Hell's Kitchen Online 4/15/99
kitchen
kitchen@hellskitchen.net
Thu, 15 Apr 1999 03:38:58 -0500
Hell's Kitchen Online 4/15/99
http://hellskitchen.net "All the News the Times Won't Print"
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
It had to happen
http://www.RetireRudy.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Stringer holds Town Meeting April 22
2. Footnote on Joltin' Joe
3. Jack Goldstein Foot-in-Mouth
4. Pier 62 and Pier 64 Public Use Survey
5. Route 9A Bulletin
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Town Hall Meeting with Assemblymember Scott Stringer
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Assemblyman Scott Stringer will host a Town Hall meeting where he will discuss what he (and
others) are doing this year in Albany, the current legislative session, and about Governor
Pataki's proposed Budget cuts that will affect the City's education, health care services, and
funding for local programs.
Thursday, April 22, 1999
7 - 9 p.m.
Park West School Auditorium
525 W. 50th St.
(between 10th and 11th Aves.)
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Footnote on Joltin' Joe
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Recently the New York State Legislature renamed the West Side Highway in honor of the late Yankee
legend Joe DiMaggio. The problem is that no one bothered to ask if the west side communities
wanted it, especially as DiMaggio reportedly lived on the east side, traveled the FDR and worked
in the Bronx. Mayor Giuliani had a bill introduced in Alany even before DiMaggio passed away, and
(almost) everyone realized this was a cheap ploy for political points on his westside stadium
proposal. He even announced the "DiMaggio Highway" scam at the same time he announced the new Jets
Stadium.
Well it was a mess, and a slew of political missteps made it even dirtier and soiled DiMaggio's
name and reputation. And, you will be able to read about it on the web site at
http://hellskitchen.net.
DiMaggio's lawyer said they didn't want his name on the Major Deegan Highway in the Bronx as it
was already named after someone. Well, guess what... the West Side Highway (AKA the "Miller
Highway" is also named after someone: Julius Miller.
From the New York Times
To the Editor:
Gov. George E. Pataki has conceded to the ceremonial name change of the West Side Highway in honor
of Joe DiMaggio (news article, March 17) -- notwithstanding the lack of a connection between Mr.
DiMaggio's career and the highway.
The highway was conceived by my father, Julius Miller the Manhattan Borough President who won its
approval in 1927 after years of opposition by Mayor Jimmy Walker. The highway was the first
segment of an express roadway around Manhattan to help relieve traffic congestion in the center of
the island. It was elevated to prevent interference by the cars and trucks at the piers lining the
Hudson River.
It would be more appropriate to memorialize Joe DiMaggio by naming a sports stadium in his honor
than to dishonor the highway's creator.
PETER MILLER
New York, March 17, 1999
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Jack Goldstein Foot-in-Mouth
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After being properly ridiculed for inventing the BROADWAY INITIATIVE, Jack Goldstein, Executive
Director of the Theater Development Fund, lackey of the Shubert Organization and member of
Community Board 5 is at it again.
The New York Observer reported on March 22 that Goldstein opposed a proposal to memorialize Tin
Pan Alley by giving that name to two blocks of West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues,
where some of America's favorite tunes were published from the 1890's until sometime early in this
century.
According to the Observer, Board 5 chair Lola Finkelstein argued that "if the board could
designate Henny Youngman Way at the corner of West 55th Street and Sixth Avenue, then surely it
could add a street sign honoring the original workplace of Irving Berlin."
But Jack Goldstein would have none of that. The Observer reported that Goldstein said he "feared
new residents of the up-and-coming neighborhood wouldn't appreciate naming an area for a
century-old tradition after they'd invested so much in making the neighborhood hip."
Maybe Jack should go back to Actors' Equity where this sort of logic is more common.
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PIER 62 AND PIER 64 PUBLIC USE SURVEY
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The city and state are in the process of planning for a Hudson River Park that will extend from
the Battery to West 59th Street. In Chelsea, Manhattan Community Board No. 4 is currently
soliciting ideas for the design of one portion of the park between West 22nd Street and West 24th
Street. While plans for the Hudson River Park have gone through many permutations over the last
ten years or so, one basic concept has remained constant. In Chelsea, we would develop a kind of
cove bounded on the south by Pier 62 (at West 22nd St.) and on the north by Pier 64 (at West 24th
St.), with the intervening land and bulkhead area an open public area and a get-down leading
directly to the water.
