Issuu

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 15

JANUARY 1-JANUARY 14, 2015

Repairing strings with an ear for Tribeca’s past

B Y M I CH A E L LY D O N

alker St. between Broadway and Church St., two short blocks below Canal, looks like Tribeca before it became Tribeca: battered loft buildings with dusty windows, a couple of unobtrusive art galleries, a semi-fancy restaurant at the Church St. corner, and one textile company left over from the days when this block was the bustling home to New York’s cloth market. Number 36 Walker, despite the aging coat of red paint around its front door, blends in with its gray-faced neighbors: five weather-beaten floors, three tall windows per floor, and a few old air conditioners clinging precariously to the sills. Come close and you can read the small oval sign that’s made the building known and loved by musicians all around the world: “David Gage String Instrument Repair.” Step inside the scarred door, say hello to the shop’s two cats, Luna and Oscar, and you’ll see why this no-frills address is so beloved: in our Continued on page 6

SOME FEAR THE W.T.C. TOUR BUS PROBLEM MAY GET WORSE B Y D U SI CA S U E M A LE S E V IC he tour bus congestion conundrum at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has been a topic of discussion for years, but no one even seems to know how many tour buses are actually frequenting the site. What is clear though, is the frustration of the some residents who live near the World Trade Center and the fear that it might worsen when the campus security plan calls for buses to line up on Trinity Place. As of now, the plan is for buses to queue there in order to get searched before they are allowed to make a left onto Liberty St. and

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Downtown Express photo by Ellen Mandel

Mike Weatherly, one of the craftsman at David Gage String Instrument Repair on Walker St.

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World Trade Center Site World Financial Center Winter Garden

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Ferry Terminal World Trade Center PATH Terminal

A city Department of Transportation map that shows where tour buses can park (dotted pink and purple) as well as load and unload (blue) their passengers near the World Trade Center site.

buses idling, blocking intersections and causing traffic back-ups on Trinity Place,” according to Silver’s Dec. 15 press release.

Downtown Express photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic

World Trade Center tour buses on Trinity Pl.

WEST BROADWAY

Poetry for the ages, probably not, but really what’s the problem? Normally, we try to kick ‘em while they’re up as the late William Safire used to say, but in this case we’ll date ourselves a little more and say, “you go girl.”

ICH

was called a “gentrification anthem” by curbed.com and others, but then we read the lyrics: “Like any true love/ It drives you crazy /But you know you wouldn’t change Anything, anything, anything…” goes the last verse.

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to New York.” It gives UnderCover a second chance to weigh in on the Swift New York hoopla after time prevented us last October. We had been all set to get snarky with the city’s new “ambassador” after her new single “Welcome to New York”

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As a rule, Tribecans can be pretty ho-hum about their celebrity neighbors, but these young Boston tourists came Downtown this week to serenade one of their idols, Taylor Swift, with her much much talked about hit, “Welcome

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Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

Friendly Swift Stalkers

park at the trade center’s Vehicle Security Center. “We’ve already got a lot of congestion as it is,” said Mary Perillo. “There’s really no reason for tour buses to come right here let alone idle in front of two high schools all day long. It’s just not necessary. It’s really unnecessary to bring tour buses into the Vehicle Security parking garage.” The Vehicle Security Center is expected to be fully open spring 2015, with 71 total spots for buses, according to a Port Authority spokesperson. Out of those spots, 62 full-size and nine small-size buses will be accommodated. Perillo, who has lived for 31 years in a building which faces the W.T.C., said she has seen buses blocking crosswalks and streets, snarling traffic, idling, parking in the middle of the street, and taking longer than three minutes to load and unload. “It’s nuts,” she said. But when asked about bus congestion at the site, a city Dept. of Transportation spokesperson, who answered questions on the condition of anonymity, said in an email that her office had not received any

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complaints. “That is a lie. I have sat next to [D.O.T. Lower Manhattan] Commissioner [Luis] Sanchez at meetings in front of [Assembly] Speaker Silver, [State] Sen. [Daniel] Squadron where we have in fact complained about the bus congestion,” said Perillo. “And it was not the first time [Sanchez] has heard from my mouth the problem of the buses.” The D.O.T. spokesperson did say the agency makes a point to reach out to tour bus companies to remind them of the rules pertaining to the W.T.C. area. She said that six to eights spaces on Barclay and West Sts. were reserved for 9/11 Museum buses. On several recent visits to the site, instead of tour buses, it was mostly personal cars and mail trucks using those designated spots. The spots cost $20 an hour, require a permit, and there is a three-hour maximum, but it was unclear if the other vehicles were paying. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver started a task force with residents and representatives from the D.O.T., N.Y.P.D. and the mayor’s office, and held a meeting in December. At the meeting, the community “raised serious concerns about tour

Tribeca

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Tour bus problem at the W.T.C.

He “asked the city to come up with a new plan for the buses that identifies additional drop off/pick up locations and better disperses traffic,” and “to install air monitors to measure pollution from buses and to make other quality of life improvements for those living around the site.” Perillo said, “We’re just asking for more pollution by planning to have those buses checked there.” Community Board 1 asked last year that more research on air quality around the site be conducted and for the continued use of air monitoring stations. Steven Abramson, who also lives across the street, said, “There’s already too much traffic there. Why do we have to these tour buses there? That’s the question that I keep coming back to: Why? “It is going to contribute to traffic backup,” he said. “It’s going to severely impact the dignity and the quality of the site visit. In some ways, it’s our overriding concern: It’s going to give it a Disneyland-like quality.” The Transportation Dept. referred questions on the estimated number Continued on page 11

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Leaders to B.P.C.A.: Community’s needs are not marginal BY JOSH ROGERS AND DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

FUR VENDORS ARRESTED IN ATTACK ON PROTESTERS Three fur vendors were arrested in Soho Dec. 20 after police say they threw bleach on anti-fur activists. The attack — during which at least four individuals were hit with the liquid, including a small child — came during one of the ongoing protests against the “fur stall” — a sidewalk location where furs are sold — at Broadway and Spring Sts. According to Robert Banks, a spokesperson for the protesters, two of the men involved in the attack had gone up to the rooftop of the six-story building above the protest and then poured gallons of bleach onto the crowds below, “hitting two babies, a police officer and even covering their own fur coats with the noxious substance.” Fifteen anti-animal-cruelty activists had gathered at the spot to continue their weekly demonstration at the fur stall, which holds up to 100 fur pieces, the majority of which are new fur from minks, rabbits, foxes, seals, raccoons and chinchillas, the activists say. The fur foes railed through a megaphone about the creatures’ suffering and held large images of animals used in the fur industry. Police reportedly had been at the scene for a few minutes before the attack and were part of the crowd hit by the bleach. The officers commenced a search of the building and arrested the two fur vendors, who were reportedly caught red-handed with their bleach bottles and buckets still in hand. A third fur vendor was also arrested for his part in the attack. The remaining fur vendors were ordered to shut down their stall and leave the area. A police spokesperson confirmed that three men were arrested for “acting in concert” to throw a mixture of bleach and ammonia: David Haber, 53, of Cortland, N.Y.; and Luis Justino, 40, and Lawrence Andrews, 35, both of the Bronx. They were all charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

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MUGGER TAKES SHOES A Tribeca man was robbed of his coat, shoes, wallet and cell phone in the Financial District on Fri., Dec. 19. The 32-year-old man was walking down Nassau St. near Beekman St. at 1 p.m. when police say the thief approached him with both hands in his pocket. The mugger then lifted the left side of his jacket — with his hand inside the pocket — and said, “Give me your wallet.” The victim, thinking that the man had a gun, gave him his wallet and then his coat. The thief wanted more, however, and then asked for the man’s shoes. He was then told to lay face down on the ground, police say, and the suspect fled. The thief got away with a $500 Brooks Brother blue wool coat, a BlackBerry worth $50, a $250 pair of Ferragamo shoes, a $50 wallet, credit cards and $20, for $870 total.

backed into the second man, who then threw her on the ground, covered her mouth, and used force to keep her down, police say. His partner then grabbed her purse and both thieves ran away and jumped into a white SUV with New York plates. They got away with over $1,136 worth of items and the woman’s Citibank card.

