Our Town Downtown April 16th, 2015 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn OL’ BLUE B E EYES TU TURNS 100 < CITYARTS, CITY P.12

BIKE LANE PLAN SPURS OPPOSITION SoHo residents, including some cycling advocates, say DOT proposal could compromise safety BY ALAN KRAWITZ

WEEK OF APRIL

16-22

AT THE FIRST PRECINCT, COMMANDING A MISSION Capt. Mark Iocco comes to a downtown precinct with low crime rates; that’s the hard part.

A proposal for a Spring Street bike lane has met with opposition from some downtown residents, including local cycling advocates who worry about bicyclists’ safety. In a presentation to Community Board 2’s Transportation Committee earlier this month, representatives from the city’s Department of Transportation discussed a plan for a Spring Street bicycle lane that would extend from Washington Street on the far west side to the Bowery and would provide an eastbound cycling connection through SoHo. The committee was unanimously supportive of the proposal and Sean Sweeney, a CB2 member and director of the SoHo Alliance, said it was “very likely” the full board would follow the committee’s recommendations and approve the plan in a vote later this month. At least some residents, however, are skeptical of the DOT plan, with several citing safety concerns for cyclists as well as for pedestrians. “The dissenters cited all the logical reasons why a bike lane on Spring Street is stupid to consider at this time; too much construction for one, no ticketing for bike offenders on sidewalks, the entitlement factor, a billion tourists, etc.,” Darlene Lutz, a SoHo resident who attended the presentation, said in an email to the SoHo Alliance. Sweeney said he received about a dozen emails from SoHo Alliance members, all in opposition.

The newly installed commanding officer of the First Precinct, Capt. Mark Iocco, followed in his father’s footsteps when he became a cop. An Italian immigrant, Iocco’s father first struggled to find work, but labored his way into the New York Police Department. “For some reason they wouldn’t let him be a bus driver,” Iocco said recently. “So he became a cop instead.” The younger Iocco started his career in the NYPD almost 19 years ago, earning steady and quick promotions. His second day as sergeant at the Midtown North Precinct was September 11, 2001. He was rushing down the West Side Highway when the second tower was hit, and he stood on the corner of Fulton Street and Broadway when the south tower fell. He spoke modestly about the time he spent downtown that year, only describing his work by saying, “I was lucky.” Before succeeding Capt. Brendan Timoney at the First, Iocco was promoted to executive officer at the Midtown North Precinct, and although he has never officially been assigned to downtown Manhattan, much his career has been spent in there. In addition to his time working downtown after 9/11, Iocco was also assigned to patrol the Occupy

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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BY MARY NEWMAN

2015

In Brief THE SAD END OF THE COOPER STOCK CASE So now we know: the penalty for killing a 9-year-old boy holding his father’s hand on the streets of Manhattan is ... a traffic ticket. This week’s criminal-court decision in the case of Cooper Stock, who was struck by a taxi on the Upper West Side last year, is but the latest in a string of injustices when it comes to traffic deaths in the city. Time and again, drivers who are clearly at fault are let off with little or no penalty, even when their actions result in the death of someone else. In Stock’s case, the boy and his father were crossing West End Avenue, with the light, when a taxi made a speeding left turn, hitting them in the crosswalk. Though the court determined that the pedestrians clearly had the right of way, the judge, Erika Edwards, determined it was “not a crime.” “It goes without saying that what happened here today does not even begin to bring justice in the death of my son, Cooper Stock,” Dr. Richard Stock and his wife, Dana Lerner, said in a joint statement read at the hearing. “Is a life worth nothing more than a traffic ticket?” Lerner, in an amazing show of courage, has spent the year since her son’s death campaigning for a change in the law, and for a shift in how prosecutors handle such cases. She also has pressed for better oversight of taxi drivers, who are given little training before getting behind the wheel. And the taxi driver who killed her son? He, for the moment, is suspended and has to pay a $500 ﬁne. And, he now, after all of this, has been ordered to complete a driver safety course.

Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

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

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

The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman number and type the will tally business of complaints by small taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an in businesses small towards important first step fixing the problem. of formality for deTo really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits

SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS

A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311

n OurTownDowntow

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

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APRIL 16-22,2015

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFE SLEEP INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN NYC New York City officials have launched an initiative to protect the safety of babies while they sleep. About 50 infants under 1 year old die each year in New York of sleep-related injuries. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safe Sleepâ&#x20AC;? initiative looks to curtail or even eliminate the deaths through a series of public ad campaigns, which counsels parents and guardians to let

infants sleep on their backs without toys or blankets nearby. They should also be left to sleep alone. The program, launched by the Administration for Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services, the Health Department and the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitals, has a simple motto: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stay close; sleep apart.â&#x20AC;? About three-quarters of sleep-related deaths happen when the child is less than 4 months old.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the families of those babies, nothing will ever be the same,â&#x20AC;? Mayor de Blasio told the Daily News. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a city, we must take every possible step to bring that number down to zero.â&#x20AC;?

COUNCILMEMBER WANTS BODY CAMERAS ON NYPD COPS A city councilman wants A portion of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Administration for Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services poster promoting the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safe Sleepâ&#x20AC;? initiative, which aims to reduce or even eliminate infant deaths due to sleep injuries.

M AR BL E C O L L E G I ATE C HURCH

every New York police officer to have a body camera and wants it to happen immediately, according to a report in Capital New York. Jumaane Williams, a Brooklyn councilman and the chairman of the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Task Force Against Gun Violence, called for officers to don the technology soon after the shooting death of an apparently unarmed man in South Carolina following a traffic stop. The incident, which was captured on a bystanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camera, showed the officer shooting the man eight times, at least several time in the back, as the man ran from the officer. Officers in New York City are currently testing out the technology as a pilot project. We are not going to have it 100 percent correct when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to launch this thing citywide. We cannot wait for that. People are dying,â&#x20AC;? Capital quoted Williams as saying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So the alternative is not better. The alternative that we have to answer all these questions is not right. I think the problem with having [the cameras] and making sure we tweak it as we go along is much better than the problem of people dying unarmed and people lying about what W

happened.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we moved here 12 years ago, there was nobody around,â&#x20AC;? Chen, noting the arrival of retail chains along that stretch of Broadway, told Crainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right now this is one of the hottest spots in New York.â&#x20AC;? About 40 people work at the store. Chen said she is looking to perhaps move the store to a smaller location, likely south of Canal Street, where groundďŹ&#x201A;oor space runs for about $80 a square foot, more than 10 times cheaper than the $830 a square foot a SoHo location can command, Crainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said.

SOHO EMPORIUM TO CLOSE AFTER RENT CLIMBS FIVE TIMES Pearl River Mart, the emporium of Chinese kitsch and chic in SoHo, will close its doors by the end of the year, yet another city casualty of rising rents. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president, Ching Yeh Chen, said the landlord has told her he is likely to quintuple the rent from a current $110,000 a month when the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lease expires at the end of the year, according to The New York Times. The store, on three ďŹ&#x201A;oors at 477 Broadway, between Grand and Broome streets has been in business since 1971, when it opened on Elizabeth Street, peddling imported trinkets and triďŹ&#x201A;es, but also kung fu shoes and ceramics, soy sauce and cans of ďŹ sh imported from China. It moved to its current, 30,000-square-foot location in 2003. But competition from large retailers, both brick-andmortar and online, has cut into business, Chen told Crainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York. T

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

250 SOUTH STREET BUILDING CUT FROM 71 STORIES TO 56 Developer Extell will bring down the height of its planned luxury tower development at 250 South St. to 56 stories from an orginal 71 stories. Extell chief Gary Barnett did not address reasons the decision but the building will still be the tallest building in the Two Bridges neighborhood. According to the Bowery Boogie, the building will be twice the height of the Manhattan Bridge, which sits at 336 feet.

DIVERSITY SERIES:REMEMBERING, REFLECTING, RECONCILING

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APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

NBA PLAYER AMONG THOSE STABBED OUTSIDE CHELSEA CLUB

land but were also at the club, were arrested after police said they blocked officers from trying to start their investigation. The teammates were in town to play the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. The team arrived late Tuesday, after beating the Phoenix Suns in Atlanta. Antic and Sefolosha were released without bail after a brief court appearance where they were charged with obstructing governmental authority and disorderly conduct. Their attorney, Alex Spiro, said they did not commit any crime. “They should not have been arrested. We fully expect the case to be dismissed,” he said. Hawks officials did not indicate whether the two would play Wednesday night. Sefolosha was limping during his appearance and Spiro said he had been injured during the arrest. The two are reserves, averaging less than 6 points per game on a team that has locked up the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Garin Narain, the Hawks vice president of public relations, said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday morning that the team is investigating the matter. “We are aware of the situation involving Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha this morning,” Narain said. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time.” The Pacers were in town to play the Knicks; Copeland played with New York during the 2012-13 season. In a statement, the club disputed the police account. It said the altercation stemmed from a dispute at a public housing project about two blocks away from the nightspot and that Copeland’s driver grabbed the suspect, who was later arrested. “The incident occurred be-

Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, his girlfriend and another woman were stabbed early Wednesday following an argument on the street near a Chelsea nightclub that also led to the arrest of two Atlanta Hawks players, authorities said. The violence broke out just before 4 a.m. outside 1Oak Club, where celebs like Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg mingle with partygoers, police said. The couple was arguing on the street as the attacker eavesdropped and started to interfere, according to police. The dispute escalated until the 22-year-old suspect pulled out a knife and started slashing, police said. The suspect, Shezoy Bleary, was in custody, authorities said. Police said charges were pending, and it wasn’t clear whether Bleary had an attorney who could comment on the charges. Copeland, 31, a former member of the New York Knicks, was stabbed in the left elbow and abdomen and his girlfriend, Katrine Saltara, was slashed in the arm and across the breast. The second woman, who was believed to be with the attacker, was slashed in the abdomen. The victims were hospitalized and in stable condition, police said. A knife was recovered at the scene. Atlanta Hawks players Pero Antic, 33 and Thabo Sefolosha, 30, who were not with Cope-

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for March 30 to April 5 Week to Date

Year to Date

2015 2014 % Change

2015

2014 % Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

-100

-66.7

Robbery

-100

-18.2

Felony Assault

200

-23.8

Burglary

n/a

-9.5

Grand Larceny

54.5

213

221

-3.6

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

100

yond the view of our security. Once alerted the venue provided all assistance possible,” the statement read. The nightclub had been cited at least 10 times for altercations and four times for noise in 2014, according to data obtained by the New York Post from the State Liquor Authority. AP

LEGERDEMAIN One area boutique was hit twice in the same week, possibly by the same perpetrator. Shortly after noon March 28, a man entered the Herve Leger store at 409 West Broadway, took a dress priced at nearly $6,000 from a display rack, put it in his jacket and left the store without paying for the piece. Police searched the area but could not ﬁnd the shoplifter or the missing merchandise. The item stolen was a dress valued at $5,990. The following Tuesday afternoon, a repeat incident took place, this time with a dress priced at $8,090. Police are investigating both incidents.

