The Preservation League of Staten Island invites you to attend:
The 2008 Historic Preservation Awards Luncheon
Christ Church, 76 Franklin Avenue, New Brighton
Saturday, May 3, 2008, 1:00 PM
Cost: $35 includes Awards Program and Lunch
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For 23 years the Preservation League of Staten Island has been recognizing the outstanding work of building owners and others, who value the preservation of Staten Island’s historic buildings. For 2008 the list of awardees includes seven house-owners, three stewardship awards (for exemplary maintenance), four public buildings, and two individuals. Senator Diane Savino will be recognized with a “Friend in High Places” award for her support and encouragement of historic preservation on Staten Island, while Architect David Carnivale will receive the “Marty Pearsall Award,” the League’s highest honor, for his many years of advocating for the historic built environment on Staten Island.
In addition, the following individuals and organizations will receive awards:
Edwin Calderon; Tricia Ryan; William Whelan; Leonard Librizzi and Kathy Venezia; Steve Modica; William Robertson; Robert Swickert; Susan Fowler and Victor Stanwick; Alice Diamond; and George and Patricia Bramwell; Conference House Park Visitor's Center--New York Parks Department, Joseph Ferlazzo; Lou Caravone Building, Sea View Hospital, Community Board #2, Debra Derrico; and Colony Hall, Sea View Hospital, Angelo Mascia.
In addition to building owners, the awards honor architects, contractors and consultants who have participated in preservation. Types of preservation work recognized by the awards include restoration of historic details, such as the removal of inappropriate materials, siding restoration, installation of window and door frames, and use of historically appropriate paint colors.
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Tickets to the Preservation League of Staten Island Awards Luncheon are available on-line for $35 each at preservesi.org or by calling 718/980-1551. Write to us at info@preservestatenisland.org.
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Please join us for Hills to Harbor: The 2008 House Tour of New Brighton and Snug Harbor East on Sunday, May 18, 2008, 1 PM. Sign up at Christ Church, 76 Franklin Avenue. $25/$20 if paid before May 15th at preservesi.org.
Monday, April 28, 2008
PLSI Award Ceremony May 3rd
Friday, April 25, 2008
Walking Tour of Queens' Newest Historic District
Sunnyside Gardens:
Queens’ Newest Landmark District,
New York’s most famous Planned Community
Saturday, May 17, 1:00–3:30 PM
Just 20 minutes from Manhattan, Sunnyside Gardens was designed by noted architects Clarence Stein and Henry Wright from 1924-28 as a “garden city” for working families. Linked by common walkways, its streets and open areas feature a combination of rowhouses and small-scale apartments, many with beautiful landscaping.
Highlights include:
o A walk through the Gardens at its most beautiful time of year.
o One of only two private parks in New York City.
o Phipps Garden Apartments: another fascinating model development.
o The former homes of actress Judy Holliday and urban historian Lewis Mumford.
The cost of the tour is $20.00. Proceeds will benefit the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance. Reservations are required, and limited to 30 persons.
Meeting place: By the flagpole in the small park at 52nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue, adjacent to the subway exit.
Directions: Take a local 7 train to 52nd St/Lincoln Av. Exit using the 52nd Street stairway.
For Reservations and Information: Please call 646-298-8669,
or e-mail tonythetourguy@gmail.com.
NYU Proposes to Pulverize Provincetown Playhouse
The historic Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments, 133-139 MacDougal Street
This week NYU unveiled the latest phase of their 'NYU 2031' Plan, which include plans to demolish the historic Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments at 133-139 MacDougal Street. GVSHP was swift to call upon the university to drop this proposal; NYU's plans and GVSHP's responses were covered by AM NY, the Villager, Crains NY, City Realty, the NY Sun, and Backstage.
The Provincetown Playhouse is one of the most important sites in the history of 20th century American theater -- a launching pad for works of Eugene O'Neill, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edward Albee, John Guare, Sam Shepherd, Charles Busch, and David Mamet, among others. The apartments over the theater have housed many well-known artists over the years who wished to be near this center of cultural vitality. When NYU bought the building and then renovated it, they touted the Playhouse's rich history and their honor in owning and re-opening it. Additionally, NYU recently agreed to a set of "planning principles" with Borough President Stringer's NYU Community Task Force (of which GVSHP is a member) which says that university should "prioritize...re-use before redevelopment" in their planning. The Provincetown Playhouse is a key historic site within the proposed South Village Historic District, which NYU promised to support; demolition of a historic lynchpin in the proposed district like the Playhouse will damage the chances of landmarking the entire area moving ahead.
