UPDATE II: 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 7: Along with the release of President Joe Biden’s official schedule confirming his trip to New York City on Wednesday, a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee has confirmed to West Side Rag that the president will be visiting a home on Riverside Drive for a fundraiser.
Biden will arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 12:40 p.m., before landing at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 1:10 p.m.
He then will participate in three Manhattan campaign receptions at 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:45, p.m., according to his schedule.
It is unclear which of the three stops will be on the Upper West Side.
Biden will then depart from JFK at 8 p.m back to the White House.
UPDATE: 11 A.M. on Tuesday, February 6: West Side Rag has received official confirmation from a source incredibly familiar with the barricade situation that President Joe Biden will be coming to the Upper West Side for a fundraiser on Wednesday.
Exact details remain unavailable.
Original Story
By Gus Saltonstall
Over the span of the last five days, and continuing on Monday morning, metal barricades have begun to accumulate in various sections of the Upper West Side.
The placement appears peculiar, but it might have something to do with a possible visit from President Joe Biden this week.
Barricades currently sit on the west side of Broadway from 70th Street until 77th Street, before disappearing and reappearing again on West 81st Street. The barricades are outside of the 72nd Street Trader Joe’s, positioned in front of Fairway, and wrapped around the majority of the 72nd Street 1, 2, and 3 train station.
The metal gates are also on the east side of Broadway, but appear less frequently there, as well as stationed within multiple Broadway medians.
The barricades are also appearing west of Broadway.
There are barricades on Riverside, West End, and between the two avenues from West 75th to 77th streets.
A reader emailed West Side Rag over the weekend to say that a doorman within the stretch had told them that the barricades were related to a visit from President Joe Biden this coming Wednesday.
The Rag asked three doormen on Monday morning between West 75th and 77th streets if they knew the reason for the barricades, and while two didn’t have any clues, one said that they heard “it might be related to the president coming,” but did not expand further on the answer.
A presidential visit is a challenging event to confirm.
Biden’s official schedule is not posted until the corresponding morning, but the publication WDEL, which tracks the president’s comings and going, does say that Biden will travel to New York City on Wednesday to “participate in three campaign events.”
The publication did not offer any details on where in the city the visit might be.
NYPD did not respond to the Rag’s request for explanation of the appearance of the barricades.
Other activities such as protests, television and movie filming, and Con Edison work could also be reasons for barricades to go up in the neighborhood, but West Side Rag did not find any supporting evidence for those.
As of Monday morning, there was no mandatory signage to advise residents of street closures due to filming for a television show or movie, there was no sight of Con Edison trucks, workers or signs, and there is no scheduled major protest for the Upper West Side, according to an Instagram page that tracks protests throughout the city.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will also be performing at the Beacon Theatre from February 7 to February 18, but it is not standard practice for the venue to put out barricades anywhere besides its square block between West 74th and 75th streets — and certainly not all the way to Riverside.
To add to the mystery, multiple people posted to an Upper East Side Reddit page on Monday morning saying that police barricades had suddenly appeared along Madison and York avenues from the high 50s to the low 80s.
“There are no signs for a permitted event anywhere, so I assumed the president was going to be in town and this was a planned route,” one person wrote.
West Side Rag will update this article if a Biden trip to the Upper West Side is confirmed.
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I was wondering about this; thanks so much for investigating! A presidential visit makes sense.
It would make a whole lot MORE sense for him to address the chaotic situation which he created at our southern border! A Presidential visit only serves to put more money in his pocket, but does little to remediate the growing crisis which Biden’s policy brought to our front door!
“that he created” oy vey. Have you not been paying attention to the news? Republicans have refused the Bill to fix the situation that’s even endorsed by the Border Police
He’s made it clear he would sign the bipartisan immigration bill that would allow him to shut down the border…but the Republicans who demanded it won’t let it come up for a vote so they can keep convincing people (like, you know, you) that it’s all Biden’s fault.
W. 81st Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenue had metal barricades for its entire length on Sunday. This is an awfully narrow street even without the barricades.
Was wondering as well. When Biden’s visited NYC in the past, they didn’t put up barricades… They just blocked off streets during the day.
There have been a lot of protests recently, many targeting politicians and at Biden’s events, so I’m not surprised they’re taking extra measures.
As I’m writing this, Fresh Direct, which has taken up permanent residence 24/7 for about five years now on the west side of Broadway between 70th & 71st, is moving the barricades out of the way so they can park a second big truck behind the one that is always there. When will the City stop allowing this company to use the public streets as a permanent distribution center? Fresh Direct’s activities there are a nuisance, create a traffic safety hazard for pedestrians crossing Broadway, and are undermining the profitability of food businesses in the area that pay rent and property taxes on the spaces they occupy.
