17 November 2010

One-day Stuy Town Round-up

What exactly goes on in a typical day, specifically, Nov. 17, in Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village?


First, it's a gorgeous day. Sunny and bright, fresh off a night of heavy rain -- of course, this means that Stuy Town is absolutely covered in leaves (as pictured above). Now, some may think that this beautifully blustery day is pleasant, while others probably can't think straight, after listening to the leaf blowers' present hum all morning long. As posted by LuxLiving a little over a week ago, the leaf blowers are not favorites among the community. To be fair to ST though, I witnessed a handful of employees that were using an "elusive object called [a] 'rake'," that LuxLiving mentions in the post.

In other news, Christmas-time is here! And ST workers were spotted putting holiday lights on the first couple, lucky trees surrounding the Oval (as pictured below). In case you have never walked through ST/PCV during the holidays, the decorations are simple and elegant, perfectly reflecting the family-friendly community. Also, there is a rumor going around that Rose Associates is planning on planting a huge tree in the middle of the Oval, to be used as the official Christmas tree each year -- how adorable!?
Finally, there is an interview with Rose Associates in tomorrow's edition of the Town & Village. In the interview, they talk about the company's plans to crackdown on many of the typical annoyances in ST, such as loud neighbors. In fact, Rose Associates plans to create a 'Top Ten' list for the loudest apartments in the complex and keep tabs on residents that receive frequent noise complaints. Repeat offenders may even be considered for a termination of their lease. Yikes! They mean business!


10 November 2010

"And then there's Gaga..."

I remember the days when I used to think Lady Gaga was nothing more than a series of intriguing costumes, crafty lyrics and twisted hand gestures. I was so naïve.
Much like other unbelievable artists before her time, the persona of Lady Gaga is crafted and controlled, with the purpose of challenging society’s collective thought. This process is not new.
The avant-garde movement urged artists to break away from the status quo in Europe as early as the 1900s. In New York, the same movement helped construct the classic downtown rebellions of the 1960s and the 1970s.
Located on the third floor of Bobst Library at New York University, the Fales Library & Special Collections chronicles the history of the city’s radical and defiant inhabitants that created their own life style by being avant-garde. By appointment, the collection is open to research by all NYU students, faculty and staff, as well as scholars of other institutions. It boasts over 200,000 volumes of rare books in English and American literature, particularly after the mid 18th century until the present. The Downtown Collection in particular documents the artists, musicians and movements from 1975 to the early 1990s that contributed to the development of the punk character.
“We have the best collection of punk rock anywhere,” said Director of the Fales Library, Marvin Taylor. “And we should.”
The collection is home to many treasures, such as Patti Smith’s personal journal, a copy of the first issue of “PUNK Magazine” and rare footage of a hilarious interview between John Sex, a performance artist, and a clueless television reporter. Sex uses the interview as a sort of performance piece, sitting with a coy smile and outrageous, one-foot-high, bleach-blonde hair.
During the interview, Sex creates a colorful and absolutely fabricated story about the origin of his last name. He insistently claims it is a derivative of the Irish surname, Sexton. The poor reporter tries to laugh, but doesn’t quite get that the joke is on him.
This particular interview evokes images of Lady Gaga and her own outrageous hair pieces. When she stands on the red-carpet next to correspondents and other celebrities, she looks outlandish and out of place. Much like Sex’s interview years before, Gaga is poking fun at the seriousness of these events and testing their limits.
It’s as if she is asking, “Could I cover my face and body in raw meat and sit amidst glamorous designer suits and dresses?” According to the 2010 Video Music Awards – where she showed up in a meat-dress with a matching meat-purse – yes, Lady Gaga can.
But even the meat-dress was more than a test of cultural acceptance. It was a protest of the social norms.
Fales also displays this sort of protest in its latest exhibit, "A Sanctuary for the Arts," which runs until Jan. 7, 2011. This exhibit is dedicated to the artists that performed at Judson Memorial Church from 1954 to 1977. The artists used their bodies to demonstrate the possibility of new types of movements and sounds that could represent their fast-changing society.
One of the pieces in the exhibit is a video recording of “Meat Joy,” a live performance that was conceptualized by Carolle Schneemann. In the video, the performers moved and twisted their bodies while rubbing themselves and each other with dead fish and chicken. Although the effect is shocking, the performers were ultimately questioning the concept of traditional dance rules and the perception of the male and female form.
The link between Lady Gaga and other artists is important because it shows that there is an artistic process behind her actions. Since the beginning of the avant-garde movement, artists like herself have developed their characters and shaped culture.
This narrative, from the French symbolists, to the members of the Judson Memorial Church, to punks, to now, is what the Fales collection illustrates. It provides context and historical background for the new and upcoming artists and their own innovative techniques. Lady Gaga is currently shaping and refining her techniques, with her red-carpet masterpieces and bizarrely disturbing music videos.
“She wrenches the camera and turns it back on herself,” Taylor said of Lady Gaga’s unique contribution to the art world. There are all different types of artists out there, not many that are particularly impressive or comparable to the artists that are responsible for the majority of the Fales collection, Taylor explains. “And then there’s Gaga.”

03 November 2010

Punks, Pets and Primary Lenders - Oh my!

Aside from the occasional attempted robbery or bedbug scare, the problems and complaints in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village can be broken down into three categories: the foreclosure, dogs and college students. Below are updates of the redundant, but nevertheless important, issues.

