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August 27, 2017  |  By dev_admin In TBA Special Events, Turtle Bay News

Turtle Bay Association, at 60 Years Old, Will Celebrate Its Achievements

Clapboard-Houses-53-st

Some 60 years ago this fall, a small group of East 49th Street residents got together at Amster Yard, located between Second and Third avenues, to strategize on how they could scuttle a city plan they deemed harmful to the neighborhood. They gave themselves a name – the East 49th Street Association – and after some long, thoughtful strategy sessions, they went on to win their battle: The city halted its plan to broaden 49th Street to make way for more automobile traffic, which would have meant narrowing the sidewalks and uprooting well-established shade trees in the process.

Their success encouraged the group to take on other fights to preserve the neighborliness of the East Midtown area, and before long, residents from blocks north and south of 49th Street had joined the cause. Soon, the designation of “49th Street” no longer seemed appropriate, and the group changed its name to the Turtle Bay Association.

This fall, as the organization marks its 60th anniversary, it can look back with pride at some hard-fought struggles to maintain the area’s residential appeal, a major challenge for a neighborhood located between the United Nations’ six-block complex on one side and the office towers of Third Avenue on the other. Three men have chaired the organization since its founding: James Amster, an interior decorator whose home at Amster Yard became an anchor in the area; then Peter Detmold, whose real estate business specialized in East Midtown brownstones; and since 1972, Bill Curtis, a graphic designer who first moved to Turtle Bay in the 1960s. “The strong leadership of Amster and Detmold during our early years has helped us maintain the influence we still have today,” says Curtis. “The issues may be different, but our goal is the same – to maintain the livability of our East Midtown neighborhood for future generations to come.”

Here are some of the TBA’s most notable efforts through the years:

  • In the mid-1960s, the group fought to stop the building of a big municipal parking garage on 48th Street and Second Avenue, and successfully worked to minimize a mammoth expansion of UN and affiliated offices that would have taken over residential areas.
  • In the 1970s, in what many consider one of the TBA’s greatest achievements, neighbors stopped a huge Long Island Rail Road passenger terminal planned for the northwest corner of 48th Street and Third Avenue. And the group fought to keep helicopter service—noisy and potentially dangerous—from continuing atop the nearby Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building).
  • In the 1980s, the organization was instrumental in the successful effort to limit the building heights in the area by “downzoning” the Beekman Place district and Turtle Bay mid-blocks between First and Third avenues. And it also led the drive to redesign and refurbish Peter Detmold Park.
  • In the 1990s, the TBA fought for the reopening of the 48th Street ramp to the FDR Drive, easing traffic on First Avenue. And, in an important move to enhance the neighborhood, it spearheaded the rejuvenation of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the opening of the Katherine Hepburn Garden.
  • More recently, the TBA has been an active voice in monitoring safety issues surrounding high-rise construction in the area, a particular concern in light of a tragic crane collapse on East 51st Street in 2008 that killed seven, including six construction workers, and injured many more. And the organization has worked to assure adequate levels of bus service for the neighborhood, improve the area’s parks and playgrounds, and most recently, has spoken up with its concerns regarding the city’s East Midtown rezoning plans.

“As we enter our seventh decade, we hope some of our past achievements will encourage newcomers in our neighborhood to join our cause,” says Curtis. “The more voices we have speaking up about our concerns, the more effective we can be in assuring that Turtle Bay remains a quality place to live and work.”

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The Inaugural Celebration and swearing in for our The Inaugural Celebration and swearing in for our newly elected 73rd District Assemblymember is today, 2/5! Details below via @alexboresforassembly 
・・・
If you haven’t done so already, there’s still time to RSVP to my Inaugural Celebration this Sunday at Hunter College!

For more details and to sign up, visit bit.ly/alexbores.
A message from our friends at the NYPD 17th Precin A message from our friends at the NYPD 17th Precinct @17thprecinctcc ⬇️
・・・
Join us on Tuesday for our annual State of Command presentation. We’ll review the entire year across all categories of crime & quality-of-life issues, while looking ahead to 2023. Join us in-person at Sutton Place Synagogue (225 E 51 St) or you can watch from anywhere on Zoom. If joining on Zoom, please use the link in our bio to register.
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#manhattan #eastmidtownnyc #eastmidtown #turtlebaynyc #suttonplacenyc #suttonplace #murrayhill #murrayhillnyc #tudorcity #beekmanplace #nypd #police #community #17thprecinct
We love a good story! Take a listen to the history We love a good story! Take a listen to the history of how Sweet Annie’s got its name. 

We are proud that Sweet Annie’s is a Turtle Bay Association business member and encourage you to visit the bar and eatery at 986 Second Avenue (between 52nd & 53rd Streets). Support small businesses and our community while having fun! It’s a win-win!  via Repost @sweetanniesnyc with @use.repost
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You might not expect it, but we were named in homage to a criminal!
Annie Reilly was an Irish immigrant who found herself in some tough situations, and had to use her wit to get her out of them.
She was no stranger to trouble, and she’ll be there for you when you have one of those days!
Ever feel like you could use a little of her help? 😂
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#irishbars #irishbar #manhattanbar #nycimmigrants #irishnyc
DEAL ALERT from our good friends at the Vanderbilt DEAL ALERT from our good friends at the Vanderbilt YMCA. @vanderbiltymca
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!
 The latest ed EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!


The latest edition of Turtle Bay News has been published and sent digitally to members of our community. 

In case you missed it, please click on the link in our profile to read the full newsletter including a personal message from Dolores Marsh, TBA’s President as well as the latest and greatest information about our wonderful neighborhood. 

Happy New Year!
MULCHFEST INFO via @nycsanitation BELOW:

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Got a🎄? Here are options: 

@nycparks Mulchfest is this weekend! Earlier, Commish Tisch helped kick off Mulchfest by chipping a tree!
 
We'll pick your tree up curbside! Take off decor and put it out starting tomorrow. 

See links in bio for info.
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