A basketball tournament held on Henry Street yesterday wasn't just about the game. It was also meant to keep the pressure on Basketball City, a for-profit gym that has been awarded a long-term lease at Pier 36. Two groups, GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side) and Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, are negotiating with Basketball City for free and discounted access for the community to the facility.
The organizations fought the city's decision to award the lease to a corporation, citing a legal agreement requiring the pier to be set aside for a community recreation center. Now they're trying to make sure Basketball City is accessible to low and middle income residents in the neighborhood.
Yesterday's event (delayed one day due to the rain) was originally supposed to include a march to the pier. But Victor Papa (Two Bridges) and Damaris Reyes (GOLES) announced that, as negotiations continue, the march was being put on hold. But Reyes said they would reserve the option of "taking to the streets," if the talks stall. Basketball City has expressed an interest in working with the community. Reyes has said she's encouraged by their willingness to have discussions, but is looking for specific commitments. Here's a brief video from the tournament, held at the Henry M. Jackson Playground:
Community Board 3 is out with the list of restaurants and bars seeking support for liquor licenses next month. They’ll go before the SLA Committee September 14th. Meetings are held at the JASA/ Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street (Bowery), 630pm.
New J&B Inc/Jin Bin Seafood Restaurant, 39-41
East Broadway (new license, wine only)
Silkstone One LLC/Rushbury, 17 Orchard
(new license, full liquor)
Local 138, 138 Ludlow (renewal with complaint history)
Sushi Hana, 111 Rivington (wine only, in resolution area)
Corp to be Formed, 180 Orchard St
(wine only, in resolution area)
812 Broadway Inc/Karaoke Boho, 196 Orchard St (wine only, in resolution area)
Senor Izquierdaj, 175 Ludlow (full liquor, in resolution area)
Kampuchea Noodle Bar, 78-84 Rivington
(upgrade to full liquor license)
Allen & Delancey, 115 Allen St (alterations, upgrade to full liquor, extend hours)
Corp to be Formed/currently Kelley & Ping, 325
Bowery (transfer full liquor license)
Home Sweet Home, 131 Chrystie (full liquor license upgrade, expansion)
The Bowery Electric, 327 Bowery (upgrade to full liquor license)
Even her opponents would have to concede it was Margaret Chin's night. A large crowd turned out in Chinatown last night to size up the four candidates running against incumbent City Council member Alan Gerson. In a lively, two hour forum, Gerson was under constant attack by Chin and another challenger, Pete Gleason. But Chin – a longtime Chinatown activist – on her home turf, took the lead.
It was the third major forum in advance of the Septhember 15th Democratic Primary. Chin's message was, essentially, "eight is enough." After two terms, she argued, it's time to give someone else a chance. Chin railed against Gerson's decision to side with the mayor in extending term limits. But she also strongly criticized his leadership. Taking issue with Gerson's argument in earlier debates that he has an "unparalleled record" of achievement, she claimed he only acts when prodded to do so by community activists (such as herself).
Gerson spent most of the night defending his eight years in office and highlighting his accomplishments. Enjoying a significant amount of support in the neighborhood, his responses were generally followed by fairly enthusiastic applause. Meanwhile, PJ Kim refrained from criticizing his opponents, making the case that the time has come to move beyond divisive politics. Arthur Gregory positioned himself as the "truth teller," the only candidate who will truly confront the realities facing the district. Gleason, who has been Gerson's fiercest critic, kept up the pressure and pledged to "stand up to the powers that be" at City Hall and in Albany.
At the end of the night, the candidates had one thing in common: none of them was brave enough to reveal his or her favorite restaurant in Chinatown!
A short time ago, we posted the full audio recording of last night's forum. Below, are two video excerpts. The first clip, focusing on support for struggling small businesses, illustrates Chin's forceful criticism of Gerson. There's also an exchange on term limits. In the second clip, you'll hear portions of the candidates' closing statements.
As a part of
the Summer Streets Program hosted by the Lower East Side's Business Improvement District, Stanton Street will be closed off to cars between Allen Street and
Ludlow Street to host a series of activities for the community. This Sunday's activities include:
Jeffrey's Meat Market – Fifth generation butcher and famous Essex Street Market will be barbecuing. Jeffrey will be discussing butchering techniques, the history of the Essex Street Maket and cooking.
