Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Climate March Friday, UN Convenes & Autumn Begins Sunday, Steuben Day Parade & Oktoberfest in Central Park, Fall for Dance Fest, Feast of San Gennaro ending & Opening Reception for Art Exhibit in Manhattan; The MEMBER CALENDAR IS HOPPING this weekend in QUEENS with performance of Nunsense, Community Arts Day, Food & Wine Fest, Hellgate Walking Tour & Stemocracy at the NY Hall of Science, also Queens United International Music Party, the Moon Festival, Hispanic Day Parade, Oktoberfest at Bohemian Hall & Amazing Maize Maze / Corn Fest in Queens; Fort Hamilton Oktoberfest Friday, Greek Orthodox Fair, Climate Week & FAD market on Governor's Island & Flatbush Frolic in Brooklyn; Festival de El Grito de Lares, Chekov's Uncle Vanya, Cocktail Party & Raft of the Medusa Performance in the Bronx; the 17th West Fest Westerleigh Folk Music Festival, a Greek Orthodox Festival & Shakespeares 'As You Like It' & Nansen Lodge Heritage Fair on Staten Island - Next Week Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival & Zum Schneider Fest in Brooklyn

September 20, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 9.20.24. Sunrise 6.42 am & Sunset at 6.55 pm. It looks to be a precipitation free weekend with the highs around 80 Friday, descending to the mid 70's for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be around 60 and the humidity will hold steady all weekend at between 60% - 70%. The winds will also hold steady at about 10 mph all weekend. Have a great first Fall Weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Steuben Day Parade in Manhattan in a prior year. The parade and accompanying Oktoberfest in Central Park return this weekend. See details below.

Friday Final Edition at 6.45 pm. Looks like a great Fall weekend both weather-wise and for things to do. Enjoy.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC

• September 22 - 30, 2024 - The United Nations General Assembly begins. Dignitaries and diplomats will begin convening in earnest Sunday. Already this Friday 9/20/24, various groups that want to be heard, will be protesting the mishandling of their issues by various governments around the world. Road closures along the east side of Midtown, near the U.N. [generally in the low 40's streets], begin as early as Saturday evening at 8 pm, so be prepared for extra traffic jams in Manhattan.
  • This year they seem to have improved their communication effort and the following items are on the week long agenda. On Sunday, Monday, 9/22 & 9/23 they will be discussing sustainable development goals for international trade and development. On Tuesday, 9/24 they will showcase success stories of sustainable development efforts made 'round the world. On Wednesday, 9/25 they are hosting a plenary of sea level rise threats. On Thursday, 9/26 they will discuss anti-microbial resistance and efforts to combat it, as well as how to rid the world of nuclear weapons. On Wednesday thru Saturday, 9/25 - 9/28 & Monday, 9/30 there will be a high level debate about how the world can work together to make sure that nobody is left behind. On Tuesday, 9/24/24 President Joe Biden will address the General Assembly. For details and video links see - UN General Assembly in NYC 2024. https://www.un.org/en/webtv.un.org. For special reports on two of the world's military hotspots see our prior reports - 1) Why are American - not Israeli - taxpayers funding Israel's Expansionist Imperialism and 2) Ukraine Defends Against Russian Imperialism.

The photo above / at right was taken in 2022 outside the United Nations. In the lower foreground you can see a security officer, as well as several of them on the roof of one of the UN buildings. In the middle of the photo are some of the flags on the nations who come here, to convene with all other nations from around the world.

• The first day of Fall 2024 is Sunday. Have a happy Autumn.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Friday, September 20, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Climate March. Begins at Foley Square at Lafayette, Worth & Centre Streets in Downtown Manhattan near City Hall. Free. For details see - https://www.endfossilfuels.us/ and https://actionnetwork.org/events/youth-climate-strike-tear-down-the-pillars-of-fossil-fuels-2?source=direct_link&

Saturday, September 21, 2024 - Steuben Day Parade & Oktoberfest NYC. The parade begins at 12 noon from 5th Avenue at 68th Street and marches up to 86th Street. Following the parade there's an Oktoberfest at the Rumsey Playfield at 69th Street but in Central Park. Oktoberfest begins at 1 pm and runs until 6.30 pm. Enter Central Park at 72nd St & 5th Avenue. Admission $44 / $8 kids, sometimes tickets can sell out prior to the event. For details and tickets see - https://germanparadenyc.org/oktoberfest/ or https://www.facebook.com/steubenparadeny/

Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 1 to 4 pm - Opening Reception for Faded Sea Art Exhibit - at The Great Hall Gallery at First Presbyterian Church at 12 W 12th Street in the West Village of Manhattan. They describe the event as follows, " ... 28 talented artists have united to highlight the urgent need to protect our oceans, rivers, lakes, and waterways. Set in the stunning Great Hall ...". Free.

Thursday - Sunday, September 12 - 22, 2024 event times vary - The Feast of San Gennaro & Parade. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 22nd in Little Italy. There are events every afternoon / evening of the festival. It begins at 6 pm on Thursday 9/12/24 with the Blessing of the Stands. On Saturday, 9/14 from 2 to 5 pm there's a parade / procession through Little Italy. For details of other events at the San Gennaro Festival and a bit of history of San Gennaro and Little Italy Manhattan see our story about the Feast of San Gennaro Parade & Festival in Little Italy NYC - or visit their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/

September 2024 - Blue Note Jazz - The Blue Note always has something going. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BlueNoteNYC

Gramercy Theater concerts - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows

• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2024. There are Mom's Day gift markets.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.
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MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Saturday & Sunday, September 13, 14, 15, 20, 27, 28 & 29, 2024 from 12 noon to 12 midnight & 10 pm on Sundays - Oktoberfest at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria. The Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is located at 29-19 24th Avenue [at 31st Street]. They usually offer a special menu, drink specials, giveaways and there's usually a pig roast in the beer garden. Not a street fair in Astoria, but an ethnic food & drink festival. For details see - https://www.bohemianhall.com

Saturday, September 21 2024 from 3.30 to 10 pm - 7th Annual Queens United International Music Festival / Party - At Sunnyside Gardens Park at 48-21 39th Avenue. Music, beer, wine food trucks, crafts. Open to the public with suggested donation $15. St fairs in Sunnyside Queens NYC. For details see - https://sunnysidegardenspark.org

Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 12 noon to 4 pm, there's a Moon Festival in Kissena Corridor Park at 45th Avenue and Colden Street in Flushing. There will be cultural performances and snacks. Organized by the Glow Cultural Center. Free. For details see - https://glownyc.org

The photo at right was taken at the Hispanic Day Parade in Jackson Heights in a prior year. The parade returns this weekend.

• Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 12 noon to 3 pm - Hispanic Day Parade marches east along 37th Avenue from 69th Street in Jackson Heights, ending at 89th Street in Corona. Generally following the parade there's a street festival east of 37th Avenue between Roosevelt and Junction Blvd, but this year [like last year] the Carnival de la Cultura Latina was held a week before the parade [9/15/24], so it's unclear if there will be another fiesta after the parade. Parades and street fairs in Jackson Heights Queens NYC. https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-organization/Desfile-Hispano-de-Queens-920602374687827/
  • Click this link to view prior coverage of the Hispanic Day Parade in Queens NYC.

Saturday, September 21 2024 begins at 1 pm - The Poseidon Parade at Beach 105th Street at the Boardwalk, marching down to 95th Street in the Rockaways in Queens. Costumes, floats and artwork. For details see - https://www.poseidonsparade.com

Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, September 7 - October 26, 2024 from 2 to 5.30 pm Fridays, and from 11 am - 4.30 pm Saturdays & Sundays - Corn Fest / the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. I think this is replacing the Queens County Fair. For details and $14 / $10 tickets [kids age 3 and under free] see - https://www.queensfarm.org

• Click here for Queens Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
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• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Queens NYC.
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MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

On Saturday 9/14 there's a mid Autumn Festival at APEC [Alley Pond Environmental Center] in eastern Queens. On 9/20 & 9/21 the play Nunsense is being performed, and a Community Arts Day in Kew Gardens, also on 9.21.24 the Flavored Food & Wine Festival at Queens College, on 9/22 STEMOCRACY at the NY Hall of Science, on 9/22 the Hellgate Walking Tour and on 9/27 & 9/28 'My Uncle Same' at 3 AM Theater in LIC - see the Member Calendar for details and to buy tickets.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

See the FAD Market on Governors Island, the Sunset Park BID and the Flatbush Frolic street fairs details using the link below.

Friday, September 20, 2024 from 4 to 9 pm - Oktoberfest - at the Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn. You must pre-register and it costs $8 for civilians. For details see - https://hamilton.armymwr.com

Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20, 21 & 22, 2024 at various times - Greek Orthodox Fair at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church - at 8401 Ridge Blvd in Bay Ridge. Greek food, music, rides and entertainment. Proceeds to benefit the church. For details see - https://www.holycrossbrooklyn.com/

September 21 - 29, 2024 - Climate Week. Various programs - see website. For details see - https://www.govisland.com/things-to-do/events

Next Week.

• * Downtown Brooklyn _ Friday & Saturday, September 27 & 28, 2024 from 5 pm to 8.15 pm & 12 noon to 8 pm respectively - Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival. In the Plaza at 300 Ashland Place at the corner of Lafayette and Flatbush. This event will feature live music, dance, talks and theater. There might be some shopping, but that doesn't appear to be the focus. Downtown Brooklyn street fairs / festivals nyc. For details see - https://www.dbartsfestival.org/ or https://www.downtownbrooklyn.com

• * East Williamsburg _ Friday, September 27 to Sunday October 6, 2024 [excluding Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday] - Zum Schneider Fest - in a tent adjacent to the 3 Dollar Bill bar and restaurant at 260 Meserole Street in Brooklyn. The times are generally from 5 - 10 pm, except Sunday 12 noon - 8 pm, and on Saturday there are two seatings from 12 noon - 4.45 pm and from 5.15 - 10 pm. This is a traditional Bavarian Oktoberfest which for years had been held in Manhattan along the East River at 23rd Street, but moved to Brooklyn in 2022. Tickets start at $15 and on up for groups, food and drinks. For details see https://nyc.zumschneider.com/

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

• Click here for Brooklyn Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Brooklyn street fairs NYC 2024.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Friday, September 20, 2024 from 6 to 8 pm - Fall Cocktail Party in the Bartow Pell Mansion - at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. For $45pp tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 1 to 7 pm - Festival de El Grito de Lares - at 1175 Vyse Avenue in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx. The event was described last year [2023] as, " ... El Festival de El Grito de Lares has been celebrated since 1976 at Vyse Ave between 167st and Home Avenue in the Bronx. This Festival commemorates The Lares Uprising of September 23, 1868 which solidified de Puerto Rican nationality. Every year the Festival presents bands, poets, DJs, dancers, historians, etc...". Free.

Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday & Saturday, September 20, 2024 beginning 7 pm Thursday & Friday, 2 pm & 5 pm Saturdays & Sundays except final night when it begins at 8 pm - Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya by the Red Monkey Theater Group in the Bartow Pell Mansion - at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. For $40 / $30 tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

Next week _ Thursday & Friday, September 26 & 27 and October 4 & 5, 2024 beginning at 8 pm and Sundays, September 29 & October 7 beginning at 3 pm and 7 pm - Raft of the Medusa - at The Point located at 940 Garrison Avenue in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The play is performed by the Open Hydrant Live Theater who claim to be the only Professional Actors Equity Assn Theater Co serving Bronx Youth [this statement has not been confirmed]. For details and $23 tickets see - INST - https://www.instagram.com/openhydrant/ - WS isn't secure - http://www.openhydrant.org - their website is not secure per google, but Eventbrite should be ok.

• Click here for Bronx Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Bronx street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in the Bronx NYC.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is hosting the DEP Commissioner at its monthly meeting on Tuesday September 10, 2024. The DEP Commissioner is responsible for air and water quality, among other important environmental issues. Click the Bronx Member Calendar link above for details. Saturday, 10/26/24 beginning at 12 noon - 39th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade - in Bill Rainey Park in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx. This years theme - Zombie Apocalypse. Free. Click link above for parade details.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 11 am to 7 pm - 17th Annual Westerleigh Folk Music and Art Festival. At Westerleigh Park off Jewett Avenue at the corner of [125] Neal Dow and Maine Avenues in the Westerleigh neighborhood on Staten Island. This Staten Island festival in Westerleigh Park centers around live music on three stages, and includes 40 arts & crafts vendors, an art expo and smart food truck vendors will likely show. Free. For details & weather updates see - https://www.facebook.com/WesterleighFolkFest

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, September 20, 21 & 22, 2024 from 6 pm to 11 pm, 2 pm to 11 pm and from 2 pm to 10 pm respectively - Greek Festival - at Holy Trinity Church St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at 1641 Richmond Avenue on Staten Island NYC. Food, music and dance. For details see - https://ny.goarch.org/

Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 10 am to 4 pm - Nansen Lodge Heritage Fair - at 3441 Victory Blvd in Travis neighborhood of Staten Island NYC. Viking arts, crafts, food and entertainment. Free admission.

Fridays & Saturdays, September 13, 14, 20 & 21, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm - SI Shakespearean Theatre Company performs As You Like It - at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Randall Manor. Free, but rsvp recommended at https://snug-harbor.org/

• Click here for Staten Island Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
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Have a great first fall weekend.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Feast of San Gennaro & Parade, African American Day Parade, Mexican American Parade in Manhattan; The Amazing Maize Maze / Corn Fest, the Hellenic St Markella Festival in Astoria, the Fall for Arts Fest on Roosevelt Island, Oktoberfest at Bohemian Hall and the last weekend of the Queensboro Dance Festival in Queens; The Great Irish Fair, the Open Art Studios on Governor's Island & the Americana Music Festival in Brooklyn; The City Island Art Fair, African Heritage Festival & Vegan Bazaar in the Bronx; the Greek Festival, the Fig Festival, As You Like It, Mexican Independence Parade and Cottage Row Curiosities on Staten Island; and next week the Fall for Dance Fest & Climate March in Manhattan & Fort Hamilton Oktoberfest & Greek Orthodox Fair in Brooklyn

September 13, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 9.13.24. Sunrise 6.35 am & Sunset at 7.07 pm. It looks to be a precipitation free weekend with the highs in the low to mid 80's and the lows in the low to high 60's. The humidity will generally range from the mid 50% to the mid 70% range. The wind will range from 4 - 8 mph all weekend.

