Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit and Filipino & Israeli Parades in Manhattan; Queens Pride Parade & Party, Two Dance Festivals & a Food Fest in Queens; BAM Dance Africa Festival & Greek Festival begins next week in Brooklyn; City Island Art Fair, Sound Performing Arts Fest & Feast of St. Anthony begins next week in the Bronx; Figment Fest, South Shore Arts Fair and SI Mall Carnival on Staten Island
NYC Weather. The temperature high will hit 90 on Friday, before descending down to around 70 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature low will rise to about 60 before falling back into the mid 50's the rest of the weekend. Winds will be 7 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 40% - 60% on Friday and Sunday, staying at 60% on Saturday. There's a scant chance of a scant amount of precipitation on Friday. Looks like a pretty good weather weekend.
MOSTLY DONE. Might add things through the weekend.
Mayor Adams & The People's Money
This week the Mayor announced that a participatory budgeting effort is underway. Here's a link to his description of how it works - Mayor Adams wants New Yorkers to help allocate resources - and here is a link to the City website - The People's Money - where you can participate in allocating money to the causes in your community that you care about.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Saturday & Sunday, June 3 & 4, 2023 from 12 noon to 6 pm - The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit in the Village runs along University Place from East 13th Street and continuing south along the east side of Washington Square Park to West 3rd Street. The southern end of the show encompasses Schwartz Plaza, (aka Bobkin Lane), between NYU's Shimkin Hall and Bobst Library. It's a unique art show attracting exhibitors from all over & runs two weekends. For details see - https://www.wsoae.org/
Sunday, June 4, 2023 - 10 am - 6 pm - Philippine Independence Parade & Fair - The parade begins at noon along Madison Avenue starting at 38th south to 26th Street where it ends about 2.30 pm. The Street Fair & Festival is along Madison Square Park between 24th and 26th Streets in Midtown NYC. For details see - https://pidci.org
Sunday June 4, 2023 from 11 am - 4 pm - Israeli Celebration Parade - Along 5th Avenue between 57th Street and 74th Street. Upper East Side NYC parades Manhattan. For details see - https://celebrateisraelny.org/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Saturdays, June 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2023 - Annual Jamaica Dance Festival - Begins at 7 pm - In Rufus King Park on Jamaica Avenue at 150th Street. Free dance performances by local performers. Street fairs in Jamaica NY. For details see - https://thejamaicadancefestival.com/
Saturday, June 3, 2023 from 3 - 7 pm - Queens Boro Dance Festival - The performances take place hourly along 34th Avenue between 69th and 92nd Streets in Jackson Heights / Corona, with the last one beginning at 6 pm in Travers Park which is located between 77th and 78th Streets. Free. For details see - https://queensborodancefestival.org
Sunday, June 4, 2023 from 11 am to 6 pm - Queens Pridefest - The parade begins at 12 noon at 89th Street, marching west along 37th Avenue to 75th Street. It ends at 37th Road where there's a festival from 73rd to 77th Street and in Diversity Plaza. Organized by Queens Pridefest. For details see - https://newqueenspride.org
Sunday, June 4, 2023 from 2 - 6 pm _ The Annual Bell Blvd Food Festival in Bayside. Along Bell Blvd between 39th and 35th Avenues in Bayside Queens. Sample over 35 Bayside restaurants for a $1 per taste [Advance Tickets $15 - $35 / Day of $20 - $45]. There will also be live music and drinks available for purchase separately. For details see - http://baysidevillagebid.com/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC
Saturday through Sunday, May 13 - June 11, 2023 - Dance Africa Festival at BAM - At 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place - in the Peter Jay Sharp Building and Howard Gilman Opera House in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's a performance festival featuring African culture. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $22 for kids. For details see www.bam.org. This is NOT a street fair, but there is a bazaar day, but it is mostly musical, theatrical and cultural dance performances.
Monday - Sunday, June 5 - 11, 2023. From 11 am - 9 pm daily. 45th Annual Greek Festival at the Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 64 Schermerhorn Street between Court Street and Boerum Place. The event has rides, entertainment, food and shopping. Organized by the St Constantine & Helen Cathedral. For details see - https://stconstantinecathedral.org. Greek cultural festivals in Brooklyn Heights NYC.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC
June 3 & 4, 2023 - City Island Art Fair - Along City Island Avenue near Hawkins Park and the Chamber of Commerce. City Island street fairs and festivals in the Bronx NYC.
Fridays & Saturdays, June 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 23 & 24, 2023 from 7.30 - 8.45 pm - The 20th Annual Bronx River Sounds Performing Arts Festival at at the Bronx River Art Center at 1087 East Tremont Avenue in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx. For $10, $15 & $20 tickets and more details see - https://www.bronxriverart.org/
Wednesday - Sunday, June 7 - 11, 2023 from 5 pm to 9 pm weekdays & from 12 noon - 7 pm on Saturday & Sunday - The Feast of St. Anthony. It's the annual Feast of St Anthony at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at 627 East 187th Street at Arthur Avenue. The triangle of streets along Cresent and Arthur Avenues & 187th Street in the Little Italy section of the Belmont neighborhood in the Bronx will be celebrating the Feast of St. Anthony with a street fair with rides, games, raffles, food and entertainment every night. Officially the street fair is being held along East 187th street from Arthur to Beaumont Avenue, and along Crescent from Cambreleng to Belmont Avenue. Historically there had been a procession, which this year [2023] begins at 1.15 pm following the high noon Sunday Mass. For details see - https://www.bronxlittleitaly.com. The church website is - https://sapbronx.com/ - but I couldn't find any info about this on it.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC
Thursday, May 25 - Sunday, June 11, 2023 there's the SI Mall Carnival at the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Avenue in the Heartland Village / New Springville neighborhoods of Staten Island. The carnival which includes rides, prize games and food is open weekdays from 5 to 10 pm, opening at 1 pm on Saturdays & Sundays and Memorial Day. Tickets are $5 for entry, and $30 weekdays and $38 weekends per person for unlimited rides and $100 / $125 for four persons unlimited rides weekdays / weekends. For details see - https://www.statenislandmall.com
Saturday & Sunday, June 3 & 4, 2023 from 10 am - 10 pm & 10 am - 6 pm - Figment Festival is not a shopping event, but a community interaction event. The idea is to use the 'figment' of your imagination when participating in communal projects, workshop and classes. At the Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island. For details see - https://snug-harbor.org.
Sunday, June 4, 2023 from 11 am - 4 pm - South Shore Artists Group 55th Annual Exhibit - at the Conference House Park at 7455 Hylan Blvd in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island. This is a unique arts & crafts for sale event. St fairs / art festivals in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceHouse/
This report contains the opening dates, times / hours, items / selection, as well as links to online maps of Manhattan farmer markets in NYC.
The Manhattan farmers markets on this page are in or around the Manhattan neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Harlem, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Midtown, Chelsea, Gramercy Park, the East Village, the West Village, Tribeca, SoHo, and the FiDi neighborhood in Downtown Manhattan.
Enjoy shopping and eating the fresh and natural foods and product of our local farmers and food manufacturers.
The photo at right is of the Tompkins Square Park Farmers Market in the East Village in Manhattan.
Memorial Day Weekend, Fleet Week, Beaches Open, Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, Harlem International Film Fest, Losaida Festival & LES Festival of the Arts in Manhattan; Memorial Day Parades in Queens; Atlantic Avenue Art Walk, BAM Dance Africa Festival & Memorial Day Parades in Brooklyn; 152nd Puerto Rican Cultural Festival, Orchard Beach Opens & City Island Memorial Day Parade in the Bronx; SI Mall Carnival, Fleet Week & Memorial Day Parade on Staten Island and Updating Open Calls & Weekend Events Calendar
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's and the temperature lows will be around 60. No rain is in the forecast.
We're still working on the open calls and the community & small business grants page, as well as updating the events calendars. It's a focus of ours over the next couple of weeks, so you should see some good improvement by late May / early June.
The photo at right shows a scene from Washington Square Park this week. The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit / Fair returns this weekend.
Mayor Adams & The People's Money
This week the Mayor announced that a participatory budgeting effort is underway. Here's a link to his description of how it works - Mayor Adams wants New Yorkers to help allocate resources - and here is a link to the City website - The People's Money - where you can participate in allocating money to the causes in your community that you care about.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Thursday - Sunday, May 18 - 28, 2023 at various times - the Harlem International Film Festival. At AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 Theatres at 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem. For details and tickets see - https://harlemfilmfestival.org/.
PIER 88 & 90 & INTREPID AIR & SPACE MUSEUM _ Tuesday, May 23 - Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - Fleet Week. Use link below to view Manhattan Parades & events details.
Saturday, Sunday & Monday, May 27, 28 & 29, 2023 from 12 noon to 6 pm - The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit in the Village runs along University Place from East 13th Street and continuing south along the east side of Washington Square Park to West 3rd Street. The southern end of the show encompasses Schwartz Plaza, (aka Bobkin Lane), between NYU's Shimkin Hall and Bobst Library. It's a unique art show attracting exhibitors from all over & runs two weekends - see below.*
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 26, 27, 28, 2023 - the Lower East Side Festival for the Arts runs Friday through Sunday at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue between East 9th & 10th Streets on 1st Avenue in the East Village. The event runs from 6 pm - 1 am Friday, on Saturday there's an outside cultural street fair from 12 noon to 6 pm, in tandem and also followed by theater from 1 pm - 12 midnight, and on Sunday from 6 pm - 12 midnight. Numerous performances by many of the 200 local artists, actors, musicians, dancers and performers associated with the theater. Free admission, donations welcome. For details see - https://theaterforthenewcity.net
Sunday, May 28, 2023 from 12 noon to 5 pm - The 36th Annual Losaida Festival - Along Avenue C between 6th and 12th streets on the Lower East Side. Set up begins at 10 am and the fair includes art, entertainment, food and shopping. Street fairs on the Lower East Side. For details see - https://loisaida.org
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for Manhattan Fleet Week events] coming throughout the weekend.
The photo at right shows the creation of a grafitti artist adorning a construction site in NYC.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Saturday, May 27, 2023 from 12 noon - 5 pm - Sunnyside Gardens Park Memorial Day Fair - In the park at 39th Ave at 49th Street in Sunnyside. Open to General Public and includes kids activities, arts, crafts, food & rides.
Sunday, May 28, 2023 from 2 pm, the 101st College Point Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Sunday, May 28, 2023 from 1 - 3 pm, the Maspeth Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Sunday, May 28, 2023 from 12 noon - 2 pm, the American Legion Forest Hills Memorial Day Weekend Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Monday, May 29, 2023 the Douglaston - Little Neck Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Monday, May 29, 2023 from 11 am - 1 pm the Ridgewood / Glendale Myrtle Avenue Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Monday, May 29, 2023 from 11.30 am - 2 pm the Whitestone Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Queens Parades & events details.
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for all Queens Memorial Day parades] coming throughout the weekend. Also see street fairs and you can scroll down for other suggestions.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC
Saturday through Sunday, May 13 - June 11, 2023 - Dance Africa Festival at BAM - At 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place - in the Peter Jay Sharp Building and Howard Gilman Opera House in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's a performance festival featuring African culture. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $22 for kids. For details see www.bam.org. This is NOT a street fair, but there is a bazaar day, but it is mostly musical, theatrical and cultural dance performances.
Saturday - Sunday, May 20 - 28, 2023 - The Atlantic Avenue Art Walk. A free, self-guided tour through Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Downtown Brooklyn. For details see their posting in our Brooklyn Events - Member Calendar - or visit the sponsor's website at - https://www.atlanticave.org/artwalk.
BAY RIDGE _ Monday, May 29, 2023 at 11 am - The 155th Brooklyn / Bay Ridge Memorial Day Parade steps off on 3rd Avenue and 78th Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. The parade proceeds down to Marine Avenue, up to 4th Avenue, then over to John Paul Jones Park for their memorial service which includes bag pipes, flag raising and wreath laying by Veteran Service Organizations. This is followed by a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps by the Veteran Corps of Artillery. For details see - https://www.brooklynmemorialdayparade.com/
CARNARSIE _ Saturday, May 27, 2023 - Memorial Day Parade. Use link below to view Brooklyn Parades details.
FORT HAMILTON _ Tuesday, May 23 - Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - Fleet Week. Use link below to view Brooklyn Parades & events details.
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for Bk Memorial Day parades] coming throughout the weekend. Also see street fairs and you can scroll down for other suggestions.
The photo above right shows another scene from Washington Square Park.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC
Saturday, May 27, 2023 from 11 am - 6 pm. Annual 152nd Street Cultural Festival / which is the Official National Puerto Rican Day Parade Street Festival - Along 152nd Street between [Prospect & Westchester Ave] Jackson & Tinton in the Longwood / Melrose neighborhoods of the Bronx. It's one of the largest Puerto Rican street festivals in NYC. The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is held a week later in Manhattan.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - Orchard Beach Opens for the Summer.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - from 1 - 7 pm - Bronx Night Market - in Fordham Plaza at East Fordham Road and Third Avenue across from the Metro North Railway Station. This is mostly a food market versus a street fair in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx.
Monday, May 29, 2023 from 2 - 4 pm - City Island Memorial Day Parade & Festival. Use link below to view Bronx Parades & events details.
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for Bx Memorial Day parade] coming throughout the weekend. Also see street fairs and you can scroll down for other suggestions.
The photo at right shows an Earth woman and at left an alien woman, or perhaps AI?
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC
Tuesday, May 23 - Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - Fleet Week at the Home Port Pier at 305 Front Street in the Stapleton neighborhood. Use link below to view Manhattan Parades & events details.
Monday, May 29, 2023 - The Memorial Day Parade in West Brighton. Use link below to view Staten Island Parades & events details.
May 25 - June 11, 2023 there's an SI Mall Carnival at the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Avenue in the Heartland Village / New Springville neighborhoods of Staten Island. The carnival which includes rides, prize games and food is open weekdays from 5 to 10 pm, opening at 1 pm on Saturdays & Sundays and Memorial Day. Tickets are $5 for entry, and $35 per person for [I think unlimited] weekday rides and $85 for four persons. For details see www.statenislandmall.com.
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for SI Memorial Day parade & Fleet Week events] coming throughout the weekend. Also see street fairs and you can scroll down for other suggestions.
This is a report containing things to do in Manhattan over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's and the temperature lows will be around 60. No rain is in the forecast.
The things to do in Manhattan on Memorial Day Weekend include art exhibitions, theater, live music, comedy, dance, shopping, outdoor activities such as soccer, kyaking, baseball, parades, street fairs, museums and dining on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Harlem, Washington Heights, Midtown Manhattan, the East or West Village, LES, SoHo, Tribeca or Downtown FiDi in Manhattan NYC.
Be sure to check our Memorial Day Weekend things to do, which we post on the front page on Friday afternoon leading into the Memorial Day Weekend in Manhattan NYC.
Brief History of the Memorial Day Holiday in Manhattan
Memorial Day first started out as Decoration Day in Waterloo, New York on May 30, 1866 - a year after the Civil War - to honor those who fought in it. In the 1880's the day came to be known as Memorial Day.
According to a May 25, 2012 report in Time Magazine, ten states - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee also officially observe some version of a Confederate Memorial Day, sometime between late April and early June [in Texas it's in January]. It's been reported that unofficially most of the former Confederate states still commemorate it, but not without some controversy as to the former Confederate diaspora it's to honor their ancestors, while to the former diaspora of the slaves it seems a remnant of these states racist past.
About ten percent of the nation travels more than 50 miles over the weekend. Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day which is held on November 11th of each year. Veterans Day began by honoring those who fought in World War I which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Both honor those who served in the U.S. Military. Veterans Day coincides with a similar holiday in Europe for the same reason, which is called Remembrance Day and Armistice Day.
Things to do in Other NYC Boroughs Memorial Day Weekend
Dance & Asian American PI Parades; Clio, Frieze & Contemporary African Art Fairs; Taste of Tribeca & 9th Avenue International Food Fests; Ukrainian Festival, Harlem International Film Fest & AIDS Walk in Manhattan; Downtown Jazz Fest in Jamaica, Greek Fest in Astoria, LIC Arts Open & 'Big Love' in Long Island City, Eight Tales of Pedro & Jamaica Jazz Fest in Queens; Bayfest, Norweigan Parade, Fabulous 5th Avenue Fest, Filipino Fair, Atlantic Ave Art Walk, Other Art Fair & BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn; Bronx Fashion Week, Vegan Street Fair & Bronx Week Ending in the Bronx; Cottage Row Curiosities Market & the Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt & Updating Open Calls
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 80 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 60 all weekend. The humidity will rise from 50% on Friday to 80% on Saturday, before falling back to 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. There's a 65% chance of some rain [a 1/4 inch] before 3 pm on Saturday.
There are also a few more events to add, but this is a solid first pass of the major events this weekend, allowing that there are a couple of things that need updating for Queens.
The photo at right was taken at the Ukrainian Festival in a prior year. The festival runs through this weekend in the East Village. See details below.
We're still working on the open calls and the community & small business grants page, as well as updating the events calendars. It's a focus of ours over the next couple of weeks, so you should see some good improvement by late May / early June.
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Wednesday - Sunday, May 17 - 21, 2023 _ Freize Art Fair at the Shed at 545 West 30th Street at Hudson Yard - From 11 am - 5.30 pm on Friday, 12 noon - 5.30 pm Saturday, 11 am - 3.30 pm Sunday. Tickets range from $40 - $140 for adults & kids cost $10 at https://www.frieze.com/.
Thursday - Sunday, May 18 - 21, 2023 - the 1 - 54 Contemporary African Art Fair beginning at 11 am daily and ending at 7 pm Friday & Saturday and at 5 pm on Sunday. At 439 West 127th Street in Harlem. The fair hosts the exhibits of 26 galleries. For details and $20 tickets, see - https://www.1-54.com.
Thursday - Sunday, May 18 - 28, 2023 at various times - the Harlem International Film Festival. At AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 Theatres at 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem. For details and tickets see - https://harlemfilmfestival.org/.
Thursday - Thursday, May 18 - 25, 2023 - NYC X Design. This is at various venues at various times. It's all about the many facets of design - from workshops to exhibits to markets. Every day is chuck full of events - see www.nycxdesign.org for details. Many events are free.
Last year the NYC X Design program included an art tour in LIC Queens on Friday and there's plenty more at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
Thursday - Sunday, May 18 - 21, 2023 - Clio Art Fair - from 6 - 9 pm Thursday, 12 noon - 8 pm Friday, 2 - 8 pm Saturday & 2 - 6 pm Sunday. They are also hosting Saturday and Sunday brunches from 12 noon - 2 pm. At 550 West 29th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan NYC.
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 19 - 21, 2022 begins 4 pm Friday & at 12 noon Saturday & Sundayending at 9 pm nightly -Ukranian Festival - At 30 East 7th Street and along 7th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue in the East Village. Includes Ukranian shopping, food and entertainment with the proceeds going to St. George Academy, which is a Ukrainian school. For details and further information see - https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgesUkrainianFestivalNYC/ . See photo at right.
Saturday, May 20, 2023 the Taste of Tribeca runs from 11.30 am - 3 pm along Duane Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets in Tribeca. Sometimes up to 80 Tribeca [and nearby] food and beverage vendors come out to serve the public. Note that this is a food festival not a street fair per se. Proceeds benefit PS 150 and PS 234. Tickets run from $60 on up, and they have lower cost group rates. For details see - https://www.tasteoftribeca.com/. See this story about the Taste of Tribeca St Fair.
Saturday, May 20, 2023 the Dance Parade begins at 12 noon at 20th Street and Broadway. It marches down along Broadway and University to Washington Square Park where it turns [left] east on 8th Street and heads into Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. A Dance Festival follows the Dance Parade in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village from 3 - 7 pm. Free. For details see - https://danceparade.org/
Saturday & Sunday, May 20 & 21, 2023 from 10 am - 6 pm. 9th Avenue International Food Festival - Along 9th Ave between 42nd Street & 57th Street. For details see - http://ninthavenuefoodfestival.com/
Sunday, May 21, 2023 beginning at 7.30 / 8 am - AIDS Walk / Run in Central Park. The Naumberg Bandshell just south of the Bethesda Fountain is the hub of all activities. Enter the park from east or west at 72nd Street. It's a four mile walk / run around the interior of the park. Free to enter. Donations go to support the Gay Men's Health Crisis [GMHC]. For details see - https://aidswalkny.org
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 12 noon - 3 pm - Asian American Pacific Islander Parade - 2nd parade - AAPI is comprised of thirty ethnic groups, speaking 50 different languages. Marching up 6th Avenue from West 44th to West 53rd streets in Midtown. For details see - https://aaari.info
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 12 noon - 6 pm - Greek Jewish Festival on [the center is at 280] Broome Street between Allen and Eldridge Streets on the Lower East Side [LES]. "Authentic kosher Greek foods, homemade Greek pastries, traditional Greek dancing, live Greek and Sephardic music and ... vendors". LES street fairs on the Lower East Side. For details see - https://www.kkjsm.org or https://www.kkjfestival.com/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 12 noon - 5 pm - LIC Springs Festival - Along Vernon Blvd between 46th and 50th Avenues. There will be music, dance and performances, as well as fitness, food and games. Street fairs in LIC Queens NYC. For details see - https://www.longislandcityqueens.com/
Thru Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 2.30 & 7.30 pm, performances of 'Big Love'at the LaGuardia College Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. For details and tickets see - https://www.lpac.nyc.
Friday & Saturday, May 19 & 20, 2023 from 6.30 - 10 and 12 noon - 8.30 pm _ Downtown Jamaica Jazz Festival in Queens. They have nearly a dozen performances scheduled each day at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Jazz festivals in Queens.
Thursday thru Sunday, May 1 - 21, 2023 / Open Galleries Saturday & Sunday from 12 noon - 5 pm & other times / events - LIC Arts Open Studios. LIC Arts Open is an event whereby LIC artists open their studios to the public for this long weekend, which started Thursday. As they're artists, they sometimes forge their own hours, so it's best to check the site using the link info that follows. Admission to open studios is free, possibly some exceptions, but not likely. Opportunity to visit artists' studios as well as some performances. For details see - https://licartsopen.com/
Thursday through Sunday, May 18 - 21, 2023 runs 5 pm - 11 pm Thursday & Friday, and 1 - 11 pm Saturday & ending at 10 pm Sunday - 49th Annual Greek Festival at St Demetrios Church on 31st Avenue and 30th Drive. Old fashioned town fair including traditional Greek food, good rides and prizes for the kids, and Greek cultural music and dance entertainment. Click here for St Demetrios street fair map. 718.728.1718.
LAST WEEKEND, after having been extended for two more weekends, thru 5/21/23. Originally _ Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, beginning April 28 - May 7, 2023 at 8 pm on Fridays & Saturdays and at 2 pm and 3 pm respectively on Saturdays and Sundays, there's a performance of Eight Tales of Pedro at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It's an original work developed in tandem with Queens Theatre. For details and $24 tickets see - https://queenstheatre.org/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC
Saturday through Sunday, May 13 - June 11, 2023 - Dance Africa Festival at BAM - At 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place - in the Peter Jay Sharp Building and Howard Gilman Opera House in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's a performance festival featuring African culture. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $22 for kids. For details see www.bam.org. This is NOT a street fair, but there is a bazaar day, but it is mostly musical, theatrical and cultural dance performances.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 18 - 21, 2023 from 6 - 10 pm, 4 - 10 pm, 11 am 7 pm & 11 am - 6 pm respectively - The Other Art Fair. At the Agger Fish Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There will be performances and art installations, including artworks by 110 different artists. For details and $14 - $24 tickets see - https://www.theotherartfair.com .
Saturday - Sunday, May 20 - 28, 2023 - The Atlantic Avenue Art Walk. A free, self-guided tour through Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Downtown Brooklyn. For details see their posting in our Brooklyn Events - Member Calendar - or visit the sponsor's website at - https://www.atlanticave.org/artwalk.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 10 am - 6 pm, there's the Filipino Street Fair on 5th Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets in Park Slope. Filipino food, art and handicrafts will be featured.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 12 noon - 6 pm. Bayfest. At Emmons Avenue and East 27th Street in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. Arts, crafts, amusement rides, bands, dance performances along the Brooklyn waterfront. Free. For details see - http://bigbayfest.org/
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 11 am - 6 pm. Fabulous Fifth Avenue Street Fair. Along 5th Avenue between Sterling Place & 12th Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Brooklyn street fairs / St Fairs & festivals near the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. Organized by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID. There will be plenty of food offerings at the bars and restaurants along 5th, as well as live entertainment at many of the venues. This is more of a food fair that typical street fair. For details see - https://parkslopefifthavenuebid.com
Sunday, May 21, 2023 beginning at 1.30 pm - Norweigan Day Parade - The parade steps off at 80th Street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge. The parade then turns right onto 75th Street [aka Bay Ridge Parkway], left onto 5th Avenue, to 67th Street and then along the Park - ending between 6th and 7th Avenues where the reviewing stand is. Street fairs in Bay Ridge Brooklyn NYC. For details see - https://17thofmayparadecommittee-brooklyn.org/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC
On Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 11 am - 7 pm there's a Vegan Street Fair in Rev T. Wendell Foster Park at 1055 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. Tickets cost $4 per bite or $55 for the vegan food festival. Rides are separate at $8 / ride. For details see - https://www.veganstreetfair.com.
On Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 4 - 5 pm the Bronx Fashion Week will be at the Bay Plaza Mall at 200 Baychester Avenue in the Bronx. Models will be walking the runway. Admission ranges from $0 for standing room and $45 for VIP seating. For details and tickets see - https://www.bronxfashionweek.com.
Ends Sunday May 21, 2023 - Bronx Week - Multiple events at various locations in the Bronx. For details see - https://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/
Mostly Free Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC
UPDATE _ CHANGED TO SUNDAY, MAY 21 _ Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 11 am - 4 pm, there's the Cottage Row Curiosities at Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace Street in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. There will be over 40 local vendors selling artisanal goods, food, music, entertainment and information. https://snug-harbor.org
Maker Park Radio Record Fair has been moved to June 2023.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 from 10 am - 4 pm - The Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt. Begins at either the Postcards, which is the name of the Staten Island 911 Memorial, on Bank Street in St. George along the waterfront just west of the SI Ferry, or at the Conference House in Tottenville. The cost is $35 per carload or $15 per bicycle / motorcycle. Teams of three are recommended to drive, navigate and shoot photos.
Manhattan offers easy access to a wide range of recreational swimming pools. The following is our first attempt to provide you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of Manhattan. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.
Manhattan outdoor public pools will open near the end of June. A few of the indoor pools will be closed this summer to allow for construction and improvements.
Generally pool hours are from 11 am - 7 pm daily, with a one hour break between 3 and 4 pm for cleaning. Bring a padlock for your locker and proper swimming trunks are required [for boys this means not shorts as trunks must have liners]. Don't bring food, glass bottles, newspapers, electronics, floaters and no or as few valuables as you can bring to minimize your risk because the park isn't responsible for your losses. Free sunscreen will be made available while supplies last.
