Sirovich Center for Balanced Living
Free Programs & Resources For Older Adults
Educational Alliance’s Sirovich Center for Balanced Living makes aging in New York City easier—and fun!
Membership provides unlimited access to our programs and resources and is free for those aged 60 and up. We offer nutritious meals five days a week and a wide variety of classes and activities that engage both the mind and body. We also assist members with monitoring and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and provide one-on-one social services. We believe all older New Yorkers deserve to age with dignity and remain connected to a vibrant community of their peers.
Explore this site to learn more about our programs and how you can join the Educational Alliance community—because you belong here.
For over 130 years, Educational Alliance has remained a constant for the residents of Lower Manhattan in the ever-evolving city of New York. The Sirovich Center is part of our Older Adult Services (OAS) division, a comprehensive services model that supports and advances the healthy aging of nearly 10,000 older New Yorkers annually. Our OAS locations also include the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living, Project ORE, and Co-Op Village NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities). Learn more here.
Become A Sirovich Member
Did you know that the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living is now a part of the 14Y? Even more exciting, community members ages 60+ are eligible to join for FREE!
Register today and you’ll receive all the great benefits of a Sirovich membership including access to virtual and in-person classes and events, health and wellness services, arts and culture programming, meals, and so much more!
Sign up here to receive the weekly and/or the monthly Sirovich newsletter.
Questions? Feel free to reach out to us at sirovich@14streety.org
Arts and Culture
The Sirovich Center offers abundant opportunities for engaging in a variety of arts, crafts, and cultural activities. Our beautiful, light-filled studios and our grand performance hall are the perfect place to unleash your creativity. Check our calendar for the most up-to-date offerings in one of the following:
- Dance classes
- Ceramics program
- Drama and theater groups
- Music and vocal ensembles
- Painting Open Studio
- Creative Writing
- Knitting
Health and Wellness
As an important component of overall programing, Sirovich Center includes a variety of participatory learning topics and activities to assist you with monitoring, maintaining, and learning practical ways to promote a healthier lifestyle. Check our calendar to view availability of the following:
- Personalized wellness plans
- Fitness classes
- Weight management support
- Healthy eating workshops
- Stress and relaxation programs
- Life transition workshops
- Assistance with social services, entitlements, and counseling
Classes and Activities at Sirovich
LEARN MOREMeals at Sirovich Center
LEARN MOREFull Program Schedule and Updates
LEARN MOREDirections to the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living
We’re located at 331 East 12th Street between First and Second Avenue in the heart of the East Village.
By Public Transportation:
- Bus: M14A, M14D, M15, M15-SBS, M101, M102, M103
- Subway: L at First Ave, 4/5/6/N/Q/R/W at Union Square
- Ferry: Lower East Side route to Stuyvesant Cove
Hours: Mondays – Fridays | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Phone: 646-395-4534 | Email: sirovich@14streety.org
Sirovich Center for Balanced Living of Educational Alliance is the second-oldest center of its kind in New York City. The William I. Sirovich Memorial Association was founded in April 1947 by the Sirovich family “to provide a center for the older person where [they] can find companionship, and an opportunity for continuing [their] life-long interests and for developing new ones.”
Since its conception more than 75 years ago, Sirovich Center has implemented various arts, education, nutrition, and health programming with the aim of furthering Dr. Sirovich’s mission to improve the lives of older adults living and working in New York City.
Want to support our mission to change lives for the better? Make a tax deductible donation today.
Our Center’s namesake, Doctor William Irving Sirovich, was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1882 to Hungarian immigrants. His family moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City when he was six years old. He attended public schools and graduated from the College of the City of NY in 1902 and Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1906.
He was a fervent believer in serving the City’s most vulnerable populations, as modeled by his father Jacob Sirovich who was a Rabbi and his mother Rose Sirovich (née Weinstock) who worked in the community helping struggling immigrants, including older adults.
Dr. Sirovich treated many people free of charge at his practice in the Lower East Side and held the position of superintendent of the People’s Hospital, without pay, from 1911 until 1929. It is there, at 203 East 2nd Avenue, that the Center was located for 20 years before moving to its current home.
In 1926, Dr. Sirovich won the Congressional seat as a Democrat for New York’s 14th District, for which he was reelected six times until his death in 1939. In this role, he avidly sponsored social welfare legislation, such as child welfare, unemployment insurance, and “old-age” pensions. He helped clean up the City’s federal courts, was a supporter of Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation, helped pass portions of the Social Security Act, and championed the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Theatre Project. He even wrote two plays himself, Suspended Sentence and The Schemers, which appeared on Broadway.
When he unexpectedly passed away due to a heart attack, 25,000 people flocked to the Lower East Side to pay their respects to Dr. Sirovich. He is buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery, Flushing, Queens, but his legacy lives on through the work we do every day at Sirovich Center for Balanced Living.
Make A Donation
Support Free Programs & Events for Older Adults
Your support ensures we can continue offering free programs to adults 60 and older including nutritions meals and social services. Please consider making a donation today. Once on the donation page, select your donation amount, then use the dropdown below to choose “14Y Sirovich Senior Center.” DONATE TODAY
14Y Senior Membership
Health + Fitness for Older Adults
As a member of the 14Y, you get access to a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual programs, including access to our fitness center, heated indoor pool, a wide range of group fitness classes, discounts on arts and culture programs, and so much. more! Learn More
Celebrate Arts Festival
An Annual Arts Festival Celebrating Older Adults
Join us every May to celebrate older adults in our community featuring art galleries, performances, and an art fair! Learn More