Our Town - December 31, 2015 by Our Town

The local paper for the Upper er East Side WHEN SONGWRITING GETS PERSONAL

WEEK OF DECEMBER-JANUARY

31-6

< Q&A, P.21

2016

A BATTLE OVER HOMELESS CAMPS

Our Take THE STATE OF THE CHAINS

NEWS Three people sue over city efforts to get them off the streets BY COLLEEN LONG AND WILLIAM MATHIS

As members of the city’s new homeless outreach team fanned out in a campaign to persuade people to leave the streets, three homeless New Yorkers filed paperwork to sue over an unrelated effort to remove them, saying police wrongly tossed identifying documents and family photos into a dump truck. Jesus Morales and two others say they were sleeping in an encampment outside a school in Manhattan at about 5 a.m. on Oct. 2 when police and a sanitation crew arrived, woke them, told them they had to move and tossed their stuff, including a birth certificate and Social Security cards. Some said they were kicked and shoved by the officers. “They grabbed my clothes and threw it all in the garbage truck,” Morales, 42, said in Spanish at a news conference, attended by about a dozen homeless New Yorkers, to announce notice of the claim. Morales said he’s been homeless nearly 16 years. “I can’t even afford a room,” he said. “We are many, and we don’t have money to live here.” The notice of claim, the ﬁrst step in ﬁling a lawsuit against the city, was prepared by the New York Civil Liberties Union after they obtained security footage of the night through a Freedom of Information Law request. Attorney Alexis Karteron said their

432 Park Avenue, which was completed in 2015, looms over Central Park and the East Side at 1,396 feet. Source: elliman.com

GROWING PAINS ON THE EAST SIDE STORIES TO WATCH IN 2016 Luxury residential towers and zoning change proposals point to a growing height trend in Manhattan BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

An uptown construction boom and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to rezone

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

OurTownEastSide

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Newscheck Crime Watch Voices Out & About

the city are among the biggest real estate developments this year that stand to have major implications looking ahead to 2016. Recently completed residential mega-towers on the East Side, like 432 Park Avenue, at nearly 1,400 feet, join other projects in the area that are currently being worked out, like the 900-foot luxury residential project on East 58th Street in the sleepy neighborhood of Sut-

2 3 8 10

City Arts Restaurants Business 15 Minutes

12 14 16 21

ton Place. Add to these the major residential projects currently being built on the West Side, like 217 West 57th Street at 1,522 feet and 111 West 57th Street at 1,438 feet, as well as luxury residential towers further uptown on both sides of the park, and it’s hard to argue with the notion that less vertically impressive neighborhoods are poised to go through a growth spurt. “It’s about to get a lot more crowded,” Councilmember Ben Kallos told Our Town of his district on the Upper East Side. City council members are also in the midst of discussing a pair of initiatives from the de Blasio administration to increase affordable housing. His mandatory inclusionary housing plan would require certain

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

And finally, some good news on the development front to ease out 2015. The Center for An Urban Future, in its eighth annual ranking on chain stores in the city, reports that growth in national chains slowed considerably over last year -- and that growth in established neighborhoods like the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and some parts of lower Manhaattan dropped sharply. For neighborhoods moaning the loss of mom and pop stores and restaurants -- and neighbors worried about the fraying fabric of where they live -- this is only good news. Maybe people’s buying habits are finally starting to come back to the little guys. While we’ll take any bit of good news on this front, a couple of caveats are in order: the report focuses on slowing growth of the chains -- not an overall decline in their number. According to the data, chain store locations in the city grew by 1 percent in 2015, to 7,550 stores. The previous year, the growth was 2.5 percent; this year’s rise is lower than all previous years except 2013. The other insight worth noting is that while chain store growth is slowing in gentrified neighborhoods in Manhattan, it’s surging elsewhere, particularly in the outer boroughs. What that tells us is that a real turnaround is still some ways off.

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CITY’S FIRST WI-FI HOTSPOT INSTALLED The ﬁrst of a projected 4,550 public Wi-Fi hotspots kiosks was set up in the East Village earlier this week, DNAinfo reported. The kiosk, while not yet operational, will like the thousands of others to be installed citywide will enable encrypted access to the Internet within a 150-foot radius, the news site reported. The kiosks, which are being installed by a New York-based company, CityBridge, will eventually replace once ubiquitous phone booths. They will allow people to place free phone calls to anywhere in the United States. The spokeswoman told the news site that more than 510 of the kiosks will be installed by summer. About 4,000 more will be set up within four years. The city plans to have at least 7,500 kiosks operational by the summer of 2023, DNAinfo reported, with nearly 4,000 of them in Manhattan. The venture will be funded by revenue derived by from advertising on the kiosks. City officials expect to take in about $500 million in revenue within the initiative’s ﬁrst 12 years. CityBridge will design and build the so-called links within the city. The venture is expected to create up to 150

full-time jobs, and an additional 650 jobs in support services, according to the city.

CRIME CITYWIDE IS DOWN FOR THE YEAR Overall crime is down, according to police data cited by The New York Times. According to police statistics, incidents of murder, rape, robbery serious assault, grand larceny and car theft decreased 2 percent from already record low numbers of similar serious crimes logged last year, the paper reported. Although there have so far been six killings more than last year, murders this year — 339 — correspond to just a 2 percent increase from the record low number of homicides last year. “As we end this year, the City of New York will record the safest year in its history, its modern history, as it relates to crime,” The Times quoted police Commissioner William Bratton as saying. Bratton, though, also said that 2015 has been a sorrowful for the department following the deaths of four ofﬁcers since late last year. “It has been a year of great contradictions,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Photo: New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

BASKETBALL PLAYER REPORTS $617K IN MISSING JEWELRY Police say New York Knicks forward Derrick Williams has reported that $617,000 in jewelry has vanished from his apartment. Police say they are searching for two women in the case. They released surveillance video footage late Wednesday of two well-dressed women leaving a club in Manhattan’s meatpacking district early Dec. 19. They say those women went to Williams’ home in the trendy TriBeCa neighborhood. They left after 90 minutes. Police say Williams later reported several pieces of jewelry missing. They included a $50,000 diamond Rolex watch, three diamond rings valued at $30,000 and three 24-karat

gold chains worth $35,000. Williams has declined to comment on the theft. Williams was picked second in the 2011 draft and averages 7.3 points this season. The Knicks are the 24-year-old player’s third NBA team.

TOOL CRIME Some crafty thieves made off with tools. Sometime between the hours of 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and 5:30 a.m. the following morning, someone broke into a construction site at 60th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues and stole $13,000 worth of tools. Apparently, the thieves entered the premises after breaking the lock on the front door. Police are continuing to investigate.

SLEIGHT OF HANDBAG One shoplifter knew quality merchandise when he stole it. At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22, a man entered a store on Madison Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets. He took a woman’s handbag from a display and concealed it under his coat before leaving the store without

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for Dec. 14 to Dec. 20 Week to Date 2015 2014

% Change

2015

2014

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-27.3

Robbery

300.0

102

18.6

Felony Assault

-50.0

121

102

18.6

Burglary

0.0

167

212

-21.2

Grand Larceny

0.0

1,346

1,369 -1.7

Grand Larceny Auto

0.0

Jason Kuffer, via Flickr

paying. The bag was valued at a lofty $25,090.

ADDRESS FOR DISTRESS At noon on Christmas Eve, a 25-year-old female Upper Eastside resident inquired about an apartment rental she had seen listed on the website Apartable.com. She contacted the real estate agent listed and wired $3,000 to a speciﬁed Wells Fargo account as a deposit on the property. When she ﬁnally visited the promised property located on 39th Street between Second and Third Avenues, she discovered that the address did not exist.

ARMED AND LARCENOUS An armed robber held up a local department store. At 11:23 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.

Year to Date

26, a man entered a retailer at 86th Street and Lexington Avenue. Brandishing a silver ﬁrearm, he forced six of the store employees into the back of the location before ordering the manager to remove all the money from the registers and put it in a bag. The robber got away with $8,700 and was last seen ﬂeeing on foot on 86th Street, heading towards Third

Avenue.

A COUPLE OF CROOKS One store’s security personnel really earned their salary the day after Christmas. At 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 26, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman picked up items of merchandise from the shelf of a high-end Third Avenue store, concealed

-5.0

the goods on their persons, and exited the location. Fortunately, sharp-eyed security personnel detained the couple and recovered the merchandise. The items stolen and recovered were three Moncler jackets and various items of Ralph Lauren underwear with a total value of $2,600. The couple were then arrested and charged with grand larceny.

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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

159 E. 85th St.

311

FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16

157 E. 67th St.

311

FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43

1836 Third Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 44

221 E. 75th St.

311

FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13

CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick

211 E. 43rd St. #1205

212-818-0580

Councilmember Ben Kallos

244 E. 93rd St.

212-860-1950

STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

1916 Park Ave. #202

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 Second Ave.

