West Side Spirit - December 12, 2019 by West Side Spirit

The local paper for the Upper West Side Arts & Culture

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2019

THE RENT ISN’T TOO DAMN HIGH ANYMORE REAL ESTATE

Manhattan retailers get a long-overdue break, as rental costs ﬁnally come crashing back down to earth BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

State Senator Robert Jackson addressed the meeting. Photo: Nick Smith-Koblitz

AN SOS FOR LOCAL SHOPS STOREFRONTS

Elected ofﬁcials and residents packed a town hall meeting aimed at saving neighborhood businesses BY CECE KING

The grassroots advocacy group UWS Save our Stores, aptly referred to as “SOS,” hosted its first town hall meeting on “Vacant Storefronts and Visions for Neighborhood Revitalization” last Thursday. SOS is focused on the epidemic of

Looking to rent a vacant storefront in the iconic retail corridor running up Broadway between West 72nd and

86th Streets? Now may be the best time in years to lock up a lease and cash in on the foot traffic that encircles Fairway, Citarella’s and Zabar’s. Hoping to cater to the ultrarich who shop on the glittering stretch of Madison Avenue between East 57th and 72nd Streets? Relative rental bargains can be found for the posh boutiques a short stroll from Bac-

carat and Brunello Cucinelli, La Perla and L’etoile Royale. With large blocks of space sitting empty or underutilized for months or years, groundfloor retail rents have finally started to tumble in almost every market across Manhattan, a new report found. In the 14-block strip of Broadway on the Upper West Side that takes in the shut-

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THE HEALING POWERS OF THE UPPER WEST SIDE Recovering from a broken back, a student finds that walking in her neighborhood was the best medicine. p. 8

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

PICTURING TIME Vija Celmins conjures moments at the Met Breuer. p. 12

storefront vacancies in the Upper West Side (UWS). Newly formed, the group has already attracted the attention of local politicians. The meeting was standing room only and boasted a panel with Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Helen Rosenthal, State Senator Robert Jackson, and State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal. In a recent report, the Department of City Planning found that 12.8 percent of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

12-18 2019

SANTA SAYS, SAFETY FIRST

Holiday gift-giving advice from the experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics. p. 2

TAKING THE CAKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS The former Barneys store near 76th Street, which closed in early 2018, is one of a number of vacant storefronts on Broadway in the West 70s. Photo: Michael Garfolo

Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts

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Restaurant Ratings38 Business 40 Real Estate 41 15 Minutes 43

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THE GOAT VOTE And the winner is...

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

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p. 2

A HAPPY AUGUST TRADITION store” “Pop-up department 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

A free ready for helps families get school. p. 5

WOODSTOCK SOJOURN

day of peace, Kamala HarJon Friedman on a 8 Warren, Cory Booker, and Bernie love and music. p. 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 SURVIVNG YOUR Candidates need to ren and Sanderson the first night. off with Sen. Kirsten Democratic presi- 130,000 unique donors and have SUMMER COLD moderate field and eight other seasonal in four qualigot high marks on – on July 31, it How to deal with thefeel worse Booker and Yang at least 2 percent and dential hopefuls the last Billy hit candidates have the second night, but Biden virus that makes usp. 2 a might have marked presidential fying polls. Eight polls. the assured in and are still ahead at the than a winter bug. hit those marks 12 Harris are and Gilly Show largely igin Houston on Sept. De Blasio and Gillibrand debates. ei- spot onstage Presiawful tough for are former Vice 7 “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

Crime Watch Voices

Bakers create edible versions of NYC landmarks for Christmas windows. p. 39

3 8

14 Restaurant Ratings 16 Business 17 R l Estate

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SANTA SAYS, SAFETY FIRST HEALTH

Children’s toys can cause injuries and even deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers some advice for the holiday season BY CAROL ANN RINZLER

The holidays are here and so are the toys that bring tidings of comfort, joy – and sometimes a few unwelcome surprises. On the special American celebrations calendar, December’s known as Safe Toys and Gifts Month. But in 2017, the latest year for which complete figures are available, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)

reported 13 toy-related deaths among children younger than 12 and a whopping 251,700 toy-related injuries serious enough to send the kids to the hospital emergency room. Not to worry. The Santa stand-ins at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are here to save the day. Their first advice: Choose age-appropriate gifts. For example, if you’re buying for a toddler who tends to put everything including his own toes into his mouth, follow the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s directive to avoid small things like marbles, coins and games with any pieces smaller than 1 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 1/4 inches long.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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Photo: Mass.Gov blog

As for that classic Teddy bear, check the label to be sure the fabric is flame resistant and washable (kids do chew, drool, and spill food). Check that the seams are tight so no stuffing escapes. Check that the bear is new. No, you shouldn’t hand down that beloved stuffed animal you’ve kept in the closet all these years; the little old guy’s fabric may not meet modern fire-resistant or toxin-free standards. Ditto for painted toys made before 1978 whose paint may not be lead-free. Moving on to an older budding artist, look for the letters ASTM D-4236 on the package of crayons, paints and such to make sure that the coloring

agents inside have been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Head and Face Injuries Nearly half of those emergency room injuries noted above hit the head and face. American Academy of Ophthalmology stats show that about 1 in 10 of kids’ eye injuries are caused by, yes, a toy that spits out projectiles. A recent article in the journal Pediatrics blames BBs, pellets, and paintball guns. And don’t forget the appendages on either side of the child’s head. Young ears are delicate and very loud toys held smack against them can impact hearing.

Want to give a kid a chance to ride? The best way to go may be a live trip around a pony ring or a semi-live one on the nearest carousel. True, safety harnesses and helmets can reduce the risk, but in 2016 innocent hobby horses and not-so innocent scooters, with and without a motor, accounted for nearly half of all toy-linked ER visits by kids who fell or were tossed off the vehicle. Finally, after the holidays are done, AAP urges you to continue monitoring the health not just of your child but of her toys. Look out for

splinters on wooden toys and sharp broken edges on plastic or metal thing-ees. Store everything in a chest or box without a lid or with a lid that’s lightweight and doesn’t lock. Be sure there are ventilation holes to protect the adventurous youngster, puppy or kitten who can’t wait to crawl or jump inside a small inviting space. And then pour yourself a perfect eggnog. Your safe, smart presents will make this a truly Happy Holiday.

SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING

■ For toy recalls or to report an unsafe toy: https://www.recalls.gov/cpsc.html or (800) 638-2772 ■ CPSC Toy Updates & Safety Rules: https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/toys/ ■ American Academy of Pediatrics toy buying & storing guidelines: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-pressroom/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Toy-SafetyTips-from-the-American-Academy-of-Pediatrics.aspx and https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safetyprevention/at-home/Pages/How-to-Buy-Safe-Toys.aspx ■ CPSC Standards for testing toys for children 12 & under: https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/BusinessEducation/Toy-Safety-Business-Guidance-and-SmallEntity-Compliance-Guide

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CRIME WATCH BY MARIA ROCHA-BUSHCEL STATS FOR THE WEEK

FOOD THIEF STRIKES AGAIN An employee of Ming’s Chinese Takeout at 413 Ninth Ave. told police that food was stolen from him while he was making a delivery to 443 West 25th St. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 8:48 p.m. The victim told police that he handed the bag of food to the suspect and while he was awaiting payment, the man ran off. The delivery person said that the man has done the same thing to other employees of the restaurant in the past and is known to the establishment.

MAN CHARGED WITH DRUNK DRIVING Police arrested a 26-year-old man for intoxicated driving at the corner of Eighth Ave. and West 14th St. on Friday, Nov. 29 at 11:25 p.m. Police said that the man disobeyed a sign while driving and when he was stopped, he reportedly refused to take a Breathalyzer. After he was taken into custody, a Breathalyzer showed that his BAC was .23, nearly three times the limit, police said.

Reported crimes from the 20th precinct for the week ending Dec. 1 Week to Date

Year to Date

2019

2018 % Change

2019

2018 % Change

0 0

n/a n/a

1 8

0 12

n/a -33.3

5 1

1 2

400.0 -50.0

76 76

58 73

31.0 4.1

Grand Larceny

0 14

3 13

-100.0 7.7

57 549

80 -28.8 609 -9.9

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

Murder Rape Robbery

Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

CASH STOLEN FROM LOCKER

West 30th St. on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 3:45 p.m., police said. An employee at the store told police that a man came in and put 35 bottles of shampoo worth $496.66 into a bag and ﬂed the store without paying. No arrests were made.The same employee also reported that multiple tubes of toothpaste and bars of soap worth $77 were stolen from the store on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 10:40 p.m. Police said that two other people reportedly stole shampoo from the CVS at 500 West 42nd St. on Friday, Nov. 29 at 10:10 a.m. An employee told police that a man and woman walked into the store and took more than $150 worth of shampoo and body wash from the store before attempting to leave without paying. One of the employees said she saw a blade

A 34-year-old man reported that his locker was broken into while he was working out on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27, at the Blink Fitness located at 308 Eighth Ave. near West 25th St. The victim told police that he locked his wallet in a locker and when he returned, the padlock he had put on it had been broken off and $43 had been taken from his wallet.

SUSPECTS MAY BE QUITE CLEAN Multiple drugstores reported last week that shampoo and other hygiene products were stolen. More than $400-worth of shampoo was stolen from the Duane Reade at 526

Felony Assault Burglary

during the incident, but police said that surveillance footage didn’t show a blade being ﬂashed . The video did show multiple employees surrounding the two suspects and one employee attempting to grab one of the suspects. Police said that no force was used and the suspects ﬂed.

FORGOTTEN AND GONE A 61-year-old woman reported that her phone and wallet were missing after she left them on a

Dear Reader,

counter in a store near 359 West 23rd St. on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 4 p.m. The victim told police that she was shopping and put her things down on the counter while paying for merchandise. She left the store, realized that she had forgotten them and when she went back they were gone. The wallet contained credit cards, her MetroCard and her insurance card. She tracked the phone to 175 Fifth Ave. near East 23rd St. but has not been able to recover the device.

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NYPD 20th Precinct

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STATE LEGISLATORS State Senator Brad Hoylman

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212-633-8052

State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

1916 Park Ave. #202

212-828-5829

Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal

230 W. 72nd St. #2F

212-873-6368

Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell 245 W. 104th St.

212-866-3970

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RENT ISN’T TOO HIGH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tered Barneys store on 76th Street, average asking rents per square foot plunged 14 percent, from $306 in 2018 to $263 today. The corridor’s free fall is even more dramatic when compared to its post-recession peak of $341 in the fall of 2016 – from which it fell 23 percent, according to data from the Real Estate Board of New York. Meanwhile, across the park on East 86th Street between Second and Lexington Avenues, where the new Old Navy just opened its doors, the rent dropped 11 percent from last year to $327 per square foot today – and 27% from its high of $450 just two years ago. Bottom line: REBNY, the industry’s largest trade association analyzed 17 major retail strips between the Battery and West 125th Street and found that average asking rents declined in 11 of them, or 65 percent, over a one-year period. Just four posted gains; two were unchanged. Even more precipitous price collapses – in 14 of the 17 corridors, or 82 percent – were reported over a threeyear period in markets as diverse as Herald Square and Soho, Greenwich Village and Fifth Avenue from the Plaza District to 42nd Street, REBNY found.

Is the Retail Apocalypse at Hand? Consider Bleecker Street between Seventh Avenue South and Hudson Street, where average asking rents ticked down just five percent, from $293 per square foot in the fall of 2018 to $278 today. But rents on that trendier portion of Bleecker had hit a post-recession, all-time high of $471 in the fall of 2016 – and they’ve been plummeting ever since, chalking up a staggering 41 percent drop over three years, REBNY research shows. The numbers correspond to soaring vacancy rates in almost all the key retail corridors. Simply put, landlords had raised rents sky high as the economy recovered from recession, scaring off tenants even as cyber-shopping cut demand – and they’re now discounting them steeply to fill empty spaces and recapture the same shopkeepers they drove away. But the retail outlook is hardly dire, REBNY insists: Deal-making is healthy. With daunting asking rents falling, an uptick in year-over-year leasing activity has resulted. Retailers are now gravitating to unique in-person experiences like smaller pop-ups and promotional spaces as supply surges. And online brands have inked short-term leases to attract real-world, in-store shoppers. “New experiential concepts will continue to buoy the market moving forward,” said James Whelan, president of REBNY.

The semi-annual, fall 2019 “Manhattan Retail Report” found that the declining rents present new opportunities to fill the rising number of empty storefronts as operators seek to enter or re-enter the market. It claims the outlook is positive, if challenging, as landlords dangle new incentives and proffer bargains and flexibility in rent negotiations. “Prospective long-term tenants remain selective, yet activity continues to be strong in today’s market,” Whelan added. Despite the downward trend, retail rents soared 22 percent on lower Broadway between the Battery and Chambers Street; 14 percent on a prime block in the Meatpacking District, 14th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues; and eight percent on West 125th Street between Fifth and Morningside Avenues. The broader falloff, REBNY says, is a “continuation of a multi-year market correction.” Still, whole swaths of the Manhattan retail scene seem either battered or transformed.

