78thand2nd

The Laurel Rises, Rolls Out The Glass

The Laurel, 67th and 1st

Back in August we took in the beginnings of luxury condo development The Laurel (67th and 1st) which at the time was hard at work on its 6th floor. Much has changed (above, The Laurel over the weekend). Besides cranking out about 20 more floors and hauling out the glass for the bottom levels, they've hung one huge-ass banner pointing out its sales office. Well done.

The Laurel is also the development that's been touting the plans it has for its "bi-level fitness and triathlon training center" -- which sounds to me like they're trying to tell 255 that their forthcoming Equinox gym is “cute.”

The building is set for occupancy in the fall.

Triathletes Lured to Upper East Side Development [NY Sun]
The Upper East Side's Other Great Tower Race [Curbed]
Official Site [Laurelcondominium.com]

DOH Sweeps Upper East Side

Iron Sushi, 78th and 1st, recently visited by Dept of Health

The Dept of Health has been hard at work on the UES in the past month, checking in on spots like Starbucks, Tasti D Lite, Banshee Pub, Iron Sushi and Tang Tang Noodle.

If you haven't had the pleasure of a meal at Tang Tang Noodle (76th and 3rd), now's not the time to give the place a whirl.  The team there has the dubious honor of raking in the most violation points (72) in the recent sweep.  The violations?  The included "evidence of flying insects or live flying insects present in facility's food and/or non-food areas and evidence of rats or live rats present in facility's food and/or non-food areas." Lili's Noodle (on 3rd btwn 84th and 85th) was a close second with 70 violations, and Sushi Go Go (on 2nd btwn 85th and 86th) with 69.

So, who was nailed for having mice and/or rats? Besides the above three, evidence (rat shit i'm guessing?) was also found at Szechuan Kitchen, Falafel & More, Tasti D Lite, 71st Cafe, Paris Match Bistro, Iron Sushi, Stargate Diner, The Back Page, Il Vagabondo, Marco Polo Pizza, Dorrian's and Angel's Restaurant.

Turquoise (81st and 2nd) had zero violations.

UES or UWS: What's Cheaper?

Are rental prices on the Upper East Side more expensive than on the Upper West Side? Real estate guru Barbara Corcoran fielded questions via the Daily News and had this to say:

When I first started selling apartments in the 1970s, prices on the East Side were exactly double those on the West Side.

I wish I had bought on the West Side then. Today it's cheaper to rent on the upper East Side than on the upper West Side.

For example, the average studio there is $180 less per month than the same studio you'd rent on the upper West Side. Co-ops are also cheaper on the East Side by about $100 a square foot.

But condominiums on the upper West Side cost less than those on the East Side. West Side condos now sell around $1,400 a square foot, whereas condos on the East Side are above $1,600 a square foot, and prices are quickly going up.

Programs for first-time minority buyers [Daily News]

Restaurant Week 2008

We're in the midst of Restaurant Week 2008 which is running now through Jan 25 and Jan 28 - Feb 1. Fixed prices are set at $24.07 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner. Below, some relevant links:

· Official Website [NYCVisit]
· NYC Restaurant Week [OpenTable]
· Restaurant Week Suggestions [EdLevineEats]
· Restaurant Week Winter 2008 [About]
· Why I Hate Restaurant Week [Gridskipper]

Congestion Plans Mulled

Congestion plans took the stage Wednesday night during the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission's open forum at Hunter College. The commission is considering several proposals, including the mayor's initial plan to charge drivers $8 for traveling below 86th Street. The panel will recommend one or more of the plans to the state by the end of the month according to reports. More information on the commission's interim report can be found here www.nysdot.gov and coverage on the forum below.

More:
Public sounds off on congestion pricing plans [NY1]
New York congestion hearing draws scores [Newsday]
Lawmakers still unsure of congestion plan [WNYC]

Persephone Opens On 60th

Persephone has just flung open its doors on East 60th, according to tipster Scott. Below a "Restaurant Openings" review from New York Magazine:

Persephone
"Two decades ago, long before the current Greek Revival, Nicola Kotsoni and Steve Tzolis opened Periyali, the Flatiron restaurant that made its name with charcoal-grilled octopus and phyllo-wrapped salmon. Later this week, the partners expand uptown, where, with a shipment of Athenian light fixtures and Matisse prints, they’ve converted the short-lived Greek restaurant Retsina into Persephone. Periyali chef James Henderson will oversee this kitchen as well, orchestrating a menu full of classics like Greek meatballs in tomato sauce and yogurt, the requisite pikilia-spread sampler, and seafood prepared somewhat in the traditional manner of lamb yiouvetsi, with orzo in a saffron tomato broth (pictured). And where Retsina specialized in that resin-flavored oenological oddity for which it was named, Persephone will offer a full Greek wine list and a selection of ouzo-based cocktails." (from NY Magazine)

Persephone, 115 E. 60th St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-339-8363

Traffic Congestion Committee To Meet

The commission set up to recommend ways to alleviate traffic congestion and raise money for city transit has put together its report and will now hold hearings to give all of us a chance to weigh in. If you want to share your thoughts about ways to reduce traffic and fund transit improvements, this is your chance. 

The hearing is Wednesday, January 16th starting at Hunter College's Kaye auditorium at 4 p.m.

To sign up for the hearing click here.

Recovery Expected For Window Washer Who Fell

Alcides Moreno fell 47 stories from an UES apartment building on 66th Street last month, and is expected to live.  Moreno is in the midst of a final series of operations and then set to undergo a lengthy rehab.

According to the Times.

"Optimistic though they were, the doctors tempered their discussion of Mr. Moreno’s prospects with some pragmatism. He will undergo surgery on Friday to stabilize his spine. Sometime after that, he faces one last orthopedic operation. Then there will be long months in rehabilitation.

But they predicted that his recovery would be complete in about a year.

Asked at the news conference whether Mr. Moreno would walk again, (said Dr. Philip S. Barie, the chief of the division of critical care at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center) said “We believe so, yes.” He noted that Mr. Moreno’s pelvis had not been injured in the fall. Dr. Barie also said that all the injuries to Mr. Moreno’s legs — some 10 fractures — had been “repaired” except one.

“Our goal is not just survival, but functional survival,” Dr. Barie said."

UES Wine Bar Suggestions?

Have a strong opinion on neighborhood wine bars (in the 60s, specifically)? A Chowhounder post are in need of "a relaxed wine bar in the 50's or 60's on the East Side."

More:
Upper East Side/Midtown East Wine Bar Suggestion? [Chowhound]
Bar Vespa Unveils Its Shiny Redness, Enoteca Di Leonardo Opens [78thand2nd]
UES Wine Bar Trend Continues [78thand2nd]
The (Almost) UES Wine Bar Trend [78thand2nd]

NY Times Points Out Virgin Mobile F-Up

The Times has done a round-up on some of the advertising world's high and low points of the past year. Included is the Virgin Mobile campaign from the summer, maybe best known for its eastside/westside faux pas.

VIRGIN MOBILE A campaign for Virgin Mobile USA sought to celebrate New York with posters tailored to a score of city neighborhoods. But many residents judged the ads to be patronizing or condescending.

Worse, some posters for the Upper West Side of Manhattan, mocking the Upper East Side, wound up — you guessed it — on the Upper East Side. That is like confusing Zabar’s and Zegna. Agency: McKinney & Silver, Durham, N.C., part of Havas.

A Year for Quick Hits and Fast Flops as Campaigns Broke New Ground  [NY Times]
Virgin Mobile UES Ad Lame, Stereotypes Should Have Been Better [78thand2nd]