Toni Boornazian

SPNA Invests in a Rate Abatement Program

As everyone is aware, New York City has an out of control rat problem and Stuyvesant Square Park is no exception.

In order to get this situation under control, the SPNA board voted to hire a private company to execute a rat abatement program. This is an expensive undertaking, but as the Parks Department only has one exterminator for all of the parks in Manhattan, it was obvious that they would not be able to do what was necessary to reign in this problem.

The company that was hired uses safe and effective methods for rodent control which have been approved by the Parks Department. They work in many parks in the city including Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, and Gramercy Park, among others. The work was started in the beginning of January.

SPNA is hopeful that this program will help everyone who visits Stuyvesant Square – neighbors, volunteers and even our pups – to have a safer and more pleasant park experience.

You can read more about rats in New York City in this New York Times article.

Sex and the City Reboot Filmed in Stuyvesant Square

In October, our park was the film set for an episode of Sex and the City’s reboot, And Just Like That… Above is the crew filming near the fountain in the west side of the park. You can catch our park in episode 6 of And Just Like That…

Emergency Tree Pruning

Last week, NYC Parks’ Josie DeJesus heard a sharp, cracking noise as she walked through the park. She alerted NYC Parks, who then conducted emergency tree pruning to ensure the safety of visitors to the park. Unfortunately, the tree could not be saved and was cut down.

The trees in our park and in the city are vital green spaces that improve air quality and provide homes to the city’s wildlife. This situation demonstrates the importance of preventive maintenance in SPNA’s three-phase plan to care for the trees in our park.

Join NYC CLEAN Volunteers

Two members of NYC CLEAN Volunteers stopped by the park during the snowstorm when a board member was shoveling and introduced themselves and their organization. The SPNA board member was very impressed with the work they are doing, so we thought we would highlight their group and their efforts in our newsletter.

NYC CLEAN Volunteers is a volunteer-run and self-motivated organization that cleans different areas of our neighborhoods, improving the quality of everyone’s lives. In addition to picking up litter off our streets and parks, their goal is to raise awareness and encourage others to responsibly dispose their trash. You can see them featured on NY1 here. You can also read more about them in this document.

The organization encourages others to join and help keep our city clean. Below are details about two of their upcoming community clean-up days, which are being organized in partnership with the Department of Sanitation. They will bring a van to supply safety vests, cleaning equipment, and supplies.

CleanUp Day East
Saturday, February 26, 2022, 1-3 pm.
Meet: Bellevue Park entrance at 27th St. and 2nd Ave.
We will tackle the surrounding streets as teams.

NYC CleanUp Day West
Sunday, March 6, 1-3 pm.
Meet: 49 Street & 10th Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen
We will tackle the surrounding streets as teams.

You can get in touch with NYC CLEAN Volunteers by emailing Sokie Lee (sokie007@gmail.com) and/or Ken Gray (kennethgray200@gmail.com). You can also join them through their Facebook page: facebook.com/groups/nyccleanvolunteers.