A New Hermes, a New Armani Exhibit A may be Madison Avenue: “Out of the 17 observed corridors, it experienced the largest year-over-year decline,” the report says. The crown jewel of American retailing, it posted average asking rents per square foot of just $906 this fall, falling

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Five businesses were scheduled to close at 1167 Madison Avenue this past summer. Photo: Ema Schumer

below the symbolic $1,000 mark for the first time in years for ground-floor space between East 57th and 72nd Streets. By comparison, the street commanded rents of $1,160 in 2018, before a sharp 22 percent falloff, and a top-dollar price of $1,446 in 2017, before a seismic decline of 37 percent. Large numbers of expiring leases contributed to high availability rates on Madison, leading owners to soften rents and offer more short-term lease deals, the report says. As a result, space is now being absorbed and several recent leases consist of retailers moving into smaller-sized storefronts, often with co-tenants. “Lots of brands are taking a look, testing the place out, coming into the neighborhood – and their spaces are being priced accordingly,” said Matt Bauer, president of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District since 1999. Indeed, 36 new tenants

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have arrived on the avenue since July, the BID says. “Not every new store is permanent, some are pop-ups and short-terms leases … But you read about the retail apocalypse, and here you have all these major brands investing on Madison Avenue,” Bauer added. He cited three luxury boutiques, the faux-fur purveyor Maison Atia, which opened in October under a short-term lease; women’s clothing store Lingua Franca, which signed a longer lease; and fashion accessory Frances Valentine, which came in as a pop-up, then decided to make its tenancy long term. “Are there more vacancies than we would want? Absolutely, and what you’re seeing is a response by property owners to what’s happening in the marketplace,” Bauer said. Those changes span the global retail landscape, and they’ve fueled a vacancy rate of around nine percent in the BID’s territory, which runs

from 57th to 86th Streets. The avenue’s signature tenants are also on the move. Giorgio Armani plans to redevelop its flagship store, tearing it down and rebuilding on site with ultra-luxe residences on top, and Hermes says it will move up the avenue and across the street to a new flagship location by 2022. Meanwhile, in some retail strips, brokers evince a measure of optimism that rents may have bottomed out and opportunities abound. In a stretch of Broadway in Soho between Houston and Broome Streets, for instance, asking prices have collapsed 12 percent, from $558 a year ago to $491 today. More dramatic still, the quarter plunged 40 percent from its historic post-recession peak of $812 in 2017. “Wow! I have a couple of cIients who just might – might – be able to afford those prices,” said Sammy Williams, a downtown real estate broker. invreporter@strausnews.com

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CONDOS, BIG BOXES AND A SENIOR POET EAST SIDE OBSERVER

stance of momentary forgetfulness or confusion attribBY ARLENE KAYATT uted to the aging process,‘ and its pejorative connotation. 87year-old Peter Blaxill dispels A new kind of IMBY - Who that notion with the recent would have thought that the publication of his “Wherever survivors of department store the Wind Blows I Will Go,“ a closings would be the H&Ms book of his poetry which he and the Old Navys? And that was putting together for pubthey would be the tenants oclication when I interviewed cupying the commercial him earlier this year for Our space in multi-million-dollar Town’s Senior Guide. Peter, a condos, making it possible for retired Broadway musical the condo owners to keep actor with a long and varied down their monthly maintecareer in theater, lives at Vilnance and other costs related lage Care’s senior residence. to under-occupied commerAt the time of the interview, cial space? Think H&M at the he was readying the book for Lucinda condo on 85th and publication. When I heard Lex, and Old Navy at the new that the book had just been Hayworth condo on 86th and published, I couldn’t resist. So Lex. Perhaps living in a condo I met with Peter at Galaxy in the East 86th Street corriDiner, a short walk from Vildor makes that happen lage Care, and bought a copy ...when residents can no for $15. Peter’s poems are in longer afford to shop at and English and there’s a Spanish support the likes of Barney’s, translation on the opposite Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s, page by Roberto Mendoza Lord & Taylor. Not sure that Ayala, whose Daylight PubH&M and Old Navy vendors lishing company is the pubwere the type of ‘vendors’ the lisher. I asked Peter to pick a Buy and Shop Local campoem to use in this column, paigns had or have in mind. hoping he’d pick something American Express, which short. He chose instead a sonsponsors these local shopnet, Ciao Italia - all 14 lines ping campaigns, will be anhis tribute to New York after other beneficiary of the latest a trip abroad. Alas, only an condo and commercial tenant editor can redefine a sonnet’s alliance - low-end big boxes line count once in reprint. and high-end condo owners Here it is: as those credit cards get slid. And shoppers will benefit if CIAO ITALIA by Peter Blaxill the stores don’t go cashless. Hello New York? I’m just A senior’s momentous mo- back from abroad, footsore. ment - Forget Merriam-Web- Tuscany was beautiful of ster’s online definition of course and Rome? “senior moment” as ‘an in- Well yes had quite a trip! But

now back home in my roachy flat, bag unpacked, I look forward to needed sleep: a fade-out from ornate, cramped hotels, the babble of vowely voices, our pokey bus, piazza shopping non-stop We gawked at Vatican halls, caught pope popping up waving, crowds adoring, and all those statues! All those bells! I’m not one for otherness. My potholed back street hails me: where were you rover. The corner store for coffee, tough buns, The Post, each stoop, each bum bummed out before arrested cries Welcome and each unsmiling that I meet. They’ve hooked me! Italy? No dice! Yes, some may call me gruff, a crude city brat and dumb. So what! It’s enough. Bus buffet - Crosstown bus pretty empty, weekday, early afternoon. Mom and teenage daughter in upfront 3-seater. Teen sipping coffee while managing SmartPhone and struggling with the stillwrapped sammy between her knees. Mom chomping away at bulging “Everything” bagel in one hand while holding coffee cup in the other. Her SmartPhone was in the empty middle seat. How do I know it was an “everything” bagel, you might ask? Because when the ladies departed the bus, they left the salt, poppy seeds, and garlic reek on the seat. Crummy and crumby no matter how you spell or look at it.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

Voices

THE HEALING POWERS OF THE UPPER WEST SIDE

COMMUNITY

I wanted to hide from people while I recovered from a broken back, but walking around my neighborhood turned out to be the best medicine BY ANNA BOOKSTABER

When I first saw the brace I was to be confined in for a month, I passed out. The humiliation of having to wear a chunky piece of plastic around my upper body hurt nearly as much as the car accident that caused my predicament. I had broken six vertebrae in my back and one in my neck. My brace was designed to guarantee that my spine wouldn’t move. It was a hard grey material, mirroring the shell of an enormous insect. To make matters worse, there was a metal plate holding up my chin and a thick strap around my forehead to secure my head in place. Though I wanted to hide away from all people until my brace was removed, the doctor insisted that I walk as much as possible in order to heal faster. So, the first day home from the hospital, my mother and I were determined to head out from our Upper West Side apartment. We decided our destination would be Viva La Crepe, a creperie on Columbus Avenue, a few blocks from our apartment. The prospect of leaving the safety of my home, where no prying eyes could stare at me, was abso-

The author in the brace she had to wear after an automobile accident. Photos: Courtesy of Anna Bookstaber

lutely terrifying. To limit the amount of contact I would have with others, I made sure we went out at night, when fewer people would be around. Over my brace, I layered a tank top, long sleeve shirt and a chunky sweater. Finally, I ventured outdoors.

An Unexpected Sense of Bravery The walk was easier than I expected. Most of the pedestrians I passed were too ab-

sorbed in their own world to notice the girl wearing a plastic box around her torso. Those who did notice gave me the classic “look, and look away”- just to look again. However, people were generally nice about it and gave sympathetic smiles if they noticed I had caught them looking. When I entered the creperie, I was relieved to find it empty of customers. This

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019 eliminated my biggest concern: people. Especially people I knew. Along with this, the cashier was polite and treated me as if I wasn’t wearing an enormous appendage. Having accomplished my first walk, I was filled with a sense of bravery. My mother allowed me to splurge at Lush on Broadway, one of my favorite self-care stores. We were looking for face masks when an employee approached us. She asked my mother and me if we needed assistance. “We were in a car accident,” my mother blurted out. I resisted the urge to bolt out of the store and never return. I feared that the woman would become uncomfortable at my mother’s sudden declaration. I was just about to change the topic when the salesperson melted with sympathy. She asked us questions and listened to our responses with great empathy. When it came time to pay, she stuffed our bag with free samples. She gave me hair masks, face masks and the comforting knowledge that there were genuinely good people in the world who would treat me with dignity in spite of my injury.

Compassion ... and Bubble Tea I slowly began to realize how accepting people truly were of my brace. Not once did I hear a disrespectful remark or a rude comment. In fact, I found that others were more compassionate than ever before. Throughout the entire time I was wearing my brace, my mother and I would always stop by Tea Magic, the bubble tea shop on West 72nd Street,

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Tea Magic on West 72nd St. was a regular stop.

during our daily walks. It was far enough away from home that it provided the daily exercise we needed, yet it wasn’t too far that we found ourselves exhausted. And we also looked forward to the delicious bubble tea, which was especially useful for cooling down on hot days. It was our favorite place to go and we went quite often. In fact, we went there so much the man who worked behind the counter memorized my order of an iced peach tea with bobas. When my brace finally came off, my mom and I decided to return to Tea Magic one last time. It was odd walking into the store clad in a tee

shirt and shorts rather than the thick brace. I looked so different, I didn’t think the counter man would recognize me. To my surprise, he did. He seemed genuinely happy for me, beaming even, that my brace was off. At that moment, I realized how lucky I was to live in this Upper West Side neighborhood. It would have been easy for strangers to have made fun of my gear or simply ignore me altogether. Instead, I was met with absolute warmth and true goodness of character. I will always remain grateful for the decency shown to me during one of the most undignified times of my life.

Parasite

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Varda by Agnès

“One of the cinema high points of 2019. You won’t know what hit you.” —

“Two hours of magic.” —

#ﬁlminc

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Cunningham — in 2D & 3D! Opens Dec 13 “Euphoric . . . Sensational in every sense of the word.” — Plus Director Q&As: Dec 14, 6:15pm & 8:45pm Dec 15, 12:15pm & 6:45pm

Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center 144 West 65th Street Walter Reade Theater 165 West 65th Street Oﬃcial Sponsors

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This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Image credits: Parasite (NEON), Varda by Agnès (Janus Films), Cunningham (Magnolia Pictures)

DECEMBER 12-18,2019

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Calendar NYCNOW

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EDITOR’S PICK

Mon 16 A VERY CRAB-Y CHRISTMAS Center at West Park 165 West 86th St 6:30 p.m. $30-60 centeratwestpark.org 212-997-4490 An evening of holiday-themed scenes and monologues performed by Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Resident Acting Company, with special guests, live music, food and drink, and a rafﬂe full of fabulous prizes!

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Thu 12

Fri 13

Sat 14

TAIN’T NOBODY’S BUSINESS IF I DO: SONGS OF GAY HARLEM

▲EXOMOONS: KEPLER’S HIDDEN GEMS

ARTWORKS HOLIDAY CRAFTS FAIR

Kaufman Music Center 129 West 67th St 8:00 p.m. $20-65 Music from Harlem’s gay underground, with works by Bessie Smith, Billy Strayhorn, Porter Grainger, and songs popularized by Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, and “Ma” Rainey. kaufmanmusiccenter.org 212-501-3330

American Museum of Natural History 200 Central Park West 6:15 p.m. Free In the last two decades we’ve discovered thousands of planets orbiting nearby stars. But do those planets have moons? And if so, could they be hospitable to life? Part of a lecture series by the Amateur Astronomers Association. aaa.org 212-769-5100

West Side YMCA 15 West 63rd St 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Free An event showcasing over 500 handmade, one-of-akind ceramic art pieces and hand-crafted jewelry created by students, assistants, and teachers who study and work out of the Y’s ArtWorks Studio. (Also Thu 12 and Fri 13. lincolnsquarebid.org 212-921-2638

DECEMBER 12-18,2019

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Sun 15

Mon 16

Tue 17

▲CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

250 YEARS OF BEETHOVEN, CELEBRATED!

TOE TAPPIN’ TUESDAYS WITH THE GOTHAM JAZZMEN

Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium Seventh Ave and 57th St 7 p.m. $17.50 - $125 Celebrate Beethoven’s 249th birthday – and the beginning of the composer’s 250th birthday year – with a concert produced by The Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture. The conductor is the internationally acclaimed, Maestro Jiang Jin Yi, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and China National Choir, conducting the Ureuk Symphony Orchestra. They will be joined by the Harlem Boys and Girls Alumni Chorus and other special guests. Carnegiehall.org 212-247-7800

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts 40 Lincoln Center Plaza 12:00 p.m. Free The Gotham Jazzmen present a weekly concert of jazz favorites certain to lift your spirits and make you forget your “library voices.” nypl.org 917-275-6975

South Gate House, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir Central Park 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Free This annual event began in 1900 as a conservation effort to protect wild birds. To this day, it continues throughout the country each year. Join NYC Audubon, Urban Park Rangers, and the Central Park Conservancy in counting birds in every section of Central Park. nycgovparks.org 212-360-1444

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ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Nationalism and Democracy

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16TH, 6:30PM

Wed 18 ◄ KARAOKE SINGALONG: HO HO HOLIDAYS! Symphony Space 2537 Broadway 7:00 p.m. Free For those afraid to tackle the bright lights of the solo karaoke stage, this is the night where you, your closest friends, and complete strangers can come together to belt out some of the songs we all know and love. symphonyspace.org 212-864-1414

N-Y Historical Society | 170 Central Park West | 212-873-3400 | nyhistory.org National Review Editor in Chief Rich Lowry presents his recent book, The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free. Noah Rothman, associate editor of Commentary and author of Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America, serves as moderator ($38).

Perception Meets Memory: A New View on Memory Disorders

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, 4PM Jerome L. Greene Sci. Cntr. | 605 W. 129th St. | 212-853-0600 | columbia.edu Morgan Barense, PhD, director of the Toronto Neuroimaging Facility, offers a different take on memory. She’ll draw on computational modelling, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging to demonstrated the ways “memory and perception are inextricably intertwined” (free).

Just Announced | Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf: Preview Screening of The Two Popes with Jonathan Pryce

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Jonathan Pryce is apparently developing a taste for playing religious top men. Catch him in conversation on his Pope Francis, portrayed alongside Anthony Hopkins’s Pope Benedict ($40).

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

PICTURING TIME EXHIBITS

IF YOU GO

Vija Celmins conjures moments at the Met Breuer BY MARY GREGORY

“Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory” at the Met Breuer presents the first retrospective in over 25 years for an artist who has been quietly pushing boundaries for more than five decades. It was worth the wait. Celmins’ work is evocative, rhythmic, expressive, meditative, challenging, simultaneously expansive and reductive, and absolutely exquisite. It’s filled with both constancy and contradictions. The overview, co-curated by Ian Alteveer at The Met and Gary Garrels at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), where it was first shown, comprises paintings, sculptures, and drawings, and includes subjects that range from small, personal objects to waves in the ocean and vast expanses of space. “If you really look at an image, it stays in your memory ... then memory does other things to it. Sometimes a work fades, sometimes it stays…it’s an alive experience,“ the wall text quotes Celmins as saying.

Vija Celmins, “Letter,“ 1968, Collage and graphite on acrylic ground on paper, 13 1/4 × 18 1/8 in. Photo: Vija Celmins, courtesy the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery

What: “Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory” Where: The Met Breuer 945 Madison Ave When: Through January 12, 2020 metmuseum.org Her work, which she characterizes as “redescription,“ meticulously renders images from the world around her.

