The local paper for Downtown FROM JULLIARD TO THE MET, < Q&A, P.21
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25-1 2015
CANDLE BAR GOES DARK The Upper West Side’s last gay bar closes after decades in the neighborhood BY LOGAN HENDRIX
On Monday night, longtime customers stepped inside Candle Bar on Amsterdam Avenue and said goodbye, to each other and to the last of its kind on the Upper West Side. The low-lit establishment with a rainbow flag loosely draped from the ceiling and rock music coming from its speakers had attracted a gay clientele since it opened in the mid-1960s, when the notion of same-sex attraction still had a subversive aura. Still, the Candle Bar’s closing was tinged with nostalgia and melancholy. “I’m very sad the bar is
closing, it’s the only community bar left and I have no idea where I’ll go next,” said Archie Long, a longtime patron who recalls when the Upper West Side had a dozen or so gay bars. The bar’s owner, Michelle Ader, who has run the bar since 1992, sold the building and its new owner does not want to keep the Candle Bar operating, she said. “We hope that everyone has enjoyed the community fixture and we’re sorry,” said Ader. Amonte Demarko, who’s worked at Candle Bar for about 12 years, the last 10 as its manager, said bar options for gay men are dwindling. “It’s my home away from home, it’s my second family”
he said. Steve Vasta, a regular customer for nearly a decade, said, “I like that I can sit here and talk to the bartenders, play video games and watch horrendous movies on the TV.” Vasta, calling himself a ‘refugee of clubs,’ says most customers are unsure what bars will replace Candle Bar because alternatives are not close by. “There were a lot more gay bars in the ‘80s, and they were more gay ‘Cheers’ where everybody knows everybody,” Vasta said. Vasta and Demarko mentioned the Ninth Avenue Saloon as an option, as well
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Our Take THE MAYOR AND THE POLICE
Amonte Demarko, who’s worked at Candle Bar for about 12 years, the last 10 as its manager, at the bar on its last night of business. Photo: Logan Hendrix
CITY TENANTS WATCH WARILY AS RENT FIGHT PLAYS OUT IN ALBANY Though officials have offered assurances that rent controls won’t be affected, some tenants aren’t convinced BY JENNIFER PELTZ AND MICHAEL BALSAMO
Protesters last month at a rally against changes in the rent rules.
Fabulous upcoming New York State events and must-sees at ILoveNY.com/summer15 and inside!
Lynda Williams woke up in her apartment of 34 years wondering about her future there, after the state’s decades-old rent regulations expired overnight. Although officials say the laws ultimately will be renewed, “it’s scary for me,” said Williams, a retired nurse who has seen de-
regulated apartments across the street from hers rent for considerably more than she pays. “It would be impossible for me to move somewhere else and pay the rent I’m paying now and be able to support myself,” she said. As Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed the rent laws in a closed-door meeting with top lawmakers in Albany, renters and housing advocates rallied outside his Manhattan office and at City Hall to decry the
regulations’ lapse at midnight Monday despite months of discussion. “It’s mind-boggling,” said City Councilmember Daniel Garodnick, whose Manhattan district includes a largely rentstabilized complex with more than 11,000 apartments. If the laws aren’t extended, restrictions on rent increases and evictions for more than 2 million tenants in and around New York City would disappear once their leases expire. Lawmakers say that’s an unlikely scenario, but it has tenants nervous: New York City’s 311 information hotline has seen an uptick in calls about rent regulation in recent
Late Monday night, the mayor finally agreed to a police-staffing deal that should have been struck months ago. Bill de Blasio agreed to fund an additional 1,300 NYPD officers as part of the city’s new $78.5 billion budget. The mayor, inexplicably, had been holding out against adding the cops, despite pleas from Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Council Speaker Melissa MarkViverito, unlikely allies on the issue. They argued that the extra officers were needed to find a crime rate in the city that had begun creeping up. Apparently, the mayor never got the memo that public safety was his single most important legacy. But de Blasio refused to move away from his base, holding firm as recently as two weeks ago that what was needed wasn’t more police, but better policing. It was a maddening stance, given the crime stats and Bratton’s own credibility in making the case. The good news here is that the mayor ultimately did the right thing, approving not only the 1,000 officers requested by the NYPD, but an 300 additional officers in an anti-terrorism team to patrol high-target areas like Times Square. Even before the increase, the city has by far the largest police department in the country, with about 34,600 uniformed personnel, not including 890 new officers who will graduate from the Police Academy in July. Those are big numbers. But they are unfortunately what’s needed at a time when the city’s crime rate once again is on the rise.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 Downtowner SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
WEEK OF APRIL
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL
presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous 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
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman number will tally the type and business of complaints by small taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an 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 on the Over the past 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 work between and go as they please. some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., 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
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT EYES 5,000 MORE BODY CAMERAS Another 5,000 New York City police officers could be wearing body cameras, according to a report in Capital New York. The department has put out a bid request for the lot, which, if bought, would signiďŹ cantly increase the number of cameras now in use. A pilot programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst phase brought 60 cameras to ďŹ ve precincts, Capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report
noted. The cameras, a cornerstone of Mayor Bill de Blasioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police reform initiative, are turned on when officers make arrests, question suspects or during some patrol assignments. The recorded data are then sent to a remote system and stored According to the bid, Capital said, the camera contract would begin Jan. 1, 2016 and run through 2020. There would be three, 3-year renewal options, the news siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report said.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Davis said that every police officer on patrol could sooner or later be wearing a camera. With the pilot program about to signiďŹ cantly expand, department officials are exploring how best to store the data, Capital quoted Davis as saying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing to get a camera and put it on you and push an on button and off button and hope that you can capture a good ďŹ eld of view, but the big issue is not so much the process of putting the camera on and capturing video, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the storage capability and categorizing it and keeping it,â&#x20AC;? Davis told Capital.
STRICTER REGULATIONS FOR NAIL SALONS ADOPTED
New York City police officers on patrol could eventually all be wearing body cameras, according to a police official. Photo: David Tan, via Flickr
New York lawmakers last week approved tougher regulation of nail salons, intended to help protect some 40,000 workers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; many of them female immigrants â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from getting shorted on pay and otherwise mistreated. The Assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unanimous
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This bill strikes the right balance for empowering the work force, establishes penalties and due process to root out the bad operators and will improve an industry that contributes more than $2.7 billion in revenue for New York, he said. The legislation, endorsed earlier last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders, followed a New York Times expose in May showing workers, many in the U.S. illegally and speaking little English, were paid far less than minimum wage for long hours and many suffered airway ailments. Cuomo subsequently announced an outreach campaign intended to better protect workers from abuse and health risks and said the state Health Department would review the chemical agents they use. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who represents large swaths of the West Side, said a previous state law required salon operators make masks and gloves available on request to protect workers against chemicals and fumes. Now they will all have to make them available, she said. The Associated Press
vote, following Senate approval two days earlier, will amend state law for the appearance enhancement industry, including manicurists, hair stylists, cosmetologists and estheticians. It adds sex trafficking and compelling prostitution to the list of criminal convictions that prohibit state licensing. For proliferating nail salons, the bill speciďŹ cally authorizes state authorities to shut those that are unlicensed and to ďŹ ne or order shut those without a bond or liability insurance, while requiring ďŹ nancial regulators ensure bonds and insurance are readily available. It requires manicurist trainees to obtain a certiďŹ cate to work under a licensed nail practitioner, and says one yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s active training and a completed online course and an exam can qualify trainees for licenses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we start to improve an industry like the nail salon business, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s based on an informal but shadow economy, with only punitive measures we may end up pushing those businesses farther into the shadows,â&#x20AC;? said Assemblyman Ron Kim, a Queens Democrat and lead sponsor. T
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Available parking is scarce in the city and increasingly expensive or difficult to ďŹ nd. Early this week, a new app launched to alert drivers of open spaces and gave homeowners the opportunity to make some cash by renting out their driveways, the Daily News reported. Drivers use SpotPog to indicate they are vacating their parking spots, which in turn notiďŹ es other drivers thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an open space, the paper said. The driver who gives up the parking spot receives a credit, called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pog,â&#x20AC;? to park in an open space later on when faced with the dreadful task of ďŹ nding convenient parking. 20 pogs are awarded to drivers once they register for the app. These credits can be traded with other account holders for spaces where free public parking is located. Drivers can gain more pogs through transfer or purchase or by participating in promotions, the Daily News report said. SpotPog could also cut down on car-produced pollution by decreasing idling cars. E
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
MANHATTAN JAIL ESCAPE FOILED Investigators sweeping a jail after breaking up a contraband smuggling ring uncovered an inmate’s apparent escape plot using 64 neatly tied together bedsheets, enough for him to shimmy down 11 stories from his cellblock to the street, city officials said. Inmate Ernest Murphy, awaiting trial on an attempted-murder charge, had the sheets stashed under a sink in his cell at the Manhattan Detention Center, said Mark Peters, commissioner of the city Department of Investigation. The coil stretched the length of a gymnasium nearly four times. Murphy, already jailed on allegations he participated in a gang assault in which a man was slashed and shot, was arrested May 11 on a new charge of promoting prison
contraband. He didn’t confess to an escape attempt, but authorities said there’s no other logical reason for the sheets. A message left with his lawyer wasn’t immediately returned. Peters and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said the arrest came after a monthslong investigation into contraband smuggled inside and out of the jail, located next door to Manhattan Criminal Court and used mostly for holding prisoners ahead of court dates. An undercover officer posed as an inmate wanting to smuggle contraband, and the probe included wiretaps. “We have all witnessed in recent weeks the serious consequences that can result when contraband is smuggled inside prison walls,” Vance said. The search of prison cells also turned up a blade, a pen with a sharpened tip, marijuana and a scale for weighing drugs, officials said. The invest igat ion cont inues.
