Chelsea Now - October 24, 2019

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Chelsea VOLUME 11, ISSUE 42

YO U R W E E K LY C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S E R V I N G C H E L S E A , H U D S O N YA R D S & H E L L’S K I T C H E N

Leading march against Trump

DOGGY’S PLAY

Early Howl-oween parade at Tompkins Square Park

OCTOBER 24, 2019

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Baggy birds ďŹ ll trees at Hudson ‘Scare’

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

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This pooch was dressed like the infamous Chuck y doll in the ‘Child’s Play’ horror film series

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Anti-Trump protesters march to prez’s tower

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH & MILO HESS

A

lmost 200 people marched from Union Square to Trump Tower last weekend calling for the removal of President Donald Trump.

The Oct. 19 procession to 725 Fifth Ave. was part of a protest organized by Refuse Fascism, an anti-Trump, antiMike Pence group formed in December 2016.

“We need a coalition — Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, traditional religion, agnostics, atheists,” said Dr. Cornel West, one of the leaders of the march and founders of Refuse Fascism, to a crowd of protesters at Union Square. “This is a question of what kind of human being you are going to be in this particular moment when the neo-fascist are not just here but all over the world … this is a profoundly human affair and that’s why we march.”

Once at Trump Tower, protesters raised signs to spell out #OUTNOW and created their own “tower” of items representing “crimes of this regime” including baby shoes for the children detained at the southern border and plastic bottles for rollbacks to environmentally progressive legislation.

Saturday’s demonstration was the first of five Refuse Fascism protests scheduled to take place in the city on Saturdays’ at Union Square until Nov. 16.

According to Carl Dix, co-founder of Refuse Fascism and representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, organizers hope that protesters will instigate mass demonstrations like what took place this summer in Puerto Rico and Hong Kong and create a grassroots movement to force President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to be removed from office.

Those interested in joining the protests can stop by Union Square this Saturday at 2 p.m.

A second #OUTNOW protest took place in Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Pier on Saturday. But a scuffle broke about between anti-Trump protesters and Trump supporters during which a man sprayed bear repellent into the crowd, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A total of 13 cities, including, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Houston and Honolulu, will hold sister anti-Trump protests on Saturday, Oct. 26.

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October 24, 2019

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Spooky bag birds highlight ‘Hudson Scare’

BY GABE HERMAN

T

hese days, perhaps the only thing scarier than Halloween is singleuse plastics.

The Hudson Square Business Improvement District (BID) has installed an art display as part of its “Hudson Scare” celebration that highlights recycling and sustainability.

“Forevermore” is a series of over 150 birds made from plastic bags, tin foil, newspaper and other reused materials from artists Vicky Shum and Zofi Lipton. The birds have been placed in trees throughout the neighborhood, including in Spring Street Park and Freeman Plaza East.

The concept is to combine the Halloween celebration with highlighting the “ghostly” presence of single-use plastics, according to the BID, even as the city and state enact green policies to reduce use of single-use plastic bags.

“The ‘Forevermore’ project combines Hudson Square’s spirit of creativity with our commitment to sustainability,” said the BID’s President Ellen Baer. “The displays are meant to encourage people to get outside to explore and enjoy the neighborhood as much as possible during the month of October.”

The trashy birds will be on display

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUDSON SQUARE BID

Celebrating Halloween and promoting eco-friendliness, the Hudson Square Business Improvement District recently installed “Forevermore,” a series of over 150 birds made primarily from plastic bags, as par t of its “Hudson Scare” program.

through the end of October. All of the plastic bags will be kept for reuse in future projects. The green theme of the bird project was also inspired by the BID’s tree planting program, “Hudson Square Standard,” which has installed

250 trees with plans for 100 more in the next three years, the BID noted.

Other events in Hudson Scare, which runs through Oct. 31, include discounted cocktails and signature beverages at Whitman’s, Seven Grams Caffe, Brook-

lyneer, Adoro Lei, Café Altro Paradiso and the Arlo Hotel. There is also a costume contest where people can submit costume photos to the BID through Instagram or by emailing info@hudsonsquarebid.org.

Officer guilty of beating teen at Fulton Houses

BY ALEX MITCHELL

T

he NYPD officer accused of mercilessly beating a handcuffed 19-year-old man in a Chelsea NYCHA project and later lying about the incident was convicted by Manhattan prosecutors on ct. 17.

A New York State Supreme Court judge found the 49-year-old Bronx man and NYPD member Elijah Saladeen guilty on misdemeanor assault charges and first degree charges on offering a false instrument for filing, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

He was said to have punched the handcuffed Jeremy Santiago repeatedly in both the face and the head at the Fulton Houses on West 17th Street and later taking Santiago into a corner to continuously assault him while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, according to the DA’s office.

Court video shows Saladeen striking and grounding Santiago in the corner of an elevator bay while he was investigating a call about trespassing on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2017.

That violent video, which showed Santiago’s face getting bloodied, was played during the end of his trial on Friday, Oct. 11.

“Saladeen dragged the victim to the

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October 24, 2019

FILE PHOTO

The Fulton Houses

rear of the building and punched him again in the ribs and abdomen,” a DA statement says.

While his partner, officer Natalie Roman, tried to pull Saladeen off Santiago, video shows that he continues to strike the 19-year-old while shoving him into a corner for several more seconds.

“The alleged conduct does not only

violate the oath he took to protect and to serve; it also weakens the public trust in law enforcement,” Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said in August of 2018 when Saladeen was indicted on charges.

Saladeen later made false statements about the incident and the nature of the victim’s injuries to his supervisors and to prosecutors, as well as in official

charging documents and police reports, according to Vance.

“This 19-year veteran of the NYPD assaulted a young man, and then lied about it,” said Vance noting that both his public corruption unit and the NYPD internal affairs bureau were instrumental to the conviction.Saladeen is expected to be sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 12, according to the DA’s office.

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October 24, 2019

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Police Blotter 6th Precinct Greenwich Village

Failed bank thief cuffed

Phone thief harasses victim A man had his cellphone stolen at the corner of Sullivan and Bleecker streets, according to police.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, around 10:50 p.m., the 24-year-old male victim was on his cellphone in front of 165 Bleecker St. when he said he was approached by a man who started to argue with him.

