Today is Monday, August 3rd, 2026
The forecast calls for showers and the possibility of a thunderstorm with a high of 82. The weather for the rest of the week includes high humidity and showers or thunderstorms every day, but there should be peeks of sunshine as well, with highs in the 80s.
On this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain with a trio of ships — the Niña, the Pinta and his flagship, the Santa Maria — sailing west in hopes of discovering a shorter sea passage from Europe to the spice-rich East Indies. Two months later, he instead landed on an island in what is now the Bahamas, but reported to his sponsors, Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, that he had landed in the Far East. (Most historians believe he was too skilled a navigator to have made that mistake, and only said so because he didn’t want to lose their sponsorship.) Though he is often credited with discovering the New World, that’s erroneous; not only had it been populated by indigenous peoples for centuries, but the Vikings already had set foot there. However, buzz over Columbus’s journey did open up the New World to European exploration and settlement.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets to discuss the Presbytery of New York’s application to remove the landmark status of West-Park Presbyterian Church so that the building can be sold to a developer; a vote on the issue is expected on August 18th. The meeting will be held at 253 Broadway, on the second floor; it will also be streamed on Zoom. The link can be found — HERE.
News Roundup
Compiled by Laura Muha
Sarabeth’s, the iconic brunch spot on Amsterdam Avenue, is in danger of being evicted by the building’s owner, Crain’s New York Business reported.
In paperwork filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan last week, building owner Lawrence Arnsten said the restaurant failed to pay rent in June and July, and also failed to share sales figures for those months, in violation of its lease, which states that the rent is either $10,000 or 8% of monthly sales, whichever is higher, Crain’s said.
He is asking the judge to approve the eviction “by any means necessary,” and is seeking $43,400, which represents the missed rent and penalties, Crain’s said.
Sarabeth’s, which has held the lease on the restaurant space at 423 Amsterdam Avenue (at 80th Street) for nearly 40 years, is owned by husband-and-wife team Bill and Sarabeth Levine, and operated by RBM Restaurant Group. Neither the Levines nor RBM had responded to the suit by press time, Crain’s said.
Read the full story — HERE.
The UWS appears to have the largest number of properties citywide that could potentially be subject to the new second-home tax, according to an analysis of recently released city data by Patch.com.
The publication found that 178 residences in ZIP code 10024, and another 158 in neighboring ZIP code 10025, which also includes part of Morningside Heights, are valued at $5 million or more.
“Together, the two Upper West Side ZIP codes account for 336 residences valued above the threshold, making the neighborhood one of the City’s largest concentrations of homes that could be reviewed under the surcharge,” Patch reported. The data came from the City’s Department of Finance, which released it in advance of notifying property owners that they might owe the surcharge.
“The findings show the potential tax base extends well beyond Billionaires’ Row, with large concentrations of high-value homes spread across Manhattan’s long-established luxury neighborhoods,” the publication said, noting that the properties that could face the surcharge are largely concentrated around Central Park, and, on the East Side, Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue.
The so-called pied-a-terre tax, which was approved by the state legislature earlier this year, would impose a surcharge on property owners who live outside of New York City, but own second homes valued at $5 million or more within city limits.
Last month, letters went out to owners of many of the properties, telling them they might be subject to the surcharge, with information on how to file an appeal; the original deadline for the appeal was August 21st, but it has been extended to September 18th after a public outcry.
Read the full Patch story — HERE. The link to start an appeal is — HERE.
The former owner of a West 87th Street co-op is locked in a legal battle with the building’s board over a toilet that leaked from an upstairs apartment into his apartment nearly a decade ago, the New York Post reported.
Gary Paul, who owned a studio apartment at 108 West 87th Street, told the paper he was sitting on the toilet reading the paper in 2017 when he heard the sound of water cascading behind the bathroom wall. A hose had detached from the toilet in the unit above, and ultimately flooded his first-floor kitchen and the hallway outside.
