OUR MISSION | West 54-55 Street Block Association

Letter from the President

The last few months have been a busy time for the West 54-55 Street Block Association. In February 2011, I was elected President following the path set by our tireless founder Vera Conant. Vera will continue to serve as a director on the board and will be our source of continuity and purpose.

My vision for the Block Association is to build on Vera’s efforts and expand our goals and borders to make the Block Association a true neighborhood resource.

With that in mind, we’ve expanded the boundaries from West 54-55th Street and Fifth-to-Sixth Avenues to the area from West 53rd Street to West 57th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue.

We have also expanded our reach from the residents to encouraging workers, corporations, small business owners, shop keepers and restaurants to join us. Dave Achelis has been working with the shops and restaurants on West 56th Street, and, on West 55th Street, Phyllis Cox has been organizing more residents, building presidents and building managers to increase awareness of our programs. As a result of our expansion, we now have even more dedicated volunteers to implement our plans.

Who are we?

West 54-55 Street Block Association was formed in September 2004. It is a New York not-for-profit corporation, tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal revenue Code.

Our mission is to protect and improve the welfare and quality of life for residents and business alike in our Preservation Subdistrict of the Midtown Special District. Our current boundaries are the blocks on the south side of West 53rd Street to the north side of West 57th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue. Our focus is preserving the unique character of the area, enhancing the economic diversity, landmarking significant buildings and decreasing noise, pollution and traffic congestion. We represent the area before New York City agencies with respect to issues that arise.

We are members of the Historic District Council and our City Council person is Dan Garodnick. We are part of Community Board 5.

Where are we?

Our current boundaries are the blocks on the south side of West 53rd Street to the north side of 57th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue.

What do we do?

The following committees of the Block Association work to make Midtown West a better neighborhood:

Urban Design Committee (UDC) aims to plant trees and flowers, install seating and oversee sidewalk and road maintenance. UDC addresses quality of life issues, such as noise, pollution and safety. Link to Urban Design Page
Library Committee aims to bring library services back to the neighborhood. Link to Library Page
MoMA Committee manages relationship with MoMA. Link to MoMA Page
Landmarks Committee is dedicated to preserving buildings of important architectural quality. It has acquired official landmark status for a number of buildings and is working to obtain more. Link to Landmarks Page
Membership, Event Planning and Fundraising Committee schedules and organizes general meetings, public relations and fundraising efforts. This committee recruits and welcomes new members and matches their interests with the appropriate committees. It also liaises with merchants to obtain support for our programs.