Waterfront Reverie
Samuelson (standing, back to camera) and Burden (sitting, bottom-left) in their 11th meeting with locals over waterfront rebuilding
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id-March saw yet another (11th) meeting
between the City Planning Commission’s
Waterfront Taskforce and us LES folks. The
planners came armed with a slide projector
and wonderfully designed images for a presentation
(3rd) of all the grand things they’d like
to do to our riverbank, from South Ferry up to
Montgomery Street.
Commissioner of City Planning Amanda
Burden brought along a troop of thinkers and
planners, but the bulk of the show belonged to
Director of Lower Manhattan Special Projects
Michael M. Samuelson. Some of the images
looked familiar, as did some of the proposed
ideas, but, as Samuelson put it, this was a
“much more detailed concept plan, a master
plan engaging the community” in the proposals
to “enhance access to the waterfront,
complete the Manhattan greenway, create a vibrant,
world class water’s edge, and reconnect
the city to the water.”
Another idea whose time has come is to “.-
nally complete the esplanade over the gap between
the Lower East Side and south ferry.”
The Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governor’s
Island are already happening. When you add
the three parks together, says Samuelson, “you
get 400 acres, half the size of Central Park.
Connecting them by water taxis, for instance,
would be nice.”
The 2-mile esplanade is the most important
thing, according to the special projects chief.
The proposal calls for a railing at the water’s
edge, areas for walkers and bikers, amenities
zones, stretches of grass and trees, and even
a sand beach.
Then there are the plans for glass pavilions
under the FDR Drive, with “community, cultural
and commercial uses.” Samuelson wants
to “hang lights under the FDR and use it as a
ceiling.”
Pier 35, which will continue to house the
Dept. of Sanitation, will see new hills which
will rise “to obscure and hide” the sanitation
hangar. And there will be a small marina there,
too, alongside a wooden path.
Pier 42, near Montgomery Street, is empty
and there’s space between it and the entrance
to East River Park. “Take that space and .ll it
with trees,” muses Samuelson. “Keep the road
close to the FDR. Make the bike lane esplanade
go around the edge and plant berm trees.
They also serve as .lter for the sound. Next to
it make a sandy beach, bring the park all the
way down to Montgomery Street.”
Here’s the kink in the grand plan: when
you press Samuelson and his commissioner
for dates and timelines they turn all awkward
and gee-gosh-like. Their boss, Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg, is eight points behind in the
polls. Should a new administration come in
next winter, all these nice slides will likely be
scrapped. When you ask how soon could they
start planting the berns, or paving the esplanade
for bikes and pedestrians, the best they
can come up with is 3-5 years. Longer-term
plans? Give or take 10 years. Which, in local
politics is the equivalent of “don’t hold your
breath.”
For a comprehensive look at the plans check
nyc.gov/planning
Yori Yanover
Finally, Large Turnout at Police Meeting
Officer Michael Dannecker (l.) receiving an award from Deputy Inspector Brian McCarthy
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n impressive representation from the
neighborhood showed up at last month’s 7th
Precinct Community Council meeting where
Judge Martin Shulman from the NYS Supreme
Court Speakers Bureau spoke about bail and
Other guests included Linda Janneh from
the District Attorney’s Of.ce of Community
Affairs, Deputy Inspector Hendrick Martinez,
who delivered Auxiliary reports, and Jessica
Ashenberg from Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver’s Office, who announced a new bill
passed by the Assembly, enforcing arrests of
drunk drivers.
Representatives from Seward Park Housing
Corp. donated $1,000 to the Community
Council.
A resident of Seward Park complained of
numerous bicycles chained to poles near the
co-op. Deputy Inspector Brian McCarthy
stressed that clipping chains on bicycles is illegal
and can lead to arrest, but promised to
work with Community Affairs Of.cer Valdie
Lurch on a solution.
McCarthy presented Police Of.cers of the
Month Awards to Adam Blum, for an arrest
involving a “quality of life” issue, Benjamin
Cui for arrests involving graf.ti and Michael
Dannecker for arresting an individual in possession
of an illegal firearm.
