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The late Bill Borenstein

W. 13th St.GazetteVoice of the W. 13th St. 100 Block Association, Inc., 155 W. 13th St., New York, N.Y. 10011

Issue No. 9 April 2003

Presidents Message:A Tribute to Bill Borenstein

Bill Borenstein, Treasurer and

dynamic member of our Association,

passed away last autumn. He was also

president of the Greenwich Mews coop

(church building at 143 W. 13).

It would take pages and pages to list

all of Bills outstanding qualities, as well as

his contributions to the Association, but toname just a few, Bill was intelligent,

gregarious, affable, vital, loquacious, civic-

minded, and pleasantly cantankerous. He

was also a loving husband and companion

to his wife Laura and an affectionate,

caring father to his children, Leah and

Louis. Our hearts go out to them.

I and all the others on the block who

knew Bill will miss his smile, warmth, and

vitality. The Association greatly suffers his loss.Bill was always

available to assist me in

resolving problems on the

block, and was personally

available to aid businesses

and residents. Beyond

that, he was a man of

initiative, who single-

handedly arranged the

installation of the old-fashioned streetlamps that adorn

our street. He also single-handedly obtained more at-

tractive and efficient garbage cans for our corners, got

planters for the front of 105, rid graffiti from walls,

lampposts, and mailboxes, and was our most effective

dues-collector.

The Association will, within the next six months,

plant a new tree on the block with a plaque in Bills

honor.GARY TOMEI

Whither Goest theAssociation?

Since we lost Bill, who

performed the work of several Board

members, and another officer is leav-

ing the block, we welcome the

participation of other neighbors.

Our Association has been very

active over the past six years. Tha

activism was the result of an involvedand forceful Board of Directors and a

supportive membership.

If other concerned activists do

not come forward, our Association

faces the danger of becoming jus

another moribund group that speaks

on occasion as the mouthpiece for the

people who are its titular leaders. We

invite you to join the Association, be-

come involved in its activities, and volunteer to becomea Board member.

Big Dig: Shock & Awe

The forces are digging in

for a long siege. Massive

equipment arrives daily

Were shocked and awed as

the project gets bigger and the

noise gets louder. Now that

its begun, well just have to see it through: the 6th

Ave. Subway will be ventilated! From your correspon-dents aerie at 105, the view into the murky maw is

spookily exciting, and the daily noise controllable with

earplugs. Others are not so thrilled.

Here is an account from one of the brownstones

on the south side of the street: Oh, where to begin?

First, our water main was left exposed and

Annual Meeting:

Tues., April 29, 2003, 8:00 P.M.At the Markle Residence

123 W 13th Street

4th Floor Lounge

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we had no water on a Saturday morning in early Janu-

ary (though it was thawed within hours by the contrac-

tors). The jackhammering and vacuum truck are deaf-

ening, but nothing compared to the earthquake-like

shaking (glasses rattling, etc.) of the huge hydraulic drill,

and, apparently, nothing close to how bad the pile driv-

ing will be. Were unable to load or unload our car infront of the house when we go away for the weekend,

and we pray for a metered spot on 6th Ave. just to

bring in the groceries. Weve doubled our insurance,

and are having our foundation monitored by a privately

hired engineer. The restaurants garbage service is

refusing to pick up. The gates had to be taken off our

stoop for the boardwalk to be installed--which will at-

tract people and garbage once the weather gets

warmer. Con Ed spent a morning in our basement re-

routing our gas service. The list goes on. Mostly,were nervous about the long-term damage this must be

inflicting on our poor little foundation.

The account continues: Fortunately, the contrac-

tors have been wonderful about communicating with us

and addressing our concerns. No deaf ears there,

thank goodness.

Weve also heard from a psychoanalyst in the

middle of the block who cant carry on her practice be-

cause of the noise.

We were apprised that the parking garage at 107

was without water for a few weeks beginning Jan. 20.

The water froze in pipes exposed by the construction in

front of the building. The owner of the garage re-

quested help from Councilmember, Christine Quinn,

with the Association joining in the request.

Questions or comments regarding the Big Dig

should be directed to Adrienne Taub at (718) 694-

5125. The NYC Transit construction manager, Carlo

Bergonzo, may be reached at (646) 252-4788. The

contractors (J.P. Picone) project manager, Ralph Bar-

low, may be reached at (516) 239-1600.

Beautification

The Block Association has made arrangements

through Juan Moro of Community Board No. 2 to have

the City plant a tree in front of 123 (Markle Residence)

to replace the one that was blown down last year. Mr

Moro has told Gary Tomei that the planting will be

done in May.

