The local paper for Downtown wn HARPER LEE’S MANHATTAN
WEEK OF AUGUST
6-12
VOICES, P.8
2015
EAST RIVER WATERFRONT GROUP TAKES SHAPE a gaggle of civic-minded New Yorkers concerned about the future of the East River waterfront, is now set to incorporate as the South Street East River Community Development Corporation. Victor Papa, who as president of the Two Bridges
NEWS South Street Initiative set to register as a community development corporation BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
A view of the East River waterfront and the Manhattan Bridge, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons.
The South Street Initiative, which began last fall as
THE LAST DAYS OF OUR LADY OF PEACE After nearly a century on the Upper East Side, a parish is shuttered but congregants have appealed the NY Archdiocese’s decree BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
Nearing their 30-year anniversary, Janice Dooner Lynch and Tom Lynch renewed their marriage vows last week inside a red brick church with neat white stone trim on a tidy Upper East Side block. It was a bittersweet occasion. “We did it today, the last day we could possibly do it,” Janice Lynch said a few hours after the church’s pastor, the Rev. Bartholomew Daly, officiated at the ceremony July 30. It would be among Daly’s last official acts as pastor of Our Lady of Peace on East 62nd Street. After nearly 100 years as a parish, the church’s doors closed, likely for good, the following day. The Catholic parish, established in 1919 by a growing population of Ital-
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ian immigrants to the city and the neighborhood, was one of dozens shuttered by the Archdiocese of New York, which cited declining attendance, shifting demographics and a shortage of priests, among other factors, when it announced closings of parishes stretching from Staten Island to Albany late last year. Officially, Our Lady of Peace merged with that of Saint John the Evangelist, seven blocks to the south, to create an entirely new parish on Aug. 1. Beginning with her grandmother in 1921, four generations of Lynch’s family passed under the marble archway leading into to the church and on which the words “Domus Dei et Porta Coeli” — God’s House and Heaven’s Door — are carved. Like her parents and grandparents, she and her husband were married there, in October 1985. Her daughter, Kellie, was baptized at the church. “You feel the family’s history being ripped out,” Lynch said.
Congregants said they were confounded by the archdiocese’s decision to close Our Lady of Peace since, they said, the parish was financially sound, so much so that a $450,000 renovation in 2008 and 2009 was
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
paid for entirely by the congregation. “This church has been in the black for years,” Lynch said, adding that the congregation’s numbers, while holding steady at about 400, was likely to grow. “It owes no debt to anyone. As a result it shouldn’t be closed.” Many said they expected the church to be sold to developers, despite
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Our Take THE LESSONS OF THE TRASH STATION Whether you live on the Upper East Side or not, the successful effort to move a trash-dump ramp in the neighborhood is a fight worth paying attention to. Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose support in the neighborhood is thin, had until now resisted moving the ramp, even though the facts of the project bordered on the absurd: the ramp on E. 91st Street would have directed heavy garbage truck traffic through Asphalt Green, a sports complex popular with kids, exposing them to traffic dangers and noxious fumes. While the shifting of the ramp, one block north to 92nd Street, seems now like a no-brainer, in fact it emerged as a sort of compromise, once it became clear that the mayor was unlikely to kill the trash dump entirely. Asphalt Green, supported by smart engineering and traffic studies to bolster its case, was able to work with other community leaders to at least ameliorate a bad situation. The mayor signed on to its plan late last week. There are lessons here for community fights elsewhere in the city: all-or-nothing demands rarely work, especially with this City Hall, which seems to have a nearly endless number of constituencies to satisfy. Second, by keeping the tone of the rhetoric in check, and focusing more on facts and logic, the good guys can, occasionally, win in the end. There are an endless number of fights where this kind of common-sense approach could help, from Central Park horses to Uber. Is it possible? Yes. Likely? Probably not
Solemn Mass at Our Lady of Peace on East 62nd Street on July 30, the evening before the church was closed. Photo: Richard Khavkine Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
n OurTownDowntow
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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes
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AUGUST 6-12,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SHOOTINGS DECLINE CITYWIDE Shooting incidents in the city have declined slightly compared to the same time last year, The New York Times reported. Through last weekend, there had been 669 shooting episodes reported citywide in 2015 compared to 674 at the same time last year, according Police Department statistics cited by the newspaper. Altogether, 794 people have been struck by bullets, seven more than had been hit by gunshots in the same period last year, The Times reported. Those numbers include the nine people were hit by gunshots, none fatally, at a Brooklyn party on Sunday, the newspaper said. Overall, the number of shootings appear to have fallen in the last two months, when extra officers were deployed in some of the city’s more violent precincts following an increase in shootings. While the number shootings is about the same as last year, killings are 10 percent higher than last year, when the city recorded a record low homicides, The Times reported.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WITHDRAWS FROM DISTRICT LEADER’S RACE
Following the deployment of additional officers to problematic precincts earlier this year, shootings citywide have declined. Photo: faungg’s photos, via Flickr.
Gigi Li has withdrawn withdrew from running for Democratic district leader in the 65th Assembly District following allegations that she submitted fraudulent ballot petitions, Downtown Express reported. Democratic County Committee members Georgette
Fleischer and Lora Tenenbaum filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court stating that Li’s petitions were fraudulent. The two committee members were represented in the lawsuit by former Lower Manhattan state senator Martin Connor, who’s notorious for eliminated candidates from the ballot. The Board of Elections found that Li only had 477 valid signatures – 23 signatures short. The Lo-Down reported that Li admitted in her resignation statement that she did not gather the required minimum of 500 signatures to be placed on the ballot. However, Li emphasizes in her statement that the allegations against her are false and her withdrawal had nothing to do with the fraud lawsuit. Li still serves as chairperson of Community Board 3.
IS OUTGOING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BATTERY PARK CITY PARKS CONSERVANCY LEAVING OF HER OWN VOLITION? After a board meeting closed to the public on July 29, a statement was released confirming that Tessa Huxley, executive director of Battery Park City Parks Conservancy was leaving. The New York Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that the Battery Park City Authority is firing Huxley, who has been in charge of maintaining Battery Park’s public gardens for nearly three decades. However, BPC Chief Dennis Mehiel denied that Huxley is being forced to retire.
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3
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
JURY AWARDS $47.8 MILLION IN CRANE COLLAPSE CASE A New York jury awarded $47.8 million to the families of two men killed in 2008 when a construction crane collapsed. The jury ordered James Lomma, the owner of the crane, and his companies to pay $32 million to the family of Ramadan Kurtaj and $15.8 million to the family of Donald Leo. In the May 2008 collapse on Manhattanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Upper East Side, parts of a 200-foot-tall crane snapped off and fell. Leo was operating the crane when it collapsed and he fell to his death. Kurtaj was underneath and was crushed. The familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attorneys say Lomma was responsible because he allowed an inferior repair to the crane. Lommaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorneys say others were at fault, including operator Leo. Lommaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.
Lomma was acquitted of manslaughter and other criminal charges in 2012. Mechanic Tibor Varganyi, who had arranged the crane repair, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Varganyi was sentenced to a year of community service. The trial got underway in October. It had initially started in May 2014, but was postponed after Lomma was seriously hurt in a car crash, suffering multiple fractures. The crane collapsed two months after another crane fell apart in midtown and killed seven people. Together, the accidents stirred concern about crane safety and led to a roster of new regulations.
HOW UNFARE A 31-year-old man who hailed a cab was arrested for theft of service on
July 26 when he could not pay for his ride because his wallet was stolen. After being released from custody, he discovered that unauthorized charges had appeared on his credit cards. He told police he had lost his wallet in the vicinity of Broad and Water Streets. He also lost, or had stolen, an iPhone 6 valued at $750, a Montblanc wallet tagged at $300, a driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, and various credit and debit cards, making a total value of $1,050.
FELT FAULT At 1 p.m. on Friday, July 24, a 30-year-old man heading to school chained his bike to a fence on the northeast corner of South End Avenue and Liberty Street. When he returned at 6 p.m., both his a Felt AR5, valued at $3,100, and chain were missing. The bicycle was equipped with an Abus lock and chain tagged at $100, plus another priced at $60, making a total stolen of $3,260.
SHOPLIFTING ARREST A 24-year-old woman was arrested July 23 and charged with grand larceny after she tried to steal roughly $2,400 worth of cosmetics from the Sephora department store at 555 Broadway, police said. Xian He was arrested on the evening of July 23 after a store security guard watched take several
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STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for July 20 to July 26 Week to Date
Year to Date
2015 2014
% Change
2015
2014
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
4
5
-20.0
Robbery
0
0
n/a
31
25
24.0
Felony Assault
1
2
-50.0
44
40
10.0
Burglary
1
6
-83.3
75
91
-17.6
Grand Larceny
29
20
45.0
571
515
10.9
Grand Larceny Auto
0
2
-100.0
12
6
100.0
items off the shelf, including lipsticks, facial creams and eye makeup, and place them in her bag, police said. She then went to the register and paid for two of the items before leaving the store. The merchandise stolen included 23 lipsticks valued at $856, 6 facial products tagged at $435, 10 lipsticks priced at $330, 6 eye products valued at $279, an eye cream worth $162, along with concealers, blush, setting powder, fragrances, and more totaling $2,378.
