By Tom Lamia I try to ignore the ignorance, pettiness and mean-spiritedness that increasingly permeate White House actions. This is not because I don’t notice, but because I feel powerless to object. This distressing situation only seems to worsen with time. Yet a particular incident among the daily outrages does offer hope. It comes from
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My Favorite Restaurant
We’re asking readers of WestView to submit a description of their favorite neighborhood restaurant. The review we select for publication receives a FREE one year subscription to WestView News. Please submit your local favorite to: westviewarticles@gmail.com GRAND PRIZE WINNER Roberta Curley Recommends: TAVERN ON JANE Jane and Leroy Streets When I crave unique, inventively prepared fresh
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Note to Mt. Sinai: We Care About Beth Israel
By Penny Mintz It seems that most people are completely unaware that Mt. Sinai intends to close the Beth Israel building on 16th Street and First Avenue. On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 16, 2019, four committed members of the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel joined me at the corner of 16th Street and
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The New School: First Century
By George Capsis On the first sunny Saturday in April we sat down for sandwiches on a bench in front of the Café Panino Mucho Gusto (favored by the older crowd as a place to just sit and talk). A passing stranger looked down at me and asked, “WestView?” I responded, “Yes,” followed by his “Like your paper.” “Are
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Gary Sherball’s “Two Suspects” an Unexpected Joy
By Joel Gordon Judge Gary Sherball came to 69 Charles and sat and talked about the upcoming reading of his play with music at the Bitter End. He implored several times “come, come, and bring people.” I failed to put it in my calender and only recalled it when our photographer Joel Gordon called from
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Both Sides Now: Celebrating the Legacy of Joni Mitchell
By Cal Smith In Celebration of Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday, the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, and in continuation of her ongoing seven-year celebration of the music of Joni Mitchell, West Village resident Hannah Reimann will present concert performances of Mitchell’s music, entitled Both Sides Now, from April 22th through May 4th as part of Fort
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9/11—My Survival and Memories of Mysterious Visitors
By J. Taylor Basker April is my birthday month. I have an opportunity to celebrate another year of life due to my third graders in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, to whom I am very grateful. I should have been killed on 9/11 while working with Fiduciary Trust in the South Tower on the 95th floor, trapped ten
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Karen’s Quirky Style
The National Arts Club celebrated Jo Weldon’s new book, Fierce: The History of Leopard Print, in March, with a leopard-spotted event that had stylish New Yorkers turning out in truck-loads of faux pelts adorning every imaginable garment from boots to hats. Touted as a “neutral,” leopard prints might have been invented as nature’s camo, but
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Mademoiselle Mirabelle Brings Ooh La La to Bleecker Street
By Karen Rempel Mademoiselle Mirabelle alighted on Bleecker Street in mid-January, with a Parisian cocktail party to say “bienvenue” to her new neighbors. The store is owner Nicole Nicholson’s second location. The mother store, Boutique Mirabelle, at 1310 Madison Avenue, has become so successful after 30 years that it practically runs itself. Ready for a
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Our Lifetime in The Village
By Carol and Richard Quigley, as told to Brian J. Pape, AIA This is the story of Carol and Richard Quigley (CQ and RQ), life-long residents of Greenwich Village. Part of the “Baby Boomer” generation, they grew up during the economic and cultural changes of the 1950s and ’60s right here in the West Village.
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Reminiscence
By Judy K. Gilbert I met my husband sixty years ago on a transatlantic crossing. We were on the steamship SS Liberté, both of us off to Europe, but for very different reasons. Elliott had finally amassed enough money to take his first European trip, and I had received a scholarship for intensive study of piano
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Notes From Away: Spring Break
By Tom Lamia It’s mid-March in South Bristol, Maine. The flora and fauna have not yet shown themselves to be into the resurrection-of-life phase of the calendar year. Well, let me qualify that—this morning two deer were seen foraging on the far side of the ice and snow encrusted pond that lies behind my house.
