Monday, March 31, 2025
Rainy. High 69 degrees.
Welcome to the last day of March. Rain is forecast for Monday evening, along with chances of showers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Temperatures will remain warmer though, reaching a high of 74 degrees on Thursday.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
The Morningside Heights Community Coalition is hosting its Community Symposium on Friday, April 4, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Union Theological Seminary at 3041 Broadway (122nd Street). The event will include a day of discussion about the past, present, and future of Morningside Heights with community residents and business owners.
You can register for the free event — HERE.
Upper West Side News
By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side listing for a rent-stabilized apartment asked for a broker’s fee equal to 35 percent of one year’s rent from applicants who wanted a shot at getting the unit, as first reported by PIX11.
The total broker’s fee came out to $9,205 for the $2,191 a month apartment on West 97th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, according to PIX11 and the StreetEasy listing.
“Rent Stabilized once in a year opportunity! 40% below market rent! Gut-renovated unit, doorman/elevator building,” the listing read. “Broker fee is 35% of one year’s rent ($9,205). No negotiating! We will have a lot of interest; best application will get the apartment. Good luck!”
The apartment was rented and removed from the market last week, as was the message highlighting the broker’s fee, PIX11 wrote.
Broker’s fees refer to the payment that New York City renters are often forced to pay as the commission of a real estate agent before moving into an apartment, even if the agent was hired by the landlord. This process is changing this summer, though.
In December 2024, the New York City Council passed the FARE Act, which set into law that broker’s fees will be paid by whomever hired the broker, and that landlords can no longer hire the broker and then saddle the tenant with the cost of doing so.
This law goes into effect on June 11, 2025.
Columbia University interim President Katrina Armstrong resigned on Friday to return to her role as CEO of the school’s Irving Medical Center.
Armstrong’s resignation comes one week after the Morningside Heights school agreed to a myriad of policy changes demanded by the Trump Administration. Columbia University complied with the many policy changes in its ongoing effort to get the government to restore $400 million in federal funding.
It is still unclear if, or when, this funding will be restored.
“Dr. Armstrong accepted the role of interim president at a time of great uncertainty for the University and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of our community,” said David J. Greenwald, Chair of the Board of Trustees, in a news release. “Katrina has always given her heart and soul to Columbia. We appreciate her service and look forward to her continued contributions to the University.”
Armstrong had been in the role since August of 2024.
The school now has a new interim president — Claire Shipman.
Shipman has served as the co-chair of Columbia University’s Board of Trustees since 2023, and has been on the board since 2013. She is a journalist and author who graduated from the school in 1986.
You can read more — HERE.
Last week, West Side Rag reported on the Participatory Budgeting finalist projects that Upper West Siders will get to vote on for funding in Councilmember Gale Brewer’s District 6.
Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who represents District 7, which includes the northern part of the Upper West Side and the entirety of Morningside Heights, is also overseeing Participatory Budgeting in his district.
Voting began on Saturday and will run through Thursday. You can vote online — HERE.
Here are the finalist projects for funding on the UWS or in Morningside Heights in District 7.
West Prep Academy Roof Recreation
- Location: 220 West 108th Street
- Amount Requested: $250,000
- This project will transform the roof of West Prep Academy into an engaging and functional recreation space, providing students with a place for outdoor activities and community gatherings.
NYPD Security Cameras
- Location: High-need areas throughout District 7
- Amount Requested: $150,000
- In response to community safety concerns, this project will install additional security cameras in high-need areas across District 7, helping to enhance safety for residents and deter crime.
NYCHA Douglass Houses Security Cameras
- Location: 825 Columbus Avenue
- Amount Requested: $100,000
- This project will help improve security in the Douglass Houses by providing the installation of security cameras, ensuring safer living conditions for residents of the public housing complex.
Tree Guards
- Location: Multiple locations across District 7
- Amount Requested: $100,000
- Aimed at protecting the district’s street trees, this project will fund the purchase and installation of tree guards, which will help maintain the health of trees and improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
Booker T. Washington Bleachers & Sports Area Upgrade
- Location: 103 West 107th Street
- Amount Requested: $250,000
- This project will revamp the bleachers and sports facilities at Booker T. Washington Park, providing upgraded infrastructure for both students and community members who use the park for recreation and athletic events.
P.S. 333 Science Lab and Technology Upgrades
- Location: 154 West 93rd Street
- Amount Requested: $350,000
- This project will fund significant upgrades to P.S. 333’s science labs and technology resources, providing students with access to modern tools that enhance their education in STEM fields.
