CARNEGIE HILL CARNEGIE HILL Because it’s our home Fall 2020/Vol.ew 41/Nºs 2 neighbors n chn 501970-2020 CHN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS 50 CHN CELEBRATES CHN VIRTUAL BENEFIT Tuesday, December 15 See page 15 SUSAN HOEHN We need your support to keep Carnegie Hill Neighbors preserved, beautiful and secure. Please join us today. (See back page) The Corcoran Group is a licensed real estate broker located at 660 Madison Ave, NY NY, 10065 be challenged be checked be mated be home. VISIT US AT CORCORAN.COM 2 I CARNEGIE HILL NEWS • FALL 2020 CARNEGIE HILL chn 501970-2020 FALL/WINTERnews 2020 CALENDAR 3 Dear Neighbors 4 CHN UpFront Activities and Updates List of Advertisers 6 Major Contributors 8 On Museum Mile by Bo Niles 10 Streetscape DER VALK LO VAN Graffiti Removal, New Trees by Joanna Cawley A CHALLENGING 50th YEAR 12 Carnegie Hll in the Time of Covid: Local volunteers. Dear Neighbors, by Li Wen ur 2020 fall/winter Carnegie Hill News combines neighborhood news and CHN Annual Benefit a final salute to CHN’s 50th anniversary year. And what a year it has been 15 Goes Virtual O for all of us. Carnegie Hill Neighbors, and the residents and shopkeepers of Carnegie Hill, have kept active and involved as Covid-19 continues to affect Celebrating CHN at 50! 16 our lives—the way we work, learn, and play. Events Timeline 1970-2020 This newsletter continues to bring you highlights of CHN’s latest community- by Cynthia MacGrath oriented endeavors, and local news about our shops and neighbors, some of whom 18 Landmark Land responded to the pandemic restrictions in inspiring ways. by Lo van der Valk The Carnegie Hill office is now open daily and sports a new look to comply with Covid-19 precautions. Just inside the front door, a visitor must stop and be checked by 20 Safe Neighborhood by George Stonbely the automatic thermometer and use hand sanitizer; workspaces have been separated into socially distanced locations. 22 Merchant Profiles The biggest challenge this fall has been to replace the 50th-anniversary benefit by Cindy Sweetser gala at the Guggenheim, which had to be cancelled. Instead, please join us: 24 Neighborhood Authors CHN VIRTUAL BENEFIT by Lenny Golay Tuesday, December 15, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Spooktacular 25 Please read about the plans for the evening on page 15. This event will be a new experience for CHN and our supporters. We hope you will find the video format entertaining 26 Shop Talk by Samantha Fremont-Smith and informative. We are counting on our neighbors to help see us through these times of minimal social contact with an electronic contribution. Although we cannot say we 28 Environment hope to see you at our virtual benefit, we do hope you will see us! Organics Waste Collection by Bonnie Lane Webber 29 Tree Care Editor in Chief by Julia Bradford 30 Timeline: Roger Angell 100 Years, mostly in Carnegie CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Hill by Lenny Golay Suzie Aijala • Irene E. Aldridge • Sarah M. Bramwell • Heather Brandes • Jenifer Brooks • Barbara Coffey* • Dixie De Luca • Samantha Fremont-Smith* • Jennifer Garrett • Mark L. Goldsmith* • Susan Gottridge* • Anne Haubenstricker • Julie Herzig • Diane E. Jaffee • Jurate Kazickas • Linda Kurtz • Nicole Nunag Mellody • Virginia B. Pitman • Patricia Preston • Editor in Chief: Barbara Coffey Molly Rand • Kevin Roe • April Shelton • David J. Stoll* • George Stonbely* • Lo van der Valk* Art Director: Cynthia MacGrath * Executive Committee Editors: Sarah Bramwell, Samantha EMERITUS: David C. Balderston • Cynthia MacGrath • Ronald Spencer Fremont-Smith, Lenny Golay, Ann Levin, Bo Niles CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LANDSCAPING THE MALLS, ENHANCING STREETSCAPES, CARING FOR TREES, NETWORKING WITH BUILDINGS, AND PROVIDING SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDANCE. CARNEGIE HILL NEWS • FALL 2020 I 3 chn 501970-2020 NINA WHITING CHN DRAGON WING BEGONIAS UPFRONT FLOURISH THROUGH OCTOBER More than 6,000 begonias planted from 86th to 96th streets grew to a height of nearly 24 inches, surpassing all previous plantings since 1979; 20,000 tulip bulbs were planted this fall for spring 2021. Louise Nevelson’s “Night Presence IV” has enhanced the Park Avenue mall at 92nd Street since 1973. Prior to her death in 1988, the famous sculptor lived on Park Avenue in Carnegie Hill. She once said of her gift, “New York repre- sents the whole of my conscious life, and I thought it fitting that I should give it something of myself.” The 22½-foot- high sculpture had previously been located at the southeast entrance to Central Park as a temporary exhibit. DESPITE COVID, THE MALLS WERE EVEN MORE GLORIOUS MALLS HEDGE REPLACEMENT IS COMPLETE n spring 2016, the spindly, 30-year-old hedges on the mall at the southern entrance to Carnegie Hill at 86th Street were replaced with healthy new ones. SUSAN HOEHN I Work on the rest of the malls was suspended until funds could be raised. The following year, with a generous annual grant from a Park Avenue neighbor, hedge replacements continued through this summer when, finally, every mall sported fresh