Residents’ Information
Thanks, Leo Shoveling snow is a chore, and shoveling snow during a deep freeze is even tougher. The next time you see Leo, tell him thanks for keeping our sidewalks clear. —8:06 a.m., January 21
Day off, day on It won’t take much of your time to make a big difference when you donate non-perishable food or a gently used coat to make the most of MLK Day. Your contributions will help those in need of healthy food. Take your donation to the Word Up Community Bookshop in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue and 165th Street tomorrow from 11 to 3. —8:54 a.m., January 19
Weekend picks Explore medieval panel paintings, right, on a guided tour with a Cloisters curator this afternoon in Fort Tryon Park. High school boys interested in playing baseball in college can get a taste of the action at a workshop tomorrow morning in Inwood, hosted by the Columbia baseball coach and staffed by key players. The final performance in the annual Dead of Winter play reading series takes place Sunday afternoon in Hudson Heights. —8:12 a.m., January 17
Restaurant week Starting today you can make a reservation for a special prix-fixe dinner at Uptown Garrison, the only restaurant in WaHi and Inwood to participate in the semi-annual promotion. The discounted meals start Tuesday and run through February 2. —8:15 a.m., January 16
Indoor baseball After a year of renovations, a new indoor baseball training center is open at the Armory. The 4,500-square-foot facility is operated by the Police Athletic League and includes baseball diamonds, batting cages, and baseball and golf simulators. —7:51 a.m., January 15
Application Forms
Download the forms you need, posted here as pdf files. If you don’t see what you’re looking for here, please call our property manager, who can also send you any of these forms through the mail.
Never be late again with your maintenance fee. Sign up for automatic payment from your checking account. It’s ideal for travelers. There’s no cost, and with it you’ll never pay another late fee.
ACH Form Scan.PDF
PDF File [132.6 KB]
Store your bicycle in the basement storage room. Please keep it locked to the rack. To get your rack, fill out this form. (It’s the same as the Storage Cage form, just check the Bike Rack box at the bottom.)
Pinehurst 447 Storage Lease.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [58.4 KB]
If the improvement you’re planning is less extensive than a renovation but you’re still planning to use outside help to complete the job, you may be eligible to use the decoration agreement. It’s less extensive than the alteration agreement (below, under Renovations and Alterations). Before submitting a decoration agreement, please visit with the property manager.
Pinehurst 447 Decoration Agreement.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [223.3 KB]
Renovations fall into this category. Use this form to submit with your plans. If you believe your work is not extensive, please contact the property manager to see if you qualify to work under a decoration agreement (see above). Mail the completed form to Hedda at Argo, 50 West 17 Street, NYC 10011-5702.
Pinehurst 447 Alteration Agreement.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [19.6 KB]
The purchaser should fill out this document to apply to transfer shares from the seller.
Pinehurst 10034_447_fwa purchase_applica[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [687.9 KB]
If your apartment is too cluttered, store your overflowing belongings in a storage cage in the basement. To get your cage, fill out this document.
Pinehurst 447 Storage Lease.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [58.4 KB]
If you plan to sublet your apartment, your proposed subtenant needs to complete this document.
Pinehurst 10034_447 fwa sublease_applica[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [647.2 KB]
The documents you will need for some other puposes are available from different web sites. Here are the most popular:
Gym
Ask John or a board member for the permission form.
Pets
Compost Collection
Click to enlarge!
The city is helping reduce waste in landfills by accepting material to compost. It will be picked up every week, so have yours set out by Wednesday afternoon.
The Sanitation Department will pick up all leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. That includes meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, and greasy uncoated paper plates and pizza boxes.
But do not compost trash such as diapers, personal hygiene products, animal waste, wrappers, non-paper packaging, and foam products. Click on the list to the right for details.
And do not compost recyclable materials. Learn more about what to recycle. It’s important to follow the guidelines because starting in April, the city will begin imposing fines on the building when a resident puts the wrong material in the compost bin for collection.
Contacting Us
Have a question about the House Rules, or how to get a storage cage? Ask one of your directors. This year they are:
Allison Hiroto, president
Jessica Benoit, secretary
Contact them at board@thepinehurst.org or just say hi in the elevator or at the mailboxes. They will be happy to help you.
Leo Drejic is the superintendent. You can reach him by calling (646) 372-0092 or by sending an email to Super@ThePinehurst.org. For help after hours and on weekends, please call the Argo emergency line at (212) 896-8660.
While you’re thinking of the building, help us keep your contact information current so you will receive official mail from the corporation and Argo without delay. If you have children moving out or roommates moving in, please tell us. Your information will not appear on this web site. If you do not want it to appear on our internal contact sheet, simply say so.
The secretary is responsible for keeping our records current, so when you have updates to your contact preferecnes please keep us in the loop by
sending them to Secretary@ThePinehurst.org or one of these addresses:
board@thepinehurst.org For general questions
super@thepinehurst.org To reach
the super
secretary@thepinehurst.org To update
your contact details
web@thepinehurst.org Reaches the
webmaster
You may also call the property manager, John Duff, at (212) 896-8600, and mail correspondence to us at
447 Ft. Washington Avenue, No. 68, New York NY 10033.
Delivery Security and Package Pirates
Have you lost a box after it was delivered and before you picked it up? You’re not alone: 90,000 of them go missing in New York every day, and residents in some buildings are protecting themselves.
