Chinatown Searching for Answers on Park Row
By Josh Rogers
Mayor Mike Bloomberg wanted to have lunch in Chinatown last week, but unlike most people who work in the City Hall area and have a craving for scallops and onions (Bloomberg’s new favorite), the mayor can get through the Park Row barricades protecting police headquarters. Presumably, the trip was less than five minutes by car.
Two days later — on a lighter traffic day, Good Friday — a Downtown Express reporter drove from City Hall, around the barricades to the same restaurant, Sweet & Tart at 20 Mott St., and it took 24 minutes.
Police Blotter
News In Brief
Eckerd Drugs will move into a new 9,000 sq. ft. retail space in the 4 World Financial Center Courtyard, with an entrance on Vesey St., at the end of the summer, according to Brookfield Financial properties, owner of the building….The First Precinct Community Council will meet at 7 p.m. April 29 in the security office of the Alliance for Downtown New York, 120 Washington St. just north of Rector St….The facade of the embattled Greek revival building at 211 Pearl St. will be preserved, according to an agreement finalized last week among city and state officials and Rockrose Development Corp., said two of the parties involved….
Millennium money may be coming ‘very soon’
By Elizabeth O’Brien and Josh Rogers
With the clock ticking until the start of the new school year, Community Board 1 has been waiting for a response from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation on the board’s request for $5 million to help Millennium High School open Downtown in September.
New bill would limit vendors in Battery Park
By Elizabeth O’Brien
It may not be as sweeping as the city’s smoking ban, but Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s proposed legislation to regulate vending in city parks has some art sellers fuming over what they call a blatant disregard for their rights.
Ex-Little League coach charged with kidnapping
By Albert Amateau
Police last week arrested and charged Lawrence Omansky, 54, a lawyer and long-time Tribeca resident known as a devoted Downtown Little League dad, in connection with a bizarre kidnapping in which an estranged real estate partner said he was bound with duct tape and thrust into a crawl-space beneath the floor of Omansky’s apartment and trapped for 28 hours.
City looks to Rockaway and Brooklyn for Chinatown help
By Albert Amateau
The Department of Small Business Services has identified unused space in a Brooklyn and a Queens Empire Zone that could be transferred to Chinatown for a new empire zone to help a neighborhood economy hit hard by the World Trade Center attack.
Eva Capsouto, Tribeca restaurant’s matriarch, 83
Eva Capsouto, mother of the brothers who own Capsouto Frères in Tribeca and a beloved presence who greeted friends, neighbors and guests at the restaurant for more than 20 years, died Thurs. April 17 in NYU Downtown Hospital at the age of 83.
C.B. 2: More housing in Hudson Sq. south, not north
By Albert Amateau
Community Board 2 has voted to divide its recommendation on a proposal to allow residential development in the north and south ends of the Hudson Sq. manufacturing district.
Tribecan fights for law that could have saved her son
By Laura S. Greene
Their sons were lost off the shore of City Island, New York and even though one of the boys dialed 911 on his cell phone, their cries were not answered because the 911 operator was unable to locate them.
New AIDS czar faces tight budget
By DUNCAN OSBORNE
Speaking to thousands of AIDS advocates attending the Community Planning Leadership Summit on AIDS, Mayor Mike Bloomberg set two goals for his administration.
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CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Belles of The Ball
There was no shortage of belles of the ball recently at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center for a ballet performance of “Cinderella.” The Borough of Manhattan Community College theater hosted the event. Elizabeth Parkinson, a dancer with Twyla Tharp, the Joffrey and Feld Ballet, and star of “Movin’ Out” on Broadway, was going to present an award for best costume, but liked all of the costumes and gave awards to everyone.
BARNES & NOBLE
33 E. 17th St., 253-0810: Sat.–Storytime, 2 p.m.
BATTERY PARK CITY
PARKS CONSERVANCY
2 South End Ave., 212-267-9700: Free weekly recreation, sports & art programs for kids, all activities from May 1 through October 31 unless otherwise indicated, call for specific info for future programs:
Nelson A. Rockefeller Park Chambers St.: May 5, 12, 19, June 2, 9, 16 23 & 30-Amatuer Nataralists Club, for first, second & third graders, 3:30-5 p.m., free; Tue.-Children’s Gardening, for grades two through five, 3:45-5 p.m., May 6-Oct. 28, free; Thu.-Art & Play, Preschool art, 10:30 a.m.-noon, free; Mon.-Advanced Art, ages 10-18, 4-5:30 p.m., free; Mon.-Children’s Basketball, 3:30-5:30 p.m., for kids of all sizes, free; Mon.-Afternoon Backgammon, 3:30-5:30 p.m., free; Tue.-Children’s Soccer, 4 year olds, 2:30-3:15 p.m., 5-8 years, 3:30-4:15 p.m., 9-12 years, 4:30-5:30 p.m., free; Tue.-Play as you please, children play group games, 3:30-5:30 p.m., free; Tue.-Teen Drumming, 4-5:30 p.m., free; Thu.-Art & Games, for children 5 years & older, 3:30-5:30 p.m., free; Thu.-Afternoon Chess, 5-6:30 p.m., free.
