Green Theology: Energy Efficiency and Sacred Sites (click for more info!)
Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 8:45 a.m.-- 3:00 p.m.

Religious institutions are treasured touchstones of strength, comfort and stability for congregants and community alike, but the costs of heating, cooling and running facilities present considerable challenges even to the most robust congregations and the most creative facility managers.

"Green Technology," "sustainability" and "energy efficiency" are frequently used buzz words that can leave caretakers of religious properties enthusiastic, confused about how to maintain their older buildings, or under the mistaken impression that "green building" is meant for new buildings.

The seminar is designed for members of the clergy and others to guide them as they strive to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and reduce associated costs. A case study of an actual energy efficiency audit of a religious property, from the perspectives of both the auditor and the religious institution, will be presented to provide a hands-on understanding of the range of challenges and potential solutions that are useful in managing these important sites.

E-Postcard Campaign to Preserve the Powerhouse!

Send Landmarks Chair Robert B. Tierney a "postcard" reminder to "Preserve the Powerhouse!" It's quick, easy and, thanks to email technology, 100% free. Simply click here and, in three steps, the ravishing historic photo to your left will be winding its way to the Commission's inbox, along with a brief paragraph (that you can personalize) in support of landmark designation.

It's been over two months since the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission's July 14 public hearing on the former Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse - its third hearing since 1979 (read about the building's significance). And still, no action to give this monumental masterpiece the landmark protection it so justly deserves. Time for a not-so-subtle nudge.

Get Your Ticket Today for the Unsung Heroes Awards Ceremony 10/8/2009!

On October 8th, Landmark West! will celebrate the Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side!

10/14/2009 Continuing Education Seminar: Architecture + Zoning

An Architectural and Zoning Toolkit to Enhance your Skills in a Changing Economy (click to learn more!)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 from 8:45 a.m.-- 5:00 p.m.

Sitting atop Lincoln Center, participants of this day-long seminar will be in the cat bird’s seat to learn about the evolution of the City and ecclectic architectural styles of our neighborhoods. Have you ever wondered how to date an apartment building, distinguish original detail from additions, or how to make sense of the diverse architectural styles of New York City buildings? Have you ever questioned how and why a neighborhood developed over time?

This seminar is custom-designed for real estate brokers, planners, architects and others seeking to hone their professional and marketing skills to identify architectural styles and development patterns in New York City. Discover how zoning has influenced neighborhood change and unlock clues to dating and interpreting. The better you understand historic buildings and neighborhoods, the better you can serve clients and participate in the life of the city. Wear comfortable shoes—we will end the program with a walking tour of nearby blocks in the Lincoln Center area and the historic Upper West Side!

Original Post 9/22/2009: Check Out What Our Friends Are Up To!

2 Upcoming Events: Click Here for More Info

Inquiry:HP Presents CHRISTOPHER PAYNE
Thursday, September 24
6:30 PM at Columbia University
Avery Hall, 6th Floor, Ware Classroom
New York City-based photographer Christopher Payne specializes in the documentation of America's vanishing architecture and industrial landscape.

New York Botanical Conference on New York’s Landscape Heritage
Friday, October 9, 2009
Location: The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx NY
On October 9, 2009 the first in a series of ten regional conferences planned through 2010 will take place at the New York Botanical Garden. Using the Botanical Garden as a launching off point, the conference will place a spotlight on New York City and the region spanning 150 years of landscape design.

Original Post 9/3/2009: Register now for Mechanic's Institute!

The Mechanics' Institute is now accepting new applicants for its Historic Preservation program. The tuition-free certificate program, launched in 2006, is comprised of eight courses that cover a wide range of preservation topics.

For more information visit the school website at www.mechanicsinstitute.org. To register, call the Admissions office at 212.840.7648.

Sacred Sites Walking Tour September 16, 2009

In a world of constant change, religious institutions are often the historical and visual anchors of New York’s many neighborhoods, representing some of the most distinctive and exciting architectural styles. Please join Mosette and Herb Broderick in a walking tour of some of the most outstanding sacred sites on Manhattan’s historic Upper West Side. We will visit several institutions and see several of their magnificent interiors whilewalking and talking about everything in between. This is the second of a popular two-part series. For more information, click here.

Original Post 8/19/2009: SAVE THE DATE for Unsung Heroes!

