Our Town October 2nd, 2014 by Our Town

The local paper for the Upper er East Side THINK YOU KNOW CENTRAL PARK? TAKE OUR QUIZ < P. 6

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN CRISIS SPECIAL REPORT The plight of small businesses in our neighborhoods has reached a crisis point. Every month, an estimated 1,000 small businesses close their doors in New York, most of them because of rent increases that have simply made it impossible to stay aﬂoat. Neighborhoods are being stripped of their character. Important ties to our civic history are disappearing. Colorful local mom-and-pop characters are fading away.

NO EASY FIX IN THE PARK TRAFFIC SAFETY Pedestrians, cyclists and walkers co-exist on Central Park’s roads, creating a standoff that can be lethal BY HANNAH GRIFFIN

For most of the past year, we have been chronicling this decline in these pages, through a series of stories under the banner “Saving Small Business.” This week, we are expanding that effort, with an extended editorial about the critical need for policymakers to take action now, as well as a report from a forum we organized last month at Baruch College. In that discussion, policymakers like Consumer Affairs Commissioner Julie Menin and Manhattan Borough President Gale President were joined by industry leaders and small business people to talk about what can be done to address the crisis now. The heart of this week’s section, though, is a multi-page tally of closed businesses, all of them in this neighborhood, called “What We’ve Lost.” Think of these as commercial obituaries, tributes mainly to business people finally forced to give in to a city that has changed so dramatically around them.

It is 10 a.m. on a sunny, cool Friday morning in late September, and the road leading to the intersection at West Side Drive near 63rd St. in Central Park is packed. Trees with leaves just on the cusp of turning cast long shadows over the intersection as cyclists, runners, walkers, cars, map wielding tourists, pedi-cabs and dog-walkers rush past. A woman on a bright pink cruiser trails behind a man on a black bike dressed in a suit. In front of them are two lean, Lycra-clad road cyclists with clip in pedals. Connecticut resident Jill Tarlov, 58, was walking here on Thursday September 18th when she was hit by a cyclist and suffered head injuries, according to the New York Times. Tarlov was taken to New-York Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center. She died of her injuries the following Sunday. Tarlov’s death has renewed conversations about the safety of New York’s roads, but the conversation is not new. Four

thousand New Yorkers are seriously hurt in trafﬁc accidents annually, and 250 die. The city’s Vision Zero Action Plan is a commitment to make roads throughout the five boroughs safer for everyone through strengthened enforcement of dangerous driving, safer street planning, and outreach programs. A recent accomplishment of Vision Zero is the reduction of the speed limit by 5 mph in designed Slow Zones throughout the city. The roads sna k in g through Central Park’s 843 acres are set up for many different users. A marked cycling lane runs through the middle of the street and is sandwiched by a slimmer one for those walking and running on one side, and one for cars, pedi-cabs and carriages on the other. Rollerbladers and skateboarders are often seen using both the bike and running lanes. Designer and nearby resident Anne Bowen, walking her two small dogs on Friday morning, feels that a combination of pedestrian awareness and safer practices by cyclists is crucial. Bowen thinks that there need to be measures to encourage cyclists to slow down in higher traffic areas of the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

WEEK OF OCTOBER

2 2014

OURTOWNNY.COM

OurTownEastSide @OurTownNYC

In Brief AFTER SUBWAY PLOT REPORT, CITY INCREASES POLICING Police tightened protections after Iraq’s prime minister said captured Islamic State militants disclosed a plot to attack U.S. and Paris subways, but the mayor and governor said there was no speciﬁc, credible threat currently to the nation’s biggest subway system. Bag inspections were being set up at some subway stations, more bomb-sniffing dogs and surveillance teams were deployed, and officers were working overtime and doing extra checks of subway stations, Police Commissioner William Bratton said. But Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo both took trains themselves Thursday to send a message of watchful safety, and after years of reports of potential terror threats, many riders took the news in stride. “If you have fear in New York, it’s not a great place to live,” said Sean Grissom, who has played cello in the subway system for years. “I am cautious. ... But you have to go about your life.” While security throughout the city and its transit system already was heightened for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, more officers are being deployed while law enforcement assesses what Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi told journalists Thursday. French and American officials said they had no such information. “New York is more prepared than it has ever been,” Cuomo said Thursday after hopping off a subway under Penn Station. About 5.5 million daily passengers take city subways, and New Yorkers have experienced many warnings of possible terror plots since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat and the Holiday candles. Yom Kippur eve. Friday, October 3 6:17 pm. Sukkot eve. Wednesday, October 8 - 6:09 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK PRICIEST APARTMENT IN THE CITY COMING TO U.E.S. The Daily News reported that Zeckendorf Development is planning to construct a penthouse condo in their new building on Park Avenue that will be listed for sale at $130 million, which will make it the most expensive apartment in the history of Manhattan real estate. The building at 520 Park Avenue, between East 60th and 61st Streets, is slated to be ﬁnished in 2017. Zeckendorf, which also build the condo tower at 15 Central Park West, is no stranger to luxury-priced addresses. The triplex penthouse will have 12,394 square feet of space, making it the biggest apartment on the Upper East Side. (12,000 square feet is about average for a full Manhattan townhouse, by comparison.) It will also feature a large terrace with a view of Central Park. Daily News

CAB DRIVER FIRST TO BE CHARGED UNDER VISION ZERO LAW

M.T.A. PROPOSES NEW HAVEN RAIL LINE TO PENN STATION

A new city law cracking down on drivers who hit pedestrians is being applied to a cab driver who struck and killed a woman on the Upper East Side last month, DNAinfo.com reported. The law, part of the mayor and city council’s Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities in the city, allows drivers to face criminal charges and potentially serve jail time if they fatally injure a pedestrian in a crash. The driver, MD Hossain, was arrested last week. He faces a suspended license and possibly up to 30 days in jail. He is charged with misdemeanor offenses of failure to yield to a pedestrian resulting in injury or death and failure to exercise due care. Hossain hit 58-year-old Silvia Gallo on August 29 as she was walking home from the Apple store. He made a left turn onto East 79th Street from Madison Avenue and struck Gallo while she was crossing the street with the light, and dragged her several feet before stopping. A group of bystanders helped lift the cab off of Gallo, but she was pronounced dead at Lenox Hill Hospital later that day. DNAinfo.com

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is proposing to extend MetroNorth Railroad’s New Haven line to Penn Station in Manhattan to ease crowding and provide access to the West Side as part of a broad $32 billion, four-year capital improvement program. The regional transit agency also proposes to build four stations in the Bronx, buy subway cars, Staten Island Railway cars and buses, improve tracks, signals and other equipment and upgrade bridges. It also promises to complete the installation of positive train control systems, which are designed to automatically stop or slow a train before certain accidents occur. Four passengers were killed in a Metro-North derailment last December in the Bronx. The MTA system of commuter trains, subways and buses, serves 8.7 million riders a day. The MTA says it doesn’t have enough money to fund its capital program. It says it has identiﬁed about $17 billion in funding sources that include money from Washington, bonding and $3 billion in unspeciﬁed MTA sources. MTA says it will work with its partners, including Connecticut and New York, to bridge a $15.2 billion gap.

The 2015-19 Capital Program is to be presented to the MTA board for approval Wednesday. Metro-North’s New Haven line now ends at Grand Central Terminal on the East Side. AP

2 PEDESTRIANS KILLED IN SEPARATE N.Y.C. INCIDENTS Police say two pedestrians have been killed in separate incidents in New York City. Authorities say a 26-year-old man was hit by a livery car as he was trying to cross Pelham Parkway near White Plains Road in the Bronx around 1 a.m. Sunday. The driver remained at the scene. The pedestrian was then hit by a second livery car that left the scene. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday, a 33-year-old man crossing Fifth Avenue between 15th and 16th streets in Manhattan was hit by a sedan, which left the scene. The man, identiﬁed as Doohee Cho, was also pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The Bronx victim has not been identiﬁed. There have been no arrests. AP

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OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

19TH PRECINCT CRIME STATS

MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

Report covering the week 9/15/2014 through 9/21/2014 Week to Date

Year to Date

2014 2013 % Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

Robbery

-22.1

Felony Assault

-75

-5.3

Burglary

-36.4

162

161

0.6

Grand Larceny

10.3

959

1,095 -12.4

Grand Larceny Auto

-100

32.6

REMEMBERING REFLECTING

RECONCILING Journeys of Hope, Faith and Love

Join us for a special series of creative expressions examining the past, present and future of diversity and inclusivity in America. For more information visit www.MarbleChurch.org Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13

159 E. 85th St.

311

FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16

157 E. 67th St.

311

FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43

1836 2nd Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 44

221 E. 75th St

311

FIRE

CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick

211 E. 43rd St. #1205

212-818-0580

Councilmember Ben Kallos

244 E. 93rd St.

212-860-1950

1916 Park Avenue #202

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 2nd Ave.

212-490-9535

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

COMMUNITY BOARD 8

505 Park Ave. #620

212-758-4340

222 E. 79th St.

212-744-5824

96th Street

112 E. 96th St.

212-289-0908

67th Street

328 E. 67th St.

212-734-1717

Webster Library

1465 York Avenue

212-288-5049

Lenox Hill

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

212-746-5454

Mount Sinai

E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

NYU Langone

550 1st Ave.

212-263-7300

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

US Post Office

1283 1st Ave.

212-517-8361

US Post Office

1617 3rd Ave.

212-369-2747

STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

LIBRARIES Yorkville

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NO EASY FIX IN THE PARK

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park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bikers honestly they just whizz by you and go, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;on your leftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. By the time you hear that you could be wiped out,â&#x20AC;? she said. She always looks both ways, even on one ways. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you step off the curb you have to treat it like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going on a highway.â&#x20AC;? The situation in Central Park is uniquely complicated as the atmosphere in the sprawling greenspace seems to lower peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception of road danger. A pedestrian or cyclist may not use

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the same caution cruising down lush West Drive as they would on noisy, congested 5th avenue, just blocks away. It is a park, but a park with a crowded multi-use roadway weaving through it that brings together every kind of transportation in the city, but on one small roadway. Shahjahan Talukder, a vendor selling popsicles and drinks at the East side of the intersection, has worked in the park since last year. Talukder was present when Tarlov and Marshall collided, and while he saw her fall he says he does not know who is to blame. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is not respecting the signs,â&#x20AC;? he said. There is a walk and stop signal and a traffic light, but in true New York City fashion, many pedestrians do a quick road check before jay-walking across. Several cyclists ignore the red light hanging above them and roll through if no pedestrians are in their direct path. Even a young mother quickly scuttles across pushing a stroller as the orange stop signal is lit. Bike usage in New York City has quadrupled in the last ten years, and the introduction of Citi Bike in 2013 encouraged many more people to commute on two wheels. A city proposal included in Vision Zero is to have instruction of driving in close proximity to cyclists and pedestrians be part of pre-licensing courses for drivers. Andras Bokor, a cyclist who lives in the Bronx and rides his bike most days, is not optimistic that all road users will ever get along. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because everybody always thinks the other person is at fault when accidents happen,â&#x20AC;? he said. Additional reporting by Nicole Del Mauro

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Central Park OF GIVING

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK?

HALLOWEEN FUN

A YE

Halloween is just around the corner! Check out Bats at Belvedere on Saturday 10/11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and also the Halloween Parade on Saturday 10/26 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

BIRDS IN CENTRAL PARK

What’s your charitable dream?

From Belted Kingﬁshers to Chimney Swifts, all types of Warblers and more, Central Park is just full of avian energy. There are still plenty of Ruby-throated hummingbirds as well. Come out for a birding walk and see for yourself! More info at www.birdingbob.com.

COMING UP THIS WEEK When Harry met Sarah,

he was a taxi driver who “never had a nickel.” Sarah, a passenger in his cab, was a nurse who listened to patients’ stock tips and invested. They had a storybook marriage.

Yoga 102: Tue & Thu 5:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m. Open air yoga on the grass. Reservations required. www.centralpark.com/yoga

CITIFARI: PHOTOGRAPHY WALKING TOUR

Sarah set aside money to take care of Harry. After their deaths, the remaining money started the Sarah and Harry Rogers Fund in The New York Community Trust to maintain parks and protect the City’s air and water. We continue to make grants in their names.

