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REVOLVING DOOR AT THE SEAPORT NEWS A city economic development official moves to a consulting firm tied to the Seaport developer BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
A lobbying firm that works on behalf of the Howard Hughes Corp. recently hired a high-level official from the NYC Economic Develop Corporation, raising
concerns over whether such a move represents a conflict of interest given Howard Hughes’ plan to redevelop the South Street Seaport, which is owned by the EDC and leased by the company. Ashley Dennis, who was chief of staff to former EDC President Kyle Kimball, is now a vice-president at Kasirer Consulting, New York City’s highest-grossing lobbying firm. Kasirer counts
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LANDMARKS COMMISSION CLOSER TO ADDRESSING BACKLOG Agency to determine what to do about properties sitting on its books for years BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently closed a public comment period on what to do about the backlog of properties that have been languishing - in some cases for decades - on the agency’s hearing calendar. In December, after fervent pushback from the preservation community and elected officials, the agency abandoned a plan to simply remove the properties from their calendar altogether. For a building to be designated a historic landmark it has to be nominated to the LPC for consideration and placed on the agency’s calendar.
However, an actual hearing date does not have to be set. Being on the commission’s calendar gives a potential landmark some measure of protection because the Dept. of Buildings notifies the LPC if a demolition permit has been filed for a site that’s under consideration. In this way, close to 100 potential landmarks and two potential historic districts have stagnated on the calendar for more than five years, and were the target of the LPC’s “decalendaring” initiative, as the process is called. Of the 95 sites that were set to be decalendared, more than 30 have been on the calendar for over 40 years. Twenty-five have been on the calendar for 30 to 40 years, and 24 have been under consideration for 20-30 years, according to the LPC. The remainder of the items have been
WEEK OF MAY
14-20 2015
Our Take WHERE’S THE MAYOR? There’s something maddening about Bill de Blasio’s wanderlust. Our young mayor, in office barely 16 months, has spent more time in national political speeches outside the city than he has on the Upper East Side. In recent weeks, he’s traveled to D.C., to Iowa, and to Silicon Valley. According to a tally in The New York Times, de Blasio has spent a third of the months of April and May on the road. His body language is that of the glad-hander at the cocktail party, the guy always looking over your shoulder, an eye out for the next, more interesting person, to talk to. The thing is, there’s more than enough for him to do at home, if only he’d engage. Tensions with the police are at a boiling part. City schools are creaking from too many kids. Small business owners are begging the mayor for help as their rents soar. Mayor Michael Bloomberg understood that running a city this big meant paying close attention to the guts of government. He dove into budgets and spent hundreds of hours understanding the government jobs that make the city work. De Blasio apparently has more important things on his agenda. The problem is, the mayor has a day job. For the city’s sake, now might be a good time to get back to work.
The LPC plan was designed to clean up a backlog that includes projects on its calendar for decades. on the calendar for between five and 20 years. After the LPC backed off the bulk decalendaring plan, they opened the problem up to suggestions from the community. According to a LPC
spokesperson, the agency is now evaluating the ideas that came in from the public. “Currently we’re reviewing the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Downtowner
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ‘ECO-FRIENDLY’ FOOD CARTS COMING Street food’s going green. A pilot program will bring 500 sleek, eco-friendly food carts to the city streets within the next few months, according to the City Council. Move System’s MRV100 cart includes a restaurant-grade kitchen with refrigeration that runs on solar power, alternative fuel and
hybrid technology. The carts are modeled after stationary kitchens and will include a sink. “Our pilot program will allow mobile food vendors to save money on fuel, increase their revenues, and have the most advanced cart on the street at no upfront cost,” the company says on its website. The company quoted an energy research company as saying that compared to
traditional food carts, which use propane, the MRV100 reduces smog-causing nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide pollution by 95 percent. Move Systems, based in Long Island City, said it would provide the carts free to the first 500 vendors who sign up for the new cart. About 8,000 food carts and trucks operate on city streets and conduct about 1.2 million food transactions each day, according to a release from the City Council.
HOMELESS INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS SHELTER SHORTCOMINGS
In the coming months, traditional food carts will be supplemented by “eco-friendly” carts on city streets. Photo: Susan Sermoneta, via Flickr
A consortium of city agencies will deploy more than 100 workers to homeless shelters citywide to address and correct code violations, Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier this week. The announcement follows a report by the City’s Department of Investigation detailing 621 violations at hundreds of shelters, nearly half of them outstanding. Although almost all of the outstanding violations have been corrected, a release from the mayor’s office said, the rest and any new ones will be “will be addressed ... within 7 days of
identification.” Major capital repairs at the 500 or so shelters will start within 30 days and conclude by year’s end, the release said. The so-called Shelter Repair Squad — comprising of employees from the Department of Homeless Services, the Fire Department, the Department of Buildings, the Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — has been given an initial outlay of $12.5 million through Fiscal Year 2016. The release said the administration would budget additional money “as needed.” “Being homeless is tough enough — no one in shelters, particularly children, should have to endure poor or unsafe living conditions,” de Blasio said in the release. “Our shelter system is old, and has endured decades of neglect and bad policies from every level of government, but we are working aggressively to correct dangerous conditions, and to make sure that people have a decent place to stay while they need it.” There has been a surge in the number of homeless people in the city since 2010, when about
37,000 were homeless. As of March, 60,067 people, including nearly 25,000 children, were sleeping in homeless shelters in the city, just below a record high of 60,939 people in December, according to city statistics compiled by the city-based Coalition for the Homeless.
“GHOSTBUSTER’S FIREHOUSE” TO CLOSE FOR RENOVATIONS The fire station located on 14 North Moore Street, which was used as the set for 1984 classic Ghostbusters, will soon be closed for renovations, Downtown Express reported. It was recently used as a memorial for late Ghostbusters actor Harold Ramis, who died in early 2014. The firehouse, which was going to be shuttered for good in 2011, will be closed for three years while it undergoes what fire department spokesperson Jim Long described as “a gut renovation.” The Ladder 8 crew will be relocated to an undetermined location. Ladder 8, which was originally housed on Franklin Street, has been serving downtown since 1865, the news site reported.
FORGOTTEN HITCHCOCK DOCUMENTARY TO BE SHOW AT MUSEUM A lost Alfred Hitchcock documentary will be shown for the first time ever at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on May 19th, The Villager reported. The film, , “German Concentration Camps Factual Survey,” was recently restored by the England’s Imperial War Museum. It consists of footage shot by British, Russian and American cameramen as well as newsreel footage shot during the liberation of concentration camps. The film was meant to be shown to German prisoners of war and citizens in order to shame them into accepting allied occupation. The real estate developer Bruce Ratner, the museum’s chairman, called the premiere “a major moment in Holocaust documentary. When the Russians reported on Auschwitz, it wasn’t believed. This film was meant to prove and show what the German people and what the Nazis had done — and then to tell the people of the world.”
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG NO THANKS TO THE YANKS
WEEKEND MARCH FOR TOUGHER GUNS LAWS Rep. Carolyn Maloney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It may take years, it may take decades, but the tens of thousands who senselessly lost their lives at the barrel of a gun will not be forgotten.â&#x20AC;? As they crossed the bridge, participants yelled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not one more!â&#x20AC;? The march ended with a rally outside City Hall in lower Manhattan. Christopher Underwood, 8, addressed the crowd three years after losing his 14-yearold brother to gunďŹ re. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It made me sad, because he was the only one who dropped me off at school, and I miss him,â&#x20AC;? said the boy, whose brother was killed when a bullet ripped through his brain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still scared.â&#x20AC;?
Hundreds of men, women and children marched across the Brooklyn Bridge demanding stricter gun laws and offering a litany of violent stories to show why such laws are needed. Held on the eve of Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, the third annual march from Brooklyn to Manhattan was organized by the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The U.S. averages more than 80 gun deaths each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have more gun-related deaths than any other developed country. Gun deaths now outpace traffic fatalities in our country,â&#x20AC;? said U.S. W
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A baseball game proved even more expensive than usual for one young woman. At 6 p.m. on May 3, a 28-year-old woman was in the checkout line inside the Duane Reade at 200 Water Street when she realized that her wallet was missing from inside her bag. She had last seen the wallet when she was purchasing food at Yankee Stadium. She told police that the train she had returned home on from the game had been very crowded. She also discovered that unauthorized usage had turned up on her cards and was attempting to ascertain the location of those transactions from her banks. Items stolen included a New York State driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, a Social Security card, passport, health insurance card, and various credit and debit cards.
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CELL HELL Three Bad Samaritans took advantage of a subway riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plight. At 3:25 p.m. on April 29, a 20-year-old man was waiting on the platform at the Bowling Green 4/5 station when he
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accidentally dropped his cell phone on the tracks. He notiďŹ ed station personnel, but before he could get help, a 20-year-old man jumped down and took his cell phone from the track. When the victim asked the interloper to return his phone, the bad guy refused, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to pay me!â&#x20AC;? Then an accomplice of the thief, another 20-year-old man, pushed the victim, and the two thugs got on a train in the company of a third 20-year-old man. The victim tried to hold onto the thief when one of his friends punched and pushed the victim in the chest, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you touch my friend, I am going to f*ck you up!â&#x20AC;? The three thugs then ďŹ&#x201A;ed on the train. Fortunately, the victim sustained no injuries, but unfortunately, he had no Find My iPhone app installed on his cell. The stolen phone was an iPhone 6 valued at $800.
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STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for April 27 to May 3 Week to Date
Year to Date
2015 2014
% Change
2015
2014
% Change
Murder
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0
0
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Rape
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0
n/a
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4
-50
Robbery
3
1
200
14
17
-17.6
Felony Assault
1
0
n/a
25
24
4.2
Burglary
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3
-100
45
58
-22.4
Grand Larceny
23
18
27.8
306
302
1.3
Grand Larceny Auto
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50
the perpetrators had gained entry. A canvass of the area proved negative, and there was no video of the incident. Police said this was the latest incident in a pattern of ATM break-ins they had been tracking.
MEAN TEENS A quartet of teenagers proved to be anything but choir girls! At midnight on April 28, a 29-yearold woman was waiting for a train at the south end of the southbound A/C platform in the Fulton Street station, when four young teen girls approached and snatched her iPhone from her hand. Police searched the
station and others nearby, but could not ďŹ nd the young cell snatchers. Video is available of the quartet exiting the station.