When the victim tried to walk away from the man, the stranger ran up to him and pushed him against a wall, police said.

The suspect then took the victim’s

cellphone, valued at over $1,000, from his hand, according to police.

The victim asked for his phone back but the man refused and walked away.

The victim suffered redness and pain to his right elbow from being pushed and went to the bar JoJo’s Philosophy at 169 Bleecker St. to get help.

The alleged robber followed him inside. Bouncers escorted the suspect out of the location.

Renato Pareja, 31, was arrested that day for felony robbery — Gabe Herman

Cracked skull on 34th Street

Crook sought for pilfering office

There was an attempted robbery at the Chase Bank at 340 Sixth Ave., police said.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., a man approached a window in the bank and held up a sign that read, “2000 large bills,” police said.

No money was turned over to the would-be thief, and the man fled southbound on Sixth Avenue.

Police searched the area with negative results, but three days later, Spencer Heelan, 32, was arrested for the attempted robbery.

— Gabe Herman

5th Precinct

Cops are looking for the thief who recently pilfered the office of an East Village gym.

Law enforcement sources said the larceny occurred at 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 1. at the New York Sports Club at 20 Astor Place.

According to police, the perpetrator allegedly entered the office and took a wallet belonging to a 32-yearold woman, which also contained several credit cards. He then bolted from the scene.

Authorities said the suspect later

made several attempts to charge items to the cards, but was unsuccessful.

Police released surveillance images of the man wanted for grand larceny in the 9th Precinct, and anyone with information about his identity can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website, nypdcrimestoppers.com, or send a direct message on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

— Gabe Herman

Soho

Burglar hits local eatery Police are looking for a man wanted for a break-in at the Smile To Go restaurant on Friday, Oct. 18.

Around 7:15 p.m., officials say a man entered through a side door of the eatery at 22 Howard St. Once inside, the man allegedly entered the restaurant’s office and took $200, before fleeing in an unknown direction.

— Gabe Herman

9/11 victim identified through DNA The 1,645th person killed in the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center in 2001 has been identified, according to the City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

On Friday, Oct. 18, OCME announced that it has identified a man through DNA testing of remains recovered in 2001. The man’s name is being withheld at the request of his family, however.

The identification is the third to happen in 2019 — the other two were announced in June (a man) and in July (a woman). Their names were also withheld.

The OCME’s discovery is part of an effort, which started in 2011, to identify all 2,753 people reported missing from the disaster. There are still 1,108 victims (40 percent) who remain unidentified.

— Shaye Weaver

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding an assailant who attacked a man at a Midtown subway station and left him with a fractured skull.

At 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, authorities said, the suspect punched a 28-year-old man in the face during an argument inside the 34th Street and 8th Avenue subway station mezzanine.

According to police, the blow knocked the 28-year-old off his feet and caused him to fall to the ground.

During the fall, the victim struck his head on a station handrail, causing him to black out.

Police said that the assailant then ran out of the subway station in an unknown direction.

The victim later sought medical attention at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, New York. Once admitted, he was found to have a fractured skull and brain swelling.

The incident was reported to the 14th Precinct. Police officers were unable to give an update to the victim’s current condition.

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of this male is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls and messages are kept confidential.

— Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech

The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 Copyright © 2019 by Schneps Media is published weekly by Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. 52 times a year. Business and Editorial Offices: One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Call 718-260-2500 to subscribe. Periodicals postage prices is paid at New York, N.Y. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Villager, One Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2019 Schneps Media.

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City cleaning up nightlife on Lower East Side

BY GABE HERMAN

A

new city plan from the Office of Nightlife will address quality of life issues on the Lower East Side through a set of measures that include new rules for parking and trash removal, Mayor de Blasio announced on Tuesday.

The plan, which also includes an awareness campaign to urge keeping late night noise to a minimum and not crowding sidewalks, applies to a sixblock area on Ludlow and Orchard streets, running between Houston and Delancey streets.

The Department of Transportation will implement a “No Standing” rule daily from midnight to 6 a.m. on the west side of the streets, and from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the east side of the streets. The aim is to reduce congestion and noise by removing standing vehicles, according to the announcement.

The Department of Sanitation will alter its street sweeper schedule, operating from 3 to 6 a.m. instead of midnight to 3 a.m. The former schedule was seen as less efficient since there is still a lot of night life on streets during those hours.

The Lower East Side Partnership, the local business improvement district, will be cleaning streets daily and

FILE PHOTO

Ariel Palitz, the cit y’s “nightlife mayor” — with city agenc y officials behind her — addressing a 2018 town hall in Manhattan on nightlife.

for a total of 200 hours a week. Council Member Margaret Chin allocated $40,000 in capital funds for LES Partnership to buy a power washer truck, and allocated $30,000 to the BID for cleaning Ludlow St., which is outside the group’s official boundaries.

TLC will also patrol the area, to crack down on for-hire cars double

parked and making unauthorized pickups. It will do random late-night patrols at least once every weekend.

The Office of Nightlife also announced a “Night Owl” etiquette campaign, which will urge common sense nightlife considerations such as keeping noise down and keeping sidewalks clean and clear. PSA’s will appear on

LinkNYC kiosks in the area.

The plan comes after Downtown residents expressed past skepticism over the Office of Nightlife’s role and how effective it would be. The mayor created the office in 2017. Ariel Palitz was appointed the fi rst “Nightlife Mayor” the following year, and then went on a citywide listening tour.

“The world loves New York nightlife, but we also have to take care of the New Yorkers who live where others play,” said Mayor de Blasio as part of Tuesday’s announcement. “We are creating cleaner, quieter streets to improve quality of life while ensuring bars, restaurants and clubs can thrive.”

The targeted area in the LES has over 80 food and beverage establishments and has racked up many complaints of excessive noise, congestion, and trash. The new plan was designed with input and support from residents, business owners, workers and local officials, the mayor said.

Alysha Lewis-Coleman, chair of Community Board 3, lauded the plan and its aims to address nightlife problems like honking, trash and congestion.

“We particularly look forward to the etiquette campaign to address the noise complaints of residents,” LewisColeman said.

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FIT mural honors school’s 75th anniversary

BY GABE HERMAN

S

tudents at the Fashion Institute of Technology have unveiled a sprawling mural that includes 90 panels to celebrate the Chelsea school’s 75th anniversary.

