Our Town Downtown - January 2, 2020 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown

THE BEST OF 2019 ◄ CITY ARTS, P.12

A Petland Discount store on West 23rd Street off Eighth Avenue in Chelsea before it closed in March 2019. The pet chain, a fixture in Manhattan since its founding in 1965, shuttered all 11 of its stores in the borough and totally vanished from the retail landscape. Photo: Douglas Feiden

CHAIN REACTION SPARKS RETAIL MELTDOWN SHOPS

Scores of national brands are shrinking their footprints and others are disappearing from the landscape in the biggest mercantile shakeout in Manhattan in more than a decade BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

Remember Radio Shack? In 2014, the popular electronics chain boasted 30 shops in all the retail corridors of Manhattan. Today, there are zero. Also vanished from the is-

Retired Army leader launches longshot bid to become city’s ﬁrst female mayor BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM

After a decades-long career in the military, and the transient lifestyle that accompanied it, retired Army

I’m giving this everything I got. I’m not playing it safe here. I’m playing to win.” Loree Sutton

brigadier general Loree Sutton’s six years in New York has been the longest period of time she’s called any one place home during her adult life. During this time, part of which she spent running New York City’s Department of Veterans’ Services, Sutton says she and her wife have come to see the city as their home, but at the same time,

they’ve become worried about its future. It wasn’t until she saw hundreds of servicemen and women across the country stepping up in the 2018 midterm elections to run for office that she also saw an opening for herself to bring a different type of leadership to New York, and more specifically, to the

VISION ZERO'S BLEAK YEAR

Traffic fatalities increased citywide for the first time since 2014. p. 5

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

GET MOVING TO STAY HEALTHY

The many benefits of regular exercise for older adults . p. 6

land’s shopping scene is Payless. Five years ago, the discount footwear chain had 15 stores. Now, there are none. And Petland Discounts met a similar fate. The seller of parakeets, fish tanks, terrariums and guinea pig food shrank from 11 outlets to zilch. Each had a long history – Radio Shack was founded in 1921, Payless in 1956, Petland in 1965 – and the demise of all three highlights a brutal trend in the transformation of the borough’s retail landscape.

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02-08 2020 INSIDE

A GENERAL’S NEXT CAMPAIGN

POLITICS

WEEK OF JANUARY

BITTERSWEET MEMORIES OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE Looking back at a childhood in Stuyvesant Town. p. 13

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that Loree Sutton, MD, Brigadier General (Ret.), will step down as Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services during an event on the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on October 3, 2019. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

CHAMPAGNE AND SHOES

Luxury stores adapt to the changing consumer. p. 16

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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

WEEK OF APRIL

< CITYARTS, P.12

FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL

presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He ﬁrst writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereﬂect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiArbitration Man, suc in 1985, settling vidual practice

9-16

MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She on the Over the past is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits

SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS

A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311

Newscheck

for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced

City Arts

12 13

CONTINUED ON PAGE

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JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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NEW LAWS FOR THE NEW YEAR LEGISLATION

A look at the bills signed by Gov. Cuomo at the end of 2019 BY MARINA VILLENEUVE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York’s governor is putting his signature on dozens of bills that the newly Democratic-controlled Legislature has passed ahead of the new year. So far this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed over 400 of the 900 bills passed by lawmakers, while he’s vetoed several dozen bills that he has largely said lack funding. That’s a lot more bills than typically land on the governor’s desk - usually around 500 to 600, according to Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi. Cuomo typically faces a 10day deadline to act on bills after they are passed by the

Legislature, but the clock doesn’t start until they land on his desk. Here’s a look at some bills recently signed by the governor:

HIV DRUGS: New York will now require sexual assault victims to receive the full 28-days course of an HIV-prevention medication. The governor says he and lawmakers have agreed to make sure minors, who may not be able to involve parents or guardians in their health decisions, can immediately access the regimen.

VAMPIRE APPLIANCES: State regulators will take aim at “vampire appliances” by adopting energy performance standards for certain common household appliances. Democratic Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy says it’s estimated U.S. residents spend $19 billion in electricity and energy costs from such appliances, which can remain

on when not in use.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New York will start working on an inventory of the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure and look at any geographic gaps under a newly signed bill. Fahy says the legislation will look at where the availability of charging stations, for example, is insufficient.

DIVERSE TV WRITERS: Cuomo also signed a bill to create a tax credit for production companies that employ women and minority television writers and directors.

SEA TURTLES: Cuomo signed a bill to create a protection area for marine mammals and sea turtles around Plum Island, Great Gull Island and Little Gull Island _ which are off of Long Island.

LEAD IN KIDS’ JEWELRY: Another bill signed into law creates a labeling requirement

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Songs of Gratitude: Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15, Opus 132

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4TH, 2:30PM

Photo: Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo

for children’s jewelry that contains lead. The governor said tweaks to the bill are needed to update the lead standard to current federal standards and make it easier for the state to enforce the requirement.

ADULT CARE FACILITIES: Residents of New York’s adult care facilities will have the right to be fully informed of their medical conditions, proposed medication or health care services, among other rights guaranteed

under a recently signed bill.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COMMISSION: The state is tasking a new commission with studying the 400 years of AfricanAmerican history in New York and the U.S. since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619. But Cuomo says the bill’s original timelines were too ambitious and that lawmakers have agreed to remove “financial and operations hurdles’’ in the bill, which he approved.

ENDANGERED ANIMAL SALES: New York environmental regulators will be able to designate a species as vulnerable and prohibit the un-permitted sale of articles made from the animals under a bill that Cuomo signed. Cuomo says he and lawmakers have agreed to change the bill so the state environmental agency can label a species as vulnerable if it could become endangered or threatened in the foreseeable future.

NYPL Performing Arts | 40 Lincoln Center Plaza | 212-870-1600 | nypl.org The central movement of Beethoven’s string quartet no. 15, written in the painful last years of his life, is a “Holy song of gratitude.” Catch a new year’s celebration of healing arts with a New York Classical Players performance of the movement, along with short essays on gratitude (free).

Book Launch: “How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 6PM

Follow The West Side Spirit on Facebook and Twitter

NY Society for Ethical Culture | 2 W. 64th St. | 212-874-5210 | nysec.org Editors Skye Cleary, Massimo Pigliucci, and Daniel Kaufman join contributor and Ethical NYC Leader Emerita Anne Klaeysen to launch their guide to an “examined and meaningful life” (free).

Just Announced | Book Review Live—Inside “Tightrope”: Stories of the America Left Behind

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 7PM The TimesCenter | 242 W. 41st St. | 888-698-1870 | timestalks.com The ﬁrst event in a new TimesTalks series celebrating the written word looks at the latest book by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn ($63, includes book copy).

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

Westsider

JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG SITTING AND HITTING

STATS FOR THE WEEK

A seating area turned into a crime scene recently. At 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, December 22, a 29-year-old man sat down outside the Dominick Hotel at the rear of 246 Spring St. at Varick St. when a man and two young women approached him. One of the women asked, “Can I have a cigarette?” After words were exchanged, the man accompanying the women allegedly punched the 29-year-old in his face, causing an injury, while one of the women ran off with the victim’s book bag. The three suspects were last seen ﬂeeing east on Dominick St. Police searched the neighborhood but couldn’t ﬁnd the trio. The victim later told police that he found his bag outside 146 Sixth Ave. near Spring St. with property missing from inside the bag. The stolen item was a JBL Flip 4 speaker valued at $75.

Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Dec 22

CONSTRUCTION SITE BURGLARY At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, a 45-year-old man entered a construction site at 465 Washington St. near Canal St. and noticed that the lock to the door where he stored his tools had been cut off and tools were missing. Other workers at the site said their tools

The local paper for Chelsea

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130 84 54.8 1,014 1,072 -5.4

Grand Larceny Auto

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Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Burglary Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

were missing as well. The man reported that four locks to four different rooms had been cut off, and the ﬁfth room where items were missing had been left unlocked. The front entrance gate to the site was still locked. The items stolen included 90 power tools from DeWalt, Milwaukee and Lisle totaling $18,380.

PICK UP AND TAKE OFF At 3:10 a.m. on Saturday, December 21, a 35-year-old man brought a woman back to his apartment at 70 Pine St. near Pearl

St. after an evening out. When he woke up in the morning, the woman was gone and so, he said, was some of his property. The man told police that the woman had tried to use one of his credit cards, but apparently her charges had been declined. The other items stolen included a MacBook valued at $1,200, $800 in cash, an iPhone worth $700, an iPad Air priced at $400 plus various cards. Total stolen: $5,500.

store at 2A Cortland St. near Broadway and asked the 61-year-old male owner if he could see a certain men’s diamond ring. The owner placed the ring on top of the counter, and the customer allegedly placed the item in his jacket pocket before leaving the store without paying. The stolen ring was worth $5,000.

CAR BREAK-IN

RING OUT

Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

-9.5

opposite 145 Ave. of the Americas between Spring St. and Dominick St. When he returned at midnight, he found that that the rear passengerside window had allegedly been broken and his bags were missing. The stolen items included a Chanel bag valued at $2,450, a Louis Vuitton bag worth $1,800, jewelry valued at $250 and makeup worth $200, making a total stolen of $4,700.

At 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, December 22, a 47-year-old man left bags in his gray 2018 Nissan Altima

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, a man walked into the 21 Jewelry

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VISION ZERO’S BLEAK YEAR STREETS

Trafﬁc fatalities increased citywide for the ﬁrst time since 2014 BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed new safe streets legislation into law on November 19, 2019, the latest step in the Administration’s progress implementing Vison Zero to make New York City’s streets safer. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

QUIT TODAY.

BE THERE TOMORROW.

It was a challenging year under Vision Zero. For the first time since the street safety initiative was implemented in 2014, traffic fatalities have increased citywide. On Dec. 22, the mayor’s office released citywide data showing there were 215 traffic deaths this year as compared to 203 recorded in all of 2018. Most notably, cyclist deaths more than doubled from the previous year with 28 recorded. Just in the last two weeks of the year, six pedestrians were killed in a span of three days. “While we’ve made tremendous progress over the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

A ghost bike memorial for cyclist Robyn Hightman, 20, who was struck and killed by a truck on Sixth Ave. at 23rd St. in June. Photo: David Noonan

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GET MOVING TO STAY HEALTHY

AGING

The many beneﬁts of regular exercise for older adults BY DAVID NOONAN

If you’ve celebrated more than, say, 50 New Years, you don’t need a newspaper article to tell you how hard it can be to make a resolution and stick to it. The older we get, it seems, the more difficult it is to make real change – to quit a bad habit or start a new routine. Of course, the irony is, the older we get the more we may need to make changes to stay healthy and head off the sundry problems that can accompany aging. And so, in the interest of keeping things simple, let us consider the myriad benefits of getting up off the couch. In more than 30 years as a journalist covering health and medicine, I have yet to come across an intervention as powerful, effective and cheap (read: free) as physical activity. I’d call exercise a miracle cure, except there’s nothing miraculous about it. Decades of research have confirmed the health benefits of physical activity and documented its underlying mechanisms. A significant portion of that research has focused on older adults, including people who have had heart attacks or strokes, were overweight or obese, had Type 2 diabetes, were at increased risk for Alzheimer’s, cancer and other disorders, as well as healthy subjects. Among other things, those studies have shown how regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing 13 different types of cancer, improve sleep, mood and your sex life, and how it can actually change the adult brain, improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairments, including memory problems. At the cellular level, Mayo

Essentially, in terms of brain function, you can think of [regular exercise] as turning back the clock to a younger age.” Professor Arthur Kramer Clinic researchers concluded in 2017 that high-intensity aerobic training improves the function of mitochcondria, the powerhouses of cells, which normally decline with age. The bad news is just 20 percent of Americans engage in the minimal recommended amount of regular exercise, and 64 percent don’t do anything at all. The good news is, it’s never too late to start. Here are a few reasons why you should.

Sleep Insomnia and other sleep issues are common among older adults. While there are a number of over-the-counter and prescription drugs (the class of so-called hypnotics) available to treat sleep disorders, studies have shown that exercise can be an effective alternative. One randomized, controlled trial involving sedentary adults 55 and older with chronic insomnia, found that “aerobic physical activity with sleep hygiene education is an effective treatment approach to improve sleep quality, mood and quality of life.” (Sleep hygiene education is basically tips about things like going to bed at the same time every night, not taking naps and so on.) The improvements, including better sleep duration and decreased “daytime dysfunction,“ were documented after just 16 weeks of exercise. Another paper that reviewed several studies comparing exercise and drug

treatment concluded that “improvements after [regular] exercise are similar to improvements after hypnotic drug use.”

Heart Health The benefits of regular exercise on the cardiovascular system are well documented, and so is the natural decline in aerobic capacity as we age. While healthy older adults can significantly increase their aerobic capacity with regular exercise, research has shown that seniors with heart disease, including those who have had heart attacks, can also benefit. For example, in one trial, 181 patients with chronic heart failure – and a mean age of 65 – increased their aerobic capacity by 10 percent after just three months of supervised training, and 14 percent after 12 months, compared to

non-exercising heart failure patients. In another trial involving 200 heart failure patients aged 60 to 89, regular aerobic training increased the distance they could walk in six minutes ( a surrogate measure for aerobic capacity) by 15 percent. The patients also reported improvements in quality of life. Given their compromised condition, even small improvements can have a significant impact on patients with chronic heart disease .

Cognitive Function Arthur F. Kramer, director of the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University, has been studying the aging brain since the 1970s. In his exploration of the effects of physical activity – “I mostly work with older adults, and we’re basi-

cally just getting people off the couch to walk more.” – Kramer has his previously sedentary subjects exercise an hour a day, three days a week for periods of six months to a year. That doesn’t sound like much, because it isn’t. But it gets the job done. “Maybe they’re improving their aerobic fitness 10 or 15 percent, at the outside,” says Kramer. “But those kinds of improvements show pretty dramatic changes. Essentially, in terms of brain function, you can think of it as turning back the clock to a younger age.” Some of the underlying structural changes responsible for such a response (occurring at a time in life when the brain would normally be expected to shrink) include an increase in the volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, volume increases in the

hippocampus, which is involved in memory, learning and emotion, and volume increases in the caudate nucleus, which plays a role in executive function and learning. In addition, exercise-induced changes to the brain’s white matter increase the brain’s signaling efficiency. As Kramer points out in his oft-cited 2003 meta-analysis “Fitness Effects on the Cognitive Functions of Older Adults,” the largest benefit of improved fitness among people 55 and up was in the area of “executive control,” the complex, goal-directed behavior that involves reasoning and other higher cortical functions. And speaking of complex, goal-directed behavior, here’s to getting plenty of exercise in 2020.

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Voices

LET’S MAKE NEW YORK A NEUROTIC NY SPORTS THE WORLD’S SAFEST CITY FAN’S 2020 RESOLUTIONS BY BETTE DEWING

The New York majority rejoice, and sigh with relief at Governor Cuomo’s veto of the bill to legalize e-bikes and e-scooters. Evidently, government’s first duty to protect public welfare is unknown to the majority of elected officials who passed this law, which would cause more deaths and injuries, not to mention stress, in this high-density city. Lamentably, State Senator Liz Krueger is in the minority who opposed the bill. Thank her, as well as the governor. The Governor veto was based mainly on the lack of helmet protection, and of course the speed, which is even more perilous for walkers already at risk for nonmotorized bikes and scooters’ wholesale aversion to the laws of the road – laws too little enforced.

