The city is seeking to limit the amount of art vendors in public parks.
New York City officials have announced plans to limit the number of art vendors who sell their works in several Manhattan’s busiest parks.
The new rules proposed by the Mayor’s office designate that the number of vendors peddling art and other creative goods would decrease by nearly 80 percent.
Art vendors seem to be more of a problem in Union Square, the High Line Park and areas surrounding the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically by Central Park as well as in our own Battery Park. Art vendors have been known to line up around the main entrances of the park, and are often looked at as public nuisances who have been abusing free public space for commercial gain.
Vendors argue that the decreasing the landscape is against their constitutional right. Hearings have been scheduled for sometime next week.
How do you feel about the restrictions being made for public art vendors?
When the original Iron Man blasted its way into theaters two years ago, the film — like its armored antihero — was most definitely flying below the radar. Robert Downey Jr. was not yet the roguishly charming, bankable leading man that he is today; Iron Man wasn’t exactly a superhero with a gargantuan built-in fan base like, say, Superman or Batman; and, speaking of Batman, there was that other comic-book movie, The Dark Knight, also opening in summer 2008… and the anticipation for that may have overshadowed Iron Man just a wee bit. So imagine the near universal delight of moviegoers when Downey’s bravura turn as hard-living-smartass-weapons-manufacturer-turned-not-so-secret-superhero Tony Stark helped Iron Man explode expectations, catapulting the comeback kid (well, comeback adult) back onto the A list in a big way and setting up soaring expectations for a sequel.
A couple years and one hell of a stacked cast later, that sequel has arrived, steeped in such ridiculous buzz it might seem destined to crash and burn. Well, exhale deeply and smile — because Iron Man 2 is pretty darned good. Sure, the two-hours-plus running time could have been trimmed down and the various intertwining plots wouldn’t have suffered from some tightening, but all the goods that made the original such a hoot are still there. Badass action: check. RDJ (that’s what we call Robert Downey Jr., because we’re pals) at the top of his one-liner-spewing game: check. Palpable sexual tension between Downey’s Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts: definitely check.
When part two of the saga begins, Tony Stark is reveling in his newfound national-hero status. He’s basically achieved world peace and, unlike pretty much every other superhero that’s ever graced a movie screen, he’s not opposed to being worshiped for it. He’s a less altruistic Superman, he’s what Batman would be if Bruce Wayne dressed up in costume, got hammered and entertained party guests by blowing stuff up with his neat-o weapons (oh yes, that happens in this movie). Stark is happy to yell from the mountaintop — or to a Senate hearing committee chaired by Gary Shandling — that “I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one.” And that’s what makes this superhero character so intriguing: He doesn’t want an alter ego; he wants credit for his good deeds.
The witty script, from Tropic Thunder scribe Justin Theroux, highlights Stark’s lovable narcissism, giving Downey plenty of great moments for grandstanding (emphasis on the grand), at the same time that it depicts his more vulnerable side. You see, this time around Stark has three foes: Cackling Russian baddie Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who’s got a vendetta with the Stark family, a brain as sharp as Tony’s and a weird fondness for cockatoos; rival weapons developer Justin Hammer (a comically snide Sam Rockwell); and, perhaps most lethally, toxic side effects from the very heart that’s keeping him alive.
The plot goes something like this: Vanko wants to kill Stark, so he builds his own suit in the hopes of whiplashing Tony into oblivion. Meanwhile, the U.S. government wants the Iron Man technology for itself, so it hires Hammer to work on a prototype. Vanko, in need of better resources to execute plan Obliterate Tony Stark, joins forces with Hammer, who’s the kind of guy who wipes his butt with Benjamins, eats elegant meals in airplane hangars, and wants to build a whole fleet of iron men to fight in the U.S. armed services. At the same time, Tony is living like a man with a death wish and trying to find a cure for the deadly side effects of being Iron Man. Oh, and Samuel L. Jackson still wants Tony to join the covert S.H.I.E.L.D. force, and Tony’s got a new assistant in the shapely form of Scarlett Johansson, who — surprise, surprise — is a skintight-leather-wearing undercover agent named Black Widow.
If that sounds convoluted, that’s because, well, it kind of is. But it won’t take away from your enjoyment one iota. If you liked the first one, you’ll be Stark raving mad for the second.
Kids were king of the (cardboard) castle at the TFF street fair.
Temperatures approaching 90 degrees couldn’t keep kids and parents from flocking to yesterday’s Tribeca Film Festival Family Street Fair. Thousands turned out to enjoy the festivities, which ranged from the universally fun zeppole-eating and BMX-stunt-watching to kid-centric activities such as storming a gargantuan cardboard castle, making kites and cavorting on a bouncy Coca-Cola polar bear (kind of like a bouncy castle, only shaped like the aforementioned beast instead).
