the lo-down magazine - february 2013

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LO-DOWNTHE

www.thelodownny.com

FEBRUARY

2013

News from the Lower East Side

A Synagogue’s Last Stand?

BETH HAMEDRASH HAGADOL’S

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

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LO-DOWNTHE

February 2013

letter from the Editor:

The new year is always a time for fresh beginnings. In the case of The Lo-Down’s print magazine, which we debuted in the middle of last year, 2013 is an opportunity to build on something that started as an experiment but which has become a central part of our community news mission. We’re happy to be back this year with 10 monthly issues (July/August and December/January will be double issues). The magazine has allowed us to augment our daily online news coverage with fresh, original reporting such as this month’s cover story focusing on the endangered Norfolk Street synagogue, Beth Hamedrash Hagadol. The Lo-Down covers a lot of different topics, but at its core the website and the magazine are about neighborhood change. The synagogue’s bid to demolish and rebuild its landmarked building is a big story on its own merits. But it also points to a larger question: is there an appetite for historic preservation on the Lower East Side, a neighborhood that has already changed dramatically in recent years and which is poised for a huge new building boom? Community leaders and residents will ultimately decide whether a place in which the “old” and the “new” are still intermingled (although there’s a lot more “new” these days) can keep that diverse character as gentrification marches on during the next decade. We’re looking forward to another intriguing year covering this and other important stories in our community.

in this issue

Cover StoryA landmarked synagogue faces possible demolition

New ArrivalsBrian Procell Vintage, Massimo Salon, Garis & Hahn Gallery

Neighborhood NewsA teenager is murdered, bar battles, developers ready Seward Park proposals

Calendar/Featured EventsBob Mould at Bowery Ballroom, Chinese Lunar New Year Parade, Old Jews Telling Jokes

Arts WatchA queer bookstore pops up

The Lo-DineSakaMai signals change on Ludlow Street

My LESChocolate maven Roni-Sue Kave

CartoonLower East Sideways

4

11

16

17

12

14

20

18

On the cover: The Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue at 60 Norfolk St., by

photographer Mark La Rosa. Visit his website at

marklarosaphotography.com.*

Ed Litvak

LO-DOWNTH

E

Ed LitvakEditor-in-Chief

Traven RiceGeneral Manager/Arts Editor

Jennifer StromAssociate Editor

Kim Sillen GledhillArt Director

Evan ForschCartoonist

Jac ZagooryAccount Executive

Advertising inquiries: [email protected]

Story tips: [email protected]

Contact us: 646-861-1805

The Lo-Down is a publication of Lo-Down Productions LLC, © 2013.

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For more than 160 years, a stately house of worship has graced the

corner of Norfolk and Broome streets, a bright beacon in a constantly changing neighborhood. First serving Baptists and Methodists, the Gothic Revival building eventually became a center of Jewish life on the Lower East Side, home to Beth Hame-drash Hagadol, the oldest orthodox syna-gogue of Russian Jews in America. It wel-comed generation upon generation of a congregation that at one time numbered 1,400, as New York City evolved from the industrial age to the 21st century. When nearby homes and businesses fell to bull-dozers in the name of urban renewal, its longtime rabbi protected it by securing landmark status in 1967.

In recent years, however, the syna-gogue’s light has steadily dimmed. The dwindling congregation struggled to keep up with the costs of maintaining the cav-ernous building. A 1997 windstorm and a 2001 re added to the mounting damageinf licted by neglect and old age, eventually resulting in its abandonment as an active house of worship six years ago.

Various rescue and restoration efforts zzled,includingatleastonecaseinwhichgrant money was returned to the state for lack of matching funds.

Opinions abound across the communi-ty regarding responsibility for its current sorry state, but one thing is clear: Beth Hamedrash Hagadol now faces the biggest threat in its illustrious history—demolition.

The synagogue’s congregation, led by Rabbi Mandl Greenbaum, has petitioned for permission to knock it down, saying it has exhausted all other options.

That news, which emerged from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission just as the clock ticked down on the year 2012, hit many members of the neighbor-hood’s Jewish community very hard.

Harold “Heshy” Jacob has been walk-ing past Beth Hamedrash Hagadol all his life. The board chairman of the United Jew-ish Council of the East Side and an inf luen-tial f igure in Grand Street’s Jewish commu-nity for many decades, Jacob says he was always comforted to know that despite its dilapidated condition, at least the historic synagogue still stood. While he does not blame the synagogue’s leadership, Jacob says, “To lose a building like this is to lose a part of our Jewish history. It is a pity.”

