Paul Panus with his recovered bike at Chelsea Piers. Photo by Jonathan Springer.

With bicycle thefts now common in NYC, one man set up a sting operation to recover his stolen bike

by Sean Creamer

Paul Panus’ story is one that begins like many bicycle thefts, with a nice bike and a cheap lock. After his bike was stolen, Panus, a 33-year-old IT project manager and skateboarding and cycling enthusiast, seemed destined to become just another statistic in the ever-growing rash of bicycle thefts currently plaguing New York City.

Through a combination of tenacity and cunning, however, Panus found his wheels and brought the thief to justice.
The bike is a Jamis Coda, a sleek, flat-handlebarred “road racing [bike] without the racing emphasis,” according to the manufacturer, that Panus purchased in late March of this year for around $600. Only three days after Panus bought his new set of wheels from Chelsea Bicycles, it was stolen from outside the skateboard park at Pier 62 in Chelsea.

“I got to Chelsea at about 11 o’clock in the morning,” said Panus as he sat on his recovered bike at the scene of the crime one recent afternoon. “I happened to peek my head over the fence at about two o’clock, because it was a brand-new bike, and I noticed that it wasn’t there. The bike wasn’t there and the lock wasn’t there.”

Panus questioned his fellow skaters to see if anyone had spotted the bike-napper. Unfortunately, no one had seen the thief, but he received a tip that would prove pivotal.

“Some people told me to report it to the [Hudson River Park Trust] lost and found. I never did, but then someone suggested I check Craigslist, and that is what I did for the next three days, looking for a Jamis Coda bike,” Panus said, as he drew a heavy- duty lock from his bag and snapped his bike frame to a signpost.

Panus began his search on a Saturday and scoured the Internet for three days until he found what he believed to be his ride.

“It was a generic description of the bike, with a picture from the actual website, so it wasn’t a photo of the bike,” he recalled. ”But that is what made it seem fishy to me, because if you’re selling the bike, why don’t you take an actual picture of it?”

While the NYPD didn’t provide data on the number of bike thefts that occur in the city each year, the bike community in New York City has noted a rise in such crimes and many say it is now a common occurrence. Will Huff, who has worked as a bike messenger for 10 years and is currently a salesman at Spokesman Cycles, has had three bikes stolen over the last few years.

Huff said the rising popularity of road and high-end fixed-gear bicycles has skyrocketed demand for stolen parts. “We can sell a bike one week and have it get ripped off two days later,” said Huff as he restocked a line of premium steel bike locks.

Huff was surprised to hear that Panus had gotten most of his bike back; usually when a bike is stolen it will be stripped of its components, with each one sold individually to bike messengers and aficionados who search for specific parts. While the buyers of the stolen parts may be cycling enthusiasts, Huff said he thinks the thieves themselves steal for a very different reason.

“Most of them are junkies,” alleged Huff. “Once you know how to do something, that is how you make your money. There is basically a steady flow of professionals going around stealing wheels, brakes and whatever they can get their hands on.”

Huff then brandished a heavy-duty bike lock called “The New York Fahgettaboudit Mini,” which weighs 7 pounds. Hefting the lock up and down to display its size, Huff noted, “They can all be sawed through. The only way you can protect your bike is to lock it in a place that is well-lit and well-traveled. People are generally lazy and will lock their bike up in front of their house, which is where most thefts will happen.”

On the day of the theft, Panus locked up his bike at Chelsea Pier 62 at 23rd Street, a renovated pier that is home to a skate park with a bike rack near the entrance. It is heavily traveled by tourists, skateboarders and cyclists and is located right next to a leisure cruise line.

Despite all of this, Panus’ bike was stolen in the middle of the day, almost right under his nose.

“Bike thieves will watch an area and take notes on which bikes are locked up and how often the owner comes back to the bike,” said Huff.

The ad that Panus believed to be selling his bike was a generic one. The bike was being sold out of Jersey City at an asking price of $350, and the post contained a picture of the bike from Jamis’ website.

“It was the only ad I saw that was the same model as my bike,” said Panus. “The bike is not that common.”
Panus decided to email the thief directly, posing as a potential buyer. Acting on impulse, he sent that first message without any idea of what his next move would be.

“It seemed kind of fishy to me,” Panus said of his conversations with the thief. “He did not post a photo of the bike itself and would not give out his number.”