KNIFE PULLED IN SUBWAY MUGGING After boarding a train at 5 p.m. on Mon., Dec. 22, a 22-year-old man was approached by a man, who brandished a knife and said, “Give me everything you have,” police say. The Brooklyn man, who had just gotten on the train at the Rector St. (R) station in the Financial District, handed over his $500 iPhone to the suspect, who then fled.

PUNCHED ONCE, ROBBED TWICE

HEALTHY SWIPE: $2,000 OF STUFF

A man was entering information on his work iPad when a thief came up to him, punched him in the face and snatched the device out of his hand last month in the Financial District. Police say the 26-year-old man was at Hanover Square near Stone St. at 4:38 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 18 when the first theft took place. But this tale of woe gets worse. After one thief stole the iPad and fled on Stone St., the man gave chase but immediately realized he had left his personal cell phone unattended on a ledge. Another thief stole his phone. One thief got away with an iPad worth $400 and its $100 case. The other got a $600 iPhone with its $100 case.

A thief stole over $1,900 worth of health and beauty products from the Duane Reade near City Hall — but first placed stickers over the cameras to avoid detection. At around 9 p.m. on Tues., Dec. 23, a man walked into the Duane Reade at 250 Broadway and went downstairs, a male employee told police. He said that there was no employee downstairs while the crime took place. The thief filled his backpack full of Visine products, 20 Chapsticks and 22 Blistex, 26 Nyquil products, 6 Zyrtec and 3 Tylenol products for a total of $1,924.

WOMAN MUGGED IN SOHO A 33–year-old woman was walking on Greene St. in Soho at 11:45 p.m. last weekend, when police say two men attacked and robbed her before fleeing in a getaway car driven by a third accomplice. The woman, who was walking home from work, on Fri., Dec. 26, told police that one man charged at her from across the street. While avoiding him, she

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NOW FIND YOUR WALLET The saying no good deed goes unpunished might be applicable in the case of a 21-year-old woman who tried to help another woman with directions — and got several items stolen from her purse. Police say the woman had just gotten out of the Prince St. (N,Q,R) stop in Soho when the questioner, 25, asked for directions around 5 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 18. While the victim checked her iPhone to look up the information, the woman who pretended to be lost took off west on Prince St. The victim, who lives in Chinatown, then noticed that her purse was open and her credit card, driver’s license and MetroCard were gone.

IS THE THIEF A SOMMELIER? A thief who knows his wines well — or got really lucky — stole a bottle of Petrus, worth $3,500, from Tribeca Wine Merchants on Sat., Dec. 20. Police say a man who looked to be in his 50s walked into the wine shop at 40 Hudson St. at 6 p.m., took the red wine off the shelf, hid it under his jacket and left.

—DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC AND LINCOLN ANDERSON DowntownExpress.com

Downtown leaders are calling on the Battery Park City Authority to take a new look at finding an operator for its marina while also paying more attention to the community’s needs. The authority last month appeared to be on the verge of giving the boot to North Cove Marina Management and its leader, Michael Fortenbaugh. A longtime neighborhood resident, Fortenbaugh has been a fixture at the marina for 20 years, the last 10 of which he managed North Cove in addition to running a sailing school there. His lease is set to expire Jan. 1, and the authority has agreed to allow him to stay another 90 days (after first offering 60), but they pointedly asked for the marina keys back in December. Community Board 1 passed a resolution Dec. 18 asking the authority to start a new, transparent request for proposal process, or R.F.P.,

increasing the emphasis on community-based programming. The current R.F.P. weighs this programming by 15 percent. The authority expects to vote sometime in January. This week, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, State Sen. Daniel Squadron, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmember Margaret Chin wrote the state authority asking the B.P.CA. to heed the community board’s advice. “When a [community] board speaks with a unanimous voice, we believe that its position must be given serious consideration,” the politicians wrote. Although the local elected leaders have previously praised Fortenbaugh’s past work, the letter marked a shift because the officials contacted the authority directly — something some had been wary of doing previously out of concerns about exercising undue influence. Fortenbaugh and supporters showed up in full force at

Community Board 1’s monthly meeting on Dec. 18. “Brookfield is one of the companies who’s trying to take over the marina; we’re just asking for an open process,” Fortenbaugh said of the corporation that owns the World Financial Center office complex overlooking the marina. Teens and pre-teens that had participated in the sailing school said that they have learned leadership skills, wanted to see this opportunity available for other kids, and asked that the Battery Park City Authority postpone their decision until the community is heard. They also had a petition of over 250 signatures — in addition to the over thousand that has been signed as part of the Committee to Save North Cove. “This process needs to be opened up and have community involvement and understand what the various bids are for the site,” said Andrew Zangle, a member of Fortenbaugh’s sailing club. “They can’t make this place a corporate place, it needs to

Downtown Express file photo by Milo Hess

Michael Fortenbaugh at a North Cove rally Dec. 15.

be community sailing like it is.” Another member, Steve Rawlings, emphasized that community-based sailing is part of the proposals that the B.P.C.A. is considering. “But what Michael has built here is community-based sailing. You Continued on page 13

Trinity Wall Street presents The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra Julian Wachner, Conductor Avi Stein The Bishop’s Band Cappella Romana Clarion Music Society Ensemble Viscera Gotham Early Music Scene Grand Harmonie Holy Trinity Bach Vespers NY Baroque Inc. Roomful of Teeth Ryland Angel Handel’s Saul (staged production) Trinity Youth Chorus

Visit twelfthnightfestival.org for tickets and a list of free events. Performances at Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel. Circle of Frans Francken II the Younger | GemaeldegalerieAlte Meister, Kassel, Germany ©Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel | Ute Brunzel | Bridgeman Images

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January 1 - January 14, 2015

Tribeca’s workman past is still alive Continued from page 1

digital age when reality gets reduced to bits and bytes, David Gage String Instrument Repair (davidgage.com) is a true craftsman’s workshop. Since the craft is preserving wooden musical instruments that haven’t changed in centuries, the Gage shop has a timeless quality, its quiet broken only by the rasp of files on wood and mellow jazz playing softly on the radio. The pungent perfume of sawdust and glue, wood oils and varnishes, add to the old-timey atmosphere. Shelves that climb eight feet up the walls are jam-packed with pots and paintbrushes, saws and sandpaper, clamps and carving knives, vises and planes and rags and rulers. One recent afternoon, in an alcove to the left of the door, Mike Weatherly, a gray-bearded fellow with an amiable smile checked the horsehair for a bass’ bow. Where did the horsehair come from? “From horsetails in China and Mongolia,” said Weatherly. “We pay $300 a pound for the hair, but women in China have so carefully cleaned and sorted it that I can use every strand in a hank.” Beside him, Sprocket Royer studied a bass balalaika — what could he do to get a better sound from its three thick strings? Deeper into the shop, Manny Salvador gently pushed a sharp knife under the pick guard on the beige soundboard of a vintage Martin guitar. “Plastic pick guards shrink over time,” he explained, “and tug at the wood. That made this crack” — and he pointed to a hairline gap near the guitar’s bridge. “Ah,” he said with a soft smile, “now the wood’s relaxing, but I’ll give it more time.” At the shop’s reception area, dozens of black and white photos of renowned bassists — Charlie Hayden, Charles Mingus, Christian McBride — smiled down on friendly Aileen Marcantonio selling strings and picks, bows and bow cases, and taking payment for repair jobs from a gaggle of customers. Just past her, David Gage’s black-bearded nephew, Simon Propert, fitted a new neck on an old bass. The fresh piece of wood looked virginally white beside the bass’ timeworn brown body. “But,” said Propert, “after I stain it, only an expert could tell the neck is new.” On a workbench deep into the shop, David Gage is bent over a bass with its belly open to his prying eyes. At a dozen or more points, he had glued small wooden tabs to indicate spots that needed care. “Most instrument shops put their show room on the first floor,” said Gage, a tall, slender man with graying hair and an informal but serious manner, “and hide the repair benches upstairs, the nuts and bolts they don’t want the customers to see. But we have no elevator, and we couldn’t ask the repair guys to lug their instruments and

January 1 - January 14 2015

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Downtown Express photos by Ellen Mandel

David Gage, right, owns the bass repair shop. Above, Sprocket Royer, left, and Mike Weatherly hard at work.

