On the town in new york
the historic districts council's 2008 fall series

Thanks to all of the presenters everyone who attended this year’s Preservation Party
featuring the 8th Annual Grassroots Preservation Awards. We had a great turnout
and wonderful weather to celebrate our seven honorees.

The SoHo Playhouse, Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District

“Comedy & Tragedy” discussed the theaters of New York City, focusing on their unique histories, architectural significance and façade design. From Broadway’s designated landmarks to the neglected theaters of the other boroughs with unknown fates, the panel covered all aspects of theatre history in New York City.

Panelists included:

• Seri Worden, moderator, has been the executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts since 2004 and has previously worked with such noted preservation organizations as DOCOMOMO, Historic Landmarks Preservation Center, and Design Trust for Public Space. She holds a graduate degree in historic preservation from Columbia University’s graduate preservation program and is a member of HDC’s Board of Advisers.
  
  
• Cezar Del Valle is an artist who has also worked in theatre for more than forty years. Mr. Del Valle has written articles on theatre history for professional journals, has given slide talks and walking tours for numerous non-profit organizations and served as consultant on theatre history for the Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film, the Cinema Theatre Association of Great Britain, the New York Times and others.



• Tony Robins is an historian who writes about, lectures on, and leads walking tours of, New York City's history and architecture. During a long stint at New York's Landmarks Commission, he served as Deputy Director of Research and then Director of Survey. He was also a founding member of the Art Deco Society of New York, whose walking tour program he created. Mr. Robins holds an M.A. degree in Art History from the Courtauld Institute in London.



• Susan Tunick is a national spokesperson for the preservation of architectural terra cotta and an established artist working in ceramic mosaic. She is president of the Friends of Terra Cotta and has written extensively on terra cotta and tile, contributing to a renewed interest in the use and preservation of architectural ceramics. Ms. Tunick is also a Director of the Historic Districts Council.
   

BOTTOMS UP: DIVES, DRINKING HOLES
& OTHER HISTORIC PLACES OF GOOD CHEER
Thursday, September 13, 2007

This panel explored the culture of drinking and eating in New York City through an examination of establishments developed specifically for leisure. Discussions focused on both the architectural and social significance of these historic watering holes.

Panelists included:

• Sophia LaVerdiere Truslow, moderator, is a preservation consultant and a lawyer in private practice. She is active in preservation throughout the city serving on the boards of the Boerum Hill Association and the New York Marble Cemetery, as well as being a member of Brooklyn Community Board 2's Land Use Committee. She holds a graduate degree in historic preservation from Columbia University and a law degree from Boston University. Sophie also sits on HDC's board of advisers.



• Mark Caldwell is an historian and English professor at Fordham University. His most recent book, New York Night: The Mystique and its History, traces the history of social life in the city after the sun goes down, from Civil War era saloons to the velvet ropes of today’s most glamorous clubs and lounges.



• Francis Morrone is an architectural critic, freelance writer, independent scholar, lecturer and teacher. He is one of the most popular leaders of architectural tours in New York City. He has authored several books, among them An Architectural Guidebook to New York City, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn and Brooklyn: A
  Journey Through the City of Dreams.



• Matthew A. Postal, Ph.D. is an architectural historian who focuses on the late 19th and 20th centuries and regularly leads walking tours in New York City and Brooklyn for institutions including the Bard Graduate
  

ENTER STAGE RIGHT:
A BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF BROADWAY'S HISTORIC THEATERS
September 23rd & 30th, 2007

This year's fall series concluded with two rare behind the scenes tours of Manhattan's Theater District. The tours, led by restoration specialist Jeff Greene, noted tour guide Joe Rosenberg and architect Craig Morrison, welcomed tourgoers inside some of Broadway's most famous theaters, including the New Amsterdam, the Winter Garden and the former Mark Hellinger, now the Time Square Church.