Stringer Pans Riverside Plans
By Dan Rivoli
Borough President Scott Stringer rejected Extell Development’s plans for the Riverside Center development Aug. 30.
The proposed five-building, 3-million-square-foot development would create too much burden on the Upper West Side, the borough president’s report concludes. Stringer likened it to the Riverside South plan, which laid out the blueprints for the redevelopment of the land between West 59th Street and West 72nd Street, from West End Avenue to the river. Riverside Center is the last undeveloped parcel of land in Riverside South. Read more
“Dismount” Signs Ignored, Taken Down in Riverside Park
A simple request for cyclists to dismount along a short stretch of bike path in Riverside Park has been causing contention among park goers this summer. Read more
Attorney General Candidates Share Vision for Office
By Dan Rivoli
Eliot Spitzer, before his stunning downfall as governor, was the white knight of Wall Street as attorney general. Before him, Robert Abrams put the attorney general office’s focus on consumer rights.
Each attorney general puts their stamp on an office that commands more than 650 lawyers. This September, five candidates are running for the state’s top law job, a position held by Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner to be the state’s next governor. Read more
Telephone Call From The Past
Writer pens ode to 100th Street phone booth
By Reid Spagna
Born in Pittsburgh, Peter Ackerman received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Yale and attended The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco to study acting. Among other works he is the co-author of Ice Age and Ice Age 3.
The writer met his wife when she starred in his play, Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight. The couple settled down on West End Avenue and has two sons.
Most recently, he is the author of The Lonely Phone Booth, his newly released children’s book. Read more
Court Backs Fordham
By Dan Rivoli
Fordham University recently cleared a court hurdle in expanding its Lincoln Center campus.
A state Supreme Court judge dismissed complaints August 16 from a nearby condominium that believed approval of Fordham’s expansion should be rescinded. Read more
Candidates Lay Out Their State Senate Agenda Plans
By Dan Rivoli
Candidates running to replace Eric Schneiderman in the State Senate laid out their plans to bring reform to a dysfunctional legislative body and constituent services to a geographically large, diverse district.
Adriano Espaillat, Mark Levine, Anna Lewis and Miosotis Muñoz sat with the West Side Spirit to discuss their agenda and why they are the best candidate to represent a district that spans the Upper West Side, northern Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. Read more
Dancing to Their Dreams
By Alice Robb
Alexander Peters didn’t have the chance to dance at his high school prom, but he will soon dance full-time as a member of a professional ballet company.
The West Sider, 19, spends seven hours a day in dance classes and rehearsals, leaving little time for academics or socializing. Alex and classmates Lily Balogh, 18, and Lars Nelson, 19, are three recent graduates of the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. Read more
West Siders Stick Together
By Dan Rivoli
State Sen. Tom Duane, a Chelsea Democrat who represents most of the Upper West Side, endorsed his colleague Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General. Read more
Steven Sater’s Spring Awakening
By Alice Robb
“New York is my love,” said Tony Award-winning writer Steven Sater, best known for writing the lyrics and book of Broadway rock musical Spring Awakening.
The writer divides his time between Los Angeles and New York City. Though his wife and two children live in L.A., in a big house with a full-sized refrigerator and a yard, he opts to work out of his apartment in the Dakota Building. Read more
West Side Intersections Get Countdown Signals
By Dan Rivoli
The city announced the installation of 1,500 countdown signals at intersections, including four Upper West Side corridors, after a report found pedestrian injuries happen more on multi-lane streets. Read more