SHADY BEHAVIOR At 10:28 a.m. on Friday, July 24, a
man entered the Sunglass Hut store at 183 Broadway and took three pairs of shades valued at $1,390 and ďŹ&#x201A;ed in an unknown direction.
CHARMING FELLOW Another week, another Greene Street grab. At 6:01 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, a man took a charm bag off a stand inside the Fendi store at 122 Greene St. and placed it inside his bag. He then took an iPhone case and placed it in his pants pocket. Next, he left the store without paying for the merchandise he had concealed on his person. The stolen items totaled $1,400.
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AUGUST 6-12,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com George Braziller, at a bookshelf full of his titles
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TURNING THE PAGE ON A LIFE PROFILE After a career publishing other people’s books, George Braziller, age 99, has written his own BY KYLE POPE
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“Look at this book, would you?,” said George Braziller, pulling an art title off a bookshelf in his Upper East Side living room. “Look at the quality. Look at the binding. I’m so damned proud of all of them.” Here, on E. 74th Street, there is lots to be proud of. Books spill from the office to the living room to the kitchen, on bookshelves and couches and in boxes on the floor. Many of them — hundreds of them — were published under the George Braziller imprint, a groundbreaking independent publishing company run for 60 years by Braziller himself. The range of Braziller’s backlist is staggering, from Picasso and Miro art books to Langston Hughes and Jean-Paul Sartre and Orhan Pamuk. Most of the books came into being through the relentless, scrappy efforts of their globetrotting publisher. (Ask him about dinner with Picasso in Antibes or his summer with Arthur Miller on
Martha’s Vineyard.) Yet Braziller will tell you that the hardest book to pull off — by far — is the one sitting on a pile on the table: Encounters: My Life In Publishing, the memoir Braziller has just finished at the age of 99. “The feeling of loneliness is amazing. I understand why writers drink,” he said. “If I had lived in the country, I would have blown my brains out.” Braziller has spent the last four years sitting at a desk in this apartment, filling hundreds of small yellow legal pads, retelling the story of his life. The result, wrestled to the ground on an old Apple Macintosh computer that has since died, is a 150-page remembrance of one of the great golden eras of New York publishing, long since swallowed up by ebooks and global conglomerates. Braziller writes of growing up in Brooklyn at a time when there were still cows in Canarsie; of being raised by a mother (his father died before he was born) who supported the family by selling clothes from a pushcart; of not finishing high school and shipping off for the Spanish Civil War and, later, World War II. In 1955, he started his own publishing company, and
worked there until the day he retired at age 95. (His two sons now mind the shop.) “That place was everything to me,” he said. Most of Encounters consists of brief profiles of books and people he met along the way. Taken together, they paint a picture of a curious, self-made businessman who cared as much about politics — he took heat for publishing a collection of essays by Muslim writers in support of Salman Rushdie — as beauty (his book on Matisse’s cutouts is considered a landmark). The night we met, Victoria and Si Newhouse hosted a book-signing party for Braziller at their art-filled apart-
ment near the United Nations. About 70 people turned out, most of whom “could be euphemistically described as mature,” Victoria Newhouse said. She worked for Braziller as a translator in Paris in the late 1960s, then in New York. More recently, she talked him through the writing process. Though he spent his career in publishing, Braziller found the notion of writing about himself daunting. After friends convinced him his story was worth telling, he went out, at age 96, and bought up every book about writing he could find. “He had never even written flap copy,” Newhouse said. “He had other people do that for him.” Today, with the long days of writing behind him, Braziller is satisfied with the result. “I don’t give a damn if I sell 100 or 10,000,” he said. “This is the best I could do. And it’s there.” The last chapter of Encounters is called “Looking Back” and includes a black-and-white photo of Braziller as a boy. “I find myself looking over and over again at this early photograph of myself at the age of 12,” he writes. “I surprise myself when I say, ‘I love that boy.’” “The boy looks so pleased with himself,” Braziller writes of himself, “so at ease.”
AUGUST 6-12,2015
5
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
AUGUST 6-12,2015
THE MAN WITH THE MANDOLIN How Mandola Joe became a fixture at Theodore Roosevelt Park BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
Joe Ornstein doesn’t perform. He plays. The 79th Street resident who’s often found strumming his mandolin in Theodore Roosevelt Park surrounding the American Museum of Natural History doesn’t perform for money, though he does draw an audience. “If the weather’s good, I’m here,” said Ornstein, 67. He can even be found on a bench in February, or during a light rain, when he finds some shelter under the park’s trees. “I’ve got mandolins for that,” he said. Ornstein, or “Mandola Joe” to some, has lived in his Upper West Side apartment for about 30 years, much of that time with his wife Nancy, who passed away 13 years ago, and has become a familiar fixture in the neighborhood and in the park, where he finds eager audiences. Young children often gravitate to the music and the player “I needed to recharge, so I’d come out here,” said Ornstein from a shaded bench near the park’s Nobel Monument, one of his favorite spots. “Invariably some little kid would lift my spirits so high that if I fell halfway down I was five times higher than I would’ve been.” Ornstein used to walk in the park with his Polish Lowland Sheepdog named Woody (after Woody Guthrie) and got to know some of his neighbors during these strolls, including a guitarist named Rob, who inspired him to play in the park. “He wasn’t playing for anybody,” said Ornstein. “He lived in the neighborhood and he needed a nice place to sit.” Ornstein busked in Central Park with a banjo player and a guitarist, Peter Kalmus. The group called themselves the Summit Hill Ramblers, a nod to Summit Rock, the park’s highest peak. They’d earn a little change, or what Kalmus called “soul money,” contributions that boosted the players’ morale, if not their bank accounts. The group disbanded and Kalmus now lives in California, but Ornstein, solo with his mandolin, still finds audiences in Theodore Roosevelt Park. “He’s a genuine musician in the sense that he really just loves music and he loves making little kids dance,” Kalmus said. “He really does it for the joy of it, that’s why he does it. You can’t get any more pure than that.” With a long gray beard, mesh pith helmet and bright orange shoes, Ornstein thinks he cuts a curious figure for the children, his appearance attracting as much attention as his instrument.
“Mandola Joe” Ornstein plays mandolin in Theodore Roosevelt Park. “This has been a place where I have not only enjoyed the nature, but I taught myself to appreciate it in here,” he said. Photo: Gabrielle Alfiero “I suspect I look different from what they’re used to,” said Ornstein, whose low speaking voice is raw and raspy, but warm. “But they love music, and that’s a fact. This is one of my joys; watching kids walking by in some sort of mood, you know, all of a sudden get picked up.” Even when he’s not strumming and singing in his deep baritone, Ornstein attracts attention from young parkgoers. On a recent hot afternoon, a toddler soaking wet from the nearby fountain slowed and stared as she passed the musician. A Brooklyn native, Ornstein learned the mandolin at age 13, and now has a collection of about 23 string instruments. He’s loyal to Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island and Rudy’s Music on 48th Street, where he purchased most of his instruments, save a miniature mandolin his wife gave him 17 years ago. He plays an amalgam of different world and folk styles from Celtic to English and American folk, Yiddish and Middle Eastern, in what Kalmus calls a “noodley, happy improvisational style.” Over the years, Ornstein wove children’s songs into
his repertoire and takes suggestions from his young fans. “Baa, Baa Black Sheep,” “This Land is Your Land” and “The Wheels on the Bus” are common requests. “This little pocket of Manhattan, the kids know what a mandolin is,” said Ornstein, who doesn’t have children of his own. “Everybody knows guitars all over the world, but in this little corner a lot of kids know mandolin.” Ornstein is curious and observant. He can identify plant and tree varieties in the park, some of which he learned from horticulturalists who maintain the park’s gardens. He points out a squirrel’s nest in a tall tree, or architectural details in the glass exterior of the museum’s planetarium, and remembers when a horse chestnut tree was lost to disease and an elm came down in Hurricane Sandy. He stops to smell the flowers. In 1989, Ornstein competed on Jeopardy and won $12,000. With some of his winnings, he bought a membership to the American Museum of Natural History so he could study the history of string figures in the museum’s library. He carries a long loop of string
on a carabineer and he’s skilled at Cat’s Cradle. “[He] is just this positive presence,” said Susannah Conn-Thomas, who ran an open mic night at a neighborhood bar where Ornstein played. “It really helped to set a tone for the open mic being a community experience.” Ornstein stuck around after he performed during the open mic sessions, she said, talking to performers about their acts. “He saw the value in his own presence, he saw the value in being there…I like his presence so much that I invited him to my wedding,” Conn-Thomas said. The otherwise-casual Ornstein showed up to her nuptials in a threepiece suit, she added. In recent years, he’s memorized lengthy poems by Robert Service and Edward Lear, partially a symptom of his desire to be an actor but also as a way to enhance his memory, which he admits was never his strength. He hangs verses in his kitchen so he can work on the poems while preparing his nightly salads. Right now, he’s brushing up on “The Night Before Christmas” in preparation for the
holidays. “It’s a great way for me to face my years ahead where memory is a real issue,” he said. “The better I work out the brain, the better it works.” A former member of the American Museum of Natural History, Ornstein looks ahead warily as the museum plans an expansion into the park that’s become his daily sanctuary and makeshift stage. He’s reserving judgment as the museum has yet to reveal their design plans, yet he thinks the community, which has already voiced opposition to the prospective loss of public parkland, needs to send a message to the powerful institution. “You don’t need to go into the museum to learn something about natural history around here,” said Ornstein. “There’s ways we can all get along.” With his busking days behind him, Ornstein no longer performs for money. Even the notion of selling the walking sticks he crafts from salvaged branches doesn’t appeal to him. Still, he may take requests. “I still love doing “‘Old MacDonald,’” he said of the favorite nursery rhyme. “I think it’s a very hip song.”
