JULY 31, 2013 CHELSEA NOW by NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 24

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

JULY 31 - AUGUST 13, 2013

The Hurricane Next Time: Post-Sandy Preparations

Photo courtesy of Hudson River Park Trust

Suspended from the ceiling in the South Head House of Pier 57, architect Josemaría de Churtichaga’s “The Magic Carpet” allows for multiple configurations of its 36 shipping containers — and the creation of a unique space for hosting a multitude of events.

From Holding Pen to Hot Spot: Pier 57 has Bustle, Before Construction Begins BY WINNIE McCROY Among the many changes coming to Chelsea is the renovation of the historic Pier 57, located at 15th Street at Hudson River Park. Although developer Young Woo & Associates won’t break ground on renovations until this October, they have already begun ramping up the retail and entertainment components of this project to get people accustomed to heading across the highway in search of diversions. “It is going to be a large, multiuse complex with retail, food, cultural programming, public park space and a lot going on,” said Felice Jiang, of the public relations firm Nadine Johnson & Associates. “We are restoring much of the pier, and we are adding an outdoor venue on the roof, for

the Tribeca Film Festival.” You may more easily recognize Pier 57 as the cool mint-green building at 15th Street that was the former Marine & Aviation center. The 444,000-square-foot structure was built in 1952 on floating concrete caissons in the Hudson River and designed by Emil Praeger — who designed floating piers for Allied landings in World War II. Until 2003, it served as the Hudson Pier Depot for the New York City Transit Authority. (It also gained dubious infamy when it was used during the 2004 Republican National Convention as a police holding pen for protestors, earning it the nickname “Little Guantanamo on the Hudson.”) “The façade will remain the same,” said Jiang, who noted that while they are restoring and redeveloping the

entire pier, “Much of it is landmarked, so the north and south façades will not change very much. We will be restoring a lot of the original structure. We are building on top of the roof to create the public park and extend the promenade, but not too much past its original footprint.” The structure is built on three underwater caissons, which Jiang said will be used for unique retail opportunities yet to be decided, noting that, “One will be used for staff parking and cargo storage, but we are offering the other underwater spaces to be leased, perhaps as retail space or a gym.” In 2009, developer Young Woo & Associates won a public Request for Proposal by the Hudson River Park

BY HEATHER DUBIN Hurricane Sandy caught the city — and many New Yorkers — off guard last October. While anything can happen during an emergency, a little preparation goes a long way. In fact, hurricane season officially started nearly two months ago, on June 1. Last Monday evening, Graffiti Community Ministries, a Baptist church on East Seventh Street, held a seminar to help New Yorkers learn the basic steps to take before disaster strikes. Also participating in the program were representatives of the Project Hope Crisis Counseling Program, a community support and networking group formed after Hurricane Irene and Ready New York, a campaign of the city’s Office of Emergency Management. The evening began with a discussion group facilitated by three Project Hope counselors from Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, with 10 people from the neighborhood, who were all affected by Hurricane Sandy. They shared stories about their experiences, swapped cleanup tales and talked about how they feel now.

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Sylvia Mandel, who lives on East 10th Street near Avenue B in a homesteader building, recalled how she was on the phone with a friend last October as Sandy hit the city, and then suddenly saw a gush of water come down her street. “I saw water go up to nine feet,” she recalled. “We had to replace the boiler in our building and all the electricity. Fortunately, we run the building ourselves. We had to spend all our money in our checking account for repairs.” Even after the replacement of the building’s vital services, the recovery process continued for a long time. There was mold to contend with, along with the loss of telephone and Internet service. Project Hope counselors urged community members to voice their concerns about future potential storms. “I’m still anxious about the building,” said Mandel. “The boiler is still in the basement, and we’re still very vulnerable. We have a good bunch of people in the building, but

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editorial, letters PAGE 8

Get iNto the GrooVe PAGE 11

July 31 - August 13, 2013

How Convenient: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Fairway BY CARLYE WAXMAN RD, CDN (sweetnutrition.nyc.com) Have you ever gone to a supermarket and arrived home, only to realize you managed to pick up everything but the thing you actually went shopping for? Have you purchased a quick lunch or dinner, only to experience buyer’s remorse because you spent an absurd amount on one stupid sandwich? Waiting in long lines while your frozen food defrosts is bad enough… but the worst is when you know you have to go to another grocery store to purchase things the previous one didn’t offer. Finding a place that has absolutely everything you need is kind of a miracle — but with the recent opening of Fairway, Chelsea now has three large, well-stocked grocery stores, each with their own unique offerings and particular strengths. Best of all, they’re located within a very reasonable distance of one another (making for a short commute if you can’t find what you’re looking for at one place, or just forgot to pick it up). Last week, I scoped out all three (multiple times), then broke down the offerings into a few handy categories. Since we don’t tend to do all our shopping in one shot (unless you have five hands), Fridays are best for buying produce and what you’ll be cooking over the weekend. Sundays are the right time to pick up all the ingredients for the coming week’s 528_CapBuilding_GO_4.85X5.63_FINAL.pdf breakfasts and lunches. One weeknight

CMY

Photo courtesy of Fairway

Fairway has a large section of produce and fresh herbs at bargain prices.

will do the trick when it comes to lastminute meals and all the miscellaneous stuff you’re just about to run out of. Now here’s where to go: Trader Joe’s, located at 675 Sixth Ave. (btw. W. 21st & W. 22nd Sts.). Hours: 8am-10pm daily. Visit traderjoes.com. Fairway, located at 766 Sixth Ave. (btw. W. 25th10:52 & W. 1 7/16/13 AM 26th Sts.). Hours: 8am-11pm daily. Visit fairwaymarket.com.

Celebration! ENJOY FREE* FROZEN YOGURT Any Small Yogurt+ Toppings Monday, August 5th from 11am-10pm

RED MANGO® CAPITOL BUILDING 776 6TH Avenue New York, NY 10001 212.213.1344 /RedMangoCapitolBuilding

Offer good for one (1) free small frozen yogurt with toppings on 8/03/13 from 11am-10pm at the participating Red Mango® location listed. Offer may not be combined with other offers or discounts. Limit one free frozen yogurt per customer. No cash value. RED MANGO name, design and related marks are trademarks of Red Mango, Inc. ©2013 Red Mango, Inc. All rights reserved.

Whole Foods, located at 250 Seventh Ave. (btw. W. 25th & W. 24th Sts.). Hours: 7:30am-11pm daily. Visit wholefoodsmarket.com.

FAST FOOD OPTIONS

Trader Joe’s: The winner in this category, TJ’s has a whole section dedicated to graband-go lunches — including falafel wraps, kale and edamame salad, roasted butternut

squash and sushi lobster rolls, all for less than $5! Now you’ve got lunch covered for the next day…but tonight’s dinner may be a stretch unless you want to cook. There are meals like chicken marsala and chicken pot pie, but they’re packaged, and the calories and sodium are higher than if you picked something that wasn’t ready-to-heat. If you

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

City Approves Restoration of Historic Pier 57 Continued from page 1 Trust (HRPT), to convert the complex into a cultural hub and creative center. Their plan for Pier 57 includes a cultural program, a large rooftop public park upon which the Tribeca Film Festival will be held, several restaurants, entertainment and flexible retail opportunities via both traditional outlets as well as a marketplace constructed of repurposed shipping containers, or “Incuboxes.” The project will allow for approximately 425,000 square feet of retail, in addition to more than 100,000 square feet of public space. The shipping container concept is currently being displayed gallery-style, in Josemaría de Churtichaga’s installation, “The Magic Carpet.” This Spanish architect has created an installation of 36 shipping containers suspended from the ceiling in the South Head House of the Pier, with each container hanging 10 feet from the ground. The installation allows for individual containers to be lowered and configured in multiple ways, allowing them to keep a unique space for hosting exhibitions, events and other art installations during the exhibitions’ 18-month tenure. “The Magic Carpet is a floating ceiling of desires, a waiting answer to your questions, a never ending scenes scenery, a million stories container contained…it needs you, is waiting for you to activate the magic,” said Churtichaga, when describing the installation. “Just to be clear, the Incuboxes are not the containers we’re using for retail now,” noted Young & Woo’s Director of Business Development Adam Zucker. “They’re a marketing, pre-leasing effort as much as an art installation. We really just wanted to open the doors to Pier 57, because millions of people pass it by and no one knows its beauty. It’s not enough to come into ‘an abandoned warehouse last used by the MTA.’ We had to tell the story, but we don’t want the neighborhood to think that this 16,000 foot section of the Marina is the whole thing.” Pier 57 is also the site for “Pier Pressure,” a huge indoor mural painted onto the floor by local street artists. Jiang said, “We had a video installation in May, the street artists painting the floor in July, and on Saturdays we celebrate young musicians with a two-hour performance. We will have this unique programming throughout the rest of the summer.”

CITY APPROVES RESTORATION

In April, the New York City Council and the HRPT completed the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process for the project, approving the developers to move forward on construction and renovation. The process was led by the HRPT, which serves a role akin to a landlord in this situation. Construction on the project will begin this October, and be completed in the spring of 2015. “This was a truly collaborative process

Photo courtesy of GettyImages

By the spring of 2015, Pier 57 will be fully transformed into a dynamic center for food, fashion, film and the arts.

that wouldn’t have been possible without the sustained support and assistance of our neighbors and local leaders, and the developer’s own creative vision for the pier,” said HRPT President and CEO Madelyn Wils in an April press release. Wils, who will continue to collaborate with Pier 57 on uses for the space, thanked the New York City Council and Speaker Christine Quinn, Borough President Scott Stringer, Community Board 4 and the City Planning Commission for “recognizing the importance of bringing this historic pier back to life.” “The project ensures the Hudson River Park Trust will soon see a new, sorely needed source of revenue, which will be used to help improve and maintain the entire park,” said Quinn at the time of the ULURP approval. “The Pier 57 redevelopment plan is a major victory for Manhattan’s west side community.” Zucker said that the ULURP approval and rezoning process was the culmination of a three-year process of regulatory approvals that involved 27 city, state and federal agencies. “They approved our plans, and with that approval, we’re allowed to go forward with our proposed plans,” said Zucker. “It was an important milestone and one we used to kick off the public facing side of the project.” Construction on the project will start imminently, said Zucker, noting that at some point in the near future, there will be a

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

To Go Fish and Get Fit, ‘Trust’ the Hudson BY MAEVE GATELY Want to add more movement and fresh air to your life? Then look no further than your nearby piers and parks, where the Hudson River Park Trust has organized a series of summer events and classes, designed to keep your body moving and your fishing line taut.

