Wave Hill Weekly Events (Jul 17 – Jul 24) | Life Among the Raptors & Bandits on the Run

Soaring above the garden are our winged friends who make Wave Hill a memorable place. In the daytime, songbirds sing their tunes and hawks take flight across the Hudson. By nightfall, owls take flight, casting their shadows underneath the moonlight. Whether it’s lounging on the lawn or joining in on our Evening Nature Encounters, catch a glimpse of our Bronx birds that call the gardens and woodlands their home!

Gardens & Nature: 

 

Garden Highlights Walk 

Sun, Jul 20, 2:00PM – 3:00PM 

Free with admission to the grounds   

Registration not required.   

Take a leisurely guided walk with a Wave Hill Garden Guide to observe early summer garden highlights. All are welcome! 

 

Life Among the Raptors 

Fri, Jul 18, 8:00PM – 10:00PM 

Registration Encouraged 

Gain a greater appreciation of these majestic raptors with Christine Peyreigne of Christine’s Critters, Inc. as she shares the challenges and inspiring recoveries of the birds her team has helped return to the wild. Get a behind-the-scenes look at real-life rehabilitation efforts and meet live owls, hawks, and falcons, as you hear their rescue stories and learn how we can all contribute to their conservation. 

Art: 

 

Public Gallery Tour 

Thur, Jul 17, 2:00PM – 3:00PM 

Sat, Jul 19, 2:00PM – 3:00PM 

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required. 

Visitors can expect an in-depth look at artworks on view in Glyndor Gallery and in the Sunroom Project Space, showcasing the work of both emerging and established artists in the unique context of a public garden between nature, culture and site. 

 

Trees en Plein Air 

Sun, Jul 20, 9:00AM – 1:30PM 

Registration encouraged 

Express your creativity with a day of outdoor painting and drawing! Artists, Wennie Huang and Rebecca Allan, will guide participants as they observe Wave Hill’s stately trees and use a series of mixed mediums in this activity. From charcoal to watercolors, explore various compositions and techniques to capture the habits, growth patterns, and textures of the trees cared for by arborists and gardeners at Wave Hill.  

 

Family: 

 

Family Art Project: Monet’s Magnificent Pond 

Sat, Jul 19, 10:00AM – 1:00PM 

Sun, Jul 20, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required. 

Dive into the world of artist Claude Monet and his water lilies. Make a splash as you create your very own mixed-media paintings inspired by Wave Hill’s Aquatic Garden. At 11:30am families can enjoy a storytime program in the Gund Theater.  

 

Special Events: 

 

Sunset Wednesdays: Bandits on the Run 

Wed, Jul 24, 7:00PM  –  8:00PM 

Registration encouraged  

Musical trio, Bandits on the Run, comprised of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn, combine a series of instruments and three-part harmonies to create a unique indie-folk sound. The Brooklyn-based band sprang from a chance encounter while busking in New York City’s subways, bringing them to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest’s Top Shelf, the silver screen, and the Netflix animated series, Storybots. Join in on the fun at Wave Hill with bands theatrical storytelling through the sounds of their music! 

 

Afternoon Tea 

Thur, Jul 17, 11:00AM – 1:30PM 

Tue, Jul 22, 11:00AM – 1:30PM 

7 Day Advanced Booking Required 

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00AM or 1:30PM, enjoy delicious tea sandwiches and delectable pastries with a specialty tea selection served on our Kate French Terrace, provided by our exclusive partner Great Performances. Due to the nature of the event, no substitutions or changes are available. 

HOURS STARTING MARCH 15: 10AM–5:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday  

Shuttle Service Free from Subway and Metro-North, Saturday–Sunday 

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.   

MOST PRO-HOUSING ADMINISTRATION IN CITY HISTORY: MAYOR ADAMS, GRAND STREET GUILD, CATHOLIC HOMES OF NEW YORK ADVANCE 190 DEEPLY-AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS ON LOWER EAST SIDE

 

Ridge Street Apartments Will Also Set Aside 30 Percent of Units for Formerly-Homeless Seniors, Offer Robust Slate of Social Services 

  

Announcement Builds on Record Amount of Senior Housing Created Last Year Under Adams Administration 

  

Closing Comes Ahead of Adams Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Production Numbers Announcement 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, Grand Street Guild, and Catholic Homes of New York today announced the financing of Ridge Street Apartments, a 100-percent affordable building for seniors located at 145 Broome Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 16-story building — which is part of the city’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program and located at the intersection of Broome Street and Ridge Street — will offer a mix of 190 studio and one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors 62 and older at or below 50 percent of area median income. Additionally, 30 percent of the units will be available to formerly homeless seniors 55 and older. HPD has awarded project-based vouchers for all residential units, and the project will include an additional unit for a superintendent. Ridge Street Apartments — which will offer a robust slate of social services, feature ample tenant facilities, and include an outdoor seating area — is expected to cost $176 million, with the Adams administration contributing $32 million. The entire development will be contained within Grand Street Guild’s existing park-like campus and builds on the Adams administration’s record as the most pro-housing administration in city history, including announcing records amounts of senior housing. In addition to creating record amounts of affordable and senior housing last year, passing the first citywide zoning reform in 60 years, and advancing five neighborhood plans to create jobs and new housing across the city, new housing like the Ridge Street Apartments will help New York City reach Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes by 2032. 

