December Newsletter

See Our February Newsletter for Events and More!

This Newsletter Includes The Following Sections

- Community Info and Resources - Environmental - Bloomingdale Library - Art & Exhibits - Bloomingdale History Group - Farmers Markets - Churches

Community Info & Resources

- NYC Childcare Tax Relief Programs: Mayor Adams announced new childcare tax credits. View the Office of the Mayor’s Childcare Plan for more information. - Food Service Businesses: By law, staff-handled organic waste must be source separated for collection. For more information, visit here. - Outdoor Dinning Bill Passed: The bill allows outdoor dining on sidewalks year-round and on city streets April 1 through November 29 each year. For more information, visit NYC Hospitality Alliance.

My Business Finance Coach The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is offering financial coaching in partnership with Next Street to strengthen small business owners’ business finances.  Small businesses located in NYC can connect with a professional business coach for support in: Separating Personal and Business Expenses Developing Financial Projections Taxes Check-In and Check-Up Understanding Financial Documents QuickBooks® Overview Complete the Interest Form

Everything You Need To Know To Plan, Launch, and Operate a Successful NYC Restaurant Free, in-depth business management education delivered by experienced industry professionals for aspiring restaurateurs and early-stage food & beverage operators. Level 1 (Virtual) How to Plan and Finance Your Business Level 2 (Virtual) How to Launch and Operate Your Business Level 3 (In Person) Create an Effective Business Plan Upon completing the 3-course series, you'll receive free 1:1 assistance to help you create a tailored business plan for your restaurant concept. Register for an Upcoming Session Unlock Free Advertising Secrets: Boost Your Business Today Learn more about LinkLocal, a program that provides free advertisements for small businesses, community groups, and local events. LinkLocal provides pre-designed advertising templates that can be featured on 1-2 selected LinkNYC kiosks. Register for an Upcoming Webinar

NYC BEST Bootcamp: Start Your Business the BEST Way! NYC BEST is partnering with various city agencies and community partners to help small business owners understand city rules and regulations through a series of webinars covering the following topics: Permits, licenses, and application processes  Government resources and incentives  Requirements for building out or renovating a storefront  Working with Con Edison & National Grid  Responding to violations or summonses  Outdoor vending  Waste management Learn More

Commercial Lease Assistance Commercial Lease Assistance Learn more about our free legal services to help eligible businesses with: Signing a new commercial lease Amending, renewing, or terminating an existing commercial lease Addressing a commercial lease Learn More

Volunteers Needed Join the Team! Looking to give back to your community, build your resume, or complete service hours? The Columbus Amsterdam BID is always on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to support our Open Streets events. From setting up and leading activities to helping care for our beloved street trees, there's something for everyone. Get involved, meet your neighbors, and make a difference right here in the neighborhood!

♻️ Textile Collection Reuse & Recycle Have old clothes, shoes, or linens lying around? Don’t toss them—bring them to us! We’re collecting clothing, shoes, accessories, bedding, towels, and coats every Saturday & Sunday from 10am–2pm at NW 106th & Amsterdam and 991 Amsterdam Ave. Give your textiles a second life and help keep waste out of landfills.

LES Ecology  Center Curbside Compost Outreach Events Come chat with our Curbside Composting Outreach Team at these public events this month! They can help your building with things like resident presentations and bin set up assistance. Monday, December 22, 12-1pm Virtual Monday, December 29, 6-7pm Virtual Email the team at curbsidecompost@lesecologycenter.org Learn More

Park to Park 103 More Info Extended Risk Assessment and Grant Program to Help Small Businesses Shore Up Against Unexpected Disasters The NYC Department of Small Business Services has launched the Business Preparedness and Resiliency Program (BPREP) Risk Assessment and Grant Program for eligible small businesses or commercial properties. This program offers a free on-site, one-on-one risk assessment and $5,000 reimbursement grant to buy recommended resiliency equipment, such as flood barriers, generators, and fireproof storage containers Learn More and Apply Great news for teens in New York City! The NYC Department of Health, in collaboration with Talkspace, are now providing free online therapy for teens between 13 and 17 in New York City. NYC Teenspace is a platform offering personalized mental health support from licensed professionals with expertise in teen counseling. The beauty of this service lies in its flexibility - teens can arrange monthly video sessions by simply messaging their therapists. What's more, if the initial therapist isn't the right fit, teens have the option to switch. For more details, click the link below! Learn More

