The Bloody Apple
In the pantheon of New Yorkers—Dorothy Parker, Andy Warhol, the Ramones—photographer Weegee may not be the first to spring to mind, but he may symbolize the contradictions of New York City better than anyone else.
Winter’s Grip Doesn’t Deter West Side Hummingbird
Birdwatchers have been flocking to the American Museum of Natural History—not for the exhibits inside, but to view a rare rufous hummingbird that is living on the museum’s grounds.
The Five Ugliest Buildings on the Upper West Side
Every neighborhood has a few. Even on the generally well-maintained Upper West Side, some buildings, whether from construction, neglect or outright abandonment, cause neighbors to flinch when they see them. We asked local residents and community leaders to spot the worst eyesores in the neighborhood.
Albany Looks to Diversify Stuy
Last May, the West Side Spirit partnered with the Amsterdam News for a special investigation of the Discovery Program, an initiative that had fallen by the wayside of the education system but was intended to increase the substantially low diversity levels at the city’s specialized high schools. Now, citing that investigation as part of his reasoning, Brooklyn Assembly Member Karim Camara will introduce new legislation to address the schools’ admissions criteria, which he says are unfairly biased and don’t account for students who may not be good test takers but are otherwise up to the rigorous academic standards the schools require.
Columbia Football Fires Head Coach After First Win of the Season
Sam Blum
Talk about a bad Sunday hangover.
Columbia head coach Norries Wilson was relieved of his duties Sunday morning, despite leading his team to their first win of the season the day before. Wilson was in his sixth year as head coach, and had seen a steady decline in results since posting a 5-5 record in 2006, his first year at the helm. Read more
Free Movie Tickets for UWS
According to a heads up from Council Member Gale Brewer’s office, Upper West Side residents can score free tickets to see the forthcoming film “New Year’s Eve” in early December. The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting has coordinated the free ticket offer to compensate the neighborhood for the inconveniences caused by the movie’s filming there. The picturesque brownstone lined streets have always beckoned Hollywood – last month the same offer came from the movie “Tower Heist,” and literary buffs might be hoping to get a similar deal when the Jonathan Safran Foer novel turned Tom Hanks film “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” comes to theaters – so it’s nice for the studios to acknowledge that the film crews blocking streets and taking up precious parking spots interrupt the day-to-day goings on of the Upper West Side. Read more
The Alchemy of Same-Sex Relationships
Gahl Sasson wants gay people to search for their soul mates.
Tomorrow night, Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 7–9 p.m., Sasson will lead a workshop called “The Alchemy of Same-Sex Relationships: Tips from Mystical Traditions for Attracting and Harmonizing Love Signs and Soul Mates” at The New York Society for Ethical Culture. Read more
More WSS Blog...
Crime Watch
Compiled by Megan Bungeroth
Online Scammer
Last week, a woman put up a Craigslist ad to sell some of her furniture. She received a response and a check for $2,830, well over her asking price, from a man who instructed her to keep a portion as payment and wire the balance to his shipping company. Lo and behold, the check bounced, the victim couldn’t stop her wire transfer and she lost her money. Read more
Crime Watch
Through the Ringer
A crooked service man made off with more than the cost of repairing a washing machine on Friday, Jan. 13. A woman in her fifties said that between August 2011 and Jan. 13, a service man came to her home on West 80th Street on three occasions to repair her washer and dryer. On the third trip, the service man brought an unknown worker with him. After they had finished their work, the victim discovered that two Bergdorf Goodman items had been stolen, along with an antique engagement ring, totaling $10,750. Read more
More Crime Watch...
The Five Ugliest Buildings on the Upper West Side
We took your suggestions and came up with the Upper West Side’s worst eyesores
By Megan Bungeroth and Sean Creamer
Every neighborhood has a few. Even on the generally well-maintained Upper West Side, some buildings, whether from construction, neglect or outright abandonment, cause neighbors to flinch when they see them. We asked local residents and community leaders to spot the worst eyesores in the neighborhood. Read more
Solemn Reminder at Park East Synagogue
U.N. Secretary General, among many, pay respects at Holocaust Remembrance Day
By Anam Baig
The U.N. International Holocaust Commemoration Sabbath took place Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Park East Synagogue, where the year’s first snowfall marked the memory of the six million who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Read more
More West Side News...
- Con Ed Asks UWS to Power Down [NY Times]
- Panera and Other Chains Headed to NYC [Wall Street Journal Online]
- Maloney, Schneiderman Rack Up LGBT Support [Gay City News]
- NJ Couple Owes NYC Tuition for Daughter's Secret HS Enrollment [NY Daily News]
- Tavern on the Green Could Become Visitor Center, Vendor Site [DNA Info]
- Mom Who Threw Baby in Hudson Is Bipolar, Lawyer Says [DNA Info]
- WSJ Puts Spotlight on Lincoln Square [Wall Street Journal Online]
- 19-Ton Organ Returns to Alice Tully Hall [NY Post]
- Anticipating Trader Joe's Arrival, Fairway Weighs Cafe Closure [New York Times]
- UWS Synagogue Plans Historic Cemetery Preservation Plan [DNA Info]
- Despite Court Victory, Private Schools Still Dominate Randalls Island Fields [New York Times]
- Second Balcony Fire on W. 72nd St. in Two Months [DNA Info]
- Branch Falls in Central Park, Causing Minor Injuries [DNA Info]
More Neighborhood News...
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