IN THE NEWS: Developer Zoning Fraud
The issue of zoning fraud, heightened by the Buildings Department’s broken self-certification program, was highlighted today in an opinion piece published today in Gotham Gazette, by Diana Florence, the former head of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Construction Fraud Task Force.
Decorated Tenement: An Illustrated History
Architectural historian Zachary Violette joined FRIENDS virtually in July 2020 to discuss his book, The Decorated Tenement: How Immigrant Builders And Architects Transformed The Slum In The Gilded Age.
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
Introducing “East Side Extra”
Introducing FRIENDS' new series of written pieces that offer a deep dive into lesser known areas of local history and advocacy.
East Side Extra: Military History and Adaptive Reuse on the Upper East Side
The Upper East Side’s three landmarked armories might be the most “commanding” structures in the neighborhood. Among New York’s earliest landmarks, these fortified urban fortresses were built to store arms and to provide training and social space for local regiments whose members served in every major U.S. conflict from the
1083 Fifth Avenue
A Beaux-Arts style townhouse designed by Turner & Kilian and built in 1901-02, with significant alterations by Ogden Codman in 1913-15. Application is to alter the areaway and construct an areaway wall.
706 Madison Avenue
A neo‐Federal style bank building designed by Frank Easton Newman and built in 1921; and a commercial and retail building designed by Paige Ayres Cowley and built in 2016. Application is to replace windows, doors, and railings, and install a statue, awnings, signage, and rooftop HVAC equipment.
East Side Extra: Something Sweet for your Holiday Weekend
When Glaser’s Bakery in Yorkville closed its doors on July 1, 2018, we lost a beloved institution that had been delighting the neighborhood’s sweet teeth since 1902. As the recipient of Friends’ Good Neighbor Award in 2014, Herb Glaser, baker-in-chief, was honored for running the shop his grandfather started 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.
Historic Yorkville Family Tour
Children of all ages explored historic Yorkville on this virtual family tour led by FRIENDS' Director of Education in June 2020.