By Caitlin Hawke

Ok, for folks who park on the street, this post might get your Irish up. It entails the eventual loss of three parking spaces on Central Park West.

That's the bad news.  But the good news is that what I am about to report is a story of grassroots efforts to increase safety and improve aesthetics of "Strangers' Gate" -- the W. 106th Street portal to Central Park.

Thanks to neighbors' efforts, in particular to transportation advocate Peter Frishauf with help from Henry Rinehart, in mid-January Community Board 7 passed a resolution to improve access to this entrance to Central Park by opening the curb and prohibiting parking immediately outside it. Department of Transportation signage should be updated soon so that the approach will look like the photo below instead of the view in the photo above.

This will protect pedestrians who flow through Strangers' Gate, affording them better visibility of traffic on Central Park West and giving drivers a much better chance of seeing exiting and entering park goers.

I love the name of this gate and was vaguely aware that many of the park's entrances bear names. In fact, there are twenty named gates. Each honors a special population of New York City in an early nod to the fact that this vast green space was to be 'the People's Park.'  You might have been entering the park at W. 100th Street all these years and not have realized that that is Boys' Gate. Of course, anyone can go through it. But if you want to use Girls' Gate, you're going to have to go clear around to E. 102nd Street. Or you can pop down to the Dakota and enter through Women's Gate.

The key to the 20 gates is below.

The bitter irony of naming the gates for different NYC populations is that in creating Central Park, land was taken by eminent domain, and the African-American neighborhood known as Seneca Village was demolished in 1857. You won't see a Seneca Gate on the list below, but the rich history of Seneca Village is becoming better known.

The story has been told in recent plays and films, by creative writers, historians and archeologists. I will be posting more about it over the month of February. But while thinking about our newly visible Strangers' Gate, I wanted to pause and think about those who are largely invisible, those who were dispossessed of their homes, whose community was razed, and whose story was mostly lost -- all in the push to create a park that is a stranger to none of us.

Choose any of these 20 gates and enter this urban sanctuary with a thought toward Seneca Village on your way in.

By Caitlin Hawke

​On a day when a random act of kindness might make all the difference, I give you this pop-up piece of human goodness. If you don't know about Flower Flash by this incredibly generous artist who, it must also be said, has a flair for great PR, it might brighten both your actual and virtual lives to learn more. 

​Flower-manipulator extraordinaire Lewis Miller made his way to the neighborhood shortly after resident gardener, Joseph Arbo, placed a wreath in the flower bed in memory of the hate crime in Pittsburgh. Two people on parallel trajectories of decency whose paths fused.
​
Hang in there, siblings of this valley of flowers known as Bloomingdale. Hang in there.

Community is what makes us strong when we are challenged. 'Memory' and Straus Park stand as witnesses to this truth. 

h/t to Terence Hanrahan for the picture below and the notice of these happenings at our local trivium.

By Caitlin Hawke

Here at the Block Association, we love a good green activity.

Under the "reuse" part of "reduce, reuse, recycle," this free Housewares Share N "Shop" is an opportunity to recycle any gently used housewares or to take anything you want home for free.

It all happens this Sunday, October 28, at 251 West 100th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway. All pertinent information is in the flyer below. But know that you don't have to bring something to take something. In addition to setting housewares free and back into the universe, it's a great chance to recycle used eyeglasses, batteries, CFC bulbs and more. Just don't bring any books or clothing because the organizers draw the line there.

Hat tip to Ansche Chesed's Greening Committee, the sponsor of this event, for giving me another reason to winnow.  I'm coming. Crockpot, yogurt maker, fondue set -- all firmly in hand.

Please pass it on! The event only works if lots of people give and take so spread the news widely!

By Caitlin Hawke

Thanks go to Celia Knight who sent the photo below of two hearty neighbors on a rainy Saturday. They  joined the Block Association team headed by Mark Schneiderman, head of the ecology committee, to weed, clean, plant bulbs and generally beautify our tree wells.

They came. They saw. They mulched. And our trees are all the better for it.

If you are interested in the state of city trees, on October 24, at 6:30 p.m., Parks & Rec is holding a street tree workshop. You'll find the flyer below.  I wanted to add a lagniappe from SNL this week, a rap ode to trees. But it truly wasn't ready for prime time. Best line: "You can agree that more trees isn't a bad thing, right though?"

