(Getty Images)

The City of New York has finally agreed to pay Occupy Wall Street for the property destroyed in the Zuccotti Park police raid on Nov. 15, 2011.

OWS initiated a suit on May 24, 2012, seeking compensation for the destruction of their People’s Library—a collection of over 5,000 donated books. About 3,600 of these were ruined during the early morning eviction of the protest camp.

The City agreed to settle yesterday, awarding $47,000 in damages to OWS and $186,349.58 in attorney fees to their lawyers.

“We’re very pleased with the resolution of this suit,” said Herbert Teitelbaum, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. “The city acknowledged that what happened in the park on the night of the Zuccotti Park raid was inappropriate.”

According to Mr. Teitelbaum, the City rarely accepts liability when entering agreements such as this one. In collective settlement fees, the City will be coughing up over $400,000—including $75,000 in damage fees and $49,850 in attorney fees to Global Revolution T.V. An environmental nonprofit, Time’s Up, will receive $8,500 for 16 “energy” bicycles that were destroyed in the raid.

Third party defendant Brookfield Office Properties Inc., the owners of Zuccotti Park, will indemnify the City $15,666.67.

“We think that books are important and the destruction of books is a very disturbing thing, particularly when the government does it,” said Mr. Teitelbaum to The Observer.

Even the DOB has one now.

Have you ever wished that there was a better way to keep up-to-date with all the developments and trends over at the Department of Buildings?

There might not be a whole lot of us, but fortunately, the Department of Buildings is always anticipating the needs and desires of its heavy-users (well, some of our needs and desires—we're awaiting the day when we can see actually see PDFs of building plans online). They've started producing a monthly podcast! It's called State of Construction.

Before you get too excited, you should know that despite the overarching, in-depth approach that a name like State of Construction would suggest, the podcasts are about a minute long and therefore only skim the surface of construction and DOB issues. Topics since the podcast launched in January have included construction in 2012, hub self-service, illegal conversions and the department's mobile app. Not quite the juicy, NPR-quality paydirt we were hoping for, but the information is useful and Commissioner Robert LiMandri has a pleasant voice.

Mostly, the podcasts resemble public service announcements. In his illegal conversions podcast, Mr. LiMandri tells listeners that "certainly, we all know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" and warns that one should be wary of units that advertise significantly lower prices, basement or attic units and utilities that are included. He also gives the sage, though often ignored advice "to avoid apartments without windows or very small ones."

It's unclear who the target audience is, given that building and real estate professionals would too advanced for this kind of coverage and the general public probably doesn't spend a lot of time hanging out on the DOB website, looking for a one-minute explainer on construction permits. Still, we appreciate the effort. It's not the first time a city department has taken the leap into radio production. New York City has had its own radio station—WNYE, 91.5, since 1938. But podcast sounds cooler, more cutting edge, more up-to-the-minute. Maybe next, the DOB will modernize its ancient file request system? One can hope.

Greenpoint dolphin (YouTube)

You know, we're starting to think it's not a coincidence that all these dolphins have started showing up in New York's bodies of (filthy) water. After all, in the past decade there's been an uptick in marine life just kind of moseying into our rivers and canals, mostly with tragic results.

But this weekend's sighting of not one but two bottlenose dolphins in the East River--both apparently in fine health, from what experts can see--shows that maybe the creatures can survive in these unsanitary conditions ... at least for a little while. Which is pretty perfect metaphor for college students' NYC migration habits, when you think about it.

Gothamist has a full report on the dual dolphins, who have been confused for the same dolphin, since they seem to be keeping their distance from each other. But look! Here's one near Greenpoint:

And here's another one heading up to Harlem just off of Asphalt Green:

Technically we can't see the difference, and since the videos were taken three days apart, we'll just have to rely on the words of the experts for now. Keep healthy, dolphins!

Will Sunnyside residents be left with only Netflix and tears? (flickr)

Despite the prevalence of iphones and macbook pros and the endless stream of streaming devices, the retro-loving hipsters of Kings county still love going to the movies. Williamsburg has welcomed two new movie theaters in as many years—Nitehawk and Williamsburg Cinemas. There are video bars/screening rooms (Videology) and resurrected video stores retooled as hubs of film culture (Video Free Brooklyn) and owners pouring cash ($1.8 million into aging, much-maligned Pavilion Theater in Park Slope).

The borough of Queens, however, is not faring so well. The Sunnyside Post reports that Sunnyside Center Cinema's days are limited as a new owner has bought the building on the corner of Queens Boulevard and 43rd Street. The new owner has not announced plans for the building, but it's most likely a teardown as the annual income of $326,000 barely covers the debt servicing. The Cinema's lease runs through December 2014.

“It’s a neighborhood theater and I wanted to keep it,” Rudy Prashad told the Sunnyside Post. “It’s a place where working families can take their kids to the movies and not spend too much.”

The theater, while it lacked the bigger, flashier style of a Manhattan multiplex, is the only one in the neighborhood. New York's small, neighborhood theaters are a dying breed in general, replaced, when and if they are replaced, by a smaller smattering of chain theaters with stadium seating.

