The other day, we reported the City Council was taking a look at whether the Hotel on Rivington’s sidewalk cafe license should be renewed. Today, they signed off on a two-year renewal, affirming a recent decision from the Department of Consumer Affairs. In 2007, the city decided to approve the original sidewalk permit, in spite [...]]]>

The other day, we reported the City Council was taking a look at whether the Hotel on Rivington’s sidewalk cafe license should be renewed. Today, they signed off on a two-year renewal, affirming a recent decision from the Department of Consumer Affairs. In 2007, the city decided to approve the original sidewalk permit, in spite of objections from Community Board 3. In the absence of any complaints about noise or other glaring issues, the Council saw no reason to reject the renewal. Last week, Councilmember Margaret Chin flagged the application, to give her staff time to consult with CB3 about the situation. The community board has ongoing concerns about congestion from both cars and pedestrians on the section of Rivington Street where the hotel is located (just west of Essex). There was agreement, however, that management had acted responsibly and had done nothing to jeopardize their license.

Artists Graham Holly and Rachel Grassi-Montoya have curated a special show in celebration of Youth Art Month at the ARTJAIL Gallery space (50 Eldridge St.)  The show features work by children as well as adults [...]]]>

Video still from "Puppets and Films by the 7th and 8th Graders of The Gateway Middle School and Leat Klingman"

Artists Graham Holly and Rachel Grassi-Montoya have curated a special show in celebration of Youth Art Month at the ARTJAIL Gallery space (50 Eldridge St.)  The show features work by children as well as adults – and some multi-generational collaborations.

Highlights include an inflatable Bounce House titled, “The Empire,” by Colin Williams, Candy Swings by Papabubble, “Paper Boats and Collaborative Drawing” by Elliot and Rachel Grassi-Montoya, “Emily Magic” by Princess Emily of Medicne St., and “Puppets and Films by 7th and 8th Graders of The Gateway Middle School and Leat Klingman.”  Open by appointment through the month of March. Call: 646.666.8550

The summer Youth Employment Program in jeopardy (NYT)

Shots fired on Avenue B (EV Grieve).

Adam Cohn of Butcher Bay speaks out about community boards (Eater).

The Mercury Lounge building has been sold (Curbed).

Suser Lee of Shang attributes the failure of his restaurant in the Thompson LES Hotel to unsophisticated New York palates (Eater).

Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh’s reminder about [...]]]>

The summer Youth Employment Program in jeopardy (NYT)

Shots fired on Avenue B (EV Grieve).

Adam Cohn of Butcher Bay speaks out about community boards (Eater).

The Mercury Lounge building has been sold (Curbed).

Suser Lee of Shang attributes the failure of his restaurant in the Thompson LES Hotel to unsophisticated New York palates (Eater).

Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh’s reminder about tonight’s kingergarten and pre-K information fair (Brian Kavanagh.org).

Tomorrow night, officials from the city’s Department of Transportation will brief Community Board 3 on a plan to add new bike lanes connecting to the Williamsburg Bridge. In short, bike-dedicated corridors would be created on Suffolk, Stanton and Rivington Streets. Here’s the proposal, in DOT speak:

Recent DOT [...]]]>

Williamsburg entrance. Photo from Streetsblog.

Tomorrow night, officials from the city’s Department of Transportation will brief Community Board 3 on a plan to add new bike lanes connecting to the Williamsburg Bridge. In short, bike-dedicated corridors would be created on Suffolk, Stanton and Rivington Streets. Here’s the proposal, in DOT speak:

Recent DOT projects on Grand and Clinton Streets have improved bicycle access to the Williamsburg Bridge from the south, but it remains difficult to access the bridge from the north because of the absence of an east-west cycling route north of the Williamsburg Bridge entrance on Delancey Street. In our continued effort to improve access, circulation, and safety to and from the bridge entrances, a buffered bicycle path was installed in the fall of 2009 for one block in the median of Delancey Street between Suffolk Street and the bridge entrance.  The proposed bicycle lane on Suffolk Street will now complete that important connection to the bridge, with improved circulation and connections to existing bicycle facilities created by the proposed east-west bicycle lanes on Rivington and Stanton Streets. The project proposal updates parking regulations and installs a 6-foot wide green-painted curbside bicycle lane providing a parallel cycling route to the heavily-trafficked Delancey Street. This project adds 1.4 lane miles to the bicycle network and completes a safe, convenient cycling route connecting the Williamsburg Bridge and the Hudson River Greenway.

