Our Town - October 20, 2016

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The local paper for the Upper East Side UNDERGROUND NO MORE < P. 15

WEEK OF OCTOBER

20-26 2016

CITY PROPOSES STREET FAIR CHANGES Residents speak largely against proposals BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

Denny Meyer is among tens of thousands of LGBT veterans denied benefits because of their sexual orientation. Courtesy Denny Meyer

HOPE FOR LGBT VETERANS LACKING BENEFITS Hoylman bill would provide access to dozens of programs but has stalled, as has federal legislation BY ALEXANDRA ZUCCARO

When Denny Meyer was in college, anti-Vietnam War protests raged. Students railed against United States foreign policy, marched in the streets and burned their draft cards — and the American flag. As a first-generation American, this didn’t sit well with Meyer, whose parents had emigrated from Germany in 1938. He was proud of his country and believed that protesters were taking their freedoms for granted. Meyer decided he wanted to enlist in the military. Although recruiters welcomed volunteers with open arms during the Vietnam War, Meyer, as a gay man, anticipated facing some hostility. In fact, many draft-age conscripts were able to get out of serving by claiming to be homosexual. But for members of the gay community who wanted to serve, this meant concealing their sexual identity. For Meyer, this was just the beginning. He had 10 years of hell ahead of him.

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Next year’s street fairs could feature fewer socks and more local businesses. But more than 100 people turned out at a public hearing last Thursday largely to oppose proposed rule changes for fairs and festivals in the city. The proposals came from both two city offices: Citywide Event Coordination and Management, and Street Activity Permits.

Most of us can’t afford brickand-mortar stores,” she said. “Because of the street fairs last year I was able to start doing this full time, and for that I’m very, very grateful. I’ve met some of the most hard-working, talented people you could ever meet at these street fairs. We’re not just tube sock and phone case vendors.” Street fair artist

Changes include capping the number of street fairs that can occur in a given community board and requiring that 50 percent of vendors have a “business or local presence within the same community board” where the fair takes place. The aim is to end a 12-year moratorium on new street fair permits without overburdening the NYPD officers who patrol the fairs. In the first hour of the hearing, fewer than five people testified in favor of the new rules. Wally Rubin, district manager of Community

Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts

3 8 10 14

A Manhattan street fair. Photo: Paul VanDerWerf via Flickr Board 5, said he would welcome some relief from the approximately 60 annual street fairs in his district that “all look virtually alike with their ubiquitous tube socks and kebabs.”

Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat and holiday candles Friday October 21, 5:48 pm Shemini Atzeret eve. Sunday Oct. 23, 5:45 pm Simchat Torah eve. Monday Oct. 24 after 6:43 pm from a pre existing flame For more information visit chabaduppereastside.com

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Restaurant ratings 16 Real Estate 19 15 Minutes 21

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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BUILDING WORKERS HONORED The heroes who are as close as our front door won rare recognition last week, as the 2016 Building Service Worker Awards were handed out. The ceremony at 32BJ was held in conjunction with Straus News. The evening reception for honorees — including doormen, supers, cleaners and others — was rich in detail and full of celebration. New York 1 an-

chor Roma Torre kicked things off by remembering building workers who have made such a difference in her life. The winners got their say. Julio De Leon, a doorman for 31 years, grabbed a would-be jumper at the George Washington Bridge — but in accepting his Life Saver Award, he insisted that anyone there would have done the same thing. Wayne Blanks was

cheered for cleaning each and every window at the 1,200-room Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Street. Yolanda Geronimo, a midtown office cleaner at WeWork space on West 18th Street, smiled and quietly thanked her husband. “I have never been awarded anything in my life,� she had said earlier, explaining why she was so happy about her honor.

Doorwoman of the year Orla Ditaranto, from the Beatrice on West 29th Street, left, and commercial security officer of the year Cheryl Pennant, who works in east Midtown. Photo: George Cade

City Councilman Ben Kallos, Straus News Manhattan publisher Jeanne Straus, Building Manager of the Year Dwayne Doucette, who works at a two-tower property on East End Avenue, and 32BJ president HĂŠctor Figueroa at the Building Service Worker Award winners at union headquarters Oct. 13. Photo: George Cade

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK

ETAN PATZ RETRIAL STARTS It took nearly four decades to find and try a suspect in the haunting disappearance of first-grader Etan Patz. The trial itself spanned three months of testimony and 18 days of deliberations before a jury finally deadlocked. Now it’s about to unfold all over again. Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley said opening statements were expected this week in the retrial of a case that reshaped American parenting and the pursuit of missing children. Etan, who vanished while heading to his New York City school bus stop in 1979, was among the first missing children whose face was put on milk cartons, and his case prompted many parents to stop letting their children roam their neighborhoods alone. Prosecutors will have to reassemble a murder case that was already complicated by faded memories, the deaths of witnesses and the fact that no trace of Etan has ever been found. The defense goes in knowing the last jury voted 11-1 to convict.

Reported crimes from the 19th precinct Week to Date

Year to Date

2016 2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

2

1

100.0

Rape

0

0

n/a

3

8

-62.5

Robbery

4

4

0.0

68

82

-17.1

Felony Assault

0

7

-100.0

94

100

-6.0

Burglary

1

3

-66.7

152

127

19.7

Grand Larceny

33

32

3.1

1,094 1,035 5.7

Grand Larceny Auto

1

1

0.0

64

Tony Webster, via flickr

BLOOM AND DOOM Two more stories suggest that Bloomingdale’s might have some of the best loss prevention personnel in the business. On Oct. 8, a man in his late 30s walked out of the store carrying a Moncler jacket valued at $1,985. Store personnel detained him, and police soon arrived to arrest and charge him with grand larceny. On Oct. 12, a loss prevention officer at the store saw a man in his 20s carrying numerous items of merchandise into a fitting room. When the man left the fitting room, the only item he was carrying was a large black pack, and the loss prevention officer found no merchandise inside the fitting

room. Store personnel stopped the thief outside the store and discovered that his pack was filled with the missing goods worth $3,760. The shoplifter was arrested and charged with grand larceny.

DUMB PHONE OWNER If only some smartphone owners were as smart as their devices. On Oct. 11, a man in the Starbucks at 1077 Third Ave left his iPhone 6s on the table unattended while he went to use the restroom. The phone was missing when he returned. No value was given for the iPhone.

SUV= SURPRISE UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS? We have heard of bicyclists snatching cell phones, but SUV drivers? At 4:45 p.m. on Oct. 8, a 77-year-old man was walking northbound on the east side of Park Avenue. While he was looking at his phone as he was about to cross 75th Street, a small white SUV passed in front of him, and the driver attempted to snatch the elderly man’s phone before making a right and speeding northbound on Park Avenue. Unfortunately, the pedestrian did not catch the license number of the SUV.

Thieves can make off with even heavy construction tools in the blink of an eye. On Oct. 12, a man working for an infrastructure company had his truck parked outside 1467 Third Ave. He was finishing a project and loading equipment into his truck. While he made more one more run to clean up the construction site, he left the truck’s tailgate partially open. When he returned, he discovered that someone had removed a Wacker Neuson BS 602i jumping jack worth $4,000 from the rear of the truck.

Don’t Wait. Communicate.

Visit NYC.gov/readyny or call 311.

4.9

JACKED JACK

JENNIFER PELTZ

Make your emergency plan today.

