🏆 Columbia Women's Basketball: WBIT Champions.

Columbia beat #1 BYU 81-64 on Wednesday night in Wichita to win the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. Mia Broom led with 23 points. Riley Weiss had 20 and was named Most Outstanding Player — 21.2 points per game across five games, shooting 47% from the field and 43% from three.

Here's the stat that tells the whole story: Columbia led for 96% of the entire tournament. They trailed for a total of 3 minutes and 9 seconds across five games. They posted three wire-to-wire victories, including the championship. Final record: 25-8. Perri Page said after the Ivy League semifinal loss that they were winning the WBIT. She was right.

The Upper West Side has a championship team. Congratulations to Coach Megan Griffith and the entire program. Remember the name Riley Weiss.

Someone Impersonated Gale Brewer and Stole $33K

Last issue we wrote about Brewer's dog bills and bike lane push. This week, THE CITY reported that someone impersonating Brewer scammed the city's pension fund out of $32,980 through MyNYCERS, an online portal for city employees. The real Brewer had no idea until NYCERS caught it. The scammer opened a bank account under her name, took out a loan, and emptied the account before the city could claw it back. DOI traced the scammer to a man in Tampa but couldn't build a prosecutable case. Brewer is one of 33 city employees whose accounts have been hacked since 2020, with at least $276,000 in bogus loans approved. Her response: "It was shocking." If they can get Gale Brewer, they can get anyone.

Symphony Space Is Closing — But It's Coming Back Better

Symphony Space announced Monday it will close by the end of this year for a $45 million renovation and reopen in 2028, in time for its 50th anniversary. Both theaters — the Peter Jay Sharp and the Leonard Nimoy Thalia — are getting new acoustics, permanent seating, an expanded lobby, and new classroom and gallery spaces. The "Building Together" campaign has raised $37 million of the $45 million goal, with $15.5 million from the city and $6.7 million from the state. They still need $8 million to close the gap.

During the closure, Symphony Space will take its programming citywide with pop-ups across all five boroughs. When it reopens, the first Friday of every month will be free.

This building has been an ice rink, a boxing ring, a movie house, and a church of the arts for 48 years. Selected Shorts, Wall to Wall, Thalia Book Club — these are institutions. The closure will sting. Start your goodbye tour now. The calendar is still full through the fall.

84 Affordable Apartments Are Coming to 108th Street

A city-owned parking garage at 105 West 108th Street is becoming 84 apartments for low-income and formerly homeless seniors. The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing broke ground last Friday on the 13-story, all-electric building designed by Dattner Architects — the same firm behind Wild West Playground, Ancient Playground, and Adventure Playground. Forty units are reserved for older adults who have experienced homelessness. A parking garage becomes homes. That's the UWS at its best.

Jacket or No Jacket? 4/5 🌞🌞🌞🌞 — Friday 62°F and clear. Saturday is a gorgeous 72°F — best day of the year so far. Sunday drops to 63°F with a 75% chance of rain (bring an umbrella to Easter brunch). Monday crashes back to 50°F. Saturday is the day. Get outside.

Friday, April 3 (today! Good Friday)

The Frick Collection: First Fridays — 1 E. 70th St. 5:30-9pm. Free (say "First Fridays at the Frick are free" three times fast). Current shows: Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture and Ruffles & Ribbons: Fashion Plates from the Time of Marie Antoinette. Timed tickets are gone but walk-ups are available. Their "Welcome to the Frick!" video stars Steve Martin — or as we know him, Charles-Haden Savage, the most famous UWS resident who doesn't actually live here.

NYPL Performing Arts: New York Classical Players — Mozart to Modernity — Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center. 7pm. Free. Register in advance. A Friday night concert at Lincoln Center for zero dollars.

Symphony Space: NT Live — The Audience (Encore) — 2537 Broadway at 95th. 1pm. Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. Filmed live from the West End. Ticketed.

Saturday, April 4 72°F. Go outside. Seriously.