GVSHP wrote NYU President John Sexton strongly urging the university to rethink this plan, and wrote to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission urging them to move ahead swiftly with the proposed designation of the South Village Historic District section containing the Provincetown Playhouse to save this historic building.
'NYU 2031' Long-Range Plans: The latest stage of NYU's long-term planning process showed greater transparency and engagement with the public than in the past, but also showed some very disconcerting concepts. NYU continues to project adding as much as 3.6 million square feet of new space in and around its 'campus core' over the next 23 years. Analysis by GVSHP of NYU's growth (which was distributed to attendees at Wednesday's NYU Open House) shows that 3.6 million sq. ft. is the equivalent of all new NYU buildings built in the area over the last 42 years, or the equivalent of 20 more of their highly controversial new 26-story dorms on East 12th Street. This shows that NYU's projected growth in our neighborhoods in their 2031 plan is actually considerably accelerated over their past growth, which belies the impression the university has given.
The 2031 plans also showed that NYU is no longer considering Long Island City as potential location for satellite or remote facilities, and that the university has narrowed such options to Governor's Island, the East Side Medical Corridor, and Downtown Brooklyn -- a development we find very disappointing. At the same time, NYU is contemplating large-scale developments in and around their 'campus core,' in spite of commitments to "prioritize identifying opportunities to decentralize facilities" as part of the planning principles. GVSHP continues to push hard to get NYU to look for satellite locations if they need to grow, and to remain within their existing footprint and envelope in the Village.
HOW TO HELP:
Write to NYU President John Sexton urging him to reconsider plans to demolish the Provincetown Playhouse, and to reduce the University's plans for growth in the neighborhood -- go to www.gvshp.org/ProvincetownLtr.htm for sample letters and contact information.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A New Name for the New York Public Library
As people might be aware, the New York Public Library recently received an extraordinary gift of $100 Million Dollars from Stephen Schwarzman, the largest single gift to the Library ever (Andrew Carnegie gave $5.2 Million Dollars over 20 years to help build the system - but that's when $5.2 Million really meant something). Any way, the NYPL proposed to prominently engrave Schwarzman's name on the landmark Main Branch.
Here are HDC's comments:
Statement of the Historic Districts Council
Certificate of Appropriateness Hearing
4/22/2008
Item 15
BINDING REPORT
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
086850- Block 1257, lot 1-
476 Fifth Avenue - Individual Landmark Historic District
A Beaux-Arts style library building designed by Carrere & Hastings and built in 1898-1911. Application is to install signage.
The Historic Districts Council is the advocate for New York City’s designated historic districts and neighborhoods meriting preservation. Its Public Review Committee monitors proposed changes within historic districts and changes to individual landmarks and has reviewed the application now before the Commission.
HDC applauds the generous donation of Mr. Stephen Schwarzman, but we feel there is a need to keep the acknowledgment of this gift in historic, and aesthetic, perspective. Signage is not so much a part of this proposal as is carving into historic fabric. The amount of inscriptions and their proposed language, design and location take away from the restrained classical, austere grandeur of the Carrere & Hastings landmark and overshadows the original gifts of the Astor Library, the Lenox Library, and the Tilden Trust.
These organizations and their founders, without whom we would not have this world-famous institution, are mentioned only once on the building's facades, not five times as is proposed for this new donation. They are found in the attic of the main façade (the traditional location for such inscriptions in classically inspired architecture), not twice at eye-level at each entrance and on the floor of the portico. Those proposed for the Fifth Avenue façade are to be cut directly into areas designed to be blank, massive bases for impressive pairs of columns, not locations for inscriptions. They are to be read as part of the continuous line of large blocks that delineate the ground floor from the basement. In addition to the disruption of the original design, we are concerned about the fragile nature of the stone (illustrated by the condition of the ornament in the area just above proposed location) and question the desire to carve into the fabric of this landmark. The 42nd Street façade was treated originally as the secondary façade and no permanent inscriptions exist here. The inclusion of the new inscriptions would be inappropriate, and they should be kept instead to the primary façade.