212-490-9535

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

1365 First Ave.

212-288-4607

COMMUNITY BOARD 8

505 Park Ave. #620

212-758-4340

Yorkville

222 E. 79th St.

212-744-5824

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112 E. 96th St.

212-289-0908

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328 E. 67th St.

212-734-1717

Webster Library

1465 York Ave.

212-288-5049

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

AN ENDURANCE TEST FOR ARTS IN CITY SCHOOLS A Manhattan couple will compete in a rickshaw race in India to raise funds for programming

LIBRARIES

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

212-746-5454

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E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

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550 First Ave.

212-263-7300

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

BY RUI MIAO

Joanna and Michael Droege, pictured with their sons Logan, now 13; Holden, 11, a s s u re d , t he y and Jack, 6, are in India to participate in a rickshaw race through which they hope to know what they raise funds for arts programming in city schools. Photo: Peter Hurley, peterhurley.com want in life. But there are so many kids in New York City, a city known for its art al $23 million, hiring 120 arts following others,” Van Horn and culture, that are missing teachers to teach in middle said. “What dance and theatre out because they can’t afford and high schools that are un- does is give them something to derserved, among other ini- talk about.” it.” The Droege boys had a simiThe couple teamed with tiatives. Still, Van Horn said, lar experience. For nearly two ArtsConnection, which part- more is needed. “It’s a good time for the arts,” years until 2011, the boys lived ners with city schools to provide theater, dance, music and Van Horn said. “But some in Saudi Arabia where their visual arts in city schools in schools still don’t have every- parents worked in the healthcare industry. Away from the all ﬁve boroughs. The Droeges thing that they need.” Among the programs on offer city for nearly two years, the will donate an expected $15,000 they hope to raise at ArtsConnection is DELLTA boys found it difficult to reconthrough a gofundme effort to — Developing English Lan- nect when they returned. “In Saudi they stayed indoors the organization, which will guage Literacy Through the design an in-school art pro- Arts — which immerses kids most of the time,” the boys’ from other countries in the father, Michael Droege, said. gram. After years of budget cuts arts and by extension, English. “Here they see thousands of “When kids come into a coun- people on the street. It’s just a and schools’ emphasis on core subjects, the city in 2014 try and they don’t have Eng- different world.” pledged to spend an addition- lish, all they do is watching and

Holden Droege, 11, loves to dance. “If you visit our home now,” the boy’s mother, Joanna Droege, said, “I’d guarantee you that he’s dancing.” Holden’s two brothers, Logan, 13, who aspires to be an actor, and Jack, 6, who has a knack for both dancing and acting, are also drawn to the performing arts. “Our kids are very lucky to have good arts programs at their schools,” their mother said. The family lives on the Upper West Side and the boys attend public schools, Logan at M.S. 245, the Computer School; Holden, at Ballet Tech in the Flatiron; and Jack, P.S. 87. The neighborhood has allowed the boys to prosper — and look forward. “I want to be on Broadway someday,” Holden said. To nurture those aspirations, their parents earlier this week set off on an unlikely trek in South Asia: they will race across India on a rickshaw to raise money for arts programs in city schools. Kicking off on New Year’s Day, Joanna and Michael Droege will travel no set route, but hope to traverse roughly 2,500 kilometers from a starting line in the southwestern port city of Kochi to a finish line in Jaisalmer, in the north, near the Pakistan border. The Droeges said hope to bring awareness to what they say is the dearth of arts funding in public schools. “We know how arts have helped our kids. They’ve been able to catch up on their social skills and develop their own Holden Droege, 11, lives on the Upper West Side and attends Ballet Tech, the New York City Public School personality,” Joanna Droege for Dance, in the Flatiron. His parents are in India to participate in a rickshaw race through which they hope said. “They become very self- to raise funds for arts programming in city schools. Photo: Michael Droege

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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AMAZING IS NEVER GIVING UP THE FIGHT. Daniel Jacobs was a rising star in boxing when his legs started to go numb. An MRI revealed the cause: a large tumor wrapped around Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spine. The surgical team at NewYork-Presbyterian used precise three-dimensional imaging to navigate the path to Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spine. They removed the tumor and rebuilt the damaged area of the spinal column. How well did the surgery work? Three years later, Daniel became the WBA Middleweight Champion of the World.

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

GROWING PAINS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 new construction projects to include permanently affordable housing with a goal of creating 80,000 units and preserving another 120,000. His Zoning for Quality and Affordability plan aims to increase affordable housing by providing increased incentives – raising height caps and eliminating some parking requirements - for developers to build additional new low- to mid-income and senior housing units. But de Blasio’s proposals have also stoked fears that rezoning in many of the neighborhoods will inevitably speed the pace of gentrification. “We have come out very strongly against ZQA,” said Andrea Goldwyn, Director of Public Policy for the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Both ZQA and mandatory inclusionary housing have proved to be largely unpopular among the city’s community boards, and four out of five borough presidents rejected ZQA. The City Planning Commission recently held hearings on both proposals and officials have said they’re likely to undergo changes before a vote in the council is held, which must occur by early April at the latest. De Blasio said he’s been touring different parts of the city in support of his proposals while gathering input and feedback from many areas that had rejected his overall plan. He admitted earlier this month that part of the reason it’s met with backlash is that, “we’re not explaining it well enough.” Goldwyn said ZQA, as it’s currently written, “increases building heights in areas where residents and building owners thought they had certainty for what kind of building would be going up on their block.” “We’re very concerned about the contextual zoning protections that neighborhoods fought for over years,” she continued. “Block by block, community by community, are being changed all at one time in a one size fits all plan that doesn’t really take into effect all of New York’s scenic communities.” Kallos said in his district that every four- to six-story brownstone located on an avenue is about to become “unlimitedly high.” “The mid-block is safe, the mid-blocks are all capped at 75 feet,” said Kallos, who touted a joint effort by himself, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and State Senator Liz Krueger to insure ZQA would not raise mid-block building heights in the district. “But on First Avenue, Second Avenue and Third Avenue, which are all very valuable now that the Second Avenue Subway is opening, the buildings are [zoned] R-10, which is the maximum density allowed under the law, they get a [Floor Area Ratio] of 10, and they can be as tall as they want to.” “And with the ZQA they will be even taller,” he added. “And when people say there’s nothing we can do, that’s not true.” Kallos is working to mobilize the Sutton Place community to get a zoning text amendment that would rein in the planned 900-foot condo tower in the neighborhood. He’s also held informational meetings and appeared on TV shows to raise awareness for his zoning efforts, and has put city council funds towards studies by groups like Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and Civitas t0 examine how contextual zoning could be implemented in the district. “I’ve been trying to talk to people on the East Side between 59th and 96th about bringing contextual zoning to the avenues,” said Kallos. Contextual zoning would limit buildings on the avenues from exceeding 210 feet, he said. “There’s more development happening on the Upper East Side than other communities in Manhattan combined,” said Kallos. “Right now, the Upper East Side… is a part of the city that has a strong middle class. We have four-, five- and six-story brownstones filled with affordable housing and these buildings are being razed, people are being displaced en mass with nowhere to go, and the middle class is being squeezed out in favor of ultra luxury developments…and that’s a problem.” And yet there are indications, at least in the residential mega-tower market, of a coming slowdown. The Real Deal reported there are currently 18 buildings on the market with prices averaging in excess of $3,000 a foot, and that sales are notably slow at flagship luxury residential towers like One57 on Billionaires’ Row and the Woolworth Building downtown. “My personal view is that, in this cycle, we have passed the top,” said Mike Naftali of the Naftali Group, one of the city’s top developers, according to the Real Deal. “For those who think that it will continue to go up – that if they have something that is selling for $3,000 a foot today, it will sell for $4,000 a foot tomorrow or a year or two years from now – I don’t see that happening. There is definitely a slowdown in the velocity of deals.” The Real Deal piece quoted several other top developers, including JDS Development CEO Michael Stern, the firm behind 111 West 57th Street, making note of a drop-0ff in sales activity in the luxury residential market, with Stern even referencing, “rumblings of a market bubble.” Goldwyn of the New York Landmarks Conservancy also noted that larger residential projects could put a strain on local schools and transportation infrastructure. “In some cases there are density concerns, and this is something I think any New Yorker would be concerned about, that when you’re putting in a new, much bigger building, can the infrastructure handle the influx of new people?” she said. “I think what might be surprising is there are also a lot of protections - historic districts, contextual zoning – and it might be that people thought that their neighborhoods had certain zoning protections so that they wouldn’t be seeing buildings like that, and yet the market is pushing it and they are.”

