'THE LAST SMOKER IN AMERICA' NYC PREVIEW

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WALTER MCBRIDE

ON

BROADWAY

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Jake Boyd

Farah Alvin

Andy Sandberg

Bill Russell

John Bolton

Natalie Venetia Belcon

 Jake Boyd And Farah Alvin

Jake Boyd along with John BoltonNatalie Venetia Belcon, Farah Alvin and others, were photographed in the Press Performance Preview for 'The Last Smoker In America" at the New 42nd Street Studios in New York City yesterday.

Photos By: Walter McBride / WM Photography / Retna Ltd.

NATIONAL DONUT DAY IN TIMES SQUARE NYC

Dunkin Donuts At Nasdaq

John Costello

 Nigel Travis

Harold Prince

Nigel Travis along with Harold Prince And John Castello, joined Dunkin Donuts to celebrate 'National Donut Day' as well as unveiling their new Electronic Billboard in Times Square, New York.

Photos By: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.

WALGREENS CONTINUES TO SCREW NEIGHBORS

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THIS AND THAT
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Walgreens In Times Square

It really amazes me how these places in Times Square get away with ripping off everyone. It really does. Every week I look at the ads for Walgreens and head over there and every week most of the stuff they advertise as on sale are not there. They refuse to have the circulars in the store too, to tell you whats on sale. I have complained about this to the Walgreens main office. They are all talk and all lies. You can read that story HERE.


Walgreens could care less about the people that live here. I am trying to get my apartment ready for a painting this Wednesday, and I want to get all my clothes washed tonight. So once again, I check the Walgreens ad, and I see Sun detergent on sale for $3.59. Knowing if I go over there, they most likely will not have it as always, but I head over there anyway, because I also needed a gallon of milk, and that was on sale. Lo and behold, they have no Sun Detergent and no Gallons of milk. I check my list that I wrote down on what was on sale, because I know they will not have any circulars for me, and sure enough, nothing. They did offer me a small bottle of detergent for $11.99. Can you imagine paying that much for a small bottle.

I have so had it with these places around here and Walgreens is the pits. I have told the company the corrections that needed to be made. They agreed with me on a phone call. That was a long time ago and no changes were ever made. So I stand by my original story that Walgreens in Times Square is a tourist trap. They are here to rip off the public and are not there to make the neighborhood better. They do nothing for the people that live here and rather cater to ripping off visitors to New York City. This is why so many people in my building will not shop there and we get our prescriptions filled at other places. We have a very old population that lives in this building and I can guarantee this building alone must spend 100 grand a month on medicines. But this business goes elsewhere.

It would seem that if Walgreens made a effort to be fair, they could expect so much more business. Not business from some visitor going there once in their life, but from the neighborhood people that would shop there on a daily basis.



SPRINT PCS PISSED OFF



I got my final bill from Sprint, since I switched to Metro PCS at half the cost. The next day it was followed by a demand for payment within 7 days, with a threat to report me to a credit agency if I didn't comply. I complied. What sour grapes. Wouldn't it have been better to send me the final bill and tell them they were sorry to lose a good 12 year customer? Couldn't they have said they hoped to have me as a customer again? Like I said in a recent story, I left Sprint because they fire Americans and hire overseas. They want Americans money, but they do not want to hire them. This is wrong with these big companies, and slowly but surely I am getting rid of them all.



MTA SUBWAYS AND BUSES



Any fool can see where all the loses for our transportation system is coming from.

These useless clerks in the booths. They are obsolete. They do nothing. Several times I have watched a clerk on 86th and Central Park West. I didn't see one customer. Everyone got their tickets from the machines. In Times Square, it seems the clerk sells nothing, but answers questions about the subway. Wouldn't it be cheaper to just have a information booth there?

In most of the other stations around NYC, these clerks do just about nothing. They have been filmed sleeping because they are so bored, yet the MTA and the City Of New York continue to bend to the unions demands that these are positions we need. Everytime there is talk of getting rid of the clerks, the unions come out with all these safety stories. Everytime there is a incident on a subway platform, they say if a clerk was there they could have helped. This is bull. Get rid of them.


MTA BACK DOOR FUN


The title says it all. The public gets screwed. I am really amazed at how much money we lose from people going through the back door of a bus. In the Bronx, everytime I ride the BX 12 line, 5 to 10 people go through the back door at each stop. This line alone must lose millions a month in uncollected fares. It really burns me up to see this everytime. I've said something to the drivers, and they ignore me. Now since this seems to happen in the boroughs of New York City, I bet billions are lost every year. You don't see this in Manhattan, below 93rd street. Never. There must be a way to put some device on every back door preventing this. The MTA is just so miss-run.