Need some ideas? We published our Spring Has Sprung: The Ultimate UWS Spring Guide 2026 on Monday — day trips, Easter weekend brunches, blossom maps, outdoor dining, parks, and more. Saturday at 72°F is exactly what we built it for.

Sunday, April 5 🐣 Easter Sunday.

Three out of four cars driving through the Upper West Side are cut-through traffic — their trips begin and end outside the neighborhood. That stat comes from the analytics firm Replica, using DOT data, and it was presented to CB7's Transportation Committee earlier this month.

The committee unanimously approved a resolution on March 10 asking the city's DOT to study ways to reduce cut-through traffic. The full board votes Monday, April 6. If approved, it becomes a formal request to DOT.

But here's the question nobody's asking: is this even the right study? Since congestion pricing kicked in, UWS residents have watched their ASP spots fill up with cars from outside the neighborhood — people driving in, parking for free, and subwaying downtown to dodge the toll. That's not cut-through traffic. That's commuter parking. And if DOT studies one without the other, they're solving half the problem.

This is going to be a big conversation. Drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, parents with strollers, delivery workers — everyone has a stake.

We want to know where you stand:

Want to do more than vote in our poll? The full CB7 board votes on this resolution Monday, April 6. Meetings are open to the public and you can submit comments. Check mcb7.org for details. If you have an opinion on this — and if you live here, you do — this is the meeting to show up for.

Last week's poll results: We asked whether the 79th Street transverse should get a protected bike lane. 94% of you said yes (16 out of 17 votes). One reader put it plainly: "How else are you supposed to cross the park via bike? The transverse is a death trap on bike and you're not supposed to use the park paths." Small sample, but the sentiment was clear.

🌸 Spring Bloom Report: The West Side Community Garden (89th between Amsterdam & Columbus). Time to start walking through to see the magic of spring — the cherry blossoms are already popping like popcorn. The 13,000 tulip bulbs are still underground. Eight more days.

🌸 Cherry blossoms are blooming. The Conservancy's Cherry Blossoms on the Reservoir Tour runs this weekend and again April 9–12 — a 90-minute, 1.2-mile guided loop past the 35 Yoshino cherry trees, some believed to be from the original 1912 gift from the Mayor of Tokyo. $35. These blooms don't wait.

Sundays 9am: Urban Park Rangers birding walks in Central Park. Enter at W 100th & CPW. Free. Just show up. Spring migration is underway.

Riverside Park fitness at the 102nd Street Field House: Saturdays 9:30am: Yoga. Mondays 10am: Spring Bodyroll. Tuesdays 8am: Bodyweight Blast. All free. Bring your own mat. Registration may be required, check the link.

🗳️ Last call: Vote for Wild West Playground — voting ends Monday, April 6 at noon. We made our case last week. Today we just need your clicks. Vote now, vote again tomorrow, tell your group chat.

Saturday–Sunday, April 4–5 (Easter Weekend) Children's Museum of Manhattan: Spring Break Easter — 212 W 83rd St. I-Spy Spring Scavenger Hunt (find the hidden eggs around the museum, all ages, 10am-4:45pm), Bloom Buddy Egg Sculptures (ages 5+, sign-up), Reclaimed Spring Baskets (ages 5+), Easter Parade Hat Making (ages 4 & under). Museum admission required.

NYPL Performing Arts: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on 16mm Film — Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center. Saturday 4/4, 1pm. Free. Register in advance. The original Gene Wilder version, projected on actual film. Not a stream, not a DVD. The real thing.

In case you missed it the first three times we told you:

Sesame Street Sculptures at 590 Madison Ave — Cookie Monster, Elmo, Ernie & Bert, and Big Bird in bronze with endangered animals. Free. Outdoor. Your toddler will try to hug Big Bird. Through March 2027.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Interactive Show — Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 W 60th St. 75 handcrafted puppets bring the Eric Carle classic to life. Best for ages 1-6. Thu-Sun through April 26. Ticketed.

