UES IS HOME TO AMERICA’S MOST EXPENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD
Forbes released its annual list of the country’s most expensive ZIP codes last week, and for the first time ever, a Manhattan neighborhood came out on top. The Upper East Side’s 10065 ZIP, which covers 60th to 68th Street between the East River and Central Park, boasts a median price of $6.5 million for homes. The most expensive residence actually has yet to be built, but will soon be a six-story limestone townhouse with an underground pool, a waterfall and a glass elevator—and a $40 million price tag.

Also in the running was Greenwich Village, ranked No. 6. According to Forbes, the main factor behind this year’s most expensive neighborhoods is “lack of inventory,” so it is no surprise that Manhattan ZIP codes rank highly.

President Bill Clinton glances at the camera during the dedication of the new Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. It is the newest addition and New Yorks’s 214th state park.

LONG-DELAYED FOUR FREEDOMS PARK OPENS THIS WEEK
Almost four decades since it was conceived, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park opened to the public on Wednesday.

The four-acre memorial to the 34th president of the United States sits at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River across from the United Nations building, and features tree-lined walkways, a large bronze bust of Roosevelt, and a granite monument with excerpts quoting the four essential freedoms named in his famous 1941 State of the Union address: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The park was originally designed by architect Lawrence Kahn, who died shortly after completing drawings in 1974. Financial troubles caused the city to shelve the project, but it was revived in 2005 by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. William vanden Heuvel after a documentary on Kahn renewed interest.
“We hope visitors of different ages will understand that the four freedoms are the core values of democracy and that each generation has to be sure to protect them,” said vanden Heuvel in announcing the opening.

The park seeks to transform a nearby abandoned hospital into a visitors’ center over the next several years, and will work with Cornell University, which is opening a graduate school on the island, to build a dock for transporting guests via water taxi.

Benefits of Eating Well
Eating well is vital for everyone at all ages. Whatever your age, your daily food choices can make an important difference in your health and in how you look and feel.

Eating Well Promotes Health
Eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has many health benefits. For instance, eating well may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer and anemia. If you already have one or more of these chronic diseases, eating well and being physically active may help you better manage them. Healthy eating may also help you reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol and manage diabetes.

Eating well gives you the nutrients needed to keep your muscles, bones, organs and other parts of your body healthy throughout your life. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats and water.

Eating Well Promotes Energy
Eating well helps keep up your energy level, too. By consuming enough calories—a way to measure the energy you get from food—you give your body the fuel it needs throughout the day. The number of calories needed depends on how old you are, whether you’re a man or woman, your height and weight, and how active you are.

Food Choices Can Affect Weight
Consuming the right number of calories for your level of physical activity helps you control your weight, too. Extra weight is a concern for older adults because it can increase the risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can increase joint problems. Eating more calories than your body needs for your activity level will lead to extra pounds.

If you become less physically active as you age, you will probably need fewer calories to stay at the same weight. Choosing mostly nutrient-dense foods—foods which have a lot of nutrients but relatively few calories—can give you the nutrients you need while keeping down calorie intake.

Food Choices Affect Digestion
Your food choices also affect your digestion. For instance, not getting enough fiber or fluids may cause constipation. Eating more whole-grain foods with fiber, fruits and vegetables or drinking more water may help with constipation.

Make One Change at a Time
Eating well isn’t just a “diet” or “program” that’s here today and gone tomorrow. It is part of a healthy lifestyle that you can adopt now and stay with in the years to come.
To eat healthier, you can begin by taking small steps, making one change at a time. For instance, you might:
Take the salt shaker off your table. Decreasing your salt intake slowly will allow you to adjust.
Switch to whole-grain bread, seafood or more vegetables and fruits when you shop.
These changes may be easier than you think. They’re possible even if you need help with shopping or cooking, or if you have a limited budget.

Checking With Your Doctor
If you have a specific medical condition, be sure to check with your doctor or registered dietitian about foods you should include or avoid.