thief. At 5:30 p.m. on June 11, a 35-year-old woman put her bag on a chair in the Stone Street Tavern at 52 Stone St. and went to use the restroom. When she returned, her bag was gone. The items stolen were a MacBook Pro valued at $2,800, a beige Barneys leather backpack tagged at $900, and a Seagate external hard drive priced at $100.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY While a woman was taking pictures, a robber took her bag. At 6:15 p.m. on June 12, a 31-year-old woman put her book bag down on a bench in Battery Park opposite 17 Battery Place. She walked nearby to take pictures. When she came back to the bench, her bag was missing. Police searched the area but could not turn up her stolen stuff. The items taken included $1,700 in cash, a Colombian driver’s license and ID, as well as credit and debit cards.
FLOWN FROM STONE A bar patron answered the call of nature — and the prayers of a
CRICKETERS HARMS
Place a bag on the floor — and watch it walk out the door! Around 9 p.m. on June 12, a man put his property on the floor while he was drinking and socializing at the Cricketers Arms bar located 57 Murray St. At some point, an unknown perpetrator made off with his belongings. Surveillance video may have captured the incident. Items stolen were a MacBook Air valued at $1,100, reading classes worth $300, and a leather case priced at $200.
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for June 8 to June 14 Week to Date Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Burglary Grand Larceny Grand Larceny Auto
MUGGING ON THE 2 TRAIN A 20-year-old man on a southbound 2 train had his cellphone, headphones and a bracelet taken from him by two men in their mid-20s on June 13, police reported. The train was stopped at the Park Place station when one of the pair approached the man and
Year to Date
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n/a n/a n/a n/a -33.3 12.5 n/a
0 3 20 33 59 427 6
0 5 20 31 76 409 2
0 0 0 0 3 16 0
stomped on the rider’s right foot while snatching his cell phone and headphones. His accomplice then grabbed the victim’s bracelet before both thieves fled the train in an unknown direction. The victim refused medical attention. The items stolen were an iPhone
n/a -40 0 6.5 -22.4 4.4 200
5S of no stated value, a yellow colored bracelet valued at $1,200 and a pair of Beats headphones priced at $400.
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
TAKING SIDES ON THE SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY The state and federal governments have cited different deadlines for finishing the first phase of the project BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Amid dueling state and federal deadlines for the phase one completion of the 2nd Avenue Subway, Upper East Siders expressed skepticism it would be completed on time while local pols lauded the progress that has been made and urged the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to keep hitting their targets. On time, in this case, means Dec. 31, 2016, the MTA’s selfimposed deadline by which paying customers could swipe through the turnstiles and ride a subway line that was first conceived in the 1920s. But the Federal Transit Administration, which provided $1.3 billion for phase one, puts the project’s estimated date of completion at over a year later, on Feb. 28, 2018. In a federal oversight committee hearing this past June, Matthew Welbes, the executive director of the FTA, said a revised funding agreement reached in March with the MTA includes a completion date of Feb. 28, 2018. “And that was based on what we agreed to with the MTA. If the MTA can deliver the project sooner, we would be proud to see that happen, right? It looks like the project is trending, based on our data, toward an opening of closer to, maybe early in, sometime in 2017,” said Welbes. Local elected officials gathered last week outside of the 72nd Street Station to express optimism tinged with expectation. “In May 2014, the MTA reported that the project was 65 percent finished – and it’s now more than 83 percent complete,” said East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. “That’s good news, but they have a lot more to do if they are going to finish it by December 2016.” Maloney said she wants to make sure the MTA meets their target, and that the best way to
do that is to keep a close eye on their progress. “With transportation construction, time really is money,” she said at the press conference. “If the project goes long, costs will go up.” Last week, during an information session at Temple Israel, locals expressed a measure of skepticism regarding the December 2016 completion date. “Given what I’ve seen, and all the construction, I have a feeling there’s going to be some slippage,” said David Rosenstein, a Community Board 8 member. “I’m making New Year’s Eve plans to do something else.” “It’s been noted that the feds seem to be commenting on the later date,” said Elizabeth Patrick, who lives on 72nd Street and Second Avenue. “So we’re wondering.” “Sorry, but I don’t buy the end of 2016,” said one woman who declined to give her name. “But that’s my skepticism as a New Yorker.” Her friend, who lives in the same building, was more optimistic and said she thinks the first phase will be ready to ride in accordance with the MTA’s deadline. Jordan Wouk said the Second Avenue Subway project is a big part of why he and his wife moved back to the area five years ago, to an apartment on Second Avenue and 87th Street, and that the depressed real estate values back then actually worked in their favor. He gives the MTA a 75 percent chance of making the December 2016 deadline. When asked about the discrepancy between the state deadline and the federal deadline, MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz simply said, “our estimated completion date of December 2016 was determined several years ago and we are confident we can meet that completion date.” Each of the four stations in phase one are in various stages of completion. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are all around 90 percent complete at the 63rd Street/ Lexington Avenue stop, while the architectural and finishing installations are around 75 per-
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Council Member Ben Kallos, Congresswoman Maloney at a press conference last week touting the progress of phase one of the Second Avenue Subway project.
cent. That station has a budget of $185.3 million. The MTA didn’t provide completion percentages for the 72nd Street station, which has the second-highest budget of all four stations at $271.3 million. The station will include three entrances, 11 escalators and five street-level accessible elevators. According to literature handed out at the ask the experts session, the work at 72nd Street currently involves the installation of track wall tiles, conduits and duct work at the platform level, as well as mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation at the mezzanine level. Masonry work at the platform and mezzanine levels is currently taking place at the 86th Street Station, as well as the delivery of systems like elevators and escalators and permanent power equipment. The station, with a budget of $209 million, will feature two entrances, 10 escalators and one street-level escalator. On the surface, contractors are still constructing two ancillary buildings on 83rd Street and 86th Street and will be moving their work and storage areas to the west side of Second Avenue in July. The 96th Street Station, at $347.3 million, is currently undergoing electrical, plumbing and duct work in the station
area. In addition, 15 out of 19 communications, signal and traction power rooms at the station are complete, and workers are installing three out of nine escalators in the main station. The rest will be installed during the build out of the entrances, according to the MTA. As of the end of April, the MTA estimates phase one is 82.3 percent complete overall. Maloney said that the MTA is contractually obligated to finish by February 2018, and “both the MTA and FTA are confident that it will finish by then.” When asked if continued funding of the project is tied to the MTA’s on-time completion of phase one, Maloney said it’s critical for New York to expand its subway service to relieve congestion on the Lexington Avenue line and that by hitting their target, the MTA would be making its case for increased funding that much stronger. “I believe the MTA’s credibility depends on its meeting its goals for completion, but we need to build phase two – and phases three and four - even if the MTA is a few months late in completing this incredibly large and complex project,” said Maloney. “MTA reaching its goal gives us a much stronger case as we work to deliver additional resources.”
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
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FREIHOFER’S SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Summer is here! Check out these fabulous upcoming New York State events and must-sees!
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs. June 27-28 Be sure not to miss one of the longest running jazz events in the world: the 38th Annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. Whether you’re sailing on the vocal stylings of “Cassandra Wilson celebrates Billie Holiday” in the Amphitheater or toe tapping to the “Mike LeDonne Groover Quartet” on the Main Stage, the music will surely thrill. Come on out and get your jazz on.
around the world with the musical adventure of “Pink Martini”. Hear lectures by revered journalists Charlie Rose and Nancy Gibbs, renowned novelist Roger Rosenblatt and Tom and Jennifer Brokaw. Enjoy the innovative country classical music of the Punch Brothers and experience the work of more than 28 artists as part of the 58th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art.
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SAVE THE DATE SYRACUSE NATIONALS
New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse. July 17-19 Vroom! Vroom! Over 7,500 hot rods, classic cars and street machines gather on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse for a three day celebration of America’s love affair with cars. Get your motor running and join this annual event that draws 86,000 people and over 400 hundred vendors making the Syracuse Nationals the largest car show in the Northeast.
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SAHLEN’S SIX HOURS OF THE GLEN
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen. June 25-28
LAKE PLACID HORSE SHOWS
Photo Credit: ©The Book LLC
Cruise on over to Watkins Glen and be part of the nail biting, edge of your seat madness of sports car racing. This amazing sports car race tests the endurance of car and driver alike. This exciting race happens on Sunday and is part of a weekend of on-track action as well as live music.