10/4 and 10/5 at 10:30 a.m. Capture fall in Central Park on a walking tour! Bring your camera. Reservations required. www.centralpark.com/ citifari

MOONLIGHT RIDE IN CENTRAL PARK 10/3 Meet at Columbus Circle at 10 p.m. Take a night bike ride through Central Park. Bromptons welcome and all other bikes as well.

www.centralpark.com/ events

THE YOGA TRAIL IN CENTRAL PARK Yoga 101: Mon & Wed 5:30 p.m., Sat 10:30 a.m.

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

WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? $ $ Prospect Park photo by Michael Pick / Creative Commons

Rogers Fund, established in 1994 with

Grants given from the fund to nonproﬁts, to date

$861,000

$ Market value of the fund (as of March 2014)

$1,521,000

$712,000

Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, go to centralpark.com/ where-in-centralpark. The answers and names of the people who guessed right will appear in next week’s paper.

Questions about your giving? We have answers.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWER

Contact our counsel, Jane Wilton, at (212) 686-2563 or janewilton@nyct-cﬁ.org

A popular spot for wedding photography, this beautiful geyser fountain is located at the center of the Conservatory Gardens. Congratulations to Amy Gambale-Cortes and Joe Cirvello for answering correctly!

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Voices

PEDESTRIANS NEED TO BE HEARD With the great increase in the number of bicyclists on the streets of New York, it is time to acknowledge the experience and feelings of pedestrians. While spending most of the day outdoors, it has been lawless bicyclists, and not speeding automobiles, that, on a daily ba-

Feedback OPPOSING VIEWS ON TOURISM OP-ED Comment from the web on an op-ed, “Is NYC Tourism Out of Control?” by John Elari, September 4, 2014: “This article presents a solution in search of a problem. Tourism brings in hundreds of millions of dollars that New York City residents beneﬁt from. We are not an industrial based economy here. Hospitality from theater, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and museums are what we have to offer. When the tourists stop coming, that’s when we’ll have a real problem.” A Voice of Reason

TRAFFIC LIGHTS NEED UPDATES I totally agree with Pete Drexlers’ letter on traffic lights. They should use the threecycle light system. Even if only in Manhattan. One green for north-south traffic, the next green for east-west traffic, the next green for pedestrians to cross in all directions. They have this in other cities & it works well; the only possible setback here in NYC would be the pedestrians and especially bicyclists feel empowered and of course would try to circumvent the system. The police would would have to enforce the laws regarding jaywalking, and bikes ﬂying through red lights, and good luck to that ever happening. Anyway, I know this letter will probably not get published because it is not in your political persuasion regarding pedestrians and especially bikes. Richard Hecht, Brooklyn

sis, effect my life in a negative fashion. While not minimizing fatal accidents, there is much more to safety on the streets than the number of deaths caused by either bicyclist (very few), or automobile driver(also very few, when considering the number of pedestrians,

cyclists and automobiles). Honest and actual pedestrians acknowledge jaywalking (myself included), and understand that some accidents are our fault. Some (most!) bicyclists break laws with near-impunity, and are sometimes at fault. Yes, of course, driv-

ers sometimes speed, or make a wrong turn, and are sometimes at fault. All accidents are not the fault of one particular entity and only a small group of small-minded people would promote that as such.

Mickey Kramer, East 75th Street

BATTLE AT THE OPERA OP-ED BY CHARLES GROSS

Here’s an idea for an opera: How about the story of Ray Rice beating up his girlfriend but with a long sympathetic aria where Rice explains why he had to hit her. No good? How about an opera based on “Birth of A Nation,” a classic film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan? Still off base? Okay, how about the story of 9/11 where we give the terrorists who flew the plane an equally empathic portrayal with the victims who died in the twin towers? Poor taste? Inappropriate? Yes it is! Yet there are many who seem to have no problem in allowing “The Death of Klinghoffer,” an opera that tries to justify terrorism or at least empathize with the terrorists, to be produced at the Metropolitan Opero. I have been a drama critic for over 30 years and while I have often questioned why a show was produced, I have never stated that a show should not be produced… until I viewed a filmed version of “Klinghoffer.” “The Death of Klinghoffer” is the story of Palestinian terrorists who shot Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly, crippled, Jewish American. Klinghoffer and his wife were taking a pleasure cruise on a ship called the Achille Lauro. The boat was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists and Klinghoffer was murdered by them. Klinghoffer’s murder and the cruelty of the terrorists are portrayed in the opera, but there are also scenes that try and draw sympathy to the them. In one scene, a terrorist sings gently about birds and seeing the dawn as his comrades fervently pray. In

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other scenes they sing lines such as “But wherever poor men are gathered they can ﬁnd Jews getting fat.” Now, you would expect Palestinian terrorists to be anti-Semitic, but compile their numerous speeches with the sympathetic songs about birds and dawn and with other scenes of their squalor life and you have the real possibility of an empathetic audience who just might think there is some truth into lines such as “The Jews know how to cheat the simple, exploit the virgin.” The opera’s authors seem to have little interest in their title character. We see him on screen several times but we know nothing about him. Unlike his murderers, we are shown nothing of his background. He has only one short (although admittedly potent) aria, a retort to his murderers just before he is shot. The authors cannot even bring themselves to call Klinghoffer’s death a murder in the opera’s title.

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Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Editor, Megan Bungeroth editor.otdt@strausnews.com

There is no question that the Met has the right to present this opera, but think about it. Would they present an opera sympathetic to gay bashers? Would they show one that presents the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis in a sympathetic light? Would they even consider a piece that uses the N word? Somehow I doubt it. Of course, the opera’s creative team and their supporters are screaming artistic freedom, but such freedom must also come with responsibility and judgment. I would hope that the Met would have the good judgment not to produce an opera based on “Birth of a Nation.” I further hope that they will ultimately use the same judgment and not produce “The Death of Klinghoffer.” Charles Gross is the host of “Two On The Aisle,” a television program covering the New York theater. His reviews and articles have appeared in Am New York, The West Side Spirit, The Press Journal and Playbill on Line.

Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side

Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Out & About 3 MOONLIGHT BIKE RIDE

For the latest advances in

Ophthalmology, you can’t do much better than the doctors

who developed them.

Central Park, West 59th St. and Central Park West 10 – 11:30 p.m., Free Experience Central Park in the dark by joining this night time bike tour. Bring your own bike and take a riding tour with fellow NYC bikers. centralpark.org

ENSEMBLE PERFORMS AT THE MET Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. 5 – 8 p.m., Free The Larch Ensemble will be performing the works of Mozart, Farris, Hindemith, Bloch and Woolf at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Great Hall Balcony. Enjoy an evening of classic symphonies, cocktails and appetizers. metmuseum.org

OUR NEWEST LOCATION AT 15 WEST 65TH STREET (BROADWAY) IS NOW OPEN. LEARN MORE AT COLUMBIAEYE.ORG. CALL 212.305.9535 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

5 ANIMAL BLESSING EVENT St Francis de Sales Church, 135 East 96th St., btwn Park and Lexington Ave. 12 p.m., Free All four legged friends are welcome at St. Francis de Sales Church for their “Blessing of the Animals” event. Enjoy the afternoon with other families and their pets. sfdsnyc.org

OPEN ART STUDIO FOR KIDS

The world-class ophthalmologists of Columbia University Medical Center are now conveniently located on the Upper West Side.

When we say ColumbiaDoctors ophthalmologists are leaders in their field, we mean it. All ColumbiaDoctors ophthalmologists are part of the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, which has made groundbreaking discoveries for more than 80 years. If you’re looking for advanced medical and surgical sub-specialties like pediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma, retina, cataract and refractive surgery, and more — look no further.

New York Cares is hosting an event for anyone 16 years or older to improve their English by speaking with native English speakers. People with intermediate level English speaking skills are encouraged to attend and talk about current events, New York City and their personal lives. nypl.org

4 FITNESS CLASS IN THE PARK Central Park North Meadow Recreation Center, Mid-Park at 97th St. 9 – 11 a.m., Free Central Park is offering a low impact ﬁtness program for adults 18 and over to promote physical ﬁtness. Sessions take place every Saturday rain or shine and people of all athletic abilities are welcome. 212-348-4867

SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING GROUP 67th Street Library, 327 East 67th St. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Free

Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Avenue at 89th St. 1 – 4 p.m., Free with museum admission Take your children to explore art with other kids their age at the Guggenheim Studio Art Lab. Children are free to make their own art projects with tables full of painting, drawing and crafting supplies. guggenheim.org

MYSTERY BOOK READING GROUP

67th Street Library, 327 East 67th St. 4 p.m., Free, registration by phone or in person required The New York Public Library mystery book club will discuss Tom Rob Smith’s novel “Child 44.” The thriller novel revolves around an agent investigating the murders of children in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Book discussions are held monthly. nypl.org

VISITING ARTIST AT HUNTER COLLEGE Hunter College, 695 Park Ave. 7:30 p.m., Free with Hunter ID Playwright David Henry Hwang is visiting Hunter College as a part of its Floria Lasky Visiting Artist series. Some of Huang’s notable plays include “The Dance and the Railroad,” “Family Devotions” and “M. Butteﬂy.” He has been given grants from numerous organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts and received awards from the Association for Asian Paciﬁc American Artists among many others. 212-772-5148

7 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSEMBLY FOR DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS Roosevelt Island Senior Center, 546 Main Street 6 – 9 p.m., Free There will be a neighborhood assembly at the Roosevelt Senior Center. Residents will listen to an information session and brainstorm projects to be on the ballot to receive city funds.

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

The session will be held by District 5 New York City council member Benjamin J. Kallos. benkallos.com

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SENIOR HEALTH FAIR

Petco

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 331 E. 70th St, New York, NY 10021 9:30 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30 p.m., Free Seniors can visit the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House for a free ďŹ&#x201A;u shot at the Senior Health Fair. Enjoy tables and presentations from organizations like the Jewish Museum, an Asphalt Green exercise instructor, New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, the Crater Burden Center for Aging, the American Heart Association and many others. 212-744-5022

8 FLOWER MAKING AT THE MET Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. 1:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:30 p.m., Free with museum admission Noritaka Noda is demonstrating the art of Japanese ďŹ&#x201A;ower arrangement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She will be leading a session in creating Ikebana ďŹ&#x201A;ower arrangements in the style of the Ohara School. metmuseum.org

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HISTORICAL NEW YORK BOOK TALK Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd St. 6:30 p.m., Free for members, $12-16 The Museum of the City of New York is hosting a book talk, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Power to Provoke: Puck Magazine and American Political Satire.â&#x20AC;? Authors Mitchell Alexander Kahn and Richard Samuel West will be discussing their new book â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Fools These Mortals Beâ&#x20AC;? about â&#x20AC;&#x153;Puck,â&#x20AC;? Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst political humor magazine. The book contains lithographs of Puckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political cartoons. Joining the talk about political cartoons and their place in current culture will be writer and editor Victor Navasky. Afterwards, there will be a reception and book signing. mcny.org

9 DRINK AND DRAW 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. 7 p.m., $20 Celebrate the end of the week relaxing with a drink and a creative release. Bring drawing or painting supplies and sketch a model. Beer is provided by the class and art supplies are available for a small fee if not already owned. 92y.org

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The Original Teachings of

Theosophy as recorded by H.P. Blavatsky & William Q. Judge

Fundamental Propositions

WORLD SIGHT DAY EVENT Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, 210 East 64th St. btwn 2nd and 3rd Ave. 9 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 p.m., Free Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat hospital is raising awareness of preventable blindness and vision impairment by providing free eye screenings for adults. 212-702-7676

