Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
The Strand Bookstore Is Now A City Landmark, And The Owner Hates It
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 11, 2019
Modified Jun 11, 2019
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 .
right
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 11, 2019
Modified Jun 11, 2019
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
The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission voted today to landmark the Strand, despite vigorous opposition from its owner, who said that the designation would doom the store’s survival in an age of e-commerce booksellers.
The 11-story Renaissance revival building at 826 Broadway, which dates back to 1902, was one of seven properties on Broadway south of Union Square selected for landmark status consideration. Although most preservationists supported including the Strand, which opened there in 1957, for landmark status, the store’s third-generation owner Nancy Bass Wyden said the regulations involved with maintaining a city landmark would be too costly and burdensome.
"Now, we’re in a bureaucratic straight jacket," said Wyden, who held a press conference in front of the Strand on East 12th Street, immediately after the decision. "If I want to make any changes to the building, I’ve got to go through them."
Wyden, who inherited the building from her father, called the city's landmarking process a "completely unfair process," adding, "Once they target you, and put you on the calendar, they just shove it through."
Her protest drew in scores of loyal Strand customers, including writers who credited the bookstore for being a creative haven and source of inspiration.
At the first public hearing, novelist Gary Shteyngart called The Strand "the best second home anybody could ever ask for."
But the commission's staff repeatedly argued that Wyden's concerns were unfounded and that the city could offer assistance as well as grants toward maintaining the building. They also said that not landmarking the building would leave it imperiled to future destruction or redevelopment.
In a twist, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation also criticized the commission’s decision because the city did not include a larger swath of nearly 200 buildings in the neighborhood that it argued was worthy of landmark designation. Andrew Berman, the group's executive director, accused the city of "cherry picking" only a small number of buildings in order to placate preservationists but not impede development.
Berman has protested the stream of commercial development in Lower Manhattan, often at the expense of older buildings. Last year, he and other community groups opposed the city's rezoning of a site at 120 East 14th Street for a 21-story tech hub, saying it would open the door to further commercial development south of Union Square.
"The landmarking of these seven buildings, none of which (unlike many of their neighbors) are currently endangered, comes nearly a year after the City Planning Commission and City Council approved the upzoning nearby for a 'Tech Hub,'" Berman said in a press release. He also criticized Councilmember Carolina Rivera, whose district includes the East Village, for failing to deliver on a promise to preserve more of the area following the rezoning.
A spokesperson for Councilwoman Carlina Rivera said in a statement that "while Councilwoman Rivera is proud that these seven buildings were officially designated today by LPC, she will continue to collaborate with the Commission and local stakeholders on additional opportunities to recognize the architectural and cultural treasures in our neighborhoods."
In February, as part of a last ditch effort to prevent the building from being landmarked, owner Nancy Bass Wyden proposed that the city instead accept a preservation easement, a voluntary agreement by the owner that would ensure that a building or its facade be preserved in perpetuity.
Ultimately, however, the commission remained unpersuaded.
During the hearing, Commissioner Michael Goldblum said that the huge opposition to the landmarking of the Strand represented a "failure" on the part of the commission.
"The preponderance of misinformation surrounding the perils of landmark designation so pervades this incredibly articulate, well informed body of New Yorkers [...] is shocking to me and deeply disappointing," he said.
With Adwait Patil
Tagged
landmarked
landmarks preservation commission
preservation
Strand
original
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Challenge accepted: We went hunting for the secret bolt in Central Park
Armed with a close-up image of the bolt and two hours to be out of the office, could we find this historic artifact?
By
James Ramsay
Published Aug 6, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Monica Barbaro's guide to running around New York City in heels
In 'One Night Only,' the actress deftly navigates the streets in her stilettos. She explains how she did it.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Monica Barbaro's guide to running around New York City in heels
In 'One Night Only,' the actress deftly navigates the streets in her stilettos. She explains how she did it.
By
Sonia Rao
Do NYC restaurant workers have their knives out for the Anthony Bourdain movie?
By
Sonia Rao
NYC and NJ players celebrate the beginning of the Women's Pro Baseball League
By
Michael Hill
and
Amanda Rozon
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
By
Hank Shteamer
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 .