A high-pressure gas line was struck Wednesday morning in Morningside Heights prompting building evacuations and suspending train service FDNY told CBS that the gas main was fractured during a street excavation procedure happening on Broadway “Folks on 122nd Street have been evacuated and there’s a strong smell of gas even over on Amsterdam Avenue where I am currently,” Jeremy Goldman wrote to West Side Rag around noon Among the buildings evacuated was the Manhattan School of Music at 130 Claremont Avenue, between West 122nd and 123rd streets, ABC7 reported. Due to the needed repair work, 1 trains were suspended in both directions between 96th and 168th streets on Wednesday from around 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 P.M., when they resumed with delays, according to the MTA. Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here. 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The loud sound actually continued for a whole hour it started shortly after 11 and stopped around 12 That’s when it was reported that ConEd shut the valves industrial strength fan blowing right at you It must have been an unbelievably loud hissing sound since I could hear it loud and clear at Amsterdam and 117th Seems like the outcome might have been much much worse © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved © 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved Every product is independently selected by editors Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission one can find all sorts of housing configurations: park- and subway-adjacent studios one-bedrooms hidden in carriage houses or former shoe factories We’re combing the market for particularly spacious or otherwise worth-a-look apartments at various six-digit price points We’ve found you a sweet West Village studio and a Morningside Heights two-bedroom with a dining room 508 East 78th Street, Apt. 3B The block-long Beaux-Arts complex where this two-bedroom co-op is located was originally built as a respite for tenement dwellers with tuberculosis Even though the building became a co-op in the 1920s and East River breezes — it’s about a block from the waterfront — remained a recent kitchen renovation with a dishwasher besides being somewhat far from the subway and all the walking and climbing involved in living here do confer health benefits 55 Morton Street, #7C A small but lovely studio on the top floor of a prewar elevator building and an old fireplace that’s perfect for candles The main living area has two large south-facing windows with smaller eastern windows in the sleeping area not surprisingly for a West Village studio tiny and looks like it hasn’t been renovated in some time Bar Pitti and Buvette are less than ten-minute walks away with a reasonable monthly maintenance of $1,216 buyers will need to have the full half-million handy 523 West 121st Street, #41 This prewar two-bedroom apartment is very nearly a classic six save for a missing maid’s room and half bath off the kitchen It’s rare to find a true two bedroom with a living room and a dining room under a million in this neighborhood even in the more affordable pocket just north of Riverside Park This apartment is full of turn-of-the-century details: wainscotting and it got new hardwood floors and electrical upgrades in 2011 but they have closets and windows and the shared spaces are big and airy — besides the large living and dining rooms there’s a separate kitchen that’s not a galley (it’s a real room) and a foyer with a coat closet pet-friendly building right by Riverside Park 237 Hancock Street, #11 While legally a studio because the bedroom is just shy of 80 square feet a long narrow space with an ornate fireplace The apartment is in a grand 1891 building that’s now an income-restricted HDFC meaning that a buyer can only earn a maximum of $130,440 a year (it’s slightly higher for two) The transit situation is also somewhat inconvenient: The express A train at Nostrand is about a half-mile walk away Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York is closed for multiple months for repaving work during the height of the cherry blossom bloom located near West 122nd Street between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue is closed to the public from mid-March through mid-May in order for the pathways within the green space to be repaved according to a spokesperson from the New York City Parks Department “Sakura Park is one of our most cherished green spaces especially now during cherry blossom season and we’re committed to strengthening our city’s living infrastructure,” Manhattan Borough Commissioner Tricia Shimamura told West Side Rag after we reached out to the Parks Department about the closure “This project will make the park’s pathways safer The timing of the closure seems peculiar as the peak bloom of cherry blossoms takes place from late March through mid-April Parks Department did not immediately respond to our question of whether the timing of the cherry blossom bloom had been factored into to the decision to close the park for construction work during this March to May period Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom Japan gifted dozens of Yoshino cherry trees to the city to be planted in the Morningside Heights park many of which are still standing there today The gesture subsequently inspired the city to name the green space On the New York City Parks Department’s official website, Sakura Park is the agency’s first recommendation under the “best parks to see cherry blossoms in New York City.” How about closing the “lawns” of Strawberry Fields in CP and the soil was aerated by one guy from the CPC but the “lawns” look atrocious in Strawberry Fields which can then uproot if there’s a significant wind storm Does anyone actually think this government is capable of that kind of forethought and communication The Parks Department lives on another continent making decisions without regard to the present season or floral displays in its vast realms I go to Sakura Park often and its lanes are not notably damaged The work could have waited until the summer or fall if they cared even a little about the local population This reminds me of the famous Milton Friedman quote: “if the US government were in charge of the Sahara Desert within ten years it would be out of sand.” Please next fix the docks on the West Harlem Piers Park They have all been destroyed in storms and have never been replaced Restrictions at the Morningside Heights campus began last spring, when the Israel-Hamas conflict sparked student demonstrations that culminated in the occupation of Hamilton Hall by pro-Palestine protesters. Security measures have included locked gates and a requirement that anyone entering campus must have a Columbia ID or a university-issued QR code granting permission The plaintiffs contend that the access restriction creates a six-block barrier closing the campus to public traffic between Broadway and Amsterdam Residents who once could cross campus on a pedestrian walkway at West 116th Street or via other campus entrances on Amsterdam or Broadway now can only travel between those avenues via 114th or 120th The lawsuit says this creates a particular challenge for elderly pedestrians and those with disabilities who need to access subway or bus lines on Broadway “Individuals who need to cross the campus for access to and from the 116th Street subway stop [on Broadway] have to walk around the Columbia blockade which adds 15 or more minutes of extra walking to their commute each way,” the lawsuit reads “This is particularly hard on workers who have long subway rides as well as jobs that are physically demanding It is also particularly hard for anyone with mobility impairments or who is carrying groceries or wheeling children in strollers or carriages.” The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four plaintiffs: Columbia sent West Side Rag the following statement when asked for comment about the lawsuit “As President Armstrong reiterated in her January 24 update the University is evaluating Morningside campus access on an ongoing basis,” a spokesperson for the school said “We are focused on ensuring that all of our students feel welcome and secure on our campus as we also balance the desire for an open campus that is accessible to all of Columbia’s valued constituencies Columbia’s commitment to New York City and to our community as well as the daily experiences of our neighbors weighs heavily on our decision-making.” The school added that in February it implemented changes to access protocols to streamline for alumni The spokesperson did not specify how it had improved access for local residents The lawsuit calls for a judgment declaring that Columbia has no legal authorization for its closure of the 116th Street College Walk It asks for restoration of public access to College Walk and damages to be paid to members of the class  who have incurred financial harm as a result of the closure The next court date for the case is on March 5 You can check out the full lawsuit and accompanying legal documents — HERE. The city as well as the university have every right to close streets in a security emergency Random non affiliates and professional protestors infiltrated and caused endless disruptions of the campus Since the gates have been closed to non-affiliates I guess these “neighbors” are putting their interests ahead of all the university students Sometimes we all have to make concessions in an emergency Let’s not turn College Walk into the Gaza Strip West Open our streets and let’s live in peace Let’s not forget the late 60’s were much worse on this campus Columbia could have easily restricted access to the rest of the campus and kept the walkway open though the rationale for doing even that is flimsy That wasn’t the agreement that was struck when the legally binding arrangement came to be The City doesn’t revolve around Columbia If they have to hire additional security they can The city and university can close streets at any time for security The orange guy in the White House thinks he can declare everything an emergency and that then gives his absolute authority If the university is issuing access passes to various groups of people why not issue them for local residents in a given zone This is clearly not an all or nothing proposition If there is a legal right of way across campus a swipe card or ID card for those with proof of residency will do the trick These elderly neighbors didn’t cause and won’t cause disruptions but Columbia is causing huge disruption for them They are right as rain to sue for their heretofore public sidewalks “every right to close streets in a security emergency.” but we’re not in an emergency anymore 🤭 but protestors like to use Columbia’s famous campus for publicity And if protestors behave again in a way that makes the University want to go into lockdown again If you can’t behave in a way that is socially acceptable and does not interfere with others you do not deserve to be part of the normal population I think these protests were generally ridiculous and were being led by people who likely could not point out Israel on a map there are plenty of ways to protest that do not interfere with the lives of others And another hint – these awful protests were making people dislike the protestors Bragg doesnt prosecute violent protesters Hes busy going after bodega owners defending themselves we all agree Columbia doesn’t have a right to impose upon the people of the neighborhood In this age of Donald Trump you find my language challenging i am a Democrat and many other Democrats agree with me Most Americans don’t even think they should be protesting at all This suit against Columbia should include suing them and should include also suing Columbia for allowing such nonsense to take place on campus in the first place because if it had been handled properly then these additional measures (including the closing of the gates) would most likely never have been needed Disagreeing with Israeli government policies or military actions—like the killing of thousands in Gaza and the expansion of settlements—does not make someone antisemitic Universities should encourage debate and discussion They are too busy coddling their law-breaking antisemitic students to worry about the community in which they are located Such an ironic comment – I believe the gates were closed to block those very students The school is required to maintain a public right-of-way along 116th street,and it shouldn’t take a handful of elderly folks filing a lawsuit to remind them of that Failure to keep it closed would allow the anti Jewish terror loving students from making life miserable for Jews at Columbia I guess these “neighbors” are in favor of it Columbia’s statement refers to “our campus” The point of the suit and the agreement is that 116th isn’t part of their campus and they don’t have the right to make the unilateral decision to close it That is what we will know after the court interprets the easement I needed to get acrosss there at 8.30 last night in the freezing cold _ nope – walk 3 extra blocks Every other university in the world manages to survive a student protest I’d like to know City Council Member Sean Abreu’s position on this issue I’d like to see open streets again even if there needs to be more of a security presence temporarily He’s opposed the closure. See this gift link: https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/15/admission-denied-columbia-must-reopen-its-gates/?share=weos5sctrpp5iogwstnm Abreu and CB9 Chair Victor Edwards wrote an op-ed in the Daily News calling on Columbia to open the gates As a Columbia alum and native of Northern Manhattan https://www.westsiderag.com/2025/01/16/columbia-must-reopen-its-gates-uws-and-morningside-heights-councilmember-tells-university-president The campus needs to reopen to more groups of people I have Columbia University library access because of a reciprocal agreement with a partner school certain groups of people should be allowed access Good luck to this group – fighting for rights and reason but the NYTimes article from the 1950s about the use of 116th street makes it clear that the city gave the street to Columbia as long as Columbia allows the city to maintain public utilities below the street both the NYT coverage of the pedestrian walk and this lawsuit make it clear that they do not have access to the 1953 easement agreement between Columbia and the City But it’s still an *easement* which likely gives Columbia significant control over the use of 116th But it seems likely that Columbia knows what’s in the 1953 easement compared to the litigants but Columbia is not meritless in the closure Just tonight a Palestinian group “flooded” Boro Park (a Jewish neighborhood) causing some level of mayhem This is very much a live issue Columbia is dealing with I’ve read the NYTimes article as well as the documents in the ligation and have come to the same conclusion you have The City “sold” the street to Columbia and in exchange Columbia provided an easement to the City for installing and maintaining public utilities without the actual easement agreement we don’t know the exact details of the arrangement For those of you stating that Columbia is required to open the street or Columbia isn’t honoring the deal (at least legally) it means that although Columbia owns the land legally others would be able to cross over it That is why you have to see it to know what the answer is Correct – but only for those that the easement benefits If I own a piece of land and provide you an easement to access my land to get to your land I don’t think “Columbia can ignore it’s obligations as long as there are any incidents of antisemitism anywhere in the city” is a reasonable standard I am saying that the City seams to have sold an easement to Columbia