For many years, cycling advocates have been lobbying for a more extensive network of bike lanes around the bridge. Their voices grew louder in January when a bicyclist was killed on Delancey Street when a school bus back up and struck her.

The meeting of CB3’s transportation committee takes place tomorrow at 630pm at University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (at Rivington).

Another beautiful day in the city. Look for mostly sunny skies and a high of 54 degrees. In the news, planning for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area is shifting into high gear. City officials briefed Community Board [...]]]>

Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Garden at the Henry Street Settlement. Photo by Joel Raskin

Another beautiful day in the city. Look for mostly sunny skies and a high of 54 degrees. In the news, planning for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area is shifting into high gear. City officials briefed Community Board 3 last night on the next steps in the process. We’ll have more on that this afternoon. Also the always controversial topic of bike lanes is back on CB3’s agenda tomorrow night. We posted details a short time ago of the city’s plan to improve bike access to the Williamsburg Bridge. Also, we’re keeping an eye on Pulino’s, Keith McNally’s new, heavily hyped pizza emporium scheduled to open today. Stay tuned!

It’s a whole new world below Delancey. Beginning in April, the Hester Street Fair, a new weekend market, is coming to a tree-lined lot next to Seward Park.  There will be more than 60 vendors participating each day, including farmers, food purveyors and local artists. The market [...]]]>

Architectural rendering; courtesy Hester Street Fair

It’s a whole new world below Delancey. Beginning in April, the Hester Street Fair, a new weekend market, is coming to a tree-lined lot next to Seward Park.  There will be more than 60 vendors participating each day, including farmers, food purveyors and local artists. The market is being organized by a group of residents, including Ron Castellano, the architect/developer behind the restoration of the Forward Building.

Last August, we reported that the Seward Park Co-op, which owns the parcel, was looking for an organization to run an open-air market. The lot, located just to the south of the basketball courts on Essex Street, hasn’t been used in decades. At the time, Seward Park board member Pietro Filardo told us the co-op envisioned a lively gathering place for the community.  After reading about the opportunity in The Lo-Down, the residents got together and began making plans.

One of the main organizers, SuChin Pak, told me she hopes the market will be a celebration of the neighborhood’s rich culture and history.  The lot is situated at the end of Hester Street, once home to the Lower East Side’s pushcart peddlers.  The lot has a lot going for it. Embedded in Seward Park, it’s visible from the street, but also reasonably secluded. In the next few weeks, they’ll be installing benches and tables, and preparing to accommodate dozens of vendors.

It also looks like the Grand Street Green Market (at Essex Street) will be moving down the block, just outside the Hester Street property. We’re told the city was close to pulling the plug on the market in its current location due to  lack of interest. There’s hope a larger, more heavily promoted venue will attract bigger crowds.

The Hester Fair group is actively looking for vendors. If you’re interested in taking part, take a look at their Craigslist ad. Also check out the group’s Facebook Page. The market will debut April 24th and stay open through December. The hours will be 10-6.

Although Lower East Side schools [...]]]> State Senator Daniel Squadron is introducing a bill in Albany today designed to prevent the kind of school overcrowding problem plaguing our neighbors on the West Side. He announced the legislation yesterday in front of P.S. 234 in Tribeca, with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh looking on.