Historic preservation controversies are nothing new on the LES. Just this past year, there were major differences of opinion about the future of the Bialystoker nursing home building on East Broadway before the Land-marks Commission decided in December to move forward with an application to protect that 1927 structure. But Beth Hamedrash Hag-adol is different. Everyone agrees the syna-gogue is a nationally important Jewish land-mark, a living testament to the Russian immigrant experience in America—whose crumbling facade now presides over wind-whipped mounds of trash behind a rickety, rusted fence barricading its grand entryway.


By Ed Litvak

Peril

S y n a g o g u eH I S T O R I C

inin

S y n a g o g u ePeril

H I S T O R I C

Inside Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, Fall of 2012

6 www.thelodownny.com www.thelodownny.com 7

In approving the landmark status application 45 years ago, commissioners declared, “the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Synagogue has a special character, special historic and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage and cultural characteristics of New York City…It is a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture, [in] that its austere simplicity has dignity and character and [in] that it houses the congregation of the oldest Russian Orthodox synagogue in America.”

Decades after that pronouncement, the looming battle for Beth Hamedrash Hagadol is sure to shine new light on the value of preservation in New York City, and to reveal whether a gentrifying neighborhood has the desire and the will to save the last rem-nants from its storied past.

Rabbi Greenbaum has been the care-taker of the synagogue since the 2003 death of his father-in-law, Rabbi Ephraim Oshry, an internationally known scholar who headed up the congregation for 50 years and led the 1967 preservation campaign.

Now Greenbaum stands in the line of

f ire, facing criticism of his stewardship.The rabbi acknowledges the decision to

seek demolition is “not a popular thing... painful for us and painful for the communi-ty.” He asserts the synagogue was left with little choice, since it has no money for even the most basic restoration effort. A lengthy search for a developer willing to partner in renovating its existing building was unfruit-ful, he says. After months of failed overtures, he said, it became clear that high restoration costs were scaring potential investors away.

At one time, the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, part of the the United Jewish Council, was well on its way to raising the estimated $3.5 million that would have been required to restore the damaged building. It had secured more than $1 million in city and state grants.

But the project’s momentum ground to a halt several years ago. The rabbi attributes the lack of progress to unfortunate circum-stances, but others disagree, arguing that a series of decisions at Beth Hamedrash Hag-adol had the effect of unnecessarily derail-ing restoration efforts.

In 2006, the City Council awarded the synagogue $750,000 to make repairs and es-tablish a visitor center. But the money could not be spent until a not-for-prof it corpora-tion was established, a process that took an unusually long time. According to court re-cords, the synagogue f inally transferred ownership of the building to the new entity, Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Restoration, Inc., in July of 2007. By that time, the economic downturn had hit New York hard, forcing the city to rescind funding for all projects that were not already under way, including the synagogue restoration.

Subsequently, the rabbi chose to return a $230,000 historic preservation matching grant from the state.

“We couldn’t raise the matching money,” he explained. “The funds just weren’t there.”

Rabbi Greenbaum’s critics also point to his decision six years ago to close the synagogue based on safety concerns, which effectively dispersed the handful of congregants who still came to pray at 60 Norfolk St. They argue that it would have been relatively easy and inex-pensive to make the building habitable.

More broadly, some activists see a dis-turbing pattern.

“The request for a demolition permit is

part of an epidemic of self-inf l icted destruc-tion of Jewish sacred sites occurring on the Lower East Side,” said Joyce Mendelsohn, an historian and leader of the preservation group Friends of the Lower East Side.

The memories from the 2006 collapse and demolition of the First Roumanian Syn-agogue on Rivington Street—in which of-fers of help had been made and declined—are still fresh in the minds of many preservation advocates and local residents. The onetime home of the Young Israel Syna-gogue on East Broadway remains an empty lot, three years after a deal with a developer for a mixed-use condo/synagogue complex disintegrated.

For his part, Rabbi Greenbaum insists he had little choice but to close the synagogue and bristles at the notion that he didn’t do enough to raise restoration funds.

“Anyone who was involved with us knows that it is a lie,” he asserted.