allowing Columbia to control all access to 116th No one really knows what’s in this easement agreement Columbia isn’t unjustified as unfortunate as this situation is There are regular attempts to demonstrate on this issue by roving groups of protestors But Columbia may not have to demonstrate reasonability to anyone assuming the City did indeed sell Columbia an easement All the public knows comes from the 1950s NYT article and the City Planning report which suggests Columbia only has to provide public access for utilities under the street Time will tell if this lawsuit opens up discovery regarding what’s in the actual easement Between Columbia and NYC money was exchanged for use Subsequently Columbia was allowed to install locking and closing gates Did Columbia lock those gates on their own or ask for permission to do so or did the city ask them to Who is under control of access (seems like it is Columbia) Otherwise you go to your local officials and tell them to give notice to open the gates there would be no need to discuss with Columbia clear signs should be erected that state this is a public right of way So there is no misunderstanding with Columbia or their security The big mistake was to allow the gates in the first place in emergency situation Columbia should have asked permission for a temporary barrier with a duration and if it needed to be extended be required to ask for that permission The issue now you have with the courts is Columbia could try to argue adverse possession The gates have certainly been there long enough and they have effectively been policing that area Hopefully they have never been given absolute control (by not intervening) and not been acting unilaterally I live in the area and it is pain in the neck to get from Amsterdam Avenue to Broadway when all crossings between 114th and 120th are closed but make it necessary to show ID to leave the crossing and enter the campus One problem with this is that the crossing divides the campus so to get from say Low Library to Butler library students would have to enter the crossing and then show ID to leave the crossing and get go Butler There are no barriers around the crossing – once people enter the gates there would be no practical way to prevent them from leaving the crossing it’s not too hard to show it when necessary… Columbia completely botched its “response” to the encampments and protests and now it’s hurting the local community with this ridiculous campus closure Columbia has just been generous for the last 70 years This is a central issue of the lawsuit and will be determined by the judge The agreement has been reviewed closely and can be interpreted variously Interim President Armstrong said in September that reopening the campus after fall semester began (2024) was a matter of weeks Recently she said that they were aiming to reopen the campus in February I don’t see a future in which there won’t be some probability of protests The university’s present position is consistent with campus closure in perpetuity Columbia should set up a van service to transport pedestrians between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue and vice versa In regards to the city giving the property to columbia I will look up the permit they should have a permit for it The campus closure is wrong for a variety of practical and ethical reasons The overwhelming majority of students and alumni we have heard from agree As a local community development and advocacy organization https://chng.it/ft7KnH7bdb Not sure where people are getting that pedestrians have free access to the Street The agreement was made between Columbia and the City to have access for utilities and emergencies It is actually a lot more than a block because you have to walk at least five blocks (including one long one) to get around I have enormous sympathy for the petitioners and hope they can find a solution that works for all I have to wonder how many of the people stridently objecting here were also stridently criticizing Columbia for failing to protect students from the protestors last year Maybe people could realize that these situations are not simple either/or issues and tone down the stridency a bit It is one block but if you actually walk there you will see that the blocks on either side are not through streets It’s called a pedestrian easement not a utility easement But access was also requested for NYC employees so they can perform utility maintenance work as needed Periodically Columbia needs to close the gates and block the streets for graduation/move in and out and the neighborhood understands that but this longstanding closure has to stop This appears to be an interesting court case I hope Gus gets some comments from some local attorneys who might be familiar with land use law My guess is Columbia will want to see a legal ruling and won’t be opening the walkway before March 5 there is an active easement called “easement 7.75” the dominant party is NYC The subservient party cannot block this easement NYC can give them permission to do so though Again if NYC said it was ok to block it then it is a different story unless they want to try to declare adverse possession and state they took it over The law on this is fairly clear what is required to achieve that I guess someone should let the petitioners know the definition of private property The “petitioners” understand the meaning of an easement on property The land was ceded to Columbia as an easement and is unconditionally accessible by NYC Columbia of course can illegally block it without permission One would have hoped government officials would have resolved this for them instead of suing Denying access can for example be a violation of Americans with Disabilities Act but I wonder if they can’t at least move the security check inside the gate instead of having that ugly tent and lines of people taking over the sidewalk on Broadway I have to walk through there at least twice a day The tents on the sidewalks are part of the lawsuit as a public nuisance and the reason Jessica Tisch as Police Commissioner is named as a defendant It’s really quite brazen that Columbia blocks an arguable public easement and then blocks large swaths of NYC sidewalks to do so And get those hideous plastic tents that the miserable security guards squat inside They obstruct the public way and are an eyesore Definitely better that the guards should be unsheltered Columbia arrogantly declares that it will decide when to open 116 street Someday the walls around Columbia will fall and the people will rejoice As a Columbia affiliate who walks through the 116 St gates almost daily I can say it’s a pain in the ass even for us this is almost purely an issue of private property which is pretty sacrosanct in capitalist society so I’m not very optimistic that Columbia will be forced to reopen College Walk By Tsehai Alfred Anna Federova / Senior Staff Photographer \n Holding her grandmother’s floral painted urn on the concrete stoop of her childhood home As her mother flashed the bright camera light Lopez clutched the remains of her late grandmother and stepgrandfather in both of her arms.\n that she shared with her grandparents in their last years of life loomed—and so did the fear of not being able to stay in her family home.\n \n Lopez’s grandmother passed away in May the property manager of her building asked when she would clean out the apartment: The home her family has lived in for three generations The encounter was the beginning of a monthslong legal battle Lopez has fought against her co-op board to secure her tenant succession rights to the rent-stabilized apartment.\n New York state has protected tenant succession rights allowing for a family member of a tenant of a rent-stabilized apartment who died or vacated the unit to become the leaseholder of the apartment if they have lived in the apartment for at least two years before the tenant’s departure or death.\n \n Lopez has been a permanent resident of her home for the past four years since she moved back in during the pandemic to care for her grandmother.\n \n \n In supporting her claim, Lopez has, for months, been sending documents to her co-op board to prove her residency and relationship to the home.\n \n \n Photo by Anna Federova / Senior Staff Photographer\n \n \n Some residents say that Lopez’s experience is not singular Despite a 2019 New York state housing law that further protected the right to tenant succession making landlords no longer able to deregulate apartments landlords often still challenge succession claims in order to receive a new tenant if for any reason they did not like the previous tenant—which is what Lopez believes she has been subject to as Columbia’s presence in Morningside Heights has grown tenants say they have found it harder to obtain their succession rights despite legal protections is permitted to convert rent-stabilized units into affiliate housing once the primary tenant dies rather than putting the unit back onto the market in its rent-stabilized status.\n \n Housing advocates say that the University’s practice has not only decreased affordable housing and gentrified the area but has also exacerbated violations of tenants’ succession rights—both in Columbia-owned units as well as those owned by other landlords.\n \n While Lopez’s building is not Columbia-owned some of the shareholders in her building are Columbia affiliates including a former top administrator in the University the process of supporting her claim has felt like a final effort to uproot her from her neighborhood—an area she has noticed has drastically changed as the University has expanded.\n \n ‘Columbia waits for the neighbors to die’\n \n Born and raised in Morningside Heights as a third-generation resident who identifies as Afro-Latina Lopez said she is familiar with the stories of other residents of color being displaced \n “I just don’t want to be one more of those displacement stories,” Lopez said.\n \n Columbia has a long history of expansion including the 1980s creation of East Campus and the construction of the Manhattanville campus beginning in 2009 which displaced an estimated 5,000 residents Longtime residents say that the community sentiment has long been that the University gains control of rent-regulated units to convert them into affiliate housing.\n \n “That’s kind of the local perspective on things—that Columbia waits for the neighbors to die because I have experienced that firsthand,” Dan McSweeney consultant for the Morningside Heights Community Coalition JUST Housing Committee McSweeney has been in a legal struggle to maintain his tenant succession rights to his rent-regulated apartment owned by Columbia McSweeney’s family moved into the building in 1963 a close family friend invited McSweeney to move back in.\n after the family friend suddenly passed away without the opportunity to add McSweeney to the lease as a non-traditional family member McSweeney has received an extension on his stay but the University has not yet granted him a permanent lease.\n said his organization often encounters “complicated” tenant succession cases that can take years to resolve.\n \n “The housing situation in New York is very desperate Sometimes people don’t technically qualify for succession rights but they really deserve to stay in the home that they’ve been in for a while and it takes an advocacy struggle to get them to stay,” Robinson said.\n \n While Robinson does not live in a Columbia-owned building his home on 121st Street is sandwiched in between two University-owned buildings Robinson said when he first moved in in the 1990s of which 30 to 35 were occupied by non-affiliates there are only around four units not occupied by affiliates in each.\n \n “Columbia is home to many valued residents not affiliated with the university living in rent-regulated units within Columbia-owned buildings,” University spokesperson Millie Wert wrote in a statement to Spectator “Columbia respects and adheres to New York regulations for these units as they pertain to individuals whose residency is not contingent upon an affiliation with the university.”\n \n For native residents like Lopez and McSweeney the decline in non-affiliate residents has created a drastically different neighborhood to the ones they remember from their childhood.\n local culture and the things that have made this neighborhood so unique are gradually being replaced by corporate presence,” McSweeney said.\n \n Lopez said her grandmother grappled with these changes in her last years of life Lopez said her grandmother sent an email to their landlord and property manager expressing that “she felt like things are different.”\n \n \n Lopez’s grandmother had lived in the unit since the late 1970s, after she immigrated to the city from the Dominican Republic.\n \n \n Photo by Anna Federova / Senior Staff Photographer\n \n \n “Sometimes I reflect on that because I’m like feeling housing insecurity,” Lopez said.\n \n Following the “unsettling” encounter with her property manager a month after her grandmother’s death Lopez formally notified her co-op board that she would be claiming her succession rights.\n Lopez said her ability to pay her rent online as she had been doing for the past four years was blocked—the first sign of the difficulties to come.\n \n Nearly four months after sending the claim Lopez received a “Notice to Quit,” the first step in a “holdover eviction,” a case a landowner brings to New York City Housing Court once they have refused to recognize the tenant as a successor.\n \n “Everyone in these two buildings was invited to my grandma’s funeral Did I receive a letter or a knock on the door what I got was my notice to quit,” Lopez said.\n which is typical in cases involving tenant succession claims informed Lopez that she had 10 days to vacate her unit Lopez described the notice as an attempt to coerce her into leaving her unit and said that if she had not been aware of her legal protections she would probably have left her home soon after receiving the notice.\n they just try and roll the dice to sue you and see whether or not you can defend yourself and prove it in court especially if you don’t have a lawyer,” Adán Soltren supervising attorney at The Legal Aid Society \n McSweeney’s roughly six-year legal struggle to secure the lease to his home is continuing \n As Lopez’s housing court date looms—it was previously set for Oct 16 but recently moved to January—Lopez said she has been consumed by the anxiety and stress of the uncertainty regarding her housing situation.\n \n “I feel hungry but I also can’t stomach anything it’s so silly that all these things happen.’ I’m like the ongoing litigation regarding her apartment has also caused a financial burden as she has been paying for a lawyer to represent her in housing court has prevented her from doing things that would benefit her mental health during the tumultuous period Lopez previously wanted to visit her family in Cuba but now doesn’t know if she’ll go to save money.\n Every little penny that I’m making I have to save right now to cover the legal costs,” Lopez said.\n is the fact that her landlords aren’t a faceless institution but rather her neighbors—people she passes by in the elevator or hallway many of whom she has known since she was a little girl growing up in the building Lopez thinks that the board has used social media posts of hers as evidence to deny her succession claim making her feel isolated and surveilled during the period of grief.\n \n Members of the board did not respond to Spectator’s request for comment.\n ‘Who’s gonna be coming home at the same time?’” Lopez said “One of the other neighbors that I tried to see if they would be supportive \n Since the eviction notices started rolling in Lopez has made all of her social media accounts \n Lopez’s social media presence was not only an outlet to express herself but also a means through which she connected with her grandmother She would post videos of her grandmother under the TikTok account @yourgrandmaabuela.