Thanks, Matilda! Ah, but what does the governor’s 88-year-old mother and UES resident think of that? Matilda has been such a champion for various causes as the state’s First Lady and beyond. Indeed, she was honored with this paper’s annual OTTY award. And during the event’s reception she spoke to elder attendees especially about their city concerns, especially safe walking. She promised to relay the message

Now at 88, part of the fastest growing age group, we urge her speak to her son about addressing city bike and scooter riders’ wholesale aversion to the laws of the road, and the lack of enforcement. Consider how once she was honored for mentoring youth and is likely still active but now elder walkers especially could sure benefit from her active concern. And we would sure like to see her on the arm of her son – and maybe she needs a walker or wheel chair - it would help the cause of elder inclusion, and Bernie Sanders’ so needed campaign to overcome elder loneliness. And yes, even elders like Matilda can be lonely, especially but not only after Christmas and Chanukah, when families often disperse – like the song says, why doesn’t anyone ever stay in one place anymore? Gotta work on that too.

Failure to Yield Is a Killer But about safe walking and the alarming spike in traffic tragedies, a New York Times piece last month noted, “six pedestrian deaths in a three-day period last week served as a reminder of the dangers that still plague New York City’s streets.“ Thankfully the paper of record is now on board, but so desperately needed is regular coverage

of what might best be called “traffic tragedies.” And don’t forget serious injuries. And, this is mostly about motor vehicle dangers. Obviously, the city’s Vision Zero needs to do more, especially about all-out enforcement of the foremost cause of death and injury – drivers’ failure to yield when turning into a crosswalk. On-site warning signs are essential, especially. And not only at high-risk corners. Penalties must be as strong as those for drunk driving. Distracted driving and biking have got to go – so does distracted walking.

Be Super Visible! This longtime safe traffic activist, who surprisingly is rarely consulted, (gotta change that) urges walkers to, of course, obey the laws of the road but also be as visible as possible. Wear light-colored clothes after dark. If possible, swing your arms briskly when crossing. Above all, even though it means going out of your way, cross where vehicles cannot turn into you, Smile too – it sooths the brain. Your thoughts are most needed. Somehow, we, along with Matilda and Andrew, are going to make 2020 the safest traveling year ever. Make New York “The Safe Traveling City!” To be continued of course. dewingbetter@aol.com

PUBLIC EYE

larged, crushed spleen, surely he can manage to top the New England Patriots. Let’s cheer for Sam until he loses to the Pats. 5) Don’t Nix the Knicks: Let them flourish in the draft and find someone to play with R.J. Barrett – and let’s appreciate their Garden neighbors, the WNBA’s hard-working and entertaining local team, the New York Liberty!

BY JON FRIEDMAN

It’s the time of year when we all tell ourselves the most fanciful, life-affirming lies and dress them up as “New Year’s Resolutions.” Forget about losing weight and being more tolerant, charitable, patient, understanding and as nice as all getout. That’s child’s play compared to what I’m proposing. I’m going to try to be a better New York Sports fan in 2020. Think about my self-imposed, Herculean task, up against the likes of the horrible Giants, the aimless Jets, the tantalizing Yankees, the maddening Mets, the waittill-next-year Nets, the utterly inconsequential Knicks and the maybe-just-maybe Rangers. (We don’t acknowledge the Islanders and Devils where I live.) Here, then, are my Top Ten NY Sports Fan Resolutions:

1) Give the Yankees Time to Gel: Even with the ballyhoo

surrounding the signing of star free-agent pitcher Gerrit Cole (for a total of $324 million over nine years) and many players returning from a year of injuries, the Yankees may not steamroll the baseball world right away. Let’s give the Bronx Bombers some time to mesh. All right, Bombers – you’ve got 6 games

2) See a Silver Lining in Queens: The Mets have once

6) Savor Kevin Durant at 100 Percent! With the Warri-

Resolution No. 8: Cheer hard for Derek Jeter at his Hall of Fame induction. Photo: mccarmona23 via flickr

again been crushed in off-season public relations by the Yankees. But the Mets have their own ace in Jacob deGrom, and rookie phenom Pete Alonso, their version of Aaron Judge. Let’s give the Mets some time to put the pieces together for new manager Carlos Beltran. They’ve got 12 games.

3) Overlook the Giants Fiasco: The New York Giants

may just be the sorriest franchise in all of professional sports, considering that the team sells its fan base on the memories of past greatness and NFL tradition. Let’s not boo them in 2020 until they topple out of playoff consideration, say by Week Three. 4) Believe in Sam I Am: If Jets quarterback Sam Darnold could risk death by en-

ors, Kevin Durant was the most feared scorer in the NBA. In 2020, he will join the Nets after recuperating this season from a knee injury.

7) Let the Rangers Grow Up:

About a decade ago, the Rangers wisely decided to build through the addition of young players. The result was a trip to the NHL Finals in 2014. The team is doing it again now,. Let’s hope heroic goalie Henrik Lundqvist gets to sip from the Stanley Cup next year. 8) Cheer for Derek! When Derek Jeter goes into baseball’s Hall of Fame next summer, let’s cheer hard for him. No New York athlete has been as clutch or classy in my memory. 9) Pray for Tom Terrific: Tom Seaver, the best pitcher in New York baseball history, is hurting mightily out there in Wine Country. Let’s silently thank him for all he has stood for in this town.

10) Collectively. Be More Patient, Understanding and Tolerant of our Sports Heroes. Hey,

I will if you will!

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NEXT CAMPAIGN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 mayor’s office. In November, Sutton, 60, announced her candidacy to become the 110th mayor of New York City, running as a Democrat. “We love our city. We love its quirks, its characters, its traditions, its teams — and we’re very worried,” Sutton said in an interview with Our Town. “As I started to imagine our city’s future, I became even more worried. And I had a hunch. The hunch was: as our city goes, so goes our country; and as our country goes, so goes much of our world. I can’t fix the world. I can’t fix the country. But I started thinking, ‘Well, what about stepping up to serve right here in our city?’” Sutton acknowledges that with little name recognition and limited political experience it will be an extraordinary challenge to be elected as the city’s first female mayor. In the process, she will have to take down two skilled politicians in the city’s comptroller, Scott Stringer, and City Council speaker, Corey Johnson, who are both expected to enter the race. But Sutton believes she has

General Loree Sutton on Aug. 18, 2014, when Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed her to be Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs. Photo: Rob Bennett/Mayoral Photography Office

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com the right approach, experience and strategy to win over voters come 2021. “In this time, this most unusual moment — it didn’t exist just a recent time ago, it may not exist going forward — there is a hunger for a different type of leader and a different type of leadership,” said Sutton. “And this is a time when politics as usual seems to have run its course. And, as a non-politician ... I can look at older and during problems through fresh eyes. I can look at new and emerging challenges with a fresh vision.”

Criticizing Her Former Boss This vision is grounded in both her military and government experience. During her 30-year tenure she served as the commander for various army hospitals, went to Iraq during the first gulf was and retired as the Army’s highestranking psychiatrist. She worked as the director of Defense Centers for Excellence, which provides guidance to the defense department on psychological health and traumatic brain injuries, until 2010. Most recently, under Mayor Bill de Blasio, she helped expand the city’s veterans’ services into a municipal agency.

