April 25, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 6.02 am. Sunset 7.46 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 13 hours & 44 minutes of daylight or four hours and 29 more minutes of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Winter Solstice, on December 21, 2024, which is the shortest day of the year at 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Spring began Thursday, March 20, 2025, which is also the Spring Equinox, when the day is 12 hours long - half daylight and half dark.
NYC Weather. There's a sure chance of about a half inch of rain Saturday, mostly in the morning, with a 50% chance of a small amount expected after 2 pm. The rest of the weekend should be dry but cloudy. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's on Saturday and then returning to about 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be about 50 on Friday, dropping to about 40 for the rest of the weekend. It's going to be a windy weekend starting on Friday at 10 mph, rising to 17 mph on Saturday and then falling back to 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be about 70% on Friday, 80% on Saturday, and falling back into the 65% range on Sunday.
The photo above or at right, was taken earlier this week, at the newly remodeled Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
Friday Evening Edition @ 9.30 pm. Mostly done. FYI - three weeks ago we did a major Spring cleaning update to the street fairs and farmers markets to reflect the coming months / season of outdoor activities, which you can find by using the links below. Henceforth we will be updating either weekly or as needed.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm - NYC DOT Earth Day / Declares 54 Car Free Streets - in all five boroughs of NYC. At various locations around NYC including (locations) in each borough - Bronx (9), Brooklyn (19), Manhattan (16), Queens (8) and Staten Island (2). For details and interactive map of 2025 locations, copy & paste - https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/earthday.shtml
Saturday, June 14, 2025 is the Deadline to Register to Vote in the NYC Primary on June 24th. Applications must be received by the NY Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this election. As it's a Saturday, we recommend you make sure they get it by Friday, June 13, 2025. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost always the person who becomes Mayor [Giuliani and Bloomberg were exceptions because of Rupert Murdoch's NY Post & Fox News manipulations & Bloomberg's $$$], as 56% of NYC voters identify as Democrat, and about 26% identify as Republican [other sources say these numbers are 48% & 21% respectively].
Upcoming Next Weekend an explosion of events in NYC including the 5 Boro Bike Ride and the Municipal Arts Society's Janes Walk Weekend - use the links below in each borough to see what I'm talking about.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 12.30 to 5 pm - Sikh Day Parade - begins at 37th Street, marching south along Madison Avenue, ending at Madison Square Park at 24th Street where there will likely be an after party. For details see the Facebook page of the organizers - FB - https://www.facebook.com/SikhDayParadeNewYork/ or FB - https://www.facebook.com/Gurdwara.Sangat.Sikh.Cultural.Society.Ny/
Sunday, April 27 - May 11, 2025 - The Macy's Flower Show - at Macy's Herald Square in Midtown. Macy's is open from 10 am - 9 pm weekdays, open until 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays, and opens at 11 am on Sundays. For details see - https://www.macys.com/s/flower-show/
The photo above or at right shows the front of Macy's long Broadway and 7th Avenue at 33rd Street in Manhattan earlier this week. As you can see, the retailer has adorned the store with its Flower Show garb, as the Show begins Sunday, April 27, 2025 and runs to mid May.
Sunday, April 27, 2025 beginning at 11.30 am - the Persian Day Parade kicks off from 39th Street at Madison Avenue in Manhattan, marching south along Madison before ending in Madison Square Park [at 27th Street]. In 2023 the theme was 'women, life, freedom' which I reckon was in honor of those women seeking freedom from the Supreme Dictator in Iran. I don't see any theme referenced for this year. For details see - https://persianparade.com/
Friday, April 18 - Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm - the International Auto Show - at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. Admission is $22 adults [age 13+ ] / $8 kids [ages 3 - 12] tickets / kids 2 and under are free. For details & tickets see - https://www.autoshowny.com/ or https://javitscenter.com/
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 23 - 27, 2025 from 12 noon to 8 pm Thursday, 12 noon - 7 pm Friday & Saturday, and 11 am - 5 pm Sunday - AIPAD Photography Show - at the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue on the UES of Manhattan. Wednesday from 4 - 9 pm is the VIP Preview. The show presents dozens of galleries and hundreds - if not thousands - of photographers' works from around the world, many of whom are acclaimed. AIPAD is the Association of International Photography Art Dealers. Admission $47 general admission / $25 seniors / $20 students. For details and tickets see - https://www.aipad.com
Extended thru April 26, 2025 daily except Mondays & at 2 pm, 3 pm, 7 pm & 8 pm altho times vary with days - Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts - performances at Lincoln Center Theater at 150 West 65th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. For $130 to $180 tickets and details see - https://www.lct.org
Saturday, February 22 - Sunday, April 13, 2025 [extended to 1.4 2026] - Performances of Buena Vista Social Club - at the Gerald Shoenfiled Theatre at 236 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan NYC. For tickets and details see - https://buenavistamusical.com or https://shubert.nyc/theatres/gerald-schoenfeld
Upcoming _ May 8, 2025 beginning at [probably 6.30 or 7 pm - TBD] - FEC No Demolition at Fulton Elliott Chelsea NYCHA - on Zoom. The Thursday meeting is about how the rights of the residents of these four NYCHA Housing projects appear to be getting trampled upon by Eric Adams, billionaire Stephen Ross and Related Companies, as they are allegedly short cutting and railroading this project through in favor of a demolition project. Pay attention to WHOM Eric Adams is serving. "Getting stuff done for who?" and "Affordable Housing for who?". The answer to both questions is the same. Hint: It's not middle and working class New Yorkers he says he claims he's fighting for, possibly because they aren't the ones funding his legal bills and political campaigns.
Gramercy Theater concerts - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows
Click here to view the Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 11 am to 4 pm - Climate Arts Festival - at the Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing. The fair includes fun for " ... the whole family [including] hands-on activities, art exhibits, music, interactive performances, tours, demonstrations, and ... [a] Sustainable Vendor Fair to support local businesses ...". The fair will include food, beverages and a wide variety of sustainable offerings. For details and $46 / $2 tickets see - https://queensbotanical.org/event/climate-arts-festival/
The photo above or at right, shows folks in summer garb earlier this week, as the temperatures rose to summer levels and it's still April. Sweater weather is on its way this weekend.
Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 10 am to 6 pm - Steinway Street Astoria Cultural Fair & Festival - Along Steinway Street between 28th and 34th Avenues in Astoria. Sponsored by Central Astoria LDC. Street fairs in Astoria NYC. For details see - https://www.centralastoria.org/events
Monday, April 28, 2025 from 5 to 9 pm there's a Songkran Thai New Year Celebration at Queens Borough Hall. For details see - https://aaari.info/event/queens-borough-president-songkran-celebration/
Click here to view the Queens Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Queens Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes
Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 8 - 9.30 pm - Verdi's Requiem by the Queens College Choral Society - at the Kupferberg Center at Queens College in Flushing. It's described as follows, " ... Completed in 1874, Verdi's Requiem is a masterpiece of dramatic power and scope, unrivaled in its beauty, magnitude and intensity ...". For details and $25 tickets see the MCAl above or - https://kupferbergcenter.org/event/qccs-05172025
Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 2 to 6 pm - Tastes of Bed-Stuy. You buy tickets and obtain a map online, and then the day of the event during the open hours, you stroll the neighborhood cashing in your tickets for tastes by local restauranteurs. Food and beverage offerings from about 17 local vendors. Brooklyn street and food festivals in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Buy 4 tastes for $40 or 12 tastes for $115. For details and tickets see - https://www.facebook.com/seedsinthemiddle/ or https://tastesofbrooklyn.com
Saturday & Sunday April 26 & 27, 2025 - from 11 am to 6 pm - FAD Earth Day Pop Up Market - at the Center for Brooklyn History at 128 Pierrepont Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. About 40 sustainable artists, craftspeople, designers and local businesses offering handmade goods including jewelry, apparrel, tableware, skincare and artisanal goods. Brooklyn street fairs nyc. For details see - https://fadmarket.co
The photo above or at right, taken earlier this week, shows folks heading home, catching their breath / resting, while traveling along the subway rails at night.
Saturdays & Sundays [and a few select weekdays], March 29 - April 1, 2025 from 11 am to 8 pm - Luna Park opens in Coney Island. During Passover / Easter Week April 11 - 20, 2025 the park is open daily but the hours vary. For hours, details and tickets see - https://lunaparknyc.com/plan/park-hours-2-2/
UPDATE LUNA PARK DAYS / HOURS FOR LATE APRIL / MAY
Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.
Click here to view the Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up. Click this link Brooklyn MCAL - Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Thursday, May 22, 2025 Jazz Empowers Student Showcase at the Roulette Intermedium on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. See MCAL link for details.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm - Hot Food & Flea Market - at Brady Court Community Center on 768 Brady Avenue [Antin & Holland Avenue]. They tell us vintage, hand crafted, dolls and collectibles, sports and entertainment memorabilia, jewelry, plants, furniture, baked goods and food. Free entry. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BradyCourtCommunityCenterBX/ | Please look for Jeanette Wilson and tell her the Bronx Buzz sent you. Thanks.
February 15 thru April 27, 2025 from 10 am to 6 pm - the Orchid Show / Mexican Modernism - at the NY Botanical Garden - see Bronx Easter link below for details.
The photo above or at right, was taken earlier this week, and shows a fresh food and vegetable street stand - one of many that can be found along the streets of NYC.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 12 noon to 7 pm - 1st Bronx Night (food) Market of the Season - at 1 Fordham Plaza in the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxnightmarket.com/
CLICK here to view Bronx Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 in the BX NYC.
Click here to view the Bronx Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Bronx MCAL Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 beginning at 7 pm - Bronx DOT Commissioner Perez Speaks - at the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association at 990 Pelham Parkway South. Free - see MCAL link above for details.
Friday - Sunday, May 30 - June 1, 2025 - South Bronx Cultural Festival - at Father Gigante Plaza, in front of St. Athanasius Church, at 878 Tiffany Street in the Bronx. Organized by Casita Maria. For details see the MCAL above or https://www.casitamaria.org/south-bronx-culture-festival
April 26, 2025 from 4 to 9 pm - Staten Island Eid Festival - at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. A celebration of the end of Ramadan including food, games, giveaways, raffles and a bazaar. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/staten-island-family-eid-festival-tickets-1311277699899 | https://snug-harbor.org
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 am to 3.30 pm - Spring Sale - at Church of St. Andrew in Helmsley Hall - use street fairs link below to see details.
The photo above or at right was taken about a month ago from just south of the SI Ferry Terminal, along the sidewalk of the north harbor, looking east toward the Verrazzanno Narrows Bridge, from the in St. George neighborhood on Staten Island.
Sunday, May 4, 2025 - Yankee Peddler Day - at the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Boulevard in the Tottenville neighborhood on Staten Island. Free. For details see - https://conferencehouse.org.
Click here to view the Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Staten Island Events - Member Events to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes TBD.
Have a nice weekend.
Updated April 19, 2025 vs 4.16.25 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 6.12 am. Sunset 7.38 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 13 hours & 26 minutes of daylight or four hours and 11 more minutes of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Winter Solstice, on December 21, 2024, which is the shortest day of the year at 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Spring began Thursday, March 20, 2025, which is also the Spring Equinox, when the day is half daylight and half dark.
NYC Weather. No precipitation is in the forecast for the weekend. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's on Friday and Sunday, rising to about 80 on Saturday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 40's on Friday morning, rising to the high 50's for both Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will range from 50% to 60% on Friday and Sunday and rise to 70% - 80% on Saturday. The winds will range from about 5 - 10 mph through most of the weekend.
Editor's Note. We're seeing a divergence in some of the weather forecasting reports we rely upon for our own weather report. It's not yet clear if this is due to issues with the entities that provide the reports or whether it's due to the Trump / Musk cuts to the NOAA which manages the National Weather Service which provides much of the nation with the national weather reports.
The photo at right shows a couple walking up Broadway on the Upper West Side earlier this month. In the background [above right], you can see a gracefully designed, beautiful stone crafted building, erected over a century ago. Behind it are a number of pure rectangular luxury boxed, glass and steel buildings; generically crafted, superbly cost optimized, and designed with breathtaking conformity.
Saturday Afternoon Edition @ 12.45 pm. This is a mostly done report on things to do this Easter Weekend [also see links and following report]. We need to clean up a few things, which we expect to have done by Saturday midafternoon. FYI - two weeks ago we did a major Spring cleaning update to the street fairs and farmers markets to reflect the coming months / season of outdoor activities, which you can find by using the links below. Henceforth we will be updating either weekly or as needed.
