To find your poll site and view a sample ballot, click here.  

EARLY VOTING DATES & HOURS

Saturday, October 24 9am to 5pm

Sunday, October 25 9am to 5pm

Monday, October 26 9am to 5pm

Tuesday, October 27 10am to 8pm

Wednesday, October 28 10am to 8pm

Thursday, October 29 8am to 4pm

Friday, October 30 9am to 5pm

Saturday, October 31 9am to 5pm

Sunday, November 1 9am to 5pm

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3. Polls open 6am to 9pm.

Saturday, October 24 is the last day the Board of Elections will accept online or mailed applications for an Early Mail or Absentee Ballot. However, you have until Monday, November 2 to apply in person at your County Board of Elections. With ballot in hand, you may then mail it (postmarked no later than Nov. 3), drop it off at an Early Voting poll site through November 1, or drop it off at an Election Day poll site on November 3.

To find your poll site and view a sample ballot, click here.  

For info on the Ballot Proposals, see the below info and/or click here.

NYC Votes Notes: There are five proposed amendments to the New York City Charter on the ballot this fall. You can vote “Yes” or “No” on each proposal.

To read summaries of the below Ballot Proposals, click here.

1. Speed Up Process for Granting a Revocable Consent to Use Public Space

2. Reduce City Contractor Paperwork; Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board

3. Speed Up Street Safety Projects, Disposition of Unused City Property, Office Leasing

4. Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings

5. Set Contribution Targets for Rainy Day Fund to Promote Sufficient Budgetary Reserves

Questions? Call the NYC Board of Elections at 1-866-868-3692 (that’s 1-866-VOTE-NYC) or visit online by clicking here.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Essential Info for Early Voting (Oct. 24-Nov. 1) & Election Day (Nov. 3) first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

Hudson Guild’s Monster Mash: Saturday, October 24, 5pm to 9p, at Hudson Guild (441 W. 26th St.) | See the below flyer for details.

It’s My Park Day: Saturday, October 24, 10:30am-12:30pm at Clement Clarke Moore Park (10th Ave. at W. 22nd St.) | On designated days throughout this month—which is flying by so quickly, it’s scary—city-owned, recreational patches of green have been taking part in It’s My Park Day. On October 24, that “Day” is observed locally, when the West 400 Block Association hosts a Halloween-themed celebration in Clement Clark Moore Park. That date’s creeping up on us, so here’s what you need to know: It’s costume-optional, but organizers encourage doing so, as a way to take your October 31 outfit for a test run. Craft table fun, sweet treats, and pumpkin-carving are on the agenda, which we’re told is written in BLOOD!!!… Wait, no, we read the press release wrong; that’s “written in STONE!!!.” Oh, and when you’re ready to say your day in the park is dead and buried? You’ll be sent home with daffodil bulbs to take home for tree pits and or backyards. (Email Allen if you’d like to help plant in the park, and/or join the Clement Clarke Moore Park Gardening Club aoster@earthlink.net).

Chelsea Green Park’s Halloween Festival: Sunday, October 25, 11am to 3pm, on West 20th Street (btw. 6th/7th Aves. | See the below flyer for details on this massive, scary-good-fun annual block party whose events and activities take place inisde and outside of Chelsea Green Park.

Haunted Hallway: On View Thursday, October 29 through Friday, November 6, 10am-4pm at 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor South | We know that houses, on whole, are haunted. So are hayrides. But rarely does seasonal spookiness happen in a haunted hallway. Correcting this horrific oversight is an exhibit brought to you by the Office of Manhattan Borough President (MBP) Brad Hoylman-Sigal, in collaboration with the creepy creative crew of Blood Manor. The Haunted Hallway will feature Manhattan 250: The Cityscape in Popular Prints, an exhibit curated by Manhattan Borough Historian Harold Holzer that displays historic (and unsettling!) works from The Old Print Shop. An Opening Day Event takes place Thursday, October 29, 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Bonus Activity: On Friday, October 30, come in costume to the MBP’s Northern Manhattan Office (431 W. 125th St.) for early trick-or-treating—3pm to 6pm (or sooner, if the candy supply has run bone dry).

Halloween at The Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street) | Friday, October 30, 4pm to 7pm, Halloween Teen Night invites teens to explore exhibitions, go on teen-led tours, dance, and create their own artworks under the guidance and instruction of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Teen Night is free, but prior registration is required. To register, click here. That same night, 5pm to 10pm, it’s the regular weekly observance of the Whitney’s Free Friday Nights general admission policy (tickets required; capacity, limited. Reserve your tickets via advance booking. To do so, click here. Saturday, October 31, 11am to 3pm, Boogie Baby NYC: Halloween Dance Party is “a daytime dance party for tiny dancers and the grown-ups who love them.” DJ Stretch Armstrong spins records for little ears and big hearts; face painting by Illuminated Faces will be present to complete costumes. This event is free with Museum admission. Also on October 31, free with Museum admission, 11am to 3pm, Halloween Open Studio invites you to come in costume for “a day of art, music, and dancing before heading out to trick-or-treat.” For the full schedule of Halloween-themed (and -adjacent) events, click here.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show “Spooktacular” Tour: Friday, October 30, 8pm at Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St.) | First seen on screens in 1975, the ultimate cult classic gets a “Spooktacular” showing at Town Hall, as the NYC stop on its nationwide tour. This celebratory mashup sees a screening of Rocky Horror with a cast of locals performing in sync with the film; a costume contest judged by cast members from the film, and; most spooktacularly, said cast members in attendance. That’s Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), Nell Campbell (Columbia), and Patricia Quinn (Magenta).

And, as if you need it by this point, a Bonus Draw: Barry Bostwick’s live performance of Once in a While, the Brad-sung song cut from the film. Get your ticket now—because unlike the Time Warp, there will be no opportunity to do this 1-night-only NYC show again. For tickets, VIP packages, and other info, click here.