SUMMER OF FITNESS

To get fit and stay that way, perspiration isn’t enough. So this free exercise series comes with a set of instructions, guaranteed to produce maximum results. All you have to do is provide the consistent effort. Tuesday evenings, Löle apparel and enthusiastic trainers from FITiST team up to lead participants through yoga, dance fitness and other group workouts — sweating and laughing as the adrenaline takes hold. Wednesdays and Thursdays feature Shape Up NYC, a citywide public fitness program organized by NYC Parks and taught by instructors from Equinox. Participants will learn Nia — a “sensory-based movement that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.” Nia has been taught in over 45 countries and is accessible to people with all body types and levels of experience. If the music and group energy is not enough to motivate you through these workouts, look out across the river — and jog towards the sunset! Free, for all ages and abilities (accessible to people with disabilities). Löle Meet-Ups: every Tues. through Aug. 20, 6:30pm, on

Photos courtesy of Hudson River Park Trust

Sweat, with precision and purpose: Pier 64 has Shape Up NYC classes, every Wed. at 6:30pm, through Aug. 21.

Pier 25 in Tribeca (at N. Moore St.). Bring your own mat. Class size is limited to 75, and RSVP is required (visit facebook.com/ loleshowtiquenyc or email Lole.Nyc@lole-

women.com). A mat is also necessary for Shape Up NYC, every Wed. through Aug. 21, 6:30pm, on Pier 64 in Chelsea (at W. 23rd St.) and every Thurs. through Aug. 22, 6:30pm, on Pier 84 in Hell’s Kitchen (at W. 44th St.). Classes limited to 75 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

BIG CITY FISHING

Urban anglers can drop a line on one of four piers — and they don’t need to bring anything other than patience and enthusiasm. HRPT educators will provide formal instruction, rods, reels and bait (and answer questions about technique and maritime ecology as

the day goes on). The rule is catch and release, so don’t expect to bring your prize bluefish home for dinner. What you can look forward to is an afternoon spent with your family or fellow anglers, learning the ins and outs of city fishing and watching the ferries go by — until your line gets a bite, and you reel away! Free. Appropriate for ages five and up. Weather permitting, 1-5pm, Sundays, on Pier 25 in Tribeca (at N. Moore St.), on Pier 63 in Chelsea (at W. 23rd St.) and on Pier 84 in Hell’s Kitchen (at W. 44th St.). Also 1-5pm Tuesdays, on Pier 46 in Greenwich Village (at Charles St.). For more info, visit hudsonriverpark.org.

HRPT provides the rod, reel, bait and instruction — Sun., 1-5, on Pier 63 (at W. 23rd St.).

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Hoylman Celebrates an Activist First Session BY NATHAN RILEY A jubilant Brad Hoylman entered his fundraiser with his face flushed and pep in his step. Though suits were everywhere, the freshman state senator arrived with his shirt open and casually dressed in khakis, his daughter and husband in tow, looking completely at home, confident he was among friends. He had come from the June 26 rally at the Stonewall bar celebrating the US Supreme Court decision driving a stake into the Defense of Marriage Act, the law prohibiting the federal government from recognizing married gay couples or offering the associated benefits to them. Clearly the rally was the high point of his day but he hugged his daughter, introduced his “partner, oops” he said shaking his head, “my husband.” Like his predecessor, Tom Duane, Hoylman brings a much needed confidently gay perspective to the State Senate. The Supreme Court decision was personal — it brought justice to both his community and his family. His husband, David Sigal, was equally elated, and they had brought their young daughter, Silvia Hoylman-Sigal, to both the rally and to the fundraiser. The personal and the political intertwine in their lives. Having just completed his first session in the State Senate, the West Side Democrat appears to have the makings of an influential legislator. Clearly he has a broad vision of the public interest. He acted promptly to stop the spread of meningitis among gay men, shepherding legislation permitting pharmacists to offer meningitis vaccinations, a bill strongly supported by Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the city’s health commissioner and Chelsea’s Dick Gottfried, the long-time chair of the Assembly Health Committee. This legislation improves health care access for sexually active gay and bisexual men who are at highest risk for contracting meningitis. The legislation, however, was not without controversy. The Medical Society of the State of New York believes it is risky to give medicines without knowing a patient’s background. Dr. Joshua Cohen, a neurologist at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Headache Institute, said there are some people who should never be vaccinated. Guillain-Barré Syndrome is relatively rare, but it can paralyze the muscles that control breathing and so is life-threatening, and anyone who has manifested its symptoms should avoid vaccination. Cohen’s concern is that such individuals won’t be identified if a doctor doesn’t participate in vaccination screening. On the other side of the debate were members of the Legislature who want to curb rising medical costs by expanding the service delivered by low-cost providers like pharmacists and physician’s assistants. Some thought other diseases for which vaccinations are available should have been added to Hoylman’s meningitis bill. After listening to the arguments, Hoylman decided that only the addition of a meningitis vaccine could be justified, and offered his conclusion to Senator Kenneth LaValle, the bill’s Long Island Republican co-sponsor. “We discussed it on the merits,” stressing

Photo by Donna Aceto

Senator Brad Hoylman, with husband David Sigal and daughter Silvia, at the June 26 rally celebrating the DOMA win at the Supreme Court.

that “the problem is one of access, especially for a person who might not be out to their doctor or don’t have doctors,” Hoylman said. The two reached agreement and the bill passed without opposition. This impressive achievement for a freshman legislator was not a one-hit wonder. Dealing in his first term with the aftermath of the St. Vincent’s Hospital closing several years before, Hoylman declared in a statement, “Shortages of hospitals, emergency rooms, and primary care physicians have led to a proliferation of new health care service delivery models across the state. But regulations on urgent care centers, mini clinics in pharmacies and the like are lacking and vague.” Instead of berating the New York State Department of Health for not doing its job, Hoylman crafted a resolution that enlisted the department’s support by asking it to study the emerging problem and correct the “vague” rules. That effort could have significant ramifications for better health care delivery statewide. For a freshman legislator in the minority of the Senate to pass two measures of general interest is a noteworthy achievement. Westchester’s Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democratic leader in the Senate, attended, as did Jim Yates, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s chief counsel. Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, Hoylman’s West Side colleague, offered him a warm introduction. In a telephone interview after the fundraiser, East Side Senator Liz Krueger freely offered Hoylman kudos, disputing the suspicion harbored by some that after serving as general counsel to the Partnership for New York, which represents the business community, “He would be in their pocket. It’s not true. He is voting his conscience. He gives a damn. He’s figuring out the process quickly.” With a sly chuckle, Krueger added that in the current political climate, he understands the risk “of being challenged from the left.” Hoylman is taking a lead in curbing the

New York City Housing Authority’s plan to allow market-rate housing to be built in parking lots and other vacant property adjacent to NYCHA projects. He wants these programs reviewed by city agencies, the City Council and local community boards like any other land development proposals in the city.

“As it currently stands, the public will have no say,” he said. Stewart-Cousins praised Hoylman’s skills as a lawyer. He supports tough ethics law changes that would advance campaign finance reform and stiffen a provision taking away the pension of legislators convicted of corruption — something that currently applies only to those first elected recently. Under Hoylman’s formulation, any legislator who accepts per diem expense reimbursement, no matter when first elected, would put their pension at risk if convicted of a corruption abuse. “These legislators hurt their families when they betray the public trust,” he said of what would result from his approach. “I hold public officials to a higher standard.” Hoylman is on the Senate Codes Committees that vets criminal law changes, and he promised to work with Kathleen Rice, the Nassau district attorney, to persuade the State District Attorneys Association to support a proposal to end the use of condoms as evidence in prostitution cases, a measure approved by the Assembly in this year’s session. AIDS advocates warn that using condom possession to arrest individuals discourages safe sex practices among sex workers as well as young people, many of them LGBT. After six months in the State Senate, it is already clear that Hoylman’s efforts are generating high expectations.

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Discover who you are.

Join us for The Village Temple’s Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services. Rabbi Chava Koster stirs us with her wit and wisdom, drawing on tradition while seeking the new. With his rich baritone, Cantorial Soloist Gerard Edery infuses our annual search for meaning with power and soul. Add your voice to our songs and prayers!

Join us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the Great Hall at Cooper Union: FREE CHILDREN’S SERVICES at 2 p.m. on Sept. 5 and Sept 14. Visit our school’s Open House on Sept. 15 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at The Village Temple, 33 E. 12th St.

Reach us at www.VillageTemple.org · 212-674-2340

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Comparison Shopping at Whole Foods, Fairway and Trader Joe’s Continued from page 2 do need to pick up a heat-and-eat dinner, I suggest you do it halfway here. Buy the “just chicken” ($5.49) that’s in the refrigerated section and a “stir fry kit” ($3.99) in the produce section. While you plate your chicken and heat it, you can throw the veggie mix in a pan with a little oil and low-sodium soy sauce to have a semi-home cooked meal at less than $10. Whole Foods: Better for ready-to-eat dinners instead of lunches, they have fancy prepared mains and sides behind the counter that tastes like you just went to mom’s and fixed yourself a plate. With options like BBQ Chicken, roasted turkey, poached salmon, London broil, roasted tofu, vegan cranberry cous cous, steamed vegetables and quinoa salads, you can stay healthy and avoid guilt about a purchase made based on last-minute hunger pains. They may be more expensive than the Trader Joe’s packaged meals, but they are fresher and probably better for you (if you don’t choose the high-fat, high-salt packaged options). Though not the best options for lunch, there still is the $8.99/ lb salad bar, which also has hot food for dinner — but be careful! When you make your own food selection at a salad bar, you may overshoot your calories since there’s so much variety.