#Truth

By Caitlin Hawke

The Block Association walks the talk when it comes to covering the catchment. First in the Spring, you can beautify the tree wells with annuals and get a good workout in your knees, quads and back. Then come May, you can enjoy W. 103rd Street at the ever wonderful street fair, yard sale, bazaar, fest -- or what ever you wish to call it.

As Fall rolls in, the BA goes back to the planting of bulbs and neatening of tree wells, followed in quick succession by the Halloween Parade and Solstice Caroling.

All year long on second Tuesdays at 8 p.m. you have the chance to come to the monthly board meetings which are held at 306 W. 102nd Street. You can bring your questions or just come to see how things are done and offer your help.

This weekend is your chance to give a little sugar to our trees. And I don't know about you, but after the last few weeks, I am ready to think and act locally.

The BA is calling all new neighbors, kids, green-thumbed or not. The tidying and planting will run from 10 a.m. til it's done around noon. All the info you need is below and if you still have questions, email: trees@w102-103blockassn.org.

Then hold onto your hats because 0ctober 31 is blowing in quickly. That's the day we give sugar to our kids, big and small.  My observation is that the adults lean in almost as much as the young'uns. If you want to lend a hand, email Jane at halloween@w102-103blockassn.org.

Check out the galleries from past years like Ghoul's Gold here and Goblin It Up here. If that doesn't sell you on turning out at 6 p.m. on W. 102nd and West End, maybe the home-baked goodies or cider will.  I am resurrecting the Great Pumpkin Interview with Saxton Freymann here -- a blog favorite.

For more information, you can read the most recent edition of the BA newsletter here.

See you on the streets of the catchment!  Lagniappe from erstwhile Bloomingdaler Nina Simone below.  If you are reading this in an email subscription, you'll have to click on the blog post title to view the video.

By Caitlin Hawke

Two weeks from today, on Saturday, September 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., West 104th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue becomes the best place to be.  Our yard sale was rained out earlier this year, but our neighbors over on 104th are hard at work making offerings to weather gods and booking vendors for this annual event.

It's a great way to turn your unwanted household items into gold while someone goes off happy to give your junque a new life in a happy home. If you don't live on the block, a vendor space will set you back $60 and a space is big enough to split with a friend. All the details may be found here.

Once you are done vending on 104th, don't throw the rest of it away!  Discover (and thank me later for telling you now) the fabulous freecycling (freegan) community of trashnothing.com.  Part cult, part utopia, part distribution of resources, trashnothing.com is an electronic bulletin board where you can put up "haves" or "wants" for quite literally anything.  Trim your book collection, winnow your pots and pans, give away kid items and clothes. Or post an "ask" for a crockpot, a curling iron, an electric drill. You will be amazed by how this community comes through. And it's all in the name of not letting anything go to waste ever again.  The New York City group has 64,000 members.  Read the boards to get the hang of it, sign in, and get started decluttering today!

Only catch is that everything changes hands completely free.

See you in two weeks on 104th Street!

By Caitlin Hawke

This year's Block Association's Spring Planting Day got me thinking (click the link to see the gallery if you missed it). Where and when did this tradition all begin?

I did some digging and found an interesting piece in the NYT that seems to explain pieces of our history I'd never heard. Specifically, that our Block Association began in 1967 on West 103rd Street with a planting and beautification initiative. West 102nd Street was rolled in quickly and about four years later, the Block Association as we know it formally launched, as can be seen in our first newsletter in 1971 here.

Going back all the way to June 25, 1967, 51 years ago, the Times article below recounts how four local mothers had recently come together, mailed out letters to neighbors asking for funds for the improvement of West 103rd Street between Riverside and Broadway, and collected $1201 to buy London plane trees -- the then-favorite trees for our streets because it "grows fast and withstands city pollution."

So there you have it in a nutshell. Our Block Association's raison d'etre: the planting of trees to improve our environment. It's just second nature to the B.A. Hence the twice-yearly tradition of beautifying tree wells, of gently coaxing residents out to assist, of collecting funds to make it possible, and of liaising with the city to keep the greening going when a tree is lost or maimed.

In retrospect, it's pretty great that by the 1971 inaugural issue of the B.A. newsletter, the association already boasted 400 contributing members and had raised enough dough to plant 45 trees! Not too shabby at all.

