Our Town - December 20, 2018

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The local paper for the Upper East Side AARON SORKIN HITS BROADWAY WITH AN ICONIC COURTROOM DRAMA ◄ P. 12

WEEK OF DECEMBER

20-26 2018

SOLD: TWO FABLED UES CHURCHES EXCLUSIVE “Bedpan Alley” marches north into Yorkville as a medical school buys a religious institution — which turns around and purchases another church BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

Staff at residential buildings feel the brunt of the online retail surge in December, fielding increased package deliveries. Photo: Michael Garofalo

HOLIDAY PACKAGE BOOM DELIVERIES How residential buildings are adjusting to the new normal of online shopping BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But not for the doorman at an East 80th Street condominium building. “It sucks,” he said with a wry smile, gesturing to a row of cabinets in the building’s lobby filled with residents’ package deliveries. As New Yorkers increasingly rely on Internet retailers for their holiday shopping, he said, doormen are often left holding the box. “It’s definitely more emphasized at Christmas, but I see it throughout the year,” said the

In certain buildings, the guys at the front door may spend all day just logging packages and then distributing them throughout the building” John Santos 32BJ vice president doorman, who asked that his name not be used. “As the years have gone by, we’re getting more and more stuff.” “It makes my work harder, which, like anybody else, I’m not particularly thrilled about.”

Jan Hus Presbyterian Church — a storied house of worship on the Upper East Side that once boasted thousands of Czech parishioners — is selling its 1888 building on East 74th Street, Straus News has learned. “We’re relieving ourselves of a burdensome asset,” said Rev. Beverly Dempsey, the senior pastor. “We’re giving ourselves the opportunity to serve the most vulnerable populations of New York City for generations to come.” The Church of the Epiphany — built in 1939 to minister to the nearby hospitals and the only place of prayer on York Avenue — is buying Jan Hus, which sits one block to the east, pastors and lay leaders of both congregations confirmed. “Our building doesn’t work for us, we don’t have enough space, we’re not accessible,” said Rev. Jennifer Reddall. “Now, we’ll be able to significantly expand our ministry to the neighborhood, and at the same time, we’ll get to save a historic building.” A third venerable local institution — which also has a healing mission, and boasts a far richer endowment — is making the twin transactions possible: Weill Cornell Medicine, which includes a graduate school and a medical school that traces its origins to 1898, is buying Epiphany, the church told worshippers in a Nov. 13 “Dear Friends” letter. “This is a transformational transaction,” the letter says. It describes the goal of Epiphany’s vestry, which is made up of its elected

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

It shouldn’t be all medical, medical, medical, medical. We need a mixed community.” East Side community organizer Jill Eisner

Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, a 130-year-old ecclesiastical jewel, is being bought by the nearby Church of the Epiphany, another religious treasure in Yorkville. Photo: Trix Rosen Photographer Ltd / Friends of the UES Historic Districts Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, December 21 – 4:14 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

Weather didn’t deter the bird counters. Photo courtesy of Riverside Park Conservancy

CITIZEN SCIENCE IN NYC PARKS NATURE Riverside Park was one of several participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count Despite grey skies and rain, the Audubon Society’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, Dec. 16th. The count is the nation’s longest-running citizen science

bird project, and Riverside Park was one of several city parks hosting the Bird Count. Members of the community explored the natural woodland and coastal areas between 125th and 96th Streets to identify and count the several species of birds that reside there. The data collected in the the parks will be conveyed to the NYC chapter of the Audubon Society, which contributes to a large-scale bird population survey conducted across North America, Latin America, the Carib-

bean, Bermuda and the PaciďŹ c Islands. The information gathered in this collective effort has enabled researchers and conservation biologists to study and log the health of bird species over more than a century. The Riverside Park Conservancy team met at 8 a.m. at West Harlem Piers (125th Street) to explore the species in Riverside Park and walked south to 96th Street, ďŹ nishing around 1:30 p.m.

In Riverside Park. Photo courtesy of Riverside Park Conservancy

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th precinct for the week ending Dec 9 Week to Date

Year to Date

2018 2017

% Change

2018

2017

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

1

0

n/a

Rape

0

1

-100.0 14

16

-12.5

Robbery

0

4

-100.0 129

116

11.2

Felony Assault

2

2

0.0

140

122

14.8

Burglary

5

3

66.7

214

192

11.5

Grand Larceny

34

42

-19.0

1,352 1,339 1.0

Grand Larceny Auto

1

0

n/a

71

53

34.0

Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

STRATOCASTER DISASTER Stealing guitar riffs is one thing, but stealing guitars is quite another. A 67-year-old man closed his music studio on East 81st Street at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 7, The next morning his wife found the back door open and several items missing, including a Fender Stratocaster valued at $1,700 and a bass amp worth $800,

PARK AVENUE WOMAN SCAMMED FOR $64K

POLICE COLLAR YORK AVENUE ROAD RAGER

SHOPPER’S WALLET STOLEN

ANOTHER YORK AVENUE ROAD RAGE INCIDENT

On Tuesday, October 30, a woman received an e-mail from an unknown individual requesting her to wire funds to a certain bank account. Thinking the e-mail was legitimate, she submitted two payments, one for $9,500 and another for $55,000. Police are investigating.

According to police a road rage incident on Wednesday December 5, at York Avenue and East 82nd Street, ended with one man at the hospital and another under arrest. Police charged Klevis Mocka, 35, with assault for the alleged attack, on the 29-year-old victim. A check of Mocka’s license showed that it had been suspended for failure to respond to an earlier summons.

A local woman probably never thought grocery shopping could prove so expensive. On Tuesday, December 4, a 73-year-old woman was shopping at the Morton Williams supermarket at 1331 First Avenue when someone took her wallet containing debit and credit cards. The cards were later used for multiple transactions, including one for $2,650 at the Best Buy at Lexington Avenue and 86th Street.

At 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 4, a man stopped at a red light at the southwest corner of York Avenue and East 91st Street. A woman driver in front of him got out of her car and threw a bottle at his windshield, breaking it. She then took off.

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BY PETER PEREIRA

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

PACKAGES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The number of packages on a typical day in December is “crazy—at least double, sometimes triple the rest of the year,” according to another doorman at a nearby Yorkville co-op who also requested anonymity, but took a more ambivalent position on the increased workload. “Sometimes it’s good,” he said with a shrug. “If there’s nothing going on, a package can occupy you. It all depends.” John Santos, vice president of 32BJ and director of the union’s residential division, said that two decades ago, before online retail rose to prominence, doormen would typically field only a handful of deliveries each day, usually small packages and overnight envelopes. Today—as more than 40 percent of New Yorkers receive deliveries at home “at least a few times a week,” according to a 2017 study by the city’s Department of Transportation—building service workers find themselves handling everything from mattresses to appliances, not to mention perishable food items delivered by companies like FreshDirect and Blue Apron. “Not only has the volume gone up but also the size of the packages has increased,” Santos said. But as the online shopping boom has