All Meetings Free No Dues No Collections TV Channel 57 Fri @ 9:30PM

The Secret Doctrine establishes three fundamental propositions: - (a) An Omnipresent, Eternal, Boundless, and Immutable PRINCIPLE on which all speculation is impossible, since it transcends the power of human conception and could only be dwarfed by any human expression or similitude. â&#x20AC;ŚFurther, the Secret Doctrine afďŹ rms: - (b) The Eternity of the Universe in toto as a boundless plane; periodically â&#x20AC;&#x153;the playground of numberless Universes incessantly manifesting and disappearingâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;Ś this second assertion of the Secret Doctrine is the absolute universality of that law of periodicity, of ďŹ&#x201A;ux and reďŹ&#x201A;ux, ebb and ďŹ&#x201A;ow, which physical science has observed and recorded in all departments of nature. â&#x20AC;ŚMoreover, the Secret Doctrine teaches: - (c) the fundamental identity of all Souls with the Universal Over-Soul, the latter being itself an aspect of the Unknown Root; and the obligatory pilgrimage for every Soul â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a spark of the former â&#x20AC;&#x201C; through the Cycle of Incarnation (â&#x20AC;&#x153;or Necessityâ&#x20AC;?) in accordance with Cyclic and Karmic lawâ&#x20AC;Ś The pivotal doctrine of the Esoteric philosophy admits no privileges or special gifts in man, save those won by his own Ego through personal effort and merit throughout a long series of metempsychoses and reincarnations. - H.P. Blavatsky

SUNDAY EVENINGS 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. October

5 The Roots of Western Occultism 19 RedeďŹ ning the God-Idea

November

2 The Scope of Reincarnation 16 A Spiritual Philosophy

For full program contact:

The United Lodge of Theosophists Theosophy Hall Phone (212) 535- 2230

347 East 72nd St., New York www.ULT.org

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Installation view, Chinese Court Costumes exhibit. Photo by Mary Gregory

DEEP INSIDE THE MET, THE ROBES OF ANCIENT CHINA EXHIBITIONS Two gems in the museum’s Asian Decorative Arts galleries BY MARY GREGORY

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is almost like a city within the city. And sometimes, when exploring a city, an unplanned turn leads to a serendipitous surprise. The Asian Decorative Arts galleries at the Met may be a few steps off the beaten path, but the journey to the far reaches of the museum is particularly worth the trip right now. Climbing the stairs to the third ﬂoor brings you to an array of small but astonishing sculptures. Colors of

the Universe, on view through March 8, 2015, presents a collection of hardstone carvings from the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Most can be held in a single hand. All are delicate yet intense, highly polished, and show incredible virtuosity in the handling of the material. To see them is to be convinced of what would be hard to imagine - that these beautiful sculptures that weigh pounds are made of precious stones we usually measure in carats. Amethyst, carnelian, coral and jade are fashioned into purple, deep orange, pale green and turquoise figures of deities, fruits and animals. Just steps beyond lies a gorgeous collection of sumptuous Chinese court robes. Chinese Court Costumes presents 11 of them in all, and, due to the

fragile nature of textiles, some have not been seen for more than half a century. They are rare and spectacular, and will be on display through October 19th. Clothes, it is said, make the man. In imperial China in the Manchu Qing dynasty, this was the intention. When the Manchus conquered China in the 17th century, they used dress to seal the deal. They took previous conventions of clothing, tweaked them and made them their own, and later, in 1759, established the original fashion police. As the wall texts explain, “every aspect of clothing, including shapes, colors, and designs, was strictly controlled to help illustrate the rigid hierarchy that defined the Qing court.”

These garments were meant to communicate power. Their colors dazzle, in rich red, deep blue and lots of silver and gold. Fearsome dragons and auspicious symbols like bats (yes, bats) prance across. The Chinese word for bat (fu) is a homonym for the word for good fortune (also fu). So bats are plentiful in Chinese decorations. Here, they are kicked up a notch by being woven or embroidered mostly in red, the color associated with happiness in Chinese culture. So, a red bat basically proclaims happiness and good fortune for the wearer. (Imagine a current world leader wearing a suit made of smiley faces.) While the emperor is no longer wearing these clothes, the tremendous labor involved in creating complex imagery with needle and thread still imbues them with a powerful artistic importance. We’ve all seen these glorious robes in paintings and ﬁlms. Seeing them in person gives an entirely different sense. A woman’s red festival robe in embroidered silk may have been worn in summer. It’s so thin you can see right through both layers, but its dragons carry enough weight to make up for it. Dragons are everywhere in

the gallery. The number of claws each dragon brandishes indicates the social rank of the wearer. The five clawed variety, reserved for royalty, gnarl their superiority from gold, black and blue robes, and even from a strangely iridescent one in which peacock feather fibers are wrapped around the embroidery silk. They are meant to impress, and they do. The exhibit is complemented and completed by a 21st century response to the festival robe by contemporary artist Wang Jin. His 2008 work, Dream of China, recalls the robes surrounding it in the gallery, but it is made of PVC vinyl and embroidered with fishing wire. Rather than floating silk, it hangs from a heavy, imposing iron hook. The curators tell us that it is the artist’s commentary on consumerism and industrialization, but it also seems to speak to the crushing weight of previous societal structures. By including this final piece in the exhibition, windows are opened to thoughts about imperialism, rule, class and wealth. But the 10 spectacular Qing dynasty robes also allow viewers to just experience the startling beauty achieved in the court robes of China.

TOP5

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

MUSEUMS

THOMAS HART BENTON: AMERICA TODAY American muralist Thomas Hart Benton painted his sweeping, ten-panel mural in the early 1930s for mounting in the boardroom at New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New School for Social Research on West 12th Street. Depicting scenes from across the country during the 1920s, the mural is on display in a recreated boardroom, and the exhibition includes Bentonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pencil sketches and character drawings done in preparation for the mural. Through April 19 Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Ave., at East 82nd Street Museum hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Admission: $25

KIDS

IN CONVERSATION

THE BUTTERFLY GIRL

MARLON JAMES AND LAILA LALAMI

Based on childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book Velma Gratch and the Way Cool ButterďŹ&#x201A;y by Alan Madison, The ButterďŹ&#x201A;y Girl debuts at Vital Theatre Company this fall. The play, for ages 2 through 7, follows precocious ďŹ rst grader Velma, who looks for a way to stand out in school when she discovers her older sisters cast large shadows. Through Nov. 16th Vital Theatre Company 2162 Broadway, second ďŹ&#x201A;oor, near West 76th Street Show times Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets $30-$40

Jamaican-born writer Marlon James joins Moroccan novelist Laila Lalami to discuss his latest work, A Brief History of Seven Killings, about the foiled assassination attempt made on Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley. Lalamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new historical work of ďŹ ction, The Moorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Account, tells the story of a Moroccan slave who became the ďŹ rst black explorer in America. Monday, Oct. 6 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Hall Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street 8:15 p.m. Tickets $15-$28

MUSIC

CHANGING LIVES, MAKING HISTORY: 40 YEARS OF LGBTQ LIFE IN NYC

LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION Australian musicians John R. Waters and Stewart Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arrietta bring their ode to legendary Beatle John Lennon, originally staged in Sydney in 1992, off-Broadway this fall. Waters performs 31 songs from Lennonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solo records as well hits written with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, including Strawberry Fields Forever, Revolution and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, interspersing the music with bits of spoken-word about Lennonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, career and legacy. Oct. 3-Feb. 22 Union Square Theatre 100 East 17th St., at Park Avenue Assorted show times Tickets $87-$127

Bravo television personality Andy Cohen talks with Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen to discuss her new book, Changing Lives, Making History: Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. The book examines the history of the progressive, LGBTQfriendly institution, which has operated from a loft on Bethune Street in the West Village for 37 years, and its role in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay rights movements. Tuesday, Oct. 7 JCC Manhattan 334 Amsterdam Ave., at West 76th Street 7 p.m. Tickets $18

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

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Saving Small Business

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

EDITORIAL

IT’S TIME FOR ACTION ON SMALL BUSINESS What is it going to take to finally get people to pay attention to the small business crisis in New York City? It began as a drip of closings a few years ago, as rents for mom and pop companies came up for renewal. Dozens of them were forced to close their doors because they couldn’t afford the exorbitant rent increases demanded by their landlords. Neighbors bemoaned the loss of beloved local institutions, the culture of our neighborhoods began to change. As rents in the city have continued to soar, that drip has since become a torrent. As many as 1,000 small businesses a month now close their doors in New York, according to an estimate by the Small Business Congress. And in some neighborhoods, the affect has been profound. A sense of history of the area has been lost. Quintessential New York characters are gone. The richness and variety that brought many of us to New York in the first place have been gutted. In their place, more often than not: chain stories and luxury retailers, among the few prospects that can afford the rents as they now stand. There are two ways to look at this crisis: The first is to say that New York has always been thus, that ours is a constantly molting, ever-evolving place, and that the only thing constant is the blinding pace of change. That may be true, but it doesn’t account for the number of businesses opened 20, 30, 40 years ago that finally are being forced to surrender now, in 2014. The second response is to put what’s happening in the context of a broader narrative about the city, which has in the past decade become one of the most expensive places on earth to work and live – a gathering place for international investors and those few souls on the lucky side of our great income divide. That may be true, too, but that doesn’t make it something we have to accept without protest. For most of the past year, this newspaper has been working to highlight the problem. We began by devoting increasing space and energy to stories about the issue, all running under the banner “Saving Small Business.” Many of those individual stories are catalogued in the pages that follow, in our tally of closed businesses called “What We’ve Lost.” In addition, in late September, we convened business people, elected officials, and other concerned New Yorkers to talk about where we are and what can be done about. (A report on that forum, at CUNY’s Baruch School of Public Affairs, follows this editorial.) We wish we could say that a single answer for solving the crisis emerged from those discussions. If only it were that easy. A few important insights, though, did become clear: First, Albany is not going to help us. Raising the flag for some ailing businesses in Manhattan does not attract much sympathy in our state capital. Whatever solutions we come up with will have to be our own. Second, this is not solely a Manhattan prob-

lem. Gale Brewer, the tireless Manhattan Borough President, who has probably devoted more time to these issues than anyone else, said there still is a sense on the City Council that these are problems limited to a few wealthy zip codes in Manhattan. As a result, political consensus has been difficult. Those outer-borough political leaders are fooling themselves; what’s happening in Manhattan is headed their way, and fast. Third, our populist mayor desperately needs to engage this issue, just as he has addressed, quite effectively, the shortage of affordable housing in the city. One proposal that has been floated is to require developers to set aside a percentage of their new development for affordable local retail, just as they now set aside 20 percent of their residential units for affordable housing. Bill de Blasio needs to join this discussion. Finally, we need to stop tip-toeing around the fact that the real estate industry is going to have to participate in the debate. Of course, landlords are entitled to earn a decent return, even a great one, on their investment in Manhattan real estate. But they have to be willing to see the issue in a broader context: if Manhattan’s neighbors are stripped of their magic and character, ultimately fewer people are going to want to live in them. What happens to rents then? An important test case of this entire issue will be unfolding in coming months on the Upper East Side. For years now, many businesses along Second Avenue have suffered through the construction of the subway there, a messy and loud public-works project that has severely hurt their business. Landlords have been unable to raise rents because no tenants would take on the headache of moving in. Now, with part of the construction finally ending, many of those businesses are facing lease renewals, and many of them expect to be priced out. Having held out this long, they could be forced to close just as business is finally bouncing back. Brewer, unable to rally support on the Council for an initiative to help the Second Avenue businesses, plans to take it upon herself to try and help these businesses, hoping to mediate decent leases between business and landlord. It’s a heroic effort, and it needs the backing of her colleagues on the council. London, for one, has experimented with a citybacked mediation service to help tenants and landlords come to a solution that works for both. Maybe that could work here, as well. We’ve got to start somewhere. The current, and only bill, addressing this crisis is currently sitting before the City Council -- back again five years after it was first proposed. Few people are optimistic it’s going to go anywhere. Enough dithering. Again, we ask: What is it going to take to finally get people to pay attention to the small business crisis in New York City? Email us your thoughts at news@strausnews. com. -- The Editors

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

Editor-in-chief Kyle Pope, far left, talks with Consumer Affairs Commissioner Julie Menin, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Andrew Rigie of the NYC Hospitality Alliance and restaurant owner Nancy Lee at a forum held at Baruch College.

