Queens Tribune "Best of Queens 2010" - Historic Picks By Rego-Forest Preservation Council

The Best of Queens 2010 edition of the Queens Tribune was published for the week of Aug 26th - Sept 1st. It is a tradition that its readers anticipate, and have the privilege of playing a role. It is an annual magazine, and in culmination on your bookcase, it will speak measures about Queens when viewed in a decade. In fact, it already has, being that it features numerous sites that are an integral part of our borough; some of which has a varied and distinctive history of their own, awaiting discovery and re-discovery. We thank the Queens Tribune for their diligent work!

The cover presents the iconic Unisphere of the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Park with soaring fountains; an attention-grabber that reads Queens all over it! The preface begins with words of inspiration, To Be The Best, at the foot of a recent work of art, the Willow Lake Preserve gate. It then reads "Queens is known for many things - its people, its foods, its schools, its attitude, and so much more. One of the highlights is the parks, which are more plentiful in our borough than anywhere else. But in asking the readers of the Queens Tribune what is the Best of Queens, you may be surprised by the answers. From the music groups to the mom and pop shops, there is something to love in every hidden corner of this great borough. So turn the page and see what your neighbors and friends have deemed the Best of Queens. You may even find yourself."

Since this is a preservation blog, we will touch upon the historic sites that deliver character, which won a place in the Queens Tribune's annual edition. Whether large or small, these physical characteristics grant our neighborhoods a sense of place, so we can take pride in calling it our own, while our neighbors can share in our pride. And here they are.....

Best of Queens Places 2010

Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, 1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills
"Its architectural significance is important to the community, and has the potential to revive our local economy. It is not a shell of the past, but a tremendous historical sight we need to share with future generations. It's an international icon that Queens is blessed to have. It's endangered, but extensively endorsed for landmarking. It is a potential 21st century family destination if sold, funded, restored, and reused." - Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair

Please Help Our Landmark Letter Campaign:
http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/07/save-forest-hills-tennis-stadium.html
Photos & memorabilia: http://bit.ly/cGFb77

The historic home to tennis, music, architectural firsts or "Wimbledon of the New World." Classics live on forever. Don't let it live on only in history texts. Landmarking, restoration, & mixed-use creative revitalization, so future generations will thank you. Aerial photo by Hamilton-Maxwell Inc, 1929

Bob Dylan at home of Summer Music Festivals, August 28, 1965. Let him have a reason to sing his classic hit, "SAVED!"

Bank of America, 99-01 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills (Metropolitan Industrial Bank, 1952)
"By famed architect Philip Birnbaum. Award-winning "International Style" facade and interior. Revolutionary - first bank to use all industrial materials, and redefined banking." - Michael Perlman

Photos & memorabilia: http://bit.ly/9cDfGY

Award-winning mid-century modern masterpiece by Architect Philip Birnbaum. When a bank was a bank!

Queensborough magazine: Recipient of 1952 Bronze Building Award during Queens Chamber of Commerce's annual building competitions, based upon its excellence in design and civic value. These competitions would encourage owners and architects to exercise their minds. This signifies how some modernistic sites can have class.

Jorissen's Millstones, Long Island City
"Endangered in cases on a construction site in Queens Plaza, LIC. Remnant of first tidal mill in Western Queens." - Michael Perlman

Photos & blog posting:
http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/07/jorissen-millstones-endangered-request.html


Best of Queens Food 2010

Eddie's Sweet Shop, 105-29 Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills

"One of the last virtually intact, classic ice cream parlors citywide. One of the earliest mom & pop businesses in Queens extant." - Michael Perlman

"Premium ice cream, quality service." - Brian M. Bast, Oakdale

"Homemade ice cream with fresh made whipped cream. They keep it in a big bowl in the fridge. Plus the decor is from the 40s, I think. And they have a cute gift shop." - Elizabeth Marco, Queens

Photos: http://bit.ly/9YRXpp

All routes to Eddie's Sweet Shop, your classic soda fountain! Building by Seelig & Finkelstein, 1925

Eddie's Sweet Shop interior, known as Witt's Ice Cream in the 1940s. The decor dates to 1925 according to the Dept of Buildings, but some claim 1909. It was presumably a bakery cafe in the 1920s. The most intact example of an ice cream parlor citywide! Note its marble and wood counter, cast-iron stools, vintage fridge, ornate stenciled built-ins, clock. honeycomb mosaic floor, tin ceiling, chandeliers, original phone booth...and dates since your great-grandparents' time. Please NEVER shutter!

