Dust off your sneakers and get ready for the annual Jane’s Walk, which will be held on May 5-7. Organized by the Municipal Art Society of New York, it is the largest chapter of the festival anywhere in the world, with more than 165 in-person, virtual, and on-demand walks in all five boroughs.
Continue reading “Get Ready for The Municipal Art Society’s Annual Jane’s Walk, May 5-7”
The annual Sacred Sites Open House will take place on May 20th and May 21st, with more than 100 houses of worship participating throughout the State of New York. The Event will kick-off with a short presentation about the Sacred Sites program, followed by a reception and tour on May 10th from 6-8pm at St. Jean Baptiste Church, 184 East 76th Street, NYC. RSVP Here.
With its gleaming shopping centers and refurbished row houses, today’s Harlem bears little resemblance to the neighborhood of the midcentury urban crisis. In The Roots of Urban Renaissance: Gentrification and the Struggle over Harlem, first published in 2017 by Harvard University Press, Brian D. Goldstein traces Harlem’s Second Renaissance to a surprising source: the radical social movements of the 1960s that resisted city officials and fought to give Harlemites control of their own destiny. Inspired by the civil rights movement, young activists envisioned a Harlem built by and for its low-income, predominantly African American population. In the succeeding decades, however, the community-based organizations they founded came to pursue a very different goal: a neighborhood with national retailers and increasingly affluent residents.
The Museum of Modern Art announces Architecture Now: New York, New Publics, the inaugural installation of a new exhibition series that will serve as a platform to highlight emerging talent and foreground groundbreaking projects in contemporary architecture. On view February 19 through July 29, 2023, the first iteration of the series, New York, New Publics, will explore the ways in which New York City–based practices have been actively expanding the relationship of metropolitan architecture to different publics through 12 recently completed projects. In addition, each project will be accompanied by a new video by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Hudson Lines, produced on the occasion of the exhibition. Architecture Now: New York, New Publics is organized by Evangelos Kotsioris, Assistant Curator, and Martino Stierli, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator, with Paula Vilaplana de Miguel, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design.
Taken during research for his series of talks exploring the architectural details and clues of past use of the Salmagundi Clubhouse, architectural historian (and Club member) Anthony Bellov presents highly personal images of oft-overlooked aspects of the building, exciting and challenging the viewer to explore their own perceptions and assumptions of this unique structure.
NYC Parks and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) are proud to announce the design completion for the new, to-be-constructed Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center planned for East Flatbush, Brooklyn. This brand-new recreation center will include an indoor pool and public plaza, and serve as a hub for fitness, learning, and recreation.
On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) held a public hearing on the proposed designation of The Lesbian Herstory Archives at 484 Fourteenth Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The proposed individual landmark is culturally significant as the home since 1991 of the Lesbian Herstory Archives, the nation’s oldest and largest collection of lesbian-related historical material.
On November 22, 2022, LPC voted to approve The Lesbian Herstory Archives, located at 484 Fourteenth Street in Brooklyn, as an Individual Historic Landmark. It is the first individual landmark in Brooklyn designated for its LGBTQ+ associations.
“I am delighted Commission has designated the home of the Lesbian Herstory Archives, an important community space and a nationally important collection of LGBTQ+ historical materials,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. “For over 30 years, the building has been the site of the Archives’ essential role in preserving and telling the stories of a mostly unseen community of women, including many who have contributed to America’s cultural, political, and social history. This designation draws attention to the importance of the Lesbian Herstory Archives to New York City and the country’s history and to LGBTQ+ communities.”
There are 1,400 Individual Landmarks throughout this City.
On land and sea, Archtober is New York City’s Architecture and Design Month ~ an annual festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions taking place during the month of October. The Event now has more than 100 partners including the annual Open House New York Weekend.
Continue reading “Get Ready for New York City’s Architecture & Design Month ~ Archtober 2022”
Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) launched the LPC Designation Photo Collection, a digital photo archive of New York City’s designated landmarks and historic districts. The digital photo archive allows the public to easily search and explore high-resolution images of designated buildings and sites throughout the five boroughs, and property owners, architects and contractors can now easily search and download designation photos as they consider work on these properties. This project was made possible, in part, through a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Celebrate the art, architecture, and history of New York State’s amazing ecclesiastical buildings during the 12th annual Sacred Sites Open House on July 23rd and 24th, 2022.
