downtown
BEEKMAN LOCKDOWN, P.3
®
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 38
Phillip Prado says he makes a good living biking around Manhattan washing windows two days a week. Babies and
Buckle My Shoe preschoolers are among his biggest fans.
Window washer cleans up
pedaling around Downtown
BY JULIE SHAPIRO
Phillip Prado is building a window-
washing empire one storefront at a
time.
A gregarious businessman with a
bucket of soapy water dangling from
his handlebars, Prado washes the win-
dows of more than 100 shops a week,
many of them Downtown.
Beside the clear benefits of the
job — no boss, no overhead — there’s
another boon that some people don’t
realize: the money.
express THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN
“You wouldn’t think a guy like me
with a bucket on his bike has a boat and
antique cars, but it’s a good business,”
Prado said as he swabbed the windows
of the Reade St. Animal Hospital on
a recent morning. “Window-washing
does OK for itself.”
Prado, 45, started Squeaky Clean
Windows five years ago, after selling a
similar business in Staten Island. Since
then, his electric bike has become a
familiar sight on Lower Manhattan’s
streets, even on the coldest days of
JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Cheers & jeers as school
Option 2 is picked
BY JULIE SHAPIRO
Ending months of spec-
ulation and battles that
divided Lower Manhattan,
the District 2 Community
Education Council voted
Wednesday night for school
zoning Option 2.
The board’s 6-4 vote
means that all Tribeca chil-
dren west of Church St.
will be zoned for P.S. 234.
Children in east Tribeca and
the Seaport will attend the
Spruce Street School; the
Financial District south of
Liberty St. and Battery Park
City south of Albany St.
will attend P.S./I.S. 276; and
north Battery Park City and
Gateway Plaza will attend
P.S. 89.
The new school zones
are expected to be tem-
porary and could last for
Downtown Express photo by J.B. Nicholas
W.T.C. decision sends
sides back to the table
BY JOSH ROGERS
Both sides claimed quali-
fied victory in the World
Trade Center dispute after
an arbitration panel ruled
Tuesday on some issues, but
ordered the parties to nego-
winter. tiate a new rebuilding sched-
While many window-washers take ule in 45 days.
the winter off, glass accumulates grime W.T.C. developer Larry
year-round, so Prado works year-round, Silverstein, who was ask-
too. He wears waterproof gloves from ing for a few billion dollars
Alaska and a battery-operated heated in damages from the Port
suit that keeps him at a toasty 78 Authority for numerous vio-
degrees. lations of their 2006 Master
“Even when it’s snowing, I’ll go out Development Agreement
with antifreeze to wash the windows,” (M.D.A.), received no
Prado said. money Tuesday, but the
Continued on page 12
several years. All children
will be allowed to remain
in their current schools and
all younger siblings will be
grandfathered into their
older siblings’ schools.
The many public hear-
ings on school zoning over
the last several months
have often been filled with
applause and shouting, but as
the C.E.C. voted Wednesday
night, the couple hundred
parents in P.S. 33’s audito-
rium in Chelsea fell silent.
When C.E.C. President T.
Elzora Cleveland confirmed
the final tally, and it became
clear that Option 2 had won,
the room stayed quiet and
no one moved. A couple of
Option 2 supporters, wear-
ing red, started to applaud,
but they quickly stopped.
“We’re very relieved,” said
Continued on page 14
panel voided the provision
that would have awarded
the development rights to
the three most viable tower
sites back to the Port if the
buildings are not completed
in 2013 — which is virtually
impossible at this point.
The confidential,
22-page decision obtained
by Downtown Express first
came to light in a Crain’s
article Wednesday after-
noon, prompting each side
to quickly release statements
praising it.
The panel ruled Jan. 26
that the Port missed “many
Continued on page 10
2 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
U NDER
Blotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Transit Sam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Mixed Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 c over
EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
HERE TO STAY
YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-22 It looks like Community Board 1 can’t live without
Julie Menin as chairperson.
ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-26 After Menin announced last month that she would
step down from the board in June, many board members
CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 asked her to reconsider.
“I can’t tell you how meaningful that is for me,”
Menin told the board Tuesday night. “In consideration
of that, I’m going to run again for chair.”
Last month, Menin said her three young children and
her cable TV show kept her too busy to regularly attend
Read the Archives board meetings. But this week, she said she would find
the time.
Most board members applauded Menin’s announce-
www.DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.com ment, including Vice Chairperson Catherine McVay
Hughes, who Menin had endorsed as her successor.
Menin thanked Hughes and Paul Hovitz, who was
also considering running for her seat but will now step
aside.
So far, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to challenge
Menin’s bid for another two-year term (her final term,
under the board’s term limits), but if anyone does, we’re
guessing it will be Marc Ameruso, who has had a rocky
Saturday relationship with Menin.
As word of Menin’s decision spread through Lower
February 6 (1 to 5 pm)
Manhattan this week, we also heard that Menin was mov-
KnowledgeCollege2010.com ing out of the neighborhood altogether. She confirmed to
UnderCover that her family is signing a 12-month lease
Special Guest Lectures on the Upper East Side. She said her father is ill and
she wants to live closer to him. Since Menin’s offices
Choose 2 Topics are Downtown, she can remain on the community board
Bard High School Early College Faculty even once she changes her primary residence.
Don’t be surprised if Councilmember Margaret Chin
Tickets for two 90-minute sessions are $50, $60 @ the door takes the move as Menin positioning herself for a pos-
sible challenge for the Council in 2013.
525 East Houston St @ Mangin St. NYC

SEWARD MEET

Speaking of Councilmember Margaret Chin, we asked
about her recent meeting with officials from the city’s
Economic Development Corporation regarding the Seward
Park Urban Renewal Area on the Lower East Side. We heard
that Chin’s sit-down was with E.D.C.’s Madelyn Wils, for-
mer Community Board 1 chairperson, who is now heading
up the city’s SPURA redevelopment effort.

“I had a briefing with E.D.C. It was good,” Chin said.

ment of Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who was also


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downtown express
“Now, we’re reaching out to the stakeholders. We want to
talk to people with experience as developers. I think the city
hopefully will listen to the community and be able to work
with us.”
Chin, an affordable housing advocate, is talking to devel-
opers specializing in senior housing, and also to Habitat for
Humanity, about which she said, “They create real home-
ownership opportunities for working families.” Asked if, as
we had heard, Wils was a bit taken aback at the substantial
amount of affordable housing Chin was asking for, Chin just
said, with a smile, that the meeting went well.
JUDGE GERSON?
Former Councilmember Alan Gerson may be eying a
civil court judge seat that recently opened up.
Before Gerson left office at the end of last year, he said
he was not interested in becoming a judge, but he may be
changing his mind, especially because some of his sup-
porters are encouraging him to run for the judgeship.
“I have not ruled that out,” Gerson told UnderCover
this week. He said he was using the month of January to
weigh his options and then he would announce a deci-
sion.
The seat Gerson is considering is for the First
Municipal District, an oddly shaped area that covers the
west side of Manhattan south of 14th St. and all of the
Financial District and the Seaport. Lucy Billings previ-
ously held the seat but was elected to the State Supreme
Court last year.
If Gerson decides to run for the seat, he will likely be
up against one of his historic Village foes whom we hear
is already running: Carol Feinman.
About 12 years ago, Gerson was chairperson of
Community Board 2 and he beat back Feinman, a former
board chairperson, and some others in the Village who
were opposing the Hudson River Park because they saw
it as a resurrection of the Westway development project.
Boards 1 and 4 had approved the park and 2 was the last
holdout. Gerson led the effort to convince his colleagues
to back the park and that help set the table for Albany
approval.
Feinman was surprised to hear Gerson was consider-
ing running for the civil court judge seat, since he offered
last month to help her with her own run. Feinman, an
administrative law judge in the state Office of Temporary
and Disability Assistance, has already netted the endorse-
once a park skeptic.
David Reck, said the judge opening in the First
Municipal District would likely attract a slew of candi-
dates, but Gerson would be strong.
On a lighter note, Gerson told us he is still planning
his first vacation since he first took office in 2001. Asked
where he was going, Gerson turned coy.
“If you report where I’m going, that will defeat the
purpose of going away,” he said.
COSMO OFFER
Craig Bero is inviting the public into the new version of
his Cosmopolitan Cafe this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Bero will serve free champagne and crepes in his new loca-
tion, on Chambers St. between Church St. and W. Broadway.
The space used to belong to The Soda Shop, which closed
last year.
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 3

Tower debris shuts down Downtown

Pieces of metal and plywood blew off the
76-story Beekman Tower during a windy
storm Monday, damaging property and forc-
ing street closures but not injuring anyone.
Work on Forest City Ratner’s luxury apart-
ment tower remained stopped Wednesday,
and the city Buildings Dept. issued contractor
Kreisler Borg Florman General Construction
Company a violation for failing to protect
persons and property.
The street closures stretching from
Chambers St. to Ann St. and Church St.
to Gold and Centre Sts. paralyzed Lower
Manhattan’s street grid and caused Pace
University to cancel classes. The city pre-
vented people from walking near the tower
and told people in the affected area to stay
indoors.
Joyce Baumgarten, a Ratner spokesper-
son, said Monday’s high winds dislodged
some of the metal screws that hold the build-
ing’s orange construction netting in place.
Some of the screws, which are 6 to 8 inches
long, popped off high floors of the building
and fell to the streets below, Baumgarten
said. She said the contractor would find a
better way to secure the netting.
Borough President Scott Stringer sent a
letter to the contractor calling the incident
“unacceptable” and inviting a representative
to meet with Community Board 1. The con-
tractor referred comment to Ratner.

Downtown Express photos by Milo Hess

Streets around the Beekman Tower, above, were closed Monday after heavy winds blew debris off the building. The Brooklyn
Bridge held up, but not all of its signs.

Pier A renovation work approved

The Battery Park City Authority
approved $11.1 million in construction
contracts for Pier A Wednesday morning,
paving the way for the final repairs to the
historic pier.
The authority is redeveloping the
three-story landmark pier using $30 mil-
lion from the city and hopes to turn it
over to a tenant next year. The authority
is slated to finish underwater repairs to
the pier this April and then plans to start
the core and shell work. The contracts
approved Wednesday will cover that core
and shell work. So far, the contracts have
come in under budget, which left the
authority with extra money to design the
public plaza around the pier, the authority
said Wednesday.
Charles Urstadt, vice president of the
B.P.C.A. board, raised the concern that the
authority would lose money on Pier A, but
the authority’s president, Jim Cavanaugh,
said the city was bearing the risk of the
project. The city has directed the author-
ity not to spend any money beyond the
initial $30 million, and the city is the one
responsible for the debt service on those
funds, Cavanaugh said.
The authority is currently seeking ten-
ants to occupy Pier A, including possibly
a restaurant or catering hall at the west-
ern tip of Battery Park, but the city will
have to approve the rent and terms of
any deal.
Robert Mueller, a board member, said
he was worried that the authority would
not be able to find a tenant willing to pay
as much as the city would want.
“I’m not trying to throw cold water
on this, no pun intended,” Mueller said.
While Mueller said he’d “love to see it
work,” he added, “This project has failed
before — it doesn’t exactly have a terrific
history.”
The city previously tried to work with
a private developer on Pier A, which use
to be a marine firehouse, but the project
never got off the ground.
Board member Lynn Rollins mentioned
that her daughter in Oregon recently told
her of a vegan restaurant there that sup-
ports itself by running a porn shop in the
back. The other board members laughed
heartily.
Worker falls at ballfield towers
A worker fell 16 feet last Thursday at the
new residential towers Milstein Properties is
building in Battery Park City.
The worker slipped and fell while he was
waterproofing a water tank in the basement
of the new buildings, said Carly Sullivan,
spokesperson for the Dept. of Buildings.
He was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital with
serious head and back injuries, said Matt
Coppeto, F.D.N.Y. spokesperson.
“So moved!” Urstadt joked.
“What are you moving?” Chairperson
James Gill asked. “The porn shop?”
Prospective tenants have until Feb. 16
to submit their proposals to the authority
for consideration.
— Julie Shapiro
The D.O.B. issued a violation to Plaza
Construction, the contractor, and stopped all
work in the water tanks.
Representatives of Milstein and Plaza
Construction did not comment.
The new towers adjacent to the B.P.C.
ballfields, known as Liberty Luxe and
Liberty Green, will rise 32 and 22 stories
respectively and are expected to be complete
next year.
4 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
POLICE BLOTTER
L.E.S. rape
Police are seeking a man who followed a
woman, 19, into her building on the Lower
East Side at about 7:30 a.m., entered the
elevator with her and pulled a knife, police
said. The suspect forced the victim out of
the elevator and into a stairwell where he
sodomized her, police said. Police did not
specify the location of the crime. The sus-
pect, described as between 18 and 20 years
old, between 5’8” and 5’10”, 200 pounds,
with a medium build and dark complexion,
was wearing a black North Face jacket, blue
Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick jeans and black boots. People with informa-
tion should phone 800:577-8477 (TIPS) or
would like to honor the memory of visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com
Albert Capsouto. Friend, activist, Revived at Police Plaza
Police stationed at the visitors’ secu-
businessman and dedicated member rity building in Police Plaza outside police
headquarters brought a woman back to life
of Community Board 1. after her heart stopped and she collapsed
,
on Tuesday morning Jan. 26 while she was
waiting on the screening queue. Officers
who rushed to her aid administered cardio-
pulmonary resuscitation but her heart did
853 Broadway, Suite 1518, New York, NY 10003 not revive. An officer then applied a defibril-
Tel: 212-674-5153 / Fax: 212-674-5530 lator to restart her heart and another device
glickd@assembly.state.ny.us restored her breathing, police said. The vic-
tim, 58, of Brooklyn, was taken to New York
Downtown Hospital where she was said to
be in stable condition.
WE DO PASSPORT PHOTOS
Arrests in subway mugging
Two men were arrested on Tues., Jan.
19 for the 2 a.m. robbery of a man on
the northbound platform of the N train at
Canal St. Lamar Long and William Rivera,
WE PACK AND SHIP both 18 and Bronx residents, took $400
and a music player from the victim and
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The victim called from an emergency phone
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Long and Rivera at the N station at Eighth
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Gateway burglary
A Battery Park City resident of 355 South
End Ave. in Gateway Plaza told police that
the family left their two apartments for
vacation on Tuesday morning Dec. 22 and
returned on Jan. 8 to find both places were
entered and two watches with a total value
of $1,400 and a pearl necklace valued at
$5,500 had been stolen. Police said there
was no sign of forced entry.
Soho boutique burglary
A witness who was in a room above the
Michael Kors shop at 101 Prince St. heard
a bang around 4 a.m. Mon., Jan. 18, and
saw three burglars fleeing the shop with two
handbags, valued at $1,000 each, which they
had taken from a display table in the store,
police said.
School theft
A burglar, or burglars broke into a base-
ment construction site at Elizabeth Irwin
High School, 40 Charlton St. around 3:45
p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, forced open a gang box
and stole tools valued at $583, and then
went upstairs where they stole two laptop
computers, one from the first floor and
another from the third floor, with a total
value of$3,300, according to police.
On Jan. 4, a burglar or burglars found
their way into the school without a forced
entry at 12:50 a.m., broke into offices on
the fourth floor of the building and stole 20
laptop computers, police said.
Case of missing case
A New Jersey man, 50, put his brief case
down while trying on a jacket at Prada, 575
Broadway near Prince St. around 11:25 a.m.
Thurs., Jan. 14 and discovered it was missing
when he went to pick it up again, police said.
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downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 5

