New Hurdles for Block Parties
Yesterday Community Board 6 District Manager Craig Hammerman sent out a note reminding residents that the city has tightened restrictions on block parties, reducing “the total amount of time for block parties from what had been up to 12 hours (from 9am to 9pm) to a new maximum of any 9-hour period between 9am and…
Yesterday Community Board 6 District Manager Craig Hammerman sent out a note reminding residents that the city has tightened restrictions on block parties, reducing “the total amount of time for block parties from what had been up to 12 hours (from 9am to 9pm) to a new maximum of any 9-hour period between 9am and 9pm.” In addition, the city is now requiring that all applications for block parties be submitted electronically; the new procedures and rules are explained in this PDF memo. Killjoy or good news?
Photo by Sugar Pond.
the level of partiness at a block party is actually inversely proprotionate to the # of moonfaces living on the block. unless there’s 45 dollar ice cream cones, they won’t show up.
*rob*
I would expect no less from gemini complaining about car access from his other posts on cycling (how utterly idiotic to claim he’s diverted so often! wow, 5 times a year, do you live in your car?) but him and brenda, I invite to our Carroll st party. Maybe they will actually enjoy themselves amongst the over 100 people milling around, eating hamburgers (and a pot luck dinner at 7), listening to a live band, dodging kids on cycles, scooters, playing hopscotch and doing art projects.
Or maybe not, curmudgeonly as they appear to be…
afa as the city’s limit is concerned…silly…what difference does it make to them? It’s not on their dime.
Even if Brenda is exaggerating a little, she nailed it. A couple summers ago I needed a photograph of a block party. I got a list of the permits issued for a sunny Saturday and spent the whole day driving from non-event to non-event. NYPD sawhorses at the ends of a vacant street was not the image I was looking for.
MM- actually your block party sounds awesome! – that’s what a block party should be!
We actually had a great block party on 15th street a few years back when we lived there. We had a collective stoop sale open to anyone, then the kids played on the street during the day and at 5pm we had a potluck dinner which was delicious! I had a great time eating and talking to my neighbors. The party wound down about 8ish – but agreed there are about 3-4 hours in the day that no one is out at the party doing much – so scaling it back is a good idea
screw block parties. do you know they don’t allow dogs in the bouncey castles? :-/
*rob*
MM, your second paragraph sounds awesome. That’s what a block party should be. With the Motown instead of the rap of course. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles beats Lil’Wayne every day of the year.
Brenda, ha! I didn’t wanna come out and say that, but yes! Yes to everything you said! And yes to Gem! The ones around here (Greenwood Heights) look precisely like what Brenda described and does not reuqire 9 full hours. Most people pack it in long before that.
This makes some sense. My old st used to have a block party every year and it really didn’t start up until 12 noon. There was a good three hours in the morning with absolutely nothing going on.
Wow, from the photo, you upscale pale folks have a very organized event, complete with a stage show and lights. Our end of town has ginormous speakers at center of the block, literally throbbing with the beat of either soca or rap, so loud the windows rattle. If some older people take over the music, you get old school Motown and the Philly Sound, plus they reduce the volume. Unfortunately, the planning seems to stop there, and the rest of the day consists of kids riding their bikes and the same 4 people in lawn chairs.
One year, on my old block, we had a very organized event, with a block cleaning in the morning, followed by events for the kids, free food, and a ceremony honoring the eldest people on the block, some of whom had been living there since the 1940’s. We made sure the music was kept to a dull roar, and it was turned off precisely at 9. It was great, but a lot of work, and the next year, no one wanted to be in charge, so that fizzled. Getting people to do anything is hard work. I have a friend who goes to a huge block party on Rutland Rd, which has been uber-organized for years, and she has a great time, so it can be done.