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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com created more work for doormen, it has also created more jobs. “In really big complexes, I’ve seen instances where buildings have added staff just to keep up with the load,” Santos said. “In certain buildings, the guys at the front door may spend all day just logging packages and then distributing them throughout the building,” he said, adding that it’s not uncommon for buildings to bring on temporary help to handle increased deliveries during the holiday season. One such building is the AVONOVA, at 219 West 81st St., which has added a second doorman during the month of December for the last three years. Michael Carroll, the president of the building’s condominium board, said the extra coverage is necessary not just to handle the surge in package deliveries, but also the increased number of guests visiting residents’ homes for holiday parties. Expanded staffing allows one doorman to handle package deliveries while the other works the door and announces visitors. Seasonal staffing changes are just one aspect of the building’s adjustments to the year-round reality of online retail. The building added cold storage four years ago to hold groceries, flowers and pharmaceutical deliveries, and has also expanded each of its two storage rooms in recent years. “We decided we needed extra storage when we saw packages being left

by the doorman in the lobby, and we didn’t like that look,” he said, adding, “We might need to expand again because the package count just increases every year.” E-commerce’s share of the U.S. retail market has more than doubled since 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Amazon’s October announcement that it would build new corporate offices in Long Island City brought renewed attention to the myriad impacts the online retail boom has had on life in Manhattan, from vacant storefronts reflecting the decline of brick-and-mortar retail to the increased proliferation of delivery trucks on city streets, which transportation experts often cite as a contributing factor to worsening congestion. As residents in buildings without doormen have increasingly turned to Amazon Lockers and other remote package pickup services to receive deliveries and avoid package theft, full-service buildings have had to adjust operations to accommodate additional packages. Margie Russell, executive director of the New York Association of Realty Managers, said she has worked with staff in residential buildings to streamline package handling. She recommends buildings deliver packages in batches to residents’ doors during designated hours or upon request rather than individually in the lobby.

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“It’s far more efficient than dealing with package after package at the desk in the evening, when it’s a highsecurity time,” Russell said. In many cases, she added, buildings can avoid hiring new staff and raising monthly maintenance fees by adjusting the hours of existing staff. Michael D. Rothschild, vice present at AJ Clarke Real Estate, said that at older buildings without doormen or live-in superintendents, property managers have fewer options. Owners can install virtual doorman systems that allow operators to remotely monitor entrances via closed-circuit video feeds and grant access to delivery workers– “quite an expensive proposition”—but storage areas are virtually nonexistent in most prewar walkup apartment buildings. “Even if there were someone to leave it with, there would be nowhere for them to keep it,” Rothschild said. Rothschild said that a number of his firm’s full-service buildings have adopted software that automatically notifies residents via text or email when a package arrives. “It just makes people more aware that something is waiting, and makes it more likely that they’ll quickly pick it up,” freeing up limited storage space, he said. “We can’t change what people’s habits are, and we’re not looking to do that,” Rothschild said. “It’s a fact of life.”

CORRECTION There was an error in last week’s Business story, “Goodwill Store on West 79th Street to Close,” (Dec. 13-19). The piece said that the landlord closing the Goodwill at 217 West 79th Street had also forced nearby Voila Chocolat at 221 West 79th Street to close due to rent. In fact, the owner of 221 West 79th Street, and former landlord of Voila Chocolat, had nothing to do with Goodwill. In addition, Voila Chocolate’s departure was not due to raised rent. Straus News apologizes for the mistake.

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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CHURCHES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 lay leaders. They say that the church’s endowment will grow by a “minimum of $13 million,” and “hopefully more,” after it buys Jan Hus, pays for renovation and transaction costs and gives a share to the Diocese of New York. Currently, the endowment for Epiphany, located at 1393 York Ave. on the northwest corner of 74th Street, is $3.25 million. “We didn’t want to sell our property and be homeless, and we couldn’t afford to buy Jan Hus without selling our own building,” said Rev. Reddall, the rector of the Episcopal church. Epiphany plans to relocate in early 2021 to the Jan Hus space, at 351 East 74th St., between First and Second Avenues, after a two-year retrofit, adding an elevator, reconfiguring parts of the interior and making the building fully ADA accessible. Asked if Jan Hus would be gutted, Rev. Reddall said, “That’s the wrong word to use — but it’s a real fixer-upper! Now, we’ll have the funds to make it beautiful again.” She said the deal “takes all the pressure off our finances.” In a statement, Weill Cornell Medicine said it was in the “early stages of an agreement” with Epiphany to acquire its York Avenue property for a “future residence hall for students in the coming years.” “Providing the students of our medical and graduate schools with

convenient housing within walking distance of the main campus is a top priority,” it said. “However, we are in a preliminary phase and any result is not immediate.” Jan Hus and Epiphany signed contracts of sale and purchase on or around Nov. 12. Separately, Epiphany and Weill Cornell inked contracts on the same day or week. If all goes as anticipated, the three parties will close on the two real estate deals in the first quarter of 2019, the churches confirmed. Weill Cornell didn’t address the timetable of a closing. So far, all three parties are declining to disclose sales prices. “While this time of transition might be challenging — as Epiphany moves to what is now Jan Hus, and Jan Hus arranges another home in our community — it’s also a time for relief,” said state Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, who represents the district. “Both congregations have managed to find a way to remain in our community, both for worship and for the extraordinarily beneficial outreach and social services they provide our most vulnerable neighbors,” she added.

Light and Air vs. Glass and Steel Driving the sales are the perilous finances long bedeviling religious institutions in the East 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Faced with soaring costs to heat, maintain and upgrade cavernous legacy buildings, church stewards have been shrinking their footprints and monetizing their holdings to remain

fiscally solvent. And as sacred sites contract, the neighborhood’s medical spaces are bursting at the seams, adding to the rapid pace of change in Yorkville. The mediplex along York Avenue — long dubbed “Bedpan Alley” by its residents and known as the “Scientific Corridor” to its hospitals — was traditionally bounded by Rockefeller University to the south and 71st or 72nd Street to the north. Not anymore. As the area became increasingly chockablock with health and hospital facilities, Memorial Sloan Kettering became the first institution to crash the symbolic 72nd Street barrier. Its 23-story, 750,000-square-foot David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care, on the south side of 74th Street at the FDR Drive, is scheduled to open in 2019. Now, Weill Cornell is pushing the boundary up to the north side of 74th Street, even deeper into the residential heart of Yorkville. That’s already sparked a backlash: “It shouldn’t be all medical, medical, medical, medical,” said Jill Eisner, an East Side community organizer and Democratic district leader who lives across the street from Epiphany and is active in Residents for Reasonable Development. The church is a unique structure, she says, and its property offers light, air and green spaces, all of which would likely disappear if Weill Cornell develops a residence hall in its stead. “We need a mixed community,” Eisner added. “It shouldn’t be just anoth-

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er big, high, ugly glass monstrosity.” Meanwhile, one block away, Jan Hus, the oldest Czech Presbyterian congregation in America, is in the final stages of either buying or leasing a home for both its worship services and its Urban Outreach Center, the one-stop, social services operation that ministers to the elderly, homeless, impoverished and food and housing insecure. The church has to vacate what it calls its “all-consuming, 130-year-old building” in the first half of 2019. In briefing parishioners about the sale, its pastor said the funds will “secure our worship, ministry and mission well into the future, prayerfully and in the fear of God.” In an interview, Rev. Dempsey said the church may be within days of securing “reasonably sized” space, substantially less than the 23,000 square feet it now occupies, within walking distance of its current home. “We are not a people who lack hope,” she said. A deal would let Jan Hus seamlessly pursue its social-justice mission, providing basic human needs to 28,175 vulnerable New Yorkers a year, offering a place for 340 homeless adults to collect their mail and running 55 twelvestep groups that meet weekly to serve 12,320 men and women in need. The church, which for generations provided a spiritual and communal home for Czech immigrants and offered Czech-language services, keeps close ties to the Czech consulate and conducts genealogical research for