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BY RAANAN GEBERER
At 123 W. 23rd St., between 6th and 7th avenues, stands an empty church building that hasn’t seen any sign of life for several years. Occasionally, young people hang out on its steps, but most people just pass it by. It has been closed since 2012, and its fate is uncertain. That building is the former Church of St. Vincent de Paul, built to serve the needs of the city’s French-speaking Catholics. While efforts to keep the parish active have failed, a petition to save the building has gone all the way to the Vatican. The church had its origins in 1839, when several members of the Society of the Fathers of Mercy, a French order of priests, toured the United States. While in New York, one of the members of the order, Bishop Charles Auguste Marie Joseph, remarked in a sermon what while Irish and German Catholics had their
own churches, the city had no church for French-speaking Catholics. He challenged the relatively small community of French Catholics here to start their own church. In 1841, the first Church of St. Vincent de Paul was opened on Canal Street. The current building on West 23rd Street was dedicated in 1859, although the façade was rebuilt in 1939. From the beginning, it was an outpost of French culture and French identity in this country. After World War I, a memorial to French and American veterans who had died on the battlefield in France was built in the church. In July 1940, according to The New York Times, the church held a service to commemorate those who had died in the Nazi invasion of France, and a representative of the French government in exile declared that “France will rise again!” Perhaps the most celebrated event in the church took place in 1952, when Edith Piaf wed fellow French singer Jacques Pills, with Marlene Dietrich as Piaf’s maid of honor.
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After America’s immigration laws were liberalized in the 1960s, worshippers from France were joined by those from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Martinique and other French-speaking countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Until a few years before it closed, the church also housed an outreach program for homeless senior citizens. The Archdiocese announced its decision to close the church in 2007, and an opposition group called Save St. Vincent de Paul formed. In addition to lobbying church authorities, it sought to have the church declared a landmark, but the Landmarks Preservation Commission told the Times that the 1939 façade was “designed by a little-known architect and lacked architectural distinction.” Local officials and even the then-president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, tried to keep the church open, but failed. This February, according to city records, the church’s next-door neighbor, 131 W. 23rd St., which currently houses a bed and breakfast, was sold. According to the Real Deal, the owners, headed by hotelier Jeffrey Dagowitz, seek to build a 35-story building there. When asked whether these plans included the church property, a spokesperson for the new owners said in an email that “details for this project are not final, thus we have no comment/ information to share at this time.” Indeed, the city Finance Department’s website shows no recent transactions for the church property itself. However, a November article in Crain’s New York said that a buyer had offered $50 million for the property, but the sale was stalled by the petition to the Vatican. The Archdiocese itself didn’t return several calls and emails asking about the fate of the church.
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Voices HARPER LEE’S MANHATTAN ROOTS
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Senior living
OP-ED BAiP members at last year’s spring yard sale.
Aging in Place BY MARCIA EPSTEIN
NORCS (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) occur when a group of people have been living in the same building or community of buildings for so long that they have literally aged in place. New York City provides funding for supportive services in NORCS, such as assistance with health care management, social activities, access to government resources and health promotion activities. Some examples are Columbus Park Towers at 100 West 94th St.; St. Martin’s Tower at 65 West 90th St.; Stryker’s Bay at 689 Columbus Avenue; and the Penn-South Co-op in Chelsea. In addition to these official NORCs, there is a unique organization on the Upper West Side where seniors help seniors to help each other: Bloomingdale Aging in Place (BAiP). It functions in some similar ways to a NORC, benefiting over the past few years from a small annual grant from the Manhattan Borough President’s office. In 2009 it was founded by members of two adjacent block associations: the West 102nd and West 103rd Street Block Association and the West 104th Street Block Association. It now covers
an area of the Upper West Side from West 96th Street to West 110th Street and Riverside Drive to Central Park West. BAiP is an all-volunteer organization whose mission is to help older adults lead healthy, connected and vital lives as their needs change. Its primary goal is to build community so that older adults have a nearby social network as they age in place. They have a neighbor-toneighbor program to assist with friendly visits to the homebound or ill, help with errands, and escort those who need it to medical and other appointments. Many BAiP members currently volunteer with the organization, benefiting their own health and well-being by experiencing how important it is to care about and help each other, which is a great way to stay engaged, healthy and involved in one’s community. BAiP has numerous group activities also. It has 35 ongoing groups and about 100 activities throughout the year. There are panel discussions on topics of interest to seniors such as caregiving, elder law, Medicare and Social Security. They also sponsor social events such as occasional neighborhood dinners and outings to museums, shows and concerts, plus numerous activities such as ping pong, yoga, tai chi, cycling, walking,
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art, watercoloring, stitchery, drama and reading and writing groups. They also maintain a list of neighborhood services such as hair cutters, housekeeping services, painters and carpenters, all recommended by BAiP members for BAiP members. I became involved with BAiP through ping pong, a game I played as a teenager and took up again as a senior citizen. It’s been wonderful, and if I were interested in juggling, I could do that, too. One more terrific organization on the Upper West Side is DOROT, located at 171 W. 85th St. DOROT is a leader in aging services and volunteerism. The staff will run through the programs with anyone who calls, or an appointment can be made by calling 212-769-2850. DOROT provides in-home services for the frail elderly, including home delivered frozen meals. There are also wellness programs, shopping and escorting services, arts and culture and holiday celebrations.
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Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade
Harper Lee was once our Upper East Side neighbor living between 81st and 82nd streets, at 1539 York Ave., an address that no longer exits. She arrived in Manhattan in 1949 from Monroeville, Ala., to become a writer. For eight years she worked at odd jobs to support herself, but like many budding New York novelists who have day jobs, she’d come home too exhausted and distracted to sit down at the typewriter and practice her craft. After watching Lee struggle and really get no further in her career, two friends, who had come into some money, gifted her with enough to live on for one year, so that she could quit her ticket agent position at BOAC and write full time. According to the biography Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields, Lee holed up at 1539 York, “needing no more than pen, paper and privacy.” When she completed the first draft of Go Set A Watchman, the author showed it to her J.B. Lippincott editor, Tay Hohoff, who had quite a number of directives: get rid of the present-day references, focus on the 1930s childhoods of Scout, Jem and Dill, then somehow reference that period’s “Scottsboro Boys” trials, which were in full swing. Hence the trial of Tom Robinson. Hohoff even changed the title, and in July 1960, Lippincott published To Kill A Mockingbird, which went on to win a Pulitzer Prize. Having just finished the newly released Go Set A Watchman, it’s clear Hohoff knew what she was talking about. It’s hard for me to believe that the same person who wrote a masterpiece like Mockingbird wrote Watchman. If I had to choose one word to describe it, that word would be “tedious,” although I kept reading with the hope it would get better. Finishing the book became an obligation -- I had to see it through to the end just to pay respect to my literary idol.
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
Someone told me Harper Lee raked in about $3 million a year from Mockingbird, so I really don’t think she needed her second book published for the money -- but clearly someone else did. The publishing police should find that person and put them in literary prison forever. Part of the cachet of the award-winning tome was that it was her standalone work, but now these two novels, which are not of equal caliber, are placed side-by-side in brick and mortar bookstores, and as comparable reads on Internet sites. Harper Lee may owe her stories to people she knew in Monroeville, but she owes her success to those she met in New York City. The world-renowned literary icon came here the same year that E.B. White wrote, “No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.” May all New York writers be lucky enough to have an editor like Tay Hohoff. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novel, Back To Work She Goes.
Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons
Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
AUGUST 6-12,2015
WATERFRONT GROUP TAKES SHAPE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Neighborhood Association is spearheading the initiative, said there are no drawbacks to organizing as a non-profit community development corporation, and that the model actually allows the organization to initiate economic development projects and makes it easier for the organization to receive government funding. The move comes after a series of meetings with community leaders and -- more recently -- city officials, including Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. The initiative is now pushing for a meeting with the city’s Economic Development Corporation, where, according to Papa, they’ll ask the agency for control over rent revenue earned from city-owned space along the East River, such as Basketball City, which is located on a pier owned by the Dept. of Small Business Services. “We’re not asking to take away city funding, we’re actually participating in the improvement of the waterfront,”
THE LAST DAYS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the fact that it is within the Treadwell Farm Historic District and that a covenant dating the 1860s would restrict development efforts. But a spokesman for the Archdiocese, Joseph Zwilling, said the archdiocese could not in and off itself sell the building. “It will be up to the new parish to determine what the next steps will be,” he said. “It is the property of the new parish. They will have to come to a decision about what will happen.” Diocesan officials would only “focus” and “guide” the parish toward any decision about the building, Zwilling said. “They may come to a decision ‘we’d like to sell this,’” he said. “They may decide to use it for some other church-related purpose.” If there was resentment about the Archdiocese’s decision, though, there was also hope. Lynch and several other parishioners have submitted five volumes of documentation, including financial records, to the Vatican in the hopes of overturning the Archdiocese’s
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com said Papa. “Which is actually the city’s responsibility, but we want to do it. We want to involve residents.” Although the South Street Initiative began in 2012 as a series of discussions between Papa and other community stakeholders and organizations, they held their inaugural meeting less than a year ago in September 2014. In the short term, the initiative is asking residents of the East River waterfront to sign a letter of support, the gist of which is that soon-to-be-christened South Street East River CDC is the vehicle by which the East River will be rejuvenated and rendered equitable for all residents. According to a draft of the letter provided to this newspaper, the new organization will create a single, fair and comprehensive plan to coordinate land use, planning and development along the waterfront. That plan will include resiliency measures and green infrastructure, and foster small business incubation while establishing open space and properly stewarding publicly-owned facilities for maximum use by the entire community. The ultimate goal, said Papa,
is to unite the Lower East Side with other waterfront communities below the Brooklyn Bridge, which he characterized as an artificial boundary. Such an undertaking requires uniting a wide array of economic and commercial interests, from the Howard Hughes Corporation’s redevelopment of the South Street Seaport and Extell’s massive 250 South Street project to low income residents in the various public housing developments that dot the Lower East Side. “What we have undertaken is a task that’s not easy to do,” said Papa. “There are different conversations that have to happen.” Papa said that at a recent community meeting, a resident of Two Bridges urged the organization not to improve the waterfront, because doing so would invite gentrification. “And there’s a certain truth to that,” said Papa. “The initiative’s role would be to give everyone a voice in that conversation, and insure that whatever improvements are made to the waterfront are for the equal benefit of everyone.”
decree. A decision is due sometime after Sept. 1, she said. Our Lady of Peace, Lynch said, was a hub of comfort and continuity at a time when respect and reverence for history and tradition are at an ebb. The church’s closing is yet another symptom of that tendency, she said a few minutes before dozens of congregants accompanied by a four-piece brass ensemble playing the Lourdes Hymn began a Rosary Procession July 30. They walked down Second Avenue, along 61st Street and up Third Avenue before turning back onto 62nd Street, passing under scaffolding, apartment renovations and a condominium conversion project along the way. The procession prefaced an all-night vigil to commemorate the parish’s nearly 100 years of history, the marriages, baptism and funerals that took place there. Before evening Mass, Estela Ojeda, a 22-year congregant, said the church was home to a charismatic and dedicated congregation from all corners of the world. Ojeda, a former resident of the neighborhood who moved to Queens but nevertheless led prayer meetings
on Thursdays and attended Mass on Sundays, said the diocese neglected to take the parish’s pulse before deciding to close it. “This is a community. We know each other,” she said as the church’s organ tones swelled above the roughly 120 people in the pews. “It’s a family, more than blood relatives.” By Friday morning, lit candles, burning overnight, had dripped wax on the church’s stone steps and parishioners ambled outside trading embraces. Before a Solemn Mass, the parish’s last, a locksmith worked to change the locks on the church’s doors. Daly, the church’s pastor for 22 years, called the church’s congregation inclusive and welcoming, and a full reflection of the generations of immigrants — whether German, Italian, Irish and, lately, Asian and South and Central American — that lent the parish its dynamism. “It’s a place where all religions find peace,” said Daly, who will move to a parish in Westchester County. “Hopefully they will bring that spirit to other parishes.”
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Fri 7 SUMMERSTAGE PRESENTS THE NUYORICAN POETS CAFE FEATURING SARAH JONES
For the past forty-three years Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company has stayed true to its primary mission to provide a platform for multi-cultural choreographers and dance artists. 212-360-2789. www. cityparksfoundation.org/event/ summerstage-alpha-omegatheatrical-dance-companymaster-class-karisma-jay/
SUMMERSTAGE PRESENTS FELIX HERNANDEZ RHYTHM REVUE: OUR LATIN THING
OPEN STUDIO ▲
traveling the U.S. collecting hundreds of hours of interviews with R&B artists. 212-360-2789. www. cityparksfoundation.org/event/ summerstage-felix-hernandezrhythm-revue-screening-ourlatin-thing/
East River Park, East River Promenade. 7-9 p.m. Free In 1983, Felix Hernandez began a two-year project
East River Park, East River Promenade. 7-9 p.m. Free Sarah Jones is a former Nuyorican Poets Cafe grand slam champion whom the New York Times has called “a master of the genre.” 212-360-2789. www. cityparksfoundation.org/event/ summerstage-the-nuyoricanpoets-cafe-featuring-sarahjones/
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▲ YOUNG WRITERS IN MOTION Hamilton Fish Park Library, Auditorium, at 415 East Houston St. 11 a.m. Free Your teens will write, perform, discuss and publish their own work at this weekly writing workshop presented by Lower East Side poet Rodger Taylor and educator Matt Rudansky. 212-673-2290. www.nypl. org/events/calendar
Sat 8 SUMMERSTAGE: ALPHA OMEGA THEATRICAL DANCE COMPANY/MASTER CLASS: KARISMA JAY East River Park, East River Promenade. 7-9 p.m. Free
Whitney Museum, 99 Gansevoort St. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Free with museum admission Families with children of all ages are invited to get inspired through the museum’s exhibition, American is Hard to See, and start crafting. Each week a different art making project is offered. 212-570-3600. whitney.org/ Events/OpenStudioAugust2015
Mon 10 SEASHELLS: SCIENCE
Sun 9 DOWNTOWN VOICES: CHOIR AUDITIONS ► Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street. 1:30-5 p.m. Free Trinity Wall Street is looking for New York City’s best chorale singers to join Downtown Voices, its new semi-professional, volunteer choir. 212-602-0800. www. trinitywallstreet.org/music/ downtownvoices
Seward Park Library, at 192 E. Broadway. 1 p.m. Free Examine seashells and discover the science behind them with Jessie Oram. 212-477-6770. www.nypl. org/events/calendar
MONDAY FISHING Pier 25, in Tribeca, at North Moore St. 5 p.m. Free Ages 5 and up are welcome to learn about fish and the Hudson River ecosystem while fishing for many fish species that can be found in the city’s river. www.hudsonriverpark. org/events/big-city-fishingmonday-on-pier-25
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Tues 11 Wed 12 HOT STRINGS FESTIVAL City Winery, 155 Varick St. 5-7:30 p.m. Free Enjoy hot swing, old school country ountry as well as Cajun and Zydeco music of southwest Louisiana at the 3rd Annual Hot Strings Festival with musician Cynthia Sayer and bands The Tribeca Playboys and Western Caravan. 212-608-0555. www. citywinery.com/newyork/ itywinery.com/newyork/ tickets.html ickets.html
JEWELRY MAKING â&#x2013;ź Hudson Park Library, at 66 Leroy St. 2:30 p.m. Free Join Jennifer ennifer Jacobs acobs and nd learn earn how too make unique bracelets and necklaces with different materials. Jennifer Jacobsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work has been featured at Barneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York. For ages 12 to 18 years old. 212-243-6876. http://www. nypl.org/events/calendar
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ONLINE BANKING Chatham Square Library, at 33 E. Broadway 1-3 p.m. Free. Thinking about switching to online banking? Learn how to set up your account, check your balance and pay your bills online. You will also learn how to use your smartphone to deposit checks. Laptops provided. 212-9646598. www. nypl.