The photo above or at right, was taken at the Ferragosto Festival in Bronx Little Italy last weekend. This weekend the Italian celebration moves to Manhattan Little Italy with the Feast of San Gennaro. See below for details.

9.14.24 Saturday Morning @ 3.15 am. Done. Great weekend ahead. Enjoy.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday - Sunday, September 12 - 22, 2024 event times vary - The Feast of San Gennaro & Parade. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 22nd in Little Italy. There are events every afternoon / evening of the festival. It begins at 6 pm on Thursday 9/12/24 with the Blessing of the Stands. On Saturday, 9/14 from 2 to 5 pm there's a parade / procession through Little Italy. For details of other events at the San Gennaro Festival and a bit of history of San Gennaro and Little Italy Manhattan see our story about the Feast of San Gennaro Parade & Festival in Little Italy NYC - or visit their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/

• Sunday, September 15, 2024 beginning at 11 am / parade begins at 12 noon - Mexican Day Parade & Festival. The parade begins along Madison at 38th, marching south to 26th Street at Madison Square Park where in the past there's been an after parade celebration.
  • This year we hear that there's an after party that is being held at 116th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenue from 12 noon - 6 pm, but organized by a different group. FB - https://www.facebook.com/mexicandayparade

Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 11 am to 6 pm - African American Day Parade - the pre-parade events begin at 11 am at 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. The parade kicks off at 12.30 pm at 111th Street marching north along Adam Clayton Powell Blvd to 136th Street. Street fairs in Harlem NYC. For details see - https://africanamericandayparade.org/.

Wednesday, September 18 - 29, 2024, all shows begin at 7.30 pm except Sunday matinees at 2 pm - Fall for Dance Festival. At the NY City Center at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. Tickets are $30 and performances last about an hour and a half. For details and tickets - https://www.nycitycenter.org/ This is not a st fair but rather a cultural festival.

Friday, September 20, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Climate March. Begins at Foley Square at Lafayette, Worth & Centre Streets in Downtown Manhattan near City Hall. Free. For details see - https://www.endfossilfuels.us/ and https://actionnetwork.org/events/youth-climate-strike-tear-down-the-pillars-of-fossil-fuels-2?source=direct_link&

September 2024 - Blue Note Jazz - The Blue Note always has something going. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BlueNoteNYC

Gramercy Theater concerts - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2024. There are Mom's Day gift markets.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Also use the street fairs link below to obtain details for the Jamaica Harvest Festival, the Carnival de la Cultura Latina and the Jackson Heights Art on the Fence Show. And see the Member Calendar link below for details regaring the Alley Pond Environmental Center Autumn Festival. All events are heppening this weekend.

In the photo above or at right, you can see a local grocery store in Flushing Queens. Flushing is a center of Asian culture in Queens, especially for Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean Americans.

Saturday & Sunday, September 13, 14, 15, 20, 27, 28 & 29, 2024 from 12 noon to 12 midnight & 10 pm on Sundays - Oktoberfest at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria. The Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is located at 29-19 24th Avenue [at 31st Street]. They usually offer a special menu, drink specials, giveaways and there's usually a pig roast in the beer garden. Not a street fair in Astoria, but an ethnic food & drink festival. For details see - https://www.bohemianhall.com

Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 10 am to 5 pm - Fall for Arts Festival - In Southpoint Park at Meditation Lawn on Roosevelt Island. This is the first greenspace south of the 36th Avenue bridge from Queens on the Manhattan side of the island. A day full of activities for everyone including games, arts & crafts and musical performances. Free. The themes this year are Mythology and Riverside Rhythms. For updates see - https://rioc.ny.gov/374/Fall-for-Arts-Festival

Thursday through Sunday, September 12 - 15, 2024 from 6 - 10 pm Thursday & Friday, 5 - 11 pm on Saturday and 1 - 10 pm on Sunday - Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America [St Markella] celebrates patron feast day with traditional Greek food, arts and crafts and possibly music. Along 22-68 26th Street between 22nd & 23rd Avenues in Astoria. For details see - https://www.saintmarkellagoc.org or FB - https://www.facebook.com/saintmarkella

Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, September 7 - October 26, 2024 from 2 to 5.30 pm Fridays, and from 11 am - 4.30 pm Saturdays & Sundays - Corn Fest / the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. I think this is replacing the Queens County Fair. For details and $14 / $10 tickets [kids age 3 and under free] see - https://www.queensfarm.org

Last Weekend _ Saturday, June 8 - September 15, 2024 at various times & locations - Queens Boro Dance Festival. The performances are weekly all summer long in numerous locations across the borough. Free. For details see - https://queensborodancefestival.org

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Queens NYC.

• Click here for Queens Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Queens Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

On Saturday 9/14 there's a mid Autumn Festival at APEC [Alley Pond Environmental Center] in eastern Queens. On 9.21.24 the Flavored Food & Wine Festival at Queens College, and on 9/27 & 9/28 'My Uncle Same' at 3 AM Theater in LIC - see the Member Calendar for details and to buy tickets.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Governor's Island _ September 14, 2024 from 12 noon to 5 pm - Open Art Studios. Free but Rsvp. For details see - https://www.govisland.com/things-to-do/events

Friday & Saturday, September 13 & 14, 2024 from 6 pm to 10 pm & from 5 pm to 10 pm respectively - Americana Music Festival. Under the Dumbo Arch. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/DUMBOBID/ or https://dumbo.is/

Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 10 am to past 6.15 pm - 41st (?) Annual Great Irish Fair. This is preceded by a mass at 9 am. New Location as of 2023. At the Holy Name of Jesus Parish at 245 Prospect Park West in Park Slope. Unique Brooklyn fair with an Irish flavor which includes Irish music, dance, food and shopping from more than 15 vendors. Organized by the Irish American Building Society. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.iabsny.org/ or FB https://www.facebook.com/tgifnyc/

Friday, September 20, 2024 from 4 to 9 pm - Oktoberfest - at the Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn. You must pre-register and it costs $8 for civilians. For details see - https://hamilton.armymwr.com

Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20, 21 & 22, 2024 at various times - Greek Orthodox Fair at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church - at 8401 Ridge Blvd in Bay Ridge. Greek food, music, rides and entertainment. Proceeds to benefit the church. For details see - https://www.holycrossbrooklyn.com/

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.

• Click here for Brooklyn Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Brooklyn street fairs NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 10 am to 5 pm - African Heritage Festival - at 1700 Crotona Park [at Claremont Parkway & Crotona Avenue]. Music, dance, food and possibly shopping. Organized by the African Advisory Council and BP Gibson. For details see - FB1 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/african-heritage-festival-2024-tickets-1010954059807?aff=erelexpmlt or FB2 https://www.facebook.com/p/African-Advisory-Council-of-the-Bronx-100064603337113/

Saturday & Sunday, September 14 & 15, 2024 from 11 am - 7 pm - City Island Arts & Crafts Fair - Along City Island Avenue aka Main Street between Schofield and Bay Streets. The epic center is at Hawkins Park and there will be some 60 plus artisans, craftspeople and food vendors there. Street fairs festivals in the City Island neighborhood of the East Bronx. For details see - https://cityislandchamber.org/

Wednesdays, September 4 & 18, October 2 & 16, November 6 & 20, and December 4 & 18, 2024 from 4 to 9 pm there's a Vegan Bazaar featuring 20 different vegan vendors at the Andrew Freeman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.thebronxveganbazaar.com/

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in the Bronx NYC.

• Click here for Bronx Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Bronx street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is hosting the DEP Commissioner at its monthly meeting on Tuesday September 10, 2024. The DEP Commissioner is responsible for air and water quality, among other important environmental issues. Click the Bronx Member Calendar link above for details.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, September 13, 14 & 15, 2024 from 6 to 11 pm Fri, 2 to 11 pm Sat and 2 to 10 pm Sunday - Greek Festival. Greek food, music and dance at Holy Trinity - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at 1641 Richmond Avenue in the Bulls Head neighborhood on Staten Island. Admission $2 and kids under age five free. For details see - https://www.yasas.com/greek/festivals/usa/ or https://www.facebook.com/p/Holy-Trinity-St-Nicholas-Greek-Orthodox-Church-100064629341865/ or https://htsaintnicholas.ny.goarch.org/

Saturday, September 14 & October 19, 2024 from 12 noon to 5 pm - Cottage Row Curiosities at Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace Street in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. There will be over 40 local vendors selling artisanal goods, food, music, entertainment and information. For details, copy & paste - https://snug-harbor.org

Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 2 to 6 pm - The Fig Festival - at the National Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point in St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The festival includes all things fig / ficus related. It's a quirky food festival centered around the fig, but includes music, arts, crafts and other foods. This year a Fig King will be crowned. Staten Island street fairs / festivals in St. George. $5 suggested donation. For details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org

Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 2 to 7 pm, there's the Mexican Independence Parade on Staten Island. The parade begins at La Colmena at 774 Port Richmond Avenue marching down to Veterans Park, ending at Park Avenue and Bennett Street in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Staten Island. There will be live music and dance performances, food vendors and shopping. Free. For further information see - https://www.lacolmenanyc.org/ or FB - https://www.facebook.com/lacolmenanyc/

Fridays & Saturdays, September 13, 14, 20 & 21, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm - SI Shakespearean Theatre Company performs As You Like It - at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Randall Manor. Free, but rsvp recommended at https://snug-harbor.org/

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

• Click here for Staten Island Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Staten Island street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Staten Buzz.

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a good weekend.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Last Weekend of NYC Beaches & Outdoor Public Swim Pools, Armory Art Show at the Javits Center, the Gracie Square Art Show in Carl Schurz Park, the Labor Day Parade & the Feast of San Gennaro & Parade next week - all in Manhattan; U.S. Open Closes, The Fresh Pond Road Festival in Ridgewood, the Corn Fest / Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm, a Bayside 911 Commemoration, the Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America aka St Markella Festival in Astoria next week & the Queens Boro Dance Festival in Queens; The Fresh Pond Road Festival and Bus Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn; Ferragosto Festival in Little Italy, the 28th Annual Central American Independence Parade & Festival in Crotona Park and a Vegan Bazaar in the Bronx; and Pig Island Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & the 1776 Peace Conference Celebration at the Conference House in Tottenville on Staten Island. 911 Commemorations Next Week

September 6, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 9.6.24. Sunrise 6.28 am & Sunset at 7.18 pm. There's a 50% to 80% chance of about 1/4 inch of rain Saturday, so it should mostly be a good weekend. Temperatures will be in the mid 70's all weekend, while the temperature lows will descend from the high 60's on Friday, to the low to mid 50's on Saturday and Sunday. The winds will run between 5 - 10 mph, while the humidity stays high at between 70% - 80% on Friday and Saturday, before descending to a comfortable 50% - 60% on Sunday.

In the photo above or at right, shows a cultural performance at the Central American Independence Festival in Crotona Park in the Bronx in a prior year. The festival returns this Sunday. See details below.

Friday 9.6.24 Midday Weekend Edition @ 2.15 pm. We're almost finished. The Brooklyn events post needs a bit more attention, coming later today [thanks for your patience]. Have fun, as it's a mostly good weather and fun-filled weekend.

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches and public swimming pools are Open all Summer.

Also 911 Commemorations next week - coming this weekend or Monday, 9/9/24.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, September 6, 7 & 8, 2024 daily 11 am to 7 pm, except Sunday when it closes at 6 pm - Armory Art Show at the Javits Center at 429 11th Avenue through the Crystal Palace Entrance. For details and $35 / $45 / $57 / $120 tickets [FYI - selling fast as of 8.28.24] see - https://www.thearmoryshow.com/

Saturday & Sunday, September 7 & 8, 2024 from 10 am to 5 pm - the Gracie Square Art Show - in Carl Schurz Park. An art show featuring folks generally from NYC and the triborough area. At East 86th Street and East End Avenue. For details see - https://www.graciesquareartshow.com

Saturday, September 7th, 2024 beginning at 10 am, the Labor Day Parade in Manhattan. It marches along 5th Avenue from 44th Street to 64th Street. For details see - https://www.nycclc.org - type 'parade 2024' in search after they remove it from the front page.

Thursday - Sunday, September 12 - 22, 2024 event times vary - The Feast of San Gennaro & Parade. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 22nd in Little Italy. There are events every afternoon / evening of the festival. It begins at 6 pm on Thursday 9/12/24 with the Blessing of the Stands. On Saturday, 9/14 from 2 to 5 pm there's a parade / procession through Little Italy. For details of other events at the San Gennaro Festival and a bit of history of San Gennaro and Little Italy Manhattan see our story about the Feast of San Gennaro Parade & Festival in Little Italy NYC - or visit their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/

September 2024 - Blue Note Jazz - The Blue Note always has something going. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BlueNoteNYC

Public Theater at Delacorte Theater. Gramercy Theater concerts - info coming but in the meantime - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2024. There are Mom's Day gift markets.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Also see the Jackson Heights Art on the Fence Show, and the Flushing BID Asian street festival, using the street fair link below. Both events are heppening this weekend.

Monday, August 26 - Sunday, September 8, 2024 daily beginning at 11 am _ the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. They sell grounds passes for $28 - $64 and tournament tickets from $500 - $2,200. For details and tickets see - https://www.usopen.org/

In the photo above or at right, you can see the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, from the inside the USTA Billie Jean Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open is being held. The final match is on Sunday. This year, for the first time, since 2005, two American males will be competing in one of the semi-finals on Friday 9/6/24, meaning an American will make it to the finals for the first time since 2006.