It’s terribly frustrating to have a delivery go missing despite our best efforts. If it happens to you, please follow these steps:
1. Ensure delivery confirmation with the delivery service (USPS, UPS, Amazon, etc.).
2. File a police report with the 32nd Precinct at (212) 690-6311.
3. Notify management of your missing package.
4. The police will contact management to obtain surveillance video. As per the House Rules, security camera footage is not provided to residents.
To keep your delivery from being stolen, follow suggestions from the Wirecutter, or try some of the tips we’ve collected to protect your goods. There’s no guarantee they will work, but any of them will help keep your package yours.
You can help your first-floor neighbors with their deliveries: If you see a package left at their door, put it in the bin.
• Once your package is delivered, pick it up! The longer you wait, the more likely it is to go missing. And when lots of residents leave their packages uncollected, the space fills up and someone’s package has to be left outside the door, where thieves can prey on it.
• Have your package held at the post office, or sign up for informed delivery from the USPS.
• Amazon (and many other businesses) lets you add delivery instructions to your shipping address. Of course, the delivery agent may not follow your instructions, but you can at the very least instruct them leave it by the cage.
• If you’re going to be out of town for more than a few days, the Post Office will hold your mail if you
sign up for the free service.
• Take advantage of “Ship to Store” option when it’s available. Amazon offers a locker feature that allows you to pick up your package from a secure location, whether near home or work. The closest is at the Rite Aid in Lower WaHi, at 4046 Broadway at 171st Street.
• Request signature confirmation for delivery.
• Never buzz in someone whose identity you can’t establish.
• When you see strangers in the building, a friendly “hello” or “can I help you find someone?” will let them know the residents are paying attention to visitors.
• And if you see a package at a neighbor’s door, you could collect it and let them know you have it.
A magazine for co-op apartments suggests being aware of restaurant delivery personnel. The Denver Police Department says one effective deterrent is simply asking a neighbor to accept a package for you.
If you’re clever, you could try what a NASA engineer has up his sleeve for porch pirates, but it involves a lot of glitter and amassing a certain … scent.
Disposal: Electronics and Lithium Batteries
Discarded electronics make up the largest growth in household hazardous waste in NYC, but you can recycle them instead.
We have a collection unit in the basement, where you can drop off your unusable items. They will be collected by the city and either repurposed or safely dismantled.
Your efforts make a real difference. In 2021 we recycled 880 pounds of digital detritus, and since we’ve been enrolled in the city’s e-cycling program, we’ve kept 6,447 pounds of it from landfills.
The city will collect these electronics:
- Televisions (including cathode ray tubes)
- Computer peripherals, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- Monitors, laptops
- Electronic keyboards
- Electronic mice and other pointing devices
- Fax machines, document scanners, and printers that are meant for use with a computer and weigh less than 100 lbs.
- TV peripherals, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- VCRs
- Digital video recorders
- DVD players
- Digital converter boxes
- Cable or satellite receivers
- Electronic or video game consoles
- Small-scale servers
- Portable devices, including any permanently attached cable or wiring
- Portable digital music players
Can’t find what you have to get rid of? Look here.
If you’re getting rid of your lithium battery, do not put it in the trash—that’s illegal. It’s hazardous waste.
The easiest option: The store that sold your new lithium battery is required to accept your used one. You can also drop it off at a collection site run by the Department of Sanitation.
Keep in mind that while recharging our devices makes them incredibly convenient to use, the cost of lithium batteries in our cell phones, laptops, scooters is their fire hazard. In just the nine months of 2024, lithium batteries started fires in 30 trash trucks, including a fire down the street in Fort George on Saint Nicholas Avenue at 186th Street in September.
Drought warning
We’ve gone without sufficient rain for so long that the city is asking us to reduce water usage to protect water supplies. Here are some steps you can take to help
prevent a worsening drought:
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily and take shorter showers.
• Avoid running the tap while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth.
• Take measures to fix leaky faucets and pipes within your house.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full, and use shorter cycles if available.
And if you see an open fire hydrant or outdoor leak, call 311.
Exterminator
Regular visits from Pest Pro help keep tiny interlopers at bay. The sign-up sheet is available in the laundry room; if you can’t make it there see ask John for a link to the online sign-up. The technician will write the next visit date on the sign-up sheet.
Pest Pro will visit the building on Friday mornings. We hope that having visits on Friday mornings will allow more of you to be home when Pest Pro visits. If you will not be home then, please let Leo know that he can give the technician access to your apartment in your absence.
Before every visit, please clear under your kitchen and bathroom sinks so that there is space for the technician to examine and treat those areas. If you have areas blocked off by furniture or items, prepare to move them so the tech can do a full visual inspection.
Gas Meter Reading, Inspections, and Safety
Review these gas safety tips from ConEd so you’ll know what to do if you smell something off. And remember that if you notice that rotten egg smell, do not light a match, smoke, flip a switch, ring a doorbell, or touch appliances or electronics, including your phone. Doing so can produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode.
The state mandates inspections of gas meters and piping to keep you and your neighbors safe. If your meter (it’s probably in your kitchen) has not been inspected, call (800) 643-1289 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. or send an e-mail to gasinspections@coned.com.
Alternatively, if yours has in fact been inspected and you’re still being asked to set up a time, take a picture of the inspection sticker and email it to the same address.
