News from the Lower East Side
LO-DOWN
THE
APR. 2015
www.thelodownny.com
TENEMENT WARS
Stanton Street Residents Sue Their Landlord
Also inside:
"Surround Audience" The New Museum's TRIENNIAL
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THE
LO-DOWN April 2015
in this issue
letter from the Editor: When you think of urban gentrification, shiny
glass and metallic buildings probably come to mind. We have a growing number of those, but in recent years, gentrification on the Lower East Side has been taking place in century-old tenements, as well. In this month’s cover story, we take a look at the latest battle that has ensued as a result of the unlikely transition of low-income walkups to luxury rentals. The fight pits prolific developer Samy Mahfar against the tenants of a recently acquired building on Stanton Street and speaks to the dramatic changes reshaping the neighborhood. Also this month, we update efforts by vendors in the Essex Street Market to reverse a downward spiral, check in on the New Museum Triennial, which surveys the art world’s response to the digital age, and round up the latest restaurant openings. In a departure from most months, the new offerings lean in the direction of “cheap eats” with some global pizzazz. We hope you have shaken off the winter chill and are ready for spring. Our calendar is full of fun things to do in April. Until next month, we’ll see you online every day at the lodownny.com.
6
Cover Story
Residents of 113 Stanton St. vs. Samy Mahfar
10 Essex Street Market Woes City offers vendors more control
Arrivals 14 New All My Children Daycare, Green Fingers, Askan Menswear
16 Calendar/Feat ured Events
Hester Street Fair, Tribeca Film Festival, Passover Nosh
18 Neighborhood News
Pier 35 delays, Andy Warhol Annex nixed, Two Bridges robbery
20 Lumber Liq uidators Accusation s
Company responds to critical television report
22 The Lo-Dine
Wassail, Cabalito, Kottu House
24 Ar ts Watch
“Surround Audience” at the New Museum
26 My LES
Raven Dolling
Ed Litvak
28 Car toon
LES Sideways by Evan Forsch
*
On the cover: Tenants of 113 Stanton St. stand outside their building; (left to right) Julia Conti, Natalia Torres, Sergio Alarcon, Garrett Alarcon. Photo by: Alex M. Smith
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April 2015
NADA NEW YORK May 14–17, 2015 Pier 36 Basketball City 299 South St NADA newartdealers.org nada_ny_2015_lodown_031615.indd 1
3/16/15 2:20 PM
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Reside Samy
Tenant-L
By Ed Litvak
T
here’s nothing new about clashes between New York City tenants and property owners. On the Lower East Side, in particular, an affordable-housing bastion for generations, the battles have been especially fierce. But in the past year, the welldocumented struggles between the two groups came into sharper focus as the city’s real estate market sizzled. 6
April 2015
The difference today may be in the size and influence of the new landlords. In the past five years or so, several big players have descended on the neighborhood, snapping up hundreds of tenement buildings from the East Village to Chinatown, transforming large numbers of previously rent-stabilized apartments into luxury housing. Tenant activists see their arrival on the scene as part of a well orchestrated strategy to drive lowand middle-income residents from their homes. The names have become familiar. Prolific owners such as Larry Marolda, Steven Croman and Jared Kushner have all been treated to unflattering portrayals in the press during the past year. Most recently, a smaller operator concentrated in the blocks below Houston Street, Samy Mahfar of SMA Equities, has taken his turn in the spotlight. Mahfar, who now owns well over a dozen buildings on the Lower East Side, was taken to housing court in February by the tenants of 113 Stanton St., a four-unit property with ground floor retail space he purchased last fall for $5.2 million. Aided by the Cooper Square Committee, a neighborhood advocacy organization, and the Urban Justice Center, the residents accused SMA Equities of exposing them to toxic dust kicked up during building renovations. Attorney Garrett Wright Photos: Alex M. Smith
ents Sue Property Owner Mahfar Over Toxic Dust
Landlord Battles Escalate on the LES
asked the court to stop “illegal construction,” lations on record” for lead safety, heat or hot which he said was “creating a hazardous envi- water issues in the building. Mahfar said ronment and endangering (the tenants’) health he’s using EPA-certified contractors, as well and safety.” He cited a Feb. 3 inspection by the as a top environmental consulting firm and Department of Health that found debris had that they have remedied any problems cited been removed unsafely, creating conditions by city inspectors in an “extremely expedi“dangerous to human life.” According to an in- tious manner.” Mahfar concluded, “SMA Eqspector, unsafe amounts of lead were found in uities takes great pride in our commitment 11 of 12 samples collectto health and safeed throughout the ty of all of our tenbuilding. ants and to improvA lead mitigation ing the quality of plan had been given life in the Lower to tenants in the buildEast Side.” ing’s three occupied But tenant and apartments, but the affordable housing lawsuit alleged that advocates believe Mahfar “violated Mahfar’s actions at every single health 113 Stanton St. are and safety protocol” in part of a pattern the plan. It also stated seen throughout that heat and hot the neighborhood. water have repeatedly “We believe that been turned off withSamy Mahfar is out any warning. The what is sometimes work, Wright argued, referred to as a is not just careless but ‘predatory landpart of a “campaign of lord,’” said resident Tenant Natalia Torres stands in the entryway of her building harassment in order to at 113 Stanton St. Her grandmother has lived in the building Sergio Alarcon. “Mr. make the building so for more than 40 years. Mahfar’s standard uncomfortable and ‘predatory’ busiunsafe that tenants will vacate their rent-stabi- ness model is to buy buildings occupied lized apartments.” by rent-regulated tenants and then Mahfar responded through a public rela- immediately begin hazardous and extremetions firm, saying the lawsuit is “riddled with ly disruptive gut-renovation/construction inaccuracies and false allegations.” He asserted projects on units while conducting regular that tenants have “refused to cooperate with building-wide shutdowns of heat and water, management” and that SMA Equities was ready etc. We believe this is in an effort to create “to make any necessary repairs, while the Peti- such substandard living conditions in his tioners have denied access to their apartments.” buildings that rent-regulated tenants evenThe statement added that the firm had “no vio- tually give up, maybe accept very low buyThe Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com
7
out offers, or simply leave.” In the past year, local elected officials have become increasingly vocal about landlord-tenant issues. In October, State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver (then Assembly speaker) and City Council member Margaret Chin released a letter sent to Mahfar critical of him for lead remediation efforts at 102 Norfolk St., another SMA Equities property. In December, City Council member Rosie Mendez chastised an employee of the real estate firm for videotaping tenants during a news conference outside 210 Rivington St. “That to me is a form of harassment,” said Mendez in an angry confrontation with the employee. “All of the construction that has been going on is a form of harassment. You coming here on behalf of the landlord… and not asking whether you can videotape (tenants) just goes to prove that Samy Mahfar is a bad actor.”
Mahfar is by no means the only property owner in the hot seat. The state Tenant Protection Unit is going after Marolda Properties, which owns about 70 buildings citywide, including some on the Lower East Side and in Chinatown. Tenants accused Marolda of using a variety of unlawful and unethical tactics to drive them from their homes, including refusing to renew leases, initiating inappropriate eviction proceedings and pressuring tenants to accept low buyout offers. The state attorney general last year opened an investigation of Steven Croman, another LES property owner accused of various illegal tactics, including the use of a private investigator to intimidate tenants. Advocacy organizations say city and state agencies often fall down on the job, failing to properly monitor problem landlords. In response, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Mayor Bill de
Residents united to form the “Mahfar Tenants Alliance,” an organization that tracks construction issues and other problems in several Lower East Side buildings. They exchange information, plot strategy and document damage caused by renovation projects in Mahfar’s LES buildings, including 210 Rivington St., 102 Norfolk St. and 113 Stanton St.
8
April 2015
Blasio announced several weeks ago the creation of an inter-agency task force to coordinate enforcement of existing laws. Meanwhile, both affordable housing activists and real estate interests are gearing up for a big battle in Albany, as the state’s rent laws are up for renewal in June. Proposals are on the table to strengthen anti-harassment provisions and to end vacancy decontrol, which allows certain apartments to exit the rent-stabilization system. The stakes are high. On the Lower East Side and Chinatown, more than 40 percent of all apartments are rent regulated, while 27 percent are market-rate. Thousands of apartments have entered the open market in the past decade. It is a foregone conclusion that this trend will continue in the years ahead, but the outcome of the debate in Albany, as well as the building-by-building battle locally, will help determine how quickly the transformation occurs. If you ask Samy Mahfar, he will tell you SMA Equities is helping to improve the quality of housing on the Lower East Side. Many of the tenements purchased by his company are in terrible condition and in desperate need of rehabilitation, Mahfar says. He believes the renovations have preserved a sizable number of historic properties for years to come, strengthening the local community. Advocacy groups, however, decry a strategy that they say leaves the people of the Lower East Side behind, displacing longtime residents with newcomers who can afford to pay $4,000, $5,000, even $6,000 a month for a restored tenement apartment. Residents have created the “Mahfar Tenants Alliance” as a united front to represent their interests. Brandon Kielbasa, Cooper Square Committee’s lead organizer, says, “Mahfar has now been put on notice that we are going to throw everything we have at him… The Mahfar Tenants Alliance is a great group and they are not afraid to take things to the next level.” Some of Samy Mahfar’s Lower East Side holdings: (top) 210 Rivington St., (middle) 113 Stanton St., (bottom) 101 Norfolk St.
