Neighborhood News Check
U.E.S. Building Allowed to Deteriorate, According to Tenants
In October 2010, Stahl Real Estate filed a hardship application with the city's Landmark Preservation Commission, claiming that its building between East 64th Street and East 65th Street was unable to turn a profit and requesting permission to demolish and rebuild. Now, tenants are claiming that the building was purposefully neglected. "They don't do anything," said Elizabeth Pearce, who has lived in the building for 31 years. "They don't even clean the halls anymore. They used to mop the floors every Friday, but even that has stopped." DNAinfo.com
De Blasio Ally Paid To Fight Transfer Station
Bertha Lewis, leader of the nonprofit Black Institute, is being paid by Pledge 2 Protect to fight the East 91st Street waste Transfer Station. Lewis has long been an ally of de Blasio's. They helped form the Working Families Party together and they both supported Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards Project. "Bertha Lewis has been opposed to the E. 91st [transfer station] since 2003," said spokeswoman Eve McGrath. "Lewis is guiding the grass-roots efforts of P2P and is giving voice to the always overlooked residents of the low-income housing, which neighbors the project," she added. Thanks in part to Lewis's support, Pledge 2 Protect has been able to rally grassroots support on the East side to kill the project. NY Daily News
Grace's Marketplace Receives Passing Grade Despite Mice
Despite being filmed by the Daily News with a massive mice problem only the day before, Grace's Marketplace has received a passing grade from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. "The store passed inspection with a few general deficiencies but nothing critical to endanger public health," said agency spokesman Joseph Morrissey. "We found what appeared to be older mouse droppings and a couple rodent entryways but nothing new." The state said it would monitor the store until all signs of the rodents were gone. NY Daily News
Managing Director Sues Firm, Alleges 'Mad Men' Hell
A managing director on the Upper East Side is claiming that her boss at Steven Hall & Partners fostered a hostile, sexually aggressive work environment in her new suit. Among the allegations are claims that female employees were encouraged to do everything possible to land accounts, including performing oral sex. On top of that are numerous alleged instances of sexual harassment in the work place. Steven Hall & Partners does not have a sexual harassment policy in their HR handbook. "Several managing directors ? expressed concern that if SH&P adopted a sexual harassment policy Hall would violate the policy immediately upon its implementation," the suit states. NY Post
Pre-War Throwbacks on U.E.S.
The New York Times reports of a growing real estate trend on the Upper East Side. Renovating pre-war buildings has long been the norm, but now developers are eying creating these pre-war treasures from the ground up. 151 East 78th Street, 135 East 79th Street, 200 East 79th Street and 110 Park Avenue, are all condominiums that have taken on such a design. "If there was a pivotal moment," James Lansill, senior managing director of the Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, said, "it was 15 Central Park West, which is a contemporary building, meaning it's new, but at the same time, it has considerable vocabulary that relates to more historic, prewar styling and detailing. It really captured the imagination of New Yorkers." New York Times