ConEd bills you for the natural gas you use, typically for your range. Your gas meter is probably in your kitchen and looks like the one on the right. ConEd determines your gas bill by looking at those little dials to find out how much gas you used, and for accurate billing prefers to read your meter monthly.
If you’re home when the gas meter reader knocks on your door, just let him in and he’ll be done in less than a minute. If you miss him more than once, you may receive a letter from ConEd asking for access to your apartment to read your meter. For $19, you can schedule a visit at www.coned.com/en/accounts-billing/how-to-read-your-meter, or you can just follow the instructions and record the meter reading yourself.
Oh, those meters in the basement across from the elevator? They’re for electricity.
General Data Protection Regulation Info
Visitors to this website from the European Union have the protection of GDPR 2016/679 which on May 26, 2016, went into effect.
Data collected from on thepinehurst.org are stored on the servers of Ionos, the web hosting service used by 447 Ft. Washington Owners’ Corporation doing business as The Pinehurst. The Controller is the webmaster, who may be reached at web@thepinehurst.org, and the Controller’s Representative is the property manager, John Duff, who may be reached at (212) 896-8600 or at Argo Real Estate, 50 W 17 St, New York NY 10011. The Data Protection Officer is the president of the corporation, Alison Hiroto, who may be reached at 447fwa@thepinehurst.org.
The data we collect are those submitted voluntarily by shareholders to promote notices of sale of their apartments. There is no requirement to submit any information at any time. We store personal data for the duration that an apartment is for sale; once it is sold we delete it within four weeks of being notified of the sale. If a shareholder revokes permission for us to store personal information we shall delete it within two weeks of the shareholder’s notification.
An individual subject to GDPR 2016/679 has the right to request from the Controller access to and rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing concerning the data subject or to object to processing as well as the right to data portability. Such an individual also has the right to make a complaint the supervising authority, which is The Board of Directors. It may be reached at secretary@thepinehurst.org or at 447 Fort Washington Ave, Apt 68, New York NY 10033.
Grilling in the Parks
Looking for a place to light up a grill? This resource shows the safe spots in Fort Washington Park and Inwood Hill Park.
Grilling on the Pinehurst’s balconies and fire escapes is prohibited by law — not to mention common sense.
Hazardous Waste: Paint, Pesticides, CFC’s
After sprucing up your walls you probably have more paint than you can use for touch-ups. To dispose of them in the trash, let the paint dray out—just be sure you keep a window open. Once the paint is dry you can put it in the trash.
If it’s latex paint (and it’s still wet), you can take up to five gallons to one of the city’s hazardous waste collection points. You can also drop off pesticides, electronics, motor oil and the like. The city also runs occasional Solvents, Automotive, Flammable, Electronics disposal events that are closer to home, but last only a day.
House Rules
Our building is a community, as well as our home. Residents share the responsibility to ensure a safe and pleasant quality of life at reasonable cost. We count on each other to treat all areas of the building as our home, and to protect and respect the rights of all of the Residents to a safe and comfortable home. A set of guidelines helps us achieve these goals.
The House Rules are available here. Return the cover sheet to Argo.
Please keep yourself familiar with the information in this document, which is part of your Proprietary Lease. The House Rules also include the Smoking Policy. Until the house rules are revised, shareholders who intend to sell or sublet must include the smoking policy in their sale or lease agreement. A copy of it is below, under “Smoking Policy.”
Pinehurst 447 House Rules with Acknowled[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [605.9 KB]
Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Severe Weather
Severe weather is an uncommon but dangerous phenomenon. In the summer and early fall, hurricanes may threaten the northeast. If a hurricane is threatening the city, keep on top of the evacuation map found on this page.
Hurricanes are rare but their effects are not. Have a plan in case the weather turns severe.
The late spring and summer can produce tornadoes. Before you hear of a tornado watch (which means that weather conditions could produce a tornado) or a tornado warning (which
means a funnel cloud has been spotted, though it may not have touched the ground yet), please review these safety precautions for you and your family.
In short, go to the lowest level of the building, stay away from windows and remain there until the all-clear sign has been given (by the National Weather Service, typically), and have a first aid kit handy.
Laundry Room
Pay for your laundry with your smart phone. Hercules has an app that connects to the washers and dryers so you don’t have to keep track of a card anymore.
Download the Hercules CyclePay App from the Apple Store or Google Play for your IOS or Andriod phone. Full instructions on its use are in the chart on the right, which you can doawnload in the pdf below. It’s also posted in the laundry room.
If you use the app, you can set it up to give you alerts when your laundry is done.
The laundry room is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. La lavandería está abierta todos los días de 7 a.m. a 11 p.m.
When you load the machines, it’s easy to feel you need to use more detergent than is necessary. That’s beacause modern cleaning products, including cleaning boosters and fabric softeners, are formulated to require less than in years past. When you put in too much, the washers cannot rinse it all out, leaving chemicals in your clothes—and leaving scents in the washers that your neighbors may not care for. Check the instructions on your detergent, boosters, and fabric softeners, and use only what’s recommended.
After you’re done washing your clothes, use one of the door-propping arms to keep the door open for the next person doing laundry, as in the photo on the right. That way, the tub and door seal dry in the open air, which keeps them from getting smelly and moldy when the door closes before they’re dry.
Hercules maintains the laundry machines, both the washers and dryers. With our dryers, to add five minutes you
must do so when at least five minutes remain in the cycle. If there is less time, you will be given 30 minutes and charged for a full cycle.
