phil Markowitz, made festival appearances with the Stanley Clarke Band, and premiered new classical works by Laurie Altman and Preston Stahly. Downbeat named Zach Brock its 2013 “Rising Star” on violin, and his

DRAW YOUR DAD FOR FATHER’S DAY JUNE 15, 2014 Draw a picture of Dad, scan it (or send it to us)

and then order a mug or luggage tag with your child’s drawing on it. All kids drawings will appear on our website as they are received.

Criss Cross debut album, Almost Never Was, was listed as one of the Chicago Tribune’s top 10 jazz recordings of 2012. jazzstandard.com

Just go to otdowntown.com Click on Fun & Games

5 STEPHEN LANG’S BEYOND GLORY The Flea Theater, 41 White Street between Church and Broadway 7 p.m.; $75 Lang brings the stories of eight Medal of Honor recipients to the stage in this exciting one-man show adapted from Larry Smith’s bestselling book, Beyond Glory. As a tribute to fallen soldiers, Lang has performed the show on military bases and on the floor of Congress as well as on Broadway. In the fall of 2013 filming began on a documentary Beyond Glory: Tour of Duty, following Lang as he toured the show throughout the Heartland and to the front lines in Afghanistan and the Middle East. theflea.org

Then order Dad’s portrait on a mug, totebag etc. DO NOT USE PENCIL Use bold and bright colored pens, markers, crayons, etc. Light color and pencils will not reproduce on our website or newspapers.

PLEASE DO NOT FOLD YOUR DRAWING

BOWLING GREEN GREENMARKET Greenmarket, Broadway and Whitehall Street 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Free The Bowling Green Greenmarket brings fresh offerings from local farms to Lower Manhattan’s historic Bowling Green plaza. Twice a week year-round neighbors, commuters, and visitors from around the world stop to load up on the season’s freshest fruit, crisp vegetables, beautiful plants, and freshly baked loaves of bread, quiches, and pot pies. grownyc.org/ bowlinggreenmarket

Dad’s Name: Your Name & Age:

Address:

City: Cell Phone:

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Our Town MAY 29, 2014

A HOME FOR CONTROVERSIAL ART TEEN ART An exhibition of teenage artists includes previously censored work BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

LOWER EAST SIDE When South Carolina teenager Gracie Holtzclaw created a black and red linocut print for her art class, the piece was selected for a recent county-wide art show. Two days before the opening, she found out her print was banned from the exhibit. Titled “Rape Culture,” Holtzclaw’s print of a nude woman with a black censor bar covering her breasts, is her response to the sexual assault she experienced two years ago. Through an email to her art instructor, she was told the title and visual content in the piece were inappropriate for the show. “All I really wanted to do was have this outlet,” said Holtzclaw, 18. “And I wasn’t able to do that anymore. I almost felt like something had been taken away from me.” Now, Holtzclaw’s art can speak for itself, as gallery-goers in New York City have the opportunity to view her print, along with work by other young artists, in the upcoming “Green Light” exhibition put on by Teen Art Gallery, a teen-run organization that provides a platform for young artists. T.A.G received over 800 submissions for the exhibit. “Green Light” features artists from 14 states and 40 pieces in different mediums, including photography, sculpture and creative writing. Charlotte Bravin Lee, the director of T.A.G and a senior at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Riverdale, invited Holtzclaw to participate in the show. “I’m a female the same age and about to head off to college,” said Lee, 18, who will attend Kenyon College in Ohio come fall. “I’ll have to be independent and thinking about my own safety, and her title ‘Rape Culture’ is particularly relevant. It’s just a creative expression of anger and rage. And the

piece was also beautiful, and I felt the need to show those who assault that they can’t win.” Holtzclaw, who just completed her senior year at Blue Ridge High School in Greenville County, S.C., said she was afraid to tell anyone, even her parents, about the assault. When she did speak out, she was told she played a role in her own abuse. “Everyone told me it was my fault because I put myself in a bad situation,” said Holtzclaw, who was encouraged by her art teacher to create the piece. “I had never really coped with that all the way, and art was really a place where I could have an outlet and express myself.” Downtown artist Audrey Banks founded T.A.G in 2011, and when she ﬁrst looked for galleries to host the orion s exhibits, she said some ganization’s venues were turned off by the explicit content in some of the work. “They thought a lot of what we’d show would be pure and ely PG,” said relatively Banks, 20, who attended Bard High School Early College uston Street on Houston w studies art and now egie Melat Carnegie he whole lon. “The point of the ation organization [...]wass about g these treating young people ently to equivalently rtists.” other artists.” Amy Barth, founder of Camp CADI, a summerr camp rvivors for survivors d sexual of child abuse, said that you n g women who have been abused often develop thy coping unhealthy ds, such as methods, nce abuse, substance

