Our Town Downtown October 23rd, 2014 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn WEEK OF OCTOBER

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SOUTHBRIDGE FIGHTS AGAINST PRIVATIZATION HOUSING Anti-privatization co-op members mount effort to keep Southbridge Towers in Mitchell-Lama BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

TWO BRIDGES Residents of Southbridge Towers aren’t all happy to be going private. A group of tenants at the Mitchell-Lama co-op in the Financial District are agitating for a state review of a narrow vote that approved the privatization of the building. A vote that allowed the dissolution of Southbridge’s Mitchell-Lama co-op status occurred earlier this month, with 1,082 yes votes to 373 no votes.

The measure was required to pass by a two-thirds majority; those in favor of privatization won the day by just 10 votes, prompting those against it to ask the state’s Dept. of Housing and Community Renewal to review the results closely. Robert DuBois, a Southbridge Towers resident, said over three-dozen proxy votes were disallowed, and a lawyer representing an anti-privatization tenants association at the development filed a letter with DHCR urging them to scrutinize the results. “There are questions about the 40 or so proxy votes that were disallowed without any review or clear cut standards as to why,” said DuBois. “Some involved recognition of valid signatures and reasonably

warrant a closer look. There were also what are claimed to be irregularities in the count, which appeared to be available daily by machine rather than announced at the end of voting.” Barry Mallin, an attorney representing the Southbridge Towers Cooperators for Mitchell-Lama, urged DHCR to take extra care in verifying the results of the vote given how close it was. Among Mallin’s concerns is the rather ominous request that the agency scrutinize, “whether board members had access to voting machine totals prior to the close of the polls.” The letter also asks DHCR to examine how each proxy vote

In Brief SCHUMER WANTS TOUGHER FEDERAL TRESPASSING LAWS U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says that terror threats are at a high and proposed a federal law last week that carries up to five years in prison for scaling prominent national structures such as the World Trade Center. Schumer said his state is the nation’s top terror target. His proposed maximum sentence of five years is a considerable jump from the one year in New York City’s trespassing law. Recent incidents include a Russian tourist who climbed the Brooklyn Bridge, two German artists who claimed responsibility for replacing American flags with mysterious white ones atop the famed span that links Manhattan and Brooklyn, and three extremeskydiving daredevils who leaped off 1 World Trade Center.

The local paper for the Upper er East Side

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

The local paper for Downtown own

The local paper for the Upper per West Side Sid

Proudly Present

The 2014

THE BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS

OF THE YEAR

SENIORS CLAIM THEIR STREET SPACE PUBLIC SAFETY New Yorkers of a certain age grill DOT, bicycling advocates, on street safety BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

ROBERT PELEGRINO

MARIBEL NOVA

RONALD ST. JOHN

MICHAEL MACGOWAN

AZELL BOST

RICHARD BALANCIER

RICKY CANDELARIO

SHAWN THOMAS

GERTA CADET

JOHN BATTLE

LOVELL KINGSBERRY

Sponsored by The City University of New York

BUILDING MAINTENANCE SERVICES

GLENWOOD B U ILD ER O W N ER M A N A G ER

MARILYN RIVERA

JEFF CAMACHO

FLOR CASTRO

ARIEL DEJESUS

FADILA MRKULIC

SABRINA LADSON

CHARLES DIBLASI

WILLIAM SULLIVAN

TASHA HORTON

EDITOR’S NOTE Meet the people who make living in New York a little bit easier. This year’s list of Building Service Workers awardees -- the eighth such collaboration between our newspapers and 32BJ SEIU -- celebrates people who are usually happy living under the radar. They include the building super who grew up in the neighborhood in which he now works; the porter who alerted residents to a ﬁre in the building; the school cleaner who has become a mentor for his kids. These awards give us an opportunity to say thank you, both individually to this year’s winners and collectively to the thousands of other service workers who are equally as deserving. Straus Media-Manhattan, the publisher of Our Town, The West Side Spirit and Our Town Downtown, is proud to partner with 32BJ in presenting this list. Special thanks to Hector Figueroa, president and Elaine Kim at 32BJ for their collaboration on this project. Thanks also to all of our sponsors listed in these pages, and to Mary Newman, Morgan Keller and Nicole Wynn at Straus Media. We at Straus are proud to be part of this effort, and proud to bring this new selection of neighborhood heroes to your attention. Jeanne Straus, president of Straus News Kyle Pope, Editor-in-Chief

the Upper West Side, organized the forum in conjunction with Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, who sat on a panel with two representatives from Transportation Alternatives, an administrator at Riverside Park, a traffic safety officer from the 20th Precinct, and the Department of Transportation’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner Margaret Forgione. Transportation Alternatives brought along a volunteer named Gene Aronow-

Seniors from all over the city gathered last week at the JASA Club on West 76th Street for a lively -- and sometimes frustrated –- discussion about the fraught relationship they have with bicyclists while navigating city streets on foot. JASA, a senior center on CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

STAFFORD WOODLEY

HONORING THE CITY’S BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS

Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal spoke to a group of concerned seniors at a forum on bike and pedestrian safety last week. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons

Join us in celebrating the best doormen, supers, office cleaners and other service workers in the neighborhood. For the eighth year in a row, this newspaper has partnered with 32BJ SEIU to present the Building Service Workers Awards, honoring the standouts in their jobs. A special section proﬁling the winners appears inside this week’s paper.

2 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK SITE FOR GREEK CHURCH NEAR W.T.C. GETS BLESSING Hundreds of members of New York’s Greek Orthodox community attended a blessing ceremony Saturday for a new church near ground zero in

Lower Manhattan that will replace a house of worship that was destroyed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In his remarks at the construction site, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America recalled his dismay when, on Sept. 12, 2001, he

Archbishop Demetrios speaking to guests at the blessing. Photo via Saint Nicholas National Shrine at Ground Zero

and other pastors visited the spot where St. Nicholas church had stood since the early 20th Century. The tiny structure had been crushed in the collapse of the twin towers, making it the only church destroyed in the attack. “We stood there frozen, paralyzed,” said Archbishop Demetrios. “There was a big hole instead of a church. It left a terrible kind of impression.” More than 13 years later, work has begun on a much larger, $38 million domed church designed by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava intended to serve both as the new home for the Greek Othodox parish and as a national non-denominational shrine for ground zero visitors. The dome made of glass and white marble will be backlit from within so that it glows at night. “It will be a refuge for people in need of spiritual comfort regardless of their speciﬁc beliefs, or unbeliefs,” the archbishop said. “Above all, this resurrected St. Nicholas church will be a monument declaring the victory of good over evil, of love over hatred.” Those in attendance included Calatrava, U.S. Sen. Charles IONA.EDU/STRAUS

Schumer, former Gov. George Pataki, former Mayor David Dinkins and various other government officials from New York and New Jersey. Pataki, who was New York’s governor at the time of the attack, said the church was an important addition to the memorials and skyscrapers that have risen in recent years at the World Trade Center site. “We had remembrance, we had commerce, but without St. Nicholas, we did not have faith,” he said. The original church was founded by Greek immigrants in 1916 and began services at its 1,200-square-foot location on Cedar Street in 1922. After it was destroyed, the rebuilding was delayed by a legal dispute between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America over the original site. Church officials say construction is being funded by donations from around the world, including $260,000 from the Greek government. They expect the shrine to open within the next two years. AP

WINNER OF BATTERY PARK CHAIR CONTEST CHOSEN Visitors of Battery Park will notice a change in the park’s design very soon. The park just announced the winning design of a chair design competition it held in 2012. The park sought chairs that were easily moveable and sturdy in the wind. Andrew Jones Design was victorious with their powder-coated steel design. Each chair’s back is sprinkled with tiny holes, which enables it to dry quickly after a rain shower. Jones’ design was chosen out of 637 entries submitted from 15 countries, according to the New York Times. Battery Park will feature 300 of the new chairs and award Jones a $10,000 prize. New York Times

COURT ALLOWS NYU EXPANSION PLAN TO GO FORWARD New York University’s expansion project has gotten a boost after an appellate court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that had blocked parts of the $6 billion plan. The Appellate Division in

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Manhattan ruled that NYU didn’t need approval from the state legislature to develop tiny strips of land currently being used as public parks. The court said the strips of land were not really parks, but had been allowed to be used for “park like purposes” for decades. A coalition of community groups and residents had ﬁled suit against the university in 2012, criticizing the plan. But supporters said the expansion would help NYU’s ability to attract top students. NYU spokesman John Beckman told the Daily News they were “very pleased by today’s unanimous decision.” Greenwich Society for Historic Preservation, one of the groups ﬁghting the expansion plan, said they would appeal the decision. “We believe the First Department panel made the wrong decision today in overturning Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills’ decision preserving and protecting New York City parkland, and allowing the City to give this land away to NYU for its deeply unpopular and bloated expansion plan,” said GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman. AP

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 3

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG JOYRIDE TO JAIL

SCARSDALE SCARE

1ST PRECINCT

Two local youths likely will think twice before stealing another car. At 10:50 a.m. on Saturday, October 11, a vehicle belonging to the PV Holding Corporation was removed from outside the company’s offices at 10 Wooster Street without permission or authority. Two 16-year-old boys were later arrested and charged with grand larceny. The vehicle stolen and recovered was a white 2014 Nissan with Florida plates Q472ZU, valued at $25,000.

A woman in Scarsdale had a particularly unpleasant commute home. At 7:45 p.m. on Friday, October 10, a 58-year-old woman was walking home from the train station in Scarsdale when she checked her pocketbook for her cell phone and wallet and found that she had them. When she arrived at her home about twenty minutes later, she discovered that her wallet was now missing. When she reported the theft to police at 10:45 p.m. the same evening, she told them that someone had tried to use one of her credit cards at a location at the southwest corner of Broadway and Prince Street without permission or authority. Her wallet had also contained a $10,000 check withdrawn from her business account. The items stolen were the wallet valued at $700, $300 in cash, plus a New York driver’s license and various credit and debit cards.

