The confetti is swept away. Champagne bottles are emptied. It’s 2007, do you know where your New Year’s resolutions are? Probably not. Resolutions are often unattainable or just plain boring. But for those still looking for some noble acts of self-sacrifice, it’s not too late— city programs offer some unique and helpful activities for your first weeks in the New Year.
Exercise with the NYC Parks and Recreation Department, Jan 2- Jan 6: visit 20 city-wide recreation centers during the annual Open House Recreation Membership Drive. Get your yoga on, take a swim and try out the equipment.
Turn your xmas tree into mulch, Jan 6 and 7: Even mulch needs to party and this is it: Mulchfest 2007. Bring your trees and turn them into woodchips and/or mulch. Take it home or leave it for the parks and gardens. Just remember, remove all lights and ornaments before grinding.
Help the homeless, Jan 29: join a team of volunteers to study neighborhoods from midnight to 4am for the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE 2007), a survey that will count the number of homeless people in the city.
Look into the future, Jan 1 – next 25 years: Mayor Mike is looking to the year 2030 and is asking New Yorkers what they think about it. What do you think and what can you do? The new PLANYC website offers some ideas from organizing your own event (.PDF file) to online polls and profiles.
And since Tuesday, January 2 is a National Day of Mourning for President Gerald Ford, federal offices, courts, and post offices, as well as the NY Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, will be CLOSED. However, City and state government offices, courts, and schools will be OPEN on Tuesday.
