Robin West, a volunteer from Attention USA, clears out a flower bed at Green Oasis Community Garden during New York Cares Day Spring, an annual event that took place Saturday, April 20, where 4,000 volunteers revitalized 70 parks and gardens citywide.

By Allison Volpe

When you think about NYU and Washington Square Park, what comes to mind is the actual college campus that has been created within the bounds of the East Village. NYU is constantly expanding, sometimes to the dismay of community boards, art organizations, historical societies and even its own faculty members. Despite all of the controversy that can surround their actions, they have created quite a community. While inhabiting the same city as so many other colleges, NYU has been able to create something unique ­— made up of multiple buildings, each with a unique history. What the school has created is vastly different from the majority of college campuses in NYC. Below are some historical and architectural facts about this “campus”, gleaned from a recent tour through the neighborhood with the Historic Districts Council. (Most of these facts you likely weren’t aware of,)

• The first thing that comes to mind when about Washington Square Park is obviously the famous Washington Square Arc. Created in 1889 to celebrate the Centennial of George Washington’s inauguration as president of the U.S. Constructed of only plaster and wood, it was later converted to a permanent marble arch. It is modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

• NYU used to have a Bronx campus, which was originally built in 1894. In 1973 NYU sold the campus to the City University of New York — it has been the campus of Bronx Community College ever since.

• Edgar Allen Poe lived in a Row House at 85 West 3rd Street. The construction of NYU’s Furman Hall, which was needed to expand their law school, required for the residence to be destroyed. NYU compromised by agreeing to preserve the façade, but actually failed to do so. Not one of the old bricks was used to construct the new structure, and externally it does not resemble a remnant of a 19th century house.

• Facadism is a practice that has been frequently applied to buildings surrounding the park. This practice is to

please both property developers who need to develop properties for modern uses, and preservationists who wish to preserve buildings of historical interest.

• In the Courtyard of NYU’s Silver Towers apartment buildings on Bleecker Street, there is an enlargement of a sculpture by Picasso from his 1934 series of busts. It was created using sandblasted cement, and was also declared a landmark in 2008.

• On a drearier note, NYU’s Elmer Holmes Bobst Library has been the site of three suicides in the past 10 years. Recently, floor to ceiling metal barriers were added to prevent any future deaths.

• NYU owns ‘superblocks’ which are bordered by West 3rd Street, West Houston Street, Mercer Street, and LaGuardia place. Superblocks are much larger than a traditional city block, with greater setbacks for buildings.

• NYU is currently in the midst of yet another massive and controversial plan for expansion, named NYU 2031. To find the details of the plan, you can head to NYU website located at: http://www.nyu.edu/nyu2031/nyuinnyc/.

If you’re interested in taking a tour and learning about the architecture and history of one of your favorite New York neighborhoods, visit AIA.org.

Attorney Jeffrey Kurzon announces his candidacy for Congress in downtown district

By Adam Janos

Attorney Jeffrey Kurzon, 36, announced his candidacy for New York’s 7th Congressional district early Thursday morning, setting himself up as an early challenger to incumbent Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez in the Democratic primary of 2014. Valazquez represents parts of the Lower East Side and the East Village.

Velazquez faced a contentious battle against Councilman and fellow Democrat Erik Dilan during her 2012 race, then cruised to victory in the general election. Unlike Dilan in 2012, Kurzon poses a challenge from outside the New York City Democratic Party machine. Kurzon holds no public office, and first became a player in the New York political world as a fundraiser and big bundler for then – Senator Barack Obama in 2008. During that time, he raised over $150,000 for the candidate throughout the primary and general election season by tapping into a network of young urban professionals living within the five boroughs.

“I’m a little frightened to stick my neck out,” said Kurzon, in reference to his candidacy. “But I’m encouraged by the support of my friends, and I’m motivated by my anger.”

Candor at the expense of tact seems typical for Kurzon, who speaks as if he’s got no one to impress, even as he embarks on a journey to unseat Velazquez, who will be a 22-year incumbent by the time the election rolls around, and is the first Puerto Rican Congresswoman in U.S. history. When asked why he’s running, Kurzon glibly replied, “It’d be a good job. Good pay, good benefits. $180,000, that’d be a raise for me. And I could use the benefits.”

