My Valentine's to my neighborhood

Self portrait at Web Zone where I upload my blogging and my hexagon in Tompkin Square Park which is from a poem I wrote from the short story "The Going". Special love to all those that have been so loving and supportive to me. I had to make my poem extra short to fit into the hexagon mosaic but it is a love letter to the community, Tompkins, and the people I love--the ones that are here and to loved ones that have died, many way too young. Special thanks to my activist lawyers David Rankin and Mark Taylor.

www.47e3.org

http://47e3.org/


I just made a donation and I urge you to visit their website...read their story and make a donation as well!

NYU considers Broadway and Lafeyette their parking lot for NYU buses and trolleys

This is where I want the first NYU community outreach resource center that I confronted the mayor about on the John Gambling show which is archived and the link the last comment on my first blog ever on http://www.suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/ "I am" This is NYU's student housing center and reflects a community no longer and a history destroyed and that is East Village, West Village, Washington Square Park and anywhere NYU dominates and occupies including Stuy Town which was meant to be affordable housing.

Broadway is also NYU's parking lot -- NYU the East Village's very own Evil Empire treats Broadway and Lafayette as their huge parking lot and the only thing NYU has not done is provide NYU buses and trolleys to move us out to make from for NYU's unending need for student housing as evictions continue to rise!

Note: The next block down you can see the front of yet another NYU bus and there was also one parked directly across the street from this one on Lafayette Street because NYU considers the neighborhood one big parking lot although they have so much private property to park these monsters that are usually half to completely empty and congest our small streets.

Photographer Marlis Momber's photo exhibit, auction Viva Lisaida Lower East Side Photos: 1976-2008

Alfredo called me and invited to visit Umbrella house and see the photos of Marlis Momber who documented the Lower East Side in the 1970's on ward showing the political turmoil. I empathize with her concerns for archiving her work because I am an artist and have similar concerns for my art. I bought a photo of the NYPD arresting a squator/eviction 267 East 4th Street to add to my collection. . I continue to want to support other's artistic endeavors although right now is one of the most difficult times in life. I welcome change but there is enormous stress moving after all these years so it was very difficult to show up and even buy a photo when I just crammed so much of own work in a temporary storage space.
It was great to see Alfredo and we worked together to make the streets by the schools where his garden with Carmen safer and we are still hoping the City of New York will allot speed bumps because the kids deserve them and I noticed the others schools have them and why not these schools.

Here is the contact info for Marissa and I will also ask you to visit the web site for Alfredo and Carmen's garden because the magical kids garden if facing eviction under this tsunami of development.

Marlis Momber marlis@marlismomberphoto.com

http://www.marlismomberphoto.com/

Umbrella House 21-23 Avenue C. near Houston Street Feb. 8- Feb. 17, 2008

Archival Photographs 1976-2008 to raise money to finance archiving 1000 + negatives and prints

http://kidsmagicgarden.net/ Dear Readers of my blog: I ask you to visit this web site and read about the struggle to keep this garden for the community and the history. Please help and remember as you examine the history of this neigbhorhood through photo exhibits like Marlis Momber and Clayton Patterson that you remember to help in anyway possible the people fighting eviction like the kid's magic garden, Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen and http://www.47e3.org/ and many others city wide!

View from The Metropolitan Museum

I know it is funny that I am not showing you art from the museum but the view from the cafe with glass windows. So many thoughts...Jennifer Levin was murdered very nearby and I remember the jury never saw the footage of Robert Chambers breaking off a Barbie doll's head and laughing with a group of adoring young women all laughing. Violence towards women is done on so many levels and much of it is dismissed protecting the abusers and the abusive people always blame the victim.

My Dad took a rest as I sat at a table and I took this photo. He and I have been through so much he nodded out for 15 minutes and I felt in my heart how we have a finite time in this world and despite up and downs, the overwhelming feeling is great love. I remember he and I where in Paris sitting together with a very similar view...Paris New York....two very different cities but many landmarks are similar if not the same...oddly connected from the Statue of Liberty to Egyptian hieroglyphics. Art is like hieroglyphics, maybe like a murder mystery understanding the subtext....the surface and what is below the surface. My art themes are varied but what connects them is the supercharged surfaces, the energy and what is below the surface...the meaning even when the art seems "light" and funny be assured I am talking about much more than what you first visually experience.

