University Settlement Celebrates 140 Year History With Birthday Block Parties In Manhattan & Brooklyn

University Settlement, America's First Settlement House, is celebrating its 140th Birthday, and New Yorkers are invited to join the fun at free, open-to-the-public 140th Birthday Block Parties in Lower Manhattan on September 26th and Brooklyn on October 3rd. Melissa Aase, Chief Executive Officer, University Settlement,said, 'We're celebrating 140 years of impact and all the ways our programs make a difference in New Yorkers' lives every day, and we are thrilled to invite you and your family to join us at our celebrations. Featuring free food, fun activities for all ages, dance parties, art-making, and all sorts of creative performances, these Block Parties will be joyful opportunities to connect with your neighbors, and we can't wait to see you there.' In Manhattan, the 140th Birthday Block Party will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Outdoor fun for all ages at 184 Eldridge Street between Rivington and Delancey on the Lower East Side in front of the historic University Settlement headquarters built in 1898. Activities include a Ping Pong tournament; nostalgic games by the Museum at Eldridge Street; carnival fun including a bouncy obstacle course; face painting; a DJ dance party with music ranging from Bad Bunny to salsa, plus Chinese/Cantonese classics and Lower East Side punk rock; Tai Chi; dance and music performances; a community art project; community resources, and indoor art making. Free food will include empanadas, pork buns, popcorn and…ice cream! In Brooklyn, the 140th Birthday Block Party will take place on Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at PS 133 school yard at 610 Baltic Street in Boerum Hill, site of the first University Settlement program in Brooklyn more than 20 years ago. Outdoor fun for all ages will include a Kick Ball Tournament and a DJ dance party with 90s hip hop, doo-wop, Motown; dance and music performances; a community art project; community resources; indoor art making. Free food will include Jamaican patties, popcorn and…ice cream! 'For 140 years, we've gathered our neighbors around our shared dream of a New York where diverse communities are welcoming, affordable, and equitable,' said Steven Portericker, Chief Program and Equity Officer, University Settlement. 'While a lot has changed over the decades, we still share values with the people who founded our movement – namely, that we all have a responsibility to take care of each other; that unjust systems, not people themselves, are at the root of societal problems; and that all of us who wish to build a better world must begin by creating relationships and cultivating solidarity across identities and divisions.' University Settlement invites all New Yorkers to share the joy of 140 years of our history in New York City and celebrate the city we all call home! Founded by groundbreaking reformers on the Lower East Side in 1886, today University Settlement builds stronger communities and a comprehensive network of innovative, responsive social services in partnership with more than 40,000 neighbors in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn every year. University Settlement's holistic and interconnected programs include early childhood education; youth development including after-school and college access; older adults centers and community building for adults 60+; tenant advocacy; creative arts; English classes for adult immigrants; civic engagement; and groundbreaking community mental health and wellness initiatives whose approaches are embedded throughout the network. University Settlement Historic Highlights University Settlement's long and innovative history is studded with many boldface names and important firsts: · When she was a young woman, Eleanor Roosevelt was a dance teacher at University Settlement, and she brought future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to visit on one of their first dates, an experience said to have shaped their attitudes toward poverty. · In the 1910s and 1920s, composers George and Ira Gershwin, renowned for works including Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess, participated in after-school programs at University Settlement. · Accessibility to the arts, outdoor and recreation space are central to University Settlement history. The settlement hosted neighborhood exhibits with The Met in the 1930s and helped found some of the first public parks (Seward Park was the first) and libraries. · The professionalization of social work and public health research is rooted in University Settlement history. Early settlement house workers were the first to investigate health outcomes as linked to poverty, nutrition, and community engagement. · In 1947, University Settlement was among the first community-based mental health clinics in New York City to care for veterans returning from World War II with shell shock, now recognized as PTSD. · University Settlement had a long association with folksinger Pete Seeger, who sang 'This Land is Your Land' and 'If I Had a Hammer' among other classics to generations of young people at its summer camp. · Early childhood education has been central to its work from the moment of founding, and University Settlement introduced the idea of Kindergarten to the United States, as well as hosting the first rounds of Head Start (1965) and Early Head Start (1994) programs. · In the 1990s, University Settlement was one of the first organizations funded by New York City to establish a Beacon which transformed school buildings into community centers at the East Side Community School in the East Village. · Since the 1990s, University Settlement's community arts programs have engaged tens of thousands of New Yorkers with opportunities to create art, explore their feelings, and cope with challenges. · One of the first arts-in-healthcare organizations, The Creative Center @ University Settlement integrates the arts into medical and community spaces for people living with cancer and chronic illness, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals. · In 2006, University Settlement began expanding its programs into Brooklyn with an after-school program at PS 133 in Boerum Hill. · In 2025,University Settlement significantly expanded Wellness Together, a program for homebound older adults and caregivers and began reaching more than 1,000 adults over 60+ aging in place with stabilizing community care and relationship-building activities including an experimental theater workshop. About University Settlement University Settlement partners with 40,000+ New Yorkers in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn every year to build on our collective strengths as we achieve healthy, stable, and remarkable lives. For 140 years, we've fought poverty and systemic inequality by building highly effective social services in collaboration with our neighbors. Programs include early childhood education, youth development, healthy aging, mental health and wellness, housing advocacy and benefits assistance, English classes for adult immigrants, community centers, and the arts. #NYCisUS. What can we do together? Learn more at www.universitysettlement.org