Issuu

VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1

JUNE 18-JULY 1, 2015

A route to better rent deals Downtown BY D U SI CA SU E M A LE S E V IC hat does a rent stabilized building look like? If it’s in the Financial District, it could look like 37 Wall St. — a stately building that also houses Tiffany & Co. and is across from a Trump tower. Over five years ago, a housing court decision centered on 37 Wall St. could have opened the floodgates of rate-stabilized apartments in Lower Manhattan — instead a trickle happened. “That ruling had the potential of regulating about 5,000 apartments in the Financial District,” said Serge

Joseph, a lawyer with Himmelstein McConnell. “Since then, unfortunately, not much has happened.” Today, thousands of Downtown units — at least 3,400 — may still be eligible for stabilization but whether tenants take advantage is another matter. (Some buildings that are under the 421-g program are in the chart that accompanies the article.) In the 2009 case, Maverick Scott, a tenant at 37 Wall St., refused to pay his $4,920 rent due to the condition of his apartment, which he told Continued on page 12

Smaller tower, bigger uproar at the South Street Seaport B Y J O SH RO GE R S ou win some, you lose some, but when it comes to development plans at South Street Seaport, there’s always frustration. That was the overriding feeling at two Community Board 1 meetings this month to talk about recent action on a project that has stalled on and off for 18 months. The delays tend to be welcomed — but never by opposing sides at the same time. The news: The developer Howard Hughes Corp. is reducing the proposed size of its much-criticized 500-foot tower by a “significant,” unknown amount. And then on Tuesday, a city official gave little hope that the New Market Building — the 1939 Fulton Fish Market structure on the tower site — or its older landmark neighbor, the Tin Building, would be standing on their decaying pier much longer.

Demolition of the city-owned buildings’ non-back cooler areas — added later in the ‘50s — is expected to begin early in August and finish in September. At that point, engineers hired by the city’s Economic Development Corp. will “take a better look at the rest of the building and see what we have to do because this isn’t the end,” said the official, Rich Cote, senior vice president of asset management. “The piles are continuing to deteriorate. It’s just a matter of time. Mother Nature is gonna take its course.” Cote, the agency’s construction manager, acknowledged there were plans in April to demolish both vacant buildings. Crain’s reported in May about April’s demolition plans. City officials staunchly refused to confirm or deny the article’s accuracy until Cote’s Continued on page 6

Rendering by DBOX/Courtesy of BIG

The Bjarke Ingels Group’s design for 2 World Trade Center.

The new 2 W.T.C. BY JOSH ROGERS he plans of Rupert Murdoch and sons’ to move their film and media empire to Lower Manhattan is not yet a done deal, but the project’s high-profile architect last week released an eye-catching

video showing what the new 2 World Trade Center will look like. The news was mostly welcomed Downtown, particularly because Two is in danger of languishing undeveloped Continued on page 3

New design unveiled for 2 World Trade Center Continued from page 1

Downtown Express photos by Milo Hess

Park games

From extreme pogo to a pentathlon, Saturday’s inaugural Hudson River Park Games filled the Lower West Side waterfront park’s piers, waters and even its airspace, with a day of feel-good competition and games. Goldman Sachs won the coveted Hudson River Park Cup, taking first place among 20 New York com-

panies and community groups. Presented by Friends of Hudson River Park, the games were not only healthy competition, but a fundraiser (the games were payto-play) for the 5-mile-long park, which receives no government cash for its operations. The Olympic-style pentathlon was the day’s highlight, with teams clashing

in back-to-back gruelling games of beach volleyball, flag football and dodgeball, plus kayak races and a daunting obstacle course. Goldman Sachs ultimately prevailed by winning a tug-of-war contest. The delivery.com Games Village, at Pier 26 in Tribeca, was the event’s home base, also site of a beer garden.

The Tale of Two de Blasios MAYOR de BLASIO

LANDLORD de BLASIO

• “Rent is the number one expense for New Yorkers.”

• His tenants pay $100,000 in rent.

• Wants stricter Albany rent laws and a rent freeze that prevents landlords from paying the bills.

• He can cover his bills by raising his tenants’ rent.

A de Blasio rent freeze and his push for stricter Albany rent laws is not only one big contradiction, it will destroy affordable housing for the millions of New Yorkers who depend on it.

“I provide affordable housing for 5 families in Harlem.”

“I provide affordable housing for 6 families in Bay Ridge.”

“I provide affordable housing for 8 families in Park Slope.”

since it does not have the public subsidies that allowed construction of the three other towers on the site. Bjarke Ingels, the 40-year-old Danish architect who was dubbed the “whiz kid” by the New York Times architectural critic in 2013, proposes a skyscraper of seven stacked boxes in a stairway-like shape which will “frame the memorial.” He sees the box shape as akin to Tribeca’s historic warehouse buildings and Two as a bridge between Tribeca and the memorial. “From Tribeca, it will appear like a vertical village of singular buildings, each tailored to their individual activities, stacked on top of each other,” he says in dramatic tones on the video, which was first posted at Wired.com June 9. Ingels, who lives in Tribeca and works in FiDi, has designed a series of “hanging garden” terraces, which would overlook Church St. away from the 9/11 Memorial. The video shows open work/play spaces with amenities like a basketball court. Commenters on Facebook’s FiDi Fan Page, in general reacted favorably to the new design, although more than a few lamented the loss of architect Norman Foster’s design for 2 W.T.C. “I definitely preferred the exterior of the original design much more, but the interiors and the terrace are all pretty sweet,” wrote one poster. Luis Vazquez, the page’s creator, was excited by the news even though he also liked Foster’s renderings. Vazquez, a real estate broker and local resident, wrote in an email to Downtown Express that the expense of the video “makes it far more likely that it will happen. I am an eternal optimist, but this is not a cheap expense. And it clearly is a much better option for Fox than what they have now on 6th Ave. which is kind of sad.” Silverstein Properties, the building’s owner, and Fox have a non-binding agreement, but Silverstein put the new design on the firm’s web site the day it became public. Jessica Lappin, president of the Downtown Alliance, said she was “thrilled” to hear the news. ”A lease is never signed until a lease is signed but it’s certainly a good sign to have two parties, it seems, who are very interested

in working together,” she said in a phone interview. Ingels said on the “Charlie Rose” show last week that W.T.C. developer Larry Silverstein’s first reaction was that the plan was “disturbingly different. He needed some digestion time… “Silverstein has been working on this for like 14 years, of course we needed to make Larry want to build this building.” Ingels and his colleagues at the Bjarke Ingels Group or BIG, reached out to Silverstein’s architect David Childs, designer of 1 and 7 W.T.C. Ingels presented the plan to Childs and Silverstein at 7. According to Ingels, Childs said “I love it,” and that was the turning point. Ingels said that James Murdoch, Rupert’s son, was the driving force behind the planned move of 21st Century Fox and News Corp. from Midtown to the W.T.C. “The first thing James said to me is he didn’t want to build a tower,” Ingels told the Wired news site. A few days after the video was released, the Murdochs signaled that James would soon be taking over leadership of 21st Century Fox. They hope the building opens in 2020. This is not the first spalsh Ing has made Downtown. His firm’s Big U design to form a U-shaped ring of flood protection in southern Manhattan was selected by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

Photo by Steve Benisty/Courtesy of BIG

Architect Bjarke Ingels

Rendering by BIG

Diagram of the World Trade Center buildings surrounding the 9/11 Memorial.

Rendering by BIG

A cafe and terrace at 2 W.T.C.

June 18-July 1, 2015

DowntownExpress.com

June 18-July 1, 2015

Jeff Galloway, a C.B. 1 leader, admits to tax fraud PAINTING CAPER A thief — pretending to be a building super — got away with a contemporary piece of art worth anywhere between $19,000 and $32,000, police say. On Mon., May 15, at 9:30 a.m., a Fed Ex worker was delivering the painting to 321 Greenwich St. in Tribeca when someone claiming to be the building superintendent signed for the package, which contained the painting. The painting, titled “Calming Freshness,” by Harold Wong, was being delivered to a private owner in the building, who then reported the theft, police say. Wong created the piece in 2000 and it is ink and color on paper and inscribed and signed with six seals of the artist, police say. He is prominent in the art world, and in 2000, the New York Times raved about a Wong show with the now stolen art work. “Contemporary painting doesn’t get more spectacular than some of the work in this superb solo show by Harold Wong,” the paper wrote. Police had not publicized last month’s crime until Tuesday and are now hoping members of the public will help them

find the painting. People can call 800-577-TIPS, post their tips to nypdcrimestoppers.com or text them to 274637(crimes) then enter tip577.