See Easter link below for NYC Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 10 am - 3 pm - Governors Island Earth Day Replaces Easter Egg Hunt - on Governors Island. In 2024, the 2nd Annual Governors Island Easter egg hunt took place, with 50,000 candy-filled eggs spread around Governors Island. This year Governor's Island celebrates Earth Day with a full schedule of events that include learning about seaweed, trees, oysters, birds, planting seeds and climate change and technologies. For details and ferry passage planning & ticket purchases [Adults $4 / Kids & Seniors $2 / Kids under 12 free], copy & paste - https://www.govisland.com/things-to-do/events/earth-day-on-governors-island
Sunday, April 20, 2025 - Easter Sunday - use links below for the full magilla of Easter events, including processions, brunches and Easter Egg Hunts. As of Wednesday evening, we're still working on some of the Easter events, which should be done no later than Friday, while the Friday Easter events have already been updated.
Sunday, April 20, 2025 - Passover Ends. The Seders held last weekend were the highlight of the celebration of Passover.
Saturday, June 14, 2025 is the Deadline to Register to Vote in the NYC Primary on June 24th. Applications must be received by the NY Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this election. As it's a Saturday, we recommend you make sure they get it by Friday, June 13, 2025. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost always the person who becomes Mayor [Giuliani and Bloomberg were exceptions because of Rupert Murdoch's NY Post & Fox News manipulations & Bloomberg's $$$], as 56% of NYC voters identify as Democrat, and about 26% identify as Republican [other sources say these numbers are 48% & 21% respectively].
Click here to see NYC Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions in all five boroughs of NYC 2025.
See Easter link below for Manhattan Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
POST FACTO _ Friday, April 18, 2025 beginning at 10 am - Eastern Orthodox and Western Christian Holy Friday Procession Across the Brooklyn Bridge. It begins at St. James Cathedral Basilica at 250 Cathedral Place in Brooklyn with a service, marches across the Brooklyn Bridge stopping along the way for Meditations of the Cross, along the Brooklyn Bridge and at City Hall Park [about 1 pm], and then ending at St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center. For details see - https://archny.org/event/way-of-the-cross-over-the-brooklyn-bridge - OR - https://www.goarch.org/-/good-friday-ecumenical-procession-way-of-the-cross-over-the-brooklyn-bridge
Midtown _ Sunday, April 20, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm - Easter Bonnet Parade. The parade takes place along 5th Avenue between 49th to 57th Streets. It's more of a milling about in bonnets and Easter outfits, than it is a real parade. More like a themed costume party. It has no official organizer, so no official website.
The photo at right was taken at the Easter Bonnett Parade in a prior year. It's more like an Easter costume party than a parade.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 10 am - 3 pm - Governors Island Earth Day Replaces Easter Egg Hunt - on Governors Island - see details above in the NYC section.
Friday, April 18 - Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm - the International Auto Show - at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. Admission is $22 adults [age 13+ ] / $8 kids [ages 3 - 12] tickets / kids 2 and under are free. For details & tickets see - https://www.autoshowny.com/ or https://javitscenter.com/
Friday, April 4th - October 5th or 12th, 2025 from 8 am to 9 pm daily - Pickleball Courts - are open at Wollman Rink on the southwest corner of Central Park. For details and tickets that cost $80 - $120 per hour, see - https://www.centralpark.com/events/pickleball-at-wollman-rink/ or https://wollmanrinknyc.com.
Wednesday & Thursday, April 23 & 24, 2025 beginning at 6 pm & 6.30 pm respectively - FEC NYCHA Asks Why No Demolition Option in EIS - at Fulton Elliott Chelsea NYCHA in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan NYC. The Wednesday meeting is at the Fulton Houses Senior Center and the Thursday meeting is at the Elliott Chelsea Community Center. The meetings end at 10 pm. It appears the rights of the residents of this NYCHA Housing project are being trampled by Eric Adams and Stephen Ross of Related Companies as short cut and railroad this project through. This is perhaps the best example of who Eric Adams really is - "Getting stuff done for who?" "Affordable Housing for who?"
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 23 - 27, 2025 from 12 noon to 8 pm Thursday, 12 noon - 7 pm Friday & Saturday, and 11 am - 5 pm Sunday - AIPAD Photography Show - at the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue on the UES of Manhattan. Wednesday from 4 - 9 pm is the VIP Preview. The show presents dozens of galleries and hundreds - if not thousands - of photographers' works from around the world, many of whom are acclaimed. AIPAD is the Association of International Photography Art Dealers. Admission $47 general admission / $25 seniors / $20 students. For details and tickets see - https://www.aipad.com
Extended thru April 26, 2025 daily except Mondays & at 2 pm, 3 pm, 7 pm & 8 pm altho times vary with days - Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts - performances at Lincoln Center Theater at 150 West 65th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. For $130 to $180 tickets and details see - https://www.lct.org
Saturday, February 22 - Sunday, April 13, 2025 [extended to 1.4 2026] - Performances of Buena Vista Social Club - at the Gerald Shoenfiled Theatre at 236 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan NYC. For tickets and details see - https://buenavistamusical.com or https://shubert.nyc/theatres/gerald-schoenfeld
Gramercy Theater concerts - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows
CLICK here to view Manhattan Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 in MHTN NYC.
Click here to view the Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
See Easter link below for Queens Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
Friday, April 18, 2025 beginning at 7 pm - Lamentation Service & Epitafios - at St. Demetrios at 30-11 30th Drive at 31st Street in Astoria. For details see - https://www.saintdemetriosastoria.com/church/
Friday, April 18, 2025 beginning at 7.30 to 10 pm - Lamentation Service & Epitafios - at St Markella 22-68 26th Street [between Ditmars & 23rd Avenues] in Astoria. For details, including of Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday mass, see - https://www.saintmarkellagoc.org
Friday, April 18, 2025 probably beginning around 7 pm [UNCONFIRMED] - Lamentation Service & Epitafios - at St Irene Chrysovalantou at 36-07 23rd Avenue [also between Ditmars & 23rd Avenues] in Astoria. For details, including of Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday mass, see - https://www.stirene.org
In the photo above or at right, you can see an example of the vibrant religious and cultural tradition of Greek Orthodox Christianity. This photo was taken in a prior year in Astoria, Queens of the St. Demetrios Cathedral Holy Friday evening procession. The procession follows the Lamentation Services, wherein the congregation marches through the streets in a live liturgical re-enactment of Christ's descent from Calvary Hill, following his crucifixion. The procession includes the flower decked epitaphios [see photo above right], which signifies Christ's casket / tomb.
Sunday, April 13 & Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm - Barnyard Egg Hunt - at the Queens County Farm Museum - see Queens Easter link below for details.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 10 am to 12 noon - Queens Easter Festival - in Gantry Plaza State Park - see Queens Easter link below for details.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 4 pm to 12 midnight - 1st Queens Night Market of the Season - at the NY Hall of Science in Corona. A food fair with free entry. For details see - https://queensnightmarket.com/
Friday, Saturdays & Sundays April 5, 6, 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20, 2025 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt 2025 - at Alley Pond Park in Queens [last year / 2024 it was at the Aviator Sports Center at 3159 Flatbush Avenue in the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The future of that site is currently being debated as it has a lease with the federal government]. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmbrooklyn.com. $15. The Saturday event was cancelled due to inclement weather forecast.
CLICK here to view Queens Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 in QNS NYC.
Click here to view the Queens Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Queens Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes
See Easter link below for Brooklyn Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
POST FACTO _ Friday, April 18, 2025 beginning at 10 am - Eastern Orthodox and Western Christian Holy Friday Procession Across the Brooklyn Bridge. It begins at St. James Cathedral Basilica at 250 Cathedral Place in Brooklyn with a service, marches across the Brooklyn Bridge stopping along the way for Meditations of the Cross, along the Brooklyn Bridge and at City Hall Park [about 1 pm], and then ending at St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center. For details see - https://archny.org/event/way-of-the-cross-over-the-brooklyn-bridge - OR - https://www.goarch.org/-/good-friday-ecumenical-procession-way-of-the-cross-over-the-brooklyn-bridge
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 10 am - 3 pm - Governors Island Earth Day Replaces Easter Egg Hunt - on Governors Island - see details above in the NYC section.
Friday, Saturdays, Sundays, April 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20, 2025 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt 2025 - at the Aviator Sports Center - see details below using the Brooklyn Easter Events link.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 11 am to 1 pm - Easter Fest at City Point - see details below using the Brooklyn Easter Events link.
Saturday & Sunday, April 19 & 20, 2025 - Easter Egg / Easter Bunny events in Bay Ridge and in Prospect Park - see details below using the Brooklyn Easter Events link.
The photo above or at right is of a sculpture that was installed in Cadman Plaza near Brooklyn Borough Hall in August 2023. The statue depicts and honors the Brooklyn rapper Biggie Smalls, who was one of the first famous rappers. Biggie's melodic music carried the lyrics of the harsh life lived by African Americans on the city streets. The rapper lived a short life, as he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. The sculpture is called 'Sky is the Limit', and it was created by an arts group, with welding skills, from Bushwick.
Saturdays & Sundays [and a few select weekdays], March 29 - April 1, 2025 from 11 am to 8 pm - Luna Park opens in Coney Island. During Passover / Easter Week April 11 - 20, 2025 the park is open daily but the hours vary. For hours, details and tickets see - https://lunaparknyc.com/plan/park-hours-2-2/
Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.
CLICK here to view Brooklyn Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 in BK NYC.
Click here to view the Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up. Click this link Brooklyn MCAL - Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Thursday, May 22, 2025 Jazz Empowers Student Showcase at the Roulette Intermedium on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. See MCAL link for details.
See Easter link below for Bronx Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 11 am to 2 pm - Easter Eggstravaganza - at Ferry Point Park at 10 Hutchinson River Parkway in the Throggs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. They describe it as follows, "... food, games, giveaways, face painting, magic show, a large egg hunt ... Join in on the fun and get to know your local NYPD officers ...". Free. You can pre-register at - https://throggsneckcommunityalliance.org
The photo above or at right, was taken a number of months ago, at the Bay Plaza shopping complex near Coop City in the Bronx. Easter is usually associated with the purchase of new spring and summer outfits, at mens and womens clothing stores, similar to those featured in this shopping center.
Saturday, April 12 & 19, 2025 from 10 am to 1 pm - Easter Egg Hunt - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. The hunts are four one hour long sessions starting every hour on the hour, costing $15 per child, and adults accompanying children are free. For details and tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org
April 20 - Acting Shakespeare and
April 24 from 7 to 8.30 pm - the Art of Gracie - home decorating / design class - Both at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. For details and tickets use the Bronx MCAL link below or copy & paste - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.
Sunday, April 20, 2025 from 11 am to 2 pm - Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt - at Pelham Bay Split Rock Golf Course - see Bronx Easter link below for details.
February 15 thru April 27, 2025 from 10 am to 6 pm - the Orchid Show / Mexican Modernism - at the NY Botanical Garden - see Bronx Easter link below for details.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 12 noon to 7 pm - 1st Bronx Night (food) Market of the Season - at 1 Fordham Plaza in the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxnightmarket.com/
CLICK here to view Bronx Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 in the BX NYC.
Click here to view the Bronx Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Bronx MCAL Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
See Easter link below for Staten Island Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processions.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 beginning at 10 am and 1 pm - Easter at the Mount Loretto - see Staten Island Easter link below for details.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 12 noon to 5 pm - Cottage Row Curiosities
In the photo above or at right, taken several weeks ago, shows folks looking out the westward windows of the Staten Island Ferry, at two iconic cultural American treasures: Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Both structures have been iconic symbols of: 1) how the world once viewed us - certainly; 2) of who we are - probably; and 3) of who we will become - feels less certain at this time.
Sunday, April 20, 2025 with seatings at 10.30 am and 2 pm - Annual Easter Brunch - at Grand Oaks Country Club - see Staten Island Easter link below for details.
Sunday, April 20, 2025 - Easter Brunch - Patio Lakeside Buffet Brunch at 10 am & 10.30 am and Fireplace Lakeview Sit Down Brunch at 10.15 am & 10.45 am - at the Stone House on Clove Lake - see Staten Island Easter link below for details.
Sunday, April 20, 2025 with seatings at 11 am & 2 pm [unclear - it may be 11 am to 2 pm] - Easter Brunch - at the Historic Old Bermuda Inn - see Staten Island Easter link below for details.
April 26, 2025 from 4 to 9 pm - Staten Island Eid Festival - at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. A celebration of the end of Ramadan including food, games, giveaways, raffles and a bazaar. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/staten-island-family-eid-festival-tickets-1311277699899 | https://snug-harbor.org
Sunday, May 4, 2025 - Yankee Peddler Day - at the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Boulevard in the Tottenville neighborhood on Staten Island. Free. For details see - https://conferencehouse.org.
Click here to see Staten Island Easter Events Brunches Egg Hunts & Holy Friday Greek Orthodox Processions 2025 on SI NYC.
