Sunset Park architecture gets noticed

Sunset Park and another Brooklyn neighborhood, Greenpoint, are getting some well-deserved attention, having been named two of the 2013 Six to Celebrate neighborhoods in New York by the Historic District Council (HDC).

The six neighborhoods were chosen by HDC based on historic and architectural merit, and also based on the level of threat landmarks in the area are subject to. The HDC selects neighborhoods with willing advocates, where their efforts to preserve historic landmarks would be most appreciated.

Sunset Park contains over 3,000 row houses and brownstones built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to the Sunset Park Business Improvement District (BID). The neighborhood is also home to Green-Wood Cemetery, which was named a historical landmark in 1996, and impressive religious architecture, such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica.

Councilmember Sara González, a born and raised Sunset Park resident, is proud to see her neighborhood receive such an honor.

“I love the rich architectural history of our neighborhoods and I am very pleased the community is uniting around this initiative,” said González.“I am proud to support them in any way I can so that they might explore ways in which future generations can embrace the beauty of Sunset Park, just as I did growing up and living my life here.”

The Sunset Park Landmarks Committee submitted the neighborhood as a candidate for the honor to HDC to celebrate and protect its architectural and cultural significance.

“I am so grateful for concerned residents like Darleen Vecchio and the members of the Sunset Park Landmarks Committee who commit so much of their time to help Sunset Park continue to improve. When we come together in partnership great things like this can happen,” said González.

The Six to Celebrate will be formally announced on January 29. Then, HDC will work with the neighborhoods throughout 2013 to preserve their historic significance through planning, advocacy, outreach programs and publicity.

“We’re working closely with these community organizations, the Sunset Park Landmarks Committee and Preservation Greenpoint, trying to achieve goals,” said HDC Executive Director Simeon Bankoff. “These are new organizations, with enthusiastic core groups looking for a lot of guidance to reach their goals.

Brooklyn neighborhoods honored in the past by HDC through the Six to Celebrate program are Bay Ridge, Victorian Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Gowanus.

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