News & Updates in Murray Hill

We are grateful to the the 2018 supporters of the Murray Hill Malls on Park Avenue!

The 1,000 Red Parade Tulips planted on the Murray Hill Malls on Park Avenue will be popping up before we know it—Murray Hill’s harbinger of spring—a plan implemented by our Founding Chair, Mrs. Irma Worrell Fisher.

2018 was indeed a GREAT year for POPA. Because of the perennial grasses and lilies that were planted two seasons ago, our cost for seasonal plantings has been reduced by 40%, leaving us funds to replace four holly trees and continue our battle against weeds and Dodder, an invasive vine. We also replanted four complete malls with ground cover which has apparently survived the winter intact. as well as replacing four trees that had perished over the years.

The Murray Hill Malls on Park Avenue are supported almost totally by the generosity of buildings, small businesses and civic-minded individuals in Murray Hill. Read more to see the list of donors.

The MHNA’s Annual Meeting covered issues, projects and programs

The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association annual meeting was held on October 4. This meeting provides us with the opportunity to hear guest speakers who update us on neighborhood issues. The meeting also enables us to tell our neighbors about the work of the Association, and allows us to hear from you, the people who live and work in Murray Hill.

Guest speakers included Marilyn Noa, NYPD Neighborhood Coordination Officer for the 17th Precinct Sector A, David Frank, Chief Engineer for the Infrastructure Replacement Project on 2nd Avenue and surrounding areas and our new City Council Members Keith Powers (District 4) and Carlina Rivera (District 2). Community and volunteer awards were given to Terry Katz, Executive Director of the Society of Jewish Science/Center for Applied Judaism, Enid Klass, MHNA Honorary Trustee and Marisa Bulzone, past trustee. The committee chairs spoke also spoke about MHNA programs. Break-out sessions were a chance for you to speak with committee chairs.

Photo: Susan Demmet, co-chair of the Preservation & Design Committee speaks with neigbors and Police Officer Ryan on the right.

Your responses to the survey help us prioritize our work!

During the summer, The Murray Hill Neighborhood circulated a survey to find out your most important issues in Murray Hill and also to hear how we are doing as your Association. 177 people responded. The issues that you consider the most important are traffic, noise, construction, loss of affordable housing and businesses and loss of our historic buildings. In addition your comments indicated that neighborhood cleanliness, the homeless and panhandlers, and the need for more trees and green spaces are also important.

We thank everyone who responded, as we use your responses to prioritize our work.

Three New Cultural Medallions Honoring Distinguished Murray Hill Residents Are Unveiled

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, Charles Dana Gibson, and Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn were honored in April in ceremonies unveiling cultural medallions placed on the façades of each of the brownstones where they once resided in Murray Hill.

To commemorate other illustrious residents who once lived in Murray Hill, the P&D Committee is exploring several names to add to our list of cultural medallion honorees. These include the songwriter, Cole Porter, the architect Marcel Breuer, the playwright Tennessee Williams and the actress Helen Hayes.

Funding for the research, fabrication of the medallions and the videotaping of the ceremonies comes from individual sponsors, honored building owners and private donations. If you would like to sponsor or contribute to the Medallion Program, please visit our website at www.murrayhillnyc.org and click Donate. Email Susan Demmet at sldemmet@gmail.com when you donate so your contribution can be properly acknowledged, or if you know of a significant person who lived in Murray Hill whom you believe should be nominated for a Cultural Medallion.

Shop Amazon and support The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association at the same time!

Shop amazon.com via this link, and support The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association!

Donald Lipski’s Spot installed in front of the new Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital

As a neighbor, I’m proud to have just installed a sculpture in front of NYU’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital [in the new Kimmel Pavilion, but with its own driveway and lobby], on 34th Street between 1st Avenue and the FDR Drive.

The sculpture, Spot, is a 2-1/2 story tall Dalmatian dog, balancing an actual taxi on her nose. Spot will be out there for everyone to see, but it was made primarily for children coming to the hospital. Art has healing power. That’s a fact! I like to think that the parents, the doctors and nurses and staff, my neighbors, will all love this sweet young dog doing the impossible.