It’s been more than a year since 90′ Nuts, the candy store on Broadway between 90th and 91st streets, shut its doors. About two months ago, a bodega opened there, but closed after about a week. Now the space may be getting a more permanent tenant. A new ice cream store called Scoop is on its way, and it plans to serve organic ice cream. As tipster Ken said: “Thank God I won’t have to walk more than 25 yards in any direction for a frozen treat.”

The store is set to open on June 1 and they’re looking for employees. See the flyer below. Thanks to Ken, David and Michael for the tips.

The Brood 2 Cicada, which only comes ’round once every 17 years, has begun to emerge from the ground in Central Park, according to a map of cicada sightings put together by WNYC’s Radio Lab. The bugs are expected to come out en masse in the next month or so as part of this regular ritual. They’ll buzz around, mate and then die.

According to the map, there have been two reports of cicadas: people have reported that they heard cicadas around 97th street in the middle of the park and that they saw cicadas around 72nd street in the park. Supposedly, the cicadas have been coming out first in Staten Island. Like everyone else, they’ve clearly been priced out of Manhattan and Brooklyn. WNYC explains what they look and sound like:

The insect, with its sinisterly bright red eyes and black body, can grow to about an inch and a half long. Include the bug’s clear wings and that could add about 2 inches.

But what’s really notable about the cicada is its loud, unrelenting noise. To imagine what it sounds like, Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an urban entomologist and a senior extension associate at Cornell University, says think of a plastic water bottle. “Push the plastic back and forth, it makes a click sound,” she said. “Imagine that going really quickly.”

There’s also supposedly a disease called cicadaphobia, or at least a website dedicated to it.

Check out a video of cicadas at a wedding in 1996, and the interactive map of cicada sightings below. If you see any of the bugs, try to take a photo and send it to us, and consider plotting it on the map.

Metro-North trains to and from Westchester could be coming to a train station on the Upper West Side in the next few years, and politicians are starting to line up behind the plan.

The first part of the train extension would take riders from Penn Station up through Queens and the Bronx to meet up with the New Haven line. The second part would run from Penn Station up through the Upper West Side and into Westchester on the Hudson line. We first wrote about it in February.

Here’s what’s new: the Bronx borough president’s office released a report this month that said that the extension could bring an additional $1 billion into Bronx businesses. Those kinds of numbers are helping ramp up political pressure to get the new stations built:

“Bronx lawmakers used the report’s findings to call on Metro-North’s parent agency, the MTA, to include in the agency’s next five-year capital program money to build four new Bronx station stops in Co-op City, Morris Park, Hunts Point and Parkchester,” Newsday reported.

The whole project could cost $1.2 billion, a comptroller’s report said. The MTA is considering whether to put the project in its next capital plan,  and pressure from Bronx politicians could presumably help make that happen.

The MTA has said it will reach out to Upper West Siders as it gets closer to developing plans. The earliest the trains would start running is probably 2019. Check out the map showing where the trains would run below. We’ll keep you updated as this exciting idea moves forward (or doesn’t).

West Side Trains 11 2011

Photo by sonjaloves.

As toxic chemicals spewed from light fixtures at Upper West Side schools over the past couple of years, the city Department of Education essentially told parents that they’d deal with it, eventually. The chemicals, called PCBs, were used in light fixtures until the 1970′s, but they have been shown to cause cancer in animals and probably in humans. This is a particularly big issue on the UWS: after PCBs leaked out of a fixture at PS 87 this year, the Department of Education didn’t tell parents about it for months.

The city had said the schools would be PCB-free in 10 years. But parents were not willing to wait a decade for the chemicals to be removed, and took the city to court.

On Tuesday, parents won a battle to make the city speed up the removal. In court-ordered mediation, the city agreed to remove the PCB-light fixtures by 2016, instead of their original timeline of 2021.

Letty Cottin Pogrebin advocates telling the truth, which is why I’d like to share my first impression of her new book “How to be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick”: What a good idea for a magazine article.  How, I wondered, could even this accomplished author, activist, and speaker—whose pedigree includes serving as founding editor of Ms. magazine and past president of the Author’s Guild—fill an entire book on this subject?

It turns out she not only could, but has, in a way that is informative, revealing, compassionate, and useful.

Prompted by her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, Ms. Pogrebin’s book is filled with her insights, as well as stories and advice from friends and fellow patients, on how we can be most helpful to those we care about when illness strikes.