From a design standpoint, the proposed inscriptions do not reference the Beaux Arts design idiom. Other inscriptions on the building are framed with ornament and stand out as stone plaques. We are also a bit troubled by the wording. The date of the donation should be part of whatever is approved, as the dates are included in the design of the original plaques for Tilton, Astor and Lennox. It should be made clear to visitors, now and in the future, that Mr. Schwartzman's generosity did not build the library originally, but has enabled the library’s continued growth as it proceeds into its second century. The floor plaque could possibly simply read "Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in recognition of his exceptional generosity to the library, 2008" or say "re-named" rather than "named" so as not to confuse the history of the library.
In the future, the New York Public Library will certainly grow and develop to meet the changing needs of its patrons much as it has for over a century. In those future years, untold projects sponsored by generous donors will enable the library’s continuous evolution, and these gifts will also no doubt need to be recognized. Rather than setting a precedent of carving into the library’s façade and disrupting its original design, this generosity should be recognized in other locations such as the portico floor and the interior.
However, the Landmarks Commission voted to allow the engraving to take place - perhaps reassured by President Paul LeClerc's statement that this is the last time the building will be renamed.
Well, that's let's hope that's true and the Library doesn't end up going the way of Shea Stadium.
For more coverage, see:
Public Library To Honor $100 Million Donor With Engravings, New York Sun
Public Library To Bear Name Of Donor, NY1
After Big Gift, a New Name for the Library, New York Times
Wall Street financier gets his name alongside New York lions, The Associated Press
Donor name will be library must-read, New York Daily News
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, New York Observer
The Gift Is Huge. But How Many Thanks Are Enough?, New York Times
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Admiral's Row Update
Admiral's Row House in August 2005
Admiral's Row - which had its first Consulting Party Meeting last Tuesday (April 15th) is featured in the Lens column of the New York Times: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/geometries-admirals-row/
And remember, check the official Admiral's Row website for materials:
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/business/buslinks/admiral/index.htm#public
as well as Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn: http://www.brooklynsothermuseumofbrooklyn.com/
Savior of Cheyenne Diner; A Public Profile
Diner-Man to the Rescue!
by Chris Shott April 23, 2008
This article was published in the April 28, 2008, edition of The New York Observer.
Michael Perlman should start charging a commission.
On Monday, the 25-year-old from Queens announced that he had just brokered a deal to move midtown’s Cheyenne Diner to the Brooklyn waterfront.
Hey, it was either Red Hook—or the wrecking ball.
Just two weeks ago, the 68-year-old all-night diner on Ninth Avenue near Penn Station had served what appeared to be its final triple-decker burger. Landlord George Papas, who also owns the nearby Skylight Diner, planned to tear down the shiny, chrome-covered, prefab single-story railroad-car-style structure and erect a nine-story apartment building in its place.
Then Mr. Perlman stepped in, convincing Mr. Papas that he could find a buyer to relocate and restore the old neon-lit eatery, preferably some place else in New York City.
Mr. Papas initially agreed to sell the would-be scrap heap for around $7,900—a sum that Mr. Perlman said “reflects the urgency of removing it from the property so development plans can proceed.”
The landlord ended up unloading it for just $5,000 to construction manager Mike O’Connell, son of Brooklyn developer and major Red Hook landowner Greg O’Connell.
“It will gain a new lease on life in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and contribute to the appeal of an up-and-coming neighborhood,” Mr. Perlman proudly announced via e-mail on Monday, then delved into the wonky specifics of the tricky relocation ahead: “The immediate steps will be to confirm a rigger ... and then apply for demolition permits, which is a mandatory precursor to disconnecting utility lines and lifting the diner from its foundation, amongst other requirements.”
It’s the second time that Mr. Perlman has brokered one of these diner-relocation deals in New York City, which is all the more remarkable because he isn’t really a broker. At least not professionally.
A freelance writer, part-time administrative assistant and solo cabaret performer, Mr. Perlman fights to save historic places from destruction in his spare time. His efforts have generated a lot of publicity.
Most notably, last August, he helped find a new home for Soho’s long-standing Moondance Diner, the gleaming greasy spoon with the iconic crescent-shaped logo where Kirsten Dunst’s character, Mary Jane, waited tables in the 2002 summer blockbuster Spider-Man—and which, just like the Cheyenne, was about to be bulldozed in the name of development.
How appropriate, then, that its savior would swing in from the fictional web-slinging superhero’s own neighborhood of Forest Hills.