Photo By: James Edstrom

THE WESTIN HOTEL SELLS OUR NYC STREETS

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THE WESTIN HOTEL RUINS

'QUALITY OF LIFE'

FOR TIMES SQUARE RESIDENTS
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Westin Hotel Limo Drivers Block Garage

Westin Doorman Loads Cab That Bribed Him

The bad neighbor policies still continue, even after our story the other day. If you didn't read our story on the bedbug complaints from Westin New York customers and the blatant disregard for the people in this neighborhood, CLICK HERE.

Until there are changes in the way the Westin operates, we will continue to write about the hotels continued custom of being bad neighbors. Today we will talk about the bribes to the Westin doorman and the problems the taxis and buses cause.


HOW THE BRIBES WORK


The Westin doorman make a huge amount of money from tips. I watch and I learn. One would expect that the guests at the Westin would tip the doorman for helping with luggage. This is something I do when I travel. But would you expect that the taxi drivers have to pay the doorman for the privilege of picking up a Westin customer who is going to the airport? Well this is the case.


Having watched the Westin doorman for quite a few years now, I know their system very well. If you are a taxi driver and you want a airport fare, you have to bribe the doorman. Can you imagine that? You have to pay these doorman to take their customers to the airport. If you refuse, they will demand that you move your taxi and they will direct airport fares to another driver that payed them off. Bribe the doorman or no fares to the airport.


Now I am not feeling sorry for the taxi drivers at all. They are breaking the law. I feel sorry for the 652 tenants that have to listen to horns because no one can get down the street. Besides the noise, the fumes from all the idling taxis and buses from the Westin are making the tenants in this building sick. When I had my apartment in the front of the building, the walls had to be painted every 6 months as they turned black from all the carbon monoxide residue that sticks to everything.


Now yesterday afternoon, parked right in the middle of the street, are taxis with their off duty signs on. Right in the middle of the street, can you imagine this disregard for the law. Now can you tell me if you are a taxi driver and you are off duty that you park your taxi in the middle of the street and stand on the sidewalk. You do not. Today I saw several regular people who needed a cab and the taxi driver refused to take them, saying he was off duty. But minutes later when the Westin doorman gave the taxi the signal for a airport fare, they pulled right up and were magically on duty once again. This is not only illegal in the city of New York, it is not right and the Westin condones this. The Westin doorman are selling our public streets to make a buck at our expense.



You have the taxis, limos and buses double parked and triple parked. Traffic is at a standstill and every truck and car are beeping their horns to get down the street. Is this right for the tenants of this building to suffer so much so the Westin doorman can make buck? Is it right that our emergency fire trucks and ambulances can not get down the street? Someone could die because the Westin doorman have to make money with no regard for the safety of New Yorkers.


The Westin's garage is blocked by these taxis and buses. The trucks making deliveries have to beep their horns for them to move and the tenants of this building have to listen to all of this.


Keep in mind that all of this is the Westin's fought. They run the street at the expense of the neighborhood and they do not care. The police walk by and see it all and do nothing. Traffic cops come down the street and do nothing. The Department Of Transportation and the Police are called and they say they will send someone over and never do. As I said in my last story on the Westin, I can only assume that since I see the police on a regular basis are going into the back door of the Westin, they are being fed for free or getting other perks. And yesterday, half of the day the Police were standing out front of the Westin and did nothing to enforce the laws.


I spoke to a woman today who is a tenant in this building. She said she has not slept in days because of the machines running outside the Westin for the power washing. Can you believe they do this in the middle of the night? Can't they do this in the early morning or something? Not at 2am. But the Westin Hotel does not care, they think they own this block.

Now as you can see from the photos above (you can click to enlarge), the Westin doorman loads a airport fare that the taxi driver bribed him for. This taxi driver sat there for over a hour, parked in the middle of the street waiting for this fare, with his of duty lights on. The doorman made some money but it cost the tenants in this building with the noise created by blocking traffic.


The photo of the limos blocking the Westin garage may not seem like much, but it is. There are two garage doors there, they clearly say "Do Not Block", but this is where the Westin doorman make them park. So truck deliveries come, they beep their huge loud truck horns to make them move and we have to listen to all of this. Then there is chaos on the street with the limos backing up and traffic backing up and no one can get down the street. Notice that this one limo is also in the middle of the street parked. The Westin does not care, it's all about their doorman making money and selling our street. It's all about the Westin and not about the neighbors.



THE WESTIN'S BROKEN PROMISES



I talked to several long time residents in my building who were here when the Westin hotel was proposed. They said that the Westin promised to be a good neighbor and to improve the quality of life of the neighborhood. They lied. The quality of life is worse since they built this ugly hotel. Our tenants in our building hate the Westin. The Westin should never have been designed like it was and our community board should have never approved this design. The Westin main entrance should have been on 8th avenue where there is plenty of room. We are sure the reason for this is they wanted a Times Square address and did not want to be associated with all the drug dealers, Peep Shows and prostitutes on 8th avenue. Sadly, guests of the Westin are subjected to the drug dealers, Peep Shows and the prostitutes on 8th avenue. And the Westin is right next door to a topless club that was just raided by the feds. Would you like to a stay at The Westin? Would you like to have a neighbor like this?