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City Offers Essex Str More Autonomy, Out
V
By Ed Litvak
endors at the Essex Street Market raised their voices, warning that the historic food hall is suffering a worrisome downturn. Now a deal is in the works with the city’s Economic Development Corp. (EDC), which operates the facility, to address some of their concerns. The plan was outlined at a meeting of Community Board 3’s land-use committee last month. As The Lo-Down first reported online, the vendor association has been pushing for alternative management by a local not-forprofit organization. Three businesses—Brooklyn Taco, Heritage Meats and Essex Flowers—recently shuttered, all citing slumping foot traffic. Merchants have said the EDC has not done enough to combat a widespread perception that the market is closed. While the facility will be moving across Delancey Street three years from now as part of the Essex Crossing development project, it remains open for business. At the meeting, EDC Executive Vice President Ben Branham said his agency was pre10
April 2015
pared to take some interim steps toward a new management structure. “We feel like we have some very robust proposals to empower the vendors,” he told community board members. First, the city will provide funding to the vendor association so that it can hire a coordinator/manager. Second, the EDC intends to outsource marketing of the facility to the Lower East Side Business Improvement District. Branham endorsed the idea of selecting a nonprofit group to run the market, but said full implementation would need to wait until the new facility debuts in 2018. Anne Saxelby, leader of the vendor association, outlined many of the problems faced by Essex Street Market businesses and explained why they believe a new management is necessary. “I am here tonight,” she explained, “because vendors are struggling and going out of business.” Saxelby, who owns nine-year-old Saxelby Cheesemongers, said the majority of vendors support the alternative management proposal. She acknowledged that the EDC had done “a lot to stabilize” the market in the past and
reet Market Vendors tsources Marketing said outside factors, including new competi- “to continue with the status quo and to move tion from corporate stores such as Whole (across the street) with a market that is for all inFoods and Union Market, have hurt business. tents and purposes half-dead.” But, Saxelby added, the EDC is ill-equipped to In response, Branham, acknowledged address the needs of “[The] EDC is a large small, entrepreneurbureaucracy. We ial merchants. “They haven’t always, in have historically the past, managed been in the business these markets and of saying no,” she other assets [effecsaid, “and when they tively].” But the strathave not said no, our egy is changing, he ideas have just died said, and the city is over time, gotten lost trying to figure out in the quagmire of how to run them betbureaucracy.” ter and turn its four Saxelby said public markets into empty stalls are slow “stronger community to be filled and assertresources.” ed that efforts to proA consultant, Anne Saxelby mote the market have Ted Spitzer of Market at a market tasting event last year. been “as slow as moVentures, was hired lasses.” An Essex Market Twitter account was set to help come up with the best management up in 2009, but it is dormant because the staff structure for the new Essex Street Market. In a member assigned to manage it has not been presentation to the vendors last year, he trained. “It would be a disaster,” Saxelby argued, pointed out that many successful markets The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com
11
lutions that allow vendors to thrive and grow in the period of transition that lies ahead … It is clear more needs to be done in the immediate future to improve current conditions and we are eager to strengthen our partnership with NYC EDC and other stakeholders to do just that.” Throughout the meeting, concerns were raised about several issues, including the facility’s 7 p.m. closing time and rising prices. In the past few years, the EDC has introduced a number of gourmet stalls alongside the traditional The former Brooklyn Taco Space groceries and other businesses serving the across the country are operated by small not- Lower East Side’s low- and middle-income resifor-profit organizations. Branham said the dents. Some questioned an apparent marketEDC, “look[s] forward to seeing whether [the ing push outside the neighborhood, rather non-profit model] can work in the new facili- than continuing to rely on local shoppers. Tuty when it comes in line in 2018.” He ex- nisia Riley, a public member of CB3, said, “The market has thrived [in the “It would be a disaster,” Saxelby ar- past] because of the neighborhood, not outsiders. I gued, “to continue with the status quo don’t get this marketing and to move (across the street) with a push.” Another public member, Nancy Ortiz, added, “I market that is for all intents and pur- have not seen any outreach in public housing or south of poses half-dead.” Delancey Street.” In the end, the committee approved a plained, however, that “it’s not the kind of thing that happens overnight,” in part be- resolution that had been proposed by the cause there would need to be a competitive vendor association. It read, in part, “Commubid process to choose an operator. As a tempo- nity Board 3 fully endorses and supports a rary solution, the vendors are moving for- new, locally based, responsible and nimble ward to form a non-profit corporation of their management structure for the Essex Street own. Once that occurs, they will be in a posi- Market once a new facility becomes operational.” In the meantime, it stated, “any and tion to hire a staff member. “On the marketing side,” he added, “we all efforts” should be taken to “bolster and suphave worked closely with the [Lower East Side] port the vendor community on a temporary BID in the past. They are a much more nimble basis ensuring a successful transition to a new and flexible organization,” Branham said. facility in the years ahead.” “That’s why we’d like to explore entering into an arrangement with them to take over the full marketing and promotion of the Essex Street Market, essentially outsourcing it to them.” Tim Laughlin, executive director of the BID, said his organization has applied for a city grant through a program called Avenue NYC. If it’s approved, the Essex Market would see a $30,000 infusion in marketing funds. In a statement following the meeting, Laughlin added, “We look forward to implementing creative soThe former Site of Heritage Meats 12
April 2015
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new arrivals edited by Traven Rice
ALL MY CHILDREN DAYCARE & NURSERY SCHOOL (112 Ridge St., at
Stanton Street, allmychildrendaycare.com) After opening last fall, the new child care center up the block from P.S. 142 is acclimating to the neighborhood. There was an open house last month, giving parents a chance to tour the newly renovated space and talk with staff members. All My Children, which also has multiple locations in Queens and Brooklyn, is eco-friendly. Several eight-foot terrariums offer children the chance to explore various plant life and to indulge their curiosity. In addition to the 5,000-square-foot indoor facility, there’s a secure backyard. The private daycare and preschool offers programs for children between 6 months and 5 years. There will be a summer program for preschoolers. To inquire about the school’s “developmentally appropriate” educational curriculum, contact Executive Director Laurie Shaked at 718-730-2370. A second open house will be held 11 a.m.–4 p.m. May 2 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
GREEN
COSS ATHLETICS (38 Delancey St., at Forsyth Street, cossathletics.com) Personal trainer Coss Marte recently opened a studio on the Lower East Side devoted to prison-style boot camp workouts. In his case, the programs are no gimmick. Marte was sentenced to seven years in prison after becoming a drug kingpin on the Lower East Side. While behind bars, he developed a workout regimen that helped him lose 70 pounds in six months. To say Marte has turned things around would be an understatement. He now has hundreds of private clients and offers 15 classes a week. to 7 p.m.
