Our Town April 9th, 2015

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The local paper for the he U Upper pper East Side SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

WEEK OF APRIL

9-15 2015

LUXURY MEGA-TOWER COMING TO SUTTON PLACE

THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, THANKS TO A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTRUCTION

EXCLUSIVE East Side officials already gearing up to fight the project

NEWS The Department of Buildings is handing out a record number of after-hours work permits, according to new data

BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Every New Yorker knows the sound: the metal-on-metal clang, the hollow boom, the piercing beeps of a truck moving in reverse. A glance at the alarm clock and you can hardly believe it: it’s the middle of the night, and yet construction carries on full-tilt. You can call 311 or your local police precinct, but chances are the work is being done legally -- thanks to a boom in the number of after-hours construction permits throughout the city. Over the past three years, the number of after-hours work permits granted by the city’s Dept. of Buildings has jumped 30 percent, according to DOB data provided in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The city classifies any construction work between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., or on the weekend, as after-hours. The surge in permits has generated millions of dollars in fees for the city agency, and left some residents convinced that the application process is a mere formality for developers looking to complete their projects quickly. “They pick out their own hours,” said Mildred Angelo, who lives on the 19th floor in one of the Ruppert Houses on 92nd Street between Second and

A rendering of the proposed Sutton Place tower, which would be among the tallest in Manhattan.

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Plans have been drawn up for a luxury 900-foot condo tower in Sutton Place, which, if completed as planned, would rank as one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan. The 268,000-squarefoot tower will become the second-tallest on the Upper East Side, behind the in-progress 432 Park Avenue at 1,400 feet, and one of the tallest in the city. Construction permits have not yet been filed for 426-432 East 58th St., allowing the massive project to fly mostly under the radar until now. Cou nci l member Ben Kallos, whose district includes Sutton Place, was only made aware of the project last week, as were members of Community Board 6. A sales brochure put together by Cushman and Wakefield dubs the project as the “Sutton Place Development,” and notes it is “an ultra-luxury, as of right, ground up, opportunity which will reach over 900 feet tall and feature unparalleled 360

degree views of Midtown, Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan, Central Park and the East River.” The 268,000 square feet of buildable space and air rights, which includes 58,000 square feet of inclusionary housing rights, have already been delivered. It’s unclear if the affordable housing will be offered on- or offsite, or how many units of affordable housing will be included. Representatives for The Bauhouse Group, which owns the site, declined to field questions about the Sutton Place Development, but a representative of the company provided a press release to Our Town that said the project will include about 95 units. “In the upcoming weeks we will present our specific plans for the site and conduct an open dialogue with members of the Sutton Place community,” said Chris Jones, cofounder of The Bauhouse Group in the press release. “We’re looking forward to this discussion and the next phase of this exciting development.” Cushman and Wakefield’s brochure goes on to say that the assemblage making the development possible consists of four building lots totaling 80

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS Thankfully, the effort to help small businesses in the city seems finally to be gathering steam. Latest evidence? The move by two city councilmembers, Margaret Chin and Robert Cornegy, to introduce legislation that would create a new “Office of the Small Business Advocate” within the city’s Department of Small Business Services. The new post, which Chin told us she’d like to have up and running this year, would serve as an ombudsman for small businesses within city government, helping them clear through the bureaucracy to get things done. (If you thought this was the job of the Small Business Services department, so did we.) Perhaps even more importantly, the ombudsman also will tally the type and number of complaints by small business owners, the actions taken in response, and some policy recommendations for ways to begin to fix things. If done well, the ombudsman’s report would give us the first quantitative taste of what’s wrong with small businesses in the city, an important first step towards fixing the problem. “Small businesses need help,” Chin told us this week. “They really don’t know who to call or who to talk to.”

Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat and the Holiday candles. Passover, Thursday, April 9 - 7:11 pm Friday, April 10 - 7:12 pm from a pre-existing flame For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.

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FireďŹ ghters spray water on buildings on Second Avenue that caught ďŹ re following an explosion authorities believe was caused by faulty gas line work. Reports of gas leaks have spiked since the March 26 incident. Photo: Stacie Joy, via Flickr

REPORTED GAS LEAKS HAVE SKYROCKETED BY 64 PERCENT SINCE DEADLY EAST VILLAGE EXPLOSION Reports of gas leaks to Con Edison spiked in the week following the East Village gas explosion that claimed two lives, the New York Post reported. A Con Ed spokesman said the company received 1,787 phone calls within a six-day period after the March 26th explosion, a 64 percent increase when compared to the six days before the explosion. Authorities think that illegal work on a gas line is to blame for the explosion that tore through one building and a subsequent ďŹ re that tore through two neighboring buildings. The upturn in reported gas leak complaints is similar to that which followed the 2014 explosion in East Harlem that killed eight people, the spokesman said. In 2014 the number of residential calls recorded by Con Edison increased by 57 percent compared to the previous year. “When we see an increase in gas calls like last year, we consider that a good thing,â€? he said. “The leaks that are dangerous are the leaks that aren’t reported to us.â€?

CITY’S FATAL HEROIN OVERDOSES AGAIN SURPASS HOMICIDES 6DRS QC 2SQDDS r r SDJRDQUD BNL

For the second year in a row, fatal heroin overdoses in the

city have surpassed homicide, according to the Daily News, Although exact numbers were not yet available, police Commissioner Bill Bratton told the newspaper’s editorial board that, similar to 2013, fatalities from the drug would be greater than the 328 killings recorded last year. In 2013, 420 people died of heroin overdoses, while 355 people were killed by homicide. The Drug Enforcement Agency says heroin is six to seven times stronger today than it was in the 1970s. During the ďŹ rst quarter of 2015, the DEA seized 220 pounds of heroin, the paper reported, while the city’s office of the special narcotics prosecutor has seized 120 pounds, the Daily News reported. “We’ve never seen these numbers, not even in the heroin epidemics from 30 to 40 years ago,â€? the special agent in charge of the DEA’s New York City ďŹ eld division told the paper.

COUNCILMAN WANTS TO SAVE CENTRAL PARK’S SUNSHINE Councilman Mark Levine is pushing to save all the sunlight he can in Central Park. Levine, chair of the council’s parks committee, plans to introduce legislation to create a task force that would track the growing shadows the city’s skyscrapers are casting over the park, Capital New York reports. Levine’s proposed legislation would not be as radical as so-

called “sunlight ordinances� in San Francisco and Boston’s. Rather, his proposal would “get us talking about this and tracking it and exploring possible solutions,� Capital New York quoted him as saying. The task force, which would meet at least twice yearly, would include the city planning commission’s chair, and commissioners from the departments of parks, buildings, environmental protection, and housing and preservation development. It would be tasked with cataloguing developments that could cast shadows and suggest how to mitigate them, Capital New York said.

RIDERS EVACUATED FROM 7 TRAIN STUCK IN EAST RIVER TUNNEL One person was injured after a mechanical malfunction forced the evacuation of 540 people on a number 7 stuck inside the East River tunnel on Monday, the Daily News reported. The train stopped after its sliding shoe, the device that transfers power to the train from the third rail, was dislodged about 8:30 a.m. The shoe sparked a smoke condition when touched a protective board and brought the train to a stop halting the train, the paper reported. The commuting straphangers had to wait more than an hour for a rescue train that brought them back to Grand Central.

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CRIME WATCH BY WILLIAM MATHIS ARTFUL DECEPTION Sometimes it can be hard to put a price on art, but a local art buyer feels that $326,000 is too steep a price to pay for nothing. A 66-year-old woman told police on March 30 that her son had been defrauded of the amount through an internet scam. Someone claiming to be the mother had sent the son an email requesting a wire transfer of $326,000 for the purchase of some art works. This was not an unusual request and so the son wired the money from his Chase account to an HSBC account in Hong Kong. Only the next day when he spoke to his mother and inquired about the deal did the victim realize he had been duped. Police are investigating the case as grand larceny.

CRIMINAL PENMANSHIP On March 30 at 1 a.m., police encountered man who appeared to be making graffiti on 60th Street and First Avenue. The suspect, later identiďŹ ed only as being 20 years old, ran down First Avenue toward 59th Street, but was caught less than a block away. Officers found a Sharpie on him of the type used to make the graffiti. Officers arrested him and charged him with one count of criminal mischief and one count of making graffiti.

MISSING FUNDS Overdraft fees can be a pain, especially

when it’s someone else taking out too much money from your account. An 86-year-old male reported suspicious activity on his bank account to the 19th precinct on March 30. The victim told police he went into a local bank and was told that he had a negative balance. Confused, the victim looked into his ďŹ nances found that $5,400 had been withdrawn without his permission. The investigation is ongoing.

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for March 23 March 29 Week to Date

Year to Date

2015 2014 % Change

2015 2014 % Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

0

0

n/a

Rape

0

0

n/a

2

3

-33.3

Robbery

5

4

25

26

25

4

Felony Assault

0

2

-100

25

25

0

Burglary

2

2

0

30

59

-49.2

Grand Larceny

17

22

-22.7

275

297

-7.4

Grand Larceny Auto

0

0

n/a

4

12

-66.7

CHECK YOURSELF A 47-year-old male seems to be the victim of an old-school con man. The victim reported that on March 31 he checked his account activity from the previous month and noticed 37 checks, worth a total of about $50,000, had been cashed without his permission. However, no checks were missing from the victim’s checkbook. Police suspect someone has been forging the checks. The investigation into grand larceny is ongoing.

NEW IDENTITY Something was off about the photo ID a 31-year-old woman tried to use at a high-end retailer on Madison Avenue: The identity was not hers. On April 2 security personnel detained a woman after she tried to use both a fraudulent credit card and ID to purchase upwards of $3,000 worth of items, police said. The retailer’s security held the woman at the store until police came to arrest her.

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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 Second 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

STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

1916 Park Ave. #202

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 Second Ave.

212-490-9535

FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL Arbitration Man has presided over informal hearings for three decades. He’s now blogging about it

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

1365 First Ave.

212-288-4607

COMMUNITY BOARD 8

505 Park Ave. #620

212-758-4340

Arbitration Man is the common folks’ hero. Or at least their jurist. For 30 years, Arbitration Man has sat in a satellite office of the civil court building at 111 Centre St. every few weeks and absorbed New Yorkers’ accountings of burned dry cleaning, lousy paint jobs, fender benders, lost security deposits and the like. And then he’s decided. About a year ago, Arbitration Man, who requested anonymity so to not affect future proceedings, started documenting about two dozen of what he considers his most compelling cases in an eponymous blog. “I decided to write about it because I was interested in the stories but wanted to write about it not from a lawyer’s point of view but rather from a lay point of view,” said Arbitration Man, a practicing lawyer since 1961. He first writes about what’s at issue and then, in a separate post, renders his decision, detailing how he arrived at his conclusion. Visitors to the blog often weigh in with their opinions. “I really want to get a rap going. I really want to know whether they understood what I did and why I did it,” he said. “Most people don’t know how the judge thinks. ... I’d like my cases to reflect my personality and also my tremendous respect for the law.” Arbitration Man, 80, went into individual practice in 1985, settling successfully into a career as an entertainment lawyer in the music business, most notably representing a producer who worked with Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler and others. He also works as a mediator for the State Supreme Court. These days, he typically arbitrates a case a month and mediates another. But Arbitration Man said he has a wealth of cases from which to draw for the blog.

