Labor Day commemorates the history of the labor movement and the social and economic gains of workers in the United States.   New York City has been a location for many significant milestones of labor history.  We here at CityLand document the changes in New York City land use, but we would be remiss to ignore that behind every land use change is the hard labor of American workers, from demolition to construction and all points in between.  These men and women in the labor community have helped shaped New York’s majestic skyline.  In celebration of the holiday, we have created a list of historic places that have a connection to the labor community.  Some of these site have even been designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.  From all of us here at the Center for New York City Law, have a happy Labor Day!

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Independence Day commemorates the United States’ declaration of independence from Great Britain. Significant events occurred in New York City during the Revolutionary War, and many historic figures were from, and are buried here. In celebration of Independence Day, CityLand has created a list of some historic landmarks designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission that have a connection to the Revolutionary War era. Happy 4th of July from all of us here at the Center for New York City Law.

New Utrecht Reformed Church, Brooklyn. Image Credit: Friends of Historic New Utrecht.

New Utrecht Reformed Church
Location: 18th Avenue at 83rd Street, Brooklyn
Date: 1828, original 1677
LPC Designated: March 15, 1966 and expanded on January 13, 1998
The original church was founded in 1677. During the Revolutionary War the church was used by the British as a hospital, a prison, and a riding school during the British occupation following the Battle of Long Island. The British troops held target practice on the Church’s weathervane, and the headstones at the nearby cemetery. The Church’s Liberty Pole was constructed in 1783 to commemorate the British departure. The Pole has been replaced several times but has been surmounted by the same eagle.

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REBNY undertakes projects to investigate current residential issues in NYC. Image Credit: REBNY

REBNY report shows that housing production, particularly affordable housing, is drastically lower in landmarked areas in the five boroughs. In 2013, the Real Estate Board of New York conducted a study which showed that nearly 28 percent of Manhattan is landmarked and that fewer than 2 percent of new housing units built in Manhattan over a ten-year time period (2003-2012) were constructed on landmarked properties. On July 1, 2014, REBNY released a new report which analyzed properties and new housing activity in the other four boroughs over the same time period. REBNY found that although there are not as many landmark designations as in Manhattan, the creation of housing and affordable housing is also “sharply curtailed on landmarked properties located in those boroughs.” (more…)

Staten Island Borough President James Oddo

James S. Oddo, republican and former Council Member was sworn in as Staten Island’s new Borough President on January 1, 2014.

Borough President Oddo was born and raised in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, and bought his first house only a few blocks away from where he grew up. As the youngest of four boys, Oddo values the sacrifices his parents made. Oddo watched his father, a motorman, leave early and get home late to work, working two or three jobs at a time, while Oddo’s mother raised four boys. Oddo learned the value of hard work and dedication and says that he works to make sure that his actions reflect well on his parents, as well as his constituents now that he is in public office. (more…)

Robert J. Kafin, Chair of GrowNYC.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote “In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” May that always be so, but it is equally true today that for many New Yorkers spring also turns thoughts to Greenmarket, a collection of producer-only farmers markets that now blanket the City.

The first Greenmarket opened in July 1976 in a lot on Second Avenue at the Manhattan end of the Queensboro Bridge. Seven farmers sold produce at a once-a-week pop-up fair during the late summer season. Today’s Greenmarket has grown into a year-around program with 54 retail markets in all five Boroughs, where 230 family farms and fisherman from seven states bring regionally produced foods for sale to consumers.

The primary objectives of Greenmarkets are to promote regional agriculture by providing urban retail outlets for family farms, and to provide consumers in the City with convenient access to fresh, locally-produced foods. The 54 Greenmarkets occupy a diverse set of spaces, ranging from the great open plazas in Union Square to indoor spaces at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown and the Staten Island Ferry Terminals. Greenmarkets are also located on wide sidewalks on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills and along Columbus Avenue behind the American Museum of Natural History, in church yards such as St. Stephen’s on East 82nd Street in Manhattan, in temporarily closed streets like Union Avenue beside McCarren Park in Brooklyn, and in parking lots such as the one at the Staten Island Mall.

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