The Marx Brothers Place Report

Somebody Let the Dogs Out on Marx Brothers Place: Watch the New Movie Short on YouTube Right Here

2010-10-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Advocating on behalf of historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC, the 93rd Street Beautification Association invites everybody to watch its latest preservation short (9 min) - The Doggy Movie - which has just been launched to YouTube!

Please take a moment now to watch The Doggy Movie by simply clicking on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWDMJhFTEF4!

Thanks! We really hope you all enjoy watching the little movie starring Marx Brothers Place residents Jackie the Boston Terrier (voiced by Judith Hendra) & Victor the Black Russian Terrier (voiced by Kurt Fuller): These feisty pups really know how to deliver a message!

The Doggy Movie is a real HOWL!

Watch The Marx Brothers Place Doggy Movie Trailer Here!

2010-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Please RSVP for the FREE Marx Brothers Place film screening to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com today!

Don't miss the World Premiere of The Dignified Denizens of Marx Brothers Place, Thursday, September 16 at the New York Public Library, 112 East 96th Street, 6-7PM in the Library Meeting Room.

In the meantime, enjoy watching this sneak peek trailer of The Doggy Movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7pkmJiWAgM!

See you at the movies!

Leonard Jacobs Takes on Evil Forces Obstructing Marx Brothers Place

2010-09-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

In his latest post about the 93rd Street Beautification Association's ongoing preservation campaign, Leonard Jacobs takes on the evil forces that have persistently obstructed the lawful landmarking of historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill.

We appreciate Jacobs' courage, but given the length of the horns spotted poking up above the primped coiffs of these evil doers, we strongly recommend that the NY theater critic and social commentator start hanging some mighty huge cloves of garlic right next to that faithful kitchen witch of his.

Please click on the link below & read the full story on Jacobs' popular web site The Clyde Fitch Report: http://www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/09/spurned-by-cb8-and-garodnick-marx-brothers-place-goes-to-the-dogs/#comment-24105.

Thanks!

Marx Brothers Place - The Doggy Movie

2010-09-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

Don't miss the World Premiere of the latest save Marx Brothers Place preservation campaign movie short on Thursday, September 16 at the NYPL 6-7PM.

Details can be found on the Save Marx Brothers Place blog: http://savemarxbrothersplace.blogspot.com/2010/09/sneak-peek-world-premiere-of-latest.html.

Please RSVP (name & number of people in your party) to 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.

Hope to see you all there!

Manhattan Borough President Replies to Harpo Marx' Son's Request

2010-09-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, Harpo Marx' son Bill wrote to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer asking him to intervene and vacate the invalid July 21 NYC Community Board 8 vote on Marx Brothers Place.

After hearing back from the Borough President's office, Bill Marx forwarded the BP's reply on to us: Essentially, while the BP's office expressed its ongoing interest in the 93rd Street Beautification Association's preservation efforts, the letter indicated that the BP's hands are tied when it comes to undoing a CB8 vote and that the best avenue for redress would be to ask CB8 to vacate its own vote.

So, following the BP's lead, the 93rd Street Beautification Association has asked CB8 to vacate the invalid July 21 vote.

And now we need to ask you to let CB8 know that it should do the right thing by tossing the tainted vote and restoring the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request to CB8's calendar as soon as possible before any more historic structures on Marx Brothers Place are forever lost to the wrecking ball.

Please click on the link below & cut & paste & send the message to CB8 TODAY:

http://93rdstreetbeautificationassociation.blogspot.com/2010/09/please-vacate-invalid-vote-on-marx.html

Many thanks for your help!

Harpo Marx's Son Asks Borough President Scott Stringer to Intervene & Save Historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill

2010-08-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the tainted Community Board 8 vote on whether to support the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request to extend the historic district so as to include the priceless collection of historic structures just east of the current district boundary line, Harpo Marx's son Bill has written a letter to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer asking him to intervene on behalf of the campaign to preserve & designate historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill.

