FLATIRON BUILDING WALKING TOUR | It’s much more than the spitting image of a retired Monopoly piece, or a selfie waiting to happen. Discover little-known facts about the city’s most charismatic skyscraper — when the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership celebrates the 50th anniversary of the landmarking of the Flatiron Building, with a special version of their weekly walking tour. Guided by native New Yorker and historian Miriam Berman (author of “Madison Square: The Park and Its Celebrated Landmarks”), you’ll first circle around the iconic building, then tour the Flatiron district while learning how the 22-story, 1902-built structure influenced the evolution of a neighborhood.
Free; no advance registration required. Sun., Sept. 18. At 11am, meet at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park (23rd St. & Broadway, in front of the William Seward statue). Same time, day, place for weekly 90-minute walking tours. Visit flatirondistrict.nyc/free-walking-tour.
THE 24TH ANNUAL LONDON TERRACE STREET FAIR | Having suffered through a long season’s worth of congested, closed-off city blocks overflowing with underwhelming fare such as tube socks, sunglasses, overcooked sausages and sugar-shock funnel cakes, what a relief it is to arrive at that annual late summer sweet spot, when the tenants of London Terrace return, Brigadoon-like, to turn the Street Fair from a cookie-cutter franchise concept to a genuine neighborhood gathering. Its vendor tables are populated, in large part, by residents of the event’s namesake W. 24 St. residential complex — guaranteeing a voluminous supply of good stuff drawn from decades worth of collecting (antiques, art, housewares, books, vintage photos, and one-of-a-kind handmade crafts). A few carefully chosen food vendors will be on hand as well, alongside local charities and elected officials who come bearing information to disseminate, and ears to be bended by concerned constituents.
Sat., Sept. 24, 10am–5pm on W. 24th St. (btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). For more info, visit LTTA.info.
CHELSEA STREET TREE STEWARDSHIP | The tall trees that create a soothing canopy effect on West Chelsea’s side streets didn’t get there by accident. Brief history lesson: Back in 1960, when the city didn’t give a fig about filling the concrete jungle with any form of flora, the founders of the 300 West 23rd, 22nd, 21st Streets Block Association (initially known as the West 22nd Street Planting Committee) took it upon themselves to purchase, plant, and prune trees all along their blocks. Flash-forward to the present day, and the thick-trunked progeny of that effort is alive and thriving, but only as a result of volunteers committed to vigilant upkeep. That means aerating tree beds and spreading compost — which is where you come in. On Sept. 24, The NYC Compost Project is partnering with the Chelsea Garden Club and the 320 West 23rd, 22nd, and 21st Streets Block Association to revitalize tree beds along W. 21st & W. 22nd Sts., between Eighth & Ninth Aves. Even if the air is crisp (it’ll be two days into the fall by then), you’re pretty much guaranteed to break a sweat; so along with your work ethic, bring along a water bottle — and, for the fashion-conscious, rugged clothes that don’t clash with dirt.
Sat., Sept. 24, 10am–1pm Sign up at PS 11 (320 W. 21st St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Ave.). Visit nyc.gov/compostproject.
SUBMERGE NYC MARINE SCIENCE FESTIVAL | Immerse yourself in the lore of local marine life, during this all-day festival designed to raise awareness of our coastal waters. Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 is the site of multiple family-friendly programs and activities coordinated by the New York Hall of Science. Research stations and a science stage offer hands-on activities, presentations, experiments, and wildlife performances; a tour of Stony Brook University’s R/V Seawolf research vessel reveals how they conduct oceanographic sampling and sturgeon tagging; Pier 26’s Downtown Boathouse staff takes you through the history of kayaks, then puts you in one to paddle the Hudson River; scuba dive demos have frogmen (and frogwomen) plunging into the Hudson to collect river specimens; and surf/turf food truck options from the likes of Gorilla Cheese, Urban Lobster Shack and Yaki Taco ensure your energy level doesn’t ebb and flow like the tide.
Free. Sat., Sept. 24, 11am–4pm at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park (at N. Moore St.). Visit hudsonriverpark.org/special-events/view/events-Submerge and nysci.org.
THE FARM FRESH FESTIVAL FOR KIDS | Sandra Velez — a Chelsea native and co-founder of the non-GMO snack company Fresh Kids — is the director of this first-ever festival, whose mission is to bring “a wholesome and magical farm experience” to the South Street Seaport. Games and crafts help kids form healthy eating habits, by learning about the farm-to-table process.
Sat., Sept. 17, 12–4pm, on Fulton & Front Sts. The event is free, but requires registration via a visit to farmfreshfestival.org.
A CONCERT OF HOPE | Top-notch vocalists lend their names, time, and talent to this concert, 50% of whose proceeds will benefit NYC homeless services organizations. The roster of performers includes Grammy-nominated Metropolitan Opera veteran and mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; Tony nominee, Emmy Award-winning actress, and go-to singer of Sondheim, Liz Callaway; tenor Daniel (the “Singing Cop”) Rodriguez, The Highland Divas, and the Sing The World Choir, combined from its American and Australian membership. The evening’s centerpiece, “Street Requiem,” is a contemporary choral work written “to reflect the multicultural and multi-faith traditions of modern city living” and meant to honor the memory of those who have died while living on the street.
Sat., Sept. 24, 8pm, at Carnegie Hall (881 Seventh Ave., btw. W. 56th & W. 57th Sts.). For more info, visit streetrequiem.teamapp.com. For tickets ($28–$48), visit carnegiehall.org (student/senior discounts available at the box office). For info on organizations to benefit from ticket sales: aliforneycenter.org, holyapostlesoupkitchen.org, midnightrun.org, picturethehomeless.org, safehorizon.org, and westendres.org.
EXHIBITION: “ONE PLANET ONE FUTURE” | Born in New York City, raised in Paris, and educated at Columbia University (where she studied anthropology as well as 17th – and 18th-century art history), Anne de Carbuccia’s work in the mediums of photography and film reflect a big-picture, long-game perspective developed during her formal academic training, as well as during a series of global expeditions, during which she witnessed pollution, war, species on the brink of extinction, and primitive cultures on the verge of collapse. Her “One Planet” collection of images aren’t simply contemplations of natural beauty; there’s an undercurrent of anger at man’s propensity for inserting a disproportionate amount of death into the circle of life (hence the omnipresent skull imagery, which also references the genre of “vanitas” art).
Free. Through Nov. 21. Hours: Mon., Wed. & Thurs., 11:30am–6:30pm; Fri. & Sat., 12–8:30pm; Sun., 11:30am–6:30pm. At Westbeth Center for the Arts (155 Bank St., btw. West & Washington Sts.). Visit westbeth.org and annedecarbuccia.com.
–BY SCOTT STIFFLER
