Alphabet City is often regarded as one of the poorer areas of New York, and this is, for the most part, true. But the culture and cultural importance of Alphabet City cannot be overemphasized. From the food to the art - yes, graffiti is art - Alphabet City has a New York voice all its own. Here are a couple of things to look forward to in the upcoming weeks and months.

Report Card Success

Alphabet City indeed! Restaurants and bars up and down Avenues A through D are scoring As and Bs. The New York Post lists 10 establishments that are worth checking out and not just for their great report card. Affaire, Percy’s Tavern and Cienfuegos are just a couple.

And Action!

The first annual ABCD Film Festival will take place this summer. The Alphabet City Dolly Festival aims to offer a platform for local independent films. The festival will take place from August 1 to 13 and will be held along Avenues A, B and C between First and Fourteenth Street.

Good food with a pinch of exclusivity

One of my favorite things about the warm weather is outdoor seating and at the end of April Edi & the Wolf, the well-known Austrian tavern, which already has outdoor seating, will open a private backyard space. Edi & the Wolf is located at 102 Avenue C (7^th Street).

Change, at last.

Lower East Side residents rejoice! Dry Dock Park – the 1.5-acre space on East 10^th Street and Avenue D is finally seeing some love. After more than a year of waiting, the public space is finally getting some love with new drinking fountains, a spray shower, resurfaced basketball courts and new fences, Parks Department officials said. The revitalization comes as a result of the $1.2 million allocated by City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.

The construction is planned to start in Spring 2012, and the Parks Department hopes to return to the community with an update in the next four to six months.