During the summer, we mentioned a new film, "The Lower East Side: An Endangered Place." Produced by the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and directed by M.A. Shumin, the film looks at the impact of gentrification on the neighborhood. Tonight at 630, there will be a screening and panel discussion about the film at the Tenement Museum. Here's a look at the trailer:
"The LES: An Endangered Place," was part of the Asian American Film Festival. In July, Shumin and ManSee Kong, the director of "Here to Stay," a film about gentrification in Chinatown, spoke with Brian Lehrer of WNYC:
If you would like to attend tonight's event, go to the Tenement Museum's web site, where you can RSVP. It's likely the screening, part of the Museum's popular "Tenement Talks" series, will attract a sizable crowd.
Recapping last night's mayoral debate, the Times suggests: "Neither candidate seemed to land a decisive punch that would alter the course of a lopsided campaign."
The Gotham Gazette looks at why New York City's crime rate has fallen so low during the Bloomberg era.
Let the Sam Sifton era begin! The New York Times' new restaurant reviewer picks DBGB, Daniel Boulud's outpost on the Bowery, for his very first review. He awards it two stars.
Florence Fabricant talks up "Mother-in-Law's Kimchi," which had its debut at the International Pickle Festival, last month. It's creator, Young Ja Chun, traveled all the way from California to serve it up to the masses on the Lower East Side. It's available at Best Farm Fruits & Vegetables in the Essex Street Market.
The Village Voice visits with Jon Spencer in his "nicely renovated basement" studio on the LES, ahead of next week's release of his latest album.
Fourth Arts Block, the leadership of the East 4th Street Cultural District, will be hosting a fundraiser at Crash Mansion (199 Bowery) tonight starting at 7:30p. The non-profit group is celebrating everyone's "naughty side" with an array Burlesque performances by Lady Scoutington, Tragedy Ashley, Maxine La Rue, Brown Girls Burlesque and musical performances by Giftshop, XTINA, Tongue in Public, and Dirty Excuse. You can still buy discount tickets ($16) on their website and tickets at the door will sell for $20. There will be give-aways all night long, with a Grand Raffle Prize at the end of the night.
In a news release (via Curbed), the Landmarks Preservation Commission confirms what we reported earlier today: they've voted in favor of landmark status for the Jamulowsky Bank Building. Commission Chairman Robert Tierney said, “the bank building became an instant landmark when it opened, towering above its surroundings and showcasing its owner’s financial strength, and has stood since then as a symbol of the Jewish immigrant experience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."
The release goes on to highlight some of the building's special features:
The corner skyscraper features a rusticated ground floor executed in Indiana limestone, an ornate terra-cotta crown and an elaborate corner entrance that led to a two-story banking hall. The highlight of the ground floor is a carved panel over the entrance containing a clock framed by rosettes and a helmeted figure resembling Hermes, the Greek god of commerce.
Tierney said the building, currently vacant, was most recently purchased in 2006. Its current owner, the release adds, intends "to convert it to residential use."
The guys behind the LES Wedding Chapel are heading south of Delancey. Beginning Friday, they’ll be operating a ping pong parlor out of a vacant storefront on Grand Street, just east of Essex. Ben and Hall Smyth operate “Grand Opening,” an offshoot of their design firm, in which a different “business” pops up every few months. Since the summer, they’ve been running a popular Vegas-style wedding Chapel – capturing the imagination of romantics and garnering lots of media attention (see our video with Margie and her dog, about to get married at Grand Opening).
According to the Architect's Newspaper Blog, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission has voted to designate the Jarmulowsky Bank Building at 54 Canal Street an historic landmark. The 1912, 12-story Beaux Arts style building has long been a mainstay of the neighborhood's historic walking tours. It has been on and off the market in recent years, most recently for $37 million (back in March).
The AN Blog said, the Jarmulowsky building " was praised by the commissioners for being a monumental structure in an otherwise low-rise neighborhood." After yesterday's public hearing, there are still a couple more steps before it's officially a protected landmark. The City's Planning Commission has 60 days to prepare a report on the "effects of the designation as it relates to
zoning, projected public improvements, and any other city plans for the
development or improvement of the area involved." The City Council then must approve of the designation.
Our weekly perusal of real estate in the neighborhood takes us first to the Bowery – 207 Bowery to be exact, where $15 million will make you Congee Bowery's landlord – and so much more. The restaurant is one of four commercial spaces in this 7 story building near Rivington Street. There are also four residential units and offices on two floors. The listing calls this property a solid income producer. The current owner brings in more than $900,000 in rent. Operating expenses are $160,000/year.
The Lee Building, at 133 Pitt Street, is now accepting applications for over 130 studio apartments. Monthly rent: $640. This "green building" is a project of "Common Ground," an organization dedicated to ending homelessness and providing affordable housing. In order to be eligible, each applicant must have an income between $21,945 to $32,280. Applicants who make less than the minimum may qualify if they have a housing subsidy (like a Section 8 voucher). The Lee is seeking at least some residents with special needs. Common Grounds has more information on its web site. Incidentally, this is the former site of the Boys' Club of New York Milliken Clubhouse.
