Dear Friend and Neighbor,
Quality of life. Sustainability. Community. Preservation. Who will fight for New York’s neighborhoods? We will.
When I first returned to NY in 1999 for college, an early mentor further stoked in me a fire of New York curiosity that was already well ablaze. A native New Yorker with an activist spirit, she was a consummate listener and guide who genuinely loved serving on her community board, protesting when warranted, and who, (at least) once, happily accepted overnight accommodation in “The Tombs” in active service to that community.
Although she passed away in 2012, she still comes to mind often—and even more so now, as LANDMARK WEST! approaches our 40th year, the Ruby Anniversary.
Yes, 40 years is traditionally represented by the ruby. But for me, there’s more.
Outings with my mentor took us far off the beaten path, to desolate corners and neglected byways, with an annual stop at a dive bar called Ruby’s on the Coney Island boardwalk.
Plastic cups, painted plywood bar, and a toilet that crashed through the rotted floor to the sand below. Not a standard landmark. But through sheer defiance, Ruby’s just completed its 90th summer. Beginning in 2005, a developer amassed acres of the neighborhood, evicting tenants and warehousing the land, all the while lobbying the City for re-zonings. But Ruby’s managed to survive. Its presence to many is as significant as the Parachute Jump, the Wonder Wheel, or even the Cyclone.
Today’s visitors might remember the venue for its tables constructed of wood from the original 1920s boardwalk, the many historical images that paper the walls, or even the permeating taste of the Atlantic Ocean, but most would be hard-pressed to describe the food and drink. Ruby’s is about ambiance, the staying power of the community, and the quintessential New York that happens organically over time and can’t simply pop up via a directive from corporate.
In our work at LANDMARK WEST! we’ve been chasing this spirit since our founding. Our mission, as expressed in our articles of incorporation, remains ever-relevant:
To protect and enhance the Upper West Side through supporting historic preservation and appropriate urban planning.
While the means to achieve this goal have expanded, the challenges have grown over the years. Our founders accomplished so much that one forgets how easy it is to become complacent. I cannot count how often a building (the IRT Substation on 96th, Eagle Court on Broadway, the former Mermaid Inn on Amsterdam, or the next building you love on the street you frequent) is in the news, slated for demolition, when the phone rings, and the caller asks why it isn’t a landmark. More often than not, it’s an excellent question, but one that reminds us, despite the many achievements of the past,the goals remain, and the stakes have only risen. If these places are truly valued, they must be protected.
We continue to build on our inherited legacy with an array of programs and tours – made possible through new community partnerships and collaborations, allowing us to get you access to the buildings you love most.
We continue to invest in Keeping the Past for the Future, our children’s education program that meets the needs of the students on their terms, at the elementary and middle school levels, with new approaches, expanded class offerings, and dual-language courses for almost 3,000 Upper West Side public school students.
We continue to expand advocacy to a broader range of urban quality-of-life concerns, from out-of-scale high-rises to out-of-scale 5G towers and everything in between, from building to building and, more recently, from sidewalk to street. From the Department of Transportation to the Department of Information and Technology and Telecommunications to the Public Design Commission and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, we continue to review the applications that impact our neighborhood and testify regarding the appropriateness (or otherwise) of proposed changes.
We continue to scour archives and historical records; with enhanced research, and a willingness to engage in difficult discussions, we are better equipped to respond when issues arise.
Of course, Coney Island is not the Upper West Side. And that is partly my point: we are a city of neighborhoods, each with its own vibe and personality. One-size governance does not suit all, nor does one-size zoning. This is why we represented the community at over four dozen hours of hearings on the City of Yes initiative alone. This is why we built a web portal dedicated to the issue, co-sponsored information sessions, and broadcast emails on the topic, and why we have testified multiple times about the impacts the proposed changes may have on our neighborhood. We must remain vigilant on many fronts to maintain our promise to protect and enhance the Upper West Side.
Our work remains multi-faceted, like that of a cut ruby, and we continue to need your help so that we continue to reflect you.
The coming year will be historic, marking not only our 40th Anniversary, but the 60th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law and the 400th Anniversary of New York City. There is so much to celebrate, and we are already hard at work making preparations.
Please renew your membership or join us in our mission for your neighborhood and celebrate OUR continued success.
With utmost sincerity,
