Stuy Town to Adam Rose and Maya Autret: We're Not Interested in Your Summer on the Oval Events

How do I know the above is very true? Look at the figures. I've monitored several Summer on the Oval events this past summer, including the last one (thank heavens) today, and none of them had an attendance that I would call impacting. Today, when I was there after 3:30 pm, I counted heads and came up with about 125-130 (difficult to do an accurate count with people moving around, etc). I will grant that maybe another 50 may have turned up later, but the number still is shy of 200. Even if another 100 turned up, that still is a low number considering that ST/PCV has a population of over 25,000 and probably much more considering all the pressurized walls here. And let's not forget that about 75 of those initially "in attendance" were already there, young folks sunbathing themselves hours before the concert began.

This low turnout happens all the time, this after the e-mails, the deluxe brochures slipped under the door, the signs all over the complex listing the events--and the clear invitation, with outside promotions, for ALL New Yorkers to attend Summer on the Oval.

Here are some photos from these events. This one from when the circus came to Stuy Town:



Battle of the Paint Brushes, or whatever the hell that event was called:



Today's grand finale!....



A close-up of the same shot, zeroing in on the performer. Note the disinterested sunbathers in the foreground:



And another shot of the packed crowds:



From the other side, a closer shot of people on the lawn listening to the concert. (You can click on the photo to see its larger size):




So, Adam and Maya--a BIG FAIL.

But, perhaps, it is not that big of a fail, because one of the chief reasons, if not the supreme reason, for Summer on the Oval is to present Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village as a happening place for outsiders, the potential renters that management is hoping to attract. This is why the rental office on 1st Ave has this facing the street and passersby:





The photo right above, btw, is of a new monitor placed at the rental office window. Pretty nice, isn't it? You may see yourself there in the future if you attended any of the events and were photographed.

So Rose Associates is spending CW Capital's money on this nonsense, while areas of the complex (especially now Peter Cooper!) look lousy, and buildings need cleaning and painting, and the laundry rooms are appalling, and there's still furniture being dumped all of the place, and dog urine smells wafting up from the new designated dog areas (most of the complex), and gaudy and smelly food trucks (the newest brilliant idea) mar the Oval. Ace, you've done your job and you've done it well!

Contact Joyride Trucks

The Joyride Truck has probably been the most obnoxious and persistent of the food trucks to descend on Stuyvesant Town. The truck is there this morning, humming away throughout the entire Oval. If you wish to make your displeasure known to Joyride, this is their contact page:

www.joyridetrucks.com/contact/contact_joyride_trucks.html

There, you will find the following:

Phone number: 646.450.1569.

The emails of the guys who run Joyride:

David Belanich: david@joyridetrucks.com
Adam Belanich: adam@joyridetrucks.com
Lev Brie: lev@joyridetrucks.com

Please let them know that you do not want their trucks in this residential neighborhood. Let them also know that you can and will let all New Yorkers know about your continued dissatisfaction at the Yelp review site. (There are already a couple of Stuy Town protests there.)

Yelp comment page for Joyride Trucks.

If you wish to call Stuy Town management about the presence of food trucks on the Oval, this is the number:

212-420-5000

Food Trucks, The Answer: They ARE Promoting Them!

I was wondering just why we are seeing these nasty food trucks descend on Stuyvesant Town every day till nighttime. Well, I was just sent a copy of the mailing that residents get who sign up for official e-mail notifications from Management. And, sure enough, "Food Trucks on the Oval" are being promoted as part of the charm of living here:



"Enjoy gourmet treats and artisanal snacks right on the Oval with the best of NYCFTA's food trucks!"

Gourmet? Artisanal? This has to be the work of Lady Maya!

Rose Associates Requests City Park Status for the Oval and the Conversion of the Oval Fountain to a City Pool

In a dramatic Friday morning announcement, Adam Rose of Rose Associates and manager-in-chief of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village, announced that he has requested the City Council and the Mayor, the Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, to fast track the legal conversion of the Oval in Stuyvesant Town, hitherto private property, into a city park and the Oval Fountain into a city pool.

"We've been heading in this direction anyway," stated Rose, "and I think this will balance the needs of the community and also give CW Capital, holders of the 3 billion dollar senior mortgage, a financial break and me some breathing room to deal more effectively with all the furniture dumping that's happening here."

According to the plan, the city will take over the entire Oval area, including its upkeep, dramatically alleviating the financial burden and administrative strains placed on CW Capital and Rose Associates, respectively.

