Cul De Sac of Dreams

Twilight is here now, and the day has gone. These calloused, tired hands are red and shivering against the cold frost winds. My boots have eaten up just enough snow and ice to inspire thoughts of my handsome mantle surrounding a crackling, therapeutic fireplace. The walk home isn’t so long anymore; it hasn’t been so easy, in a while. Just ‘round the corner now and I can already hear my children slushing around outside before supper. My family, warmth, solace; everything I need is a sigh of relief away, on a small strip of land. Land delivered…and priced…by a Saint, I swear it.

Tucked away on the Upper East Side, safely out of reach from the high rises, stashed away from the busy of 5th Avenue; Henderson Place is still hiding from the times. Many townhouse-lined streets have charm and character, but Henderson Place ajars a time portal to a way of life. The small street, embedded in the upper east side of Manhattan, nods back to simpler times.

Townhouses for Townies

John C. Henderson, the son of a civil engineer and city planner, purchased land that had been used for farming and envisioned a quaint community that would bear his name. Henderson hired architects Hugh Lamb & Charles Alonzo Rich in 1881, who had just formed their boutique firm earlier that year. Prior to joining forces, Lamb designed several private houses in New Jersey, whereas Rich's finished cottages were typically found throughout New England.

In just three years’ time, the two were able to build 32 distinct Queen Anne Style red bricked townhouses – an efficient duo to say the least. Borrowing from Flemish design and classic Elizabethan manor houses helped in polishing the finish on these fine homes. Tall chimneys, sloping slate roofs, and generous front gardens had the lower middle class and even some of the poorer folk living as if they’d finally labored successfully. The intention for these homes was to house people of moderate means; an intention that set Henderson's dream apart from other real estate ventures. An early listing in the Times touted the low rent of $650 per year (roughly the equivalent of $1,200 per month today). Comparable options for housing were going for twice as much, and in some instances as high as $1500 per year. The reasonable price range was suitable for tenants with such occupations as electricians and traveling salesmen.

It was more than just shelter though; it was a chance to breathe. A chance to say "me too," for those who labored in honest professions and needed a chance to comfortably house a family. With accents like picturesque wood framed windows, arched grand entryways and sandstone blended base finishes, the working class was quite snug at home.

Where Have all the Townies Gone?

There is death. There are taxes. A near-certain third place finish for guarantees seems to be New York City real estate inflation. Those who had originally taken advantage of Henderson’s motion – be it investment or gesture – toward the lower middle class have almost certainly moved on as standards of living have increased mightily over the years. Alternatively some of those same folks might've simply evolved into owners and bequeathers of valuable real estate.

A small-time tailor couldn’t come ‘round with hat in hand in the way of $650 and live like royalty today in the Queen Anne townhouses on Henderson Place. Unless of course that clothes maker might make a concession for $650 worth of lottery tickets to perhaps parlay into occupying Henderson Place again, in light of the typical red-bricker’s $4 million asking price. Henderson's unconscious foresight has cost the common man an address in this city. That foresight is defined today by the three L’s of real estate: Location, Location, Location. Time and Place In a city where things change at a remarkably rapid pace, it is especially poignant to explore the remaining 24 unchanged red brick townhouses, the legacy of John C. Henderson. This intimate strip of street is the physical result of one man choosing to take ordinary farmland and make it extraordinary. Residents have certainly maintained the neighborhood and they take great civic pride in preserving such a distinct period of time. Take the time to admire their commitment to preservation and Saint Henderson’s vision. Stroll down this dead end street in Yorkville to encounter one of the best preservations of the 80’s in Manhattan – the 1880s.

Confetti

Nancy Lee's Pig Heaven- Nancy Lee's Pig Heaven might serve the best interpretation of Chicken Lo Mein in the city. Table made moo shu wraps are also top notch if you don’t want to noodle around. 1540 2nd Ave (80th), Upper East Side. (212) 744-4333

Gracie Mansion - When the cat’s away,…Book a tour of Gracie Mansion and see first-hand how the chief of NYC typically has lived since 1942. 88 E End Ave (88th St), Upper East Side (212) 570-4751