Our Town October 18th, 2013

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NYPRESS.COM • THE LARGEST PAPER ON THE EAST SIDE • OCTOBER 17, 2013

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Angels Bring Laughter to Local Groups Attorney uses improv comedy to help sick kids and elderly residents By Helaina Hovitz

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The Congregation Versus the Community

Churches and synagogues throughout Manhattan facing economic hardship may find their financial plans thwarted by preservation efforts By Megan Bungeroth

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t’s hard to argue against preserving the city’s historic, soaring monuments to God. Churches and synagogues throughout Manhattan have been targeted by preservation enthusiasts since the city first created the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965. They have good reason: without landmark status protection, surely many of these places, which

give religious congregations a home and neighborhoods an inimitable character and sense of history, would have been torn down long ago.

The side not often heard above the rallying cries of well-meaning preservationists, however, is that of the actual church or synagogue members. The landmark process, meant to protect and preserve historical assets that theoretically belong to everyone, can sometimes end up displacing the very people who hold the actual deeds to these properties and destroying the community that resides within the building in order to preserve its facade. On the Upper East Side, this battle is playing out over Park Avenue Christian Church, a well-regarded local institution with a popular day school (which has also

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ALSO INSIDE REMEMBERING WINIFRED KAGWA P.10

RESTAURANT HEALTH GRADES P.17

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t the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, a group of seniors are gathered next to the nurse’s station, many in wheelchairs. Smiling men and women in blue T-shirts that read Cherub Improv are encouraging a man in his 80s to stand in the middle of the circle they’ve formed around him and pretend he’s doing something, anything, then share it with the group. The game they’re playing is called “Hey, Watcha Doin’?” The old man smiles as he pantomimes climbing a wall, and explains what he’s doing to the next group member, who jovially enters the circle, asking, “Hey, what are you doing?”

At that moment, a nurse leans over and whispers to one of the men in the blue t-shirts, “That one, in the middle of the circle, has been non-communicative for over a year. He wouldn’t talk to anyone.” The man she’s whispering to is Jonathan Evan Goldberg, 42, founder of Cherub Improv, and he lives for moments like that one. Several times a week, his group of 80 trained volunteer Cherubs visit youth groups, the elderly, veterans, the homeless, hospital and hospice patients, and adults and children living with cancer, bringing comedy to people in need via free performances and interactive workshops. The name Cherub comes from the Yiddish “Cherubim” which means “Angel.” As a kid, Goldberg always wanted to be an actor, but his parents encouraged him to pursue a legal career instead. In 2007, he decided to attend an improv comedy class, and the rest is history. Now, he lives on the Upper West Side and insists on using his middle name “to distinguish himself from the 50,000 other Jonathan Goldbergs in the tri-state area.”

Volunteer Joyce Purver, left, at a recent workshop at Ronald McDonald house. Goldberg is a partner in the litigation department of Dentons, one of the 25 largest legal service providers in the world. By day, he can be found in his office at Rockefeller Center, dancing to club music at his standing desk, which he bought specifically so he could bust a move while on conference calls. By night, he can be found playing with his chubby cats, Bella and Leo. Before it could officially become a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Goldberg and his friends, Joy Purver and Dr. Steve Van Ooteghem, had to use their own money to get the organization off the ground, continuing to survive and expand through individual donations. Now, they’ve established partnerships with numerous organizations, including Chelton Loft, a Fedcap clubhouse open to adults with a history of mental illness and homelessness. On an unseasonably warm September night, a small group has gathered at the Loft on West 19th Street. The Cherubs are playing games with the residents like “Geographic Freeze Tag,” forming physical positions and creating new scenes every time the audience Continued on page 8

TAPPED IN

To The Editor: Although Tom Allon makes a good case for term limits, I must respectfully disagree (“Why Term Limits Are Good,� Oct. 10). If an elected official is doing a good job, his/her constituents should have the right to continue to vote for them indefinitely. If s/he is not doing a good job, those constituents can always vote for someone else. The problem is not with term limits per se, but rather with the entrenchment of “bad� elected officials – which certainly exists, but is the exception rather than the rule. No, what must change is the redistricting and gerrymandering rules that allow the creation of unfairly (read “cynically�) drawn election districts. It is this that leads to entrenchment of “bad� politicians, not the lack of term limits. And this applies nationally, not just locally. If election districts were drawn solely on the basis of population density, they would be closer to “squares� than to the bizarrely-drawn districts that exist, and there would be a greater diversity of political opinion – and affiliation. Ian Alterman Upper West Side

Lenox Hill Teaches High School Students CPR Last Thursday, 120 students from three different Upper East Side high schools (St. Jean Baptiste, The Hewitt School & Eleanor Roosevelt High School) attended a workshop hosted by Lenox Hill Hospital on East 77th Street to learn hands-only CPR, follow the chain of survival and operate an AED (Auto-

mated External Defibrillator). According to Lenox Hill, only 8 percent of people who suffer a cardiac arrest survive, leaving 300,000 dead each year. Their goal is to change the paradigm of unnecessary deaths from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by educating and empowering students to act during an emergency. Bystander CPR can double or triple survival from cardiac arrest. Currently, only about 30 percent of victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest receive any type of CPR. Since most cardiac arrests take place at home, students who are trained can save lives not only at home, they can share techniques and knowledge gained with parents, siblings and other relatives.

Instructor Amy Smith, RN from the Emergency Department shows Eleanor Roosevelt High School students Anika Aug (left) and Ally Herrnson how to perform CPR using dummies.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

CRIME WATCH by Jerry Danzig

Wheelchair Asault A man in a motorized wheelchair thwarted two robbers. At 2:30 PM on Monday, October 7, a 50-year-old man left his home on East 79th Street in his red motorized wheelchair. When he got to 79th Street between First and Second avenues, two unknown men approached him, demanded money, and rifled through his pockets. They were unsuccessful, and the victim punched one of the would-be robbers before he fell from his chair, sustaining minor injuries.

Bad Checks Unauthorized checks were written against a man’s business checking account. At 1:30 PM on Saturday, October 5, a 50-year-old man with a business on East 89th Street was checking his business account, when he found that some checks had been cashed without permission or authorization. He looked through his checkbook and noticed that six checks were missing, while two checks had been cashed, one for $560 and the other for $476, totaling $1,036.

Online Bank Robbery Two unauthorized transactions were made against a man’s checking account. At 10:15 AM on Saturday, October 5, a 43-year-old man living on East 85th Street was looking over his checking account on his cell phone and discovered that two unauthorized transactions had been made, totaling $9,099. He went to his bank and closed his account. The transactions were withdrawals made inside a branch in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Inappropriate

Two-Wheeled Thief A man on a bicycle struck a woman and swiped her cell phone. At 2:23 AM on Saturday, October 5, a 36-year-old woman was walking southbound on First Avenue at East 70th

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

Street, when an unknown man on a bicycle struck her in the face with his open hand, causing pain, redness, and swelling to her cheek. He also grabbed her cell phone from her hand before fleeing eastbound on East 70th Street and turning northbound on York Avenue. Police searched the area but couldn’t locate the cyclist. Cameras on East 70th Street may have captured the incident or a picture of the perpetrator. The phone stolen was a Motorola Android valued at $100.

Unknown perpetrators appropriated a woman’s tax refund. At 3:30 PM on Sunday, October 6, a 44-year-old woman living on East 72nd Street reported that unknown perpetrators had used her Social Security number, date of birth, and name

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to intercept her refund from the New York State income tax department. She said she had not been given any information about where the check was sent or when, nor had she given anyone permission

Health-Food Robbery A man held up two nutrition store employees at gunpoint. At 9:15 PM on Friday, October 4, a 20-year-old male employee at a chain nutrition store on Lexington Avenue reported that a 21-year-old man had entered the store. Another store employee, a 23-year-old man, asked the customer if he needed help, and the customer said no. The second employee then went downstairs to work, when the customer produced a silver handgun and pointed it at the first employee. The customer instructed the employee to give him cash from the register, along with a red bag. Just then, the second employee came upstairs, and the customer pointed his gun at him before taking both employees’ cell phones. The customer then told the employees to go downstairs, remove their shirts and pants, and stay inside the bathroom. The employees waited inside between five and 15 minutes before calling 911. Cameras across the street may have captured an image of the robber. In all, the thief stole $900 in cash, a black iPhone, and a white Samsung Galaxy S3.