Click here to view the Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Staten Island Events - Member Events to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes TBD.
Have a nice weekend.
April 19, 2025 / Bronx Neighborhoods NYC / Bronx Things To Do Events NYC / Bronx Buzz NYC.
Christians observe Good Friday, which is when the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross. On the Sunday following Good Friday, Christians celebrate the Biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead, which is Easter.
Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman 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 to calculate when to celebrate Good Friday and Easter. The Gregorian calendar was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory. Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar, which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar. The primary difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is that the Gregorian calendar uses Leap Year [this year is one of them] to adjust the calendar for the 1/4 extra day per year, that to our rotation around the sun requires. Thus the calendar differences, and how the date of Easter is calculated, is why the Orthodox and Roman Catholic / Protestant Christian Easters oftentimes occur on different dates.
This year [2025] the celebrations of the two traditions are celebrated the same week, whereas in 2024 the celebrations were separated by five weeks. So both the traditional Western European Christian and the Eastern Orthodox Christians are celebrating Easter the same week.
Bronx Mother's Day Restaurants 2025 - Bronx NYC Mothers Day Restaurants in or near Mott Haven, Fordham, Port Morris, Concourse, Bedford Park, Norwood, University Heights,...
Updated April 5, 2025 vs 4.4.2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken a couple of weeks ago in the Elizabeth Street Garden in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. They are trying to get the city to preserve the area as a permanent community green space, and to build the proposed 'affordable housing' elsewhere. The city has been threatening to close the garden any day now, but given it's an election year, Adams may wait until after he loses it. We'll have an update of Eric Adams' latest shenanigans later today or over the weekend.
3.31.28 Manhattan _ Just in today, an event tomorrow at 4 pm, to commemorate the garden and its artistic inspirations. This is how they described the event, " ... We are calling on everyone to gather in the Garden tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4 PM to celebrate this special space. We’ll be there for a while, but please try to arrive at 4 PM if you can. We are still in federal court and doing everything we can. At this point, we're taking it day by day. If you're a painter, photographer, poet, or artist who has created something inspired by the Garden, please bring your work. We only ask that it be related to the Garden. We want to show everyone how much Elizabeth Street Garden means to our community and to New York City ...". See related story in the weekend post of 3.28.25 below, next to the E St Garden / Ramones photos. The short story also includes their website url.
Updated March 15, 2025 vs 3.14.25 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 7.08 am. Sunset 7.02 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting two hours and 39 minutes more sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2024, which is the shortest day of the year. Spring is next Thursday, March 20, 2025, when sunrise will be at 6.58 am and sunset at 7.08 pm. The true equinox, when we have equal amount of daylight and nighttime actually falls between March 16th and 17th.
NYC Weather. Rain is expected after 6 pm on Sunday, otherwise the weekend is dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and hitting 60 degrees on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's Friday to the high 40's Saturday to the mid 50's on Sunday. The winds will rise from about 5 mph Friday, to 5 - 10 mph Saturday to 10 - 15 mph Sunday. The humidity will rise from about 50% on Friday to 70% later in the day and then staying around 70% for the rest of the weekend.
In the photo at right is a woman walking along Canal Street a number of weeks ago. I photographed her as I was emerging from the subway beneath the streets. She has a wary look, which likely means she's a seasoned New Yorker, as one must generally stay alert at all times, while moving about the city.
Saturday Early AM Edition @ 2.30 am. Completed the weekend events. Still have a few more events for next week to add sometime later this weekend. Over the next couple of weeks, things to do in NYC really heats up.
Updated March 15, 2025 vs 3.14.25 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
An excellent example of billionaire-controlled, Network TV News priorities / manipulations, was on full display this month. An American college student gone missing on Spring break in the Dominican Republic, seemed to get - as much, if not more airtime and 'investigative coverage' - than the budget negotiations between Republicans and Democrats.
TV News 'The' Disinformation Medium. Ask yourself WHY this particular missing college student has become such a HUGE Network TV News story, when 600,000 people go missing in the U.S. every year? Are the billionaire controlled Network News outlets trying to distract their viewers from what's going on in Washington, D.C. by giving the truly important stories less airtime while filling up their broadcasts with sensational horror stories?
The budget negotiations included a huge transfer of federally elected representatives' power [aka your power] from the legislative branch to the executive branch of government, as well as cuts of tens of billions of dollars to previously approved federal programs.
So, ask yourself, which of these news stories is of more concern to you? Which of these stories of more actionable by you? And which of these stories appears to be what might be a tragic human interest story, used by billionaire controlled Network TV News, as a ratings chasing headline / audience distraction?
CLICK here to view the rest of our report on how Chuck Schumer abandons the Democrats [own party], and leads a rebel contingent of Senators including NYS Senator Gillebrand to vote in favor of Trump and the Republicans, on the Continuing Budget Resolution of March 2025.
Updated March 1, 2025 vs 2/28/2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.
I attended what I believe may have been the first Mayoral candidate forum a couple of weeks ago. I haven't yet published my report on it, but hope to do so next week. In the meantime we've been focusing on Mayor Adams, who is still one of the three leading candidates.
Adams slipped to number three [10%] in recent polling [last week], behind Andrew Cuomo [38%] who has not yet announced his candidacy, and Zohran Mamdani [12%]. The only two other candidates above 5% are Brad Lander [7%] and Scott Stringer [5%].
At present, Adams and Lander, both of whom are funded by the real estate developer and investment communities, are leading with cash on hand, with over $3 million apiece. But that doesn't tell the whole tale, as NYC Mayoral wild card Zohran Mamdani qualified for matching funds last week. The matching funds raised Mamdani's funding to $2.8 million. Given Mamdani raised it from 55,000 people, is impressive - and perhaps more importantly - he has momentum, which none of the other candidates have. And unlike Andrew Cuomo who stepped down as NYS Governor because of sexual harassment complaints, Mamdani has little baggage. Cuomo's other big baggage includes both the CoVid Nursing Home scandal and Albany Corruption scandal.
The Democratic NYC Mayoral primary is June 24, 2025. Be sure to register and absentee vote if you won't be here.
February 21, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.
This was quite a week for Mayor Eric Adams. Starting a week ago, on Thursday, February 13, 2025, SEVEN U.S. Department of Justice attorneys decided to hand in their resignations, rather than file a motion to drop the corruption case of the United States against Eric Adams.
Eric Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges, which according to a February 15, 2025 report by the BBC include,
" ... five separate criminal counts, including "conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals", wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery ...".
In resigning, the now former U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten wrote,
" ... If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice [not to withdraw the case], then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion ...".
The U.S. Attorneys were asked to file the motion to withdraw the case by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. Apparently, U.S. Attorney Edward Sullivan stepped up to file the motion, but not because he was a fool or a coward, but rather reportedly to spare the firings of many of the other attorneys in the Public Integrity section of the Department of Justice [DOJ] where the case and subsequent motion were filed.
Trump Tries to Withdraw Adams Case without Prejudice. So, consider this, these seven highly paid professional U.S. federal prosecutors forfeited their income and their positions, because they refused to follow the orders of Trump's Acting Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove, who apparently was instructed by Trump to withdraw the case without prejudice.
This is an important detail [withdrawing without prejudice], because to withdraw the case without prejudice means that Trump's Department of Justice [aka DOJ] wants to, " ... terminate [the] case, allowing the plaintiff [the DOJ] to refile the claim in the future. This [kind of] dismissal is not an adjudication on the merits, meaning the court has not addressed the substantive issues [and] ... It often arises from procedural or technical deficiencies, such as improper service of process or lack of jurisdiction ...". So, this begs the following question.
February 14, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.
Law Enforcer or Law Breaker? Well, it seems we're beginning to uncover all of the deceptive masks Eric Adams has been wearing most of his adult life. He went from being a member of the NYPD to allegedly being a criminal of an unknown degree - because he sought a pardon, even before he went to court.
Democrat or Republican? In the late 1990's Eric Adams became a Republican, then switched [back] to becoming a Democrat in early 2000. He's now reportedly exploring a second bid for Mayor, possibly as a Republican, given how badly he has alienated the Democrats who voted for him in the last election.
To show how quickly things are unraveling for Eric Adams, consider this. The Reverend Al Sharpton, one of Adams strongest supporters, criticized the Department of Justice for trying to drop the case against Adams. As recently as MLK Day [January 20th, 2025], Sharpton wanted Adams to attend an MLK event in NYC. But Adams ditched his pre-scheduled MLK events in NYC to attend Trump's Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
In the graphic above or at right is a smiling Eric Adams, who according to the headline is reportedly exploring a mayoral run on the Republican party ballot.
While Adams may have disappointed a lot of moderate voters with his City of Yes zoning law changes, he has greatly pleased the very wealthy real estate industry investors and developers who have funded his campaigns and legal bills. With their funding, Adams may be able to flood the media airwaves with enough paid narratives about who he is and what he has done, to make a credible second run - even as a Republican.
March 10, 2025 / Bronx Neighborhoods NYC / Bronx Restaurants NYC / St Patricks Day Parade Throgs Neck Bronx / Bronx Buzz NYC.
St Patrick's Day is on a Monday this year.
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 Bronx 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 Throgs Neck, Kingsbridge, Fieldston, Bedford Park, Morris Park, Mott Haven, Norwood, Woodlawn Heights, Westchester Square, Middleton Pelham Bay [near City Island], Williamsbridge and one in Yonkers.
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.
March 8, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Coming with the Friday / Weekend post.
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 other St Patrick's Day Parades banned LGBTQ from marching in the Irish parades. As of March 1, 2024 there's only one St. Patrick's Day parade that continues to discriminate against people whose gender isn't totally traditional / binary.
Parades, Pubs and Restaurants in the Bronx NYC. The Bronx has several St. Patrick's Day parades, only one of which we've covered. We've included our report of the Bronx St. Patricks Day Parade to provide you with further details of the experience of attending. We've also included an article summary leading into our report about some of the best or oldest Irish pubs and restaurants in the Bronx. 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 the Bronx.
How this page is organized. We've organized this page by the Bronx St Patrick's Day parade dates. The parades span the month, and even though ... the official feast date for St. Patrick is March 17th, the date of the Manhattan St. Patrick's Day parade is March 16, 2024 because as a tradition they don't march on Sundays, which in the Catholic religion is the Lord's Day. The Manhattan St Patrick's Day parade is the largest in NYC.
The LGBTQ Parade Participation Issue Appears to be Abating. In 2000 the St Pats for All parade was first launched in Sunnyside, Queens to protest the banning of gays from marching in the Manhattan St Pats Day Parade. In 2014 / 2015 the Manhattan Parade opened up its participation rules to allow gays to march. In 2020 the Throgs Neck parade in the Bronx 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 2024 by the traditional parade organizers, but they now have competition as a new LGBTQ friendly parade will be marching on March 17, 2024.
February 14, 2025 / Things To Do Bronx NYC / Bronx Buzz NYC.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS GENERALLY STILL RELEVANT, BUT LAST UPDATED IN 2023.
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 Bronx Weather.
The image at right shows Wave Hill, where President Theodore Roosevelt spent a couple of summers. Wave Hill is a horticultural enclave and Teddy Roosevelt was an American Conservationist. I imagine if alive today, Roosevelt would certainly being doing whatever he could to combat climate change.
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.
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.
February 14, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This report was first published embedded in the WTD.
Why aren't the billionaire controlled TV networks talking about WHY Trump is cutting so many people and other resources from the federal government? Why are they aiding and abetting the unsubstantiated, and hence to date false, narratives that Trump and Musk are cutting fat, bureaucracy and corruption.
Why are they failing to inform the nation that a lot of the federal government programs that are being cut are dedicated to helping people stay healthy and safe, elevate themselves, and achieve the American Dream? The priority targeted departments that Trump / Musk are trying to cut enable Americans to stay healthy, get a good education and avoid being ripped off by nefarious financial institutions. These categories appear to be the priority targeted cuts announced so far.
To date Trump has signed and announced nearly 100 Executive Orders - some of which appear to be illegal - and are being contested in the courts. Among the Executive Orders are some, that are cutting programs designed to help people stay healthy, get a good education and avoid abuse by financial firms. Here are just a few of them.
Trump announced that the U.S. is exiting from the World Health Organization [WHO - helps manage global disease breakouts], cuttingthe budgets of the National Institute of Health [NIH - health / scientific research] and cutting the Center for Disease Control [CDC], without doing some sort of in-depth analysis first. Trump announced he's cutting most of the Department of Education. And he's announced he's going to try to cut the entire Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB].