SUBWAY ROBBERIES A tag team of thieves worked together to steal a man’s iPhone, expensive bracelet and Beats headphones on the train — getting away with $1,600 worth of stuff, police say. A 20-year-old male got on a downtown express 2 train at Times Square on Sat., June 13 at 8 a.m., police say. At the Park Place station, one suspect approached the Brooklyn man and stomped on his right foot — using that as a distraction to snatch the smartphone and headphones. His partner than grabbed the man’s bracelet, valued at $1,200, from his right wrist. Both fled. In a separate subway incident, a 53-year-old man from Amawalk in Westchester County, got bumped and jostled on a busy northbound 5 train on Thurs., June 11 at 6 p.m., police say. A thief got away with both the man’s MetroCard and Metro-North pass, worth $410 together.

Images of Harold Wong’s painting, “Calming Freshness,” which was stolen last month.

IPHONE VICTIM LURES THIEF TO COPS

$1,700 STOLEN FROM TOURIST

It is a case of adding insult to injury — someone steals your $800 iPhone and then tries to “sell” it back to you for $300. That is what happened to a 23-year-old Queens woman, who had left school and realized that her phone was gone when she checked her pocket in front of 401 Canal St. in Tribeca on Mon., June 1 at 12:30 p.m., police say. The suspect, 24, later told her on the phone to meet him at the corner of Broadway and Chambers St. with $300 to get her phone back. She contacted the police and the man was arrested.

On Fri., June 12, a woman, 31, visiting from Upstate New York put her book bag down at around 6:15 p.m. on a bench in Battery Park (recently renamed The Battery) to take photos — maybe of the Statue of Liberty — and walked away, police say. When she returned, the bag was gone — and so were various credit cards, her Columbian driver’s license and $1,700. She told police she is unsure if there have been any unauthorized usage on her cards.

GANG OF QUICK SHOPLIFTERS

TRIBECA HARDWARE

At B.P.C. meetings, Galloway stressed community — most recently as the Battery Park City Authority has opened up the permit process for the ballfields, which has put local leagues’ field time in jeopardy. The leagues have helped create a community by connecting neighbors and their children to one another, Galloway said at the committee’s March meeting. In the years after 9/11, Galloway was a leading voice on the community board on rebuilding efforts and took a particular interest in the memorial, writing a Downtown Express column in 2004 praising the selection

Jeff Galloway,

of the “Reflecting Absence” design. He also headed the neighborhood dog owners group and often spoke out on behalf of his neighbors at Gateway Plaza, the largest B.P.C. housing which was built as middle income housing. Catherine McVay Hughes, C.B.1’s chairperson, declined to comment. Galloway was a partner at Hughes Hubbard and Reed for over 33 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. A person at the firm said “Jeff Galloway’s office” when answering the phone June 5, but then said he was no longer working there.

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about the validity of the deductions, according to prosecutors. He did not return a call for comment. Galloway had been a C.B. 1 member for 12 years and was chairperson of the Planning Committee and a member of the Battery Park City Committee. Once a community board member is found guilty of felony, he or she is automatically removed. C.B. 1’s webpage no longer lists Galloway as a member and Michael Connolly is now listed as chairperson of the Planning Committee. It is unclear if and when Galloway will be replaced. A spokesperson from Manhattan Borough President Gale

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He then filed fraudulent tax returns with excessive deductions — “claiming the rent for all four of his residential apartments in Battery Park City and claiming monthly garage parking in Manhattan for two personal vehicles,” according to Vance’s office. Galloway continued to lie about his tax returns and made false statements

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It could be the quickest shoplifting heist in history — a team of 15 men stole $34,001 worth of clothing from a Tribeca store in under a minute. The 26-year-old male employee of Patron of the New at 151 Franklin St. told police that the men were in and out in around 20 seconds. The group entered the store on Thurs., June 4 at 12:30 p.m. and grabbed pricey jeans, leather pants, camisoles, socks and sweatpants and then fled both east and west on Franklin St. The employee told police that all the men looked about 20.

CABBIE ROBBED A cabbie picked up a fare in the Financial District and ended up getting robbed by his passenger. The taxi driver, 25, picked up a woman at the corner of Broadway and Cortlandt St. on Wed., June 3 at 4 p.m., police say. He allowed her to ride in the front seat with him on the way to her destination — the corner of Church and Fulton Sts. The Brooklyn man had his blue leather wallet inside a bag on the center console. After dropping her off, he noticed his wallet with $400, debit and credit cards was gone. He told police that he had an unauthorized charge on his debit card. No word on whether the thief tipped him.

BY DUSI CA SUE M ALESEVI C WI TH JOSH ROGERS Jeff Galloway, a longtime member of Community Board 1 and Battery Park City resident, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. announced Thurs, June 4. He pleaded guilty to criminal tax fraud in the third degree, which is a felony, and is expected to be sentenced on July 22. According to several media reports, he will have to pay $600,000 in taxes, serve three months in jail and resign from the bar. Galloway, 61, failed to file New York State personal income tax returns for five years, between 2005 and 2010, while earning close to $1 million dollars per year as a partner at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard and Reed, according to the plea and court documents. State Department of Taxation and Finance investigators approached Galloway in April 2012 about his failure to file. He claimed to investigators that he had indeed filed, but had entered the wrong Social Security number, according to prosecutors.

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1(855) 239-Care (2273) Ask for Ron June 18-July 1, 2015

Frustration grows over Seaport development SOUTH STREET SEAPORT

Continued from page 1

remarks Tuesday. “I considered both buildings to be in an emergency condition so I tried to get an emergency permit to do that [demolish the buildings],” he said. He said E.D.C. colleagues told him, “‘Rich, probably we need to take a step back.’ I was very reluctant to do that for safety reasons.” He said the current “compromise” plan to demolish only the cooler areas was agreed upon after consulting with city, state and federal environmental and preservation agencies. Preservation groups and C.B. 1 have long favored landmarking the New Market Building, and many saw the E.D.C. moves as a backdoor way of ending the debate about the building. That skepticism, which has been fueled over the years by the agency’s history of withholding information regarding the Seaport, was in evidence Tuesday night. Cote acknowledged that the E.D.C. decision to inject the pier piles with concrete protection in the late ‘90s has made it impossibly expensive to repair the pier now without taking down the buildings.

Divers would have to manually chip away the concrete around each wooden pile, he said. Paul Hovitz, a community board member, said the agency is not being held accountable for its mistakes. “So it’s been 20 years that the responsibility for those supports have been with the Economic Development Corp., so is it your position that because it would have been a mammoth project, it was better to just let them deteriorate to the point at which we need to rely on a private corporation, Howard Hughes, to come in and pay for what the city should have taken care of in the first place,” Hovitz said. Cote said the agency has been spending about a $1 million a year to stabilize the Tin and New Market, but it can’t spend much more given that they don’t generate revenue, and E.D.C. only has a tiny percentage of the money needed to protect about 65 miles of waterfront buildings. “There are billions of dollars of immediate repairs [needed] on those waterfront structures, [and] E.D.C. over a 10-year period, gets about $150 million in the budget to make those repairs,” he said. Although the Tin Building, which was

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THE SITE

PIER 17 NEW MARKET BUILDING

TIN BUILDING

Howard Hughes Corp. is currently building a new Pier 17 and hopes to develop PROJECT BOUNDARY the New Market and Tin buildings. HISTORIC DISTRICT BUILDINGS

badly damaged in a ’95 fire, is likely to be taken down, it was always in Hughes’ plans to dismantle and restore the building as best it could, so the E.D.C. announcement does not appear to change those plans, if the Hughes project ends up being approved.