“What followed was a messy, fingers-pointed-every-way legal battle,” the Post said. “It’s nine years later and the fight is still ongoing.”
Paul, who is suing for $750,000 in damages, maintains that, although he notified building management, it was a Sunday, and no one responded till the next day. “Thousands of gallons poured over my apartment from when it was discovered until midday the next day when management arrived, with keys, and a few hours later when a plumber arrived to arrest the flow of water,” he told the Post.
But Michael Lab, president of the co-op — which ultimately bought Paul’s apartment from him in hopes of resolving the dispute — maintains that Paul refused to let anyone into the apartment to dry it out, claiming he had severe dust allergies, and that he ripped out his own stove, tub and drywall so he could claim the apartment had been destroyed by the leak.
“He’s been a nightmare for us,” said Laba.
Read the full story — HERE.
Stray electrical voltage was found in the area in which a carriage horse bolted in June, and the union representing drivers says it may have caused the accident that killed a teenage passenger in the carriage.
Cornelius Byrne, who owns the stable where the carriage horses are housed, told Eyewitness News that multiple drivers had reported horses acting nervous in the area near the Cherry Hill Fountain prior to the accident, and he testified in a City Council hearing that the horse who bolted “acted as if he was electrocuted.”
He said he asked Con Edison to investigate because the area contains an extensive underground electrical infrastructure. He asked Con Edison to inspect the area, and later received a text from a utility employee stating, “We found the problem and cut the power.”
ConEd confirmed to Eyewitness News that it had detected “very low levels of stray voltage” in the area during inspections on July 16 and July 23, but said the voltage did not originate from the utility’s equipment; ConEd referred the tv station to the New York City Parks Department.
“Since then, power has been shut off to the Cherry Hill fountain, nearby lampposts and lights leading to Tavern on the Green,” the station reported. “The area has been blocked off with caution tape and signs warning of a ‘possible electrical condition’ as crews from Con Edison and city agencies investigate.”
The union is encouraging the City Council to hold off on voting on a bill that would ban carriage horses until the investigation is complete. The Central Park Conservancy told the station that it supports the investigation, but continues to advocate for a carriage-horse ban.
Read/watch the full story — HERE.
In Other UWS News
- A memorial was held last week in Central Park for the teen who died when he fell from the carriage pulled by a runaway horse, CBS News reported. Read about it — HERE.
- An UWS woman told NY1 that she was sprayed with a chemical irritant by a masked federal agent while recording an ICE operation in Inwood; she said she plans to sue. Read/watch the story — HERE.
ICYMI
Here are a few stories we think are worth a look if you missed them last week — or a second look if you saw them. (Note that our comments stay open for six days after publication, so you may not be able to comment on all of them.)
The 218-Year-Old Metal Bolt in Central Park: Its Significance and Its Secrecy
The New Robot Cutting Grass in Riverside Park South: Meet The Spider
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Those rich enuf to own $5 million + homes -2nd, no less – boggle the mind. To not pay a bit of tax to a city that badly needs a balanced budget & offers them reasons for wanting said ownership…Scrooge says Hello.
They didn’t buy the homes when they were worth this much. I knew a family who in the 1970s bought a brownstone for $50,000. That was a lot of money back then. Then people had to spend the past half century investing every penny they had in renovating. They may be real estate rich, but cash poor. They bought when these were considered slum property by the City to be torn down, which many were. It’s not a “bit of tax” but tens of thousands of dollars they may not have. They are being penalized for having regentrified and after paying outrageous property taxes for 50 years, are getting socked again, all the while living there. You are very generous with other people’s money while having zero knowledge of their history. Scrooge was in London — and he was fiction, by the way.
Sam, it sounds like your friends still live in that brownstone — if it is indeed their primary residence, they are exempt from the tax and can rest easy.
Sorry if you own a SECOND home worth more than $5mm then you’re very wealthy. You think that if they only bought it for $50k (ie they have made a tremendous return on their investment) it somehow nullifies that?!
If they don’t want to pay the tax then live there full time or sell it to someone who will, problem solved.