LIBRARIES Yorkville

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 Ave.

212-288-5049

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

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E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

NYU Langone

550 First Ave.

212-263-7300

CON EDISON

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Arbitration Man in his 10th floor office, off Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. They’re filed away in a 10th floor corner office off Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side, a few blocks from where he and his wife have lived for about 35 years. There are more cases decided in small claims than in all other courts combined, and since there are more arbitrators than there are judges, a small-claims case before an arbitrator is — despite budget cuts and attendant reductions in arbitration hearings — typically heard much sooner. “They want to be heard and they want justice,” Arbitration Man said of plaintiffs and defendants. “And they don’t want to pay a zillion dollars but they want to feel vindicated and it’s my job to listen hard and deliver that and fit it into a framework of the law.” Although court officers and court clerks want to quickly move cases through the system, Arbitration Man said he takes his time. “I’m both the decider of the facts and of the law so I’ve got to dig out the facts from both sides and then I’ve got to figure the law and I have to do that in an hour or a half-hour,” he said.

“But I’m in no hurry. I’m a freebie.” And since arbitrators’ hearings are less formal than proceedings before a judge, they can assume a populist flavor, particularly in his hearing room. “They’re representing themselves. What you have are amateur lawyers, many times carefully rehearsed,” he said. “They try to read their stories to me. I usually say I’d rather you not read it to me, I’d rather you tell me, just tell me what’s on your mind, what happened here.” Which is what a pseudonymous Dick and Jane did a few years ago when they sought relief for botched renovation work. Dick and Jane — although small-claims are public matters, Arbitration Man changes the names of all whom he blogs about “to protect their privacy” — had hired Handyman, on the recommendation of a friend but without further discussion of his skills, to scrape and sand their apartment’s wood floors and to sand and paint kitchen cabinets. They agreed to price of $2,500, which Handyman was paid on his first day of

work. Two days later, Handyman had “wrecked the place,” according to the plaintiffs. At the hearing, Dick and Jane took turns documenting, verbally and by using pictures, how Handyman had carved grooves in the wood floors and done a shoddy paint job. They asked for a $2,500 judgment and another $2,500 to reimburse them for corrective work done by another contractor. Arbitration Man said the couple had not inquired about Handyman’s skills and experience, nor if he had a license or even the proper tools. All of which would be required for the job they hired him to do, he said. And without all those, Arbitration Man wrote on his blog, it was likely they “would get a botched job rather than a pro fes sional result. It is not work for a rookie or novice.” Still, he granted them the contract price of $2,5000. Awarding them the additional $2,500 would have meant their renovations would have cost nothing. “That would not be fair, would it?” he wrote.

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45 Years and Counting

AT JIM’S, A SALVE FOR NEW YORK WALKERS Four generations of show repair on 59th Street BY PANYIN CONDUAH

Every week for the rest of the year, Our Town will celebrate its 45th anniversary by profiling a neighborhood business that has been around longer than we have. Know of a local business that should be on our list? Email us at news@ strausnews.com In our walking city, every New Yorker feels the pain when something goes wrong with his or her shoes. For 83 years, Jim’s Shoe Repair, on 59th Street between Madison and Park, has come to the rescue. The business was started by Italian native Vito Rocco when he immigrated to America and opened a store to provide shoe shines. At the time, people in the area knew him as Jim, a name that’s stuck. Four generations have since put the sheen back to the shoes that perch on their old-fashioned stools. Customers relax in the leather booths for shoe shines, while in the back of the store, all manner of shoe lines up for repair. The most-repaired shoe at Jim’s? Heels. Everyone participates in maintaining the family business. Joe Rocco, the current owner, his wife Evelyn, and his son Andrew work with customers and deal with the register. Joe’s Aunt

Illustration by John S. Winkleman

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 66 JOHN STREET, 11TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR KEDROS LTD. TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE AN ENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFÉ AT 1505 3RD AVE IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004.

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Elly, 80, drycleans suede shoes and even Joe’s father, Joe Sr., still comes in to work at age 84. “He’s old school, he comes in 5 in the morning — he doesn’t need to but that was the way he was raised,” Joe, 57, said of his dad. Despite the shop’s success, the Roccos did experience a scare last year when the neighboring Duane Reade wanted to expand and take over their space. With the help of a customer who’s also a lawyer, a petition from customers helped save the shop. Joe’s was able to come to an agreement with the company, extending its lease for the store. “You know, they say David versus Goliath and we sort of won, but I think everybody came to terms and realized that our customer base was big,” Joe said of the fight. The shop’s large clientele consists of typical New Yorkers and celebrities. Joe still hopes to keep the shop based on the Upper East Side and is trying to get the shop eligible for landmark status. He can’t imagine the shop to be anywhere else but its current location. Given the shop’s location in the heart of East Midtown, he says many people come for the main attraction — the shoe shines. “The shines bring the people in and it gives a flavor of the shoe repair,” Joe said. “Without the shoe shine, it’s like a store.”

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Central Park

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CENTRAL PARK Take any pictures of the recent blooms in Central Park? Send us your best ‘first signs of spring’ photos in the coming weeks and we’ll post our favorites here and on www.facebook.com/ centralpark. Things are all abuzz at the Central Park Zoo. Stop by to see some of the new and familiar faces, and also check out “Rio the 4D experience” at the zoo’s theater. www.centralparkzoo.com. Birding Bob hosts birding walks each weekend where you can birdwatch and at the same time enjoy visiting many of Central Park’s most famous landmarks. Try one out on Saturday & Sunday mornings. More info and signup at www.birdingbob.com.

COMING UP THIS WEEK CONCERN SPRING RUN Saturday 4/11 at 9:00am Concern is looking for runners, walkers, and volunteers for a 4 mile fun run through Central Park! Where: Enter Park at 102nd and Fifth Avenue, walk to east Drive www.centralpark.com/events

Tues - Fri: 10:30am & 12pm Wed: 10:30am, 12pm & 2:30pm Sat-Sun: 1pm Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater www.centralpark.com/events

BIKING AND WALKING TOURS OF CENTRAL PARK Experience the lesser known and often missed parts of Central Park! Daily guided tours starting at 9am www.centralpark.com/guide/tours

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK MARIONETTE THEATER A fresh retelling of the classic English Fairtytale takes Jack on an enchanting adventure up a magical beanstalk. Reservations required.

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

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

LAST WEEK’S ANSWER Located just north of the Conservatory Water at East 74th Street, Alice in Wonderland stands eleven feet tall in bronze, surrounded by the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and a few of her other friends. Congratulations to Henry Bottjer, Marisa Lohse, Ravi Rozdon, Robyn Roth-Moise, Bill Ferrarini, Peter Denicola and Gregory Holman for answering correctly!

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

<YORKVILLE’S GARBAGE PROBLEM I’ve lived in Yorkville for the past year and I’m so discouraged about the garbage littering this lovely area. My husband and I often are picking up stray garbage from overflowing litter receptacles or tossed mindlessly by litterbugs where we live. I’m writing this because one stretch of street in particular--86th Street between Third and

Voices

Lexington--is always, always, always terrible. Outside L’Occitane, Fairway and their bordering stores, trash is always blowing around the street vendors and strewn on the sidewalk. We’ve thought of possible solutions, in addition to our own manual labor to clean up this area: 1) Requiring the retailers and landlords to clean up the messes in front of their store-

fronts, 2) Mobilizing the Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing and Able employees to target this unsightly mess; 3) Adding several more garbage receptacles on those pivotal corners near the subway entrances and those bordering 3rd and 86th. We love New York City and care about our neighborhood. The litter only mars what is otherwise a great place to live. Lenore Skomal

MR. MAYOR, FIND MONEY FOR LIBRARIES

Letters STRONG RESPONSE TO GALE BREWER RENT PROPOSAL Last week’s editorial, “A Shot at a Small Business Breakthrough,” praised the efforts of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer to offer some help to small businesses facing crushing rent increases. The editorial prompted a strong reaction, mainly from people opposed to Brewer’s plan and in support of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, a related, but different, proposal that has languished before the Council for years. A selection of reactions follows:

It’s good to see more interest in and action on the plight of small businesses, but the efforts need to be something that actually helps small businesses in real and lasting ways. If Brewer joined City Councilmembers and local groups in supporting the SBJSA we could achieve actual positive change for local businesses that would allow them to stay in their locations rather than merely granting them more time to pack their bags when they are inevitably priced out. Stephanie B. (all comments from the web) Brewer’s championing of the small business community is suspect at best given that the Small Business Jobs Survival Act is a solution that actually reflects the real needs of our 185,000 small businesses. More than that, all but two City Council Members in Manhattan have signed on as co-sponsors of the SBJSA. Does Brewer represent a secret constituency that the rest of Manhattan’s elected officials somehow don’t have access to? To suppose that non-binding arbitration and tax credits for landlords is the solution—as Brewer supposes—to this crisis is naive to say the least. Akie Unfortunately, BP Brewer’s proposal will do nothing to change the status quo, unlike the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, a bill with real muscle which sits in the Committee on Small Business of the City Council. Mediation without the “teeth” of binding arbitration is virtually meaningless, particularly in this landlord-friendly real estate market: Why on earth would a landlord lower the rent voluntarily? A one-year lease extension (with a 15% rent increase) is a slap in the face to any small business, which will likely have to leave at the end of that year anyway. Another fatal flaw in Brewer’s proposal is that it only pertains to storefront spaces. What about the tens of thou sands of upper-story commercial renters, such as artists, small medical offices, design firms, carpentry shops, etc? The Small Business Jobs Survival Act is a real bill with real teeth, and it sits in the committee on small Business NOW. Brewer’s proposal is a pale version of that bill. Jenny D.

CORRECTIONS A business profiled as one of our “45 Years and Counting” series was misidentified. John Krtil Funeral Home was misspelled as Kritl, and the name of the family nephew, Tom Valek, was misidentified. We regret the errors. In addition, in Bette Dewing’s column about closed churches, St. Elizabeth of Hungary church was misidentified as Ste. Elizabeth of Peace. A corrected version of both stories is at www.ourtownny.com.

“While the library system is there for all, no one is there for it.” BY DOLORES DE CRISANTI

Dear Mayor de Blasio: As I am a woman of many interests but with little money, the New York Public Library has been my ‘go to’ place for knowledge, work, physical exercise and entertainment. All the programs, events and classes that I have participated in have been firstrate and free. And while I have not been in each of the system’s branches, I have used 11 out of the 42 in Manhattan, taking computer courses; watching movies and staged readings of Shakespeare and other plays; listening to opera and Broadway tunes; attending talks from authors on books as diverse as breast cancer treatments through the ages and the mad bomber of New York City; and attending yoga and other exercise classes. All of the classes were taught by knowledgeable, caring people, the kind of instructors that take time to make sure everyone understands the material as it’s presented. And all of the library employees I’ve encountered have taken that extra step to make me and all their patrons welcome and comfortable. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when all electricity was out below 39th Street, the staff at the Grand Central branch brought desks and chairs from private offices and rooms to accommodate me and the many other New Yorkers who needed to use and recharge computers. I’m sure the same thing happened at the other branches that were not affected by the blackout. But while the library system is there for all, no one is there for it. It desperately needs money.