Although Lower East Side schools are not experiencing anything like the overcrowding crisis preoccupying parents in Tribeca and the Financial District, some parent activists here are sounding the alarm that the LES could be next if the Department of Education does not commit to building new schools.

The bill is based on recommendations in a recent report released by Stringer’s office. If the bill becomes law, the DOE would be required to consider birth rate projections from the Department of Health and population projections from the Department of City Planning, in deciding when and where to put new schools. It would also mandate the public release of data used to project student populations. Finally the bill would require the DOE to “make public all comments it receives in response to its school siting plans and five-year capital plan, and must respond to those comments.”

In a news release, Squadron said, “”When planning is off, communities suffer — that’s why we need better data, more transparency and a stronger voice for the community in school-seat planning.  These changes would offer more tools to prevent overcrowding and improve long-term planning for our schools.”

In spite of the addition of two new schools, the overcrowding crisis on the West Side appears to be far from over. Parents have complained loudly about the DOE’s flawed projections but also about the refusal to release assessments of school facilities and a clear explanation of how those projections are made.

Parent activists stood with Squadron yesterday, saying they were supportive of any effort increasing transparency in New York City’s public schools. They praised him for focusing on solutions to the problem.  Leonie Haimson of the organization, “Class Size Matters,” offered her qualified support, indicating the bill was a “good first step.” After the news conference, Haimson said she’ll work to work to strengthen the legislation. She wants an independent analysis of the DOE’s projections and other statistics. Haimson also called for the public release of comprehensive “Needs Assessments” of NYC schools.

For several years, parent activists on the East Side have argued that DOE statistics are essentially meaningless. As the recent dispute over the expansion of the Girls Prep Middle School illustrated, there’s a huge discrepancy between the DOE’s “school utilization rates” and the first hand accounts of school administrators and teachers.  They have argued, for example, that spaces used for special education, science labs, art and counseling are in very short supply. They also point to statistics showing the Lower East Side is the fastest growing school district in the city.

The pressures on the West Side are largely the result of a plan put in place after 9/11 to create thousands of new apartments in the neighborhood.  Population growth, fueled by gentrification, is of course an ongoing concern on the Lower East Side.  The economic downturn may have relieved any immediate pressure to plan for future growth. Education activists are urging the city, however, not to make the LES “the next Tribeca.”

If you aren’t going to the sold out shows at Mercury Lounge (Washed Out) or Bowery Ballroom (Company of Thieves) tonight, here are some other musical events that look like fun:

Guitarist Jim Campilongo is playing with his trio at the Living Room this month on Monday nights. [...]]]>

Jim Campilongo - photo by Arthi Krishnaswami

If you aren’t going to the sold out shows at Mercury Lounge (Washed Out) or Bowery Ballroom (Company of Thieves) tonight, here are some other musical events that look like fun:

Guitarist Jim Campilongo is playing with his trio at the Living Room this month on Monday nights. Watch video of a recent performance here.

The 88 is playing at Pianos tonight at 10pm.

The Small Beast music salon curated by Paul Wallfisch is happening at The Delancey.

Lucid NYC will be hosting their next multifaceted event/party on Wednesday night at the Slipper Room. The evening is titled “Hackers, Opera and Mullets” and will feature perfomances and presentations by artist, hacker, and openFrameworks inventor, Zach Lieberman, co-founder of Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, Jonah Peretti, who’ll be talking about “Mormons, [...]]]>

Lucid NYC will be hosting their next multifaceted event/party on Wednesday night at the Slipper Room. The evening is titled “Hackers, Opera and Mullets” and will feature perfomances and presentations by artist, hacker, and openFrameworks inventor, Zach Lieberman, co-founder of Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, Jonah Peretti, who’ll be talking about “Mormons, Mullets and Maniacs,” performance artist/sculptress/opera singer Clarina Bezzola and jazz guitar by Scott Sokolov. Doors open at 7pm, Talks start at 8pm sharp.  Tickets $17.50 advance, $20 door.

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