Mayor: Move terror trials, but Gov. Isle is dumb

BY JULIE SHAPIRO
WITH JOSH ROGERS
The effort to move the 9/11 terror trials
out of Lower Manhattan gained momen-
tum this week, after Community Board 1
catapulted the issue into the spotlight.
Julie Menin, chairperson of C.B. 1, is
fighting for alternative locations for the
trials, including Governors Island and
military sites elsewhere in New York State,
such as the Stewart Air National Guard
Base in Newburgh, the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point and the Bureau of
Prisons jail complex at FCI Otisville.
Menin called the federal government’s
plan to hold the trials at 500 Pearl St.
“so outrageous that it just defies common
sense.” She is worried about the $200
million annual security cost and the qual-
ity-of-life impact on the nearby residents
and businesses.
Just two weeks ago, U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder’s plan to put the
accused terrorists on trial Downtown
looked like a done deal, and few elected
officials or Menin were speaking out
against it. Last month, Borough President
Scott Stringer told Chinatown activists
that it was unrealistic to fight the trial
location and they should focus their ener-
gy on making the best of it.
But after Menin started pushing
for Governors Island last week, Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly said Thursday
that he was “certainly open to that sug-
gestion.” Menin said she has spoken to
several federal officials who are interested
in moving the trials, and U.S. Rep. Jerrold
Nadler, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
and other local elected officials also urged
the city to study Governors Island last
week.
However, Mayor Mike Bloomberg
nixed the idea almost immediately, saying
last week that it was “one of the dumber
ideas” he’s ever heard.
The mayor made the comment, first
reported by DowntownExpress.com last
week, at a Gracie Mansion meeting Jan.
21 with about a dozen newspaper publish-
ers, including John W. Sutter, publisher of
Downtown Express and other Community
Media newspapers.
Local elected officials and community
activists immediately challenged the may-
or’s remarks, which were quickly picked
up by other media outlets.
“It’s not a dumb idea — it’s a real-
ly smart idea,” City Councilmember
Margaret Chin said of the Governors
Island move. “Our neighborhood cannot
suffer anymore.”
Nadler, Silver, Chin and State Sen.
Daniel Squadron released a statement call-
ing the mayor’s comments “callous” and
saying he “demonstrates a lack of sensitivity
and understanding for the significant toll
the trial may exact on the residents and
small businesses of Lower Manhattan.”
Perhaps in response to the mount-
ing pressure, Bloomberg told report-
ers Wednesday that moving the trial to
a different location outside of Lower
Manhattan would be a good idea.
“It would be great if the federal gov-
ernment could find a site that didn’t cost
a billion dollars, which using Downtown
will,” Bloomberg said. “It’s going to cost
an awful lot of money and disturb an
awful lot of people.”
A Bloomberg spokesperson said
Wednesday that the N.Y.P.D. had already
determined Governors Island would not
work, and the final decision is up to the
federal government. Last week, the mayor
said he opposed putting the trials on the
island because the New York Harbor High
School is moving in this September, and
long-term plans call for the entire island
to be developed as recreational space.
But Menin said Lower Manhattan also
has schools and recreational space near
the courthouse at 500 Pearl St., and
she thinks there is room for a trial on
Governors Island’s 172 acres.
Since Governors Island may wind up
being unfeasible even if the mayor decides
to study it, Menin also floated additional
alternatives this week. Her suggestions
are all military or federal sites, which
means they already have high security.
The other sites, West Point, Stewart Air
Base and the Otisville federal prison, are
all within the Southern District of New
York. Holder chose to locate the trial in
the Southern District because he said that
is where the crime of 9/11 occurred.
Bloomberg told reporters Wednesday
that putting the trials on a military base
“is probably a reasonably good one,”
because the bases are outside of cities and
a trial there would not be so disruptive.
In a unanimous resolution Tuesday
night, C.B. 1 urged city and federal officials
to study Governors Island and the other
sites and requested a meeting with Holder.
Before the vote, the board heard from
a couple dozen residents who are upset
about the trials being held Downtown.
“This is a political move at our
expense,” said Toby Turkel, former presi-
dent of the Chatham Towers Board. “It’s
unfair — and I think it’s criminal in and
of itself.”
The residents were concerned about the
security plans Ray Kelly recently announced,
which would put a “hard zone” immediately
around the courthouse, enclosing Chatham
Towers and Chatham Green in metal bar-
riers and posting sharpshooters on nearby
roofs. A larger “soft zone” would extend
from Canal St. to Frankfort St. and from
the Bowery to Broadway, and would be
patrolled heavily by officers.
Jan Lee, a member of the Civic Center
Residents Coalition, said the security
would scare undocumented immigrants
away from Chinatown, keeping them from
social services they need.
Bloomberg acknowledged last Thursday
that the trials in Lower Manhattan would
bring more hardship to the Park Row area
and said he has asked Kelly repeatedly
about the feasibility of reopening the street.
Kelly has kept the street closed to protect
One Police Plaza. The federal courthouse
and detention center where the 9/11 terror
suspects will likely be held and tried are
across the street from police headquarters.
Silver is scheduled to hold a private
meeting with Kelly, a few community
board members and some of the affected
residents on Friday.
Although C.B. 1 unanimously sup-
ported moving the trials out of Lower
Manhattan, some board members worried
that putting them on Governors Island
would ruin the island’s quiet, bucolic
environment. And Allan Tannenbaum, a
board member, said he favored a military
tribunal for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
and the four other accused terrorists,
rather than a federal trial.
“The terrorists are given the rights of
citizens and the citizens are treated like
terrorists,” Tannenbaum said, referring to
the planned security measures.
Another point of contention at
Tuesday night’s meeting was who came
up with the idea of Governors Island in
Continued on page 13

Power shutdown at 60 Hudson raises questions

Neighbors of 60 Hudson St. are raising new safety alarms
after an electrical emergency shut down power to the tele-
com hotel last Saturday.
The daylong shutdown meant that 60 Hudson St. relied
on backup generators to keep its sensitive electronic equip-
ment running. The residents noticed the noise and diesel
fumes from the generators on Saturday and grew worried.
“We’ve just had it,” said Bruce Ehrmann, a Community
Board 1 member who lives across from 60 Hudson St.
Ehrmann said the owner of 60 Hudson and Con Edison
should have notified the community about the shutdown.
The residents’ group Neighbors Against Noise has long
raised concerns about the safety of the building, which stores
over 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel to power the generators.
Under a variance from the city, some of the fuel is stored
above street level.
“There are obviously dangers in the building,” said
Deborah Allen, who runs Neighbors Against Noise.
Residents saw fire trucks parked outside 60 Hudson St.
on Saturday, but the F.D.N.Y. said it had no record of a
response there.
The different entities responsible for Saturday’s electri-
cal shutdown gave changing and conflicting explanations of
what happened.
Alfonso Quiroz, Con Ed spokesperson, initially said Con
Ed was not involved at all. He later said Con Ed took the
building offline at the owner’s request so the owner could
make repairs.
Brian Maddox, spokesperson for GVA Williams, the
building’s owner, at first said the shutdown was just a
scheduled test, but he later said it was for scheduled
repairs.
However, Allen said she received an e-mail from an
engineer in the building stating that the problem was with
Con Ed’s electrical cables and that Con Ed shut down the
building’s electricity to make the emergency repairs.
Ehrmann heard from a worker in the building that the
building was “running hot” prior to the repairs, although
Ehrmann wasn’t sure exactly what the worker meant.
Borough President Scott Stringer sent a letter to Con
Edison criticizing the lack of community notification and
requesting that a Con Ed representative attend a C.B. 1
meeting next month. Quiroz, of Con Ed, said the borough
president’s request was under review.
Neighbors Against Noise is holding a meeting this Sat.,
Downtown Express file photo by Elissa Bogos
Jan. 30 at noon. The location has not yet been set.
60 Hudson St. has been a source of complaints for
— Julie Shapiro many years.
6 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

More Downtown buildings may

be eligible for rent stabilization
The thousands of tenants who could be
eligible for rent-stabilization after a court
ruling on 421-g tax breaks can attend a
meeting this Thurs., Jan. 28 to find out more
information.
Although the Dec. 23 Housing Court
ruling related only to one apartment in 37
alue
n • Best V
Wall St., it could apply to an additional 28
st ructio
pert In
buildings Downtown. The 421-g tax breaks
the entire duration of the tax benefit. This
Thursday’s meeting, sponsored by Lower
Manhattan’s elected officials, will be held at
6 p.m. at St. John’s University, 101 Murray
St. near West St.
When Downtown Express first reported
on the court decision three weeks ago, the
city Dept. of Finance refused to provide
a list of the potentially affected buildings.

entic Fa cilities • Ex were given to landlords who converted
Auth office buildings to residential units between
1995 and 2006. The December court ruling
stated that landlords although apartments in
421-g buildings could start at market rate,
landlords had to keep the rents stabilized for
The Express compiled a partial list of 16
buildings for that article by cross checking
records. State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who
had also been trying to get the list, last week
received this full listing from the Dept. of
Finance:

Building Number of Apartments

127 John St. 576
95 Wall St. 507
10 Hanover Square 493
63 Wall St. 476
90 West St. 410
90 Washington St. 397
38 Murray St. 389

The Best Sports Classes, 37 Wall St.

100 Maiden Ln.
372
340

Hands Down! 21 West St.

69 Broadway
293
237
Chelsea Piers offers Manhattan’s best and most comprehensive 71 West St. 206
selection of sports programs for children. Combining world-class 87 John St. 160
facilities and age-appropriate curricula, our professional staff 84 William St. 121
provides athletes the opportunity to learn and grow through sports. 53 Park Place 115
17 John St. 111
Sky Rink • 212.336.6100
110 Greenwich St. 60
Learn To Skate | Figure Skating | Hockey Prep | Ice Hockey Leagues
79 Nassau St. 41
The Field House • 212.336.6500 21 Maiden Ln. 30
Soccer | Gymnastics | Basketball | Dance | Rock Climbing 135 William St. 30
Martial Arts | Youth Fitness Classes | Leagues | Sports Clinics
32 Pearl St. 21
The Golf Club • 212.336.6400 75 Nassau St. 18
Private Lessons | Afterschool Programs | Weekend Clinics 136 William St. 10
SPRING SEMESTER REGISTRATION IS ON-GOING. 112 Fulton St. 8
90 Nassau St. 7
Sports Classes at 183 Broadway 4
70 Battery Place* 500
90 John St.* 221
23rd Street & Hudson River Park | www.chelseapiers.com 9 Dutch St.* 21
*These buildings contain both rental and condo units; stabilized rents would only
ASK ABOUT SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS! apply to the rental units.
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 7

Remembering Albert Capsouto, Tribeca leader and pioneer

OBITUARY
BY JULIE SHAPIRO
Albert Capsouto, pioneering restaurateur
and advocate for small businesses, died Jan.
19 at the age of 53, just two months after he
was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Capsouto was a familiar face in Tribeca
ever since he and his two brothers opened the
French bistro Capsouto Frères on Washington
St. in 1980, long before the neighborhood was
a restaurant destination. Capsouto also served
on Community Board 1 for more than 19 years,
and he called the board his second family.
“He was a significant character in the story
of Tribeca,” said Rocco D’Amato, owner of
Bazzini grocery and nut shop.
Madelyn Wils, former chairperson of C.B.
1, said Capsouto’s death leaves “a huge hole
in the fabric of this community.”
Capsouto and his brothers arrived in
Tribeca when the neighborhood could still be
called a frontier. They bet on the old manufac-
turing district’s future, building a restaurant
near the Hudson River on a block that stayed
quiet after dark. Soon, Capsouto Frères was
a center of Tribeca’s fledgling community,
one of the only places Tribeca residents could
walk to get a good meal at night. Downtown Express file photo by Christie Johnston
“It was exciting,” said Carole De Saram, a Albert Capsouto outside Capsouto Frères in 2003.
longtime Tribeca resident and C.B. 1 member.
“It was a place that everybody went to.” later. Wils’s husband-to-be took her to dinner Capsouto used his newly acquired degrees to addition to sharing a job, Jacques and Albert
As Tribeca began to change, and residents at Capsouto Frères, and Wils was impressed transform the warehouse into a restaurant. also shared a home in the building across
and small shops replaced the warehouses and by the “Downtowny” vibe. Two years later, “We did O.K.,” Jacques said of the restau- from the restaurant, which the family owns.
wholesale stores, D’Amato urged Capsouto to Wils held her rehearsal dinner for her wed- rant’s first months. “We weren’t even thinking “I lived on the fifth floor, and he lived
join the community board to help with the tran- ding there. about not making it.” on the fourth floor,” Jacques said this week,
sition to a mixed-use neighborhood. Capsouto Wils got to know Capsouto better when Albert, who was 24 when the restaurant his voice breaking. “We had a beach house
agreed, and his practical, patient voice became they served on the community board together, opened, ran the front of the house, welcom- together on Fire Island. How much closer can
influential on everything from liquor license and she appointed him to chair the Tribeca ing guests and often stopping by patrons’ you get?”
applications to the 1995 rezoning of Tribeca. Committee. In addition to the rezoning of tables to chat. More than 400 people attended Capsouto’s
“At the beginning, he thought of me as a Tribeca, Capsouto fought for the completion At the 25th anniversary of Capsouto Frères funeral last Wed., Jan. 20, at Riverside
mentor,” D’Amato said. “But it wasn’t all that of Hudson River Park and the landmarking in 2005, Albert said he and his brothers drew Memorial Chapel on the Upper West Side. He
long before the student became the teacher.” of swaths of Tribeca. He often arrived at inspiration from meals shared with their is survived by brothers Jacques and Sammy
After 9/11, Capsouto and his brothers meetings on his bike, which he rode all over mother, Eve, who died in 2003. Capsouto, and Sammy’s wife, Kathy, and her
kept their restaurant open to serve rescue Downtown. “It’s not just the food — it’s the meal,” and Sammy’s three children.
workers and to give people a place to come This week, Julie Menin, chairperson of C.B. Capsouto said in a 2005 interview with Before he got sick, Capsouto was active at
together. Capsouto also redoubled his advo- 1, said she hopes to memorialize Capsouto Downtown Express. “And the meal consists New York Downtown Hospital and was going
cacy for small businesses, serving as chairper- by naming a Tribeca park or section of the of the company, the atmosphere, the service, to be named to its board. Jacques asked this
son of the Lower Manhattan Development Hudson River Park bike path after him. the music. It’s a very nurturing place.” week that in lieu of flowers, people send dona-
Corporation’s Restaurants, Retailers and Capsouto was born in Cairo, Egypt, in Capsouto’s diagnosis and swift decline tions to the hospital in Capsouto’s memory.
Small Business Advisory Council, and travel- 1956, the youngest of three brothers. The last fall came as a sudden blow to his broth-
ing to Washington, D.C., to fight for financial family, Sephardic Jews, moved to Lyon, ers and the tight-knit Tribeca community. In Julie@DowntownExpress.com
assistance. He helped many fellow entrepre- France in 1957, fleeing the Suez War, and
neurs fill out forms to get aid, and in 2003 he then continued on to New York in 1961.
received a Phoenix Award for Small Business Capsouto attended Stuyvesant High School
Economic Injury Recovery from the U.S. and graduated at the top of his class. The members of Community Board One mourn
Small Business Administration.
Capsouto’s friends described him as a
Capsouto’s eldest brother, Jacques, recalled
that Capsouto had trouble filling out his
the loss of our beloved and irreplaceable colleague
humble yet persistent force on community application to Yale University because it only Albert Capsouto, who was the heart and soul of the
issues. gave one page for the essay, and Capsouto
“You could always rely on him for objec- had much more than that to say. Using a Lower Manhattan neighborhood. He leaves a hole
tive common sense,” said Wils, the former narrow-tipped pen, Capsouto managed to
C.B. 1 chairperson. “He didn’t have an agen- cram four lines of writing onto every line of
in our heart. We thank and salute him for his years
da, other than to help small businesses. … He
did what he did because he loved this com-
the page.
Yale accepted him, and Capsouto earned a
of selfless service and determination to make our
munity, not because he was trying to make a bachelor’s in architecture and engineering. neighborhood a better place. We will miss you.
name for himself, as so many others do.” After completing college, Capsouto
Wils, who now works for the city’s returned to New York and soon began work-
Economic Development Corporation, remem- ing with his older brothers on the family’s
bers the precise day she met Capsouto: It was longtime dream of opening their own restau-
April 30, 1981, and she was on a first date rant. The brothers bought the high-ceilinged
with the man she would marry two years landmark building at 451 Washington St., and
8 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
B.P.C. may be greener but the oil is just as dirty
BY JULIE SHAPIRO
Environmental groups are taking aim at buildings that
burn No. 6 heating oil, a sludgy unrefined residue that
fills the air with soot.
Buildings burning this inexpensive fuel are common
throughout the city — including in Battery Park City,
a neighborhood that touts its groundbreaking green
guidelines.
“It’s surprising that [B.P.C.’s green guidelines] don’t
include this,” said Isabelle Silverman, an attorney for
the Environmental Defense Fund. “If you think about it,
these people live in a green building, but when they open
their window to let in ‘fresh’ air, they let in dirty air. It
would make a lot of sense to go to No. 2 heating oil or
natural gas.”
Both No. 2 heating oil and natural gas are 95 percent
cleaner than No. 6 heating oil, Silverman said.
The E.D.F. released a report last month showing that
although the 9,000 city buildings using the cheap heat-
ing oil make up only 1 percent of the city’s total build-
ing stock, they create 87 percent of the pollution from
heating oil.
At least six Battery Park City buildings use either No.
6 oil or No. 4 oil, which is similar. All of those buildings
were built before the Battery Park City Authority imple-
mented its green guidelines in 2000.
However, the green guidelines do not mention heating
oil and the authority has not provided any incentives for
buildings using No. 6 and No. 4 oil to convert to cleaner
heating methods.
“It would make sense for them to look at [heating
oil] seriously and set an example for the rest of Lower
Manhattan and the city,” said Catherine McVay Hughes,
vice chairperson of Community Board 1. Hughes used to
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and was the director of the fuel buyers’ group there in
the 1990s.
Jim Cavanaugh, president of the B.P.C. Authority, said
in a statement that the authority cannot force buildings
to change to a different type of fuel, but the authority
hopes to help owners who want to retrofit their build-
ings.
One opportunity for an incentive could be in the
upcoming ground rent renewals, when many B.P.C.
buildings will face sharp increases in the fees they pay
the authority each year. The authority could offer to miti-
gate those increases if buildings add green features.
The international LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) standards also do not mention
heating oil, perhaps because it’s a problem that is par-
ticularly acute only in New York.
Silverman, with the Environmental Defense Fund,
estimates that it would cost about $100,000 for a pre-
1995 building to buy a new boiler and convert from No.
6 oil to No. 2 oil or natural gas, though the figure would
vary. Natural gas prices have recently come down, so
building owners could eventually save money by switch-
ing, Silverman said.
Most of the Battery Park City buildings using No.
6 and No. 4 fuel are run by Milford Management and
were built in the late 1980s and early ’90s: Liberty View,
Liberty House, Liberty Court and Liberty Terrace use
No. 6 oil, while the Regatta uses No. 4 oil.
Lorraine Doyle, who manages Milford’s B.P.C. proper-
ties, said she had not looked into changing the fuel type,
but she guessed that it would be expensive and would
require an incentive.
“Certainly if it came time to replace the boilers, it
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would be a huge consideration as to what would be envi-
ronmentally friendly and what would be most efficient,”
Doyle said.
Doyle has worked with the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority on other potential
upgrades, but she said NYSERDA’s program is currently
suspended.
Outside of Battery Park City, another several dozen
Lower Manhattan buildings are using No. 6 and No. 4
fuel, including 60 Hudson St., 2 Gold St. and 9 Murray
St.
Citywide restrictions on heating oil could be coming
soon. Mayor Mike Bloomberg mentioned the greening
of heating oil in his state of the city address last week,
and Silverman said she expects the city to release phase-
out guidelines for No. 6 and No. 4 oil later this year.
The Environmental Defense Fund hopes the city will
pick 2020 as the deadline for landlords to convert their
buildings.
The city Dept. of Environmental Protection will issue
draft rules “in the coming months,” a spokesperson said
this week.
Bloomberg has proposed many environmental
improvements as part of his PlaNYC program, but the
real estate industry has opposed anything that would
require existing buildings to do costly upgrades.
Dirty heating oil is largely a New York City problem
because outside of power plants and ocean-going ships,
No. 6 oil is only used in large buildings in the northeast,
and New York has many large buildings that are densely
packed, Silverman said. No. 6 oil is the black sludge that
is left over after the refining process. It is more solid
Continued on page 16
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 9
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10 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