Sara Spielman
Milling Unnoticed
ccording to several irate locals, the alert
notices announcing construction work on the
section of Madison Street between Jackson and
Grand were put up March 7 after 5:00 pm, and
the workmen began positioning their orange
cones even as 6:00 pm was rolling around. The
milling (as in grinding) of the old asphalt continued
well into the wee hours.
The City Department of Transportation denied
our information, saying the milling company,
Columbus Construction, provided ample
warnings, not one, but three days in advance.
But Mr. Matt Monahan of CC’s press of?ce did
not return our calls. Incidentally, the repaving
part of the project was done a week later by a
D.O.T. crew, with a proper day’s notice.
It’s clear that cars had to be towed to allow
for the milling. According to the D.O.T., cars
which must be removed to allow road construction
are not impounded, but are removed to
nearby legal parking and their license number
is recorded and given to the perplexed owner
upon inquiry. Best of luck there.
As to the reason for doing heavy construction
to the reason for doing heavy construction
after hours in a residential neighborhood, the
D.O.T. says that’s how it’s done in Manhattan,
to minimize the impact on traffic. Our suggestion
that this section of Madison is a sleepy
alley with few grand traf?c aspirations fell on
deaf ears. Manhattan is Manhattan.
Yori Yanover
Party Like It’s 5765
Accordionist and rapper SoCalled
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he temperature was well below freezing on
Orchard Street’s ice-slick sidewalks, but inside
the Slipper Room – a corner lounge with
a pressed-tin ceiling and a dishrag-sized platform
stage – the late-night scene was hot, hot,
hot. Scores of twenty- and thirty-somethings
crowded the cozy space, sipping beers and
swilling fancy cocktails, trying hard to look
casual as they surveyed the other twenty- and
thirty-somethings surveying them.
The occasion was Slivovitz and Soul, an
evening put together by JB 14, the 14th Street
Y, and JDub Records. Featuring the accordionist
and rapper SoCalled and his band, the
monthly parties are designed to bring people
out to the dance .oor – a gyrating, hip-bumping
alternative to conventional Jewish community
structures.
Fedora’d hipsters with soul patches mixed
with kipot-wearing modern Orthodox Jews;
dreadlocks and tzitziot swung to the same beat
(and in one case, on the same person, freestyle
rapper Why Love). SoCalled himself, in jeans,
white sneakers, and a gray hooded sweatshirt,
looked more like a student than a “player”
– but his showman’s persona surfaced once he
strapped on his squeezebox. Virtuoso clarinetist
David Krakauer, clad all in black, bounded
onto the stage early in the set, with knife-sharp,
klezmer-infused jazz soaring above the band’s
sturdy horns, bass, and accordion.
Sarah Chandler, a grad student at the Jewish
Theological Seminary, came to celebrate
her 26th birthday with .ve friends. She met
SoCalled at a Passover Seder – at which he led
his rap version of Chad Gadya – and became a
fan, bringing her entourage down to the Lower
East Side to drink a little, dance a little, shmooze
a little, and who knows?
Catch the next “Slivovitz and Soul” at the
Slipper Room, 165 Orchard St., on April 14.
Visit www.jb14.org for details.
Helen Zelon
Moving Education
S 20’s 16th Annual Learning Fair,
“Transportation: PS 20 on the Move,” transported
visitors to a world of impressive multimedia
artistic creations by Pre-K through 6th
grade students. Utilizing the sciences, arts and
literature around a social studies theme, students
work with their teachers and artists from
Henry Street Settlement to integrate instrumental,
technological and artistic goals with
the academic standards of NY State.
The result is a glimpse at transportation
around the world, from miniature replicas of
the NY subway, the Staten Island Ferry, and
The Orient Express to memories of childhood,
pathways to dreams, and imaginary Magic
Carpet rides.
“We want the kids to be thinkers, doers and
risk takers,” says PS 20 principal, Dr. Leonard
Golubchick. The projects encourage students
to become “lovers of literature,” better Internet
researchers, writers and learners.
The fair attracted visitors from NY and
out-of-state schools and received support
from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and
Councilman Alan Gerson.