As we saw in this last election, TV News fails to do an effective job of informing / educating Americans. In the election they failed to inform Americans about the state of the economy [good] and currently they are failing to inform Americans as to why these federal agencies and departments perform important functions that help keep America the promised land, by protecting our collective health, investing in our nation's education / future and protecting consumers from financial abuse.
TV Network News doesn't say a single word about why Trump / Musk are REALLY cutting so many federal government services so quickly.
February 7, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7 am. Sunset 5.20 pm. We're getting an hour and five more minutes of sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter solstice in late December. Spring Forward Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, March 9th, 2025 - only four weeks away.
Saturday evening we're expecting about 5 inches of snow between the hours of 6 pm and Sunday 8 am. The temperature highs will hit 40 on Friday before descending into the mid 30's the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will remain between 25 and 30 degrees all weekend. The humidity will range from 30% - 40% Friday, rising from 30% to 70% on Saturday, before tapering off between 50% - 60% on Sunday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Georges Berges Gallery at 462 West Broadway [at Houston] in SoHo a couple of weeks ago. There's a group show, entitled Tarot, at the gallery, which runs through February 28th, and it's well worth a visit. The images in the painting change when you move.
Friday Evening Edition 11.15 pm. Done with this Weekend report so you're good to go. Some related work in progress should finally commence con brio this weekend.
CLICK here for things to do this weekend in February in all five boroughs of NYC 2025 events NYC.
January 17, 2025 / Things To Do Bronx NYC / Bronx Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather as of 1.17.2025. Sunrise 7.16 am. Sunset 4.56 pm. We're getting 25 more minutes of sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter solstice in late December.
This weekend we could get 1/10th inch of rain concentrated between 1 and 4 pm Saturday or none at all. And on Sunday there's an 80% - 90% chance we'll get two or more inches of snow between 1 pm and 9 pm. Monday is cloudy, but no precipitation is expected.
The temperature highs will be in the mid 40's Friday, the low 40's Saturday, falling to the mid 30's on Sunday and then to the mid teens on Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday and Saturday, falling to the high teens on Sunday and dropping to about 10 on Monday. Most of next week will range from the high single digits up to 30 by next Friday, so enjoy the weekend, as it will be followed by a cold week. The winds will be 5 - 12 mph all weekend, at the lower end on Friday and Saturday, and at the higher end on Sunday and Monday. The humidity will rise from between 50% - 60% Friday, up to between 70% to 80% on Sunday, and again dropping to 50% to 60% on Monday.
Click here for Bronx Buzz - things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in the Bronx.
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.
WORK IN PROGRESS AT 10.30 AM SATURDAY 1.17.2025. IT SHOULD BE DONE BY OR SHORTLY AFTER LUNCHTIME.
√ Saturday January 18, 2025 from 10 am - 1 pm - Freedom Quilters of Gee's Bend Workshop - at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. The event is described as follows, " ... In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. The bold patterns and bright colors of these now-famous quilts made from fabric scraps would later go on to fund aspects of the community’s freedom. Create your own fabric collage to honor Dr. King’s birthday and the inspiring women quilters of Gee’s Bend ...". There's also an 11.30 am storytime performance in the Gund Theater. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds which costs $10 / $6 / $4. For details see - https://www.wavehill.org/
√ Monday, January 20, 2025 - MLK Day of Service at the Riverdale Y - multiple programs that run at various times [use url below for details]. The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. Note that some of the day of service efforts are done in collaboration with other organizations and at their sites in the Bronx. For details see - https://riverdaley.org/mlk/
√ Monday, January 20, 2025 from 10 am to 12.30 pm - Bronx-wide Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. The event is described as follows, " ... The Bronx Council invites you to join us as we give thanks for the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The location of the service rotates yearly among our three Interparish Councils – the 2025 service, hosted by the South Bronx IPC, will be held at St. Lukes Church. The Rt. Rev. Matthew F. Heyd, Bishop will celebrate and the Rev. Canon Victor H. Conrado, Canon for Congregational Vitality & Formation, will preach ...". The day’s offering goes towards our MLK Memorial Scholarship Fund by online donation or check donation ...". St. Lukes Church is located at 777 East 222nd Street near the Williamsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://stlukesbronx.org/contact-us/ or https://dioceseny.org/
√ Monday, January 20, 2025 from 10 am to 12 noon - Martin Luther King Jr. Day / Community InterFaith Celebration - at Trinity Baptist Church at 808 East 224th Street in the Bronx. For details see - https://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/event/rev-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-a-community-interfaith-celebration/
√ This weekend between January 18 - 20, 2025 - Make Your Own Day of Civic Action. There are multiple opportunities to help with food distribution through non-profit panties throughout many neighborhoods in the Bronx. Here is one notable suggestion - https://www.foodpantries.org/ci/ny-bronx.
January 10, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.19 am. Sunset 4.48 pm. The days are longer by 14 minutes of sunlight, versus the week of the Winter solstice in late December. Yahoo?
The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to 40 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 30 all weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend, at the lower end on Friday and Sunday and at the higher end on Saturday. The humidity will generally range between 55% - 65%, except in the latter part of Friday when it will dip into the low 40% range. No precipitation is expected.
The photo at right was taken along Park Avenue near Lever House in Midtown Manhattan, on the last weekend of December. The MetLife Building [renamed in 1992], which was originally erected in 1963 as the PanAm Building, is located in the background, colored in blue light.
Saturday late morning edition at 11.15 am. Mostly done except the markets and open calls which will be updated over the weekend and coming week.
CLICK here to view our report on things to do this weekend in all five boroughs of NYC January 2025 events NYC.
January 1, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year. It's an opportunity to start anew. And even if we don't fulfill our highest expectations, moving the needle in the right direction, is always a good thing.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2025 a better year for you.
December 16.2024 vs 12.29.23 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Holiday Events / Bronx Events & Things To Do / Bronx Restaurants NYC / Bronx Buzz NYC.
Weather Forecast. NYE Sunrise in NYC - 7.20 am. NYE Sunset in NYC - 4.38 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, dropping to the mid 40's for the rest of the three day holiday weekend including Monday. The temperature lows will be around 40 through Sunday, dropping into the low 30's on Monday. Humidity will be around 70% on Friday, descending into the 60's for the rest of the three day weekend. The winds will be about 8 to 10 mph on Friday & Saturday, dropping to about 5 to 7 mph on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast, although it will be cloudy all days except NYE Sunday. Have a safe and Happy New Year.
New Years Eve occurs on a Sunday 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.
The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in the Bronx NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.
Click here to read more about our round up of Bronx New Years Eve parties and NYE parties & events in the Bronx.
December 26, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.18 am. Sunset 4.35 pm. For the first time since June, the days are starting to get longer. We're up 2 minutes of sunlight versus last week.
It looks to be a rainy weekend, on both Saturday [1/3 inch] and Sunday [over 3/4 inch]. There are bound to be plenty of times, during both days, when there's little rain falling; so be brave, and don't let a little water stop you from enjoying your precious time with family and friends.
The temperature highs will rise from about 30 on Thursday, to 34 on Friday, 44 on Saturday, and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the mid teens on Thursday, to the high 20's on Friday, into the low 40's on Saturday and Sunday. The winds will range from 5 - 7 mph on Thursday and Friday, kicking up to 5 - 10 mph Saturday and then again up to 15 mph on Sunday. It's going to be a humid weekend ranging from 70% on Thursday up to 90% on Sunday. These temperature statistics are unusually high for this time of year versus historical norms.
The photo at right, taken in Sunnyside Queens a year ago this week, shows an example of the holiday home decorations one can find in the five boroughs of NYC.
This weekend use the links below to find holiday events, holiday markets and look for things to do over the New Years Eve weekend. We'll be updating the NYE pages over the weekend.
December 20, 2024 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Holiday Events / Bronx Events & Things To Do / Bronx Shops & Shopping / Bronx Buzz NYC.
NOTE- NEW - UPDATE CHANGE LOG. We added an Update Log at the beginning of the listings, so it's easier for you to stay abreast of changes / updates / new additions.
For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
The holidays are a special time of the year. In ancient times there were harvest celebrations to give thanks and enjoy the bounty of the year after a long season / year of work.
There were also winter solstice celebrations to commemorate the end of the darkening of the skies. Many cultures celebrate with a festival of lights, and in Christian cultures the holidays are marked with holiday lighting, tree lightings, candle lightings - as well as the celebration of giving through the most well known and most generous man in the world - Santa Claus.
The photo at right shows the Christmas tree at the three corners plaza at Third Avenue, 149th Street and Willis / Melrose Avenue in the Mott Haven and Melrose neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, back in the Bronx we celebrate in a number of ways, which carry on some of these ancient traditions. The following provides the dates / times / locales and some details regarding many of the various Bronx holiday markets for folks to enjoy shopping between now and the end of the year.
Click here to read our report about Bronx Holiday Markets / Bronx Holiday Events & Things To Do NYC.
Updated _ December 3, 2024 vs 11.29.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 11.29.24. But first - Sunrise 6.59 am & Sunset at 4.29 pm. The drought continues with no precipitation in the forecast. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, and then about 40 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid to low 30's all weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. It's going to be a very dry weekend with the humidity generally ranging from 20% - 30%.
The photo at right shows pedestrian traffic in Grand Central Terminal in November around the Thanksgiving holiday. This year Americans are expected to break Thanksgiving travel records again, with some 71 million traveling more the 50 miles from home by car, and an additional 18 million Americans flying over the holiday. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday of the year.
Saturday Afternoon Edition around 2 pm. We're mostly done for this weekend, but then again, we're never really done as this is an ongoing continuous work in process ... kind of like life itself. It looks to be another busy and good, but back to seasonal, weather weekend. Enjoy.
CLICK here for things to do this weekend in Manhattan December 2024 events NYC.
December 6, 2024 / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government & Politics / City of Yes Special Section / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunities bill passed yesterday afternoon / evening in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. The City of Yes or NYC Municipal Legislative Bill - L.U. 181 & Res 689 - App. N 240290 ZRY (City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity) amendment of the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York, modifying multiple Sections to expand opportunities for housing within all zoning districts, Citywide. *
The photo snapshot at right shows the NYC Council voting on the City of Yes.
Voting For the City of Yes Members. Carlina Rivera District 2, Eric Bottcher District 3, Keith Powers District 4, Julie Menin District 5, Gale Brewer M District 6, Shaun Abreu District 7, Diana Ayala District 8, Yusef Salaam M District 9, Carmen De La Rosa M District 10, Kevin Riley Bx District 12, Pierina Ana Sanchez District 14, Oswald Feliz District 15, Althea Stevens District 16, Rafael Salamanca Bx District 17, Amanda Farias District 18, Francisco Moya Q District 21, Tiffany Caban Q District 22, Shekar Krishnan Q District 25, Julie Won Q District 26, Nantasha Williams Q District 27, Speaker Adrienne Adams Q District 28, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers Q District 31, Lincoln Restler District 33, Jennifer Gutierrez District 34, Crystal Hudson District 35, Chi Osse District 36, Sandy Nurse District 37, Alexa Aviles District 38, Shahana Hanif District 39, Rita Joseph District 40, Justin Brannan Bk District 47.
Pay attention to the delineation of NYC Council members by the boroughs noted above by letters. Speaker Adrienne Adams delivered enough Queens council member votes (7) in favor of the legislation, which had they voted as their Community Boards did, would have killed the City of Yes bill.
Did Adrienne Adams and these NYC Council members betray the people of Queens they were elected to represent? Well, if so, keep in mind they are up for re-election in June 2025. So please educate yourself, fact check the statements made herein by using the power of the internet, and then after you've done enough research to know what's true, start spreading the news and get behind people who will represent you, the voters, not the big money that funded their campaigns.
Voting in the Negative. Joann Ariola District 32, Chris Banks District 42, Joseph C. Borelli District 51, David Carr District 50, Eric Dinowitz District 11, James Gennaro District 24, Kamillah Hanks District 49, Robert Holden District 30, Linda Lee District 23, Farah N. Louis District 45, Kristy Marmorato District 13, Christopher Marte District 1, Diane Mealy District 41, Mercedes Narcisse District 46, Vickie Paladino District 19, Lynn Schulman District 29, Sandra Ung District 20, Inna Vernikov District 48, Kalmar Yeger District 44, Susan Zhuang District 43.
We will keep this roll call of the vote on our site indefinitely in the City of Yes Special Report Section, because you, the voters, can use it as one benchmark vote, that helps you understand who is representing you, and how they are representing you. This becomes particularly important as there is the Democratic Primary in June 24, 2025 and the general election is November 4, 2025. Almost all of the elections are decided in the June primary because 56% of NYC is Democratic and only 26% is Republican. The remaining 18% are independent.
