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Bloomberg's third term seen as challenge
With Mayor Michael Bloomberg winning another term, New Yorkers can expect him to continue pushing two of his biggest goals: improving school test scores and redeveloping large areas of the city.
But experts caution that the unexpected closeness of his victory and the city’s fiscal problem will blunt his agenda.
“If he had a 15-point margin, he would be going to sleep with thoughts of a fourth term dancing in his head,” said Democratic political consultant Joe Mercurio. “But people voted with their feet.”
The economy will pose further problems for Bloomberg.
“Whatever policy initiatives the mayor has are going to be very much compromised by the city budget,” said Bruce Berg, a Fordham University political science professor.
The city’s Independent Budget Office estimates that next year’s deficit will be $5 billion.
Still, Berg and others point to several projects on which Bloomberg will likely spend political capital, including Coney Island and Atlantic Yards.
“All these construction projects he’s talked about are going to go back on schedule,” Mercurio said.
Having already rezoned much of the city, the mayor will continue to cheerlead for private development, observers said.
Bill Villanueva, 63, of Brooklyn, said he feared the city will become more expensive under a third Bloomberg term.
“He doesn’t want middle-class people in the city,” Villanueva said. “I really don’t trust him.”
Bloomberg, who won control of the schools, sees education as crucial to his reputation.“No mayor ... has been given this much authority” over education, Berg said. “What he [does] with that authority is going to be a major piece of his legacy.”
Bloomberg’s political power will face new obstacles, with two ambitious Democrats in citywide office and a City Council chastened by anger over the term-limits extension Bloomberg championed.
“In the last few years there’s been no easily identifiable New Yorker that was the anti-Bloomberg and that is probably going to really change,” said Patrick Egan, a political science professor at NYU.
He said Bill de Blasio and John Liu — the new public advocate and comptroller — will be quick to challenge Bloomberg.
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Bloomberg wins, but Thompson surprises with close finish
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was re-elected to a third term last night with a stunningly slim margin, just edging out city Comptroller Bill Thompson by five percentage points.
Bloomberg, 67, a billionaire businessman who spent at least $85 million of his own money to win a third term, had been ahead in most polls by double digits but in the end, he managed only a 51 to 46 percent victory.
Bloomberg during his victory speech just after midnight argued that the tough economy and a general anti-incumbent sentiment made for a “hard-fought victory in a very difficult year.”
“Tonight, throughout the nation, voters were very clear and some incumbents heard loud and clear that they’re tired of politics as usual,” he said. “New Yorkers have defied tonight’s trend.”
However, many political observers were caught off guard by how close the mayoral race was.
“[The Bloomberg campaign] should be embarrassed,” said Democratic political consultant Joe Mercurio. “If the Democratic Party had run a better campaign they could have blown him out.”
Thompson, who released a poll over the weekend indicating that the race was tightening, built his campaign around the anger voters felt over Bloomberg’s extension of term limits. The limits were approved twice by referendum.
“Your support, your enthusiasm, and your desire for change is what carried me to this point,” Thompson told his supporters last night. “This campaign was about not backing down in the face of a formidable challenge,” said Thompson in an address that carried the whiff of a victory speech.
The race turned especially negative in the final days, with Bloomberg flooding the airwaves with attacks on Thompson, which some speculated might have been an indication that the campaign was getting nervous.
Bloomberg, who became the fourth mayor to win three terms, has won plaudits for dropping crime rates and deft management of the city’s finances during his first eight years, despite recent fiscal troubles.
He won control of the schools early in his first term and made education reform one of his signature issues.
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Shoppers soon able to buy 15 seconds of fame
Buying a pair of underwear could be your ticket to fame.
Shoppers at the new American Eagle Outfitters at Broadway and 46th Street store will soon get the chance to see their face light up a giant Times Square billboard in a marketing ploy expected to bait the social-networking set.
Starting Nov. 19, all customers of the flagship store are eligible to have their photo snapped, write a 50-character message and post their name and hometown. The image will be broadcasted for 15 seconds on a 25-story LCD panel moments after they leave.
Images will be groomed for appropriate attire and any offensive statements will be edited out, said Jani Strand, a company spokeswoman. There is no minimum purchase and shoppers can participate as many times as they wish during store hours, she said.
“It’s great. Everyone keeps on taking it up a notch,” said Tim Tompkins, president of Times Square Alliance.
About 500,000 people walk through Times Square a day, Tompkins added.
The novel gimmick could reel in the generation weaned on Facebook and American Idol, marketing experts said.
“I don’t think older people would want this promotion, but it’s clever for the target market,” said John Tantillo, a psychologist and marketing consultant.