SHORTER BUILDING As for the Seaport tower, things had been in limbo all of this year, as observers continue to wait for the Hughes Corp. to proceed with its landmarks application. On June 3, David Weinreb, Hughes C.E.O., sent Mayor Bill de Blasio a letter saying they were changing the design. A Hughes spokesperson said the decision to change was made shortly before the letter was sent. Weinreb was reacting to a May 20 letter signed by Board 1 as well as non-profit preservation groups like the New York Landmarks Conservancy and Historic District Council criticizing the city’s deference to Hughes. Last week, Chris Curry, the Hughes executive in charge of Seaport development, angered many C.B. 1 meeting attendees when he did not have any details about the revisions to come. “We didn’t completely satisfy the height issue,” Curry said of the 500foot tower plan being changed. “The height issue may never be completely satisfied to everyone’s satisfaction, but what I can tell you is we are looking at a significantly revised plan that I don’t even know what it looks like yet, so it’s not going to be shared.” There were sarcastic chuckles when he said “we have been nothing but transparent.” The reaction has clearly perplexed

Hughes executives, who are privately wondering why they’re getting pushback for conceding on the biggest sticking point, the building’s size. Curry said they have been trying to meet the guidelines of the Seaport Working Group, which was run by E.D.C. mediators, and was made up of local politicians, community leaders and Hughes. “Something that came up at the Seaport Working Group a lot was ‘let’s press pause, let’s just slow down,’” Curry said of last year’s discussions. “That’s what’s happened. That’s why we don’t have much happening…No one wants to move faster than I do.” In response, Roger Byrom, chairperson of C.B. 1’s Landmarks Committee, said “yes, whilst we did ask for a pause, that pause was a long, long, time ago.” Byrom said the historic buildings “are now exposed. We’re sitting here with all of this history, without a sense of how to move forward.” Later in a phone interview he said “it’s hard to judge” whether the smaller building will be a positive development until the plans are revealed. The leaders of the working group, Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmember Margaret Chin, did not attend either recent meeting, but both were more bullish about a new design. “H.H.C’s statement that they are ‘working on a significantly revised plan to address the height issue’ is welcome news,” the pair said in a statement June 4. “We look forward to seeing how well their revised proposal meets the Seaport Working Group guidelines and preserves and enhances the vibrancy and historical significance that the Seaport deserves.” DowntownExpress.com

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June 18-July 1, 2015

Beloved U.P.S. driver honored on Beekman St. B Y DUSICA SU E M A L E SE V IC Lower Manhattan residents gathered Monday in front of the Frank Gehry building to remember and honor Mike Rogalle, a beloved U.P.S. worker who was fatally struck by a car three years ago. Over 80 residents from 140 and 145 Nassau St. donated money for a tree to pay homage to Rogalle, who spent decades on his Nassau St. route — and became a part of the community. “Mike was no ordinary U.P.S. guy,” said Diane Rohan, a resident who organized the tree planting and the ceremony. “The best way to remember him and let his family know how much we loved him was to plant a tree.” In April 2012, Rogalle, 58, was critically injured when a S.U.V. hit him on Beekman St. and died five days later on April 22. Safety concerns on the street were heightened once again as a recent hit and run crash badly injured a mother who was on her way to work at Lower Manhattan Hospital. Wanting to honor Rogalle, Rohan and others raised money in 2013 for a tree. It took two years to coordinate

with the city Parks Dept. to make it happen. The first place for the tree was at 15 Beekman St. — in front of which the incident took place — but it was not viable due to a hollow sidewalk. Rohan found a spot at the plaza in front of 8 Spruce St. “I’m really appreciative of this Downtown community,” Chelsea Rogalle, his daughter, told Downtown Express after the ceremony. “I can tell the community misses him as much as we do.” Around 25 people came for the plaque’s unveiling at the base of the tree and shared memories of Rogalle before, during and afterwards — raising a glass to him across the street at Downtown Express photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic Beekman Pub. “He always had an extra minute Chelsea Rogalle spoke at the tree dedication for her father, Mike, a beloved U.P.S or two,” said Alan Steinberg, who worker who was fatally struck by a car three years ago. knew Rogalle for more than 30 years. “This is what a community is sup“What happened to him was absolutely Nassau St. for 15 years. “Each of us had their own unique posed to be,” said Lipski with tears tragic.” Fern Cunningham, a new relationship with him,” said Barbara in her eyes. “Mike was a part of our community.” Community Board 1 member, said that Lipski. Dwight Hamilton has been a U.P.S. Lipski, who lived at 140 Nassau she “can’t get over” what happened to St. for 20 years and now lives in Penn worker for 29 years — and knew Rogalle. “He was just the best,” said South in Chelsea, spearheaded the fundraising drive. Cunningham, who has lived at 140T:8.75” Continued on page 9

Downtown Express photos by Dusica Sue Malesevic and photo of Mike Rogalle courtesy of Diane Rohan.

Many gathered to honor Mike Rogalle, below in his uniform.

Continued from page 8

Rogalle for almost as long. Hamilton’s route was near Rogalle’s and he saw

him every morning. “It’s tremendous,” Hamilton said. “To have this here, it will remind of us Mike for a very long time.”

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June 18-July 1, 2015

A tale of two dances: Students challenge Dickens’ claim

June 18-July 1, 2015

BY M I A RUPANI For one night only, the museums of Lower Manhattan are opening their doors to the public for free to offer guests an evening surrounded by art, artifacts and interactive design. On June 23 from 4 to 8 p.m., visitors can visit 15 museums and historical sights all within walking distance of each other as part of the River to River Festival’s Night at the Museums event. A few of the participating muse-

ums include the Museum of American Finance, the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum, the Poets House and the Skyscraper Museum. As the current producer of the River to River Festival, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council strives to create dance, music and art events in areas Downtown like parks, historic landmarks and along the waterfront. Some of the museums will offer interactive experiences for guests.

Historical musician Linda Russell will be performing at the Fraunces Tavern Museum as instructors from the Tricorne Dance Ensemble teach visitors popular dances from the Colonial Era. As part of this event, museumgoers can also receive 25 percent off their bill at participating restaurants in Lower Manhattan by mentioning River To River. A few of these establishments include Watermark Bar, Industry Kitchen and Merchants

River House. Discounts are available until the end of the festival on June 28. For those who may not be able to attend Night at the Museums, other events will be happening daily as part of River to River, which include a number of musical and dance performances. For a full list of events happening throughout the week, visit the L.M.C.C’s website at lmcc.net/ event/night-at-the-museums-2.

Ooh la la, French bakery & a jazz club coming to Tribeca Downtown Express photo by Mia Rupani

Eighth grade students at Manhattan Academy of Technology put together this chart challenging the conventional wisdom that tap dancing originated in Lower Manhattan’s Five Points. The claim’s origin is believed to be the writings of Charles Dickens.

Maison Kayser, a French bakery, restaurant, and is expected to open will open its seventh location in in mid-July. In addition to buttery croisManhattan at 355 Greenwich St. sants, the Tribeca Grand Hotel is in Tribeca. The bakery, which was started repurposing its cellar into a jazz by Eric Kayser in Paris in 1996, lounge. T he hotel’s management according to its website, will serve told Community Board 1’s Tribeca freshly baked bread and other Committee on Wed., June 10 that French pastry goodies as well as they will put a bar and seats in to coffee. Maison is opening in the create a lounge in the style of an Downtown Exp May A 2015:Layout 1 5/20/15 12:51 PM Page 1 former spot of the Harrison, a old Parisian jazz club.

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Five Points

e St.

Market Book,’” Luke said. “When we looked more into him, we found that he was a historian and butcher who wrote about tap dancing.” Through their research, the students believe they may have found enough proof to back their claim that tap dancing started at the former Catherine Market, which was down the street from the school between Cherry St. and Water St. near Catherine Slip (the site today is a small park). De Voe dedicates a chapter in his book to this particular market, describing a dance that African slaves performed there in the 1820s, roughly 20 years before Master Juba. The article the student’s reference in The Sun’s Rays is titled “Where tap dancing had its start here, Catherine Street, now gray, once bright and the main thoroughfare of big business” and is dated Jan. 9, 1932. “Thus, we find Catherine street virtually paved with stories, among them being this quaint one of how tap dancing began in New York,” the article states. The article describes Catherine Market and the dances that slaves often performed there. It also mentions De Voe and The Market Book, and quotes him directly in the piece. Guerriero, Piccigallo and the students have made multiple attempts to get their research noticed, but currently, they are awaiting a response. “We will continue with this claim until we get some other feedback… We’re trying to get some notoriety for this,” said Piccigallo. Thomas F. Defrantz, a professor of African and African American studies at Duke University, considered the student’s claim after being contacted by Downtown Express. In an email, he wrote that it would be hard to pinpoint an exact place of origin. “I think a tussle between Five Points or Catherine Street matters little; if the students can date an actual showcase or competition for tap on Catherine Street, how great is that,” Defrantz wrote. While one group of students continue to research tap, the rest of the class have chosen other project topics, such as food, photography and urban sports. “Everything is supposed to take on the aspect of local history,” Piccigallo said. “So through the

n Catheri

BY M I A RU PA N I Luke, an eighth grade student at Manhattan Academy of Technology has been taking tap dancing lessons for the past eight years. As a dancer, he was taught that tap dance originated in the old Five Points neighborhood near his school — a seemingly faceless claim that most regard as true. Now, through the school’s Lower East Side Young Historians program, Luke and fellow classmates have found multiple sources to back their claim that tap may have actually began just outside of Five Points on Catherine St., the same street as M.A.T. “Mr. Guerriero came to me with a newspaper article from The Sun’s Rays. He told me that he found a few sources that said tap dancing was created on Catherine St. instead the Five Points,” said Luke (the school requested students’ last names be withheld). The L.E.S. Young Historians program, created by middle school teachers Alfonso Guerriero and Chris Piccigallo, focuses on local history while still meeting common core social studies reading/writing standards. The program supplements the eighth-grade social studies curriculum that normally would not include learning about the history of the area where many of the students have grown up. According to some historians, the Five Points neighborhood in Manhattan, which was defined as being bound by Centre St. in the west, the Bowery in the east, Canal St. in the north and Park Row in the south is seen as the area where tap originated. For proof, historians often look to the writings of Charles Dickens, who visited Five Points in 1841. Dickens wrote about a new form of dance performed by an AfricanAmerican man named William Henry Lane, otherwise known as Master Juba, at the Pete Williams Dance hall in the Five Points. Dance students like Luke are often taught about tap and the Five Points origin in class — websites such as Wikipedia and Urban Geography also give credit to the neighborhood for this discovery. As part of their research project, students Luke, Elijah, Alice and Crystal made the decision to research the origin of tap dancing “I started researching and I came across Thomas De Voe who wrote ‘The

Downtown museums offer free evening

M.A.T. School

ry St.