* Editor's Note. The summary of the bill leaves out the part about the NYC Council members forfeiting their power, and because they represent us, they are forfeiting our power and legal rights to weigh in on new developments in our neighborhoods. The summary also leaves out the part where by rushed passage of the 1,388 bill, the real estate developers and international investors can harvest a huge amount of tax abatements for 'affordable housing' that would be 'affordable' to individuals making up to $141,000 and a family of three making up to $183,00 per year or making rental payments of $4575 per month. And the summary leaves out the part about the negotiated deal, wherein how Eric Adams is going to miraculously fund the $4 billion, that magically appeared just by Eric Adams promising it, after Eric Adams tried to cut $100 million from the budgets of public schools in January 2024 and cut $22 million from the budget for public libraries as recently as November 2023. Adams promise of $4 billion is just that, and only that - a promise - as it is NOT IN THE BUDGET. And we all know the value of a politician's promise, especially when it's made by someone like Eric Adams, who has a documented history of lying, and is managing a tight budget that doesn't have $4 billion of funding lying around. He's going to have to take that funding from other places like public schools, public libraries and the NYPD.
December 3, 2024 vs 11.29.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo above or at right shows NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who made an effort to rectify some of the deceitful promises of the City of Yes zoning changes, by negotiating some changes which are more likely to result in the creation of some truly affordable housing - but still very far short from justifying the incredible amount of government tax abatement giveaways that the City of Yes will enable, in light of the 421a NYS property tax law extension, wherein the taxpayers give the rich developers' properties 10 - 40 years tax free, in exchange for the real estate developers building apartments for tenants who earn up to between $141,000 and $183,000 per year.
Is this kind of public policy borderline or outright insane?
November 22, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 11.22.24. But first - Sunrise 6.51 am & Sunset at 4.32 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's all weekend and the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's all weekend. It's going to be a windy weekend with the winds kicking up from 10 - 20 mph Friday, falling back to about 15 mph on Saturday, and then falling back a bit more to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday. The humidity will fall from about 90% on Friday, to about 80% on Saturday and then down to 60% - 70% on Sunday. There's less than 1/3 inch of rain expected Friday and then it should be dry the rest of the weekend.
The photo above or at right was taken a bit earlier this year in the subway station at 42nd Street. The crossroads of the world, so they say. That becomes especially true around the holidays, when people from around the planet come here to celebrate their holidays and the new year.
Friday Early Afternoon Edition just after 12 noon. This is a solid first pass, with some more additions coming by the end of the business day and / or by the end of the calendar day 11.22.24, as we continue updating holiday markets and holiday events. It looks to be another busy and good weather weekend [excepting Friday]. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away?
November 27, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
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.
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.
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.
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?
UPDATING October 15, 2024 vs 11.2.2022 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Restaurants / Bronx Buzz 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.
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.
We've identified a number of Bronx gourmet food shops and grocery stores, community dinners and restaurants open for dining on Thanksgiving Day in the Bronx. Enjoy.
November 27, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
If this wasn't real, I'd be laughing pretty hard.
But because it is real, so I'm only laughing cynically, because it is so close to unbelievable ... and it's happening in - as Eric Adams likes to say - 'the Greatest City in the World'. To which I would comment, 'not for long, if this keeps up'.
To give you an idea of how dishonestly the City of Yes legislation appears to have been sold to us by Mayor Eric Adams and Daniel Garodnick of the Department of City Planning - consider this.
Last week, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, 'negotiated' a better City of Yes legislative package.
So what did she / we get?
She / We got a package that costs $5 billion more, of our hard earned tax payer money, to be used to support wealthy and super rich real estate developers' and investors' projects; and in exchange she / we got 29,000 LESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS promised. So when is the last time you negotiated a better deal, for which you paid billions more, and got tens of thousands of units less, and walked away thinking you got a 'better' deal?
Come on. This is funny.
But in reality it is not very funny at all. It's dishonest.
This shows you how dishonestly Mayor Adams and his side kick Garodnick, appear to have been selling this package to the public. Part of the reason for the lower number of units is that they actually included some honestly affordable housing in the renegotiated legislation.
What Speaker Adrienne Adams got was a more honest [but not completely honest] assessment of what seemed to be a very dishonest legislative package, but it's still far, far less than anything that should fully justify it.
See 'Affordable Housing' story below dated 10.23.24, where 'affordable housing' is used to describe housing units that require an income of up to $250,000. And assuming my understanding of this is correct, Mayor Adams and Garodnick want taxpayers to give real estate developers and investors tax abatements, to build similar 'affordable housing' units, that would be rented to those earning 100% AMI [Area Median Income], which for a three person family is currently $127,000. The incentives might possibly extend to higher income levels [above 100% of the AMI], as the story below indicates - but I need to do more research to obtain confirmation or refutation that tax abatements would be given for units built for incomes above 100% of the AMI in the in the City of Yes legislation.
Posted 11.28.24 _ November 20, 2024 / News Analysis & Opinion / By Layla Law-Gisiko, President. The City Club of New York
"Buy land; they're not making it anymore" - Mark Twain
The conventional supply-and-demand approach, which presumes that increasing the housing supply will lead to greater affordability, fails to address the root causes of the housing affordability crisis. This approach, while seemingly primal and basic, is actually specious. Drawing on the theories of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Piketty, Joseph Stiglitz, and Ryan-Collins, Lloyd, and Macfarlane in Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing, critics argue that the conventional approach fails to account for the unique characteristics of land and housing as commodities. They highlight how financialization, speculation, and wealth concentration distort housing markets and exacerbate inequality. The housing crisis cannot be resolved simply by increasing supply without additional interventions that address the influence of land values, speculative investments, and inequality in the housing market and that in certain circumstances, increasing supply will actually exacerbate the housing crisis.
Copy & paste this link to go to the City Club of New York website - https://cityclubny.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7bd5efc173c501c8faae47a24&id=4112fd461e&e=86b0219420
In modern housing policy, increasing the supply of housing is often cited as the primary solution to the affordability crisis. According to a basic supply-and-demand framework, a larger housing stock should reduce prices by creating competition and addressing housing scarcity. However, housing and land are not commodities like others in the market. Land is fixed in supply, derives its value largely from its location and external factors, and is influenced heavily by speculative and financial practices. This analysis reveals that, contrary to the assumptions of traditional economics, increasing the housing supply is unlikely to resolve the crisis unless additional policies address the complex dynamics of land values, speculation, and market concentration.
November 12, 2024 / NYC Government & Politics / NYC Real Estate & Business / News & Analysis / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Adams Administration Fails to Provide Straight Answers Two Very Specific & Very Basic Questions - 1) How Many Affordable Housing Units Guaranteed by Passage of this Legislation & 2) a) What Size Units, b) at What 'Affordable' Price and c) in What Borough?
What 'Affordable' Housing Guarantees? It is being sold as a cure-all for NYC's housing crisis, yet when I asked the Adams Administration Department of Planning how many units of affordable housing would we be guaranteed by passage of this legislation, the answer that came back to me was a long-winded form of 'none'.
I'll say this again - No 'affordable' housing units are guaranteed by passage of the City of Yes legislation.
What Size Apartment, at What Price & in What Borough? When I asked the Adams Administration's Department of City Planning to provide me with details of how many units of affordable housing would be built, at what 'affordable' price, for what size apartment, and in what borough - I again received another round-about answer via a link they sent me, to one of their selling pitches on a website, where I found no specifics related to the question above.
Let me say this again - No description of what sized units, at what 'affordable' price and in what borough. I found this hard to believe, since for the past year Mayor Adams and Daniel Garodnick of the Department of City Planning have been publicly selling this legislation, by promising it will result in over 108,000 new units of 'affordable' housing being built.
My papa once told me, "No proof. No sale."
Or as the 1980's Reagan commercial asked, "where's the beef?". In this case 'beef' = 'affordable housing'.
Delayed Post _ October 24, 2024 / NYC Government & Politics / NYC Real Estate & Business / News & Analysis / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Editor's Note. We're publishing this two and a half weeks after the fact, as the 2024 federal elections consumed our time and attention. But it has come time again to refocus our attention on one of the most important legislative efforts in decades, which is working its way through the NYC Council, in what appears to be a major effort by international investors, developers and billionaires - aided and abetted by Mayor Adams and the Department of City Planning - to strip away a lot of local voters' rights to make meaningful comments about any new real estate developments or major construction efforts proposed in ALL NYC neighborhoods. The bill is expected to come up for a vote before the end of the year, and possibly as soon as this month.
By Layla Law-Gisiko, President of the City Club of New York.
Another epic hearing wrapped up Tuesday evening [10.22.24], a few minutes short of midnight. This was the grand finale of public hearings on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. At 9:37 AM, Council Member Kevin Riley, chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Variances, called the hearing to order. He solemnly announced that over 600 people had registered to speak.
In the course of the long day, approximately 320 people spoke. Though the split between supporters and opponents was fairly even, the strong presence of special interests and developers highlighted that most regular New Yorkers opposed the proposal.
When the doors of the City Council chamber opened at 9 AM, the room quickly filled, as the public bravely endured the torment of those infamous plastic squeaky chairs—perfectly designed to make you question all your life choices.
They could have enjoyed glorious fall weather and comfortable seating, but New Yorkers took time off their busy schedules to speak up. Renters, homeowners, public housing tenants, and SRO residents—New Yorkers from all walks of life and from all boroughs— voiced their fears about why they believe the plan will fall short of its promises and will hurt them. Overall, the mood was serious, and at times even anxious. New Yorkers expressed fear of displacement and gentrification, fear of a city ever more driven by real estate profit, fear of deregulation in the name of a laudable goal that many fear the proposal will never reach.
November 3, 2024 / U.S. Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
Project 2025 was put together by a group, of very conservative, right wing groups working in concert. This includes, according to a CNN report, 140 Trump affiliates, of which more than a dozen played some role in the first Trump Administration.
To see this yourself, visit https://www.project2025.org.
1. They say they want to secure the border, but when a bi-partisan bill was generally agreed upon by both parties in both houses and ready to be passed into legislation, they / Trump nixed it, so Trump could use it as a campaign issue against Joe Biden. This is just a gimmick, because if they really wanted it, they could have had it over six months ago. As for deporting over 10 million immigrants who are already here ... think long and hard about what that looks and feels like - not just here, but abroad. It will probably look and feel a bit like the Nazis rounding up the Jews, back in the 1930's.
This is a nation of immigrants, and we should be happy that so many people are willing to pick up, and move themselves, to live and work here. In 2023 the U.S. had a population growth of just 1.2%, so we need immigrants to help power the labor force, help pay our retirements, and help pay our national debt. When we no longer look like a destination to move peoples' lives to, we're going to be in big trouble. And deporting over 10 million people, many of whom grew up here, really isn't thinking this thing through.
2. They want to 'de-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight' of the FBI and Justice Department. Both agencies are already managed by the Executive Branch of government, and monitored and funded by the Senate and Congress. Specifically, the Senate and House both hold hearings, review agency policies, monitor agency enforcement, oversee agency functions, and perhaps most importantly is that they have the power of the purse in terms of reviewing appropriations. So the question here is - TO WHOM - do they want to make them accountable? The answer is to the very rich people who are supporting Trump, like Elon Musk.
It appears to me that they should reword this demand to reflect what they really want, which is to defang / cripple federal law enforcement.
3. Unleash American energy and reduce American energy prices. This is their way of saying 'drill baby, drill'. They don't want more clean energy, they want more dirty energy, by deregulating the oil industry, What we should be doing is taxing this cash cow [fossil fuels] out of existence, and refunneling the higher taxes into clean energy incentives, to accelerate the transition to powering society cleanly, before we run down the clock and it's too late.
4. 'Cut the growth of the federal government to reduce inflation'. First take note that the last time Donald Trump was president, he significantly increased government spending, and super-sized the national debt from $20 trillion to $28 trillon - breaking all records by a landslide. So quite frankly, this is simply not believable.
What makes this statement even more of a lie is that the inflation they plan to reduce is currently running at 2.1%, which isn't much different from the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2.0%. So maybe they want to take credit for reducing inflation, but reducing inflation any more than the Biden Administration already has would probably not be good, as 2% is the Federal Reserve's target rate for a smooth running economy.
Also recognize that inflation was a worldwide phenomenon caused by the pandemic, because worldwide production slowed / stopped for CoVid. Consumers and businesses began to bid up the prices of the things that had already been produced that were available, because they didn't know when production would resume. And after production recommenced, then the international shipping carriers and ports had to catch up on the back orders. Today, all of that has long been sorted out, which is why current inflation, using last month's reading was 2.1%. Again, not believable.
5. Make the bureaucrats more responsible to the President and Congress. They already are.
But this is where the hard right and Elon Musk, emasculate the federal government and make it work for them, and them only. Pushing the pain and hardship as far as the American people will tolerate, without rising up and taking to the streets in rebellion.
