Upcoming Four Freedoms Park Tour and Other Community Events

Second Avenue Street Fair (on Third!)

Come by the Second Avenue Street Fair (on Third!) and say hello to CIVITAS!

On Saturday, June 1st from noon - 5 pm the street fair is kicking off Second Avenue Restaurant and Retail Week. The fair is located on Third Avenue from 68th - 86th Streets (not held on Second Avenue due to construction).
CIVITAS will be located at 84th Street and Third Avenue. We hope to see you there!

Save The Date: FDR Four Freedoms Park Tour

Urbanist and Roosevelt Island resident, Sharon Pope will be leading a tour of FDR Four Freedoms Park on Thursday, June 20 at 5:45 pm.

Details to follow! Space is limited. Space is limited. RSVP by email at info@civitasnyc.org or phone at 212-996-0745
Suggested donation $10

Community Events

New York League of Conservation Voters and Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems Environmental Candidate School

With four open seats among the borough presidents and another 19 open seats in the City Council, there is a unique opportunity to cultivate the next generation of sustainability leadership in New York City. To make the most of this opportunity, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems (ICIS) will conduct an Environmental Candidate School.

Saturday, May 11th from 8:30am – noon
NYU Kimmel Center
238 Thompson Street

The event is free and open to all candidates, campaign staff and advocacy partners. To reserve a seat, RSVP today by clicking here.

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Harlem River Park Shoreline Cleanup

Saturday, May 11th from 10 am - 2 pm 

Enter Harlem River Park at 5th Avenue and 139th Street, using the ramp over Harlem River Drive. You’ll be met with a volunteer who will assist you.

To register click here.

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It's My Park Day

On It's My Park Day, join Upper Green Side, the Friends of the East River Esplanade and East River C.R.E.W. beautify the East River Esplanade. Volunteers are needed to paint the railings, plant flowers, and do a general clean-up.

Sunday, May 19th from 10am - 3pm
East River Esplanade
96th Street and FDR Drive

For more information click here.

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City & Suburban Homes York Avenue Estate Historic District Walking Tour

The tour includes City & Suburban Homes Landmark, Shively Sanitary Tenements, PS 158, Webster Library, John Jay Park, former East Side House Settlement.

Sunday, May 19th at 1 pm
Meet at the City & Suburban Homes Archive Room
515 East 78th Street (East of York Avenue)
The tour is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Marie Beirne at (212) 388-0883.

NYC Recycling Program Now Includes "Hard" Plastics

NYC Recycling Program Now Includes "Hard" Plastics

Just days after Earth Day, on Wednesday, April 24, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced that rigid plastics can now be recycled under the newly expanded recycling program. What does this mean for you? You can now recycle hard plastics, such as: 

• plastic bottles, jugs & jars
• rigid plastic caps & lids 
• rigid plastic food containers (yogurt, deli, hummus, dairy tubs, cookie tray inserts, "clamshell" containers, other plastic take-out containers) 
• rigid plastic non-food containers 
• rigid plastic packaging ("blister-pak" and "clamshell" consumer packaging, acetate boxes) 
• rigid plastic housewares (flower pots, mixing bowls, plastic appliances, etc.) 
• bulk plastic (crates, buckets, pails, furniture, large toys, large appliances, etc.)

Rather than determining what container goes where, simply put your hard plastics in with your glass bottles, soda bottles, and metals. In addition, you’ll receive a mailer from the NYC Department of Sanitation that describes the recycling program expansion with infographics of what to recycle and how.

For more information, please visit the following links:

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Start of Expanded Recycling Program to Include All Rigid Plastics For The First Time

City Expands Recycling Program to Include Hard Plastics

What Goes Around: NYC Recycles Plastic, Metal & Glass

Why certain plastics are not accepted for recycling

Do you want to improve your recycling program in your apartment building? Call (212) 996-0745or email info@civitasnyc.org to find out how.

CIVITAS Intern Spotlight: Jessica Cignarella

Jessica Cignarella is currently working on her Master in Science in City and Regional Planning at the Pratt Institute with an expected graduation date of May 2014.  Her areas of focus include community development and transportation planning.  Prior to Pratt, Jessica attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she focused on environmental and urban studies and planning issues.  After graduating from UCSD, she worked as a transit planner at Transportation Management & Design, Inc. (TMD) where she developed valuable technical and analytical skills as well as a working knowledge of transit systems throughout the U.S.

Jessica recently joined CIVITAS as the new Graduate Intern taking over work on the clean heating oil conversion program and the apartment building recycling initiative with the Department of Sanitation.  She is currently working with Environment & Infrastructure Committee in planning an outreach meeting to discuss air quality and heating oil conversion, and apartment building recycling with local residents and business owners of the Upper East Side and East Harlem. To learn more about these environmental initiatives, visit www.civitasnyc.org/cleanair/.

Once finished at Pratt in 2014, Jessica plans to remain in New York City and focus her efforts as an urban planner on environmental and transportation issues within local communities.  When she is not working to improve quality of life in communities, she is likely out exploring a new park or open space, biking around the city, or home trying out a new cookie or cake recipe. Jessica is incredibly excited at the opportunity to work with CIVITAS and hopes to make positive improvements in the UES and East Harlem neighborhoods. 

Neighborhood Discussion with John Kriskiewicz and Hunter Armstrong on May 14

East of Eden: An Exploration of East 96th Street and Environs from Central Park to the East River

Discover the geographic, technological, economic and planning influences that have shaped the development of the iconic neighborhoods of the Upper East Side and East Harlem as they intersect at East 96th Street.

