Into the Light
July 14th, 2009
About eight years ago, architectural historian Matt Postal read about two fellows who wanted to transform a derelict railroad structure into a park. Matt soon got the go-ahead for a walking tour, “In the Shadow of the High Line,” from then-tours director Jill Anson.
Neither Jill nor Matt knew if anyone would be interested. Sixty people showed up the first time MAS offered the tour — and the second time it was offered, and the third. Matt continued to lead the walk every year, as the park became a reality. For years, tour takers wended their way along the base of the High Line, through a then-raffish neighborhood of warehouses and meat markets. Last Saturday, on a perfect summer’s day, Matt led MAS members up the stairs and into the light. They had a shared, audible response. Wow. Continue Reading>>
The Urbanists — the MAS membership group of young New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s — joined advocacy staff on Wednesday night for an informal, insider’s presentation of the advocacy campaigns MAS is championing this year.
Architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable was born and raised in New York City. She attended good schools, but believes that “being in New York was the education.” In 1963, Ms. Huxtable became the first architecture critic at The New York Times (indeed, the first architecture critic at any daily newspaper in the United States). She won the first Pulitzer Prize for criticism and was a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. Above all, she is a writer who knows what she thinks and says it.
Last week, the MAS Urbanists got a behind-the-scenes look at New York City’s state-of-the-art 311 call facility. Winner of a 
Last Saturday, MAS members took a vertical tour of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, climbing the equivalent of 12 stories of narrow, winding stairs with periodic stops to breathe deeply and take in memorable views and vistas. The newly-cleaned stone walls not only reveal architectural details unnoticed for decades, they are now a canvas for the play of color from the stained glass windows. High up in the cathedral, the mix of sun through colored glass bathed tour takers in golden-pink light, a highly flattering effect more often seen in movies than life.
Last Sunday, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine was rededicated seven years after a fire which spread smoke and soot throughout the sanctuary. The painstaking cleaning has removed decades of grime and transformed the church into a light-filled space in which architectural details can be seen for the first time in living memory, from carvings in the once-dark corners of the chapels to bas-relief angels some 200 feet overhead. If you have a head for heights, sign up now for the members-only vertical tour plus Matt Postal commentary on Saturday, December 13. Call 212-935-2075 to RSVP. $30. Tours begin at 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Space is limited.
Do you know what the name of Henry Hudson’s ship was, or which Midtown skyscraper is named for a woman’s cosmetic? What about the identity of the figure on horseback outside the Museum of Natural History, or the name of Kennedy Airport before it was named for the late president?
At the Annual Benefit on November 11, with great pride and shared gratitude, MAS will present its highest honor to our President Kent Barwick who, after almost 40 years of service, steps down as president of MAS at year end.
On Tuesday, October 14, Greg Young and Tom Meyers, hosts of the popular weekly New York City history podcast 
The proliferation of chain stores and bank branches is an increasing threat to the character of diverse neighborhoods throughout New York City. By highlighting successful innovations that have been adopted in other cities and exploring the distinct pressures faced by business owners, this program aims to provide local merchants, community members, and municipal representatives with tools and strategies to safeguard small-scale retail, drive economic development, and establish a constituency pushing for policy reform.
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens will receive the Municipal Art Society’s 2008 Brendan Gill Prize this Saturday, September 27, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for his multi-media musical composition, The BQE. His “symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway” was selected by the Brendan Gill jury for “capturing the energy, vigor, and verve of our incomparable city.” We are thrilled to invite MAS Members to join us this Saturday and meet Mr. Stevens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.