The Lo-Down attended the opening reception for Puerto Rico Fest 2009 at the Clemente Soto Velez arts center last weekend. The reception was held in the LES and Abrazo Interno Gallery where there is a special exhibit celebrating the life of Clemente Soto Velez himself. The festival is hosted by SEA, The Society of the Educational Arts, Inc., a bilingual Arts-in-Education Organization & Latino Theatre Company for Young Audiences. Visit the Puerto Rico Fest website for a full schedule of events continuing through November.
Here are a few words from the producer/director of the festival, Dr. Manuel A. Moran.
A reminder: legendary Lower Manhattan City Councilmember Miriam Friedlander, who died at the age of 95 last month, will be remembered tomorrow:
Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:30 P.M Council Chambers, City Hall Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and Family and Friends Invite you to join them in a tribute to Miriam’s Life and Legacy R.S.V.P by Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at (212) 677-1077 or email: rmendez@council.nyc.gov Please Note: No parking is available at City Hall. Use the Brooklyn Bridge/Park Row entrance to City Hall.
The 7th Precinct Community Council meeting will be held tonight at 7:30. If you've never been to one of these monthly meetings, they are a good opportunity to ask NYPD officials about public safety issues. The 7th Precinct's commander, Nancy Barry, gives an overview of crime-fighting efforts in the neighborhood, officers discuss various outreach and education programs in the community and then there is a question and answer period.
The NYPD places a heavy emphasis on the reporting of each precinct's crime statistics.
The New York Post says Mayor Bloomberg is about to announce a series of draconian budget cuts, the deepest since 9/11.
Progressives in Congress, including Rep. Carolyn Maloney, are determined to kill the "Stupak Amendment" from the health care bill passed in the House. In the Huff Post, she calls it "an assault on choice."
Ahhh, the dumpling dilemma – especially tricky here in New York City, specifically on the Lower East Side and even more specifically, in Chinatown, Jack. Because that's where they, "they" being the dumplings of the 5 for $1 variety, are found practically everywhere you look. And let's call them the 5 for $1 variety, even though some of them now cost more at 4 for $1. You see, even the dumpling people realize that raising the price isn't the smartest marketing move, so instead of raising the price, they charge you the same $1, and they give you less…Ogilvey and Mather has nothing on these marketeers.
Earlier this year, the stretch of Orchard Street just below Broome found itself at the epicenter of the city’s banh mi hysteria. The brand new restaurant, An Choi, helped fuel the frenzy for the Vietnamese street food phenom. Now, across the street, the guys behind Orchard Street’s new South African outpost are hoping bunny chow will become the new banh mi.
Bunny chow consists of a hollowed out hunk of bread filled with curry stew, and topped with a chutney. Popular in Durban, it’s a messy affair – meant to be eaten with your hands. The hearty dish is a fast-food staple in much of South Africa. Recently, I stopped by the restaurant, which has been named after its signature dish, to talk with co-owners Paul Simeon, who was the chef at New York’s South African trailblazer, Madiba, and Manu Dhingra, a partner in Bunny Chow” predecessor “Sonia Rose.”
A number of elected officials, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, were on Delancey Street early this morning, handing out flyers – in search of information about the brutal beating of Mario Vera, a Mexican immigrant who was riding a bicycle home from a food pantry on the LES.
According to the Legislative Gazette, it appears unlikely Senator Daniel Squadron's proposal to tighten ethics rules in Albany will be a major priority in this session.
Time Out Kids: they're circus performers who own 10 acres on a secluded Australian island, but Rachel Kramer and Daryll John have moved into a cramped LES studio apartment, to raise their daughter in the city. Check out some of their favorite hangouts.
A Curbed tipster pays a visit to "River Ridge," the pricey development with a spectacular view of the Williamsburg Bridge.