Join Hunter Armstrong, Executive Director of CIVITAS, and Architectural Historian John Kriskiewicz for an in-depth, illustrated discussion in the historic library of the former Fabbri Mansion, now House of the Redeemer. A NYC landmark, House of the Redeemer was designed by acclaimed architect Grosvenor Atterbury and constructed for the Fabbri family between 1914-1916.

A reception and refreshments will follow the lecture.

Tuesday, May 14 at 6:30 pm
House of the Redeemer
7 East 95th Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues)

Suggested donation: $15, Special rate for CIVITAS members: $10
Registration is requested.
RSVP to CIVITAS at (212) 996-0745 or info@civitasnyc.org.

Read more about House of the Redeemer historic landmark.

More about John Kriskiewicz: A native New Yorker, John holds a professional degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute, is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, and a board member of DOCOMOMO New York Tri-State. Over the past two decades he has taught courses focused on architectural and planning history at Parsons School of Design, The Cooper Union, Fashion Institute of Technology, Stern College for Women and Manhattan College while designing tour programs and lectures for many of New York City’s institutions and corporations. Exhibitions and articles have revealed history and preservation issues to a broad audience. John admits to a special affinity for New York’s extensive infrastructure as well as its Mid-Century Modern heritage.

Coming Up: 5/4 Tree Stewardship and Tonight's Open Space Forum

Volunteer for the Tree Stewardship Workshop on May 4

Join CIVITAS and Trees New York on Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (Raindate Sunday, May 5).

Meet at East 120th Street and Paladino Avenue at the entrance to the pedestrian overpass to the East River Esplanade. Learn about tree stewardship and advocacy as we mulch, weed, and clean up street tree beds on East 120th Street, Pleasant Avenue and East 119th Street.

Space is limited. 
Please RSVP to info@civitasnyc.org or 212.996.0745

Upcoming Community Events

A Public Forum on The Urgent Need For Public Open Space on Manhattan's Upper East Side

Panelists in order of their presentation: 
Holly Leicht, executive director, New Yorkers for Parks 
Fred Kent, founder and president, Project for Public Spaces 
Dan Barasch & James Ramsey, founders, The Lowline park project 
Dan Garodnick, Member, New York City Council

Co-sponsored by the Parks Committee, Community Board 8, Manhattan and New Yorkers for Parks

Thursday, April 25, 6:30 pm 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art 
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, ground level of the Uris Center 
Entrance at Fifth Avenue and East 81 Street

Admission will be free.

CIVITAS Intern Spotlight: Sarah Zimmerman

Sarah Zimmerman is a sophomore at Columbia University, majoring in Urban Studies, and concentrating in history and sustainable development.  She is particularly interested in the urbanization and its impact on sustainability.  

Sarah joined CIVITAS as the Columbia Communities in Action intern in spring 2013, where she has been working on a wide range of advocacy and development projects.  She has been especially involved in researching and planning new initiatives for the trees committee, along with contributions to the CIVITAS newsletter, and planning for the 2013 annual benefit. To learn more about Sarah’s work with the trees committee, and upcoming tree stewardship events, visit www.civitasnyc.org/trees.

Although she is still exploring potential career paths, Sarah hopes to pursue her professional interests in planning, architecture, and law when she graduates from Columbia in spring 2015.  In the meanwhile, she spends her free time exploring the city on foot, or hiking and backpacking outside the city. 

Earth Day Clean Heat Workshop - Monday, April 22

Air Quality, Heating Oil and Recycling Environmental Workshop on April 22

Please join CIVITAS and the NYC Clean Heat program for an educational workshop to help improve air quality in the neighborhood while understanding your heating oil conversion costs. There will also be a short informational discussion regarding the NYC Department of Sanitation Apartment Building Recycling Initiative (ABRI) and what you can do to help. Please share this important announcement with all decision makers in your building. When: Monday, April 22 at 6 pm Where: Lenox Hill Neighborhood House 331 East 70 Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues) Recommended Attendees: Interested residents, co-op board members, building supers, building managers, and managing agents Registration is requested. RSVP: CIVITAS Email: info@civitasnyc.org or Phone: (212) 996-0745 Agenda: A presentation and Q&A with NYC Clean Heat representatives to help buildings burning No. 6 or No. 4 heavy heating oil understand their options for converting to cleaner fuels such as ultra-low sulfur No. 2 (ULS 2), biodiesel, and/or natural gas. In an effort to reduce the associated costs of switching from No. 6 or No. 4 to ULS 2, NYC Clean Heat will discuss how buildings near each other can be grouped together to receive a discounted oil rate from local suppliers. Speakers Include: Ken Camilleri, ICF, special consultant to New York City’s Clean Heat Program David Singer, Original Energy Michael Weisberg, M-Core Eve Martinez, NYC Department of Sanitation, Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling What to Bring: A basic assessment of your building's current boiler system. If converting to natural gas, bring your Con Edison case number from your gas service request submittal and any other information from Con Edison as a result of the submittal such as upfront costs for service. Things to Remember/Ask Yourself: Do you live in a building that burns No. 4 and No. 6 oils? Do you care about the quality of air in your neighborhood? The City of New York has issued a moratorium on No. 6 fuel oil and it is even more important that you push your apartment building to participate in clean heating oil conversion with NYC Clean Heat.