Trish Mayo passed along her photos of the day, so I thought I would post the link to her gallery. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/obsessivephotography/sets/72157606968773500/
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ribbon Cut on the New High Bridge Access Trail
Today a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the newly opened High Bridge Access Trail. The trail was finished this past spring and the stairs down to the bridge were opened in June. When the High Bridge (which is a pedestrian foot bridge) is opened, it will connect the Bronx to Manhattan.
Many people from neighborhood and community organizations turned out for the event, including members of the CLIMB team and the High Bridge Coalition. Joseph Sanchez, one of the founders of the High Bridge Coalition and part of the CLIMB team, was given a special thanks by council member Miguel Martinez for his work towards getting the bridge reopened.
After the ribbon cutting and speeches from a few politicians, the normally locked fence to the bridge was opened and people were allowed to cross from Manhattan over to the Bronx.
Many people from neighborhood and community organizations turned out for the event, including members of the CLIMB team and the High Bridge Coalition. Joseph Sanchez, one of the founders of the High Bridge Coalition and part of the CLIMB team, was given a special thanks by council member Miguel Martinez for his work towards getting the bridge reopened.
After the ribbon cutting and speeches from a few politicians, the normally locked fence to the bridge was opened and people were allowed to cross from Manhattan over to the Bronx.
Mayor Bloomberg on the Bronx side of the bridge with Chauncy Young of the High Bridge Coalition, long-time Washington Heights resident Antonia Diaz, and Lourdes Hernandez-Cordero of CLIMB.*
Mayor Bloomberg with Joseph Sanchez, a parks catalyst, and Kate Gluzberg of Partnership for Parks, showing off his new CLIMB t-shirt. *
Dr. Bob Fullilove of the Community Research Group speaking with Mayor Mayor Bloomberg.*
*All photos taken by Howard Joseph of the Community Research Group.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Hike the Heights 4 - Happy Birthday High Bridge!
On June 7th, 2008, people from the Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood neighborhoods celebrated the 4th annual Hike the Heights. The event was organized by a large number of organizations within the CLIMB coalition.
Since this year marks the 160th anniversary of the construction of the High Bridge, the party had a 'Happy Birthday High Bridge!' theme.
The day began with art activites for kids (sponsored by Creative Arts Workshops for Kids and Kids' Art Network) at four locations (the RING Garden, Sherman Creek, St. Nicholas Park, and Jackie Robinson Park).
After the art activities, families gathered at the four locations and began the walk to the Highbridge water tower in Highbridge Park. The hike took place all along giraffe path, a hiking trail spanning the parks of northern Manhattan. Paper mache giraffes made by kids from Creative Arts Workshops programs were hidden all along the trail. Children were given a sticker for each giraffe they spotted and received a prize at the end for finding ten giraffes.
The hikes culminated in a large community celebration next to the Highbridge water tower. The celebration included food, music, dance performances, field games, a mini-film festival, and water tower tours.
Streetfilms recorded the event, with a focus on the giraffe path. The film can be found here: http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hike-the-heights/
Expect a film to be released soon on the 'Happy Birthday High Bridge!' celebration.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Visioning with the community: Highbridge Rec Center
Three Mailman School of Public Health students met with youth attending the Highbridge Recreation Center afterschool program. The 15 students, ranging from 1st to 5th grade, joined in for a brief lesson on ecology at the Recreation Center, discussing both biological ecosystems and the ecosystem of the neighborhood, Washington Heights.
Next they traveled a few short blocks through the Highbridge Park to the part of the park nicknamed “Mad Hot Park.” Here the students participated in a three stage process of envisioning how they wish to direct investment in the space. The stages included:
1. Identifying individual reasons why they do not visit this part of the park. (barriors)
2. Documenting a part of the park space that they found particularly interesting through one photograph. (strengths)
3. Illustrating how they would design the space on a map of the park’s footprint. (vision)
The students’ input will be combined with the input of other community members to formulate preliminary ideas for future investment in the currently underutilized section of the Highbridge Park.
Next they traveled a few short blocks through the Highbridge Park to the part of the park nicknamed “Mad Hot Park.” Here the students participated in a three stage process of envisioning how they wish to direct investment in the space. The stages included:
1. Identifying individual reasons why they do not visit this part of the park. (barriors)
2. Documenting a part of the park space that they found particularly interesting through one photograph. (strengths)
3. Illustrating how they would design the space on a map of the park’s footprint. (vision)
The students’ input will be combined with the input of other community members to formulate preliminary ideas for future investment in the currently underutilized section of the Highbridge Park.
Monday, April 14, 2008
CLIMB hike through Highbridge
This past weekend, CLIMB held a walk through Highbridge Park at 11:30am on Saturday. The walk began at the corner of 155th St. and Edgecombe Avenue, one of the key "spots" on the CLIMB trail and an important access point between multiple neighborhoods.
Many people were out in the parks for New York Cares Day, an annual event that hosts a variety of community service projects. We made an early stop for coffee and pastries at a neighborhood favorite, the O.C. Bakery on 159th St. and Edgecombe Avenue.
