Category: Environment

Environment, NY Environment, NY News, Tourism

See New York for all its Colors

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New York is bursting with gorgeous fall colors. The trees are alight with deep reds, bright oranges, warm yellows, and strong greens.

New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has launched “Fall for NYC,” a festival of Fall with events throughout October across the five boroughs. You can enjoy hiking trails, foliage tours, and exciting activities for the whole family.

Fall 2019, in particular, is slated to be one of the most spectacular fall seasons ever. The wet summer days soaked the city’s trees, setting them up for fantastic foliage displays in October and November. The forecast for cool, clear nights throughout these months also means that the trees will continue to display their spectacular rainbow of beauty straight up to winter.

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Baaa Goes the Basilica

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NOLITA THE BASILICA of ST. PATRICK’S OLD CATHEDRAL….A new flock of sheep is being welcomed by the Church in a wonderfully NY patriotic celebration.  According to , Church Administrator, this is:

“one of the most anticipated happenings in the neighborhood.  People line up six to seven deep on the sidewalk to see them.”

This will be the first trip to New York for the three 5 month old ewes – appropriately named Houston, Prince and Spring. They were transported from Hudson Valley to Manhattan and when they arrived received quite a few blessings.  First, from Sakano and then from 5 or 6 members of staff.  One of their biggest fans in 37 year old filmmaker and parishioner Andrew Shermin, who has named himself “Shepherd of NoLiTa.”

While this is Buckwheat’s second year collaborating with the Old St. Patrick’s, it’s the first trip to the big city for Houston, Prince and Spring. The 5-month-old ewes — named for three famous streets in their new neighborhood — put up little fuss during the hour-long ride from the Hudson Valley to Manhattan, but were eager to get on the lawn and begin munching on grass. They better get used to the attention: The wooly creatures will not only get a blessing from Sakano, but also a staff of five or six catering to their every need, including self-proclaimed “Shepherd of NoLiTa” Andrew Shermin, a 37-year-old parishioner and filmmaker who is the animals’ biggest fan.  Perhaps he has something to do with the recent Sheep Throat article…

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Brooklyn Bike Shop Owner Launches Campaign for Children with Special Needs

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Sandra Alfonzo runs her own bicycle shop in South Slope Brooklyn, and loves watching children enjoy their bikes throughout the city. One morning, during her morning run, she spotted a child without a bike. He watched other kids whizz by sadly, but knew he would never ride one himself because he was in a wheelchair. At that moment, Ms. Alfonzo took on a new project: providing customized bikes to children with special needs. With no experience in fundraising, she calculated that she’d be able to buy one adapted bike, priced at $4,000, each year if she could successfully get a small donation for every flat tire that she fixed at the shop, and match each one.

Upon hearing of her plan, a regular customer revealed his background in fundraising and gave her some pointers. Together they researched adaptable bikes and spoke with an organization called Freedom Concepts about the options that exist and the challenges they may face throughout their campaign. Today, Alfonzo’s project is called AdaptAbility and is already raising funds online. Alfonzo is hopeful that they will be able to purchase their first bike by next month.

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The Wonder of New York

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New York is thriving in wonderment.  From eateries to architecture, history to modernity, New York is just simply impressive.  Alongside a book by Justin Davidson (New York magazine architecture critic) entitled, “Magnetic City: A Walking Companion to New York” is a recent review in the New York Post by Steve Cuozzo who basically concluded that: “New York City has never been so appealing or life-affirming as it is today.”

With decelerating crime and a population of almost 9 million, there is a true sense of powerful energy, deals being done, and more leading to a huge demand for property and accommodation. One need only look at 42nd Street, the Brooklyn waterfront, the Financial District, the High Line, South Bronx, Sugar Hill, Upper West Side, West Chelsea and the World Trade Center.

Of course there are still the squalid neighborhoods like the Meatpacking District, Lexington Avenue, Brownsville-East, etc.  But overall, when talking of art, affluence, culture and excitement, New York will often be included in that sentence.  Just check out Grand Central Terminal, the New York Public Library, the Chrysler Building and Times Square if you want to enjoy “the city’s nimbleness, its ability to navigate the chaotic present” today.

 

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New York Landmark Preservation

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preservationThe Landmarks Preservation Commission is set to demolish a historic home in the East Village.  The light-blue-colored home – located on East Seventh Street – demolition protestors are arguing should be given building landmark status, or the row of houses between Avenues C and D should be preserved.

Protestors are arguing that this is part of a land preservation matter since it was built in the 19th century, but the Commission’s argument is that such structures do not “rise to the level” of a landmarks designation.  Still, in the past it has been home to various political figures as well as merchants who worked in the shipyards in the East River and thus has a story to tell.  Indeed, Green Village Society of Historic Preservation’s Andrew Berman argued that: “these houses really are the last piece of the old ‘Dry Dock District’ which was the heart of New York City’s working waterfront in the early 19th century, and in the late 19th century they were at the center of New York City’s political life.”

Moving over to the West Village, the plan for a mansion on Jane Street was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission once the designer overturned his idea for tall glass and concrete towers with which Greenwich Village preservationists took issue.  Andrew Berman said that the revised plan was a vast improvement over the original plan, which would have been a woefully out-of-place and precedent-setting intrusion in the Greenwich Village Historic District.”