The local paper for the Upper East Side MOMA REIMAGINED
◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
‘BREAKING THE BRONZE CEILING’ HISTORY
Next year, Central Park will finally get a statue of real women, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment
WEEK OFOF WEEK OCT.-NOV. OCTOBER
31-6 31-no2019
INSIDE
MY FAVORITE NYC MOVIES Jon Friedman picks his top 20. p. 6
BY JASON COHEN
First Lady Chirlane McCray hosts the Fourth Annual Faith Leaders ThriveNYC Breakfast at Gracie Mansion on April 11, 2019. Photo: Joanna Graham/Mayoral Photography Office
FACING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS POLICY
New effort by City Hall to address an old problem BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
The fatal police shooting of a bipolar man at a Brooklyn nail salon Friday has brought even more scrutiny on the de Blasio administration, which had been facing questions last week about its management of ThriveNYC, the city’s men-
tal health initiative, after millions in funding that critics say has provided little in measurable results. Police were attempting to arrest a man for allegedly urinating inside the Brownsville store when Kwesi Ashun reportedly ran inside and struck an officer in the head with a chair, according to media accounts of the incident. Officers then shot Ashun, 33, six times and he died. The New
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
There are 23 monuments in Central Park, including a Polish king, a Prussian naturalist and a sled dog. Not one depicts real women. That will change next. On Oct. 21, the NYC Parks Department and the New York City Public Design Commission approved a statue designed by the volunteer-led non-profit Monumental Women. The statue will feature women’s rights pioneers New Yorkers Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth. It will be unveiled Aug. 26, 2020 at Central Park’s famed Literary Walk, which will also mark the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, when women won the right to vote. Currently, the park
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RAINY DAY COSTUME CONTEST
Dogs strut their stuff for Halloween on UES. p. 28
SEAWRIGHT VS. EXTELL
Battle over East 79th St. development site. p. 8
Sculptor Meredith Bergmann at work on the statue in her studio.
WEEK OF AUGUST
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chair of the City Ydanis Rodriguez, committee, Council’s transportation street s afety on speaks at a rally for steps of City Hall legislation on the McCarten/NYC May 8. Photo: John Council
IS VISION ZERO WORKING? SAFETY
has seen a surge Five years in, NYC and uctuating in cyclist deaths – and motorist numbers of pedestrian fatalities BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
year that saw 299 In 2014, after a traffic-related incipeople killed in Mayor Bill de Bladents in the city, eliminate all traffic sio set out to
CONTINUED ON PAGE
6
WOODSTOCK SOJOURN an NYPD judge recommend at City Hall after Photography Office holds a press conference Appleton/Mayoral Mayor Bill de Blasio 2019. Photo: Michael Friday, August 2,
firing Officer Daniel
Pantaleo on
THE BILLY AND GILLY SHOW
Kamala HarWarren, Cory Booker, and Bernie debates,” longris, Amy Klobuchar for the September Pete strategist George Sanders, South Bend Mayor time Democratic doesn’t have former Texas Rep. Artz says. “De Blasioare way down Buttigieg and both Beto O’Rourke. the donors, and close, but none of A few others are in the polls.” Hank Sheinde Blasio or GilliPolitical consultant that either them are named kopf says it’s “50-50” “Any- brand. returned reBY STUART MARQUES will make the next round: Neither campaign but they’re not quests for comment. thing can happen, agree that Warde Blasio faced to qualify.” Pundits generally When Mayor Bill held off the more Gillibrand – likely a minimum of Candidates need to ren and Sanderson the first night. off with Sen. Kirsten Democratic presi- 130,000 unique donors and have moderate field and eight other in four qualigot high marks on – on July 31, it Booker and Yang and hit at least 2 percent dential hopefuls the last Billy candidates have the second night, but Biden a might have marked presidential fying polls. Eight the polls. and are assured at the are still ahead in hit those marks and Gilly Show largely igon Sept. 12 Harris Gillibrand Houston and in De Blasio debates. ei- spot onstage Presiawful tough for are former Vice 18 “It’s going to be and and 13. They Senators Elizabeth CONTINUED ON PAGE get the donors dent Joe Biden, ther of them to needed to qualify polling numbers”
POLITICS
dim for Presidential prospects Democratic New Yorkers on the debate stage
C i e Watch
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, November 1- 5:35 pm. For more information visit www.chabbaduppereastside.com.
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14 Restaurant Ratings 16
day Jon Friedman on a 8 love and music. p.
of peace,
SURVIVNG YOUR SUMMER COLD
seasonal How to deal with thefeel worse virus that makes usp. 2 than a winter bug.
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A one-third size model of the statue, which will be cast in bronze. Photos: Michael Bergmann
‘BREAKING THE BRONZE CEILING’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 has statues of fictitious women, including Mother Goose, Alice in Wonderland, Juliet (with her Romeo), and numerous representations of the female form (like angels, nymphs and allegorical figures).
The Power of Women Working Together Made up of advocates, historians and community leaders, Monumental Women raised $1.5 million to fund the new monument. Pam Elam, president of Monumental Women, said it is nice to see all of their hard work come to fruition. “With this statue we are finally breaking the bronze ceiling,” Elam said in a statement. “It’s fitting that the first statue of real women in Central Park depicts three New York women who dedicated their lives to fighting for women’s
rights. This statue conveys the power of women working together to bring about revolutionary change in our society. It invites people to reflect not just on these women and their work for equality and justice, but on all the monumental women who came before us. We are pleased to have broken through every city bureaucratic barrier to make this happen.” The statue also had the support of elected officials and community boards. One person who was especially outspoken was Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. “Today is truly a monumental moment,” Brewer said in a statement. “We will finally have a statue in Central Park depicting real women, and I couldn’t be more proud to have taken part in this process. This would not have been possible without the hard work of Monumental Women and all the people—mostly women and girls—supporting them.”
The Work of a Woman Sculptor The monument is being designed by nationally recognized sculptor Meredith Bergmann. Bergmann is known for exploring issues of history, social justice, race, human rights and disabilities. Her work has been shown in more than two dozen exhibitions and appears in 10 institutional collections. Her work includes the September 11th Memorial at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Her FDR Hope Memorial for Roosevelt Island will be unveiled this year. “Like the women I’m portraying, my work is meant to raise questions and to provoke thought,” Bergmann said. “My hope is that all people, but especially young people, will be inspired by this image of women of different races, different religious backgrounds and different economic status working together to change the world.”
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG MISSING MOTORCYCLE
STATS FOR THE WEEK
For local thieves, it’s open season on motorcycles. At 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 15, a 29-year-old man parked his white 2017 Yamaha FZ09 chopper with New York plates 44TU94 in front of 305 East 84th St. at Second Ave. When he returned at 8 p.m. his bike was allegedly missing. The stolen chopper was valued at $7,200.
Reported crimes from the 19th precinct for the week ending Oct. 20
BAG UNATTENDED = BAG SURRENDERED At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, a 28-year-old woman left her bag unattended in a local Barnes & Noble store. It allegedly went missing but was returned to her at 7:20 p.m. by a male shopper who said he found it in the men’s bathroom. The victim told police that items had been taken from the bag, and unauthorized purchases turned up later on her credit cards. The items stolen included a pink Henri Bendel wallet, a New York State ID, a health insurance card, iPhone headphones and Apple Air headphones, along with credit, debit and gift cards. Total stolen: $484.
HACK ATTACK ON SCHOOL Police remind the public to be wary
Week to Date
Year to Date
2019
2018 % Change
2019
2018 % Change
0 0
0 0
n/a n/a
0 15
1 11
5 3
2 4
150.0 -25.0
138 111
121 120
Grand Larceny
8 29
2 32
300.0 -9.4
170 183 1,274 1,144
Grand Larceny Auto
2
1
100.0
51
Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
of any situation in which you’re asked to make payments using gift cards. At 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 17, a 71-year-old woman was reading emails in a private/parochial school on East 89th St. near Lexington Ave. when she allegedly received a message apparently from her supervisor requesting her to purchase fifteen $100 Amazon gift cards to be distributed to members of the staff. She complied with the instructions and bought the cards. She then received another e-mail from the person she thought was her boss telling her to scratch off the PIN numbers on the cards and forward them via email. Before she did that, however, the school’s information
Burglary
technology specialist informed the staff that they had been hacked and to disregard the fraudulent emails. As a result, the woman did not forward the PIN numbers, saving the school from the $1,500 financial loss.
