The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF MAY
BRAVE NEW FASHIONS
18-24
◄ P. 12
2017
INVESTIGATION
DINING FOR DOLLARS
To see the interactive map, read this article on ourtownny.com.
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Where Manhattan politicians court donors and raise campaign cash
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BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
The path to grasping and retaining political power in New York City has long plowed through such sumptuous and moneyed Manhattan haunts as the Regency and the Harvard Club, the 21 Club and the Union League Club, Jean Georges and Il Mulino. It still does, of course. Pols will always court the uber-rich and venture into their lairs for donations. No sea You can change has taken place. Probably, it never will. raise money For all his down-withjust as the plutocrats postureasily at ing, even Mayor Bill de Blasio is not immune a humble from their blandishdiner as ments. you can at In fact, his reelection campaign held a private a four-star fundraising event at the restaurant.” Robert De Niro-owned Maureen Eng Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca in March 2016, spending $1,895 at the restaurant, according to its filings with the city’s Campaign Finance Board. Then last November, it paid $266 for an unspecified political meeting at Keens Steakhouse, the eatery at 72 West 36th Street, founded in 1885, that still boasts of the oldline conservatives like J.P. Morgan and General Douglas MacArthur who were members of its “Pipe Club.” But even as Manhattan’s signature clubs,
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Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and the Municipal Art Society are organizing against super-tall towers. Illustration courtesy of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
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EAST SIDE ESTABLISHMENTS USED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
REAL ESTATE
1. Trattoria Il Mulino 2. I Trulli Restaurant 3. Sarabeth’s 4. D’Agostino 5. Mendy’s Restaurant 6. Union League Club 7. Club 101 8. World Bar 9. Yale Club 10. Club A Steakhouse 11. Friars Club 12. Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits 13. The Regency Bar & Grill 14. Saba’s Pizza 15. Tevere Restaurant 16. Bagel Bob’s
UNFRIENDING MEGA-DEVELOPMENT ON THE EAST SIDE
GRAPHICS: CHRISTINA SCOTTI; MAP DATA: GOOGLE MAPS
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Community advocates organize in opposition to super-tall projects BY RAZI SYED
With an expected spike of construction following the opening of the Second Avenue subway line, opponents of large developments are mobilizing. On Saturday, May 13, around 25 people attended a threehour workshop on how to advocate for what organizers called the preservation of the Upper East Side. The workshop, titled “Attack of the Killer Megatowers,” was organized by Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and the Municipal Art Society.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, May 19th – 7:52pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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CROWDFUNDING PSYCHEDELICS HEALTH NYU researchers are studying psilocybin’s use in treating depression and alcoholism BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center are turning to the public to support clinical research on the use of psychedelic drugs for treating anxiety, depression and addiction. Fundamental, a crowdsourcing campaign based in New York, recently began efforts to fund ongoing studies at the forefront of psychedelic medicine, including two at NYU Langone. The campaign has raised over $18,000 of its $500,000 goal since it launched on May 9. One of the NYU studies, led by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz, aims to explore the use of psilocybin — the psychedelic compound found in so-called “magic� mushrooms — in treating alcoholism. Bogenschutz hopes to build on an earlier study he conducted, which found that alcoholic patients consumed alcohol less frequently and in lesser quantities after a 12-week course of therapy accompanied by
two psilocybin sessions. The followup study is underway at NYU and partially funded; Fundamental aims to deliver the remaining funding required to complete the study. Though the research is promising, funding studies through conventional avenues has proven difficult. Most medication development research is funded by the pharmaceutical industry or the federal government, primarily through the National Institutes of Health. Pharmaceutical companies have shied away from funding studies exploring drugs like psilocybin and LSD because securing exclusive marketing rights for the drugs would likely prove elusive. Additionally, research suggests that patients treated with psychedelics may experience longterm beneďŹ ts after only a handful of treatments. “It’s hard to see how you would make money off of a drug that people only have to take a couple of times,â€? Bogenschutz said. The NIH often plays a role in funding research of potential value that, for lack of proďŹ t motive or other reasons, is not pursued by the private market — an umbrella that studies like those at NYU would seem to ďŹ t comfortably under, were it not for most psyche-
delic drugs’ Schedule I status under federal law. By deďŹ nition, Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and lack evidence of safety when used under medical supervision. NIH has been reluctant to commit public funds to researching substances that are scheduled and, in some circles, remain controversial due to lingering cultural stigma dating to the Wild West days of psychedelic use in the 1960s. “The fact of the matter is that classic hallucinogens like psilocybin are not addictive,â€? Bogenschutz said. He added that psychedelics are not without dangers and can be abused, but that such risks are mitigated in the controlled settings in which clinical studies are performed. Due to these roadblocks, researchers exploring potential clinical applications for psychedelic drugs have had to turn to alternative sources like nonproďŹ ts and private donors to support their work. These barriers to traditional funding sources prompted Rodrigo NiĂąo to launch Fundamental. As the CEO of the Prodigy Network, a real estate development ďŹ rm based in the Financial District, NiĂąo raises money from the public to fund commercial real estate
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Psilocybe semilanceata, aka magic mushrooms and liberty caps. Researchers at New York University would like to explore the ability of psilocybin to treat alcoholism. Photo: Patrick Ullrich, via Wikimedia Commons ventures. NiĂąo was inspired to apply the crowdfunding model to funding psychedelic research after a cancer scare, during which he discovered the beneďŹ ts of ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew that is a traditional medicine used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon, in easing his anxiety. “This crowdfunding campaign is not only about raising funds, but it’s also in many ways about raising awareness, and I think that’s the big difference between this funding campaign and others,â€? said Ismail Ali, a policy fellow with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a
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nonprofit organization that is sponsoring one of the studies Fundamental will support. “The Fundamental project is really geared toward the public, which is really cool because it not only involves the public in supporting this amazing, innovative research, but it also gets a lot of information out which otherwise might have been contained within our networks.� “I think it’s brilliant to see a way to go outside of those usual structures and go directly to people who have an interest in this work and have some means to contribute,� Bogenschutz said.
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MAY 18-24,2017
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG BRAWL HAUL An Upper East Side man was arrested following an early morning bar fight. At 1:11 a.m. on Friday, May 12, a 33-year-old Massachusetts man was talking with a 51-year-old Upper East Side man inside Ethyl’s Alcohol and Food at 1629 Second Ave. The older man became agitated and pushed the younger man, who pushed back. A bar employee then stepped in, and the older man struck him in the head with a glass bottle and then threw a glass at him. Security intervened and removed the aggressor from the bar. Police arrived and arrested the man, who apparently was intoxicated, charging him with an assault 2 felony.
GOING FROM BAD TO PURSE Police arrested a multiple purse snatcher. At 11:22 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10, a plainclothes officer saw a 25-year-old man enter the Starbucks location at 1488 Third Ave. and take a woman’s purse from a table. The officer pursued the purse snatcher, eventually catching up with him at 84th Street and Second Avenue. The thief, though, resisted. At that point another person approached the officer
and said that the same purse snatcher had been involved in another incident a few minutes before, attempting to grab a purse from a 52-year-old woman outside 252 East 84th Street. The thief was charged with grand larceny, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property, and obstructing government administration.
WOMAN SCAMMED Police remind the public: if you get a phone call warning of a relative in jeopardy, always try to contact that family member BEFORE sending money anywhere. At 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10, an 84-year-old Upper East Side woman received a phone call during which an individual posing as her grandson claimed that he been arrested in another state. The distraught grandmother was next transferred to an alleged police officer and then a so-called public defender, both of whom urged the senior to wire bail money to free the grandson. Unfortunately, the woman complied, wiring $25,000 before placing a call to her grandson and discovering that he was fine.
DENIM DENIED
STATS FOR THE WEEK
When prices for jeans soar, shoplifters try to score. At 6:21 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, both from Queens, were seen on store security video inside Barneys at 660 Madison Ave. removing merchandise and putting it in a shopping bag and book bag. The pair were stopped at the door by security personnel and soon arrested by police on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. The items stolen were two pairs of jeans with a total value of nearly $3,000.
Reported crimes from the 19th precinct Week to Date
Year to Date
2017 2016
% Change
2017
2016
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
2
-100.0
Rape
0
0
n/a
5
1
400.0
Robbery
1
2
-50.0
43
30
43.3
Felony Assault
1
3
-66.7
45
41
9.8
Burglary
8
3
166.7
82
69
18.8
Grand Larceny
24
22
9.1
469 491 -4.5
Grand Larceny Auto
0
1
-100.0
9
14
-35.7
photo by Tony Webster via flikr
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MAY 18-24,2017
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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13
BY PETER PEREIRA
FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 E. 67th St.