ASKAN MENSWEAR (151 Orchard St., at Stanton Street, askannyc.com) An upscale online menswear retailer opened last month in a small storefront next to Reed Space, the trailblazing streetwear brand. Askan was founded in 2013, its website explains, “out of a passion to make distinct tailored clothing for men more accessible.” Prices for blazers start at around $300, while shirts start at about $125. 14
April 2015
FINGERS
(5 Rivington St., near Bowery, greenfingersnyc. com) Satoshi Kawamoto moved his floral design studio from East 1st Street last month to a new spot on Rivington Street. After establishing multiple stores in Japan and becoming a prolific author, Kawamoto came to New York to establish his unique brand of garden styling in the U.S. At press time, the new store was in soft-open mode.
TOKYOBIKE (1 Prince St. -at Bowery, tokyobikenyc.com) The lightweight, custom-fit bikes are available for the first time outside Japan with the opening of this retail store, the first of its kind in the United States. Dean Di Simone ended up partnering with the company to bring Tokyobike stateside after being stymied in his efforts to purchase one of the sleek, high performance models a few years ago.
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calendar
what to do in
Visit our CALENDAR online at www.thelodownny.com/calendar for more details and to add your own events.
Edited by Traven Rice
Tues.
7
Wed.
Passover Nosh and Stroll at the Museum at Eldridge Street: Trace the tasty route of turn-ofthe-century immigrants as they prepared for the holiday and journey into the kishkes of the old Jewish Lower East Side. Visit (and nosh at) the historic landmarks of the neighborhood that shed light on holiday customs, food and history. Through Wednesday, April 8 at 12 Eldridge St., 2 p.m., RSVP required, $25, eldridgestreet.org.
8
APRIL
Fri.
10 Andy Warhol’s 15 (Color Me, Warhol) at
Dixon Place: Check in on choreographer/ performer Raja Feather Kelly’s ongoing obsession with Andy Warhol in this interpretation of the iconic musical A Chorus Line as Warhol would have imagined it. Fifteen dancers bring to life Warhol’s ideas, philosophy and iconic visuals through Kelly’s radical yet accessible dance-theater style. Fridays and Saturdays in April at 161A Chrystie St., 7:00 p.m.,$16 in advance/$20 door, dixonplace.org.
Wed .
22 Arca at Bowery Ballroom: After recent collaborations with Kanye West on Yeezus and Bjork on her latest album, Vulnicura, 24-year-old, Venezuelan-born electronic producer and dj Arca, a.k.a. Alejandro Ghersi, is finally ready to share his debut album, Xen. His music, as well as his videos made with artist and longtime collaborator Jesse Kanda, is challenging, boundary pushing, darkly electronic and undefinable, always offering an exciting glimpse into the future. 6 Delancey St., 8:00 p.m., $25, boweryballroom.com.
The Places You’ll Go at Dixon Place:
Katie Workum’s “Black Lakes” at Danspace Project: Catch an improvised evening of dance with Bessienominated Eleanor Smith, Weena Pauly and Workum. In “Black Lakes” Workum upends traditional performance expectations of dancer and audience, turning away from theatrical choreography in favor of new ways of creating and seeing. The three performers move in and out of solos, unison and duets contained within a set structure, and the content of every performance will be created anew each night. Through April 11 at 131 E. 10th St. (at St. Mark’s Church), 8:00p.m., $20, danspaceproject.org.
Thurs.
9
16
April 2015
Forever at New York Theatre Workshop: Award-winning playwright and solo performer Dael Orlandersmith (Monster, The Gimmick) brings her searing memoir to NYTW in an exploration of the family we are born into and the family we choose. Drawing on her own pilgrimage to the famed Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris—the final resting place of legendary artists such as Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison—she finds unexpected grace in grappling with the legacy a daughter she inherits from her mother. Through May 31 at 79 East 4th St., showtimes vary, $75, nytw. org.
