Our Town Downtown March 8, 2012

march 8, 2012 | www.otdowntown.com

If At fIrst You Don’t succeeD...Restaurants given multiple

chances to turn letter grades around (P6)

crIme WAtchMan gets mace to

the face during a fight with a driver

(P2)

YuPPIe BluesArmond White on Paul Rudd

and Jennifer Aniston’s Wanderlust

(P10)

GreeD on the DeclIne? Wall Street bonuses

projected to wane this year (P6)

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Stuy town and Cooper village residents prepare a bid to purchase the historic complex (P7)

56BUILDINGS11,250APARTMENTS

25,000HOMEOWNERS

2 OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 8, 2012

� CR IM E WATCH(Un)Happy Valentine’s Day

On the evening of Feb. 14, a 22-year-old woman didn’t have a nice Valentine’s Day—and it wasn’t because she was stood up by a date. The victim left her wallet and MacBook computer on her seat on a bus and, as she was taking down her luggage from the overhead rack, someone snatched her belongings. While she didn’t see anyone take them, the time frame precluded anyone but a fellow passenger from being the thief. The bus was stopped on 6th Avenue at Watts Street at the time.

stolen MUsicA man reported to police that while

drinking at a bar on West Broadway around midnight on Feb. 26, his backpack was stolen. Items that were in his bag included an MacBook, valued at $700, Audio Tech-nica headphones and his passport, as well as several books. Unfortunately, the enter-prising crooks found the man’s credit card info on the computer and bought $183.34 worth of music on iTunes. He was alerted to the charges after his bank saw the unusual purchases.

Here to pick Up a packageA 55-year-old woman arrived to her

office on Park Place one recent morning to discover a man standing next to her desk. When confronted, he claimed to be a mes-

senger. She then bravely chased him from the building, only to later discover her purse and credit cards was missing.

soMetiMes yoU sHoUlD giVe tHe cHange

A man was reportedly walking at the corner of Walker and Church streets one recent evening when a homeless man said to him, “Give me my money.” When the man refused, he was pushed to the ground and had his backpack, which was full of clothes, snatched. The victim told police that he knew the robber to be a homeless man in the area and would aid in his apprehension.

station troUbleWhile waiting for the 4 train at the Fulton

Street station, a man from New Jersey was at-tacked and robbed by a gang of youths. The five thieves assaulted the man by putting him in a chokehold. When he passed out, they stole his bag, containing an Apple iPad, iPhone and his wallet, which contained cash and Metrocards. After the band of thieves fled aboveground, they were apprehended by NYPD officers who learned that four of the five were 17 years old and enrolled in ei-ther a local high school or GED program. The other perpetrator was a 20-year-old male, a student at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. All of the victim’s property was returned.

Mace to the FaceWhen someone cuts you off in traffic you might curse, swear or

honk your horn. You might even give the guy the finger. One unfortu-nate driver was sprayed in the face with pepper spray after getting into a heated argument with a fellow motorist on Canal Street. Sometimes it’s better to keep those windows closed.

illustRAtion by evAn soARes

WatcH WHere yoU point tHat tHing!A man was filming on the corner of Hudson and North Moore streets when he noticed

that his red North Face backpack was missing. Inside the bag were $300 in cash, five red 16GB memory cards worth $300 each and a digital hard drive. Too bad he didn’t get that guy on tape.

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OPEN THINKING | ON A NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

NO. 3 IN A SERIES

We all know technology can improve the way teachers teach and students learn. Yet every school has a unique philosophy when it comes to technology. Having been immersed in the technology of education for 20 years, I believe “the cloud” brings enormous potential. It both gives students and teachers access to their documents and projects wherever they go, on whatever device they’re using, and allows students to collaborate across cultural boundaries. For any school taking advantage of the cloud, now the sky truly is the limit.

Read more about Dirk DeLo’s thoughts on technology at www.avenues.org/delo. You’ll fi nd articles, video, interviews and details on parent information events hosted by the leadership team of Avenues: The World School.

Dirk DeLo is the Chief Technology Offi cer at Avenues.

Avenues is opening this fall in Chelsea. It will be the fi rst of 20 campuses in major cities, educating children ages three to 18 with a global perspective.

By Dirk DeLoChief Technology Offi cer and Apple Distinguished Educator

IS THE SKY THE LIMIT FOR TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOL?

Dirk_ManMedia.indd 1 3/2/12 9:58 AM

MARCH 8, 2012 | otdowntown.com

MAR 23–2

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Lead Corporate Sponsor of Herbie Hancock

Catskill Farms: Dream Homes on Demand

Spring is a great time for Manhattanites to get out of the City, ex-plore the Catskills and find a dream second home.

Catskill Farms designs and builds new single-family homes that are customized for buyers, specializing in merging the historic feel of properties in Sullivan and Ulster Counties while providing the most modern amenities.

Charles Petersheim founded the company in 2003 after working with families who were renovating their old homes pursuing what he refers to as a “this old house fantasy.”

“I saw that the challenge was greater than they understood or appre-ciated,” the former Manhattan resident says. “So we thought we would build a ‘house that works’ that accurately and intimately parallels the emotional and architectural feedback that an old house provides.”

Since then, the company has completed more than 100 homes with $32 million in sales. Homes range from around $300,000 to $500,000, starting at 1,300 square feet on five acres of land. Prices have stayed stable, with slight increases due to additional features like security sys-tems, surround sound speakers and on-demand hot water.

The majority of Catskill Farms’ homeowners are metropolitan profes-sionals from Manhattan and Brooklyn, with an increasing number com-ing from New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut.

By using classic materials like cedar, local stone, plank walls and ceilings, the company not only emulated older neighbors, but exceeded them with energy efficient utilities and features.

“We also use salvaged barn beams, locally harvested blue stone and reclaimed metal roofing materials,” Petersheim says.

All homes feature high-efficiency heating systems, and on-demand water heaters that eliminate the wasted energy of storage water heaters.

“We have small footprints, which keeps the impact low; we use very enhanced soy-based insulation, which results in energy savings of 50 percent; we use on-demand hot water heaters so zero energy is being used to store hot water (especially nice on a weekend home where it’s not being used that frequently), and we use high-efficiency gas boilers,” he explains.

Petersheim adds that the scenic Sullivan and Ulster counties provide the perfect backdrop for those who want a break from hectic City life.

“These localities provide privacy without isolation,” he says. “Their close proximity to New York City allows homeowners to come up for a weekend after a stressful week in the City and have some ‘downtime.’”

And, perhaps, best of all, you can get a lot for your money in both areas.

For more information about Catskill Farms, contact 845-557-3600 or www.thecatskillfarms.com

Sitting on five-and-a-half acres with amazing views of the Catskill Mountains, Ranch 1 is the first in its series and sold in 2009.


CHINATOWN/LOWER EAST SIDECOMMUNITY NEWS VENDOR IN A FIGHT FOR INCHES

After gathering 700 signatures urging the city to reconsider its decision to move a news vendor’s stand by three inches, Assembly Member Sheldon Silver has come to the res-cue and helped the vendor secure a month’s reprieve. The stand, established in 1977, was recently deemed to be three inches too close to a neighboring building’s stoop, making it illegal according to current city zoning.

On Feb. 27, Silver came to the aid of Chi-natown resident Marilyn Louie, who owns and operates the newsstand on Bowery Street, by sending a letter to Jonathan Mintz, com-missioner of the Department for Consumer Affairs. The letter lobbied for special consid-eration for Louie, who Silver notes has been a valued member of the community.

“Ms. Louie, whose father ran the news-stand before her, is a valued member of our community who not only provides an important service but goes above and beyond by helping local seniors read and understand their bills and other documents,” Silver said, adding, “It is wrong to force the owner to po-tentially lose her business and her livelihood over three inches.”

At the same time, Louie described her stand as a neighborhood institution as well

as an information booth. “People ask me how to get the bus, how to get to the World Trade Center,” she said. “I translate letters [for Chi-nese residents who do not read English] and I explain their bills. This is my second home. People know where to find me.”

The city has informed Louie that she could move her stand across the street or to a nearby block; however, Louie worries that longtime customers would not know where to find her and she would face additional competition.

Currently fighting to retain her space at the intersection of Bowery and Pell Street, Louie spoke Feb. 28 to Community Board 3’s Transportation Committee, which has an advisory role in the decision, in hope of gain-ing further support. Louie was originally given a move-out deadline by the Department of Consumer Affairs of Feb. 29, but it has been pushed back to Mar. 31.

