This Week In & Around Chelsea: August 14-20, 2023

Here’s What’s Happening “This Week In & Around Chelsea”

 CB5 Presents MTA’s Penn Station Plan / ¡Arriba! on the High Line  /  Blues BBQ Festival / Movies in the Park / Retrospection/Continuance at Hudson Guild Gallery / Fresh Food for Seniors / Fitness Boot Camp /  Black Girls CODE Summer Camp / 10th Precinct Sector B Build the Block Meeting /

Manhattan Community Board Five (CB5) Presents a Presentation by the MTA on Their Penn Station Reconstruction Plan / Thursday, August 17, 6pm Online via Zoom | This information session gives the public the opportunity to see a presentation from Jamie Torres-Springer, President of MTA Construction & Development, on their Penn Station reconstruction proposal, followed by opportunity to ask questions. To attend via Zoom, click here to register. To view via CB5’s YouTube channel,click here. Questions? Send an email to office@cb5.org or call 212 465-0907.
Gotta Dance: Special Salsa Edition. | Photo by Rowa Lee courtesy of the High Line
¡Arriba! on the High Line: Thursday, August 17, 6-9pm on the High Line’s Chelsea Market Passage (btw. W. 15th & 16th Sts.) | The High Line’s longest-running public program is back for one hot minute (three hours, actually). DJ Mickey Pérez and Lulada Club (a NYC-based all-women salsa band) lead this evening of music, dance, community, and culture that combines the sounds of local salsa with the learning of dance moves brought to you by George Giraldo and Lilly Colón. Walk-ups are welcome, but advanced registration is encouraged. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend (venue accessible via wheelchair). For additional information regarding accessibility or accommodations, send an email to programs@thehighline.org.

Blues BBQ Festival: Saturday, August 19, 2pm at Pier 76 (at W. 34th St.) | This rain-or-shine event, hosted by Delphine Blue of WFUV, means to surpass last year’s record-breaking numbers (13,000) by offering an awesome lineup of musical talent as well as more food vendors than ever. For details, click here and also see the above flyer.

Movies in the Park: A Free Film Screening Series Thursdays in August, 8pm, at Bella Abzug Park (W. 34th St. at Hudson Boulevard East) | This free summertime series (presented by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance BID) returns, with a well-curated roster whose five films are fit for all ages yet also calibrated to appeal to lovers of both classic and contemporary fare. Seating is first come, first served—but making a reservation by clicking on the links provided gives organizers a good idea of how much free popcorn to pop.

Image courtesy of HYHK Alliance.

An early career entry from NYC’s own Spike Lee resonates with the racial, cultural, and class issues of every accumulating year since its 1989 release—and launches worthy debates about ethics and morality with just the mention of its title alone: Do the Right Thing screens on Aug. 17. On Aug. 24, it’s modern classic that’s a must-see for those who need to know why nobody wants to talk about Bruno. The film, of course, is Disney’s tuneful 2021 Encanto. And finally, don’t dismiss this last entry as an afterthought: Beyond the flyboy bravado, ample afterburners, and constant action, there’s actual dramatic meat on the bone to be had by the mix of contemporary characters and throwback icons gunning for glory in 2022’s crowd-pleasing Top Gun: Maverick.

Retrospection/Continuance at Hudson Guild Gallery (441 W. 26th St.), Through September 27 | Artworks from the American Indian Community House collection will be on view. Hudson Guild Gallery hours are Tues. to Fri., 10am-6pm and Sat., 12-3pm. For more info, see the below flyer and/or click here.

 

Fresh Food for Seniors | The second annual version of this program from NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine sees to it that you receive a bag of fresh, locally harvested fruits and vegetables every other week through November 14. The cost is $10 per bag. Sign up for Fresh Food Bag participation on certain Mondays and Tuesdays at local senior centers, with pick-up the following Tuesday.

Local participating senior centers include Visions at 135 W. 23rd St., where sign-up is 10am-3pm; Hudson Guild NORC at 441 W. 26th St., where sign-up is 8:30am-5:30pm; Penn South Program for Seniors at 290A Ninth Ave., where sign-up is 9am-5pm; and Encore Senior Center at 239 W. 49th St., where sign-up is 8:30am-4:30pm. For more info, call 212-554-7757 or email district3@council.nyc.gov.

For the schedule of dates, see the below flyer.

Rarely has being a morning person looked this good: Boot Camp fitness classes happen 7am-8am. | Image courtesy of HYHK Alliance

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.

 

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 hereThe enrollment fee is $100—but scholarships are available! For details, see the below flyer and also click here.

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