west side spirit december 29, 2011

December 29, 2011 Since 1983

News: Jewish Home Lifecaresets date to break ground Page 6

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2 • west side spirit • december 29, 2011 News YOU LiVe BY

Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth

Stay Uptown on New Year’s Eve

You don’t have to drag yourself downtown—or heaven forbid to Times Square—to have a blast. Here are just a few ways to ring in 2012 from the com-forts of the Upper West Side (and a little bit on the East Side).

Midnight Run in Central ParkThe Emerald Nuts Midnight Run

kicks off at the stroke of 12 from Central Park’s 72nd Street Transverse just south of Cherry Hill. Runners then proceed through a four-mile course, heading east and north before looping back around at the 102nd Street Transverse and fin-ishing back at 72nd Street. The brave-legged can still register for the race at the New York Road Runners headquarters (9 E. 89th St.), and while times aren’t recorded for this fun run, it does count as one of the nine required races for NYRR members to automatically qualify for the 2012 NYC marathon. For those more interested in celebrating on the sidelines, there’s a DJ and dancing at 10 p.m. at the Bandshell, followed by a cos-tume contest at 11 p.m. The race kicks off with fireworks and a laser light show at midnight. More info at www.nyrr.org.

Wallet-Friendly Bar NightThe Upper West Side location of

Village Pourhouse offers something of an anomaly for New Year’s Eve shindigs—the option to pay a relatively cheap gen-eral admission ($20) and then utilize the cash bar. This is perfect for people who want the fun, crowded atmosphere of the pub and might only drink a few beers but would rather not shell out a fistful of Andrew Jacksons for the privilege. There’s also a $20 option that admits two and comes with two free drink tickets. For those who plan to drink their weight in Blue Moon, however, the Pourhouse also has an open bar ticket for $75 (8 p.m.–2 a.m.) and VIP table tickets for $100. 982 Amsterdam Ave., between West 108th and 109th streets. Call 212-979-2337 for info.

Fun with the KiddiesFor those who want

to celebrate with little ones in tow, the Big Apple Circus is putting on a special New Year’s Eve performance at Lincoln Center. Following their 9:30 p.m. presentation of the “Dream Big” show, complete with music, jug-gling, magic, acrobatics and animals, there will be live music as kids are invited to dance in the

ring, grab goody bags and toast a glass of sparkling cider (champagne for the grown-ups) at midnight. Kids tickets from $25, adults from $50, children under 3 who can fit on laps are free. Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. More info at www.bigapplecircus.org.

Kwanzaa CelebrationKick off the revelry with a festival

in honor of Kwanzaa at the American Museum of Natural History, featuring performances of song, dance and spo-ken word and an international market-place. Storyteller Linda Humes opens the event, followed by performances from The Brooklyn Steppers, Restoration Dance Theatre Company, ADLIB Steel Orchestra and Something Positive, Inc. Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, First Floor, entrance at Central Park West and West 77th Street. Admission included with museum ticket, $19 adults, $10.50 children.

Concert for PeaceIf you want to spend New Year’s Eve

contemplating peace on earth and tak-ing in the beauty of one of the Upper

West Side’s true gems, duck into the Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine for a concert first devised by iconic composer Leonard Bernstein in 1983. This year’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace features conductor George Mathew of the Ubuntu-Shruti Orchestra and Christopher Shepard, the music director for the Dessoff Symphonic Choir, as well as special guest Judy Collins and host Harry Smith. They and others will be performing Sir Michael Tippett’s oratorio A Child of Our Time,

a choral meditation on political violence and discrimination against vulnerable communities. The program is a celebra-tion of African-American music and the spiritual as a place of sanctuary for all people. 7 p.m., 1047 Amsterdam Avenue. General admission is free, reserved seats $60. Call 212-316-7540 for more info.

Uptown Dance Party Great news: You don’t have to go to

Tuesday January 3

• Community Board 7 Full Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street

Wednesday January 4

• Community Education Council District 3 Business meeting 6:30 p.m., Joan of Arc Room 204, 154 W. 93rd St.

Communitymeeting Calendar

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Notes from the NeighborhoodIt takES two to CElEbratE thE NEw YEar

The numeral “2” arrives in Times Square for the upcoming New Year’s festivi-ties. The giant numeral measures 7 feet and contains 145 LED bulbs.

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WestSideSpirit.com December 29, 2011 • WeSt Side Spirit • 3

the Meatpacking District to kick it club style on New Year’s Eve. The 92Y is host-ing the Millennium Dance Party and an evening of Latin, classic, new-style hustle & West Coast swing music with party hostess Lori Brizzi and a team of fantastic DJs. The first portion of the night is reserved for mixed ballroom dancing, with lessons from 8–9 p.m. and sashaying around until 10 p.m., and then the club beats last until 2 a.m. If you’d rather stay low-key until the big 12 hits, there’s also a concert in Kaufmann Hall with the Knights Orchestra, featuring a champagne toast at intermission, and your concert ticket will get you a $20 entrance to the dance party still going strong at Buttenwieser Hall afterward. 1395 Lexington Ave., $35 in advance, $50 at the door. Cash bar until 1 a.m. More info at www.92y.org.

New Taxi Bill Signed by Governor Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the long-awaited and much-debated taxi bill last week, after negotiating specific terms with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and agreeing to include provisions for

an increase in handicap-accessible vehi-cles. Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner, a vocal disability rights advocate who has been pushing for a more accessible taxi fleet, expressed his approval of the bill after loudly criticiz-ing the Bloomberg administration’s pre-vious ideas on how to overhaul the taxi system.

“This is a taxi agreement we all can hail. I applaud Governor Cuomo for once again championing the civil rights of a disenfranchised community,” Kellner said in a statement. “Not only does this plan add thousands of acces-sible vehicles to our city’s streets, but it forces the city to develop a long-term plan that is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

The new bill would add 1,500 medal-lions to the taxi fleet, all of which would be required to be fully accessible, bring-ing the total percentage of accessible taxis from 1.7 percent to 12 percent. It will also add 6,000 new livery cab street hail medallions, 1,200 of which will be handicap accessible, and allow all livery cabs to pick up street hails in the out-er boroughs and northern Manhattan. The city estimates that the sales of the new medallions will bring $1 billion in revenue.

CRIME CHECKWeekly, monthly and year-to-date crime stats from the 20th Precinct, on the West Side from 59th to 86th streets

Source: Compstat

Year to Date

2011 2010 % change

Murder 0 1 -100.0

Rape 10 11 -9.1

Robbery 72 85 -15.3

Felony Assault 46 53 -13.2

Burglary 71 99 -28.3

Grand Larceny 601 657 -8.5

Grand Larceny Auto 19 33 -42.4

TOTAL 819 939 -12.78

(Week to Date Dec. 12 to Dec. 18) 28 Day

2011 2010 % change 2011 2010 % change

Murder 0 0 ***.* 0 0 *** *

Rape 0 0 ***.* 0 2 -100

Robbery 2 2 0.0 10 8 25.0

Felony Assault 0 0 ***.* 4 0 ***.*

Burglary 3 0 ***.* 14 1 1300.0

Grand Larceny 19 20 -5 64 63 1.6

Grand Larceny Auto 0 0 ***.* 1 4 -75.0

TOTAL 24 22 9.09 93 78 19.23

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4 • WEST SIDE SPIRIT • December 29, 2011 NEWS YOU LIVE BY

By Megan Finnegan Bungeroth

We asked some Upper West Side leaders to look into their crystal balls for 2012 and tell us what we can expect for the

upcoming year. Here are some of their prognostications.

POLITICSTom Duane, Upper West Side

State senator

We’ll see the successful landmarking of the West End Avenue historic district thanks to the work of WEPS [West End Preservation Society] and other preserva-tion activists.