311
FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43
1836 Third Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 44
221 E. 75th St.
311
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
Councilmember Ben Kallos
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
HOSPITALS Lenox Hill
WITH A HEAVY HEART
NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell
525 E. 68th St.
212-746-5454
Mount Sinai
E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.
212-241-6500
NYU Langone
550 First Ave.
212-263-7300
CON EDISON
4 Irving Place
212-460-4600
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212-517-8361
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212-369-2747
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POLITICS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The exterior of the Harvard Club on West 44th Street, a block known as Clubhouse Row where politicians have been raising funds for more than a century. Photo: Wally Gobetz, via flickr
Met Council is accepting applications for the waiting list of affordable housing rental apartments in our building located at 334 East 92nd Street, NY.
hotels and restaurants retain their monopoly as venues to host high-end fundraisers and attract big-bucks donors, there has also been a slow if steady democratization of the political watering hole in the post-Bloomberg era. Consider that in Manhattan alone, at least five Le Pain Quotidiens, four Sarabeth’s, four bagel shops, two Carmine’s, two Lebanese restaurants, two Mendy’s, roughly a dozen other kosher restaurants, a dozen-plus Greek diners and coffee shops and 10-plus pizzerias have been used to solicit funds, stage campaign events or hold political meetings, CFB filings show. “You can raise money just as easily at a humble diner as you can at a four-star restaurant,” said Maureen Eng, a software engineer who lives on the West Side, works near City Hall and says she often crosses paths with Comptroller Scott Stringer in diners and coffee shops both uptown and downtown. “It’s cheaper, and it’s probably a lot more fun, too,” she added over a $13.50 Greek omelet with feta and spinach at the Utopia Diner, 267 Amsterdam Avenue near 72nd Street. Indeed, the Stringer campaign, originally focused on a mayoral bid but now gearing up for a re-election race, held nine fundraising meetings and breakfasts at the Utopia over the past two years, tallying a modest $263.95 for meals, an average of just $29.32 per utopian dining. Why the Utopia? Was he keeping campaign costs down? Dining at a place he cherishes? Picking a spot convenient to his West Side home? Those questions, asked repeatedly by this reporter, remained shrouded in mystery because, oddly, the Stringer campaign would not address them. According to CFB filings, Stringer also racked up modest fundraising expenses at the Gee Whiz Diner (motto: “Always Delicious”) at 295 Greenwich Street, and the Good Stuff diner, at 109 West 14th Street. And a political meeting in March at Barney Greengrass, the “Sturgeon King,” 541 Amsterdam Avenue, set him back a mere $17.40. Like most politicians, however, the comptroller can also be susceptible to a sprinkling of stardust: A 2016 fete at Joanne Trattoria — a mecca for Lady Gaga fans at 70 West 68th Street owned by her father, Joe Germanotta — cost the campaign $4,148.41 in “fundraising, catering” costs. Republican Michael Faulkner, the former New York Jet-turnedHarlem minister who is vying to unseat Stringer, followed a similar pattern. His campaign reported four payments to the City Diner, a 24-hour stalwart at 2441 Broadway at 90th Street that says it “specializes in the crafting of mouth-watering meals.” The average tab: $45.
For one person households, applicants must be 62 years old at the time of application; for two person households, the applicant must be 62 and the co-applicant 55 at the time of application.
Met Council is accepting applications for the waiting list of affordable housing rental apartments in our building located at 351 East 61st Street, NY. For one person households, applicants must be 62 years old at the time of application; for two person households, both applicants must be 62 at the time of application.
Current Rent Range studio: $848.47 - $1281 Income Range: $36,138.80 - $53,440 (1 person household)
Current Rent Range studio: $940.75 - $1281 Income Range: $39,830 - $53,440 (1 person household)
Current Range 1 bedroom: $950.41 - $1375 Income Range: $40,296.40 - $53,440 (1 person household) $40,296.40 - $61,120 (2 person household) Monthly rent includes heat, hot water and gas for cooking. Seniors will be required to meet income guidelines and additional selection criteria to qualify. Income guidelines are subject to change. One application per household. Applications may be downloaded from: www.metcouncil.org/housing or requested by mail from Met Council: East 92nd Street Residence 120 Broadway, 7th floor New York, NY 10271 Please include a self-addressed envelope. No broker or application fee.
Current Range 1 bedroom: $1052.10 - $1375 Income Range: $44,364 - $53,440 (1 person household) $44,364 - $61,120 (2 person household) Current Range 2 bedroom: $1300.53 - $1409 Income Range: $54,341.20 - $61,120 (2 person household) Monthly rent includes heat, hot water and gas for cooking. Seniors will be required to meet income guidelines and additional selection criteria to qualify. Income guidelines are subject to change. One application per household. Applications may be downloaded from: www.metcouncil.org/housing or requested by mail from Met Council: 351 East 61st Street Residence 120 Broadway, 7th floor New York, NY 10271 Please include a self-addressed envelope. No broker or application fee.
Keens Steakhouse off Herald Square, also known as Keens Chophouse, where Mayor Bill de Blasio spent campaign funds. Photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, via Wikimedia Commons But Faulkner also dropped $10,479 at the Harvard Club, at 35 West 44th Street, a bastion of the Manhattan establishment since its founding in 1865. His campaign wrote six separate checks in 2015 and 2016 to pay for “fundraising meetings, hotel rooms ... events, beverage service,” filings show. That bifurcation of political fundraising venues — the grand and often stuffy on the one hand, the relatively modest or lumpen on the other — is a common thread in campaign finance documents. And surprisingly, the latter can sometimes cost more than the former. Take the twin campaign launches of Upper East Sider Rebecca Harary, who is running as a Republican for the City Council seat being vacated by Councilman Dan Garodnick, a Democrat first elected in 2005 and barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term. Her formal March 29 kick-off took place at the Metropolitan Republican Club, 122 East 83rd Street, which was founded in 1902 and numbered Mayor Seth Low and President Theodore Roosevelt among its members. The storied club’s venue fee: $300. For a second, less formal event at Saba’s Pizza, 1217 Lexington Avenue at 82nd Street, Harary shelled out $618 for kosher pizza. As for Garodnick, who has continued to raise money for an undeclared office, his campaign spent $2,009 in December 2014 for a fundraising event at the World Bar in Trump World Tower, 845 United Nations Plaza at 48th Street. Billed as the spot “Where Manhattan Meets the World,” the bar is famed in Turtle Bay for its Remy XO-based “World Cocktail,” which will set you back $50, as well as the comparatively cut-rate “World Peace Cocktail,” which goes for $12. Garodnick also held another fundraiser in 2015 at the Brass Monkey, 55 Little West 12th Street, forking over $2,400 for the space, which brands itself an “unpretentious Meatpacking District pub with a roof deck.” And then there is Upper East Side City Councilman Ben Kallos and his penchant for Bagel Bob’s on York, where CFB filings show his campaign spent $239 in 2015, $468 in 2016 and $600 so far this year on the singular New York foodstuff. Kallos, who is running for re-election, says he uses his political funds to buy bagels for the scores of residents who show up every year for his State-of-the-District Speech: “I hope they come to hear me,” he said. “But it is very possible that many of them come for Bagel Bobs.”