Also – to the people that solicit this company, stop using Fresh Direct! Understandable the number of people who are unable to do their own grocery shopping, but then please use one of the many delivery services from local markets. It’s a crime Fresh Direct is even allowed into Manhattan.
I have said it repeatedly. They should be required to rent empty storefronts and drop things off in the middle of the night when they cause the least disruption – pull up in front of their store fronts, bring stuff inside quickly, then move the truck. If they fail to obey the rules, they pay significant fines, not some low negotiated frequent offender rate.
They are empty because of the cost . Imagine what you would have to pay for your food etc. Maybe you should think it through a little more, how many store employees would have to be paid overtime to load product into the stores.
The grocery stores we do have manage to pay the rent. Fresh Direct could too. You phrase this as if everyone used Fresh Direct and would have to pay more. We don’t. As others have stated we won’t support a company that has taken over street space for free.
Yes, middle of the night delivery and distribution. Who needs to sleep?
That’s actually a brilliant idea. There’re so many empty store fronts everywhere.
I get the security concerns and all, but if there are going to be transit disruptions they really should notify the public in advance. Many of these barricades are around bus stops and such which can already be a challenge for seniors to navigate, especially if the bus can’t get close to the curb.
And many bus drivers don’t even try to get close to he curb! Many bus drivers are courteous and helpful but some of them are rude and have an attitude if you need assistance.
Twice in the past, Obama, first as President, and the second time as a former President, made a fund-raising visit to neighbors living on our block. They closed down 90th Street from Columbus Avenue to Central Park West (the route toward the El Dorado Towers), posted barricades, and as his car was driving through, police blocked entering and exiting from St. Martins Tower, as well as from Columbus Avenue. Such is the cost of living in such a vibrant neighborhood. I have no complaints.
you may be right too, for i say ‘Such is the cost of living in such a gun rich country.’
I asked the NYPD truck setting up the barricades this morning (Monday 2/5) on 81st and Amsterdam and they said it was for the president.
What a gross waste of money…especially if it’s not a confirmed visit. How about asking the person hosting the fundraiser (not doubt that’s why he’ll be here) to reimburse the city for the cost.
YES! I’m gonna try that next time my Uber to a party gets too expensive…I’ll ask the host to pay it for me.
Or, the one and only invitee with special security requirements, can just…you know…decline?
Great idea. Yes, that’s sarcasm.
what peeves me is the sick amount of money that is wasted on this , , , the barricades are installed and removed by NYPD on Overtime. The amount of money spent on this activity to be performed by a Police Officer on an overtime rate is unwarranted! Give this task to some homeless, College kids, or a regular lay person at a lower rate.
The actual police do not set up barricades, they have a separate group of people that do that.
Various city municipal unions are laughing at your naivete for suggesting who should be given this work.
Sure – just run it by the PBA.
Presidential security… “gonna give you a good price!”… by the homeless.
How do you even come up with this stuff?
The purpose of the president’s visit would be to garner potential votes for the Democratic Party. However, advocating for migrants to receive the right to vote this year seems premature. There are many legally migrating individuals still waiting to obtain citizenship in the next 10 years or so.
Who is advocating for migrants to receive rights to vote? That would be a complete insanity!
No one is advocating for migrants to vote this year, only citizens can vote. the commentator is just a trying to upset people with lies and slander.
Also no major political party advocates an “open border” The ridiculous Republicans in the House have just blocked an excellent, very restrictive immigration bill because they think you, the public , are too stupid to notice .They hope that you will blame the Democrats for the chaos which the Republicans hope will help them win elections. Wake up people! Be sure to vote!
You’re ignoring the fact that the bill allows Biden to ignore certain provisions so it’s not a very strong piece of legislation. The bill gives the Dems a political solution but not a real solution to the border problem. They’re spinning this as GOP obstruction because they’re really nervous about losing the 2024 elections.
If Biden wants votes from New York City, then he should shut the border right now.
If Biden provides a bit of extra federal funding to Adams for feeding and housing migrants in New York City, then it’s an act of pouring oil on fire. It only attracts more illegal immigrants coming to the city and leads to an increase in underground crimes such as theft, drug dealing, and prostitution throughout the city.
Writers: “Medians,” not “mediums,” please, when referring to street dividers.
