The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 14, NUMBER 12 DECEMBER 2018 $1.00 Gourmet Garage Dies as Rent Hits One Million By George Capsis Andy Arons and Adam Hartman as they dis- cussed what was then their sixth store. A couple of people called me to say Gour- met Garage was closing—wow! WestView News: How is the business doing? Sure, I, who grew up in the Depression, Andy Arons: Really well. found the prices larcenous, but the breads were good and if you didn’t want to travel WVN: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and up to Trader Joe’s—that was about it... Fresh Direct have arrived in Manhattan And bang—when you read this they will since you opened. Our restaurant reviewer be closed. Gone. David Porat has written that New Yorkers Why? Money of course. They have been want quality food but don’t always have buried under a scaffold for months as the time to cook, hence the demand for quality building owner creates luxury apartments. prepared foods. How has this affected you? We interviewed the very nice manager Andy Arons: Yes, it is a very competitive busi- Michael Rafferty who already has a number ness and we can no longer offer wholesale of job offers on the table. To our question low prices. Many other stores have closed. “Why?” came the loss of business by being We are among the few locally-owned gro- scaffold-hidden and loss of traffic with the ceries remaining, and this is our strength. It gym closed, and then he couldn’t stop him- is our relationship with the customer that self—the rent will go to near one million. sets us apart. We have loyal employees who OK, OK, many readers may understand get to know the customers. We all live in A SAD GOODBYE TO GOURMET GARAGE: Gourmet Garage has closed, and according to West Village apartment landlords who New York City for a reason–it is a more Eu- the store manager, the reason was that it never recovered from the temporary closure in will keep a shop or apartment vacant for August 2017. (The store closed for a couple of months while construction was being done ropean experience as opposed to a big box months, waiting for their price, creating to install columns to reinforce the building in order to add additional floors for new residen- experience. And we hope this resonates with Bleecker Street vistas. tial apartments.) Photo Credit © Joel Gordon 2018—All rights reserved. customers and that they want to support the Trader Joe’s has an office that receives local economy. suggestions from would-be customers to later they will build one in the West Village What follows is an interview conducted two build a market near them—and sooner or and other smaller markets will close. years ago with happy words from joint owners Unfortunately, their hope was not prophetic. Doctors and Diagnosis—Short an Operating Room By Siggy Raible getting as close to the patient as possible by fied family nurse practitioner, reports that affiliated.) having a neighborhood hospital—and then Northwell just opened a walk-in medical What happens is if you are like my friend What follows is one reader’s very accurate por- the patient should be as close to actual treat- suite of offices offering specialists in the (she’s the one who needed an emergency trait of a typical emergency situation. ment as possible, i.e. the operating room, from major medical disciplines. The only prob- appendectomy) and you’re unable to secure What seems to be left out in talking about the diagnosis. lem is that if you happen to have a true a bed in the hospital where your doctors are the logistics of getting a patient from 13th Hospitals are not obsolete. (And she even medical emergency requiring surgery, like affiliated and you are in so much pain that Street to Lenox Hill is the pain and anxiety complains about the cab fare going home—this an appendectomy, those specialists will not you want the whole thing to be over with, of the patient. I know because I had an identi- is the real feeling about not having a local hos- be able to treat your emergency at LIJ’s you agree to be treated at LIJ’s real hospital cal experience. I had a bowel blockage and I pital after having one for more than a century!) Greenwich Village Emergency Depart- located at 77th Street and Lexington Ave- was continuously vomiting. They put me in —George Capsis ment because it is not equipped to treat nue. We spent a total of 10/11 hours, she in an ambulance and in heavy traffic on pothole that specific emergency. So why is it called agonizing pain—we waited to be examined replete streets made the nightmare journey to I write to you concerning Joy Pape’s article an Emergency Department?! I honestly at Lenox’s Emergency Department at Sev- Lenox Hill. entitled “Northwell Returns Doctors to St. don’t know. (And good luck with trying to enth Avenue and 13th Street, we spent an It seems to me that good medicine starts by Vincent Site.” Ms. Pape, as a board certi- get into a hospital where your doctors are continued on page 7 Oh Holy Night! Autograph Hound “TheWestView Duck?” ChristmasChristmas Eve Eve Concert Concert Childhood escapades Birdwatchers city-wide Special performance at of New York City have been flocking to St. John’s in the Village autograph chasers in Central Park for a rare 220 West 11th Street the 1950s. look at “the Duck.” December 24 8:00 pm SEE PAGE 27 SEE PAGE 23 WestView News invites you to relive the magic of that Christmas Eve in 1818 when the world’s most loved carol, Silent Night, was first written and performed in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. 8pm, Christmas Eve Join in singing the music that makes Christmas, and enjoy a festive reception of of Glühwein, other winter-warmer drinks, and sweetmeats Host and Narrator: Father Graeme Napier, Rector of St John’s in the Village Sung by: the New York Weihnachtschor of young professional singers from NYC music colleges. Soloist: Katrin Buike, soprano, from Salzburgerland, the home of Silent Night. Songs include: 0 Holy Night, White Christmas, God rest ye merry gentlemen, and all your Christ mas favorites Tickets $20 Free to Seniors and Children Booking is essential (first come first served) at stjvny.org or 212 243 6192. St. John’s in the Village, 218 West 11th Street (corner of W 11th St and Waverly Place) (fully heated and ADA accessible) 2 WestView News December 2018 www.westviewnews.org WestView Published by WestView, Inc. WestViews by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher Surprise!!! arms about the lack of hospital services for the to me was that although my insurer, Oscar, Executive Editor Since I retired, my life has been ALL about various communities affected by St. Vincent’s said “it would be covered” before the emer- George Capsis ME. Writing poetry and imbibing music fill closure. I believe pressure should be applied gency procedure, they really meant covered Managing Editors me up. I take writing classes and workshops to our state assembly persons and senators as by my out-of-network $14,500 deductible! Kim Plosia well as our city council members, especially Liza Whiting and am kinder to those people I feel are kinder —Steve Hicks Councilmember Cory Johnson. Especially in Associate Editors to me. I haven’t worked much as a team player, Hi Mr. Hicks, Andrew Buemi, Justin Matthews, and a bit of me misses pitching in. But, I was a view of the fact that Beth Israel is downsizing. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Anne Olshansky greeter and handed out flyers for Music at St. Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts In looking into your bill for our services, I Art Director Veronica’s three times this past season. I en- with you and the West Village readers. understand that you have subscribed to a Kim Plosia joyed exchanging smiles, and being surround- Since it is the season for giving thanks, health insurance plan with a high deductible Advertising Manager and Designer ed by a group of music-loving neighbors. I want to thank you for your long-time in- which is why your out of pocket cost is equal Stephanie Phelan Once I listened to a professional orchestra volvement in the community and especially to that amount. We cannot waive or reduce a Photo Editor play Dvorak and Mendelssohn in the quiet for your efforts in saving St. Veronica from patient’s deductible as this is dictated by your Darielle Smolian and grandeur of a two-hundred year old private development. I have enjoyed the health insurance plan, however we may be few classical concerts held there and was Traffic Manager sanctuary. It was what I needed. As Geof- able to provide financial assistance. Liza Whiting frey Latham observed: Music is the vernacu- happy to be a part of what Psalm 100 asks Please understand that bills for emergency lar of the human soul. Lucky lucky me. of us … to “make a joyful noise.” departments are billed at emergency depart- Photographers Thank you for your service to the com- Maggie Berkvist I donated a few smiles and was trans- ment rates. Our rates are similar to that of Joel Gordon ported centuries in time. Miraculously, munity and all the best for the holidays.