MAY 18-24,2017
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Voices
Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE BIKE DEBATE Douglas Feiden opens his article with an interesting, but unsupported statement: “Bicycles ... are swiftly multiplying on the streets of Manhattan” (“The Age of the Bike Controversy,” May 11-17). How “swiftly?” And are they in fact multiplying at all? Even if we assume some level of increase, it is certainly not to the degree that the bike lobby has claimed for years that it would be. When the first stretch of bike lane on Columbus Avenue was installed, and there was precious little increase in bicycle usage, the bike lob-
by claimed that it was because the bike lane was not complete. When the bike lane was completed, and the expected huge increase did not occur, the excuse was that it was finished during the fall/winter season. When the warm season came — and the expected increase still did not come — the bike lobby was suspiciously silent. Any increase that it has seen is not nearly what the bike lobby claimed would occur. I am not against bikes: I ride mine every day. But doing so has only proved to me that whatever “multiplying” has occurred has been
anything but “swift,” and is actually comparably negligible. Ian Alterman Upper West Side Beginning in 2007 I have been an advocate, writing published letters all to do with the bike situation. Since that time I have been a believer in licensing bikes and very vocal about it. When it hits you in the pocket perhaps there will be some of these selfish, arrogant bikers who will change their mindset; plus think of the extra funds for the city. I am not young and had many near hits, but the most frightening was walking out of my building one day and a man wearing a suit and a helmet rode directly in front of me — what a heart-stopper. He should have
known better. Our former DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and former Mayor Bloomberg were in love with bikes and bike lanes. How often did they attempt to step in a bike lane or cross a street to find that bikers feel they own the road, going through red lights, against traffic and on the sidewalk? I notice that the Citi Bike riders are quick learners. They, too, are doing the same. Is there no one to help pedestrians of all ages? Bunny Abraham Upper West Side
TOWN HALL CROWD How can the direction of an important article (“UWS Residents Decry
Proposed Supertall Building,” May 11-17) be subverted in the first three words [“Around 80 people ... “] of the article? This happened to be a very important neighborhood meeting with regard to the proposed skyscraper [at 200 Amsterdam Avenue]. The location was moved to accommodate the increased interest/attendance for the town hall meeting. Put another way, 80 does not do any kind of justice to the actual number of attendees, and seems to minimize neighborhood and civic interest. The larger venue held far more than the 80, and chairs were being added for most of the several presentations to accommodate arriving individuals. Manfred Fuchs Upper West Side
TRANSITIONING EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Where the bus doesn’t stop — Riders who take the uptown M101, M102, M103 on 14th Street and Third Ave may think they’ve hit pay dirt with a bus stop on the northeast AND the southeast corners. Odd for sure but maybe to accommodate the busy location. Not so fast. Yes, there are two stops, but buses stop only at the southeast corner. Good old MTA has a huge yellow sign pasted on the kiosk of the original bus stop on the northeast corner announcing that THIS IS THE STOP. Believe it at your peril — you’ll never get to where you’re going if you do. The bus stops ONLY at the southeast corner. So why the misinformation? You won’t find out from the driver (when you get on the bus at the southeast corner). When asked why the two stops and why the sign, his profound and helpful retort: “You’re on the bus now, right?” Wrong. It’s really simple to get this one right. Streets alive again — New businesses are back on the block and opening where once there was emptiness.
The block between 88th and 89th on the west side of Third Ave is coming alive again with the opening of Siena, an Italian restaurant wine bar where the Starlight Diner once was. And mid-block, where Vanilla beauty salon once was, Roma Pizza is opening a second location several stores down from its corner sit-down/takeout pizzeria. Between the old and new locations is an empty store and Wok 88. Don’t know if the corner store will close or if there will be two Roma pizzerias on the same block. My guess is that the new one will be a full service restaurant, and the other will remain a sit-down/take-out. Another Italian restaurant opening on Lexington Ave between 90th and 91st — Marinara — is in the space previously occupied by a kosher pizzeria. In Gramercy, hadn’t noticed that Sal Anthony’s had opened on the northwest corner of Third between 19th and 20th. There was this big splash of white that wasn’t there before — and then it was. It turned out to be the return of an old local favorite. The original Irving Place location lost its lease in a rent dispute years ago. Sal Anthony has other businesses in the Gramercy area — not only a restaurant. And it’s good to have the old
back as new. New game in town — At Third Ave, between 54th 55th Streets, the storefront once occupied by Sam Flax art store — which closed several years ago — will soon be home to Title Boxing Club. The fitness center, replete with punching bags and all things boxing, is opening its second location in Manhattan on the ground floor of the office building at 900 Third, opposite the FDR Post Office and boxed in by Chipotle on one corner and Bank of America on the other. The first location is in the far West 30’s. Interesting commercial enterprises evolving in our town. No doubt that Equinox, with gyms all over Manhattan, will get into the ring and go for the title. Judge time — Upper East Siders who made the cut and came out of the New York Democratic Committee Screening Panel and who are hoping to be on the ballot in November (unless there’s a Primary) are Suzanne Adams, Ariel Chesler and James Clynes. They and the other candidates will learn later this month who gets the party’s nomination. Then the public judging begins.
There are stops for the uptown-bound M101, M102 and M103 buses on both the northeast and southeast corners of Third Avenue and 14th Street. Wait to board on the northeast one and you’ll miss your ride. Photo: Mtattrain, via Wikimedia Commons
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MAY 18-24,2017
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Floodwaters surged into the Manhattan entrance to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Future storm events were frequent topics at the Waterfront Alliance’s Waterfront Conference last week. Photo: Jay Fine, via Wikimedia Commons.
KEEPING THE WATERS AT BAY PLANNING City’s waterfront being compromised by Trump administration’s environmental policies, conference attendees say BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
New York City has more than 500 miles of coastline, leading some to refer to the expansive network of waterways as the city’s sixth borough. Protecting and taking full advantage of this resource was the focus at the Waterfront Alliance’s annual Waterfront Conference Wednesday, May 10. The daylong gathering, aboard the Hornblower Infinity on the Hudson River, convened experts and stakeholders on panels that explored maritime job opportunities, climate change and the harvesting of offshore energy sources. While there was plenty of talk about specific steps that could be taken to mitigate the effects of rising sea level and to improve the city’s resilience, a broader tone of anxiety reigned, attributable, the panelists said, to the Trump administration’s approach to environmental policy. Marcia Bystryn, the president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, called President Donald Trump’s view about climate change “a real problem� but suggested that Congress could help thwart some of the administration’s more radical environmental policy changes. “You might not agree with [U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island] on many things, but he is passionate about cleaning up Long Island Sound ... because his constituents care
about cleaning up Long Island Sound,� she said, alluding to the second-term Suffolk County Republican. In her keynote address, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, whose district includes Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods inundated during Hurricane Sandy, was more circumspect. She said any accomplishments that have been made to preserve and protect the city’s waterways are being undone by the Trump administration. “I am profoundly troubled that many of [Trump’s] environmental policies will turn back the clock on the progress we have made,� she said. “This president has proposed cutting the EPA budget by 30 percent, something that could impair projects like Superfund, which is helping clean up the Gowanus Canal.� Velazquez will soon reintroduce her Waterfront of Tomorrow Act, which would fund studies by the Army Corps of Engineers on protection the metropolitan region’s coast. Newark, N.J., Mayor Ras Baraka said there was a contradiction with regard to Trump’s promises to invest in infrastructure while at the same time he is asking for cuts to the budgets of two federal agencies that support infrastructure: the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who also addressed the conference, touted the recently launched citywide ferry service, reinforcing the water-focused message, but said more care and investment was needed. The city, he said, “became great because we were given this beautiful resource to cherish and then somehow it fell out of vogue.� The mayor’s recently pro-
posed budget includes $100 million to ďŹ nish the greenway encircling Manhattan. “Each successive generation has to do more,â€? de Blasio said. “We have to get it right. We have to return to our roots.â€? Catherine Hughes, a former chair of downtown’s Community Board 1, who is deeply involved in resiliency efforts in Lower Manhattan, attended the conference for the first time. She was especially struck by an update on C40 — a coalition of 90 cities worldwide, including New York, whose leaderships have committed to addressing climate change — and wind power. “Right now there is a huge need to ďŹ ll that gap as you’re replacing fossil fuels, as we’re going off of the carbon-intensive diet, with windmills,â€? she said following the conference. “It’s very exciting to hear about this offshore wind project moving ahead.â€? As a resident of downtown who weathered and helped clean up after Hurricane Sandy, Hughes is concerned for her neighborhood. She pointed out that it was featured in the upcoming documentary “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,â€? which she took as a sign that New York City is at the forefront of the issue. “People said the 9/11 Memorial could never ood due to sealevel rise,â€? she said, recounting part of the documentary. “Fast forward. Then you see all of Lower Manhattan and the Battery Tunnel ooding.â€? Unless there is significant progress, several of the panelists suggested, it almost certainly won’t be the last time. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@ strausnews.com