W.T.C. decision sends sides back to the table

Continued from page 1
time deadlines” building the infrastructure
needed to allow Silverstein to begin con-
struction, but also said it had not acted in
bad faith and that “much has changed” to
move infrastructure work along since Chris
Ward took over as executive director two
years ago. The Port has already invested $2.3
billion in redeveloping the site.
The arbiters also said the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey, which owns
the W.T.C., had gone “well beyond” the obli-
gations in the ’06 deal. The Port had offered
financing help for Silverstein to complete
Tower 4, which is currently under construc-
tion at the southeast corner of the site, but
had refused to offer much help for him to
begin Tower 2, at the northeast corner. Each
side had agreed in principle to put off build-
ing the third Church St. tower, No. 3, until
the real estate market rebounded.
A source sympathetic to Silverstein said
even though the panel commended Ward,
it also said “the schedule the Port Authority
has been telling the public for the last eight
years is bogus and they’ve asked them for a
new schedule….This is after all the hoopla in
’08 about a new schedule.”
The panel did not go that far but made a
point to say the Port cannot ignore its contrac-
tual obligations, “nor can it disregard its obliga-
tion to the public to press forward and complete
the redevelopment of the W.T.C. site itself.”
Last year, two unlikely allies who tried to
mediate the dispute, Mayor Mike Bloomberg
and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver,
accused the Port of intransigence in the
negotiations.
Subsequently Bloomberg, in an exclusive
interview with the Express last October,
said every city lawyer who had looked at the
development agreement had determined that
“Larry has everybody by the proverbials”
and could delay activity at the site for many
years unless there was a compromise. The
mayor had taken the Port side before the
2006 agreement was signed, but switched to
the developer during last year’s stalemate.
Although Silverstein no longer has the
threat of losing all three of his sites if one
building is completed late, a source sympa-
thetic to the Port said the developer will be
under negotiating pressure over the next 45
days nonetheless.
“He doesn’t have that anvil hanging over
his head, but he does have to keep paying
rent for buildings that don’t exist,” he said.
The arbiters denied Silverstein any relief
from the rent he has been paying to the Port
since 2001, but said the issue can be taken up
again at the end of the development process
to see if any delays caused financial harm. The
panel said that since the Port is no longer in a
position to regain the sites, Silverstein has not
been hurt now by any delays.
Silverstein asserts the Port’s slow prog-
ress has pushed the likely tower completion
dates back to 2017 and that the W.T.C. will
not be financially stable until 2019. The
panel did share at least some of Silverstein’s
skepticism that even the latest Port schedule
may be too optimistic.
Most news organizations Wednesday
described the decision as a defeat for Silverstein
because he was not awarded money.
The statement from Silverstein read in
part: “In this decision, the arbitrators directed
us to work out a new plan to finish the WTC
project quickly. That’s a welcome develop-
ment for New Yorkers — especially those
living and working Downtown — who have
waited long enough for the neighborhood to
be completely restored. I’m ready to work
with the Port Authority 24/7 to hammer out a
deal that assures that the World Trade Center
is fully rebuilt as quickly as possible….
“My goal is — and always has been —
to rebuild what the terrorists destroyed on
9/11. I remain absolutely determined to see
the World Trade Center become the center-
piece of the new world-class mixed-use com-
munity that is emerging Downtown — the
greenest and most exciting place to work,
live and visit in our wonderful City.”
The statement from the Port Authority
read in part: “The Panel denied SPI’s request
for relief from its rent obligations to the Port
Authority, meaning that SPI must continue
paying its full rent for development rights
to Towers 2, 3 and 4. The Panel determined
that the Port Authority was not in material
breach of the MDA, denying monetary dam-
ages to SPI….
“The Port Authority is grateful to the
Panel for issuing a responsible decision that
protects public resources while creating a
positive environment in which the visible,
daily progress on the site can continue mov-
ing forward.”
Both sources said they did not know if
their side would want the mayor, the gover-
nors of New York and New Jersey and Silver
to help in the negotiations over the next 45
days as they did last year.
Bloomberg and Silver issued separate
statements encouraging the sides to resume
negotiations.
“As expected, the arbitration has not
resulted in a resolution,” Bloomberg said.
“But one thing is clear from the ruling:
there is a deal to be made. This is a critical
moment to move forward…The parties can-
not let it pass without progress.”
The sides are going to report back to the
panel in 45 days on their new schedule or
on the progress they have made. The panel
reserved its right to impose a new schedule
if little is accomplished.
Josh@DowntownExpress.com

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downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 11

Hospital faces takeover; Rebuilding plans in doubt

BY ALBERT AMATEAU
St. Vincent’s Hospital is on the verge of
another bankruptcy, its second in five years,
and its 160-year history as the Village’s full-
service hospital appears to be ending, with
the hospital facing a possible future as a
community health center — with no acute
care and limited emergency room service.
Continuum Health Partners, the non-
profit group that operates Beth Israel
Medical Center and Roosevelt and St.
Luke’s hospitals, has proposed to take
over St. Vincent’s, close its Level 1 trauma
center, send its acute care patients to other
hospitals and operate it only as an expanded
outpatient center.
The move, with tacit approval of the
State Department of Health, is an attempt to
solve St. Vincent’s fiscal problems, includ-
ing $700 million in debt and a monthly
loss of between $5 million and $10 million,
according to a New York Post article on
Tuesday.
St. Vincent’s worsening finances put in
doubt its proposed $1.6 billion redevelop-
ment plan with the Rudin Organization to
build a state-of-the-art hospital on the west
side of Seventh Ave. at W. 12th St. with
residential development of its current build-
ings on the east side of the avenue to help
pay for the new hospital.
Rudin said on Tuesday that the organiza-
tion “remains committed to working with
all the stakeholders in St. Vincent’s, includ-
ing elected officials, the local community
and all concerned, to ensure the healthcare
needs of Greenwich Village and the West
Side will continue to be met.”
Henry Amoroso, St. Vincent’s presi-
dent and C.E.O., said in a statement that
state budget cuts over the last two years
“and the worst recession in many decades
have combined to present St. Vincent’s
with some serious financial challenges.”
Amoroso went on to say that working with
St. Vincent’s lenders, “as well as other
healthcare providers…we can emerge as a
stronger healthcare system for the hundreds
of thousands of New Yorkers who we treat
every year.”
The Post article said that GE Capital and
TD Bank, which hold $300 million in St.
Vincent’s debt between them, support the
Continuum plan.
Elected officials, however, responded
with pleas to the State Department of
Health and St. Vincent’s not to let the full-
service hospital close.
In a joint letter, Council Speaker
Christine Quinn, state Senator Tom
Duane, Assemblymember Deborah Glick,
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer
and Congressmember Jerrold Nadler called
on State Health Commissioner Dr. Richard
Daines to hold off on approving the move
until after reviewing the impacts on essen-
tial healthcare services.
“If the state allows [Continuum] to
remove emergency care it would paralyze
medical assistance on the West Side of
Manhattan,” said Quinn. “Every minute
an ambulance has to travel longer to reach
a hospital is another minute with a life in
jeopardy.”
Assemblymember Richard Gottfried
noted that St. Vincent’s was the primary
admitting hospital after the World Trade
Center attack in 2001.
Stringer said that St. Vincent’s serious
financial hardship should not be the only
criteria for deciding the hospital’s future.
“State D.O.H. Commissioner Richard
Daines’s connection to Continuum Health
Partners raises serious concerns about
potential conflicts of interest and only
amplifies the need for a real public review
and transparency on this proposal,” Stringer
said.
Daines was chief executive officer of
Continuum from 2002 to 2007, when he
was named state Health commissioner three
years ago; a department spokesperson noted
that state law requires a two-year recusal by
state officials from issues involving former
employers.
“Any implication that [Daines] has a
conflict of interest is wrong,” said Claudia
Hutton, the department spokesperson.
“The Manhattan borough president is
welcome to join the department in its
efforts to work with St. Vincent’s to find
a solution, particularly if he can provide
the $5 million to $10 million a month
needed to keep St. Vincent’s operating,”
said Hutton.
She added, “St. Vincent’s board of direc-
tors and management came to the conclu-
sion that they are no longer viable as a
stand-alone community hospital, and that
they needed to seek a corporate partner, in
addition to restructuring.”
Continuum issued a statement that St.
Vincent’s board had requested the proposal
“as an alternative to financial liquidation. If
St. Vincent’s is able to continue to meet its
mission on its own, they have our full sup-
port,” the Continuum statement said.
Jo Hamilton, chairperson of Community
Board 2, said she was very concerned about
the plight of St. Vincent’s.
“Our priority is to ensure that our
local neighborhoods and all of Downtown
Manhattan have the very best in healthcare
services,” Hamilton said.
Emma DeVito, director of Village Care
of New York, which operates a nursing
home, a senior service center and a center
serving people with H.I.V., said, “We know
St. Vincent’s as a tireless partner in our
work to provide Downtown and West Side
residents with the high-quality care and
services that they need.”