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

159 E. 85th St.

311

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

FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13

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 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

A City Council bill would make it illegal for circuses to perform unless they abandon acts featuring “wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement.” Photo: Moisés Lucas, via flickr

CIRCUS MIGHT NOT BE COMING TO TOWN City Council bill would ban “wild or exotic” animals from shows BY VERENA DOBNIK

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If some New York City officials and animal advocates prevail, there’ll be no more tigers, lions, leopards, monkeys, zebras or even sloths whenever “The Greatest Show on Earth” comes to town. Two City Council members are sponsoring a bill that would make it illegal for Ringling Bros. and other circuses to perform in the city unless they abandon acts featuring “wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement.” Animal advocates say the use of such animals in circus performances amounts to cruelty. Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros, said the proposal “does nothing to advance animal welfare and would deny circus fans the opportunity to see the amazing bond that exists between our human and animal performers.” He said the circus adheres to strict animal welfare regulations, backed by inspections. The New York legislation was first introduced about a decade ago by Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, a Manhattan Democrat. Another Manhattan Democrat, Councilman Corey Johnson, recently joined in, saying that “trucking wild animals in and out of the city strictly for entertainment purposes is not a humane way to be treating them.” A council committee was to hold the first hearing on the proposed ban Oct. 20.

The circuses would have to refrain from using classes of animals that include sea lions, ostriches, alligators, penguins, pelicans, armadillos and zebras.

Trucking wild animals in and out of the city strictly for entertainment purposes is not a humane way to be treating them.” Council Member Rosie Mendez Exempt would be zoos, research facilities, religious celebrations, dog shows and educational events. And so would camels for Manhattan’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular. “The tide has turned, and the time is ripe for this bill,” said Joyce Friedman, the New York coordinator for The Humane Society of the United States. She cited growing public awareness of how wild animals are “trained with punishment and pain, bullied to perform unnatural and silly tricks, caged and chained in trains and trailers, and forced to endure months of grueling travel each year.” Ringling retired its elephants last May, heeding rising popular opposition. That put an end to the herd of pachyderms walking through Manhattan on the way to Madison Square Garden.

Ringling is to arrive at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in February — minus its elephants, for the first time. If the legislation becomes law, Payne said his circus would avoid New York altogether. “Where do we leave the animals, outside city limits?” he asked. The bill is backed by the NYCLASS animal rights group that tried to have Central Park horse carriage rides banned, unsuccessfully. About 60 municipalities across the country, including Jersey City last month, have passed legislation restricting non-domesticated circus animals. The Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil has never used wild animals. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus — its legal name — has been cited by the federal Department of Agriculture in the past for improper handling of dangerous animals, failing to provide veterinary care, and causing physical harm. The company denied any wrongdoing, but paid $270,000 in 2011 to settle the claims. The UniverSoul Circus has performed in New York but in recent years, city permits to use elephants were denied for alleged failure to follow health regulations. UniverSoul leased animals from exhibitors who also were cited for cruelty violations of the Animal Welfare Act and paid tens of thousands of dollars to settle. UniverSoul does not acknowledge any wrongdoing, saying, “We strongly oppose any form of cruelty or mistreatment of animals, wild or domestic — and will not tolerate any mistreatment on our circus site.” A UniverSoul spokesman declined to comment on its operations or the proposed city legislation.


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HOW LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE HELPS CHILDREN DO BETTER IN THEIR FIRST. The evidence is now conclusive. Beginning language immersion in children as young as two actually helps the brain develop in ways that amplify lifelong learning, in a wide range of subjects. So learning Spanish at age three may help a student learn biochemistry at age 23. That’s why Avenues consistently pioneers the most effective immersion

techniques, with the largest number of Spanish and Chinese speaking teachers in New York. From nursery through fifth grade, Avenues students spend 50% of their time learning in English and 50% in either Spanish or Chinese. So our graduates will think like true global citizens— in whatever languages they choose.

To learn more about Avenues, attend a parent information event. They’re scheduled on November 3 and November 16. Sign up at www.avenues.org/calendar.

WWW.AVENUES.ORG

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LGBT VETERANS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “People like me who were gay lied and said we were straight so we could serve,” said Meyer, 70. “We called it ‘serving in silence.’” Since World War II, an estimated 114,000 service members have been dishonorably discharged since World War II because of their sexual orientation, according to state Sen. Brad Hoylman’s office. And as a result, many LGBT veterans have not received federal or state veterans’ benefits otherwise due them. “You have many gay people with still unrepaired dishonorable discharges,” Meyer, retired now from international marketing sales, said. “We’re not asking for special consideration, we’re asking for what we deserve.” In an attempt to remedy those inequities, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman introduced “The Restoration of Honor Act,” which would give LGBT veterans access to 53 New York State programs, benefits and tax breaks that are currently contingent on a service member’s discharge status. In 2014, a similar bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to give LGBT veterans access to federal benefits. Getting the bill passed has taken longer than anticipated. “The bill is lagging in Congress, which is why we wanted to work on a state level,” Hoylman said. “We are just trying to get our veterans all the support they need.” Hoylman’s bill, however, is being blocked for

STREET FAIR CHANGES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Rubin attributed this to the domination of for-profit companies that organize and host many street fairs, eliminating the individuality and local character that made them popular. “CB 5 is, as you know, an extraordinary hub for the close to 60 million tourists who visit our city every year,” Rubin said. His district, which includes Times Square, was specifically cited by the city offices as an example of the problems they want to correct. Community boards 2 and 7 were listed as well. Many of the speakers who followed Rubin suggested that instead of applying sweeping changes to street fairs all over the city, the issues occurring in Community Board 5 be addressed separately. A resident named Rick who lives in Times Square said he was there to speak for the vendors. “You sign up to party with the big dogs, you play with the big dogs,” he said. “This administration promised us equality, not just for the one percent but for the 99 percent. This room is filled with the 99 percent.” That opinion was echoed by nearly every other speaker at the hearing. Vendors, community board members and individual residents criticized the proposed rule that 50 percent of vendors would have to be located in

consideration by state Republicans in the State Senate. “This is a bill that I did not think would have fierce opposition,” said Hoylman, who said he has the support from a number of colleagues. “We need to address this stain on our history, where veterans were discharged simply based on who they are.” Many LGBT veteran advocates agree that passing this bill is not only important, but also just the beginning for LGBT veterans. Speaking during a City Council hearing in support of Hoylman’s bill and federal legislation, the NYC Veterans Alliance president, Kristen Rouse, while supportive of the efforts, said much more needs to be done to restore justice to veterans ostracized or even banished from the military because of their sexual orientation. “Automatic upgrades are important, but they won’t reverse the damage done,” Rouse, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, said at the December 2015 hearing. “There are still too many cases that won’t be upgraded because of aggravating charges, like when a service member fought back, went AWOL, or otherwise behaved in ways that responded to enforced discrimination, coercion, sexual violence, or other unreasonable and unjust conditions.” In her testimony, Rouse additionally recalled her own experience as a LQBT service member under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and described some of the challenges that she faced. “I internalized harassment and the near-daily slanders of gay and lesbian people that were part

or connected to a street fair’s corresponding community board because so many vendors come from far away to vend the wares that support their families. An artist who makes Japanese paper jewelry became tearful as she described how street fairs have allowed her business to grow. “Most of us can’t afford brick-and-mortar stores,” she said. “Because of the street fairs last year I was able to start doing this full time, and for that I’m very, very grateful. I’ve met some of the most hard-working, talented people you could ever meet at these street fairs. We’re not just tube sock and phone case vendors.” Still more concerns arose about the proposed rule requiring vendors to sign up no later than 90 days before a street fair, which would be prohibitive because many vendors don’t want to commit until a few days beforehand so they can ensure good weather. The fee structure may also be changing from a flat fee to a percentage of the fair’s profits, which could cut into organizers’ profits and reduce their incentive to host festivals. If the Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management decides to change the rules for hosting street fairs, they could begin to be implemented starting in 2017.

Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com

Denny Meyer, frustrated by what he thought were misguided protests during the Vietnam War, shortly after his enlistment in the U.S. Navy. Courtesy Denny Meyer

OCTOBER 20-26,2016

of my work environment as simply the price I had to pay for serving my country,” she said. Testimony such as Rouse’s convinced Hoylman of the importance of LGBT veteran legislation reforms. He plans to continue pushing for passage of his bill in January, when the session reconvenes. He said he’s hopeful a change in leadership following the November election will help pass the legislation. “It did crystallize in my mind that we have been overlooking this specific subset of veterans,” said Hoylman. “I hope that new leadership will change this.” Many veterans still remain skeptical, however. Meyer would like to see more reforms for LGBT veterans, but doesn’t see anything happening unless there is a change in government. “Unless you have a million dollars and a big checkbook, you are going to get nowhere,” he said. This is unfortunate, Meyer added, because many LGBT service members could use the state benefits outlined in the state bill. For example, many veterans would have access to health benefits and to educational scholarships. The bill would also give LGBT veterans a chance to reclaim their honor that was stripped away from them when they were dishonorably discharged. Many forget about the emotional damage these actions have caused as well. “What we’ve done shows pure patriotism and pure courage,” said Meyer. “It’s been an insult to [the community’s] character and self-esteem ever since.”


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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HOW ‘HOUSEWIFE’ GIVES CITY A BREAK BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

For once, New York City moms are off the hook. Usually, when there’s a book, movie or TV show about superficial, Birkincarrying, size-0 women, the setting is usually Manhattan’s Upper East

Shops along Main Street in Westport, Connecticut. Photo by: Mark Goebel via Flickr

Side. But ABC’s “American Housewife” (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET) has cut us a break and honed in on Westport, Connecticut, the coastal town 47 miles northeast of New York City. (If I lived there, I would not be pleased.) I can’t say I enjoyed the show, but since I’m a stay-at-home-mom as well as freelance writer, I thought I might be able to relate. What I got was Jill Kargman’s “Odd Mom Out”—the suburban franchise, complete with blonde mom nemesis. Katy Mixon (“Mike & Molly”) plays “Katie Otto,” a seemingly pleasant woman in her late thirties with a husband and three kids. Her eldest is a teen daughter with head cheerleader looks. Her son is Alex P. Keaton 3.0. Her youngest is a daughter with O.C.D. Even before we find this out, we surmise, from her glasses and Pippi Longstocking pigtails, that she’s “precocious” and has a hard time fitting in. The Ottos are billed as “an average middle-class family” who have to move out of their league to this wealthy enclave because it had a school that could accommodate, not only her mainstream children, but the one who needs extra help. She lost me right there. In NYC, we know that one size does not fit all. A school is picked by whether it fits the child; hence you

will hear moms with, say, three kids, talk about how they’re always out of breath from running among a trio of schools. And if a child with special needs is involved, they make sure that student is enrolled somewhere that specializes in teaching those who learn differently. Then there’s the mainstay that is the basis of Kargman’s Bravo show, where Katie and her friends are not part of the condescending, tiny-butt, two Fitbit-wearing crowd. (Newsflash: everybody thinks she and her friends are the “normal” ones.) As a 22-year veteran of motherhood, I learned long ago that the I’m-regularand-above-all-the-craziness mothers

are the biggest hypocrites of all. As I sometimes lose patience watching oddity “Jill Weber,” who rolls her eyes at her “neurotic” peers obsessing over private school admittance, then races through the streets to make sure she gets hers in under the deadline, I have none for Katie. We are now living in an age where fat shaming is akin to killing someone. Women are told to love the skin they’re in; and plus-size models are the new It girls. Katie—who I happen to think is quite beautiful—takes umbrage with “the skinnies” who make time to exercise and run around in yoga pants to show off the results of their efforts, yet is preoccupied with her self-anointed

“second fattest housewife in Westport” status, yet wants to be told by her husband and BFFs that she’s not fat. This, while polishing off her second breakfast. To add insult to injury, the rail thin actress, and Gwyneth Paltrow looka-like, Leslie Bibb—aka Double Fitbit Mom—is Katie’s new neighbor. Oh the antics that are sure to ensue. If I’m going to watch a show about a harried mother who doesn’t always say and do things exactly right—at least not compared to the “perfect mommies”—I think I’ll stick to my own kind. “Odd Mom Out” has been renewed for a third season and returns in 2017. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Back to Work She Goes” and “Fat Chick.”

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Westport, Connecticut is replacing New York City as a TV setting. Photo by Doug Kerr via Flickr

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Took Over the World

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 12PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Despite limited practical advantages for humanity (they’re not actually very good at rat-catching), cats have managed to take over many a residence and at least half of the internet. Not so many dog gifs, are there? ($25)

Finding North: How Navigation Makes Us Human

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 6:30PM Mid-Manhattan Library | 455 Fifth Ave. | 212-340-0863 | nypl.org We’ve all observed how calculators and smartphones can undermine our mental sharpness. This illustrated lecture hones in on the downsides of GPS, and how the act of navigation affects brain, memory, and even the notion of self. (Free)

Just Announced | Critical Halloween: Luxury

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 9PM Storefront for Art and Architecture | 97 Kenmare St. | 212-431-5795 | storefrontnews.org This annual mix of debate, party, and “space for the expression of radical thought” is predicated on the idea that even a Halloween costume party has room for critical insight. ($50)

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.

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A ‘FINANCIAL LIFELINE,’ POTENTIALLY BY COUNCILMAN DANIEL GARODNICK

New Yorkers can argue about almost anything. The Yankees or the Mets. Taking the local or waiting for the express train. Toasting your bagel, or eating it untoasted. But there’s one thing we can all agree upon: The rent is too damn high. This is an especially acute issue for some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, such as seniors and individuals with disabilities. Luckily, New York City has two programs that allow certain individuals to freeze their rents: the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE). There’s only one problem. Actually, 77,000 problems. Estimates show there are 77,000 potentially eligible New Yorkers who have not yet signed up for SCRIE or DRIE. Of those, 12,000 households are in

Manhattan, with 3,000 of them in my district alone. These individuals are leaving money on the table with each month that goes by without their rent freeze. That’s less in their pocket to pay for groceries, less for a MetroCard, less for important medications. You may even be one of the 77,000. It’s time we change this. That’s why I’ve made October East Side Rent FreezeMonth. We’ve got to get as many eligible New Yorkers signed up for the rent freeze they’re entitled to. Individuals over 62 or individuals with a disability are eligible to sign up for a rent freeze. To qualify, you must live in a rent regulated apartment, have a household income of $50,000 or less, and spend more than a third of your income on rent. Once an application is approved, it freezes rent going forward, with the City directly paying landlords any subsequent increases. During my East Side Rent Freeze

Month events, staff from my office and the Department of Finance have been on hand to answer questions and confirm exactly what paperwork you need to complete the SCRIE or DRIE application. Our final week of events is taking place on October 26-28, from 11am2pm, at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House at 331 East 70th St. Rent freeze can be a serious and lifechanging financial lifeline. By some estimates, 55 percent of all SCRIE participants are extremely rent burdened. It also strengthens communities. A rent freeze ensures some of our most vulnerable and longtime community members can continue to thrive in the neighborhoods they’ve called home for so many years. If you have a friend or neighbor who may qualify for SCRIE or DRIE, please do your part and tell them about East Side Rent Freeze Month and encour-

Voices

Photo: angela n., via flickr age them to sign up. Trust me, they’ll thank you later. If you plan to stop by our outreach events, please RSVP to Ellen Gustafson at egustafson@council.nyc.