Mr. Perlman’s Committee to Save the Moondance Diner, in collaboration with the nonprofit American Diner Museum in Providence, R.I., ultimately located a buyer who, for just $7,500, drove into town on a flatbed truck and hauled the factory-built eatery off to La Barge, Wyo., where it’s expected to reopen this summer.
The sale and relocation, which was widely chronicled by news outlets across the country, was a pivotal moment for Mr. Perlman. “That was the effort that made me an official New York City preservationist,” he said.
http://origin.observermediagroup.com/2008/diner-man-rescue
Archaeology in NY: Free Public Symposium on May 18th
At the Museum of the City Of New York (Gosh they're busy!)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
1:00 to 3:30 PM
FREE w/ ADMISSION
Twenty-eighth Annual Symposium sponsored by the Professional Archaeologists of New York City (PANYC) in association with The Museum of the City of New York.
An afternoon of slides and discussion of archaeology’s contribution to understanding our city.
Colonial Waterfront Development in and around Battery Park: Excavations for the New South
Ferry Subway Terminal.
Program:
“A Battery at the Point of Rocks by White Hall”: Early military fortifications in lower Manhattan
Diane Dallal, Director of Archaeology, AKRF, Inc.
Dendrochronology and the South Ferry Terminal Project: Colonial construction dates, patterns of commerce, and human behavior
William E. Wright, Doherty Associate Research Scientist, Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
Documentation, disassembly and conservation of the Battery Wall: A challenge for a new vision
Joan C. Berkowitz, Director of Conservation, Superstructures Engineers &
Architects
New York City in the Fill: Making sense of all those artifacts
Meta F. Janowitz, Project Lab Director, URS Corporation
Deconstructing South Ferry: Archaeological discoveries enable reconstruction of the past
Linda Stone, RPA, Consulting archaeologist
Upcoming Preservation Programs at MCNY
Each of the following events is being held at the
Museum of the City of New York,
1220 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street.
For reservations and program information, call (212) 534-1672, ext. 3395.
Tuesday • May 6 • 6:30 PM
The East Side of the
The development of the
Tuesday • May 27 • 6:30 PM
New York Neighborhoods/Preservation and Development: Re-Saving Greenwich Village
Long considered “saved” by preservationists,
Tuesday • June 10 • 6:30 PM
New York Neighborhoods/Development and Preservation: Remaking the Middle East Side
Tuesday • June 17 • 6:30 PM
Preserving the Robert Moses Legacy: Jones Beach
Grants for Neighborhood Parks Groups: Upcoming Capacity Fund Deadline
Applications for Partnerships for Parks’ Capacity Fund grant program, are due on June 2nd, 2008. Applications must be received (not postmarked) by 6 p.m. on June 2nd.
Partnerships for Parks' Capacity Fund provides grants to groups working in parks across the five boroughs of New York City. The Capacity Fund supports projects that help build a community group's capacity to care for their local park. Grants range from $250 to $5,000. Strong applications will improve a group's ability to care for their park, put on programs and events, or expand collaborations with other neighborhood groups. We fund new groups seeking funds for startup costs (setting up a mailbox or voicemail, paying postage for a mailing, etc.), as well as established organizations taking on new projects (bulletin boards, outreach events or activities, fundraisers, mailings, or brochures).
Examples of potential projects include, but are not limited to:
Website, newsletter, letterhead, or other outreach efforts;
Special events or programs, if the group can show how this support would be a sustainable investment in their stewardship efforts; or
An outreach publication produced by Partnerships for Parks.
Please visit www.partnershipsforparks.org to find an application form and guidelines. For more information, call Kate Louis at (212) 227-3626 or email kate.louis@parks.nyc.gov.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
New to fundraising? Attend a Capacity Fund Consultation!
49 Chambers Street, Room 1027, Manhattan, 10007
Wednesday, April 30th from 3-5 p.m.
or
Tuesday, May 6th from 6-8 p.m.
or
Thursday, May 8th from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
In lieu of our usual Capacity Fund Information Session, we will be offering Capacity Fund Consultations for potential grant applicants. Consultations with fewer attendees allow for more interaction and discussion amongst applicants, so come prepared to network and share your ideas! Sign up for a consultation to learn about what kinds of projects qualify for Capacity Fund grants. We will discuss Capacity Fund guidelines and review case studies of projects that have successfully secured funding in the past. Groups will receive tips about how to prepare a strong proposal and feedback about their project ideas.
Registration is required. To register for a consultation, please call Kate Louis at (212) 227-3626 or email kate.louis@parks.nyc.gov.
