Midtown North Precinct Wins A Tony Award

Jack and Susan H. and Christine G. attended the regular monthly meeting of the Midtown North Community Council at Fountain House on West 47th Street on April 20th. We learned many things, but perhaps the most dramatic thing we learned was that the Shubert Organization says a Tony Award will be awarded to the Midtown North and Midtown South Precincts for "theater excellence." The awards will be presented on June 12th and there will be a statue for each station house. The big televised Tony Award ceremony is the following day, June 13, the same day as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue.


Although the Tony is usually awarded for Broadway productions and not for crime-stopping, it just so happens that overall crime in Midtown North is down 12.3% year-to-date, compared to a drop of 1% for New York City as a whole, as reported Tuesday evening by Inspector Matusiak, the commanding officer of Midtown North. The burglary rate was cut in half in Midtown North after an alleged burglar was arrested for a series of burglaries of restaurants. Unfortunately, the Inspector reported, rapes continue to be a problem--mostly in the hotels of the midtown area.


The West 55th Street Block Association extends its warmest congratulations to Inspector Matusiak and the men and women of Midtown North Precinct on their Tony-Award-winning performance.



The Community Council meets every third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at 427 West 47th Street. Meetings are not held in July / August.

Happy Hour at Kennedy's

About 30 people came to the April Happy Hour in the "library" at the back of Kennedy's. Turns out the library is named "Flanagan's." We're sure there is an interesting story about that!

There were lots of good conversations. It was especially fun to meet new folks from Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The next Happy Hour is June 14. Stay tuned for announcements on time and place.

Followup on Fire at 326 W55

Several people have asked about the cause of the fire in Billy' Alston's apartment.

Ann N reports: "I am not positive about the specifics of the cause of the fire but it originated at his stove. We don't know if he was cooking and something caught fire or if he forgot something that was cooking and it caught fire. The fire was confined to the area around his stove. We believe (but again aren't sure) that Billy summoned the fire dept. He suffered 2nd degree burns on his neck, chest and stomach and complications arose with his heart. He was taken to the Cornell burn unit where they induced a coma.

Although Billy was a devoted pet lover he no longer had any animals. He was a very gentle, sweet man and a great neighbor. He will be missed."

W55 Liquor License Survey response

Two weeks ago, we asked all the folks on our mailing list to take a short six-question sponsored by the West 55 Block Association to determine if we should become more active about this issue. The main conclusion: Survey responders were split on the questions, with the majority leaning towards NOT getting involved with the movement to decrease the number of liquor licenses. Here are the results:

Of the 260 people on our email list, 27 responded to the liquor license survey. Of these 27, 25 said they lived on West 55th Street.


1. Are you concerned about the growing number of places serving alcohol in Hell's Kitchen?

Yes, very much: 22.2% (6)
Yes, a little 22.2% (6)
I don't care one way or the other 11.1% (3)
No, not at all 44.4% (12)
Rating Average 2.78

Conclusion: Most of the people who answered the poll don’t care one way or the other or are not at all concerned about the growing number of places serving alcohol in Hell’s Kitchen.

2. Have you noticed an increase in noise in the neighborhood?

Yes, and it bothers me a lot 18.5% (5)
Yes, and it bothers me a little 18.5% (5)
Yes, but it doesn't bother me 11.1% (3)
No, I have not noticed an increase in noise 51.9% (14)
Rating Average 2.96

Conclusion: Most of the people who answered this poll have not noticed an increase in noise in the neighborhood.

3. On a scale of 1-4 how much of the noise in the neighborhood do you think is caused by people drinking alcohol at restaurants, bars, clubs, on the street? (1 is a strong link between alcohol and noise level, 4 is no link between alcohol and noise level.)

1- strong link 25.9% (7)
2- somewhat of a link 40.7% (11)
3- weak link 22.2% (6)
4- no link 11.1% (3)
5- Rating Average 2.19

Conclusion: Most of the people who answered the poll this there is somewhat of a link between noise and people drinking alcohol at restaurants, bars, clubs, on the street.

4. Do you think the West 55th Street Block Association should get more involved in trying to decrease the number of liquor licenses that are approved for the Hell's Kitchen area?

Yes, absolutely 18.5% (5)
Yes, why not? 25.9% (7)
No, it's no big deal 37.0% (10)
No, absolutely not 18.5% (5)
Rating Average 2.56

Conclusion: Survey responders were split on these question, with the majority leaning towards NOT getting involved with the movement to decrease the number of liquor licenses.

About 45% of the people who answered the poll think the West 55th Street Block Association should get more involved in trying to decrease the number of liquor licenses that are approved for the Hell's Kitchen area.

About 55% of the people who answered the poll think the West 55th Street Block Association should NOT get more involved in trying to decrease the number of liquor licenses that are approved for the Hell's Kitchen area.

5. How much would you PERSONALLY commit to supporting an effort to decrease the number of liquor licenses granted in the Hell's Kitchen area?