So when you are walking around enjoying the leafing-out season, consider any tree that looks about 50 years old, and whisper an ode of gratitude to that founding crew -- starting with those four moms -- who planted and planted and planted. They made this such a beautiful neighborhood. And many continue today in their spirit, also thanks to the groundwork they laid in establishing the W. 102-103 Streets Block Association.

If you haven't stepped out or up to help the Block Association this year, it isn't too late. You can join anytime right here.

Because the image below is a little blurry, I am including a pdf file above that you should be able to click on and download.

Live in the neighborhood and enjoy these occasional blog posts? Spread the word by telling a friend or neighbor to subscribe. There's a lot more in store!

By Caitlin Hawke

Thanks go to neighbor David Ochoa for his technicolor take on "Memory" in Straus Park this past weekend and to the gardeners who maintain this jewel box. (For some history on the park, click here.) And to Mother Nature herself for the glory of Spring. Is it me or does Spring's dazzle take you by surprise every time? It's like you know it's going to be pretty, but then each year it's even better than you remember.

I haven't enhanced the picture below but I did play around with it in various filters. You may be seeing more of it down the road.  Quite a shot. Thanks, David!

By Caitlin Hawke

You may have caught last Sunday's "French Cookin' Blues Band" gig at the overlook on the promenade level of Riverside Park (at the equivalent of 116th Street a bit south of the tennis courts). And cook they did.

There are two more chances to catch a gig
in this series:

Sunday, April 29, 2 p.m.
Columbia Wind Ensemble, Jason Noble, Leader
"A big band of 50 brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments plays rousing music from the Renaissance to the present."

Sunday, May 6, at 2 p.m.
Manhattan School of Music Jazz Quintet
"These fine musicians play the best of jazz standards in their own incomparable style."

Riverside Park is the gift that gives every day. It's trees and blooms are popping. It's playfields are abustle. The tennis players are back in force. The conservancy's website has a calendar with many offerings like Tai Chi, exercise, storytime, birding and more. And of course there's the swing-a-ring lot. (A prior post featured images here).

What, I ask, is not to love?  Except maybe the white noise of the highway.

By Caitlin Hawke

Have you secured your vendor's table at our May 19 Block Party yet? All the information you need is right here. If you are a resident of the Block Association's catchment, it's just $50 for a spot from which you can turn your no-longer-needed possessions into rent money or a couple of dinners on the town.

If you are like me, you love the haggle. You love the circle-game of old things finding new life in the twinkle of a stranger's eye. You love the cash. You love the feeling of community. And you love the idea of winnowing your cupboards and drawers.

If you don't want to vend, hawk or huckster, why not just tell all your friends with overbrimming closets that this is an occasion to be seized!  For folks outside the catchment, the fee is $70.

Click on the Block Party tab on our website for an FAQ and all the deets.

And don't forget to save the date and come noodle down the street. There's deals to be had and treasures to be unearthed.

It's my favorite Block Party tradition.

(Click here to see the lagniappe video below if you are reading this via email subscription).

By Caitlin Hawke

Blow a kiss. Take a bow!

I am looking at you Mark Schneiderman (coordinator), Michael Stearns, St. Luke's, Tina, all you neighbors who lugged, mulched, dug, tidied, planted, watered, crouched, knelt, and helpfully applauded from the sidelines.  

All hail the Block Association's eco committee and your beautiful results.

Our tree wells, as shot by Celia Knight below, are ready for the throngs to come pouring through for our Block Party on May 19. (Did you reserve your table yet, vendors?).

At far bottom is a Merman lagniappe from 1961 with cameos by Lenny Bernstein and Old Blue eyes. (Remember to click on the blog title or here if you are receiving this directly in your email box.)

By Caitlin Hawke

Saturday, April 21 is the Block Association's annual day to come out and plant your heart out. You'll find the details in the poster below. As I've said before: you'll be a good kind of tired when it's all said and done.

Kids, bring your folks.  And folks, bring your kids. It's all in the neighborhood, and it's good (so-so) clean fun as you'll see in the past galleries here and here.

If you need additional information, email trees@w102-103blockassn.org.

By Caitlin Hawke

This Saturday, the Friends of Straus Park will hold a remembrance for the victims of the April 15, 1912, sinking of the Titanic. The flyer below gives the details; everyone is welcome to attend.

