Urban Agenda New York City, May 2014 by Witherspoon Media Group

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May 2014

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Tiffanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Asset

2014

Clara Wolcott Driscoll

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MAY 2014 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lynn Adams Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jorge Naranjo ART DIRECTOR Jeffrey Edward Tryon GRAPHIC DESIGNER Matthew DiFalco CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Linda Arntzenius Anne Levin Ingrid W. Reed Ilene Dube Gina Hookey Taylor Smith ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Robin Broomer

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CONTENTS

6 Clara Wolcott Driscol l, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Secret Asset

BY LI NDA AR NTZENI US

Mike Bloomberg Giving Away His Vast Fortune at Home and Abroad BY I NGR I D W. R EED

Malia Mills, Photo credit: Kristin Martz

Raymond Kel ly, The Former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and a Lifelong New Yorker BY LYNN ADAMS SMI TH

Steinway Stays In Tune BY ANNE LEVI N

From One - Stop Self Publishing to Artful Decoupage, The B ook is Alive and Wel l BY LI NDA AR NTZENI US

Brainstorm Digital— Crafting Magic in the Digital Editing Room BY I LENE DUBE

It’s All About Attitude with Fashion-Forward Swimwear Designer Malia Mil ls

BY TAYLOR SMI TH

Calendar 18

Real Estate: Recently Sold in the Northeast Cover Photo: Tiffany Lamp. Photography by Lynnette, Shutterstock.com.

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Camping with Kids 30

Graduation Gifts

Destination: Nantucket

BY TAYLOR SMI TH

Nantucket: What to Pack

Urban Shops: Summer House Sojourn

MAY 2014

4/28/14 12:23:10 PM

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URBAN BOOKS Clara Driscoll in her workroom at Tiffany Studios with Joseph Briggs, 1901. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Clara Wolcott Driscoll, Louis Comfort Tiffanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Asset BY LINDA ARNTZENIUS

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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MAY 2014

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ouis Comfort Tiffany. His name evokes one-of-a-kind Art Nouveau windows and lamps with jewel-like, leaded glass shades. Clara Wolcott Driscoll? Not so much. And yet, Driscoll’s was the creative hand behind many of Tiffany’s most iconic designs. How do we know? Because like many Victorians, Clara was an avid letter writer who kept her family back home in Ohio up-to-date on New York City life at the turn of the 20th Century. Her letters reveal a lively young woman with a wry sense of humor, making her way in a man’s world, bicycling around Manhattan in a riding skirt just a tad shorter than the accepted length, going to the opera, and, even though women weren’t allowed to vote, fully informed on the politics of her day with a perspective that took in the Lower East Side as well as Gilded Age Manhattan. From time to time some new archival discovery changes what we thought we knew. In 2005, a cache of Clara’s letters set art historians buzzing over the creative origins of those famous Tiffany lamps oft-seen appraised for enormous sums on Antiques Roadshow. When Dragonfly or Wisteria lamps from Tiffany Studios go on the block, bids range from $450,000 to $600,000. The correspondence shows that Clara Wolcott Driscoll, not Louis Comfort Tiffany, was responsible for these iconic designs. Clara’s letters transformed public perception of Tiffany Studios and the role of the women who worked there and led to an exhibition at the New York Historical Society and to several books, including lively novels by Susan Vreeland and Echo Heron.

But when Clara Wolcott went to work for Tiffany Studios around 1888, business was booming. Louis C. hired her straight from the new Metropolitan Museum of Art School. Within four years, she was such an experienced designer that Tiffany appointed her to lead the newly-formed Women’s Glass Cutting Department, which executed his design of the Story of the Cross window for the chapel at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. By 1894, the department employed 35 women graduates from Cooper Union and the School of Applied Design; by 1897, some 50 young women worked there, according to an article by Cecilia Waern in the September 1897 issue of The International Studio. All of them, incidentally, were unmarried; a company policy that was not unusual at the time. Indeed, in hiring women, Tiffany Studios might be said to be ahead of its time, if it were not for the fact that the women’s department was formed after a strike by the male-only Lead Glaziers and Glass Cutters Union. That he had women on his staff was so unusual at the time that it was written up in several contemporary publications, including an 1894 article in The Art Interchange, “Women Workers in Glass at the Tiffany Studios,” in which the company was described as “progressive” in its “experiment of employing women.” But no true story is ever simple. The relationship between the two gender-specific departments was not always smooth and Clara’s time there was interrupted by her first marriage to Francis Driscoll. When her husband died, Clara returned to Tiffany Studios around 1898, until a second marriage in 1909 forced her to leave once again.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany

From Ohio Student to Tiffany Girl

Susan Vreeland’s novel, Clara and Mr. Tiffany, blends historical fact with imagined fiction. Clara and Louis C. bond over their shared appreciation for glass. Vreeland, who buried herself in Clara’s correspondence, found her to be “. . . independent and self-sufficient, talented and ambitious, educated and self-educated, emancipated to a degree, opinionated, wry, vibrant, and hungry to grasp all that life in the nation’s cultural capital had to offer‑‑an embodiment of the New Woman.” Vreeland describes the discovery of the letters as “a historical fiction writer’s gold,” revealing Clara’s close relationships with five men and a colorful cast of characters at the studios and in the boardinghouse she shared with other artists and quirky individuals on the edge of bohemian life, against the backdrop of a fast moving city being transformed by modern industrial technology. Subways, skyscrapers, electric street lights, the new Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty were transforming the city formed by the consolidation of the five boroughs into the second largest in the world. Vreeland’s Clara is torn between love and art at a time of growing feminist consciousness when young women were joining the workforce. The author makes much of the fact that Tiffany Studios would not hire married women. She pits Clara and The Tiffany Girls against the male workers who would be rid of them. In the novel, Clara is faced with a professional/personal dichotomy; the world of her work and creative artistry or the world of her heart. Told in Clara’s voice, the book introduces readers to Clara’s complex relationship with Tiffany through her descriptions of her employer’s affectations such as the cane he doesn’t really need. Inwardly, she calls him Napoleonic and describes him as a peacock. Outwardly, she plays on her youth and her position of trust to tease him from time to time.

Tiffany Studios There is no disputing that Louis Comfort Tiffany was a highly skilled and innovative designer of jewelry, ceramics, enamels, metalwork, and glass. His father Charles Tiffany, a master of silver and jewelry, founded the famed Tiffany & Co., which continues to thrive today. Louis C. is best known today for richlycolored opalescent stained-glass. Innovative in style and execution, he created new kinds of glass as well as an expressive organic style that took leaded glass beyond the confines of churches and into homes, albeit rather grand homes. Above all other qualities, objects produced by Tiffany Studios were intended to be beautiful. In his essay, “The Quest of Beauty,” Louis C. describes beauty as “a mental attitude.” Be that as it may, the business ultimately succumbed to changing aesthetics and values. Unlike Tiffany & Co., Tiffany Studios didn’t survive beyond the early 1930s.

Since Clara’s 1898 return to Tiffany Studios coincides with the production of its first leaded glass lamp shades with nature-based themes, it is thought likely that the idea for this new product line was hers. Louis Comfort Tiffany’s style of leadership was patriarchal. Although a team of skilled designers and craftspeople transformed his vision, other than a few individuals, it was not his company policy to credit designers, male or female. Still, Clara’s contributions were recognized when she won a medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. It is now widely accepted that Mrs. Driscoll was the creative force behind more than 30 lamps bases and shades, including the famous Wisteria, Dragonfly, Peony, and Daffodil, as well as a wide range of other objects. Born in Tallmadge, Ohio, Clara Pierce Wolcott (1861– 1944) was the oldest of four sisters. After graduating from Cleveland’s Western Reserve School of Design for Women, she worked briefly for a local furniture maker before joining the tide of young women flowing into New York City for respectable careers in the burgeoning field of industrial arts. She shared Louis C. Tiffany’s love of nature and appreciation of beautiful materials, especially the iridescent glass pioneered by his glassmakers. Clara flourished under his direction and advanced to a position of trust, and earned one of the highest salaries paid to a women of her time, $10,000 per year. She met regularly with her employer to discuss her department, and, one imagines, to brainstorm designs and push for their execution. Clara’s letters reveal her desire for a more artistic environment and her annoyance that her department was assessed according to commercial terms when others were not. Her Dragonfly lamp was so expensive to produce that some company managers doubted it would prove profitable. But Tiffany described it as “the most interesting lamp in the place” and ordered examples to be displayed in London and Paris. The prize awarded to Clara’s design in Paris, was later mentioned in the New York Daily News, bringing her a rare moment of public recognition. Her letters show that Clara was extremely proud of her work and the steady stream of orders that flowed into the women’s department. In February 1902, she wrote that a total of 15 Wisteria shades had been ordered at $350 each, noting “all of which goes down to my credit, it being my design.” In March 16, 1905, she reported that a total of 123 had been made. In the following year, there were so many orders for the Wisteria and other shades that the men’s department joined the women’s department working at capacity to fulfill them. All records for Tiffany Studios were lost in the early 1930s, so the discovery of Clara’s correspondence at the Queens Historical Society in New York and

may 2014

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/24/14 3:07:56 PM

Peony shade, designed by Clara Driscoll circa 1900-1904, model 1505. Diam.: 22 in. Base designed pre-1906, model 397. The New-York Historical Society, gift of Dr. Egon Neustadt. Photography by Glenn Castellano. .Dragonfly and Water Lamp, designed by Clara Driscoll. From the collection of The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Winter Park, Florida, © Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation, Inc.

Wisteria Lamp, designed by Clara Driscoll. The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, by Martin Eidelberg, et al. Vendome Press, New York, 2005. Tiffany Girls on the Roof of Tiffany Studios, 1904-05. From the collection of The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Winter Park, Florida, © Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation, Inc.

the Kelso House Museum Collection at Kent State University Library Special Collections in Ohio is regarded as a significant find. The efforts of Martin Eidelberg, professor emeritus of art history at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Margaret K. Hofer of New York Historical Society (NYHS), and independent curator and scholar Nina Gray, led to Driscoll’s contributions being publicized in 2006. It was a revelation to the general public that Louis Comfort Tiffany was not personally responsible for each and every design produced under his name. Clara was one of a number of men and women designers employed by Tiffany Studios. Others include Agnes Northrop, Alice Gouvy, and Julia Munson. Clara Driscoll and the “Tiffany Girls” had created many of the lamps originally attributed to Louis Comfort Tiffany and his staff of male designers. NYHS mounted an exhibition, accompanied by 200-page catalog, A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls, written by Eidelberg, Gray and Hofer. After Clara left Tiffany Studios for good, in 1909, she developed her own business designing hand-painted silk scarves. Sadly, none are known to have survived, but any visitor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museum art stores will have seen silk scarves with Tiffany Studios designs. As a married woman, Clara never achieved outshone the creative accomplishments of her years with Tiffany. When she died in 944, her remarkable achievements there were forgotten until the discovery of her letters in 2005. Another novel inspired by Clara’s writings, is Noon at Tiffany’s: A Historical, Biographical Novel by Echo Heron. Written in 2007 after its author heard about Clara’s 1,330 weekly letters to two of her sisters and her mother between 1853 and the 1930s, the book takes its title from Clara’s description of designing a daffodil lamp at “Noon at Tiffany’s.” Echo uses sections from the letters together with entries from Clara’s diary. The pensive looking woman on the cover is Clara.

