Our Town Downtown June 12th, 2014 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn SUM SUMMER OF FUN WITH DEBUT AUTHOR Q&A, P. 17

WEEK OF JUNE

12 2014

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WHERE TO WATCH THE CUP DOWNTOWN

In Brief WORLD’S OLDEST MAN DIES IN MANHATTAN

SPORTS You don’t need to leave the neighborhood to catch world class soccer BY MARY KEKATOS

The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 12 and runs through July 13, and bars around the city will be hosting viewing parties so that American soccer fans can catch all the action from Brazil. (Luckily, the time zone in Sao Paulo is only an hour ahead of New York time.) We’ve rounded up some establishments right in your neighborhood that will be broadcasting World Cup games this summer.

MR. DENNEHY’S IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT 63 Carmine Street (212) 414-1223 Known for showcasing all sporting events Mr. Dennehy’s offers private party rooms if you’d like to host a World Cup viewing party.

SLÁINTE 304 Bowery (b/t Bleecker St & Houston St) (212) 253-7030 Sláinte provides full coverage of all the World Cup games with 12 HDTVS and a large beer lineup.

NEVADA SMITHS 100 Third Avenue (b/w 12th St & 13th St) (212) 982-2591 Their motto is “Where Football is Religion,” and they don’t mean the American version. NYC’s most famous soccer bar means business and will be showing every World Cup game. Be wary of crowds, however. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

An architectural rendering of what a beach on a ﬂoating barge might look like. A new company hopes to make this dream a reality within the next few years.

A FLOATING BEACH FOR THE WEST VILLAGE NEWS A start-up is hoping to create a beach on a barge in the Hudson River by 2016 BY MARY KEKATOS

WEST VILLAGE Summer months, for many, mean it’s time for trips to the beach. Getting to one in New York, however, can be difficult without a car, and the limited number of beaches in the city often leads to overcrowding. One fledgling start-up is hoping to do away with hour-long commutes to human-packed beaches, by building one, right on the Hudson. A company called City Beach NYC is hoping to construct a ﬂoating beach on a barge off the shore of the West Village by 2016. The man with the ambitious plan

to bring the first pop-up beach to the city is Blayne Ross, the founder of City Beach NYC. Ross says the idea came to him around 2012 after he saw how crowded Hudson River Park was during the summer. “It was absolutely packed…you couldn’t see a blade of grass,” he said. “People wanted a beach, without the commute, and we found a way where having a temporary space could make this work.” Ideally, Ross hopes for the beach to be open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, followed by a move to a holding area for watercrafts during the winter months. There will be no admission fee to use the beach. According to Ross, beach-goers would only have to pay for renting amenities, such as beach chairs and umbrellas, which in turn would help City Beach NYC to sustain operations. Other planned amenities include

a surf shop and dining establishments on the main deck. The east end of the beach would contain smaller kiosk-style stands that primarily sell snack foods while the western end of the beach would feature sit-down establishments. The two-story barge would hold about 600-700 people at a time. Plans also call for a marine science exhibit on the lower level with a marine touch tank and interactive kiosks. “We really want to teach kids what is happening on our waterways, speciﬁcally the Hudson, as that is where we will be,” explained Ross. The actual beach itself would be located on the upper deck, and would provide beach-goers with a 360 degree view of the city. Ross estimates the cost of the project to be around $200,000, which

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

The world’s oldest man, a retired chemist and parapsychologist, gist, has died in New York City. y. Alexander Imich ch was 111. His niece, iece, Karen Bogen of Providence, Rhode Island, says Imich died Sunday at his home on the Upper West Side. Bogen says she had visited Imich a day earlier. She says his health declined about two weeks ago and he didn’t recognize her. Imich was born in 1903 in a town in Poland that was then part of Russia. He and his wife ﬂed after the Nazis invaded in 1939. They eventually moved to the United States in 1951. His wife died in 1986. In news reports, Imich said his good genes and a general healthy lifestyle contributed to his longevity.

LADY LIBERTY SHOWERED WITH ROSE PETALS FOR D-DAY Three helicopters ﬂew over the Statue of Liberty on Friday, showering France’s gift to the United States with 1 million red rose petals during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Just prior to the petal drop, students unfurled two giant ﬂags at the base of the statue -- one American, one French. A band then played both countries’ national anthems. Hundreds of World War II veterans, history buffs and active duty military members attended. The event marked the anniversary of the landings of Allied troops in Normandy, the largest amphibious invasion in history and a turning point in the war.

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK RECORD $110 MILLION PENTHOUSE AT WOOLWORTH BUILDING Bloomberg News reported that the Woolworth Building, an early U.S. skyscraper, is asking $110 million for the penthouse located at the top of the building. Completed in 1913, the neo-Gothic building was the tallest skyscraper in the world until 1930. In 2012, developers bought the top 30 ﬂoors to convert them into luxury condos, set to go on sale in 2016 at the starting prince of $3.5 million. The penthouse itself is close to 8,975 square feet, will span nine ﬂoors, and will include such luxuries as a wine cellar and a media room. Jonathan Miller, president of appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. told the newspaper that the asking price is the highest ever for a condominium in downtown Manhattan. Bloomberg News

TALKS CONTINUE OVER CONTROVERSIAL SOUTH STREET SEAPORT TOWER Talks continue over the planned 50-story building at South Street Seaport, reported DNAinfo.com. Plans by the Howard Hughes Corporation to demolish the warehouses next to Pier 17 in order to put up a 600 foot luxury hotel and apartment tower had been met with criticism from both residents and

community officials. In response to the plans, the Seaport Working Group was created which has been in negotiations with Howard Hughes for the past few months. The group has asked for a readjustment of the plans, namely for a shorter building that keeps in line with the architecture of the historic area. The group held a meeting on Monday night, asking residents to attend and give suggestions. These recommendations will be sent to Howard Hughes who will turn present a revised plan to the group before the corporations submits its plans to the city in the fall. DNAinfo.com

REPORT TRACKS MAJOR CHANGES IN L.E.S. A community district 3 study conducted by Columbia University researchers shows drastic changes in retail, population and real estate on in the Lower East Side and East Village neighborhoods, Gothamist reported. The study focused on changes between 2000 and 2012, documenting retail trends as well as the loss of many affordable housing units and a sharp increase in the number of bars and restaurants. The average rent increased by 42 percent during that time, and demographics shifted, with an inﬂux of over 4,000 new white residents in Alphabet City and a loss of over 1,000 Hispanic and black residents. The median household income also

increased from $37,000 to $62,000. The study also noted the difficulty that small, independent businesses have in staying in the area that is now dominated by bars and high-end retail, and the issues that many residents have with an overabundance of nightlife venues, resulting in a lack of business during the day. Gothamist

SMOKE-FREE BUILDINGS ON THE RISE DNAinfo.com reported a dramatic increase in the number of smoke-free buildings that have come on the market in the past five years. Data analyzed for them by StreetEasy shows that in 2008 there was only one listing for an apartment advertised as being in a smoke-free building, and zero co-ops or condos were listed as being smoke free. According to the StreetEasy data, 1,488 rentals, 100 condos and 66 coops were listed in smoke-free buildings citywide in 2013. So far this year, 1,200 rentals, 71 condos and 34 co-ops were listed in smoke-free buildings, a rate that’s on pace to surpass last year’s figures. “When one person smokes, the whole building smokes,” said executive director of the NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free City Sheelah Feinberg. “Secondhand smoke permeates walls and crevices in multi-unit buildings and poses a significant health threat.” DNAinfo.com

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JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG LEMOND DIEU

BURBERRY BURGLED

At 1 AM on Sunday, June 1, a 35-year-old man discovered that his bicycle, which he had chained to a bike post in front of 183 W. Houston Street, was missing. Police searched the area, but were unable to locate the stolen two-wheeler. The burgled bike was a silver LeMond with blue stripes, which the owner said he had bought six years before for $2,500.

Two women stole valuable scarves from a Burberry store. At 4:30 PM on Sunday, May 25, a 25-year-old male store employee at the Burberry’s at 131 Spring Street was taking inventory at closing time, when it was discovered that eleven scarves were missing from a display shelf. Store video showed two women putting the scarves in a shopping bag and leaving the store within ten minutes. Embedded tags on the missing scarves failed to set off alarm sensors. The items of merchandise stolen were two camel check scarves worth $750, three ivory check scarves valued at $1,125, a light gray mélange scarf priced at $265, a bright citrus scarf worth $375, a rose scarf priced at $1,125, and a Navy check scarf valued at $350, making a total of $3,990.