Please join Bill in this effort today by simply clicking on this link & sending the message to the Borough President: http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2010/08/vacate-cb8-vote-on-marx-brothers-place.html. Thanks!

We also thought you might like to read the letter that Bill Marx sent to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. So, here it is:

Dear Mr. Scott Stringer,

My name is Bill Marx, and Harpo Marx is my father. I live in Rancho Mirage, California, not far from the home he built in 1956 that has recently been deemed a Historic Site by the City Council. I did not have anything to do with the recommendation of such an act, but I did support the concept of it having a necessary historical purpose for the total Palm Springs area. So, as well, I have no real personal burning, self-serving reason or concerns for the preservation of Marx Brothers Place other than it would be, of course, a well deserved tribute to them and is such an important slice of America's and in particular Manhattan's history that I truly believe should live on in the minds and hearts of all people who cherish America's Theater history; the film industry's history and Broadway Theater history and those who contribute to its ongoing success. I went to Juilliard School of music when it was across from Columbia University, so I have always had a special place in my heart for what I consider to be the greatest city on earth. For the many fans and tourists that visit the historical places of Bach or Stravinsky or Albert Einstein or any person who has brought positive influence to so many, the preservation of the area where the Marx Brothers were all born and grew up would be also similiar in its magnetic purpose to the public interest. No matter what the outcome, the Marx Brothers will always remain popular, so it's more about seeing to it that fascinating bits and pieces of New York are preserved historically, thus making it the unique city that continues to be the hub of culture the world over.
On behalf of Harpo's family, thank you for your time in addressing this issue, and we hope that you will help to see that Marx Brothers Place can remain as one of the many beacons that continue to light up all of Manhattan for all mankind.
Respectfully, Bill Marx

Parshall Ethics Scandal Crosses Pond

2010-08-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

NYC Community Board 8's (CB8's) Landmarks Committee co-chair Jane Parshall's ethics scandal - the conflict of interest over Marx Brothers Place which she confessed to on the public record and then cast aside like a fallen eyelash - is no longer a domestic issue.

The unctous details of Parshall's public transgression have blown across the pond scum and landed safely on the shores of The Marx Brothers Council of Britain.

You can read Britain's Matthew Coniam's entire post by simply clicking on the following link and scrolling down the left hand margin to the Parshall CB8 ethics scandal:

http://marxcouncil.blogspot.com/

CB8 Landmarks Co-Chair Jane Parshall's Ethics Breach Taints Vote on Historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill

2010-08-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Will NYC Community Board 8 do the right thing & toss the tainted full board vote on historic Marx Brothers Place?

After CB8 Landmarks Committee co-chair Jane Parshall publicly confessed to a conflict of interest - which ethically barred her from participating in the matter of historic Marx Brothers Place - this public servant - appointed by NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick - thumbed her nose at the public she serves and aggressively inserted herself into the matter anyway thereby poisoning the full board vote.

Now it's up to NYC - whether Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer; Public Advocate Bill de Blasio or CB8 itself - to make sure the Community Board 8 vote compromised by Parshall is immediately vacated and that historic Marx Brothers Place finally gets the process it is due.

Read more by clicking on this link:

http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2010/08/nyc-cb8-landmarks-chair-jane-parshall.html

CB8 Landmarks Co-Chair Jane Parshall Confesses to Conflict of Interest - then 48 Hours Later Thumbs Nose at Ethics & Wages War on Marx Brothers Place

2010-08-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Monday, July 19, 2010, Community Board 8's (CB8's) Landmarks Committee Co-Chair Jane Parshall - a Public Servant appointed to the Board by NYC CM Dan Garodnick - announced publicly that because she has a conflict of interest regarding historic Marx Brothers Place she would have to recuse herself from the vote on this beloved NYC block.

With Parshall out of the mix, the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request (RFE) - to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east - sailed through CB8's Landmarks Committee 7-0 (with Parshall's 1 abstention) following several heartfelt apologies from Committee Members for not having designated this important historic block years earlier.

