By George Capsis At 7:00 a.m. on September 22nd, I came out of the shower to a ringing phone and stood, still dripping, as Westview contributor Barbara Chacour announced with exhilaration, “Diller Island is Dead.” These were the very words printed on the front page of the New York Times article by Charles V. Bagli
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Rally Demands—No Beth Israel Shutdown
By Arthur Z. Schwartz The fight to keep Beth Israel open took a major step forward on September 24th. Over 100 neighbors gathered outside the hospital to demand that it cease shutting down, that services be restored, and that nothing more be done without a thorough government review of the potential consequences of a shut
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Your Own Concert Hall
By George Capsis You, and only you, reading these words, can have and give to others a 120-year-old marble-clad Gothic hall in which to hear the great music of the past and allow others to hear it for the next century or more… You can do that by attending the first concert at the Church
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St. Veronica’s for Healing
Hi George, St. Veronica’s is a spectacular space with healing qualities. Apart from using it for concerts, I feel that it could be a great space to use for AA meetings, PTSD healing groups, etc. Something to explore. — Christina Winholt Raccuia
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Offensive Language
Dear Mr. Capsis, I was greatly taken aback and offended to read the copy accompanying Maggie Berkvist’s photo on page 29 of the September issue. The caption includes incorrect information (there is no bamboo pole evident) and the offensive wording “Alien Skills” is a stunning example of racism. There is no basis to identify the
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Diller Island: The City Club Perspective
Dear George, As President of the City Club of New York, one of the three plaintiffs in the Pier 55 (a.k.a. Diller Island) litigation, I’ve followed the history and collapse of this project very closely over the past two and a half years. The fantasy style of the island seems to have inspired a parallel
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A Common Perspective on Diller Island
Dear James, I wanted to thank you for the commentary you provided in your advertisement in the Op-Ed section of the New York Times on Wednesday, September 27th. Having lived on the west end of Bank Street for many decades, I hated the idea of Diller Island, not only for allowing Barry Diller’s blatant ego
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Obituary: Bernadyne M. Pape
Bernadyne M. Pape (née Eckl), 96, passed away in her sleep at home on Sunday, September 3, 2017, surrounded by her loving family. Mrs. Pape is the mother of Brian J. Pape, a Westview News contributor. She married Norman E. Pape (1919-1994) at Zion Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 17, 1941. They moved
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Legal Thriller Explores the Gritty World of Brooklyn’s Criminal Justice System
Woken in the middle of the night by a call from a panicked woman whose husband had just been arrested, Ken Williams, an African-American attorney based in Brooklyn, is drawn into a murder case that turns out to be more complex and dangerous than he bargained for. Powerful political forces are at work, sending innocent
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Thoughts on the Skeletal Remains of the City’s Abandoned Bikes
An interesting quality-of-life matter in the Village concerns the enormous amount of abandoned bicycles all over the City—and particularly the Village. One does not need to walk far to witness the unsightly empty shell of a bicycle where most accoutrements have been stripped. Often only the frame remains—no chain, no pedals, no seat, no handle
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Correction
The photo credit for the expanded caption in the August 2017 issue, “New Construction Above Gourmet Garage” (page 3), should be IBI Group — Gruzen Samton Architects, not Cruzen Samton Architects.