I don't have time to do #6 and #7, which are [#6] to move control and funding of education to the states [Education of a society is very complicated, so I haven't the time to properly address this, but local governments and states are already mostly in charge of education, and the Federal Government incentivizes programs and curricula they think are in the national interest [like math & science] which local schools may or may not participate in], and [#7] ban biological males from competing in women's sports [don't know enough about this, except to say that local institutions, if they clearly define who may participate on sports teams, should be able to manage this issue. This as a major point of Project 2025 vis-a-vis the other points, seems more designed to be an attack on the hot button issue of gender identity].
October 31, 2024 / U.S. Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
If you've been reading my work, especially in recent times, you'll notice how increasingly frustrated I have become with TV News. If you want to know why America doesn't seem quite right, it's because the TV folks rarely seem to do any real reporting. In times gone by, the real reporting was done by the journalists working for the newspapers, and then the TV newspeople essentially rewrote and then reread the newspaper journalists' work on air.
Newspapers have been decimated by the search engines, specifically Google, undermining the newspaper business models, by using newspapers' content to create a really wonderful apparatus - internet search. But the problem is that the technologists reap most of the advertising revenue, and virtually all of the profit, so that most newspapers can scarcely afford to do much real news anymore, because their staffs are being cut, and they can't invest in real journalism, which costs money.
TV News used to generate much larger audiences, and hence ratings and revenue, than they do today. This is because most folks are spending far more time on their cell phones or on their computers, and thus watching far less TV. Part of the reason is the new technologies, but ...
But the other part of the equation is that the content on TV has growing incredibly old and stale. You can probably find as much content on TV today that was created in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's and 1990's as you can find content created in the first quarter century of this millenium. And moreover, most of the content created for TV in this millenium are those super cheap-to-produce games shows, that some segment of the population has the time, interest and / or boredom to watch. And a lot of the rest of the content produced today is either hospital or law enforcement shows, which really narrows the field in terms of viewing options, if you're interested in anything else.
Back to TV News. If you read our reporting on government and politics the past few months, or over the years, we are constantly in pursuit of the back story. Unfortunately, TV News which reaches a far larger audience than we do, make their living reciting headlines, which is not the same as reporting the news. This brings me to telling you why I'm writing this report.
It takes one to know one.
Back then, they were both right. But things have changed. At present both have a common interest in social media and in that business their respective fortunes seem somewhat aligned, as they are both seek to attract the white uneducated males in our country, to whom they have been feeding misinformation and propaganda, as if it were real news. And while financially, that business model doesn't appear to be working, perhaps they can make it work by getting Trump elected.
MOSTLY DONE _ October 24, 2024 / Belmont Neighborhood Bronx / Bronx Restaurants Little Italy / Bronx Buzz NYC.
Halloween occurs on a Thursday this year. The Bronx Halloween party celebrations begin mid month leading into Halloween weekend running through to Halloween day itself.
Historically the temperatures average about 65 during the day and 50 during the evening around Halloween.
Halloween is one big costume party, where the theatrical side of people, is given a one day opening. Halloween provides people the opportunity to create and play roles they have wanted to play, that is repressed during their daily lives. Will we see the Doctor or the Jekyll side of their personality or something completely out there?
In the photo at right is an actor at ID Theater in Mott Haven who performed in a play which was a part of the 14th annual city-wide, Celebrate Mexico Now in 2017. Professional actors are paid to assume and perform roles, but on Halloween it's an all-volunteer, unpaid, theatrical free-for-all ... but that very chaos of creativity is what makes Halloween in the Bronx [and everywhere else] so much fun.
Click here to read more about our round up of Halloween parties, Halloween parades & Halloween events in the Bronx NYC.
October 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate & Business / Gotham Buzz NYC.
'Better hurry' to participate in this 'affordable housing' lottery for apartments in the Jasper at 49-20 5th Street in Long Island City, Queens. Studios are renting for the 'low, low price' of $2,900 per month and two bedroom apartments are a 'steal' at only $4,400 per month.
To qualify you 'only' need to be earning between $99,000 and $250,000 per year. These annual incomes, which are an eligibility requirement, are only 'slightly' higher [+50% to +291%] than the median NYC salary of $64,000 per year.
But don't worrry, if you miss this 'great' opportunity for 'affordable housing', because the real estate developers, real estate investors, billionaires, property owners and Mayor Adams, are pushing hard to get through the City of Yes Zoning Law changes, which will provide huge tax breaks to investors, billioinaires and real estate developers to make even more of this kind of 'affordable housing' available all over NYC.
Isn't that 'exciting'? It looks like more 'affordable housing' is finally on its way ...
See related stories below and in our City of Yes Special Report section on Gotham Buzz.
And you still have time to be heard by the NY City Council regarding your opinion of the City of Yes. Written Testimony is accepted for 72 hours after the hearing that was held Tuesday 10.22.24. Use this email address to send them your opinions - landusetestimony@council.nyc.gov. I believe the comment period expires at the close of business on Friday 10.25.24.
October 22, 2024 / Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The graphic at right shows your household share of the debt racked up by the federal government while Trump and the Republicans were in charge.
Donald Trump keeps heralding the economy during his presidency 2016 - 2020, but what he doesn't talk about is how he put each household in America on the hook for $62,000 within just four years, or $23,188 per person. We know the Billionaires received that and then some via the 2017 tax cut, but most of the rest of us received pennies on the dollar - at best.
So why haven't the TV Networks newspeople talked about this or questioned Trump or Vance about this? Trump and Vance are both Republicans, and much of this debt was incurred while Republicans also controlled both the Senate and House. The Trump presidency $8 trillion deficit incurred within four years, was equal to 40% of all debt accumulated [and still on the books] by America's 44 previous presidents in the prior 225 years of the nation's existence.
The graphic at right shows the federal government debt trendline ending at the end of the Trump Administration.
So why aren't the TV Networks newspeople informing the American public and telling people about this when the subject of the 'Trump Economy' arises?
Probably because they are too busy looking in people's backyards in Springfield, Ohio for non-existent bones of the dogs and cats that Trump told their TV audience were eaten by Haitian immigrants. Or because they just had to cover the Donald doing a photo op flipping burgers at a McDonald's, propagandistically showing he's a working man. Or because they've buried their ostrich heads so far in the ground that they can't get them out when it really matters. They've taken the nation along with them into the black hole of nothing-newsworthy-news.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the FCC licenses of TV News should be revoked. While his reasons are that they didn't give him a sycophantic, slatheringly obsequious interview; one of my reasons is that they have been failing the American public for decades, by not presenting real news, and also when they do, it's not done in a fair and balanced manner.
But my primary reason is that they are not owned by, nor do they represent, the various demographic groups / voices in the nation. Like their news coverage, they put a glossy shine on the appearance of representation, just as they pretend to do real journalism; but when you scratch the surface, it becomes very apparent, that just as it's not real journalism, their broadcasts do not give voice to the various demographic groups within the country.
I think we may be on a roll until election day.
October 13, 2024 / Things To Do Bronx NYC / Bronx Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 10.11.24. Today - Sunrise 7.03 am & Sunset at 6.20 pm. There's a 50% chance of a small amount [less than 1/5th inch] of rain Sunday night after 9 pm & ending Monday mid morning. Temperature highs will be in the low 70's through Sunday, descending to the low 60's on Monday. Temperature lows will be in the mid to high 50's through Sunday, descending into the mid 40's on Monday. It's going to be a windy weekend, with winds of 11 to 16 mph through Sunday, rising to 17 to 19 on Monday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday, before falling back to 50% - 60% on Monday. Generally a good weather three day holiday weekend. Enjoy.
This report contains a listing of some of the things to do in the Bronx over the Columbus Day Weekend including art museums, theaters, live music / comedy / dance venues, sporting & social events, and restaurants for the Bronx NYC.
You can still attend Bronx street fairs, go bicycling in the Bronx NYC, play soccer & other games in Bronx parks, go shopping in the Bronx NYC, attend Bronx parades, visit a local Bronx farmers market, watch theater, visit the Bronx theaters, performing arts & art museums, and eat out at one of the Bronx restaurants.
See our weekend post on the Friday of Columbus Day Weekend with things to do in the Bronx NYC including the Columbus Day Parade on the front page of this site. The weekend post will include all sorts of other events and activities not necessarily related to Columbus Day.
Sunday, October 13, 2024 assembly begins at 11 am and the parade kicks off at 12 noon - The 47th Annual Bronx Columbus Day Parade. The parade assembly forms along Morris Park Avenue from White Plains Road to Wallace Avenue. The parade departs from Wallace Avenue along Morris Park Avenue until it then turns left onto Williamsbridge Rd, and eventually ends at Lydig Avenue [one block shy of the Pelham Parkway]. The parade will be followed by a street fair but I couldn't find / confirm the location which is likely near the end of the parade in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx. Parades, street fairs & street festivals in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx. Unconfirmed, but I believe this is organized with the help of the Morris Park Community Association at 1824 Bronxdale Avenue and supported by Local 79. For details see - https://morrisparkca.weebly.com/events.html and / or https://www.facebook.com/Laborers79/
Sunday & Monday, October 13 & 14, 2024 beginning at 10 am Sunday, drumming begins at 12 noon - Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration - on Randalls Island. They describe it as follows, "... 24 hours of Cultural Performances, Music, Vending, Food, Spoken word, Guest Speakers, Artist and an evening concert ... ". There's also a daylight water ceremony on Monday. Free, but no drugs or alcohol. For more information see - WS - https://ipdnyc.squarespace.com or INST - https://www.instagram.com/ipdnyc/
Little Italy, along Arthur Avenue in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, near the Bronx Zoo, NY Botanical Garden and Fordham University, is a culturally simpatico locale to spend this Columbus Day / Italian cultural weekend.
Monday, October 14, 2024 from 12.30 to 3.30 pm - Columbus Day Celebration Bronx Little Italy - at East 186th Street at Arthur Avenue in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx. Italian musical performance by Pane & Cioccolato. Free. For details see - https://bronxlittleitaly.com/events/italian-heritage-month-celebration-2024/
Click here to obtain information about things to do Holiday Weekends in the Bronx. And our things to do / Bronx events calendar is updated monthly with between 50 - 100 different Bronx fun / cultural events.
The Bronx several parks of which a few include public indoor swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Bronx Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history.
There are a couple of indoor public swimming pools in the Bronx. One is at the St Mary's Recreation Center at 450 St. Ann's Avenue in St. Mary's Park and the other is at the Hansborough Recreation Center in the Howard Bennett Playground at 35 West 134th Street.
NYC public indoor swimming pools are open [unconfirmed].
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 in 2012 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.
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.
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.
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.
Click here for things to do Columbus Day Weekend in the Bronx.
October 8, 2024 / LIC Neighborhood / Queens Real Estate & Business / Queens Buzz.
It was a beautiful, sunny, dry day as I walked over to the Museum of the Moving Image in LIC / Astoria. I arrived around 11 am to attend part of the second half of the LIC Summit, which is a real estate and business conference which examines in depth, an LIC centric world, but also mindful of the surrounding environment.
After I made my way through a flawless check-in, I found my way into the theater and sat down to listen in on the panel providing a Long Island City real estate update. These panels are structured such that the moderator serves up a number of questions to the panelists for comment, which is then followed by audience questions, which sometimes are the best, because they are asked by people like you and me, who have lived and worked in the area for a long while and witnessed and have adjusted to the huge changes that have occurred in Long Island City over the past couple of decades.
This panel included Patricia Dunphy of SVP of Rockrose Development, Eric Benaim CEO / Founder of Modern Space, Dan Mogolesko SVP of the Durst Organization, Peter Papamichael Principal of the VOREA Group and Crystal Xu Director of Business Development United Construction & Development Group.
As I came in at the end of the panel presentation, I only caught the Q&A portion of the program, which follows.
A performance theater / school owner pondered aloud whether the developers were still interested in involving and supporting the arts and culture scene in Long Island City. At the turn of the century LIC was well known as a thriving artists community, as it offered very competitive rents and good access to mass transit. In the near quarter century since then many - if not most - of the artists have moved out of the area as they can no longer afford the rents, which have skyrocketed from under $1,000 / month to over $4,000 per month.
One of the panelists said they are interested in supporting the arts and he mentioned Culture Lab LIC as one of the arts institutions that has survived the changes. But that was pretty much the full extent of the conversation surrounding the arts community. So I reckon the short answer would be no.
