Hochul Honors Civic Activist Amy Schwartz in Albany

Celebrating Amy–Upper East Sider Amy Schwartz was honored by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislative Women’s Caucus during Women’s History Month as a district honoree of Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright at the NYS Executive Mansion on March 20th. Amy, who is member of Women Creating Change Development and the Upper East Side’s Four Freedoms Democratic Club, said “I was absolutely thrilled to have been honored for my program and policy advocacy in the community, including in the areas of health, special need populations, school wellness, civic education and climate and environment.” On March 19th, Assembly Member Seawright introduced the honoree to other legislators during the NY Assembly session in its grand chamber.

Amy grew up walking the halls of Albany and visiting legislators with her “progressive, passionate mom, fighting for reproductive rights and women’s health,” so advocacy is second nature to Amy who has been a policy and legislative advocate and program organizer for improvements in the social welfare, health and well-being of New Yorkers for nearly 30 years. With a focus on public health, climate change and education, Amy consults on policy and advocacy campaigns for community groups, policy organization and public schools. She remembers sitting at the kitchen table with her mom stuffing envelopes addressed to legislators with demands for abortion rights. Lauding her mom as her inspiration for advocating for the rights and needs of women, and against the inequality and discrimination of those with special needs and others marginalized in society, including the environment, she said “My mom died two months before the overturning of Roe v Wade,” and “I am even more committed to advocating against injustice and inequality, in our community and environment. This award is for my mother.”

Like Amy, I’m a member of the Four Freedoms Democratic Club and know Amy as being committed and hardworking, and her recognition as AM Seawright’s district honoree is well-deserved. Congratulations!

Cafe safety–I’ve always thought of the 88th St block between Lex and 3rd Ave. as being primarily residential. And it is, with several small commercial businesses. On the northwest corner of 3rd is the popular Greek taverna Yasouvlaki and their newly opened sister restaurant several steps away. They share an outdoor dining shed. Walking several steps toward Lex, there’s Birch coffee cafe with a shed of their own. Somewhere in between, or maybe slightly beyond, is an art frame shop. On the opposite side of the street there’s a midblock barber shop, and a Le Pain Quotidian on the south corner of Lex.

Adding to the commercial mix will be Bar Vivent, a cafe, located a few doors from the barber shop. According to the notice the cafe filed with Community Board 8, Bar Vivent will serve wine, beer & cider, some food, and there will be recorded music. Under “Licensed Outdoor Area,” the owner specifies “Open Restaurants.” I don’t know what that means. Are they planning a shed? Tables/seating outdoors? Whatever it means, the owners have to secure the sidewalk metal cellar doors outside the cafe which goes from the street level to the basement immediately. Right now, the metal cellar doors are off-kilter and wobbly despite the lock. Has to be remedied before the restaurant is up and running because of the danger to passersby, those looking into the cafe as it progresses, and because it’s unsafe!

Ethnic expansion–Ethnic enclaves usually determine which cuisine will enter the general population. While there’s no longer French or Danish enclaves in Manhattan, lately there’s been a spate of French bakeries/patisseries opening on the Upper East Side. The most recent, Aux Merveilleux [mair-vey-UH], just opened on Lexington Ave between 86th/87th alongside Eli’s where bread, babkas and bagels (NY ethnic) are displayed in the window. At the new French patisserie, you see the pastries, brioches, waffles, and merveilleux (a fusion of meringue and cream) being made right before your eyes through the all-glass windows. Before coming to America, merveilleux were mostly unknown outside France and Belgium. The New York Times Style Magazine described the windows at the patisserie’s 6th Avenue location as “filled with varicolored confections that resemble elegant Hostess Sno Balls, some bite-size, others large enough to share,” while assuring “to pastry aficinados and French visitors, [that] the merveilleux had finally reached America.” Before you enter the fairly small space, with some seating, stand outside the window and watch the pastries being made. But you’ll have to keep moving. The street’s narrow and busy. Or cross Lex and go to Ole and Steen, a Danish coffee shop/patisserie. Or continue on Lex, on the east side of the street to 88th/89th to Patis, the kosher patisserie. And lest we forget, Patisserie Vanessa at 90th and Lex. Seems there’s some kind of enclave emerging. It’s diverse and you might say integrated. Not sure that it’s ethnic. But it’s NY for sure.