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MAY 18-24,2017
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownnycom
ONE WEEK ONLY
MAY 31 - JUNE 4
“ POWERFUL EMOTIONALLY MOVING Durham Herald Sun
”
Thu 18 Fri 19
Sat 20
▲JAZZ AGE NIGHT | WALKING TOUR
IT’S MY PARK DAY
Cooper Hewitt, 2 East 91st St. 6 p.m. $40-$50 Starting at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, historian John Reddick leads attendees through the neighborhood, with stops at historic homes and Jazz Age landmarks, concluding at local music venue. 212-849-8400. cooperhewitt. org
FLEXN EVOLUTION
Photo by Grant Halverson
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St. | JoyceCharge 212-242-0800 | www.joyce.org
Park Ave. Armory, 643 Park Ave. 8 p.m. Starts at $25 Characterized by "snapping, pausing, bone-breaking, gliding, get-low, hat tricks, and real-time in-body animation," Flexn is a form of street dance evolved from Jamaican bruk-up found in dance halls and reggae clubs in Brooklyn. 212-616-3930. armoryonpark.org
ILLUMINATING BACH & LUTHER GERMAN ROOTS Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, East 66th St. 7 p.m. Free New York Polyphony illuminates the connections between the timeless composer and the legendary theologian (pop-up concert). 212-854-7799. millertheatre. com
FRIDAY PICNICS IN THE PARK Bryant Park Lawn, Sixth Ave. & 42nd St. 5-10 p.m. Free Every Friday on the lawn, the park has a free picnic, featuring over 100 blankets to borrow, lawn games, entertainment and food vendors. 212-768-4242. bryantpark.org
Samuel Seabury Playground, 96th St & Lexington Ave. 9 a.m. Free. Calling urban gardeners ... does your child play in Samuel Seabury Playground? Help beautify the garden areas of the playground: spread mulch, plant flowers and make a lasting difference. nycgovparks.org
PORCELAIN PAINTING FOR FAMILIES Cooper Hewitt, 2 East 91st St. 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. “Design by Hand” workshops geared toward kids ages 5-12. Students work alongside Cooper Hewitt educators to design their own ceramic plates with motifs inspired by Sevres porcelain. 212-849-8400. cooperhewitt. org
MAY 18-24,2017
Sun 21 ▲“WALK A MILE FOR A SPECIAL CHILD” | CARNIVAL Chabad Upper East Side, 419 East 77th St. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Register. Walk a mile for a special child, celebrating friends and inclusion; then enjoy rides, petting zoo, acrobatic show, face painting, ponies, hot dogs and more. 212-717-4613. friendshipwalknyc.org
FAMILY DAY: ART & MUSIC The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. Noon. Free with museum admission Celebrate whimsical and colorful world of painting and theater presented in “Florine Stettheimer: Painting Poetry.” Design a character, pose in costume, paint a dancer, hear the hip sounds of Jazzy Ash and Leaping Lizards. Ages 3+. 212-423-3200
Mon 22
and Global Trade in Medieval Asia” — lecture on the historical significance of the Belitung shipwreck 212-288-6400. asiasociety.org
CONFRONTATIONAL COMEDY Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave. 7 p.m. Afternoon of comedy sets, headlined by challenging social justice comedian Negin Farsad. Also conversation highlighting power of humor to confront stereotypes and engage audiences around uncomfortable topics. 212-933-5812. armoryonpark.org
Tue 23 CHINA'S PUSH FOR GLOBAL POWER Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. 6:30 p.m. Howard French, former Asia correspondent with The New York Times, peaks with Orville Schell about his book "How the Past Helps Shape China’s Push for Global Power" on China’s historical path as a more aggressive player in regional and global diplomacy. 212-288-6400. asiasociety. org
THE TANG SHIPWRECK Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. 6:30 p.m. “Green, Blue, and White: The Tang Shipwreck Ceramic and Precious Metal Cargo
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
CZECH APPLIED DESIGN Czech Center, 321 East 73rd St. 7 p.m. RSVP for opening
While the exquisiteness of Bohemian crystal design is well established, the inventiveness of Czech fashion design is lesser known — unique exhibition on both on display. Through 5/27. 646-422-3399. new-york. czechcentres.cz
Wed 24 'CORK DORK' | DISCUSSION 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. 7 p.m. $32. Inspired by sommeliers who train their senses the way Olympians train their bodies, Bianca Bosker plunged inside neuroscientists’ labs, underground tasting groups, Michelin-starred restaurants, and mass-market wine factories. 212-415-5500. 92y.org
Eastsiders are uncompromising, and so are Duette ® honeycomb shades with Top-Down/Bottom-Up by Hunter Douglas. At the touch of a button, you can lower the top half of the shade to let in light while keeping the bottom closed to preserve your privacy.
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TYPOPHILES LUNCHEON The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th St. 12:15-2:15 p.m. $45-$49 In its over 50 years of existence The Stinehour Press earned an enviable reputation for the quality of its printing. Founder Rocky Stinehour’s son, Stephen Stinehour, shares his memories of a remarkable figure in American typography. 212-838-6690. grolierclub. org
LET IN THE LIGHT WITHOUT GIVING UP YOUR PRIVACY
GRAMERCY PARK 292 3rd Avenue @ 23rd St 212-777-3030 YORKVILLE 1491 3rd Ave @ 84th St 212-289-6300
UPPER EAST SIDE 888 Lexington Ave @66th St 212-772-1400
HELL’S KITCHEN 766 10th Ave @ 52nd St 212-245-3241
UPPER WEST SIDE 159 W 72nd St @ B’way 212-595-2500
LOWER EAST SIDE 80 4th Ave @ 10th St 212-477-6930
SOHO 55 Thompson St @ Broome 212-627-1100
CHELSEA 215 7TH Avenue @ 23rd St 212-646-5454 212-645-5454
UPTOWN WEST 2680 Broadway @ 102nd St 212-531-2300
LONG ISLAND CITY 30-35 Thomson Ave 347-418-3480
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MAY 18-24,2017
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
BRAVE NEW FASHIONS Rei Kawakubo’s avant-garde outfits at The Costume Institute challenge our notions of style and beauty BY VAL CASTRONOVO
She doesn’t consider herself a fashion designer. She says she’s “just an artisan” who produces clothing. She likes the term “worker.” “For [the] more than forty years that I have been making clothes, I have never thought about fashion. In other words, I have almost no interest in it,” Rei Kawakubo, 74, said in 2014. “What I’ve only ever been interested in is clothes that one has never seen before, that are completely new, and how and in what way they can be expressed. Is that called fashion? I don’t know the answer.” Her garments for Comme des Garçons (“Like the Boys”), the label she founded in 1969, are not fashionable, either, in the traditional sense. More like sculptural objects than clothing, especially in recent years, they are bursting with imperfection — tears, frayed edges, exposed seams, wild asymmetries — and outlandish embellishments such as baby dresses and teddy bears.
The works are concrete manifestations of Zen “koans” or riddles, meant to defy description. The show’s subtitle, “Art of the In-Between,” refers to the esoteric concept of “in-betweenness,” where the koan “mu” (emptiness) and its kin, “ma” (space), coexist. Kawakubo’s designs live in the spaces between the show’s nine opposing themes: Absence/Presence; Design/ Not Design; Fashion/Antifashion; Model/Multiple; Clothes/Not Clothes; and so forth. These spaces “[offer] endless possibilities for creation, re-creation, and hybridity,” Andrew Bolton, curatorin-charge of The Met’s Costume Institute, said at a preview of the spring exhibit of some 140 garments by the avant-garde designer, dating from her Paris debut in 1981 to the present. Born and based in Tokyo, this disrupter doesn’t care about femininity or traditional notions of beauty. What she cares about is projecting strength and power in her designs — and going where no clothes-maker has ever gone before. She’s an innovator with a punk sensibility. A bomb-thrower. “Rei doesn’t like to explain her work. She prefers her clothes to speak for themselves,” Bolton said. She dis-
Gallery View, Clothes/Not Clothes: War/Peace. © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Rei Kawakubo (Japanese, born 1942) for Comme des Garçons (Japanese, founded 1969), 18th-Century Punk, autumn/winter 2016–17; Courtesy of Comme des Garçons. Photograph by © Paolo Roversi; Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art trusts words. So much so that there is virtually no text in the show, aside from some titles and numbers on the floor — and a booklet you can grab at the entrance for guidance. “We wanted people to engage with Rei’s fashions on a more personal and intimate level,” the curator said. Caroline Kennedy, a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, paid eloquent tribute to the designer, her friend, at the preview: “Rei’s work is beautiful. It transcends age and gender, it reconnects us with silence, it makes us look more carefully at the things we take for granted.” The design of the exhibition is as unconventional as the clothes. The walls are pure white, and the mannequins appear in geometric structures that, in an aerial view, look like a collection of stadium bowls, silos and boxy spaces — the architecture of a small community in a galaxy far, far away. “There is no prescribed route through the exhibition,” Bolton said, noting that the collections are not presented in chronological order. A walkthrough feels very free and liberating, if somewhat disorienting — like the outfits themselves. Kawakubo is only the second living designer to be given a solo show at the costume museum; Yves Saint Laurent was the first in 1983. Bolton praised her ability to think abstractly. She
Rei Kawakubo (Japanese, born 1942) for Comme des Garçons, (Japanese, founded 1969), Blue Witch, spring/summer 2016; Courtesy of Comme des Garçons. Photograph by © Paolo Roversi; Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
comes up with the idea for a piece, and the patternmakers on her staff have the job of translating the concept into an actual garment. As one patternmaker said in 1990, per the show’s catalog: “Once [Kawakubo] gave us a piece of crumpled paper and said she wanted a pattern for a garment that would have something of that quality.” The inspiration comes from within — not from other designers and typically not from history or a particular culture or place, she claims. “The concept could be anger, energy or an aspiration to make something strangely shaped,” she has said. Self-taught, she’s guided by intuition and instinct; her designs are distinctly non-political and convey no social messages. The fashions conceal rather than reveal the female form and, by implication, take issue with male designers who create sexy, flesh-baring looks. The clothes are over-the-top strange and weird, which is how Kawakubo likes it because she is constantly in search of “newness.” Fabric is wrapped around bodies — draped, knotted, bunched and padded. Her seminal 1997 collection, “Body Meets Dress — Dress Meets Body,” boasts down-filled bustles and other protrusions in gingham. A harbinger of future disruption, it was dubbed “lumps and bumps” by the critics.