In his email communication with the thief, the seller touted that the bike was more or less brand new and that Panus could have it, provided he met the seller in Jersey City or Hoboken.

Before another potential buyer could swoop in, Panus acted fast and consulted a pal who is an NYPD officer. The friend advised Panus to talk to the officers at the 10th Precinct, the jurisdiction in which the bike was stolen, before meeting up with the thief.

“I went in and I gave them the ad from Craigslist and told them the situation,” he remembered. “They said, ‘Are you sure this is your bike? Do you have anything to identify it with?’”

He told the officers that he could tell if the bike was his by checking its serial number, which Chelsea Bikes provided him. Similar to a vehicle’s VIN, bicycles have serial numbers the manufacturer uses to catalog each one produced. The only remaining hurdle for Panus was that his bike was being sold out of New Jersey, outside of the area covered by the NYPD.
“They told me that if I could convince the guy to come into the city, to bring the bike into the city, that they would be happy to set up a small sting operation,” said Panus.

They told Panus that if he could get the thief to come to Chelsea with the bike, the police would set up undercover officers who would make the arrest, once Panus had identified the bike as his own.

Armed with renewed vigor and a plan to take down the crook, Panus contacted the suspected bike-napper and told him that he wanted to buy the bike, but only if the seller would travel to New York City. Panus greased the seller’s palms and promised more money if the man made the trip out to Manhattan.

“I told the guy, ‘Listen, I work and live in the city; it is going to be hard for me to get over to Jersey.’” he said. “‘If I give you $50 more, will you bring it to the city?’”

The man quickly agreed to the new terms. Panus called the cops to tell them he was meeting the seller in front of the Starbucks at 23rd Street and 8th Avenue. Bear in mind that Panus found the bike on Craigslist, contacted the crook, brought in the police and baited the target to come into the city all in the same day—only three days after his bicycle was first stolen. All that was left to be done was wait for the man to show up.

“The NYPD brought in three officers. One sat in the Starbucks while I waited out front for the man and two sat in an undercover car designed to look like a taxi,” Panus said.

While they were waiting, Panus got a call from the crook, saying that he had just gotten off the PATH train and would be there soon. A Hispanic man in his mid-thirties, “a normal guy who did not look like a thug,” Panus recalled, rode up on the bike, and Panus initially thought he might have the wrong guy.

“Immediately, I noticed that the seat was different, the handle grips were different and the pedals were different,” Panus said. “But I looked the bike over, pretending that I really wanted to buy it, and I flipped the bike over and began turning the crank to make sure he didn’t think something was up as I double-checked the serial number, which I had memorized.”

“Sure enough, the serial number matched,” Panus said, smiling. “And then I threw my hand in the air.”

The undercovers sprang from their concealed locations and immediately cuffed the crook. Panus said the man was utterly shocked when the three officers converged upon him. His only response was a confused “What?”

Panus returned to the station with the undercover cops and the crook to finish up some paperwork. He watched as the man was booked on charges of possession of stolen property, since there was no way to prove that the man who was trying to sell the bike was the one who had stolen it.

“Basically, that was it. I filled out some paperwork and they let me ride away with my bike right then and there,” Panus said. “I didn’t want anyone to get away with this. I’m glad I was able to get my bike back and catch the guy.”

For those hoping their bicycle doesn’t succumb to the same fate, Huff has one simple piece of advice: “The only real way to keep your bike safe is to take it inside your home. It does not matter what kind of lock you use.”

Huff himself is the victim of multiple bike thefts. Some were stolen and never seen again, but there were several instances where he had to play dirty to get his gear back.

“Once I had a bike stolen and I found it chained somewhere a few weeks later. I went up to it, put my own lock on it and waited for the guy to come back,” Huff said. “Sometimes you have to get rough to get your stuff back.”

Onondaga County
Summer Brewfest
Summer is well-known among beer connoisseurs as the time to enjoy a fresh brew, and there is no better venue for this simple pleasure than the annual Summer Brewfest. The fest is held at Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, roughly an hour from Manhattan. In addition to the numerous local and international microbreweries, Summer Brewfest will include live music. There are a limited number of tickets, so get them while they last. June 22, 5:30 p.m.; $50, $10 for designated drivers. Syracuse, cnysummerbrewfest.com.

