Resources at Risk: Merchant's House Museum endangered

Preservation Advocacy Beyond the Upper West Side
GUEST BLOG by LW! intern Jason Crowley

Next Tuesday, July 24th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) will hold a public hearing regarding a proposed 9-story building at 27 East 4th Street, located in the NoHo Historic District. This proposal raises great concern for our preservation colleagues committed to the preservation of the adjacent Merchant's House Museum (built in 1832).

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) and the Historic Districts Council (HDC) have written to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), Department of Buildings (DOB), and the Parks Department (which owns the Merchant's House) urging them to work together to ensure that no construction takes place next door unless measures are put in place ensuring that the Merchant's House will not be damaged or undermined.

Learn more here, then be sure to

Sign the Petition!

Even though this is far and away from the typical boundaries for LANDMARK WEST!, the Merchant's House Museum is New York's only 19th-century family home preserved inside and out and is a city-owned property. Significant tax dollars have been put towards the restoration and preservation of the site, so all New Yorkers have a vested interest in its protection.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 24th (exact time to be determined; stay tuned to the LPC agenda, or contact the Merchant's House Museum). LW! will be there supporting this city-wide concern (here's our statement).

Track this project via the GVSHP Landmarks Applications database.

Love Your Landmark #4 - West 72nd Street, where preservation means business!

Beginning in 1997, LW! launched its Retail Assistance Program (RAP).  Our goal: to revitalize the historic storefronts along West 72nd Street, between Columbus Avenue and Broadway/Amsterdam Avenue.  Our partners (among many others): the commercial tenants on the block.  

One by one, shop by shop, LW! discussed with the businesses and property owners of West 72nd Street the value of preserving their storefronts' historic details.  The results speak for themselves; click here to visit our featured RAP webpage.

So, why RAP?  Why as part of our third annual Love Your Landmarks campaign?  Because during a recent walk down memory lane, we happened upon our Fall 1998 newsletter.  Featured inside is a heartfelt letter of thanks from one of our West 72nd Street RAP partners, Robert and Judith Long of Long's Bedding & Interiors.  The Longs loved and appreciated the difference preservation made to their business; LW! loves their approach to neighborhood preservation!  Read the letter for yourself, then get in on the Love Your Landmarks 2012 action for yourself!

GUEST BLOG :: Meet Jahmauny, LW! Summer Intern

This is the first intern introduction for the summer, following our earlier post welcoming our new team members.  Below, get to know Jahmauny.  Then, stay tuned for intros from the rest of our interns!

What is WHSAD?

I am Jahmauny Monds, and I just completed my sophomore year at the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design (WHSAD). With many unique aspiring architects and engineers, WHSAD has an amazing environment. Not only does this school allow me to integrate my skills such as designing and creating a 3-D model of the three main Greek columns for my English project on Greek architecture, but my school also teaches me how vital beautiful early and modern – day architecture has become.

What are some of the preservation-related courses you took this past year?

During my second year at WHSAD, I took an intricate, in-depth course in historic preservation. This class took me step-by-step through the different types of brick, brick bonds and methods to creating bricks. Then we researched the history of the infamous brick and how this invention was industrialized by the pug mill. With all of this newly developed knowledge, we then began to use Autodesk’s AutoCAD to create and plot our very own brick bonds.

What do you like best about studying architecture?

What I find the most intriguing about architecture is the amount of history that goes along with it. Architecture has power and meaning. It can show queens and kings, it can pay respect to deities of that time period, and it also shows the level of intelligence and creativity or the architects of that time. From Lady Liberty to the pyramids in Egypt, architecture is and forever will be, in my eyes, the most fascinating aspect of civilization.

What are you looking forward to doing in LW! this summer?

With my love for architecture, I have joined the LW! team this summer with the intention to preserve the history and ingenuity of New York City’s early building designs and techniques that were applied to the primary buildings of this great city. I plan to post more blogs with updates on the ongoing battle to keep these sacred buildings in their original state. I will also be a part of a specific project which is the Central Park West Skyline.

Love Your Landmark #3 - 349-357 West 84th Street

349 - 357 West 84th Street

I love the variety in window details and the curved bays of these row houses -- I especially love the Greek Cross windows on the top floor of each house!  And I think the apartment house on the corner is a great "book end" to this beautiful row!

Love,

Jason Crowley
LW! Graduate Intern, Columbia University 

The LW! Crew, Summer 2012 Edition

The number of full-time staffers at LW! can be counted on one hand (seriously, there are three of us, plus our full-time President, Arlene Simon!).  And so every year, this quartet looks forward to the summer months, when we welcome an energetic team of student interns.  Their ages range (from high school juniors to 2nd-year graduate students), but their desire to learn about the ins and outs of preservation advocacy via the LW! model is shared among them!

