Tracking a tooth across Manhattan (NYT)
New Museum's "Triennial"reviewed (NYT)
White Slab Palace already expanding (Eater)
Jeffrey's recession dinner: see the video (NYCity News Service)
         
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"The Real Estate Group" is out with its March rental market report. The firm calls the LES the "clear choice" for bargain hunters looking for a doorman building. A one bedroom (with doorman) in the neighborhood averages $2547 compared with $3329 for all of Manhattan. On the other hand, non-doorman buildings in the LES average $2654 compared with $2624 for the city as a whole. An explanation from the report's introduction, "doorman units continue to fall in price while Posted by: Ed Litvak
At the New Museum, celebrating cutting edge artists, "younger than Jesus." (NYT) Sustainability: NYC Food Project's first meeting (Serious Eats) "A thrashing, bashing rendition of the Beowulf story" at Abrons Arts Center (NYT) Virtuoso fiddler to perform at Tenement Museum's gala (Tenement Museum Blog) Posted by: Ed Litvak
The Matzah shelf at Fine Fare on Clinton Street looks a little sad Wednesday afternoon. Maybe they'll restock! Posted by: Ed Litvak
There’s a fun show at the Abrons Arts Center right now through April 18th. If you like the idea of taking an old historic poem (the one that’s always assigned but never gets read) out of the classroom and into the hands of artists, you’ll enjoy, “Beowulf-A Thousand Years of Baggage.” If you just like the idea of a classic monster story with contemporary music, you’ll like it, too. Theater Mania’s review is here and a nice piece in the NY Times on Jason Craig, of Banana, Bag & Bodice, here. Posted by Traven Rice
Co-Ops all over the city have been forced to raise their maintenance fees recently, largely due to skyrocketing property taxes. Last night, the Seward Park Co-Op Board decided on a different approach: raising sublet fees shareholders must pay from 100 percent of their maintenance payment to 150 percent. It's a controversial move, to say the least.
By the time they cover the sublet fees, maintenance fees and mortgage payment, shareholders who choose to sublet wouldn't even come close to recouping their costs. At the same time, some shareholders are dismayed that the board has chosen not to raise the maintenance to cover a significant budget shortfall. In the past, Seward Park was able to rely on flip tax revenues but that source is evaporating faster than you can say "recession." Posted by: Ed Litvak
Earlier today, we linked to a story about the great Streit’s Matzo controversy. The Vaad HaRabbonim of Queens decided just a few days before Passover to remove Streit’s Matzo from its approved list of products. Due to the magic of You Tube, we now bring you more on Streit’s, a tour of the factory on Rivington Street from, of all people. Martha Stewart. Enjoy.
Earlier this week, I mentioned An Choi, the New Vietnamese place on Orchard Street, which got a mention in New York Magazine. Not to be outdone, tomorrow's New York Times food section has a big blowout on the Banh Mi craze. The Times tells you everything you could possibly want to know about these tasty sandwiches. We learn for instance, that the young co-owner of An Choi, "may be the first on the East Coast to serve the upscale delicacy Posted by: Ed Litvak
Matzo machinations: What's the problem with Streit's (Jewkey) Posted by: Ed Litvak
If you can't make out the fine print, one of the best bargain joints on the Lower East Side is out of business. According to this notice from the landlord, Heaven Way Buddha Church, "Fried Dumpling's" lease on Allen Street has expired. For the uninitiated, this place gave you five dumplings for a dollar. But have no fear, there are actually lots of other options in the neighborhood. My personal favorite: Lan Zhou, East Broadway and Pike Streets. You get 8 dumplings for two bucks. The skin is paper thin, the pork filling flavorful. And how about this: you can take 50 frozen dumplings home for $8! While we're on the subject of Asian fast food, check out New York Magazine's take on Vietnamese sandwiches (Banh Mi). The new spot on Orchard, An Choi, made the "top 10 list." "Nicely balanced if slightly dry," NYMag says. There's been lots of grousing on the food boards about this place, due to the slightly higher prices than you'll find most places in Chinatown. Still, you won't find anything on the menu for more than $10 and, frankly, the spruced up decor is worth a few pennies more. And there's no doubt, the bread is crispier and more delicate, the ingredients a good deal fresher.