NY State Blues Festival
Clinton Square in Syracuse is home to many events, but the New York State Blues Fest boasts one of the longest performer rosters and attracts some of the biggest crowds. The three-day-long festival offers everything from local talent, such as Soul of Syracuse, to internationally acclaimed blues bands like River City Junction. A three-day pass costs $25, but a VIP one, with access to food, drinks and a club crawl, will set you back $150. July 13-15; $25, $150 for VIP passes. Syracuse, nysbluesfest.com.

Middle Eastern Cultural Festival
Middle Eastern communities are present in all four corners of the country, and upstate New York is no exception. With this festival, Middle Eastern New Yorkers celebrate Saint Elias, the patron saint of the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Syracuse. The event originated in 1937, becoming the social event of the year for the Arabic-speaking community of central New York. The church grounds are converted into a Middle Eastern food haven, chock full of shish kebab, grape leaves, spinach pies, hummus, pastries and Arabic coffee. In addition, the church sets up a souk, marketplace, selling jewelry, gifts and rugs, and visitors will be entertained by live Arabic music and dances. July 20-22; free. Syracuse, sainteliasny.com.

Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival
Those who appreciate the simple pleasures in life—a nice glass of merlot and some Miles Davis—should head to the Northeast Jazz and Wine festival this summer. Admission to the event is free and includes wine tastings from local and international wineries, coupled with 22 hours of performances. One perk of this event is the air-conditioned wine pavilion. July 27-29; free. Syracuse, cnyjazz.org.

The Great New York State Fair
Arguably one of the biggest summer fests in the state, The Great New York State Fair spans over 12 days and includes entertainment and a number of competitions, from best antique automobile to prettiest rose. The fair is an out-and-out traditional American festival, complete with two 4-H competitions: 4-H Youth Building Exhibits and 4-H Youth Livestock. Aug. 23-Sept. 3; $6 advance, $10 day of. Syracuse, nysfair.org/home.

Jazzfest
If you walk down St. Mark’s Place in the East Village, you might pass by a few notable jazz clubs; if you are looking for an all day jazz fête, head to the 30th year of Jazzfest in Jamesville. The icing on the cake? Admission is free. Gas up the car or get on a bus and amp up during the four-hour ride. Acts include Cyrille Aimee and Mingo Fishtrap. On Friday, Kenny G will be the headlining performance, and on Saturday, Average White Band and Donovan with Troubadour will lay down the beat. June 22-23; free. Jamesville, syracusejazzfest.com.

Oswego County
Harborfest
Each year, the city of Oswego hosts its annual Harborfest. This will be the 25th year of the festival, and to kick it off, Kenny Loggins will be playing along with a trove of cover bands such as BIG SHOT, which pays homage to Billy Joel, and The Mayor of Margaritaville, a wink and a nod to their inspiration, Jimmy Buffett. For those who need a break from the vintage tunes, head to the juried arts and crafts fair or the numerous food tents selling fair favorites like fried dough and turkey legs. July 26-29; free. Oswego, www.oswegoharborfest.com.

Saratoga County
40th Annual Round Lake Antiques Festival
While it isn’t too difficult to find a roughed-up antique on the side of the road on trash day in New York City, connoisseurs who don’t want to risk the possibility of bed bugs and are looking for a truly good find can trek to the 40th annual Round Lake Antiques Festival. In close proximity to the town of Saratoga Springs, the weekend festival features 250 vendors and draws close to 20,000 people each year. June 23-24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. Round Lake, greatamericanantiquefest.com/antique_shows/round_lake.htm

Cayuga County
Sterling Renaissance Festival
Travel back to the year 1585 this summer at the Sterling Renaissance Festival, where the Medieval Era is in full swing. Go to a wench auction, eat steak on a stake and learn to dance like a bard. With over 100 vendors selling their unique wares and people running around in ye olde garb, this little village will surely feel like a blast to the past, without all the awful smells and diseases that plagued the Dark Ages. Saturdays and Sundays, July 7-Aug. 19; $22.95, kids 6-12 $12.95, group rates and multiday passes available. Sterling, sterlingfestival.com/festivalinformation.html.

Dutchess County
Dutchess County Fair
Each August, the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck opens to the public for six days, catering to nearly half a million patrons. Only two hours from New York City, the Dutchess County Fair is the second largest in the state and serves as a showplace for agricultural marvels from across the county. Aug. 21-26; $12 advance, tickets to grandstand events sold separately. Rhinebeck, dutchessfair.com.