Report from CECCP's Summit
On Thursday, April 17th, preservationists descended on the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in Midtown Manhattan, for an update on the Citizen Emergency Committee to Rreserve Preservation’s (CECPP's) progress in reforming the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), and to give feedback on current initiatives.
Highlights included:
* A review of LPC's budget, which in 1991 was $3.6 Million. The Mayor has proposed a $4.3 Million budget for LPC for 2009. This is $300,000 less than their current budget and, when adjusted for inflation, represents a $1.5 Million cut to their operating budget (in 1991 dollars). CECPP updated summit attendees on their collaborative work, with other preservation
organizations, to increase LPC's budget. Attendees were also given a draft letter to send to Mayor Bloomberg, requesting that the Mayor's proposed cuts be restored. If you would like to send your own letter to the Mayor, a copy of the draft is available at
www.poorsparky.com/m2c/bloombergletter_noletterhead.doc
* An update on CECPP's new lawsuit to bring transparency to the landmark designation process. More information on this lawsuit to compel LPC action on longstanding Requests for Evaluation on potential landmarks and historic districts is available on our website at
www.savelpc.org/2008/03/cecpp-sues-to-open-citys-landmarking.html
* A summary of CECPP's efforts to introduce legislation that will make the landmark designation process more open and fair. You can download the legislation, which is currently being drafted by the City Council, at www.poorsparky.com/m2c/Landmarks%20-%20RFE%20Legislation.pdf
Right now, the legislation appears to be stalled in the drafting process at the City Council. Help encourage Council Speaker Quinn to complete the draft and introduce the legislation for public review! Download our draft letter at www.poorsparky.com/m2c/quinnletter_noletterhead.doc and send it!
* A new initiative for reviewing the qualifications of future landmark commissioners! Former Landmarks Commission chair, Gene Norman, announced that he was spearheading the creation of a formal, independent committee, consisting of former Landmarks Commissioners, to interview and evaluate future Commissioners. The process will be similar to the one used by the New York Bar Association in vetting judges. Details on this exciting program are available at www.poorsparky.com/m2c/CECPP%20Evaluation%20Committee.doc
For photos of the summit, go to
www.flickr.com/photos/72353731@N00/sets/72157604608469510 . For copies of handouts, go to www.poorsparky.com/m2c/ and download any documents that you need.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Morningside Heights Representative Seeks Answers on proposed historic district
From the Columbia Spectator
O'Donnell Files FOIL Request
By Maggie Astor
PUBLISHED APRIL 22, 2008
State Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell (D-Morningside Heights and West Harlem) filed a Freedom of Information Law request last week for documents related to the possible establishment of parts of Morningside Heights as a historic district, or landmarking of particular buildings in the area. The request followed several months of attempts to obtain the documents directly from Robert Tierney, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
According to an April 15 press release, a variety of politicians and organizations—including Congressman Charlie Rangel, New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and West Siders for Responsible Development—have expressed support for the establishment of a historical district, and written letters to the LPC to urge Tierney to schedule a hearing on the issue.
“There is overwhelming public support for a historic district in Morningside Heights,” O’Donnell said in the press release. “I remain perplexed why some proposals for designation are fast-tracked, while other equally deserving proposals remain stalled for more than a decade.”
Community Board 9 also endorsed a historic district in its 197-a plan for Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion, which the New York City Council approved in December.
“Efforts to help implement any recommendations in the 197-a plan are obviously very welcome and well-received,” said CB9 Chair Pat Jones.
Asked about the responsiveness of the LPC to requests regarding the potential historic district, Jones said, “I have no personal knowledge of that, but it has been long stated that the LPC does move quite slowly, and so we’re supportive of any information that the assemblyman can get to move forward this initiative.”
CB9 also passed a resolution in October urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider all applications after hearing concerns that the commission was ignoring some landmarking requests.
DOB Chief Resigns!
From the NYT City Room Blog:
April 22, 2008, 12:19 pm
Bloomberg’s Embattled Buildings Chief Resigns
By Diane Cardwell
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced at 12:10 p.m. that he had accepted the resignation of Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster, an architect he hired to modernize the 1,286-person city Buildings Department, which issues permits, oversees construction and enforces the building code. Ms. Lancaster had come under fire after an increase in construction deaths and other high-profile problems.
The announcement included statements from Mr. Bloomberg and Ms. Lancaster.