The clothing company dreamed up the idea when they saw hordes of tourists snapping photos of themselves in Times Square. The billboard faces Broadway and is directly in front of the 25,000-square-foot store.
(Image courtesy American Eagle Outfitters)
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Fans gunning for the Yankees to clinch it in the Bronx
Finish it tonight in the Bronx.
Fans are in a frenzy about the prospects of the Yankees clinching the World Series on home turf as they meet the Phillies in Game 6 Wednesday.
Sports insiders say the combination of Yankee pitching, with veteran Andy Pettitte starting tonight, plus home-field advantage puts things in the Bronx Bombers’ favor.
“The fact that they are going to win in New York City, the greatest city in the world, is really special,” said Marcus Johnson, 36, a Bronx fan.Despite a disappointing 8-6 loss in Game 5 on Monday, the Yankees go into Wednesday with a 3-2 lead over the Phillies. Baseball followers are surprised the series has come to a Game 6.
“The Phillies have a good lineup and their experience from being champs last year,” said Joe Pietaro, editor-in-chief of New York Sportscene magazine.
The Phillies are starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, who traditionally hasn’t fared well against the Yankees and brings a ton of drama with him every time he seems to step in to the Bronx. In 2004, he famously called the Yankees his “daddy.”
“We’ve seen Pedro so many times, we’ve gotten used to his repertoire,” said Patrick O’Keefe, of YanksBlog.com.The Yankees do well at their new stadium, going 57-24 during the regular season and 6-1 so far postseason. Hyped up fans in the stands hungry for the 27th championship will also be a boon.
“The fans are always the 10th team member,” said a baseball historian Peter Golenbock. “If you’re a Yankees fan, you’re not nervous.”
The Yankees won the World Series back when the House that Ruth Built opened in 1923. Fans said winning again in the first year of a new stadium would be especially sweet.
“It will be like a birthday gift for the new stadium,” said Yusef Shakir, 62, of Queens.
A win would put an end to the nine-year drought since the Yankee’s last championship. It would also redeem Alex Rodriguez from a year of scandal, and forever solidify the dynasty of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Pettitte and Jorge Posada, sports followers said.
Fans predicted days of partying if the Yankees clinch it tonight. If they lost Wednesday, Game 7 will be tomorrow night with CC Sabathia likely starting for the Yankees.
“(Wednesday) is going to be a good night,” said Edenton Cherenfaunt, 40, a Brooklyn fan who made a “27th World Series Cake” in honor of the assumed victory.
A NYPD spokeswoman said they will have “adequate detail in place” for any unruly revelers outside the stadium.
Courtney Crowder contributed to this story.
hhaddon@am-ny.com(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Tags: yankees
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Cultures and tastes come together in Bay Ridge
Charming brick townhouses line Bay Ridge’s residential streets, and the graceful expanse of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is impossible to miss.
Yet for food lovers, the best reason to visit is the virtual United Nations of cuisine, found in the grocery shops and restaurants that line Third Avenue.
Take the R to 86th street and walk to Third Avenue, starting your food walk in the 90s and heading down to the 60s.
Paneantico
9124 Third Ave., 718-680-2347
A wedge of spaghetti frittata filled with anchovy and egg ($6.50) signals that this is not your usual Italian deli. They offer over 150 different and massive sandwiches on crusty Italian bread—from a simple, but favorite, mozzarella and peppers to hot sopressata, Bel Paese cheese and green olive paste. But don’t get too full— the cannoli are “to die for.”Little Cupcake Bakeshop
9102 Third Ave., 718-680-4465
This is every child’s (or grown-up’s) dream. Small cupcakes ($2 each) with frothy icing in a rainbow of colors fill the cases, on top of which sit massive three-layer cakes such as Brooklyn Blackout and Southern Red Velvet ($4.75 a slice or $24 to $38 a cake). Grown-ups can indulge their caffeine cravings with Illy coffee concoctions.Nino’s Pizza
9110 Third Ave., 718-680-0222
There’s a pizzeria on almost every block, but if you have to choose one, it should be Nino’s, and their “Gran MaMa” slice ($2.50 slice/$16 pie), a crispy ultra-thin square that stays rigid even when slathered with tomato sauce, mozzarella and olive oil. Other favorites are the vodka pizza, ($3 slice/$19 pie) and the grilled chicken Caesar($3 slice/$19 pie). The specialties, such as Sicilian rice balls ($3), are enticing, too.Frank & Eddie’s Meat Market