If these people don’t live there as their primary residence thry aren’t paying NYC income tax. They get to enjoy for 1/2 the year minus one day what you and I pay income taxes to the city for.
They are paying 12 months of property tax and only living there for 6 months, in your example.
Most of the “units” referred to are most likely primary residences. This outrageous money-grab by Mamdani will not withstand constitutional scrutiny.
Obviously if they’re primary residences they won’t be subject to the tax.
But the fact is that higher taxes on second homes is a common practice. In Florida? Every single home is taxed higher as a second home than it would be as a primary residence.
Every one of them.
How come opponents of this tax aren’t up in arms about this?
The city has records showing what the primary residences are because those are the residences that pay full income taxes and are entitled to certain abatements. Nevertheless, there are many primary residences that received notices with 30 days to find a lawyer and appeal the city’s action. It’s crazy
To appeal, you only have to show your most recent tax return or other equivalent proof of primary residence. You don’t need to hire a lawyer for that.
The city also pushed back the deadline to apply for an extension. People have two months, not 30 days, to send in a simple document.
Most tax opponents criticize the implementation, not the tax itself.
Right now the DOF list of potential second homes published on their website includes every single unit in our building irrespective of ownership or apartment value. DOF has already got income tax returns of NYC based residents. They could have cross referenced names of owners to info on tax returns and curated the list. They didn’t because apparently property tax and income tax are handled by different teams (within the same agency!).
This is government dysfunction and it is not surprising that people are upset.
Huh? If they’re primary residences, they’re not subject to the tax.
Yes. The list only shows the values of the homes not whether they are used as primary residences.
Your statement: “ To not pay a bit of tax to a city “ is incorrect. These unit owners are paying (high) quarterly property taxes, despite the fact that they don’t use city services, if the units are indeed unoccupied.
This is how I feel when people who probably pay very little tax accuse rich people of “not paying their fair share”. Um, yes they do. As a matter of fact the vast majority of them pay a far higher share of their income in taxes than you do.
It’s not right to say they don’t use City services. They may use fewer services but if there is a fire in their residence, the fire department will come. If they spend a weekend to come every month so they can go to dinner and a show, if lots of things they have City services. It is fine to take that into account. It’s one time and not every year.
Correct and, when a property is transferred, a transfer tax is paid and if there is mortgage on the property, a mortgage recording tax is paid.
Historically jurisdictions have taxed parties on a basis more concrete than “you are rich”. We should continue that trend.
It’s based upon primary residence, not a “you are rich” tax. Even among the wealthiest, if their NYC residence is demonstrably their primary residence, they are not liable for the pied-a-terre tax.
They would be responsible for residency tax, plus interest, plus penalties – if demonstrably their primary residence. Enforce the existing laws.
No, historically jurisdictions have taxed people on the grounds that they had assets to be taxed. What a weird thing to say.
I guess someone has to pay for all of Mamdani’s “free” services.
The pied a terre tax starts for 0ne million dollar apartments not starting at five million. That involves thousands more people. Four percent of a million is a tax of $40,000 per year. Why doesn’t the press mention that? It is absolutely outrageous and horrifying..
The $1 million apartments that are covered are coops and the value is determined in a totally different way.
That is not correct. Originally the tax was for 1 million dollar apartments. Kathy Hochul put a stop to that and it was raised to 5 million.
I love that woman! So great for NY!
No. For apartments in 2026 and 2027, it is $1 million of value determined by the city department of finance. In small buildings these apartments are worth as little as $1.5 million. Only after 2028 are apartments treated like single family homes with a $5 million threshold.
“Someone’s gotta stand up for the rich” said commenters on this forum.
“All these poor people picking on the little multi-millionaires, multi-billionaires, and shell corporations owned and used by said types for tax avoidance and speculative real estate purposes / hoarding + nice little dalliances in the “cit-ay” sans ball and chain.”