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics | Saturday, October 31, 9pm-10pm at Vessel at Hudson Yards (20 Hudson Yards ) | We can’t say for sure if Culture Vultures who head out to Hudson Yards on All Hallow’s Eve will feel a chill. But we do know there will be music in the air—and the shadows you see out of the corner of your eye will be cast by the light of 1,000+ flameless, illuminated candles. That atmospheric tone is a hallmark of Highline String Quartet concerts. Tonight finds the fearsome foursome filling the Vessel with familiar Halloween-themed pop standards, film scores and themes, and classical works. Among the (tentative) program selections: Thriller from Michael Jackson’s Thriller; Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show ; In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Peer Gynt; and The Nightmare Before Christmas Suite; the theme from John Carpenter’s Halloween.

The event is standing room only (you can move freely throughout the levels of Vessel throughout the performance). Door close five minutes prior to the 9pm start. Says event presenter Fever, “Out of respect for the musicians and the audience, you will not be able to leave the venue once the performance starts except in the case of an emergency…. Your phone must be on silent mode during the entire performance. Photos and videos can only be taken during the final piece and without flash, as indicated by our musicians.” Tickets ($70+ service charge) must be purchased in advance. To do so, and for more information, click here. For event and venue FAQ, click here.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post We All Scream Halloween: Frightfully Fun Events to Take a Stab At first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Lacking the legal means with which to remove U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) forces from NYC streets, efforts are being made to eliminate private property as a hospitable staging area for the federal government’s armed, often violent, anti-immigrant activity.

An October 16, 2026 letter signed by NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and 100+ New York State elected officials urged over 1,000 owners and operators of parking garages and lots across the five boroughs to deny ICE vehicles and personnel access to their facilities. The full letter is available here. 

“Last week, ICE agents shot a father [Oscar Belgal, 28,] in the neck in Marble Hill while his 5-year-old son sat in the car,” wrote Mayor Mamdani, in a press release announcing the letter. While City law prevents ICE from using NYC property, “Federal agents are turning to private parking lots, including a lot just blocks from where they shot Mr. Belgal,” noted Mandani. As such, the letter urged garage and lot owners to not “rent, lend, or otherwise make your property available to ICE as a staging area for its enforcement operations.”

That request is made in a manner mindful of successful results following public pressure applied by grassroots activists. “We know this kind of action can already make a difference,” said Mamdani in the press release, adding, “After neighbors spoke up, a garage on Morton Street removed ICE vehicles from its property.”

A similar success—the result of public protests, a letter-writing campaign, and concurrent advocacy from elected officials and Manhattan Community Board 4—saw Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) declare they would not renew a lucrative contract allowing ICE to use Pier 40’s parking facility. (HRPT did not acquiesce to repeated requests for first quarter 2026 contract termination, choosing instead to honor the arrangement through its June expiration date.)

Penn South resident Trudy Rudnick spoke with CCNews as a rep for the direct action activist group Chelsea Neighbors United (CLU). “What started as CNU rallying against ICE parking at Hudson River Park, became a large coalition which has led to Mayor Mamdani and more than a hundred elected officials calling for all private city parking lots not to allow ICE to use their property,” said Rudnick, further noting, “Neighbors throughout the country got Citizens Bank to stop funding [federal immigrant] detention centers. People have more power than they realize.”

Faced with the formidable task of asking privately owned, for-profit enterprises to part ways with a consistently reliable revenue stream, the October 16 letter was not above increasing its chances of a winning hand, by inserting the guilt and shame cards. (Alternatively, one might call the tactic “appealing to one’s humanity.”)

“When immigrant New Yorkers are afraid to drive to work, run errands or go about their daily lives, the consequences reach far beyond individual families. They affect neighborhoods, small businesses and the city’s economy as a whole,” read the letter, which continued with, “Parking owners have a choice: They can help their neighbors feel safe in their own communities, or they can provide ICE agents with a place to stage their anti-immigrant operations.”  

Note: New Yorkers seeking immigration legal assistance can call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365. The October 16 letter is available here. Elected Officials whose coverage area inludes Chelsea are among those named as signees.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Private Property Owners Urged to Stop Enabling ICE Enforcement Ops first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

BY JACKIE LARA | Twenty-three years ago, after months in the shelter system with my kids, I got the call that changed our lives: An apartment was open at Fulton Houses in Chelsea. We came straight over. When we stepped inside and the kids ran to claim their rooms, I kissed the floor. It was ours. No curfew. No line for a shower. A door we could lock. That feeling, home, has anchored everything since.

Today, NYCHA, in cahoots with Related Properties, wants to tear our homes down.

The plan on the table would demolish the 24 buildings of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea and replace them with new shiny towers, privatize our public housing, and add thousands of luxury apartments on our campuses. Spare us the sales pitch, A/C, dishwashers, rooftop gardens, glossy renderings; we don’t need fluff.

What drives me crazy is the story line that we, the tenants, supposedly asked for this. People on the NYCHA board keep saying that tenants want this, as if they know better than us what is good for us. In 2025, I ran for City Council to protest as the anti-demolition candidate, and I won hands down both electoral districts where the buildings are located.

If you want to know why, you should knock on doors with us, or attend a community board meeting.

We were never told demolition was part of the plan. A survey went around; only a small minority of tenants participated; options were framed as “new construction” or “rehabilitation,” without plain-English explanations. When I knocked on one woman’s door and said, “They’re planning to demolish,” her eyes went wide: “I thought they meant construction, like repairs.” This survey was not consent; it was on-purpose confusion.

Today, people are so scared, so upset, so anxious. We don’t need a luxury amenities list; we need timely work orders, working elevators, safe hallways, and respect. We need the basics done right, not a bulldozer with a bow on it.

Pro-demolition people say, “Don’t worry, you’ll have a right to return.” Anyone who’s watched past NYCHA redevelopments knows how fragile that promise can be. Construction drags. Income rules shift. Relocations get extended. People get scattered. Let’s not play Russian roulette with my neighbors’ lives.