BIKENABBER NABBED A man was arrested as he was attempting to make off with a bicycle. At 4:05 PM on Friday, May 30, 52-year-old Stanley Griffith was observed removing a bicycle at the southwest corner of Broadway and Spring Street. The bike was chained to a street sign, and the defendant was found to be in possession of burglar tools. The bike’s owner, a 29-year-old man, did manage to recover his damaged-andcut cable bicycle lock valued at $40. The stolen bike was valued at $1,500. The defendant was arrested May 30 and charged with grand larceny.

MALOS AIRES A woman’s purse was removed from the back of her chair in a restaurant. At 5:21 PM on Thursday, May 29, a 46-year-old female tourist from Buenos Aires, Argentina was eating at the Subway

restaurant at 9 Broadway when a 30-year-old man removed her purse from the back of her chair. Store video shows the man taking her purse and ﬂeeing in an unknown direction. The woman had canceled her credit cards at the time of her police report, and no unauthorized charges had turned up. Police canvassed the area but could not locate the thief. he items stolen included various credit and debit cards, $395 in cash, a black wallet worth $250, an iPhone charger valued at $80, a New York City tourist book priced at $40, and a Jansport bag valued at $15. The total stolen came to $780.

1ST PRECINCT Report covering the week 5/26/2014 through 6/1/2014 Week to Date 2014 2013

% Change

2014

2013

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-16.7

Robbery

-34.6

Felony Assault

100

-6.5

Burglary

-80

-24.2

LANGSTER GANGSTER

Grand Larceny

-9.1

373

441

-15.4

A miscreant stole three bicycles from a man. A 32-yearold man told police that he had last seen his three bicycles at 12 noon on Friday, May 30, chained up in front of a parking lot at 365 South End Avenue. When the man returned on June 1, he found that all three of his rides were missing. He did not have serial numbers for the bikes, nor did the vehicles have any identiﬁable marks. Video may be available of the theft. The stolen bicycles were an aluminum

Grand Larceny Auto

-100

-84.6

Langster Specialized valued at $1,200, a gold Diamondback Clarity worth $500, and a black Trek priced at $1,500, making a total of $3,200.

BASKET BANDIT Someone ﬁlched items from a bike rider’s basket. At 3:30 PM on Tuesday, May 27, a 33-yearold woman from Queens was

riding her bike northbound on West Broadway. When she stopped at the northeast corner of West Houston and West Broadway, an unknown person removed items from her bike basket when she was not looking. In fact, she did not realize that her property was missing until she went to check directions on her phone. She told police that the credit cards

Sleep-Away Camp

Camp y a D e A mplet As Co leepAs S y! Awa

Year to Date

stolen had been used to make Metro Card purchases totaling $80 before she canceled the cards. Other items taken were an iPhone 5 and case valued at $500, a wallet worth $135, makeup and ﬁrst aid supplies valued at $80, $60 in cash, a Muji handbag priced at $60, a Totes umbrella costing $13, and a ﬂash drive key ring worth $5.

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

Frank McCourt High School, on W. 84th Street, is graduating its ﬁrst class of seniors.

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

NYPD 6th Precinct

233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

NYPD 10th Precinct

230 W. 20th St.

212-741-8211

NYPD 13th Precinct

230 E. 21st St.

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

25 Pitt St.

311

FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5

227 6th Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11

222 E. 2nd St.

311

FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15

42 South St.

311

ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

49 Chambers St.

212-442-5050

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

Community Board 3

59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

Hudson Park

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

COMMUNITY BOARDS

LIBRARIES

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

TIME WARNER

46 East 23rd

813-964-3839

US Post Office

201 Varick St.

212-645-0327

US Post Office

128 East Broadway

212-267-1543

US Post Office

93 4th Ave.

212-254-1390

POST OFFICES

A RARE MILESTONE AT FRANK MCCOURT HIGH EDUCATION First graduating class sends 100% of its students to college BY JEFF STONE

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Educators who have spent four years preparing the first graduating class at Frank McCourt High School have reason to celebrate -- not only for graduating the school’s first senior class, but also because an astounding 100% of the students who will walk across the stage on June 26 have been accepted to college. Last year, only 16 high schools in New York State sent 100% of their graduating class to college, putting McCourt, in its debut graduating class, in exclusive company. Across the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 66 percent of people who graduated high school in 2013 enrolled in college. Such impressive numbers at McCourt, on West 84th Street, have come after years of hard work, and not only from the students. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, publisherer Tom Allon (former owner of the West Side Spirit), and other community leaders were heavily involved in the school’s founding, and especially the decision to name it after Frank McCourt, thr writer of “Angela’s Ashes.” Before his death in 2009, McCourt spent decades teaching throughout the city. He was aware before his death that the school would be named

after him and said the decision was more of an honor than winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1997. “He always said to us, ‘Why do you name schools, high schools in particular, after dead presidents and not teachers?’” Brewer said. “The whole McCourt family has been and is still very involved with the school. We’re all very pleased, and the teachers are absolutely extraordinary.” The school is writing-intensive and attracts some of the brightest students from all ﬁve boroughs. Rather than focusing on SATs or possible college majors in their final two years, like most schools do, students are Frank McCourt begin visiting universities and attending career fairs during their freshman term. Many students earn enough credits to graduate in only two or three years and are thus able to spend time exploring clubs, internships, or writing and performing their own theatrical productions. Principal Danielle Salzberg explained that early concerns about Frank McCourt being too elite for many New Yorkers have dampened because students spend so much time with people they normally wouldn’t meet. “They travel to school from every borough, though many live in or attended middle school in Community School District 3,” she said. “Students represent the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the city as well, and we have worked hard to teach students how to work with each other. Much like real life, our students

Frank McCourt said the naming of a high school after him was a bigger honor than the Pulitzer Prize. learn how to problem solve with people of like and very dislike minds.” Graduates plan on attending schools throughout the northeast, ranging from the University of Pennsylvania, Fordham, Sarah Lawrence, a number of SUNY and CUNY schools, and many others. “Our students were also awarded more than a million dollars in scholarship money and some will be attending school next year fully funded by merit scholarships,” Principal Salzberg added. “We worked hard to deﬁne high expectations for our students and to celebrate together.”

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

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Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

MEN HAVE NEEDS TOO.

Right now the plan includes space for retail shops and restaurants on the “beach.”

FLOATING BEACH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 City Beach NYC hopes to raise through three rounds of funding. The first round consists of a Kickstarter campaign that will launch on June 19.

The primary question that most people have wondered is if this project is feasible by 2016. “I believe it’s doable,” said Ross. “This project can be easily phased. We can prep the deck surface to have sand for the summer and easily put it away for the winter.”

Ross hopes that projects like these will inspire others to create projects that continue to change and improve New York City. “Mostly, we want the beach to be an amenity to the park,” he said. “A way to enhance the New York summer experience.”

INTRODUCING THE PRESTON ROBERT TISCH CENTER FOR MEN’S HEALTH. 555 MADISON AVE. BETWEEN 55TH AND 56TH ST. Now, men have a state-of-the-art medical facility they can call their own, right here in the heart of Manhattan. The Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health provides men with access to NYU Langone specialists in cardiology, internal medicine, gastroenterology, urology, orthopedics/sports medicine, physical therapy and physiatry, dermatology, ear, nose and throat, mental health, plastic surgery, pulmonology, endocrinology, neurology, and radiology. Experience what it feels like to have your healthcare tailored speciﬁcally for you. To make an appointment with an NYU Langone doctor, call 646-754-2000. Visit nyulmc.org/menshealth.

The movable barge would “park” on the Hudson River near the West Village in the summer.

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

CARNEGIE EAST HOUSE NEW YORK’S PREMIERE ENRICHED RESIDENCE FOR SENIORS IS HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE

WHERE TO WATCH THE WORLD CUP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

SWEETWATER SOCIAL

643 Broadway (b/w Bond St & Bleecker St) (212) 253-0477 This Greenwich Village bar is a bit more low-key than most places on this list, but these soccerloving owners make Sweetwater Social a good place to catch some games

COME JOIN US ON OUR PATIO AS WE CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER TOURS WILL BE GIVEN DATE: SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH TIME: 2—4 PM PLACE: CARNEGIE EAST HOUSE

1844 SECOND AVE. (95TH & 96TH ST.) NEW YORK, NY PLEASE RSVP BY: JUNE 23RD ROBERTA MIKHAEL (646) 438-8009 OR

rmikhael@carnegieeast.org

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

Voices

< A VOTE IN FAVOR OF BIKE LANES A comment from the web on a letter published in our May 29, 2014 issue, “Local Kid - Say No to Bike Lanes!”: Bike lanes intentionally take away parking spots. Less cars means less wear on the roads, less pollution, and greater health outcomes for New Yorkers like

Feedback

yourself. Cabs are legally not allowed to let out passengers or pick up passengers when they are 10 inches or more from the curb. It is also a violation to open a car door into traffic and you can get ﬁned $500. Such doorings have led to the deaths of many cyclists.