The request now being reviewed by the Landmarks Commission, known as a “hard-ship application” requires the synagogue to prove that the “landmark building is no lon-ger adequate or suitable for carrying out the organization’s charitable purposes.” The l-ing notes that zoning regulations permit a 45,000-square-foot building on the site.

It makes the case that a redevelopment

Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in 1933 Fall of 2012

Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in 1901Photo credit: Jewish Encyclopedia


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es there, the options for carving out residen-tial units would be very limited.

According to the hardship application, the synagogue explored expansion possibili-ties, utilizing the site’s air rights. There is a par-cel, now used for parking, directly behind the synagogue, which is owned by the Chinese Planning Council. David Chen, the organiza-tion’s executive director told The Lo-Down that senior housing and a community facility will one day be built on that property. While it’s theoretically possible to build above the synagogue, that would be quite an engineer-ing feat and might not meet with the Land

marks Commission’s ap- proval.

In the rabbi’s view, all of these factors add up to an unfortunate reality: de-molition is the only realis-tic alternative. As it stands, Beth Hamedrash Hagadol is not holding services any-where and there are no prospects for protecting the synagogue’s legacy. If a deal with a developer for a new building can help to reassemble what’s left of the congregation, the rabbi said, “I hope the communi-ty will be thankful.”

Preservationists are now weighing how to respond. One concern is the potential precedent that could be estab-lished if the synagogue gets its way. Lisi de Bourbon, Landmarks Commission spokesper-son, said there have been only 18 hardship ap-plications since 1965. Just 13 have been grant-ed. Some activists say a “yes” vote by the commission would make a mockery of the landmarks law.

Anne Friedman, director of the “Sacred Sites” Program at the Landmarks Conservan-cy,anonprotgroupthathasprovidedfund-ing to the synagogue for emergency repairs, said it’s a complicated issue. On one hand,

plan that includes worship space for Beth Hamedrash Hagadol would save the insti-tution on the LES, even as the historic build-ing meets its demise.

“It is the congregation’s principal goal to preserve the synagogue’s presence in the community,” the application states.

There’s no doubt the lot on which the synagogue sits is an enticing redevelopment opportunity. Last month, the city invited de-velopers to submit proposals for the Seward Park Mixed-Use Development site, a six-acre parcel surrounding the synagogue. Demand for nearby properties has already skyrocket-ed. Late last year, suspicions arose that real estate inter-ests were, in fact, making a play for the synagogue when a new company was formed, “60 Norfolk Devel-opers, LLC.” Its headquar-ters, according to state re-cords, are at Two Trees Management in Brooklyn, one of the city’s b i g g e s t developers, which re-developed DUMBO and more recently acquired- the Domino Sugar factory site in Williamsburg.

Contacted by phone last month, Two Trees staff mem-bers said they had no knowl-edge of the new company. Asked about the matter, the rabbi said there is no developer waiting in the background for the Landmarks Commission to sign off on the demolition.

Last fall, Michael Bolla and Ron Castel-lano, the team that converted the historic Forward Building to condos, toured the syn-agogue with an eye toward refurbishing it and creating luxury apartments inside. In a recent interview, Castellano said it’s “an amazing space with great architectural de-tails.” The problem, he added, is that the inte-rior is not very big, only about 5,000 square feet, and since the congregation wants to re-turn to a refurbished facility and hold servic-

Some activists say a

“yes” vote by the

commission would make a mockery

of the landmarks law.

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GARIS & HAHN (263 Bowery, garisandhahn.com), is a new gallery launched by directors Mary Garis, a veteran of Sotheby’s London, Christie’s New York and a variety of contempo-rary art galleries in the city, and Sophie Hahn, a former fine art expert for AXA Art Insurance. The gallery “mounts exhibitions focused on conceptual narratives and relevant conversations in con-temporary art.” The new space hosted its first project last month, “After the Fall,” a photography show of works by seven Yale MFAs, curated by Andrea Pember-ton. It runs through Feb. 16. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

SASHA WOLF GALLERY (70 Orchard St., sashawolf.com) is a new exhibition space on Orchard Street featuring “contemporary photography by emerging and mid-career artists.” The gallery, which relocated to the Lower East Side from Chelsea, is open Wednesday through Sunday noon to 6 p.m., and by ap-pointment.

new arrivals

SWEET BUTTONS (84 Rivington St., sweetbutton-sdesserts.com) joins the Lower East Side’s cupcakes-and-gelato-laden dessert scene this month, specializing in bite-sized treats because they believe “a little indulgence every day is a must.”

BRIAN PROCELL (5 Delancey St.) is the eponymous new store from a long-time vintage purveyor. Procell, who got his start buying up old stock of sports caps from stores in his native Elizabeth, N.J., has made a name for himself on the Manhattan clothing scene by curating vintage mens’ sportswear collections for Opening Ceremony and other high-profile projects. His new shop specializes in 1980s and 1990s items, including rare Keith Haring accessories; rap, rock and punk Ts; outerwear; and caps.

DENTAL VITA (114 Delancey St., dental-vita.com) is a new full-service practice by Dr. William Corbett and Dr. Elena Agilina offering checkups, cleanings, implants, oral surgery and more. Corbett has practiced on Staten Island since 2007. Agilina has an additional office uptown. Most insurance plans are accepted. If you’re inter-ested in making an appoint-ment, call 212-260-4646.

MASSIMO SALON (179 Orchard St., massimosalon.com), a new hairstyle shop for men and women, opened in mid-January. Massimo offers a cut and blow-dry ranging from $50-$85, as well as single- and double-process coloring, keratin treatments, highlights and kids’ cuts. The salon is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.

The Lo-Down is pleased

to introduce new Lower

East Side businesses to

our readers in this column

each month. If you would

like to be featured, please

drop us a line at jennifer@

thelodownny.com. Tell us

about your enterprise and

be sure to include your

contact information.

Garis & Hahn Gallery Directors Mary Garis and

Sophie Hahn with curator Andrea Pemberton

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crime

A teenager has been charged and three other men are being sought in the murder of 16-year-old Raphael Ward last month. Ward, a resident of the Baruch Houses, was gunned down on the sidewalk and collapsed inside a convenience store near the intersection of Columbia and Rivington streets on the night of Jan. 4 after a dispute investigators believe involved stolen coats. Timothy Montalvo, also 16, has been charged with second-degree murder and two counts of weapons possession in connection with the shooting, which rocked the neighborhood in the wake of the holidays and sparked further violence at a memorial service the following week. Police believe Montalvo furnished the murder weapon to 20-year-old Walter Rodriguez, the alleged shooter, who was still at large as of press time. Two other suspects seen in a convenience store security video are also being sought. According to investigators, the violent chain of events began when a group of youths, including Ward, was accused of stealing a winter coat. A second group, including the cousin of the teen whose coat was swiped, came into the neighborhood intent on stealing Ward’s coat in retaliation, and gunfire broke out. On Jan. 9, as a large crowd gathered at the Provenzano Lanza Funeral Home to pay their respects to Ward, a fight began among some of the young people in attendance. One witness reported a teen being beaten with a large chain and a frying pan; another source said at least one altercation began inside the funeral home. Police officers responded to restore order.

Police responded to the fatal shooting at 101 Forsyth Street.

December and January brought a flurry of large real estate transactions throughout the neighborhood. The sale with the biggest price tag was developer Ian Schrager’s $50 million purchase of an empty lot at 215 Chrystie St., which is slated to become a combination hotel and luxury condo building, if it clears some pending legal hurdles. In another high-profile deal, the Orenstein building at 15-17 Bialystoker Place, a senior affordable housing center, sold to an undisclosed buyer for $28 million last month. In addition, more than half a dozen commercial and residential buildings changed hands as the old year turned into the new year. Among them were two collections of LES buildings sold as part of larger portfolios: 75 and 81 Orchard St. were folded into one deal, and 55-59 and 61-63 Delancey St. were folded into another. Several tenement build-ings were bought individually, including: 221 E. Broadway, the Beaux Arts Mayflower building that is home to Malt & Mold and Pushcart Coffee; 75 Ludlow St., a tenement building with a restaurant on the ground floor; and 70 Hester St., originally a 19th-century Roumanian synagogue and most recently a longtime artists’ loft.