Mysteriously however, within a mere 48 hours, CB8 Parshall's confessed conflict of interest had somehow evaporated into thin air: And without the slightest hint of qualm, CB8's Parshall dove right into the thick of things on Wednesday, July 21 in a very obvious attempt to derail the vote on historic Marx Brothers Place.

This was the very same vote that just 2 days prior had prompted Parshall - a Public Servant appointed to the Community Board by NYC CM Dan Garodnick - to publicly confess to a conflict of interest which ethically barred her from participation.

In what most generously might be called one of the most dramatic lapses of memory on public record CB8's Landmarks Committee Co-Chair Jane Parshall inexplicably cast aside her recorded conflict of interest and aggressively inserted herself into the matter of the Marx Brothers Place vote scheduled for a Full CB8 Board Meeting on Wednesday, July 21, 2010.

Parshall's outlandish antics and overt attempts to subvert the vote - while completely ignoring her own confessed ethics conflict - stunned the public and sent shock waves through the room. Parshall's failure to follow procedure was so egregious that it finally led CB8 Landmarks Committee Member and Co-Chair of the Defenders of the Historic Upper East Side Teri Slater to publicly read Parshall the Riot Act. A stickler for process, Slater's public tongue-lashing of Parshall, however, came after the fateful Marx Brothers Place vote - which Parshall had successfully poisoned - had already been tallied and officially recorded.

There can be no question that the July 21, 2010 full CB8 Board vote on historic Marx Brothers Place was tainted by fraud and abuse of process. So the 93rd Street Beautification Association has no choice but to call upon Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer - who oversees the workings of Community Board 8 - to do the right thing and demand that the July 21, 2010 vote on historic Marx Brothers Place be immediately vacated due to fraud.

This historic block has earned its place on the calender of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Marx Brothers Place should not be denied a public hearing at the LPC because of the egregious irregularities perpetrated by CB8's Landmarks Committee Co-Chair Jane Parshall.

Please click on the following link now & let Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer know that the tainted vote on historic Marx Brothers Place must be immediately vacated: http://the-marx-brothers-place-report.blogspot.com/2010/08/vacate-cb8-vote-on-marx-brothers-place.html

Thanks for your continued support of historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC!

NYC Must Vacate CB8 Vote on Marx Brothers Place

2010-08-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

Please help save historic Marx Brothers Place by just cutting & pasting the message below & sending it to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer - bp@manhattanbp.org with a copy to the 93rd Street Beautification Association - 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com. Many thanks for your continued support of Marx Brothers Place!

Now here's the letter for the Borough President:

Subject Line: Please Vacate CB8 Vote on Marx Brothers Place

Dear Borough President Scott Stringer,

We know from previous correspondence, that landmarking historic Marx Brothers Place has your full support. We also know that as Manhattan Borough President you have a strong and abiding interest in the public business of Community Board 8.

Therefore, in the interests of fairness and good public policy, we hereby respectfully request that you demand the July 21, 2010 CB8 Full Board vote on Marx Brothers Place be immediately vacated as the facts surrounding that particular CB8 vote require.

Sincerely,

NAME & ADDRESS ARE REQUIRED

Thanks to NYC CM Dan Garodnick the Wrecking Ball Swings Even Closer to Marx Brothers Place

2010-08-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

John Warren's popular New York History blog has just posted the latest 93rd Street Beautification Association commentary on the threat of demolition hovering over historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC.

Please click on the link below and read the full story about how our own NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick torpedoed the Marx Brothers Place preservation campaign following a 7-0 victory (with one abstention) before NYC Community Board 8's Landmarks Committee.

Thanks for your continued support of historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC!

Now here's the link to the Marx Brothers Place story posted to John Warren's New York History blog: http://www.newyorkhistoryblog.com/2010/08/commentary-demolition-of-marx-brothers.html

NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick takes Aim at Marx Brothers Place Constituents & Defeats Plan to Landmark MBP

2010-07-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

It seems NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick must be working for somebody other than his constituents these days.