\n \n “One that really sent her over the edge was one where she was dying her hair herself describing a TikTok video they had made together \n Reflecting on these moments and grieving the death of her grandmother has been difficult for Lopez as she has spent the waking months after her death worrying if she will be able to remain in her home.\n \n “I do look forward to finally being able to grieve in peace and grieve in the comfort of home,” Lopez said.\n \n ‘Grandma knew that I would finally be ok’\n the petition has garnered roughly 250 signatures While Lopez said the petition does not significantly help her case legally the tangible representation of the support of that many people has assured her after the past few months of isolation and anxiety.\n \n “Grandma knew that I would finally be okay She knew that I had a community that would support me I had all these support systems,” Lopez said describing the significance of the petition \n \n Since being plunged into the legal battle, Lopez has sought support and advice from community organizations and nonprofits.\n \n \n Photo by Anna Federova / Senior Staff Photographer\n \n \n Along with the community support she has felt Lopez said that the responses she has received from contacting the offices of her elected officials have made her feel even more secure during a period of housing insecurity.\n \n “[They] just reminded me that that date was going to come and go and I would still be at home,” Lopez said describing advice she received from a representative of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.\n \n While Lopez said she is not looking forward to evidencing her claim in Housing Court— further proving her familial relationship to her grandmother and residence in a home where “lifetimes of memories live,” as she described it in the petition—she remains confident that her legal protections and rights will be upheld in court.\n \n “I have a sign on the back of my door and it just says I will not be displaced.’ So that’s what I just remind myself every day even when I’m worried about whatever request the landlord’s going to throw my way or how they’ll respond to my documents,” Lopez said “I know that renters’ rights protect me.”\n \n Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Lopez’s grandmother lived in the unit since she immigrated to the City from the Dominican Republic Lopez’s grandmother lived in the unit since the late 1970s after immigrating to the City from the Dominican Republic earlier \n Deputy News Editor Tsehai Alfred can be contacted at tsehai.alfred@columbiaspectator.com. Follow her on X @TsehaiAlfred. \n \n Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook Produced with Spectate by Molly Durawa get yourself a piece of a 1870s Italianate mansion 504 Grand Street #C13 The pink-heavy paint job is kind of working for this apartment it’s a great price for a spacious one-bedroom The kitchen is big enough to include an eat-in bar and the hardwood floors throughout are a nice touch Monthlies are $893 and come with laundry and a gym you’re just a few blocks from the East River but the space can’t be beat and it’s still a deal compared to the median price for a one-bed in the area — $799,000 510 West 123rd Street #45 Another spacious prewar co-op for just over half a million The French doors between the primary and living room add openness and light to the space and the stove seems to be hanging out in a random spot The $1,355 monthlies seem high until you realize they factor in taxes It’s a block from Morningside Park and a ten-minute walk to the 125th Street station Similarly priced listings in the neighborhood lack charm 19 Fiske Place #A2 This renovated co-op is in a prime location There are nice details throughout like a walk-in closet in the primary and built-in custom bookshelves in the living room The living room is big but doubles as a kitchen (with a Bosch stove and Liebherr refrigerator Taxes and maintenance combined come to $1,200 110 Clinton Avenue #1A This Clinton Hill co-op was once part of an 1870s Italianate mansion and is now a duplex that occupies a small slice of the grand house The space is unique (I say with some trepidation) with a basement den that could act as a second bedroom but probably works better as a bonus-y space Two original marble fireplaces add some charm The best part is the front porch — it’s huge and could easily fit a full-size table are $1,223 with free laundry and a front garden A longtime Morningside Heights preschool is unexpectedly closing its doors after more than 90 years in the community The Weekday School announced in an email to its community on Monday that it will be permanently closing at the end of the school year “After much deliberation and reflection the Church Council of The Riverside Church has decided to close their preschool the chair of the Riverside Church Council wrote “This was a very difficult decision to make given the rich history of the School and the positive impact it has had on countless children and families shifting demographics and lower enrollment have significantly impacted the ability of the School to continue operation and fulfill its mission.” “We extend our deepest gratitude to our committed families who have helped make Weekday a supportive and inclusive community.” The Weekday School opened in Morningside Heights in 1930 Upon receiving the unexpected closure announcement community members of the school immediately created a petition to “Save the historic Weekday School,” which has 281 signatures as of Tuesday morning and community members of The Weekday School at Riverside Church are calling for an immediate reversal of the decision to close its doors after 95 years of serving our community,” reads the petition “The school’s closure leaves countless families scrambling What about the spirit of inclusivity and respect that The Weekday School fostered for generations You can check out the full petition — HERE. Why Columbia is taking over of the beauty of our neighborhood? and the Weekday School has never been a religious school This has absolutely nothing to do with Columbia They have declining enrollment as most religious schools are seeing unfortunately a petition won’t make the enrollment numbers increase teachers) and you need to maintain a certain enrollment so that those cost are covered Perhaps if we built more housing for families there would be more families who could afford to live nearby and send their children there This is already one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the country How much housing do you want to cram into this tiny collection of streets the only housing that should be built is low income housing I just checked and The Weekday School’s tuition is actually well below many other private pre-schools And I’m guessing someone in low income housing could not afford it If readers would be more open minded and not complain about every market rate apartment is built As the DOE constantly tinkers with middle schools and high schools they forget that early childhood education is the key to lifelong academic success – if a kid gets to HS unprepared I was not a fan of deBlasio but his efforts to increase the availability of pre-school were really great More housing does help – especially market rate which most UWS residents live in I’ve had many friends decide to leave NYC when they have a kid bc they can’t afford a family sized apartment WSR commenters may complain but they are not representative of the UWS giver voters a chance to support building more housing That’s much more effective than a petition Is the consensus that we want low income housing or affordable housing IMO they’re two completely different things And most people in affordable housing should be able to afford day care I knew several families with two working parents who sent their kids to private day care and then to private schools There are millions of people who would love to live in Manhattan If you don’t want the market to allocate housing in Manhattan what do you propose that is fair and that does not rob Peter to pay Paul I don’t know why this is being addressed to me Do I need to add that my friends and I are all seniors we’ve all lived in walk ups our entire lives and that’s how we can afford to live here and my friends have sacrificed a lot so their kids could go to private schools I am fascinated by what they mean about changing demographics I would imagine there are more little kids that need to go to preschool Maybe there are fewer families that want to go to a church affiliated pre school I worked across the street for 15 years and didn’t know this school existed Maybe more reach out to the community and surrounding area There are probably several women who work in the Interchurch and Columbia that would love to have their child in school that close To those speculating that this has to do with a lack of interest in religious schools We are not Christian and happily sent our child there The preschool at Christ & St Stephen’s church on W 69th St closed a couple of years ago with a similar rationale about changing demographics I wonder if the DOE’s pre-k and 3-k initiatives (which I applaud) has siphoned off enough kids that we don’t need as many private preschools In the words of the immortal Bambi Kramer of “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Money talks and bullshit walks.” I do not know that this little school is “bullshit,” but money talks I went through all of this when another UWS school closed its upper school We need more market rate housing in Morningside Heights Manhattanville to fill these schools and businesses Universal Pre K and lower birth rate has closed many preschools due to low enrollment Any word on what Columbia plans to do with the space once they start leasing it Also how many students does the school now serve Are there just fewer families in that part of town More of a split between free pre-school and fancier private school- using families Sorry so many questions- just always interesting what is behind a change of a small but long lived community institution like this loss of church participation (so a church can’t subsidize a school through much more declining enrollment…) – just curious as to the questions above if anyone knows Information is out there if people would bother to look: said the school’s enrollment has not been at full capacity for “a number of years” and that the city’s rollout of universal pre-K in the past decade has lowered the demand for private preschools such as Weekday She added that the changing ratio of families paying full tuition to those receiving financial aid also played a role in the decision.” https://www.columbiaspectator.com/city-news/2024/12/17/riverside-church-to-close-historic-weekday-school-in-june/ Very long story short Weeday School is suffering from same forces as many other private nursery OTOH there is declining enrollment as birth rates decline and or parents choose to leave city for suburbs or elsewhere Piled on to that slice of reality comes fact NYC’s on free universal pre-K and other efforts are siphoning off children whose parents now have another (free) option https://nypost.com/2023/05/09/new-yorks-birth-rate-declines-amid-population-exodus-report/ Many parents will keep their financial powder dry so to speak by choosing a low cost to free pre-K or even K if it’s high quality and otherwise suits This gives some breathing room before decisions must be made about first grade Some private elementary/grammar/prep schools give preference to first graders coming in from their own kindergarten classes Thus there parents seeking to get their children into whole prep school track usually are keen on which kindergarten they choose Think many inhabitants of UWS including those who post on WSR live in sort of a bubble Happy in their rent regulated apartments or perhaps they bought when things were different (and thus cheaper) but am here to tell you that NYC has a huge housing affordability crisis and it’s not just poor people which by the way in HCL city and state (along with high taxes) is *NOT* a lot of money state and NYC taxes and other payroll deductions about 1/4-1/3 of that gross paycheck amount is deducted savings/investments and retirement planning Manhattan and other areas of city are woefully short of large “family” sized (think two to three bedroom) affordable apartments What is being created via city’s affordable lotteries skews to poor or very poor households Result is college and post graduate educated professionals are moving out of city due to high cost of living and lack of affordable childcare https://archive.is/jUPFP I believe once these preschools merged with the DOE few years ago enrollment has been declining due to the hours changed many families want 8am -6pm not 8 -2:35pm DOE school schedule let’s be real a working parent full time work schedule is typically 8 hours and the DOE hours dont cut it especiallywhen they not offering after-school to preschoolers whose district includes Morningside Heights and the northernmost part of the Upper West Side has called on Columbia University’s interim president Katrina Armstrong to end the months-long closure of the university’s campus and reopen its gates to the wider community “What may have been an appropriate temporary measure has now become a prolonged and unjustified restriction on public access,” Abreu and Victor Edwards, chair of Community Board 9,  wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the New York Daily News  Last spring’s demonstrations at Columbia, which culminated in the occupation of Hamilton Hall by pro-Palestine protesters on campus Though some restrictions were eased during the summer when classes resumed in the fall access was once again limited to those holding Columbia identification or granted special permission by the university In a late September statement to the Columbia community, Armstrong said she hoped the campus could be “fully reopened” in “weeks, not months,” and despite a few protests in the fall semester the campus has been much quieter this academic year Abreu and Edwards asked that College Walk – a pedestrian thoroughfare connecting Broadway and Amsterdam at West 116th Street – be opened again to the public ID-based access system that would allow non-Columbia people living or working in the area to pass through campus in the event that the gates needed to be closed temporarily due to safety concerns Abreu and Edwards note that since 1953 Columbia has had an agreement with the community to retain the right to a pedestrian pathway between Broadway and Amsterdam They also say Columbia has practical obligations to keep College Walk open including accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities “Residents have contacted our offices to register these concerns for months,” they added The letter also says that the long closure of the campus erodes trust between Columbia and the wider community “An institution built on the free exchange of ideas has no business erecting barriers to the public particularly at a time when national and local trust in academia is waning,” wrote Abreu and Edwards In an email about the letter sent out to constituents in his district Abreu noted his longstanding connections to Columbia I worked at the Morningside public library and got to know the institution I would one day attend,” he wrote Abreu’s email continued: “For kids like me from families where no one had gone to college … But what made a difference was the campus’s openness or simply saying good morning to a professor created a sense of possibility.” He added “This isn’t about safety anymore – it’s about exclusion.” They are private