real estate

Owners of two proposed LES bars who have been battling with neighbors took their arguments to the State Liquor Au-thority last month, with mixed results. In the first case, an establishment called Eastwood that’s poised to open any day at 221 E. Broadway had its permit application rejected. The SLA ruled against the application because the bar is fewer than 200 feet from two churches, a provision known as the “200-foot rule.” While the community board ultimately supported Eastwood’s application back in June, neighbors were divided: some spoke in favor of the establishment while others expressed concerns about noise and late-night crowds. One prominent opponent was Pastor Marc Rivera of Primitive Christian Church, located a block or so away from the proposed bar. Later this month, Eastwood owners Sivan Harlap and Andrew States plan to seek a beer-and-wine-only license; the 200-foot rule only applies to full liquor permits. (Mean-while, Eastwood’s “chip shop,” a food counter that’s separate from its main space, opened Jan. 16 serving soup, sandwiches and falafel.) In the second case, the owners of a restaurant planned for 106 Rivington St., Jose Orlando Rodriguez and Robert Payne, made their case for a full bar permit at a proceeding known as a “500-foot hearing,” which is required anytime there are three or more liquor licenses within 500 feet of a proposed estab-lishment. Its opponents include Community Board 3, which approved a beer and wine permit but re-jected a full bar license, and a group of neighbors known as the LES Dwellers, which maintains that particular block is already oversaturated with bars and restaurants. A decision has not been rendered in that case; another hearing is pending.

nightlife

Federal agents descended on several addresses on East Broadway during a sweeping investi-gation of immigration fraud in late December. Several attorneys were among the more than two dozen suspects charged as a result of the raid. Officials at the U.S. Justice Department char-acterized the crimes as “separate but overlapping immigration fraud schemes” in which immigrants fab-ricated claims of persecution to support their requests for asylum in this country.“At least 10 New York City area law firms created and submitted these fraudulent applications on behalf of alien applicants and coached them on how to lie to immigration authorities,” prosecutors said in a prepared statement fol-lowing the day’s arrests, which shut down a large swath of East Broadway for several hours. “Of the 26 defendants, 21 work at the various law firms, six as attorneys. Also charged are four translators who work at an asylum office in Queens, N.Y.; and an employee at a church in Queens who allegedly provides train-ing in basic Christianity to asylum applicants falsely claiming to have been persecuted in China for their religious beliefs.”

neighborhood news

immigration

On Feb. 11, the NYC Economic Development Corp. will host an information session on the request for proposals (RFP) it issued last month for the Seward Park redevelopment project. The city is soliciting specific plans from developers in-terested in partnering in the massive revamping of the six-acre Seward Park Mixed-Use Development Site that stretches along Delancey Street’s south side near the Williamsburg Bridge. The process that’s now moving forward has been more than four decades in the making; the development parcels were bulldozed in the name of urban renewal back in 1967. Proposals from developers are due May 6. The city expects to select the winning bid or bids by the fall of this year. The project includes 1,000 apartments (half affordable/half market-rate) as well as up to 600,000 square feet for commercial uses. The information session on Feb. 11 takes place at 2 p.m. at the EDC’s offices, 110 William St.

real estateSixteen-year-old Raphael Ward was shot to death Jan. 4.

Photo via Facebook


Don Cristobal, Billy-Club Man at Abrons: Award-winning puppeteer Erin Orr explores the violent appetites of Don Cristóbal, Billy-Club Man’s on-stage persona and follows him off-stage to reveal his poetic possibilities. Inspired by two comedic and surreal puppet plays by Federico García Lorca, the piece features Orr’s shadow-, hand- and large-figurative puppetry, as well as evocative original music by Rima Fand. Not intended for children. Through March 3. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m., 466 Grand St., $20, abronsartscenter.org.

calendar what to do in FEBRUARY

Chinese Lunar New Year 14th Fire-cracker Festival: Join in the festivities of Chinese New Year as local Chinatown organizations set off an impressive array of firecrackers and ring in The Year of the Snake. After the firecrackers drive away every evil spirit for miles, there is plenty of dancing and traditional food. The annual parade through the streets of the neighborhood takes place the follow-ing week, Sunday, Feb. 17. Both events start at 11 a.m. in Sara D. Roosevelt Park (between Grand and Forsyth streets) and are free. betterchinatown.com.

Belleville at New York Theatre Work-shop: Preview the newest drama from acclaimed playwright Amy Herzog (4000 Miles, After the Revolution) and heavyweight director Anne Kauffman

(Detroit, This Wide Night). The play follows a couple of ex-pats to Paris, where

their relationship is put to the test in a chilling, Hitchcock-ian look at the limits of trust, truth, deception and depen-dency. Through March 31, see website for showtimes, 79 E. Fourth St., $70/$20 member guest tickets, nytw.org.

Fri.