You Can Start Today
Whatever your age, you can start making positive lifestyle changes today. Eating well can help you stay healthy and independent—and look and feel good—in the years to come.
For more information visit nihseniorhealth.gov

By Angela Barbuti

Chef Masaharu Morimoto is most widely recognized for being an Iron Chef. So much so that people are known to start “screaming and giggling” when they see him around town. You don’t have to travel far to catch a glimpse of the celebrity chef—just visit Morimoto restaurant in the Meatpacking District and sit at the sushi bar. Between sips of sake and tastes of Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura, you can see the Japanese native and sushi master behind his exposition kitchen.

On Nov. 5, chef Morimoto will be at New Taste 2012, sponsored by New York magazine.

How do you describe your cooking style?
Utilizing Japanese cooking techniques with not only Japanese ingredients, but also Western ones. I hate to call it “fusion,” but want to call it “global cuisine.”

What is a typical day like for you?
I wake up early and walk in the city as exercise. Then in the afternoon I go to my restaurant.

Your restaurant is known for its tasting menu, omakase, which frequently changes. Where do your menu ideas come from?
I usually think about seasonal ingredients and then come up with ideas using them. For Japanese cuisine, seasonality is very important. Even for fish—the same fish tastes different depending on the season.

Are you recognized in Manhattan now that you were on Iron Chef?
As I mentioned, I walk a lot in the city. Some people do recognize me as an Iron Chef and wave at me or sometimes ask me to take pictures with them. Some people’s reactions are funny, screaming and giggling.

Of all the food battles you participated in on the show, which one was the most memorable?
I should say it was the Tofu Battle because I got the perfect score.

What do you think of the fact that chefs are now celebrities in our culture?
I think TV is one of the reasons. Chefs appear on TV more and more and are treated just like other celebrities.

Morimoto plays Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell music. How would you describe the atmosphere you are trying to create there?
I want to create an atmosphere where customers enjoy our food—but each Morimoto restaurant has a different atmosphere depending on the location. For example, Morimoto New York plays music relatively loud because that’s what the customers expect in the Meatpacking District.

Are you planning on opening more restaurants?
A new restaurant, Tribeca Canvas, will open in early November in Tribeca. More to come in the next year.

You have some unique-sounding names for your dishes. Describe “Duck, Duck, Duck” and “Angry Chicken.”
Duck, Duck, Duck is Morimoto Peking duck, foie gras croissant, and duck egg. Angry Chicken is very hot as if the chicken was angry.

If you had to take your wife out to dinner in New York City, where would you go?
A nice four-star restaurant. I’ve already taken her to Daniel and Eleven Madison, so next will be … but actually, my wife and I like eating comfortably at home.

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Ask Andrew Zimmerman!
Morimoto is at 88 Tenth Ave.
www.morimotonyc.com

Missi Gibbs has volunteered at Roosevelt Hospital for so many years, she’s forgotten when she started. “I don’t even know,” she said. “It’s been over 30 years!”

Gibbs, who turns 75 in November, is receiving a Westy award for her volunteer work.

“We are so lucky to have her here with us,” said Kathleen Dalton, director of volunteer services at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals. Dalton, who has known Gibbs for more than seven years, described her as an invaluable member of the hospitals’ volunteer team

“We all have whatever blessings we have, which really aren’t because of us. And so what we can do is give back,” Gibbs said on a recent Saturday in her apartment on West 81st Street. She first started volunteering at Roosevelt after her priest recommended it. “I got the names from the chaplain’s office of people who frequently did not have visitors,” she said.

At that time, hospital stays tended to be longer, Gibbs explained. “If someone had a stroke, they’d stay there for weeks.” After work, she visited patients, keeping them company. “I really, really loved it because I met interesting people,” she said. She later volunteered in the hospital gift shop and served as treasurer for the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Associate Trustees.

Currently, Gibbs volunteers every Friday as an ambulatory surgery liaison, facilitating communication between patients’ families and the medical staff. Then on Mondays she works in the maternity unit helping to escort families after they are discharged.

In addition to volunteering at Roosevelt, she is the chairperson of the beneficiaries committee of St. George’s Society of NY, an organization assisting local elderly and disabled residents who have a British and Commonwealth heritage. She is also a former board member of the Manhattan Plaza Foundation, which sponsored HIV and AIDS support programs.