LOWER MANHATTAN OWS LEADS SQUADRON TO URGE NYPD FOR “SMART SPENDING”

Management of the NYPD’s resources is being called into question by elected officials due to the department’s reallocation of special assignment officers from high-need public housing developments to other, unrelated jurisdictions, like Occupy Wall Street. The

controversy has arisen because, unlike most residential landlords in the city, the New York City Housing Authority pays the NYPD $70 million annually for “ongoing law enforce-ment services” in Police Service Areas (PSAs) and has done so since 1994, said a release distributed by State Sen. Daniel Squadron’s office.

According to the release, “Both NYCHA and PSA officers report that the dedicated of-ficers have been regularly redeployed to non-NYCHA operations, taking critical protection away from public housing developments that need it most.”

In response, Squadron, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Manhattan Borough President

Scott Stringer, Assembly Member Brian P. Kavanagh and City Council Member Rosie Méndez wrote to Deputy Mayors Cas Hallo-way and Robert Steel Dec. 13, 2011, to “clarify the extent to which PSA officers have been redeployed to OWS and other operations unrelated to public housing, as well as why NYCHA is not compensated when officers are redeployed.”

The city has yet to respond to the letter, so the group of elected officials sent a follow-up letter on Feb. 24 seeking resolution. Ulti-mately, they hope to receive a reimbursement of NYCHA police protection funding for times when the PSA is required to operate on less than full strength.

� N E I G H BORHOOD CHAT TE R He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands Linsanity continues on the streets of New York City, and this time at 2nd Street and Avenue. A in the East Village. Commissioned by culture site ANIMAL-NewYork, the Atlas-themed piece was painted by the famous TATS Cru.

PHoto by

PAtRiCiA VoulgARis

1 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. The APY is effective January 3, 2012. The annual percentage yield (APY) for BestRate Checking is 1.11% and will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90-day period the rate will revert to standard pricing and rate may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield and to avoid the monthly maintenance fee of $10. A daily balance below $5,000 will be assessed a lower Annual Percentage Yield. Fees may reduce earnings. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details and information about these offers. 2 New accounts and new money only. The APY is effective January 3, 2012. Annual percentage yield (APY) assumes principle and interest remain on deposit until maturity. A withdrawal of interest will reduce earnings. The interest rate will be fixed for the term of the account unless the Bump-Up option is exercised. If exercised the interest rate will be adjusted accordingly and remain fixed for the remaining term of the account. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. 3 New checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refunds do not qualify as direct deposits. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about 75 days after the account is opened. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Speak with a branch representative for further details.

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MARCH 8, 2012 | otdowntown.com 5

downtown socialVeg Head

it isn’t much of a surprise that New Yorkers love their healthy food alternatives. This past weekend, thousands gathered at the Metropolitan Pavilion to attend the second annual NYC Vegetarian Food Festival. The event offered a variety of yummy

meat-free food samples, cooking lessons and demos, among other alluring presentations. A fantastic way to spend any weekend!

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MiMi Fontana and Friend, aMerican tribal-style belly dancers

luna & larry’s coconut bliss

stevie Joans, nancy Pierson, don ladd

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� N EWS

Practice Makes Perfect Repeat inspections let most city restaurants earn As

| By ElizA RonAlds-HAnnon

A year and a half into New York City’s experiment in giving restaurants letter grades for their health inspection results, the Health Department is pleased to report that 77 per-cent of restaurants now boast a shiny blue A in their front window.

But some of those restaurants only earned their As after appealing earlier inspections that would have garnered Bs or Cs.

In fact, the average restaurant inspection results in a score that would earn a solid B grade, a City & State review of half a million Health Department records shows—and the average restaurant score is getting worse.

Restaurant advocates say the worsening scores indicate that city inspectors are grading more strictly. Indeed, annual revenue from fines grew by almost $10 million between 2010 and 2011, as restaurants were inspected more frequently.

“It’s arbitrary,” said Rob Bookman, counsel for the New York Nightlife Association. “It has been since they developed the point system years ago, and the letter grades add insult to injury.”

The Health Department would not com-ment on City & State’s findings because it does not calculate average scores, said spokes-woman Chanel Caraway, but she said the department’s only focus is public health.

“The overarching goal of the restaurant letter grading system is transparency and food

safety, not revenue or fines,” she said. “It is not meant to be punitive.”

When Health Department inspectors visit a city restaurant, they mark points for all man-ner of violations—from two points for a minor problem like not properly sanitizing utensils to up to 10 points for public health hazards like raw sewage in the kitchen.

The more points a restaurant gets, the worse its grade. Anything up to 13 points earns an A, 14-27 points a B, and 28 points and above a C—that is, unless inspectors order an immediate shutdown.

Yet a restaurant with a score of 14 or above doesn’t have to post a B or C right away. In-stead, they post a “grade pending” sign while they try to clean up their act and prepare for an automatic reinspection—and only that reinspection is graded.

It’s a popular option. More than 12 percent of graded inspections generate grade pending signs, City & State found. Many restaurants remedy their violations while they appeal the initial grade, so when they finally do post a letter, it’s an A.

While the Health Department does not re-port an average score for the city, it has posted the entire set of inspection results on the nyc.gov website. City & State downloaded the results and calculated the average for every eight-day period since August 2010.

In that period, the average score has been solidly in the B range—from a low of 16.7 points in January 2011 to a high of 22.6 in April. Yet the data show that the average score has slowly risen over the past 18 months.

That conclusion resonates with many restaurant owners and their advocates, who

say the letter grade system is bilking small businesses out of thousands of dollars in fines, with little impact on health.

“The letter grade system increased fines even for restaurants that receive A’s,” said Andrew Rigie of the New York State Restaurant Association. “It also increased the frequency of inspections, so restaurants aren’t only pay-ing more in fines but are also spending more on sanitation consultants and on attorneys to represent them.”

The Health Department said it expects to see revenue from fines “plateau and decline” as restaurants improve their practices. It said two-thirds of all fines are levied against the worst performing 20 percent of all restaurants, while the top 60 percent pay only 8 percent of the fines.

In response to persistent complaints about the process, the City Council last month solicited feedback from restaurateurs through an online questionnaire that collected over

1,000 responses.“Any initiative—especially 18 months

after establishment—calls for scrutiny,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Many of Quinn’s colleagues agree. “It seems like the main motivation of the city is to make money by fining restaurants rather than working with them to ensure consumer safety,” Brooklyn City Councilman David Greenfield said at a town hall meeting this month.

The Health Department, however, has already dismissed the Council’s actions.

“Considering that the survey has no method of confirming that a participant is actually a restaurant, nor does it ensure that an entrant fills out only one submission, the results—good or bad—will have negligible value,” Caraway said.

This article originally appeared in City & State. To read more, visit cityandstate.com.

While some eateries are earning Cs and Bs, others are appealing earlier inspections to nab an A grade. For a grade breakdown visit cityandstateny.com

PHOTO BY PATRICIA VOULGARIS

| By AndREw J. HAwkins

The economy may be improving along with the Dow, but cash bonuses on Wall Street are continuing to slide, down 14 percent to $19.7 billion this season, according to a new report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The projected decrease is not as steep, though, as previous estimates suggested. An industry report released in January predicted that bonuses would fall by as much as 30 percent. DiNapoli suggests his more modest projection is likely due to the deferred payment of bonuses from earlier years, which may help decrease volatility in taxes paid by the financial industry.

Still, the drop in bonuses—the aver-age Wall Street bonus this year will be $121,150, down from $138,940 in 2011—

is a sure sign of more job losses to come on Wall Street, DiNapoli’s office said.

“The good news, if you work on Wall Street, you’ll be making a lot more money than anybody else,” DiNapoli said yester-day in an interview with City & State. “But not everybody on Wall Street who has a job today is going to be there as we move through this year.”

Wall Street profits are also down by half for the second year in a row, accord-ing to the comptroller’s analysis. Profits from broker/dealer operations from member firms of the New York Stock Exchange barely hit $13.5 billion in 2011, less than half of the $27.6 billion earned in 2010. And profits in 2010 were $33.8 billion less than the record set in 2009, still the second-best year on record.

Likewise, the financial sector could lose nearly 10,000 more jobs by the end

of 2012, in addition to 4,100 cutbacks al-ready recorded this year. That could bring total job losses on Wall Street to 32,000 since January 2008.

“It is a concern whenever there are jobs lost in financial services, because we always estimate that for every job created there’s an additional two jobs added in other parts of the city’s economy and another job outside of New York City,” DiNapoli said. “The reverse is also true. When you’re downsizing, at some point it reverberates in a negative way through the rest of the economy.”

