Atwood Sports Bar & Lounge, 986 2nd Ave (btw 52nd & 53rd)
Wednesday, June 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
One way to better know, love and serve our neighbors is to participate in our community through civic engagement. Join us to explore how we can engage with local municipalities for the common good. We'll discuss the basics of local civics and present opportunities for involvement. Registration below is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome, too!
I've lived on the Upper East Side for a total of 19 years (two different time periods and two different apartments). My husband, children and I live in an apartment in a cooperative on 2nd Avenue. I've also lived in Chelsea, Columbus Circle and Greenwich Village, but I have really loved living in one of the least touristy neighborhoods in the city.
For four hours on Earth Day, April 22, there were over a dozen Redeemer Eastside folks working to protect the street trees on First Avenue from 59th to 72nd Streets. Armed with work gloves, hand rakes and 350 bags of fresh mulch, we cleaned the tree beds of cigarette butts and chewing gum, loosened the soil, and covered the tree beds with mulch. The mulch was provided free of charge by kind folks at the NYC Sanitation Department who hauled it and dropped them off at each tree for those 12 blocks. It was a dirty, drizzly and tiring project, but it felt great to be serving our neighborhood in a concrete (or non-concrete haha) way! Special thanks to the Upper Green Side maven, Sarah Gallagher who organized the mulch delivery and provided garbage bags, tools, gloves, even kneepads and snacks!
There were a handful of people who approached us and asked how they could get involved, and many more who called out, "Happy Earth Day" to us. Of the volunteers, five were middle- and high-school kids who enjoyed getting their hands in the dirt and working with tools. We enjoyed the camaraderie, and the feeling of accomplishment to see the tree beds cleaned and nourished. It was a visible, tangible way to serve our neighborhood!
Memorial Sloan Kettering – RRL 117
430 East 67th Street (btw 1st & York)
Wednesday, May 16 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
CB8 represents the Upper East Side of Manhattan, from the north side of East 59th Street to the south side of East 96th Street, Fifth Avenue to the East River, and Roosevelt Island. The Full Board of CB8 meets monthly on the third Wednesday of each month, reviewing recommendations made by committees and voted on for final approval. Each meeting starts with public session, where constituents have 3 minutes to comment on issues coming to the board or express any issues or concerns effecting the community. Also at the Full Board meeting, reports are made by elected officials, the District Manager, and the Chair of CB8. Attending Full Board is an easy way to learn more about what is happening in the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.
Stories are a way to share with one another the amazing things happening in our neighborhoods. Do you have a story about how you interact with your neighbors? Did you witness something unique and powerful taking place in your neighborhood?