On Friday, the government reported the unemployment rate had soared to a staggering 8.5%. We all see the ripple effects every day, even walking down the street. It's become routine to see empty storefronts, "going out of business" signs and stores advertising huge sales. Along Grand Street, most businesses seem to be hanging tough, but there's no doubt they're feeling the impact of the worst recession since the 1930's. From time to time, we'll check in with businesses in the neighborhood to see how they're doing. Last week, I spoke with James Iglesias, owner of Special Touch Valet Cleaners on Grand St., and the owners of Grand Spa. Here's what they told me.
We are Ed Litvak and Traven Rice, a television news producer and filmmaker (in that order), who live in the neighborhood. We launched The Lo-Down to help provide our community with a constant source of information about current events, culture, real estate, food and entertainment. Rather than serving a single segment of our diverse neighborhood, we are a resource for all cultures and groups on the LES to share information and ideas and to engage in a meaningful dialogue about issues that unite and divide us. We are not a blog that espouses a particular point of view or has an agenda. We work hard to reach out to people and organizations that are not often heard from – and to solicit multiple points of view and new perspectives. It is most important to us that everyone has an opportunity to tell their own story. The Lo-Down is committed to covering politics and government – including community board meetings and our representatives on the City Council and in the State Legislature. We report about the many social service organizations doing important work in the community. We focus on the issues that are transforming the LES: gentrification, affordable housing and preservation of the neighborhood’s distinctive character and history. But The Lo-Down also celebrates the creative people who have made (and continue to make) the LES great. We are a forum for artistic expression and experimentation.
We Want You To Be Part Of The Conversation The great thing about news on the internet is that it’s a two way conversation. We encourage your comments, questions and concerns about specific stories. If you’d like to weigh in on a particular story, just click on the headline and leave us your thoughts. We also love story submissions. If you have something on your mind, send us an opinion piece. If there’s a specific story you’d like to write, if you’ve snapped an interesting picture in the neighborhood or shot some video your neighbors might want to see, send us those, too. Or, perhaps you’re not exactly sure how you would like to be involved, but you’d like to talk it over. In any case, email us at info@thelodownny.com or call 646-861-1805. If you just want to get a conversation going, try out the Lo-Down message board. We hope you’ll join us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Comment Policy Comments on The Lo-Down are moderated. While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not
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Who Works on The Lo-Down Traven Rice (co-editor) is an award-winning filmmaker and theatrical director. You can visit her film and theatrical web site here. She is the co-founder of Say Something Productions. Ed Litvak (co-editor) has more than 20 years of experience as a television news producer in local stations, cable properties and broadcast networks. He was a supervising producer at NBC’s Today Show and the executive producer of CNN’s morning program. Mark Ward designed The Lo-Down banner and the topical logos you see on the web site. He can be contacted at mward@threeoeight.com. Leo Kin is The Lo-Down’s design and tech consultant. A. Jesse Jiryu Davis is The Lo-Down’s Chief Photographer. He is a photographer and software developer living on Orchard Street. Visit his website at: http://emptysquare.net and view his photos on Flickr at: www.flickr.com/photos/emptysquare/.
Production & Consulting Services Lo-Down Productions LLC offers a wide range of media services, including video production and media consulting. We produce small and large scale video projects, including advertisements, image spots, promotional videos, instructional tapes and web series’. For more information, email us at lodownny@gmail.com or call 646-861-1805.
Third Party Links Our website contains links to other sites and resources on The Lo-Down possesses a Creative Commons License.
Posted by: Ed Litvak
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