Itty Island on 24th Street and 10th Avenue is what it’s all about

We muse occasionally about the secret to happiness around here and the fact is that some days it will feel like a weapons-grade state secret and other days it will feel just about within reach. On those latter days, you might be paying little bit closer attention to your five senses taking in small delights like Itty Island on 24th & 10th, a resident-constructed mini-garden that we wandered around and narrated last weekend.

Characterized by its creators Alex Chapman and Pete Fehn as a “pollinator micro-meadow on the corner of 24th Street and 10th Avenue,” you will spot Itty Island first by its “gazing ball,” the glass-like installation in the middle which “reflects the ever-changing people, art, architecture, and plants of West Chelsea,” and the bamboo fence. Then there is the whole collection of plotted and planted green splashed with color, including wild bergamot, coneflower, and moonshine yarrow.

Aside from the obvious talent for execution design that went into Itty Island, what I like about it[ty] the most is that the two creators just kind of…did it. They did not ask questions; they did not ask permission; they did not ask for money (as far as I can tell)—they just got out of their apartments one day and decided to make something happen, plant-by-plant, day-by-day. That is an allegory for this entire block association, and an inspiration for doing something very similar in Chelsea’s upper west side. Stay tuned.

World Cup Finals watch party at 26th Street space, corny guy announces

We see activity outside of Storied NYC, which is the really beautiful and unique brick event space on 26th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues. Signs freshly posted on the building say “Unlimited Fanfare,” along with the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Visa logos. We did a little bit of digging and were able to find this guy who definitely never sat in the front of the class and reminded the teacher about homework announce that Storied is hosting a World Cup Finals watch party this Sunday, July 26.

Based on murals that we’ve seen around the Chelsea area for Landon Donovan and Tim Howard’s new podcast, we’d be willing to put money on both (along with this guy) being in attendance!

Plan to rebuild Chelsea-Elliott houses to move forward, NY court rules

A few weeks ago we wrote about the fight over the Chelsea-Elliott housing between 25th and 27th Streets, over on 9th and 10th Avenues. On the one side is NYCHA (and the mayor), which wants to knock down and renovate the entire housing complex (built all the way back in the 1940s). On the other side is a group of seniors who successfully obtained a temporary restraining order in NY state court, temporarily blocking demolition and reconstruction. Last week, a NY appeals court overturned the TRO, meaning that demolition and reconstruction will go forward. It may even start this year.

As with anything housing-related, this is a really sticky thicket and we have no problem saying right now that we are not informed enough to have an official position. The facts are that the Chelsea-Elliott Houses are comprised of approximately 2k apartments, and according to NYCHA and the developer (called Related, which built Hudson Yards), 94% of residents will be able to stay in their current apartments while new apartments are built. I suppose the new towers will just go up right alongside the old towers, and then the old towers will be demolished. The remaining 6% will be relocated to other NYCHA buildings during the 3-year construction process. A politically difficult piece is that Related plans to turn part of the housing into “mixed income” towers, meaning affordable units alongside “luxury” units. There are also some, let’s say, questions, over whether the developer will make good on its promise to ensure that existing residents get an apartment on the other side of all of this—and at the same rent.

We’ve reached out for comment to both Related, which said that “The NYCHA project is a great project for residents, neighborhood and city,” and the President of the Chelsea-Elliott Houses Tenant Association, who did not respond.

If you have a perspective that you’d like to share, let’s hear it.

Café Ambrosia on 23rd and 10th has the matcha you want and the sanctuary vibe you need

What makes a coffee shop great in NYC is (i) a clean, cozy, not-too-crowded ambiance that lets you alternatively work on your laptop, read a book (or your phone), or chatter, and (ii) a drink and pastry/food selection that keeps you there past as single drink.  Café Ambrosia on 23rd & 10th is somebody who can do both.

The block-approved move is to get the iced matcha—there are tiramisu (which comes with a ladyfinger on top), strawberry, and yuzu options—and a pistachio croissant.  From there, take a seat in a comfortable chair and at least think about doing something productive before completely failing to do so and then just getting the Japanese yuze cheesecake.  You only live once, guys, and there are only a finite number of cheesecake opportunities any of us have left.      

There is some pretty bloody history behind the Javits Center

Look at that face. Guys, you don’t trifle with that type of face—which belongs to Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese crime family—and even he thought “The Westies” were crazy. Back in the late 70s and 80s, during construction of our official block association convention center, a violent Irish gang called The Westies controlled the west side of Manhattan and tried to juice construction of the good-old 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 the block: The Westies does not strike me as the most threatening gang name. If you cried out “Get inside, The Westies are coming!”, I’m not sure entirely sure whether I’d think guys in vests and 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.

Landon Donovan and Tim Howard mural getting painted on 24th Street and 10th Avenue

We caught this mural of Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, of US men’s soccer fame, just about being finished on 24th Street and 10th Avenue. It promotes their podcast called Unfiltered: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ak5HbjEa8KNTBE31vL8EM?si=USCs7IVzREe2y7i5ufVqxA&utm_source=copy-link

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).