Running is good for you, doesn’t require expensive equipment and you can do it anywhere, even in a city of over 8 million! Come on a run with the Battery Park City Running Club on Thursday evenings this fall! Lace up and jog along the waterfront parks of Battery Park City with other active members of the community. Join in group warm up and cool down exercises led by programming leaders.

There are numerous benefits to running: improved cardiovascular health, mood, coordination, weight loss, and overall well-being. But group running offers even more than just physical improvement, it brings like-minded individuals together to experience an activity everyone enjoys. Get motivated, expand your social circle, learn about new running routes and events, and improve your performance by taking part in this community running program!

Free program! All levels welcome. Wear sneakers and bring a water bottle. CCSHS membership not required.

The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy and the Community Center at Stuyvesant High School present the programs, special events and classes for the Fall 2015 season. This includes the following:

• Go Fish! featuring Arm of the Sea Theater
• Go Fish! featuring Shine & the Moonbeams
• Turtle Day
• Family Art Tour: Sound/Waves
• Family Art Tour: Teardrop Park
• Explorers’ Club
• Chess for Children
• Stories & Songs
• Block Play
• Adult Swimming Lessons
• Kids’ Swimming Lessons
• Battery Park City Running Club
• Aerobic Swim Workout
• Yoga
• Tennis for Kids
• Masala Bhangra Dance Workout

NEW YORK, NY (May 12, 2015) – All aboard at Battery Park City’s North Cove Marina beginning May 21! Battery Park City is ready to welcome New Yorkers of all ages, both its old-salt sailors and soon-to-be seaworthy skippers, as it launches its 2015 Sailing Program through Offshore Sailing School.

“We are thrilled to welcome Offshore Sailing as the program operator for Battery Park City’s North Cove Marina,” announced Shari C. Hyman, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Battery Park City Authority, “Offshore Sailing is nationally recognized for its comprehensive instructional programming and its deep commitment to making sailing accessible for all. With their expertise at the helm, and Brookfield Property Partners commitment to provide a 21st Century experience for boaters and passersby alike, we are excited about the future of the Marina.”

With over 130,000 graduates to its credit, Offshore Sailing uses its award-winning Colgate 26 for its sailing club and courses. Five of these sailboats will be in place at the North Cove Marina on May 21. Two more will be added for a total of seven boats during the inaugural season.

“We have a long and exciting history in New York and New Jersey,” said Steve Colgate, Founder and Chairman of Offshore Sailing. “We’re delighted to be serving New Yorkers once again.” Mr. Colgate and his wife, Doris, operate the school. Mr. Colgate is recognized as one of the country’s leading sailing instructors and Mrs. Colgate authored a sailing book for women, Sailing: A Woman’s Guide, published by a division of the McGraw Hill Companies.

Sailing Program Schedule Announced

Offshore Sailing will offer the following programs:

• Beginner Classes. Starting May 21, two-hour sailing lessons for those who just want to “test the waters” will be offered.
• Multi-Day Introduction and Advanced Sailing Classes. Starting May 23 three-day learn-to-sail certification courses and three-day performance sailing and racing courses will also be offered.
• 2015 Season Rates
• 3-day Learn to Sail Courses now starting at $347.50, which is a 50% discount for those who sign up prior to July 1, 2015.
• 3-day Performance Sailing Course now starting at $397.50, which is a
  
  50% discount for those who sign up prior to July 1, 2015.
• Sailing Club. The North Cove Sailing Club will offer sailing opportunities to Offshore
  
  Sailing graduates as well as alumni of other sailing schools. Club membership includes
  
  sailing opportunities seven days a week throughout the day at North Cove.
• Inter-club racing one evening a week and on weekends, in addition to scheduled
  
  social events.
• Other racing events scheduled by shore staff and club members.
• 2015 Season Rates
• $600 Off Single North Cove Club Membership, now starting at $2150.
• $500 Off Per Person Membership for Two, now starting at $1950.
• Children’s Sailing Program. The KidsSail Youth Program will start June 22 and last eight
  
  weeks through week of August 10. Kids aged 7 through 17 will have the option to
  
  participate for one or more weeks throughout the summer. Many of the slots in KidsSail
  
  will be on a scholarship basis for those who cannot afford to pay. KidsSail anticipates
  
  including 150 participants the first year, of which 50% or 75 children will be afforded
  
  scholarships to offset tuition costs.
• Special Corporate, Women’s Sailing Program and Other Special Needs Programs.
  