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12
Have bucket, will clean. Phillip Prado washes over 100 stores a week and he gets around on an electric bike, sometimes using the sidewalk instead of the street.
Window washer cleans up pedaling around Downtown
Continued from page 1
It was unseasonably warm one morning last week and
Prado didn’t need any gloves at all as he washed win-
dows up and down the streets of Tribeca. Prado worked
quickly, splashing suds on the glass with a feathery wand,
and then using one of his three squeegees to wipe the
windows dry. After cleaning up any drips with a rag, he
tossed his tools in his bucket and kicked off to the next
location.
Tribeca’s narrow storefronts took Prado only a few min-
utes to clean, and he does them weekly for $40 to several
hundred dollars a month. He charges more money for larg-
er stores like ABC Carpet or places with lots of windows
like Buckle My Shoe nursery school. Prado also washes
windows for chains like CVS and Le Pain Quotidien, along
with the Yankees’ and Mets’ retail stores.
Prado drums up business the old-fashioned way: by
going door-to-door, looking for dirty windows and offer-
ing his services. That’s how Prado met Bruce Martin, who
opened the Reade St. Animal Hospital with his wife last fall
and quickly realized that he couldn’t clean the tall panes
by himself.
“I knew I needed a real window-washer, but I didn’t
know where to find one,” Martin said.
When Prado introduced himself, Martin was impressed
by his friendliness and his willingness to work through the
winter, so he hired him on the spot.
Many small business owners try to clean their windows
themselves, but without the right supplies the task isn’t as
simple as it sounds.
“He makes it look easy, but it’s not that easy when
you try to do it yourself,” said Dr. William Han, owner of
Tribeca Dental Design on Chambers St.
Before Prado stopped by, Han was using Windex and
paper towels to attack the smudges on his windows. And
how did he reach the top part of the windows, a dozen feet
Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express
Downtown Express photos by J.B. Nicholas
off the ground?
“I really didn’t,” Han said, shrugging and laughing.
“People don’t look up, right?”
Prado was born in New Jersey and took business classes
at City College after high school but never got a degree. He
started washing windows when he was 17, first for a union
at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and then for a business in
Brooklyn. Prado started his own window-washing business
in Staten Island, where he lives, but he sold it when he real-
ized he could make more money in Manhattan.
Window washing is a territorial enterprise, and Prado
found plenty of competition when he broke into Manhattan’s
market five years ago. But he undercut competitors’ prices
and won clients over by chatting with them and proving
his reliability.
“There’s nobody I can’t talk to,” Prado said. “I could go
into the White House and talk to the president or go into
the ’hood and talk to the ’hood rats.”
Tall and lanky, Prado speaks quickly and smiles easily,
enthusiastically describing everything from his window- eyed, with rapt attention. Prado said that when he cleans
washing methodology to his private flying lessons. He wears the windows of Buckle My Shoe, all the children race over
Bluetooth-equipped sunglasses so he can answer calls from to look.
clients while cleaning windows or riding his bike. Prado does not disclose exact sales figures, but he
The electric bike is essential to his business, Prado said he brings in more than a comfortable living just by
added — he used to have a regular one but the extra power working two days a week. Those two days are long, often
boost helps when he’s putting in 12 miles a day. Although starting before 7 a.m., because Prado does all the windows
the bike cost $1,800, Prado doesn’t lock it when he’s in himself.
Tribeca. “I figured the only way to do it right is to do it myself,”
“That’s the good thing about washing windows: I can Prado said. “I don’t miss days. I don’t get sick. I don’t B.S.
see everything behind me,” Prado said, laughing. anybody.”
A bike is also better than a car, he noted, before taking The recession recently cut into Prado’s business, as
off the wrong way up Greenwich St. and then turning the stores close and owners have less money to spare. But
wrong way down Reade — a 30-second maneuver that a car Prado makes up for the losses by pulling in new clients, and
would have been hard-pressed to handle. he may soon expand into Brooklyn.
As Prado squeegeed his way through Tribeca last week, “I love it,” Prado said, “and I wouldn’t do anything
many proprietors came out to greet him. A mother sitting else.”
near the window at Yuya Nail Salon on Church St. propped
her baby up to watch Prado work. The baby stared wide- Julie@DowntownExpress.com
downtown express
BY SAM SCHWARTZ
Dear Transit Sam,
On Grand St. between Sixth Ave. and
Varick St., there are designated spaces
framed out in paint next to the bike lane.
Two of these spaces are in front of a hydrant
about ten feet from the curb (traffic rules
state no parking less than 15 feet from a
hydrant). I received a ticket for parking too
close to the hydrant. Are the rules for park-
ing at a hydrant superseded by the painted
lines for the spots next to the bike lane? This
is a ticket trap waiting to happen so please
clarify. Should I plead not guilty? Thanks for
your help.
Richard, Broome St.
Dear Richard,
On the Richter scale of parking conun-
drums, this one ranks a 9.5 out of 10. Great
question! It threw Transit Sam (and his
traffic scholar group) for a loop. I got every
answer on the books including yes, no and
maybe. Here’s the conclusion I came to:
N.Y.C. Traffic Rule Section 4-08 (e)
describes a fire hydrant as a “general no
stopping zone, unless otherwise indicted
by posted signs, markings or other traffic
control devices.” Subsection (2) explains
you cannot park “within 15 feet of a fire
hydrant, unless otherwise indicated by
signs or parking meters...” I looked at the
markings and it appears to me that they
clearly lay out where you can and cannot
park near hydrants and curb cuts in some
places but not in the area where you got
the ticket. Between Broadway and Crosby
Terror trials
Continued from page 5
the first place. Alan Gerson, who left his
City Council seat Jan. 1, may have been
the first to give public voice to the idea
at community meeting in early December.
Back then, Menin was arguing that the
trial should be held in the federal courts
of Lower Manhattan, at the scene of the
crime.
Marc Ameruso, a C.B. 1 member who
also voiced support for moving the trial to
Governors Island last fall, Ameruso said
in an email that he discussed the island
site with Gerson a few months ago. He
criticized Menin for being late to join the
cause at the Tuesday night meeting.
“To me, it was self-evident from the
beginning,” he said. “I didn’t need people
from the community to come out and tell
me.”
Menin said she changed her mind after
finding out that security for a Lower
Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 13
Transit Sam
The Answer man
St., the N.Y.C. Dept. of Transportation
painted out the area adjacent to the
hydrant making it clear you should not
park there. But where you parked (above
photo), there is no such demarcation.
Perhaps the Dept. of Transportation
painted them incorrectly (perhaps not)
but that should, by my reading of the
rules, allow you to park there. Therefore,
given the confusion regarding the legality
of the spot, I don’t think you should’ve
been issued a ticket (a few of my friends
in N.Y.P.D. also concur). I would plead
not guilty and explain to the judge what
happened. Photos will help, including a
shot of the street signs with the spots in
question in the background, followed by
closeups of the hydrant. You should also
submit a copy of this article.
N.Y.C. D.O.T. tells me they will be plac-
ing similar markings at the two spots in front
of the hydrant near Varick to eliminate con-
fusion and provide safe and adequate Fire
Department access to the hydrant.
Transit Sam
Downtown Express photo by Joshua A. Knoller
Send any and all comments, questions or Paper beats rock, but do painted parking lines trump fire hydrants? Transit Sam says
concerns to TransitSam@downtownexpress. the answer is not clear cut, but you should be able to get out of tickets issued at
com. We’ll get to the bottom of all your the parking spaces near hydrants like this one on Grand St.
Downtown transit-related needs.
Sam Schwartz, a former first deputy
PUBLIC SKATING ‡ SKATING LESSONS
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million a year, which she said is too much
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the location may not be safe. She was also $10.00 s Skate Rentals $3.00
concerned after homeland security flaws $90.00 for 10 admissions and rentals
were revealed in the attempted Christmas
attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
But most of the vitriol at Tuesday’s
meeting was directed toward the mayor
and his “dumber” comment. The meeting
happened before the mayor voiced his
support for moving the trials outside of
the city altogether.
“I think the mayor owes our com-
munity an apology,” said John Fratta,
chairperson of the Seaport/Civic Center
Committee, of the mayor’s refusal to con-
sider Governors Island. “What he told us
is: Drop dead.”
Another unpopular move of the may-
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14 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

Emotional school debate ends with Option 2

were not zoned there. The C.E.C. planned
Continued from page 1 to pass a resolution Wednesday night asking
the city to find a way to swap seats among CANAL ST

Grace Flood, an Option 2 supporter and children who want to go to a school other
WATTS ST
board member of the Greenwich Court condo- than their zoned one.

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was speaking on behalf of other south Tribeca 12. The Dept. of Education promised to fol- LAIGHT ST

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residents who live across the street from P.S. low the C.E.C.’s decision on school zones, so

AV OF THE AMERICAS
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234 and did not want to cross the West Side the zones the C.E.C. voted on will be in place ERICSSO
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Highway to attend P.S. 89 under Option 3R. for next fall. If the C.E.C. had not picked an 8

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diately after the vote, Flood said her next task resurrected last year’s lottery to distribute 8

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was “to try to heal the divisions” between Lower children among Lower Manhattan’s schools. T

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“We’re obviously very disappointed,” said bers stuck to their previous positions, and CE

Kimberly Busi, a Spruce Street parent who is Florence chose Option 2 without explaining
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parents who hoped to be zoned for Spruce but mittee co-chairpersons Shino Tanikawa and ALBA
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were zoned for P.S. 276 to apply for Spruce Sarah Chu, Mary Silver and P.S. 234 parent CE RT

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Community Board 1 stuck to its sup- would have zoned Braus’s child for P.S. 234, T
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port of school zoning Option 2 this week, while Option 2, which was approved the DR V
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to either back Option 3R or not take a School. C.B. 1 Chairperson Julie Menin, 8 13.000001 - 20.000000

position. also a 3R backer, appointed Braus to the 5 Geocoding_Result_3

Last week, C.B. 1’s Youth and Education
Committee voted 6-2 in favor of Option 2,
with two abstentions. The full board gener-
ally supports decisions made on the commit-
tee level.
But after hearing from parents on
both sides Tuesday night, a couple of
board members voiced support for 3R.
And Peter Braus, a recent appointee to
the Youth and Education Committee who
supported Option 3R, said the board did
not have enough data to make a decision
between the two options. Braus urged
the board to withdraw its support of
Option 2, and at least two board members
agreed.
But several other members of the
Youth and Education Committee bristled
at the suggestion.
“A lot of people have spent a lot of time
working on this,” said Liat Silberman,
who supports Option 2.
Silberman and others also pointed out
that Braus, who lives in east Tribeca, had
a personal interest in the decision since his
son enters kindergarten next fall. Option 3R
Youth and Education Committee last week,
the same day as the committee’s vote. Option 2 was picked, meaning children living across the street from P.S. 234 will
Jeff Mihok, a C.B. 1 member who get to go to the school, but many parents in Gateway Plaza, the southeastern
supported Option 2, said Braus’s appoint- Financial District and eastern Tribeca will not be zoned for their first-choice school.
ment set a “dangerous precedent” of board
members acting based on self-interest.
Menin replied that Braus previous-
ly served on the Youth and Education
Committee and said she generally does
not turn down requests by board mem-
bers to serve on specific committees.
Braus disclosed his personal interest last
week but did not recuse himself from the
vote.
Although the discussion grew heated,
neither Braus nor anyone else ultimately
made a motion to reverse the board’s sup-
port for Option 2, so the board’s previous
vote stayed in place.
Braus appeared to take the controversy
in stride.
“If the worst thing anyone can say
about me is that I advocate for my 4-year-
old, so be it,” he said. Downtown Express photo by Julie Shapiro
Lisa Ripperger, principal of P.S. 234, and Downtown’s other principals tried to ease
— Julie Shapiro parents’ minds before a zoning option was picked Wednesday night.
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 15

during the past few months of debate, and

Continued from page 14
Markowitz, Lisa Urban, Cynthia Alvarez and
Beth Cirone voted for Option 3 Revised.
C.E.C. members on both sides of the
debate cited safety concerns and said they
were picking the option they felt best kept
Lower Manhattan’s communities intact.
Those communities often felt very separate
several longtime parent activists Downtown
said Wednesday night that they were dis-
gusted by the way parents pitted themselves
against each other to get what they wanted.
The intensity of the fight even got in the
way of the C.E.C. appointing an 11th mem-
ber Wednesday night to fill its final vacancy,
a parent of an English as a second language
student. Janet Roitman, who was supposed

Silver backs option, but panel

says no thanks, Mr. Speaker A child supporting Option 2 handed C.E.C. members drawings.
Downtown Express photo by Julie Shapiro

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of Lower Manhattan that support Option

waded into the controversial Lower
Manhattan school zoning issue last week
by supporting Option 3R.
“I believe that Option 3R not only has
the support of most Lower Manhattan
families but will also best serve our four
local schools by building strong, cohe-
sive communities around them,” Silver
said in his Jan. 22 letter to the District 2
Community Education Council. But the
C.E.C. voted for Option 2 at its meeting
Jan. 27.
Option 3R had support in the Seaport,
Financial District, Battery Park City and
east Tribeca, while Option 2 is supported in
south and northwest Tribeca. Community
Board 1 voted for Option 2.
Silver’s district covers only the sections
3R. Other local elected officials, whose
districts include both Option 3R and
Option 2 supporters, did not pick a side.
Both sides voiced concerns about chil-
dren crossing West St. While Silver men-
tioned those safety concerns in his letter,
he named only one specific crossing, at
W. Thames St., where he wants the city to
build a new bridge. He did not specifically
mention the Chambers St. and Warren St.
crossings, which many south Tribeca par-
ents were concerned about had Silver’s
preferred option been picked. Under this
option, south Tribeca children would have
been zoned for P.S. 89, which is across
West St. in Battery Park City.
— Julie Shapiro
to be appointed, withdrew her application,
partly because of the vitriol surrounding the
Lower Manhattan rezoning.
At the beginning of Wednesday’s meet-
ing, Cleveland read a letter from Roitman, a
P.S. 234 parent, who said she was inundated
with calls and e-mails when parents found
out that she might be joining the C.E.C.
“The aggressive behavior of many
[Downtown parents] has given me reason
to pause,” Roitman wrote. She said personal
matters also played a factor in her decision
to withdraw her name.
Downtown’s five principals (including
Maggie Siena, principal of P.S. 150, which is
located in Tribeca but is not a zoned school)
also urged parents to calm down when they
spoke before the C.E.C.’s vote. The princi-
pals did not take a position on the zoning
but promised that all of Downtown’s schools
would provide a strong education.
“They’re all going to learn to read and do
math,” said Lisa Ripperger, principal of P.S.
234. “Many schools can do that.”
Ripperger reminded the crowd that it is
also important for parents to teach their chil-
dren how to handle challenge and conflict.
“Tonight is a good place to begin,” she
said. “When you go home tonight, do you
want your child to hear that they’re going
to a great school, or do you want them to
believe that they’re getting second best?…
Remember: Your child is sitting beside you
— and they are learning.”
Julie@DowntownExpress.com

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16 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

&
NOT HER STYLE
Quite possibly the most famous name
in fashion has joined the chorus of voices
THE BANKING ALTERNATIVE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY SINCE 1971
Downtowns Premier Financial Service Centers • “5 Convenient Locations Downtown” MIXED USE demanding that a proposed Bleecker St.
building be reduced in size to protect the
area’s historic character.
WE CASH TAX REFUND CHECKS AND REFUND LOAN CHECKS (RAL). WE NOW CASH CHECKS MADE Vogue editor and longtime Village resi-
BY PATRICK HEDLUND dent Anna Wintour penned a letter to the
OUT TO CORPORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS, LLC’S, LAWYERS ESCROW, AND SETTLEMENT CHECKS Landmarks Preservation Commission, stat-
ing that the intended eight-story project
GET IMMEDIATE CASH FOR YOUR CHECKS. CONDOS UP, CO-OPS DOWN represents “unwelcome intrusion” into the
Call Headquarters for More Information The median price of co-op units neighborhood, according to the New York
1-877 NYC CHECK (692- 2432) Downtown dropped by 13 percent over Post.
Freedom Tower and Transit Hub Construction the past year, while the price of condos The Department of Buildings recently
20% Discount On Check Cashing Fees Workers – 20% Discount On Check Cashing grew by 12 percent, according to a year-end stated its intentions to revoke permits for
For City Employees Fees With This Ad
residential market report from the Corcoran the proposed structure at 178 Bleecker
AT&T Bills $1.25 Group. St., which would back up to the land-
Fee Western Union
Downtown, defined as the residential mark MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens Historic
Check Cashing 1.82% Utility bills $1.25
s-ONEY4RANSFERS1UICK#OLLECT
3WIFT0AYAND#ONVENIENCE0AY properties below 34th St., saw the median District, bounded by Bleecker, MacDougal,
s#ON%DISON+EYSPAN-#)3PRINT
price of co-ops decrease from $650,000 to Sullivan and Houston Sts.
We Accept Transit Checks Cablevision, Time Warner $1.25 Foreign Currency Exchange
$564,000 from the fourth quarter of 2008 to Wintour, reportedly writing on Vogue
s$ISH.ETWORK$IRECT46
ATM Services Member of PayNet the fourth quarter of 2009. Over that same letterhead, called the project “a totally out-
Pre-Paid Phone Cards #ORPORATE#HECK#ASHING.O&EETO0UBLIC period, the median price of condos increased of-scale, inappropriate” development for the
Money Orders 89¢ - $1.19 Pre-Paid Debit Cards by 12 percent — from $1.12 million to block, and she has also reached out to City
(Travelers Express up to $1,000) Netspend Mastercard, Payroll Services and Distribution
9OUSITEOROURS6OLUMEDISCOUNTS!.$OFF
$1.25 million. Council Speaker Christine Quinn to express
NEXIS Mastercard DAYDISCOUNTS7EWILLCUSTOMIZEANDEXPE- The median prices of the four unit types her displeasure.
Metro Cards no fee DITEYOURPAYROLLNEEDS
Verizon Bills $1.25 We Buy Gold covered in the report — studios through The MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens
three-bedrooms — slipped across the board Historic District is surrounded by 22 town-
$EDICATEDTOTHE2EBUILDINGOF,OWER-ANHATTANs&ORMOREINFORMATIONCALL  .9# #(%#+ for co-ops, declining by 11 percent, 13 per- houses, including Wintour’s, that provide
-!.(!44!.,/#!4)/.3 46 Trinity Place 24 Beaver St. cent, 1 percent and 33 percent, respectively. exclusive access to the tree-filled backyard
93 Nassau (Between Rector Street and Syms) (Between Broad & Broadway) Three-bedroom co-ops experienced the retreat.
(Between Fulton & Ann) greatest change year over year, sliding from Preservationists rallied unsuccessfully
200 Water Street 86 West Broadway
Open Late Thurs. * Fri. till 8:00 Open Saturdays (Between Fulton & John - Entrance (Between Warren St & $2.25 million at the end of 2008 to $1.51 last year to prevent the demolition of the
WWWNYCCHECKEXPRESSCOM on Pearl - Back of Bldg.) Chambers St.) million currently. Three-bedroom condos former building at the site, a five-story row
NYC Check Express is licensed by Superintendent of Banks pursuant to Article IX A of the N.Y. Open Late Thurs. til 9 Open Saturdays saw similar drop-offs, with the median price house there since 1861.
State Banking Law and is a member of: the Better Business Bureau of NY, FiSCA (Financial Service falling from $3.1 million to $2.4 million in
Centers of America), the NYC Partnership and Chamber of Commerce, and CCANY (Check Cashers
Association of New York). a year’s time. mixeduse@communitymediallc.com