The NYPL needs money for books. In quite of few of the branches, the shelves are only three-quarters full. Due to cost cutting, the periodical desk at the Mid-Manhattan branch has reduced the number of newspapers and magazines it stocks. Some of the branch’s reference books are so old they are no longer helpful. The NYPL needs money for their elevators. Starting in May, the elevator in Epiphany branch, in the Gramercy Park neighborhood, will be out of use for a necessary upgrade. The elevators in the Mid-Manhattan branch also need an upgrade. While I’m sure they are perfectly safe, their conditions do little to make me feel that I will make it to the next floor without incident. The NYPL needs money for general maintenance. Some of the branches have torn carpet or missing floor tiles or even leaky roofs. Most are in need of a coat of paint. Many of its chairs are so unsteady should be replaced. The NYPL needs money for its facilities. In some restrooms, automatic hand dryers don’t work or the paper towel dispenser is broken. If there are two or more stalls, one is likely to have a broken lock. The Grand Central, one of the newest branches, is an exception. On its first floor, it has three individual restrooms that are bigger than those found in most New York apartments. They are in wonderful condition. But in some of the other branches, like the Epiphany, have only a single, unisex restroom, accessible with a key. And while this arrangement isn’t ideal, it is definitely better than what’s found at the Jefferson Market branch: It doesn’t have an adult public restroom at all! It does have a closely guarded one for children and their caretakers, but for other library patrons, if nature calls,

they have to leave the library and visit an accommodating business on Sixth Avenue. A librarian suggested that the library just doesn’t have the money to install a proper adult restroom. Where money is spent, the results are remarkable. The Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) is in wonderful condition and has plenty of computers, workspaces and comfortable chairs. The glass elevators are pleasant to ride and the ladies room is in good repair. The Kips Bay branch is another branch were money was well spent. Since its overhaul, it is light, spacious and airy. On the first floor there are several computers, plenty of tables and chairs. I found the large comfortable club chairs in this branch, as well as in the Grand Central Branch, a perfect place to spend a couple of hours with a good book. The children’s area, on branch’s second floor, is well stocked with books and games and child-sized furniture — wonderful for a rainy day or afterschool activities. There is also a section of adult club chairs on this floor. The children’s rooms in the Jefferson Market, Grand Central and Kips Bay branches all seem to be in good shape. The NYPL does spend money for the children of New York. That is money well spent. But much of the New York Public Library system needs an upgrade. It should be in much better condition. And more money from the fiscal budget will make it so. So please, Mayor de Blasio, do not forget this wonderful New York resource. Please make sure that it is properly funded so that we can all use and enjoy this important institution for many, many more years.

STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com

STRAUSMEDIA

your neighborhood news source

Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth

Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade Account Executive Fred Almonte, Susan Wynn

Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine editor.dt@strausnews.com

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

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THE NYU ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE CENTER PRESENTS:

Alzheimer’s Disease Update 2015 5)634%": "13*- t Q N o Q N Update on Clinical Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease 4QFBLFS 5JNPUIZ 4IFQIFSE .% 1I% Assistant Professor, NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Radiology /FX $PODFQUT JO "M[IFJNFS T %JTFBTF )ZESBUJPO )PSNPOFT )FBE *OKVSJFT BOE )BJS 4QFBLFS 5SBDZ #VUMFS .% Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU Center for Brain Health, NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Alzheimer’s Disease Research Update 2015 4QFBLFS 4UFWFO 'FSSJT 1I% Friedman Professor and Co-Director, NYU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Director of Clinical Trials Program, Center for Cognitive Neurology Is an Alzheimer’s Disease Vaccine Possible? 4QFBLFS 5IPNBT 8JTOJFXTLJ .% Professor of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, Director of the Center for Cognitive Neurology, Director of the Division of Aging and Dementia, Director of the Pearl Barlow Memory Disorders Center, NYU School of Medicine

-0$"5*0/ NYU Langone Medical Center Alumni Hall B 550 First Avenue at 33rd Street New York, NY 10016

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On View This Season

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

THROUGH AUGUST 9

Laurie Simmons: How We See Under the auspices of The Jewish Theological Seminary

5th Ave at 92nd St, NYC TheJewishMuseum.org

Repetition and Difference Masterpieces & Curiosities: Nicole Eisenman’s Seder

Amalia Pica, Stabile (with confetti), 2012 (detail), paper and transparent adhesive tape, Courtesy of the artist and MARC FOXX, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Redemeyer, 2013. From the exhibit Repetition and Difference.

OPENS MAY 1

Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television Using Walls, Floors, and Ceilings: Chantal Joffe

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▲ JOE GOODE Van Doren Waxter, 23 E 73rd St between Fifth and Madison Avenues 10am-6pm, Goode’s “Torn Clouds” and “Vandalism” series will get his audience to view art in a different way. (212)445-0444, www. vandorenwaxter.com

► “MUSIC AND DANCE FROM MYANMAR: SHWE MAN THABIN ZAT PWE” Asia Society, 725 Park Ave and 70th St 8pm, $30 general, $26 seniors and students Zat Pwe show is the Mayanmar version of cabaret filled with clowns, dancers, comedians and puppeteers. (212)288-6400, wwwasiasociety.org

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THE NEW YORK CITY BOOK AND EPHEMERA FAIR

MASH IT UP

Church of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Wallace Hall on Park Avenue at 84th Street. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., $15/door; $10/ advance. An addition to Rare Book Week will host more than 50 prominent dealers. www.bookandpaperfairs.com

NEW YORK OPERA FORUM PERFORM HANDEL’S ARIODANTE 96th Street Library, 112 E 96th St and Park Ave 1-4pm, Free ARIODANTE by GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL. A live musical recital performed in concert with piano accompaniment. (212) 289-0908, www.nypl.org/events/ programs/2015/04/18/clonemusic-new-york-opera-forumperforms-handels-ariodante

Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue and 103rd St. 12:30-3:30 pm, Free with Admission Check out showcases photographs by Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper, and Janette Beckman illustrating the birth of hip hop in New York. Children can also make their own mashups. (212)534-1672, www.mcny. org/event/mash-it

ART IN THE ROUND: THANNHAUSER COLLECTION TOUR Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue and 89th ST. 2pm, Free with admission Learn and view how photography can influence an artists’ work in this tour. (212)423-3500, www.guggenheim.org/ new-york/calendar-andevents/2015/04/12/art-in-theround-thannhauser-collectiontour-12/4716

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19TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING

“DĂœSSELDORF: PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY 90Sâ€?

BLAZING SADDLES SCREENING

153 East 67th Street and 3rd Ave, 3rd oor, 7pm Join the 19th precinct for their monthly community council meeting to hear updates for the community as well as voice your concerns. The speaker will be Crime Prevention Officer Alvarz. (212) 452-0600, www.nyc. gov/html/nypd/html/precincts/ precinct_019.shtml

Petzel Gallery 35 E 67th St between Madison and Park Ave 10am-6pm, Enjoy artist Charline von Heyl ’s late 1980’s and 90’s paintings done in Germany in an abstract style referencing Cubism, Surrealism, Polke, Picabia and graffiti mix it up. (212)680-9467, www.petzel. com

IN YOUR DREAMS

CECILY WONG IN CONVERSATION WITH MARY GORDON

67th Street Library, 328 E 67th St between 1st and 2nd avenue 4pm, Free Children can come listen to folktales about dreams big and small followed by constructing dream catchers. Maximum 20 children ages 6 and up. Register by phone or in person. (212) 734-1717, www.nypl. org/events/calendar?location=4

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Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th Street and Lexington 7pm, Free Cecily Wong will talk about her novel Diamond Head a devastating story ďŹ lled with love, lies, loss accompanied by Award-winning author Mary Gordon. (212)369-2180, www.storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/86263

92nd St Y - Classroom, 1395 Lexington Avenue between 91st and 92nd St. 6:30pm, From $30 Check out the ďŹ lm parody from Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles (1974). (212)415-5500, www.92y. org/Event/Mel-Brooks

FASHION AT FIAF TALKS: PROENZA SCHOULER FIAF, Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street and Madison Ave 7pm, Single talk: FIAF Members $20 Non-Members $25 Hear designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of fashion label fashion label Proenza Schouler talk about their innovation and inspirations in fashion. (212)355-6100, www.ďŹ af. org/fashion/2015/2015-0415-schouler.shtml

16 CROSS- STITCH CIRCLE New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West and 77th St. 3:30-5:30pm, Free with Admission People of all ages could test out their skill at one of the oldest forms of embroidery in the world. Make fun craft projects with he group. (212) 873-3400, www. nyhistory.org/childrensmuseum/families/familyprograms/upcoming-programs

WHERE THEY FOUND HER: THE NOVEL Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th Street and Lexington 7pm, Free Author Kimberly McCreight talks about her latest haunting novel Where they found her. (212)369-2180, www.storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/86293

JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. Dignified, Affordable and Independently Owned Since 1885 WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 5 )/'&1 /'+$1)-,0 $2250 -+.*'1' 5 )/'&1 2/)$*0 $2850 5 4.'/1 /' *$,,),( 3$)*$%*'

1297 First Ave (69th & 70th & + # " $& )" $ " $ ) * "#( & " $ + ))) $& '" $ #! #! Each cremation service individually performed by fully licensed members of our staff. We use no outside agents or trade services in our cremation service. We exclusively use All Souls Chapel and Crematory at the prestigious St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY for our cremations unless otherwise directed.

Huge Selection of Bibles Fiction/Non-Fiction Children’s Books Greeting Cards .VTJD t (JGUT Original Art Events and More! Hours: M-F 10am-9pm 4BU BN QN t 4VO QN QN

:PSL "WF #UXO SE UI 4U t www.logosbookstorenyc.com

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SPRING ARTS GUIDE BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

After an elongated, arduous winter, a full calendar of spring arts events makes it easy to get out and enjoy the neighborhood as the weather warms. Here’s our preview of upcoming arts and cultural events in the neighborhood. No hats or gloves required.

MUSEUMS REVOLUTION OF THE EYE: MODERN ART AND THE BIRTH OF AMERICAN TELEVISION This new exhibition explores how modern art and design informed the appearances of television programming, a very modern medium in the 1950s and 1960s. Rod Serling and Ernie Kovacs embraced Surrealism and the Dada movement sensibilities in their television shows, Pop Art expressions cropped up in “Batman,” and many artists used the medium as a platform for their work, exemplified in rare film clips featuring Salvador Dali, Willem de Kooning and Roy Lichtenstein, among other artists. Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television May 1-Sept. 20 The Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street Museum hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission $15 For more information, visit thejewishmuseum.org or call 212-4233200

PROVOCATIONS: THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN OF HEATHERWICK STUDIO

Willem de Kooning, 1904-1997 Woman and Bicycle, (1952-1953) Oil, enamel. and charcoal on linen, 76 1/2 x 49 1/8in. (194.3 x 124.8 cm) Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase 55.35 © 2014 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), N.Y.