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Selected, Trained, and Motivated to Vanquish the Opposition
Teddy Capsis (Number 91) lunges onto the field for one of his best games of the new season on September 9, 2017. Teddy ended the game against Bucknell with one sack, one forced fumble, and one quarterback hurry, helping Holy Cross to snag a 20-0 win. The photo above is featured on the current Holy
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My Mother, the Screenwriter (Sort Of)
By Barbara Riddle It’s in the nature of teenage girls—it’s almost their job description—to disrespect their mothers, to assert their independence as part of the necessary task of growing up and cutting that adult umbilical cord. That said, I may have been one of the most critical teens ever to stalk the streets of Greenwich
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West Village Original: Richard Eric Weigle
By Michael D. Minichiello This month’s West Village Original is Richard Eric Weigle, organizer and host of the third annual Greenwich Village Film Festival, which is screening from October 25th–28th at the Greenwich House Music School. Born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey in 1945, Weigle has had a variety of careers including—for the past 17
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No Towers in Central Paris
By Barry Benepe Unlike New York City, Paris has insisted on strong limitations for building heights throughout its historic center. Following the array of boulevards laid out by Baron Haussmann in the late 19th century, Paris established specific height limits for building facades abutting boulevards; these limits changed only slightly in the 20th century and
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Remembering and Trying to Sustain the Church of St. Veronica
On July 23, 2017, the last mass was held at the Church of St. Veronica (149 Christopher Street, between Greenwich and Washington Streets). The church was built in the 1890s and completed in 1903 by Irish longshoremen and platform workers who labored on the nearby docks. The Gothic Revival church was built with an unusual
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Jim Fouratt’s Have You Heard? OCTOBER 2017
Council Member Corey Johnson is term-limited and out-of- office in 2021. It will be an open race. Already, there appears to be one candidate circulating: Village dad and active Community Board 2 (CB2) member, Richard Caccappolo, whom Deborah Glick had encouraged to run when Johnson and Yetta Kurland were battling it out. Caccappolo declined then
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Seventh Avenue South: Renaming Redux
By Allyn Freeman In the August 2017 issue of Westview, I wrote an article suggesting that 7th Avenue South be renamed to honor Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), a West Village resident and gadfly whose civic protests prevented Robert Moses from demolishing Washington Square Park and ruining Canal Street. Then I read a piece in the Sunday
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Caruso’s Quips
By Charles Caruso There’s no fury like the fury of an honest man who realizes he’s been cheated. ___ Blood is thicker than semen. Family ties outlast the sexual. ___ A man’s love for a woman was the beginning of civilization. ___ Fiction is realer than history. In fiction, the characters love and hate, laugh
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Can You Speak Louder? We Can’t Hear You. Community Board 2 answers your park requests.
By George Capsis “The community board is having a meeting tonight about what to do with Pier 40 and you have to go,” demanded Dusty. And so we walked to The Village Community School on 10th Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets on Thursday, September 28th, one of the last warm nights. We arrived a
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He Didn’t Jaywalk, But He Did Just About Everything Else!
By Mary Ann Miller & Cynthia Chaffee On June 6th of this year, when Judge Jill Konviser sentenced landlord Steve Croman to one year at Rikers Island, she added this admonishment, “If you so much as jaywalk, I’ll make sure this sentence is increased.” The Croman tenants at the sentencing hearing that morning thought,“Finally, here
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Robert Heide 25 Plays
By Robert Heide For 10 years now, I have been writing articles and theater reviews (possibly as many as several dozen) for Westview News on everything from Broadway musicals like Follies (starring Bernadette Peters) and Sunset Boulevard (starring Glenn Close) to the plays of Edward Albee, Terrence McNally, and Horton Foote. (Coincidental Note: Bernadette first
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Urban Myth: West Village Landlords Save Money When They Keep Spaces Empty (Part Two)
By Steve Wilson In the September issue of Westview, I discussed the impact of escalating commercial rents and the resulting closures of restaurants and retail stores within the West Village. In Part Two, I explore the impact of online retailers on that commercial landscape. The impact of online merchants like Amazon and FreshDirect on West
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A Stroll Around the Neighborhood:Construction and Development Sites: Continued
By Brian J. Pape, AIA In the August 2017 issue of Westview, we looked at developments from Hudson Street to West Street, between Clarkson Street and Perry Street. Even the change to the Gourmet Garage and New York Sports Club at 125 7th Avenue South was featured in that issue—an addition of two floors that
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In and Out
By Caroline Benveniste As always, the fall brings with it a spate of openings, and an even longer list of anticipated openings. Some long-awaited restaurants need a bit more waiting, such as Pasta Flyer. Italian restaurants continue to flock to the Village, and increasing numbers of old-fashioned barbershops are popping up in the area. Open
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The Real Cost of Rising Rents
By Christopher of Christopher Street On March 13, 2016, Council Member Corey Johnson, New York State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman gathered in front of the Associated Supermarket near the corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue to protest the imminent closing of the store due to rent hikes.
