The local paper for the Upper East Side THE COLOR AND THE SHAPE
WEEK OF DECEMBER
1-7
< P. 12
2016
THE TRUMP TOWER TANGLE Manhattan residents deal with disruptions created by President-elect’s presence in the city BY SARAH NELSON, DIAMOND NAGA SIU AND GENIA GOULD
A Citi Bike docking station. Photo: Tom Marvel, via flickr
CITY COUNCIL PRESSES ON CITI BIKE EXPANSION “Far flung” neighborhoods want more stations, amid resistance on the Upper West Side BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Citi Bike is the largest bike share program in the country, with nearly 70,000 rides taken on one October day this fall. Now it could become even bigger. By the end of 2017, Citi Bike aims to have 750 stations with 12,000 bikes throughout the city, compared to the current 600 stations and 10,000 bikes. At a City Council transportation committee hearing on Monday, elected officials grilled Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for details on the program’s funding and plans for the coming year. According to Trottenberg, Phase Two will entail expanding Citi Bike in Manhattan up to 130th Street as well as into Astoria and parts of Brooklyn. Council Members Carlos Menchaca and Deborah Rose, who represent parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, said they are still waiting for Citi Bike to reach their areas. A reasonable, affordable commute, they said, is crucial to elevating low-income New Yorkers.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
The city and its inhabitants have changed in innumerable ways since overnight on Nov. 9. Politically and psychically, certainly. But also materially. Nowhere is this more apparent than along Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets, the home and now transition headquarters of President-elect Donald J. Trump. And, in about eight weeks, following Inauguration Day, a good portion of the 58-story glass tower with a jagged façade could be serving as a de facto White House for significant portions of the year. For now, the busy boulevard, as well as 57th Street, in the vicinity of the tower will stay open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, city Police Commissioner Jim O’Neill said. But that could all change, he said. For his part, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who met with Trump on Nov. 16, said he discussed with the president-elect the multitude of concerns residents have expressed at protests, rallies, online and with each other since Election Day. Hate crimes, the Affordable Care Act and financial insecurity were just a few of the issues the mayor said he touched on. But the core of his exchange, de Blasio said, was New York City itself. “My essential message to him was to remember where you come from,” the mayor said. “I hope he remembers every day what he saw over all those years in the city and doesn’t lose track of the very things that allowed him and countless others an opportunity — this place that is open to all, that believes in opportunity for all.”
WHITE HOUSE NORTH Since the election, Trump Tower and Fifth Avenue have become synonymous with metal grates, scores of police and Secret
Security personnel at Trump Tower. Photo: Sarah Nelson Service personnel, and protests. Security around Trump Tower encompasses at least two blocks in each direction on 57th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue. The precautions have gridlocked the area. “It’s a nightmare,” said a manager of a nearby residential complex, who declined to give his name. “It takes an average of 30 minutes to get from here [54th Street] to the corner [53rd Street]. Driving here has become impossible.” Metal barriers close off the sidewalk in front of the building between 56th and 57th Streets completely. Pedestrians must request access through an NYPD officer in order to enter stores such as Gucci and Tiffany & Co. that are within the immediate vicinity of the President-elect’s 68-story home tower. Stationed in front of the building are two groups of three or more police officers on either entrance, a couple of whom carry machine guns. Inside, visitors are required to place any bags or personal items through one of two
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metal detector belts, akin to airport TSA security. Past the checkpoints, guests are free to wander and shop around the marble atrium and multiple floors, each with roaming NYPD officers and Trump Tower employees wearing pins that say “Trump.” The extensive security measures have caused concerns over how to keep pedestrian and vehicle traffic moving. Officers are stationed on each street corner to hurry along the gawkers and shoppers taking photos of the congested area. Inside Trump Tower, vendors at Starbucks and Trump Ice Cream Parlor said they were instructed not to comment on how the barricades have af-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, December 2 – 4:11 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME OF THE YEAR As winter approaches, de Blasio announces a boost in safety initiatives BY OLIVIA KELLEY
With New York City entering the darkest days of the year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would be increasing its efforts around Vision Zero and the Dusk and Darkness safety initiative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are urging New Yorkers to keep up their vigilance during December â&#x20AC;&#x201D; particularly during the evening rush â&#x20AC;&#x201D; remembering that a wonderful season for shopping and being with family unfortunately coincides with the most dangerous time of the year for pedestrians,â&#x20AC;? said de Blasio. Since de Blasio announced the Dusk and Darkness initiative on Oct. 27, part of the Vision Zero program aimed at ending traffic deaths and injuries, fatalities have declined by nearly 50 percent, according to an analysis of yearover-year crash trends conducted by
the Department of Transportation. The analysis also revealed that the earlier onset of darkness in the winter months is correlated to a 40 percent increase in pedestrian traffic injuries and fatalities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NYPD has issued more than 50,000 summonses for hazardous moving violations during the Dusk and Darkness initiative, and traffic fatalities have decreased signiďŹ cantly during that same period,â&#x20AC;? said Police Commissioner James P. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But December has historically experienced significant increases in pedestrian injuries. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why the NYPD and its Vision Zero partners are reminding New Yorkers, especially motorists, to slow down, make safe turns and to never drink and drive. The NYPD will be out in force this December ensuring the safety of all New Yorkers.â&#x20AC;? DOT, NYPD, and other agencies have aggressively increased their efforts in following Vision Zero initiatives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries -- since the start of Dusk
City police have stepped up their Vision Zero traffic enforcement initiatives, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. Photo: sopasnor, via ďŹ&#x201A;ickr and Darkness. NYPD increased nighttime enforcement and drunk-driving efforts. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve increased coverage of intersections with high rates of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. There has also been a greater emphasis on educating the public about how to stay safe and be aware.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vision Zero was never intended to work simply through reconstruction of intersections, reducing speeds in certain thoroughfares, or greater enforcement, these are tools of the larger message and goal,â&#x20AC;? said State Senator Martin MalavĂŠ Dilan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Its true purpose is to change the mentality of
pedestrians and drivers alike so every decision we make on the road is done in the interest of the safety of one another. December marks a busy season for New Yorkers. Being safe and diligent is worth the few extra minutes it may take you to get around this season.â&#x20AC;?
The Original Teachings of
Theosophy as recorded by H.P. Blavatsky & William Q. Judge
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STUDY CLASS - *O 5IF 0DFBO PG 5IFPTPQIZ CZ 8. 2 +VEHF XIJDI IBT CFFO DBMMFE B USVF BCSJEHFNFOU PG ) 1 #MBWBUTLZAT HSFBU XPSL 5IF 4FDSFU %PDUSJOF BOE B XPOEFSGVM BJE JO JUT DPNQSFIFOTJPO Chapter IV - SEPTENARY CONSTITUTION OF MAN The principles classiďŹ ed. The lower four principles. Transitory and perishable. Death leaves the trinity as the only persistent part of us. Chapter V - BODY AND ASTRAL BODY The body and life principle. The astral body. What it is made up of. Its power and functions.
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
MAN INDICTED FOLLOWING PARTY DEATH A 25-year-old city resident has been indicted following the death of a Connecticut man who went missing after a party at a luxury Upper East Side apartment. The panel voted Monday to indict James Rackover, who owned the East 59th Street apartment where authorities say 26-year-old Joseph Comunale was stabbed 15 times on Nov. 13. Prosecutors won’t reveal the indictment charges until Rackover is arraigned later this month. He and co-defendant Lawrence Dilione, of Jersey City, were charged with concealment of a human body, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence. But, during a hearing following Rackover’s arrest, Assistant District Attorney Antoinette Carter alleged that “one or both of these people committed a murder.” Investigators have been working to determine who killed the Stamford, Connecticut, man before his body was found in New Jersey. Both defendants deny wrongdoing. The Associated Press
UNDER ASSAULT
STATS FOR THE WEEK
Calling Dr. Phil! Calling Dr. Phil! At 11 a.m. on Nov. 20, a 35-year-old man was having an argument with his 37-year-old girlfriend living at 51 Manhattan Ave. when he began strangling her. The woman did not lose consciousness, but her boyfriend stomped on her left foot, struck her on the left side and punched her. He finally threw the victim’s phone into a bucket of water, causing it damage. Victor Corporan was arrested on November 20 and charged with assault.
Reported crimes from the 19th precinct Week to Date
Tony Webster, via flickr
FRIED BY FRAUD It pays to respond promptly when you receive a fraud alert message. At 7 a.m. on Nov. 11, a 58-year-old Columbus Avenue resident tried to pay her credit card bill online but kept getting fraud alert messages. She finally got through to her bank’s customer service line and was informed that $8,636 had been charged to her card in a variety of different locations. She closed her account and received a new card. Later that morning, another Columbus Avenue resident checking her account online saw a transaction pending in the amount of $3,400. She told police she did not authorize this transaction and was still in possession of the check which had been used to make payment.
The $3,400 was not taken out of her account, and she closed the account immediately.