PLANET PLUNDER One gymgoerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workout did not work out the way he must have planned. At 10:30 a.m. on April 28, a 29-year-old man returned to his locker inside the Planet Fitness facility at 25 Broadway and noticed that his lock was gone and his property missing. A search of the gym turned up nothing. The property stolen was an Apple MacBook valued at $2,000.
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A recent photograph of The Frick Collection (above) juxtaposed with a rendering of the proposed plan illustrating the same view. Image credit: Neoscape Inc., 2014.
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ARTISTS DECRY FRICK’S EXPANSION PLAN In a letter to de Blasio, they say that a proposal to expand the museum would compromise its intimatcy BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
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The skirmish over the Frick Collection’s expansion proposal entered a new front last week when dozens of artists, architects, journalists, gallerists and others signed a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the chairman of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission urging them to deny the plan. The letter, which was signed by Frank Stella, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons and Chuck Close, among others, says that the museum’s proposal would effectively destroy one of the collection’s most precious elements — its intimacy. “The Frick is revered for its wise curatorial and architectural decisions, and we hope that your guidance will ensure that it does not break with this tradition,” the letter, dated May 6, says. The letter is the latest salvo in a yearlong tussle between Frick officials, who say the expansion is needed to meet the
museum’s need for more space, and those opposed, notably the umbrella group United to Save the Frick, which counts among its roster architects, artists, authors, preservationists, art and museum critics, and members of the museum. The Frick, on the corner of 70th Street and Fifth Avenue, last year unveiled an expansion proposal whose centerpiece addition would rise to the height of a six-story building. It would be built on the 70th Street side on the site of what’s now a decorative garden. The museum says the extension would add 42,000 square feet and comprise an expanded reception hall, conservation laboratories, auditorium, classrooms as well as a rooftop garden terrace accessible to museum visitors. All told, it would add about 24 percent more square footage, which museum officials call “a measured — yet crucial — gain.” Museum officials and the architects, Davis Brody Bond, say the addition would match the character of the original Gilded Age mansion, built by Carrère and Hastings just over a century ago for the industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and a 1934 expansion by John Russell Pope.
The proposal, though, quickly galvanized opposition, some of it pronounced, with United to Save the Frick saying the proposal would obliterate the Frick’s “residential scale” and, consequently, its intimacy. “The ensemble the Frick wishes to raze, composed of the Reception Hall Pavilion and the Russell Page-designed Viewing Garden on East 70th Street, is a masterstroke of the evolving museum’s design, positioning the mansion in counterpoint to the Manhattan street grid, and optimizing the ‘house museum’ experience,” the letter reads. As conceptualized, the group says, the plan includes minimal exhibit space and instead adds offices, a café, a larger gift shop and programming space. It suggests numerous alternative design schemes, most of them below below-grade, that it says would allow the museum to expand while retaining its character, and the garden. In a response to the letter, the Frick issued a statement saying that the planned expansion would “not compromise the Frick’s intimacy but will enhance it.” The artists’ letter last week received an endorsement of
sorts from The Municipal Art Society of New York, a planning and preservation organization, in the form of a letter from its director, Margaret Newman, to her counterpart at the Frick, Ian Wardropper, which also voiced opposition to the planned expansion, particularly since it would eliminate the 70th Street garden. The Frick, though, has emphasized that the addition of a rooftop garden would leave the museum three gardens, including the one facing Fifth Avenue and the interior Garden Court. A museum spokeswoman, Heidi Rosenau, said the Frick’s proposal, which she called “conceptual,” is still being fine-tuned, such that it was too early to discuss any changes to the proposal since it was first made public. “The idea as we approach (the Landmark’s Commission) hearing is that we have to present a very detailed plan,” she said. “We need a really polished plan. So it’s been evolving.” The commission must approve the expansion proposal for it to go ahead. That presentation has not yet been scheduled.
MAY 14-20,2015
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Neighborhood Scrapbook PUBLIC ART IN TRIBECA PARK
LEFT TO RIGHT: Judith Aydelott, Mary J. Murphy, Patricia Murphy MacGillivray, William J. Burke—Vice Chairman, Anthony D. Calabrese, Edmond J. Boran, Us Marine Corps, Vietnam Veteran, Bryan O. Colley, JoAnn M. Murphy—Vice Chair, Joseph M. Murphy—Chairman, Carolyn T. Murphy, Richard Petrricone, Joseph M. Murphy Jr. —President & CEO
COUNTRY BANK CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW FLAGSHIP LOCATION ON 3RD AVENUE
Country Bank, one of only a handful of family controlled banks in the New York area, expanded its footprint April 27th with the opening of a new flagship branch on Third Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets. US Marine Corps. Vietnam Veteran Edmond J. Boran cut the ribbon in honor of National Military Appreciation Month in May and to recognize that Country Bank employs several Veterans throughout its branches .
Tribeca Park visitors will be greeted by a colossal sculpture of a head by artist Nicolas Holiber.The work, Head of Goliath, is made from New York City’s debris: reclaimed wood from shipping pallets and other found materials. The mixed media sculpture is Holiber’s interpretation of the biblical story and long‐standing art historical theme of David and Goliath, and will be on view until September 2015.
Country Bank Chairman Joseph Murphy said the opening of the flagship branch expands the bank’s “personalized style into the heart of New York City. Our number one goal is to retain our core value of being an easy bank to do business with so that we can grow right alongside our commercial clients as well as our individual depositors.”
ST. JEAN 10TH GRADER WINS LETTERS CONTEST
Country Bank is known for making quick decisions with regard to lending for its commercial and consumer customers based on personal relationships and discussions. “We are family controlled like 70% of American businesses, that’s an essential and significant difference – we understand our clients in a way that commercial bankers can’t,” said Joseph Murphy. Rated one of the top 200 Community Banks in the country for the past four years, Country Bank was founded in 1988. They offer products and services for commercial banking and lending customers, small business customers and individual consumers. They are FDIC Insured with over $525 million in assets and over $42 million in capital. For more information go to www.countrybankonline. PAID ADVERTISEMENT com or call 212-292-5254.
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$ Aissatou Toure, a tenth grader at St. Jean Baptiste High School, was recently named winner of the high school level New York State Letters About Literature contest. The Letters About Literature program, sponsored by the Empire State Center for the Book and the Library of Congress, is a national reading and writing promotion contest. To enter, readers write personal letters to an author, living or dead, explaining how that author’s work changed their way of thinking about the world or themselves. Toure wrote a letter to author Rick Riordan regarding his book Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. St. Jean Baptiste, an all-female Catholic school, is located on E. 75th Street.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
MAY 14-20,2015
Local History
Maggio Beef, on Washington Street, was torm down to make room for the Whitney.
The Gansevoort Market, at the end of the 19th Century. Photo courtesy the New-York Historical Society.
FROM MEAT HOOKS TO AMERICAN ART The arrival of the Whitney caps a decades-long transformation of the Meapacking District BY RAANAN GEBERER
The Meatpacking District was home to 120 meat firms as recently as 1986.
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In a city that prizes the shiny and new new, The Whitney Museum’s $422 million headquarters at 99 Gansevoort St., adjacent to the High Line, is the hottest ticket in town. But what was on that spot beforehand? Kevin Walsh, urban historian, tour leader and proprietor of the website forgotten-ny. com, reminds us that the museum, stuffed with some of the most expensive art in the world, sits atop what once was Maggio Beef, at 820 Washington St., eventually torn down to make room for the maintenance and operations building of the Whitney. (During the early and mid-2000s, the original plan called for the Dia Museum to take over the overall site. When the Dia deal fell through, the Whitney stepped in.) Also demolished to make way for the Whitney was Premier Veal, whose building once served as a high-pressure water-pumping facility for the city -- one which was used to fight the Triangle Fire, according to site Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York.
A walk around the area near Little West 12th Street, Gansevoort Street and Washington Street on the day of the Whitney’s debut Saturday block party revealed mainly trendy restaurants, bars and clothing stores, not meat wholesalers. The area was originally a residential one, but in the mid 19th century, the freight yards of the Hudson River Railroad (later absorbed into the New York Central) were built there, and a marketplace—originally a produce market—sprung up. In 1886, according to Forgotten New York, the city declared the area a public market. By the turn of the century, advances in technology (notably refrigeration) made possible the rise of meat businesses. The construction of the High Line gave the meat business even more of a boost—an article in the July 4, 1937 edition of The New York Times mentioned the construction of the Cudahy Packing Co. freight terminal at Gansevoort Street. Trains went through an opening in the building, and sides of beef were loaded right off the freight cars. Another Times article, from April 8, 1949, describes plans for the city-owned Gansevoort Market Meat Center—which still exists.
Most of the other meatpacking firms, though, are long gone, plagued by rising rents. “As recently as 1986,” Ben Upham wrote in the Times in 2000, “the district had more than 120 meat firms. But today, few than half that number remain.” Soon afterward, sex clubs (such as the Hellfire Club), prostitutes, drug dealers, leather shops and dive bars moved in. Soon, though, gentrification began. Still, there is one place where meatpacking still thrives, and it’s just north of the Whitney—the Gansevoort Market Meat Center, which the city runs as a co-op. It’s bounded by Washington Street, Little West 12th Street and 10th Avenue, and includes such firms as Weichsel Beef, London Meat, J.T. Jobbagy meats (which had a booth at the Whitney’s block party) and several others. Also found here is Hector’s Café and Diner, on Little West 12th Street. The Whitney, as its billboards proclaim, is indeed “At Home in the Meatpacking.” But so are the ghosts of those 250 or so meat wholesalers of yesteryear—and the few that are still here.