But even though New York relies dis-proportionately on strong revenue from the financial sector, DiNapoli predicted that city and state economies would be well protected against the drop in bo-nuses and profits on Wall Street.

“In terms of impact on the city and

state budget, I don’t really see it as a negative because there’s been a sense this was going to be a trend for a period of time,” he said. “I don’t see a short-term budget challenge because of this, but again it is an indica-tion that, the way 2011 ended and 2012 started, it is reflec-tive of that overall very slow, tentative and tenuous recovery that we’re going through.”

This article originally appeared in City & State. To read more, visit cityandstate.com.

Wall Street Bonuses Drop, but Less than Predicted, DiNapoli Says

ComptRollER tom dinApoli

MARCH 8, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM 7

Stuy Town Tenants Association preps bid to purchase historic development| BY ALLEN HOUSTON AND SEAN CREAMER

Residents of Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village are attempting to wrest control of their destiny.

Two tumultuous years after Tishman Speyer Properties relinquished

control of the complex of 25,000 residents, the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Ten-ants Association is working with Brookfi eld Asset Management to put together a bid to purchase the 60-year-old housing commu-nity.

“Our community has been through a lot over the past fi ve years, and we continue to live in a state of limbo, with the future ownership of the property unclear. We simply cannot and will not sit idly by and wait for our future to be determined for us,” reads a letter sent by the Tenants Association on Nov. 30, 2011.

“We believe that the time is now right to put forth a conversion proposal that will give residents the opportunity to buy their apartments at a reasonable price while also allowing rent-stabilized tenants to continue renting without fear of harassment should they decide not to buy.”

Stuy Town, as it’s commonly referred to, stretches along an 80-acre tract from 14th to 20th Street along First Avenue and the East River. It comprises more than 11,000 apart-ments. Since its inception in the late 1940s, Stuy Town has stood as a model of affordable housing for the middle class.

In 2006, Tishman Speyer Properties pur-chased the complex from MetLife in a move that was widely lauded within the real estate community. Four years later, Tishman Speyer walked away from the site rather than let it go into bankruptcy.

Back when the site was fi rst put up for sale, the Tenants Association tried to put to-gether a bid but was outgunned by Tishman Speyer. The group is hoping for a different outcome this time around.

East Side Council Member Dan Garod-nick was raised and still lives in Stuy Town and has been instrumental in trying to help the Tenants Association in their quest to purchase the complex.

“It would be a historic win for the tenants to take control of our future,” he said. “It’s important to make sure that this will continue to be a stable place for people to live and raise

their families.”Garodnick said that without the protec-

tion of the Tenants Association conversion proposal, another real estate company could come in and create the same havoc and up-heaval as happened fi ve years ago.

To prep for the upcoming bid, the Tenants Association held the fi rst of a series of house parties last month. At the parties, a group of residents, numbering no more than 20, will discuss the bid proposal.

“We’re trying to solicit feedback and fi nd out what’s a reasonable price that people would pay for their apartments,” said Al Doyle, president of the Tenants Association. They also hosted a recent telephone town hall where more than 2,000 people dialed in to hear about the conversion process. The Tenants Association hopes to have a bid plan

together by the end of April.Doyle said that so far, feedback from

residents has overwhelmingly been positive. “There’s a lot to work out still, but most of the residents seem excited about being able to purchase their apartments,” he said.

Part of the purpose of the meetings is also to clear up any misinformation about what might happen during the conversion process. Some of the complex’s more elderly residents fear that the process might endanger their rent-stabilized apartments.

“They have a fear because of what hap-pened with Tishman Speyer tossing out as many people as they could,” Doyle said. “A lot of the older residents have lived here 50-60 years and they’ve never owned property, so it makes them nervous.”

“If residents don’t want to take part in the

process or purchase their apartments, they don’t have to and nothing will happen to them,” Garodnick said.

Part of the reason for making a bid, ac-cording to Doyle and Garodnick, is that it would actually protect these vulnerable rent-controlled residents, something an outside company might not feel obligated to do.

Joan Hamilton, a longtime Stuy Town resident, is leaning toward supporting the Tenants Association’s bid, though she doesn’t know if she will purchase her own apartment.

“We would be more in charge of our own destiny,” she said. “It would certainly be better than the rent going up every 10 minutes like it seems to do now.”

Tenants Association board member John J. Sheehy said that the group is striving to return the community to the stability of solid ownership.

“It removes the fear of what would happen if rent stabilization were removed in Albany and creates a sense of comfort,” he said.

At the end of the day, Doyle said the resi-dents have to do something.

“One way or another, we have to gain control of the property,” Doyle said. “We can’t wait for another Tishman Speyer.”

25,000 Homeowners?

Top: The Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association is trying to

put together a bid to purchase the historic complex. PHOTO BY PATRICIA VOULGARIS

Left: Stuy Town stretches for 80 acres from 14th to 20th Street along First Avenue and

the East River. CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO


Intelligence Squared US Debate Series: China does Capitalism Better than AmericaNYU Skirball Center, 145 6th Ave. (betw. Dominick & Spring Sts.), skirballcenter.nyu.edu; 6:45 p.m.,$40.It may be the most hotly contested economic issue to date, and the Skirball Center will host Orville Schell (director, Center on U.S.-China Relations) and Ian Bremmer (founder/president, Eurasia Group), who each will lead one end of the motion during this capitalism debate, which will be simulcast on NPR. Moderator John Donvan (correspondent, ABC News Nightline) will have to keep the peace as this debate may get personal for economics enthusiasts.

THE 7-DAY PLAN

11SUNDAY

12MONDAY

13TUESDAY

14WEDNESDAY

09FRIDAY

08THURSDAY

Visit nypress.com for the latest updates on local events.Submissions can be sent to [email protected].

South Street Irish Stroll Pub Crawl [3/10]

The Full Shilling, 160 Pearl St. (betw. Pine & Wall Sts.), lindypromo.com; 1 p.m., $8.Saint Patrick’s Day inspires many of us to wear green and unite as Irish-men for a day—why not do it with 2,000 of your closest friends at the 13th annual South Street Irish Stroll Pub Crawl? Walk up and get your pub map at The Full Shilling, where you’ll begin a daylong quest for alcohol. You’ll be treated to $2 pints and shot discounts at 10 great bars.

BEST PICK

10SATURDAY

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Winter CabaretDixon Place, 161 Chrystie St. (betw. Rivington & Delancey Sts.), dixonplace.org; 7:30 p.m., $27.50.Step right up and experience a show in the spirit of the early 20th century! The circus is a throwback to the risqué and the mysterious with timeless turn-of-the-century acts including vaudeville, burlesque and cabaret. Marvel at sword swallowers and contortion-ists in an intimate theater setting. The rare blend of top-fl ight talent ranges from street performers to Cirque du Soleil, and Ringling Brothers.

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FREE Lothar OsterburgLesley Heller Workspace, 54 Orchard St. (betw. Hester & Grand Sts.), lesleyheller.com; 11 a.m.Lothar Osterburg’s extensive résumé spans over 20 years of life explored through photogravures. Known for his sculpted models, which he often stages in evocative settings, Osterburg’s art possesses a rare, dreamlike quality. His sculptures are recreated entirely from memory using common materials and are brought to life by his precise camera placement, which creates a story that varies with each individual encounter.

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FREE Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille DuoThe Stone, Ave. C (at 2nd St.), thestonenyc; 8 p.m.Oliver Lake’s alto saxophone and Andrew Cyrille’s drums come together in a harmoni-ously soulful combination at The Stone. Lake’s saxophone works are as much a performance as they are a musical guidebook to a slow and methodical soul. Similarly, Cyrille provides a blues-inspired, methodical take on the drums, exchanging hectic bangs for well-timed chimes that compliment Lake’s saxophone narrations.

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FREE McSweeney’s Presents: Diane Williams, Ben Marcus and Deb Olin UnferthHousing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby St. (betw. Prince & E. Houston Sts.), housingworks.org; 7 p.m. Diane Williams is an author you may not know, but whom you’ll instantly ad-mire. Her enchanting short stories are recognizably off-center—her slender book of short stories, Vicky Swanky is a Beauty, is full of white space and begs to be read. Simply put, her purpose is to invite readers to share in the experience of the unexpected. Ben Marcus, author of The Flame Alphabet, and Deb Olin Unferth, author of Revolution, are two critics who have re-viewed Williams’s book of stories and will refl ect on the magic within it.

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Jiro Dreams of SushiIFC Center, 323 6th Ave. (at W. 3rd St.), ifccenter.com; $13. Dubbed “a work of art” by Time Out New York, this inspiring fi lm focuses on 85-year-old culinary legend Jiro Ono, the world’s best sushi chef, and his exclusive Michelin-starred res-taurant found in the basement of a Tokyo offi ce building.