UPTOWN, CROSSTOWN AND HEAVENWARD EAST SIDE ENCOUNTERS BY ARLENE KAYATT

Transfer rights — Man gets on uptown bus on a late weekend evening. Has an unpleasant exchange with driver. Mumbling, the rider takes a single seat towards back of bus. Seemingly done. Not. Suddenly the driver shouts out, “Hey you, Mister, get off the bus.” Rider comes rushing up to the front of the bus. Words fly. Rider reaches into his pocket. Comes up empty. Driver tells him to get off the bus. Rider threatens to call the police. Driver halts bus. Another rider offers him a transfer. Ignoring it, still mumbling, he gets off the bus. Yet another rider, seated behind the rider who offered the transfer, says “Since you’re giving away the transfer, let me have it.” Sure. Share and share alike. Any-

STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source

time. Anytime. Should I stop or should I go? Only Verizon knows — Pedestrians crossing 90th and Lex going from the southeast to the southwest corner have been beleaguered every weekday morning (don’t know about other times) by a Verizon truck blocking the traffic signal which lets pedestrians know the number of seconds they have to cross the street. It seems that the Verizon truck is working in conjunction with the T-Mobile store on the corner immediately behind the traffic signal. Pragmatic pedestrians try to overcome the problem of getting across the street safely by looking over at the traffic signal on the opposite northwest corner. No go. There are a gazillion trucks traveling down Lexington that invariably block the traffic signal on that corner as well. And a further complication is that the Verizon truck is standing in a bus

Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Photo: Jason Kuffer, via flickr stop. Verizon and T-Mobile have to do something about this dangerous situation. If not, the NYCTA/MTA, the NYPD have to intervene. This unsafe, unwieldy has to be remedied. Nod, nod, wink, wink — New York Republicans recently won approval from the State Board of Elections for a new “Stop de Blasio” line on the November ballot. A recent column in the Post quoted New York County GOP Chairwoman Adele Malpass as telling then Post columnist Fredric Dicker that the purpose of the new line was to give “the large numbers of Democratic and independent voters” who are unhappy with de Blasio’s

Associate Publishers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Regional Sales Manager Tania Cade

policies “a place to cast their ballots without feeling uncomfortable about voting Republican.” Sounds to me like a politic way of trying to protect local — or down ballot — candidates from a trickle-down disaster from the top of the ticket in the November election. Where’s the elevator? Residents in an UES condominium aren’t happy that all of the elevator floor indicators have been kerflooey for weeks, if not months, on end. It’s odd that, despite elevator shutdowns and repair service intervention, the problem hasn’t been solved. One resident complained that her young children were afraid to get off the elevator because they pressed

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Deputy Editors Richard Khavkine Fred Almonte editor.dt@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Christopher Moore Barry Lewis editor.ot@strausnews.com

gov or 212-788-7383. For more information, check out nyc.gov/rentfreeze. Daniel Gorodnick represent District 4 on the City Council.

“10” and when the doors opened at their floor, the indicator said “22.” Other residents were concerned that, in the event someone was stuck in the elevator, responders would not know where to go. What’s the problem with getting it finally repaired before there’s a disaster in the very high-rise apartment building? Herring heaven — My favorite takeout herring is at Sable’s in the East 70s on 2nd Ave where there’s herring of many a persuasion. Zabar’s on Broadway is another herring haven but the herring’s not as good as it is at Sable’s — IMHO of course. You go to Sable’s and Zabar’s for herring and smoked fish and other appetizing take-out. While you can sit down in adjoining cafes (I wouldn’t call Sable’s a sit-down a cafe, but there are tables and seating), they are not where you go for a casual setting to savor herring, smoked salmon or gravlax. You can do that at the newly opened Great Northern Food Hall in Vanderbilt Hall on the street level of Grand Central Station where herring is served as an open-faced sandwich (“smerrebred”) on organic rye bread baked with whole grain rye and sourdough. Worth the trip even if you’re not traveling north.

Staff Reporter Madeleine Thompson newsreporter@strausnews.com Director of Digital Pete Pinto

Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

IF YOU’RE CARING FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH MEMORY LOSS, WHO’S CARING FOR YOU?

East End Avenue and 81st Street these days. Photo: Juana Frias

MAN-MADE DISASTERS MAY BE THE WORST KIND BY BETTE DEWING

Just home from the hospital — and all I needed to see was scaffolding going up around the building at 81st and East End Avenue. You probably know the one — it houses several dozen rental tenants and a Gristedes grocery store and East End Kitchen. Call it like it is, an unnatural disaster and premeditated murder of affordable homes and above all places that serve the entire community’s needs. An 18-story luxury condo replaces all that after several years of bombarding the neighborhood (the environment!) with air, noise pollution and enormous energy use. Of course, natural disasters are so horrific and now such terrible losses and suffering on our own east coast from Hurricane Matthew. And let’s not let the election take our minds off that, and all the desperately needed help when it comes to rebuilding. Just unimaginable. But natural disasters are not preventable except for working to cool down the climate and of course, preparation. Again, what does all this massive construction do to the environment? Unfortunately, I have a view of this particular destruction site and it seems there should be some sort of protesting or maybe weeping by the neigh-

Call it like it is, an unnatural disaster and premeditated murder of affordable homes and above all places that serve the entire community’s needs. An 18-story luxury condo replaces all that after several years of bombarding the neighborhood (the environment!) with air, noise pollution and enormous energy use.” Bette Dewing bors out there. But taking photos of this destruction of places we need — getting them in cyberspace or in regular media — would help the cause. Photos and stories of how the community suffers from the loss of these public places needs to get out there. Attention must be paid. And that’s really an understatement. And, of course, these man-

made disasters are happening all over the city — have been happening for decades really, but until recently there’s been no real protest, which is mostly online. But I am so grateful that some members of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church are now actively concerned. That’s in part because of Our Town and my column’s frequent coverage, but this group will need all the advice and help possible. Maybe other faith group members will join them. And I’m remanded of some biblical warnings — “What does it profit a man when he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Or in this case, “What does it profit a city, when there’s no affordable or accessible place to buy or break bread?” And there’s also “Where there’s no vision, the people perish.” Well, the people surely do languish without neighborhood places which meet everyday needs. It can be done it enough of us try — and at least “talk about it,” as Mayor Ed Koch used to say during the water shortage. The small neighborhood business shortage must become a top concern for New York to remain a great a democratic place to live — and not only to visit. Bette Dewing can be reached by email at dewingbetter@aol.com

INTRODUCING THE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM. Caring for a family member who has trouble with thinking and memory can be extremely challenging. So challenging, in fact, that caregivers may feel overwhelmed, struggling to maintain their own health and well-being. NYU Langone’s Family Support Program provides convenient, personalized, and ongoing support to people caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or other thinking and memory disorders. The program is provided free of charge to individuals living within the five boroughs. You will receive access to counseling; connections to doctors and support groups; and compassionate guidance by being paired with a caregiver who has had a similar experience. Join a community dedicated to providing the support and guidance you need, for as long as you need it.

For more information or to enroll, call us at 646.754.2277 or visit nyulangone.org/memorydisordersupport. The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Family Support Program is supported by a grant from the New York State Department of Health.

