The recorded history of Yorkville begins in the 17th century when it was a tiny hamlet on the Boston Post Road, which ran northward from New York, which at the time only occupied the tip of Manhattan. It was long the province of farmers and wealthy landowners, including merchant Archibald Gracie, whose riverfront estate is now the official residence of New York’s mayor. In the 19th century, the area slowly began its transformation into the urban neighborhood we see today. Like most such transformations in New York, these changes were largely propelled by transportation improvements. In 1834, the New York & Harlem Railroad (later the New York Central) opened a station at 86th Street and Park Avenue, and in the 1850s, horsecar lines were completed along Second and Third Avenues. This opened the neighborhood to low-density residential development, a few remnants of which remain, including 412 East 85th Street. After two major economic depressions (in 1857 and 1873) and the Civil War, the area was finally primed for a major wave of construction in the late 1870s with the arrival of mass transit. The Third Avenue elevated train was completed in 1877-78, and the Second Avenue elevated in 1879-80. In a relatively short period, the Upper East Side was entirely built up, and the elevated trains segregated the area along ethnic and economic lines. West of Third Avenue, wealthy homeowners established the city’s most exclusive neighborhood, while east of Third Avenue became a thriving immigrant community (already known as Yorkville by the 1860s), which in many ways was a second-generation immigrant neighborhood—a place that recent arrivals aspired to live after filtering through the older, more congested downtown districts like the Lower East Side. Its housing stock was largely composed of tenements, but they were brand new and built after the Tenement Law of 1879 (the “Old Law”), so were subject to improvements. There were abundant employment opportunities, notably in the neighborhood’s breweries and at the Steinway piano factory in Queens, which was a short ferry ride away from the foot of East 92nd Street. The largest and perhaps most visible immigrant group in Yorkville was the Germans. Already an established presence in New York following a wave of immigration in the 1840s, they began moving uptown from their Lower East Side settlement, Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) to Yorkville, which by the turn of the century had become New York’s foremost German neighborhood. They brought with them many of their institutions, including churches and benevolent organizations, as well as cultural and commercial enterprises, such as beer halls and music societies. East 86th Street became the community’s main artery. Other groups had micro-neighborhoods in Yorkville, as well. Czechs began moving to the area in the 1880s and settled mostly between 71st and 75th Streets. Hungarians arrived around the turn of the 20th century on East 79th Street, though their institutions can be found throughout the neighborhood. Yorkville’s heyday as a distinct immigrant community was relatively short-lived. German immigration to New York peaked in 1882, and by the early 20th century, Yorkville’s Germans were already moving farther afield, using the recently built subway to access newer, more affordable neighborhoods in the outer boroughs. At the same time, anti-German sentiment during World War I led many Germans to downplay overt displays of national heritage. The Second Avenue and Third Avenue elevated trains were demolished in the 1940s and 1950s, respectively, removing one of the major boundaries between Yorkville and the rest of the Upper East Side. The neighborhood has seen its share of redevelopment since then, with large apartment buildings towering over the tenements. The recent opening of the Second Avenue subway re-established one of the area’s transit links, but may also put additional pressure on Yorkville’s surviving historic resources.

Gracie Towers, 1961. Completed in 1961 to the designs of architects Sylvan and Robert Bien, this 21-story Modern apartment building was advertised as a "Riviera on the River." Directly across from Gracie Mansion and Carl Schurz Park, the bright white glazed brick building featured balcony on nearly every floor that provided sweeping views across the river. Though unabashedly Modern, the architects embraced traditional features usually seen in older, classical style apartment buildings, including an entrance court with circular driveway, a grand double floor lobby, and an interior courtyard with formal gardens. Another selling point for the building was its swimming pool on the roof terrace (on the 22nd floor) and model apartments created by leading interior designers of the period. Yet even with all of these features, this structure was panned like so many Modern style buildings. William Knowlton Zinsser referred to it in his book, City Dwellers (1962) as, " a leviathan of ... dreariness."

Gracie Mansion in East River Park (now Carl Schurz Park), from East end Avenue below 86th Street, ca. 1900.

In celebration of the Municipal Art Society's 125th Anniversary, we've compiled a list of landmarks older than MAS.

Gracie Mansion, undated (1970-90). The Archibald Gracie Mansion was built between 1799 and 1801 on the site of a former Revolutionary War fort, overlooking Hell Gate and the East River from a promontory on Manhattan’s east side, then some five miles north of city development. Gracie, a Scottish-born merchant, entertained elite guests at his new country mansion, including John Quincy Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the future King of France, Louis Philippe I. He sold the house in 1823, in order to ease financial pressures. In 1890, the estate and its grounds were incorporated into East River Park (renamed Carl Schurz Park in 1910), with the mansion initially put to use for park functions. From 1924 to 1932, Gracie Mansion was the first home of the Museum of the City of New York. After the Museum moved to its current home on Fifth Avenue, the mansion operated as an historic house museum. However, Robert Moses had different plans. In 1942, the Parks Commissioner designated Gracie Mansion the official residence of the mayor. Fiorello La Guardia was the first mayor to occupy the house. Sixty years later, the billionaire three-term mayor Michael Bloomberg elected not to take up residence at Gracie, allowing extensive restoration work to take place during his tenure.

