Photo by Emily Altschul-Miller at Central Park West and 92nd Street.

February 19, 2018 Weather: Rainy, with a high of 49 degrees.

Notices:
Concerts, readings and more local events this week are on our calendar.

News:
A group funded by Columbia University has been slow to spend money to fulfill the university’s commitment to build and preserve affordable housing in the area around its new campus: “the group that was allotted $10 million by Columbia six years ago to create and preserve affordable housing has been unable to spend most of it, thanks in part to rising property values and bureaucratic red tape. To date, only $100,000—or about one percent—of the $10 million fund has actually been spent, The Eye has found.”

Q Florist, on Columbus Avenue between 81st and 82nd Street, has a long history in the neighborhood. “Gus Bazas emigrated from Nafpaktos, Greece, and he got his start in 1966 by selling flowers from a cart on Central Park West. He bought his flowers from the flower district in Chelsea and stored them in the space that’s now Q. Peter Jennings, the former anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight” who lived in the neighborhood, became a frequent customer and, according to Nick, encouraged and advised his father when he decided to open a storefront in his storage space.”

The Museum of Natural History is creating a floor-to-ceiling installation showing “creatures that glow” as part of its upcoming Unseen Oceans exhibition.

Tenant groups are pushing for new state laws to close “loopholes” they say make it easier for landlords to push people out.