The Streets Where We Live

Inwood School Marks Halloween with Michael Jackson's Thriller

INWOOD — Upper Manhattan’s zombies came out days before Halloween to shake their bones while attempting to break a world record of people simultaneously dancing to Michael Jackson’s classic song "Thriller."

Students in grades six through eight from I.S. 52 at Broadway and Academy Street were part of 6,590 international dancers who strutted their stuff on the "thriller night" contest Saturday, organized by a dance group called "Thrill the World."

Read more about the dance, see a photo slide show of the event and watch a short video of the dance at DNAinfo.com.

Washington Heights Kids Film Festival Opens to Sold-Out Crowds

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Sold out screenings marked the first day of Northern Manhattan's annual children's film festival Wednesday.

In its second year, the five-day KidCinemaFest – The Washington Heights Children and Young People’s Film Festival opens the world of international cinema to neighborhood children and adults with more than 50 films from lands as far away as Australia and Venezuela.

Armando Guareño, the festival’s funder and executive director, grew up in the Dominican Republic with a theater across the street. He said the 35-millimeter prints and rich sound projected inside opened up a world of possibilities for him.

Read more about the film festival and organizers at DNAinfo.com.

Ellen DeGeneres Speaks About Outed Student Tyler Clementi, Who Jumped Off the George Washington Bridge

By Yepoka Yeebo

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — Ellen DeGeneres said she is "devastated" by the death of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge last week after learning that his roommate had broadcast his sexual encounter with another man.

"He was outed as being gay on the Internet and he killed himself," the gay rights advocate and entertainer said on Thursday's episode of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Read more about DeGeneres' speech at DNAinfo.com.

Inwood Parents, Library Help Kids in Writing Contest That Could Send Their Stories to Tribeca Film Fest

Sunday is the deadline for “Lights, Camera, Read!” entrees to be considered for a short film at a Robert De Niro event.

The "Lights Camera Read" contest gives kids a chance to see their winning entry performed by puppets in a short film. (ManhattanKidsGuide.com)

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

INWOOD — The deadline is looming for kids to enter "Lights, Camera, Read," a writing contest that offers its winner a chance to see his or her story performed by puppets in a short film at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Cinema Platinum Pias Awards early next year.

Read about the contest at DNAinfo.com.

Inwood Moves to the Beat of Japanese Drums at Annual Taikoza Concert

Inwood residents gathered for the sixth annual Taikoza drum and theater performance in Isham Park Sunday night.

INWOOD — Tiny tikes and grown-ups grooved to the beat of five drums Sunday night in Isham Park as neighbors gathered for Inwood’s sixth annual Japanese drum performance by Taikoza.

Read more about the event and see photos at DNAinfo.com.

Police Search for Washington Heights Girl Missing for Over Two Weeks

Police need tips regarding the disappearance of 15-year-old Wahi resident Nathy Perez.

Posters asking for information about Nathy Perez are pasted throughout Inwood and Washington Heights. (DNAinfo/Carla Zanoni)

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

UPPER MANHATTAN — Police and neighborhood residents are searching for a missing 15-year-old girl last seen in Washington Heights two weeks ago.

Read more about Perez's disappearance at DNAInfo.com.

Keeping a Sand Box Replenished Becomes a Neighborhood Effort

After sand disappeared from a popular new sand box in J. Hood Wright Park, parents got together to improve their park.

Eva del Rios, 19 months old, plays outside of the sandbox. PHOTO CREDIT DNAinfo/Carla Zanoni

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — It may not be the shores of Maui, but the sand box at J. Hood Wright Park is paradise for the kids who play there.

Unfortunately, keeping the box with enough sand has proven hard work for neighborhood parents.

Read more about the community effort at J. Hood Wright Park at DNAinfo.com.

Washington Heights' Group Works With Parks Department to Revamp Bennett Park

A group of residents began the Bennett Park Community Alliance in hopes of bringing improvements to their park.

Children play on the swings in Bennett Park. PHOTO CREDIT DNAinfo/Carla Zanoni

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Local fans of Washington Heights’ Bennett Park met this week to discuss how they could help the Parks Department bring improvements to the popular public space.

Read more about their plans and how to get involved at DNAinfo.com.

Police Warn of Children Being Beaten and Mugged for iPods by Teens

Police are warning residents to be careful in Fort Tryon Park where kids have been robbing other kids for electronics.

Children play near a group at Fort Tryon Park, where police say children are being targeted for their electronics at the park this summer. (Flickr/wolfsavard)

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Children as young as 11 are being beaten and mugged for iPods, Blackberries and Sidekicks by teens roaming Fort Tryon Park in broad daylight, police said.   

Read more about the attacks at DNAinfo.com.

Despite Confusion, FDNY Urges Residents to Use Fire Caps when Opening Hydrants

Due to water pressure concerns, Inwood and Washington Heights firehouses stopped giving out caps that reduce flow.

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

UPPER MANHATTAN — Residents in Washington Heights and Inwood are getting mixed signals about opening their fire hydrants to stay cool in the summer.

The city wants people to use special caps on the hydrants to maintain water pressure for firefighting, and even trotted out former District Attorney Robert Morgenthau and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly this week to promote them. Trouble is, some residents are having a hard time finding those caps at local firehouses, and getting the FDNY to install them can be a cumbersome process.

During this week's triple-digit heat wave, several uptown residents and DNAinfo called local firehouses for the caps but were turned away.

Read more about fire hydrant use in Northern Manhattan on DNAinfo.com.