Our Town January 26, 2012 by Our Town

Alternative Health: The man who saw angels Page 19 January 26, 2012

Since 1970

Holocaust Remembrance Draws Top Dignitaries

P.6

Sloan-Kettering Proposal Faces Tough Crowd

P.11

Weegee Captures The Bloody Apple

P.13

EYESORES FROM HELL Are these the ugliest buildings on the Upper East Side? P. 6

Nomination Deadline: Feb 2nd We are looking for nominees for the OTTY - Our Town Thanks You Awards, our annual salute to Upper East Side heroes. Tell us what your nominee does for the Upper East Side and why he or she deserves an OTTY. Visit: www.ourtownny.com

tapped in

Notes from the Neighborhood Compiled by Megan Bungeroth and Sean Creamer

2nd Ave. Air Quality Study Says “No Problem” MTA Capital Construction released the results of an air quality study last week that monitored the effects of construction activity between East 69th and East 87th streets along Second Avenue. The study and resulting report, by the consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, found that while some pollutants were found at slightly elevated levels, the increases were due more to vehicle traffic and dirty boilers in the neighborhood than the subway construction. The study was completed by collecting samples over a four-week period in the fall of 2011, and samples were taken at various times to test for levels or particulate matter of different sizes. Specialists also interviewed residents about odor levels and recorded what they reported to compare with blast times. The study found that the levels of particulate matter equal to or smaller than 10 microns (PM10) were “below the reference level used as the benchmark to indicate no adverse PM10 health effects during the monitoring period.” While daily levels of PM2.5 (particles equal to or smaller than 2.5 microns) were found at higher than reference levels on three different days, the study concluded that these spikes were “primarily attributed to local traffic emissions, other local sources such as commercial and residential boilers and regional or background levels, with no significant contribution from blasting activities.” The analysts also determined that the acrid odors some residents have complained about did not emanate from the blasting sites.

paign, which is widely rumored to be aiming for the comptroller’s race if current Comptroller John Liu runs for mayor, spent $33,930 during the filing period, mostly on consulting and fundraising. Brooklyn Council Member Domenic Recchia, chairman of the Finance Committee, is another likely contender for the comptroller’s seat and reported a $541,559 closing balance in his campaign filings last week.

Fight Back Against Heart Disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and Lenox Hill Hospital, in conjunction with the American Heart Association, has created an event to help curb those numbers. Go Red for Women will be held at the hospital’s Einhorn Auditorium at 103 E. 76th St. on Friday, Feb. 3 from 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. The hospital will offer blood pressure and cholesterol screening, nutrition and pharmacological counseling and peripheral vascular disease assessment by a leading cardiologist, all free of charge.

New Bridge to the East For over 70 years, the 78th Street pedestrian bridge has been allowing residents to safely cross the FDR for a scenic excursion on the East River Esplanade.

Last Friday, after a major overhaul by the Department of Transportation, the newly renovated bridge reopened to foot traffic. Council Member Jessica Lappin, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner Bill Castro and members of the 79th Street Neighborhood Association joined Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at the reconstructed bridge for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “With the reconstruction of the 78th Street pedestrian bridge, New Yorkers can better connect to the East River Esplanade to get exercise and enjoy its wonderful views of the river and Roosevelt Island,” said Commissioner of Parks & Recreation Adrian Benepe. In July of 2011, the bridge was taken down and a prefabricated metal bridge was constructed in place of its concrete predecessor. The new bridge has been outfitted with improved safety guard rails, wider sidewalks, structurally sound construction and ADA-compliant ramps for added safety and improved access. The project was funded by the Parks Department and cost $11.9 million to complete.

Healthy Food Drive The NorthEast Community Bank’s Upper East Side branches at 1751 2nd Ave., at 91st St., and 1470 1st Ave., between 76th and 77th streets, will host themed charity drives each month of the year starting in February. The first drive

will focus on obtaining the healthy foods that are often in short supply to those with limited incomes. The bank recommends that donations should fall into the category of nutritious foods such as whole-grain items—dry rice, oatmeal, packaged beans, cereal bars and other similar items. The proceeds will be donated to the Yorkville Common Pantry on East 109th Street. For business hours and more information, visit necommunitybank.com.

Ocean Exploration The Explorer’s Club will host a public lecture with the crew of Tara Oceans, a 118-foot schooner that travels the globe diagnosing the health of the oceans. The French-owned ship, which will be docking in the East River Feb. 5-11, has spent the last several years collecting and categorizing plankton, which is responsible for half the planet’s oxygen, in order to study the relationship between climate change and the oceans. Tara Ocean’s chief scientist, Eric Karsenti, and Romain Troublé, French sailor and chairman of Tara Foundation for Marine Research USA, will speak at the event. Explorers Club member Mara G. Haseltine, an artist and environmentalist, will unveil “La Boheme: A Portrait of Today’s Ocean’s in Peril,” her latest sculpture based on her discoveries on board Tara Oceans. The lecture will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. at 46 E. 70th St. Tickets are $20, $5 for students with ID, and seating is limited. Advance reservations are required and can be made by calling 212-628-8383.

COuNtry AND CAtS

Garodnick Makes Bank

•

O UR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

andrew schwartz

Upper East Side City Council Member Dan Garodnick is sitting on a campaign war chest of over $1 million, according to his most recent campaign filings, which show him raising $1,015,455 between 2010 and the most recent Jan. 17 filing. The three-term council member, who was elected in 2005 and has held the seat for the 4th District since, is running for an as-yet-declared citywide office in 2013. He has pulled in $282,895 in the past six months, $274,895 of which came from individuals and partnerships and $8,000 from “other monetary” sources like PACs and government groups. Garodnick’s cam-

In honor of Cat Appreciation Month, country music star Kellie Pickler plays with Major, a cat who is up for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center on East 93rd Street. Pickler stopped by to debut the “Kitty Crooner” limited edition cat sweater, designed by herself and fashion designer Geren Ford and sponsored by Fresh Step Litter. The sweater will be available for purchase at www.aspcaonlinestore.com. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the sweater will benefit the ASPCA.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

No Appointment Needed

Emergency Room Doctor On-Site

Serving Children & Adults

Most Insurance Accepted

Ready:

365 Days a Year 8am-10pm Weekdays 9am-9pm Weekends

NOW OPEN! +

Upper East Side 336E 86th St 212-772-3627

Upper West Side 2465 Broadway 212-721-2111

COMING SOON!

NOW OPEN!

Columbus Circle

315W 57th St 212-315-2330

Flatiron District 37W 23rd St

www.CityMD.net O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

crime watch

Crime Watch Compiled by Megan Bungeroth

Very Sticky Fingers Police from the 19th Precinct arrested a man on burglary charges this week, closing a borough-wide pattern. The man was discovered inside a fast-food donut shop in the early morning, before the store opened, with a screwdriver and flashlight (what the cops classify as burglary tools) in his possession. He supposedly gained entrance through the back of the store. Police suspect that the man is also responsible for a series of similar robberies hitting fast-food joints around Manhattan. Each time, the man would sneak into the establishment in the early morning hours and make off with whatever cash from registers and tip pools, as well as payroll checks, in one instance, he could find. Luckily, though, he left the donuts alone.

Pedestrian Accidents Up The 19th Precinct reminds residents to exercise caution when crossing streets, especially considering the uptick in pedestrian-vehicle accidents. There was a 19.6 percent spike in 2011 compared with incidences in 2010, and for the month of January so far, there have been 7 percent more pedestrian accidents than were reported last year by this time. Police say that the accidents are often the fault of the person on the street, not in the car. They caution people to stay aware of their surroundings and unplug from headphones and other electronic devices when crossing streets. They also point out that jaywalking only increases traffic congestion as drivers brake for errant crossers, resulting in more aggressive driving that puts others at risk.

plop their bags down on coffee shop tables and wander away to order extra large skim mochas, surprised to find their wallets, keys, laptops, phones or entire bags missing upon their return. A woman at a popular coffee chain reported her wallet missing last week around 10:30 p.m. after she left her bag on the table unattended.

Thwarted Bank Scam Police arrested a man suspected of using his position as an employee of a bank to steal the identifying information of a customer and attempting to use it to withdraw money from the intended victim’s account. The police were able to intervene before he made off with any dough, and the man whose information he used was notified of the possible identity theft.

Unsatisfied Customer After enjoying drinks and paying in cash at an Upper East Side nightclub on Monday, a woman began throwing bottles at the bar’s plate glass window, smashing it to pieces and fleeing the scene. The window will cost $3,000 to replace, and the bar so far has no way of identifying the woman.

Clean Theft The owner of a local dry cleaner came into his store last Saturday morning to find the glass on his front door shattered. There was also $200 missing from the register.

Keep Your Eyes on the Bag One of the most common crimes on the Upper East Side continues to be a problem as overly trusting residents

•

O UR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

OurTownNY.com

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

ahealthyWayOf life

initiation no commitment. join today. 888.777.9740 nyhrc.com TM

*No initiation fee on our “pay as you go” monthly membership plan. First monthly membership dues of $119 due at signing. You may cancel anytime with 30-days written notice. Offer expires January 31, 2012. O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

news

Solemn Reminder at Park East Synagogue U.N. Secretary General, among many, pay respects at Holocaust Remembrance Day selves that there is continuing injustice in the world. The event also marked the anniversary of the closing of Auschwitz, the biggest Nazi concentration camp that claimed the lives of over 1 million people. The Sabbath prayers were made early in the morning and the diplomats streamed in around 10 a.m. Despite the snow, many people showed up to offer their prayers and support for the victims of hate and discrimination. Countries as different as Australia, Korea, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Sweden and Morocco were present at this commemoration. Every tion. He asked all of the Holocaust surviman donned a kippah before entering the vors in the room to rise. Although there synagogue, symbolizing their respect for were only a few scattered amongst the the Jewish faith and for the house of wor- many in attendance, it was a powerful ship that they entered. moment to see these aged survivors shakThe commemoration ceremony began ily stand up and reveal their brutal pasts. with Schneier addressing the congrega“Hear the cry of the oppressed,” he andrew schwartz

By Anam Baig The U.N. International Holocaust Commemoration Sabbath took place Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Park East Synagogue, where the year’s first snowfall marked the memory of the six million who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Nearly 200 people attended the event, including 63 diplomats from organizations such as the U.N., UNESCO and the E.U., representing 33 countries. Addressing the congregation were U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and U.N. General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser. The commemoration was led by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, spiritual leader of Park East Synagogue for over 40 years, who is a Holocaust survivor. The U.N.’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day is Jan. 27, and this year the General Assembly will remember children who perished during the Holocaust. But at the Sabbath, Jan. 21, multitudes of ethnicities and religions gathered in a house of worship to exalt the countless victims of Nazi rule and to remind them-

urged the congregation. “Silence and indifference by the free world undermines the survival of the victims.” Ban also expressed his feeling about the event. In his address, he thanked Schneier for continuing to teach the world about the important lessons of the Holocaust and for being a voice for interfaith peace and understanding. “The Holocaust affected so many different groups and so many professions that it is vital to reach new audiences with this history,” he said in his speech. “Our work for human dignity will underpin all we do. And our memory of the years when that dignity was torn from so many millions—so fast, so brutally—is likewise part of the bedrock from which we operate. Let us all work together today to realize human dignity for all and to realize the U.N.’s full potential in building the future we want.”