Between 2001 and 2002, the city lost 22 percent of its cinemas, according to a story in The Real Deal that delved into many of the difficulties theater owners face if and when they have to move. Manhattan was particularly hard hit, losing 11 of its 41 theaters. Last summer, there were even rumors that the spectacular Ziegfeld might close its doors—the immaculately-maintained movie palace has struggled to remain profitable as an enormous single-screen theater.

When Washington Heights Coliseum Cinemas closed, a group of film buff residents banded together to try to re-open it last year, a task that the 600-volunteer corps has thus far failed to achieve.

There are also fears that the days of Chelsea Clearview Cinemas, whose building was purchased last year, might also be limited (the theater is still operating). Across the United States, movie attendance continues to decline (the average American went to the movies just six times last year); in 2012, per-person attendance slipped to a 25-year low.

With declining revenues, even as the price of movie tickets continues to rise (it's now pushing $20 for 3-D movies—the industry's headache-inducing great hope), given the extreme development pressure in New York, Sunnyside Center Cinemas will probably not be the last movie theater that will be forced to close its curtains for good in the coming years.

kvelsey@observer.com

He knows where he's going. Do you? (PeterJBellis, flickr)

Aside from their adherence to sidewalk etiquette and an affinity for one-handing pizza, when they put their feet to the street New Yorkers may not differ as much from their touristy brethren as they thought they did.

A New York Post survey of 100 New Yorkers showed that an overwhelming number don’t know where basic Big Apple landmarks are, making them little better than the confused Times Square tourists trying to navigate the city.

Apparently, only 32 percent of New York residents know where the Guggenheim is and only 21 percent can name the location of The Algonquin, the New York Post reports.

In fact, 71 percent of the surveyed New York natives answered five or fewer answers correctly. The Post used questions from the Taxi Master Academy to test New Yorkers' where-are-we? wherewithal.

The good news is that at least somebody in New York knows where they're going—the largely foreign-born New Yorkers who work as professional taxi drivers. The cabbies, when questioned, proved adept at identifying what the Joe DiMaggio Highway (a.k.a. The Westside Highway) turns into downtown (West Street), although they were less successful identifying Joe DiMaggio himself. (The baseball star's marriage to Marilyn Monroe proved an effective prod).

“They always know that,” Terry Gelber, an ex-cabby, told The Post.

New Yorkers may not know their streets, but at least they know their celebrities.

sgrothjan@observer.com

Increasingly, the answer appears to be the latter. On any number of occasions over the last two years, Ms. Quinn has made it clear that political calculation, not the common good, is at the heart of her decision-making. That’s why, for example, she supported the so-called “living wage” bills which politically powerful unions supported.

Now her calculations and ambitions once again have run smack into a test of leadership. And there is no reason to believe that the result will be anything but another unacceptable compromise or another dreadful bit of political pandering.

In Ms. Quinn’s home base of Chelsea, owners of the highly successful Chelsea Market are looking to expand their operation to include offices and a hotel. Sounds great, right? In this time of low job growth and stagnation, what could be better than investment and growth? No wonder Mayor Bloomberg is solidly behind the market’s expansion. In addition to the jobs the project would create, the developers have promised to spend $20 million on improvements to the nearby High Line Park.

A no-brainer, right?

Wrong.

If your brain is torn between leadership and the instinct to pander, well, the Chelsea Market expansion is a terrible dilemma. Yes, any investment in a community makes economic sense, which is why the real estate industry and other officials support the project. But the not-in-my-backyard crowd in Chelsea is opposed to the project because, well, in the words of one critic, “corporate interests” are behind it. Imagine that.

So Speaker Quinn has yet to take an official position on the market’s expansion. Opponents have drawn a proverbial line in the sand, arguing that Ms. Quinn’s roots in the neighborhood and her longtime advocacy of their interests oblige her to oppose the project. At the same time, her campaign’s financial supporters tend to favor the project.

Ms. Quinn has to figure out which side represents the interests of the city as a whole, and that’s actually not so difficult. The project’s supporters see the market’s expansion—and the developers’ financial commitment to the High Line Park—as something that will benefit the community at large. Critics, on the other hand, are reflexively opposed to anything that might lead to somebody or some group making a profit.

Leadership requires that elected officials think in large terms, and that they put aside the silly ideologies of self-styled political activists. Ms. Quinn’s decision ought to be obvious. And yet she hesitates.

Not a good sign.

Look, it's 30-30! (Courtesy of the Real Deal)

It's Queens' time to shine!

Long Island City was once a barren post-industrial wasteland, but recent efforts are shifting the borough into a plausible location to live. Jet Blue flew its headquarters over two years ago and Queens Plaza is booming with real estate, but is it really New York if you aren't living next to some college students?

Of course not! The vacant building at 30-30 Northern Boulevard will become a massive commercial complex next year and a university campus within the next five, the Daily News reports.

