Arlene Harrison chaired two annual award luncheons for the 23rd Street Association, bringing together neighbors and business leaders from the wider area.
2004
Recognizing practical support
The November 2004 luncheon honored Carl Michael Gambino of North Fork Bank. The report described support that reached into charitable collections and opportunities for students, while also recognizing Sharon Ullman’s ten years leading the Block Association.
Harrison and Ullman helped present the recognition. The gathering at Cipriani 23rd Street brought business representatives, public officials and neighborhood organizations together around a common interest in the area’s daily life.
2005
Preservation joins the conversation
On November 16, 2005, the next luncheon honored Jerome M. Cohen and the restoration of 28–40 West 23rd Street, the former Stern Brothers department store buildings. The awards connected civic leadership with the care of historic architecture.
The contemporary coverage identified Harrison as event chair and the Block Association’s president. It also recorded the work toward a Flatiron/23rd Street business improvement district. The articles show how relationships beyond the Park brought preservation, local commerce and neighborhood service into the same conversation.
