cityArts
CELEB SINCE 1970
EVERY THURS.
NYPRESS.COM • THE LARGEST PAPER ON THE EAST SIDE • NOVEMBER 7, 2013
PAGE 22
P.11
Bikes Vs. Parking Upper East Side businesses complain that the new 1st Avenue bike lane extension drives away customers By Joanna Fantozzi
What happened to Micah Kellner? One-time Democratic front-runner raised eyebrows for spending, attack ads By Daniel Fitzsimmons Five months ago, Micah Kellner was a shoo-in for the city council on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Embraced by the city’s Democratic establishment, including outgoing Council Member Jessica Lappin, the 34-year-old state assemblyman had every hallmark of a rising star. Then, in late-July, Kellner’s campaign Continued on page 8
Local businesses are starting to feel the effects of extended bike lanes -- and they don’t like it. Earlier this fall, work was completed on Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side, extending the lanes to run all the way from 65th to 110th streets. On the Upper East Side, the First Avenue Bike Lane runs from 72nd to 125th streets. Business owners on both sides of the park say the lanes exacerbate a parking problem in the neighborhoods, and they blame them for driving away business. Though the bike lanes have won applause from many riders -- and are among the signature legacies of Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- they’ve also been controversial from the start. “Most of our business is cabbies who used to park outside, but now our profits have gone down by 25 percent or more,” said Waiel Algabyali, who owns NA Candy Store at 85th
and 1st. “We have lost most of our customers, so we had to cut back on things like cigarette brands.” Algabyali said he has been struggling to keep up with his rent now that his cabbie customers can’t park outside because of the bike line. “This is the worst thing they ever did here,” said Jerry Bone, a customer at NA Candy Store. “They come in packs to give tickets.” The parking spots on E. 85th and 86th streets stretch shrunk from nine spots to three, and delivery trucks and customers fight over the few precious spots on 1st Avenue. Geiger Construction on 1st and East 83rd is even thinking about picking up and moving their shop to Queens because the hassle of loading and unloading supplies in the middle of the street. Johann Wolf, the owner of the Little Wolf Cabinet Shop on 83rd and 1st is adamantly against the bike lanes and has spoken to all of his neighbors about the intrusion upon his business. “When the idea first came up, we went crazy,” said Wolf, who double parks his truck often. “My truck cannot park to load and unload and we know we will get a ticket. When we get lumber out of the truck we have to pull it out and turn, so now half the lumber sticks into the streets and I’m surprised we Continued on page 10
ALSO INSIDE THE LANDMARKING WARS P.4 UPPER EAST SIDE CALENDAR P.6
STREET SHRINK P.15 PROTESTING THE TRANSFER STATION P.18