Downtown Express photos by Ellen Mandel

Continued from page 6

tools up and down the flights of stairs. So we put the benches out front, and it turned out that musicians love seeing the craftsmen at work, seeing all we do to help them make beautiful music.” The shop repairs and restores all kinds of string instruments, but specializes in basses. David Gage, a New Englander, began playing bass in his teens, then studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and with Bill Blossom of the New York Philharmonic. While playing jazz gigs in the Big Apple, he began building and repairing basses with master luthiers Chuck Traeger and Lou DiLeone, opening his first shop on Chambers St. in 1978, then moving to Walker St. in 1990. “The landlord made us a generous offer we couldn’t refuse,” Gage said with a grin. “We started on the ground floor, now we’re renting the whole building. Luckily, our landlord likes our handicraft work, so he’s kept the rent reasonable. And we don’t bug him about repairs — if the roof leaks, we fix it.” Like Gage, the seven luthiers in the shop emphasized that they learned their craft from generations of masters. Salvador, who’s been at Gage for 20 years, apprenticed with Miguel Luciano in Greenwich Village. Weatherly studied bow making with Lynn Hannings and George Rubino, and now makes his own line of bows. Dan Theisen, the shop’s violin specialist, got a diploma in violin repair at a Minnesota technical college, but, he said, “Years earlier, when I first set foot in Robert Young and Jason Viseltear’s East Village violin shop, that’s when I found my calling in life.”

The store sells as well as repairs string instruments. In the shop’s long high-ceilinged second floor showroom, 100 or more basses and nearly that many cellos rest in their stands like rotund brown men conversing peacefully among themselves. “Look closely and you’ll see that no two basses are exactly alike,” said sales manager Sam Finlay. “See, this one mimics the vigorous curves of a violin body, that one the smoother curves of the viola da gamba. Some have rounded backs, some flat. The most valued basses, like the most valued violins, come from Italy, but there are no million dollar basses as there are million dollar Stradivari.” The basses there, nearly all on consignment, top out at about $30,000, and bows get as high as $5,000, but Gage also carries instruments and bows in the $3,000 to $4,000 range. “We also rent inexpensive instruments to students and beginners,” said Finlay, “and fine ones to travelling orchestras who want to save the stress of taking their own instruments on tour.” Not everything at Gage is old school. Since Continued on page 7

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the 1980s, the shop has sold an airplane-safe bass and cello case that’s both sturdy and lightweight. “It’s great,” famed jazz bassist Ray Brown has said. Another travel-friendly product, the “CzechEase Road Bass,” is a full-sounding bass with an abbreviated body designed by Gage and made in the Czech Republic.” For that,” said Finlay, “we use the slogan, ‘The Czech Ease Bass — it’s easy to check!’ ” On the shop’s third floor, Jason Borisoff sat with a soldering iron in his hand at a workbench assembling one of Gage’s newest and most popular products, a small sheet of copper foil called the Realist transducer, an electronic pickup for string instruments. “Most electric guitar pickups create a sound unlike an acoustic guitar,” said Borisoff. “Our goal is to amplify the instrument and to be accurate to its original sound.” Gage now makes Realist pickups designed for basses and violins and other instruments that use bridges to carry the strings’ vibration to a soundboard. A Realist violin that comes with the pickup built in has become so popular — “over 600 sold” says Finlay — that Gage is DowntownExpress.com

renovating the fourth floor to create more space for developing the Realist line. Back on the ground f loor, the age-old craft work went on. Weatherly took a new hank of horsehair from a cabinet and ran a few strands between thumb and finger — “hmm,” said his expression, “that’ll do fine.” Royer kept studying the balalaika with a puzzled look on his face. Propert put the new neck on the old bass, took it off, made a tiny adjustment, then put it on again. “String instruments are high maintenance creatures, no doubt,” Gage said in a resigned tone, one hand resting affectionately on his latest patient. “Heat, humidity and handling — that’s what we call the Three H’s from Hell. One bass in one town in one year can go through huge humidity changes. The change from wet to dry, that’s what makes them crack.” “But we love our work,” he added, looking over the shop. “Our clients are orchestral musicians, jazz cats, rock ‘n’ rollers, country and world music performers, pros and amateurs. We pride ourselves on the attention we give each player, each instrument…You’re only as good as the people you work with, and I work with the best.”

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Shouts, but also consensus seekers at police protests BY ZACH WI L L I A M S Dueling contingents of protesters demonstrated outside City Hall Dec. 19, engaging each other in a heated battle of words the night before a lone gunman would fatally shoot two N.Y.P.D. officers in Brooklyn. The verbal sparring began in the early evening hours on a Friday, soon after about 100 people assembled for a #ThankYouNYPD rally, organized in response to the ongoing protests against police brutality, which have been garnering headlines for weeks. About 100 more people came to oppose this counter-protest and highlight their support for reforming N.Y.P.D. practices. Rhetoric would only grow more heated in the subsequent days following the fatal shooting of the N.Y.P.D. officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a man who posted anti-police statements on social media as well as references to Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who was killed by a police officer July 17. At the City Hall protests prior to the murders of the officers, police stoically manned the middle ground between the two groups who were each confined to protest corrals set up for by N.Y.P.D. on the eastern sidewalk of Broadway near the intersection with Murray St. For the next several hours the two sides would rally, speak to members of the media and cast aspersions at the other side. N.Y.P.D. supporters emphasized the rule of law and the dangers endured by law enforcement. For some among that group, the death of Garner — an unarmed black man who died after a police officer choked him during an arrest — was not representative of the department which they said has distinguished itself, particularly since 9/11. “I think they did such a great job then and they do a good job now,” said Peggy Padovano, a resident of Staten Island. “I think they are getting a really bad rap because of the incident that happened on Staten Island.” The ongoing protests are “awful,” targeting police officers for simply doing their job, said Carmen Rios, a Chelsea resident and wife of an N.Y.P.D. officer. “Don’t even get me started about them,” she added in reference to protesters on the other side who at that moment were chanting: “How

January 1 - January 14 2015

do you spell racist? N.Y.P.D.” Some activists protesting police brutality moved into the midst of N.Y.P.D. supporters during the course of the evening to debate police practices. “While we do respect police officers, we really feel that the police department needs to be held accountable for its work and we need to have an accountable system and we need to end the criminalization of black and brown bodies,” said Eleni Zimiles of Brooklyn. Only one police officer has ever been convicted of a crime out of the 179 N.Y.P.D.-related deaths since 1999, according to the Daily News, which noted in a recent article that 86 percent of the dead were Hispanic or black. Three police officers were indicted among the 179 incidents. But even while activists on both sides of the debate sought to further civil discourse, other participants of the two Dec. 19 demonstrations spent most of their time criticizing the other side. The next day, Brinsley killed the two officers in Bed-Stuy, after shooting his estranged girlfriend in Maryland earlier in the day. The deaths followed months of escalating tensions between Mayor Bill de Blasio and police. “That blood on the hands starts on the steps of City Hall in the office of the mayor,” said Pat Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police union. Former Gov. George Pataki and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani also criticized de Blasio’s handling of recent protests. De Blasio for his part urged protesters on Monday to adopt a moratorium on street demonstrations out of respect for the fallen officers. But N.Y.P.D. critics say they will continue their activism though they reiterated they must do so through non-violent means. In a statement signed by 20 activists groups, they accused Lynch and N.Y.P.D. leadership of appropriating the deaths for political purposes. The actions of Brinsley do not reflect the belief of the thousands of New Yorkers who have taken to the streets in recent weeks, according to the statement. “This individual acted as a lone wolf and committed a heinous crime,” Pete Haviland-Eduah,

A sea of blue mourns officer Wearing black tape across their badges, 20,000 police, from New York City, around the country and as far away as Canada, gathered in Queens on Saturday for the funeral of Police Officer Rafael Ramos. A week earlier, Ramos and his patrol partner, Wenjian Liu, had been executed in an ambush by a crazed gunman. After watching protesters bash police following the verdicts in the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, officers at the funeral said this was their turn to answer back. In his remarks, Mayor Bill de Blasio said “Police officers are called ‘peace officers,’ because that’s what they do — they keep the peace,” the mayor said. “They help make a place that otherwise would be torn with strife, a place of peace. “Officer Ramos put his life on the line every day so other New Yorkers could live in peace, so they could live in safety.” De Blasio has weathered heavy criticism from police unions about his response to the protests, and as he spoke, hundreds of officers watching him on a big screen turned their backs. The silent protest was even criticized by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also thinks de Blasio should apologize for previous statements. Vice President Joe Biden, who also attended, said New York can show the nation how to heal and come together. Liu’s funeral is set for Sun., Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. in Brooklyn.