Let me say something else as plainly as I can: We are a broad and large coalition, and Chelsea is with us. When people say we are manipulated, they are being condescending and patronizing. No one is manipulating us. Instead, we are organizing our community, between tenants and residents of Chelsea. Our coalition includes tenants, seniors, parents of PS33, workers, students, and residents of Chelsea—rich and poor—who have shown much more care than our elected officials ever did. We don’t need handlers. We need a hearing where our voices aren’t treated like an obstacle.

The folks who want this plan treat us like problems to be solved, instead of people to be served. If the concern were truly our wellbeing, the first investment would be in repairs and accountability, not demolition. Fix the boilers. Replace the pipes. Abate the mold. Fund the work orders that already exist. Allow resident leaders to participate in budgeting and timelines. We’re not allergic to improvement; we’re allergic to displacement disguised as improvement.

Fulton saved my family. Because we live in NYCHA, my kids could afford community college. Being poor doesn’t make you disposable; it makes stable housing even more important. I’m not envious of anyone who has more than me. I’m asking the city to value what we’ve built here: a real neighborhood with real relationships and a history you can’t pack into a moving truck.

What should the next chapter look like? Keep our buildings. Go back to the original rehab plan. Bring back mom-and-pop stores on the avenues. Keep the community center open late. Fund the repairs we’ve been requesting for years. Respect our presence. Respect our knowledge. We’ve been living here long enough to know what works and what just sounds good in a press release.

To officials who insist “tenants want this”—come walk with me. Meet the grandmothers who sit on the benches at dusk, watching the kids chase each other between buildings. Meet my 17-years-old grandson who campaigned for me because he, too, believes the buildings should be repaired, not torn down. Sit at a kitchen table where the walls have family photos and the rent receipt is clipped to the fridge. Ask whether “temporary relocation” feels temporary a frail, 92-year-old.

I’m not naïve about what needs fixing. I’ve spent too many hours on hold, logged too many work orders, and seen too many promises expire. But tearing down people’s homes without their clear, informed consent is not justice. It’s erasure.

I’ll end where I began—with gratitude and with hope. The day we moved in, we had almost nothing, just each other. Fulton gave us a chance to build a life. I want the ending of this chapter to match the beginning: Security and happiness in the place we call home.

Keep our homes standing. Fix what’s broken. Listen to the people who live here. And please, just leave us alone. These are our homes.

Jackie Lara has been a Fulton Houses tenant for 23 years and is an organizer.

NOTE: The views expressed by our Guest Opinion writers are not necessarily those of Chelsea Community News.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Guest Opinion: Just Leave Us Alone—Why Demolishing Fulton Houses Isn’t Progress first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

Pick of the Week / Chelsea Neighbors United Events / The Art of Mending / Shred Day / Public Programs at Vanderbilt University–NYC / Hell’s Kitchen Culture Crawl /  It’s My Park Day / Chelsea Green Park’s Halloween Festival

Pick of The Week

EARLY VOTING: Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, in Anticipation of November 3’s General Election | In-Person voting takes place Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, for an election whose ballot includes the race for Congressional, State Senatorial, and Assembly District Reps; and, hyperlocally, the District 3 race for City Council Member. To find your poll site and view a sample ballot, click here. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, polls will be open from 6am to 9pm.

Upcoming Events From, and/or With, Chelsea Neighbors United (CNU) | The calendar of events from our locally sourced life and liberty force sees CNU following an “Election Defense Timeline,” amidst assurances they’re still “actively engaged in ICE OUT OF NYC – ABOLISH ICE efforts.” Tuesday, October 20, 6pm-8pm, you’re invited to take part in Election Sabotage Response Training, a hands-on workshop from Hands Off NYC (event location provided upon registration). Saturday, October 24 is when brick and mortar polling sites first open, for Early Voting in anticipation of November 3’s Election Day.  CNU will set up tables near two polling sites: The Chelsea Recreation Center and IS70.  “We’ll have 2 shifts from 10-12 and 12-2,” they note, adding, “We could use your help talking to people, handing out treats, buttons, and literature.” Voters and other passersby will be asked “to sign a pledge to defend our vote if they mess with our voting anywhere!” If that’s not enough to get you involved, few will find it in themselves to resist the additional promised incentives of “balloons and music.” For our readers still unsure what side to take in these troubled times, just ask yourself: “Which side has the balloons and music?” That being said, Click here to register for the October 20 Training or express an interest in other upcoming CNU activities.

Kintsugi: The Art of Mending | Thursday, October 22, 7pm-9pm at Neighbor (176 9th Ave. at W. 21st St.) |  An art form that offers a second act for ceramics that are cracked, chipped, or otherwise broken, Kintsugi is a contemplative, accepting alternative to slapdash repair work or wholesale recycling. Arrive with a damaged object (no glass, please) and learn how to mend it by applying golden Kintsugi lacquer to the cracks in a manner that announces its beautiful imperfection, as opposed to camouflaging its flaws.

The symbolism is not lost on contemporary artist Bianca Valencia Crisculo, the event facilitator who’ll work conversation about Kintsugi’s life lessons into this transformative, two-hour experience. To reserve tickets ($84), Click Here.

SHRED DAY: Thursday, October 22, 9am to 12pm (or until the truck fills up) / At Penn South; West 26th Street betweem 8th & 9th Aves. | Right and wrong, legal and illegal; it’s all about context. Case in point, the below flyer has several of our local elected officials encouraging the shredding of sensitive documents. In some cases, that would be a scandal. But in this case, it’s actually about helping constituents to prevent identity theft. So gather up your decades-old tax returns, bank and credit card statements, and any other paper products containing sensitive personal information. Take it to this three-hour event that disposes of old documents by ripping them to unrecognizable ribbons!