In addition to the NYHS catalog mentioned above, Tiffany Desk Treasures by George A. Kemeny and Donald Miller, published in 2002, acknowledges Clara Driscoll’s significant contribution to Tiffany glass.

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Where Can You Find Tiffany Lamps today? Numerous Tiffany-inspired lamps can be bought from lighting stores and big box outlets but the real thing is like nothing made this side of 1928 when the Tiffany Studios New York ceased production. Apart from an unlikely discovery in Great Aunt Augusta’s attic or a visit to a museum such at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for most of us the best bet of seeing one of these gorgeous lamps is at the Macklowe Gallery, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065, which has an extensive collection of original signed lamps as well as other exquisite Tiffany Studios items for sale. 212.644.6400; www.macklowegallery.com. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Florida boasts the world most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works. www.morsemuseum.org. The New York Historical Society’s permanent collection has 132 Tiffany lamps and three windows, a gift from Dr. Egon Neustadt in 1984. An Austrian immigrant, New York City orthodontist, and successful real estate developer, Neustadt began collecting Tiffany lamps in 1935 when he and his wife Hildegard purchased their first lamp in a Greenwich Village antique shop. Over five decades, Neustadt amassed one of the most important and most comprehensive Tiffany collections in the world. A selection, including Clara Driscoll’s Peacock Table Lamp, is on view in the Luce Center of the New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street, New York, NY 10024; 212.873.3400; www.nyhistory.org.

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BLOOMBERG

PHILANTHROPIES

GIVING AWAY

MIKE’S VAST FORTUNE AT HOME AND ABROAD BY INGRID

W. REED

Bloomberg’s estimated net worth (Forbes Magazine)

BILLION

452

Amount Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed in 2013

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To save children from drowning in Bangladesh

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To reverse declining fish supply

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Toward digital engagement for cultural institutions

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To reduce tobacco use

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

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MAY 20 1 4

4/25/14 9:54:46 AM

JORGE NARANJO

hen Mayor Michael Bloomberg concluded his unprecedented 12 years of governing New York City, his record was assessed in the local and national media, and by organizations that agreed and disagreed with his performance in office as well as in the political campaigns of his would-be successors. In spite of epithets like “Nanny-in-Chief,” the ultimate consensus was that he instituted modern management, safeguarded the health of the City’s inhabitants, initiated long-range plans to protect its environment, upgraded performance of schools, reformed transportation policies to include pedestrians and bicyclists, and invested in the arts for the public good. This list is no surprise to those who had followed the words and deeds of the philanthropic Bloomberg while he was in office. Since 2006, he has defined and carried out the mission of his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, focused on five key areas: public health, environment, education, government innovation, arts and culture. While his official capacity as mayor is over, Bloomberg has chosen a leadership role as a private citizen, using his wealth to support causes in which he believes. The resources he has brought to Bloomberg Philanthropies are impressive. They have grown to a level that makes the foundation No. 12, with assets of $4.2 billion, on the Foundation Center’s list of the top 100 foundations as of March 15, 2014. Based on total giving of $131.2 million for the year 2012, it is No. 43 on the list of foundations. This capacity for giving and generating change is the result of the entrepreneurial Bloomberg’s efforts as well as his successful leadership of Bloomberg L.P., which he founded in 1981. He has the opportunity to become a 21st Century version of extraordinarily wealthy individuals such as Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie and now Gates—whose legacies are tied to the public good rather than the business acumen that generated their wealth.

RENEWED EMPHASIS ON PHILANTHROPY The Bloomberg philanthropic effort outlined at length on the website www.bloomberg.org is as clear and direct as Mayor Bloomberg himself. His stated approach is entrepreneurial. He does not avoid controversy or failure, and promotes ideas and solutions that have worked in one place

and have potential to do so in others. Bloomberg Philanthropies uses data to measure and improve performance, and recognizes the power of advocacy to influence public opinion and leaders. Partnerships are key since current challenges are seen as complex, requiring both public and private institutions working together with a common purpose. The Bloomberg Philanthropies’ website lists more than 30 partners in alphabetical order. To mention a few, those at the beginning of the alphabet include Association for Safe International Road Travel, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids while those at the end are United States Artists, Women for Women, and the World Health Organization. A board of directors serves in “an advisory and oversight capacity” with members who have exemplary careers in the private, public, or non-profit sectors. The names of some of the 13 members may be familiar such as scientist and skater Tenley Albright; designer of the Vietnam Memorial Maya Lin; former Florida Governor Jeb Bush; former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao; President Bush’s Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; and Michael Bloomberg’s two daughters, equestrian Georgina Bloomberg and Emma Bloomberg, who serves as chief of staff of the Robin Hood Foundation. Recent significant grant-making by Bloomberg Philanthropies has helped international organizations reduce tobacco use, promote road safety in low-middle income countries, and create economic opportunity for women in post-conflict countries. In the United States, millions of dollars have gone to promote clean energy, reduce dependency on coal, create opportunities for young men in NYC, and support the capacity of cities for solving the important problems of our society. In the last years of his tenure as mayor, Bloomberg provided significant grants to cities both to non-profit organizations in cities and to city governments themselves. He believes that changes in cities have the capacity to change the world. Among those that received funds to encourage innovation are New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, and Memphis. The Cities of Service program provides grants to engage volunteers as a way to address critical needs.

MAY 20 1 4

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/24/14 3:13:21 PM

BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES AREAS OF FOCUS |

THE ENVIRONMENT

GOVERNMENT INNOVATION

PUBLIC HEALTH

JORGE NARANJO

ARTS AND CULTURE | EDUCATION

WORDS TO LIVE BY: THE BLOOMBERG PHILOSOPHY FROM TOP FIVE TIPS FOR BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR. Tip # 5 Give back. (Tips #1—#4 are Take risks. Make your own luck. Be persistent. Never stop learning.) You are ultimately responsible for your success and failure, but you only succeed if you share the reward with others. At the end of the day, ask yourself: “Am I making a difference in the lives of others?” On signing The Giving Pledge, “A commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of the wealth to philanthropy,” originated by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. …The reality of great wealth is that you can’t spend it and you can’t take it with you. …Long term, your children will benefit more from your philanthropy than from your will. I believe that philanthropic contributions I’m now making are as much gifts to my children as they are to the recipient organizations. …As Mayor of New York, I’ve seen just how needed—and how powerful—private donations are. Public-private partnerships are at the heart of our efforts to improve public health and safety…and so much more. Reported in Crain’s, April 30, 2013 announcing the web site Bloomberg.org. …The foundation aims to bring business principles to the world of philanthropy. The web site declares its mission to have “Results that can be measured. Changes that can be felt.” …Bloomberg recalled how his first lesson in philanthropy came from his father who donated $25 to the NAACP even though he only earned enough to support his family...his father explained that discrimination was a threat to everyone...The donation was not just a gift to the NAACP but one to him [Bloomberg] as well, teaching him the importance of helping others.

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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NEW INITIATIVES FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL GIVING A new grants program, The Mayors Challenge, was begun in the United States as a competition to generate bold ideas to address important problems and to craft solutions that have the potential to be used in other cities. Its success has inspired a European version launched in September 2013 with a 10 million Euro fund. More than 600 cities are eligible to demonstrate their ability to show they would improve services, increase efficiencies and enhance engagement with the public. The five winners will be awarded grants to implement their prize-worthy ideas. When the New York Times revealed two weeks before Mayor Bloomberg was to leave office that he planned to create a no-cost consulting practice designed to help cities around the world address major urban problems, the reaction was not surprise but rather “of course.” The expert administrators on the Bloomberg team who implemented his initiatives are in demand. Those joining the enterprise will be known as Bloomberg Associates, an ideal resource to spread the legacy of the Mayor’s tenure and his belief that cities are the catalysts for change. According to the New York Times story, the Associates and the foundation will be housed together in an imposing six-story property at the corner of Madison Avenue and 78th Street designed by Stanford White at the end of the 19th Century. Only blocks away from Bloomberg’s home as well as the offices of Bloomberg L.P., it will serve as the place where he can map out his intention to give away his fortune in his lifetime. The building has a history as the home of the former governor, U.S. Senator, secretary of state and railroad executive Hamilton Fish. It will be completely renovated to accommodate the needs of a “modern entrepreneur, mayor, philanthropist,” the words used to identify Bloomberg on his website, www.mikebloomberg.com. With the building’s renovation and reuse, it will add vitality to the City he governed while the individuals in its new offices will generate ideas, investments and initiatives that may reverberate around the world. As a former mayor, Bloomberg will be honored, respected and in demand, but he will also be free to more fully pursue his role as philanthropist and apply his experience and resources to solving the global challenges he has defined. U

MAY 20 1 4

4/24/14 3:13:38 PM

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4/28/14 11:00:51 AM

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly at the annual Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, October 14, 2013. (Lev Radin/shutterstock.com)

Raymond Kelly

Former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and lifelong New Yorker interview by Lynn Adams smith

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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may 2014

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UA: As Police Commissioner, you spearheaded the modernization of the New York City Police Department and created a counter-terrorism operation. How many planned terrorist attacks did your team avert, and are other urban cities adopting your model for a counter-terrorism operation? RK: In 2002, we created a counter terrorism bureau, the first and only one of its kind at the municipal level. To better assess threats coming from overseas, we established an overseas intelligence liaison program, in which we stationed NYPD detectives in eleven foreign cities, such as London, Tel Aviv, Toronto, and Amman. But unlike federal intelligence offices overseas, the NYPD’s detectives are embedded with each country’s police forces, which affords them access and ability to respond quickly. For instance, with the Mumbai attacks in 2008, this program allowed us to have officers on the ground in Mumbai within one day of the attacks ending. And three days after that, we had a full report that we shared with the FBI and our constituents. We also learned that in Mumbai, the terrorists seemed to have a better idea of the topography than the Indian police forces. As a result, we recorded and photographed the insides of all major hotels in New York as a precautionary measure. We built a real-time crime center, a state-of-theart facility that searches computer records, to give investigators early information on past crimes. In all of this, we used technology to create smarter policing methods. Through this active policing, the NYPD and its formal partners have foiled 16 attacks that we know of. We are sharing information, tools, and other best practices with agencies, both domestic and international, as well as with other cities. That said, each city is unique and has a different set of challenges. What works here may not work in another city and what works there may not work here. UA: Why did the murder rate in New York City drop so dramatically low while you were Police Commissioner? RK: By all accounts, New York City, is the safest it has ever been. The murder rate, in addition to all major crime rates, fell dramatically because of more active and smarter policing. In 2013, New York saw 333 murders on a population of 8.3 million, which is far lower than most other major American cities. We saw a 40 percent decrease in violent crime over the last 12 years. The use of technology has been vital in dropping crime to historic lows. As I mentioned, the real-time Police commissioner Ray Kelly. Wikimedia Commons crime center is central to the rise of technology within the NYPD. The Domain Awareness System, designed by the NYPD and Microsoft, uses data from a network of cameras—the city has over 7,000 and also draws upon the security cameras of companies. Radiation detectors, license plate readers, and crime reports track suspicious people and activities. This program allows us to query camera footage from all over New York and then get that information quickly to officers. We worked on having a more public police presence, putting officers near popular tourist landmarks and shopping areas. We also put the officers in more at-risk areas. We encouraged the officers to engage with the communities in which they serve, and the NYPD increased diversity, now having officers born in 106 countries who speak 80 languages. The stop, question, and sometimes frisk tool that we use, and which is used by police departments all over the United States, is validated by the Supreme Court case, Terry vs. Ohio. It has been proven, in conjunction with the other steps we’re taking, to reduce crime. And perhaps the most notable thing is that we did all this at a time when we lost 6,000 officers due to budget cuts.

