Building workers are lifesavers, literally. That’s what struck me while reading over the amazing profiles that make up the next 10 pages. From suicide attempts to people who’ve fallen on subway tracks, these workers are ready to spring into action and help at any given moment. Because they are the eyes and ears of the buildings that they take care of, they are the most likely to step in when help is urgently needed.

For the sixth year in a row, SEIU 32BJ, the largest property services union in the country, and Manhattan Media are proud to honor their contributions with the Building Workers of the Year Awards. With so many great nominees, it was difficult winnowing down the list to the following winners. Their profiles and amazing life stories are detailed in the next 10 pages.

Three of the 19 winners were uable to meet with us before press time, but we plan on having coverage of Gladys Rivera, Jose Repollent and Daniel Rosenblum in our next issue.
Thanks to all the sponsors of the Building Service Worker Awards: SEIU 32BJ, Algin Management, Durst Organization, Ogden Cap, Cooper Square, BMS, Feil Organization, Kaufman Organization, CUNY, Douglas Elliman Property Management, George Comfort & Sons, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, Monday Properties, Yankee Stadium, Segal Company, Akam Associates, Balber Pickard, SL Green, Madison Square Garden, Gerner Kronick & Valcarcel, Converged Technology Group, Robert Derector Associates, Stonehenge Management.

Allen Houston, Executive Editor
ahouston@manhattanmedia.com

Kaffe 1668
275 Greenwich St.
212-693-3750
kaffe1668.com

Taste: 4
Acidity: 2
Aroma: 4
Presentation: 3
Value: 4

This stylish alternative to Starbucks is big on subtleties. The menu, installed like a modern art piece, offers a sophisticated range of coffee undertones, from peach to kiwi and dulce de leche to maple sugar. Don’t be intimidated; the first and cheapest option, the Salvadorean import Finca El Rosario, isn’t a bad way to go. As summer takes its leave, this tangerine roast is a gentle reminder of sweet aromas. Those with lighter palates will enjoy the soft aftertaste, but if you need a punchy wake-me-up, consider skipping the coffee for the espresso. While the standard cup size costs more than comparable servings at Starbucks, the service and Downtown location compensate. Come for the flavors and stay for the wi-fi and conversation-friendly candlelit sitting area.

Güllüoglu Baklava Café
982 Second Ave.
212-813-0500
gulluoglubaklava.com

Taste: 5
Acidity: 5
Aroma: 4
Presentation: 5
Value: 3

For the traditional at heart, Güllüoglu’s Turkish coffee is a must. The friendly staff delivers on the signature thickness of this Middle Eastern staple which, despite its modest size, makes for a strong boost to a slow day. The make is simple, but Güllüoglu doesn’t compromise aesthetics. You’ll feel like a sultan sipping from what looks like an ornate silver sugar bowl. To round off the savory experience, the drink comes with complimentary mini-Turkish delights. For extra sweetness, treat yourself to one of 12-plus baklava options, imported straight from Istanbul. If you have time to let the heavy coffee settle, might as well stay for lunch.

Bluebird Coffee Shop
72 E. First St.
212-260-1879
bluebirdcoffeeshop.com

Taste: 4
Acidity: 5
Aroma: 5
Presentation: 2
Value: 5

From the man behind Brooklyn’s Milk Bar, Bluebird serves both charm and great coffee. The artsy décor and intimate setup is reminiscent of San Francisco—without the expected price tag. Their black coffee, at a reasonable $1.75, has a dark, sharp pull that has lured in coffee enthusiasts from all over the city. The slightly sour taste matches well with a home-baked pastry, though the recent change in owners means you won’t find the favorite pistachio-cardamom donut. The Kenyan beans are tasty, but in case you’re up for variety, Bluebird features guest espresso beans on rotation.