Wed.
15
Featured
EVENT
Tribeca FILM FESTIVAL 2015
Founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro and friends as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Center, the festival kicks off its 14th year of independent film screenings. The lineup includes 97 feature films and 60 shorts from around the world along with numerous panels and festivities throughout lower Manhattan. This year’s Tribeca Talks series features big-name one-on-one conversations with George Lucas, Stephen Colbert, Courtney Love and Harvey Weinstein, to name a few. The Tribeca Talks: After the Movie series will also include a session on Inside Amy Schumer with Ms. Schumer and others from that Comedy Central series on April 19; and a screening of Good Will Hunting, followed by a discussion with the director Gus Van Sant, on April 22. LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, the highly anticipated world premiere of the first full-fledged documentary about Saturday Night Live, will open the festival. Through April 26. Visit tribecafilm.com for tickets, venues and the full schedule.
Sat.
25
Hester Street Fair - Opening Weekend: Known as a launching pad for independent businesses and artists, HSF could almost be considered a small-business “incubator.” Offering up an always interesting assortment of local purveyors selling artisanal food, vintage clothing, jewelry, crafts, home goods and more, the fair kicks off its sixth season at Essex and Hester streets, Saturdays from 11a.m.– 6 p.m., hesterstreetfair. com.
The Stories of Ruins at Tenement Talks: In a visual appreciation of ruins Wed Andrew Dolkart, director of Columbia’s historic preservation program, Katherine Malone-France, of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Christopher Payne, photographer of North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City and photographer Marisa Scheinfeld, who documented abandoned resorts of the Borscht Belt in the Catskills, gather to discuss the significance of these spaces. 103 Orchard St., 6:30 p.m., free, tenement.org.
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neighborhood news edited by Ed Litvak
parks
real estate
Extell Development last month was forced to respond to complaints about noise and a lack of information about its 71-story luxury tower under construction on the former Pathmark site at 250 South St. After residents complained about the absence of a project rendering at the work site, a city requirement, a shadowy image appeared March 10. Last summer, Extell showed off renderings of a 13-story affordable building on the same parcel but has insisted since that time that plans for the main tower were not yet ready for public consumption. Neighbors in the area have been complaining that Extell’s piledriving operation is intolerably loud and that it’s causing damage in nearby apartments. After inquiries to the Department of Buildings from tenants, Community Board 3 and elected officials, noisy work on Saturdays was pushed back to 10:30 a.m. The tenant association at Two Bridges Tower, located alongside the Extell site, first raised concerns about the early-morning noise.
A long delayed plan to create an ecopark at Pier 35 near Rutgers Slip has been delayed again. Officials with the Economic Development Corp. (EDC), the project overseer, have announced that they’re now hoping to open the new recreational space in early 2017. Last summer, The Lo-Down was given a spring -of-2016 completion date for an initiative first announced by the city in 2009. The latest delay has been blamed on problems building a dramatic screen wall meant to separate Pier 35 from an adjacent sanitation facility to the north. Lusheena Warner, an EDC vice president, said the city will be “closing out its contract” with Trocom Construction and will put the project out for competitive bids. “We want to make sure the contractor we’re working with is equipped with the skills to really deliver the project,” she told Community Board 3 last month. Trocom’s contract is worth $25 million. Delays have also been caused because the city’s Department of Environmental Protection has not signed off on plans to relocate a water main along the East River. Pier 35, which is supposed to include an eco habitat, is part of the larger East River Esplanade project. transportation
The massive Grand Street water main project has been slowly creeping its way eastward. Grand Street west of Essex Street is now closed to westbound traffic, while one lane of eastbound traffic remains open. According to a notice from the Department of Design & Construction, the westbound lane will be blocked all the way to Chrystie Street until November of this year. Work hours are scheduled between 7 a.m.–4 p.m., although the detour is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Workers are installing distribution pipes and other infrastructure for New York City’s new Water Tunnel No. 3, a monumental public works project that’s been going on for 40 years. In other transportation news, the city’s Department of Transportation has agreed to look at creating a protected two-way bike lane on Chrystie Street. Community Board 3 asked for a study of congestion and increased bike lane use leading to the Manhattan Bridge. The DOT will hold community visioning sessions before making changes. 18
April 2015
Crews demolish the former market building on the south side of Delancey Street. real estate
The Andy Warhol Museum has backed out of a deal to establish a 10,000 sq. ft. annex in the Essex Crossing development project. The Pittsburgh-based institution made the announcement last month, saying an internal study of business and operational considerations led to the decision. The museum was expected to be a major draw for the mixed use project on the former Seward Park urban renewal site. A spokesperson for the developers said, “We are... surprised and disappointed that they are unable to see this through. We are hard at work looking for another exciting use for this great space.” Meanwhile wrecking crews began demolition on the first development site March 16, a former building of the Essex Street Market. All four market buildings will eventually be demolished, but the facility currently being used by vendors at 120 Essex St. will remain open for business throughout construction. Work hours are Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Access to the subway entrance on the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey streets is expected to remain open while the building is taken down. The demo project should take 4–6 weeks. Essex Crossing will ultimately contain one thousand apartments and 850,000 square feet of commercial space. Groundbreaking on the first four of nine sites is expected this coming summer and fall. education
