By Gus Saltonstall
Upper West Siders Alex Bell and Barbara Adler sat on a bench Monday within a Broadway median at West 95th Street. There was trash at their feet and in the tree beds behind them, along with a mysterious liquid pouring out of a garbage can on one corner, and the rusted entrance to the 96th Street train station directly to the north.
Bell and Adler want to help bring change to the neighborhood’s northern stretch of Broadway through the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID), called the Better Broadway BID, which would oversee the stretch along the avenue from around 80th to 110th streets.
“Our number one issue, the thing that Barbara and I started all of this on, was why is Broadway so dirty? And is that one of the reasons we have so many vacancies?” said Bell, who is spearheading the creation of the BID, in an interview with the Rag. “A lot of dirt and grime. Things that aren’t just litter you can pick up, but situations where power cleaning is required. That’s what got me thinking.”
There is a formal process that must be followed with the city’s Department of Small Business Services to create a BID, and Bell and Adler are currently in the survey-and-response phase of the undertaking. The exact boundaries and the specific focuses of the Better Broadway BID won’t be finalized until this feedback process is complete.
“What we don’t want to do is get ahead of ourselves, though, with this BID, the number one thing is cleanliness,” Bell told the Rag. “We want to nail that. One thing we’ve seen is some BIDs pivot away from the initial efforts toward smaller items, and I don’t think that works as well. We want to nail the basics of cleanliness and possible beautification.”
Bell continued, “It is the difference in what a BID can do vs. what a nonprofit and others can do. Already, we have some groups that go by once a week and pick up litter in this Broadway area, but that’s unfortunately just not enough. If you look at the difference between this neighborhood and, for instance, Lincoln Square, you won’t see any poles there with graffiti and stickers, you won’t see any trash cans falling apart. A big reason is that there is a BID in that area that has power washers, that has paint, that is scrubbing things off of the street.”
Bell had the idea of creating a BID for the northern part of Broadway on the Upper West Side around a year ago, but he knew that he would need help in the endeavor, and that Adler, who founded and ran the Columbus Avenue BID for 20 years, would be the right person to turn to.
Bell and Adler also serve on Community Board 7 together.
“The great thing about being a BID director, especially when you’re founding it, is that you get to examine one area very closely, and you realize things that you never realized before, and what you can do to really improve conditions for a community,” Adler told the Rag.
The survey-collection phase will last for the next couple of months, before the exact boundaries of the BID and its budget are decided. The pair is also still looking for commercial property and shop owners to join its Steering Committee [leadership group], and then will have to hold public meetings, present the BID to the local community board and to the City Planning Commission, and testify for it at a City Council hearing.
If that all goes successfully, the Better Broadway BID can then be formed.
But first, Bell and Adler need more responses to their survey about the conditions of Broadway on the Upper West Side, which you can take — HERE. Local residents and business or property owners can also reach out directly to info@bway.nyc.
“A lot of people want to give back, but then it’s unclear exactly how one person can,” Bell told the Rag. “There are hundreds of thousands of people in this neighborhood, so it can feel like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ It can feel impossible at times to make a difference, but I’m hoping with this BID effort, I’m showing people that it doesn’t have to be impossible, and you can go for it.”
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This is fantastic and very needed. It would be great if you could share how we could all help their efforts.
It’s a wonder that this hasn’t been achieved decades ago. God’s speed!
Take the survey at bway.nyc and leave your email. Help us connect to property owners and businesses owners in the district.
We are trying to reactivate the Community Art Space on the median at 96th and Broadway. We have a proposal and a petition. https://c.org/SXSW6z9sCh
Solve the pigeon/rat problem first!
Need to stop the people from feeding the pigeons there. Sometimes it looks like a scene from The Birds!
When I happen to see someone feeding the pigeons, I yell LOUDLY at them :
“STOP FEEDING THOSE RATS WITH WINGS, WHAT ARE YOU NUTS?”.