15

Visit our CALENDAR online atwww.thelodownny.com/calendar for more details and to add your own events.

Tues.

12

Story Slam: Love in the Time of the Internet at the Museum at Eldridge: Got great stories about looking for “the one” online? Bring your friends and share your best bad dating experiences and your triumphs at this Moth-inspired story slam. Prizes will be awarded for the most outrageous tales. Hosted by Rachel Evans, whose one-woman play Jew Wish explores the ups and downs of online dating. Non-storytellers welcome. Beer and wine. 7 p.m., 12 Eldridge St., $10 adults/$5 for Facebook friends, eldridgestreet.org.

Thurs.

21

Douglas Dunn & Dancers’ Cassations

at Danspace: Celebrated choreog-rapher Douglas Dunn remounts his venerated latest work for the sanctuary at

St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. Through Feb. 9, 8 p.m., 131 E. 10th St., $18, dans-paceproject.org.

Thurs.

7 Old-school punk and alternative rock pioneer Bob Mould celebrates his in!uential career with his latest album, Silver Age. The album is a return to what’s been coined “aggressive pop,” coming together after a series of electric solo dates in 2011 supporting the Foo Fight-ers. From the hardcore punk sounds of Hüsker Dü (1979-87) that later turned into what has de"ned the sound of “alt-rock” through the band Sugar (1992-95), to his many successful solo endeavors, it’s hard to ignore Mould as someone who has heavily in!uenced genera-tions of rock stars.

In a recent tribute concert, Dave Grohl, the iconic drummer for Nirvana and lead singer of the Foo Fighters, told the audience, “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be making music the way I do, or play guitar the way I do. His albums have really shaped me as a musician as much as the Beatles, as much as Led Zeppelin. He’s a real hero of mine and a real Ameri-can icon.” Mould performs at the Bowery Ballroom with his live band, made up of bassist Jason Narducy (Split Single, Verbow) and drummer Jon Wurster (Superchunk, The Mountain Goats). Also Wednesday, Feb. 27, 9 p.m., 6 Delancey St., $25, boweryballroom.com.

Fri.

22Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia at the New Museum: Widely regarded as the best hip-hop radio program of all time, the Stretch

Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia Show

(1990-98) produced one of the few independent, noncommercial forums

for hip hop in the ’90s. The show is credited for introducing countless MCs to the world, including Nas, the Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan. As part of “Get Weird,” the New Museum’s monthly music series, the pair will discuss New York City street life and historical events circa 1993 through the lens of rap music. 7 p.m., 235 Bowery, $12,

newmuseum.org.

Old Jews Telling Jokes at the Tene-ment Museum: A variety show based on the hit web series, this Broadway production has entertained knee-slap-

pers of all ages. Between punchlines, cre-ators Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent discuss

the intimate relationship between humor and Jewish culture. 6:30 p.m., 103 Orchard St., free, tenement.org.

Detroit ‘67 at the Public:This world premiere presented in association with the Classical Theatre of Harlem focuses on the Motown world of 1967 Detroit. Pent-up feelings erupt between a brother and sister running an after-hours

joint just in time for them to find them-selves caught in the middle of the ‘67 riots.

Through March 17, 7:30 p.m., 425 Lafayette St., $15, publictheater.org.

Mon.

25Tues.

26

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Tues.

26

Sun.

10


A couple of years ago, a chef toiling away at a little spot on Ludlow Street told me what a strug-gle it had been trying to focus on “fine food” on a block built for boozing. Places like Libation, Motor City and even the music clubs — Piano’s, The Liv-ing Room and Cake Shop — bring a certain kind of crowd to the strip between East Houston and Delancey streets. But a new venture, SakaMai, at 157 Ludlow St., aims to change all of that.

Don’t get me wrong. SakaMai is definitely night-life-centric. Dubbed by owners Tanner Fahl and Natalie Graham as New York’s “first dedicated sake lounge,” the place has high ambitions. The eclectic interior features low lighting, a beautiful dark wood bar and exposed brick. There are at least four dis-tinct seating areas, including a cozy lounge with a fireplace and a private dining room on the second floor.