The Simple and Profound Stuff of the World Celmins’ work encompasses moments and vision. When you look at her incredibly detailed, technically astonishing drawings of expanses of ocean, or desert, or space, or objects or events, they do something almost magical. Somehow, the amount of time she spent on her drawings forces the viewer to look carefully, slowly, and meticulously. It’s impossible not to ponder the hours upon hours they took to create, and because of that, Celmins’ work transmits not just imagery, but temporality. She’s not just expressing, but imparting moments. As you slow down to look, the artists’ experience of time affects your experience of time. From surfaces of land, sea and space, to eggshells, spider webs and

Vija Celmins, “Untitled (Big Sea #1),“ 1969, Graphite on acrylic ground on paper, Private collection © Vija Celmins, courtesy the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery. Photo: © McKee Gallery, New York

stones, it’s the simple and profound stuff of the world that draws her attention, and to which she directs ours. She points out, and then fixes in memory, everyday objects like lamps, erasers and envelopes, but also the profound mysteries of distant universes. Each of those things suggests other things – like light, time, loss, and life. And yet, they’re more than perfect renderings. Somehow, their flat surfaces convey depth. Some viewers see them as meditative, some as conceptual art. Because she uses photographs as the basis of her drawings, some see them as art about art. Some may feel they evoke the wonders of nature like a majestic Ansel Adams photograph, some may find in them a dialogue on banality carried over from Pop Art. They’re simultaneously textural and flat. You can consider them either perfect realism or absolute artifice. Sheena Wagstaff, The Met’s chairman of modern and contemporary art noted that Celmins’ works “keep us trapped on their delectable surfaces

to enjoy a kind of double reality, between art and our world.”

Wonders Seen and Unseen Vija Celmins was born in Latvia in 1938. Her family fled from the Soviet army, living in refugee camps till the end of World War II. After immigrating to Indianapolis in 1948, she headed to the West Coast to study art in the 1960s just as realism was being declared irrelevant, while abstraction, installation, performance, and Pop were on the rise. Some of those influences come through in 5th floor opening gallery, filled with paintings and sculptures of things like lamps, space heaters and pencils. But quickly, the show moves to her pencil drawings where a different world opens. In pictures of zeppelins, airplane bombers, newspapers, car crashes, and burning buildings, violent images are made still and quiet. Downstairs, on the 4th floor, the stillness and quiet extends. There, you encounter infinities of oceans and space, infinitesimal details in a

spider’s web, cracks on the desert floor, wonders unseen. In drawings of waves, the lines are so small, you can only see them from a distance of inches. Step back and the ocean opens up, without horizon or edges, suggesting vastness. And, just when you think you understand how she conjures reality, the next piece changes it. Some waves are composed of countless lines thinner than thread; others are aggregations of smudgy triangles. “To Fix the Image in Memory” is a show unlike any other, deeply poetic, bringing to mind a passage from T.S. Eliot’s poem, “Burnt Norton.” “To be conscious is not to be in time, But only in time can the moment in the rose-garden, The moment in the arbour where the rain beat, The moment in the draughty church at smokefall, Be remembered; involved with past and future. Only through time time is conquered.” Vija Celmins’ work somehow freezes time to present it to you. The more you look, the greater the gift.

Arts & Culture

BEST OF Kids

Home Improvement

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MANHATTAN Workouts & Wellness BY MEREDITH DELISO

COVER DESIGN BY CHRISTINA SCOTTI

2019

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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FOOD & DRINK

while newer residents have quickly been won over and added it to their go-tos. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but the housemade pappardelle is a consistent crowd-pleaser.

EL QUINTO PINO

401 West 24th St. 212-206-6900 www.elquintopinonyc.com

Wife-and-husband team Alex Raij and Eder Montero have a mini Spanish restaurant empire from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and it all started with this Chelsea tapas restaurant in 2007. The menu features their riﬀs on classic multiregional Spanish cuisine that will intrigue your tastebuds, with signature musthaves including the uni panini.

BEST COFFEE SHOP BOX KITE COFFEE 128 West 72nd St. www.boxkitenyc.com

The Salty Pimp is a signature Big Gay Ice Cream ﬂavor. Photo: Donny Tsang

This Upper East Side Italian r estaurant oozes charm, from the rustic decor to the warm lighting. Whether coming for a catch-up lunch, date night dinner, nightcap or Sunday brunch, Uva delivers. Locals have been frequenting the spot since it opened in 2005,

Coffee nerds appreciate this teensy Upper West Side spot, which stands out in the neighborhood as a multi-roaster cafe. It serves a rotation of beans from brands like Sey, Passenger and Regalia. The cold brew is a fan favorite. In addition to discovering new brews, customers can discover coffee products like canned iced coffees.

DTUT

1744 Second Ave. 212-410-6449 www.dtutcafe.com

Peacefood has been serving up vegan fare for a decade. Photo: Jesse Bronstein The name means “downtown uptown” - as in, bringing some downtown cool to the Upper East Side. The coﬀee shop is decked out with thrift furniture giving a relaxed living room feel. In addition to caffeine and pastries, the cafe is a bar, with a large craft beer selection, wine and seasonal cocktails. So you can hang out from morning to night.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT JACOB’S PICKLES

daes, milkshakes and (bonus) vegan chocolate chip cookies.

INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE

1564 First Ave. 212-734-0105 www.emackandbolios.com

180 Tenth Ave. 212-933-9736 www.intelligentsiacoffee.com Chelsea’s High Line Hotel is home to a unique outpost of the celebrated chain, offering a calm, cozy coffee oasis in Manhattan. In addition to the hotel coffee bar, customers can get their caffeine fix at the outdoor “Minibar,” which serves a selection of espresso and pour overs out of a 1963 Citroen coffee truck. The dogfriendly cafe often has dog treats for the taking, too.

BEST ICE CREAM

509 Amsterdam Ave. 212-470-5566 www.jacobs.picklehospitality.com

VAN LEEUWEN ARTISAN ICE CREAM

It’s always a party at Jacob’s Pickles, which brings Southern comfort to the Upper West Side. The restaurant regularly draws a crowd for its indulgent biscuit sandwiches and specialty cocktails. Since opening the spot in 2011, the owners have continued to add to the neighborhood oﬀerings with cocktail spot Maison Pickle.

448 Amsterdam Ave. 646-952-0311 253 Columbus Ave. 646-368-9195 www.vanleeuwenicecream.com

UVA

1486 Second Ave. 212-472-4552 www.uvanyc.com

Among the food oﬀerings, don’t pass on the make-yourown s’mores platter.

Jacob’s Pickles draws crowds for its Southern comfort fare. Photo: Jacob’s Pickles

The NYC-born ice cream chain has been on an expansion tear as of late. In recent months it doubled its Upper West Side oﬀerings with a location on Columbus Avenue, joining the Amsterdam spot. Both serve a full menu of Van Leeuwen’s rich ice creams, including vegan options made using oat milk, as well as sun-

EMACK & BOLIO’S

The Upper East Side outpost of the premium ice cream maker is a family go-to. It’s known for its wide variety of delicious ﬂavors (including favorites like Cookie Monster vanilla ice cream with Oreos and cookie dough) and sweets-adorned cones. Go big with a shareable sundae, or get some pints to take home.

BIG GAY ICE CREAM

51 Grove St. www.biggayicecream.com In a decade, Big Gay Ice Cream went from being a seasonal ice cream truck to having three locations in Manhattan, including the West Village, and in Philadelphia. It did so on the back of its cheeky flavors (such as the signature Salty Pimp - vanilla soft serve filled with dulce de leche and dipped in chocolate). The shop continues to innovate with indulgent new flavors, ice cream sandwiches, milkshakes and sundaes.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

www.stellaandfly.com The wine isn’t the only thing that draws Upper East Siders to this coﬀee shop and wine bar. Tasty small plates, weeknight happy hour, friendly service and a full calendar of events such as competitive trivia and live music make this a neighborhood destination for play. It’s also an ideal spot to ﬁre up the laptop and do work during the day.

Intelligentsia Coffee’s High Line Hotel outpost. Photo: Intelligentsia Coffee

BEST WINE BAR VANGUARD

189 Amsterdam Ave. 212-799-9463 www.vanguard-nyc.com The Upper West Side location of the wine bar chain regularly gets a crowd. The wine menu is informative and easy to follow. But when in doubt, be sure to ask the bartenders for suggestions, especially on wine-small plate pairings. The cozy spot is ideal for small groups or dates.

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TERROIR

24 Harrison St. 212-625-9463 www.wineisterroir.com The Tribeca destination helped break the stereotype that wine bars have to be pretentious and stuﬀy. Terroir is serious about wine, of course, with an extensive Riesling menu in particular (and that wine-referencing name). But it goes about it with a sense of humor and laid-back approach, courtesy of inﬂuential owner Paul Grieco. The cheeses and charcuterie have also won over guests who come here for the wine.

BEST VEGAN EATERY PEACEFOOD

460 Amsterdam Ave. 212-362-2266 www.peacefoodcafe.com For a decade, the Upper West Side restaurant has been serving a varied menu of tasty vegan fare (pizza, sandwiches, soups, salads, sushi and more). Its bakery also turns out freshly baked cookies, cakes and breads - minus eggs and dairy. The popular spot spawned an outpost downtown near Union Square.

LE BOTANISTE

833 Lexington Ave. 917-262-0766 www.lebotaniste.us This apothecary-inspired food and wine bar from the founder of Le Pain Quotidien is 100% plant-based, and nearly 100% organic. The bowls are the heart of the menu, though the vegan sushi also has its fans. The success of the ﬁrst NYC location on the Upper East Side led to two more in Manhattan.

STELLA & FLY 1705 First Ave. 646-678-3947

VLIFE NYC

348 Seventh Ave. 212-760-1900 www.vlifenyc.com Get aﬀordable vegan bites fast at this Chelsea eatery, which is packed during the lunch rush. The teeny-tiny spot has a giant menu, including smoothies, fresh juices, tofu wraps, salads and plantbased spins on eats like Philly cheesesteaks, chicken nuggets, hot dogs and drumsticks. After one meal customers are hooked.

BEST COCKTAILS

The Penrose serves craft cocktails at reasonable prices (for Manhattan). Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

MANHATTAN CRICKET CLUB

1590 Second Ave. 212-203-2751 www.penrosebar.com

226 West 79th St. 646-823-9252 www.mccnewyork.com

Pull a book from the library and take a seat with a craft cocktail at this members-only bar above the Upper West Side Australian bistro Burke & Wills. Non-members are welcome on a walk-in basis, though membership perks include the ability to make reservations and a private liquor locker to store a spirit or wine of your choosing.

THE PENROSE

WEATHER UP

The Penrose draws cocktail aﬁcionados from far and wide to the Upper East Side. As far as Manhattan cocktails go, they’re reasonably priced, too, topping out at $15. Pair your Pandan Panda Punch or Dirty Pickle Martini with the elevated bar food. Sundays the space ﬁlls with live jazz and blues music.

Expertly-made cocktails are on tap at this Tribeca bar, a magnet for locals and dates. The oyster happy hour is a bonus - snag $1.50 bivalves Monday to Saturday from 5-7 p.m. The shareable bar food is also a hit. The bar itself is attractive, from the trendy subway tiles to the smart booths to the dim, romantic lighting (did we mention it’s a datenight fave?).

159 Duane St. 212-766-3202 www.weatherupnyc.com

You’re Invited! Come visit Harry’s, just a few minutes away, to experience New York’s largest selection of men’s and women’s fashion comfort footwear, including boots for this cold-weather season. Fabulous Holiday Promotions currently underway

New York’s

BEST Your Perfect Fit! 2299 Broadway at 83rd Street • (212) 874-2035 Harrys-Shoes.com • Open 7 Days

Shoe Store

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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ARTS & CULTURE

The Beacon Theatre. Photo: Courtesy of MSG.

BEST NON-TOURISTY MUSEUM NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY 170 Central Park West 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org

New York City’s oldest museum, established in 1804, explores the country’s history, with a special spotlight on the Big Apple. Highlights include the largest holding of John James Audubon-related materials anywhere, an impressive Tiﬀany lamp collection, a hands-on children’s museum and the nascent Center for Women’s History. A robust events calendar brings in the foremost scholars, authors, historians and more.

THE JEWISH MUSEUM 1109 Fifth Ave. 212-423-3200 www.thejewishmuseum.org

Visitors may follow their guidebooks to the Met and Guggenheim in droves, but The Jewish Museum is a highlight among the Museum Mile oﬀerings. Find ﬁrst-of-its kind exhibitions honoring Jewish

art and culture, including the current spotlight on the career of the inﬂuential modern art dealer Edith Halpert. Don’t miss the outpost of Russ & Daughters in the basement. The museum is free on Saturdays, so expect it to be busier then.

RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART 150 West 17th St. 212-620-5000 www.rubinmuseum.org

Escape the hustle and bustle at this Chelsea museum, dedicated to Himalayan cultures and art. Zen out on your own in the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, an installation inspired by a household shrine, or attend one of the regular mindfulness sessions held in the space. The museum also oﬀers a variety of oﬀ-hour ways to connect with fellow New Yorkers, from Wednesday happy hours to music and free tours on Friday evenings.

BEST GALLERY BARD GRADUATE CENTER GALLERY 18 West 86th St. 212-501-3023

www.bgc.bard.edu Fans of the Met’s Costume Institute will be right at home here. Material items are the study of the Bard Graduate Center, and its Upper West Side gallery takes deep dives into subjects in design history and the decorative arts. Currently on view, “French Fashion, Women, and the First World War” features pieces by Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin, alongside posters, fashion magazines and more.

LÉVY GORVY

909 Madison Ave. 212-772-2004 www.levygorvy.com This contemporary gallery has oﬃces in London, Hong Kong and Zurich, but it all started on the Upper East Side. The namesakes are Dominique Lévy and Brett Gorvy, who partnered together in 2017. Their list of artists includes such heavyweights as Frank Stella, Joel Shapiro, Alexander Calder and Willem de Kooning. Currently ﬁnd exhibitions spotlighting the works of German artist Günther Uecker and South Korean painter Chung Sang-Hwa.

DAVID ZWIRNER GALLERY

Multiple locations www.davidzwirner.com Every so often, a gallery exhibition becomes an event, drawing thousands of people outside the usual art circles. David Zwirner has a knack for creating the most anticipated shows each season. Two years ago, the gallery drew more than 75,000 people to a multivenue exhibition featuring the works of Yayoi Kusama. Now, the “Inﬁnity Room” artist is back, with new work currently on view at Zwirner’s West 20th Street gallery that’s expected to draw record-breaking numbers once again.

BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE BEACON THEATRE

2124 Broadway 212-465-6000 www.msg.com/beacon-theatre This legendary Upper West Side venue plays host to live music, stand-up comedy, award shows and more. Established acts like to settle in for

multiple nights; in late November, Bob Dylan began a 10night run himself, with upcoming multi-night engagements from Gov’t Mule and Widespread Panic on the calendar. And, of course, it’s where you can ﬁnd Jerry Seinfeld every month at his longrunning residency, extended through March 2020.

