What’cha what’cha want? C.B. 3 boosts Beastie count BY HEATHER DUBIN
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proposal for a tribute to the Beastie Boys on the Lower East Side was a no-go Tuesday night at Community Board 3. LeRoy McCarthy, a Brooklyn resident, presented the board’s Transportation Subcommittee with an application to coname the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Sts. “Beastie Boys Square.” Board 3’s guidelines require that 75 percent of residents and merchants in the immediate area support a co-naming. Yet, while McCarthy collected enough signatures — from 17 apartment units out of 20 on Rivington St. between Essex and Ludlow Sts., and eight of nine businesses — this was not enough to satisfy the committee members. McCarthy also had 1,445 online signatures, not specific to the neighborhood. David Crane, chairperson of the board’s Transportation and Public Safety/Environment Committee, opposed the co-naming of the intersection, which the popular hip-hop band featured on the cover of their 1989 album “Paul’s Boutique.” He cited the board’s criteria for street co-namings and also contended there wasn’t enough residential support
from the area, noting that three other buildings — 113, 116 and 126 Ludlow St. — were not included in the petition. “I don’t find that there is a strong connection to the Lower East Side, which is the entire point of the guidelines that the board passed in 2006,” Crane said of the application. “The guidelines are looking for a very strong connection from the individual who is deceased and has been in the community for 15 years, or an institution that has been involved in the community for 30 years.” While there are exceptions, Crane noted it would have to be a “highly acclaimed accomplishment linked to C.B. 3 with overwhelming public support.” In this instance, however, Crane is unconvinced the Beastie Boys’ influence on hiphop warrants a square. “We were a set for an album cover,” he said. One of the Beastie Boys, Adam “MCA” Yauch, died of cancer in May 2012. The band’s surviving members are Michael “Mike D” Diamond, of Brooklyn, and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, of Manhattan. “There are lots of talented people on the Lower East Side who are living,” Crane said. “These types of honorific things should be posthumous.” He expressed concern that street namings have become too frequent.
Swords into Plowshares to Honor MLK Sunday, January 19, 2014 Middle Church • 112 Second Ave. at 7th St. Worship Celebration — 11:15 am–12:30 pm Human Rights Teach-in — 1:00–4:15 pm In an act honoring Martin Luther King’s message of non-violence, Middle Collegiate Church will literally “beat a sword into a plowshare” by forging a gun into a farming tool during worship. Sparks will fly as a gun is transformed during the worship celebration and throughout an afternoon intergenerational human rights teach-in exploring the continuing undercurrent of race in gun violence, criminal justice, economic inequality, education disparity, and heath care.
Featuring Broadway and television actor Tituss Burgess and Middle Church’s get-on-your-feet gospel and classical choirs
Watch Live on middlechurch.org — 11:15 am–2:15 pm
EvEnt PArtnErS: Auburn Seminary, the Children’s Defense Fund, Faith in new York, the Gray Panthers, Intersections International, the Middle Project, PICO Lifelines to Healing
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McCarthy discussed the significance of the Lower East Side to hip-hop and the band’s significance to the locale. The Beastie Boys lived in Chinatown, recorded music on Avenue A, have had office locations in Soho and Hudson Square, and are from New York. “They are New Yorkers,” McCarthy said. He touted “Paul’s Boutique” as a critics’ favorite and dubbed it a “cult classic” ahead of its time. “This is a symbolic album to the whole New York City underground hip-hop street culture,” McCarthy said. “This is more than one group, this represents a whole culture.” Shannon Sacks, who lives on The album cover from “Paul’s Boutique,” shot at the Rivington St., spoke in favor of intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Sts. the co-naming. “The Beastie Boys mean so much to me,” she said. “It’s imdirection, I feel.” portant that we recognize them McCarthy did not know if the board for the great band they are — for what they’ve given to music, what they’ve members comprehended the Beastie given to society and what philanthropists Boys’ contribution to the Lower East Side, and he wondered if there was a cultural they are.” Sacks also mentioned friends from disconnect. “I’m not sure how many people on the around the world who come to New York and ask her to show them where the al- board like hip-hop, buy it or knew who bum cover of “Paul’s Boutique” was shot. the Beastie Boys were before the presentaTwo other community members also tion,” McCarthy said. He has a larger goal in mind to bring shared their approval for the co-naming. Board members debated the issue for recognition to hip-hop in New York City almost two hours, and ultimately deter- beyond “Beastie Boys Square.” McCarthy wants to have a hip-hip icon honoree in mined more signatures were necessary. At one point, McCarthy questioned the each borough. Hollis, Queens is already board, “Are you changing the rules on taken care of with “Run-D.M.C. JMJ Way,” me?” He garnered the necessary 75 per- which McCarthy was responsible for. “Hip-hop has more mentions in its mucent of residential support, albeit in one sic than media referencing New York,” short block. “More signatures would tip the scale for he noted. “For that free advertisement, shouldn’t New York City government me,” said Karen Blatt, a board member. Chad Marlow, another board member, say, ‘Thank you,’ and show some apprewas in favor of the square’s co-naming, ciation?” A resolution requiring McCarthy to and urged McCarthy to gather as many signatures as he could from the neighbor- secure a total of 500 signatures from apartment units of buildings and merhood. “Come back and knock our socks off,” chants along Ludlow St. from Delancey Marlow advised. “Crush it. Let us know to Stanton Sts., and on Rivington St. from the community wants this, make us have Orchard to Essex Sts., passed with eight no doubt. There is no doubt — but just votes, with Crane abstaining. The resolution will go to a full board vote on Jan. 28. prove it.” If it turns out that the 75 percent benchIn a follow-up phone interview, McCarthy said he was not deterred by the new mark for this expanded area is greater task ahead of him. He was pragmatic re- than 500 signatures, McCarthy is permitted to stop at 500. However, assuming the garding the board’s response. “They put themselves in the line of fire,” number of units is lower, he was given a he said of the community board. “They minimum of 150. “This way it’s not an overwhelming efhave a job to do. But, at the same time, I think things changed after I thought I had fort,” Crane said. McCarthy can return to the subcomeverything [that they] requested.” He plans to re-approach residents and mittee after he has the allotted amount of signatures. resubmit the application in February. “Other applicants have brought a ton of “I don’t think it’ll be a big problem to get additional signatures,” he said. “Peo- signatures,” Crane said. “All have brought ple are elated when I’m telling them about hundreds, and some have brought thouit. This is going to move on in a positive sands since the guidelines of 2006.”
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