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.

Things To Do This Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 3, 4 & 5, 2024 generally from 10 am to 5 pm [but it's uncconfirmed and unclear on their website] - MASNYC Jane's Walk 2024 - at 200 locations in all five boroughs. Various art, culture, history and architectural tours throughout all five boros of NYC. Free. They describe the event as follows, " ... MAS staff organize a fleet of volunteer walk leaders, to create 200+ FREE, in-person, virtual, and on-demand walks with over 10,000 participants ... During Jane’s Walk NYC weekend, the simple act of exploring the city is enhanced with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement."... Organized by the Municipal Art Society. Not a street fair so much as a streets tour. For details including a map of locations, copy & paste - https://www.mas.org/janes-walk-nyc-2024/

Sunday, May 5, 2024 first wave beginning at 7.30 am & officially over at 6 pm - 5 Boro Bike Ride. It starts between Canal Street and the Battery in Manhattan, depending on the cyclist wave folks are in. And it ends at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. Not a street fair but rather a major cycling event. For details, copy & paste - https://www.bike.nyc

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 beginning at 6.30 pm - Rethinking the Housing Crisis - via Zoom by the NY City Club. For details copy & paste - https://www.cityclubny.org/

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 11 am to 1 pm - Cannabis Parade. In the past the parade began at 12.30 pm, and marches south from 32nd Street along Broadway to Union Square Park. Then from 1 - 5 pm there's a rally and fair in Union Square, which is followed by the Cannabis Parade after party festivities , also held in Union Square Park, from 7 to 11 pm.

Monday, May 6, 2024 with the Red Carpet beginning at 6 pm - Met Gala - at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 5th Avenue & 82nd Street on the UES of Manhattan. This year the theme is Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion. This is a billionaire, celebrity, high society fashion event that raises funds to support the Metropolitan Museum. By invitation only and the ticket price is $50,000 per person [Tickets range from $350 to $150,000 for a table]. For details about past Met Gala events see - https://www.metmuseum.org.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 from 9.30 to 11 am - Homeless and Housing Meeting - by Midtown South CC. For details copy & paste - https://midtownsouthcc.org/news/

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Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 4 to 6 pm - Vermicular Calligraphy - at the Garage Art Center in Bayside Queens. For details copy & paste - http://www.cuifei.net

Saturday, May 4, 2024 beginning at 3 pm - Cinco de Mayo concert - at the Kupferberg Center. Free. For details copy & paste - https://kupferbergcenter.org/

Sunday, May 5, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Nai Ni Chen Dance Company - performs at Flushing Town Hall. Details to follow this afternoon. For details copy & paste - https://www.flushingtownhall.org/

Sunday, May 5, 2024 from 9 am - 3 pm - Spring Fling Car Show - At the Maspeth Federal Savings Bank parking lot at 69th Street off Grand Avenue in Maspeth. A showcase of older vehicles kept in good shape. Sponsored by East Coast Car Association Toys for Tots.*

Saturdays, April, May June, July & thru August 17, 2024 from 4 pm to 12 midnight - the Queens Night Market at the NY Hall of Science at 47-01 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Food vendors representing culinary treats from around the world. Not what you think of as a traditional street fair in Queens. For details see - https://queensnightmarket.com/. This market is open every Saturday at the same time through August 17, and then again from September 14 - October 26, 2024. They first opened on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 from 6 to 8 pm at - Sculpture Center Art Opening at 44 Purves Street in LIC. For details see https://www.sculpture-center.org

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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. Click the MCal link above to learn more about Sunday, May 5, 2024 and Saturday, May 5 at Alley Pond Environmental Center.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays thru May 19, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm [all days except Wednesdays 11am on 5/8 & 3p on 5/15 & Sundays 3.30 pm & 8 pm - Moliere in the Park: The Miser - at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park [171 East Drive] in Brooklyn. Free. A comedy adapted to today's times. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.lakesidebrooklyn.com.

Saturday, May 4 - 12, 2024 from noon to 6 pm - Atlantic Avenue Art Walk in Brooklyn. Along Atlantic Avenue from 4th Street to the Waterfront in Brooklyn. They describe the event as follows, "... This 1.5-mile, self-guided tour along Atlantic Avenue ... and its immediate side streets, will feature art from different mediums while showcasing approximately 150 emerging and established Brooklyn artists at 70+ participating businesses ... eclectic shops, diverse restaurants, galleries and wide range of vital businesses and organizations ... [along a] tree-lined avenue that stretches through charming Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill to Downtown Brooklyn ...". Organized by Atlantic Ave LDC - https://www.atlanticave.org/artwalk

Sunday, May 5, 2024 from 12 noon to 6 pm - Church Avenue Street Fair & Festival. Along Church Avenue from Coney Island Avenue to Argyle Road in Flatbush. There will be performances, food & a kids carnival. Brooklyn street fairs in Flatbush. Organized by the Church Avenue BID / Meteor in the Flatbush / Kensington neighborhoods.

Sunday, May 5, 2024 from 12 noon - 10 pm - Cinco de Mayo Celebration & Parade in Sunset Park Brooklyn. For details copy & paste - https://www.facebook.com/IndependenciayCincoDeMayoSunsetPark/

RECURRING _ Saturdays & Sundays, Beginning April 6 & 7 thru October 26 & 27, 2024 from 11 am - 6 pm - Smorgasburg. On Saturdays it's held in Williamsburg at Bushwick Inlet Park at Kent & North 8th Street [head toward East River] and on Sundays it's held in Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue [head inside the park toward the ponds]. Brooklyn street fairs in Prospect Park & Williamsburg street fairs in Brooklyn. It hosts between 50 - 100 food vendors and it's organized by a private company. These run weekends through October 2024. For details see - https://www.smorgasburg.com

RECURRING _ Sundays, April 14 thru November 17, 2024 from 10.30 am - 5.30 pm - Brooklyn Pop Up Market at the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The market is described as follows, " ... one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans. This weekly event features more than twenty vendors offering artwork, jewelry, fashion, home and apothecary goods ...". For details see - https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

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Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Saturday, May 4, 2024 beginnning at 10 am - Run the Bronx - starts at Bronx Community College at 2155 University Avenue in University Heights in the Bronx. They offer a two mile Fitness Walk, as well as 5K and 10K runs. Free [I think]. For details copy & paste - https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/about-bcc/bcc-foundation/foundation-events/run-the-bronx/

Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 11 am to 7 pm - BrxArts Factory Spring Market - at 240 East 153rd Street in the Bronx. Bronx arts and crafts and hand made beauty products, jewelry, prints, comics, food & coffee. For details copy & paste - FB https://www.facebook.com/events/1151795159342502/?acontext=%7B%22…f_id%3D1713832115787473&notif_t=event_profile_plus_create&ref=notif

April 12 - June 16, 2024 - 6th AIM Biennial Exhibit - at the Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. Free. For details and to rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org/events/

The photo at right shows the Bronx Museum a few years ago.

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MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, May 14th beginning at 7 pm which includes an opportunity to obtain training and become a member of The Bronx Division of the Community Emergency Response Team (NYC CERT). On Sunday, May 19, 2024 the National Wildlife Federation, Captain Mike’s Diving, City Island Oyster Reef, and the American Littoral Society invite you, your friends and loved ones to a family-friendly Coastal Cleanup Event at Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park.The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm - Yankee Peddler Day - in Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island. There's a rain date of May 19, 2024. For details, copy & paste - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

Sunday, April 28 - May 26, 2024 - Paintings of Lighthouses of the U.S. - at the National Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. For details copy & paste - https://lighthousemuseum.org. It's free or free w/ admission.

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Have a good one.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Sikh Day Parade, the Association of International Photographers Art Dealers [aka AIPAD] Show at the Park Avenue Armory, Torch Bearers of Black Theatre & Harlem Town Hall in Manhattan; 10 Minute Film Festival at JPAC, Climate Arts Festival at the Queens Botanical Garden & Queens World Film Fest in Queens; Moliere in Prospect Park, Brooklyn Night Market, Chamber Music at Littlefield, Luna Park Opens Daily on Coney Island Brooklyn; Bronx Science H.S. Fair, Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet, Biennial Art Exhibit at Bronx Museum & Orchid Show Ending at NYBG in the Bronx; Lighthouse Paintings Exhibit Opening, Outdoor Market & NYRR Run at the Conference House on Staten Island, Passover ends Tues

Tuesday 4/30/24 March Against Rumored Steep Increases by the RGB for Rent Stabilized Apartments in June

April 26, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 4.26.24. Sunrise 6.00 am. Sunset 7.47 pm. There's a 75% chance of less than 1/10th inch of rain between 10 pm Saturday and 7 am Sunday. The temperature highs will rise from 60 on Friday and Saturday, to the low 70's on Sunday - and Monday is looking to be 80 plus degree day. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the high 40's on Saturday, to about 60 on Sunday. The humidity will range from 40% to 60% on Friday and Saturday, and then rise to 60% to 70% on Sunday. Winds will range from 5 - 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right shows a fair amount of pedestrian traffic near the Kingsbridge Amory in the Bronx last year.

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 beginning at 5.30 pm - March Against Rumored RGB Steep Increases for Rent Stabilized Apartments in June 2024. The march begins in Long Island City at Queens Plaza and ends at LaGuardia College Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue.

Monday, April 22 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - Passover. The Jewish celebrating their flight to freedom from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. Communal feasts, also known as Seders are generally held the first night to commemorate the event.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 25 - 28, 2024 - AIPAD Photography Show from 12 noon to 8 pm Friday, 12 noon - 7 pm Saturday and 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. Thursday is the VIP Preview. They return to the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue on the UES of Manhattan. The show presents dozens of galleries and hundreds if not thousands of photographers' works from around the world, many of whom are acclaimed. AIPAD is the Association of International Photography Art Dealers. Admission $65 run of show / $25 / $20. For details and tickets see - https://www.aipad.com.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 12.30 to 5.30 pm - Sikh Day Parade - begins at 37th Street, marching south along Madison Avenue, ending at Madison Square Park at 24th Street where there will likely be a big after party with food, music and vendors. For details see the Facebook page of the organizers - FB - https://www.facebook.com/SikhDayParadeNewYork/ or FB - https://www.facebook.com/Gurdwara.Sangat.Sikh.Cultural.Society.Ny/

Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Japan Fes - along 8th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets in Chelsea. A Japanese food festival in Manhattan. https://www.japanfes.com

Saturday, April 27, 2024 beginning at 5 pm - Harlem Arts Alliance Town Hall Meeting - at the Robert Frederick Smith Center for Performing Arts in Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park at 679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street in Hamilton Heights in West Harlem. For details copy & paste this to contact them - https://harlemaa.org

Monday, April 29, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - The Devil Wears Prada - at the United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. Following the movie there will be a conversation featuring Meryl Streep. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.unitedpalace.org. 

Monday, April 29, 2024 from 6 to 10 pm - Torch Bearers of Black Theatre Showcase 2013 - 2023 - at Riverside Theatre at 91 Claremont Avenue, north of West 120th Street, in Morningside Heights in Manhattan. They describe the event as follows, "... groundbreaking plays of powerful acting, choreography and history that will be the highlight of the evening. For $60 tickets and details see - https://www.facebook.com/groups/774268049275955/

The photo at right is looking westward at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan sometime in around midday. The photo was taken last year around this time.