Whiskey & Women UniteLani Kai, 525 Broome St. (betw. Thompson & Sullivan Sts.), facebook.com/CompassBox; 6 p.m., $10.Join the independent women who make and shape our city and the world in honor of International Women’s Day. The evening is a celebration of women’s success Cocktails will be served for $8 by Compass Block, with some of the city’s sauciest female bartend-ers adding personal fl air to their mixes.

FREE EyeballingHigh Line Park, W. 22nd St. (at 10th Ave.), thehighline.org; 6:30. Enter at 23rd St. High Line Park presents a new fi lm series, Eyeballing, a montage of interwoven streetscapes as seen through the lenses of voy-euristic photographers who break the city down. The High Line will feature daily screenings of art fi lms and videos and historic works. The curated series runs from dusk to 10 p.m. on the park’s stadium seated steps through April 10.

LES Film Festival Various locations, lesfi lmfestival.com; $10. The LES Film Festival 2012 focuses on creating an unpar-alleled combination of remarkable low-budget fi lmmaking in an intimate atmosphere with the youthful and bold spirit of the Lower East Side. The fest runs through Sunday, Mar. 18. Screenings are BYOB and will be held at Sunshine Cinema, Crosby Street Hotel and the fest’s home base, Grand Opening, an interactive storefront on the Lower East Side. This year’s guests include Willem Dafoe, Dolly Parton and Whitney Cummings, to name a few.

McGinty & White Sing WebbJoe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (betw. E. 4th St. & Astor Pl.), joespub.com; 9 p.m., $15.Come and experience the duo of Joe McGinty and Ward White, who Limewire says bring a “bittersweet orchestral-pop” fl avor to Webb’s lyrics. The pair will pay tribute to the past with a performance that has already met critical acclaim from The New Yorker and our very own New York Press.

FREE Investigate This: Conversations with ProPublicaLower East Side Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard St. (betw. Broome & Delancey Sts.), tenement.org; 6:30 p.m.As part of Women’s History Month, TV host and author Dan Abrams will discuss the role of women in the newsroom. Abrams will be joined by ProPublica’s Robin Fields, Kim Barker, Nikole Hannah-Jones and The Jane Dough’s Amy Tennery.

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Lights On…in LOwer Manhattan Downtown Alliance’s Kelly Rush lets us know what’s opening and closing

� BUS I N ESS

In the name of one of the businesses I’m featuring today, benvenuti (welcome)! This week, we take you from Japan to Thailand to China to Italy and possibly California. That’s the great thing about Lower Manhattan; you can experience culture from thousands of miles away, all within one square mile. As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a longtime friend, please email me at [email protected] and I’ll check them out.

OPeningsBenvenuti235 South End Ave. (betw. Rector Pl. & Albany St.), 212-945-2100

There’s something about fresh mozza-rella that intrigues me. Perhaps it’s because I can better imagine the source of this wonderfully creamy cheese—a cow, maybe in California, soaking up rays on the Central Coast—than when I open up a package of the dry shredded variety. In any case, Ben-venuti makes fresh mozzarella on premises, and it comes highly recommended. This Italian specialty deli and caterer offers favorites such as arancini, Sicilian rice balls, in a variety of flavors, artisan pizzas and

all kinds of pork provisions. Manager Nick Liuzzi says his family has been in the busi-ness of providing food to lots of people for a long time. You won’t find his grandmother there, but you will find a great source for lunch, your next party or a date by yourself. I don’t like to share certain things, and fresh mozzarella is one of them.

Wei West235 Murray St., (betw. West St. & North End Ave.), weiwestnyc.com

Wei West is one of the new kids on Gold-man Sachs’ restaurant row, but it’s making its own name among the recent openings. The restaurant has a flair for fusion and combines Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes into a menu bursting with opportu-nity. Options include the classics— pad thai, General Tso’s chicken and fried ric — as well as choices you won’t find on every menu, such as roast duck Mandarin noodle soup and the curry seafood sand pot.

Real Deal DollaR anD Discount59 John St., (betw. William & Dutch Sts.), 212-732-8459

Have you ever arrived home from a shopping trip across town only to discover that you’ve forgotten something

essential, like soap or toilet paper? This happens to me every time I shop. For those who live near Real Deal Dollar and Discount, the answer is around the block. As manager Yusupha Gassama put it, “This store has a little bit of every-thing.” Imagine a corner pharmacy, but four times the size. Cotton balls and con-ditioner freely mingle with potato chips and portable phones. The store’s motto is: If you don’t see it, please ask. You’re either not looking hard enough or you’ve become overwhelmed by the selection.

Hale anD HeaRty soup115 Fulton St. (betw. William & Dutch Sts.), haleandhearty.com

With around 20 soups available every day for purchase, Hale and Hearty has the soup lover covered. The menu is always changing, because some people believe that soup, like socks, must be changed daily. Hale and Hearty offers low-fat, dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian options as well as classics such as beef stew and chicken noodle. If you have experienced the frustration of longing for chicken pot pie soup, getting

to the store and finding that it is not available, Hale and Hearty has a new solution. Go to their website, enter your favorite soups, and they’ll notify you when they’re being served. They also serve a variety of salads and sandwiches to accompany their soups or enjoy just by themselves.

BatteRy place MaRket240 Murray St., (betw. North End Ave. & West St.), batteryplacemarkets.com

This shop takes the concept of the bodega and kicks it up a few notches. It’s not often one finds a sandwich shop and deli that also offers for purchase raw Kobe steaks and filet mignon. Bat-tery Place Market also offers catering in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Their entrees range from veal paillard with grilled organic radicchio to the classic mac and cheese.

CLOsingBiDDy eaRly’s, 43 MuRRay HallMaRk GolD cRoWn, 181 BRoaDWayBatteRy paRk sWiM & Fitness, 375 soutH enD avenue

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Marino waxes, Rudd wanes in Wanderlust| By ARMond White

Wanderlust starts with an idea borrowed from Albert Brooks’ 1986 Lost in America—a yuppie couple responds to career setbacks by embarking on a cross-country journey that tests their mettle. Here, George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) leave their tiny, expensive Manhattan studio apartment and fall in among a collective of retrograde slackers in an off-the-grid Georgia commune called Elysium.

Where Brooks revealed Reagan-era acquisitiveness (climaxing symbolically in the existential absurdity of Las Vegas), Wan-derlust drops metaphysics to oddly parody Clinton/Obama nostalgia about drugs and communes. It also seems like a retread of “it” director David Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer, similarly fully of bland, self-amused in-jokes by inoffensive comic performers who enjoy each other’s company more than any audience will.

But then something unexpected happens:

in only a couple of scenes in which George visits his successful older brother Rick (Ken Marino) making money in the potty business and living miserably in Southern middle-class suburbia, the jokiness sharpens and Wander-lust momentarily becomes about something tangible—sibling rivalry, class delusions, marital tension, parental neglect, plus racism and sexism as spiritual fall-backs for patheti-cally disillusioned Americans.

All this is performed with incisive, pulse-raising conviction and psychological accuracy by Marino and Michaela Watkins, who not only achieve Brooks’ depth but steal the mov-ie from Rudd and Aniston. The best scenes in Wanderlust are actually grounded in middle-class quicksand, a specialty that Marino (who co-wrote the film with Wain) also displayed during a brief scene in Role Models and was the subject of the under-recognized Diggers.

Marino is a real find. In the margins of recent film comedies, he has staked out the psychology of the social strata that politicians like to call “the middle class,” and he gets all up in the working-class truths of person-to-person struggles. Rick is a recognizably, memorably gross boss man, recalling the

edgy sensitivity of gifted ’70s revue comic Joe Bologna. He is particularly true to the ways men trap themselves in culturally assigned roles–the universal folly of adult males who are dissuaded from knowing themselves.

These perceptions occur only in the mar-gins of Wanderlust, because it is a Judd Apa-tow production, devoted to the weak panacea of TV sitcom tradition that, these days, most people mistake for genuine comedy. That’s why Wanderlust skims the surface of Lost in America, glosses David O. Russell’s Flirting with Disaster and ultimately falls short of Vincente Minnelli’s The Long, Long Trailer.

Television has ruined the habit of self-examination that used to be the bonus of brave, gifted comic performers. No wonder critics took such inordinate offense to Adam

Sandler’s Jack and Jill; viewers in the Nielsen ratings millions now expect comedy to slake their prejudices and pet their class-denying egomania in between commercial breaks—or as part of their cable TV subscriptions (a Wanderlust scene skewering HBO’s conceits is daring and hilarious).