Thursday - Sunday, September 5 - 8, 2024 beginning at 6.30 pm daily, except Sunday when it begins at 3 pm and generally ends between 9.30 and 11 pm - The Fresh Pond Road Festival - Along Fresh Pond Road between Woodbine and Menahan Street. This is a big real Italian themed fair with great food, rides for kids and plenty of shopping. Organized by the Ridgewood Social Club. Brooklyn St fairs in Ridgewood organized by the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens. For details see the Ridgewood Social Club - https://www.facebook.com/p/Federazione-Italo-Americana-of-Brooklyn-and-Queens-100083057994083/ or the Myrtle Avenue BID - https://ridgewood-ny.com

Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, September 7 - October 26, 2024 from 2 to 5.30 pm Fridays, and from 11 am - 4.30 pm Saturdays & Sundays - Corn Fest / the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. I think this is replacing the Queens County Fair. For details and $14 / $10 tickets [kids age 3 and under free] see - https://www.queensfarm.org

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - Bayside 911 Commemoration - in Bayside Queens NYC. For details see - http://baysidevillagebid.com

Thursday through Sunday, September 12 - 15, 2024 from 6 - 10 pm Thursday & Friday, 5 - 11 pm on Saturday and 1 - 10 pm on Sunday - Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America [St Markella] celebrates patron feast day with traditional Greek food, arts and crafts and possibly music. Along 22-68 26th Street between 22nd & 23rd Avenues in Astoria. For details see - https://www.saintmarkellagoc.org or FB - https://www.facebook.com/saintmarkella

RECURRING _ Saturday, June 8 - September 15, 2024 at various times & locations - Queens Boro Dance Festival. The performances are weekly all summer long in numerous locations across the borough. Free. For details see - https://queensborodancefestival.org

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches in the Rockaways open all summer.

Kupferberg / MoMI / LAHM

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Queens NYC.

• Click here for Queens Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Queens Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

On Sunday, 9/1 a guided Hell Gate Walking Tour in Astoria and shopping event at the Tangram Mall in Flushing with Global lifestyle brand MINISO and Chiikawa, one of the most popular character brands in Japan today. On Saturday 9/14 there's a mid Autumn Festival at APEC [Alley Pond Environmental Center] in eastern Queens. On 9.21.24 the Flavored Food & Wine Festival at Queens College, and on 9/27 & 9/28 'My Uncle Same' at 3 AM Theater in LIC - see the Member Calendar for details and to buy tickets.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

This borough events post needs a bit more attention, coming later today. Thanks for your patience.

The photo above or at right, shows the Brooklyn Bridge traversing the East River. Brooklyn Bridge Park is also in the photo at the foot of the bridge, on the Brooklyn side, which is the green space at right in the photo. The photo was taken last weekend from the Staten Island Ferry heading south to the Island.

Thursday - Sunday, September 5 - 8, 2024 beginning at 6.30 pm daily, except Sunday when it begins at 3 pm and generally ends between 9.30 and 11 pm - The Fresh Pond Road Festival - Along Fresh Pond Road between Woodbine and Menahan Street. This is a big real Italian themed fair with great food, rides for kids and plenty of shopping. Organized by the Ridgewood Social Club. Brooklyn St fairs in Ridgewood organized by the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens. For details see the Ridgewood Social Club - https://www.facebook.com/p/Federazione-Italo-Americana-of-Brooklyn-and-Queens-100083057994083/ or the Myrtle Avenue BID - https://ridgewood-ny.com

Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 3.30 pm - Bus Festival - in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Details to follow - https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/busfestival/

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches at Coney Island open all Summer.

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.

• Click here for Brooklyn Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Brooklyn street fairs NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 12 noon to 6 pm - Ferragosto Festival - in Little Italy along Arthur Avenue between East 187th Street and Crescent Avenue in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx NYC. It's an Italian harvest celebration & celebrating 100 years of Arthur Avenue in the Belmont section of the Bronx. Bronx St Fairs in the Belmont neighborhood. For details see - https://bronxlittleitaly.com

Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - 28th Annual Central American Independence Parade Followed by a Festival in Crotona Park. The parade begins at 12 noon at East Tremont Avenue & Southern Blvd, which is the site of the Happy Land Fire Memorial where in 1990 about 100 people - mostly Honduran Garifuna - lost their lives celebrating carnival. The parade marches down either Southern Blvd and / or Boston Road, turns west onto Charlotte Street to Crotona Park East - ending between Crotona Avenue and Claremont Parkway in Crotona Park. This parade and festival celebrate Central American cultures including the Honduran Garifuna via stage performances, culture, food, drink, arts and crafts for the whole family. They describe the events as follows, " ... The 28th [it says 27th in some places] Annual Central American Parade and Cultural Festival celebrate the 203rd anniversary of the independence of the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, from Spain on September 15th, 1821. September 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, in honor of such historic event ...". Street fairs in the Bronx neighborhood of West Farms. For details see - https://www.garifunaexperience.com or FB - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/central-american-independence-day-celebration-tickets-677174686717

Wednesdays, September 4 & 18, October 2 & 16, November 6 & 20, and December 4 & 18, 2024 from 4 to 9 pm there's a Vegan Bazaar featuring 20 different vegan vendors at the Andrew Freeman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.thebronxveganbazaar.com/

The second weekend of September there's the City Island Art Fair among other upcoming events in the Bronx. Details coming next week or see the parades & festivals or the street fairs pages links below.

Saturday, May 25, 2024 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Orchard Beach open all summer in Pelham Bay Park.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in the Bronx NYC.

• Click here for Bronx Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Bronx street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is hosting the DEP Commissioner at its monthly meeting on Tuesday September 10, 2024. The DEP Commissioner is responsible for air and water quality, among other important environmental issues. Click the Bronx Member Calendar link above for details.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, September 7, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm - Pig Island Festival - at Snug Harbor Cultural Center. They described it as follows, "... this pork-laden festival [includes 20 chefs who] compete for the most delicious porcine dishes. There will also be craft beer, hard cider, spirits and other food offerings – all-included with a general admissions ticket ... " In the South Meadow at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood on Staten Island. Staten Island street fair / festival in Randall Manor - Admission $60 & up to $750. For details see - https://snug-harbor.org

Saturday, September 7, 2024 from 11 am - 4 pm. 1776 Peace Conference Celebration - There's an historical reenactment of the effort made by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to obtain peace with Britain as the war for indepence was breaking out. At the Conference House in Tottenville on Staten Island. Admission suggested donation of $5. For details and tickets see - https://www.conferencehouse.org/

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches along the East coast of Staten Island open all summer.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

• Click here for Staten Island Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Staten Island street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Staten Buzz.

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a good weekend.

Coney Island - Final Fireworks of the Summer 2024

August 30, 2024 / Coney Island / Brooklyn / Brooklyn BLVD.

On Friday night, the final fireworks show by the Alliance for Coney Island, started around 10 pm on the Reigelmann Boardwalk just east of the Steeple Chase Tower and adjacent to the Luna Amusement Park. It was a comfortable evening, with a slight, cool breeze coming in off the water. There were hundreds of spectators who came to see the show and enjoy an end of the summer ride and snacks at Luna Park. I shot the 10 - 15 minute show from various locations around the Boardwalk, water and Luna Park and then edited it down to about 2 - 3 minutes, ending with a bit of island music. Enjoy the show.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Last MoMA Summer Sounds Concert & Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit Closed in Manhattan; Oracabessa Festival, Rockaway Beach Music Series, U.S. Open, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Queens Boro Dance Festival & Queens Jazz Trail Concert in Queens; West Indian American Day Parade & J'ouvert, Battle of Brooklyn, 24th Street Festival and Coney Island Fireworks in Brooklyn; Latin Foto Festival in Hunts Point, Bronx Writers' History at the Bronx Historical Society and Orchard Beach in the Bronx; and Do Portugal Circus at Staten Island Mall, the British are Coming & the Richmond County Fair on Staten Island

August 30, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 8.30.24. Sunrise 6.20 am & Sunset at 7.31 pm. Some rain expected Saturday night and early Sunday morning, so it should be a good weekend. Temperatures in the 80's during the day and 70's at night. A gentle breeze and humidity climbs gradually during the weekend, falling again on Monday.

In the photo at right, is one of Historic Richmond Town's finest citizens, doing his thing in the woodwork shop. The man reminded me of, Geppetto, the kind and fatherly woodcarver who created Pinocchio, the fictitious wooden puppet who comes alive.

Saturday 8.31.24 Final Weekend Edition @ 11.45 am. All done. Looks to be a fair weather weekend with plenty of fun things to do as the unofficial end of the summer arrives. Enjoy your three day / end of summer weekend. Fall events to follow in September.

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches and public swimming pools are Open all Summer.

• CLICK here to view our weekly reports about things to do each weekend in August in all five boroughs of NYC.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturdays, July 20 - August 31, 2024 from 4 to 8 pm - Summer Sounds - at MoMA in the sculpture garden at 11 West 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan NYC. they describe the concerts as follows, " ... Music returns this summer at MoMA. Set against the iconic backdrop of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, this concert series celebrates the sonic fabric of New York City and beyond. Blending popular and experimental genres, this diverse program brings together DJs and live musical performance, including new works inspired by our garden ...". Free with MoMA admission. For details and $17 / $22 / $30 tickets see - https://visit.moma.org.

The photo at right shows the Brooklyn Bridge traversing the East River into Manhattan on Friday night 8/30/24 shot from the Q train.

FYI - CLOSED _ Village _ Saturday, Sunday & Monday, September First Two Weekends of Every Year Ending September of 2023 - the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit. Sadly, after 92 years, they did their last show in September 2023. The Gracie Square Art Show on the Upper East Side opens next weekend, and is about as close as you're going to get to a comparable alternative.

August 2024 - Blue Note Jazz - The Blue Note always has something going. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BlueNoteNYC

Public Theater at Delacorte Theater. Gramercy Theater concerts - info coming but in the meantime - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2024. There are Mom's Day gift markets.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Saturday, August 31, 2024 beginning at 3 pm [arts] and 5 pm - Sri Krishna Janmashtami - celebration of Krishna's birthday. At ISKON at 34-63 56th Street in Woodside. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/pujaprogramme/

Sunday, September 1, 2024 - Oracabessa Festival from 12 noon - 11.30 pm - This is a music and food festival in Roy Wilkins Park along Merrick Blvd at about 119th Avenue in Jamaica NY. They had moved to Long Island in 2018 and 2024 marks their first year back in Jamaica Queens. Admission $71. For more info call 1.800.665.9330 or https://www.instagram.com/caribstarradiolive/reel/C9Fi920As_B/

Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday, August 30 & 31, & September 1 & 2, 2024 beginning at 6 pm, 5 pm, 4 pm and 4 pm respectively - The Rockaway Beach Music Series - at the Rockway Bazaar Beach Pavilion at 9701 Shorefront Parkway and 97th Street by the beach in the Rockaways in Queens. A whole weekend of music near the beach. In 2023 they held a festival over the Labor Day Weekend that was one of the biggest Labor Day weekend events in Queens. This year, while the Music Festival is over, they're continuing with the Rockaway Beach Music Series concerts. Free. For details see - https://www.rockaway-bazaar.com/

RECURRING _ Saturday, June 8 - September 15, 2024 at various times & locations - Queens Boro Dance Festival. The performances are weekly all summer long in numerous locations across the borough. Free. For details see - https://queensborodancefestival.org

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches in the Rockaways open all summer.

LAST ONE NEXT WEEK IN ASTORIA PARK _ FREE _ TIME / DATE DETAILS COMING THIS WEEKEND
Thursday, August 29, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series - at Baisley Pond Park [just south of the pond] in Jamaica Queens. Free. First come / first serve. For details, copy & paste - https://kupferbergcenter.org

See It Big at MoMI / Summer Concerts a LAHM

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Queens NYC.

• Click here for Queens Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Queens Buzz NYC.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

On Sunday, 9/1 a guided Hell Gate Walking Tour in Astoria and shopping event at the Tangram Mall in Flushing with Global lifestyle brand MINISO and Chiikawa, one of the most popular character brands in Japan today. On Saturday 9/14 there's a mid Autumn Festival at APEC [Alley Pond Environmental Center] in eastern Queens. On 9.21.24 the Flavored Food & Wine Festival at Queens College, and on 9/27 & 9/28 'My Uncle Same' at 3 AM Theater in LIC - see the Member Calendar for details and to buy tickets.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Friday, August 30, 2024 _ Weekly _ The Last of the Coney Island Weekly Friday night fireworks. The Coney Island fireworks are staged along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at West 12th - West 15th Streets on Coney Island in Brooklyn. The Coney Island fireworks are always held off the beach, and the street coordinates above are generally in the area of the Steeplechase tower in Steeplechase Park [Luna Amusement] on Coney Island in Brooklyn. For details, copy & paste - https://www.allianceforconeyisland.org/

The photo at right, was taken Friday night 8/30/24, along the Reigelmann Boardwalk on Coney Island. The final fireworks show of the summer was displayed just east of the Steeplechase Tower near Luna Park. Normally the shows are at 9.30 pm in the midst of the summer, but on the last night they began at 10 pm. In the photo you can see the fireworks above and the Luna Park amusement park below.

Saturday, August 31, 2024 from 12 noon - 7 pm - 24th Street Festival - along 24th Street from 4th to 5th Avenues (249 24th Street outdoors). Two salsa bands, food, crafts, a Domino Tournament and kids entertainment. Brooklyn street fairs in Greenwood Heights BK. FREE. For details see - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brooklyn-24th-street-festival-tickets-986193650757 or call Hector at 347.645.5656

Sunday, September 1, 2024 from 11 am to 12.30 pm - The Battle of Long Island / Brooklyn History Hike - by the Urban Park Rangers. The historical hike and history tour begins at the Fort Putnam which is now Fort Greene Park at the Visitors Center at Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park, in the northeast quadrant of the park in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC. Free. Copy & paste this url to view a map - https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-greene-park/events/2024/09/01/battle-of-long-island-history-hike-part-3

• All Weekend [see below**] / Monday, September 2, 2024 beginning at 10 am - 57th Annual West Indian American Day Parade and Carnival. There are events related to the parade going on all weekend [see below]. The parade begins at 11 am on Labor Day, Monday September 2nd starting near the Children's Zoo in Prospect Park, which is just south of the Grand Army Plaza near the Brooklyn Museum. The parade then marches south through Prospect Park along Flatbush Avenue. At the Flatbush they exit from the Park, the parade turns onto Empire Blvd and heads east to Nostrand, and then turns south ending at Midwood. Almost every site I saw seemed to get this wrong except the NYPD and the Organizers' site. The event runs from 10 am - 6 pm and you'll also find food stalls and shopping along along Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.
• Click here to read a brief report we did on the WIADC West Indian American Day Parade / Jouvert in Brooklyn last year.
• ** There are multiple events over the weekend. On Friday night from 8 pm to 3 am there's Socafest which is live music and some drinks for $75 / $ 150 at the Brooklyn Museum. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm there's a steelpan competition that costs $50, also at the Brooklyn Museum. On Sunday at 3 pm there's an outdoor concert for $70 at the Brooklyn Museum. On Monday, beginning at 6 am, J'ouvert [French for 'day break'] begins in Grand Army Plaza, followed by the parade gathering at 10 am and stepping off at 11 am. For details see - https://wiadcacarnival.org or their FB page at - https://www.facebook.com/Jouvertcity.