In 2014, Kawakubo abandoned making clothes altogether, opting instead to create “objects for the body” that take on a life of their own. The results, labeled Clothes/Not Clothes, mark the fulfillment of her mission to create “forms that have never before existed in fashion.” Akin to sculpture and performance art, the pieces “exist as purely aesthetic and abstract expressions,” the booklet states. The collections “Blood and Roses” (2015), “Blue Witch” (2016) and “18th-Century Punk” (2016-17) typify the new direction. “Kawabuko confronts expectations of fashion and subverts them,” Bolton said. “She is one of the bravest designers out there.”
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” WHERE: The Costume Institute at The Met Fifth Avenue WHEN: Through Sept 4 www.metmuseum.org/
MAY 18-24,2017
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
A Dorchester, Massachusetts, family has got a foothold on the Upper East Side. Photo: Lorraine Duffy Merkl
BOSTON BROTHERS BRING BURGERS RESTAURANTS Wahlbergs land in Yorkville BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL
You would’ve thought that Marky Mark was flipping patties, Donnie was waiting tables, and Jennie McCarthy was the hostess. There was an hour-long wait last Friday night to get into the new Wahlburgers restaurant on Second Avenue near 85th Street, which celebrated a soft opening on May 11. They don’t accept reservations, so it’s first-come, first-served. My 19-year-old daughter, Meg, whose idea it was to dine there, and I put our name on the list at 7:30 p.m. and were told they would text us when the table was ready. My husband, Neil, was meeting us in front. As he is not big on “waiting” in general, and less so for a seat at a burger joint, I hoped for major train delays — the later he arrived the better. When Neil caught up with us at 8, he retained his sense of humor to get us through what turned out to be the remaining 40 minutes of our anticipated seating. During that time, I observed UES behavior at its finest. There were the people who walked by wanting to know what everyone was standing around for, looking a bit perturbed that they were out of the loop about the invasion of the Bostonian brothers (Mark, Donnie and Paul, the chef, are the owners). Others would approach the young host to be added to his iPad seating list. Upon being told the length of the wait, each and every one would shake their heads and declare, “That’s ridiculous,” stomp away, confer with the rest of their party, then return to give the young man their names. And what would a “velvet rope” (albeit an invisible one) situation be without the cajolers, pleaders and combatants. To his credit, the sentinel with the iPad was poised and polite, while he remained firm that no one would be cutting the line. Last but not least, there was the take-out contingency, who thought they would show up we “list people” by heading around the corner to 85th to put in their order. That stay was no less daunting. When I tired of people-watching, I was enter-
tained by the four, large monitors behind the bar (yes, they serve booze) that can easily be viewed from the street. One was tuned to the Mets game, with the other three running the same behind-the-scenes-with-the-Wahlbergs footage on a loop. I would be remiss not to stress that Wahlburgers is indeed a family-friendly establishment. In fact, its ethos is on the wall at the entrance: Growing up in Dorchester, MA with 9 kids in a triple decker house, we didn’t have much, but we had each other, & that’s what mattered most. In the toughest of times we always made the best of times. And for us, no time was better than sitting at the table together, sharing good food, a few laughs, and lots of love! At Wahlburgers we hope to share a little bit of those times with you. When my family finally got the text, and got seated, it was a generally positive experience. The décor is sleek and streamlined, with Kelly green as its signature pop-of-color. The newly trained staff is still finding its footing, but all were convivial and solicitous. The food is good, but not that much better than the other establishments in our area; in other words, I don’t think Shake Shack will shutter any time soon. Because of its cachet of celebrity, and open, inviting atmosphere, as well as prime location, Meg already has a date to return with her friends. Neil, (“When all is said and done, it’s still just a hamburger,”) and I are satisfied with our lone visit. If I am going to stand around hoping to be a guest, I’ll do my lingering on Fifth Avenue between 89th and 90th for a table under the limestone aches of Heavenly Rest Stop, the chapelcum-café next to The Church of the Heavenly Rest. The sidewalk seating reminds me of why I love living in NYC and the food is, dare I say, divine. Plus, if I drop dead from waiting an hour for my table, they can hustle me right next door for my funeral. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Back to Work She Goes” and “Fat Chick,” from which a movie version is in the works.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives: The First 1,000 Years
THURSDAY, MAY 18TH, 12PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Hear from professor Chase F. Robinson, whose new book traces Islamic law, science, philosophy, and literature across pre-modern centuries. ($45)
Confrontational Comedy
MONDAY, MAY 22ND, 6:30PM Park Ave. Armory | 643 Park Ave. | 212-616-3930 | armoryonpark.org Confront your sense of humor at a performance and conversation exploring how humor can illuminate uncomfortable topics. ($15)
Just Announced | World Science Festival—Pondering the Imponderables: The Biggest Questions of Cosmology
SATURDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2PM John Jay College | 899 Tenth Ave. | 646-557-4430 | worldsciencefestival.com Catch a get-together of cosmologists, philosophers, and physicists, as they ask questions like what was here before the Big Bang, and is our universe a one-off, or one of many? ($37)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
14
MAY 18-24,2017
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “A couple years ago, Friends started to think seriously about potential upcoming changes that were going to affect the character of our neighborhood,” said Rachel Levy, executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts. “We were witnessing with alarm the rise of asof-right supertowers in midtown to our south. And we wondered what if this accidental skyline would start creeping its way up our avenues and what that would mean for our neighborhood.” The Second Avenue subway, and the development that is expected to follow, as well as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of dramatically expanding affordable housing concerned the Friends group. Levy said that although the proposed zoning
We were witnessing with alarm the rise of as-of-right supertowers in midtown to our south. And we wondered what if this accidental skyline would start creeping its way up our avenues and what that would mean for our neighborhood.” Rachel Levy, executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS APR 28- MAY 05, 2017 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/ restaurant-inspection.shtml.
changes are a worthy priority, they also threaten to lift in one fell swoop many of the protective zoning measures that had been in place for decades. Franny Eberhart, president of Friends’ board of directors, said the Upper East Side’s livability, sense of place and quality of life were threatened if development were to continue unchecked. Urban planner George Janes, who was recently hired to help challenge the construction of a building on the Upper West Side, said he became interested in the rising heights of towers while watching the construction of 432 Park Ave. Completed in 2015, 432 Park Ave. is the tallest residential building in the world. “I was just like you when I saw this going up,” Janes said. “It just kept going up — I was like, ‘Oh, it must be done by now’ — no, it just kept going up. I was astounded at how tall it got. It became
one of these things where I thought, ‘I’ve got to figure out how this happened.’” Janes said the fruits of community advocates’ labor to reign in development can be seen in changes to the Upper East Side zoning map over the years. “If you look at a zoning map, it looks really complicated,” Janes said. “If you go uptown, if you to east Harlem, central Harlem — the zoning map is simple. It’s like one district cover vast areas of central and east Harlem. The reason why is this community has advocated a generation to effect changes.” These changes wouldn’t have happened without advocacy at the local level, Janes said. “That kind of advocacy just doesn’t happen Uptown,” Janes said. “It’s people like you that effect these changes.”