Cabs should not be letting passengers out or picking them up while in a bike lane. Pedestrians should not be walking in bike lanes since they are not bikes! Pedestrians get hurt at their own risk and at their own fault. Bike lanes are good. Do your research next time. Kevin

OP-ED

THE J.H.L. DEBATE CONTINUES In response to the letter “Time to Rethink Opposition to J.H.L.,” June 4 This article is a non-sequitur. It does not address the fact that JHL has already received approval to build a green-house model nursing home facility exactly where they are located today on 106th Street, and where that construction project, according to both JHL and the New York State Department of Health, would cause no adverse environmental impact. This is in contrast to the environmental destruction that will be caused by the construction at West 97th Street, which is directly next to P.S. 163, a public elementary school. The undersigned represent the P.S. 163 Task Force for a Safe School, a committee of the Parent Teacher Association at our school that has been working diligently to protect our school community from this very dangerous construction project that is scheduled to begin as early as November 2014 just feet from our school. Among other things, we recently submitted a very detailed public comment letter to the New York State Department of Health, supported by experts in the areas of children’s health, acoustics, construction, environmental science, and traffic engineering. The public comment letter details the grave health and safety concerns that the project presents. For ease of reading, we also have prepared an executive summary of our public comment letter, both of which are accessible on our website. www.ps163taskforce.org In short, our community does not object to JHL building a new facility to serve elderly residents in our neighborhood. We only object to JHL choosing to build where it will have a very negative impact on our community, including our youngest children, when an alternative exists that will not cause any environmental or other harm. Ms. Oser does not address this in her letter because no reasonable response to our concerns is possible. Adina Brooks & Rene Kathawala, co-chairs, P.S. 163 Task Force for a Safe School

CLEANING UP DIRTY BOILERS The state should help finance programs that replace “dirty” heating oil boilers with cleaner, more efficient upgrades BY DAN QUART

UPPER EAST SIDE In the 1950s and 60s, New York City’s poor air quality was at crisis levels. Isolated smog events were widely reported as emergencies, killing hundreds over the course of a few separate weeks. Air quality improved nationwide after federal legislation was enacted in 1970. Still, New York City’s air remained notably more polluted than the rest of the country’s. Even just a few years ago, Mayor Bloomberg’s 2007 PlaNYC report attributed 3,000 deaths, 2,000 hospital admissions and 6,000 emergency room visits annually to ﬁne particulate emissions, one of the most dangerous kinds of air pollution. The report also identified a surprising cause of much of this pollution: boilers in large apartment buildings burning dirty heating oils. Out of the roughly 250,000 apartment buildings across the city, only 10,000 of them were burning dirty fuels, but the resulting ﬁne particulate pollution from these buildings was more than that of all of the car and truck traffic in the entirety of the city. To combat this, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enacted new regulations that would eliminate the dirtiest

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

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heating oil, #6, by 2015 and the next dirtiest heating oil, #4, by 2030. The regulations have been effective in making serious progress toward eliminating #6 oil. As of May 2014, only 1614 buildings use boilers that are still burning #6. However, many building owners have converted to #4 oil instead of cleaner fuels, including low sulfur #2 oil and natural gas. Since August 2013, the number of buildings with boilers burning #4 oil has actually increased from 3137 to 3271. While this is a small increase, it represents a significant failure in avoided emissions that will continue for the next 16 years, until #4 oil is outlawed in 2030. The DEP’s mandates are an important step toward reducing fine particulate emissions, but they did not address the cause of many buildings’ failure to stop using these most emissive heating oils: costs. Cleaner conversions are more costly conversions, leading many buildings to choose the intermediate step of an easier conversion that is less effective in reducing emissions. Of particular concern are rent-regulated buildings - these buildings are usually undercapitalized and find it more difficult to either raise capital or find financing for the costs associated with a boiler conversions. Defraying the costs of these investments in cleaner heating fuels is necessary to help building owners make this leap.

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

The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency agrees with me. In a report they released on May 15, 2014, they declared, “To increase fuel oil efficiency and reduce emissions in the residential sector, additional funding is needed for fuel oil efﬁciency and or fuel oil to natural gas systems conversions.” It’s time to finish the job and finally eradicate these dirty heating oils

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

once and for all. I have sponsored legislation that will do just that by offering financial incentives for building owners who convert to cleaner heating fuels, speeding up the process and ensuring that our air is free of heating-related ﬁne particulate emissions. Clean air is worth the cost. Dan Quart is the State Assemblyman for the Upper East Side’s district 73.

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

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

Op-Ed

Lower Manhattan shifts into summer

BY JESSICA LAPPIN his summer, downtown is the place to be. As the season shifts, and the weather warms, the pace of change and excitement in Lower Manhattan is growing. The opening of the Na-

tional September 11 Memorial Museum in May was a pivotal event. It produced a mixture of unbearable sadness and profound triumph and was a resounding testament to the resilience of our neighborhood, our city, and our country. With the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening, much of the fencing around the National September Memorial has now come down. It was wonderful to walk the World Trade Center site â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a cornerstone of Lower Manhattan â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and experience it as it re-emerges and becomes reintegrated into the surrounding area. Everywhere you look in Lower Manhattan, there are signs of progress. The MTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muchanticipated Fulton transit center is opening this summer. A revitalized Pier A â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which will feature a restaurant complex with a biergarten, oyster bar and an outdoor promenade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will enliven the southernmost tip of Manhattan. I can guarantee that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there enjoying the food and the incredible view of the Statue of Liberty. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be visiting the signiďŹ cantly renovated and

expanded Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island, which is officially open seven days a week and features 30 acres of new parks and green space. Hudson Eats dining terrace at BrookďŹ eld Place, which offers a host of hot eateries like Mighty Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barbecue, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Num Pang and many others has just opened up as well. Everywhere you turn, new things to do and see are coming on line and much, much more is on the way. This summer promises a bevy of exciting events, many of them along Water Street. On June 17 and then again in July, at Water Street and Coenties Slip, the Alliance is teaming up with Grow NYC to host a night market. We are also working on a special series of fun, active summer programs along Water Street. Stay tuned for more details. To support hospitality and tourism throughout Lower Manhattan, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also developed a new initiative called #LMT: Lower Manhattan Tuesdays. Between now and September 30th, we are encouraging visitors, residents, and workers alike to make the most of a wide variety of

downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restaurants, bars, and shops. The program offers a great set of special incentives and deals throughout the neighborhood. You can sign up for #LMT and receive your Redemption Code for the

promotions and deals at over 60 participating partners at www.lowermanhattantuesdays.com. This summer is a special time in Lower Manhattan. I invite you to join me in discovering

and enjoying all that this dynamic square mile has to offer. Jessica Lappin is the president of the Alliance for Downtown New York

www.wilddinermedia.com/festival/ Theater rental taking place at: Anthology Film Archives 32 Second Ave @ Second Street (for info contact festival directly, not anthology)

BREAKTHROUGH FESTIVALNYC

An Independent Film Festival

June 12-18

BREAKTHROUGH WEEKEND A NYC detective comedy by Sujewa Ekanayake NYC Theatrical Premiere Run June 12 - 18

RESURRECTION OF SERIOUS ROGERS An action comedy by Angelo Bell June 13, 10:30 PM

WHERE WE STARTED A romantic drama by Chris Hansen NYC Theatrical Premiere Run June 12 - 18

MATHA A drama that takes place during the Sri Lankan civil war By Boodee Keerthisena, June 14, 10 PM

LITTLE FISHES â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A ďŹ lm about girls in loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Alexia Anastasio June 12, 8:30 PM

MILLE SOYA A drama about Sri Lankan immigrants in Italy By Boodee Keerthisena June 15, 6 PM

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Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

“THE PERFECT FATHER’S DAY GIFT” DRAW YOUR DAD FOR FATHER’S DAY JUNE 15, 2014

Out & About Don’t miss an exclusive Festival Talk book launch and signing of “The Music Parents’ Survival Guide” by award-winning author Amy Nathan. Performers include Festival musicians, Chef Hinnerk von Bargen and author Amy Nathan. chelseamusicfestival.org

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. Just go to otdowntown.com Click on Fun & Games

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

CHEESEMONGER CHALLENGE

CLOWN BAR PERFORMANCE

Castello New York Pop-up Store; 462 West Broadway btwn West Houston St. and Prince St. 12-7 p.m.; Free Fancy putting your palate and cheese prowess to the test? Wearing a blindfold, try three Castello cheeses and guess which is which to receive a certiﬁcate of excellence – everybody is a winner! castellocheeseusa.com