Snow Tompkins Square my thoughts and friends

The snow came in fierce dustings and than disappeared as quickly only to return like ocean waves. Karl told me of a pastor at Heuss House that is helping him and also the difficulties and stresses involved in getting shelter so just having a warm roof over my head is clearly a blessing. I was very concerned Friday as I moved my art out of my home for 20 years and the support network I have in place knows why. Community activist and friends showed up to support me. I will need more support in the following weeks.

can't sleep, wish I could fast foward

sigh

Heaven is no NYU-mega dorms, no posers or cowards

Cannot wait to move on. I have lived here more than any place in my entire life and it is traumatic to move after aprox 25 years here and circa 20 years next to what is now St. Ann's Church grave aka NYU's newest hideous mega dorm...but circumstances are such I will not miss my home and in fact I will never set foot in the building again. (If you have not seen the NYU destruction of St. Ann's in person look at photos on my blog. www.myspace.com/suzannahbtroyartistcom to read my rant on posers aka cowards. )

Someone made me laugh so much despite all my concerns...so suprising who steps forward and touches your soul, comforts you and who can't be bothered. This underscores "village East and West" and "community" as opposed to NYU-Las Vegas-ville. Did you see NYU's newest plans for mega domination for their continued destructive expansion?

I love the neighborhood even though NYU has destroyed it completely because of the mosiac of the people...amazing the people that touch my soul, local characters, police officers, firemen, fellow activists, homeless people, fellow artists, the people that work at The Strand especially Ben, Cafe Orlin Yossi, Al from Benny's, Dr. Katherine Keil, so many magical wonderful people, a diverse mosaic of people that have a common thread...they touch me with their humanity...they are as beautiful as the trees and buildings that have so far survived the tsunami of community crushing development.

Suzannah B. Troy at Web Zone....keys computer keys, another fenced park, Karl

Very blue...my mind turns to motorcycle...the fierce and beautiful, moving art, a Jimmy Morrison song "Break on through to the other side!" I am cat co-dependant, not portable but I got my ride, love my neighbhorhood, love the real people, Karl is getting some support at Heuss House but it is not easy being homeless and the resources and or the lack of...I use computer keys in my art but tonight more like a pillow...web zone...

Link broken to Betrayal at Ground Zero my letter in the WSJ

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB111457272166718054.html%20

I still feel some kind of shock and disbelief about everything...and I think of my sentance "...betrayal is a daily staple..." April 27, 2005
so true...

...it was also amazing to find my letter on the same page as senators' letters including one that ran for President.
very blue today...sometimes I really doubt my reality...as if this is all a bad dream...and I will wake up...

To date our firehouses remained closed, the rescue workers that died in the line of duty are still denied their rank, a simple honor due and they remain invisible on the seemlingly unending fence all these years to millions of visitors although they did not hesitate with their lives the mayor hesitates because he is concerned about making them some how special. The NYPD starting salary has been lowered. Ask the mayor if he would agree to lowering the recruiting salary for Bloomberg News?

Blue...I never imagined this new hideous New York, a tsunami of development and displacement post 9-11...
blue

Dogs East Village Cuddle and I want to join them!

Anna Sawaryn "Coney Island Through The Invisible Lens"

Here are some beautiful images of our neighborhood as well as Coney Island taking through a pin hole box...unusal, dream like...almost haunting....

4th Street Photo Gallery

67 East 4th Stret

NYC 10003

www.annasawaryn.com

Natalee Holloway's the alleged murderer implicates himself

I have told you Adrienne Shelly was murdered here in the West Village because she dared to ask for some peace and quiet. There is an epidemic and more women die from this than breast cancer. It hits close to home for me. Natalee is another casualty. The men that may have been involved in her murder have denied everything and it just seems like a big joke to them.

Abusers blame the victim...and murder is the ultimate silencer but the goal is to initimidate, silence and blame the victim. The lies, the blaming the victim is like a slow motion hate crime...

My letter in Metro "Godzilla ain't got nothing on NYU"

To your left, St. Ann's facade from 1847 and to your right mirror like glass reflecting a history destroyed and a community no longer welcome. My letter to Sheldon Silver was about NYU buses and truly and congestion, parking and environmental issues. NYU uses Lafayette Street as one big parking lot when they have plenty of private property they could use but read early posts on my thoughts and suggestions on this issue.

Metro, February 4, 2008

Godzilla ain't got nothing on NYU

Amy Zimmer's piece on NYU refers to the "Godzilla NYU Plan". I refer to NYU as the Evil Empire of the East Village. They're mega-dorming the neighborhood to death as evictions continue to rise!

St. Ann's from 1847 survived everything but NYU's need and greed to build yet another mega-dorm. This one is the tallest and most hideous yet, with a mirrored glass that reflects a history destroyed and a community no longer welcome!

