They handed out sheets of paper with names to passersby and to those who joined in, but they did not want people to just read them. Instead, they wanted the people to say them. “Say Their Names” is a weekly vigil aimed to honor, remember, and say the names of Black people who were killed by police.    

Ann Shirazi and Jenny Heinz, two members of Rise and Resist, an organization committed to standing up against hatred and discrimination, collectively decided to hold a vigil every Friday at 5 p.m. on 96th and Broadway. The idea is to provide neighbors in the Upper West Side a place to stand together and stand up for what they believe in without having to worry about public transportation and large crowds during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Things like this go off the front page so quickly,” Heinz, 77, of the Upper West Side said. “We wanted this to be an ongoing vigil for people to be able to say their names.”

Volunteers alternated reading the names out loud for the public to hear. After each name was read, Shirazi rang a bell to acknowledge that their name was said and heard. 

During a weekly Upper West Side vigil, Ann Shirazi holds a sign during a moment of silence for the amount of time that Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Photo by Nathan Morris

“We wanted to humanize these people,” Shirazi, 76, of the Upper West Side said. “They were not just names that you read, but they were also human beings that had a life before they died.”

Phyllis Cunningham, 82, of the Upper West Side has attended the vigil since the start. She said it is an opportunity to become aware of police violence directed at Black people. 

“The Upper West Side used to be more progressive, and then it shifted to be more conservative,” Cunningham said. “Sometimes you need to make people uncomfortable because maybe they will go home and actually think about it,” Cunningham said. 

There were mixed reactions during the vigil. While some motorists honked their car horns in support, sometimes others react with anger. 

“Occasionally we get a finger, and if we didn’t then we’d know we weren’t doing our job,” Shirazi said.

 One time Cunningham had a woman ask her for the list of names she was handing out but when Cunningham gave it to her, the woman crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it in a tree.

List of the names of Black people who were killed by police that’s handed out at the weekly Upper West Side vigil. Photo by Nathan Morris

“I would hope that when she got home, she thought about why she did that some more,” she  said.  

 Cunningham said that our nation is in one of the scariest times she could remember.

 “I thought we made so much progress, but I honestly do not know where we go from here,” she said. 

Heinz was not positive about the future of the country. 

“I am sad about where we are now, and for the future of the people and our planet,” she said. “Anger has been trying to keep my grief at bay.” 

Shirazi said she will keep fighting for change no matter how impossible it seems. 

“I hate to say this, but I think things will get worse because sadly, people of color are easy targets,” Shirazi said. “Still, you are doing this when you know there is a possibility that you won’t change anything or that things could get worse.” 

And she has a simple reason for not giving up.

“Because we can not,” she said.

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“I did it under two hours,” James Johnson, 60, said proudly as he held up his gold medal for the camera. “This was just an uplifting experience.”

The intersection of 72nd St. and Central Park West marked the finish line for racers competing in the wheelchair and Achilles Handcycle divisions of the 2015 New York City Marathon today, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Competitors were reunited with kisses, cheers, and balloons from loved ones as they crossed the finish line into the swarm of people waiting on the other side.

A former electronics technician for the U.S Navy, Johnson of Atlanta, Ga is a disabled veteran who was no stranger to the demands of a marathon, finishing the race with flying colors, as well as two prosthetic legs.

“I did the Marine Corps Marathon last week,” Johnson said. “I race with Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team, as well. It’s pretty much my passion, but I also like helping, like, other vets get involved and kids get involved in the sport.”

According to its website, the Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team assists disabled veterans with rehabilitation through competing at various cycling events and marathons across the country. Johnson is also involved in Achilles International, an organization that provides an environment of community and support to athletes with disabilities.

Johnson noted that prior to getting involved with adaptive sports, he “didn’t do anything but hang out at the bar” as he struggled to adjust to his new life.

But then he discovered adaptive racing.

“You feel good about finishing the race.” Johnson said. “You feel good about your buddies and everybody finishing, everybody’s safe.”

Although Johnson does not adhere to any strict rules to prep himself for race day, he said that he typically makes an effort to eat healthy during the week, avoiding pork and beef while loading up on seafood and turkey products. Hydration is also key.