In 2005, British designer Thomas Heatherwick unveiled his firm’s pedestrian bridge near Paddington Station in London, a moveable structure that needed to allow boats to pass through a small inlet. Unsatisfied with the typically unattractive drawbridge, Heatherwick created a structure that curls into itself like a worm, ending in a segmented circle. Since then, Heatherwick Studio has addressed

design in innovative ways and in both small scale, temporary projects, like the cauldron from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and in massive proportions, including a recently completed building for a Singapore university that contains corner-less rooms. The exhibition illuminates 43 of Heatherwick Studio’s projects, through models, mockups, photographs and video. Provocations: The Architecture of Heatherwick Studio June 24-Nov. 1 Cooper Hewitt Museum 2 E. 91st St., at Fifth Avenue Museum hours: Sunday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Admission $18 For more information, visit cooperhewitt.org or call 212-8498400

LIFE AT THE LIMITS: STORIES OF AMAZING SPECIES This new special exhibit explores how some species survive in the most improbable conditions, whether at the darkest depths of the ocean, in extremely hot or cold temperatures, or years without food and water. With a life-size replica of an elephant seal, which can hold its breath for two hours while it hunts thanks to its excess of hemoglobin, live sea creatures, including mantis shrimp, which deliver powerful blows that can shatter the shells of their prey (and even aquarium glass) the exhibit examines how life endures and adapts to bizarre circumstances. Life at the Limits: Stories of Amazing Species Through January 3, 2016 American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. daily Admission $27 (includes admission to the museum and one special exhibit) For more information, call 212-7695100 or visit amnh.org

AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE The Whitney Museum of American Art’s first exhibition in its new home seems by nature celebratory of both American art and the museum’s holdings, and with good reason. The

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This life-size model (20 feet) is of the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), which spends two months a year living on land in Antarctica and the rest of the year hunting for fish and squid in the frigid Southern Ocean. While hunting, the elephant seal can dive down nearly a mile and may not resurface to breathe for up to two hours. © AMNH/D. Finnin

new, Renzo Piano-designed building on Gansevoort Street—four years in the making—opens May 1, with a massive exhibition surveying 115 years of American art. Comprised entirely of work from the museum’s permanent collection, with some 600 pieces by 400 artists organized into 23 different “chapters,” the exhibit thematically links the work, but strings the sections together chronologically. Starting in a first floor gallery, with a section titled “Eight West Eighth,” the exhibit starts with works from the Whitney’s modest origins as an exhibition space in Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s gallery 100 years ago. Additional sections devoted to the idea of America as a place, with works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper and Bill Traylor, Pop art (with Jasper Johns’ “Three Flags” as well as work by Andy Warhol and Garry Winogrand), and Minimalism follow, concluding with “Course of Empire” in the fifth floor wing, a section that examines the present day. America is Hard to See May 1-Sept. 27 Whitney Museum of American Art 99 Gansevoort St., between Washington and West Streets Museum hours: Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Admission $22 For more information, visit whitney. org or call 212-570-3600

IN CONVERSATION “DON QUIXOTE” NIGHT AT THE FRICK Coinciding with the Frick Collection’s exhibition of Charles Coypel’s illustrative 18th-century tapestries depicting scenes from “Don Quixote,” the museum hosts an evening of free programming, including a talk by Patrick Lenaghan, curator at the Hispanic Society of America, along with a performance of “Don Quixote” song cycles by singers with Metropolitan Opera’s development program and readings from Cervantes’ novel. “Don Quixote” Night at the Frick Friday, May 1 Frick Collection 1 E. 70th St., near Fifth Avenue 6-9 p.m. Free; first-come, first-served. Children under 10 are not admitted to the museum For more information, visit frick.org or call 212-288-0700

MATTHEW WEINER DISCUSSES “MAD MEN” As “Mad Men” nears the end of its storied eight-year run (the finale of its seventh and final season airs on May 17) series creator Matt Weiner discusses the iconic show. Matthew Weiner Discusses “Mad Men”

Tuesday, April 28 92nd Street Y Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street 8 p.m. Tickets $41-$56 To purchase tickets, visit 92y.org or call 212-415-5500

THEATER BRITS OFF BROADWAY FESTIVAL The returning theater festival brings new British plays to New York stages. The diverse works—characters range from teenage vampires to war veterans—include “The Tailor of Inverness”, a true story about the playwright’s father, a tailor who left his native Poland to settle in Northern Scotland, and the autobiographical “My Perfect Mind” starring Edward Petherbridge, about the actor’s recovery following a debilitating stroke. Brits Off Broadway Festival April 14-June 28 59E59 Theaters 59 E. 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $25-$70 To purchase tickets, visit 59e59. org or call 212-279-4200

CAGNEY Robert Creighton stars as Lower

East Side native James Cagney, a vaudeville singer turned screen star who starred in the films “White Heat,” “Angels with Dirty Faces” and other crime dramas throughout the 1940s and 50s. With an original score cowritten by Creighton, the show also features familiar songs from Cagney films, including “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Cagney May 19-June 21 York Theatre Company St. Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Avenue, at 54th Street Assorted show times Tickets $67.50 To purchase tickets, visit yorktheatre.org or call 212-9355820

ART FAIRS AIPAD PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW NEW YORK The photography show by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers returns with a four-day festival at the Park Avenue Armory, featuring work presented by 89 national and global galleries, including new exhibitors from Paris and Beijing. Work on display ranges from video-based modern art to early photography, and includes contemporary work from Cuban artists who have never exhibited in the United

States. Aipad Photography Show New York April 16-19 Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Avenue at E. 67th Street Thursday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission $30, tickets available at the door For more information, visit aipad. com or call 202-367-1158

GALLERIES OFF CANVAS: DRAWING FROM MATISSE TO CELMINS A sparse charcoal drawing of ivy in a vase by Henri Matisse, Lucian Freud’s pencil drawing “Cacti and Stuffed Bird” from 1943, and other works on paper by modern masters make up this exhibition at Acquavella Galleries. Work by Salvador Dali, Jasper Johns and Ed Ruscha are also on view. Off Canvas: Drawing from Matisse to Celmins April 15-June 12 Acquavella Galleries 18 E. 79th St., between Madison and Fifth Avenues Gallery hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. FREE For more information, visit acquavellagalleries.com or call 212734-6300

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NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN/WEILL CO

Internationally Renowned Expert Dr. Howard Fine to Lead New Brain Tumor Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Care and Outreach for People Living with Epilepsy Patient and Family Support

PEER GROUPS We invite you to come and share your experience of living with epilepsy. We offer two groups that each meet once every two weeks. This will be a conďŹ dential forum for open discussion, an opportunity to gather and share information, and to form a connection with others living with epilepsy. These groups will be facilitated by a non-professional living with epilepsy, and supervised by Luydmila Jovine, LCSW. Better Together Group This group will engage in ongoing discussions about the concerns that come up in living with epilepsy and managing this condition. Members will decide on the topic each week with the group leader. Come and share what has been helpful to you, and discover the experiences of others. Artistic Expressions Group This group will focus on creativity and the transformative potential artistic expression offers in helping to manage epilepsy well. Come hear how music may be used to help uncover hidden emotional responses and stimulate creative insights. Weill Cornell Medical College, Room A-126 1300 York Avenue at 69th Street

FREE

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side at York Avenue and 68th Street, comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. For general information, call 212-746-5454. For information about physicians and patient programs, call 877-NYP-WELL. WWW NYP ORG s WEILL CORNELL EDU Produced by the Public Affairs Department of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, 212-821-0560.

r. Howard Fine has been appointed to lead a newly established neuro-oncology program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He will serve as director of the Brain Tumor Center and associate director for translational research in the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as chief of the Division of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology

grams at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College,� said Dr. Matthew Fink, neurologist-in-chief at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell and the Louis and Gertrude Feil Professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College. “Dr. Fine will collaborate with our world-class neurosurgeons in translating research to the clinical setting, particularly in the area of precision and personalized therapies,� said Dr. Philip Stieg, neurosurgeon-inchief at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell and professor and chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Fine received his medical degree at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,

followed by a fellowship in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Most recently, Dr. Fine served as deputy director of the Cancer Center and director of the Brain Tumor Center at NYU Langone. “As part of the Meyer Cancer Center, the Weill Cornell Brain Tumor Center at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital will offer its patients the highest level of comprehensive state-of-the-art care delivered by nationally renowned clinical experts from multiple disciplines,â€? Dr. Fine said. “With this level of world-class clinical and scientiďŹ c expertise, along with an institutional commitment to the vision of a better future for patients suffering with brain tumors, NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell is uniquely positioned to make a huge impact on the ďŹ eld by providing innovative and highly effective treatments for patients with brain tumors.â€?

NewYork-Presbyterian Employees Receive High Honors

LOCATION:

To join a peer group, please call: Luydmila Jovine, LCSW, BCD, 212-746-2471 www.cornellepilepsy.com

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at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. He has also been named to the faculty of the Departments of Medicine and Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. At NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Dr. Fine will establish a state-of-the-art research and clinical program that will provide cutting-edge treatments for patients with brain tumors. Prior to joining NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell, he built two of the nation’s leading neuro-oncology programs, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Center for NeuroOncology at Harvard Medical School and the Neuro-Oncology Branch at the National Institutes of Health. He has run a basic and translational science laboratory throughout his 26-year career, and has been involved in more than 100 brain tumor clinical trials. “The recruitment of Dr. Howard Fine will be transformational for the Department of Neurology and the clinical neuroscience pro-

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hree NewYork-Presbyterian employees were recently recognized for outstanding contributions in their respective ďŹ elds. Daniel Ribaudo, the hospital’s director of emergency medical services, received a 2015 OTTY Award. The OTTY — short for “Our Town Thanks Youâ€? — is given to exceptional individuals whose work has improved the lives of Upper East Side residents. Gina Czark and Jessica Fillinger, who comprise NewYork-Presbyterian’s social media team, drew recognition for their work building the hospital’s social media presence. Bulldog Reporter awarded NewYork-Presbyterian the 2014 Gold award for Digitally/Socially Engaged Brand of the Year in its national Bulldog Reporter Digital/Social PR Awards program. NewYork-Presbyterian is the ďŹ rst hospital to be awarded Gold in this category. Winners are determined by working journalists who judge brands based on creativity, originality, strategy, execution and results.