The work called “ChalkFIT” covers the outside of school buildings from 26th to 28th streets along Seventh Avenue. Each panel represents a different year, going back to the school’s founding in 1944 and stretching several years into the future. The panels are presented chronologically and each student was allowed to pick the subject or theme of the assigned year.

The creative panels represent a wide variety of themes, from music and art to politics and social movements. There are several related to the Civil Rights Movement, including tributes to Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kenny Washington, who in 1946 was one of the first African American players in the NFL. The 2009 panel, by Yei Mo Yang, is called “Yes We Did” and honors President Barack Obama as the first African American president.

“I wanted to emphasize how this was one of the most iconic and most ‘American’ moments in history,” Yang wrote of her work.

The mural project is led by Professor

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

The panels go several years into the future.

Dan Shefelman, who has overseen the annual project since its 2013 launch.

Past themes have included innovation, the human experience, and resilience after the 2016 Chelsea bombing.

Shefelman noted that many of the panels include multiple subjects, like

crossing “Star Wars” and “Saturday Night Fever” in 1977, or genetically modified food and video games for 1994. “They’ve been trained for years to combine concepts,” he said of the students.

The 2017 panel depicts the Women’s

March and Billie Jean King is the subject of the 1973 panel, called “Power of She.” “I placed her in space using tennis balls as planets,” noted artist Yon Hee Allen of that panel, “and chose a bright color palette that worked well with the theme.”

Several panels through the decades explore technological issues. The 1998 panel, called “Memphis,” is by Joey de Haas, who said the two big things that stuck out from that year were the launch of Windows 98 and the founding of Google.

“I wanted to do a piece inspired by the aesthetics of Windows 98 that was devoted to the idea of searching the web for… anything,” de Haas said.

“The world is your oyster. I titled the piece ‘Memphis’ as a nod to the fact that in early development, Windows 98 was called Windows Memphis. Do you know how I know that? Google.”

Some of the panels also have augmented reality through an app called Arilyn. The features can include music from the time period and a history of that year.

The murals get a lot of attention from people walking by, and Shefelman said the responses are generally very positive and respectful. He said the panels have turned out very well this year.

“I feel great about it,” he said.

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11

Editorial

Continuing to fail our most vulnerable

C

ity Comptroller Scott Stringer blasted City Hall on Oct. 21 with a report that demonstrated just how much our government has failed to protect the most vulnerable people who live here.

According to Stringer, the number of domestic violence victims living in the city’s family shelter system has spiked by 44 percent over the last five years. These survivors now account for 41 percent of the family shelter population in this city.

But worse than that, Stringer’s report found that the city isn’t doing nearly enough to help these victims — who have already been through horrible situations — get back on their feet.

The city limits the stay of victims in crisis shelters to 180 days; if they can’t fi nd proper, permanent housing for these victims, they are sent to another shelter.

Stringer also said the housing vouchers offered to these survivors aren’t anywhere close financially to what’s needed to help them afford sky-high rents in this city.

None of this should surprise any of us, at this point. The past decade has seen an unprecedented rise in homelessness matched by evidence of a city government either too overwhelmed, too inadequate or too apathetic to meet this challenge.

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Turning the Tide on Homelessness” plan has proven to be as useful as shoveling sand into the ocean during high tide. Communities across the city are still fighting proposed shelters tooth and nail — partly because of NIMBYism, true, but the size and scope of these shelters (potentially housing hundreds) is indeed cause for serious concern. The subways are riddled with homeless people sleeping on benches or amid filthy train cars.

It’s galling and shameful that the people we elected to run this city can’t figure out what to do to help those in the most need. We’re supposed to be the most progressive city in America with policies designed not to leave anyone behind from economic opportunity and a better life.

And yet, here we are with a City Hall utterly incapable of finding a domestic violence victim and their children a decent place to live in peace and rebuild their lives.

It’s enough to move you to tears. We only wish it would move City Hall to action.

Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and Manhattan Express PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER CEO & CO-PUBLISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF REPORTERS

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October 24, 2019

VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS ROBERT POZARYCKI GABE HERMAN ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL MARK HALLUM MICHELE HERMAN BOB KRASNER TEQUILA MINSKY MARY REINHOLZ PAUL SCHINDLER MARCOS RAMOS CLIFFORD LUSTER (718) 260-2504 CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM GAYLE GREENBURG JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO ELIZABETH POLLY

Member of the New York Press Association

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Member of the Minority Women Business Enterprise

BY GABE HERMAN

T

he Dec. 23, 1971 issue of The Villager featured an article with the headline, “Art Groupies Invade SoHo For Benefit Auction.”

The auction at the LoGiudice Gallery was to raise money for Sundance, a new magazine for news, art and poetry. The event brought out some big names, including Al-

len Ginsberg, Jerry Rubin and Rip Torn.

A total of 78 works of art and nine sets of manuscripts were on the block.

Among the sold items was a medicine chest that belonged to John Lennon, which went for $120.

The biggest seller was an untitled small, galvanized iron box by the artist Donald Judd, which went for $1,000.

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Op-Ed

Letters to the Editor

Renewing Lenox Hill

BY DR. JILL K ALMAN AND MICHAEL DOWLING

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very year, Lenox Hill Hospital treats more than 163,000 patients who rely on us for some of the most critical moments in their lives, whether that’s delivering a newborn baby or performing life-saving surgery. Since 1857, the hospital has been caring for New York and pioneering cutting-edge innovations in health care and treatments.

As a premier medical institution, Lenox Hill Hospital must remain adaptable to keep pace with change. That’s why we have put forward a plan to revitalize the hospital so we can continue to provide our patients and the community with exceptional care for decades to come.

Currently, Lenox Hill Hospital is comprised of ten buildings, many constructed over a century ago. While it has served our community well, the buildings are not configured and equipped to effectively deliver 21st century care. Although we have invested more than $200 million in capital improvements to upgrade the hospital’s facilities since 2010, increasing costs to maintain the facility make it exorbitantly expensive to continue to deliver the highest quality care.

Northwell Health undertook a rigorous, multi-year strategic planning effort to establish the appropriate design for the hospital.