The Regatta, Community room, 21 South End Ave., West Thames St., May 7 & 14-”Stories & Songs,” with Bob “Bobaloo” Basey, 9:45-10:15 a.m., 6-14 months, 10:30-11 a.m., 15-22 months, 11:15-11:45 a.m., 23-30 months, noon-12:45 p.m., 31 months-4 years, free
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park, Battery Place & West Side Highway: May 2, 9, 16 & 30-Sunset Singing Circle, for young & old, 7-8 p.m., free; Mon.-Wed.-Art & Play for preschoolers, 10 a.m.-noon, free; Sun.-Art & Play, Preschool family play, 2-4 p.m., free; Wed.-Games & art for children 5 years & older, 3:30-5:30 p.m., free.
BOOKS OF WONDER
16 W. 18th St., 212-989-3270: April 26-2003 Newberry & Caldecott Medal Winners, noon-2 p.m., free; May 10-Eoin Colfer, noon-2p.m., free.
CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY
15 W. 16th St., hours vary, please call, 294-8301: “TRADERS TO TARTARY,” a hands-on tour & exhibit on the trading routes used by Jewish merchants who crossed Europe & Asia, Tue., Wed. & Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thur., 11 a.m.-8 p.m., through June, $6 adults, $4 children; “THE TREE OF LIFE SHTENDER,” a sculptural lectern by artists David Moss & Noah Greenberg, ongoing.
CHILDREN’S GALLERIES FOR JEWISH CULTURE
515 W. 20th St., 924-4500: Ongoing–“From Tent to Temple: Life in the Ancient Near East,” children hunt for food, grind wheat, weave cloth & build little houses; “From Home to Home: Jewish Immigration to America,” crafts & activities related to migration, $5; Sun.–“Ancient Necklaces & Postcards from America,” arts & crafts, 2-5 p.m., free with admission; Call about current events for children.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS
182 Lafayette St., 274-0986: Wed. & Thur.–WEE Artist Drop-in Program, art, music and storytelling for children ages 10 mos. to 3-and-a-half years, 10-11:30 a.m., $13; Fri.–Art & Music Makers, games, art & storytelling, call for details; “Back to School,” drawings by Melissa Stern, through Mar. 30.
EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE
344 E. 14th St., 780-2300: Sun.–Family Art Works, art activity workshops for the family, 1-2:30 p.m., free.
FAITH EXCHANGE FELLOWSHIP
30 Wall St., 6th Fl., 566-4085: Mon.–Explore your hidden artistic talents with numerous mediums, free class, 6-8 p.m., 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month, free, call for more information.
GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB
34 W. 22nd St., 877-6115: May 18–Kids ’N’ Comedy Show, 4 p.m. $15.
HUDSON GUILD BEACON
333 W. 17th St., 243-7574: Mon.-Fri.–AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, including athletics, tutoring, arts and more, 3-6 p.m, free.
LOWER EAST SIDE TENEMENT MUSEUM
90 Orchard St., 431-0233: Sat. & Sun.–THE CONFINO FAMILY APARTMENT, the “living history” apartment of a Sephardic-Jewish family from Turkey who lived in the tenement in the early 1900s, tours at noon, 1, 2 & 3 p.m., ongoing.
MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S THEATER
380 Broadway, 252-2840: Through May. 11–“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” adapted from the stories by Lewis Carroll, Sat.-Sun., noon & 2:30 p.m., $10-$12.
MANHATTAN YOUTH
Various locations, 766-1104: MY Art Therapy, K-2nd Grade, Sat., 11 a.m.-noon, 3rd-5th Grade, 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. manhattanyouth.org.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
One Bowling Green, 514-3730: Daily–Short films & videos for children, 11 a.m. & noon.
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY:
Early Childhood Resource & Information Center
66 Leroy St., 929-0815: Wed.–Classic short films for children, 4 p.m., free.
Hudson Park
66 Leroy, 243-6876: Wed.–Film for children ages 3-8, 4 p.m., free.
Muhlenberg
209 W. 23rd St., 924-1585: Tue.–Toddler time, 18 months & up, 11 a.m., free.
New Amsterdam
9 Murray St., 732-8186: Mon.–Picture Book Hour, 4 p.m., free.
Tompkins Square
331 E. 10th St., 228-4747: Mon.–Picture Book Hour, ages 3 to 7, 4 p.m.
THE SALON THEATER
45 Bleecker St., 539-6644: Sat.–THE ADVENTURES OF MAYA THE BEE, the endearing story of a little bee in pursuit of tastier honey told through rod & shadow puppets & a jazz score, 2 p.m., $7 children, $15.
