"Tenement Talks", hosted by H.R. Britton this evening, includes four professional storytellers
who will recount their experiences as urban children or tell us how they raised
their own kids in the big city. Performers include Robin Bady, Jane LeCroy, DJ Hazard, and Tracy Rowland. Audience members are invited to
share their own three-minute tales." The talk starts at 6:30p at the Tenement Museum (108 Orchard). FREE
         
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Don't miss this month's How I Learned segment titled "How I Learned to Live in New York" at Happy Ending (302 Broome St.) The reading series features writers, comedians, bloggers and
The new commander in charge of the NYPD's Police Service Area (PSA) #4 talked with residents last night about a series of high profile violent crimes on the LES this past summer. It was Captain Tom Hogan's first Community Council meeting since taking over PSA4, which is responsible for protecting 40-thousand people in the city's housing projects. He said PSA4 has actually seen a 1.5 percent reduction in crime, year to date, compared with the same period last year. But Hogan added:
Hogan also addressed the recent murder of Glenn Wright, a college student visiting his grandmother at the Baruch Houses, near Delancey Street. Noting that a suspect is already in custody, he emphasized that Reynolds was apparently not the intended target:
Later in the meeting, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh also discussed the Wright murder and the more general concerns in the community that violent crime is on the rise:
Continue reading NYPD Commander Briefs Residents on Crime Concerns
A new handbag designer, Lindsey Hufnagel, will be hosting a launch party for her collection, "Horse + Nail" tomorrow night at the Pop-up shop on Orchard (186 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton). Fresh out of Parsons School of Design, with a few high couture internships under her belt, (as well as a costume internship with Martin Pakledinaz for a broadway production of “The pirate Queen”) she is ready to debut her "horse tack inspired" bags. The shopping party tomorrow starts at 7:00pm and includes drinks and music by D://BOi. The shop will be open through September 29th.
This afternoon we have our first detailed look at how the candidates in the District 1 City Council Primary fared in each neighborhood. Overall, Margaret Chin beat incumbent Alan Gerson 39-percent to 30-percent, or 4541 votes to 3520 votes. There's been some talk in the last several days that Chin won almost entirely due to her strong performance in Chinatown. Here are the preliminary numbers, from Chin's office:
So, Chin did, in fact, do very well in Chinatown. She held her own on the Lower East Side. On Grand Street, a Gerson (and Shelly Silver) stronghold, she lost to Gerson 343 to 748. But in the rest of the neighborhood, it was Chin 677 to 401 for Gerson. Chin also won the East Village and Soho (with some help from Gleason and Kim). Tribeca and the Financial District were competitive. A frequent complaint heard on the LES and in Chinatown is that the East Side is neglected (financially) compared to the West Side. Some observers are speculating whether the pendulum has now shifted – with the East Side now poised to benefit from a city councilmember with Chinatown roots. Chin has repeatedly vowed to treat all neighborhoods in the district fairly. These results back up her campaign's contention that she drew support from across the district. Gerson has delayed conceding to Chin, saying he wants to "examine questions about the votes reported."
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A coalition of community groups and the Pratt Center for Community Development have released a comprehensive report examining what residents would like to see done with the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA). The initiative, known as “SPURA Matters,” sought feedback from hundreds of people in late 2008 and early 2009, through several public meetings, a large oral history project and written surveys. SPURA consists of 5 parcels near the Williamsburg Bridge that were bulldozed by the city 40 years ago. They have remained under-developed ever since due to disagreements in the community about how the sites should be developed. For the past several months, Community Board 3, has been trying to formulate a plan all factions in the neighborhood and the city can accept. The project was spearheaded by GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side), the neighborhood housing and preservation organization. But numerous other organizations, including University Settlement, the LES Tenement Museum, St. Mary’s Church and the LES Business Improvement District, were part of the coalition. According to Damaris Reyes, GOLES executive director, there’s a lot of hope in the community that something’s finally going to happen at the SPURA site. The initiative was meant to initiate a conversation and to “help start a community-driven process to put the site back into a broadly productive use.” The report, prepared by the Pratt Center, took into account the views of 250 people who attended workshops and 300 people who responded to the survey. 60-percent of those who filled out the questionnaire said they wanted to see low and moderate income housing built on SPURA. 32-percent called for a mixture of both market rate and low/moderate income housing. But three-quarters of the respondents said that including market-rate apartments was a “suitable” way to finance affordable housing. One-third indicated the size of the buildings that go up does not matter to them. There was widespread support for a mixed-use site. While housing was their top priority, respondents wanted to see both small retail businesses and larger businesses like supermarkets and movie theaters. They also expressed a desire for open space (parks), a community center, daycare and health facilities and a cultural center. More generally, residents expressed alarm about the gentrification sweeping the LES – pushing housing costs higher and driving longtime retailers out of business. Continue reading Community Coalition Releases “SPURA Matters” Report
This month's Featured Artist is photographer Mark La Rosa. We have always been big fans of his series of photographs taken along the East River. It's hard to believe a geographic entity with such a bad reputation could elicit such beautiful and stirring images. Mark writes:
Mark La Rosa is a Visit our photo gallery featuring this East River series. If you know an artist you would like us to consider for our Featured Artist series, please contact us at lodownny@gmail.com.