Open to the Public, at Vanderbilt University—NYC | Students are on the ground at Vanderbilt University’s Chelsea campus—and so is the public, via ongoing programs and initiatives.

Tuesday, October 27, it’s another installment of the new monthly series Cocktails and Community, in which invited guests (aka you, member of the general public) are invited to sip and schmooze at this Happu Hour-set opportunity for conversation and connection. This month’s Cocktails and Community has Vanderbilt University Landscape Architect James Moore as the special guest. on hand to discuss campus landscaping and trees—and anything else that comes up in conversation. To RSVP, click here. November 10, Artists and the City: Emerging Voices in Conversation is the inaugural program of Vanderbilt and the Whitney’s multi-year partnership. Registration is currently closed. Additional seating info will be shared through Vanderbilt NYC newsletters. More programs and initiatives will be announced in the coming months.

Hell’s Kitchen Culture Crawl: October 19-25 | Presented by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Arts Committee, this week-long Culture Crawl is a soul-enriching sprint through Hell’s Kitchen arts and culture institutions for theatre, music, dance performances, open studios, and interactive art activities—many of them free, or offering exclusive discount codes. Venues include Baryshnikov Arts, Signature Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Row, and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts.

Also, after feasting on food for the heart and soul, redeem ticket stubs for deals and discounts at participating restaurants located along the crawl. Click here for the full schedule and more information.

It’s My Park Day: Saturday, October 24, 10:30am-12:30pm at Clement Clarke Moore Park (10th Ave. at W. 22nd St.) | On designated days throughout this month—which is flying by so quickly, it’s scary—city-owned, recreational patches of green have been taking part in It’s My Park Day. On October 24, that “Day” is observed locally, when the West 400 Block Association hosts a Halloween-themed celebration in Clement Clark Moore Park. That date’s creeping up on us, so here’s what you need to know: It’s costume-optional, but organizers encourage doing so, as a way to take your October 31 outfit for a test run. Craft table fun, sweet treats, and pumpkin-carving are on the agenda, which we’re told is written in BLOOD!!!… Wait, no, we read the press release wrong; that’s “written in STONE!!!.” Oh, and when you’re ready to say your day in the park is dead and buried? You’ll be sent home with daffodil bulbs to take home for tree pits and or backyards. (Email Allen if you’d like to help plant in the park, and/or join the Clement Clarke Moore Park Gardening Club aoster@earthlink.net).

Chelsea Green Park’s Halloween Festival: Sunday, October 25, 11am to 3pm, on West 20th Street (btw. 6th/7th Aves. | See the below flyer for details on this massive, scary-good-fun annual block party whose events and activities take place inisde and outside of Chelsea Green Park.

—-Listings Compiled by Scott Stiffler

—END—

The post This Week In & Around Chelsea: October 19-25, 2026 first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

BAR LENTO

158 Eighth Avenue, at West 18th Street

Tues./Wed. 12pm-10pm

Thurs. 4pm-10pm

Fri./Sat. 12pm-11pm

Sun. 11am-6pm

Closed on Mondays

Happy Hour: Sat./Sun. 4pm to 6pm

Click Here for the wine list

Click Here for reservations

Instagram: @barlentonyc

Having opened its doors just a few weeks ago, Bar Lento is a window onto life as they live it—and wine, as they drink it—in Verona. The Eighth Avenue bar with a vintage jazz aesthetic offers a menu that’s every bit as Italian as the 60+ labels on its wine list. The vibe is warm and welcoming, and the message is clear: We’re in no rush to see you go. How do we know? After hearing from a reader who raved about the new wine bar’s authentic offerings (and not-so-secret garden), we reached out to ownership. A series of email inquiries yielded the below Q&A…

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): What’s the origin story of Bar Lento? What’s your position there, and why choose Chelsea for your location?

Simone Viola, for Bar Lento (Simone): I’m Simone Viola, founder and owner. I’m from Verona, where the aperitivo is a daily ritual: A glass of something good, a few bites, friends, no rush. I wanted to bring that exact hour to New York. Why Chelsea? Because I love it, and because it’s a neighborhood of families. Bar Lento is made for them, for young people, for anyone who wants a place to bring friends, and have a place to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. I found the space at the beginning of 2026, thanks to Federico Cutroni, a friend and broker. The moment I saw how this ordinary storefront on Eighth Avenue opens onto a garden, I knew it was the right place.

CCNews: What’s the concept, aesthetic, and cuisine?

Simone: We’re a wine bar, first of all. The list is all Italian: More than sixty labels from small producers, many of them hard to find even in Italy. The kitchen is Italian: A short, seasonal men; bruschette with whipped buffalo ricotta, burrata with Cantabrian anchovy, hand-chopped beef tartare, mezze maniche, chicken alla diavola, branzino, and a tiramisù people come back for. From November, new dishes arrive to face the winter. The style of the whole place is vintage Italian jazz, from the music to the colors: Candlelight, paintings by Rob Wilson on the walls, a long bar, and a lot of wine.

CCNews: When all of those elements combine, what sort of atmosphere does it create?

Simone: The name says it: “Lento” means “slow.” It’s the opposite of a loud New York bar. You sit down, the lights are low, the jazz is old, the glass is good—and an hour goes by without you checking your phone. People come for one drink and stay for dinner. That’s the whole idea.

CCNews: Tell us about the outdoor space and how it will function during the colder months.

Simone: The garden is the magic of the place, and one of the very few in the city with both a covered indoor garden and an open-air one. The covered part is heated and stays open during the winter: Plants all around, candles on the tables—and in December, it feels like a greenhouse with a wine list. We add plants every week. The goal is to create a real garden space, not a patio with a few pots. On a cold night, with the heaters on and a glass of red, it’s the warmest room in Chelsea.

CCNews: Tell us about the wine and spirits selections.