SYRACUSE NATIONALS
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CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION SEASON OPENS
Chautauqua. June 27-Aug 30 Experience the magic of the picturesque Chautauqua Institution as they enter their exciting 2015 season of speakers and events. Sing and dance
SAHLEN’S SIX HOURS OF THE GLEN
For more great New York State events and must-see attractions, visit iloveny.com/summer15
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
The High Line
PLANT OF THE WEEK: GRACEFUL CATTAIL On the Sundeck this week, you’ll spot the first blooms of the graceful cattail, or Typha laxmannii, waving in the breeze off the Hudson. Preferring a submerged base, our typha are kept hydrated by frequent hand watering as well as a plugged drainage system, which mimics the natural stopping-up of drains that occurred on the High Line during its years of disuse. Native to marshlands and wetlands in Europe and Asia, Typha spreads by rhizomes and is an aggressive presence
that forms dense colonies in shallow water. Its leaves are mostly basal and shoot upward to surpass the height of the flower stalks, which each support one male and one female inflorescence. Yellowish male (staminate) flowers sit above the greenish female (pistillate) ones, separated by an inch or two of smooth, round stalk. After blooming in summer, male flowers disperse quickly and leave a naked stalk tip; pollinated female flowers swell into a brown fruiting spike that can reach up to four inches in length. In the wild, stands of cattails serve as important and sturdy shelter for wildlife in delicate marshy ecosystems. Perhaps unexpectedly,
every part of the cattail is edible. Cattails can be boiled into a sweet syrup, dried and ground into a powder to be used as a thickener in soups and flours, eaten as an alternative to asparagus, or harvested in shoot form and used in salads. Historically, the stems and leaves were used by many cultures in basket weaving, and the down was used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses, or as lining in coats and shoes. Symbolically, the cattail was often associated with rain, and used ceremonially to end droughts and protect against lightning. You can see this plant at the Diller von Furstenberg Sundeck & Water Feature
neighborhood a great place to live, work, and play. Join us on Wednesdays in July and August to learn about the ways animals and plants at High Line Park also make homes, eat their snacks, and help each other and us! Wild Wednesday is a drop-in program (no RSVP required), and is open to kids ages 4+ accompanied by
caregivers. Wild Wednesday takes place rain or shine, but may be cancelled in the event of severe weather. Check back or follow @highlinenyc on Twitter for updates on Wednesdays by 12:00 PM.
THIS WEEK ON THE HIGH LINE TOUR: HIGH LINE ART The Candle Bar’s iconic flag. Photo: Logan Hendrix
CANDLE BAR GOES DARK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 as bars in the upper Times Square neighborhood and in Hell’s Kitchen, but until a new spot is established, customers will just text each other where to meet. The bar had its origins as the Candle Light in the 1930s, which attracted a lesbian clientele even then, Ader said. According to Phillip Crawford Jr., the author of The Mafia and the Gays, which chronicles the history of gay bars and their ties to the mob, the state Liquor Authority, which prohibited serving alcohol to gays, closed
the bar in 1959 because of “homosexual activities.” By the early 1960s, as mores began to change even if the laws did not, bar owner Ralph Pansini refused to pay off liquor inspectors to keep the tavern open. Crawford said that led to an investigation of the Liquor Authority by the city’s district attorney and, eventually, a liberalizing of liquor licensing laws in the late 1960s. “The closing of the Candle Bar no doubt is the end of an era,” Crawford said. “The Candle Bar began as a safe haven when the gay community had nowhere else to go, and now as the gay community achieves full equality the Candle Bar is gone.” The tavern, on Amsterdam, just below 105th Street, began
to attract gay men when Robert Ader, Michelle’s brother, took over in the late 1970s. He purchased the four-story building about a decade later. He and his partner ran the bar for about 15 years. Michelle took over after the two died of complications from AIDS. Ader, who now lives in Los Angeles, said she’s kept the bar open for 22 years because she recognizes there aren’t any other gay bars on the Upper West Side. Ader said she’s sad the bar is closing but “it’s hard to sustain any individuallyowned business.” “People see this space as their living room and they want it to stay that way,” she said.
Monday, June 29, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Location provided via email following RSVP Join Cecilia Alemani, Director and Chief Curator of High Line Art, and Melanie Kress, Curatorial Fellow, as they share the details behind the wide array of artwork on the High Line, including site-specific commissions, exhibitions, performances, video, and a series of billboard interventions. RSVP required
WILD WEDNESDAY Every Wednesday, July through August, 4:00 to 6:00 PM 14th Street Passage, on the High Line at West 14th Street Looking out from the High Line we can see the places and people that make our
Text and images from thehighline.org
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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NYC WORKS BETTER
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PAID SICK LEAVE
Contact 311 or visit nyc.gov/PaidSickLeave for information. Employers can get the required Notice of Employee Rights and an information sheet in multiple languages, Frequently Asked Questions, Sick Leave Timekeeping Tools, Event Calendar, and training presentations.
Join the #PaidSickLeave conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Voices
Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
Letter
OP-ED
A MAYOR’S PITCH FOR THE BASEBALL VOTE
Lola Alvarez Bravo. “Frida Looking Into Mirror With Dogs,” c. 1944. Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art.
OBSERVING FRIDA KAHLO BY BEN KRULL
Re “Frida in the City,” CityArts, June 18: Here, once again, Val Castronovo gives us her usual fine, thorough coverage of the most interesting -- not always the best reported -- art shows in the city. I think the provocative quote with which she ends this story of the remarkable Frida Kahlo deserves comment. I would like to know whether it is not a mistake to call Kahlo “stuck.” Surely her passionate embrace of life, love, and creation in the form of gardens and painting helped her surmount her physical barriers, Agree or disagree? Janet Groth What an informative and delightful review. I like the way Castrovono weaves in interesting little-known facts in the artist’s bio. Thanks to the writer for bringing this exhibit to readers’ attention. The artist certainly was not “stuck” in the modern sense of today’s selfobsession (i.e., non-stop selfies). At least she lived and created as a part of the world she lived in. And this made her a very astute observer. It is true that the artist must observe. But the artist must also be fully aware on a deep level of what they are observing. KJ Fallon
STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source
“Mr. de Blasio…has likened his administration to the ‘Moneyball’ Oakland Athletics, baseball’s foremost modern example of overcoming financial inequality.” The New York Times With polls showing that Yankee and Mets fans give Mayor de Blasio a paltry 40 percent approval rating, the mayor has introduced a series of proposals aimed at his baseball base. During several media appearances Mr. de Blasio has promoted his vision of leveling the Major League playing field. “We must increase the luxury tax so that franchises struggling to sign free agents can compete with the one percent of teams that get 75 percent of TV revenue,” the mayor said on SNY’s Geico SportsNite. “We can not be a city where Legend Suite ticket holders are the only fans who can afford to attend games.” He also announced plans to introduce legislation that would require teams to add ten bleacher seats for every new luxury box. Some baseball observers have noted that the mayor’s plans seem better suited for small-market cit-
Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com
Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade
ies, than a big market town like New York. “He will anger a lot of Yankee fans, since their team benefits from baseball’s financial disparity,” said ESPN’s Buster Olney. “His message is clearly aimed at the bleacher-bum vote.” The mayor followed up his economic proposals with a call to reform stadium security practices. “No fan exercising their Constitutional right to enter a ballpark should have their bag searched without probable cause,” Mr. de Blasio said at a press conference in MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. “This is the baseball civil rights issue of our era.” Mr. de Blasio’s plan to limit turnstile searches drew the ire of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. “This would be an invitation for irresponsible fans to pelt umpires with glass bottles every time they disagreed with a call,” Mr. Giuliani said while appearing on the YES Network’s Michael Kay Show. “This mayor is intent on reversing the huge decrease in fights in the stands, that started with my administration.” Despite the controversial nature of the mayor’s progressive agenda,
his administration continues to challenge baseball’s status quo. In testifying before the City Council, schools Chancellor Carmen Farina asked legislators to provide funding for universal tee-ball. “It is disgraceful that we have little leaguers who don’t know how to hit the cut-off man or read a scorecard,” the chancellor said. “This lack of baseball education is why America’s pastime is increasingly dominated by Dominicans.” City Hall is also making a pitch for health care legislation that would require insurers to cover Tommy John surgery for teenagers. “No parent should see their child’s career cut short because their health insurance won’t cover elbow ligament reconstruction,” mayoral spokesperson Marti Adams told reporters at a recent press conference. The mayor’s health care proposal could put him at odds with Governor Andrew Cuomo, who reportedly believes that limiting pitch counts in sandlot games is the best way to curtail arm injuries. “We don’t need a Boston fan telling New Yorkers how to preserve young arms,” an unattributed source said in a state-
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
Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons
ment released by the governor’s office. “The Red Sox have mishandled more pitching prospects than any other team.” The success of Mr. de Blasio’s agenda may not be dependent on the governor, as he has taken a national approach to promoting his goals. The mayor is currently in San Francisco attending a conference of progressive fantasy league players, and he will throw out the first pitch at a Mets-Brewers game--played in Milwaukee. All this travel has fostered speculation that Mr. de Blasio’s wants to run for Baseball Commissioner. But City Hall denies that the mayor has such ambitions. “The mayor is focused on New York,” New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth Podziba wrote in an email. He is traveling around Major League cities to campaign for Mets and Yankees players on the All Star ballot.” Records from the Board of Elections show that Mayor de Blasio has already made his All Star Game choices…a vote which he cast by absentee ballot.
Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
IWantToBeRecycled.org
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
FULL DISHWASHERS MAKE FOR HAPPIER ELECTRIC BILLS.
Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com
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Fri
VISIT THE SEINFELD APARTMENT 451 W. 14th St. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Free. Are you a Seinfeld superfan? Visit a version of the Upper West Side apartment where Jerry and his friends spent nine seasons. The iconic apartment will showcase memorabilia and props, but will also include interactive elements such as a George Costanza Valentine’s Day photo shoot. Electricity is important. And to help you use it wisely, we offer over a hundred tips to use less power. As well as energy calculators that estimate what those tips can save you. Visit conEd.com/WaysToSave for details.
Erectile Dysfunction:
Travel the Road to Treatment Erectile dysfunction (E.D.) affects more than 30 million men in the U.S. It is especially common in men with prostate surgery, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. However, it is now possible to treat almost all men with E.D! E.D. undermines a man’s sexual confidence—but successful treatment can restore it! Many E.D. treatments are covered by most insurance and prescription plans. Attend a FREE seminar to educate men and their partners about approved E.D. treatment options. Free refreshments will be served, and partners are encouraged to attend. Featuring: Dr. J. Francois Eid A board certified urologist who specializes in the treatment of E.D.
The New York Marriott East Side Morgan B Room 525 Lexington Ave. at 49th St. New York, NY 10017
Also featuring: A patient who has found a long-term solution to his E.D. Wednesday, July 8, 2015 Refreshments available at 6 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:15 p.m.
An educational series, sponsored by Coloplast Corp., designed to inform and empower. www.ColoplastMensHealth.com
To reserve your space or for more information about this FREE seminar, please call: (866) 233-9368.
ORION AND THE DARK STORYTIME ► Barnes & Nobles, 97 Warren St. 11 a.m. Free Are your kids afraid of the dark? Emma Yarlett’s character, Orion, in Orion and the Dark is afraid of the dark too. But one night, the Dark takes Orion on a fun-filled adventure. Have your kids conquer their fear of the dark with Orion Saturday morning in Tribeca. 212-587-5389. storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/4852151
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PERFORMANCE AT WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
Sun
Whitney Museum, Floor 3, Susan & John Hess Family Theater, 99 Gansevoort St. 8 p.m. $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and free for members. Enjoy a musical performance incorporating American composer Conlon Nancarrow’s work and Romanian composer György Ligeti’s piano concerta. 212-570-3600. whitney.org/ Events
SCARAMOUCHE ART PRESENTS: GILBERTO GIOVAGNOLI THE WORST
Sat
27 FAMILY MOVIE: RATATOUILLE LLE ► Hamilton Fish sh Park Library, Auditorium, 415 5 E. Houston St. 2 p.m. Free Spend Saturday rday afternoon with your kids watching “Ratatouille,” an animated film about a rat, Remy, my, with big dreams to become ome one of Paris’s finest chefs. 212-673-2290. 290. www.nypl. org/events/calendar endar
Scaramouche, 52 Orchard St. 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Free. Observe Italian Artist Gilberto Giovagnoli’s works from 1983 to 2015 that focus on politics, dictatorships and Stalin. 212-228-2229. www. scaramoucheart.com
ACHILLES HOPE & POSSIBILITY 5 MILE RUN Central Park, Center Road, W. Drive and 67th St. 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m., Free Support athletes with disabilities and able-bodied runners this Sunday morning. Enjoy cash prizes and free t-shirts for kids. Open to children ages 2-12. All athletes must register. www.nyrr.org/races-andevents
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Mon
INTERNATIONAL VOCAL ARTS INSTITUTE: SUM SUMMER NIGHTS RECITAL Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan K W. 12th St. Hall, Auditorium, 66 W 7:30 p.m. Suggested donation of $20. Come enjoy the voices voice of IVAI singers reciting French Fre and German 19th-century art song Berlioz’s “Les literature, such as Berli Nuits d’Été” and Schumann’s Schum “Frauenliebe und-Leben” und-Lebe and “Dichterliebe.” www.ivai. 212-362-5980. ww org/programs.htm
STORIES AND CRAFT CR Hudson Park Librar Library, 66 Leroy St. 4 p.m. Free. Encourage your child’s chi creativity outside school sc hours by making mak simple sim crafts and listening
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
to stories. 212-243-6876. www.nypl.org/events/ calendar
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
EARTH TOUR Pier 97 in Clinton. 6:00 p.m. Buy tickets online. The band plays at one of Manhattan’s most picturesque waterfront venues. Also on the bill: Violent Femmes and
Thu
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PRINT WIKIPEDIA BY MICHAEL MANDIBERG Denny Gallery, 261 Broome St. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free. “Print Wikipedia” is a work by Michael Mandiberg in which computer software examines the English language in the Wikipedia database and then sorts the words into a full-set online encyclopedia comprised of thousands of volumes. The computer software fashions covers for the volumes and posts them on the Internet for print-ondemand. The exhibition displays the
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Tue
SUNSET SALSA WITH TALIA▲ Pier 45 in Greenwich Village 6:30 p.m. Free. Begin your night watching the sun go down over the Hudson and end it dancing under the stars. Beginner salsa lessons are from 6:30-7:15. DJs get you in the mood to salsa at 7:15. 212-627-2020. www. hudsonriverpark.org/events
TEA TIME AND CONVERSATION ► Seward Park Library, 4th Floor, 192 E. Broadway 10 a.m.–11 a.m. Free. Take a break to enjoy a hot cup of tea and a biscuit. Grab a newspaper while sipping your beverage or meet people in the neighborhood. 212-477-6770. www.nypl. org/events/calendar
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Wed
BARENAKED LADIES: LAST SUMMER ON
artist Colin Hay. 212-627-2020. 212 627 2020 www. hudsonriverpark.org/events
INTERNATIONAL VOCAL ARTS INSTITUTE: GREAT MOMENTS IN OPERA Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall, Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St. 7:30 p.m. Suggested donation $20. Young, talented vocalists have been training for three rigorous weeks. Come support their hard work and enjoy the closing night concert conducted by Paul Nadler. The performance will include some of opera’s most memorable moments. 212-362-5980. www.ivai. org/programs.htm
performance of the upload of Print Wikipedia to LLulu.com. l com 212-226-6537. www. dennygallery.com
BOARD GAMES & CHESS Chatham Square Library, Community Room, 33 E. Broadway 3 p.m.–5 p.m. Free. Come play board games, card games or chess with your kids after school. New to chess? Basic instruction is available to help you learn the game. 212-964-6598. www.nypl. org/events/calendar
Cultural Events in and around where you live (not Brooklyn, not Westchester)
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
A quiet, sensitive painting, Lois Dodd’s “Tree and Shadow” on view in “The Depth of the Surface.” Photo: Adel Gorgy
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE AT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY MUSEUM The institution’s 2015 Annual, as it does every year, showcases work by its Academicians. BY MARY GREGORY
How can it be a secret if it’s got flags hanging from the front inviting visitors in? How an almost 200-year-old institution, fashionably housed on one of the most visited stretches of street in the world, be a secret? How can it be a secret if some of the most successful, notable artists and architects in the country are counted among its members? The National Academy Museum isn’t a secret, but neither is it a household name nor is it on most tourists’ or even New Yorkers’ must-see lists. It should be, and there’s never been a better time to visit. Just a half block north of the Guggenheim, and another half block south of the Cooper Hewitt, the National Academy Museum is currently showing “The Depth of the Surface,” its Annual for 2015. Each h year, the Annual exhibition showcases a variety of work by Academicians, highlighting the riches of its membership. And what a membership it boasts. ts. Before making your way to the galleries to see the superb pieces of contemontemporary art that fill three floors of this elegant ant townhouse, stop just ust inside the front doorr and look up. There, inscribed in the ceil-ing, are the names of all the artists and archirchitects who’ve been elected ected as members of the Academy, demy, organized by year. It’s a who’s
who of 19th, 20th and 21st century art and design. You’ll find John Singer Sargent, invited in 1897; Frank Lloyd Wright, from 1952; Helen Frankenthaler, inducted in 1994; and Ed Ruscha, a member of the class of 2014. That’s when it hits you—why haven’t I been coming here for years? Well, it’s never too late. “The Depth of the Surface” presents recent works, many done in 2015, some specifically for the exhibition, by some 70 artists and architects. Members of the Academy may only exhibit once every three years. This year’s roster is filled with creators of varying renown, but consistent skill. The exhibition, organizers state, “seeks to delve beneath the surface of the work included to reveal its true meaning and message.” It’s a loosely constructed criterion. Every work of art worth seeing
