Editor's note: The following post appeared this past summer on Tasty Travails, the blog written by Lo-Down food contributor Mitch Weinstein. One of the great things about living on the Lower East Side is, of course, our proximity to Chinatown. As Mitch illustrates so vividly, cooking Chinese at home (using some of the fantastic ingredients available in the neighborhood) is often more satisfying than eating in a Chinese restaurant.
Even though Significant Eater and I live within walking distance of
literally dozens of Chinese restaurants, I often prefer cooking
"Chinese food" at home rather than going out for it. Mostly it's
because of the dozens of restaurants that we might walk to, in general
they suck. They're slophouses for the masses – inexpensive food
prepared from less than the highest quality ingredients. It's a shame
really, because Chinese food, when prepared properly from high quality
ingredients, is great cuisine.
Now,
don't get me wrong…when I want a bowl of hand-pulled noodles or
perhaps some roasted duck wonton noodle soup, I'm heading out and
spending the under $10 that it'll cost me (Great NY Noodletown, if you must know). Dim sum – you'll see us at Chinatown Brasserie,
where the dim sum is masterful. There's no getting around that, and I
can't really reproduce that stuff at home – at least not without a fair
amount of procurement, time and work, and it still won't be as good as
what I get by heading out for that walk.
City Council candidate PJ Kim discovered this past week that receiving high profile endorsements is both a blessing and a curse. Kim, a newcomer to downtown politics, won the support of the New York Times editorial board last week. On Thursday night, perhaps as a result of that endorsement, he was on the hot seat. At the final CD1 debate in Tribeca, Kim’s status as the young upstart taking on more established opponents, became a topic of conversation. Picking up on rumors that Kim is (allegedly) a “spoiler” with ties to City Councilmember Alan Gerson, audience member Neil Fabricant (a Margaret Chin supporter) asked the following question:
Fabricant: I’ve lived in the district for almost 25 years. I know or know of everybody at the table. I have never heard your name before. So because of my concern about removing the present incumbent for the term limits deal, among many other things, but primarily term limits, I’m concerned that you’re a newcomer to the district. I understand you were a Republican, registered until 2006, worked for Bill Frist and so on and so forth. And I know that Margaret Chin, who I support, has a very strong track record, so I worry that your emergence in this campaign will serve as a spoiler in this race and allow Mr. Gerson to slip in. That’s my question to you. Aren’t you really a spoiler in this race?
This is how Kim responded:
Kim: I’m actually glad you asked that question because what Neal just mentioned has been circulating in the blogs and some very anonymous attack pieces. I want to set the record clear. First of all, if I was a spoiler, it would be very interesting for a spoiler to get the endorsement of the New York Times, the New York Press, DC37 and Citizens Union, to have collected the most petition signatures of any of the other candidates except for the incumbent. I also want to address this issue of being a Republican. i did intern for Bill Frist. I was 17. He was my home state senator in Tennessee. And some of these charges that are made I think don’t recognize the fact that the work that I’ve done in social justice, the values that I have, the work that I’ve done for democrats around the country in the past years, since I grew up and left Tennessee, some of those attacks distract from the issues in this race. No one in my view is entitled to be the anointed candidate against the incumbent. The subtext of what Neal just talked about in terms of being a spoiler is that it’s going to divide the Asian vote. Let’s be clear here and call a spade a spade, and the fact that people believe there should only be one Asian candidate in this race and I was the victim of a frivolous lawsuit (filed by Chin) that we beat back and the judge (a referee, actually) challenged them and recommended sanctions against them. I’m thankful that I’m past that. The fact is, this is the fastest growing area of the entire city. Of the 60-thousand registered democrats, 13-thousand of us have registered in the past three years. Now we can dwell on the past and divisive politics and talk about what happened in high school but I’m glad we have this opportunity to talk about the truth and give the voters a chance to make their own decision.
Yesterday, City Hall News had more context on how that rumor about Kim being a spoiler got started. The article pointed out that Kim, who’s Korean, is not expected to draw many supporters from Chin, the only Chinese candidate in the race. Instead, he may very well cut into Gerson’s support in some of the more affluent neighborhoods in the district, including the Financial District and Tribeca. This is what Chin had to say about the issue:
Chin: I am running a very strong grassroots campaign, and the aspiration of my community is there and people have rallied and supported me and have come out. If you just look at the number of contributors, I have the largest one across the city, over more than all the City Council candidates throughout the city. But I think you should read the Downtown Express and Villager endorsement of me . It speaks to the truth and it speaks to the aspiration of all of us in district 1.