Cher

Former Catherine Market

rS Wate

Image courtesy of Google Maps

The M.A.T. students’ research indicates that tap dancing probably originated just outside of Five Points at the former Catherine Market Building.

lens of local history, how does this research perhaps connect to our overall arching question, which is the idea of social change and how social change contributes to the idea of American history.” Regardless of the outcome of their claim, Piccigallo and Guerriero hope students take away the importance of local history from the program.

“I take the bus here every day and I pass these buildings without realizing there’s a real story behind these objects. After class, I come home and tell my parents and they say, ‘Your grandfather worked in a similar neighborhood in the Lower East Side,’” Luke said. “The history of my life comes together through this program. It’s like nothing else I’ve had before in my learning.” DowntownExpress.com

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June 18-July 1, 2015

Few know about Downtown rent limits Continued from page 1

Downtown Express then had been overrun with mice. The landlord took him to court and during the proceedings, it was discovered that his building was receiving the 421-g tax break, which only affects Lower Manhattan. The court ruled that the apartment should be rent stabilized. The 421-g tax abatement program was introduced by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the ‘90s to encourage developers to convert aging Lower Manhattan offices into residences. While owners receive the benefit, apartments in the buildings are subject to rent stabilization, which offers tenants protection from high rent increases and the right to renew their lease. Tenants in affected buildings were reluctant to give their full names to a reporter. Sarah, a tenant at 37 Wall St. since Sept. 2013, said that she was informed that her apartment was stabilized and her last rent increase was small. David, a tenant in the same building, said, “I don’t notice it,” when asked about the rent stabilization. He had the opposite experience — saying his rent was increased by a substantial amount. It wasn’t a trick, he said, but rather part of the complexity of the system. A tenant for a little over a year, he said that the rent stabilization part was buried in his lease. Tiffany Winbush, a Community Board 1 member, lived at 37 Wall St. for five years. Prior to the final two years of her lease, she learned that her building was stabilized after Tom Goodkind, another

board member, and the Housing Committee compiled a list of all buildings under the 421-g program. “Thirty-seven Wall’s stabilization clause helped ensure that I received only nominal rent increases during my annual lease renewal process,” she said in an email. Joseph, who was Scott’s lawyer, has continued to defend tenants in similar cases, and gave an update to C.B. 1’s Planning Committee at their meeting on Mon., June 8. On May 20, a New York State Supreme Court judge affirmed the lower court’s decision that when a building is under the 421-g program, its units can indeed be rent stabilized. In that case, the owner of 25 Broad St. tried to evict Thomas and Patricia Bransford from their apartment, according to court documents. The building was under the 421-g program and Judge Shlomo S. Hagler ruled that their apartment was rent stabilized, according to court documents. Joseph said in his current case, a family that had lived in an apartment for years and paid incremental increases in rent got concerned when “lo and behold, at their last renewal lease their landlord at 85 John St. sought a 29 percent rent increase.” Joseph said many tenants have not taken advantage even though the 2009 decision was well publicized and C.B. 1 has worked to get the word out. “Some people, at least [that] I spoke to anyway, they’re afraid to challenge their landlord — even though they have the right to do so,” said Diane Lapson, a community board member and tenant leader at Independence Plaza in Tribeca.

Downtown Express photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic

Thirty-seven Wall St. was at the center of a lawsuit that could have opened the floodgates for rent-stabilized apartments in Lower Manhattan, but that didn’t happen.

Lapson pointed out that even apartments with high rents could be stabilized if the owner takes part of the 421-g program. A tenant can file a rent overcharge complaint with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to figure out whether their apartment is rent stabilized. Goodkind, who has worked with Joseph to spread the word, said later in a phone interview that the reason many have not filed is that some renters are transient — not looking to put roots down in the community. It is those that want to stay that will take the time to fill out the form, he said. State Sen. Daniel Squadron said at this point, some tenants have probably moved in after the abate-

Courtesy of Tom Goodkind

Some Lower Manhattan buildings that are under the 421-g program that could be rent stabilized.

June 18-July 1, 2015

ment has burned off. In 2006, the 421-g program was sunsetted. “A lot of people living in Lower Manhattan, living in these converted buildings, it never occurs to them that this rent stabilization might actually be about them and about our neighborhood,” Squadron said in a phone interview. “I think it’s a real shame because it absolutely is and should be,” he added. “It’s actually a broader problem that we see that people aren’t told when they move in that their home is rent stabilized then they are going to end up having their right taken away from them.” At the meeting, Goodkind said that rent stabilization is “very good for promoting the kind of community that we enjoy.” The New York City Dept. of Finance, which administers exemption and abatement programs, shows on its website how much owners are getting in tax breaks. For example, at 10 Hanover Sq., the tax was near $2.6 million — the same as the abatement. That means the owners paid no property tax on a building with an estimated market value of over $98 million, according to the Dept. of Finance’s website. “These owner-operators are really enjoying some fantastic years,” said Goodkind. “It requires stabilization and they’re not doing that.” DowntownExpress.com

Board takes on helicopter noise BY M I A RUPANI With 50,000 helicopter landings each year at Lower Manhattan’s heliport, Downtown residents have been fed up with the incessant drone of choppers that are catering to tourists. Residents say the rising number of tourist helicopters, which depart from the Downtown Manhattan heliport at Pier 6, located at South and Broad Sts., is an unwanted disruption. The tours, which offer tourists a bird-eye’s view of the city, run seven days a week — including holidays. At Community Board 1’s Financial District Committee meeting on Wed., June 3, not only did Downtown residents attend to discuss the persistent problem, but also those from the Upper West Side, Staten Island and even New Jersey. “I had my windows shut, air conditioner on and white noise music playing…it still didn’t blot out the noise from the helicopters,” said Gene Wisniewski, a Weehawken resident. “It was relentless…it goes on from morning until night and I’m fed up with it.” A round of applause followed this comment.

let’s do something together

“It’s worse than having an airport because at least an airport has a public benefit,” said an Upper West Side resident. “These helicopter tours have no real public benefit aside from tourism and they can go to the top of the World Trade Center for views.” Saker Aviation, a Nevada corporation, operates the Downtown Manhattan heliport where five companies run helicopter tours. Some at the meeting said the heliport does nothing but line the pockets of out-of-state companies. Delia von Neuschatz, president of the grassroots organization Stop the Chop N.Y./N.J. attended the meeting armed with statistics. Stop the Chop was created to inform the public about the hazards created by the incessant helicopter tours over Manhattan. “If you look at the S.E.C. filings for Saker Aviation, which are all public records, last year they paid New York City $2.8 million in concession fees for the heliport,” said Neuschatz, referring to the Securities and Exchange Commission. “That’s .0003 of New York City’s $78 billion budget. This has made our lives a living hell.” C.B. 1 plans to contact the

The city’s Economic Development Corp. which oversees the heliports, was invited to the meeting but did not show, much to the dismay of the board and Catherine McVay Hughes, C.B. 1’s chairperson. “E.D.C. has been asked to come to the community board for over a year. It’s about time we get on the record again,” Hughes said. “The people in this room should know there are 50,000 helicopter landings on Pier 6 each year. We don’t want another helicopter season to go by.” In an email to Downtown Express, E.D.C. spokesperson Ian Fried did not say if the corporation would be attending any board meetings about this issue in the future. “We take the community’s concerns seriously and remain in contact with Community Board 1 about this and other issues,” Fried said. “We will provide an update to the board when one is available.” Residents also raised concern for their children who are subjected to the constant thrum of helicopter blades, as well as the quality of air in the area from so many takeoffs and landings.

education SUNDAYS, 10-11am

The Gospels, Times, Journal, and You Parish Center Join in a discussion of the editorial pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the assigned Gospel for the day. Led by the Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones.