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NEWS The proposed transaction with Extell allows them to keep the Sanctuary, preserve it, and keep it beautiful for future generations, while at the same time carry out their mission.� been the subject of some controversy after it was abruptly Arzt said that the church would use the funds it would moved to the Upper West Side this fall) and a congregation of receive from a deal with Extell – in the multiple millions - for about 150 regular worshippers. The church recently presented major repairs and its continued community service projects. plans to the community board, showing the result of a partner- He said that the church doesn’t object to the potential landship with Extell Development Company to demolish part of mark designation of the sanctuary, just the annex that they the church’s property and build a condominium tower adjacent intend to knock down. to it – one that cantilevered over the church’s spire and cast it Now Park Avenue Christian Church finds itself caught into shadow. The community response was swift and harsh – between trying to appease the community while staving off a they did not like it at all. landmarks hearing that could potentially halt any development “We’re on the same street as the church, I’ve always known plans in their tracks. The Landmarks Preservation Commisthe church, I’m interested in architecture,� said neighbor Eron sion confirms that they have tabled the prospect of calendarRoland in an interview. “Any tower that ing a hearing while they give the church they would build would be enormously a chance to respond to community out of scale. It would block all the light feedback. But the force of Upper East that would go into the windows. [The Side preservation activists is not to be unparish house] is a crucial part of gothic derestimated, and the church could very architecture that goes into the church.� well find its entire structure protected – At the meeting, other residents raised or impeded, depending on your point of concerns about blocking light into the view – by a stamp of historical relevance church and onto the street, about dwarffrom the LPC. It’s happened before. ing the church with the oversized strucReverend Bob Brashear, the pastor of ture, and about preserving the historic West-Park Presbyterian Church on the architecture of the church. corner West 86th Street and Amsterdam In a letter he sent to be read at the Avenue, finds himself and his congregameeting, Ralph Adams Cram, an architect tion on the other side of the landmarking from Cram Good Hue and Ferguson – a battle, having lost the fight against desfirm that worked on restoring the church ignation in 2010. At the time, the church previously – wrote of the church’s parwas facing over $10 million in repair ish house: “This seemingly subordinate costs, including the need for a new roof, Park Avenue Christian Church structure is not superficial. The 70 foot major exterior repairs, a new furnace and spire on top of the annex is a masterwork. a fix of a plumbing system that had burst, If built up, the structural stability of the church itself will be and had hoped to find a development partner to tear down the undermined.� building behind their sanctuary and construct new residential Church representatives disagreed. housing that would bring in the revenue stream they needed. “The annex is not the same as the sanctuary,� said Richard After local preservation groups, neighbors and elected officials Sturm, a member of the church’s board of elders. “If we save it, put up a fight and brought the 19th century church before the it will kill the church. If we develop it, the church will live.� LPC, the church became a landmark, despite Brashear’s conSenior Pastor Alvin Jackson (who declined to be interviewed tinued and strident objections, warning that the church could for this story) reiterated at the meeting what he claims is the become an empty shell of itself if the congregation could not church’s dire circumstances, the reason they have turned to afford to keep up a landmarked building. development as an option, even as he pleaded with the board Now, three years later, West-Park is inching forward. They to wait for a vote until he came back with an improved design. have a new boiler thanks to donations and continue to make “We are not a wealthy congregation but we are committed,� repairs and search for funding to secure their future. Jackson said. “It’s all about the survival of faith in this city.� “When structures and buildings have reached a certain Spokesperson George Arzt said, in an email in response to quality of let’s say being part of the social cultural heritage of a a reporter’s questions, that the church has been considering particular neighborhood community, there is a responsibility “many different options to ensure [its] survival. In 2011, the to seek to preserve that,� Brashear said. “Along with that comes Church made the decision to devote its energies and funds the responsibility and obligation to work with the congregation on mission and service to the community, but since they are to make sure that the mission can be preserved as well as the a relatively small Church the fundraising capacity is limited. structure. That so far has been a disappointment.� Brashear said that he gives a lot of credit to the work of City Council Member Gale Brewer, who fought to landmark the church but has also continued to advocate for it, and to the Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program, which has U-Pick Apples - Ten Varieties also helped them to survive. 1VNQLJOT r 1JFT r %POVUT That program has distributed over $8 million in grants to more than 700 congregations in New York State. Free Hay Rides & Corn Maze Enjoy our own Farm Fresh Cider “There’s a lot of hand-holding and technical help; we don’t Experience a Working Dairy Farm Hillcrest Farms just say ‘here’s the money, good luck,’� explained Peg Breen, 2 Davis Rd. Augusta, NJ president of the Conservancy. One of the reasons the program (near Sussex County Fairgrounds) exists, she said, is that churches and houses of worship lack the resources to navigate the process of finding and securing Congregation vs. Community Continued from page 1

.com STRAUS MEDIA ďšş MANHATTAN PRESIDENT Jeanne Straus EDITOR IN CHIEF Kyle Pope • editor.ot@strausnews.com EDITOR Megan Bungeroth • editor.otdt@strausnews.com CITYARTS EDITOR Armond White • editor.cityarts@strausnews.com STAFF REPORTERS Joanna Fantozzi, Daniel Fitzsimmons FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS Alan S. Chartock, Bette Dewing, Jeanne Martinet, Malachy McCourt, Angela Barbuti, Casey Ward, Laura Shanahan PUBLISHER Gerry Gavin • advertising@strausnews.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth, Kate Walsh ADVERTISING MANAGER Matt Dinerstein CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Stephanie Patsiner DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Joe Bendik OUR TOWN is published weekly Copyright Š 2013 by Straus Media - Manhattan, LLC 212-868-0190 • 333 Seventh Ave, New York, NY. Straus Media - Manhattan publishes Our Town • The West Side Spirit • Our Town Downtown Chelsea Clinton News • The Westsider To subscribe for 1 year, please send $75 to OUR TOWN, c/o Straus News 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918 PREVIOUS OWNERS HAVE INCLUDED: Tom Allon, Isis Ventures, Ed Kayatt, Russ Smith, Bob Trentlion, Jerry Finkelstein

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

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OUT AND ABOUT

Friday, Oct.18 Contemporary Art at the Cloisters Usually limited to medieval European Art, this outpost of the Met Museum has staged this brand-new piece inside a twelfth-century Spanish chapel. In “The Forty Part Motet,� Janet Cardiff has created an eerie take on a Tudor-era motet choir piece, using 40 speakers staggered around the cavernous room. The Cloisters Fort Tryon Park, 99 Margaret Corbin Dr., $25 (suggested) www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters

Saturday, Oct. 19 Modern Art at Tibor de Nagy One of the oldest modern art galleries in the city opens two new exhibitions for the season. The first, of Parisian artist Shirley Jaffe, features abstract paintings from the 1970s; the second features contemporary work from Kyle Staver, a prize-winning alum of the Yale School of Art and a deep student of art history. Tibor de Nagy Gallery 724 Fifth Avenue, 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. www.tibordenagy.com

pumpkin decorating and a magic show will be sure to ring in the new season. And come early to pitch in with fellow volunteer gardeners. East 86th and East End Avenue, 11:00 a.m., free carlschurzparknyc.etapwss.com

Sunday, Oct. 20 Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

Volunteer in Central Park Environmental educators will guide kids of all ages, and their parents, to areas of Central Park that need some sprucing up. Wear closed-toed shoes and clothes that can get muddy, and get ready to move some dirt. Central Park Conservancy 14 East 60th Street, 10:00 a.m., free www.centralparknyc.org

David Bernard will lead this esteemed group into this terrific space to play four audience favorites, from Dvorak, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. Daniela Liebman and Jourdan Urbach, two rising stars in the classical world, will be featured on piano and violin. All Saints Church 230 East 60th, 8:00 p.m., $25 www.chambersymphony.com

Children’s Harvest Festival Bring the whole family out to scenic Carl Schurz Park for the 9th annual Children’s Harvest Festival! Horse-drawn hayrides,

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OUT AND ABOUT

Monday, Oct. 21

Iranian Art in the ‘60s and ‘70s

Bobby Orr in Conversation One of the all-time greats (to the chagrin of quite a few Ranger fans), hockey legend Bobby Orr has written a new autobiography about his life on and off the rink, after decades of silence to fans and media. Join him and Barnes & Noble for a conversation on the book and to get your copy signed. Citigroup Center 160 East 54th Street, 12:30 p.m. store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/80599

Dive beyond the headlines and explore an understudied world of Iranian history and culture. Art world figures Bob Colacello and Layla Diba will talk at a panel on contemporary art in Iran in the decades before the Islamic Revolution. Stop by before the talk to see the works on view. Asia Society 725 Park Avenue, 6:30 p.m., $15 asiasociety.org

