PARK SLOPE READER WINTER 2021 #75

2 | park slope Reader

PARK SLOPE READER | 3





8 | PARK SLOPE READER

contents

winter 20/21

| 12 | Brooklyn Roots | by Kara Goldfarb |

The Battle for 227 Abolitionist Place

In This Fight to Preserve History, Black Lives and Black Landmarks Matter (Part Two)

| 16 | Reader Profile | by Sally Kohn |

Maya Wiley Is Running for Mayor

of New York City

“We all see the world from the prism of our experience. The question is: How broad are

our experiences? How deep are they?” Maya Wiley framed this fundamental question

over the phone in the Fall of 2020, just weeks after announcing her groundbreaking —

and unconventional — candidacy to be the next mayor of New York City.

| 20 | Dispatches from Babyville | by Nicole Caccavo Kear |

Dear Subway

It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, I know. Nine months, to be exact. In the

period of time since my last ride, I could have gestated a human life. I’ve gestated human

lives on three different occasions so I know how long of a span that is. It’s an eternity. I

miss you, subway.

| 24 | Living in the time of the Pandemic | by Kara Goldfarb |

A True & Genuine Companionship

There has been one positive outcome in response to the isolation fatigue in Brooklyn

and on a national scale. With flexible work schedules, more time at home, and a universal

desire for companionship, one notable response has been a startling increase

in dog adoptions.

| 27 | Living in the time of the Pandemic | by Sofia Pipolo |

The Park Slope Puppy Boom

The overall mental health and wellbeing of our neighborhood has shifted due to the

Covid-19 Pandemic. With new stresses, a global financial crisis, and loved ones lost,

there is much that can’t be replaced. Through it all, many of us have found solace in our

new and old pets. Because individuals and families are spending more time at home

than ever before, Park Slope has seen a “Puppy Boom.”

| 30 | Art | by Julia DePinto |

Art and the City: Public Art Unveils

Controversy in the City

Public art is rarely considered by art critics to be “good” art. Seldom does it arrive without

a myriad of complications. Aside from often being overly symbolic or kitsch, public

art is largely taxpayer-funded, governed by private capital, and decided on by a panel of

bureaucrats.

| 36 | Real Estate | by Lindsay Owens |

Finding The One

Making a decision on a home isn’t easy and doesn’t come without a liberal

case of butterflies in your stomach, but fear of missing out on something

better can really lead to missing out in general. So how can this be

avoided? Three words: Trust. Your. Gut.

| 39 | Slope Survey |

Dave “The Spazz” Abramson

The Slope Survey returns for its 18th installment with local resident and radio personality

Dave Abramson.


Prospect Park

is your Park

Become a Member Today

Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s backyard. Become a member of

Prospect Park Alliance, and be part of the driving force that keeps

the park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call

Brooklyn home. As a member, your support makes a critical

difference to the park’s vitality and our quality of life.

prospectpark.org/join


park slOpe reader

CONTRIBUTORS

WINTER 20/21

BROOKLYNS FINEST

executive editor

Paul English

layout & design

Lafayette Gleason

Kara Goldfarb is a Brooklyn based

freelance writer

Nicole Caccavo Kear contributes

regularly to Parents and American Baby,

as well as Salon and Babble in between

her dispatches at the Reader. You can

keep up with her misadventures in

Mommydom on her blog, A Mom

Amok (amomamok.com). A native of

Brooklyn, she lives in the Slope with

her three firecracker kids, one very

patient husband, and an apparently

immortal hermit crab.

Sally Kohn is a writer, activist, public

speaking coach and the author of The

Opposite Of Hate: A Field Guide To

Repairing Our Humanity. She lives in

Park Slope with her partner, daughter

and dog.

office manager

Sofia Pipolo

Design Support

Molly Lane

Photography

Paul English

Distribution

ReaderVerse

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BE A READER

FRONT COVER ART:

SUGAR

By Grace Baley

As a life long New Yorker, Grace

Baley credits the mosaics and

murals found underground in

subway stations as a source of

inspiration. The majority of her

work is fabricated using glass,

ceramic and cement. She often

collaborates with architects,

interior designers and collectors

in creating site-specific work

and custom portraits. Finished

pieces are available for purchase

by contacting the artist, and can

also be found displayed in retail

shops throughout the city. She

is offering a 15% discount for

pet portraits of adopted rescues

through the end of the year.

Grace received her BFA from

NYU and subsequently earned a

Masters degree in education. She

resides in Brooklyn with her two

daughters and their two rescue

dogs from Puerto Rico,

Jade and Benny.

Lindsay Owens riginally from

London, Lindsay moved to Park Slope

in 2010. After delivering countless

babies (she’s a former midwife) she

delivers homes, working as a real

estate agent with Compass in Brooklyn

and Manhattan. She can be reached

at lindsay.owen@compass.com for all

things real estate related and maybe a

cup of tea. Brits love tea!

Sofia Pipolo is an independent filmmaker

and writer, graduated from

Marymount Manhattan College. Her

interest in both media and social outreach

allows her to think and create

diversely.She covers stories on art,

culture, and community businesses for

Park Slope Reader, Give Me Astoria,

AFTRPRTY, and other publications.

Her portfolio can be found atsofiapipolo.wordpress.com.

Julia DePinto is a Brooklyn-based

visual artist and writer. An interest in

visual culture, storytelling, and global

politics have led Julia to connect to

her community through journalism.

She engages artists, activists, and

the general public through on-thestreet

interviews, reporting, and

documenting political events. Julia

received an MFA in Interdisciplinary

Studio Arts from the University

of Connecticut and has attended

residencies in the US, Iceland and

Spain. She is currently an Artist

in Residence at Trestle Projects in

Brooklyn, NY.

Dean Russo was born and raised in

Brooklyn, NY where he currently

works and resides. He has studied

graphic design and fine arts at Pratt

Institute and The School of Visual

Arts in NYC. Being an animal lover

Dean started his career creating soulful

animal portraits in his signature style

that has evolved over a period of 10

years and as a professional musician

Dean has been inspired to paint

portraits of influential music icons.

Street Art has been a major influence

in Dean’s technique, with mediums

that include spray paint, collage and

original hand cut stencils. Dean’s most

recent portraits give life to each subject

through the use of depth, color and

movement. He continues to create for

collectors worldwide and for his own

personal portfolio.


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[ BROOKLYN ROOTS ]

THE BATTLE FOR

227 ABOLITIONIST PLACE

In This Fight to Preserve History, Black Lives and Black Landmarks Matter (Part Two)

IN MID JULY, THE LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF NEW YORK CITY HELD A PUBLIC HEARING. IT TOOK

PLACE OVER ZOOM DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. HAD IT BEEN IN PERSON, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PACKED

ROOM. FOR NEARLY THREE HOURS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY GAVE TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 1 ON THE

DOCKET, LP-2645, ALSO KNOWN AS THE PROPOSAL TO GIVE LANDMARK STATUS TO 227 DUFFIELD STREET.