STEALING UNDER THE INFLUENCE If drinking and driving don’t mix, drinking and stealing a car don’t either. Police said that at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20, a man entered a parking garage at Amsterdam Avenue and West 108th Street and drove off in a woman’s 2005 Subaru Impreza. A police officer saw the driver running red lights and pulled him over. The officer observed that the motorist was intoxicated and discovered that the vehicle had
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
2
1
100.0
Rape
0
0
n/a
5
8
-37.5
Robbery
0
2
-100.0
78
91
-14.3
Felony Assault
1
1
0.0
111
110
0.9
Burglary
5
5
0.0
184
150
22.7
Grand Larceny
31
35
-11.4
1,259
1,211
4.0
Grand Larceny Auto
3
1
200.0
69
70
-1.4
been stolen. At this, the suspect fled on foot but was apprehended after a chase, when he was found hiding under a parked vehicle. He refused a breathalyzer test, and a subsequent investigation showed that his driving privileges had previously been suspended. John Javanes, 46, was arrested and charged with grand larceny auto.
COOKED At 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 7, a 65-yearold woman parked her vehicle at the
southwest corner of Riverside Drive and West 110th Street. When she returned at 11 p.m., several items were missing from inside her car. She told police that there appeared to be no damage to the car’s windows or door locks, but the glove compartment was open, and items of property had been moved from the compartment to the seats. Someone had also rummaged through the car’s trunk. The property stolen included an item of Barton Perreira clothing, a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker and a T-Fal cooking pan with a total value of $1,200.
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 E. 67th St.
311
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1836 Third Ave.
311
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221 E. 75th St.
311
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
Councilmember Ben Kallos
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
HOSPITALS Lenox Hill 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
An ally in the White House, and the funneling of federal funds, could be critical to infrastructure projects in and around New York City such as the ongoing Second Avenue subway, whose 72nd Street station is pictured above in Sept. 2015. Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
WILL TRUMP HELP REBUILD CITY INFRASTRUCTURE? Cuomo, noting the presidentelect New York roots and his pedigree as a developer, suggests he will BY DAVID KLEPPER
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P resident-elect Dona ld Trump has made big promises when it comes to building new highways, tunnels, bridges and airports in America — and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is hoping he makes good on his word. Cuomo has embarked on projects to rebuild Penn Station and LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, and to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge. There are also plans to invest billions of dollars into upstate highways, modernize New York City’s subways and build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. Federal support could be critical to getting the work done. And while they disagree on immigration, abortion and many other issues, the Democrat Cuomo is hoping a fondness for building things can be the common ground with the Republican Trump. Cuomo said he spoke to Trump the day after the election and specifically
mentioned the importance of infrastructure. “He is a New Yorker,” Cuomo said. “Mr. Trump is very much a private sector builder. ... So, he has a natural orientation toward the needs of this type of urban area. I think that’s a good thing.” Trump has bemoaned the state of American infrastructure, saying some of it reminds him of the Third World. He has called for a massive push to rebuild roads, airports, the power grid and other infrastructure. One plan would cost as much as $1 trillion, to be funded primarily through private investment encouraged by big tax incentives. “We will build the roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports and the railways of tomorrow,” Trump said in his speech at the Republican National Convention. “This, in turn, will create millions more jobs.” Messages left with the Trump transition team regarding specific investments in New York state projects were not returned. Trump and Cuomo have known each other for decades as the two Queens natives built professional lives in New
York City. Trump had a cordial relationship with former Gov. Mario Cuomo, Andrew’s late father, that turned sour in the’90s. Trump was briefly mentioned as a possible challenger to Cuomo in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Any cooperation on infrastructure between Trump and Cuomo could be undermined, however, by their sharp disagreements on most other issues. Cuomo has taken a harder line since their postelection phone call, expressing concerns about what Trump’s election has meant for racial tolerance and immigration. His name was also added to the list of Democrats seen as possible contenders for the White House in 2020. “That could impact the interaction between the presidentelect and the governor,” said Larry Bridwell, international business professor at Pace University. But he added that supporting infrastructure in and around New York City would have one other added benefit for Trump: “It would obviously increase the real estate value of the Trump Organization.” Several of the projects on New York state’s to-do-list can’t be accomplished without
significant federal investment. The Hudson Rail tunnel, which would ease congestion on busy commuter rail lines coming from New Jersey, is expected to cost $20 billion. New York and New Jersey have agreed to pay for half of the work, with the federal government on the hook for the remaining $10 billion. Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman said Wednesday at a packed Penn Station that he is hopeful about Trump’s talk on infrastructure, especially because of the need for another Hudson River tunnel. “We have two. They’re a hundred-plus years old. They have to be rehabilitated. We’re out of space in the station, we’re out of space in the tunnels, we have hundred-year-old bridges on both sides of Manhattan,” he said. “So there’re huge projects like that and we’re very optimistic that if there’s money for infrastructure a lot of these basic needs are going to be addressed.” Federal support is also vital to maintaining the state’s drinking water and sewer systems, which will need an estimated $80 billion in repairs, replacements and upgrades over the next two decades.
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
TRUMP TOWER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fected their business. Additional traffic will likely come soon with the holiday season, other employees of neighborhood apartment buildings said, noting the Rockefeller Christmas tree and Radio City Music Hall shows. “It’s not a residential neighborhood anymore. It’s a commercial neighborhood,” said a doorman on 54th Street, who did not want not to be identified. “It’s just way too much traffic. Totally different than when we got here 20 years ago.”
FIFTH AVENUE PHALANX Trump Tower saw protesters, signs and rallies every single week since Election Day, and the momentum from activists continues, with demonstrations likely to keep developing well into Trump’s administration. Since Nov. 9, some groups have marched right up to the Fifth Avenue building while other scheduled demonstrators met to protest there. For now, those gatherings will be allowed to continue. “Protesting is a Constitutional right that is afforded to all Americans,” the office of the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information said in an email in response to a request for comment on the police’s perspective on protesters. But that could change, with the security cordon possibly extending away from the building. Civil Rights Attorney Norman Siegel said that people have a right to protest on sidewalks — which are considered public spaces — as long as they take up less than 50 percent of the walkway and that they do not block the entrance of where they protested. “Police do have the discretion to determine for security reasons — in this case, probably national security reasons since he’s the president-elect — they might say that you can’t protest on the public sidewalk adjacent to Trump Tower,” Siegel said. “Generally what they do with a president in a hotel is that they put their demonstrators across the street. You can’t be on 57th and 56th on the sidewalk of the east side, but you can be on the west side.” He said that this partitioned area is called a reasonable alternative and that the new protesting parameters at Trump Tower align with the requirement that any new location must be within sight and sound of what people are protesting. When Queens Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer lead a march across the Queensboro Bridge to Trump Tower on Nov. 19, the group was put into this location, and Arielle Swernoff, the councilman’s communication director, said that the team notified the NYPD of their planned trek. “We marched from Queens to Trump Tower on sidewalks and on pedestrian walkways,” Swernoff said. “The NYPD was able to escort the
march for part of the way and for crowd control purposes.” Human Rights Campaign field operations member Jemima McEvoy attended multiple rallies at Trump Tower — one before and one after Election Day — and said that the crowd control at the two events contrasted greatly. “During the first protest, they had designated areas where the NYPD was trying to get the protestors to stand, and they were trying to keep the sidewalks open for pedestrians,” McEvoy said. “At the second one, things got so out of control that the NYPD no longer had the authority to tell people to get off the roads and sidewalks — it was just anarchy outside the Trump Tower.” McEvoy, who campaigns against police brutality, said that the recent law enforcement increase at Trump Tower makes her nervous to protest there.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Will the location of Trump’s residence at Trump Tower affect real estate values and sales in the area? Broker Ellen Sykes of Corcoran on the East Side says it’s too early to speculate. “The selling season doesn’t really start until January and February. We have no way of knowing until the next couple of months. He’s not even inaugurated yet.” But as far as getting around the increasingly congested area and police barriers, Sykes says, “I know I’ll be taking the subway.” Rick Wohlforth of Wohfarth & Associates, a boutique real estate brokerage firm, says Trump’s “second White House area” will lead some prospective buyers to second-guess the market, but he believes values won’t be affected very much. But even before the election, Wohlforth notes, there was “tremendous softening in the upper end in the marketplace … for apartments in the three million range and above.” This past year, he says, these apartments have been sitting longer than usual on the market, and this will “add softness in that area.” Klara Madlin, of Klara Madlin Real Estate, says for those living right in Trump Tower, with the traffic, the cops and security, “it’ll be terrible.” Her office is a block away, so she knows. Trump Tower is “a big building and there are always a lot of those apartments on the market,” Madlin says. “But one can’t even get close to view it, and the thought of going into that building for the next four years is daunting in the least. People are staying away from Trump Tower.” As for other buildings, Madlin says, unless they’re “right close by,” they won’t be affected. “New York, it’s all local. Go a couple of blocks away, if you’re thinking of purchasing a property in the area, it’s not going to affect the market very much.” Madeleine Thompson contributed to this story.
