Posted at 10:17 AM on 11-9-07 by Rob T Firefly
We are excited to annouce that despite various minor setbacks, last night’s Community Board Five hearing was a resounding success for us. The Board’s resolution to designate the Hotel Pennsylvania as a landmark was passed by an overwhelming majority.
Many thanks to all who attended, and all who couldn’t be there but have contributed otherwise to the Save the Hotel movement. The fight is not by any means over, but a major battle has indeed been won.
The proceedings were filmed, and many of us have stories to tell of that night. Stay tuned to SaveTheHotel.org, 2600’s Save the Hotel forum, and this site for updates.
tags: history, hotel pennsylvania, nyc, politics
Posted at 1:57 AM on 11-2-07 by Rob T Firefly
The previous meeting of the community board was a resounding success for us, as they agreed in a 6-1 vote to bring the matter of the Hotel Pennsylvania before the full board.
Now, to the next stage. The full board meeting of the landmark commission will be held at 6:00 PM this Thursday, November 8th.
Location: F.I.T.
227 West 27th Street at 7th Avenue
Building “C”
Haft Auditorium, 2nd Floor
This is the hearing which will decide whether or not the Hotel Pennsylvania gets landmark status. It is vital that every last person who is able to attends the meeting and speaks their mind. As a wise philosopher once said, “I know some of you like to wait till the last minute… well, this is it! This is the last minute!”
Interested speakers will have to fill out a form and reserve their three minutes of speaking time. Be prepared to say, in three minutes, why you feel this place should become a landmark.
tags: history, hope, hotel pennsylvania, nyc, politics
Posted at 5:34 AM on 10-28-07 by Rob T Firefly
Early this month, a New York Observer article on the plan to demolish the Hotel Pennsylvania reported that “Preservationists citywide have responded to Vornado’s proposed demolition with a resounding ‘Eh.’”
This apparent local apathy is perhaps best explained in the article’s quote from Emmanuel Goldstein:
“Just recently, I was in Vienna and Pisa [Italy], where people expressed a great deal of concern to me over the fate of the hotel. It was hard (and rather embarrassing) to explain why New Yorkers might not care enough to get involved. The hotel was old; the rooms weren’t as big and luxurious as other more modern facilities; and New Yorkers simply weren’t in a position to grasp the importance of such a place since they normally don’t need cheap and easily accessible hotels if they already live here.”
A new article in the Observer indicates that while Merrill Lynch has “given every indication” that it intends to move to a new skyscraper built upon the site of the Hotel, there is still “a glimmer of hope.”
The Hotel Pennsylvania demolition project requires public approval, which could take a year, and would entail building over the railroad tracks that run beneath the hotel and pose engineering and security challenges.
A committee of the local Community Board 5 meets Tuesday to discuss whether the hotel merits consideration as a protected landmark. The meeting takes place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30 at 227 West 27th Street, 8th floor, Rm A802.
As Pirho of SaveTheHotel.org noted on the HOPE forums, “if this Hotel does not get the landmarking it deserves, then the fight is over.”
If you want to see this hotel stay, show up and speak at the Community Board 5 Meeting this Tuesday at 6PM.
This could be our last chance to save the Hotel Pennsylvania.
tags: history, hope, hotel pennsylvania, nyc, politics
Posted at 2:28 PM on 10-8-07 by Rob T Firefly
This month, Slashdot celebrates 10 years online.
In celebration, birthday parties are popping up all over the place for readers of the nerd news site, including this one in our neck of the woods.
Here are the event’s details:
Cake Shop
Monday Oct 15
6pm -> whenever. All ages.
152 Ludlow between Stanton / Rivington (Google map)
Downstairs bar has happy hour 5 - 8 with no cover.
Please respect the venue, buy something and leave a tip.
Come to the party, and welcome your Slashdotting New Yorker overlords.
tags: events, fun, nyc
Posted at 8:39 AM on 7-30-07 by Rob T Firefly
This Friday, August 3rd, is the deadline for public comments on proposed rules by the Mayor’s office which would severely restrict the rights of photographers within New York City.
The new rules under consideration by the Mayor’s Office of Theater, Film, and Broadcasting (the entity which coordinates and issues permits for film and television production) include requiring any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) to acquire a photography permit and $1,000,000 in liability insurance. The regulation would also apply to any group of five or more people who would be using a tripod for more than ten minutes, including setup and breakdown time.
A campaign for photographers’ rights has been going on over at pictureny.org. There you can read more about the proposed rules, and learn of more ways in which you can help.
Local photographer Sean Reiser has posted a decent sample letter to the Mayor’s office.
Coverage:
Slashdot
Indymedia
Google News
tags: big brother, nyc, politics
We are excited to annouce that despite various minor setbacks, last night’s Community Board Five hearing was a resounding success for us. The Board’s resolution to designate the Hotel Pennsylvania as a landmark was passed by an overwhelming majority.