LOOKING BACK AT 2015

AHEAD TO 2016 THE YEAR THE M.T.S. MOVED AHEAD 2015/2016 Opponents nevertheless vow to keep fighting in 2016 Over the last three years the Yorkville community, in partnership with Pledge 2 Protect and Asphalt Green, has made an extraordinary effort to prevent the East 91st Street marine transfer station from becoming a reality. From filing lawsuits and commissioning studies to producing documentaries and holding protests, the community has fought to stop what it saw as a serious health threat to the neighborhood. The bad news is that it’s likely the MTS will in fact open in 2017, and will run straight through the campus at Asphalt Green for at least two years until an alternate ramp at East 92nd Street is built. The good news is that the community secured that concession from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration to move the ramp one block north and over to FDR Drive, and that the fight isn’t over. Community Board 8 just formed a task force that will meet monthly to discuss ways to stop the MTS and address concerns from residents and with construction. But it doesn’t seem likely that the city will change course, having weathered all challengers so far. But the fight for more concessions, such as around the clock air quality monitoring and increased safety protocols around “the dump,” is alive and well. But even the success of getting the

access ramp moved one block north comes with its own set of problems for tenants at the Stanley Isaacs and Holmes Towers developments, which sit on 92nd Street between York Avenue and First Avenue. It’s possible the Dept. of Sanitation will route trucks along that stretch of road on their way to the MTS. Residents of Holmes Towers, as reported in this paper in October, are already battling a NYCHA proposal to site a mixed affordable and market rate development on a playground at the project in order to plug the agency’s budget deﬁcit and and cover capital needs. If that plan - called NextGen NYCHA

- goes ahead, low-income residents at Holmes may be faced with the loss of open space, massive amounts of construction, overcrowding, and the possibility - depending on which route the DSNY chooses to get to the MTS - of seeing a daily parade of dump trucks pass by on 92nd Street. Next year look for DSNY to establish the dump truck route to the MTS and construction of the station to continue apace, while Holmes Towers residents continue to push back against NextGen NYCHA and hope to somehow see 92nd Street clear of the trash trucks. -- Daniel Fitzsimmons

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

LOOKING BACK AT 2015

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2015/2016 Opposition flowered as the Frickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion plan faltered BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

When the Frick Collection announced an addition in June of 2014, cries of dissent were heard almost instantly, and only grew in volume over the following year, becoming so loud that on June 4 the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board of trustees voted to revise the expansion plan. The objections were over the loss of a small viewing garden designed by landscape architect Russell Page, which was to be the site of the addition, but also to the size of the new, sixstory building. Though Frick officials remained resolute, citing needs for a larger entrance, classrooms and expanded conservation space, among other needs, hardly any new information about the building project came forth in the year following the expansion announcement, until the plan was ultimately shelved. Initially, the museum wanted to present the proposal to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Landmarks Preservation Commission, which must approve changes to the landmark, by early 2015, a date that came and went without such a

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presentation. What grew instead was a wellorganized opposition front, led by the coalition Unite to Save the Frick. Historic Districts Council formally opposed the project in October 2014. By May of the following year, the Municipal Art Society of New York also voiced its opposition to any project that involved the destruction of the garden. A statement posted on the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website in June said that the trustees elected to explore expansion without touching the garden, and that the institution would set to work on a new plan, but updates havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come. Ian Wardropper, the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director, told Our Town in June that he hoped for a new plan by the end of 2015,

Brief KALLOS KICKS OFF BENEFITS PROGRAM Councilmember Ben Kallos kicked off off a new program to screen residents for whether they qualify for government services ranging from food stamps and Universal PreK to Medicaid. The effort, along with legislation recently introduced by Kallos, is an extension of Access NYC, a website launched in 2006 that allows New Yorkers to screen for eligibility for over 30 city

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

and state beneďŹ t programs. Residents can learn how to apply, print out application forms, and determine agency locations where they can go to directly apply for services. Under Kallosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; proposed bill, beneďŹ ts would be provided automatically and renewed based on information the city already has from applications and forms to increase efficiency and reduce bureaucracy.

and though Frick officials felt the previous plan would best meet the needs of the institution, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we just realized it was going to take a long process to get through, and we have a lot of pressing and urgent needs,â&#x20AC;? he said. In July, Unite to Save the Frick offered an alternative plan, designed by architect David Helpern, that involves excavation below ground and the reuse of existing space. The group presented the design to the museum, the Wall Street Journal reported. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no word from the museum as to when a new plan will come. The garden will endure another New York winterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but should make it through an expansion unscathed.

80th Street Residents in Central Park with the Essex House Hotel peeking from behind.

430 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 Tel. 212-717-8888 www.80thstreetresidence.com

Resident Manager of The 80th Street Residence Recognized for Expertise The only licensed Assisted Living Residence in New York City Entirely Devoted to Enhanced Memory Care The 80th Street Residence is proud to announce that their Resident Manager, Leah Gallagher, LMSW, has completed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Positive Approach to Care (PAC)â&#x20AC;? Consultant Training and has been awarded with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certificate of Expertise.â&#x20AC;? The PAC program was created by dementia-care education specialist Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapist with over 30 years in clinical practice. Ms. Gallagher completed pre-requisite training work, a multi-modal classroom training and participated in weekly post-classroom calls with a coach to further exemplify her knowledge and skills. Clare Shanley, Executive Director says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leah Gallagher walked in the door 6 years ago and immediately immersed herself in supporting our Residents, Families and Staff. When we learned of the opportunity to train with Ms. Snow, who has long been known as the dementia-care guru, it was clear that this was an opportunity that just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be passed up. Leahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbridled enthusiasm for continued education is a perfect example of how she strives to provide the best support that she can for those navigating the difficult terrain of dementia. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more proud of her successful completion of the training and receiving a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Certificate of Expertiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;? With the highest level of Assisted Living Residence licensure by the New York State Department of Health, The 80th Street Residence is the only dedicated assisted living community in New York City Specializing in Memory Care. In their boutique setting, 80th Street offers unique neighborhoods, each, composed of no more than eight to ten Residents with similar cognitive abilities. All neighborhoods have cozy and homelike dining and living rooms and are staffed 24 hours a day with personal care attendants. The intimate setting allows for an environment that is conducive to relaxation, socialization and participation in varied activities. A true jewel of care on the Upper East Side.

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.

< TIME TO STUDY BIKE LANES To the Editor: When the issue of crosstown bike lanes came up at Community Board 8’s meeting on December 16th, I was disappointed to see a handful of people trying to derail a public process before it even began. In November the community board, admirably, asked the DOT to study our neighborhood and make it safer to walk or ride a bike crosstown. Not even a month later, before the DOT could bring suggestions, a few people appeared to be trying to skew the results preemptively. They asked that East 72nd Street be excluded from the street safety study. That same street, by the way, has seen 128 people injured in traffic crashes in the last three years alone.

Photo: Rawle C. Jackman, via Flickr

Letter VIEW FROM A BIKE To the Editor: From what I’ve experienced as a bicyclist and motor vehicle operator is that accidents are more common than most people tend to give credit. Riding a bicycle on a roadway is something more people do each year. Bicycles are not protected by metal enclosure and therefore the person riding is usually seriously injured in an accident. Another important factor to accidents is that motor vehicles make many mistakes and don’t follow rules while driving. Automobiles will speed up for a yellow light dedicated to arriving at a destination as quickly as possible often putting many lives in danger. Auto vehicles are cited a lot. How many bicycles are pulled over for speeding past 25 mph in the U.S.? (I say U.S. because I’ve seen some despicable bicyclist videos from the U.K.) My point is that it’s my belief that the bicycle is easily blamed when motorists tend to take more risks at the cost of others lives. One example is this: I was following all the rules of the road on a fourlane roadway. I had about 1.5 feet of room for a bike lane. A tractor trailer passed me in the same lane and blew a red light in the process. I ended up ripping my brakes into an intersection. I head-on collided with an opposing car waiting to make a left hand turn. They never saw me nor I them. The driver was ﬁne. I have spinal injuries, amputation and broken teeth as a result. The police declared that the driver did everything right. As a result I likely will not receive any compensation and have extreme difficulty taking care of household chores and doing everyday activities. I also experience a great deal of pain and soreness just trying take care of myself. I cannot work physically demanding jobs probably for the rest of my life as a result. Ed Tea via the Web

STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source

Voices

I don’t know if 72nd street should be redesigned, but we certainly shouldn’t rule it out. It is demonstrably dangerous and congested with internal combustion vehicles, is a route to Bed Pan Alley East, and features bus stops. At the very least we need to see a study before we, as a community, can make an informed decision. I chair a health care advocacy organization In New York City, and I know we lose 250 of our friends and neighbors every year, and over 50,000 are injured in car crashes. I also know that when changes are proposed for proven lifesaving street redesigns, someone will invariably say “not on my block.” The way that we figure out if something will work is to first commission research studies. We shouldn’t limit the findings of any study before it begins— that’s what the climate change denying state

governors and petro industry-subsidized congressional representatives do. As Upper East Siders in the densest community in the U.S., we should look forward to making our streets and sidewalks -- our public spaces -- safer for everyone. We employ a public process when deciding about zoning, licenses and outdoor cafes. We should then use the best data and research available when making decisions about how our streets are laid out. The community deserves to see DOT’s complete study about how the agency plans to make our public space as safe as possible. Sincerely, Jeff Gold Former Chair, Transportation Committee East 79th Street Neighborhood Association Chairperson, Metro NY Health Care for All Campaign

A HOLIDAY FOR EVERYONE EAST SIDE ENCOUNTERS BY ARLENE KAYATT

Chanukah crawl: Seven nights of Chanukah found me celebrating the first night at Chabad Rabbi Levi Baumgarten’s annual festivities, a tradition I’ve enjoyed for the last six or seven years. This year’s was at a venue at 29th and Madison where an entire office floor was dedicated to food, family, fun, live music. First, the lighting of the candles. Then the latkes, lasagna, blintzes, knishes, jelly donuts and more. Everything dairy. And on the last night of Chanukah, my first time at the 8th Annual Hanukkah (different spelling) Celebration hosted each year by State Senator Bill Perkins at the Old Broadway Synagogue. Live music, candle lighting, singing, latkes, Middle Eastern spreads, pita, and those jelly donuts. Joining in the celebration were members of the Ethiopian Jewish community, AISH NY at Columbia’s Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, and Dr. Paul Radensky of the Old Broadway Synagogue which was founded in 1911. Hat’s off to Senator Perkins for his commitment to celebrating and bringing together the multi-ethnic and cultural communities in Manhat-

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Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade

tan. Not that his hat’s ever off - except it was this night when one of the congregants was having fun wearing it. Cell phone vs. headphone: Downtown bus empty, early afternoon, but for maybe eight riders in seats up front. Lady at double window seat speaking Chinese on cell phone. Man gets on bus wearing headphone and toting three or four shopping bags. He has an agitated look. Can’t find his Metro card. Having a hard time with bags. Plops his things down on one of the wheelchair three-seaters in the row opposite where the woman was sitting several seats back, sits down, glares at the woman on the cell phone, and calls to her to “get off the phone.” She continues talking and he makes a slash motion with his hands. When that doesn’t end it, he motions for her to tone it down. Unphased, she keeps talking. Whereupon another rider suggests that the man turn up the sound on his headphone so he doesn’t have to hear the cell phone chatter, to which the headphone man responds, “I don’t need you to tell me what to do with my headphone. This is America. I’ll listen to what I want to. I can’t understand a word she’s saying.”

Newspaper rites and wrongs: I’m a print junkie. Anything newspaper is my passion. Reading newspapers over coffee in various locales - be it at Starbucks, Whole Foods, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, places with Joe in its name, high-end, low-end, and oh so many others - is what I do. Online is for out of town and national papers and zines. Routine is usually iced black coffee, lots of ice, and the NY Post, the Times, Daily News, Wall St Journal, sometimes Newsday and The Observer - and of course, Our Town, on the day it arrives at Kings Pharmacy, 3rd/90-/91 or the corner kiosk. One afternoon at the cafe space at Food Emporium on 3rd and 68th, I had coffee set in place and newspapers ready to read. A man sitting at a table just ahead of mine eyed the papers, reached over, put his hands on the papers, and asked, “Are you reading ‘it’?” There were several and I was not, at that moment, reading any of them. Seeing my annoyance at the request, the woman sitting with him, offered, “That’s okay, Ms, we’ll wait.” Now there were two newspapers in play, but she assured me that would they “would wait until” I was “finished, okay?” No lady, no sir, not okay. Buy your own newspapers.

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope Fred Almonte, Susan Wynn editor.ot@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com

Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons

Print is dying. Pay for it. And you can’t have my Our Town (which is free) either, not until I’ve read it. While I wasn’t handing over my newspapers before I read them, I wondered about the encounter. Was it not nice to not let strangers read my newspapers before I did? Or were they just plain rude? I’ll get a life, sure, but boundaries, how I miss them. Big isn’t always better: That’s what came to mind on a November evening when I was on my way to the Cinema Café on 34th and 3rd as I passed the new apartment building at 222 East 34th St on the same street and saw this ginormous sculpture - Jim Rennert (American, born 1958, Think Big, bronze 2013). Think Big Jim is big for sure and stands strong and stout. He’s supposed to be a “towering businessman” gazing at the Manhattan Skyline and aims “to remind us that the American Dream is very alive and available to all who seek it.” Truth to tell - Mr. Big looks more like one of those inflatable rats at construction sites when there are union problems. Maybe his message that being big is better should be conveyed against vast unfettered surroundings, not an apartment building, where it only enhances the possibility that Mr. Big’s an inﬂatable rat. It sure doesn’t inspire visions of aspiration or bigness of vision, spirit or generosity - only visions of union problems and some ego issues

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

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Dear Parents: You are cordially invited to attend one of our OPEN HOUSES at York Preparatory School

A COMMUNITY IN THE CITY MY STORY BY BETTE DEWING

Everyone knows about eight days of Chanukah and 12 days of Christmas and New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve and Day (hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to temperate ones), but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also 43 days and nights of the Park Avenue Memorial Tree display - from December 6 to Martin Luther Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday on January 18. But too few know these lovely lighted fir trees lining Park Avenue every year are there to remember all who made the ultimate sacriďŹ ce in this nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wars. So do spread the word, and do make this serene and meaningful scene after sundown. Very few strollers there now, unlike the December 6th tree lighting ceremony at Brick Church, where hundreds, especially young families, crowded the blocked-off streets for this event of tributes and caroling. And I could not have made it without a friend to help me maneuver the crowds to the reserved seats in front of the church. Something to think about. And to really think about are some thoughts from Reverend Michael Lindvallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening remarks. They deserve to be widely heard and remembered for 2016 and beyond. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Welcome to the 71st Annual Park Avenue Tree lighting cer-

emony,â&#x20AC;? the minister began â&#x20AC;Ś and I really loved this: â&#x20AC;?We gather together as a wonderful mix of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children, Christians of many denominations, Jews, Muslims, those who believe, those who struggle with belief, and those who cannot believe. In spite of such distinctions, know that all - all are welcome.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;These trees were ďŹ rst lit in 1945 just after World War II. Every year since, they have honored men and women, who fought in our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s armed services, especially those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.â&#x20AC;? (I might add several Park Avenue mothers whose sons gave their lives in World War II began this blessed tradition). â&#x20AC;&#x153;These lights also celebrate our great City of New York and its neighborhoods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our will to become a community in the anonymity of a huge city. Our gathering here defies all the forces of darkness which would work to divide.â&#x20AC;? (Of course I thought of â&#x20AC;&#x153;communityâ&#x20AC;? lost as the small businesses which meet everyday needs and the rental homes, are replaced by luxury condos and big business towers. And how countless more must actively defy this legal urban darkness). Reverend Lindvall remembers it was also â&#x20AC;&#x153;the ďŹ rst night of Hanukkah and the festival of lightsâ&#x20AC;? and all they stood for. Lighted Hawthorne bushes are

part of this display. Of course, he thanked all who made these lighted trees possible, above all Barbara McLaughlin and the Fund for Park Avenue. So do we all! For many, the best part was the almost half hour of really joyful carol singing led by Keith Toth, Brickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minster of Music. And how we need sing-a-longs all year and everyone singing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; goodwill songs that unite â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yup, especially generations. Taps played by trumpeter, Thomas Hoyt, brought us back to the real meaning of these Memorial Trees. And the ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closing prayer began with, â&#x20AC;&#x153;God of all peoples, shine your light into the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s darkness as we dedicate these trees and their lights to those who died for freedom and peace, give us courage to live for peace and freedom â&#x20AC;Ś may your light again be born in us kindling hearts gone cold, and illuminating moral indignation gone dim. Be with all leaders of this world that we may at last beat all these spears into pruning hooks and swords into plowshares.â&#x20AC;? Amen and amen! And, again, may that â&#x20AC;&#x153;moral indignationâ&#x20AC;? really â&#x20AC;&#x153;be illuminatedâ&#x20AC;? against the destruction of our community - affordable neighborhood places and homes! And may more of the hundreds gathered for this annual event also ďŹ ll those faith group pews every Sabbath day. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to lose any more places of worship. And I hope you will get a copy of Reverend Lindvallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire message by calling Brick Church at 212289-4400. For more peace, good will and moral indignation in 2016! dewingbetter@aol.com

Tuesday, December 1st Tuesday, January 5th Tuesday, January 26th Tuesday, April 19th Tuesday, May 10th

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 Cathy Minaudo 212-362-0400 ext. 106 - cminaudo@yorkprep.org York Prep is a coeducation college preparatory school for grades 6-12

25 minutes could screen you for RU PRUH JRYHUQPHQW EHQHÂż WV Food:

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

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

FREE Electronics Recycling Sunday, January 3rd Union Square, NYC @L SN OL r 1@HM NQ 2GHMD Stop by with your old electronics for eco-friendly recycling. All participants will receive a coupon for up to $20 off a qualifying purchase at Tekserve.*

For more locations and details, visit tekserve.com/recycling *Coupon valid for $10 off any single purchase of $50 or more; $20 off any single purchase of $100 or more. Expires 2/15/16.