The Box 189 Chrystie Street between Stanton & Rivington 7:30 p.m.; $25+ Happy’s junkie brother Timmy is found dead, so he returns to his old clown life to ask a few questions. But can Happy go home again without getting sucked into the seedy clown underbelly of vice and violence? Put on your red nose, throw back your shot of extra-funny, and get swept into this immersive who-done-it as bad-guy-gonegood Happy Mahoney confronts his past in a vengeful attempt to solve his brother’s murder. spincyclenyc.com

BIRNBAUM, BEETHOVEN AND THE DRAGON

Dad’s Name: Your Name & Age:

Address:

City: Cell Phone:

State:

Zip:

St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church, 315 West 22nd St. Hosted by Q2s Doug Balliett, the evening features a portrait on Beethoven’s humor, original Jazz arrangements on Beethoven by the Adam Birnbaum Trio as well as cutting-edge Brazilian Choro music with the band Choro Dragão. Performers include Adrienne Pardee, Alex Shiozaki, Hamilton Berry, Nana Shi, Adam Birnbaum, Quincy Davis, David Wong, James Shipp, Vitor Gonçalves, Mike LaValle, Richie Barshay, Sergio Krakowski. chelseamusicfestival.org

FAMILY EVENT II: SAMBA, SOCCER AND SUGARLOAF! St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church, 315 West 22nd St. 10:30 a.m.; $30 Hear, Taste, See Brazil in our second 2014 Family Event. Festival artists will take kids on an interactive discovery of Brazil’s music, food and art. Hear and play great Brazilian rhythms and music. Learn how to cook a typical Brazilian recipe with a master chef of the Culinary Institute of America. “Sugar Loaf” - Scavenger Hunt to ﬁnish.

15 TIME FRAMES MARKING TIME ART EXHIBITION Westbeth Gallery, 55 Bethune St btwn Washington St and West St 3-6 p.m.; Free Several of the exhibiting artists will be on hand drawing in the gallery. This is a multi-media exhibition featuring the work of 19 artists who engage time as a palpable presence. The show highlights major installation pieces along with exquisite individual works. Each artwork tells its own story, bringing attention to the temporal nature of life and inviting contemplation and dialogue about our relationship to time. westbeth.org

KIDS DANCE WORLD PREMIERE The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue 2 p,m.; $10+ The irrepressible KIDS DANCE, an ensemble of 40 young dancers, ages 9 to 14, from Eliot Feld’s Ballet Tech School, the NYC Public School

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

for Dance, will dance three Feld works, including the premiere of KYDZNY, set to music by Raya Brass Band. Costumes for KYDZNY are by Michael Krass, nominated for a TONY for his costuming for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Machinal. joyce.org

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST

UNEQUAL ACCESS RANKLES TENANTS

The local paper for the Upper West Side

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next, a Bouncer? Rent-Regulated Tenants Excluded From Amenities

THE PALEO KITCHEN Cooking demonstration & book signing Broadway Panhandler, 65 E. 8th St. 5:30 - 645 p.m., FREE Paleo diet bloggersJuli Bauer & George Bryant will speak about their new cookbook featuring over 100 recipes, including many gluten-andgrain free appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts, Books will be available for purchase and signing, and there will be a cooking demo. broadwaypanhandler.com

17 JASON MARSALIS VIBES QUARTET Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th Street (between Lexington and Park) 7:30/9:30 p.m.; $20 The youngest of the Marsalis clan, Jason Marsalis makes his Jazz Standard debut on the coattails of his universally acclaimed release, In a World of Mallets, which highlights the master drummer as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a full-ďŹ&#x201A;edged vibraphonist.â&#x20AC;? (JazzTimes). He brings to the stage his ďŹ ery quartet of young musicians heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been cultivating his music with for many years. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this opportunity to see Downbeatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2013 rising star in action! jazzstandard.com

RIOULT DANCE The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue 7:30 p.m.; $19+ Described by The Huffington Post as â&#x20AC;&#x153;captivatingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;intensely musical,â&#x20AC;? the company celebrates its 20th Anniversary with two programs highlighting Pascal Rioultâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful choreography, profound humanity, and extraordinary dancers. Features Rioultâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful Wien (1995), last

845 West End Avenue is the latest apartment building on the Upper West Side to be added to the list of those that bar rentregulated tenants from accessing some amenities. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons

REAL ESTATE

U.W.S. BUILDINGS WITH UNEQUAL ACCESS TO AMENITIES

Another Upper West Side building denying rentregulated tenants access to amenities

â&#x20AC;˘ Stonehenge Village â&#x20AC;&#x201C; West 97th Street â&#x20AC;˘ Lincoln Towers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 142 West End Avenue â&#x20AC;˘ 845 West End Avenue

BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere Iphigenia, and a World Premiere set to Tchaikovskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music. joyce.org

18 OVAL LAWN SERIES; NICOLE ATKINS Madison Square Park 7 p.m.; Free Nicole Atkins kicks off the 2014 Mad. Sq. Music: Oval Lawn Series. Atkins, a New Jersey native, was recognized shortly after her debut by Rolling Stone as one of the top ten artists to watch in 2006. Known for her â&#x20AC;&#x153;smoky vocals and dishy delivery,â&#x20AC;? Atkins has been the recipient of three Asbury Music Awards in 2002 for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Top Female Vocalistâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Solo Actâ&#x20AC;?, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Song of the Yearâ&#x20AC;?, as well as an ASCAP award in 2005. The New York Times aptly states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Critics began to fall for her darkly laced, almost surrealistic songs and her soaring, dramatically powerful voice,â&#x20AC;? making her a force to be reckoned with in the blues, rock, and pop scene. Atkinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; newest album Slow Phaser was recently released in January of 2014 and has received critical acclaim from The Daily News, The Boston Globe, American Songwriter, Paste Magazine and many others. madisonsquarepark.org

PERFECT PANINI CLASS Castello New York Pop-up Store; 462 West Broadway btwn West Houston St. and Prince St. 12-7 p.m.; Free Discover the art of making tasty, artisanal grilled panini

sandwiches. Open 7 days a week through July 6, the Popâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Up Store accommodates individuals or groups with fun, interactive lessons celebrating the art of cheese. castellocheeseusa.com

UPPER WEST SIDE In another example of high-end buildings giving some low-rate renters short shrift, rent-regulated tenants at 845 West End Avenue recently told the West Side Spirit they do not have access to the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fitness center like their market-rate co-op owning counterparts do. Gloria Zicht was born in the building, and after moving around in the years following college returned in the 1960s to her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rent-regulated apartment, living there ever since About ďŹ ve years ago many of the build

out. Those that do have protections said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been barred access to amenities that have recently been built, including a ďŹ tness center and a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playroom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the building, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just set aside for condo owners,â&#x20AC;? said Zicht. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to have a card or a key or something.â&#x20AC;? Zicht said both she and her daughter, who lives with her, would use the gym if they were allowed to. Zicht showed a reporter down to the basement where, behind a locked door that appeared to open only with

May 15, 2014

May 16, 2014

The local paper for the Upper East Side

UPS tells employees to lie, overcharge customers: suit

U.P.S.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SECRET MANHATTAN PROBLEM

One of the Hagan brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 11 Manhattan UPS stores, now closed.

FITNESS IN THE SQUARE Union Square 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Free Union Squareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer in the Square returns this year with more fun and ďŹ tness than ever before! The Union Square Partnershipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekly summer entertainment series is held Thursdays in Union Square Park from June 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 7 and offers a vibrant mix of ďŹ tness, kids, music and dance programming. unionsquarenyc.org

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Employees in virtually every Manhattan (UPS

BUSINESS

Store) location were so comfortable with the practice of â&#x20AC;Ś lying about expected delivery dates, withholding accurate price quotes and overdimensioning boxes to trigger higher retail billable rates, that they would gladly engage in conversations on the topic.â&#x20AC;? A former UPS franchisee

A former franchisee accuses the shipping giant of routinely gouging customers throughout the city BY KYLE POPE

Last month, when nearly a dozen UPS Stores across the city closed down in a single day, the initial focus was on the customers put out by the shutdown: dozens of people found themselves unable to access their rented mailboxes, while others complained of packages lost in the The UPS Store believes shuffle. On the West Side, a blog surfaced the allegations made against to swap information about the fate of a store on West 57th Street. it and UPS ... to be false. What none of these customers knew at The UPS Store customer service team is doing all we the time, though, was that they had uncan to assure the customers wittingly become part of a much bigger in the Manhattan store area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and at times bizarre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dispute involving affected are taken care ofâ&#x20AC;? the franchisee who until the shutdowns

