That’s right familia, tune into tonight to TBS at 10:30 pm ET as the popular TV Show, The Last OG, is coming Uptown for their latest episode, Helping Is Hard. Shout out to the one and only Tracy Morgan for always showing love to Uptown and much love to friends of the Uptown Collective, Ruperto Vanderpool and Celines Toribio, who make cameo appearances on tonight’s episode.
Earlier this year, our very own Led Black was featured in a Moth Mainstage recorded live at the United Palace to close the Uptown Arts Stroll. Led performed alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Esdras Santana & Edgar Ruiz Jr. That episode is Live from the United Palace is now playing on public radio stations across the country and will be published on most podcasting platforms on 11/16/2021. You can check it out below.
On November 12, 2001, on the heels of September 11, the nation’s 2nd deadliest plane crash shook up the country but had a much more profound and personal impact Uptown. Flight 587 bound for the Dominican Republic crashed shortly after take-off in Queens killing all 260 people aboard the flight. A full 90% of those onboard were of Dominican descent. Many people in this community knew someone who lost their life on that flight. Nicole Acevedo and Raul A. Reyes penned a great piece in NBC News on the pain and anguish of the relatives of those poor souls that lost their life on that fateful day.
For the first time in more than a decade, members of the public will be able to tour the historic Highbridge Water Tower in Washington Heights – including the opportunity to climb its 179 stairs to the top of the stone structure for panoramic views of the area.
Overlooking the Harlem River on the edge of Highbridge Park, the tower was once used to provide water pressure to Northern Manhattan and is considered a New York City Historic Landmark.
On October 27, city officials held a ribbon-cutting to mark the end of an extensive renovation effort to restore the structure and make it safer for public access.
Starting November 21, the NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers will lead free tours inside the 200-foot tower, which was completed in 1872.
“The Highbridge Water Tower connects us to our city’s history and serves as a beacon for the Washington Heights community — and thanks to this project, the historic structure will be preserved for generations to come,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff. “Through educational tours with our Urban Park Rangers, New Yorkers will now be able to climb the tower’s winding stairway once again and experience the panoramic views from the top. We are thrilled to unveil the renovated tower as part of our ongoing revitalization of Highbridge Park.”
The $5 million renovation project rehabilitated the stone tower, preserving the landmark. Necessary repairs were made to the tower’s roof, masonry, wooden handrails, flooring and cast-iron staircase, NYC Parks said. New windows, window guards and interior lighting were also installed.
Funded by $3.6 million from Mayor Bill de Blasio and $1.4 million from City Councilmember Ydanis Rodríguez, the renovations began in September 2019.
During public tours, visitors will be able to climb 179 stairs to the top of the tower to enjoy sweeping views of Northern Manhattan.
Recently, important updates about the Covid-19 vaccine were announced—that certain people are now eligible for a “booster” dose. Since the beginning of Covid-19, our scientific understanding of the virus has constantly evolved, and many New Yorkers understandably have questions about this new development. I would like to provide the “who, why, and where” about boosters.
Who should get a booster? All three brands of booster shots are available for many New Yorkers—Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson—and “mixing and matching” of the vaccines is safe. But who is eligible for a booster depends on the vaccine you originally received.
At this time, the Pfizer and Moderna boosters are approved for certain people vaccinated at least six months ago—specifically, people who are aged 65 or older, adults with underlying medical conditions (like diabetes), and adults at higher risk of exposure due to their job (like health care workers) or due to where they live (like nursing home residents).
The Johnson & Johnson booster is approved for anyone ages 18 or older who received at least two months ago—as I did. Since “mixing and matching” is now authorized, Johnson & Johnson recipients can get a booster of any of the three authorized vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson). There is limited data showing that Moderna or Pfizer vaccines could result in higher antibody levels.
Since the pandemic, Thanksgiving just means so much more. With that said, much love to our friends at Fort Tryon Public House (4740 Broadway) for putting together their 2nd Annual Inwood NYC Friendsgiving on Saturday, November 20. There will be delectable fare, drink specials and Live Music from the Tony Davis Band starting at 5 pm. Happy Friendsgiving Uptown!