If you’d like to hear more from the debate, here’s the full audio recording:
There were two other exchanges worth highlighting. The first concerned incumbent Gerson’s decision to support Mayor Bloomberg’s drive to extend term limits. Here’s what challenger Pete Gleason had to say about the issue:
Gleason: I sit here proud to have the endorsement of one of the icons of Tribeca, Jean Grillo, the district leader. Jean shared with me, she was on a conference call with the incumbent and the incumbent said, we are going to put forth this bill to put a referendum to the people that we know is going nowhere but I’m going to vote on that. And Miss Grillo, during this conference call told the incumbent, if you do that you’ve lost my support and respect. We need real transparency in government. The way this term limit situation was handled was egregious… By taking away the voice of the people he should be taken out of office.
Gerson was not allowed to respond to the allegations, and chose not to address them in his closing statement. We discussed the matter with him after the debate – what he had to say in a moment. But first, a fuller explanation of the charges Gleason made. A few weeks ago, we spoke with Grillo, a former Gerson supporter, now backing Gleason:
Gerson told me Grillo’s version of events is untrue. He said there was no attempt to deceive his constituents. Gerson argued that, if he wanted to gain political advantage, he would have simply voted against the mayor. He insisted that pushing (unsuccessfully) for the referendum and then supporting the extension of term limits was a courageous decision (one he knew might hurt him politically) and the only way to assure that an honest debate could occur as to whether Bloomberg deserved a third term. During Thursday’s debate, this is how he explained his thinking on the term limits issue:
Incidentally, Grillo is running for re-election as a district leader. Earlier this year, Gerson decided to back a rival candidate, Noel Jefferson (more on the district leader races tomorrow). Grillo is a paid staff member of the Gleason campaign. According to campaign finance disclosure statements, she has received numerous payments as a consultant.
In the final exchange we’ll highlight from the debate, the candidates were asked about their biggest financial contributors. No bombshells, but the answers were interesting:
Photographer Mark LaRosa is the winner of our "LES Summer Photo" contest and is on the guest list for Rooftop Films closing night of films at Open Road Rooftop. (They have moved the event inside due to rain…) Mark writes, " I was just walking down Allen Street during that heat wave a few weeks ago and walked upon these kids…la la la la lala…" For more info about Mark LaRosa, visit his website here. Below are some of our other favorite submissions.
This afternoon's press release from Pete Gleason's City Council campaign was an attention grabber: "Alan Gerson caught lying about Maloney endorsement." The release went on to say:
The Gerson campaign has been promoting the popular Congresswoman’s endorsement on his website, in mailings and in advertisements. The only problem is Maloney has not endorsed Gerson. In fact, she asked Mr. Gerson to remove the endorsement from his website as soon as she learned of it – which Gerson has not yet done.
Then a few moments ago, the Gerson campaign responded with a news release of its own:
Gerson Surges: Racks up more endorsements in race for third term
Today Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and Riverkeeper Bobby Kennedy, Jr., Rep, Carolyn Maloney endorses formally
It's unclear whether Maloney had, in fact, endorsed Gerson "informally," before today's announcement, or what the confusion might have been about. Tonight the Broadsheet Daily got confirmation from Maloney's office that she has, in fact, officially, endorsed Gerson.
Also today, Gerson was endorsed by actress Sigourney Weaver. In a statement she acknowledged…
"…his dedication in reinvigorating the arts and cultural institutions after the tragedies of 9/11… Weaver said "(Alan) understands the microeconomic benefits that the arts bring to small businesses in our neighborhoods, and their macroeconomic ability to foster innovation and attract corporate investment… He is a leader in the battle to return universal arts education to our public school curriculum."
City Councilmember Alan Gerson has released a statement responding to the Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny him public matching funds:
The CFB's decision will not affect my stategy for winning. We are continuing to pursue the necessary corrective actions. In the meantime we have the resources necessary to pursue this race. This campaign is as resilient as my downtown constituents.
To make up for not receiving matching funds, Gerson
loaned himself $7,500 on Aug. 1. In addition, he took out a loan of
$45,000 from JPMorgan Chase on Dec. 31 of last year. Gerson has to pay
back both loans with either matching funds or legally raised campaign
contributions by next Tuesday. If he does not, then the loans will
count as campaign contributions, and they would far exceed the limit
that any single donor can give a campaign. The
Campaign Finance Board has not determined what the penalty would be for
such an exceedence, but based on past guidelines, Gerson would likely
owe a fine of about $18,000, in addition to having to repay his bank
loan. Even with the $52,500 Gerson has
received in loans, his campaign is still about $2,600 in debt, which he
also has to repay. Including the loans, Gerson had raised nearly
$133,000 as of Sept. 4 and had spent $135,500. For Gerson to execute
his strategy in the last few days of the campaign, presumably he’d
either have to borrow more, exposing himself to higher potential fines,
or raise more money from contributors.