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

What can Brown screw from you? Two former UPS franchisees accuse the worldwide delivery service of telling employees to lie about the size and weight of packages in order to jack up prices on unsuspecting customers. Brothers Robert and Thomas Hagan, who owned and operated 11 UPS stores in Manhattan, claim in a federal lawsuit that a typical scam was to â&#x20AC;&#x153;add inches to the sides of measured boxes,â&#x20AC;? as well as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;enhanced declared value,â&#x20AC;? which allowed clerks to charge customers more. For example, a package with a length, width and depth totaling 26 inches would cost $106.85 to overnight from New York to Pittsburgh, but a 29-inch package would cost $117.19. In some cases, customers were overcharged as much as 400 percent, legal papers allege. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty ugly,â&#x20AC;? said Steve Savva, the Hagansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attorney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems to be systematic, and the customers have no way of knowing.â&#x20AC;? The Hagans allege in court filings that The UPS Store, a subsidiary of the publicly traded United Parcel Service, was responsible for violating â&#x20AC;&#x153;the covenant of good faith and fair dealingâ&#x20AC;? by: t 5FMMJOH DVTUPNFST UIBU HSPVOE EFMJWFSZ DPVME OPU CF HVBSBOUFFE BOE XPVME take longer than it actually would, in order to entice them to buy expensive, guaranteed air delivery. t $PODFBMJOH UIF DPTU PG DIFBQFS TIJQQJOH TFSWJDFT t $IBSHJOH DVTUPNFST GVFM TVSDIBSHFT GPS BJS EFMJWFSZ FWFO XIFO QBDLBHFT XFSFO U shipped by plane but by truck. Videotapes offered as evidence show UPS Store employees cheating customers,

UPS, and their right to operate a UPS store was revoked. But, in an effort to clear their name, the Hagans have ďŹ led an extraordinary claim against UPS in Federal Court that lays out, over 200 detailed pages, what they say is a systemic effort by UPS to rip off its Manhattan customers. The Hagans, UPS franchise owners since 2008 whose business grossed $6 million a year at its peak, even brought in a private investigator to secretly document the abuses they say occur at every UPS store in the city. Among their claims: Customers are routinely duped into paying more than necessary for shipping Employees are encouraged to lie about the weight and dimensions of packages to result in a higher bill Customers are told that one method of shipping is the cheapest, when often it is not The Hagans, in their lawsuit, says the deception is so widespread at UPS in

May 1, 2014

May 11, 2014

The local paper for Downtown

Our Town MAY 8, 2014

From Vandals to Artists: Time Rouses More Appreciation for Graffiti

OPEN STUDIOS Summer Residencies in Bio Art and Sculpture, Installation and New Media Art School of Visual Arts, 335 West 16th Street, basement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5th ďŹ&#x201A;oor 6-8 p.m.; Free Participants in the bio art and sculpture, installation and new media art summer residencies display their work. Each summer, SVA provides residencies to emerging and midcareer artists, critics, curators and designers, giving them the support, facilities and time they need to develop their ideas without distraction. Presented by SVA Continuing Education. sva.edu

THESE WALLS CAN TALK ART Current exhibits explore NYC streetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; past and present BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

Last November, one of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most iconic art exhibits was uncermoniously whitewashed. Outdoor art space 5Pointz, a destination in Long Island City where graffiti writers from all over the world came to leave their mark, was covered over with white paint last November at the behest of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner, Jerry Wolkoff. When the vast walls of colorful graffiti were covered, Long Island City resident Jeffrey Leder took notice. Wolkoff had allowed graffiti writers to legally create work on his property for more than a decade, but now plans to demolish the building and construct residential high-rises after winning legal disputes with the 5Pointz artists. Leder, who operates an art gallery a block away, joined forces with Marie Cecile-Flageul, a member of the 5Pointz community who also manages its press, to curate â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whitewash,â&#x20AC;? an exhibition responding to the destruction, featuring work by nine artists who once painted at 5Pointz. Included in the exhibit are paintings by Meres One, the longtime curator of 5Pointz as well as prints

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Leder about the debut of the exhibit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a celebration 5Pointz of the life of 5Pointz and also showed that there mourning its death.â&#x20AC;? was a need for While â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whitewashâ&#x20AC;? is a di- graffiti culture rect response to the recent as a tourist events at 5Pointz, the Jeffrey destination spot, Leder Gallery is not the only and so therefore local space exploring graf- any gallery or art fitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in New York institution that City. In February, Museum of can provide people the City of New York opened with their graffiti â&#x20AC;&#x153;City as Canvas,â&#x20AC;? an exhibi- ďŹ x will do so.â&#x20AC;? tion of 1980s graffiti art. City Gregory J. Lore, a non-proďŹ t organiza- Snyder, author tion that preserves and pro- of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graffiti motes folk and grassroots Lives: Beyond arts movements, opened its the Tag in New new gallery space in April Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Urban Undergroundâ&#x20AC;? with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moving Murals,â&#x20AC;? a photographic display of graffiti-covered subway cars shot by photographers Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper during the 1970s and early 1980s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graffiti is so emblematic of the way people can be creative in their own environment,â&#x20AC;? said Steve Zeitlin, founding director of City Lore, who noted that, while graffiti still exists in the city, painted train cars are rare. In August, Gothamist reported that a tagged 4 train was spotted in the Bronx, though Zeitlin said it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay in public view for very long. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They never make it out of the train yard,â&#x20AC;? Zeitlin said. While graffiti is more policed now than in the 1970s and 1980s, street art has become a more accepted public display in urban areas, thanks in no small part to the international celebrity of clandestine British street artist Banksy, who completed a month-long â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;residencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets in October. Gregory J. Snyder, a sociologist and professor at Baruch College whose book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Urban Undergroundâ&#x20AC;? resulted from a decade of immersive research into graffitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subculture, makes a distinction between the two forms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of what we consider street art was antici

Above, a train mural from the City Lore exhibition. Photo by Henry Chalfant Left, Henry Chalfant and graffiti writer SHARP at the City Lore exhibition opening. Photo by Fernanda Kock

the early 1990s stared deďŹ antly at Mayor Rudy Giulianiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cleanup efforts. Snyder also acknowledged the open tension between graffiti writers and street artists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Street artists do not necessarily have to answer for their vandalism the same way that graffiti writers do,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graffiti is thought to break windows, where street art is just, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hey, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m putting up art.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little bit easier in the public mind to be a street artist than to be a grafďŹ ti writer, and I think both of those subcultures like it the way it is.â&#x20AC;? Abby Ronner, director of the City Lore gallery, echoes Snyderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sentiments. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re totally different aesthetics,â&#x20AC;? Ronner said, noting that the City Lore exhibit explores an era when graffiti was transitioning from pure vandalism to legitimate expression in the art worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view. Graffitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in galleries and museums isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t new, Snyder said, nor is its alignment with ďŹ ne art. Brooklyn Museum exhibited graffiti in 2006 and included some of the same artists as the Museum of the City of New York show which

sent artists rooted in graffiti and street art. Many artists who were part of graffitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s halcyon days have gone on to professional art careers, including Barry McGee, also known by his tag name Twist, and Steve Powers, known as ESPO, who are now successful studio artists. Still, Ronner notices a recent uptick in public interest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In New York City, the cost of living is increasing so signiďŹ cantly and quickly, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much commercial development,â&#x20AC;? said Ronner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people feel New York is being lost. The very deďŹ nition of New York and the character of it are lost. People are seeking old New York City culture.â&#x20AC;? Snyder suggests that Banksyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mainstream success and the current popularity of street art renewed some interest in graffiti art and its culture, though he wonders if the recent events at 5Pointz affected gallery and museum attention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curators have a good sense of the moment,â&#x20AC;? said Snyder, who said that, though 5Pointz became a prestigious space for graffiti writers from all over the world it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily home to

May 8, 2014

May 13, 2014

FIRST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD The local paper for the Upper East Side

The local paper for the Upper West Side

(212) 868-0190

The local paper for Downtown

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

TURNING HOMELESSNESS INTO ART ART AND POLITICS Local artists explore a growing social problem, through tattoos, photographs and videos BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

They’re on our trains and our street corners, holding handwritten signs, asking for food, money, shelter, compassion. Sometimes we drop change into a paper cup. But most times, we walk by, unfazed, as though the homeless aren’t there. But for some local artists, addressing homelessness is not only a social issue, but a creative endeavor. Andres Serrano, a photographer and native New Yorker who first photographed homeless New Yorkers in 1990 for a series called “Nomads,” has witnessed homelessness in New York City his whole life, but noticed more people living on the streets this past year than ever before. With the support of More Art, a nonprofit dedicated to socially conscious public art, Serrano photographed homeless New Yorkers on the streets during 2014’s brutal winter. Some held signs—‘Homeless But Hopeful. Broke Not Broken’—and many huddled in blankets and wore thick layers. A few had companions, but most of Serrano’s subjects were alone. The resulting portrait series, “Residents of New York,” was installed in the West 4th Street subway station and other public spaces in the city, where advertisements are usually plastered, and runs through June 15. “In general, people aren’t looking at advertising most of the time,” Serrano said. “We’re all on autopilot, not only with ads but with the homeless themselves. We see them but we don’t really pay attention to them.” For the city, homelessness is a perennial issue, and getting worse. More than 60,000 people are homeless in New York City, and the de Blasio administration seeks increased funding for rent subsidy plans and transition programs to help lower the record number of people who turn to local shelters. But for Serrano and other art-

