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 M'Finda Kalunga Garden - photo by Vivienne Gucwa Finally, some sunshine! Look for a high of 81℉ today, and more of the same tomorrow and Friday. Continue reading Good Morning!
 
We’ve been following the controversy that erupted in Chinatown after the videotaped arrest of a man in Columbus Park earlier this month. City Councilmember Margaret Chin, as well as representatives from the offices of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Borough President Scott Stringer and community groups met today with 5th Precinct officers and Parks Department officials. Tonight Chin has put out a press release, which reads in part:
…The NYPD refused to answer specific questions about the incident in question, citing that the matter was subject to an ongoing internal investigation. “The tension between the NYPD, area residents, and performers in Columbus Park has persisted for far too long,” Council member Chin said in a statement. “The incident in Columbus Park last week was unacceptable – for both the officers and for the community members involved. There are clear rules to obtaining permits for amplified sound in all of the City’s parks and they must be adhered to without exception. We also must ensure that the permitting process is transparent, accessible, and equitable for all who want to use this public space. Our local precincts are there to protect us and they must be respected as they go about their duties. The situation that occurred in Columbus Park is disheartening on many levels. We must promote better understanding and closer ties between our local police precincts and the members of our community.”
The 5th Precinct Community Council ‘s monthly meeting will be held tomorrow night (7 p.m., 21 Spring Street). We’ll be there to see whether residents question precinct commanders about the Columbus Park incident.
On June 27th, Community Board 3 is planning a meeting in Columbus Park to go over rules for granting sound permits.
As we mentioned yesterday, preservation activists are planning a rally tomorrow night (6 p.m.), in front of 35 Cooper Square, the historic row house that is being demolished to make way for new development. The event is meant to mourn the loss of a treasured landmark, but also to galvanize the community for preservation battles still to come. After the jump, you can read a letter being circulated by the event’s leaders. Continue reading As 35 Cooper Square is Dismantled, Activists Plan Wednesday “Funeral,” Future Strategy
 Dennis Walcott, the new chancellor of New York’s public schools, is coming to the Lower East Side. He’s holding a town hall meeting June 14th at P.S. 20, 166 Essex Street.
According to an email from Community District 1′s Community Education Council, Walcott will “discuss student achievement, school finances and our city’s educational goals and priorities.” He’ll also take questions from parents and other audience members.
The town hall begins at 6 p.m. Translation services will be available.
 Foundation, 137 Essex Street. Community Board 3 is out with next month’s meeting agendas, including the docket for the SLA Committee hearing on June 20th. You can see some of the highlights after the jump: Continue reading Community Board 3′s June Liquor License Agenda
There were some interesting morsels in yesterday’s Post profile of Emma Hearst, co-owner and chef of Sorella, the Italian-inspired small plates spot on Allen Street. First off, plans are in the works for a small “steak driven eatery.” The new spot, scheduled to open next year, will feature beef from the Hearst Cattle Ranch in California (Emma is the great great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst). Continue reading Sorella Plans New Eatery on “Underdeveloped” Allen St.
- Spider-Man staffers become stuck on a crane in Chinatown (Channel 2).
- As the June 15th expiration date approaches, some Democrats are unconvinced Governor Cuomo is sufficiently committed to expanding rent laws (Legislative Gazette).
- NYCHA is forcing tenants with “more space than they need” into smaller apartments (Daily News).
- New Museum exhibition asks: Is preservation harming our cities? (NYT)
- Rep. Carolyn Maloney launches a new campaign to pass an Equal Rights Amendment for women (Daily News).
- Stanton Street clothing store Convent is closing after about a year in business; starting June 12 everything is 80% off (Racked).
 Photo by Joel Raskin. Partly cloudy this morning, with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Look for a high of 81. Continue reading Good Morning!
