Happening This Week, in “This Week In & Around Chelsea”

Zoom Meeting: Could a Casino be Coming to Our Neighborhood? / Fitness Boot Camp / Wellness Wednesdays / VinyNights / Pilobolus in the Park / Meatpacking District Photo Exhibition: District Defined / Free Classes at Pier 57 / Black Girls CODE Summer Camp / CSA Food Share / 

Coud a Casino be Coming to Our Neighborhood? — A West Side Meeting to Learn and Discuss: Thursday, July 6, 7pm Online via Zoom | The Hell’s Kitchen Democrats present this combination info session and discussion, on the proposed presence of a casino in the neighborhood. New York State Gaming Commissioner Jerry Skurnik is the special guest. See the flyer, directly below, for an appealing visual presetation of the details that comprise this event listing. For the Zoom link (use it right before the 7pm start time), click here. To visit the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats online, click here.

Free Fitness Boot Camp in Bella Abzug Park (Hudson Boulevard West btw. West 36th & 37th Sts.), Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-8am, Weekly Through September 28 | Early risers reap the reward of feeling great and having accomplished something substantial, before some of us have found the strength to roll out of bed. That sense of well-being is to be found at the twice-weekly Morning Boot Camp brought to you by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance. Ave and Olivia, Manhattan Plaza Health Club instructors, have designed an invigorating, high-intensity interval training workout (HIIT) combining strength and cardio in creative ways that challenge participants to use body weight as resistance. Start your day the MPHC Boot Camp way at these classes that are open to the public (please bring your own mat). For more info, and to register, click here.

“Wellness Wednesdays” Free Fitness Classes, Through August 9, 6pm in the Flatiron South Public Plaza (Broadway btw. W. 22nd & 23rd Sts.) | The Flatiron NoMad Partnership presents this free fitness series, whose instructors hail from nearby gymns and studios. Wed., June 28, it’s DanceBody: Dance + Sculpt. On July 5, SOUK Sweat is a rigorous flow of sweat-inducing, stamina-building yoga postures that include standing poses, twists, and shoulder opening backbends, that provide the occasion to de-stress at the end of your day. To register for the class, click here. On July 12, Life Time: Life Time’s MB360 is mind-body training that combines meditation, mobility, and functional strength training. Registration Begins June 28. On July 19, Bredwinners: Slimmer Driller breaks down the fundamentals of the art of boxing. Techniques include proper stance, throwing punches the right way, and the proper position to assure a safe, efficient, and functional workout. Then, the learned movements and punches are strung together to form combinations involving offensive and defensive thinking. Registration Begins June 28. On July 26, Equinox NoMad: Mat Pilates incorporates a continuous series of mat exercises rooted in the teachings of Joseph Pilates. Strengthen your core, improve flexibility, and dramatically transform your body. Registration Begins June 28. On August 2, Power Pilates: Open Mat teaches the classical Pilates exercise sequence. Using your own body as resistance, you will effectively work all muscle groups with low-impact movements such as the hundred and the teaser. This open class allows for easier modifications and challenging variations. Registration Begins July 19. Finally, on August 9, bodē nyc: HIIT 50 is a Tabata-style cardio class that combines High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), muscle toning, and cardio to create a powerful workout experience that strengthens your core, burns fat, and increases flexibility. Registration Begins July 19. These fitness classes are part of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership’s Summer Series, which also includes salsa music and dancing, and the opportunity to participate in experiential public art. For more info, click here.

Vinyl Nights at Bella Abzug Park/Hudson Yards (Hudson Blvd. East btw. W. 34th & 35th Sts.): A Free, All-Ages Event from 6-9pm on Thursdays, July 6, 13, 20 & Sept 7, 21, 28 | Whether you were there when it all began or were born decades later, this outdoor dance and music celebration invites you to step up and boogie down to the hits that shaped NYC club culture in the 70s, 80s, and 90s—when the DJs played strictly vinyl. Each new installment promises a plethora of Disco, Funk, Soul, House, Boogie, and Latin music that has stood the test of time. This vibrant, joyful, inclusive all-ages dance party (a spinoff from Operator EMZ’s legendary Mobile Mondays! all 45s night) makes its own contribution to the legacy of the hot wax hits it spins by having on hand living legends such as Operator Emz, DJ Misbehaviour, DJ Woof, and MoneyMike & Friends. Rebecca Lynn produces this joyful celebration, presented in partnership with the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Business Improvement District (HYHK). For more info about Vinyl Nights, click here.

