Happy New Year & Here's to a Bright & Glorious 2015 Thank you for making 2014 such a success for us and our member organizations! Not only is it a N

   
gsnyc 2015 new year

Happy New Year & Here's to a Bright & Glorious 2015

Thank you for making 2014 such a success for us and our member organizations!

Not only is it a New Year but, it is also our 10th birthday!

In January 2005, a group of concerned community members and community organizations were brought together by Parternships for Parks Catalyst Project to join forces and collectively advocate and care for the Queens East River Waterfront.

Ten years later, Green Shores NYC is still growing and our work continues for a greener, cleaner, more connected and accessible shoreline!

Stay tuned for information about our 2015 calendar of events, details about our birthday party and other news.

In the meantime, we invite you to visit, explore and enjoy our eight-plus miles of East River Waterfront this winter and beyond!

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IT'S WINTER ON THE WATERFRONT!

Just because it is cold outside doesn't mean you have to stay inside-our waterfront is open and alive year-round!

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Toast the New Year with HPPC

Friday, January 1st

NOON

LIC Landing at Coffeed
(Hunters Point South Park)
52-10 Center Blvd
Hunters Point, Queens

Celebrate the New Year with Hunters Point Parks Conservancy and COFFEED at an event called FIRST DAY.

FIRST DAY is an annual tradition of meeting friends and neighbors on the first day of the year.

All are welcome.

More info HERE.

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MULCHFEST 2015 IN ASTORIA PARK

Saturday, January 10th and

Sunday, January 11th

10am to 2pm
Astoria Park Parking Lot
19th Street and Hoyt Avenue North
Astoria, Queens

Don't dump your tree, tREeCYLE it!
Turn your holiday tree into mulch.
Even if you don't have a tree, you can still take advantage of some free mulch.

Million Trees is looking for volunteers for Help care for young street trees during MulchFest 2015!

MillionTreesNYC is looking for volunteers to help spread the mulch generated during this event around young street tree beds to help insulate these trees from the cold weather, retain moisture, and provide a decorative addition to neighborhood blocks.

Registration is required for volunteering with Million Trees, only.

Mulchfest is free and all are welcome.

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EAF

Daily through March 22, 2015

Socrates Sculpture Park
Vernon Blvd at Broadway
Ravenswood, Queens

The annual Emerging Artist Fellowship (EAF) Exhibition is a cornerstone of Socrates Sculpture Park’s visual arts programming and is widely acclaimed for the ambition, breadth, and innovation of the works on view. Featuring fifteen artists, EAF14 is a survey of the compelling and diverse state of sculpture today.

More info HERE.

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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2014:

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Leaf Fest in Queensbridge Park took place on December 12th. With the help of 65 volunteers from TransCanada, Forest Hills High School, International High School, Green Shores NYC, Friends of Queensbridge Park and the assistance of Partnerships for Parks and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, over 32 cubic yards of leaves were removed from the park and are to be composted. BIG thanks to everyone that pitched in and to TransCanada for their generosity in providing refreshments and additional supplies for the event. This was our final event of the year and a great way to wrap up a successful season.

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On December 3rd, we were honored by our friends at Transportation Alternatives and the Queens Activist Committee as a Safe Streets Coalition Partner of 2014! We are humbled by this honor and look forward to future collaboration with T.A.!

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Our second Bridging the Creek Bike Tour took place on Sunday, October 19th. The "Ring Around the Creek Bike Tour" went through Newtown Creek-side neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. We partnered with Recycle-A Bicycle and Newtown Creek Alliance Project Manager, Willis Elkins and Transportation Alternatives Queens Activist Committee Co-Chair Steve Scofield lead this leisurely paced tour which highlighted the current connections and opportunites for improved connections to the Creek and between the Creek neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn.

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On October 7th, Mayor De Blasio and Parks Commissioner Silver announced the Community Parks Initiative. Speaking at the Conference was Astoria Park Alliance Co-Chair, Marth Lopez-Gilpin (pictured second from right). Watch the press conference and hear Martha speak at the 30 minute mark.

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Thanks to everyone that joined us at our annual Shoreline Cleanup in Astoria Park on Saturday, September 27th! We removed over four hundred gallons of trash from the shoreline of Astoria Park. Special thanks to our event partners, the Astoria Park Alliance, Partnerships for Parks and the NYC Department of Parks and recreation.

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We were proud to, again, partner with NYC D.O.T, Bike New York and Recycle A Bicycle in Rainey Park. Hundreds of participants received free bike helmets, bike tuneups and dozens of children learned how to ride bikes for the first time!

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The Astoria Park Alliance hosted the annual Shore Fest in Astoria Park in August! Thousands of participants took advantage of a car-free Shore Blvd along the East River in Astoria Park.