  

“Getting older should not mean having to move out. We want our older New Yorkers to stay right here in the city they love, and this investment in 190 new affordable apartments for older adults will help us meet that mission,” said Mayor Adams. “From creating a record amount of senior housing last year to educating over 1,600 frontline health care workers on helping older patients age in place, our administration is proud to be delivering the housing, help, and health care that senior New Yorkers, and all New Yorkers, deserve as we make our city more affordable and the best place to live and thrive.” 

“The Ridge Street Apartments is yet another example of this administration's commitment to supporting older New Yorkers across the city,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “As the most pro-housing administration in city history, we are providing 190 older adult households affordability, stability, and comfort through our historic investments in housing. Congratulations to our partners for advancing such an impactful project.” 

“The Ridge Street Apartments project represents 190 important steps in the right direction — one for every affordable senior housing unit this project is creating. Each unit helps us advance HPD’s core mission of providing a safe, affordable place to call home for every New Yorker,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Tigani. “At 145 Broome Street, we are excited to support our city’s older New Yorkers and provide 100 percent affordable housing right in the heart of the Lower East Side. By creating recreational, educational, and outdoor spaces, we are working to keep residents connected with one another by developing buildings that are more than just places to live — but instead, places to thrive.”   

  

“Senior New Yorkers deserve a stable, decent home. Catholic Charities is proud that 145 Broome Street’s 191 apartments will provide an affordable home to seniors and their families, allowing them to age gracefully and remain in their communities,” said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, executive director, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. “Thanks to our work together with the Grand Street Guild, and financing from our partners in government, we will be providing a new home to our lower-income senior neighbors at a time when they need it the most.” 

Ridge Street Apartments will deliver 190 truly-affordable homes for seniors on the Lower East Side. Credit: Handel Architects LLP. 

Designed by world-renowned firm Handel Architects, the building will be constructed by Monadnock Construction, an industry leader in the creation of affordable housing. The project — which has been awarded a New York state Energy Research and Development Authority Future Housing Initiative incentive award — will be all-electric and achieve Passive House certification. Wavecrest Management is the lease-up agent and property manager, and Forsyth Street Affordable Housing is the project’s financial consultant. The project is financed by HPD, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, Richman Housing Resources, and Citibank National Association. This project was also made possible, in part, by federal HOME funds administered by HPD. 

  

As with all Grand Street Guild’s affordable buildings, a robust slate of social services will be offered at Ridge Street Apartments by Catholic Charities Community Services, the New York City Human Resources Administration-approved senior service provider. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2025, with anticipated completion in the first quarter of 2028. 

  

Since entering office, Mayor Adams has made historic investments to create more affordable housing and ensure more New Yorkers have a place to call home. The Adams administration is advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver more than 50,000 units over the next 15 years to New York neighborhoods. In addition to the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan and the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, both of which have been passed by the New York City Council, the Adams administration is advancing plans in Midtown South in Manhattan, as well as Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens. 

  

Moreover, last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. In June 2024, City Hall and the New York City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.7 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Over the last two years, Mayor Adams celebrated back-to-back record breaking fiscal years, as well as back-to-back calendar years, in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. In the spring of 2024, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.  

  

Building on the success of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Adams unveiled his “City of Yes for Families” strategy earlier this year to build more homes and create more family-friendly neighborhoods across New York City. Under City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is advancing more housing on city-owned sites, creating new tools to support homeownership, and building more housing alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores, accessible transit stations, and libraries. 

  

Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city’s housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help older adults afford to remain in the communities they call home but also help build generational wealth for families. In addition to creating more housing opportunities, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant protections and support homeowners. The “Partners in Preservation” program was expanded citywide in 2024 through a $24 million investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combat harassment in rent-regulated housing. The Homeowner Help Desk, a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations, was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $13 million funding commitment. 

  

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments. 

Distraction-Free Schools: Governor Hochul and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos Highlight Smartphone Restrictions in Nation’s Largest School System Starting This Fall

Follows State’s Distraction-Free Schools Law for Bell-to-Bell Smartphone Restrictions in K-12 Schools Statewide

Governor and Chancellor Host Roundtable with Teachers and Administrators Unions, School Safety Officers and Students to Discuss Implementation for New York City Public Schools

All Public School Districts Statewide Must Publish Their Distraction-Free Policy By August 1

State Launched Website with Policy FAQ, Toolkit and Other Key Information for School Districts as They Finalize Policies

Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today highlighted plans for implementing smartphone restrictions across NYC Public Schools – the nation’s largest school system – when students return this fall. The Chancellor’s proposed regulations for NYC Public Schools will be voted on by the NYC Panel for Education Policy (PEP) on July 23.

The NYC Public Schools plan follows the State’s new Distraction-Free Schools law signed by Governor Hochul this year, which requires bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions in K-12 school districts statewide, starting this fall for the 2025-2026 school year. As part of that law, public school districts statewide must finalize and publish their distraction-free policy by August 1. In addition to NYC Public Schools, many other districts across the state have already developed or finalized their policy. The Governor also recently launched a website with a policy FAQ, toolkit and other key information about the State law as a resource for districts as they finalize their policy by the August 1 deadline.