Continue reading “The 12th Annual Sacred Sites Open House to Take Place July 23 & 24, 2022”
The Austrian Cultural Forum New York is pleased to present ALFRED PREIS. DISPLACED – Vienna in the Tropics, a cross section of the visionary work of the Austrian-born US architect Alfred Preis (1911-1994), the architect of the Pearl Harbor Memorial. The opening reception, which will include a panel talk with the curators, will take place on Tuesday, February 22, 6 – 9 PM.
The Schinasi Mansion, located at 351 Riverside Drive, is the last remaining detached single-family home in Manhattan used as a residence. Built in 1907, the 12,000 square-foot, neo-French-Renaissance style structure was designed by William Tuthill – the architect who designed Carnegie Hall. It was commissioned by the Turkish tobacco baron, Morris Schinasi. Schinasi, who lived there until his death in 1928.
Archtober, the fabulous month-long celebration of New York City’s architecture and design, is back! Check out the calendar of events, tours, lectures, films and exhibitions ~ including several partners who will be hosting programs digitally, allowing visitors from everywhere to participate in this annual event. From October 1st to October 31st, be sure to register online.
Continue reading “Get Ready for the Annual Archtober Festival 2021 in NYC”
Overlooking Marcus Garvey Park, at 15 West 124th Street, stands an 18,000+ square-foot, brick building that had been the home to the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary ~ the nation’s oldest order of black nuns. In 2016, the Order celebrated its 100th Anniversary and year of service with a Gala featuring His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York), with performances by Melba Moore and other celebrity guests, held at the New York Academy of Medicine.
Named after the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Train Hall in the James A. Farley Post Office Building honors the design of the original Penn Station. The project represents one of New York’s most ambitious transportation and infrastructure upgrades in decades. It includes a 255,000 square-foot Train Hall with 92-foot high skylight, expanding Penn Station’s Concourse space by 50%.
Kenmare Square LLC and Brooklyn-based, nonprofit architecture and urban design research group, TerreForm has been working on a project in Manhattan for a proposed building, creating a Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary on the facade, atrium and roof of a new, commercial building. Sounds like a sanctuary for the people within! Let’s take a look at the plan.
Continue reading “A Look Inside Proposed Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Nolita”
Prospect Park’s historic Endale Arch has been restored to its original splendor with a $500,000 restoration funded by Tiger Baron Foundation and Council Member Brad Lander’s District 39 Participatory Budgeting.
The restoration of this historic arch, one of the first architectural elements in Prospect Park, reveals hidden details not seen in more than a century. Take a look at some pictures at the ribbon-cutting today.
Continue reading “Newly Restored Endale Arch in Prospect Park Now Open to the Public”
In present day, New Yorkers enjoy a plethora of activities at the Park Avenue Armory, including live performances, concerts, art and antique shows. But the Armory enjoys a history just as exciting ~ completed in 1881, designed and decorated by some of the most sought-after masters of the American Aesthetic Movement during the Gilded Age, and home to the prestigious National Guard’s Seventh Regiment ~ also known as the ‘Silk Stocking Bragade.’ Take a look back in time.
Continue reading “A Look Inside the Historic Park Avenue Armory in NYC as In-Person Tours Resume”
(August 17, 2020—New York, NY)—Van Alen Institute and the New York City Council today announced the winning proposals for Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, an international design competition that aims to spark a new public conversation about New York City’s infrastructure. As made even more clear by the COVID-19 pandemic, public spaces and transportation options must be designed with equity, health, and sustainability at their core. With this in mind, the competition’s winning designs reclaim the bridge’s roadways for expanded pedestrian and cyclist use. By centering climate action, social equity, and creative expression, they also put forth strategies that could improve wellbeing in public spaces across New York City. Continue reading “Van Alen + NYC Council Announce ‘Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge’ Winners!”
One of the Golden Ages most prestigious hotels was the Waldorf Astoria. It held galas and balls, was home to the rich and famous, and was the site of historic announcements and events. The exterior and interior of the Waldorf were designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official landmarks.
This historic treasure was purchased by a Chinese company for $1.95 billion in 2014, and the hotel was closed for three-years while extensive renovation took place, converting some of the rooms into condos. Now, Galerie Magazine gives us a glimpse inside the renovated Towers.
With several of the Waldorf’s hotel interiors protected, below is a look inside, before the acquisition by Anbang Insurance Group of China.
Continue reading “Stepping Back in Time ~ The Historic Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue, NYC”
Many New Yorkers have been stepping out of the city during this time of COVID, in search of space ~ more than six-feet of space. Today, we’re taking a leap back in time to 1853, when Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones (1810-1876), a New York Socialite, built a weekend and summer residence in a small town named Rhinebeck, directly across the Hudson River from the currently popular, Kingston. Below, our pictorial visit to what’s left of Rhinecliff (now known as Wyndcliffe).