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An opinion piece in the Columbia Spectator, written by a Jewish faculty member, says that a WhatsApp group is doxxing people at Columbia who are publicly critical of Israel, to have them fired, arrested, or deported. The writer does not unpack “publicly critical of Israel,” which can refer to a wide range of speech.
Nobody is claiming that protesters who are simply “critical of Israel” should be “fired, arrested or deported”.
However, celebrating violence, calling for more violence, disrupting classes, vandalizing property, intimidating faculty and students, physically attacking staff and wearing face masks while engaging in these “protests” should have consequences.
As should doxxing — no matter who is doing and no matter why they are doing it, it is an obnoxious practice that is never justified; it is pure Trumpian vengeance behavior.
That is literally what Marco Rubio is saying, and what has happened to multiple students across the country. That young lady Ozturk just wrote an editorial urging her university to consider divesting.
But cover your eyes and keep thinking that an administration stuffed with Christian nationalists and white supremacists will act in your interests.
I agree overall. But note that “simply” was not a modifier used by the writer of the Spectator opinion piece. I did not look for the WhatsApp group that the writer criticized. The writer referenced a report in The Intercept. That report quotes a Columbia prof who called for identifying students who participated in a pro-Palestine walkout on Jan. 21. That prof called participating students “Hamas sympathizers.” It does not follow that if one supports Palestinians, one supports Hamas and/or calls for overthrowing the state of Israel.
I only know of disruptive activity on the part of the two or three who disrupted the history of Israel class. The rest of the protesters were either at the Sundial or outside the gate at Broadway. But maybe some of them disrupted some things too, I don’t know.
I think you need to see this then. There were far more than one or two ppl disrupting university life
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzazcVU_rNyQ%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1n892EoSAWZg3zyx5uTp0vKBrAyQzvmnblSIkofkc5ulJtDHYD-m-Fo4M_aem_kbGKo0lPaoHPL9Kl9xHbtg&h=AT1sdk3HNBjkGeBKQAgquhZxE7DN3ueHhoj8cZ3l4c3hIGnJBnwnznmi2VHRUtEHxyRP5zYBj76wPClMC2_U9e82f2DOGSD7CmnaZSHamesB4QW0W48TSmXAZ0U4h8q33bzdIrvtUkF5-lX9vtxo2x-T5D9leuf4nno&__tn__=R%5D-R&c%5B0%5D=AT2utfB4bTnP8xhc7_G6nHr7Xn4L-bru3h2EJyBhAs0TGWHZznCSCc_hXPHWaNjLRsUWIbJ75YjTq0P2ow0Dlpj8gNLyEL4sxKU07nJxE2ttpOduiduUCZ6BN5j0JHuPtMw6Qbcm3joAbcYXzHmu3L1QimEB3fMJTyjawy93OGYGPk2JvzTRqcf2Nan5hrIN7tjBRfG45XeAnvy_V4T5
What you linked was from almost a year ago. Robert Newton in his Spectator opinion piece of yesterday was talking about this January 21. But I don’t have reason to suppose that almost no one was celebrating violence; I don’t know either way.
At this point my wish for the campus is that Columbia maintain an environment of respect among all.
“It does not follow that if one supports Palestinians, one supports Hamas and/or calls for overthrowing the state of Israel.”
It also does not follow that if one is anti-Hamas that one is anti-Palestinian and supports Israel. If these protestors were genuinely pro-Palestinian, wouldn’t it be logical that they direct their protests at HAMAS, not Israel, for making the Gazans lives miserable for so many years? Israel had been out of Gaza for close to 20 years before the attack.
There surely wasn’t any shortage of funds or aid as witnessed by the huge sums that were diverted to tunnel building and the Hamas leaders’ bank accounts enabling them to leave lavish lives in Qatar.
Why would students protest Hamas? There is no point in protesting a terrorist organization. As you point out, Hamas listens to Qatar, not the United States.
The obvious reason students were protesting Israel’s actions is because they are a US ally and we are sending them billions in arms.
Israel is still on land that was occupied by Palestinians and they continue to spread into Palestinian territory and dance on the homes/graves of the people they displace. October 7th did not happen in a vacuum and you know that, just like 9/11 didn’t happen randomly without precipitating events. Take all of the history into context and you see how complex it is and how no one is exempt from the responsibility of the events. I don’t side with the students, but the only group that stuck to their convictions were the students, the university is wishy washy and only cares about the board members and investors in the university and changes it’s priorities like the wind.
Well said, Boris. Well said.
The clown-show that is Columbia should open people’s eyes as to what a mess our higher education system has become.
https://www.jns.org/by-forcing-columbias-surrender-trump-is-saving-education/?vcrmeid=wziAfis206KXzE1pdsyTw&vcrmiid=vggP4PrVeU2LpeB35rM6kw
Columbia’s actions have degraded higher education and the Bill of Rights.