Girls shouldn’t have to censor themselves to prevent being raped or sexually assaulted.” TEEN ARTIST GRACIE HOLTZCLAW

GREEN LIGHT EXHIBIT Gracie Holtzclaw’s Holtzc linocut linocu print, ““Rape Cultur Culture,” which w was deemed too explicit for f her local art exhibitio exhibition. Holtzclaw with her art teacher, teac Kevin Clinto Clinton, who encouraged her to put her feeli feelings about her assault as into her artwo artwork. Photo by Grace Grac Hartley

eating disorders or cutting, and that expressive art should be encouraged, not censored. “Kids don’t always have the words, but through different mediums they can express what they need to,” said Barth. “It’s very important we stop shying away from this topic.” Holtzclaw is working on new pieces for a local Greenville show of work that addresses violence against women. “My message was almost, girls shouldn’t have to censor themselves and be responsible for covering up and monitoring their actions to prevent being raped or sexually assaulted,” Holtzclaw said.

What: Teen Art Gallery’s art exhibition, featuring work by teen artists from across the country and Canada, in assorted mediums, including sculpture, painting, printmaking, filmmaking and creative writing. When: June 6-June 17 OPENING RECEPTION: June 7, 6:00 p.m. Where: 59 East 4th St., 7th floor (courtesy of Creative Time) Hours: noon to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment (Not open June 8 through June 10, or June 16) Free admission

5 TOP

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

FOR THE WEEK

THEATER

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE The Shakespeare Forum presents Shakespeare’s celebrated comedy, “The Merchant of Venice,” featuring the memorable villain Shylock, a moneylender who demands a pound of the merchant Antonio’s ﬂesh as security for a loan. Devoted to fostering a community through free or affordable classes

BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

and workshops, the Shakespeare Forum welcomes seasoned actors to the production, including veterans of the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. The Gym at Judson 243 Thompson St. May 29-June 14 7:30 p.m. Tickets $18 For tickets, call 212-352-3101

THE WOOSTER GROUP PRESENTS “EARLY SHAKER SPIRITUALS: A RECORD ALBUM INTERPRETATION” Long-running experimental theater company the Wooster Group, which counts Willem Dafoe among its founding members, presents its new work, “Early Shaker Spirituals: A Record Album Interpretation,” based on a 1976 recording of hymns, testimonies and other communions of the sisters in Sabbathday Lake, Maine, the last Shaker community. Musician Suzzy Roche and Oscar and Tonywinning actress Frances McDormand appear in the production. The Performing Garage 33 Wooster St. Through June 15 Assorted dates and times Tickets $25 For tickets, call 212-966-3651

MUSIC “KAFKA SHORTS” “Kafka Shorts,” an original theatrical performance featuring and a string quartet and readings from two actors, was inspired by “The Parables,” Franz Kafka’s collection of retellings of classic myths. Written by composer Ray Luedeke and presented by the theater company Voice Aﬁre Pocket Opera and Cabaret, “Kafka Shorts” will also include performances of quartet arrangements by featured composers, including John S. Gray. The evening begins with a tasting of Portuguese wines. Tenri Cultural Institute New York 43A West 13 St. Friday, May 30 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25

AMERICAN CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA PRESENTS “PRAGUE, GOLDEN CITY OF MUSIC” Many distinguished composers ﬂocked to Prague, the city where Beethoven premiered his ﬁrst concerto, and the American Classical

Orchestra honors the music of the Czech capital with its ﬁnal performance of the season. The program includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1—which Dutch pianist Bart Van Oort will perform on a replica of Beethoven’s 1791 fortepiano—along with a waltz by Johann Strauss I and Symphony in D by Czech composer Josef Myslivecek. Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall 1941 Broadway Thursday, June 5 8:00 p.m. Tickets $15 to $90 For tickets, call 212-671-4050

KIDS ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY: THE MUSICAL Theatreworks USA’s musical, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” explores the travails of its title character, who wakes up with gum in his hair and can’t catch a break the rest of the day, even at dinner, when he ﬁnds dreaded lima beans on his plate. Judith Viorst, author of the classic children’s book of the same name, wrote the words and lyrics for the play BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center 199 Chambers Street Sunday, June 1 1:30 p.m. Tickets $25 For tickets, call 212-220-1460

More neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood

news people places events arts business real estate food news people places events arts business real estate food news people places events arts business food

New Your Neighborhood News Source ^

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

Food & Drink

< OUTCRY OVER DANNY MEYER’S 9/11 MUSEUM CAFE Last week, the New York Post published a scathing story condemning the National September 11 Museum’s plan to open a cafe within its confines, and many members of the public, including relatives of 9/11 victims, have voiced their disdain for that decision. The cafe, which is to have 80 seats and serve “an array of local, seasonal fare in a relaxing

In Brief

and comfortable environment,” according to the museum, will be operated by restaurateur Danny Meyer’s catering group, Union Square Events. Both the museum’s president, Joe Daniels, and Meyer have defended the planned restaurant, called Pavilion Cafe, pointing out that part of the proceeds will contribute to the museum’s operating costs.

FINALLY, THE FARMER’S MARKET THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN

YELP REVIEWS NOW A TOOL FOR D.O.H. The New York City Department of Health is using data culled from Yelp reviews to investigate kitchen violations and cases of food poisoning. Columbia University partnered with the social media site to test a computer algorithm that, over nine months in 2012 and 2013, analyzed 294,000 reviews to find evidence of illness caused from dining at city restaurants. Though the system uncovered nearly 900 reviews that indicated violations, only half of the reviews flagged actually offered evidence of food poisoning and the DOH ultimately found just three of those restaurants guilty of more than one violation. The DOH hopes to refine the project further, according to a statement on the Center for Disease Control’s website, though it recommends that other health departments consider using social media as a means of tracking down origins of food illnesses.

NEW DEVELOPMENT TO DEMOLISH LONGSTANDING DINER Olympic Diner, a 35-year-old mainstay on the corner of Essex and Delancey Streets, is set to close in order to make way for Essex Crossing, a 1.9-million square foot commercial and residential development. According to the Essex Crossing website, the sixacre development will span approximately six city blocks on Delancey and Essex Streets, and will house a revamped Essex Street Market among other retail shops, as well as office space and residential units. Jeremiah Moss reported that the owners of the diner, who are on a month-to-month lease, aren’t yet sure when the restaurant will close its doors. Construction for Essex Crossing is slated to begin next spring.

After suffering through a monotonous winter, it’s time to rejoice in the variety of local greenmarkets

DOWNTOWN GREENMARKETS

Tribeca, Greenwich & Chambers St. Wednesdays & Saturdays, yearround 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Abingdon Square, W. 12th & Hudson St. Saturdays, year-round 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

City Hall Park, Chambers St. & Broadway Tuesdays & Fridays, 3/11 - 12/23 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Stuyvesant Town, E. 14th St. Sundays, 5/4 - 11/23 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

PATH, W. Broadway & Barclay St. Tuesdays, year-round 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

St. Mark’s Church, E. 10th St. & 2nd Ave. Tuesdays, 6/3 - 11/25 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Bowling Green, Broadway & Battery Pl. Tuesdays & Thursdays, yearround 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

L.E.S. Youthmarket, Grand & Pitt St. Thursdays, 7/11 - 11/21 tion and before specialty items run out (like the first fiddleheads or tomatoes of the season). Take the family – it is a perfect place to connect children to ingredients and new tastes. (It’s the precursor to getting them into the kitchen to cook.) Bring one or two large canvas or durable bags along with some smaller recycled plastic bags to help you feel virtuous. To lighten the load, consider a small wheelable cart – there are some durable ones that are not pricey; some are even insulated. If it’s hot out, you might want to bring an insulated bag or frozen cold packs for meat or fish or delicate greens. With a little consistency, you can get to know the farmer or his/her staff. I like to hear crop updates as well as snippets about life or family. Once you are a regular, they will readily engage with you. Feel free to put food photos on social media and reference the farm. Farmers work hard and many

3 - 7 p.m.

Union Square Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays & Saturdays, year-round 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tompkins Square, E. 7th St. & Avenue A Sundays, year-round 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

BY LIZ NEUMARK

If you are a loyal local food eater like me, you carried the flag all winter long. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and beets all share that glorious characteristic of being good storage veggies. They formed the foundation of many a winter meal, roasted or pureed, steamed or sautéed. Married with apples, leeks, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, eggs and the occasional greenhouse goodies, the market yielded many a delicious meal. Three weeks ago, I found my first ramps of the season in the Union Square Market; two weeks later, asparagus and spring onions; a week ago, rhubarb and spring garlic; Saturday, fiddleheads; and at my own Hudson Valley farm this weekend, ﬁeld head lettuce and other early greens are rapidly maturing. The season is on and it’s time for the market! Do homework before you go; most markets list the weekly vendors online, which is helpful in planning ahead. I try to get to the market early for the best selec-