92ND STREET Y

1395 Lexington Ave. 212-415-5500 www.92y.org

The 92Y is an iconic Upper East Side venue, catering to all categories of cultural relevance. On any given day, you can attend lectures from leading experts in their ﬁeld, TV screenings with cast Q&As, music and dance performances and author readings. That’s not even mentioning its continuing education, ﬁtness and family programming.

THE GREENE SPACE 44 Charlton St. 866-811-4111 www.thegreenespace.org

Experience New York Public Radio IRL at its intimate South Village venue, now in its 10th year. Attend live broad-

casts of WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” podcast tapings, classical concerts, variety shows, a monthly book club series and other events that will get the topical conversation ﬂowing.

BEST BOOKSTORE BANK STREET BOOKSTORE

2780 Broadway 212-678-1654 www.bankstreetbooks.com With Bank Street College of Education behind this Upper West Side bookstore, you can bet the selection is top-notch. The shop has long been a destination for teachers, parents and gift-seekers (free gift wrapping!) alike. Don’t be shy; take advantage of the staﬀ’s knowledge and passion about children’s books and let them point you in the best direction. The free story times are also a hit among the toddler set.

KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS

1435 Lexington Ave. 212-876-5550 www.kitchenartsandletters.com

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ELEVATE YOUR STANDARD OF

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Since 1983, this Upper East Side bookstore has been a destination for professional chefs, beginner home cooks and everyone in between for its giant supply. The store stocks the cookbook du jour, along with thousands of other titles, recipe books and otherwise. If you still can’t ﬁnd what you’re looking for, the staﬀ will try to track down out-of-print books for you. Need an apron for all that cooking and baking? They’ve got those, too.

MCNALLY JACKSON BOOKS 52 Prince St. 212-274-1160 www.mcnallyjackson.com

The independent bookstore added a third NYC location this year, opening in the Seaport District (following an expansion to Williamsburg last year). But the NoLita ﬂagship brings on the charm, from the cafe (where books are whimsically suspended from the ceiling) to the curated book displays to the Instagramprimed pink bathroom with Jorge Luis Borges quotes on the mirrors.

BEST MOVIE THEATER AMC 84TH STREET 6 2310 Broadway 212-721-6023 www.amctheatres.com

Get all the modern moviegoing perks at this Upper West Side theater. Reserved seating? Check. Comfy reclining seats? Check. Mobile concessions ordering? Check. The latest blockbusters in hightech 3D? You bet. If you’re a frequent movie goer (like three-times-a-week frequent), join the chain’s AMC Stubs membership program and enjoy discounts, perks and more.

CITY CINEMAS 1, 2 & 3

1001 Third Ave. 212-753-6022 www.citycinemas.com

Reclining seats and a CocaCola Freestyle fountain are among the upgrades at this nearly 60-year-old Upper East Side theater. For those looking to save some money, the theater cuts its $19 general admission to just $9 for showtimes after 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Its three theaters lean more toward playing indie fair (think Bong Joonho’s “Parasite”).

ANGELIKA NEW YORK

18 West Houston St. 212-995-2570 www.angelikafilmcenter.com The arthouse destination has been going 30 years strong in NoHo. Foreign and indie ﬁlms are its bread and butter. Arrive early for a pastry and cappuccino in the cafe before heading downstairs to one of the intimate theaters. The occasional rumble of the subway makes this one of the more unique, quintessential New York movie-going experiences.

BEST SUBWAY ART ‘SKY,’ YOKO ONO

72nd Street and Central Park West At the B/C station, the legendary New York artist aims to “bring the sky underground” through six large mosaics. The pieces located throughout the recently renovated station each depict a vivid blue sky with white, puﬀy clouds. Accompanying the serene works are phrases and words such as “remember love,” “dream” and “imagine peace.” Even on the dreariest commute, the subway has some tranquility.

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A mosaic by William Wegman at the 23rd Street F/M station. Photo: Meredith Deliso

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At Kitchen Arts & Letters. Photo courtesy of Kitchen Arts & Letters

‘SUBWAY PORTRAITS,‘ CHUCK CLOSE

Second Avenue and East 86th Street With the debut of the splashy Second Avenue subway, commuters got new art by four high-proﬁle contemporary artists. Among them Chuck Close, who brought his signature large-scale photorealist portraits to the 86th Street Q station. Lou Reed, Philip Glass, Cindy Sherman,

Kara Walker and the acclaimed artist himself are among the dozen mosaic or ceramic portraits, most of which are nearly nine-feet high. They’ll make even the busiest New Yorker stop in their tracks.

‘STATIONARY FIGURES,’ WILLIAM WEGMAN 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue

Among the more irreverent subway art oﬀerings can be

found at the 23rd Street F/M, part of the station’s recent modernizing renovations. Fans of Wegman will recognize the nearly dozen glass mosaic portraits as his work; Weimaraners are his famed photography subjects. In some of the intricate, vibrant portraits, the expressive dogs could pass as regular commuters, sporting raincoats and ﬂannels.

A piece in the NewYork Historical Society’s John James Audubon collection. Photo: New-York Historical Society

IT’S TIME FOR CORPORATE GREED TO STOP JEOPARDIZING THE FUTURE OF NY’S MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS I want to share a secret with you. Something you’ll never hear on cable news or in the halls of Congress: Tax cuts are government spending. I know, I was shocked when I read it too. For decades the Republican Party has told us tax cuts to corporations and the top tax brackets pay for themselves. The idea is if a giant corporation has more money on hand they will hire more people and give raises to their workers. Rich people, we’re told, will create jobs if they give less of their fortune to the government. It’ll “trickle down” to the rest of us. But we already know what actually happens when the Republicans cut taxes. The wealthy have more money, corporations buy back stock, repatriate cash from tax havens, outsource jobs, and give massive payouts to shareholders. Meanwhile, our infrastructure, healthcare, and public schools are left to rot. And we have teachers buying school supplies with their own wages because all our money goes to support corporations and the investment class. We should all be horrified and embarrassed by this. Thankfully the Republican Party isn’t in control of the House anymore. If trickle down propagator, former Speaker Paul Ryan had his way, we’d be back in a

medieval feudal system where the poor toil daily to support the monarchs and “landed gentry”. The truth is that a series of detailed studies by the organization, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), show that the biggest and most profitable corporations have, as a group, been able to shelter nearly half of their profits from taxation. Not only were these latest tax cuts a lie, (many middle class and working people got a tax hike for example), what was cut was money for schools. Remember, tax cuts are another term for government spending, the Republicans chose corporate welfare over child welfare. The money they gleefully handed over to billionaires is money we’re not spending on public education; not spending on minority or immigrant children or those with special needs; not spending on training for the jobs of today—let alone the jobs of tomorrow. Right now we underfund our schools and then chastise teachers for not doing more with less. We’re setting up our teachers, schools and future for failure. Equal rights and equal opportunity start with equal education. “The excellence gap, the disparity in achievement levels between low-income and higher-income

children with equal abilities, appears in elementary school and continues as students move through middle school, high school, college and beyond,” said Crystal Bonds president of CLASS Coalition, an organization dedicated to closing that gap in opportunity for all students. What I learned in school is the vital importance of sharing, especially with those less fortunate than I. I learned about a country that valued upward mobility and hard work and not solely people whose money works for them. I learned about generosity. Leadership in its best form is generosity, as the saying goes. It’s time to start demanding corporations support the communities they will depend on for future employees and in strong, collaborative leadership both in our community structures as well as across schools.

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BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY SPOT

KIDS BEST PLAYGROUND HIPPO PLAYGROUND

West 91st Street and Riverside Drive As the name implies, hippos are the signature feature of this Riverside Park playground, which has been delighting NYC kids with its statues for more than 25 years. Beyond the unique art, the playground features swings with safety surfacing, slides, a spray shower, sand pit and picnic tables. When it snows, the hill on the east side of the playground becomes a sledding hotspot. The site is also home to such free family festivities as a summer concert series and Halloween Parade.

EAST 72ND STREET PLAYGROUND

East side of Central Park at 72nd Street

Bigger kids will get a kick out of the tire swings or bravely scale a granite-faced pyramid, net climber or wooden tree house in this Central Park play space. There are toddlergeared swings and slides for the little ones. Kids of all ages can get giddy in the water spray area, when the weather’s right, or get digging in the accessible sandboxes. There’s plenty

THE PAINT PLACE

243 West 72nd St. 212-799-0112 www.thepaintplaceny.com

of space to just run around, too, when a game of chase ensues.

The Paint Place may be known for its wine-paired classes for adults. But it’s also a pro at throwing parties for all ages. For the private event, you can choose from a selection of colorful paintings that an instructor will guide everyone in recreating step by step. You can bring in whatever food and sweets you want. And at the end of the 90-minute session, everyone has a painting to bring home.

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK

Base of Fifth Avenue between MacDougal Street and University Place While some may come to the park for its iconic arch or water fountain, for kids, the playgrounds are the main attraction. The park is home to three - one for toddlers on the northwest side; another for bigger tykes, complete with multiple slides, a spray shower and a sandpit, on the northeast side; and play hills and an obstacle course in the southwest corner for adventurous kids.

BEST HAIRCUT

KIDVILLE UPPER WEST SIDE 205 West 88th St. 212-362-7792 www.kidville.com

The Upper West Side playspace has a kid-centric salon for members and non-members alike. Little ones can take the wheel of a truck or airplane in one of the salon’s themed chairs and get distracted with a g game,, video or toy. Packages are available to shave a little off ff each cut. Just need a bang trim? You can easily schedule that. First haircuts are made special with a certificate, hair clippings and a little something for the tot.

COOLMESS

137 East 62nd St. 212-355-9834 www.coolmess.com Kids can make their very own ice cream at a CoolMess party. Photo: CoolMess

COZY’S CUTS FOR KIDS

1416 Second Ave. 212-585-2699 www.cozyscutsforkids.com

The pioneering Upper East Side children’s hair salon, now celebrating 25 years, pulls out all the stops for baby’s ﬁrst haircut - balloons, bubbles, lollipops, a free toy and more. Kids will also have a blast in the car chair at each cut. Beyond haircuts, the salon does ear piercings and styles braids for special occasions on your little g girl’s or tween’s calendar. Its celebrity parent clientele includes Drew Barrymore and Cindy Crawford.

DOODLE DOO’S

11 Christopher St. 212-627-3667 www.doodledoos.com

Cozy’s Cuts for Kids has been styling NYC kids for 25 years. Photo: Cozy’s Cuts for Kids

This friendly Greenwich Village salon, which also has a NoMad outpost,

has been cutting kids’ hair since 2005. The taxi chair is a fun touch and perfect Instagram moment. Kill two birds with one stone and pick up a gift or two in the salon’s boutique for any upcoming parties. Adding to the local family community oﬀerings, the salon also hosts a story time with L•M•N•O•Play!.

BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT 5 NAPKIN BURGER

2315 Broadway 212-333-4488 www.5napkinburger.com The NYC chain, with a location on the Upper West Side, has all the family ﬁxings changing table in the bathroom, high chairs and booster seats and a kid’s menu. Children 12 and under can choose from a burger (of course), grilled cheese, hot dog and more, with a side of fries or veggie sticks. If you make it your family go-to, you can join

the loyalty program for perks like a free side dish.

THIRD AVENUE ALE HOUSE

1644 Third Ave. 646-559-9131 www.thirdavealehousenyc.com

Don’t let the name fool you this Upper East Side gastropub is a go-to for local parents and their brood. Familyfriendly features include a welcoming staff, kid’s menu with favorites like grilled cheese and chicken fingers, changing tables, high chairs and booster seats. If you’re eating early (which you likely are with kids), get $2 off drinks during the weekday happy hour from 4-7 p.m.

BUBBY’S HIGH LINE 73 Gansevoort St. 212-219-0666 www.bubbys.com

The Meatpacking District location of the popular comfort food spot has two things going for it over the Tribeca original: its proximity to the High Line (perfect for a pre- or post-stroll meal), and the onsite Ample Hills Creamery (add its ice cream to your pie or get on your way out). Otherwise you can expect the same Bubby’s family accommodations, from a kid’s menu (the mac ’n’ cheese is a hit) to crayons to its signature stroller parking.

The Upper East Side dessert destination - founded by a mom of three - oﬀers the ultimate sweet time for birthday boys and girls, from making their own ice cream to “candy sprees.” For allergy concerns, the base for the ice cream is gluten-, egg- and nut-free, and dairy-free sorbet is also available. Book your party in a private space or on the ﬂoor with the venue’s dedicated party planner, and send out Coolmess-branded Paperless Post invitations.

DOWNTOWN DANCE FACTORY

291 Broadway 212-962-1800 www.downtowndancefactory.com The Tribeca dance center knows how to throw a birthday party, from decorating the space with balloons to providing dance-themed goody bags. Parents just need to bring the food and drink and sit back and let Downtown Dance Factory handle the rest. Celebrate third birthdays and up, with classes in ballet, jazz, hip-hop and more. Themed games like princess and superhero are also on oﬀer.

BEST SHOE STORE HARRY’S SHOES FOR KIDS

2315 Broadway 855-642-7797 www.harrys-shoes.com Just a block away from the iconic Harry’s Shoes is its kidcentric shop. The Upper West Side staple’s children’s store is devoted to ﬁnding the right shoe in the right size for your

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Have a themed party at Downtown Dance Factory. Photo: Downtown Dance Factory

little one. Its vast selection offers a variety of name brands in styles for all occasions, from play to parties. In a cute touch, families get a balloon with their purchase.

LITTLE ERIC SHOES

1118 Madison Ave. 212-717-1513 www.instagram.com/littleericshoes_ Families have been visiting the Upper East Side shoe store for more than three decades. It’ll cost you a pretty penny for one of its handmade, Italian pairs, but parents come back for the high-quality shoes, classic designs and helpful service. Best-sellers like booties, available in a variety of colors and styles, are time-tested favorites.