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Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Friday & Saturday, April 26 & 27, 2024 from 7 to 8.30 pm - JCAL 10 Minute Film Festival - at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue in Queens. Free. For details & to rsvp copy & paste - https://jcal.org

Saturday, April 27, 2024 beginning at 8 pm - Music From The Sole and Sonia Olla& Ismael Fernández - at the Kupferberg Center at 153-49 Reeves Avenue in Flushing [Queens College]. For $30 tickets and details copy & paste - https://kupferbergcenter.org.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm - Climate Arts Festival at the Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing. The fair includes fun for " ... the whole family [including] hands-on activities, art exhibits, music, interactive performances, tours, demonstrations, and ... [a] Sustainable Vendor Fair to support local businesses ...". The fair will include food, beverages and a wide variety of sustainable offerings. For details see - https://queensbotanical.org/event/climate-arts-festival/

Wednesday - Sunday, April 17 to April 28, 2024 - Queens World Film Festival [QWFF] - at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue [at 36th Street] in Astoria. For details and $23 tickets see - https://queensworldfilmfestival.org. They are screening films at two theaters in MoMI, and one in Kaufman Astoria Studios, which is next door.

Saturdays, April, May June, July & thru August 17, 2024 from 4 pm to 12 midnight - the Queens Night Market at the NY Hall of Science at 47-01 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Food vendors representing culinary treats from around the world. Not what you think of as a traditional street fair in Queens. For details see - https://queensnightmarket.com/. This market is open every Saturday at the same time through August 17, and then again from September 14 - October 26, 2024. They first opened on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

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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. Click the MCal link above to learn more about Sunday, May 5, 2024 and Saturday, May 5 at Alley Pond Environmental Center.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday & Sunday, April 27 & 28, 2024 beginning at 7 pm and then 3.30 pm & 8 pm respectively - Moliere in the Park: The Miser - at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park [171 East Drive] in Brooklyn. Free. A comedy adapted to today's times. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.lakesidebrooklyn.com. These performances run Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays thru May 19, 2024.

Sunday, April 28, 2024 beginning at 3 pm - Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet / 5 Boroughs Music Festival - at Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street in Brooklyn. For details and $15 / $12 tickets copy & paste - https://5bmf.org/events/pedro-giraudo/

RECURRING _ Monday, April 29, 2024 from 4 pm to 10 pm - Brooklyn Night Market - at Industry City along 36th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in Sunset Park Brooklyn. It's a food market featuring 65 vendors and a wide variety of cuisines. Food festivals in Brooklyn. Every last Monday of the month thru October.

RECURRING _ Saturdays & Sundays, Beginning April 6 & 7 thru October 26 & 27, 2024 from 11 am - 6 pm - Smorgasburg. On Saturdays it's held in Williamsburg at Bushwick Inlet Park at Kent & North 8th Street [head toward East River] and on Sundays it's held in Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue [head inside the park toward the ponds]. Brooklyn street fairs in Prospect Park & Williamsburg street fairs in Brooklyn. It hosts between 50 - 100 food vendors and it's organized by a private company. These run weekends through October 2024. For details see - https://www.smorgasburg.com

RECURRING _ Sundays, April 14 thru November 17, 2024 from 10.30 am - 5.30 pm - Brooklyn Pop Up Market at the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The market is described as follows, " ... one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans. This weekly event features more than twenty vendors offering artwork, jewelry, fashion, home and apothecary goods ...". For details see - https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

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Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Saturday, April 27, 2024 beginning at 4.30 pm - Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet - at the Bronx River Arts Center at 1087 East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. For details and $10 / $8 tickets copy & paste - https://5bmf.org/events/pedro-giraudo/

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 from 4.30 to 6.30 pm - Bronx Science High School Fair - at Bronx High School of Science at 75 West 205th Street in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx.

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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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, April 9th beginning at 7 pm hosting the Commissioner of Bronx Borough Parks, Jessina Aponte & ASPCA Community Engagement representative, Megan Carroll.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Sunday, April 28, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Opening Reception for Paintings of Lighthouses of the U.S. - at the National Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. For details copy & paste - https://lighthousemuseum.org. The exhibit runs through May 26, 2024. It wasn't clear if it's free or free w/ admission.

The photo at right was taken a few years back, looking north and east from the Stapleton neighborhood on Staten Island.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 12 noon - 4 pm - Outdoor Market - at the Conference House Park at 7455 Hylan Blvd in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island on the Great Lawn. Items include home decor and trinkets, hand poured candles, sweet treats. From 1 - 3.30 pm there will also be live music. St fairs / art festivals in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island.

Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 9 am to 12 noon - NYRR Open Run - at the Conference House Park at 7455 Hylan Blvd in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island. Meet in the Parking Lot in Hylan Blvd. Free.

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Have a good one.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Earth Day Celebrations This Weekend, Indie Music & Record Store Day, Persian Day Parade, Japanese Food Fest in Manhattan; Earth Day, Fairs & Queens World Film Fest in Queens; Earth Day, Markets, Theater & Luna Park Opens Daily on Coney Island Brooklyn; 6th AIM Biennial Art Exhibit, Orchid Show at NYBG, Bronx Arts Ensemble Concert & Wave Hill Open Late TODAY Friday 4/19/24 in the Bronx; Tour de Staten Island Bike Ride, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Snug Harbor Cottage Row & Conference House Jazz on Staten Island; Next Week Earth Day & Passover & the Association of International Photographers Art Dealers [aka AIPAD] Show at the Park Avenue Armory

April 19, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 4.19.24. Sunrise 6.10 am. Sunset 7.40 pm. There's a likelihood of less than 1/10th inch of rain Saturday morning, sometime between 1 am - 10 am. Otherwise the rest of the weekend should be precipitation free. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, the high 60's on Saturday and the low 60's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the high 40's on Friday, descending to the mid 40's on Saturday and Sunday. Humidity will fall from a high of near 80% on Friday to between 45% - 65% on Saturday and then descending further on Sunday to between 35% - 45%. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria / LIC in Queens, earlier this week. The festival runs

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10 am to 4 pm - Car Free Earth Day in NYC. At various locations around NYC - see map below. For details and interactive map copy & paste - https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/earthday.shtml

Monday, April 22 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - Passover. The Jewish celebrating their flight to freedom from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. Communal feasts, also known as Seders are generally held the first night to commemorate the event.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9am to 9 pm - Independent Music & Record Store Day - at 30 Rockefeller Center Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. From 9 am to 8 pm is the rough trade store hours and from 12 noon to 9 pm there's vending, food & entertainment.

The photo at right is of the Persian Day Parade in Manhattan in a prior year.

Sunday, April 21, 2024 beginning at 11.30 am - the Persian Day Parade kicks off from 39th Street at Madison Avenue in Manhattan, marching south along Madison before ending in Madison Square Park [at 26th Street]. Last year [2023] the theme was 'women, life, freedom' which I reckon was in honor of those women seeking freedom from the Supreme Dictator in Iran. I don't see any theme referenced for this year. For details see - https://persianparade.com/

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Japan Fes - along 6th Avenue between 24th and 25th Streets in Chelsea. A Japanese food festival in Manhattan. https://www.japanfes.com

NEXT WEEK. Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 25 - 28, 2024 - AIPAD Photography Show from 12 noon to 8 pm Friday, 12 noon - 7 pm Saturday and 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. Thursday is the VIP Preview. They return to the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue on the UES of Manhattan. The show presents dozens of galleries and hundreds if not thousands of photographers' works from around the world, many of whom are acclaimed. AIPAD is the Association of International Photography Art Dealers. Admission $65 run of show / $25 / $20. For details and tickets see - https://www.aipad.com.

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Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 12 noon to 5 pm - Earth Day celebration - at Socrates Sculpture Park at Vernon Blvd and Broadway in Astoria / LIC. Also Saturday, from 11 am to 2 pm - It's My Park Day - at 80th Street between Northern Blvd and 32nd Avenue in Corona / Jackson Heights. Use the Earth Day url above in the NYC section, just under the weather.

The photo at right was taken this week in NYC, showing the trees and bushes and other plants springing back to life. The April showers are already bringing flowers. This weekend we celebrate Earth Day, even though the official date is Monday, April 22, 2024. Earth is a paradise of sorts, and we may be on the verge of losing it, if we don't change course more quickly.

Wednesday - Sunday, April 17 to April 28, 2024 - Queens World Film Festival [QWFF] - at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue [at 36th Street] in Astoria. For details and $23 tickets see - https://queensworldfilmfestival.org. They are screening films at two theaters in MoMI, and one in Kaufman Astoria Studios, which is next door.

Saturdays, April, May June, July & thru August 17, 2024 from 4 pm to 12 midnight - the Queens Night Market at the NY Hall of Science at 47-01 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Food vendors representing culinary treats from around the world. Not what you think of as a traditional street fair in Queens. For details see - https://queensnightmarket.com/. This market is open every Saturday at the same time through August 17, and then again from September 14 - October 26, 2024. They first opened on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

Monday, April 22, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - JCAL 10 Minute Film Festival - at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Queens. For details & to rsvp copy & paste - https://jcal.org

NEXT WEEK. Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm - Climate Arts Festival at the Queens Botanical Garden at 43-50 Main Street in Flushing. The fair includes fun for " ... the whole family [including] hands-on activities, art exhibits, music, interactive performances, tours, demonstrations, and ... [a] Sustainable Vendor Fair to support local businesses ...". The fair will include food, beverages and a wide variety of sustainable offerings. For details see - https://queensbotanical.org/event/climate-arts-festival/

• 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.

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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. Click the MCal link above to learn more about Monday, April 8, 2024 from 6.30 - 8 pm, when players from the St. Johns mens basketball team will be at the Fresh Meadows Applebee's to sign autographs.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday, April 20, 2024 - Bay Ridge Earth Day Celebration from 10 am to 3 pm at Owls Head Park at Colonial Road & 68th Street. Organized by NYC Parks and Bay Ridge Cares. Also in Downtown Brooklyn from 11 am to 3.30 pm at Albee Square and Albee Square West. Organized by DowntownBrooklyn.com.

Saturdays & Sundays, Beginning April 6 & 7 thru October 26 & 27, 2024 from 11 am - 6 pm - Smorgasburg. On Saturdays it's held in Williamsburg at Bushwick Inlet Park at Kent & North 8th Street [head toward East River] and on Sundays it's held in Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue [head inside the park toward the ponds]. Brooklyn street fairs in Prospect Park & Williamsburg street fairs in Brooklyn. It hosts between 50 - 100 food vendors and it's organized by a private company. These run weekends through October 2024. For details see - https://www.smorgasburg.com

Sundays, April 14 thru November 17, 2024 from 10.30 am - 5.30 pm - Brooklyn Pop Up Market at the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The market is described as follows, " ... one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans. This weekly event features more than twenty vendors offering artwork, jewelry, fashion, home and apothecary goods ...". For details see - https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.

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• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Brooklyn NYC.

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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, April 19, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Bronx Arts Ensemble - at St. Benedict Church at 2969 Otis Avenue in the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and to rsvp for free, see website - https://www.bronxartsensemble.org or the site of the performance - https://stbenedictchurchny.org/calendar

Friday, April 19, 2024 open until 9 pm - Wave Hill Earth Day Celebration - at Wave Hill at 4900 Indpendence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. For $4 / $6 $10 tickets and details see - https://www.wavehill.org

Saturday, April 20 from 12 noon to 3 pm - Earth Day on Randall's Island - in Fields 62 / 63. Music, arts, crafts and educational activities. Organized by the Randalls Island Park Alliance. For details copy & paste - https://randallsisland.org

Saturday, April 20 from 1 - 3 pm - Family Day. April 12 - June 16, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm - Bronx Museum 6th AIM Biennial Exhibit - at the Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. Free. For details and to rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org/events/

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

• 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.
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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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, April 9th beginning at 7 pm hosting the Commissioner of Bronx Borough Parks, Jessina Aponte & ASPCA Community Engagement representative, Megan Carroll.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9 am to 12 noon - Earth Day Garden Clean Up - and from 12 noon to 3 / 4 pm - Garden Fair - at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art at 338 Lighthouse Avenue in the Lighthouse Hill neighborhood of Staten Island. The garden fair includes sound meditation, movement arts, vendors and food. For details copy & paste - https://www.facebook.com/TibetanMuseum/

There's also a Spring sale nearby at the Church of St. Andrew. Use the street fairs link below to obtain details.

Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 5 to 7 pm - Jazz Union Instrumentals Show - at the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Boulevard in the Tottenville neighborhood on Staten Island. For details & $35 tickets copy & paste - https://conferencehouse.org.

Saturday, April 20, 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. https://snug-harbor.org

Sunday, April 21, 2024 from 8 am to 4 pm - the Tour de Staten Island Bike Ride - for cyclists of all ages, organized by Transportation Alternatives. The bike ride begins at Whitehall Ferry Terminal at the southeastern tip of Manhattan and ends at URBY, an apartment complex at 8 Navy Pier Court along the waterfront in Stapleton. There are 50 mile and 35 mile routes and there's an after party with food, entertainment and shopping from 12 noon to 4 pm. For details and $29 tickets see - https://transalt.org/events

• 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.

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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. There's a skincare technology event scheduled for May 30, 2024 - click the member events link above to view.

Have a good one.

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 / Gotham 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.

Last Friday, April 4th, 2024 we made the following announcement.

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

Experiencing the Solar Eclipse in NYC

The solar eclipse was the talk of the town the past week. And it's likely to continue to be a subject of conversation running through the rest of the week. In NYC we had about a 90% eclipse [coverage] of the sun, but as folks who were out yesterday well know, 10% of sunlight, is still pretty light out. In fact, with a partial eclipse, such as the one we experienced, the amount of light out makes it kind of feel like a cloudy day.

Most spectators wore the special sunglasses, which greatly enhan ce the experience. Not just because the y protect your eyes, but because they filter out enough light for you to actually see the super natural phenomenon. As I photographed the folks looking up at the sun, I noticed they were vigilant in not staring up for very long, which can significantly damage one's eyes. So I reckon most folks came through the event no worse for the wear. I had checked with the local library around 3 pm for free sunglasses, which they had been handing out for about a week [possibly longer], but they had given them all away. The librarian told me that the last pair had been handed out that [Monday 4/8/24] morning.

Thankfully, one of my fellow spectators lent me his sunglasses, which I used to photograph the eclipse, as you can see in the photo at right. It's not as good as the photos I took in 2017, when I had spent more time preparing for the event, as well as covering it. Here's a link to the last solar eclipse in NYC in 2017.

The photo at right shows a shot of the solar eclipse through the special glasses, in NYC on Monday around 3.20 pm.

Buffalo Experiences a Total Eclipse of the Sun for 3 - 4 Minutes

In Buffalo they had a 100% eclipse, which darkened the skies for about 3 to 4 minutes. As you can see from the map at right, Buffalo was more directly underneath the path of the moon, than was NYC, which accounts for the difference.

Nonetheless, a great many folks came out to experience this very natural phenomenon, which won't occur again [as significantly] until August of 2044. The last time Buffalo had a similar eclipse was in 1925. This is not to say there won't be any solar eclipses between now and 2044, as solar eclipses happen every few years, but the moon does not block the sunlight nearly as significantly, as it did on Monday. And the sun is so powerful, that even 10% of unblocked sunlight is still an incredible amount of light.

The image at right was provided by NASA, showing the flight path of the solar eclipse darkening, which spans about 100 miles in width.

NYC Experienced an Earthquake on Friday

As long as we're talking about supernatural phenomena, let's touch on the earthquake that hit last Friday morning. On Friday, April 5th, 2024 we experienced an earthquake which registered 4.8 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Whitehouse is located along Interstate Highway 75 about halfway between here and Allentown, PA. The quake hit around 10.23 am on Friday, April 5th.

There's a 2% chance of a tremor within a week of the quake.

The photo at right shows NYC shortly after the peak period of the solar eclipse in NYC [around 3.30 pm] where one almost wouldn't know there's an eclipse in process, because even 10% of the light provided by the sun, is quite an abundance.

Have a good week. We have a lot of weekend events coming next weekend, so stay tuned.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Tartan Day Parade, 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

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 2 pm to 4 pm - the 26th Annual Tartan Day Parade. Beginning at 6th Avenue at 44th Street, marching north to 55th Street in Midtown. The festivities begin the week preceding it and there's an after party. From 4.30 - 8.30 pm there's an after party at Sony Hall at 235 West 46th Street in Manhattan costing $109 which includes drinks and entertainment. For details see https://www.nyctartanweek.org/. Tartan Day parade in Manhattan.

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Japan Fes - along Broadway between 8th & 9th Avenue in the East Village. A Japanese food festival in Manhattan. https://www.japanfes.com

Thursday, April 11, 2024 from 4 - 10 pm - Uptown Night Market - at West 133rd Street at 12th Ave - Under the Arches. This is mostly a food market with 80 local vendors versus a street fair in the Washington Heights / Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. For details see - https://www.maschospitalitygroup.com/uptownnightmarket. This market is held on the second Thursday of every month April - October 2024.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 beginning at 6.30 pm - City of Yes or Planning Mess? - Zoom conference call hosted by the City Club of NY. Free. To register copy & paste this url - https://www.cityclubny.org.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - New Era of AI: Future of Work in Japan & the U.S. - at the Japan Society at 333 East 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan NYC. A two hour conversation about all things Artificial Intelligence. For $20 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://japansociety.org

Friday, April 12, 2024 beginning at 5.30 pm - Garifuna Heritage Celebration - in the NYC Council Chambers at City Hall. Free, but you must rsvp in advance at https://council.nyc.gov/events/. This is a not a street fair, but a City Council celebration of our diversity.

Ending This Weekend

Sunday, March 24 - April 7, 2024 - The Macy's Flower Show at Macy's Herald Square in Midtown. Macy's is open from 10 am - 9 pm weekdays, open until 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays and opens at 11 am on Sundays. For details see - https://www.macys.com

Friday, March 29 - Sunday, April 7, 2024 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm, the International Auto Show will be at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. Admission is $22 adults [age 13+ ] / $8 kids [ages 3 - 12] tickets / kids 2 and under are free. For details & tickets see - https://www.autoshowny.com/ or https://javitscenter.com/

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

Open Calls

Saturday, April 6, 2024 & April 26, 2024 - Chain Film Festival Regular and Late Submission Deadlines, respectively. The Chain Film Festival is July 25 - August 4, 2024 in Manhattan. For details and submit a film copy & paste - https://filmfreeway.com/ChainFilmFestival. Whoever is running their FB and WS is asleep at the wheel as both presences are advertising the 2023 dates as of this post 4.5.24.

• 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, April 6, 2024 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its sixth or seventh year [2024]. For details see FB - https://www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade/ as their website as of this & last years posts, on 2.28.23 and 3.7.24, was having issues - https://baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.

Saturday, April 6, 2024 beginning at 8 pm - Armstrong Now: Louis at Newport - at the Kupferberg Center at 153-49 Reeves Avenue in Flushing [Queens College]. For $30 tickets and details copy & paste - https://kupferbergcenter.org.

Saturday & Sunday, April 6, 7, 13 & 14, 2024 beginning at 7 pm & 3 pm respectively - Arise Spring Dance Festival - at Culture Lab at 5-25 46th Avenue in LIC Queens. They describe the event as follows, " ... a spring dance festival with the mission to showcase a selection of curated work from a range of local dance artists ...". For details and $13 tickets, copy & paste - https://www.culturelablic.org

Thursday, thru Sunday, April 11 - 21, 2024 beginning at 7 pm [Thurs / Fri / Sat] and at 2.30 pm [Sat & Sun] - Urinetown - at the Secret Theatre at 38-02 61st Street in Woodside. For details and tickets, copy & paste - https://secrettheatre.com

Ending This Weekend

Friday, Saturday, Sundays & Monday, March 29, 30 & 31 & April 1, 6, 7, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Queens Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at Alley Pond at 224-65 76th Street [at Union Turnpike] in the Oakland Gardens neighborhood of Queens. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmny.com/upcoming-events/. $14.

Open Calls

Open Call for the Making Moves Dance Festival [MMDF] 2024. "... They will present performances from up to nine choreographers on ... [Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20 - 22, 2024] ... All choreographers, dance artists, and companies working in any genre are encouraged to apply. Early submission is encouraged; the submission deadline is Friday, May 24, 2024 [at 6 pm]." For details see - https://jcal.submittable.com/submit/288855/15th-annual-making-moves-dance-festival

• 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.
• Click here to view our Queens Buzz Site Directory.

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. Click the MCal link above to learn more about Monday, April 8, 2024 from 6.30 - 8 pm, when players from the St. Johns mens basketball team will be at the Fresh Meadows Applebee's to sign autographs.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Holi Celebration - at the Brooklyn Childrens Museum at 145 Brooklyn Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. They describe the event as follows, " ... Come hungry and ready to play as we celebrate a day of art, dance, food, music, and wonder that will make your whole family feel like you’ve been transported to the streets of India (or Trinidad or Guyana)...". To rsvp $15 tickets copy & paste - https://www.brooklynkids.org

Saturdays & Sundays, April 6 & 7, 2024 from 11 am - 6 pm - Smorgasburg. On Saturdays it's held in Williamsburg at Bushwick Inlet Park at Kent & North 8th Street [head toward East River] and on Sundays it's held in Prospect Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue [head inside the park toward the ponds]. Brooklyn street fairs in Prospect Park & Williamsburg street fairs in Brooklyn. It hosts between 50 - 100 food vendors and it's organized by a private company. These run weekends through October 2024. For details see - https://www.smorgasburg.com

Friday, Saturdays, Sundays & a Monday, March 24, 29 & 30 and April 1 & 6, 7, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at the Aviator Sports Center at 3159 Flatbush Avenue in the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmbrooklyn.com. $15. The Saturday event was cancelled due to inclement weather forecast.

Saturdays & Sundays [and a few select weekdays], March 23 - April 14, 2024 from 11 am to 8 pm - Luna Park is open in Coney Island. On Friday, April 19, 2024 the park opens daily from 11 am to 8 pm. For details and tickets see - https://lunaparknyc.com.

• 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.
• Click here to view our Brooklyn BLVD Site Directory.

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, April 6, 2024 [rescheduled from March 23rd] beginning at 1 pm, the 66th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, which is along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. The Dinner Dance is Saturday, March 9, 2024. For details see - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org or FB - https://www.facebook.com/McLeanAveParade/.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 4 - 10 pm - Bronx Night Market - at 1 Fordham Plaza at East Fordham Road and Third Avenue across from the Metro North Railway Station. This is mostly a food market with about 50 local vendors versus a street fair in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx. This is on the first Saturday of each month April - October 2024. https://www.maschospitalitygroup.com/bronxnightmarket

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 11 am to 2 pm - Easter Eggstravaganza - at Ferry Point Park at 10 Hutchinson River Parkway in the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. They describe it as follows, "...  food, games, giveaways, face painting, magic show, a large egg hunt ... Join in on the fun and get to know your local NYPD officers ...".  Free. You must pre-register at - https://throggsneckcommunityalliance.org

Sunday, April 7, 2024 from 3 to 4 pm - Bronx Arts Ensemble & Fordham University Choir - at the Fordham University Church on the Rose Hill Campus in the Bronx. The entrance is at 417 East Fordham Road at Third Avenue. Free. For details copy & paste - https://www.bronxartsensemble.org

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Pelham Bay Park Fundraiser / Photo Contest Award at the Pelham Split Rock Golf Clubhouse at 870 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. The $100 ticketed event [it's a fundraiser] is described as follows, " ... includes hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and soda ..." and the winner of the photo contest organized by the Friends of Pelham Bay Park will also be announced. For details and tickets copy & paste - https://www.pelhambaypark.org.