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Wednesday, Oct. 23 Alumni Exhibits at SVA One of the preeminent art schools in the country, the School of Visual Arts will present works from 2013 alumni of the MPS Digital Photography Department. The show, “Connecting Ends,” is a diverse exhibit of works from 20 multinational artists, each of whom spent an intensive summer at SVA honing their craft. SVA Gramercy Gallery 209 East 23rd Street, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., free www.sva.edu

Thursday, Oct. 24

Ballet Class for Older Adults

Dafnis Prieto Quartet

Instructor Jennifer Grambs will teach adults 50 and up the basic steps of ballet, for fun, agility and general fitness. Come back every week or just stop in for an introductory lesson, courtesy of the public library! 67th Street Public Library 328 East 67th Street, 2:00 p.m., free www.nypl.org

Recently crowned MacArthur “genius”, drummer and percussionist Dafnis Prieto has a knack for blending AfroCuban rhythms with jazz grooves and virtuosic compositions. Featuring Peter Apfelbaum on saxophones and Manuel Valera on piano. Jazz Standard 116 East 27th Street, 7:30 p.m., $25 www.jazzstandard.com/red/index.html

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Goldberg also loves going to Ronald McDonald House on the Upper East Side. “Before we even start, toddlers just come up yells “freeze,” and “Love Song,” singing love to me and wrap their arms around my knees,” songs about the worst anniversary gifts ever he said. “Even if we’re only mildly funny that given. night, they don’t care.” Many people who come to the community Last Sunday, Israel Leone, 6, who has center are down on their luck, but even when been staying at Ronald McDonald House for they get on their feet, they come back to see several weeks while undergoing treatment for the Cherubs each month — like Mark, who neuroblastoma, immediately ran to get his usually has to work the night shift at Trader mother, when he heard that the Cherubs had Joe’s. arrived. “I really look forward to it when I can make “It makes me elated to see how much fun it,” he said. they’re having. Look at them all laughing,” There is a childlike abandon with which said his mother, Sharnee Merritt, watching they all participate. Eager to volunteer, almost the group. “This is like therapy. It makes him everyone is shy to go up and participate at happy and takes his mind off the cancer.” first, but receives a ton of positive reinforceSome kids aren’t really following the rules ment from team leader Julie Seainer-Loehr, of each game, opting instead to bounce off who works at a law firm. “Great job!” she the couch or engage in a playful dogpile, coos, and everyone beams. “So funny!” but they’re all red in the face from laughing, “It’s a way for people to get out of themincluding Mariama, who, in Spanish, declares selves. We want people to let go of their day, herself a rock and roll princess. Even Timmy, and we want to empower them,” Seainerwho only speaks Chinese, is clapping, and Loehr said of their mission. “On the other laughing, finding ways to be involved. hand, improv is based on life experience, so “A lot of kids who don’t speak English usuno matter how bad things are, they can find ally feel inferior in these situations, because way to laugh they can’t about it.” interact with It’s true: each other,” for a time, said Merritt. everyone “But here, forgets where they all feel they are, that like they can they have be part of been homesomething less, that they and have fun don’t know together. It’s Jonathan Goldberg, second from the right, and other where their not often cherubs at Kittay House next meal you see that.” will come Nina, from, that they are struggling with mental illthree-and-a-half, who has been in treatment ness and trying to stay employed every day. In for stage 4 Rhabdomysarcoma, was shy at first, the moment, they are thinking on their toes, rolling around on the outskirts of the group. forgetting their situation, forgetting where By the time the last activity was underway, they are. however, she sat happily in older brother Ga“At senior homes, there’s 60 people in the briel’s lap, laughing as he kissed her forehead. audience, and they’re so happy to have some“She has to go through a lot of things that thing they can participate in,” Seainer-Loehr. are tough, and to see a smile like that on her “Most of the entertainment in those places is face brings joy to our hearts,” said their father, strictly presentation, not something they can Josh Adkins. be included in. Jennifer Fernandez, a clinical social worker Goldberg is unable to make it to Chelwho has been a Cherub for two years, brings ton Loft that night — being a partner is a her niece and her 16-year-old daughter Elizademanding job — but he is usually able to beth with her to Ronald McDonald house make it to at least one performance a week. each month. “There are kids that always look One of his favorite locations is Hope Lodge, forward to seeing them,” she said. a facility where people with cancer can stay Goldberg plans to continue to expand his with their loved ones while undergoing treatgroup of Cherubs, hoping to bring laughter ment. He still has a note from a woman who and light into otherwise dark places. was bedridden, reeling from the effects of “We see an immediate impact of what we chemotherapy whose husband convinced her do because we hear the laughter,” he said. to get out of bed and attend the comedy show “In some of these places, we perform for sick everyone was talking about. Within minutes, people with AIDS, kids who won’t make it, she was laughing, her face lighting up. “I felt people in hospice care. But we get to know so much better,” she wrote. “And special, that them before they pass away, and we get to you were brought to me.” bring them laughs before they go.” Improv Angels Continued from page 1

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

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OUR TOWN

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O

n paper, G. Winifred Kagwa, an Upper West Side resident for 40 years, and former professor at Hunter College, led an incredibly impressive life that would make most people envious. She passed away on September 8th at the age of 92 from natural causes.

A social worker, Winifred lived in and worked for the people of Uganda for several years with her husband Benjamin Hope Kagwa Nsubuga, becoming treasurer of the Uganda YWCA, and setting up scholarships for poor children in her late husband’s name. She was a member of the UN and a founding member of the UN African Mothers Association. She received several awards for her social work and service from charity organization and the UN, including the Member of the Year award from the National Auxiliary to the National Medical Association. She spent much of her life traveling the world with her husband. Just about the only thing Winifred didn’t do was have children. But she was known fondly as “Aunt Win� to her four nieces and nephews, Sandra Grayson, Richard Dyer, Joey Garth and Sharon Garth, as well as her cousin Gloria Dyer. She was also a second mother to many of the children whom she helped with her scholarships and through her social work. “She never had children but she had the world,� said her niece San Grayson-Roye. “Even though she never gave birth she had hundreds of children. Students would write her heartfelt letters who she didn’t even know. She contributed to a new world vision.� Born in Jamaica, G. Winifred Kagwa vowed to dedicate her life to those around her. She started her career in the Columbia University Mental Hygiene Clinic, where she met her

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husband, Benjamin. Together, they lived in Uganda, Benjamin’s place of birth. Before and after her journey to Africa, Winifred worked as a professor of social work where she received the award for Distinguished Adjunct in 1994. In between all of this, they would travel the world. According to her family, she owned a gigantic inflatable globe, and with mark with a black X, where they had gone. “As soon as they would walk in the door, she would ask ‘okay, where are we going next?’� said San Grayson-Roye. One of her favorite stories to tell, said her nephew Richard Dyer, was about trying so hard to climb up onto a camel, that really didn’t want any part of it in Egypt. But despite her travels, numerous accolades and hardworking nature, she always had time for her family. “She was inspiring to me,� said Dyer. “She was the first one to instill in me the importance of education, and it was because of her that I decided to obtain a masters degree.� Winifred was a woman who always had a joke or an inspiring expression for every occasion like her favorite: “Good, better best, never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.� She loved puppies and children, and still looked good in a bathing suit as she got older. She loved the opera, especially Madame Butterfly. And she never was sick or fragile. The only thing she suffered from toward the end was Alzheimer’s. “They don’t make them like her anymore,� said Barb Grayson-Roye, San’s life partner. “She was a lady, part of the old generation and an era gone by. You will never come across an Aunt Win again.� If you would like us to consider writing an obituary about a friend or loved one, please contact us at news@strausnews.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

cityArts

Edited by Armond White

New York’s Review of Culture . CityArtsNYC.com

Dee Dee Sharp Bridgewater returns to Broadway in Billie Holliday triumph By Armond White