One of the most enchanting streets in Harlem is a row of 28 houses on the south side of West 130th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues known as Astor Row. Let’s take a stroll back in time.
Continue reading “A Summertime Visit to Harlem’s Historic Astor Row”
Pier A in Battery Park City is New York City’s last remaining historic pier. Extending 300-feet into New York Harbor, the Pier underwent a massive renovation, which was completed in 2014. Here we take a walk around and above this historic site.
Continue reading “A Look Back at the Renovation of Historic Pier A in Battery Park City”
Did you know that East 82nd Street is home to The American Hungarian Library and Historical Society? Founded in 1955 in Yorkville, the Hungarian House continues to serve as the hub of literary, cultural and social life for the Tri-State Hungarian-American community, and is looking forward to a well-needed face-lift.
New York is home to the largest gathering of Nivola’s public artworks — 21 pieces across all five boroughs, at least 17 of which still exist. So it is with great excitement and anticipation that we look forward to the opening of The Cooper Union’s next exhibition, Nivola in New York I Figure in Field ~ the first-ever to tell the story of Nivola’s built New York City projects through maquette and sculptures, original drawings, site-specific photographs, and related ephemera.
The Riverside Church invites the public to step inside the tallest steeple in North America and see New York City like never before with a Steeple Tour!
Continue reading “Riverside Church Virtual Bell Tower Tours!”
The landmarked 120 Broadway, also know as the Equitable Building, has undergone a two-year, $50 million renovation. We were pleased to be invited to take a look inside, from the historic Banker’s Club space on the 40th floor to the newly created mural project on the third floor, and beautifully restored lobby. Come along, as we take in the new, while reflecting on the old.
Continue reading “The Historic Equitable Building Shines a Spotlight on its History”
With New York City real estate at such a premium, it is hard to image how short a life the single-story structure has these days. And even harder to imagine how many still exist throughout our five boroughs.
In 2015, photographer and long-time East Village resident Adam Friedberg decided to explore all the single-story buildings in the East Village and the Lower East Side. To date, he has documented in photographs nearly 100 sites. Many of these images are now on view in his exhibition, Single-Story Project, at the Center for Architecture. Walk with us down to the lower-level and take a look.
Continue reading “Adam Friedberg: Single-Story Project on view at Center for Architecture, NYC”
NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens Community Board 7 Parks Chair Kim Ohanian, and members of People for the Pavilion, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Conservancy and Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to break ground on the reconstruction of the New York State Pavilion Observation Towers.
Elizabeth W. Smith, President & CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, joined with New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, to unveil designs for a transformative project that will create a beautiful new recreational facility seamlessly integrated into the landscape around the Harlem Meer. The project will repair the damaged landscape, improve the ecology of the north end, and re-establish long-severed connections to one of the Park’s most picturesque areas. The new facility will replace the aging pool and rink, which has suffered from systemic problems since it was built and obstructs the flow of people, views, and water through the Park.
Take a peek (below) at current construction in the Harlem Meer in October via abc7. Completion anticipated in summer of 2024. Breaking ground for a new Harlem Meer Center.
Scroll to the end for information on the unveiling of The Gate of The Exonerated and ‘In Conversation with The Exonerated Five’ at The Schomburg Center. Both events, December 19th.
A new exhibition showcasing the conception and making of the DFAB HOUSE, the world’s first fully inhabited building to have been digitally planned and largely built with the help of robots and 3D printers will open at The Cooper Union on September 12th.
How do public buildings like schools, firehouses, and libraries end up in your community, and who had a say in how they got there?
Mapping Community demystifies the complex process of capital planning in New York City by explaining the rules that govern the capital process for our city, the various city agencies that implement projects, and the ways everyday New Yorkers have a say in what types of investment they would like to see in their neighborhoods.
Continue reading “Mapping Community: Public Investment in NYC on view at Center for Architecture”
The much anticipated mixed-use development located at 121 West 125th Street that will be home to the new headquarters of the National Urban League is now leasing. Update on Yimby May 23, 2023.
In addition to the National Urban League, the building will be used by several non-profit’s including 100 Black Men, and Jazzmobile. It will also house a Trader Joe’s and a Target retail shop.
The Landmark Lectures 2019 Series by The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York will host a discussion entitled “The Preservation of Cast Iron Construction” with Christopher P. Pinto, Associate Principal, Thornton Tomasetti. Included in the discussion, the historic Harlem Fire Watchtower in Marcus Garvey Park, a project that is nearing completion.