Actions speak louder than words and the people and small businesses that are barely surviving have good reason to be more than skeptical of NYU.

Suzannah B. Troy

The New York Giants win!!!!!!!!

I told you do to stress relief I started to watch the NY Giants and last night was a spiritual lesson in keeping the faith...seeing yourself as a winner always...such a New York story. I see this year of the year of "arrogant collaspes"....

crane incident Tribeca

See my letter published in The New York Daily News about this tsunami of development and the construction related injuries and deaths.

I see the "crane condo" here in the East Village from my window. Also makes me think of Bobby and Joseph and these two firemen should be alive...in contrast Deustche Bank construction was and remains too slow.

July 7, 2007 NY Daily News letter "body bags", the link for this letter is posted on my blog under "Trump and Varrick" January 15, 2008, please refer to Jan. archive

http://www.thexandoshow.blogspot.com/

http://www.thexandoshow.blogspot.com/

Tentative list of artists and I am included -- fund raiser for Toronto Rape Crisis Center and the organizer has a positive theme about letting go....
I had a very traumatic experience in my lobby x amount of months ago and it was not a rape but a terrible violation and the timing of this show and theme was mind-blowing for me.
I really want to help empower women and make sure the get the support they need. Women and girls are often victims of kinds of violence and they are blamed by the abuser. I think of Adrienne Shelly and how she simply asked for some peace and quiet here in the West Village and she was murdered in her home by a construction worker that tried to make it look like a suicide. Her film "Waitress" is brilliant; a love letter to her beautiful little daughter who is pictured at the end of the film.

answer to congestion pricing, cars+ vegan food Earth issues East Village style

George Bliss had told me about these cars and how they can park like a shopping cart and after he told me here I see one parked in front of Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen.

I decided to combine themes of vegan and mini smart cars because they are a form of activism for a better healthy planet.


George is an inventor, designer and entrepreneur (check my blog from a few days ago to read about his Hub Station) . He wants to transform activism in to a profit model that motivates people to get involved. He believes by competing and providing a better eco-friendly product and a better experience for all involved we can help the urban-city environment to be green and a model so it's like activism with profitability.

Also, despite Peter's incredible smile and good cheer he is fighting eviction and he needs your help so please visit Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen on St. Marks and help in any way possible because you help this beloved neighborhood and the planet by doing so. How to help...? Shop, hire Peter to cater your parties, if you can help him to find a new location...any other ideas...?

email NYU your comments

You can express your concerns directly to the university by going to their feedback page at http://www.nyu.edu/nyu.plans.2031/comments/

I got this link from Andrew Berman's email from www.gvshp.org

I posted my suggestions under comments for The New York Times letter re: NYU

got a letter from Sheldon Silver re: NYU concerns

...more on this letter later. I don't even get my mail at my home address...you thought the USPS air sale over St. Ann's was so wrong and it was...

Lucien Restaurant Clayton and Lucien remind me why I love the neighborhood so much

Yes, it is Clayton Patteron with his unique hat and fabulous beard. I had the blues and he and Lucien reminded me why I love this neighborhood so much and that we are truly a village, still. Lucien gave me delicous food, good wine and did "spiritual cpr" on me too! (Not on the menu!) Lucien made me want to stay here in NYC and here in our beloved neighborhood. I have lived my entire adult life here and I love the character and characters...the texture...the dynanism.

Clayton Patterson's powerful photos reflect the incrediable texture of the neighborhood past and present and characters that have made the neighborhood famous or infamous...and he just had an amazing exhibit in Chelsea with his photos. At the gallery, I watched a video he made during the riots and I really felt like Ridley Scott must have seen Clayton's work and video footage because "Blade Runner" reflects Clayton's photographs and videos and they are all real!!!!!!!!!!! Clayton Patterson also has the Outlaw Museum here in the neighborhood.

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7098591/

Lucien Restaurant
14 1st AveNew York, NY 10009Phone: (212) 260-6481

Lucien is mystical and magical and that food is great as well!!!!!!!! Another East Village treasure and I treasure lunch at Lucien today!!!!!!!!!!!!

The New York Times, Metro Section, article on NYU and of course I wrote them a letter

Let us see if The New York Times publishes my letter....
if not I will put it up on this blog next week. How ironic NYU reps. say verbatim what I have been heard saying at rallies, on the radio to the mayor which is archived and you can find the link under "comments" on my first blog entry for this site last year...but we don't believe NYU and of course it will be only actions that could make us believe and we are still waiting...we that are left...