Thanks to Gov. Cuomo and Democrats following his lead, we’ll have an on-time budget.

There will be an intense battle over fracking, with the anti-fracking forces gaining ground in the debate and heading toward victory.

Linda Rosenthal, Upper West Side Assembly member

Under the cover of night, the city will permanently evict mosquitoes from Occupy Upper West Side sewers, eliminating their underground camps. The surviving mosqui-toes will balk at the city’s ridiculous show of force but area residents will rejoice.

Lucky to be employed given these rough eco-nomic times, Central Park carriage horses strive to improve their working conditions and form a union, demanding that the carriage drivers pull them around instead.

Upper West Side bakers will brace for not-so-sweet fallout as the Department of Homeland Security declares cupcakes a threat to national security.

A current West Side elected official will climb the ranks to become the front-runner for a citywide position and go on to win that election.

Gov. Cuomo will step in to work with elected officials and the city to negotiate an expedited remediation of schools with toxic PCBs.

Gale Brewer, Upper West Side City Council member

We’ll succeed in making New York a place where workers are paid a living

wage and can take a sick day without losing their jobs.

The year of La Niña will bring an

early spring and daf-fodils galore along the

Columbus Avenue bike lane.

Yes, the roof will be repaired and scaffolding taken down at West-Park Presbyterian Church.

The governor and mayor will team up to improve the economy for all New Yorkers, and I hope to pass an open data bill that creates apps, access and jobs.

The Knicks will surprise and go far; Mets and Yankees not so much.

COMMUNITYRev. Robert Brashear, Pastor of West-Park Presbyterian Church

The Upper West Side community will rediscover West-Park, not just as a beautiful landmarked building but as a vibrant living place where neighbors can

visit, learn, create and engage one another—and even worship! Sufficient financial support will come from the community to sus-tain the church and grow the Center as new partnerships, especially with Sanctuary NYC and other faith c o m -munities, are formed. The Center at West-Park will establish itself as a venue where young artists on the way up want to per-form, where gallery openings are eagerly anticipated and cutting-edge creativity is bursting forth. 86th and Amsterdam will become a must destination for the young and hip from Brooklyn and beyond who find unexpected adventure in the Upper West Side. Parents and children will find opportunities to learn and grow together.

As for the religious community, the Occupy Wall Street movement will con-tinue to push us to examine our under-standing of and response to the ongoing issue of income inequality. The faith com-munity will wrestle with its role in help-

ing to create new mod-els of how we will live together. As mainline denominations con-tinue to face the end of

what used to be, Upper West Side congregations

will lead the way to the church that will be. The very

special spirit of interfaith coopera-tion and witness that exists in our neigh-borhood will continue to grow and offer new opportunities.

The Sweatshop Free movement will gain broader support from the faith community, small businesses and Upper West Side residents and will succeed in making our neighborhood the first sweatshop free zone in the city through a model coalition that other neighbor-hoods will want to replicate. Support will continue to grow for the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act and City Council will approve it with a large margin of victory. More congregations will join in the work of the Interfaith Assembly on Housing and Homelessness and the Industrial Ages Foundation.

FEATURE

2012 PREDICTIONSMEGA-HISTORIC DISTRICT APPROVED,

GET READY FOR A $122 METRO CARD

AND WEST SIDERS LEARN TO LOVE

BIKE LANES

LInda Rosenthal.

Rev. Robert B

rashear.


featureLinda Alexander, president of Alexander Marketing Corp.

and CB 7 member

Of the new residential projects for 2012, it’s all about rentals. The main appeal will be the “bells and whistles” projects—the neighborhoods will be less important than the amenities. Our firm worked on a 56-unit boutique in FiDi last summer that was com-pletely rented within its first month on the market; the key factors included a cool club room and huge rooftop fitness center. Evidently, all-in-one appeals to rent-ers, especially singles, who are already going to emerging, not yet convenient neighbor-hoods for the right lifestyle packages.

As for the sales market, it’s still hap-pening at a slower, steady pace. For 2012, we’ll start to see resales in the projects that came online in 2009 through 2011. The “Gold Coast” at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, howev-er, is still golden for new condo products, as is Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Regarding the Upper West Side in 2012, we’re still one of the few estab-lished neighborhoods with significant residential development and retail activ-ity. I think the controversy over Sugar & Plumm will dissipate once it opens and finds its base, which will most like-ly include lots of parents and kids. The point is that it is important to keep our retail corridors thriving. We’re facing some serious vacancies along Broadway in 2012, but we have a consistently grow-ing residential population here made up of families, seniors, mid-lifers and empty nesters who obviously love to shop and dine. In addition, Columbus Avenue, besides being one of the UWS’s most picturesque retail corridors, is a tour-ist destination with incredible access to transportation, fabulous museums and proximity to Central Park.

My final prediction is that the bike lanes will become increasingly popular with both commuter and recreational users in 2012. If City Council passes some of the licensing measures, they’ll also be safer for everyone.

Monica Blum, president of Lincoln Square BID

As 2011 draws to a close, it’s clear to

me that Lincoln Square will continue to grow and thrive over the next year—and I don’t just mean the trees, shrubs and

flowers that grow in the 10 Broadway Malls and 37 beautiful planters that the BID plants and maintains. I predict that 2012 will bring new and increasingly diverse shops and restaurants to Lincoln Square and that the district will continue to be one of the city’s top destinations for visitors and residents alike.

The 13th annual Winter’s Eve will be bigger and better than ever—though I’m not sure how we can top the wonderful performances, delicious food, incred-

ible turnout, fantastic activities and warm weather from this

year’s Winter’s Eve. Finally, if what the

Farmer’s Almanac says is true, I predict that 2012 will roar in with another winter of massive snow-storms. After last

year’s Snowmaggedons, our Clean Team will be

ready to go with shovels and muscle to tackle whatever

wild weather comes our way.

CITY LIVINGGene Russianoff, staff attorney for

The Straphangers Campaign

Sadly, the fare will go up at the end of 2012. That’s the MTA plan. Last time, in December 2010, the 30-day unlimited MetroCard went up 17 percent. If that hap-pens again, be prepared for a $122 30-day card. It’s a good time to be in the 1 percent.

There will be some good news for long-suffering bus riders: You will soon be able to use your cell or smart phone to tell how far your bus is from your stop in real time. A new “Bus Time” program goes Staten Island-wide in January 2012, then around the city.

“Poetry in Motion”—subway car ads featuring works from Shakespeare to Frost—will return from retirement. You may get stuck in a subway tunnel, but it will be your chance to catch up on Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson.

Doug Blonsky, president of Central Park Conservancy

New Yorkers will discover Manhattan’s Adirondacks; Central Park’s best-kept secret is its north end, but it’s a shame it’s a secret at all. The Park’s wooded north end was originally designed to give city dwellers a taste of upstate New York without having to leave Manhattan. But more than 150 years after the Park was created, many New Yorkers still aren’t aware of the scenic woodlands ripe for exploration north of 100th Street. We pre-

dict that 2012 will be the year visitors dis-cover the beauty of the Park’s north end, with its tumbling cascades, leafy paths and rustic bridges.

Central Park will look different this spring. Central Park suffered two destruc-tive storms in 2011: Hurricane Irene in August and the Halloween snowstorm that cost the Park nearly 1,000 trees. The result in spring 2012 will be a thinned canopy that will both open new views to visitors and allow new undergrowth to flourish. We predict that the year ahead will remind visitors that Central Park is a living, ever-changing thing to be explored over and over again.