As of this posting 5.16.23, masks are NOT required for indoor activity including in the locker rooms, but stay tuned as it's possible that could change.
Happy Mothers Day Weekend, TEFAF Show, Indian Film Fest & Japan Parade in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Taste of Queens Tuesday & Jamaica Jazz Fest Friday in Queens; Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Open Stages & BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Bronx Week in the Bronx; Arts & Crafts Show at the Staten Island Mall & Updating Open Calls
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 90 on Friday, falling to 80 on Saturday and about 75 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 60's on Friday, falling to about 60 on Saturday and possibly into the mid 50's on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 8 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% on Friday to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend
The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.
May 10, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz / 1068.
NYS Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubrey has sponsored a bill to allow a billionaire to build a casino on Queens parkland. Why can't the billionaire buy his own land to build the casino? And why has Aubrey supported this public park land grab?
Mother's Day is soon upon us. It's a good day to let your wife or mother or daughter know you appreciate their efforts in the most important role of their lives. Flowers, gifts and brunch or dinner are always welcome, as is any thoughtful gesture that provides some measure showing your recognition of her efforts in her role as mother of some children. After all, without mothers, we would all cease to be.
It's best to book a restaurant reservation early for Mother's Day brunch, as on Mother's Day in Manhattan, many restaurants are full. So if you're thinking about eating out at a restaurant this Mother's Day on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown Manhattan, the East or West Village, SoHo, Tribeca or Downtown NYC; it's best to do your research early, and call ahead to book Mother's Day restaurant reservations.
Remember, restaurants also have additional capacity since the pandemic began, via all of those outdoor shanties built during the pandemic, which greatly increased overall space / seating capacity. And with the weather warming - the temperature is expected to be near 70 degrees on Mothers Day without rain, so outdoor dining is a pleasant, even welcome option.
But as the saying goes, the early bird gets the [worm] better seating, so book early.
Mother's Day History - Restaurants In Manhattan
The origins of Mother's Day in the United States began with the efforts by Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother. According to Wikipedia, Anna began the campaign in 1905 - the year her mother died - and in 1910 West Virginia was the first state to adopt Mothers Day as a holiday. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Click this link to view a brief guide of Mother's Day restaurants in Manhattan NYC where you will find links to Manhattan restaurants we've visited in the past or have reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines.
Cinco de Mayo, Janes Walk and 5 Boro Bike Ride in all 5 Boros, Cannabis Parade & Festival in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro in Queens; Luna Park in Brooklyn, Kentucky Derby at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; Yankee Peddler Day on Staten Island & Moving Open Calls
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 on Friday, then rising to 70 on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday rising slightly to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be about 5 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 60% to 70% on Friday, to about 50% on Saturday and Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend
The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.
Sikh Day and Greek Independence Day Parades & Anitquarian Book Fair in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Irish & West Ghanaian Concert & Queens Symphony in Queens; Prospect Park Tour, Street Naming for MTA Member in Midwood & Luna Park in Brooklyn, Bronx Arts Ensemble Concert at the NYBG in the Bronx; Staten Island Ferry Hawks Home Opener All Weekend & Outdoor Markets on Staten Island, Moving Open Calls & Met Gala Monday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be around 50 all weekend long. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 60% to 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, and rising to 80% - 90% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday and another inch between 11 am - 11 pm on Sunday.
The photo at right, of the Greek Independence Day Parade, was taken a number of years back. The cultural pageantry references the lore of the heroics and democracy of ancient Greece.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be / Weather coming tomrorrow.
I never thought I would become one of the 'old timers' covering the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast. But I think that perhaps I am. I hadn't covered one of these breakfasts since before the pandemic, so I found myself looking to regain my balance, vis a vis my Queens real estate sea legs.
But some things are like riding a bike, meaning they come back to you quickly, and covering the LIC Real Estate Breakfast seemed to fit that bill. As I sat there listening to the panel assembled to discuss the current state of affairs, I noticed a number of folks from prior gatherings, and while the issues were largely the same, the current state of them is constantly changing.
Earth Day Weekend Events, Persian Day Parade in Manhattan; Ofrenda Fest in Queens; Invisible Dog Art Center & Luna Park in Brooklyn, 'Diamond' at Pregones & the Last Weekend for the NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Jazz Concert & Jacques Tibetan Museum on Staten Island & Open Calls
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 50's on Friday and Saturday, falling to the high 40's on Sunday. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from the mid 50% to mid 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, before falling back to around the mid 50% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday after 6 pm and ending before 6 am Sunday. Otherwise, for the other parts of the weekend, no rain.
The photo at right captures some of the beauty and mystery of planet Earth. It was taken along an ancient Inca Trail in the Andes in Peru, not far from Macchu Picchu. We can learn a lot from the Incas, who were environmentally compatible engineers.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from about 60 on Tuesday, to the mid 60's Wednesday and Thursday, to the low to mid 70's on Friday and Saturday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 40's on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to the mid 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be about 10 - 15 mph on Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Thursday and Friday. The humidity will be about 40% on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to 60 - 70% on Thursday and Friday. No rain is in the forecast all week long.
PRC [People's Republic of China] Caught Operating a 'Secret Police' in Chinatown in Manhattan
In October of 2022, the FBI obtained a search warrant to investigate an office on Broadway in Chinatown believed to be a 'secret police' station set up by dictator President Xi Jin Ping's Peoples Republic of China in order to control the behaviors of Chinese people living in the U.S. Two men were charged in the case. According to the Department of Justice, the two men who were arrested yesterday, are "... “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan ...".
The 'secret police' office was closed after the two men discovered that the FBI was watching them. When conducting the search, the FBI reported that the memories of the two men's communications devices [aka evidence] were erased. The men are presumed innocent in this country until proven guilty. This is very much unlike the process we've seen in China, where one is guilty of whatever dictator president Xi Jin Ping decides they're guilty of.
I always marvel at the dishonesty of dictators who attempt to control what everyone thinks, because the truth can be deadly to them and their regimes. For example calling China the PRC - People's Republic of China - when the people have no say in who their leaders are, can be imprisoned or even terminated for speaking their minds, and can only own or operate a significant business if it's given a blessing by the dictator president. The PRC should be called the XDC - Xi's Dictatorship of China. Where everything is designed to suit one man, and nobody, and nothing else, matters. As dictator president Xi seems to say by his actions, "... It's all about Me, Me, Me, Me or Xi, Xi, Xi, Xi ...".
Orthodox Holy Friday & Easter Sunday in Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan, International Auto Show, Tartan Day Parade in Manhattan; Lavender Laughs & Queens Night Market in Queens; Luna Park & BK Museum Pop Up Market in Brooklyn, Bronx Doc Film Editing Workshop Weekend, the Diamond at Pregones & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Staaten Eylandt Day, Cottage Curiosities, Iftar in the Park & Conference House Opens on Staten Island and , & Ramadan Ends Thursday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 80's Friday to the mid 60's Saturday and the temperature lows will fall from the mid 60's Friday to the mid 50's by Sunday. The humidity will rise from a very dry 30% - 50% on Friday into the 70% - 80% on Saturday and Sunday. Winds will be 5 mph all weekend. There's a below 50% chance of rain on Saturday and the amount of rain is forecast to be a quarter of an inch or less, and spread out over the entire day, so you might get a little damp while out, but not soaked by any means. And on Sunday the expectations are well below 25% probable and the amount is less than 1/20th of an inch.
The photo at right was taken a few years back of the Greek Orthodox Holy Friday Procession at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria Queens. It's an interesting cultural event and, in my mind, is one of the many diverse cultural events that makes NYC so interesting. See details regarding the event tonight [Friday] in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan below.
The Easter Bonnet Parade, Pickleball Court Opens at Wollman Rink, Auto Show at Javits, Final Week of Chain Theatre Performance, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory, Climate Change & Easter Egg Hunt & Party in Queens; Brooklyn Cyclones Home Opener & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn [also Easter Egg Hunt on Governors Island], Easter Egg Hunt at the Mansion & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Easter Egg Hunts and Bonnett Tea Party on Staten Island, Easter Sunday and Passover & Ramadan Continue
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 50's Friday to the mid 50's Saturday and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 40. The winds will fall from 10 - 15 mph on Friday, to 5 mph on Saturday and to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will rise from about 35% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, and ranging from 40% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is in the forecast.
The photo at right was taken at the Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Garden a few years ago.
Editor's Note. We're going to add more events that are happening this coming week on Monday, because NYC Public Schools are on Spring Break from Monday through Friday, April 10 - 14, 2023.
Very Brief Introduction to Christian Easter Traditions
On Friday, April 7th, Christians observe Good Friday, which is when the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross. On Sunday, April 9th, Christians celebrate the Biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead.
Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, wherein Christianity split into two different sects - Roman Catholic Christians [primarily in Western Europe] and Orthodox Christians [primarily in Eastern Europe]. The traditions have much in common, but one of the differences is in how they calculate the time of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Western European Christians [Protestants and Catholics] use the Gregorian Calendar which was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory, while the Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar.
Thus there are years where the Western European and Eastern Orthodox Easter events fall at the same time, and there years where they do not. This year [2023] the celebrations of the two traditions are separated by a week, with the Western European Christians celebrating next weekend and the Orthodox Christians celebrating a week later.
AIPAD Photography Show, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory & Armstrong at LeFrak, and Next Week Sculpture Center Gala & Mets Home Opener in Queens; Luna Amusement Park Opens & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn, Pregones Music Fest Ends Friday, Bronx Art Space Exhibit Closing Reception Saturday, NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; 5K Run on Staten Island, Palm Sunday, Passover Wednesday & Ramadan Continues
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from 50 on Friday, to 70 on Saturday, falling back to 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will range between the mid and high 30's all weekend. The winds will range from 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from about 80% Friday, to 70% Saturday to 40% Sunday. There will be scattered thunder showers Saturday ending around noon and with a brief return between 7 and 9 pm Saturday night, otherwise lookin' good.
The photos in this report were taken at an AIPAD show in a prior year. See below for details.
Manhattan Street Fairs begin the first weekend of April. We've compiled one of THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULE of MANHATTAN street fairs including street fair TIMES & PHOTOS & maps, some street fair names & sponsors, and street fair maps to help you find your way around during the spring, summer and fall of 2023.
How This Manhattan Street Fair Page is Organized
The Manhattan street fairs and festivals on this page are organized
1) BY MONTH & WEEK and
2) BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
So you can now look through all of the Manhattan street fairs on a given weekend, and see where they are in each neighborhood.
The Manhattan street fair dates that have been updated with 2023 designations reflect the current year St Fair events.
ASTERISKED street fairs have NOT been UPDATED. The street fairs with prior year dates, reflect the information regarding that fair in a prior year.
UNCONFIRMEDS. The 'UNCONFIRMEDS' represent street fairs held in a prior year, which we believe are returning, but for which we have not yet confirmed the details shown for 2023.
UPDATES. The asterisked street fairs of prior years and the UNCONFIRMEDS will be updated as new information comes in.
Also check our Manhattan Events calendar and / or our Manhattan Farmers Markets section for updates and other things to do.
Street Fairs Begin, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Bayside St Patrick's Day Parade & Rough Draft Festival continues at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Queens; Bay Ridge St Patrick's Day Parade, Rachel Wren Exhibit & Final Performance of Lorraine Hansberry Play Tonight in Brooklyn, March is Music Month at Pregones, Bronx Art Space Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature, NYBG Orchid Show & Yankees Home Opener in the Bronx; on Staten Island & The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Began Thursday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's all weekend. The wind will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday and Sunday, popping up to around 80% on Saturday. There will be about a half inch of rain on Saturday, spread out over the course of the day from around 9 am to 11 pm, so you can likely do whatever you plan to, without any serious rain interruption.
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began yesterday [Thursday 3/23/23] and will continue until Friday, April 21. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, pray and reflect on their lives. Not unlike the Christian Lent.
St Patrick's Day Parade, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Irish Green & Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens; a Half Marathon Race, Lorraine Hansberry Play Performances & Rachel Wren Opening Art Reception in Brooklyn, an Art Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; St Pat's Weekend Irish Stout Concert and St Pats Weekend Bar Crawl for All on Staten Island & the First Day of Spring Comes Monday
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, and the low 30's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, and then 10 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will drop from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
The first official day of Spring is Monday, March 20, 2023. In the yogic tradition, spring is considered a time of renewal and transformation.
The photos included with this report are from a Manhattan St Patrick's Day Parade in an earlier year. Erin go Bragh which means Ireland Forever. Have a good one, which means a safe one, which means being respectful of others.
In 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about new improvements coming to LaGuardia Airport. Since then a number of those plans have come to fruition. But one of them, what at the time was called the third phase, the Air Train to LGA, has not. Use the link to see the thinking nearly six years ago when the plans had been drafted and the construction was about to begin. I'm happy to say that we flagged and reported to you a number of the issues with the LGA Air Train early on, which we've included in the list below.
The photo at right shows the CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] subway that runs along the Kennedy Expressway from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport which vies with Atlanta for the title of the busiest airport in the U.S..
The Former Emperor [Governor Cuomo] had No Clothes [Sound Public Interest Rationale]
On Monday, Governor Hochul announced what was already well known and expected, which was that the Air Train shuttling between LaGuardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Corona Park, would not be built.
There were any number of good reasons why the LGA Air Train should not have been built, such as: 1) the costs of building the train would cost more than five times the original estimated cost of under $500 million to over $2.5 billion, 2) then, implicit in a number of alternatives, there was the idiocy of connecting the LGA Air Train, to the second most trafficked subway line [the #7] in NYC, which was already nearing peak capacity pre-pandemic, 3) the politically and billionaire preferred alternative destination, Willets Point on Flushing Bay, had just been cleaned up after decades of environmental pollution, and would again be threatened again, and to top it all off, 4) the politically and billionaire preferred Willets Point alternative required all of the people traveling to and from LaGuardia on public transit, to travel out to Flushing first, before circling back around to LaGuardia Airport. The billionaires who would have benefitted from this include billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross and [now minority interest] Mets Club billionaire owners Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon. The new Mets baseball team owner, Steve Cohen, is also a billionaire.
Daylight Savings Time Sunday 2AM, Performance of a Lorraine Hansberry Play, a Pop Up Market & Poets Workshop in Brooklyn; Chain Theatre Opens Original Play, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Workshop for Women About EmPowerment, MFTA Art Opening & 40 Shades of Irish Green in Queens; Two St Patrick's Day Parades, a Concert, a Queer Nature Art Exhibit & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Two Concerts [one Folk & one Classical], a Pre-Oscar Screening, a Staged Reading & Glass House Tour on Staten Island
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 30's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 13 mph on Friday and Saturday and fall to about 7 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 60% - 80% on Friday, and then settle into the 60% - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. There will be about an inch of precipitation between 4 pm Friday and 9 am Saturday, and the rest of the weekend should remain dry.
The photo at right was taken in McCarren Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn a while back.
St. Patrick’s Day is upon us once again and it’s time for one and all, regardless of genetic history, to don their green clothing and head out to the Irish bars for a pint of ale or to the Irish restaurants for some down home Irish fare … or something like that.
This report is about some of the Manhattan Irish bars and restaurants that have survived the test of time, and likely a might bit … more. The Irish pubs include Irish bars and restaurants from the Upper East Side [UES], the Upper West Side [UWS], Midtown Manhattan as well as the East Village, as McSorley's remains not just a pub, but a good piece of history.
St Patrick's Day is on a Friday this year.
While St. Patrick's Day is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like New Years Eve, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.
At a later date we'll add a bit of history of St. Patrick's Day.
Click here to read our report about the St Pat's Day Bars, Irish Pubs & Restaurants in Manhattan NYC. We'll begin our journey on the Upper East Side UES where the Manhattan St. Patrick's Day Parade ends and then work our way around the rest of Manhattan.
* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music & Brooklyn Poets Readings in Brooklyn, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit, Purim Celebration & the Harlem Blues in Manhattan, Cryptochrome at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center & Two St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, Queer Nature Opens at Bronx Art Space & the Orchid Show in the Bronx, & Lisa & Lori at Historic Richmond Town and the last Remaining Homophobic St Patricks Day Parade in NYC on Staten Island
NYC Weather. There will be about an inch of rain on Friday beginning between 5 - 8 pm, ending by Saturday 8 am. The rest of the weekend will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's. The winds will be 10 - 20 mph on Friday, 5 - 15 on Saturday and about 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday and 60% on Sunday.
The photo at right was taken late Monday night. It seems someone made good use of their time, and built what is likely one of the few NYC snowmen of this entire winter.
This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough
NYC Weather. The temperature highs start at about 40 on Tuesday, rising to 45 Wednesday and 55 on Thursday, before falling back to 40 on Friday. The temperature lows start in the low 30's on Tuesday, rise to the low 40's on Wednesday, before falling back to the mid 30's on Thursday and rising again to about 40 on Friday. The winds on Tuesday range from 5 - 15 mph, then fall back to 5 - 10 mph on Wednesday and Thursday before kicking up to 15 - 20 mph on Friday. The humidity will range from 75% - 85% on Tuesday, then fall back to 65% - 75% for the rest of the weekdays. There's a 50% chance of a scant amount of precipitation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before a real chance of an inch and a quarter of either snow or rain on Friday. Most of Saturday and Sunday should be clear.
The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens. This St Pat's Parade was created to allow LGBTQ folks to march in a St Patricks Day parade at a time when all of the others banned LGBTQ from marching in their parades.
Each Borough Has its Own Parade
Parades, Pubs and Restaurants in Each Borough. Each borough has at least one or more St. Patrick's Day parade. As we've covered most of them, we've included links to our reports of each St. Patricks Day Parade to provide you with further details of the experience of attending. We've also included links to some of the best or oldest Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough. As this is by no means a comprehensive list, and we will continue refining this report as we learn more about the Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough of NYC.
How this page is organized. We've organized this page first by borough and then by date. The parades span the month, even though the official feast date for St. Patrick is March 17th, which is also the date of the Manhattan parade which is by far the largest.
The LGBTQ Parade Participation Issue Appears to be Abating. In 2020 the St Pats for All parade was begun in Sunnyside to protest the banning of gays from marching in the Manhattan St Pats Parade. In 2015 the Manhattan Parade opened up its participation rules to allow gays to march. In 2020 the Throgs Neck parade opened up its participation to gays. At present only the Staten Island parade continues to ban LGBTQ community members from participating in the parade as openly gay people. The Staten Island ban continues in 2023.
Black HerStory at Lincoln Center, African Poetry Society Film Festival in Queens, Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Performance of the Play Insignificant at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx & African American Lighthouse Exhibit Opening on Staten Island
NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday was 46 degrees, falling to 34 on Saturday, before rising to 51 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday, and the low 30's on Sunday. The winds will be between 10 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 4 - 7 mph Saturday and then rising again to 8 - 12 mph. The humidity will be in the 40% to 50% range on Friday, 55% t0 65% on Saturday, and between 50% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected.
The photo at right was taken at a production of Black Wall Street at the York College Bassin Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens quite a while ago.
NYC Weather. The temperature high hit 61 degrees on Monday, and will fall to the mid to high 40's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will range from the mid 30's to the low 40's until Friday, when the temperature drops into the mid 20's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph until Friday, when we'll experience a gusty 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will range between 60% - 70% through the week, before dropping to 40% on Friday. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The image at right is of Langston Hughes, a writer in the 1920's and 1930's of the Harlem Renaissance. It seems like African Americans are continuing the process of asserting their influence in American culture, a process that began going mainstream in the 1920's / 1930's.
Highlighting Black History Month in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island NYC with Reports about African American History and Culture
We've covered a number of interesting theatrical performances and art exhibits exploring African American history and the African American experience in the five boroughs over the years. Some of them feature the African American experience front and center, while others include or reference the African American experience. This is a compendium of most of them, with links to the full stories. Think of this as a work in progress as it is far from complete, and in some measure, reflects how long each of our web magazines has been open / covering events in each of the boroughs. At this time I have not included many of the black and brown events reflecting immigrants' cultures, vis a vis the African American cultural experience.
Valentines Day Weekend Cocktail Party NYC, Lunar New Year Parade Manhattan, Photo Exhibit Opening Reception & Comedy in the Bronx, Classical & Gregory Porter Concerts in Brooklyn, Play in Queens & Lighthouse for Lovers on Staten Island,
NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday actually hit 61 degrees this morning, breaking a record. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature high will be about 50 on both days, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's throughout the weekend. The winds will be between 5 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 40% and 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising a bit to between 50% to 60% on Sunday. There's a small chance [30%] of a small amount of rain [1/10th of an inch] on Sunday night.
Over the past few years I've come to enjoy a number of PBS programs that delve into our collective African American ancestoral roots. One of the shows is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wherein he researches various celebrities' ancestoral roots, digging up photos, slave ownership records, and connections to other celebrities by tracing DNA trails. The journey can lead to any number of surprises, such as when Gates found that one of actress Carol Burnett's ancestors joined the Confederate Army, and then deserted a couple of years later. Or when Gates uncovered that TV Producer / Writer Larry David of Seinfeld is a distant cousin to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
But for my money, the treasure trove of programming on PBS may be found in its rich collection of documentaries - both old and new. And among those documentaries are a wide number of films exploring the contributions and history of African Americans.
PBS Documentaries During Black History Month in NYC
I'm only going to touch on one of them now, and at a later date will return to engage in a deeper conversation about others. The documentary I watched on PBS this month, was entitled, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard. It was about how an innocent African American veteran was attacked by a white southern police chief [Lynwood Shull] from South Carolina who beat out Woodard's eyes and permanently blinded him in February 1946, while Woodard was changing buses at a bus stop. That's a mighty nasty way to welcome a WWII veteran home and thank him for risking his life to defend us.
Nonetheless, eight years later, the search for justice was fulfilled ... in a way. Of course the all white South Carolina jury let off Police Chief Shull. But that action so enraged President Harry S. Truman, that he ordered a federal investigation into the case. And actor / radio host Orson Welles, took up the cause too, helping make it known what sorts of racial injustices were being perpetrated upon African Americans living and working in the south.
NYC Weather. We're going to have wintry cold from about 6 pm Friday to about 1 pm Saturday, when the temperatures fall below 20 degrees. Then it's back to our dry, global warming non-winter.
The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising significantly on Sunday to about 50 degrees. The temperature lows will be about 8 degrees Friday, rising to the mid 20's on Saturday and the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will be about 30% on Friday, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 20 mph Friday, and then 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
The photo at right was taken inside of City Hall last month. It's a beautiful building, as you can see.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs Friday, Saturday and Sunday will range from the high 40's to the low 50's, before rising on Monday into the high 50's. The temperature lows will fall to 30 on Friday, rising to 35 on Saturday, to 45 on Sunday, before descending into the high 30's on Monday. No precipitation is forecast. It's going to be a fairly windy weekend, with the winds at 20 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday, and then rising again to about 10 mph on Monday. The humidity will be 50% - 60% on Friday, falling to 40% - 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 70% on Sunday, before falling back to about 50% on Monday. Click for Manhattan Weather.
The photo at right is a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Union Square Park in Manhattan. Lincoln struggled to keep the United States together, while striving to rid it of the immoral and inhumane enslavement of African Americans.
Presidents Day is a federal holiday when all local, state and federal government offices are closed, which generally includes public schools - unless the district uses the holiday to make up a snow day, which is highly unlikely this year since there hasn't been any measureable snow.
Presidents Day is a time to reflect on the performance of our current presidents and legislators, to see how they stack up versus their historical peers. And in that reflection it's worth asking ourselves what we've done to contribute or detract from the national conversation.
Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC
A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.
In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.
In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the American people.
New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.
In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small. Every little bit of carbon reduction counts.
Manhattan Valentine's Day Restaurants & Events 2023
Manhattan Romantic Restaurants For Valentines Day in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, East Village, West Village, SoHo, Tribeca & the Lower East Side
The photo at right was taken of a main entree at a restaurant in Long Island City.
Valentine's Day is three weeks away. It's a good time to let your loved one know you care. Flowers, gifts and dinner are always welcome treats, and / or some thoughtful gesture that shows that the lady [or man] you're with, still means a lot to you.
This report provides an update on who's open and taking reservations, but also highlights a few local restaurant closures.
All events that have been asterisked are from 2022. Those restaurants without an asterisk have been updated to 2023, so watch the dates / year for 2023.
Unlike last year, there aren't any state CoVid guidelines for indoor dining. And the challenge of getting a reservation at the restaurant of your choice, is likely back to normal, which means if dining on the day of or the weekend before is imporant, you might want to act now.
Given Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday, it may be fair game to make your VDay reservation on Valentine's Day or any day of the preceding weekend. Also, many restaurants have retained thier outside dining capacity - so depending on the weather - NYC restaurants may have more capacity for Valentine's Day weekend than they did versus prepandemic.
But a number of restaurants were casualties of these pandemic times, so if you're thinking about doing something this Valentine's Day for dinner in or around the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown or East Village; it's best to do your research early, and call a week or at least a few days ahead to make the reservations.
Valentine's Day History - Romantic Restaurants In Manhattan
The origins of Valentine's Day are not well documented. It's believed to have been named after Saint Valentine who was apparently a Catholic martyr who died over 1500 years ago. Today the holiday is not associated with religion so much as flowers, candies, cards and romantic dinners. And the holiday spokesperson is now Cupid, a Roman god of desire, and quite a mischief maker.
Click this link to view a brief guide of Manhattan Valentine's Day restaurants - Manhattan NYC where you will find links to Manhattan restaurants we've visited in the past or have reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Enjoy.
Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.
The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend
There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating
Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong
January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 469.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.
I. Economic Background - CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and U.S. Government Fiscal & Monetary Policy Responses
In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.
* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.
The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.
The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.
Friday the 13th, Many Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue, Closing Reception, Play about Patriarchal Power & Skating
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.
The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday. Click for Manhattan Weather.
Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.
Martin Luther King Day has grown to take on an even larger meaning, as it is oftentimes referred to as a day on, versus a day off. Organizations around the city and nation have used the day to call people into action to address the needs of the community through volunteering and service.
As Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday, it's worth keeping in mind that many / most federal offices will be closed, along with a number of businesses.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Manhattan NYC
On Sunday, January 15, 2023 the Apollo Theater at 253 West 125th Street in Harlem resumes its MLK Day program entitled, Uptown Hall" MLK - Blueprint for Culture. This event is free, but all tickets have been 'sold' as of Saturday morning. But if those ticket holders don't show up / pick up their tickets by 2.30 pm the day of the show, they will be released to the public waiting in line at the theater. See www.apollotheater.org for details.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023 the Abyssinian Baptist Churchon Striver’s Row located at 132 Odell Clark Place between 138th & 139th Streets and Frederick Douglass & Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvds in West Harlem is hosting a King Day Worship Service beginning at 10 am. The featured speaker is Dr. Jelani Cobb who has become the Dean of the Columbia School of Journalism. The West Harlem neighborhood includes places where African Americans like author W.E.B. DuBois and civil rights activist Malcolm X spent some time. For details see - https://abyssinian.org.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023 from 1 to 2.30 pm in the South Hall of Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive in Manhattan there will be an Annual MLK Commemoration. The doors open for a 12 noon service, followed by a live music, spoken word and conversational event. Folks will be seated on a first come first serve basis. The church has a real connection to Dr. King as it is where, in 1967 Dr. King gave one of his most famous speeches, Beyond Vietnam. A Time to Break Silence. For details see - https://www.trcnyc.org.
On Monday, January 16, 2023 the eighth graders at Manhattan Country School organize an annual Commemorative MLK Day March beginning at 10 am until about 2 pm. This year the march is entitled 'The Power of Awareness: The March for Justice and Change'. The march route seems to vary with each year, but has generally been on the Upper West and Upper East Sides, stopping at historically signfiicant sites, where students give speeches and ending at the Manhattan Country School at 150 West 85th between Columbus & Amsterdam. This year the march starts at the Harriet Tubman Memorial where West 122nd Street meets Frederick Douglass Blvd and St Nicholas Avenue - makes five stops where 2 - 5 speeches are made by the students - and ends at Manhattan Country School. For details visit www.manhattancountryschool.org.
On Monday, January 16, 2023 there's a Harlem Gospel Choir performance at Sony Hall at 235 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The doors open at 12 noon and the show begins at 1.30 pm. Tickets run $41 - $59 at https://sonyhall.com.
All weekend there are jazz performances at the Birdland Theater at 315 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets are $26 and $36 at https://birdlandjazz.com.
The Museum of the City of New York at 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES is hosting a series on activism in NYC. It appears to be an online program and not specifically about MLK but inclusive of his efforts. For details see https://www.mcny.org/events.
Back in 2020, just prior to the pandemic there was an exhibit that opened in January 2020 at the Schomburg Center for African American Culture in the Lapidus Center at 515 Malcolm X Blvd and 135th Street in Harlem. The exhibit was entitled Subversion & the Art of Slavery Abolition, which chronicles efforts made by the Abolitionists to stop enslavement via art, politics and culture. Like 2021 and 2022, in 2023 they do not appear to have any MLK specific related programming. Please note that the Schomberg Center is normally closed on Sunday and will be closed MLK Day. But it's worth mentioning that they have a lot of good programming related to race and civil rights which you can find at https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/schomburg.
The Studio Museum of Harlem hosts a variety of cultural and art exhibits and programming related to African American culture. Their site at 144 West 125th Street, which they've occupied from 1982 - 2018, is TEMPORARILY CLOSED while a new building is being constructed. They are currently operating out of Studio Museum 127 which is located at 429 West 127th Street in Harlem. The last date I have seen for when they expected to move back to their 125th Street site was on March 15, 2020. But then the pandemic hit and they are still operating remotely and via their website. For details see - https://studiomuseum.org.
The Africa Center at 1280 5th Avenue at 109th Street in East Harlem doesn't appear to have any specific programs scheduled for the MLK Weekend. The museum seems more focused on African culture per se, than on African American culture. For details see - https://www.theafricacenter.org.
The United Palace at 4140 Broadway at 175th Street in Washington Heights doesn't have anything dedicated to MLK planned this weekend. But they are offering an historical tour on Sunday from 2 to 3.30 pm for $15. They describe the theater as follows: " ... The history of United Palace, Manhattan’s 4th largest theatre and now a landmarked building, began in 1930, when it was then one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres” across the boroughs and New Jersey. Designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb (Cort Theatre, the former Ziegfeld Theatre) with interiors overseen by decorative specialist Harold Rambusch (Waldorf Astoria, Radio City Music Hall), it was one of the region’s premier vaudeville and movie houses. Today, the United Palace hosts concerts, movies, and community events and provides spiritual and cultural programming ...". For tickets see https://www.unitedpalace.org.
The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform begins Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival begins on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.
OLD / NOTE YEAR _ The Imperial Theatre at 249 West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan is hosting performances of the musical 'Ain't Too Proud' which is the story of the Temptations, a modern musical group of the 1960's and 1970's. Performances run through the MLK Weekend 2022 - except Monday - and tickets range from $74 - $1353.
On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.
By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.
By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."
By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.
So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.
The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.
Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.
The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.
First Full Weekend of the New Year - 2nd Anniversary of the Trump Insurrection, Three Kings Day Parade, Greek, Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Christmas, Shabbat Dinner, January Under the Radar Festival Begins, Mulchfest Ending & Skating & a Couple of Holiday Market Sales
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. The humidity will be 70% on Friday, 60% on Saturday and between 50% and 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. A scant amount of precipitation is expected early Friday morning, as well as late Sunday night. It appears to be something one needn't worry too much about.
In the photo at right, taken last week in Manhattan, you can see Macy's in the background, in all of its holiday glory.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to continue the transition from pandemic to endemic - assuming we're not already almost there - given that there are likely to be lingering long term CoVid effects and that we may never return to a pre-CoVid normal.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2023 a better year for you.
Manhattan New Years Parties & Restaurants 2022 / 2023 NYC
New Years Parties & Restaurants on the Upper East Side UES, Midtown, West & East Village, Upper West Side UWS, SoHo, Tribeca & Downtown in Manhattan NYC
As happens every year, there will be a number of great New Years parties in Manhattan preceding and following the dropping of the ball at Times Square.
New Years Eve occurs on a Saturday this year. While New Years Eve is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like St. Patrick's Day, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.
Folks are ready to party this year, so an early rsvp is suggested. Most, if not all, NYC restaurants no longer require proof of vaccination, and no longer require masks. NYC theaters, followed suit this year rescinding both requirements, but they still encourage theater goers to wear masks. And while the pandemic restrictions have been rescinded, you might want to check the CoVid guidelines of your destinations, just to be sure, as each business is free to mandate and enforce their own CoVid guidelines.
The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in Manhattan NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the mid 50's Friday, to about 20 on Saturday, rising to about 30 on Sunday and Monday, which is a holiday. The temperature lows fall like a rock to about 10 degrees Friday night, before rising to 15 on Saturday, 20 on Sunday and 25 on Monday. The humidity drops from 70% on Friday to 50% by the end of the day, and then remains in the 40% - 50% range for the rest of the weekend, including Monday. As of the time of this post, there's a 70% chance around midday of about 1/10 inch of precipitation. The winds will fall from a blustery 20 mph + on Friday, to 15 mph on Saturday, to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday, down to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.
The photo at right was taken earlier this month at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The crowds are back, but there might not yet, be as many foreign tourists as in the past.
NYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.
The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.
I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?
As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.
So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?
RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.
The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.
Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times. It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.
NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022
So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan. I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm.
It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight. I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.
I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike. Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner. One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue. But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there. Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].
The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.
A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th. The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal. Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).
*** Be sure to visit our Manhattan holiday markets NYC page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
*** For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
EDITOR NOTE. While it seems we've turned the corner on the CoVid pandemic, remember caution is the better part of valor. Try to maintain some social distance, when in a crowded place consider wearing a mask and if you're not feeling well, give yourself a break and enjoy some time at home.
How The Manhattan Holiday Events Page on this Page are Organized
These holiday events in Manhattan are organized as follows:
1. BY NEIGHBORHOODS OF MANHATTAN
2. BY DATE
Watch carefully as some locales have multiple dates, and all dates for a given locale are shown at the time the venue is first listed.
3. ALL OF THESE ARE FREE UNLESS FEES ARE SPECIFIED.
4. *** Note MANHATTAN HOLIDAY MARKETS are published on a separate page - the links to which are posted at the bottom of this page, along with links to other boroughs.
The holidays are a special time of the year. In ancient times there were harvest celebrations to give thanks and enjoy the bounty after a long growing and harvesting season aka a year of work.
Holiday lighting festivals and ceremonies have been on the rise in Manhattan in recent years. While some date back many years, some are fairly new.
Attending holiday lightings alone, with friends or with the kids gives folks a chance to enjoy their own cultural heritage and provides an opportunity to learn a bit more about and share in the cultural heritage of others.
Each lighting is a bit different, as some are orginated by the community, some by businesses, some by religious organizations, and a few have arts organizations behind them. Please feel free to send us a notice of your holiday lighting event if it's not posted herein.
Manhattan Holiday Events & Holiday Markets Now Underway
This is not meant to be a complete list, but rather a list of the holiday lighting events. The holiday lighting events are organized individually by each Manhattan neighborhood including the Upper East Side UES, the Upper West Side UWS, Midtown NYC, the East Village, the West Village, the Bowery, SoHo, Tribeca and more to come. Many include the serving of some beverage like hot chocolate and generally some snack like cookies.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.
The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.
The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.
This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.
The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.
A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.
The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.
Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny
Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.
Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.
I. A Brief Thanksgiving History
The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream
At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.
The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?
NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.
As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.
Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.
And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.
*** Be sure to visit our Manhattan Holiday Events page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
*** For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
EDITOR NOTE. While it seems we've turned the corner on the CoVid pandemic, it's after effects are still hovering around us. That said, we mostly appear to have turned the corner and are in the process of returning to normal.
Holiday outdoor markets have been on the rise in Manhattan since the dawn of the 21st century. While some date back many years, some are relatively new.
Shopping at holiday markets alone, with friends, or with the kids gives folks a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor and satisfy some of their yearnings as well as the yearnings of those we love.
Each of the Manhattan holiday markets is a bit different, as some are organized by community groups and others by business organizations. Oftentimes one can find artisanal products that are made in NYC or NYS.
Manhattan Holiday Markets Getting Underway
Some of the Manhattan holiday markets get underway almost immediately after Halloween, while others open up around Thanksgiving time. The Manhattan holiday markets are located in or near the following Manhattan neighborhoods - the Upper East Side UES, the Upper West Side UWS, Midtown NYC, the East Village, the West Village, the Bowery, SoHo, Tribeca, Lower East Side, Harlem, Inwood and Washington Heights. Many either include the serving of some beverage like hot chocolate and generally snacks like cookies - or are near food vendors and restaurants.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's Saturday and down to the mid 40's Sunday. The temperature lows will plummet from the low 50's Friday, to the low 330's Saturday and into the high 20's on Sunday. The humidity will fall from 90% Friday, to 80% Saturday, to 65% 80% on Sunday. Winds will be a blustery 7 - 15 mph all weekend. Rain is in the forecast, with about a quarter inch to fall tonight, and then 1/10th inch of rain early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - so it shouldn't stop you from going out.
The NYS election is today, Tuesday November 8th. On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state level positions such as Attorney General, State Assembly, State Senators and Ballot measures.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's all weekend, while the low will be in the mid 60's all weekend. No rain is in the forecast, but it will be a very humid weekend for this time of year ranging from 70% to 85% all weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph all weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival in a prior year. The festival returned to the Museum of the Moving Image this week and runs through the weekend.
The graphic below right shows the course of the NYC Marathon this Sunday.
Thanksgiving Day Gourmet Food & Grocery Stores & Restaurants in Manhattan 2022
Gourmet or Specialty Food Shops & Grocery Stores for Preparing Dinner on Thanksgiving Day or Restaurants Open Thankgiving Day on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, East Village, West Village, SoHo, Tribeca & Downtown NYC
The origins of Thanksgiving Day in the United States began with one of America’s first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600’s]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the ‘old country’. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620.
The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their thanks to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America. There's some dispute to this account, which we'll address in a future post, near Thanksgiving Day.
October 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of October in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of October.
Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Halloween Weekend in All 5 Boroughs; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 60's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be 3 - 8 mph all weekend. Humidity will be 45% - 65% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast this weekend.
The photo at right was taken over a decade ago in Queens. I recently came across it while doing some website content management work. The photo captures a moment in time of a young woman with an alluring gaze.
Your best bet is to click the link above for the full Manhattan Halloween magilla.
On Friday night the Whitney Museum in the Village is throwing a 'Hallowteen' event, while there's a Halloween party at the Museum of the City of New York on the UES and the McKittrick Hotel is throwing a big Halloween Party down in Chelsea. Stage 48 in Midtown is throwing a Monster Ball on Friday and a Halloween Parade After Party on Monday. There's also an old silent movie being shown, accompanied by a live organist, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Merchants House Museum in the East Village is hosting haunted tours in the evening on Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday the Meatpacking BID is hosting a number of family friendly Halloween events and programs in the West Village, while E's Bar is throwing a party on the UWS. On Saturday and Sunday, Lincoln Center is hosting an Open House and Family Day. Capitale in SoHo is hosting a big Halloween bash on Saturday.
On Sunday the Irish Arts Center in West Midtown is throwing a kids event midday. The Slate Bar, Bar 13 and Webster Hall all have Halloween events on both Saturday and Monday. Also on Sunday in the Flatiron District there's a Halloween themed history tour.
What have the Democrats & the Biden Administration Accomplished?
Does Biden have Washington Working Again, in Spite of Narrow Democratic Majorities in Both the Senate & House? Why are Democrats Not Running on Their Collective Record?
October 26, 2022 / Local Government & Politics / National Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 8th.
While President Biden's poll approval is below 50%, I believe it is because there's a yawning gap between perception - as provided daily by the billionaire controlled TV networks - and reality.
So here's the reality piece of it, since you've already been inundated with the ratings-driven TV networks view of things.
Manhattan Halloween Parties in Midtown, UES, Upper East Side, East Village, UWS, Upper West Side, SoHo, Harlem, LES, Lower East Side, Downtown NYC Seaport, Inwood & Washington Heights Manhattan NYC Halloween Events
With a little more than two weeks to go before Halloween, we decided to do a round up of some of the Halloween parties planned in Manhattan.
The weather around Halloween is usually about 60 during the day time and around 50 degrees at night. It's too early to tell what the precipitation will be the preceding weekend as well as on Halloween, but we provide weather updates each Friday.
The 46th Annual Village Halloween Parade NYC starts at 7 pm at Spring Street and 6th Avenue and marches north to 16th Street on Monday, October 31st. It runs through the West Village neighborhood for three to four hours with the official end time at 10.30 pm. We've heard that there are over 35 bands and an innumerable showing of creative costumes.
The following is a short list of Manhattan Halloween parties at local bars, restaurants and arts and public venues will be added over time. In most cases we suggest that you call ahead and rsvp a spot to be sure you get in.
September 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of September in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of September.
* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
First Day of Autumn began Thursday Evening, Global Citizen Concert Returns Saturday, Fall for Dance Celebration Begins, Feast of San Gennaro ends Sunday; Great Irish Fair, Oktoberest at Fort Hamiltion & Local Play in Brooklyn; Hispanic Day Parade, Bell Blvd Stroll & Oktoberfest and Durga Puja Begin next weekend in Queens; Hip Hop Museum Opens, Native American Festival, Bronx Night Market, Stage Garden Rumba in the Bronx; Local Play on Staten Island; Rosh Hashanah Begins Sunday ... also Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's on Friday, about 70 on Saturday, rising to the mid 70's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday, rising to the mid 50's on Saturday and to about 60 on Sunday. The winds will be about 15 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 40% - 60% on Saturday, and then up to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast until after 4 pm on Sunday, when there's a 50% chance of about a tenth of an inch of rain.
The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations while President Biden was delivering a speech about protecting our democratic institutions and rule of law. This means helping other democracies, in order to preserve and protect our way of life from autocrats and dictators who inevitably steal power and wealth away from everyone else in society.
The first day of Autumn began Thursday evening 9/22/22 around 9 pm.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Sunday evening and ends Tuesday evening.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations. Those two people traversing the rooftop of the building aren't roof repairmen.
From Saturday, September 17 through January 1, 2023 - Death of a Salesman at the Hudson Theatre at 141 West 44th Street in West Midtown. This celebrates the Black Theatre Day on September 17th, in honor of the first African American theater, African Grove Theatre, which opened 9/17/1821. Tickets cost $64 - $313. For more details and tickets see https://www.thehudsonbroadway.com/
On Saturday, the Global Citizen Concert returns to the Great Lawn in Central Park which lies between 5th Avenue and Central Park West and between 72nd Street and 86th Street. The gates open at 2 pm and the concert begins at 4 pm. You must bring printed tickets as mobile tickets are not being accepted. Admission $250 - $299 via www.ticketmaster.com. For further details on the concert see https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/nyc/2022/
Thursday - Sunday, September 15 - 25, 2022 times vary - The San Gennaro Festival. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 25th. There's a canoli eating contest today 9/16 beginning at 1 pm and tomorrow 9/17 there's a procession through Little Italy that starts at 2 pm. See their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/
The Fall for Dance Festival began on Wednesday, September 21 at the NY City Center at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The program runs through next week, ending Sunday, October 2, 2022. Performances begin at 8 pm each night, except this coming Sunday & Monday, September 25th & 26th. Tickets are $20 and performances last about an hour and a half. For details and tickets - https://www.nycitycenter.org/
The NY Film Festival begins next Friday, September 30th at Lincoln Center and runs through Sunday, October 16th.
Also see updated Weather on Friday afternoon by clicking the header above to go to the Front Page for Weekend Update.
This report contains a listing of some of the things to do in Manhattan over the Columbus Day Weekend including art museums, theaters, live music / comedy / dance venues, sporting & social events, and restaurants for Manhattan NYC.
Manhattan Weather. As of September 27, 2022, the Temperature highs will be in the high 60's all four days of the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 50's throughout the weekend. There's a chance of a small amount of rain, but the probability of rain as of this writing, is in the low double digits. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph Friday and Monday and between 5 - 10 mph on all weekend. The Humidity will be between 55% - 70% throughout the weekend. Click for Manhattan Weather.
Click the header on this page on Friday 10/7/22 to obtain information about things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Manhattan NYC.
Columbus Day Parade - Upper East Side Manhattan
There's a Columbus Day Parade on the Upper East Side on Monday 10/10/22. The Manhattan Columbus Day Parade begins at 12 noon on Fifth Avenue at 44th Street and marching up to 72nd Street along the Upper East Side. Check the front page of this website for other things to do over the Columbus Day Weekend in Manhattan.
Manhattan Public & Private Parks & Public Indoor Swimming Pools
Manhattan has one of number of public parks of which a few include indoor swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Manhattan Parks NYC including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history.
NYC public indoor swimming pools are open.
NYC Golfing In Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn & Staten Island
Manhattan doesn't have any golf courses per se, but there is a driving range at 62 Chelsea Piers at 22nd Street and the West Side Highway.
There are also three simulated golfing centers in Manhattan that operate under the Five Iron Golf name at 22 Stone Street [at Broad St] in the Financial District, at 138 5th Avenue in the Flatiron District and in the Continental on the third floor at 883 6th Avenue near Macy's and Madison Square Garden.
Queens has four golf courses and all of them are open this weekend. Click here for details about Queens Golf Courses including maps and links to the operators' websites.
The Bronx has four public golf courses: Mosholu, Van Cortlandt Park are accessible via the MTA / subway. And Pelham Bay Park and Trump golf links are accessible via subway and a brief bus ride. The Trump Golf Links are an NYC golf course owned by the city, for which Mayor Bloomberg had cut a licensing deal with Donald Trump to rename and manage it. Since the Capitol Riot / Insurrection, the City has decided to terminate that deal and rename the golf course, but Trump is suing to keep the contract.
Brooklyn has a couple of golf courses including Dyker Beach golf course which is accessible via subway and Marine Park golf course which is accessible via subway and bus.
And Staten Island has three beautiful golf courses including: Silver Lake which is only a few miles from the St. George Ferry, LaTourette Park which isn't far from the Staten Island Mall in the central / western part of Staten Island and the South Shore Golf Course which much further south of the Staten Island Mall, along the west coast of Staten Island.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's on Tuesday & Wednesday, dropping to the low 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday., The temperature lows will rise from the mid 60's on Monday & Tuesday to the low 70's on Wednesday, and then fall into the mid to low 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph all week. The humidity will be 55% - 65% all week, except on Friday when it falls to 45% - 55%. There's a small chance of a small amount of rain in Thursday, with the probability gone by mid afternoon.
NYC White Collar Office Workers Continue to Resist a Full Return to the Office
As we noted last week, in our update, people are returning to mass transit. While weekend ridership on the subways has reached about 90%, weekday ridership lags behind at about 65% of prepandemic levels. One of the main drivers of the lower weekday ridership is that folks haven't yet resumed embraced a full return to the office at anywhere near prepandemic levels.
For about the past six months, only about 10% of white collar office workers in Manhattan, go to the office daily. But the number of people in the office each day has risen from about 38% to 49%, according to Parnership for New York City, a non-profit dedicated to primarily promoting the economic interests of NYC. Also, the percentage of workers staying fully remote dropped from 28% to 16% over the same six month period [April - September]. Nearly four out of five employers [77%] indicated that the preferred business model [demanded per employees] is now ready to accommodate folks who only want to travel to the office three of the five days in a work week.
Nobody is yet saying this, but it's my guesstimate, that over time, employees who are in the office more frequently are going to win out over those who are working remotely. And because of that phenomenon, I also guesstimate that over time, more folks will start spending more time in the office. But this may take years to play out.
There's a flip side of the coin above, which is that employers who accommodate remote workers, especially women who want to spend time rearing their children, could, over time, attract and retain some of the best and the brightest, even if they don't pay top dollar. For some, including myself, money matters - but it isn't everything.
As I look at what I've just written I see a potential lawsuit - discriminatory pay based on gender. But could it be discriminatory pay based on remote working? This discussion might have some parallels to the discussion below about dictatorships vs democracy and about valuing loyalty over talent.
Ultimately, time will tell, and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. One thing is clear, many of us - if not all - are not going back to the status quo.
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 70's and the temperature lows around 60. It will be sunny the rest of the week, with humidity ranging from 40% - 60%, which is fairly dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph, falling as the week wears on. No rain is expected between now and Friday evening, nor through the coming weekend.
So, a lot has happened since we last posted a news update. At right is a photo of one of the outer borough subway stations this summer. As you can see, mask wearing compliance has diminished.
MTA: Ridership Hits Post Pandemic High of 3.5 Million Weekday Riders on the First Day of the Reopening of NYC Public Schools & Governor Hochul Drops the MTA Mask Mandate
On Thursday, September 8th, the first day of the NYC public schools reopening, the MTA transported 3.6 million people. That's the highest ridership number since the pandemic began two and a half years ago in March of 2020.
In our August 9th report [see below] we suggested the MTA drop the mask mandate or enforce it. At the time we noticed that less than half of the passengers on the subway seemed to be adhering to the mask mandate. On September 7th, NYS Governor Hochul rescinded the mask mandate on the MTA, making masking optional, but still recommended that we continue masking on the MTA as we enter the colder months, when folks go indoors, where the probability of infection by airborne viruses like CoVid and the flu increases. The guidance is particularly relevant to those who are older or have underlying conditions, but it's also not unwise for everyone else too.
Shootings Down in NYC in August - In August 2022 There were 115 Shootings vs 165 in August 2021
This Follows the Passage of Federal Gun Restrictions by Congress in June, Biden's April Executive Order in Requiring Ghost Gun Sales be Handled in the Same Manner as Gun Sales & Mayor Adams & the NYPD's Effort to Remove Illegal Guns from NYC Streets
On June 25th, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This is legislation that passed both the Senate and Congress earlier in the month. A number of moderate Republicans crossed the aisle in both the House and Senate to vote with the Democrats, on reigning in the gun violence free-for-all that we've been witnessing the past couple of years.
The federal gun legislation was the first of its kind to pass both houses and be signed into law in about 30 years. Among other things it enhances background checks for younger gun owners [under 21], and provides law enforcement with additional authority and responsibility to thwart potential shooters by empowering them to curtail a gun owner's rights if there's reason to believe that person poses a risk to the general welfare of the community. Added funding was also provided to incent law enforcement to pay more attention to problematic gun owners.
The Biden Ghost Gun sale regulations went into effect on August 24, 2022, following a failed court challenge to block the President's April 2022 Executive Order requiring ghost gun sales to be treated the same as other firearm sales.
In addition to the actions taken at the federal level, Mayor Adams has been working with the NYPD to reduce shootings through changes in NYC law enforcement to take illegal guns off the street. Year to date [as of end of August 2022], the NYPD had removed 4,880 illegal guns from the streets of which 405 of them were removed in August.
Other NYC crime statistics rose 31%. And NYS Governor Hochul passed a number gun regulations in response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning a century old NYS gun law.
We'll have a few more items to add, including on NYC public schools, on Wednesday 9.14.22. In the meantime, I hope you're having a nice week.
NYC Catholic Schools Open September 7th & NYC Public Schools Open on the 8th
Ode to Some of the Great Teachers I've Known, Who've Been Guides on the Trail of Life
In Words & Deeds, We are all Students & We are all Teachers, be it Consciously or Not
On Wednesday, September 7th the Catholic schools in NYC reopen for the new school year.
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 NYC public schools reopen. Many of the CoVid guidelines of the prior public school year have been modified, so copy and paste the following link for an update. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information/health-and-safety-in-our-schools.
Thinking of Those who Made a Difference
As I contemplated the upcoming school year I thought back to all of the great teachers who made a difference in my life. And so it is to them that I dedicate this column. Generally I'm going to discuss the school teachers as they chronologically entered my life, and discuss the other teachers in my life who taught me things outside of school, in reverse chronological order. Also please note that this is by no means a complete list, but really rather a first attempt at thanking some of the teachers who made a difference in my life, while passing on a few of the golden nuggets I learned from them.
The High School Teachers Who Made a Difference
It started at Abbott Pennings high school in DePere, Wisconsin where I grew up. Father Frigo was our freshman or sophomore history teacher. He was also a coach of the football and basketball teams which won state championships, and as such, was perhaps treated a bit too familiarly, even irreverently, by some of the star athletes in our class. What Father Frigo taught me was that historical narratives change over time, and that, " ... you have to pay attention to whether you're looking at primary sources or secondary sources ... " to truly understand the nature of events.
He taught us that, " ... revisionist history is a secondary source, but also plays an important role in our understanding of the past ...". He noted that pressure to conform to the prevailing cultural norms and narratives of those in power at a given time can distort and obfuscate the truth. But cultural norms and those in power change over time, so that oftentimes, at least in a free speech democracy, the passing of time permits a more honest appraisal of past events. We can see this playing out currently, as the Civil War 'heroes' of the Confederate south are more appropriately treated in historical terms as traitors to the republic, and as champions of a harsh, cruel system of enslavement of a large portion of the American population at the time. Likewise, in dictatorships, narcissitic despots often use and distort history to provide support for their violent aggression. We saw this scenario play out in Nazi Germany in the 1930's and 1940's, and we're witnessing it today in Putin's Russia.