  Corporate team building and regattas, as well as special needs sailing programs for
  
  handicapped and at-risk populations are also among Offshore Sailing’s offerings.
• Charity and Special Events. A special charity event, the Leukemia Cup Regatta, for the
  
  Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, among other racing events are planned.
• Free or Reduced Cost Sailing Events on Select Dates

For More Information:

For more information about the North Cove programs and how to sign up, visit

NorthCoveSailingSchool.com or call Beth Oliver at 239-985-7516.

About Battery Park City Authority.

The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority [BPCA] is a New York State public benefit

corporation whose mission to plan, create, coordinate and maintain a balanced community of

commercial, residential, retail and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower

west side of Manhattan. Battery Park City has achieved worldwide acclaim as a successful

initiative in community renewal. Through a public private partnership between Battery Park

City Authority and private developers, Battery Park City, a planned community, stands has a blueprint for modern urban development. For more information on BPCA, visit:

www.bpca.ny.gov

About Offshore Sailing School.

Offshore Sailing School has educated more than 130,000 adults and families over the past 51 years. The company was founded by Olympic and America’s Cup sailor Steve Colgate in 1964 in New York City where he started teaching classroom sessions, with on-water training off City Island, New York.

www.NorthCoveSailingSchool.com

• Date: Saturday June 6, 2015
• Time: 11:00 am
• Place: Teardrop Park
• Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan (Access: Warren or Murray Street)
• Subways: 1, 2, 3, A, C, J to Chambers Street / E to WTC/4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / R to City Hall
• Cost: FREE!
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/stories-for-all-ages-2/

On Saturday June 6, 2015 Battery Park City Parks Conservancy will present an entertaining morning of storytelling by Mary Ann Schmidt in lovely Teardrop Park. She will be telling “Herman and Marguerite,” a story about a shy earthworm and a lonely caterpillar, as well as other stories.

Storytelling – humankind’s oldest art form – teaches as well as entertains both young and old. Tucked away in magical Teardrop Park, this event will excite the imagination and encourage an interplay between the stories being told and the unique features of the park. Sitting on the park’s green grass, listeners embark on a wonderful journey as Mary Ann Schmidt weaves adventure-filled stories.

Mary Ann Schmidt is the storytelling teacher at Manhattan School for Children. She works primarily in the lower grades, visiting classrooms regularly and recounting world folk tales, fables and legends from a variety of cultures. She weaves imaginative and fantastic stories, often related to themes and concepts that the children are studying, such as community-building and problem solving.

• Date: Sunday June 14, 2015
• Time: 1 pm
• Place: Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
• Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan (access: Battery Place)
• Subways: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green / R to Whitehall Street-South Ferry/1 to Rector Street / J to Broad Street
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/family-concert-with-socalled/

Battery Park City Parks Conservancy and the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene present an all-ages performance by Socalled on Sunday June 14, 2015, as part of KulturefestNYC. Families are invited to bring a blanket or a picnic lunch as they enjoy a fun family-friendly concert and the amazing views of New York Harbor.

Socalled, born Josh Dolgin, is a Montreal based musician, known for mixing hip hop and klezmer into a unique blend of acoustic and electronic music. A pianist and accordion player as well as a rapper and producer, Socalled has collaborated with artists as varied as Fred Wesley, the Mighty Sparrow, Roxanne Shante, Matisyahu, Theodore Bikel, and Derrick Carter. The subject of The Socalled Movie, a feature documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada, he has been making records and touring the world for over a decade.

KulturefestNYC is an eight day festival of music, theater, films, and lectures celebrating the culture of the Jewish diaspora, as well as the centennial of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, the longest running Yiddish theater in the world.

For more information on Socalled: http://socalledmusic.com/

For more information on KulturefestNYC: http://kulturfestnyc.org/

• Dates: Wednesdays, June 3 through September 30, 2015
• Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
• Place: Esplanade Plaza
• Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan (Access: Liberty Street)
• Subways: 4 or 5 to Wall Street / R to Cortlandt Street
• 1 to Rector Street / J to Broad St.
• Cost: FREE!
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/volleyball-after-work-2/2015-06-03/

Every Wednesday evening, starting June 3 and lasting through September 30, 2015, Esplanade Plaza hosts an after work volleyball game for adults. Battery Park City Parks Conservancy will provide the scorekeeper and the ball, and will instruct newcomers in the basics of the game.

This good natured game has been going for over a decade. Although many people have been attending year after year, players of all experience levels are welcome. Coming by after work is a great way to relax and make new friends. The Esplanade Plaza court is located on the south side of North Cove with beautiful views of the Hudson River, New Jersey, and spectacular sunsets. The court is also available for play on a casual basis; although users must bring their own volleyball at those times.