BY KARA GOLDFARB

The battle for 227 Duffield Street has been ongoing (a deeper history

is chronicled in part one of this series.) During a virtual Landmark

Preservation Commission (LPC) meeting at the end of June, the commission

calendared 227 for an official hearing on whether it should be

given Landmark Status. They then set that hearing for just two weeks

later. It may sound fast-moving for those familiar with NY bureaucracy

standards. On the other hand, those who have had a stake in this

fight might say it took closer to two decades.

In her testimony during the hearing, the Attorney General for New

York, Letitia James, said, “I’ve been involved in this effort to preserve

227 Duffield Street,” before stating that the building is “actually known

as 227 Abolitionist Place.” As previously reported, Duffield Street was

renamed Abolitionist Place in the Fall of 2007 to commemorate the

numerous buildings and people on the block active in the anti-slavery

movement during the Civil War era. As for 227, the building was

the home of two prominent abolitionists named Harriet and Thomas

Truesdell, and is long thought to have been part of the Underground

Railroad. That same year, the building was saved from demolition

when its owner Joy Chatel (lovingly known as “Mama Joy”), narrowly

won a court settlement in which the city agreed the property wouldn’t

be taken by eminent domain as part of the Downtown Brooklyn Development

Plan. However, the LPC’s decision to not landmark the


“Of course Black lives matter, of course Black landmarks

matters, they matter because Black people are

not just Black people. We are Americans. we are the

people who built this nation and so our history is second

to none.”

— Michael Henry Adams

home left it vulnerable for future developers to try the same thing

again. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.

So what’s happened between now and 2007?

In 2014, Joy Chatel passed away. A longtime champion of 227 Duffield’s

preservation, Chatel was responsible for drawing many activists

and organizations to the cause. Leading up to the 2007 settlement,

Chatel and Lewis Greenstein— whose property on Duffield Street

was also at risk of being seized and was also thought to be part of the

Underground Railroad, formed the Duffield Street Block Association.

They also connected with the activist group Families United for

Racial and Economic Justice.

Of those who spoke during the recent July hearing, few went without

mentioning “Mama Joy” Chatel in their testimonies. “She treated

me like a son. Her compassion is why I’m here right now,” said Local

activist Raul Rothblatt. In her fight to save 227 Duffield, Chatel created

a legacy of her own. “I believe her history should be included in

the LPC designation of 227 Duffield,” said Rothblatt.

In 2017, Samiel Hanasab, a developer, brought the property under

an entity called 227 Duffield Street Corp. And as feared when

the building was initially rejected for Landmark Preservation Status,

Hanasab applied for a demolition permit in the summer of 2019, citing

plans to replace the two-story building with a 13-story mixeduse

structure.

Though Chatel was no longer there, the momentum she helped


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build had not lost steam. Those still dedicated to 227’s preservation

held a rally outside of the Landmarks Commission building on Centre

Street in Manhattan in August 2019. In a Facebook event, organizers

called it an “Emergency Rally” and provided instructions on how

to contact Lisa Kersavage, the LPC’s Executive Director. As it Read:

“Tell her:

- Please do not demolish 227 Duffield Street, located in Downtown

Brooklyn

- We need to landmark 227 Duffield, because it is well-documented

that it was used as a meeting house for the abolitionist movement as

well as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

- We strongly believe that the site needs to be turned into a museum

to preserve this important historic contribution to the fight against

racism in the US.”

Calendaring a building for consideration is the first official step the

LPC takes in granting it Landmark Status. The Buildings Department

had approved Hanasab’s demolition permits, and the LPC hadn’t calendared

the Duffield home. So the sense of urgency was palpable.

And the campaign persevered on. A petition was was created, a Go-

FundMe page was set up, and the marches continued.

On February 22 of this year, during Black History Month, activists

organized another rally outside the Barclays Center. Together

they held a large sign that read, “Black Landmarks Matter,” with the

hashtag #Save227Duffield. On May 25, 2020, almost exactly three

months later, George Floyd was killed.

In that June meeting that took place over Zoom, the LPC voted

on calendaring 227 Duffield Street. The decision to do so was unanimous.

And that led to the July hearing.

Of the dozens of people who spoke and wrote letters, there was

one who testified on behalf of Hanasab: His lawyer, Garfield Heslop.

Heslop asserted that “no one is more attuned to historical significance

of the building as we are” and that “part of the development of the

property was the creation of a museum that would honor the legacy

of the building.” Rothblatt, however, disagreed, stating that “the new

owners have never reached out to any of the historical advocates.” He

added, “We have a vibrant community of people willing to save this

history and they have not shown any interest in that…as far as I can

tell they’ve had contempt.”

The hearing was a monumental step in this story. And, as the outpouring

of support it received made evident, one that many have been

waiting on for a long time. It was maybe best summated by a man

named Michael Henry Adams from Harlem, who was there at the beginning.

Adams said, “I’m gratified by the outcome today, finally, after

17 years.” But he didn’t neglect to mention the kind of destruction that

can be done when steps aren’t taken to preserve important landmarks

in a timely manner. Referencing recent comments made by Mayor

de Blasio about systemic racism throughout city departments beyond

the Police Department, Adams said he hopes this designation can be

an acknowledgement that, “justice delayed is justice denied.”

The timelines of the LPC hearing as it converged with the George

Floyd protests was undeniable. “Of course Black lives matter, of course

Black landmarks matters,” Adams said, continuing, “They matter because

Black people are not just Black people. We are Americans. we

are the people who built this nation and so our history is second to

none.”


New School. Wiley may not be a conventional candidate but she

is keenly aware of how city government works, how to manage

within it and what needs fixing to make us more fair and more

just. She obviously has the chops to do the job. She served as

the first Black woman to be Counsel to a New York City Mayor,

serving early in Bill de Blasio’s administration. And after leaving

in 2016, Chaired the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board,

sending the case of the officer who killed Eric Garner, former

Officer Daniel Panteleo, to the NYPD to get him off the force.

But the formative part of Wiley’s career was spent not just talking

about bold solutions to our biggest problems — but actually developing

them. When most politicians

were still struggling to

use words like “intersectional”

in a sentence, Wiley was

working with grassroots communities

and leading innovators

to actually put intersectionality

into practice — and

policy.

And that deep track record

from her past shows up in

her campaigning today. “I

am running because this city

can and must do more than

recover from Covid,” she told

me over the phone when we

spoke. “It must reimagine itself

as a place where we can all

live with dignity. That means

a place where we develop

without displacement. That

means a place where we put

the public back in public safety.