JACADI

106 Reade St. 212-267-2517 www.jacadi.us The designer children’s brand has several locations in the city, including this Tribeca boutique. It specializes in classic shoes - your Mary Janes,

crafts, performances, workshops and more tied to Asian holidays, such as Diwali and the Lunar New Year. In general, those under 16 get free admission, further making it family-friendly.

booties, moccasins, t-strap booties and ballerina slippers - with a stylish ﬂair, like colorblocking and faux-fur linings. Shoes are specially designed to meet little ones where they are, from pre-walkers to walkers (12-24 months) to kids ages 2 and up. Watch out for sales, where shoes are up to half oﬀ.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS 103 Charlton St. 212-274-0986 www.cmany.org

BEST KID-FRIENDLY MUSEUM

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 200 Central Park West 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org

It’s no secret, this Upper West Side museum is a city institution and a favorite for families near and far. From the Butterﬂy Conservatory to marvels like the Titanosaur and blue whale, there are highlights to discover for the ﬁrst time, or return to on repeat visits. The museum, which this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary, continues to update and renovate to

Kids can view art, as well as make their own, at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. Photo: Children’s Museum of the Arts better inform and engage visitors of all ages. Its pay-whatyou-wish admission also makes it easy to stay as long or as short as little ones’ attention spans can muster.

ASIA SOCIETY

725 Park Ave. 212-288-6400 www.asiasociety.org This museum has locations

across the globe, including in New York City on the Upper East Side. The educational institute encourages people of all ages to come in through family days stocked with

This Hudson Square museum oﬀers plenty of handson, creative play, including its popular Clay Bar. There’s something for visitors as young as 10 months, up to 15 years old, in disciplines like drawing, painting, photography, animation and songwriting. The museum’s summer Saturday Family Studios series oﬀers a space for the whole family to learn and create together. With a mission of making the arts accessible to all children, admission is free during general public hours for children with a disability and their caregiver, and workshops are universally accessible.

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PETS BEST DOG RUN 72ND STREET DOG RUN

West 72nd Street and Riverside Drive www.dogrun72.org One of ﬁve dog runs located throughout Riverside Park on the Upper West Side, the one at 72nd Street stands out for its neighborhood feel, regular upkeep, loads of seating and shade and separate large and small dog sections. The volunteer-run Riverside Park Dog Owner’s Group helps maintain and advocate for all the park’s dog runs.

EAST RIVER ESPLANADE DOG RUN

East 63rd Street at the East River

This Upper East Side dog run in Andrew Haswell Green Park boasts great views of the East River and Queensboro Bridge, has separate small and large dog runs, a hose to rinse oﬀ your pooch and lots of seating for owners to watch their dog and enjoy the scenery. It’s also well-maintained, which is key for any dog run.

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK

Base of Fifth Avenue between MacDougal Street and University Place www.wspdogrun.org The community is strong at this dog run, which has a weekly newsletter and a fundraising calendar that features dog run regulars. As for the dog runs themselves, there are two separate ones for large and small dogs, both with plenty of shade and seating for owners and room to run for Fido.

BEST PET STORE PET CENTRAL

235 West 76th St. 212-712-1707 www.petcentralnyc.com This Pet Central location has won over pet owners with its friendly and knowledgeable service, wide selection of cat and dog food (especially organic and grain-free options), competitive prices and free same-day delivery in Manhattan. If it isn’t on the shelves, the store will gladly order it for you. Regulars are prone to

Animal Haven has abandoned cats, as well as dogs, up for adoption. Photo: Animalhaven. org stop in for a treat with their pooch and say hello.

FURRY PAWS

restroom for a dedicated wall.

BARKING DOG

1705 Third Ave. 212-828-5308

1678 Third Ave. 212-831-1800 www.barkingdog94.com

Whether you’re in search of specialty food for your fourlegged friend, or need some last-minute accessories, Furry Paws can help you out. It’s the type of place where you and your pet can quickly become regulars. The independent pet store oﬀers free delivery, so you don’t have to lug large dog food bags all the way home.

The theme at this Upper East Side staple is canine, from the name (of course) to its signature outdoor water fountain for dogs. Grab a seat on the patio to dine with your pooch. Dog owners like the happy hour deal and getting the chance to dine with their fur baby in a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere.

ZOOMIES

THE WILSON

434 Hudson St. 212-462-4480 www.zoomiesnyc.com Treat your pet at this West Village boutique. It’s stocked with artisanal goods like Bocce’s Bakery’s all-natural dog biscuits, crochet toys, fashionable carriers and luxurious beds (there’s even a pet tent). Zoomies also has its own line of biscuits and grooming products, including organic shampoo and stain and odor remover.

BEST DOG-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS FRED’S

476 Amsterdam Ave. 212-579-3076 www.fredsnyc.com The walls of the Upper West Side bistro are all about dog appreciation, with framed pictures of man’s best friend all over (many of which are local). When you bring your pooch IRL to dine al fresco, the attentive staﬀ makes sure the guest of honor is accommodated and has water. Cats aren’t forgotten, either - you’ll just have to head to the

132 West 27th St. 212-529-2671 www.thewilsonnyc.com You know a place is dogfriendly when it has its own, designated dog menu. The Chelsea restaurant launched said menu to much fanfare this past spring. Dishes resemble something you’d ﬁnd on the “people” menu and include a 16-oz. grilled ribeye steak, pan-roasted salmon and grilled chicken breast.

Ciao Bow Wow’s airy space in the Financial District. Photo: Ciao Bow Wow

BEST RESCUE NEIGHBORHOOD CATS 2472 Broadway 212-662-5761 www.neighborhoodcats.org

Feral cats are the focus of this pioneering and inﬂuential Upper West Side rescue. The organization lays claim to in-

PupCulture offers grooming, among other services for your pet. Photo: PupCulture

venting and popularizing mass trapping, in which whole colonies of feral cats are trapped, spayed or neutered and then returned. It also has co-designed equipment, such as a trap that aids in getting hard-to-catch felines. That’s all in an eﬀort to reduce intake and euthanasia rates at local shelters.

ASPCA ADOPTION CENTER

424 East 92nd St. 212-876-7700 ext. 4120 www.aspca.org

The ASPCA is one of the biggest names in animal rescue. Its Upper East Side adoption center has dogs and cats ready to go home. It also travels throughout the city for mobile adoption and low-cost spay and neutering services. Need medical treatment? The onsite animal hospital provides urgent care to pet owners on a limited income.

ANIMAL HAVEN

200 Centre St. 212-274-8511 www.animalhaven.org The Lower Manhattan animal shelter has been helping abandoned cats and dogs since 1967, working to assist pet owners and prevent pet relinquishment. It is home to Helping Pets and People in Crisis, which assists those at risk of losing their pets, while its Pet Assistance and Resource Center provides support and education on pet ownership in at-risk communities. Of course, it also connects cats and dogs with new owners, with comprehensive bios on its website.

BEST DAYCARE PLAYGROUND PUPS

664 Amsterdam Ave. 212-362-5221 www.playgroundpups.com Upper West Siders are fans

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of this dog destination, which oﬀers daily daycare, as well as boarding, grooming and training. On Saturdays, the space also hosts a free puppy playgroup, with sessions for small and large dog breeds. You can take care of all your dog’s needs in one spot, from grooming services during daycare to weekend playtime.

JOIN THE HOLIDAY FUN

CANINE RETREAT BY AKC

1105 First Ave. 212-317-1222 www.akccanineretreat.com The Upper East Side outpost is one of six NYC “retreats” run by the American Kennel Club. The East 60th Street location, as it’s known, boasts two large play spaces. For movement outside of the daycare, AKC’s walking and jogging services are available. Additionally, boarding, training and grooming are on oﬀer to meet all your pet’s needs.

CIAO BOW WOW

11 Maiden Lane, 2nd Floor 212-952-9300 www.ciaobowwowny.com Marking dogs’ birthdays is just one of the ways this FiDi daycare pays special attention to its charges. It keeps dogs on a routine, so they better adjust to the space, and provides accommodations like medication and as-needed bath free of charge. Grooming services are also available on-site, along with treats, clothing,

All spruced up at PupCulture. Photo: PupCulture toys and collars at its boutique - perfect if you’re in a pinch at pick-up.

BEST GROOMER SNOWBALL’S SALON 943 Columbus Ave. 212-666-4606 www.snowballsalon.com

The Manhattan Valley groomer is named after the owner’s dog. Customers ﬁnd the staﬀ treat their fur babies like one of their own. From shining coats to teeth brushing, your dog will look like a puppy again. After coming in once, clients tend to make it their go-to groomer, returning for years.

cmom.org #cmomnyc

Is this your right time?

DOGGY STYLEZ

356 East 87th St. 212-996-4000 www.doggystylezny.com

Regardless of market conditions, every day is the right day for someone to buy or sell a property. Life always has moves. Is this the right time for you?

Pet owners appreciate how easy it is to get an appointment, especially for last-minute emergency grooming situations. Walk-ins are welcome at the Upper East Side salon, too. Grooming services include your nail clippings and shaves, as well as anesthesiafree teeth scaling. They have a special way with dogs that are anxious about grooming.

compass.com

PUPCULTURE

521 Broome St. 212-925-2090 www.pupculture.com

At Ciao Bow Wow daycare. Photo: Ciao Bow Wow / Mitzy Solorzano

Drop off your pooch for the grooming services and treat them to a bath based on their breed, age and sensitivity. Beyond dog grooming, the Soho shop - which also has locations in Tribeca and Roosevelt Island - offers daycare, boarding and walking services. Plus find pet supplies like beds, treats, toys and carriers. With all that, it can become your one-stop shop for taking care of your little guy.

Jamie Heinlein

Matthew Pucker

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker jamie.heinlein@compass.com M: 646.337.8200

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker matthew.pucker@compass.com M: 917.981.1107

The Pucker Heinlein Team are real estate Brokers affiliated with compass. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws.

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WORKOUTS & WELLNESS

The Meditation Class specializes in vedic meditation. Photo: The Meditation Class

BEST HIIT WORKOUT FHITTING ROOM

584 Columbus Ave. 646-858-1658 www.fhittingroom.com This studio chain is devoted to HIIT (or high-intensity interval training). The small group classes are led by two instructors, for plenty of personal attention while you work through your kettlebell lifts and burpees. The Upper West Side location - Fhitting Room’s third in NYC - features two studios for its high-energy classes, along with amenities like individual shower rooms and high-end toiletries.

THE SWEATSHED

1109 Second Ave. 212-758-3434 www.sweatshed.com

Crunch’s East 59th Street location is just like the other locations of the gym chain, from

equipment to studio classes, save for the “Shed.” The space is stocked with battle ropes, rowers, TRX suspension training and more, with the classes open to members and nonmembers alike. The varied circuits in the small group sessions will make the 50 minutes ﬂy by while also making you, yes, sweat.

BARRY’S BOOTCAMP 135 West 20th St. 646-559-2721 www.barrysbootcamp.com

The studio chain has been devoted to HIIT for more than 20 years. Its first NYC location opened in Chelsea in 2011, also notable for Barry’s first Fuel Bar and use of the coveted Woodway treadmills. The studio has been busy ever since, bringing in New Yorkers for its calorie-blasting treadmill and floor workouts.

BEST MINDFULNESS DESTINATION THE MEDITATION CLASS 246 West 80th St., Studio 14 www.themeditationclass.com

Before taking a four-day course in meditation, prospective students sign up for a free phone consultation to see if the Upper West Side studio is a good ﬁt for them. Those who ultimately end up enrolling rave about Kelli Douglas’ approach and style in teaching them the practice of vedic meditation. Monthly group meditations and drop-in oﬃce hours help keep the community and practice strong.

PURE YOGA EAST

203 East 86th St. 212-360-1888 www.pureyoga.com

In addition to its barre and vinyasa classes, the Upper East Side outpost of the yoga

studio oﬀers a variety of meditation classes under its “Pure Mind” umbrella in dedicated meditation studios. That includes the fundamentals of diﬀerent techniques, breath work and yoga nidra (aka yogic sleep) - a state of deep relaxation that will calm even the most frazzled New Yorker.

THE SPRING MEDITATION

145 Sixth Ave., Studio 6E 646-397-8616 www.thespringmeditation.com Meditation novices, advanced practitioners and anyone in between can ﬁnd support and resources at this serene South Village studio. Vedic meditation is the focus of the courses, with workshops in subjects like chakra basics and ayurveda also on oﬀer. As part of its mission to make meditation accessible to all, students in need can volunteer to help cover course fees.

BEST SPA AND MASSAGE ETTIA HOLISTIC SPA 239 West 72nd St. 1-800-795-7109 www.ettia.com

This modest Upper West Side spa has been catering to busy New Yorkers for more than three decades. In fact, one of its packages is the “busy person package,” with a sea salt scrub, massage and facial all in just 90 minutes. Massages run the gamut from deep tissue and hot stone to sports and prenatal, to meet whatever your needs are.

L’APPARTEMENT CAUDALIE SPA

819 Madison Ave., 4th floor 212-265-3182 us.caudalie.com

Treat yourself at the French skincare brand’s ﬁrst freestanding spa. The line special-

izes in vinotherapy, a wellness practice that uses wine byproducts for its treatments, from facials to massages to body wraps. The charming Upper East Side spa is like a Parisian escape, thanks to details such as a Louis XVI-style ﬁreplace.

AIRE ANCIENT BATHS 88 Franklin St. 646-503-1910 www.beaire.com

From its stunning space (memorably featured in the ﬁrst “John Wick” ﬁlm) to its diverse bath treatments, the Tribeca spa makes for a memorable experience. Relaxation is the game here, with treatments designed to destress and detoxify, whether you’re going it alone, bringing a plus-one or grabbing the whole gang for a self-care session.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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Healthcare in Your Neighborhood Lighthouse Guild Health Center provides coordinated vision and healthcare. We have specialized programs to maximize your functional vision and we address underlying medical issues. We provide: • Vision rehabilitation services

•

Physical therapy

• Diabetes care and selfmanagement education • Primary care and specialty physians • Occupational therapy

•

Behavioral health services including individual and group therapy, day treatment and medication management

We are a Medicare and Medicaid provider and accept many insurance plans.

Located: 250 West 64th Street (bet. Amsterdam & West End Ave.)

Call us for an appointment 212-769-6313

lighthouseguild.org

@LighthouseGuild @LighthouseGld @LighthouseGuild

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

Barba bills itself as a men’s grooming boutique. Photo: Samuel Sulam

BEST DANCE FITNESS CLASSES STEPS ON BROADWAY 2121 Broadway 212-874-2410 www.stepsnyc.com

Dancers of all ages and levels can get moving at this Upper West Side dance center, founded in 1979. Ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and contemporary dance are just some of the genres taught. The range of classes caters to students just learning how to plie to the ClassPass set to professional dancers on Broadway.

AKT

244 East 84th St., 4th floor 212-858-0305 www.theakt.com

In recent years, the boutique studio has expanded its oﬀer-

ings to include sports-based exercises and recovery, but dance cardio is its bread and butter. Founder Anna Kaiser frequently crafts new combinations, so you won’t get bored even if you take four classes a week. And you’ll feel the burn even as you’re learning new choreography. Through franchising, the studio is opening across the country, but the Upper East Side is where it all began.

