Wednesday, March 30, 2016

NYPL Upper East Side Story ~ Oral History Project Kickoff Tonight!

The spring blossoms on the 300 block of East 81 Street. A beautiful canopy of trees, old stoops and sturdy walk-ups ~ the essence of New York City street life.

A block not marred by mid-block slivers or hi-rises. I’m fighting to maintain our dwindling Upper East Side housing stock threatened by speculation triggered by the Second Avenue subway and the city's indifference to supporting lower density where it has always made sense.

The tall buildings built for few are at the expense of everyone else who wishes to walk or sit on a stoop in the early morning or early evening and enjoy the sunlight as it arrives and leaves.



Tonight, Wednesday, March 30th, The New York Public Library kicks off their Upper East Side Story Oral History Project at the 67th St. Library, 328 E. 67th Street from 6-8pm.

Live music, free refreshments, be part of it, we're going to have fun. The Project's Director will interview me. I’m a street life kid, a city boy. Keeping the memory of alive of where I came from and sharing it with others who feel the same way is a strong tool for encouraging the preservation and protection of our neighborhood’s density and contextual zoning.

If you care about this issue, join the NYPL oral history project and tell your story about the old Upper East Side. We will conduct interviews through Labor Day. You are welcome to contact me at tommy.pryor@gmail.com if you have a long history (25 years or more) on the Upper East Side and would like to be interviewed for posterity and be part of the NYPL’s Upper East Side Story collection at the 42nd Street library.

Come and join the fun. Please rsvp below for tonight’s event.

No comments: