Term Limits (yes, it’s an issue again)
14 June 2005, New York Sun, "Trampling on Term Limits" by Henry J. Stern:Twelve years after term limits for city elected officials were adopted by referendum, the City Council is making…
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Contextual Zoning
"Contextual zoning" has been a buzzword in the city planning community for about two decades. It regulates new building to fit the existing buildings in the area.…
“Like No Other Market” (Fairway)
Before Bloomingdale's was "like no other store in the world" and H&H Bagels was "like no other bagel in the world," there was Fairway ("Like No Other…
Westchester: Wedge Sandwich
A regional sandwich name in Westchester (Yonkers) for the hero/sub/hoagie is "wedge." Again, I checked the telephone directories. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long…
Lapskaus Boulevard (Eighth Avenue, Bay Ridge)
Bay Ridge in Brooklyn used to be the city's Norwegian neighborhood, one of the world's largest neighborhoods of Norwegian immigrants.. Today, the neighborhood is mostly Chinese. Eighth…
Norwegian-American Day Parade
The Norwegian-American Day Parade (also called the "Nowegian Constitution Day Parade") celebrates the city's Norwegian heritage on the day of the signing of Norway's…
Turkish Day Parade
The Turkish Day Parade (or, Turkish-American Day Parade) is one of the newer ethnic parades, beginning in the 1980s. It celebrates the modern Turkish state.…
Greek Independence Day Parade
The Greek Independence Day Parade began in 1940, making it one of New York's oldest ethnic parades. It celebrates the independence of Greece from Turkey. 25 March 1940, New York Times, pg.…
New York Is Book Country
"New York Is Book Country" is the September book fair that runs along Fifth Avenue. The NYIBC posters have been memorable. Authors make appearances and there are events for kids.…
Mermaid Parade
Old Coney Island used to have many parades. The "Mermaid Parade" was started in 1983 in that same grand tradition. This is not sponsored by Disney, so don't look for "the little…
West Indian Day Carnival; “Murder Day Parade”
The West Indian Day Carnival is held over the Labor Day weekend in September. It began in Harlem in the late 1940s, moved to Brooklyn in the 1950s, and now draws hundreds of thousands of people.…
Hawks (Hunter College teams)
Hunter College calls its athletic teams the "Hawks." No one knows why. 7 December 1955, New York Times, pg. 55:Hunter College's basketball team gained its second victory in two…
Dolphins (College of Staten Island teams)
The College of Staten Island calls its athletic teams the "Dolphins." No one knows why. 20 February 1979, New York Times, pg. C10:And, during the nine games that make up the City…
Education (Charter Schools; Vouchers)
Education is obviously very important, but the mayor and the city council play more important roles here. The borough president does appoint two members to each community education council. More…
Technology (Free wifi!)
[UPDATE: This was written when I was running for the office of Manhattan Borough President in 2005, and it was borrowed from a platform of Public Advocate candidate Andrew Rasiej. I have since…
Transportation (Second Avenue Subway; Lower Manhattan link to JFK)
The next most important issue, after the community boards and land use, on the Manhattan borough president's plate is transportation. Here's what the other candidates say:…
Land Use (“It is much easier to defeat something in New York City than to build something”—Donald T
Land Use is, by far, the most serious issue in this election. It's what the Manhattan borough president and the community boards must tackle, and the general philosophy of the borough…
What the community boards do (and do they really represent the community?)
There are 12 community boards in Manhattan, with about 50 members on each one. The Manhattan Borough President makes about 600 appointments. It's one of the BP's biggest responsibilities.…
What the Manhattan borough president does
The revision of the city charter in the late 1980s has made the once-powerful borough president's office rather toothless. We now have a very strong mayor and a strong city council, but…
“Manhattan—The Heart of the Big Apple”
On the website of the current Manhattan Borough President is a drawing of an apple. A heart is cut into the apple. "Manhattan--The Heart of the Big Apple" is just below the illustration.…