There will be more ways than ever for New Yorkers to make Central Park their free “staycation” destination. New Yorkers know that Central Park is the place to be on a beautiful day, whether to take a walk or lay a picnic blanket down on the Great Lawn. But there are so many ways to enjoy the Park that New Yorkers don’t realize, all at little or no cost. How many people realize they can visit Central Park and in one day go swimming, fish-ing and people watch with a great gour-met sandwich? With free programs and performances, innovative playgrounds and more food offerings than ever before, there’s no need to board a bus or a plane for a day trip. We predict that in 2012, New Yorkers will use Central Park as their ultimate “staycation” destination.

HEALTHAlicia Salzer, M.D., and Leslie Miller,

M.D., founders of Medhattan

Sustainable eating habits: 2012 is the year to stop the insanity. It’s out with fad diets and in with moderation. 2012 is the year to realize that subsisting on grape-fruits or bacon or whatever the latest trend is is not sustainable. Family meals help balance work and family while cut-ting down on unhealthy takeout.

Saving money at the expense of health: The insurance industry’s answer to rising health care costs is to increasingly offer high-deductible plans and catastrophic-only insurance that only covers surgery, hospitalizations and the like. This means that in 2012, tons of New Yorkers will avoid going to the doctor to save money. That’s a problem because it means you miss the chance to diagnose problems in the early stages and intervene before things get out of hand. We hope that this insurance trend does not translate into people ordering prescriptions online and trying to diagnose themselves via the Internet.

Accountability: In 2012, some little talked-about habits will start to surface, namely the rampant overuse of sleep aids

and painkillers. 2012 is the year to con-front these issues with honesty, discuss them with your doctor and learn to love the person you see in the mirror without reservation.

Keeping it local: All over America, when people get sick, they take advan-tage of their neighborhood Urgent Care Center—except in New York. The Big Apple is very late in joining this national trend, yet our ER wait times are some of the longest in the country. Sixty percent of people who are in ERs don’t need to be there, and we all know how hard it is to get a same-day appointment with your doctor. Visiting an Urgent Care Center like Medhattan Immediate Medical Care is a new option in 2012 for New Yorkers who want the ease of top-notch care brought to their own immediate neighborhood.

REAL ESTATEGary Malin, president of Citi

Habitats

I predict a limited supply of new rental and sale product will enter the market during 2012, thus keeping properties in both categories in high demand. It’s still the Big Apple, and everyone wants a bite.

Looking at the city’s sales market, prices will remain stable and may even appreciate slightly if the economic out-look improves. However, a lot is riding on potential home buyers’ access to credit.

2012 will see a continued influx of international buyers. Despite how expen-sive we New Yorkers think our city is, it is still a value when compared to other major international locales. Furthermore, for the wealthy who live emerging econo-mies, New York real estate is seen as a safe long-term investment.

With rental prices near record highs and mortgage rates near historic lows, the city’s tight rental market will push more clients into purchasing in 2012. In fact, I believe now is a golden opportunity for people who have been waiting on the sidelines to purchase real estate before the economy improves and prices rise.

I predict developers will plan more “hybrid buildings” in 2012. In a difficult lending environment, buildings that mix retail, hotel, condos and rentals are a good way for developers (and banks) to hedge their bets.

Look for increased development activ-ity along the Queens waterfront and the far West Side of Manhattan. I expect these neighborhoods to be the major growth areas in 2012.

Continuing on the theme of growth in Queens, I predict that despite the loss of Beltran and Reyes, 2012 is the Mets’ year to take it all.

Linda Alexander.


A Look at West Side Spirit in 2011

After Controversy, Jewish Home Lifecare Sets Groundbreaking

Any year-end list will of course leave off some deserving entries, but here’s our list of a few of our favorite, most memorable or noteworthy cover stories throughout 2011.

Local Boy Makes Good “New Sheriff”

(April 21)Eric Schneiderman,

known for his out-spokenness when he represented the Upper West Side in the State Senate, had taken a measured, quieter approach in his first 100 days as state attor-ney general, a position that was a spring-board for the current and last governors, Andrew Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer. “This is as perfect a job as I can imagine,” he said.

Hidden Twist to a Big StoryThey Occupied Before Occupy (Dec.

1)One of the biggest stories of 2011

was the rise of the Occupy movement.

However, most articles focused on the younger set, not senior citizens like the veteran Upper West Side protestors we profiled. “The media has distorted this

because it fits the agenda of how they want to frame this,” one told us. Another said, “You have to raise hell if you want change.”

The Cover We’d Like to Take Back

“The Comeback Kid” (March 31)

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer seemed to be rid-ing high when we put him

on the cover in March, and he did give us some interesting revelations. One was his assertion that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver admit-ted that he would not trust Thomas DiNapoli with his personal pen-sion at the same time

that Silver was press-ing for DiNapoli to become state comp-troller. But had we known Spitzer’s CNN show was about to be canceled, we probably would have chosen dif-ferently. Maybe 2012 will bring more teach-ing opportunities.

“I will tell you that the thing that gives me the greatest pro-fessional joy right now, even more than the TV show, is teaching,” Spitzer told us

then. “I don’t know if I could do it full time, but I love it.”

Sad Endings“Closing Time”

(March 3)Small family-

owned businesses on the Upper West Side had another rough year in 2011 and we took a look at a few of the

shuttered business along Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway.

Happy Endings“The Blackboard

Awards for Teachers” (June 2)

Our annual honor to great teachers typically reveals inspiring work, and in 2011 we received over 1,000 nominations. The Blackboard Awards

also took on a tragic note this year as two of the 18 winners, including Meredith Hill

of Columbia Secondary School, were facing layoffs under last in, first out senior-ity rules. But lat-er in the month, the mayor, City Council and teachers union reached an agree-ment to avoid any teacher layoffs.

By Megan Finnegan Bungeroth Jewish Home Lifecare, the nonprofit

that runs elder care facilities in Manhattan and the Bronx, has confirmed that they plan to break ground on a new facility on West 97th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues in February 2013. They expect the facility to be operational by the spring of 2017.

The announcement follows several years in which Jewish Home searched for a location to construct a new type of nurs-ing home, based on a “greenhouse” model that favors clusters of rooms as opposed to the traditional, hospital–like corridors with shared rooms lining each long hallway. The 24-story tower will have beds for 288 resi-dents, arranged in 12-room clusters around shared living and kitchen spaces.

While some hail this plan as a step forward in elder care, others in the local community have expressed concern not only over the design but the way in which Jewish Home acquired the current space.

In 2007, Jewish Home planned to build the vertical facility at the site of their cur-rent location on West 106th Street. After obtaining the requisite permits and a zoning exemption, they could not find a

development partner to purchase part of the site and finance the project.

After considering a site on West 100th Street that developer Joseph Chetrit was willing to sell in exchange for the 106th Street parcel, Jewish Home finally landed on West 97th Street, where they will build on what is currently the parking lot for the Park West Village apartment complex. In exchange, they sold the 106th Street lot to Chetrit.

Cathy Unsino, a local resident and advocate for nursing home reform across the country, has been vocal about her opposition to the design of the new Jewish Home facility, suggesting that the stacked units will create too much isolation.

“When people are losing physical strength and some people are losing cognitive ability, you want to foster as many connections as possible,” Unsino said. “The higher you go, for people with physical difficulties, the more the feeling of helplessness is engendered.”

Unsino said she’s frustrated by the lack of communication and transparen-cy from Jewish Home about their plans. Daniel White, a representative for Jewish Home, said that they plan to work with

Community Board 7 as well as communi-ty leaders and elected officials, and have, in fact, been doing so for months.