Czech families. “Jan Hus has been an important part of the Upper East Side for over 141 years,” said City Council Member Ben Kallos. “The church has been welcoming of all by proudly flying an LGBTQ flag above its entrance for as long as I can remember.” Kallos said he’s convening the leaders of Epiphany, Jan Hus, Weill Cornell and city officials “to ensure services not only continue but also improve in our community.” Preservationists and lovers of great architecture will be watching carefully. Jan Hus “creates an incredibly evocative streetscape” with “asymmetrical massing, red brick, rock-faced brownstone, terra cotta ornamentation and distinctive Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival details,” said Rachel Levy, executive director of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts. Culturally, it is integral to Yorkville’s Czech and Slovak history, she added. “In recognition of the direct link with Yorkville’s immigrant history and its remarkably intact exterior, we have urged the Landmarks Preservation Commission to hold a public hearing to initiate the designation process so alterations to the building can benefit from the LPC’s expert review,” Levy said. “We want to see the Jan Hus site remain as a physical and visual reminder of our neighborhood’s past.” invreporter@strausnews.com

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YORKVILLE’S LOSS = ARIZONA’S GAIN PASSAGES For 15 years, she gave her heart and soul to the Church of the Epiphany. Now, as her church sells its home and buys another, she’s ready for her next challenge BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

To grasp how dramatically the finances of the Church of the Epiphany have changed in modern times, says the Rev. Jennifer Reddall, examine the names on the wall of its longago donors. Among the inscribed plutocrats are Mellons and Rhinelanders, Cornings and Livingstons, Pynes and De Peysters — plus household names like J. Pierpont Morgan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. “None of those families come to my church,â€? she says. “We no longer are a community of inherited wealth. Instead, we have many of those who work hard, but are cash poor, and so we need to ďŹ nd alternative sources of income beyond the parishioner-giving that traditionally paid for the church.â€? Now Reddall, who is rector of the Episcopal church, and its lay leadership, have done precisely that. Epiphany is under contract to sell its 79-year-old house of worship to Weill Cornell Medicine – and with the anticipated proceeds from the medical school, it is also under contract to buy Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, which sits a block away on East 74th Street. It isn’t just the church that

has reached an inection point in its pastoral life: So has Reddall, who arrived at Epiphany in 2003 as associate rector, became priest in charge in 2011 and was called as rector in 2014. The 43-year-old California native was elected as the sixth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona at its diocesan convention on Oct. 20, and when she is ordained and consecrated in Phoenix next March, she will become the first woman elected bishop in the state’s history. She’ll also take her place as the youngest member of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, which has 300 active members and is one of the two houses that forms the governing body of the church in America. Dec. 25 will mark the last time she presides over her congregation at 1393 York Avenue when she conducts a “Blue Christmasâ€? service at 10 a.m. “It is aimed at those for whom the holidays are sad, lonely or complicated,â€? she said. In her 15 years of service, Reddall guided the expansion of the church day school, whose enrollment soared from 23 children to 70, and oversaw or initiated a range of homeless, social justice, medical and neighborhood outreach programs. She supervised a staff of 22 employees, including teachers, ministered to a growing parish and school with a modest budget of $1.9 million, raised $600,000 for capital projects and increased pledged giving by 27 percent.

Rev. Jennifer Reddall, rector of the Church of the Epiphany on York Avenue. Photo courtesy of the Church of the Epiphany And on her watch, the church, which had few children when she first arrived, became remarkably diverse in terms of race and age. “Newcomers would sometimes tell me they liked the church, but they needed to find a place where their children could find community,� the rector said. “Now, families join the church because of our children’s programs — Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, choirs, our youth group, and of course, the Day School. And those families are a virtual United Nations of race and ethnicity.� As for the move down 74th Street, she says, it will ensure the continued growth of parish, worship, programs and ministry: “Without it, it is likely the Epiphany community would not have been able to continue to thrive,� Reddall adds. “We’ve been a parish for 185 years, and moved five times. Our sixth move will ensure that we have a sustainable future – for the next 100-plus years.� invreporter@strausnews.com

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A BROADCAST TO ACT ON BY BETTE DEWING

Thank you longtime friend and nearby neighbor, Marcus C. for alerting me to WCBS local coverage of the St. Ignatius Loyola school kids singing carols on the church front steps. Indeed, they were seen and heard briefly numerous times during Lonnie Quinn’s weather reports. And the weather was blessedly pleasant, so this welcome event could be held outdoors. (Incidentally, I so believe several choir members singing on the steps before a service might prompt passersby to go inside). More later about this much-needed peace on earth goodwill concert, but this recent newscast aired other news we need to know about and act

upon, like the Salvation Army’s request that the public donate money or instruments to keep the Harlem School of Music’s Phil Ramone Orchestra for Children up and running. Other news that needs infinitely more coverage is the fire that destroyed a block of small stores in Queens and damaged the adjacent apartment. And now, the popular Upper East Side restaurant Jacques, at 200 East 85th St. and nearby homes are the latest victims of a fast-moving fire on Dec. 14. Fires are always disastrous, but especially when neighborhood stores and livable affordable homes are on the endangered species list. Worse, of course, is when lives are lost or grievous injuries occur. Infinitely

more must be said and done about prevention; the media, especially, must repeatedly stress the critical need for working smoke detectors. And now some warnings are needed about dry Christmas trees and faulty decorative lights. The newscasters also interviewed grieving parents who are now working against the drunk-driving crime which killed their beloved young son, who was walking with other Boy Scouts in Manorville, Long Island;/when he was brutally and senselessly struck down. And oh how drunk driving, and indeed irresponsible drinking in general, needs to be opposed. Too little is said about the violent and regrettable behaviors due to excessive drinking.

That’s a lot to think and act on. Again, how we need media to remind us! And how we need more media fare like the Loyola school kids singing Christmas carols. Not covered was the Christmas pageant that occurred later, and was planned in large part by the eighth grade graduating class. Reportedly, the place was packed with adoring family members. Ah, an important aside about grandparents and the extended family: this year they are included in my friend Marcus and his wife Cathy’s Christmas photo greeting card. May it start a long overdue trend. Of course, the trend most needed is for more TV coverage of peace on earth and joy to the world events all year long. That’s not to mention talk shows which further good relationships between family, friends and neighbors - not only at holiday gettogethers. Hey, it’s not an impossible dream. Oh, and bring back “The

THE MYTH OF THE MAGIC NANNY BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