SCISSOR KICK Late on Friday, April 3, a 35-year-old man’s exgirlfriend became irate when he apparently looked at another

woman on a southbound 5 train, police said. The ex-girlfriend, 24, then removed a pair of scissors from her pocket and swung it, striking her ex-boyfriend on his right hand, cutting him. She

also kicked him in his right leg. An EMS team treated the man, while his ex ﬂed on a northbound train. The woman, Jasmine Manley of the Bronx, is wanted for assault.

I BUY RECORD COLLECTIONS NY collector looking to purchase 78rpm record collections. Looking for Blues, Jazz, Country, Gospel on such labels as Paramount, Okeh, Vocalion, Library of Congress, Asch, Chess, Columbia, or Brunswick. Also looking for Rock and Jazz LPs and 45s from the 1950s and 1960s CALL 917-676-6615 OR EMAIL NY78RPM@GMAIL.COM

Dutchess Days?

HOW WILL YOU SPEND YOUR

TRIBAL TROUBLE Regular Crime Watch readers know that laying down an item of property on a café table is asking for trouble — and even more when the table is the one adjacent to yours. At 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, a 50-year-old man was conducting an interview at the Fika café at 81 Worth St., leaving his backpack on the next table. When the man returned to his office, he found his laptop missing from inside the backpack. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, valued at $1,400, had tracking software installed, but it was said to be not working at the time of the police report.

TROUSER BROWSER On the afternoon of April 3, a woman went into the fitting room at the Ralph Lauren located at 109 Prince St. with two articles of clothing, including a pair of silk pants priced at $1,095. She then left the store without paying for either item. An inventory check of the fitting room revealed that one of the two pieces of merchandise was still there, while a tag had been ripped off the stolen item and left on the floor. Police searched the neighborhood but could not find the alleged thief.

Why not spend them following a history trail dating back 400 years? Dutchess County’s historic and heritage sites tell their own stories, from the oldest theater in New York State— the Bardavon 1869 Opera House—to the oldest homestead in Dutchess County—the Madam Brett Homestead Museum. Then gain perspective by visiting some of our most compelling modern-day attractions, such as the Walkway Over the Hudson, Dia:Beacon, and Dutchess Stadium.

Distinctly Dutchess dutchesstourism.com

PLAN IT! Plan your one, three, or ﬁveday visit with the “Past to Present” itinerary—or several others—at DutchessTourism. com/travel-itineraries! Want more ideas on how to spend your days in Dutchess County? Watch the ﬁve different “My Day in Dutchess” videos on YouTube!

APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

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

212-587-3159

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

49 Chambers St.

212-442-5050

COMMUNITY BOARDS Community Board 1 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

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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JUDGE SIDES WITH FAMILY IN DERSHOWITZ TRAFFIC CASE NEWS Husband of woman who died in bike crash lashes out at D.A. Vance BY KYLE POPE

A Manhattan federal-court judge has sided with the family of a woman killed in a high-profile traffic-death case, provoking sharp criticism of District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. from the woman’s husband. Marilyn Dershowitz, the sister-inlaw of famed trial lawyer Alan Dershowitz, was struck and killed by a postal service truck in 2011 while riding her bike in Chelsea with her husband, Nathan. Vance’s office pursued a criminal case against the truck driver, for leaving the scene of the accident, but lost that case in 2012 after less than a day of jury deliberation. Nathan Dershowitz then filed a civil wrongfuldeath case against the U.S. government – because the truck driver was a federal employee – and sought $17 million in damages. Last week, Judge Sarah Netburn ruled in favor of Marilyn Dershowitz’s family, saying the driver, Ian Clement, “was negligent in his operation of his vehicle, causing the accident and her death.” The judge rejected government claims that Ms. Dershowitz’s handling of her bicycle was partly to blame for the accident. “The Court finds the government 100% liable,” Judge Netburn wrote in her ruling. The decision – essentially a civil version of what the family had hoped to achieve in a criminal case -- renewed criticism of the DA’s handling of traffic deaths in the city. Victims’ families have long complained about what they see as Vance’s reticence to pursue such cases, pointing to the fact that fewer than 7 percent of drivers in fatal crashes in the city are even ticketed, and only a tiny fraction – usually those driving drunk – face any criminal charges. Nathan Dershowitz, in a telephone interview after last week’s decision, said he’s convinced that Vance’s office mishandled his wife’s criminal case. “I suggest that Cy Vance read the civil decision and I dare him to sug-

gest that there isn’t overwhelming material in that decision that would suggest a criminal conviction here,” said Dershowitz, who, like his brother, is a lawyer in Manhattan. “The criminal case was reluctantly brought and was assigned to someone who had no knowledge of how to cross-examine a witness.” Asked for comment on the civil decision and on Dershowitz’ comments, a spokeswoman for Vance forwarded a copy of the statement issued by the DA following the notguilty verdict in the criminal case. “We will continue to file charges where we believe the evidence merits them,” the statement read, “and do everything we can as an office to make our streets safer for everyone.” Nathan and Marilyn Dershowitz had been married 48 years at the time of the accident, meeting as children at summer camp when she was 13 and he was 12. They married in college and had two children. On the July 4th weekend in 2011, they left their home in Tudor City, and rode their bikes to Manhattan’s West Side. Marilyn was struck after crossing Ninth Avenue on 29th Street, and died shortly after arriving at the hospital. In the most recent opinion, the judge ordered the government to cover the cost of Marilyn Dershowitz’s funeral and burial expenses, awarded her children $25,000 each, and ordered her estate to be paid $300,000 for her pain and suffering. As for the rest of the monetary reward that her family had sought, the judge said the Dershowitz family was owed money for Ms. Dershowitz’s lost wages and other income, and ordered the two sides to submit their final calculation of what that would be within 14 days. Nathan Dershowitz said the financial award was never the point of the civil case. “My overwhelming concern was that I did not want any suggestion that Marilyn was in any way responsible,” he said. “This was done for the catharsis that I needed and the family needed.” Asked whether the decision finally gives him that catharsis, nearly four years after his wife’s death, Dershowitz said, “Yes, it does.”

District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz is the brother-in-law of the woman who died

APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Neighborhood Scrapbook

Be Seen

CITY LOOKIING FOR BEACH VOLUNTEERS

in Manhattan’s Premier Arts Section where...

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is looking for volunteers as part of its Floatables Beach Surveillance program. The department is looking for volunteers beginning in May for about 20 minutes per week. Volunteers would look for waterborn waste materials that float -- styrofoam, balloons and fishing line, as well as raw sewage and medical waste. Help save turtles, birds, fish, and other marine life from ingesting these items or from being entangled in fishing lines and other assorted litter. Volunteers don’t have to pick up or touch anything. To become a monitor, you just need to record the various types of debris on your favorite beach or surrounding waters, once each week during the season. If you have any questions, please contact Robert Gans at (212) 889-4216, cell at (917) 658-2380 or email: ozonelayerllc@me.com