Koffeecake Corner
1269 Lexington Ave.
212-828-2233
koffeecakecorner.com

Taste: 4
Acidity: 3
Aroma: 3
Presentation: 2
Value: 5

At $1.75, Koffeecake Corner’s small “daily coffee” tastes fresher and less bitter than that of their competitor, Starbucks, across the street. Koffeecake’s coffee doesn’t mess around; customers won’t be offered a variety of roasts from which to choose. High in acidity and mildly bitter, Koffeecake’s single roast will provide a crisp splash of flavor and a soothing pick-me-up to any morning commute. Koffeecake’s offering comes with a cute coffee sleeve, adorned with a cupcake graphic. The Corner’s menu also boasts iced drinks and frappés, breakfast, desserts and “healthy sins,” consisting of oatmeal and yogurt. Tip: add cream and sugar to this coffee.

Java Girl
348 E. 66th St.
212-737-3490
javagirlinc.com

Taste: 4
Acidity: 2
Aroma: 4
Value: 3
Presentation: 3

Java Girl is a bit of the East Village tucked away uptown. With a pressed-tin ceiling, worn wooden floor and heaping barrels of coffee beans for sale, it offers a warm, cozy ambiance for morning meet-ups with friends as well as indie-owned solution to a neighborhood overrun with Starbucks. The coffee itself is the main attraction here with five blends that are changed out on a daily basis. The coffee is served up nuclear-hot on pour-your-own burners. The Copenhagen, a medium blend, is for those who are looking for a perk, but that don’t want the punch of Java Girl’s dark Mexican coffee blend. It’s the perfect pick-me-up as we head into the colder months.

Irving Farm
224 W. 79th St.
212-874-7979
irvingfarm.com

Taste: 5
Acidity: 1
Aroma: 4
Presentation: 3
Value: 4

This fairly new Upper West Side outpost of the Gramercy Park original is nestled into the bottom floor of a townhouse and is a welcome addition to the area. The coffee is a high-end, similarly priced alternative to Starbucks (something the neighborhood needs) and is worlds better than most coffee chains. A regular cup of joe would be fine to drink black; its low acidity and hints of nuttiness and chocolate give it plenty of flavor and not too much bite. Add a little sugar and cream, however, and it’s a real treat. The cozy café also offers a great selection of inspired baked goods and sandwiches, as well as beer and wine, and has enough wooden seating to allow sippers to linger over their excellent brew.

Whether it’s pounding the pavement for the best slice of pizza or highlighting the most promising up-and-coming artists, “Best of Manhattan” has been an indispensable guide to city dwellers for the past 25 years.

A quarter of a century also seems like a good time to look back at where we’ve been and forward to where we want to go. Starting with this issue, readers will no longer have to wait a year to find out the best that our city has to offer. We’re launching an ongoing feature that will pick everything from the best places to grab a warm cup of joe to the most luxurious spa services in our neighborhoods.

By doing this, we hope to keep readers better informed than ever and to search out the best and brightest of the greatest city in the world.
Readers with “Best of” suggestions that they would like to see us cover in a future issue can e-mail the editor at ahouston@manhattanmedia.com.
We hope you’ll find something unexpected within the pages inside.

Here’s to another 25 years.

Sincerely,
Allen Houston
Executive Editor

Best of City Living

Best of Eat and Drink

Best of Arts and Entertainment

Berry, who has sold more than 14 million books, started out as a lawyer and didn’t pick up a pen until he was 35. It took him 12 years and five manuscripts to sell his first novel, but his tenacity paid off. He regularly tops the bestseller lists and ranks alongside other top-notch thriller writers like Dan Brown and Harlan Coben.

The St. Augustine resident will teach a three day intensive writing course at Hunter College on June 6-9 and will also moderate the Hunter College Writers’ Conference’s “Suspense Panel” with Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder and Andrew Gross on Saturday, June 9th.

He took some time out of his new book tour promoting his latest novel The Columbus Affair to talk about the art of writing thrillers, his foundation History Matters and the upcoming Writers’ Conference.

What was it about Christopher Columbus that intrigued you enough to make him the focus of your new thriller?

The great mystery about Columbus is that we know nothing about him: what he looked like, where he was born, how he ended up in the new world, even his diaries that we have are a copy. Everything is legend and myth.

What advice do you give new writers?

A lot of people say write what you know. I think that’s bad advice. I say write what you love. If they are the same thing that’s great. In my case though, I’ve been interested in history since I was a boy. I’ve also always loved thrillers.

