My View of the Village

By Roger Paradiso

Integral Yoga Institute – New York

A new Integral Yoga Institute is rising like a phoenix under the direction of Sosie Hublitz, the new CFO and general manager. I had a wonderful conversation with Hublitz who is running this reboot. The six story building on 227 West 13th Street is here to stay as they work through a building renovation. The location remains home to one of the best yoga centers in Manhattan.

Hublitz says Integral Yoga is in good financial shape and looking forward to being around another 50 years. She is reaching out to the community and looking to hold events and perhaps sharing some spaces for like-minded organizations.

Classes will continue during renovations. Please check iyiny.org for the schedule.

---

NYU Protest Protocol

Protesters outside Bobst Library, the Paulson Center and other NYU buildings could soon be facing off with the New York Police Department if Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs legislation that would increase police control over protests around schools.

“There’s this fear for potential repression — people are afraid to attend protests on campus, or to get involved at all politically,” Ebtesham Ahmed, a Tandon senior who frequently leads demonstrations at NYU, told Washington Square News. He worries that increased NYPD involvement in campus protests could further discourage student activism.

The New York City Council passed two bills last month that would require the NYPD to establish and publish its response plans to protests held outside schools and places of worship, detailing its use of security perimeters around entrances and its plans to communicate with the public. Now, Mamdani faces mounting pressure to ratify the policy from organizations advocating for protest regulations.

The Schools and Houses of Worship Access and Safety Act constitutes a watered-down version of proposals first presented in January, which called for 100-foot buffer zones at the entrances of educational and religious sites. After free speech activists and the NYPD raised concerns about the bill’s infringement on First Amendment rights, council members amended the proposals — making the buffer zones optional, but explicitly encouraged.

Reprinted from Washington Square News, written by Alex Woodworth, the multimedia editor.

---

Record Store Day

April 18 was a beautiful spring day in the Village. When I got to Jamal Alnasr’s record store on Bleecker I saw the lines go up the street to the far corner. Last month he told me he was hoping for nice weather for Record Store Day. He also said, “There’s a lot of vacancies again.” I hope Record Store Day gave him some time to forget about rent.

I interviewed two young people who were excited to be there.

Aidan: “This is my go to store for vinyl records. I come down once a month to check it out. There’s a Pink Floyd that I’m looking for and a Van Halen and a Masayoshi Takanaka vinyl record I am praying for.”

Anna: “It’s Record Store Day … the best day of the year. This is my third Record Store Day. I’m looking for Joni Mitchell and Charli xcx. I love vinyl. I saw there was a Bruce Springsteen vinyl release so in the spur of the moment I might make a rash decision. My dad collects vinyl so he gave me a whole professional set up in my apartment. He collects record players too.”