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THANK YOU to Dutch Kills Centraal for being gracious hosts and to everyone that joined us and put the HAPPY in our Bridging the Creek Happy Hour on Thursday, July 31st!

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On Saturday, July 26th, we biked the Creek with two dozen of our newest friends and event partners Recycle A Bicycle, Willis Elkins from Newtown Creek Alliance and Rich Melinick from the Greater Astoria Historical Society.

Willis and Rich led the two hour tour through the Creek-side neighborhoods of Hunters Point, Dutch Kills, Blissville and Greenpoint.

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City of Water Day in OUR Neighborhood! At the Information Table with Clare, Ilana, Victor and BT. (left to right)

The community turned out in large numbers for the First Annual City of Water Day at Gantry Plaza State Park on Saturday, July 12th to enjoy paddling off of newly accessible Pier 4, play games on the plaza, read and borrow books at the pop-up library and care for the gardens of Gantry Park.

MANY thanks to our volunteers and event partners:
New York State Parks, Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, Queens Library, Friends of Queens Library at Hunters Point and the LIC Community Boathouse.

We received a grant for $500 for our participation at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s City of Water Day presented by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. This grant was provided by the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance.

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Caring for the gardens in the park. (Photo by Kent Cozad)

 
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Kayaking off of Pier 4.

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NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Queensborough Parks Commissioner, Dorothy Lewandowski addresses the audience.

The Queensbridge Park Waterfront is Officially Open!

On July 8th, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation led a press conference/ribbon cutting to open the the Queensbridge Waterfront and Esplanade after 14 months of construction and over a decade of inaccessibility.

The Friends of Queensbridge Park and Green Shores NYC are grateful to Council Member Van Bramer, Congresswoman Maloney, State Senator Gianaris, Assemblywoman Nolan, NYC Parks Commissioner Silver, Queensborough Commissioner Lewandowski and others for listening to the community and making this day possible.

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Thank you to Mitch Waxman and Mai Armstrong of the Newtown Creek Alliance for leading our three Bridging the Creek Walking Tours on June 8, 15 and 22, 2014.

Dozens of participants learned about the history, present and potential future for Newtown Creek.

Stay tuned for a full schedule of tours and workshops!

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Photos by Mitch Waxman

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BIG THANKS to the Astoria Park Alliance, Citylights Church, City Parks Foundation, New York Cares, IBEW3DYC, Council Member Constantinides, Partnerships for Parks, the NY Knicks and Chase for making It's My Park Day in Astoria Park on Saturday, June 21st a success! Pictured: Larry Johnson (NY Knicks Organization) and Nichole Henderson-Roy (Partnerships for Parks)

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The Long Island City High School Marching Band performs at Queensbridge Park after leading the Annual LIC Bike Parade down Vernon Blvd on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

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Thanks to Jorge from Parks, Sharon and the TransCanada team for helping to clean up after Friday's heavy rain at It's My Park Day in Queensbridge Park on Saturday, May 17th!

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Thank you to the dozens of volunteers that joined in the RIVERKEEPER SWEEP along our waterfront on Saturday, May 10th!

Volunteers mulched, swept and picked up garbage along our waterfront spaces on Anable Basin, Hallets Cove and Astoria Park.

SPECIAL THANKS to dedicated volunteers, NY Cares, Cornel Alumni Network and our partners in the Sweep:
Riverkeeper, LIC Boathouse, Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, NY State Parks and Plaxall.

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Green Shores NYC is recognized by MWA as a 2014 Hero of the Harbor!

On Thursday, April 24th, Green Shores NYC was awarded the Hero of the Harbor award at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's 2014 Waterfront Conference.

It was an honor for us to be recognized for our Waterfront Vision Plan for Astoria & Long Island City, Queens.

The Vision Plan was the culmination of almost two years of work with the community members of Astoria & Long Island City, Queens with input from our member organizations, local electeds, City agencies and through support and partnership with the Trust for Public Land.

Also recognized with the award were other waterfront advocates: Harlem River Working Group, Fund for a Better Waterfront, Rockaway Waterfront Alliance and Ironbound Community Corporation.

Special thanks to our member organizations and our volunteers that worked tirelessly to bring the Vision Plan to life.

We dedicate our award to the residents of Astoria & Long Island City!

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April 2014: Green Shores NYC launches our latest initiative "Bridging the Creek".

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IT'S YOUR WATERFRONT!

Green Shores NYC works to enliven the Astoria-Long Island City waterfront by caring for and advocating for safe public parks, green spaces, street trees, waterways and a waterfront greenway. Visit us online at: www.greenshoresnyc.org

To include your event on our updates and calendar, please email: mail@greenshoresnyc.org 
and put "EVENTS" in the subject line.

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