“We will propose the establishment of a Community Advisory Board includ-ing tenant and community leaders and the local elected officials to work with us both leading up to and throughout the construction process and will continue to be open and responsive,” White said in an email. They also plan to set up a construc-

tion advisory committee with members of the community and establish a 24/7 complaint hotline to address problems that arise from construction.

But some residents are worried about the effects long after construction is finished.

“97th Street can be a very crowded street because of the transverse,” said Hillel Hoffman, a retired attorney who lives next to the site. “We are very concerned that the traffic that the home itself will gen-erate will become a big problem for us.”

Mark Diller, chair of Community Board 7, said that the application filed by Jewish Home with the Department of City Planning has triggered a review process by the board, which will probably involve a public comment session in January.

“As with all matters relating to the pro-posed relocation of JHL’s facility to 97th Street, CB7 takes this application seri-ously, and will be attentive to the needs and concerns of those in the community it will affect,” Diller said in an email.

In the meantime, White said that Jewish Home is working on renderings and detailed plans for the new facility and plans to share them with the community as soon as they are available.

feature

April 21, 2011 Since 1985

Pets: Protecting Your Pooch

From Heartworm Page 24

THE

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman

has some big shoes to fill (Andrew

Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer’s). What will

the former West Side State Senator do

to leave his mark on New York?

● The rise of West Side greenmarkets.

● Is your local elected leader green-minded?

● New York’s first solar-powered building.

● Why you should care about hydrofracking.

GREENISSUE

Page 14

New Sheriff

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April 30, 2011 10 am-7 pm @ Center548 (548 W. 22nd St.)

� ckets available at www.newambikeshow.com

� e New Amsterdam Bicycle Show � ckets $15 online$20 day of

showApril 30, 2011 10 am-7 pm @ Center548

� e New Amsterdam Bicycle Show

NewAmBikeShow_strip.indd 1

4/18/11 1:23 PM

Page 8

March 31, 2011 Since 1985

Seniors: Golden Years, Golden Voice Page 18

A ‘Slice’ of Italy On

the Upper West Side

Residents Resist

Duane Reade Sign

Alternative Healthy Manhattan:

Meditation

on the Go

COMEBACK KID?P.5

P.9

P.14-17

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• Q & A with East Sider Spitzer• Great political comebacks in history

• What pols and pundits say about potential mayoral run

THE

• Great political

• What pols and pundits

Three years afterhis shocking exit from the governor’s mansion, Eliot Spitzer is rumored to be eyeing a run for mayor in 2013. WOULD HE HAVE A CHANCE?

March 3, 2011 Since 1985

Columbia University

Hoop Dreams

P.14

P.11

P.12

Tavern’s Fate

Up In The Air CLOSING TIMEAre neighborhood shops disappearing from the Upper West Side?

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Cycle Ticket Blitz

In Central Park

Camp Guide: The First Big Step Page 16

MARCH 10-13, 2011 THE PARK AVENUE ARMORY

643 PARK AVENUE AT 67TH STREETComplimentary General Admission for 2

with this coupon ($40 value)

For complete show details visit www.avenueshows.com

By Megan Finnegan Page 6Joe Vigelstein outside of his old shop.

June 2, 2011 Since 1985

A Greenhouse Grows

in the West Side

Opposition Grows

to Charter School

Say Cheese: Photos

from New Taste of UWS

P.6

P.6

P.8

News: Mayor to Gut Early Childcare Budget Page 10

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MONDAY JUNE 6, 2011 5:30 - 7 :30 PMALSO SPONSORED BY

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Profiles of 18 of the city’s best teachers See page 11

Sponsored by New York Family, Rosie Pope and Mom Prep:What Is My Life Purpose and How Do I Get There With Kids?A Special Workshop for Parents in Transition.Monday, June 6, 10:30am-12:00pm; at Mom Prep, 1316 Madison Avenue, at 93d Street. For more info and to register: visit NewYorkFamily.com (See “Special Events & Seminars”)

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45 Million ServedLoi throws a party for Citymeals-on-Wheels’ 30th bday

By Allen HoustonRestaurant Loi and some Upper

West Side volunteers honored the 30th anniversary of Citymeals-on-Wheels by feeding 150 homebound elderly the day before Christmas.

Loi, located at 208 W. 70th St., is the new restaurant from Maria Loi, better known as the Martha Stewart of Greece. Food served in honor of Citymeals-on-Wheels’ birthday included roasted lemon chicken, Atlantic salmon and a selection of traditional Greek desserts.

Citymeals-on-Wheels is a nonprofit that delivers food to homebound elderly throughout New York City. Since its cre-ation in 1981 it has served up 45 million meals.

Loi said that opening up her restau-rant to Citymeals-on-Wheels was a con-tinuation of the work she has done in her native Greece, where she is active with several nonprofits.

“I do the same thing back home. Events like this make me feel like part of the community, that we’re helping

strengthen the Upper West Side and make it a better place to live,” Loi said.

Beth Shapiro, executive director of Citymeals-on-Wheels said, that if anything, the need for programs like hers has only grown greater since its inception.

“There is a growing population of older people that need to be cared for. Many of them have outlived their fami-lies and friends. Events like this remind them they are not alone,” Shapiro said. Citymeals-on-Wheels fed 1,600 elderly New Yorkers last year, a total of 1.8 mil-lion meals.

A line snaked around to the back of the restaurant for those who had showed up to take part in the lunch and help celebrate Citymeals-on-Wheels’ anniversary.

“The food is delicious,” said Ruth Baez, a board member of ARC XVI, Washington Heights Senior Center, who came down for the food and festivity. “It’s a wonderful thing that they are doing. It’s very compassionate.”

A group of volunteers from the com-munity also showed up to help dole out food and take part in the event, including City Council Member Gail Brewer.

Former Community Board 7 chair and potential Upper West Side City Council Member Mel Wymore was on hand, dishing up food for the hungry

elders who had traveled in from around the city.

“It’s a great thing when local business-es reach out to help the community. It’s what Upper West Siders are all about,” he said.

For information on how to volunteer or get involved, visit citymeals.org.

CB7 member Mel Wymore (left) with Maria Loi (center) doling out food at the Citymeals-on-Wheels event at Loi, Dec. 24.

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WestSideSpirit.com December 29, 2011 • WEST SIDE SPIRIT • 9

By Linnea CovingtonTexas native Robert Jackson spent

three and a half years compiling a com-plete history on a structure far from his home, something 33 million East Coasters pass through every year: the Holland Tunnel. Built in 1927, this daily part of New Yorkers’ lives was at the time the longest and largest of the vehicular tunnels in the entire world, and the first to utilize a ventilation system.

In Highway Under the Hudson, Jackson delves into not only the history of this famous tunnel but the drama behind its construction, the people involved and the unique engineering that took place.

What drew you to writing about the Holland Tunnel?

A few years ago, Director of New York University Press Steve Maikowski decided that a book on the Holland Tunnel needed to be written and he began searching for an author. I was recom-mended to him and was eager to accept the challenge due to my strong interest in the history of transportation engineer-

ing. After reading my history of the Eads Bridge, Steve decided that I was the right person to tackle the story and the rest, as they say, is history.

This is a very rich history; how did you start your research?

I began my research by contacting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to see what records it retained from the state commissions that built the tunnel, before they merged with the Port Authority in 1930. Unfortunately, all of those records had been stored in the Port Authority library in the World Trade Center and were lost on 9/11. But the New York State Library and Archives in Albany and the New York Public Library had enough material to get me started. I also relied upon the C. M. Holland Collection at Case Western University and found other bits and pieces of documentation in other libraries as I went along.

What surprised you most about the Holland Tunnel?