MAY 14-20,2015
LANDMARKS COMMISIOIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 feedback and we hope to develop a plan to address the issue by this summer,” said the spokesperson. Several elected officials in Manhattan have asked the LPC that any hearing include a 60day public notice and comment period prior to a public hearing for any property on the backlog. “Most of these properties were calendared before the technology existed for public outreach and dissemination of information existed,” said Upper East Side Councilmember Ben Kallos in a letter to the LPC. “Now, the LPC can and must make available to the
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com public the extensive research compiled on these landmarks, including initial hearings’ files and statements of significance. Once the information is disseminated, 60 days of public input and testimony must be taken before any decisions on these landmarks are made behind closed doors.” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer also has her name on that proposal, and said the LPC’s backlog of items should be heard in geographic chunks. “Items for consideration should be grouped geographically, at a number set to be reasonable by the LPC,” said Brewer’s office in a letter to the LPC. “It is recommended that a minimum of two hearings be held for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens given the density and geographic
have
Do
spread of items within these boroughs.” Brewer’s office proposed three outcomes of these geographically-grouped hearings. According to her office, the LPC must vote on record to: designate an item, keep an item on the calendar for a maximum period of one year, at which point a decision should be made whether to designate, or, given the summary presentation on the merits submitted by the public, the LPC should make a decision to either not designate or issue a no action letter. The public comment period ended May 1, according to the LPC. The spokesperson said it’s unlikely that the agency will propose bulk decalendaring again. “I do believe it’ll be a more nuanced approach,” said the spokesperson.
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BE THE NEW YORKER WHO REALLY DOES KNOW IT ALL.
A LECTURE SERIES PRESENTED BY NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER. REDUCING YOUR RISK: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND STROKE. Join an expert from the Comprehensive Stroke Care Center to learn more about the ties between heart disease and stroke, preventative measures that minimize your risk, and how to recognize and address warning signs. Date: Tuesday, May 19, 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Presenter: Koto Ishida, MD, Stroke Neurologist. Location: NYU Langone Medical Center. 550 First Avenue. Alumni Hall B. RSVP: To attend, call the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at 212.263.5162 or email cvdprevention@nyumc.org.
ADVANCEMENTS IN STROKE REHABILITATION. Geared towards stroke survivors, their families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, this event features Rusk Rehabilitation researchers who are making exciting discoveries about restoring eye-hand coordination and arm and hand function after stroke. Date: Thursday, May 21, 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Presenters: Stroke Rehabilitation Researchers J.R. Rizzo, MD, and Preeti Raghavan, MD. Location: Ambulatory Care Center. 240 East 38th Street. 11th Floor Conference Room. RSVP: To attend, call 212.263.6952 or email ruskrsvp@nyumc.org.
These lectures are free and open to the public, but you must RSVP. View past NYU Langone lectures at youtube.com /nyulmc.
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Voices
Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
OP-EDS
DUELING SOLUTIONS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CRISIS The SBJSA can’t pass; let’s focus on something that can BY GALE BREWER
Three decades ago, our city faced a growing crisis: momand-pop stores were being driven out by skyrocketing commercial rents. During that era, when I served as a city council staffer, a piece of legislation emerged that has languished in the council ever since. Perpetually reintroduced and now called the “Small Business Jobs Survival Act” (SBJSA), this legislation has been spinning its wheels for more than 30 years, even as the mom-and-pop crisis has instensified with a fury. When I became a council member, I helped pass zoning protection for storefront businesses in my West Side district as new construction and the expansion of national chains— particularly banks and drugstores—conspired to dominate many consecutive blocks of streetscape along Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue, and Columbus Avenue. As Manhattan Borough President, my passion to help small businesses has only intensified with the position’s expanded constituency. Small businesses can provide a good living not only for immigrants who are willing to work hard for a better life but also for any New Yorker with a unique, marketable idea and the perseverance to pull it off. Street-level spaces provide neighborhood necessities—dry cleaners, shoe repair shops, small restaurants—in addition to more one-of-a-kind shops providing the diversity that helps make New York City the tourist magnet that it is. By drawing like-minded customers from all over, unique stores often prove that a market exists and can be rolled out onto a larger regional or national stage. No tourist needs—or
wants—to travel to New York City to see a chain store he or she could patronize at home. Last year, I directed my staff to conduct a study of what we can do right now to help small businesses with street-level locations (we call them “storefronters”). That study formed the basis of a report issued this past March— ”Small Business, Big Impact.” Among the many recommendations is an outline of an innovative bill (which I will introduce in the City Council soon in cooperation with Brooklyn Councilmember Robert Cornegy) that would require landlords and small commercial tenants to come to the negotiating table earlier (with a mediator if desired); if no agreement can be reached, an automatic one-year lease extension at a 15% higher rent would be imposed, giving tenants more time—longer than the typical 30 days’ notice of lease expiration—to find a new location. This safety valve would promote marketplace fairness, predictability, and stability for small stores whose economics can rarely support the kinds of five- and ten-fold rent increases now being demanded. My proposal has drawn criticism from some advocates for doing too little when compared to SBJSA. But a bill that hasn’t passed for decades does no good for anyone. And let me be blunt: SBJSA cannot pass, for several reasons: * It raises serious constitutional issues about contract and property rights. * SBJSA’s “mandatory” arbitration system applies only to
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landlords via a right-of-firstrefusal for existing tenants. If an arbitrator doesn’t construct lease terms to a tenant’s liking, the tenant can reject the arbitration and suffer no consequences—they stay in the storefront until and unless a new potential tenant can negotiate terms that the current tenant then refuses to meet! This mechanism is wildly inefficient, and will have the additional result of tightening the market for newer small businesses seeking space. * SBJSA applies to all business tenants, not just the “small” businesses in its title. So a large bank could object to lease terms and stay in its current premises—along with the local bagel shop. I’m proposing achievable, practical steps on lease renewals that will help change the nature of commercial lease negotiations without unduly burdening basic property rights. The crisis of New York small businesses will continue until the forces of reform can unite behind a common vehicle—as well as our common goal—that can pass the City Council and be signed into law. Gale Brewer is the Manhattan Borough President
Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade
A debate that started in the mid 1980’s continues today: What is the solution to stopping the closing of long-established businesses by speculators who have highjacked the commercial marketplace? The city’s greatest advocate for small business was Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. When speculators drove up rents during the early years of WWII, he joined with Governor Dewey to form a Joint Legislative Committee to study commercial rents in NYC. Their findings could apply to any neighborhood in the city today: an emergency existed characterized by oppressive rents and rent increases unrelated to actual costs, as well as the absence of freedom to negotiate contracts due to the unequal bargaining power between landlord and tenant. A Commercial Rent Control law was promptly passed, which gave rights to business owners and was successful in driving the speculators out of the marketplace, and kept them out for the next eighteen years until the law expired in 1963. But instead of using this successful law as a foundation to create a real solution, thenMayor Edward Koch and Speaker Peter Vallone ignored good government action and instead established a bias commission. Mayor Koch and Speaker Vallone created the Small Retail Business Study Commission. The city’s business community called it the “Limousine Commission” because most of its members arrived at meetings in limousines. This handpicked commission was comprised of heads of banks, Wall Street, real estate, and big business. The predictable findings of this commission were the opposite of Mayor LaGuardia’s: no regulation of commercial landlords and no rights for the tenants. This commission had one purpose, to stop the Arbitration Bill presented by Councilmember Ruth Messinger. The Limousine Commission’s primary recommendation, mediation only with one year to move, once rejected by all, is being brought up today as the best proposal to save our small businesses. This proposal is an insult to the city’s desper-
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope Fred Almonte, Susan Wynn editor.ot@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com
ate business owners. City Hall has rejected the Arbitration bill for 30 years, not even allowing a vote. Now the crisis has worsened, and they have put forth a solution that was rejected decades ago as being nothing more than a scheme of the real estate lobby to stop a real solution from being passed. “At least the mediation bill can pass, something is better than nothing.” This was exposed decades ago as nothing. It is a landlord’s bill which offers no rights to tenants, mediation without arbitration, one year to move. To every business owner, it is not better than nothing, it is nothing. Compare this to the Small Business Jobs Survival Act: rights to tenants, mediation with Arbitration,10 years and STAY PUT. Mayor LaGuardia did it right, he understood that for any legislation to be successful and save businesses, it must give rights to the commercial owners to protect them from either a breakdown or manipulation of the free market. Without these rights to negotiate equally with landlords for fair lease terms, then the city will lose all of its independent small businesses. The claim that the mediation- only bill will be easier to pass is true. At City Hall any bill that benefits big real estate is easy to pass. Given their campaign contributions and high-paying private jobs, the real estate lobby controls economic policy at City Hall. At the same time, any bill that regulates landlords will be hard to pass. After the city went into the major recession of 2008, Small Business Committee Chairman David Yassky said, “We have to do something to help small businesses, It’s not an option to do nothing. We cannot allow them to be pushed to the point of disappearance, The cornerstone foundation for stopping the closing of our small businesses is the Small Business Survival Act”. The majority of council members followed that pledge and were ready to “easily” pass the SBJSA. Instead, behind the Speaker’s closed doors a disingenuous claim was made that the bill could not be voted on because of legal issues. Time is running out for our government to do the right thing and pass the SBJSA, the best and only real solution to save our small businesses. Otherwise these business owners who have become endangered species will become extinct in the near future. Sung Soo Kim founded the Korean American Small Business Service Center, the oldest small business service center in NYC; co-founding the New York City Small Business Congress and Coalition to Save New York City Small Businesses; and was chairman of the Mayor’s First Small Business Advisory Board, appointed by Mayors Dinkins and Giuliani.
Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons
Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
MAY 14-20,2015
REVOLVING DOOR AT THE SEAPORT
LETTER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
HELICOPTER NOISE IN BATTERY PARK CITY: WORSE THAN BAGHDAD Dear neighbors at the Battery Park City Authority, First off, thank you for your leadership and commitment to our community. As a proud resident of Battery Park City, I am writing today to ask for your assistance and leadership in ending the scourge on our neighborhood that is relentless tourist helicopter noise. These helicopters are disruptive, unnecessary, dangerous, and destructive to both our environment and our quality of life. If you live in this community, you no doubt have experienced this for yourself. It’s gotten worse and worse every month--especially in the last year. And now, it’s become truly ridiculous. Today, as our family attempted to enjoy a gorgeous spring day, dozens of these absurdly raucous tourist helicopters loudly buzzed past our building (and the
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
entire neighborhood) at low altitude, non-stop. One after the other, hour after hour, they flew by in close to 30-second intervals. At one point, I counted five different aircraft overhead our community at the same time. This is completely unacceptable. Helicopter noise is a major quality of life issue that the BPCA should work hard to remedy as soon as possible. It’s about noise pollution, the environmental impact and a legitimate security concern given our proximity to Ground Zero. I served a combat tour with the U.S. Army in Iraq. And I can tell you without question that the helicopter noise here in Battery Park City is significantly worse than it ever was in Baghdad. And as a combat veteran and 9-11 First Responder, I find it especially troubling that the overall welfare of our
community is being compromised so a few tourism companies can make a buck. I stand with the leaders from Stop The Chop NYNJ and over two dozen elected officials in calling on the mayor to stop this madness and stand with the families of our community. You must, too. As leaders for our community, it is your duty to push relentlessly on this issue in defense of our families. We need the BPCA to lead on this issue as quickly and as aggressively as possible. Like countless other residents in this neighborhood, I stand ready to support you however I can. I look forward to your response. Best regards, Paul Rieckhoff Chief Executive Officer and Founder Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
among its clients the Howard Hughes Corp., which has paid the firm over $1 million to lobby several city agencies, including the EDC, in support of the developer’s plan for the Seaport, according to public filings. An EDC spokesperson said Dennis’ last day of employment with the agency was April 24. Dennis, who is in her midtwenties, is the stepdaughter of former New York Gov. David Paterson. Howard Hughes has a 60year lease on the Seaport with the EDC, and has already been granted approval to develop Pier 17 into a shopping and dining destination. Their plans for the Seaport, which initially included a 600-foot residential tower at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, have been met with stiff resistance from the local community. One of Dennis’ responsibilities at the EDC was to oversee the Seaport Working Group, which was set up to reconcile Howard Hughes’ vision for the Seaport with concerns in the community, which center on preserving the historic character of the district. The SWG held about a dozen closed-door meetings last year, then was disbanded in December, amid disappointment over the fact that the company seemed to disregard the group’s concern about the height of the proposed tower. Dennis attended all of the meetings as an ECD representative, and her move to a lobbying firm allied with the developer raised eyebrows among those seeking to preserve the Seaport. “I can only speculate, but if Ashley Dennis is taking a paid position with Kasirer Consulting, who represents Howard Hughes, it certainly appears to be unethical,” said Diane Harris Brown, a former member of the SWG who belongs to Save Our Seaport, a local preservation group. According to the city’s conflict of interest law, a city employee cannot negotiate for a job with any company that the employee is involved with as part of their city duties. If a city employee leaves for the private sector, they are banned from contacting or visiting their former city agency on behalf of their new employer for one full year. Conflict of interest law also states that if a city employee has worked on a “particular matter” for the city, that employee can never work on that same particular matter again for a new pri-
vate employer, even after a year. Dennis did not return a request for comment on the matter. Kasirer Consulting provided a statement through a spokesperson. “Kasirer Consulting takes the rules set forth by the Conflict of Interest Board extremely seriously, and Ms. Dennis has strictly followed them,” the statement said. “Per COIB regulations, Ms. Dennis recused herself from working on all issues of interest to Kasirer Consulting or its clients, including South Street Seaport, prior to any discussions regarding employment opportunities with the firm.” Kasirer forwarded the statement to a reporter through the PR firm Berlin Rosen, which also represents Howard Hughes in its dealings with the media. When pressed, a Berlin Rosen spokesperson said, “Ms. Dennis has permanently recused herself from all matters relating to the Seaport.” The city’s Conflict of Interest Board said that confidentiality provisions prohibit them from disclosing information about a former city employee moving to the private sector, except in the case of waivers and final findings of violations, which is considered public information. “That said, we have no public information about Ms. Dennis,” said Breanna Injeski, deputy director of enforcement with the NYC Conflict of Interest Board. Kasirer’s website lists Dennis as a vice president, and touts her former position as chief of staff to EDC president Kyle Kimball, who is set to leave the agency in June. In a March interview with The Real Deal, Kasirer’s eponymous principal, Suri Kasirer, said she only hires “people who have been in government and politics at a senior level.” Kasirer said her team consists of three senior lobbyists, two junior staffers and two supporting employees. She also said real estate accounts for about half of the firm’s business and that they specialize in guiding developers through the city’s uniform land use review procedure, which is the next step for Howard Hughes in realizing its vision for the Seaport. Catherine McVay-Hughes, chair of Community Board 1 and a former member of the SWG, said Dennis has worked with the community in Lower Manhattan for a range of issues, including Hurricane Sandy recovery and the East River Esplanade, as well as on the SWG. “She knows this community’s concerns,” said McVay Hughes. “We hope that this will help with any project that she is working
on within Community Board 1 so that the project will appropriately address the diverse set of competing interests. In our system there is this revolving door between government and the private sector. It is the job of the stakeholders to protect their interests as we would be doing regardless of who is representing developers in our district.” Others saw her jump to the private sector as more concerning. Save Our Seaport released a statement criticizing Dennis’ move to a company representing Howard Hughes to city government. In it, they said Dennis, Kimball and Patrick O’Sullivan, the former vice-president of real estate for the EDC, who left last September, were responsible for negotiating the lease that enabled Howard Hughes to “privatize the Historic South Street Seaport District.” They also criticized the fact that the South Street Seaport Museum and the New Amsterdam Market, a popular locally sourced market that was located at the former Fulton Fish Market, were excluded from membership on the SWG. “Now we see how that could have happened,” said Harris Brown in the statement. “It is time for a new governing authority, with local stakeholders to replace the involvement of NYCEDC … We need a master plan for the Seaport.” In a subsequent interview, Harris Brown said Dennis wasn’t receptive to suggestions or ideas from the community, most importantly regarding proposed alternate locations for Howard Hughes’ residential tower. “The EDC’s position, as voiced by Ashley Dennis, was that there’s no alternate site for Howard Hughes’ proposed tower,” said Harris Brown. “There’s no point in looking for another site because there is none. They weren’t open to discussing these things.” Since December of last year when the SWG broke up, Howard Hughes has forged ahead and started the approval process with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. (Much of what the company wants to do is located within the Historic South Street Seaport District). Harris Brown stopped just short of saying the SWG was a waste of time. “I certainly was hoping that our guidelines would have more impact,” she said. “I don’t know that it felt like an exercise in futility, but I do think that Howard Hughes and the EDC really were throwing a bone to preservation friendly people, and it wasn’t much of a bone.”
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MAY 14-20,2015
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Fri 15 ▲ THE MARKETPLACE AT ST ANTHONY’S St Anthony Church, 154 Sullivan St. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sidewalk marketplace every Firday, Saturday and Sunday on the sidewalk of West Houston Street between Thompson Street and Macdougal Street in SoHo. 7185986604. www. themarketplaceatstanthonys. com
GEOJOURNEWS CONFERENCE Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, 55 West 13th St. 8:30 am-3:00 pm GeoJourNews is a two-day conference and hackday, hosted by Journalism + Design and CartoDB, catered to journalists and focused on geo-news. 212-229-5600. http://events. newschool.edu/
Sat 16 CYBERSCRIPTING THEATER WORKGROUP Hamilton Fish Park Library, 415
E Houston 10:15 a.m., Free Focused on, but not restricted to, the interplay of mathematics, information technology and urban experience, the workgroup covers the development and presentation of dramatic literature. 212-673-2290. www.nypl.org/ events/programs/2015/05/16/ cyberscripting-theater-workgroup
THE MUSICAL ADVENTURES OF FLAT STANLEY Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. 1:30 p.m., $25 Stanley Lambchop is just like everyone else. That’s the problem. For Stanley,
life is TOO normal. 212-220-8000. events. cuny.edu/eventDetail. asp?EventId=58796
Sun 17 REST FOR YOUR SOULS: PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT ▼ St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway and Fulton Street.
MAY 14-20,2015
5-6 p.m.Free. For those dealing with a sudden loss or grief, Trinity Wall Street is offering a sanctuary for personal and spiritual support. 212-575-4545. https:// www.trinitywallstreet. org/events/rest-yoursouls-eucharist-thoseexperiencing-grief-andloss?date=2015-05-17#. VUJ9n7nXDj
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Free Open Studios is a static presentation set within the classroom environment to showcase select course curricula of student assignments and ďŹ nal projects in the Parsons AAS Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing programs. 800-292-3040. events. newschool.edu/
BFA THESIS EXHIBITION 2015
Tue 19
Gulf + Western Gallery, 721 Broadway, 8th ďŹ&#x201A;oor gallery. All day, Free Works in photography, digital imaging, and multimedia by seniors in the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts. 212-998-1930. events.nyu. edu/#event_id/63189/view/ event
Mon 18 NETWORKING: TURNING BUSINESS CARDS INTO A BUSINESS NETWORK Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy St. p.m., Free 2 This workshop ccovers co vers quick iintroductions, in troductions, targeted targeted listening ta skills, and skills, aan nd ot oother her networking exercise.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
SEWARD PARK FILM SCREENING MAY 2015 Seward Park Library, 192 E. Broadway 6-7:30 p.m., Free Two ďŹ lms will be shown: The Immigrant, an early Charlie Chaplin short and On a Clear Day You Could See Boston. 212-477-6770, www.nypl.org/ events/programs/2015/05/19/ seward-park-ďŹ lm-screeningmay-2015
COMMUNITY BOARD 1 SEAPORT/CIVIC CENTER COMMITTEE 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709 6:00 PM, Free 212-442-5050http://www. nyc.gov/html/mancb1/html/ community/community.shtml
immigration will open to the public on Wednesday, May 20. 212-561-4588. http://www. libertyellisfoundation.org/
COMMUNITY BOARD 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PERSONNEL TASK FORCE 59 East 4th Street 6:30p.m., Free The Personnel Task Force of Community Board 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will meet to consider candidates for Assistant District Manager 212-533-5300 http://www. nyc.gov/html/mancb3/html/ calendar/calendar.shtml
Thu 21 BOARD GAMES & CHESS FOR CHILDREN AT CHATHAM SQUARE LIBRARY Chatnam Square Library, 33 E. Broadway 3 p.m., Free Come to Chatham Square Library to play board games and card games of all types and skill levels. 212-673-6344 www.nypl. org/events/programs/2015/05/ 07/%E6%A3%8B%E9%A1%9 E%E9%81%8A%E6%88%B2board-games-chess-childrenboard games chess chilldren chatham-squarelibrary
Wed 20
CAMP OUT THE BEST SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS Camps run June 22 - September 4 Ages 3 to 17 years 16 Sports Camps to choose from!