Why are people whom have achieved some wealth vilified? Not everyone is a multi-billionaire or corporation that must “pay the price”. Some times it’s just people that worked hard and made smart decisions.
Because nearly all villains are wealthy and villainhood almost by definition seeks wealth out at the expense of others. But aside from that, “paying the price”? It’s called paying taxes, something that is widely known the wealthy and the corporate bodies they function through barely do, if at all. It’s a pretty continuous through-line for all of human history in this regard. We supposedly live in a remotely enlightened, democratic time of non-brutality and efficiency. Here’s your chance to prove it. Chop chop, taxman’s calling!
Leaving aside your implication that non-wealthy New Yorkers haven’t or don’t also work hard, those who enjoy the privilege of owning a lux second home here can keep owning that home. Their apartments are not getting confiscated. They will be able to continue enjoying the fruits of having “worked hard and made smart decisions.”
That is not correct This is a tax on second homes only that are also not lived in. If you or someone in your family also occupy your second home, the tax does not apply. This is a nominal fee when yachts cost 500 million plus.
The reason the press isn’t mentioning it is because it isn’t the case. The tax is against DOF assessed value, not the market value. These are very different, the assessed value is really just a number used to calculate taxes and subject to many limits and rules and is generally much lower than the market value. For condos and coops, this works out to a threshold of $5M.
The rules are complicated, here’s a guide specific for condos and coops: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/finance/downloads/pdf/brochures/class_2_guide.pdf
Incorrect. For 2026 and 2027, t is DOF determined market value, which is higher than assessed value, but lower than true market value. For co-ops/condos in small buildings this is $1.5.-$2 million on average in real market value, and for larger buildings $3-$4 million in real market value. Starting in 2028 it is $5 million based on market value as determined by the DOF using a more accurate method.
Million dollar-plus, part-time second homes, many simply to avoid NYC taxes, need to be controlled in a city experiencing a dire housing shortage.
I’m hardly a socialist, but I also realize that a city is about people.
Can you even buy a studio for a million these days?!
One of my studio apartments in a brownstone can be listed for $1.5 million.
Yes. Last month, someone I know sold her very nice studio in the 80s and West End for under $500,000.
A “mere” HALF MILLION for a STUDIO?! I’ll buy TWO! lol.
Yes on SECOND homes. This has been discussed for years & makes perfect sense.
An added bonus seems to be that those who have been falsely claiming residency elsewhere to avoid NYC tax are getting caught up in this. Bravo Mamdani!
Tisch James, NY’s Attorney General, claimed a residence in Georgia was her primary residence, so as to avoid paying NY taxes. Were you aware of that?
Not accurate at all. She bought a home in another state for her mother who lives in it full time.
You are incorrect. The federal indictment was that Attorney General James claimed the property in Virginia as a second home, not as an investment property. A big distinction. I believe the case was dismissed.
Were you aware of that?
You are confused, she’s accused of claiming a primary residence for mortgage paperwork vs dodging income tax. But even if true, the fact that this is catching those trying to dodge NYC income taxes (whomever they may be) is a good thing!
The one thing this does not do is it doesn’t help find people trying to dodge NMYC income taxes. People who live out of ny have to pay ny income taxes if they work in NY. They make use and pay taxes. It’s been that way for longer than i can remember
Pied a terre tax starts at one million not five million. That is 4 percent on one million or $40, 000 per year. Where is the press on that? Many thousands of such apartments.
There’s no press on it because you’re peddling misinformation. It starts at 5 million, not 1 million.
That is not correct. Originally it was set at 1 million by Momdani. Kathy Hochul ended that and the tax was raised to apartments 5 million and up.
For coops and condos, the tax is based on assessed value, not market value. That’s almost always way lower than market value. For example, for my place (a coop), the assessed value is about 25% of market value. If that’s typical, then the tax effectively starts for places with a market value in the $4 million range, and is calculated off a value of roughly 25% of that.