Onboard the USS Arlington, docked off Midtown Manhattan, Brigadier General (Ret.) Loree Sutton, Commissioner for NYC’s Department of Veterans’ Services, joined the Mayor on May 23, 2018 to help kick off the 30th annual Fleet Week New York. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

In this role, she was able to bring down the number of street homeless veterans, and she wants to replicate that effort of outreach to the rest of the city’s homeless population. Sutton said her approach to this problem — and the other challenges such as closing Rikers Island, criminal justice reform, real estate development, keeping storefronts open — is from the neighborhood and community level. “I think that community members have to be engaged early and often, not just as a hasty afterthought, which is all too often the case,” said Sutton. “I think that the next layer is going to have to be someone who is committed to cultivating, honoring, nurturing relationships — and not just transactional relationships.” Sutton said traditionally leaders have taken a piecemeal approach to solving these issues, and she thinks it hasn’t been successful. She also hasn’t been shy in

criticizing establishment politicians, including her former boss. The New York Post reported last week, Sutton angered de Blasio’s chief of staff, Emma Wolfe, after she sent out an email to supporters critical of ThriveNYC, the mayor’s $1 billion-dollar mental health initiative, which is run by his wife, Chirlane McCray. “What I’ve seen over these last several years is a piecemeal pattern of leadership, reactive leadership, probably the crisis, big ideas that are not followed by implementation and operations,” said Sutton.

“Get Points on the Board” In her own campaigning so far she’s attempted to set herself apart from the other potential candidates. First, by announcing her own candidacy early, which she said has given her a heads up to “get points on the board.” And, second, by reaching out to voters directly by making cold calls.

“You got New Yorkers, you know, carrying on with their everyday busy, frenetic New Yorker lives, and they get a cold call in the middle of all these distractions of the presidential race, impeachment proceedings, and yes, the holiday season,” said Sutton. But she makes that call, she said, and introduces herself, tells them she’s running for mayor and asks them to meet to talk about her campaign, she says they take her up on that offer. She thinks this approach has given her campaign a shot at success. “I started out with no war chest, but that’s changing. What I am learning and experiencing is this hunger for a different kind of leadership that I felt myself. I looked around and I didn’t see anyone else who was stepping up to provide a different kind of leadership. And so I’m giving this everything I got,” said Sutton. “I’m not playing it safe here. I’m playing to win.”

JANUARY 02-08,2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

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Caveat 21 A Clinton St 7:00 p.m. $25-30 What begins as a lecture soon becomes a comedic, immersive experience exploring the underlying chaos in our lives, as audience members are invited to embrace their inner chaos agent as they embody facets of chaos theory. caveat.nyc 212-228-2100

Webster Hall 125 East 11th St 10:00 p.m. $35 Flosstradamus (AKA Curt Cameruci) is an American DJ and producer. Currently based in Brooklyn, Flosstradamus came to prominence in Chicago and has collaborated with acts such as Major Lazer, Matt & Kim, Lil’ Jon, Waka Flocka Flame, and Post Malone. ticketmaster.com 212-388-0300

▲WINTER WELLNESS SUMMIT Pier 17 89 South St 9:00 a.m. Free Enjoy an action-packed morning ﬁlled with workouts led by Seaport Fit’s winter ﬁtness instructors, special guest speakers from partnering brands, a delicious breakfast catered by Malibu Farm, and more. seaportdistrict.nyc 212- 732 - 8257

JANUARY 02-08,2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Sun 5

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DANIEL LEVITIN: SUCCESSFUL AGING

Malibu Farm 89 South St 5:00 p.m. $50 Malibu Farm, the Californiainspired new addition to the Seaport District, presents an intimate cooking class with restaurant founder and chef Helene Henderson. Learn how to cook (and then eat) a delicious meal! malibufarm.nyc 212-265-3030

Strand Bookstore 828 Broadway 7:00 p.m. $15-30 Bestselling neuroscientist Daniel Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as we age, why we should think about health span, not life span, and what you can do to make the most of your seventies, eighties, and nineties no matter how old you are now. strandbooks.com 212-473-1452

CANDLELIGHT: BEST WORKS OF BEETHOVEN & CHOPIN Middle Collegiate Church 50 East 7th St 7:00 & 9:30 p.m. $20 Sit back and relax with this dazzling candlelight performance dedicated to Beethoven and Chopin. Step into one of New York’s historical buildings, where the walls will ﬂicker with candlelight to create a magical experience. feverup.com 212-477-0666

Wed 8 ◄CURATOR’S TOUR Skyscraper Museum 39 Battery Pl 3:00 p.m. Free Skyscraper Museum Curator Carol Willis will lead a tour of the museum’s new exhibition “Housing Density: Tenements to Towers,” which explores the concept of density and the arguments surrounding it. skyscraper.org 212-945-6324

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

THE BEST OF 2019 EXHIBITS

A look back at an extraordinary year for art in New York. BY MARY GREGORY

A New MoMA The renovation at the Museum of Modern Art did more than open new spaces. It opened perspectives, understanding and conversations. The physical alterations are a success. The metaphysical ones are huge and important, and it’s impossible to tell where they’ll lead. If you change history, you change the future. MoMA’s inclusion of more women artists, artists of color, and international artists tells a whole new story of humanity.

Art City NYC’s public art was museum-worthy, free and en-

riching again this year. Alex Katz sculptures added élan to Park Avenue. The MTA Arts and Design unveiled new permanent masterpieces like “The Arches of Old Penn Station” by Diana Al Hadid. Keith Haring’s mural “Crack is Wack” at East 128th Street and the Harlem River Drive was restored. NYC Commission on Human Rights’ firstever Public Artist in Residence, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh’s murals proclaim women’s strength. Deborah Kass’s OY/YO sculpture spent 2019 at the Brooklyn Musuem, and the Public Art Fund presented works by Carmen Herrera, Pope.L, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres, among others. The most uplifting may have been Yayoi Kusama’s balloon “Love Flies Up to the Sky” floating above the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Hilma’s Time This year we learned that abstraction was pioneered by a woman. Hilma af Klint’s magnificent, magical works filled the Guggenheim’s rotunda with color, forms, spirituality, and energy. Rooted in nature, mysticism, and the power of one woman’s vision, her paintings and drawings were largely unknown, but

With 350 objects including iconic and little-known, it was the kind of show that only someone deeply engaged with Warhol’s work could organize. It was also a generous farewell, as De Salvo recently left the Whitney to bring her talents to Dia in 2020.

A New Master

Yayoi Kusama’s “Love Flies Up to the Sky” ﬁlled the Manhattan sky on Thanksgiving. Photo: Adel Gorgy

are now unforgettable.

Still Time Vija Celmins’ “To Fix the Image in Memory” at the Met Breuer through January 12th, was years in the making, but worth the wait. Celmins’ technical mastery is off the charts. Her meticulous renderings – or as she terms them, redecriptions – of space, oceans, deserts, spider webs, and more remind us that infinity is within our everyday experience.

Gems Do More than Sparkle Two shows at the Met bookended the year with looks at jewelry that did way more than dazzle. In “Jewelry: The Body Transformed” at the beginning of 2019 and “The Colmar Treasure,“ on view at The Cloisters through Jan. 12, curators Melanie Holcomb and Barbara Boehm revealed how through objects humble or spectacular, what we treasure can preserve history, proclaim power, seduce, subjugate, elevate, or decorate. Self-adornment, something everyone who’s ever lived has done, has the ability to tell epic stories.

When Amy Sherald’s painting of Michelle Obama was revealed, we knew we had a great new American portraitist. She’s been painting for decades, but her second act for most of us was “the heart of the matter...” at Hauser & Wirth, an exhibition of glorious paintings of African American women and men suffused with everyday elegance. Sherald incorporated literary and art historical references to create monumental works.

