Posts tagged NYC
Gone for Now
With many NYC residents still living in the cold and dark, the damaged businesses are not on our minds as much. But did your realize that we have temporarily lost some solid historic establishments?
The New York Aquarium got flooded in the storm. Everyone is ok, thanks to the staff who stayed on to protect them. The aquarium is closed until further notice while they clean out and get back on track. They are asking for donations to help move things along as the animals do need to get back to normalcy.
The River Cafe sustained multiple millions worth of damage. They will remain closed until further notice.
Fairway in Red Hook put out all of their flooded food for people to take and gutted the building. They promise to be back better than ever.
The original Nathans on Surf Avenue will not reopen soon according to their Facebook page. It doesn’t mean they won’t reopen. They just have lots of work to do. The boardwalk Nathans sustained less damage.
There are so many businesses that have been around for years that will struggle to make it back in all of the boroughs. Actually, if The Bronx got hit at all, I haven’t heard anything about it.
Currently closed:
El Greco Diner in Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club
Cross Bay Diner, Howard Beach
South Street Seaport Museum, NYC
Rockaway Taco and Veggie Island are being used as volunteer staging grounds but they are closed for business.
Apologies to Staten Island and New Jersey for not knowing the areas well enough to report on them.
School Relocation Information
It’s going to be a rough road for many kids, but the New York City Department of Education just posted the list of school relocations for those in the majorly hard hit areas.
From schools.nyc.gov
Schools to be relocated
While the vast majority of students across the city will report to their home schools on Monday morning, November 5, there will be schools that will be relocated temporarily in other buildings because of significant damage to their home building.
This is a list of schools (as of 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 3) that have experienced severe damage and cannot open for school on Monday. The list shows each impacted school with a temporary location, where the school will hold classes until its original building can be repaired. (list in pdf format)
In some instances impacted schools are being sited across several schools, i.e., Kindergarten through grade 2 at one receiving school, grades 3-5 at another.
Students in these schools will not attend class on Monday, November 5 or Tuesday, November 6 (Election Day), but will attend class at their new temporary location on Wednesday, November 7.
We are working with our busing companies to provide transportation for eligible students. We will provide updates early in the week.
Teachers will report on Monday and Tuesday to integrate into their new temporary location and prepare for students to come back to school on Wednesday.
Staff should report to their new temporary location on Monday, November 5, at their regular start time.
Schools without power
This is a list of schools that as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 2, did not have power restored. (list in pdf format
This list will be updated Sunday afternoon.
We hope that as power is restored throughout the city, that these schools will also regain power.
This list excludes schools that are relocating due to severe damage.
Schools serving as shelter sites
This is a list of schools that will continue to host a shelter site on Monday, November 5. (list in pdf format)
Students in these schools will not attend class on Monday, November 5 or Tuesday, November 6 (Election Day), but will return to school on Wednesday, November 7.
Staff should report to school on Monday, November 5, at their regular start time.
1970’s NYC
W. 21st, Meatpacking District
Dirty Old 1970’s New York City is making the rounds on Facebook among friends I grew up with. It always brings a smile to my face to see images of the city of my youth that no longer exists. Their tag line? “For those who loved New York City before the 80’s took its balls away.”
Enjoy the pics.
Union Square. I remember shopping at this Mays up until the mid 80’s.
Times Square, of course.
Canal and Broadway. They knew from egg creams.
Under Brooklyn Bridge ramp, Dover Street
Affordable NYC: Rockaway Beach
The Rockaway Peninsula consists of neighborhoods that range from skid row to exclusive. Since this is a post about “affordable housing” in the area, we’re not here to talk about Belle Harbor.
Rockaway Beach was once a summer destination for city dwellers. The bungalows that lined the shore were torn down to make way for public housing in the 50’s and 60’s. That’s about the time urban blight set in and it’s still very visible in areas of neighboring Arverne that have not yet been rebuilt.
But the fact is, Rockaway Beach has been rediscovered. And the new developments at Arverne by The Sea are a big F U to urban decay.