UA: Do you think marijuana should be legalized? RK: I was a supporter of Governor Cuomo’s effort to change the designation of minor marijuana possession to a violation statewide. That said, I don’t think marijuana should be legalized yet, until we know more. Literature in this area has indicated a strong and positive relationship between marijuana and other drug use as well as crime. Colorado and Washington (once they start selling in June) will provide interesting laboratories. While it is still a bit early, we can use what we learn on the actual rather than perceived effects of legalization in both states. We can determine how legalization affects rates of marijuana usage, and its role, if any, as a gateway drug (that is, leading to other drug use). Additionally, we can see if crimes, violent and non-violent, increase as a result of legalization. We mustn’t be naïve to the realities of the economic gains, but we also must ask whether these benefits outweigh a society that is potentially less safe and secure. UA: What is your personal workout routine and how else do you spend your free time when you need to relax or have some fun? RK: I work out regularly. Since I was a college student, I have enjoyed working out. It’s a great way to relieve stress, but I also use it as a time to reflect on things I did that day and also what I have to do tomorrow. I like watching television shows, particularly The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, both of which I find not only funny, but informative. Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are smart. I enjoy watching sports, especially football and baseball. I like traveling and recently went to Europe on vacation and got to spend time in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin. But for me, the best way to relax is to spend time with my family. UA: What can ordinary citizens do to help make New York City a safer place? RK: New York has, in part, become safer because New Yorkers have been more vigilant. The “See Something, Say Something” campaign has been a success. We have had citizens report crimes and suspicious activities. Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square bomber, was foiled because two street vendors noticed his car was smoking and alerted authorities. Further, 311, New York’s information number, can be used to report a variety of issues, like excessive noise, graffiti, or damaged trees. By taking care of these issues, they don’t turn into something larger. By taking care of neighborhood concerns, we can preemptively prevent crime. We have not had a successful terrorist attack since 9/11. We mustn’t get lulled into a false sense of security; the key to staying safe is that New Yorkers must continue to be vigilant. UA: Since leaving your post as Police Commissioner, you have joined the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). What is the function of the CFR what will be the focus of your work as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow? RK: The Council on Foreign Relations is one of the premier foreign affairs think tanks in the world. It is also a membership organization and the publisher of Foreign Affairs magazine. The staff here is top notch and is regularly consulted by governments, media, and businesses. I must say it’s truly been a pleasure to work at CFR. And seeing all the smart, thoughtful, and hardworking people here is invigorating. It puts my mind at ease, because I know that these people will be in high-level positions, leading governments, companies, and in academia, for years to come. Having been here since January, my work has focused on national security issues, including counterterrorism, policing, and

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The NYPD office in Times Square, at the intersection of neon art and commerce. (Stuart Monk/shutterstock.com)

cybersecurity. I’ve also discussed the role of security at public events, like the Super Bowl and the Sochi Olympics. A number of impressive individuals have previously held my position, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, including Stanley Fischer, who was just nominated to be the next Fed vice chair, former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Peter Orszag, who was the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama administration, and Mervyn King, who served as governor of the Bank of England. UA: You recently accepted Governor Cuomo’s invitation to be a special adviser to the state in setting up the nation’s first college on emergency preparedness and homeland security. What is the timeframe for establishing the school and what type of faculty and student body are you hoping to attract? RK: I am honored by Governor Cuomo’s invitation. This will be a four-year college that will prepare young men and women in various aspects of homeland security, including law enforcement and intelligence gathering. Aimed at pushing for more emergency preparedness in the face of new and not-yet-existing challenges, the school will have courses in a number of areas, including how to respond to major emergencies, coordinate large events, and liaise with other agencies. The timeframe is not clear as of yet, but what is clear is that this is truly a great idea from Governor Cuomo. This is something that is highly needed, and it is here to stay. It’s my hope that this school will attract students and faculty from around the world. New York and more broadly, the United States, have been threatened in a variety of ways, but disaster response needs a core group of people able to answer the charge. It is one thing to create plans devoted to prevention. But what happens if something does happen? You need a plan, and this school will engender such action. This is a field that is, unfortunately, going to grow and get worse. We have to be prepared to respond to these challenges.

As police commissioner, Ray Kelly addresses journalists about the suspect in attempted kidnapping during the annual Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue last year. (Lev Radin/shutterstock.com)

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MONTEVERDI CHOIR ENGLISH BAROQUE SOLOISTS Sir John Eliot Gardiner Sunday, June 15, 2014 • 3:00 p.m. Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, Princeton University visit www.ScheideConcerts.com or call University Ticketing at 609.258.9220 J.S. Bach “Singet dem Herrn” Motet BWV 225 “Christ lag in Todesbanden” Cantata BWV 4 G.F. Handel Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110) HWV 232 UA_adtemplate.indd 1

made possible by Judith & William Scheide in collaboration with the

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calendar highlights May

May

Pulse Contemporary Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Pulse is known for large-scale art installations and audience-engaging sculptures (through May 11). www.pulse-art.com.

May

Frieze New York Art Fair begins on Randall’s Island. See and buy art from leading artists from around the world. The event is also an opportunity for New York’s most forward-thinking galleries to showcase the work of their featured artists (through May 12). www. friezenewyork.com. Start of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, an annual celebration of Manhattan’s love affair with the classic cocktail. Events run the gamut from “punch parties” to educational seminars (through May 13). www. manhattancocktailclassic.com.

May

English stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Eddie Izzard performs at Broadway’s Beacon Theatre as part of his Force Majeure tour (through May 18). 212.465.6500.

New England’s historic whaling capital becomes the nation’s wine capital during the Nantucket Wine Festival (through May 18). 617.527.9473. New York Mets vs. the New York Yankees at the Mets’ Citi Field (also on May 15). www.newyork.mets.mlb.com.

May

The ARF Designer Showhouse and Sale showcases rooms styled by some of New York’s most sought-after interior decorators. All proceeds from the event go towards ARF, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons.www. arfhamptons.org.

May

Chelsea Handler, comedian and host of Chelsea Lately, presents an evening of stand-up at Caesars Atlantic City in Atlantic City, NJ. www.caesarsac.com.

June

Breast Cancer Alliance’s Annual Golf Outing at Glen Arbor Country Club in Bedford, NY. The Breast Cancer Alliance raises money for innovative research and breast surgery fellowships at top medical institutions in the tri-state area. www.glenarborclub.com.

June

5/25

Jonathan Tisch conducts an in-depth interview with Sarah Jessica Parker at the 92nd Street Y. Parker will discuss everything from her Ohio childhood to working on Broadway and her iconic role as Carrie, the fashion-forward star of Sex and the City. www.92y.org.

5/9

Shakespeare in the Park returns to New York’s Central Park with Much Ado About Nothing featuring Hamish Linklater and King Lear starring John Lithgow. Free (through August 17). www.publictheater.org.

Sundance Institute’s New York City Benefit honors Glenn Close with the Vanguard Leadership Award. Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford. Its mission is to foster, find, and promote independent film and theatre artists. 310.492.2325.

5/30

6/7 5/15

May

Final day of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2014. Interior designers transform a luxury Manhattan home with the latest in home fashions, styling, and furnishings. Proceeds benefit the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club. www. kipsbaydecoratorsshowhouse.org.

may

Actor and comedian Martin Short at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. www.bergenpac.org.

May

5/12

American Ballet Theatre’s Opening Night Gala for the spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Performances begin with a staging of Don Quixote on May 13 and continue with La Bayadère on May 23. www.abt.org.

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May

Fleet Week 2014 provides an opportunity for citizens to celebrate the legacy and achievements of the US sea services. Visitors can tour ships, watch military demonstrations, and meet reallife members of today’s Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Teams (through May 27). www.fleetweeknewyork.com.

For more than a century, the East Village was home to poets, jazz musicians, artists, and Vaudeville and Yiddish theatre. Celebrate Allen Ginsberg and all things counterculture at the 2014 Howl Festival in Tompkins Square Park (through June 1). www. howlfestival.com.

June

New York’s 38th Annual American Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center (also on June 8, and June 14 and 15). www. craftsatlincoln.org. Launch of the 2014 Newport International Polo Series. This summerlong public exhibition of polo matches is one of Newport, Rhode Island’s favorite summer attractions. www.ntpolo.com.

June

American Theatre Wing’s 68th Annual Tony Awards hosted by Hugh Jackman celebrates excellence in contemporary theater and will be broadcast live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall. www. tonyawards.com.

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June

The 36th Annual Museum Mile Festival is Fifth Avenue’s free celebration of arts and culture. Nine museums stretching from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Museum for African Art, will open their doors to the public and offer extended evening hours. www. museummilefestival.org. The Apollo Theater’s 80th birthday gala, hosted by Wayne Brady, features performances by The Isley Brothers and Smokey Robinson. Proceeds will beneﬁt Apollo Theater’s various arts and education programs. www.apollotheater.org.

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June

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal is the highest award given by the Municipal Art Society (MAS) and is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the quality of life in Manhattan. President Bill Clinton and Caroline Kennedy serve as the event’s honorary chair and co-chair. The Gala will be held in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal. www.mas.org.

June

Summer Solstice Celebration at Storm King Art Center is Hudson Valley’s premiere summer event. Tour Storm King’s stunning outdoor sculptures, partake in drinks and hors d’oeuvres, before settling down to a multi-course farm-to-table dinner. www.stormking.org.

June

Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell perform at The Palace Theatre in Albany, NY. www.palacealbany.com.

June

Billy Joel, live and in concert at Madison Square Garden. www.thegarden.com. Summer Solstice in Times Square hosted by Athleta. This free all-day event features non-stop yoga classes and instruction taught by instructors like Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, and Rodney Yee. www.timessquarenyc.org.

June

6/14

Art Exhibitions: “Chicago in L.A.: Judy Chicago’s Early Work, 1963-74;” Brooklyn Museum

Feeding time at the zoo. Bark hello to the sea lions at the Bronx Zoo’s Astor Court, the Beaux-Arts building considered to be a New York City landmark. www.bronxzoo.com.

July

6/4

Opening night White Gala for Holiday House Hamptons, a holiday-themed designer showcase beneﬁting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which was founded by Evelyn Lauder in 1993 and aims to ﬁnd a prevention and cure for the disease. www. holidayhousehamptons.com.

Musician Beck plays Central Park’s Summerstage as part of his North American Tour. Beck will perform tracks from his latest album, Morning Phase. www.centralpark.com.