You struggled for 12 years to get published and received 85 rejections. Was there ever a time that you thought of quitting? What was it that kept you going?

What I tell writers is that I’m living proof that you can do it. After a lot of rejections, I finally caught the break that I’d be looking for. And yes, I probably stopped writing three times, but there was that little voice in my head that all writers have that said enough is enough, stop moping and get back to work.

You started History Matters to help communities with their historic preservation efforts. What have you learned about the state of preservation that would surprise people most?

What would surprise people most is the horrendous state of preservation in this country. There are millions of objects, documents and buildings that are crumbling because we’re not taking care of them. So far, History Matters has raised $250,000 for various historic preservation efforts. Last week, I was in Houston and we helped raise money to restore a city of Houston flag. This guy found it in his garage; it was 200 years old and an original version of the city’s first flag.

At Hunter, you’re teaching a three night intensive writing workshop and moderating a panel on suspense with Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder and Andrew Gross. What can people attending the intensive session and panel expect?

The intensive is nine hours on the craft of writing fiction, where I will teach what I’ve learned over the years. During the panel, I’m going to pick the author’s brains about the state of suspense right now. We’re going to have a great time.

You’ve written seven novels with Cotton Malone; do you ever worry about running out of fresh things to say or retiring the character?

No. I envision a lot more of good adventures with Cotton. He’s coming back next year with his son Gary to uncover a secret about the Tudors called “The Tudor Deception.” He’s changed a lot over the novels and I think there’s a lot more to explore with him.

For more information about the Hunter Writers’ Conference visit http://www.hunter.cuny.edu

Illustration by Brian Taylor

It’s still the early part of the season, the good part, when summer hours kick into effect (for the luckiest among us), before the tourist invasion starts and the city starts to heat up and emit that special odor that’s uniquely New York in August.

There’s no better time to be in the city for those who love culture or the outdoors. Every street corner seems to sing with its own event or festivity, and even the most jaded New Yorker can find something to pique their interest.

Those fortunate enough to live here are in the epicenter of a marathon celebration that runs all the way through the dog days of August.
Inside, we’ve created a handy-dandy guide to the best live concerts, film festivals, theater openings, museum shows, outdoor events, summer reading series and more that will help you plot out the next few months of your life.

So heat up the grill and pour yourself a cold one. We hope you’ll find something that will brighten your summer within these pages.

-Allen Houston, Executive Editor of Manhattan Media

Music
Top 10 Concerts
Reading Summer Film
Film
Best June Events for Kids
Cultural Events & Festivals
Hamptons Events
Celebrity Summer Guide
Out of Town
Summer Reading Series
Theater
Eats & Drinks
Top Food of Summer
Museums
Outdoor
Bike Share
Top Bike Trails
TV Guide

Summer Guide was compiled by Allen Houston, Marissa Maier, Megan Bungeroth, Adam Rathe, Robby Ritaco, Laura Shin, Armond White, Regan Hofmann, Rachel Khona, Angela Barbuti, Sean Creamer, Anam Baig, Andrew Rice, Magdalena Burnham, Doug Strassler, Max Sarinsky, Whitney Casser, Robin Elisabeth Kilmer and Andrew Bartel, Ed Johnson

By Allen Houston

New York shows its literary stripes during the summer months, when every bookstore and bar seems to sweat an author or reading series from its pores. Here are our choices for some of the best events to help you get back in touch
with your inner literatus.

Downtown
Fantastic Fiction at KGB
Yes, this makes our yearly list and yes, we are suckers for daring speculative fiction (just don’t call it science fiction). From past luminaries such as Joyce Carol Oates and China Mievelle to up-and-comers trying to burnish their geek chic cred, this monthly reading series raises a respectful glass to an underappreciated genre. Third Wednesday of every month; free. KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St., www.kgbfantasticfiction.org.

Happy Ending Music and Reading Series
Nearing the decade marker, the Happy Ending series at Joe’s Pub is like an old friend you always have a great time with. Writers and musicians alike walk a lyrical tightrope, all to the tune of a monthly theme (June’s is “Advancement and Ruin”). Once a month; $15. Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., www.amandastern.com.