That means a place where

government is a partner and

not a pariah. That means a

place where communities of

concern get the investments

they need in order to become

whole.”

All of which Wiley insists is possible if we stop making bad

choices forcing unnecessary trade-offs between helping affluent

New Yorkers and Wall Street versus everyone else. “We can be

a city that holds onto what we all love about New York,” Wiley

says. “We love the fact that New York City is one of the most

diverse cities in the world. That brings so much culture and innovation

and makes us a place everyone wants to be. We have to

hold onto that. But we can’t do that unless we reimagine the city

as something that can include everyone.” In other words, Wiley

argues, we don’t have to choose between fairness for all versus

opportunity for some. There’s another way, where we “come

together and have a real, honest conversation about what will

make us stronger, what will make us more fair and more just…

and bring this city back even stronger.” Wiley points to exam-


ples where we can make the city government more principled

and more efficient and effective, invest in innovative affordable

housing strategies and infrastructure investments that benefit us

all.

But can we really do both? Yes, insists Wiley with her characteristic

mix of gumption and faith. “That’s why we need a non-traditional

leader. Because we always could do both. We just haven’t

had that option.”

Women of color in particular, Wiley explains, have never had

the luxury of just “sticking with the status quo or reacting to it.

We’ve always had to create.” She makes the case for why we need

more diverse and inclusive leadership not just based on principle

but practice — the real, concrete difference that leaders with

broader perspectives bring to the table.

“I don’t embody every other other,” Wiley explains, “but there’s

a recognition when you are forced by society, the way we’ve

structured society, to have to see many different experiences.

Not everybody is forced to do that, but if you are black and female

and have been fortunate enough to see what it’s like to be

in a segregated, overcrowded, underfunded public school and to

see what it’s like in a private school with small classrooms… to

have the privilege of living in a black neighborhood where folks

could barely get by and living uptown where people are living in

mini-mansions… you have a sense of what other experiences are


like.” Which, to Wiley, is the point. We have constructed a society

in which some of us, especially those of us often represented

in positions of leadership, are distinctly less likely and even

insulated from the experiences of others in our society. Electing

Black women leaders isn’t just important because it makes our

government look more like the people it represents but because

diverse leaders can actually understand the lives and needs of all

our communities. When we talk about leadership and say “experience

matters,” we also have to broaden our understanding of

experience. Actually having lived the plights of ordinary New

Yorkers should be a political prerequisite

for any leader professing solutions for

those plights.

de Blasio Administration — where she would ultimately experience

how the transformative potential of city government could

be wasted under an ineffective, visionless mayor — Wiley spoke

to then Politico-reporter Maggie Haberman about the move.

“You could have gone and made a million dollars,” Haberman

noted, asking why Wiley wanted to work in city government instead.

In response, Wiley shared a memory from her father. “[A] friend

of his once asked him, when do you stop, George? And his

Which also may be the doorway to a

different type of leadership altogether.

Wiley isn’t just positing herself as some

sort of singularly unique and therefore

singularly able savior, in the vein

of ego-centric messiah like political

figures before her. She wants to bring

her intersectional experiences and ideas

into governing but she doesn’t want to

stop there; she also wants to reimagine

governing to be inherently more inclusive,

participatory and transparent. To

this end, as part of her campaign Wiley

is organizing “People’s Assemblies”

that bring wide ranges of New Yorkers

together to discuss their priorities and

needs and challenges and concerns —

”no matter which candidate they support,”

Wiley notes — and come up with

shared solutions. “So we’re not just telling

folks, ‘Here’s what we’ll do for you.’

We’re starting a democratic practice of

coming together and having these conversations.”

In the first of these People’s Assemblies

on the subject of gun violence, participants

ranged from an Afro-Latina woman who grew up in public

housing and a white man who was a former cop. The conversation

— just the fact of them coming together and talking, and

the shared struggles and solutions they and others were able to

connect over — was, as Wiley describes it, “fantastic.” Several

more People’s Assemblies will be organized by the campaign in

the coming weeks and months.

“We’re not just asking for votes, we’re asking for community,

we’re asking for folks to be in conversation,” Wiley adds. In this

sense, Maya Wiley isn’t just a transformational candidate, she’s

also running a transformational campaign.

Which in so many ways makes sense given Wiley’s community

organizing roots. In 2014, as Wiley was preparing to work in the

Let’s hope Maya Wiley never stops fighting to bring her transformative

experiences and ideas — and the experiences and ideas of all

New Yorkers — to the fore. If that fight ultimately takes her to City

Hall, we’ll be a better city and a better community because of it.

answer was, When no one else is hungry. And his friend said,

Well, that’s never going to be the case. And he said, Well then

you never stop.”

Let’s hope Maya Wiley never stops fighting to bring her transformative

experiences and ideas — and the experiences and ideas

of all New Yorkers — to the fore. If that fight ultimately takes

her to City Hall, we’ll be a better city and a better community

because of it.



DISPATCHES FROM BABYVILLE

Dear Subway

Dear Subway,

It’s been a while since we’ve seen

each other, I know. Nine months, to

be exact. In the period of time since

my last ride, I could have gestated a

human life. I’ve gestated human lives

on three different occasions so I know

how long of a span that is. It’s an

eternity.

I know you’re still there, just like you

used to be. I can feel the vibrations of

your rumbling, four stories below me

when I sleep. And I know you’re pretty

safe to ride. I’ve heard the positive

reports of mask compliance. It’s not

that I’m intentionally trying to avoid

you. It’s just that I have no place to go.

Where would you even take me?

By Nicole Caccavo Kear • Artwork by Heather Heckel

My life has become hyper-local. I barely even leave my zip code anymore.

Park Slope has everything one might need, though not everything one

might want. But, these days, no one’s getting what they want, and plenty

aren’t getting what they need either. So, I’ve relied on my feet to take me

where I have to go. It’s worked well enough. Except . . .

I miss you, subway.

I miss your velocity. I miss your density, even. I miss your rattling, your

thundering, your lurching. I miss indecipherable announcements. I miss

“Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.” I miss darting through those closing

doors with my kids, and telling them the story of my friend Carli, from

high school. How, on our afterschool commute one day, she did not stand

clear of the closing doors, so they slammed shut on the straps of her

backpack and her super-long banana-colored hair. The train zoomed out

of the station, with her hair and her backpack on the outside of the car.

Carli thought it was hilarious. She did high kicks like a Rockette.

“Mom, you’ve told us that story a hundred times,” my kids would

say.

“I know, “ I’d always reply. “But it’s a good story.”

Subway, I miss your chance encounters, your platform churros, your

candy purveyors. I miss your potentiality, the assurance that absolutely

anything could happen.

I do not miss your track rats. I hate rats.

