The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF MAY-JUNE HEAVENLY OFFERINGS ◄ P.12
31-6 2018
A BOLD PLAN TO HEAL AILING TRANSIT SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE Cost, funding sources of MTA modernization proposal remain unclear BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
visible seat in the U.S. Congress? It won’t be easy. The political establishment is sure to resist. But it can be done. At least that was the crux of the message that 34-year-old Suraj
Five months after he arrived in Manhattan to take charge of New York City Transit, Andy Byford’s comprehensive pitch to repair the city’s struggling public transportation system is on the table. Byford presented what he called “a bold, imaginative, ambitious plan” to “modernize New York City transit from top to bottom” at the MTA Board’s May 22 meeting. The proposal, dubbed “Fast Forward,” calls for the rapid implementation of a variety of measures overhauling bus and subway service, accessibility and corporate organization within the transit authority. “It won’t be easy to perform such massive upgrades on such a compressed time frame in such a busy system, but we can do it,” said Byford, who took office as president of NYCT in January after previously heading Toronto’s public transportation system. “Transit is in a trough right now, but we can and we must come back.” Among the plan’s most significant proposals is an initiative to accelerate the replacement of outmoded subway signals with state-of-the-art computerized systems, a step Byford called “the most transformative thing we can do to improve subway service.” Computerized signaling, Byford said,
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Suraj Patel at a food cart with his “New Blood” slogan. Photo: Courtesy of Suraj Patel campaign
WILL THE SURAJ INSURGENCY SURGE? POLITICS A well-funded neophyte mounting a generational challenge to topple a long-serving congresswoman fires up would-be supporters at an UES town hall
I’m not here to mail it in.” Suraj Patel, Democratic candidate in the 12th Congressional District
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
Can a Mississippi-born, Indianaraised, Indian-American lawyer, hotelier, ethics professor and child of immigrants — who has never before vied for elected office — oust a popular incumbent who’s served for a quarter-century to claim a hugely
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New York City Transit President Andy Byford unveiled “Fast Forward,” a proposal to modernize the city’s subway and bus systems. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
Not acting now is not an option. It will only get more difficult and more expensive.” Andy Byford, NYCT president
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WHAT YOU NEED WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT PREPAREDNESS As summer nears, so does the possibility of power outages. How New Yorkers can be ready BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
Summer. Sun. Fun. Blackout. Yes, the Great Blackout of 1965 happened in November, but New York City went dark in July 1977 and August 14, 2003, and while Hurricane Sandy turned off downtown lights in October 2012, let’s agree that qualifies as “Indian summer.” The trick to getting through is, as Scouts have been reciting since 1907, “Be prepared.” When the lights flicker and the TV dims, to confirm what’s happening, reach for your small transistor radio or the updated version, a hand-crank radio with a USB port that enables you to power up the battery on your cellphone. A charged phone will work as long as the “service towers” do, but if as happened on 9/11, several million people are trying to use their cells at the same time, there may be delays. A traditional corded telephone plugged into a jack gets its power from
Blackout in NYC, August 14, 2003. Photo: Dennis Milam, via flickr the central office and will continue to function during a power outage. Cordless phones need their own source of electricity, so they won’t work unless you have your own generator. If you’ve upgraded to Verizon Fios voice service or have Spectrum voice, both offer battery backup units that can provide up to 24 hours of dial tone during power outages. Spectrum’s runs on a battery inside the modem; Verizon’s uses standard D cell batteries that you can easily replace to maintain your dial tone for extended periods of time. Both Verizon spokes-
person Laura Merritt and Spectrum spokesman John Bonomo say, “Keep your old corded phone to plug in for emergencies.” Want light? Flashlights are safer and better than candles. Count on one hand flash per person and one large searchlight for each room. And batteries. Lots of batteries. No, you don’t have to store them in the fridge or freezer. Energizer, the company that knows, says modern alkaline batteries “self-discharge” (translation: “run down”) at a rate of less than two percent a year when stored at normal
room temperatures with moderate humidity. Thirsty? Red Cross advice is one gallon of water per person per day for drinking (a case of 24 16-ounce bottles = 384 ounces = 3 gallons). Add one gallon jug per person for light cooking because electric stoves won’t work but gas ones will, although you may have to — carefully — light the burner with a kitchen match. If your water comes from a well that requires an electric pump, an unlikely scenario in Manhattan where water flows by gravity down from a tank atop the building roof, you might also need water to flush and household bleach to neutralize any odors. Has the blackout lasted several hours? You must be hungry. Your three choices, in order, are: Refrigerator, freezer, and a large Styrofoam food cooler. A fridge with the door closed stays cold for up to four hours, protecting perishables such as dairy foods or luncheon meats. A full freezer keeps food frozen longer; make it a rule to pack yours tight, using containers of ice to fill empty space as needed. The cooler is for emergency provisions: “Survival meals” (available from Sam’s Club, COSTCO, & Amazon), canned fruits, veggies, tuna, salmon,
A BLACKOUT CHECKLIST ■ Crank radio & USB cable to connect cellphone ■ Flashlights: One per person; one big one per room ■ Batteries: Back-ups for all devices; check the expiration date when buying ■ Water: One gallon per person per day for drinking ■ Large cooler ■ Canned, jarred or dry food: Enough calories to match at least one day’s diet ■ Manual can opener ■ Food thermometer ■ Cash: $100 in small bills sardines, breakfast bars, juice boxes, nut butters, jellies, crackers, instant coffee or tea and dry milk (if reconstituted, drink right away; do not store). Plus a food thermometer, a manual can opener, and an envelope with $100 in small bills because ATMs and credit card machines won’t work without electricity. When the lights come on, refreeze frozen food that still has ice crystals. Toss any chilled stuff with a temp above 40 F. Restock the food cooler and the bottled water. Add backup batteries as needed. Charge your cellphone every night. Then relax. Summer’s over. You’re ready for hurricane season.
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th district for the week ending May 20 Week to Date
Year to Date
2018
2017
% Change
2018
2017
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
6
5
20.0
Robbery
6
6
0.0
59
54
9.3
Felony Assault
1
1
0.0
48
52
-7.7
Burglary
2
2
0.0
67
84
-20.2
Grand Larceny
28
24
16.7
536
522
2.7
Grand Larceny Auto
0
2
-100.0
12
11
9.1
THE E N G A G E M E N T S HO P A T LO N D O N J E WE LE R S PRESENTS
T H E
A L L
W E E K E N D
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
93-YEAR-OLD WOMAN MUGGED Yet another senior became the victim of a violent mugging. At 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, a 93-year-old woman was on East 66th Street near Third Avenue when a man, said to be in his 20s, came up and snatched her purse, causing her to fall. She told police that she fell back, hurting her left arm and her head. A witness, who heard the woman’s cries for help, told police she saw the assailant running eastbound on 66th Street. The items stolen included a brown purse, various credit cards, a New York State driver’s license and $7.
SHOPLIFTER ARRESTED At 12:19 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, a 49-yearold male employee inside the CVS store at 1660 Second Ave. saw man removing about $200 cosmetics from a store shelf and putting them in a bag, police said. The employee approached the man, and took the bag. The man, later identified as Jorge Agosto, 36, grabbed in an attempt to take back the bag. A struggle ensued, and an additional witness, a 23-year-old woman, told police that an unidentified third person helped the employee during the fracas. Officers arrived and arrested Agosto, 36, on robbery charges, police said. Agosto was also found to be in possession of a kitchen knife.