7/1

“Thannhauser Collection;” Guggenheim Museum

“Jeff Koons: A Retrospective;” Whitney Museum of American Art “Dogon Now: Masks in Motion;” Museum for African Art “Goya and the Altamira Family;” The Metropolitan Museum of Art “The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy: British Art and Design;” The Metropolitan Museum of Art “Posters of the Vienna Secession, 18981918;” Neue Galerie “Other Primary Structures;” The Jewish Museum New York “Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs;” American Museum of Natural History “City As Canvas: Grafﬁti Art from the Martin Wong Collection;” Museum of the City of New York

6/10

“Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 19582010;” Dia:Beacon “Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition;” Storm King Art Center

MAY 2014

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Theatre Performances: Of Mice and Men; Longacre Theatre Cabaret; Studio 54 The Cripple of Inishmaan; Cort Theatre Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Belasco Theatre A Raisin in the Sun; Ethel Barrymore Theatre Matilda; Shubert Theatre Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Stephen Sondheim Theatre Chicago; Ambassador Theatre Rocky; Winter Garden Theatre Wicked; Gershwin Theatre The Lion King; Minskoff Theatre

JULY

“Exposed: A History of Lingerie;” The Museum at FIT

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4/24/14 3:16:32 PM

Steinway Stays in Tune

BY ANNE LEVIN

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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hen the news broke last September that Steinway Musical Instruments was being sold to the hedge fund firm Paulson & Company for $512 million, pianists all over the world began to panic. Did the purchase mean that the company’s tradition of meticulous craftsmanship would become a thing of the past? Was the Steinway, the Rolls Royce of pianos, headed for the mass production line? So far, the company’s time-honored methods appear to be safe. Since the announcement was made, new owner John Paulson has expressed his admiration and respect for the 160-year-old Steinway legacy. Not a pianist himself, but the owner of three Steinways, Paulson has said he plans to keep things much as they are. Yes, Steinway’s famed showroom on West 57th Street has been sold, and a new space is planned for a nearby location as yet to be announced. But the Steinway factory near Astoria, Queens is continuing its practice of using old-world techniques to turn out the superlative instruments beloved by a long line of artists, from Vladimir Ashkenazy and Yefim Bronfman to Harry Connick, Jr. and Billy Joel. Both of these locations are open to the public. The showroom, known as Steinway Hall, is accessible at any time during opening hours, and the factory in Queens is available for tours on selected days. For anyone curious about the painstaking process that goes into the creation of a Steinway piano, a visit to the factory can be illuminating. The ornate Steinway Hall is the place to shop for a piano, and perhaps run into a musical celebrity or two. With its domed ceiling and rooms of finely tuned instruments, the showroom is a favorite stopping place for famous pianists. They might be rehearsing for a concert across the street at Carnegie Hall, or just testing out a new instrument. Steinway plans to keep the showroom open to the public at its current location until the move, which is projected for late summer or early fall. Anyone is welcome to wander through the opulent building and inspect the exhibits of memorabilia, or play any of the pianos on display. “It’s like a snapshot from 1925—even the light fixtures,” says Steinway

spokesman Anthony M. Gilroy. “Anyone can come in and browse, or be shown around. It’s no surprise to see someone like Lang Lang or Emanuel Ax going in to practice or do interviews. Recently, Aretha Franklin came in and did an impromptu concert in the rotunda. Billy Joel once popped in to finish one of his songs. You might see Paul Shaffer or even Harrison Ford shopping for a piano.” Steinway Hall was designed by Warren & Wetmore, the same architects responsible for Grand Central Station. A registered New York City historic landmark in the Beaux Arts tradition, the building has a two-story rotunda and a glittering, Viennese crystal chandelier. Original oil paintings of such musical legends as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Anton Rubinstein, and Franz Liszt, by artists including N.C. Wyeth and Rockwell Kent, hang on the walls. The building’s three floors are filled with more than 150 Steinway instruments. Below street level in the basement is the “piano bank,” where professional musicians come to choose pianos they will play in concerts or recordings, or on tour. The architectural features will remain behind when the showroom relocates. “Essentially, everything that is part of the structure of the building will be staying put. But all of our paintings and artifacts will be making the move,” says Gilroy. “The new Steinway Hall will of course pay homage to our past, and include many of the historical pieces of art and artifacts. But the design of the interior in the new location will be more modern and reflective of 2014, as the Steinway Hall we are leaving was reflective of the time it was built (1925) and the previous Steinway Hall was reflective of the time it was built (mid-1860s).” The first Steinway Hall was on 14th Street and had a large auditorium that served as the New York Philharmonic’s home until Carnegie Hall opened in 1891. By that time, the company had moved its factory from lower Manhattan to its current site in Queens. Founder Henry Engelhard Steinway, a German immigrant, built an entire Steinway Village, complete with its own foundries, factory, housing for employees, a post office, and parks. Only 11 acres of that original site remain, but a lot of the work is still done in buildings that date from the 1870s. Among those who grew up in the neighborhood is Wally Boot, Steinway’s Final Inspection Tone Regulator. Boot will celebrate his

Below: Steinway Hall exterior and interior. (Courtesy of Steinway & Sons)

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Top: Pianos in case department; inset: Wally Boot. (Courtesy of Steinway & Sons / Photographer: Chris Payne)

52nd year with the company in August. From his glassed-in workshop in a corner of the factory, Boot checks every note of every piano to make sure the sound is as it should be. Other than a few, 15-minute lessons he took from a piano tuner at the factory, he is not a trained musician. But he plays well. And he has an ear—he hears imperfections others do not. “I listen to it note by note,” Boot explains after playing a few bars of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. “Any that sound out of place, I mark with chalk. This one’s a little tinny,” he says, repeatedly pushing down one key. To change the tone ever so slightly, he punches a tiny hole in the felt that covers the hammers. Boot started at the factory making “buttons,” and later “knuckles,” eventually learning to put all of the parts of a piano together. Pictures of Boot with musical superstars Andre Watts, Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang and The Five Browns are plastered on his workshop walls. “They all pass through here,” he says, nonchalantly. “But mostly, it’s just regular people.” From the lumberyard to the finished product, it takes about twelve months to produce a Steinway piano. About 2,500 are turned out a year, and 1,400 come from the factory in Queens. The rest are manufactured at the company’s other facility, in Hamburg, Germany. Professionals can discern subtle differences in tone between the Queens and Hamburg instruments. What the two facilities share is a commitment to traditional techniques. “Some companies mass produce more in a week than we do in a year,” says Gilroy. “And there is nothing wrong with that. It’s just a different product. Steinways are unique.” Steinways currently cost anywhere between $57,000 for the smallest grand to $145,000 for the Model V concert grand. They can be made in different finishes;

some custom. They are considered to be investments. “The Model B was valued under $35,000 in 1990,” says Gilroy. “Today, the figure is $90,000. Over time, it’s less expensive to own a Steinway, because they last so long.” “We’re very exacting about the materials,” says Mark Dillon, the foreman of Steinway’s Tone Regulating Department. “We constantly review.” Dillon oversees the assembling of each piano as it transforms into a musical instrument. “It helps if a worker has a musical ear,” he explains. “But when it comes to the (tone) regulation, you need somebody with good hands. The musical and woodworking parts are totally different skills. What is consistent is the attention to detail.” Pianos are taken through several stages before they are ready for purchase. Among the various departments at the Steinway factory are “action,” “polish,” “belly,” and “rim-bending.” The rim-bending technique is almost exactly as it was when the company pioneered it more than a century ago. On big, piano-shaped vises, layers of maple are coated with glue, stacked, and then melded into a single form of wood. It takes five rim-benders to do the job, and they have to do it quickly—before the glue dries. Instruments are often sent back to Steinway for conditioning or storage. A tall, piano-shaped box labeled “Horowitz” stood on the factory floor a few months ago. Inside was one of two famous instruments used by late virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz, a longtime customer. It was being stored at the factory. In each department on every floor, workers follow historic, proven methods. A few machines are in use. But the atmosphere is more like an artist’s workshop than an assembly line. “For the furniture parts of the piano, we embrace technology,” says Gilroy. “But for anything affecting the musicality, we are old world. You don’t want cookie-cutter. You want the piano to have a soul.”

IF YOU GO: The Steinway factory in Astoria, Queens offers free tours every Tuesday morning and every other Thursday morning, except in summer. The tours book up early so reservations must be made well in advance by emailing tours@steinway.com. The showroom is located at 109 West 57th Street and is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, till 5 p.m. Saturday, by appointment on Sunday. For more information, call 212.246.1100.

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Clockwise from top left: Rim bending; stringing; plate fitting; nameplate. (Courtesy of Steinway & Sons / Photographer: Chris Payne)

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Sold   Recently IN THE NORTHEAST 25 & 27 Cliff Road, Nantucket, MA

Sold: $8,700,000

Superb location on the Cliff with easy access to Nantucket town and beaches. Two abutting lots total over half an acre of land area. The property includes a main house and guest cottage, along with a private swimming pool, grilling area, and covered patio, ideal for outdoor dining. Listing Price: $9,800,000 | Lot Size: 24,393 sq. ft. | Taxes: $33,731 | Bedrooms: 8 bedrooms in main house, 1 bedroom in guest cottage, Bathrooms: 7 full baths in main house, 1 full bath in guest cottage

58 Beech Hollow Lane, Princeton, NJ

Sold: $1,600,000

Perched on 1.62 acres within The Preserve of Princeton, this stucco beauty has a bounty of space for entertaining and overnight guests. Polished marble and columns frame the great room. The living room features one of four ﬁreplaces within the home. The dining room is accompanied by a wet bar/butler’s pantry. Five of the six bedrooms have en suite baths. The lower level is fully ﬁnished and soaked in sunlight. Listing Price: $1,650,000 | Lot Size: 1.62 acres | Taxes: $39,698 | Bedrooms: 6, Bathrooms: 6 full baths, 3 half baths

97 Hummock Pond Road, Nantucket, MA

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Listing Agent: Madolyn Greve, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty

Sold: $2,100,000

This island estate sits on 3.5 acres and features two covered porches and a wraparound mahogany sundeck. The yard has a koi pond, waterfall feature, and plenty of room for a pool or tennis courts. Purchase of the property includes deeded beach rights and deeded harbor access for boaters. The home abuts conservation land ensuring that the property will always be surrounded by Nantucket’s unique nature and wildlife. Listing Price: $2,200,000 | Lot Size: 3.5 acres | Taxes: $8,061 | Bedrooms: 4, Bathrooms: 3 full baths, 1 half bath

Listing Agent: Jordan William Raveis Real Estate

Sold: $975,000

Dramatic columns, stonework, and a historic plaque deﬁne the wraparound porch of Pennington’s Lester Golden House, which has presided over Main Street for over a century. The interior features period lighting, stained glass windows, and newer updates like an eat-in kitchen, and new bathrooms. The family room wing with a library and private study, is separate enough for in-law quarters or a professional ofﬁce, for which it is appropriately zoned. Listing Price: $1,100,000 | Lot Size: 0.55 acres | Taxes: $19,653 | Bedrooms: 5, Bathrooms: 3 full baths, 1 half bath

61 Wauwinet Road, Nantucket, MA

Listing Agent: Cynthia Sadler Lenhart, Compass Rose Real Estate, Inc.

