Savor the Summer with the LW! iPhone App

"This app is your personal tour guide, offering information and insights on West Side buildings and blocks from a uniquely local perspective." -- LW! App Fan

IMAGE: The southern tower of the San Remo Apartments, as seen from Central Park. 145-146 Central Park West, b/w W. 74th & W. 75th Sts. Built: 1929-1930. Architect: Emery Roth

There's less than a week until Labor Day brings Summer 2012 to an unofficial close. Don't let the season end without exploring the rich history of our Upper West Side neighborhood! Let LW's FREE iPhone walking tour app be your handheld guide to all the "Fun Facts" and "Did you know" details you never knew!

It's New and Improved!

LW! has worked out the kinks (you wrote us; we listened!) and relaunched its free Upper West Side walking tour iPhone app.

Designed by local experts for people of all ages and interests, LW's walking tour app is an innovative way to explore the architecture and history of one of New York City's most beloved and vibrant neighborhoods. Meant to appeal to a wide rage of users from residents to visitors to the city, families, and armchair travelers, the free app tour highlights 35 landmark locations including the legendary Dakota Apartments, Beacon Theatre, Ansonia Hotel and Central Park. Each location features intriguing facts and striking photographs that tell the story of the Upper West Side's development since the 19th century.

Preview the LW! app by visiting our blog!

To accompany the relaunched LW! app, we have created a user-friendly blog that highlights the features and tools found within the app, along with prominent sites and architects highlighted along the tour. See something you like and want more? Visit iTunes to download the LW! app and explore the neighborhood! Don't have time to explore the neighborhood on foot? You're in luck! Use the app from the comfort of your home to take a virtual walking tour.

Click here to begin your preview of the FREE LW! walking tour app!

What the App Users Are Saying (more here!):

"This app is a great way to see New York City's Upper West Side. I downloaded it at home, learned about some of the interesting locations and checked out a few stops on the walking tour. It's great for people visiting the city AND for people who have lived there their entire lives."

"Wonderful way to experience NYC architecture!" 

Reliving the 2012 "Unsung Heroes" awards ceremony

On June 12, 2012, LANDMARK WEST! welcomed nearly 200 of its nearest and dearest to our annual awards ceremony, a celebration of the Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side! "Unsung Heroes" are those individuals and institutions who -- in some way, shape or form -- help to advance the cause of preserving our neighborhood's special architecture and sense of place. In 2012, we paid homage to a band of worthy New Yorkers whose impressive works for historic preservation outlive them, continuing to shape the Upper West Side, our city and impact our quality of life for the better:                        Robert Makla             Dorothy M. Miner                    Norman Marcus             Nancy Spero David F.M. Todd (learn more about our honorees here) LW! has been fortunate to celebrate our Unsung Heroes awards in spaces that are architectural gems, and 2012 was no exception. This year, the stunning Beacon Theatre, an Interior Landmark, set the scene. It's undeniably exotic architecture was complimented by the aromatic Turkish delicacies of Pasha Restaurant. In the company of fa Click here to flip through the program. mily, colleagues, former students, and friendly admirers, LW! honored Bob, Dorothy, Norman, Nancy, and David. Because of their work, this neighborhood -- this city -- is a far better place. Because of them, the West Side is one of the most beautiful, livable, appreciated and beloved places on earth. And who better to deliver this celebratory news than our Master of Ceremonies, Pat Kiernan! Anchor of NY1 and neighborhood activist, Pat dedicated his talents to honoring those whose work shaped the West Side for the better. LW! thanks all who supported this annual tradition, especially those who sponsored tribute pages and ads in our evening's printed program (seen at right). For our friends who were able to join us for this magical night of revelry, may the photos below (and here, in our Flickr album!) serve as a reminder of our whimsical evening. You can also watch our awardee slideshow from the evening on our YouTube channel. For those unable to attend, we hope to see you at another event in 2012. Thank you, all!

Master of Ceremonies Pat Kiernan, center, is joined by event guests and videographers Anthony Bellov and Dayle van der Sande.

LW! Board member Ernie von Simson and President Arlene Simon

See more pictures from our 2012 Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side Awards Ceremony by visiting our Flickr album!

Spectacular interior of the Beacon Theatre, captured by former LW! intern and photog Andrew Kaplan.

Guests enjoy delicious food from West Side restaurant Pasha.

See more pictures from our 2012 Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side Awards Ceremony by visiting our Flickr album!

Guests read through the evening's printed program. Click here to take a look for yourself!

See more pictures from our 2011 Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side Awards Ceremony by visiting our Flick album!

Let Them Be Unsung No More!

