“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."

Raju Mann

President & CEO
  • 09/24
  • Art & Culture
  • BPC People
  • Community
  • Environment
  • Governance

NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2018

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER/2018

Battery Park City: South Cove to Pier A, 1981

Follow us on Instagram @bpcparks for more historical images from our photo archive.

BPC PEOPLE

Captain Tom Berton: Shearwater Classic Schooner
Favorite BPC Spot: Irish Hunger Memorial

 

Tom Berton grew up in Manhattan’s East Village, not far from where his beloved schooner, Shearwater, calls home: Battery Park City’s North Cove Marina. Tom attended Stuyvesant High School – before it was located here in Battery Park City (but not too long before, the Captain would like to remind readers) – and then on to Williams College in Massachusetts, where his interest in cultural anthropology and understanding what it means to be an American led him to major in US/Japan Comparative Studies. This dovetailed with his interest in eastern religions and martial arts and it allowed him to gain perspective by comparing the two nations. Today Captain Tom is fluent in Japanese; he utilized his language skills facilitating U.S./Japanese imports and exports, with successful stints in owning retail establishments and working in real estate development.

Along the way, Tom was exposed to sailing while volunteering on a well-known charter sailboat, the Petrel (which spent a couple seasons in North Cove in the 1990s). Petrel’s captain, Nick van Nes, mentored Tom and helped foster his love for sailing. So much so that, despite his successes in other endeavors, when van Nes retired from public and charter sailing in 2000, Tom and a couple other volunteers bought an historic classic schooner named Shearwater and decided to continue the business. His love for sailing New York’s incredible harbor remain undiminished.

Not long after taking over the business, Tom’s crew, boat, and business barely survived the September 11 attacks. But by June 2002, Tom and his crew were back in North Cove sailing and exhibiting the persistence and determination that defines its downtown denizens. Since then, his business, Manhattan by Sail, has expanded into a flourishing purveyor of New York City harbor tours. And he still sails the trusty Shearwater– designated as a national landmark in 2009 next year will mark its 90th year of operation.

Tom lives with his wife, Ewa, and three daughters in lower Manhattan, where when he’s not sailing he enjoys practicing Tai Chi and serving on Manhattan Community Board 1. He’s thankful to Battery Park City and the surrounding communities for taking historic sailing seriously, and for the support they have provided him throughout the years. Head on down and say hello to Tom and the team.

BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY RELEASES FALL EVENTS CALENDAR
 

Fall Movie Night: Men in Black (1997)
& A Hare grows in Manhattan (Short)

Friday, September 21, 28 through Sunday, October 7
7 pm, Rockefeller Park
Agents Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith) are members of a top-secret organization established to monitor alien activity on earth.Together they take on a mission to track down an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D’Onofrio ) bent on destroying Earth. It’s all in a day’s work for Men in Black.

Free to attend. For more information click here.

Upcoming Movies are:
September 28, Spiderman (2002)
October 7, Love Simon ( National Coming Out Day Celebration )

 

GO FISH!
Saturday, September 22

10 am – 1 pm, Wagner Park
Join experienced anglers for catch-and release fishing and learn about life in the Hudson River. The day also features an art project and a nature walk. Plus a performance by The Suzi Shelton Band with their award winning signature hits and new tunes from their latest album: Hand in Hand.

Free to attend. For more information click here.

 

Dockappella
Sunday, September 30

1 pm – 4 pm, Wagner Park
Join us for an autumn celebration of intricately woven harmonies along the Hudson River. Many of the finest college a cappella groups in New York and beyond will showcase their pitch-perfect vocal renditions from a diverse variety of musical genres. Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch and enjoy the music with New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty as backdrop!

Free to attendFor more information click here.

 

Gardening Club
Tuesdays, Through October 30

4 pm –  5 pm,  Rockefeller Park Children’s Garden  
Discover the fun and rewards of gardening with other children. Enjoy planting flowers, vegetables and herbs, watering, weeding, and composting. Learn BPC Parks’ green practices first hand. For Ages 6 – 10.
9 Sessions, $120. Registration Required. Call 212-267-9700 or email registration@bpcparks.org

For more information click here.

 

Bird Watching Club:
Fall Session
Mondays
September 17 – October 29

4 pm –  5:30 pm, 6 River Terrace
Participants will become familiar with the birds that reside yearlong in Battery Park City – as well as those that migrate through on their way to southern destinations. Bird watching is an excellent activity to help children focus and hone their observation skills while celebrating these fascinating creatures! Fun projects will augment the study.
For 1st – 3rd graders. No program on 10/8.
6 Sessions, $90. Registration Required. Call 212-267-9700 or email registration@bpcparks.org

For more information click here.

 

Meet Me In The Kitchen
Harvest Time Nutrition
Mondays
September 24 – October 29

2 pm –  3:30 pm, Asphalt Green
212 North End Avenue

Enjoy nutrition information, preparation demonstrations and tastings. Each week includes helpful research findings, healthy recipes, portion planning and shopping tips for the season. Nutritionist Lauren C. Kelly offers creative twists on cuisines of many cultures, fermenting food for better health and healthy holiday eating. No program on 10/8.

Free to attend: registration required, space is limited.
To register call 212-267-9700 or email registration@bpcparks.org

 

Fall into Fitness
Tuesdays
September 25 – October 30

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, 6 River Terrace
There is no better way to celebrate the change of the seasons than to join Battery Park City parks programming leaders for power walking throughout the parks and taking in the fall foliage and brisk air.