In order to protect our plants and flowers, the As-

sociation has purchased signs to encourage people to

curb their dogs.

New School Dorm

In fall 2002, the New School opened its dorm at

118, formerly Katherine House. Although we antici-

pated problems from disruptive students, and haveheard some grumblings from residents immediately

across the street from the site, we believe that the prob-

lems have been relatively minor.

Last August, Alan Jacobs, 2nd VP of the Associa-

tion, met with Linda Abrams Reimer, the New Schools

Senior Vice President for Student Services, to air our

concerns. Ms. Reimer said that the type of students

who attend the New School do not ordinarily cause the

kinds of problems associated with those who go to

party schools. There are 180 freshmen housed at 118along with 7 fulltime staff, including an administrator and

security guards. Students are not permitted to use the

roof and the doors leading to the rooftop have alarms to

prevent student access.

For problems with the residence, contact Ms

Reimer at reimerl@newschool.edu.

Restaurants

Although we have lost Nipotino and Antonio as

restaurants on the block, we are fortunate to have the

superb restaurant, Gonzo, open in the space formerly

occupied by Antonio. The chef/owner at Gonzo is the

renowned Vincent Scotto, formerly of Scopa &

Fresco. The space at Nipotino remains vacant, although

for the last year a sign in the window has heralded a

new restaurant, Arawak.

At the lower end of the price scale, the one-dollar

Whopper washed down by a $2 scoop of ice cream is

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no more. The Burger King/Hagen Dazs store on 6th

Ave. (bet. 13th & 14th) closed its doors in February.

But on the same block, Hanami Japanese Cuisine has

opened, and offers an $8 lunch special that includes

sushi, a California roll, miso, a spring roll, and salad.

For those of us who work at home or nearby, its a

great location for a quiet, nutritious and tasty lunch.

Crime

A car window was smashed and its contents stolen

on January 23 in front of 155 W. 13th St.

Theres also been a report of drug use on the

apartment roof of 117 W. 13th.

Architecture in the Neighborhood

Gansevoort Market: On Dec. 11, 2002, Gary

Tomei attended 2 meetings--one at the NYC Land-

marks Preservation Commission and the other at the

NYC Board of Standards and Appeal--to express op-position to a proposed high-rise in the meatpacking dis-

trict. The district, now called Gansevoort Market, is

west of 9th Ave. and mostly south of 14th St. We also

stand in favor of preserving Gansevoort Market as a

historic district.

We are working in conjunction with the Greenwich

Village Society for Historic Preservation to preserve the

unique architectural heritage of the Village, including the

low-rise vernacular architecture of the meatpacking dis-

trict.Our Block: There has been a spate of renovation

of brownstones on our block, which enriches and en-

hances our architectural heritage. Renovation is in pro-

gress at 132, & 134 and has recently been completed

at 156.

Growing Up on 13th Street

In 1980--on February 8th, to be exact -- my par-

ents and I journeyed from our apartment on 12th St.

and 5th Ave. all the way over to 13th and 6th to settle

in the brownstone that has been our home since I was

eight. Now Im 31, and Ive moved all the way down-

stairs, to the parlor floor apartment, where I live with

my husband. Except for five years away at college and

abroad, I have, conveniently, never had to file a change

of address with the post office.

As I sat down to write this, I figured I would illu-

minate the differences between then and now. Some

neighbors tell me they still remember the sight of my 6

5" dad walking me to P.S. 41, pushing along his enor-

mous green bicycle and wearing a bright orange helmet

At ten, I began hopping the crosstown bus to Friends

Seminary, and for high school, I mastered the art of fin-

ishing calculus homework in the last car of the rumbling

2, 3 train.

But truly, the view out our windows hasntchanged much (except for the gigantic excavation pit).

Theres the garage, whose cars have been expertly or-

chestrated by maestro Reggie for as long as I can re-

member. And the doormen at 105, who very possibly

know more about whom I dated and what time I came

home than my parents do. Growing up, we lived above

fancy French food (the renowned La Tulipe that sur-

vived only slightly longer than the Reagan administra-

tion); now, we live above a savory Syrian restaurant,

Salaam, and the owners, our downstairs neighbors

send their two kids to P.S. 41. We mourned the

departure of Sieglers next door but are still breathing a

sigh of relief at the arrival of the elegant Synchronicity.

The big news is that the block is, if anything, prettier

than it was. The antique lampposts have been rightfully

resurrected, thanks to the efforts of our devoted Block

Association. People are planting more than they used

to and looking after their trees. The streets feel safer

than ever in our privileged enclave, and even the sub-

way rides to and from home are now blissfully air-

conditioned and graffiti-free, compared to their nadir in

the 70s.