RESTAURANT BURGLARIZED The manager of the Au Jus restaurant at 1762 First Ave. between 91st St. and 92nd St. told police that the restaurant had been locked up at 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15. At 9:10 the following morning he allegedly realized that the establishment had been burglarized. He said that the door on the north
basement wall had been damaged and opened, with the exhaust fan removed. The door on the east basement wall had been left open, but there were no signs of forced entry. The worst damage occurred in the basement office, which had been ransacked, with $680 in cash stolen from the desk drawer.
ANOTHER DRUGSTORE SHOPLIFTING INCIDENT Drugstore shoplifting incidents keep mounting. At 5:44 p.m. on
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-100.0 36.4 14.0 -7.5 -7.1 11.4 -19.0
Wednesday, October 16, a man allegedly walked into the CVS store at 1294 Lexington Ave. between 87th St. and 88th St. and started removing store merchandise from a display, concealing the items before attempting to leave without paying. Police said that the manager of the store attempted to retrieve the merchandise, but the suspect pulled out a can of pepper spray and warned her not to touch him. No one was injured, but the suspect got away with 11 bottles of baby oil and body washes totaling $98.
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An ambulance on West 59th Street between Ninth Avenue and Tenth Avenue after transporting a patient to the emergency room of Mount Sinai West. Photo: Douglas Feiden
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Noise in the Neighborhood
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I have been a resident of the Upper West Side for over half a century and it has never been as noisy and ear-piercingly loud as now, mainly from the ambulances using my avenue, Amsterdam, as well as Columbus and to a lesser degree Broadway as a direct route mostly to Mt. Sinai and lately Lenox Hill. Whether it is midday or 3 a.m. when virtually no one is on the street, the sirens, whoops and whistles are staggering. The decibel level and the continuous blasting is impossible. Is there some way we can petition the city to moderate this ear- shattering bombardment, realizing as I do that the main purpose of the sirens is to insure a “keep away” to other vehicles in the streets and to get someone who may be in the ambulance to a facility as quickly as possible. Of course, any of us could be in this situation but a little civic understanding is needed.
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The MTA’s Debts Moody’s Investment Firm recent report predicts that the
proposed MTA $51 Billion 2020 - 2024 Five Year Capital Plan will add $38 billion in long term debt. This is on top of the MTA’s current $44 billion debt. Don’t be surprised if this new plan is reduced by billions. There may also be future service cuts, reduction in employee salary increases, delays in routine maintenance, reduction in capital projects scope of work or delaying other capital projects until the next MTA plan. The MTA reminds me of Wimpy who said “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Wimpy paid his debts the following Tuesday. The MTA never seems to pay its debts, but just keeps on borrowing more to pay for future projects. If you or I managed our finances like the MTA, we would be serving time in debtors prison. Larry Penner Great Neck, NY
Camps, Health and Safety As camps open up for enrollment, parents should be aware that not all New York State camps are inspected by the Department of Health. Many parents assume all camps are regulated, but that isn’t the
Photo courtesy of American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey. case. Thanks to a new law, over 10,000 unregulated summer camps must now disclose this information to the public. This long overdue law will allow parents to make informed decisions to choose the safest camp for their child. When selecting a camp, make sure the camp is licensed by the Department of Health. Unlicensed camps aren’t required to meet basic safety regulations: checking the state sex offender registry before hiring staff, maintaining minimum staff to child ratios, reporting
injuries and illnesses, keeping up-to-date vaccination records or hiring medical personnel. Look for a camp that is licensed by the Department of Health and accredited by the American Camp Association to ensure that a camp is committed to the safety and well-being of children. Susie Lupert Executive Director, American Camp Association, NY and NJ Manhattan
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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SEAWRIGHT TAKES ON EXTELL OVER 79TH ST. SITE EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Blights and plights at empty lots – The so far months-
long, empty block-long stretch from 79th to 80th St. on First Ave., where developer Extell will be building a mega residential and commercial structure, has become a dangerous site in the community according to area residents, and their Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright is having none of it. In a letter to Extell dated Sept. 25th, Seawright informed the developer of growing problems at the location. Not having heard back from Extell by the end of Oct., Seawright held a press conference in front of the empty lot with community residents and CB8 Chair Alida Camp. Seawright described the danger to the neighborhood and public and cited a growing list of community complaints existing at the location - including “dark and dangerous sidewalks, rodent infestation, and related air quality concerns,“ as well as general neglect of the parcel. Contemporaneously with the press conference, held on Oct. 23rd, Extell apologized “for not getting back sooner” and said it was because they were “observing the Jewish holidays.” They noted the steps they had taken, had not taken, or will take to address
the problems, and denied any evidence of the rat activity noted by Seawright, stating that “there have been no complaints filed with 311.” Please, Extell, the complaints went to Seawright directly, and she used her bully pulpit to get a response, and one that got a response from you, by email, the very same day. It should be noted that Seawright’s letter to Extell was dated Sept. 25th, a Wednesday. The Jewish holidays weren’t observed until the evening of Oct. 8th, two weeks later. It wasn’t until Seawright went public that Extell had an immediate response. It’s a good thing that the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah ended on Oct. 22nd, the day before the press conference, so the developer was able to respond the same day. Excuses aside, and in any event, it’s unfortunate that Extell’s response to the dangers and complaints at the property are CYA and woefully insufficient. And it’s really too bad, because Extell properties are all over the East Side with more to come. A better relationship is in the interest of all.
Lap time – Used to be a time
when a seated bus rider traveling with a young child would have the child sit on their lap. Not anymore. Haven’t checked out whether fare was paid for the child. Not the point here. The point is that, when
there’s a standing-room only crowd on the bus, the adult should hold the child on their lap or stand and let the child sit. Either way frees up a seat. Kids learn from doing and from being taught and it’s obnoxious IMHO for the adult not to do the right thing. And those kids who are too big or too old for a lap who are seated when the bus is crowded and the elderly are standing should get up and give them a seat. And not to worry kids, cellphones still work for those who stand up.
Miles to go - An old saying,
“As the crow flies,“ refers to a straight line, by the shortest route to get you someplace. As opposed to going by a mountain road. Well NY taxi drivers should be able to know that getting from 90th St. and Third Ave. to 13th St. and Third Ave. – an 87-block ride – doesn’t necessitate a trip to the East River Drive to get there. When I asked the driver “Why?” he said “There’s not so much traffic.” Oh. That was before we got to the approach to the Drive at 90th St and didn’t get onto the road for another 10 minutes and had to endure the traffic, accident, and construction that took us to an exit near 23rd Street. And not counting the traffic going from the Drive to the next avenue. It may have been worth the $27+ tip for the driver. Not for moi. Following the crow’s route is the way to go.
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Voices
Scene from Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” Photo: Niko Tavernise-Netflix
20 QUINTESSENTIAL NEW YORK CITY MOVIES PUBLIC EYE BY JON FRIEDMAN
Will “The Irishman” live up to its hype? Crucially, will it be remembered as a classic New York City film? Let’s face it. Any movie boasting the talents of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and director Martin Scorsese is, by definition, a New York flick. We’ll soon find out if “The Irishman” can take its place alongside the slew of vintage New York crime and mob movies. One thing is clear: When it comes to making movies, there is no town quite like New York. Cops and robbers. Romance. Bravery. Foolishness. Heroes. Villains. And the city is often a character. And since we’re New Yorkers, we can be snobbish and provincial about this fine point. What about LA, you say? Please.