PUTTING HEADS TOGETHER TO SAVE SMALL BUSINESS SAVING SMALL BUSINESS Policy makers came together to discuss ways to stem the tide of small business loss BY MEGAN BUNGEROTH

The question of how to keep small, independently owned businesses alive in Manhattan is one that plagues everyone from the owner of an Upper East Side restaurant to the president of the borough, and there are no easy answers. Last week, Our Town convened a panel at CUNY’s Baruch College to discuss that question and attempt to address it in all its intricacies. Editorin-chief Kyle Pope moderated a discussion with Consumer Affairs Commissioner Julie Menin, herself a former small business owner, along with Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, an organization that represents restaurants, bars and hotels in the city, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who worked on this issue as an Upper West Side city council member, and Nancy Lee, owner of the beloved Chinese restaurant Pig Heaven, which was recently forced to leave its longtime location on Second Avenue when her lease was not renewed. The panel participants, as well as the audience - many of them small business owners looking for answers too - were interested in ways that the city can help independent owners stay aﬂoat

in an environment of rising costs and landlords who can turn around and demand a 300 percent rent increase for a shop or restaurant with razor thin margins. Commissioner Menin said that her agency is working to give small business owners some relief by reducing the number of fines levied against them for small infractions, and making it easier to understand the rules and avoid fines in the first place. “We don’t believe that city revenue should be made on the backs of small businesses,” Menin said. “All ships ride on a rising tide.” She said that by reducing or eliminating fines on small, nitpicky details like incorrect signage, the Department will cut fines for the city by about $5 million across the board. Andrew Rigie also brought up the issue of fines, noting that in 2012, the Department of Health charged over $50 million in fines to restaurants. He said that aside from rent concerns, that’s the number one issue he heres about from his members. “Not much can be done to adjust rent, so you have to adjust elsewhere,” Rigie said. But the rent issue is the one looming largest for many small business owners, and the one that’s most intractable, especially at the city level. (The Real Estate Board of New York was invited to participate in the panel, but declined.) “This is the hardest issue to solve,” Borough President Brewer said. In her time in the city

council, she said, they tried giving tax breaks to landlords who rent to owner-operated or “momand-pop” shops, but that measure has to be approved in Albany, which proved impossible. Brewer also acknowledged a recent change in co-op regulations that allow co-op boards to bring in 100 percent of their maintenance revenue from a commercial tenant, which makes it more appealing for boards to rent their ground ﬂoors to a chain like CVS or a bank branch. On the Upper West Side, Brewer was able to pass new zoning regulations limiting banks and store frontage on Amsterdam and Columbus avenues in 2012. She hopes that similar measures could be taken elsewhere, but warned that it’s difficult to even get attention to the matter from outer borough council members. “It’s mainly a Manhattan issue,” Brewer said. “It’s hard to get others to care.” Rigie, while cautious not to villainize chain stores or landlords, also acknowledged that na-

Nancy Lee’s Pig Heave restaurant on its last day in business last month. It will reopen nearby soon.

tional retailers bump up the rents for everyone else on the block, once building owners see how much they can get in rent. Nancy Lee, who was visibly emotional about the recent struggles of her restaurant, said that she feels the situation for most small business owners is hopeless unless they buy the building they’re in. Pig Heaven was successful and popular, but that fact alone couldn’t save it. When her lease expired this year, she said, the landlord refused to renew it; she thinks they plan to knock down the building and build a high rise, or sell it empty. “I’m not kidding, I cried every day because I knew that I was going to have to close my restaurant,” Lee said. Luckily for Lee, she’s found a new space nearby in the neighborhood, on Second Avenue between 80th and 81st Street, but said that between the rent and the constant hassle from city agencies with regulations to follow, it was not an easy decision to re-open. “I think I’m crazy, otherwise I’d give up already,” Lee said with a laugh. When it came time for the Q&A portion from the audience, several pointed questions were raised about how the city would combat inﬂated rents. A woman who owns a small music shop on the Upper East Side near Second Avenue wanted to know what would stop her landlord from raising her rent once the Second Avenue Subway was completed. Brewer said that’s a problem she’s trying to ﬁgure out, and one she’s acutely aware of. Legally, there is nothing to stop a landlord from letting a small business suffer through years of construction woes, only to oust them when the subway starts running and the area suddenly becomes much more desirable and accessible. The takeaway from the discussion seemed to be that the city needs to pay attention to small businesses before they all die off, but it’s not solely a city problem. Any changes to the tax code - one of the best incentives for businesses and landlords must be approved by the state legislature. Brewer agreed that there are more problems then there are solutions, and that one of the best options - buying a building - is simply out of reach for most small business owners. “There’s no magic wand,” she said.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

LASCOFF DRUG STORE

PLANET KIDS

1209 Lexington Avenue at 82nd •Opened in 1899, closed July 2012 -- 113 years in business •Inability to compete with modern pharmacies and illness forced owner to sell the store and retire According to the Times, Lascoff was the ﬁrst registered drug store in the state of New York. Dr. Lascoff and his son were known for their old-time remedies—in particular, leeching. Costumers have described their shopping experience at Lascoff as stepping into a time warp, thanks to the building’s high cathedral ceilings and its traditional apothecary smell.

247 E. 86th St., between 2nd & 3rd (also a West side location, which also closed) •Baby store • Original store opened in 1999, closed Feb. 2014 •Owner forced to close due to competition from online retailers and high rent Planet Kids was known for its wide variety of kids merchandise and its great customer service. The store prided itself on its employees’ close relationships with their regular customers. Planet Kids was a staple on the Upper East Side, and its loyal customers are sad and surprised to see it go.

NANCY’S PIG HEAVEN

GIRASOLE

1540 2nd Ave. at 80th •Chinese restaurant • Opened in 1984, closed in September •Owner lost the lease; rumored plans of its demolishment to make way for new condos Upper East Siders will soon miss this classic neighborhood Chinese restaurant. For decades, many have enjoyed Pig Heaven’s reliable take out and its unmistakable display of toy pigs. The good news is that Nancy Lee, the owner, has secured a new lease nearby and plans to re-open soon

151 E. 82nd St. between 3rd & Lexington • Italian restaurant • Open for about 23 years Girasole was a neighborhood classic among local East siders. This tucked-away restaurant was often overlooked by tourists, despite its bright yellow awning. Locals, though, described it as underrated.

MOORMENDS

JACKSON HOLE

1228 Madison Ave. between 88th & 89th • Luggage, photo and toy store • Established in 1935 What started as a luggage store, turned into much, much more. Residents turned to Moormends when in need of anything from a new camera to a kid’s birthday party present.

1270 Madison Ave. between 90th & 91st •Burger joint This Carnegie Hill restaurant will be truly missed. Among other customers, it attracted a ﬂock of kids from nearby Spence for sandwiches and hot chocolate.

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

GRACIE’S CORNER DINER

DIVINO RESTAURANT 1556 2nd Ave. between 80th & 81st •Italian restaurant • In business for 37 years • All stores on the block being knocked down to build high-rises Northern-Italian immigrants, Mario Balducci and Antonio Bongioanni opened this restaurant in 1977 hoping to share good service and delicious food with the Upper East Side, and for 37 years they did just that. Divino was best known for its large portions and relaxed atmosphe.

352 E. 86th St. between 1st & 2nd •In business for 25 years •Forced to leave due to plans of demolishment to make way for luxury condos. A new location is planned. Gracie’s generous portions and casual atmosphere will be missed by local East siders. For over 25 years, customers have enjoyed Gracie’s classic diner grub at all hours of the day.

JOHN’S PIZZERIA 408 E. 64th St. between 1st & York • Opened in 1985 •Locals were shocked to see this Zagat-rated restaurant disappear! Known for its “no slice” policy, John’s served whole pies to customers for almost 30 years. They now will have to treck to the restaurant’s Times Square location.

LAND THAI KITCHEN EAST SIDE 1562 2nd Ave. between 81st & 82nd •Thai Restaurant Locals will miss Land’s $7 lunch special and spicy drunken noodles. This tiny Thai kitchen was always packed with East siders who could always count on Land for some authentic Thai cooking. Luckily, the West side location remains on Amsterdam Ave. and 82nd St.

JOHNNY FOXES 1546 2nd Ave. between 80th & 81st •Sports Bar/pub •Owner lost the lease—rumored plans of its demolishment to make way for new condos For many East siders, Johnny Foxes was a favorite local watering hole, boasting lunch and two drinks for under $13.

DANDY ESPRESSO 1375 Madison Ave. at 96th • Coffee shop • Closed after ﬁve months • Unable to pay rent If you needed a break from Starbucks on the corner of 96th and Madison, all you had to do was walk across the street to Dandy Espresso, located near Mt. Sinai Hospital and many Upper East Side high schools.

CASCABEL TAQUERIA 1538 2nd Ave. between 80th & 81st •Owner lost the lease—rumored plans of its demolishment to make way for new condos Many swear that Cascabel Taqueria made the best tacos in Manhattan. Maybe it’s their homemade salsa and organic ingredients. Locals are devastated to see this little dig being shuttered to make room for a luxury condo.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

SUBWAY INN BARR

BLACKER & KOOBY

143 E. 60th St. (Between Lexington & 3rd) •Dive Bar •Opened in 1937 •Closing to make way for a new building Proclaimed as one of the last dive bars in the area, the Subway Inn was a great place to grab a cheap drink and listen to some great music. Many regulars would report straight from work.

88th and Madison Ave. •Stationary store •Since 1963 •Expired lease and rent increase This small but resourceful store provided a wide range of supplies to customers before it was forced to downsize and relocate to Lexington Ave. The closing of Blacker & Kooby belongs in a long string of ‘mom and pop’ stores leaving Madison Ave. on the basis of extreme rent increases.

SOUP BURG 77th St. at Lexington Ave. •Restaurant •Since 1948 •Forced out by landlord A trusted, affordable, and delectable diner on the Upper East Side that was cherished by all is being replaced by a bank. Soup Burg was renowned for serving some of the best burgers in town and providing unparalleled customer service to the many regulars as well as newcomers.

FULTON 205 East 75th St. at 3rd Ave. • Seafood restaurant • Six years of business • Owners opted to close to focus on other restaurants In a statement to customers, owner Joe Gurrera explained that he aims to focus his attention on the evolution of another restaurant. Known for delicious and fresh oyster and clam dishes at decent prices, Fulton was a great source for seafood lovers.

Our Small Businesses are the economic engine that powers East Midtown Manhattan.

We’re here for them. www.EastMidtown.org

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

COLUMBIA COTTAGE

POPOVER CAFÉ

1034 Amsterdam Ave. between Cathedral Pky & 111th St. • Chinese Restaurant • 22 years in business • Closed due to rising rent This restaurant had an extensive menu and was a big draw for nearby Columbia students, who came for the free wine and dined there frequently. One of the favorites was the “Little Bit of Everything Noodle Soup.”

551 Amsterdam Ave. between 86th & 87th • American Café & Restaurant • 32 years in business • Closed due to loss of lease Everyone knew this restaurant, a mainstay on the Upper West Side. Well liked for their namesake, a popover breakfast pastry with jam and butter, this was a favorite spot of many to meet a friend and enjoy a meal. For families it was a favorite spot for brunch or dinner, many people returning to its booths long after moving from the city.

THE FRENCH COAST SLIGHTLY OLIVER

472 Amsterdam Ave. at 83rd St. • Mediterranean French Cuisine • Nearly 2 years in business • Closed for unknown reasons Known for their delicious meats and ﬁsh, patrons of this restaurant saw it as an interesting change to typical French cuisine. It was a choice of diversity among the many different places in the neighborhood.

511 Amsterdam Ave. between 84th & 85th • American Gastropub • 4 years in business • Closed for unknown reasons Slightly Oliver was known for their wide selection of drinks. Next door to Jacob’s Pickles, this eclectic neighbor was favored for dishes like their crispy duck tongue salad.

SAMBUCA 20 W. 72nd St. between Central Park West & Columbus • Italian Restaurant • 28 years in business • Closed by owner for changes Sambuca had been an option for those on the Upper West Side looking for quality Italian food. As the tastes of the neighborhood have changed, the owner has looked to reinvent the space to attract new clientele. People hope that the quality of the food and the friendly atmosphere remain, no matter the changes that happen.

