The Two Washington Heights Eruvin Connect!

This past shabbas was our first shabbas in Washington Heights in a month and was the first time we got to take advantage of the connecting of the two eruvim in Washington Heights. What made this connecting possible was that the Yeshiva University eruv had recently expanded (which I had videod) (its previous expansion had been several years ago) and the Hudson Heights eruv (the opposition to which I had blogged about a few years ago) has now come up to meet it on Wadsworth Avenue and, the Mt. Sinai website even says so "This eruv borders the YU eruv, and thus you can carry between the two eruvin. Please visit www.yueruv.org for the details and status of that eruv."

This is certainly going to be a huge boon to the community and we're certainly glad that we can now go down to Bennett Avenue for shabbas meals and for us to bring our daughter down to Mt. Sinai for shul.

Yeshiva University Officially Opens the New Glueck Center

Last Sunday, I attended Yeshiva University's opening of the new Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study, which opened three years after they broke ground. It started off with speeches from various people, including a student and Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm. From Richard Joel's introduction to Rabbi Lamm speaking, he stated

I've had privilege to view this process of constructing the Glueck Center as the first great collaborative effort between my administration and that of Rabbi Lamm. I believe that it turned out how both of us dreamed and how neither of us expected, but it cements the kind of continuity and partnership that I've come to treasure in Dr. Lamm and the ongoing guidance and involvement in the destiny of Yeshiva University.

Joel spoke of the history of the need for the building in his speech:

In 1928, under the administration of our first president, Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel, Yeshiva College opened the doors of its first building down the street, now called Zysman Hall. This structure was to serve as the high school for the college, whose grand campus would stand opposite of it on the east side of Amsterdam Avenue. This campus was to contain a robust library and a stately beis medrash connected by an arcaded walkway. This connection between the celestial and the terrestrial hubs of Yeshiva, perfectly symbolized the ideology of that fledgling institution, that of harmonizing academia and traditional Torah study, what we now call Torah uMadda. Unfortunately, difficult financial realities torpedoed that campus plan, placing the burden of the entire institution on the one completed building originally intended to solely house the high school 81 years ago when it was established. This required some innovative ideas to make the transition work. The Harry Fischel Beis Medrash, where our students have studied Torah for over seven decades with some of the greatest Torah luminaries of our time was initially intended to be the school's lunchroom. We are honored to continue the legacy of the Harry Fischel Beis Midrash - it will remain filled with students and a proud center of Torah learning but what a profound honor it is to dedicate the first beis medrash that was actually built to be a beis medrash on the Wilf Campus. Today, we dedicate this magnificent Glueck Center to complete the vision of my predecessors for our yeshiva that began over 80 years ago.....

Joel continued

Dr. Revel foresaw a splendid beis medrash for this campus - the Glueck Center would no doubt exceed all of his expectations. It was for his successor, Dr. Norman Lamm, together with our visionary namesake, Jacob Glueck, to see the possibilities of a timeless project in technological times, for their vision was a high-tech beis medrash where technology would serve as the servant of Torah study. Indeed, this center is completely wifi with video technology that allows presentations to be shared from this place to anywhere in the world. This building adds an additional 550-seat beis medrash, a magnificent shul for davening daily and on shabbas and yomtov, cutting-edge technology-laden classrooms and lecture theaters - 11 of them for our shiurim and for Yeshiva College and Sy Syms classes - 50 new faculty offices for proper space for our unbelievable roshei yeshiva, a faculty lounge with coffee complimentary for our roshei yeshiva, and space for the Beis Din of America to hold its proceedings under our roof even as our rabbinical students pursue the yadin yadin degree and learn from the proceedings of the beis medrash.

Joel further said

We now have our academic and traditional centers conjoined through the Nagel Family Atrium and Student Commons, symbolizing our continued devotion to the vision of our founder. The Heights Lounge - it's called the Heights Lounge because - it's not Mr. and Mrs. Heights - it's for Washington Heights - we're very ready to change the name. The Heights Lounge, the new grand entrance to the Gottesman Library and the closure of 185th street [between Amsterdam Avenue and Audubon Avenue], please God, within a year or two, to be a community pedestrian mall for the campus and our neighbors have provided a new center for our campus. But clearly, the Glueck Center represents so much more than the sum of its glass, stone, mortal and steel - it's the tangible symbol of our absolute optimism for the future of our yeshiva and our university. At a time when others are are scaling back, Yeshiva builds because we must. This building disarms the cynics, granting people the permission to feel the pride, the joy about Yeshiva University and the sacred values we represent. it redefines the campus center with learning at its hub. This is a space where we will grow. It shows how our future lies before us and symbolizes our dedication to Torah uMadda.