They pretend not to hear but I feel better having done my part.
How about bringing a broom and dust tray and sweeping up all the crumbs as fast as they throw them. It would be so funny to just cart away all their crumbs every day. I imagine the shock on their faces as we pretend to ignore them. I am so up for a group like this!
Thank you Silver Hammer I’ve never had the guts to do that.
Great picture, capturing all the garbage behind them.
Would love to see the energy focused on holding the city accountable for garbage collection
and keeping the streets clean.
People seem to forget that this is the function of city government,
Adams has not been running a functional city hall
The wheels in Adam’s city hall require greasing, to get desired results..
You mean bribery – a felony
Like a bag of potato chips filled with cash?
The difference between some of the cast of characters surrounding Adams who are more conservative and the bike lobby is that in general the bike lobby is good at doing things the lawful way.
And maybe holding polluters accountable as well.
Curtis S. hasn’t forgotten, But apparently NY doesn’t vote for Republicans…
NYC does not vote for “common sense moderates” who are really hateful and bigoted people in disguise. That is why this city needs someone like Sara Lind or Ryder Kessler in power. That’s it, that’s my comment.
Sara Lind? No, we don’t need a rich out of touch transplant doing anything with the city.
Sadly no.
Expect it to only get worse.
More garbage/crime until people vote better.
We will lockup the toothpaste, but not the criminals.
Well stated!
The Columbus Avenue BID is in worse hands with Nicole Paynter in charge. Barbara Adler was a voice of reason at the Columbus Avenue BID.
Good for them. I hope it works because upper Broadway (all the way up to 106th street IMHO) needs it?
Only question, — How will this be financed? Taxes and fees on local businesses and buildings? And… where have the local have our local politicians been this whole time and why have they not come up with this sooner?
Agreed. I witness the same groups trash that 96th median daily, only to have the Goddard Riverside Greenkeepers clean it up later. The perpetrators of the litter should be held accountable.
Holding people accountable for their actions is not endorsed by the state of New York.
Sounds like a good idea. Can the BID, if created, do something about the dumping of bird seed/bread crumbs outside the 96th Street subway station?
Is it not a conflict of interest to administer a BID and be on a community board?
No
Godspeed to these two, but it’s not just the UWS where Broadway is strewn with litter. It extends pretty much from one end of Manhattan to the other, and it makes me wonder where the elected officials are in all of these districts that line Broadway, because it seems the businesses along Broadway should ALSO have an interest in keeping the area clean and free of debris, because “curb appeal.” But I guess when neither the elected officials, and those that pay outrageous amounts of money to lease a storefront GAF, then the rest of us are left to suffer.
I’ve worked on the UES (Madison & 86th) for years and the streets aren’t strewn with garbage and homeless men aren’t sleeping at the bus stops. There are literally crews (The Doe Fund) cleaning up on a regular basis. Why can’t the same be done on the UWS?
@im10ashus:The Columbus Avenue bid was the first bid in the city to hire The Doe Fund in 2000. I believe they still use them. An amazing not-for-profit organization…
Your comment reminded me that that there USED to be Doe Fund people cleaning on the Upper West Side. But I haven’t seen any in years.
Interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them on the UWS. I’d like to know why that was discontinued. I’ll take a look at the Doe Fund website and see if there’s any info on specific neighborhoods.
I have seen them quite often in the past. But not for a while
“The survey-collection phase will last for the next couple of months, before the exact boundaries of the BID and its budget are decided.”
Not sure this will be formed in our lifetimes ?
Its an excellent idea! Kudos to Bell and Adler.
However, be aware that the existence of a BID does not guarantee clean streets. Take for example, the Columbus-Amsterdam BID. Their area continues to be dirty,…and they even helped place the hideous red apple on 97th and Columbus, which has become a trash magnet.
I wish every reader of WSR rag do a little something every day to improve our neighborhoods!
They care more about open streets more than anything.