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MOVIE NIGHT ON THE HUDSON Pier 63, in Chelsea, at W 22nd St & W 24th St. 8:30 p.m. Free. This week, watch the ďŹ lm Boyhood about growing up in Arlington, Texas. Rated R. www.hudsonriverpark.org/ events/boyhood
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Thu 13 â&#x2013;˛ FIERCE & FABULOUS FASHION Seward Park Library, at 192 E. Broadway 2 p.m. Free. Harness your inner diva and learn to create fashion from recycled materials. For ages 13 to 18 years old. 212-477-6770. www.nypl. org/events/calendar
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RED WANTING BLUE WITH THE TREWS City Winery, 155 Varick St. 8-10:30 p.m. Tickets $18 to $20. Enjoy rock music by Red Wanting Blue and the Trews. Red Wanting Blue stays true to its roots in rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n roll and The Trews makes the genre unpredictable. www.citywinery.com
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The cast of “Commedia Rapunzel.” Photo: Forrest Clonts
FRINGE FESTIVAL 19th annual version of the theater and dance extravaganza returns to the city BY ZEENA SAIFI
The largest multi-arts festival in North America returns to the city next week and, with performances by companies from eight different countries and 21 states, it’s poised to attract a new set of admirers. Running from Aug. 14 through Aug. 30, The 19th annual version of the New York International Fringe Festi-
val, which this year will present performances by 185 of the world’s best evolving theater groups and dance companies. The festival’s producing artistic director, Elena Holy, said many come to FringeNYC thinking they’re going to come see one show, but end up making an entire day of it. “The shows are about as different as can be; diversity is one of the things we look for,” Holy said. “They are diverse across genres; comedy, dance, just about any genre you can think of, as well as stylistically and dramati-
cally.” Performances will take place in 16 venues in downtown Manhattan. Attendance expected to exceed 75,000. Premieres include “Jurassic Parq,” “Urinetown” and “‘da Kink in My Hair.” FringeNYC alumni also include famous actors such as Bradley Cooper, Melissa Rauch and Mindy Kaling. Holy said this wide range of different people, shows and activities involved in the festival make it a combination of both a summer camp and a theatrical adventure. A kids and family-friendly portion of FringeNYC, FringeJR, is another of the festival’s compelling attractions, Holy said. This year, a particularly extraordinary group of applicants have put together five shows for both children and families.
“Although they are shows that are suitable for kids, they’re not dumbed down at all,” she said. “They are also very much enjoyed by parents and adults.” Because of the varied number and types of shows included, Holy suggests figuring out which one you would might best enjoy is to take the FringeNYC online quiz. It will ask you a bunch of questions and eventually pair you up with the shows that are most suited to your liking. She said it has been very successful in pairing audiences up with shows they truly ended up enjoying. The Fringe Festival is made up of a different community of artists, audiences and volunteers. And although Fringe Theater originated in Edinburgh and is adapted all over the
world, Holy said FringeNYC is different, because it is located in one of the greatest towns for theater. Holy said one of the things she has learned is that the audiences love having the opportunity to meet the artists and discuss their work with them. For that reason, they have launched a special event this year called FringePlus. After the shows are over, they will be followed by a meet-up at a local bar or restaurant, where the artists and audiences will be able to grab a drink together and discuss the performances. “It’s interesting,” she said, “because I feel the festival provides a rare opportunity for emerging artists in New York City to grow and for audiences to let loose and become adventurous.”
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AUGUST 6-12,2015
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org
FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
THEATER
NEW YORK CITY
Open Sessions Performances
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 6:30PM The Drawing Center | 35 Wooster St. | 212-219-2166 | drawingcenter.org Enjoy the opening of a group drawing show, enhanced with artist lectures, readings and dance performances. (Free)
“TITUS” Hudson Warehouse presents Shakespeare’s violent tragedy “Titus.” Hudson Warehouse performances are free to the public and performed outdoors in Riverside Park. Due to this play’s violence, the show is not recommended for audiences under 14 years of age. “Titus” Through Aug. 23 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, north patio, W. 89th Street and Riverside Drive Thursdays-Sundays 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.hudsonwarehouse.net or call 917-775-9837 FREE For more information, visit www.thehighline. org or www.columbiasummerwinds.org/
ST. CYPRIAN SINGERS
GALLERIES PORTRAITURE NOW: STAGING THE SELF This exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery presents 34 works by six Latino artists as they explore the construction of identity, including Brooklyn artist David Antonio Cruz, who combines painting, video and performance in his work, and photographer Karen Miranda Rivadeneira. Portraiture Now: Staging the Self Through Oct. 17 Americas Society 680 Park Avenue, at E. 68th Street Gallery hours: Monday through Thursday, noon-6 p.m. FREE For more information, visit http://www.ascoa.org/ or call 212-249-8950
MUSIC COLUMBIA SUMMER WINDS Columbia Summer Winds, an ensemble of local musicians, comes to the High Line for a free performance as part of the park’s classical music series. Expect a range of compositions and styles, from John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” to music from Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” and new works submitted through the ensemble’s regular composition contest. Columbia Summer Winds Saturday, Aug. 8 The High Line 14th Street at Tenth Avenue 2 p.m.
Made up of former Oxbridge music students, St. Cyprian’s Church singers of London sing regularly at Sunday choral mass, while also traveling for performances at music festivals, including a recent engagement at the Brandenburg Choral Festival in their home city. This free concert includes pieces from contemporary composers Eric Whitacre and Jonathan Dove, as well as work from 16th-century composer Thomas Tallis, among others. St. Cyprian Singers Thursday, Aug. 13 St. Bartholomew’s Church 325 Park Avenue, at 51st Street 12:30 p.m. FREE For more information, call 212-378-0222
BOOKS
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 7PM Housing Works Bookstore Cafe | 126 Crosby St. | 212-966-0466 | housingworksbookstore.org Lev Grossman joins author, actress and gamer Felicia Day for a conversation about Day’s memoir and internet stardom. ($25.99, includes book)
Ted Koppel in Conversation with Charlie Rose | Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Anyone who remembers the ’03 blackout will be unsettled by the lack of planning for a cyberattack that could take out our grid entirely. Ted Koppel discusses the threat and steps we can take. ($32)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
join the MOOOvement TVCTDSJCF UPEBZ
HELEN PHILLIPS WITH JENNY OFFILL Helen Phillips discusses her new novel, “The Beautiful Bureaucrat,” which follows Josephine, whose mysterious new job working on ‘The Database’ causes her growing anxiety. Phillips is joined by Jenny Offill, whose novel “Dept. of Speculation” was named one of 2014’s ten best books by the New York Times. Helen Phillips with Jenny Offill Thursday, Aug. 13 McNally Jackson 52 Prince St., between Lafayette and Mulberry Streets 7 p.m. FREE For more information, visit www. mcnallyjackson.com or call 212-274-1160 To be included in the Top 5 go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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14
Michael White
TRAVELING WITH YOUR PET
Nicole Miller
ART OF FOOD COMING TO UPPER EAST SIDE Upper East Side foodies finally have a food event to call their own. Our Town announced this week plans for a new Manhattan event marrying food and art. Our Town’s Art of Food, presented by New York-Presbyterian, will take place Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Sotheby’s New York at 1334 York Ave. Twenty-five star chefs from the Upper East Side will showcase dishes at the event, and all of the chef’s creations will be inspired by art from Sotheby’s upcoming auction. The festival will be hosted by chef Michael White and fashion designer Nicole Miller. Tim and Nina Zagat, founders of the pioneering Zagat surveys, will be
AUGUST 6-12,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
the honorees. “For the first time ever, Sotheby’s will host a spectacular food event in its hallowed halls and will be curating art for each of the restaurant’s oneof-a-kind tastings that night,” said Jeanne Straus, president of Straus News, which publishes Our Town. “We are incredibly excited to be bringing this to the Upper East Side.” The Art of Food assembles some of the city’s most renowned restaurants and chefs, including Le Cirque’s Matteo Boglione; Café Boulud’s Aaron Bludorn; JoJo’s Ron Gallo; Atlantic Grill’s Roman Ortega; August’s Josh Eden; BKB Restaurant’s Eric Miller; Candle 79’s Angel Ramos; Crave Fish-
bar’s Todd Mitgang; The East Pole Kitchen & Bar’s Joseph Capozzi; Maya’s David Gonzalez; The Meatball Shop’s Daniel Holzman; Parlor Steak & Fish’s Carlos Manansala; The Penrose’s Shaun Vanalphen; Pizza Beach’s Eric Klienman; The Writing Room’s Lucas Billheimer, as well as chefs from Shake Shack and Vaucluse. VIP early access for the event begins at 7 p.m., with general admission from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. VIP tickets cost $200, and general admission tickets sell for $135. For more information, go to www.ArtofFoodNY.com
PETS On a typical warm sunny day, you may find yourself driving your car with the windows down while your dog is peering out the window –- wind blowing in his face. This may appear to be harmless. However, it is not safe practice. While we all love to see the shiny nose of a dog sticking out of a car window, the reality is that your pet’s eyes could be injured by debris and other dirt in the air. Moreover, a passing squirrel or another animal could prompt your pet to jump out of the window – a serious and often fatal mistake. Taking your pet along could make vacation memories all the more special. Animal League America offers some tips on traveling with your pet that will help get your vacation off to a great start.
