By Carol Tannenhauser
We’re dusting off the Answer Column to address a question sent in by reader Sara, who wrote:
In years past, large stars have been installed on Columbus Ave around November 15th. This year there are no stars. Last year, small stars were installed on a light post every two blocks, which was disappointing enough, but this is worse. What happened to the stars? It would be great to know why there are no stars!”
Memory serves you well, Sara, except they weren’t stars, they were giant snowflakes! But you’re right; after years of adorning the avenue between 68th and 82nd Streets following Thanksgiving, they were absent last year because of confusion about where the Department of Transportation (DOT) would allow them to be hung.
“The rule is that they cannot be in an intersection or attached to any poles that have traffic signals,” explained Nicole Paynter, executive director of the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), which arranges for and funds the snowflakes. “That means they have to be mid-block. But most of the blocks on Columbus only have one lamppost mid-block [you need two to string the snowflakes between]. A few blocks have lamposts on both sides, so we will be able to put the large snowflakes hanging over the street on those blocks that fit in the rules.”
The snowflakes are expected to be installed on [Updated] Sunday, December 4th. Paynter said. “We will have a mixture of the large snowflakes over Columbus, as well as [smaller] snowflake lamppost decorations.”
Thanks to Sara for asking! If you have a question about an Upper West Side issue, send it to info@westsiderag.com, subject line: The Answer Column, and we’ll answer it. You can read all our Answer Columns here.
UPDATE: The installation of the snowflakes was originally scheduled for Saturday, but, due to rain, it has been changed to Sunday, December 4th.
Love that the snowflakes will be back!
Yeah, four snowflakes are back, happy holidays! Ba humbug upper west siders!!!
What a disgrace and embarrassment!!!!
DOT 👎🫵🏼
Hurray!!
I find it interesting that electric bikes and scooters
(all are unregistered) are allowed to fly around the city and kill and paralyze people and cause hundreds upon hundreds of accidents, yet SNOWFLAKES can only be installed on certain blocks after YEARS of installation on all blocks on UWS. Please report the deaths and injuries caused on UWS by snowflakes. One only has to google the deaths and Injuries to people UWS due to e bikes and scooters. E bikes and scooters MUST be made illegal in NYC.
You forgot the two deaths during the Macy’s day Thanksgiving parade, one on 72nd St. and Central Park West, and the other at Columbus Circle…. but no one’s talking about that and there was those were both DOT lamp poles that dropped on the people who were killed.
It is unlikely that state or local legislators would outlaw e-bikes and scooters. However, the NYS Legislature should enact a law applicable to cities having over two million inhabitants requiring persons operating such vehicles to be licensed after passing a test (in any language) on rules of the road and requiring persons and businesses owning such vehicles to register them, have liability insurance, and display state-issued tags. Such fundamental procedures, if actually enforced by the police, might mitigate the currently sociopathic manner in which these vehicles are being operated.
What a complete and fully understandable answer. You are a good investigator and writer! Thanks.
Please continue them further north on Columbus.
The reason why there is no decorations north of West 82nd St. Is because the stores never gave any donation to the to the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District (BID).
WHEW!
DOT says no intersections? What about the snowflake on 57th and 5th? Or has that disappeared too?
I definitely just sent the DoT some strongly worded feedback. The haphazardness of the lights as of 12/5/22 is laughable. There is 1 star on Columbus. 2 on 72nd street. The lights used to look so pretty and were a draw for shoppers in the run up to Christmas. And we actually have some pretty good shopping now but the lights may as well not be there. Sad. Let’s all complain. https://www.dot.ny.gov/main/feedback-form
I only counted 4 on Columbus Avenue
One small one between 81st and 82nd St. there’s another small one between 80th St. and 81st St. In the middle of each block then there’s nothing until 78th St., intersection which is a large one and Columbus Avenue and another large one at 77th St. intersection on Columbus Avenue.
That’s all there is!!! I counted on Columbus Avenue as of December 6, 2022.
Pretty lame Christmas decorations… either do the whole Columbus Avenue or don’t do anything. By the way, there is nothing on W. 72nd St.
They are hung on every allowable pole!