In October, our park was the film set for an episode of Sex and the City’s reboot, And Just Like That… Above is the crew filming near the fountain in the west side of the park. You can catch our park in episode 6 of And Just Like That…
Last week, NYC Parks’ Josie DeJesus heard a sharp, cracking noise as she walked through the park. She alerted NYC Parks, who then conducted emergency tree pruning to ensure the safety of visitors to the park. Unfortunately, the tree could not be saved and was cut down.
The trees in our park and in the city are vital green spaces that improve air quality and provide homes to the city’s wildlife. This situation demonstrates the importance of preventive maintenance in SPNA’s three-phase plan to care for the trees in our park.
Two members of NYC CLEAN Volunteers stopped by the park during the snowstorm when a board member was shoveling and introduced themselves and their organization. The SPNA board member was very impressed with the work they are doing, so we thought we would highlight their group and their efforts in our newsletter.
NYC CLEAN Volunteers is a volunteer-run and self-motivated organization that cleans different areas of our neighborhoods, improving the quality of everyone’s lives. In addition to picking up litter off our streets and parks, their goal is to raise awareness and encourage others to responsibly dispose their trash. You can see them featured on NY1 here. You can also read more about them in this document.
The organization encourages others to join and help keep our city clean. Below are details about two of their upcoming community clean-up days, which are being organized in partnership with the Department of Sanitation. They will bring a van to supply safety vests, cleaning equipment, and supplies.
CleanUp Day East
Saturday, February 26, 2022, 1-3 pm.
Meet: Bellevue Park entrance at 27th St. and 2nd Ave.
We will tackle the surrounding streets as teams.NYC CleanUp Day West
Sunday, March 6, 1-3 pm.
Meet: 49 Street & 10th Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen
We will tackle the surrounding streets as teams.
You can get in touch with NYC CLEAN Volunteers by emailing Sokie Lee (sokie007@gmail.com) and/or Ken Gray (kennethgray200@gmail.com). You can also join them through their Facebook page: facebook.com/groups/nyccleanvolunteers.
The end of January brought the biggest snowstorm of the season so far. Parts of New York City received well over a foot of snow. Our park was coated in layers of fluffy, white flakes, becoming a temporary Winter Wonderland once again. This snowstorm frosted our park with icy beauty, and made the perfect medium for snowmen. Below and above are some photos of the park after the storm.
On December 24th, members of the SPNA community came together for a festive and fun evening of Christmas caroling. Carolers gathered around the tree and Peter Stuyvesant statue in the west side of the park and indulged in refreshments provided by Veselka. It was wonderful to continue the tradition of caroling in the park with St. George’s Church. The event was the perfect way to close out 2021.
P.O. Box 1347