2008 Lucy Moses Awards
The New York Landmarks Conservancy invites you to the presentation of the
Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Eldridge Street Synagogue
12 Eldridge Street
5:30 pm Check-in
6 pm Awards Program
7 pm Reception
Honoring
Kent Barwick, Preservation Leadership Award
Avi Schick, Public Leadership Award
Roosevelt Island Historical Society, Organizational Award
Project Awards
135 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Central Library
New York University Campus Preservation Plan
Eldridge Street Project, Manhattan
Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, Manhattan
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
Hendrick I. Lott House, Brooklyn
Herman Ridder School, Bronx
Rodin Studios, 200 West 57th Street, Manhattan
U.S. Courthouse and Post Office, Brooklyn
RSVP Click here to download a reply card.
Mail back to:
Lucy G. Moses Awards
New York Landmarks Conservancy
One Whitehall Street
New York, NY 10004
Or contact Amy Sullivan at
212.995.5260 or amysullivan@nylandmarks.org .
The Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards are The New York Landmarks Conservancy's highest honors for excellence in historic preservation. They recognize preservation leaders, public officials, owners, architects, contractors, and craftspeople who restore beauty and utility to some of New York's most distinctive architecture. The awards promote public awareness of preservation and its importance to the vitality and texture of the City.The Moses Awards are named for Lucy Goldschmidt Moses, a dedicated New Yorker whose generosity benefited the City for over 50 years. Mrs. Moses and her husband, attorney Henry L. Moses, shared a wide range of philanthropic interests, making many gifts to hospitals, universities, parks, and cultural institutions. "I don't think we're worth anything unless we do for others," Mrs. Moses said in a 1983 interview with The New York Times.
Historic Cheyenne Diner Victory: Diner To Go To….Red Hook, Brooklyn!
Michael Perlman, Founder & Preservationist
Committee To Save The Moondance Diner Founder
unlockthevault@hotmail.com
The architecturally & culturally significant Cheyenne Diner (411 9th Ave at 33rd St) has been purchased, and will gain a new lease on life when transported to Red Hook, Brooklyn. A contract has been signed between property owner George Papas and its new owner, Mike O'Connell of O’C Construction, son of influential Red Hook developer, Greg O’Connell. Preservationist Michael Perlman of Queens, who founded the Committee To Save The Moondance Diner in spring 2007, along with fellow Preservationist Kyle Supley of Brooklyn, have spared the Cheyenne Diner from oblivion, after sparing the Moondance last summer.Michael Perlman of the Committee To Save The Cheyenne Diner presented a proposal to property owner George Papas (owner of nearby Skylight Diner, 402 W 34th St, & developer for Cheyenne property) on closing day, Sun, Apr 6th, and effectively convinced him to work together.A 9-story condo is slated to rise on premise, which marked the end of the diner’s 68-year run for its Manhattan site.When put up for sale on the 10th of April for $7900, with the necessity of rigging and lot acquisition costs in mind, Committee To Save The Cheyenne received notification from 23 potential buyers, some as far as IN, OH, & WY. While the Cheyenne potentially could have landed a good home out of state, many patrons prayed that a NY-based buyer would reach out, so it can ideally remain closer to its roots than the Moondance Diner in WY. George Papas states "I'm really, really happy the Cheyenne's not being demolished, and will stay in NY." In the short-term, a rigger will be enlisted and permits will be secured. In the long-term, O’Connell plans on restoring the diner to its '40 splendor, and Perlman feels it will be great once he polishes up that gem, so patrons can experience the Cheyenne as it was initially conceived.
The Cheyenne Diner is a highlight in terms of its diverse patronage including celebs i.e. Jerry Lewis & David Letterman, & since it’s the last streamlined railway car-inspired diner in Mid-Manhattan, & a scarcity borough-wide. It was pre-assembled by Paramount in 1940, and known as the Market Diner through ’86 after the popular chain. It retains a majority of its original &/or distinctive elements. The streamlined façade features vertical and horizontal stainless steel securing bowed colorful enamel panels, wrap-around windows, a curved entryway with glass block, & a reverse channel illuminated neon sign. The interior features a streamlined barrel roof, ccounter & stools, & Indian tribal coins. The Cheyenne was recently granted 1st prize on NYC-Architecture.com’s “Top 10 NY Diners/Restaurants. Spiros Kasimis was the 18-year Cheyenne tenant.
Be sure to check out current and historic photos of the Cheyenne here, here and here!