Break In, Steal, Repeat
From Thursday, May 3 through Saturday, May 6, an unknown criminal broke into 18 different cars in the Upper East Side and stole personal effects ranging from loose papers to GPS devices. The robberies took place between East 94th and East 98th Streets on Lexington, Park, Madison, Third and Fifth avenues between 4 p.m. and midnight. In each case, the perpetrator would break the driver or passenger’s side window to gain access. A number of the cars were luxury vehicles, most of them Mercedes-Benzes. Multiple iPods, iPads, phones, glasses and even a hard drive were stolen. No witnesses have been discovered so far to the crimes and the crook remains at large.

Look at the Fine Print
An Upper East Side man was duped on Craigslist over what he believed to be a good deal on concert ticket. The victim believed that he had found a rare ticket to a sold-out Drake concert on the website. On Wednesday, May 9, at about 3:30 p.m., the victim met with a black man who was sporting cowboy boots and called himself “Martin Lester.” After the victim handed over $500 for the ticket, the two parted ways. The victim returned home to find several inconsistencies on the ticket. He later called Ticketmaster only to discover that the ticket was faked.

Mother’s Day Break-in
Two Upper East Side women who share an apartment left for Mothers Day weekend only to discover that their home was ransacked while they were gone. The crime took place on East 83rd Street and was suspected to have occurred on Saturday, May 12, at about 6:30 p.m. One of the victims returned home from an excursion to find the front door only partially locked. A cursory investigation turned up empty beer bottles in the trash, both bedrooms combed through and an I.D. card belonging to a Brooklyn man. The victims were robbed of their MacBooks, a loss valued at $2,000, and one of the women lost a watch valued at $150, while the other was robbed of her camera valued at $350. There were no witnesses to the crime and the crook is still on the loose, despite the ID found at the scene.

A Startling Awakening
A late-night traveler took the ride of his life when he hailed a cab and fell asleep in the backseat of the car, only to be awakened by an angry cabbie. After a heated verbal argument over the fare, the victim was attacked by the seething cabbie. The victim was picked up at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, at East 6th Street and Sixth Avenue. After he nodded out in the backseat, the cabbie drove the napping rider to East 67th Street off First Avenue. The cabbie awakened the passenger, who then began to argue about the fare. The victim got out of the car and was followed for four blocks by the cabbie, who finally smashed a glass bottle over the victim’s head. The victim received lacerations to the face and top of the head. The cabbie then returned to his car and fled. The car has been identified as one of the thousands of yellow medallion cabs that roam the streets and the driver was described as a black man in his 40s with a bald head.

Cash Grab
A popular chain store on Lexington Avenue in the Upper East Side was a victim of grand larceny by two of its employees. The two women were both managers at the store. Over a period of several months starting in March, the two continually made cash refunds for themselves, embezzling over $82,523 in cash. The company became suspicious when they saw that there were so many cash refunds but no customer receipts to go along with them. The two women stopped showing up to work and a fellow employee reported the crime on Saturday, May 12.

Playing Nice
On Thursday, May 3, a man was walking down Third Avenue, minding his own business, when a seemingly random New Yorker approached him and punched the victim in the throat and took off down the street. The victim drove himself to LIJ hospital to deal with injuries from the
punch. The person is now stable, but the white, about 35-year-old bruiser is still out on the streets.

DOn’t park your car here!
A muscular, tanned man threatened a parking garage employee with a metal pipe on Sunday, May 6, over a car that may not have been his. The perp held up the business on East 61st Street by menacing employees and screaming that no one was leaving until he got his car back. The
white sedan that the man claimed to be his remained in the garage as the employee could not confirm that the angry man was the owner. Instead of finding the proper papers, he utilized the “hit things with a metal pipe” action and threatened that he would beat the employee if he called the cops. The man left the scene, but the car is still unclaimed.

Street Crossing Crime
On the afternoon of Thursday, May 3, a woman was crossing the street at 59th Street. In an act of courtesy, a middleaged black man asked the woman if she needed help crossing the street. She accepted his help and gave him two dollars to help him get back to Brooklyn. This is when the do-gooder turned bad like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Feeling a tug on her purse, the victim noticed that the man was trying to seize her belongings while he helped her along. After calling him out on his dastardly ways, the man ran off with $200 and her wallet. So far, no
arrests have been made.