Currently the museum receives no federal funding. Meyer told Crain’s New York Business that he was surprised by the backlash, and that the cafe was never intended to become an upscale dining destination. “We were humbled when the museum came to us, because they thought we could do a sensitive job,” Meyer said. Daniels said that the cafe will be designed as a place for reflection, and will only serve museum ticket-holders.

leave pre-dawn to get here. I often bring my friends a homemade snack – a selection of my pickles or a frittata or cake, with market bought ingredients, a good example of a closed loop. It can be interesting to compare prices within one market. I am curious about the varying cost of chicken eggs or differences between conventional and organic produce. I do taste comparisons on lettuce mixes and am always surprised by the wide range of ﬂavors. If you go to different neighborhoods, the variations on price and selection are intriguing, reﬂecting ethnic preferences or simply what different farmers bring, a reason to shop around and explore other parts of the city. The produce you buy in the market is typically much fresher than the supermarket, as it is harvested a day or two in advance. For many items, it means an extended

S.I. Ferry Terminal, Broad & Water St. Tuesdays & Fridays, year-round 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. For more information, visit www. grownyc.org

shelf life once home. Beyond seasonal fruits and vegetables, there are ﬁshermen, a wide range of meat purveyors, pickle makers, bakers, cheese makers, and vendors with honey, maple syrup, wines, beer, pasta, plants, ﬂowers and grains. Markets offer more than just shopping. You can get recipes from market managers who also arrange cooking demos (get the calendar). Greenmarket has several sites where you can compost your kitchen scraps or bring textiles for recycling. Most markets accept EBT (food stamps) but rarely credit cards. A word of advice: unlike markets in some other cities, Greenmarket offers little in the way of prepared food. So don’t arrive hungry, otherwise you will have to hurry home and start cooking. Liz Neumark is chief executive of the catering company Great Performances.

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 14 - 20, 2014

Corkbuzz Wine Studio

13 East 13 Street

Grade Pending (37) 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. Appropriately scaled metal stemtype thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Ainsworth Park

111 East 18 Street

Grade Pending (48) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. 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. 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. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

El Cantinero

86 University Place

Marquet Fine Pastry

15 East 12 Street

Coffee Shop

29 Union Square West

Grade Pending (25) 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. 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.

Paquitos

143 1 Avenue

Grade Pending (38) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

Nowhere

322 East 14 Street

Miso-Ya

129 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (31) 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. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Cinema Village

22 East 12 Street

Vanessa’s Dumpling

220 East 14 Street

Grade Pending (18) 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.

Motorino Pizzeria Napoletana

349 East 12 Street

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. Finnerty’s

221 2 Avenue

Pret A Manger

821 Broadway

Cha-An Teahouse

230 East 9 Street

Feast

102 3 Avenue

City Chow Cafe

897 Broadway

Kanoyama

175 2 Avenue

No Idea

30 East 20 Street

Grade Pending (27) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. 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.

Jivamuktea Cafe

841 Broadway

Thailand Cafe

95 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (29) 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. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Auanthai

7 Saint Marks Place

Not Graded Yet (33) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Dear Irving

55 Irving Place

Not Graded Yet (14) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.

Trattoria Il Mulino

36 East 20 Street

Grade Pending (56) 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. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

< MAYOR FORMS JOBS TASK FORCE

Photo by Rob Bennett for the Office of the Mayor

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the formation of a task force designed to find ways to provide more quality jobs for New Yorkers and develop a stronger and more resilient economy. The 30-member task force is made up of figures from the innovation economy, financial

In Brief TIME INC. TO MOVE HEADQUARTERS DOWNTOWN The publisher of Time and People magazines says it is ditching its midtown Manhattan offices of 55 years to move downtown after it becomes an independent company. Time Inc. plans to spin off from media company Time Warner Inc. on June 6. It will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TIME.” Time, which also publishes Sports Illustrated and Food & Wine magazines, has been located at what’s known as the Time & Life Building since 1959. It plans to move into its new downtown space late next year. Time Inc. CEO Joe Ripp says the company considered moving to New Jersey but went with New York thanks in part to an incentive package from the state.

Business

services, community development and higher education sectors, and is tasked with giving recommendations on how the city can better implement a $500 million workforce investment program and addressing the skill gaps for low-wage workers by creating training programs geared towards what today’s com-

panies are looking for in a quality hire. The task force is also focused on insuring companies ﬁnd and hire local talent from the five boroughs. The funding will implement and sustain workforce programs and education resources for the unemployed and underemployed.

