It’s the battle of the brownstones, balustrades and bulkheads!
Forty New York City landmarks across all five boroughs are vying for a $3 million prize courtesy the American Express Foundation. From today through May 21, anyone can visit Parnters in Preservation and vote for sites ranging from the Coney Island carousel to the Lower East Side’s Tenement Museum to the Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center in the Bronx.
“We are proud to join the National Trust for Historic Preservation in spotlighting the need to sustain New York City’s many important landmarks, which in turn expands economic vitality and growth,” Amex CEO Kenneth Chenault said at the Metropolitan Museum (a classic not on the list) earlier today. “The 40 selected sites reflect the awe-inspiring range of landmarks that makes New York the city it is today.”
The Amex Foundation is embracing social media for the campaign—you can vote once a day, but not ISP ballot-stuffing, please—as well as urban media: Preservation Station vehicles will travel around the city, raising awareness and allowing passersby to vote.
Now if only we could decide between the Tug Pegasus & Waterfront Museum Barge and the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center. We would have voted for the Guggenheim, but do they really need the money?