Continue reading “Landmark Lectures 2019 ~ The Preservation of Cast Iron Construction”
One of the many historic sites in East Harlem is the Harlem Courthouse. It is located between Lexington and Third Avenues on 121st Street, adjacent to the Harlem Art Park and the tiny street known as Sylvan Place.
If you have been following GothamToGo East 125th Street, a work in progress, you will already know that East Harlem suffered a major loss when several old-time shops were forced to close, including Demolition Depot, a gorgeous shop that had been at its East 125th Street location since 1996.
We have great news ~ Demolition Depot has opened its doors at a new location, right around the corner on East 126th Street. Come along as we step inside.
Continue reading “East Harlem’s Demolition Depot & Irreplaceable Artifacts New Home on 126th Street”
The total transformation/renovation of the historic Corn Exchange Bank Building is one we would hope for all of our historic sites. It was a work of love topped with true dedication to the project by a man who saw the building in its deteriorating state every day as he passed by on Metro North that runs alongside Park Avenue on his way to work. But let’s start from the beginning, because this historically Landmarked building has quite a history.
Continue reading “The Historic Corn Exchange Bank Building in East Harlem”
In anticipation of the reopening of the Hispanic Museum and Library this Fall on the Audubon Terrace, we thought we might take a look at the man behind the historic Terrace ~ Archer Milton Huntington ~ and his home on Fifth Avenue.
Did you know that the Javits Center holds free tours of its green roof? The 6.75 acre area is one of the largest in the United States, and home to twenty-seven species of birds, five bat species, thousands of honeybees, and a sanctuary for area wildlife. Come along on our 2019 tour.
Continue reading “Take a Walk on the Largest Green Roof in New York City ~ at The Javits Center”
The Nevelson Chapel is finally open to the public. With a slight variation ~ entry is generally 8am to 4pm Sunday through Friday.
With re-development ready to begin on the beloved Sunshine Movie Theater, we thought it a good time to take a look at renderings of what will replace the 100-year-old building, and home to independent and foreign films. located at 141 East Houston Street, the Sunshine Theater closed its doors for the last time in January, 2018.
Continue reading “Renderings of Re-deveoped Sunshine Theater ~ Lower East Side”
Storefront for Art and Architecture’s 2019 Spring Benefit will take place on Wednesday, May 29th at La Marqueta in East Harlem.
Continue reading “Storefront for Art and Architecture ~ Spring Benefit at La Marqueta”
On a cold winter night a few years ago, we arrived early to an art installation opening at the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Triangle, and looking for a place to warm up, a volunteer asked if we had ever seen the interior of the Appellate Division Courthouse, just on the other side of Madison Square Park. It was a delightful surprise.
Continue reading “New York State Appellate Division of the Supreme Court at Madison Square Park”
AIA New York announced the winner of the 2019 City of Dreams Competition ~ Salvage Swings by Somewhere Studio, led by Charles Sharpless, AIA, and Jessica Colangelo. The temporary annual summer installation will move to a new location this summer ~ Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island!
On the roof of Kasmin Gallery, in the Kasmin Sculpture Garden, we spotted three Max Ernst sculptures placed at random in and around the skylights. The sculpture garden happens to be in tucked in the curve of Zaha Hadid’s first architectural project in New York, on the High Line near 28th Street.
Journalist Alice Sparberg Alexiou, author of a book about the Flatiron Building, to which her family has a long connection, will talk about what this iconic structure means to the city, the world, and to her on Tuesday, February 12th at 8pm.
As we prepare for the opening of The Museum of the Dog, a closer look at its new home in the Kalikow Building brought our discovery of a series of bronze reliefs, embedded in the sidewalk on the Park Avenue and 40th Street sides of the building.
Continue reading “Historic Reliefs Surrounding The Kalikow Building”
The Museum of Modern Art completed the final phase of its multi-year, multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler.
Take a look inside….
Continue reading “Take a Sneak Peek at the New MoMA Expansion, Reopening October 21, 2019”
Each year, the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrates the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces that have made a mark on the cities, places and spaces, internationally, where we live and work.
Continue reading “Prestigious AIA 2019 Awards Include the Upper East Side ‘Apple’ Store”
Celebrating its 16th anniversary, and 11 years at Brookfield Place New York, the non-profit organization Canstruction will bring together top architectural and engineering firms for an over-night ‘Canstruction Competition’ within the first two floors of Brookfield Place.
Continue reading “It’s Time for the Annual Canstruction Competition at Brookfield Place”