Yes, this is how it works. If I look on line at my real estate taxes, I see 2 values for my condo: Market and Assessed. That Market Value amount is about 25% of the “real” market value, as David describes above. The Assessed Value is even less: about 12% of the “real” market value.
This equates to a real value in the $4M-$5M range.
Of course since it’s my first (and only) home, the new tax is moot.
The one family that I know for sure has a more than $5 million residence definitely uses it as their primary residence so there’s no way to really know for sure.
If someone occupies the home, then the tax does not apply.
This is incorrect. Even if the property is your only residence, if own the property via a trust the DOF treats you as if you did not live there. You absurdly have to pay the “pieds-à-terre” tax. Unless you, the full-tine-occupant, are the sole beneficiary of the trust. What percentage of trusts have a single beneficiary? It’s very unusual. This is affecting lots of wealthy full-time residents. Not just non-residents. But no one seems to want to recognize that. Or they don’t care, which I guess is understandable. But if you listen carefully, you may hear the sound of newly converted Republicans being made.
Crain’s should be aware that they won’t receive comment from Bill Levine, as he passed away over six years ago.
I’ve been going to Sarabeth’s since it was a half-day bakery/brunch place on the corner of 80th and Amsterdam. Both Sarabeth and Bill were well-regarded in the neighborhood.
My impression was that RBM owned and operated the US Sarabeth restaurants and Sarabeth Levine only operated the retail business?
There are pied a terre apts in my building. We’ll see how that works out.
The tax only applies if it is someone’s second home, it is valued at more than five million, AND no one in the family occupies it for months at a time.
Assessments do not reflect recent/potential sales prices. A row of landmark houses with same characteristics will be assessed the same even if some are in “estate condition” and others recently had 1.5 million in new systems, etc.
Is the non resident property tax supplement starting at 1 million dollar vale or 5 million dollar value? How is “ value” determined? Does anyone know? Is it different for coops v condos? Does anyone know?
Mamdani”s Enemies List (aka – the Pied a terre list), is garbage in, garbage out. I live in a condo on W. 67th Street, and literally every single unit in my building is on the list. This is despite the fact that nearly every unit is valued at under $1 million, based on the DOF’s own market value assessment for the 2026-2027 tax year (the penthouses are the sole exceptions). Some of the units listed are studios that wouldn’t even fetch $600k on the open market. Oh, and the vast majority of the units are owner-occupied . This list seems to be nothing more that a weird, authoritarian threat to “out” allegedly rich people, some of whom are anything but.
Who is subject to the surcharge?
“The surcharge will generally not apply if the property is used as a primary residence by the owner, a tenant or immediate family member of the owner, or one or more individuals with a majority interest in an entity that owns the property.”
https://www.nyc.gov/site/finance/property/non-primary-residence-surcharge.page#
If the value is less than 1 million, no problem. Sounds like the only people with an issue are non-residents, and people using the property as an Airbnb charging people for short-term stays. If they lease it out for real (I’m assuming 1+ year leases), it looks like they won’t owe the tax, and just need to provide the lease documents.
The deadline for exemptions has been extended to September 18th.
Yes, this is the theory. In practice, for some buildings DOF highlighted every single unit regardless of residence of owners or even apartment value.
I am aware I can resolve the issue by uploading my tax return (that DOF has already got!) and proving I reside and pay taxes in NYS/NYC. My 80 year old neighbor who doesn’t even have NYC.ID account, however, has been struggling and panicking. She is now getting help from her family but I am sure she is not the only one who had to go through a lot of stress because of governmental dysfunction.
The fact that he recorded a video with this confirms it is a threat and political theater pandering to his crowd of mostly entitled brats.
A regular financial transaction isn’t accompanied by a video of a mayor making “scary faces”
The tax only applies if it is your second or third home AND you do not live in it or occupy it so many months per year. A family member qualifies) So probably a lot fewer than this.