87%

of readers say they visited a museum in the past 3 months

72%

of readers say they attended a concert in the past 3 months

68%

or readers say they attended a Broadway performance in the past 3 months

RALLY FOR CROSSING GUARDS RY 12-18 ,2015

n FEBRUA

12 Our Tow

E, EGON SCHIELSP REBEL ON DI LAY

of public k 1912 on a charge with Peacoc cerated in ed in Self-PortraitStanding, 1911Gouache, immorality. oat, on paper, r style soften onment, Waistc olor, and black crayon His edgy, angula Vienna ath of his impris ngs waterced on board Ernst Ploil, the afterm t is rife with painti mount s. but the exhibi of elongated, emafellow artist e ngs bling family and tribut and drawi figures resem with voted to d, decorativepresents ait ronze ciated, trippy A gold-b sister, it r (“Self-Portr Mick Jagge Above Head,” 1910) to his youngest in an existential, Twisted er (“Self- yet another figure toned. Arm monst silvern’s NOVO this one BY VAL CASTRO or Frankenstei ” 1910). The many empty space, remin iscent Head, himself, an The work is eerily portra it Portrait, artist golden , that the of hair lines iconic , curportraits with great of Klimt’s reviews and Bauer I” (1907) and block, Neue egotist and a dandy Peacock WaistAfter rave “Adele Bloch-g on the 2nd floor e around the ng Portrait with a testawrapped given its Egon12Schiel rently residin show openi to its (“Self-Standing,” 1911), are Ou t of a new self-referGalerie has ve and extended r To coat, wnto his fondness for ough it the subjec e on April 2, timed film, show a reprie 20. The exhibit, with ’s ment Down tionism—th him at Neue Galeri the upcoming run until Aprilfocus on the artistat ence and exhibitow ce saved n O coincide with starring Helen ive CTO the practi an exclus is the first of its kind s. BER 23- “Woman in Gold,” Not suris true that hiring model the 29, 201 and Ryan Reynolds. of the portraiture, museum. the cost of ortraits, many in 4 Mirren emulation self-p Comini, whoa major U.S. cative, are prisingly, Schiele’s years inspired The ndra provo the his early and quite Curator Alessa al thesis at Colum ” alongside master in st’s nude doctor silver Klimt. with in a room wrote her ns, and to- the moniker “the filled an Expressioni 125 grouped is sectio y s Austri nt galler and Lover bia on the red some hot-button patrons and The adjace has gathe ures Eros form the exhibit’s sitters and endea ring d maportraits, and sculpt portraits of ially paintings m, a getherBut with all the X-rate gallery, it includes an espec boy in striped drawings, floor of the museu an core. on display in this it of a young on the third German and Austri (“Standterial bland portra the painting of for ed trousers A paper with is a tame, rather steals showcase , most on shirt and rumpl d Shirt,” 1910). Edith that Stripe art. The works ngs, are organized Schiele’s wife which the ing Boy in painti music of room, from over se it is a just 11 oil , with the the show. it is not just becau full of small side emanates, is given ucthematically nberg wafting in And in a room Schoenberg , with reprod oil painting explicit, to his time in prison Arnold Schoe very large watercolors . b of Viagonized t-sized, albeit Harm s, g his background in a subur tions of the r, modes on paper. Edith while servin Born in 1890was a rebel painte e-class girl Schiele completed works middl e the 1915 after respectable, enna, Schiel Dean of his age,” ant in sentence. married in art- the and 24-day Edith became pregn w “the James states about the al whom Schiele me model the mello After physic le painted s with ding his longti audio tour naked a striking y”, charm 1918, Schie in discar y,” with a a ist, who boreto Dean (both died at live-in lover “Walland prim, finely trio, “The Famil sheltering ruffled collar three years resemblance a garment r and father picture could After only Academy of her ated striped dress, Joseph’s mothe the their 20s). child. (Alas, been res of rvative y deline es up vision against an small until April and has months precociousl Vienna’s conse that conjur . Set not stay where he .) But six iele and sev- coat of many colors e’s wife looks turned to its lender Fine Arts– contractage 16–Sch Schiel free ancy, Edith Schiele like a pregn enrolled at iconoclasts broke -white void, rather her off ard, died. ppe awkw u- into Spanish flu and eral fellow the Neukunstgru of the doll-like and waiting to be manip ed the d days later nette and forme ed three the same day as mario ). perish a Seces (New Art Group hated the same malady—on 31, 1918. lated. of the Vienn her family l, October A protégé v Klimt (1862-1918), y, with Edith and her sister Adele prowife’s funera his show his was only 28, a prodig sion’s Gusta d, Schiele made n, painting, with a decade. He he have to lasted just , Weber the g, “Why did ” But the porwhom he idolize a career that heralded as one of y age of Freud nstein. testin dumb? ssion is Wittge mark in the looking so centur But he is now , Loos, and ex, psycho- her with the vapid exprefinest. of the last Hoffmann e’s pe and adgreatest artists onally compl s, with their trait ered one of Schiel likeness ng the envelo nism. His emoti consid d image for pushi rful female of moder nal use of sexually charge Another masteearly stages of his vancing the causewith a cause. unconventio of masturba- painted in the of Gerti Schiele” brilliant line, that rebel ions Make bedepict , “Portrait room deand lewd color and n couples and career, is displayed in the tion, lesbia art world on fire (1909) the y incarhavior, set ed and briefl Oil on got him arrest Dress), 1915 Schiele in Striped Netherlands Hague, The Standing (Edith Den Haag, The Artist’s Wife, Portrait of the ion Gemeentemuseum canvasCollect

Our Tow

n OCTOB ER 16, 2014

EXHIB ITION S

to very strong Responding Neue Galerie has demand, the first-of-its-kind show extended its lastic Austrian artist of the iconoc

SET IN THE CITY: RECL A

STR EET ART

Photogr complet apher Justin Bett e room sets on man builds city stre ets

ENCOURAGING BAD THEATER

THEAT ER

Alongside comedy writer Wickens starte d a festiva Gavin Starr, this judgment l that is a year. zone” “no submit videos in show busine Minim of shows they’ve ss. People show al selection require the chance ments that brings written for to finally perform surprises with make for a formed in mance slot. or have each front the only selecti of an audience. Considit per- game show Last year, the audience perforBY NICOLE watched a that allotte ering dildo. DEL MAURO chance is quite on requirement is d the winner They also time, this a golden great. watched a writer knows that piece about “If the artist Shawn Wicken dramatic dance some the is willing s to try,” Troma Films, people think his work rican Americ prevalence of HIV Wickens said. to try, we are willing in the Afan commu Central have Blue Man Group and is bad. artistic The nity. The festiva Bad Theate stew Comedy all rejected l, an haven for variour Fest, as it is known his submis Wickens is wrenching, of the outlandish and sions. , is a safe the heart the meanin s types of regarding thenot ashamed of this. First time is gful interes creativ and His the random ting actors, playwr e misfits. to perform matter is simple: when theory ducers call , you’re going because you never know ance, nothin it comes the festiva ights and film proto what will always g l home. Experi writers take “It’s totally see. be someone is universal. There part, accept enced ing of develo is bad. remain tucked too, submitting works that thinks and the ping artists a thing that O’Neil risks they want to is an opport away in drawers for But Wicken take,” Jonath l, a repeat unity to perform years. It submitter of rejection s also knows the stiflin it, build confi said. to the festivaan performance dence or simply for the heck of g fear York l, face when presen writers Starr and City stage. work on a New Wicken’s work ting their work. and actors his theater Starr “The is festiva is showing So, peers, a 15 year-ol no exception. dissolves perfor he created a showcato assist creative and l is to give people a chance in college be on stage, se that fi mers’ pressu to be sation . Wickens, who is d piece he wrote solving their nd which with a re weekly perform by is less first disharder to audience’s improvier at Magne expect city,” Wicken and less small theate “It turned into nizing an improv t Theater, rs in the s a festival whereations. very low,” Wicken topic of depres skit for the festiva is orgaSubmissionssaid. the bar is set l. With its sion within s said. New York City. are not limited to munity, the the comed people y comshows from Bad Theater Fest is presen in issue long-fashow will be a sort of tribute Washington, ced D.C. and Pittsbuting relevant now in the entertainment to an in the tragic world, rgh supers wake of comed tar Robin Williams’ improv style suicide. Its y is a tribute Bad Theate to the r Fest “I think improitself. v

A comedy writer has created to showcase performance a festival s with no expectations CHELSEA Comed y

IMING THE STREET

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Members of the DC 37 union’s Schools Division, Local 372, joined with public officials at a rally at City Hall to call for an increase in school crossing guard funding. According to the union, the city’s proposed FY’ 16 budget includes insufficient funds to hire more school crossing guards. AT the rally, the union called for existing cross-guard vacancies to be ﬁlled, as well increased hours and year-round health insurance.

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IF YOU GO

The festival spans over the weeken 17, 24 and Nov. ds on 154 W. 29th1 at Chelsea’s Treehouof the Oct. se Theater, within a 90-min Street. Four or five plays are $15 availab ute time slot each night. are shown BadTheaterFesle on EventBrite through Tickets Pioneers Bar t.com and knock $3 off the website down the street a festival will also from the drink at where people host a Halloween partyvenue. The will compete at Pioneers, the bad costum for e competition. the worst costume in

actors feel red-headed like the step dren of the chilcomedy and theate worlds,” Wicke r ns said. “There improv actors,is, for a very ‘root for the under dog’ mentality, and that’s what we’re all about as well.” Right now, merely fun the Bad Theater Fest is for viewer s The three-y ear old event and actors. ing out its kinks; organi is still irona challenge zing skits is and between sets smooth transitions are never teed. But Wicken guaran s said he hopes can be seen it by a pool of untappfuture audiences as ed talent.

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APRIL 16-22,2015

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TAKING THE STREET OUT OF THE STREET FAIR The community board in Chelsea is looking for ways to have the fairs face local shops BY ZACH WILLIAMS

Some Chelsea neighborhood officials are hoping to pioneer a new approach to street festivals in the city. City fairs currently “look in” by placing vendors in two rows, facing the street, with pedestrians walking in between. But Community Board 4 member Brett Firfer wants to change that by pushing the vendors

into the center of the street with two rows facing out, towards the sidewalk and brick and mortar businesses. This format would result in fairs more reflective of local community ﬂavors, Firfer told his colleagues at an April 6 meeting of the CB4 Quality of Life Committee. “We know that street fairs have a lot of negative impacts on our neighborhoods ... It should be a local thing. It should be an opportunity to fund local non-profits, but

In Toronto, where this photo was taken, street-fair vendors are adjacent to brick-and-mortar stores.

above all it should be of benefit to the local businesses. It shouldn’t be something they hate. It should be something they look forward to,” he said. A group of mobile vendors currently dominate city street fairs, making events resemble each other more than the individual neighborhoods which host them, committee members agreed. Local businesses can lose business even when fairs generate pedestrian trafﬁc nearby, Firfer said. Any one of the annual festivities in Chelsea also invite a fair amount of temporary inconveniences to local communities: streets closures, noise, crowds, bus and bike lane reroutes. Neighborhood outsiders reap too much of the beneﬁt and local businesses are losing money, committee members said. “(Local business owners) come in and complain all the time and there’s nothing they can do and they’re not invited in. They don’t get discounted rates. They don’t get brought into the mix,” said committee member Paul Seres, who added that the “inside out” approach

could also help block relatively unsightly elements of fairs such as electrical generators. Committee members agreed to pursue a pilot version of the plan. The West 23rd St. Food Fair was mentioned by the committee as one possible candidate. But first they have to convince the organizers of local fairs and city officials to get on board with the idea. The city application for a street fair permit lists nine agencies with possible jurisdiction over an event, depending on its nature. About five years ago, a similar effort to reinvent New York City street fairs bogged down, said Firfer, who first began advocating for the change seven years ago. “NYPD killed it officially ... The way that they set up the street festivals now is they mark off the booths on the sidewalk and if they have to mark them off in the middle of the street NYPD has to close them off an hour earlier,” he said. Demonstrating that the extroverted format would provide adequate emergency egress is one way to pre-empt

bureaucratic objections, Firfer said. Key to the committee’s strategy moving forward is new CB4 District Manager Jesse Bodine, who will try to set up a meeting with lowerlevel stakeholders such as fair organizers before bringing the matter up with city agencies. Outreach to other community boards could ignite their own efforts to adopt the idea, committee members suggested. Given the length of the permit process, a pilot would likely have to wait until next year. But other cities already follow the “inside out” model. A presentation of the concept by Firfer cites the example of the Pecan St. Fair of Austin, Texas. “Sometimes if the street is wide and there is a median in the middle of the street you can have two aisles,” Tracy Baskerville of the Baltimore, Md., Ofﬁce of Promotion and the Arts said in a telephone interview. In Toronto, organizers have their own way of weaving local businesses into the fabric of festivities, according to Howard Lichtman, spokesperson for city’s annual Taste of the

THE BASKETBALL TITANS AT CHELSEA REC SPORTS The local co-ed wheelchair basketball team heads to nationals BY ZACH WILLIAMS