With Chinese, Hispanic and Bengali students,
PS 20 has the largest population in the
district and Region 9 and ranks among the
top 15% in public school scoring for reading
and math. The school has received the
Boyer Center Award for its outstanding Arts
in Education Program and relies on numerous
grants for its projects.
Sara Spielman
Helping Parolees Stay Free in Public Housing
t last month’s CB3 Human Services
Committee meeting, Dominique Day, Director
of La Bodega de la Familia, an organization
working in partnership with probation officers to tap the support of families, announced
the opening of a new satellite office at 11th St.
and Ave. D in Jacob Riis Houses. The center
provides 24 hour support for families in crisis,
walk-in and prevention services for neighborhood
residents and Family Case Management.
By forging a new partnership with New York
City Housing Authority, the center strives to
“keep people in housing,” says Day.
A representative of Council Member Alan
Gerson requested the support of CB3 for a
study examining the health needs of people
in Lower Manhattan and evaluating strategies
for downtown hospitals to meet the community’s
needs. Gerson proposes a state sponsored
study by an independent commission to help
protect downtown hospitals in .nancial crisis
from the risk of state budget cuts. The board
expressed doubt about the state’s support and
requested some changes to the plan, including
seeking private funding, before voting unanimously
to support the study.
Speaking of CB3 votes, the March issue
of GSN reported a CB3 Transportation
Committee vote approving MTA modi.cations
of the M9 and M15 bus routes, but the
full board voted against it at the end of the
month, after publication. We stand corrected.
Sara Spielman
Nutrition Know-How at Gouverneur
Nutritionist in action at the Edgie preschool
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n conjunction with National Nutrition
Month, Gouverneur Healthcare Services last
month launched a “Nutrition Know-How”
campaign for neighborhood families, seniors,
adults and children promoting health education,
safety and proper nutrition.
The first event was presented at the United
Jewish Council’s Adult Lunch Club on Willet
Street, where a dietician explored making balanced
food choices while entertaining the taste
buds.
At the Educational Alliance, Gouverneur
health educators discussed family nutrition
with parents and their toddlers, all of whom
received healthy recipes, nutrition information
packets and facts about Gouverneur’s pediatric
and WIC services.
“Remember, not too much beef, fries and
hot dogs and at least five fruits and vegetables
a day,” a dietician from Gouverneur cautioned,
displaying the food pyramid.
Children received cards with various vegetables
caricatured as champions for an “all
star cancer fighting team,” part of The Leafy
Greens Council’s educational initiative.
“We want to give parents and kids the facts
to help them make healthy choices,” said
Gillian Hertzberg Fein from Gouverneur.
The two other events were held at the Lin
Sing and the Fujianese Associations, where
Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking dieticians
addressed healthy eating habits, portion size
and proper nutrition.
Sara Spielman
Catered Kosher Food Just Went Classy
Mr. Sofer behind the counter at 41 Essex
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andwiched between two large storefronts,
G&M – named for its original owners
Gottesman and Moskowitz – appears unassuming
from the outside—but the tantalizing
smells of the deli will draw you inside. And
this takeout and catering joint is in the process
of undergoing a major makeover under its new
management.
Priding itself on serving “good old fashioned
Jewish food,” General Manager Raphael
Ehrenpreis predicts “41 Essex,” the new
G&M, will combine the best of both worlds.
“We’ll have all of the good authentic Jewish
food that’s always been here and a lot of new
and exciting dishes,” Ehrenpreis says.
While still employing their original chefs,
G&M has recently hired a new executive chef
from a four star French restaurant to implement
changes. The store will be open and kosher for
Passover for the first time this year and after
the holiday they expect to offer an expanded
and more diverse menu.
“Shabbat food is great,” says new owner
Jacob Goldman, “but you can’t eat it every
day.”
Make way for shawarma, sausages, which
are coming after Passover, and the great new
stuff already in the trays: chicken nuggets with
an array of sauces, braised short ribs, orange
glazed Cornish hen, roast hanger steak and pan
roasted prime rib. Hungry for more? Try penna
with sun dried tomatoes, pesto, fresh herb and
tomato salad, duck confit salad, teriyaki salmon
and whole roasted Florida red snapper.