First and foremost, the primary lenders (finally) took control of the property last week, which had many residents wondering (and hoping) that the same old problems would finally be resolved. The story was reported by major news publications such as the New York Times and Bloomberg.

You can also find summaries of the situation in local blogs, such as the StuyTownReporter and LuxLiving.

Everything seems to finally be coming together, especially now that Rose Associates have accepted the task of being the new property manager for the complex. Who knows if they will do a good job - one thing that seems reassuring is their ideological Twitter feed, which posts an inspirational quote each day. Thanks RA!

The local newspaper, the Town & Village, has been following the situation extensively. Of course, the newspaper doesn't have a website for you to view the articles and instead asks you to 'get with the times' and follow their Twitter instead - c'mon, everyone else is doing it.

For those who are concerned about students in Stuy Town, be afraid. NYU Local, a blog for New York University students, is encouraging more students to move in!

And finally, a follow-up on those audacious puppies. Yes, we know, they looked really cute in all their little costumes this year at the Halloween Dog Costume Parade (check out pictures in tomorrow's issue of the T&V), but this is just ridiculous!

02 November 2010

Can ANYONE tell me how to vote?

“This might be the stupidest question you’ve heard all day,” I said. “But how exactly do you register to vote?”

As soon as I spoke these words, I could feel my cheeks getting warmer and my wool scarf shrinking tighter around my throat. I wondered if I should just hang myself with my scarf, out of pure shame.

“You see, I’m from Texas and I know I was registered there once but I live here now so can I register?” I was rambling.

“Have I seen you on television?” Said Frank, a smiling worker at the 283 Avenue C polling station in Manhattan.

Frank could not answer my question.

I was then directed to another worker named Yolanda. I repeated my dilemma, explaining that I wasn’t sure if I qualified to be a New York State voter, since my permanent residence is still Justin, Texas.

Yolanda did not know.

The question of the voting eligibility of students, especially those who move out of their home state and change their addresses yearly, has tortured me for years. I am simultaneously ashamed for not knowing and baffled because nobody I ask seems to know either. Surely, I am not the only student with this problem.

Yolanda told me to follow her to the back of the room, where the actual voting took place. Here I met Marjorie and again repeated my question.

Marjorie directed me to the New York State Voter Registration Form. It was only one page long and conveniently pre-folded into a mail-able format. The print was bold and clear – it seemed easy enough to me.

We spoke briefly about the voter turnout of today, Tuesday, Nov. 2. Yolanda told me they had been busy. This was not surprising, since many Americans are anxious to voice their opinions about the current administration. The results could take away the one-party power Democrats have had for two years.

I asked if I was the youngest person they had seen and they said they weren’t sure. At least while I was there, in the late afternoon, I was the only person younger than 30.

As I was leaving, I unfolded and briefly skimmed the form. At the very bottom, I read the affidavit.

I am a citizen of the United States. (Yes.)

I will have lived in the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election. (Yes.)

I meet all requirements to register to vote in New York State. (Maybe?)

If the above information is not true, I can be convicted and fined to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to four years. (Fantastic.)

24 October 2010

Welcome Back, Rose Associates!

As of Oct. 22, CW Capital announced that Rose Associates would take over the property management of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village. Rose Associates managed the property for over three years when it was owned by MetLife, so both officials and tenants feel hopeful that they will be able to maintain the complex successfully.
The property was previously being managed by Tishman-Speyer, even though they defaulted on the mortgage of ST/PCV in January. Now that the question of the physical upkeep of the buildings and grounds is answered, everyone can focus on the large question: what should be done with all these dogs?

Ps. Just kidding of course. The main issue will be the property's upcoming foreclosure sale (and by "upcoming" I mean "three-times-delayed"). Still, some residents would have you believe that the issue of dogs running around in the grass is still more important.

Angry Stuy Town Bloggers

In a loud, outspoken city like New York, where nobody is afraid to say (or post), what they really mean, it is no surprise to find plenty of opinionated blogs. For Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village, two voices are distinctly heard.
First, The Stuyvesant Town Report, follows the story of Stuy Town after Tishman-Speyer got a hold of it. The blog mostly focuses on the foreclosure and upcoming co-op/condo issues, but occasionally talks about other issues, such as dogs or NYU students.
Second is the LuxLiving Twitter. This used to be its own blog, but has recently downsized to a Twitter account, for reasons unknown. LuxLiving tweets about a variety of issues and keeps its followers in touch with all the latest articles about Stuy Town and PCV.
Although both sources can sometimes be too negative and dramatic, they are well-informed and surprisingly up-to-date on all the latest in their hyperlocal beat. Now, if only they would reveal their real names...

23 October 2010

East Village Walkathon



About 400 teachers, students and their families gathered on Sunday, Oct. 17 for the First Annual Walkathon event, hosted by the Epiphany School Foundation.

Walkers began at 9:30 a.m. at the Epiphany School and marched alongside the East River, down to the Williamsburg Bridge and back.

The walkathon was created to celebrate 122 years of Catholic education as well as raise money for the school and renovation for its playground. The event raised over $36,000, which greatly surpassed their $25,000 goal.

Sidenote: Above are two pictures of the kids walking along the East River. One could be a great photo to represent the event, the other is just adorable.