Columbia betrayed its principles, and its Jewish students.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/columbia-university-learns-a-hard-lesson-antisemitism-federal-funding-trump-administration-11e9e538?mod=opinion_lead_pos1&vcrmeid=byDDkeNRMkWuAlHeMCf6g&vcrmiid=vggP4PrVeU2LpeB35rM6kw
Indeed, many Jewish students at Columbia have protested the Israel’s actions in Gaza, and Columbia has betrayed those students. Oh wait,….
The WSJ editorial page is an extremist publication, has been for decades.
Voted.
Me too.
Columbia’s applications are down just slightly, about one percent from last year so it doesn’t seem to have affected them too much. Hopefully they’ll stop admitting the people who were treasurer of the I Hate Israel Club in high school. Columbia can control its student body, it just has to stop admitting the hateful people and focus on those who want to go to class.
The model for cleaning up woke higher-ed has been set: https://www.city-journal.org/article/exporting-the-columbia-prototype?utm_source=virtuous&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cjdaily&vcrmeid=wziAfis206KXzE1pdsyTw&vcrmiid=vggP4PrVeU2LpeB35rM6kw
It’s not just a matter of controlling students. Columbia needs to control its administration and faculty as well. A vile core of corrupt, antisemitic, anti-Israel, pro-Hamas, pro-violence ‘academics’/íntellectuals’ has metastasized among the faculty, aided and abetted by equally corrupt and feckless administrators and trustees. The students are merely the raw material for perpetuating the hate.
It’s the irony of ironies (and also a bleeding disgrace) that it takes the Trump administration to confront this. But really, Columbia would benefit in the long run by having the entire institution placed into a receivership, ending tenure, and ruthlessly eradicating pro-terrorist and pro-terrorism sympathizers, at all levels of the institution. Tear it down. Start over. But I doubt even Trump has the vision and fortitude to achieve this.
The NYPD needs to break up the protests outside the Columbia gates. These are all non students and are blocking entrances to buildings, subways, buses.
That broker fee is heinous. Milk it while you can I guess
The outrageous broker fee lays bare the problem with rent control and rent stabilization. Anyone who can afford to pay that kind of fee for an apartment should not be receiving the market-subsidized rents.
It’s not the market that “subsidizes” these rents – it’s the market-rate tenants and the landlords.
Market-rate tenants = market, sir.
I wasn’t able to vote after I entered my credentials. The arrow on the right went nowhere. Please fix
Our rental laws cap rents but not costs, and bequeath a lifetime entitlement to below-market rent insulated from costs. Frankly I don’t understand why the landlord isn’t keeping the apartment vacant; $9K can’t even begin to cover the renovation.
What renovation? You mean the one that is not required?
The article notes that the apartment was gut renovated.
“not required”.
It’s time to stop talking about Columbia and talk about Tree Guards. The article with “notices” says among other things that tree guards will protect the trees and “improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood.”. But the tree guards which prevent dogs from peeing and pooping on grass and trees which is their natural way of eliminating force them to leave puddles on the sidewalk which does not help the neighborhood at all. And while most people pick up after their pets under the best of circumstances it is impossible to clean up urine, loose stools, etc. People who live in houses let their dogs roam in the backyards to do their thing on the grass and trees which may leave some brown spots but the trees still grow. It’s cruel to our pet dogs to prevent them from going where nature intended. I personally think tree guards should be taken down.
Why Urinating Dogs Are Such a Menace to Nature in Cities
https://slate.com/technology/2023/10/dog-pee-plants-new-york-city-bad-cars.html
The city trees belong to all of us, not just dog owners. Please act accordingly.
I would like to see signs explaining the impact on trees, in addition to more effective tree guards.
Most physical damage to street trees comes from cars and trucks hitting them, backing into them, and bashing them with opening doors. But, as well, dogs should be trained to go in the street or on the curb, NOT in the tree pits. Even in the Parks, it is required to pick up dog poop. Tree guards help protect the trees, and help them survive longer, and planting them is NOT inexpensive, either. Trees are an investment.
Thieving brokers!
Goodbye Columbia University interim President Katrina Armstrong. Here’s your hat what’s your hurry! Who needs that aggravation.
Hello new interim president, Claire Shipman. Good luck!
I just wish WSR would stop posting every little thing about Columbia Uni. It only serves to set off a stream of accusations that everyone is an anti semite while ignoring the fact that this sudden deep concern by the GOP is anything to do with protecting anyone