Making West Street Safer

B.P.C. may be greener but
the oil is just as dirty
Continued from page 8
than liquid and has to be preheated before
it will burn. Burning No. 6 oil requires a
full-time super because the equipment has
to be cleaned daily, Silverman said.
Still, despite all the extra maintenance,
many buildings still choose No. 6 oil
I recently hosted a meeting of government agencies and local because it is 10 to 30 percent cheaper
stakeholders to discuss improving pedestrian safety on West than No. 2 oil, Silverman said.
Street. I proposed two specific safety measures: But those individual savings come at
a high price, according to a report issued
•a new pedestrian bridge near PS 276 in Battery Park City last week by the Institute for Policy
Integrity at the New York University
•placement of pedestrian safety officers at Albany, School of Law. The institute estimated
Vesey, and Murray Sts. that the city could avoid 73 to 188 deaths
a year by outlawing No. 6 oil.
Let’s work together to make this happen! “It’s very toxic to our health,” Silverman
said, citing the N.Y.U. report. “From a
public health perspective, it should be
phased out right away.”
The harm comes partly from the sulfur in
Assemblyman Shelly Silver No. 6 oil, which is breathed in as sulfur dioxide
and can exacerbate asthma, respiratory illnesses
and heart disease, according to a city Health
Dept. report released last month. The city found
higher levels of sulfur dioxide, elemental carbon
and particulate matter in the air near buildings
burning No. 6 and No. 4 fuel.
“Shifting use away from more polluting
fuels, especially No. 6 and No. 4 oil, toward
cleaner burning fuels, may help to reduce air
pollution in neighborhoods with many large
buildings and combustion boilers,” the city’s
report stated.
Hughes, with Community Board 1, said
the city should push for all building owners
to convert to cleaner fuel as soon as possible,
and not just for the health benefits — the
work of retrofitting 9,000 buildings will cre-
ate green jobs as well.
“It could help everybody,” she said.
C.B. 1’s Battery Park City Committee will
discuss heating oil at its next meeting Tues.,
Feb. 2.
Julie@DowntownExpress.com

For more information call (212) 312-1420 or email

silver@assembly.state.ny.us.
www.DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.com
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 17

Still in Haiti
Downtown Express photographer Tequila
Minsky, who captured some of the first
images of the devastating earthquake
in Haiti two weeks ago and remains in
the country, sent us more images this
week, including this one of people flee-
ing Port-au-Prince en route to the town
of Jeremie. To view more of Minsky’s
images of Haiti and to read her dispatch-
es, search the DowntownExpress.com
archives. View her photo albums on the
Downtown Express Facebook page.

Downtown Express photo by Tequila Minsky

Designing
a better
construction
shed
Called “Urban Umbrella,” this new vision
for sidewalk sheds just won the city’s
international design competition and will
arrive at one Lower Manhattan building
this summer, courtesy of the Downtown
Alliance. Young-Hwan Choi, a 28-year-
old University of Pennsylvania student,
designed the shed to allow more air and
light to reach the building’s storefronts.
Once the first prototype is installed
Downtown, the city hopes other landlords
will follow suit and use the new shed
rather than the typical plywood one, but
the new version will be more expensive.
18 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

EDITORIAL TALKING POINT

PUBLISHER & EDITOR
John W. Sutter
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Move terror trials Governor, swallow the pill
Josh Rogers The proposed 9/11 terror trials will impose too heavy
ARTS EDITOR
Scott Stiffler
a burden on Lower Manhattan, so other alternatives
must be seriously studied immediately.
Two months ago, when we supported the decision to
and sign the bill
REPORTERS hold the trial in Lower Manhattan’s federal courthouse, BY DANIEL SQUADRON be honest: for many members of both houses,
Albert Amateau
Lincoln Anderson we emphasized the need for financial support for New Too often Albany is a place where good and even for the governor, real reform is a
Patrick Hedlund York’s law enforcement and for the local businesses that ideas go to die. One house of the Legislature hard pill to swallow, and that fact is one of
Julie Shapiro will be hurt by the security closures. Since then, the ini- passes a great bill that does not pass the the major reasons this package doesn’t go all
SR. V.P. OF SALES AND tial guess as to the security figure has tripled from $75 other, or the governor releases a pie-in-the- the way – but the flaws in the package do not
MARKETING million to over $200 million per year and there has been sky proposal. But negotiation leading to make it meaningless or expendable.
Francesco Regini virtually no discussion on the federal level of providing agreement, and yes, an actual law, is elusive. Here are some of the key ways the pack-
any help to stores in and near the sprawling security For decades, an ever-shifting set of argu- age improves our state’s ethics laws:
SR. MARKETING CONSULTANT
Jason Sherwood zone. Sufficient help from Washington is a fantasy. ments has been used to prevent action, to • It creates, for the first time, meaningful
Community Board 1 members and others have sug- kill reform in a closed backroom or with the enforcement at the State Board of Elections
ADVERTISING SALES gested some good alternative sites including Governors alluring words of an empty press release. to pursue campaign finance violations.
Allison Greaker
Robert Lucarelli Island, which is minutes away from Lower Manhattan One area that has particularly suffered is • It creates a new, more independent eth-
Julio Tumbaco and refutes the NIMBY counter-argument. Last Thursday, ethics oversight of public officials. Today’s ics body to investigate wrongdoing by the
Danielle Zupanovich the same day Police Commissioner Ray Kelly suggested ethics laws are weak, vague and largely unen- Legislature.
RETAIL AD MANAGER the island was worth studying, he pulled back some after forced. Lobbyists can hire legislators for • It requires lobbyists and their clients to
Colin Gregory we reported on our Web site that Mayor Bloomberg outside work without the public ever know- disclose business dealings with public offi-
thought it was a dumb idea. ing; ethics commissions that are supposed to cials, including all legislators, and requires
OFFICE MANAGER
Vera Musa We’re pleased the mayor finally is supporting moving the monitor public officials are neither effective for the first time that legislators disclose
trial and we hope he reconsiders his rejection of the island, nor independent; and when former Majority income from consulting services and that
ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR since it’s clear that a real study has not been done yet. Leader Joe Bruno was found to be running a income levels are publicly disclosed.
Troy Masters
We are not talking about building a large prison, but private for-profit business out of his Senate • It fills the “Bruno Gap” in state law by
ART DIRECTOR guarding five suspects on a 173-acre island. The U.S. office, using Senate staff on Senate payroll explicitly banning the use of government
Mark Hasselberger military, federal law enforcement and the N.Y.P.D. will to do the work, state laws weren’t strong resources for outside, for-profit business.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER be able to secure the island much easier and with much enough to prosecute him—his case had to be These bills don’t fix everything we need
Jamie Paakkonen less disruption to the public (perhaps none) than there brought in federal court instead. to fix about Albany – far from it. We need
DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION would be in Lower Manhattan. Last week, the Legislature, as I had campaign finance reform that will limit
Cheryl Williamson The other suggestions of C.B. 1 chairperson Julie Menin been pushing for since being elected, finally contributions, create public financing of
CONTRIBUTORS are outside the city and include Stewart National Guard passed an ethics reform package— built on elections, and lessen the influence of corpo-
Frank R. Angelino Base, West Point and the federal prison in Otisville. We a bill that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver rations and lobbyists. I am also pushing to
Wickham Boyle think Sing Sing prison in Ossining is worth looking at passed through the Assembly last summer, improve Senate rules, ballot access, and the
Tim Lavin too. These and Governors Island are all in New York’s and a package that came within one vote of way we draw legislative districts.
David Stanke Southern District, a prerequisite for U.S. Attorney General passing the Senate in September. But we shouldn’t waste the opportunity we
Jerry Tallmer
Eric Holder, although we’re not convinced that’s legally Though flawed, the package was forged have right now to enact the ethics improve-
PHOTOGRAPHERS required since the 9/11 crime also occurred in Washington. because the Senate and Assembly worked ments we passed last week. If the gover-
Lorenzo Ciniglio The Southern District has successfully prosecuted terrorists toward bills that could actually pass into law. nor does not sign the laws, the Legislature
Milo Hess
Corky Lee before and civilian courts are ideal when possible. No one would claim they are perfect, but every- should override his veto. With these new
Elisabeth Robert The mayor should encourage a legitimate feasibility study one agrees that the bills that passed last week laws in place, we can build on what we have
Jefferson Siegel of the island. All of the alternatives look like they could be are an improvement over current law. That’s begun, continuing the fight to restore New
better than Pearl St. and only one has to be feasible. why they earned the support of the New York Yorkers’ faith in state government and to
Published by Public Interest Group, the League of Women make comprehensive reform a reality.
COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC Voters, and Citizens Union of New York.
145 Sixth Ave., NY, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 229-1890
Adieu, Albert Now, Gov. Paterson is threatening to veto
the package; but if successful, a veto would
State Sen. Daniel Squadron represents the
25th District, covering most of Downtown
Fax: (212) 229-2790 Like so many in the Downtown community, we were leave us without any improvement at all. Let’s Manhattan and Brooklyn.
On-line: www.downtownexpress.com deeply saddened to learn last week of the death of Albert
E-mail: news@downtownexpress.com

Gay City
NEWS
TM
Capsouto, who did so much in the last three decades to help
build this community, and left us at far too young an age.
The gentle, French pronunciation of his name (“Al-bear”
not “Al-burt”) was so fitting for this quiet, soft-spoken man
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
who accomplished a lot with his easy manner. We don’t site, Trinity Place/Church St., the Battery
Downtown Express is published every week by ever remember hearing him toot his horn about serving School safety Park tunnel, also known as Interstate
Community Media LLC, 145 Sixth Ave., New
York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. The entire free food to 9/11 rescue workers in his Capsouto Frères 478, and run past the debris falling from
contents of the newspaper, including advertising,
are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced
restaurant, or citing the accolades he received for making To The Editor: the Deutsche Bank building. We tried to
without the express permission of the publisher -
© 2010 Community Media LLC.
the case for Downtown small businesses in need of help. After reading many comments on safety take the elevator at ground zero, but it
There are lots of people who did much less and said much issues in the rezoning debate, it sticks in was always broken. Needless to say, we
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight more about their post-9/11 experiences. my mind that residents who are advocat- dropped this class after one semester.
changes or typographical errors that do not
lessen the value of an advertisement. The In addition to opening the restaurant with his broth- ing Option 2 seem to forget that half of We would walk down these streets
publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions
in connection with an advertisement is strictly
ers 30 years ago, Albert served for two decades on the Financial District would have to walk where our stroller would not fit the width
limited to publication of the advertisement in any
subsequent issue.
Community Board 1, helping make Tribeca and Lower their children across a more dangerous of the sidewalk, and I would be forced to
Manhattan a better place. His views always commanded section of the West Side Highway. The walk on the street (Thames St., between
Member of the
New York Press respect, because his points were always thoughtful, and crossing at Albany St. is wider and a Trinity Place and Greenwich St.) After
Association even when unpopular, they were made in an amiable way. more life threatening experience than at walking through the maze of small streets
Member of the The spirit of the romantic, yet casual restaurant lives on Chambers St. we would be forced to cross, or should I
National with Jacques and Sammy Capsouto, so stop on by, raise I live in the Seaport area and brought say run across, the West Side Highway.
Newspaper
Association
a glass, order a soufflé and remember that friendly man my son to a gym class in Rector Place 1.5 How many children need to be hit
who seemed to have a kind word for everyone. years ago. In order to get there we would
© 2010 Community Media, LLC have to detour the World Trade Center Continued on page 19
downtown express
TALKING POINT
How to calculate & limit terror trial gridlock
BY CHARLES KOMANOFF
The pending trials of alleged 9/11 mas-
termind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four
confederates have thrown Lower Manhattan
into a tizzy, for good reasons. Foremost, of
course, is the dread of revisiting the horrors
of that day, mingled with fears that the tri-
als might lead to new attacks. Aggressive
countermeasures planned by the N.Y.P.D.,
such as rooftop sharpshooters and helicopter
surveillance, seem a sure bet to inflict col-
lateral psychic damage on area residents and
businesses as well.
Concerns are now rising that the hard-
ened police presence on the ground will
impede movement, snarl traffic and gener-
ally suffocate the area, pockets of which
never recovered fully from police-ordered
street closures and other 9/11 aftershocks.
Certainly the peremptory shutting of Park
Row continues to shackle Chinatown’s econ-
omy while leaving a bitter taste all over
Downtown.
Two recent developments have brought
new attention to traffic and other quality-of-
life issues bound up with the pending trials.
First, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly last
week disclosed the boundaries within which
police will spot-check vehicles, restrict deliv-
ery times and otherwise impose a massive
presence while the trials are in progress.
The “soft perimeter” is bounded by Canal
and Frankfort Sts., Bowery and Broadway.
An inner “hard perimeter” surrounding
Foley Square will “include 2,000 interlock-
ing metal barriers staffed by uniformed offi-
cers,” according to The New York Times.
Second, a proposal pushed by Community
Board 1 chairperson Julie Menin to move the
trials to Governors Island or elsewhere won
Continued from page 18
before you realize it is Option 3R that is
the correct choice, the safe choice?
Elizabeth Chen
POSTED
ON DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM
“Looking for the least bad school option”
(editorial, posted Jan. 21):
The editorial nod on Option #2 is irrespon-
sible and shows how the moneyed Tribeca is
able to dominate the interest of all of Lower
Manhattan…. Why are Whole Foods complex
condo owners more entitled to their first choice
school than everyone else only because their
developer told them they could go to 234 when
they sold them the units at the height of the
real estate boom? Worst of all, how does the
editor come to the conclusion this “justice” for
and entitlement of the Whole Foods complex
owners trump all the community/quality of
Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
the support of local politicians and was
endorsed by the board Tuesday.
By my count, the soft perimeter includes
around five-and-a-half linear miles of streets
comprising 17 “lane-miles.” (These figures
exclude Park Row and other streets already
taken out of service by the N.Y.P.D. since
9/11.) Clearly, restricting vehicular travel
on these streets will aggravate gridlock, but
by how much, and at what “time cost” to
travelers?
City Hall isn’t saying, of course. But using
the Balanced Transportation Analyzer — an
interactive spreadsheet model of New York
City traffic I’ve created for renowned civic
activist Ted Kheel — it’s possible to make a
rough estimate.
The B.T.A. model has been used mostly
to gauge the revenue and traffic impacts of
different congestion pricing plans. But it can
also predict traffic impacts when more cars
are added to the road system, or when some
streets are repurposed for other uses.
Let’s assume that the N.Y.P.D. restric-
tions will reduce the carrying capacity of
the affected streets by one-quarter (one-half
for more heavily patrolled streets within the
inner section). In that case, the B.T.A. cal-
culates that vehicles in the area will expend
2,200 additional hours stuck in traffic each
and every weekday.
Scaled to a full year, that translates to $30
million in lost time for area motorists, truck-
ers, taxi riders and bus passengers.
This may look like a mere drop in the
gridlock bucket, which costs the region $13
billion a year, according to the Partnership
for New York City. And it pales beside the
estimated $200 million a year for police
hardware and overtime. But locally, where
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
life entitlement of not just East Tribeca, but
also FiDi and Gateway? Residents from all 3
communities not only don’t get zoned to their
first choice school, but are zoned to a school in
a disconnected, separate neighborhood from
their own. Go figure.
tiredmom
It needs to be iterated and reiterated that
Option 2 places the children of middle income
renters, such as residents at 89 Murray, in
P.S. 234. It’s imprecise and misleading to
characterize the proponents of Option 2 as all
real estate-boom elites, while the residents of
New York’s Financial District and northern
and eastern areas of Tribeca are character-
ized as the hard-working New Yorkers of old
downtown. Tribeca is gentrified from top to
bottom. The mixture of social classes that used
to characterize lower Manhattan is history. ...
Neither zoning option is an adequate response
to the Real Estate Investment Trust boom that
descended on Lower Manhattan and changed
its face forever. For now, one bad option must
be taken over another; and the community
most of the lost time will tick away, the
impact will be tangible — particularly in
Chinatown, the epicenter of post-9/11 busi-
ness closings and a big part of the area tar-
geted by the N.Y.P.D.
Yet the new gridlock during the tri-
als could be mitigated, and perhaps even
offset altogether, if the city took aggressive
steps to reduce unnecessary car commuting
into Lower Manhattan. Using the B.T.A.,
I calculate that eliminating 4,000 to 5,000
daily round-trips by car into and out of the
Foley Square area would enable traffic to
keep moving at current speeds, despite the
expected travel restrictions.
That is, even with street capacity reduced
by 25 percent throughout the N.Y.P.D.’s soft
perimeter, traffic speeds could be kept con-
stant via a 4,000 to 5,000-car reduction in
commuting in the vicinity of Foley Square.
This calculation is extremely prelimi-
nary and should be firmed up by a street-
level engineering analysis. And it could be
upended by other disruptions. As noted by
veteran engineer Brian Ketcham, who serves
as a traffic expert for Community Board
3, upcoming work on the Brooklyn Bridge
could force thousands of extra vehicles onto
the Manhattan Bridge. Still more disruptions
would result from digging under Chatham
Square for the city’s third water tunnel, not
to mention installing city D.O.T.’s controver-
sial makeover for the square.
All of which necessitates bold steps to
avert a traffic and economic nightmare for
Chinatown and the Civic Center area.
The most effective immediate step, and
the fairest as well, would be for the mayor to
unequivocally declare and enforce zero toler-
ance for the placard abuse that in effect pays
must demand that developers and REITs must
fund schools before they get to take their
enormous profits home. The sniping evident in
this conversation is like watching chess pieces
argue among themselves, while the creators of
this educational crisis simply escape the con-
troversy, profits intact.
Brian Prager
“Silver backs school Option 3R” (news
article, posted Jan. 26):
If you want to get it right, put option 3
(not 3R) back on the table for the vote tomor-
row. Option 3 originally proposed by Michael
Markowitz was taken off the table too quickly.
People who live north of Chambers St. are more
likely to take Tribeca Bridge (Tribeca Bridge is
on the north side of Chambers St.) to safely
cross West St. The North Tribeca community
would be kept together and crossing West St.
will be a little safer because Tribeca Bridge is
on their route to PS 89. And crossing Tribeca
Bridge is safer than crossing Chambers St.
Between Options 2 and 3R, option 2 is the most
sensible option. Between Options 3R and 3 (off
19
thousands of government workers to drive
their single-occupant vehicles into Lower
Manhattan.
Even today, despite a heralded crackdown
or two, no one knows how many police offi-
cers, court officers, judges, assistant district
attorneys, their enormous staffs, and assort-
ed hangers-on continue to enjoy the coveted
— and outrageous — free-parking placards.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be too hard to pull
thousands of these “perks” and thereby steer
these workers onto the same subways, buses,
bicycles and sensible shoes that the rest of us
use to get to work in Lower Manhattan.
Not only would the benefit outlast the
terror trial. Extirpating privileged park-
ing from Lower Manhattan would also aid
“upstream” communities whose streets and
roads are clogged due to subsidized driving
by government employees.
The alternative is to move the trial out of
Lower Manhattan altogether, perhaps via the
Menin plan, which received another boost
this week from New York Times colum-
nist Clyde Haberman. To his credit, Police
Commissioner Kelly appeared open to con-
sidering Governors Island as a venue — at
least before federal officials warned him off
the idea, according to The Times.
If other sites for the trial are indeed off
the table — and the feds’ arguments should
be carefully scrutinized — Mr. Kelly’s good
intentions should be channeled into termi-
nating Placard World once and for all. It may
not spare Downtown from the helicopters
and the rest, but it would be an enduring
boon to our quality of life.
Charles Komanoff, an economist, lives in
Tribeca and works in the Financial District.
the table), option 3 (not 3R) makes the most
sense. Option 2 will keep families safe. Option
3 (not 3R) will make most of lower Manhattan
happy and crossing West St. a little safer.
Option3Not3R
On behalf of (now) over 1600 residents of
all 4 communities in Lower Manhattan, I con-
gratulate Speaker Silver for providing clarity in
the zoning issue and support to our children
and our communities. We also thank him for
taking seriously the safety of our children on
both the South and North ends of the West
Side Highway. The sad reality is that we don’t
yet have enough school seats for our kids and
by 2011 we will likely ALL face overcrowding
again. I hope we can now turn our collective
energy and resources, black and red, towards
working together to make sure our 5 schools
remain as stellar as they are. Kimberly Busi,
M.D. Co-President PTA and Core SLT member,
The Spruce Street School, south financial dis-
trict homeowner and Tribeca business owner.
Kim Busi
20 Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 downtown express