Also heard from a doorman on RSD that Biden is visiting NYC this week, maybe to meet with Mayor Adams.
Just fyi: The photo above is of 75th Street between WEA and Riverside, not 77th.
He should go to the Roosevelt Hotel or the one of the many hotels the migrants are staying.
There is a bipartisan bill to reform immigration and close the border. Republicans at Trump’s behest are refusing to even consider it. Be aware which side is trying to actually address the crisis and which is just using it for political gain.
There was no crisis like this when GOP held the presidency. It rocketed on President Biden’s executive orders on Day 1 of taking office.
Why don’t you ask what else the Democrats are trying to pass in the same bill.
It has basically everything the Republicans asked for in exchange for support for Ukraine and Israel, which also has bipartisan support. The Republicans demanded this, got it, and now are frantically saying they don’t want it because they’d rather it stayed an issue they can blame Biden for.
There is no need to go to the Congress. Biden cancelled the perfectly good “remain in Mexico” bill on his first day in office, he didn’t need the Congress to do that. He just needs to put it back and sign it.
The bill he wants Congress to approve has 5000 illegals entering the country EVERYDAY! How is that a good bill?
It doesn’t have that in it at all. You’re reading propaganda. Take a look at the reality of the bill: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/feb/06/steve-scalise/no-the-senate-immigration-bill-does-not-allow-5000/
According to Reuters: “the legislation would secure the U.S. southern border, including by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to temporarily “shut down” the frontier to most migrants if there are an average of more than 5,000 crossing attempts per day over seven days.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-unveils-118-billion-bipartisan-bill-tighten-border-security-aid-2024-02-04/
It is not a “good” bill. It only seeks to put limits on the number crossing the border. I believe that he fix is a simple one. Enable “First Country of Asylum”. Those fleeing Venezuela, Columbia, Nicaragua and Guatemala had asylum when they entered Mexico. It is not asylum that they seek. It is the handouts that the US government offers them.
I feel that we should be much more concerned with the number of Chinese and radical Muslims that are sneaking in. If that doesn’t trigger your spidey sense, I don’t know what will.
There are also barricades from 60th street to 79th along York avenue
they are also along RSD from 79th to 83rd … and that makes crossing the Drive really hard .. asked a cop and he said rumor has it that the President is coming to town …
He should finally go to the BORDER and do something about the disaster that is becoming our country. If he’s coming to Manhattan for a fundraiser that’s not fair to those of us who live here and will be greatly inconvenienced and have no intention of re-electing him.
Read the news. The GOP is refusing to pass the bipartisan immigration bill that would allow Biden to shut down the border, because Trump wants to keep the situation in a crisis rather than help Biden solve it.
President Biden won’t even address the crisis at the southern border. He should stick around and check out some of the pockets of migrant congregation. See first hand the mess he has created. He won’t though. Won’t even acknowledge it. He’s either ignorant to the situation, or he’s created this mess on purpose. I don’t believe he’s that ignorant. He’s only visiting for the money grab.
I would also like to add that there is not a Garbage Can to be found in a ca. 10+ block radius on the west side of Broadway… between 72 – 86…. had to walk 15 blocks with my daughters banana peel in my hand…
Strangely, a black plastic trash bag has been sitting on the corner of 71st across from McDonald’s for several days….
Not allowed but still there
HA! HA! Maybe Trump is coming.
I recognize all the annoyance all my fellow UWS residence are voicing. But this is a presidential visit. There has to be the highest level of security – of course no garbage containers or other items where bombs could hide. And yes people will be inconvenienced – don’t go out if you don’t have to.
I think there should be as little information as possible beyond “a presidential visit.”
Barricades below W. 70th as well. Some on west side of Broadway between 68th and 69th where the new Morton Williams is.
Just reported on NBC News that Biden is attending 3 fundraising events here on both the East Side and West Side. Expect gridlock! No time frames known.
According to the Presidential schedule that is released to the public, the events are at 2:30, 4:30 and 5:45. Of course for reasons you can imagine, the schedule does not give specific details as to the locations…
I’ve been SO impressed with the WSR’s coverage of street issues and the NYPD. Couldn’t have had better coverage of last Friday’s protest in Morningside Heights, y’all!!!!
Signs to move cars Tuesday and Wednesday went up Tuesday, with not much advanced notice , particularly for car owners who moved cars Monday morning for alternate street parking before the signs went up.
Thankfully I moved my car away after seeing signs Tuesday. Now all the cars are gone. The streets are empty and it’s very eerie.
I wonder where the police towed those not moved by owners? So many blocks of cars!