ENERGI

815 Broadway 917-297-6893 www.energi.life The Greenwich Village event space’s studio has assembled some of the top names in ﬁtness for its roster of classes. That includes dance-based offerings such as The Sculpt Society by Megan Roup; AK! Body and AK! Dance by

Amanda Kloots; Choreo Cardio by The Rickey Sisters; and Sweet Space by Kathryn Avery. Find a dance ﬁtness class almost any day of the week.

BEST MANICURE COLORVAT

223 West 79th St., Suite 2 646-661-5277 www.colorvat.com The year-old Upper West Side salon is all about customization. A consultation before the job will address any concerns customers have, such as peeling cuticles or brittle nails. The technician works to meet color and design preferences, and the application is meticulous. Feet also get love, with several treatments available to moisturize and smooth.

Nail salon Tenoverten has its own line of non-toxic nail polishes. Photo: Tenoverten

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

JINSOON HAND & FOOT SPA 421 East 73rd St. 212-249-9144 www.jinsoon.com

Celebrated nail artist Jin Soon Choi has developed such a following over the years in New York City that she’s opened four Manhattan nail salons, including on the Upper East Side, with treatments designed to revitalize your hands and feet. She’s also launched her own line of polish that is eco-friendly and free of harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, which you naturally will ﬁnd at the salon.

TENOVERTEN

Multiple locations www.tenoverten.com Healthy nails and skin are the goal of this nail salon, which has locations in Soho, the Financial District, Tribeca and Midtown. That means no gels and dips, and only the use of non-toxic nail polishes. To further its mission, it even has its own line of non-toxic polishes and nail-care products like rose oil and polish remover.

BEST MEN’S GROOMING REAMIR

Multiple locations www.reamir.com Fourth-generation barber Arthur Rubinoﬀ has four locations of his barber shop in Manhattan, including two

The Spirit|Westsider westsidespirit.com on the Upper West Side. Reamir also has its own line of natural men’s styling products, from shampoo and conditioner to shaving cream and aftershave. (Fun fact: Rubinoﬀ is founder of the Upper West Side’s NYC Barbershop Museum, complete with its own barbershop on site, too.)

QUALITY BARBERS 164 East 88th St. 646-450-7030 www.qualitybarbers.com

This upscale Upper East Side barber shop focuses on meticulous hair cuts, styling and shaves. Customers come back, even after they’ve moved out of the neighborhood, for the ﬁrst-name service and ease at booking appointments online or through an app. The vibe is often relaxing, too.

BARBA

235 West 19th St. 212-675-2010 www.barbamgb.com This “men’s grooming boutique” in Chelsea oﬀers both barbershop and salon services to meet a variety of selfcare needs. In addition to haircuts and shaves, customers can get facials, body wraps, microdermabrasion and more. Popular services include beard color and SombraMP (scalp micropigmentation). The shop is also behind Strands for Trans, an initiative to create a safe space for the trans community by highlighting trans-friendly barbershops and salons across the country.

Crunch focuses just on HIIT at The SweatShed. Photo: Lisa Haefner

Sign up for low or no-cost health insurance today! The annual Open Enrollment Period is from November 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020. GetCoveredNYC is the City of New York’s ofﬁcial health insurance outreach and enrollment program. Get free in-person assistance in your language to help you ﬁnd and sign up for the coverage that’s right for you!

Call 311 Text CoveredNYC to 877877 Visit nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC

Not eligible for insurance? NYC Care is available in the Bronx. Call 311.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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NEIGHBORHOOD STORES

gift shop, and you’ll likely get a “Where did you get that?” Unique jewelry unlike anything you’d find in fast fashion are just some of the artful items on offer. Best sellers include butterfly brooches, handmade porcelain cups and felt ornaments.

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK 1220 Fifth Ave. 917-492-3331 www.mcny.org

If a good embodies the spirit or iconography of the city, you can likely ﬁnd it in the museum’s sprawling gift shop. Think skyscraper salt and pepper shakers, pigeon pins, “cawfee” mugs and water tower kits. It’s the perfect spot to pick up something for the homesick New Yorker in your life - or add a touch of home to your walls, shelves or outﬁt.

MOMA DESIGN STORE 81 Spring St. 646-613-1367 www.store.moma.org

Warby Parker’s Upper East Side location is in a former pharmacy. Photo: Warby Parker

BEST GROCERY STORE ZABAR’S

2245 Broadway 212-787-2000 www.zabars.com There’s a reason this Upper West Side mainstay is synonymous the world over with quintessential New York City food. From high-quality deli meats to decadent sweets, it’s a go-to for regular grocery needs and makes special occasions extra special. Your kitchen wouldn’t be complete without one of its branded mugs, either.

GRACE’S MARKETPLACE

1299 Second Ave. 212-737-0600 www.gracesmarketplace.com

For more than 30 years, Grace’s has been serving up top breads, meats and cheeses to discerning Upper East Side shoppers. In recent years the store has expanded its oﬀerings, with a move to a bigger location adding a dining counter, espresso bar and more prepared foods. So you can shop, eat on the spot or pick up something to go all in one place.

Stock your pantry with products straight from Japan, shop fresh produce like yuzu and and pick up daily-made bento boxes.

BEST MUSEUM GIFT SHOP AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM 2 Lincoln Square 212-595-9533 www.folkartmuseum.org

Sport a necklace or pair of earrings from the museum’s

The MoMA Design Store’s stock is as carefully curated as the walls of the contemporary museum; products must meet a set of eight criteria to make it onto the shelves. Shop the selection of games, tech decor, jewelry, books, furniture and more at the museum’s bi-level Soho outpost.

BEST FLOWER SHOP PLANTSHED

209 West 96th St. 212-662-4400 www.plantshed.com

ship of this decades-old florist features several floors devoted to the cultivation of flowers and plants. There’s a giant pottery collection on one, and even a rooftop greenhouse to develop indoor and outdoor plants year round. The accommodating shop can help with any occasion, from events like weddings to anniversary arrangements to finding a new desk mate.

JEROME FLORISTS 1379 Madison Ave. 212-289-1677 www.jeromeflorists.com

The roots of this familyowned Upper East Side florist date back to 1929. It has a special interest in orchids, including mini, double and triple. The shop also offers arrangements for any occasion and caters to events like weddings. It has maintained relationships with customers for decades, who return for the fresh flowers and beautiful arrangements. Same-day delivery is available in Manhattan.

VENUS ET FLEUR

185 Greenwich St. 917-551-5666 www.venusetfleur.com These are the gifts that truly keep on giving. The downtown shop, located in Westﬁeld World Trade Center, crafts specially-preserved Ecuadorian roses that can last up to a whole year (with proper care). The shop is big on presentation, too, with the luxe, enduring roses displayed in your choice of a clear case or Parisian-style hat box.

The Upper West Side ﬂag-

SUNRISE MART 494 Broome St. 212-219-0033

Sunrise Mart has been bringing a taste of Japan to New York City for more than 30 years, with locations of the specialty market in Soho, as well as the East Village, Midtown and the owners’ year-old Japan Village in Brooklyn.

BUYING OR SELLING A COOP, CONDO, OR HOUSE? The Experience to Give You Exceptional Results. Est. 1997. Serving clients throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester County, and Long Island

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The American Folk Art Museum is a destination for ornaments. Photo: Christine Wise

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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Artful items on offer at the American Folk Art Museum gift shop include unique jewelry ﬁnds. Photo: Christine Wise

BEST CANDY STORE IT’SUGAR

1870 Broadway, unit B 646-395-7946 www.itsugar.com It’s all about the gag at this over-the-top chain, known for its novelty creations like giant candy (such as an actual kidsize Sour Patch Kid) and cultural references (there’s a take on “Saturday Night Live’s” “Schweddy Balls”). There’s also, of course, plenty of bulk candy to take by the bagful, available in pretty much any type of sweet you can think of.

THE SWEET SHOP NYC

404 East 73rd St. 212-960-8685 www.thesweetshopnyc.com

This Upper East Side spot draws lines for its homemade goodies like chocolate-covered marshmallows and caramel bites. More than 60 diﬀerent candies are available by the jarful, with trips to “Licorice Lane,” “Sour City” and “Gummy Town.” That’s not all - ﬂavors from OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Il Laboratorio del Gelato and more are also on the menu.

SOCKERBIT

89 Christopher St. 212-206-8170 www.sockerbit.com Licorice lovers will ﬁnd plenty of kindred spirits at this stark-white West Village candy store, which is chock full of Scandinavian sweets. The premium candy is free of high fructose corn syrup,

The Sweet Shop NYC carries a variety of classic candies. Photo: The Sweet Shop NYC

trans fats and GMOs. In addition to candy, you can shop a selection of Scandinavian decor, like patterned bowls to store your haul in.

BEST EYEWEAR ANNE & VALENTIN

248 Columbus Ave. 646-690-6600 www.anneetvalentin.com The French brand’s three Manhattan locations include the Upper West Side, where you can ﬁnd its bold, well-designed frames in striking shapes and colors. It also has a kid’s line, for the littlest tastemakers. The opticians are hands-on in helping you ﬁnd the perfect frame, and repairs can be done on-site if the need ever arises. Everything from the modern decor to the lighting is carefully considered to round out the shopping experience.

WARBY PARKER

1209 Lexington Ave. 646-757-2290 www.warbyparker.com There are Warby Parkers all over the city, but the Upper East Side location stands out for its charming details. Housed in a former drugstore, the shop retains those retro details, from the signage out front to using pneumatic tubes to move glasses between ﬂoors. There are two eye exam stations on site, if you need a new prescription, as well as books and reading nooks to peruse them in.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

MOSCOT

75 Ninth Ave. 646-380-2586 www.moscot.com Stylish New Yorkers have been sporting Moscot’s frames since 1915; today’s “Originals” collection even includes styles from as far back as the 1930s. Moscot’s four NYC locations include its newest outpost inside the Chelsea Market, stocked with its own eyewear and opticians. The shop has a wide selection of frame styles, with experts on hand to help you ﬁnd the best ﬁt for your mug.

BEST WINE SHOP AMSTERDAM WINE CO. 271 Amsterdam Ave. 212-201-1224 www.amsterdamwine.com

This modest shop packs a punch, with a well-curated selection oﬀering something for both wine novices and connoisseurs alike. Shoppers applaud the store’s reasonable prices (there’s an entire section devoted to wines $15 and under). Liquor seekers will also ﬁnd some craft spirits on hand, spotlighting the owners’ favorite whiskeys and gins.

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SHERRY-LEHMANN WINE & SPIRITS

505 Park Ave. 212-838-7500 www.sherry-lehmann.com This year the Upper East Side shop celebrates 85 years being in the wine and liquor business. Over that time, it’s grown its inventory to more than 6,000 items, with knowledgeable staff on hand to guide you through that dizzying selection. Fans of Bordeaux flock here, and it’s a go-to for Champagne. The shop regularly hosts public tastings; currently it’s in the midst of its 25 Days of Bubbly, introducing a different producer each day.

CHAMBERS STREET WINES

148 Chambers St. 212-227-1434 www.chambersstwines.com Natural wine may be all the rage as of late, but this Tribeca seller has been specializing in the stuﬀ since 2001. It’s an authority on wines the world over, and the staﬀ is always good for recommendations - so don’t be afraid to ask. Follow along on Instagram to see what’s new in stock.

Zabar’s is known the world over for its selection. Photo: Zabar’s

‘‘

Not for profit — community minded

Understanding the needs and providing a Jewish funeral from the only not-for-profit, community-owned and operated Jewish funeral chapel in New York City

’’

630 Amsterdam Avenue • New York, NY 10024 (212) 769-4400 • (800) 227-3974 www.plazajewish.org • www.plazapreplan.org Pre-need services are available

Serving the metropolitan New York area, Florida, and Israel 24 hours a day Arranging for funerals in all 50 states and Europe

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

BEST HARDWARE STORE GARTNER’S HARDWARE 162 West 72nd St. 212-873-1050 www.gartnershardware.com

Customers prefer Gartner’s over the big-box hardware store, thanks to its extensive inventory and friendly service. The full-service shop, which has been serving the Upper West Side for more than 60 years, also helps advise on home repair projects and offers AC installation, key cutting and equipment rentals, among other services.

RAINBOW ACE HARDWARE

1449 First Ave. 212-517-7500 www.acehardware.com

The sprawling Upper East Side store stocks more than just the typical hardware, electrical, paint and plumbing supplies and power tools. It’s a treasure trove of home organizers, toiletries, cookware, gifts, snacks and more goods. It’s open relatively late, too (10 p.m. on weekdays), which is helpful to apartment dwellers in a bind.

BARNEY’S HARDWARE 467 Sixth Ave. 212-675-3846

This West Village store may be tiny, but it has a solid selection that can accommodate even the most random request. Regulars appreciate the fair pricing and the knowledgeable and creative staﬀ. All this adds up to the hardware store being a resource for many a grateful resident and shop owner in the neighborhood.

BEST WALLPAPER JANOVIC

Multiple locations www.janovic.com Across 10 NYC locations, including two on the Upper West Side, Janovic specializes in paint, window treatments, upholstery and wall coverings. Its collection boasts hundreds of diﬀerent wallpapers and wall coverings in any number of patterns and textures from name brands such as Schumacher and Scalamandre.

FARROW & BALL

142 East 73rd St. 212-737-7400 www.farrow-ball.com Shop e-commerce brand One Kings Lane IRL in Soho. Photo: One Kings Lane

This British brand makes handcrafted wallpapers in

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019 rich, bold designs. Metallic prints are the most recent iteration on its wallpapers, made using recyclable paper and the company’s own paint. Wallpapers are also crafted to be stain-proof and wipeable, ensuring their durability. Customers can explore the brand’s oﬀerings at its Upper East Side showroom.

INNOVATIONS

150 Varick St. 212-807-6300 www.innovationsusa.com True to its name, Innovations has pioneered in its ﬁeld. It’s developed wall coverings made of cork, faux leathers, denim and more unique materials. Its natural woven wall coverings include unique textures like knotted abaca and crushed capiz shells. See what might work for your home project and tastes at its Hudson Square showroom.

BEST HOME DECOR THE SILL

448 Amsterdam Ave. 917-675-7236 www.thesill.com “Plants make people happy” is the motto of this plant pur-

The Spirit|Westsider westsidespirit.com veyor, with an outpost on the Upper West Side. Bring some happiness into your home with an item or several from its live collection - complete with charming pots and instructions on keeping them alive. Should your plant care skills be lacking, zero-maintenance fake and preserved plants are also available. Regular workshops like plant care 101 and Christmas tree decorating round out the education.