On October 8th, Landmark West! will celebrate the Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side. Save the date for the Dionysian feast!

Original Post 8/10/2009: Mayoral Breakfasts

In the summer of 2009, Mayoral candidates Tony Avella and William C. Thompson, Jr. discussed their positions on historic preservation and neighborhood planning issues. For more information, including photos and audio recordings of their remarks, please click here.

Original Post 8/4/2009: Postcard Slide Lecture on August 20th

On August 20th, Landmark West! hosted a slide lecture given by vintage postcard collector Michael V. Susi, author of the Postcard History Series’ The Upper West Side, Arcadia Publishing 2009. Michael shared his images of the lost and surviving structures of the Upper West Side over decades of development and redevelopment. Click here for more information.

Original Post 8/3/2009: Final Naumburg Orchestral Concert of 2009

2009 was the 104th Season of the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. Click here for more information.

Original Post 7/15/2009: Full House at July 14th Public Hearings

The floodgates opened at the July 14 public hearing as scores of supporters showed up to urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to finally designate West-Park Presbyterian Church and the former IRT Powerhouse as Individual Landmarks. This was the first public hearing on West-Park since it was left out of the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District in 1990 and the third public hearing since 1979 on the Powerhouse. Both buildings have hovered in "Landmarks Limbo" due to owner opposition. Decades' worth of bottled-up testimony sent the message loud and clear: these buildings have waited too long, but it is not too late. The Commission must act now. Click here for more information.

Original Post 7/6/2009: Free Walking Tour "From Stryker's Bay to Morningside Heights"

On July 12, the Columbus-Amsterdam BID sponsored a free walking tour of the Bloomingdale area, from Stryker's Bay to Morningside Heights. Click here for more information.

Original Post 7/1/2009: Presenting P.S.199 Students' Neighborhood Model!

In the summer of 2009, a neighborhood model created by first grade students at P.S. 199 was proudly displayed in the storefront window of Council Member Gale Brewer's office on Columbus Avenue. Click here for more information!

Original Post 6/16/2009: Urban Forests UPDATE

What started out as a project to preserve and protect open spaces behind rowhouse blocks has burgeoned into a far-reaching preservation effort aimed at protecting privately owned open space throughout the 5 boroughs—space that could be lost piecemeal under the radar screen to development projects, small and large. LANDMARK WEST! commissioned CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities to identify and map privately owned open space—not only on the Upper West Side, but in all 5 boroughs of the City! Click here for more information.

Original Post 6/15/2009: July 14th A Big Day for UWS landmarks-in-waiting

On July 14th, the Landmark Preservation Commission will hear testimony on 2 Upper West Side buildings: West-Park Presbyterian Church and the IRT Powerhouse. Click here for more information.

Original Post 6/11/2009: West 104th Street Block Association Walking Tour

On June 28th, the West 104th St. Block Association and Bloomingdale Aging in Place hosted a walking tour of upper West End Avenue from 107th to 96th Streets, led by Gilbert Tauber, urban planner and historian. Click here for more information.

Original Post 6/8/2009: Call for Unsung Heroes Nominations!

In June, Landmark West! asked for nominations for our Unsung Heroes Awards Ceremony, celebrating the people, groups or projects that have made an honest-to-goodness difference for New York and the Upper West Side. Click here for more information.

Original Post 6/5/2009: West End Avenue Walking Tour

On July 1, 2009, Andrew S. Dolkart, Director of Columbia University's graduate program in Historic Preservation, led a walking tour of West End Avenue. This tour was a continuation of the very popular original tour in September of 2008. Click here for more information.

Original Post: 5/27/2009: Free Concert at First Church of Christ, Scientist

On June 1, The First Church of Christ, Scientist at Central Park West and 68th Street hosted a free piano concert. Click here for more details.

UPCOMING LANDMARK WEST! EVENTS

Wednesday, June 3rd: Continuing Education Seminar
Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Existing Buildings

Tuesday, June 16: Walking Tour
Sacred Sites of the West Side with Mosette and Herbert Broderick

Help Preserve West End Avenue!

YOU can help preserve West End Avenue! Show your support for safeguarding the special character and sense of place along one of our neighborhood's quintessential -- yet unprotected -- residential boulevards. To find out how, click here.

Help Preserve the IRT Powerhouse!

Preserve the Powerhouse!

