There is some pretty bloody history behind the Javits Center

You don’t trifle with that type of face—belonging to Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese crime family—and even he thought “The Westies” were crazy. During construction of our block association convention center in the late 70s and early 80s, a violent Irish gang called The Westies controlled the west side of Manhattan and tried to juice construction of the Javits Center for all it was (potentially) worth. Our sister publication reports, in anticipation of a new crime drama called “The Westies”: “The Javits Center was the ultimate criminal racket: A construction project that was going to use almost every union in the city,” and “no source of kickback or extortion was too trivial for milking,” including “food carts for the workers, the laying of cement, painting, even porta-potties.”

Now I’m going to be very honest with you: The Westies does not strike me as the most threatening gang name. If you yelled at me “The Westies are coming!”, I’m not sure whether I’d think guys in top hats were coming to kick my ass or break out in song. But maybe, just maybe, that’s just how crazy The Westies really were.

We missed this little pop-up at Hotel Alameda on July 12, let us know if you have any pictures

Unfortunately we saw the sign for this little pop-up artwork/vintage goods sale in Hotel Alameda on Sunday but missed the event. Instagram post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaofILMFF13/?igsh=a2VtMmhrazloeGtk. Let us know if you have any pictures!

DJ Khaled at Marquee last night

DJ Khaled was at our official and extremely sponsored block association nightclub Marquee last night. See the lined up and decked out club-goers on our IG: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DarY2PiuBgJ/?igsh=MTI5ajMyMjVzcmR5bw==

We should probably add some foliage to the block, right?

This is a planter; there are other things called trees (not pictured). The NYC Parks Department gives these away for free. We are in touch with Carl Wilson’s staff (Carl Wilson is the NYC council member for our area) right now about getting one of these. We think they might add a little pop to the block.

Shukette, on 25th Street & 9th, is the answer

Don’t worry about the question. This place is not exactly a secret (NYT write-up here), but nestled away on 25th & 9th is a Middle Eastern bazaar-style restaurant—“shuk” is Hebrew for open-air market—that you should probably walk into or make a reservation at right now. On the walk-in, you will immediately feel like you are transported to another country, and that other country is filled with people a little more badass than you. Aughts-era bangers like Say it Right and Bad Girls are playing/bumping in the background, and a long counter runs all the way through the narrow space so that most of the diners can look directly into the open kitchen.

The house specialty is ripping and dipping (the appetizers are labeled “When You Dip, I Dip, We Rip”), meaning the breads and dips. The block-approved move is to start with the Frena, which is garlic/oregano Moroccan bread, and the Squash Chershi, which is a vibrant purple dip with tahini, pomegranate, cilantro. That rich, creamy, perfectly spiced medley of flavors will have your mouthset in the mindset of the controlled chaos that is the shuk, and with a seasonal cocktail like the Raspberry Gazoz, and you’ll find yourself inching closer and closer to the question. From there, the waiters will recommend to you the Joojeh Chicken, which is yogurt-marinated chicken that comes with its own saffron yogurt. You should take that recommendation; I’ll leave it at that.

Highly recommend.

Total eclipse of the block; in memoriam

Bonnie Tyler, of Total Eclipse of the Heart fame, died on July 8, 2026 at 75. The block will be doing our part to make her legendary floor anthem #1 on Spotify.

West Side Fest, a celebration of arts and culture on the west side of Manhattan, is this weekend

The west side of Manhattan is cultured (maybe not really you so much, but certainly the rest of us). In honor of arts and culture on the west side, some extraordinarily cool people have gathered all sorts of organizations and museums (the High Line, Shed, Whitney Museum, Hudson River Park, Little Island, and more) to put on some seriously vibrant programming and events this weekend. Some highlights from the itinerary:

-The Lightscape Edition at The Shed, which “explores a landscape in the midst of extreme change—from vast deserts and desolate mountainscapes to futuristic robotics factories.”

-Jazz on the Beach at Hudson River Park, which kicks off with a dance class and then turns into a “beach-front concert by one of New York’s premier modern Latin bands.”