City Hall News just posted a story on its web site looking into a rumor that's been circulating for months: that consultants linked to City Councilmember Alan Gerson are actually behind rival PJ Kim's candidacy. The article points out there's absolutely no proof suggesting the rumor is true, yet it's becoming clear who may have started it. City Hall News reporter Chris Bragg writes:
Two people who have heard the rumor say it was first
broached to them by Ray Cline, an operative for the Progressive Strategies
Group, who works for the Gerson campaign. One willing to go on the record was
Michael Oliva, a political consultant not involved with the Council District 1
race. At one of Kim’s first public appearance as a candidate, a Village Reform
Independent Democrats candidate night, Cline bragged that he was the one who
recruited Kim to run, according to Oliva, who spoke with Cline at the forum.
Bragg reports Cline was "vague" about whether he spread the rumor but denied recruiting Kim:
"Some people in this business think I’m smarter than I am,”
Cline said. “I’m willing to let them think that.” What Cline did readily admit was that he had approached a
Chinese-American candidate who had “run against Chin before” about running this
year, with Cline’s express purpose to steal some of the Chinatown vote from
Chin. Cline declined to say who the candidate was, however, citing a need to
keep the conversation private. Cline said the unnamed candidate refused his
offer.
Gerson confirmed that some advisers wanted to recruit a Chinese candidate but he dismissed the idea:
“Several people have suggested that, and it’s one that’s not
a totally original idea. It’s not a creative suggestion to me,” Gerson said.
“And I totally unequivocally rejected that.” As for the rumor about Kim, Gerson said he was unaware of
any sort of smear campaign launched by his political advisor, though he said he
would look into the matter. “I’m going to have a conversation later this evening with
Ray Cline,” Gerson said.
The story adds that Kim is now likely to hurt Gerson more than Chin. She enjoys widespread support in Chinatown, while Kim (who's Korean) does not have a history in the neighborhood.
This week NYC transportation officials told members of Community Board 3 the controversial revamp of Chatham Square is on hold for about two years. During the summer, the Department of Transportation acknowledged the delay, due to "timing and coordination issues." Some neighborhood activists feared the project would resume soon after the upcoming mayoral election. But Wednesday night, DOT Commissioner Luis Sanchez told CB3's transportation committee that the Chatham Square reconstruction will have to wait on the rehab of the Brooklyn Bridge, scheduled to begin December 1.
Sanchez said the Park Row Pedestrian Bridge project would be accelerated. But he said it would be too disruptive to work on both the Chatham Square traffic reconfiguration and the Brooklyn Bridge ramp redesign simultaneously.
Sanchez said the Chatham Square project was initially delayed due to "technical reasons."
Community groups fought a long battle with the city to change the Chatham Square plan.
A short time ago, the NYC Campaign Finance Board released the following statement:
The Campaign Finance Board… decided on a Rule 5-02(a) petition filed by 2009 City Council candidate Alan
Gerson (CD #1) to challenge a determination of nonpayment at the Board’s
September 2 meeting. The Board denied the petition, affirming the
September 2 determination.
Be sure to head a little further downtown on Sunday for the return of the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Street, between Beekman Street and Peck Slip).The market features over 80 regional artisanal vendors including cheese from Essex Street Market's own Saxelby Cheesemongers. The Atlantic Food Channel has anarticle about the revival of the South Street market, which once thrived in the same location back in the mid-1800's. The non-profit organization is "dedicated to reinventing the indoor public market as a civic institution" (as featured in Civil Eats, as well). The inaugural first season of Sundays is coinciding with New York City’s celebration of Harbor Day, which this year honors the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage to our Region in 1609. Visit the New Amsterdam Market website for a full list of vendors and more info.
New Yorkers pause on a rainy Friday to remember the victims of September 11, 2001. The New York Times is live blogging the ceremony at Ground Zero, until it concludes at about 12:30pm.
Today the candidates running in Tuesday's NYC Primary Election pause, in deference to 9/11. The final debate in the District 1 City Council race took place last night, a very short distance from the World Trade Center site. Later today, the Campaign Finance Board will distribute the final payments to eligible candidates. It remains to be seen if Councilmember Alan Gerson, denied matching funds thus far, will finally get his money.
A plan to overhaul the state's ethics ruleswas blocked by Republicans in the Senate. Senator Daniel Squadron, who was instrumental in crafting the legislation, called the defeat of the bill "shocking and disappointing."