Following Monday's impressive 7-0 vote (with one abstention) by which Community Board 8's (CB8) Landmarks Committee decided to support the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request (RFE) - asking the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east so as to include the historically significant structures on Marx Brothers Place - Garodnick took it upon himself on Wednesday to contact Jane Parshall, Co-Chair, CB8 Landmarks Committee, saying that he had been sitting on a letter from the LPC - since May - in which the Commission had already rejected the Marx Brothers Place RFE.

Neither Parshall nor Garodnick bothered contacting the members of CB8's Landmarks Committee before the meeting or the members of the 93rd Street Beautification Association about this letter or about their intention to brandish the Garodnick letter prior to the full board vote - on Marx Brothers Place - at Wednesday's CB8 Meeting.

Garodnick - who did not attend the CB8 Meeting in person, but instead sent a representative - provided Parshall with 3 copies of the letter - a letter he had been sitting on for nearly two months - just in the nick of time for Wednesday's CB8 Full Board Meeting. Garodnick did not provide the 93rd Street Beautification Association with a copy of the letter, nor did he provide the Association with a heads up as to his intentions to drop the letter on the Full Board just before the vote on Marx Brothers Place.

Parshall - the one and only abstention from Monday's 7-0 vote - grabbed the Garodnick letter and ran with it. Visibly excited at the prospect of throwing a wrench into the vote, Parshall began her presentation by having her Co-Chair David Liston read the Garodnick letter to the Full CB8 Board from the podium on stage. Parshall chose to lead with this, blunting any opportunity for Landmarks Committee members to first tell their fellow Board Members the reasons they had voted to support the RFE and why the full Board should too.

As one might suspect, the dramatic reveal and recitation of the Garodnick letter had a very powerful impact on members of the Full Board who have never read the 93rd Street Beautification Association's RFE and who are unfamiliar with the unique and significant history of the block. So, once Liston finished reading the Garodnick letter from the podium, it was, of course, all about the letter. Marx Brothers Place had suddenly become an unspoken memory.

And so, without even the courtesy of a heads up to his own constituents, NYC Council Member Dan Garodnick successfully defeated Marx Brothers Place in one fell swoop - and sold out his constituents in the process.

The 93rd Street Beautification Association would like to thank CB8 Board Member Teri Slater who had the temerity to read Parshall the Riot Act for her blaring breach of protocol. Slater went on record saying that Parshall should never have presented the Garodnick letter - which could only serve to prejudice the CB8 Full Board vote on Marx Brothers Place. Adding that the letter from the LPC to Garodnick was premature - as it denies CB8 the opportunity to weigh in on an RFE in its own district - Slater said the letter should have been ignored.

While many members of the CB8 Landmarks Committee agreed with Slater, the full CB8 Board had already bought the Garodnick letter that Parshall was more than happy to sell to them.

On Monday, Parshall chose to abstain from voting on the Marx Brothers Place RFE saying that she has a conflict of interest: A wiser woman would have steered clear of the matter on Wednesday as well.

It is curious: Why would CM Garodnick have waited until after there was a successful Landmarks Committe vote (7-0 is nothing to sneeze at) before he finally shared a letter - that he sat on since May - and which he now claims he suddenly felt compelled to reveal?

There's a reason your mother told you to never trust a politician.

Harpo's Son, Bill, Talks to NYC Reporter About His Dad's Beloved Little Block:

2010-07-16T08:02:00.001-07:00

Check it out!

Harpo's son, Bill Marx, talks with a reporter about his dad's beloved little block: http://dnainfo.com/20100715/upper-east-side/groucho-marxs-upper-east-side-childhood-home-ready-for-night-at-community-board!

Bill is a huge Marx Brothers Place supporter & he's hoping that CB8's Landmarks Committee does the right thing on Monday evening & throws its full support behind the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request to finally designate this historic little block!

Please help make Bill Marx' wish come true: Please come out to the CB8 Landmarks Committee Meeting & show your support for Marx Brothers Place - Monday, July 19th at 6:30pm in the Hexter Lounge, Hunter College School of Social Work, 129 East 79th Street.

Thanks!

Please Send Letter Supporting Marx Brothers Place to CB8 TODAY!