THREE DECADES IN BUSINESS, THEN GONE

SCHNEIDERMAN AND AIR BNB CUT DEAL The State Attorney General’s office and the apartmentsharing startup Air BnB reached a deal in which the website will turn over anonymized data to be examined by the AG’s office, after which time it will disclose the personal account details on users the AG’s office suspects of using the platform illegally. The deal comes after a state judge quashed the AG’s subpoena seeking full account details on thousands of users that was ﬁled after an investigation by his office revealed some users were listing multiple apartments, likely violating state law. The subpoena was quashed for being overly broad, though the judge did allow that some Air BnB users were likely breaking the law. Under the terms of the deal, the data turned over by Air BnB will be stripped of names, email addresses, apartment numbers and other personal details. The AG will have a year to identify those users who are likely using the platform illegally, and can require Air BnB to turn over the personal details of those accounts. State Senator Liz Krueger, who passed the 2010 illegal hotel law that was used as the basis for the subpoena, applauded the deal but said that, in general, Air BnB’s practices don’t conform to state law. “Despite today’s settlement, Air BnB remains a scofflaw company whose business model is at odds not just with multiple New York laws, but with the basics of the New York City real estate market,” said Krueger in a statement. “Its leaders believe they can pick and choose which laws they follow and which they ignore. Worse still, they continue to take no responsibility for the Air BnB hosts who are being evicted from their homes, not because of the law, but simply because nearly every lease, set of co-op bylaws, or condo agreement in New York City prohibits these kinds of short-term sublets.” Earlier this month, Our Town Downtown reported on the rise in eviction proceedings stemming from people who violate their leases by using Air BnB and similar sites to rent out their apartments short-term.

SAVING SMALL BUSINESS Long-time West Side laundromat forced out of neighborhood BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Rui Rong He says he can afford to keep the prices low at his wash and fold service on 88th Street and Columbus Avenue because his rent is low, only $880 a month. The space is small; you walk in and that’s it. A folding table sits behind a small counter, and along one

wall are shelves with paper bundles of neatly packaged clothes waiting to be picked up. In the back are washing machines and dry-cleaning equipment. Other laundry services in the area charge upwards of $13 to clean a suit-jacket, he said. He only charges $9.50. “I’ve got low rent, so I’ve got low prices,” said He. He’s good at his job, as evidenced by his 32 years in business at this location. Before moving here, He worked at his uncle’s wash and fold, which opened in 1945 further up on Columbus Avenue. In October of last year, his landlord approached him

with a five-year lease for about $1,200-a-month, with a five percent annual increase. He didn’t sign the lease for some months due to some confusion over terms. When he finally did, in March of this year, he was told it was too late. The landlord came back with a $2,500-ayear lease and a three percent annual increase, which He said he can’t afford, given his $9.50 suit jobs. Some weeks ago, He, who is 60 and five years away from retirement, received a notice informing him that he’d have to vacate at the end of May. There was little he could do, as he had always had a year-to-year lease.

He contacted local elected officials like Councilmember Helen Rosenthal and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, informing them of his plight, and started a petition to save his livelihood. “That’s terrible, very, very sad,” said customer Nora Tezanos, who’s been coming to He for over a year and stopped by to pick up some laundry. She signed the petition, along with over 150 others in the neighborhood, urging the landlord, Finger Management, to work out a way for He’s wash and fold to stay. Even customers in the co-op apartments living above him don’t want to see him go, he said. As for the future, he doesn’t really have a plan. “I can’t retire,” said He, who lives in Brooklyn. “At 60 years old, looking for a job is not easy.” He’s going to take his petition to the powers that be and hope for the best. “I really worry,” he said. Finger Management did not respond to a request for comment. When reached by phone, a lawyer representing the company declined to comment. While He joins a growing list of small businesses in Manhattan forced out by high rents, his story has an additional wrinkle. The building that He’s laundry service is located in is part of the Housing Development Finance Corp. program, whereby a building that was previously owned by the city is turned over to residents, who then form a co-op. It was the coop board that decided not to renew He’s lease, opting instead for a higher-paying tenant. Councilmember Helen Rosenthal lamented He’s plight, and said the city must do more to help him and other small businesses that face similar economic pressures. “With the loss of this laundromat, we lose another piece of the unique character of the Upper West Side,” said Rosenthal.

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES Ron Cephas Jones plays Crooks in the current Broadway production.