Following the speeches, there was a hanging of mezuzah followed by a little bit more speaking, then some saying of Psalms, and then a reception followed in the Heights Lounge. There was also a parade for Torahs.

Interestingly, as the press release states is the environmental aspect of the building:

Careful attention was paid to the conservation of energy by incorporating efficient design features, including large windows on both the north and south facades to create an abundance of light. An insulated glass curtain wall along the exterior of the beit midrash both creates privacy from the street and reduces the heat load, while two columns of frosted glass at either end of the building allow light to stream in to the stairwells inside. The center was also built with a LEED-certified air-conditioning system.

The press release continues on to say that the new Glueck Center

will also house the administrative offices of Rabbi Yona Reiss, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS. Moreover, for the first time, all of the administrative offices from each of the University’s four men’s undergraduate Jewish Studies program will call the Glueck Center home, fostering an enhanced degree of coordination and communication among them.

Furthermore,

The Glueck Center creates new places for study and socializing at the Gottesman Library. From inside the Nagel Family Atrium, visitors can enter the Glueck Center and access the library’s first floor via an elegant new stairway or continue on to the library’s ground floor, where the Nagel Family Student Commons offers students a bright, modern space to unwind, eat a snack from the “Nagel’s Bagels” food kiosk, or access the Internet using Wi-Fi. The Yad Norman Lamm, a permanent exhibit recognizing Chancellor Lamm’s lasting contributions to the University with a display of pictures, documents and memorabilia will be located off the Nagel Commons.

The schedule had called for guided tours, but I saw no signs for it, so I went wandering around the building by myself and the building's offices and lecture halls are much needed upgrades from what has heretofore been at the school.

Walking the Newly-Expanded YU Eruv [4 Min. Video]

I posted two weeks ago about the YU eruv's expansion, encompassing my building (yay!) and decided to do a brief video, walking along the edges of it (in case people were interested beyond a 2-D map). I had hoped to put music to it, but that, for some reason, was not working, so feel free to listen to the music of your own choosing while watching it:

Washington Heights Kosher Eating Options [Updated for Spring 2009]

It's been over a year and a half since I last posted the kosher dining options in Washington Heights and felt it was time to update the list. I've organized this list by dairy places to eat and meat places to eat.

Dairy
Dougie Doug's
501 West 184th Street
212.928.2222
Free wifi
Hours:
Sunday 10:30-5
Monday-Thursday 8:30 - 8
Friday 8:30-2
However, in the summer, they may be closing around 4pm.

Grandma's Pizza
2551 Amsterdam Avenue
212.927.4895

Lake Como Pizza
2549 Amsterdam Avenue
212.740.0110
Hours are about 8-9, although they will be closed end of June - mid August

Your Heights Cafe
4413 Broadway
212.544.9044 or 212.544.0041
Tav HaYosher certification
Open Sunday through Thursday 11-9 (and will keep those hours through the summer)
The newest kosher eatery in the Heights, having opened about two weeks before Pessah.


Meat

Beli
2566 Amsterdam Avenue
917.797.0703
Sunday-Thursday 4:30 - 11 (although I don't know what their summer hours will be)

Golan Heights
2553 Amsterdam Avenue
212.795.7842

Just Kosher Delight
2543 Amsterdam
212.568.2343
Sunday-Thursday 11:30-11
Friday Closed
Saturday One hour after shabbas until 1
Not sure about summer hours and might be closed in July


As an aside, if I believe I got this right, all of the kosher eateries in the Heights are certified kosher by the Va'ad haRabbanim of Riverdale.

