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Learn to Grow Your Own Urban Garden at NYC
Grows |
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Join dozens of experts
on Sunday, April 27th from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and learn
how to grow your own garden at the third annual NYC
GROWS Garden
Festival on the South Plaza of Union Square Park. The
event, presented by Target, the National Gardening
Association, the NYC Department of Parks &
Recreation and USP features hands-on activities, food
and beverage sampling, gardening demonstrations, prize
drawings and more. |
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Getting Ready for Spring in the
Square |
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As the warm weather approaches, USP is gearing up its
services to make sure the neighborhood looks its best
this spring. Look for USP Clean Team staff as they
remove graffiti from gates and property walls, clean out
the tree pits, paint hydrants, lampposts and mailboxes,
and power wash as needed. To supplement the efforts of
our partners at the NYC Department of Parks &
Recreation, USP’s special Park Cleaning Task Force
begins today (April 1st) to address added sanitation
needs as usage of the park increases. And in a few short
weeks, look for our Landscaping Team as they aerate and
fertilize the park’s lawns, and begin planting another
round of shrubs, perennials, and annuals to the park.
For the past nine quarters, USP has received 100%
cleanliness ratings from the City for our sidewalks so
we encourage all our members businesses to do their part
to get ready for spring. If you’d like to suggest an
area for attention, please email the street address and
condition requiring attention to info@unionsquarenyc.org. |
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Join City Harvest’s Spring
Effort
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Spring for City Harvest this month and help feed the City’s hungry men,
women, and children. For a limited time, many of the
City’s best restaurants will offer special appetizers,
entrees, desserts and prix-fixe menus, donating 10% of
proceeds to City Harvest. Click here to check out the list of participating
restaurants.
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USP Welcomes New Staff Member William
Kelley |
|
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the
USP team. William Kelley joins USP as
Director of Economic Development after serving most
recently as Vice President for Development at the NYC
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) where he managed
the City's development projects in Lower Manhattan,
Harlem and the South Brooklyn waterfront. He previously
held positions as Director of Technical Services at the
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, District
Manager of Manhattan Community Board 4 and as Project
Manager for pedestrian streetscape improvements at the
City's Department of Transportation. William holds a
Masters degree in Urban Planning from NYU’s Wagner
School of Public Service. "As a resident myself, I am
thrilled to steward the economic health and vitality of
the neighborhood," William says. "The Union Square North
End Redevelopment project will be the major development
initiative of the upcoming year, but we will also be
exploring additional capital improvements that improve
overall appearance and promote a cohesive identity for
the 14th Street-Union Square district."
|
| New York Eye and Ear Celebrate
Expansion |
|
On February 25th, New York Eye and Ear
Infirmary Ear Institute celebrated the
opening of their state-of-the-art facility on
East 14th Street at Second Avenue. At the ceremony,
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer presented
Infirmary CEO and President D. McWilliams Kessler with a
proclamation declaring “New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Ear Institute Day.” The facility combines ear specialty
services from The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Beth
Israel Medical Center and The Children’s Hearing
Institute. The 15,150 square foot facility will provide
care to approximately 15,000 patients
annually. |
|
Washington Irving Teams Take
Home Honors |
USP's Mock Trial
and Debate Teams at Washington Irving
have had a very successful school year. The WIHS
freshman Mock Trial Team, trained by lawyers from
Cleary, Gottleib, Steen and Hamilton, competed in
statewide competition this past month beating Stuyvesant
High School in the first round. The Debate Team has also
had an incredibly successful season with WIHS
junior, Quionnea Coombs and senior, Gaushia Plaza,
qualifying for the New York State Debate Tournament to
take place on April 4th and 5th. Congrats to all our
students and program partners on a job well done!