FROM SHAKESPEARE TO STEINBECK signiﬁcant. What does it mean to you?

Q&A Actor Ron Cephas Jones on his Upper West Side neighborhood, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Richard III BY ANGELA BARBUTI

Although he has been on the New York theater scene for quite some time, Ron Cephas Jones never had a major role on Broadway until now. It was worth the wait. In “Of Mice and Men,” he brings the sharp-witted stable hand, Crooks, to life so poignantly on stage. And the actor realizes what a privilege it is to recite John Steinbeck’s powerful words every night. The play has a limited run at the Longacre Theatre and Cephas Jones has embraced his new Broadway family, which includes James Franco and Chris O’Dowd as George and Lennie. “I’m enjoying myself very much. We’re all blessed,” he said.

Crooks’ scene with Lennie is very

I think the scene is not so much about any type of race, although you may hear the N-word and it’s a segregated situation. They place horseshoes together and I would imagine he may eat when everybody else does. But the fact that he has a place to stay in the barn and can’t go into the bunkhouse is indicative of the segregation that was happening at the time. But what is so profoundly beautiful about the scene is that Steinbeck cuts through that with Crooks’ attitude. “Well if I can’t be in there, then you can’t come in here.” It works both ways, you know. He makes light of that very early in the scene and the human connection happens between him and Lennie.

What’s the atmosphere like backstage? Everybody’s cool. The way the theater is structured and the way the play is laid out, everybody’s kind of busy during the course of the play, moving in and out. But it’s a real mellow

place. Broadway’s like that, the staff and the people who work there help make it comfortable. And you’re always doing all kinds of family-type oriented things, like meals together on two-show days. Little things like that, so I ﬁnd that’s really beautiful about the theater. I mean, you have your little spats here and there, but, for the most part, it’s always great to go to the theater and hang out with theater family.

Had you read the book before you were cast? Yeah, I’m just another one of those students who read it in grammar school. I read it again during the course of doing the play, in rehearsals.

You’re part of the LAByrinth Theater Company. Explain what that is. It started with John Ortiz, Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Gary Perez, a lot of Latino cats who wanted to come together to make work for themselves, and it blossomed into a major theater company. Philip Seymour Hoffman came in some years later and became the artistic

I got back into theater. I was doing a play there called “Don’t Explain” with Rome Neal. And Meg Simon happened to be in the audience, and some months later, called me in for an audition.

I read an article about you playing Richard III as part of a mobile unit.

director along with John Ortiz. We’ve done plays like “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train,” “Our Lady of 125th Street,” and “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” It became a very popular, sort of vanguard theater. We were on 21st Street for a while at Center Stage in an office building that was developed into a theater. It was a small, with 70 seats, and we were drawing a lot of crowds to come see our work. Now we have a place down on Bank Street. That’s our home at the moment. And Philip Seymour Hoffman’s wife, Mimi, has been artistic director. We had a big blow recently with his passing, but she still remains artistic director, which is wonderful. It’s a place that’s been very dear to me; it’s been like a home. I made a lot of friends there that have become like family.

Earlier in your career, you read at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. I started out there in 1988. I was hanging out there a lot, reading poetry. And that’s how

We took a pared-down rendition of “Richard III,” and took it to maybe ﬁve different prisons, as well as soup kitchens, homeless shelters and schools. Then we had a four-week run in the theater itself and got major reviews from the New York Times. I’m very proud of that. The mobile unit is the historical thing that Joseph Papp actually started at the Public Theater. They didn’t have a space originally. The Public started out in a truck where they would take Shakespeare to the people. Two years ago, Oskar Eustis [the artistic director] decided to bring that concept back to return to Joseph’s original idea of what the Public Theater is representing. He wanted to have different programs that reached out directly to the public, to bring people who wouldn’t normally get theater or couldn’t afford it, access. His philosophy is that theater belongs to everybody.

When did you come to the city? I’ve lived in New York off and on since 1974. I lived in Harlem, the East Village, the West. I lived all over this town. I’ve been on the Upper West Side

for maybe almost seven, eight years now.

What are your favorite places in your neighborhood? I like Riverside Park. I’m there a lot with our dog. I eat at lot on Amsterdam. They have a Peruvian chicken over there, at Flor De Mayo. Of course, French Roast. I’m always meeting people there for lunch and coffee.

Your daughter followed in your footsteps. Yeah, my daughter’s been in the business for maybe twoand-a-half years now. She’s 24. Her name is Jasmine. She took on my name too, Jasmine Cephas Jones. She grew up in the theater with me and her mother’s a singer also. She did her first off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater and booked a couple of television gigs already, so I’m very proud of her.

