April 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.

LES Ecology  Center Spring Horticulture Training Program Applications are now open for our Spring Horticulture Training Program! Eight local youth will be selected to engage with neighborhood green spaces - including parks, gardens, and street trees - and participate in educational workshops to build their knowledge and skills to be stewards of our urban environment. Participants will: Learn how to identify common native and non-native plants Learn horticulture skills such as planting, weeding, and soil management Participate and contribute to a research project on soil health Understand the relationships between people and nature in an urban environment Be exposed to careers in urban horticulture and sustainability Apply Here Curbside Compose Outreach Saturday, 4/25, 10 am–12 pm, meet at 83rd & Broadway: April’s Volunteer Day for the Broadway Mall Association, where volunteers will help with mulching and planting in the medians of Broadway.  Curbside Composting Virtual Q&A April 21, 12–1pm — Virtual April 28, 6–7pm — Virtual Learn More

Spring Horticulture Training Program Saturday, 4/25, 10 am–12 pm, meet at 83rd & Broadway: April’s Volunteer Day for the Broadway Mall Association, where volunteers will help with mulching and planting in the medians of Broadway.  Apply Here

Our friends at @amazingathletes and @supersoccerstars are offering exclusive promotions to our BID neighbors and followers-- make sure to take advantage of these offers while they are still active! Visit linktr.ee/UWSYouthPrograms for more information. Bloomingdale Bucks

Bloomingdale Bucks is officially back! Earn rewards at the local businesses you love by using a stamp card to track your purchases across the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Ten stamps gets you a one-time 20% discount at any participating business! Cards expire June 1, 2026, so get yours and start shopping today

WE Connect 1-on-1 Mentorship Explore personalized guidance and insights with our 1-on-1 mentoring service, where mentees can gain valuable support and expertise tailored to their unique business goals. RSVP

Prepare Your Business for Emergencies From gas leaks and fires, to major storms and cyber threats, NYC business owners face a variety of unexpected emergencies. SBS offers free emergency preparedness workshops and webinars for businesses across New York City. More Info

Manhattan Cancer Services Program  Free Financial Coaching Get free bookkeeping and financial coaching from our friends at ideas42. These coaching sessions includes 1:1 advice on how to apply behaviorally informed financial practices for your organization. Schedule today to discover ways you can improve bookkeeping practices in your work. What you can use a session for: Review SBS requirements and troubleshoot compliance barriers Improve internal processes and workflows Apply behavioral strategies to increase accuracy and follow-through Translate workshop concepts into day-to-day practice How to Apply Requests will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis through May 1, 2026. Please make sure to mention that the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) sent you! More Info NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers If you are self-employed as a small business owner, freelancer, or gig worker, you may be eligible for in-person specialized tax prep, one-on-one consultations and group sessions, workshops, toolkits, and more! Be sure to look for in-person tax preparation sites that offer Self Employed/Schedule C assistance.  Register for an Upcoming Session 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 CYBERSECURITY: Protecting Yourself and Your Small Business Learn the fundamental principles of cybersecurity and the practical steps every small business can take to protect its digital assets. Register for an Upcoming Webinar 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 Volunteer Opportunity: Remote & In-person Tutors Needed  Goddard Riverside Star Learning Center is looking for volunteers to support students through tutoring. Sessions run through mid-May for elementary and middle school students, and through mid-June for high school students preparing for the New York State Regents exams. 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.

Park to Park 103 More Info 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

Piano, Percussion, & Electronics Date: April 17th | 7 PM This program features four recent works for piano and percussion, each created in close collaboration with the composers. Interwoven with live and fixed electronic elements, the concert showcases a set of uniquely crafted pieces—each exploring a distinct sonic world and highlighting the rich, expressive potential of contemporary percussion and piano. RSVP Here

Van Lier Fellows Concert Date: April 18th | 3 PM Join us as our Van Lier Fellowship recipients showcase their best work in an inspiring afternoon of music by Bloomingdale’s emerging young artists. This event is free and open to the public and will take place at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music at 450 W 37th St,New York, NY 10018. Click button below for more info. 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

MCNY Kids Art Studio Wednesday, April 8 | 11:00am Visit the MCNY Kids Art Studio for a fun, hands‑on art experience inspired by the Museum’s exhibitions and collection. Children can explore, imagine, and create while engaging with activities designed just for them. Try out a variety of materials—like collage, drawing, fiber art, and storytelling—and see what sparks your child’s creativity. Activities change monthly, so there’s always something new to discover. Kids can take their artwork home or leave it on display for other visitors to enjoy. Designed especially for children ages 3 and up and the adults who care for them—parents, grandparents, babysitters, and caregivers are all welcome! More Info

The Africa Center Film at The Africa Center Presents 'Sarrounia' April 22,  2026 Join us on Wednesday, April 22nd  at 7:00PM for our Film at The Africa Center screening of Sarrounia, presented in partnership with African Film Festival, Inc. More Info

Bloomingdale History Group

The Spring season should be especially delightful this year after such a challenging winter. As usual, we have many opportunities for you to learn more about our neighborhood. In April and June, join our colleagues at the Columbus-Amsterdam BID for two events they've planned for us. Share your feedback, comments, and ideas here. We hope you enjoy it all and will choose to support us with a donation. Springtime is walk time and the perfect time to join the popular neighborhood tour with Jim Mackin, NYC historian and author of the popular book, Notable New Yorkers of Manhattan's Upper West Side. You'll see the places and hear stories about the people who make the history of Bloomingdale so rich. Tours vary monthly and last between one and two hours. Click Here to Read Full Newsletter

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-November. For a full explanation of benefits visit this link. NYC residents who have questions about the FMNP program can dial 311.

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 Sunday, April 5, 2026 | 4-5pm Sung evening prayer with scripture, a brief homily, and choral music, offered in the beauty and stillness of the Cathedral. All are welcome to join us for this in-person service. 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 @ 2026 Columbus Amsterdam BID, All rights reserved. Our email address is: info@columbusamsterdambid.org

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