Das grand theft auto
Parking a car in the city is always a hairy situation. Spots are hard to come by and finding one close to home is always a hassle. For one unlucky resident of the Upper East Side, a crook took advantage of unlocked doors and scarce parking to make his way into a home on 63rd Street. When the victim returned to his apartment, he found a crook standing in the foyer, knife in hand, as he demanded, “Give me the keys to the BMW.” The victim did not own the aforementioned BMW, but another work of German engineering, a Volkswagen Jetta worth $20,000. The crook took the keys and $143 in cash and sped off down the road. Thus far, no arrests have been made.

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana on the Upper West Side is a not-for-profit group whose vision is to bring the many styles of classical and modern Spanish dance into the limelight. The dance company, over the course of 30 years, has become one of the most prominent flamenco groups in NYC and the nation and has performed in countries such as Spain and Colombia.

Flamenco Vivo is known for presenting theatrical dance spectacles such as Burlador, based on the Don Juan legend, but the company performs classic Spanish dances, as well.

The company’s most recent project was the “Flamenco in the Boros” tour, which ran in mid-April. It featured professionals from the U.S. and Spain performing traditional flamenco dancing alongside students at multiple venues across New York City.

At Casita Maria in the Bronx, the company performed the stunning “Seguiriya,” a slow dance designed to instill a feeling melancholy within the viewer.

The dancers, Leslie Roybal, Laura Peralta and Isabel del Dia, brandished scarves called mantones, which are emblazoned with many colors and patterns. These were swung around with hypnotizing intensity as the dancers dipped and swayed. The dancers twirled to the twanging guitar of Jed Miley, who laid the foundation for the beautiful voice of Barbara Martinez.

The “Flamenco in the Boros” event in particular is part of a celebration to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the group’s illustrious history.

“We are very excited that our flamenco company was able to make it 30 years,” said Carlota Santana, the founder and artistic director of the program, who is recognized throughout the flamenco world and is a member of the faculty at Duke University. “We were the first dance studio made by flamencos for flamencos in NYC.”

Flamenco Vivo’s mission began in 1983 when renowned dancers Roberto Lorca and Santana started the Spanish Dance Arts Company as a way to present the world of flamenco outside of the dance clubs.

“We wanted to bring flamenco out of the clubs and make it theatrical,”said Santana.

She explained that flamenco was popular in the early ’80s, which set the scene for Santana and Lorca to open the company. Their aim was nurturing the growth of flamenco and Hispanic culture, teaching the dance styles to those interested in performing and providing a stage for existing professionals in the U.S. and Spain to come and showcase their talents in New York City.

Unfortunately, in 1987, Lorca’s life was cut short by AIDS, but Santana persevered and continued to welcome dancers of all skill levels with open arms. Santana said she has seen “people from all walks of life taking classes—the young and old, and men and women alike.”

The company engages in community outreach programs and has also lent its talents to several of city’s public schools, where they teach dance instructors, Santana said. Participants will study, get the history and culture, and learn how to integrate the art into their basic course standards, according to Santana.

The company has two bases of operation— the NYC location and one in North Carolina—and Santana looks forward to “raising the next generation of flamenco dancers.”

For more information, call 212-736-4499 or visit flamenco-vivo.org.

Leave Your Bags on Your Back

It’s nice to know people are so trusting of those around them. In New York City it’s a rare quality, but one that can cost its practitioners dearly. On the night of Saturday, April 28, a woman at a bar near 76th Street and Second Avenue had her bag stolen off the back of her chair. The unknown thief took the woman’s cellphone, wallet and a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses as well as her Yohji Yamamoto bag valued at $1,500. The 21st Precinct wishes to remind residents that although going to a bar usually promises a night of fun and friends, people should always keep an eye on their belongings.

Party Pooper

Throwing a house party is always fun—when it’s held at someone else’s home. One resident of the Upper East Side learned this lesson the hard way on Saturday, April 28, after an unknown partygoer stole the show.

The host was allowing people into his soiree when a party crasher made his way inside. After mingling with the other guests, the crook got to work and pocketed a Tag Heuer and a Seiko watch, each one valued at over $1,000. The thief, maybe emboldened by his new timepieces, also seized an iPod and then went for the big prize. As he made his way out of the apartment, he shoved a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black under his coat, thus stealing the life of party and giving himself something to toast with, too. So far, no arrests have been made.

