Photographs by Seitu Oronde On Monday, May 1st, 2023, photojournalist Seitu Oronde was at the Alton Henry Maddox, Jr., Celebration Of Life at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, NY. The music, the love, and the spirit of Harlem played in celebration of Mr. Maddox’s life. Click here to find more of Seitu Oronde’s photo essays at Seitu’s World.
Organizations must understand their employees’ thoughts and opinions in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environment. Online employee surveys are a powerful tool that can help companies gather feedback from their employees in a quick, cost-effective, and efficient way. This blog post will provide a complete guide to conducting an online employee survey, including their benefits,…
Gone are the days when shopping for new clothes meant a trip to the mall. With the advent of e-commerce marketplaces, such as Temu, it’s now possible to shop for the latest fashion trends from the comfort of your own home. But with so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to know where…
Tickets to Broadway’s best shows can add up, so you’ll want to take advantage of a new promotion Amtrak is doing that’ll help you score tickets to Broadway’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
Amtrak has partnered with Audience Rewards, the official rewards program for Broadway, to allow travelers to use Amtrak Guest Rewards to purchase tickets to “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” now at the Lyric Theatre. Through the program, train enthusiasts can cash in on loyalty points in exchange for a theatre seat.
There’s no fee to redeem Amtrak Guest Reward points for a ticket to “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Full-price tickets start at $80, so you’ll have to determine if your points are worth more or less than an $80 train fair.
Of course, if you’re traveling into New York City via Amtrak, you can strategically join the loyalty program, collect your points, and book a free Broadway ticket.
It’s free for Amtrak Guest Rewards members to register with Audience Rewards (it’s also free for anyone who wants to register). Members of the program can also opt into upcoming special offers, presales, free tickets and more rewards as part of the Audience Rewards membership.
From now until June 25, passengers can board a locomotive adorned with Harry Potter characters, without seeking out Platform 9 ¾. For this partnership, Amtrak is running four specially wrapped and themed trains operating on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Washington, D.C., and Boston. The wraps will show off the show’s logo along with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy and the next generation of wizards: Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Granger-Weasley. A swirling clock will give you visions of time travel as you ride through the illustrious landscapes of the NEC.
The Harry Potter production, which opened in June 2022, follows the titular character’s son, Albus, who befriends Scorpius, the son of Harry’s high school rival, Draco Malfoy. Theatrical magic and surprises are promised during the three-and-a-half-hour play. After the show, consider dipping into The Cauldron, an unlicensed-themed magical pub with Diagon Alley vibes.
Grab your tickets now because there’s no time-turner here!
Harlem Bespoke: Calling emerging artists of African and Latin American descent! Did you know that artist Kehinde Wiley started out in Harlem with a Studio Museum residency before taking the art world by storm? The Studio Museum continues this legacy and is currently receiving applications for the 2023-24 Artist-in-Residence program. This eleven-month studio residency will be offered to three emerging artists working in any media and the application deadline is by May 22nd, 2023. More details and online application can be found on the Studio Museum site: LINK
A much-needed hip hop museum is finally coming to The Bronx in 2024, and for less than $500/month you can live above it!
Bronx Point, Mott Haven’s major waterfront project, just opened this week and a housing lottery is underway.
Source / Bronx Point
Situated at 50 East 150th Street, Bronx Point is a 22-story, 530,000-square-foot development that includes over 1,000 apartments. 432 mixed-income units are currently up for grabs in the first phase of the lottery, all of which are subject to rent stabilization.
The development is a short walk to the 2, 3, 4, and 5 subway lines as well as the Bx1, Bx19, and Bx13 buses, and those lucky enough to score a unit would be living above the future Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Source / Bronx Point
Building amenities include:
A 24-hour attended lobby with a doorman
On-site laundry,
A community room
Children’s playroom
Outdoor terraces
A fitness center
A bike room
Educational and community facilities, including an early childhood center
Source / Bronx Point
New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 80, and 120% of the area median income, or between $18,515 annually for a single person and $198,600 for a household of seven, are invited to apply for the apartments.
Source / Bronx Point
Eligible units in the lottery range from studios to 3-bedrooms, and are priced at $465/month and $3,332/month, respectively.
Those looking to apply can find more details and register here. There’s no fee to apply, and no broker’s fee to move in. Preference for 50% of the units will be given to residents of Bronx Community District 4.
Source / Bronx Point
Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2023. Applicants will likely be informed whether or not they were chosen within 2-10 months after applying.
Harlem Bespoke: Friday-Sunday, May 19th-21st 11:00AM to 7:00PM, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, at Malt House in the Manhattanville Factory District, 439 West 127th Street by Amsterdam Avenue. The Harlem location of Gavin Brown in Manhattanville shuttered in 2020 and now the West Harlem location in the old brewery building will be used for the occasional pop-up exhibit for New Yorkers to check out in the unique uptown space.
Held annually across three continents, in London, New York and Marrakech, 1-54 is the leading global event series dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. This year’s New York iteration features dozens of galleries hailing from across Africa, Europe and the United States: LINK
The Downtown Alliance has just unveiled Light and Sound, the latest series of its Art is All Around campaign.
The campaign consists of two interactive and luminous public art installations which will come together with music to bring a lunchtime concert series to Lower Manhattan starting later this month.
Optik features 10 movable gyroscope-like rings that produce their own sounds along with a spectrum of reflective colors. Visitors can rotate the installation’s rings to create ever-changing lights and tones.
Optik was created by the Urban Conga in collaboration with Serge Maheu and will be displayed on Cortlandt Way.
‘Optik’ / The Urban Conga (Photo circa 2022)
Roseaux brings together 15-foot illuminated reeds that continuously emit pulsating lights and audible tones. Visitors can stand on the base to change the spectrum of colors, making the installation personal to each viewer.
Created by 1ToMn in collaboration with UDO Design and Serge Maheu, Roseaux will be located at 200 Water Street.
‘Roseaux’ / 1ToMn (Photo circa 2022)
A weekly concert series will complement the installations. Programmed by esteemed New York musician and producer Svetlana Shmulyian, performances will feature interactive music and dance performances provided by some of the city’s most exciting jazz and blues bands.
“Grab your friends, grab the kids and come play! These art installations and concerts will bring joy and fun to our streets,” said Downtown Alliance president Jessica Lappin. “Late spring is a fantastic time to be out exploring Lower Manhattan, and ‘Light and Sound’ will add extra excitement and entertainment for those enjoying the fresh air and warm weather.”
The art installations will be on view from Wednesday, May 10 through Wednesday, June 21. Starting Wednesday, May 17, the concerts will take place each Wednesday at 12 p.m. at alternating locations between 200 Water Street and Cortlandt Way.
‘Optik’ / The Urban Conga (Photo circa 2022)
The light and sound performanceschedule is as follows:
May 17 – Alphonso Horne and His Gotham Kings (200 Water St.)
May 24 – Charles Turner and Uptown Swing (Cortlandt Way)
May 31 – Christopher McBride & The Whole Proof (200 Water St.)
June 7 – Svetlana & The New York Collective (Cortlandt Way)
June 14 – Kalí Rodríguez-Peña Mélange (200 Water St.)
June 21 – Willerm Delisfort Project (Cortlandt Way)