Downtown basketball action

76ERS VS. KINGS
(MANHATTAN YOUTH)
The 76ers, coming off a disappoint-
ing loss last week to the Suns, were
anxious to face Jeff Pine’s Kings in a
recent Manhattan Youth basketball league
game.
Lamont Williams stepped in and
administered a basketball boot camp to
the 76ers in the absence of their coach.
Twenty-three seconds in, though, Zach
Pine scored for the Kings. Coby Caraballo
followed with a sweet shot from the cor-
ner, and the score was 4-0 Kings. Justin
Wenig was fouled while shooting a three-
pointer and made a free throw to put the
76ers on the board with four points. Then
in another exciting play, Wenig rebounded
from under the Kings basket, took it
down court in a breakaway, and was
fouled in the act of making his layup. He
made both shots, and the score was 6-6.
Pine was fouled in the act of shooting as
well, making both the layup and his free
throws. Alec Tullock scored for the 76ers
and the first quarter ended with an 11-8
lead for the Kings.
Tullock closed the gap with a basket
at the beginning of the second. Minutes
passed with no score, as both teams
turned the ball over and missed shots.
Then Stapler made a good play, resulting
in a basket for the Kings. Tyler Rohan
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did a great job of closing the middle to
keep the Kings from cruising down the
center. Tullock answered with his own
basket, followed by a stellar three-pointer
at the buzzer, putting the 76ers in the lead
for the first time this season at 17-13!
In the third quarter, Stapler made a
fine steal and took it down for a layup.
Pine shot and scored to tie the game
at 17. Stapler put the Kings back in
the lead with another basket, and made
one of his free throws when fouled. His
second shot was plucked from the air
by teammate Pine, who scored. Then
the 76ers’ Mack Velle passed to Aidan
Rogers, who scored. Will Merrill made
a great play for the Kings and scored his
first basket of the game. Velle started a
fire for the 76ers, persevering under the
basket and scoring three in a row for his
team. Rohan’s breakaway was halted by
the Kings’ defense, but his pass to Velle
was converted to a sky hook, and at the
whistle the 76ers were ahead 29-26.
At the start of the 4th, the Kings’ Gabe
Leitner, who was all over the court, stole
the ball. (When asked to comment on
this, he said “That’s my job.”) But there
were too many three second violations
for the Kings, and they were unable to
keep the ball long enough to score. Velle
went coast to coast for another basket for
the 76ers. His teammate Rogers made a
fine bounce pass to Velle for another 2
points. Rogers and Rohan continued to
play great defense for the 76ers. Max
Ripps took a shot, but Caraballo’s defense
kept him from scoring. Pine’s swoosh
brought the Kings to 28 but the 76ers still
held tough to their lead of 33. William
Steere was brought in to guard his dop-
pelganger Rohan, and forced the ball out
of bounds. Pine was fouled and made
one, but Velle was fouled while shooting
(basket scored), and the final score was
76ers 35, Kings 29.
SALK AT M.A.T.
To face the M.A.T. Junior Varsity team,
Salk brought along a couple of their
Varsity squad, Matthew Tang (5’10”) and
point guard Felipe Mansilla. Mansilla
went right in for a basket to start the
action for Salk. But even with the rein-
forced squad, Salk was only able to score
3 more points against the Chinatown
school A-team (including Doug Stapler,
Ryan Porcaro, Elijah Mateo, Jackie Lau,
Coby Caraballo, Philippe Cox and Sammy
Marciano.)
Porcaro was fouled and made one of
the free throws, bringing the score to 2-1.
Tang used his enormous height advan-
tage to not only block many shots on
defense, but gathered countless rebounds.
His two-pointer brought Salk ahead 4-1.
Porcaro evened it up by rebounding his
own shot and scoring upside-down from
under the basket. Caraballo’s free throw
swish tied the game at four, but Dario
Flores was fouled at the end of the quar-
ter, sinking one more for Salk.
M.A.T.’s B-team (including Julian
Rodriguez, Tyler Rohan, Ben Karam,
Tyler Adams, Greg Mack, Sean Barton
and John Ortiz) faced three of the same
five in the second quarter, and were
unable to prevent Elias Prince from scor-
ing 20 seconds in. Flores added another,
and Tang for the third unanswered bas-
ket, and the score was 13-4. Flores, after
fouling Adams and playing very aggres-
sive defense, scored again despite tough
defense by Mack. Rohan made a sweet
pass through the middle to Mack for
M.A.T.’s first basket in the 2nd quarter.
Hunter Larkin-Weber scored for Salk, and
his teammate’s breakaway and resulting
layup resulted in a frustrating 19-6 score
for M.A.T.
After halftime, Stapler sunk an awe-
some three-pointer for M.A.T. Porcaro
was fouled and made the first of two free
throws. His second careened off the rim
into the up-stretched arms of Stapler,
who sunk it. M.A.T. continued to put the
offensive pressure, but it seemed that
most of the shots teased the net and came
right back out. Stapler led the team with
eight rebounds, and added another bas-
ket, ending the third quarter at 19-13.
Flores scored immediately in the
fourth. Porcaro’s breakaway ended in
another layup that rolled in, then out,
of the basket. Rodriguez was fouled and
sunk a free throw. Flores’ successful layup
for Salk was followed by Karam’s basket,
and the score was 23-15. The atmo-
sphere was intense as M.A.T. struggled to
close the gap. But there was no stopping
Flores. He scored his 11th point with five
minutes left in the game. Tang followed
with another basket for Salk. The M.A.T.
bench erupted when Porcaro passed it to
Rohan who passed it to Mack, who sent it
back to Porcaro, who tipped it to Rohan
for his first of three baskets. His team-
mate Adams was fouled and made one
free throw, but it wasn’t enough to catch
up. Tang rebounded his own shot over
and over until he scored the last basket
for Salk. Mansilla did a great job of run-
ning out the clock, and the final score was
30-24, Salk.

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For an appointment, call 212-941-9095
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 21

ST. GEORGE SCHOOL

WWW.SAINTGEORGESCHOOLS.ORG
Soccer for all 215 East 6th Street, New York, New York 10003
seasons!
VALUES
CHARACTER
LEARNING
EXCELLENCE

Recreational Soccer OPEN HOUSE: Tuesday February 2nd, 2 - 3 p.m.

th
Spring Recreational Soccer will begin on March 20 . Look for
registration on our website on January 20th.
School Break Soccer
Full day programs at Pier 40 for children from 5 to 12 years old.
February 15 – 19, March 29- April 2
All Girls Academy U6 – 9
Serious skills training without the pressure of league play
Tryouts for Travel Teams: some slots open for spring
Girls and Boys Travel & Academy teams U10 – U16.
DUSC fields competitive, creative teams, coached by professionals.
To be considered, contact information@dusc.net.
Summer Camp: June 14 – August 20
Half- and Full-day options available. Soccer + swimming for the full
day. Registration available by day or by week.
Tryouts for NEXT year’s Travel teams will be held in May: look for
information on our website soon.
Now Scheduling Interviews For 2010/11 Registrations
For more information please call 212-473-3130 / Sr. M. Theodosia, OSBM, Principal
Centrally located in the East Village section of Manhattan, St. George School is a unique,
culturally diverse and family oriented community that serves students in grades Pre K –
8. Students attending St. George commute from all boroughs of New York City as well as
outlying counties of New York and New Jersey.
St. George has a proud, long standing tradition of strong academics and is committed to
value centered education and social action. Our students are involved in numerous
charitable drives and participate first hand in our newly instituted recycling program. We
invite you to visit and experience, first hand, our warm learning environment and we
hope you will choose St. George for your child’s education.
• FULL DAY Early Childhood Program Pre K ( ages 3 & 4)
• Strong Academics
• Small Class Size with Individualized Attention
• Affordable Tuition *discounts available for more than one child Pre K -8*
• Secure Environment
• Large, Spacious Facility
• 2 Enclosed Roof Top Play Areas
• State of the Art Sound System
• Smart Board Equipped
• New Science Lab, Computer Lab, Library, Gym/Auditorium, Lunchroom
• After School Program 3:00 PM – 6: 00PM
• Ballroom Dancing, Lego Robotics, Karate, Bandura, etc.