You've gone by Straus Park hundreds of times. We forget how the community came together to beautify this triangle and dedicate it to the memory of Ida and Isador Straus (co-owner of Macy's) who were aboard the RMS Titanic when she went down.

I've written in prior posts about how the triangle was first named for Philip Schuyler in 1900. Just fifteen years later, the park was dedicated to the memory of this local couple, who perished aboard the Titanic. (I wrote about that dedication here in a post with beautiful "Throwback Thursday" pictures.)

Since then, the park has of course been home to our resident statue of Audrey Munson, the sculptor's muse extraordinaire. Munson posed for the allegorical sculpture of "Memory" by Henry Augustus Lukeman. "Memory" is uncommonly photogenic as memorials go.

Fast forward a century and the park is our neighborhood respite seated at the trivium of Bloomingdale. Dramatic in snow and exuberant in spring, it's a haven for workers, neighbors, children and parents, bus drivers, and other passersby. As Manhattan pocket parks go, to my mind, it's second only to Gramercy Park. And you don't need a key!

Last May, I was walking through and came upon the beautifiers in hortico flagrante, so I grabbed my camera. The shots in the gallery below were some of the images I captured, and all around the border of the part, people were perched on benches enjoying that one particularly fine day.

From icebergs spring allium where Memory now persists.  Safe in her haven, she sleepily points us back to the unsinkable great ship that went down and those who lost their lives 106 years ago.

By Caitlin Hawke

With all the talk about various coming MTA station closures for "digital upgrades" on the B and C line, I am reminded that some of us lived through the IRT station upgrades at 103rd (2004) and 96th Streets (2010)--and survived to tell the story. Yes, I am grateful for those investments -- more capital than digital. And yes, they took forever.

Let me take you back. Remember the new but miscalculated staircase on the west side of Broadway exiting the 103rd Street station? Each step seemingly a different height, walking up or down it was  something of a funhouse ride or some bad Candid Camera prank -- only the risk was smashing your nose on the way up, or far worse on the way down! They sure did fix it in a flash. And at 96th, remember how prior to the renovation we used an underpass to get to the platform?  It's not that long ago and how quickly we forget. Even with my pathological nostalgia, I can't say I miss that.

Leaving the 96th Street Station, I was looking up the other day and once again saw the real-life version of the rendering above. It struck me as a nice touch. Maybe the sculpture has a function, too. (Pigeon abatement?). Quaint and already retro in its non-digital way.

The looped birdsong that goes with these 200 stainless flowers is intended to have a calming effect on riders. On most days, particularly after a post-apocalyptic commute from work, calming's a thing I am grateful for. Getting most of the way home in one piece on public transportation, is another.

With Spring galloping in, we have real looped birdsong starting up.  And Hawkes do appreciate the birds.

Normalized by tv (hello "Mad Men"), promoted by the restaurant industry, essential to covering vertiginous commercial rents, and induced by current world events: drinking is plainly on the rise, and it's not just in Britain.

The 'French paradox' pointing to the potential benefits of red wine notwithstanding, alcohol is probably best used in more moderate ways -- and definitely more moderately than the year-end dictates.  That's why today, I wanted to celebrate not a hyper-local eat.  But a hyper-local drink.

What I dip in there for is the following hyper-local eat of the day: a kale-apple-carrot-lemon juice.

Oooh wee!  Does this hit the spot.  I tell them to go easy on the lemon, but a little citrus foils the sweet of the apple and carrot and sets off the herby kale. I know that people love to throw shade on this leafy green. A friend, let's call him Herr Doktor T, likes to harsh on kale the way Graham Chapman harshed on Spam. That just means more kale for me.  Honest to goodness, there's only one way I don't like to eat it and that's sautéed.

Chop it to eat raw like Henry's does for its best salad (that link includes the recipe).  Throw it in a fritatta.  Or juice it to detox.  Kale is scrumptious. Oh, no, you won't hear me rag on kale. And while this juice treat probably clocks in at a small meal's worth of calories, at least it beats the nutritive value of a Unicorn Frappuccino.