Report covering the week 10/6/2014 through 10/12/2014

THIS WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED TO THE BATMOBILE

had been broken into and their property was missing. The small rear window on the driver’s side of the car had been broken and the bag that had been left on the car’s backseat was gone. It is possible that video of the break-in may be available at 103 Charlton Street. Items stolen included twelve MiniMed Paradigm 512 diabetes infusion pumps, valued at $1,500, a second-generation iPad valued at $300, two Analog Horror bags priced at $165, a variety of books

BAYLAID A visitor from Hampton Bay, NY paid a high price to spend the night in the Big Apple. At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, a 51-year-old man parked his car in the driveway at 452 Greenwich Street on the southwest corner of Desbrosses and Greenwich. When he returned at the same time next day, he found that his car was missing. There were no cameras available to record the theft, nor was there any broken glass at the scene. The car had not been towed to either the Brooklyn or Manhattan pounds. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the missing vehicle. The car stolen was a blue 1997 BMW Z3 with New York plates, ALR1086, valued at $15,000.

212.507.9580

A presumed supervillain preyed on two fans attending Comic Con. At 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, a 24-year-old man parked his friend’s car in front of 102 Charlton Street while they attended the Comic Con event. When they returned at 3 a.m. late that night, they found that the friend’s car

Week to Date

Year to Date

2014

2013

% Change

2014

2013

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

-100

-50

Robbery

-100

-34.5

Felony Assault

n/a

-23.9

Burglary

-100

119

148

-19.6

Grand Larceny

-33.3

703

830

-15.3

Grand Larceny Auto

100

-26.9

valued at $60, and three Apple device chargers, priced at $25. The total amount of the property stolen came to $2,050.

MADDENING A woman found trying on shoes an especially trying experience recently. At 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, a 41-year-old woman was in the Steve Madden store at 425 Broadway

shopping for shoes, when an unknown woman went inside her purse and stole her wallet. At the time of the victim’s police report, there had been no usage on her credit cards. Video is available of the incident. The items stolen were $300 in cash, a black AllSaints wallet valued at $150, a MetroCard worth $150, a New York driver’s license, health insurance cards, a gift card, and various credit cards. The total amount stolen came to $600.

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4 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

SENIORS CLAIM THEIR STREET SPACE

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

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 itz, 77-years-old and an avid bicyclist, who said he could relate to both sides of the debate. Aronowitz said there have been 200 traffic fatalities so far this year, 100 of which were pedestrians; 17 cyclists were killed, he said. Although he said he recognizes that enforcement is necessary on dangerous bicyclists, he said that cars are the bigger issue, citing just two pedestrian fatalities from bicyclists compared to 98 from cars. “The probability that I will get killed on the streets from a bicyclist is infinitesimal,” said Aronowitz. “It’s the cars that we have to look out for.” While that may be true, seniors at the meeting said they’re not just worried about dying in a collision with a bicyclist. They’re tired of the heart-stopping near misses and watching bicyclists flout the law with impunity, to say nothing of serious injuries that occur when a collision does happen. Sitting in the front row with a cane resting against her knee was Toby Bush, a JASA regular who said she was struck by a bicyclist going the wrong way on Park Avenue in August. Bush said she suffered a shattered hip and a broken femur. “My life was taken away,” said Bush. She suggested criminal liability for those who injure bicyclists and said informational campaigns by the DOT and Transportation Alternatives don’t make a difference in terms of educating bicyclists. “All these brochures don’t do a thing, nobody reads them,” she said. Several people in the room had stories of being struck by bicyclists, and nearly everyone who spoke knew someone who had a run-in. Aronowitz did gain some traction when he addressed the issue of signal timing in crosswalks, which he said is inadequate for a senior’s gait. “The lights aren’t made for us,” said Aronowitz. He cited a 2010 study that claimed seniors represent 12 percent of the city’s population, but 36 percent of pedestrian fatalities. Aronowitz said unruly bicyclists running red lights and riding the wrong way, combined with inadequate signal timing for seniors, is a recipe for disaster. “When we’re trying to make the light and don’t know which way the bikes are coming from, we get disoriented,” he said. Several seniors at the forum agreed and called for the lengthening of signals at 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Sgt. Felicia Montgomery, the 20th Precinct’s traffic safety officer, said so far this year police in her precinct have given out 446 summonses to bicyclists breaking the law, more than any other prior year. Violators must settle their summonses at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, said Montgomery, and face a hefty $250 fine, similar to what drivers who are caught breaking the law have to pay. “Every day we’re out there enforcing this,” said Montgomery. Montgomery said the department has a general policy of not pursuing bicyclists who break the law, and that in order to issue a bicyclist a summons they must be at

Gene Aronowitz, a volunteer with Transportation Alternatives. a full stop. In response to that, Tom DeVito, a representative with Transportation Alternatives, said the NYPD should look into deploying more officers on bicycles who can more easily and safely track bicyclists who break the law. Several people at the forum brought up the dangerous mix of bicyclists and pedestrians in Riverside Park, both of which have to share a relatively narrow ribbon of path that gets dangerous as dusk falls, said several seniors. John Harrold, an administrator at Riverside Park, said where possible, the park attempts to separate the two streams. “That’s not always an option, but it’s something we continue to work on,” said Harrold. Many in the room were in favor of some sort of licensing program for bicyclists, an idea that was immediately shot down by Forgione, who said such an undertaking would be bureaucratically burdensome and not feasible. For instance, she said, how would tourists who don’t live in New York obtain licenses to tool around the city? Others requested an audit be conducted of just how many bicyclists use the bike lanes around Columbus and 72nd Street, and suggested that the lanes weren’t used enough to justify their existence. But Forgione said there is a need for even more bike lanes on the Upper West Side, which she claims make everyone safer. She revealed that DOT has agents in the street, particularly around Columbus Av-

enue who, while lacking the authority to issue summonses to unruly bicyclists, nonetheless engage with those who disobey traffic laws and encourage both bicyclists and pedestrians to be vigilant and safe. Forgione also said the DOT would be announcing in the coming weeks what plans they have to make Central Park safer for pedestrians. One popular suggestion was a ticketing blitz on unruly cyclists, which Forgione said would probably need to happen over a sustained amount of time for any effect to be seen. She suggested targeted ticketing campaigns in areas that see the highest number of bicyclists breaking the law. On the whole, seniors called for increased enforcement and stiffer penalties for bicyclists who break the law, and some sort of registration system where violators can be easily reported and held accountable. But Forgione made it clear that any sort of registration mechanism is unlikely to be put in place, and indicated the city is committed to integrating bicycling culture to an even larger extent, a notion that was unpopular among the seniors at the JASA Club. “I’m not hearing anything new here,” said one woman. Suggestions that seemed to stick included maintaining the upwards trend in ticketing unruly bicyclists and making parks safer for pedestrians, as well as lengthening signal timing at key intersections.

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 5

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6 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

HALLOWEEN EVENTS IN MANHATTAN FAMILY/KIDFRIENDLY HAPPENINGS DRACULA’S CASTLE AT JACKIE ROBINSON RECREATION CENTER Friday October 24 Jackie Robinson Park 85 Bradhurst Avenue between W. 147th & 146 Streets 4:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.; Free Witness the spooky transformation of the historic Jackie Robinson Recreation Center into Count Dracula’s castle. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes and participate in fun kid-friendly Halloween games and snack on delicious candy.

TOMPKINS SQUARE HALLOWEEN DOG PARADE Saturday October 25 Tompkins Square Park East Village Avenue B and E 7th St 12:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.; Free Dubbed the “largest dog costume parade in the world” by CNN, Tompkins Square’s pup parade welcomes all four-legged friends and owners to celebrate Halloween. This years event is sponsored by Purina and offers contestants to compete for most creative, cutest and scariest costumes with prizes worth up to thousands of dollars.

AWARD-WINNING GIANT PUMPKIN DISPLAY Saturday October 25 New York Botanical Garden 10 a.m.-6 p.m., garden admission required; $25 adult, $22 student/senior, $10 ages 2-12 Check out some enormous pumpkins from all over North America, arranged in collaboration with the great pumpkin commonwealth, and afterwards enjoy the beautiful fall weather in one of New York’s

nicest gardens. www.nybg.org

PARADE AND PUMPKIN FLOTILLA Sunday October 26 Charles A. Dana Discovery Center Central Park near E 109th Street and 5th Ave 3:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.; Free This annual Central Park Halloween celebration includes live music, spooky storytelling, pumpkin carving demonstrations as well as the signature flotilla of pumpkins across the Harlem Meer. In order to qualify your pumpkin for the flotilla, it must be pre-carved, weigh approximately eight pounds after being carved, have no artificial decorations, registered before October 24 and be dropped off at one of the designated areas between 3:30 and 5:15 p.m. during the festival. 212-860-1370

COSTUME PARADE AND PARTY Sunday October 26 Washington Market Park at Greenwich St. 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.; Free Children of all ages are welcome to parade in costume from the CitiGroup Plaza at Greenwich St and N Moore St at 12:45 to the Washington Market Park where they will be greeted by a Halloween party complete with live music from Princess Katie and Racer Steve, pony rides, games and sweet treats. Other activities include digging for bones in the sandbox and wandering through a hay circle maze. www.washingtonmarketpark. org

HANSEL AND GRETEL’S HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE Tuesday October 28 Central Park 79th St and West Drive The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.; $7 children 12 and under, $10 adults 13 and older This Halloween spin on a

classic fairytale takes children on a journey with Hansel and Gretel as they meet a slew of friendly monsters, vampires, mermaids and more. Written and directed by Bruce Cannon and Candice Burridge with music by Daryl Kojak, this spooky adventure comes to life through intricate marionette dolls with the Belvedere Castle as a ﬁtting backdrop. www.cityparksfoundation. org, 212-988-9093

24TH ANNUAL CHILDREN’S HALLOWEEN PARADE Friday October 31 Washington Square Arch Washington Square Park at 5th Ave 3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.; Free Known to be the city’s largest free kid-friendly Halloween event, NYU and Community Board 2’s Halloween Parade is guaranteed to be a good time. Line-up begins at the Washington Square Arch at 3 p.m. and the parade continues throughout the park, accompanied by circus performers, a brass band and costumed characters. At around 4:00, the troupe will arrive at LaGuardia Place to be treated to free trick or treat bags ﬁlled with candy. Exciting games and rides will also be available at the end

of the march for children and families to enjoy.

