Day: December 25, 2012
The Gospel According to Jerry
Editor’s note: This is the sixth “Life in Seely’s Castle” tale. All are available, with photos, at mountainx.com or gospeljerry.com. A lot of people let their hair down in my castle, but Rapunzel never did. No, the answer to the third-most-frequently-asked question about my former residence lay deep in the bowels of the ominous, imposing … Read more
Xpress is not here to tell us what to think or fear
This letter is in response to the Dec. 5 story, “No Easy Answers,” and the Dec. 22 followup, “Merchants Protest Dec. 5 Lexington Avenue Story.” I am in the process of turning the former TV Eye location into Devotion Organics, a retail store for local, organic, eco-responsible and non-corporate bath and beauty products. The main … Read more
“No Easy Answers” is shoddy journalism
The Dec. 5 article, "No Easy Answers: Lexington Avenue's Uncertain Future," paints Lexington Avenue as a street of violence, crime and gentrification. Do these things exist on Lexington? Of course they do. However, these are not the defining characteristics of the street. Lexington is, for the most part, a vibrant and bustling, culturally distinct district. … Read more
To the kitchen and beyond
Congratulations to the nine recent graduates of the GO Kitchen-Ready culinary training program. They officially completed the 13-week certification course on Dec. 19. Some of the students plan further training at A-B Tech, and some have accepted jobs at downtown restaurants, such as Bouchon and The Green Sage. Others plan to explore interests in nutrition … Read more
Don’t perpetuate fears and stereotypes
I’d just put down Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow, in which I’d been reading page after page of evidence of the many racial disparities and stereotypes in the “war on drugs.” When I picked up the Dec. 5 Mountain Xpress, an African-American face jumped out at me from the cover with two fingers … Read more
The white elephant on the avenue
David Forbes' Dec. 5 piece, “No Easy Answers: Lexington Avenue's Uncertain Future,” accurately and fairly framed many of the issues troubling downtown these days. I’m grateful that so much of my professional life and private friendships play out in such a beautiful environment. I was glad to see crack use and overt prostitution replaced by … Read more
Xpress responds
In the past few weeks, we have received many letters and online comments about the Dec. 5 cover story, “No Easy Answers: Lexington Avenue's Uncertain Future.” We welcome such feedback, as it is part of our mission to encourage community dialogue. And as journalists, we’re always striving to hone our craft, while reporting fairly and … Read more
