Friday, October 31, 2014

CW Capital Hopes to Get These Type of Tenants

They could be students. Or, perhaps, Young Urban Professionals. No one over 30. No families.

Party Time in ST/PCV!!!


Alternate PCVST Tenant Referral Program ads posted in the halls of NYU:


Thursday, October 30, 2014

Breaking News: Dan Wants You to Know...

Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to share the news that I was just selected as one of twelve leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL, a national network that seeks to promote pro growth progressive leaders at the state and local levels.  The group is co-chaired by Senator Mark Begich of Alaska and Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland, and I believe it will be a great opportunity to share ideas with like minded leaders from across the country.  I am honored to join the group, and you can read more about them here.

All the best,

Dan

Friday, October 24, 2014

Let the Circus Begin


Perhaps if we don't want to start a panic, the news helicopter(s) that hovered this early morning over Bellevue, waking up light sleepers in ST/PCV after 6am, should disappear. Is it really that important to get aerial shots of the hospital where NYC's first Ebola patient is being cared for?

Sending positive thoughts for a full recovery for the patient.

(On a side note: Look into Governor Cuomo's eyes. The man has superior powers of hypnosis.)

Say Goodbye to 57th St and the View from Inside Central Park


In case you don't get out much to the rest of Manhattan, you should know that it's over for the picture postcard area around 57th Street and Central Park South. Be thankful for your memories of being in the Park or walking along the classy "Breakfast at Tiffany's" 57th Street. Part of this area falls under Councilman Dan Garodnick's realm, though the fault lies much deeper and wider than with one councilman, but rests with city planners, zoning regulations, and the politicians who let all this happen. (May the name of Michael Bloomberg be forever emblazoned in the appropriate Hall of Shame for what he allowed Manhattan to become.)

Weep while you read this:

Why 57 Street is the Supertall Tower Mecca of New York.

And check this out. A website for 432 Park Avenue, which will be the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere, at least for a while. Note which language follows English.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

"The Courts" at Stuy Town - Just Another Way to Take Your Money


Who are they fooling? Yeah, sure it's free... But you'll have to move aside when the events that won't be free will be occurring during "programming hours." Like:

"Keep your kids active with youth baseball clinics & batting cages by Peter Stuyvesant Little League, soccer clinics from PCVST favorite Super Soccer Stars, instructional basketball leagues from Dribbl, and even youth golf clinics from Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy. Play basketball throughout the cold months with the NYC Basketball League, running organized games for adults."

At Playground 11. Another gimmick with a cost attached to it. Approved by the Tenants Association and our councilman, Dan Garodnick.

Meanwhile, we learn that Management refused to let the police distribute flyers alerting residents to thefts taking place in ST/PCV and never alerted residents about the sex assault suspect that tried to rape a woman in Stuy Town last week.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Attempted Rape in Stuy Town

TA email:

At about 4:00 a.m. on Friday, October 17, a 20-year-old woman was assaulted by a would-be rapist who followed her into the elevator of her Stuyvesant Town building on the 600 block of East 14th Street. She fought him off, and he fled. The man's image was captured on security cameras in the Terrace and Main lobbies, the elevator, and then later in the street. He was seen climbing down a tree to get to street level.
  
  
The suspect is described by police as a male Hispanic wearing a dark hoodie, a dark T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers.


The woman was badly injured and treated at Beth Israel Medical Center.

SAFETY REMINDER TO ALL TENANTS:
  1. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
  2. Do not let anyone into the building that you don't recognize.
  3. Shut the security door behind you so that no one can sneak in behind you. Don't just proceed to the elevator.
  4. Don't get into the elevator with anyone you have any doubt about.
  5. If you are concerned, contact Public Safety via the lobby intercom.
  6. Do not worry about offending someone--your safety is the most important thing.

Although our neighborhood is generally safe, we have had incidents--most recently the StuyTown Groper--so it's important for everyone to stay alert, not just for themselves but for their neighbors and the security of the building.

---------------------

UPDATE:  More info here.

The suspect:


Enjoy It While You Can!

Let's see.... Too much green space in ST/PCV....  I got it!  Let's make this a playground! More basketball courts!