Sold: $1,720,000

On a quiet side street in Brant Point, this four bedroom, three bath home has a large backyard and room for expansion. Situated conveniently between Jetties Beach, Children’s Beach, and town, this home is not to be missed. Listing Price: $1,875,000 | Lot Size: 9,147 sq. ft. | Taxes: $5,823.87 | Bedrooms: 4, Bathrooms: 3 full baths

44 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ

Listing Agent: Madolyn Greve, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty

Sold: $2,150,000

This magical property includes a main house with ﬁve bedrooms plus a charming guest cottage and 2-car barn garage. The interior layout is open and rich in details. The landscaped yard offers plenty of outdoor living space. Listing Price: $2,295,000 | Lot Size: 0.74 acres | Taxes: $4,470 | Bedrooms: 5 bedrooms in main house, 1 bedroom in guest cottage, Bathrooms: 4 full baths and 1 half bath in main house, 1 full bath in guest cottage

4 Swain Street, Nantucket, MA

Listing Agent: Jordan William Raveis Real Estate

Listing Agent: Cynthia Sadler Lenhart, Compass Rose Real Estate, Inc.

MAY 2014

4/28/14 12:28:29 PM

HOME

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503 Lake Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 Offered at $3,800,000

Heidi Joseph Office 609-924-1600 Cell 609-613-1663

PRINCETON OFFICE | 253 Nassau Street | Princeton, NJ 08540 609.924.1600 | www.foxroach.com ÂŠ2013 An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.ÂŽ Equal Housing Opportunity. Information not verified or guaranteed. If your home is currently listed with a Broker, this is not intended as a solicitation.

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Middletown (Locust Section) “Country” living at its finest, just across the bridge from Rumson. A lovely winding drive through 13.6 park-like acres leads to this magnificent estate.Lesley Pace, Rumson office: 732-530-2800. $2,875,000

Little Silver Custom estate overlooking the Shrewsbury River with European-style master, outdoor entertainment area with al fresco kitchen. 37’ boat dock and slip. Mary Lou Mannino, Shrewsbury Office: 732-842-6009. $2,293,000

Princeton This traditional home in Princeton’s Institute area has been refinished to the highest of standards by architect Andrew Outerbridge with Lucash Montgomery Builders. Judith Stier, Princeton Office: 609-921-2600. $1,350,000

Princeton Recently updated and expanded, this traditional home in the Pretty Brook section boasts two peaceful acres, spacious rooms, highend finishes, and three fireplaces. Judith Stier, Princeton Office: 609-921-2600. $1,750,000

Monmouth Beach This meticulous Shrewsbury riverfront home offers multi-level decks, and large expanses of glass. Private bulkhead, dock with bubbler, and spa. Gloria Nilson, Gloria’s Office: 732-842-6181. $1,650,000

Princeton 6+ acre Post Modern estate by Peter Waldman includes renovated stucco main residence, carport with recreation area, and 1 bed, 1 bath guest house. Randy Snyder, Princeton Office: 609-921-2600. $1,075,000

Princeton Junction Majestic center hall in desirable Princeton Oaks boasts updated kitchen, butler’s pantry, master with a spa, hardwood floors throughout. Barbara Berger, Princeton Junction Office: 609-750-2020. $999,900

Princeton Junction Updated contemporary Colonial with granite kitchen and bathrooms, a finished basement, a free-form pool with a deck and stone patio. Barbara Berger, Princeton Junction Office: 609-750-2020. $999,900

Princeton Custom center hall overlooking the D & R Canal boasts almost nine acres, a pole barn with water, electric, and equestrian possibilities. David Weingarten, Princeton Junction Office: 609-750-2020. $800,000

www.glorianilson.com

Bay Head

Bernardsville

Brick

Holmdel

Hopewell Crossing

Keyport

Manalapan

Mendham

Middletown

Monroe Township

Pt Pleasant Beach

Princeton

Princeton Jct

Robbinsville

Rumson

Shrewsbury

South Brunswick

Spring Lake

Wall Township

Washington Crossing, PA

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Ocean Township

4/25/14 10:28:35 AM

camping with kids

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Product selection by Taylor Smith; Photography courtesy of Shutterstock.com

1) Lifefactory 16 oz. Glass Bottle with Classic Cap and Silicone Sleeve in Turquoise; www. lifefactory.com. 2) Toys ‘R’ Us Blue Rock Rattlesnake, $15.99; www.toysrus.com. 3) Petzl Tikka Plus 2 LED Headlamp 70 Lumens in Grey, $39.99; www.petzl.com/us. 4) Kammok Roo Hammock in Sahara/Stone Grey, $99; www.kammok.com. 5) Barnes & Noble Scholastic Discover More: Rocks and Minerals by Dan Green, $15.99; www.barnesandnoble.com. 6) Keen Kids Youth Newport H2 Sandals in Raya Sunrise Allure, $50; www.keenfootwear.com. 7) The North Face Girls’ Osolita Jacket in Metallic Silver/Beach Glass, $90; www. thenorthface.com. 8) GSI Outdoors nForm Pinnacle Dualist Cookset, $64.99; www. gsioutdoors.com. 9) REI Kindercone Sleeping Bag for Kids in Dark Plum, $59.50; www.rei.com. 10) Marmot, Limestone Four-Person Tent in Pale Pumpkin/Terra Cotta, $339; www.marmot.com. 11) TomTom Runner GPS Watch in Grey, $169.95; www.tomtom.com.

may 2014

4/24/14 3:24:39 PM

GRADES 6 -12

SUCCESS WITH

COMPLEX LEARNING DISABILITIES

Brehm School is a unique family style boarding school for students with complex learning disabilities, grades 6-12. Brehm is a forerunner in serving students with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, auditory processing disorders, NVLD, aspergers and language-based learning disabilities. Brehm students go on to college, find fulfilling careers and become successful entrepreneurs.

“Brehm has helped me become more aware. I’ve gotten to know myself, my learning disabilities and my processing issues. If I have a problem, I now feel comfortable talking with someone about it. After making so many friends here, it’s the first time in my life that I feel that I’m not alone.” - Anna

The one of a kind Brehm experience offers: • A fully accredited high school • 4 full-time Speech Language • A unique holistic program Pathologists • Team rec. programs and sports (Fulfilling our students academic, • 24/7 Health Services social and emotional needs) • 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio • Supervised dorm living • Individualized academic curriculum • Exciting Summer Program Brehm has joined forces with The Arrowsmith Program: Brehm has forged a powerful partnership with the Arrowsmith Program to become an even more powerful force for positive change in the lives of students with complex learning disabilities and differences. The Arrowsmith Program focuses on Strengthening Learning Capacities strengthening the underlying weak cognitive area, thereby improving the ability of that area to contribute to the learning activity. It addresses the root cause of the learning disability. Brehm will offer Arrowsmith Program classes to selected students beginning this fall.

Arrowsmith

rka

Call Brehm today: 618.457.0371

rosenberg kolb architects pc architecture + interior design | 212 996 3099 new york princeton nantucket | rosenbergkolb.com

Empowering students grades 6 through 12 with complex learning disabilities to recognize and achieve their full potential.

Brehm School 950 S. BREHM LANE Carbondale, IL 62901 www.Brehm.org © Brehm Preparatory School, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Brehm admits students without regard to race, creed, sex or national or ethnic origin.

C he shire Ac a dem y

Self-Publishing! Now available on the Espresso Book Machine

The Student-Centered School ! NEW

• Coeducational, College Preparatory School • Day & Boarding for Grades 7-12 & Postgraduate • International Baccalaureate® Degree Programme • Roxbury Academic Support Program • Athletics, Arts and Community Service

NYU Bookstore

Learn more about Cheshire Academy 203-439-7250 • admission@cheshireacademy.org

726 Broadway near Astor Pl. www.bookstores.nyu.edu/main.store/selfpublishing

WWW.CHESHIREACADEMY.ORG

www.bookstores.nyu.edu

MAY 2014

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From One-Stop Self Publishing to Artful Decoupage,

The Book is Alive and Well by Linda Arntzenius

How often have you heard that the printed book is an outdated medium destined to go the way of the dinosaur? Over. PassĂŠ. Being usurped by digital media. Well, not exactly. According to a recent Bowker report, the number of books being published has exploded in recent years. The reason? Self-publishing.Â And the new Espresso Book Machine is the latest technology to hit the book world.

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May 2014

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Images courtesy Espresso Book Machine, On Demand Books.

URBAN BOOKS

lthough bookstores have been feeling the pinch—with Publishers Weekly monitoring a decline that hit major chains with a 12 percent drop in sales between 2007 and 2009—over a million titles are published each year in the United States alone. More than two-thirds are self-published or are reprints of public domain works or other print-on-demand titles. Bowker, the leading provider of information about books and publishing trends, reports that in 2009 three times the number of books was published as compared to four years earlier. The upshot is more books vying for shelf space. Accordingly its getting harder and harder each year for booksellers to make sales and for authors to make their works stand out from the crowd. In recent years, the biggest growth is in niche marketing and selling only to the authors’ and publishers’ communities. Authors are not only self-publishing they are self-marketing too. Tough news for authors, but the good news is that there’s never been such easy access to the world of print since the first printing press. A new machine now makes it possible to create your own magnum opus—family history, travelogue, memoir, recipe, short story or poetry collection, novel, or dissertation, you name it. Just pop your Portable Document Format (pdf) file into one end of this machine and out comes your finished book at the other, a “perfect bound” paperback with a glued spine like most of the paperbacks sold today and ready to send out into the world. What is this wonder called? The Espresso Book Machine (EBM). What else? The EBM prototype was invented by St. Louis engineer Jeff Marsh. Its current form is made by ondemandbooks.com and the very first machine was introduced to New Yorkers at the New York Public Library in 2012. It proved to be such a sensation that it led to staffing problems and is no longer available there.

I found two EBMs in New York City, one in the New York University bookstore and one in the small independent bookstore run by Sarah McNally at 52 Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry on the Lower East Side. McNally Jackson has books on two ﬂoors and a knowledgeable staff. Raffe Jefferson has been there for just a year and a half and was trained on the machine by her colleague, designer Beth Steidle. Both are budding writers. Steidle’s work is experimental and she has used the machine to create not only a dissertation but a proof copy of a book she then sent out to several publishers. Jefferson writes short stories and hopes to follow Steidle’s lead. “McNally Jackson is currently averaging a new client a day for the machine,” she says. With returning clients that amounts to approximately 12,000 users a year. A sign above the machine records that some 35,000 books have been printed so far and samples of these books are available for handling. “Our busiest time is between September and December,” says Jefferson, “and about 90 percent of the machine’s use is for self-published titles; the other ten percent is print on demand public domain titles from Google books. Some of the favorite public domain titles are Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (the 1885 edition), Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (the 1853 edition), Herman Melville’s Moby Dick (1892 edition) and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1869 edition). Basically a Xerox machine with an ink jet printer and binder attached, the EBM is small enough to ﬁt neatly into a corner of the store next to the café. Jefferson describes the EBM as “very user friendly.” The downloadable McNally Jackson DIY Formating Guide for the Espresso Book Machine is a great way to get acquainted with what it has to offer and what you need to do to realize your book. At the push of a button, the Espresso Book Machine prints, binds, and trims to bookstore-quality. Covers are printed in full-color but, as yet, any text and illustrations inside are in grayscale. My guess is that it won’t be too long before color is available. The EBM can handle any font style or language.

...there’s never been such easy access to the world of print since the first printing press.