Best of Queens Senses 2010

Weeping Willow Trees, Flushing
"There are several near the Jewel Ave exit ramp near the L.I.E. It reminds me of my childhood in Louisiana." - Susan Margolis, Forest Hills

Best of Queens People 2010

Property Owners Who Preserve Young To Mature Trees, Evident on select Queens properties
"Trees convey life, beauty, and sustain our environment." - Michael Perlman

Kudos to MacDonald Park & Forest Hills Jewish Center for preserving their trees. Our own backyard is the "Garden of Eden." No concrete lawns here!

Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Advocates Speak: Mayor Bloomberg To Call USTA & Landmarks Preservation Commission

Mayor Bloomberg & his panel trek to Forest Hills

 It isn't often that Mayor Bloomberg comes to town! On August 31, 2010, a town hall meeting, sponsored by the Forest Hills Civic Association was held at Our Lady of Mercy Church's auditorium (70-01 Kessel St, Forest Hills, NY). Mayor Bloomberg was the guest speaker, and took a wide range of questions from the audience, comprised of nearly 150 people. The Mayor brought his City Hall panel with him.

Around 30 confirmed preservation supporters of the iconic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium were in attendance amongst others, and some were given a chance to share their views. Chairman Michael Perlman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council handed Mayor Bloomberg's assistant a letter, comprised of the consensus of members of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which also reflected the support of individuals and organizations from a local to a national level. The letter explained the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium's imminently endangered status, architectural and cultural significance internationally in relation to tennis and music, and potential creative reuses including tennis, concerts (interest from the NY Philharmonic), weddings, exhibits, community events and fundraisers, school trips, etc. Creative and historically-sensitive reuse would yield a greater economic return by creating jobs, increasing tourism, preserving history, and maintaining and enhancing property values of the Forest Hills Gardens and adjacent sections of Forest Hills. The letter requested the Mayor's long-term role in the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium's future, in regard to preservation and creative reuse. A representative of the Community Affairs Unit said someone will call Chair Michael Perlman tomorrow.

In response to preservationists' public statements, the Mayor said he will have Chairman Robert Tierney of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission give the speakers a phone call. Mayor Bloomberg would not say whether he supported its preservation and reuse, but promised he will start a dialogue with USTA President Lucy Garvin. As one may recall, it was Congressman Anthony Weiner's idea in early August to talk to the USTA, and encourage them to hold at least one U.S. Open match in Forest Hills annually, which would be one such beneficial method of reusing the 14,000-seat historic Stadium.

For more information on what transpired at the mayoral meeting regarding the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium and its history, refer to the comprehensive summary posted on The Forest Hills Gardens Blog:

http://foresthillsgardensblog.com/2010/09/01/bloomberg-vows-to-talk-to-usta-about-tennis-stadium/

Mixed-use iconic 21st century family destination in Forest Hills, or Cord Meyer's Anytown USA condos? Photo courtesy of Patrick Lannan

The Internationally-known 1923 Forest Hills Tennis Stadium by famed architect Kenneth Murchison merits landmark status & creative reuse. Not a Disney-esque facade with overdeveloped typical condos! Photo courtesy of Edge of The City: A Forest Hills, NY Blog

Bookmark-worthy blogs, which provide updates on the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Preservation Campaign:


1. Rego-Forest Preservation Council:
http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com

2. The Forest Hills Gardens Blog:
http://foresthillsgardensblog.com/

3. Edge of The City: A Forest Hills, NY Blog: 
http://edgeofthecityblog.com/

Response To Electeds' Feasibility Study Request For Iconic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium

Forest Hills: Tennis as Tennis: Forest Hills - Central element of this 1929 aerial photo by Hamilton Maxwell Inc proves just that! The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium was at the ripe age of 6.

 An open letter to our elected officials:

Dear Congressman Weiner, Senator Stavisky, Councilmember Koslowitz, & Assemblymember Hevesi,

    I am writing on behalf of Rego-Forest Preservation Council. We extend a special thank you for composing a joint letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on August 12, 2010, requesting a feasibility study. Gratefully, you have responded to the pleas of a vast coalition of local and national landmark individual & organizational supporters, in the face of a historic international icon, the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, and also expressed the need for the Landmarks Preservation Commission to hear and designate more landmarks in Queens. You acknowledged the sentiments of the greater public, who hopes to see the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium landmarked (by city and state) to commemorate its history and grant funding, and purchased by a more creative and deserving party who would restore and reuse it with everyone in mind, to ultimately boost jobs, business, tourism, and convey pride.

