Rooftop Films hasn't announced its summer schedule just yet, but we're pleased to provide a preview today. Yesterday we taped a really interesting interview with "Rooftop" founder Mark Elijah Rosenberg and the organization's program director, Daniel Nuxoll. We'll post that video next week. Meanwhile, they were nice enough to let us provide a sneak peak of their innovative summer series, which has a strong presence on the Lower East Side.
The series is about to begin its 13th year. From May 15-September 20, Rooftop Films will show dozens of independent films at venues all over the city, including the spectacular Open Road Rooftop at the New Design High School on Essex Street. Each evening begins with live music and, usually, a question and answer session with the filmmaker.
The series is, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. They showcase the undistributed works of local and emerging artists — and embrace stories about overlooked communities. The 2009 series will debut next Friday night on the Open Road Rooftop, with a series of short films. They'll be back in the neighborhood the following week with a series of romantic shorts – and five more times during May and June. Take a look at the May/June schedule by clicking on the "continue reading" link. The schedule for July-September will be released soon.
The New York Times profiles Abrons Arts Center Director Jay Wegman. The Times says the center is "gaining a reputation as one of the last standing locations for avant garde performance downtown." Wegman, who is a practicing priest, says "People put religious people into a box, and clergy into a smaller box… I don’t even address the box.” There's a bit of news embedded in the profile: Philippe Petit, who gained fame for his high wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974, is considering a one-man show at Abrons.
Serious Eats calls the churros at the Doughnut Plant "beyond lust worthy."
Later today: look for a preview of Community Board 3's alcohol licensing committee meeting on Monday. A community group is mobilizing to oppose a proposed restaurant at the corner of Essex & Canal. We'll look at the state of restaurants & bars below Delancey.
We are currently featuring photography by A Jesse Jiryu Davis in our Photo Gallery. Jesse is a portrait and event photographer based in New York City. As a self-taught photographer, he began taking assignments while refining his skills at the International Center of Photography, where he became proficient with digital and traditional processes.
Jesse has covered events and created editorial portraits for Time Out New York, Meditate NYC, the Blue Roses Theater Company, the Shambhala Meditation Center, and the Village Zendo Journal. His personal work includes numerous protests and events around New York City. For more info, visit his website here.
Last night, Gothamist reported a shooting on East Houston Street near Clinton. Based on police radio chatter, two men were seen running and one of them had gone into a building on Clinton. The cops were keeping residents from going inside their buildings and the swat teams were called in. This morning, Gothamist updated, saying a 27 year old man was taken into custody. Police say he was firing a gun on the street. No one was hurt. A Lo-Down contributer and photographer, Jesse Davis, posted this photo from the scene. He said a NYPD chopper circled the area for a half hour.
This evening at the Puck Building, some of the neighborhood's best chefs will be cooking for a good cause. The Grand Street Settlement's Taste of the Lower East Side, featuring 35 restaurants from the LES, East Village, Nolita, Soho, etc. will be held. Among the featured restaurants: Alias, Allen & Delancey, Bacaro, Barrio Chino, Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant, El
Maguey y La Tuna, Falai Panetteria, Fat Hippo, Il Laboratorio del Gelato, 'Inoteca, Kampuchea Restaurant, Kuma Inn, Little Giant, Oliva, Palà Paladar, Roni Sue's Chocolates,
Saxelby Cheesemongers, Shang, Sorella, The Stanton Social, Sugar Sweet
Sunshine, Think Coffee, Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop, Thor, Wd~50. Tickets are steep: $150-$500 but proceeds support Grand Street's programs. More details here.
Streetsblog took note of our coverage of Councilman Gerson's transportation town hall Monday night, saying "the session successfully gathered up ideas from ill-informed cranks." They concluded:
A quick CrashStat check reveals
that, contrary to Mr. Jacob's (LES resident who said there had only been one fatality in the area) gut assertion, several people have been
killed by autos while walking on Grand Street in recent years. Co-op
Village, like many other housing developments in the area, is home to a
big senior population. Those pedestrian refuges make Grand Street safer to cross and less intimidating to older New Yorkers.
Rolling back critical safety improvements that improve seniors' quality
of life — is that really the kind of "community input" that Gerson
wants to align himself with?