The event, which took over Greenwich Street between Chambers and Harrison (as well as all the side streets) from 10 AM to 6 PM, capped 10 days of movies and free events that comprised the ninth annual Tribeca Film Fest.
Can I try that, Mommy?
The extravaganza kicked off with a live performance by the cast of the Broadway musical Wicked at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and only got wicked better from there. As part of ESPN Sports Day, BMX daredevil Dave Voelker was on hand with his crew of bike-riding pros to put on an aerial stunt display the likes of which had never been seen in Lower Manhattan. “Oohs” were followed by “aahs” … and questions along the lines of, “Mommy, can Daddy show me how to do that on my Schwinn?” Let’s hope he didn’t try.
Children also lined up to grab some air of their own on the numerous bouncy castles strategically positioned on just about ever side street. One was a regular old castle, another was ESPN-themed, and still another took the shape of the iconic(?) Coca-Cola polar bear.
As if that weren’t enough, there was also a Chinese parade, ESPN-sponsored games such as free-throw shooting and tee-ball, face-painting, a puppet show, and enough junk food being consumed to make all the dentists in the area smile wide. Heck, Mr. Met and his entourage were even wandering around, much to the delight of children and female Mets fanatics.
As a nice reward for parents, the festival got an adult-friendly boost at 3 PM, when Mike D of the Beastie Boys led an epic guitar jam at the Church Street School for Music and Art. All in all, it was a beast of a time.
New York City has recently announced a proposal to limit the number of art vendors in city parks and public spaces. And Battery Park likely won’t escape the effects of these plans, which some are calling Bloomberg’s attempt to privatize public space.
The proposed restrictions would supposedly ease congestion in heavily trafficked areas, including Union Square, Central Park, the High Line and Battery Park. Last Friday a public hearing was held to hear the opinions of art vendors, their critics and their staunch advocates. According to the New York Times, the protest had some of the best looking signs you’d ever seen.
So we decided to check out the congestion ourselves. During a leisurely walk through Battery Park today, we counted north of 30 different art vendors. However, they seemed evenly dispersed amid the nearly 25 acres of land. The restrictions, should they be approved, would allow only nine vendors along the perimeter of the park between Pearl Street and West Street.
Here’s a quick look at the numbers based on the proposed restrictions:
Battery Park: 25 Acres | 9 Vendors
Union Square: 3.59 Acres | 18 Vendors
High Line: 2.15 Acres | 8 Vendors
Art Vendor in Battery Park
If you do the math, or simply go for a stroll through Battery Park, it is painfully obvious that the the BP art vendors would be getting one helluva raw deal. For starters, the vendors don’t even come close to creating congestion on a weekday. And, while Battery Park could easily engulf both Union Square and the High Line combined, it would be allowed fewer than half as many vendors as Union Square should the proposal come to fruition.
We spoke with Asif Javed, an art vendor who has been selling his photography in the park for nearly 10 years, to get his take on the matter. For his part, Javed believes that the legislation should not be aimed towards the art vendors: “[The rules] are aimed at those people who are selling 9-11 disaster books on the streets who make congestion.”
It’s quite clear speaking with Javed that the situation in Battery Park would be dire should 35 to 50 art sellers have to pack up shop and move elsewhere. Since most vendors work solo, coming to a decision on who gets to stay and who gets the boot would be difficult indeed. “It’s going to be a big chaos,” warns Javed. “It’s my work. I don’t want to lose this job! Unemployment is already at 9 point something percent and going up. [Deciding] is going to be a big mess, and I don’t think we can manage it.”
Javed seems hopeful that a resolution will be found as art vendors have faced similar issues in past years. “Last year, the same thing happened. [The City] was against us, and we beat the city. We’ll take it to court again. Our leader Robert Lederman is already working with our lawyers and legislatures. We are hoping the mayor will reconsider.”
Javed says that he and his colleagues are hoping for an opportunity for discourse with legislators. “If we sat down with administrators we could come up with a solution for this problem easily.” Let’s hope that happens.
One of the great things about the Tribeca Film Festival is that most of the movies in the lineup aren’t bloated studio blockbusters with millions of dollars of marketing budget to burn (tough break, Michael Bay). They’re smaller independent films that rely on word of mouth and dedicated tub-thumping stars to get the buzz going, which ultimately results in cool events where said tub-thumping stars mingle with the public and promote the everliving crap out of their movie.
That’s exactly what happened at the Apple Store in SoHo last night, as recognizable actors Oliver Platt (A Time to Kill), Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Thomas Ian Nicholas (American Pie) and acclaimed writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Friends With Money) gathered to chat about their new flick, Please Give, as part of TFF’s “Meet the Filmmakers” series.