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission recently announced that on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, it will hold a public hearing to consider designating the former Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse as an Individual NYC Landmark.

The Powerhouse stands as a majestic symbol of the City Beautiful era, designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White and constructed in 1904 to provide electricity for New York's first subway system. In all of its Beaux-Arts glory, it occupies a full block on the West Side of Manhattan (11th to 12th Avenues, 58th to 59th Streets), recalling such magnificent monuments as the New York Public Library (Carrere & Hastings, 1897-1911), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1894-1902) and the late great Pennsylvania Station (McKim, Mead & White, 1910 - demolished in 1963).

For more information, please click here.

Spring House Tour a Success!

The hallowed halls of the West 67th Street Artists’ Colony Historic District are still echoing with “oohs” and “aahs”… LANDMARK WEST’s first-ever Spring House Tour was an event to remember!

To view the event webpage, please click here!

NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS PASSED

WHAT: Preservation Lobby Day
WHERE: Steps of City Hall
WHEN: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 – a press conference will begin at approximately 12 noon, but please plan to arrive by 11:45 to show critical mass

The preservation community will be out in force to support increased funding for the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and to promote the themes outlined below. **Please let us know if you or your organization would like to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Platform!** A copy of the full Platform is attached.

"Preservation is Sustainability" Reuse and rehabilitation of older buildings should be incorporated into the City's planning process.

"Preservation is Neighborhoods" Protecting neighborhood character is a cornerstone of the City's long-term viability.

"Preservation is an Economic Catalyst" Preservation raises property values, strengthens the city's tax base and enhances tourism. The City should support efforts to expand Federal and State historic preservation tax credits and enhance the J-51 tax abatement program for landmarked properties.

"Preservation is Historic Religious Properties" A special task force should study feasible ways to support these important structures, which anchor communities and provide needed social service programs.

"Preservation is an effective Landmarks Commission" Proper staffing levels are needed to speed LPC approval of appropriate renovations and development, which stimulate economic activity.

For more information, please click here.

Original Post: April 1, 2009

PAST EVENT: CLE Seminar - Legal Strategies for Landmarks: Defending Architecture, Neighborhoods, and the Public Interest in the Development-Driven City

To see the event flyer, click here.

Original Post: March 19, 2009

LANDMARK WEST! Launches Online Database:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Upper West Side Landmarks!
For years, Upper West Siders have been asking LANDMARK WEST! questions like...

Who was the architect of my building?
What style is it?
When was it built?
Where can I find Art-Deco architecture in our area?
How can I find out if my building is a Landmark?

Usually, LW! has the answers, but not always at our fingertips. Until now...

We are very proud to announce the official launch of the Upper West Side Landmarks Online Database!

Click here to learn more!

Original Post: March 17, 2009

Save West-Park! Save New York!

Original Post: March 5, 2009

On April 14, 2009, LANDMARK WEST hosted a seminar for real estate brokers, architects, Co-op Board members, and others interested entitled "An Architectural Toolkit to Enhance Your Skills in a Changing Economy."

For more information, follow this link.

Original Post: March 2, 2009

March 2009: nEWS FROM THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
15th Annual Preservation Conference, “Communities & Cornices”

In March 2009, the Historic Districts Council is hosting a number of exciting events for our 15th Preservation Conference, Communities and Cornices. From developing relationships with elected officials to understanding and utilizing important legislation and regulations, this year’s Conference events presented a number of tools that you can use to launch successful grassroots campaigns!

For more information about this past event, visit the HDC site.

Original Post: February 20, 2009

Greening Manhattan's Waterfront: A New "Perimeter Park" for the 21st Centry

Click here for more information on this 2/25 event.

Original Post: February 19, 2009

Building New York's Garment District, 1919-1929

A Slide Lecture by Professor Andrew S. Dolkart

Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

The Garment District is one of the most famous neighborhoods of New York City. Well known to labor historians, this area, which stretches from Sixth to Ninth Avenues between 35th and 41st Streets, is virtually unknown to historians of the city's built environment. Join LW! and Professor Dolkart, author of the award-winning Morningside Heights: A History of its Architecture and Development, for an illustrated lecture on the vernacular architecture of the Garment District, the world's largest concentration of high-rise factories. Professor Dolkart, a LW! board member, will examine the forces that resulted in the extraordinary rapidity of development of showrooms, factories, and lofts and will even link this development to that of the Upper West Side.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 6:00PM

Macaulay Honors College at CUNY: 35 West 67th Street

**SPACE IS LIMITED**

Original Post: February 17, 2009

YOU Made a Landmark Difference for West-Park Church!

