The Block News!
Halloween 2025 on 78th Street (Credit: D. Gulkowitz)
It’s been another beautiful fall here on East 78 Street. In case you missed it, we’ve become a destination block! Thanks to our gorgeous trees and flowers, and some very creative neighbors, people come from far and wide to ogle and take selfies.
Of course, there are always things that could be improved, and rats we wish were removed, but 78th Street is one of the special ones.
Our good fortune is a collective effort, though there are some we might especially thank. At the top of the list is Cynthia Matthews, who has been quietly involved with every planting, pruning, tree bed creation/expansion, and cleanup on our block for, oh, more than 40 years!
Cynthia, our block association co-chair, moved to 78th Street in 1969, and joined the association shortly after it began. When the original team of volunteers moved away or retired, Cynthia kept the faith, often with very little help, and the block has never missed a spring of tulips since.
So, here’s an overdue tip of the hat to Cynthia, and all the behind-the-scenes heroes!
Speaking of heroes, Halloween was again an epic neighborhood event, with so many amazing decorations and bottomless piles of candy lighting up the world for local kids. Bravo to the spooky ones!
This week the trees got their annual pruning, and soon our old friends at Cityscapes Landscaping will be back to clean up our tree beds, and plant the tulip bulbs for spring.
So, let’s talk turkey: In the past year, the block spent about $22,000 dollars, and we brought in around $18,500 in donations from 81 generous neighbors. (We covered the shortfall out of our small savings from prior years.) Our funds got us more than a thousand daffodils and tulips in the spring, as well as 660 red begonias in the summer, and two new tree bed guards — plus all the cleaning and upkeep. Many thanks to all those who pitched in this past year!
For those just tuning in, the block association is an all volunteer, entirely neighbor-funded operation, caring for our 41 tree beds — each with two flower plantings a year, as well as tree pruning and care.
Here’s the good news, and the ask: We can make the block even cleaner and greener this year, and it just depends on the contributions from everyone! Some other blocks “assess” payments from buildings, homeowners, and individuals, but that’s not our way. As always, we simply ask everyone to give according to their means. For guidance, donations in the past year have ranged from $25 to $5000. Every contribution makes a difference.
Click the button below to give online at whatever level you can. You can also write a check to Trees 78 Foundation, which is our official 501 C-3 sponsor. (See instructions at bottom.) All donations are fully tax deductible.
We hope this finds you well, and don’t be a stranger: Our tiny team welcomes suggestions, help, photos, and good stories at any time.
Make checks payable to Trees 78 Foundation. Write “200 E 78 Block” in the memo, include your contact info in/on the envelope, then drop off or mail to:
Ms. Cynthia Matthews
200 East 78 Street, Apt. 7F
NY, NY 10075