Too many comic performers resort to high school antagonism and sarcasm rather than confront their insecurities and account for unresolved anxieties. Thus, the decline of Saturday Night Live and the ascension of fake political figures like Tina Fey and Jon Stewart, who avoid self-examination by rising on the tide of Obama-era polarization—a new field of smug comedy that now might be called Occupied Territory.

In Wanderlust, Rudd and Aniston—better substitutes for Stewart and Fey (as well as Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd)—are adrift in post-hippie jokes; some are funny but most are so petty they keep losing the thread of class anxiety. Wanderlust might have been an ingenious satire of the Occupy Wall Street mentality, where an idealized Utopia clashes with the economic realities of self-interest—that’s surely the essence connecting George to his brother and the sexy, terminally nostalgic cult leader of the Elysium commune, Seth (Justin Theroux).

Revue comics formerly attempted to cap-ture the idiosyncratic thoughts and language of their times, as in the personal, formerly hip Paul Mazursky comedies of the American renaissance (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Blume in Love, Harry and Tonto, Next Stop Greenwich Village and An Unmarried Woman) which brought insight to domestic comedy. Marino might have extended Mazursky’s insights had the marvelous Diggers been the hit it deserved to be. Instead, Marino sneaks-in his heartfelt satire of masculinity when and wherever he can (as in the best sketches of The Ten).

Imagine how Marino could lift contempo-rary comedy out of its current smugness if he was allowed to escape the trend toward self-flattery that now traps his bankable colleague Rudd. The pettiness of Wanderlust hides an instinctively accurate satire of contemporary smugness; it could have been the Zuccotti Park satire we need, trading Elysium for Psy-chotic Park.This article originally appeared in CityArts. To read more, visit nypress.com.Follow Armond White on Twitter @3xchair.

Occupied Comedy

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in Wanderlust. PHoto CouRtesy of univeRsAl

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Banning the sale of shark fins should be a non-issue| By Regan Hofmann

A recently proposed bill would make New York the latest state to ban the posses-sion and sale of shark fins, joining Hawaii, California and a handful of others. The Chinese delicacy shark’s fin soup is the only common application for the appendages, which has led to those who object to the bill calling its proposition culturally biased.

The bill is sponsored by Assembly mem-bers Grace Meng of Flushing, Alan Maisel of Brooklyn and Linda Rosenthal of the Upper West Side, all of whom point to the cruelty of the way in which fins are acquired—by cutting them off, then tossing the dying, fin-less animal back into the water to save room on the boat, known as finning—and the ecological danger of depleting the world’s shark populations.

“The quest for shark fin so that restau-rants can sell shark fin soup is something that is doing dramatic damage to our oce-anic system,” Rosenthal told the West Side Spirit’s Megan Bungeroth last week.

Federal legislation exists that prohibits the

practice of finning, but of course it only ap-plies to those fisheries under U.S. jurisdiction, a minor source to say the least. The only way to have a real impact and protect the global ecosystem, legislators say, is to forbid the trade altogether, regardless of provenance.

But the real question is not whether the fins should be banned—plenty of endan-gered animal products have been banned before, and there’s no scrimshaw lobby pushing for the return of the ivory trade—but why it’s up for debate in the first place.

Unlike other uses for endangered animals, culturally significant foods are uniquely protected in the political sphere. It’s incred-ibly difficult to decry the practices specific to a single cultural group without deriding the group itself—but the risk needs to be taken.

Across the board, opposition to the ban consists of restaurant owners and small busi-ness associations whose members include importers and specialty food shops and politicians who fear the perception of bias—during Toronto’s debate on the ban, which ultimately passed, City Council Member Doug Ford said, “I’m a big supporter of the Chinese community. If that’s part of their culture, we shouldn’t interfere in that.”

Like many traditional Chinese dishes

with less-than-quotidian ingredients, shark’s fin soup remains popular for two reasons: perceived healthfulness and prestige. Chinese culture places a great emphasis on the medici-nal qualities of foods, and shark fins are believed to aid kidney function, nourish the blood and boost sexual potency, among other benefits. While a perfectly reasonable purpose, there’s noth-ing a shark’s fin can do that other noted healing foods like oysters or ginseng can’t.

The real value of the soup is its cultural capital. Fins are rare—each shark only has one, after all—and they’re expensive. Their gelatinous, cartilaginous texture is unique, making it hard to pass off cheaper substitutes as the real deal. Serving the soup to others shows that you’ve got plenty of cash to throw around; more importantly, it shows your guests that you think enough of them to spend your hard-earned cash on them.

Grand Chinese banquets are amazing displays of generosity and creativity, with courses numbering in the double digits and an emphasis on intricate, time-consuming dishes

not feasible for everyday fare. There are enough other big-ticket ingredients that are de rigeur for any traditional celebration—abalone, lobster, dried scallops, to name a mere few—to more than make up for the lack of one soup tureen.

Preserving traditional foodways is an incredibly important endeavor, one to be sup-ported and lauded. But that work is meant to preserve the spirit and culture of the food, not exact recipes. Chinese banquet cuisine is not in danger of extinction—but sharks, as they are currently used, are. You do the math.

Celebrants at Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Festival express their support of the ban on shark fins. PHoto CouRtesy of tHe HuMAne

soCiety of new yoRk

Preserving Culturally Relevant Food—At What Cost?


� FAM I LY CORN E R

| By Jessica ciosek

Picture this: an indoor playspace that caters to big kids while simultaneously keeping minds and bodies active. That’s exactly what my kids and I discovered when we visited ExerBlast in

Tribeca. The brainchild of dancer, personal trainer and mom of two Kate Gyllenhaal, ExerBlast is an innovative new fitness concept that incorporates the best parts of gaming theory while motivating kids to get moving.

To kick off the new year, I took my son, 10, and daughter, 12, along with a friend of hers, to drop in on one of ExerBlast’s “After School is Cool” semester-long classes. When we ar-rived, the place was subdued, with a few kids waiting to begin their after-school classes. The quiet did not last long.

Greeted by a cheery guide named Han-nah, my trio of kid testers signed in, made nametags and were fitted with utility belts. Fully equipped with programmed iPods, the belts act as pedometers for young blasters ready to break a sweat. The iPod app actually tracks the blaster’s movements and tallies the energy points that he or she racks up during the blast session. The object of the game is, of course, to accumulate as many points as pos-sible as one moves through the mission.

All buckled up and ready to go, Hannah led the kids into an enormous white space splashed with dancing lights and lines of bright colors, anchored by a huge climbing structure and a circular rock wall. I followed behind, get-ting the scoop from Gyllenhaal (also known as the chief fun officer) and wishing I could join in, too. The adventure was about to begin.

After a short bit of instruction, we trooped downstairs. We entered a darkened space with tons of tinted lights and lines jetting across the floor—you really feel like you could blast off into space here.

And we did, in a way. First stop was the “Blast Off” zone. Here, Commander Pi, the pineapple-headed leader of the planet Bota-nia introduced the mission to the group of blasters. Botania is mysteriously losing energy and he needs the blasters to create as much energy, or Xi (“chee”), as possible to save it. This is an essential piece of the ExerBlast mis-sion, according to Gyllenhaal.

“We want kids to understand that the energy their bodies create is something to be valued,” she explained.

Commander Pi then led the kids through a series of stretching and warm-up exercises to get them ready for the adventure ahead. From there, the blasters were off running,

jumping, lunging and crawling, all the while working up a sweat and collecting Xi points along the “Power Path.”

The Power Path visually leads blasters to the various activity zones of the mission. There are nine different zones, including the “Climbatron,” a light-sensored jungle gym, the “Energy Field,” a light-sensored floor game, and the “Power Wall,” an infrared wall puzzle. All of the zones incorporate both movement and a gaming challenge and are exhaustingly fun, to say the least.

After almost an hour’s worth of movement and activity, every ExerBlast mission ends with a visit to the “Blast Down” zone, a hushed (and thoroughly calming) yoga and Pilates hub designed exclusively for weary blasters just back from their mission. Here the young charges cool down, stretch and relax their bodies while sending their newly acquired energy directly to the planet Botania. All in a day’s work. This is the space I most wished I could indulge in!

Looking at ExerBlast from afar, the playspace provides more than just time to run around and burn off extra energy. The whole adventure moves up- and downstairs multiple times and covers virtually all of the 6,400 square feet of building space. Bobbing and weaving past other groups of blasters, we could see that the place was filled with the laughter and delight of other kids running and jumping with abandon. Music, however, is piped into each blaster’s individual headset, so the place isn’t cacophonous or overwhelm-ing—every parent’s dream.