Woody Allen, perhaps the quintessential New York filmmaker, put it well in his masterpiece, “Annie Hall:” LA is forever the burg “where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light.” I have compiled a list of my favorite New York films. No doubt, I’ve left out some good ones. I encourage you to set me straight. I’m interested in what seem to be the most iconic – not necessarily the best – movies set in New York City during the past 50 years. There has to be a cut off – and this is a useful one. Therefore, no “West Side Story” or “Sweet Smell of Success” or “The Apartment” or “Marty” or “Rosemary’s Baby,“ to name five gems. Sorry. One ground rule: No more than two films per director. Therefore, no Francis Ford Coppola’s “Cotton Club.” No Sidney Lumet’s “Prince of the City.” No Scorsese’s “After Hours” or – don’t hate me! – “Mean Streets.”
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OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
20)
“The 25th Hour” 2002 (Spike Lee) – Edgy, paranoid, messy – just like New York City, right?
19)
“The Devil Wears Prada” 2006 (David Frankel) – They don’t make fashion movies in Pittsburgh or the Twin Cities, do they?
18)
“Desperately Seeking Susan” 1985 – (Susan Seidelman) – Where else could a post-punk film co-starring Madonna possibly take place?
17)
“Shaft” 1971 (Gordon Parks) – No explanation required.This film screams NYC.
16)
“Wall Street” 1987 (Oliver Stone) – Well, where else would you set a film called “Wall Street?”
15)
10)
“Serpico” 1973 (Martin Scorsese) – Maybe THE classic NYC antihero epic
9)
“Midnight Cowboy” 1969 (John Schlesinger) – “I’m walkin’ here! I’M WALKIN.”
8)
“The French Connection” 1971 (William Friedkin) – And it beat out “A Clockwork Orange” for Best Picture.
6)
“The Godfather” 1972 (Francis Ford Coppola) – The all-time mob opera.
5)
14)
4)
13)
3)
12)
“Crossing Delancey” 1988 (Joan Micklin Silver) – If you don’t love this movie, I don’t think we can be friends. Turn in your NYPL card, too.
11)
“When Harry Met Sally” 1989 (Rob Reiner) – If I didn’t include this romance epic, no one would want to be my friend (PS – I bumped “The Freshman” to make room for it)
Fall 2019
“Dog Day Afternoon” 1975 (Sidney Lumet) – I still think this movie deserved Best Picture over “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” One word: ATTICA!
“Kids” 1995 (Larry Clark) – These kids are nothing like Patti Smith’s “Just Kids.”
“Saturday Night Fever” 1977 (John Badham) – When John Travolta set the world on fire.
Health & Wellness Seminar Series
7)
“Annie Hall” 1977 (Woody Allen) – Yes, this is my favorite film of all time. But as a vintage NYC, it ranks fifth. Which is still not bad, Woody.
“A Little Romance” 1979 (George Roy Hill) – They don’t seem to make romantic movies set in Newport Beach.
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November 12
Headache Matters: When Should I Worry & How Do I Get Control? Susan W. Broner, MD Alina Masters-Israilov, MD
19
Digestive Health and Weight Management: Keeping Your Liver & Gut Happy Carolyn Newberry, MD Sonal Kumar, MD, MPH
“The Godfather, Part II” 1974 (Francis Ford Coppola) – This “sequel” screams NYC more than any of the other two. The period shots of the Lower East Side still blow me away.
“Manhattan” 1979 (Woody Allen) – With a title like this…
2)
“Taxi Driver” 1976 (Martin Scorsese) – We all have a little Travis inside of us. Hopefully it never comes out.
1)
“Do the Right Thing” 1989 (Spike Lee) – Easy choice. Three decades later, it depicts the racial turmoil of New York better than any other film. Spike’s masterpiece. Now and always.
Time 6:30–8:00 pm Place All seminars held at Uris Auditorium Meyer Research and Education Building Weill Cornell Medicine 1300 York Avenue (at 69th St.)
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If you require a disability-related accommodation please call 212-821-0888 and leave a message.
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Thu 31, Tue 5
Have you ever wanted to become an adventurer? Fight a dragon? Save Boblin the Goblin? Come roll some dice with every Tuesday and Thursday at D&D Nights. Open to new and experienced players alike, with food and drinks available.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CASUAL PLAY Hex & Company 1462 First Ave 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. $10 hexnyc.com 646-833-7574
JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. Dignified, Affordable and Independently Owned Since 1885 WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES • Direct Cremations $2250 Complete • Direct Burials • Expert Pre-Planning Available
$2850 T H E VA L L E Y TA B L E P R E S E N T S
212-744-3084
1297 First Ave (69th & 70th St.) • John S. Krtil Owner/Manager Newly Renovated & Enlarged • www.krtilfuneralhome.com Each cremation service individually performed by fully licensed members of our staff. We use no outside agents or trade services in our cremation service. We exclusively use All Souls Chapel and Crematory at the prestigious St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY for our cremations unless otherwise directed.
JUST ONE CALL AND WE DO IT ALL! — Specialists in Home, Condo, Co-op, Renter, Auto Insurance — — Celebrating over 50 years in the Insurance Industry — • Top Insurance Companies: - AIG “Private Client Group” - Travelers - Progressive - Chubb - GMAC-National General - Metropolitan — HIGHLY PERSONALIZED SERVICE — • Personal Income Tax Preparation Suzana, Jeff, Joe, Rose, Melissa • Licensed Department of Motor TALK DIRECTLY TO A LIVE PERSON! Vehicles Service Bureau No lengthy phone menus • Notary Public on Premises No waiting or delays
212-262-8600 • www.insurancenyc.com
november 4–17, 2019 $22.95 LUNCH • $32.95 DINNER
Don’t miss the most anticipated culinary event in the region. Discover why the Hudson Valley has become New York’s premier culinary destination. Get out of the city to dine this restaurant week. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
HudsonValleyRestaurantWeek.com
#HVRW
Photos: Liberty Street Bistro, Yard House, Butterfield, Heritage Food + Drink
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6,2019
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
celebrates creatives of color through comedy, film, music and televsion, presents this monthly standup show at the legendary Dangerfield’s. dangerfields.com 212-593-1650
Mon 4 NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: FLEABAG
Thu 31 SPOOKY SALON Kostabi World Uptown 357 East 62nd St 7:00 p.m. $10 Haunting musical treats and trickery abound at Kostabi World Uptown, home of NYC art iconoclast Mark Kostabi, in a “Spooky Salon” concert featuring Lynn Bechtold on violin and Warren Nicholson on guitar. composerscondcordance.co m 646-522-0442
Fri 1 ▲ VIOLIN VIRTUOSO: RECITAL BY ISKANDAR WIDJAJA Bohemian National Hall 321 East 73rd St 7:30 p.m. $20 Indonesian-German violin virtuoso Iskandar Widjaja explores the range of classical and non-traditional music that make his instrument sing. In this rare performance, discover the repertoire and charisma of a stellar young
musician who has been attracting wide international attention.! bohemiannationalhall.com 646-422-3399
Sat 2 MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY WALK Randall’s Island Park Icahn Stadium, South End 10:00 a.m. Free Learn how to find and identify fungi in all their forms, as well as their essential role in the ecosystem for plant growth, breaking down dead material, and potentials for cleaning up many types of environmental problems. randallsisland.org 212-860-1899
Sun 3 THE 3RD OF JENAE & FRIENDS Dangerfield’s 1118 First Ave 8:30 p.m. $10 Color Coated Comedy, an entertaiment company that
City Cinemas 1, 2 & 3 1001 Third Ave 2:00 p.m. $20 See the hilarious, awardwinning, one-woman show that inspired the BBC’s hit TV series “Fleabag,” broadcast live to cinemas from London’s West End. Written and performed by Phoebe WallerBridge, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. citycinemas.com 212-753-6022
Tue 5 STORYTELLING AND CLOTHING: FRENCH FASHION AND WORLD WAR I Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Ave 11:00 a.m. Free How does clothing carry narrative? And what can those narratives tell us about the experiences of the people that wore them and the cultures that made them? Leading figures in the field of costume studies examine these questions in the context of WWI-era France. tefaf.com 212-933-5812
Wed 6 ◄ MICHAEL KEARNS: THE ETHICAL ALGORITHM Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs 170 East 64th St 6:00 p.m. Free Computer scientist and professor Michael Kearns explores how we can better embed human principles into machine code without halting the advance of data-driven scientific exploration. carnegiecouncil.org 212-838-4120
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
MOMA REIMAGINED MUSEUMS
New perspectives, new voices and new narratives give new life to an old favorite BY MARY GREGORY
The Museum of Modern Art is back, and bigger and better than ever. After a $450 million renovation while it remained open, followed by a four-month closure to completely rehang the collection and open new exhibitions, the museum looks and feels both brand new and reassuringly familiar. As one visitor commented, “I came looking for old friends, and found so many new ones.” That was the whole idea. The expansion did more than open new space; it also opened countless questions by regrouping, rethinking and reframing the story of art of
Lee Krasner’s “Untitled” from 1949 shares a gallery with two works by her husband, Jackson Pollock. Photo: Adel Gorgy
IF YOU GO What: Museum of Modern Art Where: 11 West 53rd St. When: Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Open Fridays until 9 p.m moma.org the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. While the architects were hammering out new spaces, curators were hammering out new perspectives and narratives, putting more work by women artists, artists of color and international artists on view. By doing so, they’re helping to change the canon of art history. “The thing about the canon is that it’s not fixed in stone. It’s an idea whose value lies in its ability to be contested and revised, and I think we want to open that canon up to a richer conversation,“ director Glenn Lowry said when I interviewed him in 2017, as the renovation was announced. “There is an expansiveness and generosity to the perspective we’re taking, which embraces not only the great works from the European and North American traditions that have always been part of our conversation, but we are also trying to ensure that that conversation includes a wider variety of voices … So it’s a combination of the expansiveness of the idea of modern art – that it is active across multiple geographies – and simultaneously the richness of the arguments within this unfolding history that are
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
still being played out,“ he said. “Being more inclusive will ensure that a wider variety of artists whose work deserves to be seen, heard, and judged will be available for our public and our critics to see and think about.”