Fairway: During their opening last week, they had specials like $3.99 for sushi. I happened to notice later that the rolls only went up to $4.99, and there’s a sushi chef on campus. Score! They have a make-your-own salad for $6.99/lb that gets tossed by the staff, plus suggested salad combinations (which are great for lunch). They do have some packaged salads that are a bargain — like $8.99 for a salad with a huge chunk of grilled salmon — but no quick wraps or sandwiches that I could see. For dinner, they have a hot bar at $6.99/lb with fresh cooked food like roasted broccoli and cauliflower, herb grilled turkey cutlets and balsamic Cornish hens. They only have about eight options but if you like what’s there, you’re sure to get out of there a lot quicker than you would at Whole Foods, and you’re spending less. To sum up my experience for here regarding “fast meals,” I would say Fairway doesn’t have as extensive a variety as the other two stores, but it still has healthy options that are available if you’re looking for a quick lunch or dinner.

each and large stir-fry kits are only $3.99. I suggest you buy your frozen fruits and vegetables here, as large bags of veggies range from $1.69 to $2.99, while a big bag of frozen strawberries and mango are under $3. I’ve never been a fan of the avocados or consistency of other produce items. But if you’re looking for bargains on some of the above products, you can find them here. Fairway: They have a large section for produce and a nice aisle that separates organic from non-organic. There are more fresh herbs here than the other two stores, and at a bargain price of $1.99. Carrots are two for $3, romaine lettuce is $1.99 for a local head or $2.49 for a pack of three. Bananas are 79 cents per pound, which is three to four bananas for about 20 cents each and peaches are 69 cents each (so less than $3 per pound).

There are stir-fry kits available and frozen fruits and vegetables — but not as large, good looking and cheap as Trader Joe’s. I bought cauliflower, zucchini and squash, which were all very good. I still believe in buying your berries and in-season fruits at fruit stands or farmers markets when you come across it, as they are usually the best priced and tastiest. Whole Foods: I didn’t realize until now that Whole Foods produce is almost entirely organic — meaning it costs $2.99 for a mango, $3.29 per pint of grape tomatoes and $4.99 per pound for loose raw veg to make a stir fry kit. Unless you believe in going totally organic, I suggest you save produce shopping for Fairway and Trader Joe’s.

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PRODUCE

Trader Joe’s: I’m usually not a huge fan of Trader Joe’s produce, but some of it is definitely worth going here as your first stop. For only $2.99 you can get a quart of grape tomatoes or pay 17 cents for a banana. Large mangos are 99 cents

NEWLY CONSTRUCTED APARTMENTS FOR RENT 500 West 30th Street AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY in Manhattan / Chelsea Related Affordable Housing Group is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for 78 rental apartments now under construction at 500 West 30th Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. This building is being constructed through the Inclusionary Housing Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program with New York State Homes & Community Renewal. The size, rent, and targeted income distribution for the 78 apartments are as follows: # of Apts. Apartment Household Rent** Total Annual Household Income Available Size Size* Minimum – Maximum*** 40% Area Median Income 4 5

Studio 1 bedroom

2 bedroom

22 28

Studio 1 bedroom

2 bedroom

2 bedroom, 2 bath

1 1 2 2 3 4

$525 $564 $687

$19,920 - $24,080 $21,326 - $24,080 $21,326 - $27,520 $25,612 - $27,520 $25,612 - $30,960 $25,612 - $34,360

50% Area Median Income 1 1 2 2 3 4 2 3 4

$670 $720 $873 $873

$24,892 - $30,100 $26,675 - $30,100 $26,675 - $34,400 $31,989 - $34,400 $31,989 - $38,700 $31,989 - $42,950 $31,989 - $34,400 $31,989 - $38,700 $31,989 - $42,950

*Subject to occupancy criteria. **Includes gas for heat and cooking. ***Income guidelines subject to change. st

Initial occupancy expected for March 1 of 2014. Building amenities include: 24-hour attended lobby, on-site resident manager, sun terrace, fitness center*, computer lounge*, bbq terrace*, party rooms* (*additional fees apply). Qualified applicants will be required to meet income and household size guidelines and additional selection criteria to qualify. Households may elect to submit an application by one of two methods: EITHER online OR by mail. To submit your application online now, please visit NYC Housing Connect at www.nyc.gov/housingconnect and select “Apply for Housing”. All online applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on September 30, 2013. To request an application by mail, send your complete name and mailing th address, including apartment number and zip code, to: RW30, 328 8 Avenue, Box 240, New York, NY 10001. Completed applications must be postmarked no later than by September 30, 2013. Applications will be selected by lottery; applicants who submit more than one application will be disqualified. When completed, this application must be returned by regular mail ONLY (priority, certified, registered, express, overnight mail, or oversized envelopes will NOT be accepted). Disqualified applications will not be accepted. Eligible households that include persons with mobility impairments will receive preference for 5% of the units; eligible households that include persons with visual and/or hearing impairments will receive preference for 2% of the units. Current and eligible residents of Manhattan Community Board 4 will receive preference for 50% of the units; eligible City of New York Municipal Employees will receive a 5% preference.

THIS IS A SMOKE-FREE DEVELOPMENT. No Broker’s Fee. No Application Fee. MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, Mayor The City of New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development MATHEW M. WAMBUA, Commissioner New York State Homes & Community Renewal DARRYL C. TOWNS, Commissioner/CEO www.nyc.gov/housingconnect

Photo by Carlye Waxman RD, CDN

Trader Joe’s has some great (and cheap) on-the-go lunch options.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

After Sandy, How to be Better Prepared Next Time Continued from page 1 the weather, it’s not great,” she added, with a laugh. Mary Ting, a neighbor in Mandel’s building, explained that it took 14 years for them to renovate the building’s interior. “We’re ‘sweat equity,’ and in that way, we’re always accustomed to doing,” she said. “We were down with candles right away [during Sandy], and that made us ahead of a lot of other places that were waiting for help.” Now that people know what to expect when a hurricane hits town, water, flashlights and candles should be high on everyone’s list. However, participants at the session still had concerns about communication, and the group brainstormed about what should be done during similar types of emergency situations — such as having the city post fliers to disseminate urgent information. “I don’t think the city communicated with us really well,” said Anne Edris, an Avenue C community-based business owner. For example, after Sandy, Avenue C residents were not supposed to drink the water, even after boiling it. Rather, they were instructed to drink only bottled water. Yet, no one knew this at the time. “Three months later, the Department of Environmental Protection sent letters telling us, ‘Don’t drink the water,’ ” Edris said. She and other people had felt sick post-Sandy from drinking the water. Fred Seiden, who made copies of family photos to mail to relatives prior to the storm, worried about the general public’s mentality. “I wonder if we’ll slide just back in complacency,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, in case it happens again.” The counselors discussed the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of disasters, and how to reacclimate oneself to the community and re-establish a sense of normal life. Victoria Nilsson, a coordinator for New York City Civic Corps at the Office of Emergency Management, talked about the practicalities of disaster preparedness. She travels to all five boroughs to train people for emergencies, doing one session per day. “We’ve had a huge focus on areas affected by Sandy,” she said. The city’s emergency plan, which covers creating a support network, packing a to-go bag and a stay-at-home kit, is not only for hurricanes. Nilsson noted there are plenty of hazards in the city besides flooding, such as “blackouts, fires, gas leaks, utilities, lack of public transportation, cell phone towers down, earthquakes, tornados and terrorism.” The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) used to be part of the New York Police Department — but after September 11, 2001, it was made separate.

A to-go bag and its contents, including the Ready New York “My Emergency Plan” booklet.

“If there’s an outbreak,” Nilsson said, “we have operations — FDNY, NYPD. But sometimes you have to have multiple agencies in place, as you’ve seen. Sometimes they don’t work well together. OEM goes in and coordinates the efforts.” An emergency support network is step one in the plan. Have at least two people, one near you, and one not in the city, she explained. “It’s preferable if it’s outside of the state,” said Nilsson. This is crucial so that you do not feel isolated in an emergency zone, people will be able to deliver mes-

sages, and you’ll have somewhere to stay, if necessary. Also, write down medical conditions, allergies and prescription doses. “It’s very important,” advised Nilsson. “Even though it’s personal, have it on you.” Make sure you list your blood type, any devices you may need, and contact information for doctors, pharmacies and health insurance. Figure out reliable transportation. Add friends who may have cars to your list, plus taxi service numbers.

As for when public transportation goes down, Nilsson said, “They say three days, but it can take a lot longer. If you need to get somewhere, make sure you have transportation in your plan.” She also recommended organizing a community carpool if there are there are neighbors with serious health needs. If you are stuck during an evacuation period, Nilsson urged calling 911 instead of 311, which would take a lot longer to get a response.

Continued on page 22

July 31 - August 13, 2013

editorial

Forgive us if we judge, but we liked what we heard “Who am I to judge?” Those simple words said so much. Since Pope Francis became leader of the Catholic Church in March it was clear that unlike his predecessor, he would be a unifying figure with a message to be embraced, not just by Catholics, but also by many people of all faiths and of no faith. The Pope said Monday that he would not judge gay priests who had goodness in their hearts. One such priest who surely would have qualified was Father Mychal Judge, the FDNY chaplain who died on 9/11 after he rushed to the collapsing Twin Towers to give spiritual comfort to firefighters and other rescue workers. The Catholic church is one of the world’s most important institutions, and what it says and does has implications far beyond its faithful, which is the reason why we are taking a moment to celebrate the Pope’s most heartening comments. Perhaps the most significant part of his words are that he uttered the word “gay,” a probable first for any Pope. The Vatican’s hostility toward gays under leaders like Pope Benedict XVI — who called their actions “evil” — does not end with one statement, but it represents important movement. To be clear, there is no reason to think that the Vatican will be ready to fully accept gays this year or even this century, but Pope Francis’ remarks are a clear change in tone and yet another indication that he is part of the best of what the church has to offer the world. His emphasis on aiding the poor helps explain why he drew millions of Catholics during his trip to Brazil. It was only a year ago that the Vatican was chastising the largest group of American nuns, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, for spending too much time worrying about the health and well-being of the poor. We can’t imagine a similar order coming down under Pope Francis. The church has much to overcome. There’s the pedophilia, the coverups, the flirtation of at least a few with anti-Semitism and the treatment of gays. But despite these instances of evil, there are also enormous acts of good done in the name of the church — the quiet and countless acts of kindness by nuns, priests, educators and others who do it out of their love for Christ and his teachings. The church has so much power to help the world. Pope Francis showed again he wants to do just that.

