Shoe Shine Clown
A clown from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus gets an expert shoe shine at Eddie’s Shoe Repair in Grand Central Terminal in preparation for opening night. Performances of Barnum’s FUNundrum at Madison Square Garden run until April 4. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
Subway Construction Raises Blasting, Rodent Questions
By Aline Reynolds
Residents were looking for answers about several issues that have recently arisen surrounding Second Avenue subway construction, but the MTA was not there to hear their questions. Complaints about loud blasting during evening hours, rats and a plan to temporarily relocate residents from 28 apartments went unanswered at the March 24 meeting of Community Board 8’s Second Avenue subway task force. Read more
Charter Crusader: Eva Moskowitz
By Charlotte Eichna
If Eva Moskowitz were an action figure, her signature accessory might be a coffee cup. She’s often seen clutching one, with a cell phone or BlackBerry in the other hand.
But it must take an inordinate amount of caffeine—along with determination, vision and smarts—to power this former East Side Council member through her day managing four Success Charter Network schools in Harlem, with three more schools slated to open this fall. Read more
City Makes Move Against Marquee Sign
By Chris Gaetano
The Department of Buildings is stepping up efforts to remove an illegal marquee being used by the Duane Reade at 125 E. 86th St. and Lexington Avenue.
City regulations only allow marquees for theaters, churches or religious groups and department stores, according to Ryan Fitzgibbon, a department spokesperson. Duane Reade does not fit into any of those categories, and the city revoked its permit for the sign in June 2009. Read more
Grocer Will Stay on Madison Ave.
By Chris Gaetano
A rent dispute between Lane Farms Supermarket has been resolved, allowing one of the last locally owned and operated grocery stores in the area to stay in its Madison Avenue home after 35 years in operation.
The store’s new landlord, Mount Sinai Hospital, had been looking to increase rent by 110 percent shortly after it acquired the building last fall, according to Zon Kahili, Lane Farm’s owner. Read more
BP Says Enrollment Timeline Is Flawed
Waitlisted families will be given alternative kindergarten offer week of May 17
By Shannon Geis
The Department of Education may be opening a new primary school to alleviate District 2 crowding, but Borough President Scott Stringer is not happy with the enrollment timeline.
Families who have been waitlisted at their zoned schools will receive offers for alternative schools if they cannot be moved off of the waitlist. But the second-round offers, planned for the week of May 17, will come before most families finalize plans for private schools or gifted programs, which in turn frees up space at zoned schools. Read more
A Miley to Remember
Another Nicholas Sparks romance added to the franchise.
By Armond White
Contrasting Hollywood’s shameless commitment to 3-D gimmicks and various fratboy-slob comedies, the series of films adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ romance novels consistently offer substantive emotional expression, as in last month’s Dear John and now The Last Song. The emotions came through stronger when the Sparks franchise started over a decade ago with Message in a Bottle (1999) and A Walk to Remember (2002). Read more
Marvels of the Middle East
Generous squeeze of lemon in Ghafary’s authentic Lebanese cuisine
By Tom Steele
For about two decades, Al Bustan dwelt on Third Avenue between East 50th and 51st streets, where executive chef/owner Elias Ghafary’s authentic Lebanese cookery attracted a large and deeply devoted following. Then, in late 2008, Ghafary closed that location in favor of a much larger, more commodious and attractive two-level space on East 53rd Street. Those devotees followed right along, and their ranks swelled significantly. Read more
Poco Dinero—Mucho Sabor
By Nancy J. Brandwein
“What should I get?” I canvassed the seven people pressed up against the metal steam trays in Abuela’s Cocina. A white-coated woman said definitively, “Stewed chicken. I get it every single day.” If variety is the spice of life, or at least snacking, then predictability offers comfort and the pleasure of anticipation. Read more
City Week: April 2–April 8
A Selective Listing of Recommended Cultural & Community Events
Compiled by Megan Finnegan
Friday, April 2
Screening—The Rubin Museum of Art, which houses a collection of Himalayan paintings, textiles and sculptures, screens Federico Fellini’s Academy Award-winning drama La Strada, presented with an introduction by artist Henry Chalfant. The film series at the museum is inspired by the exhibition Visions of the Cosmos, which juxtaposes Eastern and Western conceptions of how the universe is represented through art. 150 W. 17th St., 212-620-5000; 9:30 p.m., Free with $7 drink minimum. Read more