When I began, I assumed that the

tunnel had been built primarily for use by passenger vehicles, with truck traf-fic being of lesser importance. Just the opposite was true; it was built to facilitate the movement of freight from New Jersey to New York, with accom-modation of passenger vehicles a secondary consideration. I was also surprised to find that, around the time of World War I, approximately 50 percent of the nation’s foreign trade annually passed through the port of New York.

What did not surprise me because I have studied other great construction projects but might surprise others is the cost in human life of building and main-taining a major piece of urban infrastruc-ture. By my count, at least 14 workers died during construction of the tunnel, though it was thought that only 13 had died until I did my research. Also, two men, one firefighter and one patrol officer, died

during the fire of 1949. It had previously been assumed that no one died because of the fire. In addition, two of the chief engineers died from overwork while the tunnel was under construction.

How does the Holland Tunnel com-pare to other large passenger tunnels?

There are many other vehicular tunnels that exceed the Holland Tunnel in size, length or visual beauty, but the Holland Tunnel holds a unique place in the history of tunnel engineering as the first such structure that was mechanically ventilated. It thus influenced the design of virtually every vehicular tunnel that that came after it. It will never relinquish its place as a seminal work

of civil and mechanical engineering.

How long do you think the tunnel will last?

All great works of humankind are des-tined to fade away at some point, but, as the title of my last chapter states, the Holland Tunnel was built to last. I believe that with proper maintenance, it will remain in use long after you and I are gone.

Q&A with Robert Jackson, Author of Highway Under the Hudson

ARTS

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arts

By Doug StrasslerHypnotik: The Seer Will Doctor You

Now is a play loosely inspired by the Viennese mentalist Eric Jan Hanussen, an occultist in Weimar Republic Germany. West Sider Ildiko Nemeth, founder and artistic director of The New Stage Theatre Company, now celebrating its 10th anniversary season, conceived and directed the show, in which an enigmatic hypnotist beckons subjects onto a stage for group catharsis, a form of therapy that slips into frightening territory. West Side Spirit spoke with Nemeth about what makes Hypnotik an unforgettable affair.

How did you first encounter the life story of Eric Jan Hanussen?

Ildiko Nemeth: Hanussen is a known historical figure in Hungary. Even the famous Hungarian film director István Szabó made a film about him, Hanussen. Mel Gordon, a Berkeley professor and a friend of mine, also wrote a wonder-ful book, entitled Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler’s Jewish Clairvoyant, which was another source to draw from to round out

my knowledge of Hanussen.

One of the main goals of the NSTC mission is to challenge its audience. How does Hypnotik do that?

The Seer entices volunteers by prom-ising that he will heal all comers by getting them in touch with their malig-nant drives. This scenario should seem somewhat familiar to anyone who has watched Dr. Phil or a similar reality TV show. I hope the audience will find the final vision of the Seer to be chilling in that we can recognize ourselves in the projections his subjects have; to see in some new way how we participate in the ugliness of the world and see some of our dangerous delusions anew.

What draws you to the subject of the occult? What, if anything, repels you from it?

Curiosity in the possibility to see the future, to manipulate reality or to gain secret supernatural forces which are hid-den from most of us drew me to the topic. If such power does exist, how can this

power be used and how can it move and/or manipulate people?

It is fascinating how occultism became a new religion in Weimar Germany. It was a world where people were still in shock from the horrors and utter defeat of World War I and where traditional religion was not sufficient to heal or have answers anymore. Occult palaces and séances were able to enthrall the masses, who were desperate people searching eagerly for answers, certainty and comfort in this new religion. It gives me a chill to know how the occult was used for political gain, how it empowered the “chosen ones” and convinced the anxious and insecure to put their faith in magical mantras, miracu-lous potions or mendacious leaders.

Do you believe in the power of psy-chic healing?

Yes, I do believe in psychic healing. The mind can have a big influence on the body. There are many examples of miraculous healing using nontraditional medicines instead of just popping pills. Because of my past work experience, I

believe one can overcome psychologi-cal problems, troubling emotional drives [and] psychological complexes by bring-ing them into the conscious and dealing with them head on.

Hypnotik: The Seer Will Doctor You Now

Through Jan. 15, 2012, Theater for the New City, 155 1st Ave. (betw. 9th & 10th Sts.), www.newstagetheatre.org; $18.

Challenging Audiences for 10 YearsA Q&A with Ildiko Nemeth, founder of New Stage Theatre Company

Ildiko Nemeth.

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By Josh PeriloWhen most people think of New Year’s

Eve, they conjure up images of chugging cheap, fizzy alcohol straight from the bottle while wearing glasses in the shape of the New Year’s number. I, on the other hand, have a much more romanticized dream of what New Year’s Eve could be: Ladies in long gloves sipping on Krug in bowl-shaped glasses (true, while Marie Antoinette glass-es aren’t as good for holding the effervescence of Champagne, they look damn sexy) and gentlemen in tuxedos smoking cigarettes in holders, sipping on arcane cocktails made with muddled whatnots and long-ago-pro-duced bitters and extracts.

After talking to my friend Jesse, who gave me the idea for last year’s New Year’s Eve column, I was inspired again to delve

into the concept of the holiday cocktail. This time, with a twist.

“I’m making homemade bitters,” Jesse explained to me, “because I have these cocktail books from 50 years ago calling for ingredients that don’t exist anymore...”

“So,” I said, finishing his sentence, “you’re making them yourself!”

“Exactly!”While I’m in no mood to gather up

all of the goods and equipment needed to con-coct a batch of early 20th-cen-tury-style Seville orange rind bit-

ters, the conversation did send me to my own personal collection of vintage and antique cookbooks. My mission: Find a handful of extremely dated but fun look-ing cocktails to make and serve at this year’s round of holiday parties.

The field was wide, but I narrowed

it down to a motley crew of four. So if you’re feeling nostalgic (and maybe a lit-tle brave) I invite you to try some of these antiquated cocktails from years gone by with your New Year’s Eve crowd!

Gourmet’s Champagne Punch: From the 1957 edition of The Gourmet Cookbook, Volume II. Peel, core and slice three small, ripe pineapples. Put the slices in a bowl and sprinkle them with 2 cups of fine granulated sugar. Cover, allow the fruit to marinate for one hour or more, then add 2 cups of Cognac, 1 cup strained lemon juice, 3/4 cup eau de vie de framboise [substitute Chambord if you can’t find framboise], 1/2 cup peach brandy and 1/4 cup maraschino liqueur. Blend gently, cover and allow to stand overnight to ripen. To serve, pour over a large block of ice in a punch bowl and slowly add five bottles of chilled Champagne. Garnish the bowl with fresh raspberries, sprigs of fresh mint, thinly sliced lemons and oranges and other fruit to taste.

Peach Cup: From the 1945 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Peel and slice 6 ripe peaches into a small bowl. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 cup of granulated sugar and add 325mL of German riesling. Cover and let the fruit marinate in the wine overnight. To serve,

add several pieces of peach to each gob-let along with a tablespoon or two of the marinating liquid. Top off each goblet with more of the same chilled Riesling. Garnish with a raspberry.

Zombie: From the 1950 edition of The Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide. Fill a mixing glass halfway with ice and add 1 jigger each of Jamaican rum, Puerto Rican golden rum, white rum, pineapple juice and papaya juice. Add the juice of 1 lime and 1 teaspoon of simple syrup [equal parts sugar and water heated on the stove until the sugar is dissolved]. Shake vigorously and pour with the ice into a highball glass. Garnish with a pineapple stick, a cherry float and a paper umbrella.

Tom and Jerry: From the 1966 edi-tion of Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery. For each drink, beat 1 egg yolk until it is pale and light. Add 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and 1 jigger light rum and beat the mixture until it is smooth and thick. Blend in 1 stiffly beaten egg white and 1/2 jigger of bran-dy. Pour the mixture into a warmed Tom and Jerry mug [no clues about what this might be—use whatever mug you’d like], fill with hot milk or boiling water and sprinkle generously with grated nutmeg.

