Separating Truth from Fiction
CB7 seeks input on new bike lane
By Jade Earle
The newly built bike lane that runs from 77th to 96th streets on Columbus Avenue was supposed to make life easier for the city’s burgeoning cycling, but instead has left many residents and businesses confused and frustrated, according to input that Community Board 7 has received. Read more
COLUMBUS RETAIL PLAN NIXED
By Dan Rivoli
An expansion of property on Columbus Avenue and West 95th Street that would have dramatically changed the block’s landscape has been dropped.
The Witkoff Group pulled its application to renovate a 248-apartment building on 95 W. 95th St. called Columbus House.
The plan called for building a two-story structure that would have wrapped around the base of the 33-story residential tower. That addition would have created 4,950 square feet of retail space along Columbus Avenue between West 95th and 96th streets. But it also would have closed pathways between buildings and have been built to the property line, eliminating a wide patch of sidewalk on Columbus Avenue. Read more
Bike Lane To Cause Chaos
To The Editor:
In expressing his concerns about the planned bike lane on Columbus Avenue, Daniel Meltzer says, “This will not endear me to many of you… but I feel I need to say something about bikes” (“New Amsterdam is not Amsterdam,” July 1). Mr. Meltzer is not alone here. Read more
Jazz and Blues Festival
By Megan Izen
The 20th Annual Columbus Avenue Jazz & Blues Festival, sponsored by the Westside Crime Prevention Program and Mitchell-Lama Residents Coalition, is scheduled for Sunday, June 20. The Jazz Collective, Floyd Lee and the Delta Blues and Blue Smoke will perform. The festival is on Columbus Avenue between West 86th and 96th streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 212-764-6330.
Stoop Attack
A man was assaulted while enjoying a cigar on his stoop, on West 69th Street near Columbus Avenue. Police said that June 4 at 10:40 p.m., the 59-year-old victim was sitting in front of his building when he was hit in the face with a broken mop handle. A group of four teens verbally accosted him. One put him in a chokehold while another started to punch him in the face. A 15-year-old male was arrested in connection with the incident.
With Star Power, Protected Bike Lane Wins Board Approval
By Dan Rivoli
Community Board 7 backed the Department of Transportation’s plan to install protected bicycle lanes on a mile stretch of Columbus Avenue after a contentious three-hour debate. Read more
Home Jewelry Heist
A man had more than $50,000 of jewelry stolen from his home on West 66th Street and Columbus Avenue, he told police June 1. After returning from vacation May 27, the victim, 34, found his door open and his filing cabinet ransacked. The pricey jewelry included a $31,000 engagement ring, a $5,000 wedding band and a $10,000 Rolex watch. The burglar’s haul totaled $52,000.
Un-Lucky Brand
A fast-moving thief made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from the Lucky Brand Dungarees clothing store, at 216 Columbus Ave. and West 70th Street. Witnesses at the store told police a man walked in June 3 at 10:20 a.m. and grabbed three stacks of T-shirts. He ran out the front door heading west on West 70th Street. Each stack of 15 shirts was worth $743 each, with the total haul valued at $2,229.
Where Is that Puppy in the Window From?
Pedestrians on Columbus Avenue often stop to look at several puppies wrestling in the window of Pet Fashion, a new pet store between West 87th and 88th streets. But a group of West Siders says residents should know that these dogs come from puppy mills, and that the store is not welcome in the neighborhood.
Read more
HIGH SCHOOL FAIR
Parents still undecided about their 8th grader’s plans for high school they can attend the Manhattan High School Fair this weekend, on Oct. 18 and 19. There will be information sessions about the school admission process throughout the day. The Manhattan location for the citywide fair is Louis D. Brandeis High School, 145 W. 84th St., between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. The fair starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
