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Still Blooming in Bloomingdale!

6/29/2014

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The Green Committee of the Block Association is still at it!  After our April planting day, neighbors noticed revived tree beds throughout the catchment.  But just yesterday, neighbors and volunteers Bob Aaronson, Temma Ehrenfeld, and Eve Sinaiko were back at it cleaning and planting the two tree beds in front of the Semiperm housing residence at 210 West 102nd Street. They also tackled the flower boxes on the banisters of St. Luke's also on West 102nd, and the tree bed of that beautiful gingko in front of 851 West End Avenue.

The flowers and trees will flourish with a little loving care from neighbors, supers and volunteer waterers. They will especially appreciate vigilant dog walkers who curb their pets.

When you are out for your summertime ambles, take in the perfumes of all the flowers and trees.  Some of which are thanks to our volunteers.

And if you want to help, give your nearby trees and flowers a good soaking from time to time now that the rains of June are but a memory.


By Caitlin Hawke


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Let There Be Light: Police React to RSD Car Break-Ins

6/25/2014

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The West Side Rag reports that NYPD has set up tower lights to illuminate dark, leafy stretches of Riverside Drive in the W. 90s to deter what appears to be an uptick in car break-ins.  I suspect we have some members who think lights might be useful in the W. 100s as well having heard of some car troubles around W. 104th Street and RSD.

If you have concerns and wish to be heard, the 24th Precinct Community Council meets monthly on third Wednesdays at 7 p.m. either at the station house on W. 100th Street or opposite it at the Bloomingdale branch of the New York Public Library.  See the precinct's website for details.


By Caitlin Hawke

h/t to Avi at the West Side Rag
Photo credit:
@AfordNYC
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Hyper Local Eats:  Once in a Silver Moon

6/11/2014

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The Not-So Humble Blueberry Ginger Muffin, a Favorite Guilty Pleasure

Once in a blue moon, something comes along and palpably alters a neighborhood for the good.  In this instance, it happened 13 years ago when Judith Norell set up shop on the northeast corner of Broadway and W. 105th Street and started baking her heart out at Silver Moon Bakery.

With stratospheric real estate prices, the trend has been toward drugstores and other chains and away from neighbor-owned businesses.  And yet, despite the vagaries of commercial leases in this city, Judith triumphed in putting the "mom" back in mom-and-pop shop.  No small feat as our stretch of Broadway has contracted and expanded over the years!  I'd guess you could count on one hand the local entrepreneurs near the block association's catchment.  That's another thing that makes this place the treasure it is.  On site, day in and out, Judith pours heart and soul into this jewel of a bakery, and Bloomingdale is the better for it. 

My intention for this post is not to discuss the array of satisfying breads, mouth-watering tarts, and ready-made savory sandwiches Silver Moon offers up.  Nor is it to marvel at the constant innovations and special seasonal treats featured there. (I'm looking at you, fetching Paris-Brest cream-filled choux).

No.  Today, my point is to sing an ode to my favorite guilty pleasure:  her blueberry ginger muffin.  People in New York guard certain secrets and tips preciously.  And if I were wiser, I wouldn't sing this from the rooftops.  What happens when I am never able to get another?  But that muffin has it all.  Its surface-area-to-volume ratio?  Perfect.  Not all pumped up like the 1000+ calories behemoths you'll find at places that approximate bakeries.  Its sweet factor?  Again, perfect.  Not treacly but lightly carmelized around the crisp edge of the muffin's rim.  A touch of savory from the ginger, a squirt of tart from the fresh blueberries, a little crunch from the granulated sugar topping.

When at Silver Moon, I am reminded of that clichéd phrase so common in personal ads:  looking for someone equally comfortable in a pair of jeans or a cocktail dress. (Whatever.)  But somehow it fits this bakery: Silver Moon soars whether it is offering up a daily muffin or scone for breakfast or a sophisticated French pastry for a special occasion.  It is one-stop shopping for your inner baked-goods omnivore.  And it is a darn good reason to settle in Bloomingdale.

Don't change a thing, Judith.  The honeymoon is far from over!  Long may you wax delicious.


By Caitlin Hawke
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Digitizing Maps: Projects Bring City's Historical Collections to Life

6/7/2014

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As digitization of library and archival collections throughout our libraries and institutions ramps up, some seriously interesting tools and curiosities are beginning to emerge.  One fun result is interactive maps like this one.  Smithsonian Magazine recently superimposed the current map of NYC with a map of 1836.  Visitors to the site just drag a little "peephole to the past" along the current street grid to see how things have changed.  There is also a button to swap views in a sort of "back to the future" type time travel!

Couple the digitization movement with the brilliant idea of crowd sourcing the refinements and you have what the New York Public Library's "Labs" calls "Building Inspector." It's a smartphone app for the public good.  But be warned: it is as addictive as Candy Crush.  History lovers, get in there and leave your mark!

By Caitlin Hawke

h/t to neighbor Vivian Awner for the Smithsonian link which originally appeared in our March 2014 newsletter.  Also, Avi over at the West Side Rag has a nice piece on a similar theme.

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Participatory Budgeting by Ordinary Community Members

6/3/2014

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A Process That Allows You to Decide How to Spend New York's Money

Feeling unheard?  Have strong feelings about where your city tax dollars should go?  Got a great idea for what is missing in our community?  Participatory budgeting may be for you.  After all, who knows more about a community than its actual residents?

This brief video above describes the process where
citizens come together for several brainstorming and review sessions.  Proposals are developed and voted on.  The projects that receive the most votes will be funded.  Simple.

Want to participate?  You are in luck. 
NYC's 6th District City Council member Helen Rosenthal will hold two sessions this month:

• Thursday, June 12, 6pm-8pm, at the West Side YMCA at 5 West 63rd Street
• Tuesday, June 17, 6pm-8pm, at Goddard Riverside at 593 Columbus Avenue at W. 88th Street

Take a look at the tally of results from other districts here to get a district-by-district idea of how the city's residents are prioritizing budget dollars.



By Caitlin Hawke


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