Happy New Year!

By Josh Perilo

Dining

Antique Cocktails to Usher in the New YearHoliday drinks with a twist


seniors

By Fred Cicetti

Q. My wife and I recently moved into a retirement community. I’ve noticed a

lot of people I’d call alcoholics in this community. Do seniors drink more in these places?

A: I could find no information that demonstrated that residents of retire-ment communities drink more. However, these developments are, by nature, more social. So, perhaps you’re just seeing more drinking. With more drinking, you’ll always find more people who don’t han-dle it well.

Alcoholism is a serious problem among seniors. Here are just a few statis-tics that tell the story:

About 70 percent of hospital admis-sions for older adults are for illness and accidents related to alcohol.

About half of older adults in nursing homes have an alcohol problem.

Older adults lose an average of 10 years off their lives because of alcohol abuse.

About 80 percent of doctors misdiag-nose alcoholism as depression in older

women.The highest growing rate of alcohol-

ism is among 75-year-old widowers.About 10 percent of patients over age

60 who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are actually suffering from brain damage caused by alcoholism.

“Alcohol abuse among older adults is something few want to talk about or deal with,” said Charles Curie, former admin-istrator of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Too often, family members are ashamed of the problem and choose not to address it.

“Health care providers tend not to ask older patients about alcohol abuse if it wasn’t a problem in their lives in earlier years,” he said. “Sometimes the symp-toms are mistaken for those of dementia, depression or other problems common to older adults. Unfortunately, too many older persons turn to alcohol as a com-fort following the death of a spouse, a divorce, retirement or some other major life change, unaware that they are mark-edly affecting the quality of their lives.”

A few definitions:Alcoholism is a disease with four symp-

toms: a craving or compulsion to drink, the inability to limit drinking, high alco-hol tolerance and physical dependence.

Alcohol abuse is defined as drinking that causes problems in your life, such as failing at work, getting arrested for drunk driving and hurting someone phys-ically or emotionally. It does not include strong craving, loss of control or physical dependence.

Moderate drinking means consuming up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

The American Medical Association provides the following list of physical symptoms to diagnose alcoholism. If an older person shows several of these symptoms, there is a high probability of alcoholism.

�•�Bruises,�abrasions�and�scars�in�loca-tions that might suggest frequent falls, bumping into objects, physical alterca-tions or other violent behavior•�Cigarette�burns�on�the�fingers

•�Flushed�or�florid�face�•�Jerky�eye�movement�or�loss�of�cen-tral vision�•�Damage�to�nerves�causing�numbness�and tingling�•� Hypertension,� particularly� systolic�(the first number)•�Gastrointestinal�or�other�bleeding�•�Cirrhosis�or�other�evidence�of� liver�impairment, such as swelling in the lower extremities and other signs of fluid retention•�Psoriasis

An Age-Old Problem, Alcoholism, Also Hits the Aged

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Give the gift of New York this holiday season!


new york family

By Angela JohnsonIf you’ve read Goodnight Moon more

times than you can count, we suggest you rally up the tots for a trip to Bank Street Bookstore. A part of the Morningside Heights community for more than 40 years, this charming and independent book nook not only carries a sturdy selec-tion of extraordinary reads, it also has puzzles and games for kids of all ages.

The shop’s story began in 1970 with a small space in the lobby of Bank Street College primar-ily serving the col-lege faculty and parents of students in the School for Children. Twenty years later, the store expanded into its current bi-level location at the cor-ner of 112th Street and Broadway and has grown to be an invaluable resource to both teachers, who can find there supplies and curric-ulum materials‚ and literary-minded par-ents throughout the neighborhood.

But let it be known: Bank Street Bookstore is a young reader’s para-dise. Kids will delight in the floor-to-ceiling shelves that are stocked with titles in almost 20 different languages. Overwhelmed with the possibilities? Narrow it down by heading to the heart of the store, which boasts a colorful display of carefully chosen staff favorites.

If you’ve got a baby at home or in tow, you don’t have to wander too far beyond the first floor. On the second level, con-tent is designated for older children and teens, featuring a wide range of fiction and educational books, as well as math, reading and logic games. There is even a special area devoted to reads on life’s more serious subjects, such as death, bul-lying and divorce.

And at a time when many small busi-nesses are struggling to keep their doors

open, Bank Street Bookstore continues to thrive under the leadership of Director Beth Puffer, who has been with the store for 25 years. A former early childhood edu-cator, Puffer’s time at Bank Street began as a holiday gig, serving as a short-term break from teaching. She enjoyed her work at the store so much that she never quite made it back to the classroom.

Puffer explains that while a large portion

of Bank Street’s customer base comes from the surrounding neighborhood, the store appeals to readers from across the tri-state area and even around the globe. “We have educators who come from places like Hong Kong, The Philippines and Australia year after year to shop here and have books shipped to them back home,” she said.

Additionally, many of the store’s titles can be found on Bank Street’s website, which is thoughtfully organized by age and topic, the way most of the in-store requests are received.

Puffer touts her knowledgeable, well-read staffers and their ability to think outside of the box as one of the key fea-tures that distinguishes her store from the competition. “The staff is the crown jewel of the store,” she said. “A teacher may come in requesting materials for a specific curriculum unit, and we’ll not only suggest nonfiction materials but also poetry, fiction and different subjects they might not think of that could expand a child’s vision of the topic.”

Bank Street Bookstore is not just a place to buy hardcovers and paperbacks.

The shop also hosts a variety of concerts as well as author and illustrator events each month. “We’ve heard over the years what an effect it’s had on children to meet the author or watch an illustrator create in front of their eyes,” Puffer said. “It’s like magic.”

Though faced with a diminishing num-ber of physical bookstores due the pro-liferation of e-readers and online shop-ping, Puffer remains optimistic about the

future. “We hope people will continue to support the idea of sitting with a child, turning the pages of a book and seeing the original art as it was created,” she said. “We hope to be able to continue to be the resource that we’ve been for years. I think we’re going to be here for a long time.”

We think so, too.To learn more, visit bankstreetbooks.

com.

Hot Tip of the Week

NYE at The Big Apple

The Little Bookstore That CouldFor more than 40 years, Bank Street Bookstore has remained a city staple for tiny readers

Spend this New Year’s Eve with the kids at the circus! On Saturday evening, ring in 2012 at The Big Apple Circus’ DREAM BIG! with post-show live music, dancing and a midnight toast. Champagne and sparkling cider, streamers and noisemakers will be provided, along with special goody bags for the whole family. The celebration starts at 9 p.m. at Damrosch Park on Lincoln Center Plaza. For more information, visit bigapplecircus.org.

Director Beth Puffer.

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14 • west side spirit • december 29, 2011 News YOU LiVe BYDECEMBER 29, 2011 | otdowntown.com 15

Alternative Healthy Manhattana monthly advertising supplement

Yoga & meditation can help make your New Year’s pledges stickBy Paulette Safdieh

Staying healthy requires more than an impulsive New Year’s resolution and a spanking new gym membership. To nix bad habits for good and maintain posi-tive changes to your body in 2012, fitness experts argue that the first and biggest change starts with the mind.

The philosophies behind yoga, Pilates and meditation share the idea of a mind-body connection. These exercises require a certain awareness of the body that differs from running on the tread-mill or breaking a sweat in Zumba class. Instead of counting the calories burned, practitioners believe a mental shift and commitment to change yield the best results.

