Week of Sep 27th
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Long Island City Virtual Tour
Long Island City Virtual Tour
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Sep 28, 2021September 28, 2021
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Long Island City (Newtown Creek, East River, 51st Street) was an independent city from 1870 to 1898. It is dubbed the ‘Cradle of Creativity’ from its storied record of creative ideas and the imaginative people behind them.
It launched New York as the nation’s business center (two 1640 millstones are in Queens Plaza). The Sunnyside Railyards and Degnon Terminal, remain one of the world’s largest railyard-industrial complexes. The Steinways, while en résidence at their mansion, created Steinway Hall, instrumental in making our city the World’s Capital of Culture and Ideas. The Steinway Piano Factory makes 95% of pianos on the professional stage. From its Van Dam office, Sony revolutionized the entertainment industry.
Notable model housing, Sunnyside Gardens, Phipps Gardens, Mathews Model Flats, are studied by urban planners. Bohemian Hall created the craft beer craze that swept the nation. Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern food made the community the top choice among the city’s gourmands. Ethel Merman, Tony Bennet, leads a cast of artists that have called it home.
$25/$30
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Book talk- American Hotel: The Waldorf-Astoria and the Making of a Century
Book talk- American Hotel: The Waldorf-Astoria and the Making of a Century
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Sep 30, 2021September 30, 2021
5:00 p.m.
via Zoom
Known internationally as a symbol of elegance and luxury, Manhattan’s Waldorf-Astoria is one of the world’s most famous hotels. Its reputation as a host to political leaders and movie stars is matched only by the renown of its cuisine and soaring Art Deco architecture. In this lecture based on his recent book, American Hotel: The Waldorf-Astoria and the Making of a Century, historian David Freeland will take us beyond the glittering image, using rare photos and documents to reveal the full extent of the Waldorf’s contribution as a shaper of twentieth century life and culture. Freeland’s talk for Historic Districts Council will take place on the 90th anniversary of the day – September 30, 1931 – the current Waldorf-Astoria building on Park Avenue opened to the public.
Along the way, we’ll gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of the fascinating ways the Waldorf-Astoria – as an institution devoted to hospitality – influenced the social and political life of the city. Taking us back to a time when American hotels saw themselves as leaders within their communities, Freeland will illustrate how the Waldorf-Astoria contributed to some of New York’s most dramatic events while fulfilling its institutional mission as a host to the metropolis. He’ll also discuss the successful preservation effort – led by HDC and its allies – that resulted in the landmark designation of much of the Waldorf’s interior in 2017.