Happy New Year! Vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com and me

Jeremiah from http://www.vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/ does his usual excellent job reporting vanishing beloved New York and that includes our community members so I want to focus on what remains...

The dearly loved tenants of http://www.47e3.org/ as an usual I urge you to visit their site, read their story and donate money for their legal fees.

Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen remains for now...Peter is here through January....for now...but of course they could be evicted in February...

www.kidsmagicgarden.net still here...
www.savestbrigid.com The people who have fought for St. Brigids are deeply inspiring...

bathroom doors in the Women's bathroom they are still here and soap dispenser to come at the end of the week.....

Big New York hugs to the real people that love this historic city and the communities that deserve to CONTINUE to live here.

Soap dispensers returning this week to Tompkin Square Park's women's bathroom

Just got confirmation from the Parks Dept. that we are getting soap dispensers in the women's bathroom in Tompkin Square Park so now we will have doors and soap. We have come along way. How ironic The New York Times mentions our park in the Travel section and we haven't even had soap to wash our hands in how long....just glad we have bathroom doors.
Happy New Year and thanks to the Parks Dept. for following through.

Please remember to vist my first few blog posts especially on the historical NYPD building honoring it's community facility and how that relates to NYU and any and all that need to step up to the plate for the communities...and that is city wide.

Crain's New York Buisness/Sept. 4, 2006 Better NYU logo: Dorm with dollar

Crain's published my letter and used my "humor" as their header.
NYU's logo should be the Pallidium dorm with a dollar bill instead of historic arch in Washington Park because NYU tears down our historic buildings like Edgar Alan Poe House and St. Ann's.

Joanna Underwood, President of East 13th Street Association also had a powerful letter.
Sept. 4, 2006

Some of the links to my letters may be hard to find but I have had strong letters published in AM New York, Metro and The New York Sun "City set to present plan for Lower East Side" November 24-26, 2006

Bluestockings www.bluestockings.com

Way back when, pre 9-11, I had an art exhibition here at Bluestocking and when the politics of the community crushing tsunami get me down you know where I can be found.

The Village Voice "Carbon Copy" letter of the week,
Suzannah B. Troy, Jun. 27, 2006 I didn't fully grasp the meaning of "carbon copy" at the time but it is so true; with the community crushing tear down and push out comes "generic city-carbon copy" . This building is so stunning and should be returned to it's original vision of school but with a 21st century technology education program ala Silicon Valley with a theatre and senior citizens community center.

My letter has my line about if more is not done to preserve our community and our historic building you will have to visit a recreation in Las Vegas or a museum. There is one typo, I list the dorms on the dorm on 3rd Street is NY Law, not NYU Law.

http://66.70.64.59/specials/0626,letters,73676,7.html

Maryhouse on 3rd Street

I wonder if this beautiful little building will survive and again it is a resource for the needy. I always think of my friend Mary M. Hill when I see that sign and I feel like she is with me. She died way too young. She loved hard. I miss her.

Tompkin Sq. Park, I asked and got doors for the Women's toilets

I understood why they took the bathroom doors down but I wrote Adrian Benepe and I did get bathroom doors. They are smaller doors to discourage all the behavior that caused their removal. I am so proud that I was able to make a difference. I am trying to get the soap dispenser back. They too were removed and I have asked for tamper proof ones like I think I saw in Prospect Park. I am very, very tired and that is that is one reason I make so many typos but the real people you get "it" the heart, soul and passion. I also fought to get Trevor an extenstion and his supervisors gave him well earned praise. Trevor's story is inspiring and I am so proud to have given him the support he deserves for his hard work.

Why doesn't the mayor supersize city hall?

The one place billionaire mayor and socialite mega millionaire city planner won't think about supersizing and tearing down historic NYC is right here.

Future? Supersification on top of gentrification?