A

t first Dee Dee Bridgewater’s impersonation of Billie Holliday in Lady Day at the Little Shubert Theater seems an odd misuse of talent in this Broadway production imported from its London run (where Bridgewater got an Olivier Award nomination). Bridgewater’s strong, tall stage presence and ringing voice deserves to be showcased in an original characterization--not competing with popular memory of an artistic legend. But as Lady Day holds forth, Bridgewater gets to prove her real talent as both singer and actress. She singlehandedly makes immediate drama of Holliday’s tragic flashbacks and well-known struggles.. This isn’t Billie as Diana Ross flamboyantly impersonated Holliday in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues (an inauthentic yet unique personification), nor is it the maudlin wreck that Lonette McKee presented in the 1987 Off-Broadway play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Bridgewater offers an older Billie, consciously carrying her troubles and her renown on her shoulders, yet still commanding a knowledge of song craft and sung-emotion. This self-knowing--demonstrated in the way she interacts with her band and manager, her fond recall of saxophonist Lester Young, her balance of deprecation and confidence--are like the psychological plenitude that August Wilson used to flesh out blues artist Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In the second half of Lady Day, when Bridgewater has already established Holliday’s desperate need to prove her professionalism during the London leg of a European tour

arranged to win-over those opponents withholding her cabaret card that would allow her to perform in the U.S., the boozey trepidation disappears and the play’s mini-drama turns into a concert. This is where jazz pro Bridgewater blends a Holliday tribute with her own artistry. She keeps the twangy sing-song and made-toorder girlishness that were a transparent cover for pain and boundless vulnerability, but there’s thrill in Bridgewater’s precise histrionics. She sings so that we understand Holliday’s artistic victory over everything else that went wrong in her life. Purely thanks to Bridgewater, not the rehash of miseries in director Stephen Stahl’s banal, overlong book, Lady Day becomes an existential musical coup de theatre. This is only the second time I ever saw Bridgewater perform--the first was back in 1976 when I saw her Tony Award-winning performance in The Wiz. She had shown commanding grace that I always listened for in the jazz albums she recorded in the years afterward. Lady Day confirms that Bridgewater’s excellence in The Wiz was no fluke of pop casting; she’s still an impressive actresss. That’s why there is an August Wilson-intelligence to the multilayered way she presents Holliday. Bridgewater conveys complexity in the achievement of performance; above all, she gives a fresh appreciation of the hurt and joy that Holliday (ad libbing boldly and profanely to her audience) was able to produce. No doubt August Wilson would have appreciated a small miracle of Bridgewater’s: the play sets up “Strange Fruit” as a powerfully meaningful quasi-biographical statement in the first half but after leaping that hurdle, Bridgewater, in the second half, sings “God Bless the Child”-the greatest of all Holliday’s hits--even more profoundly. It’s not a social lesson but a testimony of life experience and Bridgewater, who can swing when necessary, makes its insight sharp and reverberant. Bridgewater rescues the Billie Holliday legend from cliché.

Follow Armond White on Twitter at 3xchair

Dee Dee Bridgewater in Lady Day THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

OUR TOWN

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PAGE 11

CITYARTS AUCTIONS

Eye on Auctions Discerning the decorative arts

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By Caroline Birenbaum Â

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ine and decorative arts and highpowered single-owner collections predominate in New York auctions in the coming weeks. Here are the most enticing, which you can view during the free public exhibitions that precede each sale (see the websites for details). Browse the catalogs online; you may want to acquire some for future reference. Â

Â

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The Oct. 23 auction of Important English & European Decorative Arts features gorgeous 18th- century furniture and a large Empire Savonnerie carpet. Stellar examples by important English cabinetmakers from the Collection of Niki & Joe Gregory (former Lehman Bros. President) will be sold on Oct. 24. Among Important Silver, Vertu & Russian Works of Art Oct. 29 is a charming FabergĂŠ gold and enamel photograph frame set with diamonds. The Nov. 6-7 auction of Impressionist & Modern Art stars a private collection of European works from the early decades of the 20th century, including Balla’s 1913 “Automobile in corsa,â€? and top-notch paintings and sculptures from other major collections. There are delightful paintings by Zandomenghi and Sorolla in the Nov. 8 sale of 19th-Century European Art. Headlined by Warhol’s “Liz #1,â€? the Nov. 13-14 auction of Contemporary Art is designed to make a splash. Included are works from the Dia Foundation being sold to establish a fund for acquisitions, and 18 dramatic pieces of jewelry by Calder from the Makler Family Collection. Then, on Nov. 15, the first installment of a stupendous tribal art collection assembled over 50 years by the late art dealer Allan Stone offers rare Power Figures from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and important Oceanic and Indonesian objects. More African works, pre-Columbian and Native-American objects will be sold in November 2014. Â

Christie’s NY (christies.com) Examples of Important English, Continental & American Silver to be sold on Oct. 23 include elaborate creations by Lamerie, SchwestermĂźller, and Tiffany. Among works of 19th-Century European Art on Oct. 28 are three paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, notably Tissot’s tour-de-force, “In the Conservatory (Rivals)â€? that was gifted to the museum by Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman,

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and twelve works being sold by the Toledo Museum of Art to benefit their Acquisitions Fund. On Oct. 29, the fourth sale of works from the late Arthur & Charlotte Vershbow’s renowned rare book collection comprises illustrated editions of the Neoclassical, Romantic, Symbolist & Modern Periods, such as a hand-colored copy of Blake’s “The Grave.â€? The Nov. 4-5 “tribute auction,â€? entitled “A Dialogue through Art,â€? contains works galore by Giacometti, Klee, Matisse, Picasso and others presented in a heavily annotated 2-volume catalogue celebrating the collection of the late Jan Krugier, who transcended his early experiences as a holocaust survivor to become one of the most important international art dealers of the 20th century. A monumental “Reclining Figureâ€? by Henry Moore, 1967-70, to be offered in the Nov. 5-6 sale of Impressionist & Modern Art, will be installed in the Rockefeller Center plaza near Christie’s in late October. An auction of Post-War & Contemporary Art is slated for Nov. 12.   Â

Swann (swanngalleries.com) Along with many ever-popular images, the Oct.18 sale of Rare & Important Travel Posters from around the world contains rarities such as an enticement to take the new railroad to “Montauk Beach on the Slender tip of Long Island, NY,â€? circa 1929. Thereafter, book auctions alternate with prints, drawings and editioned sculpture. The Oct. 24 auction of Art, Press & Illustrated Books features fine private press books and richly illustrated works on Chinese ceramics. A very early impression of Rembrandt’s 1648 etching, “Self-Portrait Drawing at a Window,â€? and a complete set of the scarce second edition of Goya’s “Caprichos,â€? c. 1799, exemplify the Old Master through Modern Prints to be sold on Oct. 30. To commemorate the centennial of the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show, which exposed avant-garde art to the American public for the first time, a thematic auction on Nov. 5 is devoted to works by European and American artists who showed in The International Exhibition of Modern Art, held right across 25th Street at the 69th Regiment Armory. A diverse selection of Early Printed, Medical & Scientific Books on Nov. 12, and Contemporary Art on the 14th round out the mix. Â

Phillips NY (phillips.com) The Oct. 28 sale of prints and other multiples, entitled Editions, is a selection of bold contemporary images.   Â

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

POP CITYARTS

ABYSSINIAN: A GOSPEL CELEBRATION OCT 24–26 · 8PM Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Damien Sneed, Chorale Le Chateau, and Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III

JIM HALL: MODERN JAZZ GUITAR Clarinetist and Klezmer master David Krakauer

Klezmer in the Ghetto Krakauer expands the klezmer’s repertoire By Judy Gelman Myers

G

rowing up in New York City, clarinetist David Krakauer drew his inspiration from classical, jazz, and rock music. Twentyfive years ago, he got hooked on an “identity exploration thing” and began to study klezmer, the music of his Jewish Eastern European forebears. Today he’s known around the world not only for his mastery of klezmer clarinet but also for injecting hip-hop and rap into the klezmer repertoire. Thanks to Carnegie Hall’s neighborhood concerts and the support of Gale Brewer, David Krakauer and his Acoustic Klezmer Quartet delighted the audience with their twentieth-century-New-York renditions of standard klezmer tunes at John Jay College’s Gerald W. Lynch Theater on October 6.

“Foreign” influences like hip-hop aren’t foreign to klezmer music. While klezmer originated in the Jewish ghettos of Eastern Europe, especially the Moldavian region of Romania, and was based primarily on Jewish liturgy and melodies employed for ecstatic communion with God, it also drew heavily from the secular songs and popular dance music of the surrounding cultures—Slavonic, Greek, Turkish, and, especially, Rom (Gypsy). In the

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

US, it picked up elements of jazz and began to be heard not only at Jewish celebrations but in concert halls as well. Klezmer is best defined by the Yiddish phrase Lakhn mit trern (laughing with tears); klezmer musicians use special effects to create sobbing sounds, laments, and complaints. David Krakauer’s brand of klezmer, forged in New York City rather than the Pale of Settlement, is more “happy ghetto” than “shtetl wail,” as if he’s got all of the fun of Judaism and none of the pain, his clarinet his means of bursting through the universe with music pouring from his lips. The October 6 program included a medley that blended a klezmer Terkesh rhythm with a Sidney Bechet tune (Krakauer calls Bechet “my teacher, whom I never met”) and Krakauer’s version of a theme written by the extraordinary accordonist Emil Kroitor and brought to America from Moldavia in the 1990s by German Goldenstein, a man who had “eight hundred melodies in his head.” Throughout history, the Jewish tradition has renewed itself wherever it has settled—from Babylon to Cordoba to Bessarabia to New York—whether through exile or free choice. By means of his “identity exploration thing,” David Krakauer has come to exemplify this spirit of reaffirmation, wherever it will take him and his clarinet.

