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 in a pew. Afterwards I met Gabriele and Pickles, her wired haired fox terrier. She said that they love the music at the church and that when people applaud, Pickles likes to join in.
They often walk to 10th Street from home on 116th Street, enjoying Central Park along the way. How fit they are!
Last week music director Dennis Keene played a Bach fugue for the postlude on the famous Manton organ. Pickles gave one woof, surprising the women next to me. I filled her in and she said “the dog likes Bach?”
Gabriele tells me that fox terriers are so strong willed they are impossible to train. Pickles behaves this way by her choice. She always insists on entering all houses of worship when they pass. She enjoys attending the weekly soup kitchen at this church. She says Pickles likes being around people, and I think she is popular with us as well.
— Barbara Chacour
Livable Cities: Part VI: Curbside Parking, No. Curbside Dining, Yes.
I concluded my last piece by saying we should eliminate all free curbside auto parking. There are many more desirable uses for this new public open space than free automobile storage. These include pop-up gardens, play spaces, seating areas, unloading zones, emergency pull-offs and pop-up cafes. These tent covered cafes provide more than pleasant places to eat, but add life to the street and a possible source of income to the city. Unwanted noise can be limited by prohibition of amplified music. The locations of outdoor cafes can be limited by zoning laws to commercial frontage.
The overall goal of this proposal is to enliven our streets and make them more friendly to pedestrians and to residents and visitors alike. Traffic congestion would be reduced, our air made cleaner, and we would have a greener city.
“We would emerge from our homes into an urban environment crowned by ornate rooftops towering over a green garden environment shading our streets and open spaces. Sun, tumbling clouds and sky would form the chorus against which these statements would be visible.”
All of this came to me in my sleep last night.
—Barry Benepe
“WE WOULD LIKE TO EMERGE from our homes into an urban environment crowned by ornate roof tops towering over a green garden shading our streets and public places.” Illustration by Barry Benepe FAIA.
Jane Laundromat Reopens!
GOOD NEWS! Effective Monday, July 25, after an accidental fire forced it to close almost three months, Jane Laundromat (50 8th Ave, 212-675-4435) is back and open for business! Mon-Sat 7:30 am-7:00 pm; Sun 9:00 am-7:00 pm.
Owner Justin Cheng posted this handwritten message outside the shop to express his gratitude to everyone in the community for our support, especially to us here at WestView News for publishing the story:
‘We would like to give thanks to our community for supporting us in order to reopen Jane Laundromat. Many old friends stopped by to check on us and gave us much comfort. We also made new friends who offered suggestions and donations as we rebuilt. They were strangers, but not anymore! We are so fortunate to be able to, once again, serve our loving and caring community. We would like to acknowledge and give special appreciation to Kathryn Adisman, who as a talented writer, contributed two articles about our laundromat in the WestView News. Her kindness touched us deeply. We are honored and grateful to be part of such an amazing community!’ With gratitude, Justin
Welcome back!
—Kathryn Adisman
