US Postal Service Says - Mail it with Groucho !

In the midst of this eerily quiet winter of discontent, there might seem an impulse to fast forward through the cold, dark days of the calendar's cruelest months and jump straight away into the magical bliss that is the dog days of summer.

And now there's even more reason to want to quickly cast off the chilly ghost of 2008 and hurry to greet the new year yet to be born !

While NYC's Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, has been slow to embrace the sheer historic magnitude of East 93rd Street's own Marx Brothers, the intrepid U.S. Postal Service has doggedly refused to allow rain, snow, ice, wind or Mayor Mike to blur its grand and wonderful vision of celebrating one of the most recognizable legacies of these lovable comic geniuses.

In August 2009, the U.S. Postal Service plans to introduce a Groucho Marx postage stamp evoking the anarchic humor of the Marx Brothers as it worked its way into the American culture through the small screen that brought "You Bet Your Life" into living rooms all across the nation in the early days of television.

So now, every time we send a letter through the U.S. Postal Service, we'll have a chance to collectively say, "You Bet Your Life" we want to save Marx Brothers Place !

Please look for the Groucho Marx postage stamp this summer:

and be sure to use it on all of your letters to NYC's elected officials who have the power to protect and preserve the childhood block of these, the most beloved comic siblings on the planet !

Top Ten Reasons Mayor Bloomberg Should Grant Holiday Wish for Marx Brothers Place !

The Top Ten Reasons NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Should Grant the Holiday Wish for Marx Brothers Place:

10. It might get Woody Allen to drop his bid to run against the Mayor in '09 !

9. Free supply of Groucho glasses for life !

8. It would guarantee the Mayor a cameo in the new PBS documentary on the Marx Brothers.

7. Chico would finally call-off da boyz from da hood !

6. Folks might start believing the Mayor actually has both a heart & a sense of humor.

5. After the meltdown on Wall Street, all we've got left is the entertainment industry.

4. If they were good enough for Salvador Dali, T.S. Eliot & Harry Truman, who's this Bloomberg guy to stand in the way of the Marx Brothers ?

3. A cottage industry of Marx Brothers memorabilia could single-handedly underwrite the completition of the 2nd Avenue subway.

2. It will give people something to smile about this holiday season !

And the Number One Reason the Mayor Should Grant this Holiday Wish for Marx Brothers Place:

1. Because We The People said so !

(Thanks Dave)

Please help us inspire NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to use his considerable influence over the NY City Council - to honor the legacy of the world's greatest comic geniuses and NYC's cultural heritage by co-naming the Marx Brothers' childhood block - Marx Brothers Place !

YOU can help make this happen by clicking on this link: http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2008/12/all-we-want-for-christmas.html and cutting & pasting & sending the message to: ljackson@cityhall.nyc.gov (with a copy to: garodnickoffice@gmail.com and 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com) TODAY !

Please make sure the Subject Line of your email reads: Marx Brothers Place !

Or just call the Mayor @ 212.788.2958 or 212.788.3245 and ask him to get everybody on board to grant this holiday wish for Marx Brothers Place !

And while we're at it, please don't forget to click on this link: http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?coname&1 so that YOU can sign the petition to co-name the block Marx Brothers Place !

Many thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !

All We Want For Christmas & Chanukah !

The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mr. Mayor,

We humbly ask you to use your considerable political power to grant this simple holiday wish and ceremonially co-name East 93rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues Marx Brothers Place in honor of the extant childhood home of the world's greatest comic geniuses !

This block's distinct sense of place and historic significance is, in part, defined by the immortal words of Harpo Marx who, in his critically acclaimed memoir Harpo Speaks, lovingly describes the wonderful 19th century houses on both sides of the street that he and his famous brothers called their first real home-sweet-home.

By "officially" dubbing this block with the name by which it is already informally known, your holiday gesture would not only delight proud NYC residents; Marx Brothers fans all across the globe and NYC historic preservationists (it was the celebrated Preservationist Tony C. Wood who first came up with the name Marx Brothers Place!), but it would also bring a smile, and much needed sigh of relief, to neighborhood businesses who would greatly welcome the foot traffic associated with becoming a true destination !

So please, Mr. Mayor. All we want for Christmas & Chanukah this year is Marx Brothers Place !

