SATURDAY: Sketch the Bronx Little Italy

2nd Attempt

Arthur Avenue - The Bronx Little Italy

a sketch outing conceived and planned by Marvel Muñoz

We got rained out last time to everyone's disappointment.  

The weather is looking much more promising for this coming Saturday.

Arthur Avenue is the center of the Bronx's "Little Italy". Although the historical and commercial center of Little Italy is Arthur Avenue itself, the area stretches across East 187th Street from Arthur Avenue to Beaumont Avenue, and is similarly lined with delis, bakeries, cafes and various Italian merchants.  Lots and lots of stuff to draw.

This Little Italy has an Italian immigrant heritage that dates back to around the 1910s or 1920s. Arthur Avenue and Morris Park are viewed as the Bronx's primary Italian American communities, being home to multiple multi-generational family businesses, many of which are still owned and operated by the same families that started them nearly a century ago, and earlier.

In 2016 the American Planning Association selected Belmont’s Little Italy as one of the five "greatest American streets".  And, best of all, we've never sketched there before.  Thank you Marvel for a great idea!

DETAILS:
Where:  Little Italy, the Bronx (along Arthur Avenue).

When: 10:00 AM, on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at Ciccarone Park, 2426 Hughes Ave, Bronx, NY 10458 (see map below)

How:
The nearest subway station to Arthur Avenue is the B and D stop at Fordham Road, a 15-minute walk away. 

Metro-North’s Fordham station is a 10-minute walk. (It’s a 20-minute ride from Grand Central Terminal.) 

There are also several bus lines in the area.  (see map below)

Lunch:  12:00 PM, you can bring your own, or rely on local food options.  There are a lot of places to eat, including delis, restaurants, pastry shops and
bakeries.

Afternoon: 1:00 PM, back to sketching.

Show and tell:  3:00 PM  Meet at D'Auria-Murphy Triangle, Adams Pl, E 183rd St, Bronx, NY 10458, where we will share drawings and tell art stories

Notes:
- Bring a stool if you own one. It gives you so many more options.
- There are bathrooms in Arthur Avenue Market and Ciccarone Park.
- The Belmont Business Improvement District said that they would be glad to share our work on their social media if we tag @bronxlittleitaly on Instagram or email at info@bronxlittleitaly.com

(The purple dotted line in the map above shows the Little Italy neighborhood in the Bronx)

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

or call or text Marvel at 848-345-1969

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

THURSDAY, October 17, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at Playland Park Boardwalk

 

Located on the shores of Long Island Sound, Rye Playland has had a long history as a favorite Westchester recreation area since its opening in 1928.  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.  

The park will be closed, but we will be sketching on the Boardwalk and surrounding area. There'll be plenty of subjects to sketch: a Spanish Revival Bath House, Art Deco Buildings, a sweeping arcade and boardwalk overlooking Playland Beach and Long Island Sound, as well as people, dogs and the Ice Casino. 

Note: Playland was the amusement park featured at the end of the 1988 movie Big starring Tom Hanks. The scenes of his date with Susan and at the end of the film where the "Zoltar the Magnificent" fortune teller machine returns the adult Tom Hanks to his original childhood age/state of being were filmed on Playland's boardwalk.

DETAILS:

WHEN:  Thursday, October 17, 2024.

START TIME: 10:00 AM We will meet in front of the Playland Ice Casino. 

WHERE:  Rye Playland 1 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY 10580 https://playland.com/ 

            

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.0484736,-73.7640448/1+Playland+Pkwy,+Rye,+NY+10580         

             

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Take Metro-North’s New Haven Line to the Rye Station.  Please contact Marianne if you would like a ride from the station.  The Park is approximately a 5-10 minute ride from the station.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM followed by SHOW and TELL.  Location TBA.

NOTES:

- The Amusement Park is currently closed, so the parking is free.  

- There are plenty of benches, but bring your stools/chairs for more possibilities.

- Bring your lunch or a snack.  There are limited options nearby.  

Looking for us? Call Cathy at 914-625-0766

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

10/16 Weekday Sketchers at Washington Square Park

 Weekday Sketchers at Washington Square Park

The intended Sketch event at Elizabeth Street Garden has been moved to Washington Square Park since the city has served the Elizabeth Street Garden with a notice to vacate by mid October.  While the ESG is fighting the eviction notice, it is best that we wait to see if the city carries out their intention. 

Instead of the Elizabeth Street Garden we will move our sketch event a few blocks away to Washington Square Park.  This beautiful park never fails to offer numerous sketch worthy views: the iconic arch, the fountain the rows of beautiful colonial homes bordering the park and the people, people, people.   Whether you choose to draw the architecture, the musicians, the street scenes or the big beautiful trees, you are guaranteed to have a good time. 

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DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK

                        5TH AVENUE AND WAVERLY PLACE

                                We will meet near the Arch at the 5th Ave entrance

TRANSPORTATION: A, C, E, B,D, F, M TO West 4th Street 

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@NYCUrbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0455
• Water and bathrooms are available
• There is no food service in the park but plenty of vendors nearby
• Plenty of benches but a stool offers you options.

​SATURDAY: Sketch the Conservatory Gardens​

 

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SATURDAY:  Sketch the Conservatory Gardens​

The Conservatory Garden in Central Park has shaded alleys, beautiful flowers, water features and statuary...  a perfect sketch site.  Join us Saturday for a day of sketching in the only formal gardens in Central Park.  

