08/28/19 7:30am
Still from “Timelines” – New York | Katie Couric x SK-II, shot on Liberty Street.

Film crews are a frequent sight in Newburgh, and so – excepting neighbors who lost their parking spots for a day – few may have minded nor even noticed the one scurrying about Liberty and South on March 30th. 

The shoot was one of many that took place in the metro areas of New York, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai for a docu-series just released by Katie Couric with the cosmetics giant SK-II. Called Timelines, it explores societal and familial pressures that young women face, through the lens of the mother-daughter relationship.

The urban dance music artist Maluca was selected for the NY episode. Her mom Liz – after living in Manhattan for 54 years – recently moved to Newburgh with her husband Michael to start a new business. So after shooting in Maluca’s apartment, the crew headed up the Hudson River to Liz’s home. 

Katie shares photos of her children with Maluca and Liz.

It took several hours to run cables in, around, up and down the 1865 townhouse, but by 11:00 AM, Katie’s interview of Liz got underway. Was Liz nervous? Maybe? During the early takes, Mollie, the director, was often heard saying “Liz, that was simply terrific! You’re a natural! Could we do it again, and this time please remember to say Maluca instead of Natalie (Maluca’s given name)?  

Liz and Katie flash their million $ smiles.

After shooting B-roll of mom and daughter cooking in the kitchen and of Maluca playing DJ with some of Michael’s vinyl LPs, it was a wrap. Michael and Liz then took Katie on a tour of the work they put into restoring and renovating the home so that it is so energy efficient that it may be Newburgh’s first de-facto-passive-house/net-zero ready home (for more, see Liz and Michael’s business website). They told her about their hopes for Newburgh’s future, and the other wonderful things that many other people are doing in the city. Katie wanted to know more and promised Liz that she would come back to visit her and the city. Liz promised to remind her, and she wants everyone to know that Katie really is a sweetheart!

09/18/18 11:30am

Newburgh is in the latest issue of New York Magazine (and the Chronogram for that matter).  You’ll have to wait till the link is live, or purchase a digital or hard copy if you want to read the full article.

It’s been quite encouraging to see positive articles pop up about Newburgh in the recent weeks. It’s almost like a confirmation of what we knew all along, great things are happening here in their own unique, not like any other Hudson Valley city, kind of way.

And yes, Liberty Street probably wouldn’t be voted “Newburgh’s longest block” but maybe this one can slide…

08/15/17 11:30am

This past Saturday was the second annual Hudson Valley Vegan Food Festival. The stormy forecast fortunately cleared up, and a bright sunny day made the perfect back drop for the festival. Something very obvious to another local and myself was that all the faces we saw were new. Meaning that the vegan festival was creating a new kind of tourism for the City of Newburgh that has not existed before. Cinnamon Snail from NYC was a huge hit with a consistent line of 30+ people throughout the day. There were vegan meatballs, ribs, chicken salad, plus all of the available smoothies, desserts, vegetable based meals and more. Families of all shapes and sizes were present and many children! The tents were much needed for shade and a place to enjoy your meal with live entertainment. Hardly a seat was ever available and all of the parking in the immediate area was packed.

Even if you aren’t a vegan, support next years event. There’s something for everyone and it is so special to be happening in Newburgh!

12/31/14 7:30am

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The year has come to a close and so has the Fall semester for Columbia University’s urban design studio in the City of Newburgh. Over the past few months 49 students from over 20 countries put their brains to work to innovate and solve issues in this small city. Twelve students teams conceptualized ideas covering job creation, revitalization, natural resources, and agriculture. Clicking through to the links will send you to each group page, along with an excellent video they produced to further explain their ideas. Well worth the time! Also, a few students will continue to work on Newburgh into the Spring for independent study. There might be other opportunities as well pending support and funding.

Light Up Newburgh (pictured above) was presented by group 6. Their idea was to revitalize the city by reducing unemployment and drop out rates by creating rehabilitation jobs for Newburgh’s aging and decaying architecture. They envision the project starting with the Dutch Reformed Church which would be the catalyst for other projects. Restored houses would temporarily be used as spaces for after school programs and would eventually be converted into affordable work-force housing and live-work artist space.

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Building on Trust – Group 1. This group focused on criminal recidivism in Newburgh and the large parolee community. They envisioned connecting city-based programs to train, house, and hire parolees in a 5-block area north of Broadway that is already being rehabilitated through the Newburgh Community Land Bank. The workers will reclaim factories and warehouses in Newburgh that will be used as staging facilities to produce architectural products for export to the region at large.