Next week we will have our cameras rolling with more pictures and video of the Law Breaking Westin New York Hotel.


Please comment below as you see fit.


Photos By: James Edstrom

MORE THAN BEDBUGS AT TIMES SQUARE WESTIN

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BAD NEIGHBORS MAKE BAD HOTEL
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Bad Neighbors The Westin Hotel New York

I had had it with the Westin New York Hotel, which is right across the street where I live. This company, this hotel could care less about 652 residents living right across the street. They break every law in our neighborhood and no one will do anything.




WESTIN NEW YORK COULD CARE LESS ABOUT NEIGHBORS




First of all this is how their hotel operates. All the doorman out front want to make every dollar in tips they can. They will only let taxis who tip them park in from of the hotel. If you don't tip, they send you away. They have endless taxis out front with their off-duty lights on, when in fact they are not off duty. The taxis do not want any fare except airport fares which make them good money. The only way you can get a airport fare from the doorman at the Westin is to bribe them. I have seen this many times. This not only is not right, it is illegal. All the tenants in this building have seen this.



You may ask why this bothers the tenants who live here? The reason is, the taxis and limos are double parked and triple parked and traffic can not get down the street. Everyone is beeping horns and when fire trucks attempt to get down the street, they can not. The actions of the Westin Hotel Times Square are a danger to the residents who live here and a danger to everyone in the neighborhood as the fire trucks and ambulances are stuck in traffic caused by the Westin.



The greedy doorman who work at the Westin New York could care less about anyone that lives here, it's all about making tips from the customers and the taxi drivers. They break every law and the police department refuses to do anything. I can only assume that since I see endless amounts of Police in and out of the back door of the Westin, that they are feeding them for free and giving them other perks. This is also against the law.



In front of my building is No Parking Anytime. This is the law. The Westin New York will tell their tour buses that they can not park in front of their building, because they want the tips from the taxi drivers and customers. They send them in front of ours where there is no parking anytime. We have very old tenants here and almost several times a day we need ambulances for emergencies. With these buses here ambulances can't get access to our front door. The handicapped vans that come to pick up our disabled tenants must park down the block and our disabled tenants must try to make their way in their walkers and wheelchairs. This is horrible. If you say something to the Westin doorman, they laugh at you and say "call a cop". They can do this, as they know the cops will do nothing. This is very sad, as the residents of this neighborhood deserve better treatment.



I dealt with the old manager of the Westin New York John Sweeney. He was always nice on the phone, but he always made promises and never kept them. We are being tortured with the daily activities of The Westin New York. Over the years since I lived here, I have had private meetings with members of our community board. I have met with our buildings landlord many times on these issues, I am always told by everyone, they will speak to the Westin and then nothing ever happens. I can only assume that since nothing is ever done, they are all close friends. They all belong to the same Times Square Alliance, they all attend the same meetings together, so they must all be in ca-hoots together to do whatever they want.


WHAT HAPPENED TODAY



Atlantic Travel And Tours Illegally Parked



The Ugly Law Breaker Busdriver US Bus Rentals



Today I am trying to cross the street, after food shopping. I had to maneuver around illegally parked buses in front of my building, that were waiting for customers from The Westin New York. One bus company was Custom Coach And Limoways, also known as www.usbusrentals.com. Our building security guards asked this woman driver to move. He explained that there was no parking and our entrance could not be blocked as we have many old and disabled people living here and we can not have our entrance blocked for emergencies. This moron driver refused to move. I speak to her and I explain to her that the sign in front of her says 'No Parking Anytime', and she can not park here. She refuses to move.

Another company Atlantic Travel And Tours, also had their bus illegally parked. They refused to move. I called Atlantic Travel And Tours and spoke to a woman. She was rude, but said she would radio the driver. Their bus still does not move, so I call this lady back at the company. She yelled at me, and acted like it was ok for her company to break the law.

I want all my readers to e-mail these companies and to call them and tell them that you read on Times Square Gossip that they break laws and they suck, because they do.

For usbusrentals.com call 1-866-952-8737 or e mail them Info@usbusrentals.com.

For Atlantic Travel And Tours, call them at 917-754-0531 or e mail them at IW_TOURS56@yahoo.com.



THE USELESS 14th PRECINCT



The police department, the 14th precinct to be exact, is useless. Considering the crowd I hang out with and the parties I go to, I could easily pull Police Commissioner Ray Kelly aside at one of these events and tell him what I think of the 14th Precinct. The only thing is there are so many problems with the 14th, that I would not know where to begin. The police in our neighborhood refuse to enforce the law. Our building called the police for these buses, no one showed. I called twice, and the woman on the desk was rude and said she would send a patrol car. She did not. I called again, she got even ruder. She said " what did I expect them to do", I said " I expected them to do their job and send a patrol car and ticket these buses. I told her, the buses were parked and idling in front of our building illegally. I explained that the fumes go into all the tenants apartments and that it was also against the law and signs on the street say that there is a $2000.00 fine for idling and tons of signs that say No Parking Anytime. She then yells that she will hang up on me and that someone was on the way. No one ever showed.