CLEANERS CLEANED OUT A repeat offender injured a store manager during a recent robbery. At 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, a 64-year-old manager of the Ace Cleaners store at 221 East 83rd St. recognized a 28-yearold man from a prior incident in the store and told him to leave. The manager told the man he was going to call the police, when the intruder took the manager’s phone and threw it on the ground. The pair then started wrestling, with the man
then pushing the manager toward the back of the store. The manager told police he heard the cash register being opened, and after the perpetrator had fled the store, heading toward Third Avenue, the manager discovered that $200 in cash was missing from the register. The manager was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment, and police were unable to locate the robber in the neighborhood.
LATE-NIGHT MUGGING At 3 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, a 25-year-old man was talking on his cellphone on First Avenue near 75th Street a stranger pressed an unknown object into the victim’s back and said, “Give me your wallet.” The man complied and the mugger, removed $20 in cash, but put the wallet back in the victim’s pocket, the man told police. The mugger then told the victim to look forward before running southbound on First Avenue and onto 74th Street.
GRANDSON ARREST SCAM Police urge the public to check with a friend or relative first before paying money if a third party calls and claims that the friend or relative requires assistance. A 68-year-old male resident of the Upper Eastside told police that at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15, unknown individuals called him on the phone, claiming to be bail bondsmen and lawyers for his grandson, who allegedly was being held for a driving-while-intoxicated incident in New Jersey. The callers told the man they needed him to send $5,200 to get his grandson bailed out of jail. The man complied with their instructions and sent the money via a bank transfer. The victim later spoke to his grandson, found that he hadn’t been arrested, and realized that the callers’ story was all a scam.
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Useful Contacts
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
Drawing Board
POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 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 Keith Powers
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
1485 York 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 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
POST OFFICES US Post Office
1283 First Ave.
212-517-8361
US Post Office
1617 Third Ave.
212-369-2747
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BY PETER PEREIRA
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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POPULAR DIETS: HOW TO DIGEST IT ALL HEALTH What really works to help lose weight and keep you well nourished? BY JOSHUA NOVAK, M.D.
Here’s the good news: New York State is ranked in the top ten for having the lowest adult obesity rate across the country. Now the bad news: In New York City, more than half of adult New Yorkers are either overweight (34 percent) or obese (22 percent), despite those new biking lanes and fruit and vegetables stands on every corner. This is likely due to the availability of food 24/7 in our great city. We know that being overweight increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, arthritis and some types of cancer, but it is also causing another problem: malnourishment. People with obesity may consume an excessive proportion of unhealthy foods low in nutritional values. These include carbohy-
Vegetables are key to healthy eating. Photo: Marco Verch, via flickr drates derived from refined sugar, white rice, fat, and oil. In addition, intake of fruit and vegetables may be limited. Studies of obese patients prior to bariatric surgery were found to have deficiencies in such micronutrients as vitamin D, iron and vitamin C. At any given time, 45 percent of women and 30 percent of men are trying to lose weight
and $33 billion is spent annually on diet books and diet plans. So what are some of the most popular diets out there — and do they really work to help lose weight, keep it off and won’t starve us? Here are a few for you to digest: Weight Watchers uses a points system, whereby points are assigned to certain foods. People are given a total number to
aim for each day. Foods high in nutrients and are more filling and have fewer points. This enables patients to exercise portion control and moderate the amount of food they are consuming. A possible downside is that these are often prepared foods. Some people consider it less clean and fresh eating.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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GLASS PANEL FALLS, KILLS WORKER AT SKYSCRAPER SITE SAFETY Construction halted at West 57th Street building
Your neighborhood news source
OurTownNY.com
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York City has issued a stop work order at the construction site of one of Manhattan’s tallest skyscrapers after a large glass panel fell, killing a
security guard and injuring a construction worker. The city’s Department of Buildings said work was banned and a violation issued for failing to safeguard the site after the 10:30 a.m. emergency Saturday at the West 57th Street site, a half block from Carnegie Hall. Police say 67-year-old security guard Harry Ramnauth was killed, and a 27-year-old con-
struction worker was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Inspectors say an 8-footby-14-foot glass panel tipped over as it was being moved. The building developer’s office didn’t immediately comment. A 1,550-foot (472-meter) tower is planned at 217 W. 57th St. For comparison, One World Trade Center is 1,776 feet (541 meters).
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The Board of Directors of the 60-86 Madison Avenue District Management Association, Inc. cordially invites you to attend the
2018 Annual Meeting of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 8:30AM Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College 47-49 East 65th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues) Kindly RSVP by June 4 by contacting us at 212-861-2055 or information@madisonavenuebid.org To learn more about the Madison Avenue BID, visit our web site at
www.madisonavenuebid.org
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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Huge Selection of
UES VOTES TO FUND TECH, SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE
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Participatory budgeting results announced for East Side Council district
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BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Air conditioning for a public school cafeteria, renovations to a kindergarten bathroom and technology upgrades in a number of local schools and libraries will be coming to the Upper East Side this year after over 1,900 residents cast votes for their preferred capital projects through the City Council’s Participatory Budgeting program. The program, which recently completed its seventh annual voting cycle, lets residents vote on how to allocate $1 million in discretionary funding in their council district. Four projects will receive funding in Council Member Ben Kallos’s Council district, which includes Roosevelt Island and much of the Upper East Side. This year’s top vote-winner, with 792 votes, was a $200,000 project to reconstruct a kindergarten bathroom in P.S. 290, the Manhattan New School, on East 83rd Street. The overhauled restroom will include new sinks and stalls conďŹ gured at heights that are age-appropriate for students. Residents also voted to fund a $350,000 initiative to purchase new laptops for use in 10 public schools in the district. The second-place project was supported by 736 residents. Another tech-focused project,
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I BUY RECORD COLLECTIONS Upper East Side residents voted to fund the installation of a new heating and air conditioning system in the cafeteria of P.S. 183 on East 66th Street through the city’s Participatory Budgeting program. Council Member Ben Kallos visited the school May 23 to announce the results of the vote. Photo: Office of Council Member Ben Kallos the installation of $200,000 worth of new equipment in the district’s public libraries, received the third-most votes. The Webster Library on York Avenue, the East 67th Street Library and the Roosevelt Island Library will receive upgrades including new computers, printers, self-checkout kiosks and high-speed WiFi. The final winning project, with 666 votes, commits $600,000 to the installation of a new heating and air conditioning system in the cafeteria at P.S. 183, the Robert Louis Stevenson School, on East 66th Street, which is also often used by community organizations as a meeting space. Though the combined cost of the top four projects exceeds the $1 million allocated to Par-
ticipatory Budgeting, Kallos’s office will fund the remaining $350,000 with money from the district’s discretionary budget. “Education and the well-being of our neighborhood children have always been a top priority for me,� Kallos said in a statement. “I am proud and happy that the residents who voted and participated in the process share that feeling and made it known with their vote.� Voting for Participatory Budgeting took place in April and was open to all district residents age 11 or older. Participants could vote for multiple projects on their ballots, which could be cast online or in person at multiple locations in the district during the weeklong voting period.
