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The Lo-Down is teaming up with Fontana’s on Eldridge Street to put on an October CMJ concert showing off the best of what the Lower East Side has to offer.
The Lower East Side has always been a fountain of musical talent. From Irving Berlin to The Velvet Underground to Lady Gaga — our neighborhood has inspired songs like Suzanne Vega’s “Ludlow Street” and “The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side” by The Magnetic Fields. Continue reading Open Call For The Lo-Down’s CMJ Showcase at Fontana’s, Oct. 18th!
 
You probably heard the news earlier this week that New York City is launching a bike share program next year. There will be 600 stations located in the five boroughs. On the DOT’s web site, you can suggest a location. As you can see, there are a lot of suggestions. If you want to chime in with a new Lower East Side bike share locale, follow this link.
Move right in to the largest 2BR layout in the Seward Park Co-op (~1100 sq ft), featuring eastern & western exposures and sparkling East River views! Continue reading Sponsored Post: Grand Street Apartment of the Week
 Captain Peter Venice. The 7th Precinct Community Council met for the first time Wednesday night since Captain Peter Venice took over as commanding officer. He’s succeeds Deputy Inspector Nancy Barry, who was reassigned.
Venice, formerly of the 70th Precinct in Flatbush, said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen in the 7th so far. “This is a very safe community,” he told residents gathered in the station house. “It’s a great place to work, a great place to live. I just hope to make it even better.” Continue reading 7th Precinct’s New Top Cop Welcomed to the LES
 Photo courtesy: Office of Speaker Sheldon Silver. This week, hundreds of supporters (including the neighborhood’s political establishment) helped Gouverneur Healthcare Services celebrate 126 years on the Lower East Side. We were on hand, as well, Wednesday night, for the annual banquet held at Jing Fong on Elizabeth Street. Next week, Gouverneur formally unveils its new $180 million facility on Madison Street.
- The Feast of San Gennaro begins (NY1).
- More attention paid to the plight of the St. Mark’s Bookshop (WNYC).
- A look back at William Seward and the park that was named in his honor (Bowery Boys).
- Neighborhood Joint: Tropical 128, combo pool hall/tiki bar (NYT).
 Pickles - at Alias on Clinton St. Photo by TLD. Mostly sunny today with a high of 66. Tomorrow and Sunday partly cloudy, with highs near 70. Lots of events in the neighborhood this weekend. Be sure to check out our Calendar for details.
Politicos and community activists came together this morning to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Lillian Wald Playground on East Houston Street, near FDR Drive. Continue reading New Lillian Wald Playground Opens on East Houston Street
 135 Bowery. A short time ago, the Landmarks Subcommittee of the City Council voted 4-1 to disapprove the landmarking of 135 Bowery, an 1817 federal style row house.
Community activists won a rare victory this past summer, when the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided the endangered building was worthy of protection. But today District 1 City Councilmember Margaret Chin explained why she had decided to withdraw her earlier support for preserving 135 Bowery. Most members of the panel deferred to her judgment, with the exception of Rosie Mendez, who represents neighboring District 2 (covering the area above Houston Street).
First American International Bank, the property owner, wants to demolish the historic row house and put up a 7-story commercial building. Chin said she was swayed by their offer to create affordable commercial space for small businesses in Chinatown.
There was a lot of passionate testimony from neighborhood activists today. They argued that saving 135 Bowery is critical to retaining the character and authenticity of the Lower East Side. The full City Council must vote on the committee’s recomendation later in the month.
We’ll have a more detailed report, summarizing all of the testimony, sometime soon.
An excited crowd is waiting for the politicos to arrive here at the new and improved Lillian Wald Playground at PS 188.
 135 Bowery. This morning, the Wall Street Journal files a report on 135 Bowery, an 1817 row house that was declared a New York City landmark in June but now faces a new threat. As we reported last month, City Councilmember Margaret Chin is seeking to overturn the decision by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. An excerpt:
“There is opportunity on the site to build commercial space that is so needed in the Chinatown community for the small businesses,” Ms. Chin said in an interview Wednesday. At a hearing in June, Ms. Chin’s chief of staff expressed support for the designation. A spokeswoman for Ms. Chin said that he hadn’t been authorized to speak her behalf. Ms. Chin said in an interview that she signaled her support initially but she was ultimately impressed by the developer’s plans to use the site, which could include a new seven-story building offering retail and office space at below-market rates.
Continue reading The Fate of 135 Bowery: Activists, Chin Face Off Today
- A Cooper Union official says she will talk with trustees about the endangered St. Mark’s Bookshop (NY1).
- The Landmarks Preservation Commission will not consider protecting 316 East 3rd Street (EV Grieve).
- Plans for 51 Astor Place, a “speculative office tower,” move forward (Real Estate Weekly).
- Singer/songwriter Alan Hampton “airs it out” at the Living Room all this month (NYT).
 Photo by Joel Raskin; joelraskin.blogspot.com. Looks like we’ll be seeing thunderstorms and high winds today, especially in the afternoon, with a high of 74.
 Here are two of the victorious candidates in last night’s Democratic Primary. They are Paul Newell and Jenifer Rajkumar, who were running for the positions of male and female district leader in the 64th Assembly District (Part C).
They defeated Jeff Galloway and Linda Balfer, taking 68% and 70% of the vote, respectively. The campaign was seen a face-off between between two rival political clubs — Downtown Independent Democrats and Lower Manhattan Democrats (the successful candidates were backed by DID).
Downtown Independent Democrats also prevailed in the 66th Assembly District (Part B) race. John Scott unseated David Reck. Jean Grillo, the female representative, ran unopposed.
In Chinatown, longtime District Leader Herbert Kee and Jenny Low defeated two spirited challengers — Paul Lee and Jin Mei Chen.
Scarcely over a thousand total ballots were cast in each of the district leader contests. District leaders are party-based intermediaries to each neighborhood’s elected officials. They help organize elections and are key players in get-out-the-vote drives and other campaign-related activities.
The Hester Street Fair gave the uptown Fashion Week crowd a taste of Lower East Side style. They’re back in the neighborhood on Sunday with another big bash — the Stylist Tent Event. Teaming up with the Japanese “fast fashion chain” Uniqlo, the fair is orchestrating its largest shopping extravaganza of the year. Stylists, designers, retailers and fashion insiders will be tagging and dropping off their prized goods, and the Hester Street Fair team is selling these stylish finds at great prices. Uniqlo is even setting up their trademark white cubes at the fair. And, as always there will be plenty of food and other diversions on Hester Street when the gate opens at 10 a.m. Sunday. Click here for more info.
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