OUR TOWN

NOV 22 · 7PM, NOV 23 · 9:30PM Jim Hall with Peter Bernstein and John Abercrombie

CHRIS POTTER’S UNDERGROUND ORCHESTRA NOV 22 · 9:30PM, NOV 23 · 7PM Protean saxophonist Chris Potter and his expanded

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PAGE 13

CITYARTS FILM

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Race and politics sink Captain Phillips By Armond White

P

aul (shaky-cam) Greengrass makes another mess of recent political history in Captain Phillips. This time Greengrass fakes a docu-drama about the 2009 incident when the Maersk Alabama ship, piloted by Vermont merchant marine captain Richard Phillips, was seized off Africa’s eastern coast by Somali pirates, then rescued by the U.S. Navy. As in United 93, Greengrass’s 9/11 disaster-movie, Captain Phillips trivializes political crisis as entertainment. United 93 flopped because it had no star appeal, so Greengrass casts Tom Hanks to ensure audience identification--but for whom?

N O V E M B E R

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The kidnapping and hostage scenario depends on a fundamental hero/villain contrast that also, unfortunately, becomes a racial contrast: White American Hanks vs. virtually anonymous Black African interlopers. There’s no getting around this even though the silly script by Billy Ray glosses global economy sentiments (about the Haves inevitably endangered/targeted by the Have Nots). The film’s ridiculous suggestion that American capitalism invites hostile aggression was also implicit in United 93 and explains its fatal inability to rise about mawkishness. Greengrass’s questionable political principles (he also directed the heinous anti-American thrillers Bourne Ultimatum and Green Zone) leads to the duplicitous dramatic conceit of making the Somali pirates scary yet keeping their motives vague--and stereotypical. Few critics ever notice racism in such generic form. An early cut from Phillips’ All-American White home life to Eyl, Somalia, and its violent, caterwauling tribes recalls a Michael Winterbottom cut--a facile edit contrasting superficial cultural and political extremes. This sets up Liberal sympathy and then insidiously uses that identification to power an underlying

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fear of the Other. The pirates are simply dark, skinny, wild-eyed, gibbering monsters. Greengrass and Ray barely distinguish between the four who board the Maersk Alabama carrying assault weapons (except the youngest, least aggressive pirate whose “sensitivityâ€? codes as gay, thus worthy of Liberal sympathy when he gets wounded). It is impossible to see the pirates as anything other than marauding blacks. As physical types, they all could have been played by the actor Michael Kenneth Williams, the scarfaced actor made famous by HBO’s The Wire, singled out by President Obama as his favorite character on the series--a commendation that frees Hollywood to reproduce more hideous black stereotypes. Shaky and unconscionable politics. This scarifying zombie look (in quadruplicate) carries disproportionate impact when the Somalis are characterized without specific family worries or thoughts. At best they’re just inchoate terrorists like those Greengrass put onboard United’s Flight 93. Pretending doc realism is no excuse for this, especially when the music score brands the pirate scenes with jungle music and calm music for Hanks--except for his final crying jag. Although the confusion of racist stereotypes may overwhelm naĂŻve viewers, Captain Phillips is too damn obvious to be intense and the second half (set inside an orange-colored, covered lifeboat) is merely claustrophobic--what a waste of IMAX. Since Captain Phillips is unsatisfying as either documentary or drama, it merely implies a guilty connection between commercial shipping and U.S. military interests, then fails to explore or adequately contrast the economies of two distinct nations or deal with the crucial irony of American pop culture‘s violent attraction for the Third World. Captain Phillips is twisted, corrupt, lamely directed and finally, offensively simplistic. Follow Armond White on Twitter at 3xchair

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Independent Living for Older Adults

Is The Two Party System Dying?

ISABELLA HOUSE Join us at our OPEN HOUSE and experience it for yourself.

There might be better alternatives to the current way of running our city’s government

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM 525 Audubon Avenue at 191st, NY, NY 10040

By Tom Allon

A

s the old saying goes: democracy is the second worst form of government - everything else is tied for first.

This maxim could also be applied to our longstanding two-party system, which has functioned in our country for the better part of two centuries. The defining principles of the Democrats and Republicans have sometimes shifted, as I was reminded watching the movie Lincoln last year (the national Republicans, largely, were the abolitionists. Now, many oppose things like immigration and health care reform). What has happened in national politics in recent years with the increasing polarization and political warfare between the two parties is as destructive and self-defeating as it’s been in the last century. Shutting down the government, attempting to re-litigate the Affordable Care Act, a program whose constiutionality was upheld by the Supreme Court, and the acerbic debate about the deficit and debt limits has created an Us vs. Them spectacle which has impeded governance. What happened to centrist Republicans and Democrats who were dealmakers and realized that good politics lies in the art of the compromise? Where are the leaders of each party who would try to find areas of common principle and then would horse trade the things they disagreed about? In New YorK City and New York State we actually have a different problem with the twoparty system - there is really only one vital party these days: the Democrats. If Bill de Blasio and Scott Stringer win in November, and the odds are great right now this will happen, then all major officeholders in New York state government and city government will be Democrats. State Senate co-leader Dean Skelos will be the last elephant standing in 2014. Because of the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. and the withering of the GOP in New

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

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Tom Allon York, I have become a big believer in nonpartisan elections. Most major cities in America have instituted this, like Boston and Los Angeles, and it has led to greater voter turnout. In New York, less than eight percent of the eligible electorate nominated the Democratic candidate for Mayor. Who knows how many people will go to the polls on November 5th if it looks like a landslide is inevitable? But if we had non-partisan elections, where people of all parties compete against one another, we will increase turnout and also force voters not to vote slavishly by party, but rather by principle and qualifications. Mike Bloomberg tried in 2004 to get a referendum passed for non-partisan elections but it did not succeed because party loyalists furiously opposed it. One other related thought: in Puerto Rico, every four years election day is a national holiday and 94 percent of voters go to the polls. Perhaps we can learn something from that. With our dismal voting turnout in recent years and the cynicism about our government, isn’t it time to reform the way we vote and the two-party system? Tom Allon, the president of City and State, NY, is a former Liberal Party-backed candidate for Mayor. Questions or comments? Tallon@ cityandstateny.com.

OUR TOWN

www.nypress.com

PAGE 15

Isabella.org

Howling Halloween Pet owners and their furry friends gathered at Ruby & Jack’s Doggie Shack to celebrate its grand opening on the Upper East Side on Thursday October 10th. The event, which benefited Animal Haven, featured a Halloween pet fashion show with clothes by Royal Animals Apparel.

Antiques, Fine Art and Mid Century Modern Wanted for Consignment or Purchase “Walk-In Wednesdays”: Free appraisals 12pm-4pm

Monthly Multi-Estate Auctions Next Auction: Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 12pm Previews: Fri. & Sat., Oct. 25th and 26th 12pm to 6pm and Sun., Oct. 27th 10am to 12pm View 400 lots at www.ClarkeNY.com

Alejandro Santiago Ramirez, Oil on Canvas, 80.5” high x 74.5” wide.

1968 Classic Chrysler Imperial Convertible

Grace Forster from the reality TV series “Doggie Moms” with her two Yorkie’s Portia and Rosie dressed in October Fest costumes.

Both dressed as crayons is Fallon O’Brien, 3, with her Brussels Griffon, Johann.

