Down Under on the Upper West Side
By Charlotte Eichna
Earlier today, an odd package arrived at our offices.
Inside was a plush orange spray-painted cow named Bruce, who brought news of a new Upper West Side eatery: the Sunburnt Calf, at 226 W. 79th St. (former home to Indian restaurant Bagicha). Read more
West Side School Picked for PCB Removal
By Dan Rivoli
P.S. 199 will be part of a study to target and remove PCBs, a cancer-causing substance, throughout public schools in the five boroughs.
Two years ago, the man-made chemical was found in the Upper West Side school, at 270 W. 70th St. between West End and Amsterdam avenues. An investigation revealed that the school was contaminated with the chemical in May 2008, when a contractor hired by the School Construction Authority removed caulk containing PCBs without following state regulations. Read more
WHERE THE BUILDINGS HAVE NO NUMBERS
By Dan Rivoli
Most New Yorkers have been frustrated trying to find buildings with missing addresses, but Upper West Siders now know that they are home to one of the highest rates of unmarked buildings in the borough. A survey conducted by the office of Borough President Scott Stringer found that Columbus Avenue between West 67th and 83rd streets had the second highest amount of unmarked buildings, with 182 locations missing addresses. That represented nearly 54 percent of all buildings in the area.
Stringer’s office surveyed 13 of Manhattan’s busiest corridors—1,837 locations in total—and found that overall, about 40 percent of buildings were unmarked.
“Right now, finding a street address on even our busiest roads can be aggravating,” Stringer said in a statement, “and even worse, can waste valuable time in the event of an emergency.”
In addition to Columbus Avenue, the survey found that East 42nd Street was found to have a high amount of unmarked addresses (54.7 percent). Another Upper West Side location—West 96th Street between Central Park West and Riverside Drive—contained 85 unmarked buildings, or nearly 25 percent of all properties.
Stringer suggested giving the Department of Sanitation enforcement powers to fine unlabeled buildings, and creating a law that would require all doors of a building to be marked.
Audit: Sloppy Contracting at Dept. of Homeless Services
By Dan Rivoli
Comptroller John Liu dubbed the Department of Homeless Services the “Department of Hand-Shake deals” in an audit released March 25.
The agency that has been using properties throughout the city—including a hostel at 237 W. 107th St.—for emergency homeless clients rarely signs contracts with service providers or the buildings’ landlords, the audit found. Payments to these organizations and landlords are based on “cooked” or “inflated” invoices, according to Liu. Read more
Stringer Gives Thumbs Down to P.S. 452 Enrollment Plan
By Shannon Geis
The Department of Education may be opening a new primary school to alleviate District 3 crowding, but Borough President Scott Stringer is not happy with the enrollment timeline.
Families who have been waitlisted at their zoned schools will receive offers for alternative schools if they cannot be moved off of the waitlist. But the second-round offers, planned for the week of May 17, will come before most families finalize plans for private schools or gifted programs, which in turn frees up space at zoned schools. Read more
Charter Crusader: Eva Moskowitz
By Charlotte Eichna
If Eva Moskowitz were an action figure, her signature accessory might be a coffee cup. She’s often seen clutching one, with a cell phone or BlackBerry in the other hand.
But it must take an inordinate amount of caffeine—along with determination, vision and smarts—to power this former East Side Council member through her day managing four Success Charter Network schools in Harlem, with three more schools slated to open this fall. Read more
Crime Check
Weekly, monthly and year-to-date crime stats from the 19th Precinct, on the East Side from 59th to 96th streets
Funding Boost for Amsterdam Addition
Federal dollars will fund rehabilitation projects
By Dan Rivoli
The Amsterdam Addition, a 175-unit, 27-story building constructed in 1974, is virtually indistinguishable from any other public housing under the New York City Housing Authority’s domain. But unlike most federal public housing in the city, Amsterdam Addition, along with 20 other properties, was developed by the city and state. And when the State Legislature cut funding to public housing, the housing authority had to take money from federal properties to make up the difference at state and city properties. Read more
A MetroStar Is Born
By Dustin Fitzharris
“I’m sweating my ass off,” Anne Steele murmurs in between slinging some cocktails on a tray. And you can’t blame her.
The animated and whimsical 36-year-old blond is dressed in paint-spotted jeans and a black, low-cut top as she takes drink orders. While running to the bar to pick them up, she smears on the lip-gloss she always keeps handy, checks her BlackBerry (protected in a hot pink case) and juggles a microphone so she can provide some harmony to the tunes being sung at the piano. Read more
Nursing Home Help For Crowded School
Jewish Home Lifecare may aid P.S. 163 expansion
By Dan Rivoli
P.S. 163 officials and parents are planning for an influx of new students, and help may come from Jewish Home Lifecare. The nursing home is in discussions with the public school to provide space in its new development on West 100th Street.
Jewish Home Lifecare, based on West 106th Street, generated some controversy last year when administrators announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art nursing facility on West 100th Street. Read more