and need to protect their campus I can understand why Columbia would not want to open it to the public NYC taxpayers subsidize Columbia to the tune of tens of millions of dollars per year since Columbia does not pay property taxes Perhaps it is time for Columbia to pay property taxes like the rest of us Columbia pays taxes on many of its non-academic buildings as well gives hundreds of millions of dollars per year in tuition support and financial aid as well as hundreds of millions of dollars a year in free medical care at its medical center It also is one of the largest employers of the city and attracts top world talent It’s find to understand why they’d want to prevent public access to the campus but it’s also important to understand that they’re not allowed to do that under the agreement they made with the city over 70 years ago Columbia’s #1 priority must be protecting its students and staff from haters and violent attacks Opening the campus would definitely be nice But the priority needs to be controlling the campus so students can safely learn and staff can safely work without harassment and fear Students protest – you might not agree with a point of view but locking down campuses is ridiculous but how long will the campus be closed out of fear that someone will protest There will never be a lack of issues to protest or of reasons to demand that Columbia divest from this or that set of investments I am confused at the administration’s failure to abide by the law in this case 116th Street access to the public has been a longstanding practice The acting administration has verbally endorsed free access The current closure causes harm to those who have limited mobility Unfortunately most of the protestors and disrupters were non students and non affiliates How do you propose to stop them from protesting and disrupting campus Columbia is a private school and is under no obligation to open their campus He needs to provide security at the city’s expense How do I propose to stop them from protesting and disrupting campus If they are behaving in an anti-social way that prevents others from using the campus as it was meant to be used If they had enforced the law last spring before these people became truly destructive it would have pre-empted a lot of problems walking around and seeing where mom and grandma went to school It is a shame that they can no longer do so because a few bad apples ruined it Bad apples who couldn’t pick out Israel from Botswana on a map Appreciate the link to the 1953 article documenting the agreement with the city Shaun Abreu is the first one I know of who cares about those of us who want or (in my case) need to have access to Columbia University’s campus I live within walking distance of Columbia but I have not been allowed to enter campus for many months now Columbia has been treating us alums as risky I’ve been researching and writing books at Butler Library for decades but my current project was cut off because I am not allowed to enter the library and they don’t listen to requests for exceptions It’s about time someone pressured them Councilman Abreu will get my vote in the next election He’s only doing this because of the election Where has he been during the riots and concerns about the safety of the Jewish community in Morningside Heights including the assault on a Jewish Columbia University student during a protest Jewish students have reported harassment and criticized the lack of adequate response from university authorities I hope you are aware that there were allegations of anti-Muslim behavior/activity as well at Columbia Not only have they closed the access to the campus they are also blocking sidewalks on 3 streets with giant tents My family used to use that passthrough often It adds insult to injury to have their tents on our public sidewalks without allowing the public access to the legally required passthrough I used to sometimes go to Butler or Avery if I needed a quiet place to work but haven’t bothered since all the restrictions For the amount I paid for my graduate degree I feel like it’s the least they could do (And there’s also the fraught history Columbia has with the neighborhood…see also 1968.) I suppose there are some people out there who just don’t like nice things The NYTimes summary of the issue from 1953 suggests that the city requires access for water mains utilities and (if needed for campus access) emergency vehicles The link doesn’t indicate Columbia has an obligation to provide public pedestrian access I’m guessing Columbia has pretty good lawyers who have looked at the text of the agreement before they locked the campus I’d like the campus to be open again but it’s pretty obvious why it hasn’t been — the place has been flooded with protestors and encampments on-and-off for over a year It’s unfortunate but understandable that it remains closed Like his crusade for paid leave due to pet illness Abreu is once again demonstrating a habit of grabbing headlines for trivial matters Their botched handling of last year’s hate fest resulted in condemnation by major donors and a decrease in Giving Day contributions Columbia wants to avoid a decrease in applications and enrollment So even alumni ID’s get the red light at the gate Columbia won’t modify current Campus Security Policy without public pressure I am a professor at an adjacent institution on the west side of the campus and I have not been able to cross through at 116 on my commute from my home east of Amsterdam Avenue I’m luckily healthy and mobile (albeit annoyed) but I can’t imagine the added hassle for folks with accessibility issues Did the city agree to the dominant party of the right of way be allowed to put up closing gates I can not read the whole agreement (no online subscription) I believe NY State adverse possession has been clarified The $1,000 payment related to walk would needs to be clarified exactly what that was for Did Columbia seek permission to block the right of way or just do it This article does not make clear that Columbia illegally gate off 116th Street to the public 70-odd years ago Next step – revoke the University’s tax-exempt status It is now the single largest property owner in NYC Are you sure Columbia is the city’s largest property owner For years it’s been said to be Trinity Church Add me to the list of alumni — with alumni ID — angry and upset about being suddenly cutoff from using the library system with no explanation or response despite numerous attempts to find out I understand the need to keep “outsiders” from causing troubles but alumni with IDs doing research and writing in the library I am directly affected by the campus closure I always walked right through the campus at 116th Street to get to the #1 subway at 116th Street Now if you want to go from Amsterdam to Broadway or Broadway to Amsterdam you have to go down to 114th Street or up to 120th Street but I understand why Columbia is doing this If I were not able bodied I might not be so understanding What people are missing is streets can always be closed due to security or safety reasons Interim President Armstrong said in September that reopening campus was “a matter of weeks not months.” Here we are four months later and no change in sight (except for a bit of vacation modification) It’s hard to see a solution of Israeli-Palestinian grievances any time soon Is campus going to be locked down indefinitely into the future There will never be a time when there’s no chance that someone will show up to protest that or some other issue I used to work at Butler and I have a CUID I wrote to the alumni association asking why we pose a threat to the student population and did not get a satisfactory answer I agree that there is no real cause to maintain a closure this way – if the worry is about out-of-campus protestors (which was a valid worry last spring and sadly long mishandled by the university) then make it clear that any such disruption will NOT be tolerated – if you come to make a mess Violating the university’s rules should lead to law enforcement’s involvement and Columbia’s good neighbors (let alone those with mobility needs) You make an egregious error it was anti-war not pro Palestine There are plenty of urban universities that have no choice but to allow public access to their “campus.” NYU which also had protests over the situation in Gaza Much of the Columbia campus (and the Barnard campus) is open to the surrounding streets Are we to assume Columbia is unable to provide a safe environment for students and staff at those locations Columbia is able to close off the heart of its campus But it had been open — safely— for decades before that To refuse to open it now citing “safety,” when there are no ongoing protests I’m an alum of Columbia and am appalled at not only the closing of the campus but also the military-like fashion in which it has been done The experience left me feeling like I was viewed as a person with criminal intents The Columbia admin has been incompetent and needs to resign Although I recognize the right of Columbia to restrict access to their campus I remember living in an apartment building that Columbia purchased many years ago They weren’t very nice to the sitting (mostly rent controlled and stabilized) tenants When Columbia closed down we had a family alumni membership to the gym We’ve been excluded from the campus since then No emails offering any reimbursement for the useless membership My husband’s been up several times and was turned away by both the guards and gym office A neighbor who has an on going faculty membership through City College has been turned away on sveral ocasions by surly security guards(These memberships have been Columbia policy for years with private and public institutions in the area These memberships aren’t free .) Both my husband and the neighbor both experienced rude and irrational behavior from these PRIVATE hired guards Most of them at the gates aren’t trained Columbia Security Please note that they are not “pro-Palestinian” protesters None of the protesters ever called on Hamas to stop using Palestinians as human shields This is an old and tired comment by someone who knows nothing I have been bothered by Columbia’s closed gates I often used to pause there when tired to sit on their benches As a tax exempt institution I would like them to open up again and embrace their community Lincoln Center has also closed off its public space I enjoyed sitting at the fountain at 5 am drinking coffee in the past This city is slowly becoming unfriendly to it tax payer base Arthur Sulzberger Jr., former publisher and chairman of the New York Times, is moving to Morningside Heights. Sulzberger has purchased a two-bedroom, two-bath condo at Claremont Hall, according to city records, paying $2.45 million for the apartment. The new Robert A.M. Stern Architects–designed luxury development is in the fashion of Stern developments like 15 Central Park West made to blend in with the historic architecture of the neighborhood that’s the Gothic Revival Union Theological Seminary.) located in the development’s “coveted southwest corner,” with “one of Claremont Hall’s signature oversized bay windows,” according to the listing is located on a high floor with a direct view of the seminary’s spire as well as views of the Hudson River and midtown There is a split-bedroom layout and finishes of marble and mosaic tile in the baths and an open kitchen with a paneled appliance package from Bosch and quartz countertops that wear better than marble Sulzberger negotiated a slight discount on the sponsor unit — it was asking $2.475 Earlier this month, Sulzberger sold his penthouse at 171 W. 71st Street for $7 million, a combination of two units that he put together back in 2015 The Lincoln Square co-op was splashier than this place — there were four bedrooms and a private roof terrace That apartment was very much in the mix of things — at the corner of Broadway a few blocks north of Lincoln Center —  while this is in a quieter more contemplative corner of the Upper West Side by the General Grant monument at the northern edge of Riverside Park Like many condos, this one comes with lots of amenities and perks not found in co-ops, including a swimming pool in the seminary’s former refectory and a reading room with a great books collection. Not only Sulzberger but the New York Times was impressed with the building — the real-estate section ran a flattering profile of the development a few weeks ago. Every product is independently selected by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. There was an error processing the request. Please try again later. Joseph Peschel, a freelance writer and critic in South Dakota, can be reached at [email protected] or through his blog at http://josephpeschel.com/HaveWords/. Home to create a shared vision for the future of the neighborhood The symposium, aptly titled "Morningside Rights," is organized by the Morningside Heights Community Coalition at the Union Theological Seminary. and six local small businesses have registered to attend The event will feature discussion groups and speeches from local leaders and include time for neighbors to connect over lunch and New York City Council Member Shaun Abreu are tentatively scheduled to speak "It's high time to have a candid discussion on how this neighborhood is being influenced and developed," Dan McSweeney a local advocate at the Morningside Heights Community Coalition Especially with regard to recent events at Columbia University the issues we'll be discussing are not only relevant to our community they have national and even international implications." The event will feature creative art pieces developed throughout the day to represent the vision of the neighborhood and the cumulating point of the event will be the drafting of a shared vision statement that reinforces the neighborhood's community values and bonds and describes how Morningside Heights should evolve in the near future "Morningside Heights has a long history of organizing and advocacy reaching far beyond our blocks," McSweeney said "We are channeling this legacy in response to a wide array of political This is about reinforcing democratic values and that begins at home." The symposium will take place from 12-5 p.m. on Friday at the Union Theological Seminary, which is located at 3041 Broadway. Registration for the event is required. Register here Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. HeyTea opened doors at its Columbia University location Just one year after the first HeyTea franchise was introduced to the United States the Columbia location is HeyTea’s 14th store in New York.  customers are greeted by their trademark jasmine tea fragrance and modern furnishings which are a fitting contrast to their traditional Zen perspective on tea HeyTea’s grand opening featured special deals like BOGO (Buy One Get One) and limited edition giveaways of magnets and tote bags the chain will join the ranks of other bubble tea stores in Morningside Heights HeyTea is a breath of fresh air from sweeter the company prides itself on using fresh fruits and real milk instead of powdered ingredients.  