Clarke Auction · 2372 Boston Post Road · Larchmont, NY 10538 Ph: (914) 833-8336 · Fax: (914) 833-8357 · Email: info@clarkeny.com www.ClarkeNY.com

Marble Collegiate Church Children, Youth & Families Ministry

FAMILY FALL COSTUME

PARTY

Saturday, October 26 / 12-3pm / $10

Games, Food, and Prizes!

registration is required via www.MarbleChurch.org Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org

PAGE 16

OUR TOWN

Photos by Andrew Schwartz

Susan Traub creator and owner of Royal Animals Apparel with her Portuguese Water Dog, Darrin.

www.nypress.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS

October 3 - 10, 2013

Restaurant Grades Photo: David Plakke Media

The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website on October 4, 2013 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. 10021 Six Happiness

1413 2 Avenue

A

Szechuan Gourmet

1395 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (20) - evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas; food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

1499 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (31) - Cold food item held above 41º F except during necessary preparation; raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan; evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas; live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Creative Kickstart Art Workshops

10028 McDonald’s

National Academy School All Mediums for All Levels 5 E. 89th Street at Fifth Avenue Contemporary Encaustic October 11-12 Portrait & Figure in Clay October 21-30

Members Dining Room @ The Met Museum

1000 5 Avenue

A

Jacque’s Cafe

204 East 85 Street

Grade Pending (21) - Cold food item held above 41º F except during necessary preparation; filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas; food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Vespa Cibobuono

1625 Second Avenue

Grade Pending (23) - Cold food item held above 41Âş F except during necessary preparation; food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Subway

1776 Second Avenue

Closed (18) - evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas; food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Bareburger

1681 First Avenue

A

Register now! www.nationalacademy.org 212.996.1908 Ä W in $100 in free art supplies! To enter the rafe, use the code FREEART when you register.

10128

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212-868-0190 news@strausnews.com ZZZ DGYHUWLVHU QHZV FRP THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

OUR TOWN

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PAGE 17

NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE SALES Reported October 4-11, 2013 Neighborhood Beekman

Carnegie Hill

Lenox Hill

423 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 718-797-4661

32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 212-962-5620

504 Washington Street Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-683-9821/9822

Save Time. Feel Better.

Emergency care and General Health Care

JUST WALK IN... Waiting time: ONLY MINUTES!

919 2nd Ave (Bet. 48 and 49) - 212.935.3333 330 W. 42nd St. (Bet. 8 and 9) - 212.695.4444 WWW.MEDRITEURGENTCARE.COM PAGE 18

OUR TOWN

X- r ay and lab onsite - O p ens earl y till late

www.BrownstoneAgency.com

www.nypress.com

Midtown

Midtown E

Murray Hill

Address

Apt.

Sale Price

BR BA Listing Brokerage

10 Mitchell Place

#9C

$775,000

2

1

Corcoran

400 E 52 St.

#14D

$1,070,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

444 E 52 St.

#3F

$1,200,000

2

2

Brown Harris Stevens

115 E 87 St.

#9A

$1,800,000

3

2

Corcoran

1148 5 Ave.

#3A

$3,390,000

30 E 95 St.

#4C

$308,000

0

1

Corcoran

152 E 94 St.

#7G

$675,000

1

1

Corcoran

14 E 90 St.

#Phe+

$4,267,325

301 E 69 St.

#1

$380,000

625 Park Ave.

#2D

$1,825,000

1

1

Brown Harris Stevens

310 E 70 St.

#8J

$370,000

0

1

Halstead Property

301 E 62 St.

Multi

$2,149,500

520 E 72 St.

#3O

$350,000

625 Park Ave.

#1E

$550,000

422 E 72 St.

#17D

$1,635,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

401 E 65 St.

#15H

$505,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

301 E 64 St.

#9B

$1,210,000

2

2

Corcoran

200 E 66Th St.

#B0306

$2,367,431

166 E 63 St.

#2G

$1,550,000

2

2

Corcoran

220 E 65 St.

#19M

$1,550,000

2

2

Peter*Ashe

220 E 67 St.

#2Fg

$1,820,000

3

3

Douglas Elliman

345 E 69 St.

#2E

$480,000

1

1

Corcoran

205 E 63 St.

#8A

$280,000

200 E 66Th St.

#D1201

$2,571,081

2

2

Corcoran

440 E 62 St.

#16F

$565,000

1

1

T&T Real Estate

167 E 61 St.

#37E

$1,450,000

2

2

Halstead Property

360 E 72 St.

#C3304

$1,460,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

1210 3 Ave.

#2A

$2,275,500

3

4

Douglas Elliman

200 E 66Th St.

#C0604

$2,555,807

200 E 66Th St.

#A0501

$3,049,658

233 E 69 St.

#11L

$849,000

2

2

Corcoran

720 Park Ave.

#15

$238,290

721 5 Ave.

#38F+

$16,500,000

3

6

Douglas Elliman

721 5 Ave.

#39G

$6,300,000

2

2

Corcoran

111 E 56 St.

#1403

$500,000

200 E 57 St.

#17F

$1,375,000

3

2

Corcoran

225 E 57 St.

#12P

$590,000

153 E 57 St.

#9A

$425,000

1

1

Halstead Property

209 E 56 St.

#Phv

$580,000

1

1

Corcoran

220 E 54 St.

#4D

$520,000

1

1

Manhattan Boutique

245 E 54 St.

#9N

$509,000

1

1

Next Stop Ny

200 E 58 St.

#10E

$695,000

1

1

Keller Williams

160 E 38 St.

#23D

$1,030,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

415 E 37 St.

#43J

$1,400,000

2

2

Kelly Nyc Inc.

330 E 38 St.

#46C

$1,165,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

200 E 36 St.

#7A

$305,000

0

1

Corcoran

138 E 36 St.

#4C

$870,000

3

3

Corcoran

250 E 40 St.

#28C

$535,000

0

1

Royal Operation System

225 E 34 St.

#21C

$1,820,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

35 E 38 St.

#3K

$505,000

0.5

1

Prime Nyc

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE SALES Neighborhood

Sutton Place

Turtle Bay

Upper E Side

Yorkville

Address

Apt.

Sale Price

10 Park Ave.

#3R

$367,500

5 Tudor City Place

#926

$280,000

333 E 34 St.

#2E

7 Park Ave.

#7J

235 E 40 St. 300 E 54 St.

BR BA Listing Brokerage 0

1

Akam Sales & Brokerage

$885,000

1

1

Luxor Homes & Invest

$290,000

0

1

Corcoran

#25H

$885,100

1

1

Douglas Elliman

#9G

$547,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

320 E 57 St.

#2C

$987,500

2

2

Brown Harris Stevens

400 E 59 St.

#14B

$665,000

1

1

Sotheby’s International

303 E 57 St.

#23C

$355,000

1

1

Halstead Property

420 E 55 St.

#6N

$858,541

1

1

Sutton Gardens

419 E 57 St.

#14C

$1,889,713

3

2

Corcoran

300 E 55 St.

#9B+

$2,750,000

240 E 47 St.

#41F+

$2,900,000

230 E 52 St.

#3D

$420,180

0

1

Corcoran

145 E 48 St.

#7C

$825,000

1

1

Rsny Realty

145 E 48 St.

#6F

$749,000

1

1

Fenwick Keats

321 E 43 St.

#104

$577,500

2

1

Brown Harris Stevens

255 E 49 St.

#14B

$815,000

310 E 46 St.

#10A

$620,000

1

1

Halstead Property

330 E 75 St.

#3H

$690,000

1

1

Owner

330 E 79 St.

#4C

$830,000

2

1

Corcoran

165 E 72 St.

#2M

$525,000

1

1

Brown Harris Stevens

865 Park Ave.

#8W

$2,725,000

3

3

Douglas Elliman

1474 3 Ave.

#4N

$2,005,003

3

2

Corcoran

515 E 72 St.

#39B

$4,073,000

3

3

Corcoran

35 E 75 St.

#16E

$3,950,000

2

2

Corcoran

330 E 75 St.

#7G

$1,050,000

2

2

Tomoko Nagahama, Lreb

108 E 82 St.

#2D

$1,500,000

215 E 72 St.

#11W

$3,250,000

3

2

Stribling

515 E 72 St.

#10P

$884,859

1

1

Corcoran

240 E 76 St.

#4K

$200,000

111 E 75 St.

#2A

$960,000

2

1

Sotheby’s International

170 E 77Th St.

#6A

$3,895,000

4

4

Corcoran

969 Park Ave.

#2Bc

$3,430,000

3

3

Douglas Elliman

969 Park Ave.

#5E

$625,000

171 E 84 St.

#4J

$1,201,000

2

2

Warburg

1035 Park Ave.

#15A

$4,000,000

B63 BC2=@ B@/D3@A3 Ob Ab 8]V\ bVS 2WdW\S Wednesday, October 23rd Evening begins at 6:15pm An a cappella program featuring: Mass for 5 Voices by 16th century composer William Byrd and Motets by his contemporaries Thomas Weelkes and Orlando Gibbons Pre-Concert Talk with Dr. Carol Herselle Krinsky, Professor of Art History at NYU & Reception following the performance with Kent Tritle & the Vocal Soloists

Limited Tickets Available Online – Order Now! www.musicasacrany.com $100 Reserved | $40 General Admission For more info call: 646.596.5049

1080 Madison Ave

#17A

$2,713,127

927 5 Ave.