Daniel Ribaudo

Jessica Fillinger and Gina Czark

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SPRING 2015

ORNELL

$25 Million Gift from Gale and Ira Drukier Creates the Drukier Institute for Children’s Health at Weill Cornell Medical College

W

eill Cornell Medical College has received a $25 million gift from Gale and Ira Drukier to establish the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Health, a premier, cross-disciplinary institute dedicated to understanding the underlying causes of diseases that are devastating to children. Its goal will be to rapidly translate basic research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients. The extraordinary gift will enable the medical college to recruit a team of leading scientists, including a renowned expert who will serve as the Gale and Ira Drukier Director, to pursue innovative research that improves treatments and therapies for the littlest patients. The Drukier Institute, a marquee program that will be headquartered on the 12th oor of Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, will also expand and enhance the medical college’s already-distinguished research and clinical care programs that strive to end diseases and disorders that affect children and adolescents, including asthma, autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious Gale and Ira Drukier diseases and schizophrenia. Using genomics and other cutting-edge research approaches, the cross-disciplinary Drukier Institute will drive excellence and innovation in pediatrics, seeking to rapidly and seamlessly catalyze research breakthroughs into the most advanced, safe and effective patient care.

Researchers Produce First Map of New York City Subway System Microbes

T

he microbes that call the New York City subway system home are mostly harmless, but include samples of disease-causing bacteria that are resistant to drugs — and even DNA fragments associated with anthrax and Bubonic plague — according to a citywide microbiome map from Weill Cornell Medical College investigators. The study, published in Cell Systems, demonstrates that it is useful to develop a “pathogen mapâ€? — dubbed a “PathoMapâ€? — of a city, with the heavily traveled subway a proxy for New York’s population. It is a baseline assessment, and repeated sampling could be used for longterm, accurate disease surveillance, bioterrorism threat mitigation, and large scale health management for New York, says the study’s senior investigator, Dr. Christopher E. Mason, an assistant professor in Weill Cornell’s Department of Physiology and Biophysics and in the HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Institute for Computational Biomedicine. The research team used nylon swabs to collect, in triplicate, DNA from turnstiles, wooden and metal benches, stairway hand railings, trashcans, and kiosks in all open subway stations in 24 subway lines in ďŹ ve boroughs. The team also collected samples from the inside of trains, including seats, doors, poles and handrails. The ďŹ ndings are generally reassuring, indicating no need to avoid the subway

Dr. Christopher E. Mason

system or use protective gloves. The majority of the 637 known bacterial, viral, fungal and animal species Dr. Mason and his co-authors detected were not associated with disease and represent normal bacteria present on human skin and body. Culture experiments found that all subway sites tested possess live bacteria. About half of the sequences of DNA they collected could not be identiďŹ ed. These represent organisms that New Yorkers touch every day, but were uncharacterized and undiscovered until this study. The ďŹ ndings underscore the potential for scientiďŹ c exploration that is still largely untapped and yet under scientists’ ďŹ ngertips. But 12 percent of the bacteria species the investigators sampled showed some association with disease. Live, antibioticresistant bacteria were present in 27 percent of the samples. And they detected

two samples with DNA fragments of anthrax and three samples with a plasmid associated with Bubonic plague, both at very low levels. The presence of these DNA fragments don’t indicate that they are alive, and culture experiments showed no evidence of them being alive. “Despite ďŹ nding traces of pathogenic microbes, their presence isn’t substantial enough to pose a threat to human health,â€? Dr. Mason says. Scientists believe that the diversity of microorganisms that are present in, on and around humans comprise a signiďŹ cant component of overall health. In the average human, there are 10 times as many microbes as human cells, and products processed by these microbes comprise more than one-third of the active, small molecules in the bloodstream. This collective microbiome is seen to impact health by exacerbating or resisting infectious diseases, controlling obesity risk, and regulating metabolic rates. Yet there is very little known about the native microbial communities that surround people in streets, buildings or public transit areas. Projects are already underway that build upon PathoMap’s initial data. Collaborators across the country have collected samples from airports, subways, transit hubs, taxis and public parks located in 14 states — including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Texas and California.

14

A P R I L

21 28

Let’s Talk About Cancer: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphoma and Colorectal Cancer John P. Leonard, M.D. Felice H. Schnoll-Sussman, M.D.

On the Skin: Skin Conditions, Bacteria and What We Touch Every Day Karen A. Chernoff, M.D. Christopher E. Mason, Ph.D.

Women’s Health: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Aging Population Jaclyn H. Bonder, M.D. Katerina Fishman, P.T., D.P.T.

M AY

5

Spine Health: Help is on the Way for Neck and Back Pain A Multidisciplinary Approach Naomi Feuer, M.D. Roger Hartl, M.D. Jaspal R. Singh, M.D. Lisa R. Witkin, M.D.

Seminars begin at 6:30 p.m. and are held at Uris Auditorium, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue (at 69th St.). For more information, if you require a disability-related accommodation, or for weather-related cancellations, please call: 212-821-0888. Or visit our website at: www.weill.cornell.edu/seminars All seminars are FREE and open to the public. Seating is DYDLODEOH IRU SHRSOH RQ D ÂżUVW FRPH ÂżUVW VHUYHG EDVLV

16

APRIL 9-15,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Food & Drink

< SELLING CHURROS IS RISKY BUSINESS On March 28, three women were arrested in the Union Square subway station for selling churros, DNAinfo reported. Selling food without a license is illegal in New York city, and vendors must also seek permission from the Metropolitan Transit Authority to sell

anything on the subway or train platforms, but arrests aren’t uncommon. According to DNAinfo, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer wrote a letter to the MTA following the arrests, asking that the agency develop a system that would allow food vendors to con-

duct business legally on subway platforms. Brewer wrote that “a program allowing the MTA to selectively allow for mobile vendors could have many benefits for commuters and entrepreneurs alike.”

In Brief FOUR SEASONS HEADING FOR POSSIBLE REHAUL Four Seasons landlord Aby Rosen is looking to renovate the restaurant’s dining room, the New York Post reported. Rosen, who submitted an application for renovations to Community Board 5’s landmarks committee without informing the restaurant’s owners, is looking to brighten the landmark space with a change to the walls and carpets. Though the structural elements of the dining room will remain, Rosen also hopes to make necessary electrical, plumbing and kitchen updates. The restaurant’s lease expires next year and a rent increase could force the Four Seasons to relocate.

BARBUTO TO LIKELY CLOSE ON W. 12TH STREET Jonathan Waxman’s Italian eatery Barbuto, on Washington and West 12th Streets, will likely close, Grub Street reported. The chef, who will soon open Jams in midtown’s new 1 Hotel, told Grub Street that, with the building’s recent sale to a real estate developer, the fate of the restaurant is uncertain at its present location. Waxman fully expects to reopen Barbuto in a new location if and when it shutters, he told Grub Street.

CHEVALIER OPENS IN BACCARAT HOTEL Elegant French brasserie Chevalier opens April 13 in the new Baccarat Hotel, a luxury spot on W. 53rd Street near Fifth Avenue. The hotel recruited chef Shea Gallante, who earned a Michelin star at his former restaurant Cru, to run the dining program, along with Charles Masson, manager at midtown French eatery La Grenouille for 40 years, as the restaurant’s director. The hotel’s bar, which opened in March, is already serving a Gallante menu, Eater reported, which includes lobster dumplings, duck pastrami sliders and parmesan-sourdough beignets, along with robust cocktails served in the hotel’s stores of Baccarat crystal glasses. Chevalier will open for dinner daily starting April 13 at 5:30 p.m., with lunch service expected to begin later in the month. For reservations, call 212-790-8869.

Students at P.S. 343, the Peck Slip School, on Chambers Street, enjoying their all-vegetarian lunches, which have been in place since last school year.

NO HOT DOG DAY AT THIS SCHOOL Peck Slip School becomes city’s second public school to transition to vegetarian lunch menu, and students enjoy the change BY MICKEY KRAMER

Roasted chickpeas with basil pesto served alongside butternut squash ravioli in an alfredo sauce accompanied by a green salad sounds like an elaborate meal, but for the students at P.S. 343, the Peck Slip School, it’s simply lunch on a Thursday. In the fall of 2013, Peck Slip became the second New York City public school, following P.S. 244Q in Queens, to institute an all-vegetarian lunch menu. “Once I heard about the school in Flushing choosing the all-vegetarian lunch option, I wanted to go that route, too,” the school’s principal, Maggie Siena, said. Two years ago, Siena, with guidance from The Coalition for Healthy School Food, sent an email to the parents informing them of the change. It would begin in that fall. Siena said the response from parents was “overwhelmingly positive.” “Of course you can never please everyone, parent or child,” she said. “Even at the ‘fanciest’ restaurant, there will be complaints.” Siena traces the transition to the fall of 2012, when she was given a children’s book by one of the school’s teachers, which Siena shared with her then 8- and 11-year-old children.

Reading that “animals are earthlings, too” struck a chord with Siena and her family. “My daughter asked if we could ‘go vegetarian’ for two weeks ... . And we never went back.” The school’s menu varies daily, and can include empanadas, hummus, quesadillas, lentil chili, vegan meatballs, curried tofu and, of course, the extremely popular pizza party each Friday. Every day features an “eat your colors” vegetable or legume. Examples abound: braised collard greens, black beans, chickpeas, kale and roasted cauliflower. Fruit features, too. Peck Slip, though, is not a “meat-free” school: Some students can, and do, bring their own lunch. Still, Siena notes that the kung pao tofu with lo mein and butternut squash raviolis are favorites. And while the pizza, always topped with a vegetable, seemed to be the consensus favorite, some students even said they enjoyed the salads. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Daryl, 8, clad in a New York Giants jersey, spoke of his love of the plantains served the day before. And, he added, “the tofu is really good ... better than I had in pre-K.” His buddy, Jack, 7, in a New York Yankees hoodie agreed: “This is the first time I’ve ever liked tofu.” Jayden, also 7, though, was partial to the ever-popular grilled cheese sandwich. The Coalition for Healthy School Food was a

critical component of transitions to vegetarian lunches, first at P.S. 244Q and then at Peck Slip. Founded over 10 years ago, the coalition has helped schools switch to vegetarian or alternative menus and to wean lunches from beef, pork and processed foods such as chicken nuggets or mozzarella sticks. The coalition’s executive director, Amie Hamlin, said two of the programs also provide nutrition education: “Family dinner night” is a plant-based meal served to parents, teachers, administrators and food-service personnel as an introduction to vegan diets; and the Food on Earth curriculum is a yearlong, weekly 45-minute class for fourthand fifth-graders that includes food-preparation and nutritional education. The coalition has a limited number of slots for the fall semester, and interested schools can get in touch at healthyschoolfood.org. Siena’s school has been temporarily housed on Chambers Street at the former Tweed Courthouse, where the Department of Education also resides, but will be moving this September to its new permanent space at 1 Peck Slip St., by the South Street Seaport. It’s taking its vegetarian menu along. “The hope is that repeat exposure to some less familiar foods will lead more students, to love and appreciate them,” Siena said.

APRIL 9-15,2015

17

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAR 29 - APR 3, 2015

Campagna Quattro Gatti

205 East 81 Street

A

The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.