I also do not miss the mysterious piles of feces on your platforms,

which I always tell myself are animal turds, even though I suspect they

are of human origin - and what’s the difference really, right? Except, well,

there is a difference.

Still, even with your rats and mystery feces, subway, I can’t wait until

I see you again.

I’m sitting here, trying to think of my favorite moment we’ve shared.

The most memorable moment by far, was when my son, known in these

parts as Primo, my daughter, Seconda and I were leaping onto a G train,

coming home from Cobble Hill. Just as we were jumping on, a passenger

scrambled to get off. At the time, I wasn’t sure why he was rushing out of

his seat with such urgency but a moment later, it became clear, when he

vomited directly onto 7-year-old Primo’s T-shirt. The passenger made it

off, the train doors closed, and Primo, looking down at his chest, let forth

a bloodcurdling, horror-movie scream. We still think twice before getting

on the G train.

I also don’t miss the subway vomit.

Our relationship has spanned four decades and it’s hard to pick a

favorite moment. In my childhood, I had eye-opening moments of

discovery. In my adolescence, I had up-to-no-good moments. In my

twenties, I had cinematic rom com moments. But my favorite . . .

Do you remember the afternoon in early spring, four years ago, when

I got on the R train to take Seconda to get her very first pet? She was

nine, had been begging for a hamster for months, and finally, I’d relented.

We were en route to the Union Square Petco and she was in high spirits,

bouncing up and down in the orange plastic seat, chatting a mile a

minute. When a subway performer got on somewhere around City Hall,

she was delighted. As we rumbled into the Prince Street station in Soho,

he played “Raspberry Beret” and the passengers came to life, clapping and

whooping; Prince had died only weeks before.

One of the things I love most about you, subway, is that there is

nothing more intoxicating than sharing a collective moment shared in

the tight, dense, no-exit space of your train car. Most often, it’s a collective

annoyance we feel - when the train car slows to a stop in a tunnel and the



conductor assures us we will be moving shortly, but we know that shortly

is a relative term if ever there was one. Passengers sigh, grumble, exchange

exasperated glances. The irritation is shared by all. We are together in this.

Occasionally, that collective moment can be upsetting. I’ll never forget

the homeless woman who walked into my train car a few years ago, asking

for money, only to be ignored by all.

“Look at me!” she yelled, her voice raw and urgent.

No one looked.

“I’m a human being!” she yelled. “And you’re animals! Animals! All

of you!”

It was a heavy moment, weighted with guilt, shame, fear, complicity

-- and we were together in that moment too.

But that spring afternoon on the train to Union Square, the collective

moment was anything but heavy. We were floating - my daughter on the

wings of anticipation and me, on the satisfaction of making her happy.

“She wore a raspberry beret,” the busker crooned, leaning on a pole.

“The kind you find in a secondhand store.”

We clapped, we laughed and in doing so, we memorialized the musical

giant who was gone, but not all the way gone because here was his music,

very much alive, providing a Prince Street soundtrack.

As we pulled out of Astor Place, the performer, having finished the

song, collected tips from passengers, including my daughter. He saw her

bright smile and he returned it with a massive grin of his own -- the kind

we never get to see anymore because of masks,

“This one’s for you,” he told her, as he started strumming a set of

familiar chords.

“I’ve got sunshine,” he sang, looking straight at her. “On a cloudy day.”

My daughter glanced up at me, her electric blue eyes twinkling. “Are

you getting this?” they said.

I put my arm around her shoulders and squeezed. I was getting it.

“When it’s cold outside,” he crooned. “I’ve got the month of May.”

Maybe people were still riding the wave of good feeling from

“Raspberry Beret” or maybe it was the huge gap-toothed smile that took

over Seconda’s face, or maybe it was just that the singer was singing the

hell out of the song, pouring himself into it, all of him. Either way, people

clapped along.

“I guess you’d say,” he sang, “What can make me feel this way?”

He stopped strumming, pointed at Second and sang a cappella. “My

girl, my girl, my girl”

My girl -- our girl -- giggled, a giggle so effervescent it could’ve

powered a hot air balloon.

I have never been more in love with this city, my always and ever city.

I’ve never been more in love with you, subway,

I was with my girl, and I was with my fellow New Yorkers, too. Despite

the many, incessant forces that keep us apart, we were all together in this

moment, a perfect, magical moment that could never happen anywhere

else. It couldn’t happen in a Walmart, or a strip mall. It couldn’t happen in

an elevator, or on a street corner, or in a bodega. It could only happen on

a New York City subway.

One day soon, we will meet again. I’ll swipe my Metrocard, descend

a dingy staircase, avoid mysterious fecal matter, steer clear of the rats. I’ll

wait for the train, with my indomitable, impatient New Yorkers and when

it comes, I’ll think of Carli and I’ll stand clear of the closing doors.

I can’t wait for that velocity again. That freedom.

Until then,

Fondly,

Nicole

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Living in the Time of the Pandemic


A True & Genuine Companionship

Thanks to Isolated New Yorkers, Dog Adoptions Surge

The very real Coronavirus

Pandemic has led

to a very real Loneliness

Epidemic. In a survey

by the AARP, two-thirds of

adults said they’re experiencing

social isolation and

66 percent said their anxiety

has increased during the

pandemic. Essentially, one

public health crisis gave rise

to another.

There has been, however,

one positive outcome in response

to the isolation fatigue

in Brooklyn and on a

national scale. With flexible

work schedules, more time

at home, and a universal desire

for companionship, one

notable response has been

a startling increase in dog

adoptions. The double win of

providing homes to a multitude

of shelter animals and

comfort to lonely residents

may be one of the only good

things to come out of the

pandemic.

The ASPCA reported over 600 online foster applications in New York

City and Los Angeles during the second half of March, compared to

the average 200 applications. Reported by the AP, New York based nonprofit

Foster Dogs Inc. saw the number of applications in the month

of August increase from 140 the previous year, to 3,000. Muddy Paws

Rescue, an NYC foster-based nonprofit, reported that, after receiving

ten times the number of applications in a two week period, the shelters

they partnered with were essentially empty.

For Toni Bodon, the increased interest in adopting a dog is palpable as

well. Bodon is the cofounder of Stray from the Heart, a New York based

nonprofit dog rescue organization aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating

neglected dogs. “If i had to guess, I’d say 25 percent more this time than

Max and Kate with their rescue puppy “Appa” from Puerto Rico (Stray from the Heart).

last year,” Bodon said in regards

to the number of applications

the organization received. Stray

from the Heart has partners in

Puerto Rico and Ecuador who

care for the dogs until they are

matched with the perfect owner

and well enough to travel.

Bodon is thrilled with the uptick.