A New Democracy of Media Architecturally, you’ll be surprised to find new galleries, one after another, where you don’t remember them, as though they just magically appeared. There are now lots of ways to move through the museum, and lots of new things to see and ways to see them. Rather than separate areas for photography, painting, installation, sound and sculpture, all coexist in a new democracy of media. Pay close attention to sight lines – the way things line up, how they look next to each other, lead to each other, or even partially obscure each other. The curators worked magic arranging objects to create visual delights, intellectual juxtapositions, and surprises. In one of the lobbies, Martin Puryear’s sculpture “Verge,“ with oval white geometries, stands out against the dark marble stairs. A branching vertical form (like a Cupid’s arrow in a Renaissance allegory) points directly to a Georgia O’Keeffe painting hanging nearby, making it unmissable and unforgettable. Visual alchemy like this is everywhere. The rich carmine of Matisse’s “Red Studio” appears also in the adjacent painting by African American artist Alma Woodsey Thomas, “Fiery Sunset,“ done decades later. By doing away with chronological arrangements, the curators have opened questions about the reach of artists’ influence as well as about whose stories get told. Vladimir BaranoffRossiné’s sculpture “Symphony Number 1” from 1913,
Haegue Yang’s “Handles” in MoMa’S second floor atrium fills the space with light and sound, but also makes subtle references to history, politics, nature and spirituality. Photo: Adel Gorgy
with curves and angles painted in red, blue and stripes, greets you as you enter gallery 505. It looks great in front of Fernand Léger’s “Exit the Ballets Russes” from 1914. One is familiar, the other completely new to me.
Van Gogh, Monet and Much More The sixth floor has been given over to eleven installations. “Surrounds” opens with a bright, dense, rainbowhued fiber work by Sheila Hicks; moves through several galleries filled with photographs, sculptures, sound and video; and ends with a complex piece by Sarah Sze. The fifth floor presents highlights from the collection from the 1880s-1940s, where Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” awaits, along with masterpieces of Cubism, Dada, Surrealism and more. Eventually, you’ll find a resting spot in front of Monet’s “Water Lilies.”
On the fourth floor, the collection from the 1940s-1970s brings iconic works from Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Idea Art (the art formerly known as conceptual) and more. Look for “In and Around Harlem” with selections from Jacob Lawrence’s “Migration Series,“ portraits by Alice Neel, and William H. Johnson’s wonderful painting, “Children.” “Rainforest V,“ a sound art/installation by David Tudor and Composers Inside Electronics Inc., is fun, surprising, and easy to get lost in. One of the third floor exhibitions, “Sur moderno: Journeys of Abstraction,“ presents an extensive collection of South America at mid-century work, while contemporary art packs the second floor galleries. “Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window” is mystical and moving, and by the time you reach it, you’ve already seen Haegue Yang’s “Handles,“ a
wonderful special commission that fills the atrium with light, sound, shape, color, reflections and ebullient energy.
Never Boring It’s not the same MoMA you remember. It’s so much more. It’s not possible to see everything in one visit, nor is it meant to be. And get ready for more change, since a third of the collection will be rotated every six months. That means in year and a half, it’ll all be new again. You’ll find lots of information on MoMA’s website. “Our responsibility is to recognize that art is a great language. It’s one that can build culture…You can come and experience a set of ideas and see works of art along with other people with different positions than you might have, and in the process forge a common sense of value.” said Lowry. “It’s never boring to be here.”
The local paper for the Upper East Side
East Midtown Partnership
2019 ANNUAL REPORT to the Community East Midtown Partnership 875 Third Ave., Mezzanine New York, NY 10022
212-813-0030 www.EastMidtown.org
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dear Friends: The East Midtown Partnership is almost 18 years old. We know how to do what we do quite well, but we keep looking for ways to improve on the basics and bring new energy to the community through special events. Inside this report, you’ll find more details, but here are a few highlights from 2018-2019: • WorldPride: We brought thousands of visitors to East Midtown for WorldPride 2019 last June to view panel displays from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, patronize businesses donating to The Trevor Project, and celebrate at a Block Party we co-sponsored with SUNY Pride. We were the only Business Improvement District in NYC to stage such a diverse community-wide effort designed to attract visitors as we celebrated and commemorated Pride.
Debra Fechter
Chair of the Board of Directors
• “Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown”: In October 2018, we once again set an attendance record for our Halloween event, with 6,000 attendees and almost 100 participating businesses. Since 2015, more than 13,000 people have trick-or-treated in East Midtown. • Tree Bed Plantings: Thanks to aggressive outreach this past summer, we’re now planting almost 150 district tree beds three times each year, bringing even more color to the streetscape. • Cleanliness: Our Clean Patrol continues to excel. In 2019, they took the initiative to methodically work their way through the district, paying close attention to the details many of us miss as we rush around the city… even going so far as to touch up peeling paint on the backs of pedestrian signals. With a number of buildings about to open or reopen – including 425 Park Avenue, 550 Madison Avenue, and Welltower’s new Sunrise at East 56th senior living facility (not to mention the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria in the near future), the Board of Directors and staff of the East Midtown Partnership pledge that 20192020 will be every bit as innovative and energetic, with an attention to detail and a commitment to providing quality service to the district.
Rob Byrnes President
The community expects – and deserves – nothing less.
2019 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
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WE ARE CONNECTED Each week the East Midtown Partnership distributes information on district sales and promotions, community events, street closures, and more. When special circumstances arise – be it the United Nations General Assembly, Restaurant Week, or holiday programs – thousands of people turn to our bulletins, website, and social media posts for accurate, up to date information. Contact us at 212-813-0030 or info@ eastmidtown.org to find out how we can connect with you!
Join us
Thursday, December 12, 2019 8:00 AM
for the
East Midtown Partnership’s 18th Annual Meeting
For location and guest speakers visit us at EastMidtown.org
Call 212-813-0030 or visit our website for more information. Can’t Make the Meeting? In the interest of transparency, we’ll be live-streaming for the third consecutive year on Facebook. Tune in!