When is “Of Mice and Men” ending its run? And what are your plans after it’s over? July 27th is the date that we got. It’s a limited run, I would imagine, because of Mr. Franco’s schedule. He’s into so many different things, as you know. You know, I’m not sure at the moment. I’m still at that level where I’m getting offers, but I’m not that Hollywood elite sort of recognizable movie actor. So I’m hoping maybe some television stuff will come along. There’s a couple of things on the table, I just don’t know if anything’s gonna pan out yet. But I have faith that I’ll be involved in something good.

Our Town MAY 29, 2014

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Citi Habitats

Greenwich Village

$749,000

Douglas Elliman

211 Thompson St.

Lower E Side

575 Grand St.

$705,000

Town Residential

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$500,000

Coldwell Banker Bellmarc

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$950,000

Tribeca

93 Worth St.

$610,950 2

Town Residential

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

73 Worth St.

$2,800,000 2

Tribeca

93 Worth St.

$1,857,288

W Village

1 Morton Square

$9,400,000

W Village

61 Jane St.

$795,000

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StreetEasy.com is New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most accurate and comprehensive real estate website, providing consumers detailed sales and rental information and the tools to manage that information to make educated decisions. The site has become the reference site for consumers, real estate professionals and the media and has been widely credited with bringing transparency to one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important real estate markets.

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Directory of Business & Services ANTIQUES WANTED

TOP PRICES PAID

Chinese Objects Paintings, Jewelry Silver, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased

800.530.0006 FURNITURE MEDICÂŽ

The prescription for damaged furniture

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212-470-3850

Wills Living Trusts Probate Elder Law Guardianships Legal Advice

212 979-2868 Home Visits Available - We Honor all AARP and Legal Services Plan Discounts 237 1st Ave, 2nd Floor, New York NY 10003 S.W. Corner of 14th Street & 1st Ave

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PAINTING

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newspaper

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To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com

MAY 29, 2014 Our Town

CLASSIFIEDS Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: 212-868-0190 | Fax: 212-2868-0190 Email: classified2@strausnews.com Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Deadline: 2pm the Friday before publication ADOPTION

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Loving married couple longs to adopt newborn. We’ll provide a beautiful life, unconditional love, opportunities & security. Expenses paid. Tricia & Don anytime at 1-800-348-1748. https://donandtriciaadopt. shutterﬂy.com/

2012 Dodge Durango Crew Lux $27,500 31,155 miles Stock #F31658A MSRP $31,997 Nielson Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 175 Route 10, East Hanover, NJ 877-393-2686 www.nielsendodge.com

Furniture Stripping, Reﬁnishing, Repairs, French Polishing. Chairs: Reglued, recanted, rerushed, reupholstered. Kitchen cabinets, front doors, moldings. 37 years in business. Nouveau Furniture Restoration 917-335-1927

ANIMALS & PETS

2013 Audi A4 Premium $31,995 Stock #10488 MSRP: $38,290 SAVE: $6,295, Audi Manhattan Open Road Auto Group Audimanhattan.com, 800 11th Ave at 55th St., New York NY 212-515-8200

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL

ATT DOG WALKERS: Earn extra income from your existing client base. No investment, start today! 212-920-4200 AUCTIONS

Buy or sell at AARauctions. com. Contents of homes, businesses, vehicles and real estate.Bid NOW! AARauctions. com. Lights, Camera, Auction. No longer the best kept secret.

Exciting Neighborhood Auction. Antiques and Collectibles, Paintings, Costume Jewelry, Decorative Objects. Auction 3pm, Sat. May 31(Prev.11am1pm; Reg. 2-3pm), The Caedmon School, 416 E 80th St (bet 1st & York) Auctioneer: Stephen Feldman.Info: Martine’s Auctions - 212 772 0900 SULLIVAN COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION: 300+/Properties June 11+12 @ 10AM. Held at The Sullivan, Route 17 Exit 109. 800-2430061 AAR, Inc. & HAR, Inc. Free brochure: www.NYSAuctions.com

2013 FIAT 500 Abarth $18,912 9,237 miles Stock #S696 MSRP $21,912 Nielson Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 175 Route 10, East Hanover, NJ 877-3932686 www.nielsendodge.com

Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-AWish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (855) 376-9474

Remember to: Recycle and Reuse HEALTH SERVICES

Having Trouble Hearing? Call Park76 Audiology today at (212) 288-5038 for an expert evaluation of your hearing. Serving the Upper East Side for over 25 years. Visit us at www.newyorkcityhearingaids.com.

