SoHo News Roundup

       It seems recently in the news SoHo’s position as local patron of the arts in is in full force. From celebrity activism to old school galleries, the neighborhood is  bustling in it’s former artistic glory. The attention placed on SoHo at the moment, however, is not without controversy. Check out the stories below to see what I mean..

•  SoHo remains a home to an alternative and experimental art scene, according to the New York Times. New galleries, such as Third Streaming, and old favorites like the Artists Space keep SoHo’s edgy artistic feel alive with new exhibitions this spring. 
• Speaking of alternative art, tomorrow SoHo’s Cristina Grajales Gallery opens “Sebastin Errazuzuz: Beautiful Premonitions." The collection will feature 21 eccentric pieces from the Chilean-born, New York- based designer. 
•  But edgy artists aren’t the only one’s paying attention to the neighborhood this week. The Black Eyed Peas will be opening an arts academy for high school students in SoHo this summer. The academy, run by the group’s charitable organization the  Peapod Foundation and the Adobe Foundation, will offer video and music production classes. 
• The group’s interest in the neighborhood is the latest in a string of celebrity activism.  On April 15^th, a coalition of local residents and celebrities from SoHo and TriBeCa lost a battle against the building of a sanitation garage in the area. The group sued to stop the planned construction, but a state court ruled unanimously in it’s favor. Notable protestors included James Gandolfini, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Stripe, John Slattery and Jennifer Connelly. 
• One celebrity missing from the action, Donald Trump, is having SoHo trouble of his own. A year after the opening of the Trump SoHo, the team behind the incredibly popular Quatro Gastronomia will be ending its contract with the hotel. 
• One final controversy plaguing the neighborhood involves an angry mom, a lawsuit, and a highly protested anti-abortion advertisement. Tricia Fraser sued Texas anti-abortion group Life Always this week for using her daughter's image in an advertisement that went up briefly in the neighborhood. The ad read, "The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb."  Fraser claims the advertisement's use of her daughter's image is defamatory.

Fales Library - A Place for 19th Century Literature Buffs and Punk Aficionados Alike

       Bobst library is NYU's research powerhouse - the gathering spot for the school's 40,000 students in the search of academic conquest. Hidden in the bowels of the enormous beast, lies Fales library - a special collection of primary source materials. Last week, Marvin Taylor, director of Fales library, took my journalism class on a journey through time in a climate controlled space.
      The crux of the collection's ability to stand out against NYU's vast library facilities is its versatility. Fales is home to everything from a cuneiform tablet dated 3250 B.C. to a journal Patti Smith gave to fellow punk founder Richard Hell in 1973. 
      The library, located on the third floor of Bobst,  holds a collection of rare books and manuscripts in English and American literature, the Downtown Collection, the Food and Cookery Collection and the general Special Collections of the NYU Libraries. The Downtown Collection "documents the downtown New York art, performance, and literary scenes from 1975 to the present", according to the library Web site.  A newcomer that goes hand in hand with the Downtown Collection is the Riot Grrrl Collection, an attempt to document the evolution of the political, artistic, and cultural movement that is Riot Grrrl.

Grrrl Power, Indeed.

       It is also home to one of the largest food research libraries in the country - the Food and Cookery Collection. The ever-expanding collection was recently featured in the New York Times.
      What was most refreshing was the respect Taylor shows to all sorts of archival materials. He said he has to disagree with some of his colleagues who think age makes things more important.
       Referring to the Riot Grrrl Collection, he said, "They are just as evocative of a moment in time and just as rare. Medieval manuscript or zine - we treat them with the same respect," he said.

Marvin Taylor showing us a papyrus fragment containing 11 lines from the Illiad! "It's my favorite document in the collection," he said. Photo courtesy of Betty Ming Liu

9/11 Tribute Center

       There are moments in life that you know you are never going to forget - for me 9/11 is one of them. Even though I was only 11 when it happened, I could recite to you the events of that day as clearly as if it happened yesterday. Last week I went on a self-guided audio tour of the a 9/11 Tribute Center at 120 Liberty Street.  Despite its small size, the center packs powerful imagery. It does a great job of honoring the memory of the World Trade Center and the efforts of everyone who gave their lives that day. The audio tour costs $10.00, but is free for children 12 and under. Tourists and natives alike are sure to appreciate the touching memorial. 