Saturday practices at the Chelsea Recreation Center transformed 20-year-old Justin Williams from a dejected high-school drop-out to a stand-out basketball player with the motivation to complete his education -- and an aspiration to roll over the competition. He has the protective glare and defensive aggression becoming for a big man on the court, but he’s not the only player who plays with intensity on the co-ed New York Rolling Fury — a local youth wheelchair basketball team. They were scrimmaging April 12 on W. 25th Street during a final practice before the upcoming national championship tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Hopes are high that the team will do well upon its return to national competition, but Wil-

liams and his teammates are competing for more than a trophy in the near future. Williams was using an electric wheelchair and in a slump when he met Coach Christopher Bacon a year ago. Then he joined the team and began to get serious about his life. “It just motivates me like: ‘Alright, I wanna go back to school.’ I have a reason, you know? It made me feel comfortable in my wheelchair. I just take a lot of pride in putting on my jersey,” said Williams. He returned to school with a focus on maintaining the grades that would make him eligible for Division 1 college sports. Five other members of the Rolling Fury have moved on to college competition since 2012, according to the team’s website. “It’s exhilarating and I can definitely prove what I got,” said Breanna Clark, 13. Wheelchair basketball shifted focus for the adolescents from disabilities to ability, according to Sean Clark, an assistant coach who is Breanna’s father. Bacon describes the

Rolling Fury as the “segue to college.” However, on the court, the squad works on getting physical with opponents in order to force them to play their brand of B-ball. Breanna Clark whips through the paint and, with a quick turning pivot, knocks into opponents in order to contest shots. The team’s offense relies on the classic “pick and roll,” whereby one offensive player blocks the defender of a teammate with the ball before turning in the opposite direction to receive a potential pass or rebound. On each side of the court, the Fury doesn’t shirk physicality. They move fast but are still honing their communication skills in order to balance strategy with intensity. “The reason I crash into people is because the less they move the less opportunities they get to make baskets and also it’s pretty much all you got to do,” said Clark. For years the team — then called the Long Island Lightning — accommodated youth from Long Island proper until three years ago when Bacon

realized that New York City was home to many kids who could benefit from the program and further the team’s success along the way. He then made an arrangement for the West Side practice facility with Parks Department officials. In exchange, his team instructs youth interested in trying the sport, though there were no new takers on April 12. The

team also has a weekly practice in Suffolk County, Long Island. The arrangement also helps stabilize his roster, which in recent years has vacillated in size from having enough members for several teams to not featuring enough to compete in last year’s tournament. Only three players returned this season, but Bacon reckons that with the inﬂux of six Man-

Danforth festival. The event began in 1994 with the idea of drawing people to sample local Greek cuisine, but advertising dollars were limited for individual businesses, he said in a telephone interview. Then the idea arose to have sampling stations on sidewalks with a Canadian $5 price limit. This allows visitors to taste many different flavors while also interacting with booths for nonprofit causes and other types of businesses, big and small, such as banks, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and The New York Times international edition, he added. Though the arrangement is different than Firfer’s idea in its specific layout, there is a common emphasis on the involvement of local businesses. Five thousand people came the first year. Now it is the largest street festival in Canada, noted Lichtman who credited the format for a hefty amount of the success. “In order to do this right, there is a science to it and an art,” he said.

hattan kids, his team could win the NIT division, the lower 16team bracket of the 32-team national tournament even though 2015 was a “rebuilding year,” he said. The Fury were ﬁfth in the nation in 2012 and 2013, he added. Winning comes often enough for the team, but success comes most consistently in others ways. As the only youth basketball program in the city, a new opportunity arrives every Saturday to the Chelsea Recreation Facility for local disabled youth who might not know that their physical condition enables them to play an exciting, physical sport. Donations allow the team to compete against teams from across the country as well as help secure athletic wheelchairs — which cost from $1,000 to $3,000 — for players. Sean Clark said that since Breanna began with the team, her grades, self-conﬁdence and ambition have increased. She wants to become a Para-Olympian, but focus for now remains on taking it to the competition in Kentucky. “For a lot of kids it gives them hope, a new way of seeing things that maybe they wouldn’t have had being a wheelchair user,” he said.

APRIL 16-22,2015

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< NO FOOD ON THE SUBWAY, PLEASE To the Editor: I like Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Over the years she has done well. But what was she thinking bringing the sale of food to the subways? I think most people

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know that there are those who are either noncaring or careless and will drop uneaten food, soda, etc. wherever it is convenient for them. I see it on the buses. There are complaints after complaints about the rats in the subways.

Why would anyone exacerbate this problem with added garbage? Am I missing something? Bunny Abraham

A TRAFFICSAFETY SOLUTION IDEA Reader Irv Lepselter had grown weary of reading about continuing pedestrian-safety problems at the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest intersections. So he came to us with a solution, sketched out on the graphic paper you see here. Irv explained his idea in the following note: As shown, East-West traffic proceeds through the intersection on a green traffic light signal. Vehicles wishing to turn right on to the North-South avenue must come to a full stop at the pedestrian crossing (now subject to a real traffic light signal). Pedestrians cross on the green signal. With this system there is little incentive to make a fast turn as the vehicle must stop at the pedestrian crossing. I am not aware of such a system in use in other cities, but it does warrant consideration for selected crossings in N.Y.C. Sincerely, Irv Lepselter

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Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

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WINNERS

access to success DANNY RAMOS HUNTER COLLEGE ’14 AWARD

2014 Math for America fellowship GOAL

To teach high-school mathematics in New York City’s public schools

very year, hundreds of thousands of students choose The City University of New York for a multitude of reasons that can be summed up as one: opportunity. Providing quality, accessible education has been CUNY’s mission since 1847, a commitment that is a source of enormous pride. The powerful combination of quality academics, remarkable affordability, financial support and 24 modern campuses spanning the five boroughs of New York – the world’s most exciting city – makes CUNY a singular value in higher education. That’s the CUNY Value. — James B. Milliken Chancellor

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9TH ANNUAL NEW SPRING CONCERT ▲ YORK CITY ANARCHIST Baruch Performing Arts ART FESTIVAL

Center, 55 Lexington Ave., Judson Memorial Church, 239 between 24th and 25th streets 7:30pm, suggested $20 Thompson St. 11pm-2am, Pay what you can Come enjoy this collective of new-media, visual artists, performers, musicians, and dancers at the Anarchist Art Fair. (347) 856-0334, www.anarchistbookfair. net/2015%20Anarchist%20 Art%20Festival

BLUE SPEAKER [FOR JAMES BALDWIN] The New School University Center , 63 Fifth Avenue and 13th Street 9am-8pm, Free admission Blue Speaker celebrates Baldwin’s social role of the blue. His short story “Sonny’s Blues” will be read at noon through the month of April by various blues artists. (212) 229-5108, www. events.newschool.edu/event/ blues_speaker_for_james_ baldwin#.VSfr6lbjPwI

▼ FREE STOP ‘N’ SWAP COMMUNITY REUSE EVENT Two Bridges Tower, 82 Rutgers Slip, at Cherry St. 12pm-3pm, Free Stop and Swap is celebrating their 3rd annual event at Two Bridges. Donate or swap clean, portable, reusable items and

APRIL 16-22,2015

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YOU READ IT HERE FIRST The local paper for the Upper West Side

Safety Advocates Want Harsher Penalties for New York’s Drivers

THE TRAGEDY AFTER INVESTIGATION As many as 260 pedestrians are expected to die this year on New York City streets. But almost none of the drivers involved in those cases will be prosecuted -- adding to the nightmare for the families of the victims.

practice being green! (212) 788-0225, www. grownyc.org/swap

EARTH DAY AT UNION SQUARE ▲ 14th Street and Union Square 12-7pm, Free Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day with environmental events and performances. A green vehicle with lots of resources and events will be at the site. www.earthdayny.org/2015events

21 UG! COMEDY SHOW! No Fu, 161 Ludlow St., between E. Houston and Stanton streets 8:30pm, Average drink: $8 (212)477-1616 Enjoy a laugh with comedians Todd Montesi and Pat Rigby as they aim to entertain. www.mugnyc.com

TSENG KWONG CHI: PERFORMING FOR THE CAMERA

NYU, Grey Art Gallery 100 Washington Square, between Sixth and Seventh streets ANNUAL MYSTERY 11am–6pm, suggested $3 WEEK READING BY Tseng Kwong Chi is in his solo 2015 EDGAR NOMINEE debut exhibiting works from his archive of performance based photography that captures D.B.A. — Garden room, 41 globalized movements of people First Ave, between Second & across the nation and other Third Streets works. 8pm-10pm, (212)998-6780, www.nyu. Come check out the We Three edu/greyart/exhibits/exhibits. Productions Readings. Hosted html by mystery writer Tim O’Mara, author of the Raymond Donne Mystery Series. Readers include Adam Sternbergh and Kevin Cook. (212) 475-5097, www. theedgars.com

STORIES AND CRAFTS Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy St. and Seventh Avenue South 4pm, Free Children ages 3-6 yrs can share their favorite stories and make fun crafts at this event. (212) 243-6876, www.nypl.org/events/ calendar?location=34

TODDLER MUSIC WITH IRKA MATEO National Museum of American Art 1 Bowling Green Two classes: 10:15am and 11:15am, Free Toddlers 18 months to 4yrs can enjoy music and movement classes through the songs from the Taino culture. (800)242-6624, www.nmai.

si.edu

see Reyes punished for Ariel’s death, now more than a year and a half ago, in June 2013. Russo said in an interview that she ﬁnds cruel irony in the fact that she teaches history to boys the same age as Reyes, who was 17 when he ran over Ariel and her grandmother in a Nissan Frontier SUV in front of the little girl’s preschool on the Upper West Side. This is why she initially sympa

sterdam Avenue in an attempt to ﬂee from cops who had seen him driving erratically and ordered him to pull over. The chase ended with the fatal crash on 97th Street. Originally, by giving him bail and charging him as a minor, Judge Carro was giving Reyes a chance to avoid having a public criminal record. But on Sept. 3, Reyes was again stopped for driving recklessly, without a license This time in speeding

March 2, 2015

December 4, 2014

STONEWALL SENSATION

The local paper for the Upper East Side

The Stonewall inn 53 Christopher St., between Seventh Avenue South and Waverly Place 10:30pm, Average drink $6 Enjoy the talents of wanna-be stars compete in this American Idol style contest in the West village. (212) 488-2705