Throughout the summer, LW! will introduce each of our student interns.  Then, track our blog for regular guest posts by each intern.  Meet the folks behind the organization, and get to know LW! through fresh eyes!  The Summer 2012 intern roster is:

• Jason Crowley, 2nd year graduate student in the Historic Preservation Master's Program at Columbia University;
• Jonathan Ortiz, our first summer intern from the "I Have a Dream" Foundation (though we met Jonathan last year when his summer program group, the De Hostos-Wise Dreamers, worked with LW's Dir. of Education, Debi Germann);
• Jahmauny Monds, from the innovative Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design (that's the same alma mater as Ingrid, our energetic intern from 2011)

And of course you remember:

• Kate Gilmore, 3rd year graduate student in the dual degree Urban Planning and Historic Preservation programs at Columbia University;
• Zack Bunin, a junior at the University of Rochester, joining us for his third consecutive summer (time flies!)

Enjoy their posts, all summer long!

At the Naumburg Bandshell, Sounds of Summer

Throughout the year, LW! is pleased to share with our fellow West Siders news of upcoming events that celebrate our city's architectural and scenic landmarks.  Every summer, that includes the free classical music series at Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell (this year marks the 107th season!).  

Image via the New York Times

Today's New York Times shared a review of the series' "house band", The Knights, and their approach to outdoor performance set lists, considered by reporter Allan Kozinn to be experimental.  He writes:

        Most ensembles, including this one, have typically built their parks 

        programs of robust works that stand up easily to the formidable 

        competition of airplane engines; bird song; the distant, dull hum of the 

        city’s traffic; passing radios; and for a while on Tuesday evening 

        someone playing a snare drum not far from the Naumburg Bandshell.

        But the Knights decided not to be cowed by all that. Among their 

        offerings on Tuesday were Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” — not a whispered 

        work, exactly, but its subtleties are abundant — and Debussy’s 

        “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” a work rich in delicate textural details.

Read the complete review here, then mark your calendars for the next performance by The Knights at the Naumburg Bandshell, Tuesday, July 14th!

Love Your Landmark #2 - 125 Riverside Drive

125 Riverside Drive

I love the many undulating curves of the building's facade -- it makes for such an amazing interior layout!

Love,

Kate Gilmore
LW! Graduate Intern, 
Columbia University 

Revisit some of Kate's earlier contributions to the LW! blog:

     - Ongoing study of the
       Upper West Side's
       iconic skyline

     - Shining a spotlight on the 
       Mechanic's Institute

     - Reporting on 
       streetscape concerns

     - Exploring preservation
       beyond New York City

 

Love Your Landmark #1 - Bashed Trumpet Bench

"Bashed Trumpet Bench"

West 100th Street

We love our "landmark" benches on West 100th Street!  Our beautiful "Bashed Trumpet" was commissioned by the Block Association over a decade ago to provide respite for the young, old and in-between who live on and visit our monumental block. Linus Coraggio, the metal sculptor who created this bench, was raised on this block and still lives in his apartment of origin.

Here are Block Association members and other bench lovers.

Love, 

100th Street Block Association 

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!

"Love Your Landmarks" All Year Long!

For the past three years -- starting in 2010 -- LW! has spent the month of February showing our love for the Upper West Side's much-loved landmarks...

...Who's to say we can't show our love for landmarks all year long?!

With the Landmarks Preservation Commission's recent designation of the Riverside-West End Historic District Extension I (at public meeting of June 26, 2012), the family of West Side landmarks continues to grow.  That's something to celebrate; Do it with "Love Your Landmarks"!

While you're picnicking in the park, bike riding along the Hudson, or sipping a cold drink at your favorite sidewalk cafe -- take this moment to tell everyone, "I Love this Landmark!" Join us as we call out the landmarks that make the Upper West Side so lovable! All it takes is a digital camera and your own inspiration

Head to the LW! blog now to see which buildings and sites people shared in 2010 and 2011!

So what's a "landmark"?

"Landmark" can mean different things to different people.  It could mean the Dakota Apartments, an Upper West Side icon and Individual Landmark.  Or, it might be something more personal: your family's favorite restaurant, the street corner where you pick up your newspaper every morning, your child's playground or park, or even the elementary school you attended.

If it's a landmark to you, we want to know!

Join in this love-filled landmarks fest!  It's this easy: 

(1)  Download and print an "I [heart] this landmark" sign*.  Both black and white or color are 

       perfectly fine! 

(2)  Visit your landmarks and take a picture of you with your "I Love this Landmark" sign.
 

(3)  Email your photos to LANDMARK WEST!.  Make sure to tell us what about the building or 

       site is special to you.  Also, please include the address or location of the building when 

       available. 

*If you have any trouble or aren't able to print a sign, no worries!  A photo of you and  

the object of your architectural affection is still welcomed!   

What happens to your photo?

Your photos--take as many as you can!--will be added to the LW! blog.  There, other West Siders and landmark enthusiasts will see what buildings and places have special meaning to us all. 

Get Out There And "Love Your Landmarks!"