#1S

$3,250,000

333 E 79 St.

#Phv

$1,325,000

2

2

Corcoran

500 E 83 St.

#15G

$1,530,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

1725 York Ave.

#10A

$540,000

515 E 79 St.

#15F

$885,000

531 E 87 St.

#2D

$292,500

417 E 90 St.

#8H

$378,000

1

1

Manhattan Flats

516 E 82 St.

#2W

$310,000

1

1

Citi Habitats

530 E 84 St.

#4P

$275,000

0

1

Douglas Elliman

525 E 89 St.

#4K

$1,175,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

1

1

Corcoran

301 E 79 St.

#25N

$765,000

333 E 91St St.

#22A

$2,470,000

444 E 86 St.

#26E

$555,000

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

>`]TSaaW]\OZ QV]`OZ [caWQ Ob Wba Âż\Sab

OUR TOWN

The Chapel of St. James, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street

Order now for November Fresh, Organic California Walnuts, Shelled - $12.00 lb plus shipping In Shell - $5.00 lb

Perry Creek

WA L N U T S

530.503.9705 www.nypress.com

perrycreekwalnuts@hotmail.com

perrycreekwalnuts.com

PAGE 19

NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE SALES Neighborhood

Best Doorman t Best Porter Best Office Cleaner t Best Super Best Security Officerw These and many other top building service workers will be profiled in a special issue October 24, 2013. Don’t miss this once a year opportunity to express your company’s appreciation for the men and women who help keep our homes, offices, schools and public buildings clean and running smoothly. Call (212) 868-0190 or e-mail advertising@strausnews.com to find out more. THE

BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS

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Formerly Cooper Square Realty

PAGE 20

OUR TOWN

Address

Apt.

Sale Price

BR BA Listing Brokerage

233 E 86 St.

#15B

$465,000

1

1

Universal Pro Realty

1641 Third Ave.

#14C

$675,000

1

1

Town Residential

325 E 80 St.

#1G

$460,000

1

1

Saldo Properties

206 E 90 St.

#3E

$428,000

1

1

Stribling

$5,200,000

4

3

Garfield

504 E 87 St.

StreetEasy.com is New York’s most accurate and comprehensive real estate website, providing consumers detailed sales and rental information and the tools to manage that information to make educated decisions. The site has become the reference site for consumers, real estate professionals and the media and has been widely credited with bringing transparency to one of the world’s most important real estate markets.

NEWS Congregation vs. Community Continued from page 4

grants and partners that can allow them to maintain their buildings and their programs. The scarcity of prime real estate in Manhattan also makes these places particularly vulnerable. “A couple of years ago, there were developers on the Upper West Side just knocking on doors saying, can we buy your church?” she said. “Churches can be somewhat soft targets for development because they’re volunteer organizations and they’re not always as sophisticated in knowing what their property is worth,” said Ann Friedman, director of the Sacred Sites program. Sometimes religious institutions are aware of the value of their real estate, however, but still face opposition to selling or altering their facilities. The Town & Village Synagogue on East 14th Street has occupied a building for decades that has been technically calendared (meaning that a vote was already taken to schedule a hearing) by the LPC since 1966, though a hearing was never scheduled. “Potential designation has arisen within the last two years,” said Cynthia Weber, a co-chairperson of the Town & Village Health Committee who is involved with the synagogue’s leadership. “We in that period have been undergoing some serious planning for the growth and future of our congregation and for the structure that we would need to contain our current programming and growth.” That search lead to an exploratory listing with the real estate firm Massey Knakal, showing the building going for $13,950,000; that lead to coverage on the Lower East Side blog EV Grieve, which alerted the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), which alerted the Landmarks Preservation Commission. “The building has always been on our radar,” said Andrew Berman, president of the GVSHP. “We certainly had no idea that there was a possibility of plans to tear it down. As soon as we were aware, we brought it to the commission’s attention, because it’s technically been on their docket for almost 50 years now.”

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But Weber stressed that the synagogue isn’t actually for sale; they are looking at all possibilities and are eager to find a way to accommodate their growing congregation. While a hearing has been scheduled for the end of October on the synagogue, they’re hoping that they can find an alternative plan that would maintain the historic elements without getting an official designation as a landmark. “We’re trying to look in the broadest possible way at the options,” Weber said. “That is a spectrum that has to include potentially anything that ranges from selling the building to building up and out on site.” She said that having conferred with other religious organizations that have received landmark status, the congregation hopes to avoid the additional paperwork, time and attention that working within landmark guidelines would bring. “If this was a world with unlimited resources and we could carry out our mission and the LPC could carry out its mission, we’d all be happy,” said Weber. “We believe in the beauty and integrity and the upkeep of our building. But we have hard decisions to make.” Berman said that he’s reached out to the synagogue to offer his organization’s assistance; the synagogue has agreed to meet in November, after the scheduled hearing date at the LPC. Rev. Brashear at West-Park said that if he could go back, he would have included the community in the church’s plans – before the specter of landmarking ever came up. His advice to other religious institutions facing a similar situation is to get a clear idea of the vision and mission and then go into the surrounding community and build relationships to help make that happen. “For those who wish to see landmarking imposed, please understand that to begin the process comes with a moral obligation,” Brashear said. “From a very early point, some kind of really concentrated community partnership has to be put into play if we’re not just going to preserve empty buildings and watch them crumble.” Additional reporting by Joanna Fantozzi

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

15 1 4 7

re-use

ways to your newspaper old

Use it as wrapping paper, or fold & glue pages into reusable gift bags.

2

Add shredded newspaper to your compost pile when you need a carbon addition or to keep flies at bay.

5

Use newspaper strips, water, and a bit of glue for newspaper mâché.

8

10

Crumple newspaper to use as packaging material the next time you need to ship something fragile.

13

Tightly roll up sheets of newspaper and tie with string to use as fire logs.

After your garden plants sprout, place newspaper sheets around them, then water & cover with grass clippings and leaves. This newspaper will keep weeds from growing.

Make origami creatures

Use shredded newspaper as animal bedding in lieu of sawdust or hay.

11

Make your own cat litter by shredding newspaper, soaking it in dish detergent & baking soda, and letting it dry.

14

Wrap pieces of fruit in newspaper to speed up the ripening process.

3

Cut out letters & words to write anonymous letters to friends and family to let them know they are loved.

6

Roll a twice-folded newspaper sheet around a jar, remove the jar, & you have a biodegradable seed-starting pot that can be planted directly into the soil.

9

Make newspaper airplanes and have a contest in the backyard.

12 15

Stuff newspapers in boots or handbags to help the items keep their shape. Dry out wet shoes by loosening laces & sticking balled newspaper pages inside.

a public service announcement brought to you by dirt magazine. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

OUR TOWN

www.nypress.com

PAGE 21

CELEBRITY PROFILE

Every Day is Your Birthday in the West Village Harold Moore brings international flavor - and fantastic bread - to his restaurant Commerce By Angela Barbuti

O

n the dessert menu at Commerce, there is always birthday cake. It’s yellow with chocolate frosting and sprinkles and always served with a lit candle, even if it’s not your birthday. “It’s an immediate smile,” said Chef Harold Moore of his celebratory creation. It’s a little touch like this - and a superfluous, homemade bread basket - that sets this restaurant apart as a fan favorite in the West Village. Moore started his career in New York at the top, landing a job at Daniel because he was willing to work for free. “I looked at it as an investment in my career and it’s paid dividends,” he said. Now, the 40-year-old gets to create a menu of his own and use his culinary knowledge to reinvent classic dishes to satisfy his customers’ palates. For the fall season, he’s working on a vegetable pot-au-feu, with the broth an unexpected blend of burnt onions and apple juice. “You get this marginally sweet and smoky broth that’s so delicious,” he said. On November 11th, Moore will join over 40 chefs at New York Taste, which is sponsored by New York magazine and benefits City Harvest.

