We knew a hotly-contested decision on landmarking the 250-odd houses that make up the Bronx enclave of Fieldston was imminent, so it was with some relief that we read this past weekend that cooler heads had prevailed and that the City Council had in fact ratified the designation back on April 26. Now we’ll confess that Norman Revival isn’t necessarily our favorite period (heck, we didn’t even know it was a period), but the area has a unique historic character that deserved to be saved from the encroaching pressures of development. Most of the houses, which were built in the 1920s and 1930s are either Tudor, medieval, Norman or Mediterranean; the area is also notable for the rocky terrain on which the houses are built. As for the dopes who fought the landmarking, they’ll be thanking their neighbors as their property values rise; and if they really miss being able to build some oversized monstrosity, they can cash in and move.
Leafy, Scenic Enclave Now a Landmark [NY Times]