Matt C. Ellis’ tattoo of his friend Jeffrey, a homeless man he met in Herald Square. He tattooed the portrait on his friend’s bicep for free.

ists, their tasks are simpler. Two years ago, Matt C. Ellis, a portraitist and tattoo artist, met a homeless man named Jeffrey in Herald Square. “All these people were walking by him, and I wanted to just spend time with him,” said Ellis. “I wasn’t interested in asking him why he was homeless and what his views were, I was interested in him just solely as a person.” He drew Jeffrey’s portrait, and tattooed it onto his friend’s bicep for free, which led to calls from clients who wanted similar tattoos; Ellis has since done four more tattoos of homeless portraits. “People tattoo portraits of famous people and people they’ve never met on a daily basis,” said Ellis, who calls the homeless men and women he meets his friends. “It was a piece of artwork, and a piece of artwork that has a purpose, which is bringing more awareness and making people question identity and our social values.” In 2012, advertising creative directors Nick Zafonte and Thompson Harrell founded the Starving Artists Project after noticing an abundance of witty, artistic signs drawn by the homeless in the East Village. They collected around 90 signs and exhibited them in a Brooklyn gallery,

Donna Darbusie, one of the homeless artists involved in Starving Artists Project. Credit: Andrew Zuckerman/ Starving Artists Project

and brought the artists to the opening. They also tapped photographer Andrew Zuckerman, who’s known for his portraits of celebrities and public ﬁgures, including Clint Eastwood, Willie Nelson and Desmond Tutu, to photograph the artists. “Imagine if you walked around saying something and were just ignored constantly,” Zafonte said. “Homeless people experience that every day. They’re standing there asking for something and people just walk right by.” Serrano gave his models $50 and had them sign release forms. Zafonte provided cab and train fare to bring his artists to the gallery opening. Ellis, whose “Homeless Project” is ongoing, often starts conversations by asking if he can take a photograph in exchange for a few dollars—but he always talks with the models before snapping their pictures. Sometimes he spends a whole day with them, other times only a few minutes. He remembers their names and calls them all his friends, even those he’s only met once. “What I found intriguing about them was this rawness,” Ellis said. “It seemed like there was a lot that they had to offer that was face value. Whereas people you run into in every day life for the most part are either selling something to you or want something from you or put on some type of mask. And with these individuals that I met on the street, I connected with them in a different way.”

With an issue as signiﬁcant and pervasive as homelessness, dropping a dime in an empty Starbucks cup can seem futile. Michelle Tolson, director of public relations for New York City Rescue Mission, said that even saying hello to a homeless individual has value, and that altering perception is important. Her organization recently worked with advertising agency Silver + Partners to produce “Make Them Visible,” a video in which everyday New Yorkers posed as homeless and became unrecognizable to their families. The video went viral, with more than 4.3 million views. “It’s someone’s mother, someone’s brother, someone’s family member who’s out there,” she said. “We forget they’re human beings.” Serrano doesn’t see himself as an advocate, but an artist paying homage to those who are struggling. He wants people to notice his work, he said, though he hopes that the portraits will awaken viewers to the number of homeless men, women and children they see on their commutes and during their lunch breaks. “My criteria are not as a crusader, although this project has an aspect of public awareness,” said Serrano. “I’m an artist. This is what I choose to do. I choose to follow my muse and follow the subjects that I ﬁnd interesting.” One of his recent models was 28-year-old Ryan McMann, whose friends called him Red. When Serrano photographed him, he noticed the whites of his eyes had turned yellow, a side effect of a liver condition. He had gone to the hospital and gotten medication, he told Serrano as he sat for his portrait. Two weeks later, another homeless man approached Serrano on the street and told him Red had died. “It’s sad because some of these people will disappear, and we’ll never know what happens to them,” he said. “A lot of these people will disappear and we won’t know anything about them except for maybe some of the photographs I’ve taken.”

5 TOP

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

THEATER â&#x20AC;&#x153;GERTRUDE STEIN SAINTS!â&#x20AC;? A winner of two Overall Excellence awards at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York Fringe Festival, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gertrude Stein SAINTS!â&#x20AC;? reworks Gertrude Steinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s librettos for an ensemble pop opera. The original score, written by 15 ensemble members, interweaves rap, gospel, Shaker, bluegrass and other American genres of music, reimagining and modernizing Steinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nonnarrative Saints librettos. June 12 through June 28 Abrons Arts Center 466 Grand St. 8:00 p.m. Tickets $20

HOT SEASON In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Season,â&#x20AC;? a new play by Strange Sun Theater co-founder and artistic director Evan Mueller, a devastating epidemic hits New York City, forcing a small group to escape to an isolated cabin in the woods during the dead of summer. The play concentrates on the extent to which family and friends protect one another and how even the most solid relationships can crumble in extreme circumstances. June 13 through June 28 Black Box at the Sheen Center 18 Bleecker St. Assorted times Tickets $18

DANCE NYC DANCE WEEK Dance companies throughout the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the Ailey Extension and Ballet Academy Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;open up their studios for free and discounted dance lessons as part of NYC Dance Week. Participants can sign up online for a diverse array of classes and workshops, including classical ballet, salsa, Bollywood-style and Zumba. June 19 through June 28 Various locations and times Visit nycdanceweek.org/the-festival for locations and schedule FREE

MUSIC â&#x20AC;&#x153;SOUNDS OF SUMMERâ&#x20AC;? INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL Five youth ensembles, including a brass band and four orchestras from California, Ohio, Thailand and Germany, come together on the Carnegie Hall stage for the inaugural year of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sounds of Summerâ&#x20AC;? International Music Festival, a new, annual concert series that provides performance education for budding classical musicians. Tuesday, June 17 Carnegie Hall Isaac Stern Auditorium 57th Street and Seventh Avenue 8:00 p.m. Tickets $15-$30

FOOD SUMMER WINE TASTING As part of SD26â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer wine series, Sommelier Eleonora Tirapelle leads a tasting of white wines, including Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, from Northern Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trentino Alto Adige region. A wine specialist from Alois Lageder and St. Michael-Eppan wineries will also be on hand. Class participants are offered a discounted dinner in the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining room. Tuesday, June 17 SD26 19 East 26th St. 6:30 p.m. Tickets $65

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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 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; green spaces touch lives and all five senses. Green spaces are a vital part of growing up â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 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

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

Food & Drink

< COMPOSTING COMING TO GREENMARKET GrowNYC’s St. Mark’s Church Greenmarket now offers a weekly food scrap and textile collection. The market at East 10th Street and Second Avenue opened June 3rd and takes place every Tuesday, and food waste such as vegetable trimmings, stale bread and coffee grounds will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Through a partnership with the Department of Sanitation, GrowNYC has ex-

panded its food scrap collections at Greenmarkets to include 38 locations across the city. The Greenmarket at Tompkins Square Park already accepts both food and textile donations on Sundays year-round. Organic material contributed to the effort will be transformed into compost for local farming and gardening projects. GrowNYC has collected more than 2.7 million pounds of textiles and 2.85 mil-

lion pounds of food scraps at dozens of Greenmarket collection sites throughout the five boroughs. Together, food scraps and textiles comprise 23 percent of NYC’s waste, making efforts like these critical to reducing the big apple’s environmental footprint. For more information, visit www.grownyc.org or call 212-788-7964.

In Brief SWEET CHICK OPENS

After a water main break on East Houston caused a two-week delay in the opening of new Lower East Side spot Sweet Chick, the Ludlow Street outpost of the Williamsburg fried chicken and waffles favorite opened on June 5. While many of the Brooklyn restaurant’s mainstays are featured on the Manhattan menu—including a kale BLT salad and fried chicken with General Tso’s sauce served with rice and broccoli waffles— the downtown spot, which opened in the former Max Fish location, has infused its menu with some new additions, including scrapple made with pork belly, ham hock and grits and buffalo fried chicken with blue cheese. Sweet Chick is located at 178 Ludlow St. between East Houston and Stanton Street, and is open every day until midnight.