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches at Coney Island open all Summer.

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.

• Click here for Brooklyn Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to view Brooklyn street fairs NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, August 10 - 31, 2024 from 2 to 6 pm Thurs & 12 noon to 5 pm Fri & Sat - Latin Foto Festival - at the Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street off Spofford Avenue in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. There's an outdoor art space that is part of the exhibit which is open 24/7. Free. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

June 8 - August 31, 2024 - Bronx Writers' History - at the Bronx Historical Society. They are open Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm. For details see - https://bronxhistoricalsociety.org

Wednesdays, September 4 & 18, October 2 & 16, November 6 & 20, and December 4 & 18, 2024 from 4 to 9 pm there's a Vegan Bazaar featuring 20 different vegan vendors at the Andrew Freeman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.thebronxveganbazaar.com/

The first weekend of September there's the Central American Independence Parade and Festival in Crotona Park and Ferragosto in Bronx Little Italy. The second weekend of September there's the City Island Art Fair among other upcoming events in the Bronx. Details coming next week or see the parades & festivals or the street fairs pages links below.

Saturday, May 25, 2024 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Orchard Beach open all summer in Pelham Bay Park.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in the Bronx NYC.

• Click here for Bronx Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Bronx street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is hosting the DEP Commissioner at its monthly meeting on Tuesday September 10, 2024. The DEP Commissioner is responsible for air and water quality, among other important environmental issues. Click the Bronx Member Calendar link above for details.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Friday - Sunday, August 16 to September 1, 2024 at 2 pm / 5 pm / 7.30 or 8 pm - Do Portugal Circus - at the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Avenue in the Heartland Village neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and $20 / $30 / $50 tickets see - https://www.doportugalcircus.com.

The photo at right was included in an exhibit in the museum in Historic Richmond Town of a prior Richmond County Fair. The fair returns this weekend and its not only a fun way to spend an afternoon, day or the weekend, but it's also the historic towns most important fundraiser on Staten Island.

Saturday, Sunday & Monday, August 31 - September 2, 2024 from 12 noon - 8 pm. Richmond County Fair - At Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue. Food, music, carnival, crafts, living history, entertainment & shopping for families and folks of all ages. Admission $8 kids / $13 seniors / $18 adults & kids age 5 and under are free. Staten Island street fairs / festivals in Historic Richmond Town. One of the biggest events on Staten Island. For details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

Sunday, September 1, 2024 from 4 - 5.30 pm - The SI Philharmonic performs the British are Coming - At the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Blvd in Tottenville on Staten Island. FREE.

Saturday, May 25 - September 8, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - NYC Beaches along the East coast of Staten Island open all summer.

• OPEN CALLS - CLICK this link to view our NYC Open Calls, Grants, Funding & Public Notices section.
• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

• Click here for Staten Island Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals NYC.
• Click here to see Staten Island street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Staten Buzz.

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a good weekend.

Dominican Day Parades in Brooklyn & NYC

There are Four Dominican Day Parades in NYC & Boroughs

July 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Brooklyn BLVD NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 7.23.24. Generally looking good with no rain in the forecast, the highs in the high 80's and lows in the mid 70's.  Winds 5 mph and humidity about average.  Update coming with the Friday / Weekend post.

The photo at right was taken at one of the NYC Dominican Parades in NYC in a prior year. The Brooklyn Dominican Parade went on hiatus in 2023 and again this year it will not be returning. We spoke to folks who participated in the parade in prior years, who told us that the Brooklyn Dominican Day Parade is currently under discussion for planning a comeback in 2025. So stay tuned. There are only two more Dominican Day Parades remaining this summer, because the parade in Queens was held in late June 2024.

Brooklyn has been the Home to Once Popular Dominican Day Parade

Dominican Day Parades in Brooklyn & NYC. NYC has several Dominican Day parades, a couple of which we've previously covered. We've included in this report about the upcoming Manhattan and Bronx Domincan Day Parades in NYC, so that if you missed the one in Queens [and Brooklyn won't be hosting one this year], there's still time to enjoy the show.

• CLICK here for our report on the Brooklyn Dominican Day Parade / Brooklyn Desfile Dominicana of 2024.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

City of Yes Online OpEd Debate, St. Catherine of Genoa & Go Africa Festivals and SummerStage in Manhattan; Colombian Day Parade & Festival and Queens Boro Dance Festival & Next Week Pow Wow & Greek Fest in Queens; Raga Indian Music Fest, Nova Film Fest at Billie Holiday Theater, Giglio Festival in Greenpoint & Coney Island Fireworks in Brooklyn; Randalls Isle Family Fest, LGBTQ Pride Festival & Health Fair, Bronx Arts Ensemble & Arts & Crafts Series in the Bronx; Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast in Rosebank & Maker Park Radio 7th Annual Music & Art Fest on Staten Island, Washington, D.C. Protest of Israeli PM Netanyahu's Visit next Wednesday & NYC Summer Public Theater & Concerts & Festivals coming soon

Updated July 21, 2024 vs 7.19.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analytis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 7.19.24. Sunrise 5.41 am & Sunset at 8.22 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 80's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the low 70's all weekend. Winds will be a light breezy 4 - 7 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 40% - 60% on Friday, rising to 50% - 70% on Saturday and Sunday. No rain is in the weekend forecast. Not a bad weekend.

The photo at right was taken in a manufacturing / warehouse district in Greenpoint Brooklyn, near the end of June of 2024.

Early Sunday AM Weekend Edition Update. We're done, having added a few events and updated a few events. Enjoy the rest of your wonderful weekend.

Oped Debate about the City of Yes

Mayor Adams vs a Couple of Critics of the Proposal

Public Comment Period Ends Monday, July 22, 2024

There's a debate heating up over Mayor Adams push to change NYC's zoning laws. The Mayor asserts the changes will encourage the growth of affordable housing, while critics believe the zoning changes that Adams has proposed, will usurp much of neighborhoods ability to have a say in what is built in their communities by aggressive international and local developers. Critics also mention that the legislation appears to include significant billionaire and real estate developer giveaways and that Adams' proposed zoning law changes provide no guarantees that any affordable housing will be built at all, because of the proposal. Lastly, the City of Yes concentrates the power it proposes to be taken from the people, into the hands of the Mayor's Office, which by its very nature would significantly reduce transparency and visibility currently available to the people who live, work and pay taxes here, regarding what's being developed and erected in NYC neighborhoods by billionaires, real estate developers and international investors.

Click this link to view generally well written OpEds on both sides of the debate. In them, you'll also be able to find out how you can make your voice heard in the debate, before the period for public comment closes on Monday, July 22nd, 2024.

Remember, a government by, for and of the people, is just a meaningless phrase, if the people (yes that means you) don't pay attention to what's going on in their government and participate in it by getting involved. It's very, very easy to lose rights and privileges, as we saw by the recent court invalidation of Roe v. Wade. And it's very, very hard to win them back. China and Russia are good examples of places where, after millenia, the people have still not won back respect by, for and from their governments.

• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Manhattan Buzz NYC.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Queens Buzz NYC.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Brooklyn BLVD.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Bronx Buzz.
• Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Staten Buzz.

Wednesday, 7.24.24, D.C. Protest of Netanyahu Duping American - not Israeli - Taxpayers into Funding the Palestinian Kristallnacht, in addition to Israeli Imperialism & Expansionism

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, from 8 am to 8 pm, there's a protest against alleged War Criminal Benjamin Netanyahu at the Capitol in in Washington, D.C.

The Jewish American families whose loved ones are still being held captive by the Hamas terrorists are among those who will be protesting Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress. They are protesting Netanyahu's presence, because Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to accept any peace deal which would free the hostages. Netanyahu is trying to get some of the released Israeli hostages to come to support him [create confusion], while the families of those still in captivity are pleading with the freed American hostage to stay away or join them.

An Israeli American group called Unxeptable will also be there protesting Netanyahu's visit because they view him as a fascist threat to Israeli democracy - https://www.facebook.com/UnXeptable. They won't be alone. See one of the Netanyahu welcoming committee posters at right.

Many congressmen and women, along with Senator Bernie Sanders (and possibly other senators), will not be attending the speech. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was not invited by President Biden, but rather primarily by congressional Republicans - who insiders believe are using Netanyahu to divide Democrats in the lead up to the 2024 election. Netanyahu had participated in this same sort of election interference effort back in 2016, at which time he indicated he favored Donald Trump. An estimatd 58 Democrats skipped his speech that year, and it is believed the number could go much higher this year, when he arrives at the Capitol next week.

Here's a story about Netanyahu's apparent use of American funding and weapons for Israeli imperialism, as well as what seems to be the Palestinian Kristallnacht. In the report we explore how Netanyahu avoids taxing billionaire Israelis for his wars, because - with the help of the faulty reporting by American corporate mass media - he has been able to successfully convince American taxpayers to fund them instead. Stay tuned.

• CLICK here to view our report about things to do in NYC in July / events.

* How Dense are the Self-Defeating, Biden-Denying, Democrats?

Why aren't Democrats Promoting the 'Biden Team' Accomplishments, instead of Undermining the Top of their Ticket?

Updated July 19, 2024 vs 7.18.24 / National Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

Democratic Leadership Deeply Disappoints - Schumer & Jeffries et al

I am very disappointed in the behavior of the Democratic Leadership, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader (D-NY) Chuck Schumer, U.S. Congressional Minority Leader (D-NY) Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) for making public their calling for Biden to step down, right in the middle of the presidential race.  Note that these Democrats are - like the corporate mass media - urban and bicoastal - not from the Midwest / heartland / swing states.

A day after first posting this, a friend sent along a political cartoon published in The Week [shown at right]. It seems to capture the sentiment expressed above pretty well and shows all of the above named Democrats seated in the train, mentioned in order, from right to left.

Lincoln Said "It's Foolish to Change Horses in the Middle of a Race"

There's an old adage that goes something like this, "never change horses in the middle of the race".  That quote is attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, who is said to have used it to persuade voters to re-elect him, rationalizing that, "... it would be foolish to change leaders in such a turbulent time ...". It seems the same wise advice has some relevance to today.

Since both Biden and Trump became their parties' presumptive presidential nominees on 'Super' Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the presidential race began that day.  And since election day is approximately eight months later, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, we have already passed the midway mark for this presidential race, which ends only three and a half months from now.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on How Dense are the Self-Defeating, Biden-Denying Democrats.

Last Chance to Say No to the City of Yes This Week

Final Public Meeting Wednesday 7/10/24

Layla Law-Gisiko's Contributed OpEd / July 10, 2024 / Opinion.

Dear New Yorkers,

Each year, the same scenario unfolds. July rolls in and you think you can take a break, slow down, chill. Carpe Diem. But not quite yet. As always, the most significant and existential land use decisions are made over the summer. As Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, the French critic and journalist wrote: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Remember last year with Madison Square Garden.

Well, the 2024 vintage is City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.

The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the most consequential zoning action since the 1961 zoning text overall. The ambitious citywide, one size fits all proposal aims to solve NYC housing crisis by removing many land use regulations which in turn would result in more supply.

Editor's Note - The following links were provided to enable you to view the original source documents.

https://www.nyc.gov/site/planning/plans/city-of-yes/city-of-yes-housing-opportunity.page

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans-studies/city-of-yes/housing-opportunity/annotated-zoning-text.pdf#r=1

After trudging through six weeks of community board deliberations, it seemed we were finally on the brink of seizing the day at the beach. But hold off on the beach umbrella and the sunscreen. The City Planning Commission will hold their only public hearing on the matter on Wednesday, July 10.

I am not going to lie: this hearing may be gruesome. But the City Of Yes will grew-some-more.

As of now, the city predicts that the hearing may be a 12-hour marathon or more. No carpe on that diem! Yet, we shall remain mobilized.

• CLICK here to read the rest of Layla Law-Gisiko's OpEd about Saying No to the City of Yes Zoning Legislation in NYC.

Coop City Fireworks in the Bronx

July 6, 2024 / Coop City / Bronx Buzz NYC. I attended and recorded the Coop City fireworks in the Bronx this year. The fireworks display was launched from the Coop City Field located along the Hutchinson River which empties into the Long Island Sound.

They started around 9.30 pm and went for about 15 - 30 minutes, and I fouind it to be a fireworks display worth watching. Check out a few clips we put together from the show.

Cable TV's Knucklehead News

CNN's SuperFantastic Debate Fiasco

The CNN Presidential TV Debate Between President Joe Biden & "Former" President Donald Trump Showcased how Disinformative Modern TV News can be, Particularly When Moderated by Anchors who Don't Seem to Know Who the Current President is

June 27, 2024 vs 6.21.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I was horrified Thursday night, as I watched the CNN TV debate unfold between President Joe Biden and 'FORMER' President Donald Trump. Not only because of Joe Biden's performance, but even more so because of CNN's performance, including Jake Tapper's and Dana Bash's mega journalistic failure, for moderating a show, advertised as news [which is supposed to be about facts], that disinformed their TV audience.

Improper Sound Set Up - CNN Technical Failure?

The horrors started with the sound [wo]man's failure to properly amp or set up Joe Biden's microphone so that it properly projected his soft spoken voice at a level audible to the TV viewing public. I had to ratchet up the volume on my TV to twice the level I normally use, to hear what President Biden was saying.

No Fact Checking the Biggest Liar in Presidential History? Only on TV 'News'

Then there's the incredible failure by the TV anchors to properly moderate the debate. First of all they should NEVER have agreed to moderating a debate where fact checking was not a part of the process. I mean really, how can CNN look itself in the mirror tomorrow morning and tell everyone they are a news organization, when facts don't matter in of all things, a Presidential Debate?