So the bus driver from the company that breaks laws, usbusrentals.com, is in heaven. I flag down a cop on a horse, I explain everything to him. He says that they are only waiting for a tour group from The Westin. I explain that they have been sitting here for over a hour, sending fumes into all our apartments and that they need to enforce the law and have them move or ticket them. This cop says, "Go into the lobby and I'll talk to her and come in and talk to you". Minutes later, I look outside, the woman bus driver is laughing and the cop is gone. I look at her and say, I would not do this in front of your house. She say's, "yes you would". Meanwhile the cop did not do his job for which he is paid for.


I'm standing there, waiting for the police with our building security guard. They never arrive. I flag down a police cruiser. Once again I explain to these two cops the situation. They are breaking the law, please do something. They say go into the lobby and they will come talk to me in a minute. I wait, look outside the window, the ugly woman bus driver is laughing once again and the cops are no where to be found. The tour group arrives and she starts telling to pay no attention to me, I am just one of the nuts that live in this building. I take this ugly bus drivers picture, which she did not like, and she moves into the bus. Once again, the police did not do their job. No concern for 652 people that live in our building. Very sad. My readers can also call the 14th on their direct line to tell them that you read on Times Square Gossip, that they will not do their job. Their number is 1-212-239-9811. You can tie up their lines, they do nothing anyway. And I will mention this to Ray Kelly and all the other top cops I know. I wonder how these same cops would feel if buses were parked in front of their home, with fumes running into their house.



BED BUG COMPLAINTS AT THE WESTIN TIMES SQUARE



Since there have been many apartments in our building with bed bugs, I now know where they most likely came from. The Westin New York. Since we live here and we are not travelers, I can only assume after reading many complaints from Westin New York customers on travel websites, that all the travelers to the Westin Times Square have brought bed bugs into our neighborhood. In fact, I am shocked at all the complaints on these sites on the bed bugs at the Westin New York. Even more shocking, was the treatment the customers got when they complained about bed bugs to Westin management. You can read some of the stories on bed bud registry HERE. You can read bed bug comments on Trip Advisor HERE. We can only assume that the Westin New York is trying to cover up these stories, as Westin management is asking on these sites for the writers of the bed bug reviews to contact some manager named Wolfgang Wehen. We are sure there will be some kind of reward for removing their bed bug reviews.

NIGHTLIFE AT THE WESTIN HOTEL NEW YORK



Nights for the tenants of the building are nightmares. Just minutes ago, I walked outside for a smoke. They have the Westin employees washing the sidewalk with a loud power washer. Imagine that. 1am and they do not care if they wake up 652 people with this loud machine. The garbage trucks roll this time of night at The Westin. Their carting company drives down the street, beeps the horn at 2 am for the Westin to open the garage and they drop a huge empty empty garbage container in front of our building. Pounding, slamming, engines running. Then they back into the Westin with their backup horns blasting and then Pounding, slamming while the truck picks up this garbage monstrosity. They pull out of the garage, drop the fully loaded garbage container in front of our building. Pounding, slamming once again. Then they pick up the empty one, engines roaring, pounding and more slamming. They once again back into the Westin garage and the noise continues. Then they pull out, hook up the fully loaded container, roaring engines, pounding, slamming. This is what happens every night. The Westin could care less. These are the kind of neighbors the Westin Hotel New York are. My readers can also e-mail the Westin and tell them you read they are bad neighbors on Times Square Gossip. Tell them they suck. E-mail them at wolfgang.wehen@westin.com. Call them and tell them you will never stay there. There number is (866) 837-4183.

Why anyone would want to stay at the Westin, is beyond me. It is right on 8th avenue, where all the dangerous drug dealers are. There is prostitution, peepshows and it is not a safe area. Go stay somewhere else!

Photos By: James Edstrom

SHERRI SHEPHERD WITH THE TWIN CHEFS

Soledad O’Brien With Twin Chefs Audrey And Lilly Andrews
And Sherri Shepherd

The View’s Sherri Shepherd was spotted in Times Square over the weekend celebrating the national launch of the kid-friendly fruit, Cuties® Clementines! Sherri hosted the day of family fun and was joined by CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and nine-year old, twin chef, Internet sensations, Audrey and Lilly Andrews. West Coast shoppers have grown to love the California citrus Cuties and they are now available coast-to-coast for the first time ever!


Photo Courtesy Of: Gregory Pace

NYC POLICE DEPARTMENT IN BED WITH MOB ?

Cheetahs

Yesterdays raid on several strip clubs, including Cheetahs right across the street, must have some New York City cops running for the hills.