Upper East Side mothers contend with a lot of good, bad, wacky, exhausting and often aggravating stuff in the course of the parenting day. I will be eternally grateful for being spared having had to bring a stranger into my home to help me care for my children. With Emily Blunt’s emergence as the uber-nanny in “Mary Poppins Returns” (in theaters everywhere December 19th), I am reminded how lucky I was to have my now 96-yearold mother taking care of my kids Luke and Meg, who are now 23 and 20 respectively. I admit though, I did not always appreciate the guidance and assistance she offered. In 1995 I was new to the mother game, but very much wanted to be large and in charge. It was hard to do so when the mother of all mothers was around. I can admit now that she was always right. Back then though, I often found myself sticking to my (wrong) way of doing something and arguing with her the way I had as a teenager, while thinking, “I should hire help;

someone to lend a hand with a shut mouth. Those people with nannies have it made.” And some did. I knew a few families who employed lovely people who stayed in the job for years without incident. That situation never makes the news; only the ones where the babysitter drowns her charges or shakes the life out of a child. Then come the exposés. From the ones I recall, there was invariably a snide remark about how “everyone wants Mary Poppins.” So much so, that a modern-day likeness of the icon was chosen for the cover of the 2002 cause célèbre, “The Nanny Diaries,” which had many UES mothers defensively putting the word out that they were not Mrs. X types. But who could blame people for wanting this mythical creature to care for their kids in their stead? Mary Poppins is fairly strict, yet sympathetic, cheerful and nurturing. She knows what it takes to make the medicine go down, and can handle any situation just by reaching into her carpetbag of tricks. (Plus, there’s the whole magic thing.) Hey, if she’d existed, I even would

have hired her. But she didn’t. And my guess is that she still doesn’t. Although I never knew anyone on the other end of the spectrum, where tragedy struck, most the time what I observed was that caregivers worked out for a bit, then would baffle the family by doing something too disappointing to understand or forgive. “She left my son in the park by Balto,” offered the mom sharing her tale with a group of us, all our mouths agape. “Then she went home to her house in Brooklyn and called me so I could call the police.” Another story went like this: The nanny left on a Thursday night, gave the key to the doorman, and never came back. The mother had to take a week off from work. They used her absence as a way to fire her. Oh yes, and I always ran into someone who knew someone with child care woes: The nanny locked a friend’s daughter in the closet; didn’t give the child his medication when she was supposed to; and then there was the au pair who ran off with her employer’s husband. There were parents who seemed to be forever interviewing for

Waltons” reruns! And here’s to communication skills that enable “the getting along” being taught by schools and faith groups. Included would be family and friend holiday conversations on how to stay vitally connected during the year, especially, but not only, for those who disperse to faraway homes. Ah, how could I forget how the ‘‘family rich” need to include the ‘‘family poor,” especially, but not only, during this holy day/holiday season. This has nothing to do with income. And faith groups with love for one another’s creeds should enable this cause, as well as enabling disabled persons to attend faith group services, with ample time spent with those unable to travel. But enough of all these spoken directives already. Let’s all do a lot more singing together and also alone – songs of peace and goodwill, what else? All year long, of course.

Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios

a new mother’s helper. This often led to being asked, “So where’d you find yours?” My answer elicited mixed reactions. Some women admitted they envied me because their own mothers lived too far away, still worked full time jobs or were no longer living. For others, it appeared to be a trigger, reminding them they had no relationship with their mothers, and it made them caustic. One woman once sniffed that mine must have time on her hands and how hers “had a life.” So did mine by the way; one she selflessly put second, first for me, who she had raised as a single mother, then for her grandchildren. I’m ashamed to say that it was only after a bout of cringe-worthy “what the caregiver did” stories that I’d feel humbled and appreciative that be-

cause Luke and Meg had their granny for their nanny, I was the one who has it made. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”

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STREETS Cyclists push for safety improvements in 79th Street restoration project BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

West Side cyclists are concerned that the impending overhaul of the West 79th Street Rotunda will leave bikers vulnerable as they navigate the Rotunda’s traffic circle, a key access point to the Hudson River Greenway. Department of Transportation officials presented an update on plans to reconďŹ gure the heavily trafficked roundabout, which includes two ramps for vehicles exiting and entering the Henry Hudson Parkway, at a Dec. 17 meeting of Community Board 7’s parks, preservation and transportation committees. Under the DOT’s plan, cyclists would share the circle’s single traffic lane with vehicles and buses. The lane is 18 feet wide — 6 feet wider than a standard lane — to accommodate MTA buses, which use the circle to turn around on 79th Street. Cyclists would be discouraged from using the shoulder on the right side of the travel lane, which would be covered with a textured red surface. By riding in the vehicle lane rather than the shoulder, DOT officials explained, cyclists will be more visible to cars entering the circle from the Henry Hudson Parkway’s southbound offramp. Several community board members and residents at the meeting expressed misgivings with the DOT plan, many of them citing their preference for a dedicated space for bikers and pedestrians at the site

LOCKSMITH The problem is that people were not riding their bikes for work or for recreation when the Rotunda was designed.� Roberta Semer, chair of Community Board 7

rather than a shared lane. Andy Rosenthal, who lives nearby and regularly uses the Rotunda as a pedestrian, urged transportation officials to install barriers around the circle to create a protected lane for cyclists and pedestrians. “Give the bikers a safe place away from the cars and buses,â€? he said. Asked by community board members whether installing a dedicated bike lane at the circle would be feasible, Joannene Kidder, executive director of community affairs at the DOT’s Division of Bridges, said, “Our cycling experts have determined that that is not ideal, and therefore it is not in the current design.â€? A number of attendees identiďŹ ed the southbound entrance ramp to the Henry Hudson Parkway as a dangerous point of conict, where drivers accelerating onto the ramp to anticipate highway speeds often do not expect to see cyclists and pedestrians in their path. “This is one of the main entrances to the busiest bikeway in the United States and it’s really not good,â€? said Mark Horton, who lives nearby and navigates the Rotunda by bike on a regular basis to access the Hudson River Greenway. “Given that we’re doing a big construction project in this day and age, it’s kind of a shame that we would be spending this

sort of money to do almost nothing.� Roberta Semer, the chair of Community Board 7, noted that the board has requested that the DOT install protection for all Upper West Side bike lanes. “It’s not an ideal situation,� she said. “The problem is that people were not riding their bikes for work or for recreation when the Rotunda was designed.� “I think signage on and off the parkway, signage around the circle and enforcement are going to be the key factors,� Semer added. Along with improvements to the traffic circle, the Rotunda renovation project will also include improvements to the 1937 structure’s masonry, installation of ADA-compliant ramps and restoration of the fountain and other facilities in the pedestrian plaza in the rotunda’s interior. Construction on the $150 million project is expected to begin next year, with a target completion date of 2022. City officials will return Jan. 10 to present additional updates to CB 7’s parks and preservation committees on outstanding issues regarding the staging of equipment during construction and the site’s landmark status. An advisory vote on the proposal by the full community board is expected to follow in February.

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Join the New York Choral Society for a musical holiday celebration with holiday favorites selected by Associate Conductor Michael Ciavaglia. This holiday concert concludes with the audience joining in for a sing-along of well-known carols and holiday music.

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St. Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Ave. 7:30 p.m. $40 nychoral.org 212-247-3878

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American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street 7 p.m. $15/$13.50 students & seniors Celebrate the winter solstice and get ready for the cosmic year ahead. President of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Institute Ted Williams and Brooklyn’s Friendly Neighborhood Astronomer Irene Pease will conduct this tour around the sun and present fascinating astronomical and scientiďŹ c happenings. amnh.org 212-769-5100

SHADY LADIES OF THE MET MUSEUM Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Ave. 10 a.m. Free with admission Discover the true stories behind the muses of some of The Met’s most famous artworks, including nude models in ancient Greece, Venetian poets and courtesans, and the true identity of John Singer Sargent’s “Madam X.� metmuseum.org 212-535-7710

Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue 8 p.m. $21 Ring in the holiday season with Ashley Brown (Broadway’s original Mary Poppins), who returns to the New York stage with this festive program of classic and contemporary carols. Also features performances by the New York Pops, Carnegie Hall Music Director Steven Reineke, and Essential Voices USA. carnegiehall.org 212-247-7800

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Photo: Michael Vadon, via Flickr

Sun 23 Mon 24 Tue 25 ALVIN AILEY 60TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

SARAH MORRIS: ‘MIDTOWN PAINTINGS: 1998-2001’