An Old Master Leonardo da Vinci’s last great painting, “St. Jerome Praying in the Wilderness,“

was never completed, though he worked on it, on and off, for more than 30 years. Its unfinished state uncovers the thinking process of this polymath Renaissance genius. To celebrate his 500th anniversary, we got an in depth look at a Vatican masterpiece from Leonardo expert, Met curator, Carmen C. Bambach.

A Rightful Place “Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection” (ongoing) at the Metropolitan Museum brought the creations of indigenous American artists out of the galleries for Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, and into the museum’s American Wing – a potent and significant move, at the Dikers’ request. The exhibition offers a sweeping view of Native American art across distances and ages, and tells important stories about America and its people.

The Whitney Biennial The 2019 Whitney Biennial raised lots of questions, both from the audience and the artists. It was a beautiful exhibition, filled with poetry and, at times, rage – varyingly explosive, smoldering, or reflective. History and newness were on view, voiced by an inclusive, diverse roster of artists. More, please.

Warhol Revisited

If you thought you knew Warhol, the Whitney’s Donna De Salvo taught you a thing or two in her immersive retrospective “Andy Warhol — From A to B and Back Again.”

Sometimes the king is a woman, 2019. Oil on canvas. © Amy Sherald. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Joseph Hyde

JANUARY 02-08, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

BITTERSWEET MEMORIES OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE VIEWPOINT

Looking back at a childhood in Stuyvesant Town BY ASHLEY AROCHO

I went to Wo Hop, a Chinatown hole in the wall, for the first time in 1987. I was still in my mother’s womb, and she and my father took the 6 train from their studio apartment on 85th St. between First and York. Eventually they moved to the Lower East Side, and as I got older we would make the short trek to Chinatown every New Year’s Eve from our apartment. My parents and I would order Wo Hop staples: boiled dumplings and beef with black bean sauce on noodles, which cost around $6.95 and $7.95 for both. It was a convenient and cheap option, since my mother was exhausted from all the cooking during the holidays. We moved to Stuyvesant

Town in 1991. The two-bedroom apartment was off-putting at first because it was located across from a Con Edison plant, at the bustling intersection of 14th St, and Avenue C, full of cars and pedestrians. But that’s what made our StuyTown apartment so special. After a while we got used to all the noise, and my parents appreciated the $700 rent. It was affordable and convenient.

Family Traditions The holidays were special, with my mother cooking pernil, arroz con gandules and pasteles. My mother, an admissions secretary for a medical college, came to New York from Puerto Rico when she was a few months old. She grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant’s Marcy Projects. My father, a retired magazine art director, was raised in the South Bronx. He’s also Puerto Rican, and they both speak Spanish – something I didn’t pick up. I understand some Spanish,

but it is still something I want to strive to learn and speak. My parents felt bad that they didn’t do more to teach my sister and I, but I’ve never held it against them. My father’s mother – my Grandma Saro – moved in with us when I was six. She always talked to us in English, though Spanish was her first language. She was like a second mother, but she passed away at the age of 96 in 2013. She took care of my sister and me and cooked the best bistec encebollado (steak and onions). The three of us shared a room together, and she would pray the rosary every night, lighting one of her saint candles. My sister and I shared bunk beds, and at first I was on the top bunk until she got old enough to make the switch. My grandmother slept diagonal to our beds and had her table stand next to her with a lamp, candle, bible and figure of Mary. Although it was slightly crowded, sharing that room was wonderful because I never felt alone.

A Changing City

The author, with her parents and Grandma Saro, in Stuyvesant Town in the 1990s.

I have so many fond memories of that apartment throughout the years, but Stuyvesant Town & Peter Cooper Village were owned by MetLife and then sold in 2006 to Tishman Speyer Properties. They are currently owned by Blackstone Group LP and rebranded as a luxury apartment complex, currently offering one-bedroom apartments for upwards of $3000, which is unfair to natives like me. The complex was originally developed for WWII Veterans and middle-income tenants, but that has changed with the gentrification of a neighborhood that was once more multicultural and affordable. The only reason I got to live there for so long was because I lived with my parents and sister until I got married in 2017. Now I occasionally get to sleep over if I have a late night event because it is so darn convenient. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live in that neighborhood again. My hus-

The author, second from left, with her sister and parents outside Wo Hop in Chinatown. Photos: Courtesy of Ashley Arocho

band Matthew, a dispatcher for college engineering and maintenance, and I, a highereducation public relations coordinator, can’t afford it. We are moving from Flushing, Queens, where we pay $1391 a month for a rent-stabilized apartment, to Richmond Hill, Queens, where we will live with his grandmother in a two-family home. It’s affordable, at half the price of our current apartment, though not as convenient as

Manhattan. But it’s home.

One More New Year’s Eve I am LES for life. But now, in my Queens apartment I leave up my tree in a box until Jan. 6 for Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). And I travel for over an hour to get to my parents’ hoping the trains aren’t running too bad. Last New Year’s Eve, after we returned from Chinatown, my sister, Matthew and I sat in my parents’ StuyTown liv-

ing room watching “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” waiting to see the ball drop. We sipped on coquito and drank wine while enjoying arroz con dulce (rice pudding), or an assortment of pastries my mother would put out. It was all so bittersweet. That’s why Matthew and I decided to bring in 2020 at my second favorite place after the Lower East Side – Disney World.

JANUARY 02-08, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Anpanman Bakery Cafe

83 Canal St

Not Yet Graded(4) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backﬂow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or ﬂoor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

Karvouna Mezze

241 Bowery

La Flaca

384 Grand Street

Party Bus Bakeshop 31 Essex St

Taste of Northern China

Not Yet Graded(2) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.

26B E Bway

Broken Coconut

15 E 4th St

Coffee Project NY

239 E 5th St

Westville Bakery

433 E 9th St

Benvenuto Cafe

189 Franklin Street

Deluxe Green Bo

66 Bayard St

Gelso & Grand

161 Mulberry Street

The Cupping Room Cafe

359 West Broadway Not Yet Graded(26) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Yunshang Rice Noodle House

53 Bayard St

Cafe Grumpy Gasoline

177 Mott St

Alley Coffee

325 Lafayette Street A

Oslo Coffee Roasters

236 W 10th Street

Untitled

99 Gansevort St

Los Tacos No.1

136 Church St

Suteishi

24 Peck Slip

Jerry Herman with Lisa Kirk (right) and the author, when Herman won the Drama Desk Award for "La Cage Aux Folles," 1983-84. Photo: Cathy Blaivas

GOODBYE, JERRY LIVES

A former theater critic recalls the Tony award-winning composer of “Hello, Dolly,“ “Mame” and “La Cage Aux Folles” BY LEIDA SNOW

Jerry Herman, composer of countless ear-worm Broadway tunes with inevitable sounding lyrics, died Thursday at 88. There were numerous awards, among them Tonys for “Hello, Dolly!” and “Mame.” And there were star vehicles for the likes of Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Barbra Streisand, and Bette Midler. Winning the 1984 Tony for “La Cage aux Folles” meant something special to Herman, and not only because it was

the first time a Broadway musical dealt, however gingerly, with the intimacies of a gay relationship. His acceptance speech included a comment about there still being room for his kind of pizzazz. At a time when brilliant composers like Stephen Sondheim were exploring dark subjects and presenting them with sophisticated music and ambiguous lyrics, Herman reveled in songs that sent audiences out of the theater singing. Many of them went on to become standards. Louis Armstrong’s version of the title song of “Hello, Dolly” was a world-wide phenomenon. In the audience to review “La Cage,” I was surprised at the lump in my throat during the “Song On the Sand.” Herman wasn’t only about catchy

tunes and up-beat lyrics. He shared the heart that was on his sleeve, and audiences responded. A favorite memory of Herman took place far from Broadway. I was doing a story in Turku, Finland. From the window in my hotel, I could see the city square and a theater marquis. The show was “La Cage” — in Finland’s second language: Swedish. I contacted Jerry Herman, and he graciously replied to assure me that, yes, he was receiving royalties for the production. Herman is survived by his longtime partner, Terry Marler, and by millions of us who will be grateful to be reminded, as in his song, that “The Best of Times is Now.”