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Photography by Jeffrey E. Tryon

Authors can see their own work in print or can customize a cover for a friend or loved one from a huge selection of some 3.8 million books that are in the public domain (and therefore copyright free) or out-of-print. Through EspressNet at the NYU bookstore, every original title printed on the machine is made available to other EBMs around the globe. Google Books has some two million public domain titles and publishers such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, McGraw Hill, Hachette, and Macmillan, to name just a few, are making titles available. At both McNally Jackson and NYU, there are no minimum print runs so you can print as many or as few as you want, when you want. You can offer your book for sale or keep it private. Like McNally Jackson, the NYU bookstore has self publishing and pricing guides. McNally Jackson also offers several service packages to help with the design and process. The most expensive includes the opportunity to have your self-published title sold on consignment in the store and on its website (you set the price and the bookstore takes only the cost of printing). Works can be as short as 40 pages, or as long as 800 pages. The smallest book size is 4.5 by 5 inches and the largest is 8 by 10.5 inches, and you can trim to any size in between. Costs depend on length of book and service package and bulk discounts are available for large quantities. The more you print, the bigger the percentage discount. The turn-around time depends on the quality of the original file, the size of the order, and how busy the machine is. McNally Jackson will check to see if your pdf is print ready, so there are no unexpected surprises. They also supply a proof copy to be checked before printing. The

printing process takes from a few days to a few weeks, depending on number of copies. And if you submit your files electronically, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have to visit the store, although it must be said that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite something to see your own book being printed. So be sure to make an appointment for that. While costs vary according to copyright status, page length and any publisher fees, on demand titles from Google Books printed at McNally Jackson range from $10 for a book with between 40 and 99 pages to $24 for a book with between 750 and 799 pages. Packages range from $19 for one time print runs of no more than 10 books to $349 for all that is needed to get your potential bestseller to market, including access to freelance editors and writers, deluxe cover, and placement of the final product in the store. To print each book and cover the cost of paper and binding, McNally Jackson charges a $7 flat fee plus three cents per page. So a 100 page book would cost $10 to print a copy (with discounts for large print runs).

From the budding author using the latest in digital technology to the artist inspired by the antique printed page, books continue to inspire. The world of publishing may have changed but books, it seems, will be with us for a good while yet.

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John Derian Company: A Bibliophile Business

A short walk from McNally Jackson on Prince Street to Second Street in the East Village takes you from state of the art printing to three small boutique shops owned by bibliophile John Derian. For the printed ephemera that Derian draws upon for his unique collection of home furnishings and decor, think gold edged pages, embossed bindings, marbled end papers, fold-out maps, and the sorts of fonts and color prints associated with 19th century botanical collections.

May 2014

4/24/14 3:36:22 PM

Photography by Jeffrey E. Tryon, Linda Arntzenius, and courtesy John Derian Company.

May 2014

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Derian’s love of old books, postcards and vintage maps turned him into a decoupage artist who used 18th and 19th century items such as handwritten letters and vintage atlases. He’s known for giving new life to the pages of old tomes by recycling them as wallpaper. His decoupage plates are sold in the first store he opened alongside accessories that you will find nowhere else. Derian brings flea market treasures to Manhattan. His stores are a trove of the unusual and delightful. On a recent visit, I was not only entranced by the colorful melamine plates I had already seen online but with the range of items he has to offer, from holiday ornaments to canvas totes, from pocket mirrors to Moroccan poufs, vintage teddy bears and fine linens. He’s collaborated with artists such as Benoît Astier de Villatte, Hugo Guinness, and the Canadian graphic novelist Leanne Shapton whose Important Artifacts and Personal Property From the Collection of Lenore Doolan and

Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry takes the form of an auction catalog with photographs and captions chronicling a couple’s romance and ultimate breakup. From decoupage, Derian’s business has expanded to include textiles, furniture, rugs and art. He opened a second store and then, when he added his own line of furniture, he opened a third in which you will find a selection of sofas, chairs and ottomans handcrafted by Cisco Brothers, the Los Angelesbased company that specializes in using “green” materials and methods for producing healthy environmentally-friendly and chemical-free items. From the budding author using the latest in digital technology to the creative artist in love with the antique printed page, books continue to inspire. The world of publishing may have changed but books, it seems, will be with us for a good while yet.

For more information:

John Derian Dry Goods: Textiles, Furniture, Rugs and Art 10 East Second Street between 2nd Avenue and the Bowery New York, NY 10003 drygoods@johnderian.com 212.677.8408

New York University Store 26 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 http://www.bookstores.nyu.edu/main.store/selfpublishing/ 212.998.4678

John Derian Furniture Collection by Cisco Brothers 8 East Second Street between 2nd Avenue and the Bowery New York, NY 10003 furniture@johnderian.com 212.677.8409

McNally Jackson: http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/self-publishing 212.274.1160 John Derian Company: Decoupage & Imported Goods 6 East Second Street between 2nd Avenue and the Bowery New York, NY 10003 shop@johnderian.com 212.677.3917

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ll three stores open daily, noon to 7 p.m.; closed Mondays A except during December, and closed Sundays in August

May 2014

4/24/14 3:37:14 PM

Founded in 1864, Peddie School is a co-educational boarding and day school for grades 9–12 and post-graduate located minutes from Princeton, NJ.

Introducing the Armellino Merit Scholarship Armellino Scholars demonstrate not only exceptional academic success, but also character, intellectual curiosity, an infectious excitement for life and an entrepreneurial spirit. • Covers full tuition, boarding costs and all required fees as well as a stipend for travel expenses • Includes additional stipend for approved Summer Signature experience • Open to all new domestic boarding applicants, regardless of financial need

South Main Street | Hightstown, New Jersey | www.peddie.org UA_adtemplate.indd 1

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BRAINSTORM DIGITAL CRAFTING MAGIC IN THE DIGITAL EDITING ROOM BY ILENE

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DUBE

MAY 20 1 4

4/24/14 3:41:36 PM

he world we see on the silver screen begins in the minds of directors, writers and producers. Creating that world so the rest of us can see it is no easy task. It requires complicated visual effects that, if effective, are “invisible.” We, the viewer, aren’t supposed to think about any of this, we just believe in the magic. Digital effects incorporate still photography, matte painting and computer-generated imagery to create environments that look realistic but would be dangerous, costly, or simply impossible to capture on film. When the producers of Boardwalk Empire first envisioned turning Nelson Johnson’s book about a criminal kingpin in Prohibition-era Atlantic City into a TV series, they had to determine the feasibility of re-creating a world that no longer exists. They turned to Brainstorm Digital, a cutting edge innovator in the world of visual effects (VFX). Founded by Richard Friedlander and Glenn Allen in 2005, Brainstorm Digital created effects for such films as Angels and Demons; The Da Vinci Code; The Road; Frost/Nixon; The Adjustment Bureau; Synecdoche, New York; and Julie & Julia. “None of that world of 1920s Atlantic City exists, and the producers wanted to see if they could re-create it in a reasonable manner and expense,” says Friedlander from his Manhattan office, where he is surrounded by state-of-the-art computer equipment. “They wanted to film in New York, but traveling was not an option, not even to the Jersey Shore.” Shooting on a soundstage was ruled out because it wouldn’t provide that authentic seaside boardwalk feel. Using computer-generated imagery, Brainstorm Digital created a set to suggest Atlantic City, complete with period-appropriate billboards, arcade rides and streetlights. As with any project, it started with research: filming coastlines and recessed buildings at Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach. Archival photographs helped provide an overview of what the Atlantic City boardwalk looked like nearly 100 years ago. The original cityscape had completely altered. Buildings had been torn down and others erected. Only 270 feet of set had to be built before visual effects could take over. The exterior set was surrounded by a giant blue screen several stories high made from shipping containers stacked like Legos. All this pre-visualization assured the producers that with assistance from Brainstorm Digital, the world of 1920s Atlantic City could be brought back to life. Once the pilot, directed by Martin Scorsese, started production, Brainstorm Digital was on the set. “The city itself is a character of the show and we wanted to portray this world of 1920s crime and corruption,” says Friedlander. “We advised on where to shoot so we could add effects and have it be believable, such as shooting a scene offloading whiskey barrels in Brooklyn to stand in for the Port of Hoboken. Except for people, everything else is computer-generated.” Instead of traditional paintings for the backgrounds, Brainstorm uses the latest software to create 3-D models of the hotels, piers and mansions of Atlantic City. Those models can be rotated and repositioned to allow for multiple camera angles—unlike two-dimensional paintings, which only work with a fixed camera angle. Brainstorm Digital completed the pilot and the first three seasons, and then followed Scorsese to work on The Wolf of Wall Street. “That film has millions of effects but you wouldn’t know it,” says Friedlander. “If our work is successful, it is invisible to the general audience.” Creating the waterways and gondolas of Venice, dropping in vintage buildings, bridges, stone walls and ships—there are countless hours that go into the research, creation and execution of these elements for what may only be on screen momentarily but will evoke a sense of place, era or mood. A doorway filmed in a small brick building can be made to look like a palatial Georgian Colonial; a house surrounded by development can be made to look like it’s in the middle of a green oasis. Brainstorm Digital enables a film or TV show to create something that might not be practical otherwise. The Wolf of Wall Street was shot in New York but has scenes from all over the world. Frost/Nixon, also shot in New York, includes scenes of David Frost in London and Australia. “We added key landmarks such as the Sidney Opera House, using a painting of it,” says Friedlander. Friedlander is part tech guy, part artist, part magician. “What attracted me to filmmaking and VFX is all of the above—we have artists on staff, creating visuals, and use tech and complicated experimental software and computer systems,” he says. “Some of our staff is more tech, some are more creative. Matte painters create the background. Compositors integrate what’s created in 3D into the shot to move with real objects. Sometimes it can take a few days, but Wolf was complicated—we spent 10 months to create something that appears on screen for 10 seconds.”

(ABOVE) Boardwalk Empire, season two. (OPPOSITE PAGE) Discovery Channel's Gold Fever.

MAY 20 1 4

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/24/14 3:41:52 PM

Images immediately above from History Channel's The Men who Built America, all others from HBO's Boardwalk Empire.

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MAY 20 1 4

4/24/14 3:42:47 PM

Images below from History Channel's The Men who Built America.

Both Friedlander and Allen have more than 20 years editing experience. A New York native, Friedlander landed his first job out of NYU Film School in the early ‘80s on Harry and Son, starring Paul Newman. “Newman needed a gofer and I was it. But he was down to earth, minimal, the opposite of what most people think. He helped me get into the editors union and upgraded me from assistant to apprentice editor.” Friedlander also had the distinction of preparing Newman’s now-famous popcorn. The actor had just started Newman’s Own salad dressings and was “a serious popcorn eater. When he got hungry we’d do tastings on popcorn. Every day at 11 a.m. people would smell it being made. He was trying to figure out the best formula. I’d be popping popcorn, mostly fulfilling his enjoyment, but he’d coach me to taste for butter and salt.” Dede Allen, the editor on Harry and Son, is considered one of the most creative in the industry. “Working with her opened opportunities for the work I did over the next 20 years,” says Friedlander. “I started on Apollo 13 with Ron Howard where I met (Brainstorm partner) Glenn Allen and started working as VFX editor with Tim Burton on Sleepy Hollow and Brian De Palma on Mission to Mars.” Along the way Friedlander teamed up with Frances Ford Coppola, Arthur Penn, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Peter Yates and Herbert Ross. He worked with Nora Ephron on Julie and Julia, using VFX to create the look of 1950s Paris, where Child was studying at Le Cordon Bleu. “We had to get rid of modern elements and signage,” says Friedlander. “Most of the film was shot on a set in New York, but when Meryl Streep looks out the window we had to put Paris in.” To make Julia Child tall, Streep was raised up on a platform—and VFX was used to erase the platform. Friedlander and Allen first started Brainstorm Digital in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, surrounded by artists and other creative types, back when DUMBO was the new Soho. The company moved to 37th Street in Manhattan at the end of 2013 to be closer to clients, and to lessen the commute for Allen, from New Jersey, and Friedlander, from Westchester.

