Watch-Blog
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...
Atrocious “Design” for 5G Equipment Will Ruin UWS Bishop’s Crook Lamps!
Do You Want our UWS Street Lamps to Look like THIS? The beloved "Bishop's Crook" and other lampposts of the Upper West Side are under attack. Often funded by resident-led initiatives like the clean up of West 72nd Street and by individual block associations for their...
Thank you and All Good Wishes, Milton Glaser
It is always hard to lose an icon, a ground source of creativity and inspiration. Such was the feeling this week when the City lost Milton Glaser: artist, illustrator, founder of New York Magazine and famed graphic designer behind the "I ♥ NY" logo. Glaser was...
How Close Did We Come to Not Getting THIS Central Park?
Once most of the original property that would become New York's Central Park had been acquired, the Central Park Commission called for a public design competition. A small classified advertisement was placed in The New York Times of October 30, 1857 and the race was...
April is National Poetry Month! Meet Sara Teasdale, Upper West Sider and Pulitzer Prize Winner
By Claudie Benjamin and Andra Moss Born in St. Louis Missouri in 1884, Sara Teasdale lived a sheltered life, but from a young age was committed to writing lyric poetry. She was also determined to one day live in New York City. Deciding to marry St. Louis businessman...
