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My walk in America started when my parents brought me here in 1954. That’s long enough ago for me to feel like a native.
My time as a citizen of the USA has flown by as time has its wont.
For the most part, I have walked among you and with you with pride. Events in our country’s recent history have given me pause.
This year’s hope for a happy 4th comes also with the wish that we will strive for better. May the 4th be with us.
The tour ended with lunch al fresco to a jazz fest by the Sylvester Scott Trio. Once the drummer arrives, it will be the Sylvester Scott Quartet.
It’s a public park that is also the gateway to the Mayor’s mansion.
Gracie Mansion was built by a rich merchant eons ago. Archibald Gracie did not hold onto his wealth. The property fell into the public domain as it were.
In 1942, after much repurposing of the house, Fiorello LaGuardia became the first mayor to take occupancy.
Word is that he did not come into his new home with a whole heart. On the other hand, it does my heart good to find myself anywhere in the vicinity of the mayoral residence and its pastoral surrounds.
The lines and textures of this new HQ (relatively) for the Brearley School are very pleasing.
The eye enjoys this facade because it is dynamic. At least, that is my take on this subject.
There are conscientious touches like a green sustainable rooftop where students participate in planting. This makes Brearley a LEED Gold teaching facility.
The building design is the work of KPBM Architects. It was completed in 2019 as an expansion meant to link the building at 610 East 83rd with the new structure at 590.
Who would you like to talk to soon?
How soon are we talking, exactly?
I need to have a conversation with Henry James. He seems to have a grasp on the atmosphere of the NYC of his time. His time is something I would like to recapture.
I guess I could do very well speaking with Edith Wharton as well. She would be a fount of interesting tidbits about life here back in the day.
Remnants of old industrial properties are pretty rare. This one on East 91st is a sweet throwback. I never thought of the loading dock as a decorative detail before.
As interesting and attractive as these historic artifacts might be, they lack modern amenities and luxury. They were built as tenements, and along with their landmark designation comes a prohibition to make any improvements. This brings up the question of whether conserving them is beneficial.
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Old buildings hold history in their walls and hallways. They are full of memories. They can be charming reminders of how our city has changed.
Ours is a dynamic city.
Change is its only constant. Progress has brought lots of improvements in our way of living and to our style of life.
Old buildings can’t keep up with those changes and improvements.
Obviously, all of us won’t all live in modern apartments with brand new amenities.
Housing stock won’t all be replaced by newly constructed state of the art buildings.
Some of us like the quirky spaces older buildings offer us. We choose to live in walk-ups or 100 year old town houses.
Some of these residencies suit their tenants to a T. Some are less than optimum living quarters.
How do I define less than ideal apartments?
Pokey floor plans qualify. So do drafty windows. Of course, you may find these quaint.
The rationale behind landmarking old dwellings is that they are part of the historic record of our city.
Building anew wipes out the history.
So then how to preserve the past and its lessons and examples while giving everyone adequate up-to-the-minute accommodations?
On the subject or question of turning less than ideal homes into landmarks, my solution would be to take a small sample, aka one, and preserve it.
Since no changes are tolerated in property that is landmarked, let the landlord develop or improve the rest.
Modern fixtures and high-tech living are the upgrade to creaky and outdated. Maybe we all deserve that kind of change.
We live in a complex replete with intricate passages. Every peek looks like you’re discovering a secret maze or labyrinth.
The City and Suburban projects were built as part of the “fresh air” movement. One set of these “model tenements” is at 78/79 & York and another at 64th on 1st Avenue.
Our neighboring landmarked buildings, the Cherokee Place apartments, have been converted to coops.**
Space for windows and room to breathe were part of the design.
**As interesting and attractive as these historic artifacts might be, they lack modern amenities and luxury.
They were built as tenements, and along with their landmark designation comes a prohibition to make any improvements.
This brings up the question of whether conserving them is beneficial.
While I have explored that question before, it bears further examination. I look forward to discussing this at greater length in upcoming blog posts.
Walk with Me, Too