And yet, despite saying out loud what would undoubtedly be the inner monologue of yet-another-cynical-empty-suit, Kurzon has made his career out of blind, idealistic bravery standing up to the powers that be. In 2011, he represented social activist Jonathan Tasini and 9,000 other bloggers in a civil suit against AOL. After AOL purchased the Huffington Post for $315 million, the bloggers got no more than “a thank you email from Arianna Huffington.” Kurzon fought, unsuccessfully, to bring some of that money to the writers of the website’s content.

“Asking people to volunteer for a for-profit company is offensive,” said Kurzon, adding that, “all work is valuable.”

Kurzon LLP (his firm) also sued the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and the New York Law School, (two separates suits, filed on the same day), for providing what he claims is misleading information to prospective students regarding their job placement rates.

“They say that there’s 80 to 90 percent job placement within nine months of graduating their schools, but what they don’t say is a lot of those students are working at their admissions offices, at Starbucks, or at JCPenney,” he said.

According to Kurzon, the answer is better regulation from the ABA (American Bar Association) and a warning label on bank loans for law school.

“They put a warning label on cigarettes. Why not on loans?”

In general, Kurzon speaks most passionately when discussing the exploitation of labor and the unchecked growth of the financial sector, which is also one of his main gripes with Velazquez. “She’s getting contributions at $10,000 a pop from big banks. She’s been compromised by corporate PAC [political action committee] money.”

Kurzon, meanwhile, refuses to accept PAC money for his campaign, and hopes to raise at least $500,000 by tapping that same grassroots, small donor movement he shook down in 2008 for Obama. (By comparison, Velazquez spent $1.2 million last election cycle and currently has over $200,000 cash-on-hand, according to OpenSecrets.org).

“The party won’t like my candidacy,” Kurzon admitted. “But leadership is more valuable than seniority.”

He likens his candidacy to the anti-establishment ethos of recent grassroots protests.

“Occupy Wall Street was a warning. Bloomberg swept them out of the park, but they had good ideas,” he said. “Our country is one community. We have to look out for each other.”

We asked the state senators and assembly members from our neighborhoods to respond to Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State address

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his annual State of the State speech, addressing a population that had recently been shaken by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and the unthinkable violence of the school shooting in nearby Newton, Conn. The governor proposed a bevy of sweeping legislative changes to bolster the state’s economy, strengthen the public education system, and crack down on guns and assault weapons. We spoke to state legislators from Manhattan to find out how the governor’s proposals might affect New York City residents and how these leaders plan to follow through on these important issues.

Sen. Liz Krueger, Upper East Side

“I was thrilled to see Gov. Cuomo commit to moving key items in my own legislative agenda, especially a comprehensive women’s equality package including several key measures I’ve sponsored or supported.

“Fair pay, workplace fairness, reproductive health, preventing domestic violence—these are priorities I’ve fought for since I joined the Senate, and I welcome Gov. Cuomo’s leadership and hope he can help us break through the deadlock in Albany that has prevented real action on too many of these issues.

“I was happy to see Gov. Cuomo continue his commitment to passing a comprehensive gun control package including a stronger assault-weapons ban.”

Assembly Member Micah Kellner, Upper East Side

“Gov. Cuomo put forward a progressive agenda to make New York a model for equality, innovation, education and technology. I look forward to working with him and his administration to implement the toughest assault weapons ban in the nation, enact meaningful campaign finance reform, provide equality for women and raise the minimum wage for working New Yorkers.

“Encouraging new businesses to thrive in New York City is something I have long promoted as the sponsor of an Angel Investor Tax Credit, which provides tax incentives to individuals who invest in startups so that companies that develop in New York remain in New York. The governor’s proposed “innovation hot spots”—tax free zones to ensure new technologies developed in New York are commercialized here—is an exciting idea, which could not come at a better time as the new Cornell-Technion campus breaks ground on Roosevelt Island.”

Assembly Member Dan Quart, Upper East Side

“I support the governor’s broad thinking on education issues. The governor’s competitive grant program will allow public schools the opportunity to reimagine their school days with more instructional time. Families who are looking for a longer school day or year will be able to find a public school that can provide those things.

“I applaud the governor for taking a strong stand against gun violence in New York. I support a policy of using the state’s buying power to curb the sale of semi-automatic machine guns. As the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to contacts for firearms for the New York State Police, Gov. Cuomo can and should leverage the state’s buying power against gun manufacturers who have prioritized profits over the safety of New Yorkers.”

Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Upper West Side, Manhattan Valley, Washington Heights

“As the sponsor of legislation to raise the minimum wage, I was heartened to hear Gov. Cuomo express his support for this initiative, which will help millions of New Yorkers rise out of poverty and be able to better make ends meet.

“I commend the governor for his commitment to enacting swift gun reform legislation. As the sponsor of legislation to restrict gun sales and strengthen our gun laws, I am pleased to join the governor in calling for strong reform to gun laws that will make New York’s the toughest in the nation.

“I applaud Gov. Cuomo for his decision to direct $1 billion toward the production and preservation of affordable housing in New York City.

“Additionally, I strongly support the governor’s call for a Women’s Equality Act, ensuring that all women have true equality regardless of gender.

“Finally, I also commend Gov. Cuomo for his call to invest in the future, by educating our youth, including a plan for fully funded pre-K.”

Sen. Brad Hoylman, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, Upper West Side, Midtown/East Midtown, the East Village and Lower East Side

“I am heartened by the governor’s renewed call for an assault weapons ban and other measures to fix New York’s porous gun laws, especially in light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook and the spate of gun violence across New York City last summer. The governor’s Women’s Equality Act, which includes support for pay equity, is a bold effort to end discrimination and inequality based on gender, and I appreciate his strong call for passage of the Reproductive Health Act to protect women’s right to choose. I was also pleased to hear his plan to lessen the harm caused by the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy by decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and advance campaign finance reform through the public financing of elections.

“The creation of a $1 billion affordable housing fund appears promising, although we also need measures to strengthen rent regulation laws, which have been bottled up by special interests for many years. And while I’m pleased to hear of the governor’s support for increasing the minimum wage to help address the growing gap between the rich and poor in our state, working families will not see a lasting benefit if we fail to index any increase to inflation.”

Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, Upper West Side

“I was pleased to hear Gov. Cuomo outline an aggressively progressive platform for New York state. While it should not have taken the tragedy of Sandy Hook to begin the long-overdue conversation on guns that we are currently having, I am glad that New York state, which already has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, will act to make them tougher. I am eager to cast my vote in the affirmative on a comprehensive package of common-sense gun laws.

“During these tough economic times, it is critical that we raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to help build ladders to the middle class by guaranteeing that hard-working families are paid a fair wage for a day’s work. Recognizing the role that gender-based discrimination plays in economic security for women and their families, I was pleased to hear the governor focus on achieving real pay equity in New York state. I am the prime sponsor of legislation that would equalize the pay gap that still exists for women employed in stereotypically female-dominated fields, and look forward to working with the governor to pass this and a number of other reforms to end gender-based discrimination and also violence against women and girls. In addition to pay equity, I am excited that the governor will be seeking passage of the Reproductive Health Act as part of a broader Women’s Equality Act, which would focus on protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual harassment and human trafficking.”

Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Greenwich Village and Tribeca

“I’m very excited about the governor’s strong position on women’s equality. I will be working with a broad coalition to ensure that his agenda on women is passed in the Assembly. In addition, measures to increase the minimum wage and close gun loopholes are crucial.”

Sen. Daniel Squadron, Lower Manhattan

“New Yorkers are crying out for the common sense protections that will help keep our streets and our families safe from gun violence. I’ve long supported legislation that would close major gaps in our assault weapons ban—including the weapon used in Newtown and Webster. There is simply no reason for civilians to carry these military-style weapons. I applaud the governor for making a tougher assault weapons ban part of his proposal.

“In addition, I stand with Senate Democrats, the Assembly and the governor in support of microstamping. Blocking the bill means depriving police of a vital, cost-effective tool to connect shell casings with their guns. It’s simply mind-boggling that Senate Republicans would continue to block microstamping and let hundreds of murder and gun violence cases go unsolved each year.
“I also applaud the governor for highlighting the in-plain-view marijuana possession statute and the inconsistent way it’s enforced. In large parts of our city, entire communities feel like suspects targeted by law enforcement rather than citizens protected by it. The governor’s proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in public view would be a critical step toward ending these inequities.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Lower East Side

“As our Lower Manhattan community continues to recover from Hurricane Sandy, I commend the governor’s call for strengthening our infrastructure, such as subways, and I will continue to join my fellow elected officials to demand that Congress end its delays and release the aid that our residents so desperately need. I was also very pleased that the governor said he would join the Assembly in enacting serious and meaningful gun safety legislation. We in the Assembly have passed comprehensive gun reforms year after year, including bills to strengthen our state’s assault weapons ban, require the micro-stamping of shell casings to help police track guns used in crimes, keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and many other common sense measures. As one of our state’s leading advocates for universal pre-K, I commend the governor for joining our effort to make greater investments in our children, especially here in New York City.”