Updated October 5, 2024 vs 10.4.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 10.4.24. Today - sunrise 6.56 am & sunset at 6.32 pm. Nice weekend with moderate temperatures in the 60's and 70's. For the most part no rain, with the tiny exception of overnight Friday a small chance [25%] of a small amount [less than 1/10th inch] and then very late Sunday night but more likely on Monday, there's a 90% chance of a quarter inch of rain. The humidity was nearly 80% Friday, but falls to 50% - 60% on Saturday, before climbing back up again on Sunday to the mid 70% range. Winds are 4 - 9 mph all weekend. Generally a great fall weekend weatherwise.
Early Saturday Morning Edition at 1.30 am. This is done or mostly done. Looks like a jam packed weekend of fun things to do. Enjoy.
Friday & Saturday, October 11 & 12, 2024 Yom Kippur - the holiest day of the Jewish year.
CLICK here to view our page of events in NYC & NYC things to do in October.
Updated September 24, 2024 & began February 21, 2024 / NYC Real Estate & Business / City of Yes Special Report Section / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
This section contains the reporting we've been doing on the proposed City of Yes legislation. The City of Yes legislation appears, in essence, to be a major effort by Mayor Adams to have New Yorkers almost completely give up their power vis-a-vis having any kind of say with respect to real estate development in their neighborhoods and communities. The power is transferred to the Mayor's Office & NYC Department of Planning which is controlled by the Mayor, as well as to the billionaires, international investors & wealthy real estate developers - many of whom have contributed generously to the Mayor's election campaigns and legal defense fund, and appear to be continuing to do so. If this doesn't look right, then you're seeing what I'm seeing.
The City of Yes legislation seems a complete capitulation to the billionaires and real estate developers interests. In fact they are the ones who put together the 1366 page legislation. Given Mayor Adam's other ethical and legal problems, it is very troublesome that many of the same folks who will benefit significantly from the passing of this legislation, are also major contributors to the Mayor's - and also many City Councilmembers' - re-election bids / campaigns. It's time to pay attention, because this matters and with the election coming up, you can do something about it.
Mayor Adams isn't the only Mayoral candidate taking wealthy real estate developers' and billionaire property investors' cash, which oftentimes contain invisible strings that seem to be used to manipulate what gets done at City Hall ... like the City of Yes legislation appears to be.
Pay attention to whether any of the candidates running this election cycle, have the courage and integrity to call out this legislation for what it appears to be - a sell out of the masses of New Yorkers by their elected representatives - to the wealthy and super rich people who fund their campaigns.
Democracy only works if 'We The People' pay attention to who is who, and what they do, before we vote.
Unfortunately, you're not likely to be informed about this by the TV news teleprompter readers, who recite lullabies, while showing NYPD crime and social media accident videos, instead of reporting the news. Even on their best days, the TV teleprompter readers barely scratch the surface of what's really going on in this city - and on those rare occasions when they do - they seem oblivious to it.
What follows below are the reports we've done to date on the City of Yes - a nearly complete overhaul of New York City's zoning regulations.
More reports to follow, as time and resource allow.
September 20, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 9.20.24. Sunrise 6.42 am & Sunset at 6.55 pm. It looks to be a precipitation free weekend with the highs around 80 Friday, descending to the mid 70's for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be around 60 and the humidity will hold steady all weekend at between 60% - 70%. The winds will also hold steady at about 10 mph all weekend. Have a great first Fall Weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Steuben Day Parade in Manhattan in a prior year. The parade and accompanying Oktoberfest in Central Park return this weekend. See details below.
Friday Final Edition at 6.45 pm. Looks like a great Fall weekend both weather-wise and for things to do. Enjoy.
The photo above / at right was taken in 2022 outside the United Nations. In the lower foreground you can see a security officer, as well as several of them on the roof of one of the UN buildings. In the middle of the photo are some of the flags on the nations who come here, to convene with all other nations from around the world.
Friday, September 20, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Climate March. Begins at Foley Square at Lafayette, Worth & Centre Streets in Downtown Manhattan near City Hall. Free. For details see - https://www.endfossilfuels.us/ and https://actionnetwork.org/events/youth-climate-strike-tear-down-the-pillars-of-fossil-fuels-2?source=direct_link&
Saturday, September 21, 2024 - Steuben Day Parade & Oktoberfest NYC. The parade begins at 12 noon from 5th Avenue at 68th Street and marches up to 86th Street. Following the parade there's an Oktoberfest at the Rumsey Playfield at 69th Street but in Central Park. Oktoberfest begins at 1 pm and runs until 6.30 pm. Enter Central Park at 72nd St & 5th Avenue. Admission $44 / $8 kids, sometimes tickets can sell out prior to the event. For details and tickets see - https://germanparadenyc.org/oktoberfest/ or https://www.facebook.com/steubenparadeny/
August 30, 2024 / Coney Island / Brooklyn / Brooklyn BLVD.
On Friday night, the final fireworks show by the Alliance for Coney Island, started around 10 pm on the Reigelmann Boardwalk just east of the Steeple Chase Tower and adjacent to the Luna Amusement Park. It was a comfortable evening, with a slight, cool breeze coming in off the water. There were hundreds of spectators who came to see the show and enjoy an end of the summer ride and snacks at Luna Park. I shot the 10 - 15 minute show from various locations around the Boardwalk, water and Luna Park and then edited it down to about 2 - 3 minutes, ending with a bit of island music. Enjoy the show.
August 30, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 8.30.24. Sunrise 6.20 am & Sunset at 7.31 pm. Some rain expected Saturday night and early Sunday morning, so it should be a good weekend. Temperatures in the 80's during the day and 70's at night. A gentle breeze and humidity climbs gradually during the weekend, falling again on Monday.
In the photo at right, is one of Historic Richmond Town's finest citizens, doing his thing in the woodwork shop. The man reminded me of, Geppetto, the kind and fatherly woodcarver who created Pinocchio, the fictitious wooden puppet who comes alive.
Saturday 8.31.24 Final Weekend Edition @ 11.45 am. All done. Looks to be a fair weather weekend with plenty of fun things to do as the unofficial end of the summer arrives. Enjoy your three day / end of summer weekend. Fall events to follow in September.
Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches and public swimming pools are Open all Summer.
July 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Bronx Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Forecast as of 7.23.24. Generally looking good with no rain in the forecast, the highs in the high 80's and lows in the mid 70's. Winds 5 mph and humidity about average. Update coming with the Friday / Weekend post.
The photo at right was taken at the Bronx Dominican Parade in a prior year. The parade returns this Sunday. See details below.
Dominican Day Parades in the Bronx NYC. NYC has several Dominican Day parades, a couple of which we've previously covered. We've included in this report about the upcoming Bronx Domincan Day Parade, information about the Dominican Day Parades in the other boroughs of NYC.
Updated July 19, 2024 vs 7.18.24 / National Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
I am very disappointed in the behavior of the Democratic Leadership, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader (D-NY) Chuck Schumer, U.S. Congressional Minority Leader (D-NY) Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) for making public their calling for Biden to step down, right in the middle of the presidential race. Note that these Democrats are - like the corporate mass media - urban and bicoastal - not from the Midwest / heartland / swing states.
A day after first posting this, a friend sent along a political cartoon published in The Week [shown at right]. It seems to capture the sentiment expressed above pretty well and shows all of the above named Democrats seated in the train, mentioned in order, from right to left.
There's an old adage that goes something like this, "never change horses in the middle of the race". That quote is attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, who is said to have used it to persuade voters to re-elect him, rationalizing that, "... it would be foolish to change leaders in such a turbulent time ...". It seems the same wise advice has some relevance to today.
Since both Biden and Trump became their parties' presumptive presidential nominees on 'Super' Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the presidential race began that day. And since election day is approximately eight months later, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, we have already passed the midway mark for this presidential race, which ends only three and a half months from now.
Apr 25, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Aug 27, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Jul 08, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Jul 06, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Jul 05, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
July 6, 2024 / Coop City / Bronx Buzz NYC. Story and video by Michael Wood.
I attended and recorded the Coop City fireworks in the Bronx this year. The fireworks display was launched from the Coop City Field located along the Hutchinson River which empties into the Long Island Sound.
They started around 9.30 pm and went for about 15 - 30 minutes, and I fouind it to be a fireworks display worth watching. Check out a few clips we put together from the show.
June 27, 2024 vs 6.21.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I was horrified Thursday night, as I watched the CNN TV debate unfold between President Joe Biden and 'FORMER' President Donald Trump. Not only because of Joe Biden's performance, but even more so because of CNN's performance, including Jake Tapper's and Dana Bash's mega journalistic failure, for moderating a show, advertised as news [which is supposed to be about facts], that disinformed their TV audience.
The horrors started with the sound [wo]man's failure to properly amp or set up Joe Biden's microphone so that it properly projected his soft spoken voice at a level audible to the TV viewing public. I had to ratchet up the volume on my TV to twice the level I normally use, to hear what President Biden was saying.
Then there's the incredible failure by the TV anchors to properly moderate the debate. First of all they should NEVER have agreed to moderating a debate where fact checking was not a part of the process. I mean really, how can CNN look itself in the mirror tomorrow morning and tell everyone they are a news organization, when facts don't matter in of all things, a Presidential Debate?
And then add to that, that one of the candidates is known to be one of the biggest liars on the planet. According to a January 24, 2021 Washington Post report, they noted that Donald Trump had lied 30,573 different times, in the four years he was president.
Former President Trump went off on some of his predictable mendacious campaign tirades, about January 6th, abortion, immigration, the economy ... and pretty much everything else - without any corrections - save from President Biden, who quite frankly, in part because of his stutter, and in part because it was difficult to hear him, didn't do a very good job.
Updated July 4, 2024 vs 6.23 & 6.21.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 from 6 am to 9 pm - NYS Primary Voting. Record-breaking, special-interest group spending on a congressional race is going on in the Bronx right now. The American Israeli Political Action Committee [aka AIPAC] appears to be funding efforts to unseat Congressman Jamaal Bowman who has ardently and out-spokenly opposed Benjamin Netanyahu's and the Israeli military atrocities in Gaza, which some have suggested is the Palestinian Kristallnacht.
Keep in mind that TV political ads aren't a fair and balanced source of information. About all they really tell you, is who has the deepest pockets. A government of, for and by the people doesn't run on auto pilot. Elections matter. To find your poll site, copy and paste - https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc. To fact check TV political ad misinformation, copy and paste - https://www.bowmanforcongress.com/get-the-facts
June 17, 2024 / Things To Do NYC / Holidays, Parades & Ethnic Culture / Gotham Buzz.
Over the past ten years or so, interest and awareness of Juneteenth has grown fast. Juneteenth commemorates American slaves obtaining their freedom on June 19, 1865 in Texas, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, wherein President Abraham Lincoln officially freed the slaves effective January 1, 1863. Unlike today, word didn't travel so fast, and in the Confederate states, the white slave owners did their best to keep the slaves from learning of Lincoln's Executive Order. Juneteenth is a word blend denoting June [nine]teenth. President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, taking effect immediately and in time for folks to first celebrate the holiday two days later, on June 19th, 2021.
In the photo at right is John Watusi, who was a Founder and the Executive Director of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in years gone by [now deceased]. John was a poet and a civil rights activist who recognized, along with others, the important role that history and culture play in people's lives. So, while Juneteenth is a celebration of an African American liberation day, it is also a celebration of African American culture.
This year NYC Mayor Adams cited a number of NYC cultural and historical sites and tours related to Juneteenth and the African American experience in NYC. In an OpEd he penned and we published Monday, you'll find links to some of the sites and tours he references of interest. Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Gotham Buzz NYC.
Here are a couple of African American Historical Sites in NYC, some of which are referenced in the Mayor's OpEd. Brooklyn Juneteenth Historic Sites - Juneteenth Grove at Cadman Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn. It's there 24/7. Manhattan Juneteenth Historic Sites - African Burial Ground - located at Elk and Duane Streets just a block north of City Hall in downtown Manhattan. Online Juneteenth Historic Sites - African American Landmarks and Historic District Interactive Map & Seneca Village Online - created by the Landmarks Preservation Committee.
Click Manhattan 4th of July fireworks for Manhattan independence day fireworks or click July 4th fireworks in NYC for NYC independence day fireworks in the 5 boros of NYC. And of course, click this link for the Orchard Beach fireworks 2024 in the Bronx. Enjoy.
May 15, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Series / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government Media & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Since the beginning of the new year I've attended over a half dozen different lectures, presentations and community discussions, about the City of Yes and related topics. Two of them were presentations given by the NYC Planning Department who are selling the plan, one by the Federal Reserve which took a stance that leaned pro business but did not ignore the possible destructive ramifications of passing the legislation, one by a community activist group in Brooklyn, another by a Community Board in Manhattan, and two others by a civic group, also in Manhattan.