My junior year I came up against a tough nun, Sister Janet, who for some god forsaken reason, took it upon herself to make sure that I understood algebra. I fought her tooth and nail throughout the year, but over time she broke me down and taught me the beauty of the logic inherent in algebraic equations, for which there is no wiggle room between getting it right and getting it wrong.
And lastly, at Abbott Pennings high school, I was taught an even larger lesson by Father Meehan, in religion class. I questioned some of the basic beliefs of Catholicism in class. He patiently answered my questions, and in the end told me something that I will always remember, when he said, "don't stop questioning ... question everything". Little did I know that that was both a blessing and a curse, as I have continued to question everything ever since.
August 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of August in all five boroughs of New York City.
What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of August.
Things To Do in NYC This Weekend
1) Blues & BBQ Fest, Summer Streets NYC, Dominican Parade, Macbeth, Little Shakespeare Fest & Asian American Film Fest continue in Manhattan
2) India Day Celebration, Festival of Cinema continues & Free Fan Tickets to U.S. Open Trials become Available in Queens,
3) Coney Island Sand Sculpting & a Rum Festival Return & Hip Hop Film Festival Continues in Brooklyn;
4) SummerStage Concerts at Crotona Park Amphitheater, Dinosaurs at the Zoo & Piazza di Belmont in the Bronx;
5) Summer Concert on Staten Island;
6) also Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches
NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's and the temperature lows in the mid 60's all weekend. The humidity drops to 40 - 50% all weekend except Sunday when it begins rising again to about 60%. The winds will be 4 - 10 mph all weekend. No rain is in the forecast.
In the photo at right is a hip hop performer who is a part of a troupe that performed outside the entrance at Christies New York [an auction house] last weekend. The performance was part of a citywide dance festival [we only posted a couple of events], and also a tie into Christies' current online auction of early Hip Hop memorabilia which expires on August 18th, 2022.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC
Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 1 - 9 pm - Blues BBQ Festival. Free summer concerts at Pier 76 near Chelsea Piers in Midtown Manhattan NYC. Free admission, with food not included. For details see - https://hudsonriverpark.org/visit/events/event/blues-bbq-festival-2022/
Saturdays, August 6, 13 & 20, 2022 from 7 am to 1 pm - NYC Summer Streets - There will be street closures to autos and trucks along Lafayette starting at the Brooklyn Bridge, going north to 4th Avenue in the Village, which merges into Park Avenue at Union Square, ending at 72nd Street. People are welcome to bike, stroll, skateboard and whatnot. Motorists will have access to some major cross streets which you can find listed by cutting & pasting this web address into your browser - http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/about/neighbors.shtml.
On Sunday, August 14, 2022 beginning at 1 pm there's a Dominican Parade that marches up 6th Avenue from 38th Street to 56th Street in Manhattan.
Thursday, August 4 - Sunday, August 14, 2022 - The Little Shakespeare Festival. It's called 'little' because each production contains only four or five actors. 1) August 4 & 6 - As You Will - at 9 pm and 7 pm respectively, 2) August 5, 7, 11, 12 & 14 - Romeo & Juliet - at 7 pm weekdays and 5.30 pm and 4 pm respectively on Sundays, 3) August 6, 10 & 13 - Unspoken Garden - at 2 pm Saturdays & 7 pm weekday, 4) August 9 - Fights of Shakesepeare & As You Will [double feature] - at 7 pm and 5) Brawls & Burlesque, August 13 at 7 pm & 14 at 2 pm. At the Frigid Theater NYC which performs at Under St. Mark's Theater which is located in the basement at 94 St Marks Place [=8th Street] at 1st Avenue in the East Village - www.frigid.nyc / Tickets are $25 / $20.
August 3 - 13, 2022 - Asian American International Film Festival. This year [2022] they're back with live events and in person screenings at the Asia Society & Museum on the Upper East Side. The Asia Society & Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue at East 70th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan NYC. Tickets are $16 / $10 - For details see www.aaiff.org.
FYI - We update our front page on the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, with an up-to-date weather forecast, as well as additional Labor Day Weekend events and updates. So please come back to visit us over the weekend.
Special Events on Labor Day Weekend in Manhattan NYC
One of the biggest events over the Labor Day Weekend in Manhattan include the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit which runs from 12 noon to 6 pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as well as the following weekend. The show runs along University Avenue from 13th Street down to Washington Square. Also, from Friday, August 26th to Monday, September 5th, there are nightly high definition screenings, beginning at 8 pm, of Metropolitan Opera performances shown in the plaza at Lincoln Center at Columbus and 68th Street on the UWS. Copy and paste this link to see what's playing each night - https://www.metopera.org/season/summer-2022/summer-hd-festival/. And it's worth mentioning that on Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd, the Metropolitan Museum will host its two final rooftop concerts of the season going from 5.30 - 8.30 pm. Free w/ admission to the Met.
Ironically, the Labor Day Parade in Manhattan is held Saturday, September 10th, after Labor Day in Manhattan. It begins at 10 am on 5th Avenue at 44th Street marching north to 64th Street.
And it's all happening right here in our favorite borough - Manhattan. So take your time to sort through the days and locations and start planning your weekend. Click here to obtain information about other things to do in Manhattan NYC beyond the Labor Day Weekend. This events calendar is updated monthly with about 100 different Manhattan fun / cultural events.
Manhattan Public & Private Parks
Manhattan has one of number of public parks of which a few include swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Manhattan Parks NYC including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history.
NYC Golfing In Queens & The Bronx
Queens has four golf courses and all of them are open this weekend. Click here for details about Queens Golf Courses including maps and links to the operators' websites. The Bronx has several public golf courses: Mosholu and Van Cortlandt Park are accessible via the MTA / subway.
The second NYS primary election is on Tuesday, August 23rd. On the ballot are the U.S. Congressional races and the NYS Senate races, which were not on the ballot on June 28th.
Reason for the Second Primary this Summer & Races to Watch
The reason there were two NYS primaries this year is that the electoral districts drawn up by the Democrats were so gerrymandered, that an upstate court ordered the NYS Legislature to redraw them more fairly. The decision was upheld on Appeal, but due to the timing - the Appeal decision came down in April - there wasn't enough time to redraw the maps in time for the June primary. Hence a second primary today.
The biggest contests to watch coming out of this election is the one pitting two longtime Congresspeople against each other in District 12 - Jerry Nadler of the Upper West Side and Carolyn Maloney of the Upper East Side. And there's a tight race just north of the city in Westchester where Alessandra Biaggi is challenging Sean Patrick Maloney in District 13. Earlier this summer, former Mayor de Blasio dropped out of the congressional race in the newly redrawn 10th District which encompasses part of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood. Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to elect our leaders. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now. So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.
The New York State election is Tuesday August 23rd, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.
Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 90's today, falling into the mid 80's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will be around 70 all week. The humidity will rise from the mid 50's early Tuesday to the mid 70's by Wednesday, falling back to about 60% on Thursday and a comfortable 50% on Friday. There's a 50% chance of a 1/10th inch of rain between 5 - 10 pm Tuesday, and a 50 - 75% chance of about a half inch or more of rain between 11 pm Wednesday and 9 am Thursday. By Friday it's a very nice day, leading into a very nice weekend.
CoVid Containment in NYC - MTA Should Either Enforce the Mask Mandate or Withdraw it
This past weekend I noticed that half or less of the passengers on the subway appear to be following the mask mandate. To the MTA I suggest either enforce the mandate, or withdraw it. You weaken the government's credibility and ability to enforce compliance, when you mandate something and then do not follow through by properly / evenly enforcing it. Every good parent knows that.
The BA.5 variant of CoVid grew rapidly from under 10% at the beginning of June 2022, to above 80% by the end of July. Cases rose briefly during that period, before falling back again. About 79% of all Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 68% have received two or more. In NYS 91% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose, while 78% have received two or more doses. Because the population has finally come around to getting vaccinated, the hospitalization rates for CoVid are fairly low, with only a small percentage of hospital beds being utilized for CoVid patients, most of which are occupied by the non-vaxers.
Bear in mind that it's the summertime, which is the off season for the disease, because folks are outdoors.
July 4th Weekend Weather. As of this post 6/28/22, the temperature highs will be in the high 80's during the day and around 70. There's a 50% - 60% chance of rain on Saturday [over a half inch] and a quarter inch of rain on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% Saturday, falling to 60% on Sunday and down to 50% on Monday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend.
Macy's July 4th Fireworks along the East River Provides Good Viewing from Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens and are Distantly Viewable from Northern Staten Island & the Southern tip of the Bronx
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year.
The fireworks were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008, and have remained on the East River ever since. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied for the return, which now spans nine years. The Grucci Brothers will be doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which they've been doing for decades.
1) Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Greek Festival, Pow Wow & Jamaica Jerk Festival in Queens, 2) Shakespeare at Bronx Music Center, Bronx Night Market, Piazza di Belmont & the Bronx Dominican Parade returns to the Bronx; 3) Gallery Players, Piper Theater Performances, Burlesque at the Beach and BRIC Concert Series continues in Brooklyn; 4) Songwriters Showcase, Ailey Moves & St. Lukes Concert, Mame Opens at the Victory Theater, Much Ado about Nothing, Final Movie / Concert at the Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island; 5) SHENYC continues, Dance Intensive, Twelfth Night & NY Asian Film Fest ending, Movies and MacBeth Begins in Manhattan, and Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches
NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 70's. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 65% on Sunday. There's a chance of about a quarter inch of rain sometime between 10 pm Friday night and 4 am Saturday morning. All in all not a bad weather weekend.
The photo at right is of the dragon festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The festival returns this weekend.
Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC
Thursday - Sunday, July 28 - July 31, 2022 - Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun - 5 pm to 11 pm - St Irene Chrysovalantou Church - This Astoria street fair is along 23rd Avenue from 36th Street to the Amtrak trestle. Traditional Greek food, music, and folk dances every night, as well as rides for the kids and a marketplace. The feast day celebration starts with a mass on Wednesday at 7.30 pm inside and continues with various religious services through the end of the feast on Sunday.
On Friday, July 29, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm / Hip to Hip Theater Free - Pericles - There's a performance of Shakespeare at The Voelker Orth Museum is located at 149-19 38th Avenue in Flushing.
On Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 2 - 5 pm - there's a performance by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York Guelaguetza Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park which is located at 32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway in Astoria / LIC.
Friday through Sunday, July 29 - 31, 2022 - There's a Pow Wow at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Bellerose Manor / Little Neck neighborhoods of Queens. Performances run from 7 - 10 pm Friday; 12 noon - 5 pm and 7 - 10 pm Saturday; and from 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. The Grand Entry of tribes is at 7 pm Friday, 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. Gates open at 6 pm Friday, and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets run $15 / adult and $8 / kids 12 and under [discounted rates for full weekend passes].
Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31, 2022 - from 9 am - 5 pm - Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Live boat races, food, shopping and entertainment. Free admission. www.hkdbf-ny.org. Free admission.
Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Jamaica Jerk Festival - From 12 noon to 8 pm - Carribean Food Festival with music at Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd at Merrick in Jamaica. Admission $45 advance / likely more at door / Children under 10 Free. Tickets at www.jerkfestivalny.com.
Use the links below to see details about the concerts, theater and movie events above, as well as for details on the freesummer concerts, theater and movies for the rest of this summer in Queens. For example next Monday free summer movies in Astoria Park, free performances of Shakespeare in Queens parks, a free movie in Rufus King Park on Friday 7/29 in Jamaica, a paid movie with workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden this Saturday 7/30, free concerts and dance performances in Athens Square Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Astoria, live music and dance in Travers Park in Jackson Heights on Sunday 7/31 and a free concert in Gantry State Park in Tuesdays.
We've mostly been trying to stay abreast of all the summer events this past month. Event schedules changed, some schedules have been reduced, and some venues have closed or remain on hiatus. But by and large, most venues are back up and running on some kind of level, while trying to protect the health and safety of their associates as well as the general public vis a vis CoVid.
So as we remained focused on staying abreast of the many summer events easily accessible to most of the denizens of NYC and NYS, we did not take our eye off of the more serious issues swirling around us. The following is a list of events we've been monitoring and researching along the way, which we intend to delve into in the coming weeks, and perhaps months.
Untimely Death: Two Russian Oligarchs Live on Ivana Trump's Block
I have a few unanswered questions regarding Ivana Trump's sudden, unexpected, accidental death.
Ivana Trump lived in a building in Manhattan on the Upper East Side in which Donald Trump reportedly still owns a total of five units. It just so happens that Ivana's residence is also on a block where two Russian Oligarchs own large residences, and for a time, where the divorced wife of a third Oligarch, lived. The wife of the third Oligarch is Dasha Zhukova who was married to Roman Abramovich. Zhukova became fast friends with Ivanka Trump, after being introduced by Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch [Fox News / WSJ / NY Post] sometime around 2007.
The Russian Oligarchs who own residences on the same block where Ivana Trump lived, are Oleg Deripaska and Len Blavatnik. Deripaska's residence is just across the street from Ivana's residence, which if he were to be a spy, would be an ideal a location. Dasha Zhukova [the former wife of Abramovich] lived in Deripaska's residence in 2018, apparently departing from that residence sometime before September 2019.
Zhukova moved ten blocks north of Ivana's block into a large four townhouse development upon which Zhukova's former husband, Roman Abramovich was working. According to a March 12, 2022 report in the Mercury News, Abramovich transferred the real estate, valued at $92 million, to Zhukova in 2018. In 2022 the Russian Oligarch sanctions hit, and now there's a question of whether transferred wealth to relatives [like former wife Zhukova] should also be sanctioned.
According to a March 17, 2022 report in the New Yorker, "... [Russian Opposition Leader Alexei] Navalny has described Abramovich as “one of the key enablers and beneficiaries of Russian kleptocracy...”. Abramovich is considered one of Putin's most trusted Oligarchs, having survived Putin's Oligarch purge after Russian President Boris Yeltsin's fall.
Abramovich must be an incredibly skillful manipulator - not just of Putin - but Abramovich was also the only Russian Oligarch who Ukrainian President Zelensky asked the U.S. not to sanction. Zelensky claimed it was in order to unencumber Abramovich to broker a Russian / Ukrainian peace deal in Turkey [see link below for further details]. The pact never even came close to happening. Separately, the two nations recently cut a deal to allow free passage of food through the Black Sea and Bosporous Straits, which less than 24 hours later Putin 'honored' by bombing the Ukrainian port of Odessa, from which the Ukrainian food is to be shipped.
The deal providing two of the world's largest food producers [Russia & Ukraine] safe passage of food through the Black Sea and the Bosporous Straits was brokered - not by the Russian kleptocrat Abramovich - but by the UN and Turkey. The Bosporous Straits is a Black Sea bottleneck, which is controlled by NATO ally Turkey, per an international agreement made decades ago.
Back to Ivana's Trump's residence and her sudden, unexpected and accidental death. So Ivana's daughter, Ivanka Trump, became quite friendly with Abramovich's former wife, Dasha Zhukova. They became such good friends that they began interacting socially at very public events well over a decade ago. The first social event I found documented was in 2014 when Zhukova reportedly invited Ivanka and Jared to a fundraiser organized by her husband, Roman Abramovich, for a Jewish Museum he founded in Moscow. In 2016, as Donald Trump was running for President, Ivanka, Wendi Deng and Zhukova were also photographed at the the U.S. Open in Queens. And in 2017 Dasha Zhukova was reportedly invited to the Trump Inauguration weekend celebrations. Apparently there have been many other interactions, in between those public appearances and since, including some Abramovich investments placed in Jared Kushner's brother's [Josh] company.
My point in all of this, is that the Russians could have had social access to Ivana Trump's residence and / or were in a position to have access to Ivana Trump's residence via more nefarious means. Given Trump owned so many units in the building, and probably owns the building management company, a lot of the independent context surrounding Ivana's death would be hard to obtain by the authorities without strong cause. I heard nothing about any review of any building video footage on the property itself, nor from the surrounding buildings. After the funeral, Ivana's body was subsequently delivered to a Trump golf course in New Jersey, which is private property, owned by Donald Trump.
The details of Ivana Trump's autopsy were scant. The reporting of them had an uncertain quality to them. None of the reports indicated who called in the death. Not by name, not by association and not by any role. I find that odd. The first cited cause of death was "cardiac arrest" and then later the cause of death was said to be from 'blunt' injuries suffered in the fall. Ivana Trump was an athlete, and only 73 years old, so falling down the stairs, and dying from the fall, while believable, is also unbelievable.
It's worth noting here, that accidental deaths are reportedly a Putin specialty. A Russian media baron, Boris Berezovsky, who was on the outs with Putin, reportedly suddenly, unexpectedly and accidentally died in his own bathroom at the age of 67 in 2013. The police determined that the cause of death was "unexplained", but it was surmised that it could have been caused by chemical, biolgical or nuclear material.
The timing of Ivana's death, coincidentally worked in the Donald's favor, as the NYS Attorney General was about to follow through with depositions with the Trump children. Because of Ivana's death, all of the Trump children depositions were postponed by the NYS Attorney General. The Trump family funeral also provided an opportunity for Donald Trump to meet with his children without being asked any questions. I mention this because it's been suggested that Trump may have tried to tamper with a witness for the Congressional Hearings on the Trump Insurrection.
We know from Trump's campaigning in 2016, as well as from the January 6 Congressional Hearings of the Insurrection, that Donald Trump is not above encouraging others to do violence, when it serves his purposes. Ivana Trump reportedly kept contact with the Donald, even after their marriage ended, but the divorce was reportedly fairly hostile, although it also appeared that their relationship settled down, and might possibly have healed, over time.
Ivana and Ivanka Trump were reportedly close, as the only two women in that iteration of the Trump family. So, given the above as backdrop, what I found of particular interest, was the body language between the Donald, and Ivanka and Jared, at Ivana's funeral. They did not look each other in the eye, and Ivanka and Jared seemed to flee the rest of the family immediately after the funeral. Given the many funerals I've attended, that didn't strike me as normal.
These are just some unasked and unanswered questions that came to mind while I watched the Trumps mourn one of their own. I suspect neither Trump nor Putin will let up with their shenanigans, because right now both of them are losing, and by the time the 2024 election rolls around, both of them might become desperate. Stay tuned.
Manhattan Free Things To Do: Free Summer Movies In NYC & Parks
Free Things To Do In Manhattan - Free Films & Summer Movies On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of films and free summer movies in the parks. The foreign films and free movies listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the movies dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more movies between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
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Manhattan 4th of July Fireworks NYC 2022
Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch Fireworks in Manhattan NYC
July 4th Weekend Weather. As of this post 6/28/22, the temperature highs will be in the high 80's during the day and around 70. There's a 50% - 60% chance of rain on Saturday [over a half inch] and a quarter inch of rain on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% Saturday, falling to 60% on Sunday and down to 50% on Monday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend.
Macy's July 4th Fireworks along the East River Provides Good Viewing from Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens and are Distantly Viewable from Northern Staten Island & the Southern tip of the Bronx
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year.
The fireworks were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008, and have remained on the East River ever since. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied for the return, which now spans nine years. The Grucci Brothers will be doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which they've been doing for decades.
Gay Pride Parade & PrideFest in Manhattan, the Jamaica Dance Festival Continues and the Astoria Park Fireworks Returns to Queens, the Gowanus Art Festival, Funday Festival, Midwood Mardis Gras & Tastes of Crown Heights in Brooklyn; Bronx River Sounds Art Fest & Bronx Night Market in the Bronx; Polish Festival & Free Concert for Ukraine on Staten Island; NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools Open Next Week, Early Voting Ends Sunday & NYS Primary Election Tuesday
Weather. The temperatures will be about 90 degrees this weekend, and the lows about 70 degrees. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% all weekend. Winds will be about 12 mph Saturday and about 17 mph Sunday. No rain is expected over the weekend, but about a 1/2 inch to an inch is due to arrive on Monday.
The photo at right was taken at the Gay Pride Parade in the West Village in Manhattan prior to the pandemic.
Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan
Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Little West 12th Street Block Party - Along Little West 12th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street in the West Village.
The Gay Pride Parade returns to the West Village on Sunday, June 26th beginning at 12 noon at Madison Square Park at 26th Street and 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The parade turns west toward the West Village at 8th Street, continues onto Christopher Street before turning north on 7th Avenue, ending at 15th Street.
Also on Sunday, June 26, 2022 there's also a Gay Pride street fair along 4th Avenue between 8th and 13th streets in the Village. It begins at 11 am and ends around 6 pm. The fair includes entertainment, food and wellness booths.
The NYS primary election is on Tuesday, June 28th. On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state executives, State Assembly, Special state legislative, School boards, Municipal government and Ballot measures.
Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood. Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to vote. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now. So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.
The New York City election is Tuesday June 28th, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.
FYI - July 4th Fireworks celebrations coming later tonight.
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NYC Free Summer Concerts Manhattan 2022
NYC Free Things To Do - Free Summer Concerts On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca in Manhattan
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the concert dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more concerts between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of films and free summer concerts in the parks. The free concerts listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
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Free Summer Outdoor Theater in Manhattan 2022
NYC Free Things To Do In Summer in Manhattan - Free Summer Theater On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca & Shakespeare in Central Park in NYC
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of free summer theater in the parks. The free theatre events listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the performance dates / years. We will be updating / adding this summer theater report between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Two Manhattan Theater Festivals Closed 2017 - 2019
Please note that it appears that the Fringe Festival - a festival of avante garde original theater for about 20 years - will not return this year 2021. The festival seemed to be losing steam in 2019, and then went on hiatus with the rest of the world in 2020 and 2021. Based on their web presences - the NYC International Fringe Festival appears to have ended. We could not reach Ms. Holy, the executive of the show for confirmation, but it is probably accurate.
Also, for 18 years the Midtown International Theater Festival offerred a series of short, generally modern original works once or twice a year in the Manhattan Theatre District, but in 2017 the Founder, John Chatterton, decided to retire the program. Neither of these were free, but they didn't cost much, and both will be missed this summer.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
NYC News Updates June 2022
CoVid Guidelines Issued by State & Federal Govt Sometimes at Cross Purposes, NYC Tourism Coming Back, Why There are Two NYS Primaries in 2022, Former Mayor de Blasio Running for Congress, Inflation & Wages are Up but Expected to Slow, Public Schools End School Year on 6/27/22, Will the Rangers take the Stanley Cup, Will the Celtics Win the Championship & Will the Mets & Yankees hold onto their Leads?
This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of months. Our last news update was at the end of February [2/22/22].
CoVid Regulatory Guidelines Differ at Federal & State Levels
On March 17, 2022 the NYS CoVid general restrictions under the H.E.R.O. Act expired. The expiration did not include the masks mandate requirement on NYC & NYS public transit.
On April 18, 2022 the CDC / Federal rescinded their mask mandates on federal transportation, while - as noted above - NYS has kept its mask mandate in effect. As one might expect, this has led to some confusion. So to be clear, when using the MTA, LIRR or Metro North trains, masks are still required.
Be advised that local businesses have the right to decide what rules apply to customers who enter their facilities. For example, Broadway theaters and many other entertainment venues still request proof of vaccination and / or masks indoors. Broadway theaters extended their mask mandate requirement of attendees at performances through June 2022. Conversely, most NYC restaurateurs no longer check vaccination status, let their customers decide whether or not to wear masks, and most restaurateurs provide the option of indoor / outdoor dining, which was established as an economic response to CoVid, in support of local restaurants by the de Blasio Administration.
Vaccination rates for NYC and NYS continue to inch up quite slowly, but that's now a somewhat dated metric, because if one is not boosted, the CoVid immunity and protection fades over time. The CoVid vaccination protection generally recedes significantly while approaching 6 months after the first two shots, so getting boosted is important, particularly if you are immuno-compromised, have an underlying condition, or fall into an elderly age group [over 50 years].
NYC Tourism Bouncing Back
NYC tourism is coming back and the city economy is picking up. The past month or so, we've been inundated with notices of public events and entertainment venues coming back to life. We've not yet gotten back into the full rhythm to accommodate as many as we'd like, but we're getting there. Our monthly things to do calendars will be coming back to life bit by bit, starting this weekend. The calendar is accessible from the top tool bar, by clicking the first button from the left.
Mayor Adams said yesterday [6/6/22] that NYC hotels are booking at 95% of pre-pandemic levels. The NY Post stated in an April 20, 2022 report, that the NYC hotel business would be down 55%. We'll see how this plays out by the end of the year.
The Unofficial Start of Summer Comes with Memorial Day Parades in Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island; Fleet Week is Underway & the Intrepid is Hosting Events, Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, Losaida and LES Festival in Manhattan, BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Sunnyside Gardens Park Fair in Queens, National Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival at 152nd St in Bx & Bronx Arts Ensemble & Night Market, Staten Island Mall Carnival Began, Golf Courses have been Open & it's the Opening Weekend of NYC Beaches, Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more
Weather. The temperature highs will be near 80 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rising to the mid 80's or higher on Monday. The temperature lows will be in the 60's all weekend. Over a half inch of rain is expected between about 2 pm Friday and about 4 pm Saturday, and the rest of the weekend will be dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, Saturday and Monday, falling to 3 - 5 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday, and 60% on Sunday and Monday. All in all a pretty fair weather for the three day weekend.
The photo at right was taken at Coney Island in Brooklyn in 2019 prior to the outbreak of the CoVid pandemic. While CoVid hasn't gone away [and may never], it seems the worst of it is behind us and folks are beginning to return to what used to be their normal lives. Coney Island opened in April this year.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC
In the photo at right is just one of thousands of artworks for sale in a prior year at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit which begins Saturday and runs through Monday.
On Monday, May 30, 2022 the InwoodMemorial Day Parade begins at 11.30 am at Dykman Street and marches up Broadway into Inwood Park where a short flag raising ceremony will be held.
The Lower East Side Festival runs Friday through Sunday from 6 pm to 1 am [and Saturday also from 12 noon - 6 pm] at the Theater for the New City at 155 East 10th Street in the East Village. The festival includes theater, music, dance, film and kids stuff. Free.
The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit begins Saturday and runs through the weekend. The art fair runs from 12 noon to 6 pm daily along University Avenue from Washington Square Park South to 13th Street in the Village.
The Losaida Festival is on Sunday, May 29, 2022 from 12 noon - 5 pm - Along Avenue C and 8th Street [Losaida Street] in the East Village. The fair celebrates Puerto Rican food, music and culture. Free.
It's Fleet Week in NYC and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is hosting a number of activities, topped off on Monday at 10 am with a Memorial Day Closing Ceremony. See www.intrepidmuseum.org/fleet-week for details.
This is Fleet Week and a number of U.S. Navy ships are docked in Manhattan and Staten Island. A number of events are planned in both locations. For details see http://militarynews.com/app/fleetweeknewyork/events.html
Manhattan offers easy access to a wide range of recreational swimming pools. The following is our first attempt to provide you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of Manhattan. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.
Manhattan outdoor public pools will open beginning Tuesday June 28th, 2022. A few of the indoor pools will be closed this summer to allow for construction and improvements.
