October Newsletter

Read our September Newsletter for updates on Events and Community Resources!!

October 2026  HALLOWEEN EDITION!!!!! Neighborhood Updates Hey, Columbus-Amsterdam BID! It's Madeline, your Program Manager, reporting for duty. We've got a lot of fun lined up for this LAST MONTH of OpenStreets. If you're an OpenStreets regular, a lot of September's favorite events are coming back, alongside new and exciting programming. So keep reading to find out what we've got in store for you and your neighborhood coming up. You definitely don't want to miss On Air Markets, our premiere vintage and artisan makers market, here with us EVERY SATURDAY from 12-5 PM. We are bringing in new vendors each week, so make sure to come back every Saturday to see what's new.  Coming Up on OpenStreets... October 10th  Oskar Stenmark - Musical Performance Ballet Hispanico  Make Your Own Bouquet  Pet Adoption Event: Mobile Adoption Unit from Bideawee October 17th Ballet Hispanico  Harlem Swing: Lindy Hop Dance Lessons Face-Painting and Ballons Make-Your-Own Bouquet October 24th FALL FESTIVAL  Mrs. Steph's Science Table - Kid's Slime Making Activity  Musical Performance sponsored by El Taller Latino Make-Your-Own Bouquet Free Apple Cider Warm Your Hearth, Warm Your Heart: Self-Love Skills Workshop Spooky Movie Night  More TBA October 31st Learn To Ride - Kid's Biking Lessons  Thriller-Themed Roller Skating Dance Lesson Face Painting Make-Your-Own Bouquet Ballet Hispanico Candy Scavenger Hunt Learn To Ride Sign-Ups OpenStreets September Recap

September was an awesome month for our OpenStreets. We had Ballet Hispanico come out and teach us some Latin Social Dance. Our Build-A-Bouquet was super popular, and we got to give away so many flowers for community members to bring home in beautiful and unique arrangements. Harlem Swing has been popping out to our OpenStreets to bring us swing lessons and dance socials.    Jazz Duo in the Artisan Market

We've got so much more to come, with fall-themed events and Halloween surprises - so make sure to pop out. Can't wait to see you there!  Fogo Azul

Calling Artists! Volunteer Opportunities  Street Tree Care Event with Big Reuse October 11th 2026 @ 10 AM - 12 PM We are hosting a street tree care event to show some extra TLC to the trees in our district. If you are interested in horticulture or learning more about how to care for the trees that beautify your neighborhood, this is a great place to start! Interested in joining? Email mfields@cabid.org to get registered for this event.   OpenStreets Volunteers

We are looking for extra hands to help set up and break down our OpenStreets events, taking place every Saturday.  If you are looking for ways to give back to the community, need volunteer hours, or know community members who need volunteer hours (thinking about parents of highschoolers!) reach out at info@columbusamsterdambid.org

Community Info and Resources Flu and Covid Vaccine Map Flu and Covid season is right around the corner, and it's best to get ahead of the tides of coughs and sniffles with preventative care through the Flu and Covid Vaccinations. Click down below to find a map of where you can get vaxxed in your neighborhood - for free with most insurance!  NYC Vaccine Map St John the Divine 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 - Friday |10am to 4pm  (A Community Fridge is available outside of these hours.) 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. Bloomingdale Library

The Bloomingdale Library has a whole calendar of activities for kids, teens and families to enjoy this Halloween. Click down below to see the calendar of upcoming activities NYPL Events Calendar

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 10:15 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

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 More Info

Arts and Culture

Guide To the Village Halloween Parade Get directions and info at the link down below for the famous Annual Village Halloween Parade! Halloween Parade Info Save on City Attractions with CityPass New York CityPASS®️ tickets take you straight to the best attractions so you can spend less time planning and more time exploring. Save up to 51% on admission to NYC’s iconic experiences, and customize your visit with a choice of five of the following attractions: Empire State Building Observatory, American Museum of Natural History, Top of the Rock® Observation Deck, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Statue of Liberty Grounds and Ellis Island, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Intrepid Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Edge Observation Deck & Immersive Experience, and Whitney Museum of American Art. Price: Adult $149 (value $307); Child (ages 6-17) $129 (value $296) You save: Up to 51% off walk-up pricing Great for: Anyone in search of the best NYC experiences Details: It’s easy to make reservations, access your tickets, and plan your visits with the My CityPASS® companion app. Valid 9 consecutive days. 365-day, no-fee return policy.

Click Here to Buy Tickets Aperture Opening: New Location on UWS The world-renowned photography nonprofit founded in 1952 by Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange is moving to a new space on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at 380 Columbus Avenue, expanding its physical footprint and broadening its audience. Inside its new two-floor permanent home, Aperture will host public programming, exhibitions and events, and will also house a gallery, offices and production space. The inaugural installation, Aperture Loves New York, showcases iconic NYC photographs alongside Aperture books. Click Here for Hours and Info Bloomingdale History Group

Walking Tours of Upper West Side October 14, 2026, Wednesday at 6pm November 1, 2026, Sunday at 2pm December 6, 2026, Sunday at 2pm ​​Meet at south end of Straus Park, Broadway at W.106th St. No reservations needed. Explore the history of the Upper West Side between W.96th and W.110th Streets. Led by renowned local historian Jim Mackin. Jim Mackin

Notable New Yorkers in Harlem: A New Book by Historian Jim Mackin  A Free Zoom Presentation on October 7th 2026 at 6:30 PM The program: Jim Mackin’s  Notable New Yorkers of Harlem, recently published by Fordham University Press New York, is filled with a terrific number of “who knew?” moments. An expansive and inviting guide to over 800 famous, infamous and surprising figures who lived in Harlem from the Dutch colonial period to now, Mackin’s new book connects remarkable lives to  the streets that shaped them. He introduces the reader to the fascinating people-- some famous, some forgotten-- who have called Harlem home.   Mackin’s book is chock-full of black and white photographs and is grounded in years of meticulous research, in libraries, archives and out on the streets of the neighborhood. Detailed addresses make the book a perfect self-guided walking tour companion. In his book, Mackin has created a portrait of a neighborhood that is defined not by one single story but by many, a neighborhood that has held the world’s attention by its constant reinvention. Notable introduces the reader to some of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance but also delves into the not so well-known histories of Jewish Harlem, Italian Harlem, Spanish Harlem and even a one-time Finnish Harlem.  Register Here

Farmers Markets

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

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