Chinatown: Stop letting the other ’hoods use me. If they don’t want to meet for dim sum during the day, then they can take their club beats elsewhere at night. And tell Nolita to quit invading my space.Photo by Christopher Schoenbohm

Look at you, New York! I hardly recognize this group of non-smoking, exercising, healthy-eating and organized individuals. What happened? You used to be fun. Interesting, at least.

The truth is, if everyone in New York sticks to their resolutions, it could throw off the balance of this entire city, country and world at large. Grocery stores will sell out of fresh produce, and SeamlessWeb will go under faster than it can send a confirmation email. Gyms will become so overcrowded that citywide riots will break out in a moment of elliptical desperation. Cigarette companies will—er, bad example.

Countless livelihoods depend on your laziness, unhealthy habits and destructive behaviors. Think of the artisan baker who relies on your sweet tooth to pay the bills. Don’t you believe in supporting small businesses? Don’t you want to stimulate the economy? Or how about the bartender who depends on your liquored-up generosity to support his true passion? Thanks to your selfish resolution to drink less, you may be robbing the world of his future Oscar-winning documentary exposing the slaughter of bonobos in the Congo. Maybe that film would have started a worldwide movement to save the bonobos from extinction. Perhaps even inspired an end to the Congo’s years of devastating warfare in the process. Don’t you want to end violence in the Congo? Don’t you think bonobos are cute?

So go ahead and smoke your first cigarette of 2013. Bite that hangnail. Fall so hard off the donut wagon that you might have broken something if not for their—and your—pillowy softness to cushion the landing. It’s the least you can do.

Our neighborhoods, however, are another story. They could use a few resolutions, and from the look of things, they have their work cut out for them in 2013:

Meatpacking: Drink lesssss [hiccup]. And learn Italian.

Chelsea: Stop making fun of MiMa. He didn’t make it up.

West Village: Start growing vegetables on the roofs of my restaurants. Oh wait, that was last year’s.

Midtown: Separate my work from my social life. Leave my Blackberry at—sorry, gotta take this … What? Now? I’m just finishing a scorpion bowl with my boys at BroJim’s. I’ll be at the office in 10.

East Village: Keep my beard clean.

Tribeca: Stop letting myself be defined by my friends. Tell De Niro I need some space. Again.

Nolita: Stop giving all the other neighborhoods adorably personalized gifts from my shops. When did anyone ever give me a necklace made of gilded flower petals in the shape of my name?

Little Italy: Go gluten-free.

Murray Hill (hers): Stop wearing my Kappa Delta Phi butt pants to unlimited champagne brunch.

Murray Hill (his): Stop hitting on girls wearing Kappa Delta Phi butt pants at unlimited champagne brunch.

Times Square: Meditate more. Like, all the time.

By Kiara Downey

This week I had the splendid opportunity to chat with the multi-talented East Village marvel, Angela DiCarlo. DiCarlo, whose gift for makeup design led her from Des Moines, Iowa to Manhattan, has created outrageous and unpredictable stage shows here in New York for the past 10 years. She’s a singer, a writer, and a producer who frequently lights up the stages of Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s, and the Wild Project.

This gorgeous downtown denizen positively froths with bawdy delight. Whether she’s bringing a ruthless gossip columnist to life or belting out raunchy tunes at “The Mad World of Miss Hathaway,” this lady is a queen of theatre scene. She and I convened at the bustling 7A restaurant and dished on drama and what it takes to be a lauded lady performer in the hottest hood in the city.

As soon as Ms. Di Carlo walked into the café I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. With a shock of gorgeous red hair, a daring leopard print jacket, and eyebrows drawn in a Joan Crawford arch, she glamorized the crowded room. For anyone who watches “Mad Men,” this girl looks like a sassy sister of the show’s secretary Joan Harris, who is played by Christina Hendricks.

In fact, it was at the suggestion of Di Carlo’s friend and one-time producer David Conrad Brouillard that she first penned a few satirical songs for the spoof of that show about midtown, martini-drinking bad boys.

“I’m a cabaret artist and I had worked in other group projects such as ‘Lady, Lady, Lady’ at the Zipper Room,” she told me. “But I put this show together on my own. It was David who gave me the idea.”