Innovate Manhattan Charter School, located at 38 Delancey St., is closing its doors at the end of this school year. Declining enrollment and mediocre academic results forced the middle school’s decision. Meanwhile, Great Oaks Charter School, currently operating from 1 Monroe St. in St. Joseph Catholic Church, is planning to take over the Delancey Street space. Great Oaks currently enrolls 200 students in the sixth and seventh grades. It wants to add another grade in the future, but there’s little room for expansion in the current facility. crime
Police are searching for a suspect in the robbery of the Stop 1 Deli at 265 Cherry St., near Rutgers Street. A burglar broke in through the ceiling March 3 after the business closed and made off with $25,000. Cops believe the burglar is also responsible for at least three other robberies on the Lower East Side. Although he’s done a pretty good job concealing his face, they have released a few descriptive details. Based on security camera footage, investigators say he’s about 5 feet tall and has brown eyes. If you have relevant information regarding this crime, call the 7th Precinct at 212-477-7671. The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com
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Lumber Liquidators Faces New Allegations Over Product Safety Lumber Liquidators, which has a Lower East Side store at 95 Delancey St., is under fire after a report on the television program 60 Minutes claimed that some of the retailer’s products contain unsafe levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. The charges are not new. Previously a California lawyer filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Lumber Liquidators flooring failed tests designed by the state’s Air Resources Board. 60 Minutes aired hidden-camera video from Chinese factories in which workers acknowledged misrepresenting formaldehyde levels. In response, Lumber Liquidators CEO Rob Lynch said the story was pushed by Wall Street short sellers, who benefit if the company's stock price falls. "We are incensed that individuals with a financial agenda can orchestrate a campaign against us regarding the safety of our product and cause a portion of our customer base undue concern," he said. The tests, Lynch argued, give a misleading impression of product safety, since they were designed to measure formaldehyde levels in raw materials. In the tests, the flooring is torn apart and the laminate covering is removed. Lynch said the “lamination actually helps seal-in the formaldehyde from the core.” The company says it will pay for safety tests any time a customer requests it. Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to look into "the safety of Chinese-imported wood flooring material from Lumber Liquidators, and to initiate recalls or other disciplinary action if the product is found to be dangerous." A spokesman for the safety commission said the agency had received the test data used by the television program, but it was not yet prepared to make a public statement. Editor’s note: Lumber Liquidators advertises in this magazine.
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April 2015
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THE
LO-DINE A Dining & Drinking Roundup
now open
Wassail
162 Orchard St. at Stanton Street wassailnyc.com | 646-918-6835
Jennifer Lim and Ben Sandler of Queens Kickshaw in Astoria just opened New York’s first dedicated cider bar on the Lower East Side. They’ve taken over a space that most recently housed the short-lived Todd’s Mill. The partners will be seeking to cultivate a passion for ciders from all over the world, including France, Spain and Switzerland, as well as New York state. There’s a full food menu designed to complement the vast cider selection. Examples include a scotch egg, house-baked bread, burrata and cauliflower with black garlic and cashews (there is no meat on the menu). Sandler and Lim have said they decided to open on the LES because they lived in the neighborhood several years ago and feel a personal bond to the area. Lim told the food blog Eater, “It’s important for us to feel connected to the community that we're going to be in, because that's what's going to give us staying power.” Wassail is open for dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday.
Cabalito 13 Essex St. at Hester Street | cabalitonyc.com
The tiny El Salvadoran restaurant opened last month next door to Cafe Grumpy. Owner/ chef Randy Rodriguez is specializing in papusas, a kind of handmade corn tortilla that’s stuffed with various meats, cheeses and beans. 22
April 2015
The idea behind the restaurant, its website notes, originated from the “curiosity and admiration of Salvadoran culture and cuisine.” Cabalito opens at 11 a.m. daily. Each papusa costs $3.50
Kottu House 250 Broome St. at Ludlow Street kottuhouse.com | 646-781-9222
An established catering company has brought the Sri Lankan street food, kottu roti, to the Lower East Side. The dish features a flaky flatbread finely chopped and fried with curry, eggs and a variety of other ingredients. At Kottu House, there are seven varieties, including chicken, sauteed fish, black tofu and sauteed beef (prices range from $12– $15). The menu also offers some other options, such as South Asian fries covered in paprika and Sri Lankan chile powder, and calamari with green chilies. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.
