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!

Mayor Bloomberg's Landmarks Problem

As 2008 winds to a close, it's time to take stock of a banner season in New York City landmarks preservation history. THE HIGHS: A 6-month examination of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) by the New York Times. Four investigative articles. Two hard-hitting editorials. A breakthrough legal victory. THE LOWS: A Mayor and Landmarks Chair who fail to recognize — and address — New York's landmarks crisis. Too many buildings and neighborhoods destroyed or hanging in the balance. NEXT STEPS: To really know what we're up against, make sure you've read the Times pieces and decisive court decision, which the City plans to appeal. Then write immediately to Mayor Bloomberg. Use language from the latest Times editorial ("Improving the Landmarks Process," 12/6/08) to send him the message loud and clear, "Instead of appealing, fix the LPC!" If we are ever to turn back the destructive tide, it must be now. And it must be YOU and US and ANYONE who ever gave a thought about the heritage of our city and the character of our communities. Together, we've made our voice heard, and we may be closer than ever to real change. But the biggest challenges are still ahead. Required Reading for the Revolution The Landmarks Preservation Commission should be a vital part of the planning process in New York City. Instead, it has become a bureaucratic black hole, the place where requests for evaluation — the formal nominations of buildings or districts to be landmarked — go to get filed and forgotten. “The Missing Landmarks Commission,” NY Times editorial, 10/18/08 The judge called the agency’s inaction “arbitrary and capricious” and ordered it to start making timely decisions on every designation request. To allow such proposal’s “to languish is to defeat the very purpose of the L.P.C. and invite the loss of irreplaceable landmarks.” “An Opaque and Lengthy Road to Landmark Building Status,” NY Times, 11/26/08 Preservationists say the phenomenon [of pre-emptive demolitions] is only one sign of problems with the city’s mechanism for protecting historic buildings … In the case of the Dakota Stables, some preservationists have accused the landmarks commission of deliberately dragging its heels. “Preservationists See Bulldozers Charging Through a Loophole,” NY Times, 11/29/08
..many preservationists and at least one commission member argue that the landmarks commission has not been aggressive enough in protecting churches from the overheated real estate market of the last few years. “Houses of Worship Choosing to Avoid Landmark Status,” NY Times, 12/1/08 …preservationists and politicians assert that, under a mayoral administration that has emphasized new construction – from behemoth stadiums to architecturally bold condo towers – big developers have too often been allowed to lead on the dance floor. Some accuse the landmarks commission, charged with guarding the city’s architectural heritage, of backing off too readily when important developers’ interests are at stake. “Preservation and Development in a Dynamic Give and Take,” NY Times, 12/2/08 We urge Mayor Michael Bloomberg to give preservation more weight in city planning. The next landmarks chairman should come from preservation circles. The commissioners need more independence and authority. There needs to be better communication with the Buildings Department to prevent the confusion that has sometimes resulted in the destruction of a building slated for landmark consideration. ... Landmark decisions should be made expeditiously and transparently with a clear public record of the commission’s decision-making. "Improving the Landmarks Process," NY Times editorial, 12/6/08 New York State Supreme Court decision, Justice Marilyn Schafer, ordering the Landmarks Commission to "promulgate procedures whereby: (1) all RFE’s are submitted to the RFE Committee within 120 days of receipt thereof; and (2) all Committee’s recommendations, whether positive or negative, be reported, on the record, to the full LPC." Click here for the original petition. Send letters to: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg City Hall New York, NY 10007 Email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html The New York Times Email: letters@nytimes.com Please send copies to landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.

Andrew S. Dolkart Featured in New York Times

LANDMARK WEST!'s friend and board member Andrew S. Dolkart wrote an article for the November 16, 2008 issue of New York Times about how preservation fares in the midst of an economic downturn. Click here to read the article.

LW! Lecture: The Artistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs

Lost New York: Landmarks Preservation Commission Missing Inaction

From the New York Times editorial page, Saturday, October 20, 2008, “The Missing Landmarks Preservation Commission”: “The Landmarks Preservation Commission should be a vital part of the planning process in New York City. Instead, it has become a bureaucratic black hole, the place where requests for evaluation — the formal nominations of buildings or districts to be landmarked — go to get filed and forgotten.” For a full version of the editorial, see below.

Change is a fact of life in New York City. But, for the last 45 years, since the shocking demolition of the old Pennsylvania Station in the 1960s finally prompted a response from City Hall, we’ve had an authority to referee change as it affects the treasures of our past—the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Except that today the LPC appears to have let developers—and our development-friendly Mayor—overrun the field.

Writes the Times: “Moving as slowly as it does — and nearly always without public hearings — the landmarking process is routinely outflanked by developers. What is clearly missing is the political will needed for the landmarks commission to do its job. For that, it must have the full backing of the mayor, who appoints the commissioners.”

Where is the LPC? And, more to the point, where is Mayor Bloomberg when it comes to protecting our city’s historic Landmarks? Or responding to the hundreds of public requests for buildings to become new Landmarks and Historic Districts? If the problems identified by the Times—the “bureaucratic black hole,” the maddening silence preceding the bulldozer—resonate all too well with you, then speak up! Send a letter to the editors (letters@nytimes.com), telling them about the buildings in your community that have been overlooked, threatened and lost as a result of LPC inaction (visit http://www.landmarkwest.org/advocacy/cecpp/landmarksatrisk.htm for examples citywide). Then, send a copy of your letter to Mayor Bloomberg! Print out your email and fax it to 212-788-2460. Also post your letter in the "Comments" section of this blog. Make the most of this opportunity—maybe your only opportunity—to be heard.