       It begins like a museum, artifacts that remained are displayed throughout the halls - a toy here, a shoe there. An American flag and a helmet are displayed in the corner. The every day nature of the objects harbors a sobering message. September 11th, 2001 started out as a normal day in New York City. People  kissed their spouses goodbye, sent their kids to school - I started the sixth grade - and then tragedy struck.

       Gallery 4 is the most moving. The walls are covered with more than 1,200 photographs of those who died. The pictures are tributes donated by the families of the deceased. A plaque holds the name of the 343 fireman who gave their lives that day. 

      The audio tour takes you to where the World Trade Center used to be. Where once two 110 story towers stood, there is nothing.

       But construction fills the area, a sign of hope and the natural progression of NewYork City. 

Tips for Spring Cleaning!

Fantasy

Reality

       Nobody likes spring cleaning. This is a fact a life. I also refuse to believe it's a task that could be remotely enjoyable, despite what Martha Stewart may tell you. However, it can be an important step to getting clutter out of your life and taking a good look at what you actually have. So here are some tips that help me through this dreaded time of year....           
      


1) Determine the size of your situation - If you normally a neat person,then you're in luck and this shouldn't be too big an issue for you. However, if you're more like me an assessment of damages may need to be in order.

Be realistic, if you're whole apartment/house/dorm needs work don't expect to get it done in an hour. Pick a day you can actually dedicate to working through each room at your own pace.

2) Start small - If you try to take on every room in the house at once, you're not going to get anywhere. The key is not just to focus on one room at a time - but one part of each room (in my case usually the closet).By starting small you'll see the most real change in a short amount of time. Instead of cleaning randomly and feeling like the mess isn't going anywhere pick one closet and stick with it.

3a) DON'T HOARD!!! - This one's for people like me who will find any reason to keep old notebooks, readings from class, those movie ticket stubs etc., etc, etc. At the end of my semester abroad I realized the extent of my hoarding when I only had a few hours to pack all of my stuff and take it to the airport. It finally dawned on me - I have too much stuff. Under the pressure of a departing plane in my future, I was forced to take only what I needed. If something has genuine sentimental value then save it. Just avoid keeping things for the sake of keeping them, you'll save a lot of space that way.

3b) BE THOROUGH - For the opposite of the hoarder it may be tempting to just grab a pile of stuff and dump it in a trash bag - its quick and easy but also dangerous. At least skim the stuff you plan on throwing away or before you know it your social security card is going in the same bag as those old receipts.

4) Too Tight Ain't Right -  It doesn't matter how much you weight if your clothing is too tight you will not look good. If you are working to lose some extra weight, sure keep that dress you fit into last year. However, if you're like me and in your 20s please, please throw away that tube top you got when you were 15. If clothes are no longer age appropriate or if it just doesn't fit anymore, don't keep it. Fashion and metabolisms change, so save room in your closet for clothes that keep you looking good now.

Last but not least - the most important rule - One man's trash is another man's treasure. Just because you think your clothes are too old, stained, out of fashion, etc. does not mean it can't go to good use. There are so many people who could use the things we no longer need - so don't send it to the trash heap. There are many, many organizations who will take your old clothes and give them to families to need. Whether it's your local church or the salvation army, most places are even willing to go to you and pick up your stuff. Turn spring cleaning into a two-fold accomplishment - get your life organized and contribute to the lives of others.

ACE, providing hope and jobs to those who need it the most.

      Since 1997, more than 1000 recovering homeless men and women have turned to cleaning New York City sidewalks in an attempt to turn their lives around. They are a part of Project Comeback, a program provided by the Association of Community Employment for the Homeless (ACE), a SoHo-based nonprofit organization. The program provides job training, work experience, and a support network for people seeking to transition into full-time employment. 