ASPHALT SCREAMS Friday October 31 Asphalt Green 2 locations; 555 East 90th St at FDR Drive, and 212 North End Avenue between Murray St. and Warren St. 4-6 p.m., Free A spooky sports celebration where kids decked out in their costumes can play games like Zombie Tag and Spooktacular Soccer Shootout. The ﬁrst 400 children to show up will get to take home a goody bag, and although the event is free and open to the public, a $20 donation per family is welcome which will go towards the FIT KIDS FIT CITY campaign. RSVP online. www.asphaltgreen.com

SPOOKY AND SCARY “SUPER SPOOKY” CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF THE MERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM Saturday October 25 Merchant’s House Museum 29 East Fourth St. between Lafayette and Cooper Square 6:30, 8 and 9:30 p.m., $35 Called “Manhattan’s most haunted house” by The New York Times, the Merchant’s House is a National Historic Landmark and former home of the Tredwell family, believed to still haunt the building. On this candlelight tour guests will walk through the preserved house where eight family members died and will hear witness accounts from those who have witnessed recent unexplainable occurrences, believed to be from recent construction that has stirred up the spirits. www.merchantshouse.org

GHOSTS, MURDERS AND MAYHEM WALKING TOURS OF NEW YORK CITY Sunday October 26 Tweed Courthouse 52 Chambers St. between Broadway and Center St. 7 p.m., $25 Join experienced tour guides as you wander through Lower Manhattan by lantern light and hear about the haunted history of New York City. This tour will guide walkers through a storied and scary history including a

murder connected to Jack the Ripper, a grave-robbing riot, and burnings at the stake. www.ghostsandmurders.com

NIGHTMARE NEW YORK Monday October 27 Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 107 Suffolk St between Delancey and Rivington Sts 7:00 p.m.; $30 in advance, $35 at the door Experience the scariest version of Manhattan in this 80’s themed New York City haunted experience. Nightmare New York transforms the legends of old such as Mole People that litter the graffitied train stations or alligator ﬁlled tunnels. This reality based horror is sure to frighten even the most well-versed New Yorkers. www.nightmarenyc.com, 347-577-9999

BLOOD MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE October 3- November 8 Blood Manor 163 Varick St. at Charlton St. 7:30 p.m.; $30 advance, $35 at the door One of New York’s most popular, and most scary Halloween haunted houses offers tours through horror ﬁlled halls and rooms such as the Vestibule of the Undead and the Banquet of Torture. This attraction has been in business for fourteen years and provides access to approximately 5,000 square feet of fear. Blood Manor is not recommended for anyone under the age of 14, especially if unaccompanied. www.bloodmanor.com

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 7

TENANTS FIGHT AGAINST PRIVATIZATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 was validated or disallowed. Paul Hovitz, another antiprivatization shareholder at Southbridge Towers, said the Attorney General’s Office –which must grant approval in order for the deal to be finalized –- agreed to withhold its ruling pending DHCR’s findings. “The [Attorney General] agreed to freeze the reconstitution process until DHCR completed its review,” said Hovitz, “Nothing is over as yet.” But this mechanism appears to be standard practice whenever a Mitchell-Lama co-op votes to privatize: DHCR certifies the results of the vote and the process is handed over to the Attorney General’s office for final approval. And it’s unclear whether scrutiny of the vote is being carried out as a matter of course or if there will be an investigation forthcoming that falls outside of the normal checks and balances that occur any time a MitchellLama co-op votes to privatize. DHCR did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In an email to shareholders from Southbridge’s board of directors, president Wally Dimson denied the existence of any scrutiny that would be out of the ordinary under normal circumstances. “There is no investigation of the election taking place either by DHCR or any other governmental agency,” said Dimson. “In addition, there has not been a formal protest lodged with Honest Ballot Association or DHCR that alleges that any specific violations occurred.” Honest Ballot Association is the polling company that administered the vote. In response to Dimson’s

email, Hovitz fired off one of his own that said DHCR ordered the voting machines and proxies be secured for in-depth review. But Linda Gibbs-Chiarelli, president of Honest Ballot Association, said her company hasn’t received a request from DHCR or any other entity to turn over the materials from the privatization vote. Chiarelli-Gibbs did say that reviews of results are common when a Mitchell-Lama co-op votes to go public. So far though, she hasn’t heard anything concrete. “They’ve contacted Honest Ballot to go over everything and make sure it’s correct,” said Chiarelli-Gibbs of DHCR. “When you’re doing these votes, of course there are always people that are against [privatization] so maybe they’re digging into it but I have no idea yet because right now, all we know is that we’ve done it and we abide by what we’ve done.” Honest Ballot has conducted similar dissolution votes like the one last year in which Rivercross, a Mitchell-Lama co-op on Roosevelt Island, voted to privatize. The attorney who prepared the 900-page prospectus on privatization for Southbridge shareholders, Stuart Saft, also characterized DHCR’s review as routine. Regardless of whether there’s an investigation of the vote results, those opposed to privatization are trying to block it in other ways. DuBois and others sent a complaint to the AG’s ofﬁce alleging that material that was shown as part of a presentation on the privatization process made false claims that were presented as fact.

WHAT IS PRIVATIZATION? The Mitchell-Lama program was created in the 1950s as a way to establish and sustain affordable housing for middle class New Yorkers. In exchange for real estate tax breaks and low interest mortgages, Mitchell-Lama co-op shareholders agree to keep rents and purchase prices far below market rate. After 20 years in MitchellLama, a participating co-op corporation can voluntarily exit the program with a twothirds vote. This process is known as privatization, and effectively brings shareholders’ apartments to their current market value, but removes those units from the affordable housing stock. To date, 93 MitchellLama developments with 31,700 units have voted to exit the program in what’s called a buyout or privatization.

Dimson’s email also alluded to the possibility of a court challenge if the vote is determined to have been carried out correctly. “A court challenge may be forthcoming after the administrative review is completed,” said Dimson. “Please be assured that the board is prepared to undertake whatever action is needed to see that the rights and interests of the overwhelming majority of shareholders who voted in favor of [privatization] are protected.”

More neighborhood news? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? Email us at news@strausnews.com

Professional Children's School

Open House Wednesday, October 29 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

PCS is the academic school for young people pursuing challenging goals that may sometimes require time away from school. PCS enrolls 210 students in grades 6-12 including equestrians, classical and popular musicians, gymnasts, actors, models, ballet, jazz and hip hop dancers. PCS is fully accredited and our graduates attain admission to the most competitive colleges and universities. To learn more and to reserve your place, visit our website or contact Shari Honig, Director of Admissions. 132 WEST 60TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10023 212-582-3116

pcs-nyc.org

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MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

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PARTY

Saturday, October 25 / 12-3pm / $10 Games, Pizza, Prizes, Entertainment, and a Costume Parade

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? Email us at NEWS@STRAUSNEWS.COM Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org

8 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

Voices

< MORE ON KLINGHOFFER Catching up on my reading, I saw Charles Gross’ op-ed, “The Met And The Balance of Terror.” He’s right on. As the news stories of terrorist atrocities roll on -- ISIS, Al-Queda, Hamas, Boko Haram and so many others -the Metropolitan Opera cannot hide behind the ﬁg leaf that “Death of Klinghoffer”, with

In Brief CRACKING DOWN ON BIKES

Op Ed

BONDING AT THE BOOK SIGNING BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

Thanks for the editorial re bikes, Oct 8. It hit the nail—to not be confused about where responsibility lies, and it’s not a fair ﬁght between pedestrians and bikers on steel vehicles. Even if not speeding they can be lethal. The responsibility is on any moving vehicle to obey rules. Walkers in the city should not be in constant anxiety lest they be hit. They know to look out for cars. The perception of bikes as less dangerous than cars is distorted just because bikes are so much smaller and slower. The city officials pushing biking have not strongly opposed this view and have failed in their duty to public safety. New York should study the bike laws and licensing rules of other countries with long traditions of bike use, and use their experience. We need protection and need it now. Meredith Balk

its justiﬁcation of terror and spouting of antisemitism, is mere art, detached from the alltoo real world around us. Glenn Richter W. 97th St.

Lena Dunham’s “Not That Kind Of Girl” book tour stop, with opening act Amy Schumer, is the most recent in a long line of celebrity signings that began for me six years ago, when my now 17-year-old daughter, Meg, wanted to go meet Miley Cyrus, who had just penned “Miles To Go.” The then-fifth grader, who would have to be pried from her bed each morning with the jaws-of-life, was up, washed, and dressed by 6 a.m. to head down to the mid-Manhattan location of Barnes & Noble to get her wristband that would guarantee her place on line. Since then, mostly thanks to our local B&N, I have become all too familiar with the varying degrees of paper bracelets, silver gaining entrance to the auditorium for the author Q&A, as opposed to the gold, which allows you to watch it either SRO in the back of the room or on the store monitor outside in the stacks. Most of these mother/daughter literary outings are for memoirs, with the exception of the novels written by “Gilmore Girls” star and Barnard grad, Lauren Graham, and the Jenner sisters (the word “written” is used loosely to describe the tome of the latter.) Meg loves these brushes with celebrity for the obvious reasons: the autographs, the photo ops -- of which she has amassed quite a collection – and, of course, the chit-chat. I, on the other hand, have no patience for waiting my turn to pay for the book, let alone some celebrity, but I put in my time to share in Meg’s

STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN

interest, but also because I’ve come to see these events as an investment in her education. Since these book-signing pilgrimages began, Meg’s reading level jumped two grades, with an improvement in her comprehension as well as vocabulary. Television watching has been voluntarily replaced by reading for pleasure. This of course pleases me, even when the memoirs being read are generated by reality stars like Kendra, or actors like Candace Cameron, who haven’t really known fame since childhood. I have also found these activities to be interesting studies in the work ethic of different generations. The late Joan Rivers stayed well after store hours personalizing and autographing (legibly) each and every book for all those who showed up for her, whereas her time-strapped younger counterparts, like Lea Michele, often sign only their initials, the letters not resembling anything close to the alphabet as we know it. Although I wish Meg were more attracted to let’s say, Jane Austen, I must admit the number of books she’s read – the memoirs of Alan Cumming, Neil Patrick Harris and Andy Cohen to soon join their ranks -- make quite an impressive display. Even when I peruse her library and catch a name on one of the book’s spines, such as Nicky Hilton, I take a deep breath and remember the words of my sister-in-law, a New York City public school assistant principal, who said, “Hey, at least she’s reading.” Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Back To Work She Goes” and “Fat Chick.”

President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com

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

Distribution Manager, Mark Lingerman

Publisher, Gerry Gavin

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

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

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 9 The intersection near where Cooper Stock was killed earlier this year.

DRIVER OF CAB THAT STRUCK AND KILLED COOPER STOCK ARRESTED Koffi Komlani charged with ‘failure to exercise due care’ from January tragedy BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

UPPER WEST SIDE The driver of the taxi cab that struck and killed nineyear-old Cooper Stock in January has been arrested – 10 months after the accident that galvanized the city around traffic-safety concerns. The West Side Spirit has learned that the cabbie was arrested on Oct. 7 for the incident and charged with “failure to exercise due care,” according to 24th Precinct Commander Marlon Larin and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The intersection near where Cooper Stock was killed after being struck by a cab in January.

