Press Release from the 93rd Street Beautification Association
Marx Brothers Place Slated for the Wrecking Ball !
Marx Brothers Place is Under Siege !
QUESTIONS AND INFO
CONTACT 93rd Street Beautification Association
Co-Chair, Susan Kathryn Hefti - skathrynhefti@excite.com or 212.969.8138
Monitoring Committee, Pei Lazar - peinyc@aol.com or 212.289.7664
Co-Chair, Leslee Browning - leslee.browning@gmail.com or 212.289.6136
Mark Giller - mrgiller53@yahoo.com
Reginald Atkinson - reginald@pipeline.com
Historic East 93rd Street in Carnegie Hill (between Lexington and Third Avenues) is under siege. After coming home to a pile of rubble last year - where once stood two classic 19th Century Townhouses - a group of neighbors got together and formed the 93rd Street Beautification Association. Our efforts are focused on preserving, respecting and celebrating our block's cultural history as well as its unique physical environment - including the lovely streetscape (where we have planted trees, shrubs and spring bulbs over the last several years) as well as the CONTIGUOUS HISTORIC GARDENS (nesting and resting places for Migratory Birds) that run behind the south side of the block.
Over the last few months, the 93rd Street Beautification Association has also been campaigning to have the block co-named "Marx Brothers Place" - an effort enthusiastically endorsed by such Preservation luminaries as Tony C. Wood; Seri Worden - Executive Director of Friends of the Upper East Side and Histroic Districts Council. For more information about the effort to co-name our block, please visit www.myspace.com/marxbrothersplace and click on Comments, Pictures and Video (google it if you have trouble accessing it otherwise).
An article, written by John Strausbaugh in The New York Times, this past Friday (14 Dec), described the beloved home of these American Comic Icons: "The Marx Brothers grew up in the plain five-story brownstone still standing at 179 East 93rd Street, and reputedly filched apples from the backyard orchard of Jacob Ruppert, a beer baron down the block."
But, suddenly, our quiet little block is, once again, under siege. The same DEVELOPER who BULLDOZED the first two 19th Century Townehouses has now bought the third (contiguous) 19th Century Townhouse and wants to KNOCK IT DOWN, TOO (the CONSTRUCTION SHED WENT UP JUST HOURS AGO !) Last week, the DEVELOPER began ILLEGAL ASBESTOS REMOVAL at 182 East 93rd Street (all of which was caught on CAMERA and documented in contemporaneous eyewitness accounts) WITHOUT A PERMIT OR NOTIFICATION TO NEIGHBORS !!! Members of the 93rd Street Beautification Association Monitoring Committee reported this UGLY INCIDENT to 311, the Fire Department and NYC Officials AS IT WAS HAPPENING !!! NO ONE DID ANYTHING !!!
Internationally known (google: Irish Times 179 East 93rd Street) as the block where the childhood home of the American Comic Icons, The Marx Brothers, grew up - this unique historic block (which includes some of the OLDEST ROWHOUSES IN ALL OF CARNEGIE HILL) will be completely razed as DEVELOPERS CONTINUE TO DANGLE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FRONT OF HOUSE OWNERS - UNLESS THIS BLOCK IS PROPERLY DESIGNATED AS PART OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
The 93rd Street block between Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue IS within the historic District despite the fact that only three houses - 124, 126 & 128 have any historic interest. IT IS INEXPLICABLE THAT HISTORIC EAST 93RD STREET BETWEEN LEXINGTON AVENUE AND THIRD AVENUE IS NOT BEING PROTECTED. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE AND IT WILL ONLY HAPPEN WITH YOUR HELP.
Please, please, please tell the untold story of our unique little block. Tourists come on pilgramges from all over the world to see "Marx Brothers Place". Please don't let them show up and find NOTHING BUT 21st CENTURY BOXES OF CONCRETE. THATIS EXACTLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THIS HISTORIC BLOCK DOES NOT RAISE THE SHACKLES OF NEW YORK'S ELECTED OFFICIALS - THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN ACTUALLY STEP IN AND DO SOMETHING TO PUT AN END TO THE UNCONSCIONABLE DEMOLITION OF OUR ENTIRE BLOCK!!!!
Please help bring this story to your readers, listeners and readers. Please don't let our home disappear from NY's already small collection of 19th century houses, these wonderful architectural repositories of our collective cultural history. Thank you for your help !
