We, the undersigned, support the preservation of two rare survivors of Stable Row on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. On Tuesday, October 17, 2006, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing to consider these buildings as official Landmarks:

The former Dakota Stable (348-358 Amsterdam Avenue) on the southwest corner of 77th Street and Amsterdam Avenue Built in 1894 and designed by Bradford Lee Gilbert.

The former NY Cab Company Stable (318 Amsterdam Avenue) on the northwest corner of 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue Completed in 1889 and designed by C. Abbott French.

For images, please go to http://www.landmarkwest.org/advocacy/stables.html.

These high-rise commercial stables played a crucial role in New Yorks history. New York's wealthiest residents often erected small, private stables for their horses and carriages. Middle-class people, on the other hand, used commercial stables for their livery, much the same way city residents use parking garages today.

We urge the Commission to vote to save these two Romanesque Revival-style structures for future generations. As a pair, they recall a time when the Upper West Side was just starting its transformation from farmland to urban neighborhood. They are anchors of 19th-century beauty that provide visual texture and historical continuity in our community.