However, with an emphasis

on making sure a candidate

is the right fit for a particular

dog, the organization’s thorough

vetting process makes it

a time consuming mission as

well. “We are entirely volunteer

based,” Bodon notes, adding, “it

really is a labor of love.”

In going through the multitude

of applications, the team

looks for stability within potential

owners. For instance,

they may receive an application

from someone who is currently

working from home due to the

pandemic. But if the person

doesn’t know whether they’ll

have to return to the office in

five months, their application

likely won’t be approved. “If they live alone, who is going to take care

of the dog then?” Bodon asked. Her core responsibility is in ensuring

each dog they rescue finds a solid home.

Because Stray from the Heart doesn’t have a foster center and the rescues

are abroad, they’ve also had to work with the COVID travel restrictions

when it comes to uniting an adopted dog with an owner. The

normal adoption process takes 4-8 weeks, with the added process of

flying the dogs over. A rescue in severe condition will take longer as the

dog undergoes necessary rehabilitation procedures, which the organization

relies primarily on donations to cover the cost of. Bruno and

Gracie are two recent examples of rescues found in critical condition.

Bruno needed chemotherapy as well as treatment for skin lacerations.

By Kara Goldfarb

Artwork by Dean Russo


A happy and healthy Bruno (Stray from the Heart).

Our adorable Cindy is quite a delight. She’s

bright, lovable, alert and just loves to be petted.

You’ll have a great time taking her for walks

as she does great on a leash, and she loves humans

and dogs of all kinds !

We are looking for a wonderful family to give

Cindy a forever home. This sweetie is a 2 yr old

border collie/lab mix and she currently weighs

38 lbs. She is also spayed, up to date on her

vaccinations and monthly preventatives.

To adopt this very special girl, just visit us at

strayfromtheheart.org to file an application,

or email us at adopt@strayfromtheheart.org

Gracie, an abandoned poodle found on the roof of an empty house in

Ecuador, needed emergency care after spending an unknown amount

of time unsheltered from the heat and rain without food or water. They

named her Gracie “because by the grace of God she was rescued.”

Though the volunteers work tirelessly, it pays off, as evident by the

universally satisfiedowners upon receiving their new family members.

“We have settled in well with our little love bug Hachi,” the parents of

a recent rescue wrote via Facebook. “So far his favorite activities are

curling up on the couch, sleeping on our laps and eating cheese treats.

He enjoys our walks as well, but not quite as much when it is raining

hard — we think he’s still got memories of the hurricanes in Puerto

Rico,” they also wrote; a reminder of the hard times these animals have

been through.

There are also stories of people who were simply able to slow down

enough during the pandemic to complete the adoption process. Joni

Wildman, a local Brooklyn resident, adopted a dog earlier this year

from Muddy Paws. “I had been looking to adopt before the pandemic

hit, but I struggled with elaborate adoption applications,” Wildman

said. She was able to find more time for herself during the pandemic,

which included more time to work on her paintings. A friend who was

fostering for Muddy Paws had one pup in particular named Catch who

stood out to Wildman. “Catch looked like the dog in the painting I was

making, so I applied. Had to be fate, right?” she said. “He’s been my

hiking, beach, running, going everywhere buddy ever since.” Wildman

says the added time in her day has given her the opportunity to train

catch and help him really adjust to her home.

There’s an underlying beauty in these kinds of matches. The rise in

stray dogs who have found warm, loving homes over these past eight

months is undoubtedly a wonderful thing. But beyond that, the notion

of an owner who has had a difficult time during COVID finding solace

with an animal who has likewise had a tough row to hoe, makes the

relationship between the two a true and genuine companionship.

THE PARK SLOPE

PUPPY BOOM

How our pets are helping us Cope

The overall mental health and wellbeing of our neighborhood

(and entire planet) has shifted due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

With new stresses, a global financial crisis, and loved ones

lost, there is much that can’t be replaced. Through it all, many

of us have found solace in our new and old pets. Because individuals

and families are spending more time at home than ever

before, Park Slope has seen a “Puppy Boom.”

By Sofia Pipolo


The Kingham family (Stuart, Roz, and 10-year-old Isla) rescued German-Shepard

mix Macy to help uplift their spirits. While reluctant

before Covid, Roz knew that getting a dog would give them something

positive to focus on after Isla kept mentioning her experience

with remote learning as “lonely.” Stuart reflected on his increased

stress from all-day screen time, working from home, and worrying

about the health and safety of his family, as a kind of low-grade PTSD.

He reflects, “Everything was a worry, even going to stores.”

Though housetraining Macy was a challenge, they agree it has far outweighed

the stresses of the outside world as the Kingham family saw

their commitment to the new canine family member pay off. Over 2

months later, Macy is already growing up alongside Isla. Taking the

time to step away from their screens and heavy workload, the endless

news cycle, and the grief of pandemic losses to take care of puppy

Macy has made Staut, Roz, and Isla feel a bit safer and happier.

They train her together and connect with other dog-owners in the

neighborhood. Roz says, “There’s definitely a dog community in Park

Slope so just making that human connection on walks with other dog

owners has been nice; everyone stops to talk when you have a puppy!”

Their new routine includes early morning off-leash play in the park,

after-school walks, and evenings spent on the front stoop where they

sit to watch the world go by.

You’ll find many families enjoying

similar daily pet pleasures.

Park Slope has 10 dog

parks, including the Prospect

Park Dog Beach, making it

an amazing community for

pet owners. Pets, especially

dogs and cats, are known to

reduce stress, anxiety, and

depression, to ease loneliness

and encourage exercise and

playfulness. They also help

children to grow up more secure

and active, and provide

valuable companionship for

older adults.

These days everyone needs

some extra stability, joy, and

positive coping methods,

one reason why pet adoption

and sales have been through

the roof this past year. Even

veteran pet owners have become

more appreciative and Isla Kingham with her rescue puppy “Macy” .

formed closer bonds with

their furry friends.

For example, the pandemic has heightened Park Slope resident, Ingrid’s

anxiety; making her less motivated to deal with tasks beyond

short term consideration. Ingrid said, “ Much of the structure I’ve

built into my life over the years vanished overnight, along with any

sense of what the future could or should look like.” Her two cats,

Cabiria aka Cabbie and Jean Harlow whom she’s had for over 3-years,

have brought extra companionship and cuddles during these uncertain

months of quarantining at home. “Taking care of the cats provide

some structure to the days, and requires me to think about something

other than myself… So I actually have something to discuss with

friends or co-workers that isn’t horrible pandemic news or politics.”


Giselle with her partner and their rescue puppy “Pico”.

She’s found exchanging silly cat photos and having Cabbie and Jean

meow over speakerphone a sure-fire way to bring a smile to anyone’s

face.

Similarly, the unforeseeable future had spiked Diana Kane’s anxiety,

so after some discussion adopting a dog felt like the right decision.