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 Agri-Shed- Group 2. This group is proposing to connect Hudson Valley farmers by forming a farmers’ cooperative that would be located in the City of Newburgh. The distribution center would produce industrial, managerial, and retail jobs and support a new urban Mercado. They feel this will anchor a promenade on Broadway and create a new open and public space that will connect business as well as welcome visitors.

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Trail of Two Cities- Group 3. They looked at creating a sister city bond between Newburgh and Beacon, and the region as a whole. They think that Newburgh could tap into the 75,000 annual tourists that visit Beacon by having the cities work together alongside the MTA and the private sector to create new waterfront development. In this plan would also be an Industry Museum along with improved ferry service between cities, a bike loop, and pedestrian services.

10808896_878939235480003_71869570_nAdditive Enterprise- Group 4. Additive Enterprise is a framework to spur the transformation of urban corridors by promoting the growth and success of small businesses. By re-purposing existing vacant buildings and parcels the project strategically clusters and supports small enterprises, educational opportunities and new public spaces within the city. They propose a new non-profit, Make [in] Newburgh], that will partner with community and educational organizations that would provide a link along the William and Dubois Street corridors.

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Rebuilding Newburgh by Pieces- Group 5. This group proposes creating a new non-profit organization that will match resources to vacant sites on a temporary basis to pilot new businesses. Rehabilitating vacant spaces will add to property value, which currently reduces value by $7,000.

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The Newburgh Path-Group 7. The Newburgh Path allows offenders of non-violent crime with sentences of three years or less to be diverted from traditional imprisonment and instead be housed under various levels of observation and engagement within Newburgh. The infrastructure used to facilitate this process is shared with and available to the public in the form of vocational workspace, recreation and meeting space.

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Re-imagining The Post-Industrial City Through Waste – Group 8. This group took Newburgh’s industrial past to make the city viable in the future as a hub for scrap metal recycling for the Hudson Valley region. They think it will add value to products made in Newburgh as well as create job opportunities.

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Resourceful Cities – Group 9. This group envisioned a platform that aims to establish a neighborhood of resources that through a unique form of mentorship and exposure to existing resources that would provide residents with opportunities for education, upward mobility and entrepreneurship. The expectation is that this campus like setting would produce a concentration of activity that would help to facilitate new forms of positive community interaction and help to retain and attract people to Newburgh.

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Cooperative Growth-Group 10. This group focused on regional investment and local revenue. Their project is based on a shared value model in which worker cooperatives, anchor institutions, nonprofit organizations and the city municipality work together to strengthen the Newburgh community and economy.

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Patching Urban Ecosystems-Group 11. Locally this project reconnects the shared fabric of Newburgh, New Windsor and the Town of Newburgh by proposing to preserve undeveloped previous land around city’s key drinking water resource – while refocusing development in relation to water with- in the urban fabric of Newburgh and New Windsor to catalyze regional economies.

 

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Lights  Camera Newburgh-Group 12. Last but not least, group 12 focused on using Newburgh as the backdrop for the film industry utilizing warehouses and empty lots for sound stages and sets that can be re-purposed for community uses.

 

10/27/14 11:30am

What a day is was in Newburgh on Saturday! Forty nine students and faculty from Columbia University disbursed throughout 12 sites in the city. I personally could not make it, but I wish I did! The students paid attention to ideas and areas that are dire need of help in the city; everything from the empty waterfront lot to Quassaick Creek, vacant storefronts to urban farms. They thoroughly enjoyed interacting with residents of the city and will now use the conversations they had to create videos and further develop their individual projects for their final presentations. I am sure many of us wish the semester would never end! You have no idea the hope you give!

Here are a few pictures I was sent, but to see even more just check out #CUinNewburgh on social media.

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10/21/14 10:30am

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Columbia University students will be out in full force this Saturday, October 25th in the City of Newburgh! They want to meet YOU, and learn how you interact, work, and play in the city. There will be 12 teams out and about and different locations from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

The teams’ stations are noted on the map and their focus or topics are listed on the right side along with their location. If the teams have social media page or account for their event it is also listed there. Those who visit multiple sites will receive a certificate of participation/appreciation as a thank you. To make this visit the most beneficial for students and Newburgh, please help spread to word to get a great turnout. Below are the group locations with their social media outlets. Click the images to enlarge.

Links to students work:

Urban Design Studio Website
Newburgh Foodie
Stop.Think.Play
The Web
Tweet the Creek

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