Simone: We’re a wine bar in the strict sense: Wine and beer, no spirits—and that’s by design. The list is Italy from north to south: More than sixty wines, small producers, sought-after and rare, poured by the glass so you can travel without committing to a bottle. Our aperitivo cocktails are wine-based spritzes we make in house: Agrumato, Ceraso and Toscano with vermouth. And on weekends, there’s L’Ora Lenta, our Happy Hour: Saturday and Sunday, from 4pm to 6pm.

CCNews: Are you now, or will you be, an event space available for private functions?

Simone: Yes, already. The covered garden and the outside bar work as a semi-private space for 20 to 30 guests, and the whole place can be yours for up to 65 standing. This fall, we’re hosting engagement parties, birthdays, company happy hours and dinners. For details, email us at info@barlentony.com.

CCNews: The website says the project is still in the “discovery and development” phase. What’s upcoming?

Simone: The garden keeps growing, literally. Live jazz will become a regular thing. And more parties, events, and themed nights, because that’s what the neighborhood asked for first. People have really responded to the garden, and the fact that nobody rushes them.

CCNews: Anything else our readers should know?

Simone: Only that we’re neighbors. Our first guests were the people who live on our block, or nearby—and that’s the crowd we want. Come for a glass, stay as long as you like. Lento.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Bar Lento is the Place to Raise a Glass—and Take Your Time… first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

Emerging Artists Theatre’s Spark Theatre Festival (Through October 25)

—AND—

Spark Musical Theatre Festival (Nov. 2-25)

At The 28th Street Theatre

15 W. 28th St. btw. Broadway/5th Ave. 

For Tickets & Info, Click Here

This year’s 25th anniversary edition finds the firmly rooted festival mission-focused on its everlasting mandate to showcase and support the in-development projects of early career artists. The 60 cabaret, dance, drag, sketch storytelling, and solo performances include Max Sharam’s solo piece Mezzo Cuckoo: Diva Gone Dada, in which an unemployed opera diva wanders the world while haunted by a song. Among the 23 dance pieces is The Other Side of Hate, choreographer Sharon Simmons-Wright’s exploration of hatred, prejudice, and injustice. There’s also Leslie Bramm’s Lady Macbeth and Her Therapist, which finds a medieval madness-whisperer taking on a new client with problems of Shakespearian proportions.

Order tickets ($20-$40) and see the full lineup here. Then, November 2-22 at the same venue, the first annual Spark Musical Theatre Festival NYC sees Emerging Artists Theatre presenting 21 new short and full-length musical theatre works in development. Click here for more info.

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Hell’s Kitchen Culture Crawl: October 19-25

At Various Hell’s Kitchen Venues

For Tickets & Info, Click Here

Presented by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Arts Committee, this week-long Culture Crawl is a soul-enriching sprint through Hell’s Kitchen arts and culture institutions for theatre, music, dance performances, open studios, and interactive art activities—many of them free, or offering exclusive discount codes. Venues include Baryshnikov Arts, Signature Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Row, and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. Also, after feasting on food for the heart and soul, redeem ticket stubs for deals and discounts at participating restaurants located along the crawl. Click here for the full schedule and more information–and see directly below for three of the 60+ offerings.

Suffragists From The Stage at New Perspectives Theatre Company (Free) | Monday, October 19, 7pm | Journey through a 75-year exploration of the Women’s Suffrage Movement—and the part “theatre women played in winning the vote.”

King of the Yees at Signature Theatre (Discounted tickets) | Prompted by her father’s disappearance, Lauren goes on a surreal quest through San Francisco’s Chinatown to find him. | Thurs. Oct. 22 & Fri. Oct. 23 at 7pm; Sat. Oct. 24 at 2pm & 7pm; Sun. Oct. 25 at 2pm | Use code “HYHK26” for 20% off tickets for Oct. 22-25 performances.

GREEF at Baryshnikov Arts Center (Discounted tickets) | A powerful, inventive, and, yes, funny theatrical work reflecting on an artist’s loss of her husband and performing partner to a debilitating illness. October 22-24 at 7pm | 25% off, using code CULTURECRAWL26. 

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Ben Holbrook’s User Agreement

Debut Production Directed by Dante Green

At The Makers’ Space / 281 N. 7th St. Brooklyn

(Near the Metro-Lorimer L/G, Bedford L, and Marcy Avenue J/M/Z)

At 7:30pm for October 23, 25, 26 Preview Performances; October 26’s Opening Night; then on October 28/29, November 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7

Final Performance, November 8 at 2:30pm

80 Minutes, No Intermission

For Tickets ($25), click here 

With whistleblowers making headlines by warning it’s just a matter of time before AI decides an extinction-level event is the shortest path toward creating a better world, the timing could not be better for the latest play from self-described “budding futurist” Ben Holbrook.                  

Set in that cautionary tale time period known as the “near future,” User Agreement gets its tone of dystopian dread from the dicey dynamic of lead characters Sy (Vann Dukes) and Theo (Marvelyn Ramirez). Despite their shared love of good music, knack for deep conversation, and mutual respect for boundaries, their potential for “soulmates” status is iffy, at best. Blame the times they’re living in. It’s a world dominated by technology–but as imagined by Holbrook, man-made machinery has no interest in wiping us out. Instead, it’s created a society that values material things above all else. User Agreement, the playwright hopes, will prompt us to contemplate if “in an age of technological wonders often fueled by greed, can something as fundamentally human as true love survive hand-in-hand with late stage capitalism?” 

Joining Holbrook on this production is director Dante Green, whom we recently interviewed here, regarding his work as co-founder of Prism: A Festival of New Queer Musicals. They are also Founding Artistic Director of The Makers’ Ensemble and a Co-Director of The Brick Theater.   