And it was! Her family’s new 4-month-old rescue from Puerto Rico,

Appa (named after the flying-bison from Avatar: The Last Airbender),

has been a blessing for their mental and physical health. Diana and

her family has been able to find peace and joy. She said, “I think Disney

has it wrong: the Happiest Place on Earth is actually off-leash in

Prospect Park.”

Giselle Navarro and her partner adopted a Jindo mix named Pico just

before the city shut down. While worrying about their health and

safety and only communicating with others through screens, they felt

lucky to have Pico by their side. By structuring their quarantine days

around the new puppy, their new routine for the new normal provides

time to safely leave the apartment, stay motivated to train together,

and actually get a steadier sleep schedule. Pico’s need for cuddles and

play was also a welcome distraction for Giselle. “She’s always so happy,

I frequently tell others that I’m not sure how I would be getting

through the pandemic if we didn’t have Pico. Living through this has

been tough, but having her has made it a little bit easier. Even if I’m

not feeling great, her good mood rubs off on me.”


Art and the City


Public Art Unveils

Controversy in the City

Three Examples

By Julia DePinto

To most, public art may seem innocuous. Art brings

vitality to public spaces. It helps districts establish

identities, provides artists with income, and boosts local

economies by providing sought-after destinations for art

lovers. And perhaps more importantly, public art provides

an opportune backdrop for tourists and selfie enthusiasts.

However, for New Yorkers who are especially inundated

with public artworks ranging from historical tablets and

monuments in public parks to contemporary works, like

Jeff Koon’s colossal Balloon Flower and Jenny Holzer’s

impermanent text-based projections, the relationship

between the public and art is not always positive.


Public art is rarely considered by art critics to be “good” art.

Seldom does it arrive without a myriad of complications. Aside

from often being overly symbolic or kitsch, public art is largely

taxpayer-funded, governed by private capital, and decided on by

a panel of bureaucrats.

This year, NYC has planned, commissioned, and installed dozens

of public sculptures, installations, murals, and artworks. Below

are three of the most recent public sculptures to be unveiled, all

of which were met with varying degrees of controversy.

Mother Cabrini Memorial

Giancarlo Biagi & Jill Burkee-Biagi (2020)

A bronze and granite memorial honoring the life and service of

St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, the Patron Saint of Immigrants, was

recently erected in Manhattan’s Battery Park City. Cabrini, more

commonly referred to as Mother Cabrini, an Italian immigrant

and devoted public servant, founded over 60 schools, orphanages,

and hospitals, including numerous academic and health

care institutions in New York City. She was the first naturalized

American to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church,


nearly three decades after her death. Although Cabrini’s legacy

parallels the valor and perseverance of many immigrant communities,

the memorial was heavily disputed by the public and

follows a contentious stint of bureaucratic

conflict between New York’s city

and state governments.

“We are all immigrants in one way or

another. We all share the immigrant

experience,” said Italian-American artist,

Giancarlo Biagi in an interview.

Biagi and collaborator, Jill Burkee-Biagi,

were selected by the Governor

Cuomo-appointed commission to complete

the Cabrini memorial—budgeted

at $750,000— in a remarkable nine

months. The life-size bronze monument

atop a marble base depicts a

young Cabrini and two small children

in a paper boat, gazing ahead into a

distant future. It stands erect in a cove

along the esplanade and against a backdrop

of Ellis Island and the Statue of

Liberty. The commemorative memorial

is filled with metaphor, perpetuating collective

immigrant experiences of hope and new horizons, while

also containing small antidotes of Cabrini’s mortality. The plaza

is surrounded by mosaic, created from bits of riverbed stone

near Cabrini’s birthplace in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano. The memorial

was unveiled on Columbus Day and

dedicated by the New York Governor.

First page: Medusa:

Luciano Garbati (artist),

Medusa With The Head

of Perseus (2008-2020),

bronze. Installed at Collect

Pond Park, Manhattan.

Image courtesy of MWTH

Project.

Opposite page: Mother

Cabrini

Giancarlo Biagi & Jill Burkee-Biagi

(artists), Mother

Cabrini Memorial (2020),

bronze. Installed at Battery

Park City, Manhattan. Image

courtesy of the Office of

Governor Andrew Cuomo.

This page: Justice RBG

Gillie & Marc (artists),

Justice Ruth Baber Ginsburg

Memorial (forthcoming),

bronze. Image courtesy of

the artists.

The controversy of the Cabrini memorial—as

with most memorials—lies

within the boundaries of taxpayer-funded

public art, the site-specificity of the

artwork, and how the overall content

and design are determined. In 2018,

First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy

Mayor Alicia Glen, and the Department

of Cultural Affairs announced the She

Built NYC initiative, a project focused

on funding public monuments and

artworks to honor women’s history.

The initiative builds on the recommendations

of the Mayoral Advisory Commission

on City Art, Monuments, and

Markers— a commission that advises

the NYC Mayor on issues surrounding

public artworks and markers on Cityowned

property. An advisory panel,

appointed by the de Blasio Administration,

was founded to oversee the commission

of large-scale commemorative

statues of revolutionary women— including

women of color, trans women,

and non-binary individuals— to

address the disparate gender imbalances in public spaces. The

Department of Cultural Affairs committed to a budget of up to

$10 million over the next four years.

The She Built NYC initiative, spearheaded

by McCray, accepted public

nominations via an online survey, receiving

close to 2,000 responses in

total. Although the submissions overwhelmingly

favored a memorial honoring

the legacy of Mother Cabrini, the

panel disregarded the majority, sparking

outrage among Italian-American

and Catholic communities. Shortly

after the panel convened to select five

trailblazing women, the governor announced

his administration’s plans

to work with local Italian-American

groups and the Diocese of Brooklyn to

oversee the creation of a state-funded

memorial to Mother Cabrini.

The pandemic has indefinitely shelved

the She Built NYC project.

Italian-American and Catholic communities

applauded the decision to erect the Cabrini monument,

however residents of the southernmost district of Manhattan

disapproved— arguing that Cabrini had little involvement with

the region. The Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission was able

to bypass political disputes and reject public concerns for building

the monument in Battery Park City— an area that is owned

and controlled by a state corporation. In the long-term, taxpayers

and residents of Battery Park City will continue to pay upkeep

on an ever-increasing collection of public artworks, jointly

valued at $63 million.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial

Gillie & Marc, Justice (forthcoming)

The nation is still mourning the untimely death of Supreme

Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The announcement of her

death, less than two months before the divisive 2020 election,

was met with an outpouring of public grief for the beloved civil

rights attorney and gender equality advocate. On the steps of the

Supreme Court building in DC, mourners left makeshift memorials

with handwritten notes, flower bouquets, and votive candles;

public gatherings and candle-lit vigils were held in cities all

over the country. The following day, Governor Andrew Cuomo

announced in a tweet that the state plans to honor the life and

legacy of Justice Ginsburg by erecting a permanent statue in her

native Brooklyn.