People I meet from outside New York cant be-

lieve that I grew up in the city without ever having been

mugged -- or worse. They are surprised that I dont

have a New York accent and they assume that I only

wear black and go clubbing constantly. In fact, Ive

been known to wear primary colors, and I much prefer

strolling down Seventh Ave. after dinner to get a scoop

at Cones than trying to penetrate the velvet ropes at

Nells. Id rather type away on my laptop in the com-pany of other writers at Cosi, wearing only my Tevas

than lunch at bank-breaking spots in midtown in un-

comfortable shoes. My point is that there are many

New Yorks. I think of NYC not only as my home-

town, but as my homestead. I live within two blocks of

my elementary school and on the same block as my fa-

thers (3 cheers for City & Country!), who grew up on

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Whos mo in u on communit estivals?

Bank St.

When asked if I would ever move out of the city, I

answer that I cant imagine depriving my kids of such a

unique childhood, one that is both safe and small and

also dynamic and pulsing and large. Besides, there are

no scarier words to me than these: Car Pool!--DAPHNE

UVILLER

(Daphne Uviller writes for Time Out NY.)

Whos Behind Those 6th Ave. Festivals?

If you think a street fair is run to benefit the Com-

munity, think again! The Sixth Ave. Festival in Chel-

sea serves to make us miserable twice a year by back-

ing up traffic on 6th Ave. and diverting traffic onto our

block. The only community organization to be served

by the next 6th Ave. Festival (Saturday, May 24, 2003)

is called Chelsea Midtown Democrats. The Chelsea

Midtown Democrats have such a small club that it does

not even have a clubhouse and is not listed in the phone

book. We obtained the address and phone number

from two elderly ladies who sat during last years Festi-

val at an unmarked card table outside of Staples. This

was the Clubs official booth.

Other than mop sellers, backrub givers, and sau-sage servers, the only people to benefit are the owners

of a commercial outfit called Clearview Festival

Productions. Clearview profits by squatting on valuable

NYC real estate for a day, collecting fees, and passing

a small amount to a local organization.

CLEAVIEW IS ALSO SPONSORING A 6TH

AVENUE MEGA-EVENT THIS YEAR BY

CLOSING THE AVENUE FROM 14TH TO 33RD

STREETS!!! This event is Sunday, August 17, and

benefits the 23rd St. Association/St. Ceciles Scholar-

ship Fund, whatever that may be.

And, by the way, a festival on our part of 6th

Ave. (8th to 14th Streets) is scheduled for Sunday, Oc-

tober 12. However, this has less impact on our blocks

traffic situation.Clearview Festival Productions is at 80 8th Ave.

Suite 415, New York, N.Y. 10011 (Tel.: (646)230-

0489; Fax: (646)230-0718). Its website is

www.clearviewfestival.com, which contains the details

of all the festivals that Clearview will be foisting on

neighborhoods this year.

The community sponsor of the May 24 festival is

Chelsea Midtown Democrats, P.O. Box 1671, New

York, N.Y. 10011. Tel.: (212) 691-9206. Its presi-

dent is Gene Glaberman, and vice president is Velma

Hill.

Real Estate Report

Real estate sales in GV are very strong. Many

apartments are on the market and many buyers out

there. Generally, prices have dropped a bit from a year

ago but are still relatively high. For year 2002, sales of

3 townhouses on our block ranged from $2.5 million to

almost $3 million. Coop sales were strong with 2-

bedroom units selling in a range from the mid-$500s to

high $600s. One-bedroom sales ranged from the mid-$300s to the high $400s.

Currently, high-floor 2 bedroom, 2 bath coops on our

block are priced at $725K and $830K with a terrace; 1-

bedrooms are asking mid-$500s and studios are avail-

able in the $200K range. (Above information provide

by Association member Kitty Sorell, Corcoran Group,

212-539-4968.)

Officers of the Block Association: Gary Tomei, President; Nancy

Deckinger, Vice-President; Robert Kittine, Secretary; Alan J. Jacobs,

Interim Treasurer. Steering committee includes: Officers plus Doro-thy Graham (Beautification Committee chair); Larry Fruchter (Com-

munity Relations chair).

Newsletter published by Alan J. Jacobs, 727-7462, o

ajacobs@nyc.rr.com. Contributors: Gary Tomei, Daphne Uviller

Kitty Sorell. Edited by Nancy Deckinger.