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownny.com

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (USA Today), 1990. Candies individually wrapped in red, silver, and blue cellophane, endless supply. Installation view of Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Specific Objects without Specific Form, Museum Für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany, January 28 - March 14, 2011. © The Felix GonzalezTorres Foundation, courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York

20 Fri 21

Thu

Sat

22

23RD PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

‘GABRIEL’ BY AGNES MARTIN

NEW YORK OPERA FORUM

23rd Precinct, 164 East 102 St. 6 p.m. Free The council meets on the third Thursday of every month. 212-860-6411. www.nyc.gov

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. 3 p.m. Free with Museum admission A showing of Agnes Martin’s only completed and rarely screened film “Gabriel,” about the wanderings of a 10-yearold boy in rural New Mexico. Presented in conjunction with the Agnes Martin exhibition. 212-423-3575. www. guggenheim.org

96th Street Library, 112 East 96th St. 1-4 p.m. Free The Forum performs the complete ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ by Gaetano Donizetti. 212-289-0908. www.nypl. org

ASL SLAM Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free, advanced reservation required Visual artist, poet and performer Douglas Ridloff uses images and literary prompts to celebrate the tradition of American Sign Language and engage the audience to create collaborative poetry and stories. 212-423-3289. www. thejewishmuseum.org

HALLOWEEN STORYTIME

Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 11 a.m. Free THE LION IN THE LIVING Bring the kids out for this ROOM Halloween-themed story time with books like, “Little Blue 92Y, Lexington Avenue at Truck’s Halloween” and “I Need 92nd St. My Monster.” Noon $25 212-369-2180. www.stores. Join Abigail Tucker, staff writer for Smithsonian magazine, barnesandnoble.com as she investigates how cats took over the world. 212-415-5500. www.92y.org


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Health & Wellness Seminar Series

October

25

Fall 2016

Radiation & Immunotherapy What’s It All About?

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23

Sun

VOCA TALK: HENRIETTA MANTOOTH

Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. 6:30 p.m. Free, advanced registration required COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE City-based artist Henrietta BY JOHN ZORN Mantooth will join conservator and VoCA Program Committee Solomon R. Guggenheim Member Jennifer Hickey for a Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. discussion of her life’s work as 9 p.m. $40 Zorn’s suite of ďŹ ve miniaturees an artist. 212-534-1672. www.mcny.org inspired by dell’arte characters. The performance will be followed by a moderated discussion with Zorn. 212-423-3575. www. guggenheim.org

Tue

◄ STUDIO ART SESSIONS The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. 12:30-3 p.m. Free with museum admission Draw your own designs and create buttons inspired by the “Take ME (I’m Yours)� exhibit. 212-423-3200. www. thejewishmuseum.org

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Mon

25

26

Wed

8

THE SEATED STAGE: PLAY READING

Urogynecology Treatment for “Unspoken� Pelvic Floor Disorders Incontinence & Prolapse

67th Street Library, 328 East 67th St. 5 p.m. Free, registration required Come read aloud Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park� at this monthly play reading group. 212-734-1717. www.nypl.org

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Clearing The Air What Every Parent Needs ɲ 1²Ă˜ ²ĂŽĂ‰ ÂĽÂĽÂ‰ÂżÂ“Â™Â‰Ăƒ and Asthma

▲ CINÉCLUB WITH OLIVIER BARROT

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FIAF Tinker Auditorium, 55 East 59th St. 12:30-3 p.m. $15, students; $27, members; $32, general Join FIAF for monthly cinĂŠclub afternoons featuring a classic French ďŹ lm and lunch with French TV personality Olivier Barrot. 1-800-982-2787. www. ďŹ af.org

PBS NEWS HOSTS, TOGETHER AGAIN

Kaufmann Concert Hall, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St. 7:30 p.m. $40 TV anchors Jim Lehrer The New York Society Library, and Robert McNeil join Roger Rosenblatt to discuss 53rd East 79th St. everything from the current 6:30 p.m. $20, prepresidential election to the registration; $25, at the door Come out for this high-energy nation and the world they covered and observed during comic operetta based on “The Epic of Gilgamesh� performed by their distinguished careers. 212-415-5500. www.92y.org Phoebe Kreutz and a full cast. 212-288-6900. www. nysoclib.org

YOLO, GILGAMESH: A JOKE FOLK OPERETTA

November

All seminars are FREE and open to the

Time

public. Seating is available for 250 people

6:30–8 pm

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‘THE FIFTH BEATLE’ â–˛ Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 7 p.m. Free Vivek Toward recounts the story, which she has subtitled “The Brian Epstein Story Expanded Edition,â€? of the manager who guided the Beatles from basement gigs to international stardom. 212-369-2180. www. barnesandnoble.com

(Â’ Ăž²ĂŽ ¿‰žĂŽÂ™ÂżÂ‰ t Â…Â™Ăƒt ™¼™ÉÞĤ¿Â‰ÂĽtɉ… (Â’ Ăž²ĂŽ ¿‰žĂŽÂ™ÂżÂ‰ t Â…Â™Ăƒt ™¼™ÉÞĤ¿Â‰ÂĽtɉ… t€€²²Â…tə²Ä? ²¿ Â’²¿ Ă˜Â‰tɗ‰¿ ¿‰¼tɉ… €t€‰¼¼tə²ĂƒÄ? Ÿ¼Â‰tĂƒÂ‰ €tÂĽÂĽ 212-821-0888 and leave a message on the recording.

Place All seminars held at Uris Auditorium Meyer Research and Education Building Weill Cornell Medicine

Web

1300 York Avenue

www.weill.cornell.edu/seminars

(at 69th St.)


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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

NOW ART BELONGS TO YOU AND ME Free thinking and free art at the Jewish Museum BY MARY GREGORY

How can you start a serious art collection on a budget? The Jewish Museum hopes you’ll take up their offer in the ambitious, thought-provoking, fun and memorable exhibition “Take Me, I’m Yours,” and take some home for free. Forty-two artists from around the world are participating, offering works they hope will spark serious discussion that will carry beyond the walls of the museum, as will the works themselves. Start your visit with one of Ian Cheng’s and Rachel Rose’s fortune cookies packed with pithy, sometimes politically charged messages, then take a bag from the wall, a gallery guide from the cleverly repurposed paper-towel dispenser, and head inside to look at, touch, think about and ultimately love or leave behind any of the works in the show. They’re all there for the taking. Other than the playful freedom of in-

teracting with artworks in a museum, which is refreshing and exciting on its own, the show addresses countless conceptual, societal and political realities. First on the list is why does art have to be precious and elitist? These artists are putting their money where their mouths are, saying emphatically that it doesn’t. Challenging the commoditization of art is particularly surprising considering that these are canonical artists, like Gilbert & George and James Lee Byars, whose works often command astronomical prices. Besides the democratization of art, the exhibition also speaks to the vision of the Jewish Museum itself. Jens Hoffmann, director of special exhibitions and public programs, explained, “I think every museum is part of a community, or if you will, every museum is a community. And part of a community — particularly in Jewish tradition — is the idea of giving and sharing. It’s very fundamental. So in this case, we’re really giving and sharing, not only ideas, but we’re also giving and sharing the artworks that are on display.”