Generally pool hours are from 11 am - 7 pm daily, with a one hour break between 3 and 4 pm for cleaning. Bring a padlock for your locker and proper swimming trunks are required [for boys this means not shorts as trunks must have liners]. Don't bring food, glass bottles, newspapers, electronics, floaters and no or as few valuables as you can bring to minimize your risk because the park isn't responsible for your losses. Free sunscreen will be made available while supplies last.
As of this posting 5.25.22, masks are NOT required for indoor activity including in the locker rooms, but stay tuned as it's possible that could change.
Last Saturday, May 14, 2022, there were a few Pro Choice rallies in NYC. Most notable among them were the one that started at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square. And there was another group that gathered in Union Square which also marched to Foley Square.
I have some video and photos, but possibly the most interesting part of this report are the perspectives I picked up along the way, which provided me with a deeper understanding of the issues, primarily from a women's point of view.
First there's the science ...
Hi. Following up on the conversations I had and overheard led me to a lot of new information that I'm still processing. I hope to return to finish this sometime in the summer.
Last night, on May 2, 2022, I went to see the red carpet arrivals at the Met Gala. The Met Gala is considered to be one of the most fashionable events of the year. It's by invitation only, costs between $30,000 and $35,000 per ticket. The event is generally said to run from about 6 pm to about 9.30 or 10.30 pm.
This year the fashion theme was of the opulence, fame and excess that accompanied the Gilded Age. But you'd never have known there was a theme, because the rich and famous of today - as back then - pretty much do whatever they want. And many of their outfits said just that.
Many observers think that the red carpet arrivals are the height of the show ... but then many observers likely never make it inside the museum to see how the other half parties.
Since this was my first time covering this event, I arrived unfashionably on time, around 6 pm, taking the subway to 86th Street as my limosine driver had the night off, and it really didn't matter, because my limosine has been in the shop for repairs for pretty much my entire lifetime.
Nice Weather Weekend for the 5 Boro Bike Ride NYC, Yankee Peddler Day at Historic Richmond Town Staten Island, Night Food Market & Orchid Show in the Bronx, May Day Festival & BAM Queer Film Weekend in Brooklyn, International Cultural Festival Queens & Dance Fest at Wolman Rink & Met Gala Monday in Manhattan ... and more ...
Weather NYC. The temperature highs will rise from the low 60's on Friday to the high 60's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the high 40's on Saturday to about 50 on Sunday. The humidity will be very low on Friday, ranging from 10% to 40%, rising to 30% - 45% on Saturday and then 35% to 55% on Sunday. The wind will finally settle down to 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend. No rain is expected this weekend.
In the photo at right are cyclists participating in the 5 Boro Bike Ride as they make their way through Queens in a prior year. The cycling event returns Sunday. See details below.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC
There's a Coney Island Polar Bear Club event on Saturday & Sunday at Wolman Rink in Central Park from 2 pm - 10 pm. It's a charity event and tickets aren't cheap at $191 / person. See www.wolmanrinknyc.com for details.
The 5 Boro Bike Ride returns to all five boroughs of NYC on Sunday. Details in Manhattan street fairs.
The Met Gala returns to the Metropolitan Museum on Monday.
In the photo at right you see a group of Yankees fans on their way to the game on Sunday, April 10th. While the game was scheduled to begin at 8 pm, these super fans were on their way to the ball park at 4 pm.
They were brimming with enthusiasm, as the Yankees' 2022 season was off to a good start, beating their arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in the season opener on Friday and again on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Red Sox rallied late in the game and won 4 - 3.
The video shows a few scenes of this group's talent and enthusiasm for the Yankees.
Russia Ukraine War Report Series - March - May 2022
Updated April 4, 2022 / International News NYC / Gotham Buzz.
This section contains our Russia Ukraine War Report Series which we began in March of 2022. We hope it will end by the end of May, but who knows how long it will take the Russian people to rise up against the oppressive Putin dictatorship / regime.
In Part VI, we're going to zoom into the current situation, looking at their wars are being financed, recent politics in both Russia and Ukraine, and popular support for the war in each nation.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.
A Little More History
The Cossacks were legendary fighters. The name trouble w/ authority so headed to the steppes.
Russia Relations - include Catherine II and Potemkin Village - Two premiers, Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev, were Ukrainians. And both of them helped moved the Soviet Union toward a less autocratic repressive regime.
Industry & Natural Resources
Natural gas, wheat, corn, fertilizer and the Black Sea / Azov. They are a country rich in natural resources including coal, iron and steel, natural gas and oil (?). They have x number of nuke plants. They became a technology and weapons sector during Soviet times in the 1980's.
There's a natural gas pipeline that flows through the Ukraine that provides a good part of Europe with its energy. It's still flowing as it also provides Russia with a significant amount of its reserves.
Languages and ethnicity is mixed. Borders fluctuated with the Poles in the west and the Russians in the east.
Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. Ironically the eastern section of the nation is where Russian is based and they voted to go west toward Europe. The western, Ukrainian / Polish part leaned toward Russia. There's enough of an ethnic and language mix there to defy easy categorizations, so beware. Lang map.
The cities are predominantly in the east along the Dnieper River, Black Sea, Sea of Azov and the Russian border. That's also. where the industries and technology are. The western half of the nation is largely agrarian.
How Mentally Ill is the Australian Born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch?
Murdoch & his Rubber Stamp 'WSJ Editorial Board' Continue to Push the Bounds of Indecency with this Image
A Former Prime Minister of Rupert Murdoch's Native Australia called Murdoch a 'Cancer on Democracy', Murdoch was Called 'Unfit to Run an International Company' by a Member(s) of British Parliament, Murdoch's Company was Alleged to have Hacked the Phones of the Victims of 911 for Headlines, as well as the Phone of a Mother Whose Daughter was Murdered [also for headlines], he's been Accused of Government Corruption Many Times, and for Inciting the U.S., Britain & Australia to Invade Iraq for [Oil and] Ratings
You don't have to have a journalism degree to see what's wrong with this image.
You don't have to be a member of an Editorial Board of one of the nation's three daily newspapers to see what's wrong with this image.
You don't need to be an editor to see what's wrong with this image.
What you do need is some sense of decency.
Which is what is totally lacking in the character of the man who controls the Wall Street Journal and it's Editorial Board - Australian born Oligarch, Rupert Murdoch.
After researching and watching him since 2015, I have come to the conclusion that he is easily a sociopath [weak moral compass], and more likely a psychopath [unstable and aggressive personality disorder].
See for yourself on these two WSJ pages before they hopefully have the decency or shame to take it down.
It's worth reminding people that this man, Rupert Murdoch, controls or wields incredible influence in about half of our daily national news media [Fox, NY Post, WSJ & ABC News], which is why things have become so messed up since he arrived on our shores. But the TV newspeople who do and don't work for him, fail to inform the nation, by calling him out.
I believe most Americans don't even know who he is [somebody needs to conduct a poll]. And he greatly influences - if not controls - the national conversation.
Part VI of the Ukraine series coming this week.
Weekend Things To Do NYC - March 2022
This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of March 2022.
New Yorkers, including Russians, Show Support for Ukrainian Freedom
On Sunday, in Multiple Public Spaces in NYC, I Found Rallies for Ukrainian Independence
March 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / / Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
In the photo at right, you can see protesters in Washington Square in the Village, voicing their opinions about Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression and invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The woman at the center of the photo asks,
"Why should you care?" and then she answers her question writing,"Putin Invasion = War on Democracy".
Russia & Ukraine - Putting the Conflict in Context - Date Rape
We're going to start a look into Putin's War on Ukraine. In doing so, we're going to report on it by providing a contextual framework to help you see things in a holistic manner, which is something the corporate run daily national news organizations seem to fail to do these days - while favoring sensationalistic, ratings-chasing, gossip-like, news reporting.
The gist of this story is that Ukraine is like a pretty woman who turned down Vladimir Putin's advances, so he decided to rape her.
The Basics - Ukraine's Population, Economy & Technology - Far Bigger & More Developed than I had Thought
Russia has a population of about 144 million as of 2020, while the Ukraine has a population of 44 million. This surprised me, perhaps in part because Russia has played such a visible role on the international stage, while the Ukraine has not.
Russia is also a much larger nation than Ukraine economically, as Russia has the sixth largest economy in the world measured in PPP, which is defined as 'purchasing power parity'. Ukraine, by contrast was the 40th largest economy in the world measured in PPP, and is the 44th [of 45] largest economy in Europe as measured nominally which includes the distortions made by currency exchange rates. Thus, when measured on comparable purchasing power [PPP], the Russian economy is only three times larger than Ukraine's, but because of currency trading, Russia does rates better on the global markets. The PPP numbers are measured based on a basket of currencies - not just the dollar - and thus PPP more effectively filters out currency exchange rate distortions.
The economies of Russia and the Ukraine also differ in terms of what they produce. The Russian economy is the second largest producer of oil and energy, including natural gas. Energy is Russia's largest single export and accounts for a significant portion of their government revenue. Russia is also rich in raw materials, commodities and minerals, which are used in its manufacturing sector. But the bulk of the Russian economy has been modernized and nearly two thirds of its economy is comprised of services.
The Ukraine has a large agricultural sector, as well as metals and coal sectors, which - as in Russia - facilitate manufacturing, and the Ukraine has the second largest natural gas reserves in Europe [but they still are a net importer of energy]. I couldn't find out what percent of the economy of the Ukraine was in services, but they have the fourth highest number of IT professionals in the world, and by 2015 over half of the nation had internet access [and in Kyiv it was 90%]. And their manufacturing base includes shipbuilding, aerospace and automotive.
So, to my suprise, the Ukraine is far bigger and is a far more technologically advanced than I had thought. And this helps explain why the little dictator, Vladimir Putin, is having trouble subjugating them.
This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of weeks.
MTA Ridership Slowly Inching Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels / Hochul Announces Fare Capping Program / MTA Crime not as Huge as the Corporate Broadcast Media Sensationalizes it
In the photo at right are a number of Chinese American women, who participated in the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the year of the Tiger in Chinatown in Manhattan, were out to see and be seen last Sunday.
We've been tracking MTA ridership since the pandemic began. The subway ridership plummeted down 90% when the pandemic broke in the Spring of 2020. By the fall of 2020 MTA ridership had risen to a loss of 80%, rising to a loss of 50% - 66% in the Spring of 2021, and then a loss of 35% - 55% in the Fall of 2021. As of this week, the MTA subway ridership losses were in the range of 28% - 43% versus pre-pandemic.
On February 7, 2022, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new 'Fare Capping Program' whereby passengers would only have to pay for 12 full fare rides in a week [but using the same device / MetroCard] and after which the rides for the rest of the week would be free [Monday - Sunday]. The program begins Monday, February 28th and is expected to run for four months.
The corporate broadcast media seems to sensationalize everything these days in order to ratchet up their ratings, revenue and profit. MTA Ridership during the winter a year ago was about half the pre-pandemic level, and today it's about two thirds the pre-pandemic level meaning it has risen about 50% vs a year ago. According to NYPD Compustat, crime in the subway during the past 28 days is up 33%, so crime isn't rising as fast as ridership.
Nonetheless, crime in the subways is up by about the same percentage versus the pre-pandemic levels, so it's a bigger problem than it was before the pandemic started. It is believed, that the reason for the higher transit crime rate, is that as fewer people rode the rails during the pandemic, the homeless moved in and were able to use the subway as their shelter.
Late last week NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the city and the state would collaborate to increase the NYPD presence in the subways to remove and / or assist the homeless from making the MTA their home by offering them an option to leave or an option to get medical, psychiatric and social services help. To that end it was noted that the NYPD upped the deployment of NYPD [about 1,000 officers] into the transit system, focusing - it seems - on the major hubs, and the Governor was working on multi-billion healthcare plans which would include provisions for helping the mentally ill and homeless.
NYC & NYS Vaccination Rates Well Ahead of National Rates
The current NYC vaccination rate is 77%, with another 9% having received at least one dose [86%]. The current NYS vaccination rate is 75%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [87%]. The current U.S. vaccination rate is 65%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [77%].
As a result of the vaccination rates, and with the passing of the Omicron super spreader holiday season, CoVid Omicron new case growth, hospitalizations and deaths have been declining at the NYC, NYS and USA levels.
For New York City the weekly, daily average, test rate of 1.7% for new cases, with only a weekly, daily average new case rate of 707 reported, a weekly, daily average rate of 35 hospitalizations and a weekly, daily average rate of 17 deaths.
For New York State the same weekly, daily average rates are 2% positive new test cases, about 1,750 daily new cases, about 200 daily new hospitalizations and about 35 daily new deaths.
For the United States the same rates are 8% positive new cases [this is a week old number compared to the others herein], about 84,878 new cases, about 8,642 hospitalizations [this is a week old number compared to the others herein] and 1,964 daily deaths.
NYC and NYS are leading the rest of the U.S. in pulling out of the pandemic, as the southern and central states are lagging behind. If you look at a map showing vaccination rates versus a map showing infection rates, you can see that they are inversely related.
Are these maps indicative of the intelligence, or how well informed the people of each state are? Do the smart people live in the states with the higher vaccination rates, or are the people who got infected with CoVid at higher rates [because they didn't get vaccinated], living in states where they have fewer or less reliable information sources, like Fox News? Studies have shown that Fox News enhances people's ignorance of the facts. Look it up.
Honoring the Sacrifice Made by NYPD Officers Mora & Rivera
Mora & Rivera were Policemen, Civilians, Minorities, Immigrant and son of, Husband, Sons, Brothers and Real Heroes
What Can We do to Make Sure they didn't die in Vain?
February 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC. Report & photo by Michael Wood.
On Wednesday morning, February 2, 2022, I made my way into Manhattan to observe the funeral of slain NYPD Officer Mora. To be sure, it was a solemn occasion. I got off the subway near 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Once above ground, I made my way to Fifth Avenue and 42nd where I came across the largest gathering of police officers I have ever seen in my life [see photo at right].
As I walked up Fifth Avenue, I could hear the eulogies over the loud speakers, echoing in the street. I took a few photos and some video of the gathering which spanned all the way up to 50th Street by St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eventually I had to detour off of Fifth Avenue, make my way down to Sixth Avenue, and then cut back in at 50th Street to get close to the cathedral on Fifth Avenue.
A Communal Gathering of Policemen from the TriState Area and Beyond, at Officer Mora's Funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022
As I walked and listened I looked around at all of the policemen gathered in honor of a fellow member of the fraternal order of policemen – not just of New York City but of NYS - and for that matter - the U.S. All of the police men and women were standing, some standing silently listening to the speeches, while others made small talk with each other, between the speeches, about their kids, their families, their jobs, their departments [homicide / detectives / street patrolmen], cars and boats, as well as chatting about which police department or organization they represented.
It reminded me of other funerals I had attended, which it’s been said, are for the living – not the dead. Yes, we come to honor the dead, but they have since gone. And it is left to us who are left behind, to make sense of things. It is our job to figure out how to take the lessons their lives and make them work for us, so that they will not have died in vain.
The expansiveness of the showing of support was somewhere between impressive and overwhelming, as I walked silently through this sea of dark blue, which filled over 8 city blocks on a wide avenue - and which spilled well into the cross streets both east and west of the entire eight blocks. There were thousands of police, mostly men with some women, mostly white but also many minorities, who had come to pay their last respects for a member of their ranks who had made the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice that all of them know they must be ready to make each day as they don their dark coats to serve and protect the community. Us.
I noticed the badges sewn to their coats, representing Trenton and Teaneck New Jersey, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York State, and of course the NYPD, as well as a smattering of policemen from more distant communities. They projected a sense of sadness and courtesy, as I made my way through the crowd. I sensed that they must also have felt some measure of comfort, standing there, side by side with others like themselves, knowing that they are supported by so many others who share their sense of duty, ready to face down danger.
This seemed a bit like a George Floyd like moment for the police in the city and perhaps the nation. These two young officers, were senselessly murdered, while responding to a domestic violence call within a few blocks of the 32nd precinct Harlem police station where the two police officers worked. Shortly after the policemen entered the apartment, the assailant shot them down with a barrage of bullets from a semi-automatic gun which the assailant had stolen in Maryland.
As I came upon St Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by the police, it seemed like a fortress with its big, thick church doors closed, to keep out the noise and cold air while the mass continued inside. A coterie of media people were on a platform across the street from the front of the cathedral, waiting for the doors to open. The Mayor, Police Commissioner Sewell and Wilbur Mora’s brother and sister gave speeches. Karina, Mora's sister, gave her speech in Spanish, as the Moras immigrated here from the Dominican Republic decades ago.
The graphic at right is a Vox headline that asks why the diverging trends in crime vs violent crime.
Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch controls about half of our daily national corporate news media, including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and - along with two other Fox News investment funds - controls the largest share of ABC News stock.
For decades now, in English-speaking nations around the world, the propagandists posing as journalists who work for Murdoch, appear to distort the news so that Murdoch's favored politicans will get elected. Once elected, those pols seem to grant Murdoch huge tax breaks, regulatory changes and legislative favors in exchange for his propagandistic support of their candidacies.
The cost to us, the American people [the British and Australians as well] is that many critical issues are never properly addressed by the government officials selected by Murdoch, because his favored pols are generally chosen and supported based on what they will do for the totally self-serving billionaire - not the public. Hence Murdoch pols don't appear to reflect the people's will, but rather are chosen because Murdoch mass media outlets have manipulated the views of enough voters via their distorted daily Murdoch mass media 'news' intake, to enable Murdoch's favored pols to get elected. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels employed these same kind of tactics, on an unsuspecting public, back in the early 1930's, in Germany.
At right is a graphic showing one of Murdoch's mini-Goebbels, pushing a false narrative that is designed to enrich himself and his billionaire boss by demonizing Democrats. The goal seems to use these issues promote false narratives that favor their pliant pols into powerful positions in government so that they can change policies to pump up the billionaire's propaganda profits. One such example is that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave ABC / Disney a half billion dollar tax break last summer and thereafter he appeared to have an open mic on Fox News with propagandists like the Tucker shown above.
To Rein in Guns & Violent Crime, We Must First Rein in Murdoch's Fox, WSJ, NY Post & Increasingly ABC News Distortions & Disinformation on the Subject
Reining in the guns used in violent crime in NYC, is one of many such issues that seem to be given Murdoch's special brand of propagandistic 'news' treatment. Murdoch's news outlets' reports appear to pander to gun owners and the NRA [5.5 million members], who are outspoken and generally against gun control. According to a November 13, 2020 report by Gallup, about 32% of Americans own a gun and about 44% live in a household where there is a gun owner. Hence, gun owners represent a fairly sizeable block of Murdoch's mass media audience, and his news reports pander to them, just as the pander to other voting blocks that Murdoch media seek to manipulate.
At right is a map showing which states have the highest homicide rates. Note that the states with the highest homicide mortality rates are governed by the Republicans - the ones who claim they stand for law and order. But what many of the Republicans in these states really seem to stand for, are the special interest groups like the gun-promoting NRA. Urban police forces, which are generally found in Democratically governed cities, are finding that the guns used in the murders in their cities, are coming from the Republican states. Republican governed states have the nation's highest murder rates [see graph above] and most lax guns laws. I don't think it is helpful to policize this issue by demonizing the other side, but given Rupert Murdoch's grip on our national discourse through his ownership, control and influence over half of our daily national corporate media, somebody has got to push back with the truth.
The TV newspeople appear to hype weather systems, to keep viewers inside all weekend, so they'll watch TV, and boost the corporate TV ratings to generate more revenue.
You can see an example of this in the graphic at right which shows a June 13, 2019 Washington Post report where a weatherman was fired by Sinclair Broadcasting, at a Murdoch ABC News station affiliate, because the weatherman wasn't going to use 'Code Red' to hype inclement weather systems, if he didn't think they merited such labeling.
This weekend the weather system coming in this evening is expected to end by about 3 pm Saturday, so while there may be an unknown number of inches of snow on the ground in NYC in January [what a concept], it shouldn't prevent New Yorkers from enjoying at least part of the weekend. But that said, be advised that while the snow should end by 3 pm, the winds die down more slowly, lasting the remainder of Saturday. And these comments apply to activities within NYC [not Long Island nor New Jersey] as public transit may be used in lieu of an auto, and as of this report, the MTA has no plans of shutting down.
The weatherman mentioned in the graphic above, was fired for not distorting the truth, in a manner not unlike what one would expect at a state-controlled media outlet in Russia or China. Hyping weather systems out of proportion, like distorting the proportions of other stories, appears to be one of the Murdoch mass media trademark ploys to deceive / fear monger the viewers in order to win higher rating$$$, take control the national conversation and tip the scales in favor of the pols he favors and against those he does not.
Rupert Murdoch is an Australian born billionaire press lord who controls about half of America's daily national news media including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St. Journal and increasingly ABC News where he and two funds control about a quarter of that company's shares.
While Weather Sensationalism is Dishonest Truth Distortion, it's Relatively Harmless vis a vis Most Other News Distortions which can be Dangerous to Democracy
In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described, "Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy" because of Murdoch media news omissions and distortions.
And in Britain, a Spring 2012 Parliamentary Report stated that, [Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company] because his company broke the law by tapping British citizens' private phones to get racy stories and the details of their personal tragedies in order to generate higher ratings and sell more newspapers. Murdoch denied he knew anything, blamed his underlings and then reportedly Murdoch's [Fox] Newscorp spent $1.6 BILLION in legal fees and payouts -TO DEFEND THEIR INNOCENCE?
In the graphic at right is a July 28, 2011 Guardian report stating that people working for Murdoch's company were believed to have hacked the phone of Sara Payne to publish her anguish over her daughter's murder at the hands of a pedophile. Murdoch reportedly spent $1.6 billion in settlements and legal fees to extricate the company and its officers from the corruption and scandal. But money can't buy Murdoch out of what Newscorp's actions say about his and his companies' moral compass.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.
A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.
Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.
Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.
NYC News Update With as little CoVid Omicron Specific Info as Possible
This Report includes the Over Hyped 'Supply Chain Xmas Tree Shortage', Broadway Show Cancellations & Postponements & Economic Impact, MTA Subway Trains & Airline Flights Cancellations due to Staffing Outages, the Tug of War between Office Workers & their Companies, JFK getting New Terminals & Staten Island getting New Ferries
Weather. Temperature highs are between 40 and 50 degrees each day, and the lows are about 40 each day. Humidity will be between 60% - 80% all week. And the wind will be fairly steady at 5 - 10 mph daily. There's a chance of showers around 8 pm tonight and a chance of a tenth inch of rain on each day - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Given the low amount of precipitation and that it's spread out over the entire day, each day, I'd say your chances of getting very wet are pretty slim.
CoVid, CoVid, CoVid ... How We Moved Beyond it as a Conversation Centerpiece at an Xmas Party
So I attended a Christmas party a couple of weekends ago, and at one point someone asked is there anything else to talk about besides CoVid? This was near the end of the party, so there were only about a dozen of us there. So, someone asked, how about those Nets? And of course, Kylie Irving soon came up, and his anti-vax stance on CoVid, and that the Nets had to postpone a number of games because of ... CoVid.
Someone else asked, whose traveling for the holidays? As you can imagine, it wasn't long before CoVid came up and how it was going to affect everyones' holiday travel plans. Another asked, whether people were going to see their kids over the holidays. And of course, the discussion about vaccinations, testing and masks ensued. And then someone asked about gifts being given this season, and eventually the impact of CoVid on shipping and supply chain ensued. How about going out to dinner ... and so forth.
Actually, it turned out to be kind of funny, in an ironic sort of way, as the pandemic was still touching most parts of people's lives.
But the good news is that we eventually did move on past CoVid. Onto what? Well that's personal and thus not going to be shared here publicly, but we did eventually make it past the CoVid goal line ... but it wasn't as easy as one would think it should have been.
So the rest of this report is going to be about other things affecting our life, but recognizing that the pandemic and our community health affects just about everything else.
How Real was the TV News Hyped Supply Chain & Xmas Tree Shortage?
Retail Sales Hit a Level Not seen in 17 Years in Spite of "No Supply"?
How is it that network TV news, still a primary source of information in this nation - and the only source by many of the uneducated - can get a story so wrong?
For months they've been hyping the SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE. I've seen little on TV news saying anything else to the contrary, and yet somehow, retailers magically had the best holiday sales season in 17 years, with department store sales up 21% [that's huge] and online sales up 8% [also very solid performance].
Did retailers MAGICALLY turn in their best performance in 17 years without any inventory? Come on.
People need to start questioning the information they get on TV, because too often, it's so distorted in order to generate an emotional or fearful response that's good for ratings and profit - but not in the public interest.
A December 26, 2021 report in Politico provided the following update on retail sales,
"... By category, clothing rose 47%, jewelry 32%, electronics 16%. Online sales were up 11% from a year ago and 61% from 2019. Department stores registered a 21% increase over 2020 ..."
This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the second half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see second half of December 2021 weekend reports.
December 6, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues Health News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The first Omicron virus case was first detected on November 8, 2021 in South Africa. The first case detected in the U.S. was in San Francisco on November 22, 2021. Four days later, on November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization [WHO] designated Omicron a CoVid variant [B1.1.529]. As of December 5, 2021 there were eight Omicron cases in NYS, most of which were found in NYC.
Early Precautions in the Face of Omicron’s Rapid Spread
On November 26, 2021, President Biden instituted a temporary travel ban on South Africa and neighboring countries including, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. He also shortened the CoVid testing time from three to one days, for those traveling internationally. The passenger must test negative for CoVid. And he extended the mask mandate for those using public transit domestically to March 15, 2021.
The reason for taking these early immediate precautions is that the Omicron variant appears to be spreading at twice the rate of the Delta variant, which overwhelmed this nation within about 3 - 4 months [May - August 2021].
The Omicron variant was also detected in Belgium, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Israel at the time the news broke regarding the rapid spread of the new variant at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday. As of this writing the Omicron variant has been found in 15 states including, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, according to a Reuters tally on December 5, 2021.
Vaccine Efficacy vis a vis Omicron Variant
The Omicron variant is known to be more transmissible, but it’s health impact is still being studied. Most of those who contracted the Omicron variant had been vaccinated, and hence it is believed that most suffered fairly mild symptoms because they had CoVid antibodies in their systems. By the end of this week [12/10/21] or sometime the following week, early test results on vaccine efficacy vis a vis Omicron are expected.
One health official noted that efficacy isn’t measured as a simple yes or no, but rather in degrees. The strongest efficacy prevents one from catching the virus, the medium measure of efficacy is how troublesome the symptoms - ranging from mild to hospitalization, and the weakest efficacy – meaning no efficacy is death.
CoVid prognosticators believe that the current vaccines will continue to offer some measure of protection / efficacy, but they caution that at some point it may be necessary to create a separate vaccine for new CoVid variants.