Sincerely,

Name
Address

If These Houses Could Talk !

Because what the penthouse owner at 150E93 wants to do - construct a second penthouse atop his extant penthouse on historic Marx Brothers Place - is not legal (and was even disapproved by the NYC Department of Buildings), he must now ask the NYC Board of Standards & Appeals (BSA) for a special exception to the law. Please let BSA know that you object to this penthouse proposal: http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2008/12/email-your-objections-to-penthouse.html.

The penthouse owner, who also happens to serve as the Co-Op Board President at 150E93 and is a well-known NYC General Contractor, should finally be denied his request for a special permit. While CB8 failed to do its job by approving this controversial penthouse proposal without considering the impact on the affected neighborhood, NYC's BSA now has an opportunity to set things right.

There's a whole host of reasons why BSA should not grant this special permit, not the least of which is because the penthouse proposal is completely out-of-scale and context with the neighborhood and threatens its unique historic character.

Whether the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has yet or ever will include this block in the Carnegie Hill Historic District (CHHD) as it should, such designation, or lack thereof, in no way detracts from the actual history of the block.

Before ever approving a variance from the zoning code, CB8 is required by law to take into account the impact of any such proposal on the special character of the neighborhood to be affected. So, had CB8 actually done its job, the applicant would never have gotten as far as BSA. But alas, expecting CB8 to do its job is much like expecting snow in Gotham in the middle of August - not gonna happen !

Nonetheless, the fact remains that, as a matter of public record, CB8 and LPC were provided copies of the Request for Evaluation (RFE) asking the City to extend the CHHD one block east to include historic Marx Brothers Place (the RFE was delivered to both on September 8, 2008). So CB8 & LPC were both fully apprised of the fact that this block is the indisputable Rosetta Stone to any credible understanding of the development history of Carnegie Hill, and as such must be vigilantly protected as an indispensable chapter in NYC history.

Clearly, to grant a special permit in variance from the NYC zoning code under these circumstances would cause unnecessary and significant harm to the unique historic character of the affected neighborhood. Ergo, CB8 has no legitimate excuse for having cleared the applicant through the first hurdle in his quest to tower up above the historic skyline of Marx Brothers Place.

In addition to the fact that brownstones on this block are older than any of the brownstones that already enjoy the protection of the CHHD (in fact, they were built in 1864 even before Lexington Avenue stretched this far north!), East 93rd Street is world-renowned as a mecca for Marx Brothers fans who make regular pilgrimages to stand on the steps of the beloved childhood home of these celebrated comic geniuses.

Both CB8 and LPC also know from the RFE that the Marx Brothers are not the only famous NYC team of siblings to have a deep and abiding connection to this remarkable collection of historic 19th century homes.

The Loew Brothers, Frederick (a judge & NYC Register) and Edward (deeply involved in NYC politics & business), built 184 & 186 East 93rd Street in 1875. The Loew family continued to own both of these extant houses throughout the period of time that the Brothers' political dealings were frequently splashed across the pages of the newspapers, having become embroiled in one political scandal or another, due to their close association with the notorious Tammany Hall.

And it just might have been the well-connected Loew Brothers who prompted another well-known New Yorker, William Orth, to purchase the house right next door at 182 East 93rd Street which was designed by architect E.D. Gornsey in 1880, just one year before the Marx Brothers House was built across the street.

Sadly, the Orth house at 182 East 93rd Street was razed to rubble in March 2008. The house was one of three ornate side-by-side sister houses for which CB8 gave its blessings to a developer to demolish over the strong objections of the neighborhood.

And once the NYC DOB granted the requisite Demolition Permit, the slippery slope of zoning irregularities triggered by CB8's tacit approval, gave birth to a mid-block incursion expressly prohibited in R8B Zoning (the zoning designation to which this block belongs). Time and time again, CB8 has failed this block, failed this city's historically significant inventory, failed this city's zoning goals and failed this neighborhood.

So please don't let CB8 get away with this ! Let BSA hear from you at the Public Hearing - Tuesday, December 16th !

And remember, if you can't make it in person, please send your objections regarding the penthouse proposal for historic Marx Brothers Place via EMAIL by clicking on this link:
http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2008/12/email-your-objections-to-penthouse.html.

ALL OBJECTIONS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: BSA Calendar Number - 162-08-BZ, Property ID - 150 East 93rd Street, Block 1521, Lot 51, Manhattan.

Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !

The Urgency of our History is NOW !

Unless NYC's elected officials do something fast, other than vote to extend their own term limits again, the remarkable charm, historic character and incomparable significance of the city's most storied neighborhoods will be ripped right from the pages of Gotham's much vaunted history just as though these chapters so rich in our collective cultural experience had been banned, censored or burned.

Clearly, we need a little magic. Perhaps a political rabbit pulled from a top hat in the eleventh hour. Seems fitting under these dire circumstances to invoke Lewis Carroll, a man who knew a thing or two about magic and rabbits, both literary and real. In a slightly different sort of odyssey, Carroll famously wrote, "the time has come the Walrus said, to speak of many things...". And here those "things" necessarily include the much-needed legal protection that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission can and should extend to the irreplaceable historic inventory of 19th century houses on Marx Brothers Place.

Indeed, the time has come. And as you will read in this story, posted on The Clyde Fitch Report, the urgency of our history is now: http://clydefitch.blogspot.com/2008/12/could-dream-of-marx-brothers-place-be.html.

Please help Save Marx Brothers Place !

Email Your Objections to Penthouse Proposal for historic Marx Brothers Place !

So that the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals can hear everybody's strong objections to the proposal to top-off the Penthouse at 150E93 on historic Marx Brothers Place with yet another Penthouse, email messages can be sent, prior to the December 16, 2008 Public Hearing, to BSA Chair, Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan, by simply clicking on this link and filling in the required fields: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailbsa.html.

Although our elected NYC officials allowed Community Board 8 Board Members (whom they appointed) to get away with ignoring the neighborhood's concerns about the Penthouse Proposal in direct violation of NYC law and, in the process, also denied the opportunity for the objections of Marx Brothers fans and Historic Preservationists from all over NYC, and all around the world, the BSA Public Hearing on Tuesday, December 16 at 1:30pm in Hearing Room E, 6th Floor, NYC Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street NYC, provides another chance for your voice to be heard !

But you don't have to wait until December 16 to make your objections known, so please let BSA hear from you today !

As with all other forms of objection, EMAIL OBJECTIONS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: BSA Calendar Number: 162-08-BZ; Property ID: 150 East 93rd Street; Block: 1521; Lot: 51; Borough: Manhattan.

All objections should be "land-use" related. So to save time, please feel free to cut & paste this sample objection:

I object to the proposal to construct a Penthouse atop the Penthouse at 150 East 93rd Street in Carnegie Hill NYC for the following reasons: the proposal threatens the historic character of this storied NYC neighborhood so rich in cultural and architectural history; the proposed addition literally faces the Carnegie Hill Historic District and thus threatens the historic integrity and property value of the CHHD; the proposal is completely out of scale & context with this historic block of 19th century houses which includes the beloved childhood home of the Marx Brothers; the proposed penthouse would completely overshadow the tiny four-story 1864 townhouses which 150E93 abuts and which are the indisputable Rosetta Stone to any credible development history of Carnegie Hill having been built prior to even the Lexington Avenue extension;

and for those who live nearby the subject property, you might want to include: the proposal threatens the quite enjoyment of my property as it would interfere with my privacy, access to light, air and views, etc.

Respectfully submitted,

(Please add your name & address)

You can also send a hard copy OBJECTION FORM via regular mail by simply printing out this form: http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/downloads/pdf/forms/form_for_objection_consent.pdf, filling in a few sentences explaining your objection, having it notarized and sending it via regular mail to: BSA Chair, Meenakshi Srinivasan, NYC BSA, 40 Rector St, 9th Floor, NY, NY 10006-1705 prior to the December 16 Public Hearing. If you have any questions, you can call BSA at: 212.788.8500.

Please be sure to also send a copy of your Marx Brothers Place Penthouse Objections to: 93rd Street Beautification Association, 179 East 93rd Street NYC 10128 or via email to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com.

But don't forget, just like all the other forms of objection, the hard copy OBJECTION FORM must also include the following information: BSA Calendar Number: 162-08-BZ; Property ID: 150 East 93rd Street; Block: 1521; Lot: 51; Borough: Manhattan.

Thanks for your continued support of historic Marx Brothers Place !