Swedish Cottage: Little Red's Hood — Central Park at W 79th & West Drive. A marionette show inside a 19th-century Swedish schoolhouse in the middle of the park. Ages 3-8. $10 kids/$15 adults. Advance tickets only. Sells out fast. Through April 26.

Mystery and Wonder: Golden Age Magicians — NYPL for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center. Houdini's handcuffs, 300+ artifacts, rare posters, and the first magic book printed in America. Free. Through July 11. Take the kids or go alone.

Thursday–Saturday, April 9–12 Jim Gaffigan: Everything is Wonderful! — Beacon Theatre, Broadway at 74th. Four nights of Hot Pockets jokes in your backyard. Ticketed.

Friday, April 10 Two new shows at the American Folk Art Museum (2 Lincoln Square, Broadway at 66th St.). Self-Made spotlights sixty self-taught artists. Folk Nation explores how vernacular art shaped American identity after the Revolution. Both through 9/13. Always free.

Wednesday, April 15 Michael McIntyre: Hello America! — Beacon Theatre, 8pm. Britain's biggest comedian on his first-ever US tour. Nearly five million tickets sold worldwide. This one's almost gone. Ticketed.

Volunteer at West Side Campaign Against Hunger WSCAH on 86th Street feeds thousands of New Yorkers through a supermarket-style pantry where customers choose their own groceries. Volunteers unload trucks, pack bags, and distribute food. Shifts run Tuesday through Friday, 9am-1pm. You don't need experience, just hands and a willingness to lift things that aren't your phone. With Passover and Easter here, the need is real. Be the neighbor you think you are.

Block your calendar: Sunday, April 26, 10am–noon The West 90s Neighborhood Association and NYC Parks are doing a spring cleanup of the 96th Street Subway Station Plaza. Show up, pick up trash, sweep, hose it down. Parks is supplying gloves. Rain date is May 3. Email [email protected] if you need details. Put it on your calendar now before you forget.

No ASP today (Good Friday + Passover). Normal rules Monday and Tuesday. Then the holidays return: ASP is suspended Wednesday 4/8, Thursday 4/9 (Passover + Orthodox Holy Thursday), and Friday 4/10 (Orthodox Good Friday). Three days off in the back half of the week. Plan accordingly. Don't move the car.

Full calendar: nyc.gov/dot

Alison E. on our Summer Camp Guides: "Thank you so much! Very excited for this and love this digest weekly!" We love being called a digest. Makes us sound important.

Ariana R. after our Spring Has Sprung 2026 UWS Guide dropped Monday: "I love this newsletter!!!! Thank you!!!" Four exclamation points. We counted.

Sarah K. wrote in with the kind of message that makes this whole thing worth it: "Just wanted to say that I'm loving the newsletter. So well written, interesting, and makes me feel more connected to the neighborhood. We moved to the UWS last summer, right before our daughter was born. Now that the weather is warming up and we're getting our groove back, we are so excited to take all these wonderful suggestions and make the most of it. Can't wait to see what's next." Sarah, welcome home.

Your turn. A spot you love, a gripe you need to get off your chest, or just a photo that proves this is the best neighborhood in the city. We're listening. Reply to this email or send it to [email protected]. We read everything. We publish the best. We appreciate the rest.

📣 SHARE THE WEST SIDER Forward responsibly. Or irresponsibly. We're not picky.

That's Issue #5. Five weeks ago this was just an idea. Now we have a championship to celebrate and a whole spring season guide covered. Every week this newsletter gets bigger because you keep sending it to people you like. And people you don't like. We don't judge. Don't stop.

See you next week!

— The West Sider

P.S. Still need a summer camp? We built two free guides so you don't have to.

The West Sider Summer Camps 2026 Guide — 129 camps across Manhattan (43 on the UWS alone). Sports, arts, STEM, theater, climbing, chess, you name it.

Every Kid Deserves a Great Summer — 24 special needs and inclusive programs, 7 completely free, and over half offer financial aid.

No ads. No sponsors. No one paid to be listed. Just a parent who did the research.