Known for its “Cheese Tea” drink–a topping that features a blend of New Zealand’s Anchor cheese and salt–the store offers a wide variety of flavors to choose from Customers can be found sipping on Grape Boom Image via Wikimedia Commons What Should Acting President Claire Shipman's Nickname Be View Results A Morningside Heights lawyer and professor is currently the lone Democratic candidate challenging Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in his primary bid for re-election this June Patrick Timmins, a longtime New York litigator and adjunct law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice announced his candidacy at the end of January for the top legal position in Manhattan West Side Rag recently sat down with Timmins to discuss his decision to run along with his campaign platform and thoughts on the neighborhood Answers have been lightly edited for clarity WSR: Could you tell us a little bit about your background Timmins: My family is from Manhattan with deep roots I had Irish immigrant grandparents who came over and lived in Hell’s Kitchen My mother was born in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem I moved back to Manhattan and have lived in the borough my entire adult life I went to law school at night for four years at Pace University I graduated and had my ticket to practice law That was a great honor for me and my family My father didn’t graduate high school and went on to become a cooper [a barrel maker] so getting my ticket to practice law was really important to me and I wanted to get the full benefit of it and give as much of myself to the profession as I could Timmins went on to work in former Democratic Assemblymember John Dearie’s office in the Bronx before taking a position within the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for a number of years He eventually joined a law firm as a civil litigator for retired union members and others diagnosed with cancer from exposure to asbestos while continuing his schedule of teaching at night He’s done both for the last 22 years WSR: Why was this the right moment for you to run for Manhattan District Attorney Timmins: I take the subway a lot at off hours It was an experience I realized I had never felt before and this is coming from someone who rode the trains back in the 70s The crime below ground on the trains is a problem, the street situation with the jump in serious assaults isn’t any better And then my family and I — just going to the local pharmacy and having your deodorant or toothpaste locked up continues the frustration It made me realize drastic change has to occur and that I could be the one to bring that change My love is for Manhattan and the island of Manhattan I want everyone to thrive and feel good about living where they do the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is a local district attorney’s office and my first priority will be dealing with local crime and securing public safety WSR: In terms of your platform for the office what are the areas you have the most focus on Timmins: Continuing with the importance of safety underground, fare evasion has been off the wall. The MTA says it lost $700 million in fare evasion last year and I believe that if we bring back effective enforcement of fare evasion it will both help recoup this huge sum of money and also go a long way in helping the overall safety of the borough along with the more serious platform pushings and subway slashings in recent years The trains are such an important part of living in New York City at least comfortable enough to think it’s an easy ride I’ve got to have my eyes everywhere on every ride.’ WSR: What are some of the other specific plans that you would look to bring to the office Timmins: Discovery law in New York essentially means that the District Attorney’s Office has up to 15 days to turn over all evidence for each case When evidence isn’t turned in by the deadline meaning you can bring it back at some point but how many of these cases don’t get brought back I would make sure everybody in my Manhattan District Attorney’s Office would work like hell to make that 15-day deadline we know that shoplifting and fare evasion aren’t serious crimes in one sense but the deterrence of these crimes is serious to the overall feel of the city Let’s say a fare jumper gets stopped by police then has their record looked up and has to wait I’m even recommending that we have a judge legal aide and a prosecutor in the subway system at a major transit hub to quickly process these cases so the person caught would also have to get taken down to that location All of this becomes a big inconvenience to the person who decided to jump the turnstile the deterrence piece of criminal justice and being inconvenienced will go a long way in stopping these types of crimes Nobody stealing a candy bar or hopping a turnstile But the importance is finding ways to purely stop the flow of small ways people don’t follow laws WSR: What do you see as the importance of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office working with other agencies and leaders in the city Timmins: What I want to do is create a great bond between the mayor That harmony’s been difficult to create given our current mayor is on his fourth police commissioner But I believe when those parties can work together with cops knowing that if they arrest someone the case will be prosecuted and not dropped a better overall environment for public safety can be created to get close to the mayor and police commissioner WSR: Any other elements of the job you feel strongly about Timmins: Expungement, which means your criminal record would be removed in certain cases from your overall record. There’s a really great state senator in Harlem named Cordell Clear who has introduced this “Clean the Slate” idea and I would want my office to take a similar approach who have a possession conviction for marijuana or some other controlled substance in the 1990s but are still contending with that on their record If you have paid your debt to society on a non-violent crime in most cases let’s do everything we can to now scrub that conviction so it doesn’t appear on a computer system so these people have the peace of mind and go forward with their lives Another part of my platform is to honor self defense and there are various parts of its definition We want to teach and have everybody understand the parameters of self defense you don’t go and immediately arrest the individual who fought back and saved themselves or saved others WSR: What do you say to a voter who has anxiety about you not previously holding any sort of elected office Timmins: I would say: ‘Look at my background.’ I’ve been a local prosecutor during a very difficult time in the Bronx for four years I’ve been teaching for 22 years at John Jay and I’ve lived in Manhattan and loved Manhattan You can continue with what you’re getting now without any forecast of drastic or real change Republican Maud Maron is also a declared candidate in the 2025 Manhattan District Attorney race The Democratic primary election date is on June 24 WSR: What does the Morningside Heights community mean to you but I’m close to the border of West Harlem My kids played baseball in the West Harlem Little League for eight years A lot of people that just want to live regular lives I’ve been connected to the West Side of Manhattan my entire life That’s how much I love it and that’s why I want to give the borough as much as I can WSR: Any particular favorite spots in the neighborhood Tom’s Diner is a great place for breakfast I like shopping along the Broadway corridor from West 110th to 116th streets my kids learned a lot of lessons just playing sports there Timmins: I want everybody in Manhattan to have a sense of freedom but I think things need to change drastically I want to be the one to implement the plans so this drastic change for the good can take place You can find out more about Timmins on his website — HERE. He offers way too much common sense and pragmatism so unfortunately it wont fit with the usual virtue signaling and moral high ground of the local crowd here… I’m glad someone is finally addressing fare evasion Almost every day I see people jumping the turnstiles without a care in the world This is not a “victimless crime” as the cost of lost revenue is simply passed onto law abiding commuters with increased fare costs (and decreased service) folks who commit minor crimes tend to also commit larger crimes Timmons associates fare evasion with the subways far and away the most fare evasion takes place in the bus system I have read that a lot of the crime that is committed on the subways is committed by fare evaders It seems reasonable that if you stop fare evasion Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good His humanity and common sense are so refreshing To all those who say they like him but he has no choice I say he can win if we ALL go an vote in the June 24 primary The primaries have historically been VERY light in voting … we can change that and really send a message If you don’t vote on June 24 to get rid of Bragg then you have no right to complain about the state of NYC I just said I don’t think Timmins has much of a chance so far I shall vote for him and encourage others to do so He’s anti “These are the laws I’m not going to enforce” Our “representatives” stopped representing us long ago and not just an UWS armchair critic/whiner then call Abreu’a office and tell him you want him to change his position (he won’t but it may affect how actively he supports Bragg) and call the democratic clubs (or even join them!) and express your views I emailed him this afternoon. district7@council.nyc.gov I can’t think of any reason why this prosecutor shouldn’t trounce the social worker in the primary election for Manhattan DA I don’t hear Timmins advocating dismantling the carceral state so I don’t have high hopes for his candidacy He sounds too commonsensical to buck against the career pols who endorse Bragg Headline makes it sound like ALL of the UWS is pro Bragg Thank you for highlighting that there is an alternative to Bragg Checked out his site too — I’m Team Timmins now a parent and grandparent of Manhattan residents We all live north of 105th Street and ride public transportation regularly I am also a retired lawyer and someone who has actively campaigned on behalf of several DA candidates going back 40 years including people who ran against Morgenthau Bragg was never and is still not a politician He has decades of experience as a prosecutor and manager The Manhattan DA has a staff of hundreds of professionals Bragg has done a tremendous job of preventing prosecuting crime including domestic violence I do not know who you are and what your experience with the criminal justice system has been we have some tremendous elected officials in Manhattan so to suggest that somehow their endorsement of Bragg is disqualifying is naive at best I too hate having my toothpaste and other personal hygiene product behind a barrier and resent fare beaters and worry about street crime That does not make me want to lose a highly qualified and effective prosecutor for the sake of a complete unknown with hardly any relevant experience Hoping to spread the word so others know there’s a great option in Timmins Thursday: The scheduled Thursday meeting between Barnard College administrators and student protestors was cancelled less than an hour before its start time Students and administrators had agreed to the meeting after a six-hour sit-in at Barnard on Wednesday held to demand that the college reinstate two students expelled for disrupting a “History of Modern Israel” class in January According to students, Barnard administrators initially agreed to a demand that the three students they would meet with could remain masked. But on Thursday, a student negotiator, who announced through the now-closed campus gates said Barnard officials declined to  meet “unless they UNMASK and identify themselves—despite ongoing security and doxxing risks.” Students said the college also declined to allow audio recording of the meeting but in the early afternoon dozens of protestors – some pro-Palestine some pro-Israel – gathered outside the campus fully masked and wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf filled the hallway leading to Dean Leslie Grinage’s office at Barnard College’s Milbank Hall Wednesday afternoon to demand the “immediate reversal” of the school’s expulsion of two students led by the group Columbia University Apartheid Divest were initially met with resistance from campus security as they sought to enter Milbank Hall Staff pushed back and tried to film students’ faces but the demonstrators reached Dean Grinage’s office and remained there for six and a half hours Grinage is a vice president and the senior student affairs officer at Barnard the protestors posted their demands on walls and took votes every other hour on whether to remain or leave a professor from Barnard’s Classics and Ancient Studies Department announced that the dean agreed to meet with up to three Barnard students who would need to unmask and act as negotiators for the group a meeting was scheduled for Thursday afternoon and Barnard President Laura Rosenbury was scheduled to join Robin Levine, Barnard’s vice president for strategic communications, told the Columbia Spectator that one Barnard employee was taken to the hospital after being physically assaulted by students as they occupied the hallway Around 10 p.m. Wednesday, NYPD Strategic Response Group vans arrived at the Barnard campus, and campus security officers passed out written notices to the protestors giving them until 10:30 to leave the protest or face disciplinary action NYPD officers followed the students as they dispersed while holding signs expressing solidarity with Palestinians President Rosenbury condemned the protest and student treatment of Barnard staff “Their disregard for the safety of our community and respect for our campus remains completely unacceptable,” she wrote The same email announced that starting Thursday morning access to campus would be limited to students with a Barnard ID and the only entry would be through the gate at West 117th Street and Broadway Comments have been turned off on this post You can protest in ways that do not disrupt daily activity give each of them a map and ask them to find Israel Because I bet you half of them don’t have any idea what they are even complaining about they’re not happy with their choice of “Not Kamala” for president terrorist sympathizers…they should all get expelled as well Its not a “peaceful protest” when someone is sent to the hospital Time for Columbia to break its affiliation with Barnard People in New York have to learn what breaking the law is Why would Columbia breaking its affiliation with Barnard help Columbia has had more than its own share of terrible anti-Israel The affiliation between Columbia and Barnard has nothing to do with this topic whatsoever When you stop to think the damage and deaths caused by Joe Biden’s absolute weakness and incompetence it is unreal The attacks on Israel and the Ukraine would never have happened under a semi competent President because Putin wouldn’t have needed to Putin saw no other alternative than to war on his enemy w/o Trump Your blind hatred for Biden is worse than your blind obedience to the new Axis of Evil Let’s use some brainpower here that’s not generated by the bots at Fox Snooze “Let’s use some brainpowers here” you are better than that condescending remark Actually the Jewish community in what was Palestine has been attacked since the 19th century Trump has called for a US occupation of Gaza and permanent expulsion of Gazans from their homeland Trump has not called for an occupation of Gaza and Gaza is not their homeland The only colonization is what the Arabs have done to the middle east Even Fox News has reported on Trump’s intent to take over Gaza: https://www.foxnews.com/video/6368595455112 You are able to comprehend the gap between tossing ideas on the table When he even suggests sending the entire 6th Fleet into the Eastern Mediterranean with orders Hamas wouldn’t have attacked Israel if Trump were president who Trump has repeatedly said can do whatever it wants I can’t imagine how deluded you have to be to believe this stuff do you honestly believe Joe Biden actually made decisions in the last 4 years The Biden Whitehouse was busy hiding Biden’s decline from the American people do much else You just changed the subject because