Taking a Beating for Electronic Love

From Tribeca to Harlem, there are always cases of people being ambushed for their valuables, an unpleasant fact New Yorkers must deal with now that they keep pricey toys in their pockets. These crooks do not discriminate or use fair tactics, as one woman discovered last Thursday night on Third Avenue near East 95th Street. The woman was talking on her cellphone when she was approached by a group of four black men and two women, who demanded that she hand over her valuables or suffer a beating. She then made a choice that the NYPD swears up and down is the absolute wrong thing to do: She held fast to her cellphone and invited the challenge. The group punched the woman repeatedly in the face and body, while trying to get the victim to release her vise-like grip on her phone. After realizing that they were fighting a losing battle, the dastardly thugs took off down East 95th toward the West Side. The victim refused medical attention and suffered a few bruises, but she got lucky, according to police. Although these crooks quickly took off, New Yorkers should remember that while we may be some tough cookies, losing a life over a cellphone is not worth the cost.

Baggage Claim

The MTA tells you to keep your belongings in sight at all times, and this rule applies for being on the street as well. At about noon of Saturday the 28th, a woman found an ideal parking spot on East 82nd Street, but needed a way to ensure that the spot remained open to her vehicle; ergo she utilized a piece of luggage as a means to tell other motorists that this spot was off-limits. One crooked driver was not in need of her spot, but realized the potential to profit from her blunder. When the woman returned to park her car, she saw a black sedan pulling away with her luggage in the backseat of the car. The woman lost several shirts, a $400 silk dress and a box of Quaker oatmeal.

Young artists will get the chance to work in studios such as these at the National Academy.

The National Academy Museum & School of the Upper East Side, located at 5 E. 89th St. off 5th Avenue, is celebrating 20 years of children’s summer programs. The school itself has been instilling the intricacies of fine and classical arts into fledgling artists since 1826.

“Our young people’s program is one of the best-kept secrets in the Upper East Side,” said Lotus do Brooks, one of the instructors in the program.

This summer, the school will continue its tradition of offering a full day art camp for youngsters and intensive art workshops for high school students who wish to live their summer through the artistic eye.

“This is a small environment,” said Maurizio Pellegrin, the director and one of the instructors of the Academy. “It is very well organized, with a dynamic structure that offers classes to professionals and to people who come for the love and passion.”

The program is separated into three classes that are available for six weeks starting June 11, though the students have the choice to stay for one week or all six, according to Brooks. Tuition for the summer camps is $450 per week, and the workshop will run for $250 per week.

The National Academy will host Martha Bloom, a professional who has over 30 years’ art experience under her belt. She will preside over the Art and Drama program, which is open to kids ages 6 to 10 and prompts them to explore the multiple avenues of creativity housed within their developing minds as painters and performers. This class serves as an introduction to several art styles such as drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and drama. The students will have an opportunity to work outside and they will also host miniature exhibitions of their work. The classes run June 11–29 and July 9–27 from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m.

The second class being offered is suited for children 9 to 13 years old and discusses the finer points of painting and drawing, such as lighting, shading and perspective. Hannah Frassinelli, an established teacher and award-winning printmaker, will guide her students through the Painting and Drawing camp with self portraits and a clothed model to give the fledgling artists an introduction to the human figure.  The students will also work in printmaking and study the concept of the still life and landscape painting. This set of classes will begin June 18 and continue until the 29th. The second set of classes begins July 9 and ends on the 20th.

The final class to be offered for the summer will be a Watercolors Workshop taught by Brooks, who is part of the teaching staff at the Dalton School and has been training and teaching the fine arts for well over 20 years. This class acts as a foundation for high school students to build their portfolios, which will prepare them for college, when they must submit samples of their current work. Students will delve into watercolors to create landscapes of nature and the city. The students will also be given the chance to visit several art galleries and museums in the area. The class will be begin July 30 and continue through Aug. 3 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Tuition for this class will be $250 per week.

The school is surrounded by museums and art galleries, such as the Guggenheim, which is but a stroke of a paintbrush from the school. The teachers utilize this to the fullest extent, taking its students out of the studios and into the galleries to marvel at the works of great artists.

“We are in the center of New York City, one of the major art cities of the world,” said Pellegrin.

Kimberly Kinchen and Kim Burgas created bike train, a safer way to travel the city.

Biking in New York City has grown immensely in the past few years. It’s common to see a few lone cyclists mounted upon their bikes at a stoplight, as if they were riding in the Old West. While cycling alone is an activity that can soothe the mind and invigorate the body, it can also be daunting when you are just starting out on the pothole-ridden roads of New York City.