A typical mission lasts one hour, but ExerBlast also offers a two-and-a-half hour blast that includes the Botania mission along with a healthy cooking adventure or a yoga session. As expected, ExerBlast is equipped with a full kitchen and an inviting and airy birthday room.

According to Gyllenhaal, the prime young blaster age is between 5 and 14 years old, but there truly is something for everyone in the ExerBlast experience. As a mom of older kids, the opportunity to get moving is a real boon for us all. So much of adult life is spent carting the kids to one place or another and waiting and watching while they have all the fun. ExerBlast is the kind of place where moms and dads can get in on the fun, too—if only I’d worn the proper shoes!

Whole families come and enter into friendly competitions with one another. Other times it’s a school field trip or a birthday party. Several corporations have even used the ExerBlast experience for team-building workshops.

With an office tucked into a tiny room behind the “Singing Spheres” zone, ExerBlast CEO Don Sunderland is the wizard of the Oz-like experience that defines ExerBlast. A parent of three, Sunderland is a tech guy with a background in business and education. From a table and laptop, he runs the lights and programs that keep the ExerBlast mis-sions moving right along.

I peppered him with questions about how they had come up with so many great ways to marry gaming with exercise. According to Sunderland, ExerBlast offers a physical take on the often overlooked benefits of gaming, among them specific goals, concrete chal-

lenges, rewards and victories. And, as my kids can happily attest, blasters strive to reach certain point thresholds so they can “level up” to new challenges and even earn prizes.

Future plans for the ExerBlast experience are many and varied. From offering classes for children with special needs to designing and creating new apps for use both in and out of the ExerBlast space, there are many things pinned to the drawing board. And the Exer-Blast team also has an eye toward expansion. Plans are in the works for a future franchise model.

Soon enough, we could see ExerBlasts popping up all over the country, but until then you’ll have to travel to Tribeca to get blasting. It is certainly worth the trip.

As my brood’s sweaty, flushed faces could attest, ExerBlast is truly an out-of-this-world adventure.For more information on birthday parties and adventures at ExerBlast, visit newyorkfamily.com and click on ourBirthdays tab.

An Out-of-this-World AdventureexerBlast, the hottest new activity center and playspace in Tribeca, delivers big fun for maturing minds and bodies

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NEW YORK FAMILY NEWSLETTERFor tips on local parenting resourc-es, shopping and weekend events, sign up for a weekly e-newsletter at newyorkfamily.com


ARE YOU BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT A FALL/2013 PRIVATE SCHOOL

KINDERGARTEN PLACEMENT FOR YOUR CHILD?

ANNOUNCING TWO EVENTS BY ROBIN ARONOW, PH.D.

LIFE AFTER NURSERY SCHOOL: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSION PROCESS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH AND

LIFE AFTER NURSERY SCHOOL: A PANEL OF PRIVATE SCHOOL PARENTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 24TH

THE WEST SIDE YMCA MARJORIE S. DEANE LITTLE THEATER 5 West 63rd St. between Central Park West and Broadway

Subways: 1 to 66th or 59th; A,B,C,D to 59th; Buses: M5,M7,M10,M11,M20,M66,M72,M104 TIMING FOR BOTH: 6:00-6:25 SIGN IN; 6:30 TO 8:45 PRESENTATIONS

EARLY COST FOR OVERVIEW WORKSHOP AND PARENT PANELÐ $95 Per Family EARLY COST FOR OVERVIEW WORKSHOP ONLYÐ $70 Per Family

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Included in the cost of one or both events is one $15 information packet containing valuable articles, directories and worksheets for those beginning both the private and public school process.

Private School Workshop Presented by Robin Aronow *Getting Started; Valuable Resources *Admission Facts, Procedures & Timelines

*What to Look For When Touring * Coed vs. Single Sex; Progressive vs. Traditional *Private vs. Public *ERBs *Applications and Interviews *Essays

*School Reports *Recommendations; First Choice Letters Private School Panel Moderated by Robin Aronow

20 parent panelists will present the special features of the schools their children attend. Represented will be private schools that are co-ed & single-sex, progressive & traditional, urban & campus, established & new, with

a sampling from the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Riverdale and Downtown schools.

To register visit www.schoolsearchnyc.com Registration Deadline is March 13th for Overview Workshop and April 23rd for Parent Panel For information on Public School Overview Workshop and Panel visit www.schoolsearchnyc.com

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Robin Aronow is an educational consultant in private practice, as well as a consultant to many nursery schools, elementary schools and the Blackboard Awards.

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 8, 2012

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Bananas, almonds and oatmeal are natural ways to end insomnia By Dr. Cynthia Paulis

It is a well-known fact that you are what you eat. It’s also true that what you eat throughout the day can affect your sleep cycle. If you have been staring at the

ceiling counting sheep and finding ways to turn them into tasty treats, you may be suffering from insomnia—but you are not alone.

According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Some of these problems are related to weight, sleep apnea, anxiety or depression. And many of these issues can be resolved by eating the right foods.

Koala bears have mastered the art of sleeping without any pills. They sleep close to 20 hours a day and eat eucalyptus leaves when they’re awake. The leaves are extremely hard to digest, which slows the koala’s metabolism to the point where they sleep all the time to conserve energy.

The key ingredient for the human body to run at optimal capacity is sleep, and the recommended time is eight hours. Unfortunately, many of us can’t achieve this goal and often rely on sleeping pills, which come with a long list of side effects and can even cause death. The better option is to eat foods that will promote sleep and avoid the ones that lead to insomnia.

There are two hormones for promoting sleep in the body: serotonin and melatonin. Tryptophan is the amino acid the body uses to make serotonin, which slows traffic to the brain, inducing

sleep. Foods that are high in tryptophan are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt and turkey. Remember how sleepy you were after Thanksgiving dinner? That was tryptophan being released into your body and creating a relaxed state. There are other sources of food you can take to help promote sleep.

Foods to Aid sleep

Bananas. This is one of the best sleep-inducing foods. Not only are bananas loaded with melatonin and serotonin, they also contain magnesium, which helps your muscles relax. Loaded with potassium and low in salt, bananas can help lower your blood pressure. They’re also a high source of vitamin B, which aids in calming your nerves. Bananas are also a great food to take for heartburn.

Cherries. This pint-sized fruit is a powerhouse. Cherries are loaded with melatonin. Studies have proven that eating cherries lowers the risk of heart disease and inflammation, body fat and cholesterol. They have antioxidants that help fight cancer and improve memory and have been used to help with people suffering from arthritis. Tart cherries are the best ones to eat for sleep.

Almonds. A handful of almonds pack a double punch of both tryptophan and magnesium, calming both the mind and the muscles. Almonds are also a good source of monounsaturated fats, which help prevent heart disease. Taken in moderation, almonds help regulate your blood sugar and can aid in weight loss.

Peanuts. Unsalted peanuts are high in niacin, which helps release serotonin into the body, promoting sleep. This legume (peanuts are not actually nuts) has fats that are good for your heart. But keep in mind: they are also loaded with calories, so limit

your intake to just a few at bedtime.

Oatmeal. Thought of as just a breakfast food, oatmeal works well in promoting sleep because it contains melatonin. It’s an excellent source of soluble fiber, which slows down the digestive process, making you feel fuller longer. Oatmeal is loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It can help reduce your risk of heart disease and works to prevent diabetes. Add some milk and bananas and you have the perfect sleep potion. Many high-end hotels are sending up warm oatmeal cookies and milk to help their guests have a good night sleep.

The key to a good night's sleep is not to go to bed hungry. Having a light snack before you go to bed will prevent you from waking up in the middle of the

night. Avoid having large, high-fat meals late in the day. Make your biggest meal at midday and have a lighter dinner. Also, steer clear of spicy foods, because they can keep you up all night with heartburn. Foods that produce gas, such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green peppers, can cause you to lose sleep.

Limit your caffeine intake. It can take as long as eight hours for the stimulating effects of caffeine to wear off. And restrict your alcohol intake. At first you may feel sleepy, but alcohol interferes with the REM stage of sleep. You will wake up feeling tired and exhausted.

If the sandman still hasn’t come for a visit, have a nice cup of chamomile tea before bedtime. This tea has a mild sedative effect.

Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous, so leave them for the koala bears.

Eat Your Way to Better Sleep

Not just for breakfast anymore, oatmeal and bananas can help you sleep if eaten at bedtime.


Women’s Healthcare Services Returns to Tribeca

Following the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital, many physicians came to New York Downtown Hospital so

they could continue to serve their patients on the West Side. With the opening of a new Center on

40 Worth Street, we are pleased to welcome two exceptional physicians back to the community. � ey

will be working in collaboration with physicians from Weill Cornell Medical Associates.

