Meet 87th Street
87th Street is covered in clues to its history. The structures on the quiet, mainly residential street tell the story of the neighborhood back when New York was a young city and this area of the Upper East Side was home to countless German immigrants and working class families.
For example, I came across Hook and Ladder 13, a currently empty historic building that still bears a sign with its name despite being out of use as a fire house since the mid-twentieth century. Though it once functioned as Andy Warhol’s first New York studio, it is probably best known as the home to many brave Yorkville firemen.
Another notable building is St. Joseph’s Church, which has origins as a German language church in the 1800s. Today, it is attached to a school. I met Father Boniface, and it warmed my heart to walk with him through the streets as the children played at recess and to hear them call out “Good morning” to the priest.
As I approached Lexington Avenue, the street became a little busier. Tucked below ground level, I discovered Loop of the Loom, a colorful weaving studio with classes for both children and adults. I stepped into Doyle, which holds about forty different auctions each year. I discovered that the exhibitions are some of the best free cultural events in the city. The displays of high quality works of art are open to the public and definitely worth a trip. A few doors down, I entered Rime, a hip, modern sneaker store. What makes it special, however, is that it is owned by a woman who is challenging stereotypes in the athletic footwear world.
Before crossing Central Park, I passed Park Avenue Synagogue, an influential temple with a long history, and the Liederkranz Foundation, a society dedicated to advancing German-American relations, mainly through cultural programs focused heavily on vocal music. The blocks between Central Park West and the Hudson River were virtually all residential, with some dry cleaners, parking garages and the beautiful St. Ignatius Church on the corner of West End Avenue.