OPEN CALLS

Harvest Home Farmers Markets is hiring. They operate farmers markets in Manhattan, Brooklyn & the Bronx. For details copy & paste this url - https://www.harvesthomefm.org. They also continue to welcome new vendors.

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.
• Click here to view our Bronx Buzz Site Directory.

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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, April 9th beginning at 7 pm hosting the Commissioner of Bronx Borough Parks, Jessina Aponte & ASPCA Community Engagement representative, Megan Carroll.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

DEADLINE FOR TICKETS IS APRIL 6th _ Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 2 to 4 pm - 25th Anniversary Reception for the Chinese Scholars Garden - at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and to rsvp $74 tickets, copy & paste - https://snug-harbor.org

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 12, 13 & 14, 2024 beginning at 8 pm Friday & Saturday with a 2 pm matinee Sunday - Sing a Song of Sondheim at the Staten Island Playhouse on the third level of the Empire Outlets mall at 55 Richmond Terrace in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and tickets copy & paste - https://spotlighttheatresi.org. $30 / $25.

Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 12 noon to 4 pm - Open House - at the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Boulevard in the Tottenville neighborhood on Staten Island. Free. For details see - https://conferencehouse.org.

OPEN CALLS

April 18, 2024 Deadline for Performing Arts Residency Program at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and to apply copy & paste - https://snug-harbor.org/opencall

• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

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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 great weekend.

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.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NY Auto Show Begins, Easter Bonnet Parade, South St Seaport Easter Events, Macy's Flower Show, Women in the Heights Art Exhibit in Manhattan; Performances at Chocolate Factory LIC, Black Spurs at Spectrum Theatre in Queens; Governors Island Egg Hunt, Coney Island Luna Park Opened Last Weekend, Easter Egg Hunt √, Holi √ in Brooklyn; Orchid Show at NYBG, Easter Egg Hunt & Art Exhibit at Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; Easter on the Mount [Loretto] on Staten Island; & Ramandan Continues

March 29, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 3.29.24. Sunrise 6.44 am. Sunset 7.18 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's, possibly going into the low 60's, all weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, rising to the high 40's for the rest of the weekend. Winds will be around 15 mph on Friday, descending to between 7 - 12 mph for the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday, rising to 70% on Saturday, and falling back to 50% - 60% on Sunday. There's a 25% chance of less than a tenth of an inch of rain late Saturday night / early Sunday morning. So basically, a very nice Easter Weekend.

The photo at right was taken in Queens, where the residents put their creative talents to work creating a joyous and welcoming Easter display, which they shared with us via their front yard.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 11 am - 4.30 pm & 11 am - 2 pm - Spring Flower Scavenger Hunt & Easter Hunt & Cookie Decorating at the South Street Seaport. This series of events are organized by the Seaport Business District in tandem with participating businesses. Both events begin at 11 am, with the Easter Egg Hunt & Crafts ending at 2 pm in Seaport Square between Pier 16 & 17 [also Rooftop]- free & ticketed with rsvp. From 11 am - 4.30 pm there's a flower hunt aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree. Free but must rsvp as there's limited space. There are also numerous restaurants serving brunch and dinner, a few of which offer East River waterfront views. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://theseaport.nyc/neighborhood-events/

Sunday, March 24 - April 7, 2024 - The Macy's Flower Show at Macy's Herald Square in Midtown. Macy's is open from 10 am - 9 pm weekdays, open until 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays and opens at 11 am on Sundays. For details see - https://www.macys.com

Friday, March 29 - Sunday, April 7, 2024 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm, the International Auto Show will be at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. Admission is $22 adults [age 13+ ] / $8 kids [ages 3 - 12] tickets / kids 2 and under are free. For details & tickets see - https://www.autoshowny.com/ or https://javitscenter.com/

Sunday, March 31, 2024 at various times - Easter Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. For details, copy & paste - https://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org

Sunday, March 31, 2024 from 10 am - 3 / 4 pm - Easter & Easter Bonnet Parade. The parade takes place along 5th Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets. It's more of a milling about in bonnets and Easter outfits, than it is a real parade. More like a themed costume party.

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

Monday, April 1, 2024 - The April Fools Parade begins at 12 noon at Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and 5th Avenue and marches down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park. The King of Fools Award will be given out. The event organizer, Joey Skaggs, informs us that this is the 39th year of the parade. This years theme is Democracy at the Guillotine. Skaggs writes a press release for the event each year, which you can find on his website at - https://joeyskaggs.com/april-fools-day-parade-press-release/

Open Call for 22nd Uptown Stroll - Deadline April 1, 2024 - Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA] at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. For details copy & paste - https://www.nomaanyc.org/  Top prizes are $1,500, $750 & $500.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - UnHomeless NYC Closing Art Reception - at the Hudson Guild Gallery at 441 West 26th Street in Chelsea. Free. For details copy & paste - https://hudsonguild.org

Thursday, April 11, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - New Era of AI: Future of Work in Japan & the U.S. - at the Japan Society at 333 East 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan NYC. A two hour conversation about all things Artificial Intelligence. For $20 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://japansociety.org

April 16, 2024 beginning at 8 pm - International Music Festival - at Carnegie Hall at 881 7th Avenue in Manhattan. For details and $23 tickets, copy & paste - https://www.carnegiehall.org.

This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

CLICK think link to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in Manhattan NYC.

• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

• Click here for Manhattan Parades and large Ethnic / Cultural Festivals 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

March 20 - 30, 2024 from 7 to 10 pm - Stacy Grossfield Metamorphosis 2 at The Chocolate Factory Theater at 38-33 24th Street, LIC. The performance is described as, "... dance/theater work is a blunt, graphic, macabre and vulnerable dissection of female pain, both physical and spiritual; centering the female body as a site for personal and artistic rebirth ...". For details copy & paste - https://www.showpass.com.  Tickets are $13 - $292.

March 30, 2024 beginning at 8 pm - An Evening of Roots Music with Jalopy Records - at the Kupferberg Center at 153-49 Reeves Avenue in Flushing [Queens College]. For $25 tickets and details copy & paste - https://kupferbergcenter.org.

Saturdays, March 23 & 30, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm - Barnyard Egg Hunt - at the Queens County Farm Museum at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park Queens. For $15 tickets and details, copy & paste - https://www.queensfarm.org/

Friday, Saturday, Sundays & Monday, March 29, 30 & 31 & April 1, 6, 7, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Queens Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at Alley Pont at x Union Turnpike in the Oakland Gardens neighborhood of Queens. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmny.com/upcoming-events/. $14.

Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 10 am to 12 noon - Queens Easter Festival - in Gantry Plaza State Park at Center Blvd and [4-44] 47th Rd in LIC Queens. Free. For details copy & paste - http://www.queenseasterfestival.com/lic.

Sunday, March 31, 2024 beginning at 4.30 pm - Easter Dinner at Russo's on the Bay - at 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd in Howard Beach in Queens. To rsvp and details, copy & paste - https://www.russosonthebay.com.

Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

Open Call for the Making Moves Dance Festival [MMDF] 2024. "... They will present performances from up to nine choreographers on ... [Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20 - 22, 2024] ... All choreographers, dance artists, and companies working in any genre are encouraged to apply. Early submission is encouraged; the submission deadline is Friday, May 24, 2024 [at 6 pm]." For details see - https://jcal.submittable.com/submit/288855/15th-annual-making-moves-dance-festival

Next Week.

Thursday & Friday, April 4 & 5, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm at the NY Irish Center in LIC there's the 1st Irish Origin Festival. For $29 tickets and details, copy & paste - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org

Thursday, April 4, 2024 at the Materials for the Arts there's in LIC there's an opportunity to do nude sketches. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.materialsforthearts.org

CLICK think link to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in Queens NYC.

• 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.
• Click here to view our Queens Buzz Site Directory.

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.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

* Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 10 am - 3 pm - Governors Island Egg Hunt - on Governors Island. This is the 2nd Annual Governors Island Easter egg hunt, with 50,000 candy-filled eggs spread around Governors Island. Begins at Colonel's Row. The event is free, but you're advised to plan in advance as this event is very popular. To give you an idea of how popular, consider that 50,000 candy filled eggs are hidden over the 120 acres of park. For details and ferry passage planning & ticket purchases [$4 / ride], copy & paste - https://www.govisland.com/things-to-do/events/governors-island-egg-hunt

Friday, Saturdays, Sundays & a Monday, March 24, 29 & 30 and April 1 & 6, 7, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at the Aviator Sports Center at 3159 Flatbush Avenue in the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmbrooklyn.com. $15. The Saturday event was cancelled due to inclement weather forecast.

Sunday, March 31, 2024 from 11 am to 3 pm - Easter Brunch - at Dyker Beach Golf Course at in Dyker Heights. Easter Bunny, egg hunt and entertainment with brunch. For $70 / $40 tickets and details copy & paste - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dykerbeachgcevents/ or WS - https://www.dykerbeachgc.com

Saturdays & Sundays [and a few select weekdays], March 23 - April 14, 2024 from 11 am to 8 pm - Luna Park is open in Coney Island. On Friday, April 19, 2024 the park opens daily from 11 am to 8 pm. For details and tickets see - https://lunaparknyc.com.

RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 6, 2024 _ Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 12 noon to 3 pm - Meet the Easter Bunny & Buff McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog with the 72nd Precinct NYPD - at Sunset Park in Brooklyn. There will be an egg hunt, crafts, games, face painting and it's Free. For details, copy & paste - https://www.facebook.com/NYPD72pct/

CLICK think link to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in Brooklyn NYC.

• 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.
• Click here to view our Brooklyn BLVD Site Directory.

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, March 23 & 30, 2024 from 10 am - 2 pm - Easter Egg Hunts - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. The hunts are four one hour long sessions starting every hour on the hour, costing $15 per child, and adults accompanying children are free. For details and tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

* Sunday, March 31, 2024 - Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt at Pelham Bay Split Rock Golf Course, with two seatings: 11 am - 1 pm with Egg Hunt beginning at 1 pm; and second seating from 1.30 - 3.30 with the Egg Hunt beginning at 3.30 pm. For $67 and $33 tickets [tax and service included] copy & paste - https://www.pelhamsplitrock.com or FB - https://www.facebook.com/pelhamsplitrock

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

CLICK think link to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in the Bronx NYC.

• 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.
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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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, April 9th beginning at 7 pm hosting the Commissioner of Bronx Borough Parks, Jessina Aponte & ASPCA Community Engagement representative, Megan Carroll.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Sunday, March 31, 2024 beginning at 11.15 am - Easter Egg Hunt with Three Golden Eggs - at the Church of the Ascension at 1 Kingsley Avenue in Castleton Corners on Staten Island. Easter Mass begins at 10 am. For details copy & paste - https://www.ascensionsi.org or FB - https://www.facebook.com/ascensionchurchsi

Saturday, March 30, 2024 beginning at 10 am and 1 pm, there's Easter at the Mount [Loretto] at 6541 Hylan Blvd in the Charleston neighborbood of Staten Island. Mount Loretto is hosting a couple of Easter Brunches, Egg Hunts & Events which they describe as follows, " ... Enjoy buffet breakfast, music and dancing, then take a professional photo with the Easter Bunny that you can take home. Grab your Easter Basket and hunt in the island’s largest Easter Egg Patch loaded with more than 4,000 eggs plus 10 Golden Eggs filled with special prizes. Two seatings to choose from ...". For details and $25 adults & $40 kids tickets see - https://cc-si.org/ . Easter at Mount Loretto in the Charleston neighborhood of Staten Island. FYI - in 2023 the 10 am seating sold out.

