Longtime Village resident Ruth Berk celebrated a glorious 94th birthday, Greek style, at Nisi Restaurant on Bleecker Street. Her guardian, Arthur Schwartz, threw the bash, which was attended by WestView’s own George Capsis, who brought Berk a silver double-heart necklace. She has been through a lot these past few years, as neighbors will recall, so
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Alien Skills
This conscientious scavenger of Asian ancestry gathers deposit bounty by using a bamboo pole over her shoulder.
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Yes, Labor Day HAS Arrived!
D’Agostino resident artist offers imaginative Labor Day window display evoking Roosevelt-era labor posters.
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Temporary Closing of Gourmet Garage
Gourmet Garage, located at 117 7th Avenue South (between West 10th and Christopher Streets), has announced a mid-August temporary closing. The building owner needs to install columns to reinforce the building in order to add additional floors for new residential apartments. (The accompanying rendering illustrates the design proposal by Cruzen Samton Architects.) The New York
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Civility Amidst PRIDE Celebration
On PRIDE Sunday, June 25th, amidst the very popular Annual PRIDE Block Party—which extends from Abingdon Park to 14th Street—a fire broke out. The weather was perfection and the festive, rainbow-attired crowd was in a great mood. The streets were jammed with revelers—a few obviously inebriated. Suddenly, a whiff of smoke blew by as sirens
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Remembering Victims of the Pulse Tragedy
Forty-nine people and the perpetrator, Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, were killed with an assault rifle one year ago at the Pulse gay bar and disco in Orlando, Florida in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. On June 12th, 50 people in white gathered on Christopher Street to mark the anniversary—an event organized by Gays
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World Refugee Day Finds New Meaning
On a recent June afternoon, the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, located on 5th Avenue, between West 11th and West 12th Streets, invited passersby onto its shaded lawn for a celebration of World Refugee Day. With live world music and free food from Eat Offbeat, the event commemorated the contributions and
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WHAT DID YOU LOSE?
Makers of The Lost Village Query Publisher Director Roger Paradiso questioned, on camera, WestView Publisher George Capsis as to what he has lost in the rapidly changing West Village. Capsis recounted an early morning walk to St. Vincent’s Emergency Room with his wife who was experiencing an uncontrollable nosebleed induced by blood thinners. During that
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DIGGING THE BEAT
After watching students from the American Tap Dance Foundation in their annual show on May 21st, these two youngsters were quick to get into the groove on the Christopher Street Pier.
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A QUARTER OF A CENTURY
Ariadne and Doric Capsis are joined by their daughter Sophia and son Theodore for a 25th Anniversary photo.
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Royal Lineage in the West Village
This month, we revisit and expand upon the fascinating royal background of our WestView contributor, Antonia Maxwell. (See her piece, “Coffee with Antonia,” in the February 2017 issue of WestView.) Born in Argentina, Antonia descends from the Habsburg-Lothringen line on her mother’s side—one of the most influential royal families in Europe. Throughout history, European thrones
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CONTRIBUTORS’ MEETING INNOVATION
Filmmaker Annunziata Gianzero joins the WestView News April contributors’ meeting from California by Skype as the paper moves towards a revamped online edition.
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PLANES OF LIGHT AND COLOR
These elements, in both Cezanne’s Montagne Sainte Victoire and COOKFOX’s 2633 Broadway (a 31-story building), reflect and intersect the sky in a transcendental array of pale pastel hues. These colors join the solid to the ephemeral, eliminating boundaries and edges.
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Meet the Fishes
The River Project’s annual open house events invite the community to meet the fishes, crabs, and other neighborhood creatures at our Wetlab on Pier 40 on Tuesday, May 23rd from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Meet the Fishes welcomes people to experience our unique flow-through aquarium system that contains Hudson River water from under the
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CELEBRATING THE VILLAGE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS (VID) AWARDS
WestView Publisher George Capsis (second from left) is pictured at the festivities with New York City Public Advocate Letitia James; VID President Erik Coler; and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman (left to right).
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Honoring a Valued 6th Precinct Officer
On March 30th, Community Affairs Officer Martin Baranski retired from the 6th Precinct after 31 years of service, six of which were served as Community Affairs Officer. He was honored with a walk-out celebration, which was only slightly dampened by the rain. The festivities consisted of an NYPD color guard and a line of officers on
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HOSPITAL RESPONDS TO EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
Chief Operating Officer Robert Guimento (left) began his presentation of the “new” New York Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital by documenting the boom in Lower Manhattan apartment construction and population growth; the latter has more than doubled in the past 15 years. During their meeting, WestView Publisher George Capsis explored the possibility of adding a Cath Lab
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THE CONTEMPT OF NEGLECT
This decades-old fence bulging into the path of Charles Street pedestrians is a relic of famed real estate scavenger William Gottlieb’s “never fix anything” dictum and will soon disappear into seven-story condo cash.