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING East Midtown Celebrates WorldPride
WorldPride came to New York City in June, 2019, and the City rolled out the red carpet to welcome four million people to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride throughout the month. The East Midtown Partnership did our part to attract New Yorkers and visitors alike through a monthlong series of programming, including:
• AIDS Memorial Quilt Panel Displays: Eighteen panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt were on display at 9 venues, including 110 East 59th Street, 527 Madison Avenue, 59E59 Theaters, 875 Third Avenue, the A&D Building, Central Synagogue, the High School of Art & Design, IKEA Planning Studio, and New York Marriot East Side. These displays not only generated a great deal of foot traffic; they also sparked important discussions, reminding visitors that WorldPride wasn’t just a celebration, but also a commemoration. • Giving Back with The Trevor Project: The East Midtown Partnership tries to add a charitable component to our events, and WorldPride was no different. That’s why 18 area businesses designated a special “Pride” product, donating 25% of June’s proceeds on that item to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Through their generosity, thousands of dollars were raised for this important organization.
• Block Party with SUNY Pride: We also partied! On Friday, June 21, we joined with SUNY Pride to hold a Block Party on East 55th Street, featuring music by DJ Zeke Thomas, lively appearances by the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Drag Pageant winners, an art exhibit, resource booths, and more. SUNY students from throughout the state also participated in a “SUNY’s Got Your Back” backpack assembly event, to assist victims of sexual violence. Throughout the month, East Midtown hosted thousands of people as part of our WorldPride programming. We hope we gave them a lot of reasons to reflect, as well as to enjoy and be a part of our community.
2019 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
“Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown” Grows Again On Halloween, 2018, we hosted the fourth annual “Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown,” and once again broke attendance records for our internationally-recognized signature event, with 6,000 trickor-treaters (and the adults who love them) visiting almost 100 participating businesses. The trick-or-treaters (who largely come from East Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods) checked in at a new location – the plaza outside SL Green’s 919 Third Avenue - to pick up our branded Halloween bags and visit a themed photo booth and face-painters before hitting the streets to collect their treats. The 2018 event drew over 18,100,000 media impressions (up 25% over the previous year) and 192,480 unique East Midtown Partnership website and social media views (up 527%!) We’re already on track to top that in 2019. We expect attendance will grow
again, based on overwhelming early interest. This year we’ll be Trick-or-Treating on Thursday, October 31, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Join us one again on the plaza outside 919 Third Avenue for this fun, free, family-friendly event!
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
Lunar New Year Wishing Tree on Madison Avenue After several years of Lunar New Year celebrations that brought the unique culture of Chinatown to our community, we tried a new approach to celebrate the Lunar New Year in true Madison Avenue style. Once again partnering with our neighboring Business Improvement Districts – the Madison Avenue BID and Grand Central Partnership (and with the guidance and support of the Chinatown Partnership) – we decorated Wishing Trees outside 346, 525, and 706 Madison Avenue. Three dozen participating retailers along Madison Avenue gave away traditional wishing ribbons to shoppers, who then tied or tossed them onto a tree. Since ancient times, hanging wishes on wishing trees for the New Year has been synonymous with luck and good fortune, and the practice is believed to encourage dreams to come true. We hope your dreams come true during this Year of the Pig!
OTHER PROGRAMMING Our Marketing Committee works throughout the year to enhance existing programming and develop new events to bring visitors to the district and highlight local businesses. In addition to special events, our services include:
Holiday Décor Once again, our unique red, yellow, blue and green lighted spheres help create a festive atmosphere in East Midtown during the dark winter months. For the past three holiday seasons, we’ve added street-pole banners with a similar design theme, which tie together the festive look throughout East Midtown.
The Passport Card Launched in April, 2013, the East Midtown Passport card offers special benefits to customers at close to 100 area businesses. More than 23,000 consumers now carry our Passport card in their purse or wallet, receiving savings at a wide range of businesses with a wide range of price points. We’re now exploring ways to make the Passport experience even better for consumers and businesses alike.
EastMidtown.org Our website is updated on a regular basis to keep store listings up to date, provide information on retail and restaurant promotions, and list events throughout the community. Make EastMidtown.org your regular stop as you browse the Internet.
Social Media Every day, we update thousands of followers with important information on East Midtown business promotions, community events, and transit and traffic through Facebook and Twitter. The Partnership also shares district images and videos on Flickr, YouTube, and Instagram, and brings the professional community together on LinkedIn. With almost 7,000 social media contacts, we’re one of the city’s most connected Business Improvement Districts.
Weekly e-Bulletins (and more) Documenting Our Events Many of our special events are captured on video and photography. Visit www.EastMidtown.org and click on the YouTube and Flickr icons to relive some great moments from the past few years. And plan to join us in the future, because they’re more fun when they’re live.
Each week more people subscribe to our popular e-Bulletins. Over the past 15 months, we’ve sent out more than 70 bulletins, to promote local businesses, highlight beneficial community and governmental programming, report major public events and street closures, and, of course, update readers on our activities. Are you a subscriber? Sign up today to get the East Midtown news you need to know. Contact us at 212-813-0030 or info@eastmidtown.org.
2019 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
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BEAUTIFYING OUR COMMUNITY Although we only have one small park in the district (and even that site – Tramway Plaza on Second Avenue – has been inaccessible for most of the past two years due to construction), the East Midtown Partnership has aggressively sought ways to bring greenery and colorful plantings to the streets and sidewalks of our community.
Tree Beds Brighten the Streetscape Few things enhance the pedestrian experience like colorful, wellmaintained tree beds, which make the area a much more welcoming place to work, live, shop, and visit. That’s why we’ve installed three seasonable plantings in tree beds across the district for the past decade. This past year we dramatically increased the number of beds we plant – from roughly 100 to almost 150 – after carefully surveying every block in the district. Our goal is to make muddy, weedy, or overgrown tree beds a thing of the past in East Midtown. If you’re a property owner, businessperson, or resident and would like to join our planting program, call us.
Planters For the past several years, we have also been responsible for planting and maintaining 7 large New York City Department of Transportation planters at the corner of Third Avenue and East 60th Street. The planters were installed as a pedestrian safety measure, but our greenery has made them an attractive addition to the streetscape. We are now working with DOT to launch a pilot program for additional planters, which will help beautify district streets.
Support For the Park Avenue Malls The center malls on Park Avenue are one of the city’s treasures, featuring beautiful seasonal flowers, public sculpture exhibitions, and the traditional holiday tree lighting. The East Midtown Partnership is a financial sponsor of programming developed by The Fund for Park Avenue, a privately funded not-for-profit organization. Fund for Park Avenue administrators also sit on our Board of Directors and help guide our community beautification efforts.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
THE CLEAN PATROL
Seven days each week, the East Midtown Clean Patrol aggressively tackles litter, graffiti, and illegal posters. And, of course, when the weather turns, the crews clear snow and ice from crosswalks, the Park Avenue malls, bus shelters, fire hydrants, and other important elements of our streets and sidewalks. In the spring, they also freshen up the district by repainting street poles and other pieces of street furniture. Even in a fast-paced area like East Midtown, that’s usually enough to keep on top of things, but in summer, 2019, the Clean Patrol went above and beyond their usual attention to detail by giving the district another deep cleaning. They removed tape from sign poles, touched up graffiti, removed posters and stickers… they even repainted the back of pedestrian signals where previous coats were flaking! Street and sidewalk cleanliness has been our top goal since Day One, and since 2002 our
Keeping Midtown Clean & Green
contractor – The Doe Fund, Inc. – has removed almost 24 million pounds of trash and recyclable paper from our streets. The results are evident through cleaner streets and sidewalks, attracting visitors and shoppers and making busy East Midtown a comfortable place to live, work, and do business.
Our commitment to cleanliness and the environment isn’t limited to a bucket and a broom, though. In 2013 we were the first New York City Business Improvement District to launch a public recycling program, allowing pedestrians to dispose of their newspapers and paper items in an environmentally-
Total Pounds of Trash Removed Total Pounds/Recyclable Paper Total Pounds Trash & Recycled Paper Removed Number of Trash Bags Collected Number of Recyclable Bags Collected Total Number of Bags Collected Incidents of Graffiti Removed The East Midtown Partnership has many reasons to appreciate our long-standing relationship with The Doe Fund. While the Clean Patrol keeps our streets and sidewalks clean and well-maintained with enthusiasm and a smile, the program is also widely acclaimed for its success in breaking negative cycles and instilling in its trainees – most of whom have been incarcerated and many of whom have overcome substance abuse – a strong work ethic. Since 2002, more than 900 Clean Patrol “alumni” have graduated from The Doe Fund’s
friendly way that removes these items from the waste stream. Now 120 custom-designed, greencapped recycling units are located on district sidewalks, side by side with 160 black East Midtown trash receptacles. What’s good for our community’s cleanliness is also good for the environment.