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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Voices
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HIGH AND LOW EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Pick your high — MedMen on Fifth Avenue, in the immediate vicinity of Lord & Taylor’s on the opposite side of the street, is the place to find out all you ever wanted — or didn’t want — to know about marijuana. MedMen is primed for the leaf being made legal in New York. A team of red-shirted young men and women are ready to give you a primer on the effects of the leaf and how the user can decide which leaf will take him or her to their desired state of mind and being. No samples yet — just a book-brochure where you can learn
all about it. Sit down and read the book at Simit Sarayi, the Turkish bakery and café right next door. After hearing the tutorial of the MedMen staffers, one couldn’t help but wonder how the law will address the various states of mind that marijuana users will have chosen if there are any mishaps or run-ins with the law as NYers turn over, well, a new leaf. All mirrors so far. No smoke yet.
Nobody’s bottom-up — Why don’t celebrity and big money candidates use their celebrity and money to take a bottom-up approach to their entry into government? Celebrity and big bucks alone shouldn’t create entitlement. Years-long advocacy and interest in public service are best used by government novices at the local level — City Council, public advocate, state Senate, Assembly. Celebrity notoriety and money can be as crass and unde-
sirable as campaign financing as it exists. When celebrities and big bucks candidates start at the top, they serve only their ego and not the public.
Taking the cake — M7 bus riding south on Columbus Avenue weekday mid-afternoon. Man carrying a large cake box. Standing. Refused a seat because he didn’t want his wife’s birthday cake “messed up” if the bus made a shaky move. “Where’d you get the cake?” a lady rider wanted to know. “Glaser’s,” he said. “Well, be prepared to go someplace else next year. They’re closing,” she warned.” By this time, the entire front of the bus was commiserating over the closing. All suggestions for next year’s cake came from the front of the bus — including the driver. Consensus was that the bakery on either 105th or 106th and Broadway was the new go-to place for “a really good
Glaser’s kind of cake.” A young girl getting off the bus wanted to know the name of the Glaser’s stand-in. “Sure,” said the man holding the cake. ”It’s Silver Moon on 105th and Broadway. I go there whenever I can’t make it to Glaser’s on the East Side. I live in Chelsea.” Who needs Google? Just ride the bus.
All 4’s — Heading to 14th and Fifth. Waiting at 59th and Central Park bus stop at 4 o’clock on a weekday afternoon. The stop’s home to the M1, M3, M4. Can’t do the M4. It turns on 37th Street. As luck would have it, four M4s descended on the bus stop at once. A fifth M4 discharged its passengers and became a “Not in Service” non-provider. Coincidence that all M4s arrive at the same time? Scheduling snafu? Or just business as usual? Another sorry bus story told too, too many times. This time x4 — make that 5.
MedMen, aka the Starbucks of Cannabis, opened a 2,000-squarefoot marijuana dispensary at 433 Fifth Ave. on – of course - April 20. Photo: Samantha Deitch/BFA.co
UP ON THE ROOF WITH DAVID HOGG AND CAMERON KASKY BY JON FRIEDMAN
I experienced one of those quintessential Manhattan evenings on May 21, a fancy book party on a West 72nd Street rooftop. Important and self-important New Yorkers alike turned out. The Chamber of Commerce could have marketed the spectacular weather to tourists. Those who were there will not soon forget it. We gathered to honor Rick Allen’s impressive book “RFK: His Words for Our Times.” I stood among dozens of noted journalists, authors, Manhattan publishing icons and even one of Robert Kennedy’s daughters. I had butterflies as I approached the two biggest stars at the party: David Hogg and Cameron Kasky, two of the survivors of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Like many of their impressive classmates, Kasky and Hogg have become committed activists against gun violence. I patiently — then rather impatiently — waited my turn to say hello and shake their hands. I had no illusions that my gesture of solidarity would mean a lot more to me than to them. After all, they have been greet-
David Hogg (left) and Emma Gonzalez (front, second from right) at a rally in Fort Lauderdale on February 17. Photo: Barry Stock, via flickr ing awestruck strangers, like me, practically every day since 17 of their classmates and teachers died in yet another senseless mass shooting at a U.S. school. David and Cameron chatted earnestly and epitomized cool. Strangers in the strange land of the Upper West Side, these Floridians kept their
distance and remained in command. Clearly the moment was not too big for them. Who can forget the forcefulness of the Parkland survivors when they addressed hundreds of thousands of people on March 24 in Washington, at The March for Our Lives? While somehow maintaining their integrity and
dignity, David, Cameron and many of their charismatic classmates — particularly Emma “We Call BS.” Gonzalez — have gone on TV show after TV show to press their case. At the book party, David, who dressed formally, and Cameron, who wore a black t-shirt saying Institute of Politics, stood together. They reminded me of the way The Beatles clung to one another in “A Hard Day’s Night,” when they dealt with the crush of overnight fame and constant demands for their time by poseurs. David and Cameron looked quite bemused when one notable publishing executive buttonholed them and beseeched them to go to dinner afterward. I got the sense that the Parkland survivors must genuinely be a tight unit. Fame can work tricks on people, particularly in our disposable, celebritydriven culture. No doubt, the Parkland students recognize that they have become famous because so many of their classmates were killed. If that tragedy hadn’t taken place, they’d be ordinary, anonymous high school kids living unspectacular lives. It must be a terrible burden to bear every day. David and Cameron were too media savvy than to give me any major
scoops. David noted that he would be taking a gap year between high school and college to continue working against gun violence. They had spent the day over at Bloomberg headquarters talking about the cause. They were optimistic about their progress so far in getting numbers of young people registered to vote in this year’s U.S. elections. They apologized for not yet having business cards to hand out — “they’re coming in next week” (I have a feeling these teenagers are already sharp enough by now to recite that very effective line to strangers at every one of their stops). My only gripe was that Cameron, albeit respectfully and earnestly, reminded me that I’m on the wrong side of the generation gap by addressing me as “sir.” (Couldn’t he have called me “dude” or something hipper? You know, I wore a black homemade armband to protest the Vietnam War on Moratorium Day in 1969!) David and Cameron are impressive young men. They know what they’re doing. They intend to use their fame for good causes to help our society. It was a privilege to meet them. If we ever happen to talk again, I’ll rightfully address each of them as “sir.”
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
TRANSIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
cessible to disabled riders; the transit authority hopes to bring accessibility measures at all stations where installation is possible by 2034. Other measures in the plan include: • Updates to the bus route network to respond to ridership patterns and demographic changes • A new “tap-and-goâ€? fare payment system to speed bus and subway boarding • Procurement of 3,650 new subway cars and nearly 5,000 new buses over the next decade, including 1,800 electric buses. The MTA has not yet attached an official price tag to the plan, but several outlets reported leaked internal estimates ranging from $19 billion to $43 billion. Before Byford’s presentation to the board, MTA Chair Joe Lhota called the plan’s cost and funding sources “a subject for another dayâ€? and said “all estimates are premature and, inevitably, not accurate.â€? “The point of today’s presentation is not about numbers, but it’s to show that we can and we will modernize the New York City subway system,â€? Lhota said. But the numbers quickly
overshadowed the fanfare surrounding the plan’s release, as Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio engaged in public wrangling over where funding should come from — a familiar back-and-forth that has reliably followed any signiďŹ cant transit-related news over the last year. Cuomo, who personally interviewed Byford before he was hired as NYCT president, has not yet publicly endorsed the plan, but told reporters that both the city and state would both need to contribute funding. The Mayor called the plan “a step in the right directionâ€? but said that he would continue to push for a tax on millionaires — which would have to be levied by the state government — as a new longterm funding stream for the MTA rather than send additional money to the MTA from city coffers. Byford stressed the urgency of the situation as he closed his presentation, seemingly appealing to the MTA board, transit riders, and political leaders alike. “Not acting now is not an optionâ€? he said, “It will only get more difficult and more expensive.â€?