you have no response to UWS-er’s arguments That’s what happens when the Dems run a corpse for President Oh but a felon rapist racist is ok with you You may want to be careful with your slander I assume you mean impeached President Clinton the fecal matter currently residing in the White House is rotting worse than a corpse What does it say about Harris that she couldn’t beat I’ve had plenty of comments censored here that were actually factual but a disgusting comment like this goes thru—interesting… I am assuming you consider our current President semi-competent and he’ s made it clear he’ll let Russia do whatever it wants but there would have been no response from the US And post every name on the Barnard Careers website so no future employer ever gets duped in hiring one of these clowns This is why the Columbia campus remains closed I am steeling myself to imagine Columbia’s campus never reopening in my lifetime When will a time come when there is no potential for protests Esp if students continue to think that attacking their university will lead to an end to oppression elsewhere in the world Columbia’s endowment decisions are going to redirect policies of governments or quasi-govts Every time there is a protest only makes it less likely Columbia will open the gates and supports their decision Property was defaced a d a Columbia employee hospitalized let’s let them walk out and not have face any consequences for their destructive and illegal behavior Coddling criminals like this is why we have a criminal in the Oval Office Sit-in is not the invasion that occurred “ initially met with resistance from campus security as they sought to enter Milbank Hall” and “one Barnard employee was taken to the hospital after being physically assaulted by students as they occupied the hallway” It was an invasion at best an attack on the building and its occupants at worst I don’t understand why there are no protests against the ethnic cleansing that Trump has called for Somehow Biden negotiating was bad enough not to vote for him but on this I guess Russian/republican bots aren’t at work on these naive students Define “ethnic cleansing” for us for the arabs to accuse israel of ethnic cleansing is an absurd joke They are literally too scared to confront the bad people so they do this instead and demand milk and cookies This is why the Democrats are in trouble nothing left but lies If you’re completely ignorant about the situation I wouldn’t bring up lies If I were you: it’s poor salesmanship Wait I thought they had to remove their masks they can’t be disciplined for anything at all I can only hope we are approaching the line where Columbia says enough. I’m all for education and free speech but how is this behavior their right or entitlement There is a code of conduct when you enroll How much are they being paid to run this organization including the students who attend in order to get a proper education I’m sure they must scan their ID to access the buildings this whole refusing to unmask themselves is just ridiculous Imagine if their markings revealed they were KKK Would there be tolerance or outrage and histrionics Or is the issue that the target of their hate is a different demographic where hated is now acceptable to ckarify: They are protesting the student expulsions for priven violations of the school code of conduct but they are NOT protesting Trump’s proposal that the US occupy Gaza Barnard and Columbia have both put out statements that call this “unacceptable.” If the protestors are students they should be expelled immediately If they are no longer considered minors by the state of NY If the schools are not willing to expel each and every one Even for the sake of argument their cause is noble these actions do not constitute freedom of speech If these clowns are so proud of their protests they should have the courage not to mask The NYPD needs to protect students and faculty at Columbia from these thugs as the administration is apparently unwilling or unable to Jewish alums should withhold donations to Columbia until the administration takes serious action against these protesters (I know several alums who have ended their annual donations) their absolutely cowardice at hiding their faces means they’re not really committed to anything and are simply hell-raisers Make each of them take a test on the history of the Middle East They continue the “resistance” after forensics has uncovered that Palestinians killed Bibas babies with bare hands Loons like this are why Trump is in the Oval Office And if Columbia’s acting president cannot maintain a safe environment for students cannot manage its student body in a sane way cannot manage campust security competently and cannot manage institutional operations…… perhaps the Federal government should assume control of the institution and make funding and immigration decisions accordingly Guessing Elon Musk would make a fine university president Has anyone suggested this idea to President Trump yet Keffiyeh is a garment common with multiple Arab groups across the Middle East Non-Middle Easterners thinking it’s uniquely Palestinian is pretty emblematic of the level of misunderstanding and misinformation that surrounds this conflict Oh we know exactly why they are wearing them – to show solidarity with Hamas terrorists And the swastika was originally found in Aztec it’s a lot harder to make the argument that anyone is still wearing it for other reasons – and it would be disingenuous at best if they said they were misunderstood Arafat intentionally adopted the keffiyeh for the the PLO – designated a terror organization by multiple countries at the time The Barnard students and other non-MENA pro-Palestinian protesters wearing them are not doing so because they’re embracing pan-Arab love They’re cosplaying as Palestinian terrorists in solidarity And the expelled students weren’t kicked out just for disrupting the class There were more there who helped in the disruptions who weren’t expelled These students were handing out flyers showing a boot stomping on a Star of David Your subject headings are usually on point but this one less so – is it a ‘sit in’ when there’s vandalism and violence that defaces property I am all for people voicing their viewpoints whether I agree with their viewpoints or not But this was not just a ‘sit in’ and I am curious why the euphemistic softening of the reality of that protest Muslims on the UWS have suffered repeated discrimination and profiling just due to stereotyping yet the UWS prides itself on being a progressive neighborhood Muslims who have nothing to do with any of this on the UWS are being treated like garbage and elected officials do not care And how do Muslims treat non-Muslims in Muslim countries in Turkey the Muslims killed millions of Christian Armenians and Greeks How do Pakistanis and Afghans treat non-Muslims and I think protests like these – which are overwhelmingly run and participated in by non-Muslims – are only adding fuel to the fire I know there are a lot of people in the Jewish community (count me as one of them) who would be happy to join in common cause to fight against Islamophobia side by side with anti-Semitism and to stand with your community in the same way we hope you’ll stand with ours The antisemitic losers at the New School are starting up again it seems too There’s a table set up in the lobby at Parsons with the Palestinian flag and two Parsons students with too much time on their hands wearing keffiyehs and a sign that says ‘Liberation’ in a Middle Eastern language (I don’t know which and don’t care to google it) Chanting “intifada revolution” is an explicit call for the murder of Jews They are simply criminals on a college campus and need to be treated as such They are immature in thinking that their behavior is acceptable and that there should be no legal and/or academic consequences But that’s the hard lesson for the two who were expelled They won’t go near any right wing hate rallies but Barnard they’re not afraid of Did NYPD have to sick the dogs on them at any point Barnard is in the grip of identity ideology which permeates every department and administrative office The administration is afraid of its faculty and students They are afraid to act decisively to enforce common sense rules of law and order because that would ruffle the feathers of the ideology police on campus Shame on the Board of Trustees who give money uncritically Barnard used to be a great place when I went there but sadly it is now nothing more than an incubator for the Progressive Fringe https://canarymission.org/campaign/Columbia_Intifada#Administrative-Complicity A comprehensive analysis on what has happened and who these people are I hope the Trump administration defunds these schools soon If you have courage in your own convictions By: 7:30 am on June 29 incorporating Gothic stonework at its base ranging from one- to four-bedroom residences within the Union Theological Seminary campus Homes feature oversized windows and kitchens equipped with Bosch appliances with select residences including private outdoor terraces or loggias Claremont Hall offers a range of amenities and an indoor pool housed within the former refectory for seminary students and faculty The building also contains approximately 54,000 square feet of classrooms “Claremont Hall is a visionary development anchored in a beloved neighborhood,” said David Dishy “It is thrilling to see this world-class design take its place amongst the storied landmarks of Morningside Heights and to watch a budding community enjoy the remarkable offerings at Claremont Hall.” Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews This place looks newer than Oxford University that incorporating Gothic stonework into the base Which I shouldn’t have been born in time: Thanks This is like the fifth story about this building “completing construction right below the comment section there is a link from December 2023 indicating “RAMSA’s Claremont Hall Wraps Up Construction…” YIMBY understandibly doesn’t control that but they are more than willing to take money for sponsored posts that aren’t labelled as such Any reason no height for the building is listed This is just another puff post to gin up sales There’s a dozen previous posts for this project 466 feet is whay is stated in a few of them ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC a new pizza shop opened on the corner of Broadway and 112th It’s so new that it’s not even on Apple Maps yet Upside Pizza is a New York pizza chain with locations in Nolita Upside Pizza prides itself on being “more than just a slice,” with signature pies that are served  “hot ‘n’ fresh” with homemade mozzarella and sourdough crust The Morningside Heights location is open from 11 am to 11 pm It’s nice to see a new restaurant open near campus it has a nice old-school touch with a checkered floor and modern music playing in the background The dining area has a very chill vibe (I even saw somebody doing their homework there) They also offer a wide variety of bottled and fountain drinks I ordered one pepperoni for $6 (on the right) and one Sicilian slice for $5 (on the left) These slices reminded me of Detroit-style pizza (I’m a Michigander) The bread was super soft with a nice crunchy crust the Sicilian slice had a perfect cheese-to-sauce ratio So add Upside Pizza to your list of pizza options around campus and try a slice yourself Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The entire 51-member New York City Council is up for re-election in 2025 including the seats on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights now held by Gale Brewer and Shaun Abreu The city will also hold elections for mayor with Democratic and Republican primaries for all elected positions scheduled for June 24 there is no declared challenger against Brewer in District 6 which includes a large chunk of the Upper West Side which stretches from West 92nd to 165th streets Councilmember Abreu currently has two declared challengers: Edafe Okporo and Tiffany Khan has held the City Council position since 2022 Abreu announced a slew of establishment Democratic endorsements for his re-election campaign “Shaun Abreu embodies the best of the Upper West Side—its values and its deep sense of community,” Nadler said of Abreu he understands the challenges families face and brings that experience to his leadership Whether he’s protecting tenants from eviction Shaun is a relentless advocate for a better future for all of us.” Abreu lists his major platform issues as housing You can find out more about Abreu on his campaign website — HERE. which includes part of the Upper West Side a first-time candidate who has been endorsed by former Assembly District 69 candidate Eli Northrup and Marti Allen-Cummings a former candidate for the City Council 7 seat Okporo, originally from Nigeria, arrived in the United States in 2016 as an asylum seeker. He got his citizenship, earned a master’s degree from New York University and published a memoir titled “Asylum: a Memoir and Manifesto.” According to his personal website dedicated to “strengthening America as a place of welcome for displaced LGBTQ people.” “I came to New York fleeing violence and persecution and this city embraced me as one of its own I’m running to give back to the community that we all call home,” Okporo told West Side Rag “Our campaign is powered by everyday New Yorkers—without a single dollar from developers—and is committed to bold progressive leadership that puts people before profits.” Okporo lists his major platform issues as housing You can find out more about Okporo on his campaign website — HERE. who is also a candidate in the 2025 City Council District 7 race according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board the Rag will follow the candidates and their platforms Edafe Okporo is a fighter who’s not only made it here but is now advocating for older adults Endorsed by the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees he’s a champion for the issues we care about I only wish he’d move south a few blocks and take on Edafe Okporo can actually start a business or get a private sector job and pay taxes rather than live off the taxpayers It’s nice to see a fresh face emerge who is a progressive candidate that can go up against Adam’s and Trump I’ll be supporting Edafe Okporo and more progressives like him going forward Yes because we all know that what is missing in the UWS is a lack of progressivism… Trump will be trembling…the newbies on the all-go super-powerful City Council are such a threat to him… I think the point is that the MAGA effect will not defeat the United States Trump and his minions can try but four years is all he has whether he thinks he’ll change the Constitution or not He could simply shoot them all with impunity I am most excited about the new mayors race “Progressive” is a four letter word to me I think NYC needs to do a lot more to help the needy among us but the “progressive” way of doing this does not work And their refusal to tackle crime by instead making excuses is not cool I am getting increasingly alarmed that the mayoral election is fast approaching and there isn’t a decent candidate in sight or those without the experience to run a big city like New York Don’t ruin the never ending “feel good” effect on our UWS folks of being good virtue signaling progressives New York has been run by liberal Democrats for the last ~20 years and crime has come down massively “Tough” on crime feels good but the numbers aren’t on it’s side San Francisco has moved away a lot from its progressive politics of several years back Virtue signaling does not yield public safety or I do like what seems to be Okporo’s desire not to be beholden to RE developers I avidly look forward to voting for the super progressives Sandro and Ella — I think that’s a