The Villager's take on the town hall is now online. Harold Jacob gets a starring role in their write-up, as well:
Jacob recalled that Margaret Forgione, D.O.T. Manhattan borough
commissioner, told a Lower East Side forum earlier this year that the
Grand St. median island was intended to avoid pedestrian deaths on a
section of Grand St. where there had been three fatalities. Jacob said
he obtained records through a Freedom of Information Law request and
found that there were no fatalities at that location, but that there
had been one death on Clinton St. after a safety island had been
installed at an intersection.
The Villager also has more on the New York Housing Authority's new pet policy, banning pit bulls and other breeds.
The Tenement Museum's blog has a few interesting posts on the groundbreaking artists who told the stories of immigrant life on the Lower East Side.
Just in time for Mother's Day, Metromix profiles a dynamic duo: Roni-Sue of Roni-Sue's Chocolates in the Essex Street Market and her son Corwin Kave of Fatty Crab.
From Gothamist: Around 4:30 p.m., a shooting was reported on East Houston near Clinton
Street. According to police radio, two men fled the scene and one of
the perps went into a building on Clinton. We received two tips from
readers: "Shooting on Clinton St. – block between Houston and Stanton
shut down. Residents can't enter their apartments" and "Gun shot
through the window of banco popular on Houston & D. Swat teams
moving in, dogs, crazy!"
As we have reported, Co-op Village residents voiced their strong displeasure with the Grand Street bike lanes during a town hall meeting Monday night. We contacted the bicycling advocacy organization, Transportation Alternatives, for a response.
Several residents argued that the bike lanes, combined with the center islands installed east of Essex, have created gridlock and dangerous conditions on Grand Street. They claimed that emergency vehicles can't get through, especially when cars and trucks are double parked. They said trucks making deliveries stop in the middle of the street, since double parking in the bike lanes can result in a $115 fine.
Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives said that since the new configuration on Grand Street is a first for New York City, there's a natural period of adjustment for motorists, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians. He believes that the center islands have made the street safer by helping to reduce vehicle speeds. Norvell said it's important to remember that double parking is illegal — and it would be wrong to blame the bicycle lanes for increased congestion.
Norvell said the city and the community boards agreed to evaluate the changes on Grand Street this spring. If double parking is a concern, he suggested, it would be specifically addressed.
We also discussed the behavior of bicyclists. Residents at the town hall complained that they frequently disobey traffic laws, ride the wrong direction in bike lanes and ride on sidewalks. Norvell said that, in the past, some bicyclists, considered themselves "dissidents of the transportation system," in part becase New York was so inhospitable to them. But as the city has become more bike friendly, he argued, behavior of bicyclists has improved.
Norvell said his organization is committed to educating bicyclists about the rules of the road and about the "softer street code." On May 20th, Transportation Alternatives will launch a new education program and a companion web site www.bikingrules.org.
You'll be paying $2.25 to ride the subway and a monthly MetroCard will likely cost you $89 under the agreement reached in Albany yesterday. The Daily News blasts Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, saying he left Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver with no choice but to "tap (New York City) riders harder than necessary."
New York's Rent Guidelines Board apparently hasn't heard about the worst recession in decades: it's voted for increases in rent stabilized apartments. It's a preliminary vote – public hearings will be held next month. Wasim Lone with the group "Good Old Lower East Side" is calling for a freeze in stabilized rents. The Times has the full story here.
The Times just can't get enough of An Choi, the Vietnamese pho/banh mi destination on Orchard Street.
Since it came up at the transportation town hall on the LES last night, we thought we'd provide a visual demonstration of the silly situation on Delancey Street, at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. Even if you're walking quickly, the signal will start flashing red about the time you hit the center median, forcing a quick sprint to the sidewalk! Have a look:
Last night we posted a brief report about City Councilman Alan Gerson's town hall meeting on transportation issues. You can always count on plenty of passion from the people who live on the Lower East Side – and they did not disappoint. Even before the audience got their chance to vent, Gerson made it clear to the city transportation official (Commissioner Luis Sanchez) in attendance that his constituents are, to put it mildly, unhappy with recent changes to streets in the neighborhood.