Stock and his father were in the crosswalk at West End Avenue and 97th Street on Jan. 10 when cabbie Koffi Komlani, making a left-hand turn onto West End Avenue, struck both of them, killing the boy. Komlani, who remained on the scene, was issued a ticket for failing to yield to a pedestrian. The ticket carries with it a $300 ﬁne and the addition of three points on a driver’s license. Many New Yorkers in the days and weeks following the tragedy voiced their opinion that more should be done to punish irresponsible drivers, who they feel are often free to go without any major consequences after injuring or killing a pedestrian. However, Larin said the subsequent investigation took time and authorities needed to establish whether

charges could be brought against Komlani, who is 53. “The misconception is once the accident is done, it’s case closed. That’s not true. The highway collision investigations squad, those guys, they’re the ones who come out, they’re the ones who take the measurements, they’re the ones who check the car for mechanical defects,” said Larin. “They have to confer with the District Attorney because if the DA’s office feels they can’t prove that, then there is no arrest.” Larin said the DA’s office brought the charges, and is conﬁdent in their case, “because of the way [Komlani] travelled, the rate of speed and the way he took the turn.” Larin said rain was a factor that night as well. He also mentioned Komlani was taken into custody Oct. 7 at 10:30 a.m. The Manhattan DA’s Office confirmed to the West Side Spirit that Komlani was arrested for the Jan. 10 incident and charged with one count of failure to exercise due care causing serious physical injury. A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office said Komlani has since been released on his own recognizance and that the judge at his arraignment revoked his driver’s license while the case is pending. The spokesperson noted that failure to exercise due care is a traffic infraction. “The maximum is 15 days jail and a $750 fine with a license suspension, and the minimum is no penalty,” said the DA’s spokesperson. “In the end, it’ll be up to the judge.” Komlani is scheduled to be in court

Dec. 4, according to the Manhattan DA’s office. In May, Cooper Stock’s parents told Yahoo News they were informed in a meeting at the Manhattan DA’s office that the office could not pursue any additional charges against Komlani because it wasn’t provided for under the law. “They told me there is nothing in the law right now that specifies that he can be charged with any crime,” Lerner told Yahoo News in May, describing the meeting. The Manhattan DA’s office declined to comment further. Komlani could not be reached for comment. The tragedy resulted in the passage of “Cooper’s Law” by Upper West Side Council Member Helen Rosenthal. The law amends the city’s administrative code to allow for a cabbie’s taxi license to be revoked if an investigation ﬁnds the driver failed to yield to a pedestrian. New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission pulls a driver’s license only after they’ve racked up six points on their license. Komlani’s failure to yield summons added three points onto his license. Rosenthal could not be reached for comment by press time. Bhairaivi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said the union was unaware Komlani had been arrested and that he has not reached out to them. “We hope he will be tried fairly by the law, not scapegoated in the court of public opinion,” said Desai. “It’s hard to imagine the arrest of this working

man was not politically motivated.” Komlani’s mother-in-law, Idy Williams, told the New York Daily News in January that Komlani was depressed after the accident. “He’s not driving. He’s not talking at all. He’s not eating. He’s really, really down,” she told the paper. “It’s an accident. It’s not like he’s done it on purpose.” Williams could not be reached for comment on this latest development. Cooper’s parents, Dana Lerner and Dr. Richard Stock, did not return a request for comment by press time. According to the New York Post, Komlani lives in Harriman, NY, a village about an hour and 20 minutes north of Manhattan. It’s unclear what police department took him into custody. Cooper Stock was the ﬁrst of three pedestrians to be killed on the Upper West Side in January. Alexander Shear, 73, was killed the same night as Stock at Broadway and 96th Street. On Jan. 19, Samantha Lee, 26, was killed at the same intersection as Shear. So far in New York this year there have been 101 pedestrian fatalities, with 20 in Manhattan, according to data compiled by WNYC. In February, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched an ambitious plan called Vision Zero that’s designed to increase traffic safety for pedestrians in New York. Among dozens of initiatives contained in the plan is the decrease of the citywide speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25, which will go into effect Nov. 7.

10 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

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

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New Your Neighborhood News Source ^

Out & About 24 HARD CORE: A DINNER IN CELEBRATION OF CIDER WEEK Craftbar, 900 Broadway at East 20th St. 7:30 p.m., $85 Learn about cider while enjoying delicious food in the private dining room of Craftbar. Cider expert Jeff Russell of Rowan Imports will be on hand as diners enjoy a ﬂight of ﬁve ciders alongside a four course seasonal meal from chef Luke Wallace, with special attention paid to the almighty apple. Reservations at mpoore@ craftrestaurant.com

FROM COFFEEHOUSES TO BANQUET HALLS WALKING TOUR

Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Center St between Grand St. and Howard St. 1-2:30 p.m., $15 adults, $12 student/senior, $8 MOCA member, free for children 5 and under PROGRAMS IN A BOX: Eateries have played a major THE CUBAN MARACA role in shaping Chinatown over the decades. This walking Seward Park Library, 192 East Broadway at Jefferson St. tour through Chinatown takes participants from the early 3:30-4:30 p.m., Free Children will get to learn about days of Chinatown when Cuba and Cuban culture and also restaurants served the large bachelor community through build their own maraca in this interactive workshop. The event to establishments that sprang up as the makeup of is limited to 15 children and the neighborhood changed. calling to register beforehand is Advanced online reservations recommended. required. 212-477-6770 www.mocanyc.org

25 FILM SCREENING: ‘CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST’ Sunshine Landmark Cinema, 143 East Houston St. between Forsyth St. and Eldridge St. 12 a.m., $13.50 adult, $10 senior Be prepared for gore at this movie whose plot begins in 1979 with four documentary filmmakers who venture into the South American jungle to shoot footage on cannibalism. They never return. Six months after, NYU and the Pan American Broadcasting Corporation send in a search team to find the filmmakers. The graphic scenes in this move resulted in widespread banning at the time of its release. www.landmarktheatres. com

26 SHAKESPEARE IN THE SQUARE: HENRY V Washington Square Park, Gribaldi Plaza, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Free Catch some talented young actors from the NYU Tisch Club Shakespeare in the Square as they return for a second round of Fall performances, making Washington Square Park a little more dramatic with their two hour shows of Henry V. shakespeareinthesquarenyu @gmail.com

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTY: AMERICAN REGIONAL FAVORITES The Institute of Culinary Education, 50 West 23rd St. between 6th and 5th Ave. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., $120

Learn how to prepare seasonal dishes like the ones made in California’s bountiful wine regions; Napa, Sonoma, and the Russian River Valley. This class will include instruction on how to make crab cakes with blood-orange aioli, prosciutto wrapped Fuji apples with a sour cherry balsamic glaze, and pea ravioli with carrots and cipollini onions in a parmesan broth, and students will be able to sample a selection of California wines. www.coursehorse.com

27 CELLPHONE BUYING GUIDE: SMARTPHONES Mulberry Street Library, 10 Jersey St. at Mulberry St 1-3 p.m., Free A lecture and demonstration designed for adults who need some guidance in learning about smartphones and deciding which kind is the right ﬁt for them. Registration can be done in person at the library or by phone. 212-966-3424

KINGS SCHOOL CHILDREN’S CHOIR CONCERT Washington Square Park, Gribaldi Plaza 2:30 p.m., Free Some little people with big voices will be putting on a special show in Gribaldi Plaza. The Kings School Children’s Choir, all the way from Chester, England, will be treating onlookers to a performance, and a special permit for ampliﬁed sound has been issued for the event. www.nycparks.gov

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 11

CHRIS OFILI AND MASSIMILIANO GIONA IN CONVERSATION

neighborhood real estate people arts news business

business

food

people places

arts real estatenews arts business

events

news people real estate business

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food

Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. between West 16th and West 17th St. 10:30-11:30 a.m., $15 for class and museum admission The Yak Packers class allows children ages 2-4 to interact and play with Himalayan art. Activities include time to play with blocks and magnets, an interactive read along, and a search through the museum’s exhibits for the theme of the day. Purchasing tickets in advance is recommended. www.rubinmuseum.org

real estate

events

YAK PACKERS

arts

news

The New Museum, 235 Bowery at Stanton St. 7 p.m., $10 public, $8 members Listen to a conversation featuring Chris Ofili during the opening week of his first solo museum show in the US. Based in Trinidad and London, Ofili will discuss the evolution of his artistic style over his career. www.newmuseum.org

real estate

arts

Webster Hall, 125 East 11th St. between 3rd and 4th Ave. Doors at 7 p.m., $32 After connecting on Craigslist, Sebu Simonian and Ryan Merchant moved from jingle writing to creating an indieelectro band. A single titled “Safe and Sound” off their 2011 found success on Modern Rock and Top 40 radio and its quirky video even gained a Grammy nomination and a VMA. Their debut album “A Tidal Wave of Mystery” is out now. www.websterhall.com

food

Housing Works Bookstore Café, 123 Crosby St at West Houston St. 7 p.m., Free Some of New York’s ﬁnest writers gather at Housing Works Bookstore to discuss the challenges of being in the media at a time when anonymous trolls

CAPITAL CITIES WITH SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM, NIGHT TERRORS OF 1927

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

places

SAY IT TO MY FACE 2: CONFRONTING THE COMMENTS SECTION WITH TYLER COATES, JOLIE KERR AND MORE

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arts

Morrison Hotel Gallery, 116 Prince St. between Wooster St. and Greene St. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Free See another side of the legendary Stevie Nicks in this exhibition of photographs the Fleetwood Mac singer shot between 1975 and 1987, including Polaroid self-portraits taken in hotel rooms while she was touring the world. www.morrisonhotelgallery. com

Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Pl. at 1 Pl. 3:30 p.m., Free Children up to age 4 are invited with their caregivers to the Museum of Jewish Heritage to listen to stories and songs about holidays and traditions. The October 29th theme is kindness to animals. www.mjhnyc.org

real estate

STEVIE NICKS 24-KARAT GOLD PHOTO EXHIBIT

STORY TIME PRESENTED WITH PJ LIBRARY

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can write comments about you and your work that they would never say to your face. Tyler Coates, the deputy editor of New York Post’s decider. com, Jolie Kerr, a columnist at Deadspin, and Kate Dries from Jezebel and will tackle the comments section and share personal anecdotes. www.housingworks.org

New Your ^ Neighborhood News Source

12 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

SET IN THE CITY: RECLAIMING THE STREET STREET ART Photographer Justin Bettman builds complete room sets on city streets BY ADELLE BRODBECK

Native Brooklyn photographer Justin Bettman is bringing his new project to the streets of Manhattan. Bettman, 23, has been shooting professionally for a few years now and counts Forbes magazine, Columbia Records, ABC Family and Honda among his clients. His artistic resume is scattered with high-proﬁle work as well as personal endeavors, including a set of portraits titled “The Bagel Project” in which Bettman traded a bagel for a photograph and a story from homeless people living in California.

