Marx Brothers Place is an historic little block in the heart of Carnegie Hill. Informed by its cultural pedigree, which boasts the biographies of both the Marx Brothers & the Loewe brothers; the antiquity of its houses, which include brownstones older than any of the brownstones already in the Carnegie Hill Historic District and its unique stepped-down roofscape, Marx Brothers Place remains a cherished gem in NYC's collection of historic neighborhoods.
It also happens to be the sort of block where folks know the names of their neighbors' dogs and where neighborhood children pitch in to help plant daffodil and tulip bulbs in the tree pits each fall. In other words, Marx Brothers Place is a real NYC neighborhood.
And despite the fact that for decades Marx Brothers Place has been a quiet destination mapped for travelers longing to see the childhood home of the most beloved comic family in film history, it's steep hill and far-north geography (most people get nose bleeds above 86th Street) had insulated the block from the hungry glare of big-time developers.
But when money got really, really cheap, and the NYC Department of Buildings got really, really corrupt, the residents of Marx Brothers Place got a crash course in the lethal difference between being historic and being designated historic in NYC. For, as we all know by now, being historic in NYC provides absolutely no legal protection from an oncoming bulldozer. History gets a reprieve from that particular weapon of mass demolition only if the history has already been tagged and duly registered with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Less than 30 feet outside the boundary line of the Carnegie Hill Historic District (the middle of Lexington Avenue at 93rd Street), Marx Brothers Place is a sitting duck for eager developers with visions of demolition dancing through their heads.
And in these difficult economic times, which haven't slowed down the speculators on East 93rd Street one bit, this persistent threat to the character of our block evokes the more ubiquitous dread that threatens to rob our city of one of its most vital assets: NYC's historic neighborhoods. For, it's blocks like Marx Brothers Place (is there another block so unique?) that help to inform the character of these great old neighborhoods.
In turn, NYC's historic neighborhoods serve as anchors, even magnets, for our community, helping the city to weather good times and bad. But without the people that populate these historic neighborhoods, many of whom will leave if NYC continues to fail to protect the historic character that attracted them in the first place, the probability of NYC surviving the current economic downturn becomes severely challenged.
Faced with the harsh practical reality of the long-term irreparable harm hovering over this beloved NYC block, one might think Community Board 8 and the Bloomberg Administration would be busy at work doing all they can to help celebrate and protect Marx Brothers Place: A truly unique and historic neighborhood.
Instead, CB8 and the Mayor's office have stood by passively nodding as developers dreams of out-of-scale and over-priced condominiums are waved through the same red tape that seems to slow down everybody else in this town - except builders with a backhoe.
If the Bloomberg Administration doesn't move quickly to protect Marx Brothers Place and the other vulnerable historic neighborhoods uptown, not only will our city suffer dearly from the loss of these great historic treasures, but it will begin to resemble the Wild West with urban tumble weed replacing residents who had once converged for a boom that has now gone bust.
Uptown is for people. It's a real neighborhood, not just a spot on a developer's map existing for the pleasure and short-term profit of speculators cranked up on foreign money and the ease with which they have been able to compromise the NYC Department of Buildings.
Please be sure to share this message with all your friends & colleagues
and let LPC know that you want the city to protect
Marx Brothers Place by just clicking on this link!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Demolition Review Bill - The Third Rail in NYC Politics!
Over the last decade, American cities with significant historic inventory have wisely taken steps to protect the architectural and cultural legacies they have been privileged to inherit. Chicago, Boston and nearby Yonkers, NY, for example, have all enacted laws requiring that a few key questions be answered before rubber stamping a Demolition Permit.
But sadly, the proverbial rubber stamp remains current practice in our city (sort of the Real Estate industry's version of "don't ask, don't tell") even though only 1% of its structures are currently landmarked (a status which does confer a review process prior to demolition), leaving the rest vulnerable to demolition with no questions asked (like, for instance, was it the nation's first Presidential abode?).
Now, given the fact that once NYC's historic neighborhoods and structures are gone, no amount of wand waving will ever be able to bring them back (ref. the old Penn Station), we really don't think it's much to ask that, before the NYC Department of Buildings gives a developer the green light to demolish a structure which is 50 years or older, the city first find out whether the structure happens to be historically significant.
If the goal is to manage sustainable development without destroying the incomparable character of NYC, its historic neighborhoods and its economy, this certainly seems a wise and reasonable approach. In fact, one might even call it a no-brainer.
And yet, here in our city, a municipality not exactly known for its political timidity, finding an advocate for a Demolition Review bill in the NYC Council is like trying to find a politician in West Virginia willing to advocate against the Coal Industry.
Now, we understand the politics that make NY City Council Members reluctant (read: allergic) to want to shepard a bill which seems to poke a finger in the eye of the very industry that has proven so generous to their re-election campaigns.
And, of course, now that Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau (who's got more game at 90 than most of us had at 29) has made the world aware that the NYC Department of Buildings (remember, the department charged with the duty to issue Demolition Permits?) has for years been operating as a front for the Luchese crime family, we are even more sensitive to the City Council's reluctance to wade too deep into these dark and chilly waters.
But taking a cue from the irrepressible Marx Brothers, wade they must: After moving on from their beloved childhood block in Carnegie Hill, the Marx Brothers lived for a time (before coming to their senses and returning to the greatest city in the world!) in the city of Chicago. And when that city decided the most politically palatable way to manage the energetic rash of demolitions there was to commission an inventory of its historic structures, the Marx Brothers suddenly reappeared - posthumously presiding over a rather public exegesis in managing development in the 21st century. You see, Chicago's inventory list of historic structures missed a very obvious cultural gem: the Marx Brothers house!
Well, those spunky Chicago denizens would be having none of that! And having learned from the experience that an inventory list was simply not practicable, they not only made sure the Marx Brothers house was individually protected, they also crafted and passed a Demolition Review law ensuring that such an embarrassing oversight would never happen again!
Last year, the 93rd Street Beautification Association submitted a draft of just such a Demolition Review bill to the NYC Council. That proposed NYC law is based upon the similar law enacted by the city of Boston. And while Boston may have an absolutely wretched baseball team, we must admit it does know a thing or two about history and its value.
So, now all we need is one (we'll take more!) brave soul in the NY City Council to step up to the plate on behalf of our city's historic neighborhoods, its architectural and cultural heritage, and the countless historic structures that remain vulnerable to summary demolition throughout all five boroughs.
We hope the NY City Council will do the right thing and push full steam ahead to finally pass a Demolition Review bill that will protect our city's future by protecting its history!
And in the meantime, please let the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission know that you want the city to protect historic Marx Brothers Place by just clicking on this link. Thanks!!!
Please be sure to share this email with all your friends and colleagues!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
But sadly, the proverbial rubber stamp remains current practice in our city (sort of the Real Estate industry's version of "don't ask, don't tell") even though only 1% of its structures are currently landmarked (a status which does confer a review process prior to demolition), leaving the rest vulnerable to demolition with no questions asked (like, for instance, was it the nation's first Presidential abode?).
Now, given the fact that once NYC's historic neighborhoods and structures are gone, no amount of wand waving will ever be able to bring them back (ref. the old Penn Station), we really don't think it's much to ask that, before the NYC Department of Buildings gives a developer the green light to demolish a structure which is 50 years or older, the city first find out whether the structure happens to be historically significant.
If the goal is to manage sustainable development without destroying the incomparable character of NYC, its historic neighborhoods and its economy, this certainly seems a wise and reasonable approach. In fact, one might even call it a no-brainer.
And yet, here in our city, a municipality not exactly known for its political timidity, finding an advocate for a Demolition Review bill in the NYC Council is like trying to find a politician in West Virginia willing to advocate against the Coal Industry.
Now, we understand the politics that make NY City Council Members reluctant (read: allergic) to want to shepard a bill which seems to poke a finger in the eye of the very industry that has proven so generous to their re-election campaigns.
And, of course, now that Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau (who's got more game at 90 than most of us had at 29) has made the world aware that the NYC Department of Buildings (remember, the department charged with the duty to issue Demolition Permits?) has for years been operating as a front for the Luchese crime family, we are even more sensitive to the City Council's reluctance to wade too deep into these dark and chilly waters.