HUDSON EATS OPENS IN BATTERY PARK CITY RESTAURANTS 30,000 square-foot dining hall offers 14 different options BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

BATTERY PARK CITY Hudson Eats, an upscale food court located in the new

SHAKE SHACK CELEBRATES 10 YEARS Shake Shack, the famous fast casual restaurant, is celebrating its 10th anniversary, Gothamist reported. Shake Shack started out as a cart in 2000 before its founder, Danny Meyer, decided to expand the cart to a restaurant. In 2004, the ﬁrst restaurant opened in Madison Square Park where it quickly became a staple of New York. Since then, Shake Shack has opened ﬁve additional New York locations, further expanding to outside New York and even internationally, the furthest one located in Russia. The restaurant, famous for their milkshakes and burgers, is celebrating by selling a special burger each day from the week of Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 13. On Shake Shack’s actual anniversary, Thursday, June 12, a big party will be held in Madison Square Park.

The Hudson Eats food court is part of a $250 million renovation at Brookﬁeld Place downtown.

IF YOU GO Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place 250 Vesey St., second floor Hours: Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. What to eat: Black Seed Bagels, Blue Ribbon Sushi (coming soon), Chop’t, Dig Inn Seasonal Market, Dos Toros, Little Muenster, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Num Pang, Olive’s, Skinny Pizza, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Tartinery, Umami Burger

Brookfield Place development on Vesey Street in Battery Park City, opened June 3, bringing 14 food vendors into one 30,000 square-foot room with a view. The dining hall can seat up to 600, with window seats and a large outdoor patio offering picturesque views of sailboats drifting along the Hudson River. A diverse array of some of the city’s popular food vendors serves at Hudson Eats, including Black Seed Bagels—which receives daily deliveries of its wood-fired bagels from its main location on Elizabeth Street—Cambodian-inspired sandwich shop Num Pang, grilled cheese eatery Little Muenster and Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea favorite Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque. The building is still under construction, and the food court can be accessed through a winding temporary entrance on Vesey Street; as part of a $250 million dollar renovation, Brookfield Place will soon house an Equinox health club, luxury retail shops and five sit-down restaurants, including a second Parm location, along with Le District, a 25,000 square-foot French marketplace, all by this time next year. Navigating the different options at the second-floor food court is simple and seating is abundant, whether at crushed white marble communal counters or plush leather banquettes and booths. Designed by AvroKO, BCV & Spectorgroup, the space is LEED-certified and devoid of many traditional food court features, in favor of sleek, custom elements, including shiny, white brick walls, walnut stools, hanging light fixtures and countertops inlaid with dark wood. Instead of sticky plastic trays and fountain sodas, diners carry recycled paper takeout containers and cups of Blue Bottle Coffee. However, some mainstays remain: the second New York City location of Adam Fleishman’s West Coast chain Umami Burger serves its fare, including the Brookfield Place-exclusive pastrami burger, on slender black trays.

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2014

Snack Dragon

164 Orchard Street

Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Cocktail Bodega

19 Stanton Street

Not Graded Yet (25) 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Dixon Place

161 Chrystie Street

Todd’s Mill

162 Orchard Street

Not Graded Yet (20) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

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. Nublu

62 Avenue C

Grade Pending (19) Toxic chemical improperly labeled, stored or used such that food contamination may occur. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Camp David

221 Avenue B

Not Graded Yet (27) Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Ten Degrees

121 St Marks Place

Ucb East

153 East 3 Street

La Cenita

409 West 14 Street

Lucky Jack’s

129 Orchard Street

Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar 1 7 Avenue South

Subway

153 Essex Street

Jacks Coffee

425 West 13 Street

Doppio West Village

581 Hudson Street

Not Graded Yet (43) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Not Graded Yet (17) 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.

China Local Cuisine

59 Division Street

Closed by Health Department (51) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.

Yi Mei Yum Gourmet

51 Division Street

Rockwood Musical

190 Allen Street

One Mile House

1012 Delancy Street

Grade Pending (20) 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.

Rosette

171 East Broadway

Grade Pending (21) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.

Rivoli Pizza II

131 Christopher Street

Not Graded Yet (16) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.

The Standard Grill And Biergarten

848 Washington Street

Spice Market

2935 9 Avenue

Barbossa

234 Elizabeth Street

Soho Room

203 Spring Street

Azasu

49 Clinton Street

Great Jones Cafe

54 Great Jones St

Grade Pending (25) 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Not Graded Yet (16) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Tribeca Grand Hotel

32 White Street

Nyu Gcasl Kitchen

238 Thompson Street

M1-5

52 Walker Street

Da Marcella

142 West Houston Street

Umberto’s Clam House

132 Mulberry Street

Kang Kee Chinese Restaurant

124 Hester Street

Grade Pending (23) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Dumpling Cafe

153D Centre Street

The Randolph At Broome

349 Broome Street

Shanghai Gourmet

23 Pell Street

Grade Pending (24) Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Mr. Chow Tribecca

121 Hudson Street

Yee Li Restaurant

1-3 Elizabeth Street

Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.

Shopsins General Store (Store #16)

120 Essex Street

Grade Pending (17) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Address

Battery Park City30 W St.

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Financial District15 William St.

$1,119,635

Core

Lower E Side

$1,865,000 2

Corcoran

Financial District15 William St.

$2,139,557

Battery Park City21 South End Ave.

$900,000

Halstead Property

Financial District75 Wall St.

$1,425,550 1

Douglas Elliman

Soho

Battery Park City30 W St.

$3,032,505

Financial District40 Broad St.

$1,082,500 1

Battery Park City2 South End Ave.

$430,000

Douglas Elliman

Financial District21-23 South William St. $576,000

530 Grand St.

Park Slope

$509,000

Loho Realty

$2,750,000 2

Douglas Elliman

Manhattan Boutique

Town Residential

$3,150,000 255 Hudson St.

Corcoran

Soho

514 Broadway

$2,057,500 2

New York Residence

Soho

476 Broadway

$2,675,000

Alf Naman Real Estate

Soho

255 Hudson St.

$2,225,000 3

Chelsea

250 W 15 St.

$878,000

Halstead Property

Financial District75 Wall St.

$1,575,000 2

Chelsea

300 W 23 St.

$505,000

Patrick Quagliano

Financial District55 Wall St.

$700,000

Soho

84 Mercer St.

$4,500,000 1

Brown Harris Stevens

Chelsea

121 W 19 St.

$2,150,000 2

Town Residential

Financial District75 Wall St.

$1,390,000 0

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

50 Franklin St.

$1,775,000 2

Corcoran

Chelsea

201 W 16 St.

$1,575,000 2

Corcoran

Flatiron

42 E 20 St.

$2,334,000 2

Nestseekers

Tribeca

303 Greenwich St.

$990,000

Nestseekers

Flatiron

21 E 22 St.

$1,475,000 2

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

47 Murray St.

$4,760,318 3

Douglas Elliman

Mp Walsh Realty

Chinatown

50 Bayard St.

$438,000

Civic Center

165 Park Row

$800,000

Flatiron

22 W 15 St.

$1,230,000 1

Corcoran

Tribeca

1 Hudson St.

$3,130,000

E Village

628 E 14 St.

$365,000

Spark Properties

Flatiron

7 E 14 St.

$1,525,000 2

Halstead Property

W Chelsea

450 W 17 St.

$1,800,000

E Village

1 Ave. B

$1,068,000 1

Charles Rutenberg

Fulton/Seaport 71 Nassau St.

$1,450,000 2

Douglas Elliman

W Chelsea

520 W 23 St.

$1,600,000 2

E Village

232 E 6 St.

$975,000

Halstead Property

Fulton/Seaport 99 John St.

$666,953

Nestseekers

W Village

421 Hudson St.

$1,250,000

E Village

416 E 11 St.

$1,467,764

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park 301 E 22 St.

$335,000

Douglas Elliman

W Village

45 Christopher St.

$1,135,000 0

Corcoran

Financial District80 John St.

$975,000

Keller Williams

Gramercy Park 305 2 Ave.

$1,980,496 2

Cantor And Pecorella

W Village

154 Waverly Place

$14,800,000 6

Greenwich Land Fund

Financial District15 William St.

$1,088,521 1

Core

Gramercy Park 205 E 16 St.

$2,400,000 3

Hirsch Enterprises

W Village

288 W 12 St.

$1,795,000 3

Corcoran

Financial District15 William St.

$2,187,191

Gramercy Park 201 E 17 St.

$1,275,000 2

Corcoran

W Village

304 W 10 St.

$375,000

Financial District15 William St.

$1,056,336 1

Core

Greenwich Vill 11 5 Ave.

$530,000

Coldwell Banker Bellmarc

W Village

731 Greenwich St.

$279,000

Douglas Elliman

Financial District15 William St.

$1,144,550 1

Core

Greenwich Vill 23 E 10 St.

$1,535,000 2

Corcoran

W Village

14 Horatio St.

$550,000

Coldwell Banker Bellmarc

Financial District15 William St.