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“adds capacity and exponentially improves reliability,â€? allowing trains to run more closely together than currently possible. NYCT hopes to install new signaling systems on 11 lines over the next decade as part of the plan, and aims to complete ďŹ ve lines in the next ďŹ ve years. This ten-year timeline is significantly shorter than previous estimates, which projected that resignaling the system at the current pace could take 40 years or longer. The faster pace will require additional station closures on nights and weekends, but NYCT has no plans to close full lines on weekdays. Station infrastructure is another key focus of the plan, which calls for the MTA to conduct critical structural and functional repairs at over 300 stations in the next decade. Additionally, NYCT aims to install elevators at 50 stations in the next ďŹ ve years, spaced so that subway riders are never more than two stops away from an accessible station. Less than a quarter of stations are currently ac-
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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CIVITAS ANNOUNCES
HOW TALL IS TOO TALL? A LAND USE FORUM WITH PANEL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BEN KALLOS & CB 8. JUNE 6, 2018 AT 7:00PM LENOX HILL HOSPITAL EINHORN AUDITORIUM, 131 EAST 76TH STREET
Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
EDITOR’S PICK
Wed 6 ROXANE GAY AND TAYARI JONES IN CONVERSATION
(BETWEEN LEXINGTON AVENUE & PARK AVENUE)
Unterberg Poetry Center, 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. 7:30 p.m. $29 212-415-5500. 92y.org Two literary stars share the stage at this compelling book talk. Roxane Gay’s latest book, the memoir “Hunger,” uses her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over food and bodies, appearance and health. Tayari Jones’s new novel, “American Marriage,” an Oprah Book Club pick, is an epic love story and exploration of mass incarceration and race in America that follows the journey of newlyweds Celestial and Roy. When Roy is arrested and sentenced to 12 years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit, she is forced to reckon with their marriage.
Photo: Kate Brady, via Flickr
Thu 31 Fri 1 EDWARD W. HARDY PLAYS POE AND BAUM
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Turtle Bay Music School 244 East 52nd St. 7 p.m. Free Violinist Edward Hardy will perform a variety of musical genres along with original music inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and L. Frank Baum, along with other premieres and arrangements of Hardy’s works. 212-753-8811 edwardwhardy.com
Sat 2
▲ NEW YORK MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT
► ALFONS MUCHA: SHAPING CZECH IDENTITY
NY Blood Center Auditorium 310 East 67th St. 2 p.m. $20 At the NY Mandolin Orchestra’s 94th annual spring concert, this plucky group (performers play various members of the mandolin family, which includes the mandola, mandocello and mandobass) will perform a mix of classical and popular music, as well as accompany soloists in two concerti by Vivaldi. nymandolin.org
Czech Center New York 321 East 73rd St. 10 a.m. Free This stunning new exhibition features the work of Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha and examines the role of the artist at times of political change. After a successful career in Paris, Mucha returned to his native Czech lands in 1910 to paint his magnum opus, the Slav Epic, a cycle of 20 monumental paintings depicting Czech and Slavic history. Through June 22. 646-422-3399 new-york.czechcentres.cz
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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CREATE A VIEW JUST AS BEAUTIFUL ON THE INSIDE THIS SPRING Save $100 on Hunter Douglas Shades until June 25, 2018 at
Sun 3
Mon 4 Tue 5
ISRAEL’S 70TH: BLOCK PARTY
â–˛ AN EVENING WITH GENERAL COLIN POWELL
Times Square 8 p.m. Free Celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary at this festive block party. Multiple celebrities including Mayim Bialik will be greeting the public through the Times Square screens, and the party kicks off with live DJ sets that encourage people to dance into the night. embassies.gov.il
Temple Emanu-El 1 East 65th St. 8 p.m. $99 Statesman Colin Powell, a four-star general, national security adviser and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before being appointed the ďŹ rst African-American U.S. secretary of state by George W. Bush in 2001, will discuss his early life in the Bronx, his history-making public service, and everything in between. 888-718-4253 emanuelnyc.org
SUMMER GARDEN CONCERT Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, 421 East 61st St. 6 p.m. $15 adults, $5 children Music in Mount Vernon’s garden is back on Tuesday evenings this summer. Christopher Morongiello of the Mannes College of Music, the Royal College of Music and the University of Oxford will captivate with a performance of lute music from the Renaissance and early Baroque period. Museum tour and complimentary beverages included. 212-838-6878 mvhm.org
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THE CELEBRATION OF LIGHT SAVINGS EVENT Take advantage of timing and purchase these modern shades during Janovic’s promotion. Consumer rebates available from April 14-June 25, 2018 on listed products when you purchase the following:
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Wed 6 A CONVERSATION ON FICTION PUBLISHING Shakespeare and Co. 939 Lexington Ave. 6:30 p.m. $25 There’s now a spot open for literary titan of Upper Manhattan; perhaps it should go to you? Glean a bit of wisdom from a literary panel of Yale alumni dishing about the trials and tribulations of the book publishing world from an author’s point of view. 212-772-3400 shakeandco.com
STORE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT NYC
GRAMERCY PARK 292 3rd Avenue @ 23rd St ӣӇÇÇLJÎäÎä
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
HEAVENLY OFFERINGS The Costume Institute’s Spring 2018 exhibit at The Met is a holy show of religiously inspired garments BY VAL CASTRONOVO
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” is the largest exhibit in the history of The Costume Institute and The Met museum. More than a fashion parade, it’s a spiritual happening, with celestial soundtracks wafting through the rooms and a silent choir of mannequins in the upper reaches of the Medieval Sculpture Hall. It not only spans four locations at The Met Fifth Avenue — the Byzantine and Medieval galleries, The Robert Lehman Wing and the Anna Wintour Costume Center — but it continues to enchant at The Met Cloisters in Upper Manhattan, where outfits are presented indoors and out. As Cardinal Timothy Dolan, New York’s archbishop, said at a preview: “In the Catholic imagination, the truth, goodness and beauty of God is reflected all over the place, even in fashion. The world is shot through with his glory and his presence. That’s why I’m here, that’s why the Church is here.”