If a machine is malfunctioning, note the machine number and then call Hercules at (800) 526-5760, or use Hercules’ website. Alternatively, send an e-mail to service@hercnet.com. If you want to vent on social
media, go ahead—Facebook is the perfect pain sponge. Make
your next step getting in touch with Hercules. If you lost money, you can even ask for a refund. Hercules will need to know:
BUILDING NAME Pinehurst
BUILDING ADDRESS 447 Fort Washington
Avenue
BUILDING LOCATION Manhattan
LAUNDRY ROOM LOCATION Basement; super required for
access
MACHINE MALFUNCTIONING Take note of the
number on the machine, and if you’re asking for a refund, include your apartment number
Maintenance Fee Statements
We welcome you to switch to paperless billing for your monthly maintenance fee.
If you’ve signed up and chose not to receive paper statement but they’re still arriving, we have a solution. Just send an email to John and he’ll get it straightened out.
Manhattan Maintenance Fees
Our fourth look at maintenance fees across Manhattan neighborhoods is available on the On The Market page. The previous survey, the third, compares fees to those in 2006 and 2008. Want to compare? Download a copy of the 2012 report by clicking on the link below.
If you’re specifically interested in Hudson Heights maintenance fees, we have that data too:
Manh Maint Hudson Heigts 2017.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [47.4 KB]
Noise
Washington Heights is known for its noise. Luckily, Hudson Heights is a bit quieter. However, if you are bothered by loud music, a party, fireworks or other terrestrial sound, please call 311.
If you’re tired of the drivers racing up and down Fort Washington at all hours of the night and day? Sign a petition seeking speed bumps to slow down the traffic.
Other noise comes from the skies. Aircraft fly over our neighborhood en route to LaGuardia Airport or on their way to points
west.
If the sound of aircraft is bothersome, please call the Economic Development Corporation at (212) 619-5000 with your concerns about helicopters, or for airplanes call (718) 533-5615 and press 3 for LaGuardia.
In late 2020 a group of Uptowners formed a task force on noise, which includes drag racing. In the spring of 2021, Council Member Mark Levine came out with a ten-point proposal to address it. One Uptown group, Respectful Decibels, seeks your comments.
NYC Notify
New York has a way to keep you informed of emergency information as well as less-critical topics like parking changes. Sign up to receive notifications by e-mail, text, or phone messages. To stay informed, click here: https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/
The city is expanding the types of notifications you can receive from its email and message service. If you’d like to add updates from the 34th Precinct, or about weather that’s dangerous to residents of basement apartments, go to NYC.gov/notifynyc, log in to your account, and update your preferences under the “My Account” tab. From here, the instructions get specific:
• On the right-hand side menu, select “Notification Addresses” to see your enrolled addresses.
• Select the pencil icon next to the address you would like to add notification to.
• At the bottom of the page, select the notifications you would like to receive for that address.
• Select Submit
These groups are also available on the mobile app.
Recycling: Glass, Metal, Paper, Plastic
The Pinehurst is committed to recycling in accordance with New York City’s goals. Most paper and plastic (but not all), glass and metal are recyclable in our bins in the garbage area.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs require special recycling because their contents are hazardous. Also known as CFL’s, these bulbs are typically curly in shape. For more information on CFL recycling, click here. And for nearly anything else, look here.
There’s a drop-off point in each borough. For Manhattan, it’s under the Manhattan Bridge at 74 Pike Slip, between Cherry and South Streets. If you have a car, the closer site is in Hunt’s Point, next to the Fulton Fish Market. The sites are open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at the same time on the last Friday of the month (but check before you haul your stuff). As an alternative, take your CFL bulbs to a retailer that accepts them, such as Home Depot.
As we’ve switched from shopping in stores to shopping online, the delivery boxes and their packaging lead to a substantially larger volume of garbage than before. A cost of the convenience is growing expenses to manage our refuse. Your assistance will help us keep a lid on the budget.
- Flatten your boxes when you put them in the recycling area. The picture at right, from July, shows what we want to avoid.
- Do not put your recycling in plastic bags. That includes plastic recycling. You can throw it all directly in the bin, which contains special bags that the city accepts.
1. Aplana tus cajas cuando las pongas en el área de reciclaje. La imagen arriba muestra lo que queremos evitar.
2. No ponga su reciclaje en bolsas de plástico. Eso incluye el reciclaje de plástico. Puedes tirarlo todo directamente a la papelera, que contiene bolsas especiales que acepta la ciudad.
Las reglas son impuestas por el Departamento de Saneamiento. Entonces, si no lo hacemos, Fehim habrá dedicado más tiempo a tu reciclaje. Si no lo hace, pagamos multas.
Recycle: Reusable Household Items
When you clean some clutter you may find yourself with perfectly good things that you don’t have any use for anymore. If you’d like to donate old clothes, electronic, or housewares to a place where they can do some good, take a look at Donate NYC, a site run by the city. It will help you find a place to drop off reusable items for upcycling.
The city accepts a surprisingly wide variety of household items for recycling. They’re on the pdf you can download below. Before taking out bedsprings, a paper shredder, cabinet or other large item, get in touch with Leo. We’re limited in how many large items we can set out each week.
Here’s our list of the kinds of larger household items you may recycle at the curbside, and a list of items you cannot recycle here. Typically, these are items that are too large to fit into a trash or recycling bin or a bag.
