UC Recap – August 15th – August 20th
There is no denying that things are rapidly changing in our neighborhood. Some may argue that it is already too late. That the forces of predatory capital moving ever northward have their sights set on our beloved Washington Heights and Inwood and that there is nothing we can do. That some of this is actually a natural and welcomed part of life in New York City. We disagree. We believe that we must make a stand now before our hood becomes just another shiny but soulless community that has closed its doors to the working people that gave those places life, vibrancy and diversity in the first place. To that end, we have convened a panel of some really smart and dedicated people to discuss how we can together shape the trajectory of Manhattan’s last real neighborhood. Our esteemed panelists are State Senator Adriano Espaillat, historian Robert W. Snyder and writer Raquel Cepeda. Please join us on Monday, August 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington Heights Academy (202 Sherman Avenue) to ensure your voices are heard. Sarah Gonzalez of WNYC reported on the rally that occurred the night before the vote to rezone the site at 4650 Broadway. Sherman Plaza is dead for now but the win might just become a Pyrrhic victory as the developer may still be able to build except with no affordable housing. Steven Wishnia of The Village Voice followed up on the Sherman Plaza affair with an excellent article on what we are up against even with the council voting down the rezoning. The Pumpkin House is once again up for sale. This is my absolute favorite property in all of Uptown. Shout out to Jen Carson of Gothamist for the wonderful story on a one-of-a-kind edifice. Congrats are in order to A.J. Sidransky for winning the David Award for the excellent Forgiving Mariela Camacho. Please check out my review and then spread that Uptown Love and purchase your copy ASAP. Get ready to be transported to the Middle Ages! The 32nd Annual Medieval Festival returns to Fort Tryon Park on Sunday, September 18th from 11:30 am to 6 pm. The already majestic Fort Tryon Park is magically transformed to a medieval market town replete with ornate banners, authentic medieval music, dance, minstrels and jesters. Keep checking us out at www.uptowncollective.com. Led Black Editor-in-Chief The Uptown Collective The UC’s mission is to become “the” definitive, transformative and community-based force impacting the arts, culture, business and New York City’s overall perception of Upper Manhattan. Its objective is to reset, reboot and positively redefine Uptown’s artistic, political, cultural and business spheres via the online space as well the collective’s initiatives and functions.
August 15th – August 20th