Earlier this month, residents gathered in Luther Gulick Park on Delancey Street for a community day. The objective was to help galvanize the neighborhood to push for the revitalization of of the park, one of the city's most blighted public spaces. Councilmember Alan Gerson has allocted $400-thousand for the project. The Parks Department says design work cannot begin until the city comes forward with at least $1 million. Longtime LES resident Dave Bolotsky has formed the Friends of Gulick Park, a group dedicated to rallying the neighborhood's diverse factions to turn the park into an urban oasis and vibrant community gathering place. Here's a video clip from the community day event, featuring Friends of Gulick Park member Tim Garcia and Bolotsky:
A new study shows NYC students in charter schools perform better on standardized tests. Riders of the M14, M23, M79, M86, M101, M102 and M103 will be able to use a FOB or key card to pay their fares, starting later this fall. Second Avenue Sagas reassesses the 2nd Avenue Subway's route through the LES. Our elected officials were on hand for a topping off ceremony yesterday of Gouverneur Hospital's new $180 million Ambulatory Care Pavilion.
As violence escalated on the Lower East Side this summer, there was a lot of talk about a lack of programs aimed at keeping teens and young adults off the streets and out of trouble. Aaron Daly knows a thing or two about that. He was a neighborhood kid – floundering in school – until he got a lifeline. A prep school, far away from the city, gave Aaron a chance to excel at both sports and academics. He took that chance and ran with it. Now, he's started a non-profit organization, Prep Step, to help other kids do the same thing. The idea, according to Prep Step's web site, is to "provide opportunities to student athletes, placing them in competitive and productive environments, both athletically and academically." The organization has established an office on the LES. Recently we caught up with Aaron at an art auction and fundraiser held in the city. In the following clip, you'll hear Aaron, followed by Prep Step's CFO, Doug Rubenstein, explaining what they're trying to accomplish:
Coming up on Wednesday evening, author Joyce Mendelsohn will be celebrating the release of the new and expanded edition of her invaluable book, "The Lower East Side Remembered & Revisited." A book party sponsored by the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, the Tenement Museum and the Angel Orensanz Cultural Foundation will be held at 6:45pm at the Orenssanz Center. Here's how the publisher, Columbia University Press, describes, the revised edition:
There's a Q & A with Joyce on the publisher's web site. The public is welcome to attend the book party. The Orenssanz Center is at 172 Norfolk (just below Houston).
We just received the following news advisory from the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council: WHO: Victor Papa, President of the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council; Justin Yu, President of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association; Ralph Tramontata, President of the Little Italy Merchants Association; and Sherman Eng, Chairman of the Continental Garment Manufacturers Association of Greater New York, Inc. will join with local merchants of Little Italy, to announce the designation of Chinatown and Little Italy as a State Register Historic District: Chinatown Little Italy Historic District.
In the latest Marist poll, Bill Thompson has not gained any ground on Mike Bloomberg. He still trails 59-39% Joyce Purnick of the NYT is out with the definitive bio on Bloomberg. The Village Voice says the book should be required reading for Thompson: "In keeping with the Thompson theme that Bloomberg is out of touch with City Hall News looks at Bloomberg's loss of support in Chinatown. EV Grieve reports on a homicide that happened late Thursday night on Avenue C. Grub Street has a look at Blue Elm's menu.
You can catch Grand Street News editor and performer Yori Yanover along with radio host and comic Sam Greenfield tonight for the firs in a series called "Town Hall Schmooze" at the EastVille Comedy Club (85 E.4th St. between 2nd ave. & Bowery). The show promises to mix "humor and politics, and free-flowing banter with audience participation".
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