23 COMMUNITY BOARD 2 MEETING Scholastic BuildingAuditorium, 557 Broadway, at Prince St. 6:30pm, Free Come learn about the latest updates happening in community and voice your opinions and concern. Open to all. (212)979-2272, www. nyc.gov/html/mancb2/html/ calendar/calendar_js.shtml

KATRINA M. PHILLIP + JILL HOCKETT Dixon Place 161A Chrystie St., between Delancey and Rivington streets 7:30pm, General/$15, $12/ advance, $10/seniors and students Phillip brings together 10 poets, eight composers and seven dancers in Spoken Motion. Hockett offers a humorous exploration of in The Best Time I Broke My Arm (212)219-0736, www. dixonplace.org

November 5, 2014

April 17, 2014 The local paper for the Upper West Side

LOST DOG TALE, WITH A TWIST LOCAL NEWS

A family hopes that Upper West Siders will help bring their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel back home Upper West Side For the past week, Eva Zaghari and her three children from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, have been papering the Upper West Side with over 1,300 ﬂyers asking for information on their beloved dog Cooper. ?We are devastated, please return our dog,? the sign implores. The catch though, is that Cooper didn?t technically get lost, or even stolen. He was given away. When she explains the story, sitting at Irving Farm coffee shop on West 79th Street before heading out to post more ﬂyers around the neighborhood, Eva and her kids are visibly distraught. About a month ago, on September 5th, her husband Ray had arranged to give the dog away, via a Craigslist ad. He mistakenly thought that removing a source of stress from his wife and kids ? walking and feeding and caring for a dog, tasks which had fallen mostly to Eva ? would make everyone happier

October 2, 2014

October 8, 2014

FI R S T I N YOU R N E I G H BO R H O O D

(212) 868-0190 The local paper for the Upper East Side

The local paper for the Upper West Side

The local paper for Downtown

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

APRIL 16-22,2015

Photo: Jonathan Blanc/New York Public Library

START SPREADIN’ THE NEWS: SINATRA TURNS 100 Exhibit at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts celebrates Ol’ Blue Eyes BY VAL CASTRONOVO

Frank Sinatra was one of the greatest performers and recording artists of the 20th century. This December marks his 100th birthday. To celebrate the man and his music, the Grammy Museum of Los Angeles, in cooperation with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the Sinatra family, has staged a lively “official” centennial exhibit at the NYPL at Lincoln Center, now through September 4. The curators seduce you right away with the words of Bing Crosby, Sinatra’s idol, emblazoned on a wall at the show’s entrance. The admiration was mutual, of course: “Frank Sinatra is a singer who comes along once in a lifetime, but why did he have to come in mine?” What follows is part personal history, part music history and part ﬁlm

history — told through artifacts in glass cases, photos, posters, videos, timelines, a recreation of famed Studio A at Hollywood’s Capitol Records Tower, a sound-mixing station, a jukebox and other displays designed to charm and beguile visitors. You can even enter a recording booth and sing along with Ol’ Blue Eyes to “New York, New York” — and play back your duet. If you weren’t a fan going into the show, you’ll be one going out. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on Dec. 12, 1915, in Hoboken, N.J., to saloonkeepers Dolly and Marty Sinatra. His father was a ﬁreman by trade, his mother a Hoboken ward leader and midwife. Their son never forgot his working-class roots. The exhibit traces Sinatra’s rise from singing waiter and roadhouse gigs in New Jersey to featured vocalist for big bands, ﬁrst with Harry James’ band and then with Tommy Dorsey’s. From there, he went solo, signed with Columbia Records in 1943 and became a star in his own right.

Trivia buffs will relish the memorabilia provided by Sinatra’s children — keepers of the flame Nancy, Frank, and Tina — and their mother, Sinatra’s first wife, Nancy, who was serenaded with a ukulele on her ﬁrst date with the man who would become “The Voice.” The ukulele has been carefully preserved and is under glass here. Take note, too, of the mugshot in the same display case, documenting the 22-year-old Sinatra’s 1938 arrest in Bergen County, N.J., on a seduction charge, which was amended to adultery when authorities found out the woman in question was not in fact single but married. Both charges were dismissed, but the mug shot was preserved and used on a popular “bad boy” poster. Other campy personal items that thrill are Sinatra’s trademark black fedora, the tuxedo he wore when touring, his shoes from 1949’s “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (side-by-side with co-star Gene Kelly’s matching pair), and one of his signature bowties

from the 1940s, hand-sewn by wife Nancy. The exhibit is brimming with the legend’s personal effects, culminating in a pair of pajamas, slippers, golf clubs and Jack Daniel’s decanter. But Sinatra was all about the music and performance, and the sound of his inimitable phrasing wafted through the rooms during our visit, courtesy of the jukebox that visitors can play. “Strangers in the Night” competed with video screens showing ﬁlm clips from “Pal Joey” on one side of the room, and an homage to Ella Fitzgerald, whom Sinatra worshipped, on the other. Listening stations with headphones are sprinkled throughout the gallery, with touchscreens offering commentary on the music. Sinatra wasn’t interested in songwriting; he covered other artists’ works (Cole Porter’s, for starters) and employed the talents of Sammy Cahn (lyrics) and Jule Styne (melodies) and, later, Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, to turn out hits like “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to

Dry,” “Time After Time,” and “Love and Marriage.” He did it his way, and just sang. The family’s inﬂuence on the Sinatra narrative presented here is palpable, however. His rocky marriage to actress Ava Gardner is noted brieﬂy — he worked out his heartbreak in the album “In the Wee Small Hours,” we learn — but his later marriage to 21-year-old Mia Farrow in 1966 is marked by a pixie headshot on a timeline, and there is no mention of his fourth wife, Barbara, unless you count her cameos in the concert DVD at the exhibit’s finale. (Their 21-year marriage ended with his death in 1998.) But the best is yet to come (literally, because he sings the song) when you reach the finale, where cushioned benches await those ready to savor more tunes. Six video screens project footage of the tuxedoed crooner at the 1982 Concert for the Americas in the Dominican Republic, an older Frank in the autumn of his years. Sit down, relax, and enjoy the show.

APRIL 16-22,2015

TOP THEATER

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR

“EAST SIDE STORIES” Metropolitan Playhouse’s series “East Side Stories,” now in its 11th year, brings the real tales of the East Village to the stage. This year’s run of 12 new plays includes “Tompkins 88,” about the attempts made by disparate groups to stop the Tompkins Square Riots, and “Real Estate of Emergence,” about a multigenerational family facing eviction from its longtime residence. “East Side Stories” Now through May 3 Metropolitan Playhouse 220 E. 4th St., between Avenues A and B Assorted show times

“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” The Tempest Ladies, an all-female Shakespeare troupe formed in 2008 by six students at the Globe Theatre in London, puts a twist on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The actors play Edwardian women who steal off to the forest at nightfall, free themselves of their restrictive period garments and perform as faeries, legendary lovers and other characters from Shakespeare’s comedy. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” April 22-26 Chernuchin Theatre 314 West 54th St., between Eighth and Ninth Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/1382019 or call 212-581-3044

GALLERIES NELSON SAIERS’ “THE SECOND PART OF 1” Artist Nelson Saiers’ unlikely journey into art galleries informs his geometric and minimalist aesthetic. Raised in Ethiopia and Afghanistan, the artist and math prodigy earned his PhD in mathematics at 23, and then managed his own hedge fund, Saiers Capital. Last year he left Wall Street, and his second show at HoerleGuggenheim Gallery explores geometry, still life and the advancements of women in math. Nelson Saiers’ “The Second Part of 1” Now through April 19 Hoerle-Guggenheim Gallery 527 West 23rd St., near Tenth Avenue Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. FREE For more information, visit http://www.hoerleguggenheim.com/ or call 212-366-4490

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Ghosts of the Titanic Walking Tour

SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH, 6PM Boroughs of the Dead | Astor Place | 212-587-5389 | boroughsofthedead.com The maiden voyage of the Titanic was haunted by premonitions and eerie coincidences. Hear all the ghostly tales on a tour that ends at the Titanic’s unreached destination on the Chelsea piers. ($20/$25)

Frédéric Lenoir + Alexandra Schwartz: What Is Happiness?

TUESDAY, APRIL 14TH, 7PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com French-Madagascan philosopher Frédéric Lenoir’s discusses happiness, the subject of his bestselling book, newly translated into English. ($15 gift card purchase)

Just Announced: StarTalk Live! Tickets $20 To purchase tickets, visit www. metropolitanplayhouse.org or call 800-8383006

FILM “KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK” Get an advanced viewing of the much anticipated, authorized documentary of Nirvana front man and rock legend Kurt Cobain before it airs on HBO on May 4. Monday, April 20 Film Society of Lincoln Center 70 Lincoln Center Plaza W. 65th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues 9 p.m. Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit ﬁlmlinc.com or call 212-875-5601

THURSDAY, MAY 28TH, 8PM The Apollo Theater | 253 W. 125th St. | 212-531-5300 | apollotheater.org Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will blend science, comedy and pop culture in a special live performance of his stargazing radio show. ($37.50 and up)

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

Now Get Real Time Bus, Subway & Alternate Side Parking Information Here

IN CONVERSATION “PERFORMING, RE-ENACTING AND REACTING” Artist and gallery director Martha Wilson discusses the complexities involved when artists reproduce established works. Wilson joins artists Robert Longo and Nicolás Dumit Estévez, and cultural critic Tavia Nyong’o in the panel. Wednesday, April 22 Pratt Manhattan Gallery 144 West 14th Street, 2nd Floor, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues 6:30 p.m. FREE For more information, visit http://curatorsintl. org/events/performing-re-enacting-andreacting

otdowntown.com Your Neighborhood News The local paper for Downtown

To be included in the Top 5 go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Food & Drink

< CHIPOTLE’S ONGOING CARNITAS WOES Popular Mexican fast food chain Chipotle, which has 20 locations throughout Manhattan, has run low on some of its main ingredients in recent months, a predicament that won’t change soon, Bloomberg reported. Chipotle stopped offering carnitas in about

In Brief WHITNEY’S RESTAURANT SET TO OPEN ALONG WITH MUSEUM Untitled, the restaurant in the Whitney Museum of American art from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, is set to open May 1, the same date that the museum with open the doors of its new, Renzo Piano-designed building on Gansevoort Street, Eater reported. Michael Anthony, the executive chef at Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern, will run the kitchen at Untitled, which moved from the Whitney’s Marcel Breuer building on 75th Street and Madison along with the collection of Warhols, Hoppers and other celebrated works.