CLICK think link to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches on Staten Island NYC.

• 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.
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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 Happy Easter Weekend.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Easter Festivities begin, Macy's Flower Show Begins, Japan Food Fest, Women in the Heights Art Exhibit in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory Theater, Rough Draft Festival at LPAC, Thalia Theatre Comedy, Black Spurs at Spectrum Theatre & Art Closing at Socrates in Queens; Coney Island Luna Park Opens, Easter Egg Hunt, Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade, Holi Party in Prospect Park & Bk Chamber Orchestra Concert in Brooklyn; Yonkers St Patricks Day Parade near Woodlawn Bx [RESCHEDULED], Orchid Show at NYBG, Easter Egg Hunt & Art Exhibit at Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; Chekhov Play, Iftar, Easter Party, Pan African Ball & Limoncello Party on Staten Island; Ramandan Continues & NY Auto Show Begins Next Week & Easter on the Mount on Staten Island

March 22, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 3.22.24. Sunrise 6.55 am. Sunset 7.10 pm. About two inches of rain is expected on Saturday, running through the day. Friday & Sunday will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid 40's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and falling back to the high 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the high 30's on Friday, descending to the mid 30's for the rest of the weekend. Winds will be about 7 mph on Friday and then on Saturday and Sunday about 10 - 17 mph. The humidity will rise from 40% to 70% on Friday, then begin descending from 80% to about 60% on Saturday, and settling in at 40% on Sunday.

Next Week. The temperatures will range from about 40 to 60 degrees, with a 50% - 60% chance of some rain midweek.

The photo at right was taken at the Macy's Flower Show in a prior year.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 10 am to 6 pm - Japan Food Festival in the East Village at Broadway and Lafayette. For details see - https://www.japanfes.com

Sunday, March 24 - April 7, 2024 - The Macy's Flower Show at Macy's Herald Square in Midtown. Macy's is open from 10 am - 9 pm weekdays, open until 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays and opens at 11 am on Sundays. For details see - https://www.macys.com

Sunday, March 24, 2024 beginning at 4 pm with Talkback at 6.15 pm - Movies With Lin-Manuel Miranda: Blue Beetle - at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://www.unitedpalace.org.  Free.

Monday, March 25, 2024 beginning at 8 pm - Maestra Music's Amplify 2024 - at Sony Hall at 235 West 46th at 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.  For details and tickets copy & paste - https://maestramusic.org/amplify/ or https://sonyhall.com.  The event is described as follows, " ... Amplify 2024 is a pivotal event for Maestra Music, contributing to its mission of providing support, visibility, and community for women and nonbinary music
makers in the theatre industry ..." Tickets $25 Student / $50 General & on up.

Friday, March 29 - Sunday, April 7, 2024 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm, the International Auto Show will be at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. Admission is $22 adults [age 13+ ] / $8 kids [ages 3 - 12] tickets / kids 2 and under are free. For details & tickets see - https://www.autoshowny.com/ or https://javitscenter.com/

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

Open Call for 22nd Uptown Stroll - Deadline April 1, 2024 - Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA] at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. For details copy & paste - https://www.nomaanyc.org/  Top prizes are $1,500, $750 & $500.

Sunday, March 24, 2024 beginning at 3 pm - Harlem is ... Music, Theater, Dance - at Harlem Hospital at 508 Lenox Avenue at 136th Street in Harlem, on the 2nd Floor Outside of the Herbert Cave Auditorium.  The exhibit will be open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm & Saturdays from 12 noon to 4 pm.  For details copy & paste - https://www.facebook.com/CommunityWorksNYC/.

This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

• 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.

• 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

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, March 15, 16, 17 & 22, 23, 24, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 3 pm & 8 pm and 4 pm, respectively - Women Do It Better Than Men or Las Mujeres Lo Hacemos Mejor Que Los Hombres at Thalia Theatre at 41-17 Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside Queens. It's a comedy about the sexes in Spanish with English subtitles. For details and $35 / $32 tickets see - https://thaliatheatre.org

Wednesday thru Saturday, March 13 - 23, 2024 [except 3/18 & 3/19] beginning at 7 pm weekdays except Wednesdays which are 11 am matinees and 2 pm Saturdays & 4 pm Sundays - Black Spurs. At Spectrum Theater at 177th Street and Baisley Blvd in Jamaica Queens. A story about an African American who sets out on a trail ride along the Chisolm Trail in an effort to raise money to save his family home. For details and $35 tickets see - http://www.blackspectrum.com.

Saturday, March 16 - 23, 2024 on various days at various times - Rough Draft Festival Playwright Readings at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in LIC Queens. New works by new writers / artists. For details and $5 tickets see - https://www.lpac.nyc/upcoming-events/rdf-2024-playwright-readings

Saturday, March 23, 2024 beginning at 3 pm - Carnegie Hall Citywide: Soh Daiko at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in LIC Queens. A Korean drum & musical performance.  Free. For details and tickets copy & to rsvp - https://www.lpac.nyc/

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 3 to 5 pm - Closing Celebration for the Socrates Annual 2023 Art Exhibit which will be taken down after Sunday, March 24, 2024 at Socrates Sculpture Park at 32-01 Vernon Blvd in LIC / Astoria Queens.  Free.  For details copy & paste - https://socratessculpturepark.org.

March 20 - 30, 2024 from 7 to 10 pm - Stacy Grossfield Metamorphosis 2 at The Chocolate Factory Theater at 38-33 24th Street, LIC. The performance is described as, "... dance/theater work is a blunt, graphic, macabre and vulnerable dissection of female pain, both physical and spiritual; centering the female body as a site for personal and artistic rebirth ...". For details copy & paste - https://www.showpass.com.  Tickets are $13 - $292.

Monday, March 25, 2024 from 6.30 - 8 pm - Small World Cinema Closing Event - at the Sculpture Center at 44-19 Purves Street in LIC Queens. Music & conversation with Halaby, Nathaniel & Wood.  Free but must rsvp copy & paste - https://www.sculpture-center.org.

As of this week [3.21.24], Congresswoman Grace Meng is looking to her a Veteran for The Green and Gold Congressional Aide Program. Contact Jordan Goldes at 202.308.9691 for details.

Open Call for the Making Moves Dance Festival [MMDF] 2024. "... They will present performances from up to nine choreographers on ... [Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20 - 22, 2024] ... All choreographers, dance artists, and companies working in any genre are encouraged to apply. Early submission is encouraged; the submission deadline is Friday, May 24, 2024 [at 6 pm]." For details see - https://jcal.submittable.com/submit/288855/15th-annual-making-moves-dance-festival

The photo above was taken at a Rough Draft Festival performance at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens in a prior year.

• 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.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 11 am to 8 pm - Opening Weekend at Luna Park in Coney Island.

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 8 to 9.15 pm - Dreams and Journeys - at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of BK.  The musical journey is described as, "... celebrat[ing] New York City by retelling the stories of important events ... [including] Lou Gehrig's farewell speech, Philip Petit's tightrope walk on the World Trade Center, elephants marching on the Brooklyn Bridge to test its durability, the Stonewall riots, and the preservation of Grand Central Station ...".  For details and tickets copy & paste - https://brooklynchamberorchestra.org/.  $60 / $40 / $20.

Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at the Aviator Sports Center at 3159 Flatbush Avenue in the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmbrooklyn.com. $15. The Saturday event was cancelled due to inclement weather forecast. Also March 29 & 30 and April 1 & 6, 7, 2024.

Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 3 to 5 pm - The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Celebrates Holi in Prospect Park at Long Meadow near Grand Army Plaza.  The event includes music and some Indian snacks.  At 4 pm expect to end up with colored powder on your body and clothes as the ancient Indian tradition continues.  For details copy & paste - https://bkcm.org.  The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is located at 58 7th Avenue in Prospect Park, but as noted above, the event isn't being held there.

Sunday, March 24, 2024 the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at 1 pm on 3rd and Marine Avenues and marches north along 3rd Avenue to 67th Street ending in Owl's Head Park in Bayridge. This parade was first established in 1993. For details see - https://www.brparade.com or FB - https://www.facebook.com/brparade

• For details see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/p/Brooklyn-St-Patricks-Parade-100067529770947/ because as of this post their website was out of date - https://brooklynstpatricksparade.org/

• 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

RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 6 _ Saturday, March 23, 2024 beginning at 1 pm, the 66th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, which is along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. The Dinner Dance is Saturday, March 9, 2024. For details see - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org or FB - https://www.facebook.com/ThroggsNeckBenevolentAssociation/.

• The photo at right, was taken in early March of 2020, showing John Mulligans Fireside Pub along Katonah Avenue in the Woodlawn Heights neighborhoof of the Bronx. The blocks along Katonah Avenue south of McLean are home to a lot of Bronx Irish. See our report below for details.
• This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins.

Saturday, March 23 & 30, 2024 from 10 am - 2 pm - Easter Egg Hunts - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. The hunts are four one hour long sessions starting every hour on the hour, costing $15 per child, and adults accompanying children are free. For details and tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

• 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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Friday, March 22, 2024 from 8 pm - 12 midnight - Pan African / Red, Black & Green Ball at the Crystal Room at 67 Olympia Blvd in the Arrochar neighborhood on Staten Island. Dinner and an awards celebration of pan African 'change agents' on Staten Island. For details and $125 tickets see - https://siblackheritageday.com

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 1 to 4 pm - Easter / Spring Party - at Empire Outlets at 55 Richmond Terrace on the 2nd level [outside of Old Navy] in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The event includes face painting, balloons, music and photos with Easter Bunny. For details copy & paste - https://www.empireoutlets.nyc. Free.

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 5 / 6 to 8 pm - Community Iftar in the Park at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and to rsvp copy & paste - https://snug-harbor.org. This is near building P. There will be four speakers, as well as arts, crafts and refreshments. Free.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, March 22, 23 & 24, 2024 beginning at 8 pm and 2 pm matinee - Anton Chekov's The Cherry Orchard at the Staten Island Playhouse on the third level of the Empire Outlets mall at 55 Richmond Terrace in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. For details and tickets copy & paste - https://sishakespeare.org. $30 / $25.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm - Make Your Own Limoncello - at Case Belvedere at 79 Howard Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Staten Island.  Learn how to make your own Limoncello, a liqueur from southern Italy.  The $75 / $85 fee includes supplies and bottle to decorate. For details and tickets copy & paste - https://casa-belvedere.org

Saturday, March 30, 2024 beginning at 10 am and 1 pm, there's Easter at the Mount [Loretto] at 6541 Hylan Blvd in the Charleston neighborbood of Staten Island. Mount Loretto is hosting a couple of Easter Brunches, Egg Hunts & Events which they describe as follows, " ... Enjoy buffet breakfast, music and dancing, then take a professional photo with the Easter Bunny that you can take home. Grab your Easter Basket and hunt in the island’s largest Easter Egg Patch loaded with more than 4,000 eggs plus 10 Golden Eggs filled with special prizes. Two seatings to choose from ...". For details and $25 adults & $40 kids tickets see - https://cc-si.org/ . Easter at Mount Loretto in the Charleston neighborhood of Staten Island. FYI - in 2023 the 10 am seating sold out.

• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

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• 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 nice weekend.

Easter Parade, Events & Services in NYC & Boros

There are Two Easters Observed in Christianity - Easter for Western Christians and Easter for Orthodox Christians

March 19, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Very Brief Introduction to Christian Easter Traditions

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

Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman 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 to calculate when to celebrate Good Friday and Easter. The Gregorian calendar was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory. Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar, which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar. The primary difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is that the Gregorian calendar uses Leap Year [this year is one of them] to adjust the calendar for the 1/4 extra day per year, that to our rotation around the sun requires. Thus the calendar differences, and how the date of Easter is calculated, is why the Orthodox and Roman Catholic / Protestant Christian Easters oftentimes occur on different dates.

This year [2024] the celebrations of the two traditions are separated by five weeks, with the Western European Christians celebrating next weekend and the Orthodox Christians celebrating a week later.

Next Up - The History of the Easter Bunny & Related Traditions

• CLICK here to view our report on Easter parades, Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in NYC, including the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island. We start off with a brief history of the Easter Bunny and the origin of related traditions.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

'Spring Ahead' into Daylight Savings Time, TNC's Frankenstein, Rachmaninoff by Carnegie Hall Citywide, Women in the Heights Art Opening, IFC & Metrograph Film Event in Manhattan; Take Root & Fertile Ground dance, Black Spurs at Spectrum Theatre, Film Talk at Sculpture Center, Jackson Heights Orchestra & Jazz Jam in Queens; Italian Opera in Brooklyn; Bronx St Patricks Day Parades in Throggs Neck & Eastchester, Orchid Show at NYBG, City Island Theater Group performs Becky's New Car, Youth Photo Exhibit at Bronx Doc Film & Art Opening at Bartow Pell in the Bronx; Titanic Book Launch at the Lighthouse Museum, Portrait of Josephine at Newhouse Contemporary Art Museum & Two Indoor Markets on Staten Island; & NYC Ramandan begins Monday

Updated March 8, 2024 from 3-7-24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 3.8.24. Sunrise 6.18 am. Sunset 5.55 pm. Note that on Sunday Sunrise is 7.15 am at & Sunset is at 6.58 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 40's on Saturday and the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be be in the low 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending into the high 30's on Sunday. The weekend is dry EXCEPT Saturday, when nearly an inch of rain is expected between 3 pm Saturday and 4 am Sunday. The winds will be between 5 - 10 mph Friday, and between 8 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend.

The photo at right shows life in the subway in Manhattan in mid January of this year.

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

Friday, March 8, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Carnegie Hall Citywide Presents Meghan Kasanders, Soprano & Dror Baitel, Piano performing Rachmaninoff at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church at 263 West 86th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. No advance tickets or reservations required; seating is first come, first served. Doors on West End Avenue open at 6:30 p.m. (accessible entrance on W86th Street). For details see - https://stpaulandstandrew.org

March 14, 2024 begins at 8 pm - Anna May Wong / Daughter of Shanghai - Book Launch & Film Screening Reception [Members Only]. March 1 - 8, 2024 at various times - Film Series entitled Bad Actress, Forever Young, Mad House or Mad World & Remember Every Frame are being shown at the Metrograph Theater at 7 Ludlow on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. For details and $17 / $12 / $10 tickets see - https://metrograph.com.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, February 22 thru March 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, except on Sundays when it begins at 3 pm - William Electric Black's The Frankenstein Project at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue at 10th Street in the East Village in Manhattan.  For details and $18 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://theaterforthenewcity.net/

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - Opening of Blackout [a Werewolf film] at the IFC [Independent Film Center] at 323 6th Avenue. For details see - https://www.ifccenter.com.

This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend in Manhattan NYC.

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• CLICK here to view Manhattan street fairs and festivals NYC 2024.

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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

Friday & Saturday, March 8 & 9, 2024 at 8 pm - Take Root Dance performance. And Sunday, March 10, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Fertile Ground Dance performance. Both at at Greenspace at 37-24 24th Street in LIC in Queens. For details and $18 tickets see - https://www.greenspacestudio.org.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 1 to 3 pm - Small World Cinema Conversation with Liu & Wood - at the Sculpture Center at 44-19 Purves Street in LIC Queens. Free but must rsvp at - https://www.sculpture-center.org.

Wednesday thru Saturday, March 13 - 23, 2024 [except 3/18 & 3/19] beginning at 7 pm weekdays except Wednesdays which are 11 am matinees and 2 pm Saturdays & 4 pm Sundays - Black Spurs. At Black Spectrum Theater at 177th Street and Baisley Blvd in Jamaica Queens. A story about an African American who sets out on a trail ride along the Chisolm Trail in an effort to raise money to save his family home. For details and $35 tickets see - http://www.blackspectrum.com.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm - Jackson Heights Orchestra at St. Marks Church at 33-50 82nd Street in Jackson Heights Queens. They perform Copland, Ellington, Burleigh and Dvorak. Free but suggested donation of $20. For details see - https://jhorchestra.org.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jams at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd in Flushing Queens. For details and $10 tickets see - https://www.flushingtownhall.org.

• 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.

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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.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturdays & Sundays, March 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 3 pm [and extra performance at 7 pm on 3/9] - Pietro Mascagni’s CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley, staged by Sabrina Palladino and performed in Italian with English supertitles at the OLPH Catholic Academy of Brooklyn at 59-02 6th Avenue in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. For details and $25 / $20 / $5 tickets see - http://reginaopera.org and the location is at https://www.olphcab.org

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 6.45 pm - State of the Borough Address by Antonio Reynoso at City Tech at 275 Jay Street. For details and tickets see - https://www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov.

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 6 pm to 2 am - Night in the Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza Central Library. Details coming.

• 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, March 9th thru Sunday, March 31, 2024 from 2 to 4 pm - Art in Bloom - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. For details and $15 / $12 tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

Sunday, March 10, 2024 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer. The parade is organized by the Throggs Neck Benevolent Association [aka TNBA]. For details see their blogspot page at - https://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com

The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018.

Sunday, March 10, 2024 the Eastchester St. Patrick's Day parade in the Bronx kicks off at 3 pm at the Immaculate Conception School on Main Street. It marches north on Route 22 - ICS to White Plains Road and ends at Lake Isle Country Club. St. Patrick's Day parades in Westchester County. For details and viewing locations suggestions see - https://www.eastchesterirish.org/st-patrick-s-day-parade/.

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 8 pm & 3 pm respectively - Becky's New Car at Grace Hall at 116 City Island Avenue in the Bronx. Performance of a new play by the City Island Theater Group. For $30 / $25 tickets and details see - https://www.cityislandtheatergroup.com.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Friday January 25 - Sunday, March 10, 2024 - Through Our Eyes Youth Photo Exhibit 2013 - 2023 at the Bronx Doc Film Center Annex at 364 East 151st Street in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org/. Free but donations welcome. Open Thursday, Friday, [Saturday closed 3/2/24] & Sunday from 3 - 7 pm weekdays and from 1 - 5 pm weekends.

• 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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, March 9, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Portraits of Josephine at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. Musical performance with actor and playwright Kirya Traber. Josephine Baker was the first woman of color to star in a movie in 1927 and became a civil rights activist in the 1950's. Free.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 11 am to 2.30 pm - Indoor Market at New Dorp Moravian Church at 2205 Richmond Road on Staten Island. There will be about a dozen and a half vendors selling arts, crafts, body & bath, clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories, gifts and pet related items. Free entry.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Indoor Market at Flagship Brewing Company at 40 Minthorne Street in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of Staten Island. Arts, crafts, vendors, photo booth. Free entry. For details see - https://www.instagram.com/prismvisions_/

Sunday, March 10, 2024 from 2 to 3 pm - Titanic Book Launch at the National Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point. Iron and Ice is the story of the Titanic. For details and $10 tickets see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

• 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 nice weekend.

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.

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City - Open Calls

The Deadline for the Summer Youth Employment Program is Friday, March 1, 2024. Copy & paste this link to apply now - https://application.nycsyep.com/?emci=14c7d66f-8dd1-ee11-85f9-002248223794&emdi=35506f79-ced1-ee11-85f9-002248223794&ceid=13568279

The Deadline for the MTA Earth Day Artists' Installation Program is Monday, March 4, 2024. Up to $10,000 for works celebrating Earth Day this year [official date is 4/22, but the event is scheduled for 4/20/24] at MTA sites. Copy & paste this link to apply now - https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dotart-cfed-2024.pdf

The Deadline for the Citizens NYC Program is Friday, March 1, 2024. Copy & paste this link to apply now for the $3,000 Community Leaders Grant - https://www.citizensnyc.org/communityleaders?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e9ef546d-2fbe-4271-b3bf-2a79b8f1ee57

And copy & paste this link to apply now for the $5,000 Neighborhood Business Grant - https://www.citizensnyc.org/nbg?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e9ef546d-2fbe-4271-b3bf-2a79b8f1ee57

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday - Sunday, February 29 - March 3, 2024 from 12 noon - 6 pm Thurs, from 11 am - 8 pm Fri & Sat & from 11 am - 6 pm Sunday - Outsider Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street [between 6th & 7th Avenue] in Chelsea. It's just what it says it is, which is an art fair for those operating outside of the established art world. For details and $35 / $65 / $100 tickets see - https://www.outsiderartfair.com

March 1 - 8, 2024 at various times - Film Series entitled Bad Actress, Forever Young, Mad House or Mad World & Remember Every Frame are being shown at the Metrograph Theater at 7 Ludlow on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. For details and $17 / $12 / $10 tickets see - https://metrograph.com.

Wednesday / Tuesday - Sunday, Feberuary 21 - March 3, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm weekdays, 8 pm on Saturdays and at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays - Jelly's Last Jam at New York City Center at 131 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. For details and $45 - $165 tickets copy & paste - https://www.nycitycenter.org

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, February 22 thru March 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, except on Sundays when it begins at 3 pm - William Electric Black's The Frankenstein Project at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue at 10th Street in the East Village in Manhattan.  For details and $18 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://theaterforthenewcity.net/

Friday, March 8, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Carnegie Hall Citywide Presents Meghan Kasanders, Soprano & Dror Baitel, Piano performing Rachmaninoff at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church at 263 West 86th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. No advance tickets or reservations required; seating is first come, first served. Doors on West End Avenue open at 6:30 p.m. (accessible entrance on W86th Street). For details see - https://stpaulandstandrew.org

• This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

• Beginning Thursday, February 8 - March 3, 2024 starting at various times ranging from 2 pm to 8.30 pm - the Winter One Act Festival at the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street on floors 3 & 4. For details and $22 tickets see - https://www.chaintheatre.org

• Ending Saturday, March 2, 2024, times vary, but generally in the range of 11 am or 1 pm to 4 pm or 6 pm - Ice Bumper Cars in Bryant Park. between 5th & 6th Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets and to rsvp see - https://bryantpark.org.

• 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.

• 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

Sunday, March 3, 2024 beginning at 2.30 pm - Julio - at the Kingsland Homestead at 143-35 37th Avenue in Flushing. A film about the murder of a gay man in Jackson Heights in 1990 which resulted in the coming out of one of the most closeted LGBTQ communities in NYC at the time. For details and to rsvp a free ticket see - https://queenshistoricalsociety.org.

Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 12 noon to 3 pm & from 3 pm to 5 pm, JCAL Art Classes Open House & Reading & Discussion Series at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica Queens. Free. For details see - https://jcal.org.