YU Eruv Expanded

I found out on Friday that the eruv that encompasses the campus of Yeshiva University has been officially expanded and operational. This is big news for my wife and me since not only do we live in this area as well as some of our friends, which permit us to bring food over on shabbas if need be, but also, since having our baby, allows us to leave the apartment with us and to go over to others' apartments if need be.
Anyways, this is great news for us and we're glad it is operational for our last few months here.
(By the way, this is not the Hudson Heights eruv, which is on the west side of Broadway in Washington Heights, whereas the YU eruv is to the east of Broadway.)

New Gym Rates at J's Big Gym in Washington Heights

When I went to the gym on Sunday, I was made aware that since my gym membership was expiring in two weeks, it would be good to renew my membership then, as the rates were going to go up the next day, 1 December.
So, for those interested, the new membership rates at J's Big Gym that went into effect a few days ago, see below (for the old rates, see here):

Year:
New member: $398
Renewal: $299
6 Months: $260
3 Months: $150
1 Month: $65
1 Day: $12

Membership at Gym

I've been asked a few times by people about how much membership is at the local gym, J's Big Gym, of which I am a member. So, listed below are the gym's current membership pricing plans:

• Day - $12
• Month - $65
• 3 Months - $150
• 6 Months - $240
• Year (Renewal) - $286
• Year (New Member) - $388

Construction Returns to Wadsworth

In the last few weeks, the American Development Group has returned to construction next door to the apartment building in which I reside. The project entitled "One Wadsworth Terrace," has been untouched for two years, since they last touched the area. In an e-mail from February 2007, the problem that had been delaying the project was that

the city received complaints regarding the general concept of our firm doing any type of construction. During the numerous inspections the city conducted, it was determined by one of the inspectors that we lacked ownership of the retaining wall and as such could not proceed with any work until the the wall ownership could be determined.
The issue became more troublsome as no city agency wished to take responsibility of the ownership of the wall. It is still an issue at this point and we are working with various city agencies to resolve the situation. It will take some additional time to get this resolved. Until this situation is resolved everyone will be inconvenienced on many different levels.

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Tags: construction, Washington Heights, Manhattan, Wadsworth Terrace, 1 Wadsworth Terrace, Wadsworth Condos, Wadsworth Terrace

No More Blockbuster Stores in Washington Heights Nor Inwood

Yesterday, my wife and I went to return a[n overdue] rental to the Blockbuster store at 179th street (GWB station). Upon our reaching the store, we saw that it was no more - totally empty and closed up.
When my now wife used to live on 193rd street, the nearest Blockbuster store was located on Dyckman street. However, that store then closed, leaving the only Blockbuster in the Inwood-Washington Heights area at 179th street (not that that was a problem for me, as it was within walking distance).
And now there are no remaining Blockbuster stores in the Inwood-Washington Heights area, with the closest stores at 125th street in Harlem and in the Bronx.
I would presume that there are a few main reasons for this: Netflix & Blockbuster Online, online movie downloading (both legal & illegal), and knockoffs sold on the streets.
Oh well, we're members of Blockbuster Online and the store on 125th is near my wife's work, so we're not too unfortunate with this neighborhood loss (although gone are the Saturday nights where we can just walk over to a Blockbuster store and rent a movie).

Washington Heights Links Page

For what it's worth, I decided I'd put together a little links page for Washington Heights stuff online. It is available by clicking here.

Kosher Dining Options in Washington Heights

Now that today is Labor Day, fall is soon upon us. A new season is here, school is starting once again, and new people have moved into the neighborhood. With these changes come a couple of new kosher restaurants in Washington Heights and a few of the same previous places. Here they are, in alphabetical order:
-Dougie Doug's (212.928.2222) 501 West 184th Street {dairy} - replacing Revaya has just opened up within the last month
-Golan Heights (212.795.7842) 2553 Amsterdam {meat} is going strongly.
-Grandma's Pizza (212.927.4895) 2551 Amsterdam {dairy} is also still going strongly.
-Knish Box (212.544.9044) 4413 Broadway {dairy} - this is a new place and the first kosher restaurant near Bennett Avenue since Gruenbaum's on 181st closed in spring 2006. It just opened last week.

As far as Ari's deli (212.740.8030) {meat} is concerned, which had opened up two years ago, I haven't seen them open in several months.
Also, Lake Como Pizza (212.740.0110) 2549 Amsterdam {dairy} (where Time Out Pizza used to be) is another place that hasn't been open for a long time, so I don't know what the story is there.