To the left was 2nd Avenue Deli and overnight this ground floor space is vacant. What will the future bring? More pushouts and tear downs? Supersized or a mega retail store.....? What? I do not know. If you know anything post it.

A construction worker told me all these little buildings will come down. I always thought the Salvation Army across fwould do what they did by Gramery Park and evicting all the women with affordable housing and a safe haven and I have predicted the same while happen across from the Bowery Hotel but only time will tell. The Bowery Hotel looks like a prison and it is sandwhiched between a homeless shelter and the Salvation Army. I do not know the future of these buildings or what is going up, being torn down and that is what is so shocking is how much the community doesn't know and we need to know for so many reasons.

Gentrification has become supersification...on the Bowery...mostly entirely luxury housing...city wide under Bloomberg a make over take over like a bad reality tv show...we got a make-over we didn't want. We weren't asked and when we finally found out the powers that be nod their heads and just ignore us.

Help! Save Hotel Penn Foundation

Save Hotel Penn Foundation.We are a activist and preservationist group that is dedicated to preserving the Hotel Pennsylvania, the hotel built by McKim, Mead, and White in 1919 for historic value as well as practical reasons.www.savethehotel.org
contact Jordan White 201-220-3399
www.myspace.com/savethehotel

47 East 3rd Street are fighting mass eviction & they are hugely loved by the community!

www.47e3.org please visit the website and read about their struggle to stay in their home. The people of 47 East 3rd are a diverse group of people that have a common thread which they are deeply loved by the community. The mega rich couple that want to evict them could afford to live anywhere in Greenwhich Village and Greenwhich, Conn and they insist on evicting people that do not have other options for housing here in the neighborhood because of the community crushing development like the out of place sky piercing New York Law dorm with balaconies and the Bowery Hotel that looks like Scarano was on anti-depressants...The hotel looks like a prison and all sky piercing mega builds brought mega desires like these landlords to evict all the people for their luxury manison. I think this might be the first tiime the court of appeals hears a housing case since the late 60's early 70's...not sure.

UPDATE Oct 23, 2007The Court of Appeals,the State's highest court,has decided to hear our case.

+Also note I want the NY Law dorm to open up it's doors to us with a community facility.

Karl's face on a facade St. Marks, ambulance, activist kisses, knishes

Karl's face is on this beautiful facade on St. Marks Place. I love the faces, angels and even devilish faces along the streets with buildings like this that so far have survived Bloomberg's tsunami of community crushing development with sky piercing mirrored luxury buildings.

They took Karl away in the ambulance tonight. I handed the ambulance driver clean sweat pants for Karl and Jay told me the pants my friend Frank gave me for Karl fit! I gave Frank a thank you kiss. Frank is a good, good person! Karl always asks me for kisses and I gave him one in the ambulance before they took him away. He gave me a real wet one in return. I said goodbye. I still have not found the program that gives homeless immediate housing rather than the programs now the keep the viscious cycle alive. The price of ambulances rides by the end of the year could go to housing the homeless as pointed out by the program on Channel 13. I thanked the EMS guys who were kind souls. EMS workers deserve a raise big time.

Ben is the head of the Fiction Dept. at The Strand and he is such an amazing human being. He is the most tolerant true liberal minded intelligent good soul and I love him! He also shines singing in the Gay Men's Choir. I love Ben!!!!!! He talks the talks and walks the walk truly. Beautiful soul!!!! I would write his Mom in Detriot and I am sad to say she in now in Heaven. I loved our letters back and forth and of course I would sing her son's praises to her.