Sept 25, 1937 news photo. Caption: General view of the crowd at the Forest Hills Stadium. As the Sept 23, 2010 voting day at the West Side Tennis Club approaches, imagine the historic Stadium's mixed-use economic potential for the greater public, & reject typical condos for a select group.

From its rendering in the 1922 MIT Technology Review, it was depicted as "America's Tennis Stadium," and was proven to be an influential venue as an architectural first countrywide, and for its firsts in tennis and music history, but seemingly poor marketing decisions by boards of the West Side Tennis Club in recent years let it go astray.

Under Cord Meyer Development's condo-minded proposal on August 10th at a private meeting at the WSTC, a portion of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium's facade would be retained, but the soul of the iconic Stadium, including the grandstands, interior stone work, and field, would be sucked out for out-of-context condos, more closely resembling a Brutalist Style structure of the Cold War, or "Disney-esque" to phrase it mildly. This could happen if 2/3 of WSTC voting-eligible members approve of a sale to Cord Meyer on September 23rd. In turn, It would usher around 200 residents into the Forest Hills Gardens, and be another case of overdevelopment in Queens. Our schools are already burdened. It is doubtful that a modern design would be approved over the preservation of an iconic site by the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, in the face of Restrictive Covenants. The Corporation has always prevented demolition of historic sites, and maintained the neighborhood's historic identity and property values, since the Forest Hills Gardens' creation 101 years ago. If not landmarked, its potential loss would designate it the "Pennsylvania Station of Queens." Let's speculate how future generations would look back, if the government and public had a chance to rescue and reuse this noble site for (smaller) tennis matches, (subdued) concerts, weddings, community events, school trips, exhibits, etc, but failed.

Pennsylvania Station in 1910, but demolished in 1963 despite public outcry. It led to the Landmarks Law in 1965, designed to prevent such travesties, and to preserve our landmarks officially such as the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium. Don't let history repeat itself! Photo courtesy of Evening Telegraph blog

Our consensus is that building typical condos of "Anytown USA" and demolishing the majority of an icon in order to settle a debt (according to published reports), would be the most selfish, short-sighted, and unimaginative approach. There are some sites so significant to our community and nation's heritage and backbone, and so few and far between, that any compromise would account for a major loss. One may ask, "Shall we be remembered as defeatists or civic-minded creative visionaries?"

We hope that you will continue to fulfill your role on behalf of the majority of constituents and national supporters, in order to defend one of our nation's greatest "landmarks at heart," and a 21st century family destination of great potential character-wise and economically, if marketed and reused creatively, with the assistance of city and state funding, and fundraising by groups such as ours. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

- Michael Perlman
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com
unlockthevault@hotmail.com

For more photos and some rare memorabilia, visit: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157607136282297/

Save The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium: Landmark Letter Campaign for An International Icon!‏

Please take a few minutes to help preserve the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, an IMMINENTLY ENDANGERED AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL ICON. 

Classic postcard of a classic! LANDMARK or the dumpster?

  

The Problem....

Remember the 1963 demolition of Penn Station as New Yorkers watched in awe? You may be too young, but you get the picture. That led to the establishment of the Landmarks Law in 1965, to prevent further demolition of our landmarks that read NY all over it. The difference here is that the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium reads more than NY! After a vote on August 19th by a percentage of West Side Tennis Club members with voting rights, the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium may be sold to a developer, who will likely demolish it for a residential development. The greater public, who the Stadium was built for, will be excluded from the voting process. Wouldn't it be wise and more reputable for the WSTC to keep the Stadium or sell it to a reputable developer who will value,  restore, & adaptively reuse an International icon? Will this be Queens' Penn Station? Whether you are or aren't a WSTC member, there are ways that the "greater public" can still take action to defend an ICON!

Lookout below for 2 urgent routes towards preservation 

~ OR~

A prime facet of history will be gone forever!

 Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Significance....

The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is truly an American & International icon in terms of tennis, musically, and architecturally. It was the first concrete stadium of its type in the country, and was referred to as the "World Capital of Tennis." Some prominent tennis players included Bill Tilden, Helen Wills, Althea Gibson, and Arthur Ashe. The facade is embellished with eagles, shields bearing the West Side Tennis Club logo, and grand historic archways. It was the home to the U.S. Open, singles championships, Wrightman Cup, Davis Cup, and a number of firsts in tennis history. It was also home to music festivals starring Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Judy Garland, Trini Lopez, The Who, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, The Monkees, etc. A key scene in "Strangers On A Train" (1951) by Alfred Hitchcock took place at the Stadium. The Tudor Clubhouse dates to 1913 (Famed Architect Grosvenor Atterbury & John Almay Tompkins), and the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium dates to 1923 (Famed Architect Kenneth M. Murchison). The West Side Tennis Club helped establish the sport of tennis in the U.S. Forest Hills is known for tennis, and tennis is known for Forest Hills. Sadly, the West Side Tennis Club has neglected an icon, letting it sit somewhat abandoned, after the U.S. Open needed a larger space than 14,000 seats in the late 70s, and the WSTC did not promote it as much for music festivals or smaller matches. Photos, memorabilia, history: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157607136282297/

