It encompasses the country’s first planned garden and cooperative apartment community. It’s the birthplace of Scrabble. And it’s the setting for the TV show Ugly Betty.
It’s also the place to be on Saturday and Sunday, when the Jackson Heights Beautification Group celebrates the 25th annual Historic Jackson Heights Weekend.
On Saturday, the fun kicks off with an exhibition of vintage photographs and memorabilia at theCommunity United Methodist Church. At 10:45 am and 12:15 am, there will be slide presentations on the neighborhood’s history. Then, a self-guided garden tour (using maps provided upon ticket purchase) will allow participants to visit at least 15 private gardens. These block-long, park-like gardens are only open to the public one day a year.
On Sunday at noon, guides will take walkers through the historic district, highlighting the apartments, private homes, and commercial and civic buildings that distinguish Jackson Heights.
Details: Historic Jackson Heights Weekend, Community United Methodist Church, 81-10 35th Street, Jackson Heights. June 13, slide lectures at 10:45 am and 12:15 am, free; garden tours from noon to 4 pm, $10. June 14, tour at noon, $10. Click here for ticket information.
Photo by Jackson Heights Beautification Group
http://queens.brownstoner.com/2015/06/tour-the-gardens-during-historic-jackson-heights-weekend/
Join us for a tour of the ever-changing Queens Plaza in Long Island City, where 350 years of history exhibit New York City’s cutting-edge spirit. From the Dutch Kills Green millstones to Sunnyside Yards, from loft buildings to new towers and tech industry, the area is both dynamic and connected to its past. Queens Plaza opened in 1909 to accommodate the connection of the Queensboro Bridge to Queens, and once served as the borough’s transportation hub and financial and business center. While major redevelopment plans are underway in Queens Plaza, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has just designated its most beloved architectural jewel, the former Bank of Manhattan Building, affectionately known as the “Clock Tower,” as the city’s newest Individual Landmark. Historian and Greater Astoria Historical Society trustee Richard Melnick will lead us on a walk around Queens Plaza to learn about its history and plans for its future.
years, the South Street Seaport, through its historic buildings, harbor views and tall ships, provides an important link to New York City’s fascinating and multi-layered origin story. As Manhattan’s oldest intact neighborhood, the Seaport derives its distinct sense of place from its 200-year old mercantile buildings, Belgian block paving and views of the Brooklyn Bridge. For many generations, it has been a destination for those with a passion for history. With major development pressures threatening to irreversibly and insensitively distort its character, advocates are working hard to protect this unique district. Join us as urban historian and author Francis Morrone illuminates the early history of the Seaport, its evolution over time and proposed plans for its future.