FISCAL YEAR 2018 (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019)
CUMULATIVE (2002 – 2019)
1,247,003 336,322 1,583,325 110,543 30,093 140,636 744
21,949,833 1,979,746 23,929,579 1,774,418 195,798 1,970,216 5,395
workforce training program and moved into full-time private sector employment… and more than a few of these men continue to work in and contribute to East Midtown Manhattan. Our commitment to street and sidewalk cleanliness will remain strong, and we ask the community to join us in this effort. If you see an unsanitary condition – whether it’s a onetime incident or a chronic problem – contact us immediately at 212-813-0030 and we’ll address it.
2019 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
PUBLIC SAFETY
Assisting the Community and Keeping Midtown Safe
Six days per week, our dedicated and experienced team of East Midtown Partnership security officers patrol the streets of our community. They are our eyes and ears on the street, giving directions and offering assistance to the public, reporting on unsafe traffic conditions, responding to merchant complaints and illegal vending situations, and providing a reassuring presence. They also make frequent visits to businesses, updating them on our programming, information from the NYPD, and other matters of interest.
Through their professionalism and knowledge of the district, East Midtown security officers have cleared the area of illegal and noncompliant vendors, reported and followed up on countless public safety concerns, and earned the respect of the three local NYPD precincts – the 17th, 19th, and Midtown North – as well as the people who live and work in the area. If you need our public safety assistance, please call us at 212-813-0030.
We get frequent compliments on the security team, but that’s no surprise. This small group of men and women have in most cases been with us for more than a decade, and a few have been employed in East Midtown since we began security services in June, 2002. They also go above and beyond the general “security patrol” routine to ensure our entire community is provided service. Each day, team members check in with every homeless individual and panhandler, offering them access to services… and occasionally bringing them off the streets.
FISCAL YEAR 2018
CUMULATIVE (7/1/2018 – 6/30/2019) (2002 – 2019) Directions Given Incidents Reported Street Conditions Reported Peddler Conditions
HOMELESS OUTREACH Street homelessness is an issue across the nation, and not easily solvable, but the East Midtown Partnership has been taking notice and acting since we opened our doors. Since November, 2002, we’ve contracted with Bowery Residents’ Committee to provide homeless outreach services to the members of our community most in need. The terms of our contract with BRC are unique in specifying that they can – and should – work with homeless individuals not just within district boundaries, but in adjacent areas. Our intention is not to drive the homeless away; it’s to provide a path to rehabilitation, shelter, and
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12,873 14 32 3
352,313 1,422 1,084 652
Working to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers
recovery for the vulnerable men and women on our streets. Over the past 17 years, BRC outreach workers have had close to 57,000 one-on-one interactions with the homeless, getting to know their individual needs and building trust. That effort has paid off through close to 1,000 placements in recovery programs for men and women who might otherwise still be living on city streets. Convincing someone to come in from the streets can be a complex process entailing weeks or months – or even years – of interaction to build trust and understanding, and the East Midtown Partnership
remains committed to working with the BRC to reach the homeless individuals living in and passing through this community in an effort to meet their needs and integrate them back into productive livelihoods.
The BRC is in East Midtown 40 hours each week, at all times of the day and night. If you are aware of a homelessness situation, please contact the BRC 24 Help Line at 212-533-5151.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
FINANCES FISCAL YEAR
2019
FISCAL YEAR
2020
(JULY 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019)
(JULY 1, 2019 - JUNE 30, 2020)
Personnel
$560,000
$580,000
General Expenses
$235,000
$250,000
Insurance
$40,000
$45,000
Professional Fees
$35,000
$35,000
Subtotal
$870,000
$910,000
$1,055,000
$1,200,000
Security
$470,000
$490,000
Homeless Outreach
$125,000
$130,000
$1,650,000
$1,820,000
Business Promotion & Marketing
$270,000
$260,000
Beautification
$230,000
$285,000
Streetscape Improvements
$90,000
$100,000
Subtotal
$590,000
$645,000
Expenses
$3,110,000
$3,375,000
Revenues
$3,500,000
$3,500,000
Revenue Over Expense
$390,000*
$125,000*
Administration
Operations Sanitation
Subtotal
Programming
* In keeping with Best Fiscal Practices for Not-for-Profit Organizations, the East Midtown Partnership maintains a reserve fund, held in insured investments.
Budget information and Audited Financial Statements are available on our website, and can also be obtained by contacting the East Midtown Partnership office, 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022. Phone: 212-813-0030 or e-mail info@eastmidtown.org.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2019 Debra Fechter, Chair Digby Management Co., LLC Steven Cherniak, Vice Chair Cohen Brothers Realty Corp. Robert Steinman, Treasurer Rudin Management Company, Inc. Viena Margulies, Secretary MacArthur Management DIRECTORS Hon. Vikki Barbero, Community Board 5 Represented by E. J. Kalafarski Kathleen Bardolf, The State University of New York Johanna Kendrick-Holmes, Alternate
Brian Beirne, 59E59 Theaters Hon. Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President David Brooks, Just Bulbs Hon. Alida Camp, Community Board 8 Represented by Gayle Baron and Will Sanchez Shane Cookman, Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel George Kurth, Alternate Dorothy Cristani, Resident Hon. Bill de Blasio, Mayor, City of New York Hon. Gregg Bishop, Commissioner, NYC Department of Small
Business Services Represented by Stephen Lee and Emily Edwards
Jessica Kern, Alternate Karla Beth Kudatzky, The Moinian Group
Fran Delgorio, Jack Resnick & Sons
James Mallios, Amali
Marc Donohue, State Bank of India
Martin McGrath, GFP Real Estate Brian Steinwurtzel, Alternate
Noel Donovan, Bloom’s Tavern Martin Dresner, Vornado Realty Trust Brad Leader, Alternate Meghann Gill, SL Green Thomas Munafo, Alternate Hon. Molly Hollister, Community Board 6 Represented by Matthew Bondy Michael Keaveney, Waterman Properties LLC
Barbara McLaughlin, The Fund for Park Avenue Jo-Ann Polise, Alternate Charles Miller, Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s Stephen Muller, Arris Property Group Hon. Keith Powers, New York City Council Represented by Benjamin Jacobs M. Barry Schneider, East
Sixties Neighborhood Association David Gillespie, Alternate Hon. Scott Stringer, New York City Comptroller Represented by Michael Stinson E. Bingo Wyer, Resident
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Rob Byrnes, President Sarah L. Hornung, Director of Marketing & Business Development Robert Iovino, Director of Operations
2019 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
Thanks to all the businesses, property owners, community organizations, cultural institutions, and others who have participated in our programming over the past 15 months, including: 59E59 Theaters A La Mode Shoppe The A&D Building All Saints Church Allen Edmonds Allure Day Spa & Hair Design Amali Amata American Cut Anka Grill Anton Kern Gallery Arris Property Group AT&T Atomic Total Fitness Baked by Melissa The Bar Room Barchi Bespoke Tailor & Shirt Maker The Benjamin Hotel Benson Law Firm LLC Best Western Plus Hospitality House Bianca Jewelers Big Apple Art Gallery & Custom Framing The Blasket Bloom’s Tavern Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s Blue Velvet NYC Law Office of Harold A. Bollaci, PC Bon Vivant New York Boston Properties Bridge Community Playschool Calligaris Carlyle Carvi Hotel CATS Dance Company & School Central Synagogue Champions Martial Art Charles P. Rogers Chelsfield America