DING DONG LOUNGE 929 Columbus Ave. between 105th & 106th • Dive Bar & Venue • 13 years in business • Lost its lease Ding Dong Lounge was named the Best Cheap Manhattan Dive by both the Village Voice and Gothamist, and owners said that their last year in business was also their most lucrative, but it still wasn’t enough to keep up with rent demands. The popular dive was also a spot for local musical acts. Owners hope to re-open somewhere on the Upper West Side.

103 GROCERY & FLOWER 2705 Broadway at 103rd St. • Delicatessen • About 30 years in business • Closed due to rising rents This 103rd Street Korean deli was known for its wide selection of ﬂowers out front and the quality of its produce. This was one of the ﬁrst delis in the neighborhood. Patrons liked their late hours and constant good service, and it was a place of convenience and reliability.

DITCH PLAINS 100 W. 82nd St. between Columbus & Amsterdam • Seafood restaurant • Over 3 years • Closed due to rent increases This unique surfer seafood shack featured original takes on typical dishes such as the Ditch Dog, a hot dog topped with mac and cheese and spicy fried shrimp. Although Ditch Plains is survived by their West Village location, their presence will be sorely missed by their Upper West Side patrons.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

LENNY’S

RIZZOLI BOOKSTORE

489 Columbus Ave. at 83rd • Deli • Years of operation unknown • Relocated one block south This New York deli lost its position on Columbus Avenue to a new restaurant by Swagat Indian cuisine owner. Customers of the new restaurant Savoury seem to be pleased with the dining, however.

31 West 57th Street between 5th and 6th • Bookstore • Since 1985 • Expired lease After the Landmark Preservation Commission failed to grant landmark status to the historical building Rizzoli was forced to relinquish their store to the possibility of complete demolition. The closing aroused resentment in many New Yorkers and protests against LPC ensued. Rizzoli has since announced their plans to relocate to the NoMad neighborhood at 1133 Broadway by Spring 2015, but the store will never be quite the same without the intricate framework of the early 1900s building.

RUI RONG HE LAUNDRY 567 Columbus Ave. at 88th St. • Dry Cleaner • 32 years of business • Rent increases Small but reliable, this dry cleaner was known for providing great work for low prices until owner and operator Rui Rong He received the news of rent increases in his building. No longer able to afford the steep prices on a $9.50 wage, He was forced to close the neighborhood’s cherished store. Councilmember Helen Rosenthal remarked that the lose of He’s store is a loss of “the unique character of the Upper West Side.”

CAFÉ BLOSSOM 466 Columbus Ave. at 82nd St • Vegan Restaurant • Since 2007 • Building management issues that were “beyond the control” of restaurant owners A restaurant dedicated to serving fresh and healthy alternatives to the typical dining experience, Café Blossom had become a vegan staple in the Upper West Side. Blossom supported many health-conscious customers and dedicated regulars and hopes to continue to serve them at their other locations around the city.

LEE’S MARKET 78th and First Ave • Korean deli • At least 25 years of business • Closed due to rent increases The site where the wildly popular show ‘Seinfeld’ was envisioned by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld has closed because of rent issues.

LOEHMANN’S 2101 Broadway between 73rd & 74th • Clothing Store • 93 years in business • Closed after ﬁling for bankruptcy Loehmann’s has been part of the Upper West Side for so many years, everyone has some memory of it. Long well known for their deals on designer clothes in “the back room,” Loehmanns gave those who couldn’t afford high end clothing options for a fraction of the cost. In the weeks before their closing, many patrons visited the store to pay their respects. They relived the memories of the communal changing rooms, the best deals, and funny events.

PITAYA 239 W. 105th St. between Amsterdam & Broadway • Japanese Restaurant • Open less than a year • Closed for unknown reasons After opening only months before, Pitaya closed their doors. The restaurant was given great reviews and customers thought the food was very good. It seemed to have trouble attracting new customers, however, and has since reopened as Szechuan Gourmet.

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Food & Drink

< NANCY LEE’S PIG HEAVEN GETS NEW LOCATION Last month, Upper East Siders mourned the loss of Nancy Lee’s Pig Heaven, a wildly popular Chinese restaurant on Third Avenue that was forced to close its doors. Now locals can rejoice in the news that owner

FOOD & WINE FEST ON THE EAST SIDE FESTIVALS The Food Network’s citywide festival will be bringing food and wine events to the Upper East Side UPPER EAST SIDE From October 16th-19th New York City, a metropolis already ﬁlled with amazing eats, is going to get even more delicious as The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival kicks off. Presented by Food & Wine, the festival includes 100 events, hands on food experiences and educational seminars, and offers something for everyone from the casual foodie to

Nancy Lee has decided to forge ahead in a new location nearby. The restaurant famous for its BBQ pork has found a new spot just one block away from its previous one after the landlord refused to renew the lease in anticipation of selling the

around the US. His director of y operations, Scott culinary urd, will collaborate Winegaurd, YC chefs Daphne with NYC Cheung (Suite ThreeOhSix) er Kord (No. 7 Sub) and Tyler te a vegetable and to create ased dinner. grain based

Frenchie: e: New Bistro Cooking hosted by Gregory Marchand nd

sday, October food industry veterans. All events are 21+, and be Thursday, sure to check the website for tickets and updates. 16th Here are some Upper East Side highlights this Hotel Plaza Atheabelle – 37 nee, Arabelle year. 4th St beEast 64th Fresh and Raw: A Vegan Dinner hosted by Matthew tween Park & Kenney, Daphne Cheng, and Tyler Kord on AvMadison Thursday, October 16th enues Park Lane Hotel, Park Room Restaurant, 36 Cen- 7-10 p.m., tral Park South between Fifth and Sixth Avenues $275 ry 7-10 p.m., $275 Gregory Four chefs come together to prepare a raw veg- Marchw an feast at the elegant Park Lane Hotel. Matthew and, new Kenney, is the founder of Matthew Kenney Culi- connary and also owns multiple healthy restaurants tem-

building. They’ll now be located at 1420 3rd Ave. between 80th and 81st Streets. According to their website, they have not reopened yet due to “licensing, permitting and minor-construction issues” but plan on reopening very soon.

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

Cooking Channel Presents Chicken Coupe hosted by Whoopi Goldberg Thursday, October 16th The Loeb Boathouse, Central Park at East 72nd Street

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS SEPTEMBER 17 - 23, 2014 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygieneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Wine Bar & Ristorante

1742 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (19) Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas.

Mole Cantina Mexicana

1735 2 Avenue

Thai Peppercorn

1750 1 Avenue

Effyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cafe

1638 3 Avenue

Makana

2245 1 Avenue

Grade Pending (29) Food Protection CertiďŹ cate not held by supervisor of food operations. Filth ďŹ&#x201A;ies or food/refuse/ sewage-associated (FRSA) ďŹ&#x201A;ies present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Filth ďŹ&#x201A;ies include house ďŹ&#x201A;ies, little house ďŹ&#x201A;ies, blow ďŹ&#x201A;ies, bottle ďŹ&#x201A;ies and ďŹ&#x201A;esh ďŹ&#x201A;ies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated ďŹ&#x201A;ies include fruit ďŹ&#x201A;ies, drain ďŹ&#x201A;ies and Phorid ďŹ&#x201A;ies.

Zahlayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bistro

2028 3 Avenue

Not Graded Yet - Establishment authorized to reopen after inspection conducted on 09/18/2014.

King Food Takeout Restaurant

2036 2 Avenue

Not Graded Yet (3)

Papa Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

2119 1 Avenue

Kennedy Fried Chicken

2041 1 Avenue

Dough Loco

1261 Park Avenue

Not Graded Yet (2)

Finneganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wake

1361 First Avenue

Voila 76

1452 2 Avenue

Shabu-Shabu 70 Restaurant

314 East 70 Street

Grade Pending (18) Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) 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.

Felice

1593 1 Avenue

Epazote

1606 1 Avenue

Caeldonia

1609 2 Avenue

Campagna Quattro Gatti

205 East 81 Street

Grade Pending (20) ShellďŹ sh not from approved source, improperly tagged/labeled; tags not retained for 90 days. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas.

Gael Pub

1465 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (24) 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 facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Filth ďŹ&#x201A;ies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) ďŹ&#x201A;ies present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Filth ďŹ&#x201A;ies include house ďŹ&#x201A;ies, little house ďŹ&#x201A;ies, blow ďŹ&#x201A;ies, bottle ďŹ&#x201A;ies and ďŹ&#x201A;esh ďŹ&#x201A;ies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated ďŹ&#x201A;ies include fruit ďŹ&#x201A;ies, drain ďŹ&#x201A;ies and Phorid ďŹ&#x201A;ies.

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porary chef and owner of Paris cafĂŠ Frenchie, will be preparing a multicourse menu at the Hotel Plaza Athenee. During this intimate dinner, he will be serving food inspired by his travels to international cities Hong Kong, London and New York. Guests will receive a copy of Marchandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new cookbook, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Frenchie: New Bistro Cooking (Artisan).â&#x20AC;?

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Property

< MAYOR WILL CONSIDER PIED-A-TERRE TAX Mayor Bill de Blasio is saying he’ll “take a look” at a proposal to tax luxury pieds-a-terre in New York City. The Fiscal Policy Institute released a report Monday urging de Blasio to seek Albany’s approval to tax people who keep a second home in New York worth more than $5 million.

Ask A Broker

What does days on market mean? I religiously analyze market statistics to understand the residential real estate business . By thoroughly understanding the stats and how they affect my buyers and sellers, I can effectively explain their options and empower them to comfortably make smart, informed decisions. BY MICHAEL SHAPOT Simple, right? Hardly…. This month, the most glaring statistic is average dayson-market. Shorter days-on-market reflects strong buyer demand; longer days-on-market reflects weaker demand. Currently, days-on-market is 78 for the Upper West Side, 84 for the Upper East Side, and 75 for the Downtown market. What does this tell us? Where were days-on-market 30 days ago? They were 51 for the Upper West Side, representing a 52% increase. They were 74 for the Upper East Side, representing a 12% increase. They were 69 for Downtown, representing a 17% increase. Sixty days ago, the days-on-market were 46, 69 and 51 for the Upper West, Upper East and Downtown, respectively. (Thank you Urban Digs for providing these critical statistics.) Is anyone able to spot a trend? Is this a cause for alarm? Average days-on-market is most definitely trending up, and up significantly. Okay, relax Henny Penny, the sky is not falling. If we examine days-on-market from a historical point of view, we know that they increase significantly every year at this time. This is a seasonal fluctuation in the market, reflecting the typically slow summer months. Check out this column next month; unless there is a significant market shift, I expect to see a leveling of average days-onmarket. In last month’s column, I described an open house that had five visitors and no offers. That property now has an accepted offer. Happy Autumn! When a property is priced well and appeals to the proper demographic, it generates interest. Buyers are out there, looking for value; when they like what they see, they buy it. More inventory is coming on the market. This is a very healthy situation, good for serious buyers, good for serious sellers, and good for brokers. Michael Shapot is a broker with Keller Williams in Manhattan.

The institute said there were more than 1,500 of those apartments which could raise $665 million every year. De Blasio said Tuesday his administration will “assess” the proposal. Many who keep second homes in New York claim their permanent residency in nearby

states. Others are wealthy foreigners who keep a Manhattan apartment as a status symbol or investment. The mayor’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund pre-kindergarten died in Albany earlier this year.

