Online News From The Tribeca Trib

A Festive But Chilly BPC Block Party
by Barry Owens

If there were a moment when Battery Park City residents could feel with certainty that autumn had arrived on their well manicured shore, perhaps it came Oct. 16, around two in the afternoon. It was then that a strong blast of cool, wet wind howled through the valley of Vesey Street, closed to traffic for the afternoon and hosting hundreds of people for the annual Battery Park City block party.

"Whoooo," said a woman, tugging at the bill of her ball cap as she waited for her toddlers turn on the Ferris wheel. "Fall is definitely here."

The wind went on to topple an empty stroller, send a table cloth flying and briefly drown out the sound of the PA system over which a young girl was singing karaoke.

The block party, hosted annually as a fundraiser for the Battery Park City Neighbors & Parents Association, brought out hundreds, some in mufflers and mittens, to sample apple pie, twist in a hula hoop competition or root for their favorite in the pet pageant. Heavy rain forced the cancellation of the block party originally planned for September.

"It's wonderful," said association volunteer Kathleen Bachand, dressed in layers and touring the Certified

Emergency Response Team (CERT) booth. "It's as fall as fall can be."

At the CERT booth, members had laid out tools of the emergency evacuation trade, including an axe and "rebreather" units that were selling for $60. Fliers seeking recruits to the team were secured to the table with duct tape.

While there were plenty of food vendors catering to adult tastes, the afternoon clearly belonged to children with kiddy rides, a magic show, and balloon vendors all competing for their attention.

One balloon vendor was so busy he had to pass out numbers to keep track of the kids calling out for a shape selected from the sandwich-board menu standing behind him.

The most popular balloon shape of the chilly afternoon? The "noggin," he said. A braid of long balloons twisted into a crown and worn snuggly over the ears.