Thanks to you and many other concerned New Yorkers, West-Park Presbyterian Church is now one step closer to becoming an official NYC Landmark!

This morning, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously to "calendar" West-Park for a public hearing (date as yet unscheduled - we'll keep you posted) to consider its merits for landmark designation. "Calendaring" itself provides a measure of protection since the LPC would get the chance to review any planned alterations to the structure, even before official designation.

To read more, click here!

Original Post: February 13, 2009

Rumors Swirl About West-Park’s Future:
Help Urge the Landmarks Commission to Save this Building

West-Park Presbyterian Church,
“one of the architecturally most distinguished and historically most important of Manhattan’s surviving Nineteenth century churches.”
Barry Bergdoll, architectural historian, March 2004

Earlier this week, as workers removed debris from the interior of West-Park Presbyterian Church (W. 86th Street & Amsterdam Avenue), many of you responded to the call for letters/emails/phone calls to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, urging swift action to protect one of New York’s most beautiful and significant religious structures.

Keep those letters/emails/phone calls coming (see contact info. and sample letters below)!

Evidently startled by the impassioned community response, church leaders were quick to explain that the apparent demo work was clean-up after a burst pipe. Yet, the pall of demolition—whether by intent or neglect matters little—continues to hang over this beloved neighborhood landmark.

Until West-Park is an official Landmark (with a capital L)—or at least gets the public hearing it deserves—rumors about its future will continue to fly. Church leaders have made it clear that they intend to redevelop the site and demolish at least part of the historic building. Landmark designation doesn’t necessarily preclude that possibility. What a landmarks hearing does is offer a baseline promise that the magnificent exterior will be preserved for future generations.

Beyond any reasonable doubt, and as attested by the statements of New York’s most prominent architectural historians, West-Park is worthy of designation as a New York City Individual Landmark (click HERE to read copies of some recent statements—requests for West-Park to be heard date back more than two decades!). The site was determined eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2001.
Contact the LPC today and urge them to act immediately to calendar West-Park Presbyterian for a public hearing.

Hon. Robert B. Tierney, Chair
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10007
Phone: 212-669-7888
Fax: 212-669-7955
Email: comments@lpc.nyc.gov

Also contact the City Council member who represents the West-Park neighborhood:

Hon. Gale A. Brewer
NYC Council Member
563 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
Phone: 212-873-0282
Fax: 212-873-0279
Email: brewer@council.nyc.ny.us

YOU can make the difference. Please help save this landmark!

ALERT! West-Park Presbyterian to be demolished?

West-Park Presbyterian Church needs your help!

Neighbors of the red-sandstone historic gem anchoring the northeast corner of West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue have recently observed workers removing pieces of West-Park’s interior. More than one worker confirmed that the building is being readied for demolition. Without landmark protection, this beloved Romanesque-style church—called “unquestionably one of the most beautiful religious structures on the Upper West Side” by Andrew S. Dolkart—could continue to be dismantled, stone by stone.

Beyond any reasonable doubt, and as attested by the statements of New York’s most prominent architectural historians, West-Park is worthy of designation as a New York City Individual Landmark (click HERE to read copies of some recent statements—requests for West-Park to be heard date back more than two decades!). The site was determined eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2001.

LANDMARK WEST!, the Friends of West-Park and many others in our community and beyond are writing, emailing, and calling (for the 10th, 100th, 1000th time) the Landmarks Preservation Commission to stress the urgent need for landmark protection of West-Park. JOIN US! In unity (and volume), there’s strength. Here’s what you can do:

Contact the LPC today and urge them to act immediately to calendar West-Park Presbyterian for a public hearing.

Hon. Robert B. Tierney, Chair
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10007
Phone: 212-669-7888
Fax: 212-669-7955
Email: comments@lpc.nyc.gov

Also contact the City Council member who represents the West-Park neighborhood:

Hon. Gale A. Brewer
NYC Council Member
563 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
Phone: 212-873-0282
Fax: 212-873-0279
Email: brewer@council.nyc.ny.us

West-Park is down to the wire. YOU can make the difference. Please help save this landmark!