Once upon a time, Rockaway Beach was known as The Irish Riviera. Now it’s the Hipster Hamptons. There are still plenty of working class Irish American families whom have been rooted in the area for generations. Now it’s a diverse mix of old timers and new.
During the summer months, this is fast becoming THE place to be. The concessions open up on the boardwalk, hipsters flock here to surf, swim and be all hip-n-shit. Rockaway Taco has 2 hour lines. For a friggin taco. Winter months are fairly quiet. The dedicated surfers are out there all year, but you’ll notice less of a scene and more of a community in the cold weather.
Surely, if you are a beach person or a boater (the bay is on the other side of the peninsula), you can’t do much better on a budget than Rockaway Beach. This stretch of the peninsula is walking distance from shore to shore, so you have the best of the beach and the bay. But let’s talk about off season. People haven’t been surviving out there for generations on nothing!
Are there restaurants? Yes. Thai Rock and Bungalow Bar next door are on bayside and have outdoor seating in the warmer weather. They have live performances as well as food and drinks. There are plenty of established restaurants near 116th Street (a main shopping district) or across the bridge in Broad Channel.
What about bagels? Yeah. They even deliver.
Hot yoga? Of course!
Dog park? Fantastic dog park! Tested on my own dogs. They loved it!
Supermarkets? The Stop and Shop on Beach 72nd Street in Arverne is worth the 20 block (or so) trip.
Those are all pros. So, what are the cons?
Well, it’s a schlep. The A runs about 10 trains during rush hour. Other hours, you have to switch for the shuttle at Broad Channel to get out to Rockaway.
Hit or miss areas. Like any neighborhood in transition, some blocks are nicer than others. You do see people fixing up their homes across the street from an abandoned burnt out shell.
Safety? Look at the statistics and judge for yourself. Personally, I can’t comment on how safe I feel there yet because I haven’t spent enough time there. I don’t think I’d want to walk around near the Hammel Houses at 2am with my ear buds, but then I wouldn’t do that in most neighborhoods. Just to be clear, there are plenty of great families living in housing projects, not just the “bad elements”. The elevated train line does give the feeling of being isolated from the more pleasant beach side of town.
Schools? Don’t have kids. Again, check it out. I will say that the high school I pass along Beach Channel Drive looks nice with their tennis courts and all.
All in all, I think it’s a pretty great investment and a wonderful place to live. You can still pick up a small fixer upper for less than $300k but act now. I swear there were more listings in the $200k’s when I started looking and was less than impressed. My how things have changed so quickly.
Car (or Van) Sharing
Want to take a drive to the country for the weekend? Beach for the day? How about obtaining a van for renovations? Car rental companies can be pretty pricey in New York, so it’s no surprise that car sharing options such as ZipCar have gained in popularity.
Disclosure: I’m just doing some internet research because I’ll soon be needing a van for renovations. I’ve never actually tried a car sharing company. If you have, please comment with some feedback!
It would seem that the daily price of car sharing is comparable to rentals; however, gas and insurance are included in the share. We all know that insurance is what can double the price of that rental. Let’s also remember that location, location, location is everything. Looks like car sharing may be a tad more convenient than schlepping to a rental company to pick up a car. Also, if you only need it for an hour to two, that’s cool.
If you only intend to use the car once or twice a year, car sharing may not be worth it as there is a membership fee involved.
Let’s have a look at some local companies, shall we?
ZipCar is the best known. You’ll be spending $85 to participate. $60 for the annual fee and $25 application fee. Hourly weekend rates are $14 or $125 per day.
Hertz didn’t get to where they are by making bad business decisions. They’ve entered the game with Hertz on Demand and it’s pretty competitve. There are no membership or application fees. Insurance and gas are included and weekend rates run from $8 per hour or $108 per day.
Mint Cars on Demand waives the membership fee for the first year and charges $40 annually after that. Weekend rates for an economy car are $12 per hour and $107 per day with the first 180 miles free, then .45 cents per mile after that. As with the other companies, gas and insurance are included.
