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The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933
January 5, 2017 • $1.00 Volume 87 • Number 1
G.V.L.L. prez hopes Pier 40 plans don’t throw any curveballs By Dennis Lynch
A
fter a decade of volunteer work with the Greenwich Village Little League, Michael Schneider was elected this past summer to a two-year term as its president. As anyone knows who follows local news about the waterfront, it’s sure to be an interesting time for G.V.L.L.
and its home base at Pier 40. Last month the city approved a deal under which the Hudson River Park Trust can sell some of its unused development rights from Pier 40 to developers to raise money for much-needed repairs to the pier. But the Trust will still have unused “air rights” left on G.V.L.L. continued on p. 23
West Villager’s new satellite-photo book is out of this world By L auren Berger
W
hat started as a passion project on Instagram for Benjamin Grant garnered more than 460,000 followers. The 27year-old Villager’s high-definition satellite photographs provide a new perspective on the human impact on landscapes
around the world. Grant’s Instagram page, in turn, led to his new, large-format 288-page hardcover book, “Overview.” Grant’s venture began in 2013 when he launched a space club at his consulting company “as an excuse to bring people together for lunch,” the artist said in a recent interview Photos continued on p. 14
PHoto by Milo Hess
A green-haired mermaid emerged from the sur f at the Polar Bear Plunge at Coney Island on New Year’s Day. See Page 4 for more photos.
Met Food, low-cost grocer, meets its end on Mulberry By Dennis Lynch
L Tobocman thumps Trump ��������p. 8
ocals and elected officials put up a last-minute fight to save the Mulberry St. Met Foodmarket from closure last Thursday, but it appears it will shut its doors Sat., Jan. 7. Landlord Abington Properties is seeking “a more upscale operation” to replace it, according to Councilmember Margaret Chin, who organized the rally in front of the supermarket.
Met Food regulars said it was one of the few places in the Little Italy / Soho area where the neighborhood’s elderly and longtime rent-regulated residents could get reasonably priced groceries. Now they’ll have to trek a half mile to Whole Foods, at E. Houston St. and Bowery, and pay more for grub, or take an even-longer trip to Chinatown for similarly priced goods. Even a half-mile walk is a
non-option for many older folks in the community — particularly with groceries in each hand. More than 500 people more than 65 years old live in the 12-block radius around the market, according to census data. The seniors living in the 152 units of affordable senior housing just around the corner at the Little Italy Restoration Apartments will especially sufMarket continued on p. 6
Skenazy: Health scares are mostly crazy.. .......p. 11 The Free Republic of the Village turns 100 ������ p. 13 www.TheVillager.com