Your best bet is probably the bar, where Shingo Gokan (formerly of Angel Share) and his team put on quite a show, concocting some seriously sophisti-cated sake-based cocktails. They’re not cheap; pric-es range from $13-$16. “The Kuchinashi” is made from lemon, grapefruit, herb-soaked vodka and a lychee liqueur made with a nigori-style sake. All of the cocktails my cohort and I tasted were delicious and lethal. There are sake flights and, of course, a

SakaMai Signals New Era on Ludlow Streetby Ed Litvak

wide selection of sake by the bottle, shochu (a dis-tilled spirit something like vodka), plus a variety of Japanese whiskeys and beers.

While the bar at SakaMai is impressive, it’s the food that might end up giving this new spot stay-ing power on the notoriously fickle Lower East Side nightlife scene. They’re calling it a “Japanese gastro lounge.” The menu, featuring small plates and larg-er dishes meant for sharing, is Japanese-accented but unconventional. The chef is Takanori Akiyama, formerly of Lan on Third Avenue. You might just be satisfied to snack on some shishito peppers, if you can take the heat ($7). More adventuresome types will be tempted by the roasted bone marrow and steak tartare ($22), a pretty amazing dish, or “Egg on Egg on Egg” ($18), which is sea urchin and white sturgeon caviar on a bed of scrambled eggs.

The service at SakaMai is extremely friendly. As might be expected from any month-old restau-rant, there are certainly some kinks to work out in the kitchen, as well as in the front of the house. But they’re definitely aiming to please.

SakaMai seems intent on making sake more ac-cessible and showing that it can be paired with all sorts of dishes (Japanese and American) with deli-cious effect. There’s no doubt about it; at least some locals will be turned off by the high prices. SakaMai will have to be a destination spot if it is going to suc-ceed. If they pull it off, maybe the nightlife and din-ing mix on Ludlow will become a little more diverse and interesting.

LO-DINETHE

Editor’s note: Welcome to our new food col-

umn, featuring observations from staff members

and guest columnists on local restaurants.

arts watch

By Traven RiceIn today’s world of vanishing brick-and-mor-

tar bookstores, it’s a pleasant surprise to see a new one open in the neighborhood, even if it’s only in a pop-up space for the moment. The Bureau of General Services-Queer Division (BGSQD) is a new bookstore, gallery and event space founded by partners Greg Newton and Donnie Jochum. The bookstore is unique by default — there actually aren’t any “gay bookstores” devoted solely to the LGBT community left in Manhattan — but it also has the feel of a special, forward-thinking space.

Newton says their goal was to rethink what it means to be a gay bookstore. They wanted their place to have a different connotation so they de-cided to go with the term “queer bookstore.”

“For us, the term queer is somehow more ex-pansive. You could say, on the one hand, opening a queer bookstore is a narrowing of focus, but we see it more as a space that’s dedicated to queers and queer topics, but it’s open to allies,” Newton said. “There are people who have sex with members of the opposite sex who identify with the word ‘queer,’ so it doesn’t have rigid boundaries and at thesametimeitsignalstopeople,ifyoudon’ttin with the gender ‘norms’ of society, or if you feel

that those ‘norms’ ought to be challenged, this is the space for you.”

BGSQD’s mission is to “foster a community invested in the values of mindfulness, intellectual curiosity, justice, compassion and playfulness,” and their collection of zines, books, artwork, coy T-shirts and merchandise ref lects just that.

Withinitsrsttwomonthsinthetemporaryspace at Strange Loop Gallery on Orchard Street, the store hosted two art openings, an exclusive reading by the estimable author and Harvard pro-fessor Edmund White, a magazine launch party featured in Next Magazine, various live music performances, a few poetry readings and a mem-oir-writing workshop.

Newton is a former writing professor at Par-sonswhosersthomeinNewYorkCitywasatEl-len Stuart’s LaMaMa theater. (She charged him $5/week for a room above the theater on East Fourth Street.) He says the partners are determined to stay in the LES because of its diversity and the creative history here. Rent would have been cheaper in Brooklyn, but they really want to be centrally lo--cated — and in a neighborhood that has a mature

A New Generation of Queer Pops Up on Orchard Street

(continued on page 20)

BGSQD co-founder Donnie Jochum, author and professor Edmund White and co-founder Greg Newton

“Egg on Egg on Egg” Photo courtesy of SakaMai restaurant.

photo by Lee Brozgol

18 www.thelodownny.com www.thelodownny.com 1918 www.thelodownny.com

food market just like the ones I’d eagerly seek out when traveling in Europe! How did I not know about this place? When I saw the little spot in the rear of the market (where Pain d’Avignon is now) with its windows all papered over, I knew I had found the right home for Roni-Sue’s Chocolates. The unique nature of the ESM was ultimately what attracted me to the neighborhood. The first few times I came down to visit the market, I remember wondering why so many places were closed and shuttered when I’d heard what a vibrant neighbor-hood the LES is. Then I came down to check it out at night and, lo and behold, all those places were open and jam-packed! Ah, nightlife.