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Thu 31

and Organist, performs a free concert to ring in the New Year. A free champagne reception follows the concert. 212-378-0248. mmpaf.org

â&#x2013;˛ GREAT MUSIC AT ST. A PLEA FOR PEACE â&#x2013;ź BARTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A CONCERT FOR THE NEW YEAR Church of St. Jean Baptiste. St. Bartholomewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church, 325 Park Ave. at 51st St. 11 p.m. Free. An annual St. Bartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tradition: William Trafka, Director of Music

Enter on Lexington Avenue between 75th and 76th Streets 8 p.m. $50. Amor Artis Chorus and Orchestra presents its 31st New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve concert, with Bachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, amorartis.org/

Fri 1 ICONIC VIEWS OF CENTRAL PARK TOUR Central Park, North Meadow Recreation Center, Dairy Visitor Center, mid-Park between 64th and 65th Street. 11 a.m. $15 (Members $10). Take our signature tour, and let Central Park Conservancy guides give you an insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at some of the most iconic features of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest urban park. 212-310-6600.

KABBALAT SHABBAT Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Jeshurun, 88th Street Sanctuary, 257 West 88th St. 6:30 p.m. 212-787-7600. www.bj.org/

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Sat 2

MYSTERY MONDAYS: BOOK DISCUSSION. 67th Street Library, 328 East 67th St.

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

HAVE THE KITCHEN OF YOUR DREAMS

HODA KOTB READS Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 7 p.m. Free

for a fraction of the cost of a full renovation!

KINDRED SPIRITS: RITS: VASILY KANDINSKY DINSKY AND FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

t ,JUDIFO $BCJOFU 3FGBDJOH t $PVOUFS 5PQT BOE 5JMF 8PSL t 'VMM ,JUDIFO BOE #BUI 3FOPWBUJPOT

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, um, 1071 Fifth Ave. 2 p.m. Free with admission and meet et on the rotunda ďŹ&#x201A;oor. Noo RSVP is required. Led by Filip Noterdaeme, galleryy educator. 212-423-3618. guggenheim.org/newewyork/calendar-and-events/2016/01/05/ 5/ art-in-theround-exhibitiontour-21/5833

Call to Schedule Free Estimate

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860 Broadway @ E. 17th St.

JUST KIDDING: G: SONIA DE LOS S SANTOS Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway. 11 a.m. $15; members mbers $13. 212-864-5400..

Sun 3 YOUTH GROUP

/ 4 p.m. Featuring stories of suspense, secrets, and lies. This week, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Girl on the Trainâ&#x20AC;? by Paula Hawkins (212) 734-1717 www.nypl.org/events/ programs/2016/01/04/ mystery-mondays-mysterylovers-monthly-bookdiscussion-group

Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 263 West 86th St. 1-2:30 p.m. Free. 19TH PRECINCT Youth group at Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. 153 East 67th St. 7 p.m. 212-362-3179. www. The precinct community stpaulandstandrew.org/event/ youth-group/?instance_id=17579 council meets the ďŹ rst Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the precinct station house. 212-452-0615. www.nyc. TEDDY BEAR TEA gov/html/nypd/html/precincts/ Mount Vernon Hotel Museum precinct_019.shtml & Garden, 421 East 61st St. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2:30 p.m. Adults, $10; children under 12, $5. Banish post-holiday boredom with an event for ages 3 to 6. Bring your favorite teddy (or doll) to meet Mrs. Woodhull, â&#x2013;˛ TORAH ON the proprietorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife, and roleTUESDAYS WITH play the daily activities at the SUSAN SCHORR Mount Vernon Hotel in 1830. Afterwards, enjoy fruit tea and cookies. West End Synagogue, 190 212-838-6878 to make Amsterdam Ave. reservations. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Drop in and join the conversation, or just listen and enjoy. No prior experience required. 212-579-0777.

Tue 5

Mon 4

Photos By Ellen Dunn

Adopt A Pe Today show coanchor and author Hoda Kotb will be sharing stories from her new book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where We Belong: Journeys That Show Us the Way.â&#x20AC;?A Q&A and book signing follow. 212-3692180. stores.barnesandnoble. com/event/9780061725312-0

Wed 6 KILL YOUR TV READING GROUP Logos Bookstore, 1575 York Ave. 7 PM KYTV Reading Group will discuss â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Razorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edgeâ&#x20AC;? by Somerset Maugham. 212-517-7292. www. logosbookstorenyc.com/ Calendar.html

COMMUNITY BOARD 8 Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th St., between First and Second aVenues, Draesal Hall 6:30 p.m. A presentation by DOT regarding safety and mobility improvements on Second Avenue from 59th to 96th Streets 212-758-4340. cb8m.com/ calendar-meeting_date

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Huge Selection of Bibles Fiction/Non-Fiction Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Books Greeting Cards .VTJD t (JGUT Original Art Events and More! Hours: M-F 10am-9pm 4BU BN QN t 4VO QN QN

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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.

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

The show “If/Then” will among those featured at BroadwayCon

WHEN THE FANS TAKE OVER BROADWAY BroadwayCon, in midtown at the end of January, is envisioned as Comic Con for theater buffs BY MARK KENNEDY

If you’re in midtown Manhattan late next month and see women in green makeup or folks strutting around in colonial outﬁts, fear not. They’re attending the inaugural fan convention for Broadway. The three-day BroadwayCon -- sort of like a Comic Con for thespians -- promises to con-

nect theater fans with stage stars, but also wants them to leave with more than an autograph. There will be meet-ups for fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim and one for theater fans who have tattoos. There will be panels about sound and costume design. “Cosplay With the Pros” will features tips from Broadway costumers. The casts of “Rent,” “Fun Home” and “Hamilton” will talk about their shows. There

will be a seminar on producing and plenty of master classes led by veterans. There will be sing-alongs, a game show and a cabaret. The event was conceived by Melissa Anelli and Stephanie Dornhelm, who co-founded and lead GeekyCon, and the original “Rent” star Anthony Rapp. They’ve partnered with Playbill and the convention will be held Jan. 22-24 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Although the Broadway community does have gatherings throughout the year -- benefit shows, a flea market and fundraising concerts -- it hasn’t had a full-on convention until now. Enter the masterminds of GeekyCon, which grew from a love of Harry Potter to one of the largest and most recognized conventions for fans of fantasy films, television shows and young adult books. “I think and I hope it’s going to help people really understand why fandom and passion is so powerful,” said An-

elli. “Passion has been nothing but amazing in our world, so I’m excited for the Broadway world to discover it.” The BroadwayCon lineup is constantly being updated, but some of the stars slated to appear include Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of “Hamilton,” Jeremy Jordan, Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, James Monroe Iglehart, Billy Porter, Melissa Errico, Gavin Creel, Seth Rudetsky, Kerry Butler and Christian Borle and Brian d’Arcy James from “Something Rotten!” Anelli, who was such a passionate fan of “Rent” that she slept outside its Broadway home at age 16 and eventually befriended Rapp, said BroadwayCon will attract at least two large groups of fans. “One is the one who heard the word BroadwayCon and said, `Move all of my cast albums out of the way so I can get to my computer to buy a ticket,’” she said. “And then you have the `Next to Normal’ fans, the `Rent’

fans, the `Wicked’ fans -- the ones that were brought in by one very specific fan base.” Tickets start at $50 and go up to a general pass with full access to everything on offer for $250. Ten percent of all profits go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Anelli said about half the several thousand expected attendees are under age 30, 80 percent are from outside the state and 80 percent are women, reflecting the Broadway audience. Attendees will likely give a boost to Broadway box offices during a traditionally slow month. Organizers balked at some traditional convention staples, particularly the fees charged for autographs and selfies with stars. “All fans do all day is stand in lines. It feels like a waste of their talent and the fans’ energy,” Anelli said. “We wanted to make sure it was content-based.” At BroadwayCon, there’s no charge for autographs, though fans may have to enter lotter-

ies. Master classes in vocal technique -- with performers from “If/Then,” “Rent” and “The Book of Mormon” -- are free, but require registration and ﬁll up fast. Rapp, currently touring with “If/Then” and who will be present as “Rent” cast members celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary, praised his fellow organizers for trying to create a grassroots, homegrown feeling to the gathering. “So many things have gotten so focused-grouped and corporatized in our entertainment world, and I promise you this is not going to be that,” said Rapp, who will be hosting his own master class. To that end, organizers encourage fans to show up in costumes of their favorite show. “The idea of being very specifically a fan of one thing is suddenly OK,” Anelli said. “It’s becoming cooler to be a fan, and I think people are more out there about what they love.”