     "Our goal is not to train them to be street sweepers, our goal is to teach them - or re-teach them - how to work," said Jim Martin, executive director of the program. "We're foundation builders."

      The organization was founded in 1992 when SoHo resident Henry Buhl began offering street cleaning jobs to homeless people. The program later expanded into the SoHo Partnership, the TriBeCa Partnership and the NoHo/Bowery Partnership. In 2010 they consolidated under the name ACE.

Henry Buhl and the SoHo Partnership

      "I would use any drug I could take, I was sleeping in the subway," said Robert Bowman a program graduate of 2006 and assistant supervisor to the ACE street crews. "ACE gave me a chance and I took it. Now I'm in a position where people trust me and I can't look back at what I've done - I have to keep moving forward."

      ACE provides two programs. Project Comeback offers work experience, computer and literacy classes, individual counseling, courses on how to find or keep employment and even attire for job interviews, said Jim Martin.  Patients must be referred to ACE from outpatient facilities, shelters, or substance abuse programs. 

      Every year ACE holds graduation ceremonies for those who completed the program by securing permanent, full-time employment. On March 31st, the spring graduation will take place, celebrating the return of 15 participants into the working world.  

      "You see people make gains - you see their lives change in a short amount of time," Jim Martin said.

      Even after graduation, ACE makes sure participants continue on the right track and stay employed through Project Stay, said Bowman. 

      The program is privately funded, and relies on donations from private donors and businesses located on each cleaning route. 

      "These are tough times for not for profits," Jim Martin said. Broadway in SoHo, a key route for the organization, has become a financial concern, he said. If ACE cannot raise enough money from Broadway's businesses soon, it will have to abandon the route Jun. 30th. 
      "The bigger mega-stores are hesitant to participate - I've chased that money for years with staff," Jim Martin said. "That corridor without maintenance services will be a disaster. All I want to do is break even to the penny."

      "Mr. Buhl loves having us out on Broadway and the summer season is so hectic," said Steve Martin, a program graduate from 2007 and head supervisor to the cleaning crews. "We are hoping more businesses will donate and keep the services going."

     Graduates like Bowman and Steve Martin take pride in being a part of the process that once helped them.

     "I'm not going to brag or anything but I think Jim saw in me what I see in myself when I'm doing right," Steve Martin said. "I'm five years clean from drugs and alcohol and my life has been great - I wouldn't give it back for anything."

      The essence of the organization seems to be taped to Jim Martin's door, "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."

                                          What a stressful week....
                     

The Magical World of Google

      Last Thursday I got the chance to catch a glimpse of the world of Google - and it did not disappoint. My reporting class and I were given a tour and a free delicious lunch at the Google Headquarters in Chelsea, New York. Here's a link to the real-estate deal.
      Jessica Chan, a business process & compliance specialist at Google, showed us the facility and explained Google's employer-friendly mantra. Rejecting a typical big corporation style, Google tries to create a positive work environment, she said.  The company provides employers with free meals (breakfast,lunch and dinner), color coordinated based on nutritious value, and free gym memberships.
     "Google wants to promote a healthy lifestyle," she said. The main eateries are two cafeterias, but it's halls are home to many snack stations for workers on the go. I sampled some fruit and nuts myself.
     Aside from the ample supply of free food, Google has turned it's headquarters into Charlie's Chocolate Factory for grown ups. The walls are painted in vibrant greens and reds and workers can ride around on scooters to cross the avenue-long building. When they need time to relax, employers can opt to unwind in the game room or the massage room.
      The final stage of the tour was the free lunch. Options varied from do-it-yourself salads, mushroom risotto, crisp roasted pork belly and Vietnamese chicken wings. Everything was well worth my morning of hunger. I even snagged some desserts - espresso cookie pudding and oatmeal cookies - to take home. By the end of the experience I was full, in awe, and ready to find a way to work there one day myself.