Dorothea Rockburne’s 1982-83 painting “Inner Voice,” part of the National Academy Museum’s 2015 Annual, “The Depth of the Surface.” Photo: Adel Gorgy
should have both surface and depth, as do all in this exhibition. But one doesn’t come away with an overall sense of the surface quality of the works, though some are unique, like Jane Dickson’s “Green Tunnel” painted on AstroTurf and Lynda Benglis’ bright pink abstract sculptural form, “Swinburne, Figure1.” The real feeling you come away with here is that this is an incredible selection of compelling works by a great crosssection of contemporary artists that rivals anything else you’ll find on Museum Mile. On top of that, it’s a treasure trove of discovery. Included in the show are accomplished individuals of great renown, like Dorothea Rockburne, represented by an elegant, shaped canvas in red and black, and Eric Fischl, whose two enormous, evocative paintings f lank the entrance. There are Alice Aycock’s lyrical, expansive drawing “Murmuration 4,” architectural renderings by arch Cesar Ces Pelli and a classic Philip Pearlstein painting, “Model Pea with Two whirligigs” (one, a particularly menacing duck). par But there are also dozens of artists whose work may not arti be known to visitors although k they’re just as accomplished they and equally recognized by the National Academy. Seeing them presented side-by-side is eye-opening. eyeJanet Fish’s style is instantly Ja recognizable in her rainbowreco hued, hue tour-de-force, “Phoenix Kite.” Nearby hangs Lois Dodd’s 2013 quiet, sensitive Dod painting, “Tree and Shadow” pain done don when the artist was in
her mid-80s. It’s fascinating to see how two paintings by two women, about a decade apart in age, sharing the same medium, sing in such divergent yet harmonious voices. Shahzia Sikander’s “Gold Oasis” video is perfectly situated in an elegantly carved architectural niche, as though the two were built for each other—old meets new, stately meets stateof-the-art. Its accompanying music, created by Nas and Damian Marley, fills the space with upbeat, ethereal sound. It’s the beauty of the work that draws the viewer, the knowledge that it’s in response to the
Ebola outbreak that causes one to stop and reflect. Simon Dinnerstein’s monumental pencil drawing with the marvelous title “Can the Universe be Held in the Gaze of a Small Dog,” took over three years to complete. The artist had to stand on a table to draw the wall-sized work. The charm of the image beckons; its technical virtuosity is arresting. Joel Shapiro’s installation, “Six,” from 2015, fills a gallery with line and color. Stepping into the space gives the sense that you’ve walked into a classic constructivist painting by Malevich and are seeing it from
the inside. It’s a unique and delightful experience. “The Depth of the Surface” is filled with surprising and wonderful works of art. The National Academy Museum is extremely visitor friendly, and offers a welcoming atmosphere and blissfully uncrowded galleries in a gorgeous Beaux Artsstyle mansion. If it weren’t so prominently located and so easy to find and get to, it could be a hidden gem. Through August 23rd, it’s presenting works as good as anything else you’ll find on the walls of its more famous neighbors.
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
FILM
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Center for Italian Modern Art: Closing Weekend Festa!
FRIDAY, JUNE 26TH, 3PM Center for Italian Modern Art | 421 Broome St. | 646-370-3596 | italianmodernart.org Guided tours of a Medardo Rosso/Cy Twombly exhibition, live jazz and a wine tasting highlight the two-day party at this Soho art spot. (Free)
FOOD IN FILM Food historian Francine Segan discusses the culinary scenes in food-centric films such as “Chocolat,” “Ratatouille” and “Babette’s Feast,” and pairs film clips with food tastings inspired by these moments from the silver screen. Food in Film Thursday, June 25 92nd Street Y Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street 7 p.m. Tickets $45 For more information and to purchase tickets, visit 92y.org or call 212-415-5000
E-1027: Design for Living | Staged Reading
FRIDAY, JUNE 26TH, 7PM Center for Architecture | 536 LaGuardia Pl. | 212-683-0023 | cfa.aiany.org Two actors reenact the design debates of Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici, who built the modernist villa E-1027 together. ($15)
Just Announced | Garbage and the City
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST, 6:30PM
DANCE “SWAN LAKE” American Ballet Theatre continues its run at Metropolitan Opera with Marius Petipa’s “Swan Lake,” set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, with star dancers Misty Copeland, Gillian Murphy, and other soloists taking turns as the ill-fated Odette and mischievous Odile. The company closes its residency at Metropolitan Opera next month with “Cinderella.” “Swan Lake” Through June 27 Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, between W. 62nd and W. 65th Streets, and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $20-$235 To purchase tickets, visit metopera.org or call 212-362-6000
GALLERIES DE WAIN VALENTINE: WORKS FROM THE 1960S AND 1970S Colorado born sculptor De Wain Valentine moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, where, while teaching at the University of California, he explored plastics as a medium. This survey of the artist’s work from that era includes “Gray Columns,” a pair of 12 foot columns never before shown standing together vertically. De Wain Valentine: Works from the 1960s and 1970s June 26-Aug. 7 David Zwirner 525 W. 19th St., between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, and 533 W. 19th St., near Eleventh Avenue Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. FREE For more information, visit davidzwirner.com or call 212-727-2070
HIGHLINE ART TOUR The High Line’s chief curator takes guests along a walking tour of some of the park’s current installations. Among the highlights of this season’s work is Kerry James Marshall’s hand-painted, comic-style mural, “Above the Line,” which depicts water towers as apartments. Highline Art Tour Monday, June 29 The High Line Exact location given by email following RSVP 7:30 p.m. FREE, RSVP required To RSVP, visit http://www.thehighline.org/ activities/art-tours
The NY Academy of Medicine | 1216 Fifth Ave. | 212-822-7200 | nyam.org New York City produces 10,000 tons of garbage. Daily. Learn more about collection in a series of three talks, beginning with a look at antebellum recycling, and concluding with a visit from the Department of Sanitation’s anthropologist-in-residence. (Free)
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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MUSIC FRED HERSCH TRIO Jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch returns to the Village Vanguard for a brief residency. A regular at the acclaimed downtown venue, Hersch is joined by drummer Eric McPherson and bassist John Hebert, with whom he collaborated on his latest album, “Floating.” Fred Hersch Trio June 30-July 5 Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Avenue South, at Waverly Place 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Admission $30 For reservations, visit villagevanguard.com or call 212-255-4037 To be included in the Top 5 go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUNE 13- 20, 2015
Mari Vanna
41 East 20 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.
Sushi Chosi
77 Irving Place
Grade Pending (25) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Bait & Hook
231 2 Avenue
Grade Pending (26) Shellfish not from approved source, improperly tagged/labeled; tags not retained for 90 days. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Live animals other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Ainsworth Park
111 East 18 Street
Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed.
Jules Bistro
65 St Marks Place
Grade Pending (24) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Old Homestead
56 9 Avenue
Grade Pending (26) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas.
Donut Pub
203 West 14 Street
Grade Pending (29) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Pizza Italia
307 W 17Th St
Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Morimoto Ny
88 10 Avenue
A
Montmartre
158 8 Avenue
A
Jackson Diner
72 University Place
A
Curry Kitchen
40 West 8 Street
Grade Pending (9) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Alder
157 2 Avenue
A
The Eddy
342 E 6Th St
A
Murray’s Bagels
500 Avenue Of The Americas
A
Double Down Saloon
14 Avenue A
A
The Dish Restaurant
201 8 Avenue
Grade Pending (24) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Timna
109 Saint Marks Pl
A
Ciao For Now
521 East 12 Street
A
Supper
156 East 2 Street
A
Bareburger
153 8 Avenue
A
Mace
649 East 9 Street
A
Potbelly Sandwich Shop
41 West 14 Street
A
Ichibantei
401 E 13Th St
Paul & Jimmy's Restaurant 123 East 18 Street
A
Blue & Gold Bar
79 East 7 Street
A
Grade Pending (17) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Panada Restaurant
261 1St Ave
Grade Pending (22) 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.