And then add to that, that one of the candidates is known to be one of the biggest liars on the planet. According to a January 24, 2021 Washington Post report, they noted that Donald Trump had lied 30,573 different times, in the four years he was president.

Former President Trump went off on some of his predictable mendacious campaign tirades, about January 6th, abortion, immigration, the economy ... and pretty much everything else - without any corrections - save from President Biden, who quite frankly, in part because of his stutter, and in part because it was difficult to hear him, didn't do a very good job.

• CLICK here to read our report on CNN's News Failure on the 1st Presidential TV Debate of 2024 - Knucklehead News.

Juneteenth - Things To Do NYC

Juneteenth Things to do in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

June 17, 2024 / Things To Do NYC / Holidays, Parades & Ethnic Culture / Gotham Buzz.

Over the past ten years or so, interest and awareness of Juneteenth has grown fast. Juneteenth commemorates American slaves obtaining their freedom on June 19, 1865 in Texas, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, wherein President Abraham Lincoln officially freed the slaves effective January 1, 1863. Unlike today, word didn't travel so fast, and in the Confederate states, the white slave owners did their best to keep the slaves from learning of Lincoln's Executive Order. Juneteenth is a word blend denoting June [nine]teenth. President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, taking effect immediately and in time for folks to first celebrate the holiday two days later, on June 19th, 2021.

In the photo at right is John Watusi, who was a Founder and the Executive Director of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in years gone by [now deceased]. John was a poet and a civil rights activist who recognized, along with others, the important role that history and culture play in people's lives. So, while Juneteenth is a celebration of an African American liberation day, it is also a celebration of African American culture.

This year NYC Mayor Adams cited a number of NYC cultural and historical sites and tours related to Juneteenth and the African American experience in NYC. In an OpEd he penned and we published Monday, you'll find links to some of the sites and tours he references of interest. Click here to read recent OpEds and Editorials on Gotham Buzz NYC.

Juneteenth Historic Sites in NYC - Brooklyn, Manhattan & Online

Here are a couple of African American Historical Sites in NYC, some of which are referenced in the Mayor's OpEd. Brooklyn Juneteenth Historic Sites - Juneteenth Grove at Cadman Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn. It's there 24/7. Manhattan Juneteenth Historic Sites - African Burial Ground - located at Elk and Duane Streets just a block north of City Hall in downtown Manhattan. Online Juneteenth Historic Sites - African American Landmarks and Historic District Interactive Map & Seneca Village Online - created by the Landmarks Preservation Committee.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report about things to do on Juneteenth NYC - Juneteenth Events.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Happy Fathers Day, Early Voting Begins, Tribeca Film Festival, Romania Day Fest, SummerStage & Blue Note Jazz Festivals in Manhattan; Louis Latimer House Reopens, Queens Boro Dance Festival, Jackson Heights Art on the Fence Show, Jamaica Dance Festival in Queens; 7th Heaven Festival in Brooklyn; 161st Street Fest, Hunts Point Fish Parade, Bronx River Sounds Arts Fest, AIM Biennial Closing & Orchard Beach is Open in the Bronx; Flag Day Celebration, Country Night Gala at Grand Oaks, Fathers Day Boat Tour & Pride Event on Staten Island, NYC Summer Public Theater, Concerts & Beaches Open - Next Week Museum Mile, Juneteenth, Make Music, Summer Solstice, Mermaid Parade & Pride Parade

June 16, 2024 Update vs 6.14.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Forecast as of 6.14.24. Sunrise 5.22 am & Sunset at 8.30 pm. The temperature highs will be around 70 all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the low 50's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid to high 60's on Sunday. The humidity will range between 75% - 85% on Friday, before falling to 55% - 70% on Saturday and Sunday. The winds will be 5 - 12 mph all weekend. There will be about 2/3 of an inch of rainfall between about 4 pm Friday afternoon and ending by 1 - 2 am Saturday morning.

The photo at right was taken at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival which continues through the weekend in Manhattan.

• CLICK here to view our weekend reports on Things to do in June NYC / Weekly Events in NYC in June in all five boroughs.

City of Yes, No or Maybe?

Things to Consider include Erosion of Commercial Property Tax Base, Impact of Your Neighbors' Running Machines at all Hours of the Day for their Home Based Businesses, Significantly Stunted Regulatory Enforcement and Oversight over Home Based Businesses, the Feeding of the Non Profit & Religious Orgs' Valuable Property to the Real Estate Development Wolves without Making & Taking Proper Precautions & the Transfer of Power from Local Control to Billionaires & International Real Estate Developers & ...

June 4, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government / NYC Business / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

City of Yes to be Voted Upon This Week

This week the New York City Council will vote on Part II of the City of Yes proposed changes to New York City zoning laws.  While the media pundits and many local pols believe it will pass, there's still a chance that it could be tabled for further consideration, and an outside chance that it could be voted down. 

I've attended a number of meetings and conferences where the legislation has been discussed by various experts who have examined and have advocated both for and against the proposal.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to square away enough time to provide more complete coverage of this legislation as it has moved from conception to a proposal which will be voted upon this week.

Another Failure to Inform by NYC Major Media

So what I am publishing today, is a compendium of what I've been able to learn over the past five months, about the City of Yes Part II Text Amendment Changes. My intention is to enable you to make a more informed decision about the sweeping zoning changes that are, in time, sure to affect most New Yorkers' lives - just in time for you to do something about it. Unfortunately, as is so often the case these days, TV news is too busy doing weather, sports and crime & accident videos, to do any real news reporting about what's going on in NYC, that will affect city residents and workers. And none of the three NYC major daily newspapers have paid sufficient attention to what is sure to be one of the most signifcant - and possibly harmful - pieces of municipal legislation in generations.

Let me say at the outset that a government for, of and by the people doesn't work if the people don't pay attention and get involved. Voters need to make sure that their interests - not just those of the billionaires and real estate developers - are included in legislation passed by the government officials voters elected to represent them. Democracy, on auto pilot, crashes and burns. So, I'm both alerting you and asking you to get involved - given there are only a few days left before a vote.

The rest of this will come later this afternoon and into the evening. It will be a highlight of some of the significant points made at the meetings and conferences I attended, as well as some of my thoughts of possible 'collateral damage' this legislation could do. if not significantly alterred, which means at a minimum the NY City Council must table it pending further work, if not vote it down.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the City of Yes Part II - Sweeping Zoning Changes proposed for NYC.

* Will 'City of Yes' Become a Law Enforcement Mess?

• How will New Yorkers React to their Neighbors' Businesses Daily Foot Traffic in Their Buildings?

• What Impact will Home Based Businesses have on Building Infrastructures including but not limited to Storage, Garbage Removal, Parking, (Hot) Water, Noise Levels & Security?

• Will NYC & NYS Government Agencies Need a Search Warrant to do Routine Regulatory Enforcement in Residence-Based Businesses?

May 28, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Series / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government Media & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The City of Yes legislation has been moving through the NYC Council, having just been approved by another committee last week.

It's reportedly a billionaire and real estate developer crafted piece of legislation. And it seems to be guided by the invisible hand of billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross, who has been involved in many NYC government related real estate efforts, since former Mayor Bloomberg first gave that fox full entry into the chicken coop during Bloomberg's three terms in office. And of course, this legislation appears to be aided and abetted by Ross's campaign finance Political Action Committee efforts, which helped elect those who will enable his agenda, which in this case is one of essentially taking power from the people, and transferring it to Ross and his billionaire and real estate developer cohorts.

COY is Taking Power from New Yorkers, Because New Yorkers Aren't Paying Attention, Because They're Relying on TV's Knucklehead News

Reportedly, 30 of the 52 Community Boards voted against the City of Yes Part II legislation. Another 20 of the 52 said ok, but with conditions. And two voted for it. If this were a real democracy, The City of Yes legislation would never have gotten as far as it has, with reportedly a better than fair chance of passing.

It's worth reminding New Yorkers, that a government of the people, by the people and for the people - doesn't run without the people's involvement. Democracy crashes and burns when it's on auto pilot. If 'the people' don't pay attention, they will soon have nothing once again.

Pay attention to this vote. And I urge you to get involved if you can, because this is the largest usurpation of the everyday New Yorkers' power in my lifetime. The vote is expected to take place on or before June 6, 2024, because the NYC Council session ends next week. The NYC Council could vote it down, or table it to give folks more time to digest the mega changes, that are going to intrusively affect their daily lives.

Also, last Friday, after 5 pm, on the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend, a notice went out about proposed changes to the NYC Charter to be voted on this November. The first meeting is only one day after the three day weekend, at 1 pm today, which leads me to believe that whoever is behind these changes, wants as few people to know about them as possible. So fyi - https://www.nyc.gov/site/charter/index.page

We'll have more on the City of Yes at a later date.

• CLICK here for prior short reports on the City of Yes zoning changes in NYC.

Click Manhattan 4th of July fireworks best places to watch in NYC for Manhattan 4th of July fireworks viewing spots or click July 4th fireworks in NYC for NYC independence day fireworks in the 5 boros of NYC.  Also see the Brooklyn fireworks at Fort Hamilton NYC and the Astoria Park Fireworks in Queens, both of which occur the week before the July 4th holiday.

Saying No to the City of Yes

City of Yes is ...

• An Attempt to Overcome NIMBY [Not in My Back Yard] in Favor of YIMBY [Yes in My Back Yard]

• Yes to the Billionaires & Developers Who Created the Plan

• No to the New York City Residents Who Already Live & Work Here

May 15, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Series / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government Media & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Since the beginning of the new year I've attended over a half dozen different lectures, presentations and community discussions, about the City of Yes and related topics. Two of them were presentations given by the NYC Planning Department who are selling the plan, one by the Federal Reserve which took a stance that leaned pro business but did not ignore the possible destructive ramifications of passing the legislation, one by a community activist group in Brooklyn, another by a Community Board in Manhattan, and two others by a civic group, also in Manhattan.

I tried to keep an open mind about the pros and cons of the legislation, but I couldn't help but begin forming opinions about the proposed legislation, as I collected, sorted and analyzed the legislation and information surrounding it. Over time, the ramifications of actually passing this legislation have begun to appear.

The Mayor's Rationale for Pushing Legislation Created by and for the Billionaires & International Real Estate Development Community

The legislation was concocted by billionaires, real estate developers and the NYC Planning Department, headed by Daniel Garodnick. As such, it reflects their interests, and seems to almost completely ignore the interests of the communities that the NYC government is supposed to be serving.

The Mayor has been pushing the City of Yes, because he believes it will eliminate the 'Not in My Back Yard aka NIMBY' that many infrastructure projects [including affordable housing] encounter when the government or real estate developers are trying to foist them on a community. Hence this would have the effect of enabling projects to move more quickly from conception to fruition, and at a lower cost to the government, billionaire or real estate developer pushing the project. The Mayor also believes that this will enable the creation of more affordable housing.

It might enable the creation of more affordable housing, and it might not. It could just enhance the bottom lines of the billionaires and developers pushing the plan, which in my mind is the more likely scenario.

The Downside of Passing Legislation that Usurps the Power of the People

But, more importantly, it would usurp the power that the people living in these communities currently have, to voice their concerns about new construction projects like affordable housing, commercial buildings or transit, being built within their neighborhoods. While I appreciate the Mayor's interest in reducing the time and cost of getting things built - like affordable housing - I don't think that taking away the power a community has over what is developed within their midst, is the right way to go about changing things. And perhaps even more importantly, I think any time you're transferring power from the little people to the rich and mighty, you're moving power in the wrong direction.

City Club of NY - ReThinking the Housing Crisis

So, with this in mind, I'm going to take you into a Zoom conference hosted by the City Club of New York which was entitled ReThinking the Housing Crisis, held on May 7, 2024. While not specifically about the City of Yes, it provides some contextual background which should help in evaluating it. And later this month we'll also have a report on the Federal Reserve's April 25, 2024 conference entitled 'Fostering Neighborhoods: Faith-Based Organizations and the Development of Affordable Housing' which was largely about the proposed City of Yes legislation. At that conference there were several speakers who promoted the legislation, but not without reservations, both of which we'll include in our report.

• We'll have more to report later on ReThinking the Housing Crisis [2nd part of GB 531].

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Orthodox Easter, Jane's Walk & 5 Boro Bike Ride for all NYC; Cannabis Parade in Manhattan; Art Opening, Nai Ni Chen Dance Performance, Spring Fling Car Show, Cinco de Mayo Concert in Queens; Atlantic Avenue Art Walk, Cinco de Mayo Party in Sunset Park, Moliere in Prospect Park, Luna Park Open Daily on Coney Island in Brooklyn; BxArts Factory Spring Market, Run the Bronx 5 & 10K & Bronx Museum Biennial Art Exhibit at in the Bronx; Yankee Peddler Day & Lighthouse Paintings Exhibit on Staten Island & Met Gala & Mothers Day Next Week

May 3, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 5.3.24. Sunrise 5.50 am. Sunset 7.54 pm. There's an 85% chance of about 2/3 inch of rain on Sunday, beginning around or shortly after noon, but the rest of the weekend is dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday and Saturday, descending to the mid 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 all weekend. The humidity will range from about 55% to 75% on Friday and Saturday, and then rise to 75% to 85% on Sunday. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken of the 5 Boro Bike riders passing through Queens in a prior year.

• CLICK for all of things to do in NYC in May / May Weekly events in NYC.

The Queens World Film Festival Mirrors the Changing World

The Queens World Film Festival 2024 Opened Up Deep & It Has Enabled a Number of Queens Youths to Venture into the Wily, Woolly, Whale of a Tale, World of Cinema

April 23, 2024 / Queens World Film Festival / Queens Film Scene / Queens Buzz NYC.

Last Wednesday, April 17, 2024 I headed over to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria / LIC, to catch the opening night of the Queens World Film Festival. To be perfectly candid, I had a lot of other things on my mind, as I'm in the midst of several big projects that require my full attention.

I entered the museum close to the beginning of screen time and noted a fairly subdued mood relative to the festivals I had previously attended, which were all prepandemic. I then made my way into the theater and found a spot where I could camp out with my camera and notebook, where I wouldn't disturb my fellow viewers.