Councilman John Liu, transportation committee chairman, made a cameo at the beginning of the meeting. He also acknowledged there is deep dissatisfaction not only with DOT decisions but also with the failure of the city to seek community feedback. Gerson pledged to follow up on every issue that was raised at this forum and the other town halls scheduled in lower Manhattan in the next few weeks.
The Grand Street bike lanes and center islands installed last year were ridiculed by several residents of Co-op Village. Harold Jacob accused DOT Commissioner Margaret Forgione of lying when she told him the center median was installed because pedestrians had been killed by cars on Grand Street. Jacob said he believed the changes had, in fact, made the street more dangerous. Because there is less room to maneuver, Jacob claimed fire trucks and ambulances can't safely pass through. "You've actually put lives in danger," he told DOT officials.
Another resident contended the islands, opposed by Community Board 3, were "arrogantly conceived and arrogantly carried out." More than one speaker blamed Mayor Bloomberg, accusing him of "destroying Grand Street." Some people demanded that the medians be removed – others wanted the bike lanes eliminated. Several residents claimed bicyclists on Grand Street are out of control, ignoring traffic signals, riding the wrong direction in the bike lanes and riding on sidewalks. They suggested the city require cyclists to be licensed. A few speakers complained about the parking meters installed on Grand, arguing that local businesses were being hurt because customers can't pay to park.
Other issues that were raised:
Traffic signs on Rutgers Street near Cherry were criticized as dangerous and unnecessary.
Parks Department vehicles backing up into the Columbus Park in Chinatown, endangering the lives of children. The commissioner and Councilman Gerson pledged to call the Parks Dept. about the problem.
A lack of parking in the neighborhood. Gerson said he would press city officials to open up mostly emty lots under the Williamsburg Bridge.
An extremely short "walk" signal on Delancey Street near the Williamsburg Bridge.
A chaotic situation in which private buses are clogging the streets in Chinatown, parking in front of residential buildings and causing gridlock.
Gerson said he was committed to balancing the needs of automobiles, bicyclists and pedestrians in the city. He said he hoped the presence of the DOT officials last night meant a new era of cooperation with the community was about to begin. Gerson said he would hold another town hall May 19.
We spoke with a representative from Transportation Alternatives, the cycling and pedestrian advocacy organization, this afternoon. That interview will be posted soon.
There's a deal to rescue the MTA but no one likes it very much. The Times says lawmakers took the easy way out. The Daily News skewers Governor Paterson.
The next big fight in Albany: Mayoral control of the schools.
Your Cinco de Mayo taco and tequila guide, courtesy of the Gothamist.
It hasn't gone viral just yet, but this ad on YouTube from the Wildlife Conservation Society earns points for creativity.
There's a deal to rescue the MTA but no one likes it very much. The Times says lawmakers took the easy way out. The Daily News skewers Governor Paterson.
The next big fight in Albany: Mayoral control of the schools.
Your Cinco de Mayo taco and tequila guide, courtesy of the Gothamist.
It hasn't gone viral just yet, but this ad on YouTube from the Wildlife Conservation Society earns points for creativity.
Lower East Side residents, undeterred by the continuing downpour, filed into P.S. 134 tonight to tell city transportation officials just how unhappy they are with several recent decisions impacting streets in the neighborhood. The forum was a town hall meeting organized by City Councilman Alan Gerson.
City Transportation Commissioner Luis Sanchez and Gerry Bogacz of the New York Metro Transportation Council mostly listened quietly as people in the community sounded off on the "arrogance" of installing center islands and bike lanes on Grand Street, the unresponsiveness of the city to problems with street signs along Rutgers Street, the behavior of bicyclists and several other issues.
Councilman Gerson said there's a widespread belief among his constituents that their concerns fall on deaf ears. He called on greater accountability and stepped up efforts to involve the community in the decision making process. One resident blasted Mayor Bloomberg for the changes on Grand Street, saying they are "a disgrace to this community."
Tomorrow we'll have much more on the issues addressed at the town hall, street by street. We'll also hit the streets ourselves with video camera in hand to illustrate some of the tensions and problems that were on display tonight. A consistent theme throughout the town hall: bicyclists are a menace in the neighborhood — ignoring traffic laws, going the wrong way in bike lanes, riding on sidewalks. We'll also have more on that, including the response from cycling activists (it's bike month, afterall).