Yes, you heard me. That's a thing. Or at least was a thing for a brief hallucinatory moment.  Its full name (trademarked, bien sûr) is Unicorm Frappuccino Blended Crème.  (I'm guessing that its purveyors cannot legally use the word "cream" when advertising it.) While I am not sure it qualifies as a beverage, it may qualify as entertainment since most of what I know I overheard in a surreal conversation about the Unicornuccino. 'It changes colors!'  'It's sprinkled with pink and blue fairy powders.'  Apparently it doubles as a fidget spinner-lava lamp.

OMG. Such is "food" in our day and age. It's enough to drive you to drink!

And drink you should:  at Cool Fresh Juice Bar.  Stop in and let me know what you order. It's the perfect hyper-local eat to kick off 2018.  You can't go wrong with a kale-carrot-apple-lemon juice.  It's what the gods drink when they run out of mead.  I swear.  And if you are attentive, you might even see it change colors.

Happy New Year!

P.S. Cool Fresh Juice Bar is supposedly open 8:30 am til 9 pm for when that hankering hits.  It'll set you back $6 for the smaller size, and while less entertaining than a Unicornuccino, it is less than half the price of an aperol grapefruit spritz with smoked jalapeño salt at some wannabe bar.  And much more delicious.

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

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

Well, woohoo!  We got ourselves a new tree earlier in the summer on W. 102nd Street (outside of 254 W. 102nd St) between Broadway and West End. Terence Hanrahan snapped the whippersnapping beaut, a locust, I'd say. But feel free to correct me.  So the city does get around to filling our tree-pits when the need presents.  I have to say that walking around San Francisco over the summer, I missed our tree-lined streets.  Yes, Frisco has a lot to offer.  But shade isn't big among urban assets there.  So thank you, NYC Parks.  That kind of shade you may throw as much as you please.

Boo! Hiss!  The ginkgo, victimized in the wee dark hours of an early Spring night in 2015, when madness hacked at its trunk, is now gasping for life.  May shame shine long on the person whose ax killed it.  And may the scent of gingko fruit be ever present in that neighbor's nostrils.

Pictures of the nearly departed are at bottom. Join me while I shake my head since any other words I write here I will regret.  If only a tree could bite a man (back).

This brings me to a save the date: Mark Schneiderman will be out there for the Block Association's Fall Mulching Day on Saturday, October 14th from 10 a.m to noon.  Meet up at 878 West End Avenue to help tidy up tree wells.  And when you are there at the curb of 878, look up toward the gingko that is no more.

By Caitlin Hawke

A big thank you to Ozzie Alfonso for the three local images below.  The first attests once again to that spontaneity and community and wonder we felt last Monday.  The second two show that Ozzie is a real photographer with equipment that enabled him to get a decent shot. And he shot it coming and going.  The shot at bottom right is prize worthy.

Got any more?  Send them along: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.

By Caitlin Hawke

But not these guys. These neighbors viewed the galactic event from the NW corner of W. 105th Street and Broadway and were captured by shutterbug Bob Lejeune who kindly allowed me to post this shot.  My favorite thing about it -- other than the optical illusion that everyone is looking straight at the verboten partial eclipse -- is the woman second from the right who is, herself, eclipsed.  Not to scale of course.  But here goes.  Guy in white? A metaphor for us all looking up from the earth. He is our planet. Guy in blue? The moon. And young woman behind...well she's the brilliant sun semi-eclipsed star that all the others turn their backs to so powerful is her partial light. 

This is typical Lejeunian photography.  And I am always grateful when he turns his lens on us.

If you have any good shots of that phenomenal ambiance we all felt out there on the street in our child-like wonderment, send 'em along. I will post anything related to the eclipse that is nearby.

It was a good week that reminded me of how puny the third rock from the sun is. And of the majesty of our central star.

By the way, you'll thank me for the outro. Scroll down. And remember if you are reading this in an email subscription, you have to click through to the blog by clicking on the blog title above for my lagniappe du jour.  Try not to smile!!

By Caitlin Hawke

I got the message at far bottom today from ConEd.  So this explains the decibels I endured this morning, despite the rain that you'd think would put a damper on things.

