Jeff French Segall snapped these photos of the Wise Towers housing project, a NYCHA development, as they were going up in the early 60’s. The development is between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues between 90th and 91st street and consists of two 19-story buildings (other nearby buildings have since been added to Wise Towers).
Jeff also snapped photos of the cast-stone horses in the playground there. They were built by Sardinian immigrant Constantino Nivola, who wanted to liven up the playground area with some fanciful figures. Jeff says “a single stoned vandal” chopped off the muzzles of the horses in the 1980’s, and they remain defaced today.
The horses shortly after they were installed in the 1960’s.
The horses as they look today.
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these building and the other public housing buildings on the UWS have provided quality affordable housing to thousands of working people since they were built. it’s a shame that the federal govt has defunded the construction and maintenance of public housing.
It is a shame. They are a few blocks from where I live.But let’s be honest, most of the damage (defacing,etc) is caused by the residents themselves. They just don’t care. Not everyone, but a lot of them. I see the drug deals,etc.going down around there.
Unfortunately this is not a feel-good, nostalgic TBT item. By most accounts, our public housing project system has turned into one of our greatest failures. They were never meant to be permanent homes for generations of families. The crime, drugs, and violence that are spawned from them wreak havoc on innocent residents and neighbors alike. There has to be a better solution than to warehouse people in such a concentrated way.
According to this 2012 New York Magazine article, New York’s public housing projects are the last large-scale ones left in the country. It’s a very interesting read on the history of public housing and what the future might bring: https://nymag.com/news/features/housing-projects-2012-9/index5.html
Unless you live in one of these buildings, or have family that do, it would be best to keep judgments to oneself.
hurrah Valerie. thank you.
some commenters on this site (they are always anonymous) seem to go out of their way to offend and denigrate whole categories of people. that they do so says more about them than it does about those they denigrate.
Bravo! A little more empathy will serve everyone well. We are all in this together, remember?
I just passed the Wise Tower a few days ago for the first time in 30 years (moved away from NYC for 20) and it’s not aged well. It’s time for a face lift. Those poor horses have seen better days. They’re shorter now, since the playground was paved over, their legs are at least 4″ to 6″ shorter.