My View Around The Village

By Roger Paradiso

On January 16 Amy Chen at Washington Square News reported that NYU is going to comply with orders to turn over Epstein files. Here is an excerpt: A House committee is requesting that NYU turn over all records and payments relating to Jeffrey Epstein, claiming the convicted sex offender lured some victims by promising them acceptances into NYU and covering their tuition to “ensure their silence” on his misconduct. The university said it will cooperate with the investigation.

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A source told me that Integral Yoga located on 13th Street was about to close. We would hate to lose this iconic Village facility. Another source said they are trying to work out a way to stay in this location. Now is the time to take classes at this wonderful business in the West Village. We are staying close to this story and have reached out to management.

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Let’s visit Lilac Candy as we head to Valentine’s Day. Read Anthony Paradiso’s article about his recent trip to the chocolate factory, Inside the Magical World of Li-Lac Chocolates at villageview.nyc

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Jamal, owner of the Village Revival Music store on 107 Bleecker, is going on camera talking to his customers. As Jamal said several years ago, “I can talk about any type of music, really. Because I made it my mission in life. It’s been my way of connecting. If I wasn’t around music, I’m 100% sure I’d be gone. I’ve had too many issues. Too much depression, too much stress. Music is what’s kept me alive. When people come to my store to learn about music, it’s like a mirror. I see myself in them. And it’s a beautiful connection. Congratulations to Jamal on 30 years in the Village.

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Ran into Vittorio of La Lanterna di Vittorio at 129 MacDougal. It is one of my favorite cafes in the Village. He said he is getting closer to reopening his jazz bar downstairs which he lost during Covid. We wish him much love.

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Got an email from Father Ed Chinery who runs the emergency food program at the Church of the Ascension. He writes: “In some ways, it feels like what’s going on with emergency food service programming in New York City at present – at least when it comes to our moderate size program in Greenwich Village – what’s going on feels almost like a return to Covid. We’re always looking for more volunteers. First and third Saturday mornings of each month from 8:30 am to about 9:45 am – 12 West 11th Street. Email Fr. Ed for more information – fatherchinery@ascensionnyc.org.

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We hope to have more interactions with our new mayor and his team. Until Mayor Mamdani came in the picture, I was feeling Manhattan was a traffic nightmare getting worse every year. Then the new mayor started talking about the buses being free. So, I suggest he take a look at the article I wrote last year. Let’s give the buses in the congestion zone a blocked curb lane from Columbus Circle to the Battery on certain avenues across midtown. The other side of the street will be for trucks making deliveries. Keep the cars out of midtown on the main avenues and cross streets between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. On residential blocks allow one permit sticker per family to allow them to park free on their block. Read my ideas in The Village View.