DOWNTOWN

VOICES

Downtown Express photo by Mia Rupani

The heliport on Pier 6.

Environmental Protection Agency to get tests performed on air quality in the city. The board will also be reaching out to the mayor’s office and the city council, requesting they take action against Saker Aviation and the helicopter tour companies.

A new semi-pro choir Schedule an audition today at trinitywallstreet.org/downtownvoices

community SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 11am

worship

All Are Welcome

MONDAYS, 1-2pm

Installation of the Vicar

The Broad Way Bible Study

All events are free, unless noted. 212.602.0800

Parish Center Bring your lunch to this informal Bible study focusing on the Gospels and the “broad ways” they can be interpreted. Led by the Deacon Robert Zito.

Trinity Church The Rev. Phillip A. Jackson will be installed as Vicar of Trinity Wall Street. The Rt. Rev. Claude Payne, former Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, will preach.

SUNDAY, 8am & 10am St. Paul’s Chapel · Holy Eucharist 8pm · Compline by Candlelight

at TRINITY WALL STREET

trinitywallstreet.org

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 7-9pm

TRINITY CHURCH Broadway at Wall Street

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1-2pm

Neighborhood Movie Night

Life Talk

ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL Broadway and Fulton Street

Trinity Church, Manning Room Come to a lively lunchtime discussion about God, politics, love, and life. Led by the Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones.

St. Paul’s Chapel Watch a favorite film on the big screen with your neighbors. Popcorn and drinks will be served. More information at trinitywallstreet.org/movies.

Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Center 2 Rector Street The Rev. Dr. William Lupfer, Rector The Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, Vicar

SUNDAY, 9am & 11:15am Trinity Church · Preaching, music, and Eucharist · Child care available MONDAY—FRIDAY, 12:05pm Trinity Church · Holy Eucharist MONDAY—FRIDAY, 5:15pm Trinity Church, All Saints’ Chapel Evening Prayer Watch online webcast

TRINITY PRESCHOOL

Imagine a happy, secure child who engages with the world in mind, body, and spirit. • For children 3 months to 5 years • Enrollment open for 2015-2016 • Financial aid now available

an Episcopal parish in the city of New York

DowntownExpress.com

Schedule a tour at trinitypreschoolnyc.org

June 18-July 1, 2015

TRANSIT SAM Thurs. June 18 – Wed., June 24 ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT ALL WEEK Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 21! If you are travelling into Lower Manhattan to be with dad, be prepared for delays — the Manhattan-bound Brooklyn Bridge will be closed all weekend. Beginning midnight on Fri., June 19 through 6 a.m. Mon., June 22, all Manhattan-bound lanes will be closed for 54 consecutive hours. Take the Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, or the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel instead. Double trouble under the Hudson River on Thursday night: In the Holland Tunnel one New Jersey-bound and one New York-bound lane will be closed 11 p.m. Thursday night to 5 a.m. Friday morning. No relief for inbound traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel, where the New York-bound tube will also close 11 p.m. Thursday night to 5 a.m. Friday morning. No. 1 train service between 14 St. and South Ferry will be suspended 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Take the 2 or 3 trains instead, which will make local stops at Chambers, Franklin, Canal,

Houston, and Christopher Sts. Great news for Lower Manhattanites heading to Brooklyn and Queens on the weekend: the J train now stops at the Fulton St. and Broad St. stations on Saturdays and Sundays, in addition to regular weekday service. The N.Y.C. Police Museum Fair will close North Moore St. between West and Greenwich Sts. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. The Philoptochos Walk 2 Rebuild will close Liberty St. between West and Church Sts. 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. On West St./Route 9A, one northbound lane between Vesey and 14th Sts. will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Two northbound lanes will close from Albany St. to Liberty St. 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

What does this mean? Can I park at the construction site area after 6 p.m., or do other signs on the street govern after 6 p.m.? John, New York Dear John, You can park if there are no other signs that say otherwise. For example there are some nighttime regulations

near nightclubs. Those signs would go into effect after 6 p.m. so read all the signs carefully. Transit Sam Email traffic, transit and parking questions to transitsam@downtownexpress.com. Follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam and check GridlockSam.com for the latest traffic news.

FROM THE MAILBAG: Dear Transit Sam, Many construction sites have signs with restricted parking, such as No Parking 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in white, and below it an orange sign, temporary construction regulation.

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DowntownExpress.com

June 18-July 1, 2015

Leroy talking himself blue in the face for funds!

Gay Pride Week events

libraries have leaky roofs. With your BY ZAC H WI L L I A M S Advocates want to restore $65 mil- support we can give you even more of lion in cuts to public libraries made since what you want: more books, more pro2008 as city councilmembers negotiate gramming, more classes, more bubbles, the city’s budget this summer. They have more music.” Leroy’s video further urges library enlisted residents to write reams of supsupporters to contact city counport letters. But where the written cilmembers, attend rallies and join word reaches its limits, they have their letter-writing campaign, another tool in their lobbying U A RO N D which has neared 70,000 particarsenal in the form of a todipants, according to a New York dler-sized puppet who goes by Public Library spokesperson. the name Leroy Hudson. Despite the novel fuzz-covered The fuzzy-haired hand pupadvocate, library staff were quick pet appeared at Seward Park Library on June 1, just one of nine to emphasize that Leroy is by no means a scheduled sites across the city where full-time “political puppet.” His true role library supporters rallied for increased lies in assisting educational programs for city funding. He also appeared in a young children and babies. Nonetheless, he added a curious elerecent video made by staff members at his Hudson Park Library home, at ment to the rally at Seward Park Library, according to Lakisha Brown, the library’s Hudson and Leroy Sts. Local libraries received $300 mil- manager. She said that the colorful Leroy lion in Mayor de Blasio’s proposed is a good example of how libraries can 10-year capital plan, but library repre- accommodate neighborhood needs and sentatives say $1.4 billion would more present educational resources to children. comprehensively address many branch- Yet, only three percent of city library branches are open seven days a week, she es’ aging infrastructure. “Some libraries are crumbling,” noted. And her branch needs window and the blue-headed Leroy says in a video. elevator repairs, she added. 15.PR.3929_1.qxp_Layout 1 4/21/15 11:40 AM Page 1 “Libraries are, and have always been, “Some libraries need elevators. Some

New York City’s annual Gay Pride March will be Sun., on June 28 at noon. Like previous years, the parade will include a number of organizations, political candidates, activists and celebrities who have all come together to celebrate the lives of L.G.B.T. people and the community. The march starts at 36th St. and Fifth Avenue at noon. The march continues down Fifth Avenue, ending at Christopher and Greenwich Sts. NYC Pride Week kicks off this year Tues., June 23 and there will be many U A RO N D events all over the city including some in Lower Manhattan. can purchase food and pride gear while Tribeca’s Pier 26 will hold “The Rally” enjoying live musical performances. on Fri., June 26 from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The largest fundraiser for NYC Pride Broadway actor Tituss Burgess will be hosting this free, all-ages event that includes perfor- has remained Dance on The Pier, now in its 29th mances by Ashanti and drag queen Adore Delano. year. Doors open at 3 p.m. at Pier 26 in Tribeca On Sat., June 27, from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. Teaze, and tickets can be purchased online starting at NYC Pride’s exclusive dance event for women $50 for entry into the dance. Ariana Grande will be headlining the event, will be at Pier 26. Women 21 and older can purchase tickets online (nycpride.com) starting which ends at 10 p.m. with the world’s largest L.G.B.T. fireworks display over the Hudson River. at 29 dollars. The first Pride March in New York City was held Pride week wraps up on Sun. June 28 with three separate events: The March, Pridefest and in 1970, the year after the Stonewall Uprising June 27, 1969 For a full list of Pride events that are takDance on the Pier. From 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. residents can browse ing place throughout the week in Manhattan, visit the annual Pridefest street fair which joins Heritage of Pride’s website at nycpride.org. together vendors and entertainers on Hudson St. between Abingdon and W. 14th Sts. Attendees — MIA RUPANI

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Downtown Express photos by Zach Williams

Leroy entertained young children at the Hudson Library Branch with the help of children’s librarian Kristy Raffensberger.

a place where anyone can go to get free access to information,” she said. “And today, that information can be books, or Internet access, or ESOL classes, early-literacy programs, computer training, afterschool programs, even author talks.” Staff at the Hudson Park Library conceived him as part of the 45th anniversary celebrations of “Sesame Street” last fall. A crowd-sourced fundraising effort financed his production by toy company FAO Schwarz. Dozens of local children voted on his features, which include an orange, puff-ball nose and debonair robe with bow-tie. Leroy took on a pedagogical role following his debut at an exhibit in honor of the famed children’s TV program. He’s become a prominent attraction for local toddlers and babies as they expand their intellectual horizons through the traditional media of sing-alongs and storybook time at the South Village-area

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June 18-July 1, 2015

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still running strong!