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here.  ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Promising Theater Picks, Ongoing & Upcoming first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

Pick of The Week / MCB4 District Needs Survey / Public Programs at Vanderbilt University–NYC / Hell’s Kitchen Culture Crawl: October 19-25 / GAG Doc at New Fest / Chelsea Green Park Halloween Fest Call for Vendors / Free Events in Bella Abzug Park /  

Pick of The Week (next week, that is…)

Kintsugi: The Art of Mending | Thursday, October 22, 7pm-9pm at Neighbor (176 9th Ave. at W. 21st St.) |  An art form that offers a second act for ceramics that are cracked, chipped, or otherwise broken, Kintsugi is a contemplative, accepting alternative to slapdash repair work or wholesale recycling. Arrive with a damaged object (no glass, please) and learn how to mend it by applying golden Kintsugi lacquer to the cracks in a manner that announces its beautiful imperfection, as opposed to camouflaging its flaws. The symbolism is not lost on contemporary artist Bianca Valencia Crisculo, the event facilitator who’ll work conversation about Kintsugi’s life lessons into this transformative, two-hour experience. To reserve tickets ($84), Click Here.

Through October 19: Take the Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4) District Needs Survey | As part of the Statement of District Needs that will figure into the City Budget for Fiscal Year 2028, MCB4 is currently working to determine top priorities for improved government services and capital investment. Make sure your voice is reflected in the final report, by filling out MCB4’s online District Needs Survey. (Note: The Survey, which can be accessed by clicking here, allows for your anonymity.) Only those who live and/or work in the MCB4 coverage area (see the below map) are asked to participate. For a link to MCB4’s Instagram with a QR code for the Survey, click here. To see what was prioritized last year, click here for the 2027 Statement. The Survey will be available to take through October 19. For all things MCB4—including a calendar that previews monthly committee meetings—click here. 

Open to the Public, Oct. 15/Nov. 10 at Vanderbilt University—NYC | Students are on the ground at Vanderbilt University’s Chelsea campus—and so is the public, via ongoing programs and initiatives. On October 15, The Working Class and Democracy in America is well-timed, taking place just weeks before the midterm elections. Vanderbilt’s Center for Global Democracy brings together a panel including Nick Carnes (Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, Duke University) and Emily Cherniack (Founder/Executive Director, New Politics). The event was sold out, but a few additional seats had been made available as we published this listing. Try your luck by clicking on the “Register” link here. Also upcoming, Vanderbilt NYC is part of Open House New York Weekend. The public is invited to drop by for a “Drop-In” from 12pm to 4pm on Sun., Oct. 18. Details here.

Tuesday, October 27, it’s another installment of the new monthly series Cocktails and Community, in which invited guests (aka you, member of the general public) are invited to sip and schmooze at this Happu Hour-set opportunity for conversation and connection. This month’s Cocktails and Community has Vanderbilt University Landscape Architect James Moore as the special guest. on hand to discuss campus landscaping and trees—and anything else that comes up in conversation. To RSVP, click here. November 10, Artists and the City: Emerging Voices in Conversation is the inaugural program of Vanderbilt and the Whitney’s multi-year partnership. Registration is currently closed. Additional seating info will be shared through Vanderbilt NYC newsletters. More programs and initiatives will be announced in the coming months.

Friday, October 16: NewFest Presents the U.S. premiere of Gays Against Guns (a documentary) | 6:45pm at the SVA Theater (333 W. 23rd St. btw. 8th/9th Aves.) | Founded following the Pulse nightclub massacre of 2016, Gays Against Guns (GAG) has spent the past decade on the frontlines of America’s gun violence epidemic through a series of very public, highly theatrical protest actions that pointedly convey the group’s deeply felt grief, outrage, and resolve. Paul Rowley, an Irish immigrant, directs this collection of footage from street actions and candid personal reflections—including some sharp observations by the “Pope of Trash” himself, filmmaker John Waters (whose cutting wit pairs well with GAG’s hardwired self-awareness). To watch the trailer, click here. The October 16 screening will be followed by a Q&A. Tickets are $19.50 for the screening and $14.50 for a Virtual Single Ticket (Oct. 15-30). To purchase, click here.

Hell’s Kitchen Culture Crawl: October 19-25 | Presented by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Arts Committee, this week-long Culture Crawl is a soul-enriching sprint through Hell’s Kitchen arts and culture institutions for theatre, music, dance performances, open studios, and interactive art activities—many of them free, or offering exclusive discount codes. Venues include Baryshnikov Arts, Signature Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Row, and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts.

Also, after feasting on food for the heart and soul, redeem ticket stubs for deals and discounts at participating restaurants located along the crawl. Click here for the full schedule and more information.

It’s My Park Day: Saturday, October 24, 10:30am-12:30pm at Clement Clarke Moore Park (10th Ave. at W. 22nd St.) | On designated days throughout this month—which is flying by so quickly, it’s scary—city-owned, recreational patches of green have been taking part in It’s My Park Day. On October 24, that “Day” is observed locally, when the West 400 Block Association hosts a Halloween-themed celebration in Clement Clark Moore Park. That date’s creeping up on us, so here’s what you need to know: It’s costume-optional, but organizers encourage doing so, as a way to take your October 31 outfit for a test run. Craft table fun, sweet treats, and pumpkin-carving are on the agenda, which we’re told is written in BLOOD!!!… Wait, no, we read the press release wrong; that’s “written in STONE!!!.” Oh, and when you’re ready to say your day in the park is dead and buried? You’ll be sent home with daffodil bulbs to take home for tree pits and or backyards. (Email Allen if you’d like to help plant in the park, and/or join the Clement Clarke Moore Park Gardening Club aoster@earthlink.net).