Lady Maya Autret, Director of Programing for the complex and the person whose motto is "let no space be unused," had already set in motion the conversion of the fountain into a pool, irregardless of the outcome in the requested city park status of the Oval grounds and pool. "The fountain was a useless, completely underused space. By converting it into a pool, both residents and now hopefully all New Yorkers, will be able to refresh themselves in the hot summer months. Oval Essential members will be able to participate in special swimming classes and the occasional game of water bocci, a sophisticated non-rough sport that is played by Parisians in the know."

Of course, like anything else in Stuyvesant Town, the plan is sure to be opposed by certain residents, who have noticed more and more an influx of outsiders to the Oval grounds and for Oval events and concerts. But Lady Autret says that the time has come to keep up with the times. "There has been a great demand among PCV/ST residents for an outdoor pool, and so this conversion was a no-brainer. The water and plumbing were already there, after all. We are, however, trying to balance everybody's needs, so we will add one more small geyser to the mini-fountain in Peter Cooper Village to satisfy PCV/ST fountain fans."

While Rose Associates waits for a positive response from the City Council and the Mayor, work on the Oval fountain will begin in the fall, as well as on the installation of ATM machines at four corners of the Oval to meet the increasing demand for change needed for the twelve food trucks that have descended on the Oval grounds since the summer, day and night.

Note: This is a parody, but at times it doesn't seem like one.

How Ghetto Can You Get?

Two food trucks on the Oval at the same time! BBQ and Pizza!!! Gourmet, of course. Good for your heart and your weight. What a high-class place this is! And here I thought Stuyvesant Town was turning into a dump.

Thanks, Rose Associates!

BTW, I wonder how the surrounding stores that pay lofty rents to Rose Associates feel about these food trucks? Surely these food trucks are taking business away from them? Rent free. They probably won't complain for fear of Rose jacking up their rent come lease renewal time.

ST/PCV Hot Weather Precautions

Click on notice to get larger view.

With temperatures nearing 100 in the next three days (Friday could be the worst), stay-at-home residents without air-conditioning who may be affected by the weather should note that the air-conditioned Community Center off the 14 St Loop, by First Avenue [449 East 14th St], will be open from 10am to, probably, 10pm, if the above notice is accurate.

While this is a positive and thankful use of the Center, the center itself is small and almost at the corner end of the ST/PCV complex. I wonder if management has ever considered opening up the Oval "Essentials" to non-members during such times of an intense heat wave. Oval Lounge and Oval Film are particularly underused during the day and very frequently empty, except for a lone American Leisure staff member.

RIP: Stuy Town Golf Putting Green

On a hot, humid July 20th, 2011, Stuy Town's renowned mini putting green was put to rest. It will only be missed by the babes who sunbathed there and the perverts who drooled.

RIP

(But, please, don't put a Food Truck or a concession stand in its place!!!)

Update: A commenter wrote about the possibility of there being a new addition to the lovely Oval surroundings--Oval Compost.

Well, the Oval already has Oval Compost, right by Oval 19. Nice, rich, aromatic smells....



Update July 24: I've a hunch that the former Oval Golf will now be a security guardhouse.

Are You Ready for "The World Music and Food Fair"!

Preparations are already underway for Stuy Town's World Music and Food Fair.

This one actually does sound interesting--well, at least the food sounds interesting, though it's listed as "gourmet," when it seems to be just "ethnic" food. But we can't have this being promoted as ethnic food cause that just doesn't sound as pretentiously snotty (no doubt, courtesy Lady Maya Autret, ST's Director of Programming) as we'd like all our future residents to be, so "gourmet" it is. The food will come from Petite Abeille, Balade, Veselka and Wacky Wok. Would be nice if residents received free samples.... And maybe some free ethnic beer--no, better make that, "gourmet wine." I just hope those food-dive food trucks don't turn up and spoil this upscale food fair atmosphere.

I may have trouble with some of the music, though. The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra is all wrong for an event like this. Brazilian fusion music--from Nation Beat--is not my thing (though I like regular Brazilian music). While Meklit Hadero, a truly impressive talent, needs the intimacy of a club rather than the sweaty open Oval with people pigging out on food and dribbling it over the Oval grass. Anyway, you are guaranteed to hear some "foot-stomping global flair" at the Oval this Saturday. What I've been waiting for all summer. And you seniors, get yer asses off those benches, and join the fun!

Now, here's the kicker, this event is "Free to all residents and their guests." Yup, only residents and their guests will be allowed to participate in this World Music and Food Fair. Says so, right here:



So, unless this is typical Rose Associates promotional BS, non-residents will have to either pay for entry or be stopped by Security from entry. Right, Adam?

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Update: What was I thinking!?!? I just did a google on this, and the above event is being promoted all over the place on the web. Didn't management state that there was no outside promotion of events supposedly meant just for "residents and their guests"???

Here's a sampling of what a quick Google search uncovered:







Hey New York! Come on over! We're having a party! It's on us!