▲ CHRISTMAS DAY IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER

The Ailey Studios 405 West 55th St. 3 p.m. $29 The Ailey Studios celebrates 60 years with its biggest season yet, centered on premieres by some of the most acclaimed choreographers in the company’s history, including Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, Wayne McGregor, and Jessica Lang. alvinailey.org 212-405-9500

Petzel Gallery 35 East 67th St. 10 a.m. Free Sarah Morris could be described as a sort of globalist flâneur, strolling the boulevards of cities from Beijing to Abu Dhabi to capture local impressions in magisterial videos and vividly colored, geometrically abstract canvasses. Her Midtown paintings series captures a world on the cusp of change. petzel.com 212-680-9467

Rockefeller Center tour locations vary 10 a.m. $30 Join architectural historian Anthony W. Robins for this annual Christmas Day tour of Rockefeller Center, the private real estate venture that has evolved into the public square of midtown Manhattan, and an urban wonderland during the holiday season. mas.org 212-935-3960

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Christmas Day in Rockefeller Center

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Architectural historian Anthony W. Robins leads this annual tour, revealing secret histories of a private real estate venture that has evolved into midtown’s public square and one of the nation’s premier holiday season showcases ($30).

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26TH, 6:30PM

The Green Room 42 570 10th Ave. 7 p.m. $35 Emmy-nominated magician Matt Roberts brings his humorous, astounding, and family-friendly interactive magic show to the Green Room 42. Sleight of hand, levitation, mindreading, and a twist on one of Houdini’s favorite feats, all in a setting perfectly designed for magic. mattrobertsmagic.com 646-449-7792

Storyworthy: Matthew Dicks with Erin Barker Mid-Manhattan Library | 476 Fifth Ave. | 212-340-0863 | nypl.org Teacher, author, and award-winning Moth storyteller Matthew Dicks shares his tips on how to craft a narration in conversation with writer and editor Erin Barker, two-time winner of The Moth’s GrandSLAM and the artistic director of science storytelling organization The Story Collider (free).

Just Announced | The Coddling of the American Mind with Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt, Lenore Skenazy, and Malcolm Gladwell

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 7PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org A panel of authors gathers to address the decline in American civil discourse and the way it relates to partisan shifts in political conversation and the rise of overprotective parenting ($35).

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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AARON SORKIN HITS BROADWAY WITH AN ICONIC COURTROOM DRAMA THEATER “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a contemporary adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee novel BY MARK KENNEDY

This isn’t a class field trip. It’s not an exercise in nostalgia or an homage.” Sorkin’s adaptation crackles with energy and his trademark soaring language that made hits of “The Newsroom” and “The West Wing.” He has brilliantly cut the undergrowth of minor characters and enhanced others, particularly two prominent African-American characters: the maid Calpurnia and Tom Robinson, a client falsely accused of rape, both of whom are mostly silent in the coming-of-age novel about racism and injustice. “I understand that, in 1960, using African-American characters only as atmosphere would probably go unnoticed. But I couldn’t pretend that I was writing the play in 1960. I’m writing it now and it is noticeable and it’s wrong. It’s also a wasted opportunity,” he said. LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who plays Calpurnia opposite Jeff Daniels’ Atticus, said Sorkin examined the subtext and innuendo of her character and built Calpurnia an existence she never had before.

Aaron Sorkin is a huge fan of courtroom dramas, both as a reader and as a watcher. His first Broadway play was Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Photo: Julieta Cervantes the swashbuckling military justice “I don’t know of anyone else who U.S. president did not denounce them. story, “A Few Good Men,” and he’s recould have done what Aaron has done. “Suddenly it started to sound to me turned with another legal thriller this He truly has lifted the essence of ev- in 2018 like there were ‘fine people winter. But this time he had to shake erything that was inside that Harper on both sides,”’ Sorkin said. Atticus off a real courtroom drama. Lee book,” she said. “She might have would have to come off his high horse. A lawsuit earlier this year threatwritten it in 1960 but the translation “In the play, I wanted him to struggle ened to delay or even derail Sorkin’s with the questions.” is totally 2018.” adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee Sorkin in person is how you’d expect The script also has Atticus’ children, 1960 novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Scout and Jem, and their best friend, — affable, energized and knowledgebefore the Oscar- and Emmy-winning Dill, played by adult actors who nar- able about virtually anything. He’ll go writer made a few minor changes to rate, argue over memories and, in a from explaining the origin of the term his script to keep the show on track. self-referential way, comment on what “three-dog night” to the finer points of “There was a very scary few weeks,” they’re doing. (“This is where I come finding good pizza in Greenwich VilSorkin acknowledges during an interin,” one says when he appears.) Sor- lage or recounting a story about opera view in the Shubert Theatre, where kin used the technique once before in diva Maria Callas. his adaptation is a big draw. “We were He was raised in the New York his last Broadway outing, “The afraid we were going to lose this suburbs and his first theatrical exFarnsworth Invention.” theater and therefore not be able Perhaps his most ambitious perience was watching “Man of La to be in any theater.” change was with Atticus, a wid- Mancha,” a moment when “suddenly The legal maneuvering began owed father and open-minded theaters became cathedrals.” His iniwhen Lee’s estate complained progressive in the Depression- tial career goal was to write for muthat the play’s script wrongly era South, played to perfection sical theater and now gets a kick that altered Atticus Finch, the noble by Gregory Peck in the film ver- he’s in the Shubert Theatre, where he attorney at the heart of the novsion. “He’s a godlike figure in saw “A Chorus Line” many times as a el, and other book characters. the book and in the movie who young man. That lawsuit was met by a counWhen he first was asked to adapt “To can do no wrong. He’s kind of tersuit and eventually mediated carved out of marble,” said Sor- Kill a Mockingbird,” he acknowledges discussions broke the deadlock. his first draft was cringe-worthy. He kin. Sorkin expects no lingering bitAtticus is so morally grounded simply took all the best scenes from terness. that he tolerates intolerance, the book and strung them together. It “When [Lee’s heirs] come see believing that there’s good in “wasn’t really much more than a cover the play, I really do hope that everybody. As Sorkin wrestled band doing it,” he said. they’ll see that it was written “Once I made the decision that I with humanizing this smalland directed and performed by town lawyer, events in the real shouldn’t be swaddling the novel in people who have enormous reworld seeped in. White su- Bubble Wrap and gently transferring spect for the source material,” premacists marched down a it to a stage, that this was going to be a Sorkin said. “But we didn’t want to do a museum piece. Poster for “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Photo courtesy of DKC/O&M Virginia city’s streets and the new play where we took a new look at

familiar material, it kind of freed me up to start doing my own thing.” He said he felt a kinship with Lee, calling her prose the “Southern Gothic musical arrangement of the way I write.” To create dialogue, he’d say a line of Lee’s and start adding his own words to it. “Before too long I was writing my own song in the same musical style that she had written.” The lawsuit by Lee’s estate did lead to a few changes, including Atticus no longer taking the Lord’s name in vain or wanting a stiff drink, both attempts by Sorkin to make him more accessible. “I cut those two things in order to get this play done. And that is the only compromising that was done at all.” There’s more courtroom drama in Sorkin’s future when he adapts his “A Few Good Men” for an NBC live telecast and sees “The Trial of the Chicago 7” hit theaters. As soon as “To Kill a Mockingbird” opens, he’ll be hard at work on the script for the film “Lucy and Desi,” a biopic of TV icon Lucille Ball. He may even revisit one of his older projects — “The Social Network,” his film about the origins of Facebook. In recent days, a darker vision of the company has emerged and “The Social Network” producer Scott Rudin has reached out about revisiting the subject. “I’ve gotten more than one email from him with an article attached saying, ‘Isn’t it time for a sequel?’” Sorkin said.