302 82nd St. 718-836-9600 and 7502 Third Ave., 718-836-4168
This is where the locals go for excellent meats, fresh bread, authentic deli sandwiches, prepared salads and the kind of attentive service you’re never going to get in a Subway or
supermarket. Take home Frank & Eddie’s interesting homemade sausages, such as the small lamb sausages with wine ($4.23 a pound) and sweet pork sausages with cheese and parsley ($4.53 a pound).Samia’s Mediterranean Food Products
7922 Third Ave., 718-748-3337
A glass case in the back is filled with prepared Middle Eastern specialties, such as savory pilaf dotted with chickpeas or cigar-shaped cabbage rolls stuffed with rice, veggies and more (most for $5 a pound). This warehouse-like store features haphazard arrangements of phyllo desserts drizzled with honey, large vats of olives, and olive oils, nuts, spices, and pitas galore.My Thai
7803 Third Ave., 718-833-1700
According to the menu, this is “a little spot for all your mango needs,” and, indeed you can have a mango mojito, mango chicken ($13), mango salad ($7) and, for dessert, mango sticky rice (fresh mango with sweet coconut sticky rice for $7). Not mad for mango? You can order Singaporean vermicelli ($9-11), old favorites such as Pad Thai ($9-11) and My Thai pancakes ($4) fried in coconut butter and a true, Malaysian street eat.Tanoreen
7704 Third Ave., 718-748-5600
With its rave reviews and 25 Zagat rating, Tanoreen has put Bay Ridge on every NYC foodie’s map. Palestinian chef-owner Rawia Bishara creates ample, singular dishes that are a tribute to her mother’s cooking in Nazareth, using signature “tanoreen spices,” an irreproducible mix of nine spices. The reasonably priced menu changes daily, but try to get a lamb fetteh, fried pita chips topped with moist chunks of lamb, thick yogurt, roasted pine nuts and, of course, “tanoreen spices.” Note: The restaurant will soon move to 7523 Third Ave.Casper Polish-American Delicatessen
8122 Third Ave., 718-238-6894
Links of kielbasa, shelves of plum preserves, 25-cent sweets with untranslatable wrappers revealing liquor infused chocolate inside—these are just some of the cool comestibles at Casper’s “Polsky Delikatesy.” All kielbasa are pork and vary in degrees of smokiness and spiciness. An 18-inch link of typical Polish podwawelska ($4.99 a pound) and “mountain style” goralska ($5.49 a pound) cry out for dark bread, mustard and beer.Anapoli Family Restaurant
6920 Third Ave., 718-748-3863
A Bay Ridge staple, this diner/ice cream parlor typifies the neighborhood’s laid-back, family-friendly appeal. Tile floors, pretty vintage-green walls, a long counter, and an outdoor “garden cafe” make this a charming place to meet a friend for a classic BLT ($4.95), a hot open brisket sandwich ($8.45) or a double old-fashioned sundae for only $3.70—less than you’d pay for a child-sized scoop at Ben & Jerry’s.Nordic Delicacies, Inc.
6909 Third Ave., 718-748-1874
Bay Ridge was known as Little Norway through the 1960s, before construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge caused public outcry among residents, who up and left. Yet Norwegians return to stock up on fiskeballer (canned fishballs), krumkaker (classic Scandinavian cookies), vats of lingonberries, and Mrs. Olson’s potato lefse ($5.95), pancakes you can microwave and spread with cloudberry preserves and a dab of butter. You can also buy Norse tchotchkes, such as tiny trolls and T-shirts.
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Get the most out of your wine
For the 25th anniversary edition of his “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course” book, wine expert Kevin Zraly traveled to 20 countries and tasted 4,000 wines. We asked him for wine tasting and buying advice even a novice can decipher.
Tasting wine
Zraly suggests placing your hand over your glass before smelling and tasting it. “It locks in the aroma, enhancing it about 10 times,” he said.“Smell is the most important thing when it comes to wine,” he said.
“It all goes back to the limbic system, the oldest part of our brain, where the pleasure comes from,” he said. “That’s a memory bank and a pleasure bank. Smell evokes memory and it also helps people remember the wines.”
To decant or not to decant?
When wine is decanted it’s given time to breathe before consumed. But it doesn’t necessarily taste better. In a decanting experiment Zraly did for New York Magazine in the 1970s, all the taste-testers said the best wine was the one that was opened and served immediately.“I think it’s OK to decant — it’s not going to hurt the wine, unless it’s an older one. You have to be very careful about decanting an older bottle of wine,” he said. “But most of the time people don’t drink old wines, and the decanter looks nice — it’s more for the show,” he said.