The feds busted up a mob-run ring that allegedly lured Eastern European women to work at strip clubs in New York and arranged sham weddings for them, the U.S. District Attorney's office said yesterday.


Twenty people were taken down in the bust - including seven mobsters from the Gambino and Bonanno families - and slapped with charges including extortion, transporting and harboring illegal immigrants, racketeering, visa and marriage fraud.

"The defendants themselves had one thing in common -- the desire to turn the women they allegedly helped enter this country illegally into their personal profit centers," said U.S. District Attorney for Manhattan Preet Bharara. "Today's arrests have brought an end to their illicit activities."

Prosecutors said the ring controlled clubs in Manhattan, Queens and Long Island, and that they would recruit women through newspaper ads and social networks to work as waitresses and hostesses. But when they got to the U.S., the alleged mobsters sent the women to work at clubs such as Cheetah's Gentleman Club and Restaurant in Manhattan and Perfection in Queens.

Now you may wonder why I say some New York cops will be running for the hills. The reason being there seems to be some kind of a very close relationship between the police in this neighborhood and the club. As I live right across the street, I spend alot of time out front smoking a cigarette and I watch the club. I have seen several times very un-natural things happen between the police and the club.

Many times I have observed police cars and police vans pull up to the club and the cops inside go up to the club door and hug the doorman. I always found this very strange. One time I saw the doorman hand a envelope to one of the cops. Hey it could be that they gave the cop free passes or something. I'll let my readers decide. On another time a few weeks ago, two un-marked police cars parked right in front of my building along with a police van and they all went into the club. I knew the cars was police vehicles, as they put their police parking plaques inside the windshield, so they would not get ticketed, as there is no parking in front of my building. They were in the club for hours. I remember thinking that these guys must be on duty and I thought this really sucked if they were in there partying while on duty.

Like I say, I'll let the readers decide. But it seems a very strange and I bet we will hear more on this story.

Photo By: James Edstrom

HURRICANE IRENE STARTS IN TIMES SQUARE

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TIMES SQUARE LOCKS DOWN FOR

HURRICANE IRENE

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Times Square In Hurricane Irene Is A Ghost Town

McDonalds 8th Avenue Closed

42nd Street In Hurricane Irene 2011

Well Hurricane Irene is starting up here in Times Square. There are still people walking around, but the city is getting ready for the worst. Subways are shut down and for the first time in New York City's history, and the trains were shut down at noon. We have no buses running and most of the stores are closed or getting ready to close.



Our building just shut down elevators, as per instructions from the city, to save electricity. I feel like we are trapped and I think this is wrong, as Times Square is still all lit up, using un-told amounts of power, and we are the ones that have to save electricity.



I called 311 and waited for almost a hour and the guy did not know what to do. He said hold on for someone that may know what to do and I waited another 20 minutes. The guy that finally came on the phone, said he had the same complaint from someone else in this building and that I needed to go online and look up the fire department number. I said you should have it there and give it to me. He said he could not change his computer screen with the hurricane instructions. Another moron, hired by the city.



So I go online and I call the fire department general number and I get a recording saying please call back 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. Can you believe this?



Do I feel safe, a little yes, a little no. I do not like being trapped without any elevators. I do not like the idea of going up and down so many flights of stairs.



Am I prepared, yes. I am probably more prepared than anyone in New York City. Since 9/11, I have for a very long time been prepared for anything just about. I have two refrigerator's stocked with food at all times, I got water, soda, 5 gallons of milk and I am ready. I got a case of Vodka and several cases of beer and tons of cigarettes. Times Square Gossip is prepared for a dinner party or a drinking party. We are ready!



Right now, I am making food for people here in the building that are not prepared and have no food to eat. I make a mean stew, and I made plenty of it. We have 600 channels of TV, The Internet is working and I am ready for any emergency.



Thanks for all the e-mails I have gotten from all over the world, asking if we are OK here at Times Square Gossip. It's nice to know we have so many friends and fans and I can feel the love here in our bunker. We hope everyone else in this hurricane, stays safe and cozy. Send us E-Mails and let us know how you are doing, or post a comment here.





Photos By: James Edstrom

THE HORROR OF THE TIMES SQUARE HOTEL

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***This Story Has Been Updated. Please Read Bottom Of Story***

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COMMON GROUND'S TIMES SQUARE HOTEL
WANTS TO THROW FORMER HOMELESS KID
ON THE STREETS BEFORE HURRICANE IRENE

Story By: James Edstrom
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Dark Secrets Lie Behind Common Ground's Times Square Hotel

When I moved into The Times Square Hotel around 8 years ago, I thought I was moving into affordable housing in New York City. This building is run by Common Ground, who brags that they give affordable housing and they go on and on that they give the homeless a place to live and they provide housing for people in the entertainment business. When I first got a tour here, this building was a beautiful historic, almost 100 year building that was on the National Registry list. The huge grand piano in the lobby, the beautiful rooftops and right in Times Square, the media capital of the world.