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Business

CHAMPAGNE AND SHOES SHOPPING

Luxury stores adapt to the changing consumer BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, ASSOCIATED PRESS

To get that monogram tote bag by Louis Vuitton or leather Flashtrek sneakers by Gucci, the go-to place had been luxury department stores. Not anymore. Now, there are far more options to access exclusive labels. You can buy them at online sites like Netaporter. Or get them barely used through sites like Fashionphile and The RealReal. You can even rent an entire rotating wardrobe through companies like Rent the Runway. “The consumer is king. And they can buy luxury brands in different places,‘’ says Steve Sadove, former CEO and chairman of Saks Fifth Avenue and now senior adviser a MasterCard. The new entrants have disrupted the luxury sector by

Clearly, shopping is much more about an experience.” Jamie Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom stores creating different channels to attain the seemingly unattainable. For luxury department stores that once had a lock on where the well-heeled could shop, that has forced them to reimagine their approach. They now offer new services as well as food and alcohol to lure back customers who were once exclusively theirs. At Nordstrom’s women’s flagship in Manhattan, for instance, customers sip champagne and nibble on small bites while trying on shoes. Recognizing the growing popularity of second-hand sites, Neiman Marcus is rolling out shops where customers can sell their designer belongings as part of a partnership with Fashionphile, an

Taking photos of Bergdorf’s 2019 holiday windows. Photo: Phil Roeder, via flickr

online resale accessories company. And as part of a $250 million renovation of its flagship store in Manhattan, Saks Fifth Avenue has dedicated its main floor to luxury handbags that’s staffed with 50 handbag style advisers, in addition to sales associates. Meanwhile, brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton are opening more of their own stores and expanding online. Robert Burke, a luxury consultant, says they are trying to control their future as they watch their products get discounted on resale sites. Joseph Aquino, president of real estate services firm JAACRES, sees luxury’s future with fewer stores that focus on “less product” and “higher prices.”

Looking for a Deal In one sense, traditional luxury stores are no different than other brick-and-mortar retailers that must now fiercely compete with online rivals. But the exclusivity they used to command by catering to a niche market of wealthy spenders is beginning to erode, especially among the new-moneyed set of shoppers in their 20s through their 40s who can afford high-end merchandise but may still be looking for a deal. Millennials and Generation Z accounted for 47% of luxury consumers in 2018 and for 33% of all luxury sales worldwide in 2018, according to a study by consulting firm Bain & Co. Together, however, they contributed to virtually all of the market’s growth, compared with 85% in 2017. Overall, the global market for personal luxury goods is healthy, buoyed by a strong economy and the spending power of China. The sector reached a record high of $286.53 billion in 2018 - a 6% increase from the year before,

Bergdorf Goodman 2019 holiday window. Photo: Sabeen Shahid, via flickr

according to Bain. Jewelry in particular has been one of the top luxury growth categories. In the U.S., luxury sales excluding jewelry have fallen 1.9 % through November compared to a 3.4% increase in overall retail sales excluding autos and gas, says MasterCard SpendingPulse, which tracks sales across all types of payments. That’s in part because of store closures and a drop in international tourists.

“A Wider Playing Field” Luxury shoppers like Sabina Gill present challenges to luxury department stores. The 42-year-old banker from Manhattan says she’s doubled her annual spending on jewelry and clothing to $20,000 in the last few years. But while she used to shop at places like Saks and Bergdorf Goodman, now she’s spending most of the money on sites like The RealReal or Netaporter. If she buys at Saks,

she uses the retailer’s online personal shopping service. “E-commerce gives you a wider playing field versus going to the store,“ Gill said. The fragmented luxury market has hurt retailers like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Sales at stores open at least a year at Neiman Marcus fell in its latest fiscal third quarter as it was forced to heavily discount. The drop, reported in June, reversed six straight quarters of increases. The privately-held retailer hasn’t publicly reported sales since then. Nordstrom department stores saw net sales down 4.1% even while its more price-sensitive Nordstrom Rack stores had a 1.2% increase in the latest quarter ended Nov. 2. Neiman Marcus decided to invest in a minority stake in Fashionphile earlier this year after its own survey showed half its customers buy or sell

pre-owned luxury items. Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus, says the luxury business used to be about the product; now, it’s more about the services. Nearly 30 Nordstrom stores now have Rent the Runway drop-offs as part of a partnership with the rental service. The new women’s flagship store in New York also features seven eating and beverage spots - the most of any Nordstrom store. “Clearly, shopping is much more about an experience,“ said Jamie Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom stores and the great-grandson of the company’s founder. “It’s not just about getting through their lists. They want to bump into something new, something they didn’t come into find. I think great stores do that well.”

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Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the City Council’s transportation committee, spoke at a rally for street safety legislation on the steps of City Hall on May 8. Photo: John McCarten/NYC Council

VISION ZERO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 past six years with Vision Zero, there is still undoubtedly more work to do to make our streets safer,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. “The recent traffic fatalities have made us even more determined to keep Vision Zero moving forward.” As of Nov. 30 — when the city’s Vision Zero data showing the location of where fatalities occur was last updated — traffic deaths in the Chelsea, Upper West Side,

The recent traffic fatalities have made us even more determined to keep Vision Zero moving forward.” Mayor Bill de Blasio Upper East Side and Downtown neighborhoods for 2019 were largely on par with the previous year, with Chelsea having four more deaths than 2018. Between Nov. 30 and

Dec. 22, there were 17 more traffic deaths, but the location of these deaths were not recorded on Vision Zero’s official website. Citywide, the picture was bleak. In 2018, 10 cyclists were killed throughout NYC, but the numbers rose to 28 in 2019. Pedestrian deaths went up from 115 in 2018 to 117 in 2019. The year came to a particularly brutal end in late December. In what the New York Times called “a deadly 72 hours,“ 6 pedestrians were killed in three days in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

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TRAFFIC FATALITIES: DOWNTOWN 2 1 0 Total in 2019

Motorists

Cyclists

Total in 2018

Motorists

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Pedestrians Source: Vision Zero website

JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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CHAIN REACTION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It isn’t just locally owned bookstores, barbershops, thrift shops, Judaica shops, bars, bodegas, restaurants, green grocers and mom-andpops of every stripe that have fallen victim to brick-andmortar retrenchment. It is also the national retail chain stores – which typically occupy larger blocks of space and can leverage bank financing to secure better deals on rent – that are bailing out of leases and shuttering shop locations. The number of chain outlets in Manhattan dwindled by 3.1 percent, a loss of 91 store locations, from 2,982 in 2018 to 2,891 in 2019, a new report by the Center for an Urban Future found. That accelerates a 2.3 percent decline recorded the previous year, in which 67 national retail stores closed their doors – and it means a sharp 5.4 percent decrease, marked by 158 closures, took place from 2017 to 2019, according to the think tank’s data. “There has never been a time when Manhattan posted a decline two years in a row,” said Eli Dvorkin, the editorial and policy director for the Center, which has been researching retail chains since 2007 and issuing annual reports since 2008. “By contrast, in 2010, during the recovery from the Great Recession, there was a 5.1 percent increase in the number of national chain store locations in Manhattan,” Dvorkin added.