and healthy hedges. Many thanks to the Jennifer Huntley Foundation for making the mall shrubbery as stunning as the seasonal flowers. We also thank our supporters who fund the plantings and maintenance of our signature Park Avenue malls. PARK AVENUE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND FRIENDS SUPPORTING THE MALLS 1040 1070 1110 1130 1165 1199 49 East 86th St. The Brick Presbyterian Church 1049 1075 1111 1133 1172 1220 64 East 86th St. Church of St. Thomas More 1050 1088 1112 1150 1175 1230 120 East 87th St. Jennifer Huntley Foundation 1060 1100 1120 1155 1185 1235 65 East 93rd St. The Spence School 1065 1105 1125 1160 1192 130 East 94th St. CHN STAYS ACTIVE THROUGH COVID While there does not seem to be a Carnegie Hill neighbor anywhere without a mask, Joanna Cawley and Nina Whiting continued distribut- ing masks and hand sanitizer into the fall. Hundreds of masks were supplied by City Council members Ben Kallos and Keith Powers along with gallon jugs of sanitizer that CHN and Councilman Powers distributed to area buildings for staff to have on hand. CHN partnered with Community Board 8 and other East Side community organizations to “Be a Part of the Restart” and to discuss best practices for retail and restaurant reopening proce- dures. CHN created reopening guidelines posters to coincide with CHN aided the 2020 census effort by e-blasting electronic notices to daily updates on CHN’s website specific to store and restaurant members and helping census workers encourage more participation. openings, closures, amended hours, and pandemic restrictions. 4 I CARNEGIE HILL NEWS • FALL 2020 CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS STAFF Lo van der Valk, President Joanna Cawley, Executive Director Nina Whiting, Marketing and Communications Manager Dagmara Kopiec, Member Relations Manager Haiba Hamilton, Finance Manager Call: 212-996-5520 email: [email protected] CHN ONLINE TWITTER@ Join the social network of CHNEIGHBORSNY Carnegie Hill Neighbors. Catch the latest CHN INSTAGRAM@ CHN ANNUAL MEETING GOES VIRTUAL activities and events. Check CARNEGIEHILLNEIGHBORS hat would the founders of Carnegie Hill Neighbors think in out Carnegie Hill Neighbors on 1970 about an annual meeting with no one together in a hall? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. FACEBOOK@ W CARNEGIEHILLNEIGHBORS With large crowds not allowed to gather, on November 10, Visit chneighbors.org. CHN presented its annual meeting via Zoom. Members were invited to tune in, vote for directors, and watch presentations by Executive Director Joanna Cawley about CHN activities in the era CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS 50TH ANNIVERSARY of Covid. She was followed by CHN President Lo van der Valk’s VIRTUAL BENEFIT • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 report on three Madison Avenue construction projects, the Marx Go to the CHN Annual Benefit website Brothers Playground legal fight, and plans for two buildings that CHNEVENT.ORG or scan the QR Code were once part of the National Design Museum. (See pages 18- Bid on the Silent Auction • See page 15 for details 19.) The only thing missing was our traditional social mingling. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS ZOOM PRESENTATIONS GIVEN BY CHN Balanced Fitness Page 27 Holly Hunt, Corcoran. Page 31 This summer, CHN presented Zoom lectures by member experts, Brick Presbyterian Church 21 House of the Redeemer 23 followed by question and answer sessions. The initial talk was by Brosnan Risk Consultants 21 International Academy of NY 25 CHN President Lo van der Valk, who spotlighted the Engineers Gate Carnegie Hill Village 21Jois Hair Studio 27 at Central Park and 90th Street and the landmark buildings within Carousel of Languages 7 King Education 31 the quadrant surrounding the entrance. His informative descriptions Corcoran 2 Kleier Residential 11 Early Childhood Development 27 Linda Horn: Inspiration 11 and supporting photos offered insight into a familiar spot in our E. B. Cohen & Associates 11 Mind Your Body Pilates 27 historic neighborhood. Another talk was given by CHN’s Tree Care Eli’s Bar ‘91 23 Paola’s Osteria 9 Committee co-chairs, who discussed how they keep Carnegie M. Epstein, Language Tutor 27 S. Feldman Housewares 7 Hill’s trees flourishing. Julia Bradford, Suzanne Goldstein, and Fredericka The Facilitator 27 Urban Garden Center 27 Ginger Pitman urged residents to do their part to maintain trees in Gumley Haft 7Well-Kept Carnegie Hill 27 front of their residences. (See more about Tree Care on page 29.) CALL CITY OFFICIALS FOR HELP (212) WELCOME, Carolyn Maloney, U.S. Congress 860-0606 [email protected] MARCUS MELLODY Liz Krueger, State Senate 490-9535 [email protected] CHN usually welcomes Dan Quart, State Assembly 605-0937 [email protected] interns from several organiza- Rebecca Seawright, State Assembly 288-4607 [email protected] tions, but due to Covid-19 Keith Powers, City Council 818-0580 [email protected] precaution, we now have only Ben Kallos, City Council 860-1950 [email protected] Gale Brewer, Borough President 669-8300 [email protected] one intern in the office.