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22
THE NYPD EXPLORERS This after-school program for
youths aged 14-20 years lets its participants (the “Explorers”)
acquire leadership skills while logging community service
hours needed for high school. Participants learn a how to
perform outreach in the community on crime prevention issues
(by joining the Graffiti clean-up program or performing skits on
everything from Search and Seizure procedures to Domestic
Violence). For information, visit www.1stprecinctcc.org.
DEAR EDWINA TheDrama Desk-nominated family musical
is a celebration of friendship and family — centering on the
witty, wise, larger than life Edwina Spoonapple (who doles out
advice, Dear Abby style, to kids). Dec 11 through Feb 15 at the
DR2 Kids Theatre (103 East 15th St, east of Union Square). For
information, visit www.DearEdwina.com.
LIMECAT FAMILY THEATER Their family-friendly production
of The Goldfish Twins Swim the Big Blue Sea” plays through
Jan 31, 2010 every Sun, Noon, at the Actors Temple; 339 W.
47th St). For a complete schedule, visit www.limecat.org. For
tickets, visit www.telecharge.com or call 212-239-6200.
STUDIO TOURS The Little Airplane Studio Tour gives kids
an insider’s look at how children’s television is made. Every
aspect of production — from writing to animation to voice-
over recording — will be explained to families by the Little
Airplane creative team. Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 11am
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Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
and 3pm; at 207 Front Street (South Street Seaport). $10
per person; reservations required. Call 212-965-8999 or visit
www.littleairplane.com.
GLOBAL STORY HOUR Through weekly stories, participants
learn about new countries and cultures, participate in interac-
tive activities, and learn how to make a difference. Every Tues
at 3:30pm. Action Center to End World Hunger, 6 River Terrace,
Battery Park City. Call 212-537-0511 or visit actioncenter.org.
TODDLER PLAY GROUP Story time, play time and fun edu-
cational activities are all part of the Community Toddler Play
Group for parents with their children. Foster your toddler’s
imagination through history, science and maritime-themed
activities using interactive materials and engaging book
readings.$7 per child, free to family members, Every Wed,
1-2:30pm, South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street.
Call 212-748-8786 or visit southstreetseaportmuseum.org.
PLAYDATE AND NEW PARENT DROP IN The Playdate
“Drop-In” is a great place to bring toddlers. While the children
play together, parents can socialize in the Parenting Center.
The New Parent “Drop-In” gives new parents the chance
to discuss their concerns and ask questions. Topics include
feeding, sleeping, creating support networks. Punch card
for 10 sessions is $100. Playdate Drop-Ins are Mon & Thurs,
10-11:30am and Tues 3-4:30pm. New Parent Drop-Ins are Mon
ects. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon,
37)--).',%33/.3
YOUTH
ACTIVITIES
1:30-3:30pm. Educational Alliance Downtown Parenting Cen-
ter,197 East Broadway (between Jefferson & Clinton St). Visit
edalliance.org.
TEEN ENTREPRENEUR BOOT CAMP Learn how to launch
a business — then do it for real. Your team will conduct
industry research, and work with the designer on product
development — sourcing, creating a marketing/sales strate-
gy, then preparing a presentation to retail buyers. Graduates
emerge with a letter of confirmation and an executed busi-
ness plan that shows the results of your efforts to perspec-
tive employers and investors. Camp sessions run Feb 15-19,
March 29-April 2 and April 5-9 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm). $429 for
the 5-day workshop. In grades 8-12 and up for the challenge?
There are only 9 students per project. For more information,
visit www.teenentrepreneurbootcamp.org or contact Pam at
212-227-7276.
TRIBECA CINEMA KIDS CLUB This new series features
classic short and feature length films. “Tribeca Cinema Kids
Club” screens flicks appropriate for all ages — augmented by
Q&A sessions, arts and crafts, live music and (healthy) snacks!
Tickets: $7 for under 14, $12 for double feature. Adults (over
14): $10, $18 for double feature. Purchase in advance at www.
tribecafilm.com/kidsclub on the day of event (btw 9am and
2pm) at the Tribeca Cinemas Box Office, 54 Varick St. For info,
call 212-941-2001.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS (CMA) Explore
painting, collage, and sculpture through self-guided art proj-
giving children the opportunity to experiment with materials
such as paint, clay, fabric, paper, and found objects. Admission
$10. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm; Thurs, 12-6pm. Children’s Museum
of the Arts, 182 Lafayette Street. Call 212- 274-0986 or visit
cmany.org.
MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S THEATRE Now through Feb.
downtown express
21, “The Little Mermaid.” At 52 White St, 2 blocks south of
Canal Street between Broadway & Church Streets. For tickets,
call 212-352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com. For Theatre
info, call 212-226-4085 or visit www.manhattanchildrensthe-
atre.org.
SUNDAY CHILDREN’S ART CLASSES The Asian American
Arts Centre, in collaboration with Asian Americans for Equal-
ity, sponsors this series. Teacher Bei Wen Tan’s is designed
to stimulate creativity explore artistic originality and cultural
background. Evelyn Yee, LCAT, Art Therapist, will serve as con-
sultant to speak and review the children’s work. Begins Jan 31,
from 11:30am to 4:30pm at 111 Norfolk St on the lower level;
for children from 4 ½ to 14 years old. Parents can register Mon
through Fri, 10am to 5pm at 111 Norfolk. Speak to Jennie Lau.
Tuition is $225 and includes all supplies. Call 212 358 9922. Or
Visit www.artspiral.org.
FUNLAND SPORTS CARNIVAL PS126 Manhattan Acad-
emy of Technology hold its annual Sports Carnival. $5 admis-
sion gets you access to games, sports, a raffle, a silent auc-
tion, music, market, food and more. Sat, Feb. 6, 11am-3pm, at
80 Catherine Street.
CAMP KIDPLAY This free Wednesday morning gathering for
preschoolers includes story time, songs, games, crafts & free
play — all in a camp-themed atmosphere. At the Glad Tidings
Kids Floor, 23 Park Place; Wed mornings, 11am to 12:30pm.
Walk-ins are welcome and all children must be accompanied
by an adult. For info, call 212-563-4437.
MINI MATES: The New Toddler Play Group°Ahoy, moms
and dads! This weekly event features maritime-themed activi-
ties and stories, plus unstructured play. Wed, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24;
11am-12:30pm. At South Street Seaport Museum (12 Fulton
St.). $50 per month. Single day, $15. Member rate, $25 per
month. Call 212-748-8786 or visit www.southstreetseaport-
museum.org.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT IN THE DOWN-
TOWN EXPRESS KIDS LISTINGS? Listings requests may
be e-mailed to scott@downtownexpress.com. Please provide
the date, time, location, price and a description of the event.
Information may also be mailed to 145 Avenue of the Ameri-
cas, New York, NY 10013-1548. Requests must be received
two weeks before the event is to be published. Questions?
Call 646-452-2507.

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downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 23

Trav S.D. on Downtown Theater

Swell February shows on the boards below 14th Street
BY TRAV S.D.

ABOUT LAST MONTH…

In the interest of quality assurance,
your correspondent is obligated to per-
form a not-so-random spot check on some
of the shows he plugged sight unseen the
previous month.
In January, we hit an avant-garde tri-
fecta. First, some good news. Despite
taking a critical bashing from the major
dailies, Young Jean Lee’s “Lear” at Soho
Rep proved to be unexpectedly moving,
relentlessly inventive, deeply transgres-
sive, gorgeously designed, and seamlessly
and acted and directed. I considered it a
privilege to be in the audience.
I also caught “Miranda” at HERE’s
Culturemart. This was a developmental
presentation of a multi-media experimental
opera by Kamala Sankaram. Not only did
she compose the impressive score (which
spans styles from classical to pop to avant-
garde), she also sings the lead — and even
took the photos for the slide projection.
She is aided and abetted by a quintet of
musicians who play the opera’s score as
well as the supporting parts. It’s a sort of
cross between a murder mystery and “The
People’s Court.” While the current work-
shop presentation has now closed, look
for a new iteration of “Miranda” in the Photo by Carol Rosegg
future as HERE moves the project towards Babis Gousias as Lartigue, from “Fêtes de la Nuit” (Feb. 8-27, at the Ohio Theatre)
a full production (Sankaram is one of their
resident artists). ing. For more info see www.revbilly.com. Eltinge” are the members of the outré music Murray Abraham, Romulus Linney, Marian
Lastly, I caught Richard Maxwell’s Transgression of a naughtier sort will duo The Venn Diagrams. Rick Sorkin wrote Seldes, Elaine Stritch, Tammy Grimes,
“ADS” at PS122. Most famous for dead- be the order of the day (or night) in the the tunes; his musical partner Jeffery Marsh Phoebe Legere and Besty Von Furstenberg.
pan productions of his own plays (and developmental production of drag artiste plays the title character. Find out more at The event is a steal at $125 a ticket. If you
nearly causing riots at BAM’S NextWave Charles Busch’s new play “The Divine www.dixonplace.org. attend, that’ll be me stuffing roast beef into
Festival by violating Shakespeare), in Sister” — opening at Theater for the New If you’re looking for some Valentine- my brief case. Ticket info: theaterforth-
“ADS” Maxwell has gone even further in City, February 6. This outrageous comic themed action, there are a couple of prom- enewcity.net.
testing the boundaries of theatre and art. homage to nearly every Hollywood film ising possibilities on the calendar this When is a theatre not a theatre? When
In reality, his current show might be more involving nuns, [including] “The Song of month. it is three theatres. This is the case with
accurately described as a documentary Bernadette,” “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” “The Charles Mee’s “Fêtes de la Nuit” — the Horse Trade Theater Group’s constel-
film. It consists of a series of projected, Singing Nun” and “Agnes of God” stars Julie billed as a “deliciously naughty valentine lation of off-off houses: The Red Room,
life-sized videos of the philosophical rumi- Halston, and Busch himself as the Mother to Paris” — will be premiering at the Ohio The Kraine Theater, and Under St. Marks.
nations of a couple dozen ordinary citi- Superior. If you only know Busch Theatre on February 8. Mee is best known All three will be home to Horse Trade’s
zens. There are no live actors present, nor from his movies “Die, Mommie, Die!” and for his collage-like regurgitations of exist- 4th annual Frigid New York Festival
could their monologues be described as “Psycho Beach Party,” this is a rare chance ing texts. The Greeks are one of his more (February 24-March 7). And no, the shows
scripted drama. But I see no reason to to see the actor/playwright perform live in frequent sources. Years ago, I saw his are not all about Long Island housewives.
define it at all, and I feel enriched for hav- one of the LES theatres that gave him his play “True Love” (a sort of white trash Of the 30 or shows in the lineup, a couple
ing experienced whatever it was. start. The show runs through March 7. For “Phaedra”) at the now-defunct Zipper. I’ll in particular stand out as worth a look.
more info: theaterforthenewcity.net. always remember with fondness the scene “The Bike Trip” by Martin Dockery bills
HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY... If you like your drag more historical, where the completely nude woman seduces itself as a “breathtaking quest to uncover
Pompadoured Politico (and former there’s always “Julian Eltinge” — opening her 14 year-old stepson. Publicity materials the nature of the psychedelic experience.”
Green Party mayoral candidate) Reverend at Dixon Place on February 12. Don’t know for the current show mention that three of I had a chance to see sections from his last
Billy will be holding a “revival” with his who Eltinge was? Fie on ye! He was only the cast members are deaf, and the produc- Frigid show “The Surprise” (one of the hits
Life After Shopping Gospel Choir at 92Y the most famous of all of vaudeville’s female tion incorporates American Sign Language. of last year). Dockery is a funny, engag-
Tribeca on February 6. I’ve presented this impersonators (back when they called them “Fêtes de la Nuit” will play at the Ohio ing and mind-blowing actor. I think if we
man, I’ve interviewed him, I’ve talked to female impersonators). To his dying day through February 27. For more info: www. throw an acid trip into the mix we can be
him, I’ve watched him perform – and I still he claimed not to be gay. We’ll see what Fetesnyc.com. assured of a rambunctious ride. Also, for
don’t know what the hell he is. He’s kind of this play has to say about that! It’s writ- If you’re looking to gawk at bold-faced reasons wholly academic, I find myself
a cross between Andy Kaufman and Abby ten by Clay McCleod Chapman, a fiction names (and pay for the privilege) there’s drawn to a production called “Uncorseted”
Hoffman. While he seems to be portraying a writer best known to audiences as the force always “Love ‘n Courage” — Theater for — which is advertised to concern the
Jimmy Swaggart-esque preacher, everything behind the sporadic revue “The Pumpkin the New City’s Valentine’s Day themed adventures of a “countess” and a “cham-
he says could be coming out of the mouth Pie Show.” Clay performs his own work far annual gala. It takes place this year at the ber maid” who “freely explore” their “true
of Michael Moore — and onstage or off, he better than most other authors I’ve had to National Arts Club on February 22. Hosted identities.” I’ll be outside the theatre with
never drops character. If you don’t dig his sit through (with the possible exception of by Charles Busch and Julie Halston (them a sleeping bag the night before this show
politics, his weirdness alone is sufficient a Charles Dickens impersonator, but that again), the event will feature presenta- opens — and next month, I’ll report back
spectacle — plus his gospel choir is amaz- doesn’t count). His collaborators on “Julian tions by Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, F. on what I find.
24
KOCH
ON FILM
“LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT THE
ISLE OF WIGHT 1970” (NO RAT-
ING)
Last year, I went to see Leonard Cohen’s
sold-out performance at Madison Square
Garden (at $250 a ticket). I had never heard
of him, but my companions extolled his
art, particularly his lyrics. Those lyrics are
deemed to be poetry by his followers — very
much in the style of Bob Dylan. The audi-
ence couldn’t get enough of him.
I did not particularly enjoy that concert
and wondered if I would feel differently
about Cohen and his talents if I didn’t have
to pay such a hefty price to see him perform.
So I decided to see this documentary, which
covers his 1970 concert performance on
the Isle of Wight that went on for five days
before an audience of 600,000. Judy Collins,
Joan Baez and Kris Kristofferson also per-
formed at that event; but their performances
are not shown in the film. They are, how-
ever, interviewed on Leonard Cohen.
The difference in concert and movie
ticket price did not cause me to change my
mind. I found Cohen to be far better in
both voice and presentation in his Garden
performance than he was in 1970, but I have
concluded that he has a cult following, and I
 
 

