Today is Memorial Day: Monday, May 25th, 2026
The forecast calls for showers this morning, but with luck, they’ll clear out by afternoon, and we’ll have a mix of sun and clouds to wrap up the long weekend, with a high of 72. The rest of the week should be mostly sunny, with highs in the 80s tomorrow and Wednesday, and the 70s Thursday and Friday.
On this date in 1935, Babe Ruth hit his 714th home run, setting a record that would not be broken until 1974. But sadly, he didn’t set it for the Yankees, which had released him at the end of the previous season; by then, he was playing for the Braves (then located in Boston) and also serving as the team’s vice president and assistant manager.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Memorial Day, consider heading to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at West 89th Street and Riverside Drive at 10 a.m. for a wreath-laying ceremony. The program includes music and speeches from representatives of veterans’ groups, military personnel, and community organizations.
A reminder that registration is open for anyone who wants to help with the Parks Department’s June 12 tree census in Riverside Park. More information and signup link — HERE. (Note that there are two signup links for that day — one for those who’ve participated in the tree census in the past and don’t need training, and one for those who are volunteering for the first time.)
News Roundup
Compiled by Laura Muha
The Geneva School, which says it offers students “a time-proven classical education within a biblical worldview,” has put in a $20 million bid for the building once occupied by the bankrupt Manhattan Country School, Crain’s New York Business reported.
The latter school drained its endowment fund in 2015 to purchase the six-story brick building at 150 West 85th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues), with plans to expand. But the pandemic disrupted those plans, and expenses mounted rapidly, causing the school to fall behind on its debt payments. When its lender threatened foreclosure, the school sought a buyer for the building, and when that failed, it filed for bankruptcy and closed in May 2025.
The Geneva School, located five blocks north at 138 West 90th Street (also between Amsterdam and Columbus), was founded in 1996, and currently has 425 students in preschool through twelfth grade, according to Crain’s. Quoting from its 2024-25 annual report, Crain’s said that Geneva’s student body has grown by 43% since 2020; the most recent annual report states that it is looking to expand and update its facilities.
If other qualified bids for the building come in by the June 15 deadline, an auction will determine the fate of the building, Crain’s said.
Read the full story — HERE.
The debate over horse-drawn carriages in Central Park erupted again last week when two of them collided near a park entrance, flipping one of them and injuring the driver.
According to CBS News, the incident occurred last Monday at the entrance to Central Park at Seventh Avenue and 59th Street, when a carriage pulled by a horse named Troy became entangled with that of a carriage pulled by a horse named Otis.
Edita Birnkrant, of the animal-rights group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, told CBS that Troy became “violently spooked” before the collision.
But Christina Hansen, shop steward for TWU Local 100, which represents carriage horse drivers, disputed that account. She said Troy, who is new and still getting acclimated, had just dropped off riders at the end of a line of carriages, then “went to pull out in a hurry.” The back wheels of his carriage collided with those of the one in front of him, which was pulled by Otis. It tipped over, she said, injuring the driver, who was taken to the hospital.
The Central Park Conservancy issued a statement, calling the incident “troubling” and “a stark reminder of the dangers that horse-drawn carriages pose in an increasingly crowded Central Park.”
“The Central Park Conservancy renews its call to ban carriages in Central Park as a matter of public safety and public health,” the statement said. “New York should join the growing number of major cities around the world that have already banned horse-drawn carriages before yet another accident is allowed to happen.”
Read/watch the story — HERE.
If you’re a reader of the Rag, you might remember a story we ran a year and a half ago, about the Lego figures mysteriously embedded in the sidewalk on the north side of West 85th Street between Columbus and Central Park West. At the time we did the story, we counted 10 figurines.
Now, says Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson, there are roughly 40. And while she was on 85th Street doing a recent story on them, she was “over the moon” when she “randomly” bumped into the Lego artist himself, who is sometimes called “the Banksy of 85th Street” – a reference to the famed British artist who has been stealthily stenciling anti-authoritarian street art on buildings since the 1990s, but who has never publicly confirmed his identity. (Side note: Banksy is the artist responsible for the silhouette of the boy wielding a sledgehammer painted on the wall of the Zabar’s building at West 79th Street and Broadway.)