ROUTE #1 - HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE AN ICON:

 *URGENT LETTER CAMPAIGN

Based on the above significance and your own sentiments, please write a letter supporting landmark status to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Clubhouse, interiors, and grounds should be calendared for a public hearing ASAP. If restored and adaptively reused for smaller concerts and smaller tennis matches, it would enhance the appeal of the neighborhood, and preserve a historic icon. Jet Blue can be a sponsor. Breathable space is prime, and we do not need typical condos in a neighborhood accustomed to overdevelopment. City Landmarking will preserve the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Clubhouse, grounds, & interiors for future generations to cherish, increase the chances of funding for repairs, and ultimately enhance our quality of life.

Please e-mail the Landmarks Preservation Commission a letter requesting landmark status ASAP. It can be brief, yet meaningful. 

CONTACT:

- LPC Chair Robert Tierney: rtierney@lpc.nyc.gov
- LPC Dir of Research Mary Beth Betts: mbetts@lpc.nyc.gov
- LPC General mailbox: comments@lpc.nyc.gov 
- LPC Exec. Dir. Kate Daly: kdaly@lpc.nyc.gov   
- Rego-Forest Preservation Council Chair Michael Perlman: unlockthevault@hotmail.com 
 

ROUTE #2 - HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE AN ICON:

Inform any contacts (members) that you know of at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to vote against the plan to sell the historic Stadium to a developer, who will very likely demolish it for a condo. Keep in mind that the vote to sell the stadium is slated for August 19th, which follows the informational meeting at the West Side Tennis Club (1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills, NY) on August 10th.

Please help by composing a brief letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and also forward this preservation campaign posting to all your contacts. Time is of the essence!

Thank you,

- Michael Perlman
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
unlockthevault@hotmail.com

The Stadium hosted annual music festivals, attracting thousands. Still have those ticket stubs?

Althea Gibson: 1st African American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour, & 1st to win a Grand Slam title in '56. 

Vintage magazine explains how the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is the heart of the West Side Tennis Club!

Jorissen Millstones Endangered: Request For Rightful Preservation & Landmarking!

Rego-Forest Preservation Council expands its horizons beyond the immediate vicinity of Rego Park and Forest Hills, and acknowledges the broad picture of what shaped historic Queens, and how Queens' early history impacts and enhances our quality of lives in modern day Queens. We proudly join our neighbors in solidarity, calling on the rightful preservation of the Jorrisen Millstones, which remains at risk in Queens Plaza, Long Island City. Action by the citizens, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and all responsible city agencies and elected officials is requested.....

The following press release is courtesy of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Information is from James Riker’s Annals of Newtown (1852) and personal recollections of the Payntar Family. The Payntar Family, and some professional organizations including Rego-Forest Preservation Council, HDC, as well as the Queens Borough historian, have gone on record supporting GAHS efforts to preserve the millstones.

Jorrisen’s Mill, built between 1643 and 1654, was the first tidal mill in western Queens. It was powered by ditch, called Berger’s Sluice, which ran just east of Northern Boulevard between 40 Road and 48^th Street. The backbreaking work of grinding wheat and sifting flour was generally done by African–American labor.

We have a fairly clear record of ownership: Parcell, Bragaw, Polhemus, and Ryerson to the Payntar family which bought the mill in 1831. The mill and mill pond remained to 1861, when the Long Island Railroad drove tracks through the area obliterating the location. The Payntar family rescued the millstones and placed them in front of their home on Jackson Avenue some 300 feet north of Queens Plaza.

About the time when the home was torn down in 1913, the stones were transferred to the plaza in front of the Long Island Savings Bank at 41^st Avenue and Queens Plaza North. A postcard from about 1925 shows tall light fixtures with circular bases that seem to resemble the stones.

When the Queens Plaza subway station was built (about 1930) the stones were again temporarily moved, this time to a nearby flower bed. A photo in a booklet published by the Long Island Savings Bank in the 1940s shows the millstones embedded in a traffic island where they remained until late last year. The booklet shows them, at that time, to be in pristine condition.

