It’s this website’s prerogative to change its mind–or at least change formats. That’s why all of the activities you’ve enjoyed reading about in our “Today in Chelsea” section are now to be found here, fresh every Monday, in our “This Week in Chelsea” section. Keep checking this page throughout the week, because we’ll be adding new content often (listings get moved to last in cue, after the event happens).

Bike New York FREE After School Program | This free program for existing after school groups teaches students the mechanics of riding a bike, the rules of the road, best practices for riding in a group and on the streets, and–of course–the joy and freedom of biking.

Bikes, helmets, and supportive instructors will be provided for a guaranteed great time.

For info, visit bike.nyc or call 212-870-2080.

Saturdays at Down to Earth Farmer’s Market | Every Saturday, 9am to 4pm through December 21, East of Ninth Ave., on the north side of West 23rd Street, is the place to be—for good green stuff and more. This Westchester, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens market welcomes SNAP benefits—just stop by the manager’s tent to use your EBT card.

Here are just a few of the participating vendors, and what they offer:

–Plants, flowers, and certified organic fruits and vegetables from Echo Creek Farm

–Ready-to-eat and vegan options from Pickle Licious

–Baked goods and gluten-free options from Meredith’s Country Bakery

–Pantry items, sauces, and seasonings from Arlotta Food Studio

–Breads from Orwashers Bakery

In recent Market News, they note, “We are pleased to introduce brown bin compost drop-off this season at the Manager’s Tent. A BIG thank you to our community hosts, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen for allowing us to participate in their program.”

Elsewhere around the neighborhood, their Hudson Yards incarnation is open Thursdays, 8:30am to 4pm, through November 21. It’s hosted by the Hudson Yards/Hells Kitchen Alliance.

For more information, visit downtoearthmarkets.com.

Wednesday, May 22: Chelsea Waterside Park Association’s Annual Meeting | All are welcome to attend this annual meeting of the Chelsea Waterside Park Association, whose members are the eyes and ears for all those in our neighborhood who enjoy the park—including all the varied groups that come to the park for sports, dog play, children’s recreation, picnicking, and relaxation under the shade of the venerable trees.

Deierde La Porte, of the New York Historical Society, is the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting. La Porte will present a visual history of the Hudson River, reflecting on how human activity has impacted the river and, in turn, how the river environment has shaped industrial development, commerce, tourism, and environmental awareness. The presentation also explores how experts in various fields are currently creating ways to restore and re-engineer areas of the river in response to climate change. 

Wed., May 22, at St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church (315 W. 22nd St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves.). Reception and refreshments at 6:30pm; opening remarks at 7pm. For further information, call 212-242-7933 or visit cwpark.org.

Wednesday, May 22: Continuum Presents Bayard & Me | Continuum is The Eagle NYC’s monthly Intergenerational Social Series, created to “expand our potential as a community and connect generations through constructive communication and commonality.” New York’s very own Witti Repartee hosts this, the first in the series, which will screen Bayard & Me, a short film by Matt Wolf starring the protagonists Bayard Rustin and Walter Naegle. Rustin, a Penn South resident, was a civil rights activist in the ’60s and ’70s who fell in love with Walter Naegle, a man half his age. To ensure that their relationship had any legal status, Rustin adopted Naegle in the 1980s. After the screening, Wolf and Naegle will be on hand to answer questions.

A bit of history about the host venue (adapted from a longer bio on their website): The Eagle bar originally was a longshoreman’s pub called the Eagle Open Kitchen, at 142 11th Avenue at 21st Street from 1931 to 1970. In 1969 the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village produced a newfound pride in being gay and the closet doors were slowly opening. In 1970, the Eagle Open Kitchen was acquired by Jack Monica, who turned the pub into a leather/ levi bar. With a few coats of black paint and an old beat up motorcycle for decoration, an institution was born. As with all businesses, the Eagle experienced its ups and downs over the years. With the onset of AIDS in the 80s, sexual habits were changing and the gay community was reassessing itself. By the 90s the neighborhood was evolving and the frontier was now being gentrified. Old warehouses were converted into upscale loft buildings or art galleries. Landlords were not renewing old leases and by the year 2000, Jack Modica chose to retire rather than to reopen The Eagle elsewhere.

The Eagle’s closing party at 142 11th Avenue was March 3-5, 2000. A new chapter in the history of The Eagle NYC was about to begin. On Friday, October 5, 2001, The Eagle reopened at 554 W 28th Street. The overwhelming response evidenced by the long lines to get in testified to the enduring popularity of The Eagle. The current Eagle is housed in a two-story building that was originally a horse stable dating back to the late 19th century. The mood is still dark and sleazy, the music is still heart pounding and the studs are still coming. The pool table is back as is that old beat up motorcycle. Mr. Eagle continues to compete at IML and the community service continues. Its roof deck opened in June of 2001.

Wed., May 22, 6-9pm  at The Eagle NYC (554 W. 28th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For info and tickets (via Eventbrite), click here. For info on other regular events at the host venue, visit https://eagle-ny.com.

Monday, May 20: TOSOS (The Other Side of Silence) presents Doric Wilson’s Street Theater at The Eagle NYC | In 1974, Off-Off Broadway veteran Doric Wilson, cabaret star Billy Blackwell, and director Peter dell Valle started the first professional gay theatre company in NYC. It was called The Other Side of Silence; TOSOS for short. In 2002, directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs and playwright Wilson resurrected the company as TOSOS II, dedicating it to an honest and open exploration of the life experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community and to preserving and promoting our literary past in a determined effort to keep our theatrical heritage alive. In 2009, Mark Finley decided to take the company back to its origins, rebranding it TOSOS – The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS).

Doric Wilson’s Street Theater is TOSOS’ signature production, traditionally presented environmentally in gay-friendly establishments (Wilson was a participant in all three nights of the Stonewall uprising as well as the first gay pride march in NYC the following year). This concert reading reunites performers from the original cast with cast members from several critically acclaimed revivals of the play mounted since the play’s 20th anniversary revival in 2002, which played to sold-out crowds at The Eagle NYC.

Mon., May 20, 7pm at The Eagle NYC (554 W. 28th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For info and tickets ($20 general admission), click here. For info about TOSOS, visit https://www.tososnyc.org. For info on other events at the host venue, visit https://eagle-ny.com.

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