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YOUR FATHER KEEPS WANDERING AWAY FROM HOME. BUT IT’S YOU WHO FEELS LOST.
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.
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
A LAST CROSSING
VISIT OUR WEBSITE! at OURTOWNNY.COM M NOTICE OF A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 12, 2016 INTENT TO AWARD AS A CONCESSION THE OPERATION, RENOVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A RESTAURANT, SNACK BAR AND ROWBOAT RENTAL AT THE LOEB BOATHOUSE, CENTRAL PARK, MANHATTAN TO CENTRAL PARK BOATHOUSE, LLC.
The Binghamton ferried passengers across the Hudson for 62 years
NOTICE OF A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING of the Franchise and Concession Review Committee and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to be held on Monday, December 12, 2016 at 2 Lafayette Street, 14th Floor Auditorium, Borough of Manhattan, commencing at 2:30 p.m. relative to:
The demolition of a historic ferry that shuttled passengers from Hoboken to New York City for more than 60 years before enjoying its second act as a popular restaurant will begin later this month. The removal of the Binghamton is expected to take three months and cost approximately $500,000, The New York Times reported. Officials say the 230-foot vessel has been damaged beyond repair. It remains the last doubleended steam ferry on the Hudson River. The Binghamton operated as a ferry to lower Manhattan from 1905 until its retirement in 1967. Former New Jersey Assembly Speaker Nelson Gross purchased the ferry in the early 1970s and transformed it into a ďŹ&#x201A;oating riverboat-style restaurant complete with Victorian dĂŠcor. Binghamtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operated in Edgewater for more than four decades before closing in 2007.
INTENT TO AWARD as a concession for the operation, renovation and maintenance of a restaurant, snack bar and rowboat rental at the Loeb Boathouse, Central Park, Manhattan (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Licensed Premisesâ&#x20AC;?), for one (1) fifteenyear term, to Central Park Boathouse, LLC (â&#x20AC;&#x153;CPBâ&#x20AC;?). Compensation to the City will be as follows: for each operating year, CPB shall pay to the City a license fee consisting of the higher of a guaranteed annual minimum fee (Years 1 - 5: $1,407,200/year; Years 6 - 10: $1,547,920/year; Years 11 - 15: $1,702,700/year), or a percentage of annual gross receipts (7.2% of annual gross receipts up to $22,000,000; PLUS 10% of annual gross receipts from $22,000,001 to $23,000,000; PLUS 15% of annual gross receipts from $23,000,001 to $26,000,000; PLUS 20% of annual gross receipts greater than $26,000,000) derived from the operation of the Licensed Premises. A draft copy of the agreement may be reviewed or obtained at no cost, commencing Friday, December 2, 2016, through Monday, December 12, 2016, between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm, excluding weekends and holidays at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, located at The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 313, New York, NY 10065. Individuals requesting Sign Language Interpreters should contact the Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of Contract Services, Public Hearings Unit, 253 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10007, (212) 788-7490, no later than SEVEN (7) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) 212-504-4115
The partially submerged Binghamton in Edgewater, New Jersey, in May 2012. Photo: Greasywheel, via Wikimedia
Huge Selection of Holiday Gifts Books & Cards Advent Calendars Gift Wrap & Bags .VTJD t 0SJHJOBM "SU Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Books Events and More! )PVST . 5I BN QN t 'SJ BN QN 4BU BN QN t 4VO QN QN
:PSL "WF #UXO SE UI 4U t www.logosbookstorenyc.com Dear Parents: You are cordially invited to attend one of our OPEN HOUSES at York Preparatory School Tuesday, December 6th Tuesday, January 10th Tuesday, January 24th Tuesday, April 18th Tuesday, May 9th
9:10am-10:30am 9:10am-10:30am 9:10am-10:30am 9:10am-10:30am 9:10am-10:30am
RSVP to the Admissions Office at: Elizabeth Norton 212-362-0400 ext. 103 - enorton@yorkprep.org Tracy Warner 212-362-0400 ext. 106 - twarner@yorkprep.org York Prep is a coeducation college preparatory school for grades 6-12
JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. Dignified, Affordable and Independently Owned Since 1885 WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 5 )/'&1 /'+$1)-,0 $2250 -+.*'1' 5 )/'&1 2/)$*0 $2850 5 4.'/1 /' *$,,),( 3$)*$%*'
1297 First Ave (69th & 70th & + # " $& )" $ " $ ) * "#( & " $ + ))) $& '" $ #! #! Each cremation service individually performed by fully licensed members of our staff. We use no outside agents or trade services in our cremation service. We exclusively use All Souls Chapel and Crematory at the prestigious St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY for our cremations unless otherwise directed.
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
1633 Dionisis Liakopoulos AMERICAN CUT Daniel Eardley ATLANTIC GRILL Joyce Rivera BOHEMIAN SPIRIT RESTAURANT Lukas Pol CAFE D’ALSACE Philippe Roussel
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ART OF FOOD Our Town’s
CANDLE 79 Angel Ramos CRAVE FISHBAR Todd Mitgang EAST POLE Joseph CapozzI EASTFIELDS KITCHEN & BAR Joseph Capozzi FREDS AT BARNEYS NEW YORK Mark Strausman FLEX MUSSELS Rebecca Richards JONES WOOD FOUNDRY Jason Hicks LUSARDI’S Claudio Meneghini MAGNOLIA BAKERY Bobbie Lloyd MAYA Richard Sandoval
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Saturday February 4, 2017
TICKETS ON SALE NOW USE CODE: ‘FOODIE’ FOR 15% OFF
artoffoodny.com VIP $185 - 1st 100 receive a copy of Geoffrey Zakarian’s celebrated cookbook My Perfect Pantry and exclusive book signing with Geoffrey
GA $105 - 1st 100 receive Geoffrey Zakarian’s new Pro For Home 15-piece storage container system
MIGHTY QUINN’S BARBEQUE Hugh Mangum ORWASHERS BAKERY Keith Cohen PAOLA’S Stefano Marracino SANT AMBROEUS MADISON AVENUE Andrea Bucciarelli SEAMSTRESS Jordy Lavenderos SHAKE SHACK Mark Rosati T-BAR STEAK Benjamin Zwicker THE MEATBALL SHOP Daniel Holzman THE PENROSE Nick Testa VAUCLUSE Michael White
Geoffrey Zakarian Star of Food Network’s Chopped, The Kitchen, Cooks vs. Cons, author of “My Perfect Pantry,” restaurateur behind The Lambs Club, The National in NYC, The National in Greenwich, The Water Club at Borgata in Atlantic City, Georgie and The Garden Bar at Montage Beverly Hills and, coming soon, Point Royal at The Diplomat Beach Resort and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system, Margaret Zakarian President of Zakarian Hospitality, co-author of “My Perfect Pantry” and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system.