letters to the editor No NID is a bad idea for park To The Editor: It is rare to hear an argument against more open space for Downtown. Most people I encounter want more — more fields, more playspaces, more bike paths, more everything. One visit to Tribeca’s Pier 25 on a weekend or Washington Market Park after school lets out will show you that in fact we don’t just want it — we need more open space Downtown. An argument against the Hudson River Park Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) is an argument against more open space. Gone are the days when government builds new parks on a grand scale without having a revenue stream to support them. The NID is good planning for a neighborhood that uses its parks like no other. The NID allows neighbors to proactively support a resource they need and love. The yearly cost of the NID to Downtown residents is very small relative to the value of the park in our lives. Hudson River Park can live within its current means, yes. It does that now. But the job we have as stewards of the park is to plan for the future, not just to get by for the time being. Two-thirds of the park’s budget goes to structural maintenance, security, lights and utilities, and cleaning. So to continue to run the park on our current income means we won’t be able to complete the park’s full construction, or worse, commercial development where park should be. It also means, as time goes on, that the park will no longer look like the one we know today, or be maintained or policed the way it is today, as costs for everything from security staff to power to garbage removal go up. Already I have heard suggestions not to build the remaining sections of the park that are still uncompleted, to save maintenance costs. This is a shortsighted, uninspired and, frankly, depressing notion. Perhaps another solution will come along in the next sev-

eral years. Or perhaps by then we will have missed a chance to ensure a strong future for the park we all depend on. Pam Frederick Frederick is a board member, Hudson River Park Trust

Enjoy your ‘blood condos’! To The Editor: Re “Former Hospital Carved Up, Will Become Greenwich Lane Condos” (news article, July 17): I still wonder how long buyers will be haunted by the ghosts of a hospital in these blood condos. One more example of the arrogance of the Rudin family and their Rudin real estate company is, again, that they change what they said was being built. State Senator Holyman is correct in saying that the decrease of the number of these new residents will have a favorable effect on the integration into the neighborhood of these rich folk and lower the disruption on existing community resources. A smaller hospital with a trauma level-one ER could have been built either on the hospital site or across the street on the O’Toole site without being in violation of the landmark ruling. Jim Fouratt E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@chelseanow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

Pier Air Rights May Open a Pandora’s Box of Development talKiNG PoiNt BY ANDREW BERMAN In late June we learned that the state Assembly and Senate had passed legislation that, among other things, allows the sale of air rights from piers within the Hudson River Park for development one block inland — with the money from the sales to be used to fund the park. This startling news has raised serious concerns about exactly how much additional development this will lead to, as well as to where and what the impact will be. Unfortunately, none of the answers to these questions are fully clear yet, in part because of the complicated rules governing development in New York. But it’s also partly because very little analysis of these questions was done prior to the Legislature’s approval of this measure, and because exactly how this will ultimately play out still remains to be seen. This legislation may not, in and of itself, result in a wall of skyscrapers bordering the park. But, at the very least, it may facilitate substantially larger development on the blocks bounded on the west by West Street, all the way from Chambers Street to 59th Street. Worse, it may open the door to, and provide an incentive and rationale for, rezoning parts of our neighborhood to permit even larger development than just the air-rights transfers, in themselves, would allow. And it is yet another step toward requiring real estate development as the price for securing public amenities and infrastructure — a disturbing trend which has become increasingly common in New York City in recent years. While it is unclear exactly how the transfer of air rights from park piers will ultimately play out, the scenarios range from worrisome to much worse. The worst-case scenario is that the legislation has already made air-rights transfers immediately possible from piers within the park to inland sites for development. Most of those behind the legislation, including state Senator Brad Hoylman, who voted to approve the measure, and Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Dick Gottfried, who sponsored it, believe this is not the case. I am hopeful that this is true. But there is enough ambiguity in the language of the legislation that further investigation is needed to conclusively prove this — especially given that state legislation trumps New York City zoning rules, and it is those city zoning rules that the bill’s authors claim prevent the use of the pier’s air rights inland right now. But even in a best-case scenario, approval of this legislation was the first step in a two-step process to allow these air-rights sales and transfers to take place. And this decision was made with virtually no notice to or consultation with the affected inland communities, outside of some discussion within committees charged with oversee-

ing the development of the Hudson River Park (and many members of those committees have said even they were completely blindsided by this plan). In response to the questions we have raised, the Hudson River Park Trust has recently put forward a figure of around 1.6 million square feet as the total of unused air rights currently available under this new rule. To give you some sense of how much this is, the 30-story towers of NYU’s Silver Towers complex on Bleecker Street — currently some of the tallest and most prominent buildings in the Village — are about 200,000 square feet each. So 1.6 million square feet would be the equivalent of eight more of these towers that currently dominate the skyline of the Village. But there is reason to believe that the amount of potential air rights ultimately may be even greater. The 1.6 million-square-foot figure is based upon current conditions on the piers. But some of these piers, such as Pier 40, at W. Houston Street, may eventually have some or all of their structures (pier sheds) removed, or replaced with smaller ones. The current Pier 40 structure is several hundred thousand square feet; so if even just part of the structure is eventually removed — say, 200,000 square feet — that creates an additional 200,000 square feet of air rights that, under this new legislation, could be transferred inland for development on those neighboring blocks. The 1.6 million-square-foot figure also assumes that only those piers that are designated as “commercial” piers, such as Pier 40, Chelsea Piers and Pier 76, among others, have air rights, and that “recreational” piers, such as those at Christopher, Charles and Jane Streets, do not. But this is based upon interpretations of zoning regulations by the city, and the city has been known to change such interpretations before. In recent years, for instance, the city has reinterpreted zoning rules to allow “condohotels” in manufacturing zones, and to allow air rights from properties restricted to community uses to be used for private condo development. More importantly, we’ll soon have a new mayor, which means those in charge of making these interpretations will soon be changing, as well. While a new mayor does not have unlimited latitude in this regard, there is room to maneuver on these sort of development and zoning issues, and past mayors have certainly done so before. But even if the amount of air rights are exactly what state legislators and the Hudson River Park Trust are currently telling us, and their use on inland blocks would still require an additional city or state action, this is not very reassuring. Neither a city rezoning (a “ULURP”) or a “general project plan” by the state — the next-step processes that would be required to use the air rights — guarantees a favorable outcome for the community. In fact, experience has shown just the opposite is more likely the case.

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And both the city and state processes are ultimately controlled by forces far beyond our neighborhood. A rezoning initiated by the city or a private developer is decided by appointees of the mayor, the five borough presidents and the 51 members of the City Council, who may have a very different view of what is right for our community than we do. And a “general project plan” by the state is decided by forces even farther removed from our community, in Albany. Both processes involve limited, if any, community input, and we have seen how community input can be ignored in city rezonings, as with NYU’s expansion plan. But perhaps most disturbingly, this new mechanism creates a strong incentive for our current zoning to be reopened to not only allow the transfer of air rights from the piers — which would allow larger development inland to fund the park — but to go beyond that and allow even greater development in our neighborhoods as part of the deal. Based upon experiences in recent years, it is easy to imagine a scenario in which we will be told that in order to get the “benefit” of an air-rights transfer from the piers to fund the Hudson River Park, we will have to accept a zoning change with additional, undesirable elements — whether it be even larger development, undesirable uses or zoning changes elsewhere. This has been the consistent pattern in most, (though not all) rezonings put forward by the city when some public benefit is attached. I don’t mean to imply that the entire picture emerging from the adoption of this air-rights transfer provision is automatically doom and gloom. Is it possible that limited air-rights transfers could be allowed to sites one block inland where larger development than currently allowed is appropriate? Could the tradeoff ultimately be worth it to help the park? Is it even possible that as part of the rezonings or “general project plans” that may be necessary to allow this to happen, other benefits could be afforded our community, or other positive changes made to development rules in our neighborhood? It is possible. And that is exactly what those who made this air-rights transfer provision possible now have a responsibility to ensure happens, should this provision be used. But frankly, that will be no easy task. And with this new development-rights transfer legislation, our ongoing fight to preserve the scale and character of our neighborhood, especially along the waterfront, just got a good deal more challenging. This new provision has opened a proverbial Pandora’s box of development potential. And in our heavily real estate industry-influenced city, the outcome of that is, I believe, much more likely to be bad than good. Andrew Berman is executive director, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

Police BLOTTER Robbery: Forced to make withdrawals A 29-year-old man visiting from Portugal was walking on Ninth Ave., near W. 15th St., at around 4:30am on Wed., July 24 — when he was approached by two men, who engaged him in conversation. The seemingly friendly interaction didn’t last long, though. By pushing and grabbing him, the men soon intimidated the victim into making a withdrawal at an ATM located on W. 14th & Hudson St. The group proceeded to an ATM at W. 14th St. & Eighth Ave., where the victim was forced to hand over more cash. In total, the pair made off with $500. Based on the victim’s report to police, uniformed officers of the 10th Precinct canvassed the nearby area and arrested the perps, ages 24 and 29.

Criminal Possession: Bench warmer had a warrant Taking up space while living on borrowed time caught up with a 53-year-old man — who was arrested after officers observed him outstretched across a park bench inside the Chelsea Park playground (303 Ninth Ave., btw 27th & 28th Sts.). Upon investigation, the man (who initially called attention to himself

Keep on top of local crime

because he was not allowing others to use the bench) was found to be in possession of a controlled substance — and also had an active warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody at around 11:40am on Tues., July 23.

Robbery: Brandished guns, demanded goods While walking eastbound on 41st St. at around 1:30am on Wed. July 24, two women (both 19 years of age) were approached by two male juveniles (ages 14 & 17). Both of the young men had bandanas covering their faces, and both brandished a firearm. “Give me your shit,” one of them demanded — while the other proceeded to forcibly remove the purses of each victim. The perps then fled westbound on 41st St., and then southbound to 11th Ave. Police, called to the scene, conducted a canvass of the area. They soon found the pair, along with a 15-year-old male and a 16-year-old male. Both of the guns used in the robbery were in the 14-year-old’s possession, and every member of the group had some of the victim’s missing items. The group of four was arrested, while the two women were reunited with their cell phones, a Coach wallet, an iPad, an iPod touch, cash, various credit cards and their purses.

Lost Property: Cleanliness next to forgetfulness Maybe she was transfixed by the way American water swirls in the opposite direction. A visitor from Sydney, Australia, was in the ladies room of Avenue nightclub (116 10th Ave., btw. 17th & 18th Sts.) at around 2am on Tues., July 16. Just before washing her hands, she placed her cell phone (a Samsung Galaxy valued at $700) on the counter — then left the room without her pricey phone. When she returned, the item was gone.