Great rates for the New Year.

. 1 1 .30 1 1 BestRate Checking

30-Month Bump-Up CD

APY1

On balances of $5,000 or more.

APY2

$5,000 minimum deposit

We’re celebrating our newest branch opening in Borough Park with great rates at all our locations. Plus, open a new BestRate or Totally Free Checking account and get up to $1503. Visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or go to www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. The APY is effective January 3, 2012. The annual percentage yield (APY) for BestRate Checking is 1.11% and will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90-day period the rate will revert to standard pricing and rate may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield and to avoid the monthly maintenance fee of $10. A daily balance below $5,000 will be assessed a lower Annual Percentage Yield. Fees may reduce earnings. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details and information about these offers. 2 New accounts and new money only. The APY is effective January 3, 2012. Annual percentage yield (APY) assumes principle and interest remain on deposit until maturity. A withdrawal of interest will reduce earnings. The interest rate will be fixed for the term of the account unless the Bump-Up option is exercised. If exercised the interest rate will be adjusted accordingly and remain fixed for the remaining term of the account. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. 3 New checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refunds do not qualify as direct deposits. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about 75 days after the account is opened. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Speak with a branch representative for further details. Flushing Bank is a trade name of Flushing Savings Bank, FSB. Member FDIC

Consumer RateTOW Ad_OURTOWN.indd 1 • O UR N • January 26, 2012

PMY N EW S YO1/13/12 U LIV1:07 E B

EINHORN AUDITORIUM 131 EAST 76TH STREET 10:30AM - 2:00PM Get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked and learn tips from our experts to help keep your heart healthy and strong!

LENOX HILL HOSPITAL

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST

HEART DISEASE IN

WOMEN North Shore-LIJ / Lenox Hill Hospital is a proud signature sponsor of the New York City Go Red For Women Luncheon

Go Red and Go Red For Women are trademarks of AHA. The Red Dress Design is a trademark of U.S. DHHS.

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

feature

5 The

t s e i l Ug

Buildings on the Upper East Side We took your suggestions and came up with the Upper East Side’s worst eyesores

By Megan Bungeroth and Sean Creamer

302 E. 95th St. This building is located on 95th Street right off of Second Avenue, nestled between a parking garage and an apartment building with a home restoration store on ground level. The dismal condition of the structure can be seen in the rotting windowsills, the fading bricks and the rusting steel sheets that cover the windows. A particularly hairy detail is that there is an old scaffold that acts as an awning to a makeshift neighborhood dumpster. The sidewalk under the scaffold is laden with a collection of broken glass, broken furniture, piles of garbage bags and several water bottles filled with urine. This, apparently, is because 2nd Avenue Subway construction has blocked the Department of Sanitation’s access to the sidewalks. One of the buildings that has been using this space as a landfill is the

•

O UR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

Carnegie East House at 1844 2nd Ave. John Maloney, the facility manager of the building, said that theirs was not the only building instructed to do this, and that even people from 93rd and 94th streets have begun unloading their trash at the site. “The building is pretty quiet, but from time to time I do see broken bottles, so someone has to be hanging out there at night,” said Jessica Taylor, an area resident for two years and a bartender at the Merrion Square Bar and Restaurant. The building has been unused for over 10 years, according to some residents’ accounts. Beth Markowitz, who works for Merlot Management, manages the building situated right next door to the shanty and said, “the building has been abandoned for God knows how long.” She said that besides being unsightly, the building has hurt property values and has become a host to rodents. Although the building lies in a state of disrepair, it does have an owner, according to Eric Bederman of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The building is under the ownership of Daniel Polychroniades, who resides in Jackson Heights while his property sits unoccupied, collecting trash and posing a danger to the public, according to Bederman.

andrew schwartz

very neighborhood has a few. Even on the generally wellmaintained Upper East Side, some buildings, whether from construction, neglect or outright abandonment, cause neighbors to flinch when they see them. We asked local residents and community leaders to spot the worst eyesores in the neighborhood.

302 E. 95th St. “We did put up scaffolding per an emergency declaration from the Department of Buildings because cracking in the brick and mortar of the facade posed a hazard to pedestrians on the sidewalk below,” Bederman said in an email. The building has 12 complaints that date back to 1995, five of which concern the structural integrity of the building, according to the Department of Buildings’ database. Considering the current state of the building’s facade, it is not hard to see why Polychroniades has allowed the building to stew, with no end in sight to its vacant and decrepit state.

1493 1st Ave. Rising from the depths of sub-par

building care oblivion is a storefront that sits on the corner of 1st Avenue at East 78th Street, a tenant and building owner’s worst nightmare. The building stands alone with a dark red facade that is fading in some places and looms above an empty storefront filled to the brim with a rag-tag assortment of items. On the side of the building where tenants enter, there is graffiti tagged across the wall and a boarded-up window at ground level. Aside from a multitude of beer and cigarette advertisements displayed behind shuttered windows, safety cones and several other traffic items that have made the desolate shop their home. According to the Department of Buildings, the structure is listed under N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

feature

154 E. 64th St.

andrew schwartz

249 and 251 E. 62nd St.

O u r To w n NY. c o m

real estate gold mine in a bind, thus leaving it in the limbo of eyesores from hell.

249 and 251 E. 62nd St. and 1183 2nd Ave. To the naked eye, the only thing these properties have in common are their proximity and their ugliness. 249 and 251 E. 62nd St. sit empty and crumbling on an otherwise pristine block, where a townhouse directly across the street recently sold for $3.85 million. The garden plots outside the ground floor windows are piled with dirt, sticks and trash, and the doorways are used as receptacles for beer bottles and other garbage. Around the corner, 1183 2nd Ave. retains the remnants of a forgotten storefront, with the apartments above sitting in empty squalor. Between the properties is an occupied building and an vacant lot. “[These] two buildings have had unsightly scaffolding for a great long time,” said local resident and Community Board 8 member Barry Schneider. “And around the corner, on the west side of Second Avenue, is a vacant lot with a

154 E. 64th St. building, she called it “lovely.” “I’d like to see it remain,” she said. “It fits with what’s around it.” Another passerby, Charles Scribner, regarded the building with more disdain. “Let me put it this way—if it were to be taken down, my disappointment would be under control,” he said. Commenting on the “rather Mediterranean color” and pointing out the parts that seems to be crumbling away, he said, “It just needs a facelift.”

Sometimes an eyesore is in the eye of the beholder. This property has been singled out by some as a hideous monstrosity, while others call it a welcome addition of charm to the neighborhood. “The window sills are coming off the window frames, the wires are illegal, the storefront is illegal, the awnings are illegal,” said Susan Mindel, a neighbor and member of the East 64th Street Lexington to Third Avenue Neighbors Association. “The door is painted aqua.” Mindel said that the owner of the pink-hued building that has been the source of her block’s ire for years also owns the space that rents to the diner Eat Here Now, and that at one time the owner allowed the restaurant to use sidewalk space illegally and is generally lax in adhering to city guidelines. “We’ve tried to get him to update his property; he’s not interested,” said Mindel. “There’s wiring all over the façade; that’s not legal. Plus, all the paint’s peeling.” On a recent weekday, Upper East Side resident Gloria Abrams was walking by the townhouse. When asked what she thought of the 1183 2nd Ave. andrew schwartz

the ownership of Hiyee Realty Corp or Katherine Chou for other complaints. They were not available for comment. Although the shop sits vacant, the residential apartments above it have been a constant source of complaint for residents. Over the years, the property owner has had a penchant for working on the building sans permits, prompting over 30 complaints ranging from the basic working without a permit to the extreme of having a deteriorating facade with bricks fall off the building. Even attempting to fix an issue has led to complaints, such as the one filed due to inadequate scaffolding to protect pedestrians from falling debris. Besides the complaints, there have been several hazardous-level violations issued by the Environmental Control Board concerning the rotting of the exterior of the building and malfunctions of the boiler, although of all eight violations, only one actually penalized the owners. The combination of a lack of commercial renters and a lax approach to building codes has landed this potential

andrew schwartz

Patricia Voulgaris

1493 1st Ave.

decrepit fence. These sites have been eyesores for several years now.” All three of these blighted buildings are actually owned by the same company, Moluka Enterprises. Little information can be found about the owner, but residents speculate that the owner is simply sitting on the properties, waiting to demolish them. In the meantime, they continue to diminish the aesthetics of the neighborhood and receive Department of Buildings and Environmental Control Board violations. When inspectors responded to the latest violation at 1183 2nd Ave. in 2010, they found “cardboard boxes filled with combustible material from floor to ceiling, ceiling missing tiles throughout,” on the second floor. There are several hazardous violations recorded for 251 E. 62nd St. and complaints dating back to 1990, when a resident complained of falling debris. For now, most of the violations appear to be answered, but the buildings continue to sit, unused and in danger of only getting worse.

Ja n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2

•

O U R TO W N

•

news

OPEN THINKING | ON A NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

Albany Looks to Diversify Stuy

No. 1 IN A SERIES

CAN SUCCESS BE TAUGHT? By Dr. Edward Hallowell Member, School Culture Team, Avenues Author, Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness

Most of us were raised to believe that “getting a good education” is the best preparation for success in life. But is “success” something that can actually be taught? Like many leading educators, I passionately believe the answer is yes. This involves creating a school environment in which children experience the fulfillment that comes with the essential ingredients of success: connecting, imagining, working and being recognized for their accomplishments. Continue the conversation with Dr. Hallowell at www.avenues.org/drhallowell. You’ll find articles, video interviews and details on parent information events hosted by the leadership team of Avenues: The World School. Edward Hallowell, M.D. is a child and adult psychiatrist and renowned author of 18 books. He is a senior advisor to Avenues on school culture. Avenues is opening fall 2012 in Chelsea. It will be the first of 20 campuses in major cities, educating children ages three to 18 with a global perspective.