|
| Webster Hall Granted Landmark
Status |
|
On March 18th, historic Webster
Hall (119 East 11th Street) officially became
a City landmark. In addition to its architectural
interest, Webster Hall embodies the social, political,
and cultural history of the East Village. Originally a
"hall for hire," from the late 19th century through
WWII, the hall was the scene of labor rallies, costume
bacchanals, and political protests. After the war, it
became an important performance venue for emerging Latin
artists and folk musicians, and then a recording studio
used by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Today, Webster Hall serves as a neighborhood
hotspot and performance
venue. |
| Union Square
Partnership |
|
The Union
Square Partnership is a community-based, nonprofit
organization working to foster the best possible
metropolitan neighborhood for its residents, businesses and visitors. We are
comprised of a local development corporation and New
York City's first business improvement district, two
organizations that have served as catalysts behind the
area's transformation. For more information, visit our
website at unionsquarenyc.org. |
| Links to Community
Websites |
| The City of New
York
Department of Parks
and Recreation
Department of Small
Business Services
Community Board
2
Community Board
3
Community Board
5
Community Board
6 | |
| Calling All NYC Animal Lovers for
ASPCA Day! |
|
Please join USP on Thursday, April 10th from 4:00 PM
- 8:00 PM when the country goes orange for ASPCA
Day to celebrate the ASPCA's victories on
behalf of animals. Adults, children and their
four-legged friends are invited for a very special event
on the South Plaza of Union Square Park and are
encouraged to outfit themselves in their brightest
orange attire in honor of the day. The event will
feature adorable, adoptable animals, live music, tasty
treats, animal cops from Animal Planet's Animal
Precinct, expert advice on pet care, and
pet-personalized merchandise. |
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Harvest in
the Square Restaurants Earn Culinary
Honors |
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The Union Square neighborhood has a long tradition of
delicious, innovative restaurants, many of which
are participants at USP's annual food and wine
tasting event Harvest in the
Square. Congratulations
to Harvest participants Bar
Stuzzichini, Hill Country and Primehouse on being
featured in New York Magazine's 2008 Best of New
York and Danny Meyer's
Gramercy Tavern for its James Beard
Foundation nomination for Outstanding
Restaurant. Bon
Appétit! |
| Dig In and Celebrate
MillionTreesNYC Month |
|
Mayor Bloomberg
and New York Restoration Project founder Bette Midler
invite you and your family to celebrate Arbor Day every
day during April for MillionTreesNYC
Month. Find out how you can plant a tree to
help reach the goal of one million new trees by 2017,
volunteer to plant or care for our City’s trees,
participate in tree planting and stewardship activities
and workshops, or make a donation.
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| Heartland Offers Artisanal
Brews |
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Starting April 4th, Heartland
Brewery (35 Union Square West) will offer an
exciting new beer, the fresh fruit-infused oatmeal
Wild Raspberry Stout, as the inaugural tap in a new
family of artisanal brews called Heartland Small
Batch Beers. "For those who truly love beer, these
types of small batch brews are the pinnacle of
enjoyment, a supreme appreciation of the art of the
brew," said Heartland’s Founder Jon Bloostein. Stop by
the Union Square location today and pair your
Small Batch Beer with one of Heartland's
delicious menu
items. |
| East West Yoga Relaxes and
Inspires |
East West
Yoga (78 5th Avenue, 2nd floor) is a
newly renovated studio just off the square with a
beautiful, bright space, filtered air and bamboo floors
making it an ideal place for relaxation. Classes range
from gentle to vigorous, and also include Tai Chi,
Meditation, Reiki, workshops and more. Click here for a free
pass – good for one per
person so one for you and some to share with
friends. |
| NYC Has Record-Breaking Year in
Tourism |
|
For the City's travel and tourism industry,
projections show that a record 46 million people came to
visit New York during 2007. "This incredible surge puts
us well on our way to reaching our goal of drawing 50
million annual visitors by the year 2015. And it's
helping to bolster our local businesses even as the
economy is slowing down nationwide," said Mayor
Bloomberg. |
| Neighborhood Favorites With 14th
Street Y's Stephen Hazan Arnoff and McBurney YMCA's John
Rappaport |
| 14th Street
Y (344 East 14th Street) and McBurney
YMCA (125 West 14th
Street) serve as important resources and gathering
places in the community for children and adults of all
ages. Both organizations recently welcomed new Executive
Directors and the USP community offers a warm
welcome to 14th Street Y's Stephen Hazan Arnoff and
McBurney YMCA's John Rappaport who took the time
out of their hectic new schedules to share their
favorite places in Union Square.
Favorite place for an afternoon
snack. Stephen: Curly's Vegetarian
Lunch for every vegan combo
you can imagine, from meatless ribs to burgers to
Mexican.
A "must-see" for an out of town
guest. John: There is always a lot to
do in Union Square. You and your guest could spend
a whole day browsing the Greenmarket,
Virgin
Megastore, Whole
Foods, Barnes & Noble and more.
Kid-friendly shopping.
Stephen: The Little
Stinkers Shoe Company, a
little English shoe shop with plenty of activities to
keep kids busy while you shop for shoes.
Favorite
Greenmarket purchase. John: I
cannot do without the market’s fresh basil, which
is delicious for home cooking.
A
hidden gem in the neighborhood. Stephen:
Something
Sweet pastry
shop makes delicious tarts and cupcakes. They also
made my youngest daughter's birthday cake, a chocolate
masterpiece we are still talking about.
Best place for a workout.
Stephen: Monday night Punk Rope at the 14th
Street Y. Gym class meets the proud punk tradition of
the Lower East Side. John: Our gym at the YMCA
has all the amenities and always gives me a great
workout. | |