Suggested serving temperatures
White wines are often served too cold, and red wines too warm, Zraly said.“I prefer my reds at 63 to 65 degrees,” he said.
Lighter reds should be served cooler, and heavier white wines should be served a bit warmer.
“Say you have a really big, oaky, California Chardonnnay. That’s almost a red masquerading as a white, so it should be served at the same temperature as a red,” he said. “You’d want a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc to be colder.”
But even cold white wines shouldn’t be served right out of the fridge.
“A refrigerator is a bit too cold,” Zraly said. “Your fridge is probably about 40 degrees, and you want the whites to be about 45 degrees. So keep it out to warm it up a little bit.”
Ordering at a restaurant
Zraly’s No. 1 rule for wines at a restaurant: “Don’t spend a lot of money.”“A restaurant is not the place to experiment,” he said. “The mark-up can be outrageous.”
Zraly doesn’t spend more than $75 for a bottle, even at formal restaurants.
For wines sure to please a table full of diverse palates, Zraly suggested Pinot Noir, which pairs nicely with food. “If I was blindfolded and tasted it, I’d think it was a white. It’s very versatile and goes with chicken, fish, vegetables, steak — everything.”
For those who prefer white wines, Zraly recommended Sauvignon Blanc. “It’s much less expensive than Chardonnay and people really like it,” he said.
But don’t be afraid to ask your server for suggestions, he said.
Best values at the wine store
“The best values in the world are in the $10-$20 range,” Zraly said. “People always ask for under-$10 deals, but if you’re willing to spend $5 more you’ll get something great.”His top-two recommendations: Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and Malbec from Argentina, both under $20. “A lot of it has to do with the value of the land,” he said. “It’s about what you pay for an acre in Argentina vs. an acre in Napa.”
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Germs lurk on subways, but trains still safe to ride
Germs always get a free ride on the subways, but swine flu is making straphangers particularly alarmed about catching more than the train to work.
“I am worried all the time,” said Nicole Wilson, 27, a rider from Rosedale, Queens. “I don’t want to come home to my kids with germs from the train.”
In this climate of swine-flu fear, a sniffly passenger is seen as public enemy No. 1. Just Monday, two women riding on the D train came to blows in Manhattan after one coughed without covering her mouth, said Lawrence Delevingne, a blogger who intervened and later reported the incident on the Business Insider news site.
“There’s just tremendous tensions about swine flu,” Delevingne said.
New Yorkers can take smart steps to manage those tensions. Clouds of bacteria lurk on the subways and buses, but the answer isn’t to avoid the subway .
“The subway air is pretty clean. The problem is the other people,” said Norman Pace, a microbiologist studying city subway air.
Bacteria rise with heat and are emitted in plumes when someone sneezes. Having someone sneeze or cough in your face can make you sick, with germs able to travel at least three feet, said Georges Benjamin, director of the American Public Health Association.
“Absolutely they can catch something. That’s why we try to aggressively get people to cover their mouths,” Benjamin said.
Bacteria can live on surfaces from hours to days depending on humidity, said Laura Baumgartner, a microbiologist studying the city subways. Germs generally survive on plastics, such as the subway seats, longer than metal subway poles and station handrails, she said.
Strains of flu, including H1N1, are generally not contagious after 24 hours, and someone who is ill should do everyone a favor by staying home, said Dr. Albert Levy, assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The city Department of Health is urging commuters to wash their hands and cough into their elbows. A spokeswoman stressed that the subway are safe.
Subway ridership tanked during a flu epidemic in 1918, when the city health commissioner stated that the disease was rampant on the subways. Current ridership has fallen since last year, but the MTA attributes the slump to the economy, not swine flu fears.
Phoebe Kingsak contributed to this story.
Preventing subway sickness
If you’re not sick:
- Wash your hands or use sanitizer after leaving the train
- Don’t rub your face or eyes with your hands
- Get a flu shot
If you are sick:
- Don’t ride the train if you are feeling ill
- Sneeze into your elbow or hand
- Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever breaks
Source: CDC(Photo by RJ Mickelson/amNY)
Tags: mta, nyc transit, subway
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Art and nature come together at Storm King
Mark di Suvero's work is displayed against a beautiful backdrop.
For art lovers looking to escape the stuffiness of the city’s gallery scene or anyone looking for a quiet, meditative respite from the urban jungle, there is no better day trip than Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, N.Y.
But you’ll want to move quickly, as the center closes for the winter on Nov. 15. (It reopens in the spring.)
Located just about an hour north of the city, Storm King is surrounded by beautiful Orange County scenery and mountains.