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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SPRINGSTEEN SHOW CLOSES, FILM DROPS ON NETFLIX MUSIC Fans who couldn’t get tickets to the Broadway show can see it on Netflix, in a film out hours after the singer’s last performance BY DAVID BAUDER

To director Thom Zimny, the key element in his filmed version of Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway show was in the star’s eyes. The Netflix documentary made its first appearance on the service early in the morning of Dec. 16, hours after the singer’s 236th and last performance of “Springsteen on Broadway” at the Walter Kerr Theater. A soundtrack is being released Friday. “I wanted to capture Bruce’s eyes in a way that you don’t get from being in the theater,” he said. “It’s another sense of intimacy, another sense of the performance.” That focus paid off when cameras caught Springsteen’s emotion during an introduction to the song “Long Walk Home,” telling of an unexpected visit by his father just before Springsteen’s first child was born. His dad said he hadn’t been the

Springsteen onstage at the Walter Kerr Theater. Photo: Raph_PH, via flickr best of fathers and hoped his son would do better. Anyone familiar with Springsteen’s music knows the import of that acknowledgment. Those are the moments, subtle enough to be missed by most of the live audience, that Zinny

feels makes the “Springsteen on Broadway” film unique from the “Springsteen on Broadway” show. Another was the look of loving remembrance on Springsteen’s face when he played piano and talked about his late band member Clarence

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS DEC 5 - 11, 2018 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Starbucks

1542 3rd Ave

A

Sistina

24 E 81st St

A

Subway

1661 1 Avenue

A

New Sunny East 88

1680 1st Ave

A

Pizza City

1760 1st Ave

Grade Pending (35) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Selena Rosa Mexicana

1712 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (16) 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/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.

The Weir

1672 3rd Ave

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Burritos Y Mas

1571 Lexington Ave

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Clemons, one he didn’t see until reviewing tape later. Zimny wasn’t simply called in to tape a show near the end of its run. The filmmaker has a history with Springsteen and manager Jon Landau that includes a 2001 documentary with the singer and his E Street Band performing in New York. He was brought into the project while it was still in rehearsals. “I’ve seen the show so many times I’ve lost count,” he said. If not in the audience, he watched video and listened to audio tapes, to keep up with how the performance tightened and changed throughout the run. At one point in the film, Springsteen confesses to the audience that “I’ve never worked five days a week — until now.”

The weary observation meant more at the end of his Broadway run than the beginning. The filmmaker continually discussed the process with Springsteen and Landau. Their advice: “Plan a lot, but also be open to whatever the film gods or the music gods throw at you in the moment.” Zimny needed to match the intensity of a noted perfectionist. To wit: he watched the evolution of a small moment where Springsteen illustrates how little he knew about playing a guitar when he was young. He kept trying out different chords to get it just right in order to show his playing was just wrong. The film opens with the first words Springsteen says onstage to open the performance,

With fans by the stage door. Photo: Raph_PH, via flickr

which is a mixture of storytelling and song that builds off the singer’s autobiography, and credits roll with the final bows. Zimny wanted to recreate when the lights go down on a sparse stage and Springsteen simply appears, a moment “that puts you on edge,” he said. “You have to listen.” There is no nervous backstage footage from before showtime, shots of Springsteen’s hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, or artificial interludes, techniques Zimny dismissed as cliched. “I never felt interested in cutting away from the show,” he said. “The power of the show unfolding was something I wanted to capture. There’s no need for cameras or editing to take away from that moment. There was no need to cut to footage of Freehold or anything. The tree in my imagination was much more powerful than anything I could film.” The tree was one Springsteen climbed as a boy in front of his house, that he later returned to as an older man. He’s now 69. The theater audience is rarely seen, except at the film’s end when Springsteen shakes some hands. “It was most important to capture a very abstract thing that goes on in the Broadway show — an emotional feeling and an arc where you go on a journey with Bruce,” Zimny said. “It’s hard to put into words. But experiencing the Broadway show is such a beautiful and intense presentation. I wanted the film to both represent that and also be slightly different — so if you saw the show on Broadway, you had a different understanding of the power of performance by seeing his eyes.”

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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‘YOU’RE AMONG FRIENDS HERE’ MONUMENTS Wall Street’s Fearless Girl statue gets a new place of honor — a permanent home in front of the New York Stock Exchange BY KAREN MATTHEWS

The Fearless Girl is making her stand outside the very temple of American capitalism. The h a nd s-on-her-h ips statue that spent most of the past two years staring down Wall Street’s Charging Bull sculpture, becoming a spunky symbol of feminine empowerment, was unveiled Monday at her new permanent home, in front of the New York Stock Exchange. “We’re honored to welcome Fearless Girl to the very spot that has captured the minds of business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs,� Betty Liu, executive vice chairman of the stock exchange, said at a ceremony to reintroduce the 4-foot (130-centimeter) statue. “You’re among friends here at the New York Stock Exchange.� The statue was commissioned by Boston-based investment fund State Street Global Advisors as a way to push for more women on corporate boards. It was originally positioned

across from the Charging Bull, on a traffic island near the tip of Manhattan, but was removed last month, in part because the admiring crowds around the two sculptures were creating a hazard. The bull will eventually rejoin Fearless Girl near the stock exchange, but no date for the move has been given. State Street CEO Cyrus Taraporevala said companies with female directors on their boards “tend to be better managed.â€? “So for us, advocating for gender diversity is not some part of a political agenda. It’s about our long-term performance agenda. This is about value, not values,â€? he said. Taraporevala said 301 companies that State Street identiďŹ ed as having no women on their boards have added at least one since Fearless Girl made her debut in March 2017. State Street’s own 11-member board has three women, according to its website. The statue was originally intended as a temporary display but quickly gained a fan base among tourists and locals who lined up to pose for photos with her. “She really captivated all New Yorkers,â€? said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Manhattan Democrat. “New Yorkers really did not

want to see her go.â€? Now, Maloney said, “instead of staring down the bull, she’s going to be staring down all of business right here in the center and capital of business for America here in New York City.â€? Visitors to the stock exchange area said they were glad to see Fearless Girl there. “She’s out for battle,â€? said New Yorker Theresa Smith, 45. “She’s going out for the big stuff. When you think of the stock exchange, we are talking money, we are talking New York City, we are talking capital, and she’s headed to the top and she’s on her way.â€? The reinstallation of Fearless Girl comes as New York, like other U.S. cities, is grappling with questions of whether its monuments are truly representative. There are only ďŹ ve statues of real historical women in public places in the city; officials announced last month that a monument to pioneering congresswoman Shirley Chisholm will be the sixth. “Having a young girl in a place of great male dominance and power is appealing because right now it seems to me that women still are invisible,â€? said Setha Low, a professor of anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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Business

Photo: Steven Strasser

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS REAL ESTATE Buyers looking for apartments in December are serious. Four ways to tempt them BY FREDERICK W. PETERS