Robbery: Double phone grab, single recovery

Walking westbound on 21st St. at around 2:15am on Mon., July 22, two 21-year-old women were approached by a pair of men, who demanded they hand over their cell phones. One of the men punched the first victim and took her phone — while his partner pulled the hair of the second victim, causing her to drop her phone. He grabbed it, and the perps fled — leading to the arrest, a short time later, of perp #1 (a 19-year-old). He was in possession of a Verizon Galaxy phone, valued by the victim at $350. The second perp, along with the second stolen phone, was not found.

—Scott Stiffler

National Night Out Against Crime National Night Out (“America’s Night Out Against Crime”) began in 1984 as an effort to promote police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Our local version — organized by members of the 10th Precinct Community Council and the Fulton Resident Association — is an opportunity to meet officers of the 10th Precinct, eat some great food, play some games, learn about crime prevention and share ideas about how to make Chelsea a safer place year-round. Tues., Aug. 6, from 4-8pm, at Fulton Houses (17th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). For more info, visit natw.org.

Physician

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has a full-time opening at a correctional facility in southern Dutchess County for a NYS licensed physician to provide primary care to offender-patients. The position offers a competitive salary and NYS civil service benefits. The position includes limited on call responsibilities. Please direct inquiries and interest to: Cathy Selber, Personnel Director, Green Haven Correctional Facility, Stormville, N.Y. 12582, 845-221-2711 ext 3600, fax number 845-221-2711 ext 2099. Resume can be emailed to: Cathleen.Selber@doccs.ny.gov

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Commander: Captain David S. Miller. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212741-8245. The Community Council meeting, open to the public, takes place at 7pm on the last Wed. of the month. The Council is currently on summer hiatus, and resumes on Sept. 25.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Ted Bernsted. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meeting takes place at 6:30pm on the third Tues. of the month. The Council is on hiatus, and resumes Sept. 17.

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

CRIME STOPPERS If you have info regarding a crime committed or a wanted person, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, text “TIP577” (plus your message) to “CRIMES” (274637) or submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

chelsea: arts & ENTERTAINMENT Bleep-Bloops: New York’s Groovy Dance Music Shows Manhattan, Brooklyn DJs induce summer sweats BY VONYX (soundcloud.com/mikawvawn) My best friend, Mario, is Portuguese. Growing up, I’d play him indie rock. He’d play some bleepy-bloopy computer music, I’d frown, and he’d say, “Bro, in Portugal, I’ll take you clubbing and you’ll get it!” He’d pollute my car speakers for a little while before I wrestled the iPod from his Iberian hands to finally put on Arcade Fire. Electronic music was far out of my comfort zone. Then, we went to Portugal. The streets were sepia. The air was salty. The radio was nothing but house music — all the time. Back home, my aunt drove through the back hills of Appalachia crooning softly to Hank Williams. Here, his aunt chain smoked cigarettes and howled Inna tunes in a raspy voice. Every day was synthesizers, hi-hats and bass drums. When Mario would wake up, sometime between 4 and 5pm, he’d open the bedroom window and electronic music would come shuffling down the street into our living room. It was inescapable. A transformation started coming over me. First, my head started bopping to the rhythm of some cheesy Eurodance while we drove through Lisbon. Next, my shoulders started rolling when we got on the bus to go to the bars. Finally, my mouth moved in slow motion as I asked, “Yooooo, whaaaatt is theeee nameee of thiiiiis saaaong?” That was it. From that moment on, I have never resisted. The four on the floor beat is my vice. Hopefully, you’ve accepted the groove, because it’s flowing down sidewalks, careening off rooftops and emanating from windows in every borough. New York is mecca for electronic music right now. We’ve birthed entire movements in the genre — jackin’ New Jersey house, MK’s organ-friendly garage tracks and dark Brooklyn basement techno. Dance music is a mainstay of New York. It is a perfect time to go see a show. There is a brilliant DIY scene in Brooklyn that is undiscovered by many. There are clubs all over Manhattan playing everything from top 40 EDM to UK Garage. There are festivals of all sorts that call New York home every year. Here is a list of some of the best bleepbloops this summer. GOOD KIDS PRESENT is a collective of four DJs and a photographer that throws dance parties peppering the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. There is somewhat of a retro vibe surrounding the

Image courtesy of the artists

Get sweaty with the Good Kids Present, every Monday Night at Home Sweet Home. Don’t be surprised if you hear some 90s R&B tossed into the mix.

group. All of their posters are in 8-bit graphics. Their mixes contain dusty R&B tracks, like Aaliyah’s “One in a Million.” They’re not afraid to jackknife headlong back into the 90s, whereas other promotion groups won’t. Good Kids Present is a scene-maker. Having already helped quite a few underground DJs get their start, they are a mini factory for new New York talent. Now they have also started a record label, Doom Dab, that aims to help undiscovered artists find audiences as well as serve to solidify the modern retro sound of Good Kids Present. Every Monday at the dark basement club, Home Sweet Home (in the Bowery), they host a free party. The music starts at 11 and shouldn’t stop until last call. Info:facebook.com/goodkidspresent.

BODY LANGUAGE is a dancey, sweaty, delicious summertime essential. Think Animal Collective goes to the pool, smokes a joint, grabs the local elementary school choir and heads for the disco. This four piece electro-pop band got started playing the DIY circuit in Brooklyn and is now killing dance floors in Manhattan. With a new album coming soon (“The Grammar LP”), Body Language has only just begun their ascent. They will be making hands clap and booties shake on August 1 at Bowery Ballroom. Doors are at 8pm, and the show starts at 9. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 the day of. Info: bodylanguagemusic.com. GEOGRAPHER is poppy and catchy, but not bubblegum. They’re a band, but

their music could have just as easily been made on a laptop. They’re fun. They’re pensive. They’re dark. Think New Order’s troubled American cousin on a Slip ‘n Slide. It shouldn’t make perfect sense. Do yourself a favor and go hear the haunting swells of analog synthesizer and howling vocals at Bowery Ballroom on August 24. Doors are at 8pm. Tickets are $15 the day of, $13 in advance. Info: geographermusic.com. YOUTH LAGOON is a factory of sentimental, hook-laden jams. His soft voice sits beautifully over whistles and catchy electric piano. For someone who self-labels as experimental psychedelic

Continued on page 12

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Dance Floor Rumbles, Through Labor Day summer long, weather permitting. Info: mistersaturdaynight.com.

Continued from page 11 music, he is remarkably accessible to an ear more attuned to pop. His LP “Year of Hibernation” was an anthemic first release back in 2011 and “Wondrous Bughouse,” his sophomore LP (released in March on Fat Possum records), proved that his creative juices are still flowing. Prince Rama, a Brooklyn bred psych-pop band, will be opening. Tickets are $20. Info: fatpossum. com/artists/youth-lagoon. ALUNAGEORGE are mixing R&B and electronic flavors like a less racist Paula Deen in this kitchen. The British duo consists of Aluna Francis singing sexy Mariah Carey-like vocals and George Reid making equi-sexy beats to back her. Their lyrics are blunt, reminiscent of Lily Allen. Their beats are pumping and edgy like their cited inspiration, Hud$on Mohawke. England has put their overwhelming stamp of approval on this duo, with the BBC nominating them to their Sound of 2013 poll and Disclosure collaborating with them on their hit, “White Noise.” They will be at Bowery Ballroom September 5. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of. If you miss that one, they will be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on September 6. Info: alunageorge.com/

BASS SQUAD is a rowdy time. It’s young, fun and stylish. The Squad itself is four undergrads from NYU, Graham Fortgang being the CEO and Lenny Vidges the Creative Director. They began two years ago with a raucous, sold-out party headlined by Moombahton DJ Dillon Francis and have since matured into an organized company. Recent artists that have played at Bass Squad events include A$AP Rocky, Baauer and Disclosure. Check out the Squad at their weekly Thursday night event, Prysm, at Lil Charlie’s (in Little Italy). Info: facebook.com/basssquadnyc.

Photo courtesy of Body Language

Body Language has a new LP (“Grammar”) coming out Sept. 10.

MISTER SATURDAY NIGHT is a “lofty” loft party, according to their tagline. It’s held Saturday nights in Brooklyn, usually in a private residence that they repurpose for the night into a groove-fueled, friendly dance party. They also host Mister Sundays, an allday get down, at Gowanus Grove. Hosts

and DJs Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter are veterans of Brooklyn’s DIY scene. With a true love for dance music and a distaste for clubby drama, they created Mister Saturday Night hoping to bring people together who want to dance well into the morning. It’s simple. It’s fun. There are no fancy chandeliers, no Grey Goose bottles and no guidos. There’s a dance floor and a toothbrush the host accidentally left in the bathroom. MSN is a dance party for the locals. Go check it out. There will be a Mister Sunday at Gowanus Grove every Sunday all

ELECTRIC ZOO is for the EDM fanatic. Either you’re a bandana-wearing, Skrillex hairdo-sporting basshead or you’re a neon-tanked, Camelbak-chugging festival aficionado. Electric Zoo is the place to be on the festival circuit. On Labor Day weekend, an army of DJs including Avicii, Tiesto, Datsik, A-Trak and a whole slew of others will descend upon Randall’s Island and pump the place with house, dubstep and trance. This is a brand name show. Not for the faint of heart. If you plan on doing E-Zoo right, buy your tickets far in advance, stock up on granola bars and start your pushup regiment now (as navigating the viscous crowd will be a marathon workout). Ticket prices are rising quickly. Right now they range from $139 for a one-day pass to $359 for all three days. Info: madeevent. com/electriczoo.

Photo courtesy of the artists

Mister Saturday Night: Eamon Harkin (right) and Justin Carter, in the process of turning up.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

They Came From the Academic Milieu For some, FringeNYC is an off-campus lab experiment

n a t t a h n a M 3 1 0 2 t n e d i s e r P h g u Boro Come meet and hear from: • Gale Brewer

• Jessica Lappin

• Robert Jackson

• Julie Menin

Councilmember

Photo by Dixie Sheridan

Walt Whitman guides a repressed young man, in Evergreen Valley College teacher Kristian O’Hare’s “Like Poetry.”

