Yorkville’s Affordable Housing Is Disappearing—and the City’s Fair Housing Strategy Isn’t Saving It
FRIENDS has been sounding the alarm for years: Yorkville is losing its affordable housing as older, lower-rise buildings—many of them rent-regulated and relatively affordable—are demolished and replaced with luxury towers.
HPD Fair Housing Strategy: The Upper East Side Deserves a More Thoughtful Approach
Since 1966, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act has required federal agencies to consider the effects of federally funded or federally permitted projects on historic and cultural resources before carrying them out. That simple requirement has protected countless historic places while ensuring that communities, preservation organizations, State Historic
Protect Section 106: Defend the Public’s Voice in Historic Preservation
Since 1966, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act has required federal agencies to consider the effects of federally funded or federally permitted projects on historic and cultural resources before carrying them out. That simple requirement has protected countless historic places while ensuring that communities, preservation organizations, State Historic
Preserving Landmarks, Protecting Neighborhoods? Rethinking Transfer of Development Rights After City of Yes
Two years after the City of Yes zoning changes were adopted, their impact is no longer theoretical—it is beginning to reshape the Upper East Side in ways that FRIENDS and many residents feared. FRIENDS opposed the Adams administration's sweeping rezoning proposal and warned that it would fundamentally alter neighborhoods like
The East River Esplanade Needs Maintenance, Access, and Action
FRIENDS calls on NYC Parks Commissioner, the Mayor’s Office, and all relevant city agencies to prioritize a simple but essential goal: ensure continuous public access to the East River Esplanade and commit to the routine maintenance necessary to keep this public asset open, safe, and usable.
CPC Hearing: Affordable Housing Fast Track Rules
On April 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., the New York City Planning Commission (CPC) will hold a public hearing on proposed rules to implement the new Affordable Housing Fast Track program, one of the ballot proposals approved by voters in last November’s election. These rules will shape how neighborhoods are
Another Piece of Yorkville’s History Shattered: St. Elizabeth of Hungary to Be Replaced by Luxury Condos
For more than 130 years, St. Elizabeth of Hungary at 213 East 83rd Street served as a spiritual home and cultural cornerstone for generations of German and Slovak immigrants in Yorkville. Built in 1893, the church stood at the heart of the neighborhood’s working-class community, sustaining faith, language, and tradition
The Doelger Building Deserves Protection, Not a Wrecking Ball
FRIENDS is deeply dismayed by reports that the Doelger Building will be demolished and replaced with a luxury condominium tower. Another irreplaceable piece of Yorkville’s architectural and cultural heritage now stands on the brink of erasure. The four-story Art Deco Doelger Building at Third Avenue and East 84th Street is
News from FRIENDS – Fall 2025
The Fall 2025 issue is here, delivering a powerful look at the most urgent preservation battles and victories shaping the Upper East Side. This issue dives into the crisis of affordable housing and development, featuring an Open Letter to Mayoral Candidates. You will also find an in-depth analysis of the
Mayor’s Charter Revision Push Goes to Voters This November
This November, New Yorkers will not only vote for elected officials—they will also decide on a series of ballot measures that could significantly expand mayoral authority and reshape longstanding mechanisms for community oversight in the city’s land use and development process. Behind the bureaucratic language of “streamlining” and “fast-tracking,” the