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Look At My Art! Look At Me!
Philosopher Susanne Langer explained that art was a language, and she was right. If I listen to the introduction to a classical music piece from Paris on my satellite radio, I can just about get the drift in French and catch the composer’s name. When the music comes on, and I am at home with
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WHO NEEDS THE MALDIVES?
Now that it rains in the desert, SoCal is experiencing a super bloom. Pictured above are California Poppy, Lupine, and Canterbury Bells flowers.
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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? It turned out to be a month when those observing the world around them became as interesting as the objects of their scrutiny-whether it was Jefferson excited by the falling snow (#1), attendees at the Whitney (#2) and Westbeth (#3) art exhibitions, or the little girl fascinated by the
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Sophia Wins Platinum
On Sunday, March 19th, at Harborfields High School, a regional dance competition was hosted by Energy, a dance talent competition organization. Sophia Capsis competed in the Solo Senior Power Jazz category. She earned the Platinum Award and finished in first place amongst a field of over 10 dancers. The Power category is for the most
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Music of the Youth
Dear George, The February WestView article on “Johannes Brahms: The Working Musician” compelled me to forward my enclosed graphical commentary on the current, sad state of classical music, especially for the young audience. Incidentally, Styra Avin’s daughter, Allison Eisenger, was taught piano by my wife, Judy. As an aside: Paul Hindemith, a prolific 20th century
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Hate in West Village
We received a call from Dr. Steven Schwartz, PhD who asked that we print this anti-Semitic scrawl with his name defiantly displayed. Trump hate has made it to the Village.
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Lenox Health Greenwich Village Receives Service Award
The New York City Council, with a proclamation, honored Lenox Health Greenwich Village staff for treating roughly one third of the victims of the September 17, 2016 Chelsea bombing, for a range of injuries. The proclamation commends the efforts of key stakeholders, on behalf of the victims. This occasion also reinforces the value of having
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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks
NOT EXACTLY YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL FEBRUARY: To refresh your memory, after a warm start and a record breaking 60-plus degrees on the 8th, on the 9th the temperature dropped to more typical teens, and nine inches of snow fell in Central Park, which meant—whoopee!—City schools were closed! But by the 19th—whoopee! again—it felt like spring at the
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The Funfetti Explosion
Three of this month’s openings are part of what the New York Times referred to as “The Funfetti Explosion” back in October—a phenomenon of instagrammable sweets that incorporate rainbow sprinkles. Bubble Bar features rainbow sprinkles as one of the possible toppings on the bubble waffles. Shown here is the delicious waffle I ordered with Cookies
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A Choreographed Life
“This is Vija Vetra and I invite you to my 94th birthday party at the Greek restaurant Nisi.” Twenty or more fellow Latvians also honored what is certainly the oldest still performing dancer of Latvia, if not the world. Vija has choreographed her life and travels each year from Westbeth to Latvia for a performance.
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West Village Original: David Plakke
By Michael D. Minichiello This month’s West Village Original is photographer David Plakke, born in Michigan in 1951. A resident of Westbeth for 22 years, Plakke has photographed architecture, fine art, cultural events, musicians, artists, and the corporate world. He has had two books of photographs published, was the photographer and videographer for Diana Gregor’s
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You Cannot Change History Unless You Understand It
By Clive Morrick President Abraham Lincoln’s First Inauguration: March 4, 1861. Lincoln took office as the 16th U.S. President at a critical time. Following his election, the seven most southerly states had seceded from the Union. Four others soon followed. The central issue was whether the Union could prohibit slavery in the territories. From humble
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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks
THE SPIRIT OF ‘17: Combining stamina, and a sly sense of humor, demonstrators gathered in Union Square en route to the United Nations to join the New York branch of the Women’s March on January 21st. All photos by Maggie Berkvist.
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CAN YOU MAKE THE CONTRIBUTORS’ MEETING?
This is the invitation WestView Publisher George Capsis (pictured right) sends each month to a growing number of accomplished West Village neighbors whose thoughts and opinions make the paper unique and wise. (If you want to join the next meeting, email George at: gcapsis@gmail.com.)
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LOVE IS IN THE AIR
LOVE IS IN THE AIR: At 790 Greenwich Street at least, where, to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, D’Agostino’s own “artist in residence,” Sam Mercado, is welcoming shoppers with another lively seasonal mural.