THEATER FringeNYC: THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL

August 9-25 185 shows, at 20 Downtown venues Fringe Central: 27 Second Ave. (btw. 1st & 2nd Sts.), open 12-8pm daily Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 at the door Call 866-468-7619 Visit fringenyc.org

BY MARTIN DENTON (of nytheatre.com) At the 2001 New York International Fringe Festival, you could have seen the original production of the cult camp musical “Debbie Does Dallas,” one of Clay McLeod Chapman’s early versions of “The Pumpkin Pie Show” or Mike Daisey in his first NYC solo show, “21 Dog Years.” But I think my most vivid memory of that fifth FringeNYC was a piece called “Awaiting

Repair in the Eternal Hootenanny,” which was performed by a remarkable and intrepid cast of eight in Henry Street Settlement’s Experimental Theater Space. “Hootenanny” was not a show in any conventional sense. It was, resolutely, thrillingly, an experiment: the product of several months of workshops led by director Julia Lee Barclay, whose objective was to “teach and discover new tools for the creation of a theatrical language based on ever-shifting reality fields, rather than a static interpretation of a given set of circumstances.” From my seat in the audience, it was (I wrote) an exciting adventure into theatrical creativity; a rare and thrilling glimpse of a process-in-process. Very much what a fringe festival is supposed to be about. “Hootenanny” taught me many things, but none so important as the fact that the New York International Fringe Festival is not simply a playground for new and emerging indie theater artists (though of course it is that). FringeNYC is also a laboratory for serious theater creators from the world of academia — an off-campus place where they can put work on its feet and then share their ideas and discoveries with a likeminded group of artists. Barclay has since gone on to earn her Ph.D., doing work that was rooted in the experiments of that FringeNYC show a dozen years ago. She’s just one of hundreds of FringeNYC artists whose careers are based in colleges and universities. As we head into the 17th annual edition of FringeNYC, I thought it might be fun to explore the festival from this angle, pre-

Continued on page 14

Councilmember

Former Community Board 1 Chair

Gay City News, The Villager, Downtown Express, Chelsea Now, and The East Villager are partnering with Citizens Union and NYU to bring candidates for Manhattan Borough President together to debate the issues facing the borough in the next four years. The debate will be moderated by Dick Dadey, Executive Director of Citizens Union, and Paul Schindler, Editor-in-Chief of Gay City News.

NYU Center for Academic and Spiritual Life Grand Hall 238 Thompson St. (just below Washington Sq. Park), 5th Floor

Wednesday, August 7 • 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. • Free and open to the public

Space is limited. Please RSVP at rsvp@chelseanow.com

www.chelseanow.com

www.nyu.edu

www.citizensunion.org

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Academic Achievements, at FringeNYC INEXCUSABLE FANTASIES is, according to the FringeNYC program guide, about “Martha Stewart’s marzipan, motorcycles and Panasonic personal massagers…lesbian (in)visibility and the unmistakably erotic powers of Grandma's Oil of Olay,” Intriguing, yes? It’s the brainchild of actor/playwright Susan McCully and director Eve Muson — both of whom teach at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Previously seen in Baltimore and at the Prague Fringe Festival, “Inexcusable Fantasies” is the only show at FringeNYC, Muson promises, that features a bronzed Panabrator II Personal Massage Wand. (“The play isn't especially vulgar but it’s thick with sexual innuendo.”)

Continued from page 13 viewing some of the shows in this year’s festival that come from the academic milieu. A FUTURE IMPERFECT, by William S.E. Coleman, imagines an oppressive government that regulates human contact. Coleman was a professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The play is actually directed by a former student of his, Allison Moody. Coleman recently told Chelsea Now’s content partner, nytheatre.com, “Contemporary theatre veers between the Brecht-Artaud polarities; but some theatre artists are able to combine them into one coherent event. “A Future Imperfect” was designed to realize this aesthetic fusion by moving and entertaining audiences, stimulating thought and discussion about our world and the direction it’s heading.” EX MACHINA comes to FringeNYC from the University of California at San Diego’s Wagner New Play Festival; both playwright David Jacobi and director Sarah Wansley are students in the MFA theater program there. Here’s the official blurb: “Two smartphone factory drones must learn to coexist while under threat from fascist anti-union politics, drunk guards and a sexy anarchist unfettered by the laws of physics.” Wansley talked to us a bit

Photo by Jordan Harrison

A collaborative effect, at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama: Michelle Sutherland led 23 others, to create “Gertrude Stein Saints.”

about the play’s themes: “The problem in this world isn't the machine, it's the people behind the machine. What happens when humans have started acting like machines?”

garde jazz opera “Four Saints in Three Acts” for the 21st century. The music is drawn from exclusively American music genres such as rap, bluegrass, New Orleans jazz, soul, Motown, folk GERTRUDE STEIN SAINTS was and gospel. Sutherland invokes Stein in developed at Carnegie Mellon University’s her enthusiastic description of this work: School of Drama — where 23 collabora- “You look ridiculous if you dance. You tors led by director Michelle SutherlandT:9.75”look ridiculous if you don't dance. So you worked to adapt Gertrude Stein’s avant- might as well dance.”

LANDSCAPE WITH MISSING PERSON: A COMEDY ABOUT FINDING WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE LOOKING FOR is the handsdown winner of the Longest Title Award at this year’s FringeNYC. It’s by John Crutchfield, who has had a long career in academia and currently teaches writing at the Master’s program at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. In this new drama, a teenage railroad punk helps a strange middle-aged man search for his mysteriously vanished wife. Crutchfield will perform in this play, as he did in his

Continued on page 16

T:5.375”

There’s still a great future in plastics. Recycle everything. Call 311 or visit nyc.gov to learn more

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Shopping for Answers, Before the World Ends Reverend Billy connects local dots to global concerns BOOKS THE END OF THE WORLD

By Reverend Billy EBook: $7 Print: $12 Published by OR Books Visit orbooks.com and revbilly.com

BY SCOTT STIFFLER You’re halfway home to making a sale if your book jacket delivers a compelling promise of things to come — and boy, does Revered Billy nail it. But is it too late to for salvation, even if you buy the message? With his shiny white polyester suit, windswept pompadour hair, stiff cleric’s collar, bugged-out eyes and mouth agape, the guy on the cover seems to be mortified by the sight of gathering storm clouds. It’s a knowing, almost burlesque version of the hand-in-the-cookie-jar look a toddler gives you when he’s about to pay the price for some very naughty and destructive behavior. Hey, even two-year-olds know it’s wrong to do something they’ve been warned about time and time again — so when the oceans swell, the cities flood and the last rebooted Twinkie has disappeared from store shelves, don’t say you didn’t read about it here first. With “The End of the World,” Reverend Billy has crafted his own Book of Revelation. At just over 100 pages, it’s full of ominous warnings that make the consequences of Superstorm Sandy look like an anemic prelude to what’s just around the corner. It’s an incredibly fun and breezy read, which is quite an achievement considering the grim subject matter — a gloomy forecast, to be sure…but at least it won’t affect your purchasing power. In Monday morning quarterbacking mode, the good man of the cloth recalls, “It was a distraction, as the End of the World approached, that there were still such great sales…The accelerating Apocalypse got us hot. The really bad disasters were on Pay-Per-View. What didn’t kill us made us watch.” And with that, the nature-loving Wisconsin lad, born Billy Talen, makes the not-so-great leap from bullhorn street crusader to bully pulpit author. For the uninitiated, Reverend Billy is a purpose-driven marriage between a revival tent evangelist, a performance artist and a civil yet disobedient activist. With his robed gospel choir in tow, the Church of Stop Shopping first cut their teeth by flash mobbing the 42nd Street Times Square Disney Store, in an attempt to convince the masses to repent their spendthrift ways. Mind you, this was back when there was a Disney store on 42nd, and before “flash mob” entered the lexicon. Now we’re as tired of that fad as we are of the original Tickle Me Elmo. Not to worry. The fickle public will always find a hot new gotta-have thing to do, buy or covet — and Reverend Billy will be there, charting the demise of

mom and pop shops, the rise of corporate chain stores and the mallification of Manhattan. With his latest book, though, local causes have given way to a big picture crusade. The author of “What Should I Do If Reverend Billy Is In My Store?” and “What Would Jesus Buy?” has gone global, connecting the dots between the conspicuous consumption he’s long railed against to rising tides, species extinction and “sensual disengagement from others.” All the apocalyptic scenarios described in the book, he asserts, “come from separation” between man and nature, producers and consumers. “The more terrible the End of the World, the clearer the call to look into each other’s eyes and start something. Earth in me recognizes Earth in you. The Earth wants to reunite.” That little sliver of hope comes early on in the book — followed by the bleak prognosis of a June 2012 study, by an international group of 22 natural scientists. Their premise, that Earth is a single ecosystem in rapid decay, is “as grave a warning as I have ever read,” Reverend Billy bemoans. “Yet these natural scientists are so isolated from mainstream culture that no one much noticed it.” It’s especially worth noting, he says, that the study (“Approaching a State Shift in Earth’s Biosphere”) doesn’t even have the usual cushioning “sentence that calms me down” about how we’ve got a little under a century until complete destruction. “That 80- or 90-year gift,” he reasons, “would give Lena a life.” Lena, his 2-year-old daughter, figures into the first of the book’s three sections. In it, Billy and the kid stand in the doorway of their Prospect Park home, at dusk, surveying the post-Sandy damage as everybody goes about their humbled-by-nature business, after “our city was swallowed by something so dark and huge, with the name of a 50’s teenager.” At least there’s one upside. “We can’t see a single logo from our front door,” Reverend Billy giddily recalls, not clarifying if it’s only because the 24-hour glow of CitiBank and 7-Eleven storefronts were denied juice by that downright inconvenient blackout. Elsewhere in the tome, a definite pattern emerges, in ominously titled chapters like “Apocalypse of the Forests,” “Apocalypse of the Mountaintops” and “Apocalypse by Tornado.” Welcome to the new normal, folks! For some local color, there’s also a flashback chapter to an Occupy Wall Street actions that landed Reverend Billy, Cornel West, Chris Hedges and a dozen others in the clink — following a people’s trial in Zuccotti Park, during which Goldman Sachs was fined $87 billion. The jailbirds were cuffed while presenting the bill to Sach’s “glossy, giant building at 200 West Street, just by Ground Zero and its clouds of tourists.” Later, in the chapter “Ritual Gratitude and the Robots of Death,” Church of Stop Shopping and Picture the Homeless members transform an ATM lobby into a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner celebration. Along with the guest of honor, a recently evicted casualty of the “Bank of America foreclosure mills,” the group feasts, sings and feels “the honest slowed-down emotions” that “come up in us during our ritual meal.” With such a “devil as Bank of America,” the author beams, “we are able to protest environmental and social justice at one and the same time. The bank that illegally evicts the most people is also among the top investors in Dirty Coal. So the destruction of the family home is equated with the destruction of the large home of Earth.” These two forays into the Church’s street theater work are told with Reverend Billy’s usual wry humor. But if you’ve seen him live, there’s a little something