Many also feel too little too late...just look around the neighborhood and include all neighbors here in NYC the empire of NYU "occupies".

+ go to link, Scroll down to Oct 19th ...pick the top option for "archived link" which gives you the stream without down loadmove the cursor to 29 minutes (almost the end!!!) Suzannah B. TroyOCTOBER 19, 2007 Live from City Hall with Mayor Mike and John Gambling

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.b270a4a1d51bb3017bce0ed101c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=/html/om/html/2007b/events_10.html

You can hear me confront him about NYU mega dorming the East Village to death and more...including my demand for community outreach resource centers in every mega dorm...

Jan. 31 just got this email from Andrew Berman www.gvshp.org

1) For the first time, NYU agreed to a a set of "planning principles" to guide the university's future development. The principles were negotiated by a task force led by Borough President Stringer which includes GVSHP, other community groups, elected officials, and community boards. The principles include the University prioritizing identifying locations OUTSIDE of our neighborhoods for possible future growth (see gvshp.org/documents/NYUPlanningPrinciples.pdf). This is a significant change in NYU's practices GVSHP has long called for (see http://gvshp.org/NYUexpansion.htm#2Feb06)
2) NYU's public 'Open House' presented a variety of possibilities the university is contemplating for its future growth (see www.nyu.edu/nyu.plans.2031/pdf/OpenHousePresentation.jan30.pdf)
Both events were covered extensively in the press, including in:
AM NY (http://gvshp.org/documents/AMNYPlanningPrinciplesNYU.pdf)
NY 1 News (www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=8&aid=77996)
The New York Times (www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/nyregion/30nyu.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=karen+arenson+NYU&st=nyt&oref=slogin)
Metro NY(http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/Village_skeptical_of_Godzilla_NYU_plan/11627.html).

GVSHP worked very hard to ensure that the planning principles emphasized the need for the university to look outside the neighborhood as much as possible when contemplating additional growth. We hope and expect that these principles will be a roadmap to further more specific and concrete agreements, and we intend to hold NYU to the letter and the spirit of this document.

However, clearly much work still needs to be done. NYU's plans still project the university adding 3 million or more square feet to our neighborhood over the next 25 years -- the equivalent of seventeen or more of their new 26-story mega-dorms on East 12th Street -- an amount we find completely unacceptable. Additionally, the University's plans reflect a great deal of thinking around the possibility of new developments in our neighborhood -- especially in and around the Washington Square Village and Silver Towers superblocks -- while plans for finding development sites outside our neighborhood remain vague and preliminary. GVSHP has long taken the position that NYU should remain within their existing footprint and envelope in our neighborhood -- rather than continuing to expand -- and that their first priority must be to find alternative sites for any new growth. While the university has taken some small concrete steps in the right direction -- such as agreeing to site a new graduate dorm in Downtown Brooklyn -- we are very concerned that the University does not appear to be moving as quickly or as resolutely on alternative locations for other new development as they are for local ones. Many members of the public who attended yesterday's Open House expressed similar reservations about the university moving ahead with ANY new development plans in our neighborhood until or unless they exhaust their options for satellite locations.

You can express your concerns directly to the university by going to their feedback page at http://www.nyu.edu/nyu.plans.2031/comments/.

GVSHP will continue to work hard through the Borough President's NYU Task Force and through our own efforts to prevent inappropriate development by the University in our neighborhood. We believe the planning principles agreed to by NYU give us increased leverage in this regard, providing a means to either steer the university away from such development, or to publicly call them on their failure to maintain written agreements they have made with GVSHP, elected officials, and a broad range of community groups.

Andrew Berman, Executive DirectorGreenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

George Bliss, Hub Station, 73 Morton Street, George recycles on many levels...

This is the original sign from George Bliss's multi-faceted bicycle one story garage place on 3rd Street where George Bliss was forced out for what is now the New York Law mega dorm with balconies.

This white tricycle is a custom creation to transport children. George and Hub Station can recycle and or create any kind of moveable eco-friendly transportation for you.

Gentle good Scout takes a nap. I met George Bliss in the late '80s when he lived across from my windows that face 12th Street and I would see his beloved dog Orvis who I later came to walk around the neighborhood. One of my great joys was running around with Orvis. George and his girlfriend would go out and search through trash finding items to sell way back when and he used his dynamism to create tricycles (dump toting tricycles) and unique bicycles that could haul recycled items and of course Orvis! I remember I use to talk to Ben, a homeless man that George was kind hearted enough to give shelter to. Ben and I both enjoyed walking Orvis.