Canele By Celine

400 E 82Nd St

A

Tasti D-Lite

1276 Lexington Avenue

Grade Pending (39) Food Protection CertiďŹ cate not held by supervisor of food operations. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Gracie’s On 2nd

300 E 86Th St

Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140Âş F to 70Âş F or less within 2 hours, and from 70Âş F to 41Âş F or less within 4 additional hours. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.

Bagels and More

1585 3rd Ave

Grade Pending (25) 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 facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

The Wright

1071 5 Avenue

A

Maharaja Palace

1350 Madison Avenue Closed by Health Department (74) Hot food item not held at or above 140Âş F. Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.

Baluchi’s Indian Food

1724 2 Avenue

Cilantro

1321 1 Avenue

A

Ko Sushi

1329 2 Avenue

A

Fratellis

1317 1 Avenue

A

Corrado Bread And Pastry

960 Lexington Avenue A

Neil’s Cofee Shop

961 Lexington Avenue Grade Pending (35) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Jg Melon Restaurant

1291 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (30) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Two Boots Pizza

1617 2 Avenue

A

Nica Trattoria

354 East 84 Street

A

Ramen Meijin

1574 2 Avenue

A

Sandro’s

306 East 81 Street

A

Il Tesoro Ristorante

1578 1 Avenue

A

Jaiya Thai & Oriental Restaurant

1553 2 Avenue

A

Juice Generation

1486 3 Avenue

A

Epazote

1606 1 Avenue

A

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Grade Pending (19) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

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APRIL 9-15,2015

Property

Briefs UNION GIANT VICTOR GOTBAUM DIES A prominent labor leader who pulled New York City back from the edge of bankruptcy in 1975 died at his home in Manhattan on Sunday. Victor Gotbaum, whose cause of death was reportedly a heart attack, was 93. He was instrumental in the tense labor negotiations between the city and many of its municipal unions, including the police and highway workers, and led a strike in in the 1970s that all but shut down New York and forced the city to renegotiate on a plan to cut jobs and deny raises. From 1965 to 1986 he served as the executive director of District Council 37, the umbrella group representing over 60 union locals in the city. Born in Brooklyn, Gotbaum came of age during the Depression and started working as a cook at the young age of 13. He served as a radio operator and machine gunner during World War II and later held posts in the State Department and Labor Department. In the 1990s he was appointed to the city’s Board of Education by then-mayor David Dinkins and later wrote a book on negotiating tactics. Gotbaum is survived by his wife Betsy, four children, a step-daughter, and eight grandchildren, according to the Times.

BUSINESSES STILL RECOVERING AFTER EAST VILLAGE EXPLOSION Crain’s New York Business recently reported on the plight of small businesses located in the vicinity of the East Village explosion that occurred on March 26. Six businesses were lost in the blast, while another half-dozen remained closed more than a week after the tragedy, which claimed two lives. For those businesses that remained open around the blast, which occurred near East 7th Street and 2nd Avenue, the biggest obstacle are safety barricades that have been set up and cause most pedestrians to detour around the area entirely. According to Crain’s, pedestrians must tell officers manning the barricades what specific businesses they’re looking to visit before being allowed to pass through. The New York Daily News later reported that an illegally installed gas line was to blame for the explosion, and that the incident may result in homicide charges for those responsible. As for the businesses affected, help could come in the form of low-interest loans from the city’s Dept. of Small Business Services. The agency will be holding a neighborhood meeting within the next two weeks for affected businesses, according to Crain’s. For more information, contact SBS at 212-513-6300.

TAXI UNION BLASTS NYPD AFTER UBER VIDEO Taxi and black car drivers rallied for systemic changes to NYPD’s policing of drivers in the wake of an amateur video that surfaced showing NYPD Detective Patrick Cherry berating and threatening to arrest a black car driver. Cherry also issued three summonses to the driver. Detective Cherry was stripped of his badge and gun after the video made by the passengers went viral on social media. Drivers and organizers, many from the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said they gathered at Penn Station on April 3 to tell the story of what happens when there is no video to capture their plight. “The day to day story for drivers is the economic impact that follows racist, humiliating incidents like this,” said Alliance executive director Bhairavi Desai. “The driver would go to court over unjustly issued moving violations and be vulnerable to over $1,000 in fines and points on the license.” Rally organizers said they selected Penn Station for their action as “it’s especially fraught with unfair ticketing.” “We want the NYPD to know that the community stands with the workers in this industry and echoes their demand for an end to the harassment and all-too-common demonizing of taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers,” said Ali

HIGH-END APARTMENT MARKET SIZZLES NEWS Report shows prices up 8.7% in top end of market The luxury end of Manhattan real estate is booming. A first-quarter market report from Town Residential shows that the median price of a Manhattan three-or-morebedroom apartment exceeded $3.5 million in the quarter, while two-bedroom median prices topped $2 million. Those figures represent a 8.7% increase in the average sale price of a Manhattan apartment, from $1,683,216 in the first quarter of 2014 to the current $1,829,276. Market-wide, Town said apartments stayed on the market for a median of 60 days, a 23% decrease from the previous quarter.

Examining individual neighborhoods, Town reported positive pricing trends across the board in the quarter. Downtown regained the lead of the three-plus bedroom market with a median price of $3.9 million. Midtown commanded the highest median prices for two-bedrooms and downtown reported the highest one-bedrooms with $1,995,000 and $975,000, respectively. The average price of a Manhattan condo decreased 8% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, from $2,457,797 to $2,257,105, while experiencing a 6.17% boost year-over-year. When compared to the same period in 2014, limited inventory coupled with continued low interest rates resulted in a 5% reduction to 71 median days on market. The cooperative market demon-

strated modest quarter-over-quarter growth to a reported average sales price of $1,194,152 and average price per square foot of $1,047. Contrary to market-wide findings, there was a 10% increase in median days on market from 80 days in the fourth quarter to currently reported 88. “We continue to see numbers trend higher than 2014 – but at a slower and healthier rate,” said Andrew Heiberger, founder and chief executive officer of Town Residential. “The inventory crunch continues, and while the power is currently still in the hands of the seller, it is the distinctive properties that are priced appropriately which are garnering the most attention from buyers.” Wendy Maitland, Town’s president of sales, said signs for the second quarter are strong, as well. “When comparing the activity in March 2015 to February 2015, there has been a 23.5% increase in contracts signed within the $10 million and up ultra-luxury market and a 22.3% increase within the $5 million to $10 million segment,” she said. “An analysis of the properties in contract underscores the importance of pricing based on the context of the current market.”

APRIL 9-15,2015

19

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Real Estate Sales

IN OUR HANDS RESCUE AND NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA

Neighborhd

Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Beekman

860 United Nations Plaza

$1,475,000

2

2

Halstead Property

Beekman

420 E 51 St.

$665,000

2

2

Douglas Elliman

Beekman

10 Mitchell Place

$810,000

2

1

Halstead Property

Beekman

10 Mitchell Place

$668,000

1

1

Warburg

Carnegie Hill

1050 5 Ave.

$4,900,000 2

2

Halstead Property

Carnegie Hill

141 E 88Th St.

$3,950,000

Carnegie Hill

170 E 87 St.

$2,625,000 3

3

Corcoran

Lenox Hill

188 E 64 St.

$2,500,000

Lenox Hill

21 E 61St St.

$8,811,112

3

Extell Development Company

Lenox Hill

400 E 70 St.

$495,000

1

Hecht Group

Lenox Hill

315 E 70 St.

$750,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

Lenox Hill

150 E 61 St.

$475,000

0

1

Martin Greenstein Real Estate

Lenox Hill

139 E 63 St.

$1,337,500

2

2

Brown Harris Stevens

Lenox Hill

21 E 61St St.

$12,935,025 4

4

Extell Development Company

Lenox Hill

860 5 Ave.

$7,575,000

2

4

Halstead Property

Lenox Hill

21 E 61St St.

$5,109,773

Lenox Hill

420 E 64 St.

$1,903,347

3

2

Fenwick Keats Real Estate

Lenox Hill

400 E 67 St.

$3,525,000 3

3

Corcoran

Lenox Hill

205 E 69 St.

$2,100,000 2

3

Halstead Property

Lenox Hill

733 Park Ave.

$6,350,000

Lenox Hill

205 E 59 St.

$1

Midtown

111 E 56 St.

$880,000

2

1

Stephen P. Wald

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Midtown E

325 Lexington Ave.

$1,440,823

Midtown E

200 E 57 St.

$815,000

1

1

Corcoran

01&/ )064&4 4VOEBZ "QSJM t .BZ 1. o 1.

Midtown E

325 Lexington Ave.

$753,505

0

1

Corcoran

Midtown South

220 Madison Ave.

$1,675,000

Murray Hill

211 Madison Ave.

$1,195,000

1

1

Keller Williams Nyc

Murray Hill

5 Tudor City Place

$273,000

0

1

Steven Corcoran Real Estate

Murray Hill

245 E 35 St.

$499,000

1

1

Core

t 0MZNQJD 4J[F )FBUFE 0VUEPPS 1PPM

Murray Hill

2 Tudor City Place

$695,000

1

1

John J. Grogan & Associates

t 5FOOJT 9 Har-Tru / 3 All-Weather courts

Murray Hill

110 E 36 St.

$390,000

0

1

Core

t 0VUEPPS 1BUJP %JOJOH

Murray Hill

415 E 37 St.

$842,000

Murray Hill

314 E 41 St.

$335,000

Sutton Place

430 E 57 St.

$1,125,000

Sutton Place

320 E 54 St.

$1,300,000

Sutton Place

400 E 56 St.

$2,178,000

3

3

Douglas Elliman

Sutton Place

407 E 58 St.

$8,150,000 5

6

Leslie J. GarďŹ eld

Sutton Place

419 E 57 St.

$827,042

Sutton Place

430 E 56 St.

$690,000

Sutton Place

345 E 56 St.

$565,000

Turtle Bay

301 E 48 St.

$405,000

0

1

Douglas Elliman

Turtle Bay

236 E 47 St.

$925,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

Turtle Bay

45 Tudor City Place

$647,000

3

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APRIL 9-15,2015

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THE TAX COSTS OF NATIONAL HEALTH CARE HEALTH Tallying the ties between health insurance and taxes BY RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

As the April 15 tax deadline nears, people who got help paying for health insurance under President Barack Obama’s law

THE

are seeing the direct effect on their refunds -- hundreds of dollars, for better or worse. The law offers tax credits so people without access to jobbased health insurance can buy private coverage. Because these subsidies are tied to income, consumers must accurately estimate what they will make for the coming year.