A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
REDRAWING THE VIEW EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Calling Saul Steinberg — The New Yorker cover of March 29, 1976 needs some updating in a post-Trump America. Its illustrator Saul Steinberg, who died in 1999, immortalized a Manhattanite’s view of the world that began on Ninth Avenue and continued several avenues west to the Hudson River, would concur that the ascendency of Fifth Ave and 57th as the home of the United States’ 45th president has to be factored into that view, ya think? That would mean, of course, that the view would begin several avenues east of Ninth. Certainly, the eponymous edifice which 45 owns and where he and his family live gives a new perspective to the iconic Steinberg illustration. Moving the landscape eastward
GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN
Over the past several weeks, John and I have taken rides into the countryside to enjoy the foliage and visit various places. One, as I mentioned in my previous column, was to my hometown of Croton-on-Hudson. We’ve been on Long island, and to Piermont, in Rockland County, and Tallman State Park. We’ve been to a farm stand outside of Middletown, New York for apple cider and donuts and to a farm near Poughkeepsie just to wander around and get some country air. We’ve seen stunning foliage that leaves me feeling exhilarated. Fall is my favorite time of year. I’m not a fan of summer and humidity, and I just love the turning of the leaves. But still, but yet ... when we turn onto 96th Street in Manhattan, no sight leaves me more thrilled. I love Manhattan, and I especially love
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Photo: InSapphoWeTrust, via Wikimedia would make it more inclusive, not so much to the Manhattan-minded, but to the masses whose vote won the day in the Electoral College (no relation to Trump University) and who enjoy the amenities of Trump Tower. The iconic New Yorker cover was said to be a “View from Ninth Avenue” and came to connote the parochialism
the Upper West Side, my neighborhood since college graduation. I need to get out of the city in all seasons, but Manhattan is always where I long to return. The vibrant, ever-moving, ever-stimulating scene on the streets, the familiar diners and groceries, the people, (my landsmen, of all religions and shades). The whole vibe. Nothing is as good as coming home. Nothing else means “home” the way the streets of upper Broadway do to me. Oh, and did I mention the food? Particularly the diners. I’ve been in diners all over Long Island, New Jersey and the Hudson Valley. Nothing compares to the diners in New York City — with one exception; City Limits Diner in White Plains. I’m a diner fan, and a pancake aficionado also. I haven’t had a decent pancake outside of good ol’ New York. So I’m very lucky to live on the Upper West Side, and also very lucky to be able to travel outside of it. But not too far. At my age, I just want to come back to my own bed and bath. Of course, now there’s another
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of sophisticated residents of their eponymous borough. As I now chat up tourists and other visitors to Trump Tower, who, like I, descend the escalator to the water-cascading, marbledwalled lower atrium where businessman Donald J. Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, I find that they are now seeing Manhattan as a place they can come to and enjoy without feeling like outsiders. Before Trump was elected president, they felt looked down upon by Manhattanites and made to feel like they didn’t belong. Not so any more. The Man Upstairs has brought them into the fold, or so they believe: That voting for him and making him president gave them entree (the right to enter) to “his” world and entitled them to acceptance in “his” town, or at least the tower he owns even though Manhattanites voted unanimously against him despite that he was their state’s and their borough’s “favorite son” in the primary and in the November election. The late Mayor Edward Koch probably encapsulated the Trump mind-set best after losing the chance at a fourth term when he was quoted in the Daily Beast, “The People have spoken ... and they must be punished.” I’ll bet Trump shares the sentiment when
Voices
it comes to his fellow Manhattanites. Hail to the cab — To cab or not to cab? That was the question — yes, cab. Not Uber. Not Lyft. Not Via. Just a plain old NYC yellow cab, aka taxi. Waiting for a bus is a challenge I wasn’t up for on a starting-to-rain weekday morning. Plus time was too tight for the 30-block southbound ride from 90th Street. A cab letting off a passenger in my line of vision made the decision for me. “61st York and First, please,” I told the driver as I got into the cab. “Do you want to take the Drive to 63rd exit or go on York,” he asked. “York,” I responded. “Are you sure?,” he continued. “Yes, take York,” I repeated, as he then proceeded to 92nd Street and made a right onto the Drive to the 63rd St exit. Glad he asked. Glad I told him. Glad I was along for the ride. Whose name is it anyway? — Lately I’ve been seeing restaurant delivery servers wearing shirts or jackets that do not have the name, address and phone number of the restaurant or delivery service for whom they are delivering. Not good. Not safe. Any restaurant that comes before any of Manhattan’s 12 community boards must agree to display the name, address and phone number of their establishment on shirts or jackets to be
The Upper West Side. Photo: Gabriel de Andrade Fernandes, via flickr reason to be happy to come home. Upstate, there are still some Trump signs. Like most everyone else in my turf, the election knocked me badly off balance. That Wednesday, it literally felt as though someone I knew had died. My head was heavy, my stomach in knots. I was stunned
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into uncharacteristic silence. I had lunch with a friend and neither of us was in our usual gossipy mode. We both were mostly silent. What was there say, after all? We were both shattered. The neighborhood felt so quiet, so shell-shocked. The day after, I witnessed a scene in a local
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Editor-In-Chief Account Executive Alexis Gelber Fred Almonte editor.ot@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor Barry Lewis Richard Khavkine editor.otdt@strausnews.com
worn by delivery servers or they will be fined. And it’s a breach of a Department of Consumer Affairs law. Let the enforcement begin. Getting blessed — Pets with people. Si. Pets without people. Nada. No solos. That’s the drill at Cindy Adams’s 8th Annual Blessing of the Animals. The usual suspects will be in attendance — the pampered pooches, the cuddly cats, the purebreds, the rescues, some birds, maybe a gerbil, a goat, and, of course, Cindy’s delicious New Yorkie Juicy — to be blessed by Central Synagogue’s Rabbi Emeritus Peter J. Rubinstein and Christ Church’s Senior Minister Stephen Bauman. The sanctuary is always SRO. No RSVP’s. WHERE: Christ Church, Park/60th WHEN: Dec. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. Cosponsors of the blessing event include John Catsimatidis, Baker Institute for Animal Health and Kathryn and Mary Kalikow. Accolades to all. Changing times, names not so much — Several Whole Food staffers were laughing that some of their work schedules might change so that they’d be working 7 days a week, 11 hours a day, and wondered if that meant they’d also be working for “7-Eleven” stores. Mergers being on the upswing, they could be onto something.
diner where the customer was (quietly) dressing down the cashier for joining in a triumphant Trump party. Everyone’s nerves were, and still are, on edge. At least, everyone I know and respect. I suppose I am adjusting, though the idea of saying “President Trump” seems almost laughable, until I realize it’s not. Like almost everyone I know, I am very afraid. I have children and grandchildren and I fear for their future. We must, of course, go on with our daily lives, but hopefully we will find a way to get through this disaster and work for a better outcome next time. Many words have been written about this election, and so I won’t write any more. All I can say is that I’m grateful to live where I do, with people I can relate to and commiserate with. People who will be working for a better future and fighting to hold on to what’s good and right and fair in the present. Vive the Upper West Side. Vive New York City. I love you, I appreciate you, you’re the only place I want to live.
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
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
A TASTE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY There are countless events going on in Manhattan each day, but there’s only one that brings art lovers and foodies together for the quintessential New York evening: The Art of Food. Back for its second year Feb. 4, The Art of Food is a tasting event at Sotheby’s that is far from the ordinary. More than 25 of the Upper East Side’s top chefs are each challenged to create a unique dish based on a piece of artwork curated by Sotheby’s. Celebrity chef and food network star Geoffrey Zakarian is
on board to host the event with his wife, Margaret Zakarian. Attendees get the unique opportunity to celebrate alongside this hospitality power couple while enjoying the unlimited food, wine and spirits included in the ticket cost. “The tasting plates were delicious and it was so amazing to see how creative all the chefs were in creating these dishes that related to the artwork,” said Shannon Kattowski, a 2015 Art of Food attendee. “I was in awe looking at all the pieces on display.” Last year’s ticket holders enjoyed incredible food and art combinations, such as Atlantic Grill’s Montauk Pearl Oysters
inspired by Andy Warhol’s “After the Party,” Freds at Barneys New York’s Rigatoni with Brisket Ragu, based on Picasso’s Tête de Femme, and Le Cirque’s Mini Crème Brûlée, inspired by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s “Jane Avril.” While the artwork for 2017 has yet to be revealed, the much-anticipated event is sure to impress. Restaurants participating in the upcoming February event include Candle 79, Vaucluse, Paola’s and others. Tickets are available now at www.artoffoodny.com. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to City Harvest.
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My IDNYC card helps us easily access city resources, from the library to the city hospital. I can get discounts on groceries, medicine, and movie tickets.
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Margaret and Geoffrey Zakarian are hosting this year’s Art of Food event, again at Sotheby’s, on Feb. 4.
Food Network star to host The Art of Food at Sotheby’s
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MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH Sunday Worship at 11:00am Sunday Worship, led by Dr. Michael Brown, is the heart of the Marble Church community. It is where we all gather to sing, pray, and be changed by an encounter with God. Marble is known throughout the world for the practical, powerful, life-changing messages and where one can hear world class music from our choirs that make every heart sing.
Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownny.com
Busy? Live stream Sunday Worship with us at 11:00am at MarbleChurch.org.
WeWo: Wednesday Worship at 6:15pm Marble's weekly Wednesday Worship, lovingly nicknamed WeWo, is a service that blends traditional and contemporary worship styles, taking the best of both, creating a mixture that is informal and reverent, often humorous and always Spirit-filled.
Upcoming Events
Christmas Eve Worship at Marble Saturday, December 24 Marble Sanctuary 12:15pm - 2:00pm
Thu
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‘MERCI PATRON!’ FIAF, 55 East 59th St. 7:30 p.m. $14, general; $8, members and students Come out for a special screening on this French film with English subtitles. 1-800-982-2787. www.fiaf. org
4:00pm - Family Friendly Service 6:30 & 8:30pm - Dr. Michael B. Brown preaching. Music prelude at 6:10 & 8:10pm. Holy Communion celebrated at 8:30pm service. (Live Streaming of the 6:30pm service)
Marianne Williamson in Partnership with Marble Collegiate Church Tuesdays 7:30pm - 9:00pm New York Times bestselling author, Marianne Williamson brings her weekly lecture series to Marble Church. The cost to attend is $20, however, no one is turned away for lack of funds. The evening is also available via Livestream by donation.
