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.

Two weeks ago, Time Out New York (July 22-28) featured the MAS Why Not a Landmark? Preservation and Planning Walks. The “Own This City” column offered a rundown of the tours, and then ventured to Bushwick, Sunset Park, and Boerum Hill to see what locals would also include on the walks.

To read the article, click here.

The Bushwick and Sunset Park tours already passed, but don’t miss the Boerum Hill tour, which is later this month.

Saturday, August 28, 10:30 a.m.
Boerum Hill: Inside & Outside the District
Meet in front of the former Williamsburg Savings Bank, at corner of Ashland and Hanson Pl. MAP
Simon Boerum’s 18th century farm was developed between the 1840s and 1870s with some of New York City’s finest townhouses. Several blocks of remarkably homogeneous, primarily brick townhouses were designated as a New York City Landmark District in 1973. This walk will be mostly outside the landmarked district, viewing streets lined with rows of fine 19th century residential and commercial buildings. We will also view recent infill buildings and speak with people from the community about their preservation efforts. Leader: Joe Svehlak, urban historian and preservationist.
$15, $10 MAS members. Pay at tour.

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>>

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.

Toward a Sustainable Upper Bay: Islands, Bays, Channels & Canals
Wednesday, July 28, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Join us for a scenic boat ride and lively commentary on the present and future of the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. We’ll get up-close views of Ellis, Liberty and Governors islands, take the Buttermilk Channel past Red Hook and visit assorted basins and canals. Along the way, we’ll learn about the Upper Bay’s changing environment, the preservation and conservation challenges facing its extraordinary National Parks and look to the future—including a waterfront public high school that will offer an education built upon New York City’s maritime experience. Continue Reading>>

Last night’s panel, Made in Midtown: The Garment District Today & Tomorrow, was a huge success. More than 250 people came out to hear Tim Gunn, of television’s Project Runway, moderate a discussion on the future of New York’s Garment District. Join MAS next Tuesday, June 15, as we pick up where last night’s panel left off. We’ll be discussing Urban Creative Districts.

The story of New York City cannot be told without understanding the role dynamic creative communities play in defining the identity of particular neighborhoods. Drawing on the Design Trust study, Made in Midtown, this discussion will invite leading creative thinkers and practitioners to imagine the future of the Garment District as an urban creative ecosystem. Panelists will discuss the cultural, economic, and social contributions of creative communities, and explore how improved visibility of the activities within these neighborhoods can strengthen those creative industries and New York City. Continue Reading>>

New York’s midtown Garment District is one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods, and it is undergoing rapid change. Join MAS on Tuesday, June 8, to learn about the many interdependent industries and businesses that make the district so distinct. Tim Gunn, chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, Inc. and host of Lifetime TV’s hit show, Project Runway, will moderate an expert panel on how New York’s fashion industry works today, its role in the city’s economy, and its future prospects.

Panelists include: Sarah Crean, deputy director, New York Industrial Retention Network; Eric Gural, executive managing director, Newmark Knight Frank; Madelyn Wils, executive vice president of the Planning, Development and Maritime division, NYCEDC; Deborah Marton, executive director, Design Trust for Public Space; Michael Meola, consultant, formerly senior vice president, Real Estate and Special Projects, NYCEDC; and Yeohlee Teng, designer, YEOHLEE Inc.

The programs will discuss Made in Midtown, a study of the Garment District, produced by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Design Trust for Public Space, with additional research support from MAS. Visit MAS.org/programs for more information and tickets.

New York City’s Midtown Garment District presents a host of planning, economic development and preservation issues as the district has undergone significant change over the last four decades.

To chart a course for the future, the Design Trust for Public Space, with its partner, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has launched Made in Midtown, a project that will document how New York’s fashion industry works today and how it could be the catalyst for future improvements in the Garment District.

The Design Trust’s findings, including specific research on international fashion centers provided by The Municipal Art Society, will show how New York’s fashion industry functions as an interconnected ecosystem that is integral to our city’s economy, identity, and sense of place. The Design Trust will launch the project website, madeinmidtown.org, with a day-long event open to the public on June 3 at the Port Authority Pop-Up Space, at Eighth Avenue at 41st Street. Following the launch, the Design Trust and MAS have organized public programming throughout June to publicize the findings and to guide this issue into a public discussion. Continue Reading>>

To mark National Train Day — this Saturday, May 8 — MAS spoke with renowned rail reporter and train enthusiast Don Philips about what’s happening with America’s railroads. From foreign competition for contracts for increasingly popular and lucrative commuter rail lines, to some major top-down changes at Amtrak, to Warren Buffett’s quiet, but major, investment in freight rail, Don told us that right now may well be the most pivotal period in America’s railroads for decades.

And, to learn what’s happening at Moynihan Station — New York City’s most important development project — join architectural historian Matt Postal this Saturday, May 8, at 11:00 a.m., for a tour of Moynihan Station and the Far West Side. Tickets are $15, $10 MAS members. No reservations necessary. Meet at the N.W. corner of Sixth Ave. and 30th St. MAP.

To learn about MAS advocacy on Moynihan Station, visit MAS.org/new-penn-station. More MAS podcasts are available at MAS.org/audio or on our iTunes page.