The historical society has inspected the millstones for over 25 years and has noticed exposure to vandalism, the rigors of the elements, which is a marked deterioration in the last decade. Their centers eroded (someone dumped asphalt in them.) One was cracked. As early as 2001, we went on record with the New York Times expressing our concerns.

As part of the multimillion dollar renovation of Queens Plaza by the NY City Planning and the NYS Economic Development Corporation, the millstones are to be moved to the center of the plaza and mounted to pedestals with four pins drilled through them. Their centers are to be filled with gout. In that location they will be exposed to the vibrations of one of the most congested traffic hubs in New York (elevated, subway, and vehicular).  Their planned siting, next to a bike lane, is not safe. Deserted at night, they be will exposed to vandalism. They will be subject to road salt and weathering.

An application for designation to NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, who called them ‘decorative sidewalks,’ was rejected. They are sitting in crates with large signs designating them as ‘Historic Objects Under Study.’

Custom holds them to be the oldest surviving European artifacts in Queens! Some claim they arrived on a West Indian merchantman. The design on their face is late (perhaps early 19^th century.) The millstones are either replacements, or originals with their faces rescored.  Even if not original, they are still remnants of a 17^th century mill.

The Greater Astoria Historical Society is seeking support to temporarily house them in our museum, to retain experts to study them to determine their origin and age, and to place them on exhibit for the community until an appropriate permanent local interior space is found. The historical society, with the professional expertise to house the artifacts in a secure location, would make them available twice as many hours as an alternative proposal, a branch of the cash-strapped Queens Borough Public Library.

Please sign & comment on the petition to preserve the Jorissen Millstones, and inform your friends and family to do the same:  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/licmillstones/

For more information, contact the Greater Astoria Historical Society at (718) 278-0700 and http://www.astorialic.org

From Homes To Art Deco Shops, 63rd Dr, Rego Park, Spring 1949

Homes Yield to shops on 63rd Drive in Rego Park

By Historian Ron Marzlock, Queens Chronicle & Rego-Forest Preservation Council Blog contributor

From June 3, 2010 "I Have Often Walked" column

Art Deco shops which took the place of private homes on 63rd Drive between Booth and Saunders streets, in the spring of 1949.

In Rego Park, 63rd Drive was the shopping district that was never meant to be, but was in the end. It and 66th Avenue, formerly White Pot Road, are the two oldest roads in Rego Park, dating to Revolutionary War days. What’s now 63rd Drive, had been known as Remsen Lane, named for the family of Col. Jeromus Remsen, who won fame during the Revolution at the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn. The patriots lost that 1776 melee, leaving the British in control of New York City for the rest of the conflict. The descendants of the Remsen family still owned property on 63rd Drive as late as 1900. 

There were 10 different Remsen streets, roads and avenues scattered throughout Queens until 1913, when the borough largely changed over to numbered streets. Remsen Place in Maspeth still exists.

When Rego Park was originally developed in 1925, 63rd Drive was planned to be a quiet residential street. A row of 10 homes was built on its west side between Booth and Saunders streets. The shopping district was on Eliot Avenue and Queens Boulevard. But it was announced as early as 1942 that the Queens Midtown Highway, later named the Long Island Expressway, would be coming directly through the spot where the stores were. Their destruction began in 1954. 

Anticipating the need for a replacement strip, Robert E. Hill, Inc. of the Bronx wisely bought the homes on 63rd Drive in 1947 to build stores in their place. One house that escaped, just visible on the left of this photo, was demolished later. The strip has been a major shopping mecca for Rego Park residents ever since. 

Calling Volunteers for Membership Drive at June 13th Forest Hills Festival of The Arts

The 10th Bi-Annual Forest Hills Festival of The Arts will be on Sun, June 13th from 10 AM - 6 PM, and situated on Austin St between 69th Rd & 72nd Rd. Happy Birthday!

If you would like to volunteer for Rego-Forest Preservation Council's free membership drive, e-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com where you can present our sign-up form to locals. You will be recognized for your contribution. You can also assist us anytime year-round at your convenience.


The Rego-Forest Preservation Council Sign-Up Form to download: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/4678330726/sizes/l/

It's always proud to see the neighborhood coming together, as well as former residents paying a visit. There will be food, music, crafts, great bargains, children's games, and much more! Many booths are local businesses. It is sponsored by the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, and held in the spring and fall.

These are photos from prior years...

Oct 4, 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157623387356677/
June 14, 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157619729342877/
June 8, 2008: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157605505830054/