PETE WELLS TACKLES MIDTOWN’S GREEK SCENE In his April 7 review, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells offered mild praise and some blunt demerits to new Rockefeller Center Greek restaurant Limani and the nearby Estiatorio Milos, a restaurant of similar fare operating at W. 55th Street since 1997, awarding the restaurants a star each. A few Milos alums now operate Limani, Wells noted, including the executive chef and founding manager, and the restaurants both display raw ﬁsh on a bed of ice in the dining room. The similarities don’t end there for Wells. The critic enjoyed the decadent shellﬁsh on both menus, including red shrimp sold by the pound and served with sherry, but marveled at the costs of simple menu items, including a Greek salad for $32 at Milos (“Limani’s prices are merely expensive, while the ones at Milos read like a long series of typographical errors,” he wrote).

a third of its locations nationwide earlier this year when it axed one of its pork suppliers for violating the company’s strict vendor standards, creating a shortage of responsiblyraised pork for the growing chain’s burritos, tacos and bowls. Meanwhile, Bloomberg re-

ported that Chipotle previously warned about a scarcity of guacamole and salsa, due to rising costs of ingredients, and recently has also seen a dearth of humanely raised chicken and beef.

MOCKTAIL SEASON HAS ARRIVED The boom in handmade non-alcoholic drinks BY LIZ NEUMARK

It isn’t sufficient that we have mastered the art of eating seasonal kale or succumbed to the charms of happy chicken or pork on our plate. In the relentless march of food as fashion, there is another fascinating front to explore. Beverages. There is a growing interest in the area of creative nonalcoholic drinks, many of which embrace a dedication to seasonality or use ingredients spawned by the artisanal food movement. Think back to when shirley temples, virgin daiquiris, Cel-Ray and egg creams ruled. Fueled by a new generation of mixologists, mocktails are mainstream and no longer just for kids, teetotalers or pregnant women. They are delicious and innovative — and perfect for the warm weather months, challenging traditional iced tea and lemonade. What do you need to know? Beverage and ingredient terminology can be unfamiliar. Here are some of the basic terms you will hear: Shrubs are making a splash in the craft cocktail scene. Known as drinking vinegars, these are a wonderful addition to cocktails and mocktails alike, as they add a sweet, tart, bitter and acidic layer to your drink. To make: Ferment any ripe fruit of your choice — blackberries, pineapples, raspberries, peaches, anything — by coating with equal parts sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, when the sugar will break down the solid fruits into liquid.

Strain and add vinegar. Conventional shrub recipes call for equal parts vinegar. We recommend using as much or as little as you prefer. My favorite types of vinegar are Normandy Champagne and apple cider, which give your shrub a cleaner, more fruitforward taste. A cordial is another term for “fruit-based liquid,” and is generally thought of as an alcoholic liqueur. To make: boil 1 part water, ½ part sugar and 1 part ripened fruit/vegetable and/or herb at medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a glass bottle. For a more complex, molasses-like taste, use Demerara or turbinado sugars. Infusions are the magic that happens when you steep fruit, vegetables or herbs in your base liquid or spirit. Syrups are common in cocktail bars and very easy to make at home. The most common — simple syrup — is equal parts sugar and water. For more intricate syrups, try infusing mint or basil in a mixture of equal parts hot water and sugar and steep for 20 minutes, so that the syrup imparts all of the flavors of the herb. Dehydration is a great way to both preserve a short season ingredient (peaches, citrus) or to create a garnish with an intense flavor profile (pineapple, rhubarb, apple). You can dehydrate thinly sliced fruit, vegetable or herb in an electric dehydrator in your home, or use your oven on a low temp to accomplish the same result. A well-balanced drink utilizes 5 main components: Base spirit — which we omit for our mocktails

Sweetener — simple syrup, juice, straight up sugar (provided by the shrub). Substitutes for sugar include agave or honey. Sour — citrus, lime, lemon, grapefruit (provided by the shrub) Herb — basil, mint, rosemary, cilantro Water — fizzy, or shaken into the drink over ice I recruited my colleague, Luis Antonio Thompson, director of beverage innovation at Great Performances, to provide us with a few sample recipes, taking inspiration from our impending spring. Ginger Root: Celery Root Juice, Spiced Cordial, Fresh Lime, Ginger Beer INGREDIENTS (serves 1): 3 oz. celery root juice (available at supermarkets or by juicing a root) ½ oz. spiced cordial (recipe below) Squeeze of ¼ lime 2 oz. ginger beer Lime wedge Add all ingredients in shaker with ice; give light shake; pour into glass; garnish with lime wedge. To spike: add 1 oz. spiced rum for every 3 oz. ginger root To make Spiced Cordial: 2 cinnamon sticks 6 medium star anise 4 whole cloves 2 cups turbinado sugar 2 cups water Boil all for 10 minutes on medium low heat Let cool; strain into clean glass bottle Yields 16 oz. (2 cups) A Wonderful Thyme: Organic Thyme-infused Citrus-ade INGREDIENTS (yields 1 gallon): 1 ½ pints Demerara sugar 1 ½ pints water 1 ½ cups organic thyme leaves (approx. 4 bunches thyme without

Ginger root mocktail with celery root juice, spiced cordial, fresh Lime and ginger beer. stems) 1 pint chilled fresh lemon juice ½ pint fresh squeezed orange juice ½ pint fresh squeezed lime juice 4 ½ pints water Serve in 5 oz. tumblers with ice. To spike: add 1 oz. organic vodka for every 4 oz. organic thyme-infused citrus-ade To Make an Infusion: Boil 1 ½ pints Demerara sugar, 1 ½ pints water, and thyme leaves for 10 minutes. Let cool and set aside. Once cool, mix with 1 pint chilled fresh lemon juice, ½ pint fresh squeezed orange juice, ½ pint fresh squeezed lime juice, and 4 ½ pints water. Yields approx. 1 gallon thyme-infused citrus-ade. Diced Pineapples | Pineapple Shrub, Fresh Mint, Sparkling Mineral Water, Pineapple Spear INGREDIENTS (serves 1) ¾ oz. pineapple shrub (recipe below) 4 mint leaves 3 oz. sparkling water Build in shaker with ice; give light shake; pour into glass; garnish with mint sprig. To spike: add 1 oz. Kentucky bourbon for every 3 oz. diced pineapples To make Pineapple Shrub: 2 pineapples cut into cubes 8 cups sugar to fully coat Let sit 2 days; strain liquid from pulp Yields 7 cups syrup liquid

Add 5 ¼ cups ponzu citrus vinegar Rhubarb Basil Sparkler: Rhubarb Basil Syrup, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Club Soda, Basil Leaves: INGREDIENTS 1 oz. rhubarb basil syrup (recipe below) 1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice 4 oz. club soda basil leaves Add all ingredients in tumbler with ice. Garnish with basil leaves. To spike: Add 1 oz. Limoncello to 4 oz. rhubarb basil sparkler. To make Rhubarb Basil Syrup: 2 lbs. rhubarb 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 20 basil leaves Wash and slice rhubarb into 1-inch cubes. In a pot, add rhubarb, water, and sugar. Bring to boil and simmer until rhubarb is soft, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add basil leaves and let sit + cool for 30 minutes. Yields 2 cups rhubarb basil syrup. L’Chaim! Liz Neumark is CEO of Great Performances Catering and author of the cookbook Sylvia’s Table.

APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS APR 3 - 11, 2015

Famous Bagel Buffet

510 6 Avenue

Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Sushi Para 88

212 W 14th St

Not Graded Yet - No violations were recorded at the initial nonoperational pre-permit inspection conducted on 04/10/2015, or violations cited were dismissed at an administrative hearing.

Momofuku Ko

8 Extra Pl

Chipotle Mexican Grill

864 Broadway

Grade Pending (21) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Moon Struck On 2nd

88 2 Avenue

Gyu-Kaku

34 Cooper Square

Ponty Bistro

218 3 Avenue

Lillie’s Restaurant

13 East 17 Street

Dos Toros Taqueria

137 4 Avenue

Starbucks Coffee

491/2 1 Avenue

Rustico

81 St Marks Place

Insomnia Cookies

299 East 11 Street

Ray’s Pizza Bagel Cafe

2 Saint Marks Place

Tkettle

26 Saint Marks Place

Grade Pending (30) 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. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Anthony Cafe

73 2 Avenue

Red Koi Organic Sushi Lounge

57 1st Ave

O’ Cafe

79 5th Ave

Madman Coffee

54 University Pl

Grade Pending (19) 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.

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. Tequila Chito’s Mexican Grill

358 West 23 Street

Google Water Tower Cafe

111 8 Avenue

Cafe Champignon

200 7 Avenue

Grade Pending (28) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Crispo

240 West 14 Street

2 Bros Pizza

601 6 Avenue

Grade Pending (26) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Up And Down

244 West 14 Street

Padthai Noodle Lounge

114 8 Avenue

Grade Pending (23) 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.

Burger Joint

33 W. 8th St

Grade Pending (16) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Analogue

19 W 8Th St

Claudette

24 5 Avenue

Coopers Craft And Kitchen

169 8Th Ave

Red Spoon

201 W 14Th St

Grade Pending (26) 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. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Barrys Bootcamp

135 W 20Th St

Patsy’s Pizzeria

318 West 23 Street

Spot Shoppe

5 Saint Marks Pl

Westville

246 West 18 Street

Varadero

214 E 9Th St

Bodega Negra

355 West 16 Street

Fika

180 9th Ave

Not Graded Yet - No violations were recorded at the initial nonoperational pre-permit inspection conducted on 04/08/2015, or violations cited were dismissed at an administrative hearing.

Not Graded Yet (19) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Gene’s Resturant

73 West 11 Street

Il Forno

343 2 Avenue

Charlie’s Mom Chinese Restaurant

464 6 Avenue

Not Graded Yet (12) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Dunkin’ Donuts

40 Union Square East A

Asian Express

96 3 Avenue

Monster Sushi

158 West 23 Street

The Red Cat

227 10 Avenue

Closed by Health Department (45) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. 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 not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

APRIL 16-22,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Flatiron

23 E 22 St.

4475000

Core

Battery Park City

350 Albany St.

3150000

Fulton/Seaport 99 John St.

