Sunnyside Shines and 25 For the Sides for St. Patrick's Day

The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District has partnered with viral neighborhood group ’25 for Sunnyside and Woodside’ to promote neighborhood bars and restaurants as safe options for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities. A series of short videos featuring local resident Ty Sullivan and the owners of several Sunnyside establishments will be released on social media starting today and continuing through March 16^th, in advance of the March 17^th holiday.

The video series leads viewers on a tour of neighborhood establishments led by local resident Ty Sullivan, who interviews small business owners about their St. Patrick’s Day menu and how they have fared throughout the past year of COVID-19 lockdowns and capacity restrictions. Featured businesses include McGuiness’s Bar, Arriba Arriba, Maggie Mae’s Bar, The Lowery Bar & Kitchen, and Jack’s Fire Department. Filming and film editing were performed by another Sunnyside resident, Brian Pratt.

The series is a collaboration between Sunnyside Shines and ’25 for Sunnyside and Woodside’, a local community group that was established by a team of local residents including Sofia Moncayo, Chris Mitchell, Melissa Orlando, Catherine Thompson, Hayes Peter Mauro, Evan Gardner and Felicia Schiefer in conjunction with an online pledge asking local residents to pledge $25 a week toward spending at local bars and restaurants. Since then, the group’s Facebook and Instagram channels have sustained a lively exchange of information and of residents sharing meal photos and shoutouts of their favorite restaurants and bars. The group recently featured a ‘cheat day’ where members posted their favorite small businesses that are not food establishments.

“Working with 25 for the Sides was a no-brainer,” says Jaime-Faye Bean of Sunnyside Shines. “They have successfully captured our neighborhood’s passion for our local small businesses and through their social media groups have given people a fun and easy way to connect in their support. There is no better place in New York City to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and as we are doing so this year with additional safety measures in place, we hope this partnership with 25 for Sunnyside and Woodside will help ensure that St. Patrick’s Day 2021 is still a celebration to remember.”

To view the videos, follow Sunnyside Shines on Instagram or Facebook, or join the 25 for Sunnyside and Woodside Facebook Group. The videos are also available on the Sunnyside Shines website at sunnysideshines.org/stpats. Sunnyside Shines is sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day contest offering $50 gift certificates to local restaurants and bars to those who choose to patronize neighborhood businesses on the 17^th. To enter, post your photo and post to Instagram (tag @sunnysideshines and @25forthesides) or post in the 25 for Sunnyside and Woodside Facebook group. Five winners will be selected at random and announced Friday, March 19^th.