For more information on our honorees, the Beacon Theatre 

and Pasha Restaurant, CLICK HERE.

Share Your Stories: Remembering 2012's Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side

On Thursday, June 12, 2012, LANDMARK WEST! will celebrate a band of worthy New Yorkers whose legacies live on.  These are our Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side.  Their impressive works for historic preservation outlive them, continuing to shape the Upper West Side and our city for the better.  The 2012 "Unsung Heroes" are:

Robert Makla          Norman Marcus          Dorothy M. Miner

Nancy Spero         David F.M. Todd

Meet each of our honorees on our awards ceremony webpage, and learn about their contributions to the neighborhood and the preservation community.

Leading up to the awards ceremony, we want to hear from you!  Share with us your own memories of how these altruistic individuals made their mark in your community and in your life.  You can do so in the Comments of this blog, or email us at landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.  Share stories, share photos!

And please, help spread the word about this merry gathering to celebrate Bob, Norman, Dorothy, Nancy, and Davide.  Encourage colleagues, students, friends, and all who share with us an appreciation for these five heroes of preservation to join us on June 12th (details here).

Living with Landmarks is "Living with History"

Landmarks are not frozen in time; they are forever evolving and adapting to the needs of our community. The Upper West Side is home to one of the greatest concentrations of landmarks in the city -- indeed, the Upper West Side - Central Park West Historic District (designated 1990) is one of the largest districts in the city, home to nearly 2,700 landmark-protected buildings. As such, West Siders understand as acutely as anyone else the absolute truth that to live in and with a landmark is to live with its history. Most importantly, our contemporary interactions with our bricks-and-mortar resources are, themselves, adding a new layer to a building's history. It is this historically rich palimpsest that makes our landmark heritage -- and the Upper West Side! -- so special.

This weekend's symposium at the Museum of the City of New York will showcase extraordinary projects that have aimed to bring historic buildings back to life. The half-day symposium will highlight various and sometimes controversial approaches to preserving the past while accommodating the needs of modern life.

Living With History:
Restoring, Redesigning, and Reviving New York's Landmark Interiors

Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 9:30 AM to 1 PM

The Museum of the City of New York

1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street

Co-sponsored by The New York School of Interior Design

Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for non-members; to register, click here
** SPECIAL OFFER ** mention this flyer, and non-members get $10 off admission!

Included in the symposium will be a look at the expert restoration of the stunning Interior Landmark, the Beacon Theatre (located at 2124 Broadway, between West 73rd and 74th Streets; more below!), in addition to the controversial retrofitting of the International Style Manufacturers Hanover Trust building on Fifth Avenue. Carol Krinsky, Professor of Art History at NYU, author of: Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore Owings & Merrill (1988), will discuss the former Manufacturers Trust Building and the impact of controversial Landmarks Commission-approved alterations upon the designated landmark interior. For more on this, visit savelpc.org, the website of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation.

LOOKING BACK at Save the Beacon Theatre ...

The legendary Beacon Theatre--a New York City Interior Landmark--was saved not by chance, but by the sustained efforts of the citizen-advocates of Save the Beacon Theatre.

A look inside the restored Beacon Theatre.

More recently, in 2006, Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) acquired the legendary venue and made a commitment to the city that it would restore the Beacon to its original grandeur. In 2008, MSGE embarked on a $17 million restoration, allowing audiences to experience its original majestic design. Working with architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle, the restoration has been more than just a rehearsal, but a true tour de force performance!

On October 8, 2009, to mark this preservation achievement, LANDMARK WEST! honored the Save the Beacon Theatre group with one of our 2009 "Unsung Heroes of the Upper West Side" Awards.
Though it is truly a wonder to behold, the majestically restored Beacon Theatre is no "Miracle on 74th Street." Planned as the Roxy Midway Theatre and opened in 1929, the future Beacon was the brainchild of theatrical impresario Samuel "Roxy" Rothfel (who later helped create Radio City Music Hall) and planned as a part of the Roxy Circuit of "movie palaces." Chicago architect Walter Ahlschlager designed The Beacon in an opulent pastiche of historical styles.

The interior was renowned for its flawless acoustics and became a coveted venue for musical superstars. It was designated as an official NYC Interior Landmark in 1979. Still, its future was not secure. In 1986, Save the Beacon Theatre formed in swift response to a developer's proposal to carve out the space for a discotheque-a plan that, incredibly, was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Years of grassroots advocacy and legal action kept destruction at bay until, finally, the tide turned. Today, under MSGE's stewardship, more than 100 concerts and events take place annually at The Beacon Theatre, and it has once again recaptured is prominence as one of the most vibrant theaters in New York City.