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

THE WHITNEY, AND THE NEW CHELSEA

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Historic New York: The Children’s District in Central Park

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1ST, 11AM Doris Freedman Plaza | 60th St./Fifth Ave. | 212-628-2345 | nycgovparks.org

2015/2016

Take a New Year’s Day walking tour through the icons of The Children’s District, learning the stories behind the spots along the way. (Free)

The success of the museum marked the arrival of the neighborhood

Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf: Anesthesia Screening and Conversation

BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

In New York, an opening can draw crowds like few other events, and 2015 was a big year, from the box office debut of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to the Broadway premiere of the musical “Hamilton,” which fast became the city’s hottest—and priciest—theater ticket. But few debuts in 2015 were as anticipated as the opening of the new home of the Whitney Museum of American Art, which moved from its longtime residence at 75th Street and Madison Avenue to 99 Gansevoort Street, in the heart of what’s become one of the city’s most luxe neighborhoods. The $422 million building designed by architect Renzo Piano opened on May 1 in the Meatpacking District. The Whitney capped off nearly four years of construction with an opening ceremony a day earlier that featured First Lady Michelle Obama as its keynote speaker, and continued the celebrations with a free neighborhood block party on May 2. The inaugural exhibition, a building-wide show of 600 pieces from the Whitney’s collection titled “America is Hard to See,” was in a way a celebration of American art and the museum’s holdings. “I think we’re all proud to have them there and I think it’s good for the neighborhood,” said Tobi Bergman, the chair of Community Board 2. Bergman added that the institution infused culture in an area noted for its nightlife. The museum’s presence has also changed the midday neighborhood demographic, according to Cecilia Alemani, the Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art. “It has definitely brought a new inﬂux of people especially during the day: it’s been quite surprising to see how many more people come during the day in a district that has been

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 5TH, 7:15PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Writer-director Tim Blake Nelson talks about his new ﬁlm, set around a Columbia philosophy professor, played by actor Sam Waterston, who will also be in on the conversation. ($36)

Just Announced | Carol: Special Screening & Discussion

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6TH, 7PM Museum of the Moving Image | 36-01 35th Ave. | 718-777-6888 | movingimage.us Director Todd Haynes joins his producers, cinematographer, editor and production designer to speak about bringing Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt to life. ($30)

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

The view of the Whitney Museum of American Art from Gansevoort Street. Photograph by Karin Jobst, 2014.

historically much more vibrant during the night,” said Alemani in an email. The Whitney’s arrival in the neighborhood, where it counts buzzed-about restaurants and high-end fashion boutiques as its neighbors, also solidifies the upscale nature of the Meatpacking District and neighboring Chelsea. Rafael Risemberg, who leads gallery tours through his company New York Gallery Tours, contrasts the Whitney’s arrival in the Meatpacking District to the New Museum’s role on the Lower East Side. When the New Museum opened on the Bowery, galleries followed, he said. “The New Museum was a harbinger for change,” he said. “The Whitney is following the change.” As New York Times architec-

ture critic Michael Kimmelman pointed out in his review of the building, the Whitney’s arrival also signifies a cultural migration of sorts. “The move confirms a definitive shift in the city’s social geography, which has been decades coming,” he wrote. “It ratifies Chelsea and the once-funky far West Village as something closer to what the Upper East Side used to be, say, circa 1966, the year Marcel Breuer’s Whitney building opened at 75th Street. Those neighborhoods serve up the same cocktail of money, real estate, fashion and art—except that the financiers, Hollywood stars and other haute bourgeois bohemians stand in for the old Social Register crowd.”

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS NOV 17 - DEC 23, 2015 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.

Joe Coffee

1045 Lexington Avenue

Come Prima

903 Madison Ave

Not Yet Graded (5) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Oslo Coffee Roasters

422 East 75 Street

Subway

1873 2Nd Ave

Not Yet Graded (37) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Bkb

321 East 73 Street

Seamstress

339 East 75 Street

Cafe Luka

1319 1 Avenue

Cilantro

1321 1 Avenue

Trend Diner

1382 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food prepared from ingredients at ambient temperature not cooled to 41º F or below within 4 hours. 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.

Five Mile Stone

1640 2Nd Ave

Subway

1661 1 Avenue

Bar Roma

163 E 92Nd St

Joy Burger Bar

1567 Lexington Ave

Grade Pending (55) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Blimpie

1928 3 Avenue

Pee Dee Steak

2006 3 Avenue

Pinkberry

240 East 82 Street

Sushi Para Manhattan

1461 3Rd Ave

Grade Pending (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Crepes And Delices

222 E 86Th St

By The Way Bakery

1236 Lexington Ave

Big Daddy’s

1596 1598 2Nd Avenue

Wa Jeal

1588 2 Avenue

Pj Bernstein Deli & Restaurant

1215 Third Avenue

Grade Pending (30) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Casimir & Co

1022 Lexington Ave

Session 73

1359 1 Avenue

Grade Pending (17) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Andaz

1378 1 Avenue

Dining Room

.1-A East 77 St

Union Club Of City Of New York

101 East 69 Street

Petaluma

1356 1 Avenue

More neighborhood news? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns? Email us at news@strausnews.com

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Central Park

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK? Winter Workout: The warm weather makes for a great excuse to get out and workout in Central Park! Take a run or a walk around the reservoir or the Ramble, go on a bike ride around the loops, or try bouldering at Worthless Boulder or Rat Rock. No matter what you choose to do, you will enjoy the beauty and endless choices of the park. See more things to do at centralpark.com/guide/ activities. Seeing Central Park Through a Lens: Central Park is a photographer’s delight in every season, and the warmer weather we have been experiencing has created unexpected batches of color in the form of ﬂowers and blossoms. Bring your camera and pick up some great pointers on how to capture the perfect shot in our guided photography tour at centralpark.com/ guide/tours.

COMING UP THIS WEEK NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS MIDNIGHT RUN Kick off the new year at the NYRR Midnight Run! There will be DJs, neon face painting, strobe lights, photo opportunities, and fun giveaways starting at 10:00 p.m. For kids and adults. Date: December 31 Time: The fun starts at

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10pm, run at 11:59pm and ﬁreworks at midnight. Where: 72nd Street Transverse near Bethesda Terrace For more info visit: centralpark.com/events

ICE SKATE AT LASKER RINK Lasker Rink offers public session plus a full complement

of lessons and activities with certiﬁed instructors. When: Daily through the end of April Where: Mid-park between 106th and 108th Streets For more info visit: centralpark.com/guide/sports

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

WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, visit: www.centralpark.com/wherein-central-park. The answers and names of the people who guess right will appear in the paper and online in two weeks. Congratulations to Gregory Holman, for answering last week’s question correctly.

A Better Choice Estate Buyers MID-CENTURY MODERN 50’s - 70’s WHOLE OR PARTIAL ESTATES Actively Purchasing Designer Furniture | Antiques Silver | Jewelry | Lighting | Art

917-370-0996 | 201-320-2439

Your neighborhood news source

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LAST WEEK’S ANSWER This bronze, life-sized sculpture is a self-portrait of the esteemed Danish sculptor Albert Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), and was dedicated in Central Park in 1894. It is the only statue of an artist displayed in the parks of New York City, and it honors a titan in his ﬁeld who had broad inﬂuence in sustaining the classical tradition in art. Originally placed just north of 59th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, it was later relocated to 97th Street near Fifth Avenue and was moved again in 1940 to a newly landscaped triangular knoll, which took place when a road was built connecting the 97th Transverse to 96th Street. In 1996 the Central Park Conservancy restored the statue.

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In Brief PARENTAL LEAVE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES City employees will get six weeks of paid parental leave under a new policy announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Crain’s reports that the leave policy includes time off for maternity, paternity, adoption or foster care and will bring New York City in line with cities such as Portland, Ore., which recently approved a six-week paid parental leave policy. “Too many new parents face an impossible choice: taking care of their child or getting their paycheck,” de Blasio said. “New York City is leading by example, putting us at the forefront of paid parental leave policies around the country.