1109892

Nestseekers

Greenwich Village

Fulton/Seaport 99 John St.

641497

Nestseekers

Battery Park City

99 Battery Place

590000

Halstead Property

Gramercy Park 305 2 Ave.

1725933

Cantor And Pecorella

Gramercy Park 105 E 19 St.

Battery Park City

200 Rector Place

601000

Corcoran

Battery Park City

21 South End Ave.

489000

Regatta Ny Realty

Battery Park City

225 Rector Place

Battery Park City

30 W St.

Chinatown

156 Hester St.

1800000

Brown Harris Stevens

E Village

333 E 14 St.

825000

Halstead Property

880000 1850000

E Village

85 1 Ave.

545000

E Village

115 E 9 St.

950000

E Village

425 E 13 St.

2400000

Financial District

40 Broad St.

660000

Financial District

75 Wall St.

2725000

1 2

Brown Harris Stevens

Corcoran Town Residential

Corcoran

Douglas Elliman

1900000

Oxford Property Group

Lower E Side 417 Grand St.

535000

Level Group

Lower E Side 473 Fdr Drive

634000

Halstead Property

660000

Noho

718 Broadway

1300000

Demsker Realty

Gramercy Park 205 E 16 St.

2553040

Noho

14 E 4 St.

4000000

Gramercy Park 205 3 Ave.

785000

Town Residential

Nolita

225 Lafayette St.

3450000

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park 145 E 15 St.

500000

Corcoran

Nolita

224 Mulberry St.

10437062

Flank Brokerage Llc

Gramercy Park 310 E 23 St.

1050000

Nolita

225 Lafayette St.

3625000

Compass

Gramercy Park 310 E 23 St.

978000

Soho

362 W Broadway

4504125

Douglas Elliman

Greenwich Village

60 E 9 St.

804500

Tribeca

79 Laight St.

2300000

Christopher Korey

Tribeca

475 Greenwich St.

1525000

Douglas Elliman

Greenwich Village

11 5 Ave.

3600000

Tribeca

60 Beach St.

5910000

Halstead Property

Two Bridges

148A Madison St.

560037

Greenwich Village

1 5 Ave.

1175000

Ann Weintraub, Ltd.

W Village

9 Commerce St.

5550000

W Village

421 Hudson St.

2163781

Corcoran

Greenwich Village

67 E 11 St.

435000

Douglas Elliman

W Village

350 Bleecker St.

1600000

Douglas Elliman

Greenwich Village

26 E 10 St.

1295000

W Village

1 Morton Square

Greenwich Village

250 Mercer St.

999000

Anchor Associates

Town Residential

205 Bleecker St.

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

APRIL 16-22,2015

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Sports A.G. GIRLS SOCCER WINS TWICE

Asphalt Green’s U7 girls soccer team competed in two exhibition victories against teams from Long Island and New Jersey as they headed into the ﬁnal weeks of their inaugural season. Tryouts for next season’s U7 girls soccer team and all other Asphalt Green teams will take place in May. For more information, visit the AG soccer website. In addition, Asphalt Green is inviting kids ages 6-12 to make a splash at the 20th Annual Big Swim Meet on Saturday, April 25. No prior competitive swimming experience is needed. Kids will get to meet Olympians and special guest Claudio Reyna, a US Soccer Hall of Famer. For more information and to register by the April 19 deadline, visit www.asphaltgreen.org/bigswim or call 888-979-4669.

COMMANDING A MISSION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Wall Street protests in and around Zuccotti Park. “I feel very close to this area,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time in this command.” He has seen the area change over time, and he comes into his post with the First Precinct recording extremely low crime rates. Burglary and grand larceny offenses have dropped by at least half since 2001. Iocco does not take the good news for granted. “It’s easy to ﬁght crime when you have high numbers,” he said. Since SoHo and its upscale shopping boutiques are within the precinct’s parameters, larceny remains one of the precinct’s highest priorities. The area is extremely popular, particularly with tourists, and he wants that to continue since it helps the local economy. He has been extremely busy since his promotion last month, meeting with community boards and local politicians. He’s also getting to know his new team. Iocco now supervises 220 employees at the First, including 197 police officers. He oversees both general operations, and works with members of the Lower Manhattan Initiative, which was introduced to increase surveillance efforts in lower Manhattan in 2008.

17 “There is a lot of sensitivity surrounding this area,” he said. “Even to this day, so it is a total honor to be given the responsibility of commanding officer here.” Despite his mild mannered personality, Iocco has high aspirations. He has been able to climb the NYPD ranks by taking each position very seriously. His office offers a visual representation of his extremely busy schedule. The phone rings often, neat stacks of paperwork line his desk, and a never-ending stream of emails pops up on his computer screen. Once a bit more settled in his new post, Iocco said he will make a concerted effort to meet and get to know the area’s residents. “My schedule has been so booked up recently, but that’s mainly because I’m trying to meet everyone that is a part of this community,” he said. “It is important to me that I build those relationships.”

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BIKE LANE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sweeney, who said he is ambivalent about the plant, said that even before DOT presented the Spring Street bike lane at the April 2 meeting, he had received negative feedback about the issue, much of it citing heavy congestion on Spring Street, and that it was “dangerous to be encouraging bike lanes there.” A DOT spokesperson, though, said the “proposed bicycle lane on Spring Street does not require the removal of any travel lanes or parking lanes, coordinates existing bicycle and motor vehicle traffic, and reduces friction between the two modes.” According the spokesperson, the bike lane “will complement the existing westbound bicycle lane one block to the north on Prince Street.” The agency added that Spring Street is already a popular informal bike route with an average of more than 1,100 bicyclists counted on Spring Street between Crosby Street and Broadway during a two-hour weekday count in September

2014. Lutz, unconvinced, likened the Spring Street proposal to another bike lane issue on the east side of Varick Street, noting how that shared bike lane has led to a proliferation of bikers on the sidewalk from Broome to Canal streets. She said street cameras had picked up almost 68 bikes on the sidewalk in an 8-hour period. Micki McGee, another SoHo Alliance member, also was not persuaded by DOT officials of the need for a Spring Street bike lane. “Based on the way the meeting was conducted, I had the impression that it was a sham meeting and that it was already a done-deal,” she wrote in an email to the SoHo Alliance. “After the meeting, I was opposed.” McGee was critical of how the meeting was run, saying there were “a lot of shills in the room.” “I’m sorry there’s going to a bike lane on Spring Street,” McGee concluded. “There’s no space for it… . People will get hurt.” Sweeney called the community’s relationship with DOT as a rocky one and compared the

APRIL 16-22,2015

agency to New York’s mid-20th century “master builder,” Robert Moses, calling them “bullies with bulldozers.” He also speculated that bike advocacy organizations such as Time’s Up! and Transportation Alternatives, favored a green, protected bike lane for Spring Street the entire way, but that is not happening. The proposed Spring Street lane will only be protected between Sixth Avenue and Wooster Street. Protected bike lanes vary in design but generally do not share lanes with vehicles and are often set apart from vehicle traffic and parking. Transportation Alternatives routinely lobbies the DOT on the need to protect bicyclists on city streets. A spokesman for that organization did not return a request for comment by press time. Sweeney said that In this case, the bike lane will be a compromise. “No one’s happy,” he said. “Even the bike advocates think it’s too dangerous.” CB2 will vote on the Spring Street bike lane proposal on April 23.

A bike lane on Warren Street is similar to that proposed for Spring Street in SoHo. Photo: New York City Department of Transportation

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

APRIL 16-22,2015

KEEPING CAMP COSTS DOWN CAMP Help is available to defray expenses Even though the camp experience is priceless, paying for it doesn’t have to be. “I’m a great believer that you don’t have to go to the most expensive camp to have a great camp experience,” said Phil Lilienthal, former camp director of Camp Winnebago in Maine and Global Camps Africa CEO. If you’re dealing with an experienced and caring staff of camp counselors, “you can have a program in a parking lot, and it can be great,” he said. Parents looking for budgetfriendly camps should keep the following in mind: • The American Camp Association camp community generates a projected $216 mil-

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lion annually for camp scholarships. Don’t be afraid to call the camp director and ask if ﬁnancial assistance is available. • Contact your area’s local office of the American Camp Association. Visit www.ACAcamps.org/about/contactus to ﬁnd your local office contact. • Check with your church or synagogue. • Get in touch with social services groups in your community. • Visit individual camp web sites. Most clearly outline whether or not they offer financial assistance for their campers. Assistance is also available from the government. Families should explore the following options: For day camps: • A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account allows

parents to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child care or adult dependent care expenses for qualified dependents that are necessary to allow parents to work, look for work, or to attend school full time. Visit the FSA Feds web site for more information. • In certain circumstances, day care expenses, including transportation by a care provider, may be considered dependent care services and paid with pre-tax dollars. Visit the Internal Revenue Service web site for more information. • Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The IRS allows an income tax credit of up to $6,000 of dependent care expenses if you have two or more dependents (up to $3,000 for one dependent). The amount of the credit is based on your adjusted gross income and applies only to your federal taxes. This applies to qualifying day camp expenses. Visit the FSA Feds web site for more information. Originally published in the March 2014 Camp e-News. Reprinted with permission of the American Camp Association. ©2014 American Camping Association, Inc.

READY FOR SUMMER? Camp starts June 29 asphaltgreen.org

UPPER EAST SIDE 555 E. 90th St. (at York Ave.)

BATTERY PARK CITY 212 North End Ave. (at Murray St.)

