Six To Celebrate 2013 Neighborhoods:
Bronx Parks System, The Bronx ; Rocking Stone, Bronx Park, about 1895
photo credit : JFGryphon, Flickr
Bronx Parks System, The Bronx
In 1888, more than four thousand acres was designated as parkland in The Bronx in anticipation of New York City’s northern growth. This enormous public investment guided the development and planning of the borough to become a livable place for people of modest means. The Bronx Parks 125 Anniversary Committee is marking this anniversary with a series of programs that will support and promote the borough’s parks and the partnerships that maintain them.
East Village/Lower East Side, Manhattan; NW corner of Hester and Ludlow
East Village/Lower East Side, Manhattan
Home to waves of immigrants as well as avant-garde artists and progressive political movements, the East Village and Lower East Side have always been colorful pieces of New York City’s history. While two small historic districts were recently designated in the area, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative is continuing to work toward protecting and promoting more of this vibrant neighborhood.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn; Preservation Greenpoint
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint’s historic factory buildings and modest workers’ housing are strong reminders of Brooklyn’s role as a powerful industrial center during the last half of the 19th century. The newly-formed group Preservation Greenpoint is looking to engage their neighbors in order to better recognize their community’s history and protect its historic architecture.
The Mud Lane Society for the Renaissance of Stapleton; 53 Harrison Street
Harrison Street, Staten Island
Built primarily for working-class families, Harrison Street in Stapleton is a mid-to-late-19th century residential enclave of modest houses designed in Italianate, Greek Revival and other Victorian-era styles. The Mud Lane Society for the Renaissance of Stapleton has been working diligently for years to gain landmark status for this area in order to preserve and improve this unique corner of the city.
Sunset Park Brooklyn, Sunset Park Landmarks Committee
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Elegantly-detailed rowhouses constructed for middle- and working-class families at the turn of the 20th century line the streets of Sunset Park, one of New York City’s largest National Register Historic Districts. The neighborhood also boasts a number of impressive religious and institutional buildings. The Sunset Park Landmarks Committee seeks to celebrate and protect their neighborhood’s historical and architectural significance.
Tribeca, Manhattan; Tribeca Trust
Tribeca, Manhattan
One of New York City’s most notable neighborhoods, Tribeca’s spectacular collection of 19th-century mercantile architecture found new life as a vibrant residential and commercial area thanks to preservation efforts in the 1980’s. The newly-organized Tribeca Trust is campaigning to continue these efforts and involve new and old residents in the protection and future of their community.