Event listings brought to you by Marble Collegiate Church. 1 West 29th Street / New York, New York 10001 212 686 2770 / MarbleChurch.org
HE NAMED ME MALALA The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue 10 a.m. Free Students explore themes of identity, culture and tolerance inspired by the Jewish Museum’s collection and screenings of award-winning documentary films. 212-423-3200. www. thejewishmuseum.org
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THE WHITE HOUSE VICE PRESIDENCY
NEW YORK OPERA FORUM CONCERT
92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street Noon. $25 Join author Joel Goldstein as he discusses his new book and how the VP office has developed from Mondale to Biden. 212-415-5500. www.92y.org
67th Street Library, 328 East 67th St. 1:30 p.m. Free The New York Opera Forum performs complete concert versions in recital with piano accompaniment. This month’s selection is Alcina by George Frederic Handel. 212-734-1717. www.nypl.org
BOUBACAR TRAORÉ▲ The Met, 1000 Fifth Ave. 7 p.m. $50 Come out to the Met to see this performance by Boubacar Traoré, a legendary Malian superstar, a master singer, songwriter and guitarist. 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org
HOLIDAY CANDLELIGHT TOURS Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, 421 East 61st St. 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. $20, general; $10, members; $5, children Tour the museum by the warm glow of candlelight, step back into the holiday season of 1830 and sample traditional confections. Reservations required. 212-838-6878. www.mvhm. org
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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SANTA AND THE CITY Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. 1-5 p.m. $40 for family of five Bring out the family for a day of seasonal fun to explore special images from the collections in Santa and the City. Take a picture with Santa Claus and decorate a frame to go with it. 212-534-1672. www.mcny.org
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MOMENTA QUARTET Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue 7 p.m. $20; Free, members Come out for this performance of Alberto Ginastera’s Piano Quintet. The quartet will be joined by pianist Vicky Chow. 212-249-8950. www.ascoa.org
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HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING▼
MAKING THE QUEER SCENE
Carl Schurz Park, East End Avenue between 84th and 90th Streets 5-6 p.m. Free Come out for this tree lighting along with carols, Cantori choir, Orbital Brass, candlelight, candy canes, hot chocolate and more. www.carlschurzparknyc.org
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. 6:30 p.m. $20; $15, members Join a group of writers, performers and activists as they discuss the historical and ongoing importance of queer nightlife in New York. 212-534-1672. www.mcny. org
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19TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING 153 East 67th St. 7 p.m. Free The precinct community council meets the first Monday of the month at the precinct station house. 212-452-0600. www. nyc,gov
Photo by Ted Eytan via Flickr
‘HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE’ Roosevelt House, 47-49 East 65th St. 6-8 p.m. Free Come out for a special evening marking the publication of David France’s book, which is subtitled “The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS.” 212-396-7918. www.hunter. cuny.edu
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL 96th Street Library, 112 East 96th St. 4 p.m. Free Come out for this performance of the classic Christmas play put on by Traveling Lantern Theatre Company. 212-289-0908. www.nypl.org
MISHKA RUSHDIE WOMEN, PIANO 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street 8:30 p.m. $25 Momen’s program explores various forms within piano repertoire — sonatas from the 19th and 20th centuries, a Mozartean fantasy, and Schuman’s last great work for the piano. 212-415-5500. www.92y.org
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
THE COLOR AND THE SHAPE Susi Raphael’s multi-textured canvases invite collaboration with the viewer BY PAOLA AURISICCHIO
Each day, Susi Raphael travels from her East 86th Street home to her art studio in Chinatown. Once there, she puts on a white smock blotched with colors and starts painting. A lifelong resident of the Upper East Side, Raphael, 63, took early retirement from her public relations job at the American Cancer Society six years ago and enrolled in her first art class. It was an epiphany. “I got a studio and I just started,” Raphael said among the canvases in her Broome Street studio. “I had always loved materials and walking into art stores; I was fascinated by paints, brushes and palette knives. Finally, I
had a reason to buy art tools.” Raphael’s first work was a collage, a passion along with her love for photography. In the 1990s, she had a number of photography exhibitions, but later discovered her talent for combining colors on canvas. With little formal training — an artist teacher guided her for a while — Raphael started painting, following only her instinct and spontaneity. “I felt like an artist when I got my studio in Chinatown. It put my head in another dimension,” she said. “If I had had a studio within four blocks of my home on the Upper East Side, it would have been just another part of my daily life with my duties and my routine. Chinatown made the difference.” As she spoke, Raphael pointed out her latest artwork — an unfinished painting with layers upon layers of warm colors — leaning on an easel.
Susi Raphael’s “Ghost City,” a mixed media acrylic painting on canvas. Photo: Paola Aurisicchio
Susi Raphael in her Broome Street studio. Photo: Paola Aurisicchio Small spots of brown color mix with string, the whole unfolding according to one’s vantage point. This is her style and her aim: to offer the spectator not a classical image but an abstract visual that propels the viewer’s imagination. “I like that, in my paintings, there are layers and you can go into it,” she said. “Anyone seeing my work brings his or her own experience and sensibility to my paintings, making them personal discoveries. You will see whatever you want to see and, sometimes, I hear some very odd opinions.” The series, called “Traces,” comprises four multi-textured and multilayered works in shades of red. The canvases convey that sense of wonder, even bewilderment, qualities that accompany all of Raphael’s art. She surprises herself each time she starts a new painting, nearly always unsure of her subject, and wants to trigger unexpected reactions. Someone might eventually distinguish an animal or a tree, she said, while Raphael might discern a face or a creature. “I like to resonate with my viewers, to listen to their opinions, to create a collaborative artistic adventure,” Raphael said. This exchange between
I felt like an artist when I got my studio in Chinatown. It put my head in another dimension....If I had had a studio within four blocks of my home on the Upper East Side, it would have been just another part of my daily life with my duties and my routine. Chinatown made the difference.” Susi Raphael
artist and viewer occurs most pointedly during exhibitions. The artist has shown at numerous New York City venues including La MaMa La Galleria, the Donnell Library, the French Institute/Alliance Francaise and, most
recently, at a Lower East Side gallery, where she exhibited a collection titled “Our Vanishing Earth.” Joyful and exuberant, Raphael spends at least four hours in her studio painting, or just staring at canvas. “I love red and beige, and my palette is formed by warmer rather than cooler color. I’m not a blue person,” she said. When Raphael first looks at a blank stretch of canvas, she doesn’t yet have a clear idea of her next work, she said. “I feel exactly the direction; it’s something emotional,” she explained. “If a painting doesn’t work, I just think that this is not going anywhere and I don’t want to waste time doing something that is not working.” Two paintings hang on the studio wall. They will soon form part of another corpus of works. Another painting is on the easel in the small open space, which is surrounded by trees and populated by pigeons. Nature helps the artist find an inspiration, as does travel, museums and the city’s art galleries. “I spend most of my time in my studio learning to paint like a child, as Picasso said,” she said. “To me, it means to have fun and to be happy painting.”
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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CASANOVA: THE MAN AND THE MYTH A new biography highlights the legendary lover’s brilliant mind, plus lots of juicy details BY AMANDA BUCKLAND
Donald Trump’s ego doesn’t have anything on Casanova’s. The legendary lover, however, owes biographer Laurence Bergreen a debt of thanks for shining a light on his intellectual brilliance instead of only playing up the Venetian’s tales of love and sex. Bergreen will speak about his ninth book, the multi-dimensional “Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius” (Simon & Schuster) at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College on Dec. 5 and the midManhattan Library on Jan. 23. Bergreen, 66, who lives on the Upper East Side, originally wanted to write about Hugh Hefner. After deciding that a Hefner biography would be “just a terrible idea,” Bergreen filled that void with a biography of a man with 122 girlfriends. “Casanova” was sparked by the $9.6 million purchase of Giacomo Casanova’s original 4,000 page manuscript by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in 2010. “In Europe, Casanova is considered a major figure of the Enlightenment,” Bergreen says. “But in the U.S., he’s sort of a joke. He has this folklorish reputation like Paul Bunyan. I decided to look into this guy and was on the next flight to Paris in rainy November to look at his manuscript in his handwriting. It was like a time machine. It was tactile. Some of the descriptions of his girlfriends were in gruesome detail.” Bergreen describes writing “Casanova” as “vicarious fantasy fulfillment” because his subject’s life was so outrageous. Casanova had no boundaries and Bergreen verified details of escapades through numerous manuscripts and letters, including those from Casanova’s lovers, to get the other side of the story. Casanova was a narcissist, a gambler, and a libertine. He befriended and held court with Empress Catherine the Great after inventing the French lottery (which is still used today) following his escape to France as
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org Laurence Bergreen will read at CUNY”s Macaulay Honors College on Dec. 5. a fugitive. Casanova was the only person ever to escape jail in the Doges Palace in Venice, digging his way out. But Casanova was also a tragic and dark man with a craving for love and sex, possibly stemming from abandonment by his mother, the Italian actress Zanetta Farussi. Bergreen suggests that “Casanova was semi-aware of not receiving his mother’s love. This sets up an insatiable craving for love, sex, and intimacy, but Casanova had something ferocious driving this.” Some earlier biographies and memoirs avoided the elements of his sexual escapades, but that fueled Casanova’s drive for life. Fantasy and indulgence permeated 18th century Venice. “Casanova was outside the normal realm,” says Bergreen. “This seemed like an idea that said ‘I dare you.’ I wanted a fun, juicy version that other books didn’t do. A lot of the other books leave out sex, but that’s
what made him go.” Delving into those details while writing Casanova in his 94th street office, Bergreen even named each chapter after a woman, starting with Casanova’s mother. Ironically, Casanova wasn’t an attractive lady-killer; he was a gawky and funny-looking fellow. Casanova was seductive because of his mind, and his legacy lives on because of his brilliance and achievements. The orgies were the cherries on top. Bergreen’s Casanova is an exciting escape into 18th century Europe when seducing nuns and then writing about it was a sport. Bergreen’s current project is co-writing a young adult, nonfiction book on Magellan with his daughter, Sara, to follow his award-winning and bestselling biography “Over The Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the World.”