“We live in a fast-paced, results-ori-ented society,” said Allan Lokos, founder of the Upper West Side’s Community Meditation Center. “If you stick with certain exercises long enough, you realize one day that you can now handle difficult situations with greater ease than you could have before.”

According to Lokos, 71, newcom-ers flock to classes as holiday bells start ringing. He says the human body doesn’t know how to differentiate between nega-tive stress and the good stress brought on by the holidays, like shopping, overeating and traveling. People turn to meditation for the pleasant feeling of calm and quiet, but Lokos insists the sessions can be far from carefree.

“When you’re left alone with your body and your mind, all kinds of stuff comes up—and some might not be pleas-ant,” said Lokos, a two-time author on the topic. “Do I really want to lose weight? Do I really want to quit smoking? You get that clarity and it creates motivation.”

Meditation can help spur positive change—whether it’s dropping a few pounds or throwing out the cigarettes for good—if people have genuine concern for their well-being and the desire to change for themselves, not just because

the doctor said so. Unfortunately, the weight won’t slip

off just by sitting in lotus position with your legs crossed a few times a week. To reap the most benefit from meditation, proper activity should be incorporated between the hours spent in the office cubicle. Lokos agrees that exercises like yoga and Pilates maintain a similar philosophy—being attuned to your body, making long-term changes and clearing your mind.

“It’s about sculpting yourself from the inside out, changing your mind’s per-spective so your body will fall into place,” said Marissa Antebi, who has been a yoga instructor in Midtown for 11 years. “With any body issues, it’s about how you’re seeing something. You need to become aware of the bad patterns and grow from there.”

For Antebi, 40, January is the busiest time of year. Despite the holiday rush, not

all newcomers tap into the endurance needed to stick it out and see results. An-tebi suggests starting with something as

minor as a walk in the park once a week and building from there.

Attending group sessions provides the support system of fel-low classmates, further encouragement to stick with it. Soon enough, you’ll learn how to maintain your health and weight instead of experiencing the fluctuations of fad diets and cleanses.

Pilates instructor Donna Singer, of the Upper East Side’s Center for Movement, said that’s the common ground between yoga and Pilates—it becomes a way of life, not just a method of exercise.

“You become aware of your posture and alignment and understand that you don’t need intense exercise to feel limber, supple and stronger,” said Singer, 42, who opened her first studio with cousin Elle Jardim in 1998. “We don’t play mu-

sic—we want you to keep your mind on what you’re doing. It encourages you to make positive steps to a healthy lifestyle and continue on that journey outside of the class.”

Pilates helps create strength without the bulk that comes along with weight training. Sessions at Center for Move-ment, on the Upper East Side and in Scarsdale, focus on flexibility and elon-gating the body though breathing. The goal is to do the movements correctly, increasing efficiency so fewer repetitions are required.

“As opposed to a spinning class, where you feel sore or you sweat, we teach a method,” said Singer. “After six sessions, you start to see subtle differ-ences, like a flatter stomach and more flexibility. We want to help people meet their resolutions.”

Antebi agrees that sticking to your New Year’s resolution through mid-Feb-ruary can be long enough to earn a pat on the back.

“People get caught up in their goals for the year,” said Antebi. “If you put it on the back burner and just commit to becoming aware of your mind and body, positive changes will come from that.”

“You need to become aware of the bad patterns and grow from there.”

Getting the Mind to Listen to Resolutions


IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT SUMMER CAMP FOR 2012!

Renee Flax, director of camper placement of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to

answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

New York Family magazine and the American Camp Association, NY & NJ are teaming up

for their winter fairs! Meet dozens of different camp directors from local DAY CAMPS and SLEEPAWAY

CAMPS from across the region.Great for children ages 3 to 17!

pre-register at:Newyorkfamilycamps.comFor more info on summer camps:

TheRightCamp.com

Upcoming Fairs:

SATURDAY, JAN 21, 2012Upper West Side

St. Jean Baptiste School173 E. 75th St.

12PM - 3PM

SUNDAY, JAN 22, 2012Upper West Side

Congregation Rodeph Sholom7 W. 83rd St.12PM - 3PM

SATURDAY, JAN 28, 2012Downtown

Grace Church School86 4th Ave.12PM - 3PM

SUNDAY, JAN 29, 2012

Park SlopeUnion Temple

17 Eastern Pkwy12PM - 3PM

SATURDAY, FEB 4, 2012Upper West Side

Bank Street School610 W. 112th St.

12PM - 3PM

1 6 • W E S T S I D E S P I R I T • D e c e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 1 1 N E W S Y O U L I V E B Y

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By Christopher MooreJump in, i tell myself. Jump into the

crowd and the excitement and the noise; that great big mass of humanity. in anoth-er lifetime, when you lived—or at least existed—in the suburbs of New Jersey, you said you thrived on this and took a Midtown direct train to get to the center of everything. don’t shrink now from the drama. Live a little. Just jump in.

that’s what i told myself every time i walked into the madness that is Macy’s—three separate times in two days—in the days before Christmas. But every time i am actually there, watching people bang into one another, just seconds before i become one with them, i find myself thinking, Get out while you still can.

instead, i went in. i needed to because some moron had decided that there should be a wedding in the week between Christmas and New Year’s. eventually, i remembered that the moron was me and the wedding was mine.

everyone else had holiday gift shop-ping on the brain. i can’t say that i blame them; in my high school years, back in another century, i would brave the Black Friday hordes to visit Macy’s. Hustle and bustle were my middle names.

As i got older, i got used to saying no, both as a newspaper editor and a human being. i have a talent for it. peer pressure

is largely lost on me. i began saying no to holiday shopping and crowds, indi-vidually and certainly when they came together. staying home developed con-siderable appeal. i did not see the point in spectacle, especially when the cable tV was working.

still, Macy’s somehow got grandfa-thered in. i still went there, shopped there

and liked being there. this was the surviving store of my child-hood. the escalators remind me of my grandmother. My cynical nature oddly ends at the crowd-ed entrance to this store. i hap-pily explained last thanksgiving morning to my partner that the Macy’s thanksgiving day parade

concludes with the actual santa Claus, not an imposter like the others.

Often, though, i get wary of actually heading out in the city i keep saying i adore. What is that about? Home is cozy; the cats are so cute. it sounds psychotic to walk out the door and into the lines at Zabar’s, even though the meat counter is so worth the effort. Bloomingdale’s? it’s beautiful, if smelly, but too often i rush through the main floor looking for the nearest exit.

i moved to a crowded city and then developed an aversion to crowds. Weird, but i’m not alone. New Yorkers get good at navigating. i can zig while thousands zag. sometimes i want to be like the fel-low who wrote in to the times years

ago. He talked himself out of being wary of big-town grocery shopping by simply reminding himself that the chaos is part of a trip to Fairway. He embraces it.

i’m not that far along. But i’m telling myself to jump more in 2012. Just the oth-er day i went to see the tree at rockefeller Center. Gorgeous.

the problem: Hell is other people, as Jean-paul sartre told us. He must have been in a perfume section when he said so. seconds into my first holiday jaunt to Macy’s, a horrible woman behind me was pushing and saying, “excuse me,” as if there were not 300 or so people in front of her also trying to get by. On trip 2, the saleslady forgot to put all our purchases into the bag. this error necessitated trip 3.

By then, though, i was a holiday vet-eran again—and mostly a happy one. this year, the world’s largest department store provided me with better customer service—by far—than our last visit to disney World. there is some training or something going on at Macy’s, because i had more than three actual human beings ask me if i needed help, then provided it. they made leaving the apartment worth the effort.

Now i just need to extend my love of humanity beyond Herald square.

Christopher Moore is a writer liv-ing in Manhattan. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and on twitter at cmoorenyc.