Bettman’s latest work developed partially out of coincidence, but entirely out of creativity. Originally he said that he planned to shoot portraits in the environment of hyperstylized sets. However, complications that naturally come with the territory of New York interfered with his intentions. “Studio space is really expensive and I was trying to think of an alternative solve,” said Bettman. “I was sitting on my friend Gozde Eker’s roof and I looked down onto the street and noticed that a building on the sidewalk essentially created a set wall.” “From there I thought it would be interesting to build sets outside,” Bettman explained. “And then the idea transformed into using furniture that people had disposed of or didn’t want anymore.” Bettman’s most recent set was as-

sembled in the beginning of October in the Lower East Side on Rivington Street between Orchard and Ludlow, but it was not his first New York instillation. For his first set, in Brooklyn, Bettman said he only intended to leave it standing briefly. “When we were shooting the first image, people kept stopping and asking to take pictures,” Bettman said. “Rather than trying to fight it, I decided that for the future sets it would be cool to leave them intact after I made my photograph and let other people take their own pictures there.” Since his set on Rivington, a pinstripe bedroom complete with teddy bear and nightstand, an Instagram hashtag has arisen among fans. People around town have been capturing photos of Bettman’s creation and posting them on their profiles with

the caption #SetintheStreet. “It’s been interesting and awesome to see how the public has responded and even added to these sets,” Bettman said. “When I did the set in the Lower East Side, there was a guy selling bikes on the street who took down the set because he thought it was competing with his bike sales.” Since each set is entirely comprised of reclaimed found objects, Bettman said the he and his companions have run into some complications. “Finding the furniture has been a challenge because it’s difficult to find pieces that all work cohesively together for a set,” he said. “However, assembling the sets once the furniture has been found has been fairly easy. The hardest part of building them has been putting up wallpaper and walling. It is much more time-consuming then you

would expect.” Since receiving such positive and welcoming feedback for his Set in the Street work, Bettman said he plans to keep it going with the help of his friend. “Gozde [Eker] and I will continue to collaborate on these,” he said. “I did one in L.A. without her, but all the other ones we have done together. We plan on doing at least one more before it gets too cold out, but I see this project as an ongoing series.” On October 6 Bettman posted a thank you on his Facebook page for all the support he has received on the project and stated he was beginning to work on his next set. Keep an eye out for a random bedroom, living room, or perhaps bathroom on the street during your next morning commute.

5 TOP

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 13

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCTOBER 9 - 17, 2014

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

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. Rockmeisha

11 Barrow Street

Hale & Hearty

350 Hudson Street

Windsor Restaurant

234 West 4 Street

Grade Pending (26) 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. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Five Guys Burgers And Fries

296 Bleeker Street

Maries Crisis Cafe

59 Grove Street

Hangar Bar

115 Christopher Street

The Stonewall Inn

53 Christopher Street

Karaoke Boho

186 West 4 Street

The Beatrice Inn

285 West 12 Street

Piora

430 Hudson Street

Hector’s Cafe & Diner

44 Little West 12 Street

Closed by Health Department (73) 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. Food worker does not wash hands thoroughly after using the toilet, coughing, sneezing, smoking, eating, preparing raw foods or otherwise contaminating hands. 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 rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

I Sodi

105 Christopher Street

CIRCUS PARADE

Mulino A Vino

337 West 14 Street

The Little Orchestra Society brings classical music to children under ﬁve in its Lolli-Pops series. The latest Lolli-Pops production, Circus Parade, sets the music of Fucik, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky in a circus scene. October 25 and 26 Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College East 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $17-$53

Joe

141 Waverly Place

Little Italy Pizza

180 Varick Street

Westville

210 West 10 Street

Cafe Habana/Cafe Habana To Go

17 Prince Street

Tomoe Sushi

172 Thompson Street

Grade Pending (24) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

IN CONVERSATION

The Cleveland Restaurant

25 Cleveland Place

FILM

VERTIGO Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal 1958 thriller stars James Stewart as former cop Scottie Ferguson, who is hired to follow his friend’s beautiful and alluring wife, played by Kim Novak, and becomes hauntingly obsessed with her. October 24-30 Film Forum 209 West Houston St. Assorted show times Tickets $13

MUSIC BÉLA FLECK AND ABIGAIL WASHBURN Banjo virtuoso—and New York native— Béla Fleck, who formed his band Béla Fleck and the Flecktones in 1988 with guitarist Victor Wooten, is joined on stage with his wife, enchanting songstress and banjo player Abigail Washburn, at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space. Wednesday, October 29 Symphony Space 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street 8 p.m. $47-$97

BUSTER POINDEXTER David Johansen, former singer of 1970s punk band New York Dolls, has enjoyed a successful solo career since the 1980s under the moniker Buster Poindexter, abandoning his punk inclinations for a tuxedo and a jazz-inﬂected lounge act, performing a mix of originals and covers with a edge. October 23-25 Café Carlyle 35 East 76th St., at Madison Avenue 8:45 p.m. Tickets $50-$130

KIDS

Francisca Pizzeria Bagel Cafe 140 West 4 Street

Grade Pending (33) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches 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.

The Crosby Street Hotel

79 Crosby Street

Little Cupcake Bake Shop

30 Prince Street

Pera Soho

54 Thompson Street

Siggy’s NYC

292 Elizabeth Street

Olive’s

120 Prince Street

ALISON BECHDEL AND JONATHAN LETHEM Cartoonist Alison Bechdel, whose 2006 graphic novel Fun Home about her childhood and the death of her father was turned into a musical and performed at the Public Theater in 2013, is joined by novelist Jonathan Lethem, whose 2003 novel The Fortress of Solitude was also adapted for the stage and debuted at the Public Theater this September. Monday, October 27 Public Theater 425 Lafayette St., near Astor Place 7 p.m. $50

14 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

Food & Drink

< PIE FACE STORES CLOSE ALL OVER MANHATTAN The Australian based pie and coffee chain has been nearly wiped clean from the Manhattan map. On Thursday morning six out of the seven Pie Face New York City locations posted notes on their windows telling patrons to visit their Midtown location at 36th Street and 9th Ave instead and that they will still be available for

catering. No other details as to why the store abruptly shut down were posted. EV Grieve reported the closing at 4th Ave and East 13th Street and claimed that many people in the area weren’t entirely sure what the store even sold. Elsewhere in the city, however, fans of the cafe’s signature smiling pies are attempting

to reach out to the administration through Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms to solve the mysterious mass of closings. DNAinfo.com spoke with a representative from Pie Face’s former public relations team who speculated that the chain lost its United States rep and is no longer able to operate.

In Brief BAR PITTI SMOKE BOMB NOT RESULT OF FEUD The owner of West Village restaurant Da Silvanno told the New York Post that he did not play a part in the smoke bombing of nearby Bar Pitti last week. Security footage of the incident released by police shows a man emerge from a subway access grate and quickly toss a bomb that emitted pink smoke in front of the restaurant’s patio seating area.Da Silvano owner Silvana Marchetto and Bar Pitti owner Giovanni Tognozzi reportedly have a long history of feuding. The two men opened Bar Pitti together in 1992 but then had a falling out, which includes lawsuits concerning the ownership of certain recipes. The restaurants, both on Sixth Avenue, are a mere 49 feet from each other. The NYPD say that they do not think the feud had anything to do with the smoke bomb, and are searching for a white man with wavy blond hair in his 20s as the possible perpetrator.

PASTIS TO REOPEN IN NEARBY LOCATION The Wall Street Journal reported that Pastis will open its doors once again. Keith McNally’s popular French bistro known for its steak frites and celebrity sightings closed temporarily in February after Restoration Hardware Inc. signed a 15-year lease on the building that Pastis was in. The restaurant opened in 1999 at the corner of Little West 12th and 9th Avenue at a time when the Meatpacking District was not exactly known for upscale French dining. McNally will build a new Pastis close to the original location on Gansevoort Street, and is hoping to be churning out crispy fries and French food by September 2016. McNally is also working on a 90 seat restaurant that will open in The Beekman Hotel.

HARLEM EATERY THE CECIL NAMED ESQUIRE’S BEST NEW RESTAURANT Esquire singled out Harlem restaurant The Cecil as the best new restaurant of the year, making it the only Manhattan spot to land on a list dominated by eateries outside of the ﬁve boroughs (Take Root in Brooklyn, which just earned a Michelin star, was the only other restaurant in the city to make the cut). Billed as an Afro-Asian-American brasserie, the restaurant was opened by chef, restaurateur and opera singer Alexander Smalls, who conceived of a dining experience inspired by the African Diaspora. The concept is interpreted by chef de cuisine Joseph “JJ” Johnson, an alum of Centro Vinoteca, Jane and Tribeca Grill, in menu items that include oxtail dumplings served with green apple curry sauce and taro root and fried guinea hen cooked with cinnamon and plated with okra, red beans and sweet potato. The Cecil is located at 210 West 118th St., near Saint Nicholas Avenue, and is open for dinner daily starting at 5 p.m., and weekend brunch from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

EAST SIDE RESTAURANT OWNER TO OPEN U.W.S. STEAKHOUSE DINING BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

UPPER WEST SIDE Bruno Selimaj, owner of Club A Steakhouse on East 58th Street, will bring his knowledge of rib eye, porterhouse and ﬁlet mignon to the West Side when he opens a classic steakhouse on the Upper West Side this fall. Renovations began a few weeks ago on the West 70th Street location of Lincoln Square Steak, located about six blocks from Lincoln Center, in the former location of Greek restaurant and local favorite Loi. Selimaj hopes to open during holiday season this year. The high-pitched whir of circular saws reverberates through the space presently, rather than the sizzle of grilling steak, as Selimaj and his

partners convert the nearly 220-seat space, which will include a full bar and lounge area as well as three private dining rooms. Selimaj is adding a ﬁreplace, lanterns, and a raised piano—he’ll assemble a rotating roster of players, some from the nearby Juilliard School—as part of the $600,000 renovation, as well as a 34-foot mural along the back wall. “[It will be] the most romantic steakhouse,” Selimaj said in an Albanian accent, his gentle voice just audible over the din of construction in the restaurant space. “And a good steakhouse.” The restaurant owner opened Club A Steakhouse in 2008, in the former home of his Italian eatery Bruno, which he operated for 30 years on the first ﬂoor of a building he bought in 1989 and still owns. The menu

at Lincoln Square Steak will echo the one at Selimaj’s east side spot, which offers, among other steakhouse staples, an 18-ounce prime NY strip steak for $45 and a 24-ounce prime rib eye for $54, as well as the requisite sides, including creamed spinach, baked potatoes and onion rings. The menu will also offer nightly happy hour specials from 5-7 p.m., which will include a burger (made with ground beef from butcher Pat LaFrieda) with fries and a pint of beer for $12, and a four course dinner for $39.95. And though the restaurant will include a full wine list with a range of price points, several $25 bottles of wine will be available. Lincoln Square Steak will open at 208 West 70th Street, near Broadway, this holiday season.

