By Hannah Reimann “You ought to be written up by the Times,” suggested publisher George Capsis to Graeme Napier, the Rector of St. John’s Anglican Church on Waverly Place and West 11th Street, after he experienced one of many concerts Father Graeme produces in his church. In the Spring of 2018, Joe Turco, an American
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The Normalization of Gay
From Oppression to Legalization By Robert Heide In New York the “World Pride” month of June, 2019, was given over to celebrate gay life worldwide and the concept of freedom to be who we are—gay, straight, bisexual, and the trans categories of transvestite, transsexual, and transgender; and queer. Each day in June, walking out of
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Villager Fires Lincoln Anderson!!
Community Newspaper Eviscerated By Arthur Schwartz For all the intrusion of the internet into how we get our news, and the availability of 24 hour per day updates, community newspapers retain a special importance. Local residents rely on community newspapers to get current information of local stories—whether it be the fight over a park, plans
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UNA Honorees Working to Stop Human Trafficking
By Karen Rempel The work of the United Nations (UN) is near and dear to us at WestView News. Maggie Capsis started the Guides program at the UN Secretariat Building and was Head of the Guides there. Anyone who knows publisher George Capsis has heard the wonderful story of how they met at the UN.
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A Night Out with Noel Coward, Steve Ross and KT Sullivan
By Robert Heide The great New York singer Steve Ross—dubbed the “Crown Prince of New York Cabaret”—with the dynamic, amazing KT Sullivan—the artistic director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation—appeared in the past month of August in a show devised and written by Barry Day entitled Love, Noel—The Songs and Letters of Noel Coward. The program
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Puppet Master Penny Jones: 90 Years Young
By Stanley Wlodyka “Toby!” the gaggle of toddlers scream, some incessantly and with all their might pointing at the puppet stage, where the head of a pint-sized pup appears from behind the curtain. Toby snatches a feather from the cap of the master of ceremonies. Dressed as the pied piper in a frock pocked by
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Magic Time! Art & Ephemera of the Caffe Cino
By Robert Heide Following on the heels of my last article entitled “The Legendary Caffe Cino Designated a NYC Landmark” for the August 2019 edition of WestView News along came an invite to attend a dual exhibition at the ClampArt Gallery at 247 West 29th Street. Opening night was August 15 and the exhibit of
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Troy Conyers, “Keeper of the Karan Kingdom”
By Allyn Freeman The address bespeaks good luck and good fortune: 711 Greenwich Street at the southeast corner of Charles and Greenwich Streets. For decades, this spacious building served as a parking garage, and then, for a few years, it was converted into a paper-recycling center. In the late 1990s, it was sold, and the
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Space Shot
SPACE SHOT: One of The World Science Festival’s events at Skirball Center was The Right Stuff: What it Takes to Boldly Go, featuring appearances by Michael Collins (Apollo 11 Commander), Scott Kelly (who spent a year up in the International Space Station, and Leland Melvin, (former NFL Wide Receiver who served as an engineer on
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A Banner Year for Terrence McNally
By Robert Heide The year 2019 has certainly been a banner year for playwright Terrence McNally. He won a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award, has a Broadway revival at the Broadhurst Theater of his 1987 two-character play, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, starring Audra McDonald as Frankie and Michael Shannon as Johnny; and
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Nicky and Me
By Webster Stone I am not the guy you’d expect to know a 1970s heroin kingpin. But I knew Nicky Barnes pretty well. I first met him fifteen years ago. He didn’t go by Nicky Barnes, not anymore. He was in the U..S. Federal Witness Protection Program. He went by Clayton “Clay” Williams. The name
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A Requiem For Celeste
Celeste Martin: November 11, 1927—December 13, 2018 By Denise Marsa How many times have you heard about a New York City landlady giving every tenant in her multiple landmark rental buildings a special gift bag filled with Christmas goodies? Every year Celeste Martin looked forward to taking her staff, including her driver, carpenter and super,
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Style on the Street: Everyday Pride in The Village