BELOW IS REPRINTED EXCERPTS FROM TODAY'S NEW TORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT THE UPPER EAST SIDE AND THE MARX BROTHERS HOUSE IN CARNEGIE HILL (the neighborhood that runs from 86th to 96th between 5th Avenue & Third Avenue):
BEGINNING OF EXCERPT FROM TODAY'S NY TIMES www.nytimes.com - (c)nytimes2007):
The Marx Brothers grew up in the plain five-story brownstone still standing at 179 East 93rd Street, and reputedly filched apples from the backyard orchard of Jacob Ruppert, a beer baron down the block. The Pittsburgh steel magnate Andrew Carnegie , one of Mrs. Astor's undesirables, bought property on Prospect Hill, after which it came to be known as Carnegie Hill (86th to 96th Streets, Fifth to Third Avenues). In 1901 he retired there to the enormous Georgian home and garden he built at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 91st Street. Since 1976 it has been the home of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Woody Allen (born Allan Konigsberg in Brooklyn), a longtime Carnegie Hill resident, calls the Upper East Side "the Zone," and has shot exterior and interior locations for many movies there.
END OF EXCERPT FROM TODAY'S NY TIMES (c)nytimes2007.
In 2004, after losing a hard-fought battle to keep a developer from building atop the citibank building adjacent to his house, Woody Allen left Carnegie Hill and moved to another UES neighorhood with his wife and children.
Welcome Page from Marx Brothers Place on myspace.com
Welcome to all!
Marx Brothers Place is a community effort to celebrate the creative genius of New York City's favorites sons; Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo & Zeppo. We hope you enjoy reading about this exciting plan to preserve the cultural heritage of these American icons, and the progress that we've already made. Please click on the wonderful catalogue of photographs found on this page - illustrating both the worldwide appeal of these lovable brothers, as well as the unique architectural and streetscape appeal of our little New York City block East 93rd Street (off Lexington Avenue). Also, be sure to click on the short video of the "boys" - as we like to call them - and watch the geniuses who have influenced so many generations of writers, artists, filmakers, playwrights, poets, comics and fans alike.
Marx Brothers Place is all about making sure that the block the "boys" called home is properly designated to honor the Marx Brothers contribution to our collective cultural history and New York City's gift to the world. The childhood home of these atomic-comic icons still stands, at 179 East 93rd Street off Lexington Avenue, as an architectural symbol of the comic genius these irrepressible brothers continue to share with the world. And, in turn, out of gratitude, curiosity and deep devotion, the world continues to visit the "boys" making weekly pilgrimages to this classic New York House. Listed in countless European Travel Guides and Walking Tours of New York City, Marx Brothers Place has remained a mecca for devoted fans who come with little more than a camera in one hand and a travelers guide in the other. Their visit to this wonderful house brings joy to both the tourists and the neighborhood which is steeped in pride for their favorite sons. Each visit also brings, yet, one more foreign language we proudly add to the list of welcome visitors.
The fact that after years of silence, Harpo Marx so passionately, and with such great detail, described his cherished childhood home, 179 East 93rd Street, in his highly acclaimed Memoir speaks volumes (see, "Harpo Speaks"). This block, and its wonderful mix of artists and artisans, had a profound influence on the attitudes and perspectives that shaped the world as seen by the Marx Brothers. Late in life, Groucho himself came home for a visit. Sitting in silence, while soaking up years of memories in his childhood home, he was saying goodbye to the ghosts of his mother and father - both of whom some believe still move about the building. Groucho died shortly after this emotional farewell to his beloved childhood home.
179 is a very special house. And East 93rd Street is a very special block. The 93rd Street Beautification Association is honored to have the support of NYC Preservationist Anthony C. Wood; Seri Worden - President of the Friends of the Upper East Side and the NYC Historic Districts Council in this community-wide effort to have East 93rd Street (at the eastern corner of Lexington Avenue - where tourist alight from their buses and subways) co-named "Marx Brothers Place". We also need your support in this effort. Please help us in this effort to co-name the block "Marx Brothers Place". Write or call your New York City Council Member; Council Speaker Christine Quinn; Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer; Congresswoman Caroline Maloney; NY State Senator Liz Krueger; Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and anyone else you know who can help us get this done. Tell these people how much the Marx Brothers mean to the world. Tell them how much the Marx Brothers mean to you. And tell them how much you love the idea of co-naming the block - Marx Brothers Place !
Most of us need to lighten up, put a little more humor in our lives. And by naming the block for New York's own comic genuises, not only will we celebrate the cultural history this little street represents. We'll also be putting a smile on the face of every person who's ever tried to walk across a room, taking three steps in one, like the man himself: Groucho Marx. The Marx Brothers clearly belong to the collective conscience of the global community. But their childhood, those formidable years that shaped their genius, belongs to East 93rd Street. Thanks for listening !
End of Press release