Carnegie Cup Cafe
1080 Park Ave
B
Enthaice
1598 3 Avenue
B
Angela’s Montana Table
1750 2Nd Ave
A
Juliano’s Espresso Bar
1378 Lexington Avenue
Not Yet Graded (12)
Noglu New York
1266 Madison Ave
B
Fika
1331 Lexington Ave
Not Yet Graded (8)
Voila 76
1452 2 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (12)
Basile Pizza
1728 2Nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (22)
Candle Cafe
1307 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (20)
Genesis Bar & Restaurant
1708 2 Avenue
A
Rongoli Exquiste Indian Cuisine
1393A 2Nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (23)
Selena Rosa Mexicana
1712 2Nd Ave
B
Roma Pizza
1568 3 Avenue
B
Jg Melon Restaurant
1291 3 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (27)
The Milton
1754 2Nd Ave
A
Session 73
1359 1 Avenue
B
Room 1705
1705 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded (2)
Muscle Maker Grill
1413 2Nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (5)
Pic Up Stix
1372 Lexington Ave
Not Yet Graded (7)
Six Happiness
1413 2Nd Ave
B
Thai Peppercorn
1750 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded (29)
Fratellis
1317 1 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (11)
Dunkin’ Donuts
159 East 116Th Street B
Bohemian
321 East 73 Street
Not Yet Graded (15)
East Harlem Bottling Co
1711 Lexington Ave
Not Yet Graded (10)
Columbus Citizens Foundation
8 East 69 Street
Not Yet Graded (22)
Abv
1504 Lexington Avenue
Grade Pending (32)
Mcdonald’s
1286 1 Avenue
A
Dreamers Pizza
1850 3Rd Ave
A
4Th Floor Cafe
221 East 71St Street
Not Yet Graded (22)
Prime One 16
2257 First Avenue
B
Antonucci
168-170 East 81 Street
A
Spice Hut Indian Restaurant
2172 2Nd Ave
A
Brasserie Magritte
1463 Third Avenue
A
A
1531 York Ave
A
Cafe On 5Th/Sterling Affair
1216 5 Avenue
Aki Sushi Yuka Restaurant
1557 2Nd Ave
B
2102 2 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (8)
China Taste
1570 2Nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (13)
Rong Sheng Chinese Restaurant
Felice
1593 1 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (17)
Brisas Del Mar Seafood Market
1785-1787 Lexington Avenue
A
Mumtaz
1582 York Avenue
Not Yet Graded (35)
Sammys Gourmet
1404 Madison Ave
B
Kings Carriage House
251 East 82 Street
Not Yet Graded (7)
My Ny Bakery Cafe
Not Yet Graded (12)
Blockheads Burritos
1563 2 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (19)
1565 Lexington Avenue
Kobeyaki
215 E 86Th St
Not Yet Graded (10)
Lion Lion
332 E 116Th St
Not Yet Graded (17)
Inase Sushi Restaurant
1586 1 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (7)
Aloaf Cafe
170 E 110Th St
B
Putawn Local Thai Kitchen
1584 1St Ave
B
El Chevere Cuchifritos
2000 3 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (22)
Cafe D’alsace
1695 2 Avenue
Not Yet Graded (12)
Earl’s Beer & Cheese
1259 Park Ave
Not Yet Graded (20)
MAY 18-24,2017
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KEVIN HART I Can’t Make This Stuff Up
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DAN BROWN The Da Vinci Code
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Engine 44 firehouse. Photo: Christian Castro
ENGINE 44 CLOSES FOR RENOVATIONS NEIGHBORHOOD Firehouse on East 75th Street undergoes upgrades, firefighters temporarily housed nearby BY MICKEY KRAMER
Anyone walking past the Engine 44 firehouse on East 75th Street last week bore witness to an odd sight for a couple of days: non-FDNY personnel packing up large moving trucks. Engine 44 has closed temporarily and will be undergoing a total renovation that will take a year to complete, according to FDNY spokesperson Frank Dwyer. Engine 44 opened at the current location on April 1, 1881 and has remained there continually since. Dwyer says the firehouse will receive a floor replacement, new electrical service, an emergency generator, a new kitchen, solar hot water, along with mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades. The changes are part of the city’s $305 million plan to
renovate fire stations throughout NYC. During the scheduled renovation, Engine 44 will be housed at Engine 39/Ladder 16 on East 67th Street. Dwyer explains that “the fire companies are placed in the nearest neighboring firehouse and all companies in the battalion, division and borough, as well as fire dispatchers are aware. Redundancies for response are in place to ensure there is no disruption in response or service to the community.” “This is standard procedure citywide when we have a firehouse undergoing extensive renovation.” Dwyer says. Along with residents and business owners, another group affected by the closure will be the neighborhood dogs who were greeted warmly and fed treats by many of the firefighters. Erin McElhinney, 37, who lives across the street from Engine 44, says, “they are just the best neighbors ... always giving treats to my dog Amelia Pudding and all the neighborhood dogs.” On a more
serious note, she adds: “Having them across the street from me definitely makes me feel safer in my neighborhood and apartment. They will be missed.” John McCormack, 57, lives two blocks away on 73rd Street and was surprised to learn of the closure. “Living nearby [a firehouse] makes you sleep easier, but I understand technological advances may necessitate the need for changes.” McCormack says he used to take his daughters to visit the firehouse. He calls the firefighters “wonderful guys,” and says he hopes for “a speedy renovation.” For anyone living near the temporarily shuttered building, fear not, says Dwyer. “There will be no interruption in service or protection to the community,” he says. “The members of Engine 44 will continue to be a visible presence in the neighborhood as they respond to emergencies, inspect buildings and greet their neighbors.”
Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel Hosts Annual Bus Trip to Calverton National Cemetery As the seasons change and Memorial Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the men and women who are serving our country around the world. We also remember those who gave of themselves when our freedom was threatened, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation. We here at Frank E. Campbell, “The Funeral Chapel” are sponsoring a trip to Calverton National Cemetery for those individuals who do not get an opportunity to visit their loved one who served our country. This FREE trip will take place on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. The bus will leave from 81st Street and Madison Avenue at 8:30 am and will return approximately 4:30 pm. A continental breakfast will be served at Frank E. Campbell between 7:30 am – 8:15 am. A box lunch will be provided on the bus at Calverton National Cemetery. If you are interested in joining us, please call 212-288-3500 by May 26, 2017, to reserve your place. Please have your section and grave information available when you call.
FRANK T H E
E. C A M P B EL L
F U N E R A L
C H A P E L
K n o w n for Ex c e l l en c e since 18 9 8
10 7 6 M a d i s o n A v e n u e
at
81s t S t re e t
212 . 2 8 8 . 3 5 0 0
www.frankecampbell.com John A. Kuhn Jr. - Manager Owned by A Subsidiary of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019 (713) 522-5141
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MAY 18-24,2017
Business
REIGNING CATS AND DOGS Avanti Press pushes the greetingcard envelope BY GAIL EISENBERG
One company has been in the business of cranky cats and anthropomorphized dogs long before they started breaking the internet. Colleagues dismissed Rick Ruffner when he employed photography as the primary medium for greeting cards to launch Avanti Press in Detroit in 1980. Years later, those same naysayers also balked when he began using dog and cat images. As it turns out, the joke is on them. “Rick takes great pride in not listening to the general consensus and successfully striking out into new frontiers. Avanti is now published in 30 countries and 12 languages, and we all know animals rule,” says Dave Laubach, Avanti’s Director of Design since 1998, based in New York. After nearly two decades at Lever Brothers, a Fortune 100 company that inhabited an entire building, it was a bit of culture shock for Laubach
to transition to the small, privatelyowned business to run the West 18th Street office of nine. But he quickly acclimated, and by all accounts loves his gig. “Having daily discussions about alpacas, chickens, and prairie dogs is so unlike corporate America. It’s a dream job. Just being able to come up with funny ideas every week is gift from the universe,” says Laubach. Ruffner’s passion to support his hometown has been a critical factor in maintaining Avanti headquarters in downtown Detroit for thirty-seven years. However, during the pre-internet days, when all of Avanti’s images were licensed from New York City stock photo agencies, it was advantageous to have a satellite office. Today, the New York location also affords them access to a wide variety of photographers and other creative resources. “I confess; I attended a lot of photo shoots early on,” says Laubach. “We generally want as many of the litter as we can get. As you can imagine, herd-
Avanti Press, 2017 LOUIE Award-nominated cards: Exercise Cat, and The Pug in the Afro Wig. Photo: Ryan Segedi
ing kittens is a lot more challenging than working with a trained dog — but it’s so fun.” Women continue to buy the lion’s share — about 80 percent — of all greetings, though much has changed during Laubach’s tenure in the industry. Price points have increased substantially with consumers paying over $10.00 for some cards, and digital greetings have dipped into market share. “We assume a certain amount of business may have moved to digital, but the industry’s retail sales remain steady at $7 to $8 billion a year,” says Laubach. “It’s more likely to be techsavvy younger consumers purchasing digital greetings. Still, there are certain occasions like wedding, sympathy, and bridal shower, where digital cards don’t cut it.” The internet and its numerous social media outlets have also opened up avenues for the global humor brand to find inspiration. “Nothing is off limits. We scout everywhere — Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Flicker, you name it,” says Laubach. “If there’s an image we like, we try to license it. In fact, we have an advertising image from a pharmaceutical company that was licensed before I started working here, and it’s still in our line today.” The Avanti line skews more unisex, with images and captions that also work well for kids. A*Press, the company’s graphics-based card offerings often employ glitter and deliver a sassier and more sophisticated level of humor. The group will unveil their new America collection at the Na-
Dave Laubach, Avanti Press Director of Design, with this year’s LOUIE Award nominations, The Pug in the Afro Wig and Exercise Cat. Photo: Ryan Segedi tional Stationery Show held at the Javits Center on Sunday, May 21. The line contains images and stories from the ‘20s through the ‘60s that capture America’s heart, humor, and history. Later on Sunday, it’s on to the Edison Ballroom for the LOUIE awards ceremony — the Oscars of the greeting card industry — where two Avanti entries will vie for top honors: The Pug in the Afro Wig, a get well card in the under $4.00 category, and Exercise Cat, a lenticular, or 3-D, card in the over $4.00 birthday category. The cat’s leg moves up and down in sync with the woman on the TV set behind her while the effort shows on her face. Inside, the verse reads: “The price we pay for having our cake and eating it too. Happy Birthday.” “It’s our first card ever nominated in the Birthday over $4.00 category, the toughest to compete in,” says Laubach. Team Avanti has garnered over forty of the prestigious awards since the Greeting Card Association launched
ON THE SIDE STREETS OF NEW YORK YUTA POWELL — 19 EAST 75TH STREET Yuta Powell is a veteran of the fashion world. While still a student in Paris, she was hand-selected by Givenchy to be part of his atelier. Later, she managed and owned his flagship store. It was in 1999 that she opened her first eponymous boutique, and in 2013, she comfortably settled into her current location. Though her clients come from
around the world, she enjoys being based in New York and having so many American women frequent her boutique. She says that American women tend to be straightforward shoppers, saying either, “I like it” or “I don’t like it,” and “I can afford it” or “I can’t afford it.” She also likes New York for more personal reasons: “I really feel at home here.” To read more, visit Manhattan Sideways (sideways. nyc), created by Betsy Bober Polivy.