When I gushed about the show’s delicious getups, DiCarlo admitted, “Most of the costumes come from my personal collection. Well, mine and my husband’s.”

Now, almost two years after bringing “The Mad World” to life, DiCarlo has just wrapped her 8th iteration of the show (titled “I’ll Be Horny for Christmas”) and she’s gathered a  sumptuous gaggle of talent to play her crazy characters.

From FischerSpooner’s Casey Spooner and Adam Dugas (“Chaos and Candy”) to David Ilku (“The Dueling Bankheads”) and Mike Albo (“Unitard”), the cast of the 2012 holiday episode brought seasoned stage chops to the creatures she’d invented.

“I’m so lucky to work with all of these people. David Ilku is a New York legend and Mike Albo is just fabulous. The whole cast is amazing.”

Albo, who was once a downtown Dazzle Dancer and is now a celebrated writer and soloist, wandered around the set as a vapid hippy and sang a song about hallucinogenic drugs, and I guffawed at just about every word Ilku said and sang. He and DiCarlo presented a joyous series of one-liners in a scene reminiscent of television’s Hee-Haw, and his voice impressed everyone in the audience.

When she finished her lunch, DiCarlo (who still does makeup for stars such as Kristen Wiig and Zach Galifianakis) reapplied a coat of bright coral lipstick and dashed out to prepare for that night’s production. It’s a shame you missed this recent “Mad World,” but don’t fret – DiCarlo and her wild crew will be back with more in May.

As proven at trial, in the early morning of May 28, 2008, Suarez followed a 19-year-old woman from the 14th Street subway station to the Spring Street station. Upon exiting the train, Suarez followed the victim, and as she entered her building, he rushed in and followed her to her apartment. Suarez forced her into the courtyard and raped her at knifepoint.

DNA evidence was collected at the scene and was entered into the New York State DNA Database. There were no matches at the time, and the crime went unsolved until Suarez’s information was entered into the system in 2011 after he was convicted for an unrelated crime.

“Using DNA evidence, the skilled prosecutors in our office’s Sex Crimes Unit were able to ensure that this defendant was held responsible for this terrible crime,” District Attorney Vance said.
Suarez is expected to be sentenced Dec. 12.

Former East Village Officer Sentenced to Over 15 Years
Earlier this year, former New York City Police Officer Nicholas Mina, who served in the East Village’s 9th Precinct, pleaded guilty to numerous charges of stealing police-issued firearms and selling them on the underground market. Last week, the Queens resident, 32, was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison for his crimes.

He was convicted of charges including the criminal sale of firearms, sale of a controlled substance, conspiracy and grand larceny.

After serving on the police force for more than three years, Mina confessed to stealing and selling police-issued guns on the black market for over six months to fund his addiction to prescription drugs.

“The defendant took an oath to protect New Yorkers from criminals. Instead, he worked alongside a gun trafficker in order to feed his drug addiction,” District Attorney Vance said in a statement.
Vance applauded the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the Firearms Investigation Unit for its work with the case investigating missing firearms from the 9th Precinct station house and monitoring Mina’s illegal sales of the stolen guns.

AIDS Activists Climb Flagpoles At City Hall Park

Two members of Housing Works, a New York-based advocacy group that supports health-care issues and HIV/AIDS patients, climbed two 40-foot flagpoles at the southern end of City Hall Park in lower Manhattan on Wednesday, Nov. 28, around 10:45 a.m. The activists, wearing helmets and climbing gear, unfurled a 30-foot banner that read “Housing Is Healthcare: House People Living With HIV/AIDS” after quickly climbing to the top of the flagpoles without being noticed by several police officers in the vicinity.

Police arrived soon after, blocking the sidewalk and the area immediately under the flagpoles and calling in a cherry picker to bring down the activists. Other Housing Works activists held signs and cheered on Tony Ray and the other unidentified flagpole climber from the ground.

“I am up here today because of the lack of attention to housing for people with AIDS,” Ray said through a megaphone high above the crowd. “If people with AIDS have a safe place to live and a place for them to refrigerate their meds, they are going to stay healthy.”

The two activists stayed on the flagpoles for around 25 minutes before they were removed peaceably by the NYPD and arrested without incident.

The civil disobedience came shortly before World AIDS Day, a global day to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is observed each year on Dec. 1.