• Date: Sunday June 28, 2015
• Time: 2pm
• Place: Pier A
• Subways: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green / R to Whitehall Street-South Ferry/1 to Rector Street / J to Broad Street
• Cost: FREE!
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/pier-a-tour/

On Sunday, June 28, 2015 the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy will host a free tour of the beautifully restored Pier A. The discussion will be led by Battery Park City Authority Vice President of Real Property Gwen Dawson who will explain the history of Pier A and tell the story of its recent renovation.

Extending 300 feet into New York Harbor and featuring a 70-foot clock tower, Pier A is New York City’s last remaining historic pier and its latest revival story. Taking the pier from an abandoned structure to a three-story, flood-prepared building with beautifully-designed bars and restaurant spaces as well as a visitor’s center and a public promenade was no easy task This talk will provide participants an opportunity to learn the inside story of the preservation and revitalization of a piece of New York City history.

The pier was completed in 1886 by New York Department of Docks and used by the Police Department harbor patrol. In the 1950’s, the pier was home to the New York City Fire Department’s Marine Division until 1992, when it was left vacant. The BPCA took on the project for New York Economic Development Corporation and Pier A opened to the public in late 2014 as a restaurant.

• Date: Sunday, June 7, 2015
• Time: 2 pm
• Place: Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan
• Subways: 1, 2, 3, A, C, J to Chambers Street / E to WTC / 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / R to City Hall
• Cost: FREE!
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/family-art-tour-workshop-gimme-shelter/

 

Demetri Porphyrios’s Pavillion is the focus for a free, family friendly afternoon exploring public art in Rockefeller Park. Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s Contemporary Art Historian leads a lively discussion on the brick, wood, & stone Pavilion which blurs the lines between art and architecture. Children, teens and adults can take inspiration from the piece’s mixture of structure and sculpture as they create their own art project around the theme of “shelter.” An artist/educator will be on hand to provide guidance as well as art supplies including recycled and repurposed materials.

The afternoon will be facilitated by Dorothea Basile, Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s Contemporary Art Historian. The sculpture making will be led by artist/educator Sara Wolfe.

For more information on the artwork Pavillion: https://bpcparks.org/whats-here/public-art/pavilion/

• Dates: Friday May 29, Friday June 5th, 2015
• Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
• Place: 6 River Terrace
  
  (South end of River Terrace, north of the Irish Hunger Memorial)
• Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, J to Chambers Street / E to WTC
  
  4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / R to City Hall
• Cost: FREE!
• Information: https://bpcparks.org/event/friday-night-for-teens-2/

Friday Night for Teens is a free program, held on Friday May 29, 2015 and Friday June 5, 2015, that gives kids a safe space to have fun and hang out. From 7 to 9 pm Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s events space, 6 River Terrace, will open so teens can drop by to play games like table tennis, foosball, super-sized Connect-4, board games, or just hang out. Parks Programming Leaders will be on hand to help break the ice and make sure everyone has fun. There will be pizza, snacks, a movie and lots of opportunities for selfies. Come by with your friends or come meet new ones! No parents allowed!

The Irish Hunger Memorial Walk and Talk May 3 2015

When it opened in 2002, the New York Times called the Irish Hunger Memorial an “unconventional work of public art that strikes a deep emotional chord, sums up its artistic moment for a broad audience and expands the understanding of what a public memorial can be.”

Starting with a guided tour from the artist himself, Brian Tolle, the Irish Hunger Memorial will be the focus of a multi-disciplinary talk that will also discuss the experience of Irish-Americans in New York, the Famine that drove them here, as well as the landscape and flora of Ireland. Brian Tolle will discuss the choices he made in designing a memorial for the Irish Famine and how the work serves as a contemporary monument dedicated to world hunger.

BPCPC staff horticulturist Richard Fariano will show attendees how recreating the look of an abandoned Irish field on a cared for and cultivated plot of land is more difficult than you might suspect. Historian Lynn Rogers will discuss Irish immigration during the Great Hunger and the immigrants’ experience arriving in the New York City of the 19th century.

Dedicated on July 16, 2002, the Irish Hunger Memorial (which takes its name from the Irish term for the famine of 1845-52, An Gorta Mór, “The Great Hunger”) stands on a half-acre site at the corner of Vesey Street and North End Avenue in Battery Park City. The Memorial depicts a rural Irish landscape with an abandoned stone cottage, stone walls, fallow potato fields and the flora of the north Connacht wetlands.