! * # !# ! * & !# ! ) * ! ) # % ! ! ) * # $ !! % * & !# %
GRAND OPENING OF
% * # $ !! ) $% $ * & !# ) $% $
) $% $ * $ % * !( * % ! # "!#%$ ) * # ' %&# !# $
EARLY BIRD PRICING Register by May 22nd & save! #! !# !# !# ( $ * $) #! % & #!' * # $"!#% % ! % # # '
SUMMER CAMP
Presented by Sole Strivers 212-243-6876 www.nypl.org/ events/programs/2015/05/18/ networking-turning-businesscards-business-network
OPEN STUDIOS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; PARSONS SCHOOL OF FASHION 2 West 13th St.
THE PEOPLING OF AMERICA CENTER â&#x2013;˛
COMMUNITY BOARD 2 FULL BOARD MEETING
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, Ellis Island, New York Harbor. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.$18. The Peopling of America CenterÂŽ at Ellis Island, new major exhibitions that chronicles
Scholastic Building, 557 Broadway, Auditorium 6:30 p.m. The full board of Community Board 2 will meet. 212-9792272 http://www.nyc.gov/html/ mancb2/html/calendar/calendar_ js.shtml
212.336.6846 chelseapiers.com/camps
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
A PLAY AT HOME IN A CHURCH Local church opens doors for a play with religious themes BY MEGAN MCGIBNEY
When Sara Florence Fellini wrote the script for her play “In Vestments,” she hadn’t yet thought about where to stage the story about a church in need of restoration. But when she teamed up with theater director Isaac Byrne to further develop her story, it was clear it would need a specific, less conventional space for its performances, preferably an actual church. “Isaac said this play lives in a space that is not in a standard space,” said Fellini, who also appears in the show. “There’s a lot of movement and unorthodox scene changes.” The two learned about West Park Presbyterian Church, on 86th Street near Amsterdam Avenue. The church allowed plays to be produced there in the past, and is in need of repairs as well. “In Vestments,” which runs through May 30, focuses on deep emotional and psychological issues involving the Roman Catholic Church, and Fellini and Byrne were a bit worried the church would be hesitant to stage the show within its walls, but West Park readily accepted Fellini’s script. The play focuses on four priests and a sacristan who live and work in the fictional church of Our Lady of Infinite Space, which is in need repair. The title of the show, a reference to the priests’ attire during mass, also nods to the financial investments required to maintain the church, and the devotion to the religion and the people in the organization, which doesn’t always yield positive results. As the characters seek to find ways to restore their decaying church, they also face painful secrets. And while some scenes are light-hearted, others are dark and haunting, such as a scene in which Fellini’s character, a sacristan named Maeve, prays and reveals that she was sexually abused. Father Yves, who was sexually abused by a cantor when he was an altar boy, observes her confession, which has emotionally traumatic results for the
priest, who hasn’t confronted his own past. “I hope what people get out of that is dealing with that is what helps you the most,” said actor Pierre Marais, who plays a demon named Jakamo. “You watch these people who haven’t dealt with it and how it really overtakes who they are and their lives.” Still, Adam Belvo, who plays a priest named Nate who once struggled with heroin addiction, assures “In Vestments” is not a wholly dark, intense experience. “It explores how people get caught in a system of doing things in a particular way,” Belvo said during a rehearsal break at New York Film Academy near Battery Park. “It’s a loving look at the people who make up the church. It’s about personal human issues and certain systems that keep people doing the same things in circles, and each of the characters suffer from their own failures.” Fellini grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, attended a Catholic high school and worked for the church for a few years, experiences that inspired the play. “The play was written with a lot of love,” she said. “It’s critical, but it’s human. If you watch it with an open heart and mind, you’ll see that these are real people with flaws, and the Catholic Church is filled with people with flaws.”
IF YOU GO What:A new, site-specific play by Sara Florence Fellini, directed by Isaac Byrne, about rebuilding a church in decay. When: Now through May 30, with performances Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Where: West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue Tickets: FREE, with suggested $20 donation at the door For advance reservations, visit http://www.infinitesighs.com/
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MAY 14-20,2015
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
FOOD
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
MOCATALKS: Tyrus Wong at the Disney Studio (1938-1941)
THURSDAY, MAY 14TH, 7PM Museum of Chinese in America | 215 Centre St. | 212-619-4785 | mocanyc.org Enjoy an illustrated talk on the Chinese-born painter Tyrus Wong, who was behind the lush art of the movie Bambi. ($15)
A NIGHT OF FILM AND FOOD: EL BULLI New Wave, Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 40-and-under membership program, partners with the James Beard Foundation’s branch for young food lovers to present the film “El Bulli: Cooking in Progress,” about acclaimed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià’s six-month preparation of the his restaurant El Bulli’s new menu. The film is paired with a food-filled reception, with dishes from Huertas’ Jonah Miller, Boqueria’s Marc Vidal, and others. A Night of Film and Food: El Bulli Thursday, May 14 Film Society of Lincoln Center Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center 144 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue 6 p.m. Membership to New Wave required; membership fee $300 For more information on New Wave, email newwave@filmlinc.com, or call 212-875-5668
Discovering and Valuing Cuban Art
SUNDAY, MAY 17TH, 2:30PM The National Arts Club | 15 Gramercy Park S. | 212-475-3424 | nationalartsclub.org Celebrate the opening of Cuba with a Sunday Salon session that explores the leading talents in the island’s current artistic renaissance. (Free)
Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015
SUNDAY, JUNE 21ST, 4:30AM Museum of Modern Art | 11 W. 53rd St. | 212-708-9400 | moma.org Gather at sunrise on the solstice for music and art in the Sculpture Garden in celebration of the current MoMA exhibit Yoko Ono: One Woman Show 1960–1971. ($25)
DANCE SOAKING WET SERIES, CURATED BY DAVID PARKER
MUSIC BANG ON A CAN: REVOLUTION OF THE EYE Bang on a Can All-Stars, a New York-based, genre-bending electric chamber ensemble, performs in connection with the Jewish Museum’s current exhibition, “Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television.” Thursday, May 14 Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street 7:30 p.m. Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit thejewishmuseum. org or call 212-423-3337
KIDS “THE GOONIES” Richard Donner’s 1985 adventure classic “The Goonies” comes to Film Forum’s kids repertory series. Co-written by Steven Spielberg, the film, about a motley crew of kids on a treasure hunt, stars Corey Feldman, Sean Astin and Josh Brolin. Sunday, May 17 Film Forum 209 W. Houston St., near Varick Street 11 a.m. Tickets $7.50 filmforum.org or call 212-727-8110
Soaking WET dance series returns to West End Theater at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, with new works by female choreographers. The program includes an improvisational work by choreographer Maura Nguyen Donohue called “The Tides Project: North Pacific Gyre” that explores her fascination with oceans that puts the audience in the center of perpetual, wavelike movement. May 21-24 West End Theater (at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew) 263 W. 86th St., second floor, at the corner of W. 86th Street and West End Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/1556429 or call 800-838-3006
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
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GALLERIES “PANORAMA” The artists in this outdoor sculpture exhibition, located throughout the High Line, play with scale and perspective. Denmark’s Olafur Eliasson constructed an imagined city from two tons of white Legos, and Japanese artist Yutaka Sone put the city in meticulous miniature. Now through March 2016 Hours through May 31: 7:00 a.m.-10 p.m. daily FREE For more information, visit thehighline.org
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Food & Drink
<QUEENS COMPANY ROLLS OUT SOLAR-POWERED FOOD CARTS Around 500 eco-friendly food carts, powered by solar panels, rechargeable batteries and alternative fuel, will soon hit the streets of New York, the Wall Street Journal reported. Queens company MOVE Systems developed the carts, and has partnered with the City Council to disperse them to food vendors throughout the city at no charge, thanks to private dona-
In Brief CHIPOTLE GRILL CATCHES FIRE IN MIDTOWN Hungry aft fternoon diners got more heat than they hey expected from a midtown Chipotle location when one of the restaurant’ss grills caughtt fire on Monday, day, DNAinfo reported. The fire started at the restaurant on 235 W. 56th St. at around 3:15 p.m., causing diners and kitchen employees out of the eatery and onto the street. Some witnesses to the blaze documented the incident on social media. Six fire trucks arrived at the restaurant, which is located on the first floor of a 40-story building, and fire fighters were able to extinguish the flames in 15 minutes. The cause of the fire and the reopening date of the location are still unknown.
JONATHAN WAXMAN EYES NEW PARTNERS, NEW VENTURE Jonathan Waxman, chef and owner of West Village staple Barbuto, plans to open a new restaurant in New York city with chefs Preston Madson and Ginger Pierce, a husband and wife pair who once worked for Waxman and recently left their posts at Freemans and Isa, Eater reported. The new venture comes at a time when Waxman is busy growing both outside New York—he recently opened eateries in Nashville and Toronto—and in Manhattan, as his reboot of his 1980s restaurant Jams will open shortly in the new 1 Hotel Central Park. He’ll also likely relocate neighborhood favorite Barbuto, currently located on Washington and W. 12th Streets. The building was purchased by a developer earlier this year, Eater reported, though a closing date for the location has yet to be announced.
tions and partnerships. MOVE Systems CEO James Meeks announced the program on Monday, along with City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and council member Donovan Richards, who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection. The carts will roll onto the city’s sidewalks around May 25, and can adapt to various types of cooking, the Wall
Street Journal reported. Each cart is complete with refrigerators and sinks, and some food vendors are already eager to get cooking in the new carts. According to the MOVE website, this pilot program will allow participating vendors to save on fuel, and the eco-friendly units eliminate propane tanks and generators, which will cut down on air pollution.
SPRING’S FLEETING FLAVORS ARRIVE THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN Ramps, asparagus and fiddleheads herald the start of growing season BY LIZ NEUMARK
While spring heralds outdoor fun and skimpy attire, for me it’s about one thing: The start of the growing season. Early every Saturday morning, I race down to the Union Square Greenmarket eager to see what is back. It started in late April this year with ramps and spring garlic. Last week asparagus and fiddleheads joined the lineup. In a flash, spring pea shoots, radishes and rhubarb will appear, followed by strawberries, tender field greens, chamomile (a personal favorite) and herbs and the rest of the early harvest bounty. The spring trifecta of ramps, asparagus and fiddleheads are a fleeting trio of intense flavors with true “terroir.” Their flavors evoke earthy tones of northeast woods and robust profiles of signature tastes. I enjoy them with a little bit of guilt, as they are pricey if you are not lucky enough to forage or grow your own. What I truly love about them, aside from their beauty and being the couriers of spring, is that they are independent of us. As perennials, they have their own schedule, emerging when Mother Nature decides it’s time. I celebrate these three almost slavishly, exploring every possible method of cooking and
RAMP PESTO: 1 packed cup of chopped ramp leaves and stem (about 8 ounces or 2 bunches) ¾ cup of chopped walnuts ¾ cups grated parmesan/ romano cheese ½+ cup olive oil A squeeze of fresh lemon juice Salt or fresh pepper according to your palate Put first ramps, walnuts and cheese ingredients in a food processor, then add the oil in a slow drizzle and finish with 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Remove when chopped but still with some pasty consistency. Use within three weeks or freeze in small containers. I like mine ‘garlicky’ so feel free to adjust proportions to your preference.
