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LANDMARK WEST!

@landmarkwest

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Historic preservation, programs, and education on the UWS since 1985
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Tuesday's LPC hardship hearing for West Park offered little clarity about the fate of the landmark church. However, Chair Lisa Kersavage did make one thing clear: she emphasized, "the demolition of the building is inherently inappropriate." The Commission did not focus its discussion on the historic value of the church but on whether the applicant has met the stringent legal standard for hardship, a determination, it seems, driven by an extensive financial analysis.

Since the Landmarks Law was adopted in 1965, 23 hardship applications have been filed, and 13 have been approved. On the Upper West Side, this has resulted in the loss of four landmarks thus far: Mt. Neboh Synagogue in 1981, and 351 Central Park West, 352 Central Park West, and 353 Central Park West, all in 1988. Every approval weakens the protections the Landmarks Law was intended to provide and sets a precedent that reaches far beyond a single building.

No vote was taken. General Counsel Mark Silberman will now prepare a draft determination for the Commissioners to review before a final decision. Notably, not all Commissioners participated in back-and-forth discussion.

Should a hardship be granted, the clock starts on a 180-day period when the Commission can seek alternatives, such as another buyer. In preservation, we are playing the long game. We will continue to monitor the process and keep you informed as this critical case moves, slowly, forward towards uncertainty. As George Michael said, we Gotta Have Faith.
#nyc #nyclandmarks #upperwestside #explorepage by @landmarkwest

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2 months ago

With the ongoing community shut out at Columbia University, invaluable pieces of public art have become inaccessible. Last year, LW! embarked on a project to document public art in Morningside Heights, as part of our wider Public Art Survey. Public art plays an important civic duty. It beautifies urban landscapes, fosters community and encourages public engagement, ensures inclusivity, and supports mental health and well-being.

Through our permanent exhibition, available on our website at landmarkwest.org/art, you can admire these pieces of public art, as well as other pieces all over the UWS, despite Columbia’s closure to the community. This project would not be possible without the Preserve New York grant we received from the Preservation League of New York State and NYSCA.

Slide 1: Life Force by David Bakalar

Slide 2: Alma Mater by Daniel Chester French

Slide 3: Le Marteleur by Constantin Meurier

Slide 4: The Curl by Clement Meadmore

#morningsideheights #UWS #publicart #columbia #preservation #sculptures #landmarkwest by @landmarkwest

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6 months ago

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our recent Mumford Award. Whether you attended, donated, or offered your support from afar, your participation made it a truly unforgettable evening.

We were especially proud to honor Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub, two stalwarts of TV & Film, and of their neighborhood, the Upper West Side.

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors, staff, musicians, guest speaker, and every person who helped make the night so meaningful. Your unwavering commitment to our organization will ensure that our vital work to preserve our neighborhood's unique character continues.

SUPPORT OUR WORK. Become a member. Attend an event. Sign up for our mailing list! Link in bio.

#HistoricPreservation #nychistory #BrookeAdams #TonyShalhoub #nyc #uws #upperwestside by @landmarkwest

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a year ago

LW! is honoring Hispanic Heritage month by highlighting few organizations and people who have resided on the Upper West Side. From a cultural institution to a grassroots activist group, LW! celebrates the rich history they bring to the Upper West Side.

Slide 1: Ballet Hispanico, 167-171 West 89th Street
Originally built as horse stables this building transformed into the largest cultural institution in the United States that celebrates Latino culture through dance. The school's mission is to celebrate Hispanic culture through dance and community engagement. It has occupied the building since 1976. It is also on Landmark West! Wishlist of buildings to be designated as individual landmarked.

Slide 2: Tony Segura Residence, 23 Riverside Drive
Cuban Born and gay rights activist Tony Segura lived on the Upper West Side. He served as the Public relations director for the New York Area Council of Mattachine Society, The society was one of the most influential gay rights groups in the 1950s and 1960s.

Slide 3: El Comite, 569-579 Columbus Avenue
In 1979 a Puerto Rican National Left group called El Comité moved into 569 Columbus Ave for its headquarters. El Comité fought against displacement and urban renewal as well as advocating for housing practices and equal educational opportunities for immigrants. The group organized “operation move-ins” in vacant apartments in the Upper West Side. Although the group disbanded in 1984, it was successful in obtaining 2 vacant apartments from its operation move-in.

#upperwestside #hispanicheritagemonth #preservation #landmarkwest #newyork #explorepage #fyp by @landmarkwest

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5 days ago

5 Years. 10k+ units of housing. Where do they go?

Where We Live NYC Fair Housing Growth Strategy is a draft report published by the City’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). The report calls for the Upper West Side to produce 10,075 units of housing in the next 5 years. For context, that is the equivalent of adding four Frederick Douglass Houses complexes, OR more than 23 Extell ABC supertalls, which translates to a 1,200% increase in housing unit growth for the district.

The Upper West Side is not an underdeveloped neighborhood awaiting large-scale urbanization. Its distinctive character is itself the product of an earlier period of intensive residential development. The result is one of Manhattan’s most sought-after and densely developed residential communities, with 179 people per acre, living in over 127,000 homes.

When applying an “every neighborhood must do its part” framework to housing production citywide, the question cannot simply be where additional housing can be accommodated, but how additional housing can be integrated into an existing neighborhood without sacrificing buildings, housing, and cultural history that make that neighborhood not only possible, but desirable.