BILL HIGHLIGHTS ISSUES FOR HARASSED TENANTS HOUSING Lawmakers hope increased penalties for tenant harassment will deter unscrupulous landlords BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

A recently passed measure in the city council that toughens penalties for landlords found guilty of tenant harassment is receiving mixed reviews from affordable housing advocates, who say increasing penalties against unscrupulous landlords is a worthy cause, but more must be done. The legislation, sponsored by council members Margaret Chin and Jumaane Williams, actually amends a pre-existing bill that levied a $5,000 fine to landlords found guilty of harassment. The amendment doubles that fine to $10,000 and will also result in the guilty landlord’s name being posted to a public list on the city’s Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development’s website. Sue Susman, president of the Central Park Gardens Tenants’ Association, who also runs a popular mailing list on affordable housing issues and is considered a communication hub in the affordable housing community, said the amendment is an important step in the right direction but that the definition of what constitutes harassment must be broadened. “Right now, landlords have their agents call rent regulated tenants offering money to move, with an implied or spoken ‘or else we’ll see you in court,’ and that’s perfectly legal,” said Susman, who has a law degree from NYU and is currently involved with the Real Rent Reform Campaign. There’s also the matter of landlords taking tenants to court in frivolous lawsuits that are eventually tossed out but nonetheless cause financial and emotional damage, she said, which is a currently legal and effective form of harassment.

Susman praised the amendment but said she’d like the public shaming aspect to have deeper consequences for landlords. “I like that HPD will post information about violations,” she said. “But who would be affected by those postings? I’d be thrilled if there were a consequence that protected tenants directly, such as the requirement that all apartments in the affected building must remain rent regulated for the duration of their current occupants’ tenancies.” Sam Himmelstein, a well-known housing lawyer who exclusively represents tenants in these matters, praised the amendment but said he’d like to see the ﬁne go to the tenants who are harassed, not into the city’s coffers. “After all, they’re the ones that are being adversely affected,” he said. Katie Goldstein is the executive director of Tenants and Neighbors, a grassroots organization that seeks to empower affordable housing tenants through organizing, educating and legislative advocacy. She said the city council amendment is “great,” but that there are deeper issues in play at the state level.

“The real issue is that loopholes in the rent laws economically incentivize harassment as owners try to get to the decontrol threshold of $2,500 to deregulate the unit,” said Goldstein. Goldstein is talking about vacancy decontrol, a mechanism whereby if an owner of a building can get the monthly rent of a particular unit up over a certain threshold – currently $2,500 – that unit becomes deregulated and can be rented at market rate. Landlords work towards that threshold in a variety of ways: Rent Guidelines Board increases, major capital improvements, and something called a “vacancy allowance,” which allows a landlord to charge an additional 20 percent of the original rent to a new tenant of a rent stabilized unit that was previously vacated. On paper, an MCI is a costly but necessary infrastructure upgrade to a building that’s spread out over a number of years in the form of additional fees on a tenant’s monthly rent bill. But some tenant leaders have accused landlords of abusing the system by foisting on them the cost of unnecessary upgrades.

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

The 20 percent vacancy allowance can be further increased by anywhere from 1/40th to 1/60th of the original rent if the landlord makes improvements to the apartment while it’s vacant. Goldstein gave an example of the path to vacancy decontrol with a hypothetical rent stabilized apartment that goes for $1,000/month. If the tenant moves out, the 20 percent vacancy bonus is added onto the rent, and the rent is $1,200. The owner then does $10,000 of improvements in the apartment, and 1/40th is added onto the rent, which is $250. There are currently around one million rent stabilized apartments in New York, and Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced an ambitious plan to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years. Many affordable housing advocates regard the repealing of vacancy decontrol as key to protecting the city’s affordable housing stock. But Goldstein believes the Chin/Williams amendment will have a deterring effect on abusive landlords, even though it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. “This law will be a helpful tool for many of our members who are regularly experiencing tenant harassment,” she said. Longtime tenant advocate John Fisher, however, believes the amendment, and the original 2008 bill, which was passed by then-city council speaker Christine Quinn, is actually detrimental. “It’s a joke, it’s not going to change anything,” said Fisher, pointing out that according to HPD’s own testimony from April in support of the amendment, only 44 cases out of 3,206 brought against landlords resulted in those landlords being found guilty of tenant harassment and having to pay a ﬁne. An HPD spokesperson provided that testimony, which concluded that of the 3,206 cases brought

against landlords between 2008 and 2013, 2,195 were discontinued, dismissed or withdrawn, 680 were settled, and, “only 44 cases have a disposition in [the HPD] database that indicates that there may be a ﬁnding by the judge about harassment.” “When you pass legislation that is weak, it maintains the illusion that tenants have the ability to gain redress in some meaningful way, and they don’t,” said Fisher, who has run an online repository for affordable housing information since 1994 called Tenants Net. “It actually does more damage. In a lot of ways I think this is snookering people. I think it’s a disservice by the city council.” But Sam Spokony, a spokesperson for Chin, said the bill will put aggrieved tenants in a stronger position when the talk turns to a settlement. He pointed to the evolution of measures enacted at the city and state level to help tenants who face harassment, like the state’s creation of the Tenant Protection Unit in 2012 and the amendment that was just passed in the city council, as a continued effort to bolster these protections to the point where tenants have considerable resources in their corner. “This bill is about taking what we can do and taking a positive step forward to react to landlords,” said Spokony. Spokony said the Tenant Harassment Unit typically gets involved only when there’s a discernable pattern of illegal harassment, and the public shaming aspect of Chin and Williams’ amendment has the added potential of helping to identify that pattern. “The legislation as it was passed isn’t being presented as the end of the story here,” said Spokony. “Everybody can make their own contribution based on what they’re able to do.”

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Op-Ed

OPEN HOUSE Saturday, October 18—11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m For details, please call our Admissions Office 718.721.7200 ext 699 or visit us at stjohnsprepschool.org. 30 min. from Manhattan on the N train

Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders The marks of true leadership—knowledge, faith, virtue, service to others, a passion for learning, innovation, and creativity—are embedded in our school’s culture. St. John’s Prep is a foundation for success and fulfillment, in college and life. • High standards of learning including AP, Honors, and enrichment courses • Faculty dedicated to the needs of each student • Close-knit, vibrant community of Catholic faith • Active engagement outside the class in athletics, arts, service, campus ministry, and more • Experiential learning through apprenticeships, global travel, STEM, and partnership programs with St. John’s University

re-use

ways to your old newspaper

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

BY BETTE DEWING

“

718.721.7200 | stjohnsprepschool.org 21-21 Crescent Street | Astoria, NY 11105

Repent and restore the loss of the nabes

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.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” I trust modern day clergy still preach this message, and not only on Yom Kippur or Good Friday. But this “columnist preacher” paraphrases this scriptural warning to also ask “What does it profit a city when there is no affordable neighborhood place to break bread, or find the everyday things we need in the nabe?” Neighborliness is also lost, and shouldn’t failure to act, be something for us all to repent, and just now on the Yom Kippur day of atonement? But, oh, also be thankful for this newspaper’s active involvement to save and restore small businesses, including its September 24th Saving Small Business Forum held at Baruch College. This could be an awardworthy newspaper first! Although unable to attend, I have thoughts on what I hope the three distinguished panelists said. But first, is my great hope that Baruch will educate students on the myriad reasons for their involvement in saving and restoring small neighborhood businesses - saving self-sustaining neignborhoods. I suspect panelist Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer noted how many especially affected by these lost places weren’t able to attend, and how too often we are too much eating at home alone, without longtime waiters who really cared how you are doing. You can eat alone without being alone. And I hope panelist Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, Julie Menin, dared call for commercial rent regulations. Ironically, my vast related archives turned up a February 7, 1988, Our Town report on an East Manhattan Chamber of Commerce meeting, called “Has the Time Come?” - meaning passage of city councilmember Ruth Messinger’s commercial rent regulations bill. You know the outcome and the ensuing minimal official concern, even to protect small businesses from being maimed and destroyed by the near

decade of Second Avenue Subway construction chaos. (“What does it profit a city to have more ways to get places when it loses the places where its citizens live?”) As for the Our Town conference, here’s hoping panelist Nancy Lee, “owner of renowned East Side establishment of Pig Heaven,” will urge her many “name clients” to become vocal supporters of rent regulations and whatever else will save places like Pig Heaven, but, also diner-type places which meet the everyday needs of so many New Yorkers. And if reminded, I’m sure faith group leaders will do a bit of repenting and atoning for their silence on the loss of affordable places for their members to break bread together after services, as well as the loss to the community at large. And I think specifically of the loss of Soup Burg across from Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church and All Souls Unitarian Church and the East River Café next door to St. Monica’s. All taken out by exorbitant rent hikes and replaced by high-ticket retailers, except for the one which respectively housed the diner type restaurant on 79th and First for nearly four decades. It is still empty and will only rent to a retail concern. If ever a landlord should be picketed – excoriated … the two successive diner type restaurants occupied there, above all, the one operated for over three decades by Peter and John, with its all-booth seating, moderate prices, and all-around good neighborly vibes. And sure my column railed about my favorite diner’s being forced out, and about countless other places over the years we couldn’t afford to lose. Lamentably, few media voices banged this drum, until this paper’s editor has so knowledgeably, passionately and consistently protested this urban neighborhood crisis. But your help is needed, talking and writing it up. Of course, support neighborhood places. Share related Our Town messages, especially with those who only read The Times – and on the Internet. Hey, and even suggest to your clergy that pews might be fuller if “What does it profit a city, when there is no affordable place to break bread?” kind of everyday life sermons were preached. And indeed, most of us need reminding about those sins of omission – for a happier, a blessed, new year for all. dewingbetter@aol.com

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

KEEP YOUR PET SMILING BRIGHT PETS Regular dental care is a crucial component to your animal’s health Tell the truth: When was the last time you gave any thought to your pet’s dental health? If it’s been a while—or maybe never—you’re not alone. Studies reveal that about two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care recommended by their veterinarians. That’s a big mistake. Even though pets don’t often get cavities, they are susceptible to periodontal or gum disease, which is the number one illness found in both dogs and cats. That’s why it’s so important that pet lovers include dental hygiene in their animals’ health and wellness routine. “Just like with people, dental disease can lead to all sorts of major health issues for animals,” explains Dr. Mark Verdino, VP and Chief of Veterinary Services at North Shore Animal League America. Dental hygiene is as important to your pets’ overall health as nutrition and exercise, he adds. “Gum inﬂammation and tooth loss can be very painful to your animals and costly to treat, but they also can lead to more serious conditions, including damage to the heart, lungs and kidneys.” Estimates suggest that, by the time they are three years old, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have oral disease. Some of the most common symptoms in both dogs and cats include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along

the gum line; inﬂamed gums; and persistent bad breath. A change in eating habits or pawing at the mouth can also indicate dental disease. But since dental problems often develop gradually, it’s easy to miss the signs until there is a bad infection. That’s why it’s critical to schedule a regular annual dental check-up with your pet’s veterinarian. Below is more information you need to know help you prevent your beloved dog or cat from getting dental disease and add years to their life. • It’s important to brush your pet’s teeth as early as possible. The best time to start a tooth-brushing regimen is when their adult teeth are in, at about 6-9 months old. But getting puppies and kittens used to the process earlier is important. • Avoid dental products containing Xylitol, as it is highly toxic to dogs and questionable to cats. NEVER use human toothpaste to clean pets’ teeth and gums. • Poor dental hygiene can lead to dental disease. Dental disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth and can result in oral pain, halitosis, tooth loss and periodontal disease, and it can even affect the heart, kidneys, intestinal tract and joints. Also, a pet in dental pain is not a happy pet, and the pain can affect his/her ability to eat. During a dental exam at your local Pet Health Center, veterinarians will determine the status of your pet’s dental needs. If your pet needs more advanced dental care, your veterinarian will recommend the treatments needed and the approximate costs involved.

Loyola School Open House Dates October 8, 2014 6:00 PM October 21, 2014 6:00 PM

For more information, contact us at 646-346-8132 admissions@loyolanyc.org 980 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10028

“Through Our Doors, Into Your Future ...” “An Intimate Place to Learn in the Heart of a Great City” Dear Parents: You are cordially invited to attend one of our OPEN HOUSES at York Preparatory School.