This planning looked decades ahead to identify the hospital and community’s needs, using rigorous analytics as well as input from Lenox Hill Hospital’s expert staff including surgeons, doctors, and nurses.

Our proposed plan maintains the same approximate number of patient beds — with only a 25-bed increase — and converts all rooms to private rooms, providing adequate space for caregivers and families and reducing risks from infection.

Larger clinical areas and operating rooms will support new cutting-edge technology, a larger emergency room will dramatically improve care for people during a critical time of need, a dedicated off-street ER entrance would protect patients from inclement weather and

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traffic, and we are seeking to improve traffic congestion during the hospital’s busiest times.

A rebuilt Lenox Hill Hospital will also expand its critical community work, focusing on everything from creating shared, programmable community spaces to a more welcoming and accessible streetscape. In order to finance this project, we will be incorporating a residential building on the site, which our strategic planning made clear was the only way to finance the hospital’s revitalization.

We are early on in the approval process and are committed to open communication and working collaboratively with the Upper East Side and citywide communities as we move thoughtfully through this process.

We presented our preliminary plans to Community Board 8’s Zoning and Development Committee in March to introduce and explain how a revitalized hospital can allow us to continue providing world class care to the community. Since this meeting, we’ve had many conversations with community members, including the hundreds who have signed up on our dedicated project website and countless neighbors and community groups.

On Sept. 12, we hosted an open house at Lenox Hill Hospital to hear more from our community and again presented to Community Board 8 on Sept. 19. We will also be organizing a series of working groups with our community members to hear more of their valuable input.

We are serious about creating a dynamic place where our neighbors visit not only when sick but also healthy, because improving the wellness and quality of life for the people and communities we serve is Lenox Hill Hospital’s core mission.

Revitalizing Lenox Hill Hospital will help us achieve these goals, creating the hospital of the future our staff, physicians, patients, and the community deserve. We look forward to continue working with the community as we move forward in this process.

Kalman is executive director of Lenox Hill Hospital; Dowling is president and CEO of Northwell Health, the hospital’s parent company.

Remembering Steve

Signs of the times

Steve Dalachinsky was a dynamic poet, with character and style and raw lyric power (“Hungry for Everything: Soho poet dies at 72,” Sept.

27). I was privileged to read with him, to know him as part of the downtown scene in the 1990s. I’m so glad he influenced younger poets as well, so that they could see there was something finer and deeper than the conformist politics of academic literary scenes they’d be pressured to enter.

When one’s art and one’s life become whole, what could be better? A true and lasting love – Yuko – many, many friends, and a persistence, devotion, and reverence for art in all its forms, a willingness to push one’s own creativity in new directions, and to trust that process!

Wow! Steve was an example to all of us!

Destinations on the M14A reading “West Village Abingdon Square” have been changed to “West Side” on Select Bus Service. Sounds like NYCTA has made their decision for buses to terminate at 14th and Tenth Avenue.

Local politicians must fight for us. Service is needed south of 14th Street, especially for the senior community.

Sharon Olinka

More needed for busway Regarding the 14th Street Busway (Oct. 10): Cleared bus lanes, good! Faster travel, good. Removal of bus stops along 14th Street, very hard on older folks. Please reinstate a stop on corner of 5th Avenue and 14th Street. It could be on the west side.

The resituating of stops on Avenue A is hard on us too.

Please, now that the bus has cleared lanes and moves so much faster, reinstate them.

Mike Conway

Calls for more safety On the reduction of the West Side Highway speed limit (Oct. 17): The intersection at 10th Avenue/Horatio Street and West Street is one of the most dangerous in the city. I know of two pedestrian deaths and many accidents there.

Since there is a long diagonal crossing for cars going from 10th Avenue to West Street, cars pick up speed before they encounter pedestrians crossing properly at the same time.

More time to cross the highway for pedestrians and split-phase signals would help insure no conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians/bicyclists to and from the Greenway/Hudson River Park Jaimie Cortena Email your Letters to the Editor to news@thevillager.com or drop us a comment on our website, thevillager.com.

Anne Boster

Local News Read all about it!

thevillager.com October 24, 2019

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BY VINCENT BARONE TA board members Monday called for a more targeted enforcement of fare evasion and questioned the authority’s move to hire hundreds of new police officers.

The members joined advocates in fearing that the cost of hiring 500 new cops would lead to worsening transit service as the MTA faces massive budget gaps. The ramp up in officers comes while crime in the transit system generally trends down, but as Governor Andrew Cuomo and his MTA have focused on “quality of life� concerns, including subway homelessness and an increase in fare evasion. “We need to make sure, in the scarce resources that we have, that we are using dollars as effectively as possible. I worry that we’re not,� said MTA board member Robert Linn, on the millions that would have to go toward paying new officers, during a board meeting Monday.

The MTA has estimated that it lost about $225 million in revenue to fare evasion last year and expects that number to rise in 2019. At the same time, the additional cops, as well as 81 new supervisors, would cost the authority $260 million over the course of the next five years, according to a calculation from the Citizens Budget Commission.

Advocates said every added expense counts at an authority that is facing a billion-dollar operating budget gap in the offing. “Our groups are concerned that increasing spending on mat police will reduce the MTA’s ability to maintain a high level of transit service,� said Rachael Fauss, of the good government group Reinvent Albany, during public testimony Monday. “This is the MTA’s core responsibility and its budget woes have already led to changes in bus service and reductions of subway cleaning staff with more cuts likely in the month ahead as the 2020 budget is fi nalized.�

Some board members, like Larry Schwartz, have pushed for a host of new techniques to fight the offense. Schwartz has called for adding more cops; installing more subway surveillance cameras and even bringing back the shrieking siren of the subway emergency gates—only with an increased, deafening volume. The MTA has already tried piloting the old sirens at several busy stations.

Transit President Andy Byford has begun discussing new subway turnstile designs — an albeit costly solution. Byford said the MTA would be testing a wider fare entry system, using paddles instead of turnstiles.

The design would eliminate the MTA’s dependence on its emergency gates, which facilitate fare evasion but are necessary access points for certain riders, according to the MTA. But fare evasion rates are higher on the bus, where roughly one in four riders don’t pay to ride, according to MTA data. The lost revenue from the top five bus routes with the worst fare evasion rates equal about the same in lost revenue from the top 50 subway stations with the worst rates, according to data Linn said he had acquired from the MTA. “We do need a targeted tragedy for some of the most egregious losses of revenue in our system. Let’s focus our resources there,� said Veronica Vanterpool, another MTA board member.

