Preserve Admiral's Row

Preserving Admirals Row from MAS on Vimeo.

Check out this video from the Municipal Arts Society about Admiral's Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

There is a meeting tonight that is part of the Section 106 process related to the preservation/development and demolition of Admiral's Row. To support the preservation of these buildings email the National Guard .

UPDATE: The demolition of most of the Admiral's Row buildings has been approved, and only two buildings will be saved.

Fulton Stall Market

On Friday the new Fulton Stall Market will debut at South Street Seaport. In 16 former fish monger stalls between Fulton and Beekman streets, a veritable bounty of local and specialty foods is promised. There will be Hudson Valley produce, New York wines, artisan cheese, and aptly fresh fish.

The Fulton Market's history is clearly on the mind of the new market's creators. The Fulton Market opened in 1822, selling fish but also produce, dairy products and meats. Fish, of course, became the principal product until the market relocated to Hunts Point in 2005. That the location of one of New York's most historic markets is being repurposed to host one anew is not only an excellent marketing strategy given public interest in local foods, but also a move toward recapturing this tradition and adding life to South Street Seaport. This is a wonderful opportunity for New Yorker's to support regional food systems, but also to eat well.

Landscape in Motion

For those of you wondering what on earth historical ecologists do, here's a great article from the San Francisco Chronicle: "Historical Ecologists Map a Changing Landscape", by Eric Simons.

Robin Grossinger , historical ecologist , is quoted saying: "Each generation kind of loses the knowledge of what this place was like, and we find ourselves 200 years later with very little knowledge of what was there... So very basic things like octopuses in tide pools catch us by surprise."

So basic, indeed.

Simply understanding that a landscape is not static, but systems continually in motion, is a critical first step for anyone concerned with landscape restoration. Historical ecologists basically search for evidence and an understanding of a place's layered natural heritage, amid/despite human interventions. Whereas, we cultural landscape historians try to read this "unwitting autobiography," as Peirce Lewis wrote, in the sense that landscape is a reflection of culture in every way.

Fiske Terrace - Midwood Park

Yesterday morning, I came out of the subway at Newkirk Ave to construction and noise. Out onto Foster Ave I walked, and hung a right on East 18th into another world. Fiske Terrace - Midwood Park is one of New York City's newest Historic Districts, and kudos to LPC for designating this beautiful neighborhood. Large turn of the century homes sit shoulder-to-shoulder along lush tree-lined streets, whose greenery is augmented with planted medians. Also, this being spring, it was fully abloom. I think the neighborhood must have gotten a deal on pink azaleas at some point, as nearly everyone has one. This is a real gem.