• Anchoring Neighborhoods:  Historic Religious Institutions in Service of the Wider Community, A Panel Discussion, Moderated by Peg Breen, President of The New York Landmarks Conservancy, Tuesday, May 7^th at 6.30 P.M.

Religious Institutions of all denominations are grappling with maintaining their landmark properties, while also serving as neighborhood anchors, providing services and aid to the wider community as the city continues to recover from the pandemic. Four religious leaders: His Grace Bishop Irinej Dobrijević, head of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America, Rabbi Serge Lippe of Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, Fr. John Kamas of St. Jean Baptiste on the Upper East Side, and the Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen of St. James Presbyterian Church in Hamilton Heights, will be participating in the Landmark Conservancy’s annual Sacred Sites Open House May 18-19^th, and will describe how welcoming visitors aligns with their mission. Peg Breen will moderate, explaining why we should take this opportunity to be a tourist in our own town, and get to know the history and programs of these remarkable institutions.  Presented in Partnership with the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

• Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A and How it Got That Way with writer Rachel Slade and photographer Chris Payne, Tuesday, May 14^th at 6.30 p.m.

A moving and eye-opening presentation at the story of manufacturing in America, and whether it can ever successfully return to American shores and why the nation depends on it, told through the experience of one young couple in Maine as they attempt to rebuild a lost industry, ethically.

• ReThinkNYC’s Proposal to Convert Commuter Rail at the Pennsylvania Station: A Panel Discussion, Moderated by Peg Breen, President of The New York Landmarks Conservancy, Tuesday, May 21^st at 6.30 P.M.

Sam Turvey, Chairperson of ReThinkNYC, will moderate a panel discussion on ReThinkNYC’s proposal to convert commuter rail at the Pennsylvania Station, now used by its main tenants as a terminal facility, to the state-of-the-art operating model for commuter railroading – through-running.  Through-running would link New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester seamlessly through Penn Station while originating and terminating in rail hubs on either side of the Hudson and East Rivers.  As such it would address the main weakness of regional mass transit in Greater New York – its spotty connectivity.

Through-running has been implemented successfully by Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto as well as London, Paris, and a host of major world capitals. Los Angeles is planning to follow suit.  The through-running operating model is superior to what Amtrak, the MTA and NJ Transit are proposing — the building of additional terminal tracks below 31st Street.  Terminal tracks force trains to come to a dead halt; through-running enables them to continue on to other destinations.  In addition to bolstering economic growth and equity across the region, thanks to enhanced connectivity, through-running looks to cost substantially less than the alternative proposal and eliminates the need to demolish the buildings in Penn Station’s immediate vicinity. Mr. Turvey will be joined by a panel of experts who support ReThinkNYC’s proposals. Presented in Partnership with the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

• A New Perspective on Classic Art Deco Skyscrapers: When 21st Century Technology Meets 20th Century Architecture, with Chris Hytha and Mr. Houser, Tuesday, June 4^th at 6.30pm

Enjoy details of Jazz Age gems as you’ve never seen before with the authors of the stunning new book Highrises: Art Deco, reflecting artist Chris Hytha and writer Mark Houser’s cross-country odyssey to highlight outstanding historic skyscrapers from a new perspective. Mr. Hytha and Mr. Houser will share stories and images of soaring Art Deco structures – close up as never seen before. Chris Hytha’s use of drone technology and state of the art software showcases the seldom seen intricate and ornate details of iconic Art Deco buildings, while Mark Houser recounts the histories of each Deco Skyscraper and it architects, drawing upon traditional research and featuring vintage newspaper coverage. Presented in Partnership with the Art Deco Society of New York.

For more information, please contact ktaylor@generalsociety.org