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 15

Business

< IN N.Y.C. EBOLA PLAN, A CAMPAIGN TO TAMP DOWN PANIC Deserted subways and buses. Kids being kept home from school. Harassment of West African immigrants. These are some of the scenarios New York City officials are trying to anticipate as they seek to tamp down the hysteria as well as the virus in the event Ebola hits the nation’s most populous, densely packed

In Brief MANHATTAN CHAMBER NAMES BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce announced its 2015 board of directors. Each board member serves a term of two years. The directors are: KD Acharya, Anchin Block & Anchin Bill Bergman, Office Depot Beth Bronfman, The View Agency Ralph Bumbaca, TD Bank Lani Doktori, Color Fast Printing Wendi Caplan-Carroll, Constant Contact Maralyn Dolan, Integrated Printing & Graphics Inc. Dan Gralton, Walgreen’s/ Duane Reade Melanie Gass, Centerpoint Solutions Bruce Hurwitz, BH Staffing Jill Kaplan, Crain’s New York Business Ann Kayman, New York Grant Co. Deborah Koenigsberger, Hearts of Gold Inc Brad Korn, The Mount Sinai Health System George Lence, Nicholas & Lence Communications Lisa Linden, LAK Public Relations, Inc. Robert Lopez, Blue Water Construction & Restoration Betty McCain, Citibank Jim McPartlin, Loews Hotel & Resorts Colleen Molter, QED National Nancy Moon, Moon PR Joseph Perello, Catch-NYC David Reid, Asia Society Rosina Rubin, Attitude NY Charles Ryan, HSBC Bank Westley Slater, Office Depot Darren Sussman, TheaterMania Robert Schwartz, Eneslow Shoes Bill Tyson, Time Warner Cable

metropolis. “We will not be surprised ... we are ready,” Dr. Mary Bassett, the city’s health commissioner, said last week. So far, 133 patients referred to the city’s Health Department with Ebola-like symptoms have been cleared and the city hasn’t yet had a

EVERYONE’S A TARGET -- EVEN ME CRIME Seniors aren’t the only people who fall victim to scams BY MEGAN BUNGEROTH

The robo-call voicemail should have been my first tip-off. “This is agent Julie Smith of the IRS,” said the vaguely female computerized voice. “Do not ignore this call.” The voicemail was alarming, but I assumed it was legitimate, since I had recently received a letter from the IRS, about a small amount of federal income tax I still owed after filing for 2013. I thought the automated call was strange, but it was from a Washington, D.C. area code. When I called back later that afternoon, a man picked up after two rings, and I told him I was returning the call from Agent Julie Smith. The man said that he was my case manager, and that the IRS was suing me for back taxes and fees amounting to over $4,000. I nearly tripped on the sidewalk of 7th Avenue. “Four THOUSAND dollars??!” I sputtered. “No way! I know I owe some money, but it’s way less than that!” “Well m’am if you can pay the full amount right now, we’ll reduce the fees and penalties.” “How much would that be?” I asked, still terrified. “Two thousand dollars.” My panic did not abate. “I can’t pay you $2,000 right now. I don’t understand, I had no idea anyone was suing me,” I said, struggling to remember the exact wording in that last letter from the IRS. It was relatively benign, telling me about

payment plans and options for appeal. There certainly wasn’t a threat of a lawsuit - but maybe I had missed the ﬁne print. “Well what about $1,000?” the man asked. So chivalrous. I did some quick calculations, thinking of when my next paycheck would be coming in. “Not really,” I said. “Could I call back on Friday and pay then?” That’s when the guy started getting pushy. “What, you don’t have someone you can borrow the money from?” Well that’s a little invasive, I thought. Of course, if it meant life or death (or being arrested) there were plenty of people I could call for an emergency financial bailout. That didn’t mean that I wanted to do it. “No,” I said. “You’re telling me there is no way you can pay $1,000 today? There’s NO ONE you can borrow money from?” That’s when I started crying, despite my best efforts to maintain my dignity. “I think you’re being a little bit hostile to me,” I said, my voice quavering. “Could I please speak to someone else?” “I’m your case manager! You think someone else is going to just make this whole thing go away? You have to pay!” the man practically shouted in response. It was downhill from there. I tried to keep my composure while the IRS agent eventually “settled” on having me pay $200 in cash, immediately, to “halt the legal actions against me,” with a promise to set up a repayment plan for the rest of the $2,000 I supposedly owed. When I offered to do a direct bank transfer, the man was quick to shut that down, telling me not to reveal any of my banking information. That

conﬁrmed case. Bassett said actions would be taken quickly if and when that happens, either as an isolated case or a full-blown outbreak, with Bellevue Hospital designated to handle Ebola cases. It has four isolation rooms established .that can quickly expand to 20 if needed.

makes sense, I thought. The next directive made less sense, but I was determined to make this go away as quickly as possible. By this time, I’d already been on the call for almost 30 minutes, and I had been transferred to a “supervisor” (the same one that hadn’t been available when I asked for him earlier) whose heavily-accented voice sounded very similar to the ﬁrst man. The new guy said his name was Alex Campbell. “Do you have the cash?” he asked me. I did. I had followed his directions to go to the nearest ATM and take out $200 in cash; when I asked why I couldn’t pay with my debit card, he told me since there was legal action being taken against me, they were investigating my bank account, so I couldn’t use it to pay. I’d have to use cash and ﬁll out a special IRS form to send it. I had also been instructed to remain on the phone; I was scolded

when I put the call on mute - because it was being recorded, and the recording could be used against me in court. “OK,” Alex Campbell said. “Is there a CVS near you?” I scanned the street. “Uh, there’s a Duane Reade,” I said. “Good, good. Are you there?” I dashed across the intersection, hauled open the door, out of breath. “I’m here. What do I do?” “Go to the cashier and purchase a Vanilla reload network prepaid debit card for $200.” I paused in front of the pretzel display. Oh, I ﬁnally, ﬁnally thought. This is a scam. It had never occurred to me that I could fall for a type of scam I regularly read about in the Crime Watch

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

AVOID I.R.S. SCAMS The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never: 1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice. 2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. 3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. 4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. 5. Threaten to bring in local police or other lawenforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:

•

If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue. • If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www. tigta.gov. You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. Remember, too, the IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box. Source: irs.gov

16 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

EVERYONE’S A TARGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 section of this newspaper. The victims in the police reports always seem to be senior citizens. I worry about my grandmother getting duped. Not myself. It’s part of my job as a journalist to look at things skeptically, demand veriﬁcation, not jump to conclusions. I’m under 30 years old, I stay informed, I have a master’s degree! But there I stood in a midtown Duane Reade, $200 cash in hand, one step away from kissing that money good-bye forever because a criminal on the phone used scary trigger words like “legal action,” “used against you in court,” and “IRS investigation.” The scam itself is simple and ubiquitous. The perpetrators call from a masked number -- they could be calling from anywhere and are likely not even in the U.S. -- and either catch people off guard in the moment or hope they’ll call back based on the vaguely threatening voicemail. If the person on the other end is as gullible as I am, apparently, they’ll go through the steps, buy a prepaid card, then read the numbers off on the phone so the criminals can get the money. Since it was bought with cash, there’s no way to trace the transaction or get the money back. It’s simply gone. The NYPD has issued warnings related to this type of scam, which is

more commonly used with Green Dot MoneyPak cards, and sometimes has the scammers posing as a utility company who threaten to shut off the person’s heat or electricity. “We’ve seen a lot of calls where they’re just calling taxpayers completely out of the blue, and the person of course is going to panic,” said IRS spokesperson Peggy Riley. She said that the criminals will threaten a lawsuit, arrest, taking away a driver’s license, or even deportation. They often do target elderly people and immigrants, but they’re trained in extracting money from anyone who takes their calls. So even savvy twenty-something journalists might fall for it? “You shouldn’t feel stupid, they really make it sound legitimate,” Riley said. “They have background noise so it makes it sound like it’s coming from a call center. They have a little bit of information about you.” Plus, Riley said, people hear “IRS,” and they get scared. Even people who don’t owe any taxes can fall for it, and if you do happen to owe anything which many hundreds of thousands of people do - it becomes doubly scary. But there are monumental differences between the way these scammers op-

later, the agent I spoke to couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful; he even figured out that I might still be due some money from previous years’ tax returns that would wipe out the balance of what I owed for the latest tax year. Not once did he threaten legal action, taunt me about my extended family’s wealth, or provide elaborate reasons why I couldn’t do something as reasonable as call back within the same business day. erate and the way the IRS does business. “The IRS could call you in some occasions, but you’re always going to get a notice in the mail ﬁrst,” Riley said. “They’re not going to be threatening you. They’re not going to ask for a prepaid debit card. We’re going to be calling you to work out some type of agreement.” Riley said that the best way to insure it’s really the IRS contacting you is to simply hang up the phone and call the IRS directly. Anyone who works there can access your case number -- which will also be included in the letters they’ll send -- and will help you ﬁgure out what you owe, if anything. “There’s never any harm in calling the IRS,” Riley said. When I called the IRS a few days

“I don’t think this is how the IRS accepts payment,” I said to the so-called Alex Campbell, as the realization of his trickery slowly washed over me. “M’am, you have to pay us today. You need to get the money card.” Looking back, it’s clear why it was so important to keep me on the phone, and why it was lucky for them that I was alone at the time. If anyone in my office had overheard my call, or if I had been with a friend, or called my mom or my husband, the bright red flags would have jumped right out at me. I could have stopped a stranger on the street, let her listen to 20 seconds of the call, and that person would have said, “Oh honey, this is a scam.” It’s so obvious in hindsight, from the outside. But even in the moment when I

connected the similarities in my call and the GreenDot scams I’d been reading about, I was still wary about hanging up. Thirty-eight minutes and a lot of emotional manipulation into the experience, I had to convince myself to trust my instincts. And Google. As Alex Campbell tried his best to coerce me -- I wonder if he gets little star stickers on a chart for every person he swindles -- I was stalling and typing the phone number I’d called into my phone’s web browser. The scam alerts came up on the ﬁrst page. Same thing when I entered in Julie Smith, the name from the voicemail. “I think you’re scamming me,” I said to Alex Campbell. “I’m going to call the police.” Alex Campbell, to his credit (he must have been working for that bonus) still didn’t back down. “Sure m’am, just stay on the line, I’ll call the police. They’ll make you pay. Just stay on the line.” I imagine that another “agent” was standing by, ready to press a few sound effects and then hop onto the phone to impersonate a police officer. “No, asshole,” I said, right before I hung up. “I’ll call the police myself!” As far as witty rejoinders go, I admit, it wasn’t the best. But the feeling of shame over almost falling for a scam still weighed less than the feelings of relief and triumph as I marched to the bank to deposit my hard-earned cash back where it belonged.

