The now well known Inwood Manhattan Parade of over 100 kids and their parents in 2009 was supported by local businesses. This parade was the event that put Manhattan Kids Guide on the map for the Northern Manhattan community. The parade was covered by news outlets including NY1, the Manhattan Times and of course Manhattan Kids Guide itself. In fact, Manhattan Kids Guide even won a Platinum PIAs Award.
Upper NYC is a very entrepreneurial oriented area where small businesses are successful if the are provided with the support of the neighborhood.
A symbolic example of this support and awareness of businesses in Northern NYC can be found in the original Manhattan Kids Guide parade (as seen in the video below) that consisted of costumed kids literally going store to store in Inwood Manhattan. This meant that kids and their families became aware of businesses by stopping by various locations to be given treats by the business owners.
This parade is now recognized as a historic bringing together of businesses and the community in Inwood as well as was a celebration of the introduction of Manhattan Kids Guide to the public.
The tradition of bringing together the community and businesses now occurs on an international level through publications like Manhattan Kids Guide as well as an alliance of blogs that members of the Platinum PIAs work with, plus media facilitators such as Video Film Web.