But taking a cue from the irrepressible Marx Brothers, wade they must: After moving on from their beloved childhood block in Carnegie Hill, the Marx Brothers lived for a time (before coming to their senses and returning to the greatest city in the world!) in the city of Chicago. And when that city decided the most politically palatable way to manage the energetic rash of demolitions there was to commission an inventory of its historic structures, the Marx Brothers suddenly reappeared - posthumously presiding over a rather public exegesis in managing development in the 21st century. You see, Chicago's inventory list of historic structures missed a very obvious cultural gem: the Marx Brothers house!
Well, those spunky Chicago denizens would be having none of that! And having learned from the experience that an inventory list was simply not practicable, they not only made sure the Marx Brothers house was individually protected, they also crafted and passed a Demolition Review law ensuring that such an embarrassing oversight would never happen again!
Last year, the 93rd Street Beautification Association submitted a draft of just such a Demolition Review bill to the NYC Council. That proposed NYC law is based upon the similar law enacted by the city of Boston. And while Boston may have an absolutely wretched baseball team, we must admit it does know a thing or two about history and its value.
So, now all we need is one (we'll take more!) brave soul in the NY City Council to step up to the plate on behalf of our city's historic neighborhoods, its architectural and cultural heritage, and the countless historic structures that remain vulnerable to summary demolition throughout all five boroughs.
We hope the NY City Council will do the right thing and push full steam ahead to finally pass a Demolition Review bill that will protect our city's future by protecting its history!
And in the meantime, please let the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission know that you want the city to protect historic Marx Brothers Place by just clicking on this link. Thanks!!!
Please be sure to share this email with all your friends and colleagues!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Harpo Has Spoken: Now It's Up To The Rest Of Us!
Between NYC Council Members perpetually prowling for campaign contributions from Real Estate Developers to fuel their next election no matter what new office they may seek; a do-nothing-for-anybody-but-themselves Community Board and a Building Department, which under the close watch of Mayor Bloomberg had actually been operating as a public employment agency for one of the most powerful Mafia Crime Families on the East Coast, it's little wonder that Greystone Development, with its stable of New Jersey license plates clogging our street every day, got away with a shocking mid-block incursion on the R8B Zoned Carnegie Hill stretch popularly known as Marx Brothers Place.
But this latest string of criminal indictments not only reveals the NYC Building Department to be far more fox than henhouse, it smacks of the Bloomberg Administration's laissez-faire attitude about who it does business with - just as long as Real Estate Developers don't stand idle. And while all New Yorkers root for renewed and sustainable prosperity for the greatest city in the world, most of us realize that prosperity at any price is not prosperity at all.
The corrosive corruption that has finally eaten through whatever shred of integrity may have been left of NYC's Real Estate Development industry tragically demolished more than historic 19th century houses with great potential: It took with it human lives and all they might have become.
The people of NYC expect and deserve much better from those who have been granted the privilege to make decisions that effect our community, its continued development, its history, the lives of its residents and its future.
As most of you know, Harpo has already spoken on this subject. So now it's time for the rest of us to do the same.
Please take a moment right now to click on this link and send the message to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission asking LPC Chairman Robert Tierney to calendar the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE) for a public hearing to consider the Association's request that LPC extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east to protect the incomparable historic Marx Brothers Place.
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
But this latest string of criminal indictments not only reveals the NYC Building Department to be far more fox than henhouse, it smacks of the Bloomberg Administration's laissez-faire attitude about who it does business with - just as long as Real Estate Developers don't stand idle. And while all New Yorkers root for renewed and sustainable prosperity for the greatest city in the world, most of us realize that prosperity at any price is not prosperity at all.
The corrosive corruption that has finally eaten through whatever shred of integrity may have been left of NYC's Real Estate Development industry tragically demolished more than historic 19th century houses with great potential: It took with it human lives and all they might have become.
The people of NYC expect and deserve much better from those who have been granted the privilege to make decisions that effect our community, its continued development, its history, the lives of its residents and its future.
As most of you know, Harpo has already spoken on this subject. So now it's time for the rest of us to do the same.
Please take a moment right now to click on this link and send the message to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission asking LPC Chairman Robert Tierney to calendar the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE) for a public hearing to consider the Association's request that LPC extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east to protect the incomparable historic Marx Brothers Place.
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Marx Brothers Place: Official Globe-Trotter!
Most New Yorkers spend these last two weeks of August, better known as the dog days of summer, off at the beach; up in the mountains; on a pilgrimage to Yasgur's Farm or just squirreled away in the most air conditioned spot they can possibly find. But, just like everything else about it, Marx Brothers Place marches to its own drum.
Determined to stay put despite the heat, thermal or political, Marx Brothers Place remains firmly perched on its quiet little stretch of the Carnegie Hill. However, having taken on a life of its own, the preservation campaign launched to protect this beloved little block, has been off globe-trotting, flexing its independent muscles & enjoying the grand summer tour!
First, the-little-campaign-that-could made its way all across the pond to bloody old England!!! Leave it to the Brits to spot a good fight when they see one!
Not given to letting any grass grow under its feet, however, from there, our intrepid little campaign ricocheted right back into the hazy days of its mother country, plunking itself down on the parched plains of Indiana (Are there plains in Indiana? It always looks rather flat on the news).
So, with the Marx Brothers Place preservation campaign racking up frequent cybermiles all on its own, who knows where our plucky little effort might end up next? Anybody blogging out in the Hamptons?
We hope you are all enjoying the summer, now that it has finally deigned to make a cameo appearance in the Northeast!
And we look forward to seeing you all again in autumn!
Best wishes from Marx Brothers Place!
Determined to stay put despite the heat, thermal or political, Marx Brothers Place remains firmly perched on its quiet little stretch of the Carnegie Hill. However, having taken on a life of its own, the preservation campaign launched to protect this beloved little block, has been off globe-trotting, flexing its independent muscles & enjoying the grand summer tour!
First, the-little-campaign-that-could made its way all across the pond to bloody old England!!! Leave it to the Brits to spot a good fight when they see one!
Not given to letting any grass grow under its feet, however, from there, our intrepid little campaign ricocheted right back into the hazy days of its mother country, plunking itself down on the parched plains of Indiana (Are there plains in Indiana? It always looks rather flat on the news).
So, with the Marx Brothers Place preservation campaign racking up frequent cybermiles all on its own, who knows where our plucky little effort might end up next? Anybody blogging out in the Hamptons?
We hope you are all enjoying the summer, now that it has finally deigned to make a cameo appearance in the Northeast!
And we look forward to seeing you all again in autumn!
Best wishes from Marx Brothers Place!
friends & colleagues!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Marx Brothers Place: A Rare Glimpse into NYC's Physical History
The exquisite exhibit entitled, Mannahatta: a Natural History of New York City, at the Museum of the City of New York, vividly illustrates just how wrong-headed the city has been to not act more quickly in protecting the incomparable historic block known as Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill.
The deliberate emphasis here on the word hill may seem self-evident, since the unique topography of Marx Brothers Place, and the incomparable architecture it inspired, has been celebrated by many - and is even featured on the web site Place Matters - a preservation partnership of City Lore & the Municipal Arts Society. But, for some inexplicable reason, this wildly significant fact of history continues to completely allude NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Perhaps they should all carve out some time from their busy schedules and stroll on uptown for a cultural visit with our good neighbors, just north on Fifth Avenue, at the Museum of the City of New York. For, what Mannahatta literally puts into very sharp and colorful relief is precisely what the 93rd Street Beautification Association has been telling Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and LPC for YEARS!
The Lenape Indians, who up until the 17th century had free reign of the island's terrestrial crops along with the plentiful oyster beds that ringed its coastline, gave this glorious (but now sadly fragile) island it's name precisely because of its many hills.
If the island were discovered by fresh eyes today, a more likely moniker for Mannahatta, A.K.A. "The Island of Many Hills", would sadly have to be something more along the lines of: "Fill & Dale".
For, as the very dramatic images at the heart of Mannahatta attest, most of the island's hills were shaved long ago while the low ground areas (or dales), along with the many wetlands and streams, were filled in - making it easier to build on level ground. This instinct to develop against the grain of the land left behind a very different topography than the one that Henry Hudson first spied from his ship in 1609 as he skillfully avoided the island's treacherous shoals.