joke So excited to support Edafe Okporo in this race He not only represents the values of this district but he lives by them and acts on them Refusing money from developers is exactly what we need from our representative so that they can truly represent the people and our interests as opposed to the interests of corporations looking to exploit and profit who represent only marginalized groups but don’t address the major issues faced by the majority on the daily basis And contrary to the beliefs of the super progressives being tough on crime does not mean being heartless One of the first steps is efficiently providing services to the many New Yorkers who cannot take care of themselves Get them off the streets and get them help Too many of them snap and do damage to others Letting them rot away is not protecting their civil rights – it is rude and insulting to them But too many progressives deny this is even an issue We also need to invest in schools in poorer neighborhoods but not at the expense of schools that are working Let’s raise all ships rather than sinking all to mediocrity And create a business friendly environment as guess who pays the bills for all of this I wonder how often the “advocates,” who oppose involuntary psych hospitalization etc etc are in fact making money by running agencies that aim to help manage the dysfunction of mentally ill people and addicts living on the street or in the subway system Being tough on crime on the UWS to many means it is okay to scapegoat Muslims on the UWS for whatever problems there are I have seen this even among self described progressives Had the great pleasure of speaking with Okporo at a block association event in the fall He’s very passionate about the neighborhood with regards to safety Abreu could care less about the west 90s and you can’t blame him since his hands are full with the bulk of his district being in the Heights The redistricting was not good for the west 90s and Okporo seems determined to fix some of that so he has my vote Shaun Abreu has had years to do something about the miles of scaffolding especially the scaffolding at 104th and Broadway and I haven’t seen him take any action on it I want someone in office who makes out streets safer and doesn’t allow buildings to turn entire blocks into blighted areas Lock up the law-abiding citizens and let the criminals run free I really appreciate Councilmember Abreu’s efforts to make our streets cleaner and safer 145 on West 105th street and Amsterdam and part of the PTA association I can tell you firsthand—Abreu is not where to be found and now alongside Ansche Chesed synagogue on West 100th Street I recently attended the District 3 Education public hearing We are still learning about Edafe platform His priority is to listen to constituents with school-aged children and that’s a good first step He donated to our fundraiser and has been checking to see how he can help with the school side walk that has been broken and our council man refused to address We have written on his social media post and yet we get no response if you want and I can send you all our record He is just finishing the final year of his first term We have term limits and he cannot run again so that leaves plenty of opportunity for newcomers to earn our vote Abreu has delivered for District 7 and New Yorkers everywhere His experience and seniority at the Council will be invaluable given that the entire body and all the other municipal offices are up for grabs I did not support him in 2021 but he has earned my support with his service to our community. You represent the establishment mindset that equates longevity and seniority with effectiveness even when it neglects the majority in our community but he needs to earn the rest of ours—upzoning our entire neighborhood isn’t aligned with UWS values Hiding in developers’ pockets won’t earn my vote; as a senior housing resident on the UWS for the last four years I’ve seen no action from him on aging services His poor record on addressing the needs of older adults speaks for itself I saw Edafe at the Bloomingdale bites serving seniors last year at Hi Hostel Upzoning the entire neighborhood is in line with my UWS values That’s how you get more/better housing and brings rents down over time What about ending historic district landmarking needs to support Columbia University for a change educational and research center serves no one The current politicians have done nothing to decrease crime They seem to favor criminal rights over regular citizens I had high hopes and he already exceeded them in his first term Excited to see what he has in store for his second especially on sanitation and small business support Not one candidate spoke to the impact of Congestion pricing on our neighborhood or the essential workers that can not afford to live here but come here to work We need light rail on all our tunnels and highways There was no mention of the Open Street program that is closing streets The Col/Am BID closes Amsterdam Ave on Saturdays This is a major artery to Mt Sinai Hospital It leaves 5 bus stops inaccessible to the public and the #11 bus must is detoured The activities that do happen could all take place in the three major parks two public school playgrouns and the 5 acres of the NYCA projects Congestion pricing seems to have been great for the UWS so far not to mention the improved funding it provides for the MTA which benefits the city as a whole I hope the candidates make their support clear UWS Dad – seems like Congestion Pricing is great for bicyclists – more space for bicyclists I don’t bike so can’t speak to that but just walking around the UWS / to my kids bus stop I’ve noticed a big impact and that’s great for everyone who lives here Because she’s one of the best public servants in the history of New York City Abreu has only promoted leave for Pet Parents No discrimination against those with tattoos and some assistance for those with Sleep Apnea He did not raise his voice in opposition to Mayor Adams insistent push to shove 250,000 municipal retirees into privatized Medicare He didn’t reflect some of the objections of his constituents against “City of Yes”–another big bonanza for Big Real Estate in our fair city.l We need a Council Member who will listen and respond to the members of his constituency–and reflect their concerns in the City Council we are saved… Activists and advocates will fix our problems… All the super leftist comments below truly explain why we are where we are today Imagine if we had to deal with a major disaster like LA is dealing with right now Do we trust these people to be ready and prepared I don’t think they have a slightest clue how to go about real issues Filing DEI quotas and fighting for transgender rights seems to tick all the boxes now and is a much higher priority than a big city preparedness and overall functioning The current mayor is much more focused on his corruption charges than anything else you mentioned… i am happy to see a dynamic new face stepping up as a progressive candidate ready to n make the change we need .I’m all in for Edafe Okporo and can’t wait to support more inspiring progressives like him in the future The number of Absolute Bagels stories exceeds any reasonable coverage To those who say we shouldn’t just read them – very hard to do when it is in your face every week People who claim it feels like an “enormous loss” apparently don’t know what true enormous loss feels like There is no rain expected this week until Saturday and temperatures will sit nicely between 63 and 84 degrees The Perseid meteor showers peaked Sunday night but it is expected to remain visible for the next few nights you’ll want to find somewhere with as little light pollution as possible Sunday is National Senior Citizen’s Day Details were just announced for the Morningside Heights Lights which will return in September for the 13th year An illuminated community procession will go from Morningside Park to Columbia University’s campus on Saturday There will also be lantern-building workshops for the procession beginning on September 14 Registration for these workshops will begin on September 4 “Morningside Lights returns to illuminate the night with IN RETROSPECT: 100 Years of New York Art a shared celebration of a century of the New York art and artists that have shaped our vision of the city and move forward,” reads a description of the event The procession is presented in collaboration with Friends of Morningside Park You can find out more about it — HERE. A pair of teens were stabbed over the weekend in an Upper West Side fast-food eatery A 16-year-old and 17-year-old got into an argument with a man on Saturday afternoon inside a Panda Express at 2852 Broadway The attacker stabbed the 16-year old in the lower back and the 17-year-old in the abdomen The pair took themselves to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital in stable condition It is unclear what the argument was about and there have been no arrests You can read more — HERE. A trio of Columbia University deans resigned last week after they were removed in July when photographs of their text messages which “touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” were released and reported on by multiple publications The three administrators had previously been placed on indefinite leave “Hard to hear the woe is me,” one text read “Amazing what $$$$ can do,” another observed “If only every identity community had these resources and support.” The texts were sent as the deans took part in a May 31 panel discussion about Jewish life at Ivy League schools An audience member sitting behind the trio photographed the text messages on one of the dean’s phones, and shared them with The Washington Free Beacon. You can read more — HERE. Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here There is no place for antisemitism at Columbia or any other school The Antisemitism will continue till the elections Do you really think an election is going to automagically erase antisemitism! That troll just goes back under its bridge waiting for the next opportunity to show its ugly head You mean when a Jewish man is the new Husband-in-Chief I’m pretty sure it will continue until time immemorial It’s the oldest “ism” in the world The Assistant Dean of Student Life or whatever should know that they’re low in the hierarchy of a place like Columbia Loving all this morningside heights coverage No law or governing body ever established a right to say whatever you want without consequence There are laws that limit the prohibition of some “speech” but even the definition of what is considered “speech” is context specific I’m not aware of any laws that prohibit Columbia’s right to have students who trespass on their property arrested or to fire administrators for behavior that violates their standards of conduct but if you look at the remarks of the adminstrators they’re very clear eyed about who was testifying in front of them and what they were witnessing (well funded agitators posing for the cameras and using their wealth to advance a particular political view at the expense of another) Unless we’re in the business of denouncing/disowning folks in organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace and Jews for Racial & Economic Justice but has absolutely no relevance to what happened here These 3 deans resigning is I think the first piece of positive news coming out of Columbia in the last six months Really unbelievable that people of that ilk can end up as Deans at an Ivy League University in Manhattan Had their text messages not been copied and revealed these people would have remained in place likely doing all manner of damage to unsuspecting students who believed they were there to help them Let’s hope the remainder of Columbia’s staff and faculty are not ignorant bigots who have no place near anyone’s kids Big thanks to the person who copied the text messages His self serving apology was only meant to preserve his income and repair his reputation Anti-Semitism ONLY refers to Jewish people Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon The best of New York straight to your inbox We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy New York without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. New York Head uptown for match against your pals at Hex & Co.’s flagship it claims the title of Manhattan’s largest board game cafe at 4,000 square feet and complimentary wi-fi as many of the city’s cafes do but it also has an abundant events calendar (including Dungeons & Dragons games for all levels Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us with showers forecast for Tuesday and Thursday Thanksgiving is on Thursday, and Black Friday is on Friday An Upper West Side teenager is making it her mission to combat ageism in the world of theater Bailee Stein, 16, recently started a program called Stage Exchange, which brings together teenagers and senior citizens to create connections and perform shows, as first reported by Gothamist. older adults are considered ‘too old’ and teens are considered ‘too young’ to perform seriously,” Stein told Gothamist “It’s crucial for these two groups to have their singing “The program helps build confidence in teens and older adults,” she added to the publication The group includes teenagers from LaGuardia High School along with multiple professional actors and musicians who performed in Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera,” and Charlie Zang the artistic staff pianist at the Juilliard extension program and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City You can read more about it — HERE. is selling a pair of apartments in the neighborhood Ackman, who is the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, recently listed two units within the Beresford building on West 81st Street and Central Park West for $19.9 million, as Curbed first reported. The two eighth-floor apartments are adjacent to one another, and 8F has three bedrooms Ackman purchased the two apartments in the nearly 100-year-old building in 2017 for $22 million Other current and past residents of the Beresford include Jerry Seinfeld He won’t be completely leaving the Upper West Side, though, as he still has a penthouse apartment on West 77th Street. Ackman appeared in front of Community Board 7 multiple times in 2021 to get a glass box exstension on the top of the 77th Street building You can read more about his most recent local real estate dealings — HERE. In other local real estate news, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the former publisher and chairman of the New York Times, is moving to Morningside Heights, as first reported by Curbed. recently paid $2.45 million for a two-bedroom apartment at Claremont Hall which is a recently constructed luxury development on Claremont Avenue near West 122nd Street who served as the publisher of The New York Times from 1992 to 2017 sold a penthouse last month on West 71st Street for $7 million You can read more — HERE. On a lawn adjacent to Sheep Meadow in Central Park the out of place nature of it catches the eye every time standing staunch and soldierly and solitary among the fallen leaves It sets the mind to wondering and imagining And here I thought that the “vertically challenged” fire hydrant was a nod to “vertically challenged” pooches in the park who prefer a hydrant to a bench leg Kudos to Bailee Stein for launching Stage Exchange and recognizing the talent of people of all ages Sulzberger bought an apartment in Morningside Heights I have lived in my apartment for over 47 years Columbia announced it will restrict access to its Morningside Heights campus beginning Monday Access will be limited to those with school IDs and their guests, who must be pre-registered with the school a day in advance of their visit Entry points will