Born in Pennsylvania, Gibbs grew up outside of Chicago. After attending Sweet Briar College in Virginia for two years, she transferred to Katharine Gibbs in New York when it was a secretarial school. “Back in the days when you wore hats and white gloves,” she said.

After graduation, she returned to Chicago for her first job at Life magazine. “I worked for the merchandizing manager and had lots of fun,” she said. Gibbs later moved back to New York with her husband. “When my feet hit New York, I knew this is where I’m staying forever and ever and ever,” she said. A mother of a son and a daughter, she remained in the city after her divorce.

She is generous with her time as well as her three-bedroom apartment, which she shares with her 23-year-old granddaughter as well as a Romanian pianist she describes as her “adopted” adult son.

“He needed a place to stay and the cats liked him,” she explained. (Gibbs adopted her two cats, Poopster and Sister Susie.) Two of her granddaughter’s friends have also been staying at the apartment temporarily. “I am currently running Granny’s flophouse,” she said.

In New York City, many people assume that the battle for reproductive choice takes place in “flyover states”—and certainly not in our own backyard! Yet these assumptions were proven incorrect again just a few days ago.

Last week, the Daily News reported on the closing of a surgical center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, reportedly due to anti-abortion protests. Dr. Terry Lazar, an owner of the surgical center, told the Daily News, “It was getting more and more difficult. Doctors were getting harassed, and patients were getting harassed. It was a decision we finally had to make.” Although Dr. Lazar was later quoted by WNYC as stating that the closure was for “economic reasons” and was unrelated to protests, the bottom line is that this surgical center has closed, while another surgical center, under out-of-state ownership, will not provide abortion services. The protesters held a celebratory mass at a church located down the block.

Reading this story led me to flash back nearly 20 years, back to the spring of 1994, when Lincoln Women’s Services was denied a renewal lease at 1995 Broadway, in the old Jamaica Savings Bank building. Then, like now, the landlord denied that the protests had anything to do with the decision. I was the newly elected president of Community Free Democrats, and our Democratic club activists worked closely with then-Assembly Member Scott Stringer, then-District Leader Eric Schneiderman and others on this issue—first, to raise public awareness and to bring public pressure on the landlord to reconsider its decision; later, I worked with the owners to assist them in seeking alternative space on Manhattan’s West Side.

Earlier this year, just weeks after Rush Limbaugh labeled Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” for daring to speak up about health insurance coverage for reproductive choice, I was among a handful of men who worked with Unite Women New York to organize a march and rally in support of reproductive rights along with other issues such as education, workplace equality and protecting women and children from domestic violence. Thousands of activists of all ages marched from Washington Square Park to Foley Square as part of a national call to action.

The brazenness of the anti-choice forces across the nation cannot be underestimated. This year, we have seen a Virginia governor who wants to deter abortions by requiring medically unnecessary and invasive procedures, a vice-presidential candidate who sponsored legislation to define life as beginning at conception, and a U.S. Senate candidate in Missouri who believes that rape victims cannot get pregnant. Still, when we see medical clinics closing here in New York City because abortion is one of the medical options offered to patients, we are reminded that the struggle to protect reproductive rights must begin here at home.

Marc Landis is a candidate for New York City Council and an Upper West Side Democratic District Leader.

New Yorkers who have walked around Prospect Park of late probably noticed that long construction sign curving around the Southern part of the pedestrian loop, advertising the soon-to-be “Lakeside” site. What they likely didn’t know about was Music Island, nestled quietly in a cove off the lake’s southeastern shore, waiting to be resurrected.

The island only spans a quarter of an acre, but has been around since the 19th century, when architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux created it. Back then, musicians used to take boats out to the island and play music for park-goers, according to the New York Times. The only glitch in the venue was that it was too remote for people to hear the performances properly. As its use waned, flora replaced the musicians, until finally the Prospect Park Alliance covered the entire area with the Kate Wollman Memorial Rink, in 1959. More than 50 years later, the Wollman Rink was dilapidated and the park demolished it, in preparation for the Lakeside Center.