NEW YORK CITY
On Dylan’s Lyrics with Christopher Ricks
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 11AM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Newly minted Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan is examined by Christopher Ricks (a scholar of Eliot, Beckett, and Tennyson), who has just published a new and comprehensive edition of The Lyrics. ($42)
Le Corbusier’s Architectural Heritage Celebrated By UNESCO
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 7PM Albertine | 972 Fifth Ave. | 212-650-0070 | albertine.com A panel of five international architects and historians convene to celebrate Le Corsbusier (18871965), who had 17 buildings added to the World Heritage list this summer. (Free)
Just Announced | Camilo José Vergara on “Detroit Is No Dry Bones”
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 7PM Book Culture | 536 W. 112th St. | 212-865-1588 | bookculture.com Ethnographer and photographer Camilo José Vergara speaks on his new book, a look at 25 years of both decline and transformation in the Motor City. (Free)
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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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS NOV 04 - NOV 25 2016 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
Little Frog Francois Latapie 322 E 86Th St
A
The Simone
151 East 82 Street
A
Nectar Of 82Nd Street
1090 Madison Avenue A
Eli’s Table
1411 3 Avenue
A
Starbucks
345 East 69 Street
A
Mochaburger + Subs Express
1603 2Nd Ave
A
Sweetgreen
1321 1St Ave
A
Thais New York
1718 2Nd Ave
A
Bistro Le Steak
1309 3 Avenue
A
Merrion Square
1840 2 Avenue
B
Jean Claude French Bistro
1343 2 Avenue
A
Manny’s On Second
1770 2 Avenue
A
Andaz
1378 1 Avenue
Grade Pending (18) 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.
Pic Up Stix
1372 Lexington Ave
A
Chinatown Restaurant
1650 3Rd Ave
A
The Weir
1672 3Rd Ave
A
The Tool Box
1742 2 Avenue
A
Carnegie Cup Cafe
1080 Park Ave
B
Pio Pio Express
1746 1 Avenue
A A
Laduree Paris
Yia Yia
864 Madison Ave
404 E 69Th St
Not Yet Graded (17) 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.
Green Cafe
Not Yet Graded (41) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used.
1324 Lexington Avenue
3 Guys Resturant
1232 Madison Avenue A
Persepolis
1407 2 Avenue
A
Au Jus
1762 1St Ave
A
Mo Gelato
956 Lexington 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.
Bareburger
1681 1St Ave
A
Tarallucci E Vino
9 East 90Th Street
A
Ko Sushi
1329 2 Avenue
A
G&J’s Pizzeria
1797 1St Ave
A
Up Thai
1411 2Nd Ave
A
Grill Time
1764 1St Ave
B
Amoun
406 East 73 Street
Grade Pending (19) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Ma’s Noodle Fun
1744 1St Ave
A
Belaire Cafe
525 East 71 Street
A
Marymount College Nugents Cafe
221 East 71St Street
A
Green Life Juice Bar
311 E 76Th St
A
Oita Sushi
1317A 2Nd Ave
A
Candle Cafe
1307 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street
B
Enthaice
1598 3 Avenue
B
Zesty Pizza & Salumeria
1670 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
Il Salumaio Wine Bar
1731 2Nd Ave
B
Bonjour Crepes & Wine
1442 Lexington Ave
A
Angela’s Montana Table
1750 2Nd Ave
A
89 Tenzan
1714 2Nd Ave
A
Brb Cafe
413 E 69Th St
A
Bagel Mill
1700 1St Ave
A
Blake Lane
1429 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (5)
Starbucks
245 E 93Rd St
A
Dulce Vida Cafe
1219 Lexington Avenue
A
Big Bowl
1764 1St Ave
Ramen Meijin
1574 2Nd Ave
A
Not Yet Graded (9) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Nargila Grill
1599 York Avenue
A
Isohama
1666 3 Avenue
A
The Louise/Saloon
1584 York Avenue
A
Le Paris Bistrot Francais
1312 Madison Avenue
A
The Supply House
1647 2 Avenue
A
Maroo
1640 3Rd Ave
A
Cafe Jax
318 E 84Th St
A
Feta
1436 Lexington Ave
Cascabel Taqueria
1556 2Nd Ave
Grade Pending (22) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Live roaches 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/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Not Yet Graded (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Dig Inn
1297 Lexington Ave
Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
THE DAIRY’S ROOTS IN SCANDAL Central Park’s structure was a retreat from the “swill milk” epidemic of the mid-1800s BY RAANAN GEBERER
In today’s Central Park, one of the Central Park Conservancy’s five visitors’ centers is called “the Dairy.” This charming gingerbread-type Victorian structure, with its ornate design and historic loggia (open-air porch), is enjoyed by countless visitors every year. However, the structure wasn’t always a visitors’ center — at one time it indeed was a dairy. The roots of the Dairy are found in the “swill milk” scandals of the mid-1800s. As the Encyclopedia of New York tells us, some New York City dairies fed their cows swill, or mash left over from the brewing process. The resulting milk had a bluish tint and an uneven consistency, prompting retailers to add such substances as borax, chalk, starch, sugar, flour, calves’ brains or water. The last was one of the most dangerous, since water in the city was of-
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ten impure. A series of laws in the 1860s put an end to the swill milk epidemic. At that point, according to the Parks Department website, most milk in the city came from upstate farms, “as inner-city dairies became less common and less able to meet the heightened standards.” Fresh milk still wasn’t easy to get, since transportation costs made it expensive. Central Park designer Calvert Vaux designed the Dairy as a retreat for children and their caretakers and a place where they could get fresh milk. As the New York Times reported in February 1870, “The Commission of the Central Park has determined to erect and open next spring a dairy featuring a supply of pure, wholesome and unadulterated milk for the special needs of invalid and delicate ladies and their infant children.” When the Dairy opened in 1871, it also included a small restaurant geared for middleclass New Yorkers. For many years, the building served its
original purpose. “Daytonian in Manhattan” quotes an 1882 author, James D. McCabe Jr., as saying, “Here, pure milk and refreshments may be had at moderate prices.” Advances in refrigeration, processing and transportation eventually made fresh milk readily available in the city, and the Dairy became obsolete. By 1950, the building was used only for storage. Untrimmed tree branches jutted into its shingled roof, and countless rains had washed away the paint from the oncecolorful woodwork. Sometime during the same era, the park’s administration demolished the now-rotted loggia. In 1979, the interior of the building was restored and it reopened as the park’s first visitor’s center. Two years later, the loggia was restored, and the Central Park Conservancy took over the management of the building. During the ceremony marking the loggia’s return, a cow was brought to the building for nostalgia’s sake — but only temporarily.
ART OF FOOD Our Town’s
AT SOTHEBY’S
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Saturday, February 4, 2017
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MEET THE CHEF Tell me about Seamstress. What kinds of dishes would your mother make? We try to bring a lot of She used to make sustainability to the lasagna with mole table. We use bamboo poblano. For me, it leaf plates, but have was nice, but I knew this industrial look that lasagna was going on too: we have supposed to go with a lot of cast iron and marinara sauce. She aluminum throughout the would also make pasta— restaurant. linguine, penne, anything— Our cuisine is mainly with cuitlacoche, which is this Mediterranean and fungus that grows on the corn American. We try to meet in Mexico. It’s considered to our neighborhood’s needs be a delicacy. Normally, by providing healthier JORDY LAVENDEROS it would be enjoyed with Chef at Seamstress options. We have 339 East 75th St. tacos. For me, it was vegetarian and vegan New York, NY 10021 normal. But when I was options on top of a kid, friends would come over for everything else—sausage, duck, dinner and be like—what is this!? and so on. Our new menu has been What’s your favorite food to cook at running for a month, and customers are really excited about it. The menu is home? My girlfriend is vegan, so one of the getting more fun—while still meeting things I really enjoy to make is gluten the different diet restrictions that free banana pancakes. It’s literally just appeal to the needs of people in our banana flour, almond flour, banana neighborhood. puree, flax seeds, coconut butter, How did you get started cooking? coconut sugar, and a little bit of I’m from Mexico City. My mother is blueberries. It makes a great pancake. Mexican and my father is Italian. So I also love to cook pad thai. I go for a growing up, my mother tried to learn vegetarian version, and make it more Mexican cuisine by mixing up Italian international. I also love grass fed flavors with Mexican flavors, which steak and foie gras. But everything in created this sort of clash and fusion moderation and with a balanced diet. of the two—but it was really nice. My friends didn’t like it, but I didn’t care at What pulled you to New York City? the time. I wanted to take my profession to the next level, so attending culinary It was really interesting how she school here was a must. I went to ICE, worked with those different flavors— and learned about the professional and so I grew up with this idea that culinary world while bringing in my you can bring elements from Asian cooking background. It helped build cuisine and mix them up with Latin my ambition. I did a few cooking American spices while using a shows—had my two years of fame. French technique. Since I’ve had the opportunity to work in other countries One cooking tip? and three different islands so far, I’ve Always keep the kitchen clean. I’m just grabbed a little bit of something always cooking, prepping, and from each place and my cooking cleaning at the same time. I like to concept has really grown. keep the kitchen spotless.
