Murray Hill Neighborhood Association Celebrates Its 65th Anniversary at Vintage Green Rooftop!

On Saturday, April 5th, the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association celebrated its 65th anniversary with a vibrant soirée hosted at Vintage Green Rooftop at The Shelburne Sonesta New York, 303 Lexington Avenue at 37th Street. Attendees enjoyed panoramic views of Murray Hill’s skyline while networking with some of the city’s most active civic and cultural participants.

The event gathered a diverse group of community leaders, local residents, business owners, elected officials, diplomats, and candidates running for office — all united in support of Murray Hill’s past, present, and future.

Leaders of the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association in attendance included President: Jon Harari, Vice Presidents: Susan Demmet, Heather Dolland-Tamam, Jessica Lavoie, Barbara Sagan, Lilli Seidman Davis; Trustees: Maya Caballero, Justin Goldberg, Ricky Montanye, Jean Prabhu, Elaine Silber, Daniel Wang, Emily Winston; and Honorable Trustee: Irma Fisher. All shared reflections on the organization’s achievements and the importance of continued collaboration across all sectors of the community.

A highlight of the evening was a speech by Past President Ed Hochberg, who reflected on the Association’s founding and decades-long legacy. He shared how early MHNA leaders successfully fought against a proposed highway widening leading into the Queens Midtown Tunnel that would have reduced sidewalk space and made pedestrian conditions unsafe, and highlighted the planting of over 400 trees throughout the neighborhood to enhance green space and quality of life, and applauded the Association’s evolution to present day.

In attendance were elected officials including District 4 City Council Member Keith Powers, New York State Assembly District 73 Member Alex Bores, and New York State Assembly District 74 Member Harvey Epstein.

The event underscored the MHNA’s commitment to inclusivity and global connection, with representatives from the Permanent Missions of Romania, Rwanda, and Thailand to the United Nations in attendance. These diplomatic voices brought an international perspective to the celebration of neighborhood unity and cultural diversity.

The soirée also welcomed many 2025 candidates and their teams running for office who are looking to represent the Murray Hill area, including Keith Powers for Manhattan Borough President; Faith Bondy, Lukas Florczak, Virginia Maloney, Rachel Storch, and Benjamin Wetzler, for District 4 City Council; and Sarah Batchu, Harvey Epstein, Andrea Gordillo, and Allie Ryan for District 2 City Council. Additionally, representatives from The Soloviev Foundation, including CEO Michael Hershman, were in attendance, and we thank for their sponsorship which helped make the event possible.

Please see images below from the evening by photographer Blaine Pennington.

For a listing of all our upcoming events, click here.