October 18, 2008

New York Times Editorial

The Missing Landmarks Commission

Late last month, the Museum of Arts and Design reopened in its new home at 2 Columbus Circle. That home is the controversial reworking of Edward Durell Stone’s eccentric building — much loved and much hated by New Yorkers ever since it was finished in 1964.

The Times’s architecture critic, Ada Louise Huxtable, dubbed Stone’s original building “a die-cut Venetian palazzo on lollipops.” To us, it looked almost Moroccan, as if the casbah had gone high-rise.

Brad Cloepfil’s bland redesign — which somehow suggests the technological polish of a desktop computer — will stir no such emotions, except as a potent symbol of the failure of the preservation process in this city.

Despite a public debate over the fate of Stone’s building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission never held a public hearing. The commission’s chair — with the encouragement of the Bloomberg administration — had the matter shelved. In June 2005, the city issued a permit to destroy the old facade and rework the building.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission should be a vital part of the planning process in New York City. Instead, it has become a bureaucratic black hole, the place where requests for evaluation — the formal nominations of buildings or districts to be landmarked — go to get filed and forgotten.

There are hundreds of requests from all across the city waiting to be acted upon. Some have been held up for years. Moving as slowly as it does — and nearly always without public hearings — the landmarking process is routinely outflanked by developers. What is clearly missing is the political will needed for the landmarks commission to do its job. For that, it must have the full backing of the mayor, who appoints the commissioners.

No one wants to see the city frozen by overly rigid landmarking. But New York is such an extraordinary place because of both its past and its future. The commission — in full consultation with the public — should play a critical role in balancing the two.

Sign the Petition to Preserve West End Avenue!

Sign the Petition to Preserve West End Avenue!

Please join your fellow New Yorkers, the West End Preservation Society and LANDMARK WEST! in calling on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to create an official historic district encompassing the full length of West End Avenue between 70^th to 107^th Streets.

This area vividly tells the story of the development of the Upper West Side from the 1880s to the 1930s. Distinguished by its strikingly consistent streetwall of uniform cornice heights, harmonious materials and creative interpretations of historical styles, including Arts & Crafts, Beaux Arts and Art Deco, West End Avenue showcases the work of many late-19th and early-20^th-century architects who defined New York City as we know it today. For more information on this district and other ways to show your support, please visit http://www.landmarkwest.org/advocacy/Wish%20List%20Items/WEAHD.htm.

Two minutes is all you need to show your support for protecting one of our city’s loveliest residential boulevards. CLICK here and sign the petition now (see text below). Then, pass this on to your friends and neighbors—keep the support coming!

To: NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

We, the Undersigned, write to strongly urge you to designate Manhattan's West End Avenue, between 70th Street and 107th Street a Historic District. West End Avenue is one of the most distinctive residential avenues in New York City and it deserves and meets the criteria for Historic District status. Already designated are blocks between 75th Street and 78th Street and those between 87th and 95th Streets. We urge the Commission to extend and expand the Historic Districts to include the blocks down to West 70th Street and up to West 107th Street.

West End Avenue is lined primarily with Pre-War apartment buildings of unified height; most are approximately twelve to fifteen stories. These buildings were erected in the 1910's and 1920's by a small group of acclaimed architects specializing in apartment-house construction in that era. Spread intermittently between some of these unified apartment buildings are historic townhouses that predate the construction of 1910-1920.

As described in a recent New York Times article discussing the movement to preserve the avenue, "[s]ince the 1920's, West End has presented the same sleepy procession of ornamented brick and limestone 15-story apartment buildings, with an occasional townhouse from the 1890's." NY Times, May 18, 2008 ("A Bid to Shield a Row of Sturdy Soldiers" by Alex Mindlin).

Even when West End Avenue was first being developed, the Avenue seemed unique. In 1888, an organization called the West End Association declared that "West End Avenue, alone of all city avenues, has a chance of remaining a site of private residences exclusively and permanently." (Robert Stern, Thomas Mellins and David Fishman: "New York 1880-Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age"; Monacelli Press, New York 1999; p. 759).

Indeed, the beautiful and unique buildings on West End Avenue come together in a cohesive way to create a distinct sense of place. These buildings are important reminders of the history of early construction on the Upper West Side. According to historians, West End Avenue was developed "in a short period of time by developers with a shared vision. . ." (Id.) This shared vision resulted in a "unification" that was due to both "building type" as well as the builders' ". . . shared sense of that area's image of urban domesticity, comparable to that of London's West End." (Id.) As such, West End Avenue ". . . exuded an aura of overall aesthetic intentionality that was unrivaled in Gilded Age New York." (Id.) While walking along West End Avenue, one sees that this aura of Gilded Age cohesiveness continues to exist to this day-over 120 years later!

For these reasons, we, the Undersigned support the application to designate West End Avenue a historic district. We urge the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to find West End Avenue worthy of a landmarks preservation designation of a Historic District.