Sample Letter to BSA re: Proposal to Construct Penthouse atop Penthouse

City of NY
Board of Standards & Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006-1705

Re: BSA Calendar Number: 162-08-BZ; Property: 150 East 93rd Street, Block 1521, Lot 51, Manhattan

To the Board:

Historic East 93rd Street between Lexington & Third Avenues is a very special block. In addition to the world-famous Marx Brothers House, the block boasts a row of 19th century brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already within the protection of the Carnegie Hill Historic District. These houses date from the same year Abraham Lincoln won re-election (1864) and even pre-date the Lexington Avenue extension.

In addition to these two significant facts, East 93rd Street's unique stepped-down roof-scape, in part a function of the block being one of the steepest hills left in Manhattan, has been celebrated by architects and historic preservationists alike. In fact, Place Matters, the partnership project of the Municipal Arts Society and City Lore, is so charmed by this remarkable stepped-down roof-scape, it has devoted an entire page to this historic block on its web site. So I'm sure BSA can appreciate the fact that any project which threatens the historic character of this little neighborhood is of grave concern to many.

I am writing to express my very serious concerns about the proposed Penthouse for which the applicant is requesting a special permit. Before irreparable harm is rendered upon this block, I respectfully ask BSA to deny applicant's request for the reasons stated above and below:

1.) Applicant falsely claimed to CB8 that his existing Penthouse can not be seen from the street, thereby, deliberately misrepresenting the impact of his proposal on the character of the neighborhood. As shown in the photographs submitted by the 93rd Street Beautification Association, the existing Penthouse can in fact be seen from the street. If applicant is allowed to construct a Penthouse atop his extant Penthouse, twice as much of it will be seen.

2.) Applicant failed to provide exact specifications (height, etc.) in its request for a Special Permit before CB8, thereby, precluding any informed discussion of the zoning and safety issues raised by this proposal. When asked at the September 10, 2008 CB8 meeting, by a neighborhood resident, for the exact height of the proposed Penthouse and the exact height of 150 East 93rd Street if the proposed Penthouse were approved and added to the top of the extant Penthouse, applicant stated that he only had approximations and no exact measurements.

3.) A laundry list of Public Safety issues are raised by applicant's failure to provide exact specifications, measurements and details for his proposal to construct a Penthouse atop his existing Penthouse at the tallest peak on this block.

4.) Whether this block has yet or ever will be landmarked, it is undeniably very rich in NYC history (as set forth in great detail in the RFE filed with CB8 & LPC on September 8, 2008). And while that incontrovertible fact may not yet trigger a review by NYC's LPC, it underscores the importance of giving due consideration to the impact of this proposal on the character of the neighborhood, historic East 93rd Street.

5.) Applicant deliberately misled CB8 in its assertion that 150 East 93rd Street is surrounded by nothing but high rises. Photographs submitted separately show that 150 East 93rd Street, in fact, abuts a row of tiny brownstones that are only 4 stories tall and are older than any of the brownstones that are already within the Carnegie Hill Historic District. Because of the applicant's deliberate mischaracterization of the neighborhood that will be affected if this proposal is approved, an authentic opportunity to seriously consider the impact of this proposal on the character of the subject neighborhood has been denied.

The subject block is dramatically dwarfed by 150 East 93rd Street, already its tallest peak. If BSA were to grant the Special Permit requesting approval to add yet another Penthouse to the top of applicant's extant Penthouse, the disparity in scale would, of course, be far more lopsided, and surely stick out like a sore thumb on this block of small 19th century houses.

6.) In light of the City's recent efforts to strengthen the public’s protection against construction projects not thoroughly vetted, and the fact that even the DOB refused to approve the applicant’ proposal to construct a Penthouse on top of his existing Penthouse, BSA should deny applicant's request for the subject Special Permit so as to ensure public safety; protect the continuity of the neighborhood's distinct and historic character and to encourage the necessary construction reforms being pursued by the City.

Thank you for your attention to these concerns regarding the subject proposal to build a Penthouse on top of the existing Penthouse at 150 East 93rd Street. Please deny applicant's request.