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If I Were Pope
By Donna Schaper I would pray, papally, about what it means to be a Christian. I would take all of my fears of fraud with me. I would ask about the end game—and whether revenge or punishment ever got anybody, anywhere, closer to Jesus. I know the punishmentalists and literalists love to “get back” and
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West Village Original: Suzy Chase
By Michael D. Minichiello This month’s West Village Original is cookbook podcaster Suzy Chase, born in Illinois in 1967 and raised in Prairie Village, Kansas. Her podcast, “Cookery by the Book,” airs from her dining room table. She also recently wrapped up a six-year happy hour DJ residency at Trophy Bar in Williamsburg. A neighborhood
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Constantinople Meets Rome
John Catsimatidis, owner of the Gristede’s supermarket chain, with his wife Margo, greet Cardinal Dolan in their Park Avenue apartment to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Catsimatides has been invited to do a monthly column in WestView News based on his weekly radio series. When asked if he leaned right or left Catsimatidis responded—“in the middle, the truth.” WestView’s
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A West Village Generational Story: Dr. Charles Dorato
By Allyn Freeman Consider the many stories fictional or fact about the West Village in novels, short stories, magazines and newspaper articles. Remember those involving tales written about the bohemian lives of Village artists and writers. Recall the narrations of Village nightlife with anecdotes about jazz clubs, watering holes, and potluck parties in walk up
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Hey Jude, Lucio’s in the Village with Style
By Karen Rempel Bill Cunningham once said, “It’s not style unless it’s on the street.” The West Village is a glorious neighborhood for people-watching, as many of our neighbors and visitors are likely to be dressed in the unique style that makes New York such a fun place to live. On a recent sunny day,
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Interview with Rebecca Schosha from the Jefferson Market Library
By Yalini Anne Sampathkumar, 10 Jefferson Market Library has a great collection of kids’ books and some of the nicest librarians. I look for Rebecca Schosha every time I come. She is one of the librarians, who always gives me a warm greeting. I decided to interview her about the children’s section of the Jefferson
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Ethnic Pride Portraits
Portraits of people around the world proud of their heritage, showing ethnic and religious pride wearing traditional folk regalia and costumes. Below: Greek, Korean, Native American, Hindu, Chinese and American African Muslim. Other examples can be found on my website www.joelgordon.com. Photo credit © Joel Gordon 2019—All rights reserved.
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Greenwich Village: Reminiscence
By Harry Rissetto I grew up in Greenwich Village during the period between Robert Moses’ proposed freeway and John Lindsey’s plans for a tourist mecca. I recently spent parts of a year back there and tried to connect my memories and current impressions. The West Village during the ‘50s and ‘60s was mostly middle class
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West Village Original: Marshall W. Mason
By Michael D. Minichiello This month’s West Village Original is director Marshall W. Mason, born in Amarillo, Texas in 1940. Mason co-founded the Circle Repertory Company in New York and was artistic director for 18 years. He directed such plays as The Hot L Baltimore, Fifth of July, Talley’s Folly, As Is, and Burn This. Nominated five
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Theater Book Review: The Transcendent Years
By Robert Heide The title of Marshall W. Mason’s remarkable new book entitled The Transcendent Years—The Circle Repertory Company & The 1960s for which he was the artistic director for eighteen years is his homage to Harold Clurman’s Group Theater book The Fervent Years. Marshall Mason won a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement and
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VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
By Bernadette Alexander Glaucoma runs in my family on my mother’s side. My mother, grandmother, siblings and even third cousins have it. Although I was diagnosed over twenty years ago, I didn’t lose my vision until April 2017. It was devastating. I had a successful career as both a state administrator and Senior Workers Compensation
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Remembrances of the Lost Village: David Amram, Renaissance Man
By Roger Paradiso I first met David Amram at the Half Pint Bar on West Third and Sullivan. It was the winter of 2012. He was nice enough to come down and be interviewed by me for a documentary film. As soon as we met we started talking and talking, and the conversation hasn’t stopped
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Brooklyn Hero of the Poor Now Speaks for All
By George Capsis Oh wow! Jumaane Williams won as Public Advocate and we interviewed him a few weeks ago as he sat in “my reading the New York Times chair” in our kitchen conference room at 69 Charles Street. We did not exactly endorse him as attorney Arthur Schwartz did, but asked him questions mostly
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Welcome Jumaane Williams!