Photo courtesy of OR Books

lost in the translation. Missing is that utterly unique delivery and genuine sense of showmanship. Backed by a swooning, swaying hallelujah choir, Reverend Billy’s twangy vocals and sweaty, desperate, end-of-telethon TV preacher pleas are delivered with a mix of satire and sincerity that keeps you guessing. Am I supposed to laugh at this guy or cry at what he’s telling me? A little bit of both, I suspect. No matter. The Billy of the printed page still has plenty of moral and comedic heft. Whatever’s lost in translation from the stage to the page is more than made up for in one of the final chapters. “Earth Riots” is a crisp little three-page work of sci-fi in which the police are curiously placid as an Earther movement sees refineries on the outskirts of Newark go off-line following “three-pronged attack by bird, fish and forest people,” as thousands of tree people cross the Hudson, “establishing beach-heads along the Westside Highway, planting trees, then disappearing into the Greenwich Village area, apparently taken in by sympathetic local residents.” Traffic jams clog the Bronx Queens Expressway, with families pouring out of their vehicles to take “bird-like positions on the roof or the hood, soaring with their arms in winglike gestures.” By this point, Reverend Billy has slipped the surly bonds of denial and complacency, providing (at least within the realm of fiction) a happy ending where man once again embraces nature without the usual consequences visited upon the Church of Stop Shopping when they cross the line to tell a truth. “No arrests have been reported,” the chapter concludes, “as the BQE continues its conversion to a strange inter-species biohighway.” Given the alternative, it’s enough to make you stop shopping and start paying attention.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Out of Class but Back to School, at FringeNYC

Photo by Jim Carmody

Factory drones, drunk guards and sexy anarchists collide, in UCSD student David Jacobi’s “Ex Machina.”

Continued from page 14 2009 FringeNYC solo play, “The Songs of Robert.” True story: when I asked Crutchfield if he would like to publish “The Songs of Robert” in my anthology “Plays and Playwrights 2010,” he told me that he had used my first anthology “Plays and Playwrights for the New Millennium” as a required text for a course he taught at Appalachia College years before. That book included three scripts from the earliest FringeNYC festivals — proof that the link between academia and the world of FringeNYC is palpable and enduring! LIKE POETRY is by Kristian O’Hare, who teaches at Menlo College and Evergreen Valley College in Northern California. O’Hare cites as influences on his writing “Tennessee Williams, the makers of '50s educational films about hygiene and teen sexuality, Joe Orton, Arthur Russell, Suzan-Lori Parks, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, PJ Harvey, Larry Kramer, Nan Goldin and, obviously, Walt Whitman, who literally creeps into my play to offer guidance to a repressed young man.” OCCUPY OLYMPUS: BASED ON ‘PLUTUS, GOD OF WEALTH’ is directed by George Drance, a theater professor at Fordham University, and features an original score by Elizabeth Swados. As the title suggests, the show puts a very contemporary spin on a 2,500-year-old comedy by Aristophanes. Drance is a longtime veteran of the indie/experimental theater scene in NYC, where he’s worked with collaborators as diverse as Ellen Stewart, Ping Chong and Dario D’Ambrosi — and has created many inventive works of physical theater with his company, Magis Theatre. STRANGE RAIN is described as “a

noir journey of conspiracy about a relentless rain and its link to the 1950s and a scientist building weather-control machines.” Its author is Lynda Crawford, who teaches theater at SUNY Empire State College in Greenwich Village (her show is running at the newly christened Lynn Redgrave Theater, just a mile or two to the east). Crawford told me recently that this play began as a dream. “The dream stayed with me,” she says, “and so I had to write it.” Other shows in this year’s festival with academic credentials include “Down the Mountain and Across the Stream” by Wagner College teacher Jake Shore, “The Unfortunates” (whose author Aoise Stratford works at Cornell University) and “Very Bad Words” — written by Jacob Presson, a rising junior at Marymount Manhattan College (Jake’s older brother James won a 2010 FringeNYC award for directing a punk rock adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III”). I am sure I will discover more connections between FringeNYC and the academic world as the festival progresses, especially at the FringeU special event that my company, Indie Theater Now, is co-hosting (on Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30pm), featuring past FringeNYC participants and other academic voices advocating the use of contemporary dramatic literature in the classroom. The panel will include FringeNYC Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy, FringeNYC alumni/professors Omar Sangare, Edward Elefterion, David Dannenfelser, Joe Salvatore and yours truly. It’s moderated by Cate Cammarata of SUNY Stony Brook. Coverage of FringeNYC is already underway at nytheatre.com (which I edit). Interviews with hundreds of artists participating in the festival are online now, and reviews of all 183 shows in FringeNYC will be published daily starting on August 9.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Dear Aunt Chelsea, I am very mad at my co-workers. Every day, I go to get coffee from our break room to find that no one has been considerate enough to start a new pot. I might be able to forgive this mishap — but even worse, no one has even cleaned the coffee pot. Why is it that I find myself to be the only one who cleans stuff around here? Why do I work with pigs? This is supposed to be an office, not a farm. I am tempted to put a sign up saying, “If you can’t clean the pot, don’t use it” or, “If you are the last one taking coffee, please be considerate enough to start another pot.” Please help. Sick of cleaning other people’s messes Dear Sick: Let me get this straight before I dole out my usual tough but fair advice, and tell me if I’m painting a reasonable accurate portrait of your terrible work conditions. Hmm. Let’s see. Instead of toiling in the sun all day, you have a job in an office — which I gather is air conditioned, since you make regular pilgrimages to fetch coffee in the break room, where you are permitted to take breaks. Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume the java that flows so easily over your lips and through your gums is provided free of charge — except, of course, for the human cost of having to clean the pot and make a fresh batch. Oh, my. Does Amnesty International know about this? Perhaps they could partner with the Maxwell House people and put on some sort of benefit con-

cert for you and others of your ilk. I believe it was President Kennedy who said, “To whom much is given, much more should be given.” Well, goodness, look at me. When my hackles are raised by something I consider to be an unfair burden (i.e., the pet peeves of the privileged), I can be just as indignant as you! So now that Aunt Chelsea has burnt all the fuel in her Sassy Slapdown tank, I’ll do my job and give you a solid plan of action I guarantee will alleviate your “pot” problem. I’m sad to report this doesn’t involve winning the hearts and minds of those co-workers for whom the communal coffee maker is only good until its last drop. You could spend a week’s worth of break time pondering what makes this kind of person tick, and still be no closer to the truth…and what good would it do, really, if you were to discover their motivations? They might be completely unaware of their bad manners (piggish farm folk, as you point out, simply lack the sophistication to properly navigate your rarified white collar world). My personal hunch? Somebody is doing it because they get a giddy thrill out of seeing how angry it makes you. In that case, the peace of mind you seek will be found by taking the high road — not the bait. Working up a froth is for making a cappuccino, not stewing at your desk while penning a loony, disproportionately nasty sign you intend to post on the break room refrigerator door. I can see it now… scrawled in heavy black marker and full of words IN ALL CAPS, WITH MORE THAN THE ONE NECESSARY EXCLAMATION POINT!!!! So just cool your jets. This is an office etiquette problem, not the Reformation. What we need from you is less Martin Luther and more Mother Teresa. That means doing good deeds for others, with no expectation of reward or recognition. The next time you find the pot empty and the filter from the last batch still in the machine, set your stopwatch. Then wipe the condensation from the device, rinse out the pot and make a fresh batch. Done? Stop the clock. Now think of all the things you can do the next time around during the short period it takes to make a fresh batch, that don’t involve working yourself into a tizzy over the oversights of your co-workers. Then go back to your desk, enjoy your coffee and pat yourself on the back for the ample supply you’ve left for the rest of the office. If that doesn’t put you in a good mood, then it’s time to switch to decaf — or buy your own damn coffee and stop going into the break room. Good luck hon, and sorry for the swear (trust me, it was necessary to deliver the message). Toodles!

Ho r osc o p e s

Aries Like artificial sweetener, broken promises will leave a bitter taste in your mouth. An old flame provides a sympathetic ear, and some natural sugar.

Taurus Resist the temptation to provide incorrect directions and outlandish information when a group of tourists mistakes you for a High Line volunteer.

Gemini A reasonably priced laundromat’s Same Day Cleaning Celebration will be fraught with shoddy workmanship and missed deadlines. Do it yourself! Cancer You will be haunted by dreams of an innovative World’s Fair pavilion design. Don’t build it…they ain’t gonna come! Leo Country air exerts its will, as you experience an overwhelming desire to whisk that special someone away for a weekend of sunrise hiking, afternoon apple picking and an impulsive question popped at dusk near a covered bridge. Virgo Thank your lucky Mars — the red planet’s orbit shifts your intuitive powers into high gear, six days from the second time you read this.

Libra The seed of a plan takes root this week, bearing fruit a full year from now. Trust your instincts, but don’t turn your back on them — the victory you seek will require equal parts skepticism and optimism. Scorpio You will experience a momentary flash of sadness after mistaking a bakery shop item for a favorite childhood sweet nobody in NY knows how to make. Snap out of it! Sagittarius A skateboarder’s stunning display of physical

dexterity convinces you it’s time to take up juggling…again. Use this as an opportunity to build a skill while triumphing over your notoriously short attention span.

Capricorn Somebody’s cool mom doles out a piece of advice meant for another, but custom-made for a vexing problem all your own. Take it, make it yours and send her flowers when the storm clouds clear. Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea! Contact her via askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”).

Aquarius A kind word made to the victim of a cutting remark leads to a dinner invite, during which you will discover a newfound like for that dish you’ve avoided for years.