Marx Brothers Place is one of the very few extant hills remaining in our city's collection, providing a rare example of our beloved island's physical history (one of the many important points made to LPC in our RFE). You see, here on our little summit, the architect, George Beale, whether to save money or out of some prescient respect for nature's own dictates, chose not to do battle with the land. Instead, Beale embraced the hill and let it dictate his architectural designs rather than the other way around.
What's even more amazing is that, unlike the 21st century developers determined to forever change the face of this beloved little block, the 19th century architects that followed Beale onto East 93rd Street, also followed his design lead, continuing Beale's vision of a stepped-down roofscape up and down both sides of the Marx Brothers Place (the Marx Brothers' childhood house forms one-third of the uninterrupted stepped-down roofscape remaining on the north side of the block!).
Building the first Brownstones in Carnegie Hill (houses here pre-date any of the Brownstones ALREADY IN THE CARNEGIE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT!) in, what has come to be called, a stepped-down configuration - where the roofs actually descend one beneath the other down the hill in succession - George Beale created the most marvelous roofscape in all of Carnegie Hill!
The 93rd Street Beautification Association is deeply grateful for the impressive scholarship and research that went into the MCNY'S Mannahatta exhibit, an exhibit infused with the historic significance of Manhattan's early hills and which unabashedly celebrates these steep eruptions of nature while drawing our attention to their sad eclipse.
This important exhibit, so close to our dear little block both physically and thematically, is also a poignant reminder that the time has come for the City of New York to finally protect this historically significant block before it, too, goes the way of the Lenapes and their hills.
Please help NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg & LPC Chair, Robert Tierney, better appreciate our city's unique history and the value of preserving its architectural, cultural and physical heritage by clicking on this link and sending the message to LPC asking Chairman Tierney to finally calendar for a public hearing the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE) today!!!
Thanks for your help, and please be sure to share this email with all your friends and colleagues!
The deliberate emphasis here on the word hill may seem self-evident, since the unique topography of Marx Brothers Place, and the incomparable architecture it inspired, has been celebrated by many - and is even featured on the web site Place Matters - a preservation partnership of City Lore & the Municipal Arts Society. But, for some inexplicable reason, this wildly significant fact of history continues to completely allude NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Perhaps they should all carve out some time from their busy schedules and stroll on uptown for a cultural visit with our good neighbors, just north on Fifth Avenue, at the Museum of the City of New York. For, what Mannahatta literally puts into very sharp and colorful relief is precisely what the 93rd Street Beautification Association has been telling Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and LPC for YEARS!
The Lenape Indians, who up until the 17th century had free reign of the island's terrestrial crops along with the plentiful oyster beds that ringed its coastline, gave this glorious (but now sadly fragile) island it's name precisely because of its many hills.
If the island were discovered by fresh eyes today, a more likely moniker for Mannahatta, A.K.A. "The Island of Many Hills", would sadly have to be something more along the lines of: "Fill & Dale".
For, as the very dramatic images at the heart of Mannahatta attest, most of the island's hills were shaved long ago while the low ground areas (or dales), along with the many wetlands and streams, were filled in - making it easier to build on level ground. This instinct to develop against the grain of the land left behind a very different topography than the one that Henry Hudson first spied from his ship in 1609 as he skillfully avoided the island's treacherous shoals.
Marx Brothers Place is one of the very few extant hills remaining in our city's collection, providing a rare example of our beloved island's physical history (one of the many important points made to LPC in our RFE). You see, here on our little summit, the architect, George Beale, whether to save money or out of some prescient respect for nature's own dictates, chose not to do battle with the land. Instead, Beale embraced the hill and let it dictate his architectural designs rather than the other way around.
What's even more amazing is that, unlike the 21st century developers determined to forever change the face of this beloved little block, the 19th century architects that followed Beale onto East 93rd Street, also followed his design lead, continuing Beale's vision of a stepped-down roofscape up and down both sides of the Marx Brothers Place (the Marx Brothers' childhood house forms one-third of the uninterrupted stepped-down roofscape remaining on the north side of the block!).
Building the first Brownstones in Carnegie Hill (houses here pre-date any of the Brownstones ALREADY IN THE CARNEGIE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT!) in, what has come to be called, a stepped-down configuration - where the roofs actually descend one beneath the other down the hill in succession - George Beale created the most marvelous roofscape in all of Carnegie Hill!
The 93rd Street Beautification Association is deeply grateful for the impressive scholarship and research that went into the MCNY'S Mannahatta exhibit, an exhibit infused with the historic significance of Manhattan's early hills and which unabashedly celebrates these steep eruptions of nature while drawing our attention to their sad eclipse.
This important exhibit, so close to our dear little block both physically and thematically, is also a poignant reminder that the time has come for the City of New York to finally protect this historically significant block before it, too, goes the way of the Lenapes and their hills.
Please help NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg & LPC Chair, Robert Tierney, better appreciate our city's unique history and the value of preserving its architectural, cultural and physical heritage by clicking on this link and sending the message to LPC asking Chairman Tierney to finally calendar for a public hearing the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE) today!!!
Thanks for your help, and please be sure to share this email with all your friends and colleagues!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or 212.969.8138 or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to help keep the preservation campaign alive, please just click on this link.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Summer Film Fest Celebrates 93rd Street's Favorite Sons!
While the City of New York continues to drag its feet in recognizing the indelible cultural contributions of the Marx Brothers, and the historic significance of their beloved childhood block in Carnegie Hill, the rest of the world celebrates their genius!
As NY Journalist Leonard Jacobs tells us on his popular web site, The Clyde Fitch Report, the City of Chicago's recent outdoor Summer Film Festival did much more than just feature the Marx Brothers' classic, Duck Soup, it may have actually set a world record!!!
And the unbridled enthusiasm of the estimated 20,000 people that turned out to celebrate the beloved American clowns who proudly called East 93rd Street 'Home Sweet Home' reminds us all that whether or not NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ever steps up to the plate on behalf of historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC, the sheer joy inspired by the work of these comic genuises will endure throughout the world!
As New Yorkers continue to bravely weather the economic downturn, and all the bad news that comes along with it, let's hope the City of New York and its Elected Officials finally take this opportunity to give New Yorkers something to really cheer about!
It's high time NYC honors the most beloved comic geniuses the world has ever known by protecting their historic childhood block in Carnegie Hill! Please save Marx Brothers Place!
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com.
As NY Journalist Leonard Jacobs tells us on his popular web site, The Clyde Fitch Report, the City of Chicago's recent outdoor Summer Film Festival did much more than just feature the Marx Brothers' classic, Duck Soup, it may have actually set a world record!!!
And the unbridled enthusiasm of the estimated 20,000 people that turned out to celebrate the beloved American clowns who proudly called East 93rd Street 'Home Sweet Home' reminds us all that whether or not NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ever steps up to the plate on behalf of historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC, the sheer joy inspired by the work of these comic genuises will endure throughout the world!
As New Yorkers continue to bravely weather the economic downturn, and all the bad news that comes along with it, let's hope the City of New York and its Elected Officials finally take this opportunity to give New Yorkers something to really cheer about!
It's high time NYC honors the most beloved comic geniuses the world has ever known by protecting their historic childhood block in Carnegie Hill! Please save Marx Brothers Place!
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Uptown Radio Visits Marx Brothers Place
The 93rd Street Beautification Association is proud to present our new movie, Uptown Radio Visits Marx Brothers Place, which we invite you to watch by simply clicking on this link!
And while you're thinking about NYC landmarks, please take a moment to read the text of NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin's new legislation intended to make the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission's Request For Evaluation (RFE) a more efficient and transparent process.
We hope you enjoy watching our new movie about Marx Brothers Place, and thank you for your time and interest!
And while you're thinking about NYC landmarks, please take a moment to read the text of NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin's new legislation intended to make the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission's Request For Evaluation (RFE) a more efficient and transparent process.
We hope you enjoy watching our new movie about Marx Brothers Place, and thank you for your time and interest!
Please be sure to send this letter to LPC TODAY and share this message with all your friends & colleagues!
.............................................................
.....................................................................................
Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !
For more information about the 93rd Street Beautification Association or Marx Brothers Place, please contact us at 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com or visit our blogs at: Save Marx Brothers Place or The Marx Brothers Place Report.
And please don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel Page for all of our latest videos and movies. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our Marx Brothers Place MySpace profile.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Lappin's New Landmarking Legislation
NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin recently introduced new legislation intended to make the Request For Evaluation (RFE) at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission a more efficient and transparent process. Below is a copy of CM Lappin's proposed Landmarks bill.