Ms. Powell. Photo: Tom Arena, Manhattan Sideways
the annual event in 1988. As for whether more Avanti card buyers are cat people or dog people on the whole, well, the pussies have been outperforming their archenemies in recent years. “Cat people seem to love all cats, while dog people tend to be more breed-specific in their passion,” says Laubach. “We usually have a general idea of how well cards will perform, but it’s really fun when we’re surprised by what appeals to the consumer at retail. Currently, the best-selling cards are two chickens, a prairie dog, and a gorilla. Who knew?” For more information about Avanti Press go to www.avantipress.com Follow Avanti on social media: Instagram @ avantipress and Facebook @avantihumor The National Stationery Show takes place May 21 — May 24 at The Javits Convention Center. www.nationalstationeryshow.com
MAY 18-24,2017
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SuperMe Performance NYC’s Premier Sports Performance & Fitness Company
Get Strong Youth Sports Performance Summer Program Improve overall athletic performance with college format training for ages 13-18 3 Days Per Week ~ 6/17 through 8/3 $39.99 per day $113.99 per week $757.99 for 7 weeks
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Sunset at the Lawrence Hall of Science, in Berkeley, California, where kids can attend summer camp programs. Photo: David Abercrombie, via ickr
COLLEGES OPEN DOORS FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS Kids can attend camp at Berklee School of Music, a DNA lab upstate or a science facility in the San Francisco Bay Area BY KATHERINE ROTH
For details and schedules call now 877-337-8737
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After most college students have packed up and moved out of their dorms for the summer, many campuses and research centers across the country stay open, making their dorms and other facilities available to kids eager for academic summer adventure. Campuses are home to a wide range of summer camp programs, some run by private groups that lease the college facilities, and others run by the colleges or research centers themselves. “Summer is a great time for kids to learn about what we do, and spend 20 to 30 hours a week getting hands-on lab experience and doing experiments,� says Amanda McBrien, assistant director of DNA Learning Center in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. It’s a branch of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, famous for groundbreaking genetics research. “We now offer a suite of weeklong day camps,
starting the summer after ďŹ fth grade and running through senior year in high school,â€? she says. “If a student is interested, they could come here for a week every summer starting in middle school and do something new and exciting each time, and by the end of high school they would have done more hands-on biology labs than they’ll probably do as undergraduates, if they’re even in a molecular biology program. It’s cool.â€? She said many of the kids who sign up for Cold Spring Harbor’s program do a variety of short, focused camps for the summer. “They’ll spend a week here getting deep into science, then they’ll leave here and do something completely different, like a week of robotics or space camp at NASA,â€? she says. For the musically inclined, the Berklee College of Music, in Boston, opens its doors in summer for intensive camps for kids as young as 12 who have a minimum of six months of musical training. Campers can spend their days doing a mix of small group lessons, music theory and ear training. Finding oneself part of a small group with a speciďŹ c and shared passion can be transforma-
MAY 18-24,2017 tive for children and teenagers, parents say. “Our son thrived at the Berklee summer program, which helps students find their musical and creative voice by enabling them to play with musicians from all over the world and varying degrees of experience and training,” said Carol Rose of Boston. “The investment paid off: He’s a successful professional bassist.” The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, meanwhile, offers day camps and residential programs at campuses across the country in a range of subjects for kids in grades two through 12. Students can explore everything from anatomy to zoology. Stephanie Stiker of Greenwich, Connecticut, said her 11-year-old enjoyed the CTY camp on the campus of Washington College, in Chestertown, Maryland, and the experience of staying in the dorms. “CTY gave our son the chance to do a deep dive into robotics, where they programmed actual robots to make decisions and try to outwit each other. He also did his own laundry and managed his free time, all while making friends with
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com whom he shared the same interests,” she said. This summer, her son is returning to the camp, this time to study forensics. For students 14 and up who are interested in English as a second language, Concordia College in Minnesota offers a chance to get a feel for American life; summer campers stay in the dorms, study English on campus and, off campus, visit farms, attend barbecues and baseball games, and more. On the West Coast, The Lawrence Hall of Science, part of the University of California, Berkeley campus, offers summer camps for kids age 4 through high school. For those who want to emphasize sports instead of academics, the campus of the State University of New York at Purchase might be just the thing. A private group called Future Stars runs day camps at Purchase and three college campuses on Long Island, focusing on everything from tennis and soccer to circus arts and even magic 101 for kids ranging from preschool to 12th grade.
The Berklee College of Music, in Boston, opens its doors in summer for intensive camps for kids as young as 12. Photo: By Daderot, via Wikimedia Commons
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
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TONY ROBERTS’ NEW YORK We sat down with the iconic actor and discussed his bromance with Woody Allen, growing up in the city and his new movie role BY ANGELA BARBUTI
When Tony Roberts walks around Manhattan, he often gets stopped with questions like, “Where do I know you from?” or “What have I seen you in?” This proves difficult to answer since the actor has enjoyed a five-decade career on stage and screen and is still working. Those encounters were the inspiration behind the title of his memoir “Do You Know Me?” which chronicles his lifelong acting journey with varied roles ranging from leads on Broadway to soap opera stardom to six Woody Allen films. It quickly becomes apparent that he could not tell his story without New York City being a significant backdrop. Not only at the start of his career-attending PS 6 on the Upper East Side and taking an acting class at the 92nd Street Young Men’s Hebrew Association – but later on for moments such as when Allen introduced himself backstage during Roberts’ run in “Barefoot in the Park,” or having a recent conversation about fame with a woman while sitting in Central Park. And at 77, he is still sought after in the industry. He added audiobooks to his prolific resume, lending his voice to the novels of Stuart Woods. And he was offered a role in the “Dirty Dancing” remake, which will air on ABC on May 24.
How did being raised in Manhattan shape your career? I had a tremendous advantage growing up here, not just because it’s New York, which is such a great place compared to any place else, in my opinion. But my father was in the broadcasting business, so I was able to see actors rehearse and perform when I was young. And that was an amazing revelation to see them pretending to be other people in an imaginary story. They played cowboys, gangsters, politicians, anything you can think of. They used different accents. And yet, they were these people who said hello and gave me a hug when I came in and then turned themselves into these other things. For kids with imagination, this was like an open door to pretend. So I was blessed to be exposed to all that at an early age.