Free to attend. For more information click here.

ONGOING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
 

Preschool Play
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Through Oct 31
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Wagner Park
Play is the cornerstone of early childhood development. Meet other toddlers, parents and caregivers for interactive play on a grassy lawn. Sing, dance, shake and hear stories too! Carefully selected play equipment and toys are provided – plus water play!

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

 

Preschool Art
Thursdays, Through Oct 25
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Rockefeller Park House
Very young artists are introduced to paper, clay, paint and everyday recyclable materials, transforming them into masterpieces of creativity and delight. Age-appropriate projects planned by an art educator/artist. Materials provided. Dress for a mess!

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

 

Wednesdays at Teardrop
Wednesdays, Through Oct 31
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Teardrop Park
Explore unique Teardrop Park while enjoying energetic lawn games and creating dynamic art. Artist/educators lead individual and group creative projects using clay, collage, paint and more. Materials provided. Dress for a mess! For Ages 5+.

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

 

Volleyball After Work
Wednesdays,Through Sept 26
6:00 pm – 7:30pm

Esplanade Plaza
Shake off the stress of work and join other adults for some friendly competition at drop-in volleyball. A great opportunity to meet new friends! Scorekeeper and balls provided.
Free to attend.

 

Sunset Yoga
Wednesdays, Through Sept 26
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Wagner Park
Namaste! Unwind from the day with outdoor yoga. Immerse yourself in this meditative practice surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels welcome. Please bring your own mat.

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

 

Art + Games
Thursdays, Through Oct 25
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Rockefeller Park House
Very young artists are introduced to paper, clay, paint and everyday recyclable materials, transforming them into masterpieces of creativity and delight. Age-appropriate projects planned by an art educator/artist. Materials provided. Dress for a mess!

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

Events at Brookfield Place
 

Saturday Morning Show
Saturday, September 22
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Hudson Eats 
Every Saturday, join attend everyone’s favorite kids show at Hudson Eats featuring storytelling, music, magicians and more! On December 8th, Brookfield will be celebrating The Saturday Morning Show’s 100th show!

Free to attend. For more information click here.

GrowNYC EVENTS
 

The Oculus Green Market
Tuesdays, Through October 30

7:00 am – 7:00 pm
185 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 – Main Level C2 
GrowNYC is excited to announce the Greenmarket at Oculus Plaza is returning for a second season on Tuesday, June 5th! We will be open on Tuesdays, June 5th – October 30th  from 7am – 7pm. Featuring Local foods from those delicious Jersey tomatoes to Vermont Cheeses and handcrafted Potato Vodka, we are your community Greenmarket where you can chat with your neighbors and local farmers and shop for top quality produce. Stop by the Market Information Tent to sample the Cooking Demo every afternoon and to find out how to get bonuses when you visit the Greenmarket.

Free to attend. To learn more, click here.

EVENTS AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
 

Music Makers Design Lab
Thursdays, Through September 27
4:00 pm
175 North End Ave

Every Thursday at 4:00 PM, in this interactive, four-part program, children in grades K-5 will explore the mechanics behind music as they learn how percussion, string, and wind instruments, as well as the human voice, are used to produce dynamic sounds and rhythms.

Kids will discover diverse instruments through hands-on exploration, videos, images, and demonstrations as they identify and investigate the functions of their individual parts. Participants will be challenged to use what they have learned about how instruments make sound and build their own instrument from different yet familiar materials like cardboard, rubber bands, paper straws and more!

Free to attend. For more information click here.

EVENTS AT POETS HOUSE
 

Epic Voices: Mary Ann Caws on Mina Loy and Tristan Tzara
Thursday, September 27

7:00 pm
Poet’s House, 10 River Terrace

Foremost translator of Surrealist writing and editor of the newly released The Milk Bowl of Feathers: Essential Surrealist Writings, Mary Ann Caws presents long poems by the feminist Modernist poet Mina Loy and Dada founder turned Surrealist Tristan Tzara.

$10, $7 for students and seniors, free to Poets House members.

For more information click here.

 

Passwords: A Tribute to Pauli Murray with Mahogany L. Browne, Rosamond S. King & T’ai Freedom Ford
Saturday, September 29
7:00 pm
Poet’s House, 10 River Terrace

This event honors poet, writer, civil rights activist, legal theorist, labor organizer, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray (1910–1985). Participants will discuss Murray and read from her reissued Dark Testament and Other Poems, a collection of lyric poems (featuring an introduction by Elizabeth Alexander) that depicts America’s brutal racial history and the fight for equality.

$10, $7 for students and seniors, free to Poets House members.

For more information click here.

EVENTS AT THE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM
 

Wind Resistance Workshop
Saturday, September 29

10:30 am – 11:45 am
39 Battery Place
How do engineers “confuse the wind”? Kids will be introduced to ideas of aerodynamics and how a building’s shape determines the way wind resistance affects the structure. Kids will build their own skyscrapers and perform a wind tunnel test on them.  For ages 6 years and older.
Registration is requested by Friday at 5 PM. To sign up for the Family Program newsletter, or for more information and to RSVP, email education@skyscraper.org or call 212-945-6324.

$5 per child. Members are free. For more information click here.

 

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