I call John Dennie one of my 9-11 friends -- we met because of 9-11 and at some point we parted ways only to be reunited at a rally to Save St. Brigids! www.savestbrigid.com

Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen needs your support, Washington Square Park and the list goes on, please help

This is Richie, Peter Silvestri's loyal friend who spent Christmas volunteering at Bowery Mission and in the face of eviction, sadness and stress he was encouraging Peter to focus on optimism and hope although it is so hard to be in the position of constantly being evicted. As I said in the rally in the park, Filomena Silvestri died at 94 knowing her dream, Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen since 1978, she, her dream, her son were not evicted out on the street but we as a community came together and Amy Zimmer's piece in Metro I believed help out big time along with local politicians and we won a mini-miracle. Please stop in 130 St. Marks Place and say hi, hug, buy food, if you have any ideas to help please share them and the hours are very long...Peter is there later in the day. 212-677-7597

In the face of great adversity they find the strength to smile...

In memory of Pat Brown who loved very intense passion people. He had the gift to make many people feel loved and they loved him back. He talk karate to blind people, he inspired many people in all walks of life where ever he focused his interests. When 9-11 took our brave souls like him, the Express to Heaven, I thought New York might not recover but I never imagined this kind of community crushing development that took gentrification to a new level I call supersification.

Bob Arihood' blog got me to see the characters and I feel compassion for them. Karl is wearing Roger (my mom's boyfriend that passed away) sweater and Karl always make me laugh telling me Roger says hello. He is with Spike and she and I talked briefly about what I might describe as the dynamics or lack there of, of love and she was right on. If only we could find more support networks, housing and compassion.

I urge you to go to my Washington Square Park Post and also visit this man's blog and myspace to learn how to help... http://youtube.com/washingtonsquarepark

Also please visit St. Brigids and my posting on the old NYPD historical building where they honored their community facility obligation and how we need that in every building in the East Village and city wide because this crushing development -- a kind never seen before in NYC is mainly all for the mega rich and they only thing they haven't done is provide bus, trains and NYU trolleys (which are mostly empty) to move us out.

East Village Holiday Season in memory of Bobby who had the gift to make a lot of people feel loved

East Village has a lot of character or it did. Gentrification has become supersification. Remember Bobby and how I bumped into him by Tompkins Square Park and he made me laugh and lifted my spirit...he had the gift to make a lot of people feel loved.

NYC has or had character and characters which made the city so dynamic, a mosaic of people...I love the East Village characters and I am so glad I am one of them.

St. Brigids, Mary Help of Christian, St. Ann's and more to come down for over the top development

St. Brigids please visit www.neithermorenorless.blogspot.com and type in the search engine St. Brigids for the various posts by Bob Arihood. The interiors shots are haunting for many reasons including the damage done by the Church. The Pope should visit each one of these churches and face the communities city wide that asked him to save these beautiful structures, safe haven and resources for the communities city wide. The work by the community to save this church has been Olympic. www.savestbrigid.com Please visit this site and help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary Help of Christians on the block as well...that had been horrible rumors NYU got it but for now just a horrifying rumor...

St. Ann's and it really important you scroll down and see the rest of the images and links to the illegal air sale -- sure feel illegal and feels criminal...

Locked out, another church...and right next to the Cooper Union construction...you have to click on the image of the door to see the chain....This church probably doesn't fall under the massive sell out by Cardinal Egan -- don't know the story but it is sad...if you click on the image you can see the chains on the door...

2nd Avenue Deli not on 2nd Avenue, the line to get in is out the door

The line remained was even longer when we left and it was nice to see some familiar and very friendly faces. Remembering Abe...

There for 3 tiers or should I say tears of remembering...the "old" New York which is presented on their paper table mats, etc., the even older roots of Yidish & Hebrew history and Abe....

homeless in Tompkin Square, Karl is back and I also met people from the Friend Foundation

I took some photos of the long lines of homeless people waiting for food and other items to stay warm that were being given out by the Friends in Need Foundation. www.friendsinneedusa.org
Another group had joined them to help yesterday www.wrapasmile.org
I decided not to use the photos and instead I am showing Karl aka Santa Claus is back. I gave him a beautiful sweater from my mom's boyfriend who had passed away several years ago to keep him warm. When I saw him this morning he told me Roger kept him warm which made me happy. I saw a program on Channel 13 about "homes first" and I wish Karl could get in that program and have housing.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=185

Save Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen!!!!!!!!