SPRING RADISH SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND BLOOD ORANGES From Sylvia’s Table Cookbook 1 bunch Easter Egg or other radishes 12 slender green asparagus spears Salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 blood oranges, peeled and pith removed, sectioned preservation to enhance and extend my enjoyment of them. And when they are gone, it’s over till next year. They are a glorious connection to humanity and nature, encompassing passion, discipline and the ephemeral character of life itself. Ramps grow unculti-
1/2 cup raw pistachios Freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons blood orange juice 1 teaspoon champagne or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced shallot 1 cup micro arugula Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and trim the radishes, cutting off the tail ends and leaves but retaining a little of the green tops. Cut each radish into four wedges and set aside. Trim the ends of the asparagus and peel the lower half. Blanch the asparagus in salted water for about 3 minutes, then quickly transfer to an ice bath. Drain and set the asparagus aside. Meanwhile, spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 4 minutes. Whisk together the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil. Combine the radishes, oranges, and pistachios in a bowl and toss with the oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the blood orange juice, vinegar, shallot and a pinch of salt; slowly whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil and season to taste with pepper and additional salt as needed. Gently toss the asparagus with the dressing and divide them among four plates. Spoon the radish mixture over the asparagus and top with arugula. vated in eastern American woodland environments. They have smooth green leaves that look like lilies of the valley, and a white bulb root. Successful foraging requires cutting the leaves and leaving some of the bulbs — otherwise the plants will not grow back the following year. Their
Fiddleheads, ramps and asparagus are a fleeting trio of intense flavors with true “terroir.” garlic- and onion-like flavor is distinctive. Ramps don’t need a lot of cooking, just a gentle sauté in olive oil with some salt and pepper. They’re perfect in a scant few minutes. They are wonderful with farm fresh eggs, scrambled, fried or omelet style with added cheese or meats. I adore making pesto with the leaves and red stems, leaving the bulbs for pickling. Trust me, a holiday gift of pickled ramps or ramp pesto should be reserved for those you truly love. They are wicked good in grilled cheese sandwiches or a panini. There are so many ways to enjoy asparagus, starting with simply sautéing them in olive oil or butter with salt and pepper for a few minutes; roasting for 10 minutes in a hot oven with olive oil, salt and pepper; or steaming them. Asparagus are great in pasta, salads, omelets or soup. Fiddleheads truly fascinate me. Their season is the briefest – sometimes just three or four weeks long. They grow wild in the
Northeast, typically the New England and Canada regions. Cook ing f idd leheads involves cleaning them well and removing the paper-like brown husks and then boiling in water for 10 minutes. After that, they can be sautéed with salt and pepper, some garlic and devoured alone or added to pasta, chicken or fish dishes. I endorse pickling fiddleheads in a gentle brine, as there is nothing like opening up a jar of them in the wintertime and feeling special. (I never share my preserved fiddleheads.) And then, they disappear. I am always a little brokenhearted the day I get to the market and there are no more ramps or asparagus. I am consoled with the first stalks of rhubarb, crisp and vibrant radishes and the knowledge that tomatoes are in the pipeline. It is the lesson of truly savoring the moment, which though trite, is true. Liz Neumark is CEO of Great Performances Catering and author of the cookbook Sylvia’s Table, on Twitter @SylviasTable
MAY 14-20,2015
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 4 - 9, 2015
Kopi Kopi
68 West 3 Street
A
The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.
Insomnia Cookies
116 Macdougal Street
A
Blue Ribbon
97 Sullivan St
A
Old Tbilisi
174 Bleecker Street
A
Sullivan Bistro
169 Sullivan Street
A
Caracas Arepa Bar
939312 East 7 Street A
Triona’s
237 Sullivan Street
A
The Horse Box
218 Avenue A
A
Carroll Place
157 Bleecker St
A
Lois Bar
98 Avenue C
A
Mei’s Coffee & Bakery
70 Forsyth St
Tuome
536 East 5 Street
A
Grounded
28 Jane Street
Grade Pending (33) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food 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.
Not Graded Yet (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
The Leadbelly
14 Orchard Street
A
Lost Weekend
45 Orchard Street
A
Yopparai
151 Rivington Street
A
Wassail
162 Orchard St
Not Graded Yet (19) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Spaghetti Incident
231 Eldridge St
Not Graded Yet (5) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Champion Pizza Ludlow
101 Ludlow St
A
The Back Room
102 Norfolk Street
A
Open House
244 East Houston Street
Grade Pending (18) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Great N.Y. Noodletown
28 Bowery
A
Roll And Go
362 Broadway
A
Shanghai Cuisine
89 Bayard St
Grade Pending (37) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Kaffe 1668
401 Greenwich Street A
Little Garden Cafe
94 Walker St
Not Graded Yet (45) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Circa Tabac
32 Watts Street
A
Parlor Club Nyc
286 Spring Street
A
Chalk Point Kitchen
525 Broome St
A
Hummus Place
71 7 Avenue South
A
Wild
535 Hudson Street
Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Think Coffee
73 8 Avenue
A
Fancy Girl Catering
415 West 13 Street
Grade Pending (22) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Wilfie & Nell
228 West 4 Street
A
Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker Street
A
Upholstry Store
715 Washington St
Not Graded Yet (26) 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. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Pearl
18 Cornelia Street
A
Casa
72 Bedford Street
A
Ed’s Lobster Bar
52 Gansevoort St
A
Caffe Vivaldi
32 Jones Street
A
Bennys Burritos
111113 Greenwich Avenue
A
Recette
328 West 12 Street
A
Vin Et Fleurs
69 Thompson Street
A
Jacques 1534
20 Prince Street
Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
Pluck U
230 Thompson Street A
16
MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Business
< NEW LEGISLATION BARS EMPLOYER CREDIT CHECKS Mayor de Blasio recently signed into law a bill that prohibits employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies from using or requesting an applicant’s consumer credit history, and prevents them from discriminating against an applicant or employee based on their credit history. Using credit checks during the hiring pro-
In Brief AIRBNB WINS ONE IN COURT In a recent court ruling that many are seeing as friendly to the controversial apartment-sharing startup Air BnB, a state Supreme Court judge said an Upper West Side landlord could legally rent units in his building for stays as short as seven days, according to the New York Post. And while the decision only applies to the Imperial Court Hotel, an SRO (single room occupancy) on West 79th Street, it could be used by other SRO landlords to rent out apartments as hotel rooms through services like Air BnB. Air BnB has been locked in a regulatory battle with State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and several state lawmakers over its website, which enables users to book short term rentals in the homes of private individuals. In New York City, say the company’s detractors, such practices threaten rent stabilized apartments and lead to unsafe conditions for tenants in buildings where Air BnB is being used. “This decision is a huge setback for affordable housing in the city,” Marti Weithman, president of the SRO Law Project at Goddard Riverside Center, told the Post. “It allows landlords of permanent residential buildings to rent rooms out to tourists instead of New Yorkers.” Upper West Side Councilmember Helen Rosenthal called the ruling a “disaster,” and said she hopes the city council appeals the decision.
STRINGER: DOE SHIRKING ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION Nearly one-third of city schools have no full-time certified physical education teacher, and 80 percent of co-located schools lack physical fitness space, according to a new report released by Comptroller Scott Stringer. In perhaps the most egregious example of this trend, 149 public schools lack both a full-time, certified physical education teacher and a space for physical fitness, said the report. The report, “Dropping the Ball: Disparities in Physical Education in New York City Schools,” serves as a condemnation of the Dept. of Education’s priorities when it comes to exercise in public schools. Other significant findings in the report include that nearly three out of 10 schools have no dedicated physical fitness space: 435 schools in New York City (28 percent) do not have a space dedicated to physical fitness. Forty-one percent of high schools and more than 35 percent of middle schools lack such space. Recommendations from the comptroller’s office include that the DOE undertake a system-wide assessment of certified physical education teaching positions and fitness spaces, in order to comply with state law. Every school should also be encouraged to have at least one certified physical education teacher on staff and district superintendents should identify neighborhood spaces with excess capacity as part of a broader plan to provide improved access to physical fitness activities to all children.
cess to screen applicants disproportionately affects low-income applicants and applicants of color, according to the mayor’s office, and this legislation prevents the vast majority of employers from doing so. Intro. 261-A, as the bill is known, also applies to city agencies, most of which are prohibited from requesting or using the consumer credit history of an ap-
plicant, licensee or permittee for licensing and permitting processes. “Every New Yorker applying for a job deserves a fair shot – and we are committed to protecting the rights of our workers and making sure that every New Yorker has the opportunity to succeed,” said de Blasio in a statement. “This bill will remove a barrier to employment and ensure that people are judged on their merits and ability, rather than unrelated factors.”
MACY’S TO TEST DISCOUNT STORES RETAIL Move comes as Bloomingdale’s plans to open an “off-price” store on the Upper West Side BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
The outlet wars are heating up. Macy’s Inc. has named its new discount stores Macy’s Backstage, and says the first four test stores will open this fall in New York City and the surrounding area. Macy’s move comes four months after the department store chain announced it was exploring an “off-price” retailing business, throwing down the gauntlet with the likes of T.J. Maxx, Ross and a Nordstrom Rack. This would mark the first offprice business for the Macy’s brand. Meanwhile, the parent company is opening its 14th outlet store for its upscale chain Bloomingdale’s this fall on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It will mark the first outlet store for Bloomingdale’s in an urban location. Macy’s, which has headquarters in New York and Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a standout among its peers throughout the economic recovery. But it faces challenges to drive sales growth amid shifting shopper behavior.