WHOLE FOODS FINED FOR OVERCHARGING IN NYC The upscale supermarket chain agreed to pay $500,000 following allegationns that it overcharged its customers and to adopt new standards to ensure more accurate labels, city officials said. “After discovering the troubling and repeated mislabeling of prepackaged goods at Whole Foods last year, we are happy to have reached an agreement with Whole Foods that will help to ensure New Yorkers are better protected from overcharging,” said Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Julie Menin. “Whether it’s a bodega in the Bronx or a national grocery store in Manhattan, we believe every business needs to treat its customers fairly and, with this agreement, we hope Whole Foods will deliver on its promise to its customers to correct their mistakes. DCA will also continue its vigilance in making sure New Yorkers are protected every time they check out at the grocery.” The Daily News ﬁrst reported that the city had launched a probe of Whole Foods after investigators found that the chain routinely overcharged customers dating back to at least 2010. Inspectors weighed 80 different types of items at Whole Foods’ eight locations in the city that were open at the time. They found every label was inaccurate, with many overcharging consumers. The overcharges ranged from 80 cents for a package of pecan panko to $14.84 for a container of coconut shrimp, the Daily News reported. A Whole Foods spokesman argued the city “misrepresented” the agreement, noting that the store initially faced $1.5 million in ﬁnes.

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

Business A NEW KIND OF ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS Street gangs, particularly in New York, are increasingly moving to white-collar crime and identity theft BY COLLEEN LONG

The Van Dyke Money Gang in New York made off with more than $1.5 million this year -- but it wasn’t in gunpoint robberies or drug running, it was a Western Union money order scheme. In New Jersey, 111 Neighborhood Crips used a machine to make dozens of fake gift cards for supermarkets, pharmacies and hardware stores. In South Florida, gangs steal identities to file false tax returns. These aren’t members of an organized Mafia or band of hackers. They’re street crews and gangs netting millions in white-collar schemes like identity theft and credit card fraud --- in some instances, giving up the old ways of making an illicit income in exchange for easier crimes with shorter sentences. “Why would you spend time on the street slinging crack when you can get 10 years under federal minimums when in reality you can just bone up on how to make six figures and when you get caught you’re doing six months?” said Al Pasqual, director of fraud security at the consulting firm Javelin Strategy and Research. Law enforcement officials say they see increasingly more gangs relying on such crimes. This year, more than three dozen suspected crew members have been indicted in separate cases around the country. Grand larcenies in New York City account for 40 percent of all crime last year -- compared with 28 percent in 2001. About 5 percent of Americans nationwide have experienced some kind of identity theft, with Florida leading the country in complaints. New York Police Commissioner William Bratton wrote in an editorial in the city’s Daily News last week that white-collar crime was being committed by gang members “to an astonishing degree.” Crews recruit bank account owners to help cash phony checks, they pay off crooked employees who skim credit card information using hand-held readers, and they buy identities online. Pasqual said for some, it was a replacement for other crime. “For some it’s a supplement. They’re earning the money

to grow the other side of their business, using white-collar crime to fund gun running. For a lot of them this becomes their day to day. They travel the country when they get really good at it.” A task force created by federal officials in Florida has charged more than 400 people with causing more than $140 million in losses --- including more than 60 charged three weeks ago -- and officials say increasingly those arrested are gang members. It’s an organized crime -- but not “Organized Crime,” said Bill Maddalena, assistant special agent in charge of the white-collar branch of the Miami FBI of-

crime, but not necessarily in committing the crime,” said David Szuchman, chief of the investigation division at the district attorney’s office in Manhattan. As officials crack down on one type of scam, criminals move on to the next. Gang members learn the craft from each other -- but many are also millennials, “raised in a computer age, and they know how to use it,” said Lt. Greg Besson of the NYPD’s ﬁnancial crimes task force. The nation’s largest police department has revamped how it responds to ﬁnancial crimes after officials started noticing street crews with recoded credit cards. Now, the grand larceny division brings in detectives from the gang unit and other divisions to work together. The Outlaw Gangsta Crips in Brooklyn made about $500,000 this year in a paycheck fraud scheme that involved obtaining a legitimate paycheck and then using the information to create and quickly cash phony checks before they were taken down. But they also robbed check-cashing stores and were charged with conspiracy to kill two people, authorities said. Most cases are pending. In Union County, New Jersey, the 111

ﬁce. “They’re very well organized. They have to recruit people to help steal devices, cash the checks.” And because gang members are engaging more in fraud, there are fewer turf wars. “There’s still an element of violence,” Maddalena said. “There’s less head-tohead competition. They’re attacking the government.” This violence can be more directly related to the crime, not like a drive-by shooting over a turf war that injures dozens. A postmaster killed over a key to open the P.O. boxes in Florida. In a Manhattan case, authorities found a scrap of paper in the pocket of a gang shooting victim that had the identiﬁcation of another person. “There’s often violence surrounding the

Neighborhood Crips made tens of thousands in fake tax returns -- and four of the 12 indicted this summer were also charged with murder and attempted murder in separate incidents. Their cases are pending. The Van Dyke crew operated out of a public housing development. Their scheme, uncovered this year, stretched along the East Coast, as far as north Boston and as south as Washington. They recruited bank account holders and then used more than 350 accounts to deposit fake money orders. A dozen suspected gang members and associated were arrested and charged by federal officials with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. A trial for some of the defendants is scheduled for early next year.

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST The local paper for the Upper West Side

August 10, 2015

August 5, 2015 The local paper for the Upper East Side

LUXURY MEGA-TOWER COMING TO SUTTON PLACE EXCLUSIVE East Side officials already gearing up to fight the project BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Plans have been drawn up for a luxury 900-foot condo tower in Sutton Place, which, if completed as planned, would rank as one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan. The 268,000-squarefoot tower will become the second-tallest on the Upper East Side, behind the in-progress 432 Park Avenue at 1,400 feet, and one of the tallest in the city. Construction permits

degree views of Midtown, Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan, Central Park and the East River.” The 268,000 square feet of buildable space and air rights, which includes 58,000 square feet of inclusionary housing rights, have already been delivered. It’s unclear if the affordable housing will be offered on- or offsite, or how many units of affordable housing will be included. Representatives for The Bauhouse Group, which owns the site, declined to field questions about the Sutton Place Development, but a representative of the company provided a press release to Our Town that said the

April 7, 2015

April 8, 2015

The local paper for the Upper West Side

Photo: Tina Leggio, via Flickr Safety Advocates Want Harsher Penalties for New York’s Drivers

THE TRAGEDY AFTER INVESTIGATION As many as 260 pedestrians are expected to die this year on New York City streets. But almost none of the drivers involved in those cases will be prosecuted -- adding to the nightmare for the families of the victims.

see Reyes punished for Ariel’s death, now more than a year and a half ago, in June 2013. Russo said in an interview that she ﬁnds cruel irony in the fact that she teaches history to boys the same age as Reyes, who was 17 when he ran over Ariel and her grandmother in a Nissan Frontier SUV in front of the little girl’s preschool on the Upper West Side. This is why she initially sympa

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

sterdam Avenue in an attempt to ﬂee from cops who had seen him driving erratically and ordered him to pull over. The chase ended with the fatal crash on 97th Street. Originally, by giving him bail and charging him as a minor, Judge Carro was giving Reyes a chance to avoid having a public criminal record. But on Sept. 3, Reyes was again stopped for driving recklessly, without a license This time in speeding

December 4, 2014

March 2, 2015

FI RST IN YOU R NEIGHBO R H OOD

(212) 868-0190

Eastsider Downtowner

BATTLE OVER HOMELESS CAMPS

Clinton Westsider

belongings weren’t worth much, “but the emotional cost is priceless.” A spokeswoman for the mayor said the encounter between the homeless and police involved illegal trespassing on school grounds. “That said, we will review our protocols concerning the seizure and disposition of personal property to ensure that it can be reclaimed by its rightful owners,” spokeswoman Karen Hinton said. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city has had success in persuading some who live in the camps to accept city services. “Think about the encampments -- settlements of people living out in the open or living under a railroad tunnel. Sleeping in the exposed air, often drug dens. This was not an ac-

ceptable way of life for those people,” he said. “We’re not going to tolerate it -- for them, let alone for the communities around them. What a horrible message it sends about quality of life.” But homeless New Yorkers and advocates said they were concerned the mayor’s approach is too aggressive. Linda Lewis of Picture the Homeless questioned what would happen if all 55,000 homeless citizens were sheltered. “Then what? There isn’t enough housing for them -where do they go after shelter?” she asked. Some homeless said they preferred the streets to shelters, where they felt unsafe. An audit by the comptroller’s office found too few employees oversee the nonproﬁt organizations that operate shelters. Meanwhile, about 50 outreach workers from three nonproﬁt groups canvassed Monday as part of the city’s Home Stat outreach program. Allison

McCullough of the Goddard Riverside Community Center interacted with about 10 people by midday, and one conversation was cut short when police arrested a man on an assault charge. She said connecting on the street is a challenge. “People aren’t always forthcoming,” she said. “It can take months. It can take years.” She spoke with 30-year-old William Hardnet, who has been homeless since he was laid off from a cooking job at an Atlantic City casino six years ago. “I like their program so much more because they actually come out and interact with the homeless,” he said. “It shows that it’s coming from the heart.” He said he prefers to sleep in a convenience store doorway than to go to a shelter. Still, he said, he plans to work with McCullough. “I would like for someone to come with me to see how it’s set up,” he said. “I’m deﬁnitely trying to get inside this winter.”