This is why Kimberly Kinchen and Kim Burgas created the bike train, a collection of cyclists who mimic a subway route and create an environment where people can ride in good company and help new riders. Both recall that when they began cycling in the city, it was an ominous trek but they eventually felt comfortable on the bustling streets.

The two joined efforts when they met and realized they were working on the same project from different angles.

Kinchen moved to New York from Seattle 10 years ago; she was a cyclist there, but only started riding in New York City about a year ago. Soon, she began her own bike train project after seeing how successful it was in places like Portland, Ore., and Ontario.

Burgas began cycling in her hometown of Cincinnati. Once she moved to New York City, she too was fearful, but after a while she warmed up to the busy streets and began commuting to work. Her inspiration for a bike train began when her office workers would ask, “How do you manage to get to work on a bike?” She responded that they should join her on the road.

The pair envisioned cyclists connecting via the Internet and meeting up for rides that follow the bike lanes in Manhattan. It is a way to break down the silence between riders at red lights and meet like-minded people who, Burgas said, “Will never ask you to explain why you rode to work in ‘that weather.’”

They hope to create a public forum welcoming riders from all walks of life and frame size, from the fixed-gear enthusiast to the parent with a child seat strapped to the back. They consider themselves the creators of a friendly bike gang.

Earlier this year, Burgas and Kinchen developed two routes: Inwood to Midtown and Prospect Park to Midtown East. Each of the “lines” runs periodically and has a conductor, either Burgas or Kinchen. They remain in contact with riders via smart phones and Twitter using the hashtag #bikenyc.

“Some days it’s Kim and I,” said Kinchen. “Other days there are much more people.” Burgas said there are generally about 15 people in the group.

While there are only two routes so far, the duo are currently planning expansions to have other operational routes for the month of April. They are also developing an application so riders can connect easily via their smart phones.

As the group grows in size, “the logistical problem grows,” said Kinchen, echoing one of Burgas’ concerns. “The main thing is that people get in touch so that we know to wait for them.”

Burgas said that because of her background in technology, she was apprehensive at first about developing further, “but in this case it will help out a lot to have this app.”

Courtesy of Ben Hussman

Cash Over Easy
While most people who enter a bodega early in the morning are looking for an egg sandwich, two crooks were starving for the green, as opposed to eggs and ham. April 2 at 5 a.m., the thugs entered a store on the Upper East Side and while one stood guard, the other went around the counter, brandished a revolver at the clerk and demanded the cash in the register. After taking $500, the two men fled the scene. There have been no arrests so far in the case.

Brand Loyalty Can Only Take You So Far
Having passion for your job is always a plus, but when your enthusiasm entails trying to stop a criminal who robbed your store, employees may want to leave that to the police. Saturday, March 31 at 12:50 a.m., two males and a female entered a large convenience store on Lexington Avenue and began filling their pockets with gum and deodorant. One employee took notice of the theft and proceeded to follow the perps outside, where he was threatened with a screwdriver. The two men fled the scene and the police detained the woman who was with them. The boys in blue wish to remind citizens that confronting crooks is their job and the best way to help is to get a description and the direction in which the criminal fled.

Sidewalk Scuffle
A timeless quote from Bambi says: “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” The writers were not kidding. Saturday, March 31 at 2:55 p.m., two men got into an altercation on 1st Avenue. After a few minutes of quarrelling, one of the men decided to take the argument to the next level and brandished a knife at his nemesis. When the police arrived, there was no knife to be found. Both men were arrested.

Letting in Fresh Air and Deft Crooks
One lucky cat burglar took advantage of unlocked windows and a fire escape to make off with quite the payday. Thursday, March 29, a thief made his way into four apartments and did not break a single lock or window in the process. The burglar ascended the fire escape of an apartment building on East 73rd Street in the middle of the day and made off with a multitude of electronics, jewelry, sunglasses, iPads and iPods and a slew of diamond necklaces. With the warm weather coming in fast, those with fire escapes outside their window may want to reconsider leaving their windows open to the cool outside air and cunning criminals.

Keep Your Bags Close and Valuables Closer
When going out to eat or heading to a pub, remember that you are not lounging at home, safe from theft. For the past three months, deft hands have been invading the sanctity of purses and other handbags left on chairs of restaurants and pubs on the Upper East Side. The NYPD at the 21st Precinct wants to remind residents that they should keep close tabs on their belongings, keep their valuables nearby or leave the expensive stuff at home.