The festival began with opening remarks by some of the Queens World Film Festival alumni, all from Queens, who talked about their voyages into the world of cinema, led by Captains Katha and Don Cato, the Founders of the Queens World Film Festival.

As a bit of history, the festival began in 2011, some 13 years ago and I'm happy to report that we were there. I covered the festival in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2024. That's seven out of a total of about [I'm guesstimating, pending receipt of confirmation] nine or ten - as the festival went on hiatus during the pandemic, like just about everything else during that time.

We'll have more later on in the week. In the meantime I've aggregated our previous coverage into this report, so you can sift through prior festival reports we published. The festival runs through Sunday, April 28, 2024. Tickets are $23 which you may purchase at https://queensworldfilmfestival.org

CLICK here to read the rest of our report, as well as view a history of the Queens World Festival for 2024 and back to its inception.

City of Yes or Planning Mess? Zoom Conference with City Club NY

Three Presentations [Awaiting a Fourth] About the City of Yes Proposal

April 16, 2024 / City of Yes Special Report Section / NYC Real Estate & Business / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last Thursday, April 11, 2024, I attended a Zoom Conference Call hosted by the City Club of NY, wherein four zoning experts presented their assessments of the sweeping zoning changes proposed in Mayor Adams' City of Yes zoning legislation.

The City of Yes zoning proposal is being pushed hard, and it is being pushed fast, by the Adams Administration in tandem and with the strong support of the billionaire class and the real estate development industry. These two groups are supportive of Mayor Adams' proposal because it will free them from the time, expense and hassle of answering to us, the locals ... the people who actually live in the places, where the uber rich and real estate developers want to transact business.

Remember - Democracy Doesn't Work on Auto Pilot

So you'd better pay attention before the people's [aka your] input - into the sorts of structures and activities allowed in their [your] communities - is rolled back sixty years, and possibly far further back. The City of Yes legislation will provide the super wealthy and the real estate developers, from all around the world, with the power to dictate to NYC community neighborhoods what structures they're going to erect, in many cases where, and what sorts of activities will take place on the property - within the very lax parameters embedded into the City of Yes legislation.

We've been tracking this legislation for a couple of months now. First via Alicia Boyd of MTOPP [Movement to Protect the People], a community activist in Brooklyn; then via the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [MOECM] via Zoom; then via Community Board Meetings in Sunnyside Queens where the NYC Planning Department presented the City of Yes, followed by a Community Board Six in Manhattan Zoom Conference Call; and most recently with the City Club of NY, whose presentations are being published today.

We are thankful to these people and organizations for investing the time to help do the work of a functioning democracy, which is to engage and inform the people about the decisions being made by those in power on their behalf that - may or may not - be on their interest.

• CLICK here to view the slide show presentations given at the City of Yes or Planning Mess NYC Zoom conference call on April 11, 2024.

Solar Eclipse Grazes NYC

There was a Partial Eclipse in NYC & a Total Eclipse in Buffalo

April 9, 2024 / NYC Parks & Environment / NYC Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 4.9.24. Sunset 7.30 pm. Sunrise 6.24 am. Other than a forecast of nearly an inch of rain between 8 pm Thursday and 11 am Friday, the rest of the week should be dry. The temperatures will hit 70 today and possibly Sunday, otherwise in the 60's, while the lows will be in the 50's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph, except from the evening of Thursday, through Friday, and descending into the weekend. The humidity will rise through the week, until Friday when it hits about 60% and then begins dropping into a very dry Saturday [35%], before climbing on Sunday.

The image at right shows a number of New Yorkers out in the park observing the solar eclipse on Monday.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on NYC Solar Eclipse & NYC Earthquake.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Tartan Day Parade, Antiquarian Book Fair, NY Auto Show & Macy's Flower Show Ending & the Future of AI in Manhattan; Bayside St. Pat's Day Parade, Armstrong @ Newport Concert & Easter Celebration continues at Alley Pond in Queens; Holi Celebration, Food Fairs, Easter Hunt & Luna Park Open on Coney Island Brooklyn; Bronx Arts Ensemble, Bronx Night Market, Yonkers St. Pat's Day Parade & Orchid Show at NYBG in the Bronx; Upcoming Spotlight Theater, Chinese Scholars Garden & Conference House Open House on Staten Island; Ramandan Ends & Solar Eclipse Monday 4/8 at 3.25 pm, Uptown Night Market & AI Talk at Japan Society on Thursday

April 4, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 4.5.24. Sunrise 6.32 am. Sunset 7.26 pm. The temperature highs will be around 40 on Thursday and Friday, rising to about 50 on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will range from the low 30's to the mid 30's throughout the weekend. The wind will be 15 - 20 mph on Thursday, falling to 8 - 12 mph on Friday and Saturday, and then falling again on Sunday to about 5 mph. The humidity will fall from about 80% on Friday, to 70% - 80% on Saturday, to 60% - 80% on Sunday. Generally no precipitation is expected, with the possible exception of Thursday evening where there's a 40% chance of about 3/10's of an inch of rain.

The photo at right was taken of the Haupt Conservatory at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx. The Orchid Show runs through April 23rd and is themed Florals in Fashion.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC

Monday, April 8, 2024 from 2.51 - 3.58 pm there's a Solar Eclipse in NYC. The peak darkening period is at 3.25 pm. Be sure to take proper precautions 1) in evaluating any eyewear you use to view it, and 2) if you do view it, do so briefly, as staring at the sun can cause severe eye damage. The NY Public Library is handing out free solar eclipse glasses. For details copy & paste - https://www.nypl.org/press/new-york-city-public-libraries-distribute-free-solar-eclipse-glasses-safe-eclipse-viewing

• CLICK here to view things to do in NYC in April / April events in NYC.

City of Yes Text Amendments - Huge Zoning Changes in the Works - Part II.

The Proposed 'City of Yes Text Amendments' will Roll Back Local Community Board [and Hence Communities] Input into What is Built & What Activities are Allowed in Their Communities

April 2, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Just over a week ago I attended a Zoom call, organized by Community Board 6 in Manhattan, regarding the proposed City of Yes Text Amendments Part II being promulgated by Mayor Adams and his Administration. We collectively sat through about an hour long presentation, which I found to be most enlightening as well as a bit disconcerting should the proposed changes pass without significant alteration.

I have obtained permission to publish the slides, which due to technical issues, I have had to publish in the three [vs one] slide shows you see below [they are in chronological order].  I'll post my full report early next week, but in the meantime the slides should give you an idea of how big the changes really are and has been done in such a manner that you can begin to figure out how these changes may affect you.

Whether you are a tenant, landowner or real estate developer - and no matter in which borough you live - these changes, if passed unalterred, are going to significantly change how things are done in NYC. And the more I dig into this, the more it seems to be a roll back of community input, which is - in my mind - an essential / core element of any democratic process.

Isn't it?

While I'm still not done with the research, these changes look to be quite harmful to the people of NYC, in so many different ways, while failing to provide any sure path to growing our inventory of truly affordable housing.

Much more coming next week and over the next couple of weeks.

•  CLICK here to view the slide show presentation made regarding the City of Yes at the Manhattan Community Board 6 Meeting on March 25, 2024.

NYS Primary Voting Tuesday, April 2, 2024

In addition to the presidential primary, there are also NYS primary races on the ballot.

City of Yes Text Amendments - Huge Zoning Changes in the Works

How Much Will the Proposed 'City of Yes Text Changes' Strip Communities of Input into What is Built in their Communities & What Activities Take Place within Each Property?

Updated March 9, 2024 from 3.6.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Thursday, February 1, 2024 I attended a Community Board 2 Queens meeting about the proposed City of Yes Text Amendments at the Sunnyside Community Services Center. The presentation was given by the Department of City Planning and the focus was the second piece of the massive, nearly 1,157 page City of Yes Text Amendment proposal.

The photo at right shows two City Planning Department representatives fielding questions from the audience following their presentation of the zoning law changes proposed in the City of Yes Text Amendments - Part II - Economic Development.

What are the City of Yes Text Amendment Zoning Law Changes?

The first segment of the proposal included changes to zoning in order to enable green energy powered buildings. The second segment of the proposal, which was what this meeting was all about, was to make changes to zoning laws to provide more zoning flexibility to enable more economic opportunity. And the third segment of the City of Yes Text Amendments is to address the need for affordable housing. As previously mentioned, for the purposes of this report, we're sticking to the second segment of the three part proposal, which moved front and center following the passage of the green energy initiative passed by the City Council in December of 2022.

City of Yes Text Amendment Changes - Part II - Economic Development

I am including a slide show from the February 1st, 2024 meeting mentioned above. And I have also reached out to Alicia Boyd, a Brooklyn activist in this area, and have obtained her permission to post a slide show she presented on January 16, 2024 at the Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island. By providing you with both slide shows you'll obtain both a 'Pro' perspective and a 'Con' perspective. The Pro perspective, provided by the City Planning Department, also includes a description of the specific changes to the zoning laws for which they are advocating. We'll have more on this in the coming weeks because we think it is one of the most important issues of the day and the City Council is expected to vote on it in April 2024.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report, including competing slide shows about the proposed City of Yes Test amendments - Part II - Economic Development. As of this post we've not yet heard back from Alicia Boyd of MTOPP, but expect to hear from her today / tomorrow or by the end of the week. So please stay tuned.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Funding Deadlines for Youth Summer Jobs, Earth Day Artists Open Call & Citizens NYC Grants for all NYC Boros; Outsider Art Fair, Jelly's Last Jam, TNC's Frankenstein, Rachmaninoff by Carnegie Hall Citywide & Metrograph Film Series in Manhattan; Julio Film at Queens Historical, Open House & Redading Discussion at JCAL, St Patricks Day Parades in Sunnyside & the Rockaways in Queens; Italian Opera & Glide Skating under the Bridge in Brooklyn; Orchid Show at NYBG, City Island Theater Group performs Becky's New Car & Youth Photo Exhibit at Bronx Doc Film in the Bronx; and St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island

Updated March 2, 2024 from 3.1.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 2.23.24. Sunrise 6.29 am. Sunset 5.48 pm. There's over a 90% probability, of about a half inch of rain, expected on Saturday, beginning after 7 am and ending about 9 pm. Sunday is dry, but cloudy. The temperature highs will climb from the mid 40's on Friday to about 50 on Saturday to about 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be about 40 on Friday, climbing to the high 40's for the rest of the weekend. The humidity will rise from the 40% - 70% range on Friday, to the 80% - 90% range on Saturday, before falling back to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will range from 4 - 9 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens in an earlier year.

• CLICK here for NYC things to do in March - Events in NYC in March.

The City of Yes Voting Tonight in Sunnyside Queens

The Most Sweeping Zoning Law Changes in a Half Century are Underway.

Why is the Media MIA?

February 21, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate & Business / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

There's a vote tonight on the City of Yes zoning law changes beginning at 6 pm at 43-22 50th Street in Sunnyside Queens.

The City of Yes zoning law changes are the most sweeping changes to zoning laws in NYC in over a half century. I've not yet had a chance to thoroughly study them, but a cursory review indicates that one of the main tenets of the proposal is a significant rollback of local control in favor of real estate development. The Mayor's argument for this rollback is that it will enable developers to create more housing and enable more integration in neighborhoods.

COPY & PASTE this url into your browser to go to the website of Alicia Boyd of Brooklyn, who is a non-profit activist who's analyzed and been monitoring the 1,500 page City of Yes proposal - https://mtopp.org/index.php/2024/02/05/wake-up-do-you-know-whats-about-to-happen-to-your-new-york/

• CLICK here for a wee bit more commentary on the City of Yes Text Amendment Voting Tonight in Sunnyside Queens.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Black History Month Begins, Valentines Day Weekend a Week Away, NYC Restaurant Week, Hotel Week and 2:1 Broadway Tickets - ALL end Sunday, Women in the Heights Open Call ends Monday & Ice Bumper Cars in Manhattan; the Flushing Chinese New Year Parade next Saturday in Queens; Glide under the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn; Bartow Pell Mansion Open Call ends Thursday 2/8 & Art Exhibit Event at Hostos in the Bronx Next Week; a Tavern Concert at Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island

February 2, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 2.2.24. Sunrise 7.04 am. Sunset 5.14 pm. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low 30's. Winds will range from 7 - 12 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 70% - 80% on Friday and then fall to 50% - 60% for the rest of the weekend. It's expected to be sunny without any precipitation in the forecast. This seems to be an awfully good weekend weather report for this time of year.

The photo at right shows Trinity Church cemetery in Downtown Manhattan last week, near where the Department of City Planning held two super important meetings. One was about a new real estate development on Flushing Meadows Corona parkland in Queens. The second was about the City of Yes Text Amendments which will completely change the limits on development in NYC. Democracies only work if the citizenry pays attention and participates. As Jefferson is quoted as saying [said something similar but it was a Vermont journalist who coined the phrase], "... Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty ...".

• CLICK here for NYC things to do in February - Events in NYC in February.

* Updated - How Many Stops Act Veto Overridden & Was the Mayor Justified in Vetoing the How Many Stops Act Bill [586-A]?

And Did Corporate TV News Inform or Distort the Issue by Televising the Yusef Salaam Stop?

Updated February 1, 2024 from 1.30.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Adams veto of the How Many Stops Act - Bill 586-A by a margin of 42 to override the veto and 9 in support of it, with 0 abstentions. The City Council also revoked the use of solitary confinement at Rikers. A number of the councilmembers stated an interest in working with Mayor Adams on implementation of the changes, to ensure there's no degradation of law enforcement effectiveness because of the change.

Some council members shared negative experiences of their own and their constituents, of being stopped by the police. Many NYC Council members also commended NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for drafting and pushing the legislation through the council.

The photo at right was taken at City Hall in December of 2023, when the Mayor met with members of the ethnic and community media, to discuss past, present and future issues and efforts.

CLICK here to read our report about why we think the Mayor was right in vetoing the Too Many Stops Act.

What They’re Saying: New York Leaders Continue to Voice Opposition to City Council Bill That Could Make NYC Streets Less Safe

This is a Reprint of a Press Release Issued by the Mayor's Office Regarding the How Many Stops Act

January 29, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Following is a Press Release issued by the Mayor's Office

NEW YORK – Following today’s veto on City Council bill Intro. 586-A — which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe — faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opposition to the bill.