Open Call Seeks to Scare Up Vendors for Halloween Fest at Chelsea Green Park | Friends of Chelsea Green—the boosters who bring free music, movies, movement, and more to Chelsea Green Park—are working like demons, to make sure their annual late October block party lives up to its reputation as the neighborhood’s most monstrous mash of costumes, crafts, and candy. “We’re getting ready for the Mad Scientists Halloween Fest at Chelsea Green Park,” they say, “and we’d love to have more of our local businesses and neighbors participate.” If you have a local business, nonprofit, side hustle, craft, activity, or organization—or just something fun you’d like to share with the neighborhood—you can set up a table. The event happens at Chelsea Green Park (W. 20th St. btw. 6th/7th Aves.) on Sunday, October 25, 11am to 3pm. Vendor link: https://tinyurl.com/FoCGHalloween26. Have other ideas? Let the Friends know by sending an email to ChelseaGreenPark@gmail.com. 

Free Outdoor Events in Bella Abzug Park (524 W. 34th St. btw. 10th & 11th Aves.) | Brought to you by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance (HYHK): Through October, instructors from Bien Good Well lead yoga classes at 6pm on Mondays, at 5pm on Wednesdays, and at 10:30am on Saturdays. Please bring your own mat. For the kids, Mike Messer Music offers acoustic concerts on Tuesday mornings. Click here to visit the HYHK Event Calendar, where you can sign up for classes and find info on all of the free programming.

—-Listings Compiled by Scott Stiffler

—END—

The post This Week In & Around Chelsea: October 12-18, 2026 first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | A financially strapped Archdiocese and a City agency in an unprecedented rut are complicating efforts to save several culturally significant West Chelsea properties from the highest bidder—and, possibly, the wrecking ball. 

Those efforts date back several years, with recent “time is of the essence” momentum owing to the actions of electeds, preservationists, architects, community groups, and longtime locals. This united front was in full effect on August 12, 2026, when District 3 NYC Council Member Carl Wilson held a rally in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The historic 229 West 14th Street structure is one of several the cash-starved Archdiocese of New York sees as a saving grace, with proceeds directed toward the Catholic Church’s global settlement with survivors of sexual abuse. (The other West Chelsea property potentially for sale is the former Guardian Angel School (191 10th Ave.  btw. West 21st/22nd Sts.), physically connected to presentely active Church of the Guardian Angel (185 10th Ave., corner of W. 21st St.).   

“Survivors deserve justice, accountability, and compensation… But the Archdiocese should not pay for its failures by selling irreplaceable pieces of our neighborhoods,” said Council Member Wilson on August 12. “These are not simply assets on a balance sheet.”

The Council Member’s stern rebuke was reinforced by fellow August 12 rally attendee, NYS Senator Erik Bottcher (whose District 3 Council seat was won by Wilson earlier this year via Special Election). “Our historic buildings tell the story of the generations of New Yorkers who came before us. These buildings are important pieces of that history,” said Sen. Bottcher, adding it is “deeply disappointing to see the Church move to dispose of these properties rather than explore ways to put them to new use serving the people of our community.”

“There is a history in New York for repurposing former religious properties for affordable housing and other community-serving uses,” noted Council Member Wilson in an August 24 email to Chelsea Community News—in which he urged the Archdiocese “to explore a path that preserves these buildings while allowing them to continue serving the people of New York.” 

In a potential end run around present ownership—which has neither recanted its “For Sale” stance nor publicly placed them on the market—Council Member Wilson and others are calling on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to explore and ultimately grant landmark protection for the Chelsea properties. Active allies in that call include Village Preservation, Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4), and preservationist group Save Chelsea.

At a September 22 meeting of MCB4’s Chelsea Land Use (CLU) committee, Village Preservation Executive Director Andrew Berman placed present efforts into historical context. Referencing Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Berman noted, “It was in 2023 a Decree of Relegation was issued by the Archdiocese, which basically meant that they no longer intended to use it for religious purposes… At the time of the Decree, at the request of parishioners, Village Preservation submitted a Request for Evaluation [RFE] to the LPC.” (Approving an RFE is the first step on the path toward landmarking.) The LPC, recalled Berman, “did not respond positively… and was actually surprisingly dismissive.”

The CLU meeting also saw a presentation from architect and committee member David Holowka, who on September 4 submitted a 20-page RFE to the LPC on behalf of the preservationist group Save Chelsea (of which Holowka is a member). To read their Request for Church of the Guardian Angel (185 10th Ave.) and Guardian Angel School (191 10th Ave.), click  here. To view Holowka’s summary of the report, access the archived CLU meeting here, beginning at the 53:36 mark. 

 “Guardian Angel is special both in terms of social history and architectural accomplishment,” said Holowka of the 1930s structure, noting its design “breaks the mold” used by countless contemporaries by “engaging us at street level with human scale intricacy.” Holowka continued, calling the facade work “a gift to the street of a kind no longer made or even makeable… The church and school are designed as a unified ensemble… It would be an irreparable loss if either were destroyed.”

As compelling as the case for preservation may be, this landmarking strategy—and for that matter, any present-day landmarking strategy—may end up a victim of its time. In an August 24 email to Chelsea Community News, Berman noted that of late, the LPC “has slowed the consideration of new landmark designations to less than a trickle,” calling the trend “particularly disheartening,” as it has resulted in “the fewest [designations] since the Commission was first established more than 60 years ago.” Berman continued, saying NYC “has almost no sites among its 40,000 designated landmarks that represent Hispanic history… even though Hispanic New Yorkers make up nearly 30% of our city.”

Berman repeated those observations at September 22’s CLU meeting. His remarks, as well as those by Holowka, were represented among points raised in two letters addressed to the LPC and approved by MCB4’s full board, via majority vote at their October 7 meeting. You can view those letters (Agenda Item #33 and #34) in draft form, here.

Just prior to that vote, Council Member Wilson told the Board about his own letter to the LPC. Sent earlier that day, Wilson noted it called for “a reexamination, reconsideration of [landmarking for] Our Lady of Guadalupe as well as for them to consider the landmarking of the Guardian Angel Church and School in Chelsea.” The Council Member concluded by noting, “I hope they will take it seriously and I appreciate this board backing me up on this, and looking forward to working together.”

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Note: The Archdiocese of New York did not respond to Chelsea Community News’ requests for comment (made over a dozen times during the past several weeks, via emails and phone calls). 