 

Pilobolus in the Park: A Free event on Sunday, July 9 at 5pm & 6:15pm at Chelsea Green Park (140 W. 20th St. btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) | The Friends of Chelsea Green, the Joyce Theater, and Pilobolus Dance come together to present this free, two-program performance. At 5pm, a 45-minute interactive journey designed with families and young audiences in mind explores the playful approach Pilobolus takes during the collaborative process of dance-making. At 6:15pm, another 45-minute interactive excursion allows families and older adults to explore the dance company’s playful “Connecting with Balance” technique. Learn the secrets of balance—literally—as it applies to the physical demands put upon Pilobolus’ dancers. Both programs feature a performance of the Pilobolus classic, Symbiosis. For more info, click here to visit the event page on the Joyce Theater’s website.

Photo Exhibition | District Defined: Streets, Sex, and Survival on view through Sunday, July 9 at 401 Gallery (401 W. 14th St.) | Sunday through Wednesday, 12-9pm and Thursday through Sunday, 12-10pm | Meatpacking (the BID of the Meatpacking District) has collaborated with NYC-based human rights activist and election reformer Tim Hayes and the American LGBTQ+ Museum to create this first-of-its-kind photography exhibition that dives deeply into the Meatpacking District’s rich history of queer nightlife from the late ’80s and into the ’90s.

Eight visionary artists are featured, with the work of Lynsey Addario, Jill Freedman, Lola Flash, Efrain Gonzalez, T.L. Litt, Joseph Rodríguez, Katsu Naito, and Catherine McGann revealing their perspectives of this pivotal time in history. Works from Spencer Tunick and Richard Young are also featured, including Young’s portrait of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, in which Freddie is adorned in a Mineshaft T-shirt (referencing the gay BDSM and leather bar once located in the District). “With this exhibit,” declare the organizers, “we aim to pay homage to the District’s rich history while acknowledging the hardships and struggles that shaped it, resurrecting a feeling that defined the time period and providing visitors with an opportunity to observe the neighborhood’s evolution.”

A variety of experiences await viewers alongside the expansive photo exhibition’s three-week run. Local coffee shop Terremoto (328 W. 15th St.) is on site with a coffee bar, daily from 8am to 4pm. In the evenings, there will be drinks and happy hour programming such as artist talks, panels, live music, and DJ sets. There will be DJ sets on Thurs. June 29, 6- 8pm: Rose Kourts; Sat. July 1, 7-9pm: Theoretic; Thurs. July 6, 6-8pm: Niyah West; and Sat. July 8, 7-9pm: MARJ. Live music will be presented on Friday, June 30 and July 7. For more info, click here.  

Free Classes at Pier 57  | “Ever give someone a birthday card, graduation card, or condolence card and wished you had made it yourself, and that something could spring to life upon opening said card? Well sometimes wishes do come true.” Talk about a narrative hook! If this class is as tongue-in-cheek fun to take as its descriptive text is to read—and we’ve every reason to believe that’s the case—then Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful lifelong practice of people making cards that spring to life upon opening. What’s more, the class (which its creator whimsically insists is actually an “Academy”) is free of charge and no advance sign-up is necessary. Chelsea’s own Gustavo is your instructor, and those instructions “pop” out at you Wednesdays, 6pm, in Pier 57’s Seahorse Classroom. For more info, click here.

Elsewhere on the schedule of free weekly instructional events, Gustavo is your guide once again, when school’s in for the Finger Puppet class—Tuesdays, 4-5pm at Pier 57’s ROOM. Puppetry enthusiasts and absolute beginners alike can learn how to craft an original creation from the raw material of poster board cylinders, air drying clay, and pure imagination. It’s appropriate for, the instructor tells us, “ages 4 to 104.” Sorry 1-,2-, and 3-year-olds—go find your fun some other place! Okay, sorry. Quit crying. You guys are babies! Speaking of which, instructor Rachel has something special for babies and toddlers: Her Musikgarten classes (ages 0 to 3 years) happen Tuesdays at 10:15am and 11:15am, offering “a chance for families to learn to connect with children in a musical setting.”  All of these classes  are the brainchildren of Smartworks, an instructional business founded and staffed by married couple Gustavo and Rachel. For more info on all sorts of Pier 57 classes, click here. For all things Smartworks, click here.

Black Girls CODE Summer Camp: August 21 to September 1, Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm at the Google Learning Hub (118 Eighth Ave.) | Black Girls CODE  teaches young Black girls and girls of color computer programming and coding skills to spark their interest in technology, unlock their potential, and eventually change the face of tech. At this year’s Summer Camp, participants ages 12-17 will learn how to create an animated art piece with code (exactly what they create will be the product of their own imagination). For more info about the Camp, see the below flyer and also click here. The enrollment fee is $100—but scholarships are available! For details, click here.