In the interview, the mystery Lego artist — whose identity Eyewitness News didn’t disclose — told Richardson he and his son, who was then 8, placed the first figure in wet concrete near their home three years ago, just for fun, and it’s expanded from there. She asked him if he’s ever considered placing pieces elsewhere on the UWS. “He said no — he believes doing that would lose its charm; he’s happy keeping it right here,” she reported.
Read/watch the full story — HERE.
In Other UWS News
- Gothamist recently wrote about efforts by public health expert Nina Schwalbe, a candidate for Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s congressional seat, to gain traction against “the boys club” also vying for the job. Read it — HERE.
- I Love the Upper West Side reports that Joe Columbus, the owner of the infamous pit bulls who attacked a chihuahua named Penny last year, recently was spotted walking a new puppy on Columbus Avenue near the site where the attack occurred. Read the full story — HERE.
- Ephemeral New York, a history blog, recently did a post focused on what’s believed to be the oldest tree in Central Park. Read it — HERE.
ICYMI
Here are a few stories we think are worth a look if you missed them last week — or a second look if you saw them. (Note that our comments stay open for six days after publication, so you may not be able to comment on all of them.)
Upper West Siders Set to Compete in Paris for Tennis’ French Open
UWS Shed Watch: Many Sidewalk Sheds Are There for Mandatory Facade Inspections — Could That Change?
With Candidates Everywhere, Democracy Is in Session on the Upper West Side
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
You didn’t say what year Babe Ruth set the record, that it lasted til 1974 means nothing without that missing fact.
1935 – Babe Ruth hit his 714th and final home run off Guy Bush at Forbes Field in an 11-7 Boston Braves loss to the Pirates, a career record that would stand for almost 40 years before Hammerin’ Hank claimed the crown.
The carriage horses are bred to work and pulling a carriage on a paved road is much lighter work than typical farm work that they were bred for. Working is also good for their physical and mental health.
The horse carriages have been a part of Central Park since it opened and provide economic benefit to NYC’s tourist economy. The industry is also heavily regulated.
Pulling a carriage and being cared for are certainly better than the slaughterhouse
There are several farms/sanctuaries for former carriage horses that provide lifelong care, and the horses socialize in pastures with other horses. There are at least 2 in NY state and more in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. No one wants to send them a slaughterhouse. 😤
They also spread horse excrement all over the park. Makes no sense to continue to have carriages in Central Park, only ones who benefit are the union jobs
Others do benefit – going on a late night carriage ride is romantic and a very special New York experience.
I wish they would limit the hours when the park isn’t so crowded – it seems like most of the accidents happen mid-day.
Better than the slaughterhouse? Didn’t realize that was the only option. Lucky horses.
What do you think would happen to these horses if the carriahes were no longer allowed? Some might go to a sanctuary but has any sanctuary or multiple stepped up to say they could take them all?
Related question: people are also against horse racing and equestrian events. If that were to happen would people ever see horses? There are still a few wild ones living in the Outer Banks but most people never see them.
That’s just not true! Families across the country own horses and farms/stables and they’re not putting their horses in danger or working them to death. Also, please check out Equine-Assisted Therapy which can be truly life-changing for children and adults.
Yikes. I dont know any New Yorker in support of the horse drawn carriages.
That’s because, like most New Yorkers, you exist in a self-affirming bubble and don’t associate with anyone who disagrees with your politics, ethics, morality, or world view.
I’m a lifelong New Yorker and fully support the carriage horses and their drivers. In fact the horses bring a smile to every New Yorker I know and give them a feeling of life outside of our current space and time. So yes we actually really need and benefit from the carriage horses. Certainly more than from the developer masquerading as an animal rights entity who is only looking to take over the horses stables for personal profit. There is nothing cruel about it I do believe that the glue factory or dog food processors are a much crueler end for these beautiful creatures (who happen to be quite expensive to take care of).
New Yorker here.
I’m not smiling when I pass by those carriages. I know more New Yorkers that feel the same than not.
Those horses deserve a kinder retirement plan than serving as entertainment for overweight tourists too lazy to walk around Central Park themselves. Nothing romantic about it.
And don’t get me started about leaving the horses out in 100 degree weather. Laws ignored all the time.
Doesn’t give me any sense of life outside my current space and time- other than getting to observe how gullible people are that aren’t from here. Suckers paying an exorbitant price per MINUTE! So they can get an “taste” of “old New York”?!