“I don’t drink during the race. I don’t take any fluids in,” he said. “So I try to stay hydrated up until the race, and you know, a couple days before go a little heavy on the hydration.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of racing to Johnson had been the people and friends who helped to coach, train, and inspire him along the way. As he spoke, he pointed out a handful of people around him who had made a difference in his life as a disabled veteran.

“Ever since I started, they’ve been helping me, coaching me,” he said. “I do go to training camps and I’ve been blessed to go to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

He said it won’t be his last New York City Marathon, and is planning to return.

James Johnson’s finisher medal along with his sweatshirt sporting the Paralyzed Veterans emblem. Photo by Leann Garofolo

“Oh, hell to the yeah.” he said, a smile spread across his face. “And the year after, and the year after, and the year after.”

He gazed at the newly acquired medal hanging around his neck.

“This was just simply awesome.” Johnson said of the marathon. “That is all I can tell you.”

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Voters wait outside polling place in East Village 

In 2008, more than 20 million milennials voted in the presidential election, helping assure Barack Obama’s victory.  Now four year later, millenial voters number 46 million.  This demographic—also known as GenY—has been deeply troubled by the recession, high unemployment rate and record student debt.  How will that impact their vote?

A recent Harvard University poll of voters age 18 to 29 found that  less than half plan to vote.  In an effort to probe the thinking of millenials who did vote, students from the NYU undergraduate Beat Reporting class “Covering Gen Y” fanned out across the metro area on Election Day.  Here are their reports:

Upper West Side

As Chastity Logan shivered in wait on the two-hour voting line outside PS 75, she regretted not wearing a heavier coat over her thin hoodie.  Logan was one of the younger faces amid the crowd, a swarm full of complaining voices angry at the cold, the line, and the pushy bake sale volunteers.  Yet she had a smile on her face—proud to be exercising her right to vote, and happy to see a handful of younger people spread through the mass.

It’s no secret that millennials rocked the vote back in 2008, but this year there’s been skepticism that the trend will repeat.  Surveys like that of the Harvard Institute of Economics revealed that Obama’s youth vote has dropped a good 11 percent, while the Christian Science Monitor reported a general dip in the youth vote overall.  Yet GenY-ers on the Upper West Side who stood in the painfully long line that extended through three long, mural-clad halls of the elementary school and fully around the whole city block beg to differ.

A young entrepreneur, Logan, 27, believes that people like her and her younger GenY friends will be huge contributing factors to the election this year.  “In the last term a lot of the younger crowd was very motivated,” she said.  “Young people have seen the way things have happened over the past four years and want to contribute again.”

She added that the hot-button issues have hit home for GenY.  “A lot of my younger friends take issue with the workforce, graduating from college and making sure they can get a job, and not only get a job but making sure they can afford the student loans they’ve been able to accrue,” she said.

Despite the GenY characteristic of being less politically motivated, Nick Jenkins, 19, a recent graduate from The Dwight School, is very concerned with the election.  “I care about my country and I care about the planet.  I want to make sure the right person is in office,” he said. –MARIE SOUTHARD

West Village

On Election Day, PS3 Charrette Elementary School served two additional purposes, to aid in electing the next President, and to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The bright blue doors of the West Village school stood out from the otherwise drab exterior, with the left door leading to a line, usually extending to the sidewalk, of local residents waiting to vote, and the right opening to a bake sale and hurricane relief drive.

Once inside, those looking to vote had a long wait ahead of them, as the school’s auditorium was filled with twisting lines of different districts. The diverse crowd was all there for one reason: to vote. But they each make their decision differently, especially within Generation Y.

One GenY voter, Jordan Bryan, 25, cares most about diverse political issues. “Right now economy is number one. Things like women’s rights, being a female. I know abortion is kind of a hot topic right now, I do feel like it’s not really one of the frontrunners,” she says, “but I do think it’s important for women to have the right to decide about their own bodies. And other things like foreign affairs, but right now I think economy is kind of the frontrunner on everyone’s minds.”

While Anna Schecter, a 31-year-old photographer, makes her decision based on individual candidates, she tends to side with one party. “I guess I always vote Democratic. Because of not being an asshole to people who don’t have much, and being pro-choice. Those are the two big ones,” she says.