While some of the information in How to Be A Friend initially seems to be “just common sense,” Ms. Pogrebin illuminates the foundations for these suggestions — for example, why certain language is helpful or hurtful. Other passages cover content this reviewer had not considered at all, such as how to respond to friends whose illnesses are related to, and exacerbated by, financial troubles. Clear chapter headings also make the book a useful reference for specific topics such as “Sickness and Shame” and “Dealing with Dementia”

More general tips include allowing the gravity of the friend’s illness to guide the nature of a visit. A person who is in pain may not be able to answer questions but will likely value silent companionship, while a friend who is less debilitated may be eager to recount the details of his or her condition to a receptive listener.  Acceptance of the nature of chronic illness, and sensitivity to the desire of those who are expected to recover to discuss subjects other than their illness are also discussed.

Information is provided on how to be an advocate for your friend in the doctor’s office, on  how long to visit and what to bring, how you can help family members, and what not to say to the ailing person (hint: “Oh my God” and “You look great” are not helpful).  Readers are encouraged to “be sincere in your offer [of help], and ready to take no for an answer” if the patient doesn’t want what’s offered. Perhaps most important of all, Ms. Pogrebin advises, give your sick friend permission to tell the truth about what they need and free them from the need to take care of you.

What’s missing from the book may be what’s missing from our healthcare system—clear direction on how to be an advocate for a sick friend while they are in the hospital if they are receiving inadequate or inappropriate care or treatment. How to help make sure that enough attention is paid. Ms. Pogrebin acknowledges the exceptionally positive nature of her experience with caregivers at Memorial Sloan- Kettering. Many readers may have less uplifting stories of friends and family whose treatment at hospitals of all kinds was far from optimal, but perhaps this is a subject for another project.

Readers who will benefit most from this book may be those of us over 40, whose circle of friends (and relatives) have started developing the maladies that flesh is heir to. But Ms. Pogrebin does not neglect the very difficult job of being friends to young people who are sick and to attending to friends who are the caregivers for critically ill young children. This section includes valuable information on how to help a child be a good friend to a peer who is sick.

“How to be a Friend to A Friend Who’s Sick” ends with a discussion of what Ms. Pogrebin calls collective caring. While acknowledging the role of traditional support groups—and noting both their potential to help, as well as their downside—listening to the concerns and anxieties of those with more serious illness can be depressing and frightening, the author focuses on groups of people who come together with no other bond than a desire to help the friend they have in common.  By planning a coordinated schedule of regular meal deliveries, company on trips to the doctor or for chemotherapy, and regular home visits, these groups demonstrate their friendship in ways that are generous, heartfelt and effective. Models of how to form such a group or network are included, as is an impressive list of print and on-line resources and recommended reading for caregivers.

How to Be a Friend to A Friend Who’s Sick by Letty Cottin Pogrebin is published by PublicAffairs.

Ms. Pogrebin will be interviewed by her daughter, author Abigail Pogrebin, on Wednesday, May 22^nd at 7:30 pm at the JCC in Manhattan. More information is available here: http://www.jccmanhattan.org/what-everyones-talking-about?page=cat-content&progID=26538

Nancy Novick blogs about books, bookstores, and libraries at Stacked-NYC.com.

There’s finally some action in the old Georgia’s Cafe & Bakery space at 89th street and Broadway, which closed last year after a fire. A restaurant tentatively called Cibo e Vino is seeking a liquor license there. The LLC that owns Cibo e Vino, called Bukefal LLC,  is owned by Marjanne Motamedi, who once co-owned a West Village Italian restaurant called I Tre Merli Bistro. Thanks to Ken for the tip.

Boozy Australian brunch spot and bar The Sunburnt Calf on 79th street has closed, and will make way for new owners and a “brand new concept” after Memorial Day, the restaurant said on twitter. Thanks to Gavan for the tip.

A company called Treathouse that makes gourmet treats is planning to open this summer at 82nd and Amsterdam, the former home of Cardeology (which has moved). The company was apparently inspired by a very successful bake sale, according  to their about page.

Sol y Sombra on 82nd and Amsterdam closed temporarily and will reopen Tuesday under new ownership, with an expanded tapas and wine list. They’re also planning to add a rum bar, an employee told us. Thanks to Gavan and Rebecca for the tips.

John Fraser of Dovetail (77th off Columbus) is into mixed martial arts. Who knew? “When much-lauded chef John Fraser isn’t tending the pass at Dovetail, the acclaimed Upper West Side restaurant he opened in late 2007, he’s living a lifestyle that includes vegetable-forward eating and practicing Muay Thai, a form of Mixed Martial Arts known also as Thai boxing.,” the Village Voice reported.

Pinkberry is opening another location next month on 80th street and Amsterdam. Thanks to Angie for the tip.

