This year’s Audubon birthday party sponsored by the Riverside Oval Association, will coincide with the global “Jane’s Walk” weekend celebrating Jane Jacobs, the “urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building.” At first glance, the city-hating Audubon and city-loving Jacobs seem to be polar opposites, but with his distaste for the “hot bricks” and “pestilential vapors” in cities, Audubon may well have appreciated Ms. Jacobs legacy of making urban areas more livable. Come to the Audubon Park Historic District this weekend and celebrate both of these remarkable visionaries! The events are free and open to the public.

Walk Through Audubon Park

Audubon Park Historian Matthew Spady will be leading four “Jane’s Walks” during the weekend, each of them lasting about an hour and a half and covering the current Audubon Park Historic District as well as the group of twelve row houses on 158th Street that members of the community have formally asked the Landmarks Preservation Commission to add to the current district.

 

Jane’s Walks Starting at the
Audubon Monument, 550 West 155th Street

“How Audubon Park Disrupted Manhattan’s Grid”

Friday, May 6, 6:00 PM

Saturday, May 7, 1:30 PM

Sunday, May 8, 11:00 AM

Sunday, May 8, 2:00 PM

No reservations required, just show up at the appointed time and place!

Entitled “How Audubon Park Disrupted Manhattan’s Grid,” the walk will begin at the Audubon monument in Trinity Cemetery and move to key spots in the historic district that recall the area’s original topography and footprint. Come admire the architecture gems in today’s Audubon Park Historic district and the proposed expansion block and learn about the family who controlled the rapid evolution from suburb to city at the turn of the twentieth century. The Municipal Arts Society organizes and sponsors Jane’s Walks in the five boroughs. You can find more than 200 walks in all five borough at the Jane’s Walk website.

Happy Birthday, John James

John James Audubon Birthday Party
Saturday, May 7 beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Oval Park: Riverside Drive at the foot of West 156th Street

Rain location: Grinnell Community Room
(800 Riverside Drive at 158th Street)

Saturday’s walk will end at the Riverside Oval Association’s John James Audubon Birthday Party, an annual event that includes birthday cake, a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” and special guest speakers. This year, Avi Gitler of Gitler &_____ Gallery and Mark Jannot, Vice President of Content for the Audubon Society, will talk about their collaboration that has brought the spectacular Audubon Mural Project to northern Manhattan.

Letters of support for extending the Audubon Park Historic District will be on hand for anyone who would like to sign one.