New Yorkers dance through December in a whirl of holiday activities. Hanukkah, Christmas, parties, performances — and let’s not forget shopping! — all consume us between the beginning of December and the day after New Year’s. As a result, many sellers of real estate believe that it’s a good moment to refresh their listings by removing them from the market. There is a certain intuitive sense to this. Buyers often slow or even stop their searches, especially as the middle of the month approaches. It can be an inactive time. But this year I suggest a different approach. Taking an apartment temporarily off the market for three weeks or a month does not reset the clock for the total days on the market. The listing still comes up in most online searches. Most importantly of all, buyers

looking in December are serious. Here are a couple of ways to tempt them: Make It Affordable. Most agents and owners will wait to drop prices till the first two weeks of January. A price drop today will actually generate more attention than one initiated at the same time as many others, when new listings also appear on the market in larger numbers. If you know the property is overpriced, try making the reduction now. Sometimes turning conventional wisdom on its ear works! As an agent, I remember making at least two or three deals during Christmas week. I even finalized one deal for a particularly interesting 5 room apartment facing Central Park late in the day on Christmas Eve. Make It Beautiful. Even if the property has been staged (but especially if it hasn’t) take advantage of the season to make the property especially appealing. Seasonal flowers and plants (excepting perhaps the ubiquitous and poisonous poinsettia) create a sense of happiness and hominess in any property. Make It Interesting. Since almost all successful marketing now appears online, think hard about how your property appears on your website and on aggregator websites. Does

the copy entice without giving everything away? Do the photos showcase the property’s attributes while minimizing its drawbacks? (HINT: Photos in which the brick wall directly outside the windows dominates the perspective probably won’t help sell the property.) Make It Known. As agents, we try to think outside the box to sell our listings. I like to remind our agents that sitting by the phone is not a strategy. Lifting the phone and dialing, however, moves you to a whole different place. As an agent, I found that outreach to other top agents in my community was often the most effective marketing I could do. A group email creates far less impact than a personal email or a call. Every property, whether in December of 2018 or in January of 2019, will benefit from these strategies. But they can be particularly effective when the market seems quiet, as in these weeks between now and the New Year. Sometimes UNconventional wisdom is the way to go. Frederick W. Peters is Chief Executive Officer of Warburg Realty Partnership.

SINATRA ITEMS MAKE $9 MILLION HIT AT SOTHEBY’S AUCTIONS Auction features memorabilia, jewelry and paintings by the crooner The private treasures of Frank Sinatra and his wife Barbara were a multimillion-dollar hit at auction. Sotheby’s reported Friday that the couple’s entertainment memorabilia, art, jewelry, books and other personal items sold for $9.2 million — about twice their pre-sale estimates. Nine paintings by the legendary crooner went for more than $850,000, against a high estimate of $120,000. The 20-carat diamond engagement ring Sinatra presented to his fiancee in a glass of champagne fetched nearly $1.7 million, surpassing a top $1.5 million estimate. And a Jewish skullcap with Frank’s name embroidered on it shot past a high estimate of $500, selling for more than $9,000. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage, California, which counsels victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. —The Associated Press

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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DECEMBER 20-26,2018

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YOU READ IT HERE FIRST 10-19-18

12-8-18

SCANDAL? WHAT SCANDAL? IOWA BECKONS

LEADERSHIP Even before he’s sworn in for a second term, Mayor Bill de Blasio will hit the Hawkeye State to rev up his national profile — despite intense blowback from bogus leadpaint inspections at public housing BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

When the going gets tough, Mayor Bill de Blasio gets going — as far away from City Hall as politically, geograph-

ically and logistically possible. It’s been a four-year pattern. And now, even as his administration reels from a mushrooming scandal at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), it is about to repeat itself: The mayor next month packs his bags for Iowa, home of the first-in-thenation caucuses — and graveyard-inthe-cornfields for outsized dreams and overreaching politicians. Fresh from his reelection triumph and two weeks before his swearing-in for a second term, he’ll headline the fifth annual holiday party for the lib-

10-19-18

11-20-18

‘GRAMMAR ZEN’ IN VERDI SQUARE COMMUNITY New Yorkers talk tricky tenses, punctuation passions and more at Ellen Jovin’s UWS pop-up table BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

Are you prepositionally challenged? Hesitant around hyphens? Undergoing a comma crisis? Simply enraptured by the beauty of a well-placed ellipsis? Ellen Jovin wants to talk grammar with you. Jovin has become familiar to Upper West Side word lovers in recent weeks as the face and founder of Grammar Table — a public forum for open-ended discussion of all things language. Armed with a folding

table and an array of reference books and style guides, Jovin sets up shop near the northern entrance to the 72nd Street subway station on Broadway to dole out complimentary (with an “i”) pointers, guidance and emotional support to all comers, from devoted syntacticians to the downright grammar-averse. “Hi, this looks lit,” a young woman said on a recent after-

1-25-18

An ironic juxtaposition. Photo: Deborah Fenker

HOMELESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS 11-27-18

NEW DETAILS ON DISPUTED ESPLANADE BRIDGE

NEIGHBORHOODS Complicated stories that defy expectations — and resources to help the most desperate in their times of need

WATERFRONT BY DEBORAH FENKER

EDC presents basis for proposed 54th Street bridge location, which has stirred opposition from some Sutton Area residents BY MICHAEL GAROFALO

A plan to install a pedestrian bridge in a small park near 54th Street and Sutton Place that would provide access to a new section of the East Midtown Waterfront Esplanade has become a source of neighborhood controversy. Representatives from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the lead agency on the project, laid out the rationale for the location of the proposed bridge at a Jan. 22 meeting of Community Board 6’s land use and waterfront committee. The “flyover,” as EDC officials have termed the proposed span, would create an access point bridging the FDR

Drive to the new span of riverfront esplanade set to be built between 53rd and 60th Streets on the East River. The entrance to the bridge would occupy much of what is now the northern portion of Sutton Place Park South, a small area of green space with riverfront views along Sutton Place South between 53rd and 54th Streets. The proposed bridge is opposed by some residents, who fear that the entrance ramp would have a negative impact on the park’s character, resulting in a loss of walking space and benches, drawing additional bicycle and pedestrian traffic to Sutton Place,

FIRST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD (212) 868 - 0190

“Can you spare some change for the homeless?” It may be the most oft-heard plea on city streets, but just as shelling out coins won’t change most people’s status quo, no single individual’s experience defines “the homeless.” It is easy, maybe automatic, to lump all the homeless souls we encounter across the city — the addicts, the mentally unstable, the poor, the scammers — as one massive, baffling problem. And while those labels might apply to a portion of the grow-

ing homeless community, there are complicated stories among them that sometimes defy expectations. Drew, just 28, is not the face we normally associate with homelessness. When I met him recently at the Muhlenberg Library’s Coffee and Conversation meet-up in Chelsea, Drew (who did not want to use his full name) was wearing a coat that looked clean, natty. His hair was trimmed stylishly, the result of a salon-school cut that had begun to go awry in the hands of the student, so the instructor took over, giving Drew a professional-quality crop for just $4. The Muhlenberg Library program, held on the third Thursday of every month, is part of a greater initiative by the New York Public Library that aims to provide homeless individuals like Drew with vital resources. These include men-

tal health care, job assistance programs, information about public assistance and even appropriate interview attire. Drew is clearly driven, but some unfortunate curveballs left him to his own resources at a vulnerable age. He started with nursing school, but suffered some mental health issues that spiraled into what he deemed a “psychotic breakdown.” With no money saved and no one to rely on but himself, he turned to whatever he could to get by: “I was hustling,” prioritizing survival over playing by the rules. He got himself into a little trouble with petty theft and some drug use, all of which is over now, he says, but which tarnish his record. He had been working retail, but lost the job during some cutbacks. Now with those pockmarks on his record and a competitive

