About Us

Over 30 years of action

The West 55th Street Block Association was formally organized in 1978 by Jack E. Murphy and Antonio. Its purpose: to promote a better block and community through group action.

The organization holds several community meetings each year, giving community members a chance to join us, hear the guest speakers and voice their concerns on the Block. We also have officers (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) who are selected each year. From time to time, committees may be formed as needed to address individual block problems.

The West 55th Street Block Association is supported solely through volunteer membership donations. The Jack E. Murphy Beautification Fund was established to honor Jack, who was a strong promoter of “beautification” of the block and proclaimed “Turn your block into a Swiss Village!” His efforts gave rise to plants and flowers in the tree beds, private window boxes and the lighting of the trees each year during the holiday season. Private window boxes are paid by the individuals themselves, but the other two items are paid for out of Block Association donations.

Jack E. Murphy and the other charter members of the Block Association are responsible for making our block an attractive anchor for the neighborhood when the rest of the neighborhood wasn’t quite as nice as it is today.

Please support our block by making a tax-deductible donation to the Block Association!