Bulk - Large Items.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [165.3 KB]
For food items to compost, see Compost Collection, and for hazardous waste, look for that category; just scroll up (they’re listed alphabetically).
Smoke Detectors
When you replace your smoke detectors, you need to upgrade to a 10-year sealed model. A 2019 state law says that all new or replacement smoke detectors must be powered by the long-lasting battery or be hardwired to your electrical system. If you want to sell your apartment, you will need to upgrade your smoke detectors before the sale goes through.
Smoking Policy
In August 2017 Mayor DeBlasio signed legislation that requires all NYC cooperatives and condominiums to adopt formal smoking policies. The Board adopted a policy in August 2018 and revised it in June 2023 to prohibit smoking within apartments.
STAR Property Tax Rebate
BOROUGH 1
Subways and Transportation
Interactive Subway Map
The famous map has been revised and moved online. It shows live updates of train locations, such as the one leaving 181st Street, right.
“A” Train
Scheduled maintenance is posted here by the MTA.
181 Street: Busway
Increasing commuters’ travel along 181st Street has been a goal of everyone for years, and with the busway plan speeds have increase by 30 percent and more. In summer 2022,
the Department of Transportation made permanent its pilot plan to restrict on 181st Street traffic that isn’t a bus, truck, or emergency vehicle—unless you’re turning at the next
intersection.
Traffic is restricted from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Download the department’s presentation to Community Board 12 in July 2022:
181-st-broadway-ave-amsterdam-ave-jun202[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [1.6 MB]
A previous review from Department of Transportation’s of 181st Street is here.
Announcement Archive
Hanging laundry Did you hang your clothes to dry in a laundry basket and forget they’re waiting for you? They’ve been there for several days, ready to go home. —4:39 p.m., January 14
Buzzing in With the cold weather, people may seek a warm place overnight. That can be a challenge to our security. When you enter the building, be aware of anyone behind you and if you don’t recognize them, ask them to buzz the person they’re visiting. And when you buzz in your own visitors, be sure to establish their identity first. —8:24 a.m., January 13
Mulch fest If you’ve held on to your Christmas tree, wreath, or roping this long, it’s time to say good-bye. Help the city’s gardens by turning them into mulch today. Remove the decorations and drop off your live greens in J. Hood Wright Park in Lower WaHi, or in Inwood Hill Park near Isham Street and Seaman Avenue. In Inwood, you can take home free mulch. —8: 05 a.m., January 12
Weekend picks A new film about the melting Rhône Glacier, right, is being screened on Audubon Terrace; the glacier is expected to melt away by 2050. Kids can make their own portrait silhouette tomorrow afternoon on Jumel Terrace, and decorate it in the style of the eighteenth century. Take a hike on Sunday afternoon through Inwood Hill Park to discover the rock formations that make the skyscrapers of Manhattan possible. —7:58 a.m., January 10
Second floor The construction is nearing its completion, with Kikos coming back on Monday. If all goes well, that will be the final day of work. —8:17 a.m., January 9
Update Setting the tiles will likely take three days, ending Wednesday. —4:35 p.m., January 9
Laundry machines Here’s an evergreen tip: If a washer or dryer stops working, call our laundry vendor, Hercules, and the staff will send a repairman. The Hercules number (800) 526-5760, or use its website. Alternatively, send an e-mail to service@hercnet.com. You can even ask for a refund if you lost money. More tips below under Laundry Room, including how to sign up for the Hercules app so you get a notification when your laundry is done. —7:24 a.m., January 7
New officers With the new year, Alli Hiroto is the corporation’s new president. She took over from Jennifer Peng, who became a vice president, a role that Greg Donovan now holds after Riva Hocherman stepped down. Then next time to see Alli, Jennifer, Greg, or Riva, thank them for their service that turns our building into our home. —9:28 a.m., January 5
Weekend picks The Fort Washington branch of the New York Public Library is open again after a years-long renovation. It’s hosting a reading workshop f0r little ones this afternoon, or just walk over to Fort George and take a look at the improvements. Another children’s event engages young ones with medieval art at the Cloisters tomorrow afternoon. On Sunday afternoon, sit in on the reading of a new play in the Dead of Winter series, right, in Hudson Heights. —7:51 a.m., January 3
Festival of lights We hope your Hannukah has been filled with unexpected blessings. —3:41 p.m., January 2
Happy 2025 Our best wishes for a healty and prosperous new year. —7:29 a.m., January 1
Mulch fest Your live tree can live on as mulch for gardens across the city. Last year New Yorkers recycled 46,626 trees. Would you have guessed that the borough with the most Christmas tree waste is Manhattan? Take yours to J. Hood Wright Park for collection. Alternatively, drop it off in our trash area and Leo will set it out to be composted. Either way, remove the decorations first, and bag it so you don’t leave a trail of needles in the hallways. —8:33 a.m., December 30
Gold rings It’s the fifth day of Christmas, when your true love is on the hook to give you five gold rings. There’s good news: the price of the shiny gifts remained flat compared to a year ago. The overall increase for all 364 gifts in The Twelve Days of Christmas rose a modest 3.6% in 2024, leaving you with a bill of $209,272. —8:36 a.m., December 29