Last year’s Gay Pride Parade

Join the hundreds of students who have committed to

library branch, located at 66 Leroy St. At a May 29 event held there for infants, library staffer Chris Ruiz played the guitar while children’s librarian Kristy Raffensberger helped maestro Leroy conduct. It was fun and games, but with plenty of mental stimulation for several dozen young minds. The branch’s infant and toddler patrons responded with glee to the enthusiastic renditions of childhood sing-alongs.

Our Executive Chef Jose Zamora is a native of Tarragona, Spain. Beginning his career at a family friend’s restaurant, he received two culinary degrees, one from Cordon Blue in the U.S. and one from the Institution Culinario de Cambrils in Spain. His cooking is inspired by both Spanish and French cuisine. Jose is devoted to using the best ingredients and implementing a simplistic stylist technique with dynamic presentation. His goal is to provide a memorable dining experience through passionately created culinary dishes.

Downtown Express file photos by Michaael Shirey

• Technology • Nursing • Public Service

EXPRESS DECISION WEEK

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June 18-20 Find out.

Supporters rallied on June 1 at the Seward Park Library on the Lower East Side to call for greater funding for the city’s public libraries. DowntownExpress.com

DowntownExpress.com

June 18-July 1, 2015

Jumping to kindergarten after waitlist fear PUBLISHER

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June 18-July 1, 2015

B Y V IC T O R IA G R A N THAM When we moved to Tribeca more than a dozen years ago we noticed that there was a well-regarded public school — P.S. 234 — across the street. At the time we weren’t even married and kids shimmered like a mirage on a far-off horizon, so the whimsical looking red brick building with its turrets and archways and frog sculpture wasn’t at the forefront of our minds, but still, through our peripheral vision, we noticed. We didn’t anticipate staying for all this time, but now that we have, and the kids have materialized, and our oldest has turned five, (and our apartment has turned into a clown car) the school has become a beacon. Competent teachers, a nurturing, community-centric environment, a subway-free 20-step commute — oh my! Of course there’s been drama along the way — our building was nearly cut out of the school’s zone a few years ago, and as the neighborhood exploded with new luxury high rises filled with families, the waitlists at 234 were legendary. These things didn’t impact us directly, so we watched from a distance with anxiety-tinged curiosity, but without a particularly acute sense of panic. This year when we finally filled out the Dept. of Education’s form, we knew which school we wanted, but we tried to play coy. In addition to selecting 234, we also checked the box on a handful of popular schools outside of our neighborhood that are undoubtedly overcrowded with their own zoned kids. (It was an attempt to seem flexible without actually being so.) We didn’t apply to any of the

LIFE DOWNTOWN gifted and talented programs for our son (too high pressure) and we didn’t consider the wildly expensive N.Y.C. private schools. When I explained our strategy to people who live in other parts of the country they were baffled. “Wait a second. Your son may not be able to go to the public school you’re zoned for? I don’t get it,” said my college roommate. I couldn’t really explain it, and attempting to do so made me feel like a participant in a hyper-competitive rat race, so I changed the subject. I also laid low with friends on the other end of the spectrum — the parents of my sons’ peers in Lower Manhattan who were going through rounds and rounds of tours, interviews and tests with their preschoolers. Opting out of that particular merry-goround made me feel like a slacker. Mainly I was betting on the idea that lightening could strike twice. I knew that in spite of its history of waitlists, P.S. 234 didn’t have a waitlist last year and in fact the school had accepted children from a neighboring zone who couldn’t cram into their new school in Battery Park City. Though our neighborhood had experienced a baby boom, some new schools had sprung up to accommodate the growth, so I was crossing my fingers hoping that the new seats in those schools would offset the crush. At one point though I briefly allowed myself to consider the pos-

sibility that our son wouldn’t get into 234. (We’d been hopeful about universal pre-K the year before, but there were none in our area and the public community based organizations we could get our son into were too far away to be practical for two working parents.) I went to my neighbor, a level-headed former elementary school teacher who has two girls in the school, with my anxiety attack: “What if he’s waitlisted, then not accepted? The other schools we selected will be even less likely than our school to have room for him. Is it possible that he’d not get a spot anywhere? Then what? Should we be touring and testing and interviewing?” I did some quick mental calculations and realized we were almost too late to form a viable back up plan. She talked me off the ledge with her empathetic, but firm response. The message: Stop wheel spinning. Snap out of it, sit tight and it’ll work out. Thankfully I listened to her and as luck would have it, she was right. We got the offer letter in May and that same week we confirmed our son’s attendance at the school across the street. Our neighbors got our son a tee-shirt emblazoned with his new school’s name/number and with an image of the frog sculpture we’ve been walking by every day since he was born. It’s way too big on him, but he wears it proudly and tells everyone who will listen that he’s headed for kindergarten at P.S. 234 in the fall. I trust he’ll grow into it someday. Victoria Grantham, a writer and communications professional, is raising her family in Tribeca.

Letters to the Editor Notes from a leader To The Editor: Re “Odd Politics” (UnderCover June 4 – 17): I apologize to the editors for not getting back in a timely manner with comments on my race for Democratic district leader in the 66th Assembly district, Part B. A Democratic district leader is a nonpaying Democratic Party position. That being said, we have many duties and a lot of meetings. We are volunteers and work very hard. A lot of elected officials like to say what they have done,

but I won’t say what I have done. This is because I am a part of a collaborative effort. I couldn’t have done anything without support. However, I will say we have built a beautiful community. I’ve served many years on the board of the Washington Market Park, before the New York City Parks Dept. took it over. I served on the Community Education Council District 2, and I’m one of the original members of Assemblymember Sheldon Silver’s Task Force on School Overcrowding. I am a proven leader that gets things done and have a good working relationship with all of our elected officials. My

mom always taught me that self-praise stinks. Therefore in the coming months I will let our elected officials speak of my work and my ability to get things done. Sometimes elections can be downright dirty. Sometimes negative campaigning works. In this case, I can’t see how the people I’ve worked with and for could be fooled. I would like to close and say that I love my community, that I’ve raised two beautiful daughters here, and that my wife and I are proud grandparents. John R. Scott Democratic district leader DowntownExpress.com

A slice of old New York survives Downtown BY LENORE SKENAZY To me, “old New York” is the city I moved to in 1981. Back then, the subway cars were so covered with graffiti, you couldn’t see out the windows. You always added a 20-minute cushion to your commute, just in case. And Times Square… Well, I’m getting off track. My point is, everyone’s got an “old New York.” The one Edith Wharton was referring to when she was writing a hundred years ago was the “old New York” before the Civil War, already a quaint and distant memory in the Gilded Age. Old New Yorks are always being demolished, or updated beyond recognition, so it is astonishing to learn that one slice of the old, old New York not only still exists, it stands virtually intact, right down to its original furnishings from 1832. It is the Merchant’s House Museum (merchantshouse.org), at 29 E. Fourth St., and this month I went to hear a lecture about it at another amazing venue, the National Arts Club. (Hat tip to Gary Shapiro, the club’s dapper emissary, who alerted me to the talk.) “We call it the ‘Miracle on Fourth Street,’ ” began the speaker, Carl Raymond, a tour guide at the Merchant’s House who is also a professional chef. He combines both those

skills to sleuth out what the home’s original owners would have been eating 183 years ago, when they first moved in. But before getting to the meat of his talk — as it were — he explained how the miracle came to be standing at all. When a young man named Seabury Tredwell moved to New York at age 18 to make his fortune in the hardware business, he lived in a boardinghouse. Perhaps predictably, he fell in love with his landlady’s daughter. They married and had seven kids. In 1832 they bought a brand-new house on Fourth St. — the suburbs at the time — and in 1840, when Seabury was 60, they had a surprise eighth child, Gertrude. “Like my mother,” continued lecturer Raymond, “Gertrude never threw anything away.” She also never married. So when she died in 1933, just 20 feet from the bed she’d been born in 93 years earlier, she was surrounded by the very same objects that she had grown up with, right down to 39 dresses. These included the one her mom got married in more than a hundred years