The company, which generated annual sales of $28.1 billion in the latest fiscal year, expects total sales growth of just one percent this year. That’s because shoppers are increasingly researching and buying online. Moreover, since the Great Recession, shoppers’ fixation with deals on namebrand items has only gotten stronger. That obsession with fat discounts has helped drive sales growth at off-price retailers like Ross Stores Inc. and TJX Cos., which operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Macy’s has picked the fiercely competitive New York City area as its first battleground. The new Macy’s Backstage test stores will be located in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn; Queens Place in Elmhurst, Queens; Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park, New York. and Melville Mall in Huntington, New York. The stores will measure about 30,000 square feet, about the same size as a T.J. Maxx and one fifth of a regular Macy’s store. They will offer products ranging from women’s, men’s and children’s clothing to home furnishings. The merchandise will include clearance goods from its 800 Macy’s stores as well as special buys from name brands at 20 percent to 80 percent off original and comparable prices for similar items.
Each Macy’s Backstage store will also include amenities like a suite of large fitting rooms. One location will test a cafe concept. Macy’s spokesman Jim Sluzewski, declined to comment on future locations for Macy’s Backstage for competi-
tive reasons. “As with all of Macy’s innovations, we will test and learn to see what resonates most with customers so we can adjust before rolling out additional locations,” said Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief innovation and business development officer.
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Sports
Be Seen
ASPHALT GREEN BASEBALL CONTINUES STREAK
in Manhattan’s Premier Arts Section where...
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 or readers say they attended a Broadway performance in the past 3 months
68% RY 12-18 ,2015
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The works ngs, are organized Boy in Stripe Schiele’s wife which the painti music of it is a ing side room, from given over just 11 oil is , with the g in the show. is not just because small tes, of tically full thema nberg emana , with reproducAnd it nberg waftin ng in a room it, Schoe Arnold Schoe very explic s, to his time in prisonzed watercolors large oil painti . b of Viagoni his t-sized, albeit Harm background in a subur tions of the eted while serving r, modes on paper. Edith Born in 1890was a rebel painte e-class girl e compl e the works table, middlin 1915 after Schiel sentence. in respec ant enna, Schiel Dean of his age,” married 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 ist, who boreto Dean (both died at live-in lover “Walland prim, finely trio, “The Famil ring a nt father shelte e could d collar years resemblance only three my of her ruffle striped dress, a garme ’s mother and pictur After the ated their 20s). child. (Alas, been res of Joseph rvative Acade y deline es up vision t an small until April and has months Vienna’s conse he precociousl that conjur colors. Set agains stay six not But where .) sevlooks its lender iele and of many Fine Arts– contractage 16–Sch Schiele’s wife like a turned to free coat ancy, Edith e enrolled at iconoclasts broke -white void, into her pregnh flu and died. Schiel ppe off ke and awkward, rather ufellow nstgru eral be manip doll-li later of the ed the Spanis d the Neuku waiting to three days same day as and forme marionette ). perished the a Seces- lated. (New Art Group hated the same malady—on 31, 1918. of the Vienn her family l, October A protégé v Klimt (1862-1918), Edith and her sister Adele pro- his wife’s funera a prodigy, with his 28, show e. sion’s Gusta d, Schiele made n, painting, with He was onlylasted just a decad he have to , 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 is now centur expre he her and last But oLoos, the vapid , of ex, psych with the Hoffmann e’s finest. 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 rebel of masturba- painted in the of Gerti Schiele” brilliant line, Make that ait bedepictions deand lewd “Portr , room and color 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
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 CHELSEA Comed d the winner They also time, this a golden y writer Shawn watched a knows that piece about “If the artist great. dramatic dance some people Wickens the Troma Films, think his work to try,” Wickenis willing to try, we are rican Americ prevalence of HIV in the Afwilling s said. Central have Blue Man Group and is bad. artistic stew an community. The festiva The Bad Theate Comedy all rejected r l, an haven for variou Fest, as it is known his submis Wickens is wrenching, of the outlandish and sions. , is a safe the heart the s types regarding thenot ashamed of this. First time is interesting meaningful and the His actors, playwrof creative misfits. random, becaus to perform matter is simple: when theory ducers call e you never know you’re going ance, nothin it comes the festiva ights and film proto see. what will always g l home. Experi writers take “It’s be someone is universal. There part, enced and totally accepting of is bad. remain tucked too, submitting works that thinks develo 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 l, face when presen writers and fear York City stage. Starr and work on a New Wicken’s work actors ting their his theater Starr is showin “The festiva is no except peers, he createdwork. So, to assist l is to g a 15 year-ol ion. give people dissolves perfor creativ in college a d piece he wrote a chance to mers’ pressu showcase that find e and be on stage, which be sation . Wickens, who is a solving their with less and re by first weekly improv performer is harder audience’s dis- city,” less small iexpect “It turned into Wickens theaters in to nizing an improv at Magnet Theater, is a festival whereations. orgathe topic skit very low,” Wicken Submissionssaid. of depression for the festival. With the bar is set s said. its within the New York City. are not limited to munity, the comedy compeople shows 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
IMING THE STREET
Bet tma partial n’s latest tirely ly out of coinwork develop out said tha of creativi cidence, but ed sem traits t he plan ty. Original en- in bled in the BY ADEL the ned in beginni Native LE BROD stylized the env iron to shoot ly he Stre Lower Eas ng of Oct BECK et por t tin Bett Brooklyn ment that nat sets. How photogr of hyp - but it between OrcSide on Riv ober the ever ect to man is brin ingt erwas caption tory of urally com , complic the stre ging hisapher Jusstillatio not his hard and Lud on atio e with “It’s bee #Setint first New Bet tma ets of n. new low intentioNew York inte heStree the terrns n inte For his York in-, to see profess n, 23, hasManhattan. projrfered “Studions. how the resting and t. with hisi- man said first set, in iona bee and eve and cou lly for n sho pub space awe would and standing he only inteBrookly n, expect. man saidn added to lic has resp some bia Rec nts Forbes a few yea rsotin g nat I was trying is rea lly exp Since ” nded to Bettonded these magazin ive solv . “Wh now “When briefly. to thin ensive Low sets among ords, ABC leave welcom receiving e,” k of an sitting it sell er East en I did the ,” BettFamily e, Columimage, we were ing feed such pos on my said Bettma alte Side, is scat his clients. shootin set and Hon Stre ing and frie His tere n. “I wasr- ing to people kep dow n bikes on thethere was in the to et work, Betback for his itive and well as d with high artistic resu da not I looked dow nd Gozde Eke t stop g the firs take the ping picture t was “Rather set bec street whoa guy friekeep it goin tman said Set in the r’s roof ing a set personal end -profile wor me wal iced that a n onto the s,” Bet and askcom than tryi aus g with nd. he street took buildin cided k esse tma k as eav the help plans Since peting with e he though Project of portrai “Go “From ntially crea g on the and be coothat for the ng to fight n said. each ts title ors, includhis ” of his in of recl set is enti bike sale t it coll zde [Eker] which bagel d “The there ted a set sideit, futu inte and abo I for Bet s.” made l to leave the re sets it I de- said aimed foun rely from hom a photog tman tradBagel Bet rest ing to thought it wall.” would my pho one in rate on thes I will continu the he m inta d obje comprised wou ld people tma n bui ld ed a tog L.A and eless peo raph and cts, ct run e to fornia. rap . wit hou e,” he said afte sets out be take thei other Bettman into som his com idea tran explain h ple livin a stor y . one Since pan side r own and let oth r I e sfor meded. “And plan on s we have t her, but “I did g in Cali ture pictures er a “Findin g thecomplicatio ions have then the,” stripe his set on all into - didn that peo cha ther bedroom Riv ing it gets doing at leasdone together the furn itur ns. ple had using furn bea ’t wan too cold ton, a e.” find llenge bec t one . We e has ect as i- has r and nigh complete aus pinpiec Bettma t anymor disposed an ong out, but I more before with tedd htag has tstand, together es that all e it’s diff iculbeen of or n’s mos e.” see this oing On an y wor ple Oct t seri arisen for a set, t rece Instagr projk cohesiv to tha aro ober “Ho nt set 6 Bet es.” nk ing pho und tow n among fans am onc wever, ass ” he said. ely was astma n have bee . Peoall the you on his e the embling posted postingtos of Bett Fac furn sup n has ebook capturman iture a por the the bee them on thei ’s creation part of n fairly eas has been sets ningproject and t he has recepage for and r profi fou nd stat buildin ived on to y. The ting les wit eye out work on his ed he was h muc up wallpapg them has hardest next set. beginbee ing roo for a random h mor er Kee e time-co and wallingn putthe stre m, or perhap bed roo p an nsumin . It m, livs bat g then is commutet during you your nex hroom on e. t morning
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 a drink at festival will down the street from the where peoplealso 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 guarans said can be seen he hopes it by a pool of untappfuture audiences as ed talent.
otdowntown.com
Asphalt Green’s 8U travel baseball team is off to a hot start this season with a 4-1 record in the New York Premier Travel League. The team has been clicking on both offense and defense, coming from behind in the last inning to win two of its last three games.