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Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
am not caught up in the spell.
Joan Baez, whom I still adore after so
many years, is interviewed in the documen-
tary saying that Cohen’s presentation proves
that lyrics and their meaning are unimport-
ant if he reaches you down deep as Cohen
does. Maybe he does for some, but certainly
not for me.
Under these circumstances, it would be
unfair of me to pin a plus or minus on this
film. Those who are part of his cult should
definitely see it. Those who have never seen
him perform, should also see the movie so
that you can judge his talents for yourselves
rather than be influenced by an octogenar-
ian who still considers Dylan’s “Blowin’ in
the Wind” and Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust”
to be two of the greatest folk songs ever
written.
The film is playing at the Cinema Village
— one of my favorite theaters. It shows off-
beat films and has comfortable seats.
1 hour, 4 minutes. At Cinema Village (22
East 12 St., btw. Fifth Ave. and University
Place). For information, call 212-924-3363.
“THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN” (-)
While not a terrible picture, this is cer-
tainly not a first-rate movie. The narrative
consists of several stories and subplots, and
the main characters in each are linked to one
another. Those subplots, however, are not
fleshed out in the style of Robert Altman’s
film “Short Cuts.”
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Emilie Dequenne as Jeanne in “The Girl
on the Train”
The main character in is Jeanne (Emilie
Dequenne) — who is unemployed and
lives with her mother, Louise (Catherine
Deneuve). On one of her skating jaunts,
Jeanne meets the charming but threatening
Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle), and is smit-
ten by him. We learn that Franck, who is
covered with tattoos, has been in prison.
Although Jeanne has few secretarial skills,
she applies for an office position with a well-
regarded lawyer — Samuel Bleistein (Michel
Blanc), and his office manager, Judith (Ronit
Elkabetz). Years ago, Samuel was in love
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with Jeanne’s mother, Louise, before she
married her now-deceased husband who
was a close friend of Bleistein. Bleistein’s
son, Alex (Mathieu Demy), is divorced
from Judith. Their son, Nathan (Jeremy
Quaegebeur), is about to be bar mitzvahed.
Later in the movie, Jeanne, who is not
Jewish, tells the police that she was attacked
by Muslims (North Africans) on a train who
tore off her clothes and daubed swastikas
into her flesh. That incident was investi-
gated and proven false, and in the movie we
see Jeanne inflict the wounds on herself.
The movie is made up of unfulfilled pos-
sibilities. Some of the scenes are interesting,
but a film with a solid story it is not.
Henry Stern said: “This movie makes
sense if it is a reasonable recounting of the
contrived anti-Semitic incident. We don’t
know. If not, it is simply an entertaining
slice of life picture — well photographed
and acted, with a plot totally unlikely to have
occurred; but so what? The title is irrelevant
to the plot. There are periodic shots of speed-
ing railways cars, which I took as Freudian.
“Murder on the Orient Express” this film is
definitely not — but it is one movie that pres-
ents Jews in a favorable light (best bar mitz-
vah scene since “Sunday Bloody Sunday”)
and we should be thankful for that.”
1hour, 45 minutes. In French and
Hebrew, with English subtitles. Screening
at, among other places, the IFC Center (323
Avenue of the Americas). For information,
call 212-924-7771.
downtown express
JAZZ NIGHT Ever yFriday through
March, take the winter blues away
with this weekly event (free to mem-
bers). 7-9pm, at the Downtown Com-
munity Center (120 Warren Street).
Call 212-766-1104 or visit www.Man-
hattanYouth.org.
FUNLAND SPORTS CARNI-
VAL PS126 Manhattan Academy of
Technology hold its annual Sports
Carnival. $5 admission gets you access
to games, sports, a raffle, a silent auc-
tion, music, market, food and more.
Sat, Feb. 6, 11am-3pm, at 80 Catherine
Street.
“TENEMENT TALKS presents Mor-
ris Dickstein (author of “Dancing In the
Dark: A Cultural History of the Great
Depression”) is joined by David Free-
land (author of “Automats, Taxi Danc-
es, and Vaudeville: Excavating Manhat-
tan’s Lost Places of Leisure’). Both will
discuss how hard times impacted the
cultural landscape of 1930s NYC. Free.
Wed., Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. at the Lower
East Side Tenement Museum Shop
(108 Orchard St.). Call 212-982-8420 or
visit www.tenement.org.
SENIOR AEROBICS AND
SWIM Seniors 65 and up who live
downtown can swim free in the Down-
town Community Center’s very warm,
very beautiful pool (after you fill out a
no-hassle registration form). Mondays
through Fridays Noon to 1:30pm. If
swimming on your own isn’t your cup
of tea, their Water Aerobics class is
offered Mon-Fri, 12:45-1:20pm. At the
Downtown Community Center, 120
Warren Street. For more information,
call 212-766-1104 or visit www.man-
hattanyouth.org.
CITY WINERY Every Sunday, the
Klezmer Brunch Series pairs top tier
musicians with top tier lox and bagels.
At City Winery (155 Varick St at Van-
dam). Call 212-608-0555 or, for a full
schedule of upcoming events, visit
www.citywinery.com.
NO LONGER EMPTY The nonprofit
cadre of advocates, curators and art-
ists who orchestrate public art exhibi-
tions in vacated NYC storefronts and
properties — have occupied the cav-
ernous former site of Tower Records.
There, you’ll find “Never Records”
— a fictional store whose premise
is equal parts parody, nostalgia and
commentary on what we lose when
the economy tanks and downloading
makes retail record stores utterly irrel-
evant. The imaginative exhibit contains
way more hits than misses — plus
one utterly pretentious entry that will
tempt you to run screaming from the
faux store. Stay for awhile, though, and
you’ll be richly rewarded. Wed through
Sun, Noon to 7pm. Through Feb. 13.
Free; at the former Tower Records
(Broadway and 4th St.). Thurs., Feb. 4
(7-9 p.m.), in-store performances from
Disco Monkeys and Oxygen Ensemble.
Sat., Feb. 6 (7-9 p.m.), “The Jon Heri-
ngton Band” includes Steely Dan’s
Dennis Espantman on bass. For more
info., visit www.nolongerempty.com.
GALLERIES
& EXHIBITS
BELOW CANAL
ROSE BURLINGHAM/LIVING ROOM
GALLERY: “Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh:
New Paintings.” In her first New
York solo exhibition, this young Irish
painter will present works that evoke
vast, generic spaces. Through Feb. 10
(15 Park Row, Apt. 16e, South of City
Hall Park). Call 646-229-0998 or visit
www.roseburlingham.com.
APEXART: “The Incidental Person.”
Curated by Antony Hudek, this group
show was inspired by an the expres-
sion “the Incidental Person,” which
was coined by the the late British art-
ist and co-founder of Artist Placement
Group, John Latham. Through Feb. 20
(291 Church St.). Call 212-431-5270 or
visit www.apexart.org.
GEORGE GUSTAV HEYE CENTER:
“A Song for the Horse Nation.” The
exhibition presents the epic story of the
horse’s influence on American Indian
tribes from the 1600s to the present
and includes ledger drawings, hoof
ornaments, hide robes, and paintings.
Through Jul. 17 (1 Bowling Green). Call
212-514-3700 or visit www.nmai.si.edu.
BEAUTY SURROUNDS US Visitors
can see a unique display including an
elaborate Quechua girl’s dance outfit, a
Northwest Coast chief’s staff with carved
animal figures and crests, Seminole
turtle shell dance leggings, a conch shell
trumpet from pre-Columbian Mexico, and
an Inupiak (Eskimo) ivory cribbage board.
Two interactive media stations show visi-
tors in-depth descriptions of each object.
Ongoing through March, 2010,at the
National Museum of the American Indian
(One Bowling Green). Call 212-514-3700,
or visit nmai.si.edu.
CITY HALL PARK (ORGANIZED BY
PUBLIC ART FUND): “Peter Coffin:
Untitled.” The installation features
monumental silhouettes of iconic sculp-
tures. Through May 2010 (Broadway and
Park Row). Call 212-980-4575 or visit
www.publicartfund.org/petercoffin.
THE SKYSCRAPER MUSE-
UM: “China Prophecy: Shanghai.” This
multi-media exhibition examines Shang-
hai’s evolving identity as a skyscraper
metropolis. Through March (39 Battery
Pl.). Call 212-945-6324 or visit www.
skyscraper.org.
Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
International Telegraph & Telephone: Byzantine-style
mosaic
NEW MUSEUM, URS FISCH-
ER: Marguerite de Ponty; through
February 7, 2010; at 235 Bowery. Call
212-219-1222 or visit www.newmu-
seum.org.
SOHO / WEST
VILLAGE
FRONT DESK APPARATUS: “The
Obstacle is Tautology.” This group
show was curated by Amir Mogharabi
and Benoit Mair, featuring Adrian Piper,
COCO DU NOM, Guy de Cointet, Jef-
frey Perkins, Jesse Cohen, Joelle Lean-
dre, La Monte Young, Lucie Fontaine,
and Soma Wingelaar. Through Feb.
6 (54 King St., btw. Varick St. and 6th
Ave). Call 917-475-1562 or visit www.
frontdeskapparatus.com.
GREY ART GALLERY: “Downtown
Pix: Mining the Fales Archives, 1961–
1991.” This exhibition features over
300 photographs, videos, and printed
materials from the acclaimed collec-
tions of Fales Library at New York Uni-
versity. Through Apr. 3 (100 Washing-
ton Square East). Call 212-998-6780 or
visit www.nyu.edu/greyart.
HOUS PROJECTS: “Versus.” This
group exhibition featuring various
photographers was curated by Ruben
Natal-San Miguel. Through Mar. 8 (31
Howard St., 2nd Fl., btw. Broadway
and Crosby St.). Call 212-941-5801 or
visit www.housprojects.com
RONALD FELDMAN FINE
She shoots, she tours: Photo by Gail Cornell
ARTS: “One Part Human: Simone
Jones, Brian Knep, Max Dean, Raffael-
lo D’Andrea, and Matt Donovan.” This
group show explores how computer
science has informed contemporary
art. Through Feb. 15 (31 Mercer St.,
below Grand St.). Call 212-226-3232 or
visit www.feldmangallery.com.
SMALL A PROJECTS: “Point to one
end, which is always present.” This
exhibition features works by Allyson
Vieira, Bob Linder, Dan Attoe, Lauren
McKeon, Shana Lutker and Will Rogan.
Through Feb. 14 (261 Broome St., btw.
Allen and Orchard St.). Call 212-274-
25
THE LISTINGS
Pick of the Week
Architectural Styles
Walking Tour
Want to get some really good exercise?
Put on your comfortable shoes and walk
to the Financial District (unless you live
there already). Then, and only then, will
you be in the right place for the “Know
Your Architectural Styles Walking Tour.”
Never again experience the heartbreak that
comes from confusing Doric, Ionic and Co-
rinthian. How? By learning about historic
architectural styles during this 90-minute
walking tour led by historian Gail Cornell.
Sun, Feb 7 (rain/snow date, Feb. 14), 11am
to 12:30pm; at Federal Hall, NE corner of
Wall & Nassau Streets. $15. For more in-
formation, call 212-267-0024 or visit www.
architecturaltraveler.com.
0761 or visit www.smallaprojects.com. Eldridge St. below Delancey St.). Call
212-966-3411 or visit www.woodward-
TEAM: “Stanley Whitney.” This gallery.net.
exhibition features new works by the
acclaimed painter, who continues LISTINGS REQUESTS for the
his focus on blocks of vibrant color. Downtown Express may be mailed to
Through Feb. 6 (83 Grand St., btw. Listings Editor at 145 Avenue of the
Wooster and Greene St.). Call 212-279- Americas, New York, NY 10013 or
9219 or visit www.teamgal.com. e-mailed to scott@downtownexpress.
com. Please include listings in the
W O O D W A R D G A L L E R Y: “ B i g subject line of the e-mail and provide
Paper Winter.” This group exhibition the date, time, location, price and a
is focused on works on paper and description of the event. Information
includes various high profile artists, must be received two weeks before the
such as Basquiat, Calder, de Koon- event is to be published. Questions?
ing, and Warhol. Through Feb. 27 (133 Call 646-452-2507.
26
Buhmann on Art
February exhibits worth checking out
BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN
Last month, art galleries in all of
the city’s neighborhoods re-opened their
doors, cautiously tiptoeing into 2010. Of
the shows recommended in last month’s
column, especially Elisabeth Subrin at
Sue Scott Gallery and Inka Essenhigh
at 303 Gallery succeeded in attracting
considerable crowds. Essenhigh surprised
many of her longtime followers with a
new mélange of landscape painting and
19th Century mysticism, while Subrin’s
retrospective demonstrates how good
conceptual video art can be a serious and
poetic affair.
In January, the most shocking art-relat-
ed news involved Downtown’s biggest
gallery — Deitch Projects. Jeffrey Deitch,
one of the city’s most influential art deal-
ers (his artists consistently appear inter-
national museum exhibitions and bienni-
als), announced that he would leave the
gallery world to become the new director
of the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art. While according to Deitch, parts
of his business might be transferred to
some of his employees, it certainly means
the end of Deitch Projects as we know
it. It also means a considerable loss for
SOHO. Deitch’s transition is unusual, as
art dealers rarely abandon the gallery for
the museum world. It might be a sign that
times are somewhat changing, and it sure-
ly is a testament to what many galleries
and museums have in common: a passion
for discovering, growing, and maintaining
artistic talent.
It is likely that many of this year’s
gallery exhibitions will reveal a stronger
focus on curatorial concepts, featuring
less commercial fare. If sales are slow
anyway, why not showcase more daring
projects, such as large-scale installations?
Some examples will be on view starting
this month.
“Vaga Lume” is the title of Valeska
Soares’ upcoming installation at Eleven
Rivington (11 Rivington St., Feb. 28 –
Apr. 11. Reception: Feb. 28; coincides
with an installation Uptown at Greenberg
Van Doren Gallery, 730 Fifth Ave. Feb.
18 – Mar. 21).
Hundreds of individual light bulbs will
be anchored into the ceiling. Each can be
turned on or off by a beaded chain that
will extend vertically from the ceiling to
the floor. These chains will fill the space
as much as they will aid in veiling it. As
is the case in many of Soares’ works, the
audience becomes a crucial part of the
overall dynamic of the work. Here, each
visitor will be encouraged to enter the
installation and manipulate the appear-
ance of the piece by controlling the light.
The experience will be sensual and some-
what dreamlike. It is Soares’ hope that
immersing oneself in “Vaga Lume” (which
means ‘firefly’) will be like standing “in
the middle of a waterfall, looking at con-
stellations in the sky.”
Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010
Katie Holten’s “North Brother Island, New York” (2009; Archival pigment print on
fiber-based Hahnemuhle baryta photo rag)
Katie Holten, who represented Ireland
in the 2003 Venice Biennial, examines the
meaning of place and her work manifests
as an ongoing investigation of the rela-
tionship between man and nature. “The
Golden Bough II” (LMAKprojects, 139
Eldridge St., Feb. 20 – Mar. 28. Reception:
Feb. 20, 6 – 8 p.m.) is inspired by a recent
study which determined the color of the
universe — meaning the color one would
see if one could view all the visible light
in the universe together. Astronomers at
the John Hopkins University in Baltimore
claimed this color would be turquoise
before revising it to beige. Holten, who
usually works in black and white, will
color the gallery in the stipulated hues
— transforming the gallery space into
her version of the universe. In addition,
she will install sculptures, wall texts and
drawings to help the audience navigate
this minute galactic sphere. Following
Holten’s acclaimed public art project at
the Bronx Museum in 2009, this exhibi-
tion will be a great opportunity to expe-
rience this artist’s work on an intimate
scale.
The debate about whether illustration
can be considered fine art or whether
it belongs to an inferior category is an
old, exhausting one. However, today’s art
world has become more lenient, noting
that many painters of the past and present
have been inspired by illustration.
Robert Crumb and Saul Steinberg
are two well-known artists whose works
are exhibited in prominent galleries and
museums. In addition, illustrations that
were originally created as commercial
assignments by art stars like Andy Warhol
Image courtesy of LMAKprojects
Image courtesy of the artist and LUMAS New York
Wolfgang Joop’s “Eine Dame mit
Straußen” (2000/2009; Lambda Color
Photograph, Signed)
or Ad Reinhardt, for example, have long
been considered fine art. However, fash-
ion illustrations — even those by the most
prominent designers — are still lost in a
kind of Twilight Zone. They are hardly
shown in galleries or museums, at least
outside the costume department.
A show that aims to overstep these tra-
ditional limitations is “Fashion Fantasy”
— which features works by one of
Germany’s best-known fashion designers
— Wolfgang Joop (LUMAS New York, 77
downtown express
Wooster St., Feb. 11 – Mar. 10. Reception:
Feb. 10, 6 - 8 p.m.). The focus will be on
works created between 2000 and 2007.
While inspired by fashion, they promise
to go beyond the simple sketch. Many of
Joop’s pieces are inspired by nineteenth
century aesthetics, emulating the expres-
sion and style of pre-Raphaelites such as
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones and Dante
Gabriel Rossetti.
Sears-Peyton Gallery will present “A
Persistent Absence” — featuring Bo
Joseph (210 11th Ave., Suite 802, Feb.
11 – Mar. 13. Reception: Feb. 11, 6 - 8
p.m.). The New York-based Joseph has
just returned from a three-month stay in
Berlin and the show will highlight paint-
ings and large-scale drawings he devel-
oped overseas. Inspired by Berlin’s cycli-
cal layering of destruction and reinven-
tion, Joseph’s new body of work explores
absences that still define the city’s identi-
ty. However, Joseph’s language is abstract
and his references are far from literal. The
symbols defining Joseph’s visuals include
people, places and simple objects (such
as paving stones that recently helped to
patch up the scars left in Berlin’s streets
after the removal of the Berlin Wall). He
has scavenged imagery of objects that
transcend cultural boundaries from vari-
ous print media, and superimposed these
to create dense webs of line and gestural
fields of color. In Josephs’ work, roles
are often reversed as objects can appear
as voids and negative spaces as form. “A
Persistent Absence” guarantees a sophis-
ticated fusion of complex ideas with a
unique painterly style.
Pace Wildenstein will host its first
solo exhibition of Sterling Ruby, who
only joined this prestigious gallery last
year. (545 W. 22nd St., Feb. 5 – Mar.
20. Reception: Feb. 4, 6 – 8 p.m.). The
installation — entitled “2TRAPS” —
will include two large-scale sculptural
works which Ruby created in his Los
Angeles studio. “Bus” will feature a pub-
lic transportation vehicle that has been
transformed into a ready-made sculpture.
Outfitted with a series of interior solitary
confinement cages, speakers, sub-woof-
ers, chrome fixtures, and exterior security
doors, it promises to establish a thrillingly
claustrophobic environment. The other
work, “PIG PEN” will translate as a mas-
sive rectangular grid. It will be configured
from a series of smaller custom-built
rectangular blocks — each of which is
comprised of four metal security doors
that are identical to those found on urban
homes.
Ruby explores the themes of liberation
and repression, and his work often alludes
to places of confinement — where life
seems stagnant and isolated. A critical hom-
age to all traps created by and for humans,
“2TRAPS” will certainly be one of the more
radical exhibitions staged by this usually
more traditional powerhouse.
downtown express Januar y 29 - Februar y 4, 2010 27

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this sound like you? If so, come and try out for
your chance to star in a national ad. For more
information visit HelpFlo.com/newyork

Thursday and Friday, January 28 and 29

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10011

Visit HelpFlo.com / newyork

No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest runs 1/25/10 - 3/21/10. Open to adult residents of the U.S. Official rules at HelpFlo.com.
Progressive Marketing, 300 North Commons Blvd, Mayfield Village, OH 44143. 09P00757.NP (01/10)