Here is what New York leaders are saying. What follows is the full reprint of a press release issued by the Mayor's Office on January 19, 2024. 

• CLICK here for a press release by the Mayor's Office regarding community leaders' response to Mayor Adams Vetoing the How Many Stops Act - 586-A in NYC.

* The Federal Reserve in NYC Assesses the Risks due to Climate Change

Climate Change is Real. Its Impact is Already Affecting Economic Investments & Outcomes. The Federal Reserve Shared a Closer Look with us in October 2023.

January 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Monday, October 2, 2023 I headed down to the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC to make a withdrawal. Not a withdrawal of money, but to collect some information about Climate Change, at a Conference they hosted for local media outlets.

Keynote Speaker - Economics Professor Stiglitz

The Keynote speaker was Joseph E. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, who participated in a discussion with John C. Williams, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.

Informational Economics - Investment & Business Decisions are Based on Imperfect Information

The keynote speaker, Joseph Stiglitz, has expertise is in economics, and more specifically, informational economics. Stiglitz was preceded by economist George Stigler [not to be confused with the keynote speaker Joseph Stiglitz] who is credited with first developing 'The Economics of Information' in 1961 while a professor at the University of Chicago. This was the beginning of an entire area of study of how information and information systems affect economic decision making.

In the 1970's three researchers, one of whom was Joseph Stiglitz [the keynote speaker], is credited with developing the theory of 'Asymmetric Information' which posits generally that one of the parties - in a two party transaction - has better information. For example the seller of a used auto knows more about the car than the buyer, or a borrower likely has better information about whether there will be problems in repaying the loan than the lender.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on a cursory assessment of the risks associated with climate change at the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC.

The First Taylor Swift Travis Kelce Super Bowl Ends in Chiefs Victory

Swift Arrived on Time, but No Engagement Announcement: Chiefs 25 - 49'ers 22

February 12, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Super Bowl LVIII didn't disappoint. After four quarters the Chiefs and 49'ers were tied. They went into overtime and it took the entire overtime period for the Chiefs to emerge victorious 25 - 22, in a Super Bowl to remember.

Contrary to the rumors leading up to the big game, pop star Taylor Swift did not receive an engagement ring from K.C. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She did, however, arrive at the game on time, after wrapping up a performance on her Eras tour in Tokyo, about 17 hours earlier.

• CLICK here for yucks - the First Taylor Swift Travis Kelce Super Bowl 58 Ending in Chiefs Victory.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Weekend of the New Year 2024 - Some of the Top Things to do this Weekend in All Five Boros of NYC

January 5, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.20 am. Sunset 4.43 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 30's all weekend. The temperature lows will be around 30 degrees all weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday and Sunday, rising on Saturday to 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will rise from 45% on Friday, to 70% - 90% on Saturday, falling back a bit to 80% on Sunday. On Saturday, there will be an inch of rain [doubtfully snow in NYC] dropped between 3 pm and 2 am Sunday.

The photo at right was taken on New Years Day, at Coney Island in Brooklyn, as the Polar Bear Club took their annual plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was in the 40's and, as you can see, it was sunny. I used to think of the event as a bit of insanity, but on this New Years Day, it actually seemed like good fun.

CLICK here for NYC things to do in January - Events for ALL Weekend in NYC in January.

New Years Resolutions 2024: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year. It's an opportunity to start anew. And even if we don't fulfill our highest expectations, moving the needle in the right direction, is always a good thing.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2024 a better year for you.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2024 - The Road Ahead.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas Weekend with Holiday Markets, Holiday Events & NYE Parties - are Some of the Top Things to do this Weekend & Next Weekend in NYC

December 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.18 am. Sunset 4.33 pm. The temperature highs will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the mid 40's on Saturday, to the high 40's on Sunday to the low 50's on Monday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 30's on Friday, to 40 on Saturday, to the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be below 5 mph all weekend, including Monday which is a national holiday. The humidity will rise from 60% on Friday, to 70% on Saturday, to 80% on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast. These temperature statistics are highly unusual for this time of year.

The photo at right, taken in Sunnyside Queens this week, shows an example of the holiday home decorations one can find in the five boroughs of NYC.

This weekend use the links below to find holiday events, holiday markets and look for things to do over the New Years Eve weekend. While all done for Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn and mostly done for the Bronx, we'll be completing the NYE parties options sometime Sunday 12/24/23.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report about things to do Christmas / New Year week in NYC - Events NYC the last week of December.

NYC Things to do in December in All 5 Boros of NYC

December Events in NYC by Week

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holiday Markets, Holiday Events & Cultural things to do this Weekend in NYC

December 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 50's on Friday, rising to the high 50's on Saturday and settling into the mid 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the high 40's all weekend. The humidity will rise from 65% to 85% on Friday, and then stay in the 80% range the rest of the weekend. The winds will be about 5 mph on Friday and Saturday, rising to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. Rain. About 1 - 2 tenths inch of rain is expected Friday, between 4 pm and 10 pm. Saturday is mostly dry, with a 40% chance of 1 - 2 tenths inch of rain after 8 pm. On Sunday about a quarter inch of rain is expected before 10 am and after 4 pm. Note the small amounts of rain currently forecast, and the timing of it, so that it doesn't have to get in the way of you spending an enjoyable weekend.

The photo at right shows a holiday dance performance at an NYC school.

CLICK here to view our reports of NYC things to do ALL weekends in December - Events NYC.

Thanksgiving - America's Communal Holiday

The Pilgrims Legacy: Love, Sharing & Community Empowerment

November 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.

The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.

Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny

Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.

Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.

I. A Brief Thanksgiving History

The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream

At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?

• CLICK here for the rest of the story about Thanksgiving Day sentiments in NYC.

* Exclusive: One on One Interview with the Mayor

The Eric Adams Story - Part I

Mayor Adams is a Complicated Man, Who Rose from Poverty, to the Highest Office in NYC

November 6, 2023 / NYC Government & Polltics / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz. News Analysis & Opinion by Michael Wood.

This past summer, while working on another story in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], I entered into discussions with the MOECM, about the possibility of an exclusive interview with the Mayor. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media was created a couple of years ago, to enhance local media access to the goings on at City Hall, in order to better inform the public. Under the Adams Administration, part of that program included providing greater government official availability to somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 local media outlets.

Famod Konneh, Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement collaborated with me to make arrangements for the interview, which took place on Friday, October 20, 2023. It's worth noting that every reporting story done live, is a collaboration of a sort, between the journalist and the subject(s) covered.

The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], at the MOEDM operations cener which is in the basement of City Hall, while he was setting up the video conference.

Interview Preparation - Doing My Homework

I did a considerable amount of research into the Mayor's past, while preparing for the interview. I did all this prep work, even though Famod had told me I would be limited to 20 minutes via a Zoom video call, as I was pitching him for more time. When I first first started the research, I did it in preparation for the interview, but, as sometimes happens with the kind of reporting I do, the more I learned, the more I became interested in learning even more about the Mayor and his life story.

Initially I thought I would do a standard hard news interview about key topics of the day including immigration, crime, the public schools and the budget. But, as I journeyed into the Mayor's past, I became more intrigued with the idea of doing a different story.

The Adams Administration's Unheralded Herculean Effort Managing the Immigrant Influx

As I conducted my research, I decided that NOT to inquire about the Mayor's - seemingly unappreciated or underappreciated - Herculean effort to manage the huge influx of immigrants into NYC. This situation, turned crisis, began when Texas Governor Greg Abbott began bussing immigrants from Texas border towns, beginning in August 5, 2022, to NYC. Governor Abbott began transporting immigrants here without any communication nor coordination with NYS Governor Hochul or NYC Mayor Adams.

Nonetheless, Mayor Adams somehow found enough lodging for somewhere between 65,000 - 125,000 immigrants bussed in since then, who arrived in the city within the past year or so. The Mayor also managed to carve enough funding out of the NYC budget to provide security, food, healthcare and logistics for the newcomers, with what - until fairly recently [the past three months or so] - appeared somewhere between scant and lagging help from the likes of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), respectively.

In spite of this gargantuan challenge, Mayor Adams made sure NYC didn't miss a step. His Administration kept the influx of immigrants mostly off the streets, and appeared to ensure they were't coopted into criminal activities by providing for them, in spite of laws which forbade them from earning a living. This nearly heroic effort has mostly gone unheralded by the corporate media.

The photo above right shows the Mayor pondering a question I posed to him, during our Zoom interview. He's in the Mayoral limo enroute to his next event.

CLICK here to read the rest of the story about my exclusive interview with Mayor Adams about his life - profile.

The LIC Summit at the Museum of the Moving Image

The One Things that was Clear, Amidst a Number of Rapidly Shifting Trends, was that the Times They are a Changing

October 23, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Business NYC / Queens Buzz. 

Last Tuesday, on a fairly nice October day, I visited the Museum of the Moving Image, to attend the LIC Summit which was organized by the Long Island City Partnership [LICP].  According to their website - at https://www.longislandcityqueens.com - the description and mission of the Long Island City Partnership is as follows:

"... [The] Long Island City Partnership(LICP) is the neighborhood development organization for LIC [Long Island City]. Our mission is to advocate for economic development that benefits the area’s industrial, commercial, science and technology, cultural, tourism, and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to LIC, retain those already here, engage residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community. LICP also operates the LIC Business Improvement District and LIC Industrial Business Zone (LIC IBZ), providing business services and assistance...".

The photo at right shows that it was a packed house at the LIC Summit this year at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria / LIC in Queens.

I believe the first Long Island City Partnership Summit was held in 2014 [also at the Museum of the Moving Image], which we reported on at the time.  Based on their outreach this year, the purpose of the event remains largely intact, which is as follows, " ... to shape the future of the neighborhood, focusing discussions on LIC’s public spaces, sustainability and resiliency, as well as the challenges and opportunities of NYC’s fastest growing neighborhood ...".

So, while a lot has changed in Long Island City, Queens, NYC - and for that matter the world - their goals and efforts remain constant amidst this changing world.  Likewise, many of the key issues of nearly a decade ago, haven't gone away.  These include the scarcity of affordable housing, the need for public space and accessible transit, and the challenge of curating an environment where local small businesses can create and operate viable business models.  And ... to be sure ... we are also facing new challenges, which include the time sensitive need to transition to renewable energy, and build and sustain resilient infrastructure - particularly in low lying and waterfront neighborhoods. 

What follows are some excerpts from the participants of the Keynote panel at the LIC Summit.  The participants included Moderator Carl Weisbrod, Senior Adviser at HR&A; and panelists Justin Ginsburgh, Managing Director Infrastructure Jet Blue; Donovan Richards, Jr, Queens Borough President; and Maria Torres-Springer, NYC Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce for the City of New York.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the LIC Summit by the LIC Partnership / real estate in Long Island City, Astoria & Queens NYC.

LaGuardia Community College Pioneers New Ground ... Again

Boyce Technologies Hosts LAGCC President's Society Ten Year Anniversary Celebration

October 9, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Queens Buzz NYC.

A week ago from last Thursday, I attended a celebration of the President's Society at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City Queens. The LAGCC President's Society is an innovative program designed to help high potential students reach their full potential. The event was held at Boyce Technologies, which is located nearby and designs and manufactures mass transit security and communications equipment.

The reason it was held at Boyce Technologies, is because they and LaGuardia Community College have developed a symbiotic relationship, whereby the school has become one of Boyce's leading suppliers of human talent [reportedly about 20% of their employees], while Boyce has become a significant employer of LaGuardia Community College graduates.

About 200 of the roughly 600 LaGuardia Community College President's Society members, who enrolled in the program over the past ten years, attended the event. This is a particularly remarkable number, when one considers that a number of the attendees came from other parts of the country just to attend this one evening event, and that LaGuardia is a two year public college, not a four year one.

The photo above was taken at the LaGuardia Community College President's Society tenth anniversary reunion at Boyce Technologies in Long Island City on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

• CLICK here for the full report on the gathering of the LaGuardia Community College 10th Anniversary of the President's Society including the photo slide show of the event.

Mount Sinai - Living Donor Celebration - at the NY Academy of Medicine NYC

I was Almost Shocked by a Lot of What I Learned about Kidney & Liver Transplants

September 25, 2023 / Manhattan Neighborhoods NYC / Manhattan Healthcare NYC / Manhattan Buzz.

Nearly two weeks ago, on Wednesday, September 13th, I headed into the New York Academy of Medicine at 1215 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side to attend a ceremony - a celebration actually - honoring Living Donors of Mt. Sinai's kidney and liver transplant program. 

To be frank, when first approached to cover this event, I wasn't sure of what to expect.  But after mulling it over, and perhaps with a bit of deference to my Mother, who had signed away her organs on her driver's license [and likely elsewhere], I decided to go to see what I might learn.

New York Academy of Medicine on the UES

The ceremony was held at the New York Academy of Medicine, which is located along 5th Avenue at 103rd Street.  The NY Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a number of NYC doctors, most notably the Presidents of the NYU School of Medicine, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Medical Society of the City and County of New York.  The Academy has played an influential role in shaping public health policy in NYC, NYS and the U.S.

The building in which the New York Academy of Medicine is located, as well as the location of the Mt. Sinai Living Donor Ceremony, was built in 1926 and is also home to the NY Academy of Medicine's library of various aspects of medicine, which was first started in 1847, opened to the public in 1878, and continues to be accessible to the public to this day.  Generally it's dedicated to those wishing to do research and one has to make an appointment to use it.  For more information and to make an appointment see - https://www.nyam.org/library/connect/visit-library/

The Mt. Sinai Living Donor Ceremony event was held on the third floor of the building what seemed a library reading room turned into a theater.  The room had 20 foot high ceilings [possibly higher], nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking Central Park, and I'm no expert, but I believe the bookcases in the front of the room were made of oak.  The Carnegie Foundation donated about one million to the NY Academy of Medicine to build this building back in the 1920's.

My point in telling you all of this, is to provide a feeling and sense of connection to the past, the early roots of scientific healthcare in this country, which I assume was part of the consideration in selecting this location for the event ... as well as its proximity to the Mt Sinai Hospital campus on the Upper East side, which is located along 5th Avenue between 98th Street and 103rd Street.