Roman Chimienti, 25, an audio engineer, doesn’t identify with either of the major parties. “My party at heart is independent and I vote by party, because essentially it’s the one that suits me best,” he says. For Chimienti, social issues are the most important, “Anything that has to deal with basically just people in general, not necessarily the economy. If we want to fix those things we have to unify ourselves first.”—SAMANTHA RULLO

Tierney says she watched all the debates, and the social media craze made her even more impassioned about getting out to vote. “Sometimes people were focusing on the wrong things,” she said. “I definitely wanted to get out and make my voice heard. Seeing peoples’ reactions to the debates really freaked me out, so I wanted to make sure I do my part because I want to, not because of some weird, cynical reaction to an out-of-date tradition.” She says that before the debates and the way people reacted to them, she was not positive about whom to vote for.

Johanna Nchekwube, on the other hand, found the social media focus a deterrent. “It seems like everything is focused on the election,” the 21-year-old aspiring actress says. “Like, everything. Facebook is too overwhelming right now. It’s annoying. But I wanted to do my duty.”

Cooper Square

Tuesday’s Election Day turnout at the JASA Community Center in East Village was no lighter than previous years according to residents, even with the devastation from Hurricane Sandy just last week. Gen Y voters especially were rolling in and out of the polling place in a steady stream all afternoon. These first, second, and third time voters made up a key part of the Democratic votes.

“Obama gets a lot of hell from people for how he’s been running the country, but I don’t think he could have done it any differently because he had his hands tied from previous administrative errors,” said 28-year old criminal behavior analyst Sarah. “In my opinion, Obama is a good president who is honorable, humble and loyal to his people.”

The third-time voter, who preferred not to share her last name, said that the individual, not for the party, determines her vote,  and this time around that individual is Barack Obama. She supports his views on the three issues that are most important to her: women’s rights, same-sex marriage, and green energy policies.

Daniel Liu and Martha Ross, business partners at video news-sharing service #Waywire, also expressed similar opinions about the president.  “Obama has done a lot of things he doesn’t get credit for,” 25-year old Minnesota native Ross said. “He does a lot for long-term benefits, but citizens want immediate gratification so they criticize him.”

Twenty-year old New York University student Rigel Sarjoo was excited to take part in the election for her first time, though she was still undecided as to which candidate she would vote for as she neared the front of the line. “All I know is that I’m not voting for Romney,” she said. Sarjoo became interested in politics during college, particularly because of how much the Occupy movement was covered on social media.

“In my opinion, the government needs to work more for us than for special interests,” Sarjoo said. “They should start working more on issues like student debt, equality for women, the way food is labeled and handled, and basic human rights.”—ANNIE PARK

In the last moments of a very close race for the presidency, every vote counts. A large weight has been put on the shoulders of GenY voters, which was the demographic that determined the 2008 election. On Election Day, many young millennials took their lunch and class breaks to go vote at JASA Community Center in Cooper Square. While retired people mostly inhabit the neighborhood and married couples over 30, the polling place still managed to draw a younger crowd.

Chelsea Xu, 18-year old NYU student, was voting for the first time and decided to cast her ballot for Barack Obama. For her, the discrepancies between both candidates helped make her decision. She felt that she couldn’t trust Romney because “he kept changing his positions throughout the race.” She also took recent events such as Hurricane Sandy into consideration. “Obama did a good job in helping out victims, but Romney only helped out victims in swing states,” she said. For her, the candidates’ actions during the race helped decide her mind.

Another first-time voter Rachel, 19, was “waiting for this day” for a while. This NYU sophomore also voted for Obama; she based her decision on prospects for the future. “Especially in this election, people are arguing about which candidate’s plan would be best for the country,” she said. She acknowledged that other young voters might go for the candidate that would show immediate results, but she felt that “Obama is looking out for the greater good in the bigger picture.” –RACHEL PARK

 East Village

While most of America feels that fixing the economy was the top priority for the 2012 presidential election, many young East Villagers stressed the importance of social issues as well. At a polling site on East Fifth Street, GenY voters seemed particularly passionate about women’s rights, gay marriage, and public education.