By Megan Bungeroth that was intended to discourage racial Last May, the Our Town partnered bias and make the schools open to all with the Amsterdam News for a special students at a level playing field. But the investigation of the Discovery Program, top high schools have since become less an initiative that had fallen by the wayside diverse, causing lawmakers to step in. of the education system but was intended State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who repto increase the substantially low diver- resents part of the Upper West Side and sity levels at the city’s specialized high Upper Manhattan, has committed to be a schools. Now, citing that investigation as sponsor of the bill in the Senate. part of his reasoning, Brooklyn Assembly “The fact that only 5 percent of stuMember Karim Camara will introduce dents at Stuyvesant and 11 percent new legislation to address the schools’ at Bronx Science are either black or admissions criteria, which he says are Hispanic highlights that we have more unfairly biased and don’t account for work to do to ensure that all New Yorkers students who may not be good test tak- have an equal opportunity for a prosperers but are otherwise up to the rigorous ous future,” Espaillat wrote in an email. academic standards the schools require. “We must expand educational access to “A one-day measurement is not students from all communities.” enough to decide the aptitude of a stuCamara emphasized that the bill, if dent,” Camara passed, would said, explainnot sudHealthy Manhattan: 40 Summer Weight Loss Page 14 ing that his bill denly make would simply the schools Waste Station Fast Tracked make the schools more diverse, use additional nor would it 2 information when take away the P.4 Benign Ne gle ct? deciding their pressure and On the Hunt For Writers In the Past Decade , the Minor ity admissions lists. importance of lized Population at the City’s Top Two Specia The call to the admissions Scienc e— Bronx and ant uyves ls—St Schoo High 1971 in Passed Law State a But change the spetest. led. Has Dwind Was Suppo sed to Preven t This. P.6 cialized high State Sen. Who Killed The Discovery Program The Sage of schools’ admisTom Duane, ls? At These Schoo Sutton Place sions process who reprent By Mega n Finne gan and A Speci al Joi Steph on John son wi th Invest igatio n has been echosents the m Ne ws Th e Amste rda Page 8 Part 1 ing down educasouthern porP.10 tion corridors for tion of the Open 365 days a year • No appointment needed We accept most major insurances a while, as the Upper West Call 212.772.DOCS (3627) numbers of black Side, also and Hispanic stusignaled his dents have fallen support. to miniscule levels at the top two public “I have long believed that standardhigh schools in the city, Stuyvesant and ized test scores should be subordinate Bronx Science. to more holistic and inclusive criteria While black students make up 32 in elite schools’ consideration of applipercent of all public high schools and cants,” Duane wrote in an email. “These Hispanic students account for 39 percent tests measure neither the passion nor of public school populations, Stuyvesant the talents of all students to whom these had less than 2 percent black students schools should be made available.” and less than 3 percent Hispanic stuUnder the proposed legislation, the dents in the 2009-2010 school year. Bronx Department of Education would be able Science had just over 3 percent black to determine what other factors the students and almost 8 percent Hispanic schools take into account and devise students the same year. The dispropor- the new process in consultation with the tionate numbers have been blamed on schools. varying factors, but one that has been Camara said he expects the bill to get repeatedly called out is the inherent bias bipartisan support, and that there will be in standardized testing. at least one Republican senator sponsor“We’re not saying set particular quo- ing it. tas for any race. But I do believe that you “Most people agree that it’s reasonable will have a more diverse group within the to say that a standardized test should schools,” Camara said. not be the sole deciding factor whether The fact that specialized high schools someone should be admitted to a high use only an admissions test to make up school—especially a public high school,” their student body stems from a 1971 law Camara said. ANNIVE

A RY

May 12, 2011

ANNIVE

WWW.AVENUES.ORG

Hallowell_OurTownEast.indd 1

1/23/12 3:56 PM

SHARED OFFICES PARK AVENUE

Your PARK AVENUE office. Ready when you are. Great offices. Great reception team, IT & secretarial support. The BEST answering service. 50MB High speed internet. Fully flexible plans - expand or retract as you like. Private Offices from $1,450/month (Promo code 138) Business Address Service $90/month • • • •

Single Offices Office Suites Business Address Virtual Offices

• • • •

Conference Rooms Corporate Setting Instant Activation Ferrari Building

city.office

The smart shortcut

Park Avenue • 212-231-8500 • www.410park.com 410 Park Avenue, Floor 15, New York, NY 10022

Great Tips on...Parenting,

Shopping, Activities and more! newyorkfamily.com

Visit to learn more about the best parenting e-newsletter in the city.

•

OUR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

Since 1970

A RY

336 East 86th St (Betw 1st and 2nd Ave)

Visit us at www.CityMD.net and see inside page 15 for more information.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

news

Neighbors Won’t See the Light of New Cancer Center By Megan Bungeroth A hospital renowned for cancer research and treatment is finding itself at odds with the Upper East Side community as some residents claim that their own health and well-being is being threatened by a planned new facility. Memorial Sloan-Kettering plans to construct a new outpatient cancer surgery center on York Avenue near East 61st Street and is seeking several variances from the Department of Buildings in order to make adjustments to the as-ofright allowances for the site. Both the asof-right plan and the requested adjusted plan, however, would build right up to the lot line windows of 440 E. 62nd St., a residential co-op building with 144 units. “We have three points of light coming into our apartment: the kitchen, the living room and the bedroom,” said Ross Maller, a resident of the building. “They’re looking to make it so that it covers every sunlight point in every apartment on the south side of the building.” Dozens of residents attended the meeting to express their dismay over the hospital’s plans, decrying the entire project, regardless of the variances sought. Since

the lot line windows in the co-op are technically illegal, according to current building codes, the adjacent property owner is allowed to build right up to those windows, essentially blocking them. A few people spoke in support of the new center, which will be the Memorial

“They’re looking to make it so that it covers every sunlight point in every apartment on the south side of the building,” said Ross Maller. Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases and will specialize in complex outpatient cancer surgeries, allowing patients to return home after about 20 hours instead of several days or weeks. Alex Zimmer, who lives on East 84th Street, said that he’s been a cancer patient himself for close to nine years, and he welcomes the new facility to the neighborhood. “It’s much better to be treated within 24 hours, and it’s much better for my

family who drops me off and picks me up to be able to do that in the same day,” Zimmer said. The crowd was so heated that a few people booed him. Shelly Friedman, an attorney for Memorial Sloan-Kettering, presented the hospital’s case. If the hospital were to build without the variances, it would be a taller, slimmer building with 20 stories—336 feet tall, including mechanical equipment on the roof. But they need more square footage per floor, Friedman said, in order to accommodate the needs of the surgical suites as well as comply with federal and state guidelines for hospital safety and building codes. “We actually really tried to make the asof-right building work,” Friedman said. It would be incredibly inefficient and costly, he said, to spread patients out over eight floors, which the taller building would necessitate, rather than three, under is the new plan. Each of the twelve planned surgical suites requires a certain amount of space, and doctors and hospital staff need access to certain equipment on each floor. But residents of 440 E. 62nd St. were not persuaded; even though the as-ofright building would also block their

windows in 57 units, they insist that at least there would be slightly more space between them and the new construction if the variances were to be denied and building were narrower. Several residents, clearly distressed at the impending project that will change their homes forever, even tried to turn back the clock, demanding to know why SloanKettering needs to build on that particular site and suggesting that they instead scrap the project and move it up to businessstarved Harlem, where the land is cheaper. “East Harlem is ripe for this kind of development,” said board member Barry Schneider. Others expressed concern over increased traffic on York Avenue and issues that will arise with construction, like noise and dust. Friedman said that the hospital will meet with local residents to ensure that their concerns are addressed. Many implored the board to hold off on making any official recommendations, though Friedman said the hospital would proceed with or without a resolution. The board decided to hold the vote and discuss the project in depth before making a decision.

Jewelers since 1936

Fine Jewelry, Watches and Giftware Designing • Remodeling • Repairing

All work done on premises Featuring “state of the Art” laser repair. Specialists in “one of a kind” custom designs.

SCRAP GOLD PURCHASED OR TAKEN IN TRADE Batteries Done While You Wait

Celebrating Our 75th Year!!! 1395 Third Avenue

between 79th + 80th Street • 212.879.3690

We Will Gladly Steam Clean Your Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands At No Charge While You Wait.

DCA License #1089294 O u r To w n NY. c o m

Ja n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2

•

O U R TO W N

•

arts

WINtER 2011 WINTER 2012

Flickers of Dance

L’Heure Verte

To start or finish your meal, enjoy a glass of absinthe served in the traditional manner.

New York • Brasserie • Restaurant

L’Absinthe Gift Certificates are available

DINNER.....7 DAYS LUNCH......MoN-SAt BRUNCH...SUNDAY

Romance Your Valentine 5-11pm••$78 $78 at L’Absinthe Tuesday, Monday, February 14th 5-11pm

Lincoln Center’s annual Dance on Camera Festival is a must-see By Susan Reiter Now in its 40th year, Dance on Camera is at a new level of maturity. The annual event at the Walter Reade Theater that once fit into a three-day weekend has expanded to fill five days, Jan. 27–31, and within its brief duration has its own opening night, centerpiece and closing night films. This year’s festival also takes advan-

Seductive 3 Course Prix-Fixe Menu with a complimentary rose for your Valentine. One of the Most Romantic & Authentic Parisian Brasserie/ Restaurants in NYC... “Blink and you think you are in Paris” -Zagat JM & his team offer a promotional 3-Course Lunch Menu at 2-Course Sunday Brunch 3-Course Sunday Brunch

Winter Months

$27.50 $24.00 $33.00

Pot

Feu:

1st Full Week

3rd Full Week

227 E 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 • [212] 794-4950 WWW.LABSINTHE.COM

Going to the Airport?

1-212-666-6666 To JFK . . . . . . . . .$48 To Newark . . . . .$47 To LaGuardia . . .$33 Tolls & gratuities not included. Prices subject to change without notice.

12/31/12

“We’ll Be There For You!”

www.CarmelLimo.com Stay Connected with the East Side

Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel

is now on

•

On Twitter: • January 26, Twitter.com/OurTownNYC

OUR TOW N

2012

Andrew eccles

Cassoulet:

Make your reservation today!

