Tell us of an event you’d like the block association to organize.
Upcoming Events
Networking in the Neighborhood (NITN)
Your three neighborhood organizations, West 104th Street Block Association, the West 102nd/103rd Streets Block Association, and Bloomingdale Aging in Place, have come together to form a new group based on our neighbors’ interest to connect with others who are running a business from home. The group is aptly named, “Networking in the Neighborhood” or NITN.
The group’s focus is to exchange ideas, best practices, and challenges with others in the neighborhood running a business from home. The group may consist of writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and many others.
The meetings will be led by Harriet Hoffman. She is an experienced networker, who has a consulting business with two components: one for organizational development and grant writing services for not-for-profit organizations, and the other to help seniors and baby boomers make the most of their Medicare and Social Security benefits.
If you would like to receive details and/or attend the event, please reply to west104blockassociation@gmail.com and place NITN in the subject line. Please make sure to include your first and last names, type of business, email and phone number. Also, if you think you could assist with organizing this sort of NITN meet up on a regular basis, please include that, too.
Tri-Organizational Sunday Morning Brisk Walk
The West 104th Street Block Association is collaborating with the West 102nd & 103rd Streets Block Association and BAiP to offer residents a 60-minute group walk on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Led by neighbor Teresa Elwert, the walk will be at a brisk pace – target 20 blocks in 17 minutes – and usually incorporate hills.
You can use the walk as training for your planned activities, such as fundraising walks or any long-distance walk requiring endurance and cardio-vascular conditioning. Or you can just use it as your weekend morning constitutional. The group could also give itself a goal and train for its own long-distance walks, such as from the Battery to the Bronx Bridge, or from Bloomingdale (our neighborhood) to the Four Freedoms Park but the idea is to get together with nearby neighbors and exercise.
Members will have the option to stop for refreshments in a nearby shop after the walk. Teresa has a great deal of experience and runs a popular brisk walking group on alternate weekday mornings. If you’re interested in participating on Sundays, please email west104blockassociation@gmail.com and place Brisk Walk in the subject line so that you can receive detailed information and the local meeting place. If you’d like to lead a similar group on Saturdays, send an email to the same address.
Curbside Cafes
During the summer months, we hold informal parties called Curbside Cafes on the street or in the Park from about 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Block residents enjoy stopping after work to chat with each other and share some appetizers and beverages.
Annual Block Members Meeting
In the early part of the year, the Board of Directors host an annual resident meeting. At the meeting, you will be able to place your vote for the new year’s Board, hear of our financial status and learn of activities for upcoming year. This is an interactive meeting in which we solicit your concerns, observations, and recommendations. At the end of the meeting, refreshments are served and you will have a chance to meet your neighbors and purchase a block T-Shirt, Cap, or one of three sizes Tote Bags. (You can also order these items online!)
Please check our website for the next Annual Block Members Meeting.
Yard Sale
The Yard Sale is the West 104th Street Block Association’s annual block party, celebrating life on our block and in our Bloomingdale neighborhood. Our 2019 event marked our 30th annual yard sale. It’s also our major fundraiser, providing around 20 percent of our annual budget. The party features a silent auction, live music, home cooked food, and more than 60 local vendors selling everything from household items, toys, and clothing to furniture, antiques, and jewelry.
Walking tours
The block association sponsors a walking tour of the neighborhood focusing on its historic architecture, landscapes, and well-known former Walking tour in Central Parkresidents (Humphrey Bogart and the Gershwins among them). We are fortunate to have a block resident, Gil Tauber, create and lead the tours.
Gil has taken us from park to park to park (see picture at left): from the Conservatory Garden in Central Park to Straus Park, and ending up in Riverside Park. After the tour, Doug and Joan Kerr graciously gave us a tour of their beautifully preserved 1892 brownstone and hosted a reception in their backyard. Gil also designed a Riverside Park tour, taking us from 104th St. south to the new pier in the 60s and then back north to the Boat Basin Café. He organizes tours for Bloomingdale Aging in Place (BAiP) as well.
Holiday sing
Each December, block residents gather to sing carols and winter holiday songs sponsored by the West 102nd/103rd Streets Block Association . Please check our website or newsletter for date and details of the event.