Here’s What’s Happening

This Week In & Around Chelsea

 Free Programming in Bella Abzug Park  /  West Side Commumity Fund Grant Applications / Verdi Cannabis Music & Art Programming / Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea / Pow! Bam! Wow! Art Exhibit at Hudson Guild Gallery / The Longest Table / 10th Precinct Third Quarter Build the Block Meetings

The Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Presents, Through October, Free Programming in Bella Abzug Park ( (W. 34th to 35th Sts., 10th to 11th Aves.) | From fitness classes to dance to music to movies, free events abound in Bella Abzug Park. They’re brought to you by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance. Thursdays in August, 8pm-10pm, summertime’s free Movies in the Park has been delighting audiences with such sure-thing-favorites as Black Panther and Mamma Mia! The series concludes on August 29 with Crazy Rich Asians. So for one more (and the last) time, kick back, relax, and enjoy a great film. Public bathrooms are located on site. The movie is screened in the park by the entrance closest to W. 34th St and Hudson Blvd. East. Free popcorn while supplies last! Free yoga classes taught by instructors from Bien Good Well are offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm and Saturdays at 10:30am. To register, click here. Every other Thursday in September and October, Vinyl  Nights fills Bella Abzug Park with dance-demanding classics of the 70s, 80s, and beyond, as spun by veteran NYC DJs working with, yes, real vinyl records. For more info, click here.

West Side Community Fund Grant Applications Accepted Through September 11| Founded in 2018, the West Side Community Fund (WSCF)—a consortium of companies united in their support of local initiatives that serve under-resourced residents along the west side—has put aside $100,000 to fund the winners of their latest grant cycle (deadline to apply, Sept. 11; winners announced in mid-Oct.). Eligible applicants and their proposed services must be based in Chelsea, Hudson Yards, or Hell’s Kitchen; their annual budget must be below $15 Million; and grants cannot support religious or partisan activities or promote any form of discrimination. Past WSCF-funded initiatives have included block and tenants associations, non-profits, NYCHA projects, food pantries, arts programs, and neighborhood news groups (including Chelsea Community News). For more info—and apply for that grant—click here.

The Green Room, a Live Music and Arts Series at Verdi Cannabis (158 W. 23rd St. btw. 6th & 7th Aves.)| Having opened in January, legal cannabis distributor Verdi Cannabis gets down to the business of regular event programming “We are doing this to bring the community together through music, arts, and cannabis; to make Verdi a safe, comfortable, fun place for people to come to and experience culture,” says Green Room co-curator Kenny Cunningham. The music part of the series happens every Thursday and is already booked through the end of the year. This Thursdsay, August 29, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, the musical guest is singer/songwriter Craig Greenberg, performing a mix of originals and covers on keyboard and guitar. The art part of the series began on August 18 by featuring the creative output of painter Quinn Marston, whose work handily captures the charismatic, zippy mojo of NYC (which, he says, “drew me here like a magnet”). To keep up with what’s up with Verdi, click here to visit their website.

Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea: Satudays, 9am-2pm | Seasonal, local food by vendors you can rely on for the basics and trust when it comes to embracing new cuisine and ingredients is the great strength of this weekly Market that pops up Saturdays, 9am-2pm, on West 23rd Street Off of Ninth Ave. A tip worth taking: Click here to sign up for their newsletter, and every week you’ll get a preview of what’s so special about the next Market.  Also a source of food for thought in advance of each Saturday’s Market: A visit to its online presecce (click hereto do so). A new addition for 2024: Textile Recycling! Bring your linens, old clothes, shoes, torn, stained, or new to recycle (look for the green bin). Also Note: Food Benefit Programs are welcome. Go to the Manager’s Tent to use your SNAP EBT card and get tokens to spend with the vendors. Matching Health Bucks are available ($2 for every $2 withdrawn, up to $10). FMNP vouchers can be used June-November. For a full explanation of benefits, visit this link. NYC residents who have questions about the FMNP program can dial 311.

Pow! Bam! Wow!  — An Exhibit On View Through October 2 at Hudson Guild Gallery (441 W. 26th St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.) | Contemporary comic strip art is the subject matter for this exhibit curated by Danny Simmons and featuring the work of Eric Battle, N. Steven Harris, Shawn Martinbrough, Raphael Tiberino, and Vincent Zurzolo. The weekly viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturdas, 12pm-3pm (closed Aug. 31-Sep.t 2) / Reception on September 5, 5:30-7pm; Artist Talk on October 1 at 4pm; Admission is Free  | See the below flyer for more info.

The Longest Table | See the below flyer for details, and check back here next week for more info on the 2024 edition of this new annual Chelsea classic. Also find more info on the website for The Longest Table. To do so, click here. 

The 10th Precinct Third Quarter Sector C Build the Block Meeting at 12pm on Tuesday, August 27, at 311 11th Avenue | NCOs, or Neighborhood Coordination Officers, host quarterly Build the Block meetings dedicated to addressing crime and quality of life matters for the 10th Precinct’s three Sectors: A, B, & C. Expect introductory comments often discussing crime stats, trends, and prevention, with the majority of the meeting devoted to a Q&A session between the NCOs and attendees.

Sector C’s area of coverage is W. 29th St. to W. 43rd St., 9th Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector C NCO is PO Marian Bencea (Marian.Bencea@nypd.org ), with an additional NCO to be announced. The Third Quarter Sector C Build the Block meeting is scheduled for 12pm on Tuesday. August 27 at the Clinton Housing Development (311 11th Ave.).

Sector B’s area of coverage is the north side of W. 21st St. to south side of W. 29th St., from 7th Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector B NCOs are PO James Farrell (James.Farrell@nypd.org) and PO Michael Caligiuru (Michael.Caligiuru@nypd.org). The Third Quarter Sector B Build the Block meeting is at 5pm on Thursday, September 26 at 339 West 24th Street (first floor community room of a Penn South building).

Note: Sector A’s Third Quarter Build the Block meeting has already taken place–but that doesn’t change the fact that Sector A’s area of coverage is W. 14th St. to W. 21st St., 7th Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector A NCOs are PO Jayson Milatz (JaysonMilatz@nypd.org) and PO Jason Bagliore (JasonBagliore@nypd.org). Click here to find your Build the Block meeting. It’s a good idea to check in a day or two before, and then on the day of a scheduled meeting, as plans do sometimes change on short notice. The 10th Precinct’s Twitter (aka “X”) account, @NYPD10Pct, will often tweet about an upcoming Build the Block meeting or provide info about a change in the previously announced venue and/or date. 

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