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Remembering NYU film professor Baskin

BY JANE HEIL USYK

L

ast week on Oct. 1, I wandered up to Le Pain Quotidien on Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue, ordered a coffee, and sat facing the windows and Eighth Street. I wondered why I was doing this, and the answer came: to see if Arnie walks by. It would have been very bizarre if he had, because he died on Sept. 24th.

Arnold Baskin was a superb guy who had spent years in Paris in the 1970s and had become an expert on French cinema (and all things French) and parlayed that into teaching jobs — first at Boston University and then, for 40 years at NYU, where he was a tenured associate professor of film at Tisch School of the Arts.

Arnie was a kind of cultural conduit, an international yenta, so to speak. He introduced people he thought should meet each other and as a result, their lives were larger, and grander, and more international.

He had an apartment in Washington Square Village on Bleecker Street and lived partly in an apartment on Eighth Street, where his companion of 40 years, Tia Lemke, lived. Arnie kept an eye on Tia, and was a constant wise presence in her life. They “adopted” a tiny Maltipoo named Alfie, and took him with them everywhere until he died some years ago.

He had done stints in Paris, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Israel, and Romania. He learned Cuban and Puerto Rican dances, which he danced for the rest of his life. He had an 18-month internship in filmmaking in Puerto Rico at the beginning of his career.

COURTESY JANE HEIL USYK

Arnie, Tia and Alfie.

He was a writer, director, and cinematographer at the Public Broadcast Laboratory in New York City, at ORTF (French Television), and at Israel Television. He was made a chevalier in the Order of the Palmes Academiques by the Prime Minister of France and in 1998, he won a distinguished teaching medal at NYU. He taught a course required of every entering freshman, “Sight and Sound,” in which each student is required to write, direct and create five short films and work on each others’ films. It is a

very high-pressure course at 14 weeks long — there is not a lot of time for thinking and ruminating, and students have to focus and create, constantly.

He spoke several languages well — French, Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian.

He had been born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to a Jewish family when Brownsville was almost all Jewish.

He had two older brothers. The oldest had been killed in World War II. The middle one, Alex, had retired as a history professor at the State University of

New York at Stony Brook when he died about five years ago.

I had known him for about 15 years, but I don’t recall how I met him, except that it had something to do with my filmmaker cousin Stuart, who lived on Great Jones Street. Someone invited us to his grand 70th birthday party, hosted by Tia, at Gonzales y Gonzales on Broadway and Houston streets. It was a crowded event, with food and drink and great live Cuban music. It was very cheerful and Arnie danced a lot.

Arnie turned Bruno’s at LaGuardia Place into his version of the Select in Paris, continuing the sociable French practice of hosting groups of friends outdoors at cafes. When Bruno’s closed, he moved his coffee hours to Silver Spurs down the street, a diner with a sizable outdoor section. But when Silver Spurs also closed, Arnie’s coffee hours ended, too.

We never went to one of his classes, but we knew, because he talked about it, that a major feature of an early class would be “cheap restaurants.” Students new to the Village and to NYU were already spending plenty, Arnie reasoned, and they needed guidance on where to eat cheaply. He told them about Chinatown’s very cheap dumplings and Mamoun’s, where you can get a falafel sandwich for only a few dollars. Students learned a lot about cheap food in Arnie’s classes and had great conversations in addition to learning about movies. To some of us, that was really all you needed.

And if any former students hit the big time, they had an obligation to take Arnie to lunch at Peter Luger, the steakhouse in Brooklyn.

Saturday party wraps up 10th Hester Street fair

BY GABE HERMAN

T

he Hester Street Fair will wrap up its 10th season with a closing party on Oct. 26.

The Saturday event, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Seward Park, will include a collage activity, coffee from local cafe Round K, music by Mari MacDowell, Nice Groove and Zebra Blood, and plenty of food and fashion from local vendors.

The Hester Street Fair was launched in 2010 by MTV host SuChin Pak and local architect Ron Castellano, with the goal of bringing new cultural programming to the Lower East Side, along with promoting local businesses.

The fair was taken over in 2016 by David Komurek, who said that what surprised him most during his first year was “the sense of community with all the vendors and the power of making real-world connections with people.”

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Komurek added several regular events, including an Ice Cream Social,

Kids Day, Coffee Competition, the city’s first CBD fair, and an all-female

Girl Power event.

Some of the fair’s events also promote charities like the Lower East Side Girls Club, Trinity Place Shelter, Green Beetz and Equality Florida. Local businesses continue to be featured, including the new cookie company baKD, which was founded by a Lower East Side local and was recently profiled in The Villager.

“I would definitely say that the fair is continuing to grow and that this current season, our tenth, shows solid proof,” according to Janine Ciccone, the fair’s producer. “We have gained the attendance of many new vendors and the interest of more creatives who would like to use our space as an extension of their vision. It’s been fantastic.”

Seward Park is located at the corner of Canal and Essex Streets. The full lineup for the fair’s Oct. 26 closing event can be found at hesterstreetfair. com.

October 24, 2019

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EARLY HALLOWEEN HOWL AT TOMPKINS SQ.

Despite the rain, the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade was held on Sunday, Oct. 20. Spectators and scores of costumed canines attended the festivities at East River Park. Here are some of the highlights.

PHOTOS BY MILO HESS

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October 24, 2019

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Join us at the Google NYC Learning Center Register online for free classes and workshops to help you grow your skills, career, or business.

111 8th Ave Open Monday through Saturday g.co/GrowNYC

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October 24, 2019

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Traffic-stopping ‘Karavan’ at Whitney

BY TEQUIL A MINSK Y

C

rowds of art lovers sat in the middle of Gansevoort St., which was closed to traffic, in front of the Whitney Museum last Saturday.

The road was covered with a thick carpet of green grass, providing a mini-park for listening to steam-whistled tunes emanating from a calliope housed in a parade wagon at the corner of West Street for a one-day presentation/installation. Free cotton candy and popcorn were given out adding to this carnival-like atmosphere.

