On Wednesday, June 22, about 100 friends took a moment to celebrate all we have accomplished together. The truth is, we don’t do it often enough. Usually, we’re too busy moving swiftly on to the next battle. Because in preservation, it’s never over. In fact, the only time you know it’s over is when the building comes down, the place is destroyed. (And even then it’s never over.) But when we succeed, against all odds, in keeping the thing intact, then comes vigilance. Eternal vigilance is the price of preservation. The audacity of those who see our neighborhoods, our public assets, as commodities, as development sites to be exploited to the max, knows no bounds. And so we must be tireless in our work to defend what matters most. All of us have been told at various points along the way, save your breath. It can’t be done. You can’t raise the money. You can’t fight City Hall, not to mention New York’s top lobbyists and real-estate powers.
Well, you did. And, for those of us still fighting, we can. The key is collaboration, gaining strength from one another, in victory, in defeat, and everywhere in between. We are truly all in it together. Here’s to us!