Less than a month later, the governor appointed a 23-member

commission to oversee the design and location of the memori-


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al, including members of Ginsburg’s family. NYC Mayor Bill de

Blasio also announced plans to rename the Brooklyn Municipal

Building in honor of the late Justice.

Officials at City Point, a residential and commercial development

in Brooklyn’s metropolitan center, said that the monument will

be unveiled on March 15, 2021, coinciding with both Women’s

History Month and Justice Ginsburg’s 88th birthday. The bronze

statue, created by artist duo Gillie and Marc, was originally built

in partnership with Statues for Equality, whose initiative aims

to balance the gender, racial, and ethnic disparities of public

sculpture. The artists believe that installing statues of women in

public spaces are major steps forward in the long-overdue fight

for gender representation.

Unlike the Mother Cabrini memorial, New Yorkers have mostly

welcomed the forthcoming and permanent iconic statue of

Justice Ginsburg. There has been little, if any, protest from the

public regarding the budget of the memorial or upkeep. Some

in the art world wonder if the traditional solution of building

a larger-than-life statue atop a pedestal is the best approach to

memorializing the legacy of the adored American figure. Jerry

Saltz, the Senior Art Critic for New York Magazine, attributes

“bad” and “generic” public sculpture to the bureaucratic systems

that have long dictated public art— including the commissions

composed of politicians, life-long political advisors,

architects, and real-estate developers.

“One way to avoid this,” Saltz said, “is to, first of all, get a group

of women together. I think you do not want the governor and

another batch of male-whatever-politicians big-fucking-footing

this thing around. [They should] just shut up and listen. Because

to me, the monument to Ginsburg is not only a monument

to Ginsburg; it is a monument to one of the greatest liberation

movements in this country, which of course is feminism.”

Medusa with the Head of Perseus

Luciano Garbati (2008-2020)

One of the most controversial public sculptures of recent memory

is Luciano Garbati’s, Medusa with the Head of Perseus. The

seven-foot bronze sculpture of an unclothed Medusa reimagines

the Greek myth by shifting the narrative of the myth to the perspective

of Medusa, while positioning the physical sculpture in

the context of the #MeToo movement. Smooth and cold to the

touch, but resolute and distinguished, Medusa gazes out above a

sea of passersby. She is installed in Manhattan’s Collective Park

Pond, across from the New York County Criminal Court where

the Harvey Weinstein trails commenced.

enough to petrify men. Peruses, son of Zeus and Danäe, murders

Medusa in her sleep. He holds her severed head in an upright,

trophy-like position— weaponizing it to turn his enemies

to stone. Cellini’s statue and Greek Mythology shame Medusa

for being a victim of rape. The Argentine- Italian sculptor’s interpretation,

Medusa with the Head of Perseus, flips the context,

giving the power back to Medusa and victims of sexual assault.

At the mid-October unveiling, Garbati spoke of the women who

had written to him, viewing the sculpture as catharsis. The artwork,

created in 2008, has materialized into an artist-led project

first conceived by Bek Andersen, called MWTH (Medusa With

The Head - pronounced “myth”). Andersen contacted Garbati after

the image went viral. Together, the two applied to NYC Parks’

program, Art in the Parks.

MWTH engages the narrative habits of classical imaginaries of

the past, present, and future, and sells miniature replicas and

agitprop of Garbati’s, Medusa. A small portion of the proceeds

goes to the National Women’s Law Center.

Although the sculpture reimagines the myth by shifting the

power to women—an act that is seemingly well-intentioned and

fits into the narrative of feminist ideals, the artwork has been

met with a deluge of controversy. For one, the sculpture predates

the birth of the #MeToo movement by nearly a decade.

Secondly, #MeToo was created by Tarana Burke, a Black activist

from the Bronx. In a post, Burke wrote: “This monument

may mean something to some folks, but it is NOT representative

of the work that we do or anything we stand for.” In Garbati’s

vision of Medusa, the Gorgon unrelentingly grips the severed

head of Perseus and not the head of Poseidon, her rapist. This

may be an act of irrefutable violence but artistically, it is not a

radical political act. [Violence in art is nothing new.] The emphasis

on violence and revenge in Garbati’s narrative conflicts

with the entirety of the #MeToo movement. “This isn’t the kind

of symbolism that this Movement needs,” wrote Burke.

The decision to erect Garbati’s Medusa is a classic example of

a missed opportunity for minority representation that the City

[and the art world] will continue to perpetuate. Instead, the City

chose an artwork with a message created by a man, depicting a

naked woman with an idealized muscular physique, euro-centric

features, and shaved genitalia.

A redeeming quality of Medusa with the Head of Perseus is that

it is temporary. Until her removal, Medusa will stand indignant,

across the street from a criminal courthouse, reminding the

public that through millennia women who are sexually assaulted

are likely to be blamed.

The sculpture is inspired by Benvenuto Cellini’s 16th century

bronze masterpiece, Perseus with the Head of Medusa. As Greek

Mythology recounts, Medusa was once a beautiful maiden whose

appearance was transformed after she was stalked and raped by

the sea god, Poseidon in Athena’s temple. As punishment for

“breaking” the vowel of celibacy, Athena turned Medusa’s hair

into a tangle of snakes and cursed her with a gaze powerful



REAL ESTATE

Finding

THE ONE

Here’s a question for you:

You’re finally ready to get started on your home search, your broker has lined up a load

of viewings for you and on that very first Sunday of open houses you find THE ONE.

By Lindsay Owen


Do you pull the trigger? End your (very short) home

search and make an offer? Or are you convinced that you

can’t possibly have found a home on day one, that going

for this property is bound to mean you’re missing out

on the home that’s really for you and that you would

be CRAZY to let up your search now? If you’ve found

this place so quickly, it stands to reason that an even

better property is out there, just waiting for you to find

it. Right?

Well, not necessarily. If you’re leaning more toward

continuing your search despite loving the place you’ve

found, you may be suffering from a case of real estate

FOMO, which could actually sabotage your chances of

landing a home that’s as close to perfect as you’re likely

to see.

Making a decision on a home isn’t easy and doesn’t come

without a liberal case of butterflies in your stomach, but

fear of missing out on something better can really lead to

missing out in general.

So how can this be avoided? Three words: Trust. Your.

Gut.

Here are 3 ways you can gut check your potential

purchase to either dispel any FOMO you might have or

feel confident enough to move on and continue your

search.

