Turtle Bay News Update

Many New Yorkers assume Turtle Bay is just a wealthy residential area, but in fact, there are frequent news events that are of interest to locals—from concerns of new construction, openings of new art galleries and local musical productions.

Issue of Construction

One of the biggest issues in the news today in Turtle Bay is the issue of construction. Last Mar. 15, 2008, there was a fatal crane collapse on 303 E. 51st St. that caused locals to start speaking out against increasing construction in their neighborhood. For residents, this fatal accident has proved that these shorter buildings, as opposed to the tall skyscrapers being built, are the reason they moved to the neighborhood in the first place, and the reason the shorter buildings should stay.

Although the accident happened last March, this crane collapse is still an issue for the locals. There are 11 future construction projects planned in Turtle Bay, and that construction is anything but accepted by the neighbors. Local residents have outwardly said that these recent construction projects are loud, disrupting, and will only replace ugly buildings with the prettier ones that were there before.

Since March, the Turtle Bay Association has been publicly speaking out against future planned projects. The TBA recently announced they created a “neighborhood watch” group that consists of residents to look out for dangerous and unsafe construction sites. They also boldly stated in their 2008 Summer Newsletter that new construction and tower cranes are not welcome in the neighborhood.

Despite the unwanted construction and extra noise, a small neighborhood inside Turtle Bay, Tudor City, has remained quiet. Tudor City is a small and self-contained neighborhood inside Turtle Bay. Tudor City complex is accessible on 41st and 43rd streets with a bridge above 42nd Street. In 1988, it was designated a historic district and is now a real community that holds Easter egg hunts, Christmas tree lightings, Menorah lightings and summer concerts in its park. During these fall months, it is perfect for walks or a quiet place to read.

Turtle Bay Grill and Lounge

Turtle Bay, the bar on 52nd Street and Second Avenue, hosted the City of Brave Firefighters of NYC 2009 Calendar Event. Although the event took place last week, it shows how many “outsiders” will travel to Turtle Bay (both the bar and the neighborhood!). The bar calls itself “midtowns hottest party bar” and hosts private parties and events.

Festivals

The Oktoberfest and Children’s Jaboree began Oct. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It takes place at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on 47th Street between First and Second avenues. There will be free pumpkin decorating and face painting.

TBA Meeting

The Turtle Bay Association Annual Meeting is being held Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt YMCA. This is residents’ opportunity to report to the membership leaders and meet them.

Galleries

The Trygve Lie Gallery is located on 317 E. 52nd St. between First and Second avenues and is open everyday from noon to 5 p.m. Starting Oct. 9 to Nov. 9 will be the “Silence” Exhibit by Marcel Lelienhof, a collection of photos of places around the world in a post war-situation. The opening reception of this exhibit will take place Oct. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Japanese Society, located on 333 E. 47th St., is also hosting several upcoming events. The Japanese Society is hosting an exhibition called “New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters” from Oct. 4 to Jan. 11. It is the world’s first exhibition devoted exclusively to Japanese bamboo as sculpture.

The Turtle Bay Music School was just inducted into the Community Hall of Fame on July 9. They have many concert events in October as well as their third-annual Halloween open house for families.