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In Brief
Business
FOOD VENDOR LICENSING ON LEGISLATORS’ MENU Photo: Aaron Gustafson, via flickr
BIG APPLE CIRCUS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION The artsy, one-ring Big Apple Circus is filing for bankruptcy protection after four decades of entertaining the world. Circus officials say the troupe, which set up each year at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, has run out of money. In its Chapter 11 filing, the circus says its debts amount to $8.3 million, against assets of $3.8 million. In July, Big Apple canceled its 2016-2017 season. However, the company is still seeking financial support or someone interested in buying the circus. At its peak, Big Apple staged more than 300 shows. It also ran programs for blind, deaf and autistic children that are expected to keep operating with nonprofit funds. The Associated Press
Photo: Tony, via Wikimedia Commons
STATE WINS NUCLEAR PLANT SUIT New York’s Department of State has the right to review federal relicensing applications for the Indian Point nuclear power facility on the lower Hudson River to ensure compliance with coastal management protections, the state’s highest court ruled last week. Cuomo praised the unanimous decision by the Court of Appeals, saying the Indian Point relicensing application with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission was inconsistent with New York’s long-standing Coastal Management Program requirements. “Indian Point is antiquated and does not belong on the Hudson River in close proximity to New York City,” said Cuomo, who has long argued Indian Point’s two nuclear reactors, 35 miles north of Manhattan in Buchanan, should be shut down. Jerry Nappi, spokesman for plant-owner Entergy, says the company is reviewing the decision to determine next steps, which could include refiling its application for a state Coastal Zone Management permit. Entergy has continued operating the facility pending federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission action on its 2007 application for a new 20-year license. The Associated Press
With black market the surest way in, city looks to change how permits are procured BY DEEPTI HAJELA
With a guy selling pretzels and hot dogs on every other block, Manhattan must seem to tourists like a Shangri-La for street food vendors — a place where any entrepreneur willing to stand in bad weather for long hours can hustle up a living. In reality, though, New York’s food cart business is no picnic. For decades, the city’s regulatory scheme has made it next to impossible to obtain a new permit to operate a food cart or truck. That’s locked thousands of vendors into a black-market system where they are forced to pay huge amounts to “rent” one of the city’s roughly 4,200 existing permits from do-nothing middlemen. Or else, they can risk hefty fines by operating illegally. Unable to get a permit of his own, Mohammed Shaheedul Huq, who operates a cart in downtown Brooklyn, paid $18,000 upfront to lease one from a man who pays the city just $200 every two years for the license. “I have no choice,” said Huq, who was a stockbroker in his native Bangladesh but now rooms in one of Brooklyn’s poorest neighborhoods. “He’s supposed to not sell it to me. I’m supposed to not buy from him. All departments know how it works, but nobody takes any action.” That could be changing. The New York City Council is looking at adopting legislation that would create 600 new food vendor permits each year for a seven-year eriod, roughly doubling the number of carts and trucks allowed on the street. Street vendors and their advocates hail the legislation, which has the support of the City Council’s speaker, as a much-needed change to outdated rules they say have strangled entrepreneurship. But others, like representatives of the city’s business improvement districts, say there are already too many carts in prime locations as it is now. They want any increase in the number of permits to only follow after systematic enforcement of existing rules. “If you lift the cap on the number of
A food cart at Rockefeller Center. Photo: Corn Farmer, via flickr vendors without doing anything else, it’s not like 600 vendors are going to spread throughout the five boroughs. They’re just going to go where the money is,” said Ellen Baer, co-chair of the NYC BID Association, which represents the city’s 72 business improvement districts. New York City capped the number of food vending permits at around 4,200 in the early 1980s after similar complaints from brick-and-mortar businesses about clogged sidewalks. Few people lucky enough to have gotten permits in the 1980s have willingly given them up. Instead, they rent them to people like Huq, even though such arrangements are a violation of city rules. Only a minuscule number of permits become available in any given year, roughly 50, according to the city. A waiting list that was opened in 2007 with 2,500 spots still has about 1,700 people on it. Thousands more vendors set up shop without any permit, though they run a risk of steep fines.
Delmy Zelaya, who runs a cart on a Queens street, said she might make $60 a day selling obleas, a Colombian snack that has a layer of caramel between two wafers. In the four years she’s been doing it though, she’s already been fined $3,000. The system of people holding onto their permits and renting them out isn’t fair, Zelaya said, especially for someone like her who’s just trying to make extra income to help cover bills. “I want to live and breathe,” she said. “I don’t want anybody to stop me.” The legislation introduced last month would hike the fee for a two-year permit to $1,000 and create a dedicated enforcement unit. Sean Basinski, director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, which advocates for vendors, said he favored removing the caps on permits entirely. But he called the bill “a serious and thoughtful and reasonable effort to get at the heart of the problem, which is the lack of opportunity for people.”
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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‘RUGELACH BY A BROTHER’ EXPANDS A SWEET BUSINESS New for Lee Lee’s Baked Goods: holiday tins and plans to go kosher BY GENIA GOULD
Some folks call it rugelatch, others ruganut, some even confuse the name with the leafy vegetable arugula. Baker Alvin Lee Smalls pronounces rugelach with the guttural “ach” — as it’s said in Yiddish. The small nut and raisin filled pastry, which comes in different flavors, is a traditional Jewish treat that has become a centerpiece of his Harlem bakery. The notoriety he’s received inspired his company’s tagline, “Rugelach by a Brother.” Smalls, 75, originally from South Carolina, has been a baker since he was young man. He found a recipe for rugelach published in a New York City newspaper sometime in the 1960s. As someone who likes to experiment and “change things around,” Smalls perfected the little pastry over the years. His recipe is secret, but he let us in on one key detail: the raisins are cooked in honey. Smalls’ bakery, known as Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, is a tiny storefront on 118th Street off of Frederick Douglass
Boulevard. The red and white motif and rose-festooned wallpaper have not changed much since he opened that location in 1994. He also had another bakery 1988-1994 on Amsterdam near Columbia University. Some of his customers once included clients from a methadone clinic that existed across the street. “They like sweet things,” Smalls says. The bakery has always had a devoted following, including a young Mike Tyson. A black-and-white photo of the world heavyweight champ with Smalls hangs on the wall. Now, in a changing demographic with a Starbucks around the corner, Lee Lee’s is serving people of all races, religions and backgrounds, young and old. Smalls recently partnered with Ben Neschis, a New York-based lawyer, and Scott Schuster, a brand manager, to help him expand the business. They will focus on increasing production and distributing the rugelach into neighborhood stores, says Neschis. “But Alvin is also loyal to his customers,” says Neschis, and continues baking danish, red velvet cake, carrot cake, pound cakes and pies. For a re-
Lee Lee’s Baked Goods on West 118th Street, near Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Photo: Maria Boyadjieva
Unbaked and ready for the confectionary oven. Photo: Maria Boyadjieva
A tool of the rugelach trade. Photo: Maria Boyadjieva
porter and a photographer, the danish was a good example of Smalls’ artistry. A perfectionist, Smalls said there should have been more dark cinnamon added to it. “One danish takes a lot of work,” Smalls says. “To make one danish you have to touch the pastry as many as six times.” The process to achieve the layers in the danish includes rolling out the dough and folding it, proofing it (letting it rise), and repeating that process several times. Then it is placed it in the oven, brushed with a water glaze, and finally decorated with glacé icing and toppings, he explains. “People don’t do that anymore.” Smalls’ son Kevin Smalls, 41, who apprenticed with his father since he was a child, recently joined his father as a full-time baker. With the expansion the father and son will keep an eagle eye on the increased production. The kitchen produces about 2,000 rugelach on a weekend day, but they have the capacity to bake 5,000 rugelach. The rugelach will also soon be kosher certified “early in the new year,” says Neschis. Kara Fenton, a frequent customer who lives nearby, said she’d come back to pick up some rugelach because a batch would only be ready in 20 minutes. It’s a common occurrence for customers to wait for a half hour or more; sometimes they’ll come back the next day if they miss that day’s baking.