“Take Me, I’m Yours” at the Jewish Museum invites visitors to take home free art. Photo: Adel Gorgy

Andrea Bowers’ “Political Ribbons” deliberately utilize what she refers to as a “girly” medium to deliver powerful messages. Photo: Adel Gorgy For a brief time, the museum, rather than protector or collector, has become the distributor of art. The exhibition is based on one that took place in 1995 in London’s Serpentine Gallery. It was conceived of by artist Christian Boltanski and Hans Ulrich Obrist, then director of the gallery. They’re both on board again for this iteration. Obrist worked with Hoffmann and Kelly Taxter, associate curator, to mount the exhibition which includes Boltanski’s “Dispersion,” a towering mass of used but still usable clothes in the center of the show’s main gallery. It’s surrounded by serious art presented in an approachable way — bins mounted on plastic milk crates hold much of the work. Bright, colorful paper cutouts by Dana Awartani are based on tiles in Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock. The shapes can be used to form a Star of David or patterns like those found in Islamic architecture. Awartani invites visitors to take them, get creative and make something that’s more than the sum of the provided parts. Near them hang racks of Andrea Bowers’ shining satin ribbons painted with texts that she hopes will spark discussion during the current election season. Ribbons have been used to carry slogans and to tie everything from trees to packages to pigtails, but none have borne messages like Bowers’ activist

Paper cutouts become tiles, Stars of David, or anything the viewer wants to make of them in “It Is He Who Created You From A Single Soul” by Dana Awartani. Photo: Adel Gorgy feminist statements. Text artist Lawrence Weiner offers pidgin English stencils and temporary tattoos that pronounce “Now Art Belongs to You and Me.”

Responding to a piece in which Dada star Marcel Duchamp bottled Parisian air a century earlier, Yoko Ono’s “Air Dispensers” come from 25-cent candy machines. Across the gallery, Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ candies wrapped in red, white and blue were the inspiration for the exhibition. Gonzalez-Torres created the piece in 1990 to give artistic voice and form to the idea of impermanence. The candy is sweet but ephemeral, and time and people will change the shape and size of the work. Mutability and decline were personal to the artist; he and his partner both died of AIDS in the ‘90s. Claire Fontaine, an artist collective, fills a windowsill at the close of the show with quarter-sized enameled medallions that read “Please God make tomorrow better.” Performances will also be given (away) throughout the exhibition, and the museum estimates that, on average, 10,000 of each work will be taken by visitors. The audience is invited to give back by posting photos on the museum’s website, and wall texts with hashtags like #Charity and #LucyLippard, define concepts, identify influential thinkers, and participate in one of the most enduring forms of sharing, the sharing of ideas. The exhibition runs through Feb. 5 and the art is being reproduced so it won’t run out.


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

UNDERGROUND NO MORE “Gay Gotham” at the Museum of the City of New York celebrates LGBTQ artists BY DIAMOND NAGA SIU

Mae West is there. So are Leonard Bernstein, Harmony Hammond and Andy Warhol. From among more than 200 works — photographs, paintings, postcards, letters and other materials — the city’s present, past and even distant gay culture surfaces from its sometimes secretive, often subversive and certainly marginalized scene to claim a space. A space called “Gay Gotham.” The Museum of the City of New York’s exhibit focuses on 10 prominent 20th century New York LGBTQ artists. The roughly 200 works within “Gay Gotham” are an attempt by curators Donald Albrecht’s and Steven Vider’s effort seeking to add freshness and another dimension to their chosen artists’ work. “When I was curating another show, I came to realize that the LGBTQ community was hidden and underground, which separated and fostered the need for community and networks and collaborations amongst these people,” Albrecht said. “I noticed that they start sort of in the 20s and continue to the present day, but this show focused on the teens through the 90s.” While the sexuality of many of the artists represented in “Gay Gotham” was known within their communities, it was otherwise kept largely hidden from the general public. “The personal and professional repercussions back then were very real,” artist Harmony Hammond said during a panel about art and underground culture in New York that launched Gay Gotham. “When I coedited the lesbian art issue of Heresies Magazine in 1977, we found it extremely difficult to find historical material or to even convince contemporary lesbian artists to submit their work.” The following year, when Hammond helped organize “A Lesbian Show” exhibition in SoHo, an alt-white lesbian artist was threatened to be dropped by her dealer if she participated, Hammond said. She said the treatment of LGBTQ artists of color was even worse.

Feminist artist Liza Cowan’s experiences during that time period echoed Hammond’s. But Cowan said that an important difference between gay and lesbian art was that lesbian art deviated from eroticism and largely concentrated on empowering other women. She suggested that was one of “Gay Gotham’s” shortcomings. “It was very beautifully designed and laid out and comprehensive,” Cowan said of the exhibit. “It did however focus mostly on gay men, but there is so much of lesbian culture that was left out — so much about women, really, that was left out.”

endured such an unaccepting environment to express their art and identities. Gutierrez also said that it was simply to be able to take in an entire exhibition of LGBTQ art, rather than just a single artist’s work in a gallery. Basil Rodriguez, and actor and photographer, similarly appreciated the museum showcasing LGBTQ art, and he said that as a gay person, he had sought out homoerotic art since puberty, either clandestinely or overtly. But this occasion allowed him to view and appreciate it explicitly. “I came to New York in the late 80’s, so much of this is a great

“THERE MUST BE SOMEONE WHO CAN GIVE MORE KIDS THE CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE.” Fernanda New York Cares Volunteer

Lois Weaver, Peggy Shaw and Deb Margolin performing as Split Britches in “Upwardly Mobile Home.” 1984. Photo: Eva Weiss. Courtesy Eva Weiss Cowan created and edited DYKE Magazine, which focused on and celebrated lesbian feminist activism, and she said that the lesbian art and politics of the 1990s was very creative and intricate, though it was largely invisible to anybody unfamiliar with lesbian art. But 22-year-old Marcelo Gutierrez said that the sheer symbolism of so many iconic, queer artists in one space and the resulting recognition not just as creators but also as queer, gay, lesbian and transgender was remarkable. Still, Gutierrez said that homoerotic art today is not as valuable as before. “Because of the internet, there’s porn everywhere,” Gutierrez said. “Now homoeroticism is like finding that moment or seducing someone, so I don’t know if there’s really such a thing as homoerotic art anymore. I don’t know if it’s erotic anymore.” Even amid the ubiquity of previously underground art, he said, it is important to recognize these artists, since they

memory trigger so for me,” Rodriguez said. “But in terms of homoerotic art, the more that things change, the more they stay the same.” Rodriguez said that much of the art that shocks and intrigues people today works with the same homoerotic themes that were explored years ago — the exact concepts and art in which the exhibition displayed. Cowan felt that this selection of art clearly demonstrated how both the LGBTQ community and society have changed over time. But she thought the male-dominant collection highlighted the historically less progressive, open and inclusive treatment towards women. “What the exhibit doesn’t really discuss is how flourishing — how it was like a Renaissance of — women’s culture, which if you were part of it, it was everywhere,” Cowan said. “That just means there’s time for a new exhibition that is about women.”

BE THE SOMEONE.

newyorkcares.org

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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCT 03 - 14 2016

Zesty Pizza & Salumeria

1670 3rd Ave

Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.

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 http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page

Healthier Choices

2107 1 Avenue

A

Crepe Cafe

1642 Lexington Ave

Grade Pending (27) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Nocciola Pizzeria

123 E 110th St

Grade Pending (60) 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 Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. 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. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Subway

1885 3 Avenue

A

El Chevere Cuchifritos Bakery

2002 3rd Ave

A

King Food

2036 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (35) 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 worker does not wash hands thoroughly after using the toilet, coughing, sneezing, smoking, eating, preparing raw foods or otherwise contaminating hands. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Malii

2028 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

La Preciosa China Restaurant

163 East 116 Street

A

Neapolitan Express

232 E 111th St

A

Joosed By Lloyd’s

1555 Lexington Ave

Grade Pending (45) Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Mamagyro

165 E 106th St

A

Judy’s Spanish Restuarant

1505 Lexington Ave

Grade Pending (21) 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.

