Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Don't Miss Your Chance To Go To The Top Of Woolworth Building!
By
Partner Partner
Published Aug 31, 2016
Modified Aug 31, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 14
By
Partner Partner
Published Aug 31, 2016
Modified Aug 31, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As you're contemplating your Labor Day weekend plans, let us make a suggestion: Take a little tour around NYC to visit seven important buildings—and you may get a chance to be see the top of the Woolworth Building at the new Woolworth Tower Residences as part of the Historic District Council's #PreservationPays Challenge. It'll be the public's chance to visit the Woolworth Tower Residences atop this landmark building—and it's your up close-and-personal opportunity to see how historic preservation is important.
The Historic Districts Council is asking entrants to take photographs of themselves in front of seven historically significant buildings and then tag them #PreservationPays, as well as mention the Historic Districts Council on social media—@hdcnyc on Instagram and @hdc_nyc on Twitter (more details in the rules below). Five people will be selected for the special tour of the 1913 building.
Here are the seven buildings in the #PreservationPays Challenge:
- The Washington Square Arch in the Village (Take the A / C / E / B / D / F / M to W 4th St - Washington Sq);
- Carnegie Hall, at 881 7th Avenue in Manhattan (Take the N / Q / R to 57th St - 7th Ave) (Take the N / Q / R to 57th St - 7th Ave);
- Chavela's at 736 Franklin Ave in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (Take the 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 to Franklin Ave);
- The Battery Maritime Building, at 10 South Street in Manhattan (Take the 1 to South Ferry or R to Whitehall St)
- 33-52 81st Street in the Jackson Heights Historic District, Queens (Take the 7 to 82nd St - Jackson Heights);
- The Alhambra Apartments, at 500 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn (Take the A / C to Nostrand Ave); and
- The Woolworth Building / Woolworth Tower Residences at 2 Park Place, Manhattan (Take the 2 / 3 to Park Place or R to City Hall).
And looks, here are some entrants already on Instagram and Twitter! Even City Council Member Ben Kallos is taking part:

CM Ben Kallos is working #PreservationPays (Historic Districts Council)
You'll find some more interesting facts about the buildings in the Historic Districts Council's slideshow "How Historic Preservation Benefits New York City," below. The slides also describe how historic preservation—as a driver of New York City's multi-billion-dollar tourism trade, a creator of good paying jobs, and an attractive option for affordable housing—is a positive force for the financial well-being of the city.
"Preserving, improving, and celebrating historic buildings and neighborhoods is a proven method for invigorating local economies," said Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council. "The #PreservationPays Challenge will help New Yorkers see these benefits firsthand."
The five winners will be treated to a private tour of the top of the iconic building, at the Woolworth Tower Residences, led by Historic Districts Council Adviser and official Woolworth Building Historian Lisa Renz. This tour, which is supported by Sotheby's International Realty, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit one of New York City's finest landmarks.
THE RULES: The #PreservationPays Challenge is free and open to all. To be entered in the drawing, participants must snap a photo of themselves in front of all six buildings named in the Infographic, as well as the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan.
Each photo must be posted on either Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #PreservationPays and tagging the Historic Districts Council (@hdcnyc on Instagram and @hdc_nyc on Twitter) before 11:59 PM on Tuesday, September 6th.
Only individuals who have posted all seven photos using the hashtag will be entered into the drawing. The five winners will be selected randomly, and each will be entitled to bring along one guest on the tour.
For full details about the #PreservationPays Challenge, please visit www.hdc.org/challenge.
Tagged
Historic Districts Council
historic preservation
preservation pays
woolworth building
woolworth tower residences
Partner Partner
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
What do you see when you record the whole of the boroughs?
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 5, 2026
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
Arts & Entertainment
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
By
Hank Shteamer
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .