By Keith Michael I’m hurrying down Perry Street to meet up with friends for a day’s outing at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens hoping to see thousands of shorebirds stopping there on their fall migration. Between parked cars across the street, I see a small yellow bird on the sidewalk. Maybe I’ll be a
By Pago Habitans A few days after I met Mary Sullivan in Abingdon Square, I was sitting on the steps outside the Whitney Museum. I knew Mary had been born there on Gansevoort Street, which led me to wonder what the neighborhood might have looked like back when it was a tangle of tenements, single
By Tom Lamia There is an existential threat to our continued existence on this planet. It is obvious, well defined, and inexorable—slowly grinding a path to our oblivion as a species. I speak, of course of the climate crisis. Our victimhood comes not from any failure to recognize our plight, but from a series of
By Gabriela Beavers and Teddy Capsis A brisk stroll along Greenwich Avenue brings bustling energy as merry dwellers sip on chardonnay and cheer on their winning team’s latest play. In the past year and a half that we have lived in the Village, we’ve explored the many facets of this street. From its vibrant storefronts
By Isa Covo What times are we are living in! It is one thing after another. It was the election of Donald J. Trump, because like with the Richard M. Nixon presidency, many voters who would have given a majority to a different candidate stubbornly refused to vote, even as they were not necessarily in
Summer is usually a bit quieter in terms of openings. This month was not as busy as the last few, but there were still a number of high profile spots coming on-line. Much of the activity was in the southern part of our area. Top Opening One Fifth—1 Fifth Avenue at West 8th Street Marc
I’LL MISS IT…. THE COLORFUL POLITICAL SCENE IN ABINGDON SQUARE ON SATURDAY MORNINGS. Photo by Maggie Berkvist.
Just Saying Dear Editor, As someone opposed to the continuation of the outdoor dining places, I have a proposal for their use, rather than simple removal or destruction. I suggest they be collected on flatbed trucks and taken to venues where there are poor people who need housing. Once in the various locations, they could
By Keith Michael A lightning flash. Bang. Crack. How I love summer thunderstorms! When it’s hot and humid, the air seems to thicken as the sunlight is sucked behind darkening clouds. Then, I hope for the flashing, rumbling, and trees thrashing in the wind to begin. Of course, I’m thinking of being able to run
By Pago Habitans * The last time I saw my elusive friend Brother Ben was late spring in Washington Square. He was headed east on his skateboard and I was headed west on foot. I was curious to solve the mystery of his “home address,” which he had just given me in terms of latitude
LISTEN TO THIS LITTLE LADY. HER SHIRT SAYS IT ALL! Photo by Maggie Berkvist.
THEN: Photo by Moses King’s Handbook of New York City, Second Edition,1893. NOW: Photo by Brian J. Pape, AIA. By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP THEN: George Borgfeldt & Co. built its headquarters ca. 1892 at 18-24 Washington Place, southwest corner of Greene Street, filling its 100’ x 100’ lot with its “fire-proof construction.” Moses
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Public hearings at a Community Board 2 of Manhattan (CB2) meeting revealed plans to add a new crosswalk on Highway 9A, aka West Street, but, borrowing a trick from long midtown avenues, this one will be in the middle of the long block between Houston and Spring Streets. Hudson River
By Roberta Russell On June 30th the New York State Supreme Court decided that the Good Cause Eviction bill that would allow free market tenants in New York State to stay in their apartments after their leases were up, at a rent raise determined by the government, not the landlord, was declared “null and void
By Isa Covo Until recently we had some very pleasant weather for the beginning of summer, then, mid-June, things changed abruptly with global temperatures rising to unprecedented highs, with no sign that cooler days would be coming soon. It is at this exact time that Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia pulled back from the
Summer is generally a quieter time for openings and closings, but this month was surprisingly busy. A heat wave in July meant that not as many people were eating outdoors. Italian and Asian restaurants continue to dominate the openings. Top Openings 787 Puerto Rico’s Finest Coffee Co.—310 West 14th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues
By Tom Lamia As I settle in on a mid-July day, hoping to get ahead of the deadline for these columns, I am concerned about the consequences of caution when action is necessary to protect a vital interest. Hesitation, to avoid responsibility for stepping out front, is not acceptable simply because the action necessary is
The Dog Likes Bach??? Pickles at the Church of the Ascension. Earlier this year when the church reopened services to in person attendance, I attended a service which included 2 baptisms. The congregation was invited to applaud the baptisms. I heard a little woof and looked back to see an attentive dog on a cushion