2010-07-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

The 93rd Street Beautification Association needs all the help it can get in its effort to protect the historic & beloved NYC block known as Marx Brothers Place!

The Association is scheduled to present its formal Request for Evaluation (RFE) (asking the city to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District one block east) to Community Board 8's (CB8) Landmarks Committee at 6:30pm on Monday evening, July 19th in Hexter Lounge at the Hunter College School of Social Work - 129 East 79th Street. We hope you all will join us there!

Before the Meeting, however, we need to ask YOU to send a letter of support to CB8. If you don't have the time to write something, please feel free to cut & paste send following message to the CB8 Landmarks Committee, c/o CB8 District Manager, Latha Thompson, at: thompson@cb8m.com with a copy to: 93rdst.beautification@gmail.com.

Subject line: We Support Designating 93rd St.

Message:

Dear Ms. Pearshall,

We support the 93rd Street Beautification Association's RFE to designate historic East 93rd Street between Lexington & Third Avenues in Carnegie Hill.

We strongly encourage CB8 to throw its full support behind this community effort and hope you will do everything in your power to make sure this worthy RFE is calendered for a Public Hearing at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

NAME
ADDRESS

NYC's Community Board 8 to FINALLY Hear Request to Landmark Historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill

2010-07-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Please join us on Monday, July 19 at 6:30pm in Hexter Lounge at the Hunter College School of Social Work - 129 East 79th Street NYC - when Community Board 8 will FINALLY hear the 93rd Street Beautification Association's Request to Landmark historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill!

We would love to have you all attend and testify on behalf of MBP or simply cheer us on from the audience!

In the meantime, please take a moment to blog about, post about, talk about, facebook about, YouTube about or otherwise let the world know that historic Marx Brothers Place has a hot date with CB8!!!

For more info, details, background, etc., please check out what NY Theater Critic & Huffington Post contributor Leonard Jacobs recently wrote about Marx Brothers Place on his popular web site The Clyde Fitch Report by just clicking on this link: http://www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/07/extension-of-carnegie-hill-historic-district-arrives-on-cb8-plate/.

Thanks & we hope to see you all bright eyed & bushy tailed on Monday, July 19 at 6:30pm at 129 East 79th Street for the big date!

The Preservation Diaries - 'NYC's Landmarks: Just a House of Cards?' - Published June 11, 2010

2010-06-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association co-chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NY Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular website - The Clyde Fitch Report. We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'NYC's Landmarks: Just a House of Cards?' by just clicking on this link: http://www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/06/new-york-citys-landmarks-is-it-really-just-a-house-of-cards/.

Thank you for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC!

The Preservation Diaries - 'Can Los Angeles Teach Gotham About City Planning And Historic Preservation?' - Published January 6, 2010

2010-05-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report! We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'Can Los Angeles Teach Gotham About City Planning and Historic Preservation?' by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/01/can-los-angeles-teach-gotham-about-city-planning-and-historic-preservation/.

Thank you for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in NYC!

The Preservation Diaries - 'The Phantoms of Holden Caulfield's Youth' - Published January 20, 2010

2010-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report! We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'The Phantoms of Holden Caulfield's Youth' by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/01/the-phantoms-of-holden-caulfields-youth/.

Thanks for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!

The Preservation Diaries - 'Of Preservation and Parking Lots' - Published February 5, 2010

2010-05-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report! We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment entitled 'Of Preservation and Parking Lots' - by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/02/of-preservation-and-parking-lots/.

Thanks for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!

The Preservation Diaries - 'Busy as a Beaver' - published February 20, 2010

2010-05-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report! We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'Busy as a Beaver' by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/02/busy-as-a-beaver/.

Thanks for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!

The Preservation Diaries - 'The Malling of Gotham' - published March 9, 2010

2010-05-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading The Preservation Diaries, written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic & Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report! We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'The Malling of Gotham' by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/03/the-malling-of-gotham/.

Thanks for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill!