Carpingo just launched in Brooklyn. Like this month. Since they are quite new, the information isn’t really out there yet, but here’s what I came up with: The founders are Brooklynites whom have been in the NYC car rental industry for 30 years. They do have cargo vans as well as cute little cars like the Fiat 500. Don’t know if this is a start up offer or they are keeping these rates, but membership is free and the application fee is waived. Gas, insurance and 180 free miles included. I see $8 per hour on a postcard I received but I don’t know if that’s weekday or weekend. Also, the postcard announces $75 in free driving if you join now. Coupon code CPG100.
Then, for my purposes, there’s always UHaul or big box hardware store truck rentals starting at $19.95 per day plus expenses. Or….man with van including a helping hand. The problem with that is getting someone reliable enough.
There are also ways to earn money by sharing your own car and of course you can rent from the following places as well. Personally, I’d feel kind of awkward messing around with someone’s privately owned vehicle rather than a large faceless company.
From what I gather, the car providers must have OnStar and the rates vary according to owner. It’s the Air BnB of car sharing.
If you are interested in offering your own car or renting someone’s private vehicle, check out these companies:
Under Delancey
Under Delancey Street sits an unused trolley terminal. The Delancey Underground project aims to create a subterranean public park called “The Lowline“. Get it? Because it’s the opposite of the High Line.
It could be the coolest thing in the world, but it may never see the light of day (Literally. There will be daylight streaming in.) if it doesn’t get the funding.
Watch the Kickstarter video to learn more about it.
End of Life
New York has lost a bunch of history over the past 20 years but the sad news about Life Cafe is a particularly tough one.
Just nine months after losing their East Village location due to greedy landlords, now the owners must close their doors in Bushwick for the same reason. Kathy and her husband David John will not seek to open up again in another area as they plan on semi-retiring.
I frequented Life Cafe on 10th and B in the 80’s and the only reason I ever find myself in Bushwick is if I’m craving Life’s scrambled tofu for brunch. Always preferred the less cramped 10th Street space.
It should be noted that both locations opened in those neighborhoods pre-gentrification. Kathy was a pioneer on the business scene when others wouldn’t take risks in those areas.
The risk paid off both times. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Thank you for bringing us Life, Kathy. You will be missed.
Bungalows For (Almost) Every Borough
We all know that The Catskills have their fair share of bungalows, but what about right here in our fair city? Do you know which New York City neighborhoods still have bungalow communities?
The cute block of bungalows above is Shaler Street in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
City Island in The Bronx is more like a quaint seaside village than a Big Apple neighborhood. The two bungalows shown above are for sale. The one on the left is listed with Weichert for $289k and the one on the right is for sale by owner at $355k.
Well, Staten Island HAD an adorable bungalow colony right on the beach, but sadly Cedar Grove has been demolished. Out with the historic old, in with the tacky new…
The bungalows of The Rockaways are probably the best known in the city.
It’s hard to believe, but Manhattan actually has some small single family homes left. I found these Inwood bungalows on Google satellite and was surprised to learn that they are priced under $300k when they go up for sale. Hello next project!
Correction: I confused Inwood, Queens Long Island with Inwood, NYC. 🙁
Remember Korvettes?
RIP Eugene Ferkauf, founder of Korvettes Department Stores. Ferkauf was 91 and died in his Manhattan home. Korvettes was huge during the 50’s and 60’s but the chain went out of business by 1980.
Some Summer Concerts
Photo by Scott Dudelson
Not all of the local outdoor venues have released their concert line ups yet, but here are a few good ones.
The legendary Jimmy Cliff opens Celebrate Brooklyn on June 5th. The concert is free to the public (donations accepted) or you can get fancy schmancy and buy a $325 ticket to the dinner and gala.
Cake, Jane’s Addiction and Sublime will be among the bands headlining the Williamsburg Park Concert Series.
Playing Jones Beach on June 8th and 10th is….are you ready for this?…Neil Diamond! Other blasts from the pasts at the venue over the summer include The Beach Boys, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, The Deftones, Loverboy and gosh, so much more.
