86'ed on 86th 1/ 3

86'ED ON 86TH!
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John Pazmino
NYSkies

2006 November 11

Introduction
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There is now an upswell of population and urban activity in
Yorkville, Manhattan. New residence towers are sprouting thruout the
district, smaller stores are changing hands, 'big box' chains are
moving in, housing costs are soaring.
This activity can cause disruption to foot and road traffic;
annoyance from noise, lights, dust; congestion on transit and delivery
lines. Community Board 8 and the 86th Street Merchants and Residents
Association convened a public meeting to describe some of the changes
taking place in Yorkville.
The meeting was held on Thursday 9 November 2006 in an auditorium
of St Ignatius Loyola Church, near Yorkville center. It was widely
announced to businesses, organizations, residents in Yorkville. About
80 turned out for the presentation, which began at 7PM, under clear
calm skies. A Yorkville activist invited me as an astronomy resource,
there being no significant astronomy representation in Yorkville. I
could take part in the meeting for the agenda item of luminous graffiti.

Luminous graffiti
---------------
One topic of the community board meeting was the potential for
reckless lighting at night. Altho, taken as a town for itself,
Yorkville placed in the middle of Kansas would be only moderately
offensive to the night sky, it does have deliberate concern for
luminous graffiti. It may seem weird, but Yorkville residents do take
in the night sky from the promenade of Carl Schurz Park. This is
Yorkville's only large open public space, the roof of the FDR Drive
six-lane highway on the waterfront. Its open deck with clear views
across East River gives ample sky exposure for watching the stars.
The 86th Street Merchants and Residents Association, founded in
2004, is compiling guidelines for stores to remove excess and
offensive lights. It already got rid of several flashing advertising
lamps. The aim is to 86 all trashlighting in the 86th St corridor,
Park to River, and give it an elegant and civilized motif.
Starting in spring 2007 it axes all the cobraheads. They are
replaced by bishopcrooks. These are lower smaller lamppoles with
vastly less glare and side spray. They are already installed in
several other areas, like Greenwich Village and Lenox Hill.
During an after-meeting discussion of the new lighting scheme,
several attendees commented loudly about the annoyance they suffer
from the present lamps. One protested that the streetlights shine into
her flat, leaving no darkness to sleep by. An other pointed out that
glare from many lamps interfere with people of low-vision and may
actually be in violation of ADA laws. And one man bellowed that 'Get
rid of those [frigging] lights. This is New York, NOT TUCSON!!'

early Yorkville
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Other segments of the community meeting gave background on
Yorkville and and its past and present state. The legacy of Yorkville
as a capital of German culture in America is passing from living
memory as this district evolves into the 21st century. Because a
competent astronomy advocacy requires familiarity and understanding of
the community that influences the profession, I explain here some of
the history of Yorkville
The area, and various streets and places within it, took its name
from the Duke of York, who had friendly affiliation with the Prussian
culture of the 18th century. There seems to be no formal Latin
equivalent, like for legal purposes. Very early maps lettered in Latin
predate the community. Perhaps 'Eboraconia' may fit?
Yorkville was a casual settlement on the east side of Manhattan
island in the 80s from Central Park to the East River. The nominal
borders on the north is 92nd St; south, 79th St. It was first settled
as farms in the 17th and 18th centuries. These farms provisioned New
York, then consisting of just Lower Manhattan. The district was a
half-day walk from New York by Boston Post Road. This road started at
broadway and Park Row, squiggled its way in to and along Third Avenue,
and ended in Boston Commons on Massachusetts Bay. Yorkville was worked
by boats at docks on the East River shore in the 80s. They sailed to
New York at South Street Seaport and to other seacoast ports.
Gradually in the 19th century, premanent house were built. They
offered convenience to the newly built Central Park and the East River
waterfront. The modest elevations, such as Carnegie Hill and Lenox
Hill, gave good prospect along the river and exposure to breeze and
sunlight. Fresh water was taken from streams like the one still
flowing underground in the upper 70s.
The population was well mixed with many nationalities. The
dominant ones were English and German. Until World War I England and
Germany were on good terms. In fact, in the first years of the new
United States it was seriously considered to make German as the
national language rather than English to cut off relations with the
former colonial rulers.

Continued in next message.

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