Child Mind Institute Chinatown Partnership Circle Realty Group Citibank City & State NY City Cinemas 123 Clarks Club A Steakhouse Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation Cohen’s Fashion Optical Commercial Observer Community Board 5 Manhattan Community Board 6 Manhattan Community Board 8 Manhattan Consult Podiatry Copinette Corporate Suites Cucci Chiropractic Currency Exchange International Daum-Haviland Dentistry for Children & Orthodontics Digby Management Co. LLC Dos Toros Taqueria Duxiana Dylan’s Candy Bar East Sixties Neighborhood Association E. Braun Edible Arrangements Eileen Fisher Elaine Lane Antiques Elaine’s Fine Art Engel & Völkers Equinox Fitness Shop Ess-A-Bagel Ethan Allen Eyes on the World Farinella Bakery FDR Four Freedoms Park Conservancy
Fifty NYC Hotel Fig & Olive Filles et Garcons The Fitz Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel Forward French Institute Alliance Francaise Friends of Art & Design The Fund for Park Avenue Garden Grille Bar & Restaurant Garden Suites Hotel Gay City News George N Antiques GFP Real Estate GLAAD Glaze Global Holdings Management LLC Dr. Cynthia Gomez, DDS Grace’s Marketplace Grand Central Partnership The Greats of Craft Greek Eats H. Lowy Cleaners & Tailors Hammacher Schlemmer Harman Hastens 58th Street Hastens Madison Avenue Health King The Health Nuts High School of Art & Design Hill Cleaners Hilton Garden Inn Hines HJMT Public Relations Inc. The Horny Ram Ikea Planning Studio illesteva Illume Lampshades & Lamp Repair In/Where New York Inform Fitness Studios
Innisfree Insomnia Cookies Instituto Cervantes Ivy Lane Jack Resnick & Sons Jacques Torres Chocolates Jay Suites Grand Central Jay Suites Madison Avenue The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites Jonathan Adler Joseph Battisti Salon Just Bulbs Just Salad Kati Shop Kickstand Bicycles Klein Kitchen & Bath Kur Skin Lab Kurant Wine Bar La Cava Wine Bar La Villetta Learning Express Toys Lerebours Antiques Lexington Hardware Lillian Nassau Lips Loews Regency Hotel Lush Cosmetics MacArthur Management Madison Avenue Business Improvement District Madison Dental Group Madonna & Co. Manhattan Borough President’s Office Manhattan Espresso Café Mark De Alwis Salon Marriott New York East Side Matii Hair Salon Maurice Badler Fine Jewelry MaxWell Medical Metamorphosis Day Spa
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2019
Metrosource Miriam Silverberg Associates Mitsui Fudosan America The Moinian Group Motion Sports Medicine – Midtown East Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden Muscle Maker Grill The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt Nare Sushi Natalia Huang Piano Studio The National Bar & Dining Rooms National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce – NY New York LGBTQ+ Community Center NYC Comptroller’s Office NYC Council NYC Department of Parks & Recreation NYC Department of Sanitation NYC Department of Small Business Services NYC Department of Transportation New York Police Department, 17th Precinct New York Police Department, 19th Precinct New York Police Department, Midtown North Precinct
New York Public Library, 58th Street Branch New York Public Library, Terence Cardinal Cooke Cathedral Branch New York & Company The New York Resident NextStop NY Real Estate Northwestern Mutual Oak & Barrel One Lenox Open Finance Orogold Cosmetics Our Town P. S. 59 Padoca Bakery The Paley Center for Media Paname French Restaurant The Paramount Group Park Avenue Dental Medicine PC Dr. Deena Pegler, DMD Perrine Pescatore Philip Colleck Ltd. Phillips de Pury & Co. Physical Advantage Pick A Bagel The Pierre Hotel Pig ‘N’ Whistle on 3rd Popular Community Bank
Power Pilates The Publishing Triangle The Regency Bar & Grill Regus Rigby & Peller Rimowa Roche Bobois Roger Dubois Rosen & Deutch DDS PC The Ross Art Group Rudin Management Saint Peter’s Church Salon Amici Salon Ishi Samuel and Sons San Carlos Hotel Satori Laser Sel et Poivre Shakespeare & Co. Sherwin Williams Skintology Manhattan Medspa by Dr. Jennifer Walden Smiles Park Avenue Dental Society of Illustrators Sprinkles Starbucks State Bank of India Sunrise at East 56th SUNY Global Center
Potbelly
SUNY Pride
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Super Stars Tennis Sutton Area Community Sutton Place Chiropractic Sutton Place Physical Therapy Sweetcatch Poke Symbelle Beauty Spa T-Mobile Talbots TD Bank Times Square Alliance Tracy Anderson Method Treadwell Park The Trevor Project Trinity Baptist Church Turtle Bay Association Upper East Side Dental Innovations Upper Story by Charlie Palmer Uptown Pilates Urbanspace @ 570 Lex Urbanspace Vanderbilt Vanderbilt YMCA Verve Medical Cosmetics Vornado Realty Trust Waterman Properties LLC Waterworks Whiskey & Wine Off 69 Yara
The East Midtown Partnership thanks the following vendors for their services over the past year:
Allied Universal Security Services, Security Patrol Services
Dennis Corsi, Videography
Landsite Group, Horticulture & Maintenance
The Doe Fund, Sanitation Services
Live XYZ, Information Management
BlenderBox, Website Design & Maintenance
DuMor Inc, Trash & Recycling Receptacles
Method Group, Information Technology
Bowery Residents’ Committee, Homeless Outreach Services
Edward Post, Park Avenue Mall Sanitation
Skody Scot & Company, Accounting & Auditing
Citisense, Database and Information Management City 1 Maintenance, Street Furniture Maintenance
Electrical Illuminations by Arnold, Holiday Décor
Sundberg & Associates, Graphic Design
Intersection, Banners
Sunshine Sachs, Public Relations
Ron Jautz, Jautz Photography, Photography
Susanne Gil, Bookkeeping
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
YOU HAVE A VISION FOR YOUR CAREER. NOW MAKE IT A REALITY. You’ve nearly completed your undergraduate degree, but sometimes other obligations get in the way. Make the commitment to finish now! At the NYU School of Professional Studies Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies, we’ll be with you every step of the way, working to provide you with an education that fits your busy lifestyle. Our Bachelor’s Degrees help to define your professional path and build your knowledge, skills, and your network. It’s time to make the NYUSPS investment in your career, your future, and yourself. * Associate’s degree programs available for those who have earned less than 45 transferable college credits.
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For information: visit sps.nyu.edu/appliedUG/bachelors85 or call 212-998-7100. New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2019 NYU School of Professional Studies.
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Real Estate Sales
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCTOBER 16 - 22, 2019 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.
El Nuevo Carribeno
1675 Lexington Ave
Au Jus Harlem
1569 Lexington Ave
Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Starbucks Coffee
1142 Madison Ave
A
83 Asian
1605 2Nd Ave
Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
E.J Luncheonette
1271 Third Avenue
A
Nyc Squeeze
956 Lexington Ave
Grade Pending (71) Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
Rathbones Pub
1702 2 Avenue
East Garden
1685 1St Ave
A
New Fresh Wok
1777 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded (38) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.
Grade Pending (24) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Not Yet Graded (34) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES CELEBRATIONS
The East Midtown Partnership expects thousands to turn out “Trick-or-Treat With East Midtown” is in its fifth year, looking to the biggest Halloween turnout yet. When East Midtown Partnership started
the event in 2015, 1,000 people attended. Last year’s celebration welcomed some 6,000 people, and East Midtown anticipates those numbers will continue to grow. This year the Partnership will partner with ‘Ween Dream, a nonprofit that provides free costumes to children who are facing challenges such as homelessness, special needs, the foster care system and se-
Photos courtesy of East Midtown Partnership
rious medical issues. This page features some scenes from Halloween 2018. For parents and kids ready for this year’s festivities, East Midtown Partnership invites people to check in at the plaza outside 919 Third Avenue - at East 56th Street - to pick up bags for treats and a map of local businesses. Here’s to 2019’s fun costumes and happy faces.
VOTE EARLY OR VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. Pick the day that works best for you! From October 26, 2019 to November 3, 2019 you can vote at your assigned early voting poll site.