Her best friend, Fenton says, got her sons’ bar mitzvah rugelach from Lee Lee’s. Fenton’s mother,, who was visiting from Albany for Thanksgiving, adds, “Every time I come here, I take some back.” “He’s the last of the Mohicans,” says John-
ny Yates, a customer who’s known Smalls for many years. “It’s old school,” , says y Neschis. For the first time, the bakery is Haoffering holiday gift tins for H nukkah and Christmas. One ccan order online from their website, webs leeleesrugelach.com, or by phone at (917) 493-6633.
Alvin Lee Smalls in his bakery. Photo: Maria Boyadjieva
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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Nothing beats newspapers as the most reliable source of local news in print and online Recent studies show:
‘‘
Newspapers led online consumption for local news” Coda Ventures Survey August 18, 2016
‘‘
Local media users named newspapers as their “most relied on” source for deals across a range of goods and services.” Coda Ventures Survey August 18, 2016
‘‘
What accounts for print’s superiority? Print - particularly the newspaper - is an amazingly sophisticated technology for showing you a lot of it.”
‘‘
Local newspapers are still the top source of news about readers’ communities, including their branded Web sites and social media channels.” Publisher’s Daily - August 30, 2016
‘‘
Residents are eager for news about their own communities, which, increasingly, only local news organizations can provide” Editor & Publisher - June 1, 2016
Politico - September 10, 2016
STRAUSMEDIA your neighborhood news source 212-868-0190 | nypress.com
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ART OF FOOD Our Town’s
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DECEMBER 1-7,2016
Saturday, February 4, 2017
BUY TICKETS NOW! artoffoodny.com
MEET THE CHEF You were at the Art of Tell me about the food at Food last year. Eastfields and The East Pole. Out of all the events I I worked with the do, this is definitely guys over at the Fat a fun one. I took a Radish for years. I lot of sculpture and was their chef for painting classes in many pop ups—we college, so when did one in Montauk, they gave me the another in Rio painting to pair de Janeiro. a dish with, it So when they was really cool opened up The for me because East Pole with I get to use my the Martignetti creativity and JOSEPH CAPOZZI Chef at Eastfields & The East Pole brothers, they my art skills 1479 York Avenue, New York, NY 133 E 65th St, New York, NY 10065 wanted me to become to match the colors and the head chef over here the style. Last year, I so I could carry on that Fat Radish had this really cool painting of a hotel tradition. courtyard (David Hockney’s View of Hotel Well III). There were a lot of reds What we do is farm-to-table style and yellows and bright colors. So I food. I call it “elevated home cooking,” did a beet latke with preserved Meyer which is basic, simple recipes cooked lemon skin on it to match the colors. on a higher level. Eastfields is our And it tasted really good too. sister restaurant, so we carry on the Fat Radish tradition there as well. This year I’m not sure what my painting is going to be yet, or what I’ve started creating my own style and kinds of emotions it is going to evoke, throwing in my influences from my so it’s a really fun challenge that I’m travels as well. When I did a pop up looking forward to. in Israel, I picked up a couple of cool How’d you get started in the culinary dishes, such as the schwarma which is on the menu at the Eastfields. world? I majored in fine arts in Vermont, but What’s your favorite thing to cook I was born in New York City. When I when you’re not at work? moved back to the city, I wasn’t sure I’m a pretty simple eater when I’m at what I wanted to do. I was dabbling home. We like to keep it healthy. I love in photography, but I had a cooking kale, avocado, and a hardboiled egg. background and ended up working I know it sounds cliché—I honestly with this great chef, Cedric Tovar, and have probably slung more avocado worked at a restaurant called Django toasts than any chef in New York City, as his line cook. I ended up learning but I really just love some avocado, a lot about French cooking from him. egg, and sriracha for breakfast. It’s He took me to the Waldorf Astoria just what I eat: it’s simple, it’s fresh, where we opened the Peacock Alley. it’s healthy. After that, I worked with Chef Daniel If we’re going out, I really like sashimi. Hum out of 11 Madison Park. I was And there are also a lot of those lucky to work with a lot of great chefs, noodle bowl places that are popping and learned a lot; just climbing that up. We’re really getting into those as culinary ladder here in the city. well.
Citi Bikes being delivered to a West 54th Street station. Photo: Jim.henderson via Wikimedia
CITI BIKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “It’s no secret that Citi Bike has become a symbol of gentrification,” Menchaca said. Council Member Margaret Chin, who represents much of Lower Manhattan, asked that Citi Bike’s discounted fare opportunities be more prominently publicized so that immigrant families and residents of public housing could more easily participate. Trottenberg agreed that more marketing could be done on the part of the Transportation Department, but said getting stations to more “far flung” neighborhoods had proved challenging. Citi Bike aims, she said, to have a bike available for anyone in any part of the city at all times. In the furthest reaches of the network, stations tend not to be refilled as quickly. But Citi Bike hasn’t always been welcome in the places it already exists. Council Member Helen Rosenthal’s constituents on the Upper West Side have rebelled against recent station installations in their area, citing concerns about pedestrian safety and adherence to traffic laws. Some also complained about what they saw as poor communication between the Department of Transportation and the people living near where the new stations would go. Trottenberg acknowledged that there is “certainly a phenomenon where not everyone is following everything we’re doing,” so it can seem like stations have appeared out of nowhere. However, she empha-
sized that her department was willing to work with community boards and council members if a station was causing problems. The topic of funding Citi Bike also featured prominently in the committee’s discussion. Trottenberg described the current system as a public-private partnership, but without the public money. Citi Bike is exclusively funded by private sponsors, which is part of the reason the network has mostly expanded in affluent neighborhoods, but she said she hopes that can change. Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the committee, sounded eager for the City Council to contribute several million dollars so that more people could use the service. “I am setting a goal today that Citi Bike should be available in every community board in the city by the year 2020,” he said. Rosenthal was less sure about expanding Citi Bike. “I would push back very strongly on the city dedicating funds to make this a more public model,” she said. “I have no indication that there’s 100 percent agreement that city funds should go into Citi Bike ... and at the same time I’m equally convinced that we have to get Citi Bike throughout all five boroughs.” Though she sounded ready to accept a contribution from the City Council, Trottenberg conceded that it would be “up to this body and the mayor to determine what would be best.” Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@ strausnews.com
DECEMBER 1-7,2016
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‘AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEROES’ Final phase of the South Village Historic District gets a hearing BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
The final proposed section of the South Village Historic District got its day in the sun, as it were, on a very rainy Tuesday morning. After a decade of efforts to protect the southernmost parts of Greenwich Village, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) at last held a hearing on landmarking the area bordered by West Houston to the north, Watts Street to the south, Sixth Avenue to the west and Thompson Street to the east. The area is being called the SullivanThompson Historic District. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s original proposal to landmark the South Village was submitted in December 2006, carving out a choppy piece of Manhattan between Greenwich Village and SoHo. Since then the society has brought about the designation of two sections of its original proposal, and it hopes the final Sullivan-Thompson part will complete the puzzle. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, urged commissioners on Tuesday to establish phase three of the project. “In the last several years, many of the district’s significant historic structures have been lost due to the lack of landmark protections,” he said. “With yet another proposed rezoning on this district’s edges right now that will increase development pressure, this is the time to act.” Representatives from the offices of Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer added their support to the mix, as did Councilman Corey Johnson, who represents the area in question. “Our ability to comprehend and appreciate [immigrant] history is tied into the buildings that line Sullivan and Thompson Streets,” he said. “There is no substitute for experiencing the streetscape and architecture that remain from this era.” Not far from the proposed new historic district sits Pier 40 which, despite fervent opposition from the community, was recently approved to transfer 200,000 square feet of air rights to the St. Johns Terminal on Washington Street in exchange for $100 million. The impending transfer and redevelopment of the St. Johns Terminal helped get the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District in front of the LPC, as preservationists became desperate to prevent future largescale air rights transfers. Members of the Historic Districts Council, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, architects and residents of Greenwich Village and SoHo also lined up to express their support for the new historic district. But not everyone who spoke was in favor. Joseph Rosenberg, executive director of the Catholic Community Relations Council, asked the commission to exclude St. Anthony of Padua Church and its five buildings from the landmarking. “The designation of historic district status imposes a particularly onerous burden on religious institutions,” he said. “Such a designation frequently prevents a parish from effectively utilizing the property to achieve mission-based commitments.” Steve Hamilton, a property owner on Sixth Avenue between Prince and Spring Streets, said the fees required to renovate landmarked buildings would prevent him from making necessary repairs and restorations. “In 2005 we saved up enough to strip the peeling white paint from the facade, revealing the original brickwork,” he said. “Had we been landmarked the ugly white paint would remain, because the legal fees would’ve consumed more than half of our budget.” But there were generally more supporters at the hearing than opponents. Deborah Clearman, who spoke on behalf of her co-op in the proposed district, said residents of her building “treasured the historic character and scale” of the neighborhood and were eager for it to be landmarked. Another resident told the commissioners they had “an opportunity to be heroes” by protecting the area. The Landmarks Preservation Commission plans to vote on the designation of the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District on Dec. 13. Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@strausnews.com
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