Moderate Democrat Eric Adams sailed to victory Tuesday to become NYC's second African American Mayor. Democrat David Dinkins was the first. With 78% of the precincts reporting Adams won 676,481 votes to Sliwa's 293,127.
Democrat Jumaane Williams was re-elected Public Advocate, garnering 598,810 votes which was nearly 69% of the total, with 93% of the scanners reporting.
Progressive Democrat Brad Lander won the NYC Comptroller position, winning 604,000 of the votes, or 70% of the vote with 93% of the scanners counted.
And Democrat Alvin Bragg won the Manhattan District Attorney office, garnering 183,000 votes or 83% of the total.
Four of the five Borough Presidencies were won by Democrats. In Manhattan Mark Levine handily won the borough presidency with 181,000 votes or 85% of the total, with 93% of scanners counted. In Queens Donovan Richards handily won re-election, winning 160,000 votes or 66% of the total, with 79% of the precincts reporting. In Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso also won handily, winning 217,000 votes or 73% of the total, with 78% of the precincts reporting. In the Bronx Vanessa Gibson took in 80,000 votes which was 80% of the total, with 72% of the precincts reporting.
And on Staten Island, the only Republican to win a Borough Presidency, Vito Fossella, won 60,000 votes or 60% of the total, with 87% of the precincts reporting.
In late December, just before the holidays, I had the opportunity to spend an evening dining out at Bill’s Townhouse in Midtown Manhattan. Bill’s is something of a legendary institution, as it has been around for about a century.
Bill's Townhouse is a beautiful four story building [literally what used to be a townhouse] which is located between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue along 54th Street. One of the things Bill's Townhouse is noted for are their steaks.
In the photo at right, guests at Bill's Townhouse, engaged in conversation prior to being served their dinner.
I had made reservations earlier in the week for a Tuesday night out - the week before the Christmas holiday. New York City, and particularly Manhattan, is a busy place this time of year because people from around the world come to shop, dine and visit, and many folks also come to the city to spend time with family and friends.
Restaurants with Ambiance Midtown Manhattan
We had an eight o’clock reservation and arrived right on time. The reception desk is located in the lower level, where there’s a bar that, tonight, was full. The walls are filled with memorabilia representing Bill’s Townhouse past, which includes time spent as a brothel, speakeasy and gathering space for theatrical folks. I’ll add a bit more about Bill’s Townhouse history later.
After a short wait we made our way to the second floor, which is the main dining area. The room extends all the way back and opens up to the left, filling the width of the building that in the front part of the townhouse is used to accommodate the stairwell. There’s a half door at the top of the stairs that opens up into the back section of the main floor, allowing you to get a glimpse of some of your distant dining companions.
Inside the main room there’s a grand century old fireplace that was in use. We were seated at one of the front windows which gave us a nice view of the room and a peak at the street below. Surrounding us were tables of men and women in couples and foursomes, with the larger groups seated more toward the back in the area that opened up to the full width of Bill’s Townhouse.
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Manhattan New Years Parties & Restaurants 2021 / 2022 NYC
New Years Parties & Restaurants on the Upper East Side UES, Midtown, West & East Village, Upper West Side UWS, SoHo, Tribeca & Downtown in Manhattan NYC
As happens every year, there will be a number of great New Years parties in Manhattan preceding and following the dropping of the ball at Times Square.
New Years Eve occurs on a Friday this year. While New Years Eve is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like St. Patrick's Day, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.
This year we also have the lingering effects of the pandemic to contend with, and a mandatory mask mandate goes into effect in NYC and NYS from December 13, 2021 until January 15, 2022 - at which time it will be re-evaluated. An early rsvp is highly recommended given the environment and most, if not all, places want proof of CoVid vaccination.
The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in Manhattan NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.
One of the great finds this year in terms of Irish history in Manhattan came when I stumbled upon the Landmark Tavern on the far West Side of Manhattan. The Landmark Tavern first opened in 1868, not long after the American Civil War. The tavern originally opened as a waterfront saloon along the Hudson River as there wasn't any 12th Avenue over a century and a half ago.
The Landmark Tavern maintains a classic Irish Pub establishment with pints of Guinness, Irish whiskeys and Irish Pub fare - including shepherd's pie. But they have also augmented their classic Irish fare offerings with modern eclectic American fare.
The Landmark Tavern is located at 46th Street at 11th Avenue, which is nearby both the Intrepid Air, Space & Sea Museum on the Hudson River, as well as near the emerging art exhibition spaces along the Hudson such as Piers 92, 94, 96 and 97. The Piers have been used for art, photography and architectural exhibitions that periodically open shop in Manhattan.
Luke's Lobster House in Downtown NYC
Luke's Lobster House is a Hole-in-the-Wall Find near Wall Street
Over the holidays I spent a fair bit of time in downtown Manhattan with out-of-town guests, who are expanding their interest in one of America's oldest seafaring towns ... Manhattan.
We visited the large Christmas tree on Wall Street in front of the NY Stock Exchange and then headed for a mid afternoon bite to eat at Luke's Lobster House at 26 South William Street between Broad and Beaver street. Luke's isn't exactly an ancient restaurant of Downtown NYC - since 2011 - but it has the look and feel of something that's been around much longer.
Luke's Lobster House in the Financial District or FiDi NYC
We walked in on a cold winter afternoon and there were a few parties sitting at several of the tables in the small shop. Along the side wall near the back of the small lobster house is a very simple menu, with three different combination plates in three different flavors [lobster, crab & shrimp], salad, soups [clam or lobster], sides [cod fries, slaw] and drinks [none alcoholic]. The one roll, plus side, plus drink runs from $12 to$19.
According to the Luke's Lobster website, the owner, Luke Holden, hails from Maine, from where he sources his catch. He opened a Luke's Lobster in the Village in 2009 and has been expanding ever since. The site tells us that Luke's Lobster has multiple restaurants in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, as well as restaurants in Maine, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Taiwan and Japan.
Luke sources many of its lobsters through a Maine cooperative, of which Luke's is a member, so he knows what he's serving his customers. And that diligence was borne out in the half lobster roll I split with one of my out-of-town guests. The lobster was a flavorful, tender, juicy, flaky meat inside a bun that did its job by not interfering with the subtle flavor of fresh lobster.
We drank our root beers, while enjoying the light meal, and then headed on our way. Generally Luke's Lobster House in the FiDi [Financial District] of New York is open from 11 am - 7 pm daily.
Upper East Side French Restaurants – Café D’Alsace
Casual Dining at French Restaurant on the Upper East Side
It was a warm pleasant May afternoon as I strolled into the Café D’Alsace on the Upper East Side. We’d planned to dine elsewhere, but the outdoor seating looked so inviting that we decided for a change of plans.
Formerly Elaine's Restaurant on the Upper East Side
The Café D’Alsace is located in what was once a kind of well known Upper East Side restaurant of the 1980’s and 1990’s – Elaines. Café D’Alsace is located at the corner of 88th and Second Avenue, just two blocks from the 86th Street stop off the Q line and the Second Avenue stop off the 86th Street crosstown bus – so it’s a fairly convenient location to meet friends.
Today I was meeting a retired graphic artist, who spends his time managing some of his and his wife’s business interests and their teenage kids’ busy schedules. We took a spot outside to enjoy one of the first really nice days of 2018. The waiter appeared promptly and we began perusing the menu.
Cafe D'Alsace French Restaurant on the Upper East Side Manhattan
They included a prix fixe menu, offering three courses for $29. It included their Merguez Shakshuka, which I found to be of great interest. Nonetheless I began surveying the rest of the menu, adding up a combination or two of the other entrees, before I decided to give the Merguez Shakshuka a royal try. I also received the Soup of the Day, which was potato leek, and for dessert I went with the Molten Hazelnut Chocolate Gateaux. My dining companion wasn’t in a very venturesome spirit today, and he settled on the Burger D’Alsace, preceded by the Winter Salad.
The conversation turned to some of the business ventures in which the artist and his wife are involved. It seems things are going reasonably well at the moment, and based on the conversation, it seemed they were expected to continue.
I have the rest of the story written, but I need to convert it to web format and add photos which I'll do Tuesday. Stay tuned.
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The South Street Seaport adds Winterland to its Offerings
A New Skating Rink - Winterland - Opened at the South St Seaport in December
In December I spent a fair amount of time in the Downtown NYC neighborhood, including at the South Street Seaport. The South Street Seaport has been an evolving recreational and tourist destination for the past couple of decades. Some of which we have covered in recent years - see Taste of the Seaport and South St Seaport neighborhood real estate in Downtown NYC.
In the photo at right you can see skaters resting alongside the wall overlooking the East River and Brooklyn Bridge in the South Street Seaport neighborhood near the FiDi in Manhattan NYC.
Brief History of the South Street Seaport in Downtown NYC / FiDi
The South Street Seaport was first used by the Dutch West India Company in 1625 to dock, unload and reload ships with cargo between the new [America] and old [European] worlds. Over time it evolved as a center of port activity for NYC. In the early 1700's [Wikipedia states 1728] the South Street Seaport started becoming a central distribution point throughout the colonies for goods coming from Europe into the New World, as well as becoming a collection point for goods coming from the colonies that were then shipped to Europe.
In 1822 the Fulton Fish market opened as a central retail space for fresh fish among other things, and in 1825 the Erie Canal opened which enabled relatively quick and inexpensive transit between most points on the Great Lakes and New York City. This transit development cemented the reputation of New York City as the nation's leading transit capital.
By the middle of the 1800's the South Street Seaport climaxed, and over the next half century the volume of passenger and goods transit declined, giving way to the piers on the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River. The reasons for the move to the west side was the lack of space for retail and warehousing, as well as the shallow nature of the South Street Seaport harbor.
In the photo at right you can see an 1885 schooner, one of the sailing ships of the 19th century, similar to those that had once docked at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan in NYC.
Many Manhattan farmers markets are open year round, but there are also a number of them that are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Manhattan farmers markets begin opening in the Spring, with nearly all of the rest of them opening no later than the first two of weeks in July. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in Manhattan.
Manhattan street fairs are entirely seasonal, with some of them hitting the streets as early as late March. Last year, in 2020, there weren't any street fairs due to the CoVid pandemic. This year they got off to a late start, beginning in June, again due to the CoVid pandemic.
Manhattan street fairs rise markedly during the spring and lighten up a bit during the dog days of summer [July / August], and rising again in the fall. By the end of November most of the Manhattan street fairs go on hiatus. Click here to view a full schedule of Manhattan street fairs. Click here for Bronx street fairs.
July 4th Weekend Weather. As of this post 6/28/22, the temperature highs will be in the high 80's during the day and around 70. There's a 50% - 60% chance of rain on Saturday [over a half inch] and a quarter inch of rain on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% Saturday, falling to 60% on Sunday and down to 50% on Monday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend.
Macy's July 4th Fireworks along the East River Provides Good Viewing from Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens and are Distantly Viewable from Northern Staten Island & the Southern tip of the Bronx
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year.
The fireworks were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008, and have remained on the East River ever since. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied for the return, which now spans nine years. The Grucci Brothers will be doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which they've been doing for decades.
Weather. The MLK Weekend forecast as of January 10, 2022. The Temperature highs will range from 20 to 30 degrees through the long weekend. The temperature lows will range from 10 to 25, rising as the weekend progresses. As of this post, no precipitation is expected over the MLK Day Weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph throughout the long weekend, except Friday when they'll be a bit higher [13 mph]. The Humidity will be between 30% - 60%, dipping on Saturday from the highs on Friday and Monday. Click for Manhattan Weather.
Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.
Martin Luther King Day has grown to take on an even larger meaning, as it is oftentimes referred to as a day on, versus a day off. Organizations around the city and nation have used the day to call people into action to address the needs of the community through volunteering and service.
As Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday, it's worth keeping in mind that many / most federal offices will be closed, along with a number of businesses.
Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Manhattan NYC
On Monday, January 17, 2022 from 8.30 - 10 pm there's a saxophone performance by Lil Maceo at the Birdland Theater at 315 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Bar seating $20 and regular seating $30.
On Monday, January 17, 2022 from 12.30 - 2 pm there's a Harlem Gospel Choir performance at Sony Hall at 235 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets run $25 - $40 at www.sonyhall.com.
Just prior to the pandemic there was an exhibit that opened in January 2020 at the Schomburg Center for African American Culture in the Lapidus Center at 515 Malcolm X Blvd and 135th Street in Harlem. The exhibit was entitled Subversion & the Art of Slavery Abolition, which chronicles efforts made by the Abolitionists to stop enslavement via art, politics and culture. THIS YEAR 2022 they do not appear to have any MLK specific related programming, BUT there's a black comic book festival being held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday generally from 12 noon - 6 pm VIRTUALLY. You can join them online at
https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/schomburg
Please note that the Schomberg Center is normally closed on Sunday and will be closed MLK Day.
The Imperial Theatre at 249 West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan is hosting performances of the musical 'Ain't Too Proud' which is the story of the Temptations, a modern musical group of the 1960's and 1970's. Performances run through the MLK Weekend - except Monday - and tickets range from $74 - $1353.
The Apollo Theater in Harlem cancelled its Sunday, January 9th program for MLK Day program entitled, MLK, Activism & the Arts. But that said, the Apollo is continuing some of its regularly scheduled programming including a comedy show at 10 pm on Friday and a musical performance on Saturday at 10 pm. Each program costs $25. See www.apollotheater.org for details.
The United Palace at 4140 Broadway at 175th Street in Washington Heights doesn't have anything planned this year 2022.
The Abyssinian Baptist Churchon Striver’s Row [late 19th century housing which successful African American musicians and composers moved into in the early 20th century] located at 132 Odell Clark Place [formerly 138th Street] between 138th & 139th Streets and Frederick Douglass & Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvds normally hosts MLK Weekend related events, but this year [2022] it appears there aren't any. The neighborhood includes places where African Americans like author W.E.B. DuBois and civil rights activist Malcolm X spent some time [history / social / film / free].
For decades, the Manhattan Country School hosted an annual Commemorative MLK Day March beginning at 10 am until 2 pm. The march route seems to vary with each year, but has generally been on the Upper West and Upper East Sides, stopping at historically signfiicant sites, where students give speeches and ending at the Manhattan Country School at 150 West 85th between Columbus & Amsterdam. But this year, due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the students have postponed the march in favor of some other event later this year. For details visit www.manhattancountryschool.org.
NORMALLY _ BUT NOT THIS YEAR 2022 _ On Monday the Museum of the City of New York at 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES is hosting a three hour program from 11 am - 2 pm dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King. The program is free w/ admission.
The Studio Museum of Harlem hosts a variety of cultural and art exhibits and programming related to African American culture. Their site at 144 West 125th Street is closed while a new building is being constructed. They are currently operating out of Studio Museum 127 which is located at 429 West 127th Street in Harlem. The last date I have seen for when they expected to move back to their 125th Street site was on March 15, 2020. But then the pandemic hit and they are still operating out of their Studio Museum 127 - BUT IT IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO THE OMICRON VARIANT OF COVID.
TEMPORARILY CLOSED _ THE FOLLOWING IS FROM 2020 _ On Monday from 2 pm - 6 pm Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive in Manhattan will be hosting it's 5th Annual MLK Now. The doors open at 12 noon to this live music, spoken word and conversational event. Folks will be seated on a first come first serve basis. The church has a real connection to Dr. King as it is where, in 1967 Dr. King gave one of his most famous speeches, Beyond Vietnam. A Time to Break Silence. Free.
The Africa Center at 1280 5th Avenue at 109th Street in East Harlem doesn't appear to have any specific programs scheduled for the MLK Weekend. The museum seems more focused on African culture per se, than on African American culture.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make it to getting vaccinated - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.
The impact of the vaccinations isn't going to happen quickly as Trump's Operation Warp Speed has turned out to be Operation Super Retarded. But Biden takes the reins in another 18 days, and will likely put things back on track, which means we have another six to twelve months before things will begin feeling somewhat normal. The six to twelve months is how long it's estimated that it will take to manufacture, distribute and vaccinate the majority of the 330 million people who live here. The vaccination process alone takes about two months, as there are two shots and a lag time for your body to build the anti-bodies.
Korea Day Parade Celebrates Korean Culture with Festival
October 21, 2019 / Things To Do Manhattan / Manhattan Neighborhoods NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC. On Saturday, Octoberr 5th, the Korea Day Parade and Festival was held in Midtown Manhattan. The whole affair which lasts the better part of the day, celebrates Korean culture by Korean immigrants and their children, grandchildren and great grand children. In addition to the theatrical music and dance performed in the parade, there's a live stage at the festival where folks also perform.
In additon to the music and dance there's a whole host of food, opportunities to shop authentic Korean food, clothing and other goods, and a chance to mingle with our fellow countrymen and women of Korean descent. The following video should give you a taste of the Korean Day Parade and Festival in Midtown. The event occurs in a section of Manhattan that was once a center of Korean culture - and while still there to an extent - like many immigrant clusters, many of the Koreans and their descendants have moved to the outer boroughs and beyond.
Last year I attended the 62nd Puerto Rican Day Parade, which returned for its 63rd year last Sunday. The Puerto Rican Day Parade is one of the largest parades and cultural celebrations in NYC, and outside of Puerto Rico, the largest celebration of Puerto Rican culture.
This year the Puerto Rican Day Parade Grand Marshall was Ricky Martin of La Bomba [1998 hit single] fame. Also appearing / performing were Jose Feliciano, who came out with the hit single Felice Navidad [1970] as well as Afro-Cuban jazz musician Bobby Sanabria and actress La India who starred in the film La Madrina [The Godmother] in 2008.
But the celebrities featured in the parade - which is comprised of over ten thousand marchers, musicians and performers - are only a few of the stars. The platoon of performers provides an endless array of entertainment by a very liberated people. I hope to have a bit more on this later today / this week - but if not there will be more to come eventually.
India Parade & Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra Festival
Indian Parade & Festival Returns to Midtown & Village NYC
This Saturday, June 8th from 11 am to 7 pm the Festival of India Parade begins and is followed by the Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra Festival. The parade starts at 45th St & 5th Avenue at 11 am and it ends in Washington Square Park where the Sri Jagannath Festival is held.
This is part of a weekend long celebration of Krishna that spans Brooklyn and Manhattan, involving hundreds, if not thousands of celebrants participating in the parade and festival after.
I'll have more on this Hari Krishna event later today / this week. In the meantime is a short one minute video of the parade last year [2018].
The Dancing Keeps on at the Dance Parade
13th Annual Dance Parade - An Aesthetic & Cultural Visual Delight
A week ago, on Saturday, May 18th, I attended the 13th annual Dance Parade. The parade reportedly features ten thousand dancers, musicians and DJ's during the two hour [turned out to be easily twice as long] parade.
I had attended the parade perhaps a half dozen years ago, essentially it's half life to date and it has grown enormously both in the number of performers and performances as well as the size of the crowd.
But quantity isn't everything, and the quality had grown or expanded as well. It was, in a few words, an aesthetic and cultural visual delight.
I and one of the Manhattan Buzz freelance photographers / videographers captured some of the festivities on video, which I hope to share with you by the end of today.
Over the holidays I had an opportunity to visit one of the finest luxury historic hotels in Manhattan - the Penninsula Hotel. The Penninsula Hotel is part of a world renowned hotel franchise dating back to the mid 1800's in Asia. The first Penninsual Hotel was built in 1928 in Hong Kong, which is where I had my first encounter with their old world hospitality and elegance many years ago.
Historic Gotham Hotel is now the Penninsula Hotel
The Penninsula Hotel Manhattan was first built at the corner of 55th Street and 5th Avenue in 1905 as the Gotham Hotel. It's a beaux artes structure that suffered over eighty years of ill-fated turnovers, before being acquired by the Penninsula Hotel Group in 1988. Today the hotel is noted as one of the finest in Manhattan.
I entered the lobby off of 55th Street. There's a staircase leading up to the lobby off to the right and the Clements restaurant off to the left. Just off the hotel lobby is Gotham Bar, in a hail back to the hotel origins, which overlooks 55th Street off 5th Avenue.
The Clements restaurant is an elegantly appointed restaurant that was, for a short time in the latter half of the 20th century, the American location of Maxime's of Paris. The restaurant is adjacent to another bar designed to accommodate restaurant patrons while waiting for their guests.
Rooftop Bars in Manhattan Midtown NYC
We chose to spend our time on the rooftop of the Penninsula Hotel, as it has a nice view of the Midtown rooftops, as well as some looking south on 5th Avenue. It was a balmy winter day - about 60 degrees - and with the heaters out it was very comfortable. The rooftop bar is primarily for drinks - and for those who smoke - provides one of the few locales left in Manhattan where one can actually enjoy a cigar or cigarette while have a drink with friends.
Prices aren't cheap, as one might expect. Bottles of wine run from about $90 on up and cigars run in the neighborhood of $40 on up [I'm doing this by memory which may not be 100% accurate, but directionally close]. Anyhow it was a beautiful locale, the service was very good and the company was great.
But alas, all good things must come to and end, and after finishing our cigars and wine, we bid adieu or rather Tiajian 再见.
After a cold, wet, rainy Halloween Weekend Saturday, many Manhattanites were looking to escape into the eerie fantasy world we call Halloween. Halloween is said to have originated in Ireland as a Celtic festival to ring in the New Year and celebrate the harvest, but today it's mostly an opportunity for people to dress up as someone or something else ... and free themselves of their workaday world and act out some of their pent up desires ... or something ...
Manhattan offers a banquet of Halloween event and party options. They range from river boat cruises, to rooftop parties, to haunted houses and floating pumpkin flotillas. Yes, floating pumpkin flotillas on the Harlem Meer at the Dana Discovery Center in the northeast corner of Central Park on the Upper East Side. So, having never been to it, I decided to go this year to witness the Halloween magic myself.
The Dana Discovery Center & Harlem Meer
I arrived a bit early at East 105th Street and 5th Avenue, just north of the Museum of the City of New York. I walked in through the entrance to the Conservatory and walked out of the Conservatory northern gate. From the gate I could see the Dana Discovery Center across the Harlem Meer [Harlem is a Dutch town and meer means pond in the Dutch language] and there was a dirt path running all around the pond.
It was a bit before 4 pm as I walked the path to the northern side of the pond. I landed in the area still west of the Dana Discovery Center, where there were booths set up by the NYC Parks Department. There were kids interacting with folks working the event, learning about planting pumpkins. They were given samples which they could take home with them. In another area, there were a few folks working for the Parks Department who were receiving carved out pumpkins brought by members of the audience to be included in the floating flotilla. In prior years people could carve pumpkins on site, but they discontinued that in favor of folks bringing their own pre-carved pumpkins. I've seen this elimination of on site carving at other events, so my guess is that it may have something to do with lawyers mitigating the organizers' potential liability risks.
Manhattan Kids Halloween in Central Park
There were other stands as well, which I believe were of an arts and crafts nature. And in the distance, along the eastern side of the Dana Discovery Center there was music playing. I parked myself near the pumpkin flotilla launch pad, as that was a hive of activity, and the place to be when the flotilla launched ... or so I thought.
While waiting I met and conversed with several people, including a super nanny with her charge, a writer from another state in search of her own truth, a mother with her rambunctious son, a couple of very loving mulit-cultural parents with their children, and a couple of French women. Like myself they were attending the event for the first time, and we all braved the cool weather [50's], waiting for hours before the pumpkin flotilla began launching at 5.30 pm.
The Floating Pumpkin Flotilla Takes Flight
As the flames inside the pumpkins were lit, the crowd gathered more intently, cameras flashing, all eyes upon the prize. The prize was an aesthetic of pumpkin faces shining upon the still waters of Harlem Meer, and being surrounded by a mix of the local community and the world community to witness this event. The whole flotilla would eventually be pulled behind the two kyaks around the meer beginning around 6.30 [aka dark] for about a half hour before ending.
I started walking back around the meer, as the pumpkin lighting continued, shooting photos along the way. The crowd was largely quiet, speaking in low conversational tones, between themselves. I eventually made my way back through the gate to 5th Avenue where I met a woman while waiting for a southbound bus. She told me she was a hairdresser back in the day and that she used to take her kids camping along the waterside of Harlem Meer. She told me that, "Things have changed a lot since then." and that "The biggest changes came after 911."
Ah, yes, it was a simpler time. But then again so is the whole notion of the lighting up a few dozen pumpkin faces, and dragging them behind a kyak on a pond - attracting literally a thousand or more people to watch the event - seems kind of simple too.
On Sunday, October 7, 2018 the Pulaski Parade marched again up 5th Avenue from 36th to 56th Street. The parade began in 1936, some 82 years ago, to honor the contributions of General Casimir [also Kazimierz] Pulaski to the American Revolutionary War effort. The date for the Pulaski Memorial Day Parade is on the anniversary of his death, two days following the failed siege of Savannah, Georgia in 1779.
Polish Independence Centennial 1918 - 2018
The theme this year celebrated the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, which came about following the end of World War I on November 11th, 1918. That day was once called Armistice Day, when the fighting of WWI ceased, but today it is better known as Veterans Day. In the 123 years prior to the end of WWI, Poland – the home of the Polish people, had been partitioned by Russia, Prussia [which is modern day Germany] and Austria.
Polish Serfs, Jews & Burghers Struggled under Czars
The exploitative Czars of Russia - who lived in luxury while the Polish and Russian serfs lived lives in poverty – were deposed in the Russian Revolutions of 1917, which erupted during WWI. The end of the tsars and WWI resulted in Polish freedom, just as 123 years earlier the Czar Catherine the Great’s diplomatic and war victories from 1792 – 1796, led to the partitioning and subjugating of Poland by its three neighbors.
These days, in both Poland and Russia, things seem to be going backwards. Democratic liberties, rights and rule of law seem imperiled, which is why parades, statues and other reminders of the past can help us stay vigilant to the tricks of those who would undermine the rule of law and democracy in order to take everything for themselves.
The Pulaski Parade - Polish Culture on the 5th Avenue Stage
The Pulaski Parade in NYC features Polish dancers, musicians, schools and organizations, the armed services and government officials, so one might say it’s as much a parade about Polish culture in America, as it is about General Pulaski. General Pulaski served with the American Continental Army beginning in 1777 until he died at the Battle of Savannah on October 11, 1779.
As a student of history, I was heartened to see a strong showing for another great Polish general who served our nation during the American Revolutionary War – General Tadeusz Kociuszko. There’s a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Queens that continues to bear his name and he is one of the less sung heroes of the American Revolution, perhaps because he was also something of an Abolitionist.
Tadeusz Kociuszko - Polish American Revolutionary War General
There’s a 2015 program entitled Tadeusz Kociuszko Polish Hero, created by Peasant Prince Productions, LLC which covered the life of Kociuszko. In it they tell us that American Founding Father, President Thomas Jefferson was named the executor of Kociuszko’s Will. They go on to note that in 1817 Kociuszko’s dying wishes were that his wealth would be used to free, educate and empower as many slaves as the wealth Kociuszko left behind would enable. But they found no evidence of Jefferson ever executing the Will and disputes regarding it went on into the 1860’s.
