There was a ceremony yesterday at the Christodora House on Avenue B at East Ninth Street... where the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center unveiled the latest in its Cultural Medallion program...
...honoring Harry Lloyd Hopkins...
It reads:
Harry Hopkins, one of the most influential non-elected officials in American history, became a Settlement House worker in 1912 at Christodora, where his exposure to the struggles of new immigrants helped shape his thinking about social reform. Christodora, launched in 1897, was then housed in 143/145/147 Avenue B, and to this day continues its mission to help alleviate inequities among the underserved. In 1933, President Roosevelt asked Hopkins to implement the Social Security Act of 1935, and to direct the Works Progress Administration, which hired more than 3 million unemployed to rebuild highways, bridges, public buildings, and parks. During WWII, he was Secretary of Commerce and FDR's personal representative to London and Moscow. In 1945, Hopkins helped arrange the Potsdam Conference for President Truman, who honored him with the Distinguished Service Medal.
Here's a photo of the Christodora from 1929...
Top three photos by Bobby Williams.
Nice to honor Harry, but it looks to me like a desperate attempt to erase and forget the "die yuppie scum" graffiti that identified the site for current memory. Those who worked to get this from the Landmarks Revisionism Committee, Bloomberg appointed, no doubt are congratulating themselves. Everything is given to those who have. They give it to themselves. It fits in with the new neighborhood. Not only is the EV dead, it is being buried and forgotten. This was a burial ceremony. Where's the wake?
ReplyDeleteOh. Fer. Cryin. Out. Loud.
ReplyDeleteReally? It is continuing to "help alleviate inequities among the underserved"? How? I've known people who live in there. Their apartments were expensive. Yeah, they've got a 'community room', but wtf?
Um, how does the Christodora "help alleviate inequities among the underserved" today? Free tours of Doutzen Kroes' old apartment?
ReplyDeleteDo Noot Seear and Lily Donaldson still live here?
ReplyDeletehttp://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-20th-die-yuppie-scum.html
http://fashionista.com/2008/05/the-new-village-people/
Iggy Pop used to live here in the 80s/early 90s, and he could frequently be seen eating at the old Aunt B's restaurant on B and 11th. Sadly, when he and his wife split he gave her the apt. and moved to Miami.
ReplyDeleteThe plaque is referring to the Christodora Foundation, which indeed continues to "help alleviate inequities among the underserved."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.christodora.org
@mazzer: Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't aware of a separate Christodora Foundation from the Christodora House. I do think they should have made that clear in the text on the medallion. It isn't. Reading that implies that the two are the same and the *now* luxury apartment building somehow is supportive of those who cannot afford to live in it.
ReplyDeleteJust saw a NYT listing for a two bedroom over there for $1.7 million.
ReplyDelete