Inwoodite

A Holiday Message From NYPD

... except when they aren't.

Enjoy the show everybody. Wherever it may be.

DA Candidate Richard Aborn in Inwood

Democratic candidate for Manhattan District Attorney Richard Aborn was in the neighborhood last Saturday. He hit the Greenmarket (it was after lunch -- not the best time for a meet-and-greet), then mingled around Broadway at Isham. After stalking him for a bit I finally got this picture. That's him at right.

I've covered a couple of events that Aborn and one of his opponents, Cy Vance, have attended, and it's good to see him spending time way uptown. Though he is considered a dark horse, Aborn is for real, having picked up a slew of heavy-hitting endorsements -- including that of our very own Senator Eric Schneiderman.

If you're so inclined, you can read more about the race here and here.

Reno of 215th Street Steps Delayed Again

Inwoodites were happy to hear last year that the 215th Step-Street would soon be receiving a long-awaited rehab. But officials announced last week that the project will again be delayed.

Step-streets -- staircases built in places deemed too steep for roads -- are fairly common in Upper Manhattan, and can also be found in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. With its cracked stairs and broken lamps, the 215th Step-Street has been in dire need of repair for a decade or more. Last August, DOT officials joined Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat at the foot of the stairs to announce that a reconstruction project would finally be completed in 2009.

It was at Espaillat's June 25 "town hall," reports Inwoodette (I said I'd be cribbing), that the Department of Design and Construction broke the news -- to a chorus of boos -- that "pre-design" work will not be complete until October 2010, with many additional stages of design and construction to follow.

Said Jewyorican: DDC personnel "made it sound like we wanted the city to build the 215th street space elevator to the moon."

Espaillat Indifferent to Cut-Through Traffic

On Streetsblog today we posted comments from a reader who went to last week's Espaillat "town hall" meeting. Over 200 people were reportedly in attendance and a lot of topics were covered (more on that in a minute), but naturally I'm preoccupied with transportation. Here is Peter Brinkmann's account of Espaillat's remarks on Inwood cut-through traffic:

In response to my question about distorted traffic patterns caused by car commuters who take the Broadway bridge in order to avoid paying the toll for Henry Hudson Bridge, he launched into his usual routine about how East River bridge tolls would be a regressive tax on families; he didn't address the issue of a residential neighborhood serving as a bypass for a major artery. When asked about possibly repaving 218th Street, he seemed to be in favor, in part because 218th Street draws a lot of traffic from drivers who want to avoid Henry Hudson Bridge. In other words, he's aware of distorted traffic patterns and doesn't seem to have a problem with them.

Peter says Espaillat "dismissed the upcoming MTA fare hike as nothing more than a regular increase [not true] and didn't address the bigger problem of service cuts." If you're confused as to how a representative from a district where 80 percent of the population relies on transit could be so disconnected, here is Espaillat on the subject of planned improvements to 1 train platforms:

When talking about the upcoming renovation of the Dyckman and 207th St stations, he kept talking about the "1 and 9" trains. That might just be some NY verbal tic, like having to say "Z" after saying "J," but I suspect that he doesn't take the subway and hasn't noticed that the 9 train has gone the way of the dodo.

Is it really possible that Adriano Espaillat doesn't know that the 9 train no longer exists?

At any rate, at least two Inwood blogs did an admirable job covering this event -- newcomers Inwoodette and Jewyorican -- both of whom I'll be adding to the blog roll ASAP. I'll probably crib from their notes for future posts, but until then, read all about it.

New Street Trees for Isham?

It looks like this stretch of Isham, the north side between Broadway and Cooper, will be getting new street trees to match those across the street (beside Good Shepherd).

If that is indeed what's happening here, these plantings will join other new trees taking root all over Inwood.

Saturday: Party at the RING

From the Inbox:

The Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden (RING) proudly presents its 25th anniversary celebration and party. There's free food from a number of local restaurants, musical performances, raffles from many restaurants and other businesses, and some silent auction items as well!

The festivities start this Saturday, June 27, 5:30 and go to 8:30pm. The location of RING is in Inwood, upper Manhattan, confluence of Dyckman St, Broadway, Riverside Drive, and Seaman Ave.

No foolin' about the raffle prizes and other goodies. The list was too long to post here, but it's chock full of local goodness.

Schneiderman Moves to Inwood

Check it out. Amidst the sad spectacle that is our state capitol, Senator Eric Schneiderman has managed to open a new office in Inwood. It's at 5030 Broadway -- the Manhattan Mini Storage building.

In this week's New York Magazine, if you can tear your eyes away from Anne Hathaway, there's an incisive, disquieting piece about the current chaos in Albany. One insider is quoted thusly: "Of the 62 senators, maybe five have the intelligence and integrity to actually accomplish anything." Fortunately for Upper Manhattanites, Schneiderman is one of them (even if he sometimes disappoints or confuses).

Welcome to the neighborhood, senator.

More Space at Manhattan Mini Storage

Another bit of positive business news: Manhattan Mini Storage on Broadway has expanded its customer service desk. The room is easily five times as big as before and now has terminals and seats to accommodate several customers at once.

Don't go if you're in a hurry, though. A recent visit to rent a unit took over an hour and required as much paperwork as a mortgage -- and we're already customers.

A Week of Meetings

Plenty of opps to show up and speak up this week, for what it's worth.

Tuesday: Community Board 12 General Meeting. Russ Berrie Pavilion, 1150 St. Nicholas Ave. between W. 167 and W. 168. 7:00 p.m. A PDF of this month's agenda is here.

Wednesday: Borough President Scott Stringer Nightlife Task Force. 163 W. 125, 5th Floor. 3 p.m. A follow-up to the CB 12 Public Safety Committee meeting earlier this month. The Streets Where We Live has the details.

Wednesday: 34th Precinct Community Council. Mount Sinai Jewish Center, 135 Bennett Ave. at W. 187. 7:30 p.m. This could be your last chance to talk to CO Andrew Capul for a while, as the council won't meet again until September. (Sure it's summer and all, but why does the council break every year just as the sh*t hits the fan? Maybe someone can explain.)

Thursday: Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat town hall. Northeastern Academy, W. 215 between Park Terrace East and West. 7:00 p.m. From Espaillat liaison Martin Collins: "This is another opportunity to address questions or concerns with city and state agency representatives, and community-based organizations."

NY1 on the Inwood Economy: Less Bullish

A new NY1 story on neighborhood business closings provides a depressing counterweight to Brian Lehrer's more upbeat assessment. From the transcript:

It's the middle of the day in Inwood and on 207th Street there are almost as many stores with the gates pulled down as are open for business.

Espana Ariste, the owner of Little Apple restaurant, says her profits are down big time, by almost 50 percent.

"Taxes are the same, rent is higher and economy is down -- less people shopping and buying and we have less customers coming inside," said Ariste.

Area residents don't seem fazed by what the recession has done to their community, walking past gated storefronts without a second glance.

The proliferation of shuttered storefronts is not breaking news, but this story draws a possible, albeit anecdotal, link between economic troubles and other issues.

People who live in the neighborhood say the recession has changed more than its appearance, it has also changed its feel.

"It used to be a friendly neighborhood with a lot of nice people but now, I guess money changes a person or lack of money. Lack of money changes a person," said Inwood business owner Wasam Ottman.