Shauna Mei, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, is worried about the economy but feels like social issues take precedence. “Neither candidate can promise to fix the economy alone,” said Mei, “so I chose a candidate who promised to support civil rights: Barack Obama.” Mei said that this was also the first time she’d voted Democrat down the party line. “Obviously New York City is already very liberal but there really wasn’t any viable alternative in my opinion.”

Partisanship with respect to social issues also proved important to Gen-Y voters. “It’s really sad how divided the country is concerning social issues,” said Erica Anderman, 24. “Gay marriage and women’s health issues shouldn’t be ignored.” Anderman also expressed distaste for campaigns against abortion and birth control led by the G.O.P. in recent years. “It’s just crazy that in the year 2012 some politicians can get away with completely disenfranchising women and the LGBT.”

Older voters tend to separate social issues from economic issues but many Gen-Y voters see social issues and the economy as intrinsically linked. “Between student debt and the rising cost of healthcare, young people need to be considered in this economy,” said Kay Davis, 31. “Public education is becoming too costly, women aren’t given enough access to healthcare, and the socioeconomic divide is growing,” said Davis. “A strong economy depends on a well-educated and well-cared-for population.” –RYAN HUGHES

Sandy didn’t stop Downtown Brooklyn’s millennials from letting their vote count today at Borough Hall. From bloggers to chefs to musicians to students, the majority of Metrotech’s 20-somethings checked off President Obama as their choice to lead the country for the next four years. Along with social issues and the economy, education served as one of the greatest issues impacting GenYers. BK’s millennial generation weighed in on why they came out to vote and why education was important to them this election.
“I was unable to vote in the last election because I was not of age. When given the opportunity to exercise my right to vote, I took it,” sais 22-year-old Joseph Ramirez.

Ramirez is a first-year student at Brooklyn Law. If it weren’t for the Pell Grant he received to go to college as an undergrad, the road to law school would have been much more difficult financially.

“It’s people like me who need government assistance to make their dreams come true,” the Clinton Hill resident said. “I think [Governor] Romney forgets not everyone’s wealthy.”

Brooklyn college student Winston Blake, 21, agrees that President Obama is offering people of all classes a shot at education. “I agree with Obama that every American has a right to receive an education,” the Fort Greene resident said.

Danielle Jamison, 24, is a recent college grad and hopeful musician. Jamison expressed gratitude for Obama’s post-college-friendly healthcare plan. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I love as a musician if I couldn’t be on my parents’ insurance plan. Thank you Obama,” the Clinton Hill resident said.

Jamison didn’t pass up the opportunity to thank Obama by voting for him this election. “Obama made history in 2008. I wanted to help him do it again,” she said. —NATALIE ADEEYO

Midtown

New York City GenY voters went to the polls today commencing their voting process by skipping through the streets screaming candidates’ names, whipping out their iPhones to take pictures of the “Vote Here” signs taped to the walls, and walking through the wooden doors of the Graduate Center at CUNY polling site near Herald Square to take part in this historic event.

These 20-somethings believed it was their duty to take part in the election process.  “I came out because I was worried that there would be a low voter turn out because of the hurricane,” said 29-year-old Rachel Boufford outside of the polling station.

The two-hour wait did not dissuade 22-year-old Rachel Jespersen.  “My mom was probably the one who motivated me the most to vote,” Jespersen says. “My parents drilled it in me that this is a civic duty, even if you believe your vote doesn’t count.”

Other GenY voters believed that simply exercising the right to vote and going to the polling sites was necessary during these elections, despite the fact that New York is primarily a Democratic state already.  “I came out for the symbolism of it,” said 24-year-old Fordham University graduate student Michael Pegun. “Since New York isn’t a swing state, it’s about being part of the process.” –NITASHA MAINDIRATTA

Greenwich Village

Despite New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order stating that New York voters could vote at any polling site, lines were long and the still resonating effects of Hurricane Sandy on election day.  The outcome of the announcement meant that not all sites were prepared for an onslaught of voters.

Lucky for the spirit of democracy though, the voting difficulties didn’t matter to some Gen-Y voters, who were standing outside a polling place on Fifth Avenue and 12^th Street in full force on the brisk November day, just hoping to make a difference? The issues that matter and the reasons behind their votes are many, but a common theme seems to be how personal the issue of voting and choosing the right candidate has become to the generation.