New York Review of Science Fiction Readings
This science fiction reading series has served up heaping helpings of brave new worlds, as well as fantasy, horror and science fiction, since 1989. A bespectacled crowd gathers to pay homage to a bevy of new writers as well as such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Susana Clarke, among others. First Tuesday of every month; free ($7 donation suggested). Soho Gallery for Digital Art, 138 Sullivan St., www.nyrsf.com

Pulp, who rose to fame in the UK on their anthem Common People, had an impressive career as art rockers before their monster-hit blanketed the airwaves in the early ‘90s and went on to produce the equally brilliant if much darker albums “This is Hardcore” and the sardonic “We Love Life” before calling it quits in 2002.

Reuniting for a European tour this summer, two nights at Radio City and a smattering of other US shows before they headline Coachella, last night’s show was one that was worth the exorbitant prices scalpers were hawking them for in front of the theater.

Pulp has always been as much about the stories, words and persona of lead singer Jarvis Cocker, as about the right rock riff and if the songs that they chose to perform from their catalogue was any barometer of mood, then sex was the chief topic on their mind.

From the rocket launch of Do you remember the first time? to Underwear with its passionate plea that “I’d give my whole life to see it/Just you, stood there/only in your underwear” to the sexual imagery of Pencil Skirt: “When you raise your pencil skirt/ like a veil before my eyes/Like the look upon his face/as he’s zipping up his flies.” To the unabashed arousal of This is Hardcore – “You are hardcore, you make me hard/You name the drama and I’ll play the part/ It seems I saw you in some teenage wet dream/I like your get up if you know what I mean.”

Looking gaunt as ever but greyer on top, Jarvis performed with the same frenetic energy as 20 years ago, throwing chocolate bars to people, bantering with the audience between songs, running up towards the balcony to sing Disco 2000 and working in choreograph with dancers on F.e.e.l.i.n.g.c.a.l.l.e.d.l.ov.e, while the band (much like the Pixies reunion tour) sounded as spot on as they ever have.

The fans might have rioted if they hadn’t played Common People, the song that Pulp chose to close their first set with. The story of a wealthy disconnected art school student who wants “to live like Common People” has as much relevance today as it did 20 years ago. Just transplant it the lyrics to a Williamsburg trust fund baby and you get the same effect.

The band encored with Like a Friend and Bad Cover Version of Love. Hopefully this tour doesn’t close the book on Pulp. They have a more interesting kaleidoscope to see life through than most of today’s bands and who knows what a new chapter would produce.

iPhone Bandit Still on Prowl

Keep your cell phones in your pockets. The iPhone “Lone Ranger” is still on the loose, working the 90s between Third Avenue and Riverside Drive. The thief rides up to people on a bike while they are chatting on the phone and snatches it out of their hand mid-conversation, making a getaway before they can do anything about it. So far, there have been 18 reported incidents. Police are still on the lookout for him and advise people to safeguard their cells, only using them when necessary.

Linsanity Causes Thiefsanity

An Upper East Sider got more than he bargained for when he purchased Knicks tickets off of Craigslist. The victim met up with the potential ticket seller at 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, where he paid $250 for a pair of Knicks tickets. Later, when he showed up at Madison Square Garden, he was told that the tickets were forged.

Cell Phone Commotion

A young woman was walking on 82nd Street and York Avenue, talking on her cell phone, when two men jumped her, pushed her to the ground and tried to take the phone. The woman fought back, screaming as loud as she could, but it was to no avail. The men pried the phone loose and took off running down the street.

Waiting on a Train

A 21-year-old woman was preparing to get on the train at the 59th Street station when a perp came up and struck her in the left side of her face, grabbing her wallet. The thief made off with $16.

All’s Well That Ends Well 

The police happened to be in the right place when a woman was walking on 88th and Lexington and a thief snatched her bag and took off running. Far from being scared, the woman chased after him and followed him back to a car the thief jumped into, starting the engine. Seeing that the passenger side door was open, the feisty female reached in to grab her purse right as the thief gunned the engine, throwing her to the ground before she could take back her property.

But luck was on the victim’s side. A police sergeant happened to be passing by and she was able to flag him down. The two went in hot pursuit and caught up with the thief, who had ditched the bag out the window when he saw that he was being followed. Too bad a couple of witnesses saw him trying to get rid of the evidence.