MOORE THOUGHTS

The Magic of Macy’s—and I’m Actually Not KiddingIn crowded Herald Square, trying to learn to love the chaos again

Ban Electric BikesIf they’re illegal (“Feds Say You Can’t

Restrict it—Electric Bikes,” Dec. 15) they should be banned, period. Federal law should not govern cities and towns for local transportation issues. NYC is a PEDESTRIAN city, not a bike city as the bike vultures would have it. That’s why we have public transportation and sidewalks. How many times I have seen bikes travel-ing on sidewalks or going opposite traffic I can’t count, nor could any New Yorker—and people have been killed and injured as a result.

—Yikes Bikes

Overcrowding Solution?The community has heard that this

school, at this size, will fill up just with the people living in the towers (“No Riverside Mirage,” Dec. 22). What happened to the idea that the school would help ease ele-mentary school overcrowding in the area and give us a sorely needed D3 middle school option?

I have clear, painful memories of the city NOT exercising its right to build a school on developer land in the Trump development just to the north of Riverside Center. Those kids swamped the Upper West Side. Please let them not make the mistake again by passing on that extra

15,000 square feet.—UWS Mom

Occupy the Boat Basin?I heard about these people who live on

their boats in the 79th Street Boat Basin for $400-$500 a month rent.

It’s completely egregious and unaccept-able that the City of New York permits a private cooperative of wealthy middle class and upwards to live on and control public land. This place is essentially a public park that has been co-opted and turned into a gated community subsidized with taxpayer dollars. Hmmmm....Occupy 79th Street?

—So Cal Prof

COmmunity SOapBOx The best comments from WestSideSpirit.com


By Josh RogersWhy is this night different from all oth-

ers? If we’re talking about New Year’s Eve rather than Passover, the answer is that it shouldn’t be.

After years of worrying, planning and even feeling embarrassed because my plans for the night were still uncertain in the last week in December, I no longer fret.

One of the many perks of marriage is it makes you realize Dec. 31 can be like any other night if you want. But it’s silly to wait for matrimony to come to that simple truth.

Yes, there’s lots of good fun out there in New York City at parties, restaurants, bars and, I suppose, Times Square if you have the mental and physical wherewith-al to brave the crowds and cold for many many hours before the ball drops. But

ordering takeout, cooking a nice meal or watching your favorite movie are also good options. Sleep, too. It’ll be after mid-night somewhere whenever you decide to call it a night, so you can always join a celebration online.

It’s also a lot more economical to splurge at home or at a friend’s house with your favorite delicacies, wine or spirits. Your low-key neighborhood bar is likely to have some sort of $50 or $100 “special”—even if it doesn’t, it’ll probably

be much more crowded on what drink-ers call amateur’s night. If you know of a Manhattan bar that’s an exception, keep it to yourself and hope it stays that way for a few more years.

No need to worry about res-olutions, unless these thoughts make you feel good. For lots of people, worrying about what you hope to do next year only brings angst.

I had great, life-changing things happen to me in each of the years between 2007 and 2010—engagement, marriage, wife pregnant, child born—but ’11 was even better because my son became his own person and I got to spend a lot of time watching him develop. The simple things day to day can make any year special.

As for the big night, the fun comes from the people around you—and that includes yourself. If you can’t be with the ones you love, be with someone who is at least good company.

For all of my talk, I am, in fact, going to a big dance party Saturday. It starts at 3 p.m. and it’s being organized by my neighborhood toddler group. I hear some

of the moms are really looking forward to going “out” on New Year’s.

I’m sure we’ll have a good time, but I’m looking forward to the private after-party—having a good home-cooked meal with our favorite drinks five or six hours before midnight. Last year, we

drank single malt Scotch, ginger ale and formula.

This year, one of us will probably switch to milk. The years do bring change.

Josh Rogers, contributing editor at Manhattan Media, is a lifelong New Yorker. Follow him @JoshRogersNYC.

By Jeanne MartinetAt first, I was shaking in my boots. I

had been about to plunge into my usual last-minute holiday shopping when the friend I was going with bailed on me. Who wants to negotiate the teeming hordes alone or try to make quick deci-sions on items without another eye to help? It’s like running a marathon all by yourself. But then I reminded myself that solo shopping can also be the best shopping.

It was when I was shopping for bathing suits last summer that I had my shopping epiphany (if one can have an epiphany about shopping): There is really no such thing as shopping alone if you are willing to open up to strangers.

Shopping for bathing suits, if you are a woman, is like being held hostage in a tiny, airless room with harsh lighting and being forced to confront all your deepest, darkest, ugliest secrets. The small room is the store dressing room and the secrets are what has happened to your body over the past year.

I was out of town, shopping by myself and feeling unhappy about not having any-one to help me in my pursuit of the perfect suit. I was even more unhappy that the

only good mirror was outside the dress-ing room, forcing me to display myself to other shoppers. But soon I began to notice another woman coming in and out of her own dressing room, also trying on suits. I could tell she was in the same state of mind as me. “How do you think this looks?” I ventured to ask her.

“I liked you in the other one better, the blue one,” she said. “That one really looked terrific on you.”

She was polite, the way a stranger would be. But hers was also an entirely objective opinion, maybe even more than a friend’s would have been. A friend might have taken into account my particular insecurities and usual clothing prefer-

ences. She might have even rushed me so we could get to lunch. And while talking to salespeople can be enjoyable, the honesty of store employees can never be entirely trusted. I gave this fellow bathing suit shopper my opinion on her selections, she on mine, and we were both successful and happy. I left with two great suits.

Not only can solo shopping be more efficient—you can focus on your own pur-chases—but it is also rewarding the same way traveling alone can be. When you travel alone, you are forced to engage with people you don’t know. It’s good to think of the other shoppers in the store as fellow travelers. I know it’s my mantra, but inter-acting with strangers is broadening to the mind and beneficial to the spirit.

OK, so shopping the week before Christmas may not be exactly “broad-ening,” what with all of the jostling and standing in line and having to witness the occasional shopper’s meltdown (“I came all the way down here and you’re out of f***ing stock?!”) And there is no great joy in being stuck in crowds. But you know, some fun parties are like that too, right? And aren’t they worth it in the end?

Of course, holiday shopping “mingling” can be difficult because people are tired, frustrated and stressed. But if you can avoid the occasional raging shopper, the rest of the world can be your shopping comrades-in-arms. “Do you think an 8-year-old would like this cobra piggy bank?” you might ask someone. Or “Do you think my mother would like this apron with ‘Your opinion is not in the recipe’ on it?” When you find someone in a store with whom to compare gift choices and ideas—let’s face it, you are not going to be able to find a salesperson anyway—it can be really fun.

Mostly, it is satisfying to talk with oth-er people because it makes you realize you are not alone. You are not the only person who has to buy presents for 15 people in three days or has a crazy aunt for whom it’s impossible to shop. You are not the only person who is worried about the money she is spending. You are not the only person who hates the days lead-ing up to Christmas.

And you are not the only person who doesn’t get everything done. If you didn’t find that special clipboard with the LED light on it for your father, don’t fret. Just put it on the list for next year. It’s much more important that you stopped to chat with some of your fellow overconsumers along your merry way.

Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of seven books on social inter-action. Read her blog at MissMingle.com.

citiquette

ironic Hopes

It’s Just Another NightA quiet New Year’s can be the perfect way to usher in 2012

Holiday Store Social Rediscovering the benefits of shopping solo

No need to worry if you are doing ‘nothing’ on New Year’s Eve.

Mostly, it is satisfying to talk with other people because it makes you realize you are not

alone. You are not the only person who has to buy presents for 15 people in three days or has a crazy aunt for whom it’s

impossible to shop.

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