For some, social issues such as LGBT and women’s rights are high on their list of priorities and for that reason, they’re voting for Barack Obama. Amy Mellman, a 22-year-old law student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, cited such concerns, adding that she “doesn’t like Romney’s stance on women’s issues.”

However, others believe that Romney would help the country get out of the recession. “I like the direction Mitt would put the economy,” said Steve, a 24-year-old working in the foreign exchange market. “I like that he has business experience, because that’s important in terms of our economy and that’s important to me as a young, working professional.”

Other millenials still look to their families for guidance. Lindsay Egan, a 22-year-old Cardozo law student feels that because she is not yet independent of her parents, so she should follow her parents’ guidance. 
“I’m going to vote for Romney, because my whole family is Republican and my parents kind of want me to vote for him,” she said. “They’re supporting me right now, so I’m going to go with what they want.”
–MARGARET COHN

Social issues held a significant importance for Generation Y in the 2012 presidential election, according to voter surveys conducted Tuesday. An informal poll of Gen Y voters found that the majority based their presidential vote on a variety of social views, like same-sex marriage and women’s rights such as abortion and birth control.

Cardozo Law School student Kevin Ruiz, 24, is concerned with “a protection to a lot of the gains we’ve made over the last 75 to 80 years. You see a lot of challenges to women’s issues and rights, social services, and welfare.”

Hunter Chancellor, 21, a senior at New York University, agrees that Gen Y will consider social issues at the polls. “Equality is a major issue that’s being brought up. Issues like abortion, immigration – things that are affecting our society,” he said.

The economy was a close second, with many Millennial expressing fear and concern over financial issues. A 22-year-old Cardozo Law student who wished to remain anonymous said, “I think the economy is really scary. I think the fact that we’ve got a lot of baby boomers aging and we have to pay into the system to finance them is just a little worrisome.”

Finances are considered a primary concern of older generations, he said. “I’m a student. I don’t have an income tax. I’m not a property owner. I think that taxes are a much bigger concern for those who have to pay them consistently, whereas I don’t really worry about that.”

As America becomes progressively more accepting and tolerant of different racial, gender, and sexual beliefs, younger generations cannot imagine reversing the trend. “We just have a different way of looking at things,” said Caroline Cunningham, a 20-year-old student at NYU. “Like, having same-sex marriage would not have even been in the question 50 years ago for our grandparents and such. So, that that is on the table means a lot as far as the differences between what our parents or grandparents faced as opposed to us.”—CARRIE COUROGEN

Long Island

In Asharoken, Long Island, the village still remains on the brink of disaster after megastorm Sandy and extensive flood damages in the village hall forced local officials combine its polling place with Eatons Neck residents at the local fire department.

Despite the upheaval, residents still made the trip down dilapidated Asharoken Avenue, the village’s main road and the only road into Eatons Neck, to vote and to donate. “I was here at 6 a.m. and more people than ever were here,” said Pam Vogt, a local resident.

With so many Long Island residents still scouring the streets in search of an open gas station, many residents feared there would be some tonight who go without voting. “A lot of people are trying to carpool,” said Lynn Hall, a 19-year-old working as a poll-watcher. “I think around dinner time we might see a surge of people,” she said.

Despite the difficult of getting to the polls, GenY was out there, and they were eager to vote and express their opinions. Lynn Hall, the 19-year-old poll worker in Asharoken, voted for Obama, simply stating, “I feel like he didn’t f… up.”

In Centerport, Francesca Ramos, 23, also remained faithful to Obama. She said she still felt as passionate about him as she did four years ago when he spoke at her college. “I think he did a lot of things he promised,” she said.

Ben Iorio, however, age 21 and first-time voter, stood waiting his turn to fill out his ballot and held firm in his convictions that he would be voting for Mitt Romney, simply because he “is a conservative.” –MACKENZIE GAVEL

The post How GenY Voted appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

H&H Bagels on the corner of W. 80th St. and Broadway has since moved out of its Upper West Side location. Photo by Elizabeth Vulaj.

After the recent closing of the popular H&H Bagels on W. 80th St. and Broadway, area residents now worry about the commercialization of the Upper West Side.