Respectfully submitted,

(Please add your name & address)

Dear Mr. Tierney - By Bill Marx

The Honorable Robert B. Tierney
Chair, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commision
One Centre Street, Ninth Floor North
New York, NY 10007

RE: Request For Evaluation To Extend Carnegie Hill Historic District
One Block East On 93rd Street

Dear Chairperson Tierney,

My name is Bill Marx, and my father is Harpo Marx. I am writing in support of the Request for Evaluation submitted by the 93rd Street Beautification Association asking that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District (CHHD) one block east so as to include the historic collection of 19th century houses on 93rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues which includes the world-famous childhood home of the Marx Brothers.

As you well know, throughout their early formulative years, The Marx Brothers lived on East 93rd Street during the early part of the last century. However, along with their mother, Minnie, and father Sam, they lived there in their youth as Leonard, Adolph, Julius, Milton and Herbert. (Their theatrical names, Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo came later.)

The Brothers grew up on the many streets of the east side of Manhattan, even occasionally going to school from time to time at PS 86. Some fifty years later, I made my way through the streets of the west side, while going to school at Juilliard when it was on 123rd and Claremont, across from Columbia U. At that time as well as many visits to the city since, I have learned the visceral feel one only gets from the tastes, smells and pace of, in my humble estimation, the most fabulous city in the world. When visiting it with Dad, he would often refer to the fact that the feeling was the same for him then as it was way back when. Somehow, and most fortunately, the city remains as its own continuing extension of its unique history.

Of course, this ongoing process must be upheld and advanced by people who deeply understand and cherish the importance and value of its heritage.

I certainly do, in recognizing my great fortune to be luckily, even if ever so slightly linked with such an internationally famous team of remarkably gifted relatives as the Marx Brothers. Heritage can involve itself in so many ways, shapes and forms of life.

By comparison to most other countries, America’s history is that of a very young nation. For our own as well as future generations, we must continue to forge varied ways in developing and nurturing that deep sense of the past through an appreciation of the roots and accomplishments of those who have contributed to America’s small towns and big cities.

I live in Rancho Mirage, California, where Dad lived many years until his passing. Recently, the home he built in the 1950’s that he called El Rancho Harpo is now honored by the city as a permanent Historical Site.

I know the Brothers would be thrilled to find that they are still remembered with great reverence in the twenty-first century by old and new fans alike, and I am sure they would be most honored to have what they called their early ‘home, sweet home’ remain recognized as a permanent part of your city’s vast, special ongoing history.

Respectfully,

Bill Marx

View Marx Brothers Place on MySpace Now !

We have recently updated our profile on MySpace so that folks have another way of staying in contact with our campaign to help preserve historic Marx Brothers Place.

Please visit us at:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=295336768

Sample Letter Supporting Marx Brothers Place

Please cut & paste the following letter and send by REGULAR MAIL or EMAIL to NYC LPC; Mayor Bloomberg, Council Member Garodnick & the Manhattan Borough President at: comments@lpc.nyc.gov, ljackson@cityhall.nyc.gov, garodnickoffice@gmail.com, bp@manhattanbp.org. And please be sure to send a copy to us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com so we can keep track of all the letters. Thanks!!!

The Honorable Robert B. Tierney
Chair, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
One Centre Street, 9th Floor North
New York, NY 10007


Re: Please Calendar the Request For Evaluation to extend Carnegie Hill Historic District 1 block east on 93rd Street


Dear Chairman Tierney,

I am writing in support of the Request for Evaluation submitted by the 93rd Street Beautification Association asking that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District (CHHD) one block east so as to include the historic collection of 19th century houses on 93rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues which includes the world-famous childhood home of the Marx Brothers, and brownstones that are older than any of the ones already within the protection of the CHHD.

Please calendar this important RFE as soon as possible. As a community, we all have a duty to ensure that this incomparable historic block is preserved in order to protect NYC's city's economic and cultural future. It is imperative that the Commission act swiftly in fulfilling this duty.

Respectfully submitted,

(please add your name & address here)

Harpo's Son Joins the Campaign !

His father had always told him just how much he loved his childhood home on East 93rd Street. So, when Harpo Marx's son heard about the Preservation Campaign to protect this incomparable historic block, and the Marx Brothers' childhood home, Bill Marx promptly wrote to the Chairman of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission asking the LPC to include Marx Brothers Place in the Carnegie Hill Historic District where it belongs.

Bill Marx believes that as a nation, it's imperative that we pay keen attention to our collective cultural history, so as not to forget who America was while continuing to define who she will become.

