Lux Living Blog No More?

Readers of the Lux Living blog woke up today to find that the site now has a black on white message--ACTIVISM IS A THANKLESS JOB. The message hangs there for a few seconds to then glide into the front page of Stuyvesant Town's official website.

The person behind the blog (Lux Living, for want of a real name) had already stated a couple of weeks ago that the blog would be shutting down, or at least in some kind of hibernation, with occasion posts when warranted.

There will be, no doubt, considerable discussion as to what happened and if the recent barrage of rancorous comments on the blog, with a few commentators mercilessly and persistently attacking each other in the ugliest ways, was key in impelling Lux to post his message and supposedly sign off the way he did. Possibly, but it would have been easy for Lux to moderate the comments or, if he was going away or didn't have time to monitor the blog, shut down the comment section, leaving his blog posts still online. I think behind this all are reasons we are not privy to--though I have my suppositions.

Whatever the case, the blog can easily come back, as I'm assuming Lux Living hasn't deleted it, but has it stored in cyberspace and on his hard drive. So I think it's unwise to yet say RIP.

Having said all this, I'm sure that we all thank Lux Living for starting his blog and continuing on with it for as long as he did. Lux's posts were both witty and informative and shook up the management establishment. The blog was certainly the bane of Tishman Speyer. If Lux is really gone, obviously he will be missed.

New Comments Rules

Comments have to await approval by the administrator of this blog to be published. Comments that insult another commentator, or that cross a line the administrator is not comfortable with, will not get approved.

Calling for a Moratorium on Dogs in Stuyvesant Town

It's become evident that landlord Tishman Speyer's dog policy for Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village is not working the way it was intended. While most dog owners appear to follow the rules, there is a percentage who do not. Even with signs around the Oval that dogs are not permitted on the grass and in the flower beds, these self-involved dog owners flagrantly ignore the rules. I've actually seen a dog owner, a young woman, stand in front of such a sign at the gate of one playground and allow her dog to go in the plantings right in front of the sign and take a dump! Furthermore, the presence of unpicked dog crap and sticky smearing from sloppily picked up dog waste is increasing. The other day two turds were left on the gravel path that surrounds the Oval, just waiting for someone at night, when visibility is low, to get stepped on and trailed along the path.

For decades the previous owner of this complex, Met Life, maintained a no-dog policy. Aware of the problems that dogs could introduce into Stuy Town and Peter Cooper, Met Life determined that it was a quality of life issue that dogs not be allowed. Tishman Speyer, in search of tenants it could lure, changed the policy. And now we have the result.

Well, no one is going to take dogs away from their owners, but seeing as Tishman Speyer cannot enforce the dog rules it has, surely it is time to call a halt to introducing more dogs into the complex. The problems are not going to get better, otherwise, but much, much worse.

Below are a few recent photos that show what's going on in Stuy Town.

Hmm, the signs says no dogs on the grass, so the owner stays outside of the grass but let's his pooch on it!:



Fido taking a dump on the lawn. Yeah, from the condition of the lawn there, you won't be able to tell anything occurred, but still:



Can you smell what a dog owner is cooking for you? It's right there, waiting for you on the gravel path along the Oval lawn:



Non-resident taking a nice weekend stroll around Stuy Town with his pit bull or pit bull mix. I was actually heading his way and he exited at the Ave A entrance and headed home to the Lower East Side. Was he stopped by Security at any point in his leisurely walk? What Security?:



Ah, it was a beautiful Saturday in Stuyvesant Town! Just the perfect day to spend with your dog on the Oval lawn and ignore all the no dogs on the grass signs posted around the Oval and on the lawn itself:

Front Page Photo Captures Stuy Town Fountain No-No

The front page of the recent TOWN & VILLAGE newspaper (July 9 issue) showed a photo, taken by editor Sabina Mollot, of five young ladies dipping their feet/legs in the Oval fountain. Though the caption below didn't mention it, dipping one's feet in the fountain--or anything else--is prohibited by Stuyvesant Town rules. Had Security shown up (ha!) that would have been a priceless photo indeed.

New York's New Senate Majority Leader

Surprise, surprise, it's Pedro Espada Jr!!!



Well, the Democrats have accepted him back into the fold after giving him an offer he just couldn't refuse. Espada is now, officially and once and for all, New York's Senate Majority Leader, the most powerful position in NY State after the Governorship.

This is also a notable hallmark for the Hispanic community. Or at least that's what Espada buddy, Senator Ruben Diaz, said when he took the Senate podium floor the other day:

"This is the greatest, biggest achievement our community has ever gotten."

I think we should be all proud of our State Senate and praise our new Majority Leader. Meanwhile, here are some instructions on tar and feathering:

In a typical tar-and-feathers attack, the subject of a crowd's anger would be stripped to the waist. Hot tar was either poured or painted onto the person while he or she was immobilized. Then the victim either had feathers thrown on him or her or was rolled around on a pile of feathers so that they stuck to the tar. Often the victim was then paraded around town on a cart or a rail. The aim was to hurt and humiliate a person enough to leave town and not cause any more mischief.

Learn How to Boil Water for $500

That's right. For $500 (or $450 for Oval Essential members) you can learn how to boil water from Food Network's Danny Boome at Oval Lounge starting August 3. No joke, too. Here's what it says on Danny's website:

Food Network Chef Danny Boome arrives at the Oval Lounge this August to bring his new Essential Cookery School to the residents of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. From boiling water to using fresh herbs, this 5-week course (10 lessons) will arm you with the philosophy, techniques and confidence you need to succeed in your kitchen.

Date: The course begins Monday, August 3 and runs every Monday and Wednesday through September 3.
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm
Cost: $450 for Oval Members; $500 for non-members.

Reserve your place now through the Oval Amenities Office or on DannyBoome.tv.


Let's start saving now for this golden opportunity. Thank you, Jerry and Rob Speyer!!!

[Hat tip to Lois Aida at Lux Living's Blog.]

And Now for Something Completely Different....

Though the Oval lawn remains a disaster (and will probably continue to do so throughout the year), the flowers around the Oval provide a charming respite from the city and speak to what has been the best of Stuyvesant Town in years past and what continues to make residents feel that they are in an oasis in the middle of Manhattan.











Happy Fourth of July!

Sloppy Work at Stuyvesant Town

A blog reader sent me the photos posted below. "Isn't Tishman-Speyer just doing a great job landscaping Stuy Town?" he asks. "I was just passing by the Ave C loop walking home and guess what I see? Giant holes in the sod that TS lad down. This looks really ugly and makes TS's landscaping look like it was done by an office temp with a bad attitude. Come on Tishman-Speyer, can't you lay down basic sod? It's not even growing grass. Zero effort involved and they still can't get it right. But we already knew that."