It's a Secret!

Yeah, I know.  That's the way "things are done."  But why is everything a secret around here?  Why was the Tenants Association decision to go with Brookfield kept a secret until the deed was done?  Why are the discussions Councilman Dan Garodnick had with the Dept of Buildings over the Greenmarket and zoning not available anywhere in a spirit of transparency?  Why are the negotiations on the Roberts' decision, and any movement on it or non-movement, merely a persistent "no comment" from the principles involved in these negotiations? Why are those tenants waiting for the financial resolution of the Roberts' decision (for some, important as to whether they renew their lease) being kept continually in the dark? Why is CW Capital silent on its intent regarding this complex and whether it welcomes, or not, a tenant bid on the complex?  Why does CW Capital and management not send out timely press releases, with details, on what is going to be developing/built/"refreshed" in Stuy Town/PCV and what residents can expect to see in a month or a few months' time or later?

Most everything is a damn secret around here until it gets actualized.  Secrecy like this compels tons of gossip (which can veer off into tangential ridiculousness), and destabilizes and demoralizes a tenant body that is on edge over what changes may or may not be around the corner. Tenants--young, old, new renters, long-time renters--are being treated like little children who must not know unless there's a critical need to know.  Not good.

Public Safety Breaks Up Hookah and Booze Party at the Oval

Okay, I get it. You're young, smug, in an expensive college, mommy/daddy are paying for your expenses, and it's party time and an opportunity to show off your gym bod to the girls on a nice sunny Stuy Town day and pretend you are something you are really not.  But do you have to be an asshole and think it's cool to bring a hookah onto the Oval Fountain area for party time with your friends?

Thankfully, Public Safety came along to tell you to put out your hookah and dump the booze, or whatever you and your friends were drinking. And then, when you were just waiting for Public Safety to disappear so party time could resume, Public Safety doesn't walk away but stands and stands around until you get your ass and your hookah out of the area.











Meanwhile, some other entitled students haven't yet learned to read signs, or obey rules, and bring in a dog right up to the fountain, past the very visible NO DOG sign....

Public Safety kicks them out (unfortunately not literally).  As for the dog, is it a breed not allowed in Stuy Town....?

 

As predicted, certain people will bring dogs onto the fountain area despite the signs and will only move if Public Security tells them to.  (In a space of 15 minutes, PS had to inform two more dog owners who made a straight line to the fountain that dogs are not allowed in the area. Absence Public Security, and there would have been three dogs at the fountain, one being a suspected breed not allowed in Stuy Town.)

Oh, did I forget to mention that it was a really lovely day in the complex....

No Fidos at the Oval Fountain Area

A reader sent in this photo:

Now the question is, just what area encompasses the Oval Fountain Plaza?  If it includes the benches, then this should be amusing to watch, with the guard booth in such close proximity.

Prediction: A decent number of dog owners will ignore the sign.

I'd also like to see a no human sunbathing on the Oval Fountain Plaza area sign, but my guess is the above sign is meant to ward off possible doggie stains on the ground for those very sunbathers.

Playground 10

The Oval Grounds Changed Forever

Or at least until a new owner decides otherwise.

It's difficult to tell at this point just how the new graveling of the area that the greenmarket occupies, May through November for one day of the week, will look when the greenmarket is not present.  The damp weather these past days has also contributed to make such a determination problematic.

One thing is certain, though.  With the greenmarket getting approval in its current location by both our councilman Dan Garodnick and the TA (a tight partnership, for sure), the solidifying of the placement of the greenmarket at the southern end of the Oval grounds has reached finality.  The result is a new paving of gravel to cover the ugly patch of mud/dirt ground that was there, with this gravel now extending around the inner path of the grounds, to create a unified whole.

Another result, historically very important for Stuyvesant Town, is that we have officially lost a chunk of grass area that existed for decades in the Oval, an area that was taken over by the greenmarket for just 28 days of the year, leaving behind for the remaining 337 days a grass-less track of land to be used primarily by dog walkers as an impromptu deposit station for their animals.