I thought this was perfect, since at the time I was doing so many Television Shows. The rent was perfect, the location was perfect and at the time I thought the building was perfect. How wrong I was.

A few years ago, our building manager left, Claire Sheedy and they put in a new manager Seth Lamar into the position. Since then, this building has gone down hill, into the gutter in fact.

Keep in mind, I adore most of the staff here, but Seth Lamar I have never been able to reach. Any problems I have here, he will tell me he will try to fix and never does. He is a yes man. Seth Lamar will promise you the world and never comes through. Since he has taken over this building, it has been filled with the worst people in the world. Drug dealers fill our hallways, and the more I complain, the more drug dealers they fill the building with. These drug dealers deal right outside on our front steps. I have had many meetings with our security director Felix Nnorom and I am always told they are working on it. He tells me we have police patrol's in the building now and he looks at me like I should be happy. I tell Felix that this is not something that makes me happy, it makes me sad that this building has gotten so bad that now we have to have the police here. I like Felix, but he is always telling me they are taking care of the problem and it is never fixed. It gets worse and worse and the building has become dangerous.


THE PERVERT OF THE SECOND FLOOR


I have been complaining for a very long time about a tenant on the second floor who has a endless flow of homeless kids in and out of his apartment. This tenant also has two homeless kids living in his small tiny space and the building management refuses to do anything about it. The kids are about 21 or so, but to me that's a kid. Day and night these kids come in and out of this building, some as young as 18. Younger ones wait in the lobby, as management will not let them in. The police have been up to this guys apartment many times. Part of Common Ground's mission along with giving affordable housing is to help the homeless, yet they continue to let this man from the second floor, who is in his late 60's have these kids in and out of the building. Any normal and sane person can figure out that this man is not running a good will agency to help homeless kids. The more I complain about the endless flow of kids the more seem to arrive.

To me this is a disgrace on behalf of Common Ground to keep allowing this. They keep telling me that they are working on it but this has continued for years and there seems to be no end in site. Common Ground should be ashamed that they bill themselves are the saviours of the homeless and the most fragile segment of our society, the young and homeless are going to this mans apartment and nothing seems to be done about it.


BATTLE WITH PERVERT FROM SECOND FLOOR


Most of my readers know that around 4 years ago I took in a 18 year old homeless kid. The kid is straight and it was a very hard decision for me to take him in, but it has been one of the best decisions of my life. Since I am gay, it sure has ruined my social life, but to me it has all been worth it. The kid is the joy of my life. I took a kid living in Union Square Park, hanging around with thugs and drug addicts and have given him a good life. The kid has had the life from hell, filled with abuse from almost day one, but now he has a life of love and guidance from me and my friends. He has great vacations with me and spends many weekends in The Hamptons with my friends who adore him. This kid is my son in every way and even know times are tough sometimes, I keep working and working at making his life better. He has a very good life with me and I am sure I saved him from a life on the streets with no future. I am sure I saved him from jail and even death.

It took a long time for me to get the street mentality out of my kid. It also took a very long time to get him away from his former street friends. This has been a ongoing problem, as I do understand the kids needs friends his own age and at times he has begged me to have two of them over to play video games. These friends, live with the pervert from the second floor and as much as I did not want them in my apartment, I reneged, because my kid needs to relate to people his age.


One of these kids whom lives with the pervert on the second floor, mentioned to me that they all hang out at this woman's house down the street in Manhattan Plaza. This is a older woman and she has all these homeless kids in her apartment smoking weed, drinking and just about everything else. The police are aways called to this woman's apartment. There have been stabbings there and who knows what else. She has her kid there who is 15 years old who is not supposed to be with her. He was taken away by social services and he ran away and is living with this woman. The foster home as far as I know, has not even reported this kid gone. So they continue to get paid from the city even know this kid is living with his mother in this drug filled apartment. So I mention to this kid who lives with the pervert from the second floor, that I was going to call Child Services and the police on her. Well this kid told her, and this woman woke me up last week on the phone and threatened me and came over here with her 15 year thug son to attack me. When I was in front of the building, the pervert from the second floor was walking up the block and I said to him that it was not right for this kid staying with him to start this kind of trouble. This pervert started yelling at me and threatening me and at the same time, this nut case of a woman from Manhattan Plaza was arriving with her thug son to harass me. Everything escalated when I went into the lobby between me and this pervert from the second floor and this woman. The police were called. They did nothing. They witnessed this womans 15 year thug son attempting to assault me and they did nothing. One cop was so nasty and all I wanted him was to do his job. When I told this cop that this woman's son was taken away from her and he should call Social Services, he said I should do it. I told him it was his job and he told me don't tell him what his job was. This cop should not be employed by the City Of New York anymore and I will deal with that at a later time.