From there, the group walked along the sidewalk next the park up to 170th St. and Edgecombe Avenue. At this point, the group decided to explore the park, particularly an area unofficially dubbed "Mad Hot Park." It sits down from the park and sidewalk and is partially hidden by a retaining wall. Mad Hot was formerly used as a horseshoe pit and looks out towards the Harlem River and the Bronx. It is currently fenced off and overgrown with vegetation, however, horseshoe poles and lamposts remain. Many students have become interested in returning Mad Hot to its former glory, as it is clearly such a special place in an important spot. It is a point that has access from many directions and could represent a 'coming together' of different places, as it is the meeting point of Edgecombe Avenue, 170th St., and nearyby Amsterdam Avenue.
Finally, the group walked up to the Highbridge water tower and looked over the Highbridge foot bridge connecting Washington Heights to the Bronx. We met and spoke with a long-time resident of Washington Heights, who recounted the days when the Highbridge was still open and he and his wife would stroll across over to the Bronx. Hearing old stories of Washington Heights and Highbridge was a wonderful conclusion to the hike.
Many people were out in the parks for New York Cares Day, an annual event that hosts a variety of community service projects. We made an early stop for coffee and pastries at a neighborhood favorite, the O.C. Bakery on 159th St. and Edgecombe Avenue.
From there, the group walked along the sidewalk next the park up to 170th St. and Edgecombe Avenue. At this point, the group decided to explore the park, particularly an area unofficially dubbed "Mad Hot Park." It sits down from the park and sidewalk and is partially hidden by a retaining wall. Mad Hot was formerly used as a horseshoe pit and looks out towards the Harlem River and the Bronx. It is currently fenced off and overgrown with vegetation, however, horseshoe poles and lamposts remain. Many students have become interested in returning Mad Hot to its former glory, as it is clearly such a special place in an important spot. It is a point that has access from many directions and could represent a 'coming together' of different places, as it is the meeting point of Edgecombe Avenue, 170th St., and nearyby Amsterdam Avenue.
Finally, the group walked up to the Highbridge water tower and looked over the Highbridge foot bridge connecting Washington Heights to the Bronx. We met and spoke with a long-time resident of Washington Heights, who recounted the days when the Highbridge was still open and he and his wife would stroll across over to the Bronx. Hearing old stories of Washington Heights and Highbridge was a wonderful conclusion to the hike.
Friday, April 4, 2008
About Us
City Life is Moving Bodies (CLIMB) - a project of the Community Research Group - is a northern Manhattan community-based initiative founded on the belief that safe parks and neighborhoods are essential to community health, and that all communities, regardless of socioeconomic background, are entitled to access to safe parks and neighborhoods. Our purpose is to combat the problems of gang violence, drugs, obesity, sedentary lifestyles and displacement by creating a sense of neighborhood and park ownership within our communities. Since its inception, a consensus group formed by representatives from community-based multi-service agencies, city agencies, local businesses and interested residents have informed the direction of the project.
Utilizing a shared leadership model, members of the consensus group have identified projects and received the support of the collective to carry them out.
CLIMB offers a framework for comprehensive, multi-level interventions that address health problems (i.e. obesity, asthma, HIV prevention) at the individual, family, neighborhood and city levels.
Individual - create new programs (i.e. workplace walking groups, senior strolls) or enhance existing ones (i.e. add a physical activity to component to an existing prenatal program).
Family - family strengthening programs that incorporate outdoor/park related activities (i.e. families engaged in trail maintenance, festivals).
Neighborhood - Tenant organizing and or other activities that brings groups such as churches or schools together and promotes stewardship of the land (i.e. “adopt a street/park”). Engage local vendors to offer healthier food options (i.e. CLIMB combo = salad + ½ sandwich + water bottle + fruit).
City - Trail building by working in conjunction with Parks Department and other agencies to highlight existing/create signage identifying multiuse trails (i.e. walking, biking, rock climbing, and dog walking). Link the parks and nearby street grids (i.e. identify safest routes/intersections, create “green corridors” to connect neighborhoods, parks and the river).
Utilizing a shared leadership model, members of the consensus group have identified projects and received the support of the collective to carry them out.
CLIMB offers a framework for comprehensive, multi-level interventions that address health problems (i.e. obesity, asthma, HIV prevention) at the individual, family, neighborhood and city levels.
Individual - create new programs (i.e. workplace walking groups, senior strolls) or enhance existing ones (i.e. add a physical activity to component to an existing prenatal program).
Family - family strengthening programs that incorporate outdoor/park related activities (i.e. families engaged in trail maintenance, festivals).
Neighborhood - Tenant organizing and or other activities that brings groups such as churches or schools together and promotes stewardship of the land (i.e. “adopt a street/park”). Engage local vendors to offer healthier food options (i.e. CLIMB combo = salad + ½ sandwich + water bottle + fruit).
City - Trail building by working in conjunction with Parks Department and other agencies to highlight existing/create signage identifying multiuse trails (i.e. walking, biking, rock climbing, and dog walking). Link the parks and nearby street grids (i.e. identify safest routes/intersections, create “green corridors” to connect neighborhoods, parks and the river).
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