In the past few days there's been a good deal of speculation about the future of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, as well as the future role of the Council as a "counter-balance" to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. While it's generally believed that she'll be re-elected speaker, several new and veteran council members are pressuring Quinn to stand up to Bloomberg in a way some people feel she's been unwilling to do in the past. Yesterday we asked District 1 City Councilmember-elect Margaret Chin whether she'd decided whether to support Speaker Quinn.
They're calling it part performance art – part magic show. Los Angeles artist Glenn Kaino and magician Ryan Majestic will be at the Slipper Room tonight for, "Honor Among Thieves: The Tower & the Star." The organizers explain: "The Tower is the sixteenth Major Arcana card in the traditional Tarot
deck and often represents situations of monumental ruin, catastrophe,
and consequent change. Kaino and Majestic use this as the departure
point for a spectacular magic performance that turns into a public
interrogation of personal belief systems. Their fusion of art and magic
will create extraordinary moments of suspense, mystery, and experiences
yet to be discovered." 7pm, at te Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street ($10). More information here.
As part of its "Main Street NYC," series WNYC is focusing on the transformation of the Bowery. A new feature from reporter Brigid Bergen profiles Roberta Degnore, who a year ago was pushed out of 250 Bowery, which was once envisioned as a luxury hotel. The project, like many others in the neighborhood, is stalled. The report explores some of the reasons why:
Not many people showed up for free swine flu vaccinations this weekend. The Times checked in on the clinic set up at the Marta Valle Secondary School, at Stanton and Norfolk, where about 600 people were vaccinated Saturday and Sunday. The centers are only serving children and young adults (up to age 24). The vaccinations will be offered elsewhere in Manhattan the next several weekends.
The Gotham Gazette looks at Christine Quinn's future on the City Council. Concluding that she'll probably be re-elected Speaker, the article suggests Quinn will be forced to stand up to Mayor Bloomberg far more than she has in the past:
One of our photographers, Jesse Jiryu Davis, has asked us to spread the word about a free event happening today (at Judson Memorial Church from 3p-7p), for any one interested in learning to meditate. Meditate NYC is holding it's annual event that includes meditation instruction from a variety of different teachers. Meditate NYC’s
afternoon of meditation will be followed by a week of free Open Houses,
November 9 – 15, at dozens of meditation groups and dharma centers
throughout the NYC area. Jesse writes:
With instruction by speakers from a range of schools, Meditate NYC
is an accessible way to find out what various approaches to meditation
involve and what the benefits are. Anyone who is interested in
meditation is encouraged to attend.
It was bulb planting day in Luther Gulick Park (Delancey & Willett Streets) yesterday, part of an ongoing effort to revitalize one of the city's most neglected spaces. The Friends of Gulick Park gathered to plant 500 bulbs. Meanwhile, they're continuing a campaign to raise enough money to give the park a major face lift. They were given a boost recently when Community Board 3 voted to make funding for the project one of its highest budget priorities in the coming year. You can read more about their campaign here. Thanks to Brian Crowley and Dave Bolotsky for sending these photos along.
The Bowery Mission celebrated the 100th anniversary of its chapel yesterday. Speakers at the ceremony included Police Chief Ray Kelly and television host Paula Zahn.
There's a fascinating exhibit, particularly relevant to the Lower East Side, currently showing at the Culpeper Gallery in the Abrons Arts Center(extended to run at least through this Sunday, Nov. 8th). "Still Lives", by artist Susan Dessel, was inspired by the first Jewish women who arrived here as refugees beginning in the 1650's (in what was then New Amsterdam). Ms. Dessel became intrigued by these women after working on a restoration project in the Hunt's Bay Cemetery in Jamaica; the oldest cemetery still existing in this part of the world. She then went about researching the women in the Chatham Square Cemetery; the oldest in New York. Susan delved in to the history of the women throughout several generations, as they established the first Jewish community in New York. Along the way, she discovered some intriguing things about their everyday lives. Here's an in-depth look at her work and the process she went through to create "Still Lives".
Photos of the cemeteries were provided by the artist. A special thanks goes out to Jeremy Manasia, who provided the music for this video.