The Preservation Diaries - 'Blame It On Rothko' - Published May 6, 2010

2010-05-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading The Preservation Diaries written by author and 93rd Street Beautification Association Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti, and published online by NYC Theater Critic and Huffington Post contributor, Leonard Jacobs, at his popular web site - The Clyde Fitch Report: We really appreciate your interest in the column!

We would now like to invite you all to read the latest installment 'Blame It On Rothko' by just clicking on this link: http//www.clydefitchreport.com/2010/05/blame-it-on-rothko/!

Thanks for your continued interest in and support for our ongoing preservation campaign!

Please keep in touch!

Best wishes from historic Marx Brothers Place in Carnegie Hill NYC!

Uptown Is For People

2009-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

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!

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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.

The Demolition Review Bill - The Third Rail in NYC Politics!

2009-10-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

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!

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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.

Harpo Has Spoken: Now It's Up To The Rest Of Us!

2009-10-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

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.

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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.

Marx Brothers Place: Official Globe-Trotter!

2009-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

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!

Please be sure to click on this link & to share this email with all your

friends & colleagues!

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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.

Marx Brothers Place: A Rare Glimpse into NYC's Physical History

2009-08-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

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!

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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.

Summer Film Fest Celebrates 93rd Street's Favorite Sons!

2009-08-07T07:52:00.001-07:00

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.

Uptown Radio Visits Marx Brothers Place

2009-06-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

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!

Please be sure to send this letter to LPC TODAY and share this message with all your friends & colleagues!

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.....................................................................................

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.

Lappin's New Landmarking Legislation

2009-06-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

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:

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.

Beyond Lintels

2009-05-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

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)

Harpo Speaks out for Marx Brothers Place in NYC!!!

2009-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Penthouse Owner's Desperate 'Hail Mary' Sails Way out of Bounds

2009-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

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)

13th Story Would Impact Environment on Historic Marx Brothers Place !

2009-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

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)

Carnegie Hill Says NO to Baker's Dozen !

2009-01-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

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)

Please ask LPC to Calendar Historic Marx Brothers Place for Public Hearing !

2009-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

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)

Penthouse Atop Penthouse Would Harm Character & Environment of Neighborhood

2009-01-13T04:36:00.000-08:00

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)

An Open Letter to the 2009 President of the Nation of Freedonia

2009-01-05T06:10:00.000-08:00

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

Mayor Bloomberg & The Marx Brothers !

2009-01-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

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)

US Postal Service Says - Mail it with Groucho !

2008-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

Please look for the Groucho Marx postage stamp this summer:

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

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

2008-12-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

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

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

9. Free supply of Groucho glasses for life !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Because We The People said so !

(Thanks Dave)

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

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

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

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

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

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

All We Want For Christmas & Chanukah !

2008-12-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

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

Dear Mr. Mayor,

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Name
Address

If These Houses Could Talk !

2008-12-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for your continued interest in historic Marx Brothers Place !

The Urgency of our History is NOW !

2008-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

Please help Save Marx Brothers Place !

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

2008-12-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respectfully submitted,

(Please add your name & address)

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

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

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

Thanks for your continued support of historic Marx Brothers Place !

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

2008-12-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

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

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

To the Board:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respectfully submitted,

(Please add your name & address)

Dear Mr. Tierney - By Bill Marx

2008-11-30T13:26:00.001-08:00

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

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

Dear Chairperson Tierney,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respectfully,

Bill Marx

View Marx Brothers Place on MySpace Now !

2008-11-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

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

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

Sample Letter Supporting Marx Brothers Place

2008-11-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

Dear Chairman Tierney,

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

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

Respectfully submitted,

(please add your name & address here)

Harpo's Son Joins the Campaign !

2008-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Marx Brothers - Preservation Instigators ?

2008-09-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everybody Says We Love Woody Allen !

2008-09-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Marx Brothers Place is Ready for its Close-up

2008-09-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New York Times Treks up to Marx Brothers Place

2008-09-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

The National Trust focuses on Marx Brothers Place

2008-09-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

With A Little Help From Our Friends

2008-09-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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