The Seward Park Housing Corporation is sponsoring an information fair Thursday night at 530pm. They've gathered together elected officials, social service organizations and consumer advocates for a free workshop. The idea is to help residents on the Lower East Side get a better feel for the resources available in our community. It's open to the public – The Info Fair will be held in the Seward Park Community Room, 383 Grand Street (between Essex and Clinton), 530pm. Among the participants:
Staff from State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's office
Margaret Chin, Democratic nominee, City Council District 1
Officer Dennis Schmidt, 7th Precinct, NYPD
Educational Alliance/NORC
Roberto Ragone, LES Business Improvement District
Martha Pollack, United Jewish Council
Freda Fried, Gouverneur Healthcare Services
Mark Rivera, Primitive Christian Church
Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
Lee Slater, Financial Planning
Mark Goodwin, attorney & social worker (making healthcare decisions)
Tonight's New Filmmakers series at Anthology Archives focus is "Women Behind the Lens". With Eye Am experimental, narrative and documentary shorts made by
women. Featuring the works of Naomi White, Oriana Fox, Alana
Kakoyiannis, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Naiti Gamez and Kim Hall.
Make sure to catch Kurt Kauper’s portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama at Deitch Gallery (76 Grand St.) The work focuses on making portraits of our President and First Lady in a way that avoids common polarities and instead "confronts through neutrality the expectations that a viewer would likely bring to the paintings."
The musical recording label AUM Fidelity will present a "triple bill" tomorrow night for an evening of jazz at Abrons Arts Center. Saxophonist David S. Ware performs at 8:00p, followed by the Darius Jones Trio at 9:00p and William Parker and the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra at 10:00pm.
Also tomorrow night ABC No Rio presents a FREE panel Zines and Beyond: Independent Publishing in the Real and the Virtual. Panelists will include Michael Carter, Jim Fleming, Fly, Billy Miller and Seth Tobocman, inviting them to share their experiences and explore the role of DIY publishing. Zines
and Beyond is the final event of Hanging Out at No Rio, a 6-month
project that invites nine artists to explore ABC No Rio, its history,
and the changing face of the Lower East Side, curated by Erin Sickler.
Bill Thompson's handlers are calling it the great equalizer. For one night at least, Mike Bloomberg's $100 million war chest won't matter. The two mayoral candidates meet for the first of two debates this evening at 7 o'clock. Obervers are predicting a "brass-knuckled" affair. You can see/hear the debate on NY1 and WNYC.
The New York Post says it's up to Shelly Silver to save New York state from financial disaster.
Public Housing residents, many of them from the Lower East Side, participated in a town hall meeting this past weekend with a federal housing official. Deborah Hernandez, a deputy assistant secretary of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), listened to their concerns about the preservation of public housing and several other issues.
Governor Paterson has signed into law a bill that increases fines landlords must pay for harassing tenants. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who sponsored the legislation, said, “This
law will help put a stop to landlords trying to push tenants out of
rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments through endless
harassment.”
Under New York law, landlords in rent regulated buildings are allowed to charge more for apartments when tenants leave. In recent years, as gentrification has spread across the Lower East Side and Chinatown, there have been more reports of landlords trying to force tenants out through unscrupulous means. Silver said he proposed the law in response to "complaints
from constituents about landlords withholding necessary repairs, filing
frivolous litigation for non-payment of rent and verbally harassing
tenants."
In the aftermath of President Obama's (tepid) endorsement of Bill Thompson, pressure is growing on City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to endorse, as well.
Partly as a result of a report requested by State Senator Daniel Squadron, the MTA is fast-tracking improvements to the F Train. The agency conducted a three month study of the line, determining what we already know: the F is overcrowded and unreliable. Squadron told the New York Times, “We should start seeing improvements this month, and more significant improvements as we begin next year." In the Daily News he said "the MTA has really created a model here for how to respond to a line that's in trouble."
In a news release, the MTA said:
The study acknowledges the line's below average performance, due in part
to its length, the age of its infrastructure, and the complexity of its
operation. Recognizing the need for improvement along the line, which
connects the Jamaica section of Queens to Coney Island in Brooklyn, NYC
Transit has made the line a priority and numerous initiatives are
already underway under the leadership of F Line General Manager Dwayne
Anglero.
The U.S. Postal Service released an updated list today of post offices that are in jeopardy of closing. The Pitt Station Post Office on Clinton Street remains under consideration. It is one of 7 locations in Manhattan under review by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Times has more details.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney and State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver have been lobbying the USPS to keep the Pitt Station open. They recently presented petitions containing thousands of signatures to postal officials.