In ye olde days, the Oval lawn had always been considered sacred, a piece of land to be cared for and nourished and enjoyed for its atypical "nature" beauty in Manhattan.  The first bit of permanent eradication of the ideal came when Tishman Speyer decided to widen the outlet of the path at its northwestern end, taking away a small piece of grass/planting grounds to make way for what was then trucks backing up to unload and load equipment for special events being held in the central Oval grounds. Next, post-Tishman Speyer, came the little guard booth doll-house, which mandated the removal of plantings and trees.  And now, the southern area of the Oval lawn, already decimated by Tishman Speyer with the introduction of the greenmarket, gets a more permanent marker and cut off.  I can't see what other area of the grounds will "go" in the future, but the opportunity exists, courtesy making anything zoned legally here because of "accessory use by residents and their guests."



My impression (and it can only be an impression at the moment) is that this southern area will be difficult to keep looking reasonably good, as the gravel used has a tendency to show every footprint and mark that goes over it.  Already, today, the gravel on the path looks a bit of a mess. Time will tell, though. Perhaps the gravel needs time to dry and adjust to weather conditions. [Update: This seems to be the case. The gravel along the paths is now clearly whitening.]

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Meanwhile, on my trek about the complex, I could not help but notice the damage done to the fencing posts around the west side of the path...

...and our old friend, the pressurized wall truck, showing up next to Stuy Town:



















UPDATE:  As I originally thought, there seems to be zero apparent influx of outsiders to the ST greenmarket.  I did two walk-arounds and didn't notice anyone carrying bought produce at the greenmarket out of the complex, except for a grouping of three older people who just headed along 14th St and not to the Lower East Side.  (I did notice, however, a young couple walking an un-ST type dog and leaving for the LES.)  Plus, there are no banners on the periphery of the complex announcing the greenmarket, unlike other years.  That's not to say they won't appear in the future. At this point, it appears the greenmarket is being used exclusively, or pretty much exclusively, by residents and their guests.

ANOTHER UPDATE:  A reader sends in photos of the signs that were out today at the greenmarket.

 

Steve Reeves in Stuy Town?

And now for something completely different....

Here's a photo of Steve Reeves, the actor who was famous for playing in Hercules and peplum films in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Now, the question is could Reeves be looking out of a Stuy Town or Peter Cooper Village apartment?  Certainly the windows look familiar and I vaguely remember that sort of radiator grating, but not sure if it was from a previous apartment I had here at another ST address?  I think the chances that Reeves is in a ST/PCV apartment are unlikely (he wouldn't have been a resident), but I wonder if old timers may remember a similar radiator.

In case you missed it....

The greenmarket is scheduled to open this Sunday.  Here's the official word from our Tenants Association on the greenmarket and food trucks:

http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/greenmarket_to_return_for_residents_only

The Tenants Association of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village has long been concerned about the commercialization of the property, and has fought to protect the residential character of our neighborhood.

We are pleased to report today that as a result of our advocacy, and with the support of our Councilman Dan Garodnick, CW Capital agreed to remove the food truck which was omni-present on Stuyvesant Oval, and to only allow it to return during limited special events for residents.  On the other hand, the greenmarket, a popular offering for ST/PCV residents, will be able to return in its present location.

After an inquiry to various city agencies, it became clear that a greenmarket operating as an “open commercial use” would be prohibited, but making it available for residents and their guests only could be allowed.  Accordingly, CW agreed to change their policy and make it absolutely clear that the market is serving as an “accessory use” to the property for residents and guests, not open to the general public.  They will be adding language in all of their marketing materials, including any ads around the perimeter of the property, indicating that its greenmarket is intended for “residents and their guests only.”

The TA is pleased with this fair and sensible resolution of these issues. It thanks Councilman Garodnick for his key assistance in resolving the matter. 

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Of course, I was thinking why does a greenmarket not open to the general pubic need "ads around the perimeter of the property," but we must surmise that there are residents completely unaware of what goes on here, who just live around the perimeter (or in Peter Cooper Village) and need to be told what's happening inside. Still....

Meanwhile, B&Y Farms has changed its main webpage to stress that their produce is for RESIDENTS.