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Regular Tickets $30 | Student Tickets $10 | Subscriptions $150 www.rockefeller.edu/peggy | 212-327-8072 1230 York Avenue at 66th Street, NYC

That’s been a challenge for millions of people. Guess on the low side, get more help now with premiums, but owe money later at filing time. Overestimate income, expect bucks back from the taxman. Many consumers may not have understood that is how it works when they signed up. Some experts caution that such complications could discourage uninsured people from getting covered. Rob Tuck of Dublin, California, said he had anticipated a refund of about $400 on his 2014 taxes. But that almost has been wiped out because he had to repay some of the subsidy. He changed jobs during the year, and his income went up a little. Tuck, who works for a San Francisco area tech-support company, said he enrolled to avoid tax penalties for being uninsured, but feels penalized anyway now. “I was expecting to get dinged a little bit, but I was actually kind of surprised when it came down that much,” he said.

Kelsey Park started out 2014 in Dallas, earning good commissions by selling wedding gowns. She left for graduate school at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and signed up for coverage through the law. She ended up overestimating her income because she didn’t get another job as anticipated. Park’s tax refund came to $2,500, partly because she had too much income tax withheld and partly because she received a smaller health care subsidy than she was entitled to. “It was hard to estimate what I would be earning because I was transitioning in life,” said Park, who’s studying for a master’s degree in marketing. “I tend to overestimate because I don’t want to have to pay back,” she said. The average refund is large enough to offset any repayment in most cases, according to the Treasury Department. The White House says the Affordable Care Act is working even better than anticipated.

But this is the first year that the complicated connections between the law and the tax system are playing out for consumers. Initial reports suggest a fairly even split between tax-return winners and losers. Earlier in the filing season, tax preparation company H&R Block reported that 52 percent of its customers who got health insurance subsidies owed money back. Repayments averaged $530, reducing expected refunds by 17 percent. On the other hand, roughly one-third of customers with subsidies overestimated their incomes. As a result, their refunds went up by $365 on average. In a recent study, the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that half those eligible for a subsidy would owe money, while 45 percent would receive a bigger refund. The estimated average repayment was $794, and the refund was $773. The estimates were based on an analysis of census data about income changes

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Brunel: The Man Who Changed the World

MONDAY, APRIL 13TH, 6:30PM ESU New York | 144 E. 39th St. | 212-818-1200 | esuus.org/newyork The director of the Brunel Museum tells the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), who took over the construction of London’s Thames Tunnel when he was only 20. ($30)

Forbidden Knowledge: Ethics and Experimentation in Science and Art

MONDAY, APRIL 13TH, 7:30PM Guggenheim Museum | 1071 Fifth Ave. | 212-423-3500 | guggenheim.org The experience of living with a Stone Age tribe in New Guinea inspired this talk, which draws on art, film and literature. ($20)

Just Announced: StarTalk Live!

THURSDAY, MAY 28TH, 8PM The Apollo Theater | 253 W. 125th St. | 212-531-5300 | apollotheater.org Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will blend science, comedy and pop culture in a special live performance of his stargazing radio show. ($37.50 and up)

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

sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.

among people likely eligible for health care subsidies. Kaiser calculated that overall between 4.5 million and 7.5 million households have to account to the IRS for their subsidies. This year is “a learning experience” for consumers and the government alike, said Kaiser’s Cynthia Cox. “To the extent this makes people unsure of how much financial help they are going to get, it could be a discouragement for some to sign up.” To avoid tax surprises, consumers should contact the health insurance exchange if their income changes during the year. Tucker Bush, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Tacoma, Washington, basically broke even. He ended up giving back $19 of his subsidy, but not before he had spent an hour trying to figure out IRS Form 8962, which taxpayers must use to account for their subsidies. “It caused me a little bit of a headache, and I have a college degree,” said Bush, who volunteers at a nonprofit dental clinic for children. “If you are trying to help someone who may not have a college diploma, this is going to be a nightmare.” Bill Preus of St. Petersburg, Florida, was covered under the health care law for three months last year before transitioning to Medicare because of disability. Preus once had his own insurance agency, selling life and health policies. He is used to complexity, but said he never has seen anything like this. Preus said he faces the prospect of paying back close to $4,000 because of poor coordination between HealthCare. gov and his insurer, the government’s failure to discontinue his health law subsidy after he went on Medicare, and forgiveness of a student loan debt that caused his income to go up. “There is no one to talk to who can coordinate when extenuating circumstances like this come up, and it’s a total mess,” he said. Preus said a tax preparer and an IRS representative both advised him to file an incomplete return so as to trigger an audit, suggesting that may be the best way to straighten things out.

APRIL 9-15,2015

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100 GALLERIES | 1200 ARTISTS | 50 COUNTRIES

PIER 94 | 55TH STREET & WESTSIDE HIGHWAY | MANHATTAN

WWW.ARTMIAMINEWYORK.COM

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CONSTRUCTION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Third avenues. She said there’s an ongoing all-hours construction project nearby where workers constantly make noise transferring cement from trucks. “They do whatever they want. They can come and go as they please. They have no respect.” The increased issuance of these variances has led to a corresponding increase in revenue for the DOB. In 2014, the department made $16,628,530 off the issuance of after-hours work variances, a 33 percent increase from 2012. A DOB spokesperson denied the variance increase is tied to any budget initiatives, and said money earned from permit issuance is put into the city’s general fund. The DOB’s annual budget in 2014 was $107 million, an 11

APRIL 9-15,2015

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percent increase from 2012. According to DOB’s website, variances cost anywhere from $100 for a one- to three-day permit to $500 for 13-14 days of work. Applicants can extend a variance based on their needs. “When an applicant files for an after-hour variance, they are making the justification based upon the specific type of work they are doing,” said a DOB spokesperson. “This means, they must provide a public safety or need, or similar type of justification for the variance.” According to the spokesperson, reasons for DOB granting an after-hours work variance include work done at schools outside of regular hours to insure student safety, high-risk work done adjacent to public spaces, work that could adversely affect traffic if done during normal waking hours, and projects where expediency

benefits a public good. None of those justifications are likely to matter to Jane Bonia, who says that noise from the all-night project near her home on East 51st Street and 2nd Avenue kept her up all night long. “It started around 8 p.m. and went until 6 a.m,” said Bonia. “They would bang on metal all night long, and there was no way I was able to get any sleep.” Bonia recently returned home after an extended stay in the hospital, and hasn’t heard any overnight construction for the past week or so, but she said that it made her “damn mad” when the noise was keeping her up. “I don’t they should be building overnight,” said Bonia. “I think these buildings should have a certain schedule and stick to it and get the job done during people’s waking hours, and not work past 8 or 9 p.m.”

On the Upper East Side, the DOB increased its approval of after-hours work applications 35 percent between 2012 and 2014, with the most significant increase found in residential construction. According to the New York Building Congress, a trade group, the DOB authorized construction of 20,329 residential units in 1,513 buildings in 2014, an 11 percent increase (in units) from 2013. In the same period, the number of after-hours work variances went up 15 percent for all types of construction, including commercial and public construction. The uptick in after-hours construction has not escaped the notice of local elected officials. Last year, Upper East Side Councilmember Dan Garodnick introduced a bill with Councilmember Rosie Mendez designed to cut down on the number of permits that are

DOB AFTER-HOURS WORK VARIANCES GRANTED BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND YEAR Upper East Side

2012

2013

2014

1,845

2,396

2,846

granted. The bill would also make more transparent the city’s reasoning when a 24hour work permit is granted and would notify residents sooner when after-hours work is slated to begin. On the Upper West Side, the DOB has increased the issuance of its variances by 31 percent from 2012 to 2014, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Informationn Act. The increase in residential construction is also apparent in the neighborhood, with 637 after-hours work variances being granted in 2012 compared

to 1,107 in 2014, according to DOB data. In Lower Manhattan the trend is even more pronounced. In TriBeCa and the Financial District, the DOB granted 4,144 after-hours work variances, a 38 percent increase from 2012. In Chinatown, the East Village and the Lower East Side, DOB granted 1,207 variances, a 26 percent increase from 2012. In Greenwich Village, the West Village, SoHo and NoHo, the DOB granted 2,655 variances, also a 36 percent increase from 2012.

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VOTE ON HOW $1 MILLION IN CITY FUNDS GET SPENT

Council Member Ben Kallos Presents Participatory Budgeting

APRIL 11 - 19 Vote at various neighborhood locations

APRIL 13 - 17 How the Sutton Place tower would stand up against the city’s other tall buildings, in an image distributed by the developer.

SUTTON PLACE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 feet of frontage on East 58th Street between 1st Avenue and Sutton Place. The depth of the lot is 100 feet. There are also indications that Bauhouse is looking to offload the site to another developer, and that whoever winds up buying the lot could build even higher than 900 feet. “Located in an R10 zone, there are no height restrictions on the Sutton Place Tower, which means a buyer could expand the site through additional air rights purchases,” said the brochure. Kallos said he’s opposed to a high-rise luxury residential tower in a residential neighborhood, and will be looking to mobilize the community to push back against the size and scope of the Sutton Place Development. “The brochure tells the story for us,” said Kallos. “What’s most concerning to me about [the project] is that it’s creating a future where the only people

that will have a right to light and air are the people who can afford it.” Kallos pointed out that the sales brochure touts views above the 50th floor that will have unobstructed views. “They don’t even bother showing what views will look like for the first 100 feet,” said Kallos. Community Board 6 chair Sandro Sherrod told Our Town that the board, like Kallos, was just made aware of what’s being proposed at Sutton Place through constituents. But because the project is as of right, any plans that are filed with the Dept. of Buildings would not come before the board for review. “Our board does hold a longstanding position that development should be contextually appropriate to its immediate environment and we will be reaching out to the developer to learn more about this project and how it might impact the area,” said Sherrod. Kallos reinforced his opposition to the project as proposed and urged constituents to contact local elected officials

to voice their concerns. With enough community support, he said, it’s possible to insert a zoning text amendment or height restriction before the developer builds over 50 percent of the base of the building. “This is our chance, otherwise we will get a super-scraper in a residential neighborhood and we won’t be able to do anything about it,” said Kallos. “This is literally about the one percent having light and air, and the rest not.” But it’s clear from the sales brochure that the ability to build big is one of the assemblage’s biggest selling points, and that whoever buys the site will likely have plans to build as tall as possible. “Due to numerous restrictive co-ops, historical townhouses, and parks, Sutton Place has seen virtually no new ultraluxury residential development and will see no comparable opportunities in terms of size, scope, impact, or luxury,” said the brochure. “This is truly a one of a kind opportunity to build an instance classic that will impact the New York City skyline.”

Council Member Kallos’ District Office 244 East 93rd Street 9am - 6pm

For more information and voting locations, please visit BenKallos.com/PB

Eastsider

Advertise with Our Town today! 212-868-0190 or advertising@strausnews.com

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Sports

Asphalt Green’s 9U travel team

Asphalt Green’s 10U travel team

ASPHALT GREEN BASEBALL SET TO GO Asphalt Green Travel Baseball will be starting their season this weekend. The or-

ganization has three baseball teams in three different age groups, and look to continue to

build a positive learning environment for their teams. The 8U and 10U team are coached by veteran Asphalt Green baseball coach Nicolas Blanco, and

the 9U team is coached by Andrew Cresci. Coach Nicolas and the 8U team will be assisted by first year coach Matt Mullin.