“Katastwóf Karavan” by Kara Walk-

sented “black protest and celebration” and included the music of Jimmy Cliff, Guy Carawan, Pete Seeger, Jimi Hendenrix, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Prince as well as traditional songs.

Whitney exhibiting artist Jason Moran played a keyboard that activated the steam pipes until the event wrapped up at 6 p.m.

The “Katastwóf Karavan” originally showed as a commissioned site-specific work at the Mississippi River Trail in New Orleans in February 2018. Its “Katastwóf” title is Haitian Creole for “catastrophe,” and refers to the violent and dehumanizing experiences for the slaves.

er featured her signature silhouette figures on the wagon’s sides and were combined with a 32-note steam calliope resembling those on Mississippi River steamboats.

The work references 19th riverboats, Industrial Revolution-era inventions, and slavery in the American south.

On one of the longer panels, an enslaved family marches under their overseer’s wielding a whip. One short side of the wagon presents a black woman in profile in the woods, her gaze toward the sky; the other short side shows a cotton field of white bolls floating upward.

Walker programmed the customfabricated instrument with a compilation of songs — playing at set times during the afternoon — that repre-

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October 24, 2019

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WHISTLE & FIZZ HAS A BUBBLY TWIST ON COFFEE AND TEA

BY GABE HERMAN

T

here are certainly no shortage of coffee and tea shops these days, but one place in The Village has a unique spin on the drinks.

Whistle & Fizz at 254 Greene St. serves some truly special carbonated and nitrogen-infused coffee and tea.

The shop opened in May in a small space between Waverly Place and East 8th Street. It offers a “12-tap draft system,” including Cold Brew + Lemonade; Nitro Mango; Nutella Latte; Hazelnut Orange Latte; and a seasonal Black Sesame Latte. There are also traditional teas and espresso drinks for the less adventurous.

“The carbonated coffee and tea has the same effect as seltzer water or traditional soda – the bubbles hit the back of your throat and really quenches your thirst,” according to Alexandra Wong, a barista at the shop. “While

the nitrogen creates small bubbles and provides a smooth, creamy taste and texture without any dairy, like in a pint of Guinness.”

Whistle and Fizz was started by three college friends, including NYU alumni Jamie Wong and Kevin Kong, and product engineer Ping Lu. “At Whistle & Fizz, we are transforming what people have come to expect from coffee and tea,” said Wong.

“It was natural for us to plant our seeds in such a diverse community, and we hope to become a mainstay in the years to come.”

The shop has gotten glowing reviews so far, including five out of five stars on Yelp for the drinks and friendly staff.

One reviewer wrote that he came on the recommendation of a friend and was hesitant to try the Cold Brew Lemonade. After some convincing by a staff member, however, he tried it and wrote, “it was absolutely delicious. The coffee

Feast your eyes on local ‘Gourmands’

BY SHAYE WEAVER

E

ach year, the Michelin Guide awards restaurants in New York City with its Bib Gourmand distinction, and this year, list includes 133 restaurants spanning cuisines from Korean to Balkan and more.

Having the Bib Gourmand distinction means inspectors were able to enjoy an affordable yet “remarkable” dining experience, according to the organization.

Those with the distinction offer a full menu — starter, main course and dessert — for around $40 or less per person.

Manhattan alone this year made out with eight more Bib Gourmand eateries, with three in the East Village, including Violet, by chef Matt Hyland, which serves crispy, grilled pizza in the Al Forno style from Providence, RI. Brooklyn boasts seven more awarded restaurants, including the Taiwanese Win Son and Klein’s at the Hoxton Hotel.

Queens has three additional restaurants that qualified, two of which are in Forest Hills — Memories of Shanghai and Spy C Cuisine — while the Sri Lankan Sagara in Staten Island, Beatstro and Suyo Gastrousion in the Bronx were named.

Below is a full list of the 2020 Bib Gourmand restaurants in Manhattan: Schneps Media

Violet (511 East Fifth St.)—Grilled cuisine that pays homage to New England and Rhode Island’s flavors and abundant fresh seafood.

Van Da (234 East Fourth St.) — An updated take on Vietnamese cuisine and street food with a menu divided by region (Hue, Hanoi and Saigon).

Ruffian (125 East Seventh St.) — A wine bar with 20 counter seats that serves an eclectic menu of dishes inspired by cuisine from Southern France and Eastern Europe.

Atlas Kitchen (258 West 109th St.) — Serves up Hunan cuisine with dishes that include eel in chile oil and braised lamb with white radish.

Bohemian Spirit (321 East 73rd St.) — Located inside the National Bohemian Hall on the Upper East Side, it offers hearty and traditional European cooking at reasonable prices.

O:N°(110 Madison Ave.) — Korean cuisine with rice cooked to order at the table, serves up small plates, including creamed salt cod with shards of squid ink-tinted scorched rice.

Nonna Beppa(290 Hudson St.) — Regional Italian cuisine features housemade pasta and imported ingredients.

Café China (13 East 37th St.) — Enticing Sichuan fare includes dan dan noodles and spicy cumin lamb.

was what you expect it to be, but it was a little fizzy and the lemonade added this refreshing burst. I usually drink my coffee black, and this wasn’t overly sweet to me. It was perfect.”

Whistle and Fizz is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and there is a 10 percent discount with an NYU ID. More information can be found at whistleandfizz.com.

212 - 254 - 1109 | www.theaterforthenewcity.net | 155 First Ave. NY, NY 10003

Theater for the New City’s Village Halloween Costume Ball Thursday, October 31, 2019 Tickets: $20 Come See and Be Seen And Celebrate the Night of Nights!!

Outside on 10th St. 4PM Doors Open 7:30PM COSTUMES OR FORMAL WEAR A MUST!

NOW PLAYING! Con Hand Cabaret by Walter Corwin October 10 - Oct. 27, Tix $10 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM

One Eyed King by Roman Primitivo Albear October 17 - Oct. 27, Tix $15 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM

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by New York Butoh Institue Festival 19 October 17 - Oct. 27, Tix $18 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM

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October 24, 2019

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Manhattan Happenings

Enjoy these great events the week of Oct. 24-30 Thursday, Oct. 24 Candlelight Ghost Tours of ‘Manhattan’s Most Haunted House’ Brave ‘Manhattan’s Most Haunted House’ with an hour long tour of the space where eight family members died. 6:30 p.m. at Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East 4th St., www.nycgovparks.org. $45.