This historical footnote may help explain why Kociuszko was sidelined in the historical accounts of the times. It’s well documented that Kociuszko was one of the few well trained military leaders in the Continental Army of the colonists in 1776, when American demanded their independence from the most powerful nation on the planet. And it was Kociuszko’s use of science and engineering skills that enabled the American Revolutionaries to continually thwart their better equipped, better trained, far more powerful enemies - the British monarchy – and ultimately prevail.
Kociuszko Scientific Military Tactics were a Key to Victory
When Kociuszko started with the colonists he was instrumental in helping them prevent the British from controlling the Hudson River. Kociuszko’s military training motivated him to identify and secure the West Point, which is still in use today as a military training academy [established by Jefferson in 1802]. The Hudson was believed to be the most important American waterway at the time, and having control of it would have enabled the British to split the New England states from the rest of the colonies – essentially dividing the nation [at the time] in half.
Kociuszko’s advice was previously ignored by his superiors at Fort Ticonderoga, when he warned the general to secure a difficult to secure high point overlooking the fort. Because that point was not secured, the British handily beat the Americans. Kociuszko helped the Americans escape, building rafts and erecting obstacles along the way to slow the British.
In 1777, Kociuszko advised the Americans to secure the surrounding hills, which they did this time upon General George Washington’s insistence. The British lost that battle and it was believed to be instrumental in enabling America to secure French support, as the French now believed an American victory was possible.
Kociuszko outlined similar fortifications for West Point, to which Benedict Donald was given command in July 1780. In September of 1780 Benedict Donald, subsequently tried to sell Kociuszko’s defense plans to the British, but the British agent was captured and the plan exposed. The British agent was hanged and Benedict Donald escaped and became a British officer. It is said that he slaughtered a surrendered group of colonists before the war ended. King George is said to have liked him [Benedict Donald]. Today, there still stands a statue at West Point of Tadeusz Kociuszko.
Kociuszko also Fought for Serfs, Jews, Burghers & African Americans
Jefferson reportedly wrote that Kociuszko was one of the purest idealists he’d ever met. In fact Kociuszko not only fought for the American colonists, but also for the serfs, Jews and burghers of Poland. And he was color blind in America, having befriended and worked with a number of African Americans [as well as what he did in his last Will & Testment].
So it was nice to see that there were groups in the Pulaski Memorial Day Parade also carrying the torch for General Kociuszko, another Polish general who also fought for equality, liberty & justice for all – in the Pulaski Day Parade in NYC.
Both of these generals are still missed and they remind us of how new the existence of real democracy is, how hard democracy is to win, and as history has shown us – how easy independence is to lose – if one is not vigilant to the aggressive, deceptive efforts of those who already have so much, to take even more from the rest of us.
Dziękuję bardzo za przeczytanie tego. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
VILLAGE
Ze Zum Schneider Festival in Manhattan
A German Immigrant Brings his Homeland Culture to Manhattan
A couple of years ago I attended the Zum Schneider Festival along the East River at 23rd Street. What I witnessed was a mirthful display of old fashioned fun. The whole event is led by a restaurateur with a giant sized personality, who sings, eats and talks his way through the ten day Oktoberfest celebration.
I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and began by inquiring for the press liaison, with whom I had made prior arrangements. It wasn’t long before she appeared and began introducing me to the cast of characters who would play roles in the activities planned for the afternoon.
The most memorable of the character introductions was the man for whom the festival was named, Sylvester Schneider, restaurateur of Zum Schneider. Zum, in the German language, means Go To, so the Zum Schneider restaurant includes some subliminal advertising – telling all those who come across it, to ‘go to the Schneider restaurant’. Funny. Cute. Befitting the character I would get to know a little better as the afternoon unfolded.
The first tent on the East River opened in 2014, while the Zum Schneider restaurant, I was told had opened in 2002. Sylvester told me he had come to America from Bavaria where ...
The San Gennaro Festival began last Thursday along Mulberry Street in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan. The festivities run for eleven days and included a parade which was held last Saturday, a number of eating contests - one of which is this afternoon - as well as live entertainment, food galore and shopping.
The San Gennaro Festival began 93 years ago, in 1926, when the community was comprised primarily of Italians from the Naples area. San Gennaro is the anglicized name of the patron saint of Naples, St. Januarius.
The locus of the San Gennaro Festival is along Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston, with the main stage at Grand and Mott Streets. The Roman Catholic parish church of Our Most Precious Blood Church represents the 'soul' of the festival, as it was completed in 1904 and still stands today. There was a lot behind the church, the Rectory at 109 Mulberry Street, where they had hosted parts of the San Gennaro Festival in prior years, but it was put on the market in 2018 for $14 million. The photo below right shows the Most Precious Blood Rectory on Mulberry Street in 2014.
Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy NYC
Every year the Feast of San Gennaro begins with the blessing of the stands on the first day of the festival. The event includes some live entertainment. On the first Friday of the event there is a cannoli eating contest. On Saturday there's a parade beginning at 2 pm that marches north on Mulberry Street from just north of Canal Street. Sunday there's more live entertainment in the evening. All of this took place last weekend.
This Monday there was an Enrico Caruso Opera night, which is followed on Wednesday afternoon [today beginning at 1 pm] of a Zeppole eating contest. On Thursday there's a church service at the shrine of the patron saint of Napoli at 113 Baxter Street beginning at 6 pm. On Saturday there's a meatball eating contest beginning at 1 pm. And on Sunday the festival winds down with live entertainment at 2 pm and again beginning at 6 pm. This represents a few of the highlights, and you can find a full schedule of events at the Feast of San Gennaro website at www.sangennaronyc.org.
Italian Neighborhoods & Feasts in the Outer Boroughs
During the Feast of San Gennaro, Italians from around the city and in the tri-state area, return to the neighborhood from which their families came. Most of the Italians have left the neighborhood for greener pastures in the outer boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
The Bronx has its own Little Italy, which some believe is more authentic than the one in Manhattan, as over a hundred Italians still attend the church in the Bronx neighborhood, where some of the services are still given in Italian. There's an upcoming Pizza Festival to be held there on October 5th & 6th near Arthur Avenue and Crescent Street in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx - see the Bronx Buzz.
Staten Island has also become the home of many New York Italians, where they organize and host a number of Italian cultural events there including the Italian Festival of the Mount which is held at Mount Lorenzo at 6451 Hylan Blvd from Friday through Sunday, October 11th to 13th - see the Staten Buzz.
Return of the Italian American Museum Expected Spring 2021
I visited the Italian American Museum at 155 Mulberry Street in Little Italy in 2014. The Italian American Museum was first opened at the site on Columbus Day 1999. The Italian American Museum was founded by a history professor from Queens College, Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa. Dr. Scelsa is shown in the old Italian American Museum in the photo at right.
The Italian American Museum broke ground in November 2018 for a new building, where a new building will be erected on the site of the 1800 square foot museum. The expected completion date is Spring 2021, which will provide additional space for the museum, which will be rent free, as the land upon which the new building is being erected, was owned by the museum. Previously the Italian American Museum had used the rent revenue from the other space in the building, to fund the museum operations.
We'll have more on the museum and the history of Little Italy in Manhattan at a later date.
1399
The Tribeca Film Festival on its Closing Night
Tribeca Film Festival ended with a Documentary - 4th Estate
About two weeks ago [April 28th] I attended the closing night at the Tribeca Film Festival at the BMCC Performing Arts Center at 199 Chambers Street. The final film being shown was entitled Fourth Estate. It was billed as a documentary about the New York Times coverage of the first year of the Trump Administration beginning in January of 2017. It's a four part series, of which we watched the first installment. The show will air on Showtime beginning at 8 pm on Sunday evening, May 27th.
Clouds had formed overhead as I made my way from the subway to the western part of downtown Manhattan. By the time I entered the Borough of Manhattan Community College Performing Arts Center [aka BMCC PAC] a light rainfall had already begun. I picked up my ticket and was escorted to a seat shortly before two of the three Tribeca Film Festival founders - Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro - joined filmmaker Liz Garbus on the stage to introduce the film.
The gist of the introduction was that real journalism and truth-telling free speech are under attack. Not just by the Trump Administration, but by changing technologies and economics as well. The first segment of the film followed the reporters inside the New York Times in NYC and in Washington, D.C. during roughly the first three months of the Trump presidency.
On Saturday I attended the first Native Cinema Showcase at the National Museum of the American Indian in Downtown Manhattan. On many different levels it was a very satisfying experience. First the National Museum of the American Indian is located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House which is a magnificently built building. It has solid stone floors and rails, an incredible skylight in one of the main rooms, and architectural detail that few beyond the most well endowed nations can afford.
The Native American Indian Museum occupied three floors of the building. The first floor contains a beautiful and well stocked gift shop, as well as a performance space. The performance space is circular in shape, with a high ceiling, and smooth (dance) floor. There was a video playing on the large main screen of what seemed like a temple, showing Indians in native dress dancing and singing. And along the walls there are pictures of Indians in tribal dress, possibly representing a number of the different American Indian nations.
On the second floor there is this beautiful oval shaped room with a wonderful skylight. The room is made of beautiful stone, much of which I believe was marble, and it was a joy just to feel the solid level stone beneath my feet and to run my hands along the smooth stone rail.
Beyond that room, which contained information stands, is the museum itself. Off to either side are smaller galleries where the exhibits change, while the main gallery runs the length of the building and those exhibits mostly stay as they are. In one of the smaller galleries there was an exhibit on the Taino tribe. And in the other gallery, a new exhibit, of paintings, is due to open next weekend, April 6th. I spent a couple of hours meandering through the galleries, taking photos [no flash] as I went.
And the last floor in the building occupied by the National Museum of the American Indian is in the basement where they have a movie theater / auditorium / stage [they rent it out too]. In the movie theater this weekend they were showing several film series on Saturday and Sunday as part of the first annual Native Cinema Showcase. It was for this event that I had come, although I welcomed the opportunity to become better acquainted with both the U.S. Customs House and the National Museum of the American Indian.
I watched several films. More to come later today. Horses. Land. Spirits. Masks. Piecing together the culture.
UWS
Rain Doesn't Deter Cathedral Fair
Cathedral School at St John the Divine on the UWS Slogs On
I had the pleasure of attending the Cathedral School Spring Fair in the court yard of St. John the Divine Cathedral last Saturday. The court yard is an old, beautiful green space area nestled in amongst the buildings of the St. John the Divine Cathedral complex.
The photo at right shows the Cathedral School Spring fair just after a downpouring rain.
The fair began around mid morning and I arrived a bit after noon. It was raining fairly steadily, but that didn't deter me - nor many of the Cathedral School supporters - from enjoying the afternoon. There was a grill stationed along a walkway inside the campus gates. And inside the nearby Synod House there were games, live music and a pretty good one time a year flea market selling donated goods of the Cathedral School supporters and community.
The Synod House was completed in 1913, around the time of the beginning of WWI, and was the meeting place for the 1913 General Convention of the Episcopal Church. The building has retained the name Synod House ever since, as a synod is the name for a council of church officials. The Synod House can seat 1,000 people, has timber beams, stained glass windows and is reportedly home to a Skinner organ. Ernest Martin Skinner was a leading pipe organ builder who used electro-pneumatic switching systems to advance organ capabilities. Skinner used an electrical switching system to manage the air pressure in the pipes and control the amount of air passing through the pipes. Skinner was considered one of the most successful pipe organ builders of his day.
The photo at right shows the Synod House, which I went into at the end of the fair.
I met up with one of the school supporters, a steadfast volunteer who had completed his shift, and we sat down to a hearty burger and one of the microbrew beers being poured by other community members / volunteers. Conditions weren't ideal, but sometimes that's what makes a get together memorable.
The Cathedral School was founded as an Episcopal school in 1901, over a decade before the Synod House was erected. The school is also situated on the 13 acre campus of the St. John the Divine Cathedral and there are nearly 300 boys and girls, grades K through 8, who matriculate there. And the school has a 6:1 teacher / student ratio. The Cathedral School is currently in the process of building an addition to the school, which may expand their enrollment capacity. It is a private school that is generally highly regarded and has a tuition price tag to match [about $48,000 for the upcoming 2018 - 2018 school year / tuition assistance programs are available].
Cathedral School is a small school with a big campus and is generally attended by the kids of Upper West and Upper East Siders. In addition to a fairly rigorous academic program, the school also has after school sports programs [not American football], band, art, film, theater, choir, sculpture, computer arts, and numerous language classes including Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese and Latin.
And based on what I witnessed Saturday, they also have a very supportive community of congenial parents.
HARLEM
1392
African American Day Parade in Harlem
A Brief History of the African American Day Parade as it Celebrates 49th Anniversary
I made my way up to Harlem to watch the African American Parade. The African American Day Parade returned on Sunday beginning at 1 pm along Adam Clayton Powell Blvd and 111th, and then marching north to 138th Street. It’s the largest African American parade in the nation and has its origins in the 1968 civil rights riots.
On April 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel. James Earl Ray was charged with the crime and then admitted it, before recanting it multiple times later. James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison and died at age 70 in 1998.
During the 1960's African Americans Clashed with the White Establishment Demanding the State Recognize their Constitutional Rights
There were 110 riots that broke out across the nation in anger at the shooting. U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy was in Indianapolis that evening and spoke before a large, predominantly African American crowd, informing them of the shooting, empathizing with their loss, recognizing their anger and asking them to respond with love. There weren’t any riots in Indianapolis.
New York City Mayor John Lindsay also responded by traveling to Harlem, the largest African American neighborhood in Manhattan, which had begun to experience some unrest and rioting. He too, expressed condolences for the loss of the slain civil rights leader, which had a calming effect on the city.
But other American cities didn’t fare as well, including Chicago, which was highly segregated, and Washington, D.C. where then president Johnson was unpopular because of the draft and the ongoing Vietnam War. The draft appeared to unfairly conscript people of lesser means and Dr. King had begun to include this in his speeches.
Out of the Civil Unrest of the 1960's, Emerged a New Narrative for African Americans including the African American Day Parade
Nonetheless, some times good things arise out of bad circumstances, and the African American Day Parade was one such result. African Americans realized that they had to start taking control of their own cultural and historical narratives, as the American media was not providing the American people with a fair or balanced account of African American culture, history, nor the issues facing the African American community.
One thing you could never accuse New York Puerto Ricans of, is a lack of pride in their cultural roots. On Saturday there was a huge street fair in Spanish Harlem, lasting most of the day, along a nearly 20 block stretch of Third Avenue between 103rd and 122nd streets in east Harlem.
East Harlem used to be the destination for Puerto Ricans coming to New York. And while there's still a large Puerto Rican community there, I think there may be an even larger community in the central Bronx whose Borough President is Ruben Diaz, whose father, NYC City Councilmember Ruben Diaz, Sr. came from Bayamon, Puerto Rico. So while some of the population may have moved, Puerto Ricans came from around the city and far beyond, to congregate on Saturday and Sunday, and the bask in the atmosphere of their cultural roots.
Puerto Rican Parade on the Upper East Side Manhattan
There was food, shopping, music, entertainment and dancing at the street fair on Saturday, and minus the food and shopping, the music, dancing and entertainment were also on display at the huge Puerto Rican parade in Manhattan on Sunday. Numerous floats as well as marching groups of dancers and musicians and social groups joined together to make the parade one long display of Puerto Rica's eclectic mix of African, Latin and American cultures.
American Puerto Ricans call themselves Boricuas and everything else is just Bochinche [gossip]. We'll delve more deeply into the Puerto Rican community in Manhattan and the Bronx as time passes.
GOVT
NYC News Updates & Catch Up
NYC Public Schools Open Monday, CoVid Guidelines Tightening in order to Avoid Illness and Closures & to Keep the Economy Running, Broadway Reopens, U.S. Open Ends with a Youthful Women's Contest & Medvedev Foils What Could Have Been Historical Men's Final by Djokovic, 911 Subway Series - Yanks 8 / Mets 7, Yom Kippur, and 911 Media Blindspot on how the Wars on Terrorism Mutated to a War on Democracy & Truth
Weather. Generally good with highs near 80 Saturday and near 90 on Sunday, with the lows around 70 both days and no rain. Humidity will be around 60% and the winds will be 5 - 10 mph.
The image at right shows Murdoch's Fox faking the news about CoVid. Notice how they try to pin labels on CNN [masquerade], the Democrats [politicize / scam], other media [hysteria] and scaremonger about 'other' lockdowns. In the case of the labelers, they are oftentimes accusing someone else of doing exactly what they are doing. In psychology this is called projection, where they project their traits onto others in order to distract whomever they are communicating with, from noticing those traits in them.
NYC Public Schools Open Monday with CoVid Guidelines in Place
Mayor de Blasio announced that not only teachers, but also school staff in the NYC Public School system, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27th.
While there isn't a mandate for children over 12 to be vaccinated [yet?], all NYC public school children are required to wear masks, social distance at three or more feet, and may be subject to health screenings [testing]. The Catholic schools in NYC are not requiring vaccines for teachers or students, but are requiring the wearing of masks.
Additionally the NYC Indoor Vaccine Mandate, announced on August 17th, will begin enforcement on Monday, September 13th. The mandate requires both employees and customers to get vaccinated in order to work at or patronize dining, fitness and entertainment venues when indoors. The mandate will not be enforced by the NYPD, but rather by a slew of other city agencies / departments that already oversee the operations of these businesses.
Vaccination Rates & Mandates for NYC Employees. According to a July 26, 2021 report by Intelligencer, Mayor de Blasio mandated that all municipal employees get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. At the time the NYPD reportedly had a vaccination rate of 43%, and the NYFD had a vaccination rate of 51% and Corrections had a vaccination rate of 41%. By September 10, 2021 the NYPD vaccination rate had increased to 53%, and the overall municipal employee vaccination rate was 65%, which was in line with the average for New Yorkers generally, where 67% have been vaccinated according to a September 10, 2021 AMNY report.
911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues
TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better
Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.
"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "
This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets
Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?
About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.
TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer
In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?
Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.
I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted
Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.
Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.
Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.
A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021
Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow
The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.
Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries
One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.
How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists
Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection
Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.
Fox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.
This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.
I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!
When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].
Kentucky Insanity: Voting Repeatedly for Mitch McConnell & Expecting Things to Change
Kentucky Has the 6th Highest Poverty Rate, Ranks 46th in Healthcare, 44th in Education & 45th in Income While
McConnell’s Leadership Enriches Him & his Taiwanese Born Wife, so that Mitch is Now in the Top Ten Wealthiest Senators Club
October 26, 2020 Updated from 10/13 & 10/21/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Monday night Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off against challenger former Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath. She, along with another woman, were the first females assigned to the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron.
Televised debates these days, seem to shed little light on the candidates or issues. This may be in part due to the format of them, as well as the failure of the debate moderators to hold the candidates' feet to the fire by pressing them on tough questions, and the current climate of conversational corruption where politicians pretty much say whatever the hell they want to say ... regardless of the truth.
So I did some of my own digging to learn more about Mitch McConnell. What I found surprised me, given how deep the rabbit hole goes and yet how little attention has been given to one of the most powerful men in Washington. So it may surprise you too.
DEFINITION OF INSANITY - Repeatedly Doing the Same Thing Expecting a Different Result
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
The image at right was found in a web magazine, Forward Kentucky earlier this year. Donald Trump fired FIVE inspectors and among them was one investigating McConnell's wife.
What are they afraid of ... the truth?
And that is exactly what Kentuckians appear to have been doing for decades, having reportedly voted for Mitch in various elections approximately THIRTY TIMES in a row.
Let’s take a look.
RICH MITCH - McConnell is the Longest [Self?] Serving Republican Leader in Senate History
In June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest ‘serving’ Senate Republican Leader in the history of the Senate.
McConnell has been a Kentucky Senator for nearly 36 years, having first taken office in January 1985.
He’s been the Republican Senate Majority Leader for nearly six years - since January 2015, and the Republican Senate Minority Leader since January 2007 – another eight years and Republican Senate Majority Whip from 2003 - 2007.
And he’s been ‘serving’ Kentucky as a senator since 1985.
POOR KENTUCKY - Kentucky Ranks Near the Bottom in Education, Healthcare and Income
And yet Kentucky has little to show for Mitch's length of service – even though Mitch McConnell keeps telling them how good is for them, as he’s been a member of the elite Republican Leadership for decades.
But McConnell he likes to tell Kentuckians - he's the only top federal political leader who is not from one of the big urban centers on the coasts, even though he’s been living in Washington, D.C. for one helluva lot longer than he ever lived in Kentucky. And he’s married to a Taiwanese born millionairess who has never lived in Kentucky, per se, during the nearly three decades of their blissful married life.
So what difference does it make where Mitch McConnell claims he is from, if he’s not representing the people of Kentucky? But rather … representing the big corporate and foreign interests that appear to fund his campaigns and enrich – not the state of Kentucky – but their chosen one, their ‘representative’ Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell.
NOT A NATIVE KENTUCKIAN - Why Alabama Born McConnell May not Care About Kentucky
I suspect part of the reason that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care that much about Kentucky, is because he wasn’t born there, and he mostly did not grow up there. McConnell was born in ALABAMA in 1942, and then – by way of GEORGIA – arrived in KENTUCKY in 1956 at age 14. I think it's worth mentioning that McConnell's great, great grandparents – on both sides - were Alabama slave owners, which we’ll get to shortly.
In 1968 McConnell left Kentucky for the big city, Washington, D.C., for a couple of years. He returned to Kentucky to run for office in 1971, but failed to meet the Kentucky residency requirement. In 1974 McConnell left Kentucky again for Washington, D.C. to work in the Ford Administration. Gerald Ford lost the election in 1976, so McConnell returned to Kentucky to run for office again. This time Kentuckians cut him a break and elected him the Jefferson County Executive, an office he held until he was elected in 1984 to ‘represent’ them as a senator, at which time he departed Kentucky for Washington, D.C. where he's been ever since.
So all tolled, McConnell only spent about 24 years in Kentucky [1984-1956=28-2-2=24], which is not even a third of his 78 years of life. And McConnell has spent 36 years ‘representing’ Kentuckians in the big city of Washington, D.C. – where he has lived half again as much time, as he has lived in Kentucky. So while Mitch doesn’t appear to represent Kentuckians – one has to ask how could he - given he has spent so little time there and it was what seems a lifetime ago?
McConnell Received Educational Deferment from Military, Followed by Medical Exemption for Optic Neuritis – Not Polio
According to Wikipedia, after McConnell’s educational deferment from the military expired in 1967, McConnell ‘served’ about a month. The same report tells us McConnell was diagnosed with optic neuritis – a temporary inflammation in the eye that can cause temporary blindness. According to a few Google searches, optic neuritis is a common eye problem that self resolves in about four to 12 weeks. There are severe cases of it, but given McConnell is 78 years old and we’ve heard nary a word of it since his getting out of military service, I suspect his case was 'mild’, not unlike Trump's CoVid case. McConnell is also said to have contracted polio, but apparently escaped any significant long term impairment, as we see him walking up and down the halls of the Capitol without a problem.
MONEY BAGS MITCH - McConnell Supported by Chinese, Russian & Australian Immigrants
In 1984 McConnell became a Kentucky Senator. And while most Kentuckians don’t like him and neither do most Americans – Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s soon to be media executive, Roger Ailes, ran McConnell's first campaign. Murdoch seems to have been influential in rolling back media regulations beginning around that time, so it wouldn't be a big leap to assume that McConnell helped Murdoch feather his nest through regulatory rollbacks, while Murdoch helped keep McConnell in place as an enabler in hacking through the regulatory environment which had previously held large media corporations in check. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and in 2019 became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in an inverted takeover.
We'll zoom in on why the rich Chinese and Russian born immigrants started backing Mitch McConnell a little further in the story.
McConnell Sells Out or Trades in his Old Kentucky Home?
McConnell was married to a Kentucky woman, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 [around the time of his military deferment] to 1980 [around the time he was re-elected but a few years before he hit the big time as a senator beginning in 1984]. In the early years in Kentucky McConnell was considered a liberal leaning moderate [his ex-wife and one or more of his daughters still seem to lean more toward the middle, having oppposed the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation].
But McConnell's views seemed to quickly change after he hired Roger Ailes, [who later became Fox News CEO], to run his 1984 Senate campaign. This was followed by McConnell 's social climbing upward mobility when he met and married his new Chinese American wife, who connected his campaign to a multi-million dollar money train. Taiwanese born Elaine Chao's mega millionaire father is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party Leadership, owns a Chinese American Shipping Company, and he and her family have donated millions to McConnell, as well as his and Republican PACs.
The Decade McConnell Went From Kentucky Mitch to Shanghai Mitch
Following the 1984 election Rolling Stone story reports McConnell,
“As I always say,” McConnell wrote in his book, “the three most important words in politics are ‘cash on hand.’ ”
I arrived at the NYU Skirball Center, located along the southern perimeter of Washington Square Park, over a half hour after Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s State of the Borough began. As I entered, a few folks exiting, told me that the urban policy discussion had just begun.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s SOTB Address 2019
Unfortunately I had missed the first part of the schedule, which included the normal formalities, which included: 1) a short speech by the hosting organization - Lynne Brown, the Senior VP of NYU; 2) a performance by Annette A. Aguilar Bean Bloco, 3) an introduction by David Chu of Community Board 1 and 4) Gale’s introductory remarks.
After the panel discussion I spoke to several people inquiring what key topics were featured in Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s remarks. Essentially I cam away with three.
1. The most important was probably what the Manhattan Borough President’s Office was doing with Data. They were collecting and organizing data about the borough and putting it online in order to make it accessible and transparent. There were slides running in the background at the reception showing some of the data – one of which I’ve shown in this report.
2. She also talked about Public Transit – specifically the L train which will not be totally closed down this year – but rather only on the weekends in order to repair the tunnels damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
3. Gale also talked about efforts to get Technology into Public Schools. This included things like smart boards and computers and wifi? I understand that this is a ten year plan.
Manhattan Boro President SOTB Panelist #1 – Maya Wiley
As I sat down, Panelist Maya Wiley, Professor of Urban Policy and Management of the New School, was in the middle of delivering her remarks about key challenges and issues facing New York City. She focused on the disruptive and opportunistic challenges brought about by technology. Perhaps the focal point of Maya’s remarks was that the contracts of the cable companies serving New York City are due for renewal / renegotiation in 2020. She wanted to flag this, as groups interested in internet, video and telephone access and associated fees need to mobilize and become a part of the process NOW – or it will be too late.
More on this came out later in the discussion, which you can find below.
The video below is an interpretive depiction of a protest event in McCarren Park early last week. The piece is meant to be savored - like food, music and cinematography.