As Chair of the NYC Council subcommittee on Landmarks, Lappin has the unique opportunity to explore improvements within the city's landmarking process in very practical terms.
If you have any questions or comments about the Lappin bill, please contact Council Member Jessica Lappin at: lappin@council.nyc.ny.us.
Now here's the text of the Lappin bill:
By Council Member Lappin
...Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to timely consideration of Requests for Evaluation (RFEs) by the Landmarks Preservation Commission
...Body
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 25-303 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision l to read as follows:
1. Every Request for Evaluation (RFE) proposing a property for landmark designation shall be submitted to the commission’s RFE committee within 120 days of receipt thereof, and all RFE committee recommendations, whether positive or negative, shall be reported promptly on the record to the full commission.
§2. This local law shall take effect immediately.
CBH
LS #7496
06/14/09
To learn more about CM Lappin's landmarks bill, please contact NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin at: lappin@council.nyc.ny.us.
As Chair of the NYC Council subcommittee on Landmarks, Lappin has the unique opportunity to explore improvements within the city's landmarking process in very practical terms.
If you have any questions or comments about the Lappin bill, please contact Council Member Jessica Lappin at: lappin@council.nyc.ny.us.
Now here's the text of the Lappin bill:
Int. No. 1020
By Council Member Lappin
...Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to timely consideration of Requests for Evaluation (RFEs) by the Landmarks Preservation Commission
...Body
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 25-303 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision l to read as follows:
1. Every Request for Evaluation (RFE) proposing a property for landmark designation shall be submitted to the commission’s RFE committee within 120 days of receipt thereof, and all RFE committee recommendations, whether positive or negative, shall be reported promptly on the record to the full commission.
§2. This local law shall take effect immediately.
CBH
LS #7496
06/14/09
To learn more about CM Lappin's landmarks bill, please contact NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin at: lappin@council.nyc.ny.us.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Beyond Lintels
Please cut & paste & send the following to: comments@lpc.nyc.gov (with a copy to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com). The subject line should read: Marx Brothers Place.
And please be sure to include your name & address at the bottom of the letter as LPC will unfortunately disregard any messages without this information. Thanks!
The Honorable Robert B. Tierney
Chairman, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
One Centre Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Dear Chairman Tierney,
Thank you for touring historic East 93rd Street and agreeing to take a closer look at the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE), asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east to include historic Marx Brothers Place. We hope the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission calendars this worthy request for a Public Hearing as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it has come to our attention that LPC is concerned that many years ago, the ornamentation was shaved from the three houses numbered 175, 177 & 179 East 93rd Street, rendering their facades flat. So we thought it was important to let you know that this collection of houses, all built in 1881, in fact, remains in tact. These three houses are the original 19th century structures and even retain their significant fenestration. The shaving of the ornamentation is purely cosmetic, can easily be restored and does not undermine the historic significance of these three 19th century houses.
And while there are many reasons these three 19th century houses should be included in the historic district along with the rest of the block, we would like to draw your attention to two particularly relevant and compelling facts about their historic significance: 1.) the roofs of these three 19th century houses form an unbroken stepped-down roofscape unique to this Carnegie Hill block and 2.) the historic significance of 179 is inarguable as it's the world-famous childhood home of the Marx Brothers, and represents a direct link to every member of the iconic comedy team and their extended family as their parents Minnie & Sam, and even the Marx Brothers beloved grandfather, all lived together on the fourth floor.
In his acclaimed memoir Harpo Speaks, the brother known for his silence wrote that 179 was the Marx Brothers' first 'home sweet home' and that the block, and this very special house, helped shape the world view and inform the development of the Marx Brothers who became the world's greatest comedy team.
It is imperative that the city act with all due speed to calendar this RFE and to protect this incomparable collection of historic homes & gardens so rich in our nation's cultural and architectural history. Thank you for your kind attention to this request.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name and address as LPC will disregard any messages without this information)
And please be sure to include your name & address at the bottom of the letter as LPC will unfortunately disregard any messages without this information. Thanks!
The Honorable Robert B. Tierney
Chairman, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
One Centre Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Dear Chairman Tierney,
Thank you for touring historic East 93rd Street and agreeing to take a closer look at the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE), asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east to include historic Marx Brothers Place. We hope the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission calendars this worthy request for a Public Hearing as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it has come to our attention that LPC is concerned that many years ago, the ornamentation was shaved from the three houses numbered 175, 177 & 179 East 93rd Street, rendering their facades flat. So we thought it was important to let you know that this collection of houses, all built in 1881, in fact, remains in tact. These three houses are the original 19th century structures and even retain their significant fenestration. The shaving of the ornamentation is purely cosmetic, can easily be restored and does not undermine the historic significance of these three 19th century houses.
And while there are many reasons these three 19th century houses should be included in the historic district along with the rest of the block, we would like to draw your attention to two particularly relevant and compelling facts about their historic significance: 1.) the roofs of these three 19th century houses form an unbroken stepped-down roofscape unique to this Carnegie Hill block and 2.) the historic significance of 179 is inarguable as it's the world-famous childhood home of the Marx Brothers, and represents a direct link to every member of the iconic comedy team and their extended family as their parents Minnie & Sam, and even the Marx Brothers beloved grandfather, all lived together on the fourth floor.
In his acclaimed memoir Harpo Speaks, the brother known for his silence wrote that 179 was the Marx Brothers' first 'home sweet home' and that the block, and this very special house, helped shape the world view and inform the development of the Marx Brothers who became the world's greatest comedy team.
It is imperative that the city act with all due speed to calendar this RFE and to protect this incomparable collection of historic homes & gardens so rich in our nation's cultural and architectural history. Thank you for your kind attention to this request.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name and address as LPC will disregard any messages without this information)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Harpo Speaks out for Marx Brothers Place in NYC!!!
In his critically acclaimed memoir, Harpo Speaks, the long-silent Marx Brother spoke eloquently and lovingly about his beloved childhood home in NYC, the block & house that the brothers called 'home sweet home'.
Now that the block is endangered by demolition, Harpo speaks out again for Marx Brothers Place on YouTube!!!
Please click on this link and check out Harpo Marx in person: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU68eslaLP0
Thanks for your continued support of our ongoing campaign to help protect and preserve historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!!!
Now that the block is endangered by demolition, Harpo speaks out again for Marx Brothers Place on YouTube!!!
Please click on this link and check out Harpo Marx in person: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU68eslaLP0
Thanks for your continued support of our ongoing campaign to help protect and preserve historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!!!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Penthouse Owner's Desperate 'Hail Mary' Sails Way out of Bounds
Please cut & paste & send the message below to BSA prior to March 20, 2009 by Regular Mail; Fax: 212.788.8769 (attention Mr. Ron Rizzotti) or Email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailbsa.html
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan
Chair, NYC BSA
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006-1705
Attention: Mr. Ron Rizzotti
Re: Calendar Number 162-08-BZ - 150 East 93rd Street - Manhattan
Dear Madame Chair,
Since last July, applicant has testified as to the dimensions of his proposed vertical addition for which he seeks a Special Permit. Now, after realizing he can not prove his proposed addition would not have a negative impact on the character of the neighborhood and may impact the environment, applicant claims to have made a calculation error in the hopes this new measurement will free him from the rigorous scrutiny attendant to a Special Permit review.
Applicant's argument that BSA only consider the impacts of 54.8 sq ft, the measurement he now claims is unlawful, is without merit. This measurement does not exist independent of the whole and can not be parsed out for the purpose of review. As a matter of law, the impacts of the whole proposed vertical addition must be thoroughly reviewed.
Please deny this Special Permit.
Sincerely,
(please be sure to add your name & address)
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan
Chair, NYC BSA
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006-1705
Attention: Mr. Ron Rizzotti
Re: Calendar Number 162-08-BZ - 150 East 93rd Street - Manhattan
Dear Madame Chair,
Since last July, applicant has testified as to the dimensions of his proposed vertical addition for which he seeks a Special Permit. Now, after realizing he can not prove his proposed addition would not have a negative impact on the character of the neighborhood and may impact the environment, applicant claims to have made a calculation error in the hopes this new measurement will free him from the rigorous scrutiny attendant to a Special Permit review.