earlier, in 1825. Gertrude’s heir was about to sell the place and all its dusty contents when a distant cousin, George Chapman, realized that this was no ordinary fixer-upper. Stepping inside was like walking into a time capsule — the King Tut’s Tomb of Manhattan. Gertrude had kept the house “as Papa would’ve wanted it” and Chapman wanted that for the rest of us. He purchased the place and turned it into a museum. In 1965, Merchant’s House was one of the first 25 buildings on which our city bestowed landmark status. To this day, 90 percent of the items in the building are original. So what did the Tredwells eat during the century or so that they lived there? Alas, nothing particularly delicious at first. Despite our modern pining for heirloom vegetables, early 19th-century New Yorkers generally boiled these to death. The watery mess was served alongside boiled or roasted meats with perhaps some melted butter as gravy. And since Eliza was raised in a boardinghouse, it is likely she served the same kind of food her mom did, including what one boarder back then described as “the dessert feared by every boardinghouse resident: a sour

apple encased in dough.” Historians contend that more change occurred in the 19th century than in any other era, and happily, some of that occurred in the kitchen. By the end of the 1800s, French cuisine was all the rage, along with the new practice of serving food in courses, instead of putting it all out at once. You can still see the dining room table and chairs the Tredwells used, and some of their cookware, and the bells to call the servants, à la Downton Abbey. But threatened is the beautiful original plasterwork in the dining room and elsewhere. The neighboring lots are not landmarked, and a boutique hotel is slated to rise on one side. Vibrations from nearby construction could crack the walls. The museum is hoping to ensure that doesn’t happen by working with lawyers and engineers to develop protection plans. With any luck, the Merchant’s House will be around for another 183 years, when aged locals may remember an “old New York” back when food was created by cooks, not 3D printers, and delivered by bike, not drone. Lenore Skenazy speaks at conferences, companies and schools about her book and blog, “Free-Range Kids.”

Downtown Notebook

To be young & gay in 1969 BY ANDY HUM M Artist Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt was a street kid who arrived in New York in May 1966 and participated in the Stonewall Rebellion. But he was also someone who frequented the bar itself, which opened in 1967. And while he concedes it was a dive bar, he loved it because it was unique among gay bars of the time in allowing “slow dancing where you could have a nice, full embrace — the unity of one person with another person.” Lanigan-Schmidt, now 67, believes the slow dancing in a public place was in itself a “revolutionary” thing and accounted in part for the violent reaction to the police raid in June 1969 that we now know as the Stonewall Rebellion. “You could connect with someone,” he said. “That started the revolution. “We were in our teens and hadn’t gone through the same things that older people — over 25 — had gone through. DowntownExpress.com

We were runaways. I remember a kid who had boiling water thrown on him by his mother for being gay. Outside we could be murdered. Inside we were safe.” He said that when you went into a bar like the Tenth of Always at the time, “if you touched, they would throw you out.” He recalled a bouncer “on a power trip” who decided who could get into the Stonewall. “It was a combination speakeasy, juke joint, lawless and below the radar — it was all those things combined,” he said. “It was a deeply romantic place.” The first night of the rebellion, Lanigan-Schmidt couldn’t get in and came back when the raid was in progress. “More and more people kept showing up,” he said, “and suddenly everyone was together” — which allowed people to act up in ways they had never considered before. “That night we were angry, an anger that was not being reflected upon, an

impulsive anger at not being able to dance — a total body thing,” he said. “It was a visceral feeling.” Lanigan-Schmidt, who has taught in the M.F.A program at the School of Visual Arts for almost 25 years and been exhibited at MoMA’s PS1, said that he hopes that the Stonewall, which occupied 51 and 53 Christopher St. (now Stonewall Place) in 1969, would get bought by someone “who would turn it into a gay museum. It should be like the Tenement Museum” at 97 Orchard on the Lower East Side, where tenement life circa the 1870s is preserved. He suggested using “gay acting students” to play the 1969 patrons and protesters. “If they wanted to recreate the Stonewall,” he explained, it was all pretty bare bones. “It was a Mafia bar with plywood painted black on the walls and two juke boxes,” he recalled. “The best way to inform people is to give it that flavor so

Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt

that people can get into how down and out it was — not a nice, middle-class bar.” Andy Humm is a reporter at Gay City News, a sister publication of Downtown Express. His interview with Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt with co-host Ann Northrop on “Gay USA”, can be viewed at downtownexpress.com. June 18-July 1, 2015

Championship seasons at M.A.T. Manhattan Academy of Technology this year won four major middle school sports championships in one season and without losing a single game. The championships went to the girls softball, boys baseball, girls volleyball and track and field teams. In softball, after an undefeated regular season and a tough final eight-matchup game against East Side Community High School, Chinatown’s M.A.T found themselves facing Battery Park City powerhouse I.S. 276 in the semi-finals. I.S 276 has state-champion pitcher Jamie Morrison and the M.A.T. Dragons found themselves fearing elimination, down 3 to 1 with two outs in the bottom of the last inning. “Needless to say, we needed a miracle, but our kids don’t go down without a fight,” said M.A.T.’s athletic director, John DeMatteo. No sooner had parents started filming what everyone thought would be the final out, M.A.T. eighth grader Dorie Levine hit a shot to centerfield for a base hit. After a stolen base, Dorie was knocked home by eighth grader Casey Curran. Seventh grader Isabella Pelaez was up next and again hit a shot to send Casey home and tie the game. After moving over to third base, sixth grader Jalyn Cassarino doubled to left center for a walk off win, sending the Dragons into the city championship for

M.A.T.’s championship track team

the first time in four years. At the city championship, seventh grader Annabella Pelaez pitched a one hit gem to seal the city title for the Dragons 6 to 2 on June 10. In boys baseball, the Dragons were the team to beat all year, ending up with the number one seed overall and defeating the Institute for Collaborative Education, Simon Baruch, Robert F. Wagner and Salk School of Science to advance to the city final four versus the Sandhogs from the Bronx. At the old Yankee Stadium field, M.A.T. held onto a slight lead before finally winning 3 to 2. In the city final at Columbia University on May 30, the Dragons showed their dominance, winning by a crushing score of 16 to 1

behind the pitching of Eric Pascale and Max Moss. The M.A.T. bats got hot early, as the Dragons jumped out to a 5 to 0 lead on the hitting of eighth graders Kyle Gordon, Justin Lipitz, Jason Virasami, Alex Fernandez, Louis Ostrowski, Elvis Morel and Nick Filanovsky. “I’m very proud of the way my boys played but more importantly how they portrayed themselves as student athletes,” coach Rob Mehan said. Coach Steve Schmidt did a great job working with the girls volleyball team in the fall (M.A.T won the city title) and their skills only got better in the spring, demonstrated by the 10-0 record the Dragons brought into the playoffs. Led by eighth graders Anna Comitini,

Maia Villalba, Lucy Yaccarino, Julie Schoenmaker, Payton Reising, Erin Eisner, Dorie Levine and Sonali Govind, the Dragons cruised to easy victories, winning in straight sets in every match including the championship against Baruch on June 9. Seventh graders Alexis Harvell and Qi Mei Schmidt were also very instrumental in the win. For the 11th time in 12 years, M.A.T. took home the Riozzi Cup as the District’s best track and field team. Winning by a score of 106 to 98 over Robert F. Wagner and 14 other middle schools on Verizon track on June 8, the Dragons swept the relays and had some outstanding performers. Jason Morales was N.Y.C. champion in the 100 and 200-meter run and posted a top five national time. His relay team of Rea Davis, Massimo Bertini, Allijah Carr and Evan Gershoff won the city title as well and broke the city record. Eric Pascale came in second in the 100 and 200-meter run and Stella Teeter was city champion in the 1600 meter run. The girls relay team of Kiana Araujo, Mya Rodriguez, Darby Jahn, Rease Griffiths and Kadijtou Darboe won in record time as well. “Needless to say I am proud of all of my teams and what we’ve done this year has simply been unimaginable,” DeMatteo said.

