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

A Conversation with MTA Leadership Regarding Penn Station / Fitness Boot Camp / CB4 Informational Presentation on the Chelsea NYCHA Plan / Disability Pride Month Celebration / CB5 Presents ASTM Penn Station Plan / Wellness Wednesdays / Vinyl Nights / Free Classes at Pier 57 / Black Girls CODE Summer Camp / Pilobolus in the Park / CSA Food Share / 

A One-on-One Conversation with MTA President of Construction & Development Jamie Torres-Springer Sits: Monday, July 10, 6:30pm Online via Zoom | City Club of New York (CCNY) invites you to witness this rare opportunity to discuss the hurdles and prospects of Penn Station’s future with one of its primary operators, the MTA. CCNY’s President, Layla Law-Gisiko, will engage the TA’s Jamie Torres-Springer Sits in what organizers say will be a “candid exchange about the Penn Station reconstruction project and its myriad of challenges.” The conversation concludes “by discussing modalities for how the station can emerge from its state of disrepair.” To register for this Zoom-held event, 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.

NOTE: To view the archived recording of this July 12,, 2023 event, click here.| CB4 Informational Presentation on Chelsea NYCHA Plan: Wednesday, July 12, 6pm via Zoom | Manhattan Community Board 4 (CB4) hosts this informational presentation by NYCHA and their development team on the proposed plan for the Chelsea NYCHA campuses. To register via Zoom, click here. The conference call-in number is 646-518-9805 (Webinar ID: 865 6767 7186). To view via Live Stream on CB4’s YouTube channel, click here.

Manhattan’s Disability Pride Month Celebration: Wednesday, July 12, Noon-1:30pm at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building (1 Centre St., 19th floor) | Disability Unite advances its mission to spread a message of equality and inclusion among the disabled by partnering with every NYC Borough President to bring a Disability Pride Month Celebration to all of NYC. “For too long over 2 million disabled New Yorkers have been marginalized, without the equitable treatment which we New Yorkers want for our neighbors, friends, and family,” notes event organizers. “These first-of-its-kind events are our opportunity to meet the Borough President, and show the strength of the Disability Community.” All are invited for a performance by Daniel’s Music Foundation, followed by a disability inclusion training led by the Harlem Independent Living Center. Click here to register for the July 12 event with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. The event location is accessible; captioning and sign language interpretation will be provided.

Special Meeting to Review & Discuss the ASTM Penn Station Plan: Wednesday, July 12, 6pm at the Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16th St.) and online via Zoom | Manhattan Community Board Five (CB5) holds this joint meeting of its Land Use, Housing, and Zoning (LUHZ) committee and Transportation and Environment (T&E) committee to unveil the plans proposed for the reconstruction of Penn Station by industrial group ASTM. The public will see a full presentation on the proposal and have the opportunity to pose questions. Joining the meeting to present and then field and questions will be representatives from ASTM, including Peter Cipriano and Pat Foye. There will be a physical architectural model of the proposed design available for viewing at the event. For the event page on CB5’s website, click here. To attend the event via Zoom, click here to register.

“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 was DanceBody: Dance + Sculpt. On July 5, SOUK Sweat was 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. On July 12, Life Time: Life Time’s MB360 is mind-body training that combines meditation, mobility, and functional strength training. 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. 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. 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. To register and 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 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. To visit their website, click here. For their Instagram, click here. To see our photo essay based on a visit to the July 6 installment, 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.