Enter between 104th and 105th Street through the beautiful gates and you will find three different gardens, an English garden, a French garden and an Italian garden, each with its own special features and beauty.

DETAILS

When:  Saturday, October 12,  2024 starting at 10 AM

Where:  Central Park's Conservatory Garden.  We'll meet near the Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets.  (see map below)

Lunch:  12:00 Noon - Exact location to be determined.  We'll eat in the garden or nearby if picnicking isn't permitted in the Garden.  Bring your own or chance buying from vendors in the park.

Afternoon:  1:00 - Back to sketching in the area.

Show and Tell:  3:00  Meet at our lunch spot where we will share drawings, good stories.

NOTE:
-     Bring a stool if you have one, it gives you more options.   

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

THURSDAY, October 10, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers

 

 

Untermyer Park is a historic 43 acre park, located in Yonkers, NY, just north of New York City.  Also known as Untermyer Gardens, the park was previously part of an estate known as Greystone.  Situated on a hillside above the Hudson River, the park features a "Grecian garden" (actually a Persian Paradise garden), a small Grecian-style amphitheater, a classical pavilion, pergola, statuary, a rock and water feature called the "Temple of Love" and a "Vista" staircase.  To the west, the park has views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.

The gardens were developed during the first 40 years of the 20th century by prominent lawyer and civic leader, Samuel Untermyer.  Mr. Untermyer devoted approximately one third of what was then Greystone's 150-acres to its gardens, which were considered among the finest in America. 

DETAILS:

DATE: THURSDAY, October 10, 2024

Start time: 10:00 AM

LOCATION: Untermyer Gardens, 945 North Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701

Phone: 914-613-4502. https://www.untermyergardens.org

We will meet by the Community Center just inside the entrance to the park.

NOTE: There are spaces for about 75 cars in the parking lots. In addition, there is street parking along North Broadway which is both metered (coin-operated) and unmetered.

DIRECTIONS: https://www.untermyergardens.org/visit.html

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Take the Metro North – Hudson Line north to the Greystone Station.  Please contact Marianne ((914) 355-6507) if you would like to have someone to meet the train and provide a ride from the station.

NOTE: The gardens are a 20-minute uphill walk from the station: walk uphill from the station to find the stairs on the left to Warburton Avenue.  Climb the stairs. Cross Warburton Avenue and go up Odell Avenue until it ends at North Broadway.  Turn right on North Broadway and walk to 945 N. Broadway, which is on the right. Caution: this is a significant uphill walk of more than 200 feet in elevation.  The Greystone Metro-North station does not have a taxi stand.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM. We will have lunch by the designated picnic area.  Bring your own as the park has no options for purchasing food.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, we will share our drawings and tell stories.  This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

• The Garden is open 9 AM to 7 PM.
• Bring a stool if you have one. It gives you more options.
• Dress for sunshine. Bring your lunch, a hat, water, and sunscreen.
• Stay on the paths or lawns; do not walk or set up easels or stools on the garden beds.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Looking for us? Contact Cathy at (914) 625-0766.

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

10/9 Bethesda Fountain

Weekday Sketchers at Bethesda Fountain

Bethesda Terrace, located mid park at 72nd Street is one of the iconic sites of Central Park, if not the city itself.  Featured in movies, magazine and advertisements, the multi-level terrace with the arcade and fountain is a natural meeting spot in the park and a magnet for artist,  photographers, musicians and brides.  Join us this week as we take it all in. 

For moe information about the park, the terrace, the fountain and the statue of the Angel of the Waters, click here: https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/bethesda-terrace

Thanks to Margaret Casagrande for hosting this week's event!

DATE:  WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2024

STARTING TIME:  10:30 AM

LOCATION:  BETHESDA TERRACE

                                    MID PARK AT 72ND STREET

TRANSPORTATION: B, C train to 72nd Street. Or the 6 Train to 68th Street

NOTES

Please RSVP directly to Margaret Casagrande at margaret.casagrande@gmail.com

Looking for us?  Call or text Margaret at 646-515-9913

Plenty of benches but bring a stool for best sight lines 

Water and bathrooms are available

There is limited food service in the park 

SATURDAY, October 5, 2024: Westchester Sketchers Plein Air Day at the Bronxville Library

 

Come join the Westchester Division of the NYC Urban Sketchers for a fun and supportive day of open air painting or sketching on the beautiful new patio at the Bronxville Public Library. This this event is meant to be an opportunity for people to relax, create art and make new friends.  All experience levels are welcome.  There will be no formal art instruction.  Please arrive with your own supplies such as paper, drawing materials and a surface to lean on.

DETAILS

DATE: SATURDAY, October 5, 2024. 

START TIME: 10:00 AM We'll meet on the patio.

LOCATION:  Bronxville Public Library, 201 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville, NY 10708

Phone: (914) 337-7680

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//201+Pondfield+Rd,+Bronxville,+NY+10708/

PARKING: Parking is free on Library Lane behind the Library for 90 minutes (enter from Midland Avenue).  Parking is free (two-hour limit) directly in front of the Library on Pondfield Road.  You will need to move you cars after those time limits.  Car pooling is recommended.

Lunch: 12:30 PM. We'll have lunch on the patio followed by Show and Tell.

NOTES: 

• In case of inclement weather, our event will be moved indoors to the Teen Room.
• Bring water and your lunch or a snack.
• Clipboards, stools, etc. are not necessary to participate, but bringing them can offer more options.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Looking for us? Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766.