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This is another “Oh wow!” moment. Recently, we have had some of our WestView articles picked up by the New York Times and I’ve thought, “How nice! We must be pretty good if the Times runs with one of our stories.”

But, on Friday (12/16/16), I got a visual shock when I found that architecture critic Michael Kimmelman of the Times not only verbally echoed our dismay at the ugly MTA ventilation tower (at the intersection of 7th Avenue South and Greenwich Avenue) but also used the same contrasting photos—the 1920s Art Deco tower further up on Greenwich Avenue and the abomination presently erected. Wow!

And a further shock: Michael revealed that he is a P.S. 41 graduate, just like our three kids (he was a crossing guard but was fired for lateness). Oh—and this makes me really feel old—he graduated 41 years after our kids.

Michael grew up in the West Village and may still live in his parent’s brownstone or in his own apartment. But, most certainly, he reads WestView every month—how nice.

This gives me a chance to add a few things.

Dusty Berke is the sustained voice behind “Tiles for America,” a 9/11 memorial that sits on this site. This project started when an arts shop on Greenwich Avenue began to make 9/11 memorial tiles. The project grew and grew, and now we have over 6,000 tiles waiting for a home.

Dusty ritualistically places flowers on the monument every Saturday, and talks and talks about the still chimerical vision of a permanent monument. So, when we invited our readers to vote on how to mask the current monstrosity, she pleaded for a mosaic-tiled monument that would re-create the 9/11 scene.

Right now, most of the votes are for the 9/11 Memorial. Dusty is hopeful that the mosaic can materialize–we’ll try to get a rendering for you all to see.

And Michael, when you read this, give me a call at (212) 924-5718. Come over for coffee and let us talk about the Times doing a story on the 15th anniversary of WestView.

—George Capsis

 

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