Harpo's son was also recently instrumental in getting his father's Ranch, El Rancho Harpo - where he lived late in life, designated as an historic site in California. Now Mr. Marx has turned his attention to East 93rd Street in the hopes that New York City will do the right thing and preserve the historic block where the childhood home of his famous father and uncles still stands.

Once word got out that Harpo's son was on board, it didn't take long for the story to make the rounds in NYC. Just check out these links:

http://clydefitch.blogspot.com/2008/10/harpos-son-joins-campaign-to-create.html,

http://hdc.org/blog/2008/10/27/harpos-son-joins-the-fight-to-save-93rd-street/,

http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/marx-brothers-son-pushes-for-landmark-status.

And, of course, you can help, too ! Just click on this link and sign the 2 petitions to protect historic Marx Brothers Place: http://savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com/please-sign-our-petitions-to-save-marx-brothers-place/. Thanks !

For more information about the campaign to preserve historic Marx Brothers Place, please contact the 93rd Street Beautification Association at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or visit our blog at http://www.savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com/.

The Marx Brothers - Preservation Instigators ?

The Marx Brothers' global influence is so undeniable and so indelible that even after all these years, the brothers still manage somehow to contribute to the public dialogue on issues as far ranging as local politics, foreign policy, individualism and yes - even historic preservation (you see, it turns out - the Marx Brothers were the impetus for the Demolition Review law in Chicago, too ! ).

Their collective recalcitrance, and the inevitable image of those brilliant comics thumbing their noses at the status quo, is perhaps the essence of what is most American about these lovable clowns. It's also the very characteristic that gave their opinions pop, and still does.

Throughout their busy lives, the Marx Brothers engaged in a freewheeling discourse with a virtual salon of leaders, thinkers and creative artists which included American Presidents, world-renowned painters (perhaps most notably Salvador Dali), filmmakers, writers and poets from all across the globe. Correspondence flowing back and forth between the publicly mute Harpo Marx, the outspoken Groucho Marx and the somewhat taciturn American President Harry S. Truman is preserved today in the National Archives at: http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/spring/truman-and-marx-brothers.html.

In 1961, Harpo Marx presented Truman with a copy of his acclaimed memoir Harpo Speaks! in which the comedian lovingly describes the Marx Brothers childhood home on East 93rd Street in Carnegie Hill where the family lived before the turn of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Harpo always liked to say (yes, he really did speak) that wherever the Marx Brothers went, their 93rd Street accent followed. The Marx Brothers childhood home, the first they ever knew, never left them - even after they moved out of the house on the hill (perhaps it actually was the steep slope under footing their childhood that caused them to lean so far to the left at times ?).

The stark vulnerability of that still un-landmarked childhood home, the house that helped to shape the world-view of the inimitable Marx Brothers, and to which Groucho wistfully returned late in life, has sparked a preservation campaign attracting a rather ecclectic coalition perfectly suited to men of such renaissance talents and ideas. Among the many supporters of the effort to protect historic East 93rd Street (affectionately known as Marx Brothers Place) are some of the most distinguished Preservationists in NY (Tony Wood, Elizabeth Ashby, Teri Slater, Michael Devonshire & Bronson Binger to mention but a few), theatre artists & theatre critics (Playwright Gregory Murphy, Theater Critic Leonard Jacobs, Stage Director Ludovica Villar-Hauser, Actor Jy Murphy, et al), film & television artists (filmmaker Woody Allen and TV Writer-Producer Bob Weide of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Marx Brothers fans from all over the world and Groucho's own granddaughter Jade Marx.

Now, as it turns out, we find that NYC is not the first place where these magicians of mayhem and comic clowning have had a profound and positive impact on historic preservation. After leaving their beloved childhood home on East 93rd Street, in the 2nd decade of the 20th century, the Marx Brothers lived for a time in the City of Chicago. As you will read in this Chicago Tribune story from 2003, it is this later Marx Brothers House that was the impetus for the adoption of a Demolition Review Amendment in that city, too: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0301150213jan15, 1,703330.story .