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

On 22nd St. and Seventh Avenue, the tidiest homeless encampment in Chelsea. Photo: Deborah Fenker job market, he has been living in the Schwartz Assessment Shelter on Ward’s Island (the south end of Randall’s Island) for about a month and a half. The shelter maintains strict regulations along with its programs designed to encourage residents (who must be approved) to eventually achieve independent living. Residents receive three meals a day, but must be up and out by 9 a.m. Drew says the shelter meets his immediate needs, but “There’s no reason to be where I’m at right now.” No neighborhood is untouched by the city’s homeless problem. In Chelsea, a neglected, unoccupied building on the corner of 22nd Street and Seventh Avenue complete with a sheltering scaffold, has attracted an array of homeless. One man has a mattress and

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bedding, neatly stacked bags of what are apparently donated or collected provisions, toys and food. Sometimes he’s alone, often with a cigarette dangling from his fingertips, a potential fire hazard both for him and the dilapidated building. Other times, two or three people huddle on the mattress in various states of consciousness. More than 60,000 individuals stay in city homeless shelters each night, a number that includes thousands of families, The shelter population has increased 75 percent over the last decade. To determine how many people are living outside the shelter system, the department will conduct its annual homeless count, known as HOPE (Homeless Outreach Population Estimate), next month. This massive effort enlists volunteers to canvass 1,500 sur-

vey areas into the wee hours of the night (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.) to assess the number of homeless living on the streets. The sheer number of affected individuals compounds the problem, even with the extensive resources available in the city. In addition to city-funded programs, there are private efforts, such as the Holy Apostles Church at 296 Ninth Ave. in Chelsea, which serves 1,000 meals to the homeless and hungry every day. The church also provides haircut vouchers, entertainment, meditation, discussion groups and writers’ workshops, all aimed at maintaining a sense of normalcy and providing a sense of community. For Drew, and for all those who come for a free meal, there is a story behind their situation. Hopefully, they find solace their time of need.

Everything you like about Our Town is now available to be delivered to your mailbox every week in the Eastsider From the very local news of your neighborhood to information about upcoming events and activities, the new home delivered edition of the Eastsiderwill keep you in-the-know. And best of all you won’t have to go outside to grab a copy from the street box every week.

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Return Completed Form to: Straus News, 20 West Avenue, Chester, NY, 10918 or go to OurTownNY.com & click on Subscribe Winter is especially hard on the homeless. Photo: Deborah Fenker

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

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

A NIGHT OWL FINDS HER NICHE New York City’s first “nightlife mayor” Ariel Palitz talks noisy neighbors, curfews and growing up Uptown BY ANGELA TUCCIARONE

Earlier this year, Ariel Palitz was named Senior Executive Director of New York City’s Office of Nightlife, charged with finding a balance among businesses and residents. A former nightclub owner, Palitz spent her childhood on the Upper East Side. Palitz talked to Our Town about growing up in Manhattan and her new job.

What was it like growing up on the Upper East Side?

couple times a month. My mom still lives in the same apartment that I grew up in, and my father, aunt and cousin… everybody’s here. Now, instead of going to Carl Schurz Park to ride my bike I’m going to events at Gracie Mansion to visit my boss.

What role does nightlife play in the life of the city? New York continues to draw some of the brightest minds and the most creative people and entrepreneurs of the world. Part of the attraction here is our vibrant and diverse nightlife. It continues to be an extremely large part of who we are.

What concerns did you hear from residents on your five-borough listening tour? Are there any plans or programs in place to enforce noise ordinances and curfews?

It was a very unique and special experience. My favorite place to go before we were old enough to go out [to bars] was The Met steps. This is really where our first parties were when we were old enough to go out and not have too much of a curfew. The Meadow in Central Park after school was also a very big part of growing up, along with learning to ride my bike in Carl Schurz Park. When we were old enough to get into bars, it was all of the German bars in the neighborhood and some places that are no longer open like Mad Hatters.

We heard from residents about noise, sanitation and traffic congestion. The Office of Nightlife is not an enforcement agency, but our job is to make sure we are taking a proactive approach so that City agencies can work together to support both nightlife and residential communities . . . I personally understand the challenges from all sides, and I am committed to making sure nightlife works for everyone.

Do you still spend time in the neighborhood?

What is your advice to residents who are bothered by local nightlife?

I am there a lot. I have a very close family and I see my mom and dad a

We recognize it’s a compact city with mixed use of commercial and

residence. It is by no means a quiet city and those of us who live here know it. Very often people resort to 311, 911 and other city agencies to enforce quiet. [If you have a noise complaint] what we are encouraging is first reaching out to the venue during the day, having a conversation about the boundaries and trying to come up with an agreement. People who call 311 to complain will also be informed about the opportunity to set up free mediation.

What is your take on New York City’s 4 a.m. curfew for bars? New York City is unlike any other city in the world and the 4 a.m. curfew that we have is part of what differentiates us . . . I think there is room for [curfew] negotiation at times, depending on where venues are, on a case by case basis. Our 4 a.m. license is very much a part of our identity and our culture, and I think it should be protected and respected while we’re also respecting the needs for quality of life. That is really the balance and challenge of this office.

New York City nightlife needs more____. Space. A lot of beloved places have closed. We have seen a trend in the last 15 years or so of the closing of performance places. Live music [venues], art galleries and performance spaces – places that are not just bars, clubs and restaurants – need more space and more support.

As senior director of New York City’s Office of Nightlife, Ariel Palitz keeps watch over a $48 billion industry that supports nearly 300,000 jobs. Photo: courtesy of the Office of Nightlife

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement. Ariel Palitz, New York’s first “Nightlife Mayor” recently wrapped up a five-borough listening tour. Photo: Kenny Rodriguez

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8

WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor

B T U N F A I T H F U L C J P

54

52

D L K E B L M J T B J T I W F

53

51

V O Q S X C I G J Y T E T B B

50

9

5

48

H E O N E C Z V B S M T S J L

49

47

J T V G S V B R E L L Q U N Y

46

7

7

U V U E W K A R L O C X J U J

45

4 6

H Y I R N W E E J D A X K W B

44

Across 1. Kuwaiti or Qatari 5. Pea’s place 8. Globes 12. Hubs of activity 13. Not of the cloth 14. ___ Grand Cherokee 15. Computer expert 16. Indignation 17. “I had no ___!” 18. Delegate 20. Natural 22. “Just the opposite!” 23. Opposite of used 24. Ghost 27. Beard type 31. Carpet 32. Climbing plant 33. Brit. royal bodyguard 37. Hair piece 40. PC “brain” 41. Sliding door vehicle 42. Fairground car 45. Vail trail 49. Settled

8

41

D L P K T I A B L B S K R S O

43

7

1

39

B H V A V Q W R X K Y H J E B

40

38

N C S E W U A B D A X L N V B

37

Q A V W Z L S W J H O L F I Q

36

I E S T R A I G H T T S H R X

35

D R C R O O K E D D V I N R T

34

E L O Y A L S T R O N G W A E

33

42

30

49

31

29

E

28

8

N

27

1

N

26

3

Y

25

2

B O

24

23

9

E

22

21

9

D

20

2

55

19

6

5

58

18

3 2

6

E W

17

3

G O

16

9

E

15

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.

D

14

11

54

13

10

57

12

9

A

8

A W

7

V

6

L

5

A

4

C

3

SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

by Myles Mellor

S

2

CROSSWORD

53

Eastsider 1

DECEMBER 20-26,2018

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

56

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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

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