Officer Ramos’s son, Justin, 19, a sophomore at Bowdoin College in Maine.

Downtown Express photos by Q. Sakamaki Downtown Express photos by Zach Williams

Mayor de Blasio at Saturday’s funeral for Officer Rafael Ramos.

Demonstrators supporting police, bottom, and others against police brutality at City Hall rally in Lower Manhattan Dec. 19.

national policy director for Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, one of the 20 groups, said in a telephone interview. He said the ongoing protests seek to develop a social consensus around how best to police local neighborhoods, but doing so will take time. Even in the middle of the Dec. 19 demonstrations, activists from both sides of the issue could find common ground despite the angry arguments and obscene gestures made by people next to them outside City Hall. A young black man from the Upper East Side and a white, mid-

dle-aged woman from Staten Island spoke at length about police relations with minority communities from respective sides of the protest corrals. They agreed that more needs to be done to ensure fairness in the judicial system while also recognizing the contributions made by police to public safety overall. “He heard me through all of the noise and we started to talk back and forth and we were able to agree on certain things and find some common ground,” said Diane, a woman who came to support police and only gave her first name. “And I think that’s what people need to do not only in this city but around the country.” DowntownExpress.com

Opening January 19 Open House Saturday January 17 For more information go to:

www.warriorbridge.com Police Officers saluted as Officer Ramos’s coffin was carried out of the church after the funeral. DowntownExpress.com

275 Water Street / South Street Seaport January 1 - January 14, 2015

When tattoo artists were Downtown outlaws

Silver reportedly under investigation in federal probe

B Y DUSICA SU E M A L E SE V IC Michelle Myles is one of the original gangstas of tattooing in the Lower East Side. Myles and her business partner, Brad Fink, opened Daredevil Tattoo in 1997 on Ludlow St. A year and a half ago, they moved the business to 141 Division St. Myles’s story of how she got into tattooing starts back when the art was still illegal in New York City. From 1961 until 1997, tattooing was verboten and underground. In 1989, Myles had moved from Ferguson, Missouri, to attend Parsons to study art. She had gotten her first tattoo during high school. “I went into this shop. I really liked the black panthers on the wall but I only had $25, so I got a little black cat tattoo,” she said during a recent interview at her Chinatown shop. “I just kept getting tattooed whenever I had a chance and a few bucks.” Her interest grew and she eventually started doing tattoos herself in 1991. Two years later, she moved to Ludlow St., which was then a very different neighborhood. “The first place that I had was across from the old Daredevil, an apartment I rented as a studio,” she recalled. “But that was when tattooing was illegal, so there was no sign out front or anything. It was funny when I moved down there; everybody told me, ‘Don’t move to Ludlow. It’s the worst heroin block in the whole city.’ So I moved there and I tattooed all the drug dealers and never had problems.” Back then, Myles explained, the tattooing scene was much more intimate. “You at least knew of everybody else who was tattooing in town,” she said. “It was a much more closed sort of thing. It was more about a couple individual artists that didn’t have shops.” Since tattooing was still underground then, it was difficult to learn how to do it, explained Clayton Patterson in a phone interview. In 1986, Patterson and Ari Roussimoff took over what was a tattoo-and-body art society and formed the Tattoo Society of New York. The club provided a sense of protection and community, Patterson said. He explained that it was a Department of Health offense if anyone was caught doing ink, and the city could shut an artist’s operation down at any time. Meetings — which Myles attended — were held at famed Downtown haunts like the Pyramid Club and CBGB. “It was a very exciting time in New York,” Patterson said. When the tattoo

BY LI NCOLN ANDERSON Sheldon Silver, the powerful, longtime leader of the New York State Assembly, is the focus of a federal investigation, The New York Times reported in its lead article on Page One on Tuesday. According to the Times, prosecutors from the office of Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, are investigating “substantial payments” made to Silver by a small firm that specializes in seeking tax reductions for commercial and residential properties in New York City. Prosecutors and F.B.I. agents have allegedly found that Goldberg & Iryami, P.C. — a two-person firm — has been paying Silver for over a decade, but that he did not list this income on his annual financial disclosure forms, as is required. The payments were not made to Silver as outside income as part of his private law practice. In addition to being the Assembly speaker, Silver is a personal-injury law-

January 1 - January 14 2015

ban was finally lifted in 1997, many tattooers were not happy about legalization. “A lot of them were really opposed to legalization because when tattooing was illegal and underground, it was a hidden economy,” Patterson said. “A lot of people like that sort of outlaw lifestyle.” Myles said when she first heard tattooing would be legalized, she thought it was a calamity. She had moved to the second floor above the music venue Pianos at 158 Ludlow St., and had just spent money to renovate the loft — she was living in the back and was tattooing in the front. “And then I was walking down the street and I saw Clayton Patterson and he was like, ‘Did you hear, they’re going to legalize tattooing?’ And I was like, ‘Noooo,’ ” she said with a laugh. “It wasn’t really the sort of place you would want a legal shop because it was old-school L.E.S., where you threw the keys out the window when somebody yelled up. “Everyone was just afraid it would open the floodgates — everyone would open a shop in New York,” she said. “And that’s basically what happened.” Myles and Fink had gone to high school together and when tattooing became legal, she called him up. About a week later, they signed the lease on Daredevil. “But at the time we just had the very front of the shop,” she said. “It was teeny tiny space and we renovated it.” Together, they eventually expanded the shop. About 10 years ago, they brought Fun City Tattoo on St. Mark’s Place. “At first, at 174 Ludlow St., we had a 10-year lease, then a five-year lease, and then the landlords started giving us two years at a time,” Myles said. The two-year leases were hard, she explained, because the shop would need repairs — for example, the floor would be falling apart — but she didn’t feel she could invest in making the fixes. Then, as the development boom was starting, the landlords wanted to raise her rent. “You couldn’t even drive down Ludlow for all the construction,” she recalled. “It was a mess — the whole block — and, really, 50 percent rent increase for that.” Still, Myles doesn’t blame her former landlords for recognizing the value of the retail space. “That just makes everything around it more expensive,” she said. “You know, we got priced out.”

Downtown Express photo by Clayton Patterson

Michelle Myles at her tattoo shop in Chinatown. She started on Ludlow St. when the practice was illegal.“ I tattooed all the drug dealers and never had problems,” she said. Below, an example of her work.