Brainstorm finished 2013 with Wolf, and Starz Network’s Da Vinci’s Demons. Animal Rescue—the last film James Gandolfini acted in, a crime-drama centered around a lost pit bull, a wannabe scam artist, and a killing—will be released this year. Brainstorm just completed a remake of Annie, set in New York with an African-American cast. Despite its capabilities to create illusions, Brainstorm does not do science fiction, but last year worked on the comedy Delivery Man, about an underachiever who discovers he's fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier. He discovers one son is a basketball player with the New York Knicks. To achieve the shot of the actor playing with the Knicks, a real game was filmed and a face-for-face replacement made. “We basically took the body and put a different head on. We changed the color of his hair, using photos made from every angle for a 360-degree model of a head and face to match into movements, lighting, expressions and dialogue.” VFX is a growing business that studios and filmmakers are using more and more to create what can’t be done practically. “Even if it’s not cheaper, it looks better to scan a body and digitally put it back in than to throw a dummy off building.” Even with two Emmy wins (Outstanding Special Effects in a Supporting Role, 2012, and Outstanding Visual Effects in a Series, 2011, both for Boardwalk Empire) and four Visual Effects Society Awards, Brainstorm is not ready to rest on its laurels. There’s a lot of competition out there—about half a dozen VFX companies in New York, Friedlander estimates. “But we were the first in New York for TV and films. New companies popped up after they saw what we were doing. Some are exclusively for advertising and commercials, more fantasy stuff—it doesn’t have to look real. We’re dirtying down and making it ugly to look like it’s really there. We make it look covered with dirt and dust.” U

MAY 20 1 4

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/24/14 3:43:10 PM

GRADUATION GIFTS

1) TAG Heuer® LINK Calibre 16 automatic chronograph watch, contact store for price; Hamilton Jewelers Princeton, 609.683.4200 2) Hamilton Jewelers, Princeton shield cufﬂinks, $195; Hamilton Jewelers Princeton, 609.683.4200 3) Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, contact dealer for prices; Baker Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Princeton, 609.921.2222 4) Tumi Tegra-Lite® carry-on, $595; tumi.com 5) Callaway womens Solaire Gems 13-piece complete set, $999.99; callawaygolf.com 6) Mikimoto 18K gold and pearl stud earrings, $400; Hamilton Jewelers Princeton, 609.683.4200 7) Alex and Ani Collegiate collection, prices vary; Alex and Ani Princeton, 609.430.4781 8) Montblanc Starwalker black mystery ballpoint pen, $490; montblanc.com

5) 7)

6) 42

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Product selection by Gina Hookey and Sophia Kokkinos

MAY 2014

4/24/14 3:25:49 PM

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destination: Nantucket

Summer Fun on

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

“The Little Grey Island”

by taylor smith

antucket is a storied island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The island’s maritime history is legendary. Whaling was at the heart of Nantucket’s culture and livelihood until the mid-19th Century. Many of the original islanders were connected to the sea in some way, and all of them lived by it. Spontaneous storms, fog, and strong currents often caught sailors and visitors to the island off-guard. According to the Nantucket Shipwreck Museum (www. nantucketshipwreck.org), some 700 vessels litter the waters surrounding Nantucket Island. History has not quite faded into the background of Nantucket life. Centuries old buildings still stand and are now inhabited by upscale stores and restaurants. The cobblestone streets and buckled brick sidewalks often lead to seaside pubs where one can linger over a pint of beer or a glass of champagne. While the glitter of wealth is the hallmark of the summer season, the natural splendor found in Nantucket’s windswept beaches, dunes, wildflowers, seal sightings, and cranberry bogs, hardly goes unnoticed. Firsttime visitors will inevitably feel pulled back to “the little grey island,” as is evident by the generations of vacationers who return year after year.

Cruises offer transportation to the island. Vehicles are not allowed on the high-speed ferries, so book accordingly. You can avoid Hyannis and park for free in Harwich Point, Mass. where you can board the Freedom Cruise Line. This ferry service operates multiple times per day after Memorial Day. If you prefer to arrive in Nantucket at the snap of your fingers, flying is a great option. Boston Logan International Airport operates direct flights to Nantucket, as does Provincetown Municipal Airport, Barnstable Municipal Airport, Island Airlines, and Cape Air. If you are coming from New Jersey or New York, your best options are to fly Cape Air or JetBlue Airlines. Both operate frequent flights from New York City to Nantucket during the summer season.

When to Visit

White Elephant: Situated directly on Nantucket Harbor, the White Elephant offers luxurious hotel rooms, suites, and cottages. There are many resort-like amenities including a swimming pool, fitness center, complimentary bicycles, complimentary beach chairs, the White Elephant Spa, and daily afternoon wine and cheese. The White Elephant is also a popular wedding venue (www. whiteelephantvillage.com).

Nantucket’s climate is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. With horizontal winds, steep snowdrifts, and freezing temperatures, the winter season is not for the faint of heart. During the spring and fall, lodging and dining prices are relatively low and guests will have the beaches, dunes, and bike paths all to themselves. Just remember to pack warm clothes, since you will most likely experience more cloud-cover than sunshine. The island finally begins to warm-up in June and the summer weather conditions are absolute bliss. Daytime temperatures hover around 75 F and the sunlight is always bouncing off of the waves and sailboats. How To Get There You cannot drive directly to Nantucket, but you can easily drive to Hyannis, Mass. where you can then board a ferry. Steamship Authority and Hy-Line

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Lodgings Wade Cottages: These classic New England cottages were once part of a private estate owned by the Wade family. Located on ‘Sconset’s North Bluff, the cottages are surrounded by nature and ocean views. They are rented for a 2-week minimum. An apartment is also available for rent for a minimum of 1-week (www.wadecottages.com).

The Cottages & Lofts at Boat Basin: A unique island experience, the Cottages at Boat Basin consist of 24 waterfront cottage rentals and 5 deluxe lofts. Each lodging includes comfortable furniture, a full kitchen, and pet-friendly accommodations (www.thecottagesnantucket.com). Union Street Inn: This intimate boutique hotel is conveniently located in the town of Nantucket. The Inn serves gourmet breakfasts and delicious afternoon snacks. Coffee, tea, and springwater are always available. There are 12 stylish rooms to choose from (www.unioninn.com).

MAY 2014

4/24/14 3:44:24 PM

Images courtesy of J. Butler Collection

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Rentals Renting is always a popular option, especially if you are planning a family gettogether or an extended stay. Congdon & Coleman (www.congdonandcoleman.com) rents everything from sprawling estates with tennis courts, to tiny, beachside bungalows. Windwalker Real Estate (www.windwalkerrealestate.com), Great Point Properties (www.greatpointproperties.com), Killen Real Estate (www. killenrealestate.com), Maury People (www.themaurypeople.com), and Coffin & ‘Sconset Real Estate (www.coffinrealestate.com) are also great choices. Be aware that rentals book-up quickly and reservations are often made at least one-year in advance. Attractions Every visitor must enjoy Nantucket’s Beaches, which vary in terms of surf and shoreline depending on where you are staying on the island. Located closest to the town of Nantucket, Jetties Beach is child-friendly and has many amenities like restrooms, casual open-air dining, and sailboat rentals. The east coast beaches near Siasconset tend to have rougher waves. Surfers should head to the south-shore beaches like Cisco, Miacomet, and Surfside. The Nantucket Island Surf School is located in Cisco (www.nantucketsurfing.com). For fewer crowds and fantastic sunsets, head to Madaket on the island’s far west coast. Endeavor Sailing Adventures offers exciting sailing events for children and families. Captain Jim has over 30 years of sailing experience and can acquaint you with the maritime history of Nantucket. Sailing excursions are offered from May through October (www.endeavorsailing.com). The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum has one of the most extensive collections of lightship baskets anywhere. These baskets were originally made by crewmembers aboard the Lightship Nantucket. Lightships or light vessels acted as floating lighthouses and patrolled the Shoals south of Nantucket Island. To pass the time, the men aboard these ships began to construct oval shaped baskets out of rattan. They were then used as multi-purpose objects, carrying food to and from the market, or as gifts for their sweethearts.

Beginning in the 20th Century, Nantucket women began to fashion them as purses. These more modern baskets were outfitted with a lid and decorative ivory pieces (www.nantucketlightshipbasketmuseum.org). The trek to Sankaty Head Lighthouse makes for a great bike ride. The brick lighthouse was built in 1850 and has weathered some of Nantucket’s fiercest storms. The Milestone Road path will take you past miles of pine, heath, bayberry, and wildlife and leads right-up to the lighthouse.

Shopping North River Outfitter (www.northriveroutfitter.com) carries attractive outdoor and sporting gear that is difficult to find anywhere else. Their Boston and Nantucket locations can outfit you in Helly Hansen sailing jackets, Maui Jim sunglasses or a Vineyard Vines bow tie. Blue Beetle (www.blubeetlenantucket.com) is the place to shop for monogrammed accessories. They offer monogrammed jewelry, iPhone cases, tote bags, and home products. Milly and Grace (www.millyandgrace.com) is a fabulous, feminine boutique that will have you lingering over cashmere throws, charm bracelets, and linen pillows. Murray’s Toggery Shop (www.nantucketreds.com) produces a famous style of chino known as “Nantucket Reds.” The salmon red color (which fades to an attractive pink overtime) was originally adapted from the uniforms worn by the New York Yacht Club. Today, Nantucket Reds are seen on visitors to the island in the form of canvas hats, shorts, sweaters, and more. They are the perfect island accessory and are recognized throughout New England. Jessica Hicks (www.jessicahicks.com) is a young jewelry designer who opened her own shop in Nantucket following college graduation. The store is now an island staple. Jessica hand makes each piece of jewelry and is a yearround resident of Nantucket.

MAY 2014

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4/24/14 3:44:48 PM

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Jetties Beach

Nantucket Looms (www.nantucketlooms.com) has been producing and selling beautiful handmade textiles since 1968. They showcase the best that Nantucket has to offer in terms of home décor. Butler’s of Far Hills (www.butlersoffarhills.com) is an interior design and decoration firm with locations in Nantucket and Far Hills, NJ. Interiors by owner and designer Jeffrey B. Haines have appeared in homes from Boston to Palm Beach, FL. Their Nantucket boutique features furniture and home accessories hand-picked by Jeffrey himself. Every summer the store includes new looks and inspiration for the home. The company is also well versed in event planning and will design the perfect setting for your family’s summer reunion, birthday or graduation party. Dining Dune (www.dunenantucket.com) serves seasonal fare that utilizes the bounty of fresh seafood, vegetables, and organic meats harvested on the island. Typical dishes include sautéed local Cod, vegetable risotto, and day boat sea scallops.