It was only a week or two ago that we published a photo of a new rooftop addition to a townhouse built in 1900 on West 71st street, and our readers gasped. The comments were almost unanimously negative toward the two-story addition, which stands out in the line of townhouses on 71st between West End Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. Said one reader: “Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”

Well, all that construction apparently had a purpose. The townhouse at 226 West 71st street is on the market, with a very hefty increase in its price tag since the last time it was sold. As Curbed first reported on Sunday, the owners (an LLC) are asking for $15.9 million after buying it in 2011 for $5.175 million. Based on the photos with the listing, it appears the modern white exterior extends to the ground floor in the back of the building. The buyers will be living pretty extravagantly, based on this description on the Corcoran website.

“This special residence presents an elevator that services 6 floors with a layout of up to 7 bedrooms, 6 full baths and 3 half baths of living quarters, and two floors of formal space plus a fully renovated basement. The exquisite full-floor master suite includes a white marble bath with grand steam shower, free-standing Agape tub and a 21-ft custom closet and dressing room. Superb natural light floods each floor through top quality floor-to-ceiling Optima steel windows and a dramatic skylight at the peak. Originally built at the turn-of-the-century, the interior of the house was gut-renovated and elegantly conceived with a modern interpretation of historic elements. Every square inch of this home has been masterfully conceived and beautifully executed with the finest finishes, innovative systems and luxurious, sustainable amenities.”

The view from the roof deck. (Silly neighbors, we will have our chefs slice the tomatoes  that you throw at our architecture, and eat it with some fresh mozzarella!)

So, has your opinion changed on the building after seeing the lovely roof deck? Let us know in the comments below.

This is the last week of the season at Juilliard and the school will be thrumming with activity. Check out the events below! For Juilliard’s calendar, click here.

Artist Diploma Recital: Duo L&L

Monday, May 20 at 8:00 PM

Paul Hall at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)

Duo L&L (cellist Lionel Cottet and pianist Louis Schwizgebel) perform Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas in F Major, G Minor, A Major, C Major, and D Major for their Artist Diploma Recital. The Artist Diploma performers constitute the few highly gifted and experienced musicians selected to develop their artistry and professionalism in the ever-changing contemporary world

FREE; no tickets required

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D54101690

Senior Dance Showcase

Monday, May 20 at 8:00 PM

Peter Jay Sharp Theater at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)

Featuring Juilliard Dance’s Class of 2013 in a diverse program of solos and duets choreographed by these graduating dancers, as well as alumni and faculty, plus selections from major repertory

FREE; limited standby admission only; line forms at 7:00 PM

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D43175778

Wednesdays at One: Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Ensembles

Wednesday, May 22 at 1:00 PM

Alice Tully Hall (1941 Broadway)

Juilliard students share their talent with the community in these free one-hour lunchtime concerts on Wednesday afternoons throughout the season

FREE; no tickets required

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D43175781

Elliott Carter Memorial

Wednesday, May 22 at 5:00 PM

Peter Jay Sharp Theater at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)

The Juilliard School pays tribute to beloved American composer, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and former faculty member Elliott Carter (1908-2012)

FREE; limited standby admission only; line forms at 4:00 PM

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D69015812

Juilliard Orchestra Commencement Concert

Thursday, May 23 at 6:00 PM

Alice Tully Hall (1941 Broadway)

It’s a Juilliard tradition that the final orchestra concert of the season features and ensemble comprised of graduating musicians, attended by their family and friends. The Juilliard Orchestra welcomes New York Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Case Scaglione to lead Brahms’ joyous Academic Festival Overture and Dvořák’s celebrated Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

FREE; limited standby admission only; line forms at 5:00 PM

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D56842967

108^th Juilliard Commencement Ceremony Live Stream

Friday, May 24 at 11:00 AM

Live web stream at Juilliard.edu/live

Honorees and 281 (122 undergraduate, 159 graduate) graduating actors, dancers, musicians, and playwrights receive their degrees from Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi. The ceremony features musical interludes performs by Juilliard students and faculty members, and award-winning actress and Juilliard alumna Laura Leggett Linney gives the Commencement Address. Those receiving honorary degrees include legendary pianist Alfred Brendel, three-time Academy Award and four-time BAFTA award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, choreographer and Juilliard alumnus Ohad Naharin, Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist and National Medal of the Arts recipient Sonny Rollins, four-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw, and philanthropists Harriet Heyman and Michael Moritz, whose recent generous gift of $5 million supports Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program (MAP)