SOHO LT MFG

462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $75 psf Call Mark @ Meringoff Properties 646.262.3900

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If you like Our Town, you’re gonna love getting a personal copy at home with Our Town-Eastsider! Everything you like about Our Town is now available delivered to your mailbox every week in Our Town - Eastsider From the very local news of your neighborhood to information about upcoming events and activities, the new home delivered edition of Our Town - Eastsider will keep you in-the-know. And best of all you won’t have to remember to grab a copy from the box or the mailroom every week.

It’s your neighborhood. It’s your news. And now it’s delivered directly to your mailbox every week!

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YES! Start my subscription to Our Town Eastsider right away! <HDU 6XEVFULSWLRQ #

1DPH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB $GGUHVV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB $SW BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 1HZ <RUN 1< =LS &RGH BBBBBBBBBBBBBB &HOO 3QRQH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB (PDLO $GGUHVV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 3D\PHQW E\ † &KHFN BBBBBBBBBBBBB † 0RQH\ 2UGHU † &UHGLW &DUG 1DPH RQ &UHGLW &DUG 3OHDVH 3ULQW BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB &DUG BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB ([SLUDWLRQ 'DWH BBBB BBBB BBBB 6LJQDWXUH RI &DUGKROGHU _____________________________________________________________ Return Completed Form to: Straus News, 20 West Avenue, Chester, NY, 10918

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

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

A LIFETIME OF PERFECT NOTES TOGETHER Pianists Max Barros and James Melo prep a pair of fully staged concerts BY MICKEY KRAMER

Pianist Max Barros was a self-described “almost legal” 17 and musicologist James Melo was 21 when they met in Brazil in 1981 at a piano audition for a college music program. They have been near-inseparable ever since. Barros and Melo, both from Brazil, had vastly divergent paths to their meeting at the Faculdade Santa Marcelina, in Sao Paulo. Barros started playing piano at age 6. Melo went to medical school for two years and worked as a chemist for Dow Chemical, before beginning to play in earnest after he turned 17. Melo and Barros would both receive their B.A. degrees in piano. Barros left Melo and Brazil in 1984 to begin a Master’s of Arts program at New York University. The two spent summers and holidays together, with many letters exchanged, and though not easy, according to Melo, the much quieter of the two, “the love bond was already so strong, we weren’t really worried [that it wouldn’t work out].” Barros lived at the 92nd Street Y dorms from 1984-1987, while attaining his Master’s degree from NYU. During his stay, he met Eve Wolf, who taught a chamber music program at the Y and became his first friend in New York City. Barros has performed and recorded all over the world. “I did my first recording at 26 and have not stopped.” Melo, after spending three years teaching in Brazil, joined Barros in New York City in 1987, where they have lived together ever since. He writes for music magazines, liner notes for CDs and for the past 16 years has worked for the ongoing bibliography and database project, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he’s now senior editor, while also teaching piano and music theory at the upper east side’s DillerQuaile Music School. In 2001, Melo and Barros, along with Wolf, founded the Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC), a group that presents fully staged theatrical concerts merging music, staged and scripted theater, literature, and visual arts. Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon will be performed from April 8-April 12 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The production dramatizes the face-to-face meeting between the French writer Jules Verne and the young American journalist Nelly Bly and interweaves a script based on Verne’s and Bly’s own words with French chamber music performed by

Max Barros (left) and James Melo (right) Barros, Wolf, and others. In addition, American music by Stephen Foster featuring live banjo, a barbershop quartet, and elaborate film and video projections will be included. ERC’s second 2015 production, The Sorrows of Young Werther, is slated for two shows on June 3-4 at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. This production will weave the drama of Goethe’s tale of obsessive and unrequited love with the music of Schumann, Schubert, Liszt, Brahms and others. Sitting down in their spacious living room, it’s impossible not to notice

that Barros, at 6’1”, towers over the more diminutive Melo. Both wear eyeglasses, and have been together so long they truly can finish each other’s thoughts; that, along with a Steinway piano and floor-to-ceiling book collection which includes works by Shakespeare and Dickens, Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and at least six copies of The Iliad. Melo estimates they have about 3,000 books. Following 16 years on West 79th street, Barros and Melo moved across the park to East 79th Street on December 31st, 2012. Their first meal as Upper East siders was New Year’s Eve

dinner at Italian restaurant, Firenze. For bibliophile Melo, the new locale is a dream. Along with being a member of the Morgan Library, he visits the New York Society Library, also on East 79th st, nearly every day. When asked about marriage, Barros recalled that they had a civil union ceremony, but, amusingly, neither recalled the date or year. Melo checked, and for the record, it was April 21, 2003. After 33 years together, Melo explains that “we’re such a compliment to each other. If it wasn’t for Max, I never would’ve come to New York

and had the great life and career that I love… The companionship, love, and care he shows for me… ” “James grounds me. I can easily ‘float’ with the art sometimes,” Barros concludes. “Everything I do, I do better [with James].”

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

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CLASSIFIEDS Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: 212-868-0190 | Fax: 212-2868-0190 Email: classified2@strausnews.com Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Deadline: 12pm the Friday before publication ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES LOMTO Federal Credit Union It’s hard to beat our great rates! Deposits federally insured to at least $250K (212)947-3380 ext.3144

ADOPTION ADOPTION: Unplanned Pregnancy? Caring licensed adoption agency provides financial and emotional support. Choose from loving pre-approved families. Call Joy toll free 1-866922-3678 or confidential email:Adopt@ForeverFamiliesThroughAdoption.org ANIMALS & PETS

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

Exciting Neighborhood Auction Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry. Sat April 18, 3pm. 1157 Lex Ave @ 80th St (garden ent next to All Souls) Prev & Reg 11am-3pm. Martine’s Auctions, 212-772-0900, martine-auctions@outlook.com

CAMPS/SCHOOLS Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5, 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com Loyola School 646-346-8132 www.loyolanyc.org admissions@loyolanyc.org River Park Nursery School 212-663-1205, www.river parknurseryschool.com York Preparatory School 212-362-0400 ext 133 www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org

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

EMPLOYMENT AVON Career or pocket money you decide Call Brandie (Ind Sls rep) 1-800-305-3911 Or sign up online: www.startavon.com Reference code:gsim For award winning support

Remember to: Recycle and Reuse

ENTERTAINMENT

Mohegan Sun Why Drive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com LIPS The Ultimate in Drag Dining & Best Place in NYC to Celebrate Your Birthday! 227 E 56th St., 212-675-7710 www.LipsUSA.com HEALTH SERVICES

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 High Colonic By Rachel Relieve constipation & bloating 24 yrs exp. 212-317-0467 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho 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; 1-877-936-6283; www.longislandivf.com ATTEND AVIATION COLLEGE– Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866296-7093 Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Career! Receive Hands On Training And National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes & Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. Veteran Benefits Eligible! 1-866-968-2577 MR.BULTS’S is currently hiring experienced Class A CDL Drivers in the NY state. If interested in applying, please text “Haul” to 55000 or www.mrbults.com/careers

HELP WANTED

Technician, Broadcast Network Operations Center at SiriusXM Radio: Serves as a team member in the Broadcast Network Operations Center. One 1 year to 2 years of technical experience in radio broadcast. Apply at https://careers-siriusxm. icims.com/jobs/10244/technician%2c-broadcast-network-operations-center/job WELDING CAREERS- Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL AIM 877-206-4006 Writer, Talk Programming at SiriusXM Radio: Writes and produces monologues, bits, segments, scripted series, and other content formats. 4 years exp on writing staff in radio, tv, internet, or print. Apply at https://careers-siriusxm. icims.com/jobs/10235/writer%2c-talk-programming/job

The Volunteer Referral Center & Bellevue Hospital Center Present

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN HEALTHCARE Use your career skills or develop new ones to make a difference in a healthcare setting DATE: Thursday, April 16, 2015 TIME: 3:00 to 6:00 PM LOCATION: Bellevue Hospital Center, Saul Farber Auditorium, 27th Street and First Avenue ADMISSION IS FREE RSVP to reserve your place 212.889.4805

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com

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

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

Fresh California Organic Walnuts, home grown, hand picked. Reduces the risk of heart disease. One of the best plant source of protein, Omega 3 and E &B vitamins. $12 a pound shelled, $5 a pound in shell, plus shipping. Perry Creek Walnuts 530-503-9705 perrycreekwalnuts.com perrycreekwalnuts@hotmail.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

SERVICES OFFERED

WANTED TO BUY

Pandora Jewelry Unforgettable Moments 412 W Broadway - Soho, NYC 212-226-3414

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers NYC’s Coolest Place to Skate! ChelseaPiers.com/sr 212-336-6100

CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps, Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NY: 1-800959-3419

REAL ESTATE - RENT

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

CONTRACT FELL THRU! 5 acres- $19,900 or $254/month! 70% below market! Gorgeous woods, 5 miles to Cooperstown! G’teed buildable! Town rd, utils. Call: 888-905-8847 or go to newyorklandandlakes.com Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. New models from $85,000. 772-581-0080, www.beachcove.com UPSTATE NY WATERFRONT! 11 acres- $69,900 Beautiful woods on bass lake 5 miles to Cooperstown! Private setting for camp, cabin or year round home! Terms avail! 888-479-3394 NewYorkLandandLakes.com SERVICES OFFERED

Allstate - The Wright Agency Anthony Wright 718 671 8000 Ao65989@allstate.com Auto.home.life.retirement CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 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

WANTED TO BUY

I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com

Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com

Antique, Flea & Farmers Market SINCE 1979

East 67th Street Market

(between First & York Avenues) Open EVERY Saturday 6am-5pm Rain or Shine Indoor & Outdoor FREE Admission Questions? Bob 718.897.5992 Proceeds Benefit PS 183

ANTIQUES WANTED

TOP PRICES PAID

Chinese Objects Paintings, Jewelry Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased

800.530.0006

AU C T I O N Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry

EXCITING NEIGHBORHOOD AUCTION

Saturday, April 18, 3pm 1157 Lexington Ave @ East 80th St (Garden entrance next to All Souls) Preview & Registration 11am-3pm

Martine’s Auctions, 212 772 0900 martine-auctions@outlook.com Martine’s Auctions, Lic. #2006090-DCA

DOG TRAINING

CERTIFIED DOG TRAINING IN YOUR HOME Vet Recommended Bonded & Insured Excellent References

ALEX HIMEL (H) 516.767.0747 (C) 516.633.3384 WE BUY-TOP DOLLAR PAID Fine & Costume Jewelry Gems-Silver-Gold-Jade Antiques-Art-Rugs Call Gregory@718 608 5854 Certified GIA Gemologist

Stephen Feldman, Lic. #1440856-DCA

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 66 JOHN STREET, 11TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR MIMI'S RESTAURANT CORP. TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE AN ENCLOSED E SIDEWALK CAFE AT 984 2ND AVE IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OFs g FOUR YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004.

G E

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COME HOME TO GLENWOOD

MANHATTAN’S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS

453*,*/(-: *.13&44*7& ".&/*5*&4 "/% 4&37*$&4

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