Treehouse Concerts The Treehouse, one of the more unique music venues in the city, has just announced a number of upcoming jazz and world music concerts. The home of artist Richard Shaoul — part folk art environment and part art gallery — is a favorite venue of bassist Luca Soul Rosenfeld , who has curated this series of concerts. The first features Rosenfeld as the opening act for soprano sax player Jon Irabagon, who will be playing solo this evening. 9:30 p.m., The Treehouse, 833 Broadway. $10 suggested donation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB KRASNER

Friday, Oct. 25 You Took a Part of Me Karole Armitage will perform a dance modeled after Noh, a type of Japanese dance theater. Four dancers will perform the story of a woman’s ghost who takes a second look at life’s complexities as she searches for peace. 7:30 p.m. at New York Live Arts Theater, 219 W 19th St., www.newyorklivearts. org. Starting at $25, $15 for students and seniors.

Fall Fest at Sherman Shriek! Park Spend the afternoon with New York Restoration Project on the Harlem River for fun fall activities, including painting, mask and puppet making, a magic show, and poetry. 2 to 5 p.m. at Sherman Creek Park, 3725 10th Ave., www.nyrp.org. Free.

Saturday, Oct. 26 Hester Street Fair’s Closing Day Celebrate the ending of the season at Hester Street Fair with food and craft vendors. Also participate in “Cut It: An Exploration in Group Collage!” to make magazine cut-out collages with Schneps Media

Come to The Treehouse in The Village tonight, Oct. 24, for a concer t featuring bassist Luca Soul Rosenfeld and soprano sax player Jon Irabagon.

Fort Makers studio. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hester Street Fair, corner of Hester and Essex, www.hesterstreetfair.com. Free.

NYSoM Halloween Havoc 2019 This event will include two spooky spaces, NYSoM Transylvania and Dr. Killjoy’s Santorium. Watch out for some classic monsters and some newer spooky characters. 2 to 6 p.m. at East Harlem Tutorial Program, 2050 2nd Ave., www.nysomgroup.org . Free.

Sunday, Oct. 27 She Embraced the Sky: A Tribute to Mary Ellen Rooney The Haiku Society of America will present this tribute to Mary Ellen Rooney, with a haiku walk to discuss the connection between sky and earth.

Please bring a haiku to share and bring your own notebook and pen. 1 to 5 p.m. at Jefferson Market Library, 425

Avenue of the Americas, www.nypl. org. Free.

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Scary Bazaar- Halloween Special Vendors and guests alike will be dressed in their best costumes for this spooky edition of the Grand Bazaar.

There will be 140 plus vendors with sweet food and treats. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 100 West 77th St., www.grandbazaarnyc.org. Free.

October Seminar Join Connors and Sullivan Attorneys at Law PLLC to learn about protecting your loved ones with Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Trusts and Estates Law. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at The 3 West Club, 3 West 51st St., www.connorsandsullivan.com. Free.

Monday, Oct. 28

Wednesday, Oct. 30

Baby Lapsit Move along with your crawler/prewalker baby and meet other caregivers through this interactive activity. There will also be songs and books to encourage early learning. 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. at Roosevelt Island Library, 524 Main St., www.nypl.org.

Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla Participate in pumpkin carving and Halloween crafts with the whole family in Central Park. At twilight, watch the Pumpkin Flotilla cross the Harlem Meer. 4 to 7 p.m. at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Inside the park at 110th Street between 5th and Lenox Avenues, www.centralparknyc.org.

Free.

What’s going on in your neighborhood? Tell us!

Email your events for our calendar to news@thevillager.com October 24, 2019

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New York Cancer & Blood Specialists CEO Jeff Vacirca, MD to Receive American Red Cross Award PORT JEFFERSON STATION, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 - New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) announced that their own CEO, Jeff Vacirca, MD, will be the 2019 American Red Cross Greater New York Region’s Humanitarian Award recipient. Dr. Vacirca will be honored on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 at the 2019 Heroes Among Us Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan, along with several others being recognized for their humanitarian efforts.

Dr. Vacirca, a board certified hematologist and oncologist, is being honored here for his compassion and commitment to patient care, on which many families contending with cancer issues have relied and for his steadfast support of the Red Cross mission.

Before receiving this latest accolade, he was a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt award for outstanding dedication to patient care and has been named in Newsday’s Top Doctors. Dr. Vacirca serves as a consulting physician for the Long Island Association for Aids Care (LIAAC) and was honored for his role in enabling LIAAC staff to bring state of the art HIV testing to New York.

He is the immediate past president of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), medical director for Amerisource Bergen specialty group, a Scientific Advisory Board Member for Caris Life Sciences, director at OneOncology, director at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and serves as a medical board advisor for Flatiron Health, located in New York City.

Additionally, he is vice-chairman of the board for Odonate Therapeutics, a company he cofounded in 2016, which is dedicated to the development of best-in-class therapeutics that improve and extend the lives of patients with cancer.

In keeping with his humanitarian efforts, in 2014 Dr. Vacirca founded the New York Cancer Foundation, of which he is the chair of the board of directors. The Foundation provides financial assistance to patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Since its inception, the New York Cancer Foundation has helped hundreds of patients and their families providing grants to pay non-medical expenses including rent, mortgage, utility bills and transportation to and from treatment.

Likewise, while leading the New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Dr. Vacirca has been passionate about providing the best cancer treatments to patients close to home, recently opening of a new Port Jefferson Station cancer center to serve the area. “We want to be able to offer the newest therapies to all of our patients on Long Island and this is our starting point; With more than fifty clinical trials available we can bring the newest and best drugs to our patients. This is a proud moment for those dedicated to comprehensive cancer care,” said Dr. Vacirca, who remains committed to serving the community on all levels.

Tickets for the event are available online. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossNY. Proceeds raised during the Gala will enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people affected by disasters like hurricanes, home fires, and countless other crises. Sponsors of the 2019 American Red Cross Heroes Among Us Gala include, Jones Lang LaSalle, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Ogilvy, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo, Barclays, BNY Mellon, Citi, Marsh & McLennan Companies, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

About NYCBS New York Cancer & Blood Specialists is committed to our patients. We are dedicated to providing each patient with a unique path to treatment and unmatched support. We strive to make quality, community-based cancer care available in each and every New York community. We are proud to be a partner of OneOncology and a proud sponsor of the New York Cancer Foundation.