41 Essex is also expanding its catering business.
With their new chef, Ehrenpreis predicts,
“we’ll be able to cater any type of affair – from
your basic Kiddush to high class original menus.”
41 Essex St. is between Grand and Hester,
212.254.5370; delivery available; open 9-
6 Sunday and Monday, 9-6:30 Tuesday and
Wednesday, 9-7 Thursday, 7-2 Friday (summertime
open later Fridays).
Sara Spielman
Where’s (Some of) the Beef?
Councilman Alan Gerson: Give us some…
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On a cold March night, in a packed hall
of the University Settlement at 184 Eldridge
Street, housing and labor activists, politicians,
clergymen and many many artists got together
to protest the policies and choices of Governor
Pataki’s Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation in handing out post 9/11 cash
grants. It appears that of the $3 billion slated
for rebuilding our war zone, more than $2
billion have already been spent (event organizers
were reeling off examples of dubious
spending, like $25 million which supposedly
have gone to American Express, $3 million
to the Tribeca .lm festival, and so on), while
the Lower East Side has not seen any of this
wealth being spent on real rebuilding, namely
housing for low income New Yorkers.
Councilman Alan Gerson introduced letters
he’d written to the governor and to Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg, urging them to hold
public hearings on the best way to spend the
remaining estimated sum of $850 million.
Gerson’s “Renaissance Proposal” is pressing
for spending these funds on hardcore needs in
our area.
Of the many singing troops which sparkled
the evening between speeches we were most
impressed by Congo, a 10-member Haitian
singing group with a stupendous variety of
percussion and woodwind instruments.
Yori Yanover
King of Linen Moves to New Palace
Bob Levy
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arris Levy, which recently moved out of
their old location at 278 Grand Street (“been
there since 1930”), is moving into 98 Forsyth
Street, right around the corner. “This building
is a great showcase for our unique brand of upscale
merchandise,” says store heir Bob Levy.
“It is beautiful and ornate, featuring original
hand crafted, three dimensional tin ceilings,
warm maple flooring, an open gated, 80 year
old elevator, marble base moldings and stairs,
large wooden entrance archways with
transoms and beautiful hand etched designs,
natural brick and stucco walls. We have spent
the last three years researching and restoring
these original amenities.”
Harris Levy, Inc., 98 Forsyth Street, 1st
Floor, 212.226.3102
Jack E. Dell
Must Have Property Insurance!
roperty Insurance helps provide peace of
mind, a safety net for you and your family
when unfortunate events like theft, .re, burglary
and vandalism happen. If your home
were damaged, you’d need the .nancial resources
to repair it. And you need liability and
guest medical protection too.
Owning a co-op means you have both common
and individual insurance needs. Your
co-op board may have an insurance policy for
common areas, but you’re still liable for your
personal property and your guest’s medical
protection.
You may want to look into programs like
Building Property Protection, which insures
your dwelling unit, Loss Assessment
Coverage, to pay for your share of expenses
for a covered loss, up to your policy limits.
Look for programs offering personal property
protection, family liability protection, guest
medical protection, and perhaps living expenses
protection.
James Heins
302 E. 19th St., 212.475.1103, a064214@allstate.com
CB3 April Calendar
inal agenda is posted at: www.cb3manhattan, or
call 212.533.5300
Astor Place Task Force: Mon, 4/4, JASA, 200
E. 5th (Bowery & 5th) * Housing, Land Disposition,
Zoning, & NYC Housing Authority Tue, 4/12, 6:30
pm, Project Renewal, Kenton * Parks, Recreation,
Cultural Affairs, Landmarks, & Waterfront
Committee, Thu, 4/14, 6:30 pm, Casa Victoria, 308
E. 8th Street (B & C) * Public Safety & Sanitation
/ Transportation, Tue, 4/19, 6:30 pm, CB 3, 59 E.
4th * Executive Committee, Thu, 4/21, 6:30 pm, CB
3, 59 E. 4th * CB 3 Meeting, Tue, 4/26, 6:30 pm,
Chinatown YMCA Beacon Center, inside MS 131,
100 Hester (Eldridge & Forsyth).