Nino’s Restaurant

1354 1 Avenue

A

Sweetgreen

1321 1st Ave

A

Bistro Le Steak

1309 3 Avenue

A

Om Indian Restaurant

1593 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (24) 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. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/ refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Luna Rossa

347 East 85 Street

A

Sweetgreen

1500 3rd Ave

A

East End Bar & Grill

1664 1 Avenue

A

Abaleh

1611 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (20) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Subway

1613 2nd Ave

A

Asian 83

1605 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (17) 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. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Chirping Chicken

1560 2nd Ave

A

Mokja

1663 1st Ave

A

Bareburger

1681 1st Ave

A

Tarallucci E Vino

9 East 90th Street

A

G&J’s Pizzeria

1797 1st Ave

A

Grill Time

1764 1st Ave

Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.

Ma’s Noodle Fun

1744 1st Ave

Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street

Enthaice

1598 3 Avenue

A Grade Pending (21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Winston & Tee Express Jerk 1257 Park Avenue Chicken And Caribbean

A


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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Central Park

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK on where to enjoy the most beautiful settings when the leaves turn at blog.centralpark.com

ICE SKATING RETURNS

ENJOY THE FALL FOLIAGE Central Park can be at its most beautiful in autumn, when the leaves turn into a light show of golds, browns and reds. Check out our blog post on “Top Spots to Capture the Colors of Fall in Central Park” for some ideas

Every fall and winter, thousands of New Yorkers and globetrotting tourists take to the ice in Central Park. After all, there’s nothing more serene than gliding across a frozen surface with the city skyline in the background. Ice skating is fun, healthy and the perfect way to spend a romantic day or night. Grab your blades and enjoy! Wollman Rink opens Oct. 22 and Lasker Rink on Oct. 28, weather permitting. More at www.centralpark.com

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! at OURTOWNNY.COM LINDA’S CAT ASSISTANCE, K9 KASTLE, MUDDY PAW

COMING UP THIS WEEK ZOO VIEWS

The tale picks up where the original Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre production leaves off; with the pair’s pet swan Samantha flying the children back to their humble

WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, visit centralpark.com/wherein-central-park. The names of those who answer correctly will appear in the paper and online in two weeks.

ANSWER TO THE PREVIOUS QUIZ Dancing Honey Bear. This fanciful bronze sculpture is part of a pair of niche sculptures; the other is Dancing Goat. Both were created by Frederick George Richard Roth (1872–1944) and installed at the Central Park Zoo in 1937. The Honey Bear is located on the northern side of the Delacorte Clock. Dancing Goat and Dancing Bear were initially placed in basins that flanked Kelly’s Cafeteria at the western terrace of the zoo. When the Central Park Zoo reopened in 1988, the cafeteria was removed to make way for the Snow Macaque island and pond, while the sculptures were relocated to niches near the north (Honey Bear) and south (Dancing Goat) entrances to the zoo. In 1993, the Central Park Conservancy refurbished the statues. Congratulations to Joe Ornstein, Arthur Labtalk, sookietex, Ravi Rozdon, Gregory Holman and Marisa Lohse for answering correctly!

RESCUE & NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERIC

Adopt A Pet 860 Broadway @ E. 17th St. 7 7 7

46 University Place btwn. 9th & 10th St. 7

Event listings and Where in Central Park? brought to you by CentralPark.com.

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Photos By Ellen Dunn

After learning the tricks of the trade from an animal manager, head to the Central Park Zoo before it opens to the public to take photos under the guidance of a resident wildlife photographer. Oct. 22, 8:30-10:30 a.m. (Adults only). More at www. centralpark.com/events

HANSEL AND GRETEL’S HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE

home after their wild escapade in the forest. Runs most days through Oct. 31. Multiple showings daily. More information at www.centralpark.com


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OCTOBER 20-26,2016

COLLABORATING IN HARMONY The Musicians Emergency Fund, founded during the Great Depression, has an evolving mission BY ANNIE NOVA

So Jin Kim will perform at the Junior/Senior Concert by the Musicians Emergency Fund at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 22. Photo: Courtesy of MEF

It was The Great Depression and violins, flutes and pianos were left alone, untouched and gathering dust. Few people were hiring musicians. Then, in 1931, a group of established musicians formed The Musicians Emergency Fund to provide musicians with a chance to pick up their instruments and perform before an audience. “Professional musicians during The Great Depression had no other way to make a living except for performing music,” said Marie Ashdown, the executive director of The Musicians Emergency Fund. When World War II broke out, the organization turned its efforts to performing concerts at military bases and providing free music lessons to servicemen. Eighty-five years later, classical music is still in a state of emergency, Ashdown said. Jobs for classical musicians are scarce. Most classical musicians start practicing between the ages of three and five. They continue playing their chosen instrument until they’re accepted into a conservatory. But, once they graduate, it’s often difficult to make a living, Ashdown said.

“They’ve got to find a job,” Ashdown said. “They study that instrument all their lives.” So, each year, The Musicians Emergency Fund offers a select group of up-and-coming musicians the chance to perform at Lincoln Center — an occurrence that can alter a budding musician’s course. “You can see what that means on their resume,” Ashdown, 89, said. “When they send that out, people pay attention.” She said the organization believes that classical music brings people to a higher level of awareness. Ashdown calls the genre “the ultimate abstract,” in that it improves upon silence. The group works to make sure opportunities still exist for those who are passionate about Beethoven and Mozart, since that number is also shrinking. “We are losing our audience,” Ashdown said. Most families don’t have time to sit down with their children and teach them to appreciate classical music, she said. “We’re trying to do everything to rectify that by introducing young people to classical music.” The organization selects eight novice musicians to play in the spring and fall concert. This year’s fall concert will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Alice Tully Hall at 3 p.m. Cho-Laing Lin, a world-renown violinist, will perform

LANDMARKS PANEL OKAYS MUSEUM EXPANSION Unanimous approval after much community opposition BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

In a blow to Upper West Siders fighting the American Museum of Natural History’s expansion plans, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission last week unanimously approved the institution’s application to expand its campus with a new building. Unlike most of the numerous public meetings that have taken place since the museum’s plans were announced in late 2014, the landmarks hearing was both orderly and extremely complimentary of the proposed Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation. “I think this is completely arresting,” commissioner Wellington Chen said at the Oct. 11 hearing. “Very seldom do you a see design that’s soaring, that’s inspiring. I wish I were a kid

again.” Other commissioners’ comments were similarly glowing. They described the Gilder Center, designed by architect Jeanne Gang, as exciting and innovative — a perfect place to get its youngest visitors interested in science. Commissioner Kim Vauss credited the design with creating a sense of wonder that will draw kids in. “It’s really about the experience that children are going to have ... and my sense from the renderings is that they’re going to have a ball,” she said. Members of Community Board 7, which approved the design on Oct. 5, were also generally appreciative of the design. Their constituents on the Upper West Side, however, derided everything from the design to the environmental impact to the proposed building materials of the Gilder Center. The central cause of concern for residents has been Theodore Roosevelt Park, which surrounds the mu-

A 3D model of the museum, with the proposed expansion, on display at last week’s Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing. Photo: Madeleine Thompson seum and is a popular spot for play and respite for the community. The Gilder Center will intrude into the park by a quarter-acre and will require the relocation of seven trees. In response to the outcry from residents, the museum has worked with a group of them to redesign a section of the park so that the feeling of a safe, intimate space remains. The preservation commission did have some reservations about allowing the Gilder Center to consume 11,000 square feet of park land, but not nearly enough to reject the project. “A quarter-acre somewhere else on this

campus perhaps would be unthinkable, but ... it’s hardly, truly a park experience in there now,” commissioner Fred Bland said. “So we’re not taking that away. And what we’re adding in terms of additional trees and much improved landscaping to me is certainly worth that quarter of an acre.” During the hearing’s public comment section, too, there were more supporters than opponents. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, representatives from Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal’s office and Jay Adolf, co-chair of the CB 7 preservation committee, all spoke in favor of the expan-