1. Pretend You Already Live There.

My clients often give me an “are you serious?” look

when I suggest this, but it’s a really good decision-making

exercise when you’re trying to make up your mind.

All you have to do is stop ‘viewing’ the property and

start pretending to live in it. For instance, start in the

master bedroom with the door closed, open the door, walk

along the hallway or down the stairs to the living room

or kitchen, imagining it’s morning, you’ve just woken

up and you’re going to the kitchen

to make coffee. Or maybe try sitting

on the sofa in the living room and

gazing out of the window or at the

fireplace imagining yourself relaxing

on a cozy Sunday evening as it snows

outside.

Are you feeling anything yet?

How about sitting at the dining

table, and imagining holding a

dinner party for your friends or

serving Thanksgiving dinner to your

family?

How about now? Are you feeling

content? Excited? Emotional?

Happy? Can you see yourself making

a life here? Your gut will tell you. You

just have to listen.

floor. Paint that wall.

Change that vanity or move that shower stall!

Ah... so you’re looking for perfect. Ok, good luck with

that.

Here’s the newsflash: it’s never going to be perfect. No

property is when you’re searching for a home. 80% perfect

is good. 85% is better. 90% is pretty much a property

unicorn and 100% just doesn’t exist, so looking for it will

be a total time suck and might ultimately drive you crazy!

But here’s the good news. That extra 10-20% is the

good stuff. It’s the perfection gap that you get to fill to

make the place your own. To put your personal stamp on

it and make it as damn near perfect for you as you can

get it. Plus, everyone likes a bit of a home project when

they move into a new place - how do you think the likes of

IKEA, Home Depot and Lowes stay in business? Whether

it’s putting in that new bathroom you’ve already designed

on a Pinterest board or refinishing a neglected hardwood

floor to its former glory, this is the stuff that makes a

home your own and begins your story within it.

3. Listen To Your Real Estate Agent.

If you’re working with a real estate agent worth their

salt, they’ll be checking their own gut too and if they’re

noticing any red flags that you may not have, now’s the

time for them to point them out to you.

Although it’s no fun being a party pooper, I’ve been

the voice of reason to many an excited client, pointing

out potential problems with a roof, windows that

need replacing, dated mechanicals, or dodgy building

financials. That’s my job. To make sure my client is

walking into a transaction with their eyes wide open and

a complete understanding of what they might be letting

themselves in for.

2. Stop Pausing For Perfection.

“But it’s not perfect!”, I hear you

cry! We’d still have to replace that


Photo by Virginia L. S. Freire

Is Your Advisor

a Fiduciary?

If you are unsure, ask your Advisor.

Or better yet,

for your family's protection,

have them sign a fiduciary oath.

fi•du•ci•ary-

A Financial Advisor

held to a Fiduciary

Standard occupies

a position of

special trust and

confidence when

working with a

client. As a fiduciary, the Financial

Advisor is required to act with undivided

loyalty to the client. This includes

disclosure of how the Financial Advisor is

to be compensated and any corresponding

conflicts of interest.

Your agent will also be able to advise you on the area (if

it’s new to you), the sales price (if it’s over or underpriced),

and how this property stacks up against comparable ones

they’re aware of that you may not be. Plus, if they know

there’s better on the market, or, through their broker

network is aware of a better listing coming up, they can

caution you to wait and see. And remember, they’re there

to help you sense check what you’re thinking, to answer

questions, help you see the big picture and work out

whether the home you’re considering really is as great as

you think it just might be.

So! Don’t count a property out just because you’ve seen

it early on in your search, particularly as while mortgage

rates remain so low, anything that is speaking to you is

likely speaking to others and may be snapped up if you

take too much of a pause.

And take it from me, it really is possible to find that

dream home right at the start of your search. I’ve done

it myself.

Twice.

Lindsay Owen is a licensed real estate salesperson

working with buyers and sellers of coops, condos and

townhouses in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She can be

reached at lindsay.owen@compass.com.

FIDUCIARY OATH

The advisor shall exercise his/her best efforts to

act in good faith and in the best interests of the

client. The advisor shall provide written

disclosure to the client prior to the engagement

of the advisor, and thereafter throughout the

term of the engagement, of any conflicts of

interest which will or reasonably may compromise

the impartiality or independence of the advisor.

The advisor, or any party in which the advisor

has financial interest, does not receive any

compensation or other remuneration that is

contingent on any client's purchase or sale

of a financial product. The advisor does not

receive a fee or other compensation from

another party based on the referral of a client

or the client's business.

SALLY RAPPEPORT

LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST

Acupuncture

Chinese Herbs

Bodywork/Bowen

911 Union Street, Grdfl. Brooklyn, NY 11215 | 718.398.5284

sally@sallyrappeport.com | www.sallyrappeport.com

BREWSTER FINANCIAL PLANNING LLC

641 President Street, Suite 102

Brooklyn, NY 11215

646.249.9880

info@brewsterfp.com

www.brewsterfp.com

House-roasted, thoughtfully

sourced beans and fresh,

seasonal food served daily,

8am to 7pm.

Helping Individuals Create and Preserve Wealth TM


SLOPE SURVEY

Dave “The Spazz” Abramson

What brought you to Park Slope?

When I first moved to Kensington in the early 80s, Park Slope was

the closet outpost of cool shops, bookstores and fun restaurants.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?

I met my future wife at the (now closed) Great Lakes bar on 5th

Avenue.

Describe your community superpower.

I can jump over sidewalk-hogging baby carriages coming toward me

in a single bound.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what

would it be?

I would bring back Southpaw, which was a terrific live venue across

the street from the Key Food on 5th Avenue.

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

The Pogo Stick revival of 2030, permanent outdoor dining and 6th

Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic.

What are you reading, would you recommend it?

I’m reading Robert Caro’s first LBJ bio The Path to Power. I highly

recommend it. Like Caro’s earlier bio on Robert Moses (The Power

Broker), it unlocks the political machinations that brought this

country to its current state of insanity.

The Slope Survey returns for its 18th installment with

well known local radio personality Dave “The Spazz”

Abramson.

Dave Abramson aka Dave the Spazz has hosted Music To

Spazz By on WFMU 91.1 FM (wfmu.org) since 1987. He

edited The Best of LCD: The Art and Writing of WFMU in

2007. He is currently finishing his biography of Jerry Lewis

impersonator Sammy Petrillo.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m one of those pesky vegetarian Keto people and Keto food is expensive.

I’ll drop too much dough on Keto desserts.

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would

you go?

Clinton Hill.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

Buster Keaton. I first saw his feature Sherlock Jr. (1924) when I was a

kid and his offhanded inventiveness stunned me. It was the first time

that I realized that anything was possible.

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

Early (late 50s to mid-60s) pre-reggae ska.


PARK SLOPE READER WINTER 2021 #75

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