By Caitlin Hawke

Tuesday is Halloween, so you all know what that means, yes?

To any kids reading, I am sympathetic since I understand this might mean you have to wait to use the bathroom mirror to apply your spooky facepaint. Your parents, too, will be busy getting their costumes on. But you are all gonna pull it together and meet up with your Block Association friends at the NW corner of West End Avenue and W. 102nd Street just before 6 p.m. when the parade steps off. If you miss the parade, just follow the squeals back to W. 102nd Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue for the party.

For galleries of parties past, see here and here.  And look for the 2017 gallery in the coming couple of weeks.

See you out there and look for the Block Association volunteers, St. Luke's residence friends, and captain Jane Hopkins who make it all happen.

Thanks to neighbor David Ochoa who kindly allowed me to illustrate this post with his noir collage.

By Caitlin Hawke


A couple of years ago, our neighborhood got its first infusion of CityRacks.  I wrote about that here.  Problem is they've become a victim of their own success.  Seen on a rack that I wrote about was the note below. Like the houseguest who comes and squats on the living-room couch with no end in sight, bikes have been chained to the CityRack day in and out, leaving it unusable by others. And inviting terse notes of disapproval.

City policy is moving more and more to accommodating cyclists. It's quite remarkable how relatively more hospitable the city has become to biking in rather short order.  (My inner cynic sniffs: "They don't have a choice if the pols aren't going to fix and invest in our infrastructure while encouraging so much new construction; biking is after all a great way to move people under their own steam.")

I am all for doing everything we can to have more people safely cycling, though e-bikes still leave me shaking my head.  But for cycling to work here, we need to do a lot more.  For example, more bike parking that is safe and accessible for our eco-rides is needed.  More CityRacks for short-term lock ups.  More space in work buildings and residences for locking up longer term.  It's not just Citibikes that need docking.  (And yes, I know, you don't want a dock near your building or your favorite bus stop.  And it's all daunting the older you get.  I am sympathetic. I am.)

But inevitably bikes will propagate.  Politicians and the state have not made the subway attractive. Quite the contrary.  My employer, a nearby university, recently informed the rank and file that our medical center subway stop will be closed (closed!) for a year for elevator replacement. This will send literally thousands of employees, patients, and even tenured faculty scampering to get to work via alternate modes.

It doesn't take a PhD to figure out that folks will have no choice as the subway degrades but to turn to their bikes, blades, Segways and hoverboards.  Global warming and the MTA's continued abuse of straphangers will surely incite more to ride their two-wheelers.  Unless Elon Musk, a hyperloop, or George Jetson comes to our rescue, this problem just isn't going away anytime soon.

So think locally, and act locally: if you live in a building with a good curbside spot, you can suggest new locations to the city for more racks.  We'll get the ball rolling.

True to name, New Amsterdam needs its bikes! 

By Caitlin Hawke

It's not.

Or so said Dr. Seuss's Lorax and his Once-ler, once woke. 

Heaven knows we could use a Lorax or two nowadays. And on Saturday, we had 'em in spades. 

Lorax-in-chief, Mark Schneiderman, got himself out of bed bright and early (when others were just coming home from their Friday night on the town), drove to Jersey, filled up on a tower of mulch bags, buckets of bulbs, Truffula seeds, munchkins and 'joe, and was on the avenue by 10 a.m. cheering on the crew and keeping them stoked with supplies, tending to tree wells.

He wasn't alone. Temma, Ferenc, Pat, Terence, Bettina, Cynthia, Celia and quite a few others were all out there channeling their inner-Lorax. Also, there were kids!  I suspect some of the kids brought their folks instead of the other way around.

What can I say?  The result speaks for itself. 

Community spirit: it's not about what it is...it's about what it can become.  A butterfly effect.  Thanks to you all.  See you on Spring Planting Day!

Photo credits: Celia Knight and Caitlin Hawke

By Caitlin Hawke

Today is the big day for our friends over at the W. 104th Street Block Association. But at least they are got some pre-event shut-eye without undue concern for a wet day. Mother Nature will be smiling on their endeavor as she did on ours in May.

Speaking of our block party in May, below is the much belated gallery I intended to get online far sooner.  Interesting that looking at it shows how slowly Spring turned to Summer this year...recall that cool breeze that chilled our volunteers and kept vendors bundled up.  But it was a great day and there were a lot of happy folks hanging out on W. 103rd. 

Hope the 104th Street sale is just as much fun!

Here's a nod to all the tired feet that will be propped up on tables tonight and a round of applause to all those who made ours yet another memorable one!

Come on out from 10 am to 5 pm...the neighborhood block parties aren't the same without you!

Photo credit: Caitlin Hawke and Celia Knight

By Caitlin Hawke

Come out and bring the kids to the Block Association's Fall Tree Clean Up at 10 a.m. in front of 878 West End Avenue.  B.A. volunteer and neighbor Mark Schneiderman has it all organized.

Saturday has us scrambling with many neighborhood options. Here's a suggested schedule for you -- I know you can fit it all in!

• 10 a.m. to noon: Fall Tree Clean Up with your Block Association (see below)
• All day: W. 104th Street Block Association Street Fair -- come visit the BAiP table too! It all happens on W. 104th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue.
• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Walk over to Hostelling International NYC and see BAiP's Arts Groups exhibit of neighborhood works.
• Also, for Open House New York aficionados, the hostel has tours for you!

A reward for getting to the bottom of this post: my automnal lagniappe along this same theme -- les feuilles morts se ramassent à la pelle -- is a beaut from Serge Gainsbourg covering his forebears in, yes again, the circle game of life marked by fallen leaves.  Remember, for those of you reading this directly via your email subscription, click on the title of the post to see the video online.

Ladies, gentlemen, I give you La Chanson de Prévert.

By Caitlin Hawke

I once heard an interviewer ask painter Françoise Gilot (who is well into her 90s now) would she still paint as she ages.  Affronted by the question, Madame Gilot responded something akin to: "That's like asking me if I will still breathe.  I have been an artist all my life. Why would I stop now?"

I paraphrase but you get the idea.

Stupid question. Great answer.

Now comes an enlightened show from the Manhattan Borough President's Office entitled "Better with Age" featuring artwork from the city's older artists.  And I am chuffed that two "hometown" artists have made the cut. Below find Emily Berleth's painting and Bob Lejeune's photograph, both of which will be presented in the show.

It runs from October 11 to November 1, 2017 at the Maggi Peyton Gallery in the Municipal Building downtown at 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor South. 

An added neighborhood connection, in case you think 1 Centre Street isn't on my beat: Maggi Peyton died last year and was a Bloomingdaler.  From a tribute written about her by Harold Holzer, I am certain blog readers will know her well and understand the rationale behind naming the Municipal Building's gallery in her honor:

For more information about the show, contact the Manhattan Borough President's Office.  And keep your eyes on this space for news about Bloomingdale Aging in Place's "clothesline show" at the local hostel.  It will feature works depicting the neighborhood done by members of the four BAiP art groups.

Age+Art. It ain't just gluing together popsicle sticks, folks.