be available at 116th Street and Broadway 116th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive 114th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue All other entrances to campus will be closed The access restrictions will be in place “until further notice.” “This change is intended to keep our community safe given reports of potential disruptions at Columbia and on college campuses across the country as we approach the beginning of the new school year,” wrote Cas Holloway “We are particularly concerned about non-affiliates who may not have the best interests of the Columbia community in mind.” Holloway’s apartment building in Brooklyn was vandalized with red paint last week crickets and worms were reportedly released in the building's vestibule Of those arrested at Columbia in the spring, only 29 percent were unaffiliated with the university, according to police. It remains unclear what role – if any – “outside agitators” played in fomenting unrest at the school The new restrictions follow a report that Columbia is considering granting its campus security the power to arrest students (and in theory a graduate student at Columbia University until the end of last semester was in his Columbia-owned apartment with his wife on Saturday night when multiple federal immigration officers took him into custody which was the first publication to report on the matter told the AP that the agents allegedly first said to her that they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa but after they were informed he had a permanent residency green card the agents then said they were revoking that “On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student,” Homeland Security wrote Sunday on the social media platform X “Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S The arrest comes after Trump promised earlier this month to deport or imprison foreign students who took part in “illegal protests” at schools across the country Khalil was originally sent to a detention center in New Jersey before being transported to a facility in Louisiana He played prominent roles in pro-Palestine protests on the Morningside Heights campus last school year and also served as a student-negotiator during the tent encampment that took place last spring Columbia University has not returned any publication’s request for comment or released a statement on Khalil’s arrest You can read more about this developing story — HERE. We have turned off commenting for this story But this wreaks of the 50’s’ Red Scare albeit jammed in a paper shredder in the Oval Office One of the requirements of a Green Card holder is to obey all laws of the United States and localities He’s here legally and with a legal right to remain here And the Constitution says what regarding a green card being revoked and a foreigner being detained The FIRST AMENDMENT says the government cannot discriminate against anyone in the country for political speech… unbelievable people are cheering for this a non-citizen (even a Green Card holder) can be removed from the U.S without due process if they are deemed to have engaged in terrorism-related activities God only knows who came in during Bidens open boarder like him or hate him Trump is fixing stuff It is funny how Trumpsters say Biden “opened the borders.” More people came in under Trump than Biden Biden deported the most people in US history It was the conservative Supreme Court that prevented Biden from closing the boarder even more You’re experiencing a serious disconnect from reality by whitewashing what happened at the border during the Biden Administration You’re going to have a rough 4 years Trump is fixing things for sure- grocery prices have risen since January 20th and our 401K retirement accounts lost a fortune today Trump thinks he’s not bound by law/s you think Biden opened the boarder by accident Biden was not running the country we don’t know yet who was “Accident” has nothing to do with it Distractions about Biden’s mental incompetence — evident since 2018 at least — don’t validate anything you’ve posted While green card holders enjoy many of the same rights as U.S they can still face deportation under certain conditions typically for criminal behavior or violations of immigration law Foreign nationals can also lose their visas for endorsing or being associated with terrorist groups but only if the government can provide material evidence status can be revoked if the applicant has been found to lie on any of the green card application questions Many of the questions as I recall on mine were about crimes & affiliation with terrorist groups It may be difficult to prove affiliation (vs stupidity) but I’m surprised no one is mentioning this But that’s not what Trump has followed here It’s difficult to respond because MAga people tend to post sensationalized charges that they don’t bother to fact check or validate “lies can travel halfway around the world before the truth hs put on its boots Have you befriended Mr Khalil at the many pro-Hamas protests you boast of having participated in It’s staggering that this website continues to post hate and ignorance like yours The modern version is Brandolini’s law: “The amount of energy needed to refute bullsh*t is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.” That’s why sensationalized MAGA nonsense is everywhere what is your problem with making America great again This choice by Trump further degrades the USA tariffing our allies and stomping all over the first amendment have to do with making America great That’s why Trump is President he knows what he’s doing Very telling that’s all you can offer just lovely that our country is being run by a personality cult… Because responding to bleeding heart social justice warriors that define their entire existence through virtue signaling isn’t difficult… Take a chill pill A green card can be taken away if the holder violates the law This individual participated in unlawful and disruptive protests We have every right to take away his “valid green card” And there’s a process for taking away a green card That you call them that means your understanding of the Constitution is nil If he DID commit a crime – he should be charged with such But there is still (for now at least) something called “due process” in this country Praising Hamas is arguably not a crime but praising and supporting violent attacks is not free speech The government has provided no evidence in support of that claim and you have no idea if that’s true yet you all are parroting this nonsense just because you disagree with the protests Why do you mock others’ supposed assumptions while maintaining your own If you check the internet even we can see what Khalil supports so why assume the govt doesn’t have more One doesn’t have to align with trump (who I find abhorrent) to consider that this person might have supported hamas which under the LAW is enough for deportation You are still stuck in your free speech mantra but this isn’t about that I don’t support trump so please don’t waste your time accusing me of that Because the government hasn’t presented it you’re allowed to say “I support Hamas attacking Israel” you’re not then allowed to send money to Hamas But there are plenty in the Israel government who vow to kill all Palestinians So therefore by your “understanding” it is criminal to support Israel Free speech and due process are still things in this country (at least for now) Support of a designated terrorist organization sounds like a quick and easy way to get your green card revoked You’ll have to find MATERIAL support I don’t care about what this guy stands for but if you have documentation and the current regime decides to revoke it because they don’t like your politics this is a very scary and dangerous precedent they are setting just how scary and draconian the next 4 years are going to be Keep writing your own narratives and what the hell this specific incident is not scary or dangerous If he had been leading protests supporting ISIS no one would bat an eye Hamas is an internationally recognized terrorist organization He helped lead protests displaying their slogans It emboldened others out there to take over and vandalize a building In the future when students decide where to go to college if their investment portfolios are a factor You don’t like what they do then don’t apply and citizenship has been stripped from people in the past but supporting a terrorist organization that also advocates mass murder perhaps violates it Do we want people to come to this country who support terrorism This is really appalling — does anyone know how to contact Columbia University and place complaints about the university’s actions here as well as their continued closing of the campus passage to the public I suggest you use TruthSocial Trump will read if you ask him and have a clear question Coming to pick up a legal permanent resident at his Manhattan home on Sunday night and flying him to Louisiana the same night Any visa can be revoked due to unlawful behavior So far no one has provided evidence of unlawful behavior Khalil was sent to an undisclosed location unknown to either his lawyer or 8-month pregnant wife for days These abductions are lawless and portend a very dark future if not vigorously rebuked If anyone said even a few years ago that political dissidents would be disappeared in the dark of night it would have seemed over the top and Trump promises “many more to come.” Bleak got his wife 8 months pregnant and participated in numerous protests How is he going to support his future child and his wife or is the plan to have the taxpayers support his family while he protests There is a public charge law on the books by the way is a non-citizen who promotes terrorist organizations in our country really a “political dissident” Once they label calling an end to the indiscrimate murder of tens of thousands of civilians with our tax dollars as “support for Hamas” they can have their propaganda repeated for them all over the internet that this guy was a terrorist supporter arresting people without due process and just because some unhinged people like Shai D In any case this should do wonders for stopping the rise of antisemitism I don’t remember you and others protesting Assad murdering hundreds of thousands of people and others were so concerned with the civilians rather than a ceasefire until Hamas attacks again was our government providing arms to Assad So you wouldn’t protest against Israel if the US didn’t supply arms to Israel Stopping the rise in ‘civil terrorism’ seems like a good idea to me https://www.city-journal.org/article/civil-terrorism-anti-israel-radicals?utm_source=virtuous&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cjdaily&vcrmeid=rrWNOvtSAElsXE485KMhw&vcrmiid=vggP4PrVeU2LpeB35rM6kw That is a requirement to maintain your citizenship is that you will not break any laws So he was not a US citizen (resident) and instigating violence for an INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TERRORIST group at at a premiere US university—of course he should be thrown out—what is so hard for some of you dead enders on the west side to understand They’re not coming for you —just lowlifes like him The obvious problem is the redefinition of ‘protesting against Israel’s actions’ as ‘instigating violence.’ There’s no crime that that has been cited but so how are you so sure he was instigating violence Of course the illegal January 6th protesters who are literally Nazi’s were pardoned by the orange blob I always tried to imagine what 1930s Germany was like “good” people allowed evil to trump all else The TDS infecting the UWS is just remarkable The virulent antisemitism at places like Columbia must be attacked The Left / typical UWS resident: “What a Nazi We’re literally living in Nazi Germany right now!” There is a procedure for revoking a green card; it is not something that can be done (legally) by fiat or at the whim of a a government official The federal government’s flouting of law is breathtaking Morningside Lights illuminates the night with a procession of awe-inspiring handmade lanterns titled "In Retrospect: 100 Years of New York Art" celebrates how our city's art has shaped our image of where and how we live see more than 50 community-built lanterns depicting a century of art.  glowing art gallery will represent transformative art and artists, seeking to remind viewers how myriad ways of seeing can cohabit and enrich one singular space.  The procession will head from Morningside Park to Columbia University campus fittingly home to incredible art and arts programming The route begins in Morningside Park at 116th Street and Morningside Avenue at 8pm "This is such a rich and vibrant source of inspiration and I am eager to see the results It is going to be spectacular," Melissa Smey executive director of the Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre Morningside Lights is led by the directors of Processional Arts Workshop and produced by Columbia University's Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts It’s free to attend with no tickets required; festivities begin at 8pm on September 21 in Morningside Heights In the week leading up to the procession, all are invited to attend free community arts workshops to create the lanterns. Daily lantern-building workshops will run from September 14-20 at Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Here's more about how to get involved A major chunk of new funding will help the Cathedral of St John the Divine transform one of its buildings into a community hub for its social services programming on Amsterdam Avenue between West 110th and 113th streets received $1.5 million in city funding to support a capital campaign to renovate Synod Hall a historic building on the house of worship’s campus near West 110th Street will be transformed into a community hub for Cathedral Community Cares which is the social service arm of the church that looks to “combat and alleviate poverty through preventative poverty services “This renovation will preserve the building’s beauty and historical character while dramatically increasing its usefulness as a community space,” reads a press release from the Cathedral about the new funding The money will be used on reworking Synod Hall’s lower level The initial phase of renovation will also include installing handicapped access to its entrance on West 110th Street Future work will also include the addition of a commercial kitchen and an elevator between the basement and ground floor Cathedral Community Cares has been in operation for more than 40 years and saw 35,000 visitors to its different programs last year “Our current space is just too small to serve the diverse needs of our clients or to welcome everyone who would like to volunteer,” Cathedral of Saint John the Divine Rev “We want to thank Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Member Shaun Abreu for this incredible support which will help to allow us to move our CCC operations into a larger space and improve our ability to feed and clothe more people.” who represents the district where the Cathedral is located called the investment into Synod Hall “vital.” You can find out more information — HERE. but $1.5 Million is not going to go too far in this town community oriented use of money for a wonderful group in a beautiful space What happened to the separation of church and state It is a shame that the Episcopal Church worldwide does not support St What about the land use rental money being paid for the new apartment building Is that income not being used to renovate /waterproof the buildings (Cathedral & alll) I thought those luxury apartment buildings were to help pay for maintaining all the other buildings like Union Theological I expect the church and other sources are contributing besides the city