Make an Appointment with Your Vet A visit to your veterinarian is important before traveling with your pet to be sure that he
or she is up to date with shots and has received appropriate flea, heartworm and tick repellent. Copies of your pet’s rabies certificate and other health information are particularly important if you are traveling by plane, as most airlines require these documents dated no more than 10 days prior to your first day of travel.
Tagged, Collared and Leashed Homeless pets are often found without tags or collars, making identification particularly difficult. Consider having your pet microchipped – a safe, quick and inexpensive way to ensure that a lost pet will be found. Animal hospitals, humane societies, kennels, and shelters nationwide use scanners to read implanted chips, which are encoded with specific identifiable information. When you and your pet are in an unfamiliar place, keep your pet on a leash and make sure the tags on your pet’s collar can be easily read.
Car and Boat Safety Traveling in a car for the first time can be scary for pets, so if you are planning an extended trip, take overnight or short trips beforehand to acclimate your pet to being in a car. Seat belts and harnesses are now available for pets that will not only keep them safe but will prevent you from being distracted by your pet while driving. Pack a bottle of fresh water and a collapsible bowl and avoid sudden changes in diet.
Air Travel Pets must be transported in a crate if traveling by airplane. When choosing a crate, purchase one, in which your pet can lie down, stand up, sit, and circle around comfortably. Your pet’s name and contact information for your home and destination as well as “Live Animal” should be written on the outside of the crate. Pets that travel in the cabin are required to fit under the seat in front of you.
Book a Pet-Friendly Hotel Nowadays, many vacation spots welcome animals but have specific rules and restrictions regarding pets. Call ahead to find out about any restrictions and fees associated with booking a room with your pet. Submitted by North Shore Animal League America – www. animalleague.org
AUGUST 6-12,2015
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUL 24 - 31, 2015
Cafe Champignon
200 7 Avenue
Grade Pending (31) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Joe: The Art Of Coffee
405 West 23 Street
A
Golden Crepes
262A West 15 Street
A
Coppelia Cuban Luncheonette
207 West 14 Street
A
Pastai
186 9 Avenue
A
Adp Innovations Lab
135 W 18th St
A
Bec
148 8th Ave
A
Acccord Asian Cuisine
1 E Broadway
Grade Pending (9) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas.
Cemita’s
19 Fulton St
Grade Pending (55) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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. Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed.
Ruben’s Empanadas
64 Fulton Street
A
Subway
23 Maiden Lane
A
R&R Coffee
76 Fulton 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. Wichcraft
601 West 26 Street
A
Miss Korea
10 West 32 Street
A
Dunkin Donuts
243 9 Avenue
A
Bean N Bean Coffee
320 8th Ave
A
Madman Espresso
234 W 35th St
A
Costas
30 W 35th St
A
Chickpea
0 Penn Station
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 not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Subway
2 West 35 Street
A
Guy & Gallard
339 7 Avenue
A
B & D Halal Restaurant
163 West 29 Street
A
Cafe Riazor
245 West 16 Street
Grade Pending (21) 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.
Johnny’s Bar
90 Greenwich Avenue A
Stout NYC
90 John St
A
O-Mai
158 9 Avenue
A
A-Wah Restaurant
5 Catherine Street
One Star
147 West 24 Street
Grade Pending (19) 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.
Rocking Horse Cafe
182 8 Avenue
Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
Closed by Health Department (88) 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. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. 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.
Blind Pig
233 East 14 Street
A
Desi Shack
135 4th Ave
A
Tia Pol
205 10 Avenue
A
Oddfellows Ice Cream
75 E 4th St
A
Boqueria
53 West 19 Street
A
Juice Generation
28 E 18th St
A
Gym Sports Bar
167 8 Avenue
A
JP Street
52 E 8th St
Boxers NYC
37 West 20 Street
A
Not Graded Yet (16) 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.
Toro
85 10 Avenue
A
The Graffiti Room
184 Mott St
Wood And Ales
234 W 14th St
A
Not Graded Yet (10) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Soho Room
203 Spring St
A
Favela Cubana
543 La Guardia Place
Miyabi Sushi & Asian Cuisine
118 W 3Rd St
A
Grade Pending (38) 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.
16
AUGUST 6-12,2015
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Real Estate Sales Neighborhd
Address
Price
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$3,966,083
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$2,489,621
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,746,298
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,781,937
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,985,587
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,878,671
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,756,481
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,522,283
2
2
Corcoran
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$2,466,710
2
1
Battery Park City
212 Warren Street
$1,440,823
2
2
Battery Park City
225 Rector Place
$720,000
STUDIOS
600,000
Battery Park City
380 Rector Place
$862,000
1 BED
999,000
Chelsea
135 West 16 Street
$1,300,000
Chelsea
365 West 20 Street
$441,105
2 BEDS
1,850,000
Chelsea
85 8 Avenue
$649,000
3 BEDS
4,100,000
Chelsea
166 West 18Th Street
$3,250,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Chelsea
100 West 15 Street
$1,165,000
1
1
Warburg
Chelsea
234 West 20 Street
$2,090,000
Chelsea
234 West 20 Street
$2,090,000
Chelsea
300 West 23 Street
$995,000
Chelsea
166 West 22 Street
$809,000
East Village
633 East 11 Street
$380,000
East Village
425 East 13 Street
$950,000
East Village
211 East 13Th Street
$1,725,000
East Village
311 East 11 Street
$2,900,000
East Village
249 East 7 Street
$295,000
Bed Bath Agent
2
2
Corcoran
$600x - $1M $1M-$2M
$2M-$5M
$5M-$10M $10M+
STUDIOS
40
35
7
3
1
-
1 BED
31
86
84
17
-
-
2 BEDS
-
31
65
94
15
-
3+ BEDS
1
2
6
37
33
11
Corcoran
TOWNHOUSE
-
-
-
-
3
1
Corcoran
Median Sales Price
1
Charles Rutenberg
2
2
Sotheby’s International Realty
East Village
226 East 12 Street
$351,500
0
1
Corcoran
East Village
407 East 12 Street
$1,100,000
1
1
Voda Bauer Real Estate
East Village
321 East 12 Street
$825,000
2
1
Brown Harris Stevens
East Village
115 4 Avenue
$2,900,000
East Village
172 East 4 Street
$620,000
Financial District
1 Wall Street Court
$535,000
Financial District
21-23 South William Street
$535,000
Financial District
1 Wall Street Court
$580,000
Financial District
130 Water Street
$450,000
Financial District
88 Greenwich Street
$1,089,000
Financial District
90 William Street
$985,000
Financial District
20 Pine Street
$1,140,000
Financial District
15 William Street
$1,672,984
Financial District
88 Greenwich Street
$655,000
Flatiron
7 East 17 Street
$3,525,000
Flatiron
105 5 Avenue
$2,500,000
Flatiron
17 West 14 Street
$945,000
Flatiron
69 5 Avenue
$571,000
Fulton/Seaport
111 Fulton Street
$2,050,000
Fulton/Seaport
111 Fulton Street
$1,039,500
Gramercy Park
230 East 15 Street
$687,500
Gramercy Park
4 Lexington Avenue
$834,000
1
Number of contracts signed so far in the second quarter $0 - $600k
1
0
Downtown Sales Snapshot
Corcoran
Source: UrbanDigs LLC
Gramercy Park
36 Gramercy Park East
$4,079,026
Gramercy Park
36 Gramercy Park East
$1,065,881
Gramercy Park
200 East 16 Street
$618,000
Gramercy Park
130 East 17 Street
$454,000
Gramercy Park
205 3 Avenue
$525,000
Gramercy Park
145 East 15 Street
$651,000
Gramercy Park
205 3 Avenue
$925,000
Gramercy Park
201 East 21 Street
$1,475,000
Greenwich Village
11 5 Avenue
$3,750,000
0
1
Compass
1
1
Corcoran
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Greenwich Village
34 East 10 Street
$3,400,000
Greenwich Village
45 5 Avenue
$710,000
Greenwich Village
11 5 Avenue
$2,660,000
2
2
Marilyn Weigner Associates
Greenwich Village
184 Thompson Street
$1,500,000
1
1
Knickerbocker Village New York
0
1
Compass
Greenwich Village
100 West 12 Street
$587,500
Lower East Side
133 Essex Street
$1,135,000
Lower East Side
530 Grand Street
$480,000
Soho
8 Greene Street
$2,935,000
Tribeca
93 Worth Street
$4,100,000
Tribeca
250 West Street
$6,000,000
3
3
Douglas Elliman
Tribeca
137 Franklin Street
$3,750,259
2
2
Town Residential
Tribeca
79-81 White Street
$3,000,000
West Chelsea
520 West 23 Street
$799,000
West Chelsea
500 West 21St Street
$3,334,768
West Chelsea
500 West 21St Street
$10,182,500
4
4
Corcoran
West Village
150 Charles Street
$7,105,223
West Village
259 West 4 Street
$925,000
3
3
Compass
2
2
Douglas Elliman
West Village
3 Weehawken Street
$1,525,000
West Village
345 West 13 Street
$5,175,000
West Village
14 Horatio Street
$2,400,000
West Village
1 Morton Square
$2,750,000
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.