Farmhouse 81 Ludlow St. at Broome Street farmhousenyc.com | 212-677-0067
The owners of the downstairs lounge Chloe have relaunched their companion restaurant at the intersection of Ludlow and Broome streets. After a stint as Sebastian LC, the appealing space has taken on new life as Farmhouse, an Italian and American bistro. The menu
features items such as relatively straightforward pastas (gnocchi with marinara and basil, penne primavera), roasted chicken with rosemary, a simple seared salmon and even a burger. Entrees are priced between $14–$16. Farmhouse is open for lunch and dinner 2 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. weekends.
ground beef and egg. There’s a full menu, including steaks, croquettes and traditional Uruguayan chivito sandwiches. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.
174 Rivington 174 Rivington St. at Clinton Street 174rivingtonstreetbar.com | 917-202-7867
A new bar focused on “no-frills cocktails and contemporary art” recently opened in the former Red Velvet Lounge space. Partners Luca Carucci and Joseph Peraino say they’re hoping to create a community-oriented, creative space. The first exhibition opened last month. The bar offers a nightly happy hour until 9 p.m. and stays open until 1 a.m., weekends to 2 a.m.
Charrua 131 Essex St. at Rivington Street charruanyc.com | 212-677-5838
This Uruguayan restaurant opened quietly a few months ago but is now catching on with people both inside and outside the neighborhood. Food critic Robert Sietsema called the empanadas at Charrua some of the best anywhere in New York. You get two per order. Varieties include tuna,
relocated
closed Taqueria LES
79 St. Mark’s Place at 1st Avenue taquerialowereastside.com | 646-964-5614
The affordable Mexican restaurant with a California vibe was forced to shutter its location at 196 Orchard St. last month. The building will soon be demolished for a new residential and commercial project. Taqueria LES, which operated from the neighborhood for four years, found a new, larger space on St. Mark’s Place and is already open for business.
Winnie’s Bar 104 Bayard St. at Baxter Street
The Chinatown dive bar was set to close at the end of last month after nearly three decades. The go-to spot for cheap drinks and good times at the karaoke machine is being pushed out as its landlord seeks a higher-paying tenant. Winnie’s boasted an amazingly diverse crowd — Chinese, hipsters, bankers and government workers all flocked to one of the few remaining old-school watering holes in the neighborhood.
The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com
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arts watch “Surround Audience” Takes on Art in the “Post-Internet Age” by Traven Rice
The New Museum Photos: top left - Casey Jane Ellison on her web talk show, Touching the Art, bottom left - a still from Steve Roggenbuck’s video, make something beautiful before you are dead, right - Josh Kline’s “Freedom.”
The New Museum triennial, “Surround Audience,” offers up an overwhelming array of artistic commentary on what it means to live and communicate in a digital world. The show, co-curated by the New Museum’s Lauren Cornell and video/ performance artist Ryan Trecartin, features 51 early career artists from more than 25 countries. The exhibition inhabits all five floors of the building and encompasses a variety of artistic practices, including sound, dance, comedy, poetry, installation, sculpture, painting, video, one online talk show and an advertising campaign. Highlights include Josh Kline’s larger-than-life installation, “Freedom,” which presents a futuristic version of a Zuccotti-like plaza filled with a large monitor projecting President Obama’s 2009 inaugural address the way the artist wishes it had been written, a SWAT team of Teletubbies with TV monitors in their bellies and plainclothed police officers reading texts from various 24
April 2015
forms of social media. The young online poet Steve Roggenbuck’s short Youtube videos, on display in the basement of the museum, are an encouraging rallying cry to take action and experience our lives immediately, with titles like, “make something beautiful before you are dead,” “Somewhere in the bottom of the rain,” and “LIEF IS BEAUTIFUL (2011) TRULEY WATCH THIS VIDEO IT CAN CHANGE YOU’RE LIFE!!” Casey Jane Ellison’s web talk show, Touching the Art, on Ovation TV satirizes art-world insider conversations that cover topics like art criticism, queer art, violence and the disposable nature of some art. We interviewed Lauren Cornell, who traveled the world to find the artists represented in the show, about “Surround Audience.” What are you most proud of about this show? We had the privilege of time with this show: there
was a 2.5 year run-up to the opening. This allowed us not only to do extensive research but also to fundraise for and facilitate major new works by artists. If I’m to isolate one thing I’m ‘most proud of’ about the exhibition, it would be the strength of the new commissions, including works by Exterritory, Martine Syms, Lena Henke, Shadi Habib Allah, Nadim Abbas, Juliana Huxtable, Asli Cavusoglu, Jose Leon Cerrillo, Josh Kline, Antoine Catala, Daniel Steegmann Mangrane, Aleksandra Domanovic, K-HOLE, DIS, among many others. The commissioning process also allowed us (the curatorial team: Ryan and I, with Sara O’Keeffe and Helga Christoffersen) to get close to the process of making the work and to get deep in conversation with the artists. That is a really valuable and enjoyable process. By the time the show opened, I felt we had traveled rather epic journeys with many of the artists involved. How do you define "emerging artist" in the scope of this show? These categories are always very complex and elusive and encourage kicking up against. Ryan and I chose “early-career” as a parameter instead of “emerging,” partly because emergence can happen at any point of an artist’s life (you could emerge and then re-emerge multiple times!). I may be stating the obvious here but, by early-career, we meant artists who were, relatively, still at in the beginning stages of their careers but already having significant influence on other artists or an art public. As I traveled, I looked not only for artists whose work felt original and important—and mapped to our
themes—but also those who were clearly having an impact. The artists in the show are all over the early-career map, from those whose practice has just crystallized in the last five years to those who’ve been working for well over a decade but have not yet been fully appreciated, at least within New York and by a museum. How did you decide on the final number of artists featured in this triennial? We felt we couldn’t add any more or we could compromise the individual installation areas given to each artist! How would you advise people who are not totally immersed in the art world (and may not have awareness or context around the work these artists are doing) to experience this show? I would say they should try and experience it just like anyone else. Give the works time, and if you want to dig deeper, see our lengthy wall texts or the catalogue. I don’t think art requires context to be experienced but, if people want it (I do!), its easily available. You can also watch Casey Jane Ellison’s show Touching the Art, specifically her episode on “Biennials and Triennials,” for a comedic introduction. It’s online and playing in the lobby of the museum. The 2015 Triennial: Surround Audience runs through May 24, 2015 at 235 Bowery (at Prince St.) Hours are Weds. - Sun. 11a.m. - 6p.m. General admission is $16. On Thursdays, the New Museum stays open until 9p.m. and from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. general admission is “Pay-What-You-Wish.
