Photo: On Stanton Street – by Shalom Stavsky
In the news this past week:
— Rep. Dan Goldman, who represents the Lower East Side, recounts his family’s experiences being in Israel during the Hamas attack. [NY1]
— The city’s plan to close Rikers Island and open new borough-based jails, including an enormous new prison in Chinatown, is not going well; “…the plan to shutter the penal complex is faltering with no clear fix in sight… construction on the new facilities is already years behind schedule… (and) the reaction of government officials has mostly been finger-pointing.” [Politico]
— The signage in the window of the Turkish kabob spot at East Houston and Orchard streets announces, “Bereket is Back,” and, “signals a rarity in the landscape of New York real estate: A beloved restaurant that shuttered when its neighborhood was gentrified, against incredible odds, actually returned to the block.” [The New York Times]
— Dimes, the restaurant that inspired, “…Square,” turns 10. Co-owner Sabrina De Sousa talks about the restaurant’s place in the over-hyped micro-neighborhood, saying, “We’re just one piece of the whole pun.” Right from the start, writer Jason Diamond explains, the owners, “were not trying to cultivate any kind of scene at Dimes — they just wanted a place where they could hang out with their friends.” [Grub Street]
— On October 22, the Chinatown community will celebrate the co-naming of Masco Street as “Corky Lee Way,” in memory of the photographer and community activist who dedicated his life to documenting the Asian American experience. [Facebook]
— Artist Carlos Irijalba has partnered with city agencies for a three-part installation along the East River addressing the climate change crisis. [Architect’s Newspaper]
— How the restoration of the Eldridge Street Synagogue became a reality. [My Modern Met]
