VII gallery puts photojournalist focus on Georgian War
Top-shelf photo agency VII opened their own gallery in Dumbo almost a year ago, but the current work is the first time they’re showing an exhibition designed specifically for this space with their own team’s pictures.
It also unusual as it has a very ripped-from-the headlines feel as the topic is the maybe-it’s-over-maybe-it’s-not war in Georgia.
“Georgia: The August War” showcases of the work of three VII photographers sent to cover the fighting for three different purposes. Ron Haviv was on assignment for Dispatches magazine, Marcus Bleasdale shot for Human Rights Watch, and Donald Weber was working for Newsweek.
In case there’s any doubt which Georgia, one of the portraits is of a giant Stalin mural still displayed in one of the schools damaged in this past summer’s attacks. The powerful images capture not just the brutality but the deep worry on everyone’s faces, even the children. Mixed among the destruction is a darkly comic moment on video as the photo team realizes the unexploded cluster bombs a few feet away will explode if any one of the chickens milling about merely steps on one.
The Georgia exhibition will be on display through January 5 when it comes down to make way for a series of exhibitions on war crimes in Bosnia and Iraq that will ultimately coincide with the New York Photo Festival from May 14 through 24.
MTA plans 23 pct fare hike, end of W/Z lines, bus cuts
Facing a dire economic forecast the MTA today said it plans to fill a $1.2 billion budget gap by raising fares 23 percent next year, completely killing off the W and Z subway lines, canceling dozens of entire bus lines citywide and eliminating at least 2,500 jobs.
The way to stave off the pain is for the state to allocate more money by March, officials told NY1. Otherwise the cuts and hikes will start in spring and summer.
The precise amount of any MetroCard hike has not been announced, but the MTA wants an overall increase of fare revenues of 23 percent next year to bring in $670 million, according to the MTA statement. Come 2011, it will need an extra 5 percent, according to the NY Times.
The base MetroCard is $2 per ride. The most recent fare hike, in February, left the $2 fare in tact but decreased the bonus for buying multi-use cards.
Hearings on the proposals will start in January, service cuts could start in spring and the fare hikes could start June 1, NY1 reported.
Other humdingers from the MTA’s proposed budget for 2009:
US Helicopter temporarily suspends all Wall St. flights
The Downtown Heliport near Wall Street has been off limits to US Helicopter since November 1, the date FirstFlight took over managing operations without a certified airport security plan that allows federally required screening for passengers transferring to JFK or Newark, a company official told NewYorkology.
In October, the NYC Economic Development Corporation awarded a 10-year contract to FirstFlight, Inc.to take over management of the heliport from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Shortly before the changeover on November 1, US Helicopter learned that FirstFlight did not have the proper TSA certification required for flights to land at JFK and Newark airports, US Helicopter’s VP of Marketing Donal McSullivan told NewYorkology in an interview this morning.
“We have been advised it’s a matter of days” before they get certification, he said. “It’s very costly to us.”
In the meantime, US Helicopter has been calling all its scheduled passengers and re-directing them to its East 34th Street heliport, which also serves JFK and Newark. The company provides weekday, 8-minute shuttles to the two airports, allowing passengers to pass through TSA-approved security at the heliport and bypass regular airport security. Flights are about $159 one-way, but there are $45 and $99 deals through December.
NewYorkology has not yet received returned calls from FirstFlight or the EDC, but US Helicopter’s quarterly report filed with the SEC on Wednesday spells out the Downtown Heliport situation in detail:
Oak Room, Oak Bar finally reopen at The Plaza hotel
Since the storied Plaza reopened its doors in March after a controversial 3-year renovation that made the legendary hotel part condo, its luxury services have been opening its doors one by one.
A hotel official told NewYorkology that both venues opened for business last week.
Fox even has a report that the bar’s already hosted the celebrity-filled after-party for an early screening of Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman upcoming turns in stage to-screen flick “Doubt.”
See Zagat.com for pictures inside the renovated Oak Room and the full menu at Eater.
On the 8-minute $99 helicopter from JFK to Manhattan
NewYorkology contributor Vidiot commits journalism by night, edits Cocktailians and explores NYC by day. He’s especially interested in the infrastructure, transit, architectural wonders, drinking establishments, and hidden corners of the greatest city in the world.
From vans to taxis to trains to limos, there are tons of ways to get from the airport to the city. But the fastest way to Manhattan has got to be via US Helicopter; the ride from JFK to Manhattan averages eight minutes.
And, thanks to US Helicopter’s deal with Delta, if you have the right kind of Delta ticket your flight only costs $45. It’s the same cost as a taxi, but you get to soar above the Van Wyck rather than sitting motionless atop it. (The Delta deal lasts through Dec. 31, and US Helicopter has a similar deal with Continental from Newark. Both the Delta and Continental deals give you the one-way helicopter flight for free if you’re flying in first or business classes.)
Booking the flight was a bit trickier than I’d expected, though: the Delta website priced my flight for more than I’d expected. I called up Delta reservations to find out why, and after the agent and her supervisor did a bit of digging, it turned out that only flights booked with the fare codes B, M, or H apply — which didn’t include my bare-bones nonrefundable economy fare for the rest of my trip. But, the regular US Helicopter fare of $159 has been slashed to $99 through December 31, and I thought that this was as good a chance as any to go.