I would help a lot -- 3 or more hours a week 0.0% (0)
I would help some -- 1 or 2 hours a month 11.1% (3)
I could help from time to time 33.3% (9)
I would not be able to help 55.6% (15)
Rating Average 3.44

Conclusion: Most of the people who answered the poll would not be able to help on this issue. But several said they could help from time to time.


A sample of written comments:

>>>“a couple of months ago I counted 4times as many liquor licenses being granted in Clinton as ten years ago. CB4 should be able to give a year by year count of the number of applications and approvals they've dealt with.”

>>>“Address the noise, kitchen smells and exhaust fan noise coming from three business on west side of 8th ave between 55th and 56th sts. These issues affect residents at the backs of buildings near the corner of 55th st and 8th ave.

Many trucks delivering to Westerly Market are idling beyond the legal time, while parked outside 310 W 55thSt. Can the store owner/manager have some affect on them.”

>>>“Most of the noise we hear is from large groups of young people traveling west on 55th street between 8th and 9th. I'm not sure where they have been or, for that matter, where they are going. Usually this occurs between 1:00 and 3:00 AM. I don't think there is anyway that limiting future availability of future liquor licenses is going to solve the current problem.”

>>>“It's NYC. Peoples who live here and visit here enjoy local bars and restaurants. BA should get involved with specific bars and restaurants that are not respectful of residents or are creating nuisance issues.”

>>>“Neighborhoods need restaurants and restaurants need alcohol, places were friends and neighbors can gather ,,,,,people can drink on 34 street and walk up to 55 St ,,,some can just drink in the street ,,,,,more important than trying to restrict liquor licenses, that would compromise businesses,,,,,in an already depressed economy ,,,,,,

This is NYC . . . not the country . . . you want peace, quiet and tranquility move to the country and drive 10 minutes to go out for dinner.

How about doing something about the homeless that live on the streets between 54 - 62 Street . . . on 9 Avenue . . . the homeless who have passed out from over consumption of alcohol . . . and goodness knows what else . . . medically concerned . . . those who may even be dead . . . as we continue to step over their bodies . . .

and rest assured they were not drinking in any neighborhood establishment.”

>>> “I think nightlife makes this neighborhood great, and if anything, additional liquor licenses should be encouraged to add to the vitality of the neighborhood.”

>>> “Obviously, this is a very tricky situation. We want to keep the area quiet and SAFE for residents, yet still encourage real estate development. This is a conversation that should be held with sensitivity to both sides of the issue.”

>>> “We're really enjoying all the new wine bars. And they're so packed, we could use a few more, so we could get a seat! ;-)”

>>> “Something odd is going on in the area. Many yuppie people hanging out, don't seem like neighborhood people. I have noticed in the last few months that neighborhood is changing and the people seem more suburban than city people.”

>>> “Since these restaurants are making good cash money, ought to be enough to fund foot patrol from our police in the early morning hours.?”

>>> “As a group, I think we should keep the focus of the block association on the BLOCK itself (and its IMMEDIATE environs) and not get involved with battles over liquor licenses for establishments in other parts of Hell's Kitchen. 1) We might lose our 501(c)3 if we get involved with causes that are not necessarily "charitable" 2) One of the great things that define NYC are its energy and nightlife. I'm appalled at the Disneyfication of NYC that started under Giuliani. I'm not opposed to new clubs, per se. And I'm definitely not opposed to new clubs that are far away from where I live 3) There are so many more POSITIVE ways to channel our energies as a group. Beautification and mentoring should be the GROUP's focus, not fighting the state liquor board. I have NO PROBLEM if people want to protest new liquor licenses on their own. And I have no problem with the Block Association serving as a vehicle for advertising these protests. But I don't believe it is appropriate for the W.55th Street Block Association as an organization to get involved.”

NOTE from CG: 501(c)(3) status for the W55 BA is still pending with the IRS. We are not official yet. We will let you know when we are. DO NOT DEDUCT YOUR DONATIONS FROM YOUR TAXES.

West 55 BA starts How-To Guide

Every organization has a story and the West 55 Street Block Association is no exception. But sometimes it’s hard to pick just one story to tell.

So today, I’ll start with the one about our near-death experience and how it taught us that we could become a different kind of group.

The time was Fall 2008. You may recall that that’s when it looked like the entire financial infrastructure of the United States was going to crumble. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. The stock market tanked. The President and the Presidential candidates debated what should be done.

The scene was not Wall Street, however, but our humble little block in the Hell’s Kitchen section of New York City. For 30 years, the West 55th Street Block Association had strung holiday lights in long crazy loops in the trees on the block, delighting residents and the many pedestrians and others who travel through the area on their way from or to work, school and other activities.

But we had our own crisis in the Fall of 2008. The trees had gotten so tall and the volunteers who hung the strands of lights had gotten old enough that it was no longer safe to put up lights from the tops of ladders with long poles. We needed to hire a cherry picker—and that meant money.

Several people said it was impossible. It looked like the trees would have to stay dark. But a small group of us got together to give it one more shot. We didn’t want to let a 30-year tradition die.