Frank Benson's "Juliana” (2015), a life-size 3D print of the transgender downtown personality Juliana Huxtable.
The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com
25
Raven DOLLING
For our regular feature spotlighting the people who live and work on the Lower East Side, we talked with longtime resident Raven Dolling.
How long have you lived on the LES? I have lived on the LES for 65 years. My mother and I lived in the Smith Houses for 10 years. When I was 15, we moved to Seward Park co-op. Why did you move here? My mother and I moved here from the Bronx when I was 5 years old and have lived here, on and off, ever since. I lived here during the LES’s dark times (friends were afraid to visit). Now, with everything going on here, why would I leave? What do you do? I am a retired hairstylist. I travel as much as I can now. Tell us about your apartment—the good, the bad and the ugly. I am fortunate to live on the 20th floor. My apart26
April 2015
ment is very comfortable. Mostly, I have lovely neighbors and feel if I needed help they would not hesitate. I like to think of the people in the co-op as my dysfunctional family as I no longer have any living relatives. What’s your favorite spot on the LES and why? My favorite spot is the view from my balcony. On a clear day, I can see every bridge in NYC. I also love the public garden in Seward Park. Favorite cheap eats? I like Cheeky's—the short rib sandwich and the excellent fried chicken sandwich. And I like going into Eastwood and meeting everyone from the nabe. The owners are so welcoming, it’s like home but bigger. Favorite place for a special night? Beauty & Essex: After seeing what the former Essex Market morphed into, I find the decor amazing. Good food too. And The Fat Radish has really
good food. After living here as long as I have, it's spectacular that I only have to walk a few blocks to eat. It has only been this way for a short time, for most of my life on the LES I've had to leave the neighborhood to have a good meal. How have you seen the neighborhood change? I see a lot more young parents with children. Late at night, the streets aren't as desolate as they were when I was younger. I feel safer when I come home by myself late at night. What do you miss from the old LES? The bialys don't taste the same as when I was a kid, but I hear that they are working on it. I miss Gertel’s Bakery. Is there a new arrival you love? I love all the new restaurants, boutiques and galleries. I especially love The New Museum. What drives you crazy about the neighborhood? The dirt and dog poo make me crazy. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on the LES? There used to be a public telephone on the corner of East Broadway and Clinton Street. For many years, at about 7:30 a.m., we would be awakened by a woman screaming profanities into the phone and then slamming the receiver. This routine went on for about a half-hour every morning. Tell us your best LES memory. My best memory is trying to leave but always returning. This place is my home.
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Jews, A People’s History of the
Lower East Side:
An Anthology in Three Volumes by Clayton Patterson
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The Lo-Down is the Lower East Side’s essential community news source. Founded in 2009, Lo-Down Productions LLC produces this monthly magazine as well as a website, thelodownny.com, which is updated daily with neighborhood news, arts coverage, restaurant information and more. The primary editorial coverage area is bounded by East Houston Street on the north and Bowery on the west, although some stories range above Houston Street, as far uptown as East 14th Street. The print magazine is published 10 times each year, with double issues in July/August and December/January. Each month, 12,000 copies are distributed throughout the Lower East Side. The Lo-Down is not aff  iliated with any other company or organization. This independent publication relies solely on advertising revenue and does not receive funding from any outside sources other than the various advertisers who are displayed in print and online. Our sponsors sustain this publication as a vital outlet for community journalism and engagement. A variety of advertising opportunities are available in the magazine and on the website. Inquire by email at ads@thelodownny.com or by phone at 646-861-1805. Story tips, article submissions and letters to the editor are welcome via email at tips@thelodownny.com.
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April 2015
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