Remembering Joan K. Davidson: The Godmother of New York Preservation
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.
Sacred Sites Open House: Talk on Stained Glass Windows at The Church of the Holy Trinity
Join us on Sunday, May 21st at 3:00 pm at The Church of the Holy Trinity for a special presentation by historian and author George Bryant of his newly published book, Henry Holiday: His Stained Glass Windows for Gilded Age New York. The talk will be illustrated with photographs of Henry Holiday’s work from the new book. Following the presentation, George will give a tour of the church’s sanctuary, which features a full suite of
Jane’s Walk 2023, Explore the City!
This weekend take the opportunity to learn more about your neighborhood by joining one of over 165 volunteer led walks taking place across New York City. Part of a global festival spanning some 500 cities, Jane's Walk NYC, is organized by The Municipal Art Society of New York and is the largest concentration of Janes Walks in the world. The Jane's Walk Movement was founded in 2006 in Toronto to commemorate writer, activist and urbanist,
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 the community alive. Finishing in January of this year ‘Beyond the Bricks’ was a gallery walk and exhibit which connected the history of buildings on
Installation of Link5G towers to be halted until completion of Section 106 Review
FRIENDS has learned that the city's proposed 32-foot tall Link5G towers will be subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
FRIENDS Submits Testimony at Scoping Meeting for Lenox Hill Hospital Expansion Plans
Last month, on March 2, 2023, the Department of City Planning (DCP) held a Scoping Meeting to give the public an opportunity to make their voices heard about what should be included in the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposal. FRIENDS' public testimony at the meeting (watch it here) pointed out that the massive up-zoning of the block would introduce midtown-level density and destroy the equilibrium of zoning and historic district tools that have been
41st Annual Meeting and Awards
Every year, we look forward to gathering with members and friends to celebrate and recognize the fine restoration, renovation, and advocacy work completed on the Upper East Side. We were delighted to celebrate our 41st Annual Meeting and Awards in person on Wednesday, April 12.
Watch It Again: “Fact and Fiction about the 12FAR Cap” with George Janes
Watch a recording of our online talk "Fact and Fiction about the 12FAR Cap" by urban planner and zoning expert George Janes held on March 21st and co-sponsored by FRIENDS of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and Landmark West!
Advocacy Alert: State Still Pushing to Lift the Lid on NYC Residential Development
For the third time in recent years, there is a fast-moving proposal at the State level to lift the longstanding cap on residential development in New York City. Lifting the 12 FAR cap would potentially unleash a flood of development rights that are likely to yield more supertall superluxury development, displace existing affordable units, and threaten livability in neighborhoods across the City.
New 2023 Expansion Plans for Northwell Health, Lenox Hill Hospital
After shelving expansion plans during the pandemic, Lenox Hill Hospital has once again come forward with a rezoning proposal to radically expand the scale of its full-block campus between 76th and 77th streets and Park and Lexington avenues. Although the residential tower on Park Avenue has been dropped from the proposal, the plans are largely the same as the revised proposal from October 2020, including a rezoning of the entire block and a 436-ft. tall