No public tickets available; available to the public via live web stream only

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D70063752

Juilliard String Quartet Seminar Recitals

Friday, May 24 at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM

Paul Hall at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)
Quartets from around the globe are coached by members of the world-renowned Juilliard String Quartet. This year’s participants include the Aeolus Quartet (recently named Juilliard’s 2013-2014 graduate quartet-in-residence), the Aïzuri Quartet, the Rosco Quartet, the Centre Street Quartet, the PUBLIQuartet, and the Kubrick Quartet, performing selected works by Beethoven, Bartók, Debussy, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Nielsen, Schnittke, and Schubert

FREE; no tickets required

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D43175782

Pre-College Symphony

Saturday, May 25 at 1:00 PM

Peter Jay Sharp Theater at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)

Conductor George Stelluto leads the Pre-College Symphony in a program featuring Rossini’s Overture to La Cenerentola, Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33 with cellist Anne Richardson, and Stravinsky’s 1945 version of The Firebird

FREE; no tickets required

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D43175779

Pre-College Orchestra

Saturday, May 25 at 8:00 PM

Peter Jay Sharp Theater at The Juilliard School (155 W 65^th Street)

Conductor Adam Glaser leads the Pre-College Orchestra in a program featuring Copland’s El Salón México, Weber’s Bassoon Concerto with bassoonist Harrison Miller, and Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120

FREE; no tickets required

http://events.juilliard.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D43175780

Juilliard Events return in September for the 2013-2014 season! Visit events.juilliard.edu for previews and updates over the summer!

Check out the news from last week from around the neighborhood that we’ve summarized from other media outlets.

A couple out for a row in Central Park capsized while one was reaching for a wayward oar, forcing a Central Park Boathouse worker to row out and save them. (ABC News)

Kevin and Marina Krim are expecting a baby boy. Two of their children were killed last year in their 75th street apartment and their nanny is accused of their murder. “We are very happy to let you know that Marina is expecting a baby in the fall,” the couple wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “Nessie can’t wait to welcome her new baby brother. We are filled with many emotions as we look to the future, but the most important one is hope.” (NY Times)

A robber held up the Dunkin’ Donuts on 89th and Broadway at gunpoint on Sunday night. No one was injured and it’s not clear how much money the robber stole. (DNAinfo)

Jed Bernstein will be the new president of Lincoln Center. Among the big priorities: “renovating Avery Fisher Hall, home to the New York Philharmonic, and developing new audiences, education programs and its digital presence.” (NY Times)

Parents want the Beacon High School building to house a new middle school after the high school moves downtown in 2015. (DNAinfo)

Inez Dickens, who represents parts of the Upper West Side, has more than $48,000 in unpaid taxes, and the city plans to sell off some of her real estate debt to collectors. (NY Daily News)

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous this weekend (high of 71 degrees on Saturday, 68 on Sunday), and luckily there are lots of great events for adults and kids. Here are a few, and there are many more on our events page.

Saturday

10 a.m. (until 4)
Touch a Truck Festival Kids get to touch trucks of all varieties at this fundraiser. Outside the West Side YMCA, 64th street between Columbus and CPW.

11 a.m. (until 7)
Greek Festival Join us again this year to celebrate our faith and heritage with the entire Upper West Side community. This is going to be a fun-filled day with lots of activities for kids and adults. Guests will enjoy live music, dancing, guided tours of our sanctuary, and of course…amazing Greek food! The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on 91st and West End.

12 p.m.
On a Wing: Family Festival It’s spring in Central Park and that means all winged-beings are out in the Park in full force! Come learn about them at the Central Park Conservancy’s Annual On A Wing Festival. Get up close and personal with birds of prey as they fly under your arms in the Tunnel of Talons. Meet other feather friends that have been rescued by the Wild Bird Fund and take in all the spring migration activity on a bird walk with NYC Audubon Society where you’ll learn all about birds making their spring journey as well as those which call Central Park home year round. Learn about all types of insects, including Monarchs which make their migration through the Park every year, with the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibit Center, and don’t forget to stop by the craft table to make all sorts of winged things!  Departs from Belvedere Castle Terrace (mid-Park at 79th St). FREE.

Sunday

11 a.m. (or thereabouts)
Street Fair 77th to 90th street on Amsterdam.

2 p.m.
Spring Overlook Concerts: Orbit Brass Quintet With talent from the Music Performance Program of Columbia University, the Music Outreach Program of the Manhattan School of Music and the French Cookin’ Blues Band. This week’s featured band: The Orbit Brass Quintet of the Manhattan School of Music. A glorious sound floats over the park as these fine musicians present traditional and contemporary brass music. 116th Street Overlook (on the middle level of the Promenade) West 116th Street & Riverside Drive. $6.

See the rest on our calendar, and send us any great photos you take this weekend!