Ongoing until Sunday, March 3, 2024 from 1 to 3 pm when there is a - Closing Reception for the 23rd Bayside Historical Society Annual Winter Art Show at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at 26th Avenue and Bell Blvd in Bayside. Free. For details see - https://www.baysidehistorical.org/bhs-winter-art-show

Saturday, March 2, 2024 beginning at 1 pm - The 49th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade with a brunch by invitation only. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens. For details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/

Sunday, March 3, 2024 beginning at 12 noon - The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens marching east and up hill for 15 blocks before ending at 58th Street in Woodside. For details see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/

• 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.

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturdays & Sundays, March 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 3 pm [and extra performance at 7 pm on 3/9] - Pietro Mascagni’s CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley, staged by Sabrina Palladino and performed in Italian with English supertitles at the OLPH Catholic Academy of Brooklyn at 59-02 6th Avenue in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. For details and $25 / $20 / $5 tickets see - http://reginaopera.org and the location is at https://www.olphcab.org

• Daily, January, February, ending March 1, 2024 from 12 noon to 9 pm - Glide in Brooklyn Bridge Park [in the Emily Warren Roebling Plaza] at 334 Furman Street. Ice skating underneath the Brooklyn Bridge along the East River. For details and $0 - $43 tickets see - https://glidebk.com.

• 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

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 8 pm & 3 pm respectively - Becky's New Car at Grace Hall at 116 City Island Avenue in the Bronx. Performance of a new play by the City Island Theater Group. For $30 / $25 tickets and details see - https://www.cityislandtheatergroup.com.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Friday January 25 - Sunday, March 10, 2024 - Through Our Eyes Youth Photo Exhibit 2013 - 2023 at the Bronx Doc Film Center Annex at 364 East 151st Street in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org/. Free but donations welcome. Open Thursday, Friday, [Saturday closed 3/2/24] & Sunday from 3 - 7 pm weekdays and from 1 - 5 pm weekends.

• 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. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Sunday, March 3, 2024 the 59th / 60th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off between 11.30 / 12.30 pm [after a church service at Blessed Sacrament in West Brighton]. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. The parade lasts about one to two hours, but the celebrating continues after the parade.

Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from openly marching in the parade. The parade is organized by the Richmond County St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and not the Ancient Order of Hiberians.

The photo at right was taken at the Staten Island St Pats Parade in 2018.

• CLICK this link to view things to do this weekend on Staten Island NYC.

• Click here for Staten Island Pardes 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 nice weekend.

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.

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.

January 13, 2024 Update. The TV ratings for the event have just been released. They broke the record for the most watched TV show & Super Bowl, with total viewership hitting an estimated 123 million, which was up from the last Super Bowl record, made last year with 115 million viewers.

More news coming later Tuesday 2.13.24.

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:

CLICK here to read reactions to Mayor Adams Vetoing the How Many Stops Act - 586-A in NYC.

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' veto of the Too Many Stops Act .

* 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.

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.

December TTDo Monthly - GB 511

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.

November TTDo Monthly - GB 508

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

November Events in NYC by Week

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NYC Marathon & Daylight Savings Time Sunday, Dia de los Muertos in Times Square Thurs Nite, Comedy Festival, Park Avenue Art Show, Washington Heights Jazz Fest, NY Comedy Fest & Bryant Park Winter Village Shops & Baltic Film Fest [Nxt Wk] in Manhattan; Diwali Festival in Jackson Heights, Off the Wall Affordable Art Fair and International Food Expo Next Week in Queens; Brooklyn Folk Music Festival and FAD Holiday Market in Brooklyn; Veterans Memoral Event in Van Cortlant Park & Universoul Circus at Orchard Beach in the Bronx; Holiday Market, Cranberry Festival & Fall Retreat on Staten Island

November 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 50's on Thursday, rising to the low 60's for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Thursday, rising to the high 40's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be about 4 - 6 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 40% - 60% on Thursday, rising to 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, and rising again to 60% - 70% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast this weekend ... finally.

Sunrise / Sunset Times. On Thursday 11/2/23 the sun rose at 7.27 am & the sun set at 5.51 pm. But note that because of Daylight Savings Time, this Sunday, 10/5/23 the sun will rise at 6.31 am and the sun will set at 4.48 pm.

The photo at right was taken at the 2011 NYC Marathon as the marathoners were coming across the Pulaski Bridge which connects Greenpoint in Brooklyn to Long Island City in Queens.

CLICK here for things to do in things to do in November in NYC - ALL weekends Events NYC in November.

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.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Happy Mothers Day Weekend, TEFAF Show, Indian Film Fest & Japan Parade in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Taste of Queens Tuesday & Jamaica Jazz Fest Friday in Queens; Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Open Stages & BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Bronx Week in the Bronx; Arts & Crafts Show at the Staten Island Mall & Updating Open Calls

May 12, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 465.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 90 on Friday, falling to 80 on Saturday and about 75 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 60's on Friday, falling to about 60 on Saturday and possibly into the mid 50's on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 8 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% on Friday to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend

The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC May events NYC - 2nd weekend in May.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Cinco de Mayo, Janes Walk and 5 Boro Bike Ride in all 5 Boros, Cannabis Parade & Festival in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro in Queens; Luna Park in Brooklyn, Kentucky Derby at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; Yankee Peddler Day on Staten Island & Moving Open Calls

May 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 464

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 on Friday, then rising to 70 on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday rising slightly to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be about 5 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 60% to 70% on Friday, to about 50% on Saturday and Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend

The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC April events NYC - 4th weekend in April.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Sikh Day and Greek Independence Day Parades & Anitquarian Book Fair in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Irish & West Ghanaian Concert & Queens Symphony in Queens; Prospect Park Tour, Street Naming for MTA Member in Midwood & Luna Park in Brooklyn, Bronx Arts Ensemble Concert at the NYBG in the Bronx; Staten Island Ferry Hawks Home Opener All Weekend & Outdoor Markets on Staten Island, Moving Open Calls & Met Gala Monday

April 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 463.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be around 50 all weekend long. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 60% to 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, and rising to 80% - 90% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday and another inch between 11 am - 11 pm on Sunday.

The photo at right, of the Greek Independence Day Parade, was taken a number of years back. The cultural pageantry references the lore of the heroics and democracy of ancient Greece.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC April events NYC - 4th weekend in April.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Earth Day Weekend Events, Persian Day Parade in Manhattan; Ofrenda Fest in Queens; Invisible Dog Art Center & Luna Park in Brooklyn, 'Diamond' at Pregones & the Last Weekend for the NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Jazz Concert & Jacques Tibetan Museum on Staten Island & Open Calls

April 21, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 462.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 50's on Friday and Saturday, falling to the high 40's on Sunday. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from the mid 50% to mid 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, before falling back to around the mid 50% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday after 6 pm and ending before 6 am Sunday. Otherwise, for the other parts of the weekend, no rain.

The photo at right captures some of the beauty and mystery of planet Earth. It was taken along an ancient Inca Trail in the Andes in Peru, not far from Macchu Picchu. We can learn a lot from the Incas, who were environmentally compatible engineers.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC April events NYC - 3rd weekend in April.

* NYC News Updates

China Operating a 'Secret Police' in Chinatown, Climate Change and NYS Springtime Forest Fires & Rupert Murdoch's Mendacious Media on Trial ... Again

April 18, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 472.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from about 60 on Tuesday, to the mid 60's Wednesday and Thursday, to the low to mid 70's on Friday and Saturday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 40's on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to the mid 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be about 10 - 15 mph on Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Thursday and Friday. The humidity will be about 40% on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to 60 - 70% on Thursday and Friday. No rain is in the forecast all week long.

PRC [People's Republic of China] Caught Operating a 'Secret Police' in Chinatown in Manhattan

In October of 2022, the FBI obtained a search warrant to investigate an office on Broadway in Chinatown believed to be a 'secret police' station set up by dictator President Xi Jin Ping's Peoples Republic of China in order to control the behaviors of Chinese people living in the U.S. Two men were charged in the case. According to the Department of Justice, the two men who were arrested yesterday, are "... “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan ...".

The 'secret police' office was closed after the two men discovered that the FBI was watching them. When conducting the search, the FBI reported that the memories of the two men's communications devices [aka evidence] were erased. The men are presumed innocent in this country until proven guilty. This is very much unlike the process we've seen in China, where one is guilty of whatever dictator president Xi Jin Ping decides they're guilty of.

I always marvel at the dishonesty of dictators who attempt to control what everyone thinks, because the truth can be deadly to them and their regimes. For example calling China the PRC - People's Republic of China - when the people have no say in who their leaders are, can be imprisoned or even terminated for speaking their minds, and can only own or operate a significant business if it's given a blessing by the dictator president. The PRC should be called the XDC - Xi's Dictatorship of China. Where everything is designed to suit one man, and nobody, and nothing else, matters. As dictator president Xi seems to say by his actions, "... It's all about Me, Me, Me, Me or Xi, Xi, Xi, Xi ...".

• CLICK here for our report on the Chinese operating a secret police in Manhattan NYC, Climate Change and NYS Springtime forest fires and Rupert Murdoch's mendacious media on trial again.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Orthodox Holy Friday & Easter Sunday in Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan, International Auto Show, Tartan Day Parade in Manhattan; Lavender Laughs & Queens Night Market in Queens; Luna Park & BK Museum Pop Up Market in Brooklyn, Bronx Doc Film Editing Workshop Weekend, the Diamond at Pregones & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Staaten Eylandt Day, Cottage Curiosities, Iftar in the Park & Conference House Opens on Staten Island and , & Ramadan Ends Thursday

April 14, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 461.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 80's Friday to the mid 60's Saturday and the temperature lows will fall from the mid 60's Friday to the mid 50's by Sunday. The humidity will rise from a very dry 30% - 50% on Friday into the 70% - 80% on Saturday and Sunday. Winds will be 5 mph all weekend. There's a below 50% chance of rain on Saturday and the amount of rain is forecast to be a quarter of an inch or less, and spread out over the entire day, so you might get a little damp while out, but not soaked by any means. And on Sunday the expectations are well below 25% probable and the amount is less than 1/20th of an inch.

The photo at right was taken a few years back of the Greek Orthodox Holy Friday Procession at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria Queens. It's an interesting cultural event and, in my mind, is one of the many diverse cultural events that makes NYC so interesting. See details regarding the event tonight [Friday] in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan below.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC April events NYC - 2nd weekend in April.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Easter Bonnet Parade, Pickleball Court Opens at Wollman Rink, Auto Show at Javits, Final Week of Chain Theatre Performance, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory, Climate Change & Easter Egg Hunt & Party in Queens; Brooklyn Cyclones Home Opener & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn [also Easter Egg Hunt on Governors Island], Easter Egg Hunt at the Mansion & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Easter Egg Hunts and Bonnett Tea Party on Staten Island, Easter Sunday and Passover & Ramadan Continue

April 7, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 460.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 50's Friday to the mid 50's Saturday and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 40. The winds will fall from 10 - 15 mph on Friday, to 5 mph on Saturday and to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will rise from about 35% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, and ranging from 40% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is in the forecast.

The photo at right was taken at the Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Garden a few years ago.

Editor's Note. We're going to add more events that are happening this coming week on Monday, because NYC Public Schools are on Spring Break from Monday through Friday, April 10 - 14, 2023.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC April events NYC - 1st weekend in April.

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.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

AIPAD Photography Show, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory & Armstrong at LeFrak, and Next Week Sculpture Center Gala & Mets Home Opener in Queens; Luna Amusement Park Opens & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn, Pregones Music Fest Ends Friday, Bronx Art Space Exhibit Closing Reception Saturday, NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; 5K Run on Staten Island, Palm Sunday, Passover Wednesday & Ramadan Continues

March 31, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 459.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from 50 on Friday, to 70 on Saturday, falling back to 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will range between the mid and high 30's all weekend. The winds will range from 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from about 80% Friday, to 70% Saturday to 40% Sunday. There will be scattered thunder showers Saturday ending around noon and with a brief return between 7 and 9 pm Saturday night, otherwise lookin' good.

