The Municipal Art Society of New York

Jean Arrington had wanted to live in New York most of her life, but had a tenured position teaching English in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her daughter moved to New York City and offered an irresistible inducement, “If you come, I’ll have a baby.”

She discovered the school designs of Charles C.J. Snyder while job hunting, and was amazed at the quality of the 19th and early 20th century buildings—full of light and air, made of fire-resistant materials and handsome, too. Jean was “astounded” however, to find no book on Snyder. Through the internet, she tracked down Christopher Gray’s New York Times columns on Snyder and gave him a call. Continue Reading>>

This October is the ninth annual Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, founded by Art Education for the Blind (AEB). The mission of AEB is to make art, art history, and visual culture accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Since AEB’s founding in 1987, it has worked with museums across the nation and around the world. Continue Reading>>

Since the turn of the 21st century, dozens of new buildings and public spaces by celebrated American and international designers have been added to New York’s cityscape. This fall, MAS is offering four opportunities to view and visit a number of these exemplary designs in one concentrated, three-hour tour. We will travel by small motor coach, with stops to take a closer look on the ground and to step inside selected buildings. Continue Reading>>

MAS is looking forward to hosting this weekend’s Jane’s Walk in New York City, a series of free neighborhood walks and bike rides throughout all five boroughs, celebrating the legacy of Jane Jacobs. This is the first year MAS is coordinating Jane’s Walk in New York City, and we have more than 20 walks led by local residents and urban enthusiasts planned for the weekend. Continue Reading>>

We’ve offered two excellent programs on streets; now take an eye-opening tour, experiencing our changing streets and changing transportation firsthand in the company of highly knowledgeable tour leaders.

On the first tour on April 16, we’ll begin by boarding a Select Bus and assessing its operation. (Does the ticketing work? Comparable to a subway in speed?) Continue Reading>>

Our very own Francis Morrone was just named one of the thirteen best tour guides in the world (one of only two in the United States) by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Francis is an accomplished professor, tour leader and author of more than eight books, including the upcoming The New York Public Library: The Architecture and Decoration of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which he wrote with Henry Hope Reed (who co-led the very first MAS walking tour in 1956). Francis also co-authored Ten Architectural Walks in Manhattan, a guidebook MAS published in 2009. Continue Reading>>

Back by popular demand, it’s the second annual MAS Streets Month! Thanks to the popularity of our first Streets Month programs, we are back with a great lineup for this April. Great cities start with great streets, and next month, MAS will celebrate what’s new, interesting, and controversial about New York City’s largest and ever-changing network of public spaces.

New York’s streets have seen a great deal of change in the past few years. Continue Reading>>

The MAS April/May newsletter and calendar is hitting mailboxes across the city right now. This issue features MAS Streets Month programs and tours, and our May 11 program on the future of New York City’s skyline.

In addition to our Streets Month tours, there’s a daylong visit to Tottenville in Staten Island, as well as our annual tour of Jane Jacob’s West Village, in honor of Jacobs’ birthday—this year would have been her 95th! Continue Reading>>

The MAS March newsletter and calendar is hitting mailboxes across the city right now. This month features our March 8 program—Wireless City: Can All New Yorkers Get Connected?—where panelists will discuss the benefits and challenges in making wireless Internet available in New York. The Municipal Art Society will present a panel of experts who will explore some of the models employed, as well as the challenges in making WiFi access a priority. Continue Reading>>

MAS is offering three tours after the Conference on Preservation and Climate Change,  ranging from an estate built by John D. Rockefeller to apartment houses on the Lower East Side. These tours are a chance to see what can be done to historic sites to move towards greater sustainability. A slideshow of tour locations follows after the jump. Continue Reading>>

A Fresh Look at South Street
Saturday, October 2, 2:00 p.m.
We will explore the nooks and crannies of the old South Street Seaport area, which through much of the 19th century defined the New York economy and created many of the city’s greatest fortunes. We’ll look at historic buildings (some landmarked, others not), discuss historic buildings no longer standing, talk about the lives of the legendary South Street merchants, look at the 20th-century changes, peer into the future of the district, and consider the area’s literary associations. For more information, click here.

Architectural historian Francis Morrone writes about his first impressions of South Street: Continue Reading>>

Take engaging speakers, fine weather, a great harbor, the cinematographer’s “magic hour” and you get one terrific boat tour. For the 19th Annual MAS Summer Boat Tour on July 28, we found ourselves on a brand new boat with an air conditioned interior, expansive outside decks and an excellent sound system. We managed to avoid a regatta and make our way among the Harbor Islands, down past Robbins Reef, over to the Brooklyn waterfront and north to linger in Gowanus Bay. We headed up through the Buttermilk Channel intending to get a close view of Brooklyn Bridge Park, but President Obama’s helicopter departure gave us a lesson in harbor security and sent us back to the Hudson River as the sun set. The evening was a fine mix of fascinating sights, informed commentary and sufficient silence.

Our special thanks to speakers Maria Burks, commissioner of the National Parks of New York Harbor, Leslie Koch, president of the Trust for Governors Island and Eric Goldstein, director, National Resource Defense Council’s New York City Environment.

See you next year for the 20th anniversary boat tour. A lot has changed in the upper bay since our first tour in 1991, in part because of the advocacy of MAS and our supporters.

The 19th Annual MAS Summer Boat Tour
Toward a Sustainable Upper Bay
Wednesday, July 28, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Come along as the sun goes down for a boat tour of the Harbor Islands, the Buttermilk Channel and Gowanus Bay—the scenic and the hidden parts of New York’s Upper Bay. We’ll hear about successes and challenges on the way to a sustainable future—from imaginative and dedicated individuals who are helping to lead the way.

Our Host:
Vin Cipolla, president, Municipal Art Society. Devoted to preservation, conservation and the arts, Mr. Cipolla has consistently provided civic leadership in these areas throughout his adult life. He was appointed president of the MAS in early 2009. Continue Reading>>

(left) Governors Island. (right) Maria Burks, Commissioner, National Parks of New York Harbor

When you think of National Parks, it’s unlikely that New York Harbor is the first thing that pops into your head but several of the nation’s most significant parks are located in our maritime backyard. Think Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Governors Island National Monument, Gateway National Recreation Area and more. Come along on the MAS boat tour on July 28 in the knowledgeable company of Maria Burks, Commissioner of the National Parks of New York Harbor, to look and learn about the key role the National Parks play in our local economy, the ways their carbon footprint is being reduced and the sociological and cultural challenges to their long term sustainability. Continue Reading>>

Click through the sideshow above to see images from past MAS Annual Summer boat tours.

Join us on Wednesday, July 28 on the 19th Annual MAS Summer Boat Tour. We will look at and talk about the present and future of the Upper Bay of New York Harbor, taking closer looks at Ellis, Liberty, and Governors Island, go through the Buttermilk Channel near Red Hook and stop at various basins and canals. For more information and a list of speakers, click here.

19th Annual MAS Summer Boat Tour
Toward a Sustainable Upper Bay: Islands, Bays, Channels & Canals
Wednesday, July 28, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
$75, $50 MAS members. Reservations required. Click here or call 212 935 2075. Meet at Pier 83, 42nd St. & 12th Ave. MAP. Board at 5:30 p.m.