If I tell you why it’s always dirty, this comment won’t ever see the light of your device’s screen.
Why is it always dirty, Aerie Dae?
We understand you. Freedom of speech at its best 🙁
You can’t solve the problem if they won’t admit what the problem is.
Great idea! Would definitely support this effort,
As a local business on Broadway in this area, I can tell you this is a GODSEND! I have wanted something to help us for so long. I clean in front of our storefront several times per day. People just throw garbage right onto the sidewalk and as you can see, on the benches, every single day. Cleaning this stretch of Broadway and taking care of it is a start. It is a fight to survive in this area and we need the support. This part of the UWS should look just as beautiful as the rest. Thank you for supporting this and I’m volunteering to do everything I can.
Please consider joining our steering committee! You can contacts us at info@bway.nyc
I would love to.
Please email at info@bway.nyc so we can speak.
Will do!!
Convert retail to 1 year apartments.
Better than the psychology negative of VACANT.
We have to ask “why is it so dirty”? Isn’t the answer easy, there are vagrants everywhere in this stretch, and instead of arresting them for vagrancy, we are discussing what lead them to this and/or why are they doing it. Arrest the loiters, then they can’t make a mess.
During the pandemic I cleaned up every night after the vagrants who would sit at the corners begging. I asked them to take their cardboard with them when they left at night. They did not.
Thank you. This is so necessary. There are so many vacancies in the West 90’s and 100’s.
Empty storefronts bc landlords are allowed to charge insane rents and push out profitable businesses, e.g., Lenny’s on 98th and Broadway. It was a wonderful neighborhood spot Roth reasonable prices a place to sit and delicious Coffey they didnt break the bank. Not to mention, unlike absolute bagels it sold much more than just bagels plus had both seating and delivery. Stop allowing landlords tax breaks on empty spaces when they kick people out and ask for too much rent. It’s really not very hard to figure out.
Such negativity, maybe some positivity would help! Thank you for heading up this project!
Wonderful. Maybe partner with One Block. They are a true UWS grass roots org who have made an amazing contributions in keeping many blocks clean around the UWS . The team would have great advice and perspective on lessons learned. Speak to Ann Lenane.
WE will surely check them out when the time comes. Thank you
How do I get in touch with Bell and Adler? I’d like to help out with their effort to form a bid.
Please email info@bway.nyc. We would love help. thanks!
Cleaning up the the neighborhood has always been my concern. NYC does not have a shortage of water. Why don’t the stores and the Apartment houses wash down their sidewalks at least once a week. I grew up in Philadelphia many years ago, and it was mandatory for homeowners to clean their sidewalks. I remember the childhood joy of being allowed to have the chore of doing so.
More power to them. But one of the main reasons so many places are vacant is the very high rents charged by landlords who don’t live in, or have any interest in, the community.
This is a laudable effort but the problem with empty storefronts isn’t the dirty street/sidewalk. It’s the other way around. Landlords can borrow more money based the the potential earning power of a commercial space than if the space is rented. It keeps the property book value higher than it would be if they were collecting rent. Landlords can also write off rental losses and depreciation. It’s similar to the studies that show that an abandoned car sitting in a neighborhood eventually leads to more neighborhood deterioration.
This couple is wonderful. Great people. But one thing the city can help with is FINING PEOPLE FOR LITTERING. Stop the madness! Hugga Chugga Hugga Chugga!
Thank you Alex Bell & Barbara Adler.
But what has truly been neglected and must urgently be addressed are the all the VANDALIZED MAILBOXES, FIREBOXES, GREEN TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES at crosswalks…all covered with stickers and graffiti.
This vandalism makes every block ugly and unwelcoming.
Let’s organize a PAINT TEAM SQUAD to regularly clean up these ugly and shabby eyesores – and get rid of the graffiti and stickers that’s ruined almost every UWS block and street corner!
Extend it into Hamilton Heights, please.