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT FOR LANDMARKING EFFORTS | The below content, authored by Andrew Berman and reprinted with permission, originally appeared in the Village Preservation Newsletter of October 5, 2026.

Each quarter, Village Preservation updates its chronological catalogue of every designated landmark in New York City since landmarking began in 1965… Village Preservation first compiled the list in 2024 when we noticed what appeared to be a precipitous drop in new landmark designations under Mayor Adams, but no comprehensive information existed to allow temporal comparisons. Our compilation of this data and analysis of it showed that Mayor Adams was the worst Mayor for landmark designations in NYC history, designating at the lowest rate by far of any of his predecessors. You can view the updated quarterly catalogue HERE.

Unfortunately, the news from the latest update is not good. There have been no new landmark designations in NYC, and no sites currently under consideration for landmark designation. In fact, no site has been calendared or formally placed under consideration for designation since 2025, and we are currently on track to have one of the barest years in NYC history for new landmark designations.

Though it’s still very early in his term, at the current rate Mayor Mamdani will best Eric Adams as the mayor with the lowest rate of new landmark designations, in spite of the countless historic sites throughout NYC calling out for landmark designation. This includes endangered sites in our neighborhood for which we’re seeking designation, including Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the city’s first Spanish-language church; the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, which would be the city’s first landmark recognizing people with disabilities; and Most Holy Redeemer Church, “the German Cathedral of the Lower East Side” and a monument to generations of immigration. It also includes sites like the former headquarters of the first national LGBTQ+ rights organization in the United States and the NYC Woman Suffrage League, all of which the City has so far refused to landmark, even though they fit the “Equity Framework” supposedly guiding new landmark designations.

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No paywall. No pop-up ads. Why? Because we like you. 

Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

HELP  SUPPORT US BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE TO READ OUR ARTICLES AND CLICK ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

The post Cash Quest, Inertia Inform Efforts to Preserve ‘Irreplaceable Pieces of Our Neighborhoods’ first appeared on Chelsea Community News.

Statement to Gateway Development Commission by Samuel Turvey, ReThinkNYC | Great work on starting the Gateway Tunnels–all to be congratulated many fold. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, especially after the weekend, but at some point someone is going to have to answer the question of “where will all that new Gateway Tunnel capacity go?”

The Gateway Tunnels, as we know, will accommodate 48 trains per hour under the Hudson. NJT seeks expanded one-seat access to Penn Station which will take up some of this capacity. Scranton-Penn Station service, which is under consideration, may also take up capacity. Plans exist to expand Empire/Albany service via Penn Station which may impact capacity at Penn Station. Penn Access will link four East Bronx stations to Penn Station, also with capacity implications.The DOT/FRA, New York Governor and most NY elected officials strongly oppose demolition of Block 780 and adjacent properties to build a new, superfluous, ruinously expensive, deep-cavern terminal track expansion at Penn Station.

ReThinkNY has posited that a non-demolition symmetrical through-running plan can handle 48 trains per hour at Penn Station from the Gateway Tunnels and 6 additional trains per hour from the east. New York Newsday’s Editorial Board, [the Daily News Editorial Board] and various other players are increasingly acknowledging that ReThinkNYC’s through-running ideas [be] given a fair shake and more than the cursory dismissal they have received in the past. We concur.  

The right path starts with fair and complete RTC simulations of how much capacity ReThinkNYC’s 12 track plan can service. We believe such a study–done with the same solution orientation and depth–as work done for Penn Access, Grand Central Madison, LIRR Third Track and, at present, the Empire Corridor expansion–should be done for ReThinkNYC’s 12 track plan.  

We know the Gateway Commission believes its charter limits it to Phase 1 projects which do not yet include the configuration of Penn Station. We know that Penn Transformation, while openly supportive of through- running, is limited to the footprint of the present station and through-running requires implementations outside the station. But none of us–despite jurisdictional limits–should stand by and watch a tunnel to a yet to be articulated solution to continue any longer. 

We request, publicly or privately if need be, that Gateway Commission leaders press for the resolution of the capacity gap between what the Gateway Tunnels can deliver and Penn Station can service. There are answers to this that are being left “blowing in the wind” and that is not an acceptable result and will wreak havoc if allowed to go on much longer. 

Capacity exercises, as all should be aware, uniformly use RTC calculations to lead the way in determining the feasibility of a given solution–yet that has not happened yet for through-running at Penn Station. This is in no one’s best interest and we ask your assistance in pressing for a real review of alternatives at Penn Station–these can include a full through-running solution/ReThinkNYC’s 12 track solution, a hybrid solution and even a terminal track expansion. 

The public deserves to see this work done which will cost a steep fraction of what is being spent on the Gateway Tunnels and Penn Transformation. 

The legacy of all leaders who help see this happen will be burnished greatly–we hope we can count on you for support–publicly preferred, privately accepted, you are more than influencers.

NOTE: The views expressed by our Guest Opinion writers are not necessarily those of Chelsea Community News.

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ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent, single-owner online newspaper providing news, arts, events, and opinion content to Manhattan’s Chelsea community and its adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad and Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, Broadway/Times Square, and the Penn Station area).  Our editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here for our GoFundMe campaign). To join our subscriber list, click here to receive ENewsletters containing links to recently published content–as well as an occasional “Sponsored Content” email featuring an advertiser’s exclusive message. 

ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and theEmpire State Local News Coalition. Our content is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. (“We consider your website to be an important part of  the historical record,” read a July 26, 2019 email.) Our freelance reporters have been recognized by NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, with Honorable Mention wins for Best News or Feature Series  (2021 & 2023). CCNews is a three-time winner in the Coverage of the Arts category (First Place and Honorable Mention, 2022 and Third Place, 2023).

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The post Guest Opinion: Statement to Gateway Development Commission first appeared on Chelsea Community News.