Applicant's argument that BSA only consider the impacts of 54.8 sq ft, the measurement he now claims is unlawful, is without merit. This measurement does not exist independent of the whole and can not be parsed out for the purpose of review. As a matter of law, the impacts of the whole proposed vertical addition must be thoroughly reviewed.
Please deny this Special Permit.
Sincerely,
(please be sure to add your name & address)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
13th Story Would Impact Environment on Historic Marx Brothers Place !
Please cut & paste & send the message below to BSA prior to the January 27, 2009 Public Hearing by Regular Mail or Email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailbsa.html
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan
Chair, NYC BSA
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006-1705
Re: Objection to Application for Special Permit - Calendar Number 162-08-BZ, Property ID - 150 East 93rd Street, Block 1521, Lot 51, Manhattan.
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the applicant's request for a Special Permit to build a 13th floor above his penthouse which is already an additional structure that sits atop the roof of 150E93, one floor above the traditional penthouse floor, on historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill.
150E93 abuts an important collection of historic brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already in the CHHD. And, as you may know, there is a pending effort to extend the CHHD to include Marx Brothers Place within its protective boundaries. We all support this ongoing preservation effort.
In the meantime, it has come to my attention that the applicant in the above captioned case has submitted a preliminary shadow assessment, produced by Thomas A. Francis of Equity Environmental Engineering LLC in Flanders NJ, in an attempt to avoid having to do a full-blown Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In light of the myriad environmental issues raised by this case, I strongly believe an EIS is required by law.
Mr. Francis admits in the preliminary shadow assessment that he did not visit the site before offering his opinion, and is projecting a conclusion based solely upon his own broad theoretical calculations. Because the assessment was admittedly created in a vacuum, without the benefit of the relevant factors particular to historic East 93rd Street, it is wholly inadequate and must be disregarded in its entirety. Certainly, the preliminary shadow assessment submitted by the applicant can not be the basis for issuing a negative declaration in this case.
1.) The subject assessment assumes that 150E93 is surrounded by buildings of equal height which would theoretically intervene in shadows cast. But, because Mr. Francis was not given all the facts, his assumption here is incorrect as 150E93 abuts a row of tiny and ancient houses.
2.) The assessment also fails to contemplate the undeniable shadow that would be cast upon the collection of gardens on East 93rd Street, a vital ecosystem in NYC's fragile urban environment, if this proposed project were approved. For the fact is, the long row of four-story 19th century brownstones, which 150E93 abuts, has an equally long row of contiguous gardens that run the course of the rear yards.
These gardens lose sunlight at a particular time of day depending upon the season. The additional shadow that would, unquestionably, be cast upon these gardens, by a 13th story being added to the 12th floor addition that already sits atop the 150E93 roof, would limit the sunlight to which the resident flora & fauna are exposed. This impact to the environment makes it necessary for the applicant to do an EIS if BSA chooses to continue to hear his application.
I respectfully ask that BSA deny the applicant's request for a Special Permit to construct a 13th floor on top of the structure that already sits on top of the roof of 150E93 on historic Marx Brothers Place.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name & address)
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan
Chair, NYC BSA
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006-1705
Re: Objection to Application for Special Permit - Calendar Number 162-08-BZ, Property ID - 150 East 93rd Street, Block 1521, Lot 51, Manhattan.
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the applicant's request for a Special Permit to build a 13th floor above his penthouse which is already an additional structure that sits atop the roof of 150E93, one floor above the traditional penthouse floor, on historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill.
150E93 abuts an important collection of historic brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already in the CHHD. And, as you may know, there is a pending effort to extend the CHHD to include Marx Brothers Place within its protective boundaries. We all support this ongoing preservation effort.
In the meantime, it has come to my attention that the applicant in the above captioned case has submitted a preliminary shadow assessment, produced by Thomas A. Francis of Equity Environmental Engineering LLC in Flanders NJ, in an attempt to avoid having to do a full-blown Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In light of the myriad environmental issues raised by this case, I strongly believe an EIS is required by law.
Mr. Francis admits in the preliminary shadow assessment that he did not visit the site before offering his opinion, and is projecting a conclusion based solely upon his own broad theoretical calculations. Because the assessment was admittedly created in a vacuum, without the benefit of the relevant factors particular to historic East 93rd Street, it is wholly inadequate and must be disregarded in its entirety. Certainly, the preliminary shadow assessment submitted by the applicant can not be the basis for issuing a negative declaration in this case.
1.) The subject assessment assumes that 150E93 is surrounded by buildings of equal height which would theoretically intervene in shadows cast. But, because Mr. Francis was not given all the facts, his assumption here is incorrect as 150E93 abuts a row of tiny and ancient houses.
2.) The assessment also fails to contemplate the undeniable shadow that would be cast upon the collection of gardens on East 93rd Street, a vital ecosystem in NYC's fragile urban environment, if this proposed project were approved. For the fact is, the long row of four-story 19th century brownstones, which 150E93 abuts, has an equally long row of contiguous gardens that run the course of the rear yards.
These gardens lose sunlight at a particular time of day depending upon the season. The additional shadow that would, unquestionably, be cast upon these gardens, by a 13th story being added to the 12th floor addition that already sits atop the 150E93 roof, would limit the sunlight to which the resident flora & fauna are exposed. This impact to the environment makes it necessary for the applicant to do an EIS if BSA chooses to continue to hear his application.
I respectfully ask that BSA deny the applicant's request for a Special Permit to construct a 13th floor on top of the structure that already sits on top of the roof of 150E93 on historic Marx Brothers Place.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name & address)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Carnegie Hill Says NO to Baker's Dozen !
Please cut & paste & send the message below to BSA prior to the January 27, 2009 Public Hearing by Regular Mail or Email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailbsa.html with a copy to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com.
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivisaan
Chair, NYC Board of Standards & Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Re: BSA Calendar # 162-08-BZ: 150 East 93 Street, Manhattan NYC
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the proposal to construct a Penthouse on top of the Penthouse which already sits on top of the roof at 150 East 93rd Street in Carnegie Hill NYC for the following reasons:
1.) the proposal threatens the historic character of this storied NYC neighborhood so rich in cultural and architectural history; 2.) the proposed addition literally faces the Carnegie Hill Historic District and thus threatens the historic integrity and property value of the CHHD; 3.) the proposal is completely out of scale & context with this historic block of 19th century houses & gardens which includes the beloved childhood home of the Marx Brothers; 4.) the proposed penthouse would completely overshadow the collection of four-story 19th century townhouses & gardens which 150E93 abuts and which is the indisputable Rosetta Stone to any credible development history of Carnegie Hill having been built prior to the Lexington Avenue extension and being older than any of the brownstones already in the CHHD; 5.) the proposal would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline on this ancient block; 6.) the proposed project would impact the environment, including the flora & fauna resident to the collection of gardens 150E93 abuts, and the penthouse owner has failed to comply with the applicable environmental laws which require an EIS; 7.) the penthouse owner has failed to provide a structural engineering report to determine whether 150E93 could even support another floor which would, in fact, constitute the 13th story on an eleven story building in Carnegie Hill.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the applicant's request for a Special Permit must be denied.
Respectfully submitted,
(Please add your name & address)
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivisaan
Chair, NYC Board of Standards & Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Re: BSA Calendar # 162-08-BZ: 150 East 93 Street, Manhattan NYC
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the proposal to construct a Penthouse on top of the Penthouse which already sits on top of the roof at 150 East 93rd Street in Carnegie Hill NYC for the following reasons:
1.) the proposal threatens the historic character of this storied NYC neighborhood so rich in cultural and architectural history; 2.) the proposed addition literally faces the Carnegie Hill Historic District and thus threatens the historic integrity and property value of the CHHD; 3.) the proposal is completely out of scale & context with this historic block of 19th century houses & gardens which includes the beloved childhood home of the Marx Brothers; 4.) the proposed penthouse would completely overshadow the collection of four-story 19th century townhouses & gardens which 150E93 abuts and which is the indisputable Rosetta Stone to any credible development history of Carnegie Hill having been built prior to the Lexington Avenue extension and being older than any of the brownstones already in the CHHD; 5.) the proposal would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline on this ancient block; 6.) the proposed project would impact the environment, including the flora & fauna resident to the collection of gardens 150E93 abuts, and the penthouse owner has failed to comply with the applicable environmental laws which require an EIS; 7.) the penthouse owner has failed to provide a structural engineering report to determine whether 150E93 could even support another floor which would, in fact, constitute the 13th story on an eleven story building in Carnegie Hill.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the applicant's request for a Special Permit must be denied.