Become a fan on Facebook: Our Town East Side Manhattan

A still from Check Your Body at the Door, part of the 40th Dance on Camera Festival. tage of the recently opened Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (across 65th Street from the Walter Reade), which will host free screenings of short films as well as conversations and panel discussions with filmmakers on Saturday and Sunday. Many of the regular screenings will also include appearances by directors and participants. With 14 programs packed into its five days, the festival includes films exploring a wide variety of dance styles, artists and institutions. For New Yorkers, the opening night documentary, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, is an expansive reminder of the rich and often turbulent history of what was once a mainstay of the local dance scene before the company relocated to Chicago. The film’s opening strikes a jarring note: While proclaiming the Joffrey’s record of innovation and originality, it starts off with scenes of Lar Lubovitch’s Othello in rehearsal. A ponderous ballet already performed by ABT and San Francisco Ballet at the time, this is hardly the type of work that made the Joffrey’s reputation. But once the 90-minute film gets going, the performances—and voices—of many talented and personable Joffrey dancers and the company’s never-a-dull-moment history makes for riveting viewing. Coming of age during the 1960s, the

Joffrey also had its finger on the pulse of the times as the counterculture emerged and the Vietnam War dominated the news. The documentary rightly gives significant attention to Joffrey’s choices of Kurt Jooss’ The Green Table and Léonide Massine’s Parade in 1973—painstakingly detailed revivals that made these seminal works live for a new generation. Another American dance institution with an even longer history—Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival—is the subject of Never Stand Still. The Ron Honsa documentary’s choppy approach takes some getting used to as it interweaves the history of this influential festival and school—giving due attention to Ted Shawn and his male dancers of the 1930s—with what amount to substantial mini-documentaries on such worthy and fascinating subjects as Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, Suzanne Farrell, Shantala Shivalingappa and Gideon Obarzanek, who speak not only about Jacob’s Pillow but about their own artistic and esthetic philosophies. An intriguing festival documentary is The Space in Back of You, about the influential but relatively unsung Japanese dancer and choreographer Suzushi Hanayagi. She became part of New York’s earliest postmodern dance scene and made significant contributions to several of Robert Wilson’s elaborate productions. For fans of ballet competitions and their inherent drama, there is First Position, focusing on a particularly interesting and varied selection of contestants at a recent Youth America Grand Prix. Still Moving: Pilobolus at 40 is fun as it chronicles the launch of that distinctive collaborative troupe, offering a glimpse of its founders as shaggy-haired Dartmouth jocks and a touching tribute to the late co-founder Jonathan Wolken. And for the closing night, there is the truly special—and long-awaited—Check Your Body at the Door, which profiles the New York City club dance scene of the 1990s. It offers a full and vibrant portrait of a number of important dancers, displaying their amazing physical skills in both club and stark studio settings. Dance on Camera 2012 Jan. 27–31, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St. (betw. Broadway & Amsterdam), and Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 W. 65th St., www.filmlinc.com; $12. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

arts

The Bloody Apple

An exhibit of Weegee’s photographs proves that crime does pay

Educational Excellence Since 1848

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, October 29th, 2011 • 10:00am - 1:00pm Saturday, February 4th, 2012 • 10:00am - 1:00pm

www.laSalleacademy.Org

By Mark Peikert In the pantheon of New Yorkers—Dorothy Parker, Andy Warhol, the Ramones—photographer Weegee may not be the first to spring to mind, but he may symbolize the contradictions of New York City better than anyone else. Driven, self-mythologizing and morbidly curious about the curiously morbid, Weegee spent a decade, from 1936 to 1947, chronicling the violence and urban beauty of life in the Big Apple. Currently on display at the International Center of Photography, Weegee: Murder Is My Business (running through Sept. 2) Weegee, “Hold up man killed, November 24, 1941.” collects some of the best of Medium: Gelatin silver print. Weegee’s mostly nighttime work, from a body stuffed in a trunk to the upon the Upper West Side the night crowds at Coney Island. What strikes the before Thanksgiving now). From a disviewer almost immediately isn’t just the tance, the gangland killings that Weegee classic, violent aspects of these photos— followed so avidly thanks to his police bodies splayed awkwardly on sidewalks, scanner have a glamour that we can’t pools of blood congealing—but the flip- assign the random acts of violence we side, the almost embarrassingly sentimen- live through today. tal glimpses at beachgoers or the melanWhat Murder Is My Business reveals, choly of a Santa balloon being inflated for however, is that the famously gruesome Weegee wasn’t always interested in the details of the deaths he covered. Sometimes his photographs were of gawping onlookers, the body an indistinct detail. ICP has helpfully put these seemingly atypical shots in context, surrounding them with photos by police officers of the same scene that are more insistent on the corpse than Weegee’s. As it turns out, crime wasn’t necessarily Weegee’s business, but the business of capturing the filthy, rain-slicked city he loved Weegee, “Line-Up for Night Court,” ca. 1941. in all its rubbernecking glory was. Medium: Gelatin silver print. For more of Weegee’s ceasethe Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. lessly fascinating work, Chelsea’s Steven That Santa photograph is indicative Kasher Gallery is holding its own exhibit, of why Weegee’s work still exerts such Weegee: Naked City, through Feb. 25 at a magnetic pull; these images are frozen 521 W. 23rd St. in time, capturing a New York City that is long gone and still mourned (there are Weegee: Murder Is My Business only a few stragglers surrounding that ICP, 1133 6th Ave. (at 43rd St.), 212balloon, unlike the hordes who descend 857-0000, www.icp.org.

La Salle Academy

O u r To w n NY. c o m

“Friends You Haven’t Met Yet” • The mission of La Salle Academy (LSA) is to educate young

men of diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic back grounds with special outreach to those most in need. • LSA is recognized by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and accredited by the U.S. Department of Educa tion as a “Blue Ribbon National School of Excellence.” • The student/faculty ratio is 13:1, • Average class size is 23, • LSA represents a variety of cultures: 60% Hispanic, 19% Afri can American, 13% Caucasian/European, & 8% Asian, • LSA has won 8 City Titles in Basketball and has won 2 City Titles in Baseball • LSA meets the needs of those families that want to send their boys to an affordable, private, all-boys Catholic college prepara tory school in NYC.”, • “The value of what you invest now will produce dividends when your son graduates from high school.”

215 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10003 212-475-8940 Ja n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2

•

O U R TO W N

•

new york family

The Mama of Moomah

Tracey Stewart has created a magical playhouse for children and parents alike and you would throw some toys in there for them every now and then.

thaddeus harden

By Kat Harrison It’s easy to see why folks from all over town flock to Tracey Stewart’s cozy corner of Tribeca. At Moomah, Stewart’s café-cum-art-space, the walls dance with beluga whales while shelves house sea turtle shadowboxes and oversized jacks. Old-school diner booths with red trim bookend metallic tables inspired by vintage wallpaper. A virtual room—the Funky Forest—unpacks an interactive ecosystem for its wee visitors. In the Stewart family home—which Tracey shares with her husband, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, and their children, Nate, 7 and Maggie, 5—the details are just as inviting. Santa, the resident goldfish, resides atop the kitchen counter while a wall-sized chalkboard that, for the time being, reads “Be Reasonable!!” hints at the household’s humor. From where I sit, Tracey balances the depths of New York City motherhood and a creative career with grace. She— like her home and workplace—echoes comfort, cool and a whole lot of funny. Read on for her family’s love of a certain cooking channel and why, above all, she believes there’s no place like home. Moomah is your world. It seems to have everything! I know—my friends call it my playhouse. [Laughs] Describe it to me in one line, if you can. Honestly, I think of it like a womb. I really do.

Hot Tip of the Week

The Bully It’s never easy being the new kid. So when a bus mix-up strands both Lenny, the nerd, and Steve, the bully, they’ll have to join forces to figure out a way to get to school. See The Vital Theatre Company’s moving tale of companionship, The Bully, at the Vital Theatre, 2162 Broadway, fourth floor, at 76th Street. Tickets start at $25, and the show is great for kids ages 2-10. For performance times, visit vitaltheatre. org. And for even more family fun, visit newyorkfamily.com.

•

OUR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

What are Nate and Maggie like right now? My son is very gentle, sweet, sensitive, emotional and kind. He loves Star Wars and football. He is going to be a really good husband some day and is a good cuddler. He loves to go out at night. Maggie is hilarious and irreverent, like her dad in girl form. She says the craziest things and is very dramatic. Like me, she could be in a fit of tears and be laughing a minute later. I always say that she’s me on the inside and Jon on the outside. And Nate is Jon on the outside and me on the inside.

Do you have any TV rules at home? Before we had kids, we had all these ideas. First, Tracey Stewart, the mother behind Moomah. it was that they wouldn’t In what way? watch TV. Then [when] we had them, It’s very therapeutic down there. I [we said], “Well they are definitely going always say to the staff, “When a mom to have to watch TV because I need to comes in and she is screaming about her sit down for a second.” Then we realized bagel and she’s upset—she’s really not that there was certain TV that they got an asshole. She’s just stressed and has so much joy from and that we all liked to no time for herself. Try to remember that watch together. and help that person along.” What else do you do you like to do as So you created Moomah. a family? [I wanted to] create this space where We all love to stay home. Jon always you can really have quality time with your makes a joke that if there was a heatchild. But the misconception is that peo- seeking satellite going above our apartple think that it’s motivated from wanting ment, it would just be a blob that would to build a magical place for kids.—the move from one room to the next. We just main motivation is for parents. Kids have sit around and cuddle all the time. And it good nowadays. They’re OK—who’s every now and then, we’ll get invited to not OK? The parents of those kids. something and go. If we’re going to go out, it’s because food is motivating us to leave Where does the name come from? the house. Moomah was the name of my security blanket when I was little. I wanted it to be You don’t like being in the spotlight? like a security blanket for moms. Oh no, no. That’s why I watch Jon and I’m like, “I can’t believe you love to What was your childhood like? do that, you crave to do that, and you’re When I was young, my mom wasn’t comfortable.” It’s shocking to me. negligent, but it was definitely considered OK that you would put your baby in the How did you two meet? playpen, you’d watch your soap operas A blind date—we had a mutual friend

who knew that I found him extremely attractive. And I hear you have quite the engagement story. We used to do The New York Times crossword puzzle every night… It was two days before Valentine’s Day and he comes home and [says], ‘I remembered to bring those crossword puzzles home.’ So as I start to fill [it] out, there’s all these words in it that relate to us. And then the [clue] is “Valentine’s Day Request.” And it’s “Will you marry me?” And another one is “Recipient of the Request.” I’m looking at it, saying, “It almost looks like my name could fit in there.” I look over and he’s crying and I’m like, “Is that what this is?” He had met Will Shortz backstage at Conan O’Brien and asked him to do it months ahead of time. It made it hard for everyone who got engaged after me! Adorable! How do you and Jon navigate parenthood together as a couple? We both think the same things are funny and we both value the same things. So parenting for us is very easy as far as our relationship goes because we always see eye to eye [with] the kids. When we were first dating, we used to play [this] hockey video game. He was really good at it and I wasn’t. I would get agitated and he’d say, “Let’s never play against each other.” So if we’re some place [with] a board game, he’ll never play against me. He always has to be on my team. And I feel like that’s a philosophy that we keep in parenting, in our marriage: that we’re working for the same thing. Any advice for a mom who is just starting out? I’m very fortunate to be in a place where I can talk to other moms every day. I get great advice on a regular basis. If I was going to give my own, it would be to make sure that you get the emotional support you need. Loving these little creatures as much as we do can be very taxing. We need to take care of our families, ourselves and when time allows, I always suggest that we remember to take care of other moms. Sharing our stories, our triumphs and our failures creates a sense of community and reminds us that we’re not alone. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Media h St. Y 10018 JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; 724 Fax: (212) 268-0502 YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. uction@manhattanmedia.com th@manhattanmedia.com Dignified, Affordable and Independently Owned Since 1885

WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES

.687”H, 1/8 page • Direct Cremations $2250 Complete • Direct Burials $2850 Ad on Thursday, 1.26.12

• Expert Pre-Planning Available

212-744-3084

1297 First Ave (69th & 70th St.) • John S. Krtil Owner/Manager Newly Renovated & Enlarged • www.krtilfuneralhome.com Each cremation service individually performed by fully licensed members of our staff. We use no outside agents or trade services in our cremation service. We exclusively use All Souls Chapel and Crematory at the prestigious St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY for our cremations unless otherwise directed.

Linda’s Feral Cat Assistance & North Shore Animal League America

ADOPT A PET WHISKERS PET SUPPLIES 235 East 9th Street betw 24th & 25th Street New York, NY SUN JAN 29 • 2PM - 7PM

A Cooperative Adoption Program of North Shore Animal League America

AnimalLeague.org 1.877.4.SAVE.PET

Like us on

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition from Old Heidelberg Corp. to continue to, maintain, and operate an enclosed sidewalk café at 2450 Broadway in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

has a weekly e-mail blast! Sign up at

OTdowntown.com

to receive your weekly dose of Downtown news and be entered to win FREE prizes!

an educational foundation of excellence in an exceptionally nurturing school culture - a progressive, Reggio-inspired curriculum in the arts, sciences, early literacy, pre-math and Judaic themes -a warm Jewish environment, welcoming to families of all backgrounds and affiliations - a beautiful, state of the art facility and private backyard in the heart of East Midtown

Our graduates move on the finest public and private schools in New York City. Classes for ages 18 months- 4 years UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE TOUR DATES: MONDAY FEBRUARY 13 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 8:00-9:00 pm Presentation by the Director Tour of Facilities ~ No application required www.beekmanjewishpreschool.com RSVP required 212.758.3770

REQUESTS FOR COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004 O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

Dining

Fighting the SADs

lute favorite thing to make—not just in the winter, but perhaps ever: braised short ribs. There is, quite simply, nothing better than this. The cut is inexpensive and you don’t need a ton of ingredients to make this dish sing. Onion, celery, carrot and about half a bottle of cheap red wine and you are good to go. The longer you let it cook, the better. Naturally, the best wine for this dish is also a red. But I like to forgo the expected cabernet sauvignon and instead grab a bottle of the underrated carmenere. Carmenere is a grape that originated in the Bordeaux region but is now grown primarily in Chile. The Vina Montes Carmenere Alpha 2007 ($18.99 at Yorkshire Wines and Spirits, 1646 1st Ave. at 85th St., 212-717-5100) is a great example of this fantastic grape. The ribs present dark and rich flavors, from the caramelized note of the onions to the earthy flavor of the crust on the meat itself. Carmenere is a wine that has equally deep and dark flavor notes—coffee, chocolate and earth are typical flavors, and the two are a match made in heaven. So fire up the stove, pour yourself a glass and eat yourself happy till spring!

Winter may be gloomy, but these food-wine pairings will cheer you up Until very recently, I had never understood the idea of “snowbirds,” that group of (usually) elderly folks who are retired, yet not old enough to have their kids throw them in a home. Like a true ignorant “young person,” I always looked at this activity as a waste of time, money and energy—in addition to the fact that I can’t think of any place I’d like to spend my time less than Florida. No offense to any Florida natives. It’s just not for me. Then, suddenly and without warning, I woke up one January morning and decided I was completely over winter. This was incredibly disconcerting to me. Winter had always been my favorite season; I loved the idea of being holed up inside with warm drinks, warm food and a stack of quilts and comforters. Now, instead, those feelings of contentment and coziness were being replaced with pangs of anxiety, loathing and

depression. I searched desperately to remember what it was about winter that I had always loved. Was it the isolation? Was it the quietude of the post-holiday hush that fell over the city? Was it the wardrobe? I realized, after much soul searching, that the main thing that I always came back to was the food. In that By Josh Perilo category, winter has every other season beat! Roasts, braises and bakes…these are the building blocks of any great winter cuisine. I knew that in order to get through the rest of this latest bout of the cold weather blues, I needed to fire up my oven and get to cooking some feel-good grub. And, of course, match those comfort vittles with the right styles of wine. So, today, I would like to offer those of you out there who are also in need of some food therapy a couple ideas for wine pairings with some of the greatest winter

Celebrates

American Heart Month 2012

dishes in the land. One of my favorite things to make on any Friday night is also one of the easiest. A simple roast chicken is something that anyone who has an oven can make, no matter what level of kitchen experience he has. I prepare mine as simply as possible, with carrot, onion, celery and half of a lemon stuffed into the cavity. Trussed and rubbed with olive oil then seasoned with salt and pepper, this bird always comes out juicy and succulent. The classic pairing for this classic dish is an oaky California chardonnay, like the Arcadian Vineyard “Sleepy Hollow” Chardonnay 2007 ($33.99 at Astor Wines, 399 Lafayette St. at E. 4th St., 212-674-7500). Even if you aren’t a natural-born “oaky” wine fan, the buttery notes of the chicken match amazingly well with those of the wine, canceling each other out and pointing up more subtle flavors in both. No discussion of winter food is complete without a tip of the hat to my abso-

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

10 AM – 3 PM

Alumni Hall NYU Langone Medical Center 550 First Avenue (at 32nd Street)

Learn about: Healthy Eating Exercise & Fitness

Screenings, Lectures, Demonstrations, and Mind-Body Techniques FREE and Open to the Public

Stress Reduction Risk Factors and More...

- Giveaways & Door Prizes For more information

www.NYULMC.org/heart2012

•

OUR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER? Renee Flax, director of camper placement of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

SATURDAY, JAN 28, 2012 Downtown Grace Church School 86 4th Ave. 12PM - 3PM

SUNDAY, JAN 29, 2012 Park Slope Union Temple 17 Eastern Pkwy 12PM - 3PM

SATURDAY, FEB 4, 2012 Upper West Side Bank Street School 610 W. 112th St. 12PM - 3PM

New York Family magazine and the American Camp Association, NY & NJ are teaming up for their winter fairs! Meet dozens of different camp directors from local DAY CAMPS and SLEEPAWAY CAMPS from across the region. Great for children ages 3 to 17! pre-register at:

Newyorkfamilycamps.com For more info on summer camps:

TheRightCamp.com

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

5-Day Special Event: January 30th to February 3rd RISK-FREE 45-Day Trial** Call to make an appointment today!

Park76Audiology (212) 288-5038 www.newyorkcityhearingaids.com 69 East 76th Street New York, NY 10021 Janet Shalley, M.S., FAAA

18•

OUR TOWN

•

January 19, 2012

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

Alternative Healthy Manhattan a monthly advertising supplement

Filmmaker Journeys to Understand Visions By anam Baig

onas Elrod is a filmmaker in New York who woke up one day to discover that he was having visions and could see angels, demons, ghosts and auras. “My first vision was pretty personal,” he said. “I was in San Francisco working on a film when I woke up in my hotel room and started seeing energy and feeling energy. I saw these geometric figures and shapes—it was all very overwhelming and I didn’t understand what was happening to me.” To get some answers, Elrod traveled the country with his girlfriend Mara, focusing on all things spiritual and religious—even the occult—to find out what was happening to him. He went to several doctors to check if there was anything physically wrong with him, but to no avail. Elrod filmed his cross-country experi-

The Wild West of Yoga Apps Sifting through the mass of meditation apps By Paulette Safdieh Bundling up and walking to the gym for yoga class seems less and less appealing as the New York winter rolls on. The hundreds of yoga apps offered on smart phones and tablets mean you can still roll out a mat and enjoy a moment in shavasana pose after a long day’s work in the comfort of your apartment. Yoga junkies can use apps for guided instruction, playlist curating and class locators to enhance their regular routines. Hundreds of yoga apps, both free and for purchase, have competed for yogi love since the 2007 release of the iPhone and the subsequent launch of Android, the Google operating system. According to Sergio Tacconi, the mind behind the Pocket Yoga app, necessity was the mother of invention. “I needed a way to do yoga any time,

Still from Wake Up.

ence with the help of filmmaker Chloe Crespi, creating the documentary Wake Up to show the world his experience with the spiritual. In the film, he seeks knowledge from a slew of physicians, scientists, religious teachers and spiritual leaders about his sudden metaphysical visions, but no amount of MRI scans or psychological tests determine how or why Elrod sees and hears the supernatural. In the end, he realizes that his visions are part gift, part curse, and he embraces both. Growing up in a Southern Baptist family, Elrod was always surrounded by conservative Christians. “You either grow up the preacher’s son or you completely rebel,” he says. “And I rebelled. It’s not like I despise religion, I certainly believe in and trust Jesus. But I wouldn’t consider myself religious. I’m certainly more of a spiritual person. “When I visited my parents and told

them about the visions, they were hesitant at first, like I was,” he continued. “But it was my mother who embraced it and started asking me questions about it. Our relationship has opened up since then, but my father does not ask me anything about my visions.” The reaction to Elrod’s journey in Wake Up has been overwhelming. It had its festival premiere at the Southwest Film Festival in March 2009 and its New York City premiere, hosted by Sting and Trudie Styler, in April 2010. The film has been on a series of tour and private screenings hosted by Elrod and others. The next New York City screening is scheduled for Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at Jivamukti