Neighborhoods differ substantially in their existing density, available land, infrastructure, and physical character. A strategy that assigns production targets without adequately accounting for these differences fails to meaningfully engage with existing factors and defies basic planning principles. Read LW!'s letter to HPD on our blog or the link in bio. #preservation #nyc #uws #historicpreservation #upperwestside #explorepage #fyp #UpperWestSideLiving #upperwestsidenyc by @landmarkwest

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8 days ago

The Upper West Side’s beautiful architecture is part of what makes this neighborhood so special. It was a pleasure to meet with LANDMARK WEST! to discuss their work preserving that legacy and the issues facing our community. Thank you for your dedication to the Upper West Side and for a thoughtful conversation! @landmarkwest by @landmarkwest

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a month ago

UPDATE: This event has been postponed until further notice. Tickets already bought will be honored once the event is rescheduled. If you wish to receive a refund please contact LW!

After a summer break, LW! presents our in person Book Talk with author Nick Yablon.

Explore Broadway as you have never before! Professor Yablon will share treasures from amateur photographer Charles Gilbert Hine's benchmark 1905 Photographic Survey of Broadway. Learn about the documentation that spanned from the foot of Broadway at Bowling Green on up to Inwood, with a special look at scenes from "The Boulevard" on the Upper West Side.

This program is live, in person, at Macaulay Honors College, 35 West 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.

Doors open at 5:30.

#booktalk #uws #nyc #preservation #liveeventnyc by @landmarkwest

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a month ago

Landmark West! Wishes you a Happy Pride! To end the month off we want the Continental Baths.

Popular for its beautiful architecture, the Ansonia was also known in the 1960-70s for its flourishing basement. The Continental Baths was a social space for the LGBTQ+ community when homosexuality was still illegal in NYC. Inside was a cabaret and stage, restaurant, gym, licensed bar, STD clinic, clothing boutique, travel desk, and roof sun deck with sand from Riis Beach. Besides being a social space, the baths helped springboard emerging acts. Bette Midler famously made her start here. The Baths however saw a decline in LGBTQ+ members, with the venue catering to more straight audiences and ultimately closed in 1976.

#uws #upperwestside #historicpreservation #lgbtcommunity #pride🌈 #nyc #advocate #explorepage #fyp by @landmarkwest

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3 months ago

Did you know that renowned gay artist Andy Warhol lived on the UWS? In 1949, the emerging Warhol moved to 74 West 103rd Street, on Manhattan Avenue. He shared a sort of artists loft alongside 17 artists, writers and dancers. Warhol discovered his sexuality while living here, according to biographer Victor Bockris. “For Andy, as for others, the ‘lavender’ social circle which flourished underground in New York, and increasingly became part of his life during and after his stay on Manhattan Avenue, was a means of survival.” Today, Warhol’s former residence was one of two West Side Urban Renewal survivors and is part of NYCHA’s Frederick Douglass houses.

#uws #historicpreservation #upperwestside #nycpride #landmarkwest #pride #nyc #andywarhol #fyp #explore by @landmarkwest

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3 months ago

Continuing our pride series LW! wants to highlight some spots in the UWS that showcase our LBGTQ+ Community.

Before permanently moving to Park Slope, the Lesbian Herstory Archives was held at 215 West 92nd Street, Apt 13A, the residence of its founders, Joan Nestle and Deb Edel. The living room became a space where lesbian artists and activists gathered whether it was to discuss books, plan demonstrations or events. Nestle and Edel were prominent figures in the lesbian scene on the UWS, frequenting Womenbooks, feminist bookstore a few doors down from the Archives, and attending Gay Women’s Alternative meetings at the Fourth Universalist Church on Central Park West!

Read more about the Lesbian Herstory Archives in our interview with Deb Edel, link in bio!

#preservation #uws #nyc #pride #nycpride #historicsites #landmarkwest #upperwestside #historicpreservation #explorepage #fyp by @landmarkwest

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3 months ago

Landmark West! Wishes you a Happy Pride! We wanted to highlight some spots in the UWS that showcase our LBGTQ+ Community.

While walking down Columbus Ave, you may have noticed a bas-relief mural on 240 Columbus Ave facade. Artist Arturo Martin, depicted the mural based on the sugar cane field from his native country of Cuba. He also modeled the worker in the mural based on his lover. The mural was almost removed but was saved after campaigns by LW!, the Cuban Center of New York and an UWS resident.

To read more about this site head over to our website or join us for our upcoming tour this Tuesday! Link in bio

#uws #nycpride #preservation #pride #historicsites #nyc by @landmarkwest

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3 months ago

Whether chasing a fitness goal or just down for some history,
check out these upcoming walking tours* with LANDMARK WEST!:

June 17th: West End Avenue and Vicinity: The North End with Andrew Dolkart

June 23rd: Park to Park Pride with Amanda Davis

July 1st: Where Riverside Meets Morningside with Gregory Dietrich

Swipe to get more information and as always link in bio to sign up! Hope to see you there!

*Please note this tour will be an active walk and may require stairs.

#uws #nycwalkingtour #fyp #preservation #historic #landmarkwest #explore by @landmarkwest

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4 months ago