When did you know you wanted to become a chef? I’ve always loved food, but when I was young, cooking was not the sexy job that it is today. So I kind of fought it when I was in high school and college. I didn’t fully connect to it until I was 22. You said that Daniel Boulud changed your life. How? Before that - I hate to say it - I was just raw and average. And it was there [Daniel], with the extreme discipline and the really high standards, that I became a different person. He just whipped me into shape. I mean, I was willing to do it, but if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today. The building that Commerce is in dates back to 1911 and was a speakeasy during the Depression. How did you take that into account when you planned the restaurant’s décor? A good space in New York has real personality and when we got here, there was nothing inside other than the floor and tile work. I’m a big one for respecting tradition and honoring the past, and this place, it had such a history, that there was no way to avoid it. We took on this project that really became a 14-month exercise in restoration. It’s tucked away on Commerce Street. How did people find you in the beginning? By luck. A lot of people were calling. Now, everyone has a smartphone, so it’s easier. But when we first started, the GPS

PAGE 22

OUR TOWN

on the iPhone was just starting to take hold. So if they didn’t know about it, it was hard to get to, but fortunately, the restaurant that was here before us [Grange Hall] was very popular and people in the neighborhood knew it, so it made it easier for them to get here. How did you choose the West Village as the neighborhood to open in? I believed at the time, and still do, that this is one of the most vibrant food neighborhoods in the city. It was definitely more casual than what I was used to, so I had to change my way, and adjust from what I was doing in fancy restaurants like Marche, Daniel, and Montrachet and do something a little more rustic and more fun in a way. How did the menu item Ragu of Odd Things come about? I really loved tripe Lyonaisse, and wanted to do a rendition of that, but something more my own because I’m not a French guy. I decided to use pig’s feet. At the time I was eating at lot in Chinatown because I was broke since the restaurant wasn’t open yet. I had a stew of tripe and oxtail and it was delicious. The pigs feet gives you the gelatin, and if you put a little bit of the oxtail inside, it competes with the flavor and makes it a little bit more palatable. Do vegetarians complain? In general, they always do, but not about the tripe dish. We have a fair amount of vegetarian options on the menu and that’s really been the focus of my fall this year. I’ve been working not so much with meat and fish, but with vegetables. We have this dish, mushroom cannelloni, that has these beautiful porcini from France, chanterelles, and a variety of other mushrooms rolled inside fresh pasta with a truffle glaze. How did the brunch item, the Israeli Working Man’s Breakfast Pita, come about? My original chef de cuisine here was Israeli and he was like, “In my country we do pita, hummus, and all this other stuff.” And I was like, “There is no way Americans are going to eat that; you’re crazy.” Then I said, “Alright, let’s do it and get it out of your system.” It turns out to be one of the most delicious things and bridges that gap between breakfast and lunch. Is it really true that you cooked a million burgers to get yours right? Not a million, but close to 100, yeah. I never cooked hamburgers professionally before and it turns out it’s pretty hard. You’re famous for your homemade, overflowing bread basket. How much bread do you go through in a day? We use roughly 50 pounds of flour in a day. That’s about 900 - 1,000 rolls. It’s spread out over 11 or 12 different varieties depending on the day. Our bread program is not traditional, so the break baker works during the day when the cooks are here. The bread is literally not done until 5 o’clock, where in most

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bread programs, the baker comes super early in the morning. You’re a quarter Japanese and your family inspired one of your dishes. I am. Yeah, my grandmother. Beef tataki, or beef deckle “toro,” which is what we call it now. You have some entrees meant for sharing. Is this a good date spot? It’s a great date spot. It’s very fun and lively, especially when a relationship is new, because there are so many interesting things to talk about. There’s a lot of good people watching. There’s always a celebrity or two around. You have two kids. How do you make time for your family when you’re so busy? You just have to be disciplined about it. Sundays are carvedout family days. I try to take them to school every morning, so that’s the big one. If you had to take your family out to a restaurant in Manhattan, where would you go? Peasant. I always get the tripe. If they have sardines on their menu, I always get that. And some variation of rabbit is always good there. I read that you’re opening another restaurant. I want to do a more rustic version of Commerce - more ingredient focused and a little less idea driven. Commerce is still a very idea-driven restaurant, and I want to do something that’s more seasonal, more soulful in the way of country French cooking or peasant Italian cooking, that really focuses on those old recipes. To learn more about Commerce, visit www.commercerestaurant.com Follow Chef Moore on Twitter: @ChefHaroldMoore

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

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Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: ] Fax: Email: classifi FE !TUSBVTOFXT DPN Hours: .POEBZ 'SJEBZ BN QN ] Deadline: .POEBZ OPPO GPS TBNF XFFLT JTTVF ANIMALS & PETS

ATT DOG WALKERS: Earn extra income from your existing client base. No investment, start today! 212-920-4200

ANNOUNCEMENTS FAIR

Church of ST. Thomas More, 65 East 89th St. New York, Park/Mad. will host a “More For Less Fair� (indoor) from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 26th. Accepting all donations, designer/vintage clothing, silver, jewelry,crystal, glass/kitchenware. Artwork. Kindly ask that all contributions be in good condition. Donations can be checked in at the Rectory Reception 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, 7 days a week. Contact: Alice Casey 212-3698519.

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

PAINT & WALLPAPER

2010 InďŹ niti G37 $235/mo. 72 mos STK#70898 28k mi MajorWorld.com 888-396-2567 43-40 Northern Blvd LIC NY

De-Clutter Your Home! 347.338.8198 www.organize4youny.com licensed & bonded

SABBY PAINTING (917) 837-0811 Interior/Exterior Free Estimates Affordable Prices licensed & insured

2011 Mercedes Benz C300 $249/mo. 72 mos STK#:68924 13k mi MajorWorld.com 888-396-2567 43-40 Northern Blvd LIC NY

Paint In The City Your painting, plastering & papering specialists in New York info@paintinthecity.com (646)919-1932

EMPLOYMENT Business Development Manager: Carter Enterprises LLC in Brooklyn, NY. Identify business opportunities in garments, uniform and related products. Master required. Mail resume to 88 33rd St., 2/Fl., Brooklyn, NY 11232 or e-mail fashionqueeninc@aol.com

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

Ciervo & Sons Renovations, Inc. Kitchens, Bathrooms, New Construction Fully Insured 570-296-4458

OfďŹ ce of National Drug Control Policy/Partnership for a Drug-Free AmericaÂŽ

2008 BMW 528Xi $185/mo. 72 mos STK#64068 33k mi MajorWorld.com 888-396-2567 43-40 Northern Blvd LIC NY

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

MASSAGE

Massage by Emerita (212)288-9132 SWEDISH/SHIATSU CHINESE GUY Expert masseur. Swedish & Shiatsu. Therapeutic & relaxing. Private. 52nd St & 3rd Ave. Stephen: 646-996-9030

PERSONALS

Would like to reconnect with Free-Lance Photographer with Stetson Hat. Had interesting conversation at coffee shop on Lexington in the 70’s. Regrettably I ended it. Now would like a rain check. Contact LDiamond174@gmail.com

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HOME RENOVATIONS

R ENOVATIONS Kitchens r Bathrooms /FX $POTUSVDUJPO r %FDLT r 3PPĂ OH Milford, PA 570-296-4458

In NY 631-656-0717

FUN*FUN*FUN! Cooking Class Parties! Experienced, Culinary trained, Personal Chef (347) 419-3206 www.chefmireille.com

Request for Propsals:

RENOVATION, OPERATION & MAINTENANCE OF PARKING LOTS AT RANDALLS ISLAND PARK All proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted no later than Friday, November 8, 2013 at 3pm. There will be a recommended proposer meeting and site tour on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 11:00 am. We will be meeting at Icahn Stadium by the proposed concession site, which is located at 20 Randall's Island New York, NY 10035. We will be meeting in front of Icahn Stadium. If you are considering responding to this RFP, please make every effort to attend this recommended meeting and site tour. For more information, contact: Kathryn Winder, Project Manager, Division of Revenue and Concessions, 830 Fifth Avenue, the ArsenalCentral Park, Room 407, New York, NY 10065 or call (212) 360-3483 or to download the RFP, visit http://www.nyc.gov/parks/businessopportunities and click on the “Concessions Opportunities at Parks� link. Once you have logged in, click on the “download� link that appears adjacent to the RFP’s description. You can also email her at Kathryn.Winder@parks.nyc.gov. TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) 212-504-4115

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Home Services

SERVICES OFFERED

Personal Chef, Catering International Cuisine (347) 419-3206 www.chefmireille.com SENSUAL BODYWORK young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116

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PAINTING

SABBY PAINTING Interior/Exterior Free Estimates Aordable Pricing Licensed & Insured

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To Include Your Business Call Stephanie 212-868-0190 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

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Chef Mireille $VMJOBSZ 4DIPPM USBJOFE XJUI ZFBST FYQFSJFODF 347.419.3206 PAGE 23

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