Save Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen! go to Bob Arihood's blog and click on the comment to read what I wrote on helping. If the landlord could a bar or a bank there well you know. Is Peter going to be evicted at the end of the month?

http://neithermorenorless.blogspot.com/2007/12/whole-earth-bakery-and-kitchen-again.html

Kat has the real spirit of what was the Village!

I wear all of Kat's recycled sweaters and she is magical. This is her bus and check out here website www.katwise.com to learn more about her and read about her travels. She has left NYC again and I can't wait until she returns.

Cooper Union continues to supersizing like NYU and sky piercing luxury hotels join "higher" ed mega domination and destruction

Cooper Union got mega millionaire socialite city planner Amanda Burden's green light to tear down and supersize the Science building, move out and lease the building for 99 years. What does that have to do with higher education. I accidently discovered a press conference and the rep for Cooper Union was telling the press we the community love what Cooper Union is doing. I assured the press this is not so. I was told that even our previous mayor's city planner described this as a shell game and did not support the tear down and supersizing super leasing...

Note: The Science Building supersized should fit nicely with the Cooper Union mega dorm pictured to the right which does not fit in with anything except the NYU megadorm next door.

St. Marks Bookstore cannot afford the rent on St. Marks. It is like the Titanic and small retail stores look for shelter but mega dorms are mostly about mega retail chains and I want community outreach resource centers in every mega dorm to help community members and small businesses to survive in their own communities that have been crushed by their mega domination and that includes No 1 NYU, the East Village's very own evil empire, Cooper Union, SVA, NY Law and The New School.

A needle by Cooper Union's construction site which is a reminder of one of the city's big problems and of course drug dealers look forward to the large influx of college kids. It is good for business and in fact all businesses cater to the college kids; sad but true and the film, tv and those that want to exploit the area gloss over the harsh problems that exist.

Cooper Union's tear down of the studio building and I have heard a lot of very negative rumors on this site which I won't share at this time. I also believe 2 water main breaks near by are related and that is my opinion which I am entitled to although Cooper Union says no of course.

The NY Mag calls this hotel Dubai on the Bowery and I wanted to show you the NYU school bus because I blame NYU's zone busting mega domination of the East Village and West for bursting forth of sky piercing hotels and the developers wanting this to be NYU-Las Vegas-ville party central. Please visit www.neithermorenorless.blogspot.com to see the touching protest of our community fighting all the bars of this Cooper Square Dubai on the Bowery Hotel.

NYU does not have a flag outside this pink building to the right here which is deceptively large. You have to see it from the side to see what I mean and the NYU reps I met with to demand community outreach resource centers told me they could not put a flag up because they are leasing the building and the landlord doesn't want an NYU flag or map. NYU also does not update and show what their real campus looks like on those maps and to date NYU has not answered my demand that they update and show the public the real NYU map.

This is not a mega dorm, this is NYU mega student housing and I showed you the glass windows reflecting a community no longer welcome so I want a community outreach resource center here. I contrasted this hideous NYU housing w/retail stores with the historic NYPD building that actually has a community facility.

Another look at the monster NYU student housing on Broome Street across from the historic NYPD building. Please click on my post about the NYPD building so see more...

NYU student housing on 7th Street by the corner of 2nd Avenue and I took a quick picture of the front hall which proudly displays the historic area that NYU has destroyed in the name of higher education with the help of previous mayors but the billionaire mayor and socialite mega millionaire city planner took it to new heights and horror ignoring our pleas turned to rage to Save St. Ann's.

St. Ann's grave with NYU setting a world record Guinness book record setting pace building the tallest most hideous mega dorm every. Can someone tell me how much money David Kramer and Hudson Realty made tearing down this historic church? How much money did each developer make on the each mega dorm that destroyed this neighborhood?