Manhattan Free Things To Do: Free Summer Movies In NYC & Parks
Free Things To Do In Manhattan - Free Films & Summer Movies On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of films and free summer movies in the parks. The foreign films and free movies listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the movies dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more movies between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
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NYC Free Summer Concerts Manhattan 2022
NYC Free Things To Do - Free Summer Concerts On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca in Manhattan
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the concert dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more concerts between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of films and free summer concerts in the parks. The free concerts listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
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Free Summer Outdoor Theater in Manhattan 2022
NYC Free Things To Do In Summer in Manhattan - Free Summer Theater On the Upper East Side UES, Upper West Side UWS, Midtown, West & East Village, SoHo & Tribeca & Shakespeare in Central Park in NYC
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of free summer theater in the parks. The free theatre events listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the performance dates / years. We will be updating / adding this summer theater report between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.
Two Manhattan Theater Festivals Closed 2017 - 2019
Please note that it appears that the Fringe Festival - a festival of avante garde original theater for about 20 years - will not return this year 2021. The festival seemed to be losing steam in 2019, and then went on hiatus with the rest of the world in 2020 and 2021. Based on their web presences - the NYC International Fringe Festival appears to have ended. We could not reach Ms. Holy, the executive of the show for confirmation, but it is probably accurate.
Also, for 18 years the Midtown International Theater Festival offerred a series of short, generally modern original works once or twice a year in the Manhattan Theatre District, but in 2017 the Founder, John Chatterton, decided to retire the program. Neither of these were free, but they didn't cost much, and both will be missed this summer.
Current Manhattan Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Manhattan things to do or click here to view our member submitted Manhattan events calendar.
Manhattan Free Public Outdoor Swimming Pools - Manhattan NYC
This Manhattan NYC Public Swimming Pool Directory Includes Contact Info
Manhattan offers easy access to a wide range of recreational swimming pools. The following is our first attempt to provide you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of Manhattan. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.
Manhattan outdoor public pools will open beginning Tuesday June 28th, 2022. A few of the indoor pools will be closed this summer to allow for construction and improvements.
Generally pool hours are from 11 am - 7 pm daily, with a one hour break between 3 and 4 pm for cleaning. Bring a padlock for your locker and proper swimming trunks are required [for boys this means not shorts as trunks must have liners]. Don't bring food, glass bottles, newspapers, electronics, floaters and no or as few valuables as you can bring to minimize your risk because the park isn't responsible for your losses. Free sunscreen will be made available while supplies last.
As of this posting 5.25.22, masks are NOT required for indoor activity including in the locker rooms, but stay tuned as it's possible that could change.
I came upon a pedestrian walk way while exploring the Highbridge neigbhorhood in the Bronx. I soon found it was called the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail and that a stone aqueduct, completed in 1842, lie beneath the smooth level walk way I was making my way along.
When I returned home, I found a whole history of the Old Croton Aqueduct and the positive impact it had on New York nearly two centuries ago, and it was designed and built so well, that it continues to play a role in many New Yorkers' daily lives.
The photo at right shows the pedestrian trail that runs atop the Old Croton Aqueduct in the Bronx.
I'll have more later today about the history and the impact of the Old Croton Aqueduct. Along with the history, you'll learn quite a bit about the history of popular locations today in both the Bronx and Manhattan.
The New York Road Runners / NYRR is hosting its 49th NYC Marathon on Sunday. The NYRR was founded in 1958 and has been organizing the NYC Marathon since 1970. The proceeds from the race go toward the programs of the runner non-profit. They report that the NYRR serves 670,000 people, of which 250,000 are youth, annually.
There are plenty of festivities this week surrounding the affair. Some are held at the NYRR Run Center [NYRR headquarters] at 320 West 57th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, while others are held at the NYC Marathon Pavilion in Central Park at 67th Street and Central Park West, near the Tavern on the Green.
The other pre-race activities [see location addresses above] include a discussion on Tuesday about the NYC Marathon Book Club from 6 - 8 pm at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Wednesday there's a forum of Celebrity Charity Runners who talk about why they are running at the NYC Marathon Pavilion from 7 - 8 pm. On Thursday evening between 6 and 7 pm the NYRR presents the awards for the NYRR Hall of Fame inductees at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Friday at the NYRR Run Center there's an NYRR Running History Tour which runs from 10 - 11.30 am.
The pre-race festivities culminate the Saturday evening before the race, when there's an early dinner [3.30 - 8.30 pm] for the runners at the NYC Marathon Pavilion that is prepared by the chefs from Tavern on the Green. They call it the Marathon Eve Dinner. It has a sort of holiday ring to it.
NYC Marathon Times, Route & Statistics to Beat
Statistics 2018. According to the NYRR.org website, in 2018 there were 52,813 runners, from 129 countries, their average run time was 4.40 [hours.minutes] and they raised $40 million for charity. This year there are a number of primarily TV game show celebrities running to raise money for charity.
According to Wikipedia, in 2018 records for participation were broken, yet again, with 30,669 men and 22,143 women participating. The fastest runs times were approximately 2.05 [hours.minutes] for men and 2.20 [hours.minutes] for women.
NYC Marathon Organized at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island
As you can imagine, organizing the 52,000 plus runners in the NYC Marathon, is an annual logistics feat. The NYRR has organized the race into four Waves. Each Wave begins at a different time. Within each Wave there are three Start Times which are color coded green, orange and blue. In addition to three different start times for each wave, there are six different Corrals, A through F, where runners gather to be released into the race during their wave and start time.
NYC Marathon Start Times 2019
The NYC Marathon begins at 8.30 am at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. From there over 52,000 runners departed last year, and the race continues to grow in popularity. The first group to begin the race are in the wheelchair division, followed by the handcyclists. These two groups depart between 8.30 am and 8.52 am.
The next group departs at 9.10 am and it comprises the professional women competing for the title. They are followed a half hour later, at 9.40 am, by the professional men. It is at this time [9.40 am] that the first wave kicks in, with its three start times. The second wave begins at 10.10 am, the third wave begins at 10.35 am and the fourth and final wave begins at 11 am.
NYC Marathon Best Guess Viewing Times
The 16 mile mark of the 29 mile NYC Marathon is at the Queensboro Bridge. That's a bit more than halfway. If you divide the average run time of 4 hours and 40 minutes, to get 2 hours and 20 minutes, you can figure out - depending on which wave / start time your loved ones are in, roughly when they'll be at the halfway mark. And then you can add to that time if you're viewing in Manhattan, or subtract from that time if your viewing in Brooklyn, or be there at the start time if you're on Staten Island. For the Bronx adding three hours to their start time should give a good proximation of when they'll be coming through Mott Haven.
NYC Marathon Route 2019
The NYC Marathon had originally circumvented Central Park, but it quickly outgrew that locale.
Staten Island NYC Marathon Route. The route used today has been in place for a long time, possibly decades. It starts at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, crossing the Verrazzano Bridge.
Brooklyn NYC Marathon Route. The NYC Marathon travels along 4th Avenue through most of southern Brooklyn, then taking a short turn eastward on Lafayette in Downtown Brooklyn, before resuming the northern trek along Bedford Avenue through Williamsburg into Greenpoint, where the course jumps onto Manhattan Avenue at McCarren Park.
Queens NYC Marathon Route. The next step is across the Pulaski Bridge into Long Island City Queens, where the NYC Marathon zigs west to Vernon Blvd, marches north along Vernon Blvd, and then 44th Drive and 21st Street before crossing the Queensboro Bridge.
Manhattan NYC Marathon Route. In Manhattan the NYC Marathon travels north along First Avenue.
Bronx NYC Marathon Route. The NYC Marathon route traverses the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Port Morris and then Mott Haven neighborhoods of southern Bronx. The NYC Marathon then heads west along 135th Street to 138th Street in Mott Haven and turns south heading back through Port Morris, over the Madison Avenue Bridge to Manhattan.
Manhattan NYC Marathon Route. In Manhattan the NYC Marathon travels south along 5th Avenue and into Central Park at 125th Street coming down inside the park to end at the NYC Marathon Pavilion.
Whew. I'm plum tired out just cataloguing the route, let alone running it : )
You can find a map of the marathon route on the NY Road Runners website at www.nyrr.org. Enjoy.
5 Boro Bike Ride Returns Sunday
Bike New York Organizes NYC Bike Ride & Bike Expo New York
This story includes information about the upcoming 5 Boro Bike Ride on Sunday, as well as the Bike ExpoNew York which precedes it on Friday & Saturday in Red Hook. As of this report, the temperatures are expected to be in the 60's and the chances of rain appear slim. But bear in mind that the forecast probability of 20% chance of rain last Friday, turned into rain on Saturday evening, so check the weather as we get closer in.
Bike New York 5 Boro Bike Ride Route
Since 1977, every first Sunday of May, Bike New York has organized and promoted the 5 Boro Bike Ride. The ride begins in lower Manhattan, sweeps northward across the Harlem River Bridge to the Bronx, circles back across the Third Avenue Bridge to Manhattan, where it begins its southward trek crossing the Queensboro Bridge into Queens, heading south to Brooklyn after a quick stop north to Astoria Park, and then comes down past the Brooklyn Navy Yards, continuing southward along the west side of Brooklyn, to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where it crosses over to the Fort Wadsworth neighborhood in Staten Island before terminating in the St. George neighborhood at the Staten Island Ferry.
Proceeds from Non-Profit New York Bike Ride go Toward Sustainable Transportation Efforts
The now famous bike ride was capped at 32,000 riders I believe sometime in the 1990’s, where it still stands today. One report noted that the 5 Boro Bike ride is one of – if not the largest - non-profit bike rides in the nation. The proceeds go to Bike New York programs which are designed to teach people about sustainable transportation, most notably bicycle riding and bike maintenance and safety. Another report noted that the NYPD had considered [don’t know the outcome] charging the organization $1 million for erecting, maintaining and terminating road closures during the New York 40 mile family-friendly bike ride.
Bike New York Bicyclist Outreach in all Five NYC Boroughs
Bike New York has offices in all five NYC boroughs. In 2015 their cyclist safety and bike maintenance programs reached 15,000 New Yorkers. And they are the organizers of the Bike ExpoNew York being held at Pier 12 in Brooklyn on Friday and Saturday [see details in rest of this story].
Earlier this month I attended the Photography Show organized by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers [AIPAD] at Pier 94 on the West Side of Manhattan. It was their 39th Photography Show, including nearly 100 dealers from around the globe, and they describe the show as,
"... The Photography Show is the longest-running and foremost exhibition dedicated to the photographic medium, offering a wide range of museum-quality work, including contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs as well as photo-based art, video, and new media."
I arrived late on the Sunday afternoon of the last day of the show, during which I had expected things to have quieted down. Nonetheless, there was still a large crowd at the entrance, and while the galleries were generally filled, it was comfortably so. With time and my battery running low, I made my way through the galleries, enjoying the visual feast.
The show offers an opportunity to see so much of the world - past and present, north south east and west, real and imagined - in photos. It is also a great place for people watching, engaging in interesting conversation and buying great visual art.
One of the great finds I stumbled upon, were photos shown by exhibitor Alex Novak, who had copies of photos done by the great 19th century French photographer Nadar. In the mid 1990's I saw an exhibit that featured Nadar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that included several very graphic photos of the genitalia of a hermaphrodite. I found that to be a stunning exhibit - not just because of how those photos had the power to change the way people view sexuality - but because Nadar shot the photos in 1860, now well over a century and a half ago.
I found many other fascinating photos, some of which I'll share in a slide show. I usually document the origins of the works I capture, but unfortunately on this day I was tired, having covered two other shows, and low on battery power and time, so I debated whether to show you the works or not - but decided in favor of showing you because many of these exhibitors will be back next year - so if you like something, you may be able to find it then or through the Association of International Photograph Art Dealers [AIPAD] which you can find at www.aipadshow.com.
Last weekend was something of an arts galore weekend. The Society of Illustrators held their annual Mocca Festival which celebrates the independent comic and cartoon artists at Metropolitan West which is located across from the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson River at West 46th Street. The Association of International Photographic Art Dealers held their annual show, which included about 150 exhibitors from around the nation and around the world, at Pier 94 at West 54th Street and the Hudson River. And then there was the Art Expo which hosted 250 artists from around the world at Pier 90, also along the Hudson River at West 50th Street, in between the MOCCA exhibits and the AIPAD show.
I spent the entire afternoon, walking the corridors of artistic expression, absorbing - mostly subconsciously - the art and images of the artists of our time. It was a beautiful April day, and in between the shows, I found folks strolling and biking the paths along the Hudson. I imagine many of those strollers, like me, were on their way to or from one of these shows.
I'll delve a bit deeper into these art venues at a later date. But depending on your interests, I expect you would find something that would tease the mind or tease the senses, at one of these events. Unfortunately, we have to wait another year before their return. The photo above was taken at the AIPAD Show last weekend.
Who is that Fearless Girl?
The Statue of the Fearless Girl was Moved out of Harms Way - from Staring Down the Charging Wall St Bull - to the NYSE
Over the holidays I ventured down to the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street [and Broad St] to see the big Christmas tree in front of the Exchange. It was the Sunday before Christmas and there was a fair number of tourists out and about, doing the same.
In addition to viewing the world renowned New York Stock Exchange and the large Christmas tree adorning it, I came across the bronze statue of the Fearless Girl. I'd seen the Fearless Girl earlier in the year, standing in front to the Charging Bull [sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull] in the Bowling Green Triangle, where Whitehall Street splits from Broadway.
Who is the Fearless Girl on Wall Street?
While observing the Fearless Girl in her old spot, she seemed somewhat ignored by the people having their photos taken around the Charging Bull which seemed to overshadow her. But this was only partially true, as the Fearless Girl went viral and generated quite a bit of conversation.
In her new spot, which the Fearless Girl moved to this past November [2018], she's out from under the shadow of the old Charging Wall Street Bull and has come into her own ... although many of us visiting that day [everyone I asked] didn't really understand the significance of her statuesque presence. So one day after I returned home, I did a little research to see what the little girl statue was all about.
The Story Began on Wall Street in 1989 when an Italian Artist Unloaded a Three Ton Bull & Rode Away
According to Wikipedia Arturo di Modica is an Italian artist / sculptor who moved here in 1973 and eventually became an American citizen. In 1989 he installed the Charging Bull in front of the New York Stock Exchange without permission. It reportedly cost him $350,000 to create, and weighs three tons. But it seems the artist's promotional effort worked, as it has become the work by which Arturo di Modica is most well known. He reportedly says the bull is a symbol of strength and determination, but to many it is seen as a symbol of the power hungry greed of Wall Street
.
The Fearless Girl Arrived in March 2017, Riding the Wave of the Women's Movement
The Fearless Girl was the promotional brainchild of McCann New York, an advertising agency. Their client State Street Global Advisors had launched a gender diversity fund in March 2016, comprised of companies that had a high percentage of women in senior management positions and / or women on their boards. The fund goes by the symbol SHE.
According to Wikipedia, on March 7, 2017 the Fearless Girl was installed in front of the Charging Bull. Originally the appearance of the Fearless Girl was reportedly going to run for a week, but due to popular demand [she went viral - ad agency?] her stay was extended to a month, then to the end of the year [2017].
Apparently Charging Bull artists, Arturo di Modica, protested that the placement of the Fearless Girl next to his bull, detracted from his sculpture. After di Modica had dropped the Charging Bull, it was eventually licensed / leased by the City of New York.
Eventually the Fearless Girl was moved away from the Charging Bull to her current location in November of 2018, and we see that both sculptures appear happy with the separation agreement / settlement.
The Fearless Girl gets Results?
An online publication from New Zealand [www.stuff.co.nz] reported that as of the first year anniversary of the Fearless Girl placement [March 7, 2018], State Street Global Advisors said that of the 787 all-male boards it lobbied, to add one or more females to their boards, 152 did so, and another 34 were contemplating it.
Artist Kristen Visbal created the Fearless Girl. The Fearless Girl is made of bronze and weighs 250 lbs and stands four feet, two inches tall. In her first year of existence, the Fearless Girl generated over $7 million of advertising / news awareness, according to a March 2018 Bloomberg report.
I looked up the price chart for the State Street Global Advisors SHE fund to see how it was faring. At present it looks like the SHE fund represented by the Fearless Girl is lagging behind the S&P 500 over a comparable time frame - see charts above. About six months ago SHE was tracking much closer to the S&P 500 in performance.
While markets and funds may rise and fall - one of the few things in life that unrelentingly continues is change. So as we all move forward into the unknown abyss of time, it's worth keeping in mind the words of FDR, who said that, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."
Member Events Manhattan Farmers Mkts / Street Fairs
* Click here for a listing of Manhattan Farmers Markets & Manhattan Street Fairs where you can find unique items and fresh foods. Street fairs wind up in March / April and so do most farmers markets, but a few of the farmers markets continue year round.
It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.
The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.
Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down
Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.
In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.
On Saturday I attended an event discussing the upcoming legislation pending in the NYS government in Albany concerning NYS rent regulations. Currently about 2 million of the 8.5 million people who live in NYC will be affected.
The primary topic of the event was MCI or Major Capital Improvements, which is a loophole in rent regulations that allows landlords to initiate projects within their buildings and then pass along the project costs to their tenants, in such manner as to provide the landlord with an incremental revenue increase that lasts into eternity, and which encourages landlords to get creative in originating projects in an effort to raise the rents of their regulated apartments at an accelerating speed in order to grow the monthly rent beyond the legal limit of regulation.
What happens then, is that a significant number of longstanding tenants in regulated housing, are priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. Some of the displaced tenants even become homeless. This is why homelessness nearly doubled under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who looked the other way as NYS rent regulations were being renewed.
The event was held in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, where hundreds - if not a thousand - people came to particpate in the discussion.
I'll have more on this at a later date.
NYC Landlord Harassments Continue
NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights
On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.
***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***
Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.
It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:
"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."
What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.
This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.
Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm
P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.
NY Real Estate Expo
NYC Professionals Discuss Manhattan & NYC Metro Real Estate
I attended the 10th annual NY Real Estate Expo at the New York Hilton last week. The event was well attended by hundreds of real estate, development and financial professionals from the NYC and metro area. Anthony Kazazis, Director of the event, had organized a series of panels to discuss key aspects affecting the real estate market ranging from software platforms, to financing, to NYC real estate market assessments.
Generally the mood was upbeat, but not without some concern about the future, given changes in the tax laws, foreign interest in NYC investment, interest rates forecasts and technological challenges facing the industry. But, I thought, that is why everyone is here. To find out what's going on so they can navigate the market changes - rather than be surprised by them.
While I had intended to stay only a short while, I found the topics and panelists too interesting to leave, so I stayed most of the day. I started with a discussion of a new information technology platform called Blockchain, which is intended to serve as an information clearing house, and it includes some artificial intelligence capability. I then found my way into a discussion about New York City versus Silicon Valley with respect to attracting large technology companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. And I ended my visit after listening in on a discussion by NYC and metro area realtors discuss the residential real estate market in Manhattan and outer boroughs.
Sound like an interesting NYC real estate conference? It was. In the photo above you can see the audience at the well attended panel discussions at the NY Real Estate Expo this year.
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June 2, 2023 / 
Saturday through Sunday, May 13 - June 11, 2023 - Dance Africa Festival at BAM - At 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place - in the Peter Jay Sharp Building and Howard Gilman Opera House in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's a performance festival featuring African culture. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $22 for kids. For details see www.bam.org. This is NOT a street fair, but there is a bazaar day, but it is mostly musical, theatrical and cultural dance performances.
Thursday, May 25 - Sunday, June 11, 2023 there's the SI Mall Carnival at the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Avenue in the Heartland Village / New Springville neighborhoods of Staten Island. The carnival which includes rides, prize games and food is open weekdays from 5 to 10 pm, opening at 1 pm on Saturdays & Sundays and Memorial Day. Tickets are $5 for entry, and $30 weekdays and $38 weekends per person for unlimited rides and $100 / $125 for four persons unlimited rides weekdays / weekends. For details see - https://www.statenislandmall.com
May 26, 2023 / 
Additional Memorial Day Weekend events [see link below for Manhattan Fleet Week events] coming throughout the weekend.
Saturday through Sunday, May 13 - June 11, 2023 - Dance Africa Festival at BAM - At 30 Lafayette Avenue at Ashland Place - in the Peter Jay Sharp Building and Howard Gilman Opera House in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's a performance festival featuring African culture. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $22 for kids. For details see www.bam.org. This is NOT a street fair, but there is a bazaar day, but it is mostly musical, theatrical and cultural dance performances.
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - Orchard Beach Opens for the Summer.
May 19, 2023 / 
May 16, 2023/ Manhattan Neighborhoods NYC / Manhattan Parks & Sports / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
In 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about 
February 28, 2023 / 
January 5, 2023 / 
January 1, 2023 / 
As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.
So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan. I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 
November 18, 2022 / 
October 28, 2022 / 
October 26, 2022 / Local Government & Politics / National Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
September 23, 2022 / 
On Saturday, the Global Citizen Concert returns to the Great Lawn in Central Park which lies between 5th Avenue and Central Park West and between 72nd Street and 86th Street. The gates open at 2 pm and the concert begins at 4 pm. You must bring printed tickets as mobile tickets are not being accepted. Admission $250 - $299 via www.ticketmaster.com. For further details on the concert see https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/nyc/2022/
NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's on Tuesday & Wednesday, dropping to the low 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday., The temperature lows will rise from the mid 60's on Monday & Tuesday to the low 70's on Wednesday, and then fall into the mid to low 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph all week. The humidity will be 55% - 65% all week, except on Friday when it falls to 45% - 55%. There's a small chance of a small amount of rain in Thursday, with the probability gone by mid afternoon.
September 13, 2022 / 
August 12, 2022 / 
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August 9, 2022 / 
July 29, 2022 / 
July 27, 2022 / 
June 24, 2022 / 
Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of free summer theater in the parks. The free theatre events listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.
On March 17, 2022 the NYS CoVid general restrictions under the H.E.R.O. Act expired. The expiration did not include the masks mandate requirement on NYC & NYS public transit. 
May 29, 2022 / 
In the photo at right is just one of thousands of artworks for sale in a prior year at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit which begins Saturday and runs through Monday.
May 17, 2022 / 
May 3, 2022 / 
April 29, 2022 / 
April 13, 2022 / 
In Part VI, we're going to zoom into the current situation, looking at their wars are being financed, recent politics in both Russia and Ukraine, and popular support for the war in each nation.
April 4, 2022 /
See for yourself on these two WSJ pages before they hopefully have the decency or shame to take it down.
March 1, 2022 / 
The current NYC vaccination rate is 77%, with another 9% having received at least one dose [86%]. The current NYS vaccination rate is 75%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [87%]. The current U.S. vaccination rate is 65%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [77%].
For the United States the same rates are 8% positive new cases [this is a week old number compared to the others herein], about 84,878 new cases, about 8,642 hospitalizations [this is a week old number compared to the others herein] and 1,964 daily deaths.
February 7, 2022 / 
As I walked and listened I looked around at all of the policemen gathered in honor of a fellow member of the fraternal order of policemen – not just of New York City but of NYS - and for that matter - the U.S. All of the police men and women were standing, some standing silently listening to the speeches, while others made small talk with each other, between the speeches, about their kids, their families, their jobs, their departments [homicide / detectives / street patrolmen], cars and boats, as well as chatting about which police department or organization they represented.
I noticed the badges sewn to their coats, representing Trenton and Teaneck New Jersey, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York State, and of course the NYPD, as well as a smattering of policemen from more distant communities. They projected a sense of sadness and courtesy, as I made my way through the crowd. I sensed that they must also have felt some measure of comfort, standing there, side by side with others like themselves, knowing that they are supported by so many others who share their sense of duty, ready to face down danger.
February 7, 2022 / 
The cost to us, the American people [the British and Australians as well] is that many critical issues are never properly addressed by the government officials selected by Murdoch, because his favored pols are generally chosen and supported based on what they will do for the totally self-serving billionaire - not the public. Hence Murdoch pols don't appear to reflect the people's will, but rather are chosen because Murdoch mass media outlets have manipulated the views of enough voters via their distorted daily Murdoch mass media 'news' intake, to enable Murdoch's favored pols to get elected. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels employed these same kind of tactics, on an unsuspecting public, back in the early 1930's, in Germany.
Reining in the guns used in violent crime in NYC, is one of many such issues that seem to be given Murdoch's special brand of propagandistic 'news' treatment. Murdoch's news outlets' reports appear to pander to gun owners and the NRA [5.5 million members], who are outspoken and generally against gun control. According to a November 13, 2020 report by Gallup, about 32% of Americans own a gun and about 44% live in a household where there is a gun owner. Hence, gun owners represent a fairly sizeable block of Murdoch's mass media audience, and his news reports pander to them, just as the pander to other voting blocks that Murdoch media seek to manipulate.
January 28, 2022 / 
In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described, "Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy" because of Murdoch media news omissions and distortions.
December 27, 2021 / 
How is it that network TV news, still a primary source of information in this nation - and the only source by many of the uneducated - can get a story so wrong?
The first Omicron virus case was first detected on November 8, 2021 in South Africa. The first case detected in the U.S. was in San Francisco on November 22, 2021. Four days later, on November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization [WHO] designated Omicron a CoVid variant [B1.1.529]. As of December 5, 2021 there were eight Omicron cases in NYS, most of which were found in NYC.
October 29, 2018 / 
I arrived a bit early at East 105th Street and 5th Avenue, just north of the Museum of the City of New York. I walked in through the entrance to the Conservatory and walked out of the Conservatory northern gate. From the gate I could see the Dana Discovery Center across the Harlem Meer [Harlem is a Dutch town and meer means pond in the Dutch language] and there was a dirt path running all around the pond.
There were other stands as well, which I believe were of an arts and crafts nature. And in the distance, along the eastern side of the Dana Discovery Center there was music playing. I parked myself near the pumpkin flotilla launch pad, as that was a hive of activity, and the place to be when the flotilla launched ... or so I thought.
As the flames inside the pumpkins were lit, the crowd gathered more intently, cameras flashing, all eyes upon the prize. The prize was an aesthetic of pumpkin faces shining upon the still waters of Harlem Meer, and being surrounded by a mix of the local community and the world community to witness this event. The whole flotilla would eventually be pulled behind the two kyaks around the meer beginning around 6.30 [aka dark] for about a half hour before ending.
June 11, 2018 / 
There was food, shopping, music, entertainment and dancing at the street fair on Saturday, and minus the food and shopping, the music, dancing and entertainment were also on display at the huge Puerto Rican parade in Manhattan on Sunday. Numerous floats as well as marching groups of dancers and musicians and social groups joined together to make the parade one long display of Puerto Rica's eclectic mix of African, Latin and American cultures.
September 13, 2021 / 
Mayor de Blasio announced that not only teachers, but also school staff in the NYC Public School system, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27th.
Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.
In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?
Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.
August 3, 2021 / 
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.
September 21, 2021 / 