Compiled by Aaron Adler and John Friia

Photo by Tiffany Walling McGarity & John McGarity

The ‘Top Chef’ TV goddess dishes on single motherhood, the rumor mill and her never-fail diet

By Nandini D’Souza Wolfe

Padma Lakshmi has had quite a year. The model, mother and Top Chef host has been traveling non-stop, and only just returned to her East Village apartment from the Emmys in Los Angeles, where her hit show was nominated for three awards. Lakshmi won raves for her strapless tangerine fit-and-flare Monique Lhuillier gown. She looked like a 
goddess, and playful pics emerged of Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson peeking out from underneath her voluminous hem in the 
green room.
Anyone looking at her understated makeup and hair (to balance the gown’s vibrant hue), would think it was red-carpet business as usual for this model-turned-author/actress/reality star. But in reality, Lakshmi was sweating it a little bit. She had just wrapped filming for Top Chef ’s 10th season in Seattle and was carrying an extra 10 pounds. She hadn’t had time to start her traditional post-season diet yet.

Such weight gain is almost de rigueur now, nine seasons into her Top Chef hosting duties. Not that she’s complaining. The Bravo hit, which started its new season Nov. 7, has been a natural way to bridge her 
modeling and acting background with her love of food. Born in Madras, India, and then raised 
between New York and India when her parents divorced, Lakshmi was discovered as a model when she was 18. She soon became one of Helmut Newton’s favorite subjects—he often trained his lens on the long scar on her arm, the result of a car accident when she was younger. She starred in a few movies and television shows before penning two cookbooks, Easy Exotic and Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet. But it was when she brought together her beauty, brains and tastebuds on Top Chef that she really became a favorite outside the fashion set.

She quickly reeled in viewers who loved the idea of watching a bona fide model chowing down on fried bits and pieces—on camera, no less. She nabbed contestants, celebs and normally crotchety chefs because, as Andy Cohen put it, “She’s great to look at, fun to listen to and natural on camera.” 
Cohen, Bravo’s executive vice president of development and talent, Top Chef producer and host of Watch What Happens: Live, has a playful rapport with Lakshmi. During his post-season wrap-up with the entire season’s cast, he inevitably pulls out chef contestants swooning over Lakshmi. “There was a breakfast-in-bed challenge, and a lot of guys were going nuts,” he recalls. “The male chefs sometimes have dreams about her. Who can blame them?”

And women love her just as much. Regular Top Chef judge and author Gail Simmons remembers noticing Lakshmi before they had even met, when she was working for Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue and someone had sent them a copy of Lakshmi’s Easy Exotic. “I remember thinking how great it was to see a beautiful woman who loved to cook,” says Simmons. When Simmons began hosting her own show, Just Desserts, she looked to Lakshmi for advice. “She was the first person I went to with questions and insecurities about how I would do.”

Lest anyone question her culinary chops, Eric Ripert, the Michelin star-winning chef behind Le Bernadin, is quick to note that she has a very refined palate and deep knowledge of food.
The show has also been a constant in her life of late. At 42, Lakshmi seems to finally be settling peacefully into her role as mother, entrepreneur, author and TV goddess. But it’s been a bit of rough ride getting here, one that has played out painfully in the gossip columns, starting with her 2004 marriage to, and 2007 divorce from, author Salman Rushdie. Next came news of her pregnancy with daughter Krishna, now 2 and a half, a custody battle with Krishna’s biological father, Adam Dell, and a relationship with Teddy Forstmann, the billionaire philanthropist and CEO of IMG who was 30 years Lakshmi’s senior and who passed away in November 2011.

Lakshmi is open and honest about her four-year on-off relationship with Forstmann and the impact he had on her life. “I don’t really feel like I’m single right now. I feel like the person I’m with is dead. 
I miss him every day,” she says.

“The most valuable part of Teddy was his enormous heart. The more people gossiped 
publicly about me, the tighter he held my hand,” Lakshmi explains. “Not only privately, but publicly. He understood me in all my flaws and subtleties. His presence in my life was resolute, consistent, 
unwavering and loving. And that’s what a real man is. I have no problem saying, with great humility, 
that Teddy was the man in my life who possessed the greatest emotional wisdom. He had more manhood in his pinky fingernail than most men.”

Forstmann, who already had two grown sons he had adopted, treated and loved Krishna as his own, says Lakshmi, which counts for more than anything else.