What is your favorite block in the neigh-borhood?I love wandering the side streets over by Tomp-kins Square Park. I also like walking from the LES to the EV where I live. Fun to see the surround-ing crowds change from hipsters to aging hip-pies (such as myself).

What do you do?I own and operate Roni-Sue’s Chocolates in the historic Essex Street Market — i.e., I make candy for a living. Woo-hoo!

How long have you lived on the LES?I opened Roni-Sue’s in October 2007, so I’ve been working down here for over five years. I just finally moved from East Harlem to the East Village in June, though, so at last I can walk to work..

What drew you to the neighborhood?I had been hearing about the Essex Street Market for a few years but never had been “way down to the LES” until January of 2007. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came into the market for the first time. Here in the heart of NYC was a fabulous local

What is your favorite date spot in the neighborhood?Second Floor on Clinton, a hidden gem up the back staircase inside Barramundi — so sophisti-cated, a beautiful grown-up space with fabulous artisan cocktails and warm attentive service. It’s set up like a lovely drawing room with comfy chairs, nice lighting and a relaxed vibe. Good place to talk and get to know someone. You can actually hear one another, too

What is your favorite co!ee in the neigh-borhood?Porto Rico Importing in the market is our go-to, regular spot, of course. Sometimes I take a walk to the new spot Caffe Vita on Ludlow, for a change of pace.

Favorite cheap eats in the neighborhood? Puebla Mexican is good and they deliver to ESM quickly. Also like Wacky Wok for healthy stir fry. Love their tempura string beans (OK, maybe not so healthy).

Where do you take your visitors when they’re here?I’ve taken friends to the Tenement Museum, which is pretty cool, and the New Museum. I love to go to the greenmarket at Tompkins Square on Sundays and out for meals at my fave places in the ‘hood. Alias is a great spot, reasonable prices, delicious food and warm welcoming staff. There’s always some music to hear, too, of course, maybe at Ella lounge.

How do you feel about recent changes in the neighborhood?I don’t think I can really speak to the recent changes since one could argue I’m one of them!

What new establishment(s) have you been wanting to try?The new menu at wd~50, Mission Chinese, Pig & Khao.

Favorite LES memory?The first year after I started Roni-Sue’s, my friends and neighbors in the ESM threw me a surprise birth-day party. I remember looking around the room and thinking “I’m home.”

Roni-Sue Kave

For our regular feature spotlighting the people who live and work on the Lower East Side, we talked with artisan chocolatier Roni-Sue Kave.

Send us your story tips, ideas and photos from the neighborhood: [email protected]

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nightlife and art scene. “We feel right at home here,” he said.

As far as the current narrative about small independent bookstores closing, Newton says he thinks people are starting to remember they didn’t move to New York to sit at home in front of their computers and TVs. “Human interaction is still a fun and important activity!” he says.

arts watch (continued from p.16)

Visit BGQSD at Strange Loop Gallery (27 Orchard St.)

Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays noon-

6 p.m. Newton and Jochum are currently seeking

investors to help them establish a permanent home

on the LES. If you are interested in supporting them,

drop them a line at: [email protected].

(continued from p.8)

she explained, the hardship provision exists for a reason, making the landmarks law via-ble. At the same time, her organization has se-rious concerns about losing a synagogue that has been a New York City landmark for near-lyvedecades.

In the past, the Jewish Conservancy planned to create a visitor center, museum and, perhaps, an events space inside the build-ing, while providing room for the congrega-tion to return to its historic home. As of now, there’s no community-wide consensus on the ideal use for the building. But many people believearststepissimplyanintervention,saving the building from the bulldozers. Heshy Jacob, the United Jewish Council’s board chairman, said it’s a cause that should strike a chord with Jews everywhere, not just on the Lower East Side.

“Beth Hamedrash Hagadol is a part of Jewish history,” he said. “I would like to see someone [with nancial resources] step for-ward with the money to save it.”

Reach 35,000 people on the Lower East Side.

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