Marc Fintz, the business manager for H&H, attended a community meeting last month to discuss the store closing. James Besser, who led the meeting, said that it was the first gathering of the newly created Upper West Side Preservation Committee.

“Neighbors say hello to each other, we’re like a small town,” said Besser, the committee president who lobbied to keep the H&H open prior to its closure. “We want to keep it that way.”

After the store’s landlord, Friedland Properties, raised the monthly rent to $67,000, Fintz said H&H could not make the new payments without also raising it prices. He added that Friedland Properties is now trying to replace the old corner store with a bank – something that residents say takes away from the neighborhood charm.

“It takes away small businesses and makes everything appear cold and corporate,” said Martin Samama, who has been living on the Upper West Side for three years.

Residents like Samama say this closing could mean the neighborhood will eventually lose its cozy appeal and bring in more chain stores.

While the closure comes as a shock to some residents, Upper West Side H&H—which first opened in 1972—has experienced financial woes since last year when the shop’s president and founder Helmer Toro pleaded guilty to grand larceny after cheating on his taxes. According to reports, he stole more than $500,000 in employee taxes.

Still, the change does not sit well with those who frequented the eatery.

Polly Carter, who used to live on the Upper West Side, said each time she visits the area, she sees that another chain store has replaced a well-liked neighborhood joint.

“So many things change here,” she said, leaning back on a bench in Riverside Park, surveying the block. “Every time I come, there is something different. But I am glad to see places like Hot & Crusty and Filene’s. I’m glad to see those things haven’t moved.”

Other neighbors feel the same way.

“I don’t want the Upper West Side to be corporate,” said Laurie Graff, who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. “We are losing the individuation, the charm. I’m not excited to be able to go to the same five stores across the country.”

Fintz said he believes they will open up another H&H on the Upper West Side. But before the W. 80th St. location officially closed on June 22, Fintz said both employees and customers were reveling in the nostalgia, remembering how long the store has been in business.

“If you saw these employees working, they feel they are a part of something much bigger,” Fintz said. “People will come in and say, ‘My children are in their 40’s and they were teething on H&H bagels when they were small.’”

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Residents refer to the vacant limestone townhouse at 266 West End Ave. as the "spook house." The house has not been granted landmark status and is not protected against developers. Photo by Kathryn Kattalia.

Topping out at only five stories, the empty townhouse at 266 West End Ave. still seems to loom over passers-by who stop to take in the detailed molding that crowns each long, rectangular window facing the quiet residential street. Youthful-looking cherubs carved out of limestone perch above the arched doorframe, oblivious to the dark tinge which time has left on the building’s century-old façade.

According to some neighborhood historians, it’s a treasure—a beautifully preserved piece of architecture dating back to the 1890s when development first hit Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

To Tommy Calise, it’s the “spook house.”

“We’ve been calling it that since we were kids,” Calise said. “Just look at it. You don’t see houses like that very often. It’s kind of old and creepy looking. It’s beautiful.”

Calise, 47, has lived across the street from the spook house for 42 years in an apartment building where he now works as superintendent. Standing outside the canopied entrance to his own building—a 15-story deluxe apartment house with terra cotta trim completed in the 1920s—Calise said the spook house is a part of old New York that has long been at the mercy of modern day developers who come armed with blueprints for shiny high-rises.

“It’s part of the history of New York,” Calise said. “It’s weird to think someday someone would want to knock that down.”

And yet, it’s a threat all too real for some who live on West End Avenue, who say outside builders are destroying the character of a neighborhood whose architectural streetscape is unlike any other in the city. A group of residents have taken their concern to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, asking that the residential stretch of avenue between West 70th Street and West 110th Street be designated a historical district.

The area, which would include cross streets and parts of Broadway, would be an extension of a current Upper West side historic district that covers parts of the West End between 87th and 94th Streets.

A map of the historical apartments, brownstones and row houses along West End Avenue on the Upper West Side at risk of being torn down by developers. Courtesy of Google maps.

To become a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission looks to see if an area possesses a unique and cohesive aesthetic that contributes to the city’s cultural and architectural history.

If the plan passes, all new housing projects, development and renovation work in that zone would have to be approved by the landmarks commission. The commission is currently holding a series of public hearings to debate the merits of designating the proposed area as a historic district, which would be one of the largest in New York City.

