Twenty-five years ago, Robin Bernstein joined the Educational Alliance as a social worker. Today, as president of the large community-based organization, she’s helping to reshape the settlement house movement on the Lower East Side and across the nation.
I stopped by her office on East Broadway recently to talk with Bernstein about how the organization, which serves 50,000 New Yorkers every year, is adapting to a changing neighborhood and new financial realities.
The Educational Alliance is one of six settlement houses on the Lower East Side. Founded more than 100 years ago to help Eastern European Jews assimilate into American society, they all innovated social programs that became national models and have endured to this day. But in recent years, Bernstein and her counterparts at other organizations (such as University Settlement and Henry Street Settlement) have come to believe that, somewhere along the way, their institutions stopped innovating. Continue reading TLD Interview: Educational Alliance President Robin Bernstein
In a decision stemming from a drug case at the Baruch Houses, a Manhattan judge strongly criticizes the NYPD’s “stop and frisk” policy in public housing projects (NYT).
A fire on 1st Avenue and 2nd Street was put out quickly last night (EV Grieve).
Ari Gold - by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis for thelodownny.com
What does a talented R&B star/gay icon/political activist like Sir Ari Gold have to do with the Lower East Side? It turns out he has some serious L.E.S. roots – and has lived in the Hillman Houses, in Coop Village on Grand Street, for the last 12 years. I sat down with him recently to discuss his career, as well as his ongoing relationship with the neighborhood:
TLD - So, your history with the L.E.S. goes back a ways?
AG – I grew up in the Bronx but we would come here to visit pretty much every Sunday to visit my Bubbie. And we would go shopping on Orchard Street, which I hated.
After more than two decades of frustration and false starts, Chinatown activists are closer than ever before to creating a business improvement district. Last night, Community Board 3 joined Community Boards 1 and 2, in voting to approve the proposal, which will now be considered by the Department of City Planning and the City Council.
Before the vote, supporters and opponents of the BID plan took turns at the microphone, in a sometimes contentious public speaking session. People on both sides repeated arguments made at five previous community board hearings, held across the neighborhood in the past month. Foes of the BID argued that annual assessments would place a heavy burden on struggling businesses and that the plan was really just a power grab by Chinatown’s political establishment. Continue reading CB3 Approves Chinatown BID; City Planning is Next Stop
On Monday, we reported about the 7th Precinct’s new crackdown on the Lower East Side’s bars and clubs. At a Community Board 3 meeting last night, District Manager Susan Stetzer offered a bit more information. She said the precinct has reinstated its cabaret unit, a special squad assigned to deal specifically with nightlife-related issues.
The unit was formed to combat an uptick in crime inside some of the neighborhood’s bars. As 7th Precinct Deputy Inspector Nancy Barry explained during a community meeting a few days ago, there have been quite a few reports of stolen purses, cell phones and other items from LES establishments in recent months. Continue reading Followup: 7th Precinct’s Nightlife Crackdown
Community Board 3′s leaders have decided to go ahead with a vote next month on a set of guidelines for the Seward Park redevelopment site, more commonly known as SPURA. In a memo to board members posted online, CB3 Chair Dominic Pisciotta wrote, the land use, zoning and housing committee is “very close to finalizing discussions and hopefully reaching an agreement on (SPURA).”
He urged community board members, as well as members of the public, to familiarize themselves with the latest version of the guidelines. Referring to the January 24th committee meeting, Pisciotta added, “this may be the last discussion before a vote is taken.” Comments are being accepted via email until the end of the day on January 11th. If you would like a hard copy of the draft guidelines, give CB3 a call at 212-533-5300.
The current draft incorporates some of the feedback from this month’s SPURA meeting. The big issue to be resolved: how much affordable housing will be included in the project. Right now, the draft calls for 50% market rate, 20% moderate/middle income, 20% low income and 10% senior housing.
This month, Damaris Reyes, executive director of the affordable housing organization GOLES, said she was uncomfortable going ahead with a January vote, but she did not categorically rule out voting for the proposal. On the other extreme, Joel Kaplan of the United Jewish Council of the East Side told the New York Times he could accept 20% low income housing. He did not indicate whether the levels of middle/moderate and senior housing were acceptable.
If you would like to comment on the draft guidelines, send an email to spura@cb3manhattan.org. After the jump, you can view the full text, or download a PDF document from CB3′s web site.
Um, remember that report about a wolverine being killed in yesterday’s East Broadway fire? It was actually a hedgehog (DNA Info).
The AFL-CIO is investing in the Lands End II towers on the East River, protecting 490 units of affordable housing (City Biz Real Estate).
Sheldon Silver will not be present for Andrew Cuomo’s inauguration, but only because it occurs during Shabbos (Jewish Week).
The New York Times sues the NYPD for illegally withholding information (NYM).
Imperial Tavern, the new “stoner foodie” destination on Ludlow Street can be yours for $325,000 (Eater).
Korach, “an ambitious but flawed parable by the legendary downtown impresario Judith Malina… makes up for in beatific earnestness what it lacks in nuance.” (NYT)
East Broadway merchants say they cannot afford a BID.
Supporters of a Chinatown Business Improvement District hope three is a charm. Having already won the endorsements of Community Boards 1 and 2, they anticipate Community Board 3 will do the same this evening. In spite of this month’s victories, opponents are not giving up the fight. In the past several days, they’ve sharpened their attacks on the plan, as well as the BID’s chief backers.
On Friday, several merchants and property owners gathered in the offices of the Lin Zexu Foundation, in Chatham Square, to declare the battle is just beginning. Members of the Chinatown Small Business Association said they could not afford to pay the assessments the BID wants to charge. They also criticized the group backing the BID, the Chinatown Partnership, which has declined to detail exactly how it spent a $5.4 million street cleaning grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. Continue reading Community Board 3 Votes on Chinatown BID Tonight; Opponents Sharpen Attacks
This morning the Red Cross is helping residents of a tenement building on East Broadway find temporary housing, after an overnight fire forced them to evacuate from the roof. The Daily News reports a wolverine was killed in the blaze (it’s illegal to keep the animals in the city). Here’s Channel 5′s report:
Big thanks to photographer and L.E.S. resident Pat Arnow for sharing these amazing photos of last night’s lunar eclipse. They were taken from her balcony just hours before the winter solstice was about to begin. She must have had to bundle up! (More after the jump.)
A 16% spike in bike/car accidents — a new opportunity for the Post to rail against “arrogant riders.” (Post)
Census Bureau figures released today will reveal how many seats New York stands to lose in the U.S. House; Rep. Carolyn Maloney is among those in jeopardy (Politico).
Rep. Nydia Velazquez quietly consolidates power, serving as a counterweight to Vito Lopez (City Hall News).
In a blog post, the Observer’s David Friedlander speculates: Andrew Cuomo is still itching to overthrow Sheldon Silver, “the Lion of the Lower East Side.” (Observer)
Christmas tree vendor hit with $1500 fine (DNA Info).
The artistic newspaper box swiped from a Lower East Side street (later turning up on ebay) has been recovered (Animal).
The dailies just can’t get enough of the Lower East Side’s greeting card/pole dancer (Daily News).
From her perch on Grand Street, blogger/photographer C Merry captured last night’s breathtaking total lunar eclipse. Partly cloudy today with a high of 36 and winds gusting up to 25mph. It’s the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year. Continue reading Good Morning!