I tried to keep an open mind about the pros and cons of the legislation, but I couldn't help but begin forming opinions about the proposed legislation, as I collected, sorted and analyzed the legislation and information surrounding it. Over time, the ramifications of actually passing this legislation have begun to appear.
The legislation was concocted by billionaires, real estate developers and the NYC Planning Department, headed by Daniel Garodnick. As such, it reflects their interests, and seems to almost completely ignore the interests of the communities that the NYC government is supposed to be serving.
The Mayor has been pushing the City of Yes, because he believes it will eliminate the 'Not in My Back Yard aka NIMBY' that many infrastructure projects [including affordable housing] encounter when the government or real estate developers are trying to foist them on a community. Hence this would have the effect of enabling projects to move more quickly from conception to fruition, and at a lower cost to the government, billionaire or real estate developer pushing the project. The Mayor also believes that this will enable the creation of more affordable housing.
It might enable the creation of more affordable housing, and it might not. It could just enhance the bottom lines of the billionaires and developers pushing the plan, which in my mind is the more likely scenario.
But, more importantly, it would usurp the power that the people living in these communities currently have, to voice their concerns about new construction projects like affordable housing, commercial buildings or transit, being built within their neighborhoods. While I appreciate the Mayor's interest in reducing the time and cost of getting things built - like affordable housing - I don't think that taking away the power a community has over what is developed within their midst, is the right way to go about changing things. And perhaps even more importantly, I think any time you're transferring power from the little people to the rich and mighty, you're moving power in the wrong direction.
So, with this in mind, I'm going to take you into a Zoom conference hosted by the City Club of New York which was entitled ReThinking the Housing Crisis, held on May 7, 2024. While not specifically about the City of Yes, it provides some contextual background which should help in evaluating it. And later this month we'll also have a report on the Federal Reserve's April 25, 2024 conference entitled 'Fostering Neighborhoods: Faith-Based Organizations and the Development of Affordable Housing' which was largely about the proposed City of Yes legislation. At that conference there were several speakers who promoted the legislation, but not without reservations, both of which we'll include in our report.
Jun 17, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
May 24, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
April 16, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Section / NYC Real Estate & Business / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Last Thursday, April 11, 2024, I attended a Zoom Conference Call hosted by the City Club of NY, wherein four zoning experts presented their assessments of the sweeping zoning changes proposed in Mayor Adams' City of Yes zoning legislation.
The City of Yes zoning proposal is being pushed hard, and it is being pushed fast, by the Adams Administration in tandem and with the strong support of the billionaire class and the real estate development industry. These two groups are supportive of Mayor Adams' proposal because it will free them from the time, expense and hassle of answering to us, the locals ... the people who actually live in the places, where the uber rich and real estate developers want to transact business.
So you'd better pay attention before the people's [aka your] input - into the sorts of structures and activities allowed in their [your] communities - is rolled back sixty years, and possibly far further back. The City of Yes legislation will provide the super wealthy and the real estate developers, from all around the world, with the power to dictate to NYC community neighborhoods what structures they're going to erect, in many cases where, and what sorts of activities will take place on the property - within the very lax parameters embedded into the City of Yes legislation.
We've been tracking this legislation for a couple of months now. First via Alicia Boyd of MTOPP [Movement to Protect the People], a community activist in Brooklyn; then via the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [MOECM] via Zoom; then via Community Board Meetings in Sunnyside Queens where the NYC Planning Department presented the City of Yes, followed by a Community Board Six in Manhattan Zoom Conference Call; and most recently with the City Club of NY, whose presentations are being published today.
We are thankful to these people and organizations for investing the time to help do the work of a functioning democracy, which is to engage and inform the people about the decisions being made by those in power on their behalf that - may or may not - be on their interest.
April 9, 2024 / NYC Parks & Environment / NYC Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather as of 4.9.24. Sunset 7.30 pm. Sunrise 6.24 am. Other than a forecast of nearly an inch of rain between 8 pm Thursday and 11 am Friday, the rest of the week should be dry. The temperatures will hit 70 today and possibly Sunday, otherwise in the 60's, while the lows will be in the 50's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph, except from the evening of Thursday, through Friday, and descending into the weekend. The humidity will rise through the week, until Friday when it hits about 60% and then begins dropping into a very dry Saturday [35%], before climbing on Sunday.
The image at right shows a number of New Yorkers out in the park observing the solar eclipse on Monday.
In addition to the presidential primary, there are also NYS primary races on the ballot.
Updated February 1, 2024 from 1.30.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Adams veto of the How Many Stops Act - Bill 586-A by a margin of 42 to override the veto and 9 in support of it, with 0 abstentions. The City Council also revoked the use of solitary confinement at Rikers. A number of the councilmembers stated an interest in working with Mayor Adams on implementation of the changes, to ensure there's no degradation of law enforcement effectiveness because of the change.
Some council members shared negative experiences of their own and their constituents, of being stopped by the police. Many NYC Council members also commended NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for drafting and pushing the legislation through the council.
The photo at right was taken at City Hall in December of 2023, when the Mayor met with members of the ethnic and community media, to discuss past, present and future issues and efforts.
CLICK here to read our report about why we think the Mayor was right in vetoing the Too Many Stops Act.
January 29, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NEW YORK – Following today’s veto on City Council bill Intro. 586-A — which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe — faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opposition to the bill.
Here is what New York leaders are saying. What follows is the full reprint of a press release issued by the Mayor's Office on January 19, 2024.
January 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
On Monday, October 2, 2023 I headed down to the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC to make a withdrawal. Not a withdrawal of money, but to collect some information about Climate Change, at a Conference they hosted for local media outlets.
The Keynote speaker was Joseph E. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, who participated in a discussion with John C. Williams, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.
The keynote speaker, Joseph Stiglitz, has expertise is in economics, and more specifically, informational economics. Stiglitz was preceded by economist George Stigler [not to be confused with the keynote speaker Joseph Stiglitz] who is credited with first developing 'The Economics of Information' in 1961 while a professor at the University of Chicago. This was the beginning of an entire area of study of how information and information systems affect economic decision making.
In the 1970's three researchers, one of whom was Joseph Stiglitz [the keynote speaker], is credited with developing the theory of 'Asymmetric Information' which posits generally that one of the parties - in a two party transaction - has better information. For example the seller of a used auto knows more about the car than the buyer, or a borrower likely has better information about whether there will be problems in repaying the loan than the lender.
November 6, 2023 / NYC Government & Polltics / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz. News Analysis & Opinion by Michael Wood.
This past summer, while working on another story in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], I entered into discussions with the MOECM, about the possibility of an exclusive interview with the Mayor. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media was created a couple of years ago, to enhance local media access to the goings on at City Hall, in order to better inform the public. Under the Adams Administration, part of that program included providing greater government official availability to somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 local media outlets.
Famod Konneh, Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement collaborated with me to make arrangements for the interview, which took place on Friday, October 20, 2023. It's worth noting that every reporting story done live, is a collaboration of a sort, between the journalist and the subject(s) covered.
The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], at the MOEDM operations cener which is in the basement of City Hall, while he was setting up the video conference.
I did a considerable amount of research into the Mayor's past, while preparing for the interview. I did all this prep work, even though Famod had told me I would be limited to 20 minutes via a Zoom video call, as I was pitching him for more time. When I first first started the research, I did it in preparation for the interview, but, as sometimes happens with the kind of reporting I do, the more I learned, the more I became interested in learning even more about the Mayor and his life story.
Initially I thought I would do a standard hard news interview about key topics of the day including immigration, crime, the public schools and the budget. But, as I journeyed into the Mayor's past, I became more intrigued with the idea of doing a different story.
As I conducted my research, I decided that NOT to inquire about the Mayor's - seemingly unappreciated or underappreciated - Herculean effort to manage the huge influx of immigrants into NYC. This situation, turned crisis, began when Texas Governor Greg Abbott began bussing immigrants from Texas border towns, beginning in August 5, 2022, to NYC. Governor Abbott began transporting immigrants here without any communication nor coordination with NYS Governor Hochul or NYC Mayor Adams.
Nonetheless, Mayor Adams somehow found enough lodging for somewhere between 65,000 - 125,000 immigrants bussed in since then, who arrived in the city within the past year or so. The Mayor also managed to carve enough funding out of the NYC budget to provide security, food, healthcare and logistics for the newcomers, with what - until fairly recently [the past three months or so] - appeared somewhere between scant and lagging help from the likes of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), respectively.
In spite of this gargantuan challenge, Mayor Adams made sure NYC didn't miss a step. His Administration kept the influx of immigrants mostly off the streets, and appeared to ensure they were't coopted into criminal activities by providing for them, in spite of laws which forbade them from earning a living. This nearly heroic effort has mostly gone unheralded by the corporate media.
The photo above right shows the Mayor pondering a question I posed to him, during our Zoom interview. He's in the Mayoral limo enroute to his next event.
CLICK here to read the rest of the story about my exclusive interview with Mayor Adams about his life - profile.
ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS
APRIL is the month of rain and nature blooming once again. The days are much longer and lighter.
This month we celebrate Easter in April [ it was in March in 2024], Earth Day, Passover, Eid Al Fitr which is the end of Ramandan, April Fools Day and of course we must file and pay our taxes.
This is also the month of the Tartan Scottish Day Parade, Persian Day Parade, and the Sikh Day Parade in Manhattan, as well as the Bangladeshi Parade in Queens. Also the International Auto Show comes to the Javits and the Macy's Flower Show begins.
There's plenty to do in the Bronx in the parks, the farmers markets and street fairs begin anew, and cultural happenings abound.
The photo above was taken in a prior year at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
The Bronx is also the host of numerous concerts, theater and film events, as well as great food, parks and good public transit.
Enjoy.
Use search to find prior stories, maps, photos and business listings.
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UPDATED October 7, 2023 from 9.19.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The official / unofficial kick off to the month and a half of Oktoberfest events in NYC begins in Manhattan with the Steuben Parade. This report identifies a number of Oktoberfest events around NYC beginning mid September and running through the end of October.
The photo at right shows one of the floats in the Steuben Parade celebrating the consumption of bier, which in tandem with consumption of bratwurst, is an integral part of Oktoberest. One thing the photo doesn't show is the music, that also goes hand in hand with Oktoberfest.
Coming with time. We've posted a number of Oktoberfests in this report, but a few more are coming. Also watch the front page, as this year [only] they are likely to be posted there first.
September 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Fall is just around the corner, which means the San Gennaro Festival is about to begin in Little Italy in Manhattan. See the front page or the parades & festivals page or click into the story for details of the San Gennaro Festival of 2023.
Little Italy is just north of Canal street, across from Chinatown, which lies to its south. SoHo lies to its west, across Lafayette Street. While the Bowery is just east of it along Mott and Bowery Streets, and Nolita [North of Little Italy] lies to the north of it, across Broome Street. This is something of a downsized area from the original Little Italy of a century ago.
Little Italy was an important destination for Italians arriving in New York City in the late 1800's and early 20th century. It was generally a poor, working class neighborhood at that time, filled with laborers, and shopkeepers who traded food, wine and clothing. And the community was fairly self-sufficient with its own doctors, lawyers and bankers accoding to a Wikipedia account of an NYT story in 1896.
Little Italy's size and population peaked in the early 20th century, aat about 10,000, as Italians left for greener pastures in other parts of the city, including East Harlem, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Nonetheless, Little Italy remains somewhat intact, as a very popular tourist destination, the peak of which is celebrated in tandem with the San Gennaro Festival.
September 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This weekend, there are a number of events around the five boroughs commemorating the losses of 911. The following are a few of those events.
The collection of photos at right shows an cultural performance at Lincoln Center honoring the victims of 911. The performance returns Monday at 8.05 am.
Ongoing _ Daffodil Project in NYC Parks. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/sept-11-memorials
Mar 17, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Jun 28, 2023 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Apr 25, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
February 11, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 452.
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.
January 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 429.
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.
Click here to view our report about Bronx Halloween parties NYC and Bronx New Years parties NYC.
June 9, 2021 / Bronx Farmers Markets / Bronx Street Fairs / Bronx Buzz NYC.
A few Bronx farmers markets might be open year round, but most of them are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Bronx farmers markets began opening in the Spring of 2021, with the rest of them opening no later than the first couple of weeks in July of 2021. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in the Bronx.
Bronx street fairs, on the other hand, are entirely seasonal. Some of them hit the streets as early as April 2021. The number of Bronx street fairs rises during the late spring and continues through the dog days of summer [July / August], including into the late part of the Fall. By the end of November the Bronx street fairs go on hiatus, with a few returning as early as April. Click here to view a full schedule of the Bronx street fairs.
BX LITTLE ITALY
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Click here for reports about Bronx holiday events and here for Bronx holiday markets.
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Last Updated 2019