We are losing our audience. Most families don’t have time to sit down with their children and teach them to appreciate classical music... We’re trying to do everything to rectify that by introducing young people to classical music.” Marie Ashdown, the executive director of The Musicians Emergency Fund along with the musicians. The concert is being dedicated to the memory of Alan Waxman, an MEF board member and legal counsel to the organization, who died in May. Ashdown said that people have suggested she change the organization’s name, because of the alarm raised by the word “emergency.” But, she won’t be changing it any time soon, she said. “Emergency was not a pejorative word,” Ashdown said. “It meant helping in a fast way.”

sion. But plenty of concerns were aired as well. Kate Wood, president of Landmark West!, cautioned against the precedent the commission might set by allowing the museum to encroach on Theodore Roosevelt park. “This is a big deal,” she said. “Roosevelt Park is a public asset under the jurisdiction of the Landmarks Preservation Commission and worthy of preservation. ... The very presence of the park surrounding the museum is a significant part of the community experience of the individual landmark and the [Upper West Side] historic district.” The hearing concluded the first round of hurdles the museum needed to clear to begin construction, as they hope to, during the second half of 2017. And environmental impact statement for the project is scheduled for completion in January, and will then undergo similar scrutiny by the community and city agencies. In a statement, museum president Ellen Futter said she appreciated the “careful consideration of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.” She said she was looking forward to the next steps in the process. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes

FROM ONE BROTHER TO ANOTHER Corey Zaretsky will run the New York City Marathon after donating his kidney just over two years ago

crazy s**t you want to do. ... If I wanted to go skydiving into the start of the marathon, and then run it just to prove my point, I would.”

BY ANGELA BARBUTI

Describe your brother’s illness and how you always knew he would need a donor.

In August of 2014, Corey Zaretsky donated his kidney to his younger brother, Matty. Just past the second year of what they call his “Kidneyversary,” Matty “couldn’t be healthier,” said Corey, now 26. Matty, a senior at Sarah Lawrence College, uses his Instagram account, @mattyzaretsky, to motivate those with disabilities. His life could have turned out much differently had Corey not made the decision to become his organ donor. Born with a rare genetic disease, Matty, now 24, had surgery in May of 2014 to remove his pancreas, gall bladder, spleen, appendix and parts of his intestines. And after a year of pancreatitis, which weakened his kidneys, Matty was on the transplant list. Fortunately, his older brother was a 95 percent match. Corey, who is the travel director for Elite Traveler Media Group, will run this year’s marathon on Nov. 6 not only to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation, but to dispel the stigma behind organ donation. “The key thing that I’m really out there to say is that you can be an organ donor, save someone’s life, and do any of the

My younger brother, we’re about two and a half years apart, and he’s my only sibling, was born with a very rare genetic disease called Nailpatella syndrome. This affects your body in several different ways, going from your vision, to your teeth, fingernails, toenails, and bone and muscular structure. And also, kidney disease is a major side effect of the disorder. So he was born with kidney disease, and my parents always knew that one day he would eventually need a transplant. And as I got older and understood more of what was going on with his life, I always knew that one day that day would come. The way I’ve come to look at it in the two years that passed, is that if you’re fortunate enough to have a sibling who is close to you in age, that’s really the person you’re going to be the closest with your entire life. My brother and I are extremely close. He’s my best friend in the world and my roommate. He’s finishing up his last semester at Sarah Lawrence in December and then he’ll be living with me. And I wanted to make sure that I did everything in my power to keep him around.

For a year, he suffered with pancreatitis, which caused his kidneys to begin to fail. In 2013, he developed this random pancreas disorder and to this day, no one knows what exactly caused it. They are still doing research on it today. He essentially had a bout of pancreatitis for a year, which is something that you get maybe once in a lifetime. It’s kind of like appendicitis in your pancreas. But obviously you don’t have your pancreas removed because you need it to produce insulin. My brother was in the hospital with these attacks every two-and-a-half to three weeks. This took him from whatever percentage of kidney function he had, which was fine, to complete kidney failure. He had to be put on a feeding tube because he couldn’t physically eat. And then he was on full-time dialysis because his kidneys were failing.

• As of January, 121,678 people were on transplant list waiting for organs. Of that number, 100,971 await kidneys • 8,000 people die every year waiting for an organ to be donated; that’s 22 people each day • Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national organ waiting list • Kidney and liver disease kill over 120,000 people a year *Sourced from the American Transplant Association, National Kidney Foundation and Organdonor.gov Take us through the process of donating a kidney.

Corey Zaretsky, left, donated his kidney to his younger brother, Matty, right, in August 2014. Corey will run the New York City Marathon Nov. 6. Matty will graduate from Sarah Lawrence College in December. Photo: Jane Zaretsky

On Aug. 14, 2014, I donated my kidney. In March of that year, I flew out to Minnesota [the transplant took place at the University of Minnesota Medical Center] and went through three days of testing. They test your blood type, tissue type, nutrition levels, body function levels, pretty much any rock they can turn over to look under. You meet with nutritionists, multiple different kinds of doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists. They pretty much do the most thorough workup possible to make sure that not only will you be healthy enough to have the surgery and survive, but you’ll be able to

Corey Zaretsky training for the New York City Marathon, just two years after donating his kidney to his younger brother. Photo: Christian Miles cope with having a surgery like that. It turned out that Matty and I were pretty much a 95 percent match. You really can’t get much better than that. But if I was not his perfect match, then I could have donated to a stranger and that would have taken them off the list and then Matty could have jumped up the list. So in my head I was fully willing to do whatever it took.

Did you have any side effects after the surgery? Literally the day after, both of us were out of bed, walking around the hospital. I felt pretty lousy. Your body is going through this change that it doesn’t understand and it’s overcompensating for the lack of a kidney. And my brother went his entire life from the second he was born until that moment, always with his body lagging behind. And for the first time, he has something in him that’s performing one-hundred percent. He was running around the hospital, meanwhile I was slowly snailing my way through the hallways. But he felt incredible. For me, that made me feel better, at least emotionally. It was instant gratification. It took me about six months until I felt back to close to where I was. It’s always harder for the donors because you’re so used to being fully healthy.

This is your first marathon. How are you training for it? I grew up playing baseball competitively throughout college. My whole life, in competitive sports, if you did something stupid or got in trouble in school, running was a punishment. And I’ve been accustomed to not liking to run. Now people are asking all the time, “How are you running a marathon?” My grandfather, who ran four marathons after the age of 50, is helping me train along with the teams at Lifetime Fitness and Title Boxing in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m running for survival and awareness. My goal is to go out there and have a really good time and pretty much run the whole thing; I don’t really want to walk any of it. And whatever time I get is the time I get. If I see friends in the stands, I’ll probably stop and say hi. It’s all about the message. To donate to Corey’s run, visit: www. crowdrise.com/nationalkidneyfdnnyc2016/ fundraiser/coreyzaretsky

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.


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Jacob Sanchez Diagnosed with autism

Lack of speech is a sign of autism. Learn the others at autismspeaks.org/signs.


OCTOBER 20-26,2016

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CLASSIFIEDS PHOTOGRAPHY

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TOP PRICES PAID Chinese, Modern Custom Jewelry Paintings, Silver, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased

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ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC. Auctions | Real Estate | Appraisals | Marketing

Downtown Manhattan Brokerage 149 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010 Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.


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COME HOME TO GLENWOOD MANHATTAN’S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS

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