After my plane landed at JFK transferring was easy — since US Helicopter operates out of a regular gate in Delta’s terminal so I didn’t have to clear security again. (I wasn’t checking luggage, but if I had, the luggage would have transferred just like any other connection.) I made my way to gate 11, checked in, and waited about ten minutes until my flight was called. They loaded my two fellow passengers, (who were British tourists,) and me into a van for the short drive over to the helipad. When we got to the helicopter, we waited inside the van for our two pilots to start the engines, and were given a short safety briefing. After that, we boarded the helicopter, which had a comfortably plush interior (goldtone seatbelt fittings!) that would fit up to eight passengers. We taxied briefly and then the ground sank away, and we were off.
The ride was very smooth, and the cabin was well-insulated; the engine noise was louder than an airplane’s, but not so loud that you couldn’t talk or be heard over it. The views, of course, were spectacular as we made our beeline to East 34th Street.
We took a dramatic curve as we approached the heliport, and we were set down gently. We had to wait for a few seconds before we could get out, as they don’t want people on the helipads when other helicopters are landing or taking off.
Having just completed a massive renovation, including radical upgrades like the addition of new stories to the building, The Marcel has risen in more than just height; this hidden gem in Gramercy just claimed an extra star for their efforts.
This is the first major public works in New York State being named for Bobby Kennedy, who was New York’s junior senator when he was assassinated in California in 1968 while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
A California musician who died days after riding the Cyclone should have known that riding the rickety 80-year-old Coney Island coaster is dangerous, the city says in new court papers. Keith Shirasawa, 53, died in August 2007, five days after he snapped his neck and fractured several bones in his neck during a downhill plunge on the wooden roller coaster.
Students spent October observing 3,000 cyclists chosen at random at 69 locations throughout the five boroughs; they found that only 43 percent of all cyclists stopped at red lights, and roughly 14 percent did not use designated bike lanes, which is not required by law.
City Winery, a new performance space and restaurant established by Michael Dorf, the founder of the Knitting Factory, will have its first concert on Dec. 31 with the singer-songwriter Joan Osborne.
City’s Latest Landmarks Are NYU’s University Village in Greenwich Village; the Guardian Life Insurance Company Annex at Union Square East; the Morris B. Sanders Studio and Apartment in Turtle Bay; the New School’s Former Baumann Bros. Store off Union Square West;Pratt Institute’s Renaissance- Revival Building in Greenwich Village, a Former FDNY Firehouse in Midtown and a WPA-Era NYC Parks Department Pool Complex in Red Hook.
The play stars John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment.
“If ticket sales spurt dramatically, I’ll be glad to extend the show,” Producer Ben Sprecher told Playbill.com.
Judging by the clip (above) from the show, it’s pretty clear what the cast, or at least Mamet, would have to say about the provisional closing notice.
“American Buffalo” had been scheduled to play through April 29 at the Belasco Theatre, located at 111 W. 44th St., map. Regular tickets for the five remaining shows are priced from $51.50 to $116.50. Premium tickets are priced from $226.50 to $251.50.
The show is also offering a deal that lets you buy one ticket and get another ticket for a nickel at some performances.
Military airspace to reopen as holiday 'express lane'
East Coast air travelers will again get a holiday “express lane” as military airspace will open to commercial flights in hopes of easing the holiday travel crunch, President George Bush said Tuesday.
In addition, this year the military airspace will open up in the Midwest, Southwest and along the West Coast, as well. Other steps are in the works to ease travel for consumers, the president said.
“We have just completed new regulations that provide increased protection for consumers. These include measures that will require airlines to provide greater compensation for lost bags, as well as tougher penalties when airlines fail to notify travelers of hidden fees,” he said.
However, the New York Times noted that the president also announced plans to push through an auction of 90 landing slots at JFK, 90 slots at Newark and 113 at LaGuardia despite opposition from some airlines as well as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the three airports.
Abandoned Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour set for Dec. 7
The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association has announced December 7 as the date for its next tour of the abandoned railway tunnel under Atlantic Avenue.
Be warned that you not only need to wear sturdy shoes and bring your own flashlight, but you have to enter the tunnel through a manhole at the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Tours are led by Bob Diamond, who rediscovered the long-forgotten tunnel in 1980.
The tunnel was built in 1844 and stretches half a mile down toward the East River.
Southwest buys LaGuardia slots for NYC service in '09
Southwest Airlines has purchased 14 slots at LaGuardia Airport and could start service into New York City as early as next year, the Associated Press reports.
Company officials told AP it paid $7.5 million for the slots belong to bankrupt ATA Airlines. If regulators approve the deal, it would give Southwest seven takeoffs and seven landings per day.
USA Today’s Today in the Sky blog notes that destinations have not been named but predicts “Chicago Midway and Florida to be among the most talked-about candidates.” Online Travel Review also sets odds for service to Baltimore and Providence.
“It is our intent, with the successful conclusion of the transaction, to make plans to initiate service from LaGuardia,” Southwest’s Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly said in a statement confirming the AP story. “Even in this volatile environment, we have said we must monitor the competitive landscape and take advantage of prudent market opportunities.”
Southwest currently has no New York City service, but does fly into Long Island MacArthur Airport, a solid 40-some miles from LaGuardia and JFK.
Ripped-from-your-pocketbook New York T-shirt slogan
There’s a good bet the perky trademark lawyers at I (heart) NY won’t let this live for long, but for now you can now get the latest sign-o-the-times riff on the NY state tourism slogan.
For other NYC-themed Ts, check out the Queens collection (including the Sunnyside Arch and the World’s Fair Pavilion,) as well as the Brooklyn collection at Live Poultry, (including the Kentile Floors sign and the “R” building in Red Hook.)