 Photo by Michelle Campo A couple of items percolating online this afternoon, including:
- The announcement from Brack Capital that it has made a deal with CitizenM, a Dutch Hotel chain, to build a 315 room “budget luxury” hotel at 185-191 Bowery. In February of last year, we posted some photos (see above) depicting the demolition of an historic townhouse at 185 Bowery, giving Brack four adjacent parcels. Today Curbed reports: (All of) “the rooms have wall to wall windows, LCD flatscreens, rainshowers, a bed as ‘big as your dreams’, and rooms that are controlled by a ‘mood pad’ and can change colors.” Construction is supposed to begin in a couple of months. Brack has been busy of late; last week they announced plans to finally move ahead with plans for yet another LES hotel at 180 Orchard, one of the neighborhood’s most notorious stalled construction sites.
- A formal acknowledgement from the city that $30 million devoted to the reconstruction of Chatham Square has been diverted to other projects. Community organizers fought vigorously against the proposal because it would have meant the permanent closure of Park Row. Months ago, city officials said the reconstruction plan had been indefinitely postponed due to the refurbishing of the Brooklyn Bridge (working on the two projects at the same time would have caused chaos for downtown commuters). DOT officials now tell DNA Info at least some of the money will likely be used to manage the buses serving the 9/11 Memorial (opening in September). The “city would be open to additional uses for the Chatham Square money. Two other ideas… mentioned were repairs to Pier 42 on the Lower East Side and minor beautification and pedestrian safety improvements to Chatham Square itself,” the story indicated. Ten years after 9/11, the NYPD has refused to reopen Park Row, in spite of widespread complaints from Chinatown residents and local elected officials, who say the closure is a serious hardship for the community.
The city’s real estate bloggers have nurtured a long-term obsession with 115 Allen Street, a swanky loft conversion that became one of the early centerpieces of Lower East Side gentrification. Now there’s reason for more chatter: the 2200 square foot penthouse unit has just gone on the market for an eye-popping $5,495 million. Continue reading Will Pigs Fly? Allen Street Penthouse Listed for $5.5 Million
 Photo by Cynthia Lamb. The following post was written by Cynthia Lamb, founder of the neighborhood organization, Save the Essex Street Market:
The future of the Essex Street Market is finally being brought to the table at the upcoming Community Board 3 meeting (Wednesday, May 25, 6:30pm, 189 Allen Street), in light of the public outcry over its possible demolition. The agenda calls for a discussion, which includes representatives from Project for Public Spaces, an organization that seeks to “transform public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.” The Essex Street Market already is a vital place and a local asset; it can continue to be rejuvenated, and it does serve common needs. How fortunate we are to have such a lively, diverse, historic market in our neighborhood. Continue reading Community Organizer: Stand Up for Essex Street Market Wednesday Night
 Pianist Blair McMillen, one of the musicians performing at Keys To The Future at Abrons this week Move over Beethoven. A series of solo contemporary piano concerts—Keys to the Future—makes its way to Abrons Arts Center this week. In its sixth year, the series runs May 24-26 featuring a pithy survey of contemporary piano repertoire packed into one-hour recitals.
Joe Rubenstein, pianist/composer and curator of Keys, says his goal is to offer audiences a glimpse into the richly diverse styles of contemporary piano music ranging from minimalist and neo-Romantic, to modernist pop-influenced and hybrid pieces. Rubenstein has drawn piano composers from all over the world to play in the series which operates as a non-profit organization.
Continue reading Tickling The Ivories at Abrons
 A model shows off a multi-colored metallic dress from boutique A. Turen on Stanton Street. On Saturday afternoon, there were more than the usual number of beautiful people on Broome Street between Orchard and Ludlow. The Lower East Side Business Improvement District staged an outdoor fashion show featuring clothing from local designers and boutiques. Models moved among four small stages in the middle of the closed-off block, accompanied by techno music and followed by many amateur and professional shutterbugs. Click through to see more photos. Continue reading Fashion Show Turns Broome Street into a Runway
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