Dr. Zhanna Fridel and Dr. Vanessa Pena are board certi� ed obstetricians and gynecologists utilizing

leading diagnostic and treatment methodologies across a broad spectrum of women’s health issues.

• Normal and High Risk Obstetrical Care • Complete Well Woman Care

• Diagnosis and Treatment of Gynecologic Conditions • Laparoscopic Surgery

• Osteoporosis Detection and Treatment• Urogynecology (female urology)

• Cord Blood Banking • Cervical Cancer Vaccination

• Menopausal Management • Contraception

For an appointment with Dr. Fridel and Dr. Pena, call (212) 238-0180

40 Worth Street, Suite 402, New York, NY 10013www.downtownhospital.org

Visit either our Manhattanor Morristown office:

New York, NY530 First Avenue, Suite 6D1-877-VEIN-NYU (834-6698)

Morristown, NJ95 Madison Avenue, Suite 415

1-973-538-2000

The Truth About Vein Care...It’s Really Not About Being Vain


Symptoms of the sleep disorder include temporary paralysis & hallucinationsBy Ashley Welch

Whether it’s from long workdays, noisy neighbors or crying newborns, we’ve all experienced feelings of tiredness. But what if that feeling never went away, even after a restful night’s sleep?

That is the reality for individuals living with narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate a normal sleep-and-wake cycle.

Though narcolepsy has several symptoms, the most prominent is constant tiredness.

“People living with this disorder will feel excessive sleepiness at inappropriate times, such as when they are at work or school or even while having a conversation,” said Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, medical director at the New York Sleep Institute and assistant professor of neurology at the New York University School of Medicine.

According to the American Sleep Association, as many as 200,000 Americans suffer from the sleep disorder.

Its cause is not yet known, but scientists believe it is due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin, the chemical responsible for the feeling of alertness that also aids in sleep regulation. Symptoms usually first show in patients in their late teens or early twenties.

While taking quick naps often helps ease sleepiness, it may be difficult for people living with narcolepsy to perform in a normal work or school environment.

“It is a struggle every day with being extremely sleepy,” said Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep–Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. “They have difficulty concentrating, multitasking and in almost every cognitive aspect of day-to-day life.”

In addition to being tired, several other symptoms may present with narcolepsy, though not in every patient living with the disorder. People may experience hallucinations, either at the onset of sleep or while waking. This may or may not be accompanied by sleep paralysis, which is literally the paralysis brought on by one’s mind and body entering rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—the period of sleep in

which dreams occur. “We are all paralyzed every night when we

dream or else we’d be up acting them out,” explained Rebecca Scott, a sleep disorders specialist at the New York Sleep Institute. “But with sleep paralysis, the person is clearly awake but cannot move or speak properly.”

Scott said that although sleep paralysis usually passes after a few seconds, the experience can be terrifying, especially when coupled with hallucinations.

Another symptom of narcolepsy is cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone that causes feelings of weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control. These attacks vary in severity, from a slight droop of the eyelids to the inability to stand. Patients are fully awake and conscious during even the most severe attacks. Strong emotions, such as laughter and anger are common stimuli of cataplexy.

Though there is no cure for narcolepsy, all of its symptoms can be controlled through medication and behavioral modification. Specific medication works to reduce attacks of cataplexy, while other medications address the excessive sleepiness. People with narcolepsy may also be advised by their doctors to make some lifestyle changes.

“Patients should follow good sleep hygiene,” said Rodriguez. “This includes getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, not taking on late shifts at work and taking it easy with alcohol.”

Rodriguez also suggests patients take brief naps throughout the day if possible and said most can live a normal life if treated properly. However, some patients may be advised not to drive or operate heavy machinery, depending on the severity of their condition.

Patients may find it difficult to cope with the condition because others may not understand their need for constant sleep.

“Many people say they’re lazy because they’re always tired and fall asleep often, sometimes even in the middle of a conversation, but there really is something wrong,” said Scott.

In fact, experts believe that narcolepsy is underdiagnosed because people may attribute their sleepiness to other causes. However, constant tiredness is not normal and should be looked into if it interferes with everyday activities.

“If a person gets an adequate amount of sleep and still experiences excessive sleepiness during the day, he or she should see a doctor and get a sleep study done,” said Thorpy. “It is not normal, and steps can be taken to make people living with narcolepsy feel better and function properly in their day-to-day lives.”

Healthy Manhattan

Treatments But No Cure for Narcolepsy


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My fainting was repeatedly misdiagnosed until I found the right doctorBy ShoShana DaviS

I was 15 the first time I fainted. My doctor blamed the heat—living in Arizona, it made sense. For the next 11 years, I collapsed every few months; while sitting down eating lunch with my family or standing in a work meeting. My college roommates would find me bruised and bloodied in the shower. The list goes on.

I was scared and confused, but not alone. According to a recent study by QuantiaMD, a digital community of physicians, “Nearly half (47 percent) of clinicians said they encounter diagnostic errors (i.e. missed, late or wrong diagnoses) at their practice at least monthly,” and “96 percent of clinicians say that they believe diagnostic errors are

preventable at least some of the time.”The diagnosis for my collapsing was

always vasovagal syncope, also known as the common faint. However, the slew of testing brought on even more illness conjectures; by the time I was 24, I had tested positive for celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and even hepatitis C. Each of these were false positives that created months of needless fear and hysteria.

Not to mention that it was tough to budget a yearly health care cost of over $2,500 on a $26,000 television assistant’s salary while living in Manhattan. Luckily, my health insurance kicked in after the deductible and helped to cover the remainder of these pricey mistakes.

After one particularly dangerous fainting incident, I was referred to a cardiologist who recommended that I practice standing against a wall to induce an episode and carry a bag of potato chips around to keep my blood pressure up. He figured I could teach myself how to anticipate fainting so I could learn to prevent it from happening. He also suggested that I have a friend around to call 911 if necessary and to keep

something soft to fall on, just in case.He had no answers as to why I was

collapsing on a monthly basis, but told me that I should come back in three months. As I left in tears, I asked for a copy of my records, and I watched the doctor give the folder to his secretary, who made a copy. I looked at documents as I was walking out; they weren’t even my test results. There was a man’s name, clearly one of his other patients, at the top of the page. He hadn’t even looked at my chart.

Crying out of anger and frustration outside his office in Union Square, I didn’t know what to do. People grow up thinking physicians have all the answers, but my doctors had none. Taking my diagnosis into my own hands, I got the name of another cardiologist from a friend, and he was willing to see me the next day. Within hours, this new doctor sent me to an electrophysiologist, a specialist that focuses on the electricity of the heart.

My electrophysiologist understood that I couldn’t carry a good luck charm and hope that I wouldn’t teeter off in front of the QM15 while crossing 6th Avenue. He noticed that my heart rate was dangerously low and diagnosed me with

bradycardia, which means your resting heartbeat is under 60 beats per minute. I was healthy; my heart just had its own beat.

His first reaction was that I needed a pacemaker, but he did not want to put a device in someone my age without proof that it was completely necessary. I respected him for this, and saw a few other specialists to confirm this new hypothesis. After being through so many false conclusions, the last thing I wanted was a permanent mistake.

He used an implanted heart monitor to demonstrate that a device was necessary, and confirmed that my heartbeat was just not slow but was stopping for long periods of time. At age 25, I had a pacemaker implanted.

It’s been exactly two years since my procedure and I haven’t fainted once. Medicine is a science and doctors do not always know the answers; patients need to know that there are always other physicians with different treatment experiences or judgment calls out there.

Without that second opinion, I might still be carrying around salty snacks and standing against a wall.

Healthy Manhattan

A 13th Opinion Saved My Life


Job # Prev. Users

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www.nyuci.org • [email protected]

Colorectal Cancer: Your risks, your options Presented by NYU Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated Cancer Center

Join NYU Cancer Institute’s top healthcare professionals for a discussion focusing on the risk factors and family history of colorectal cancer. You’ll hear about screening options, diagnosis, new treatment modalities and clinical trials, and a survivor of colorectal cancer will also share their story.