Organizationally speaking, this sartorial spectacle mimics a pilgrimage, curator Andrew Bolton said, with spectators advised to begin the journey in the galleries on the first floor of The Met Fifth Avenue before venturing to the Anna Wintour Costume Center on the lower level — home to some 40 vestments and accessories on loan from the Sistine Chapel Sacristy — and concluding at The Cloisters. In all, the show spans 25 galleries and 60,000 square feet, with some 150 ensembles. A collaboration of The Costume Institute, The Met’s Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, “The exhibition situates costumes alongside religious artworks to provide an interpretive context for fashion’s engagement with Catholicism,” Bolton said. “Whereas the focus at The Met Fifth Avenue is on the pageantry of the Catholic Church, The Cloisters addresses the more contemplative and reverential aspects of Catholicism, fashions inspired by monastic orders as well as the holy sacraments of the Catholic Church.” Most of the designers featured have been raised Roman Catholic, and though many do not practice the faith, “most acknowledge its significant in-
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” Robert Lehman Wing. Photo: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” inside the Met Fifth Avenue’s Medieval Sculpture Hall. Photo: ©The Metropolitan Museum of Art fluence over their imaginations,” the curator said. On the one hand, the influence can be seen in the use of Catholic symbols and iconography — the cross, a pierced heart or an image of the Madonna and Child. But dig deeper and see that it is “conveyed through their reliance on storytelling and, specifically, the trope metaphor,” Bolton said, invoking Father Andrew Greeley, author of “The Catholic Imagination,” who believed “metaphor is the essential characteristic of a distinctly Catholic sensibility that he defines as ‘the Catholic imagination.’” The storytelling traditions of Catholicism play out here through a succession of short stories told through “conversations” between haute couture and medieval sacred art. The drama begins in the corridors flanking the Grand Staircase, in Byzantium. Behold five mannequins on high pedestals, costumed in Gianni Versace metalmesh dresses with crosses (autumn/ winter 1997-98). The iconography was derived from a gilded silver processional cross, on display, that Versace first saw at The Met’s 1997 show, “The Glory of Byzantium.” The metalwork riffs the tesserae of mosaics found in Ravenna’s Byzantine monuments. Enter the Crypt, under the staircase, for an eye-popping selection of Versace halter-tops and jackets from
autumn/winter 1991-92. They boast crystal-embroidered images of Byzantine icons that play off the real thing in The Met’s collection. The journey comes to a glorious climax in the Medieval Sculpture Hall, where the organizers unabashedly pay homage to Federico Fellini’s famously blasphemous “ecclesiastical fashion show” in the film “Roma” (1972; see the clip here), in which nuns, priests, bishops and cardinals take to the runway and strut their stuff. Here, the side aisles of the hall are turned into an ecclesiastical fashion runway and lined with outfits that reference the hierarchy and gender distinctions of the holy orders that Fellini mocks. The right aisle is devoted to outfits that mimic the female habit. Rossella Jardini (House of Moschino) designed a jokey ensemble for spring/summer 2014 with a winged headdress in white that evokes the cornette worn by the Daughters and Charity and, laughingly, Sally Fields in “The Flying Nun.” But the main action is reserved for the center aisle, which, like the nave of a church or a fashion runway, is the setting for a major theatrical performance — in this case, a solemn procession of faith-full couture by the likes of Alexander McQueen for the House of Givenchy, Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino and John Galliano for the House
of Dior. Piccioli’s sweeping red silk taffeta dress, with a train and plunging neckline revealing lots of skin, cheekily recalls the ceremonial cape (“cappa magna”) worn by cardinals and bishops for liturgical occasions. The holiest site on this pilgrimage, however, lies below ground, in the peaceful realm of the Anna Wintour Costume Center, where papal vestments, crosses, mitres, tiaras and clasps from the Vatican are displayed. The pieces span more than 15 papacies and date back to the mid-18th century. Many have never traveled outside the Holy City, including several embroidered treasures from a suite of vestments commissioned by the Empress of Austria for “the dandy” Pope Pius IX (reigned 1846-78). Fifteen women labored 16 years to complete the set, a paean to beauty and the fashionable Catholic imagination.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” WHERE: The Met Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street; The Met Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan WHEN: Through October 8 www.metmuseum.org
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 16 -22, 2018 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. Creative Cakes
400 East 74 Street
A
Just Salad
1306 1st Ave
A
Brady’s Bar
1583 2 Avenue
A
Tal Bagel
333 East 86 Street
A
Aki Sushi
1531 York Ave
Grade Pending (22) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Treat House
1566 2nd Ave
A
Nuts figure into many diets. Photo: Marco Verch, via flickr
Hot & Crusty Bagels Cafe
1276 Lexington Ave
A
Wahlburgers
1633 2nd Ave
Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
DIETS
Yura
1350 Madison Ave
A
San Matteo
1731 2nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
El Paso Taqueria
64 East 97 Street
Grade Pending (23) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
El Barrio Restaurant
158 East 116 Street
Grade Pending (25) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
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Grade Pending (2)
something
have
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1980 3rd Ave
like
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
The Keto Diet was originally the Atkins Diet and it’s a lowcarbohydrate diet that is higher in fat, particularly unhealthy saturated fats. It has been shown to provide weight loss in the first six months; however, this effect can sometimes be reversed once patients increase their carbohydrate intake. It decreases triglyceride concentrations and increase HDL (good cholesterol) concentrations in some patients. With limiting the amount of grains as well as some fruits, there is a risk of micronutrient and vitamin deficiencies. The Flexitarian Diet is new and encourages people to eat mostly vegetarian.
The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet is meant to help people cut down on high cholesterol foods, and fast foods and eat more fiber. The Mediterranean Diet is a very popular diet, although not specifically designed for weight loss; it puts fruits and vegetables high on the food pyramid, with lots of fish and seafood, nuts, and legumes. There is little red meat and sweets, but you are definitely allowed wine and olive oil. The 2013 Lyon Diet Heart Study put this diet on the map as it found that there was a 73 percent reduction of coronary events for high-risk patients after 27 months with this diet and that it lowered blood pressure and cholesterol. Benefits are not as clear in terms of preventing cancers, but olive oil and eating fruits, such as tomatoes, and vegetables that are high in fiber are associated with benefits for colon cancer risks.