The End of Crumbs, Gold’s and Chevy’s The data in the current report, “State of the Chains, 2019,” shows that Manhattan has the city’s highest concentration of chain stores, at 127 locations per square mile, five times greater than the city-

As the explosive growth in the city’s chain stores cooled, Manhattan was the canary in the coal mine.” Eli Dvorkin, Center for an Urban Future

A CVS pharmacy on Second Avenue and East 86th Street. As the number of national retail chain stores in Manhattan fell by 3.1 percent, CVS went in the other direction, adding 10 locations for a total of 64 and giving it the No. 5 spot in the rankings of the borough’s top 10 national brands.

wide average of 26 locations per square mile. That dominant retail presence meant that in 2018, when the other four boroughs saw a modest uptick in chain retailers, the city as a whole still saw its first-ever overall decline, completely fueled by Manhattan. In 2019, all five boroughs lost chains, 304 stores shuttered, and the record 3.7 percent contraction pared the citywide tally to 7,832 chain locations from 8,136 a year ago. “As the explosive growth in the city’s chain stores cooled, Manhattan was the canary in the coal mine – the leading indicator that there was trouble in the chain space, and all was not well,” Dvorkin said. Indeed, a record 18 national retailers went into near-death spirals in 2018, closed all their city locations and were subsequently removed from the Center’s 2019 analysis. (Some still maintain stores outside New York.) The casualties include Crumbs Bake Shop, which was founded on the Upper West Side; fitness club Gold’s Gym and fast-food mecca Chevy’s Fresh Mex, which each closed locations in the Theater District; and quirky novelty retailer Brookstone, which had been based in Battery Park City. It was also a terrible year for national shoe stores: Payless filed for its second and final bankruptcy in February as the vestigial traces of Nine West, Stride Rite, Rock-

port, Aerosoles, Easy Spirit and Traffic Shoes evaporated from the cityscape. “I can remember when there used to be wall-to-wall shoe stores up and down Broadway,” said Les Dweck, a retail and commercial broker who operated in midtown and retired in 2003. “They were unavoidable, and that was the idea. Now, the local shoe store is called Amazon.”

The Decline of Subway, Ricky’s and McDonald’s The Center’s 12th annual ranking of national chains showed that more Manhattan retailers are shrinking their footprints than expanding them. Among the key findings of the report: ■ RETREAT OF THE MERCHANDISE RETAILERS. Numerous chains that sell clothing, cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, vitamins, pet supplies and household goods posted steep declines in 2019. Take Ricky’s, the beauty supply, costume and accessories chain, which had 18 Manhattan stores in 2009 and grew to 24 in 2014. Since then, it has shed all but its two locations in Soho and Union Square. The clothing trade has also been battered. J. Crew, for instance, which now has 10 stores on the island, closed three between 2018 and 2019, and Lululemon Athletica, which has 11 stores today, shut two. The Gap closed three locations, H&M two – and Bebe,

Eileen Fisher, Dress Barn, Chico’s, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, Free People and the Men’s Warehouse each dropped a single store. ■ PULLBACK OF THE FASTFOOD PURVEYORS. Broadbased, year-over-year declines were also reported in 2019 for national restaurant chains, pizza parlors, bakeries, juice bars and ice cream and yogurt shops. Subway, the omnipresent fast-food giant, posted dramatic losses in 2019, closing 11 of its Manhattan franchises. The company still has 98 stores, the fourth largest tally by number of locations in the borough – but it had 171 in 2014, meaning that it pared 73 outlets and diminished its footprint by 43 percent over five years. McDonald’s fared slightly better. The seventh largest chain retailer in Manhattan, it closed two stores in 2019 and has 56 locations today, down from 69 in 2014, a decrease of 19 percent. Not all the changes in the national fast-food trade were negative: Chick-fil-a doubled its Manhattan presence, from five stores in 2018 to 10 today, while Taco Bell jumped from 11 outlets in 2018 to 15 in 2019. ■ COFFEE IS KING, DONUTS A CLOSE SECOND. Coffee, tea and donut chains were a rare bright spot, and two of them maintained dominance in Manhattan as No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the borough’s rankings of the top 10 national

retailers. Starbucks held the top post by a comfortable margin with 231 locations in 2019, a decline of a single shop from the previous year, while Dunkin’ Donuts took second place with 174 stores, debuting eight new locations over the past year. The No. 3 slot went to Duane Reade / Walgreens, the top pharmacy in Manhattan, with 139 stores. But its growth spurt stands in contrast to Rite Aid, which has been shuttering shops since Walgreens acquired it, shriveling from 36 in 2014 to 27 today. ■ THE SUDDEN RISE OF A RETAIL ZIP CODE. Hudson Yards came out of nowhere as a brand-new shopping destination, and now, the zip code where it is housed, 10001,

boasts the highest number of national chain stores both in the borough and citywide for the first time. Since 10001 includes Herald Square, it was always rich in retail. Not like today: The zip code’s 183 locations mark a 13 percent gain from 162 in 2018 – and it had to overtake the 170-store Staten Island Mall, which lost shops, in order to claim the top position. Boding ill for the future of national shops in Manhattan is one stark line from the Center’s report: “Overall, our analysis found that more of the city’s chain retailers are shrinking than are growing,” it says. invreporter@strausnews.com

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

A ‘MISSIONARY’ OF JAZZ MUSIC

Club co-owner “Spike” Wilner talks about the mystical aspects of improvisational music - and the practical realities of running an arts business BY CECE KING

The fee at Smalls Jazz Club is $20 for most, but owner Michael “Spike” Wilner says, “Angels, Wizards and Holy People are always free.” Wilner and his partner Mitch Borden also own Mezzrow, a sister-club across the street from Smalls on West 10th Street in Greenwich Village. For Wilner, the bottom line is to preserve jazz culture and create spaces where music and artists can thrive. Also a pianist, he credits his club’s

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success with his musician’s perspective. Jonny King, an old friend of Wilner and fellow pianist, described him as “a missionary in the jazz community.” Wilner is enthralled by the mystical components of improvisational jazz and never hesitated to pursue the art professionally, so it comes as no surprise to learn that Wilner’s family tree includes Moses Sofer, a Kabbalist rabbi, and the abstract impressionist painter Marie Wilner. Straus News spoke with Wilner about his story and the business of jazz.

What’s the feeling when one enters Smalls or Mezzrow? When you arrive at either Smalls or Mezzrow, it feels like you’re coming home. Both clubs have a very warm feel-

ing. They’re convivial, and there’s always great music playing. You see your friends, your family, and everyone’s happy to see you. The clubs are places where people gather together, listen to music, and share their day with each other.

What drew you to jazz, and when did you know you wanted to pursue the art professionally? I never really thought about the professional aspect, but I always wanted to spend my life listening to and studying the music. I loved the piano from age 12. My mom had a piano in the house. When I was in second grade, she started me on lessons. But I was pretty much self-taught, auto-didactic. I listened to a lot of music. I got really interested in ragtime and Scott Joplin, so I studied and played that a lot. In high school I started to meet other kids who were into jazz. I joined the high school jazz group. By the time I got to college, I was deep in it. I went to the New School for Social Research jazz program. I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music and started playing professionally. When I was a kid, there were a lot of jazz clubs in this city, and it was quite a large scene.

How did you come to run Smalls? Smalls was open when I started playing professionally. It was a place we played in and hung out at a lot. I got to know the owner, Mitch Borden, quite well. We became very good friends. I never intended to be a club owner, and I kind of still don’t really want to do it, but I did it because Smalls was closing. Mitch was looking for somebody to be his partner and invest in Smalls. I thought it was the only way I could keep my gig, so I decided to go for it. I owned an apartment in Harlem that I decided to mortgage. I dove in headﬁrst into the jazz club business and had to take some time to really learn what I was doing. I’m still learning.

