The local paper for the Upper East Side DR. MAX GIVES US THE FACTS ◄ P.6
FROM BAD TO WORSE
HOUSING
NYCHA resident details “unlivable conditions” during the pandemic BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
On Monday morning, La Keesha Taylor woke up to take a shower to find there was no hot water running in her bathroom. This is a typical occurrence at the Stanley Isaacs housing development at 93rd Street on the Upper East Side. Taylor already put in two tickets this month
alone for NYCHA to fix the problems in the boiler room. She’s used to there being no hot water and to her neighbors talking about the mold growing in their homes. It’s a part of life at NYCHA housing. Now, during the COVID-19 outbreak, no hot water for Taylor’s morning shower meant losing the few minutes of alone time she’s afforded as a single mother of two young boys who now depend on her not only as a caretaker, but also as an educator and entertainer. “This has pushed back my entire morning as we resume
remote learning and need to get back on schedule,” Taylor, 46, said Monday. Taylor has lived at the Isaacs housing development all of her life. Her family was one of the first African American families to move into the building when the development was built in the 60s, she said. As she remembers it, Isaacs was a much different place back then. When she was growing up, she and her friends could sit in the hallway and talk or play hopscotch and kick the can in the
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Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Photo: U.S. House Office of Photography
ZOOMING INTO THE PRIMARY POLITICS
A virtual forum with the Democratic candidates for New York’s 12th Congressional District BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
Although the coronavirus pandemic has become a major obstacle for those running for public office this year, candidates running in
INSIDE THE ‘R’ FACTOR
An important metric shows that the lockdowns are working in New York. p. 2
DESPITE CLOSED DOORS, GENERATIONS CONNECT
7 HOME OFFICE TIPS FROM THE PROS
Interior designers John Barman and Joe Ginsberg offer suggestions to help you wow colleagues on your next Zoom call. p. 11
LaKeesha Taylor and her two sons (ages 5 & 8). Photo courtesy of LaKeesha Taylor
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OurTownEastSide
@OurTownNYC
23-29 2020
How one Manhattan teen‘s idea is helping seniors feel less alone at home. p. 8
the Democratic primary to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District were able to share their messages with voters last week during a virtual forum. The Upper East Side chapter of Indivisible, a progressive advocacy group, hosted the four candidates running for the seat that serves much of Manhattan’s East Side, as well as parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The candidates on
OURTOWNNY.COM
WEEK OF APRIL
Voices City Arts
10 12
15 Minutes Real Estate
16 17
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, April 24 – 7:27 pm. For more information visit www.chabbaduppereastside.com.