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Fulton/Seaport 264 Water St.

$1,043,706

Lower E Side

575 Grand St.

$325,000

Loho Realty

Battery Park City70 Little W St.

$1,100,000 1

Blu Realty Group

Gramercy Park 237 E 17 St.

$660,000

Town Residential

Lower E Side

237 Eldridge St.

$399,000

Battery Park City377 Rector Place

$1,350,000 2

Real Direct

Gramercy Park 201 E 17 St.

$1,100,000 2

Citi Habitats

Lower E Side

199 Bowery

$1,398,000 2

Douglas Elliman

Chelsea

201 W 16 St.

$2,041,583 2

Time Equities, Inc.

Gramercy Park 32 Gramercy Park South $925,000

Lower E Side

199 Bowery

$550,000

The In House Group

Chelsea

212 W 18 St.

$16,012,500

Chelsea

210 W 19 St.

$905,000

Chinatown

18 Eldridge St.

$600,000

E Village

55 Ave. C

$695,000

E Village

228 E 13 St.

$515,000

E Village

133 2 Ave.

$1,485,000 1

Stribling

E Village

211 E 13Th St.

$2,450,000 2

Elegran

E Village

184 E 7 St.

$1,040,000

E Village

110 3 Ave.

$2,525,000 3

Financial District80 John St.

$625,000

Financial District75 Wall St.

$1,135,000 1

Financial District33 Rector St.

$2,350,000

Financial District15 Broad St.

$1,225,000 2

Gramercy Park 160 E 22Nd St.

$2,334,837 2

Toll Brothers

Noho

314 Mott St.

$560,000

Douglas Elliman

Corcoran

Gramercy Park 305 2 Ave.

$1,374,637 1

Cantor And Pecorella

Noho

712 Broadway

$2,895,000 2

Halstead Property

Weichert Mazzeo

Gramercy Park 200 E 16 St.

$905,000

Soho

20 Greene St.

$4,122,500 2

Brown Harris Stevens

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park 44 Gramercy Park North $900,000

Corcoran

Soho

64 Mac Dougal St.

$490,000

Town Residential

Gramercy Park 205 E 16 St.

$1,710,000 2

Corcoran

Soho

505 Greenwich St.

$2,300,000 2

Town Residential

Greenwich Village

63 E 9 St.

$579,000

Halstead Property

Tribeca

93 Worth St.

$561,463

Tribeca

16 Desbrosses St.

$4,800,000

Greenwich Village

60 E 9 St.

$515,000

Tribeca

415 Greenwich St.

$4,545,000 3

Douglas Elliman

W Chelsea

450 W 17 St.

$2,200,000 1

Brown Harris Stevens

Greenwich Village

11 5 Ave.

$2,700,000 2

0.5 1

1 1

Douglas Elliman Douglas Elliman

Douglas Elliman

Financial District40 Broad St.

$850,000

Financial District120 Greenwich St.

$745,000

Flatiron

23 E 22 St.

$9,350,000 3

Flatiron

64 W 15 St.

$1,214,500

Flatiron

49 E 21 St.

$2,360,000 2

Douglas Elliman

Flatiron

23 E 22 St.

$2,545,625 2

Douglas Elliman

$1,354,272 0

The Marketing Directors

Fulton/Seaport 264 Water St.

Douglas Elliman

Focus Real Estate Group

Brown Harris Stevens

Greenwich Vill 44 E 12 St.

$1,365,000 1

Greenwich Vill 77 Bleecker St.

$505,000

Greenwich Vill 35 E 10 St.

$715,000

2 1

Corcoran Douglas Elliman

Bond New York

Greenwich Vill 2 5 Ave.

$640,000

Greenwich Vill 43 5 Ave.

$1,200,000 2

Metropolitan Res.

Greenwich Vill 250 Mercer St.

$711,000

Room Real Estate

Greenwich Vill 77 Bleecker St.

$769,000

Lower E Side

473 Fdr Drive

$322,000

Lower E Side

575 Grand St.

$549,000

Frank Ragusa Lreb

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$570,000

Loho Realty

W Village

256 W 10 St.

$3,510,000 1

Douglas Elliman

W Village

421 Hudson St.

$5,880,393 3

Corcoran

W Village

26 Cornelia St.

$500,000

Weichert Properties

W Village

69 Perry St.

$2,875,000 2

Halstead Property

W Village

99 Bank St.

$800,000

Douglas Elliman

W Village

295 W 11 St.

$800,000

StreetEasy.com is New York’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 world’s most important real estate markets.

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 17

YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES

A WRITER’S NEW YORK STORY Q&A Alexander Chee looks at New York through the eyes of a writer BY ANGELA BARBUTI

The fact that Alexander Chee moved to New York three times in his life made his story a perfect ﬁt for Never Can Say Goodbye, the new anthology where writers explain their love for the city. Although he is originally from Maine, Chee has earned the title of being a New Yorker, especially one working in the arts. He’s experienced everything from waiting tables, to struggling to live on a bookstore salary, to multitasking at a magazine startup. In his essay, “New York Three Times,” readers are taken on his path that starts in Williamsburg, continues with him publishing a novel, and ends with the promise of things still to come.

Your ﬁrst apartment was in Williamsburg in 1991. The obvious question is, how have you seen the neighborhood change? The rent was $450 a month that we split. The postman dropped all of your mail through the door of the building. There was no mailbox -- it just sort of laid in the hallway while people sorted it out. I remember there were crack vials on the street that I would start crunching on when I was walking. I’d suddenly hear these snapping sounds and realize I was stepping on them. And I had a car back then, an Oldsmobile station wagon, really old. Apparently they’re one of the easiest cars to steal. They’re also really popular because they’re huge and the people who would steal them can run a lot of things in them. This I learned from the cops, after it was stolen. But for a long time, what amused me was, that it was not stolen, and I would come out and the hood would be a little bit lifted. And maybe one of my battery connections would have been loosened because the crack addicts were trying to steal my battery so they could sell it for money. But they were kind of too out of it to actually get the battery. At that time Williamsburg was divided between the Polish, the Italians, and the Dominicans. I guess I was prehipster or something. My friend and I, you could call us “class trad-

Photo by Michael Sharkey ers.” We both went to expensive private colleges but had decided not to become the standard product of that. She was trying to work on anti-violence projects and I was working at a gay and lesbian bookstore in the West Village.

I read that your bookstore salary was so low that you had to choose between eating or taking the subway. [Laughs] Yes, whether I was going to take the train or have breakfast. This was true for quite some time, and I don’t know if it’s still true, but maybe it is. Whatever a subway token cost was also what the cheapest thing to eat cost. I ate a lot of bagels and cream cheese back then, a lot of slices, and a lot of falafels.

What’s one of your favorite bookstores here now? I still make it a point of going to Three Lives in the West Village. They have such great taste. They changed ownership a few times, but there’s been a core staff that stayed. And the people who bought it were attracted to what it was and didn’t want to change that. I lived around the corner from them for a little while in a sublet with a guy who told me he was a masseur, but really he was a prostitute.

You said the “Village Voice” personals was one of the main ways to get roommates then and that people would line up to get the paper. Up until the late ‘90s, there would be a line for the new issue, which is so hard to imagine now, people standing in line to get something that was printed on paper. The line began very early where that St. Marks’ Starbucks

is now, at that one newsstand that was there for a long time. That was the place it came to ﬁrst, the ﬁrst drop-off.

account guys.

Now you have your second novel coming out.

You still have the waiter check where that you wrote the outline for your ﬁrst novel.

You worked at “Out” magazine when it was just a startup.

Yeah, when I was trying to figure out the structure of my novel. For the first three years that I was working at the restaurant, I was living all over the place. I didn’t get my Park Slope place until ’96. So I was commuting from Gramercy and Harlem at one point, from what I jokingly called “my Harlem summer share.”

I’m publishing the second now and am working on a third. The second one will come out in about a year. It’s definitely in the Fall 2015 season for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It’s called The Queen of the Night. Sometimes people say to me, “You’re really proliﬁc.” And I’m kind of like, “Well, I have to pay the bills.” [Laughs]

Sarah Pettit and Michael Goff started to create it and they were like, “Come work for us.” Startups are hard and you’re not paid a lot of money, comparatively, and you work a lot. So that ﬁrst year it was pretty regular to be there 50 or 60 hours a week, sometimes more. I was technically the assistant editor, but I was also helping everyone who needed assistance. [Laughs] I did everything from creating a subscriber database to corresponding with authors, to editing and writing some pieces. During the launch party, I was tasked with finding the go-go boys and drag queens. [Laughs] It was held in the Palladium nightclub which doesn’t exist anymore. It’s an NYU dorm. It had all these tunnels underneath it, and when I arrived for the party, they didn’t know where they put the talent.

What was it like to go to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop? Now more people will know it because of “Girls.” [Laughs] Yes, I know. I think it’s kind of a brilliant plot twist for them. When they announced it, it was so perfect because for a lot of us who have gone, it was like a plot twist. It was like taking 20 years of wondering if you’re any good and turning it into two years of ﬁnding out.