Downtown Little League softball playoffs The Major’s division of Downtown Little League softball had two exciting playoff games last weekend. In the first playoff game, the third place Cavaliers defeated the second place Red Storm 7 to 4. The Cavaliers started strongly with Grace Kirwin doubling and Chase Behar driving in a run to give the upstart Cavaliers a 2 to 0 lead June 12. In the bottom of the second, the Red Storm tied the game with a key hit from Ella Curtis. In the top of the third, the Cavaliers scored two runs to take a 4 to 2 lead. In the fourth inning, the Red Storm’s Aeryn Lubelsky hit a scorching line drive to center to bring the Red Storm within a run. In the bottom of the fifth, Isabella Palaez The Cavaliers, Downtown Little League champs. scored a run to tie the game. In the sixth inning, the Cavaliers scored three runs to take the lead. The Cavalier’s pitcher, Jamie from Annabella Palaez and Zoe Anderson. In the championship game June 13, the Morrison, pitched a perfect sixth inning for the win. Critical to the Cavalier’s win was the defensive Cavaliers defeated the regular season champions, performance of the catcher Ava Wallis who kept the Wildcats 7 to 2. Once again, the Cavaliers started out strongly with the Red storm from advancing on the bases. The Red Storm also had strong defensive performances three runs in the top of the first. Julietta Orciuoli had

June 18-July 1, 2015

a key single and Ava Wallis and Maddy Boyce scored in the first inning for the Cavaliers. In the bottom of the first, the Wildcats’ Emma Whitman had a double, but was unable to cross home plate. In the second inning, with strong pitching by Jamie Morrison for the Cavaliers and Ella Carter for the Wildcats, neither team was able to score a run. In the top of the third, Chase Behar, Marriane Dowd and Julietta Orciuoli had singles and the Cavaliers took a commanding 7 to 0 lead. In the fifth inning, the Wildcats scored their first run with a double by Ava Whitman. In relief, Ava Whitman of the Wildcats pitched flawlessly. The Wildcats also had strong defense from Harriet and Brighid Albright and Leah Meyerson. In the bottom of the sixth, Ella Carter singled and scored on an Ava Whitman triple to bring the score to 7 to 2 but the rally ended there. In the Cavaliers road to the championship, they were aided by strong defense from at first base from Evie Schoneman and outfielders, Carly Adams and Devon Karabees-Lamer. DowntownExpress.com

Activities JUNE 18-JULY 2, 2015

LONG-RUNNING ART TIME: Nelson A Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; (212) 267–9700; bpcparks.org; Thursdays, 10:30 am-noon; Free. Young artists are introduced to paper, clay, paint and other supplies. ART AND GAMES: Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; bpcparks.org/event; Thursdays, 3:30–5:30 pm; Free. Create a fun project, make friends and play games. For children 5 years and older. ARTS ISLAND OUTPOST: Governors Island, Outside bldg. 14 in Nolan Park; (212) 274–0986; cmany.org; Saturdays and Sundays,11 am–3 pm, Now – Sun, Sept. 27; Free. Enjoy a day out with art workshops, and fun projects. ART AND PLAY: Robert F. Wagner Park, Battery Park City; (212) 267–9700; bpcparks.org; Mondays – Wednesdays, 10 am–noon; Free. Preschoolers drop-in and play with other toddlers, in this interactive play time on the grassy lawn. Sing and hear stories too. BASKETBALL CLINIC: Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; bpcparks.org/event; Mondays, 3:30–5:30 pm; Free. Staffers teach children of all ages the basics of the sport. No classes May 25, September 7 and October 12. SOCCER CLINIC: Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; bpcparks.org; Tuesdays, 2:30–3:15 pm; 3:30–4:15 pm and 4:30–5:30 pm; Free. Children learn the fundamentals of the game and preschoolers have fun kicking, running and being part of a team. Drop in. For ages 3 to 11 years old. BIG CITY FISHING: Pier 25 (near N. Moore St.). hudsonriverpark.org; (212) 627-2020; Sundays 1-5 pm (except on 6/28), Mondays 5-7:30 pm. Free. For children 5+ and adults who want to learn how to fish and about river ecology. All fishing equipment is provided. DowntownExpress.com

YOUNG SPROUTS GARDENING: Nelson A Rockefeller Park (Children’s Garden), Battery Park City; (212) 267– 9700; bpcparks.org; Tuesdays, 3:15 – 3:45 pm; Free. Little ones 3 to 5 years old learn about simple gardening projects. Space limited first come, first served. DROP IN CHESS: Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City; bpcparks.org/ event; Wednesdays, 3:30–5 pm, Now – Wed, Sept. 30; Free. Players of every level practice, learn and hone up on skills. For children 5 to 15 years old. PLAYTIME: Teardrop Park, Battery Park City; bpcparks.org; Wednesdays, 3:30–5:30 pm; Free. Staffers teach children the value of play and create fun projects in drawing, sculpting and murals. For children 5 and older. ACCESSIBLE ARTS INITIATIVE: Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton St. at Hudson Street; (212) 274–0986; cmany.org; Mondays and Wednesdays, Noon–5 pm, Thursdays and Fridays, Noon–6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am – 5 pm; Free. The museum is beginning a pilot program which will enable any child with a disability and their caregiver, admission to programs during general public hours in exchange for feedback to help strengthen museum wide programs.

THURS, JUNE 18 FATHER’S DAY: Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton St. at Hudson Street; (212) 274–0986; cmany.org; Noon– 6 pm; $11 per person; (seniors & infants free). Celebrate dear old dad with fun projects. Dads are free on June 21. ERIC CARLE CELEBRATION: Battery Park City Library. (212) 790-3499; nypl. org; 10 am. Free. Bring the whole family and kids of all ages for stories, followed by an Eric Carlethemed craft.

SAT, JUNE 20 WHAT’S ANTHROPOMORPHIC?: The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Pl., Battery

Park City. (212) 968-1961; skyscraper.org; 10:30 – 11:45 am; $5 per child. Kids will work together to compose a skyline of their own traced silhouettes, turning their drawing into a personal building form. All ages, RSVP required.

ages invited with their caregiver. Limited to 25 kids.

SUN, JUNE 21

SAT, JUNE 27

FATHER’S DAY: 10 am–5 pm. Children’s Museum of the Arts. See Thursday, June 18.

MY CITY PARK DAY: Bowling Green Park, Broadway and Whitehall Street; www.nycchildrenstheater.org; 1 pm; Free. Children learn the importance of community spaces – sing along puppet musical tells the story of Milo who finds out his favorite park is closing, so he asks his friends to help him save his park. Suitable for children 3 to 7 years old.

THURS, JUNE 25 BABY LAPTIME: 11:30 am. Battery Park City Library. See Monday, June 22.

MON, JUNE 22 BABY LAPTIME: Battery Park City Library. (212) 790-3499; nypl.org; 9:30 am; Free. Babies 0 – 18mo. and their caregivers can enjoy stories, songs/rhymes and meet other babies. Limited to 50 babies; first-come fist-served.

SUN, JUNE 28 HISTORY TOUR: Pier A, Battery Place and the Hudson; bpcparks.org/event/pier-atour; 2–3 pm; Free. Take a walk and talk and learn all about the recent restoration of Pier A, the last remaining historic pier in the city. Great for all ages. Hosted by the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy.

TODDLER STORY TIME: Battery Park City Library. (212) 790-3499; nypl.org; 4 pm; Free. Toddlers 12-36 mo. and their caregivers can be entertained by a librarian sharing lively picture books and songs.

TUES, JUNE 23 MON, JUNE 29

BABY LAPTIME: 11:30 am. Battery Park City Library. See Monday, June 22.

TODDLER STORY TIME: 4 pm. Battery Park City Library. See Monday, June 22.

PICTURE BOOK TIME: Battery Park City Library. (212) 790-3499; nypl. org; 4 pm; Free. A librarian will share classic picture books. For all ages.

TUES, JUNE 30 BABY LAPTIME: 11:30 am. Battery Park City Library. See Monday, June 22.

WED, JULY 1 WED, JUNE 24 TODDLER STORY TIME: 10:30 am. Battery Park City Library. See Monday, June 22.

BUG OUT: Battery Park City Library (212) 790-3499; nypl.org; 4 pm; Free. Kids learn all about what bugs are through experiments, demonstrations and stories taught by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. For grades K – 5, limited to 25 Play, Learn, Make New Friends! kids and their caregivers.

CRAFTERNOON: Battery Park City Library (212) 790-3499; nypl.org; 4 Classes - Indoor Playspace pm; Free. Salon - Birthday Parties - Boutique Bring your favorite stuffed animal and THURS, JULY 2 make them a superhero. Kids will create BABY LAPTIME: 11:30 am. Battery Park Make Friends! capes and masks for their toy. Kids of allPlay, Learn, City Library. See New Monday, June 22. Classes - Indoor Playspace

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Celebrate Father’s Day Weekend at Brookfield Place Special offerings from Vilebrequin, Paul Smith & more! Details at brookfieldplaceny.com

Saturday, June 20 “Summer Sail-stice” One-Hour Sailboat Rides $35 Per Person Offshore Sailing Lobster Rolls and Ice Cream on the Waterfront brought to you by Little Muenster

Sunday, June 21 “Bang on a Can” marathon (Winter Garden at Brookfield Place) “Street Studio” presented by Found Sound Nation a mobile recording studio equipped for passersby and Marathon musicians alike to spontaneously create and record original music!

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