Join FRIENDS for Winter 2019 Events!
Calling all Yorkville fans! Did you miss FRIENDS of the Upper East Side’s launch party for our new book Shaped by Immigrants: A History of Yorkville?
Another Win for First Avenue Estate
In the Spring of 2017, FRIENDS led the effort of local and national preservation groups, along with elected officials, to file an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the City of New York in the ongoing battle to stop the demolition of two historic buildings, part of the City and Suburban Homes First Avenue Estate.
Final Decision for 180 East 88th Street
In a vote of 4-1 last week, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) voted to deny our appeal of 180 East 88th Street. In their comments, Commissioners acknowledged the deficiency of the Zoning Resolution’s text regarding this issue, but eventually conceded that the Department of Buildings (DOB) acted within its right to approve the subdivision of the zoning lot that created the micro-lot.
A Victory in the Fight Against Zoning Loopholes
The Department of Buildings (DOB) has filed an Intent to Revoke its prior approval for a 39-story, 775 foot tall tower at 50 West 66th Street. Extell, the developer, first filed for a 25-story, 260 foot mixed-use structure back in 2015.
The “Ghostly Remnant” of St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum on East 90th Street
In “The Ghostly Remnant,” published yesterday in Our Town, journalist Douglas Feiden explores the curious development history of an apartment building on East 90th Street that bears the uniquely preserved facade of the Chapel of St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum.
2019 ANNUAL AWARDS Call for Entries
This spring, FRIENDS of the Upper East Side Historic Districts will celebrate outstanding achievement in preservation, architecture, and advocacy on the Upper East Side during our 37th Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.
More than 700,000 1940’s Tax Photos Now Available Online
From 1939-1941, every building in New York City’s Five Boroughs was documented in a series of Tax Photos through a joint effort by the Works Progress Administration and the New York City Department of Taxation.
BSA Update: Second Public Hearing for 180 East 88th Street
FRIENDS of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and Carnegie Hill Neighbors’ fight against 180 East 88th Street continues. Next Tuesday, October 30th, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) will hold a second public hearing to address our joint community challenge of the Department of Buildings’ (DOB) approval of a 10 foot by 22 foot portion carved out of the property’s lot in order to evade the City’s zoning requirements meant to regulate building’s height and form.
FRIENDS in the News!
This past Tuesday, FRIENDS’ Executive Director Rachel Levy was interviewed along with longtime zoning consultant George Janes about the impending development at 249 East 62nd Street.
A New Chair for the Landmarks Preservation Commission
Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio nominated Sarah Carroll as the new Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), a position that has been vacant since June. Ms. Carroll has served as the Executive Director of the LPC since 2014, and she has been at the agency for 24 years, including serving as LPC’s Director of Preservation from 2005 until 2014.