June 30th, 2010
13 Essex, the former home of Zelig Blumenthal.
Yesterday we received an email tip from Kevin Walter, asking: “Did anyone notice that Zelig Blumenthal’s store at 13 Essex Street has vanished without a trace? Signs are gone? Interior is completely empty. Another bit of the old, Jewish Lower East Side gone.” Today we dialed the phone number for the Judaica store, a fixture on the Lower East Side for close to 60 years. The man who answered said they’d moved to Brooklyn.
Continue reading Zelig Blumenthal Closes Shop on Essex Street
June 30th, 2010
Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this week:
The Morning Pages - photo by Ginny Maxwell
THE MORNING PAGES – Friday, July 2 at 9pm
Equal parts The Band, Credence, and Graham Parsons, The Morning Pages not only blur the line between ‘now’ and ‘then’ but go a step further by making it non-existent. Continue reading This Week’s Music Picks
June 30th, 2010
Renowned video and installation artist (and social activist), Paul Chan, will be speaking with Artforum editor Tim Griffin, at Abrons Arts Center, tomorrow night in a discussion about his 2007 project, Waiting for Godot in New Orleans. The project involved 5 site-specific performances of Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, in the demolished neighborhood of New Orleans’ 9th Ward. An installation of his Waiting for Godot work is included in the MoMA’s exhibition, Contemporary Art from the Collection, which opens today.
Continue reading Artist Paul Chan in Conversation at Abrons Tomorrow Night
June 30th, 2010
May 31st accident on Essex Street
Earlier this month – in two separate incidents – pedestrians were sent to the hospital after being hit by those so-called “Chinatown buses.” We’ve been trying to gather more information about what occurred, but details are scarce. While the NYPD says there was “no criminality” in either accident, many questions remain unanswered.
In the past few days, City Councilmember Maraget Chin’s office has begun looking into the cases, which have raised new concerns about the large number of charter, tour and commuter buses roaming the streets in Lower Manhattan. One Lo-Down commenter wrote recently, “These buses need more regulation!! How many more people need to be hit? My heart goes out to the two pedestrians who were injured, and hopefully survived.”
Continue reading No “Criminality” in Bus/Pedestrian Accidents; Information Scarce
June 30th, 2010
A “mafia life lesson” on the Lower East Side (Village Voice).
City Council approves Bloomberg budget (NYT).
Which City Council members are the kings and queens of pork? (Gotham Gazette).
Continue reading The Mob on Avenue B, Council Pork, Price on “Lush Life” Show
June 30th, 2010
Some relief from the heat today. Sunny with a high of 80. Today we’ll have an update on what’s being done to regulate those big “Chinatown buses” that have become so ubiquitous in the neighborhood. We’ll also have a tribute to Zelig Blumenthal, the Essex Street Judaica shop that closed recently.
June 29th, 2010
As you may have heard, many of New York City’s youth services are in danger of drastic cuts due to New York state’s budget deficit problems. On Saturday, the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) will host it’s biannual Walkathon and Family Day Fair. This year they will be walking to raise funds for their youth programs. Continue reading Chinese-American Planning Council to Host Walkathon for Youth Services
June 29th, 2010
SummerStage is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary and City Parks Foundation is dedicating the season to “several artistic movements that were developed in New York City neighborhoods and to key artists who created – or were inspired by – those artistic developments.” SO, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe will head uptown tomorrow night for what looks to be a fabulous show in Central Park.
Continue reading The Nuyorican Heads Uptown to SummerStage
June 29th, 2010
The International Women Artists’ Salon is closing out their show, Exhibition One: Zero Gravity, at Lolita Bar with a “Meet the Artists” closing party tomorrow night. The show took place over two months and included numerous visual artists, performance artists, a literary reading night and film and video screenings. FREE // Wednesday, June 30th // 7:00-9:00 pm // 266 Broome Street.
June 29th, 2010
Budget battles: Paterson vetoes Silver, Sampson alternative – override vote could occur today (NYT).
Dicker: outmaneuvered and humiliated by Silver, Paterson has little choice but to “declare war.” (Post).
City Council increases discretionary spending 9%, to $396 million (Post).
Continue reading Silver-Paterson War, Council Spending, “Dirty Old Town” Premiere
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