$1,040,511

Core

Greenwich Vill 30 E 9 St.

$2,300,000

Financial District15 William St.

$1,144,550

Greenwich Vill 11 5 Ave.

$1,100,000 1

Douglas Elliman

Financial District15 William St.

$1,045,786 1

Core

Lower E Side

46 Rivington St.

$200,000

Financial District15 William St.

$1,133,965 1

Core

Lower E Side

473 Fdr Drive

$440,000

Douglas Elliman

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JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES

A NEW NOVELIST ‘HAVING SO MUCH FUN’ THIS SUMMER Q&A Author Courtney Maum on Tompkins Square Park, Benedict Cumberbatch, and celebrity book reviews BY ANGELA BARBUTI

EAST VILLAGE This summer is looking especially bright for Courtney Maum. After 10 years of being on the e York o C y writing g sce e, her e de New City scene, debut novel, “I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You,” is being released on June 10th. Set in Paris, where Maum herself lived after college and still resides part time, it follows an artist who has fallen out of love with his wife, only to learn his mistress is getting married. The East Village resident, who can be found writing on her balcony or inside City Bakery, has chosen to keep her book launch party, at Powerhouse Arena, close to home by having Ray’s Candy Store, which is a legend in her neighborhood, provide the snacks. Apple and Fodor’s, to name only two, sang your book’s praises. Were you expecting all those accolades? Oh, of course not.

[Laughs] The thing is, I’ve been trying to get published for a long time, and I have a decade of rejections behind me. So when the book sold, for me, that was kind of it. I had absolutely no expectations, which I think was a good thing. I work outside out of academia, I don’t have an MFA or anything, so I didn’t even know what I should be expecting. So all the good news we have is just wonderful, really.

in Paris and like you can fall in love with a person, I think you can fall in love with a city. It just felt like the right place for me and I wanted to try to actually live there. And by the time I graduated, I actually had a French boyfriend, so it made it easier to go back. That being said, we broke up almost immediately after arriving. But I just stayed, since I didn’t go there for him.

I read that you were 25 when you ﬁrst wrote the book,, and were livingg in France. What brought you there?

Where did you grow up?

I studied abroad

I grew g e up in Co Connecticut, e and my dad commuted to New York every day. Yor to me, was a Growing up, New York, place that you went tto live when you sme were an adult and smelled like cologne and had a money clip. [Laughs]

Now you have an apartment apartm in the East Village. What are your favorite f places in your neighborhood?

Maum got her literary start by attending reading series’ every night she was in the city.

I pretty much don’t don’ leave the two blocks around my ap apartment. I love Barnyard, which is on 9th and C. I get me everything - fine meats, cheese, olop ives. And ABC Beer opened up on 7th and C. And then I love getting a latte at Ninth Street Espre Espresso, that’s right across from my apartm apartment. And walking in Tompkins Squa Square dog park and just watching people be in love with their pets.

Courtney Maum’s debut novel will be released on June 10th.

Your ﬁrst job was at Maxim, Ma right? My ﬁrst job was at M Maxim, yes it was. Oh my goodness! I was the only female intern and they had these th scorecards up in the hallway that anyone in the company could add their comments to. t It was separated into tthings like “attitude,” “dre “dress,” “stamina” and we go got public grades. I loved it. it I worked for the enter entertainment division ther there. It was really fun. Most of my jobs were in New York Y because I had to support s myself while I was writing. So I worked wor at Maxim in Ne New York, then I worke worked in fashion PR at Kal Kaleidoscope Consulting sulting, we did all the PR for T Thom Browne. From there there, I went to Victoria’s Secret, Secre and I’m still working for Int Interbrand, which is right near Union Uni Square.

When you took that job, you vowed to go to a reading series se every night. The rent on th the East Village apartment was, and an still is, so ex-

pensive, that I said to myself, because I was living in the Berkshires from Friday until Sunday, that I need to make it worth my literal while. And so I pledged to myself that every single night I was in New York, I would go to one reading series and introduce myself to one person there. It worked, I met people. Then I participated in reading series like H.I.P. Lit, Literary Death Match, Sunday Salon, Steamboat Humor Series, Real Characters at McNally Jackson, The How I Learned Series, Freerange Nonfiction, and Franklin Park.

In the book, you made Lisa, the other woman, an American journalist. Well I wanted to have someone American in the book. I really wanted Richard to be British, and I wanted Anne to be French. When you’re living in Europe, Americans are seen as highly optimistic and energetic people, and I think of Lisa as that type of person. I mean, I had to get a little bit of myself in there, and I’m American.

If there was a movie version, who would you want to play the main characters? Okay, as if I hadn’t thought about

MORE FROM COURTNEY On July 16th, Courtney will be at Word for Word Reading Series at Bryant Park Reading Room courtneymaum.tumblr.com Follow Courtney on Twitter: @ cmaum this. [Laughs] So, Lisa is Jennifer Lawrence. She’s a little young, but it will take time for the movie to come out. Richard is Benedict Cumberbatch, the guy from [the BBC series] “Sherlock.” And Anne, if it’s a truly French cast, then Marion Cotillard would be good. Otherwise, Natalie Portman.

You write the Celebrity Book Reviews on the site Electric Literature. Explain them to our readers. I impersonate a celebrity reviewing a book that has recently come out. The very ﬁrst one was John Mayer reviewing Jeffrey Eugenides’ “The Marriage Plot.” And it goes back and forth between highbrow and lowbrow. I also did Michael Dell, of Dell computers, reviewing Steve Jobs’ biography. That was one of my favorites.

Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

SUN SAFETY: SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION hours, even on cloudy days. Reapply after swimming or perspiring. The American Academy of Use extra caution near water, Dermatology has declared snow, and sand — they reflect war on skin cancer by the damaging rays of the sun, recommending these three which can increase the chance preventive steps: of sunburn. Minimize exposure to the sun at Wear clothing that covers the midday — between the hours of body and shades the face. Hats 10 a.m. and 4 p.m should provide shade for both Apply sunscreen, with at the face and back of the neck. least a SPF-15 or higher that Wearing sunglasses will reduce protects against both UVA and the amount of rays reaching UVB rays, to all areas of the the eye by filtering as much body that are exposed to the as 80 percent of the rays, and sun. protecting the lids of our eyes Reapply sunscreen every two

PREVENT SKIN CANCER

as well as the lens. Avoid exposure to UV radiation from sunlamps or tanning parlors. Protect children. Keep them from excessive sun exposure when the sun is strongest (between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) by having them play in the shade, wear protective clothing, and use sunscreen liberally and frequently - for children 6 months of age and older. Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don’t seek the sun.

HEALTH Make sure you’re getting enough protection this season From new “sunscreen” pills to a wide range of SPF numbers, consumers may be confused this summer when trying to protect themselves from the sun’s damaging effects. “It can be confusing, but with a little knowledge, you can enjoy the sun safely this summer,” said Dr. Shannon Trotter, a dermatologist and skin cancer expert at the Ohio State University Comprehen-

sive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. Trotter said extensive research is underway to develop a true “sunburn pill,” but the pills on the market today are supplements, not drugs. “Talk to your doctor before using them,” Trotter said, adding that there is no evidence that pills alone offer sufficient protection from the sun’s damaging rays. In addition these pills might interfere with other medications a person is taking. “Some products have undergone some testing and have shown to be potentially preventive for sunburn, but more research is needed. We also need to learn more at the basic science level and to perform clinical trials,” Trotter said. “Those pills are not regulated by the FDA in the traditional sense like your blood pressure medication, for example, and they are not a substitute for protecting yourself with sunscreen.”

sunscreen — the higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UV-B, which is the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn. According to the National Cancer Institute, most skin cancers form in older people on part of the body exposed to the sun. Sunlight causes damage to the skin through ultraviolet, or UV rays. But SPF numbers can be deceiving, Trotter said. An SPF 15 blocks about 93 percent of harmful sun rays, and SPF 30 blocks about 97 percent, so buying higher numbers doesn’t necessarily mean that much more protection. “Don’t fool yourself when you’re buying SPF 50 and above, thinking that you can be out longer and don’t need to reapply every 2 hours,” said Trotter, who is also an assistant professor-clinical in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Dermatology, at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Wear dark colors Apply enough, apply often When it comes to sunscreen, Trotter cautions against using too little. “Some people mistakenly buy sunscreen with a higher SPF number, and then use less of it thinking they are adequately protected,” she said. The SPF, or sun protection factor, is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of

Trotter says if you wear clothing as a cover up, avoid white. “Darker shades, such as red or black, can increase your sun protection because they absorb ultraviolet light,” Trotter said. A white T-shirt, on the other hand, has an SPF less than 15 and offers less protection.

JUNE 12, 2014 Our Town

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

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Our Town JUNE 12, 2014

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