It is motherhood that has brought her the greatest joy. Her daughter is remarkably eloquent for a toddler. But then again, she can already understand a second language, Tamil, Lakshmi’s mother tongue. Krishna has a near-perfect golden tan and dark blond hair. It’s a pixie cut that has grown out from when Lakshmi shaved her daughter’s hair as part of a traditional Hindu ceremony where one symbolically cuts off unwanted traits from past lives and starts fresh in this life.

“Krishna was very proud of her shaved head. I prepared her for it,” recalls Lakshmi. “Her grandfather and uncle shaved their heads in solidarity, and at the time, whenever she watched her favorite video of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z [singing “Empire State of Mind”], she’d say, ‘Mom, look! Jay-Z shaved his head in solidarity.’”

Lakshmi admits that the best part about motherhood has been what great company her daughter is. “It’s a pleasure being with her rather than out doing all the things I was doing before, not because I should or because it’s my duty but because Krishna’s the funnest game in town.”

She’d have more children if she could, but given her single status and the problems she has had 
with endometriosis, it’s unlikely. Medically, she wasn’t supposed to have Krishna. “I found out I couldn’t have kids when I went to freeze my eggs at 30,” she says. “I’d already had five surgeries [for endometriosis] and the doctor said, ‘Miss Lakshmi, I have some bad news—your ovaries are 
actually older than you are.” But against the odds, Krishna was conceived and born. To wit, Lakshmi says, “I’m not going to tempt fate. I have a healthy, vibrant daughter, and I’m thankful.”

With a toddler around, holidays are big in the Lakshmi household. “We take the staunch position that every holiday is worth celebrating to the fullest of our capabilities, and we are not prejudiced about that at all.” And there’s a lot to cover, starting with daily prayers and celebrating Hindu holidays like Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights in early November. Then there are the Jewish holidays with Krishna’s father’s side of the family. “And finally Christmas. We started getting a tree with Poppy,” Krishna’s name for Forstmann. It’s Krishna’s job to put the bronze angel on the top of the tree.

Today, Lakshmi is waiting for her daughter to return from preschool for lunch. Lakshmi’s own favorites are comfort foods she ate as a child, like a tamarind soup and certain curries that are tied 
to her roots in Madras. But New York City is home, too, where her mother worked as a nurse at 
Sloan-Kettering. She spent much of her childhood on the Upper East Side and attended P.S. 158. 
“I grew up in Carl Schurz Park. I had my first kiss behind Gracie Mansion.” She has distinct culinary touchpoints that only a true New Yorker could have: sugarcane and tamarind from the shops in 
Spanish Harlem; exotic vegetables from Chinatown; lasagna night on Sundays at Elio’s.

At home, there’s no bacon ice cream or corn foam in sight. Just hot tea with milk. “I’m not doing carb-free,” she says. “And it’s just for one month. It’s a poem so I remember it: No meat, no wheat. No fried food or cheese. No alcohol, no sweets.” She freely admits that the hardest part will be skipping fried food. “I love salty, crispy things.”

This story first appeared in the November issue of AVENUE Magazine with photos by Tiffany Walling McGarity and John McGarity.

Clown Dies During Thanksgiving Day Parade
Robert Blasetti, 67, of Yonkers was following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route when he collapsed from a heart attack at Sixth Avenue and West 39th Street. Blasetti was dressed as a clown and was making balloon animals along with his wife, Irene. According to a witness, people in the crowds tried to pump Blasetti’s chest. He was pronounced dead at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. An NYPD employee, 58-year-old Charles Sutton, also suffered a heart attack and died during the parade.

East Village Vegan Ice Cream Store Says Goodbye
Vegan-friendly ice cream store Stogo scooped its last flavor on Sunday. Stogo shut down its East Village shop, located on East 10th Street between Second and Third Avenue, after a year of high rent. The store shared the news with costumers via Twitter. Anticipation of the decrease in winter sales forced owners to consider closing. Hurricane Sandy sped up the decision, a source told DNAinfo. “We were going to try to fundraise to move, but then Sandy happened and I didn’t want to ask people to help move our shop when people were homeless and had lost everything,” the source said. Stogo partners, who have been working together for four years, have not decided if the shop will open elsewhere at a later time or sell its product through outside vendors.