“Our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling – and that’s why New York will be ready to implement bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions on the first day of school,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m pleased that most school districts across the state have either already implemented or are finalizing their distraction-free policy – and my team continues to provide the resources and tools to ensure every district publishes their policy by the August 1 deadline.”

New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramo said, “As New York City Public Schools works to develop an updated cell phone policy for our schools, one thing has been clear: we must remain guided by the diverse needs and input of our school communities, union partners, elected officials, school staff, and most importantly, our students. Today’s roundtable gives us a chance to engage with these stakeholders in a public forum, hear their feedback, and discuss this policy as it’s developed. I am grateful to our participants for sharing their thoughts and to Mayor Eric Adams for making the investments necessary to lead our students into the future.”

Governor Hochul and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos discussed the plans today at a roundtable at Walton High School that included representatives of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), school safety officials, students and other key stakeholders throughout the NYC Public Schools system.

This new requirement will take place in the 2025-26 School Year and applies to all schools in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

Governor Hochul’s cellphone policy creates a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York including:

• Prohibits unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day (from “bell to bell”), including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods
• Allows schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day — giving administrators and teachers the flexibility to do what works best for their buildings and students
• Secures $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free
• Requires schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary
• Requires teachers, parents and students to be consulted in developing the local policy
• Prevents inequitable discipline

Governor Hochul’s policy clarifies that students will have authorized access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, such as laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans.

Additionally, the Governor’s policy includes several exemptions to smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), for academic purposes, or for other legitimate purposes, such as translation, family caregiving and emergencies.

Attorney General James Sues FEMA for Cutting Bipartisan Funding for Natural Disasters

 

AG James and 19 States Sue to Restore Billions of Dollars to Help Guard Against Disasters Like Recent Texas Floods

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 19 other states in suing the Trump administration over its deadly decision to illegally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which has supported critical infrastructure to protect communities from disasters before they happen. Since the 1990s, FEMA has provided billions of dollars to state and local governments to support infrastructure improvements to prepare for natural disasters. These funds have been proven to save lives, protect property, and reduce the cost of rebuilding after a disaster strikes. While BRIC has received bipartisan support and funded projects in all 50 states, the administration abruptly and illegally terminated the program earlier this year, jeopardizing billions of dollars intended to help communities prepare for disasters nationwide. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a court order to stop the termination of the BRIC program and prevent the administration from illegally reallocating its funds.

“This administration’s decision to slash billions of dollars that protect our communities from floods, wildfires, and other disasters puts millions of New Yorkers at risk,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers depend on quality roads, floodwalls, and other vital infrastructure to keep them safe when disaster strikes. This administration has no authority to cut this program that has helped save countless lives, and I will continue to fight to ensure New York gets the support we need to prepare for dangerous natural disasters.”

The BRIC program provides financial and technical assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to implement new measures that protect communities from natural disasters. The program’s grants cover up to 75 percent of a project’s costs, and can rise to 90 percent for small rural communities, making them a critical lifeline. BRIC funding supports the construction of evacuation shelters and flood walls, protections for water and power infrastructure, and improvements to roads and bridges. Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects from every corner of the country to receive roughly $4.5 billion in funding. Due to the unique threats they face, coastal communities have received the largest allocations over the past four years, with New York among the states receiving the most BRIC funding. 

New York has 38 BRIC projects throughout the state totaling over $380 million that are all in jeopardy as a result of the termination of the program. New York City, which is particularly vulnerable to flooding, is expecting to receive BRIC funds for 19 different projects. This includes $50 million for the Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation Project, which is designed to provide flood protection measures to over 45,000 city residents vulnerable to flash flooding of the Harlem River. 

Multiple studies have shown that BRIC funds more than pay for themselves by preventing costly damage during disasters. Each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs, with some investments saving even more. BRIC program funds have helped avoid over $150 billion in costs and saved lives in communities throughout the country.

Despite the program’s success and longtime bipartisan support, the Trump administration unlawfully terminated the program in April 2025, diverting over $4 billion out of FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation fund and into fundl projects throughout the country. Communities have been forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of projects that depend on BRIC fundins for post-disaster grants. This abrupt termination has jeopardized criticag. Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have already spent millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened. As a result, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the abrupt termination of BRIC is unconstitutional and illegal. Congress has written into law that disaster preparedness is a core part of FEMA’s mission and has appropriated funds for BRIC. Congress has also specified that the executive branch cannot alter this mission or reduce FEMA’s ability to carry out any of its core functions unless the law changes. FEMA also cannot refuse to spend congressionally appropriated funds in violation of the Constitution. In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that President Trump’s FEMA administrator and his successor, who carried out BRIC’s termination, were not lawfully appointed to run FEMA and lack the authority to shut down the program.

With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from spending BRIC funds on other purposes and a permanent injunction to reverse the termination of the BRIC program and require the restoration of these critical funds to the communities relying on them.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.