THE KIDS FROM THE PERVERT ON THE SECOND FLOOR STRIKE AGAIN


I was getting ready last Tuesday to head out to Fire Island to film another segment from my Reality Show. I ran to the store to pick up a new toothbrush and when I was walking into the building, three kids were in the lobby, one looked like he was 15 or so. They were waiting for the pervert from the second floor. As soon as I walked into the building, these kids started threatening me because of all the trouble with this pervert. They did this right in front of the head of security Felix Nnorom. Two of the kids have already been banned from this building for trouble and I started yelling at Felix that banned means banned and it does not mean they have these kids in our lobby waiting for the pervert of the second floor.

I ran up to the management office and our useless building manager Seth Lamar was in a meeting. He came out. He told me to call the police. Refused to do anything. We got into a shouting match and I told him I would take the building to court and contact the media. He told me to call the media and to take him to court. Now he has his wish, as I hired a lawyer on Friday and will be contacting my media friends next week, and now they have this story and more to follow.

I called the police, and the same two cops from the week before showed up. They refused to do anything and they even refused to take a report. I said to this moron cop, that he needs to do his job and he refused. I told him I knew the Police Commissioner and the Mayor and he said so what. He said to me he should have let that kid get to me last week. Imagine that. This cop is telling me he should have let this thug kid assault me. I will get the police reports next week, and I will get his name and I am going to the Commissioner and filing charges against him. At least another cop that showed up, a Officer Burns saw what I was saying and took a report. Officer Burns was one great cop who wanted to do his job.


COMMON GROUND GET'S REVENGE ON ME AND WANTS TO THROW MY KID ON THE STREETS RIGHT BEFORE HURRICANE IRENE


I got called into the Associate Director Chi Ming Li's office on Thursday. He is there with the head of security Felix Nnorom. I really like Chi Ming Li, I talk to him all the time and I am shocked at his decision to take action on me because of all this trouble with the pervert from the second floor. He said he was banning my kid for 30 days and was banning one kid from the perverts apartment for 30 days. I told him he can not do this that he has to take me to court. He said he can. I argued with Felix Nnorom and Chi Ming Li and they finally said they would lower it to 21 days. I told them how much I liked them but this was not good enough. They can not throw my kid out on the street before a hurricane and they should only be taking action against this pervert who preys on the homeless.

They handed me a letter explaining. The letter basically said they didn't know what was going on but they were banning my kid. They said this was not a isolated incident, they said there have been others. The only other incident I remember, was a few years ago when this kid Delvin from the pervert of the second floor, jumped my kid right in front of the security guards. Delvin was banned from the building then and this was the kid that threatened me the other day in the lobby.

So imagine this. Common Ground promises affordable housing, they brag about helping the homeless, they brag about renting affordable apartments to people in the entertainment business and here they are illegally throwing my kid who has lived here for 4 years out on the street right before a hurricane. They are claiming that my kid has no right to live here, but they knew and let my kid live here for 4 years. They are claiming that I have no right to a roomate, but meanwhile there are many people in this building that do.

I went to my lawyers and now it is in their hands. My kid is stashed away in a safe place, as there is no way I will have him out on the streets ever again. Common Ground should be ashamed of this.

Next week, we tell you more! We will tell you about the Drug Dealers, we will tell you about CUCS ( Center For Community Services) who are supposed to help these people here with problems and can not handle their job. CUCS is really here to back up the landlord in court, there is no doubt in mind that this is why CUCS is here. We will also tell you how it's all about grants and money for Common Ground and for The Center For Community Services. We will also tell you how they parade some of the very few talented people that live in their buildings in the media and how they clean up the buildings when the city comes in for inspection and when they bring their donors in for a tour. It's all about the money for them. They do not care about any of the normal tenants in this building that pay their rent, they cater to perverts and the drug dealers. We will also tell you about the registered sex offenders in this building. So nice we are half a block away from a childrens school!


If you support me and agree with what I have told you, feel free to contact Common Grounds main office at 212-389-9300. Tell them you are outraged that they threw a former homeless kid on the streets right before a hurricane. You can also e mail them at Info@commonground.org.


LIST OF MANAGEMENT AT COMMON GROUND


Brenda Rosen
Executive Director

David Beer
Director, Real Estate Development

Lyle Churchill
Director, External Affairs

John McKegney
Interim Chief Financial Officer

Toby Sherman
Director, Human Resources

Julie Van Dore
Director, Information Technology


BOARD OFFICERS


Peter Ezersky, Chairman

Managing Principal
Quadrangle Group, LLC


Bruce Angiolillo, Esq., Secretary

Partner
Simpson Thacher & Bartlet


Ellen Taus, Treasurer

CFO
The Rockefeller Foundation


Board Members



Tony Hannigan
Executive Director
Center for Urban Community Services
Doug Lasdon
Founder & Executive Director
Urban Justice Center
Rowan Murphy
Not-for-Profit Consultant
James S. Rubin
Senior Partner
BC Partners
Naomi Wolfensohn
Trustee
Wolfensohn Family Foundation
Jide J. Zeitlin
President
The Keffi Group