"That Gracie Mansion, the official home to the Mayor of the City of New York, has survived this long can be credited to its being a shape-shifter. History knows Archibald Gracie more for his house than for him. He was hard-working, industrious, scrupulous, and successful until President Jefferson’s embargo in 1807. Thereafter, it was all downhill. To pay off his debts, Gracie sold the house in 1823 to Joseph Foulkes, who later sold it to Noah Wheaton whose family kept it until his death in 1896. The family sold it to the City of New York, and not knowing what to do with it, the City of New York allowed it to languish, but never to the point where it was beyond rescue. It served time, variously as an ice cream parlor, a public bathroom, and the Museum of the City of New York. In its rooms today are fine old Georgian furniture, paintings, carpets, and some cannonballs from the days when this site was a Revolutionary battlement..." Read this post in its original context here.

Doctor's Hospital, 1937. Founded in 1929, the Doctor's Hospital was a private medical facility that was known as a "fashionable treatment center for the well-to-do." (By the first few decades of the 20th century, hospitals were where everyone visited for medical treatment, and while New York City had plenty of public hospitals, this facility filled the need for those whose who did not wish to visit public wards.) The 14-story building opened in 1930 and had 264 private rooms, with an additional 32 hotel-like rooms for patient's families. The interiors were unsurprisingly lavish, as was the service (champagne with dinner delivered to your room on silver). And for much much of its history patients did not need to be ill to be admitted, they could simply need some time for rest. Famous folks treated here include Marilyn Monroe, Eugene O'Neil, Robert Moses (who came for "rest") and Huguette Clark. The reclusive heiress checked into Doctor's Hospital in 1991 at age 85 stayed the rest of her life (another 20 years). By the 1970s the hospital no longer only catered to the wealthy. In 1987 Beth Israel Medical Center purchased Doctor's. It closed in 2004 and was razed in 2005 (Huguette Clark was transferred in 2004 to another Beth Israel facility where she died seven years later at 104).

Gracie Mansion ca. 1923 Built originally by Archibald Gracie, this house is beautifully situated on the East River. As the one-time home of the Museum of the City of New York, it was preserved for us; as the Mayor's house, it is well cared for today. It is probably the only one of the old country seats of Manhattan which remains a family dwelling.

Rowhouses at East 87th Street and East End Avenue, ca. 1882. The corner building is No. 558 East 87th Street. This development of 32 Queen Anne houses, built between 1880-1882 by the Lamb & Rich firm and developer John Henderson, comprises the Henderson Place Historic District (so named for the one-block dead-end alley at the rear of the homes pictured).

In the United States, power and the ability to pass laws is spread out across three levels of government: the federal, state, and local levels. Each level has different responsibilities and is in charge of a different group of people. Government at the federal level is in charge of the entire nation. Members of the federal government include the President, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. They make laws and deal with issues that affect the whole nation. Members of the state government are in charge of making laws and protecting the interests of people in a specific state, like New York for example. The governor, and state representatives are examples of people involved with state government. Finally, every city, town, or county has their own local government. They deal with the most specific needs of a local group of people, like keeping communities clean and safe. Members of the local government, can include a mayor, city council members, or county executives. Throughout New York City's history different places have served government functions for each level of government. As you look through this story, consider some of the different responsibilities the various levels of government have and how they have changed over time. New York Social Studies Scope and Sequence Standards 4.4b,c For Teachers: Different Levels of Government Lesson Plan

Gracie Mansion has had a long and rich history since merchant and shipowner Archibald Gracie built it in 1799 as his country residence. Innumerable important figures have crossed its threshold in the years since, and it remains one of the oldest surviving Federal-style wood structures in Manhattan. This tour seeks to impart some of the illustrious history of the building that is now called the "People's House."

Henderson Place, 1927. Henderson Place was a grouping of 32 buildings constructed in 1881-1882 by developer John C. Henderson. These lovely Queen Anne style dwellings were built for “persons of moderate means.” Designed by the architectural firm of Lamb & Rich, the homes featured wide arched entryways, steep roofs, terra cotta details, and projecting bays windows. The eight homes on the west side of this quaint dead end street (seen here in the photo) were demolished by the time the enclave became a historic district in 1969. They have been replaced by a large residential tower. The homes on the east side of Henderson Place remain in excellent shape.

The Historic House Trust’s main effort is the preservation and maintenance of 23 historic house sites located throughout the five boroughs of New York City. To highlight the Trust's work, we're showcasing each house!

Between 1954 and 1957, the Municipal Art Society surveyed historic buildings in all five boroughs to create a database of potential landmarks to preserve. Local residents and MAS staff compiled individual sheets devoted to about 200 buildings. Each sheet outlined the building’s date, location, and style and provided a description and a small photograph. This is the list of Manhattan buildings.

One sure-fire way to lose a presidential election? Become the mayor of New York City first. Running the country’s most populous city seems like an excellent résumé booster, but every NYC mayor who’s tried has failed to secure the nation’s highest office. By Serena Troshynski, Reference Librarian, NYPL Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History, and Genealogy.

Carl Schurz Park, ca. 1936. This park consists of 13 acres, east of East End Ave., (left) to the East River and extending northward from Gracie Square (East 84th Street) to East 89th Street. The northern portion of this park was known as "Horn's Hook" and figured very prominently in the wars of the Revolution and 1812. This northern tip contains a spacious house, known as Gracie Mansion; built in 1813 by Archibald Gracie and later occupied by the Museum of the City of New York. The playground, walks, skating rink, landscape gardening, building improvements were all are the work of the W.P.A. Notice on the right the new Triboro Bridge (also a P.W.A. project) silhouetted against the curved span of the Hellgate.