Monthly Archives: July 2013

Whew! HOT!!!

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Notification issued on 7/18/13 at 1:00 PM.  Due to continued high temperatures and heat indices, New York City cooling centers will remain open through Sunday, 7/21.  For cooling center locations & hours  or for more information on avoiding heat illness, please visit http://www.nyc.gov/oem or call 311. For the latest weather information, visit http://www.weather.gov/nyc.

Air Quality Index also bad:

Air Quality Index (AQI)
101
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Health Message: Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

Avoid strenuous activity. Seniors and those with respiratory problems should stay indoors.

The nearest cooling centers to EMP are:

Epiphany Library, 228 E 23 St
Stein Neighborhood Senior Center, 204 E 23 St
Kips Bay Library, 446 3 Av
Sirovich Neighborhood Senior Center, 331 E 12 St
Science, Industry and Business Library, 188 Madison Avenue

july18-2013

 

 

Stafford Act-Write your federal officials

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As per the memo from the board dated May 13, 2013. EMP, as a Coop is not eligible for FEMA funds in the case of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/nyregion/fema-policy-keeps-co-ops-from-disaster-aid.html?pagewanted=all

In the case of major damage to EMP from a storm like Hurricane Sandy, EMP would receive no federal funds even though we pay our taxes like any other homeowner.

Please go the web sites of our federal representatives and ask them to reform the Stafford Act.

https://www.schumer.senate.gov/Contact/contact_chuck.cfm

http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

https://maloney.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

You may copy and paste the text below

I am a shareholder in East Midtown Plaza, a Mitchell Lama Cooperative in Manhattan.

We are adjacent to the area hard git by Hurricane Sandy.  It is a miracle that we were not hit harder by the storm. AS it was, we were without heat, electricity and elevators for 5 days.

It seems that we would not be eligible for FEMA funds to aid in emergency repair in the case of a disaster such as this. I am one of 746 families living at EMP. EMP is a limited income Mitchell Lama coop and therefore limited in the amounts of money that can be absorbed by the shareholders.

I and my fellow shareholders would like you to push to reform the ‘Stafford Act’ to include coops such as EMP. We do not have the safety net available to other individual home owners. We pay our taxes and we have a right to the same protection.

 

Epiphany Library to be closed for 3 months

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The Epiphany Library will be closed temporarily beginning August 15th to facilitate necessary upgrades to the building and its heating and cooling systems. The branch is scheduled to reopen in November 2013. During this construction, patrons are encouraged  to visit the following nearby branches:
Kips Bay Library – 446 Third Avenue
Ottendorfer Library – 135 Second Avenue
Muhlenberg Library – 209 West 23rd Street (near Seventh Avenue)

Hold requests can be picked up at Kip’s Bay, 446 Third Avenue (at E 31st St.), tel. (212) 683-2520

Here’s some interesting info about the Library from the Library’s website: The Epiphany Branch of The New York Public Library, once part of the Cathedral Library Association founded by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, has served the Gramercy Park-Stuyvesant Town area since 1887.

The current Epiphany Branch building, an elegant Carnegie Library, opened on September 29, 1907. It was a major neighborhood cultural and educational source until 1982, when it was closed for nearly two years for an extensive expansion and renovation; the restored library opened on July 16, 1984. http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/24/aboutnypl-epiph

Bob Gordon

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It was with great sorrow and sadness that we report the passing of Bob Gordon. Bob was an original co-operator at EMP and the first co-operator  President of the EMP Board of Directors.

Bob loved EMP and put a great deal of his time and effort into EMP. He was an early proponent of and strong supporter of privatization.

 

 

Kipsey’s

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kipseys-0211Please be sure to patronize Kipsey’s. They are serving up some great American comfort food with a bit of a Middle Eastern influence. They have one of the best burgers in Manhattan with a proprietary meat blend (we like it with the Gruyere cheese and carmelized onions) and amazing fries. They just introduced a new cocktail menu that’s defininitely mixologist inspired. They have a 4-star rating on Yelp and some great reviews. Also 5 out of 5 stars on MenuPages and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trip Advisor.

The owners Arnon and Melissa are the nicest people; Be sure to say Hi.

They had a bit of a glitch with their air conditioning but that’s been fixed.

We have long-needed a great, comfortable neighborhood place and hangout like this!

Kipsey’s is at 438 Second Avenue at 25th Street

http://kipseys.com

 

 

 

Carvel Store

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It looked like they were doing a little work in the Carvel Store. Could we hope that we will have a new tenant in there? Something good!

Maybe some traffic would help with the pigeon problem. Please don’t feed these winged rodents and if you see anyone else doing so, kindly ask them to stop!

carvel pigeon

Goodfellas restaurant now open

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goodfellas2Goodfella’s pizza/italian restaurant has opened on 2nd Avenue between 22 and 23 Street. They claim to have The World’s Best Pizza http://www.goodfellas.com/

While we’re on the latest Pizza News, Papa John’s on 2nd Avenue between 24th and 25th moved out in the middle of the night and closed. Probably way too much competition with 4 pizza places in 3 blocks; They had to face Grimaldi’s who claims g*d doesn’t make better pizza, Goodfella’s claiming to have the World’s Best Pizza and the old long-time neighborhood standby Mike’s who makes a damn good pie. Also, the $1 pizza at 28th Street and 2nd Avenue.

 

Shaka Burritos coming to 23rd Street

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shaka-0716Shaka Burrito from the Jersey Shore is opening an outpost on 23rd Street in the old Viang Ping space. They will feature burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas and Hawaiian shaved ice (we could use some of that this week!).

The NJ restaurant website and menu is at: http://www.shakaburrito.com/

We are very excited; We could use a good burrito in the neighborhood. Wahoo on Park Avenue is too far!

A word of advice to the Shaka dudes; Don’t raise your prices! Some mexi places have tried to charge high price and gone out of business. Mexican food is supposed to be cheap! AND – Pomaika`ishaka

 

ICD Building to be torn down

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We have heard unsubstantiated rumors that the 6 story ICD building on 24th Street between 1st Avenue and the dead end will be torn down and a 22 or 26 story dorm for NYU Dental School school students will be built in it’s place. This building will block the windows for many F building residents who face north-west. It also means that G Building resident will have a huge dusty construction project 100 feet from their front door and many who are in the F-Line or G-Line will lose their views from their living room windows or terraces.

We hope that at least this project will coincide with our plaza renovation. It would be tragic if the ICD construction doesn’t happen until after the plaza renovation and we have 5-7 years of concrete demolition, building demolition, rats, dust, dirt and noise!

Does anyone else think that maybe it’s time to slow down development in Manhattan or at least plan it more carefully?icd-building