Sticking to this diet seems to work and there are not many pitfalls with it.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet is particularly effective for people suffering with high blood pressure as it’s lower in sodium than the normal American diet. Eighty million people have hypertension and only half of them are currently controlling their blood pressure. The DASH diet includes foods rich in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium and calcium, fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Fats are limited as well as sweets. The downfall here is that these foods tend to be more expensive versus nutrient-deficient foods, such as junk food, that are easily accessible and less expensive. Mind is a mixture of DASH and the Mediterranean Diet and is aimed at helping brain function and curb brain decline. More research is needed to confirm this, but the diet includes brainhealthy food such as leafy greens, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, and avoids meat, dairy, sweets and fast food. WHOLE30 is not a weight-loss diet, but a 30-day guide that claims to manage allergies, digestive issues and chronic pain. It excludes sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and dairy. There’s no cheating, and some folks may be at risk for a loss of intake of calcium and vitamin D because of the elimination of dairy, grains and legumes. Then there’s Ornish, LEARN
(Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationship and Nutrition), The Zone, fasting diets and I could go on and on. But keep in mind there’s also a popular non-dieting approach to losing weight called Mindful Eating. This fo-
cuses on behavioral modifications and gaining awareness of hunger and full sensations based on internal cues, and recognizing emotional eating to reduce unhealthy obesityrelated eating behaviors. So with the plethora of diets to choose from, here are some guidelines to keep in mind: • Before starting a diet, consider consulting your physician. • Try to find a nutritious weight-loss diet plan based on your food preferences and make sure it’s easy enough to follow. • Try to cook more at home whenever possible as there will likely be an automatic decrease in the amount of saturated fat and calories when compared to typically prepared foods. Also restaurant portions (including takeout) are much larger than what we actually need to eat in one meal. • If eating healthier seems more expensive, work around it. Consider local farmers markets, frozen vegetables and meats as they tend to be less expensive. • If a diet is going to be restrictive, consider taking a multivitamin. • Make sure to include exercise as part of your weight-loss plan. • Sticking to your nutritious diet long-term is more preferable to losing quick fast weight that may deprive you of important nutrients and may be so restrictive up give up. And, of course, talk to a dietitian or gastroenterologist. Our job is to help you sort it all out. Dr. Joshua Novak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, The Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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One Person’s Manhattan
‘LIFE IS AMAZING’ How Justin Constantine, a wounded warrior from the Iraq conflict, found his way to Manhattan — and to a new mission of helping others reach for success BY HARVEY COHEN
Justin and Dahlia Constantine met President and Michelle Obama at the home of the Marine Corps Commandant in 2009. Photos courtesy of Justin Constantine
At least once every week, Morningside Heights residents Justin and Dahlia Constantine go for a peaceful and relaxing walk in Riverside Park. But back on October 18th, 2006, Justin was taking a very different kind of walk. He was a Marine on a combat mission in the Anbar Province of Iraq on patrol in an area where enemy snipers had recently killed some other Marines. At one point, Justin recognizing the dangers, warned an embedded reporter, with words that proved to be prescient, “Hey, don’t forget there are snipers out here,” he said. “You better move quickly because we don’t want anything to happen to you”. Then a few seconds later, a sniper’s bullet zoomed inches behind the reporter. The reporter was saved by his quickened pace. But that first bullet was followed by another bullet. And the second bullet hit Justin just below his helmet, entering his head behind his ear, traveling through his mouth and exiting through his face. Justin fell to the ground, not breathing; he was actually proclaimed dead. But a Navy Corpsman didn’t give up. He began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and also cut Justin’s throat open and performed an emergency tracheotomy. All this while sniper bullets continued above. After much effort, Justin began to breathe again and came back to life — back from the dead. Still in shock and losing blood, he was driven to a field hospital four miles away driving through an area filled with improvised roadside bombs. There another operation was performed and he was finally stabilized. But his jaw was destroyed. His teeth lost. His throat damaged. And the vision in his left eye permanently gone. He was medically evacuated to a military hospital in Germany and then to the Naval hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He was a patient there for five weeks and then an outpatient for seven more months. His only salvation being that Dahlia, then his girlfriend and now his wife, put her life on hold, dropped out of her Ph.D. program at Cambridge University and came to be by his side. As Justin says, “hospitals can look very busy, but they are really very lonely. Without Dahlia there to keep me focused on my recovery and to keep my spirits from dropping, I might not have made it through.” Eventually, Justin had over two dozen surgeries with the last one being in 2016. He also received a year and a half of counseling for PTSD. But Justin now uses his experience to help others learn to not give up, reach their higher potential and find success even when failure seems to be approaching — a mission that has led to his meeting Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. Justin and Dahlia moved to Man-
As a Marine officer, Constantine deployed to Iraq in 2006.
hattan in August of 2015 when Dahlia was accepted into the doctoral program at Teachers College at Columbia University. Dahlia recently just completed her third year in her doctoral program while also teaching as an adjunct professor at CCNY in Manhattan. Justin now speaks to many business and community groups across the country including CBS, the New York Federal Reserve and others right here in Manhattan. He has written two books offering advice on leadership, dealing with adversity, the upside of change and most importantly, the idea that people are stronger than they think and can overcome obstacles that appear insurmountable. One can easily see that his ideas will be of value to any leader or individual. He offers six basic points:
1. Taking care of people is always priority number 1 2. Lead from the front and set the right example 3. Give lots of feedback – positive and negative
4. It’s OK to ask for help 5. Teamwork is critical 6. Change is opportunity
One thing Justin stresses in his appearances is that too many people stigmatize returning soldiers with PTSD. He points out that fully 8 percent of all Americans suffer from PTSD, while 20 percent of vets are PTSD sufferers. So it’s not just a military problem, but a national issue. Through it all, Justin remains happy about his service to America and proud of his accomplishments. Above all he remains a total optimist. “Life is amazing” he says. “Yes, it can be horribly cruel and we all suffer in some way. But life is good and people are good.” Now Justin has a purpose and a passion — helping others recognize their own potential and doing what he can to create an environment where soldiers, civilians and others can succeed. “Every minute counts,” he says. “Life can end in an instant.” So he makes the best use of his time. And, of course, that includes his walks in Riverside Park, along with membership in New York Athletic Club and the Central Park West CSA. He also regularly visits his favorite cookie store, the Levain Bakery in Harlem and is in a constant search to find the best slice of pizza in Manhattan.
Know someone we should profile in One Person’s Manhattan? Call 212-868-0190 or email nyoffice@strausnews.com.
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
Business
Homes in the Gramercy Park neighborhood. Photo: Jeffrey Zeldman
Stacey Cunningham, a former floor clerk on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor, began her tenure as the NYSE’s first woman president on May 25. Photo: Alyssa Ringler
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 226 YEARS, WOMAN LEADER FOR THE NYSE FINANCE Stacey Cunningham becomes president of the Big Board BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The New York Stock Exchange for the first time in its 226-year history is being led by a woman. Stacey Cunningham, who started her career as a floor clerk on the NYSE trading floor, became the 67th president of the Big Board. That means that two of the world’s most well-known exchanges will be led by women. Adena Friedman became CEO of Nasdaq in early 2017. “It’s exciting to take on the role of running this organization because it’s an institution and it has a lot of personal meaning to me, myself, you know so that’s really what I’ve been focused on,” Cunningham said last
week. “As a woman, I think it’s important to set new boundaries for everyone so that those who follow can continue to have more opportunity than existed before.” Cunningham, who is the chief operating officer for the NYSE Group, became president May 25, according to International Exchange, they NYSE’s parent company. Current NYSE President Thomas Farley is leaving to head a special purpose acquisition company. The historically male-dominated financial industry has grappled with its own issues tied to the (hash) MeToo movement. Last month it was announced that the “Fearless Girl” statue, which has become a global symbol of female business prowess, will be moved from her spot staring down Wall Street’s bronze “Charging Bull” to a new home facing the New York Stock Exchange.
PASSING ON PROPERTY REAL ESTATE There are several possible reasons would-be buyers pass on homes without making a counterbid BY FREDERICK W. PETERS
Why don’t they just make an offer? Because they don’t! We can’t exactly explain why, but I do have a few ideas about why buyers will pass on a property, even if they like it, rather than making a low offer. Buyers USED to make low offers. But nowadays they prefer not to. They just move on. Here are a few of the factors which I believe influence their decision: • They have lived through or witnessed too many skyrocketing markets. Over much of the past 15 years, most of the time properties were receiving multiple offers and selling quickly. If buyers observe such markets for long enough, they develop a self-protective attitude towards low bids. To them, watching as they have so many instances in which even the asking price could not secure the property, the idea that a seller might really entertain a bid 12 percent or 15 percent below the asking price seems impossible.