Respectfully submitted,
(Please add your name & address)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Please ask LPC to Calendar Historic Marx Brothers Place for Public Hearing !
Please cut & paste & send the following to: comments@lpc.nyc.gov (with a copy to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com).
Dear Chairman Tierney,
We respectfully request that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) calendar the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE), asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east so as to include historic Marx Brothers Place, for a public hearing.
The beloved childhood block of the Marx Brothers not only includes their extant childhood home, but also includes brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already in the Carnegie Hill Historic District (a row of townhouses vital to any credible understanding of the development history of Carnegie Hill); the unique stepped-down roofscape that runs on both the north and south sides of the block and evokes our nation's Native American history as it gives meaning to the city's original name, Manatus, which translated from the Lenape means "island of hills" - a topographical fact still evident on East 93rd Street, one of the steepest hill's left in all of Manhattan; two houses built and owned by the famous NY Loew Brothers and, inter alia, a house owned by the well-known New Yorker, William Orth.
It is imperative that the city act with all due speed to protect this incomparable collection of historic homes and gardens so rich in our nation's cultural and architectural history.
Thank you for your kind attention to this request.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name and address)
Dear Chairman Tierney,
We respectfully request that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) calendar the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request for Evaluation (RFE), asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east so as to include historic Marx Brothers Place, for a public hearing.
The beloved childhood block of the Marx Brothers not only includes their extant childhood home, but also includes brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already in the Carnegie Hill Historic District (a row of townhouses vital to any credible understanding of the development history of Carnegie Hill); the unique stepped-down roofscape that runs on both the north and south sides of the block and evokes our nation's Native American history as it gives meaning to the city's original name, Manatus, which translated from the Lenape means "island of hills" - a topographical fact still evident on East 93rd Street, one of the steepest hill's left in all of Manhattan; two houses built and owned by the famous NY Loew Brothers and, inter alia, a house owned by the well-known New Yorker, William Orth.
It is imperative that the city act with all due speed to protect this incomparable collection of historic homes and gardens so rich in our nation's cultural and architectural history.
Thank you for your kind attention to this request.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name and address)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Penthouse Atop Penthouse Would Harm Character & Environment of Neighborhood
Please cut & paste & send the message below to BSA prior to the January 27, 2009 Public Hearing by Regular Mail or Email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailbsa.html
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivisaan
Chair, NYC Board of Standards & Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Re: BSA Calendar # 162-08-BZ: 150 East 93 Street, Manhattan NYC
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the proposal to construct a penthouse atop the extant penthouse at 150 East 93rd Street on historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill, and respectfully ask that BSA deny applicant's request for a special permit.
If approved, this project would have significant adverse impacts on the character of this unique historic neighborhood and its fragile ecosystem.
1. Applicant's proposed project poses significant adverse impacts to the environment:
A. Land Use, Zoning and Public Policy: Applicant’s proposal to construct a penthouse atop his extant penthouse is completely inconsistent with the area in which the proposed project site is located and would result in significant adverse impacts. Historic East 93rd Street is subject to R8B zoning. Applicant’s proposal flies in the face of all applicable NYC zoning resolutions. If approved, applicant’s proposal would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline and runs contrary to all sound principles of land use, zoning and public policy.
B. Socioeconomic Conditions: The affected neighborhood has been critically stressed by recent development pressures which continue to compete with the community’s ongoing campaign to have the Carnegie Hill Historic District extended one block east so as to include this important collection of 19th century houses. The fact that applicant’s proposal, if approved, would have a significant adverse impact on the socioeconomic conditions in this historic neighborhood is incontrovertible.
C. Community Facilities and Services: In this critical period when the city and state budgets are overextended, the construction and development attendant to applicant’s proposed project would impose an unsustainable demand upon fire, traffic and police services, posing potential dangers and distracting from the vital needs of the area residents and businesses.
D. Open Space: Applicant’s proposed project would have a significant adverse impact on open space. 150E93 abuts a contiguous row of historic gardens whose floral and fauna would be adversely affected by the increase of shadow that a second story on applicant’s penthouse would naturally create. The geometry that dictates the additional shadow is self-explanatory.
E. Shadows: There is no question that an additional story on the extant penthouse at 150E93 would create additional shadow. This deprivation of light would have an adverse impact on the historic row of contiguous gardens that run along the property lines of the 19th century rowhouses on East 93rd Street and serve as nesting, resting and feeding places for migratory birds and a host of other flora and fauna.
F. Historic Resources: Applicant’s proposed project faces the Carnegie Hill Historic District and abuts a row of tiny 19th century townhouses which includes brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already within the CHHD and which is celebrated by architectural historians and preservationists for its unique steeped-down roofscape. The proposed project would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline and adversely impact these vital and incomparable historic resources.
G. Urban Design/Visual Resources: If approved, the proposed project would impose significant adverse impacts on Urban Design and Visual Resources. East 93rd Street is cherished for its unique stepped-down roofscape. To add a penthouse atop the penthouse at 150E93 would mar the historic skyline and corrupt the viewshed on this historic block.
H. Neighborhood Character: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the character of the neighborhood. It would overburden this tiny block with more traffic, noise and carbon emissions at a time when the block is already at an environmental tipping point due to the increased traffic congestion, pollution and loss of flora and fauna caused by the ongoing construction project at 180 East 93rd Street.
Since East 93rd Street is the Rosetta stone to any credible and scholarly understanding of the development history of Carnegie Hill, applicant’s request for special permission to subvert the zoning law, the only legal protection we have until the block is included in the Historic District, demonstrates a callous disregard for the community and NYC’s valuable historic narrative.
Further, in light of the city’s economic downturn, it is imperative to vigilantly protect historic residential neighborhoods which retain their property value more competitively than other real estate.
I. Natural Resources: The proposed project would adversely impact the natural resources of air, light and water as discussed above.
J. Hazardous Materials: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the environment related to hazardous materials. As 150E93 was built in the 1920s and has been repainted and retrofitted countless times in the ensuing years, it is more likely than not that the proposed project will expose the historic use of asbestos and lead paint in addition to a whole host of other hazardous materials.
K. Waterfront Revitalization Program: East 93rd Street boasts a unique view of the East River. Applicant’s proposal would have a significant impact on this unique viewshed and upon the relationship between the river and this historic neighborhood.
L. Infrastructure: The proposed project would have a significant adverse impact on the city’s infrastructure. In addition to the increased traffic discussed above, applicant has stated that the proposed second penthouse is in contemplation of an increase in occupancy which will unquestionably have an adverse impact on the city’s already stressed and antiquated waste and sewage treatment systems. Further, the proposed construction would impose additional stress on the city’s transportation systems as applicant’s employees would be commuting back and forth from the site.
M. Solid Waste and Sanitation Services: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the city’s solid waste and sanitation services. Applicant has stated that the proposed second penthouse is in contemplation of an increase in occupancy which will unquestionably have an adverse impact on the city’s already stressed and antiquated waste and sewage treatment systems.
N. Energy: The proposed project will have an adverse impact on the city’s limited energy supply and pose an added burden to the city’s antiquated electrical grid which is already significantly overloaded as evidenced by the numerous brown-outs and black-outs the city endures every summer.
O. Traffic and Parking: The proposed project would have a significant impact on traffic and parking. If approved, the proposed project would overburden this tiny block with more traffic, noise and carbon emissions at a time when the block is already at an environmental tipping point due to the increased traffic congestion and loss of parking caused by the ongoing construction project at 180E93.
The combined and cumulative adverse environmental impact would be untenable as the City already gave the developer at 180E93 authority to block a significant swath of the street and to remove no less than four parking spaces on this block.
The noise and traffic-related incidents have already soared as a result of 180E93. This tiny block can not sustain any additional traffic and parking burdens of the type a major construction project like this proposal would impose.
P. Transit and Pedestrian: The proposed project and its construction would impose an unnecessary burden on the neighborhood, and increase transit and pedestrian trips in the area as applicant’s employees would be commuting back and forth from the site whether by train, car, bus or on foot.