Downtown Express has an update on the battle between the tenants of 128 Hester and the building's landlord.
Chris Bors and Ketta
Ioannidou, Cuz Opposites Attract, 2009,
oil and acrylic on canvas, diptych, 43” x 68”
The Educational Alliance Art Gallery will open their show, The Better Half: Artist Couples on Display this evening at 6pm. The show represents young artist couples who are balancing careers, creating art and being married to another artist. A diversity of backgrounds and artistic approaches are represented.
Artist couples featured in the exhibit include: Chris Bors and Ketta Ioannidou, Daniel Davidson and Tricia Keightley, Jennifer Burbank and Chris Coffin, Linda Ganjian and Jesse Lambert, Liz-N-Val, Donald Porcaro and Leslie Wayne.
The Lo-Down will have a video feature tomorrow with some of the artists and the curator, as well as footage from the opening this evening.
City officials updated members of Community Board 3 last night on the ongoing transformation of the Allen Street pedestrian malls. The Parks and Transportation Departments are in the process of installing new benches, landscaping, bike lanes and turn signals. The project spans from Houston Street all the way to the East River.
DOT spokesperson Colleen Chattergoon said new signals are being installed this week – and that it would take about two weeks to finish that part of the job. Members of CB3′s transportation committee agreed that it didn’t make much sense to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes now – they asked the city to come back six months from now for a full review.
Some CB3 members and LES residents did express concerns about the project. Among the complaints: the planters that have been moved into place between the islands, preventing some streets from automobiles seeking to make turns. One CB3 member was concerned that these mall “connectors” make it impossible for emergency vehicles to get through. Chattergoon countered that firetrucks and ambulances are permitted to cross Allen by driving up on the curb. Saying “we have revisited this issue again and again,” she declared “the mall connectors will remain.”
There was also some discussion about changing the hours in which trucks are allowed to make deliveries to businesses, especially in the vicinity of Hester Street. Some business owners have said trucks have no room to unload because the expanded bike lanes have reduced the amount of room they have to maneuver.
Chattergoon dismissed the suggestion that the DOT has not done enough to communicate the changes to the community. A check of the DOT’s web site turns up a rather confusing document (Download Allenpike-1), outlining the project’s details. There’s a somewhat less bewildering explanation accessible on the community board’s web site.
City Council candidate PJ Kim has picked up the endorsement of New York Press:
This
district—which includes the Lower East Side, Chinatown, Battery Park
City, Tribeca and the Financial District—has seen some of the most
intense development (as well as conflicts) since Councilmember Alan
Gerson took office in eight years ago. While the incumbent has tried to
effect change during his tenure—and remains supportive of many progressive
developments affecting nightlife, affordable housing and schools—there
have been too many stalled projects, divisive decisions and a lack of
leadership or vision to benefit the area’s diverse populations.That is
why we feel it is time for a new era in Downtown politics, and why we
support Jin “P.J.” Kim for City Council District 1.We applaud Margaret
Chin, the most seasoned competitor in the race, who has spent close to
40 years as an activist for many of the neighborhoods, but we feel she
is still mired in the politics of the past. Kim, a South Korean
immigrant with degrees from Princeton and Harvard Business School, is
the face of the changing district. Although he has lived in the
district for a smaller amount of time than the other candidates, he has
broad knowledge of the issues facing many of the residents and brings a
professional and disciplined approach to fixing these problems. He’s
worked in the private sector and recently used his skills to assist
antipoverty programs. Many of the historic rifts between ethnic and
economic factions stand a chance to be reconciled with Kim, a new face
in local politics whom we feel has a long and bright future ahead of
him. We wholeheartedly endorse PJ Kim for City Council District 1.
Crain's looks at how New York's family-owned businesses survive. Among those profiled: Moscot Opticians, which started with a pushcart on Orchard Street.
Are they serious? A new HBO show is casting (via Craigslist) "Tattooed Hipsters, Indie Rockers, and Lower East Side Hispanic Types."
Five days away from the New York City's Primary Election, City Council candidates are missing no opportunity to meet potential voters. Now that the summer is over, they have many new venues in which to press the flesh: the city's public schools. Yesterday, Margaret Chin stopped by P.S. 142, The Amalia Castro School, on the Lower East Side.
At the very same time, the guy she's trying to unseat, Councilmember Alan Gerson, was touring the school with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. A news release from Chin's campaign emphasized, "Margaret is the only female candidate running in District 1, and the only one who put a child through public school. She is also the only candidate with a background in education. Only 17 of 51 members of the City Council are female, and that even fewer have children in our public schools."
A day earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, visited the Manhattan Charter School, which shares the building with P.S. 142.