Coyote Ugly
153 First Avenue
Grade Pending (25) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Bull Mccabes
29 St Marks Place
A
The House In Gramercy Park
121 East 17 Street
A
Cozy Soup & Burger
739 Broadway
A
Big Daddy’s Diner
239 Park Avenue South
A
Side Bar
120 East 15 Street
A
The Smith
55 3 Avenue
Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
L’aile Ou La Cuisse (L’a.O.C) 314 Bleecker St
Grade Pending (26) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Barbuto
775 Washington Street A
Brass Monkey
55 Little West 12 Street
A
Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker Street
Grade Pending (23) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
Milk & Cookies Bakery
19 Commerce Street
A
Entwine
765 Washington Street
Grade Pending (22) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Courtyard Marriott/Table 181 Soho
181 Varick Street
A
Le Gigot
18 Cornelia St
A
The Otheroom
143 Perry Street
A
Wogies
39 Greenwich Avenue
A
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
15
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Real Estate Sales Neighborhd
Address
Price
Battery Park City
2 River Terrace
$4,375,000
Bed Bath Agent
Battery Park City
70 Little W St.
$2,450,000
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
70 Little W St.
$1,320,000
1
1
Level Group
Battery Park City
300 Rector Place
$75,000
Chelsea
345 W 14 St.
$3,000,000
Chelsea
160 Ninth Ave.
$3,200,000
Chelsea
200 W 20 St.
$440,000
0
1
Chelsea
365 W 20 St.
$812,500
1
Chelsea
300 W 23 St.
$539,000
Chelsea
201 W 16 St.
Chelsea E Village
Downtown Sales Snapshot Number of contracts signed so far in the second quarter $0 - $600k
$600x - $1M
$1M-$2M
$2M-$5M
$5M-$10M
$10M+
STUDIOS
40
34
7
3
1
-
1 BED
26
79
78
16
-
-
2 BEDS
-
31
61
86
14
-
Town Residential
3+ BEDS
-
2
5
36
33
11
1
Real Direct
TOWNHOUSE
-
-
-
-
3
1
0
1
Patrick Quagliano
Median Sales Price
$1,375,000
2
1
Douglas Elliman
STUDIOS
600,000
214 W 16 St.
$1,250,000
1.5
1
Douglas Elliman
1 BED
999,000
224 E 11 St.
$625,000
2 BEDS
1,850,000
E Village
517 E 11 St.
$2,105,000
2
2
Corcoran
3 BEDS
4,100,000
E Village
321 E 12 St.
$706,000
2
1
Douglas Elliman
E Village
311 E 3 St.
$450,000
2
1
Corcoran
E Village
69 E 4 St.
$1,800
Financial District
3 Hanover Square
$652,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Financial District
88 Greenwich St.
$1,375,000
Financial District
55 Wall St.
$1,675,000
Financial District
90 William St.
$1,450,000
Financial District
15 William St.
$2,107,777
Financial District
123 Washington St.
$10
Flatiron
7 E 14 St.
$820,000
Flatiron
63 W 17 St.
$2,805,000
2
2
Real Direct
Flatiron
650 6Th Ave.
$1,200,000
0
1
Shvo
Fulton/Seaport
264 Water St.
$1,155,713
2
2
The Marketing Directors
Fulton/Seaport
275 Water St.
$2,400,000
Fulton/Seaport
99 John St.
$651,680
0
1
Nestseekers
Fulton/Seaport
99 John St.
$632,500
0
1
Nestseekers
Gramercy Park
205 3 Ave.
$559,000
0.5 1
Gramercy Park
301 E 22 St.
$358,000
2
2
2
2
Corcoran
Douglas Elliman
Town Residential
Gramercy Park
130 E 18 St.
$1,460,000
Gramercy Park
201 E 15 St.
$1,325,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Gramercy Park
305 2 Ave.
$2,947,833
2
2
Cantor And Pecorella
Gramercy Park
301 E 22 St.
$315,000
0
1
Halstead Property
$1,325,000
Greenwich Village
2 5 Ave.
$1,673,034
Greenwich Village
51 5 Ave.
$8,400,000
Greenwich Village
60 E 8 St.
$2,505,000
something
have
Do
2
3
1
3
Greenwich Village
15 W 12 St.
$500,000
Greenwich Village
53 E 10 St.
$3,150,000
Greenwich Village
67 E 11 St.
$794,235
Greenwich Village
20 E 9 St.
$755,000
Little Italy
80 Elizabeth St.
$650,000
Lower E Side
575 Grand St.
$700,000
Lower E Side
530 Grand St.
$821,000
Lower E Side
210 E Broadway
$650,000
Lower E Side
575 Grand St.
$410,000
Lower E Side
417 Grand St.
$400,000
Lower E Side
417 Grand St.
$1,270,000
2
2
Halstead Property
Neighborhood
Address
Sale Price
Nolita
165 Elizabeth St.
$1,130,000
1
1
Baths Source Label Town Residential
Soho
141 Sullivan St.
$405,000
0
1
Halstead Property
Tribeca
110 Duane St.
$4,250,000
Tribeca
66 Leonard St.
$1,875,000
Tribeca
200 Chambers St.
$2,850,000
Tribeca
250 W St.
$4,000,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Tribeca
74 Reade St.
$2,600,000
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$6,058,587
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$3,971,175
2
2
Corcoran
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$4,836,687
2
2
Corcoran
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$3,864,258
2
2
Corcoran
Charles Rutenberg
Douglas Elliman
us to
?
into
60 W 13 St.
like
Greenwich Village
Source: UrbanDigs LLC
you You’d look
Email us at news@strausnews.com
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$4,719,588
2
2
Corcoran
W Chelsea
500 W 21St St.
$6,262,237
3
3
Corcoran
W Village
2 Horatio St.
$3,300,000
2
2
Corcoran
W Village
61 Jane St.
$1,200,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
W Village
31 Grove St.
$12,200,000
W Village
165 Charles St.
$10,000,000
W Village
295 W 11 St.
$820,000
1
1
Brown Harris Stevens
W Village
2 Horatio S
St.Easy.com is New York’s most accurate and comprehensive real estate website, providing consumers detailed sales and rental information and the tools to manage that information to make educated decisions. The site has become the reference site for consumers, real estate professionals and the media and has been widely credited with bringing transparency to one of the world’s most important real estate markets.
16
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
THE HOUSE ON 86TH STREET In a neighborhood of luxury, an East Side townhouse -- and its eccentric owner -- stand out as the exception BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
Some people on the gentle block of E. 86th Street know the building, with its peeling tan paint, gated windows and tightly drawn curtains. Some even have passing knowledge of the owner, a woman in her late 70s who’s lived on the block for decades and is sometimes spotted on her stoop shooing dogs away from her property. But most everyone knows the mess at 312 E. 86th St., the hoarder-style clutter on the front stoop and entryway: broken flower pots, plastic bins of assorted sizes, cleaning supplies, the occasional solitary flower in bloom, and large, obscured items covered in thick plastic trash bags. “I say hello to her once a month,” said David Stahlberg, who’s lived nearby for 40 years. “I have a feeling she’s been here for a while, but I’ve never heard anything about her.” Her name is Phyllis Battista, and people on this upscale slice of the Upper East Side are drawn to her, out of curiosity as well as out of concern about the ramshackle appearance of her home. Such fascinations are a natural part of living in New York, a byproduct of our close proximity to total strangers and perhaps the ubiquity of reality television. Sometimes we stare in admiration, in awe, in envy. And sometimes we stare in shock. Hiroaki Tokunaga owns Tokubei 86, a restaurant located next to Battista’s
home, the hoard on her front stoop directly adjacent to the eatery. When he opened the restaurant 37 years ago, Battista already lived next door, and the two maintained a cordial rapport. But over the years, their relationship turned bitter. “I don’t want to talk to her,” Tokunaga said. “Nobody wants to talk to her. She’s always yelling at people.” But to Battista, the aggression goes both ways. Despite her frailty -- she is rail-thin, with wispy grey hair -- her neighbors sprayed her with water, she said, and threw food onto her front stoop to attract pigeons. Residents from an apartment building across E. 86th Street bring their dogs to urinate in front of her building, she said. She claims her neighbors on either side of her townhouse dug deep holes in her backyard where she once grew cherries, grapes, apricots and fragrant herbs, and then blamed her for it, she said. “There are boundaries,” Battista said in an interview. “I do not react. I do not talk. I will not be baited by crazies. I want to be left alone.” The unwelcoming front stoop, gated with an iron fence, acts as her defense. Battista also inserted faded wooden planks into the slots of her stoop’s handrails, preventing access to her front door, already entirely obscured by clutter. But in an attempt to shut people out, she’s earned unwanted attention and become an unwitting source of neighborhood gossip, with some assuming she doesn’t have basic amenities like heat and hot water and suggesting
that she may spend nights at her sister’s home nearby. Battista speaks quickly and in clipped sentences, changing topics rapidly and randomly. She maintains that she wants to live a private, purposeful life. “I want to be in a positive vein,” she said. The New York City Department of Buildings has issued 11 violations to Battista over the last 10 years, according to department records, mostly for obstruction of the property’s first floor and basement entrances with furniture, wooden planks and debris, according to the violation summaries. A 2006 violation for failure to dispose of rain water indicates the building’s first-floor gutter was hanging by a single nail; in an interview, Battista accused her neighbors of tearing down her copper gutter. Despite the city’s prolonged requests for compliance, a violation notice from October 2005 for “total obstruction” of the first floor and basement doors reveals little has changed at Battista’s home. The building’s front area, with unknown debris buzzing with flies and covered in trash bags, remains a hazard not only for Battista, but presumably for immediate neighbors. Tokunaga, who said Battista deposits her garbage in front of his restaurant, has attempted to involve the city’s departments of Sanitation, Health and Buildings, but said that, since it’s a private home, there’s little to be done. In 2011, DNAinfo reported that a court order granted police entry to the property, a safety measure due to
nearby Second Avenue Subway construction. A police source told Our Town that the department and the city deemed the property safe. What remains unclear is whether Adult Protective Services has engaged with Battista. (APS cannot comment on individual cases.) Hoarding was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, and it’s not uncommon. According to Adrian Walter-Ginzburg, president of Caring Transitions, a company on E. 91st Street that assists in cleaning out apartment hoards, three to five percent of the population suffers from hoarding disorder, which is the second most-often cited cause of eviction in the city. “People come to me because they might be tired of living like that,” said Walter-Ginzburg. The impulse to stop and stare, and the interest that percolates from a property like Battista’s in an otherwise polished area, might not go away, even if she does make efforts to main-
tain her home. In a common New York tale, the longtime Upper East Sider has been courted by real estate developers who covet her prime location on a tony block. But she said she has no interest in selling. “They’re constantly calling, they’re constantly sending me letters,” she said, but she doesn’t entertain their requests. She has “money plenty” and doesn’t want to leave her home. Instead, she has dreams of opening a senior mentoring center on the ground floor of her building (one resident said she also attempted to open an early childhood development center in the space, but without success). Battista also sews children’s clothing, which she plans to sell, and hopes to teach others to make the garments, as well as how to grow the herbs, fruits and vegetables that she said once flourished at her home before a neighbor dug holes in her backyard. “I’ve seen other places,” she said. “And I’m not going.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE CENTRAL PARK CAR BAN By the end of the month, cars will be off limits above 72nd Street BY WILLIAM ENGEL
In the never-ending Central Park battle between cars and pedestrians, the cars last week lost. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that starting on June 29, Central Park’s entire loop above 72nd Street will be permanently closed to traffic. Park patrons, both natives and outof-towners, couldn’t be happier. “Traffic gets really heavy around 6,” noted Bella Carol, 18, a cyclist who frequents Central Park often. “It’s going to be a lot safer here now that the cars are gone.” Lara Zarum, 27, said that the change will make the park more enjoyable, since rush-hour traffic tended to ruin the park’s atmosphere. “I always hate seeing cars in the middle of the park,” she said. “I mean, this is New York.