While some developers argue having a historic district will be detrimental to the neighborhood’s growth, for many residents the decision to preserve West End seems obvious.

“Everybody from this area agrees that it should be preserved,” Calise said. “It’s the outsiders that don’t see that part of it. They don’t get it.”

It was a hot July day in 2007 when 75 West End residents crowded into a neighbor’s apartment to discuss disturbing changes they had noticed along the avenue. Developers had torn down two turn-of-the-century brownstones between 95th and 96th Streets, and a sleek new apartment complex was going in where another townhouse once stood on the corner of 86th Street. More were scheduled for demolition on 84th and 85th Streets.

Erika Petersen, a West End resident of 40 years, said she still cringes when she thinks about it.

“The neighborhood was just wild,” she said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen. Everyone had been hearing the sounds of these buildings coming down, and we started to realize we were going to lose these small buildings unless we as a neighborhood made some kind of effort to protest it.”

Erika Petersen describes the distinguishing characteristics of brownstones along West End Avenue
Altarv1.mp3

They decided to form the West End Preservation Society, a group that would try to save the neighborhood by appealing to the Landmarks Commission for help. They asked Andrew Dolkart, a professor at Columbia University, to do an architectural survey of the buildings along West End Avenue to see if there was a chance the whole neighborhood might qualify as a historic district.

What he found came as a surprise to some.

In the final study presented to the commission, Dolkart concluded that the neighborhood was not only of architectural interest; it illustrated a unique shift in historical housing trends. Ornate brownstones, townhouses and row houses popular in the 1890s lined the street, broken by some of the city’s earliest high-rise brick apartment buildings of the 1920s. West End Avenue was a well-preserved timeline of how residential development had evolved in New York City. It only made sense, he said, to protect it.

A row of brownstones dating back to 1896 line the block of West End Avenue between West 90th Street and West 91st Street. Photo by Kathryn Kattalia.

Since then, other existing preservationist groups have been eager to join the fight to win historic status for the neighborhood. Cristiana Pena, director of community outreach Landmark West, an organization that for decades has worked to gain landmark status for dozens of Upper West Side buildings, said the proposed historic district included buildings the group has been trying to preserve for years.

“West End Avenue is such a great microcosm of the New York residential experience,” Pena said. “To have landmark protection will let us take into account what’s appropriate and what’s sensitive to history.”

But as the Landmarks and Preservation Commission inches ever closer to a decision, some argue that what’s sensitive to history is not necessarily what’s best for the neighborhood. Some have voiced their opposition, claiming that a historic district would impede residential development vital to the city’s growth and hurt homeowners in the long run.

Michael Slattery, senior vice president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said the push for a historical district is less about preservation than it is about controlling development.

“It will put a significant burden on all property owners,” Slattery said. “All work being done on property has to go through Landmarks for review. That’s time and money.”

Even worse, he said, is the freezing effect the historic district status will have on providing additional housing for a growing neighborhood. He said he also wondered at the size of the proposed district, adding that many of the buildings that would be protected have little historic significance.

“When you cast a net as wide as this, you capture a lot of buildings that don’t belong there because they aren’t consistent with the character of the neighborhood,” Slattery said. “They are sprinkled in there with townhouses from earlier eras. Those aren’t going to be able to be torn down.”

The Landmarks and Preservation Commission has already hosted one public hearing and plans on holding two more to get input from the community before voting on whether or not it will designate the proposed area a historic district later this year. Should the commission decide to move forward with the plan, it must then be approved by City Council. The next hearing will be in June 28.

And while Petersen said there’s no telling what the outcome of the hearing might be, she is confident the Landmarks and Preservation Commission will be in favor of preserving what’s left of West End. She said the move to make the area a historical district has already gathered support from Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer’s office, as well as Upper West Side city council representative Gale Brewer.

Until the council votes on whether or not to make the area a historic district, the Landmarks and Preservation Commission has granted temporary protection to West End Avenue to prevent any further modification to its streetscape—a move that comes just in time, Petersen said, as developers have been looking to put up another 22-story apartment complex at 86th Street.

“We have to hold on to what New York is,” she said. “People can see skyscrapers anywhere.”

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