Upper West Side, 84th Street Between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

This is the playground next to the Sarah Anderson Elementary School, and that boy is making it hard for you to believe my claim that I was getting really cold.  But I was!  He's more active than I was.  In fact, I was standing still.  Anyway, whether you believe me or not, I was on the lookout for hot coffee and a place to sit down.

Upper West Side, 84th Street Between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

So the building we saw last night with no windows is P.S. 9, Sarah Anderson Elementary School.  I thought I would just complain about the architecture and leave it at that, but I discovered there is much to know about this school.  I was entraced to see that the Wikipedia article (follow the above link) has a lengthy discussion of the architecture (wouldn't you know it was built in the 1960's).  It also states that before this block was razed in preparation for building this school and the Louis D. Brandeis High School across the street (see below), it was known as "The Worst Block in New York."  As for who Sarah Anderson was, she was a single mother of 3 children, and a "beloved school paraprofessional" for whom the school was named when she died in 1981 at the age of 59.


Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

The Louis D. Brandeis High School.  Quick, who was Louis Brandeis?  U.S. Supreme Court Justice from 1916-1939, and,

as Justice William O. Douglas wrote, “Brandeis was a militant crusader for social justice whoever his opponent might be. He was dangerous not only because of his brilliance, his arithmetic, his courage. He was dangerous because he was incorruptible. . . [and] the fears of the Establishment were greater because Brandeis was the first Jew to be named to the Court."

Upper West Side, 84th Street Between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Yes, there are brownstones and townhouses on this block, too.  Can you spot the two identical buildings?  Well, almost identical; I think there've been a couple of changes over time.  Hint:  they're not next to each other.

Upper West Side, 84th Street Between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… ………………….. click to enlarge

This, my friends, is a church, the Church of St Matthew and St Timothy.  Now, why would anyone make a church look like this?  Because it was built in the 60s is why.  For some reason, architechture was just butt ugly in the 60s, without meaning to be.  Lincoln Center is maybe the saddest example of the architecture of this misguided decade.  We spent a lot of money to make this big impressive art center and ended up with a bunch of godawfullooking buildings that make you cringe to enter them.  Hard to explain. 

Upper West Side, 84th Street Between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….                    … ………………….. click to enlarge

Now, walking back to Broadway on 84th Street, we see Rodeph Sholom Day School; it's around the corner from the synagogue and might even back up to it.  This is one of three locations for the day school; this one is for pre-kindergarten through first grade.  Imagine being in first grade and being top dog!  Looking down at all those babies.  When I was in first grade, that was the absolute bottom.  We looked up to the mighty sixth graders.

See map.