Yoga at 841 Broadway. “The audience reaction has been really reassuring. There are always going to be people who think you are crazy for seeing and hearing angels and dead people. But then there are those who truly believe and are moved to tears by my experiences. There is a bigger reality than the one we’re sold, and people are looking deeper than ever before. Our job as filmmakers is to get people to start asking questions, and we’ll continue doing it despite all the skeptics.”

anywhere,” said Tacconi, 37, whose app sells for $2.99 on both Apple and Android devices. “I started looking at yoga apps and didn’t like the ones I saw, so I made my own.” Tacconi teamed up with Vinyasa Flow Yoga Studios in Dallas, where he practiced for eight years, to select the content. The app offers 27 sessions with varying difficulty levels and styles, default playlists (and the option to draw from your personal iTunes library) and a dictionary of poses. The app has earned a four-and-a-half-star rating in the Apple app store since its launch in 2009 and was made available for Android in 2010. “The app is not a replacement for your full yoga experience, it’s a supplement that will help you along,” said Tacconi, whose app has reached over a half-million users. “I wouldn’t completely replace my yoga class with an actual teacher with the app. It’s a tool that will help you when you need it.” Tacconi also launched Practice Builder in November, an app to help yoga teachers build customized routines. Manhattan yoga teacher Jennilyn Carson, the mind behind the acclaimed yoga news website YogaDork. com, uses a similar app called Yoga Journal. In a city with as many yoga classes as taxicabs, Carson says it helps narrow down the selection. “The apps are great for people stuck in the subway when the train’s delayed and

they need to relax,” said Carson, 31, who uses apps on her iPhone. “It helps you use every opportunity to get your yoga in.” Eighty-five percent of Tacconi’s customers are Apple users like Carson. Like most apps, Pocket Yoga is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Macbook computers. A free trial version of Pocket Yoga is offered on Apple systems, but not for Android users. “The Android market is the Wild West,” said Tacconi. “The Apple market is better for consumers, since they approve and disapprove the apps submitted. You have a guarantee you’ll get what you’re going to get.” For those with the strength to get to class, Yoga Local NYC—available on both Apple and Android devices—caters specifically to New Yorkers. The app pulls up your location using your device’s GPS and provides the addresses of nearby studios, class times, instructor names and, of course, prices. “When the iPhone came out, I expected it to have an app for yoga the same way it comes built in with the stocks,” said Ben Fleisher, 33, who worked to create Yoga Local. “Nobody did it and I thought, ‘This is crazy!’ Everyone here is on the run even when they’re sitting down. When you want to go to class you don’t want to have to look up so many different websites on your phone.” Fleisher works as an acupuncturist and massage therapist on the Lower East Side

in addition to having practiced yoga since 1995. He plans to expand the app to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago over the next few months since receiving positive feedback for the New York City version. “Technology is driving us toward shorter and shorter attention spans,” said Fleisher. “Yoga Local and other technology platforms make it easier to get to classes, stay inspired and stay motivated. To that extent, they make our lives more efficient.” While yoga apps certainly help yogis in a bind, they also change traditional yoga practice. Instead of turning off a cell phone to wind down, app users spend even more time looking at the glowing screens of wireless devices. Achieving mind-body awareness through breath and movement, the goal of practicing yoga, is better reached in a classic, group setting. For that reason, Carson suggests using apps just as a supplement to a regular yoga practice. Some apps, like Relax Melodies, which has close to 5,000 ratings averaging at five stars, just provide soothing music to ease meditation and relaxation instead of poses. “I don’t think apps make up for classes, but they’re really good when you need some inspiration for your practice,” said Carson. “They’re useful to look at and remind or refresh yourself.”

O u r To NY. c o m 18 OUwRnTOWN DOWNTOWN | JAN UARY 26, 2012

Ja n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2

•

O U R TO W N

•

20•

OUR TOWN

•

January 19, 2012

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

at .co e al how s n bys t o ts ba icke e k k Tic yor ily T m w ne 0 Fa . ww $2

The Tri-State Area’s largest event for new and expectant parents

2012

Saturday & Sunday, May 19th & 20th, 2012

Pier 92, 711 12th Avenue (52nd Street & the West Side Highway) Top products and services for maternity, baby and toddler. www.newyorkbabyshow.com

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

seniors

Protecting Against Telemarketing Schemes and Other Fraud Senior citizens are commonly targeted by con artists and other fraud schemers. To help combat this problem, the FBI offers many tips for seniors to protect against telemarketing fraud, Medicare scams and other common schemes. Below is FBI material on senior fraud— to find out more, visit www.fbi.gov/ scams-safety/fraud/seniors. Senior citizens are most likely to have a “nest egg,” own their home, and/or have excellent credit—all of which make them attractive to con artists. People who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these individuals to say “no” or just hang up the telephone. Older Americans are less likely to report fraud because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed or don’t know they have been scammed. Elderly victims may not report crimes, for example, because they are concerned that relatives may think they no longer have the mental capacity to take care of their own financial affairs. When an elderly victim does report a

crime, they often make poor witnesses. Con artists know the effects of age on memory and count on elderly victims not being able to supply enough detailed information to investigators. In addition, the victims’ realization that they have been swindled may take weeks—or, more likely, months—after contact with the fraudster. This extended time frame

The FBI provides many tips on how to protect yourself from fraud. makes it even more difficult to remember details from the events. Senior citizens are more interested in and susceptible to products promising increased cognitive function, virility, physical conditioning, anti-cancer properties and so on. In a country where new cures and vaccinations for old diseases have given every American hope for a long and fruitful life, it is not so unbelievable that the con artists’ products can do what they claim.

Telemarketing Fraud If you are 60 or older—especially if you are an older woman living alone— you may be a special target of people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products and inexpensive vacations. It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the telephone. Before you buy anything by telephone, remember: • Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you will want more information about their company and are happy to comply. • Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware—not everything written down is true. • Obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false

names, telephone numbers, addresses and business license numbers—verify the accuracy of these items. • Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment. • Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay for services only after they are delivered. • Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you to make a snap decision. • Don’t pay for a “free” prize. If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law. • Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons. • If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance. If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local or federal law enforcement agencies.

The only dedicated Assisted Living Facility in New York City specializing in Enhanced Memory Care.

Ensconced in the landmark neighborhood of the Upper East Side, Residents continue to enjoy the heart and soul of this incomparable city they have always loved. • Beautiful Upper East Side Environment • Each floor a “Neighborhood” with Family Style Dining & Living Room • 24-hour Licensed Nurses & Attendants specially trained in dementia care • Medication Management • Around the clock personal care, as needed • Housekeeping, Linen & Personal Laundry • Courtyard & Atrium Rooftop Garden • Chef prepared Meals Nation’s first recipient of AFA’s Excellence in Care distinction.

80th Street Residents in Central Park with the Essex House Hotel peeking from behind.

•

OUR TOW N

•

430 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 Tel. 212-717-8888 www.80thstreetresidence.com January 26, 2012

The 80th Street Residence Earns Additional New York State Department of Health Licensure and Certifications The only licensed Assisted Living Residence in New York City to obtain both Enhanced and Special Needs Certiﬁcation

The 80th Street Residence is the first in the city to receive the New York State Department of Health licensure as an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) with certificates allowing the entire community to serve as both an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) and a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR). With these new certifications 80th Street is now able to provide additional specialized care and services for its Residents, all of whom suffer from cognitive impairment. Clare Shanley, Executive Director says, “The 80th Street Residence has always been devoted to providing excellent care and specialized services to our Residents. In fact, our program was the Nation’s first to receive The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s ‘Excellence in Care’ award. Now with the highest level of licensing for Assisted Living, in addition to providing our unique program, we are able to offer families the peace of mind in knowing that their loved ones may now age in place and receive more nursing care should they need it in the place they call home.” Fully Licensed by the New York State Department of Health, The 80th Street Residence is the only dedicated assisted living community in New York City Specializing in Memory Care. In their boutique setting, 80th Street offers unique neighborhoods, each composed of no more than eight to ten Residents with similar cognitive abilities. All neighborhoods have cozy and homelike dining and living rooms and are staffed 24 hours a day with personal care attendants. The intimate setting allows for an environment that is conducive to relaxation, socialization, and participation in varied activities. A true jewel of care on the Upper East Side.

430 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 • 212-717-8888 • www.80thStreetResidence.com N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Isabella House

Independent Living for Older Adults Join us at our

Open House

Saturday, February 11th 11:00am-3:00pm 525 Audubon Avenue at 191st New York, NY 10040

Your company insurance changed again?

For additional information, please call:

212-342-9539

OUR AMENITIES INCLUDE: • Spacious studio and one-bedroom apartments starting at $2,000 • Spectacular views • Lunch and Dinner served daily in our dining room • Basic Cable TV and all utilities included • 24-Hour Security • Education and art programs, exercise classes, computer training and much, much more • On-site visitor parking

We’ve thought of everything to enrich and enhance your life.

Another reason to call.

Call us and come visit, we have special Winter pricing.

www.isabella.org BAYARD

ADVERTISING AGENCY, INC

JOB #: CLIENT: Isabella House PUBS: our town SIZE: 4.915 X 5.541 DATE: 1-23-11 COST: There’s one thing to feel young but another to act MJ young. The residents at Isabella ARTIST: House have found an entirely different way of acting young. During performance COMP: bayard days you might be walking by and hear a REV. dramatic rendition of Macbeth or a 0 famous line from King Lear may capture OK your attention. But these are not profesto Release

Acting Young.

sional actors being brought in to put on a show for the residents. Nope, these are the residents of Isabella. Partnering with the People’s Theatre Project of Northern Manhattan, Isabella began to offer acting classes for their residents. The classes provide the opportunity for our residents to live someone else’s life for a few hours each day. Classics such as Macbeth and King Lear are performed live in front of their fellow residents—who can be the harshest critics. The classes’ help our residents feel lively and vibrant and more importantly, it keeps them fresh. The acting classes are in addition to Isabella House’s Tai-Chi, Chair Yoga, Posture Exercise, poetry and painting classes. For more leisure-oriented activities they offer Game Nights and Movie Nights. Residency at Isabella House also comes with lunch and dinner served restaurant style in our elegant dining room. Getting out and about is easy – whether you choose our weekly transportation to local stores – or decide on local buses, subway or taxi to nearby midtown Manhattan. Isabella House offers the best of life, whether you want a dynamic schedule of activities – or the freedom to relax in the quiet of your home.

