News from FRIENDS – Fall 2024
This past Tuesday, March 27th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a new set of rules the agency has proposed to streamline the process of making changes to designated historic buildings.
Beyond the Bricks Featured on CUNY TV
FRIENDS' cultural immigrant initiative, ‘Beyond the Bricks’ was featured on CUNY TV's, DiverseCITY a program celebrating the kaleidoscope of cultures that underpin the identity of New York City. This episode dives into Yorkville’s German history and features former executive director Rachel Levy highlighting FRIENDS' efforts to keep the history of
East Side Extra: Introducing the Rhinelanders
As the Third and Second Avenue elevated trains rumbled their way uptown to Yorkville in the early 1880s, passengers would have seen streets around them that were unevenly lined with new tenement construction, in addition to a lot of empty lots. The Panic of 1879 had interrupted new development in
The Fight to Save First Avenue Estate: Looking Back
FRIENDS recently capped its weeklong series exploring the cultural and historical context of Yorkville’s City and Suburban First Avenue Estate and the decades-long battle to preserve it, which relied upon both local advocates and the legal system at our country’s highest court.
A Perilous Path to Protection: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of a Landmark
April 2020 marks the 55th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law, and this year, our neighborhood has something extra special to celebrate as we honor this milestone year. As of October 2019, the City and Suburban First Avenue Estate has been saved from demolition, thanks to a years-long,
Annual Awards 2020: An Ethereal Tour of the Upper East Side
Today we celebrate the recipient of our 2020 Renaissance Award, Park Avenue Synagogue. Last year the Synagogue completed a campus-wide renovation, with a program for the East 87th Street Synagogue House in tandem with the newly acquired building on East 89th Street.
East Side Extra: Home, Health and History in Yorkville
Today, New Yorkers are staying home in order to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The fact that our homes have become a first-line defense in the fight against infection adds this moment in New York City to a timeline, spanning well over 100 years, when the relationship between apartment
At Home with the Friends of the Upper East Side
Heartfelt greetings to all, from Friends' President and staff, now working from homes in Yorkville (Franny), Boerum Hill (Lara), Stuyvesant (Felicia), and Pelham (Heidi). Rachel is safe at home on maternity leave with her twin girls.
Support FRIENDS, your preservation “boots on the ground”
At FRIENDS, we relish our role as your watchdog for the Upper East Side. We fight to protect everything you love about the neighborhood — the gorgeous architecture, the tree-lined streets, and the mom-and-pop businesses.
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Stahl an Appeal AGAIN
FRIENDS is thrilled to share the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied Stahl an appeal for the second time.