3:30pm FREE Women of the Lower East Side Tour – hosted by the East Village Visitors Center.
4:30pm FREE Loui's Skateboarding School will partner with LES Shut Skates to offer lessons, from beginner to advanced, in skateboarding.
City Council member Alan Gerson's campaign announced three newendorsements today. Former New York Mayor Ed Koch, the National Organization for Women and the Social Service Employees Union (Local 371) have decided to support Gerson's bid for a third term. In a statement, Koch said:
Alan Gerson has a superb record of protecting and rebuilding his district, home of Ground Zero on 9-11, and advocating for his borough and the City. He went directly to the Port Authority to protect his constituents from the necessary but dangerous noise from the construction at the World Trade Center site and helped pass Clean Air legislation, another legacy of the 9-11 attack. He’s been a leader in creating new parks and open space and ensuring park improvements, including the wonderful renovation to Washington Square Park in my neighborhood. He’s worked hard to preserve affordable housing in a fast gentrifying community, to build new schools and to provide more and better services to seniors. He’s built a reputation as a City Council Member with good values and a strong work ethic. It’s a pleasure to endorse Alan J. Gerson for another term representing District 1 in the New York City Council.
Gerson faces four opponents in the September 15th Democratic Primary: Margaret Chin, Pete Gleason, Arthur Gregory and PJ Kim.
One lane on the north inner and outer roadways of the Williamsburg
Bridge will be closed on Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm.
The south inner roadway will be reversed to Manhattan/westbound from
5:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be four lanes westbound and two lanes
eastbound during these times; from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm there will be
four lanes eastbound and two lanes westbound.
Stanton Street from Allen to Ludlow Street in Manhattan will be
closed from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Sundays until September 13 for the
Lower East Side BID Weekend Walks.
A few weeks ago we reported on the negotiations taking place between community organizations and "Basketball City." Tomorrow, those organizations are planning a free basketball tournament, followed by a march to Pier 36, where the company will soon open a for-profit gym.
The groups (the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Good Old Lower East Side) opposed the city's decision to offer a 20 (plus) year lease to Basketball City, which once operated a facility on the West Side. But now that it's a done deal, the activists want to make sure there's "free court time and individual discounts" for working people and communities of color…"
The tournament, featuring more than 30 teams, will take place starting at 3pm. They'll be playing at the Henry M. Jackson Playground (at Henry, Jackson and Grand Streets.) The rally and march begins at 730pm.
We're told the talks with "Basketball City" are ongoing. The company says its willing to make accomodations for working-class people in the neighborhood.
The candidates running to represent the First District on the City Council debated the issues last night in Chinatown. We'll have a summary later today and video excerpts from the forum. Here's the full audio recording:
Downtown District Leader Adam Silvera sent us the following advisory:
Bring your own signs–see you rain or shine
Kick off rally with Council Member Rosie Mendez and feeder walk from Lower East Side Meet at noon at Tompkins Square Park (Avenue A & 9th street)
TOGETHER WE WALK, UNITED WE STAND FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Community Walks leave from locations across the city.* Walks converge for 2 pm rally in Times Square.
Health care reform is finally within our grasp, but special interests are spending millions every day and political partisans are spreading vicious lies to stop it. They want President Obama and Congress not to cave on important reforms like the choice of a public option. We cannot let that happen!
America voted for change last fall, and now we must see it through. Join hundreds of New Yorkers to walk and stand for historic health reform legislation. Help send off our local Congressmembers to return from their summer recess in September and “get the job done!”
Tonight's Tenement Talk at the Tenement Museum is LES Stories: The Melting Pot, Hosted by H.R. Britton. At the popular storytelling series,
professionals share their tales of the city as melting pot. Performers
include Sherri Eldin, Michele Carlo, Alexandra de Suze, H.R. Britton,
and Ophira Eisenberg. Guests are invited to contribute their
own three-minute story.
Lowbrow Society for the Arts
presents: Move! "A wearable art gallery and celebration on a subway
train". Bringing art from the static white walls down into the New
York transit system. Enter the train to be surrounded by a vast array
of photography, illustration, multimedia work, recycled fashion design,
superhero armor, and more–all hung from humans. While perusing the improvisational gallery, participants can
listen to the sweet sounds of Ruby Ruby Ruse and enjoy complimentary
juice and snacks served by the delightful MTA Service Specialists.