AUGUST 6-12,2015
THE SCHOOL NEXT DOOR Construction at the Chapin School is straining ties with some Yorkville neighbors BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
The divide between some Yorkville residents and the Chapin School appears to be widening since the school began afterhours and weekend construction to expand their cafeteria capacity while students are out on summer break. Residents at 531-533 E. 84th St. next to the school say construction goes on nearly around the clock and has led to numerous phone, internet and cable outages, as well as a fire that caused them to evacuate their apartments. The school, meanwhile, says it’s been a conscientious neighbor, noting that the after-hours work is fully permitted for. “This work is being performed on an as-of-right basis in accordance with permits obtained from the Department of Buildings,” said Chapin in a statement. “Because it is imperative that the school restore its ground-floor and belowgrade levels to a safe condition by the time the school reopens on Sept. 9, the construction manager has obtained DOB permits allowing work to continue after hours and on weekends.” A spokesperson for Chapin said the work involves interior excavation and renovation of the basement for the construction of cafeteria space. As it stands, he said, lunchtime at the upscale private school, which has an enrollment of 750 students, entails massive overcrowding, and kindergarten students are forced to eat in their classrooms. Lunch periods span from 10:40 a.m. to 1:40 p.m., he said. Construction on the expanded eating area began in May and is expected to last nine months. The spokesperson said there’s no evidence that work at the school has led to phone, internet and cable outages, nor that the work contributed to a transformer failing earlier in July, as neighbors have alleged. “Frankly it’s not clear whether it was related to the construction or not,” said the
17
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
spokesperson. Time Warner Cable, however, indicated that construction at the school did indeed cause a service disruption. “Earlier this summer there were a few instances in which construction at the school affected our power supply,” said Time Warner Cable spokesperson Eric Mangan. “As soon as our technicians received safe access, we made repairs to restore services.” As for the fire, it was ignited by a spark that occurred during construction, according to the Chapin spokesperson. The building was evacuated for an hour, as was the adjacent residential building. The spokesperson said numerous inspections of the job site, including immediately after the fire, have led to zero violations, noise or otherwise. He did says that “the school admits there is a lot of noise in connection with this work. But locals say the volume and intensity of the summertime work is an attempt to spare Chapin students the same noise and service interruptions that Yorkville residents in the area are currently enduring, and is a continuation of a pattern of disregard for the community that the school has displayed. “There are trucks, large work crews and major traffic diversions nearly every day in association with the current project,” said Ginger Holton, who lives at 531-533 E. 84th St. and was forced to evacuate during the fire. Holton said the service outages began in mid-June soon after the construction work at the school began in earnest. “Cable outages again started occurring around July 22 and that is when Time Warner Cable again went to the Chapin site and we learned a transformer blew,” she said. Lisa Paule, who also lives at 531-533 E. 84th St., emailed a Chapin official complaining about the transformer failing and what she said were related service outages on July 24. “My neighbors and I have had a Time Warner Cable outage of internet, T.V. and phone yesterday and today, which I
understand this evening is a direct result of your construction work,” wrote Paule. “This is not acceptable and must be remedied immediately. Your construction crew must take measures to ensure this does not repeat. This is outrageous.” Tom Palermo, the facilities manager for Chapin, replied to Paule by saying the transformer did indeed burn out but that nobody knows why. “Things happen,” he said, according to emails provided to this newspaper. “If you like, please tell them to place the transformer in your building and not on Chapin property.” Jim Clynes, chairman of Community Board 8, said the outages are not Chapin’s fault, and that the school has been a good neighbor throughout the negotiations over the expansion. “The problem was with a Time Warner transformer which coincidentally happens to be located inside the school. The malfunction had nothing to do with the school construction. A Time Warner employee came in and repaired the transformer in a matter of 10 minutes,” said Clynes. “Chapin has provided CB8 with monthly construction updates and interim reports as situations arise. They have held meetings for the surrounding neighborhood, which I was so proud of that I had CB8 co-sponsor them. I’ve never seen a private school reach out to the community to this degree.” Chapin said the school has a 24/7 phone line and email address to field questions and concerns from the community, and provides construction notices and updates on its website. The spokesperson claimed after hours and weekend work has been halted a number of times due to complaints that have been received by way of the phone line. The construction comes even as the school is awaiting a decision from the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals on a series of zoning variance requests that will allow it to build a glass-encased gym on the top floor, and add locker rooms and performance art space. In total, the school is seeking to add three floors onto its eight-story building at 100 East End Ave. Chapin officials claim the expansion is necessary to meet their evolving needs but will not result in increased enrollment. The K-12 all-girls private school is amongst the most exclusive in New York. Representatives of the school estimate the construction would begin in early 2016 pending BSA approval and wrap up by the end of 2018. More worrying to local
The Chapin School is seeking to add three stories onto their building at 100 East End Avenue. residents is that the bulk of that project would also have to take place in summertime and during non-school and weekend hours, according to Chapin officials. Locals have also expressed doubt that Chapin won’t eventually seek to increase enrollment, which they claim would lead to further traffic congestion during drop-off and pickup times as school buses, limousines and SUVs block East End Avenue and 84th Street. CB8 rejected Chapin’s application outright in January, citing concerns with the construction schedule, increased traffic congestion and how the building would look upon completion. The school forged ahead with its application to the BSA, who according to the city charter must take into consideration the community board’s opinion when making their decision.
The BSA is holding a public hearing on the expansion Sept. 1, but so far has not indicated when they will make a decision on the school’s variance requests. A BSA spokesperson did not return a request for comment. Meanwhile, Holton says she and her neighbors are stuck with the same quality of life issues that occurred when Chapin last expanded in 2006. In a letter to the BSA urging them to deny the variance requests, Holton likened Chapin to “an island unto itself” that has been minimally involved in the community. “Traffic congestion and safety concerns in the neighborhood are already at the breaking point due to the Chapin transportation dynamics,” she wrote in a letter to Josh Saal, a project manager at the BSA. “Adding scaffolding, construction trailers, et cetera and tak-
ing out a large area of space on East 84th Street for yet another massive Chapin building project is not at all in the best interests of the city and in particular the residents of the Upper East Side.” Chapin officials maintains they have been and continue to be good neighbors throughout their expansion efforts. “As a member of the Upper East Side/Yorkville community for over 80 years, Chapin well understands and is sympathetic to the temporary disruptions to quality-of-life that construction can bring,” said the school in its statement. “The school has taken extensive measures to be responsive to its neighbors, and is committed to continuing to do so in an effort to ensure that these important improvements to serve its academic mission are carried out with as minimal impact to neighbors as possible.”
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A rendering of the Kalikow Group’s proposed 10-story condo addition to an existing six-story, rent stabilized building at 711 West End Avenue. The project has already received approval from the Dept. of Buildings.