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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The proposed facade concept of the new building from 79th Street and Columbus Avenue shows a redesigned section of Theodore Roosevelt Park. Courtesy of Studio Gang Architects.

IN MUSEUM EXPANSION, A CLASSIC NEIGHBORHOOD SHOWDOWN 2015/2016 Residents pledge to stay active as the AMNH project moves forward BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

The American Museum of Natural History’s proposed expansion into Theodore Roosevelt Park drew much attention and some consternation from neighbors who see the loss of serene parkland as a hefty price to pay for a 218,000-square-foot science and education center. In November, 11 months after the project was ﬁrst announced in December, the museum released a conceptual plan for the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation. The design by architect Jeanne Gang includes arched, cave-like exhibition spaces and an expanded entrance at 79th Street and Columbus Avenue. The museum will knock down three of its buildings to make way for the new structure, and much of the addition will reside within the current museum space, linking other areas within the building complex. Less park space than originally expected by both the museum and the project’s detractors

will be used, with about 11,600 square feet of parkland needed for the project. But as the museum’s plan progresses, nearby residents remain active in the ﬁght to preserve a cherished community meeting spot. Protectors of the park coalesced into an advocacy group that started modestly and grew in just a few months. Defenders of Teddy Roosevelt Park formed about seven months after the announcement, following a meeting the museum held with some nearby residents in July, during which some neighbors ﬁrst became aware of the project. Since then, the group has rallied supporters, hosted a public meeting and engaged in an active dialogue with museum officials. “I think we’ve made some good progress,” said Sig Gissler, president of Defenders of Teddy Roosevelt Park. “There’s still a lot to do. If you look at the remaining issues there are quite a few.” Before the release of the design, the lengthy period of speculation about the project may have caused mistrust of those who offered early support, in-

cluding Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, who allocated more than $16 million dollars in City Council funding for construction of the building. During a crowded Town Hall meeting about the project on Oct. 6, she was greeted with boos from the audience. Rosenthal is not alone in her support of the project; to date, the museum has raised more than $100 million dollars for the new building, including $44.3 million in city funding. Peter Wright, president of Friends of Roosevelt Park, a non-proﬁt group that maintains the park with the museum and the city’s Parks Department, said early lack of transparency was a misstep—his organization did not know about the expansion until after the museum announced the project— but one the museum has corrected through continued communication. Wright said the advocacy efforts of Defenders were effective, and the museum has worked with local groups and neighbors. “It’s a rare example of an institution listening to its neighbors, knowing what it has to do and in the opinion of

Friends, it’s been a poster child for institutional cooperation,” said Wright. Museum officials met with community stakeholders throughout the year, including Gissler’s group and nearby block associations. Shortly after revealing the conceptual plan in November, the museum hosted a wellattended public meeting to share the design. The museum maintains they’ve been open and responsive to community concerns throughout the design phase, and will continue an open dialogue, but granting community wishes can’t come at the expense of the museum’s needs. “The museum will always be open in sharing information and trying to answer as many questions as possible, but I do want to make clear that the design needs to meet the program that is needed for the museum,” said Dan Slippen, the institution’s vice president of government relations. “Everybody has a different view and we respect everybody’s view, but at the same time the museum has to do what is best for the museum…and what’s

best for the museum is best for the city of New York.” Much still needs to happen before shovels hit the ground, including approvals from city agencies and various public reviews. A city and state environmental review will start in early 2016, which examines transportation, noise, air quality and other issues. A public scoping meeting will allow for comment on what should be included in the review. Meanwhile, the design of the new center will enter its schematic phase, a roughly six-month process in which architects reﬁne the design elements of the interior and exterior spaces, including what stone will be used on the façade and the content of the exhibition spaces. An application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission could come in late spring, starting another assessment that also includes a public hearing. Prior to the Landmarks hearing, the museum will present the proposal to Community Board 7.

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The local paper for the Upper East Side

DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 6,2016

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

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

A CITY SONGWRITER GETS PERSONAL Michael Graetzer crafts tunes to celebrate people’s special occasions BY ANGELA BARBUTI

Michael Graetzer is not your typical songwriter. A Song Just for You, the business he started in 2007, has him creating personalized songs to commemorate life’s special events. The process starts with an in-person interview during which Graetzer picks up on details that make his subject’s story unique. He then writes lyrics that sets to music based on the client’s taste. The icing on the cake is that he will perform the song at the wedding or special event for which it was composed. Graetzer, who has written 150 songs in his career and won an award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International, is often moved, sometimes to tears, when hearing his clients’ stories. He takes pride in crafting the perfect lyrics to add a unique and lasting touch to memorable moments. “People are just so thrilled to hear very personal details set to music,” he said.

How did the idea for this business come about? I was a songwriter for all of my life and went to Berklee College of Music as a songwriting major. Then I moved to Nashville for a while and wrote songs there and then moved to New York. When I was in New York, to make some extra money, I started working in advertising. And in advertising, as a writer, you’re always writing to very speciﬁc parameters. “This is the unique thing about this product; this is the demographic; this is what they already think about the other products.” There were so many specific things that I would write for. It’s not just free, creative writing. And, you know, I got pretty good at it. And then I thought, “Why don’t I do this for other people, for their special events?” Actually, a woman who I worked with, Lynn Edlen-Nezin, she would do ideation exercises to help us understand what people really think. So I kind of incorporated some of that into my interviews with people to draw out

Michael Graetzer writes songs just for you. Photo: Jeremy Davis Photography of them what would be an interesting song.

Fifty percent of your work involves writing wedding songs for couples. Couples usually start off telling me about the big things about the relationship which are completely useless for a song, like, “I’m not happy unless she’s happy” or “I’m not happy unless he’s happy.” But then they’ll sneak in little things and don’t realize it. Like, “When we were picking apples…” They have these very unique, individual stories that totally make good songwriting material.

What questions do you ask during the interview? I’m looking for something that I can write a song with. My ears are picking up things that are unique or interesting or very specific. Like, I did something for a 9-year-old’s birthday party. “Well, she used to like Hannah Montana, but now Bon Jovi’s got her heart.” Just ordinary things, but very specific. Maybe with a couple, I would start off saying, “So when did you first meet? Where did you meet?

What was your ﬁrst date?” And once they get over trying to talk about their relationship in a global sense, then they get loosened up and trust me more. Because it’s a real trust thing, to open up about something very personal. But once people get started, I cry. Because they’re telling me stories they’ve never told their friends. No one’s ever asked. It’s very, very moving.

What’s one song you’ve done that sticks out in your memory? One that sticks out in my head a lot was where the truth was made for a song. This guy took his girlfriend up to Maine to where his family gathering was and they carved their initials in a heart on this tree. And then they went back the next year to the same place, but he snuck out early in the morning. And on the other side of the tree, he carved, “Will you marry me?” And then he brought her to the tree and they saw where they carved before and then he said, “Sometimes when you talk to a tree, the tree talks back.” And he took her around to backside of

the tree and she carved, “Yes.” It’s just so touching; you couldn’t make that up.

Where are your favorite places to write? I have a music studio in midtown that I run with two partners. That’s certainly a place I record. But writing can happen just about everywhere. I’ve tried coffee shops; that doesn’t really work for me. I would say, when I’m in bed, late at night or early in the morning, I’m thinking about the song. I’ll have my little handheld recorder next to me and my notebook and I’ll write things down. Walks in nature, like in Central Park. I’ve written a lot sitting in Central Park on the benches. Those two things are probably the best for me.

What are your future plans? I think to put out some videos because it seems, for the last ﬁve years, everything’s just been moving towards video. And I haven’t put attention to that. I put more attention to the writing of the song than anything, especially the lyrics. Melodies and music come very naturally to me. I don’t have to work at that very hard. Lyrics, I do really care about, so I work at that, probably too hard. [Laughs] But video, I think, would be the next step for me. To get more videos out there of my songs and me doing various things. www.ASongJustForYou.com

Who are some singers and songwriters you look up to? I like David Byrne, Don Henley. Leonard Cohen, I was really moved by for many years. Bright Eyes is a young band that I like a lot. Hall & Oates are an old favorite of mine. Kansas, back in the day, were amazing.

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