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Landmarks Preservation Commission Under Fire
By Martica Sawin Two recent lawsuits filed against the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) raise questions as to whether the LPC is doing its job as spelled out by the Landmarks Law. On August 23, 2017, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York (First Department) granted Save Gansevoort’s motion for
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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks
Weekends in the Chic West Village While the local IN crowd was OUT—at beaches and ball games, wherever—those of us left behind enjoyed the low-key charms around the corner. For instance…
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Congress of Our Lady of Guadalupe in New York
By Father Santiago Rubio The events that took place 10 years after the conquest of Mexico in 1531, gave rise to modern Mexico. History confirms the impact of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the birth, development, and history of Mexico. This impact explains why the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe is present in
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Just a Second,
Please “Millie, Wait!” I get the white-eyed glare back over Millie’s shoulder. She seems to be pondering just how daft I might be, even though there is a car, a gazillion times larger than a corgi, rumbling closer down the cobblestones. All she wants is to bushwhack to the center of the street to do
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Experts Gather to Discuss Food Waste
By Nan Victoria Munger How much money do you throw into the trash every year? For the average American household of four, the answer is almost $2,000, and it takes the form of uneaten food. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that, globally, one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted each
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How Yoga Helps During Grieving
By Christina Winholt Raccuia 2016 was a trauma-filled year for me, as I experienced multiple losses. I lost my mother, a pregnancy, a relationship, and my home. When we experience such loss, we also lose all of the hopes, dreams, and expectations connected with those people or places. Grieving is unique to each individual and
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A Cartoonist’s Background and Perspective
By Elliott Gilbert I was born in Brooklyn, in 1924, the son of young immigrants from Poland. My mother, Regine Gilbert, was a painter, once described as “America’s most exuberant and imaginative Primitive.” She was compared to Grandma Moses, exhibited in many galleries, and encouraged my talent early on. My early education included the Brooklyn
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Memories of West Village Resident and Broadway Writer Thomas Meehan
By Karen Rempel Our beloved, longtime West Village neighbor and friend Thomas Meehan died at home on West 10th Street on August 21st. Tom was a creative force of nature, working on multiple projects right until he died, at the age of 88. He is the only librettist who had three Tony Award-winning musicals run
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Get A Diagnosis! A Continuing Look at Low Back Pain
By Joy Pape, FNP-C CDE CILC My last article in the September 2017 issue of Westview (“Get A Diagnosis!”) got responses! Writers always love to hear from their readers so thank you! On the other hand, I’m sorry to learn that so many people live with low back pain. About 80% of adults have had
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The Financial Cost of Aging and How Diet Can Help
By Jane Sandwood The cost of healthcare in America is staggering—$3.4 trillion are spent each year. The average working-age person in 2010 spent $6,125 on healthcare. In comparison, the average senior (65 or older) spent $18,424—triple the amount. This cost keeps growing as you age, doubling between the ages of 70 and 90. The average
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Morton Street Senior Safe from Greedy Landlord
By Arthur Z. Schwartz Another elderly reader of Westview has been saved from the claws of a greedy landlord. Michael Sloan owns a number of buildings in the West Village, one of which is a multi-family building at 42 Morton Street. Sloan has made it onto Public Advocate Letitia James’ ‘Worst Landlords’ list for many
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VID Takes on Law-Breaking Landlords
By Erik Coler, President of the VID The first time Aaron Carr tried to explain what a state-issued J-51 tax credit was, I had no idea what he was talking about. He might as well have been speaking another language. Aaron had recently left his job as chief of staff to a New York State