This is incorrect. If you are the beneficiary of a trust that owns your apartment, even if you live there full time and have no other residence at all, you still must pay the “pied-à-terre” tax, unless you are the _sole_ beneficiary. Moat trusts have multiple beneficiaries (adult children, grandchildren, etc) who do not all cohabitate. This law is going after loads of wealthy (and unwealthy) beneficiaries who only have one home here in NYC. You may not care about these people. But they care an awful lot about this tax. It’s very expensive, and it’s also insulting. As if we don’t really live here. We do.
It’s sort of like rent control for millionaires. With rent control, a tenant must live in the apartment for 183 days of the year (one day more than half the year) in order to maintain “primary residency” and not lose their apartment. The pied a terre tax functions the same way. As long as you inhabit the apartment or home for half the year plus one day, you are exempt. But since you can’t be in two different places for 183 days of the year, ONE of your homes is going to be assessed.
Thanks for explaining.
So the value upon which the non resident extra property tax is based is a number which already exists on my bill? Or is there an additional list somewhere with some sort of other calculation? PS
This for a condo. PPS. The tax makes sense to me.
Even if there was stray voltage, the driver was out of the cart. He could have stopped the horse so no that’s not the cause.
That’s not true. The horse could have bolted anyway.
For those keeping score, NYC Parks/Central Park Conservancy have contributed to one dead tourist via stray voltage shocking a horse and one dead horse via poisoning. But it’s the horse carriage operators who are the problem.
This claim is just the union trying to muddy the waters
Please keep the horses– they are one of the few charming relics of NYC past. And a much-needed “slowness” in the park amidst annoying e-scooters and e-bikes. Embrace some class…
If I compare the NYC of the 80s-early 2000s vs now it’s like night and day —just so much more fast paced 2 wheel vehicles and noise—so much more for a horse to deal with and remain calm—asking them to maintain the ‘slowness’ is asking too much in the current din of conditions when their senses are greater than ours in most cases—more will be bolting and panicking—horses loaded in for the starting gate at racetracks often freak out—they’re sensitive creatures not machines
Oh so charming. THIRTY horses dead; many more injured; many drivers injured; and now a dead tourist. At what point is all this NOT okay anymore?
Plus the dry feces blowing in the wind and the urine stench. Charming.
That’s a made-up number. We know that Ryder (2022) didnt die of heat exhaustion as initially claimed but from neurological illness and Deniz (2026) was poisoned by non-indegenous poisonous plants put in the park by Central Park Conservancy. Now it appears that the poorly maintained electrical systems in the park may be a contributor to the runaway carriage.
Strange (and sad) about Sarabeth’s. $10k per month sounds like a very reasonable rent for that much space in a great location. I wonder if the restaurant’s gimmick (sort of homey-naive-sweet) and menu needed to change with time and the neighborhood. Used to enjoy taking out-of-town guests there for brunch but it’s been under my radar for years now. Some iconic places just age out, I guess, as do their owners. Sad.
The tourist-visitor brunch crowd is overwhelmingly.
Not so busy for dinner.
Hard for restaurants to structure operations with this situation- tourist v resident
Just had their weekend clam bake special this past weekend. Actually a bargain and the place was quiet.
Too bad about Sarabeth’s West. 👎 It has been mismanaged for the past seven years since the pandemic. Not much has been changed on the menu since then and a lack of dinner specials….They can’t live on pancake’s forever…. I like the original management of Sarabeth’s West.
I wonder if Sarabeth will let this one go like she did at the Met.
It’s a perfect place for “Home Kitchen” on East 84 Street up-and-coming restaurant on the upper east side.
If Sarabeth’s has to leave this location I hope another location is found (on UWS). I have been meeting friends there for many years. I remember when Sarabeth’s opened the first store. I hope the present location can be resolved. It’s a long way to her other locations.
Is highly unlikely that Sarah Beth will leave this location and it’s highly unlikely they’re going to pay the rent to the state of New York and to the landlord.
Most likely New York State will shut them down on Central Park South and also the Village and that will be an end of a great era and a great loss to New York City.