Tuesday, October 7th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, October 14th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, October 21st 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, October 28th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, November 4th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, November 11th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, November 18th 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, December 2nd 9:10AM-10:30AM Thursday, January 8th 9:10AM-10:30AM Wednesday, January 21st 9:10AM-10:30AM Tuesday, April 21st 9:10AM-10:30AM RSVP to the Admissions Office at: 212-362-0400 ext. 133 or admissions@yorkprep.org York Prep is a coeducational college preparatory school for grades 6-12.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Address

Price

Bed

Bath

Agent

Sutton Place

420 E 55 St.

$745,000

Beekman

424 E 52 St.

$400,000

Douglas Elliman

Sutton Place

411 E 57 St.

$795,000

Beekman

435 E 52 St.

$5,150,000

Sutton Place

430 E 56 St.

Carnegie Hill

130 E 94 St.

$989,206

Corcoran

$399,000

Douglas Elliman

Halstead Property

Brown Harris Stevens

Turtle Bay

150 E 49 St.

$995,000

Stribling

Turtle Bay

214 E 50 St.

$5,100,000

115 E 90 St.

$563,000

Carnegie Hill

115 E 87 St.

$1,950,000

Turtle Bay

142 E 49 St.

$358,000

Douglas Elliman

Carnegie Hill

114 E 90 St.

$1,650,000

Turtle Bay

145 E 48 St.

$4,772,750

Michael Charles New York

Carnegie Hill

1192 Park Ave.

$4,900,000

Turtle Bay

330 E 49 St.

$380,000

Carnegie Hill

115 E 86 St.

$875,000

Turtle Bay

212 E 47 St.

$899,000

Anchor Associates

Carnegie Hill

160 E 91 St.

$339,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Upper E Side

965 5 Ave.

$11,000,000

Carnegie Hill

108 E 91 St.

$1,172,500

Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

Upper E Side

255 E 74 St.

$4,000,000

Douglas Elliman

Charles Rutenberg

45 E 89 St.

$2,525,000

Lenox Hill

200 E 61 St.

$1,140,000

Lenox Hill

184 E 64 St.

Lenox Hill

301 E 69 St.

Carnegie Hill

Douglas Elliman

Upper E Side

200 E 79Th St.

$7,721,723

Stribling

Upper E Side

330 E 79 St.

$469,000

Corcoran

$6,528,500

Upper E Side

941 Park Ave.

$12,125,000

Douglas Elliman

$365,000

Upper E Side

404 E 76 St.

$870,000

Douglas Elliman

Upper E Side

200 E 79Th St.

$7,618,698

Upper E Side

200 E 79Th St.

$618,150

Upper E Side

530 E 76 St.

$1,650,000

Douglas Elliman

Brown Harris Stevens

Lenox Hill

164 E 72 St.

$5,050,000

Lenox Hill

200 E 69 St.

$3,750,000

Lenox Hill

200 E 69 St.

$9,500,000

Lenox Hill

422 E 72 St.

$912,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Corcoran

Upper E Side

55 E 72 St.

$5,000,000

Yorkville

1557 York Ave.

$2,250,000

Lenox Hill

440 E 62 St.

$650,000

Lenox Hill

340 E 64 St.

$960,000

Corcoran

Yorkville

520 E 86 St.

$1,825,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Lenox Hill

301 E 63 St.

$355,000

Douglas Elliman

Yorkville

1623 3 Ave.

$740,000

Douglas Elliman

Lenox Hill

205 E 63 St.

$350,000

Douglas Elliman

Yorkville

300 E 85 St.

$525,000

Corcoran

Coldwell Banker Bellmarc

Yorkville

340 E 93 St.

$479,000

Owner

Yorkville

455 E 86 St.

$467,393

Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

Douglas Elliman

Yorkville

519 E 86 St.

$2,625,000

Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

300 E 85 St.

$1,625,000

Corcoran

Stribling

400 E 70 St.

$965,000

Lenox Hill

300 E 71 St.

$250,000

Lenox Hill

220 E 67 St.

$800,000

Lenox Hill

308 E 72 St.

$2,700,000

Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

Yorkville

Lenox Hill

200 E 66Th St.

$3,360,225

Corcoran

Yorkville

402 E 90 St.

$705,000

Lenox Hill

200-210 E 65 St.

$1,400,000

Douglas Elliman

Yorkville

360 E 88 St.

$641,000

Lenox Hill

301 E 66 St.

$1,850,000

Nestseekers

Yorkville

425 E 86 St.

$2,425,000

3.5

Alpha Properties Nyc

200 E 89 St.

$830,000

Brownstone Real Estate

Lenox Hill

220 E 67 St.

$425,000

Corcoran

Yorkville

Lenox Hill

345 E 69 St.

$412,000

Coldwell Banker Bellmarc

Yorkville

200 E 90 St.

$1,170,000

Corcoran

Lenox Hill

234 E 70 St.

$1,832,850

Corcoran

Yorkville

333 E 92 St.

$650,000

Corcoran

510 E 80 St.

$686,250

Halstead Property

Douglas Elliman

Lenox Hill

530 Park Ave.

$8,909,687

Yorkville

Lenox Hill

425 E 63 St.

$500,000

Yorkville

206 E 90 St.

$459,000

Lenox Hill

40 E 66 St.

$1,495,000

Yorkville

1654 York Ave.

$370,110

Midtown

135 E 54 St.

$2,250,000

Midtown E

225 E 57 St.

$485,000

Corcoran

Midtown E

151 E 58 St.

$17,250,000

Corcoran

Midtown E

153 E 57 St.

$350,000

Owner

Midtown E

225 E 57 St.

$695,000

Town Residential

$825,000

Douglas Elliman

220 Madison Ave.

$525,000

Douglas Elliman

Murray Hill

240 E 35 St.

$462,500

Brown Harris Stevens

Murray Hill

25 Tudor City Place

$295,000

Douglas Elliman

Murray Hill

314 E 41 St.

$425,000

Murray Hill

140 E 40 St.

$315,000

Citi Habitats

Murray Hill

415 E 37 St.

$570,000

Corcoran

Murray Hill

250 E 40 St.

$790,000

Corcoran

Murray Hill

80 Park Ave.

$612,000

something

us to

200 E 57 St.

Midtown South

have

Midtown E

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OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

WINDY CITY IMPROV IN THE BIG APPLE COMEDY Chicago City Limits returns to its first home in NYC BY NICOLE DEL MAURO

UPPER EAST SIDE Paul Zuckerman and Linda Gelman have been married for many years. But tonight, on the corner of east 74th and 1st Ave., underneath Jan Hus Playhouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stage lights, he is an elderly, gay father in a nursing home and she is his visiting daughter, still bitter over a childhood ďŹ lled with a doll named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butch Barbieâ&#x20AC;? and toy trucks. These improv actors have taken on these roles for the ďŹ rst time only minutes prior, but the art of on-the-spot performance is not new to them. The co-founders of multi award-winning improv company Chicago City Limits are celebrating 35 years of performance by bringing a 5 person show back to Jan Hus Playhouse, one of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst homes in New York City. Originally from New York, Zuckerman was living in Chicago with Gelman and working in advertising. Both were members of The Second City, an improv comedy theater, and formed an improvisation group with four of their fellow group members. After performing in Chicago, they ventured to New York City to explore the comedy culture of a new city and found a home

on Theatre Row in 1979. CCL has been in NYC ever since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of us were from New York, a couple people in the group are from Chicago,â&#x20AC;? Zuckerman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chicago is a great place but New York was home, so when things started to happen here we really felt this was the place to be.â&#x20AC;? The company moved to Jan Hus Playhouse for the ďŹ rst time in 1981 and performed there until 1994. From there they bounced around the city looking for a good ďŹ t on 1st Ave and 61st St. and then the Broadway Comedy Club, but high rent and a bar-like atmosphere didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suit the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theatre show. After receiving a call to do a show six months ago, they started performing at Jan Hus again and became the playhouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident company. In addition to their show at Jan Hus, Chicago City Limits has a national touring company performing comedy throughout the country at colleges and regional theaters. As much as CCL is a source of entertainment, it is an opportunity to enter the world of comedy. The company teaches improvisation workshops to those interested in the craft. In fact, CCL frequently recruits workshop attendees when expanding their cast. Sometimes they hold auditions for shows as well. And Chicago City Limits doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t open its doors for aspiring comedians exclusively. The company also offers workshops that focus on bringing improv techniques to people in business. Zucker-

man said people who sign up for the class want to work on presentation skills and running meetings. According to Zuckerman, succeeding in improv is mastering the art of not thinking so hard about what to say next during a performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hanging out on a Saturday night with your buddies, the conversation is fast and furious. The [improv] training is to take that nice, secure place and put it on stage,â&#x20AC;? Zuckerman said. The performance of the Chicago City Limits cast necessitates this security, for actors are constantly at the mercy of their viewers. During a skit entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Storytime,â&#x20AC;? an audience member spits out a story title and four cast members alternate telling bits and pieces of a narrative. In another, three actors compete in a game of Jeopardy as characters chosen by the audience. The cast later launches into a Broadway musical, the subject being an audience memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal anecdote. Perhaps the most anxiety-ridden feature is the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ending act, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Torture the Actor.â&#x20AC;? The audience provides an obscure phrase that the cast must act out in small clues for one unknowing

cast member until he or she ďŹ nally pieces together the exact phrase. This off-the-cuff, quick-on-your-feet form of entertainment is grasping New Yorkersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention; companies like Upright Citizen Brigade have had great success. But rather than being a hindrance to CCL, improvisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity creates a helpful distinction of the comedy genreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique identity. Zuckerman said thriving national success of comedy club The Improvisation years ago widely expanded stand up comedy, but perhaps created a confused association of the two genres. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think people just associated [stand up comedy] as what improv is, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very different form,â&#x20AC;? he said. But Chicago City Limits became a playground for both stand-up comedians and improv actors. Top comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Rita Rudner, Paul Reiser, Brett Butler, Larry Miller and Robin Williams have performed with the company throughout its history. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A big conduit for stand-ups is to eventually get into some kind of acting. Both SeinďŹ eld and Reiser when we knew them had never done any acting work,â&#x20AC;? Zuckerman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were stand-up comedians. but both aspiring.â&#x20AC;?

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Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

WHEN BILLIONAIRE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS TAKE PUBLIC MONEY FOR PRIVATE PROFIT,

NEW YORKERS DESERVE SOMETHING IN RETURN:

REAL CAREERS & TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE FIGHTING FOR YOU!

OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES

Rosie’s Kids is aimed at students from public schools with little in the way of arts programs.

Q&A

Rosie do?” That’s how I try to run it. I try to make people feel welcome.

Co-founder Lori Klinger shares her love of the arts with New York City public school students

The training is held after school at the Maravel Arts Center.

BY ANGELA BARBUTI

The first class of Rosie’s Theater Kids is graduating from college. This is a huge milestone for Lori Klinger, co-founder of the Manhattan-based arts education program. Along with Rosie O’Donnell, she started the nonproﬁt in 2003 and together they have transformed the lives of thousands of students who, without the program, would not be where they are today. Each year, New York City public schools with the highest free lunch rates are chosen to participate. Over fifteen-thousand fifth graders are introduced to the arts and are even taken to their first Broadway show. Out of those kids, the ones who show the most interest are selected for the program’s conservatory-style training, which lasts until they complete high school. A former dancer with the Eglevsky Ballet, Klinger gets just as much out of the program as her students do. “The kids, they’re the light of all of it. I barely get through a day without crying, mostly tears of joy. They are just so delightful,” she said.

The first year they come twice a week, one day after school and Saturday morning. They learn a technique-based curriculum, proper ballet, tap, vocal, and drama. In the schools, we teach the kids the basics. But this is a real conservatory-style training. If they wanted to become a dancer, singer, or actor, they have the proper technique.

You focuses on preparing students for college. Would they have gone on to higher education if it wasn’t for the program? They might have gone to a community college, but deﬁnitely not the colleges they are in, without our program. I know they feel certain about it too. It’s not so interesting for us to have child actors. Our first group of kids is graduating from college this year. It’s very exciting. We’re very clear that they can major in anything they want. We have five graduating and only one is in musical theater. The other’s in pre-med, another is in a business program, another is in a community college doing some music. The fifth girl is in and out of school, because of her life situation.