Zoltar and his box 9 (which was in the shop), courtesy of mydisguises.com
Not every kid grows up to confront the incarnation of his childhood nightmares — but that’s exactly what I got to do at this Friday’s Tribeca Film Festival Drive-In screening of the 1988 Tom Hanks classic, Big. You see, I was on tap to interview Zoltar (for the uninitiated, he’s the card-dispensing, wish-granting carnival mannequin from the film). And my memories of the guy were that he was trapped in a box (possibly because he was too dangerous to unleash on the public), had scary red eyes, and his mouth opened with a frightening breathing sound as he silently demanded you make your wish for a quarter. That’s pretty scary stuff for a 7-year-old kid to witness! Continue reading Hitting It Off ‘Big’-Time With Zoltar→
Everything I knew about growing up I learned from watching Big in the ’80s. I wish I were kidding. I’m actually quite serious. Let’s review the lessons shall we?
1. Growing up ain’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
2. Be careful what you wish for.
3. You can always go back to being a kid — if you really want to.
So there’s no way I was going to miss watching Big on the big screen for the second night of Tribeca Film Festival’s Drive-In. Having grown up in the neighborhood, I only wish I could have seen the film this way the first time around… And did I mention Zoltar would be making an appearance? Continue reading A ‘Big’ Tribeca Drive-In With Gary Ross→
People love salsa — and not because it’s a delicious condiment, and not because it’s a fun word to say (though it really is). No, at last night’s Tribeca Film Festival world premiere of the documentary El Espiritu de la Salsa (The Spirit of Salsa), it was abundantly clear that New Yorkers love themselves some salsa music and, more importantly, some salsa dancing. Big time.
The film — about a Harlem-based salsa instructor named Tomas Guerrero who prepares a rabble group of dancing novices for a public performance — opened a series of Tribeca Film Fest “Drive-In” movies being shown Thursday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24, on a behemoth outdoor screen at the World Financial Center plaza (Big screens tonight and The Birth of Big Air tomorrow night). And the pre-screening atmosphere was electric … one might even say spicy.
I’d like to preface this by saying that I’m not a film critic, so I won’t be commenting on how great the shot compositions were, or how they used this or that documentary technique really well. What I can comment on, however, is how inspirational El Espiritu de la Salsa was. This is one of those movies that can totally change your life if you just let it.
New York can be a lonely place, especially for new comers, professionals with long work hours and dangerous jobs, and people who are newly single. The towering skyscrapers cast a feeling of gloom and doom over the city, and unless you know where to look, it can be hard to find those patches of sunlight. This documentary follows New Yorkers from all walks of life as they come up to Harlem to find that sunlight at Tomas Guerrero’s Santo Rico Dance School.
Tomas Guerrero in The Spirit of Salsa
Everyone is there for a different reason: a newly retired couple is looking to spice up their lives; a pastry chef seeks her next adventure; a newly single equities trader wants to learn how to be alone in the city after a three year relationship. Whatever problems these strangers are going through, they all hope the same thing-that salsa dancing will be the answer.
Slowly but surely, the spirit does its magic. You can tell just by watching them on their journey just how empowering salsa can be. There is something about the Latin music and the sultry moves that, according to one of the dancers, Jessica, allows girls to be sexy in an appropriate setting and manner. It also gave the men a way to be strong and manly, yet passionate at the same time. Sitting there in the audience amidst the cat calling and good cheer, you couldn’t help but smile at their transformations and tap your feet along to the music.
No matter who you are, there will be somebody in this documentary that you can relate to. And who knows, maybe one of them will inspire you to take up salsa classes or your own personal adventure. Tomas Guerrero ends the movie by claiming that he can teach anyone to salsa. My only question, where can I sign up?
In case you’ve been too busy composting, recycling and campaigning to rid the globe of toxins to remember the date, here’s a news flash for you: Today, April 22, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
Now, James Cameron would have you believe that the best way to celebrate this esteemed occasion is by purchasing Avatar on DVD and watching those big blue anteater-type-deals get their jollies by plugging their ponytails into each others orifices. While we have nothing in particular against Pandorans and what they do with their hair, we respectfully beg to differ with Mr. King of the World.
For our money, there’s no better way to spend Earth Day ’10 than by heading down to Battery Park and, you know, getting in touch with nature. And if the glorious 70-degree temps, the newly budding trees and the breathtaking water vistas aren’t enough to convince you, perhaps you’d be interested to know that BPC is sweetening the pot with a barrage of activities and art exhibits that are 100% free, 100% interesting and 200% eco-friendly.