Q. Air Quality: The proposed project would have an adverse impact on air quality. In addition to toxic construction dust, the increased traffic attendant to this proposed construction project would contribute daily to carbon emissions and impose an overall greater carbon impact on air quality in the neighborhood.
R. Noise: The proposed project would have an adverse impact on area noise levels. Historic East 93rd Street has always been a very quiet residential block. The proposed construction project would impose a sharp increase of noise in the neighborhood.
S. Construction Impacts: As stated above, the proposed construction would have significant adverse impacts on the environment, including, but not limited to, construction dust (affecting public health and the flora and fauna which live in the historic gardens below); increased traffic; increased noise; increased energy burden; increased stress on infrastructure, parking and the city’s waste disposal system.
T. Public Health: As cited above, the proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on air quality, traffic, natural resources, hazardous materials and noise, all of which contribute negatively to public health, putting a greater burden on the city to contend with the detrimental effects.
2. Applicant's proposed project poses a very real threat to the character of the neighborhood: The neighborhood that would be affected if applicant's request were approved, includes the Carnegie Hill Historic District, which is literally just the other side of Lexington Avenue, and historic East 93rd Street which is subject to R8B zoning.
The fact that 150E93 is discreetly carved out of the subject R8B zoning, and is in fact subject to a looser standard as part of a commercial area, is wholly irrelevant to the application before this Board. For the question remains, “would this proposal have an adverse impact on the historic character of the neighborhood”? And the answer is a resounding “yes”.
A. Unique Roofscape: Architects and historic preservationists give great value to the unique stepped-down roofscape on East 93rd Street. Because this is one of the steepest slopes left in Manhattan, the roofscapes on both the north & south sides of the block literally step-down the hill, creating a zig-zag effect.
This historic 19th century skyline is so remarkable that the partnership project of the Municipal Arts Society & City Lore, Place Matters, has devoted an entire page to historic Marx Brothers Place on its web site.
As 150E93 already towers over this collection of tiny four story houses, any vertical addition would stick out like a sore thumb and breach the sanctity of 93rd Street’s historic skyline and unique roofscape. Literally doubling the size of the extant penthouse, by adding a whole new floor, is not insignificant and would have an adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood.
B. Proximity Poses Threat to Neighborhood’s Historic Character: 150E93 abuts a beautiful row of 19th century houses that are older than any of the brownstones which already enjoy the protection of the Carnegie Hill Historic District.
This marvelous collection of houses was built by George W. Beale in 1865, even pre-dating the extension of Lexington Avenue this far north. The irreplaceable historic treasure trove, these houses represent, is like a turnkey providing access to the finest repository of primary source material relevant to the development history of Carnegie Hill.
To contemplate allowing a breach of the NYC zoning resolution in order to accommodate one man’s desire to construct a penthouse atop his extant penthouse right next door to these ancient homes, whose physical structure and historic narratives are so vital to the city’s collective cultural heritage, runs contrary to public policy and good principles of community planning.
Applicant’s proposal is completely out of scale and context with this tiny block and would have a significant adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood. Applicant’s request for a special permit should be denied.
Thank you for your careful consideration of the very serious issues raised by this proposed project. Again, I respectfully request that BSA deny the applicant’s request for a special permit.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name & address)
Ms. Meenakshi Srinivisaan
Chair, NYC Board of Standards & Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Re: BSA Calendar # 162-08-BZ: 150 East 93 Street, Manhattan NYC
Dear Madame Chair,
I strongly object to the proposal to construct a penthouse atop the extant penthouse at 150 East 93rd Street on historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill, and respectfully ask that BSA deny applicant's request for a special permit.
If approved, this project would have significant adverse impacts on the character of this unique historic neighborhood and its fragile ecosystem.
1. Applicant's proposed project poses significant adverse impacts to the environment:
A. Land Use, Zoning and Public Policy: Applicant’s proposal to construct a penthouse atop his extant penthouse is completely inconsistent with the area in which the proposed project site is located and would result in significant adverse impacts. Historic East 93rd Street is subject to R8B zoning. Applicant’s proposal flies in the face of all applicable NYC zoning resolutions. If approved, applicant’s proposal would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline and runs contrary to all sound principles of land use, zoning and public policy.
B. Socioeconomic Conditions: The affected neighborhood has been critically stressed by recent development pressures which continue to compete with the community’s ongoing campaign to have the Carnegie Hill Historic District extended one block east so as to include this important collection of 19th century houses. The fact that applicant’s proposal, if approved, would have a significant adverse impact on the socioeconomic conditions in this historic neighborhood is incontrovertible.
C. Community Facilities and Services: In this critical period when the city and state budgets are overextended, the construction and development attendant to applicant’s proposed project would impose an unsustainable demand upon fire, traffic and police services, posing potential dangers and distracting from the vital needs of the area residents and businesses.
D. Open Space: Applicant’s proposed project would have a significant adverse impact on open space. 150E93 abuts a contiguous row of historic gardens whose floral and fauna would be adversely affected by the increase of shadow that a second story on applicant’s penthouse would naturally create. The geometry that dictates the additional shadow is self-explanatory.
E. Shadows: There is no question that an additional story on the extant penthouse at 150E93 would create additional shadow. This deprivation of light would have an adverse impact on the historic row of contiguous gardens that run along the property lines of the 19th century rowhouses on East 93rd Street and serve as nesting, resting and feeding places for migratory birds and a host of other flora and fauna.
F. Historic Resources: Applicant’s proposed project faces the Carnegie Hill Historic District and abuts a row of tiny 19th century townhouses which includes brownstones that are older than any of the brownstones already within the CHHD and which is celebrated by architectural historians and preservationists for its unique steeped-down roofscape. The proposed project would constitute a precedent-setting breach of the historic skyline and adversely impact these vital and incomparable historic resources.
G. Urban Design/Visual Resources: If approved, the proposed project would impose significant adverse impacts on Urban Design and Visual Resources. East 93rd Street is cherished for its unique stepped-down roofscape. To add a penthouse atop the penthouse at 150E93 would mar the historic skyline and corrupt the viewshed on this historic block.
H. Neighborhood Character: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the character of the neighborhood. It would overburden this tiny block with more traffic, noise and carbon emissions at a time when the block is already at an environmental tipping point due to the increased traffic congestion, pollution and loss of flora and fauna caused by the ongoing construction project at 180 East 93rd Street.
Since East 93rd Street is the Rosetta stone to any credible and scholarly understanding of the development history of Carnegie Hill, applicant’s request for special permission to subvert the zoning law, the only legal protection we have until the block is included in the Historic District, demonstrates a callous disregard for the community and NYC’s valuable historic narrative.
Further, in light of the city’s economic downturn, it is imperative to vigilantly protect historic residential neighborhoods which retain their property value more competitively than other real estate.
I. Natural Resources: The proposed project would adversely impact the natural resources of air, light and water as discussed above.
J. Hazardous Materials: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the environment related to hazardous materials. As 150E93 was built in the 1920s and has been repainted and retrofitted countless times in the ensuing years, it is more likely than not that the proposed project will expose the historic use of asbestos and lead paint in addition to a whole host of other hazardous materials.
K. Waterfront Revitalization Program: East 93rd Street boasts a unique view of the East River. Applicant’s proposal would have a significant impact on this unique viewshed and upon the relationship between the river and this historic neighborhood.
L. Infrastructure: The proposed project would have a significant adverse impact on the city’s infrastructure. In addition to the increased traffic discussed above, applicant has stated that the proposed second penthouse is in contemplation of an increase in occupancy which will unquestionably have an adverse impact on the city’s already stressed and antiquated waste and sewage treatment systems. Further, the proposed construction would impose additional stress on the city’s transportation systems as applicant’s employees would be commuting back and forth from the site.
M. Solid Waste and Sanitation Services: The proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on the city’s solid waste and sanitation services. Applicant has stated that the proposed second penthouse is in contemplation of an increase in occupancy which will unquestionably have an adverse impact on the city’s already stressed and antiquated waste and sewage treatment systems.
N. Energy: The proposed project will have an adverse impact on the city’s limited energy supply and pose an added burden to the city’s antiquated electrical grid which is already significantly overloaded as evidenced by the numerous brown-outs and black-outs the city endures every summer.