Weekend picks A four-week basketball workshop for kids, right, opens this afternoon in Highbridge Park. Three sessions are for kids in three age groups. Amid all the festive eating, shop for fresh and healthy alternatives at the Inwood Green Market on Saturday morning. Celebrate Chanukah on Sunday night (or on Monday) with one of Israel’s most beloved pop music artists, Ishay Ribo. —8:02 a.m., December 27
Happy Hannukah The festival of lights starts at sunset tonight. May your Hanukkah be filled with unexpected blessings. —4:22 p.m., December 25
Tiny reindeer Leo didn’t see anything moving, but he did come across eight sets of hoof prints. Did you find anything under your tree? Merry Christmas! —12:04 a.m., December 25
Rooftop clatter Did you hear it too? Leo’s been getting texts about noise above the sixth floor. He’s on the roof looking for the source. —11:57 p.m., December 24
Lithium batteries You may soon receive a gift with a lithium battery in it, which makes recharging your device incredibly convenient. But the cost of those batteries in our cell phones, laptops, scooters and more is their fire hazard. So far this year, lithium batteries have started fires in more than 30 trash trucks, including a fire down the street in Fort George on Saint Nicholas Avenue in September. If you’re getting rid of your lithium battery, do not put it in the trash—that’s illegal. The store that sold your new lithium battery device is required to accept your used one. You can also drop it off at a collection site run by the Department of Sanitation. —7:21 a.m., December 23
Smoke detectors It’s a busy time of year, but for safety’s sake consider the last time you changed the batteries in your smoke detectors and in your carbon monoxide detector. Let this morning’s winter solstice serve as a seasonal mnemonic. If you’d like help, ask Leo. —8:35 a.m., December 21
Weekend picks The 1951 version of A Christmas Carol, right, starring Alastair Sim, has become the definitive telling of Dickens’ Christmas Eve epiphany. It screens tonight in Inwood. Welcome winter with warm cider at a solstice gathering tomorrow evening in Isham Park. Pause before next week’s holiday gatherings with an afternoon of parlor jazz in Lower WaHi on Sunday. And prepare for a bit of wintry weather overnight: A half-inch of snow is predicted. —8:08 a.m., December 20
Appliance delivery A neighbor is getting a new stove on Friday, so expect the elevator to be in use for the delivery and a removal between noon and 3 tomorrow. —6:29 a.m., December 19
Greenery care If you’ve decorated your home with a live tree, roping, or wreath, now’s a good time to water or mist it. The needles will last longer if you do, and you’ll keep the greenery from being a fire hazard too. —6:47 a.m., December 17
Party smiles Thanks to all for coming to last night’s get-together, and for sharing your holiday cheer. Best wishes for a joyful season! —6:22 a.m., December 16
A-wassailing Join your neighbors this evening for our holiday party! Let’s pause during these busy days to catch up with old friends and say hello to new ones. Today at 5. —7:54 a.m., December 15
Weekend picks Seasonal tidings are the theme of Samara Joy’s holiday performance at the United Palace tonight. The Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden invites you to join its tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday afternoon for carols, cocoa, and Santa Claus. On Sunday afternoon you can sit in on the annual reading of A Visit from Saint Nick, which you probably know better as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, and then join a procession, right, to the grave of the author in the cemetery of the Church of the Intercession in Lower WaHi. And don’t forget our own holiday party on Sunday evening at 5 in the lobby! —6:49 a.m., December 13
Electronics recycling Sarah’s left some stickers at the recycling shelves so you can color-code the electronics you leave to show if they’re working or not. Thanks, Sarah! —7:02 a.m., December 12
Holiday party We’ve decked the halls (well, the lobby, anyway) and now it’s time for wassail and figgy puddy. Join your neighbors for the Pinehurst’s annual holiday party on Sunday evening at 5. We’ll provide the nibbles and sips; you provide the seasonal cheer. —6:52 a.m., December 11
Board roles Coming with the new year, we’ll have some new roles on the Board of Directors. Greg Donovan will join as a vice president. Riva Hocherman will step down after eight years as a director — thank her for her service during Covid and everything else since 2016! And Jennifer Peng will hand off the presidency to Alli Hiroto. —10:23 a.m., December 10
Banishing bugs To schedule a visit from our exterminator, add your name to the sign-up sheet in the laundry room or use the Google form. If you won’t be home when the exterminator is here, please let Leo know if he may give the technician access to your apartment. Before every visit, clear the space under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, and if you have areas blocked off by furniture, prepare to move it so the tech can do a full visual inspection. —8:18 a.m., December 8
Weekend picks Go underground tonight for a haunting performance of The Little Match Girl in a crypt in Lower WaHi. Tomorrow evening you can help decorate Manhattan’s colonial mansion, right, for a nineteenth-century Christmas party. On Sunday evening, take in a holiday concert by the Cornerstone Chorale in Hudson Heights. —7:03 a.m., December 6
Construction progress The noisy work is done. Today an engineer will visit to inspect the work. —7:25 a.m., December 5
Hallway construction The renovation work you heard yesterday will continue today. Kikos Construction needs a bit more time to jackhammer into solid portions of the floor. The good news is that’s because the building was constructed so solidly. —6:42 a.m., December 4
Giving Tuesday Help support the people who make our neighborhood a home. On this Giving Tuesday, your financial support of any of these Uptown non-profits will contribute to making Hudson Heights, Fort George, Inwood, and Washington Heights a better place to live.