Spike Wilner (right) and co-owner Mitchell Borden. Photos courtesy of Smalls Live

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes

Why did you decide to open up a second club and name it after Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow? We opened Mezzrow ﬁve years ago. Smalls was so popular that we couldn’t accommodate all the people. We wanted a place to hold people while they were waiting for their show at Smalls. But Mezzrow ended up taking on a life of its own, as its own club. Mezz Mezzrow was a clarinet player from Chicago in the 1920s. He was best friends with Louis Armstrong. He wrote a great book called “Really the Blues: The Autobiography of Mezz Mezzrow.” That book had a lot of impact on me. Mezzrow was a Jewish jazz guy who loved the music and culture around it, so I identiﬁed with him strongly. He also hung out right around here when there was another club in the neighborhood, in Mezzrow’s vicinity.

When so many jazz clubs have closed recently, why do you think yours are thriving? The people who run jazz clubs generally don’t know what they’re doing. They have high expectations, ﬁnancially, and they don’t understand the jazz scene. I run the clubs from the perspective of a musician rather than a business owner. Some of my choices haven’t made me a lot of money, but I have a lot of love for the music and the scene. I know everybody, who’s good and who’s not good, so the musical level at the clubs is very high at all times. Smalls kind of runs because we keep it so inexpensive. We’re very conscientious of keeping a musical community in that space. Other clubs are very strict about who comes in and who doesn’t, who pays and who doesn’t. We’re very open to musicians coming in, so we let people in especially as it gets later. It’s an older way of thinking about jazz clubs. In the old days, they were more communal rather than, say, concert venues.

You have been compiling a jazz archive of performances at your clubs, which is now available on the Smalls Live website [smallslive.com]. What’s the genesis of that idea? The archives came out of my desire to preserve the music. I put recording equipment in the club, so I could keep track

Cool cat: “Spike” Wilner at the piano. of everything happening. It started to grow rapidly until it became clear that I needed to organize it. We decided to make it available to people. We have about 17,000 recordings and more than 4,000 musicians recorded. We devised a revenue share plan that we thought was the most fair for artists. Starting next year, we’re changing everything into a not for proﬁt called the Smalls Live Foundation, to support our archive and the mission of running the club and supporting artists.

What would you say to someone who isn’t in the jazz world about why jazz is one of the greatest art forms? Jazz has got two faces, the public face and the private face. The public face is the culture and the legends. The public face gets misunderstood the most. That’s the face where people talk about race or culture or style, though none of those things matter much. The real thing is the core, which is what most people miss. The esoterica, the mystical side, is this very mysterious process by which jazz is played and musicians communicate with each other in a psychic fashion, rather than using words. Sometimes spontaneous things happen. If you’re a Zen Buddhist like myself you can recognize the very close similarity between Zen and jazz in terms of the spontaneity of the action; the bigger mind does the work rather than the conscious mind. That makes this music

very special and rare, but that aspect is only for the indoctrinated.

How do you reconcile practicing jazz and maintaining its improvisational core? I’m a Zen Buddhist, so I like to play as spontaneously as I can. But I spend time practicing the piano each day. I study classical music on my own. I love to play Beethoven, for example, but I won’t perform it. I perform at Smalls and Mezzrow each week, and this schedule keeps me focused on the music. I recently became a father; I have an elevenmonth-old baby daughter now, and so I haven’t been touring. I don’t think spending a lot of time writing tunes and preparing for records is really that good an idea. Most jazz musicians have too much time on their hands. A lot of them would be better if they got a job and played at night without practicing too much. Great jazz musicians can be great lawyers, great doctors. They can do anything they want, because it takes a high degree of mental skill to be a jazz musician. This interview has been edited and condensed.

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21 25

WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor C O N T E N T E D B A M K Q T

S L C E R S Y K E L T Y W Y S

W L X F R K T I V R E N F K T

The puzzle contains the following words. They may be diagonal, across, or up and down in the grid in any direction.

E Y J O Y O U S V X D M D R I

Blessed Cheerful Chipper Chirpy Contented Delighted Elated Happy Jolly Joyous Lively Merry Perky Tickled Upbeat

ANSWERS U

N O

G A

45 38

N A

35 33 29 22

F 24

I L

14 10 1

R O 2

I A

C 30

H N

M A

T W O

12 4

N A

A T

L E

U I

A E

C W T

A 20

G O A P

D 26

S M

C S 16

M A M A

W L X F R K T I V R E N F K T

E Y J O Y O U S V X D M D R I

7 6

2 9

5 1

6 7 8

4 8 2

5 3

8 5 1 2 9 3 6 4 7

1 8 6 9 4 2 7 5 3

9 4 5 1 3 7 2 8 6

3 7 2 8 5 6 1 9 4

5 1 8 3 6 9 4 7 2

4 2 9 7 8 1 3 6 5

6 3 7 4 2 5 9 1 8

47. Cincy player

S L C E R S Y K E L T Y W Y S

44. Corner pieces

C O N T E N T E D B A M K Q T

43. New Mexico resort

Y J E M M Y E B L L L R F A V

42. “The King and I” role

L P C P C H I R P Y E G E A T

40. It precedes a return

Y J E M M Y E B L L L R F A V

Y U P J I Z N H Z P T B R W I

39. Hairdo

L P C P C H I R P Y E G E A T

L J F A R O M H L L P D D C B

38. Disentangle

Y U P J I Z N H Z P T B R W I

E N M R H E R Y A U E J E K Q

37. Internet

L J F A R O M H L L P D D C B

V H X B E Y P T J S O J L F D

36. African capital

E N M R H E R Y A U E J E K Q

I G R U H E D P S R R I K Z G

31. Naturally occurring petroleum

V H X B E Y P T J S O J L F D

L V Y Y T Y H E I H G X C Z A

30. Tapi___

I G R U H E D P S R R I K Z G

I C F Y H G L C A H I N I I K

28. Gas guzzle rate

L V Y Y T Y H E I H G X C Z A

U S C U O B H R X R C A T L T

27. Bright light

I C F Y H G L C A H I N I I K

K M X N D E L I G H T E D P O

26. Repeats 5 times for an Abba song

U S C U O B H R X R C A T L T

K M X N D E L I G H T E D P O

46. Seat of justice 48. Manure 49. She 50. Vitamin C ingredient 51. Commonly, poetic 52. Big fuss 53. Long-eared beast Down 1. Slightly improper 2. Eye 3. Barnyard sounds 4. Rubberneck 5. Belonging 6. Grand prix cars 7. Rani’s wear 8. Involved with 9. Effortlessness 11. Making into a habit 13. Get the wrong end of the stick 15. NY opera 19. Google founder 22. “Harper Valley ___” 23. Lease 24. Amphibian

N O

Across 1. Actor Lowe 4. Musical “G” 7. Enclosure for return 10. Seaweed gelatin 12. ___ timer 13. Cass Elliot 14. Petitioner 16. Eye section 17. _______day 18. Advantages 20. Colorado Native Americans 21. SW Missouri river 22. Appeal for help 25. Selﬁshness 29. Non-stick material 32. Parody 33. Theseus’ land 34. Dance partner 35. Microwave 36. Hundredweight 38. Overly conceited 41. Make bubbly 45. Person, place or thing

Level: Medium

8 5

D O

34 35

1 9

5 3

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.

SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

by Myles Mellor

CROSSWORD

Downtowner 1

JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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JANUARY 02-08, 2020

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