Preserving South Street Seaport : the dream and reality of a New York urban renewal district / James M. Lindgren.

Author
Lindgren, James Michael, 1950- [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
New York : New York University Press, [2014]
Description
xiv, 370 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Availability

Available Online

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Architecture Library - Stacks V13.U52 N4824 2014 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Library of Congress genre(s)
    Summary note
    "Preserving South Street Seaport tells the fascinating story, from the 1960s to the present, of the South Street Seaport District of Lower Manhattan. Home to the original Fulton Fish Market and then the South Street Seaport Museum, it is one of the last neighborhoods of late 18th- and early 19th-century New York City not to be destroyed by urban development. In 1988, South Street Seaport became the city's number one destination for visitors. Featuring over 40 archival and contemporary black-and-white photographs, this is the first history of a remarkable historic district and maritime museum. Lindgren skillfully tells the complex story of this unique cobblestoned neighborhood. Comprised of deteriorating, 4-5 story buildings in what was known as the Fulton Fish Market, the neighborhood was earmarked for the erection of the World Trade Center until New Jersey forced its placement one mile westward. After Penn Station's demolition had angered many New York citizens, preservationists mobilized in 1966 to save this last piece of Manhattan's old port and recreate its fabled 19th-century "Street of Ships." The South Street Seaport and the World Trade Center became the yin and yang of Lower Manhattan's rebirth. In an unprecedented move, City Hall designated the museum as developer of the twelve-block urban renewal district."--Publisher's description.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references and index.
    Contents
    • Introduction : "Salvation on the East River" : how a clever editor saw Jehovah's light
    • "Eloquent reminders of sailing and shipbuilding" : how the Seaport and World Trade Center (re)made Fulton Street
    • "The kind of civilized vision that New Yorkers are not supposed to have" : how historic preservation shaped Lower Manhattan's development
    • "Ships, the heart of the story" : how tall ships became big news
    • "Look at our waterfront! Just look" : how Earth Day boomed the Seaport
    • "A million people came away better human beings" : how the past mended the present
    • "Shopping is the chief cultural activity in the United States" : how the Seaport sold its soul
    • "They tore down paradise, and put up a shopping mall" : how speculators and rouseketeers created a bubble
    • "The museum was intellectually and financially bankrupt" : how the Seaport fared after the bubble burst
    • "It's tough when you have a museum in a mall" : how the Seaport (almost) succeeded
    • "A ship is a hole in the water into which you pour money" : how maritime preservation (almost) won
    • "Sometimes you just can't get a break" : how 9/11 torpedoed the Seaport
    • Conclusion : "Nobody knows that we're here" : what happened to that promised salvation on the East River?
    ISBN
    • 9781479822577 ((hbk. ; : alk. paper))
    • 1479822574 ((hbk. ; : alk. paper))
    LCCN
    2014001723
    OCLC
    863200987
    Statement on language in description
    Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...
    Other views
    Staff view