OVER THEIR HEADS NEWS A 10-story condo is being built on top of an existing -- and occupied -- building on West End Ave., and residents are worried BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
If you think construction noise on your block is a nuisance, the residents of 711 West End Ave. are convinced they have you beat. The owners of the rent-stabilized, six-story building have embarked on an unprecedented effort to build a 10-story condo addition on top of the existing structure, alarming tenants who now fear the effects of a new building effectively being built over their heads. “I’ve never seen anything like this done in an occupied building,” said Richard Herschlag, an engineer hired by residents to review the plan. “I don’t know of one example of something of this size being done with a fully occupied building.” Stephanie Cooper, a lawyer and cofounder of the tenants association at 711 West End Avenue, said residents have mounted an appeal over the DOB’s approval of the plan based on an inadequate tenant protection plan filed by the building’s owners, the Kalikow Group. The project involves driving 18 columns around the existing building, which will be used to support the 10-story structure, the installation of an elevator shaft through the existing building, and enlarging the existing garage by lowering its floor 10 feet. The plan also calls for the creation of an entrance on 95th Street for the new condos. Herschlag said the current plan fails to address myriad safety issues that residents in the existing building will be faced with should construction move forward. For instance, he said, the elevator shaft that Kalikow wants to build through the existing structure would block fire exits and the work would inevitably spill out into the hallways of the existing building. Another example, he said, is that the
columns used to support the condo addition are set to be driven through the foundation of the existing building and the underlying bedrock, and no mitigation efforts for tenants are explained in the tenant protection plan. “There’s going to be such an amazing amount of vibration and potential damage to the building,” said Herschlag. “It’s going to be totally unlivable for anyone living there. The tenant protection plan just doesn’t cover any of that. It’s married to some other reality.” The Kalikow Group counters that the plan adequately covers safety and quality of life issues for tenants of 711 West End Avenue. “The tenant protection plan was carefully engineered by highly qualified construction engineers and submitted, reviewed and approved according to the DOB’s rules and regulations,” said Kalikow through a spokesperson. “The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our utmost priority. Appropriate protections are being put in place for residents.” Herschlag was asked to review a similar proposal in 2007 to expand a residential building on West 92nd Street, but even that proposal paled in comparison to what Kalikow wants to do on West End Avenue. The project on West 92nd Street was defeated over concerns about the tenant protection plan and how the addition would affect the existing structure, said Herschlag. Cooper said the existing building is entirely rent stabilized and has 144 units, around 20 of which are unoccupied. Kalikow’s addition will come in at 65 units and 124,602 square-feet, according to DOB filings. The Kalikow spokesperson the hope is that construction will begin “before the end of 2015.” “Some people are hysterical, other people are just anxious,” said Cooper of the atmosphere in the building. “I get 50 emails a day from tenants.” The timing of the permit approvals also has drawn scrutiny. DNAinfo.com reported in June that the DOB issued four construction permits to Kalikow just one day before a broad landmarking initiative on West End Avenue was
AUGUST 6-12,2015
approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which would have prevented Kalikow’s project from being approved. “I think the developer was very savvy about the timing,” said Councilmember Helen Rosenthal. “And I was very disappointed the permits were issued…and the site safety plan and the tenant protection plan, I think they can be better done and could go further.” When asked about the permit timing, a spokesperson for Kalikow said, “There has been a lot of chatter involving only alleged details, none of which are really supported by fact.” Even so, residents have hired attorney Sam Himmelstein of the firm Himmelstein McConnell and Gribben to advise them on their options and, should construction proceed, insure that tenants are indeed protected during construction. “This project just screams hazard to me,” said Himmelstein. He said contractors will likely request access to apartments, and workers will be hoisting tons of material and equipment over a congested and dangerous intersection at West End Avenue and 95th Street, in close proximity to windows that are used by tenants. The project is also near to P.S. 75 Emily Dickinson. Parents at the school have previously protested the DOB’s
approval of Kalikow’s project. Kalikow, in a statement, maintained that they’re focused on the safety of existing residents, and that all of their permits are in order, as well as their safety and tenant protection plans. They also claim the construction will work out better for the existing tenants in the end. “We have been part of the Upper West Side for over 30 years and have roots on West End Avenue going back to the turn of the century,” said Kalikow. “As part of the fully permitted project, we are committed to improving the existing residents’ apartments by providing upgrades to their living environment that will result in a positive transformation for everyone who calls the property home.” Cooper and the tenants association are looking for answers from the DOB about the timing of the permit approval, “given the strange coincidence, as well as the granting of landmark protection to our building one day after the permits were filed. I don’t believe in one coincidence, and when there are two, it’s very curious to us.” Cooper said if the DOB doesn’t revoke Kalikow’s permit, tenants would take their appeal to the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals. “If there’s a way for use to legally prevent this from happening, that would be our first goal,” said Himmelstein. If
the project goes ahead as planned, he said his focus would be on insuring the safety and quality of life of residents. Himmelstein agreed with Herschlag that this type of project isn’t very common. “One of the reasons it’s so rare is that you have to have the right combination of factors,” said Himmelstein, such as an opportunity to add onto a building that has the air rights to go taller and won’t be violating any zoning restrictions. Herschlag said it seems as if Kalikow and the DOB are testing out a new development technique on residents of 711 West End Avenue. “I think [Kalikow] and DOB seem to be using these tenants as guinea pigs for an untested type of project,” he said. Rosenthal said her office is continuing to monitor the status of the project, and that DOB Manhattan Borough Commissioner Martin Rebholz has referred it to the department’s high rise task force because the “mechanism for this project is unusual.” “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m continuing to work closely with the DOB, and to the extent that the department can have extra eyes on this project, I think they are,” said Rosenthal. “We’ll be watching them through the entire construction.”
AUGUST 6-12,2015
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes
STANDING UP TO CANCER IN NEW YORK CITY AND BEYOND Dr. Samuel Waxman, one of the world’s leading cancer researchers, on his start in the field BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Dr. Samuel Waxman is making tremendous strides in cancer research and is grateful that our city allows him to pursue his dream of curing the disease. “New York City is blessed by having a huge number of people working in cancer research. We now have five designated cancer centers in the city, much more than any other place in the country,” he explained. The New York native, who has worked at Mount Sinai Medical Center for over 30 years, founded the Samuel Waxman Cancer Foundation in 1976. Since then, the organization has been funding research while collaborating with scientists around the world. Waxman also recognizes the generosity of the city when it comes to fundraising for a cause. “It is one of the most philanthropic cities in the world,” he said. “People in this city have a history of giving that is unmatched. And it’s not just from the super-rich, it’s from people who want to make a difference.”
When did you know you wanted to become a doctor? I was going to be a veterinarian. I was at Cornell as an undergrad. After my second year, I had a miserable summer on a farm in Duchess County. At the same time, my mother had died from cancer. So I went over to the person in charge of the program, told them I was no longer interested in becoming a veterinarian and withdrew my application and became a pre-med.
I read that your going into cancer research was an accidental occurrence. I wouldn’t call it accidental; I would consider it logical. When I finished medical school, I went on to a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology. I took a fouryear research fellowship and was studying two vitamins. One was folic acid and the other was Vitamin B12. And I was always amazed that those vitamin deficiencies can cause a blood condition called pernicious anemia that was a major cause of death until
we discovered that the two vitamins were needed. That happened many years before I went into that research. I was amazed that a deficiency of B12 and folic acid could make bone marrow look like leukemia. And so I studied to try to understand how that could happen. The result was it stopped the normal cells from maturing. They were unable to make the products necessary, so the blood was totally deficient. I was studying that for a number of years. In the early 70s, a colleague of mine had an accidental error in the lab where they were growing leukemia cells and left a chemical in by mistake and the leukemia cells started maturing and making hemoglobins. And that proved to me that leukemia cells could be made to normalize just like the B12 and folic deficiency. That’s when I started studying differentiation of leukemia. Then, in collaboration with some colleagues in Shanghai, we discovered that by using a highly potent form of Vitamin A in a specific form of leukemia, we could make that leukemia cell eradicated without any toxicity and place people in complete remission.
I met her casually in San Francisco. She was there with her husband; I was there with my wife. After that meeting, all four of us had a positive feeling about each other. She’s a very energetic and bright woman. And when she gets something in her head, very few people will follow through as thoroughly as she. At that time, I found out that her husband Bobby had thyroid cancer, so we spoke about it. I got involved in advising them with some other experts in the field on some of the steps they might take to stay ahead of this disease. And with that, Jill decided she wanted to help raise money for the foundation and at the same time, raise money the foundation would use towards thyroid cancer research. And she is a dynamo and worked very hard on this last event. My wife actually co-chairs that event as well. Bobby is a wonderful man; he’s in good shape and we want to keep him that way.
You are firm believer in the value of collaboration. Why is that so important?
What do you see for the future of the organization?
My experience in the work we did in Shanghai was a very good example. Between their labs, my lab and another lab in London, we moved quickly into clinical trials and that’s why we were able to show relatively fast how to cure acute promyelocytic leukemia. Around that time, the foundation was going and I said to myself, ‘I’m not smart enough to understand how to discover the gene and know what was wrong with it.’ I needed help. The China experience was a really good one; we still collaborate to this day.
I would like to institutionalize so that the model of collaboration for a cure by the best scientists in the world can generate a wider revenue base. We’re looking into developing some of the intellectual properties that the scientists, including myself, have discovered. I see myself continuing to do this and building on it and sticking with the mission of discovering why genes don’t function in cancer. The foundation is going to use its brain trust to understand what the footprints of aging cancer are and find ways to prevent that from happening. That’s my dream.
Tell us about the benefit your foundation throws every year, A Hamptons Happening. Ten years ago, on Long Island, we started an event as a cocktail party. It’s grown into a significant event where, just a week ago, we had several hundred people and raised more than half-a-million dollars. It shows that a lot of people here want to step up and hit cancer hard because cancer
affects everybody. Everyone has seen someone they care about get sick or die from this disease.
Explain your connection with Jill Zarin.
For more information on Dr. Waxman and his foundation, visit www.waxmancancer.org
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“I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HELP THAT HOMELESS MAN.”
BE THE SOMEONE. Sam New York Cares Volunteer
Every day, we think to ourselves that someone should really help make this city a better place. Visit newyorkcares.org to learn about the countless ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community.
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