NYC Hospitals Launch Virtual Doctor Visits
Those sick with the flu have a small reason to rejoice. Earlier this month, Continuum Health Partners and its member hospitals launched a new program that would make primary and urgent care more accessible. The initiative, designed with the help of Teladoc, the country’s largest telehealth provider, will offer physician assistance by phone or video. No more dragging yourself out of bed hacking and spewing to get that antibiotic! The telemedicine initiative is focused on New York City, but will later extend to neighboring regions. Patients can subscribe for a $30 annual membership and a $38 consultation fee for each use. Continuum intends the program to primarily be utilized when a member is unable to visit their doctor, not as a permanent substitution for office visits.

Touch Screens Replace NYC Phone Booths
City24/7 has a mission to make New York City more tech-savvy, starting in Union Square. The company premiered its first touch-screen kiosk at 12th Street and Broadway last Tuesday. Located in a phone booth, the kiosks are meant to replace the defunct stands. The kiosks feature screens provided by electronics manufacturer LG and 16 apps, including subway information, local events and maps of the neighborhood. The screens are free for users, although the company hopes that local businesses will pay to advertise on the kiosks. City24/7 worked with Victor Calise, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities, to ensure that the kiosks were accessible to the blind and wheelchair users. Anticipating future power outages, the screens have a 48-hour backup battery.
Compiled By Tatiana Baez

Veselka Bowery

Sequels are a terrible idea. Be it movies or restaurants, the impulse that makes a person want to capitalize on a success by replicating or, god forbid, altering it, ultimately ends only in disappointment. Success is a slippery thing made up of hundreds of variables, only a handful of which can be controlled. Audiences are irrational, and dishes that thrilled them one week may flop the next. A concept that had two-hour lines forming at your door in one location may create a ghost town 15 blocks north.

It is there that Veselka saw it had a fighting chance. After all, what uncertainty is there about the East Village institution? The most cutting criticism you can dredge up is that it’s not the most authentic Ukrainian food in the neighborhood, and while it’s still plenty authentic for the early-bird babushkas who take their borscht there daily, that’s hardly the point. Veselka’s appeal lies in its effortless integration of American diner classics and Eastern Bloc comfort, the old-school New York service ethos that is surly and brusque one minute, warm and motherly the next, and its wholly democratic clientele. Veselka is not looking for an audience to manufacture a particular atmosphere; Veselka waits for you to come to it in whatever form you find yourself.

So maybe you want to come to Veselka on a date, or with the family, or before an evening out. The original Veselka is just not equipped for that—once you’re out of college, taking a date to a 24-hour diner is decidedly a dealbreaker. Perhaps the owners finally saw this one chink in their armor—or maybe they just wanted to get paid. Either way, they decided it was time for a sequel, leaving loyal customers nervously hoping against hope as the new venture, Veselka Bowery (9 E. First St., veselka.com/bowery), underwent a lengthy construction.

Tucked away on a side street in the lobby of one of the cookie-cutter condo buildings that spell the end of the Bowery, this Veselka is open and airy, glass-fronted and high-ceilinged, with warm wood tables and polished concrete floors. It’s almost too open in spots—lifelong New Yorkers, used to being crammed into corners, often don’t know how to fill large spaces. Instead of a bakery counter, the entryway faces a long bar lined with every possible iteration of the Eastern European stalwart spirit, vodka. That’s right, this Veselka has a full liquor license, and is putting it to good use with an extensive list of well-balanced cocktails that orbit around vodka’s sun.

The menu is described as more contemporary, but it turns out to have room for all the classics (breathe easy, there are still plenty of pierogies here) while bringing everything up to a new standard of presentation and refinement. Instead of a couple of slices of challah and some foil-wrapped butter pats, bread for the table comes with a housemade farmer cheese that is somehow never enough, no matter how many times it’s replenished. Pickles in the finest Slavic tradition accompany meat and vegetable boards built for leisurely nibbling with cocktail in hand. And entrees, while slightly overwrought in their descriptions, are just interesting enough in their execution. Even the ill-advised-sounding lobster pierogi are appropriately delicate and shockingly tasty.

Service is no longer brusque, just forthright and friendly. It’s off-putting at first, but the longer you stay, the more pleasant it becomes. It may not be quite as polished as the decor would suggest, but that fact keeps you grounded to the essential Veselka-ness of the place, the nonjudgmental, takes-all-comers attitude that has fueled the business for 58 years.

There are some who will be wary of Veselka Bowery no matter what anyone says, and that’s just fine. The original location is ready for you in all its 24-hour hangout glory, and it’s guaranteed to never change. But if you want to have a grownup restaurant experience with all the comforts of home, I’ll see you at Veselka Bowery.