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Real Estate Sales Neighborhd
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NURSES: CORNERSTONES OF THE COMMUNITY Lower East Side seniors learn how to prevent falls at a recent workshop held in partnership with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Educational Alliance and the Co-Op Village NORC. Photo: VNSNY
HEALTH Eyes and ears of physicians, nurses are essential members of the medical system BY MAURICE HALL
Registered Nurse, with the not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York Last week marked National Nurses Week, but they are of course indispensable at all times. With so many changes in our healthcare landscape stemming from the Affordable Care Act, nurses today are truly essential members of medical system. Home-care nurses are often the unsung heroes who keep our aging population living safely and independently at home — avoiding unnecessary trips to the hospital. Nurses are skilled and dedicated professionals who work tirelessly on the frontlines of our communities, helping our most vulnerable New Yorkers stay safe and healthy as they age, or are returning to health. As a registered nurse with the not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York, I’ve discovered that many people are surprised when their experience gives them insight into the care that a skilled home or community-based care nurse provides. If you or a loved one are looking to get aid from a nurse, it’s important to know what exactly the role of a nurse encompasses. Here are five things that you might not know about nurses: • Nurses are educated, but they also educate. Nurses go above and beyond their standard job description to help their patients and caregivers navigate all sorts of healthcare needs. Many are as skilled with technology as they are with a stethoscope — using mobile cameras, lightweight tablet computers to keep their patients “in the know” about their own health and in turn, help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. • Nurses are tough as nails and immune to bad smells. Nurses are often in and out of
homes and hospitals and have gotten used to virtually every smell you can think of — good or bad! Nurses are also often required to adapt to a variety of stressful situations. Whether it’s dealing with an emergency surgery in the operating room or quickly treating a grisly wound, nurses can be some of the toughest people you know. • Nurses are the “eyes” and “ears” of physicians. While patients may only see their doctors for a quick visit in the office or at the hospital, home-care nurses coordinate care with their patients on an ongoing basis to form trusting (and often lasting) relationships that support their care. They are a helpful resource for physicians because they monitor patients outside the office and can inform doctors about health changes in real time to help patients stay healthy and avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions. • Nurses aren’t just people you see in hospitals. Many nurses, like myself, often visit patients at home or in community settings. By assisting with care at home, home-care nurses can help aging or homebound individuals stay engaged in their communities and live a safe and independent life for many years — without having to admit into a hospital or a nursing home. • Nurses are there with calm and care. At some point in our lives, we all connect with a nurse. Maybe it’s someone who was there when we were born, or gave birth to our own children. Maybe it’s the hospice nurse who brought peace and calm in a loved one’s final months, weeks or days. Maybe it’s the steady skill of an RN who supervised care and helped coach new lifestyle changes after surgery. Nurses are there when we need them — they are there for the care. Maurice Hall is a registered nurse with the not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York. To learn more about how to find a visiting nurse that can help you or someone you love, visit www.VNSNY.org and call 1-800-675-0391.
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes
A MAVERICK SUPERINTENDENT TAKES FLIGHT A West Side super is leaving his job to pursue a passion BY CARLA CURTSINGER
Top Gun, the 1986 Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster about an elite naval flying school, made Tom Cruise a star, aviator sunglasses a musthave, and “Highway to the Danger Zone” the rock anthem of the skies. It made Jefferson Vicente passionate about flying. “After I saw that movie, I knew I had to learn to fly an airplane,” said Vicente, 42, the superintendent at 107-111 West 82nd Street on the Upper West Side. “I was determined to become a pilot.” A native of Brazil, Vicente came to New York City on a two-month vacation in 1989 and never left. After working a variety of jobs in the restaurant industry and building maintenance, he obtained his current position with Marin Manage-
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ment Company in 2000. “I thought I would work at the co-op for two or three years,” said Vicente. “Fifteen years later, I’m still here.” But not for long. Vicente is leaving his job and Manhattan in May because he made his dream come true: he’s a pilot now, and he’s going to pursue that high-flying profession fulltime. After seeing the movie, Vicente researched flying lessons and found them to be cost-prohibitive. Not deterred, he saved for over 10 years, eventually taking lessons in the evening and on weekends at airports in upstate New York, California and New Jersey. But his dream took a turn after a friend and fellow pilot took him on a demo flight in a helicopter. “I loved the view, the ability to hover,” said Vicente. “I decided then and there to get my helicopter pilot’s license instead.” And he did – his private helicopter pilot’s license in 2007; commercial license in 2008; and his instructor’s license in 2010. But the high cost of flying cropped up again. If Vicente ever wanted to be hired by a commercial helicopter company, he had to earn a minimum of
1,000 hours of flying time. So he got creative. “I leased a helicopter, which I’m sure they only agreed to do because business was slow,” said Vicente. “Then, through a combination of word of mouth and coupons I offered on Groupon and Living Social, I gave flying lessons. So I was able to get paid while I earned the hours of flying time that I needed.” Way more hours than he needed, in fact – over 1,800 hours all told – and now Vicente’s dream of being a full-time commercial helicopter pilot is being realized with New York Helicopter, which offers charter flights and city tours ranging from 15 to 25 minutes in length. “I fly a large six-passenger helicopter now,” said Vicente. “On one of the routes that I fly up the Hudson River, I go right past my building on 82nd Street – I can usually see our roof deck.” He admits that it took “luck, and a lot of hard work” to get him to this point in his new career, and he recommends patience and persistence to anyone who might be contemplating pursuing their own
dream job. “It’s not easy,” said Vicente. “It may take one year, or two years, or like me, eight years [after he got his flying instructor’s license]. It took me a very long time to finally realize my dream to fly the Hudson River.”
After he leaves 107-111 West 82nd Street in May, Vicente will be moving to New Jersey and, for the first time in 15 years, will not be responsible for anyone’s apartment but his own. “I am so grateful to all the residents of 82nd Street for all the opportunities that they
made possible for me,” said Vicente. “But as a super, you carry the building on your shoulders wherever you go. Your phone is on 24-hours-a-day, and you can never be more than 30 minutes away. For the first time in a very long time, I’ll be free. I feel lighter already.”
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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 ANIMALS & PETS
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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
Friendly Neighborhood Auction Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry. Sat May 16, 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 Online Auction w/Bid Center, Historic Stewart-Hawley-Malloy House and 5.17+/-Acres & All Personal Prop., Laurinburg, NC in Scotland Co., Real Estate Sale Ends May 27th at 2pm, Bid Center: Hampton Inn, Laurinburg, NC, Personal Property Sale Ends June 4th at 3pm Online Only, 800.997.2248, NCAL3936, ironhorseauction.com SULLIVAN COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION- 350+/- Properties June10+11 @10AM. Held at “The Sullivan” Route 17 Exit:109. 800-243-0061 AAR Inc. & HAR Inc. Free brochure: www.NYSAuctions.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 ENTERTAINMENT
LIPS The Ultimate in Drag Dining & Best Place in NYC to Celebrate Your Birthday! 227 E 56th St., 212-675-7710 www.LipsUSA.com
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ENTERTAINMENT
MERCHANDISE FOR SALE
Mohegan Sun Why Drive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com
Billie Holiday - 2 Early 78 Albums - Perfect Condition 212-751-2247
HEALTH SERVICES
Breathing Techniques for Severe Asthmatics By Appointment 201-640-7501 Carnegie Hill Endoscopy 212-860-6300 www.carnegiehillendo.com Columbia Doctors of Ophthalmology - Our newest location at 15 West 65th Street (Broadway) is now open. www.ColumbiaEye.org 212.305.9535 High Colonic By Rachel Relieve constipation & bloating 24 yrs exp. 212-317-0467 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho Mount Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital University Medical Practice Associates 212-523-UMPA(8672) www.umpa.com New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan NYU Langone Medical Center Introduces the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. 555 Madison Ave bet. 55th & 56th, 646-754-2000 HELP WANTED
$8,000 COMPENSATION. EGG DONORS NEEDED. Women 21-31. Help Couples Become Families using Physicians from the BEST DOCTOR’S LIST. Personalized Care. 100% Confidential. 1-877-9-DONATE; 1-877-936-6283; www.longislandivf.com ATTEND AVIATION COLLEGE– Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866296-7093
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com
MASSAGE Therapeutic massage, $75/Hr. Lic., 20+ yrs exp. 917-734-7448 tonydif.massage@gmail.com
Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787
Fresh California Organic Walnuts, home grown, hand picked. Reduces the risk of heart disease. One of the best plant source of protein, Omega 3 and E &B vitamins. $12 a pound shelled, $5 a pound in shell, plus shipping. Perry Creek Walnuts 530-503-9705 perrycreekwalnuts.com perrycreekwalnuts@hotmail.com Pandora Jewelry Unforgettable Moments 412 W Broadway - Soho, NYC 212-226-3414 MUSIC
GUITAR LESSONS Quick Results. Acoustic, Electric, Songwriting. NYC Loc. or your home. Get started now! Call Howie Scher at 646-2569676, or email schershot24@ aol.com for rates and hours. REAL ESTATE - RENT
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com REAL ESTATE - SALE
Spectacular 3 to 22 acre lots with deepwater access- Located in an exclusive development on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Amenities include community pier, boat ramp, paved roads and private sandy beach. May remind you of the Jersey Shore from days long past. Great climate, boating, fishing, clamming and National Seashore beaches nearby. Absolute buy of a lifetime, recent FDIC bank failure makes these 25 lots available at a fraction of their original price. Priced at only $55,000 to $124,000. For info call (757) 442-2171, e-mail: oceanlandtrust@ yahoo.com, pictures on website: http://Wibiti.com/5KQN UPSTATE NY ABSOLUTE LAND LIQUIDATION! MAY 16TH! 19 Tracts from 3 to 35 acres starting at $12,900. Examples: 9 acres -$19,900. 20 acres - $29,900. 35 acresFarmhouse- $169,900 Foreclosures, estates, abandoned farms! Waterfront, trout streams, farmhouses, views! Clear title, 100% g’teed! Terms available! Call: 888-905-8847 to register or go to: NewYorkLandandlakes.com SERVICES OFFERED
Allstate - The Wright Agency Anthony Wright 718 671 8000 Ao65989@allstate.com Auto.home.life.retirement
Telephone: 212-868-0190 Fax: 212-868-0198 Email: classified2@strausnews.com
POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. The publication will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. The publication assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for any copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid. SERVICES OFFERED
CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084 Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org
Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com
ANTIQUES WANTED
TOP PRICES PAID
Chinese Objects Paintings, Jewelry Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased
800.530.0006
Guitar Lessons
(FU 4UBSUFE /08
)08*& 4$)&3 646.256.9676 schershot24@ao
l.com
Quick Results "DPVTUJD t &MFDUSJD t 4POHXSJUJOH /:$ -PDBUJPO PS ZPVS )PNF $BMM PS FNBJM GPS SBUFT IPVST
Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers NYC’s Coolest Place to Skate! ChelseaPiers.com/sr 212-336-6100 SITUATION WANTED
Reliable lady seeks job to care for elderly. Excellent ref. upon request. Flo 646-245-7896 WANTED TO BUY
ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps, Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NY: 1-800959-3419 I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com TOP DOLLAR PAID FOR Fine & Costume Jewelry Gems-Silver-Gold-Jade Antiques-Art-Rugs Certified GIA Gemologist Estatements 718 608 5854
TO PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICE CALL
(212) 868-0190
SOHO LT MFG
462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $75 psf
or
barry.lewis@strausnews.com
Call Farrell @ Meringoff Properties 646.306.0299
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
MAY 14-20,2015
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