By Sean Creamer

Knowledge of the art of business is a requirement for anyone who hopes to cover the fast-paced business world of New York. Beyond that, though, an understanding of the history and players who have made this city into what it was are also needed.

Greg David, a CUNY professor, was the editor of Crain’s New York Business for 25 years. He has used his experience as a business journalist to pen his recent book Modern New York: The Life and Economics of a City, a book for anyone interested in how the economic engine of the financial capital of the world works.

The author will discuss his book and the future of New York City April 9 at 7 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble on Broadway and 82nd Street.

West Side Spirit: What makes New York’s economy unique?

Greg David: Well, New York isn’t just any city, it is THE city. The story of New York is the story of how this city became the preeminent business and financial capital of America, if not the world. And it’s a fascinating story, because it’s about the triumph of Wall Street. It’s about the roles mayors have had in shaping this city for good and for ill. And it’s about all the efforts New York has made to diversify its economy. I think fundamentally, this book is about the intersection of business, the economy and politics.

Is the book written purely for those in the business arena?

The book is not just about business people, it’s about all kinds of New Yorkers. One of the most important reasons why New York is prosperous is because of immigrants. People say that Ed Koch’s housing plan was instrumental in saving the neighborhoods—it was a good plan, but it didn’t save the neighborhoods. The arrival of immigrants in rising numbers in the late 1970s and 1980s is what saved New York.

In the ’70s, New York City’s population decreased by almost 1 million people. We were on our way to becoming some super-sized Boston or maybe Detroit. Then immigrants moved into the worst neighborhoods, because that is where they could afford to live, and they revitalized them. Immigrants have fueled the growth of tourism; immigrants have fueled the growth of many industries. Immigrants are more entrepreneurial, they have played a crucial role in making the city more prosperous—if we are going to have a bright future, we are going to continue to need hundreds of thousands of immigrants to come to the city.

How do you feel gentrification has affected some neighborhoods in New York City?

What’s happening in Greenpoint and Williamsburg is the manifestation of the policies of the hero of the book, whose name is Dan Doctoroff. New York was straightjacketed for many years by the myth of manufacturing; that manufacturing would make a comeback and we needed to nurture it. Doctoroff broke that myth. When he tried to bring the Olympics to New York, he went looking for where he was going to put the stadiums and housing it required. He led the effort that rezoned
so much of the city and opened New York to development, where we can put the office buildings needed for the workers of the future and the residential units for the people we think are coming here.

Three times, New York has approached 3.8 million jobs, and each time we have fallen back. We fell back before Wall Street crashed. We had nowhere to put the jobs, so they went to the suburbs. Doctorff’s great legacy is that we have the ability to grow to 4 million jobs or more, because of rezoning.

What do you think led to the recent economic collapse?

As the book points out, the economy didn’t go under in 2008. It’s a great irony that New York was the epicenter of the financial crisis and was the city virtually least affected by it. New York’s Great Recession was 1969 to 1977. This was the mildest downturn of the modern era for the city.

How has New York managed to ride out the Great Recession?

The bailout of the banks meant that fewer people were fired than expected and salaries and bonuses stayed high. Tourism has become the city’s second most important industry and continued to be surprisingly strong during the recession. Also, New York is a very different place these days. There are only 70,000 manufacturing jobs, not the million there were after the end of World War II.

Do you think New York City might be losing its sway as the world’s financial leader?

I’ve been reading and reporting on stories that claim New York’s position as the financial capital of the world has been in danger since the 1980s. They were all wrong then, and I think they will be wrong again. Our problem is not competition from other financial centers. The future of New York, as I ask in the last chapter of my book, “Is the era of New York over?” depends on answering two questions.

The first one is whether Wall Street is going to permanently harnessed; if its profits will be down permanently, if its compensation will be cut back to the levels of 20 years ago. The second question to be answered—and will probably be answered in the 2013 mayoral campaign—is “What is the political direction of New York?” Ever since Ed Koch walked into City Hall on Jan. 1, 1978, New York has been governed by a philosophy in which business and the economy was at the top
of the agenda. That idea Koch brought and articulated during his time as mayor has continued unchallenged through Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Not a single candidate in the 2013 mayoral race shares the Koch/Giuliani/Bloomberg philosophy.