Insults & Intrigue at Community Board 8 Meeting
Megan Finnegan Bungeroth
John Jay Park. Photo by Adam Piontek via Flickr.
Even after the two candidates for chairperson called for civility and a return to rule-following for Community Board 8, last night’s meeting devolved into a tense and emotional shouting match over the intentions of the Parks Committee versus the wants of the community in calling for improvements to John Jay Park. Read more
Senior Resource Fair
State Senator Liz Krueger is hosting the Fifth Annual Senior Resource Fair this Thursday, November 3, from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, One East 65th Street (at Fifth Avenue). The free event will feature over 50 exhibitors providing information for older adults, as well as refreshments and free resources guides. The event is designed to help make seniors aware of all the local resources available to them, from city programs to free and reduced price cultural offerings to the best ways to stay healthy. The location is fully wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact alicefisher.nyc@gmail.com, or call (212) 490-9535.
The Alchemy of Same-Sex Relationships
Gahl Sasson wants gay people to search for their soul mates.
Tomorrow night, Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 7–9 p.m., Sasson will lead a workshop called “The Alchemy of Same-Sex Relationships: Tips from Mystical Traditions for Attracting and Harmonizing Love Signs and Soul Mates” at The New York Society for Ethical Culture. Read more
Upper East Side vs. Occupy Wall Street
Yesterday we reported from the front lines of the Occupy Wall Street march to the Upper East Side homes of some wealthy residents (our full story is here and a short video of the march is here). While responses and coverage of the event are still coming out, we’re rounding up reactions and other news reports and asking our readers what they thought of the march. Read more
Occupying the Upper East Side
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began almost a month ago with a few dozen people camping out in Zucotti Park downtown took their protests to the Upper East Side today. Convening at the southeast corner of Central Park, several hundred people turned out for what organizers were calling a “billionaires walking tour,” marching up Fifth Avenue to visit the homes of prominent wealthy residents. The group first stopped at 834 Park Avenue, chanting for News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch to “come out and face the people [he] left out.” The group also planned to pay visits to the Upper East Side homes of David Koch, an executive vice-president of Koch Industries who has supported conservative causes, hedge fund manager John Paulson, real estate developer Howard Millstein, and Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase. Read more
Occupy Wall Street Marches on Upper East Side
Occupy Wall Street decided strolled uptown this afternoon to the Upper East Side and one of the richest zip codes in the country where they protested outside of the homes of Rupert Murdoch and billionaire David Koch, among others. Our reporter Megan Finnegan went along and shot the following video of the festivities. Read more
Shelter Bill Passes – What’s Next?
Last week, after our story on animal shelter reform debates, the city council passed Intro 655, the bill that will infuse Animal Care & Control with more money and expanded services but will also negate the city’s obligations to build shelters in every borough. We anticipate the debate over shelter reform to continue, however, especially as the mayor’s race heats up, and we want to know what our readers think of the potential remedies. Take our one-question poll below or leave a comment on the story! Read more
Upper East Side Hurricane Prep
As New York City braces for Hurricane Irene and Mayor Bloomberg issues the first-ever mandatory evacuation for residents in low-lying areas, some neighborhoods of the city have more to worry about than others. If you check the Office of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Evacuation Map, you can see if you’re in one of the zones. While most of the Upper East Side is a “no zone,” which means that you won’t need to evacuate, some areas close to the river in the East 80s and 90s are included in Zone B (the second level). Only a tiny sliver of the neighborhood is included in Zone A, which requires evacuating. Even if you are in a “no zone,” there are still precautions to take.
Read more
Our Town Editor on CB 8 Speaks
Our editor Allen Houston joined host David Rosenstein on Community Board 8 Speaks to talk about the paper in its 40th anniversary year:
Read more
Trouble on the Waterfront
The deteriorating East Side esplanade has become a top concern for many residents of the community.
The big story in this week’s Our Town (pick up a copy in the neighborhood!) is all about the East Side Esplanade – what’s wrong with it and how it can be fixed: Esplanade Emergency.
While fixing the esplanade is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan,” a proposal released last year to revitalize the city’s waterfront, many residents and community groups feel it is too far off.
“I don’t know what they are waiting for,” said Steadford Virgil, who rides his bike along the esplanade daily. “Some of these potholes have been here since last winter.”
We also report on the safety of the concrete used in the Second Avenue subway construction, a landlord with a shady history who politicians say is harassing his tenants, and what art handlers on strike at famous auction house Sotheby’s really do behind the scenes. Read more