Some of the performances at Central Park Summer Stage include Alabama Shakes, comedy from The Daily Show crew and The Klezmatics.
The Drums headline the Four Knots Festival on July 14th.
Etan Patz Lives
I hope they don’t find anything in that basement. I know it would bring closure to the family of Etan Patz but if they are anything like I am, they believe he’s living a wonderful life somewhere and he just doesn’t realize who he is. He’ll be back someday it will be such a heartwarming miracle!
I was 14 when Patz disappeared from his Soho neighborhood. As dangerous as New York was at the time, kids did have more freedom than they do now. That didn’t end with Etan but it was somewhat of a wake up call. His face was plastered all over the city, a reminder to us kids to be careful.
Growing up 1970’s NYC left a few lasting impressions that are hard to let go. There were incidents that made us fearful, like Son of Sam, but there were stories that we wished would have happy endings.
I wanted Etan Patz to break the odds. Unfortunately, this 46 year old woman will probably be let down by the end of the day.
Etan, you’ll always be alive to me. God speed, Little Man!
I’m Walkin’ Here!
So, this guy Matt has walked across the U.S. of A much like Forrest Gump and now he’s hitting the streets of The Big Apple. Actually, he’s nearly three months in and has covered a lot of ground. Matt’s plan is to walk every single street of the city. He’s blogging about it and taking pictures (below) along the way.
The blog is called “I’m Just Walkin’” but IMHO, he should have titled it “I’m Walkin’ Here” for the NYC bit. Whatever it’s called, it’s pretty fascinating and makes me want to do it too. Don’t worry. I won’t.
Matt reckons that he’ll have traveled 8000 miles by foot by the time he’s finished walking around the boroughs. He will have walked passed every person’s home and it will take him about two years to do so.
So how does one finance an endeavor such as this? He’s relying on the kindness of strangers and friends. He doesn’t have to pay rent as he’s taken to hobo status and crashes with buddies along the route. He is asking for donations to keep him going. You can help him along by going here.
I wonder if the dude has contacted a sneaker company to sponsor him? Can’t be a better advertisement than that.
Lindsay for Mayor
How have I spent the past 46 years (minus a few) in Brooklyn and never noticed the sign on this building? It was actually my husband who noticed while driving down Bedford near Flatbush. Upon further investigation on The Internets, it turns out that Fading Ad Blog spotted it about 3 months ago. Actually, there was another sign covering Lindsay all this time, so I’m not so unobservant after all.
John Lindsay served 8 years as Mayor of New York City back when I was too young to take interest. I did find some interesting facts about the his term and the political environment 40 something years ago that are still pertinent to today.
Lindsay inherited serious fiscal problems from outgoing Mayor Robert Wagner (not the actor). With manufacturing jobs disappearing, white flight to the suburbs and new unions taking shape, it was tough to get the city back on it’s feet.
On his first day in office, there was a transit strike. During his term there was also a teacher’s strike, a sanitation strike and sewage and drawbridge worker’s strike.
In 1969, NYC was hit with 15 inches of snow. Fourteen people died and 68 were injured.Within a day, the mayor was criticized for giving special treatment to Manhattan while the other boroughs were left hanging. Sound familiar?
1970 brought the Hard Hat Riot. Two hundred construction workers attacked students protesting the Kent State shootings and Vietnam War. Here’s where it gets interesting. Who tried to protect those students? Wall street bankers and attorneys. The cops stood by and did nothing. When the Mayor criticized the NYPD, he was called “the red mayor, a “traitor,” “Commy rat” and “bum.”
By 1971, Lindsay switched parties from Republican to Democrat. “…This step recognizes the failure of 20 years in progressive Republican politics…” He actually ran for President but as we know, he didn’t get very far.
Later in his life, after Parkinson’s Disease, heart attacks and stroke depleted Lindsay’s finances, he found himself without health insurance. In 1996 Mayor Giuliani appointed Lindsay to two largely ceremonial posts to make him eligible for municipal health insurance coverage.
All facts came from Wikipedia, so don’t blame me if they’re wrong. Thankfully, I’m too young to remember.