• They dismiss the seller as unrealistic. Buying a home is an emotional decision. An inappropriately priced property seems insulting to the buyer’s intelligence. “Are they dreaming?” the buyer might say, or “That pricing is totally unrealistic.” When we suggest the possibility of making a low offer, the most frequent retort has become “Get back to me after they lower the price!” • They do not want to set themselves up for disappointment. There is a good deal of inventory in most submarkets, and an increasing amount of that inventory (often having taken a number of interim price reductions) seems to offer better value than any overpriced unit. Buyers prefer to move on to something the asking price of which makes them feel more confident of success. • Urgency has left the marketplace. Most buyers today don’t mind waiting. My agents report to me that week after week, people attend their Sunday open houses and seemed filled with enthusiasm for the unit. Then Monday comes and the silence is deafening. No call, no email. When we follow up, their broker tends to say the buyer liked the property, but they are waiting to see what happens next in
the market. Or that they’re in no hurry. Or that it isn’t exactly what they want. Or that the price seems a little high. And when we respond to THAT remark by saying “Why don’t they make an offer?” the answer is almost always negative. No, the buyer isn’t ready. Or no, they fear their bid would insult the seller. Maybe they will come back to it if the price comes down. For whatever the reason, perhaps one of those listed above or perhaps another, the deals we are making (and May has been a very good month for us) all feature well-priced units. None of them depended on buyers taking the initiative to offer 15 percent below an excessive asking price. And for very few was there more than one bidder. These days, listings get sold when the right person finds them. It’s not a lot of people fighting over a property. Usually it’s a lone bidder. And he or she is NOT bidding when the price is wrong. So sellers take note: aspirational pricing leads to months on the market without a sale. In today’s environment, price it right if you want to sell it. It’s the only way. Frederick Peters is CEO of Warburg Realty Partnership
MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
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MAY 31-JUNE 6,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
SURAJ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Suraj Patel, who is trying to unseat Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in a Democratic primary challenge on the East Side, mingles with voters over wine and cheese at a town hall meeting in the Church of the Holy Trinity on East 88th Street last Thursday. Photo: Douglas Feiden
Patel sought to broadcast last week during an animated town hall meeting at the Church of the Holy Trinity on the Upper East Side. And it all boiled down to this: â&#x20AC;&#x153;NEW BLOOD.â&#x20AC;? That was the two-word, all-caps, red-ink slogan plastered on the campaign literature, buttons, posters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and $25 tote bags and $50 limited-edition T-shirts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; arrayed before 75 voters in the East 88th Street church parish house on May 24. As mantras go, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very subtle. Patel is running to take down 72-year-old Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ďŹ rst elected to the City Council in 1982, the year before he was born â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and he is quick to disparage â&#x20AC;&#x153;our 25-year incumbentâ&#x20AC;? in his call for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;new generation of leadership.â&#x20AC;? After feting voters with decent wine and Camembert, the upstart challenger, a 12year resident of the East Village, got down to business in a meeting room in the landmark 1897 church. And he brought down the house with a stump speech that scored high marks for originality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every New Yorker who takes the subway knows you are asked a very existential decision whenever you go to the MetroCard machine,â&#x20AC;? he began. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you want to add value or do you want to add time?â&#x20AC;? The punch line? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your incumbent congressperson has decided to add time,â&#x20AC;? Patel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Time and time again, she has chosen to add time ... But you deserve to
have an incumbent who chooses to add value.â&#x20AC;? At stake in the Democratic primary on June 26 is the 12th Congressional District, a prize that takes in the UES, Sutton Place, Midtown, including Trump Tower, Gramercy, Flatiron, Union Square, Roosevelt Island, and the East Village, plus Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn and Astoria and Long Island in Queens. How do you wrest it away from a congressional legend and senior member of the House Financial Services Committee who has authored and passed 70-plus bills â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including landmark laws like the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1988, the James Zadroga 9/11 Compensation Act of 2011 and the Credit Cardholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bill of Rights in 2009? Patel says you first dispel apathy in a district where a paltry seven percent of registered Democrats cast ballots in primary elections. How? Mint bolder candidates. Seek and energize a youthful, more female, well-educated and ethnically and racially diverse voter base. He points to his own expansive campaign team of 28 staffers, 59 interns and 100 volunteers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;so young, so energeticâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as one of the secrets to capturing the oddly proportioned three-borough district ďŹ&#x201A;anking the East River. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing here can become a true model for the nation to engage young people in the largest numbers in American history,â&#x20AC;? Patel told the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can change the underlying demographics of the electorate that shows up, in this district, in this country, to make it a
little younger, a little more representative, a little more progressive,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will be our moment.â&#x20AC;?
THE MALONEY RECORD Not so fast: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before you tell me what you want to do, tell me what you have done,â&#x20AC;? said Bob Liff, a Maloney campaign spokesman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carolyn Maloney has delivered for her district, her city and her country in ways few other members can match, including getting the critical funding needed to ďŹ nally build the Second Avenue Subway, after 100 years of trying,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether it is the Zadroga 9/11 health bill to care for and honor our ďŹ rst responders, the Credit Cardholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bill of Rights that is saving credit cardholders $12 billion a year, the Debbie Smith Act to fund testing of old rape kits, or the day-to-day work of ďŹ ghting for her constituents, Carolyn Maloney is always there for New Yorkers and getting results.â&#x20AC;? Unfailingly, her fundraising machinery is well-oiled: Between January 2017 and March 31 this year, she amassed $1.36 million, with a hefty $913,000 in the bank, Federal Election Commission ďŹ lings show. But the real surprise was that Patel, untested and a ďŹ rst-time political aspirant who started his fundraising considerably later, was able to garner $1.1 million between October 2017 and March 31, outraising the incumbent over the past two quarters. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sitting on a $601,000 stockpile. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not here to mail it in,â&#x20AC;? he said. The candidates will face off for a one-onone NY1 debate that will air on June 12 at
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SURAJ PATEL: THE RESUME Born: December 20, 1983 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Education: Undergraduate, Stanford University; law degree, NYU Law School Masters in public policy, Cambridge University Work: President of Sun Development (currently on leave) Teaches business ethics at NYU’s Stern School of Business Did advance work for Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns Residence: East Village, 12th Street and Avenue A 7 p.m. A big chunk of Patel’s war chest tracks to family and friends from Indiana and elsewhere. Other members of the Indian-American community, galvanized by the underdog campaign, have also opened their checkbooks. The Asian press has paid close attention to the race. So who is this insurgent who came out of the political ether to mount a credible challenge? “I was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, of all places,” he told his audience, the child of entrepreneurial parents who emigrated from India in the 1970s. “They bought a burned-down seafood restaurant, and they didn’t open an Indian restaurant because no one would eat Indian food back then,” he said.