As this fact was completely unknown to the 93rd Street Beautification Association when it first launched its preservation campaign, Save Marx Brothers Place (www.savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com), which has now led to a movement to adopt the Demolition Review Amendment in NYC (the bill is presently making its way through the legislative process of the NYC Council), one must ask the obvious question: are these comic geniuses, who always had an opinion on public policy - whether the emigration of Jewish refugees after WW II, America's relationship with Israel or whether Truman's wife should run for President in his stead - still pulling the strings from beyond the grave ? Honk if you think so.

Everybody Says We Love Woody Allen !

As a lifelong Marx Brothers fan, and former Carnegie Hill neighbor, the moment Woody Allen heard that Marx Brothers Place was fast becoming the Georgia of Carnegie Hill, under constant threat of aggressive incursion and senseless demolition, NY's most loyal filmmaker came charging over the hill of East 93rd Street on the back of a tall white (it may have actually been shorter than it appeared, and now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it was speckled) stallion (or, maybe it was a nag) waving a rusty, but surprisingly impressive, scepter in one hand, while calling out to all that could hear (which over the sound of Greystone Development's unbridled drilling was probably only a few), just like the patriot, Paul Revere, determined to arouse residents to the danger at hand; the systematic destruction of our city's irreplaceable cultural heritage.

Of course, East 93rd Street was all a buzz, smitten and bedazzled by Mr. Allen's selfless and glorious equestrian showstopper. So when this beloved NY filmmaker, who's been a little busy rolling out a new movie and all, took even more time out of his hectic schedule to write a beautiful letter of support intended to accompany the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE) to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east so as to include this remarkable collection of historic 19th century houses within the protected boundary, we were, in a phrase, over the moon.

Please click on this link and enjoy reading about Woody Allen's support for historic Marx Brothers Place: http://hdcblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/so-woody-allen-wants-to-save-marx-brothers-place-you-should-too/.

We are deeply grateful for Mr. Allen's generous support and magical words. That's why Everybody Says We Love Woody Allen !

For more information, please visit: http://savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com/messages-from-our-supporters/.

Marx Brothers Place is Ready for its Close-up

In a city where real estate development still charges ahead at a break-neck pace that would give any mere mortal a serious case of whiplash (despite the well documented, and widely reported, revelation- no revelation here as we had told NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick; Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn about these dangerous and shoddy development practices, and the blatant lack of regulatory oversight, day after day, and well before it ever became tragic construction accident after tragic construction accident - of the serious under staffing and brazen corruption running rampant throughout the NYC Department of Buildings), it's a really big deal to get a TV News crew up at the crack of dawn on the eve of (yes, that's the morning before) Christmas Eve, when it's still pitch dark outside and so chillingly cold that even the usually intrepid NYC pigeons are huddled together, somewhere out of sight, with their shiver meter set to vibrate in the hopes of generating enough friction to sufficiently heat up the hollow in which they have temporarily taken refuge, to film a news story about a tiny little block in the hinterlands (better known as Carnegie Hill) which is under siege by developers who care nothing about the neighborhood (except to bleed it dry for the profit they will take back to NJ with them) and even less about its storied history.

But when NY1 TV News heard that historic Marx Brothers Place was being battered about by developers who were carelessly knocking down one 19th century house after another, they packed up the Van and set up their news cameras on East 93rd Street.

Please click on this link and enjoy watching the terrific NY1 TV News story, written and reported by Roger Clark, about historic Marx Brothers Place: http://www.ny1.com/Default.aspx?SecID=1000&ArID=76773. It even includes some great old clips from Marx Brothers movies.

And then, please show your support for this preservation campaign by signing these 2 Petitions to help protect historic Marx Brothers Place:

1.) Petition to Extend Carnegie Hill Historic District one block so as to include Historic East 93rd Street. Please just click on this link and type in your name:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/CHHD93st/petition.html

2.) Petition to Co-Name East 93rd Street 'Marx Brothers Place' in honor of the extant childhood home of the Comic Icons. Please just click on this link and type in your name:

http://www.petitiononline.com/coname/petition.html

And, of course, anyone that might be interested in more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association's efforts to help protect historic Marx Brothers Place is invited to visit our home blog at: http://savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com/

Thanks again for your interest in historic East 93rd Street, affectionately known as Marx Brothers Place !

The New York Times Treks up to Marx Brothers Place

Over the years, many a writer has made his or her way up the steep hill to Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill. After all, anybody with a funny bone (actually, anybody with a pulse) has some tangential relationship, whether conscious or subconcious, with the brothers four (yes, we know that wasn't all of them!).

