January 21, 2019 Weather: Sunny, with a high of 17 degrees. The “feels like” temperature is below 0!
Notices:
A library book sale, a strings concert for babies and more local events are on our calendar.
Parents at MS 54 on 107th Street are helping raise money for PS 145 on 105th Street, whose yard is closed for a year because of construction. The money would go toward a recess monitor so the kids can get some exercise. The fundraiser is here.
Manhattan Country School holds a march every year for MLK Day.
State Senator Brian Benjamin will be on the UWS for a listening tour next month. Get tickets here.
News:
New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante questions whether the statue of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony planned for Central Park is racist. In the planned statue, set to be unveiled in 2020, the two women are depicted holding a scroll with the names of other women who advanced the cause of women’s suffrage. Seven of those 22 women are black. Gloria Steinem has a problem with relegating the black women to the scroll. “‘It is not only that it is not enough,’ she told [Bellafante] recently, it’s that it looks as if Anthony and Stanton ‘are standing on the names of these other women.'” When Bellefante called Pam Elam, the president of the fund, Elam said: “The bottom line is we are committed to inclusion, but you can’t ask one statue to meet all the desires of the people who have waited so long for recognition.” There are currently zero statues of historical women in Central Park.
New restaurant Leonti, which replaced Dovetail on 77th, is “boldly creative,” according to the New Yorker’s Hannah Goldfield. “The dining room—inspired by the aesthetics of Milan and Bergamo, where Leonti lived for several years—is exceptionally luxurious, full of mid-century Italian design objects. Gracious servers in suits remove domed lids from silver platters with dramatic flair.” It certainly ain’t cheap but…”If ever there were a special-occasion restaurant that feels worth the high price tag, though, this is it.”
The state legislature approved early voting for New Yorkers, hopefully reducing he ridiculous lines at some polling stations during major elections.
The Hudson River was ‘saturated’ with debris after the old Tappan Zee Bridge was demolished, because the nets meant to catch it apparently didn’t catch much of it.
A Brooklynite headed to the UWS to see a movie and found “the theater was packed with what felt like every retiree who lived near 68th Street and Columbus Avenue.” Things got a little weird when the man sitting next to her thought she was his wife Bertha. (fourth item)
Classifieds:
Looking for about 750 SQF for Office/Studio. Brownstone interesting. Ground Floor preferable.
Location: Between 82nd & 92nd Streets from Columbus to Riverside Ave.
Reply to: nubbyalpern@me.com
“A Brooklynite headed to the UWS to see a movie and found “the theater was packed with what felt like every retiree who lived near 68th Street and Columbus Avenue.” Things got a little weird when the man sitting next to her thought she was his wife Bertha”
Not sure what point the writer was trying to make and what compelled WSR to have it published:
1 Places frequented by retirees are disgusting? Uncool? Not instagrammable?
2 Culture is only worth it when only millennials are in attendance? With some celebrities?
3 Why the emphasis on the geography of the above-mentioned retirees – 68 and Columbus people have cooties?
4 why mentionining that the person attending was from Brooklyn? Her long trip was ruined by the sight of old people?
The piece is super odd, not sure what exactly it is trying to convey , but it is definitely not nice and has nothing to do with culture.
Btw, I’m not a retiree, not even close; love good cinema and our neighborhood.
I would really love WSR to clarify this piece of journalism.
I felt the same way when I read it, Jen. Strange choice to publish that piece. I happen to live on 68th St. and also am not a “retiree”, yet.
It wasn’t journalism, just a cute anecdote from the Metropolitan Diary section of the Times. Sorry if it caused any consternation! WSR
I do appreciate WSR, very much so. Still not sure about this piece, but in no way I was trying to say that WSR doesn’t do a good job in general. I think it is one of our neighborhood signature treasures.
Whoever does like this piece and doesn’t think it is odd or not nice, doesn’t have to act condescending to my post. We both appreciate WSR while we may not agree on the article, and let’s leave it at that.
WSR you have a lot of patience… and restraint. Both needed to live on the UWS.