Maybe someone should start selling “authentic” cobblestones.
Re: Penny/Patch. The Animal Medical Center is helping with the new Penny fund — good for (very) expensive ‘business’! Good to think twice before having a pet — medical expenses are exorbitant!
“Zabar’s building” ?
The Zabars own that building.
Central Park Conservancy speaks of ““a stark reminder of the dangers that horse-drawn carriages pose in an increasingly crowded Central Park.”
Part of the reason Central Park is “increasingly crowded” is that the Conservancy does nothing about E-bikes and other bicycles on pedestrian paths. Or dogs off-leash.
“A time proven Biblical world view”? Wonder what that means. In any event any sale will have to be approved by the Bankrupcty Court and the NYS Attorney General’s office will be a highly influential party to that proceeding since the building is no doubt the principal asset of the not for profit Manhattan Country School. Could get pretty complicated with many lawyers involved. Since the property served an educational purpose, and the interested buyer also intends to use it for an educational purpose that is helpful to Geneva’s interest, Wonder who the real estate broker is, how the site it has been marketed, any other bids, and what the evidence is on fair market value. And what will Manhattan Day do with the sale proceeds. This is a story worth following.
Who cares? Whoever the ultimate buyer, it will be good to see the building being put to good use instead of sitting empty
“School” with a “Biblical worldview”? We know what that more than implies, with this repressive federal oligarchy seeking to eliminate literacy and science. We are not solely “a Christian country,” despite the insistent fantasy of the Cheeto and sycophants. Religion indoctrination is NOT education. Let a true educational organization buy and run the facility. (I think that of any educational institutions that feature religion underpinning.)
Re: the carriage horses, what is taking so long to disband the operation and let the horses retire upstate?
What? The school has existed since long before anyone could have imagined Trump would ever imagine running for president. I sincerely doubt they changed their mission because of our political company, unless you mean you think that because of our political climate, they should change their mission?
Why is Joe Columbus a) out of prison, and b) allowed to have any more dogs?
Agreed. Someone should have called 911 if they saw him. I believe there is a warrant for his arrest. Lock him up!
Mayor Bloomberg promised to end the horse and carriage industry – until the union and pro-H&C groups put $100,000 into his third (illegal) campaign. Mayor De Blah-sio promised to end the H&C industry – until a pro-H&C group put $70,000 into his re-election campaign. Mayor Adams not only promised to end the industry, but issued a bill (Ryder’s Law) to do so. Butl the City Council vetoed the bill.
Mayor Mamdani promised to end the H&C industry, calling it “inhumane and unnecessary.” But he has been flipflopping on the issue ever since.
The H&C industry is archaic, anachronistic and unnecessary. There have been over 120 accidents over the years, in which 29 horses have died, many others have been injured, and drivers have been injured. And keep in mind that it is not just the Park – the even greater danger, when many of the accidents occur, is getting from the Park to the stables and vice versa.
Horses do not belong on city streets, having to walk on concrete and macadam. (And since I know someone will bring it up, police horses are specifically trained for this.) And the industry adds a very tiny amount to City coffers.
It is time to end this practice once and for all. ONE horse dying was too many; 29 is outrageous.
Or replace the horses. New Orleans replaced all its horses with mules, and there has not been one incident since then. Mules can pull the same weight, can handle heat and humidity much more easily, and are cheaper and easier to house and feed.
But the current practice MUST end.
What pro H & C group gave de Blasio $70K for his re-election campaign???
NYCLASS and Steve Nislick (anti H & C group) who have been after the horse stables which is valuable real estate under the guise of preventing animal cruelty, helped put an end to front runner Christine Quinn’s campaign, thus helping elect de Blasio as mayor for his first term.
de Blasio had been trying from day one in office to the last weeks of his 2nd term to ban the carriages but did not have the support of the city council. NYCLASS had been lobbying de Blasio throughout his 8 years in office demanding quid pro quo!
If the police horse are trained to walk on concrete and macadam (if that’s what you are saying) couldn’t the carriage hirses be trained to do so too?
Thanks for the link to the candidate Schwalbe story! Very interesting
Please! NYCLASS president and founder Steve Nislick has been after the horse stables; valuable real estate on the westside since the de Blasio administration!