By Arthur Z. Schwartz As we go to press, Jumaane Williams, of Brooklyn, is being installed as the City’s fourth Public Advocate. Besides chairing City Council meetings, the Public Advocate has rather undefined powers—but largely, it is the position of public ombudsman. Jumaane is an activist, a fighter, and an effective legislator (53 bills passed
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Remembrances of The Lost Village: Doris Deither the fighter
By Roger Paradiso Starting October 19th with THE LOST VILLAGE premiere at the legendary Cinema Village Theaters, we did community panel discussions after each screening. Sponsored by WestView News, we ended up doing 8 panels in that first week. But none was more memorable than the night Doris Deither came to visit. She has been
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Jonas Mekas Was Frozen History
By George Capsis 66 years ago I was invited by Dick Brummer to his top floor apartment on Perry Street for an small evening party and I found myself glancing down from the rear window at a garden across the way on Charles Street that became the house I bought for my family and in
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Jacques Benveniste, 1928-2019
By Caroline Benveniste My father, Jacques Benveniste, a longtime Village resident, died unexpectedly on January 7, 2019. He was 90 years old. He was found unresponsive at home and transported by ambulance to Lenox Health, Greenwich Village, but the paramedics and doctors were unable to revive him. My father was born in Athens, Greece on
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Corey asks Subway Riders to Fund Race to Mayor
I’m writing to share some exciting news: I am thinking about running for Mayor of New York City. It’s a big decision, I know, but I love this City and am committed to making it a better place for all. As much as I love New York, we are capable of so much more. And
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How the Berks Were Able to Live in Their Apartment for 20 Years and Collect $500k Upon Leaving—An Update
By Paul Dalnoky Long before the guardianship of Ruth Berk and the canonization of her attorney, Arthur Schwartz, there was a newbie East Village lawyer named Paul Dalnoky who worked, mostly, out of his rent-stabilized apartment. Dalnoky long ago gave up on the practice of law and discovering intelligent life (save a precious few) on
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New York Doormen and Me
By Janet Capron Growing up at 1185 Park Avenue, a big drive-in building with six sections, I rarely encountered any working-class people. Plumbers, electricians and other union guys were like apparitions, riding the back elevator, slinking in and out the back door. They were minor players in my cosseted young life—with the sole exception of
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Seniors in Our City Can Have Scary Choices to Make
By Arthur Z. Schwartz In mid-December I got a worried phone call from George Capsis. An older woman (who I will call Fran for purposes of this article) had found her way to George’s apartment, holding a clipping from WestView about another older woman who George had referred to me with a landlord problem. She
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Dress Code
There really is a distinct difference between West Village garb and that of the folks who live north of 14th Street. Recently, I went north to attend a birthday party for a dear friend and, on another night, for dinner at a fancy Upper East Side restaurant. That’s when it hit me—the dress code and
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Notes From Away: War Story
By Tom Lamia I write on the day of the memorial service for George H.W. Bush. Today and during the preceding four days, many have spoken privately and publicly of the remarkable character of Bush 41. A connection between his character and the effect of his service in World War II has been noted as
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Visions of Vija: A Villager’s Journey
By Stanley Wlodyka Almost 90 years ago, Vija Vetra peeked through a hole in the wall of a dance studio where ballet classes were taught. Who knows which adolescent boy had carved out the peephole, looking to stoke the fire kindled by adolescent hormones, watching the girls plié and rond de jambe their way into
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10 Ways Village Seniors Cope with Winter Blues
By Jane Heil Usyk I really hate winter. It’s so cold! And besides that, it’s often slippery, and slushy, and wet. I could stay in all winter, except I need my walking exercise, and I have to get groceries, and go to the library, and watch movies, mail bills, and do a number of other