SEA @ LOS KABAYITOS PUPPET & CHILDREN’S THEATER
107 Suffolk St., 2nd Fl., 212-260-4080: April 26–The Three Little Pigs with a Latin Twist, 3 p.m., bilingual, $9-$11.
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM
Pier 16, Children’s Center, 748-8758: April 26-”Playin’ Spoons,” George Gaines Swanson leads children in singing old time songs, 1-4 p.m., $5 materials fee; May 4-Howard Leifer’s Homesick Sailor Puppet Theater & Folk Music Lgends perform for kids, 3 p.m., $4 donation.
TADA! YOUTh Theater
15 W. 28th St., 2nd fl., 212-252-1619: April 24-May 18-”Heroes,” a delightful tale of adventure & friendship, perfromed by kids ages 8-18, call for perfromance times & infrmation, $7-$15.
THIRTEENTH STREET REPERTORY COMPANY
50 W. 13th St., 675-6677, www.13thstreetrep.org: Sat. & Sun.–WISEACRE FARM, the entire farm is celebrating Clifford the Pig’s birthday in contempt of the cake-thieving fox and children are invited to save the cake, ages 3 and up, 1 p.m., $7; Sat.–RUMPLE WHO?, Will Bartlett revives the hit children’s musical adaptation of “Rumpelstiltskin,” dir. by Robert Kreis, ages 5 and up, 3 p.m., $7;
THEATER BIRTHDAY PARTIES avail. on days of shows.
Tribeca Performing Arts Center
199 Chambers St., 212-220-1460: May 3-”The Magic Land of Peter Pan,” starring Arnie Kolodner, 1:30 p.m., $9-$14.
washington Market Playground
Greenwich & Duane St., 212-353-6935: May 3 & 4-”The Tinderbox,” by Hans Christian Anderson, 2 p.m., free, call for information.
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due to space constraints.
Please address letters to:
Editor@GayCityNews.com
Or, via fax, to 646.452.2501
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New York, NY 10013
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Letter from the Editor
Opening dialogues and streets in Chinatown
When the U.S. military has taken over Iraqi towns over the last few weeks, typically, military commanders have made it a point to meet with local religious and community leaders. They have done this despite well-founded fears that some of the locals may have suicide bombs strapped to their stomachs. One wonders what Police Commissioner Ray Kelly might say to these officers if he tried to explain why he has so far chosen not to meet with the locals who live in Chinatown and near City Hall to explain the closure of Park Row, a main artery connecting the two neighborhood.
Letters to the editor
Downtown Notebook
Motherhood/Multi-task either way it’s not easy
By Wickham Boyle
What used to be called motherhood is now termed multitasking in a trend that has the world gone business school jargon crazy.
This morning, my husband’s birthday, I got up, made coffee, got the kids off to school and contemplated my day for a good two minutes before I came up with an insane mother plan, oh sorry multi-tasking method, for tackling my very disorderly, ooops again, diversely-challenged day.
The Penney Post
The flavor of banned books
By Andrei Codrescu
The year 2003 will be remembered for many things in New Orleans, but the most interesting so far is the city ban on selling books on the street. You can legally buy razor blades, beads, temporary tattoos, and Lucky Dogs (frankfurters)…
Downtown’s the scene for hip hop fashion
By Wickham Boyle
Hoping down the bunny trail has taken on a whole new meaning Downtown, cause there was a hip hop, very hopening fashion show staged at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center this past Saturday.
Radio Station 105.1 produced this event featuring the top fashion innovators in the hip hop world but there was a twist on this show, it was for as the folks in charge, say "Fashion for shorties." That’s kids to us.
Easter in Tribeca
Downtown Express photos by Elisabeth Robert
My son sees me as a movie star
By Jane Flanagan
Back when I was pushing my then 11/2 year-old son Rusty around town, women of a certain age would stop me on the street, peer into his stroller and ogle. "Enjoy this time," they’d said. "It goes too fast."
Children's Activities
There was no shortage of belles of the ball recently at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center for a ballet performance of "Cinderella." The Borough of Manhattan Community College theater hosted the event. Elizabeth Parkinson, a dancer with Twyla Tharp, the Joffrey
and Feld Ballet, and star of "Movin’ Out" on Broadway, was going to present an award for best costume, but liked all of the costumes and gave awards to everyone. Full listing here…
Koch On Film
Hizzoner review Cet Amour-la and XXYY.
Arts
Financier
By Ellison Walcott
One thing is for sure: painter Kimberly Dawn knows how to vogue. She stared into the Downtown Express photographer’s camera lens as if posing for a Calvin Klein ad. Her porcelain white Persian cat Princess Isabella, a.k.a. P dog, sat in the corner of her studio beaming with pride, as if she was the one who taught Dawn the sultry poses.
On The Town
Cabarets, Restaurants, Clubs
Exhibitions
Dance
Comedy
Concerts
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