The criminal was arrested and taken to jail.

Early Commute Surprise

A man was heading down the stairs of the 68th Street station to go to work when he felt a sharp object against his back and heard a voice say, “Don’t even call. You know what time it is.” The man handed over his wallet, $95 and a Metrocard. The thief headed east on 68th Street.

Residents of Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village are attempting to wrest control of their destiny.

Two tumultuous years after Tishman Speyer Properties relinquished control of the complex of 25,000 residents, the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association is working with Brookfield Asset Management to put together a bid to purchase the 60-year-old housing community.

“Our community has been through a lot over the past five years, and we continue to live in a state of limbo, with the future ownership of the property unclear. We simply cannot and will not sit idly by and wait for our future to be determined for us,” read a letter sent by the Tenants Association on Nov. 30, 2011.

“We believe that the time is now right to put forth a conversion proposal that will give residents the opportunity to buy their apartments at a reasonable price while also allowing rent-stabilized tenants to continue renting without fear of harassment should they decide not to buy.”

Stuy Town, as it’s commonly referred to, stretches on an 80-acre tract from 14th to 20th Street along First Avenue and the East River. It comprises more than 11,000 apartments. Since its inception in the late 1940s, Stuy Town has stood as a model of affordable housing for the middle class.

In 2006, Tishman Speyer Properties purchased the complex from MetLife in a move that was widely lauded within the real estate community. Four years later, Tishman Speyer walked away from the site rather than let it go into bankruptcy.
Back when the site was first put up for sale, the Tenants Association tried to put together a bid but was outgunned by Tishman Speyer.

The group is hoping for a different outcome this time around.

East Side Council Member Dan Garodnick was raised and still lives in Stuy Town and has been instrumental in trying to help the Tenants Association in their quest to purchase the complex.

“It would be a historic win for the tenants to take control of our future,” he said. “It’s important to make sure that this will continue to be a stable place for people to live and raise their families.”

Garodnick said that without the protection of the Tenants Association conversion proposal, another real estate company could come in and create the same havoc and upheaval that happened five years ago.

To prep for the upcoming bid, the Tenants Association held the first of a series of house parties last week. At the parties, a group of residents, numbering no more than 20, discusses the bid proposal.

“We’re trying to solicit feedback and find out what’s a reasonable price that people would pay for their apartments,” said Al Doyle, president of the Tenants Association. They also hosted a recent telephone town hall where more than 2,000 people dialed in to hear about the conversion process. The Tenants Association hopes to have a bid plan together by the end of April.

Doyle said that so far, the feedback from residents has overwhelmingly been positive. “There’s a lot to work out still, but most of the residents seem excited about being able to purchase their apartments,” he said.

Part of the purpose of the meetings is also to clear up any misinformation about what might happen during the conversion process. Some of the complex’s more elderly residents fear that the process might endanger their rent-stabilized apartments.

“They have a fear because of what happened with Tishman Speyer, tossing out as many people as they could,” Doyle said. “A lot of the older residents have lived here 50-60 years and they’ve never owned property, so it makes them nervous.”

“If residents don’t want to take part in the process or purchase their apartments, they don’t have to and nothing will happen to them,” Garodnick said.

Part of the reason for making a bid, according to Doyle and Garodnick, is that it would actually protect these vulnerable rent-controlled residents, something an outside company might not feel obligated to do.

Joan Hamilton, a longtime Stuy Town resident, is leaning toward supporting the Tenants Association’s bid, though she doesn’t know if she will purchase her own apartment.

“We would be more in charge of our own destiny,” she said. “It would certainly be better than the rent going up every 10 minutes like it seems to do now.”

Tenants Association board member John J. Sheehy said that the group is striving to return the community to the stability of solid ownership.

“It removes the fear of what happen if rent stabilization were removed in Albany and creates a sense of comfort,” he said.

At the end of the day, Doyle said the residents have to do something.

“One way or another, we have to gain control of the property,” Doyle said. “We can’t wait for another Tishman Speyer.”

- With additional reporting by Sean Creamer