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The Historic District Council, an organization that tenaciously advocates for the preservation of NYC’s historic neighborhoods and buildings, hosted its inaugural “Urban Vanguard” event earlier this month. It was easy to guess their aim after a quick glance at the (conspicuously young) crowd: to stoke Millennials’ interest in historic preservation. It seemed to work—the idea of getting boozy somewhere sort of sly is widely appealing, and since the city’s speakeasies have by and large become like Disney rides, this venue seemed promising.
The library is on the 25th floor of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, and is normally reserved for judges. Recently restored, it’s got a classical feel (even the bookshelves have Doric-style columns), and provides a direct and dazzling view of both Midtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Also the drinks were free. Here’s the takeaway:
The Illuminati is real
Or so some may want to believe—à la The X-Files—after getting a glimpse of the enormous golden pyramid that caps this Court, the seat of the 2nd District (consisting of New York State, Connecticut, and Vermont). At 590 feet, the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse (known as the Foley Square Courthouse until 2001) was the tallest federal building in the world when its construction wrapped in 1936. Since the skyline was considerably more open back then, the court’s glittering pyramidal roof, made of glazed terra-cotta and garnished with gold leaf, would have been highly visible.
There are 180 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
And that’s south of 14th Street. Among the five boroughs, there are 534 registered sites, all of which are under the banner of the National Park Service, one of which is actually a boat: The United States Lightship LV-87, AKA the Ambrose. Unlike The Frying Pan, the Ambrose is currently open as an exhibit, afloat at Pier 16. And while it doesn’t have a bar, it’s mercifully devoid of I-Bankers deciding which things are “epic.”
The mark of a true New Yorker is to know the city’s history
After everyone had a chance to adequately peruse the library and have a second drink, a few of the Urban Vanguard organizers gave a brief talk describing why historic preservation is a worthwhile pursuit. One of them said that “the mark of a true New Yorker is the ability to point at something and say, ‘that used to be…’” Anyway, I fell in love with the phrase.
Here’s my thinking: since daily life in NYC usually presents with a dizzying assault on the senses, it’s nearly impossible to really “see” the city for what it is in the present tense. Since a grasp of the present will always exceed our reach, it’s useful to look at the city through the window of history—which is to say, looking back can provide insight into NYC’s dynamism. And sometimes free drinks.
The Urban Vanguard is slated to host another event with Uber in March.