Every year the Historic Districts Council, a leading preservation organization, chooses “Six to Celebrate,” New York neighborhoods worthy of protection. In 2013, the East Village/Lower East Side has made the cut. Here’s the blurb from the HDC’s web site:
Home to waves of immigrants as well as avant-garde artists and progressive political movements, the East Village and Lower East Side have always been colorful pieces of New York City’s history. While two small historic districts were recently designated in the area, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative is continuing to work toward protecting and promoting more of this vibrant neighborhood.
You can read more about the Six to Celebrate program here.  One big Lower East Side priority this year will be Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, the landmarked synagogue at 60 Norfolk Street. During the holidays, we broke the story that the synagogue is seeking permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to demolish the building.