While the island’s land was now exposed, one could see that Music Island had fused with the nearby shore, its original shape lost. The former President of the Prospect Park Alliance, Tupper Thomas, decided it was worth reconstruction. In 2011, the new president, Emily Lloyd, oversaw a large restoration project that involved relocating various turtles, building an artificial dam, and excavating about 9,800 cubic yards of rubble, the Times reports.

While the construction site remains closed to the public, at present one can spot the island through a fence. Lakeside Center will open in fall 2013, for ice skating. The center will have two rinks, and a recreation area fit for all seasons. There will be a dedication ceremony on Friday, October 19 for Music Island and the Esplanade.  The island will no longer host concerts, but will be a small nature preserve. Its history has surfaced along with its form, however, and it will continue to be known as Music Island.

Courtesy of Wiki Creative Commons

To read the full article click here.

Sen. Daniel Squadron with Aixa Torres, Tenant Association President at Smith Houses. Photo courtsey of Sen. Daniel Squadron’s office

Pier 42 Tour Offers Glimpse of Future Park
Last week, New York state Sen. Daniel Squadron and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner William Castro led the first public tour of Pier 42 in the Lower Manhattan. The pair announced plans for interim recreational use, as the planning process for the pier’s redevelopment into a waterfront park gets under way.

The redevelopment of Pier 42, along with the completion of the East River waterfront park, will help create a continuous green ribbon around Lower Manhattan, connecting the East and West Sides as well as providing the Lower East Side and Chinatown with much-needed open space. Pier 42 is located on South Street at Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side. Currently, a public planning process to design and redevelop the pier is currently in progress, and the public is encouraged to participate in Community Board 3’s upcoming meeting on the Pier on Thursday, Oct. 4.

Also upcoming is a Waterfront Community Day at the Pier on Nov. 3 from noon to 4 p.m., which will be presented by the Hester Street Collective, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Lower East Side Waterfront Alliance, Sen. Squadron and the Parks Department.

Google Brings Local Business Online
This week, Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced that Google will host a series of “Get Your Business Online” events throughout the five boroughs. The program is designed to help small businesses get online, and Google has created a coalition, which includes Intuit and SCORE, to this end.
Last year, Google hosted a similar event in New York’s Capital Region, where they gave small businesses free, easy-to-build professional websites, a free customized domain name, web hosting for a year and a listing on Google Maps.
“Google’s events will connect small businesses with new customers by teaching businesses how to get online quickly and easily. Small businesses are the driving force behind NYC’s economic growth, and I am thrilled to see that Google is bringing this successful seminar to the tri-state region,” Schumer said in a statement.
On Oct. 17, the program will land in Manhattan at Google’s New York office at 111 Eighth Avenue.

Seward Approved by Council
Last week, a subcommittee of the City Council unanimously approved a modified version of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA) plan for mix-used development.
As part of the revision of the plan, the City will add 100 more units to the development, with half of those priced at market rate and the others will be affordable units. In total, there will be 1,000 units in the SPURA development. A 15,000-square-foot parcel will also be set aside through 2023 as a potential public school site. The City has also committed to creating off-site affordable housing on Spring Street.
“I am proud that the SPURA development is one of the first projects in our City to so thoroughly incorporate community stakeholders into the RFP process,” noted Council Member Margaret Chin in a statement. “My goal was to make sure that the Lower East Side community has a role before and after this project is put out to bid by the City. As per my modifications, a community task force will help define the goals of the RFP, will provide feedback on proposals submitted by developers, and will consult with the City on the final selection. This City has committed to this process, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
This modified application will move on to City Planning, before a vote by the entire council, currently scheduled for Oct. 11.

Seaport Museum Seeks NYC Street Photographs for Upcoming Exhibit
The South Street Seaport Museum is inviting photographers to submit new works of New York City street photography for a juried exhibition to open in November of this year. According to the museum, the exhibition seeks to showcase the best of contemporary photography capturing life as it unfolds in New York City’s public places—its streets, parks and plazas. The exhibition will be curated by Sean Corcoran, curator of prints and photographs for the Museum of the City of New York and the South Street Seaport Museum.
Deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m., Oct. 22.
To learn more, visit southstreetseaportmuseum.org or call 212.748.8600.

