By the West 13th Street Alliance
Thank you, neighborhood residents and WestView readers, from the board of directors of the West 13th Street Alliance. Your frequent attendance and lively participation in the Alliance’s Community Events in 2019 humbles and pleases us that we are serving you and inspires us to plan even more!
But first, we have great news. Thanks to Assemblymember Deborah Glick for responding to our request to bring historic street lighting to West 13th Street between 7th and Greenwich Avenues. Bishop Crook streetlamps will be installed in 2020 and you will be invited to a ceremony for the community honoring this addition to our block. Thanks also to Speaker Corey Johnson and his staff for their help in making this happen.
In 2019, we enjoyed playing Bird Bingo with you, sharing an Introduction to Zumba with Tess Ghilaga, a Chair Yoga class with Chandra from Integral Yoga, and making holiday cards with the Ink Spot. We learned together about Eating Well on a Budget with Healthful Foods from nutrition expert Karen Ranzi.
Large groups of area residents and visitors attended illuminating lectures that included Underwater Life of the Hudson River and Beyond by local resident, John Delaney, Director of Communications, New York Aquarium; Exploring the Original West Village with Alfred Pommer; Robert Moses, Jane Jacobs and the Battle for New York City with Jason Haber; and The Bowery Then and Now with Alice Alexiou. And our magnificent neighborhood and world-renowned museum, The Whitney, sent Jano Cortijo to share a beautiful visual presentation and lecture about the Whitney Biennial 2019. Free Family Passes to the Whitney Museum were given out to all attendees.
What can we look forward to in the months ahead? A Community Wine-Tasting event with MCF Rare Wine owner, Matt Franco, will be at the Church of the Village, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27 and we are excited to present another program with the Whitney Museum in 2020, Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950-2019 which will take place at Lenox Health GV on March 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.,
All of these events will provide free healthy snacks and refreshments.
In the planning stages are a Community Painting Class in May and another great program (too early to even tease you about!) in June for kids.
One more unique contribution by the West 13th Street Alliance which we are proud of, is we are partnering with NYPD’s 6th Precinct to identify areas in need of graffiti removal, supplying the task force with paint, tools and community support.
Stay tuned for our article in WestView next month where we will have a date for our April West 13th Street Alliance Community Meeting with a variety of special guest speakers and an exciting announcement about the next steps for our three-and-a-half-year-old organization.
April is also the month for one of the Alliance’s most beloved offerings, our tulips in bloom, so enjoy the rainbow of flowers on West 13th between 7th and Greenwich Avenues. It is an honor to serve all of you.