GRACIOUS HOME

1210 Third Ave. 212-517-6300 www.gracioushome.com Upper East Siders have been coming to Gracious Home for their home goods needs since 1963. Anything from table linens to LED lightbulbs can be perused at the shop. Pick up a decorative pillow or two to spruce up a living room, or go all in on new cabinets or ﬂooring in a home renovation at this well-stocked, all-accommodating store.

ROMAN AND WILLIAMS GUILD 53 Howard St. 212-852-9099

www.rwguild.com The Soho shop features high-end wares by the touted design ﬁrm Roman and Williams (like handmade butcher stools, iron candelabras and fur throws), while also spotlighting craft objects from global designers. Pick up some pastries at the on-site French cafe La Mercerie, or a bouquet from Emily Thompson Flowers while you’re there.

BEST LIGHTING FIXTURES ORIENTAL LAMP SHADE COMPANY 223 West 79th St. 646-846-9228 www.orientallampshade.com

New Yorkers have been outﬁtting their apartments with lamps from the Upper West Side shop for more than 80 years. Its services include crafting custom lampshades, repairing broken lamps and creating lamp mounts. Beyond lamps, a wide variety of wall and ceiling lights are also available.

Best Workout That Comes To You Mind Over Matter 212-865-9290 www.mindovermatternyc.com The Workout That Comes To You! Mind Over Matter Health & Fitness is an In-Home Fitness Service that provides certified professionals in Personal Training, Yoga & Pilates. We also focus on prenatal and postpartum fitness, Senior Fitness as well as outdoor workouts and various Mind-Body Disciplines. Whether in your home or outdoors, MOM trainers turn any space into your own private gym.

Best Real Estate Attorney Pamela G West, Attorney at Law Pamela G. West’’s law practice is devoted exclusively to the purchase and sale of cooperative and condominium apartments, houses and small commercial buildings. In addition Pamela handles all aspects of your transaction from the time your offer is accepted to the closing which includes contract negotiation, due diligence (Coops and Condos), review of loan documents, title report and attendance at closing. Pamela has closed over 1500 transactions. Your purchase or sale is handled directly by Pamela and not a paralegal or assistant. Contact Pamela G. West, Esq. 24/7 for a free consultation.

Best Jewish Funeral Chapel Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, Inc. 630 Amsterdam Ave; 212-769-4400 • plazajewish.org Established in 2001,Plaza Jewish Community Chapel is the only communally owned and operated Jewish Funeral Chapel in the NY Metro area. Dedicated to the belief that the process of grief is not a business proposition but rather an emotional, human passage to be treated with dignity and conscience. Plaza is governed by a board of directors compromised of clergy from all denominations, community leaders and executives of social service agencies. We take pride in giving back to the community in a variety of ways and provide educational programs as well as support to those working in end of life.

Best Community Center

Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center The Isaacs Center is an organization focusing on the needs of children, out-of-school and out-of-work youth, and aging New Yorkers, including our isolated, homebound elderly neighbors. Today, we are elevating the quality of life of our most vulnerable neighbors by strengthening and expanding programs that are innovative and inter-generational, leveraging our relationships with partners to maximize the impact of our work, and striving to create one Upper East Side where no neighbor is left behind. As a result, the Isaacs Center continues to fulfill its mission to support self-reliance and dignity “across generations.”

Best Senior Residence Carnegie East Carnegie East House provides enriched housing for older adults—combining the freedom of independent living with supportive customized services. The community has 97 spacious light-filled apartments—all are fully accessible and contain custom closet systems, oak flooring, emergency call systems and efficiency kitchens. Monthly rents include: all meals, 3.5 hours per week of personal care, weekly housekeeping and laundry, 24-hour concierge, nursing and social work support and a full program of compelling activities. The community is not for profit residence and licensed by the NYS Department of Health. Most importantly, it is home to an incredible body of residents.

Best Senior Living Inspīr Carnegie Hill, 1802 2nd Avenue – 646.978.9040 Leasing Gallery 1450 Lexington Avenue At Inspīr, we’re transforming senior living. And elevating every dimension of life. Our highly trained, caring staff is proud to provide world-class healthcare, locally sourced dining, and innovative wellness experiences. Residents are enabled to live more vital lives as they enjoy our fully appointed salon, fitness center, and a luxurious indoor pool. With a variety of care options, including Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Enhanced Care,* Inspīr Carnegie Hill supports many different needs. An elite clinical team, including some of the very best physicians on-site, and close proximity to world-renowned hospitals ensure residents of Inspīr Carnegie Hill receive exceptional care if and when needed. Plants at The Sill. Photo: The Sill

SPONSORED CONTENT

service and end results. Whether it’s a quick job or total reno, the ﬁrm has done it - including custom closets and built-ins - with projects including lofts, townhouses, new developments and condos.

Inside Gothic Cabinet Craft’s UWS location. Photo: Gothic Cabinet Craft

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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Farrow & Ball’s Upper East Side showroom. Photo: Farrow & Ball

CALIFORNIA CLOSETS 26 Varick St. 646-374-0053 www.californiaclosets.com

As the name implies, the chain, which has a showroom in Tribeca, just does closets. Its designers are experts on ﬁnding solutions for organization and storage and saving precious space. They will guide customers through key details ranging from materials to lighting to hardware.

BEST FURNITURE STORE GOTHIC CABINET CRAFT 2652 Broadway 212-678-4368 www.gothiccabinetcraft.com

The furniture company has

been a go-to for high-quality wood furniture since 1969. It crafts pieces in a variety of stainings and styles (from Shaker to mid-century modern) to suit a variety of tastes. It also does custom projects out of its NYC factory, for home items like entertainment wall units, radiator covers and shelving. The company has multiple locations in the city, including an Upper West Side showroom where you can do custom orders.

ETHAN ALLEN

1010 Third Ave. 212-888-2384 www.ethanallen.com The (free!) interior design expertise is where it’s at at the Upper East Side location of the furniture chain. Whether

getting a couch or rug or outﬁtting a whole apartment, the design center can point you in the right direction based on your taste and needs and make the process seamless.

ONE KINGS LANE

143 Spring St. 646-908-7000 www.onekingslane.com One of the e-commerce retailer’s three stores is in Soho, where you can shop its line of sectionals, coffee tables, dressers and more IRL, as well as find other brands and vintage pieces. With its Manhattan clientele in mind, the flagship offers small-space solutions. Need help? Make an appointment with a design consultant.

YOU JUST BLEW $10,000. Buzzed. Busted. Broke. Get caught, and you could be paying around $10,000 in fines, legal fees and increased insurance rates.

Buzzed driving is drunk driving. buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

Who Says Your Second Career Can’t be as Great as Your First?

You’ve had a successful run in your current career but, you’re more convinced than ever, it’s time for a change. Whether you’re considering a total professional pivot or you prefer to refine your skills to pursue a slightly different path, we have a non-degree credential or course for you. Convenient schedules and many online study options available. > COURSES – Open-enrollment, professionally focused classes that provide maximum flexibility to create a personalized educational experience. > CERTIFICATES – Open-enrollment credentials for those who wish to gain a broad-based understanding of a field as a career path or for career change.

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Attend an Information Session: Thursday, January 9, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Register Today: sps.nyu.edu/pathways/event14 Accounting • Applied Health • Arts • Building Design • Cities • Construction • Design • Educational Test Preparation • English as a Second Language and TESOL • Entrepreneurship • Film and TV • Finance • Fundraising • Global Affairs • Grantmaking • Hospitality/Restaurants Humanities • Language Proﬁciency Testing • Languages • Law • Leadership • Management • Marketing • Public Relations • Publishing Real Estate • Sports • Technology • Tourism • Translation and Interpreting • Writing and Communications New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2019 NYU School of Professional Studies.

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

LOCAL SHOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 UWS storefronts were vacant on average from winter 2017 to fall 2018. SOS founding member and president Beth Krieger said SOS recently counted 66 vacancies in the Broadway corridor, raising the vacancy rate to 20 percent. An SOS slideshow highlighted that the “industry standard for a ‘healthy’ retail vacancy rate is 5-10 percent.” Krieger summarized the main drivers of vacancies as regulatory hurdles, e-commerce, and high rents and property taxes. Scaffolding and goods rental services like Rent the Runway were also cited as vacancy drivers.

Retail Suffers as Services Do Well Regulatory hurdles create “an unfriendly retail environment,” Krieger said. Panelists shared her concern, discussing how the expense and length of bureaucratic processes such as updating a landmarked building, community board approvals, and city agency inspection and permitting procedures, make opening or improving businesses more challenging. Brewer was particularly concerned about the city slapping businesses with massive fines for minor infractions and suggested giving inspectors more discretion in doling out fines. Comptroller Stringer summarized findings in his September 2019 report that higher rents and property taxes, and competing with online shopping means retailers have had the most difficulty staying open. Comparatively, he said businesses that provide services like “doggy daycare” are doing well, because “Amazon hasn’t figured out how to get your dog home from a wash and mail it to you.” SOS co-founder Debbie Spero said in an interview that the shift to services is a natural response to easy, inexpensive online shopping. Amazon and other e-commerce sites may not be running mom-and-pop shops out of business. Spero has noticed that “e-commerce has hurt the big chains” more than independent shops. Assembly Member Rosenthal remarked: “now even Duane

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Tired of Hunting for The West Side Spirit? Subscribe today to Westsider Vacant storefronts were the topic at the crowded meeting on the Upper West Side. Photo: Nick Smith-Koblitz

Reades are leaving? That’s a real problem.”

grocery stores.

Legal and Taxation Strategies

The room erupted in applause when Senator Jackson discussed his vacancy tax bill and Assembly Member Rosenthal’s companion bill. Rosenthal explained the tax starts after a six-month vacancy and amounts to one percent of the assessed property value. She noted that Washington D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia have already passed similar bills. Rosenthal believes the reason most landlords keep storefronts vacant is to wait until they hit “the jackpot when a bank or a Home Depot would occupy the space.” Rosenthal dispelled the misconception that landlords receive tax write-offs for vacant storefronts, explaining vacant properties are assessed at lower values. City Council Member Rosenthal discussed her recently passed storefront tracker bill that requires the city to register all commercial storefronts, vacant or filled, and add them to a public database. This legislation will help the city better understand current vacancies and areas at risk. She also described the need for legislation to make property assessments transparent, because they often assess values too high and change them only after appeal. At the end of the meeting, Rosenthal made the crowd pinky swear to “shop local this year.” Brewer enthusiastically shouted, “I do!”

Senator Jackson took an impassioned stand in favor of the controversial Small Business Jobs Survival Act, urging audience members to push the City Council to pass it. The bill would help stabilize commercial rents by affording tenants the rights to renew longer leases and fairly negotiate the terms with their landlord. Brewer said it merits further discussion, but emphasized it affects all renters, not just small business owners. She stressed the need for renter negotiation rights, pointing out that even she cannot get some landlords on the phone. Other panelists suggesting researching oncestigmatized commercial rent control policies as well. In response to a question on how to preserve supermarkets on the UWS, which has seen several closures despite a high demand, Council Member Rosenthal described how the commercial rent tax contributes to low profit margins. She said the tax affects Manhattan retailers south of 96thstreet. It brings in nearly $1 billion for the city budget, but Rosenthal does not think Manhattan should be the city’s “ATM.” She wants to raise the minimum taxed rent to $1 million and increase the tax on rents starting at $10 million to maintain revenue neutrality and relieve the burden on owners paying lower rents. Brewer wants to eliminate the tax altogether for

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 3, 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. Hamilton Deli

1129 Amsterdam Ave Grade Pending (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Insufﬁcient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Mama’s Pizzeria

941 Amsterdam Ave

Tal Bagels

2446 Broadway

Grade Pending (36) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

At the Wild Bird Fund on the Upper West Side, birds receive treatment for a mix of injuries, from window strikes and other accidents.

FLYING THE FRIENDLIER SKIES NATURE

NYC set to require “birdfriendly” glass on new construction

344 Amsterdam Ave A

BY KAREN MATTHEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS

have

Juice Press @Equinox

Grade Pending (37) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

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Email us at news@strausnews.com

New York City lawmakers are poised to adopt legislation requiring “bird-friendly’’ glass on all new construction in an effort to cut down on the tens of thousands of birds who die flying into the city’s buildings every year. New York will be the largest city in the nation to require glass that is visible to birds if the measure passes. Several California cities including San Francisco and Oakland have adopted similar rules. Groups that monitor bird populations said they are thrilled at the prospect of the legislation’s adoption in New York City. “Long term this stands to have a significant impact on the birds that live in and are passing through our city,‘’ Chris Allieri, a board member of the Wild Bird Fund, said Saturday. “I think it will significantly reduce the number of window collisions for birds in newly constructed buildings.”

New York City Audubon estimates that 90,000 to 230,000 birds from hawks to hummingbirds are killed every year from flying into New York City buildings. The legislation proposed by Democratic City Council member Rafael Espinal would require that at least 90% of the exterior of the first 75 feet of all new buildings or major renovations be constructed with materials that are visible to birds, such as glass with a glazing or pattern. An example of a birdfriendly building is the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s west side, where glass imprinted with patterns that was installed during a 2015 renovation reduced bird deaths by 90%, according to NYC Audubon.

“Our Buildings Have Become a Death Trap” Ornithologist Susan Elbin, NYC Audubon’s director of conservation, said legislation mandating similar glass in other new buildings and major renovations will make a huge difference. “We think of this as the most broadreaching bird-friendly building policy in the country,‘’ Elbin said. The measure has wide sup-

port on the City Council and is expected to pass. “Unfortunately, our buildings have become a death trap for thousands of birds each year,“ said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “As a birdfriendly city, this bill will help protect our feathered friends and reduce the number of bird mortality due to collisions.’’ The Real Estate Board of New York expressed concerns earlier about issues including the availability of materials that would meet the requirements of the legislation, but an official with the group indicated Saturday that its issues had been addressed. “We thank the Council for addressing a number of concerns we had with the original version, and support a science-based approach to reducing bird deaths,“ said Basha Gerhards, the real estate group’s vice president of policy and planning. “We hope the Council will track over time the efficacy of these measures and monitor the commercial availability of these materials to optimize compliance and the goals of the bill.’’

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

TAKING THE CAKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS FOOD

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ART INSTRUCTION

BY MIN JI KOO

took pictures of the sculptures. (No - they will be on display until January, by which time they will be too old to eat.)