Performing Arts
Cornerstone Chorale, a group of Uptown singers
The Crypt Sessions, whose subterranean concerts are part of the Death of Classical series
Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, the troupe with a home in Hudson Heights
MOSA Concerts, the Music at Our Saviour’s Atonement series in Hudson Heights
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, which sponsors the Uptown Arts Stroll
Pied Piper Children’s Theatre, a showcase for Uptown talent
United Palace of Cultural Arts, the site of plays, concerts, and classic film screenings
Up Theater Company, which stages new plays
Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, holding Uptown concerts throughout the year
Culture
American Academy of Arts & Letters, an honor society of artists who foster interest in the arts
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum, the only remaining farmstead in Manhattan
Hispanic Society & Museum, whose exhibitions are free to everyone
Morris-Jumel Mansion, the Colonial home of “the room where it happened”
Word Up Community Bookshop/Libraría Comunitaria, Uptown’s only independent bookstore
Education
Boricua College, on Audubon Terrace
Columbia University Medical Center, which teaches nursing, public health, dentistry, and more
Uptown Stories, the host of writing workshops for kids
Yeshiva University, in Fort George
Parks
Fort Tryon Park Trust, whose volunteers maintain the park
Friends of Inwood Hill Park, which lists it own set of neighborhood charities
Social
Armory Track Foundation, which holds enrichment activities for kids
Columbia Community Service’s annual toy drive
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, at the Columbia Medical Center
Washington Heights and Inwood Development Council, which aids Uptown businesses
Washington Heights/Inwood Food Council, a group promoting heathly foods and gardening
Do you know of a group to add to our list? Let us know! —8:04 a.m., December 3
Package pick-ups It’s the most busy time of the year for the bin. Help keep it accessible to new deliveries: Retrieve your parcel to make room for the next box. It’s a practical way to keep them from going missing, too. A few other tips:
1. Ensure delivery confirmation with the delivery service (USPS, UPS, Amazon, etc.).
2. Can’t find your package? File a police report with the 32nd Precinct at (212) 690-6311.
3. Notify Fehim of your missing package.
We’ve assembled more suggestions under “Delivery Security,” below. —8:30 a.m., December 1
Weekend picks Did you get enough turkey? Did you have the will power to say no to that extra piece of pie? One way or another, you could probably use a chance to burn some of those extra calories. You can do that when you join an hour-long hike through Inwood Hill Park this afternoon, or on Sunday afternoon on a 90-minute trek through Highbridge Park, right. In between the exercise, explore your creative side with water color painting in Fort Tryon Park on Saturday afternoon. —8:39 a.m., November 29
Happy Thanksgiving We wish you a safe and fulfilling holiday! —8:22 a.m., November 27
Toy drive If you’d like to help a child celebrate the holidays, consider donating a gift to the Columbia Community Service toy drive. There’s a drop-off spot at the Columbia athletic office in Inwood at 533 West 218th Street, and a dozen others are in Harlem and Morningside Heights. Daily from 10 to 4 in the main lobby. —6:51 a.m., November 25
Hot water Leo reset the boiler so the 4-line will get its hot water back soon. —6:42 p.m., November 24
Natural gas Although we heat our water with steam, most of us cook with a gas range. Review these gas safety tips from ConEd so you’ll know what to do if you smell something off. And remember that if you notice that rotten egg smell, do not light a match, smoke, flip a switch, ring a doorbell, or touch appliances or electronics, including your phone. Doing so can produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode. —8:34 a.m., November 24
Weekend picks A variety of music marks the pre-holiday pause. Tonight a Baroque ensemble presents a concert of Haydn’s vocal compositions in Inwood. Tomorrow a trio of flute, drums, and violin performs a concert based on bird calls in a gallery on Audubon Terrace, right. Closing out the weekend is your chance to dance to live klezmer music in Fort George on Sunday afternoon. —7:28 a.m., November 22
Free mattress If your back is sore in the morning but you can’t get around to buying a new mattress, we have an offer. A neighbor is giving away a barely used, comfortable queen-size. Send us n email and we’ll put you in touch. —7:38 a.m., November 21
Drought warning Last week’s drought watch became a drought warning yesterday. The city’s reservoirs, which are usually around 79 percent full at this time of year, are down to about 60 percent of their total capacity. Here
are some steps you can take to help:
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily and take shorter showers.
• Avoid running the tap while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth.
• Take measures to fix leaky faucets and pipes within your house.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full, and use shorter cycles if available.