In your essay, you talk about living with your brother and sister on the Upper West Side. I thought that dynamic was interesting. It was interesting because if any of us brought someone home, they met the family. [Laughs] We liked it; it was a difficult time for all three of us professionally. I was waiting tables at Sfuzzi on 66th and Broadway, across from Lincoln Center. It was an Italian chain and we did a lot of pre-theater business.

How many years did you work as a waiter? I was a waiter from 1994 until about 2000. I left Sfuzzi and went to Morton’s of Chicago, which is still around, on 45th and 5th Avenue. So I went from Upper West Side pre-theater mania to expense

Visit Chee’s blog at www.koreanish. com Follow him on Twitter @alexanderchee

18 Our Town Downtown OCTOBER 23-29, 2014

Directory of Business & Services

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION

ATTORNEY

ANTIQUES WANTED

TOP PRICES PAID

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

800.530.0006

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

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

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IS YOUR HEALTH EXCELLENT OR GOOD? ARE YOU A NON-EXERCISER? If you answer yes to both questions, you may be eligible to participate in research studies to help understand the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. You will be reimbursed for your time and efforts. For more information, or to register for this study, please visit

www.PainAndFatigue.com or call 212-844-6665

Mount Sinai Beth Israel

SOHO LT MFG

462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $400 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $100 psf Call Mark @ Meringoff Properties 646.262.3900

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2014 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 66 JOHN STREET, 11TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR 172 BLEEKER ST. REST., INC TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN, AND OPER ATE AN UNENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFE AT 172 BLEECKER STREET IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHAT TAN FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AT TN: FOIL OFFICER , 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK , NY 10004

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2014 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 66 JOHN STREET, 11TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR 172 BLEEKER ST. REST., INC TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN, AND OPER ATE AN UNENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFE AT 190 SULLIVAN ST IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AT TN: FOIL OFFICER , 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK , NY 10004

gay (ga ¯)

1. there once was

a time when all “gay” meant was “happy.” then it meant “homosexual.” now, people are saying “that’s so gay” to mean dumb and stupid. which is pretty insulting to gay people (and we don’t mean the “happy” people). 2. so please, knock it off. 3. go to ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

OCTOBER 23-29, 2014 Our Town Downtown 19

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

ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES

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.

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

HEALTH SERVICES

ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.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

The Alexander Technique Mara Sokolsky 646-351-6075 www.marasokolsky.com

LOMTO Federal Credit Union It’s hard to beat our great rates! Deposits federally insured to at least $250K (212)947-3380 ext.3144

CLEANING SERVICES/LAUNDRY

Make Your Body Thin & Healthy Colon Hydrotherapy & High Enemas. Swedish MassageComplete Relaxation. Shaving & grooming. Alternative Medical Center of New York since 1985. 7 days, 11 am - 8 pm. All Credit Cards Accepted. 176 W 94 St - 212.222.4868 and 235 E 51 St- 212.751.2319 NYU Langone Medical Center Introduces the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. 555 Madison Ave bet. 55th & 56th, 646-754-2000

REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS Buy/Sell. Expd Attorney, Real Estate Broker, ESTATES/ CRIMINAL MATTERS Richard H. Lovell, P.C., 10748 Cross Bay, Ozone Park, NY 11417 718 835-9300. www.LovellLawnewyork.com

ANIMALS & PETS

BIDEAWEE - Animal People for People Who Love Animals! -Manhattan-Westhampton866-262-8133 www.Bideawee.org North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague ANNOUNCEMENTS

GrowNYC.org Recycle@GrowNYC.org 212-788-0225 ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES

Antique, Flea & Farmers Market, East 67 St Market (bet. First & York Ave). Open every Saturday, 6am-5pm, rain or shine. Indoor & Outdoor, Free Admission. Call Bob 718-8975992. Proceeds beneﬁt PS 183.

CAMPS/SCHOOLS Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com GRF Test Prep Classes We prepare students to take the SHSAT! 120 W 76th St, New York, NY 10025 201) 592-1592 www.grftestprep.com Huntington Learning Center Your tutoring solution! UWS. 212-362-0100 www.HuntingtonHelps.com Learn Something New Today! Free computer classes at The New York Public Library LEARN MORE nypl.org/LearnToday 917-ASK-NYPL Loyola School 646-346-8132 www.loyolanyc.org admissions@loyolanyc.org River Park Nursery School 212-663-1205 www.riverparknurseryschool.com World Class Learning Academy 212-600-2010 www.wclacademy.org York Preparatory School 212-362-0400 ext 133 www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org

Be surprised how clean your home can be! Bonded and insured. 212-410-3200. Visit us at www.manhattanwash.com COUNSELING

Non-trad therapist, 40 yrs exp, formerly w/Casriel Inst & Daytop Village. Help raise self-esteem, overcome insecurities. Hazel James, 212-645-3135 ENTERTAINMENT

Chirping Chicken - We Deliver & Cater! Mon/Sun 11am-11pm 1560 2nd Ave,(212)517-9888-9 Ask about our daily Greek specialty dish! LIPS The Ultimate in Drag Dining & Best Place in NYC to Celebrate Your Birthday! 227 E 56th St., 212-675-7710 www.LipsUSA.com Mexican Festival restaurant 646-912-9334 www.mexicanfestivalrestaurant.com Mohegan Sun Why D rive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com Need to know about everything that’s happening in lower Manhattan? DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, www.downtownny.com or just download our mobile app onto your cellphone and go! HEALTH SERVICES

Are you HIV positive? ASCNYC is here for you. Call or visit today! 212-645-0875 www.ascnyc.com Carnegie Hill Endoscopy 212-860-6300 www.carnegiehillendo.com Columbia Doctors of Ophthalmology - Our newest location at 15 West 65th Street (Broadway) is now open. www.ColumbiaEye.org 212.305.9535 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho Mount Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital University Medical Practice Associates 212-523-UMPA(8672) www.umpa.com New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan

HELP WANTED

$8,000 COMPENSATION. EGG DONORS NEEDED. Women 21-31. Help Couples Become Families using Physicians from the BEST DOCTOR’S LIST. Personalized Care. 100% Confidential. 1-877-9-DONATE; 1-877936-6283; www.longisland ivf.com Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Training! 3 Week Program. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance with National Certifications. VA Benefits Eligible! (866) 968-2577 Research Participation. Health excellent or good? Non-exerciser? If yes to both questions you may be eligible to participate in research studies to help understand the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Reimbursement for time and efforts. For more info or to register for this study 212-844 -6665 or PainandFatigue.com HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Beautify your home with custom radiator covers, nightstands & more. www.licrc.com Save $ on your electric bill. NRG Home Solar offers free installation if you qualify. Call 888-685-0860 or visit nrghomesolar.com. HIC# 1427914, HIC# 5972, Wc24767h12, H11586400000 INSTRUCTION

POST 9/11 G.I. BILL® - VETERANS if eligible; Paid tuition, fees & military housing allowance. Become a professional Tractor trailer driver with National Tractor Trailer School, Liverpool/Buffalo, NY (branch) full/part-time with PTDI certiﬁed courses & job placement assistance with local, regional & nationwide employers! Total tuition, transportation & housing packages www.ntts.edu •1-800-243-9300 Consumer Information @ ntts.edu/programs/disclosures

INSTRUCTION

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

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 BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Imperial Fine Books & Oriental Art - Rare & ﬁne books, Chinese ceramics and art from the Ming to Qing Dynasties. 790 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, New York 10065 (212)861-6620 www.imperialﬁnebooks.com Pandora Jewelry -Unforgettable Moments412 W. Broadway · Soho, NYC 212-226-3414 REAL ESTATE - RENT

GLENWOOD - Manhattan’s Finest Luxury Rentals Uptown ofﬁce 212-535-0500 Downtown ofﬁce 212-4305900. glenwoodNYC.com Now Leasing! SHARED OFFICES Park Avenue 212-231-8500 www.410park.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

Catskills 9 Acres $29,900 2 hrs Tappanzee Bridge The best deal in Greene county, beautiful woodland. long road frontage, surveyed, easy access thruway, Windham Ski Area and Albany, bank financing available. 413 743 0741

REAL ESTATE - SALE

Discover Delaware’s Resort Living Without Resort Pricing! Milder winters & low taxes! Gated Community with amazing amenities! New Homes $80’s. Brochures available- 1866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. Pre-owned homes starting at $35,000. New models available. 772-581-0080, www.beach-cove.com UPSTATE NY LAND CLEARANCE EVENT! 5 to 147 acre parcels from $10,900 or $200/month! Repos, Short Sales, Abandoned Farms! Catskills, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier! Trout Streams, Ponds, State Land! 100% G’teed! EZ Terms. 888-905-8847 Virtual tour at newyorklandandlakes.com WATERFRONT LOTS-Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Was 325K Now from $65,000-Community Center/Pool. 1 acre+ lots, Bay & Ocean Access, Great Fishing, Crabbing, Kayaking. Custom Homes.www.oldemillpointe.com 757-824-0808 SERVICES OFFERED

CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Certiﬁed Piano Tuner/Tech. Facebook.com/tuningforknyc 201-208-3333. $85 1st Tuning Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084 Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org New-York Historical Society Making history matter! 170 Central Park West www.nyhistory.org (212) 873-3400

SERVICES OFFERED

Riverside Memorial Chapel Leaders in funeral pre-planning. 180 W 76th St (212) 362-6600 SPORTS CENTER at Chelsea Piers ChelseaPiers.com/SC 212-336-6000 TEKSERVE NYC’s Store For Technology Apple Repairs & Services Business Support 119 W 23rd St www.tekserve.com (212) 929-3645 Vamoose Bus Providing premium bus service between: NYC|MD|VA www.vamoosebus.com SITUATION WANTED

Caregiver: Exp. with elderly ill gentlemen. Strong. Will do housework. References. Debra George, 917-645-8894. VACATIONS

Dutchess County Tourism Make plans for an easy weekend escape at www.DutchessTourism.com, 800-445-3131 Interlaken Inn A resort getaway in the hills of CT. Lodging, Dining, Spa and More! 800-222-2909 www.InterlakenInn.com WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. B u y o r s e ll a t A A R a u ctions.com. Contents of homes, businesses, vehicles and real estate. Bid NOW! AARauctions.com Lights, Camera, Auction. No longer the best kept secret. 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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Make newspaper airplanes and have a contest in the backyard.

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