Alma Realty has started the gutting process and plans to add two new stories that will increase the building's square footage to 270,000 square feet.

"This is an opportunity to impact the neighborhood in a positive way,"  George Valiotis, project director at Alma Realty, told the Daily News. "We really believe in this area."

The previous owners had proposed a 19-story, 900-room complex for students but that plan was squashed. Mr. Valiotis further noted, however, that Alma Realty plans to "build a university campus on the property and hopes the school will be up and running in five years."

He's talking all out, too–classrooms, amphitheater space, and even a museum, though no specific school is yet affiliated.

Now it's time to convince out-of-town parents that Queens is a safe and scholastic environment!

mewing@observer.com

Public park? Wind farm? Both!

New York is about to be just as green as the Hudson River!

The Deputy Mayor, Cas Holloway, New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced a proposal for solar and wind power facilities in Fresh Kills on Staten Island earlier this week.

There's a 75-acre plot of land within the massive 2,2000-acre dump-turned-public park available for lease that could be developed into a facility that generates upwards of 20 megawatts of renewable energy. That is enough to power about 6,000 homes. It will double the city's natural energy capacity.

"New York City needs energy to keep it running, and we want that power to be reliable, clean, and affordable," Deputy Mayor Holloway said in an announcement. "This RFP does all of those things and, if successful, will more than double the renewable energy capacity in the City.  Renewable energy is the most sustainable kind, and under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership we’re maximizing the use of City assets to develop as much capacity as possible."

These initiatives are in accordance with the mayor's PlaNYC sustainability initiatives.

Seth Pinsky, president of the EDC, also noted that it will "build the city's green economy, not only leading to job creation and economic investment, but also ensuring the sustainability of our city."

mewing@observer.com

The hardest working guys in New York. (Getty)

New Yorkers have little interaction with the transportation workers that bring them from work to culinary class to preschool to home. But their presence is quintessential: subway conductors are there for the cheap rides and taxis are perfect for time crunches or corporate expense accounts. You know that MTA workers have health benefits—oh, you know all about MTA spending—but have you ever considered the health and welfare of taxi drivers?

Gotham Gazette peered into the life of taxi drivers earlier this month and reported some of its findings. Drivers primarily eat fast food for the sake of ease, which leads to high rates of diabetes and blood pressure. Their sedentary jobs also put them at high risk for back, hip, and leg pains. The article included further statistics on health insurance:

A 2001 survey by the New York Taxi Worker’s Alliance found that more than 20 percent of drivers had cardiovascular disease or cancer.

And it is often difficult for taxi drivers to get the health care they need. Another study conducted by the city council in 2009 found that 52 percent of the city’s cabbies are uninsured, twice the rate of the average American.

Drivers often face language and cultural barriers to health care access as well. A 2006 study by a taxi industry consultant found that 91 percent of the city’s taxi drivers were born in another country.

Another report, by StreetEasy, noted that taxi drivers often work in twelve hour shifts, an hour more than federal limits on truck drivers, and questions how safe it is for taxi drivers to carry passengers throughout their long shifts.

If you take the taxi shift switch around 4-5 p.m., then it shows that full taxi shifts span from pre-dawn hours in the morning to the late afternoon and then from late afternoon to very late at night (or early morning).

Consider that next time you curse a driver for refusing a ride during rush hour.

mewing@observer.com

Affordable housing? (Turduckern/Flickr)

The National Low Income Housing Coalition published their "Out of Reach 2012: America's Forgotten Housing Crisis" report this week. The report, in short, calculates the required hourly wages (at 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year) to sustain a two bedroom apartment. The report surveyed hundreds of counties, metropolitian areas, and cities across the United States, and then our buen vecino Puerto Rico.

Keep in mind that the report also stipulated that an affordable two bedroom apartment is 30 percent of your monthly income. Here are some interesting breakdowns (in hourly wages at 2080 hours a year).

Most Expensive States

1. $31.68: Hawaii
2. $26.02: California
3. $25.04: New Jersey
4. $24.83: Maryland
5. $24.68: New York

Least Expensive  States

1. $9.88: Puerto Rico
2. $11.41: Arkansas
3. $11.50: West Virginia
4. $11.52: South Dakota
5. $11.85: Kentucky

Upon closer look, New York County (Manhattan) is not even the most expensive county in the state! The figures below outline the most expensive counties in New York - note that all are within the metropolitan region—in terms of monthly rent:

1. $1,682: Suffolk and Nassau Counties
2. $1,580: Westchester County
3. $1,424: Kings, New York, Queens, Bronx, Richmond, Putnam, and Rockland Counties
4. $1,189: Orange and Dutchess Counties

No, these figures are not per roommate, but for the whole apartment. It's a bit jarring to see in statistics, but just remember that the apartments in East New York or the mystical Far Rockaway are treated the same as apartments on Fifth Avenue or Greene Street in the data compilation.

Lesson learned: ask your South Dakota-raised hipster roommate for his old landlord's number.

mewing@observer.com