As part of the Keep Rockland Beautiful-sponsored Great American Cleanup 2013, we will meet for a few hours in the Village (Downtown and the Greenway) to do some spring cleaning. Bring plants to plant, gloves, and a trash picking attitude.
When? April 14, 2013 at 10:00AM | Where? The Four-faced Clock @ New Main Street & Maple Avenue
Check out the pics from 2012 and 2013 below (thanks to Alex Guarino and Tom McGuire for taking them – that’s why they’re not in the pictures!):
#thestrawny is the probably the best instagram hashtag for good Haverstraw pictures. Check it out soon.
Which town looks more like Brooklyn? Top Row (Haverstraw) or Bottom Row (Irvington)? Photo creds: Ken Karlewics and Cat Alley
Hot off the presses, this New York Times article “Creating Hipsturbia in the Suburbs of New York” touches a whole slew of nerves and advances shallow ideas regarding demographic shifts in the Hudson Valley. The article confidently declares that Westchester Hudson River villages of Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, Irvington and the like are becoming enclaves of that same Bohemian lifestyle that brought downtrodden Brooklyn back to life. No mention of Beacon, New York here. The article is the latest in a raft of publications and posts since 2010 that avow the too-cool aspects of the Hudson Valley. This edition is particularly sad because it fully ignores these towns’ history, while somehow comparing the “transformation” of these places to Brooklyn’s revival. The villages mentioned in the article are some of the whitest, wealthiest, and most educated zip codes in North America . . . and they were that way well before the word “hipster” existed. This is nothing like Brookyn’s transformation – in fact, it is astroturf.
“Welcome to hipsturbia,” indeed. (more…)
NRRC – Join Now! Spring 2013
Hudson Valley Brickyard 5000 – October 14, 2012
Organized in 1895, Relief Hose No. 3 was intended to provide additional fire protection to the ever-growing Village downtown. In the days of horse-drawn water pumps and low-pressure hand pumps, additional firehouses were needed to cover new neighborhoods that sprung up in the North West corner of Haverstraw. The newly formed fire department was housed in a barn and carriage house, which still stands at the corner of Westside Avenue and Gurnee Avenue. Today, the structure is a dwelling; originally, the house contained barn doors on the ground floor where the original fire wagon and then a motor car (pictured at left) rigged with a pump were stored. (more…)
Jakriborg, Sweden, a medieval village of 500 families and a major tourism destination can fit within a relatively small area in the Village of Haverstraw. Such an exercise in scale really shows how zoning can have such a major impact on the built environment and the economy. How many Jakriborgs can your town fit? Better yet, how many Jakriborgs can a nearby Walmart parking lot fit? Now, think about the economic consequences of this. . . My inspiration for this graphic came from an article posted here at the Small Streets Blog. http://blog.smallstreets.org/post/18496915718/turn-this-parking-lot-into-a-village
Google, NY Waterway, and the MTA MetroNorth Railroad have finally heeded my repeated requests to have the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry schedule added to Google Transit Directions! Enjoy using the transit app now; Haverstraw is finally and legitimately linked to the region.
Dancing Under the Stars on Maple Avenue, Village of Haverstraw, New York. June 15, 2012.
‘Transformed Dog’ painted by artist Andy Golub is now at auction on ebay. To place a bid, go to the ebay listing.
As part of a public art project, The Great Painted Paw Brigade, Andy Golub of New York fame painted this fiberglass Boxer in his signature style. Mr. Golub typically paints on live female nudes in public spaces (ie. Times Square). The piece was created in winter 2012. This sculpture is one of 17 dog and cat sculptures auctioned to benefit the North Rockland Rowing Club (NRRC) and the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center, both non-profits located in the Hudson Valley of New York.
NRRC is a federally recognized not-for-profit. Final auction price is 100% tax deductible. EIN: 20-3205905
Sculpture is also available for pick-up, which will waive the shipping fee.
In Cleveland, local residents installed bike lanes and street furniture along a particularly desolate street in order to enliven their city with a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere. In the past I’ve written about pop-up urbanism as a way to create sense of place in a downtown area and spark a new interest among residents in using the street as a place to meet, exercise, relax, and be human. Tactical urbanism is a new phase of downtown citizen activism, where residents take matters into their own hands and reclaim the streets for people. Would something similar work along Main, New Main, or Broadway in downtown Haverstraw? See the short film below to catch my drift:
June 2, 2012 – 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM
National Learn to Row Day at the Haverstraw Ferry Landing at Dr. Girling Drive, Haverstraw, NY.
Each year, the North Rockland Rowing Club hosts Learn to Row Day to expose more New Yorkers and Rocklanders to the sport of rowing or crew. Refine your technique on a rowing machine and/or get in a boat to learn the basics. The Club will take you out on the Hudson River to experience rowing firsthand! Don’t worry, they take numerous safety precautions when introducing beginners to the sport. This is a great event for families and children, as well as adults that are looking for new ways to stay fit.
www.northrocklandrowingclub.org 845.942.1030