These new owners are very hard to deal with, and that came from Sarahbeth herself, and she is not too easy to deal with as well. But yet it’s her Restaurants and she knows exactly what she wants and she did a great job when she opened unfortunately, the new backers are not the greatest at all and has gone through much staff throughout the last seven years since the pandemic.
They do very well for breakfast and lunch but the worst for dinner, and I don’t understand why other than the menu it’s not the most desirable and doesn’t change. Many of their patrons from the original days have passed, so the old Support is no longer there. And the new Support “generation” don’t care for this type of establishment.
Sarahbeth’s is known for their breakfast but even that has gone downhill. Old money made her and new money doesn’t like her.
We have to accept, “end of an era”. They had a long run for a restaurant in New York City, I must admit.
Sarabeth’s as a whole has definitely gone downhill. (The same is true for Magnolia Bakery, which was recently bought out by, I believe, Steve Roth of Vornado Realty (or Steve Ross of Related Companies) for ~$200 million. It has since lost all its “shine,” its products are not as good, and its staff is now generally sour and taciturn.) Looks like some of the UWS (and NYC’s) “originals” are either “going corporate” or being shut down.
“Together, the two Upper West Side ZIP codes account for 336 residences valued above the threshold, making the neighborhood one of the City’s largest concentrations of homes that could be reviewed under the surcharge.”
If I had to guess I would say that the 10024 and 10025 zip codes also had the largest supporters of Mamdani’s candidacy and the reason he is able to turn around and charge them these additional taxes.
Elections do have consequences.
I’m willing to be good money that the people who voted for Mamdani are not those that own these properties.
Sadly, Sarabeths has been so mediocre in the past couple of years….closing it isn’t the worst news. Also, I’ve never heard of a landlord taking a percentage of a business’s income. Is that normal?
Spending nine years suing for almost a million dollars for a kitchen flood? Give me a break, I don’t trust his claims at all.
The statue of Columbus in Columbus Circle was put there by Italian Americans in 1892. He was selected to represent Italians because of his famous 1492 voyage, but the idea for the statue was to combat what happened in 1891 in New Orleans when one of the most shameful, racist events in American history saw a dozen, recent Italian immigrants lynched and murdered. They had been rounded up randomly in response to the killing of a Police Captain. These were innocent peddlers, vendors, and tradespeople, and they were tried for something they didn’t do, and hence acquitted. A mob stormed the prison anyway, dragged them out, and committed the largest mass lynching in America. This statue was an effort by Italian-Americans to combat xenophobia, prejudice, and racism. We still haven’t come very far: 134 years later,
I wonder if dog owners and walkers have noticed skittish dogs in the vicinity of the voltage leaks?
Sad to hear about Sarabeth’s situation.
BTW it should be noted that years ago, a new landlord forced out Scaletta on 77th Street.
Space is still empty – more than 5 years
So sad about Sarabeth’s, I hope it will be able to stay. Sarabeth and her husband first opened a small bakery in the 1980’s, on the west side of Amsterdam. They made the best cheese straws on the planet and lots of jams. I recall one time when I was there and a young employee was weeping unconsolably because she had put salt intead of sugar into the jam she was making by mistake. And Sarabeth put her arms around her and comforted her and said “Don’t cry! We’ll make chutney!” I shall never forget it. The Levines are special people and their business reflects it. I don’t know if a go-fund-me is appropriate for such a situation. I just wish them all the luck and compassion they deserve.
How long will it take for them to lower the threshold to $2 Million, to $1 Million, to even lower and just tax everyone who owns property and is not a full time resident? I know everyone “feels” being taxed, but is it enough to burden a $5 million dollar second home owner? Who knows? Will these owners abandon the high dollar properties for something under the taxation threshold? It throws an interesting wrench in the tax schedule.
Not going to feel sorry if Sarabeth’s UWS gets evicted. Not sure if it’s run by the original owner(s) or RBM, but the manager/staff there are nasty. As one of their neighbors, I’ve had confrontations with their manager/staff on several occasions.
They already pay twelve months in taxes.