More tips are here. If conditions don’t improve—the rain in the forecast won’t resolve the problem—the next step is a drought emergency. That last happened in 2002. —7:09 a.m., November 19
On the market We’d hate to see you go, but if you’re considering moving on let us help you sell your home. Our pages featuring apartments On the Market is among the most-visited on the website. Just send us a link to your listing and we’ll do the rest. —8:42 a.m., November 17
Hot water Thanks for the pings on the water in the 3, 4, and 5 lines. Leo has fixed the issue with the boiler. If your water is still cool, email Leo (it’s faster than Facebook)! —1:14 p.m., November 16
Weekend picks Descend into a crypt tonight in Lower WaHi for an intimate performance by a cellist whose composition is inspired by his bout with long Covid. A guided tour of the heather garden tomorrow morning will show you autumn blooms that you’ve been overlooking. On Sunday evening, a jazz concert by three musicians from around the world will enliven your soul in Hudson Heights, right. —8:07 a.m., November 15
Inwood brush fires One fire after another broke out yesterday afternoon in Inwood Hill Park. Firefighters contained the first one within a few hours, but the second burned into the night. If you’re heading to the park, stay clear of emergency responders. Better yet, visit Fort Tryon Park instead. And remember that we are in a burn ban: No outdoor flames. —5:52 a.m., November 14
Basement access Check your email for a message from the board this morning with the new elevator code. —3:49 p.m., November 13
Red flag warning With winds of 10 to 20 mph gusting up to 35, today we will have conditions that could result in more brush fires. The warning is in effect until 9 tonight. Remember, smokers should never carelessly discard cigarettes, and if you see a brush fire, report it to 9-1-1 immediately. For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx/.—7:19 a.m., November 12
Warning extended With high winds again today, the red flag warning is extended until 6 this evening. —6:13 a.m., November 13
Buzzing in As the weather cools, people may seek cool and dry shelter. That can be a challenge to our security. When you enter the building, be aware of anyone behind you and if you don’t recognize them, ask them to buzz the person they’re visiting. And when you buzz in your own visitors, be sure to establish their identity first to keep the building safe for everyone. —8:27 a.m., November 10
Palisades fires The wildfires in New Jersey, including on the Palisades, above, are likely to leave you seeing or smelling smoke. Another brush fire is in Prospect Park. A Red Flag Warning is also in effect citywide until 6 tonight, with winds of 15–20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. These conditions will result in increased brush fire risk. —7:40 a.m., November 9
Weekend picks A new exhibit on women’s drawing rooms in early modern Spain and the Spanish Americas opens this week at the Hispanic Society on Audubon Terrace. Explore cuisines at the Greek food festival, which begins today and runs all weekend in Fort George, and a chili cookoff tomorrow at lunch time in Inwood. Then walk off the extra calories on a climb to the top of the Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park, right, on Sunday afternoon. —7:54 a.m., November 8
Drought watch We’ve gone without rain for so long that the city is asking us to reduce water usage to protect water supplies. Here are some steps you
can take to help:
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily and take shorter showers.
• Avoid running the tap while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth.
• Take measures to fix leaky faucets and pipes within your house.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full, and use shorter cycles if available.
And if you see an open fire hydrant or outdoor leak, call 311. —6:22 a.m., November 6
Election day Get out and vote! Our polling place is the Fort Washington Collegiate Church, up at 181st. Enter at Col. Robt. McGaw Place. It’s open until 9 p.m. —7:14 a.m., November 5
Early voting Today’s your last chance to vote in advance. Head to the Armory on Fort Washington Avenue and 168th Street between 9 and 5. —7:01 a.m., November 3
Garden light An electrician is coming on Monday to fix the broken timer for the light in the garden. In the meantime, please take out your trash during daylight. —11:46 a.m., November 2
Standard time If you still have a clock or a watch that isn’t connected to the internet by cord, Wi-Fi, or that big 5G tower, set it back an hour tonight. Daylight saving comes to an end, giving us brighter morning and darker afternoons. —8:12 a.m., November 2
Weekend picks Find out the reason we scared away ghosts and ghouls last night at a commemoration of our departed family and friends this evening in Lower WaHi, right. A concert for the younger set in Hudson Heights tomorrow morning rings in today’s sets of the WaHi Jazz Festival. Switching musical directions, contemporary composers who won the Charles Ives Awards in Music perform a free concert on Sunday afternoon on Audubon Terrace. —7:52 a.m., November 1
Séance science Columbia’s most famous fictitious ghostbusters battled the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. But decades before they were fired from their faculty jobs, their real-life predecessor, a professor of ethics at Columbia, James Hylsop, insisted that paranormal phenomena deserved rigorous scientific study. Not a big surprise, as he was also the president of the American Society of Psychical Research, on West 73rd Street. More than seventy people attended his séance in Earl Hall in 1909. What happened next? Find out here. —8:13 a.m., October 31
Early voting More than a quarter-million New Yorkers cast their ballots last weekend, including 109,558 in Manhattan. You can vote before election day at the Armory from 8 to 8 through Friday, on on the weekend from 8 to 5. Sunday is the last day to vote early. —8:02 a.m., October 29
Gym care Getting in shape downstairs? If burning extra calories is part of your autumn regimen, remember to leave the air purifier on: It cuts down allergens and odors. —8:11 a.m., October 27
Weekend picks If you’re up for a truly frightening haunted house, take your chances at Hallowscream this evening in J. Hood Wright Park; it’s not for the faint of hear (I’d turn back if I were you!). Explore the cultural aspects of the season during a workshop featuring Allhallowtwide incense, right, at the Cloisters tomorrow. Kids of all ages will enjoy the autumn festival in Hudson Heights on Sunday afternoon. —7:29 a.m., October 25
Halloween plans Care to open your door to little trick-or-treaters this year? If you’re interested in handing out candy or in making the spooky night special for Pinehurst kids in another way, now’s the time to make plans. We’ll be glad to help, and we’ll spread the word too. —7:04 a.m., October 24
Theater survey Contribute your thoughts to Manhattan’s largest performing arts group above Harlem. The People’s Theatre Project produces plays with immigrants to increase awareness of the challenges newcomers face. Your thoughts about performances Uptown will help the group in the season ahead. Complete the survey and you’ll be eligible for prizes. —6:53 a.m., October 22
Package bin Remember to check for deliveries in the bin, even if you aren’t expecting one. You’ll help make space for new parcels and maybe find a surprise for yourself, too. —7:50 a.m., October 1
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