By Roberta Russell After months of being blissed out by the thrill of romantic love, my boyfriend Manuel and I found ourselves on an emotional desert. I had rarely been apart from him since we met, but he could no longer stand to even look at me. I did not recognize him. Nothing we said
By Pago Habitans * I was sitting in Washington Square one evening when a string of skateboarders whizzed by. They were mostly young people, but at the tail end was an unlikely older figure doing his best to keep up with the pack. It was, of course, my elusive friend Brother Ben. He recognized me,
By Kambiz Shekdar, Ph.D. Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock band Queen, died of AIDS. Shortly before his death, Freddie said: “You can do what you want with my music, but don’t make me boring!” A collaboration of scientists and artists has created a new animated video based on Freddie’s hit song, “I
By Keith Michael Summer Solstice. June 21st. Sunrise 5:25 am. Sunset 8:30 pm. The longest day of the year. Last night, while walking in the rain on the beach at Fort Tilden, I thought about the question I’m often asked, “What’s your favorite bird?” My facetious answer is, “The one I’m with!” But as I
By Isa Covo We just left Spring, and behind it, an eventful half year, with the promise that it will be a long, and surely an eventful and suspenseful summer. Some of the things that are happening are COVID-19 which we’ve been living with for over two years, and the 2020 election which was forcefully
This month the themes were Italian restaurants, gluten-free spots, speakeasies and new fun places on Greenwich Avenue. There is a lot of activity on Bleecker Street, including additional businesses from the east end of Long Island. Of the four closings we noticed, three are looking for new spaces in the neighborhood. Restaurants continue to vie
By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP THEN: Enoch Morgan’s Sons Company originated in the West Village, literally on the banks of the Hudson River, in 1809. Although other factories grew up around this waterfront location over time, this one stood out prominently. In Moses King’s Handbook of New York City, Second Edition, this seven-story loft
… Six days after page one’s ‘robbery in progress’ the cops were on the same Greenwich Street corner, chasing a suspected ‘Culprit’ …. And catching up with him inside “Left Bank.” Photos by Maggie Berkvist.
By Tom Lamia It didn’t take the Republican Party long to find within its ranks of what used to be called “rock ribbed” loyalists a multitude of quislings. Not so rock ribbed it seems when it came to turning their backs on democracy, decency and political consistency. Seemingly out of the blue came volunteers willing
Bad Advertising? To the Editor: I object to two pieces—that I have been told are actually ads, and they were paid for—that appeared in the June WestView News. The one on page 26 is written like an article, but there’s no author’s name. It turns out to be a fundraiser (“Be a cosponsor”) for a
By Roberta Russell Some people lose their appetites when feeling rejected, but mine increases, especially for sweets and comfort foods. Even though I have been at a normal weight for the past 21 yeaars, that psychological and physiological connection remains. Recently, in preparation for a formative fall event on long-term weight loss at Columbia TC,
SOME SUITABLY CHIC WEST VILLAGERS… BUNDLED UP ON THE STREET AND BEHIND THE COUNTER! Photos by Maggie Berkvist.
By Isa Covo Every time I watch the news about the war in Ukraine on television and the destruction, chaos and carnage, I always wonder why did it start, and why it doesn’t end. I do have an idea, although I could be wrong: Vladimir Putin imagined he would bring back the old Russia, and
This month the theme is businesses sharing a space. It is not surprising given that rents, while lower in some cases than pre-pandemic, are still very high in this area. There were a number of openings, some of them new locations or relatives of existing restaurants, a few closings, and a hint that the old
By Keith Michael “Excuse me, what is everyone photographing?” “That yellow bird by the water. It’s called a Prothonotary Warbler.” “I don’t see it. Is it rare?” “Yellow. On the rock now. Not super rare, but only a few pass through every spring. Oh, it just flew to the other side of The Pool. Bye.”
Open Restaurants or Open Sidewalks? We asked—and you answered! Read on… Brian, I saw the Open Restaurants or Open Sidewalks article in WestView and figured I’d shared some thoughts given the stated request for reader input. From a real estate perspective, what needs to be made clear is whether landlords can charge tenants for the
By Pago Habitans * I was sitting in Washington Square one evening when a string of skateboarders whizzed by. They were mostly young people, but at the tail end was an unlikely older figure doing his best to keep up with the pack. It was, of course, my elusive friend Brother Ben. He recognized me,
By Roberta Russell I am always on the lookout for others who want to join me in the ongoing endeavor of embracing the rigors of arriving and staying at the right weight and enjoying a healthy lifestyle. It is easy to find people who want to lose weight, but very hard to find those who
