Watch-Blog
UWSider Téa Leoni’s UNICEF Halloween
by Claudie Banjamin Remember knocking and shouting "Trick Or Treat for UNICEF!"? That tradition began on Halloween 1950--children could not only enjoy dressing up and amassing a huge haul of candy, but also bring along little orange cardboard collection boxes to...
On the UWS: A Sugar Bowl Evokes a Long-gone Era
by Claudie Benjamin An elaborate 1892 Gorham double–lidded nickel-silver sugar bowl that was recently sold online may be among the only tangible relics that remain of the Hotel Regent-Sherman Square Hotel, once located between 70th and 71st Streets and Broadway. This...
Batter Up! The UWS’s World Series Pitcher
by Claudie Benjamin It's autumn and baseball thoughts are turning to playoffs, wild cards and an eventual World Series. Did you know that the Upper West Side has its own local baseball star--a starting pitcher in the World Series? True, it was a few years back......
Judge Sides with Common Sense
Community WINS in Supreme Court of State of NY! -- Developer vows to Appeal the Decision Late on Friday, September 25, the Honorable Judge Arthur F. Engoron of the Supreme Court of the State of New York issued his findings regarding 36 (aka 50) West 66th...
On the UWS: Creator of the USPS Suffragette Stamp
by Claudie Benjamin Upper West Side illustrator Nancy Stahl has designed about 30 US Postage Stamps. Her depiction of a Snowy Egret, a first class stamp that sold 8 billion, was among the all-time best selling issues of the USPS. Just out is her stamp celebrating the...
Architect Robert Arthur King’s Favorite UWS Stonecarvings
By Claudie Benjamin It's hard to imagine anyone more engaging and informed than Robert Arthur King, FIAA, Architect, on the subject of the stone carvings that ornament the facades of Upper West Side brownstones built between 1870-1930. Actually, King's expertise and...
A Preservation Legend Passes: Thank You Gene Norman
Preservation legend Gene A. Norman passed away last night at home following an illness, said his wife Juanita. Gene served the city well as LPC Commissioner and actions taken during his tenure have protected scores of landmarks city-wide, from the beloved Solomon R....
Gardening Nurtures Serenity in Verdi Square
UWS Highlight by Claudie Benjamin Volunteer gardener Chizu Ito in Verdi Square These days, a place to pause, distance and simply enjoy serenity in NYC is a prize. Verdi Square, between 72nd and 73rd Streets and Broadway is not an obvious location for peace and quiet,...
Objects Desired, Bought & Sold
An UWS Highlight by Claudie Benjamin John Koch, a long-time specialist in buying and selling the contents of estates, has a deep love and affinity for the Upper West Side. He admits, “I literally have to be dragged away to cross the park.” He has maintained a shop...
Contact the PDC and NYC: Just Don’t DoITT!
Contact the PDC and DoITT today, and tell them: Just Don't DoITT. Email today or participate in Monday's Public Hearing. Read LANDMARK WEST! Testimony HERE Read The Victorian Society/New York Testimony HERE Read The Society for the Architecture of the City Testimony...