You want an outstanding doctor and we can connect you with one who’s right for you. Whether near your home or office, doctors affiliated with Continuum Health Partners hospitals – Beth Israel Medical Center, Roosevelt Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, New York Eye & Ear Infirmary – are conveniently located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Our doctors participate in all major insurance plans.

Need a great doctor? Call (866) 318-8759. w w w. c h p n y c . o r g

For more information or to arrange a visit, please call (212) 342-9539. Isabella House is located at 525 Audubon Avenue, New York, NY 10040. Visit their website at www.isabella.org

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

9 1

C LASSI FI E DS

a 3

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (143705383)

MANHATTAN EXPRESS DELIVERY Moving & Delivery Servicing NY/ NJ/b CT $10 OFF Furniture Delivery 2$800 $100 OFF Moving Jobs over CALL: (646) 509-8181

1 a

CARPET CLEANING

CARPETS & UPHOLSTERY professionally steam-cleaned. 20 years 7 experience. JP Carpet. 212-831-1189

BAYSIDE, BELL BLVD medical center, (directly opposite Bay Terrace shopping center) Furnished & Equipped. PERFECT FOR: DDS, MD, psych, other professionals. On-site valet 5 parking. P/T & F/T. Signage! Location! 718-229-3598

c 4

6 7

7looking PROFESSIONAL DRIVER for driving postion. Will drive to the 9 etc. Non-smoker, airports,the Hamptons, very reliable. 917-734-4676

Don’t Throw Out Your Old Computer! a 2 7

REAL ESTATE

3 2 b 5

PARK AVENUE – SHARED 6 SPACE

Interior, exterior and corner offices. Conf. rooms. Secretarial & IT support. Flexible plans. Private offices $1450/up. Virtual offices $90/month. www.410park.com Call 212-231-8500

4 4

3 2

c 7

Your Computer Will Be Re-Newed & Run @ Lightning Speeds

a a

UPDATE OLD CANS W/SMALL, EFFICIENT, LOW-VOLTAGE 7 HALOGENS. WHOLESALE BULBS DELIVERED

917-74 TRACK 1 917-748-7225 6

5 7

c c

8 4 2

c 1

c b

4 7

6 a

5 a

•

2 c YOUR LET US RESTORE OLD COMPUTER FOR AS LITTLE AS $195

2 9

www.sudoku-puzzles.net Puzzle 146081176 Answers at www.sudoku-puzzles.net OUR TOWN

a INSTALLATION • SALES

Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (144819671)

SPECIALITSTS

BUY/SELL Place M.E. TECHNOLOGIES 7 4 212.758.92806 b 1 your ad here. 1 b a 4 212www.sudoku-puzzles.net 268-0384

8 a

bTRACK-LIGHTING 8 3

4 c

24•

a 9

4 TO THINKING OF MOVING CONNECTICUT? 5 and Vacation homes. 15 years Full-time exp. selling in Fairfield County, CT. 3 Realtor. c The Riverside Rob Grodman, Realty Group. 203-952-6117 1 7 4 www.RobGrodman.com email: westportagent@hotmail.com

Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (146081176)

(143370025) TRACK BY JACK

SAVE YOUR c 1 MONEY! 6 9 2 8 5THE PLANET! b 3 SAVE

BUY/SELL Place your www.sudoku-puzzles.net ad here. 212-268-0384

12x12 Medium Is YourSudoku Computer Running Slow- Or In A Coma?

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Deadline: Monday 12 noon for same weeks’ issue

POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. We will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. Manhattan Media Classifieds assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid.

Telephone: 212-268-0384 | Fax: 212-268-0502 | Email: advertising@manhattanmedia.com

www.sudoku-puzzles.net Classified Advertising Department Information

NANNY NEEDED to take care of my kids, applicants must pass background a license. check and possess a valid drivers A car will be provided for use. We are c ready to pay $650 per week interested person Should contact: tomvans7@ gmail.com

5 9

b 4

www.sudoku-puzzles.net Puzzle 144819671 Answers at www.sudoku-puzzles.net

January 19, 2012

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

Solution:

100s of SPANISH Singles 18+ Try it FREE!

212-965-8484 CLASSI FI E DS 646-502-0044 EHEALTH SERVICES BODYWORK 718-663-8566 YOU WILL KEEP COMING BACK! ***HIV/STD TESTING*** IMMEDIATE RESULTS! LOWEST FEE. Discreet. Expert Genital Wart Treatment & STD Treatment. Dermatology. www.CentralParkMedicalAssociates.com Call now. 18+ 212-246-0800

Real hook ups, real fast.

Talented, trained bodyworker does amazing Swedish and Shiatsu work on a table in a beautiful Chelsea Try it guy FREE! apartment. Friendly who will focus on your specific requests. Very high repeat clients because you will like it! Call 646-734-3042

ALL LOCAL CHAT!

212-812-1212 646-825-4444 MASSAGE 718-928-4444 BODY WAX & DEEP TISSUE

HEALING MASSAGE By dual-licensed, experienced male therapist. Deep Tissue massage, men’s facial & body wax. Private. Shower available. W 55th St NYC. Also in L.I.C. Queens. 718-612-1719 MAGIC TOUCH Exceptionally relaxing touch by European ladies. Private, 24/7. E 30th St 212-661-6407 E 60s St 212-705-7068 E 40S St 212-576-1025

FULL BODYWORK STRESS...GONE by Stefan Upper West Side

646-496-3981

ENJOY THE BEST

Sensual Body Work Private Dancing & Light Fetish/ Domination w/Beautiful Girls 917-463-3739

Free TRY FOR

MASSAGE

SWEDISH/SHIATSU CHINESE GUY Expert masseur. Swedish & Shiatsu. Therapeutic & relaxing. Private. 52nd St & 3rd Ave. Stephen: 646-996-9030

646.429.1300

SENSUAL BODYWORK -young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. In/ Out. Phillip. 212-787-9116

Local #s: 1.800.926.6000 www.livelinks.com Ahora en Español 18+

SEXY LATINA — J.LO Midtown Loc. West 40’s Incalls only. 845-332-1891 Ask About Specials. No Blocked Calls.

GRAND OPENING 347-986-0004 RELAXING BODYWORK FOOT RUB 155 W. 83RD NYC SUITE B1 BASEMENT

BUY/SELL Place your ad here. 212-268-0384

LIVE CHAT For Large & Lovely Women

Voted #1 By New York Locals

& The Men Who Adore Them Dating, Casual Encounters, Matching and more! CALL: 646-507-5110 718-280-0011 201-708-6148 732-510-2999 908-376-1999 516-471-5056 973-867-7930 You must be an adult over 18 years of age to use this service and fully understand that APC, Inc., DBA Plus Preferred does not prescreen callers and anyone using this service hold APC, Inc. harmless with regard to any interactions with other callers occurring as a result of using this service.

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

BUY/SELL Place your ad here. 212268-0384

Sensual Reiki The Joy of Touch & Ultimate Relaxation

212-768-1996 34th St & 5th Ave. Location www.SensualReiki.com

January 19, 2012

•

OUR TOWN

•

open forum President/CeO

Tom Allon tallon@manhattanmedia.com CFO/COO Joanne Harras jharras@manhattanmedia.com grOuP PuBLisHer Alex Schweitzer aschweitzer@manhattanmedia.com direCtOr OF interaCtive Marketing and digitaL strategy Jay Gissen jgissen@manhattanmedia.com

editOriaL

exeCutive editOr Allen Houston ahouston@manhattanmedia.com sPeCiaL seCtiOns editOr Josh Rogers jrogers@manhattanmedia.com staFF rePOrter Megan Finnegan Bungeroth mfinnegan@manhattanmedia.com PHOtO editOr/editOriaL assistant Andrew Schwartz aschwartz@manhattanmedia.com Featured COntriButOrs Alan S. Chartock, Bette Dewing, Jeanne Martinet, Malachy McCourt, Lorraine Duffy Merkl, Josh Perilo, Thomas Pryor

advertising

advertising@manhattanmedia.com PuBLisHer Gerry Gavin ggavin@manhattanmedia.com direCtOr OF new Business deveLOPMent Dan Newman assOCiate PuBLisHers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth advertising Manager Marty Strongin sPeCiaL PrOjeCts direCtOr Jim Katocin seniOr aCCOunt exeCutives Verne Vergara, Mike Suscavage direCtOr OF events & Marketing Joanna Virello jvirello@manhattanmedia.com Marketing Manager Liza Connor exeCutive assistant OF saLes Jennie Valenti jvalenti@manhattanmedia.com

Business adMinistratiOn

COntrOLLer Shawn Scott Credit Manager Kathy Pollyea BiLLing COOrdinatOr Colleen Conklin CirCuLatiOn Joe Bendik circ@manhattanmedia.com

For Roe v. Wade Supporters, Silence is No Longer a Choice By Rep. Carolyn Maloney Last Sunday, we marked the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that guarantees a woman’s right to choose. Reproductive freedom is at greater risk now than at any time since Roe was handed down in 1973, and family planning is under attack. Women can no longer afford to be silent. Last year, Republicans passed an endless parade of legislation in the House regarding reproductive rights and family planning, and this year promises to be no better. Many of the Republican efforts go far beyond choice and would impact women’s access to birth control and basic health care, including cancer screenings.

It has become a time-honored tradition to point out that Roe hangs by a thread in the Supreme Court; Whoever becomes president next year will likely determine whether the Constitution guarantees women the right to choose the timing and number of children they will bear.