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S 2011 Chevy Equinox 1LT $20,912 37,475 miles, Stock #E41158A MSRP $22,912, Nielson Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 175 Route 10, East Hanover, NJ 877-393-2686 www.nielsendodge.com

2012 Chrysler Town & Country Touring $22,738 22,030 miles Stock #F41178P1 MSRP $26,880, Nielson Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 175 Route 10, East Hanover, NJ 877-3932686 www.nielsendodge.com

IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER PRADAXA and suffered internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, require hospitalization or a loved one died while taking Pradaxa between October 2010 and the present. You may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727

Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health 646-754-2000 www.nyulmc.org/menshealth HELP WANTED

2012 Dodge Caliber SXT $13,860 24,324 miles Stock #U8316A MSRP $16,888 Nielson Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, 175 Route 10, East Hanover, NJ 877-393-2686 www.nielsendodge.com

$8,000 COMPENSATION. Women 21-31. EGG DONORS NEEDED. 100% Conﬁdential/ Private. Help Turn Couples Into Families with Physicians on The BEST DOCTOR’S List. 1877-9-DONATE; 1-877-9366283; www.longislandivf.com

Anthony Pomponio, Allstate 212-769-2899 apomponio@allstate.com

REVERSE MORTGAGES -Draw all eligible cash out of your home & eliminate mortgage payments. Seniors 62+! Government insured. Free 26 page catalog. FHA/VA loans also available. 1-888-660-3033 All Island Mortgage. NMLS#3740.

Rick Bryan, Attorney & Counselor at Law. Wills, Living Trusts, Probate, Elder Law, Guardianships, Legal Advice. Home Visits Available. We honor all AARP and Legal Service Plan Discounts, 237 1st Ave, 2nd Fl, S.W. Corner of 14th St and 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003, 212-979-2868.

MASSAGE

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 SENSUAL BODYWORK young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116 PAINT & WALLPAPER

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POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. We will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. Manhattan Media Classifieds assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid. REAL ESTATE - RENT

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

Delaware’s Resort Living Without Resort Pricing! Low Taxes! Gated Community, Close to Beaches, Amazing Amenities, Olympic Pool. New Homes from $80’s! Brochures available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com.

Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, 2 miles to the riverfront district. Homes starting at $39,000. 772-581-0080, www.beach-cove.com. SERVICES OFFERED

Known for Service Excellence Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel, 1076 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10028, 212-2883500, www.frankecampbell.com

Shari Melisa, Salon Hair Stylist Text 347.243.3170 to reserve. instagram.com/sharimelisa

Remember to: Recycle and Reuse WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800530-0006. CASH for Coins! Buying ALL Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NY 1-800959-3419

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Our Town MAY 29, 2014

WE HAVE OVER 500 WINES UNDER $10!

Sauvignon Blanc Black Birch Mountain Marlborough

Chardonnay Carneros Buena Vista

2010

2008

Dievole Rosso di Sangiovese

Rose Cotes de Provence Terre Des Oliviers

2008

750ML

5.99

2013

750ML

8.99

9.99

750ML

9.99

Cotes du Rhone Perrin Reserve 2010

750ML

8.99

750ML

5.99

750ML

Beaujolais-Villages Laboure-Roi Vieilles Vignes 2009

5.99

750ML

Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sauvion

Bordeaux Coeur De Verdet 2011

Prosecco Martini & Rossi Italy

8.99

2012

6.99

750ML

Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon Argentina

Chenin Blanc Man Vintners South Africa

2011

2013

750ML

7.99

Zinfandel L de Lyeth Sonoma County

Marques de Caceres White Rioja

2006

2010

750ML

Saronga Chardonnay South Africa 2010

750ML

7.99

750ML

5.99

Warreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Warrior Port

4.99

13.99

750ML

Sebastiani Chardonnay Sonoma 2012

750ML

Pinot Noir Cono Sur Chile 2013

750ML

9.99

La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Chile

2011 750ML

2013

2008

Pinot Grigio Torre del Sale Italy 2011 750ML

750ML

6.99

Chateau Serilhan St. Estephe

4.99

2007 750ML

10.99

750ML

7.99

Columbia Winery Pinot Gris Washington State 750ML

Chianti Astorre Noti 2010

750ML

6.99 8.99

6.99

Vinas del Eden Malbec - Bonarda Argentina

4.99

750ML

8.99

Yes, We Deliver! Credit card purchases In store only. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical errors Prices effective through

June 4, 2014