With the enactment in 1998 of the Hudson River Park Act, this concept has moved one step closer to
reality. The language of the legislation specifically dedicates the area including Piers 62 and
64 for public use AND mandates the razing of the structure of Pier 63 (at West 23rd St.).
Thus the time has come to begin to plan more specific programmatic and aesthetic aspects of this
area. Community Board No. 4 seeks your suggestions for this potentially great “cove” within the
Park. While funding for construction and maintenance will be an issue, that is not part of this
discussion. The plan is to determine what we believe will be most pleasing to all of us and then
ensure the funding. We trust that if our ideas are attractive, others, including the Trust, the
City and the State and maybe the Feds will support us. There are caveats: Both community and
Community Board recommendations are only advisory. Final decisions will be made by the Trust
based on its judgement of what is in the best interests of the whole park. Second, actual design
will not begin for at least a year or more, so that we need not feel pressured to make decisions
next month.
The possible activities and uses listed on the reverse are only the beginning. Please add to them
with your score for each at the end of the survey. It will be helpful if you tell us where you
live.
In addition to the survey of uses and activities, we are interested in whether you believe the
shed now on Pier 64 should be fully demolished, retained and repaired, or partially demolished and
repaired to create a gazebo-like structure. If you have another suggestion, please let us know.
This survey will be distributed as widely as possible among residents of the full Community Board
4 area. Although the area between West 22nd and 25th Streets is of particular interest to those
who live in Chelsea, we expect to draw visitors from all over the city as well as tourists and
hope to provide a friendly and peaceful oasis for them all. The Master Plan for the Park does not
envision any revenue production activity for this area and therefore none are listed below.
Please remember that the new Thomas F. Smith Park (even now being built on the east side of the
West Side Highway) will have a dog run, toddler playground, and youngsters’ soccer, softball and
basketball. Feel free to make copies of this survey and distribute them to others.
Completed surveys should be sent to:
Community Board No. 4
330 West 42nd Street, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Fax: (212) 947-9512
or
Email: CommBoard4@aol.com
Please respond by May 15, 1999.
PIER 62 AND PIER 64 PUBLIC USE SURVEY
HERE IS THE RATING SYSTEM
5 Excellent (Let's do it!)
4 Good (Worth a try)
3 Fair (So so, or no opinion)
2 Poor (Let's not)
1 Bad (Are you kidding?! Fuhgeddaboudit!)
PIER 62 PIER 64 ACTIVITY OR USE
_______ _______ Fishing
_______ _______ Sun bathing, star gazing, watching the river
_______ _______ Roller blading area
_______ _______ Ecological research projects
_______ _______ Gardening
_______ _______ Free movies, concerts, community performances
_______ _______ Portable stage
_______ _______ Area for children and parents (with sand?)
_______ _______ Community sailing program
_______ _______ Launching and storage for small boats
_______ _______ Town dock for small boats
_______ _______ Transient dock for historic boats, performance barges or
non-commercial visitors
_______ _______ Shuffleboard courts (and/or Bocci?)
_______ _______ Chess or other board games
_______ _______ Safe swimming
_______ _______ Jogging path
_______ _______ Small concession with restrooms
_______ _______ Public art gallery space
_______ _______ Arts and crafts programs/space
_______ _______ Boat building (i.e. Floating the Apple)
_______ _______ Environmental center/estuarium/classroom
_______ _______ Demolish the shed on Pier 64
_______ _______ Keep and repair the shed on Pier 64
_______ _______ Keep and repair part of the shed on Pier 64
YOUR STREET ADDRESS (OPTIONAL): _________________________________
COMMENTS AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS:__________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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ROUTE 9A BULLETIN
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Route 9A Reconstruction Bulletin
Notice of Beginning of Demolition and Reconstruction of Northbound Route 9A (12th Avenue)
Effecting: 40th to 59th Streets
Date: Monday, April 12, 1999
Construction Will Involve:
· Demolition and reconstruction of northbound Route 9A. Replacement of east
side sidewalks will follow.
· Northbound traffic lanes will be reduced from four to three. Parking and
standing are prohibited.
· An additional lane will be constructed ˝ width at a time in order to
maintain vehicular access.
· Vehicular access to buildings and pedestrian access to buildings and east
side sidewalks will be maintained throughout construction.
· This stage of construction is expected to last through December, 1999.
For further information contact: Howie Harrington, Community Liaison (212)649-4604
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