We had a couple of meetings, a few people volunteered to contact professional crews, put up signs, ask for donations. We followed up with each other via email and text message. Within three weeks we had raised $7,000—enough to hire a professional crew to light half the 36 trees on the block—and have a little left over.

Everyone on the block rallied. When the lights went up, it brought a little hope to many hearts in the neighborhood. Sure the economy was in the toilet. Many of us had lost jobs. But at least we got the lights up.

We started to think that maybe we had done something kind of interesting. We worked together as a group—with no designated leaders. We took a quick inventory of our own skills—we had a photographer, a lawyer, a web person, a writer, a producer, a couple of artists, some entrepreneurs and several long-time residents. We divided up the work in the way that made the most sense. And we made sure to have some fun while we were doing it.

The lights went up. People in the surrounding are were cheered. We started to wonder what else we could. We expanded the email list. We created a website that was easy to update through RSS feeds from Twitter, Blogger and Flickr. We started reporting on a few Precinct meetings and other public fora. We talked about new projects and plans.

Only later—especially after some folks from the Parks department and other blocks come to us for advice—did we realize that maybe we had created something new.

Only later did we find out that maybe what we had done was to form something that management consultants call a “learning organization.” We were pretty informal and no one was getting paid, of course. (We’re still all volunteer.) But we had new ways and new tools and new approaches for organizing people and sharing information. And what we were learning could benefit lots of people well beyond a block or two of Hell’s Kitchen.

That’s when we decided maybe we should keep track of everything we’re doing and start reaching out to others more intentionally so that the larger public may benefit. That’s when the idea of creating a How-To book was born.

This is the first entry. It gives some background. We’ll tag each related post “how-to” and eventually gather them all together into some kind of online guidebook for other community groups.

Do you have ideas? Would you like to contribute to the guide? Send an email to west55ba[AT]gmail[DOT]com.

Let the journey begin!

Easter Mayhem in Times Square

Easter Mayhem in Times Square. Inspector Dennis DeQuatro, the new commander of the Mid-Town South Police Precinct, gave a report to the April 7 meeting of Community Board 4 about the recent disturbances in Times Square. He said that for the past several years in a row, a number of people have gathered at Times Square late on Easter Sunday and some have gotten into fights with each other. The NYPD knows about this and had 200 officers in the area of 40th to 47th and Seventh to Eighth Avenue on the night of April 4, 2010.

By the next morning, 50 adults and 10 juveniles had been arrested on various charges. Two of these arrested had gang affiliations, according to the police database on gangs.

By 11:30 PM Sunday night, DeQuatro said, the police saw that the crowd had significantly grown in size. They also believe it was much larger than possible in past years because the Broadway pedestrian mall allows more people to gather in one place.

At around midnight on 41st between Seventh and Eighth, two groups crossed paths--one was walking east and the other walking west. Witnesses told police that words were exchanged and someone pulled out a .380 caliber handgun. Three rounds were fired and one individual was hit in the sneaker and the top of the foot. The third shot missed. None of the injuries are life-threatening. No one has been arrested, as of April 7, in this case.

At 2:10 AM, a group that had been dispersed by police from Times Square walked south towards 34th Street. Once again, two groups crossed each other, DeQuatro said, this time near Macy's. Words were again exchanged and a .380 caliber handgun was pulled. Two rounds were fired. A 19 year old woman was hit in the elbow and leg. Subsequent ballistic reports show this was not the same handgun as at the midnight incident.

Those involved fled eastward on 34th Street. Four arrests were made on charges of "gang assault."

Inspector DeQuatro was on the scene that night. He admits that the volume of people was larger than what the NYPD had anticipated that night--possibly because of the new pedestrian malls. But he believes the incidents of "wilding," as described by some press accounts, are inaccurate. There was no property damage, he noted, and large groups of people were not terrorized.

Reported by Christine G.

RIP, Billy

The BA is saddened to report that Billy Alston, the elderly man who was injured in the fire at 326 West 55th on March 15, passed away several days ago. Funeral services are this morning at 9am. Details are posted on the door at 326 W. 55th St.

Our condolences to Billy's family and friends.

It is with sadness and great fondness we remember Billy. A fixture in front of his building, Billy's warm smile and ever positive attitude always made our days and block a little bit brighter. --Joanna and Michael Rose

We are saddened by the loss of our neighbor Billy. He always had time for a friendly smile and to give Maizie a pat hello when we saw him on the block. We will miss you! --Jennifer, Mitch & Maize

I did not know of Billy, until reading this tragic news. I am sure he was a great man who represented sky high standards. His commitment to respond and to help people during extreme and dyer situations. I am greatly saddened to hear of the news and my heart goes all out to his family friends, and to his fire engine family throughout our New York City, state and country. --Fred Stepkin

I am so sorry to hear about Billy's demise and also about any other victims of the fire. My thoughts are with and about him, and his family, and his dog. Who's taking care of his devoted companion...My sincere thoughts are with all of us in this time of tragedy at our doorstep--Antonio Carobine