O. Traffic and Parking: The proposed project would have a significant impact on traffic and parking. If approved, the proposed project would overburden this tiny block with more traffic, noise and carbon emissions at a time when the block is already at an environmental tipping point due to the increased traffic congestion and loss of parking caused by the ongoing construction project at 180E93.
The combined and cumulative adverse environmental impact would be untenable as the City already gave the developer at 180E93 authority to block a significant swath of the street and to remove no less than four parking spaces on this block.
The noise and traffic-related incidents have already soared as a result of 180E93. This tiny block can not sustain any additional traffic and parking burdens of the type a major construction project like this proposal would impose.
P. Transit and Pedestrian: The proposed project and its construction would impose an unnecessary burden on the neighborhood, and increase transit and pedestrian trips in the area as applicant’s employees would be commuting back and forth from the site whether by train, car, bus or on foot.
Q. Air Quality: The proposed project would have an adverse impact on air quality. In addition to toxic construction dust, the increased traffic attendant to this proposed construction project would contribute daily to carbon emissions and impose an overall greater carbon impact on air quality in the neighborhood.
R. Noise: The proposed project would have an adverse impact on area noise levels. Historic East 93rd Street has always been a very quiet residential block. The proposed construction project would impose a sharp increase of noise in the neighborhood.
S. Construction Impacts: As stated above, the proposed construction would have significant adverse impacts on the environment, including, but not limited to, construction dust (affecting public health and the flora and fauna which live in the historic gardens below); increased traffic; increased noise; increased energy burden; increased stress on infrastructure, parking and the city’s waste disposal system.
T. Public Health: As cited above, the proposed project would have significant adverse impacts on air quality, traffic, natural resources, hazardous materials and noise, all of which contribute negatively to public health, putting a greater burden on the city to contend with the detrimental effects.
2. Applicant's proposed project poses a very real threat to the character of the neighborhood: The neighborhood that would be affected if applicant's request were approved, includes the Carnegie Hill Historic District, which is literally just the other side of Lexington Avenue, and historic East 93rd Street which is subject to R8B zoning.
The fact that 150E93 is discreetly carved out of the subject R8B zoning, and is in fact subject to a looser standard as part of a commercial area, is wholly irrelevant to the application before this Board. For the question remains, “would this proposal have an adverse impact on the historic character of the neighborhood”? And the answer is a resounding “yes”.
A. Unique Roofscape: Architects and historic preservationists give great value to the unique stepped-down roofscape on East 93rd Street. Because this is one of the steepest slopes left in Manhattan, the roofscapes on both the north & south sides of the block literally step-down the hill, creating a zig-zag effect.
This historic 19th century skyline is so remarkable that the partnership project of the Municipal Arts Society & City Lore, Place Matters, has devoted an entire page to historic Marx Brothers Place on its web site.
As 150E93 already towers over this collection of tiny four story houses, any vertical addition would stick out like a sore thumb and breach the sanctity of 93rd Street’s historic skyline and unique roofscape. Literally doubling the size of the extant penthouse, by adding a whole new floor, is not insignificant and would have an adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood.
B. Proximity Poses Threat to Neighborhood’s Historic Character: 150E93 abuts a beautiful row of 19th century houses that are older than any of the brownstones which already enjoy the protection of the Carnegie Hill Historic District.
This marvelous collection of houses was built by George W. Beale in 1865, even pre-dating the extension of Lexington Avenue this far north. The irreplaceable historic treasure trove, these houses represent, is like a turnkey providing access to the finest repository of primary source material relevant to the development history of Carnegie Hill.
To contemplate allowing a breach of the NYC zoning resolution in order to accommodate one man’s desire to construct a penthouse atop his extant penthouse right next door to these ancient homes, whose physical structure and historic narratives are so vital to the city’s collective cultural heritage, runs contrary to public policy and good principles of community planning.
Applicant’s proposal is completely out of scale and context with this tiny block and would have a significant adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood. Applicant’s request for a special permit should be denied.
Thank you for your careful consideration of the very serious issues raised by this proposed project. Again, I respectfully request that BSA deny the applicant’s request for a special permit.
Respectfully submitted,
(please add your name & address)
Monday, January 5, 2009
An Open Letter to the 2009 President of the Nation of Freedonia
The Right Honorable President of Freedonia
The Peoples Palace
The Nation of Freedonia
Dear Mr. President,
It has come to our attention that in recent weeks the long-strained relations between our Country and the Nation of Freedonia have finally begun to ease. We have eagerly read of the rapprochement in diplomatic relations and watched with delight the pictures of you greeting our leader at the New Year's Eve celebration you hosted at the People's Palace.
The fireworks display in the color scheme of our nation's flag, with celestial stars playing themselves, was a particularly thoughtful and moving gesture; a symbolic olive branch splashed across the midnight sky.
And while we recognize that our leader's motivation for reaching out to your nation at this time may be driven not by diplomatic intentions, but simply a pragmatic need to generate good will in time for the run up to the 2009 election, we feel that you are now in a unique position to illicit from him a kind gesture in return for your Grace's magnanimous overture.
So it is with deep gratitude and humility that we ask you to use your favored status with our leader and prevail upon him to ceremonially co-name the beloved childhood block of some gentlemen who contributed to the cultural history of your nation as well.
New Yorkers by birth and East 93rd Street residents by address, the Marx Brothers also famously blessed the Nation of Freedonia with their kinetic comic genius and global recipes for Duck Soup. In fact, we hope it's not too boastful to say that we believe the Marx Brothers put Freedonia on the map !
Should you have any lingering doubts about appealing to our leader in this regard, perhaps, you could offer to name a tiny Palace hidden somewhere in the woods for him ? He seems to like that sort of thing, so it would be a sure-fire way of sweetening the deal.
The Marx Brothers fabled rule over Freedonia was long ago. But their influence, then and now, has been profound. And if his Grace turns out to be the one who succeeds in persuading our leader to co-name their childhood block Marx Brothers Place, you will forever be remembered as a President who reached out his hand, not to seize land or power, but to honor humanity and peace.
Your Humble Admirers,
Friends & Residents of Marx Brothers Place
The Peoples Palace
The Nation of Freedonia
Dear Mr. President,
It has come to our attention that in recent weeks the long-strained relations between our Country and the Nation of Freedonia have finally begun to ease. We have eagerly read of the rapprochement in diplomatic relations and watched with delight the pictures of you greeting our leader at the New Year's Eve celebration you hosted at the People's Palace.
The fireworks display in the color scheme of our nation's flag, with celestial stars playing themselves, was a particularly thoughtful and moving gesture; a symbolic olive branch splashed across the midnight sky.
And while we recognize that our leader's motivation for reaching out to your nation at this time may be driven not by diplomatic intentions, but simply a pragmatic need to generate good will in time for the run up to the 2009 election, we feel that you are now in a unique position to illicit from him a kind gesture in return for your Grace's magnanimous overture.
So it is with deep gratitude and humility that we ask you to use your favored status with our leader and prevail upon him to ceremonially co-name the beloved childhood block of some gentlemen who contributed to the cultural history of your nation as well.
New Yorkers by birth and East 93rd Street residents by address, the Marx Brothers also famously blessed the Nation of Freedonia with their kinetic comic genius and global recipes for Duck Soup. In fact, we hope it's not too boastful to say that we believe the Marx Brothers put Freedonia on the map !
Should you have any lingering doubts about appealing to our leader in this regard, perhaps, you could offer to name a tiny Palace hidden somewhere in the woods for him ? He seems to like that sort of thing, so it would be a sure-fire way of sweetening the deal.
The Marx Brothers fabled rule over Freedonia was long ago. But their influence, then and now, has been profound. And if his Grace turns out to be the one who succeeds in persuading our leader to co-name their childhood block Marx Brothers Place, you will forever be remembered as a President who reached out his hand, not to seize land or power, but to honor humanity and peace.
Your Humble Admirers,
Friends & Residents of Marx Brothers Place
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Mayor Bloomberg & The Marx Brothers !
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 New Year's 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 undeniable 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 New Year's 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. Grant this simple New Year's wish and co-name this beloved NYC block Marx Brothers Place !
Sincerely,
(Please add your Name & Address)
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 New Year's 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 undeniable 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 New Year's 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. Grant this simple New Year's wish and co-name this beloved NYC block Marx Brothers Place !
Sincerely,
(Please add your Name & Address)
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