So, it wasn't a total surprise when the NY Times reporter Jake Mooney contacted us wanting to write a story for The Sunday NY Times about Marx Brothers Place. But whenever opening the door to a reporter, its wise to hold ones breath until one sees the finished product in print (as it were). I should know, I spent the first part of my career as a journalist and was always surprised at how willing people were to talk with the Press knowing full well that it was like talking to a double agent during the Cold War; if the reporter is any good at all - you really have no idea where he or she stands.

Needless to say, given The NY Times publication of an article in its Real Estate section, just the week before, which made Greystone Development's (the builder bent on ignoring the dictates of R8B zoning on this tiny residential block) demolition of three contiguous historic gardens (species habitats and ancient bird flyways) and deep drilling into an ancient rock ledge, without ever having done a geological survey or an environmental impact study, sound like a good thing for this fragile urban ecosystem, neighbors were both relieved and delighted when they opened The Sunday NY Times to find a very thoughtful and respectful piece in The City section about historic Marx Brothers Place. We hope you enjoy the story, too !

Please click on this link and read The Sunday NY Times article, written by Jake Mooney, about historic Marx Brothers Place:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/nyregion/thecity/22marx.html?_r=1&ref=thecity&oref=slogin

And don't forget to visit our home blog at: www.savemarxbrothersplace.com.

The National Trust focuses on Marx Brothers Place

Perhaps it's because Harpo Marx had a long and rather glorious correspondence with President Harry S. Truman (see, National Archives). Or maybe, it's because the collection of antiquities on this remarkable NYC block includes houses that are older than any of the homes that are already included within the protection of the Carnegie Hill Historic District and, therefore, constitute the most credible (and yet still vulnerable) Rosetta Stone of the development history of this celebrated Manhattan neighborhood.

Then again, it might simply be that Preservation Magazine, the world-wide publication of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is loathe to see an important catalogue of 19th century homes in NYC razed to rubble in order to make room for an unwanted and freakishly out-of-scale Condo (Co-Op, whatev...) Complex in the middle of this ancient village-like block.

Whatever the reason, we are most grateful for the spotlight that Preservation Magazine Editor, Margaret Foster, decided to focus on the story of our historic little block and the hungry developers who would like to gobble it whole.

Please click on this link and read the wonderful piece Preservation Magazine published about Marx Brothers Place:

http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2008/todays-news/new-yorkers-fight-to-save-marx.html

For more, please visit our home web blog at: http://www.savemarxbrothersplace.wordpress.com/.

With A Little Help From Our Friends

Over the course of this preservation campaign to save historic Marx Brothers Place, the block in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood in Manhattan where the beloved childhood home of the world's greatest comic family still stands, we've been the grateful beneficiaries of unflappable support from a wide array of folks all across the globe.

Here in our own town of NYC, one Theater critic in particular has championed the cause of Marx Brothers Place with the sort of gusto usually reserved for the closest of family ties. So while he's not actually blood, we've decided to make Leonard Jacobs an honorary member of our preservation family.

While Leonard has never been stingy with his support of preservation efforts, recently going toe to toe with the NYC Developers, also known as NYU (his alma mater), when they got the bright idea to demolish the historic O'Neill theater in Greenwich Village (what's a little theater history between friends ?), he has gone to bat for Marx Brothers Place more times than Johnny Damon has stepped up to the plate at the stadium this year (O.K., maybe not quantitatively, but certainly effectively. Sorry Johnny, I'm a big fan, but you guys are making us sing the blues this summer, and that's just so winter).

Everybody should have a friend like Leonard Jacobs. He's one of those rare creatures who will walk right up to somebody and tell them exactly what he thinks. In other words, along with a loyalty streak longer than Fifth Avenue, Leonard lives the First amendment.

Here's the link for his latest blog post about Marx Brothers Place:

http://clydefitch.blogspot.com/2008/08/will-marx-brothers-place-become-reality.html

Up here on the Hill, where the air can get pretty thin, we breath a little easier knowing that Leonard is pulling for us. And for that, our collective hats, whether baseball caps, safari helmets or easter bonnets, are off to Leonard Jacobs for all he has done to let people know about the campaign to save Marx Brothers Place !