To our dear Bloomingdale business owners: with all our volunteers scurrying around to make your refreshing goods available to nibble on or to orchestrate all your contributions for bidding at the silent auction, we didn't have time to shout from the rooftops that without you our yard sale just wouldn't be the same!

For part two of the great yard sale wrap-up, here is the whopping list of businesses whose in-kind donations helped the Block Association work towards its dual goal of bringing out the community and raising funds for the BA's community-building endeavors.  They sent discounted and complimentary food for our refreshment table; and they provided gift certificates and discounts and bottles of wine and more for our silent auction.  And they did it all for you...for us...for the neighborhood.

If you came out on the 17th, you'll know what I mean when I say: "It took a village." 

And in recognition, here's a major hat tip to our local business friends.  We are gratified by and grateful for your neighborly spirit and contributions to support our event. 

Readers, please check out these businesses and doff your cap in person.

Academy Floral
Amla 
Bank Street Bookstore
Broadway Pizza
Carol Bowen Studios
Dive Bar
Dunkin' Donuts
Festival Chamber Music Society
First Republic Bank
Five Lamps Tavern
Henry's
Liberty House III 
Long Teng Massage & Spa
Martin Brothers Wine
Mexican Festival
MP Fitness NYC
NuYu Revolution Fitness Studio
Pan Asian Repertory Theater
Riverside Liquor
Ruth Helfrich Crafts
Silver Moon Bakery 
Subway
Toast
Westside Gem
Wine in November
...plus our thanks to the dozens of other neighbors who donated items, crafts, services and who baked their hearts out.  There will be a full article coming out shortly in our next newsletter.


By Caitlin Hawke

If you have been on Broadway in the past few days, you've seen a rather incredible transformation: a new crosswalk from median strip to median strip right smack dab across W. 96th Street.  This crosswalk with its concomitant expanded corners, medians, and new "no left turn" indications now allows pedestrians to flow freely -- and with care, safely -- into and out of the 96th Street subway station house.  The new crosswalk eases the pressure on the southeast and southwest corners of Broadway and W. 96th where pedestrians congregated and impatiently awaited the chance to cross over to the station.  The change means that north and south bound drivers on Broadway will not have to navigate through the same maze of jaywalking straphangers rushing for their trains.  And it means that subway riders can flow into and out of the station house in all directions with the light.

With time, all hope these changes will improve traffic safety in our neighborhood.  However, drivers still need to make those now-prohibited left turns as seen in the diagram above.  Where will they do it now?  And will that become the next problem zone for drivers and pedestrians?  Stay tuned for more on traffic safety on the Upper West Side.


By Caitlin Hawke

h/t to the West Side Rag which has the story in detail, as it often does!

Photo credit: DOT by way of Mark Levine's office

On May 1st, the DOT announced that Upper Broadway will be the fourth of two dozen planned "slow zones."  Slow zone speeds will have a maximum of 25 m.p.h.  The Broadway slow zone will extend from Columbus Circle northward to Inwood, extending over eight miles and passing through our neighborhood's stretch of Broadway.  The change will take effect in July. 

In addition to the lowering of the speed limit, the DOT will reprogram traffic signals in an effort to calm traffic and discourage speeders.

Many activists and local elected officials were present for the announcement.  “I’m thrilled that DOT chose Broadway from Columbus Circle to W. 220th Street to be an Arterial Slow Zone,” said Council Member Helen Rosenthal. “This corridor is a highly trafficked pedestrian area, and lowering the speed limit to 25 m.p.h. will save lives.”

The slow zoning is part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero safety plan.

By Caitlin Hawke

 Here's a great way to donate your time and talent to help build our community.  We are looking for  neighborhood musicians who would enjoy giving a performance during the Spring Yard Sale on Saturday, May 17th (rain date May 18th).  The event runs from 10 am to 5 pm all along W. 103rd Street between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive.  Here's the information you'll need if you are interested.

• 30-45 minute sets
• Bring your own intruments
• Amplification provided
• 1 Vocal Mic & 3 Instrumental "guitar plugs" available
• No charge/no payment for performance
• No rehearsal needed - just plug and play

Contact: music@w102-103blockassn.org


By Bruce Cohen, Music Coordinator, Spring Yard Sale


Credit: O. Alfonso

Save the date and come to the Marseilles Residence's community room at 230 W. 103rd Street on Thursday, May 15th, at 7 p.m., to learn all about conducting oral histories.  This is a Bloomingdale Aging in Place panel for folks of all ages.  Special presenters will be Erica Fugger and William Chapman of the Center for Oral History at Columbia University,* who will give a brief history of the form plus tips and methodologies for conducting interviews.

Bring your kids or grandkids if they are interested in your family genealogy.  Oral history is a great way to dig into stories that, sadly, don't always outlive our families.  Or oral histories may serve to preserve a community's collective memory.

This panel is one of many offered completely free of charge by Bloomingdale Aging in Place (BAiP).  In addition to its panel program, BAiP offers a helping hand to seniors in our neighborhood.  But did you know that neighbors of any age can do something with BAiP almost every day of the week?  It's true.  Walk, cycle, read, sew, juggle, paint and get together with neighbors at various outings, coffees and happy hours.  BAiP has over 400 meet ups each year!  Check out the many, many activities offered by BAiP for adults of all ages in our community.

To receive information directly from BAiP, join the mailing list here.

As a volunteer for both the Block Association and BAiP, I can honestly say that these two organizations are what makes living in Bloomingdale so wonderful. 


By Caitlin Hawke

*Check out the center's website to learn more about their special projects including explorations into the history of the rule of law, the Apollo Theater, and 9/11.

Starting on May 3rd, the doorman at 240 W. 102nd Street will accept donations for the Block Association's Community Sale table at our upcoming Yard Sale.  Bring your trinkets, treasures, CDs/DVDs, household items and more.  Your donations of "stuff"** will be sold to benefit the Block Association on May 17th.  So come on by 240 W. 102nd Street between the hours of 8 a.m. and midnight.

**No clothes, please, but do bring them the day of the Yard Sale...we'll have textile donation bins, and e-waste recycling, too, on May 17th.
 

By Caitlin Hawke

Our local precinct reports that even with an uptick in enforcement efforts, traffic incidents involving pedestrians have increased in our area.  To date this year, there have been 36 collisions in the precinct.  Compare this to the same period in 2013, and that means 15 additional accidents!  Tragically, we've had three fatal pedestrian collisions to date this year.  Officials have been responding to this very visible issue.  Construction to change the flow of pedestrians around the 96th Street station of the 1, 2, 3 subways lines is underway.  Police response has involved issuing summonses to drivers who fail to yield as well as to pedestrians who jaywalk.  And neighbors may have noticed new speed readers installed by the Department of Transportation on W. 96th Street near West End Avenue in an attempt to calm traffic.  Watch this space for updates.


By Caitlin Hawke