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and half a century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. The first NYC Pride March was held in 1970 and the march has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years, its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the
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Moon Child Sprinkles Fairy Dust on Christopher Street
By Karen Rempel | Fashion Editor Moon Child is a magical wonderland of fantastical creations by owner Irina Jatskova Corso. The first thing that catches your eye and draws you into the store is Irina’s mystical handmade dreamcatchers. Then you enter an enchanted forest of unique handmade jewelry crafted from earth stones and crystals for
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Stonewall Uprising, 1969: A 50-Year Celebration
By Robert Heide and John Gilman Yes, we were there the night of June 28th, 1969, and all the rest of those famous nights whose impact has been felt around the world. This year’s annual Gay Pride Parade will celebrate the 50th anniversary of that date, and is expected to be attended by a record
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Suzanne Poli Classic Photo
On a hot June Pride day in 2005, Suzanne Poli captured this infamous roller-skating pair, renowned for their dramatic and colorful flair, posing with their favorite companion. Miss Columbia (l.), the beloved drag queen from Queens died last October and was widely mourned and celebrated. Her swirling antics, as well as Rollerina’s, became part of the fabric of the annual half-century Pride March
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Teddy Crosses The Goal Line
Theodore (Teddy ) Capsis completed his four year football scholarship at Holy Cross with graduation and a hug from his sister Sophia. Photo courtesy of Doric Capsis.
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A Tribute to Ralph David Abernathy and Martin Luther King Jr.
By Michael Duane Johnson Seven months ago, George Capsis, Publisher of the WestView News, in the Village of Manhattan, offered me an opportunity to write a piece for his paper about myself. I could not find the words or spirit until now to do so. I have no idea who I really am. For the
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100 Years of Non-Solitude and Creativity
by J. Taylor Basker Friends, family and fellow creatives celebrated Edith Stephen’s 100th year birthday in Westbeth Artists Housing in Greenwich Village with two parties: one private, for family and close friends in her studio; and the other for the public in the Westbeth Community Room, for fans and neighbors, that included a puppet show
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Style on the Street: Men in Suits
As the thermostat inches up, the coats come off and men display their sartorial elegance in suits both retro and up-to-the-minute. Text and photos by Karen Rempel.
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Karen’s Quirky Style
By Karen Rempel For me, having fun with fashion is about finding pieces I love at the most unexpected moments, and then combining them with old favorites to come up with an entirely new, unique look. I call this “Karen’s Quirky Style” because you won’t find these ensembles in Vogue, they don’t cost a mint,
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White-Soled Shoes
By Gordon Hughes Now that it’s warming up I’ve been able to sit outdoors on one of the benches at Cafe Panino Mucho Gusto. While sipping a cup of joe the other morning, I was overwhelmed by the number of sneakers with white soles passing by. What is up with this ubiquitous trend? It is
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Save the Date for Renegade Dreamers
By John Gilman 58 years ago Bob Dylan wandered into the precincts of Greenwich Village and almost immediately sparked a major resurgence in folk music in coffeehouses and musical hotspots like Gerde’s Folk City and the Cafe Wha on MacDougal Street. A new film by Karen Kramer entitled Renegade Dreamers chronicles the activities of young
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George Meets Stanley Kubrick in the Village
By Roger Paradiso On a cool spring day we were sitting around the round table in George’s house on Charles Street. George was sick with a very bad cold. He heard our voices and made his way out of his bedroom sniffling, coughing, and looking a little green. But once I began talking about movies
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The Future of Our Fields
By Lara S. Mullarkey The sun broke through on the morning of Saturday, April 6 just in time to shine on Greenwich Village Little League’s Opening Day. Hundreds of families flooded Pier 40, along with a roster of local politicians including Deborah Glick, Brad Hoylman, Corey Johnson, Brian Kavanagh, Scott Stringer, and Madelyn Wils (president
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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks: ‘Tis the Season for Comings and Goings
—And all the signs that “Summer Is Icumen In”!
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Notes From Away: Modesty Becomes Her
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