PrOduCtiOn

PrOduCtiOn Manager Ed Johnson editOriaL LayOut and design Monica Tang advertising design Quarn Corley

OUR TOWN is published weekly Copyright © 2012 Manhattan Media, LLC 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 Editorial (212) 284-9734 Fax (212) 268-2935 Advertising (212) 284-9715 General (212) 268-8600 E-mail: editorial@manhattanmedia.com Website: OurTownNY.com OUR TOWN is a division of Manhattan Media, LLC, publisher of West Side Spirit, Our Town Downtown, Chelsea Clinton News, The Westsider, City Hall, The Capitol, The Blackboard Awards, New York Family and Avenue magazine. To subscribe for 1 year, please send $75 to OUR TOWN, 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10016 Recognized for excellence by the

New York Press Association

Member

The number and variety of their attacks on reproductive care is more than simply breathtaking—it’s dangerous. Meanwhile, Republicans have offered zero substantive bills to create jobs, the No. 1 issue for the American people. Early last year, Republicans zeroed out family planning funding in the 2011 omnibus government funding bill. This

•

OUR TOW N

•

January 26, 2012

president next year will likely determine whether the Constitution guarantees women the right to choose the timing and number of children they will bear. If any of the four Republicans remaining in the race win, they have promised to select Supreme Court candidates who will overturn Roe and have pledged to sign legislation that could restrict women’s access to basic health care. If Roe falls, the issue will be turned back to the states. NARAL has identified 69 separate antichoice measures adopted in the states in 2011, even with Roe. Five states have gone so far as to ban aborMaloney. tions entirely after 20 weeks, with no exception for rape or incest or to protect the health of the mother. Fortunately, President Obama has made it clear that he supports choice and that he believes that reproductive health care needs to be protected and funded. Last week, his administration reaffirmed that any organization that is not solely religious will have to comply with the preventive care provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including providing access to all FDA-approved birth control medication. This year could prove pivotal in the fight to protect reproductive rights. For those of us who support Roe, silence is no longer a viable choice. Carolyn Maloney represents the East Side of Manhattan and parts of Queens in the House of Representatives.

TwEET SPEak @bjamin I keep reading articles about NYC today, lots to digest—an Upper East Side resident who parks two cars on city streets? @EmariMParsons BEST Macaroons in NYC (Upper East Side) touchedemode.com! @FleurtyCourtney #NW #Hoarders NYC guy sleeps on

wasn’t funding for abortions—federal law already prohibits that—rather, it was aid for birth control, pre-natal care and other reproductive health services. The bill also included the Pence Amendment, which specifically bars funding for Planned Parenthood. The vast majority of services provided by Planned Parenthood are family planning, cancer screening and other non-abortion-related care. This language would have impacted basic health care for millions of women. Fortunately, the Senate defeated it. In May, the House voted to repeal health care reform and the Republicans approved an amendment Rep. Carolyn that prohibited federal funding to train doctors to perform abortions, even if an abortion would save a woman’s life. The Senate has taken no action on this bill. In October, the House considered the most dangerous bill of all, the so-called “Protect Life Act,” which many groups are calling the “Let Women Die Act” because it would let hospitals refuse to provide lifesaving care to women who need an abortion and allow them to refuse to transfer them to another institution that would provide care. It also denies women the right to buy insurance covering full reproductive care on the health care exchanges set up under health care reform. Fortunately, the Senate hasn’t taken it up either. It has become a time-honored tradition to point out that Roe hangs by a thread in the Supreme Court; Whoever becomes

the streets, but rents a large Upper East Side apartment just for all his things. @yorkville_nut Bethesda Fountain angel protects New York Giants on NearSay @the_zim The bridge is back! E. 78th St. pedestrian bridge reopened today. Enjoy the East River esplanade again #UES.

@StockJockey On the Upper East Side, young single women outnumber young single men nearly 2 to 1. @wdsthree President Obama is doing the MOST in NYC right now! This Upper East Side traffic is CRAY!

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

MOORe tHOuGHtS

Waking Up with Charlie Rose—and Some Questions A new addition reminds us that our town is still king of the morning show By Christopher Moore Over many years, Charlie Rose spent a tremendous number of hours in my bedroom. Before discovering the life-altering advantages of the DVR, I often ended my day with Rose on public TV. So his move two weeks ago to the CBS morning program sent my routine into confusion. Rose, an official Man About Town, did not just bring a new table and passion for run-on sentences to CBS This Morning. He also came with a couple of new cohosts: Gayle King, Oprah’s official best friend, and Erica Hill, who is not actually new—she’s a holdover from the prevous incarnation of the CBS morning show. The flaws of her new cohosts make Hill look better every day. All of this is important to me because I’m addicted to morning TV. These days, I bounce from the media monster Today to the chatty Good Day New York and the clubby Morning Joe, but I go way back. I was a little kid who knew who David Hartman was. As a fan of fake intimacy, I like watching morning anchors pretend to like each

other. They desperately try to create a sense of community, often copying each other along the way. They sometimes insist they are a “family,” even though in these families, the members get tossed around from show to show with disconcerting speed. Also fun: watching high-profile talents pretend to be interested in the range of topics they tackle. If there was anything more compelling on American television in the last few decades than watching Diane Sawyer appear in cooking segments during her Good Morning America days, well, I missed it. So This Morning is right up my alley. Rose is known in Manhattan and D.C. for being an A-list party guest. Watching him in the morning, all sluggish mien and dead eyes, seems simultaneously hilarious and scary. By the end of week one, he had such a bad cold that it was painful to watch. If he were still alive, Dr. Kevorkian would be on speed dial over at CBS. The new show opened with a thoughtful 90-second review of the news, Eye Opener. Most of the attention during the

premier week, though, went to King’s interview with Michelle Obama. She insisted she was looking forward to campaigning for her husband, but failed to come up with any reason anyone would support him. As usual, the disengaged first lady took a pass on getting involved in important political matters. This is not Eleanor Roosevelt we’re talking about. It takes two, though, to come up with an interview this bad. King was obsequious in talking to someone she described as a friend. Dismissive of Jodi Kantor’s new book, The Obamas, King did not, so far as I recall, bother to mention the extent of her support for the first family. According to a quick trip to Fundrace.HuffingtonPost. com, one of my favorite websites, King gave thousands of dollars last year to Obama Victory Fund 2012. Obviously, it’s a new era in American journalism. We don’t even pretend to be objective any longer. Fine. Objectivity never really existed, but fairness could. So

could full disclosure. Yes, I’ve wondered whether and which candidates deserve my financial support. But did CBS News really need to send King to interview her buddy the same week it ran ads about taking a fresh, hard-news approach on This Morning? Couldn’t Rose have done this interview? Sure, sometimes he answers questions he himself has asked, but he could probably have handled the assignment. Ah, I’m being cranky. King has a certain game presence, and I’m one of 17 people nationally who watched the show she did on OWN. She’s a TV personality; being a newswoman would be a separate matter. King is a natural at fake intimacy. Sometimes, though, news judgment is called for—especially when the bosses are bragging that they have it. Christopher Moore is a writer living in Manhattan. He is available by email at ccmnj@aol.com and is on Twitter (@cmoorenyc).

citiquette

The After-Party Party The two-for-one philosophy of hosting By Jeanne Martinet As most savvy New York hosts know, when you throw a large cocktail party, you can expect approximately 60 percent of the invitees to attend. Of the 40 percent who don’t come, most have a scheduling conflict or illness and are truly sorry to be missing the affair. So, what if you immediately offered these people an alternative—a kind of make-up party? That’s exactly what my friends Ned and Donna did. They held a big cocktail party one Saturday night and invited the people who sent “regrets” to a smaller party the very next Saturday. Now, Ned and Donna are people who do not entertain very much, so at first it sounded crazy to me that they would decide to have two parties in a row. But this nonhosting tendency on the part of this couple is in fact why the double party idea was perfect for them. Once they had managed to find the impetus to entertain, whipped their house into guest-ready shape (cleaning it from top O u r To w n NY. c o m

to bottom, even rearranging the furniture) and stocked the larder with staples like soda, snacks and booze, the second, smaller party was a veritable snap for them. They even had leftover wine and supplies that the guests from the first party had brought them. Having two parties in a row may sound exhausting, but it can be much more efficient than spreading them out. You can pay back everyone you owe an invitation in a spectacular one-two punch. Really, it’s like getting out all the painting equipment to paint a room and then deciding that, while you’re at it, you may as well paint another small room at the same time. Also, having a second gathering is a great way for the hosts to soak up every bit of fun they can; after working hard to make a party happen, hosts can feel it is over too quickly. Most people I talk to who, for one reason or another, had dreaded hosting a party are so energized

afterward they wonder why they don’t host more often. Might as well have another party while you are in the mood! You can also employ a similar version of this kind of party clustering when you find you have more than one dinner party you need to give. Instead of hosting one dinner one month and one another month, have a dinner party weekend. Make one big pot of something hearty and fabulous— say, oxtail stew, boston butt or chili--then hold two dinner parties one after the other. Contrary to what one might think, the second set of guests are not getting shortchanged, because by the second dinner you are probably more relaxed (having cleaned and shopped like a madwoman before the first one), and often the Italian pot roast you spent hours making is even better the second day. Of course, in the case of back-to-back dinner parties, the guests must not know about each other at all. While a make-up

cocktail party is like being offered a wonderful consolation prize, being part of a double dinner party weekend can seem more like a prize cut in half. The one rule to follow when hosting consecutive parties is that you can never let the people at the second party get the idea that your first party was in any way more enjoyable than the one you are having with them right now. You want them to feel fortunate and much sought-after, as if you are going to extra trouble just for them—which, in a sense, you are. The people who could not attend the primary event should feel flattered that you have gone out of your way to extend your hospitality to them. It’s as if you are saying to them, “I want to have you over so much I will even have a do-over just to get you here!” even though it is really a case of a relatively easy two-for-the-fussof-one for you. Speaking of two for one, I somehow got to go to both of the lovely parties given by Ned and Donna. Not fair that they invited me to both? Hey, there’s got to be some perk to this whole Miss Mingle thing! Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of seven books on social interaction. Read her blog at MissMingle.com. Ja n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 2

•

O U R TO W N

•

Responsibly Green, Elegantly Glenwood

The finest Manhattan rentals in the neighborhood of your choice. Near the Best NYC Schools • Unparalleled Service • Fitness Center • Children’s Playroom & Swimming Pool • 24-Hour Doorman • Magnificent Lobbies • Landscaped Gardens • Exciting City Views • Spacious Layouts • Building-Wide Water Filtration Systems • On-Site Parking Garage UPPER EAST SIDE

1 Bedrooms from $2,595

2 Bedrooms from $3,995

Convertible 3 Bedrooms from $4,995

MIDTOWN & UPPER WEST SIDE

1 Bedrooms from $2,995

2 Bedrooms from $4,495

1 Bedrooms from $3,295

2 Bedrooms from $4,995

Convertible 3 Bedrooms from $5,995

TRIBECA & FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Convertible 3 Bedrooms from $5,295

GLENWOOD BUILDER OWNER MANAGER

212-535-0500 DOWNTOWN LUXURY LEASING OFFICE 212-430-5900 UPTOWN LUXURY LEASING OFFICE

Open 7 days, 10AM-6PM • NO FEE Free parking while viewing apartments

glenwoodnyc.com 28•

OUR TOWN

•

January 19, 2012

Equal Housing Opportunity

NEWS YOU LIVE BY