She sold Fun City last year and put everything into the new space on Division St. in Chinatown. With help from her husband, a contractor, the new shop opened in July 2013. She picked the spot because there was an option to buy, a process she is in the midst of completing. “I love this neighborhood down here now, it reminds me of Ludlow 10 years ago,” she said. “It still has character, there’s still weird storefronts. Chinatown is kind of awesome just ’cause it is so crazy down here. We’re really enjoying the neighborhood. “I wish I had known when I moved to Ludlow that someday everything would be gone, ’cause I feel like I would have savored it more, and so I feel the same way this time around,” she said. Also, the way business is done now is harder, she said. “It used to be you could come down to the Lower East Side and shake hands with your landlord and strike a deal on a place,” she said. “Give him a couple bucks deposit. Now, just to open a storefront you’re going to get raked over the coals — credit check, you have to give them your blood.” Before moving to Chinatown, the landlord asked for a six-month deposit, plus Myles had to pay to build out the shop. “It’s insane,” she said. “It’s really hard for, I think, normal people to do business when you are trying to rent a space and you’re competing with Subway. That’s really unfortunate. It used to be you’d see all these weird mystery storefronts down here that were rented by complete derelicts. It’s a little harder to be a derelict

Photo courtesy of Michelle Myles

these days and be in business.” Myles said that the Web has transformed everything about the ancient body art. “I can’t believe how the Internet’s changed tattooing,” she said. “There’s just tons and tons of really great artists. It’s tough to stand out from the crowd.” Myles described her style as versatile, but she enjoys traditional American tattooing, which has a limited color palette and features many designs that are iconic, simplified and very stylized. Vintage circus art adorns the walls of Daredevil. The shop’s huge glass cases house tattoo memorabilia that Fink has been collecting for 20 years. “Modern tattooing was born a few blocks away from where we are right now,” she said. “We’re really excited to bring that to life and have a place in New York City that pays tribute to that history.” When she first started out, the tattooing scene was predominantly male. “I think, at first, people kind of don’t take you seriously,” she recalled. “I specifically remember somebody once saying, ‘Oh, you tattoo, too. That’s cute.’ But in the long run, it’s what set you apart.... These days there are so many girls in tattooing, it’s not like it used to be.” DowntownExpress.com

yer with the firm of Weitz and Luxenberg. The U.S. attorney and F.B.I. reportedly are now trying to determine exactly what work Silver did in order to receive the payments. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the investigation — and would not confirm or deny to Downtown Express that there even is an investigation. No one has been charged, the spokesperson noted. Silver’s spokesperson did not respond by press time to a request for comment. Since 2001, Goldberg & Iryami has also made relatively small contributions to Silver’s campaigns for a total of $7,600. New York State legislators are allowed to hold outside jobs, but good-government groups have long criticized this situation for creating the potential for conflicts of interest and payoffs. In Silver’s case, his salary as

speaker is $121,000 while his outside income as a private attorney was more than $ 650,000, according to what he reported in 2013. According to the Times, Silver “is not known to have any expertise in the complex and highly specialized area of the law in which Goldberg & Iryami practices, known as tax certiorari, which involves challenging real estate tax assessments and seeking reductions from municipalities.” Goldberg & Iryami has represented properties on the Lower East Side, seeking real estate tax reductions for them, the Times reported. These include large co-op complexes, including Hillman Housing Corporation, on Grand St., where Silver lives, and the nearby East River Housing Corporation. East River Housing’s manager, Harold “Heshy” Jacob, in a 2009 letter to shareholders, noted that the city had raised the complex’s assessment to $28 million, and that its tax certiorari lawyer “was very

successful in reducing what could have been a $3,000,000 increase to a $750,000 increase” in taxes, according to the Times. In a Times article last month on Silver and his outside income, a Silver spokesperson said “none of his clients have any business before the state.” Currently, state ethics laws do not require legislators to disclose details about their outside work or who their clients are. Several local politicians did not comment for this article, including Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Richard Gottfried and District Leaders Paul Newell, who challenged Silver in 2008, and Jenifer Rajkumar. One person who did comment was Village Democratic District Leader Arthur Schwartz. “I have problems with legislators getting paid for work when they don’t do work,” Schwartz said. “It’s an easy way to pass a bribe.”

Bus problems at the World Trade Center Continued from page 3

of W.T.C. tour buses to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. A museum spokesperson, speaking on background, said the community was raising “valid issues,” but he did not offer detailed information about the buses. In 2012, about 5 percent of the memorial visitors came by tour bus, he said, and this year, during peak summer season, less than one percent visited the museum by bus. He did not provide memorial visitor info for this year, which is now harder to track because there isn’t a ticketing system anymore. C.B. 1 member Tammy Meltzer, said, “There needs to be a recognition by all involved at the campus site that the hundreds of buses per week come Downtown — not to go to go to the museum necessarily, but to drop off for the Memorial Plaza.” Meltzer, who lives in Battery Park City, said that the buses are driving around residential neighborhoods and parking in front of schools, which is not safe, and that her family’s school crossing guard spends a lot of time waiving tour buses from parking in front of the school. “Like any other fantastic tourist location, they need to consider the broader aspect of what’s going on, not everyone can afford to go to the museum itself but everyone can afford to go to the amazingly beautiful park and have reference and meaning and understand it,” she said. DowntownExpress.com

Meltzer said that there has been an increase in tour buses and even more so since the fencing has been brought down with the opening of the museum in May. “A multi-level approach for accommodating everyone in the neighborhood and all the tourists would be the best thought,” she said. Perillo and Abramson both suggested that tourists use mass transit, an idea that C.B. 1 has also encouraged. “We do get complaints but what we’re looking for is solutions,” C.B. 1 Chairperson Catherine McVay Hughes said in a phone interview. She said improving the E train World Trade Center station would encourage more tourists to use it. While he was waiting on Trinity Place on a recent weekday morning, Academy Bus driver Ernest Tomas said that the tour buses used to drop off near Cedar St., but now do so a block further away on Thames St. “We stay back here now out of everybody’s way,” said Tomas, who lives in the Bronx and has driven buses for many years. “In a way you don’t have the choice,” he said. “As far as I know, New York is number one in tourism and they do want to come down and see these sites. You have to unload and pick up somewhere within walking distance. We have a lot of older people come down, and they can’t walk so far.”

Downtown Express photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic

Personal vehicles are often parked on West St. in spots designated for World Trade Center tour buses. January 1 - January 14, 2015

TRANSIT SAM Thurs., Jan. 1 – Wed., Jan. 7 ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED THURSDAY FOR NEW YEAR’S Happy New Year, Lower Manhattanites! Here’s the deal with parking rules on New Year’s Day: alternate side parking is suspended, meters are suspended, and all signs without the word “Anytime” are suspended. Public schools are back in ses-

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Jennifer Goodstein EDITOR

Josh Rogers REPORTER

Dusica Sue Malesevic ARTS EDITOR

Scott Stiffler SENIOR V.P. OF SALES & MARKETING

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Jack Agliata Allison Greaker Jennifer Holland Julio Tumbaco ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Troy Masters SENIOR DESIGNER

Michael Shirey

Posted To

Balls and bottles overboard

sorry your angel was taken from you; goldens have epic, unforgettable personalities and make friends wherever they go.

Soccer balls and plastic bottles were recently floated off of Tribeca’s Pier 25.

Andrew Gooss Milo Hess Jefferson Siegel PUBLISHER EMERITUS

John W. Sutter

PUBLISHED BY NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC ONE METROTECH CENTER NEW YORK, NY 11201 PHONE: (212) 229-1890 FAX: (212) 229-2790 WWW.DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM NEWS@DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM Downtown Express is published every week by NYC Community Media LLC, One Metrotech Center North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 (212) 229-1890. The entire contents of the newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2015 Community Media LLC. PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

Member of the New York Press Association

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January 1 - January 14 2015

Continued from page 12

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PHOTOGRAPHERS

sion Monday and the holiday season is coming to a close, so any brief respite on the morning commute will soon be over. In the Holland Tunnel, one New York-bound lane and one New Jersey-bound lane will be closed 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Expect extra traffic on Canal and Varick Sts. Construction on Broadway from Maiden Ln. to John St. will make for slowdowns 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

@franklanguage

Posted To

Dear Sean, Just pay the fine, and the ticket will not affect your insurance rates. The N.Y.S. D.M.V. does not record out-of-state parking or moving violations committed by N.Y.S. drivers in other states, unless your violation is alcohol-related or drug-related. However, you must respond to your ticket (or pay your fine), because failure to do so will result in the D.M.V. suspending your N.Y.S. driver license until you respond to the ticket or pay the fine. Transit Sam Email your traffic, transit and parking questions to transitsam@downtownexpress. com. Make it your New Year’s resolution to avoid gridlock. Gridlock Sam’s 2015 Parking Calendar is available online as a free download and through the Gridlock Sam store as a printed copy for $3 shipping and handling ($1 for each additional calendar). To access the download link, follow me on Twitter @gridlocksam, or subscribe to my newsletter at gridlocksam.com.