-A Closer Look at The Whitney Museum, an exhibit encouraging you to “slow down and discover how much there is to see when we take the time to look closely…”

-Yoga at a studio in the West Village.

There is programming for the younger set too, including a teen mixer on Little Island. Friends, there’s a lot out there if you put yourself a little bit out there. Thank you to Nicole Cuttino, GC of Friends of the High Line, and Ethan Abbott, Manager of Community Engagement for the High Line, for inviting us to the opening gathering (on, of course, the High Line).

Jay-Z’s Roc-Nation is headquartered on our block (on 26th Street)

About two weeks ago, a few of us had questions about the “hands” projecting from out of a U-Haul truck on 28th Street (shown here). Turns out those are Jay-Z’s hands, and his Roc Nation record label/entertainment company (which has signed Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and J. Cole among others), is actually headquartered on our block. Roc Nation owns the top three floors of 540 West 26th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues); the private school called Avenues owns the other floors. You will see the trademark paper planes if you stop by—and if you’re lucky, a tinted-out Escalade dropping off somebody famous.

We had posted a few weeks ago about the world-class recording studio on 27th Street that appeared to be drawing all sorts of artists to the block—and who you’ll find routinely getting late night snacks at the bodega on 10th Avenue between 27th & 28th Streets. Roc Nation, which contains its own recording studio and “social media theater,” might actually be the big draw here.

That Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson thing is part of block lore

Remember that thing that happened between Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson? (Some great Samaritan did a really deep dive if you need a refresher). Well that all went down largely on our block in the swanky Zaha Hadid building on 28th between 10th & 11th. The condo Ariana and Pete nestled in sold in 2021 for $12 million, after asking for $16 million. You keep missing your shot‍.

The spirit of the thing lives on of course in this block association.

Fireworks on wrong/east side this year, but still beautiful; Happy 4th!!

Views from the slice of the Hudson, all the way downtown, that showed fireworks! Happy 4th everybody!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get married at Penn Station

Weddings are almost by definition a little irrational, but this weekend, at the block’s most famous arena, America’s gym teacher and America’s English teacher (credit to T. Swift for that line) showed the block that there are levels to this shit. NYT reports here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/03/style/taylor-swift-wedding-travis-kelce?unlocked_article_code=1.vFA.gP5m.T-LJqnBXzrGO&smid=nytcore-ios-share

In my head, the way this all came about is that Travis Kelce floated getting married at MSG as a joke—but one he was secretly serious about given an unyielding thirst for attention—to T. Swift. T. Swift originally thought it was the dumbest idea she ever heard, which is secretly her reaction to nearly everything Travis Kelce says, but then overthought her way into coming around to it. Trust your instincts Taylor; we have found that if you’re struggling mightily with any decision, the right answer is probably no.

What we’re trying to say is that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married this weekend in the same place where the Knicks won the NBA Finals a few weeks ago (https://www.highline28.com/posts/hand-of-god) and those two guys in the picture are about to box. MSG trim shown here in pink. We do wish these two the absolute best.

Thank you Sogno Toscano, anchor block meeting place

Longer-time block residents will remember Il Piccolo, the Italian cafe formerly on the corner of 28th & 10th which closed about three years ago. The space remained vacant until about early 2025, when Sogno Toscano—of West Village fame (though the West Village location is currently closed due to a fire)—opened on our block. This is ultimately a lesson in putting the past away and focusing on the future because Sogno Toscano has absolutely taken over as the de facto meeting place on the block, which you’ll see for yourself once you start meeting neighbors in person.

And for good reason. Menu is a panini, pasta, wine, and coffee affair, and you know this place is good and Italian because every single time you are in here without fail, you will hear Italians speaking Italian. The block-approved move is to find a table in the outside space between 12-3pm Monday through Friday and take advantage of the pasta special, where all the pastas are only $19. You cannot go wrong with the carbonara, bolognese, or lasagna here.

Recommend.