The center’s 500 acres of landscaped fields and woodlands provide the perfect backdrop for more than 100 large-scale sculptures by artists such as Richard Serra, Ursula von Rydingsvard and Alexander Calder.
WHAT TO SEE
There is a narrated tram that circles the entire park, but you will want to get up close to the sculptures to fully appreciate them.
Among the must-see works is “Wave Field,” a site-specific series of man-made hills in the corner of the park created by Maya Lin, the architectural artist best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Also impressive are the mammoth metal sculptures by Mark di Suvero that are stunningly highlighted in the fall by the changing colors of the trees in the south field. (At 65 feet high, however, it’s hard to miss di Suvero’s towering “Pyramidian,” the open-frame metal sculpture he worked on for more than 10 years.)
Inside Storm King’s French Normandy-style museum and visitor center there are smaller works, including Lin’s “Bodies of Water,” a collection of working models for “Wave Field.”
WHeRE TO EAT
You can enjoy an alfresco meal at one of many tree-shaded picnic tables.
On the weekends, check out the outdoor cafe for light lunch and snacks.GETTING THERE
The Storm King Art Center is accessible via car and public transportation. The Coach USA bus line offers roundtrip service to Storm King for $44, including admission, which is $10.
Buses depart at 10 a.m. from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and leave Storm King at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and weekends.RETAIL THERAPY
After you’ve gotten your share of culture, you might want to do your part to help the economy. The much-heralded Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is a 15-minute drive from Storm King. In addition to outlet staples such as Gap and Ann Taylor, Woodbury Commons boasts designer stores such as Chanel, Balenciaga, Prada and La Perla. But don’t expect the prices to be slashed too low at the higher-end boutiques. While you can walk out of the Crate and Barrel outlet with a $20 chair, a Chanel handbag can still cost you a few thousand dollars.
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Holiday Inn gets a new look
If you’ve stayed at a Holiday Inn recently, you’ve probably noticed that the brand has undergone a bit of a facelift.
In an effort to give its locations a more modern feel, the hotel chain has refreshed its guest rooms with new bedding, new lighting in the welcome area and redesigned brand signage. So far, 1,378 hotels around the world have relaunched, 1,216 of them in the Americas (you can go to holidayinn.com to see if your next vacation destination has a relaunched property).
“There’s a very noticeable difference,” said Peter McNamee, general manager of the Holiday Inn Manhattan Sixth Avenue. “People are saying this is not what I’m used to from a Holiday Inn.”
McNamee said the most visible changes are in the rooms. One major improvement is that pillows come in two comfort levels, “soft” and “firm.”
McNamee credits the upgrades to helping Holiday Inn stay vibrant while other hotels suffer. “We actually opened right before the market started declining. It’s really helped us build a leg up. We’ve been able to capture a fair share, and that has a lot to do with the new image,” he said.
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For mayoral candidates, it's now all about turnout
Thousands of hands have been shaken, hours of speeches have been made and multi-million dollar TV ads have been repeated on an endless loop.
Now it all comes down to the ground game.
Both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller Bill Thompson will focus today on getting their supporters to the polls, a mean feat in what has proven to be a less than blockbuster campaign.
“I think it’s going to be a very low turnout race,” said Kenneth Sherrill, a political science professor at Hunter College. “Who benefits from that is very difficult to predict.”
Voters interviewed this week gave the two-term mayor high marks for his record on crime and education, but criticized him for going against voter wishes and extending term limits and for rising fees and taxes.
Thompson was praised as a champion for the middle class, even though many voters said they knew little about him.
“(Bloomberg) violated the trust of the people,” said Brian Wilson, 48, of Brooklyn, referring to the mayor’s flip-flop on term limits. “He’s already had eight years and I think he’s setting a really bad precedent.”
Juan Lugo, 64, of the Bronx, a Bloomberg backer, said public safety is his primary motivation for voting. “Bloomberg has done a lot of good,” he said. “I feel safer on the streets because of him.”
Bloomberg, running on the Republican and Independence lines, will rely on 5,000 volunteers and his campaign is expected to knock on 100,000 doors Tuesday, officials said.
Thompson, the Democrat, is backed by a handful of key unions and the Working Families Party, which will look to traditional Democratic activists. The campaign said it will mobilize 2,000 volunteers Tuesday.
“This race will depend on turnout,” said Eddy Castell, Thompson’s campaign manager. “It’s important for us to close strong: mail, phone calls, canvassing.”
Bloomberg -- who leads 50 to 38 percent according to a Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday – has been preaching the same message.“We’ve got to tell every single voter we meet that we can’t take this election for granted,” he told volunteers.
Chris James and Phoebe Kingsak contributed to this story