Tracy Spinney

“SEAPORT REPORT, WEEK OF DEC. 18, 2014: ON HOWARD HUGHES’ PLANS”

belong to all Americans, not just the Howard Hughes Corporation.

(POSTED, DEC 18):

Diane Harris Brown There is no rational argument against New York City boasting a first-rate maritime museum. It is not the South Street Seaport Museum of the past that should be lamented, but the loss of what the museum could be in the future ... So the difficult question remains: can the museum be an independent, well-respected and robust institution firmly rooted in its subject, or must it be simply a mediocre appendage on the hip of the developer? ...Those calling the tune are presenting the public with little more than over-advertised shopping, tooloud concerts and an embarrassment posing as a maritime museum.

Three cheers for saying so clearly what many of us have been struggling to express for so long. As a long-time resident of the neighborhood and participant in the Seaport Working Group, I feel we have a precious historic legacy to protect. The Guidelines and Principles developed by the SWG spell out many of these issues. The HHC and NYCEDC seem determined to ignore the guidelines, especially those respecting the size and contextuality of any new development. Both Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Margaret Chin have both stated that the proposed tower does not belong on the New Fish Market Site or anywhere in the historic district. To quote Ms. Chin, “Move the tower south”. Future generations will thank us if we can create a sensible master plan to preserve the antique buildings, support the South Street Seaport Museum, and provide access to the noble ships. These treasures

and other have gone hand and hand with the rebirth of water recreation in NY Harbor. I know what the existing management has done. I do not know how Brookfield can continue or improve upon this. Perhaps if we could see their proposal and have a small bit of input?

If you’re planning to use the Brookly n Bridge, remember, good news: closures are taking a break for the holidays and the bridge will be completely open through Sunday, Jan. 4. Closures retur n Monday through next Thursday, and all Manhattan-bound lanes close 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Inbound traffic will be detoured to the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges and the Battery Tunnel, so watch out for extra traffic on Canal, Delancey, and West Sts. FROM THE MAILBAG: Dear Transit Sam, If I get a ticket in New Jersey, do the points show up on my New York license for my insurance to find out and raise rates? Sean, East Village

Anonymous

“THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CRUNCH: HAS ‘CHOICE’ BECOME A ROLL OF THE DICE?” (POSTED, DEC 18)

Why can’t USA provide excellent

education to all who can benefit from it? Why can’t we have enough excellent middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities to provide excellent educations to all? Walter77777

“DOWNTOWN NOTEBOOK: SADIE, THE FOUR-LEGGED MAYOR OF LUDLOW ST.” (PRINT VERSION, DEC 18)

We adopted a golden back in 1994, before there was even such a thing as Petfinder; we located her with the help of a rescue known as “Golden Lifeline”—also defunct... Her name was “Sandy” but we renamed her “Tipper”—after Tipper Gore, and because it was a better name for a dog. Thanks to her, I was able to get rid of my antidepressants. Cancer also took our Tipper, after we had had her 11 years; she was 13. For some reason, goldens are very prone to cancer; a very high percentage of them get it. I’m so

“C.B. 1 RALLIES TO HELP FORTENBAUGH AT NORTH COVE” (POSTED, DEC 22)

As an instructor at Manhattan Sailing School and Manhattan Yacht Club member for over 14 years, I can attest first hand to the accomplishments our little sailing community have made in Lower Manhattan. The teen program, Project City Kids, Achilles Sail, The Dennis Connor International Yacht Club Challenge

LETTERS POLICY Downtown Express welcomes letters to The Editor. They must include the writer’s first and last name, a phone number for confirmation purposes only, and any affiliation that relates directly to the letter’s subject matter. Letters should be less than 300 words. Downtown Express reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity, civility or libel reasons. Letters should be emailed to letters@downtownexpress.com or can be mailed to 1 Metrotech Center North, Brooklyn NY11201.

Andy

I am a New Yorker old enough to remember no Battery Park City, no river access. What Michael Fortenbaugh has achieved at North Cove is testament to a vision which was inspired by being a sailor and seeing no one on this magnificent waterway. He managed to bring local sailing, visiting yachts, regattas, beer can racing, a stop or start on international ocean racing, a sailing school, and youth sailing. Now, because he has fulfilled a vision and opened the harbor to recreational sailing and the marina to distant yachts, the corporate world hopes to swoop down and take it away. Why? Because they have no vision, only money and people in high places.

North Cove Marina can’t buy it. Is a corporation Continued from page going 5 to go get it?” he said. “Please pass the resolution in support of Michael and then do more. Don’t let the Battery Park Authority give the cove to a big corporation.” “This whole experience of Michael is very hard for me to swallow,” said Bob Townley, a C.B. 1 member. “The Battery Park City Authority does what they want … They’re making another mistake here.” Townley called on elected officials to “put this one of the carpet” and “tell Dennis Mehiel [the authority’s chairperson] that they’re not going to stand for this or there’s going to be some repercussions.” C.B. 1 unanimously passed a resolution that strongly urges elected officials to reach out to the B.C.P.A. and that the authority modify the R.F.P. so that there is “greater weight given to the ‘community-based’ programming

criteria.” The authority has said little on the matter in recent weeks and declined to comment Dec. 30. Fortenbaugh has asked the authority to stay through the 2015 season, but officials have told him they will not consider any of his proposals. “It’s too late in the process for any of these bidders to set up all of these programs we run and it’s too late for us to find a new location,” Fortenbaugh told Downtown Express Tuesday. He said even though tensions have been heightened in recent weeks, he thinks the authority and he could still work together if they were to decide to let him stay. “If they’re mad we had a rally [Dec. 15], I’m sorry,” he said, “but if government has a problem with people getting involved, than government has the problem.”

Claire Morda

Continued on page 13

DowntownExpress.com

Battery Park City Authority should listen to the community board and restart this flawed procurement - perhaps this time with some input from the people who live, work, and play in the neighborhood!!

DowntownExpress.com

January 1 - January 14, 2015

Activities THURSDAY, JANUARY 1– WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 BY VICT O RI A G RA N T H A M As we come off the celebratory chaos that is the holiday season and welcome in the new year, there are a number of January activities that will help us entertain our families while we readjust to the routine. Here are a few that stood out to me: On New Year’s Day there’s an option for families interested in traveling back in time. The Merchant’s House Museum in Noho is hosting an event called “Come Calling’ on New Year’s Day.” I’m intrigued since I’ve lived in the city for nearly 20 years, but I didn’t even know this place existed. Apparently it’s the only 19th century family home in New York City preserved intact. The museum is providing, tours, readings and sweet treats while they “continue the 19th century tradition of renewing, reviving, and reaffirming friendships.” It sounds like it will be especially good for families with school-age children studying history. I typically try to keep the listing to events below Canal to make it easy, but in addition to the Merchant’s House, a few activities a short subway ride away caught my eye. On 27th St. and Park Ave. the Jazz Standard is hosting a Jazz for Kids program. At the free weekly session held on Sundays the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra will perform and Blue Smoke ribs will be available for purchase. The Film Forum on Houston St. is running a Film Forum Jr. Sunday matinee series. The first movie – on January 4 – is “The Sound of Music” with Julie Andrews. Most of the movies shown this winter will be appropriate for even the youngest family members. Another unique opportunity: The Center for Architecture at LaGuardia Place is holding a family day event focused on building bridges. On January 10 kids will get