What are their situations like at home? How did your partnership with Rosie come about? How much involvement does she still have? It started because her ex-partner, Kelly Carpenter, was a ballet dancer. And I knew her for a long time. So through Kelly, I met Rosie. Kelly was having a baby and we were having a baby shower. I think that day we just started talking about it around the kitchen table, this idea that I would teach a class, and it blossomed into this beautiful thing. While I might say that Rosie is minimally involved, I would say her inﬂuence is huge. And I do try to run it in the spirit of Rosie. So when someone comes by, I think, “What would

There are kids whose parents kind of have deserted them. So we work with whoever we have to work with to make sure they’re secure with relatives or family friends. We also have kids from middle class families whose parents work as porters in buildings or for the police department. A lot of my time is absorbed with a few kids who really need extra help.

You bring the ﬁfth graders to their ﬁrst Broadway show. What are their reactions like? That’s part of our mission; every fifth grader goes to see a Broadway show with their teachers. Their reactions are just astounding. I always

tell them, “Don’t just look at the show, look around, look up at that beautiful chandelier, the orchestra.” They write me letters that are just fabulous afterwards. I remember one time I was with a group of kids, and we had taken the subway. After the show, we were walking back to the subway and this ade!” And girl said, “Look, there’s a parade!” ey, that’s the teacher said, “No, honey, just rush hour.” It’s almost like she quare behad never been in Times Square fore. And mostly, they don’t go there. borhood. They stay in their own neighborhood.

Do Broadway actors come to talk alk to the kids? As part of the ﬁfth grade series, eries, we nal come have a Broadway professional ance and and do a private performance talk to them about life in the theater. Within our building at Maravel, ople who we have so many great people y Quinto come in all the time. Zachary xth gradwas there coaching our sixth ologues. ers on their audition monologues.

Rosie’s Kids just had a gala honoring noring Cyndi Lauper and Jordan Roth. What is their inﬂuence? Cyndi has been a funder since the beginning. We honored herr for her commitment to Rosie’s Kids and also ople with her devotion to helping people ids idenher True Colors Fund. Our kids tify with that. They feel a little bit eone can different. And any time someone celebrate that, it really helps our kids. Jordan Roth is the president of Jujamcyn Theaters. And Jujamcyn has a program called Givenik, which iss a group uy all our ticket-buying office. So we buy tickets through Givenik, and they give rity. a percentage back to our charity.

Do you accept volunteers? Yes, of course. We have a mentoring entoring ut all the program. People do help us out be they’ll time in different ways. Maybe h the kids volunteer at an event to watch ay operabackstage. In the day-to-day ofessions tions, we really try to keep professions ave a full working with the kids. We have w volunacademic program and a few he tutors teers who help with that. The mmended are teachers or come recommended

ROSIE’S THEATER KIDS BRIGHTEN UP MANHATTAN through nonproﬁts.

Can you tell us a success story? I can talk about Daniel who was in our very first year. We knew right after away we wanted to have an afterschool program and picked about 30 kids and he was one of those. He just identiﬁed so beautifully with the arts and really worked hard to transform himself emotionally and physically into becoming quite a young actor. He decided to go to the University of Michigan, certainly one of the top schools for musical theater. I just think he’s going to do it. And I remember at one point when he had started his high school, he went to PPAS, Professional Performing Arts School, he was kind of the on down side. And I called his mother and she sa id, “ I just think he’s going to quit.” And I said, “Let’s make a plan to

ease up on him a little bit.” She said, “Lori, he’s my oldest kid. I had him when I was very young. If you tell me he needs to be in this program, I’m just going to trust to you.” And she did and he’s he s so totally happy. And his two younger brothers are now in our program. Visit www.rosiestheaterkids.org.

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

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OCTOBER 2, 2014 Our Town

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ENTERTAINMENT

Carino on Second Blending traditional Italian favorites with contemporary accents. 1710 2nd Avenue (bet. 88th & 89th) NYC 212-860-0566 www.carino2nd.com

BIDEAWEE - Animal People for People Who Love Animals! -Manhattan-Westhampton866-262-8133 www.Bideawee.org

Chirping Chicken - We Deliver & Cater! Mon/Sun 11am-11pm 1560 2nd Ave,(212)517-9888-9 Ask about our daily Greek specialty dish!

North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague

LIPS The Ultimate in Drag Dining & Best Place in NYC to Celebrate Your Birthday! 227 E 56th St., 212-675-7710 www.LipsUSA.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LI Bead Festival Sunday, 10/5/2014 10am-5pm IBEW Banquet Center. 370 Motor Parkway. Hauppauge,NY 11788 (Exit 55N LIE)Multi-vendor beads/ﬁndings sale! Public welcome! Admission $5. 631288-8914 PhiBeadaKappa@aol.com ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES

Antique, Flea & Farmers Market, East 67 St Market (bet. First & York Ave). Open every Saturday, 6am-5pm, rain or shine. Indoor & Outdoor, Free Admission. Call Bob 718-8975992. Proceeds beneﬁt PS 183.

CAMPS/SCHOOLS

Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com GRF Test Prep Classes We prepare students to take the SHSAT! 120 W 76th St, New York, NY 10025 201) 592-1592 www.grftestprep.com Huntington Learning Center Your tutoring solution! UWS. 212-362-0100 www.HuntingtonHelps.com Learn Something New Today! Free computer classes at The New York Public Library LEARN MORE nypl.org/LearnToday 917-ASK-NYPL

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-AWish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (855) 376-9474 COUNSELING

Non-trad therapist, 40 yrs exp, formerly w/Casriel Inst & Daytop Village. Help raise self-esteem, overcome insecurities. Hazel James, 212-645-3135 CLEANING SERVICES/LAUNDRY

Be surprised how clean your home can be! Bonded and insured. 212-410-3200. Visit us at www.manhattanwash.com

Mexican Festival restaurant 646-912-9334 www.mexicanfestivalrestaurant.com Mohegan Sun Why D rive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com Need to know about everything that’s happening in lower Manhattan? DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, www.downtownny.com or just download our mobile app onto your cellphone and go! HEALTH SERVICES

Are you HIV positive? ASCNYC is here for you. Call or visit today! 212-645-0875 www.ascnyc.com Carnegie Hill Endoscopy 212-860-6300 www.carnegiehillendo.com Columbia Doctors of Ophthalmology - Our newest location at 15 West 65th Street (Broadway) is now open. www.ColumbiaEye.org 212.305.9535 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho Make Your Body Thin & Healthy Colon Hydrotherapy & High Enemas. Swedish MassageComplete Relaxation. Shaving & grooming. Alternative Medical Center of New York since 1985. 7 days, 11 am - 8 pm. All Credit Cards Accepted. 176 W 94 St - 212.222.4868 and 235 E 51 St- 212.751.2319 Mount Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital University Medical Practice Associates 212-523-UMPA(8672) www.umpa.com New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan NYU Langone Medical Center Introduces the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. 555 Madison Ave bet. 55th & 56th, 646-754-2000

HELP WANTED

$8,000 COMPENSATION. EGG DONORS NEEDED. Women 21-31. Help Couples Become Families using Physicians from the BEST DOCTOR’S LIST. Personalized Care. 100% Conﬁdential. 1-877-9-DONATE; 1-877936-6283; www.longisland ivf.com AIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for qualiﬁed students – Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 866-296-7093 HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Beautify your home with custom radiator covers, nightstands & more. www.licrc.com Expert on-site repair and restoration of antiques & new furniture in your home or ofﬁce Quality custom-made furniture & cabinetry. FURNITURE MEDIC, (212)470-3850, Visit us on Facebook FurnitureMedicBH Serving NYC Save $ on your electric bill. NRG Home Solar offers free installation if you qualify. Call 888-685-0860 or visit nrghomesolar.com INSTRUCTION

POST 9/11 G.I. BILL® -If qualiﬁed will pay tuition, fees & housing. Train with National Tractor Trailer School, Liverpool/Buffalo, NY (branch) full/part-time www.ntts.edu 1-800-243-9300 Consumer Information: ww.ntts.edu/programs/disclosures GI Bill® is a registered trademark

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL

Anthony Pomponio, Allstate 212-769-2899 apomponio@allstate.com Rick Bryan, Attorney & Counselor at Law. Wills, Living Trusts, Probate, Elder Law, Guardianships, Legal Advice. Home Visits Available. We honor all AARP and Legal Service Plan Discounts, 237 1st Ave, 2nd Fl, S.W. Corner of 14th St and 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003, 212-979-2868.

MASSAGE

BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Imperial Fine Books & Oriental Art - Rare & ﬁne books, Chinese ceramics and art from the Ming to Qing Dynasties. 790 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, New York 10065 (212)861-6620 www.imperialﬁnebooks.com

POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. We will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. Manhattan Media Classifieds assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid. MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Pandora Jewelry -Unforgettable Moments412 W. Broadway · Soho, NYC 212-226-3414 REAL ESTATE - RENT

GLENWOOD - Manhattan’s Finest Luxury Rentals Uptown ofﬁce 212-535-0500 Downtown ofﬁce 212-4305900. glenwoodNYC.com Now Leasing! SHARED OFFICES Park Avenue 212-231-8500 www.410park.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

BANK ORDERED SALE. 10.7 acres was $399,900. Now $89,900. Bethel minutes from Woodstock concert site! The mst dramtic Catskills View! Mountain meadows, assorted hardwoods and lovely stone walls. All, utilities underground. Long road frontage. All approvals. Uniquely beautiful. Call (877)836-1820. BANK OWNED FARM LIQUIDATION! 10acres - $39,900 Beautiful views, ﬁelds, woods, stonewalls! Ideal country setting just 3hrs NY City and Albany! Terms avail! 888-9058847 NewYorkLandandLakes.com

SERVICES OFFERED

Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084 Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org New-York Historical Society Making history matter! 170 Central Park West www.nyhistory.org (212) 873-3400 Riverside Memorial Chapel Leaders in funeral pre-planning. 180 W 76th St (212) 362-6600 SPORTS CENTER at Chelsea Piers ChelseaPiers.com/SC 212-336-6000 TEKSERVE NYC’s Store For Technology Apple Repairs & Services Business Support 119 W 23rd St www.tekserve.com (212) 929-3645

SERVICES OFFERED

Vamoose Bus Providing premium bus service between: NYC|MD|VA www.vamoosebus.com WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. B u y o r s e ll a t A A R a u ctions.com. Contents of homes, businesses, vehicles and real estate. Bid NOW! AARauctions.com Lights, Camera, Auction. No longer the best kept secret. $WANTED$ COMIC BOOKS Pre-1975: Original art & movie memorabilia, sports, nonsports cards, ESPECIALLY 1960’s Collector/Investor, paying cash! Call MIKE: 800-2730312 mikecarbo@ gmail. com VACATIONS

Dutchess County Tourism Make plans for an easy weekend escape at www.DutchessTourism.com, 800-445-3131

Remember to: Recycle and Reuse

Catskills 9 Acres $29,900 2 hrs Tappanzee Bridge The best deal in Greene county, beautiful woodland. long road frontage, surveyed, easy access thruway, Windham Ski Area and Albany, bank financing available. 413 743 0741 Discover Delaware’s Resort Living Without Resort Pricing! Milder winters & low taxes! Gated Community with amazing amenities! New Homes $80’s. Brochures available- 1866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com WATERFRONT LOTS-Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Was 325K Now from $65,000-Community Center/Pool. 1acre+ lots, Bay & Ocean Access, Great Fishing, Crabbing, Kayaking. Custom Homes.www.oldemillpointe.com 757-824-0808 SERVICES OFFERED

CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Event Hair Stylist 347-243-3170 for appointment www.sharimelisabeauty.com Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500

gay (ga ¯)

1. there once was

a time when all “gay” meant was “happy.” then it meant “homosexual.” now, people are saying “that’s so gay” to mean dumb and stupid. which is pretty insulting to gay people (and we don’t mean the “happy” people). 2. so please, knock it off. 3. go to ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Our Town OCTOBER 2, 2014

COME HOME TO GLENWOOD

MANHATTANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS

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GLENWOODNYC.COM

Builder | Owner | Manager

Equal Housing Opportunity.