Sunday, October 12, 2014

Never on Sunday... Except in Stuy Town

So this Sunday morning work crews were out at the soon-to-be Ice Rink banging, sawing, making a racket. No work order around allowing this on Sunday. I guess no one cares. Another day, even Sunday, in Stuy Town.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Follow the Trail to Find Whether Councilman Dan Garodnick Voted for NYU's Controversial Plan to Remove Current Park and Playground Space

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/henry-stern-de-blasio-side-villagers-nyu-article-1.1962540

From the above opinion piece by Henry Stern, former city parks commissioner:

LaGuardia Park, LaGuardia Gardens and Mercer Playground are in NYU’s crosshairs for development. The university claims they’re not really parks — based on the fact that they’re technically overseen by the city’s Department of Transportation.
 
That argument holds no water. Not every slice of open public land is technically part of the city’s official park portfolio, but it’s how the space is used by the community that determines its status.
 
In this case, even though the strips of land in question were never formally turned over to the city’s Parks Department — as Parks Commissioner for 14 years, I tried repeatedly to make this happen — they have been used by the community as parks for decades.
 
A recent decision in state court set back NYU’s plans — by declaring that LaGuardia Park, LaGuardia Gardens and Mercer Playground are, in fact, entitled to basic protections as public space.
 
The city is now appealing that court’s decision, fighting in court on the same side as NYU. If successful, not only could the already scant open space available in the area become greatly diminished, it would be a continued violation of the Public Trust Doctrine.
 
That doctrine, which dates back to the time of the Roman Empire, is a crucial part of America’s common law tradition. It maintains that the government holds the titles to certain waters and lands in trust for the people. 

This has evolved to extend protection to scenic resources, open space in general, energy generation and preservation of ecosystems and historical sites.
 
In New York State, if an entity wishes to develop or remove a parcel of parkland from public ownership and use, it must follow a legal process called “alienation,” which, among other conditions, requires approval from the state Legislature.
 
Not only did NYU fail to take these steps, but our City Council then blatantly disregarded its obligations.

Naturally, I'd like to know how our City Councilman Dan Garodnick voted on the issue. It took a bit of time. Click on "Action Details" on the line that has City Council to find the answer:

 http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1154264&GUID=6B49A1B7-9F3D-49EF-8BE1-807DB445FB09&Options=ID|Text|&Search=Ulurp

The petition against the City Council, among other person and entities, which Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills ruled on:
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills rule

http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/preservation/nyu/doc/petition-09-24-12.pdf

Friday, October 3, 2014

Beauty and peace can still by found in Stuyvesant Town at certain times of the day

Click on photo to make larger

TA Still Hopes for Unaffordable Condo Conversion to Save Affordable Housing in ST/PCV

According to this week's, T & V newspaper, our Tenants Association is still hoping that condo conversion be will actualized in ST/PCV so that affordable housing can be saved here. I guess that's the logic that's at work.

Susan Steinberg, chair of the TA, is quoted: "What we would define as affordable would depend to some degree on median income, what is considered middle class. Three thousand for a one-bedroom, five thousand for a two bedroom is not affordable. I'm of the mind that affordable is not market rate, so a fireman could live here, a nurse could live here, a teacher could live here. Not five students crammed into a one-bedroom apartment."

Of course, only tenants with money to spare will be able to afford to purchase a condo in ST/PCV and their "rent" will surely be at least, or over, $3K for one-bedroom or $5K for two, taking into account mortgage payments and maintenance fees.

One also wonders that if Ms. Steinberg, and the rest of the higher-ups at the TA, believe that students are cramming into apartments here, why does the TA not take CWCapital to court over this illegal rental situation?

The likely explanation is that the TA, having been so long fixated on the idea of condo conversion, will not take CWCapital to court over anything major because a court battle would hold up the remote possibility of condo conversion for years. So tenants are being bludgeoned by the landlord daily, monthly, yearly, but little is done by the TA, except complaints on such matters as laundry machines--and so far without success on even that!

There's even worse news for tenants in this week's T & V--our market-rate tenants. Quoting the paper:

"Reps for the mayor have previously said tax incentives or subsidies were a possible solution to keep affordable apartments affordable while also admitting there's no turning back the clock for 'Roberts' tenants and others paying higher rents."

It's over.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

One Reason Why Your Rent May Be Going Up

Your air-conditioning....

Click on image to make larger.