UPDATE: I received a call from Claire Sheedy on Monday, following the hurricane. She asked that I meet with her and Seth Lamar on Tuesday. We discussed many issues, including the pervert from the second floor, the drug dealers and the overall quality of living here at The Times Square Hotel. They agreed to allow my kid back into the building, which was the most important topic of conversation. Since I wrote my last story on this building, there have been drug raids, which for now seems to have tamed the drug dealing out in front of our building. The pervert continues to have his homeless kids in and out and hanging in front of the building. Hurricane weekend, another one of his kids was banned for something, building management is not telling me why, but the pervert told the kid that it was because of me, which is totally untrue. Just another example of this pervert starting so much trouble with the tenants in this building. It seems that there is so much that this pervert can be evicted for, but management does not see it my way. He clearly is a nuisance tenant and can be evicted under the rent laws.

The meeting was very friendly, I just wish everything did not have to go as far as it did. I want to live in the safe building I moved into. The Times Square Hotel is a beautiful and historic building and I just want it to stay that way and I do not want me and my kid to be bothered by anyone. Claire Sheedy as always was a breath of fresh air. We agreed on some things and disagreed on others. I also got to see a better side of Seth Lamar and I think we have made a peace treaty. This is the way I want it, until I find a new apartment with more space. I have outgrown my studio and it's time to move on, but it may take a while. I'm hoping I can become friends with Seth as I am friends with most of the employees here. The first thing I do when I wake up in the afternoon, is go downstairs and joke with everyone. This is one thing I will miss so much when I finally find a new place.

I have also spoken to a top cop in the Police Department. I can't really say what we talked about, but hopefully they can see that this area of Times Square needs more policing. The drug problem is not just on my street here, but up and down 8th avenue. They prey on the visitors to New York City and this needs to be stopped. I am so tired of being asked on the street if I want drugs and this is also not good for my kid to see.

I would also like to thank so many of my readers who wrote me e-mails of support and my media friends who contacted me right away and wanted to know what was going on in Times Square. So many of my celebrity friends also contacted me and were ready to go to bat for me and my kid. One huge star was on the phone with me for 3 hours in the middle of the night. I have such good friends.

So for now, things are moving along in Times Square. We are looking for a new place, it is time for a new adventure. With our reality show in the works, our millions of readers and more every day, it is time to move on. Thanks for everyones support!



Photo By: James Edstrom

KOOL AND THE GANG GET FAMED PORTRAIT

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LEGENDS KOOL AND THE GANG
IMMORTALIZED ON FAME WALL
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Kool And The Gang

Fame-Wall NYC and Hurley's hosted their First Annual Summer in the City Celebration and Portrait Unveiling honoring the legendary Kool & the Gang. Their induction into Fame-Wall was a landmark achievement celebration, hosted by Fame-Wall Executive Producer, Dale Badway included a portrait unveiling of Kool & the Gang painted by legendary artist and resident
Fame-Wall Portrait Master, Jim Warren, and celebrated Kool & the Gang’s contributions of over 4 decades to music and entertainment.


About Fame-Wall:


Fame-Wall is a portrait gallery that salutes those who have made a significant impact in the world of art and entertainment, who have inspired others through their work. It was designed to pay tribute to creative icons from those arenas uniting stage, screen, music, paper and canvas. The portraits are custom painted by renowned, Grammy Award-winning artist, Jim Warren, whose work ranges from wild and whimsical, to sweet and sensuous !


Fame-Wall currently has a home in NYC and Hollywood! The NYC gallery, housed in the famed eatery Hurley's, which is recognized for both its rich NYC history and legend, is located in the heart of Times Square on 48th St. and Broadway ! The Hollywood gallery is housed in the Trastevere Ristorante Italiano located at the Kodak Plaza ! Fame-Wall has previously inducted John Stamos, Kelsey Grammer, Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, the Beach Boys and Chaka Khan.

'CAKE BOSS CAFE' OPENS IN TIMES SQUARE

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Cake Boss Café
At Discovery Times Square
226 West 44th Street, New York, NY.
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Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro

There’s a new boss in town! Buddy Valastro the “Cake Boss” is making the pilgrimage from Jersey to NYC. New Yorker’s will now be able to indulge in the delicious treats seen on the hit TLC show with the opening of the Cake Boss Café at Discovery Times Square on Thursday, May 12th. Buddy was there to unveil the new shop, where he fittingly cut the opening ribbon with a cake knife.



Cake Boss Café will bring the popular TLC series to life by offering products seen on-air. All of the desserts will be authentic Carlo’s Bakery products delivered daily to the Cake Boss Café, including Canolis, Lobster Tails, Italian Cookies, Biscotti and other seasonal selections. Regular store hours will be 10am – 8pm daily, and admission to Discovery Times Square exhibits is not needed to visit the Café.



For more information on TLC’s “Cake Boss,” please visit here....