January 1 - January 14 2015

hands on and design a model bridge to take home. If you’re anti-subway, fear not as FiDi Families is kicking off a really cool-sounding program this month called The C3 (community, children, cube) at the community cube next to the ice rink at the Seaport. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in January there will be an organized event (music, arts, film, yoga, etc.) followed by hour of free play. The program begins on Jan. 4th with a themed party and two screenings of “Frozen.” Fans can come in costume and participate in sing-alongs and movie-inspired crafts. Follow the hashtag #theseaportcube for updates. For families with older kids, the Seaport ice rink is continuing its learn-to-curl program each Wednesday night in January. Participants will learn the fundamentals of the sport, including how to throw a stone, sweep, and skip with the proper techniques. In addition to its usual programming, The Battery Park City library will be holding a Budding Bookmakers event in conjunction with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. The experience begins with an interactive book reading followed by an art activity exploring the techniques used by the illustrator. Finally, if you haven’t dumped your tree yet, consider participating in the 19th annual Mulchfest on January 10th. The event gives New Yorkers an opportunity to recycle their trees into woodchips that will nourish the city’s gardens. Mulchfest is happening throughout the city, but by us it will take place at Bogardus Garden at Reade and Chambers Sts. and at in Battery Park City between the Hudson River & South End Ave., south of Liberty St. Cheers to 2015! For more info on fun activities, check out the listing below.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1

MONDAY, JANUARY 5

MERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM: “COME CALLING” ON NEW YEAR’S DAY 29 East Fourth Street, merchantshouse.org/calendar/, nyc1832@merchantshouse.org Paying calls on friends and family on New Year’s Day was one of Old New York’s most cherished customs. Join the museum for tours of the house, 19th century readings about New Year’s Day celebrations, and punch and confectionery, as they continue the 19th century tradition of renewing, reviving, and reaffirming friendships. All ages | $20 | 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) fidifamilies.com One hour of organized activity followed by one hour of free play hosted by FiDi Families and presented by NY Presbyterian Hospital. Musical Mondays: music with performers, Toddler Tuesdays: yoga, arts, crafts, Winter Wednesdays: storytime, movies. All Ages | Free | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl. org/locations/battery-park-city Toddler Story Time: A librarian will share picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 1-3 years | Free | 10:30 am

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ SOCCER Battery City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren Street, fbelliard@bpcparks.org, bpcparks.org/event/womens-girls-soccer/ all/ Women’s and Girls’ Soccer at the Battery Park City Ball Fields is good for aspiring athletes or simply those wanting to try a new sport. Ages 12+ | Free | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EVERY SUNDAY UNTIL 2.22

JAZZ FOR KIDS Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street (between Park & Lexington) jazzstandard.com/ The weekly session (which runs all throughout the school year) is packed with family and friends grooving to music by the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra (JSYO) and eating ribs from Blue Smoke. All ages | Free, suggested $5 donation | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (doors open at 1:00 pm) FILM FORUM JR. SUNDAY MATINEE SERIES Film Forum, 209 West Houston St., filmforum.org/series/film-forum-jr.-series-page A weekly Sunday matinee series for kids and families through 3/29. January 4: “THE SOUND OF MUSIC” Age 5+ | $7.50 | 11:00 am

FIDI FAMILIES: SCREENING OF ‘FROZEN’ South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) fidifamilies.com Free screening of “Frozen.” Fans are encouraged to dress up like their favorite characters for sing-alongs and movie inspired crafts. Snacks will be provided. All Ages | Free | 10:00 am and 4:00 pm NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 50 babies and their caregivers; first-come first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free | 9:30 am Toddler Story Time: A librarian shares lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 12-36 months | Free | 4:00 pm WINTER AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS AND GAMES Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren, fbelliard@bpcparks.org Kids ages 7 and up can come play soccer, flag-football, hockey, and more at the Battery Park City Ball Fields. Find winter activities organized by parks programming leaders or play independently. Equipment will be provided. Ages 7+ | Free | 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) fidifamilies.com See 1/5 for info. DowntownExpress.com

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 25 babies and their caregivers; first-come first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free |11:30 am Picture Book Time A librarian will share classic picture books and new stories. All ages | Free | 4:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) fidifamilies.com See 1/5 for info. NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Toddler Story Time: A librarian will share lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 12-36 months | Free | 10:30 a.m. EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 10:30 AM

Budding Bookmakers (Eric Carle, Denise Fleming, Ed Emberly, Ezra Jack Keats) Budding Bookmakers is designed to introduce students to a wide variety of books and excite them about reading. Each session begins with an interactive book reading followed by an art activity exploring the techniques used by the illustrator. Presented by Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Ages 5+ | Free | 4:00 pm WINTER AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS AND GAMES Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren See 1/5 for info CURLING WEDNESDAYS Seaport ice rink, southstreetseaport.com/events/ The Seaport ice rink is hosting a learnto-curl program each Wednesday night in January. Participants will get their first exposure to the sport and learn the fundamentals. Each evening consists of (2) 60 minute timeslots, where participants can choose their preferred session time either by dropping in or signing up in advance. Teenagers and adults | Price per person, $50.00 | 7 pm -8 pm, & 8 pm -9 pm DowntownExpress.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 25 babies and their caregivers; first-come first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free |11:30 am Crafternoon Head to the library for a story followed by an art project. 1/8: Gak Attack! All ages | Free| 4:00 pm FILM SCREENING: ‘ENCHANTED’ southstreetseaport.com/events Sugarcube: Fulton and Front Streets Enchanted Movie Screening Starring Amy Adams, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, and Patrick Dempsey. Banished by an evil queen, Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) from a fairy-tale world lands in modern Manhattan, where music, magic and “happily ever after” are sorely lacking. Rated PG | Free | 7-9 pm

“The Sound of Music” will be showing at the Film Forum Jan. 4 to kickoff its Sunday matinee series.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren, fbelliard@bpcparks.org, bpcparks.org/event/ultimate-frisbee-2015-01-10/2014-12-13/ Come to the BPC Ball Fields for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. The game is great fun for novices and experts alike. Newcomers are welcome. Co-ed/ Pick-up. All ages | Free | 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers and Toddler Story Time: See 1/5 for info

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13

WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ SOCCER Battery City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren Street See 1/4 for info

FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube See 1/5 for info.

WINTER AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS AND GAMES Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren See 1/5 for info

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 WINTER AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS AND GAMES Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren Sts. See 1/5 for info

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 FAMILY TABLE TENNIS & PING PONG Two Bridges Community Center, 286 South Street, ymcanyc.org/chinatown Play Table Tennis with your kids and other families. Ages: 6 & up | Free | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EVERY SATURDAY AT 11:00 AM

FAMILYDAY@THECENTER: BUILDING BRIDGES Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, (212) 358-6133 info@cfafoundation.org, cfafoundation.org/index.php?section=events&evtid=1009 Families will learn about different types of bridges and how they work, then design and construct their own model bridge to take home. Pre-registration required. Age 5+ | $20/family of 4; additional guests accompanying a Family Admission are $5 each | 11 am - 1pm; or 2- 4 pm

FILM FORUM JR. SUNDAY MATINEE SERIES Film Forum, 209 West Houston St., filmforum.org/series/film-forum-jr.-series-page See 1/4 for info. January 11 is a screening of: ‘THE MUPPET MOVIE’ WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ SOCCER Battery City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren Street, fbelliard@bpcparks.org, bpcparks.org/event/womens-girls-soccer/all/ See 1/4 for info JAZZ FOR KIDS Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street (between Park & Lexington) jazzstandard.com/ See 1/4 for info

MONDAY, JANUARY 12 FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) fidifamilies.com See 1/5 for info.

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers and Picture book time: See 1/6 for info

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 FIDI FAMILIES: THE C3 South Street Seaport Community Cube (next to the ice rink) See 1/5 for info. NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Toddler Story Time and Budding Bookmakers: See 1/7 for info WINTER AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS AND GAMES Battery Park City Ball Fields, West Street between Murray and Warren See 1/5 for info CURLING WEDNESDAYS Seaport ice rink, southstreetseaport.com/events/ See 1/7 for info January 1 - January 14, 2015

Highlights of a high quality year for film

Ten top flicks of 2014

Continued from page 17

The sweetest apples and oranges

LISTEN UP PHILIP

BY SEAN EGAN Making year-end lists is something of a difficult and arbitrary task, as comparing the relative quality of radically different films against each other becomes an exercise in trying to pick apples over oranges. That being said, 2014 seems to be an even more difficult year than most to write a “best of” list, as theatrical releases of all shapes, sizes and genres have been of an unusually high quality across the board. It seems a shame to only highlight a few of the best — but as it is, I present my personal (obsessively deliberated over) top ten films of 2014.