Your father started as an actor and then became a successful radio announcer. He gave you a lot of advice when you were starting out, including encouraging you to hit the streets to give out your resume. Explain how actors looked for jobs in those days. Well, there was actually a little publication that came out every month called “Ross Reports,” which listed all the casting agencies in the city. There were no computers or iPhones, so you had the advantage of going yourself and opening a door and having somebody say, “Get out, we’re not taking any resumes today.” But that secretary who told you to get out would be the agent a year from then. She would have moved up inside that company. Well, they need their own clients; they don’t want somebody else’s clients. So the door is open for you to become the new client. But to do it, you have to prove that you’re ambitious and responsible, and that doesn’t mean showing up once or 20 times either, because then you become a stalker. But it becomes knowing when you have something to offer. So if you’re in a play or get a job, then you go back to all of them … . People who think you walk in and it happens, it doesn’t. But if you put your foot in 10 doors, there’s a chance one or two will open.
You explained that people liked your rapport with Woody Allen on camera, which is also your relationship in real life. Why do you think that is? There was a nice article in the New Yorker by Richard Brody about the relationship between Woody and the movies and he referred to it as a “bromance.” And he tried to explain what it was. Nobody knows what it is. It resonates. Most people want to
Shane Harper, Colt Prattes and Tony Roberts in “Dirty Dancing,” airing May 24 on ABC. Photo: © 2016 American Broadcasting Companies. know why we call each other Max and there’s a story behind that, which is in the book. But it was his genius to know that everybody who’s really friendly talks to each other with nicknames that are true only to those two people. And that gave it an authenticity right away. It was also because we are the same, but different. We’re both from New York City, but he’s from Brooklyn. He grew up in a crazy household of relatives and noise and not a lot of money. And I grew up in Manhattan with a very sophisticated, enlightened crowd of performers and actors. But there was something that connected us about being maybe Jews. Maybe neither one of us was particularly athletically gifted. He would hate for me to say that because he’s more athletically gifted than I am, but he doesn’t look like it. But mostly it was the way he wrote us. He was as surprised by it as anybody. Because when “Annie Hall” came out, he said, “You know, I hear a lot from people who say they like our schmoozing.”
After “Annie Hall,” people started recognizing you more in Manhattan, which still continues to this day. You talk about some of those encounters in the book. Tell us one of those stories. The first one that comes to mind is Joe Biden. He poked his head out of a
hotel lobby as I went by on Park Avenue and couldn’t wait to shake my hand and thank me for everything I’d done. And I thought, “What did I do that Joe Biden thinks I’m important?” But every time it happens it’s so startling. If you go out of the house in the morning thinking you’re going to be recognized, you’re going to be very disappointed. So you learn, if you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword. So you don’t expect to be recognized to protect yourself from the ego of thinking, “Why don’t they know who I am?” So instead, you think, “Nobody’s going to know who I am, nor should they.” And then every time it happens, whether it’s an anonymous person from around the corner, or whether it’s Joe Biden, it’s a lovely surprise.
How did your role come about in “Dirty Dancing?” What was that like? They offered me the part. I wish I knew how I got the part because it’s rare you get an offer out of the blue, usually they want you to audition. And I don’t even know to this day where this came from, but I’m very glad it did. It took me about four or five weeks to film in North Carolina. I can’t say much about the new one because I haven’t seen it. It took about seven weeks, I guess, to make the whole thing. And I was there for my scenes
and then I left. And I haven’t seen the rough cut of it and don’t even know what parts are in and out of my own performance. There are more plot lines than there were in the original, if they’re kept in and there’s new music. Some of the music is the same, because some of those were iconic numbers, but there are new ones by new performers. And it’s more ethnically diverse and intentionally. The original one, you can say, is about Jews in the Catskills in 1963. I think that their intention, ABC and Lionsgate, was to make it more universal, with less Jewish identity. My part was originally played by Jack Weston, and we were in a television series together which failed, called “The Four Seasons,” based on the movie of the same name by Alan Alda. Jack and I became pals and he is no longer with us. And Jack played it very Jewish, very broad, almost comical. He was wonderful. It wasn’t written that way for me and I didn’t want to impose a value on it that wasn’t there.
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Eastsider 1
MAY 18-24,2017
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
60
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MAY 18-24,2017
CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED
23
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
MASSAGE
MERCHANDISE FOR SALE
SITUATION WANTED
PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT SECURITY PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By Virtue of a Default under Loan Security Agreement, and other Security Documents, Karen Loiacano, Auctioneer, License #DCA1435601 or Jessica L Prince-Clateman, Auctioneer, License #1097640 or Vincent DeAngelis Auctioneer, License #1127571 will sell at public auction, with reserve, on June 7, 2017 in the Rotunda at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York NY 10007, commencing at 12:45 p.m. for the following account: Varun Bakshi and Nishtha Chadda, as borrower, 632 shares of capital stock of 221 East 36th Owners Corp. and all right, title and inter-
SOHO LT MFG
462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 SF Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 SF Cellar - $75 psf Divisible Call David @ Meringoff Properties 212-645-7575
PUBLIC NOTICES est in the Proprietary Lease to 225 E 36th Street, Apt 8L, New York, NY 10016 Sale held to enforce rights of CitiMortgage, Inc, who reserves the right to bid. Ten percent (10%) Bank/ CertiďŹ ed check required at sale, balance due at closing within thirty (30) days. The Cooperative Apartment will be sold “AS ISâ€? and possession is to be obtained by the purchaser. Pursuant to Section 201 of the Lien Law you must answer within 10 days from receipt of this notice in which redemption of the above captioned premises can occur. There is presently an outstanding debt owed to CitiMortgage, Inc (lender) as of the date of this notice in the amount of $178,263.36. This ďŹ gure is for the outstanding balance due under UCC1, which was secured by Financing Statement in favor of Citibank, N.A. recorded on May 9, 2014 under CRFN 2014000158753 and assigned to CitiMortgage, Inc. via a UCC-3 recorded on September 29, 2016 under CRFN 2016000341476. Please note this is not a payoff amount as additional interest/fees/ penalties may be incurred. You must contact the undersigned to obtain a ďŹ nal payoff quote or if you dispute any information presented herein. The estimated value of the above captioned premises is $390,000.00. Pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code Article 9-623, the above captioned premises may be redeemed at any time prior to the foreclosure sale. You may contact the undersigned and either pay the principal balance due along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by CitiMortgage, Inc. and the undersigned, or pay the outstanding loan arrears along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by CitiMortgage, Inc, and the undersigned, with respect to the foreclosure proceedings. Failure to cure the default prior to the sale will result in the termination of the proprietary lease. If you have received a discharge from the Bankruptcy Court, you are not personally liable for the payment of the loan and this notice is for compliance and information purposes only. However, CitiMortgage, Inc, still has the right under the loan security agreement and other collateral documents to foreclosure on the shares of stock and rights under the proprietary lease allocated to the cooperative apartment. Dated: April 28, 2017 Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for CitiMortgage, Inc 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 631-969-3100 File #01-084149-F00 #91676
Telephone: 212-868-0190 Fax: 212-868-0198 Email: classified2@strausnews.com
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PUBLIC NOTICES
Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call #BSSZ (212)-868-0190 ext.4 CBSSZ MFXJT@strausnews.com
Antique, Flea & Farmers Market SINCE 1979
East 67th Street Market (between First & York Avenues)
Open EVERY Saturday 6am-5pm Rain or Shine Indoor & Outdoor FREE Admission Questions? Bob 718.897.5992 Proceeds BeneďŹ t PS 183
OFFICE SPACE
AVAILABLE IN MANHATTAN
300 to 20,000 square feet
Elliot Forest, Licensed RE. Broker
212 -447-5400 abfebf@aol.com
Antiques Wanted TOP PRICES PAID t 1SFDJPVT $PTUVNF +FXFMSZ (PME t 4JMWFS 1BJOUJOHT t .PEFSO t &UD Entire Estates Purchased
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I CAN SELL YOUR HOME OR APARTMENT QUICKLY!
N e s t S e e ke r s I N T E R N A T I O N A L
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24
MAY 18-24,2017
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
COME HOME TO GLENWOOD MANHATTAN’S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS
+ + +
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UPPER EAST SIDE 1 BEDROOMS FROM $2,995 2 BEDROOMS FROM $4,395 3 BEDROOMS FROM $5,995
MIDTOWN & UPPER WEST SIDE 1 BEDROOMS FROM $3,295 2 BEDROOMS FROM $5,395 3 BEDROOMS FROM $7,895
TRIBECA & FINANCIAL DISTRICT 1 BEDROOMS FROM $3,795 2 BEDROOMS FROM $5,895 3 BEDROOMS FROM $8,495
UPTOWN LEASING OFFICE 212-535-0500 DOWNTOWN LEASING OFFICE 212-430-5900 ! " " All the units include features for persons with disabilities required by FHA.
GLENWOOD Equal Housing Opportunity
BUILDER OWNER MANAGER
GLENWOODNYC.COM