There are plenty of places for them to go.” Thomas Hager, 19, an Austria native, wonders why it took the city this long to make the park a solely recreational space. “It’s cool that they did this, but in Austria, it’s a common thing for parks to have car-free areas,” he said. While the car ban has been simmering for some time, officials say at least some of the credit for seeing it through goes to former sprinter and current disabled advocate Michael Ring. On May 27, Ring posted a petition on change.org calling for the mayor to make Central and Prospect Park carfree. The petition, entitled, “Do we have to wait for someone to die to keep rush hour traffic out of Prospect and Central Parks?” had garnered more than 1,500 signatures by the time de Blasio made his announcement. “I had no idea my crazy petition was
gonna change anything,” he posted on his blog on June 21. “But I did have some fantasy that if the roads were ever closed to rush-hour traffic that I would stand next to the mayor when he made the announcement,” he added. Ring is a former employee of NYC Runs, an event management organization that hosts more than 40 footraces across the city each year. Ring, a running enthusiast who had finished 29 marathons, was a perfect fit for the organization. But things changed last April, when he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a rare disease that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Though he retained his spot as vice president of the Prospect Park Track Club, he could not continue working at NYC Runs. Gradually, his disability began to ex-
pose him to problems he was able to ignore when he was able-bodied -- like, for instance, the traffic clogging up the entrance to Central Park. “I was able to ignore it a lot easier because I was just a runner, and I could just avoid the park during rush hour,” he said. “But after I came back from the hospital, I’d be going towards the park with a bunch of other people, and I’d think, ‘Oh my God! When do the cars stop?!’” Ring was convinced that opening the park to rush-hour traffic was both dangerous and unnecessary. “I haven’t seen any evidence that it gets people home faster,” he said. “And I mean, why wait until someone gets killed?” The Department of Transportation agreed with Ring’s assessment. After researching the matter, the department concluded that the change will not significantly affect traffic congestion, according to a press release from
the mayor’s office. “Mayor de Blasio has been a long-standing supporter of car-free parks, going back to his years as a council member representing the area,” a spokesman for the mayor said. “We recognize and appreciate the love all New Yorkers have for their parks.” Ring is still concerned about the southern end of Central Park, which is still open to traffic. “I’m a little worried because the southern end of the park has the most traffic, but it also has the narrowest roads and the horse-drawn carriages,” he blogged. “But I have hope that the east side of Prospect Park and the southern end of Central Park will be rid of rush-hour traffic after the traffic scientists fix the streets a little better on the outside of the parks.”
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015
17
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RENT FIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 days, though no tenants have reported problems with landlords stemming from the expiration, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Cuomo has said he won’t let lawmakers leave Albany until they renew the rent regulations, seen as crucial to the future of affordable housing in the nation’s largest city. The laws briefly expired during their last renewal cycle four years ago; an extension passed a few days later. Seeking to reassure tenants, Cuomo has said any renewal agreement this time will be retroactive and has warned of “serious legal consequences” for landlords who try to raise rents or dislodge tenants in the meantime. De Blasio
encouraged tenants to contact the city if they believe they’re being targeted, and other city and state officials also have offered to help tenants. But tenant Molly Hernandez wasn’t comforted by assurances that her landlord must abide by the terms of her lease on her rent-stabilized apartment. “The governor needs to do something,” she said while demonstrating in front of his office. The state Assembly’s Democratic majority passed a plan in May that would renew the rules for four years, lower the rent increases allowed on vacant apartments and repeal a provision that currently allows some apartments to be deregulated when tenants move out. The Republican-led Senate passed a proposal Monday to extend the law for eight years and institute new income verification
rules for tenants. The Democratic governor has said he wants stronger tenant protections, among them making it tougher to deregulate vacant apartments. But his critics say he could do more to put a deal in motion. They accuse him of attempting to tie rent regulation to unrelated issues, such as his education tax credit proposal. Cuomo’s office declined to comment on the criticisms. Natasha Creese is watching the debate play out from her apartment of 25 years. She’s concerned that changes to the rent laws could accelerate displacement in the area, where an unregulated three-bedroom can easily rent for three or four times the $1,000-a-month rent she and her sisters pay. “It’s nail-biting,” she said.
Sports ASPHALT GREEN AQUATICS WINS
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Sixty-five members of the Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA) swim team traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., to race the best the south had to offer. Competing against top teams, the swimmers consistently made it into the finals and had over 100 personal best swims. The team was lead by Kai Yamamoto, who won four gold medals over the weekend. The team will now shift gears and focus on the senior metropolitan championships.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
JUNE 25-JULY 1,2015 A wanted poster issued by police in connection with a robbery in Harlem early Tuesday morning. Police believe the men pictured bear a “striking resemblance” to those being sought in a botched robbery attempt in which an Amsterdam Avenue shopkeeper was killed Thursday afternoon.
BEYOND “I’VE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP” SENIOR LIVING Medical alert systems have grown as technology has improved BY LINDA A. JOHNSON
The choices are numerous. Medical alert systems have advanced far beyond the basic pendants that enable a loved one to summon assistance. Today’s range of products includes wristbands, watches and cellphones equipped with emergency buttons or apps. Their capabilities have also expanded to include GPS tracking and fall detection, all of which help users live more independently and keep them safe when they venture outside. That’s broadened their appeal from just homebound senior citizens to younger people with physical disabilities and others worried about security. The whole category started with the Philips Lifeline pendant in 1974. It helped seniors living alone feel safe and gave their loved ones peace of mind. But it only worked in and around the home. Last year, Phillips introduced its GoSafe mobile service, which gives users the same protections wherever they might be. The waterproof pendant can automatically detect if a person has fallen, and the response center then calls to check on the user if she doesn’t press the Help button. Philips says it uses six means of determining the individual’s location, should assistance be needed. Christopher DeHaven, who uses a wheelchair due to a rare neurodegenerative disor-
der, had a basic pendant that worked around his home until two months ago. Then he upgraded to a pendant with builtin GPS, the Splash from Philips’ rival GreatCall. “I wanted to be able to do the things that I missed, getting out with friends and family, going places,” said DeHaven, 44. “I didn’t want to be tied to the house.” The device also enables DeHaven’s niece to track his location and movements remotely if he doesn’t answer his cellphone. Other providers include LifeStation, Medical Alert, MobileHelp, ADT Medical Alert, Medical Guardian, Bay Alarm Medical and Life Alert, which runs those “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” ads. Here are factors to consider in selecting a product: 1. CHOOSE THE KEY FEATURES. If the person needing the device never goes out alone, an inexpensive home-and-yard system may be sufficient. If she leaves home regularly, consider a pendant, wristband or cellphone with GPS tracking. Decide whether a pendant or wristband would be more comfortable and whether someone with a disability, such as a stroke patient, could easily use the device or smartphone. 2. SHOP FOR PRICE. Monthly fees for such services run from about $20 for a bare-bones pendant or wristband to around $55 for one with GPS and fall detection. Some companies provide the pendant or wristband for free, while others charge a one-time fee of up to $150. Phone options include a ba-
sic cellphone with a prominent emergency button amid extra-large number keys, and a smartphone with the emergency icon on the home screen. Companies charge about $40 to $90 per month for those services, on top of $100 to $200 upfront for the cellphone. For people who have their own smartphone, some companies offer emergency help apps for the home screen for about $15 per month. There may be additional, onetime fees: $50 to $100 to activate the service and up to $90 to cancel it. Some companies don’t list prices on their websites, so be prepared to call to enquire. 3. ASK ABOUT COMMITMENTS. Many companies don’t require contracts, or they only run for 30 to 90 days. Ask what’s required, including billing terms. Some companies bill customers in advance for an entire year. 4. DETERMINE IF COVERAGE IS ADEQUATE. Reliability is crucial. Before you commit, make sure cellphone coverage in your area is strong enough to service any medical alert device or smartphone. If the service runs off a home landline, check for adequate range. Typically the devices work well up to 600 feet from the base unit. Be sure that covers the entire home and any usual path, such as to the end of the driveway. 5. ASK ABOUT A GUARANTEE. Ask about product guarantees, whether there’s a 30-day return policy and whether any discounts are available, such as for AARP members and veterans. 6. PLAN ACCESS FOR RESPONDERS You’ll need a quick, reliable way for police or EMTs to enter your home. If you have a security alarm, you’ll give the response center the code for it. Another common approach is to set up a lockbox near the door and give the service the code to open it. Lastly, read the fine print before signing anything.