Thinking about electricity and what at times seems like our city's crumbling infrastructure, my thoughts jumped to a charming tidbit I'd unearthed a while back when researching the history of a building in these parts.  It comes from the March 6, 1897, edition of The Electrical Age (Volume 19, No. 10, p. 148):

It seems that 855 West End Avenue, then just constructed and known as The St. Andoche Apartment House -- a name lost to history -- was way out in front when it came to electrical equipment. Thanks to Thomas A. Edison, the incandescent bulb was born in 1879.  And just 18 years later, the invention and ensuing applications were still fresh enough to make a new building's electrical technology worthy of noting.

Ok, so no one irons anymore, and we don't have gas lamps, but it's sort of incredible to think how little the technology has changed in the 12 decades since this tidbit ran.  The lesson that comforts me is how quickly a new technology can be adapted and applied to benefit all.

Let's see where is all goes.  Fiat lux, ConEd.  Fiat lux!

By Caitlin Hawke

This is a call for your pictures of Manhattanhenge as seen from Bloomingdale.  The American Museum of Natural History has published dates that the sun will set directly at the end of our numbered streets given the slightly northeasterly-southwesterly access of Manhattan.  The Block Association rolls out the white carpet each December to fete the Winter solstice. You can read about that in this post here.

But now here's a neighborhood nod to the Summer solstice, albeit adjusted for Manhattan's axis. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains it all in the video embedded below. (If you are reading this in an emailed version of the blog feed, click on the title of the post or here to see the video.)

So go out and shoot some photos on any of these days, and send me your pictures. Or maybe you are a watercolorist and want to paint it.  I'll post all depictions of this ancient pagan celebration of the longest days of the year.  Email them to me at: blog@w102-103blockassn.org

Summer is nearly here, folks.  And as a lagniappe, I dug up a video of the lovely ginger, Teddy Thompson (son of Linda and Richard), covering a favorite song of mine by Kate McGarrigle, Saratoga Summer Song.  Scroll on down and enjoy.

And don't forget!  Best 'henge viewing is on wider streets, but leafed-out trees on one-way cross streets might make for interesting shots:

May 29 - 8:13 p.m. - half sun.
May 30 - 8:12 p.m. - full sun.
July 12 - 8:20 p.m. - half sun
July 13 - 8:21 p.m. - full sun



h/t to neighbor and blog-reader David O. for sharing the schedule

By Caitlin Hawke

It seems like one day is not enough for the annual tradition of "Earth Day."  I mean if "Dental Awareness" and "Confederate History" get a whole month each, shouldn't the 4.543 billion-year-old third rock from the sun -- at a minimum -- get 31 or even 365 days of our attention?  Just sayin'.

No matter how much time we are allotted in the great calendar of commemorations, it's really about the time we make to show our reverence. Virtually without interuption since its inception in 1971, the Block Association has been thinking globally, acting locally, and revering.  Thanks to Ginger Lief, I can prove it since she squirreled away a non-digitized back catalogue of the Block Association newletter archives and preserved these documents at the Bloomingdale branch of the library.  There and utterly incredulous, I found Volume 1, Issue 1, which I'll post on May 20th in its entirety.  But as a preview, check this excerpt out...the roots of "Planting Day" from that inaugural issue!

New York is a different animal today so recalling back 46 years to the concrete jungle when tree beds didn't exist is harder for newer New Yorkers.  Make no mistake!  This BA and these neighbors have been at it, out there, mucking about in the soil, doting on trees and their beds, nigh on a half century.

As you'll see when I post that inaugural issue, there are a lot of current BA traditions that were laid down right then and there in 1971.  And while faces have literally changed, the spirit is, more or less, the same.  Plus the stooping, crouching, kneeling and schlepping remain a time-honored right of passage into Spring.

All this to say: Thank you, neighbors -- new, old, big, small -- for your efforts right here in the catchment on Earth Day 2017. And thanks to Mark Schneiderman for coordinating it all.  You volunteers are all now a part the collective memory that some blogger will be writing about in 2063.

For all other neighbors, how can you help?  In the short term, water the beds!  In the longer term, plan on coming out for the Fall Clean Up Day.  To recycle words above from 1971: "try and come…(we're friendly) and help make this a more beautiful area."  Details will be on our homepage in September.

Without further ado, here now is the garden of delights.  If you have other pictures, send them to me and I'll add them: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.

Spring Planting Day 2017!

And below are the blooms from hundreds of bulbs that neighbor Ira planted in Riverside Park.

Daffodil photo credit: Ira Gershenhorn