Pisces A sudden cramp brought on by those new shoes you’re breaking in tempts you to stop, stoop down and loosen the laces. Don’t. Doing so will cause you to miss the furtive glance of a comely admirer.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

Pier 57 is Alive and Kicking Continued from page 3 leasing office for Pier 57 businesses. Zucker noted that part of the New York experience is the vibrancy of culture — especially in the amalgam of arts, fashion, design, music and culture that occurs in the Meatpacking District. He hoped that rather than presenting people with a purely retail experience, the combination of all of these components would allow Pier 57 to be part of this unique cultural phenomenon. Pier 57’s completion will also dovetail nicely with the completion of the first phase of the Hudson Yards development project and the Hudson Park & Boulevard. Together with the extension of the High Line to 34th Street, these projects will effectively transform the area between 14th and 34th Streets, from Tenth Avenue to the Hudson River, into a vibrant new destination. “We didn’t think too much about Hudson Yards when we were planning this, but I do see a correlation between the Meatpacking District and the High Line, and the expansion of Chelsea with that,” said Jiang. “We are all hoping that as Pier 57 grows, the community will also grow with it.” Zucker said that Chelsea has not just evolved, but matured, and come into its own. He saw the opening of Pier 57 as a logical extension of that growth, saying that, “With the Chelsea Market, the Meatpacking

District really started pushing further west, and we definitely feel like we’ll be not just an extension of this, but an integral part of this neighborhood. Right now, we’re just trying to draw the emotional connection so people will see this as both a neighborhood destination and a place that tourists will want to visit.”

RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES TO BE FOUND AT THE MARINA

According to Jiang, the rehabilitation of the pier and the use of repurposed shipping containers would provide an attractive and affordable retail space for local small business owners. “The Incubox shopping space with the open shipping containers is going to be at much better rates versus other stores in the Meatpacking District,” said Jiang. “Leasing for those will also be different. It will be easier to put your foot in the door for just a couple of months, as opposed to traditional retail spaces. But we will also have those, and hope larger brands will take a part in this project. It should be very cool.” Zucker said that this availability would be more than just a matter of pricing. A portion of the Incuboxes have been reserved for small business owners, both local and international. The leasing process and terms of the overall property management and tenancy have been designed to take the stress off small business start-ups and make it

accessible by cutting out the brokers, attorneys, accountants, business loans and “a lot of the headaches that deter the creative class from coming to market.” “We believe New York has become too commercialized, and there is a yearning to return to the artisanal,” said Zucker. “We strongly believe the future of retail is a return to the marketplace, of experiential retail, interacting not only with the owner but the brand, but of getting off the computers and back into the shopping realm.” And even before the project is completed, those involved are eager to make Pier 57 a destination for locals and tourists alike. To that end, they are hosting entertainers in the fields of fashion, music and art. In what they call “a taste of things to come,” they have also opened retail outlets for Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Cold Process Coffee, Takumi Tacos, Soludos, Tiny Empire and North Brooklyn Collective. Zucker celebrated the small retail aspect of the project as an “opportunity to interact with and spot up-and-coming talent.” But he also admitted it was a bit of a teaser for some of the grandeur that is to come. “The fact that we got this far is a testament to our vision,” said Zucker. “We are using it to pre-lease the project, and to speak to the targeted key partners we’d want in this building. I can’t name names, but I can say that we are speaking to a very prominent

hospitality operator, a strong multi-brand fashion tenant and a very authentic New York restaurateur.”

ARTISTS SHOWCASE MUSIC, VISUAL ART

In an effort to get people accustomed to seeing shows at Pier 57, New York City artists have come together to create the group NYCFiveHundred. They hope to spread inspiration through collective sharing of ideas. This exchange has manifested itself in a showcase of musical and visual art called 9/ FiveHundred, a series held every Saturday through August 24 at Pier 57. Each night will be broken up into two hours of performance, and an hour of mingling and networking. Upcoming artists include visual artists Kim Alban and George Tsourounakis, songwriter Candace Lee Camacho and opera vocalist David Cronin. “The hook would be the programming we’ve been doing all summer to get people used to crossing the highway and going into this space to see how beautiful it is,” said Jiang. “We’ve had food and retail venders in the open shipping containers, from the juice bar to the BBQ place. We’ve had innovative arts, fashion, food and unique programming. We really want people to get out there and get a taste of what Pier 57 will eventually be like.” For more information, visit pier-57.com.

July 31 - August 13, 2013

HRPT provides the rod, reel, bait and instruction â€” Sun., 1-5, on Pier 63 (at W. 23rd St.).

July 31 - August 13, 2013

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

Chelsea’s New Supermarket Brings ‘Fair’ Competition Continued from page 6

FISH, POULTRY AND MEAT

Fairway: There is a wide selection of fresh and packaged meat and poultry. There weren’t any frozen items that I could find, except for a few in the fish section. It’s nice to see a selection of farm raised and wild caught fish — it’s a definite bonus to have a place to get fresh seafood any time of the week. Whole Foods: Whole Foods has specials every Thursday, and this Thursday it was wild caught salmon at $13.99/lb. That’s a good bargain. Other than that, Whole Foods’ prices are similar to Fairway’s. Chicken has a stamp at Whole Foods for Animal Welfare Grade 2. If you see that stamp, it means that animals are provided with enrichments that encourage behavior that’s natural to them (like a bale of straw for chickens to peck at, a bowling ball for pigs to shove around or a sturdy object for cattle to rub against). The chicken is $3.99/lb, which is pretty average. Trader Joe’s: Save your frozen fish shopping for Trader Joe’s. Frozen fish filets are usually a bargain and sometimes there’s wild-caught Ahi tuna at less than $7 for two filets. A pound of frozen shrimp that’s cleaned and deveined is less than $10, which is what I look for in a frozen bag. There’s nothing like defrosting and throwing shrimp right on the skillet without having to do the dirty work.

BREAD

Fairway: Probably the best for bread, with rolls and bagels for 69 cents each — and with fresh baguettes that are two for $3, it already beats the other two on cost and availability. Fairway also has whole wheat baguettes for only $1.99. Whole Foods: Their bread section has fresh rolls and bagels for 99 cents each, $2.50 baguettes, $5 loaves and Italian bread for $3.50. Trader Joe’s: The large bread section has all-around good prices. Their Italian bread is only 99 cents, and they also have a ton of other packaged sliced breads — though no fresh bread showcase. I wasn’t able to sample all the bread choices at each of the three markets — but for a fresh baguette to go with your dinner, Whole Foods or Fairway will have what you’re looking for.

DAIRY

I’d go to Fairway for variety and cost in this category — but check for specials, as it may vary at each place. Fairway: They have my favorite yogurt on sale, at four for $5 (Fage Total Greek Yogurt). That’s the best bargain on the block, seeing as each yogurt can cost anywhere between $1.99 and $2.50 if you buy it last-minute in a deli. They don’t have their own yogurt brand, but do have varieties that are new and I haven’t seen anywhere else like “Chobani Flips” and “Fruyo Fage” (Fage with fruit mixed in…finally). Milk at

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Hit Whole Foods for interesting last-minute dinners and 365 brand canned foods.

Fairway is $3.19 per gallon of hormone and antibiotic-free Farmland milk. Trader Joe’s: Their milk is also hormone free, at $3.69 a gallon. They have their own brand of Greek yogurt (99 cents), but my taste buds always revert back to the other thick creamy Greek varieties. Fage here is $1.49 per yogurt, which is still good (but not as good as Fairway). Whole Foods: Fage yogurt here is $1.89, one of the highest I’ve seen in grocery stores. There are whole foods yogurt brands (365), which I haven’t tried, at $1.29 each. One gallon of 365 milk is $3.19, also hormone-free.

part of town. The next time you do your big general food shopping (produce, dairy and meat), hit Fairway first. Get to Trader Joe’s for the things like name brand cereals, snacks, general every day produce (lettuce,

carrots, tomatoes) and something quick to bring to lunch the next day. Hit Whole Foods for interesting last-minute dinners, 365 brand canned foods and cereals — and check for their fish and meat specials.

SNACKS, CEREALS AND BINS

Trader Joe’s: Probably the best I’ve seen as far as having a large cereal aisle and wide variety of name brand snacks for a cheap price. I like TJ brand kettle cooked Reduced Guilt chips for only $1.99 per package — and their high fiber cereal is also a good brand. Puffins are cheap at $3.99 per box, another favorite brand. Fairway: I was in the mood for a few dried figs (just a few) and maybe a little granola for my morning yogurt. It was nice that they had a wide selection in their bins. I was able to get three figs and ¼ cup of granola for less than $1.50. Their cereal aisle isn’t as big as Trader Joe’s, but I noticed similar prices. Whole Foods: Their own brand of cereal features in-store versions of familiar favorites (like “Cocoa Krisps” and “Protein and Berries”) for an affordable $1.99. Their Puffins, however, were $5.39 each. I would bargain shop for cereal if you get it often and do your own research weekly as this may change. To sum it up, Chelsea has the best of all worlds now that Fairway has come to our

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July 31 - August 13, 2013

Getting Ready for a Hurricane Continued from page 7 Give a photocopy of your plan to people in your support network, and keep a copy on you at all times, she said. “Not everyone speaks English, and there’s no guarantee that first responders speak another language [than English],” Nilsson added. She recommended writing down medical issues, such as “I’m a diabetic,” or any other relevant phrases, in English on a 3-by-5 index card. Also, know where you are supposed to evacuate, and make sure you have items of value insured that are left behind, the meeting was told. A shelter situation is not always an option for families; sometimes it might be easier to bring a relative with health issues to your house to better monitor food and medicines. Hurricane maps were released by the city Monday in 11 languages with updated changes for flood zones. Type a specific address at maps.nyc.gov/hurricane/ to locate your flood zone and a nearby emergency shelter. A to-go bag, intended for one person, includes the basics for a hurried departure. “No originals — have copies of your passport and license,” Nilsson explained, “a thumb drive [USB flash drive] and your Rx’s.”

“Also, don’t forget comfortable walking shoes,” she added. “Have a piece of mail with your name on it,” she said. “For security reasons, if you’re forced to evacuate, have something that proves you live there.” “You should have cash in your go bag,” she continued. “Ones and fives, nothing larger because people take advantage of you in an emergency situation, unfortunately.” An animal should have its own to-go bag as well. Make sure to have food and water for pets — dogs, cats and snakes are allowed in shelters — and copies of documentation. When you are forced to stay at home, or “sheltering in place,” you should have enough food and supplies for three days. “It’s basically a go bag, but more of it,” Nilsson said. “One gallon of water per person per day, nonperishable foods, flashlights and batteries.” The city is currently in the process of developing an emergency app for cell phones. If your cell phone doesn’t work, listen to a battery-operated or hand-crank radio for updates. Nilsson asked the group in closing when they were supposed to prepare their plan. “As soon as we get home, and before the next emergency,” joked a group member.

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