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Galley Beach (www.galleybeach.net) began as a clam shack and has evolved into one of New England’s premier restaurants and dining experiences. A favorite of celebrities, the restaurant offers beachfront dining and delicious cocktails in combination with sophisticated food. Summer House Restaurant (www. summerhousedining.com) is owned and operated by three-time James Beard award winning chef Todd English who curates a delicious menu of seafood, pasta, and grill items. Enjoy a pre-dinner drink at the restaurant’s piano bar. Club Car (www.theclubcar.com) A Nantucket favorite for decades, the Club Car serves hearty, homemade food for lunch and dinner. Clam chowder is a house specialty. They also have a great bar and extensive wine list. Straight Wharf Restaurant (www. straighwharfresturant.com) uses all locally sourced ingredients and, depending on what is available, the menu changes daily. The restaurant has played host to many wedding and rehearsal dinners and is a great place to throw a private event.

MAY 2014

4/24/14 3:45:09 PM

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Malia Mills, Photo credit: Kristin Martz

may 2014

4/28/14 11:04:06 AM

It’s All About Attitude With Fashion-Forward Swimwear Designer

Malia Mills

interview by taylor smith

Hawaii-born, Brooklyn-based swimsuit designer Malia Mills has a message for all women this summer – stop worrying! With a fit that has been likened to the best lingerie brands, Malia’s separate swimwear tops and bottoms will flatter every woman’s unique body shape and size. In fact, her swimwear is so well-fitting, that you may be tempted to use the beach as your own personal runway.

UA: Did you go to school for fashion? MM: At Cornell I studied everything from scuba suits, chemical warfare helmets and clean room garments to couches, car seats and tents, lingerie, readyto-wear and evening gowns. At La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne in Paris, I learned how to sketch, hand-sew buttonholes, tailor a collar and create couture-price garments. How lucky I was to have had two totally different and completely complementary educational experiences. UA: When did you begin Malia Mills? MM: At the start of Malia Mills, I thought it was crazy that swimwear was sold as same size sets. If our lingerie was sold the same way there would be rioting in the streets. So in the Fall of 1990, I packed up my pick-up truck and drove to New York City from San Francisco. I was working as an assistant to Jessica McClintock at the time. She was an amazing mentor. I could not have started the business without having learned so much from her. I got a waitressing job at Odeon and started making patterns, cutting and sewing in my apartment, serving up steak frites by night and engineering swimsuits by day. The idea was to create a collection of standalone pieces to mix around just like we do with the clothes in our closet—all with the colors, textures and prints of ready to wear and the construction and finesse of lingerie. The concept was to design swimwear as an extension of our street style with a killer fit to bring out the vixen within. Love thy differences™ is our mission, our mantra, our driving force. In 1993, we officially incorporated so we celebrated 20 years last May. It continues to be an incredible, amazing, challenging and inspiring adventure. UA: What is your advice to up-and-coming designers? MM: Tenacity, tenacity, tenacity. Sally Frame Kasaks, former CEO of Ann Taylor, said it so well: ‘’It doesn’t take a genius to build a business. It takes someone relentless enough to go back at it again and again.’’ UA: How did growing up in Hawaii influence your design sensibility and have you always loved swimwear? MM: As a kid in Hawaii, swimwear was part of the daily uniform. Looking back, there were many prescient moments. My mom forbade my older teenage sisters from wearing bikinis, so you can imagine how they howled when I pranced into the living room wearing a lemon yellow bikini with plastic yellow rings (a gift from our neighbor when I turned 8). I was in heaven. When I moved to New Hampshire at 13, I arrived at the town pool and donned my

freshly unpacked favorite suit—a hot pink surfer girl super high cut monokini type maillot and found the rest of the swimmers in speedos. In an instant I experienced how a suit so right in one place, can feel so very wrong in another. There is an amazing amount of emotion surrounding swimwear—it’s an incredibly inspiring business to be in. UA: What does your company’s motto, “Love thy Differences,” mean to you? MM: Way back when, we photographed all of our different styles and sizes in our collection on 28 different friends from my waitressing days: our first employee and her best friend, a mother and her daughter, a gal I met at our sample sale, my sister/business partner Carol who was 8 months pregnant, etc. All of the women were stunning and fierce. The photos were incredible, inspiring, liberating, powerful—truly worth a thousand words. We narrowed our choice of motto down to three. In general, women are way too hard on themselves. No more so than when they slip into a swimsuit. It’s our mission to liberate women from feelings of inadequacy. When we stop trying to change the way we look and we embrace, celebrate, love thy differences, we liberate ourselves to lead fierce, fabulous lives. Women have extraordinary brainpower, and all too often too much is wasted on nagging negative thoughts about the way we look and ways to change. Love thy differences is our rally cry. Choose to see the beauty that is you, get out there and carpe diem. Hell yes you can. UA: How did battling breast cancer impact your business, aesthetic or philosophy? MM: Shaving my head was extraordinarily liberating. The wonkiness that is my reconstructed right breast is equally so. We have a new saying—“Change your ass attitude.” For years we kept saying look in the mirror and see what is right, instead of what is wrong. But 20 years later, still hearing the worrying about whether the boyfriend was going to like the style or the insistence on waiting until a gal dropped a dress size to wear a swimsuit, it dawned on me that sometimes it takes something more extreme to wake up and to really truly live our motto. Love thy differences, in a way, felt too subtle. Now, I’m much less afraid to spell it out: you need to change your ass attitude. Forget about the size of your ass, the size of the suit or whether anyone but you digs the style. The revolution starts with you and time’s a wasting.

may 2014

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/28/14 11:04:17 AM

Floral jacquard danceteria a/b top $205, Floral jacquard limbo bottoms $190 Photo credit: Britt Kubat Model: Nadia Boiko Stylist: Ryen Kim Director: Kristin Martz

URBAN AGENDA New York City

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Graphic jacquard margot top $260, Graphic jacquard alice bottoms $250. Photo credit: Britt Kubat Model: Sarah Hartshorne Stylist: Ryen Kim Director: Kristin Martz

may 2014

4/28/14 11:04:29 AM

Varietease maillot in red hills (back) $360 Photo credit: Kristin Martz

Chrysan top b/c in red hills $210, limbo bottoms in red hills $150 (back) Photo credit: Kristin Martz

UA: What is the relationship between the designs of your swimsuits and lingerie? MM: Lingerie makes a lot of sense and it totally informs our business. Pick any bra to wear with any bottom, in the sizes and silhouettes that fit best, and in the fabrics and colors that rock your world. Choice is incredibly liberating and in our stores we strive to give clients the freedom to find the top and bottom that fits both their shape and their style. There is no stopping a gal when she’s in a swimsuit that looks rad and fits beautifully. So we fit and fit and fit, again and again and again, to get each style just right. We engineer each top to fit a specific bra size, from AA to E cup. We cut our bottoms in sizes 2 to 16 to show off a range of shapes as well—from more curves to less. Pattern-making and -fitting is a fascinating and amazingly complex process. A miniscule change can have a huge impact on a garment as small as a swimsuit. We make a few styles of lingerie but we’ve expanded most with our readyto-wear collection. Growing our business is exciting, challenging, and super gratifying. We wanted to expand our collection to go from city to beach and back again. We’ve got all kinds of silhouettes—dresses, tunics, pants, shorts, jackets and blouses, all of which are designed to layer up and down and to wear multiple ways. They’re a little bit tailored, a little bit tousled, badass wash ‘n wear styles. It’s been extremely inspiring and a total blast to work with new fabrics and to develop silhouettes so different from our swimwear, yet with the same signature style, fit and sass. UA: Are there any differences between what East Coast and West Coast women want to wear to the beach? MM: Equally fierce and fabulous. Don’t be fooled—the women on both coasts love to wear black. UA: Where is your favorite beach? MM: Where the water is warm, the sun is hot, friends are plentiful, and cold beers are just a reach away. UA: How can women style your swimsuits so that they can be worn from summer into fall? MM: Let me count the ways. Nothing makes us happier than when a woman comes into our store, lifts up her shirt and shows us her swimsuit top worn as a bra or flashes us her swimsuit briefs worn under a flirty dress. It’s happens a lot. We design each style to stand on its own and our customers are truly limited only by their imagination. Our swim- and our ready-to-wear collections are designed to be worn 12 months a year—it’s all about layering up and layering down. UA: Who and what are your current inspirations? MM: I draw inspiration from as much as possible. I scratch out ideas and stockpile images whenever and wherever I find them. My bag is littered with scraps of paper and small notebooks scribbled with sketches and notes. It’s not a glamorous process by any means. Rare is the long block of time to design, so I try to seize inspiration whenever it strikes.

We just moved our World Headquarters to Sunset Park Brooklyn. Now, with a new commute and a new community, inspiration abounds. UA: Do you have any favorite items from your current collection? MM: Tied for first place in my closet are our Gemma Jumpsuit and our Enchantress Dress. The weather has been particularly erratic in NYC recently and these beauties are as easy to rock with kick-ass boots as they are with strappy platforms. Our Gemma is particularly rad layered over our black velvet Guinevere Top, warmed up with a cashmere sweater, floppy knit cap and chunky booties. UA: Your business is something of a family affair. What are the challenges and rewards of working with family? MM: I am the baby of six kids. My sister Carol and I run the business. Sister Sue, a teacher in Portland, Oregon, helps us in our stores during the summers. Sister Betsy hosts swim salons in her home in Tacoma, Washington. Both of their daughters have worked for us during summer break. Brother Jay, a lawyer in Tacoma, provides legal expertise. For all business related matters—from private label opportunities to return on equity analysis—brother Peter is our goto guy. Our Dad ran his own perfume and suntan lotion business for 20 years in Honolulu so dinner time talk always involved design, marketing, selling ideas and more. Our Mom came up with the name “wicked wahine,” [Dad’s] best selling perfume that he was always proud to say “put six kids through college.” The biggest challenge may be for my boyfriend of 14 years because he has to listen to my sister and I talk about business 24/7. UA: Could you describe your single most rewarding achievement so far? MM: Yikes, that’s tough. The last 20 years have been an extraordinary journey and one we are grateful for on a daily basis. Warranted or not, we’re always finding reasons to uncork a bottle of champagne. Nurturing a small business is very gratifying. It’s a privilege to work with an incredible team of smart, hard working, dynamic women (yes, men as well, but we’re mostly women) …it is definitely a high point whenever we have the opportunity to grow our team. UA: What are your goals for the future? MM: F and G cup bikini tops. We’re fitting some rad shapes on fabulous, full busted gals—bring on summer. UA: What do you like to do in New York City during your free time? MM: Walking the city is an all time favorite. New York City has, hands down, the most diverse street style on earth. Also, Christian and I eat out way too often. We are currently on the hunt for the best burger in each Borough. We love to have friends over for dinner, but they would all agree that I am a terrible cook. I can unwrap a fine rotisserie chicken and pour a mean glass of wine. Really, New York City serves up spontaneous magic 24/7—all I have to do is roll out the door.

may 2014

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URBAN AGENDA New York City

4/28/14 11:04:41 AM

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