The photos in this report were taken at an AIPAD show in a prior year. See below for details.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC March events NYC - 5th weekend in March.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Street Fairs Begin, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Bayside St Patrick's Day Parade & Rough Draft Festival continues at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Queens; Bay Ridge St Patrick's Day Parade, Rachel Wren Exhibit & Final Performance of Lorraine Hansberry Play Tonight in Brooklyn, March is Music Month at Pregones, Bronx Art Space Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature, NYBG Orchid Show & Yankees Home Opener in the Bronx; on Staten Island & The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Began Thursday

March 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 458.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's all weekend. The wind will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday and Sunday, popping up to around 80% on Saturday. There will be about a half inch of rain on Saturday, spread out over the course of the day from around 9 am to 11 pm, so you can likely do whatever you plan to, without any serious rain interruption.

The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began yesterday [Thursday 3/23/23] and will continue until Friday, April 21. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, pray and reflect on their lives. Not unlike the Christian Lent.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC March events NYC - 4th weekend in March.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

St Patrick's Day Parade, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Irish Green & Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens; a Half Marathon Race, Lorraine Hansberry Play Performances & Rachel Wren Opening Art Reception in Brooklyn, an Art Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; St Pat's Weekend Irish Stout Concert and St Pats Weekend Bar Crawl for All on Staten Island & the First Day of Spring Comes Monday

March 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 457.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, and the low 30's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, and then 10 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will drop from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The first official day of Spring is Monday, March 20, 2023. In the yogic tradition, spring is considered a time of renewal and transformation.

The photos included with this report are from a Manhattan St Patrick's Day Parade in an earlier year. Erin go Bragh which means Ireland Forever. Have a good one, which means a safe one, which means being respectful of others.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC March events NYC - 3rd weekend in March.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Daylight Savings Time Sunday 2AM, Performance of a Lorraine Hansberry Play, a Pop Up Market & Poets Workshop in Brooklyn; Chain Theatre Opens Original Play, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Workshop for Women About EmPowerment, MFTA Art Opening & 40 Shades of Irish Green in Queens; Two St Patrick's Day Parades, a Concert, a Queer Nature Art Exhibit & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Two Concerts [one Folk & one Classical], a Pre-Oscar Screening, a Staged Reading & Glass House Tour on Staten Island

March 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 456.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 30's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 13 mph on Friday and Saturday and fall to about 7 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 60% - 80% on Friday, and then settle into the 60% - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. There will be about an inch of precipitation between 4 pm Friday and 9 am Saturday, and the rest of the weekend should remain dry.

The photo at right was taken in McCarren Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn a while back.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC March events NYC - 2nd weekend in March.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music & Brooklyn Poets Readings in Brooklyn, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit, Purim Celebration & the Harlem Blues in Manhattan, Cryptochrome at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center & Two St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, Queer Nature Opens at Bronx Art Space & the Orchid Show in the Bronx, & Lisa & Lori at Historic Richmond Town and the last Remaining Homophobic St Patricks Day Parade in NYC on Staten Island

March 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 455.

NYC Weather. There will be about an inch of rain on Friday beginning between 5 - 8 pm, ending by Saturday 8 am. The rest of the weekend will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's. The winds will be 10 - 20 mph on Friday, 5 - 15 on Saturday and about 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday and 60% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken late Monday night. It seems someone made good use of their time, and built what is likely one of the few NYC snowmen of this entire winter.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC March events NYC - 1st weekend in March.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Black HerStory at Lincoln Center, African Poetry Society Film Festival in Queens, Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Performance of the Play Insignificant at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx & African American Lighthouse Exhibit Opening on Staten Island

February 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 454.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday was 46 degrees, falling to 34 on Saturday, before rising to 51 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday, and the low 30's on Sunday. The winds will be between 10 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 4 - 7 mph Saturday and then rising again to 8 - 12 mph. The humidity will be in the 40% to 50% range on Friday, 55% t0 65% on Saturday, and between 50% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected.

The photo at right was taken at a production of Black Wall Street at the York College Bassin Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens quite a while ago.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC February events NYC - 3rd weekend in February.

* 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.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Valentines Day Weekend Cocktail Party NYC, Lunar New Year Parade Manhattan, Photo Exhibit Opening Reception & Comedy in the Bronx, Classical & Gregory Porter Concerts in Brooklyn, Play in Queens & Lighthouse for Lovers on Staten Island,

February 11, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 452.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday actually hit 61 degrees this morning, breaking a record. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature high will be about 50 on both days, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's throughout the weekend. The winds will be between 5 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 40% and 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising a bit to between 50% to 60% on Sunday. There's a small chance [30%] of a small amount of rain [1/10th of an inch] on Sunday night.

• Bronx Valentines Day restaurants & events NYC
• Brooklyn Valentines Day restaurants & events NYC
• Manhattan Valentines Day restaurants & events NYC
• Queens Valentine Day restaurants & events NYC
• Staten Island Valentines Day restaurants & events NYC

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC February events NYC - 2nd weekend in February.

* 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.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue & Artists Open Calls

February 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 451.

NYC Weather. We're going to have wintry cold from about 6 pm Friday to about 1 pm Saturday, when the temperatures fall below 20 degrees. Then it's back to our dry, global warming non-winter.

The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising significantly on Sunday to about 50 degrees. The temperature lows will be about 8 degrees Friday, rising to the mid 20's on Saturday and the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will be about 30% on Friday, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 20 mph Friday, and then 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The photo at right was taken inside of City Hall last month. It's a beautiful building, as you can see.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC February events NYC - 2nd weekend in February.

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx

January 27, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC /450.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small. Every little bit of carbon reduction counts.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC January events NYC - 4th weekend in January.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue

January 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 449.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.

The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC January events NYC - 3rd weekend in January.

Economic Outlook 2023

Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong

January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 469.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.

I. Economic Background - CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and U.S. Government Fiscal & Monetary Policy Responses

In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.

* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.

The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.

The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.

• CLICK here for our report on our perspective on the economic outlook for NYC in 2023.

** Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Friday the 13th, Many Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue, Closing Reception, Play about Patriarchal Power & Skating

January 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 448.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC January events NYC - 2nd weekend in January.

The Nurses Strike at Mt Sinai & Montefiore Hospitals

One Nurse Told me She Felt Like Nurses had gone from Heroes to Zeroes

January 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Healthcare / Manhattan Buzz NYC / 387.

On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.

By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.

By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."

By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.

So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.

The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.

Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.

The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the NYC / NYS Nurses Strike in Manhattan and the Bronx.

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Full Weekend of the New Year - 2nd Anniversary of the Trump Insurrection, Three Kings Day Parade, Greek, Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Christmas, Shabbat Dinner, January Under the Radar Festival Begins, Mulchfest Ending & Skating & a Couple of Holiday Market Sales

January 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 447.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. The humidity will be 70% on Friday, 60% on Saturday and between 50% and 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. A scant amount of precipitation is expected early Friday morning, as well as late Sunday night. It appears to be something one needn't worry too much about.

In the photo at right, taken last week in Manhattan, you can see Macy's in the background, in all of its holiday glory.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC January events NYC - 1st weekend in January.

New Years Resolutions 2023: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to continue the transition from pandemic to endemic - assuming we're not already almost there - given that there are likely to be lingering long term CoVid effects and that we may never return to a pre-CoVid normal.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2023 a better year for you.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2023 - The Road Ahead.

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas and Hanukkah Will Soon End, and Kwanzaa Will Soon Begin, Also New Years Eve Parties and Events

December 23, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 446.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the mid 50's Friday, to about 20 on Saturday, rising to about 30 on Sunday and Monday, which is a holiday. The temperature lows fall like a rock to about 10 degrees Friday night, before rising to 15 on Saturday, 20 on Sunday and 25 on Monday. The humidity drops from 70% on Friday to 50% by the end of the day, and then remains in the 40% - 50% range for the rest of the weekend, including Monday. As of the time of this post, there's a 70% chance around midday of about 1/10 inch of precipitation. The winds will fall from a blustery 20 mph + on Friday, to 15 mph on Saturday, to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday, down to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken earlier this month at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The crowds are back, but there might not yet, be as many foreign tourists as in the past.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC December events NYC - 4th weekend in December.

* Home for the Holidays - CoVid Update & the 'Tripledemic'

A Three Virus Healthcare Threat may be Good for TV Ratings & Headlines, but is it Real?

An NYC Tripledemic Update - Analysis of Reporting of RSV, Flu & CoVid in NYC

As We Return to En Vivo Socializing Over the Holidays - Things to be Aware of

December 19, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / CoVid in NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC / 468.

NYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.

The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.

I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?

As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.

So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?

RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.

• CLICK here for our report on CoVid Update and how real is the Tripledemic in NYC.

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

This is the Peak Party Holiday Weekend, Holiday Concerts, Holiday Shopping & Menorah Lightings as Hanukkah Begins

December 16, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 445.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.

The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC December events NYC - 3rd weekend in December.

* Picketing for the One Day Strike at the New York Times didn't Last a Day

How Not to do a Strike?

December 13, 2022 / NYC Business News / Midtown Manhattan / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC / 386. 

Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times.  It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.

NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022

So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan.  I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 

It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight.  I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.

I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike.  Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner.  One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue.  But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there.  Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].

The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.

A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th.  The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal.  Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).

• CLICK here to read our report about the New York Times News Guild Strike of December 2022.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holidays Tree Lightings, Holiday Caroling, Holiday Community Gatherings & Holiday Markets

December 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 444.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC December events NYC - 2nd weekend in December.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Going Full Tilt This Week with Tree Lightings, Caroling, Community Gatherings and Holiday Markets

December 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 443.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.

The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.

This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC December events NYC - 1st weekend in December.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Warming up a bit this Weekend, Before going Full Tilt Next Week

November 25, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 442.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.

The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC November events NYC.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays have Arrived in NYC

November 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC / 441.

NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.

As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.

Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.

And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC November events NYC.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Announcement, Veterans Day Weekend, Art & Performance; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

November 11, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's Saturday and down to the mid 40's Sunday. The temperature lows will plummet from the low 50's Friday, to the low 330's Saturday and into the high 20's on Sunday. The humidity will fall from 90% Friday, to 80% Saturday, to 65% 80% on Sunday. Winds will be a blustery 7 - 15 mph all weekend. Rain is in the forecast, with about a quarter inch to fall tonight, and then 1/10th inch of rain early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - so it shouldn't stop you from going out.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC November events NYC - 2nd weekend.

NYS Politics & Election Day November 2022

NYS Elections are November 8th, Today

November 8, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The NYS election is today, Tuesday November 8th.  On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state level positions such as Attorney General, State Assembly, State Senators and Ballot measures.

• CLICK here for a brief report and links to government poll sites in NYC.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NYC Marathon Weekend, Veterans Day Commemorations Warm Ups, Upcoming Play; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

November 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's all weekend, while the low will be in the mid 60's all weekend. No rain is in the forecast, but it will be a very humid weekend for this time of year ranging from 70% to 85% all weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival in a prior year. The festival returned to the Museum of the Moving Image this week and runs through the weekend.

The graphic below right shows the course of the NYC Marathon this Sunday.

• CLICK here for things to do this weekend in NYC November events NYC - 1st weekend.