Baking Community Mansour says her holiday window project has allowed her to work with other local bakers, as she once did when she held the annual NY Cake Show on Pier 36. That competition for local cake artists ended in 2017, when Mansour was busy opening NY Cake’s two shops – one in Chelsea, and one in Yonkers. Bakers from all over the city and beyond created her window display: Ashley Holt from Sugar Monster in Brooklyn; Kate Sullivan from Cake Power in Chelsea; Jean Schapowal from Cakes with Character in Hicksville, LI.; Melissa Alt from her eponymous Teaneck, NJ, shop and Vanessa Greeley from hers in Warwick, NY.

HEBREW SCHOOL

LEARN DECORATIVE PAINTING

Ashley Holt, the owner of Sugar Monster, ﬁnishes her chocolate Statue of Liberty in NY Cake’s kitchen.

Bakers create edible versions of NYC landmarks for Christmas windows

There’s a new twist this year on the holiday window displays that are a New York City specialty: Edible versions of the city’s iconic landmarks are literally taking the cake. “New York City is known for Christmas window displays,” said Lisa Mansour, the co-owner of NY Cake, who a few months ago came up with the idea of decorating her Chelsea shop’s window with NY-themed confections. She texted some local baker friends: “What do you think if we did a cute little window?” They loved the idea. The shop window at 118 West 22nd St. is the result. Since last Monday’s snowy night, it has been filled with sweet New York symbols, among them the Statue of Liberty; the Chrysler building; and two characters, including the Nutcracker, from the New York City Ballet’s annual performance. “Are these really made of sweets? So cute!” said Rebecca Yoon, a law student who passed by the window on a recent morning. Could she buy one, she wondered as she

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Cake Power’s Sullivan, who created the 42-inch Chrysler building, echoes the thought. “We usually meet at baking competitions, but it’s really great to see each other to do this together for the community,” she said. Joan Cohen, an Upper East Side resident who is learning cake design at NY Cake, said she has had an incredible opportunity to see great bakers collaborating. “People definitely will not recognize that these are made of sweets,” she said. “This is edible art.” Mansour says she looks forward to New Yorkers’ reactions to the sculptures. “That’s what I love, watching people’s expressions, hearing people talking about our displays and saying “Oh, my god!” she said. “Do you want a small joy for the holiday? You should definitely come and see it!”

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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Business

METS FANS GET THEIR WISH – A NEW OWNER Pinstripe Pain

SPORTS

Will the future be brighter for the beleaguered franchise under the leadership of a hedge fund billionaire? BY JON FRIEDMAN

My pal Stu, who turns 64 on Dec. 13, couldn’t help but express mixed feelings when he heard the big news about the baseball team he has loved and (occasionally) dreaded since he was a little kid. He didn’t know what to think when the story broke, that the Wilpons were (finally) ending the fan base’s frustration by agreeing to sell the team to hedge fun magnate Steve Cohen. On the one hand, Stu was thrilled that the thrifty and haphazard rule of the Wilpons would be ending after decades. Then again, at the close of a

Will Mr. Met still be smiling in October 2020? Photo: Dave Winer via Flickr

spirited and lengthy texting session, he wrote to me: But knowing the Mets, they’ll still screw it up. Meet Major League Baseball’s most neurotic fan base. The Wilpons, who made their fortune as New York City real estate tycoons, have controlled the Mets since the 1980s – which was also the last time the Mets won the World Series (in 1986, to be exact).

By contrast, the New York Yankees won five championships from 1996 to 2009, including a remarkable run from 1996 to 1998. Mets fans watched in envy and horror as the Yankees took back the town from the K Corner of Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry’s majestic home runs and Keith Hernandez’s bluecollar work ethic and overall brilliance. Ever since Derek Jeter emerged as the fasciae of New York sports in 1996, the Yankees have all but owned the town. Maybe that will start to change. New owner Cohen must satisfy the fans by presenting a fresh kind of approach to baseball leadership. This billionaire will have to compete hard for free agents. He’ll have to embrace the sorts of analytics that Wall Street titans have used for decades. He has to

FAIRNESS FOR FEMALE CONSUMERS GENDER

A Manhattan community board is determined to stop unfair pricing practices known as “the pink tax” BY SARAH BEN-NUN

Women in New York City are often subjected to the so-called “Pink Tax,” the phenomenon where they pay more than men do - 7 percent overall - for identical or similar products. The Women and Families Committee at Community Board 8 on the Upper East Side is crusading to alert the public to this pervasive inequity. To date, there is no law against charging women more

this way. “There has to be either legislation, or a determined effort by the public to change these things,” said Alida Camp, chair of CB8. ‘From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer,’ a 2015 study from New York City’sDepartment of Consumer Affairs surveyed 794 products across five different industries and found that “In every industry, products for female consumers were more likely to cost more.” The researchers found that women pay an average of 13 percent more for personal care products than men. And seniors are no exception. According to the study, in 2015, RiteAid was charging

men $11.99 for 52 adult diapers, while women were paying the same amount for 13 fewer pads. The cost per diaper worked out to 23 cents for men and 30 cents for women. Four years later, an informal online search by Straus News found that, while RiteAid did change the price for adult diapers for both men and women, women are still paying more. While men pay $9.49 for 52 adult diapers, women pay $8.49 for 39 pads. So men pay an average of 18¢ per pad, while women pay an average of 21¢ per pad.

The Legislative Agenda On the law-making front, the Pink Tax Repeal Act, introduced in Congress in April,

make the team fan-friendly. Cohen has the burden of establishing his Mets at a time when the Yankees are riding high. And, with the cloud over the Houston Astros – accused widely of cheating to win – the Yankees have emerged as the favorite to win the 2020 World Series. The PR-conscious Yankees may now redouble their efforts to sign the most coveted free agent on the block, the great pitcher Gerrit Cole. That move would enable the Bronx team to fill its deepest on-field need – and re-establish their dominance over the Mets. Cole may wind up costing his next employer $30 million a year – huge risk for a pitcher, who pitches every fifth day and plays a position where players get hurt all the time.

would ban the practice of charging for goods and services based on gender. It is currently in the first stage of its legislative process, awaiting a committee consideration. State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright said she cosponsored a bill passed by the New York State Assembly this session to eliminate “charging more for goods of a substantially similar or like kind based on a person’s gender.” A State Senate version of the bill is currently in the Senate Rules Committee. In New York City, the pink tax is not yet illegal for goods, but it is it illegal for services, and it has been since 1998, when Mayor Rudolph Giuliani signed a bill into law prohibiting businesses from “basing prices purely on gender.” This

Holes to Fill, and Impatient Fans

But diehard Mets fans won’t be worried about Mr.. Cole. They care too much about their team’s holes – at catcher, in the bullpen, in centerfield and in the starting rotation. Tellingly, respected starting pitcher Zack Wheeler just bolted for the rival Philadelphia Phillies, who paid up to acquire Wheeler. Wheeler will play for Joe Girardi, the Phillies’ new manager. The Mets reportedly passed on Girardi, even though he has great street cred. Girardi led the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title and built a reputation as a demanding skipper and a master tactician. Mets fans are still bewildered and angry about missing out on Girardi (ExMet Carlos Beltran, who got the job, is well respected in baseball circles). Cohen will have pressure on also gave the Department of Consumer Affairs the power to issue violations to anyone engaged in gender-priced discrimination.

A Grassroots Effort CB8 set out to raise awareness and provide Upper East Siders with tools on how to avoid the pink tax, and ultimately, hopefully, eliminate it altogether. Camp emphasized that it was important for elected officials and others to inform the public about the issue now, during the holiday shopping season. “It’s worked before,” Camp said. The power, she explained, is in the hands of consumers. “You walk into a store, and you don’t buy something, and you don’t buy it, and you don’t buy it, and you don’t buy it – that tells the manufacturers that

him on day one. Mets fans will be impatient to see results and signs that his reign will be different than that of the muchmaligned Wilpons. (The New York Times’ Dec. 7 takedown told the story in unflinching fashion). If the Yankees do go on and reach the World Series in 2020, it will be another finger in the Mets’ eye, as the team continues to rebuild. The Mets have a lot of assets to boast about, based on their performances in 2019: the best pitcher in the sport in Jacob deGrom, the sensational rookie slugger Pete Alonso and infielder Jeff McNeil, a terrific hitter, as well as outfielder Michael Conforto, who has star potential. Now, it will be up to Steve Cohen to put the pieces together and make the fan base feel proud of their beloved, forsaken squad.

there’s something wrong with what they’re doing.” “This grassroots effort is what’s so important in New York City,” said Margaret Price, co-chair of CB8’s Women & Families Committee. CB8 has created a flyer, available on its website and circulating in the neighborhood, with tips to help women “quickly determine whether something is being simply targeted to women.” The tips include buying gender neutral products, complaining to store managers, posting to social media when a pink tax is discovered and supporting the ongoing legislation. Said Camp: “It’s an insidious burden, and a remnant and a symptom of inequality.”

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

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DECEMBER 12-18, 2019

A PASSION FOR POLITICS ELECTIONS

The UES has never elected a person of color to city, state or federal ofﬁce. Tricia Shimamura aims to change that. BY CECE KING Tricia Shimamura came to New York City to be the next Jane Addams and ended up the Second Vice Chair of Community Board 8 (CB8). Now, she’s running to represent the 5th City Council District. Shimamura has earned a reputation for defending the vulnerable, from working with marginalized youth to defending trees at risk of being cut down for construction. A new mother, Shimamura brings her core team, husband Dov Gibor and ﬁve-month-old son Teddy, to campaign events. Shimamura sat down with us over breakfast, team in tow, to talk about what motivates her and what drew her to public service.

How did your upbringing and family background inform your desire to work in public service? I grew up in a very low-income household, the oldest of three siblings. My mom moved to Reno, Nevada when she became a single parent. There was a small Christian school she wanted to send us to. From fourth to eighth grade, I would

Tricia Shimamura is running for the 5th City Council District.

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help my mom vacuum the classrooms and clean the bathrooms at night to aﬀord tuition. No one in my family had graduated from college, and my mom was determined we would. Throughout my childhood we relied on public beneﬁts, on pools, parks, libraries and on the SNAP program for food stamps. My Japanese grandparents were both interned in Wyoming at Heart Mountain. They still live in the same house they bought with reparation money. On my Puerto Rican side, my mother grew up in Brooklyn working at a T-shirt factory with her mother. They lived in NYCHA housing until my cousin was shot by the police. Neither side of my family ever understood my desire to be in government. Government was something that they feared. I saw the how communities of color, vulnerable communities, and low-income communities can feel so disconnected from the people who make decisions for them. I know what it means to feel secure in your citizenship and fear the police and the justice system. I know exactly what a quality education and safe housing can do to change your life. I can verify that public services are life-changing and how important it is to keep those services here.

How did your interest in public policy develop? My plan was never to run to office. The plan was always to become a social worker. When I got to New York I was placed in a school in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. I had some truly troubled kids who were involved in gangs or had parents who were incarcerated, kids who themselves had been involved in the juvenile justice system for years. I was amazed they were surviving and able to go to school even 30 percent of the time. I saw the Bloomberg Administration shut that school down. I saw a lot of kids suffering. I thought that as much as you can get done in a clinical, therapeutic setting, something needed to be done at the policy level. These kids were never going to be able to break the cycle of disenfranchisement when they faced a broken juvenile justice system, broken foster care system, and when SNAP benefits were being taken away. We talk about pipeline all the

YOUR 15 MINUTES

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Tricia Shimamura with husband Dov Gibor and son Teddy. Photos courtesy of Tricia Shimamura time. I saw the broken pipeline. That’s how I ended up becoming a social worker in Carolyn Maloney’s oﬃce. I wanted to work on policy, and she was looking for social worker to deal with all the constituent casework that was coming in from 9/11 ﬁrst responders needing services and not getting them. It wasn’t legislation, but it was handling people who fall through the cracks. A social worker advocates for their constituents, so that’s where I got my start.

How did you get involved with CB8? At Carolyn’s office, I was the liaison to community boards 4, 5, 6, and 8 at one point. By far Community Board 8 was my favorite, because they never agreed on anything. Nobody would ever let an issue go by. I loved that. I thought it was so great to see these community neighbors who felt so strongly about the potholes, development, small businesses and liquor licenses. In 2015, I became Director of Government Affairs at Columbia University. I knew that I would never be able to work in my own voice if I continued to work for Carolyn. At that point, I loved this community, and I had a lot to say. I joined the community board pretty much the day I resigned, first as a public member and then was appointed in the next cycle by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

Why did you join the Parks and Waterfront and Transportation Committees?

Have there been any roadblocks to your campaign? How do you respond to the naysayers?

Open space as always been important to me as someone who grew up all over the country. It renews a sense of humanity, it is essential for building strong families, is a beneﬁt everyone can enjoy, and it’s unfortunately something at risk of going away due to overdevelopment. Parks was easy to believe in. Bike lanes, vendors, construction. All of that falls under transportation and are critical to quality of life and accessibility.

Oh so many. We are more than a year and a half away from the election and I have been told by at least ten people to change my last name, that the Upper East Side will never elect a “Shimamura.” I’ve been told to adopt Dov’s last name instead or move out of the district, to East New York, if I want to run for office. Democrats have demanded to know my family planning and said I can’t show up with Teddy to events, because it will look bad for the campaign. I’ve been told to lose weight. It’s constant, but a friend told me early on to grow thick skin. Our community deserves strong leadership that can withstand the naysaying. Although I’ve been told that the Upper East Side won’t elect a JapaneseAmerican, I’ve never been told that my passion, that the ideas I’ve been producing, or that my qualifications and experience are not enough. Regardless of whether someone supports me, I’m going to fight for them and bring them to the table. And I love my last name. I’m very proud of my background.

How has running the campaign been? I am the only woman of color in the race, which is not surprising, considering the Upper East Side has never elected a person of color on the city, state, or federal level. I am the only mom in the race. I spent the majority of my pregnancy building my website myself. I really believe we need more moms in oﬃce, particularly in this neighborhood where we have so many educational concerns. Because I have a small, young family, they’re with me everywhere I go. It’s the only way that I can spend time with Teddy and Dov and be responsive to the community. And also, childcare is wildly expensive. I’ve had fundraisers in small businesses to highlight them, and because they know me. It’s very personal. I have committed to not taking any money from real estate or developers. I don’t think that this community deserves a voice that is tainted or pushed by anyone other than the families that live here.

This interview has been edited and excerpted.

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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.

SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

by Myles Mellor

CROSSWORD

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