Grab your mike and hang on for the ride. Our Town, Lips and Absolute Vodka are sponsoring “Karaoke Idol,” where aspiring singers take to the stage to show the audience members what they’ve got.

The first round is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Lips, located at 227 E. 56th St. Prior to the competition, there will be a Vegas-style revue hosted by Lips’ Blackie O.

“ ‘Karaoke Idol’ is a great opportunity for singers, and the Vegas-style revue will be extremely entertaining,” promised Yvonne, co-owner and entertainment director at Lips. “Blackie O is a great host, and the waitresses are performers.”

For those people daunted about getting onstage to sing sober, Absolut Vodka will supply shots and cocktails to help them channel their inner Elvis or Madonna.

Sitting at the judges’ table will be individuals who have a lifetime of experience in the music industry, including Lee Evans, Carol Henning and Paula Liscio.

Evans is an award-winning producer, songwriter, engineer and musician. He has written music for artist such as Cyndi Lauper, Marc Anthony, Queen Latifah, Afrika Bambaataa, The Force MDs and Brass Construction. He is currently the CEO of Jambox Entertainment, which has become one of the top recording studios in Midtown since it opened 18 years ago.

“ ‘Karaoke Idol’ is a great opportunity for upcoming artists to showcase their talents and have a chance to record a song,” Evans said.

Carol Henning, a former NY Press Readers’ Choice for “Karaoke Idol 2010,” is a writer and performer from Tandava Arts and is preparing for her upcoming performance at United Solo Festival. The annual United festival features solo acts from around the world. Henning will be performing Blood and the Veil, a self-produced play, on Oct. 17 at Theatre Row Studio.

Liscio, an opera singer and vocal coach, has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, among other places. In addition, she has performed opera in Italy.

The second round of “Karaoke Idol” will take place Oct. 23, leading up to the finals on Nov. 13. From each preliminary round, three contestants will be selected to perform on the extravagant stage at Lips.

The grand prize is a $1,000 and the chance to record a professional CD, courtesy of Jambox Studios. The runner-up will receive a $500 cash prize and studio time. All other finalists will be given gift cards. In addition, finalists will get complimentary hairstyle makeovers from Dramatics NYC.

“Karaoke Idol” is open to all amateurs, but singers are encouraged to rehearse their numbers thoroughly, be ready to project a great stage presence and know the logistics of performing onstage.

If you believe you have what it takes, you can apply by emailing KaraokeIdol@ManhattanMedia.com or calling 212-268-0393.

Lee Evans

Blackie O

Carol Henning

Paula Liscio

I do not know where John Jeannopoulos got the idea that Sugar and Plumm was “granted a sidewalk café permit prior to opening” (Letter, Sept. 27). As a member of the Business and Consumer Issues Committee of Community Board 7, I can assure him no such thing occurred.

The only “permit” considered, and approved, by the committee was Sugar and Plumm’s application for a liquor license. In fact, not only did the BCI Committee not pre-approve a sidewalk café for Sugar and Plumm (which it could not do anyway, since no formal plans for it have been submitted to CB7), but quite the opposite: At the public meeting at which the liquor license was approved, the co-chairs merely asked the applicant if they were planning on eventually coming back for a sidewalk café permit. And when the applicant responded in the affirmative, the co-chairs of the committee—acutely aware of the uniquely lengthy frontage of the establishment, and thus the potential for a truly huge sidewalk café—specifically requested that Sugar and Plumm not seek a permit for the entire length of the frontage, but for only a portion thereof, and the applicant agreed.
Mr. Jeannopoulos is equally incorrect in his suggestion that CB7, or committees thereof, make decisions without community input. Indeed, he is well aware that all board and committee business is done at open public meetings, the schedule for which can be found at CB7’s website.

As a longtime Upper West Sider who has interacted regularly with CB7 for over 30 years, including being a member of the board at various times, I can assure Mr. Jeannopoulos that CB7 takes its commitment to the community very seriously on all issues—from land use and zoning to transportation, from parks and libraries to health and human services, and from preservation to sidewalk cafés.

—Ian Alterman
Upper West Side