George Bliss went from 12th Street to 4th and the Bowery which was Cooper Union property. At first Cooper Union was cool and supportive and George was an unpaid advisor for an engineering course that studied human powered vehicles . It had been a Gulf gas station and of course a bicycle hub of eco-action by George with his bicycles. Of course Cooper Union displaced George and also note George was an early activist fighting NYU's mega dorm-i-nation protesting the first mega dorm on 3rd Avenue yet NYU, Yale University, organic farms and recycling programs bought his "dump trickes" (his tricycles that he developed to haul garbage he would recycle) way back when. Note: George Bliss doesn't focus on protesting anymore. His eco-activism is to provide an alternative source in this case pedicabs that is better for people and the environment especially in urban cities like our beloved NYC! George is focused on the big picture in terms of his activism = the Planet!

Back to displacement, George's eco-activist bikes got booted out for Eric Goode to run the model celebrity hang out eatery (Eric Goode of the zone busting Bowery Hotel that looks like a prison just a block away) until Cooper Union decided it did not look good for a university to be the landlord...that is how I understand it from neighborhood sources so don't quote me....

George than moved to 3rd Street where he got displaced and the one story garage was torn down for a mega dorm NY Law dorm with balconies. From there he went to Soho, Broome and Thompson, yes, you guessed it, got forced out so know he is at 73 Morton Street.

And yes, Columbia University's velvet hammer has crushed George and the people of Manhattanville because George has a work studio that has become inconvenient (talk about incovenient truths--how about inconvenient existences...(for these universities and developers and their backers) that is how many of us feel city wide as gentrification reaches new heights and population push out for college kids and luxury hotels-condos which I renamed supersification.... )so he must move it.

I would love to create a map of George's displacement...his constant flux yet he endures and continues on with his noble endeavors and creations to help communities city wide in an pro-environment way.

George Bliss, Hub Station, 73 Morton Street,  hubstationsoho@yahoo.com

I urge you to visit Hub Station and rent a bike, buy accessories, hire George to make you a unique eco-friendly creation. We must support these unique gems so do an article on him, post the Hub Station on your blog, tell your friends!!!! Pedicabs are stored there and George is part of the magnificent New York mosaic of people that truly want a green New York to help the communities city wide and eco-wise -- the planet.

George Bliss is what I call an "Eco-Activist". He wants to save the Planet. If NYU or Cooper Union both hired him even I would say "good" because he can begin to recycle their toxic karma towards our community. That is my unique artist's opinion!

George's initial idea was a community space (and I witnessed this from my window on 12th Street way back when) but he can't afford real estate so he took his idea to the streets. The streets even here in NYC are free for now. George points out instead the mayor doing all this price congestion we could get these new "smart cars" out of Europe that are mini so it is like parking a shopping cart. He compared these cars to computers vs. typewriters and they would save all these tolls, price congestion, ticketing and help the environment.

Green transporting...urban city landscape...it can be done and George has so many ideas on this you should hear what he has to say first hand!

There is so much more I have to write. I took extensive notes and there is the lawsuit against Christine Quinn and city council which I need to read more about. I know The New York Daily News did a piece on this.

I have to run but I will write more because this is an exciting important topic...

Scarano's "finger" to the community zone buster and the NYU unmarked pink dorm on the Bowery

To the right of the tree is a pink building that is deceptively large NYU student housing "unmarked" and when I met with NYU's representatives they said the landlord would not let them put up their flag and NYU map. I also asked them to update their maps and I want them to accurately represent their true "campus". Scarano's message to the community is intrinsic in his design and NYU (the East Village's very own evil empire and all the developers and share Scarano's message. NYU is the no. 1 real estate magnate and occupies and displaces us waiting for buildings to empty so they can continue their unending need for expansion and
with the perk of not for profit status!

The Scarano "finger building" is the Bowery Hotel but looks more like a prison and makes me wonder if the architect takes anti-depressants or should. Visitors must not mind their lodgings are next to the *Salvation Army and a homeless shelter. The only buildings that line up with this zone buster is the NY Law mega dorm on 3rd Street, Dubai on the Bowery aka Cooper Square Hotel and all the NYU mega dorms and the Cooper Union mega dorm pictured on this blog in the archive.

* Note: I have stated my concern for quite a while now that my fear is the Salvation Army will sell off this space just like the evicted all those women that depended on them for affordable housing by Gramery Park....You see where I am going with "lining up"...you can interpret in many ways...

love the feeling

Transportation that tells a story...love the vibe...especially now when gentrification has become supersification...these unique statements become more important...