December proved a month to remember here in Battery Park City, with a bevy of seasonal events, programs, and community engagement.
With our partners at Brookfield and Manhattan Community Board 1, we kicked the month off with Light Up Luminaries, a free community holiday event for the whole family that included live music, free ice skating, warm drinks, sweet treats, and — of course — Santa Claus! Luminaries wishing stations are available through January 8, with the light installation on display through January 29.
Santa Arrives to kick off the holiday season at Light Up Luminaries! December 1 at the Winter Garden
The following week, Manhattan CB1 and BPCA kicked off its Bicycles working group at BPCA headquarters on December 5. First announced this past summer, the working group will solicit feedback and develop recommendations for bicycle usage on the Battery Park City Esplanade. Additional meetings are to come in the new year.
On December 7, the BPCA Board held its final meeting of the year. Included among the action items was a resolution in support of naming the West Thames Street Pedestrian Bridge, now under construction, after the late Robert Douglass, a decades-long titan of downtown development. Notably, the December Board meeting was also the first to include a dedicated public comment session, further expanding the avenues of community participation.
On December 8, as pictured atop this page, BPC’s Holiday Lights spectacular served up free sweet treats, warm beverages, and caroling to accompanying the annual lighting of the tree in South Cove. The next morning, our BPC Parks team delivered donated toys to our program partner Stockings With Care, helping fulfill holiday wish lists for New York City families.
BPC Parks delivers the donations made by Battery Park City families. Thank you for your generosity!
The holiday season is an ideal time for sharing, and it’s with that idea in mind we were honored to join our partners at BMW and the Albanese Organization to announce 24/7 access to a fleet of BMW i3 electric vehicles and BMW 3 Series sedans via the ReachNow app to residents of The Solaire, the first LEED Gold Certified residential high-rise in the United States. With its Residential Environmental Guidelines, first published in 2000, Battery Park City helped set the standard for green development across the city and country — and with programs like ReachNow BPC continues to innovate today.
BPCA President & COO Shari Hyman and program partners at ReachNow launch event.
The BPC Ball Fields provide an unmatched setting for active recreation. This December we were also pleased to announce the installation of security cameras at the BPC Ball Fields as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance its security posture for the safety of Battery Park City residents and visitors. The cameras are monitored on a 24×7 basis by our Allied Universal Security Service team, with the feed available both via desktop and mobile device, and supplements Allied’s existing foot and bicycle patrols throughout the neighborhood.
Just in time for holidays and the year to come is, of course, our Winter Events Calendar, chock full of more than 450 programs and events open to all and running through April 2017. The full calendar of mostly-free, indoor and outdoor programs – including winter games, exercise classes, art and play events, workshops, storytelling and talks, BPC’s Annual Art Exhibition, and more — features illustrated program offerings taking place throughout Battery Park City, organized by those of interest to guests of all ages, kids, teens, and adults.
While our Winter Calendar events don’t formally kick off until January, our BPC Parks team never rests. On December 18, BPC Parks hosted a four-game chess tournament for kids ages 5-12, as a conclusion to its Chess for Children Fall Programming offering. First prize was a World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen chess set. Next up, this winter, BPC Parks’ Chess for Children runs from January 3 to April 4 at 6 River Terrace. Use registration@bpcparks.org for more information and to register.
December also brought with it news from beyond the borders of Battery Park City:
The Downtown Connection, jointly funded by the Downtown Alliance and BPCA, announced a new stop at South Street and Peck Slip. With this extension in service, Battery Park City and its residents are now more easily linked with the vibrant, historic Seaport neighborhood.
And it was in the Seaport that BPCA’s own Shari Hyman joined FiDi Families’ Denise Courter on December 15 for an episode of The Downtowner to discuss some of the amazing things happening in Battery Park City. In case you missed it the first time, you can listen here.
Guesting on Little Water Radio’s “The Downtowner”
Finally, it is with profound gratitude that we thank Chief Financial Officer Bob Serpico and wish him well as he calls it a career here at BPCA. First hired in June 1986, Bob has served as BPCA’s CFO since December 1987, and it’s due to his work that Battery Park City has become an international blueprint for successful urban planning. He spoke about his experience and history at BPCA in a recent interview with The Broadsheet.
Thank you to all our partners for a wonderful month — and a great 2016 overall. We look forward to an even better year to come!
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