APRIL 16-22,2015

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GYMS FOR THE ONE PERCENT City finds gym policy in apartment building may be discriminatory BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

The city’s Commission on Human Rights has found that an Upper West Side development that bars rent-regulated tenants from accessing its fitness facility could be discriminating against those tenants because of their age. Jean Green Dorsey, a tenant leader at Stonehenge Village on West 96th and 97th streets, filed papers with the commission last April alleging her landlord’s policy of allowing only market-rate tenants to use the fitness facility was discriminatory against seniors. The filing named Stonehenge Village and parent company Stonehenge Partners, which is owned by Ofer Yardei and Joel Seiden, as respondents. (According to real estate website The Real Deal, Seiden sold his stake in the company to SL Green Realty in December.) Dorsey’s age-discrimination argument got traction with Public Advocate Letitia James, who filed a separate brief with the commission last July in support of Dorsey’s claim. Dorsey’s lawyer, Marjorie Mesidor, with the law firm Phillips and Associates, argued that because rentregulated tenants tend to be older, the gym policy amounts to discrimination based on age. In Mesidor’s filing with the commission, she cited a New York University Furman Center study from last year that said in Manhattan, rent-stabilized tenants are almost five times more likely to be over age 65 than market rate tenants. According to court papers, 66 percent of the rent-regulated tenants at Stonehenge Village are over age 65, while only five percent of marketrate tenants meet or exceed that age. Stonehenge Village, which is made up of three buildings on 97th Street and 96th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue, has about 419 units, 64 percent of which are occupied by rent-regulated tenants. Mesidor argued Stonehenge’s “exclusionary [gym] policy is discriminatory and prohibited under NYC Human Rights Law because it has a disparate impact upon the rent-regulated tenants, including [Dorsey], due to their age.” Attorneys for Stonehenge countered that the 1,000-square-foot gym is meant to attract potential marketrate tenants and is an amenity offered solely on the basis of housing status, not age. But according to the Commission on

Human Rights, the rent-regulated age analysis argument won the day. In its finding, dated March 27, the commission said, “There is probable cause to believe that [Stonehenge’s] policy regarding access to an exercise room in its housing accommodation results in a disparate impact upon [Dorsey] and other rent-regulated tenants based upon their age.” An attorney for Stonehenge Partners, Jerrold Goldberg, declined to comment for this story, citing pending litigation. Mesidor told the Spirit that Stonehenge can either appeal the commission’s finding, create a conciliatory agreement allowing the rent-regulated tenants access to the gym, or take their chances at a public hearing in hopes they’ll be vindicated. “I think they thought this case would not have a probable cause finding,” said Mesidor. “I think they were surprised at that.” Mesidor thinks Stonehenge will either allow rent-regulated tenants access to the gym, perhaps with a fee, or plead their case at the public hearing. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to appeal the probable cause finding,” said Mesidor. “It would be a waste of time because it’s a preliminary finding.” But could the commission’s finding have implications for other residential buildings that bar rent-regulated tenants from using certain amenities? “Absolutely,” said Mesidor. “You have to understand that rent-stabilized clients tend to belong to a particular demographic of being older and minorities.” Mesidor’s strategy was to argue that the gym policy at Stonehenge Village isolated a particular segment of the population, one that has civil rights protections, and could lay the groundwork for cases against similar policies in other buildings throughout the city. “Because they’re isolating this population, which overwhelmingly is representative of the elderly and minorities as a whole, they’re implicitly discriminating against them,” said Mesidor. For Dorsey, the commission’s finding vindicates her sense that, at the root of it all, people who live together in a building should not have unequal access to that building’s amenities. “I haven’t yet had one market rate tenant even hint that they should be the only ones to use the gym,” said Dorsey. “I also know of market-rate tenants who won’t use the gym on principle because of this.” Dorsey also said that children of market-rate tenants and children of

Jean Green Dorsey at a Stonehenge Village tenants meeting last year. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons. rent-regulated tenants play together in the same activities organized by Stonehenge, and that there’s a general sense of camaraderie amongst all in the development, regardless of housing status. “One of the things that’s important to us and important to me is that housing is more than just a place to live,” said Dorsey. “We in fact have a viable community. Part of that is whatever is available, we can all share it. We have camaraderie.” But fighting for access to the gym isn’t just a matter of principle. “There’s somebody here that’s going to teach Zumba classes every week in the early afternoon,” said Dorsey, age 75. “And I’m looking forward to it.”

WHERE THE POOR DOORS ARE Buildings known to have unequal access to amenities for market rate and rent regulated tenants:

845 West End Avenue 91 units, unknown number of rent regulated apartments What’s excluded? Gym Children’s playroom Stonehenge Village, 135 West 96th Street,

120–160 West 97th Street 419 units, 268 rent regulated What’s excluded? Gym

West End Avenue 403 units, 217 rent regulated What’s excluded? Children’s playroom Spa/pool Yoga room

Lincoln Towers, 140–142 West End Avenue 562 units, 41 rent regulated What’s excluded? Gym

230 Riverside Drive 268 units, 72 rent regulated What’s excluded? Gym Some storage areas

Windermere – 666

APRIL 16-22,2015

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

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

Max Barros (left) and James Melo (right)

A LIFETIME OF PERFECT NOTES TOGETHER Pianists Max Barros and James Melo prep a pair of fully staged concerts BY MICKEY KRAMER

Pianist Max Barros was a self-described “almost legal” 17 and musicologist James Melo was 21 when they met in Brazil in 1981 at a piano audition for a college music program. They have been near-inseparable ever since. Barros and Melo, both from Brazil, had vastly divergent paths to their meeting at the Faculdade Santa Marcelina, in Sao Paulo. Barros started playing piano at age 6. Melo went to medical school for two years and worked as a chemist for Dow Chemical, before beginning to play in earnest after he turned 17. Melo and Barros would both receive their B.A. degrees in piano. Barros left Melo and Brazil in 1984 to begin a Master’s of Arts program at New York University. The two spent summers and holidays together, with

many letters exchanged, and though not easy, according to Melo, the much quieter of the two, “the love bond was already so strong, we weren’t really worried [that it wouldn’t work out].” Barros lived at the 92nd Street Y dorms from 1984-1987, while attaining his Master’s degree from NYU. During his stay, he met Eve Wolf, who taught a chamber music program at the Y and became his first friend in New York City. Barros has performed and recorded all over the world. “I did my ﬁrst recording at 26 and have not stopped.” Melo, after spending three years teaching in Brazil, joined Barros in New York City in 1987, where they have lived together ever since. He writes for music magazines, liner notes for CDs and for the past 16 years has worked for the ongoing bibliography and database project, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he’s now senior editor, while also teaching piano and music theory at the upper east side’s Diller-

Quaile Music School. In 2001, Melo and Barros, along with Wolf, founded the Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC), a group that presents fully staged theatrical concerts merging music, staged and scripted theater, literature, and visual arts. Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon will be performed from April 8-April 12 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The production dramatizes the face-to-face meeting between the French writer Jules Verne and the young American journalist Nelly Bly and interweaves a script based on Verne’s and Bly’s own words with French chamber music performed by Barros, Wolf, and others. In addition, American music by Stephen Foster featuring live banjo, a barbershop quartet, and elaborate ﬁlm and video projections will be included. ERC’s second 2015 production, The Sorrows of Young Werther, is slated for two shows on June 3-4 at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. This production will weave the

drama of Goethe’s tale of obsessive and unrequited love with the music of Schumann, Schubert, Liszt, Brahms and others. Sitting down in their spacious living room, it’s impossible not to notice that Barros, at 6’1”, towers over the more diminutive Melo. Both wear eyeglasses, and have been together so long they truly can finish each other’s thoughts; that, along with a Steinway piano and floor-to-ceiling book collection which includes works by Shakespeare and Dickens, Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and at least six copies of The Iliad. Melo estimates they have about 3,000 books. Following 16 years on West 79th street, Barros and Melo moved across the park to East 79th Street on December 31st, 2012. Their first meal as Upper East siders was New Year’s Eve dinner at Italian restaurant, Firenze. For bibliophile Melo, the new locale is a dream. Along with being a member of the Morgan Library, he visits the New York Society Library, also on East

79th st, nearly every day. When asked about marriage, Barros recalled that they had a civil union ceremony, but, amusingly, neither recalled the date or year. Melo checked, and for the record, it was April 21, 2003. After 33 years together, Melo explains that “we’re such a compliment to each other. If it wasn’t for Max, I never would’ve come to New York and had the great life and career that I love… The companionship, love, and care he shows for me… ” “James grounds me. I can easily ‘ﬂoat’ with the art sometimes,” Barros concludes. “Everything I do, I do better [with James].”

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Covello sernios at the fashion show

MODELS OF FASHION AT CARTER BURDEN

Rachel Oddman

Seniors, volunteers and staff from the Carter Burden Center for the Aging walked the runway at the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual fashion show last month. Several seniors showcased traditional ethnic clothing from China, Africa and the Philippines, while others displayed ensembles created in sewing class at the Covello Program. The Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior Program, located in a 28,125-square-foot building on E. 109th Street, provides socialization, recreation and education through daily breakfast and luncheon meals, activities, day trips, computer training and holiday parties. Daily activities such as yoga, art, movies and dance classes are offered for free. dditionally, the Covello Program offers case assistance to members who need help in applying for government beneďŹ t programs, addressing landlord/tenant disputes or accessing medical care.

Paula Diaz

APRIL 16-22,2015

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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: 12pm the Friday before publication

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

ADOPTION ADOPTION: Unplanned Pregnancy? Caring licensed adoption agency provides ﬁnancial and emotional support. Choose from loving pre-approved families. Call Joy toll free 1-866922-3678 or conﬁdential email:Adopt@ForeverFamiliesThroughAdoption.org ANIMALS & PETS

North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague 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. AUCTIONS

Exciting Neighborhood Auction Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry. Sat April 18, 3pm. 1157 Lex Ave @ 80th St (garden ent next to All Souls) Prev & Reg 11am-3pm. Martine’s Auctions, 212-772-0900, martine-auctions@outlook.com

CAMPS/SCHOOLS Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5, 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com Loyola School 646-346-8132 www.loyolanyc.org admissions@loyolanyc.org River Park Nursery School 212-663-1205, www.river parknurseryschool.com York Preparatory School 212-362-0400 ext 133 www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org

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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 Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers NYC’s Coolest Place to Skate! ChelseaPiers.com/sr 212-336-6100 Your Homeownership Partner. The State of NY Mortgage Agency offers special programs for veterans, activeduty military National Guard and reservists. www.sonyma.org. 1-800-382-HOME (4663) WANTED TO BUY

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New York City Department of Transportation Notice of Public Hearing The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 2:00 P.M., at 55 Water St., 9th Floor Room 945, on the following petitions for revocable consent, all in the Borough of Manhattan: #1 2 Gold LLC – to continue to maintain and use bollards on the south sidewalk of Platt St., east of Gold St., and on the east sidewalk of Gold St., south of Platt St #2 New York University – to construct, maintain and use an additional two (2) pipes under and across W 3rd St., east of MacDougal St. Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreements or request sign-language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water St., 9th Fl. SW New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550.

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462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $75 psf Call Farrell @ Meringoff Properties 646.306.0299

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