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Real Estate

Median prices take 30% drop across Tribeca

BY SHAYE WEAVER

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or the first time in almost two years, Tribeca is not considered the most expensive neighborhood in New York City, according to a report by Property Shark.

Hudson Yards took over that title in the third quarter with a median sales price of $4.9 million. Tribeca’s median sales price was at $2.3 million (72 sales), which is a 30 percent decline year-over-year, the report shows.

Despite the significant decrease, it isn’t nearly as big of a drop quarterover-quarter, from Q2 to Q3, which was a 45 percent drop from more than $4.3 million, Property Shark states.

The lowered median sales price is likely due to a “a disruption” likely influenced by the mansion tax that took effect on July 1.

Other Manhattan neighborhoods within the top 10 “most expensive” list include Hudson Square at $2.3 million, $2.1 million in Little Italy, SoHo at $2 million and Flatiron at $1.4 million.

Notably, the Lower East Side’s median sale price grew 87 percent to almost $1.5 million, moving the neighborhood up to No. 8.

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The median prices for Tribeca fell 30 percent over the last year, and the neighborhood is no longer considered the most expensive in the city, according to a Proper ty Shark repor t

Tenant advocates release ‘worst evictors’ list

BY ALEJANDR A O'CONNELL-DOMENECH

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coalition of tenants rights groups released a list of New York City’s ‘worst’ evictors who were responsible for ejecting 2,182 people from their homes in 2018.

The 20 landlords on the list each evicted between 75 and 200 people, according to data collected from Right to Counsel NYC Coalition, JustFix.NYC and the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project.

“Landlords use their power to take tenants to court repeatedly in order to wear them out with the intention of displacing them,” said Carmen Vega-Rivera, tenant leader with the Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) in the Bronx, in a statement. Vega-Rivera added that housing court only perpetuates this problem by “slapping the landlord on their wrist.”

First on the list is Phillip Wishcherth from the LeFrak Organization, which owns the Queens apartment complex Le Frak City. He evicted 189 people last year, according to the data. The LeFrak Organization did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Ved Parkash, a notorious Bronx land-

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lord who was sued for refusing to take Section 8 housing vouchers in 2017, made second on the list. Parkash was ranked as ‘worst evictor’ in a similar list released by the tenants rights group in May. But that list only included landlords in ZIP codes where the city’s Right to Counsel law applies. The list released today encompasses all of New York

City. Parkash could not be reached immediately for comment.

“This is an effort to reframe the conversation of whose to blame for eviction,” said Susanna Blankely from the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition. “And to let people know that they are not alone when it comes to eviction.”

Advocates also released an interactive

map on Tuesday, which allows users to find where evictions happened in the city last year and the landlords responsible for them.

The map shows a total of 18,007 evictions that landlords had carried out by marshals, according to advocates.

To view the entire tenants advocates list, visit worstevictorsnyc.org Schneps Media

RETURNING TO CITI FIELD THIS WINTER theworldsfare.nyc

Take a Trip to Lebanon via Sunnyside & Souk Al Shater

BY JOE DISTEFANO

As the Culinary King of Queens, I’m so very fortunate to live in the most diverse and delicious destination in all of New York City. Really I’m not royalty though, I’m an ambassador, and a hungry one at that. Today, we take a trip to Lebanon via the International Express—aka the 7 train— to savor the offerings at the family run Souk El Shater.

When it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine, many Queens residents immediately think of Astoria’s Little Egypt and they are right to do so, but did you know there’s a portal to Beirut in Sunnyside just steps away from the 7 train?

It’s a family run market/grocery called Souk al Shater.

“Souk means like a bazaar and ‘el shater' means clever in Arabic, so it literally translates to bazaar of the clever,” says Hussein Osman, as he shaves some beef shawarma off a rotating spit that sits inside the front window.

“Shater was my grandfather’s nickname.”

That beef shawarma seasoned with herbs and spices imported from Lebanon is excellent in a tightly wrapped sandwich as is the chicken. Can’t decide? Get a combo platter of both drizzled with tahini sauce. It comes with a salad sprinkled with dried sumac and batons of crunchy electric purple pickled turnips.

That white blob in the center isn’t more sauce, it's toum, a lemony Lebanese garlic paste that along with a jalapeño and parsley hot sauce will enliven your taste buds as you enjoy your feast at the narrow counter that lines one wall.

Since Souk El Shater is also part butcher shop, the beef and chicken kebabs are excellent as is sujuk, a spicy Lebanese beef

Souk al Shater—a culinary portal to Lebanon—lies steps away from the 7 train.

The beef and chicken shwarma platter sings with the flavors of Lebanon, including nutty tahini and garlicky toum.

sausage. If you are lucky enough to be there when they are making rotisserie chicken, be sure to grab one. It’s one of the most unique birds in Queens, and at $13 with two sides, it’s a steal. Hussein who runs the shop with his brother Mohammed and their father, Ahmad, is especially proud of the crunchy falafel, made from a blend of fava beans and chickpeas.

The family matriarch, Salwa, is in charge of desserts, which include five varieties of baklava. Got a really sweet tooth? Go for the nutless version, made with apricot jam and coconut. Even better is shabiya, a triangle of crunchy phyllo dough filled with rose-scented ashta cheese. And then there’s maamoul mad, a date filled semolina cake, that for all the world tastes like a Fig Newtown that spent a semester abroad in Beirut.

Should you wish to try your hand at Lebanese fare at home the shop has all manner of ingredients, including one pound bags of Lebanese za’atar perfumed with thyme and sumac, as well as tahini and cans of Americana brand fava beans and labne cheese. On the way out ask for some Sharawi chewing gum made from mastic, a resin from the Pistacia lentiscus tree, that’s been used as a breath freshener long before Wm. Wrigley Jr. was born. It’s a clever way to clean your palate after a trip to Lebanon via Queens.

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The shop’s homemade desserts, include several varieties of baklava.

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43-03 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside, nr. 43rd St.; 718-392-2702

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