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Supportive Services ProgramNYU Clinical Cancer Center

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T:4.917”

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The Rockefeller University is seeking overweight men for a new study that could lead to new

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This IS NOT a weight loss study.You may be eligible if you:• Are overweight, without recent weight loss• Are a non-smoking adult, age 18-65• Have a personal or family history of high blood pressure,

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Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (145627716)b 6 5

c 8 37 1 4

b 7 c 1a 6 8 1 9 4 c

7 3 2 6 b6 c 3

8 4 3 1 a 7b 2 a 5 6

3 2 8 b 51

c 5 6 9


Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (148210601)3 1 ca 4 7 b

b 8 7 a 24 9 b 6

7 6 c a9 c 3 4 1

1 9 a c8 c 1 4 2

5 8 4 92 a c 9 5

4 5 3 b 2 a 8


Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (147631896)b 2

4 c 5 96 b

1 3 8 a 5 6 7c 5 1 26 a 8 9 b 1

7 6 23 c 7 8

2 4 1 cb 4 a

6 1 c 3 9 58 1


Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (147484405)1 4 6 9 8

3 5a 6 2

b 2 1 a7 a c 1 3 9

6 5 7 b9 4 5 2 1

a 6b 2 6 7 c 4 5

a 2 b8 6

7 8 1 b c 3


Sudoku 12x12 - Medium (144498321)5 6 b 3 8 79 8 7 4

c a b 98 a 7 c b 6

b c 3 51 9 3 2

b a 4 37 2 b

4 9 b 5 25 6 a

8 c 3 5a 2


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editorialexeCUTive eDiTOR Allen [email protected] Marissa Maier [email protected] sPeCiaL seCTiONs eDiTOR Josh [email protected] CONTRiBUTORs Whitney Casser, Penny Gray, Tom Hall, Regan Hofmann, Mary Morris, Robby Ritacco, Lillian Rizzo, Paulette SafdiehCONTRiBUTiNg PHOTOgRaPHeRs George Denison, Veronica Hoglund, Wyatt Kostygan, Andrew SchwartziNTeRNs Andrew Rice, Patricia Voulgaris

[email protected] Gerry [email protected] OF NeW BUsiNess DeveLOPMeNT Dan NewmanassOCiaTe PUBLisHeRsSeth L. Miller, Ceil AinsworthaDveRTisiNg MaNageR Marty StronginsPeCiaL PROjeCTs DiReCTOR Jim KatocinseNiOR aCCOUNT exeCUTives Verne Vergara, Mike SuscavageDiReCTOR OF eveNTs & MaRkeTiNg Joanna Virello [email protected] assisTaNT OF saLes Jennie [email protected]

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| by Lonnie FireStone

WNYC is beloved by New Yorkers. For loyalists, the success of programs like This American Life, Fresh Air and The Brian

Lehrer Show is measured not only by their reportage but also by their ability to inspire contemplation and conversation. The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC and WQXR is the public sphere, live performance manifestation of both radio stations.

Executive Producer Indira Etwaroo weighs in on this year’s most in-demand events, the performers on her wish list and how The Greene Space is changing its Downtown neighborhood.

In 2008, WNYC moved to a new Down-town home on Varick Street and the following year, The Greene Space opened on the street level of that building. Was it a sure thing that both would be based Downtown?

After spending over 80 years in the Municipal Building and having some of the first reporters on the scene on 9/11, our president and CEO, Laura Walker, the Board of Trustees and the staff felt a strong commitment and attachment to Downtown. One of the criteria when they were looking for a new home was to find a space that could accommodate a public space of some kind. Our home in Hudson Square met the specifications beautifully.

The Greene Space is said to embody WNYC’s mission “to make the mind more curious, the heart more tolerant and the spirit more joyful.” How do live events enable this goal differently than radio?

The Greene Space creates a visceral experience. It is powerful to hear Cornel West on The Brian Lehrer Show or hear the stars from Broadway’s Porgy and Bess with John Schaefer on-air at WQXR. And yet, to sit in an intimate venue and experience these world-class artists and thinkers as up close and personal as you can in The Greene Space is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What has been the most in-demand event this year?

That’s difficult to say. The Battle of the Boroughs and the 75th anniversary cele-bration of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God have been enthusiasti-cally received, as well as WQXR’s China in New York Festival with pianist Lang Lang

and WNYC’s event on women boxers in the Olympics hosted by Rosie Perez.

How was the Battle of the Boroughs cre-ated?

I was looking for a way to elevate the conversation of emerging artists in NYC. I also knew that we wanted to create deeper roots in communities throughout New York and reflect the exquisite diversity of the city. I was sitting with my production manager, Nikki Johnson, and production coordinator, Brianna Stimpson, and we all started tossing around ideas about a contest and the five boroughs, and the brain meld happened. I received tremen-dous feedback from the host of the Battle, WQXR’s Terrance McKnight, and we’ve been building on that for the last three years.

The Greene Space is located in Hudson Square, a neighborhood north of Tribeca and west of Soho that some say has yet to develop a distinct flavor. Is The Greene Space hoping to affect the vibe of the neighborhood?

Hudson Square is not what it was three years ago, when The Greene Space launched. There is a vibrancy and aware-ness that is constantly evolving. And yes, I do think The Greene Space has helped influence the vibe by bringing high profile artists and guests, as well as new visitors, to the neighborhood.

How does your background in music perfor-mance and your current role as a professor

of cultural studies inspire your program-ming?

I bring an eclectic background to this job. I was trained as a classical flutist; I studied dance and theater as a performer and also directing and choreography. This led me to research and writing, which I have done in different parts of the world, focusing on performance within the discipline of cultural studies. I don’t see artists or topics within compartments. Rather, I am inspired by the way we live life, especially in a context like New York City, where you’re bumping into a diverse blend of art, literature, music, politics and culture all the time and constantly being invited to create connections and mean-ing. That’s what I hope the programming at The Greene Space is able to inspire.

The venue’s full title is The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, but the no-tion of a “green space” conjures a variety of ideas. What do you hope it evokes for audiences?

It is not a coincidence that The Greene Space sounds like a place of growth, because that’s just what it is: a kind of hothouse for artists, thinkers and news-makers to reimagine and cultivate new ways to relay information, report news and tell stories. In addition, we were awarded Gold LEED certification for our environmental efforts with the structure of the space: a bamboo stage, LED theatri-cal lighting system and programming that focuses on the environment and sustain-ability.

MARCH 8, 2012 | OTDOWNTOWN.COM 23

THE MANDATEThe man with all the answers

Our new website, nypress.com, recently introduced the Mandate, a peek inside the male psyche. This column will attempt to bring light to all of your dating conundrums with thorough and brutally honest answers to your burning questions. You may not always like the answer, but the Mandate speaks the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

QUESTION OF THE WEEKI’ve been seeing someone for

almost six months now, and I think I’m falling hard. There’s one major catch…He’s had a girlfriend for al-most three years. He keeps telling me he’ll break up with her, but nothing’s happened yet. What should I do?

Awww, c’mon, man. Do you mind if I call you “man”? Because you are very clearly acting like one. Is the sex really that good? I have to imagine that’s what’s anchoring this thing down, because any dude who has had a girlfriend he’s been cheating on for (at least) six months out of the three years they’ve been dating is not a nice guy.

Let’s go to the furthest hypotheti-cal possible. Say he makes good on his word. He dumps his main squeeze for you, and everything is hunky dorey.

You take walks around the West Village. Hit the greenmarket and blow on hot apple cider together. Peachy. How long is it going to be before you piece together that this guy that you’re now exclusively dating could very easily be cheating on you, as he did to his ex?

Sure, at fi rst you’ll tell yourself it’s ri-diculous. But soon the claws are bound to come out. Maybe he’ll be late for a dinner. Maybe he’ll go out with friends and come home in a blackout state that reeks of perfumed perfunctory. Think how simple the word rage is. It’s four letters. That’s all it takes, four letters for a complete and total mental breakdown. Sick.

Now let’s go to the nearest and most likely hypothetical. He doesn’t break

up with his lady love. You’re still seeing this dude while he’s getting his from the gal next door. It’s got to worry you that’s he’s been able to get away with it this long. I mean, damn, that’s some Dana Carvey, Master of Disguise-type espionage. This dude’s got to be a lying machine.

If he’s able to lie to his girlfriend and say, “Nah, babe, it’s the weirdest thing; my little nephew Tommy fell into the blue whale tank at the aquarium and I just happened to pull him out and only stain the groin region of my pants in the pool!” think how easy it is for him to say, “I’m going to leave her,” to you.

Drop him. I know right now it seems like you’re not going to fi nd anyone as great as him (what?!), but think about all the other guys you’ve thought that about. Now try remem-bering how they turned out. Oy gevalt. There’s nothing more baseless than a cheating lover. It means they are able to constantly deal with guilt. Adapt to it. Numb it. And, big D or not, you’re going to get hurt.

Have a dating question burning a hole in your heart? Email Amy Smith, managing web editor of nypress.com at [email protected].

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