Alex Ross Perry’s deadpan dramadey focuses on Philip (Jason Schwartzman), published novelist and all-around asshole, as he burns bridges and destroys relationships while trying to get back on track creatively. It’s a movie that refuses to pander, offering a damning takedown of the self-important, white male artisté cliché — while remaining exceptionally humorous and witty throughout. Schwartzman turns in the best work of his career as Philip, giving him nuance and vulnerability while never sanding down his unlikable edges. As his long-suffering girlfriend Ashley, the exquisite Elizabeth Moss delivers one of the year’s best performances. Captured via Perry’s intimate direction (he favors extreme close ups and shoots in expressive 16mm), “Listen Up Philip” is a special, small-scale treat.

THE BABADOOK This Australian horror export from first-time director Jennifer Kent is hands down the scariest movie of the year. An expertly executed chiller, “The Babadook” taps into primal phobias, and cannily uses the power of suggestion to unsettle. It also helps that Kent’s titular monster is one of the most ingenious and viscerally creepy horror creations in recent memory. Taut and terrifying, “The Babadook” is guaranteed leave you Baba-Spooked (forgive the pun, groan-worthy wordplay is just a coping mechanism to deal with how genuinely unnerving this movie is).

SNOWPIERCER

An expertly executed chiller, “The Babadook” taps uses the power of suggestion to unsettle.

WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle’s little drama is so tightly wound, it essentially functions as a psychological thriller. Centering around a young jazz drummer’s (Miles Teller) obsessive quest to be one of the greats and his relationship with an emotionally abusive bandleader (J.K. Simmons) who demands perfection, “Whiplash” turns the screw and spirals in satisfying, unexpected ways. Simmons is larger than life, in a bravura performance, and the whole film builds to a fever pitch, culminating in a blood pumping, transfixing finale that’s one of the most breathtaking scenes of the year.

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This is by far the best, most ruthlessly inventive action movie of the year. Set in the not-too-distant future where the world has frozen over, rebellion and class warfare erupts aboard the self-sustaining train carrying the last of humanity. Director Bong Joonho structures the movie as if it was the world’s most exciting, Gilliam-esque video game, each progressive train car carrying new and exciting action set pieces or visual wonders. All the while he manages to imbue the film with a sneaky sense of humor, excellent performances (Tilda Swinton is a hoot and Chris Evans proves he has more to him than leading-man looks), and political messages for the age of the Environmentalist and Occupy movements — making “Snowpiercer” a smart, thrilling spectacle.

defies the expectations of his doubters with his wonderful seventh picture, a comedy spanning multiple generations (and aspect ratios). The movie might be his most humorously irreverent, manicured and diorama-like to date, but the secret to its success is the unexpected vein of darkness and melancholy that runs through it, and its commitment to character. Funny, emotionally affecting and possessing a surprising depth, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” ranks amongst Anderson’s very best.

UNDER THE SKIN Jonathan Glazer’s darkly hypnotizing film is pretty difficult to describe, as there’s really nothing else quite like it. That’s part of its appeal — there’s a certain thrill to not knowing where a movie is going, and experiencing something totally new. It’s best to enter this movie knowing as little possible, and let it run its course unfettered by expectations (though Scarlett Johansson’s brilliantly cold and calculated performance deserves special mention). But be warned: “Under the Skin” is profoundly disturbing and intense in ways that very few movies aim to be, and even fewer are successful at. For those who make it through, it’s a visionary, visually sumptuous work of science fiction.

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE Writer/director Justin Simien’s campus dramedy is required viewing, more so than ever unfortunately, in light of recent events. Set on a fauxIvy League campus as racial tension begins to boil, the movie takes every-

Continued on page 17

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon emerge from the smoke clouds that surround Paul Thomas Anderson’s trippy, hilarious “Inherent Vice.”

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one to task — from blatant bigots to well-meaning micro-aggressors — in order to expose the inherent injustices black people face in both the collegiate system and society at large. But “Dear White People” is not simply a means to preach a message. It also happens to be one of the most acutely observed character studies of the year. Focusing on four drastically different black students, the film captures each with an impressive amount of lived-in detail — particularly Tessa Thompson’s radical activist/filmmaker/DJ, Sam, and the shy, gay reporter, Lionel (played sympathetically by Tyler James Williams). Everything

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The drama “Whiplash” is so tightly wound, it essentially functions as a psychological thriller.

One of the most acutely observed character studies of the year, “Dear White People” focuses on four drastically different black students.

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Top theatrical releases of 2014 Continued from page 18

about Simien’s debut feels vital — from its funny, whip-smart script to its sure-handed direction (which sometimes recalls Wes Anderson) — and it’s exciting to see what he’ll do next.

INHERENT VICE If “Gone Girl” represents the effectiveness of meticulously structured filmmaking, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” represents the opposite end of the spectrum — the exhilarating results that can be achieved by throwing caution (and structure) to the wind. Based on a Thomas Pynchon novel, “Inherent Vice” is a rambling, druggy, shaggy dog comedy by way of noir-ish P.I. narrative — but the plot is largely beside the point (and more than a little inscrutable). With Joaquin Phoenix’s stoner P.I. “Doc” Sportello at the center of the proceedings, Anderson presents viewers with a beautifully hazy, fully realized world to get lost in, populated by characters strange and strangely specific (like the never-better Josh Brolin’s Det. “Bigfoot”). It’s also quite possibly the funniest movie of the year. Visual gags abound, dialogue escalates absurdly, and reaction shots are deployed to devastating effect. If you’re on the wonky “Vice” wavelength, you’ll laugh till you’re in pain, and immediately want to revisit this wonderfully weird movie.

GONE GIRL Director David Fincher plays the role of a modern day Hitchcock, elevating a pulpy tale of infidelity, deceit and murder into a carefully constructed, first-rate mystery/thriller, and an

Courtesy of Matt Lankes & IFC Films

Richard Linklater’s greatest masterpiece in a career full of them, “Boyhood” follows Mason (Ellar Coltrane), over the course of 12 years.

accomplished work of art. Working from a sterling script by Gillian Flynn (adapting from her own novel), Fincher employs his signature meticulous compositions and cool-hued cinematography to ratchet up tension and construct a thoroughly engrossing mystery. The film’s real strength, however, lies in the way Fincher and Flynn seamlessly intertwine their tale with a nuanced examination of gender roles and identity. Boasting a powerhouse performance from Rosamund Pike (and an unexpectedly charismatic turn from Tyler Perry), a moody Trent

Reznor and Atticus Ross score, and featuring more “Holy s**t!” plot twists than any other film per capita this year, “Gone Girl” is dark, intelligent and thought-provoking entertainment of the highest order.

BOYHOOD Was there really any other choice for the best film of 2014? While that may sound a tad presumptuous, writer/director Richards Linklater’s “Boyhood” would have been one for the books based on its conceit alone. The filming of a fictional narrative over the course of 12 years in order to track the physical and personal growth of the actors and their characters was an unprecedented

strategy. That “Boyhood” wound up being this great almost seems like a bonus. Aided by an excellent cast and strengthened by his gentle yet elegant directorial style, Linklater constructed an instant-classic coming of age story like no other, capturing the universal in the specific, and finding the significance in the minutiae of daily life. No other movie’s ambition, both formally and artistically, was as great, and no other movie made excellence seem as effortless. In a career full of them, “Boyhood” is undoubtedly Linklater’s greatest masterpiece. It’s relatable, beautiful, emotionally satisfying and just about as perfect as a movie can hope to get.

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Photos courtesy of Trinity Church/St. Paul’s Chapel

A merry Christmas at St. Paul’s

Hundreds flocked to St. Paul’s Chapel Christmas Eve for caroling, a Christmas play and a brief service. Children from Trinity’s Sunday School and the Trinity Youth Chorus performed. The church is across the street from the World Trade Center, and 13 years ago, it served as solace for rescue and recovery workers in the months that followed 9/11. A banner sent to the church still hangs prominently in the chapel. The Episcopal Church’s parish formed over three centuries ago, and includes St. Paul’s and Trinity Church, both on Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

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