CLICK here to read the rest of our story about kidney and liver transplants by Mount Sinai at a presentation at the NY Academy of Medicine.

Oktoberfest Parties & Celebrations in NYC including in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

Oktoberfest Begins Mid September in NYC and run thru October

UPDATED October 7, 2023 from 9.19.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The official / unofficial kick off to the month and a half of Oktoberfest events in NYC begins in Manhattan with the Steuben Parade. This report identifies a number of Oktoberfest events around NYC beginning mid September and running through the end of October.

The photo at right shows one of the floats in the Steuben Parade celebrating the consumption of bier, which in tandem with consumption of bratwurst, is an integral part of Oktoberest. One thing the photo doesn't show is the music, that also goes hand in hand with Oktoberfest.

A Brief History of Oktoberfest in NYC

Coming with time. We've posted a number of Oktoberfests in this report, but a few more are coming. Also watch the front page, as this year [only] they are likely to be posted there first.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report on Oktoberfest in NYC, including the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy Manhattan NYC

Manhattan's Signature Italian Festival Celebrates Little Italy in NYC

September 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Fall is just around the corner, which means the San Gennaro Festival is about to begin in Little Italy in Manhattan. See the front page or the parades & festivals page or click into the story for details of the San Gennaro Festival of 2023.

A Very Brief History of Little Italy Manhattan

Little Italy is just north of Canal street, across from Chinatown, which lies to its south. SoHo lies to its west, across Lafayette Street. While the Bowery is just east of it along Mott and Bowery Streets, and Nolita [North of Little Italy] lies to the north of it, across Broome Street. This is something of a downsized area from the original Little Italy of a century ago.

Little Italy was an important destination for Italians arriving in New York City in the late 1800's and early 20th century. It was generally a poor, working class neighborhood at that time, filled with laborers, and shopkeepers who traded food, wine and clothing. And the community was fairly self-sufficient with its own doctors, lawyers and bankers accoding to a Wikipedia account of an NYT story in 1896.

Little Italy's size and population peaked in the early 20th century, aat about 10,000, as Italians left for greener pastures in other parts of the city, including East Harlem, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Nonetheless, Little Italy remains somewhat intact, as a very popular tourist destination, the peak of which is celebrated in tandem with the San Gennaro Festival.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy Manhattan NYC.

911 Commemoration Events & Remembrances in NYC & Boros

911 Commemorations this Weekend and Monday

September 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend, there are a number of events around the five boroughs commemorating the losses of 911. The following are a few of those events.

The collection of photos at right shows an cultural performance at Lincoln Center honoring the victims of 911. The performance returns Monday at 8.05 am.

911 Remembrances / Commemorations NYC

Ongoing _ Daffodil Project in NYC Parks. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/sept-11-memorials

• CLICK here to view our report on 911 Memorial and Commemoration events in all 5 boroughs of NYC.

The West Indian American Day Parade(s) in Brooklyn NYC

A Deeper Dive into the Cultural Origins of the Carnival & Some Particulars About the Celebrations in Brooklyn

September 6, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Brooklyn Parades & Festivals / Brooklyn BLVD NYC.

On a sultry Labor Day Monday morning, I set out for the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights. The former, covers some of the area in Brooklyn known as Little Caribbean and it was to be the ending point for the Jouvert parade, which serves as the warm up for the larger West Indian American Day Parade.

Be advised that I was not aware of this distinction - two parades by the same group on the same day - until I had arrived and started making inquiries about when and where the actions was.

The Jouvert puportedly started at 11 am inside Prospect Park either at the entrance to the Kids Zoo [still not certain about this, but I'm getting closer to being precise] on Flatbush Avenue or based on a map I saw on the NYPD website, the Jouvert started at Grand Army Plaza, at the north end of Prospect Park. I'll be following up on this, and make the changes here when I get them.

The photo above right was taken at the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn on Labor Day. Many different island cultures celebrate the carnival in unison. The flag in the lower right corner of the photo is Jamaican.

The Jouvert then marched east along Empire Boulevard before turning south on Nostrand Avenue and terminating at Winthrop. I arrived a bit before noon, at Empire Blvd and Nostrand, where the Jouvert Parade had already passed. The Jouvert Parade involves participants adorning themselves with paint and powder, sometimes sharing it with others in a style that reminded me of the Indian Holi celebration.

Speaking of Indians, the West Indies got their name after Columbus discovered them for the Spanish throne. They were called the West Indies, in order to differentiate them from the East Indies, with which the Portuguese had opened up trading routes in the 15th century just prior to Columbus's discovery. The East Indies comprises the islands that lie south of India, the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea and north and west of Australia.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn over the Labor Day Weekend.

Floyd Bennett Field Returns, for Encore, as Gateway to NYC

NYC Mayor Adams & NYS Governor Hochul Receive a Lease Agreement from the U.S. Government to Lease Floyd Bennett Field

August 29, 2023 / Brooklyn Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / Brooklyn BLVD.

Just over a week ago, Governor Hochul announced that she and NYC Mayor Adams had received a lease agreement from the Biden Administration, regarding the terms for leasing the Floyd Bennett Airfield for temporary use as a migrant center. The airfield is expected to be capable of providing temporary shelter for about 2,500 immigrants.

Floyd Bennett Field is a Part of the Gateway National Recreation Area

Floyd Bennett Airfield is located at the south eastern end of Brookyn and is part of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife sanctuary, as you can see from the map at right. The airport became a part of the National Park Service in 1972 when the Gateway National Recreation Area was established to protect important natural resources within / near NYC. Sandy Hook New Jersey is also a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, while the rest of it is located in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn, as previously implied.

Floyd Bennett Airfield - NYC's First Airport - Opened 1931

Four years ago, on August 31, 2019, I visited the Floyd Bennett Airfield with the intention of doing a story on it, which - until now - I had not had an opportunity to do. On that visit, I biked the airfield, took photos in both the museum and peeked through the dusty windows of the hangars and warehouses on the airfield, to photographed our recent past.

Given that the airfield is about to be transformed into a sprawling migrant center, I thought folks might want to take a look at it as it was four years ago, before it is repurposed into something quite new. Along with this story, I'll also take you through a brief history ...

... as the Floyd Bennett Airfield was NYC's first airport, predating LaGuardia which according to Wikipedia opened on December 2, 1939 and JFK which opened as New York International Airport [nicknamed Idlewild] in July 1, 1948. Floyd Bennett Airfield opened on May 23, 1931.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the history of Floyd Bennett Field which was NYC's first airport and will now become an immigrant center.

Eric Adams, Sheena Wright & Persons of Interest

The NYC Mayor & First Deputy Mayor have Set Out on an Ambitious Effort to Prevent Crimes Before They Happen through the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force [GVPTF]

UPDATED _ August 19, 2023 vs 8.16.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues & Law Enforcement / News Reporting, Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last Thursday I headed down to City Hall to hear a presentation by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and Andre T. Mitchell of Man Up! in Brooklyn, who are the Co-Chairs of the Mayor's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [MOECM] had organized the roundtable presentation at City Hall, and there were a bit more than a couple of dozen local media reporters in attendance.

The photo at right top shows two characters in the CBS TV series Person of Interest who spend their time trying to prevent crimes before they happen. The photo bottom right shows the Mayor & First Deputy Mayor, who are working to reduce and prevent crime in real life.

If one sets aside the drama, theatrics, rule bending & breaking, and the sensationalism of the TV series, there are some interesting parallels between what the folks in real life are trying to do, vis a vis what the imaginary characters of the TV series were trying to do. We'll have more on this later in the report.

Behind the Scenes at City Hall with Sheena Wright

The First Deputy Mayor, Sheena Wright, provided an overview of what the Adams Administration has quietly been working on - mostly behind the scenes - in the neighborhoods in NYC most wracked by violent crime.

Since June of 2022, Wright, Mitchell and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force have been laying the ground work to try to prevent crime in the high violence communties, before it starts. She described it as going upstream to root out the underlying causes of violent crime.

The Task Force has taken a holistic approach to the problem, rather than taking the historic / authoritarian approach to violent crime, which had further oppressed the people in the affected communities, by over policing them. For example during the Bloomberg Administration, the NYPD was instructed to stop and frisk people, seemingly at will.

This is not to say that the Adams Administration has reduced policing in these neighborhoods, because they have not. In fact they have increased policing in these neighborhoods, BUT they have concurrently begun reinvesting in these neighborhoods, which for decades, they told us, have experienced significant community disinvestment. I have not yet independently verified the disinvestment claim, but believe it is directionally correct.

The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, Executive Director of the MOECM; Sheena Wright, First Deputy Mayor and Andre T. Wright, Founder of Man Up! at a Round Table meeting at City Hall.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Adams Administration Approach to Violent Crime & NYC Crime Statistics Update.

* Why does NYC Care?

NYC Care is a Citywide Health Program Designed to Aid People Who Cannot Afford to Pay for their Entire Health Insurance Coverage

July 10, 2023 / NYC Healthcare / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz.

Two weeks ago, on Monday, June 26, 2023 I attended a meeting in City Hall hosted by the Adams Administration.  It was raining fairly hard as I approached City Hall on this warm June afternoon.

The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the achievements being made in providing healthcare to New Yorkers.  The focus on this day, was the progress being made toward providing healthcare to those who cannot [fully] afford it, by enrolling them into the NYC Care insurance program. 

The meeting was arranged by the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media. I arrived a bit early and spent time catching up with some of the other reporters while waiting for the meeting to begin.

The photo at right shows the NYC City Hall on a warm, rainy mid afternoon in late June.

What is NYC Care?

In the meeting we were told that, while the NYC Care program is a healthcare / insurance program that focuses on minorities, immigrants and those for whom English is a second language, it is available to everyone - including Whites - assuming all candidates for the insurance program meet the same preconditions.

Enrollees in the NYC Care healthcare insurance program need only meet three criteria to be eligible: 1) must be 21 years old, 2) they must have a valid government ID from the U.S. or a valid passport from their nation of origin, and 3) they may not be eligible for any other private or public health insurance program [such as Medicaid / Medicare].  There used to be a proof of six months of NYC residency requirement, but it was later rescinded.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on NYC Health & Hospitals NYC Care low cost / no cost health insurance in NYC.

Easter & Passover Celebrations in NYC & Boros

Next Sunday is Easter for Western Christians and the Following Week it's Easter for Orthodox Christians

April 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 438

Very Brief Introduction to Christian Easter Traditions

On Friday, April 7th, Christians observe Good Friday, which is when the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross. On Sunday, April 9th, Christians celebrate the Biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead.

Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, wherein Christianity split into two different sects - Roman Catholic Christians [primarily in Western Europe] and Orthodox Christians [primarily in Eastern Europe]. The traditions have much in common, but one of the differences is in how they calculate the time of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Western European Christians [Protestants and Catholics] use the Gregorian Calendar which was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory, while the Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar.

Thus there are years where the Western European and Eastern Orthodox Easter events fall at the same time, and there years where they do not. This year [2023] the celebrations of the two traditions are separated by a week, with the Western European Christians celebrating next weekend and the Orthodox Christians celebrating a week later.

• CLICK here to view our report on NYC Easter events, Easter parades, Easter egg hunts, Easter brunches & Greek Orthodox Holy Friday processsions in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island.

* Black History Month in NYC

This is a Look at Some of the Black History Events We've Covered Over the Years

February 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC/ 471.

NYC Weather. The temperature high hit 61 degrees on Monday, and will fall to the mid to high 40's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will range from the mid 30's to the low 40's until Friday, when the temperature drops into the mid 20's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph until Friday, when we'll experience a gusty 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will range between 60% - 70% through the week, before dropping to 40% on Friday. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The image at right is of Langston Hughes, a writer in the 1920's and 1930's of the Harlem Renaissance. It seems like African Americans are continuing the process of asserting their influence in American culture, a process that began going mainstream in the 1920's / 1930's.

Highlighting Black History Month in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island NYC with Reports about African American History and Culture

We've covered a number of interesting theatrical performances and art exhibits exploring African American history and the African American experience in the five boroughs over the years. Some of them feature the African American experience front and center, while others include or reference the African American experience. This is a compendium of most of them, with links to the full stories. Think of this as a work in progress as it is far from complete, and in some measure, reflects how long each of our web magazines has been open / covering events in each of the boroughs. At this time I have not included many of the black and brown events reflecting immigrants' cultures, vis a vis the African American cultural experience.

• CLICK here for our report on the Black history month and African American history in NYC - prior reporting recap / summary.

* Black History Month in NYC

Scratching the Surface of Our Ancestoral African Roots

February 7, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 470.

Over the past few years I've come to enjoy a number of PBS programs that delve into our collective African American ancestoral roots. One of the shows is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wherein he researches various celebrities' ancestoral roots, digging up photos, slave ownership records, and connections to other celebrities by tracing DNA trails. The journey can lead to any number of surprises, such as when Gates found that one of actress Carol Burnett's ancestors joined the Confederate Army, and then deserted a couple of years later. Or when Gates uncovered that TV Producer / Writer Larry David of Seinfeld is a distant cousin to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

But for my money, the treasure trove of programming on PBS may be found in its rich collection of documentaries - both old and new. And among those documentaries are a wide number of films exploring the contributions and history of African Americans.

PBS Documentaries During Black History Month in NYC

I'm only going to touch on one of them now, and at a later date will return to engage in a deeper conversation about others. The documentary I watched on PBS this month, was entitled, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard. It was about how an innocent African American veteran was attacked by a white southern police chief [Lynwood Shull] from South Carolina who beat out Woodard's eyes and permanently blinded him in February 1946, while Woodard was changing buses at a bus stop. That's a mighty nasty way to welcome a WWII veteran home and thank him for risking his life to defend us.

Nonetheless, eight years later, the search for justice was fulfilled ... in a way. Of course the all white South Carolina jury let off Police Chief Shull. But that action so enraged President Harry S. Truman, that he ordered a federal investigation into the case. And actor / radio host Orson Welles, took up the cause too, helping make it known what sorts of racial injustices were being perpetrated upon African Americans living and working in the south.

• CLICK here for our report on the Black history and the role of African Americans in pushing for civil rights.