U.W.S. KILLING TIED TO HARLEM ROBBERY Shopkeeper on Amsterdam Avenue dies in botched robbery BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
Police believe the people who killed a shopkeeper at an Amsterdam Avenue T-shirt shop during a robbery attempt June 18 could also have robbed a similar store at gunpoint in Harlem in the early morning of June 16. Two of three men pictured in surveillance footage taken around the time of the attempted robbery at BNC General Merchandise, on Amsterdam between 104th and 105th streets, bear a “striking resemblance” to suspects in a robbery on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, a police source said. Although one shot was fired during the Harlem robbery, according to a police wanted poster, police did not say whether anyone was hit. On Amsterdam Avenue, though, Bubacarr Camera, of Gerard Avenue in the Bronx, was killed during what the police source called a “botched robbery” around noon. Officers found Camera, 26, with “severe head trauma” inside the store. He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The day after the killing, several people gathered outside the store, where a makeshift memorial of daisies and carnations and reminiscences written on cardboard paper were affixed to the store’s gate and placed on the ground.
Samuel Rios, a former neighborhood resident, said he had dropped in to the shop earlier in the day to pay for a Tshirt that Camera, a recent arrival from Gambia, had fronted him. Rios said Camera was reciting prayers from the Koran on that Thursday, the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer. The two exchanged Ramadan greetings, said Rios, 36, who said he had lived on West 105 Street for about 13 years but now lives in Toms River, N.J. “It’s going to be hot,” Rios said he told Camera, whom he described as “a very nice guy” who endeavored to treat the shop’s customers as more than just patrons. “I don’t know what to say,” Rios said on Friday. “I’m very confused.” The mostly residential stretch of Amsterdam abounds with commercial activity, with delis, beauty and barber shops, a popular fruit and vegetable market, and restaurants with outdoor seating. The killing is the year’s first within the 24th Precinct’s confines, according to police data. Citing the investigation, police officials, including at the precinct, declined to provide details about the killing, including about the weapon used. A police officer, however, said that detectives from throughout the city were investigating. “They’re hot on this case,” he said. BNC General Merchandise, sand-
wiched between a nail salon and a jewelry store, is across Amsterdam from Bloomingdale Playground, where on the day after the killing dozens of small children played. On the corner of 105th Street, children and their parents lined up to buy flavored ices from a cart parked in the shade of the YMCA’s Grosvenor Neighborhood House. On light poles and parking signs nearby, police posters advertised a $2,500 reward for information about Camera’s killing. Images of the suspects were taken from a nearby surveillance camera and distributed by police. They described one of three suspects, all of them black, as wearing sunglasses, a gray, hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black sneakers and a black book bag. A second man was pictured wearing gray pants, a black Reebok sweatshirt and a white hat. The third man was wearing a white T-shirt, a gray sleeveless hooded sweatshirt with geometric patterns, black pants and white sneakers. Police ask that anyone with information about the homicide call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit information via the Crime Stoppers Website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting to 274637(CRIMES) and entering TIP577. All calls will be kept strictly confidential, police said.
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THE SONG’S THE THING Q&A Mezzo-Soprano Isabel Leonard is at home in the classical repertoire but is enticed by “different styles” BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Having studied at LaGuardia High School and Juilliard, Isabel Leonard was exposed to the city’s rich artistic culture at an early age. At just 25, she graced the stage at the Metropolitan Opera House for the first time in “Roméo et Juliette.” And now, at 33, she already has a Grammy for her work in “The Tempest.” That is why she now feels it important to pass an appreciation for the craft to young people. After performances, they sometimes meet her backstage, occasions that she counts as some of her most memorable moments as an artist. “It reminds you that it’s a great responsibility to hopefully inspire them to continue to love, not only opera, but all the culture they can absorb in different places,” she said. We caught up with Leonard after her rehearsal with the San Francisco Symphony. Although she travels the world, Leonard, who lives on the Upper West Side, always returns back to where her career started. This Met season, you can find her in “The Barber of Seville” and “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Tonight, she will take the SummerStage at Central Park for the Met’s Summer Recital Series, which she tells us will mix opera with classical musical theater.
You went to LaGuardia for high school. What was that experience like? It was high school. I don’t have anything to compare it to. I came from a very small private school where I went from kindergarten through eighth. When I went into high school, it was a much different atmosphere. We had an incoming freshman class of 600. For me, the biggest difference was the size. But, after that, it was a nice place for me to be because I was able to continue pursuing art and music.
When did you decide to pursue opera as a career? You know, I don’t think I ever made the decision to become an opera singer in such clear words. I always knew, since I was little, that I wanted to be involved in the theater, whether that was through dance, which was what I started doing, or theater or music. I just did little steps along the way in my education, going from dance more into music and eventually to Juilliard, which led me to have a classically based training. That, by nature, put me into the career path that I’m on right now. And I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been able to work and the repertoire that I can do is something that has been available to me from an early age. But it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t do other forms of theater, whether it’s a play or musical theater or something else.
Do you ever go back to Juilliard? Oh yeah. Whenever I’m in New York, I’m there whether it’s for a lesson or I’ll do a master class once a year. You never quite leave the building.
What did it feel like the first time you sang at the Met? Definitely shocking. It happened very soon for
me and it was a huge unknown. Extremely exciting. It was sort of like, ‘Well, here’s your trial by fire. We’re not going to put you in the shallow end, we’re going to throw you in the deep end and see if you sink or swim.’ It was great, actually, and it couldn’t have been under a better circumstance, I think.
What are some of your favorite pieces to sing? I tend to like whatever it is I’m working on at any given moment. That’s sort of all the brain capacity I have considering most of us are really busy, so you have to just focus on one thing at a time. I love the work that I’m doing here right now with Ravel’s “L’Heure espagnole” with the symphony because I love the French repertoire. And I love this piece because it’s a hoot and a half. And I love singing Rossini. Everything I have done this far, there has been something in there that keeps me coming back to it.
Can you give us a glimpse into your SummerStage performance? I think it will be fun because you will have three singers on stage that enjoy what they do, and sing and act well. It’s a good repertoire. We’re going to do not only opera, but I know Nathan and I will do a little bit of Sondheim and some other things. He and I do a concert together separately where we mix a lot of opera and what I would say is classical musical theater.
As far as mentors, who has inspired you through the years? There have been lots of people through different stages in my life that have made an impact whether it’s small or large. I could name a lot of people, so it’s hard to just pick one or two, because I feel that I’m not naming everyone that I should. When it comes to something more technical, like technique in singing and development as an opera singer specifically, of course, my teacher Edith Bers is the one I’ve been working with in this regard since I was 17 years old. She has been, of course, at that fundamental level in my training and is of upmost importance.
What are the most memorable fan moments for you? It’s always wonderful when audience members, friends, family or fans come backstage and show their appreciation for what we’re doing. I think the loveliest moments are when family or friends can bring their kids or young adults and the look on their faces if they’ve really enjoyed it. And they’re always a little shy, but the fact that they were there and were awake and wanted to come backstage and meet some of the singers. Or if it’s “Cenerentola,” of course they want to meet Cinderella. Those are really lovely moments because that’s the beginning for them.
Who would you still like to perform with on stage? Uh, everybody. [Laughs] Talk about a long list. Aside from more fantastic colleagues in the opera world, I would love to. ... It’s so funny a friend of mine was actually just doing a job with Queen Latifah and I was like, “I want to do a duet with her.” I would love to cross over into different realms of the music business and meet different artists and really mix and match different styles.
You released your first CD, “Preludios,” in May, which pays homage to your Argentinian ancestry. Yes, it finally came out. It’s Spanish repertoire close to my heart being half Argentine. It’s just
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. Photo: Becca Fay the beginning of more CDs of music that I enjoy. At this stage, I really want to put music down that is important to me and that I really love. It’s a physical manifestation of all this Spanish repertoire that I have enjoyed and learned. To learn more about Leonard, visit www.isabelleonard. com
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