Gallery-goers can also venture to the adjacent subway car for jazzy
live music provided by Natti Vogel and The Nostalgia Specials. 9 p.m., Meet in front of the New Museum [235 Bowery]
Lo-Down food contributor and Tasty Travails mastermind Mitch Weinstein appreciates a good cocktail. Earlier this summer, he found inspiration inside White Star (menu)the tiny LES bar operated by downtown cocktail maestro Sasha Petraske.
If you have a favorite place for a cocktail in the hood, please let us know about it! Contact us here.
Recently I happened by White Star, the cocktailian (and absinthe-centric) lounge that's right
across the street from our apartment – at 21 Essex – and that's Essex
Street just after the trees in the photo, looking west from our kitchen
window.
Asking the tender for a "Manhattan-like" cocktail, he
(Kelvin) was kind enough to stir me up a 1920 cocktail – and it made my
night. I'd never had one before, and since K. was nice enough to share
the formula with me, I got to make one at home.
Actually, I liked it so much that I immediately had to share it with friends of mine. Jude and Jeff, whom I've posted about before, really enjoy their cocktails. I shot an email off to them, and they tried it and liked it so much, that Jude blogged about it too! As she writ:
The
“1920” is a hook up between a Manhattan and a Sazerac and the recipe
goes like this: 2 parts rye, 1 part sweet vermouth, absinthe rinse in
the glass and a dash or so of orange bitters, stirred, never shaken.
And
that's what it is. The absinthe rinse is what separates that 1920 from
a Manhattan. Here are a couple of tips to make an excellent cocktail:
1) It's always good to keep your cocktail and mixing glasses in the freezer. It's really good.
2)
To "rinse" is just to pour a teaspoon or so of spirit into the frozen
cocktail glass (in this case, absinthe), swirl it around and pour
what's left into the sink. It leaves just a hint of spirit in the
glass, and is a great technique. Do this right before pouring your
cocktail.
3) Lots of cracked ice in that mixing glass. Stir the shit out of it.
4) Enjoy rather quickly – (as you should all cocktails.) No matter where you are, it's a damn good drink.
The Lo-Down recently visited with Paula Crossfield, the managing editor of Civil Eats, a web site focused on food and sustainability. She is also a regular
contributor to the Huffington Post’s Green Page and is a contributing producer at The Leonard Lopate Show on New
York Public Radio. She gave us a tour of her community vegetable garden on her rooftop on
the Lower East Side.
The five candidates competing to represent District 1 in the City Council will take part in a candidate forum this evening at the Terrace Club, 380 Rector Place. The forum is sponsored by the BPC Neighbors Association. It begins at 7pm. The Lo-Down will, of course, be there and have a wrapup tomorrow.
The headline in City Hall News reads, "Among Asian Candidates, Divide Between First and Second Generation." One of the examples given in the piece: the rivalry between Margaret Chin and PJ Kim:
Despite the fact that Kim is Korean and Chin is Chinese, Kim seems to
be getting some reception in Chinatown, where a number of people appear
to be buying into his argument that he would offer more effective
representation. Had Council Member Alan Gerson’s legal efforts
to be restored to the ballot not been successful, Kim likely would have
been the one to get the lion’s share of the Council member’s ample
support among Chinatown civic and business leaders, according to one
person involved in the discussions. But even with Gerson back on the
ballot, Kim has been generating support in the neighborhood, pulling
support from people like Eddie Chiu, head of the Chinatown community
group the Lin Sing Association.
Per EV Grieve, a memorial service for Eric "Taz" Pagan will take place Friday at the Immaculate Church on 14th Street. Pagan was murdered late Saturday night outside the "Forbidden City" club on Avenue A. The New York Times and the Daily News have new details about what Police believe happened – and about the suspect now in custody. In the aftermath of this tragedy and a shooting on Avenue C a little over a week ago, residents are planning a news conference tomorrow. Here's the news advisory:
LOWER EAST SIDE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO PETITION ELECTED OFFICIALS and GOVERNMENT TO WORK TOGETHER TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, PROVIDE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND RESTORE FUNDING TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 11am CAMPOS PLAZA TENANTS’ ASSOCIATION 205 AVENUE C at 12th STREET (ENTER THROUGH THE ‘L’ on 12th and C)