Visit
nyc.pollsitelocator.com to find your Early Voting poll site or General Election Day poll site location and hours of operation
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NEIGHBORHOOD’S BEST To place an ad in this directory, Call Douglas at 212-868-0190 ext. 352.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 York Post reported that just 11 days prior to the incident, Ashun was evaluated by city mental health professionals, but was not flagged as a physical threat. “We obviously are awaiting a full investigation. This is a very, very serious situation,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Saturday. “This is a very serious situation, but the one thing that we know from the information we have so far is this civilian assaulted a police officer violently and that is not acceptable. I just need to put that front and center.”
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The incident raises questions about whether a new initiative the de Blasio administration announced last week could have helped prevent the death of Ashun and other similar incidents involving encounters between NYPD officers and people who suffer from serious mental illness.
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019 With $37 million in funding, the city will deploy four Health Engagement Assessment Teams (HEAT), which will include one clinician and one “peer,” a person the city describes as someone “who has previously experienced a mental health challenge,” to proactively engage people with the most frequent 911 contacts, and connect them with care options. Additionally, the city will add six Mobile Crisis Teams composed of clinicians, case managers and peers to “ensure better rapid response time to urgent situations.” Mobile Crisis Teams are sent to people’s homes to provide crisis intervention and connect people to services. According to The City website, as part of the new initiative police officers will no longer use the shorthand term EDP, for emotionally disturbed person, when referring to calls involving the mentally ill. Instead, they will use the term “mental health call.” In two “high-need” precincts, the 25th in Manhattan’s East Harlem and the
47th in the northern part of the Bronx, NYPD officers will be paired with mental health counselors during emergency situations that involve those with mental illness.
A Critic of Thrive NYC City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, however, did not lend his support to the initiative. Rather, he was critical of ThriveNYC, which is headed by First Lady Chirlane McCray, during an appearance on Fox 5’s “Good Day” following the launch of de Blasio’s initiative. “I have concerns that we need to be doing more for people with serious mental illness. That’s what we need to focus the money on,” he told “Good Day.” “We need to be putting that money into people that people see decompensating on the subway and on the streets of New York City, who don’t know who they are, who can’t get the help they need.” Straus News reached out to Johnson, asking for more details on how the city could intervene in the “most severe cases,” but he did not respond by press time.
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OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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The Civilian Complaint Review Board is outrageously dysfunctional, wastes $13,000 per investigation and fails to ďŹ nd misconduct in 98% of cases.
So why rewrite the City Charter to give CCRB more money, more staff and more power?
Paid for by the Police Benevolent Association Independent Expenditure Committee. This communication was not expressly authorized or requested by any candidate or by any candidate’s political committees or any of its agents. 125 Broad Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10004
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Neighborhood Scrapbook
RAINY DAY DOG COSTUME CONTEST On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy held its annual Halloween Howl Dog Costume Contest. It was a rainy day, and the turnout wasn’t as sizable as in previous years, but that didn’t deter the canine contestants and their owners. More than 100 people entered their pups in the contest before a blue-chip fashion industry panel of judges. Among the winners was Dave, who won First Prize for Small Dogs. As one participant noted, there are lots of people who come to the event but don’t enter their dogs, so basically the park becomes a meetand-greet fest for all the costumed pups.
Dave struts his stuff. Photos: Kristen O'Connell
Event sign. Photo courtesy of Carl Schurz Park Conservancy
Dave with owner Rachel Morris.
Dave won First Prize for Small Dogs.
IF YOUR
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Brokers can’t charge more than $20 and must itemize any fees.
Renting in New York? New laws make for stronger tenants and stronger tenant-landlord relationships. Learn more at nyc.gov/tenantprotection. #RentersRights
Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants Bill de Blasio Mayor
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
‘PEOPLE WELCOMED US WITH OPEN ARMS’ COMMUNITY
Tammeca Rochester, founder of Harlem Cycle, kick-started the growth of health and wellness businesses in the neighborhood BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
When Tammeca Rochester moved to Harlem 10 years ago, the wellness industry had not yet planted a flag in the upper Manhattan neighborhood. Above 92nd Street at that time, you would have been hard-pressed to find a juice bar or boutique fitness studios. Rochester, who earned an MBA from New York University, saw a market for health and wellness in the neighborhood and wondered, “Why hadn’t anyone tried this before?” The question drove her to open her own boutique cycling studio, Harlem Cycle, on 125th St. in 2016. In effect, Rochester, 38, kick-started the growth of small businesses that focus on health and fitness in Harlem. She also created a strong community of clients by offering a different environment than what she saw at downtown studios, as
well as special events such as hiking excursions upstate or an upcoming “glamping” retreat on Governor’s Island in May. Recently, Rochester spoke with Straus News about her business being the flagship wellness enterprise in Harlem and what sets the studio apart from the rest:
there was a studio in Harlem.” You know how you just get this idea in implanted, and you can’t stop thinking about it? I started putting together my business plan did the numbers and I was like, wait a minute, I could do this. And then we opened our doors like five months later.
What was the catalyst for Harlem Cycle?
Do you feel like you have to compete with like a Soul Cycle or others?
I just kind of love cycling. This was the workout I had finally chosen that was for me. It was about the music, the kind of atmosphere, the crowd and the energy of people around you. I just wasn’t in love with the options. I didn’t love the downtown options. I didn’t love kind of the atmosphere that it created. I always felt like I was the outsider in every class. And it didn’t matter how in shape I was in. I didn’t look like the people in front of me, and I didn’t look like the typical person in class. But I loved their facilities. I loved the customer service. I love how nice the studio spaces were. And we didn’t have a studio in Harlem. One day I was just out for a run and I saw a vacant storefront and I thought, “Wow, would be great if
In my mind, we’re completely different. I think it’s just kind of the atmosphere that we’ve created. That community aspect of just being at ease and being comfortable being who you are, being comfortable at your fitness level, not feeling out of place, no matter who else is in the class with you. That’s one. And two is our music. Our music is very true to Harlem. We have a Spanish Harlem class. We have a hip-hop class. We have a soulful Sunday class. Three is really just kind of the community. We bring in a lot of the wellness businesses from Harlem. We do a healthy food option night so you can discover what those healthy options are when you go to Red Rooster or Melbas and those great Harlem restaurants, and that I think helps solidifies how much we’re here for the community. We give a holistic approach to health and wellness. I think that really has made a difference for us. I mean, that’s the reason why we’re here is to make an impact in the community.
Do you lead some of the classes? Yeah, I teach a few classes as well.
Is that one of your favorite parts of the business? Yes, absolutely. I love watching someone develop over time. You’ve seen when they first come in: just barely holding on; just trying to make it through the class; head down trying to make it through. Then to where they graduated. So you know the form is improved, they’re pushing through and their resistance levels are higher. It’s like watching a baby take the first step, that progression as they go on. To me that’s the most like satisfying part of it, just watching how clients develop over this whole process.
Have there been any challenges being the flagship wellness business in the neighborhood? Tammeca Rochester: “I just kind of love cycling.”
First we’ve had to educate people
Tammeca Rochester at work. Photos: HFLS New York
on the boutique aspect of studio spaces where you have to pay per class versus “I just come in whenever I want to.” That’s part of why we’re here: to continue to educate and continue to educate people on wellness and their different options. If you say, “Well, I want to just come in and lift some weights,“ we’ll say we’re not the space for you, but here’s a good place to go. But I would say people welcomed us with open arms. When we got here, people were excited about the idea of having a cycling studio. And people were more excited about having a cycling studio that they could resonate with.
What would you say your mission is as a business owner? I’m trying to make change across generations within this community. Generationally, because this is a
community that hasn’t had a lot of health and wellness options. Like none of this existed. It’s great to see juice bars coming in, health and wellness coming in, those boutique spaces coming in. We’re impacting this generation, but now I want to make sure that every generation from this state, going forward, knows health and wellness is a lifestyle and is part of your everyday life, not just something you do every now and then when you feel bored. That’s always been my goal coming in: generationally uplifting my community that I’m in and leaving that footprint.
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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17
Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
R
14
19
22
36
11
P
21
10
56
18
9
59
16
8
A
15
7
N
13
6
E
12
5
N
4
I
3
S
2
SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
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