“Instead, they opened a TexMex restaurant. The spices were similar!” So began a classic immigrant success story. His family purchased a small motel in Indiana, relocated to the Hoosier State, bought additional hotel properties, and eventually, built a profitable hospitality empire. “My family lived through every income bracket there is in America,” he recalled. As a child, Patel stocked motel vending machines. Years later, he became president of the family business, expanding its holdings to 20 hotels in 14 states. Along the way, he graduated Stanford University, studied public policy at Cambridge University, came to New York in 2006 to attend NYU Law
School, earned his law degree, taught business ethics at NYU’s Stern School of Business and bought a home on 12th Street and Avenue A. Meanwhile, in 2008 and 2012, Patel did advance work for both Obama presidential campaigns — and in 2015, his family saga came full circle when he helped organize a presidential trip to Asia. “Fifty years after my parents left India, their son was flying back with Barack Obama on Air Force One,” he said at the town hall. The prospect of such outcomes for multitudes of others is one reason he’s running for Congress: “That is, after all, the American Dream,” Patel said. invreporter@strausnews.com
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Suraj Patel’s “New Blood” slogan on a food cart. Photo: Courtesy of Suraj Patel campaign
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
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CENTER STAGE WITH ADRIENNE DANRICH In a moving solo show, the celebrated soprano honors the legacy of pioneering African-American opera singers Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price. BY MARK NIMAR
African-American singers were not always welcome on the operatic stage. Whites-only policies, and racial prejudice prevented hugely talented African-American artists from receiving the stage time and national recognition they deserved. But then came contralto Marian Anderson, the first African-American woman to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, and then soprano Leontyne Price, who has won 19 Grammy Awards for her work on the concert and operatic stages. With their lustrous voices and powerhouse presences, Price and Anderson ripped down barriers for African-American opera singers. They not only set the gold standard for excellence in their field, but also inspired a generation of black singers such as Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle to follow in their footsteps.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price,” part of the third annual New York OperaFest WHEN: 7:30 p.m., June 6. WHERE: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center 129 West 67th St. kaufmanmusiccenter.org Soprano Adrienne Danrich celebrates their legacies in her new solo show “This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price.” Danrich uses photos, videos and her own glorious voice to talk about the singers’ careers and social significance. Danrich sings everything from American spirituals to operatic favorites such as “Tu Che di Gel” and “Tu, tu, piccolo iddio” to show the full scope of these artists’ rich and varied repertoire. We caught up with Danrich as she was preparing for the New York debut of this beautiful and important solo show.
Soprano Adrienne Danrich performs June 6 as part of the third annual New York OperaFest . Photo courtesy Adrienne Danrich.
When did you first hear Leontyne Price sing? I was in high school, and I heard Leontyne Price sing in a commercial for the United Negro College Fund. I was struck by her regalness in the TV spot and her velvety, chocolaty sound. Hearing her perform made me say, “I wanna do that!” I would sing the commercial’s jingle so frequently around the house that my mom would say, “Stop singing that song!” The commercial made me want to research her more, and so I went to the library and rented a video of her singing in the opera “Aida.” In the opera, she is so poised; it is breathtaking how the audience responded to her.
Why do you think it’s important for audiences to know about Leonytne Price and Marian Anderson?
Adrienne Danrich’s solo show, “This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price,” celebrates two African-American operatic pioneers. Photo courtesy Adrienne Danrich.
In so many fields, you have groundbreaking achievers. The first woman to go to space. The first female newscaster. And in the field of opera, these ladies tore down barriers that have been a source of pain for AfricanAmerican people. Marian Anderson was the first African-American woman to sing at the Met. But before that, she was denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall, because of its whites-only policy. That happened in 1939. But with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” before a crowd of 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial, and many more listened on the radio. And that instance really started making things move forward, opening so many doors for artists like Ms. Leontyne Price. These ladies brought a face, a voice to African-Americans for what they’ve
been experiencing for the entirety of the history of America. They represent groundbreaking racial equality on the stage. Their message is about unity, about hope. And that is why it is important that these women’s stories are known.
What’s a story you love about Leontyne Price, or Marian Anderson? There are so many of them.... When Leontyne Price was 9, she went to a recital that Marian Anderson was doing in Jackson, Mississippi. When she watched Marian Anderson walk onto the stage in her gown, Leontyne Price said to herself, “I wanna do that.” And for real, that is what I thought of the first time when I heard Leontyne sing. These ladies, just by being themselves, made it possible for other AfricanAmerican artists like Robert McFerrin, Grace Bumbry, Kathleen Battle and myself to have the careers we have had. And that is why that story affected me so deeply.
What is your favorite moment in the show? When I sing, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” I get really emotional imagining how Marian Anderson felt before singing it. She said that she was really nervous before singing it, and couldn’t breathe. But then she closed her eyes, and she was able to sing it. I close my eyes too before I sing it in the show, and when I close my eyes, I feel a complete connection with her. In that moment, there is a complete silence from the audience. People are so still.... This reverence comes over all of us. It is magical.
How do you feel about doing this show in New York for the first time?
This will be my 83rd time performing the show, and I will be performing it a block away from the Metropolitan Opera. This is where Leontyne Price was the first African-American to sing on the new Met stage, and I feel honored to be singing in such close proximity to history. New York and the Met in particular is the mecca of opera for so many singers. It is our holy grail, in a way. The people who come to shows at the Met have a certain level of expectation. You have to perform at a certain standard in order to garner a certain respect in the artistic community. But once you are accepted into that circle, it is so special.
If you could meet Leontyne Price and Marian Anderson, and say one thing to them, what would you say? I would say the same thing to them both: thank you for your grace within adversity. I would say thank you for being who you are. Thank you for the inspiration. Both women maintained their dignity, and maintained their regality even when faced with the Jim Crow restrictions. Their grace has inspired me not only to be a singer, but a singer with a purpose. I feel I have a bigger purpose than just making beautiful sounds. If I can make one person feel solace with the sounds and words I am singing ... that’s what I am working towards. Healing is needed in this country right now, and that is what I am working for.
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U F C K U C D E W B C Z E L I
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H T E Y R C N R Z S X G K R E
G I T B N A R U S I H R C T A
C C K S R F N E H V R T B S W
P J E W B W R I U B O P K C F
L K I I C O U N T E R T O P S
A B E N L E D P U E D B D H G
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
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CROSSWORD
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Eastsider 1
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PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARMENT 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 6, 2018, in the Rotunda of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007, commencing at 1:30pm for the following account: Yasemin Aktas, as borrower, 110 shares of capital stock of 408 East 73rd Street Housing Corporation and all right, title and interest in the Proprietary Lease to: 408 East 73rd Street, Unit #5C, New York, NY 10021 Sale held to enforce rights of US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series, who reserves the right to bid. Ten percent (10%) Bank/Certified check required at sale, balance due at closing within thirty (30) days. The Cooperative Apartment will be sold “AS IS” 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 US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 200702- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series (lender) as of the date of this notice in the amount of $42,460.65. This figure is for the outstanding balance due under UCC1, which was secured by Financing Statement in favor of CitiMortgage, Inc. recorded on October 16, 2006 under CRFN 2006000576994 and assigned to US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series 2007-02 via a UCC-3 recorded on August 4, 2016 under CRFN 2016000268504. Please note this is not a payoff amount as additional interest/fees/penalties may be incurred. You must contact the undersigned to obtain a final payoff quote or if you dispute any information presented herein. The estimated value of the above captioned premises is $359,000.00. 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 ac-
crued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series. 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 US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series, 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, US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02- Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series, 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 11, 2018 Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for US Bank National Association as Trustee for CMSI Remic Series 2007-02Remic Pass -Through Certificates Series 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 631-969-3100 File #01-084751-#94687
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