The local paper for the Upper er East Side THE HOLY WEEK HUSTLE <RELIGION, P. 15
WEEK OF APRIL
17 2014
NYPRESS.COM
OurTownEastSide @OurTownNYC
EAST SIDE GIVES DE BLASIO A “C”
In Brief
POLITICS With a little more than 100 days under his belt, Mayor de Blasio has yet to win over the Upper East Side BY MEGAN BUNGEROTH
NYPD CRUISER STRIKES MAN ON U.W.S.
There’s been no electoral honeymoon for Bill de Blasio on the Upper East Side. The neighborhood -- which, ironically, de Blasio soon will call home -- nevertheless has presented the biggest challenge for the new mayor, who often has been seen as divisive, even confrontational, in a part of Manhattan that heartily embraced his predecessor.
firstMayor de Blasio’s rd for the semester report ca Upper East Side ATraffic safety Snow removal Charter schools
F D
Universal pre-K Marine Transfer Station Message & communication
A
Parks FINAL GRADE
F C Incomplete C
k d Upper East Sid i We asked Side residents of all stripes how they think de Blasio is measuring up so far, and most responses acknowledged that three months is a very short time in which to accomplish anything in politics, especially following the 12-year-reign of Michael Bloomberg, a longtime East Sider. But they said his message often grates in a neighbor-
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A swarm of food trucks at the steps of the Metropoiitan Museum has prompted widespread complaints. Photo by Jeff Stone
GRIDLOCK AT THE MUSEUM FOOD CARTS Vendors have taken over the sidewalks in front of the museum, angering locals and Met officials BY JEFF STONE
UPPER EAST SIDE For more than a century, tourists visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue have been greeted by the building’s iconic staircase. Now, that view is increasingly crowded out by a crush of food vendors, infuriating
everyone from museum staff to the Park Department and the NYPD. Long lines on a recent sunny day were evidence that the food carts are thriving, although they present such an eyesore and have created so much traffic that tourists and museum donors alike have wondered why the city won’t step in to clean the area up. The recent closing of two more tasteful food carts – a softpretzel cart and a high-end cupcake vendor – has only added to the frustration. The food gridlock stems from a recent court decision meant to ensure
that a veteran-owned hot dog stand could continue to operate legally. Dan Rossi, who served two tours in Vietnam, has operated directly at the foot of the Met for years, fighting against what he’s described as an attempt by city officials to marginalize veteran-owned food vendors. While a judge sided with Rossi, allowing him to remain open, the decision unintentionally opened the floodgates for other businesses hoping to avoid the astronomical cart rents in front of the Met by take advantage of the veteran tax exemption. Now, people walking along Fifth Avenue can see disabled vets sitting in a long line of lawn chairs behind Nuts 4 Nuts carts and other chain vendors. Those disabled veterans, much to the dismay of Rossi and museum staff, have essentially leased their food vending permits to non ex-military companies in exchange for a reported $100 per day.
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An NYPD cruiser struck a man crossing at 72nd Street and Broadway on Sunday afternoon. According to an NYPD spokesperson, the cruiser was traveling with its lights and sirens on and had right of way. “The cop tried to divert away from him but he couldn’t swerve enough and he hit the poor guy,” witness Fran Kaback told the Post. “Everyone I talked to said that the man had the right of way.” According to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s Facebook page, the man is expected to survive. “Pedestrian hit by a car on 78 Street and Broadway…is going to be OK. That is my understanding. Thank goodness,” wrote the Borough President’s office.
SPEED CAMERAS FOR SCHOOL ZONES State lawmakers are taking aim at lead-footed drivers in New York City and Long Island with a proposal to authorize hundreds of speed cameras in school zones, a plan touted as a way to protect pedestrians and raise money for government coffers. The legislation approving cameras, which has the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top lawmakers, is expected to be one of the first items on the agenda when lawmakers return to the Capitol this month. Traffic fatalities have dropped nationally and in New York state in the past two decades.