Environmental

Bring Your Own Container In the coming weeks, look for the Bring Your Own Container/UWS Reduces Waste stickers at neighborhood businesses and go in with confidence that the store will accept your reusable container to fill and you won’t be bombarded with single-use plastic that you don’t need or want. BYO Container/UWS Reduces Waste is a new project of It’s Easy Being Green, your neighborhood climate education and personal action group. We will ask our neighborhood coffee, tea shops and restaurants to display our BYO Container sticker in their window to let you know that they will accept your travel mug and/or food container to fill. We hope to include prepared food stores in the future when the NYS health codes are updated. (We’re working on this too!) Join our effort!  Please help us find conscientious businesses who would like to put the BYO sticker in their storefronts.  Send your ideas and  recommendations to BYO.itseasybeinggreen@gmail.com. Want to know more about It's Easy Being Green? Click here to sign up for our monthly newsletter. It's Easy Being Green Website

Bloomingdale School Of Music

Bowling with Mozart Date: December 5th | 7 PM Kegelstatt is German for a nine-pin-bowling alley. The sublime trio Mozart composed for viola, clarinet and piano bears this title because it is believed that Mozart conceived it while playing rounds of bowling. This concert will feature the Kegelstatt Trio along with masterpieces by Mozart for solo piano. RSVP Here

Bloomingdale Library

One-on-One Tech Help Wednesdays, 1PM - 2:00 PM | On-going This event will take place in person at Bloomingdale Library. If you have a tech problem, question, or would just like some individualized tech tutorials, this is your time to work with a librarian and receive their personal attention and instruction. More Info

Arts & Exhibits

Museum of the City of New York

Storytime for Littles Saturday, December 6 | 1:00pm Bring your family on a weekend to learn more about NYC in a Storytime program facilitated by one of our museum educators in connection with the NYC Discovery Lab, a weekend drop-in series of family programs. Each month, picture book readings will rotate in connection with our theme of the month. Included with admission. Free for ages 18 and under. More Info

Holiday Market (Sunday) Sunday, December 7 | 10:00am Tis the season for celebrations and gifting! On December 6th and 7th, the Museum will partner with Brooklyn Pop-up to celebrate artisans, designers, and makers from across the 5 boroughs. Bring the whole family—admission to the market is free, and all ages are welcome. Join us for a weekend of holiday shopping and festive celebration from 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. each day. More Info

The Africa Center Film at The Africa Center Presents "So Long a Letter" December 11,  2025  So Long a Letter (dir. Angele Diabang) - Ramatoulaye, a 50-year-old teacher, has been married to lawyer Modou Fall for 25 years. The couple is very close and happy with their 4 children. When her husband takes a second wife, his daughter's best friend, the disillusionment is terrible. A struggle between tradition and modernity begins. The film recounts her descent into hell. It will also witness her reconstruction. More Info

Bloomingdale History Group

Tuesday, December 2nd | 6:30PM | Via Zoom The program: The 1890s was the tail end of the Gilded Age. It was not a “Golden Age,” it was a veneer, and although the decade was specifically called “The Gay Nineties,” the gaiety was generally reserved for the gilt-edged, top ten percenters. If you were a common working stiff – or worse, a common working “stiffette” – life was not so gay. Most New Yorkers played by the rules of the game, although some fudged a bit. Others, some business managers and some city administrators, played by totally different rules, successfully gaming the system to their advantage. The few who fought for truth and justice generally went down fighting. These are New York’s scoundrels,scalawags, and scrappers and the subject of Tauranac’s talk. More about his latest book can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/New-Yorks-Scoundrels-Scalawags-and-Scrappers/John-Tauranac/9781493090105 The presenter: John Tauranac writes on New York City’s social and architectural history, and has taught the subject at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. His books include Manhattan’s Little Secrets; the three editions of New York From the Air; The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark; and Elegant New York. Wearing another hat, Tauranac designs maps. He was the creative director of MTA’s 1979 “New York City Subway Map,” and is still designing maps for clients and for the eponymous Tauranac Maps. Click Here to Register

