Monday Bulletin: Cab Ends Up Inside Park, Women-Owned Restaurants Persevere, Homicide Defense
A cab drove into Teddy Roosevelt Park at 81st and Columbus on Saturday. Police had no info on what happened. Photo by Billy.
March 9, 2020 Weather: Partly cloudy, with a high of 69 degrees.
Notices:
This week’s concerts, readings and other local events are on our calendar!
Did someone lose a pair of eyeglasses on Sunday? “I found a pair of eyeglasses in a case on the SW corner of West 95th Street & Broadway this afternoon at approximately 2 pm and gave them to the house manager at Symphony Space.”
News:
Alcohol reportedly played a role in the murder of a 48-year-old man on West 92nd Street last week. “The Upper West Side man stabbed to death allegedly by his wife inside their apartment late Monday went on an intoxicated rampage through the building hours earlier,” the New York Post reported. “Around 9 p.m., [the super’s daughter] alerted him to screams for help echoing through the building…and he ran to find [Tracy] McCarter, 44, over her husband’s bloodied body inside their apartment, the super recalled.” McCarter was arrested for murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
The West 90s got some attention from the NYT real estate section. “In early February, there were just under 125 apartments for sale in the West 90s (excluding duplicates, incomplete listings and those with rent-controlled tenants in place), said Constantine Valhouli, director of research for NeighborhoodX, a real estate data and analytics company. Asking prices for studios ranged from $369,000 (for a fourth-floor co-op on Riverside Drive with an elevator and a live-in super) to $825,000, with an average of $551,000. All the co-ops were listed for under $400,000, Mr. Valhouli said, while condos were asking $725,000 to $825,000.”
Several restaurants owned by women are doing well on the UWS, and they’re being honored at this year’s Taste of the UWS food fest. The Post sat down with some of them. “The women chefs and restaurateurs interviewed by Side Dish say the Upper West Side — while not free of the sexism that has scandalized the culinary industry — has proven more of a haven because its women restaurateurs tend to live there and so have worked hard to make it a family-friendly community. ‘There is so much support here,’ said Bobbie Lloyd of Magnolia Bakery, who opened her first eatery, It’s a Wrap, on the Upper West Side in 1997. “My kids went to Upper West Side public schools and the moms communities are so strong and supportive of each other, which trickles down to every aspect of the community,” including its business owners, she said.”
Developers and community residents aren’t the only ones with a stake in the debate about supertalls. Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Thomas Dunne weighed in, in an op-ed in the Daily News. “The current crop of ultra-high structures are mainly residential buildings for the ultra-rich,” he wrote. “The relative merits of climate-controlled wine cellars, solid marble bathtubs, and quarter-billion-dollar apartments have already been debated. Perhaps we should also pause to consider the possible nightmare conditions they might present for the firefighters who will respond to fight a fire in a building they could never dream of living in.”
Olive Freud, 90, doesn’t know the meaning of the words “done deal.” The woman who spearheaded the potential “take down” of 200 Amsterdam Avenue has a history of going up against giants who she thinks threaten the quality of life on the Upper West Side. In 2014, it was Lincoln Center and the fashionistas, resulting in the restoration of Damrosch Park. But that was dwarfed last month by her latest triumph: a court decision that rocked the real estate world. “We’ve got all the developers in New York City up in arms,” Freud told the New York Post. We profiled her in 2017.
Remember to send your UWS Encounters to westsiderag@gmail.com — we’re interested more than ever in how community members are connecting in these keep-your-distance days. If you’ve got some time on your hands (hopefully, not two weeks!) sit down and tell a tale that took place on the UWS, a favorite encounter you had or observed — whenever. If we post your story, we’ll give you a byline and a WSR mug.
The article about the UWS man stabbed to death reminds me of the woman who lived on West End in the 90s who was allegedly killed in her apartment by her neighbor? Could WSR do a follow-up on that? It got a lot of coverage and discussion here at the time. Thanks.
Regarding the Susan Trott murder case. WSR provided this follow-up:
https://www.westsiderag.com/2019/03/21/new-details-emerge-in-susan-trott-murder-case-purported-weapon-discussed-in-court
Correct. That is a year old. It said that a trial would be forthcoming. And that there were plans to create a memorial bench. Was the bench made? Any updates on a trial. I’m not losing sleep over this but was just curious. WSR did very good reporting on the situation and I’m sure there are others who are also curious.
Regards to the cab that drove into Teddy Roosevelt Park Saturday at 3:25 PM:
The Yellow cab was coming down Columbus Avenue at a high rate speed and made an improper turn onto W. 81st St. hitting another Yellow cab on W. 81st St.
The cab coming down Columbus Avenue then jumped the curve just missing several pedestrians waiting for the M79 bus and crashed into the raw iron fencing ending up at the second roll of raw iron fencing that protects the pathway to the American Museum of Natural History.
There were no injuries reported and no passengers were in either cab.
The cab driver received two tickets: ”Improper Turn” and ”Speeding”.
Re: “Regards to the cab….”
Ummm…you meant “With regard to the cab….” or “Regarding the cab….”
You may have been thinking of George M. Cohan’s famed “Give my regards to Broadway
Remember me to Herald Square….”
Otherwise, excellent comment !!
YOET – I thought you would have honed in on “raw iron,” but alas that is not the case.
I prefer “rotted iron”.
He/she/they can home in on your use of “honed in” as well. 🙂
https://www.dictionary.com/e/hone-in-vs-home-in/
I guess i need to “hone” my skills! That link was super helpful
Aaaaaagh! WROUGHT IRON!!
you mean WROUGHT IRON!
Auto correct:
“Hey Siri”
More like overwrought iron.
I used to love going to “It’s a Wrap” (Broadway near 69th St) and was very disappointed when it closed. The wraps were made fresh to order and were delicious. I don’t eat wraps much anymore because to me they pale in comparison to what I used to get at this long ago shuttered eatery.
The excellent report on the Susan Trott murder is almost a year old. It would be interesting to hear whether Anya Johnson (?) is still “at Rikers awaiting trial”. I’ve seen nothing more about the case.
Information is easily found via NYC Department of Correction inmate look-up web page.
ANYA Johnston is still confined to Riker’s Island lock-up (Rose M. Singer Center), and her next court date is scheduled for 12 March 2020.
Those wishing to follow this case may use Book & Case # 7011800036
Or NYSID:14485460K
http://a073-ils-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/pages/common/find.jsf
Ms. Johnston is being held on a 125.25 FA (MURDER A Felony) charge, hence wheels of justice grinding slowly.
IIRC the woman had a history of mental illness. Thus likely court mandated (or requested by defense) psychiatric tests were ordered. These would take time, then results would have to be entered.
One of reasons behind this bail reform push is that it isn’t uncommon for those arrested in NYS to spend a year or years in jail awaiting trial.
So, is “intoxicated rampage” a new “homicide defense” for murder? Or is that reserved just for women? Just asking, since most murders are crimes of passion and very many of them are fueled by drugs and/or alcohol.
The article clearly states that it was the man who went on the rampage. Makes me wonder whether the alleged murder was in self defense.
“The Upper West Side man stabbed to death… went on an intoxicated rampage through the building hours earlier.”