The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF AUGUST-SEPTEMBER GOLD STANDARD
30-5
◄ P.12
2018
STATUARY AGAINST SEXISM HISTORY With the She Built NYC campaign, New York City continues to address historical injustice through public monuments BY OSCAR KIM BAUMAN
Community Board 8, officials say. Residents first noticed the pouring of cement for the project on July 30, followed by installation of electricity on Aug. 1 — and the “sudden plopping down of the newsstand” at 435 East 79th Street on Aug. 6, said Sandra Lerner, who lives next door at 425 East 79th Street. “It was exactly one week from start to finish, and my feeling is that this was done very rapidly to get it in before it could be stopped,” she said. It wasn’t immediately clear when the sidewalk newsstand will open.
New York City is dotted with statues, so it would be easy for a casual observer to miss the startling lack of monuments to women. However, according to a recent count by Gothamist, there are only five statues honoring female figures out of the over 1,000 across the five boroughs. To alleviate the problem, NYC first lady Chirlane McCray announced the She Built NYC project in June, to “more accurately show the diversity in the people who helped make New York City so great.” While there are only five statues honoring specific historic women throughout the city, they do not represent the totality of statues representing women. Central Park features many depictions of women in statue form, though none are named. The statues in the park instead represent fictional characters, such as Alice in Wonderland, or are nameless angels and nymphs. Another Manhattan statue of an unnamed woman is more famous: “Fearless Girl,” which was installed facing Wall Street’s iconic “Charging Bull” statue in March 2017 and was moved near the New York Stock Exchange in April 2018. Though Fearless Girl’s installation was opposed by Charging Bull artist Arturo Di Modica, among others, who argued that the newcomer twisted Charging Bull’s original intent, Fearless Girl was praised by Mayor Bill De Blasio, who said, “Men
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
The metal gates are still rolled down on the soon-to-open newsstand on East 79th Street – but the mountains of litter that already flank it are one of the reasons the community is opposed to its presence. Photo: Sandra Lerner
NIX NEWSSTAND, EAST SIDERS DEMAND SIDEWALKS Can you just “plop down” a major piece of street furniture without telling your neighbors? Apparently, the answer is yes
It’s already very crowded with all the strollers there.” Sandra Lerner, 79th Street resident
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
The newsstand on the north side of the quiet residential block on East 79th Street between York and First Avenues hasn’t even opened yet — and already the community is up in arms. It’s exactly the wrong location, mere steps away from the Hopscotch Montessori School, and it will occupy space in an area where two large apartment buildings pile their trash, neighbors say. Adding insult to injury, the two city agencies with regulatory authority over newsstand siting did not issue any public notice, and the operator was not required to appear before
OurTownEastSide
O OURTOWNNY.COM @OurTownNYC
Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts
3 8 10 12
Restaurant Ratings Business Real Estate 15 Minutes
The Harriet Tubman Memorial in Harlem. Photo: denisbin, via flickr
[She Built NYC aims to] more accurately show the diversity in the people who helped make New York City so great.” First lady Chirlane McCray
14 16 17 21
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, August 31 at 7:12 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
We deliver! Get Our Town Eastsider sent directly to your mailbox for $ $49 per year. Go to OurTownNY.com or call 212-868-0190