Farmers Markets

GrowNYC

GROWNYC 97th Street Greenmarket W 97th St. between Amsterdam and Columbus Open Fridays, Year-round Market Hours: 8AM-2PM  More Info GROWNYC Columbia Sunday GreenMarket Broadway between 114th-116th St Open Thursdays & Sundays, Year-round  Market Hours: 8AM-4PM Clothing Collection Hours:  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm More Info

Down to Earth

TEXTILE RECYCLING  Saturdays 10am-2pm  Amsterdam 109-110th Green Tree Textiles will collect unwanted clothes, shoes, bags, towels, and household linens for reuse and recycling. No rugs or blankets, please.

Both GROWNYC & Down to Earth Offer: FOOD BENEFITS PROGRAM WELCOME! Go to the Manager's Tent to use your SNAP EBT card and get tokens to spend with our vendors. Health Bucks available ($2 for every $2 in SNAP, up to $10). Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks can be used at the farm stands June 1st - November 30th 2024

Churches

St. Michael's St Michael's Church - Practice with fluent English speakers in "English as a Second Language (ESL)" conversations. St. Michael's Church Parish House 225 West 99th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Saturdays 10 AM Improve Your English: For people of any native language. For Adults. Tell the team distributing food that you are here for ESL. Proof of COVID vaccination is required. More Info More Info St. John The Divine 27th Annual Crafts Fair Opens Friday Explore a curated selection of handmade treasures, from statement-making wearable art to beautifully crafted jewelry, home goods, holiday ornaments, artisanal food, ceramics, and more, at a wide range of price points. Crafts at the Cathedral is so much more than a traditional crafts fair—it’s an immersive celebration of artistry, spirit, and community set within one of the world’s most awe-inspiring sacred spaces. Surrounded by soaring Gothic arches and centuries of craftsmanship, visitors experience handmade works not simply as items for sale, but as expressions of human creativity that echo the cathedral’s own legacy of art and architecture. Whether you are searching for the perfect gift or something special for yourself, discover pieces that bring meaning, beauty, and joy to the season! Friday, December 5, 12pm – 7pm Saturday, December 6, 9:30am – 6pm Sunday, December 7, 12pm – 5pm More Info

CCC CLOTHING CLOSET  Tuesdays and Wednesdays | 10AM-12PM | Town Building The Clothing Closet distributes emergency clothing through the Nutrition, Health, and Clothing Center, and also provides workplace-appropriate clothing for individuals returning to the workforce. Persons seeking professional clothing must have a referral from an agency familiar with their employment search. Clothing distribution is free of charge and based on availability, and clients can obtain clothing once per month. Identification is required. The Clothing Closet accepts donations of gently-used, freshly-laundered clothing. Donations can be dropped off at the Cathedral from Monday-Friday, 9AM-4PM CCC SUNDAY SOUP KITCHEN  Sundays | 10AM-3PM | Town Building With no eligibility restrictions, meal services are offered to all without regard to age, gender, race, income, or denominational affiliation. Sunday Soup Kitchen meals consist of a healthy, diverse menu that includes fresh produce, a wide variety of meat/proteins, and low-salt, heart-healthy food options. Food Pantry Monday, Thursday, Friday | 9AM-5PM | Town Building Tuesday & Wednesday | 12PM-5PM | Town Building Anyone is welcome to walk in for shelf stable items, produce (when available) and an array of items from our common refrigerator. Health First: A Plentiful Pantry This CCC partnership with PLENTIFUL makes it possible for clients to go online and register to receive an assortment of shelf stable goods, hygiene products and cleaning products (that are not allowed to be purchased with food stamps), produce (when available), fresh breads/rolls/bagels and meat or poultry. Anyone is welcome to register at Go to app.plentifulapp.com. FIND RESTAURANTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH OUR WEBSITE BLOOMINGDALERESTAURANTS.NYC Restaurants in the Neighborhood Copyright @ 2024 Columbus Amsterdam BID, All rights reserved. Our email address is: info@columbusamsterdambid.org

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