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Advocacy
We stand up for responsible development, thoughtful urban planning, and policies that preserve our neighborhood's historic character and charm.
Collaboration
We work alongside residents, businesses, elected officials, schools, faith-based and city organizations to strengthen Carnegie Hill
Preservation
We protect and celebrate Carnegie Hill's architectural and historical heritage
Safety
We prioritize the well-being and security of
our residents and visitors through proactive initiatives
Stewardship
We responsibly manage natural, financial, and architectural assets to enhance Carnegie Hill's quality of life for current and future generations
About Carnegie Hill
Carnegie Hill is a historic neighborhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, roughly spanning from East 86th to East 98th Streets, between Fifth and just west of Third Avenue.
The area takes its name from Andrew Carnegie, whose mansion—now the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum—sits at its heart.Home to world-class institutions like the Guggenheim Museum, the 92nd Street Y, and Mount Sinai Hospital, Carnegie Hill blends old-world elegance with a vibrant, lived-in feel. Its residential streets are dotted with landmarked townhouses, pre-war co-ops, small businesses, and beloved schools.
Community groups, like Carnegie Hill Neighbors, play a key role in protecting its beauty and livability, advocating for everything from green space and safety to smart development and historic preservation.
Carnegie Hill isn’t just a place—it’s a community deeply rooted in heritage, civic pride, and a shared commitment to keeping the neighborhood one of New York City’s most special enclaves.
CHN Throughout the Years
Our Team
Staff
Program Staff
Luc Petit
Tai Chi Master
Tyler Robinson
CHN Patrol Car Officer
Excel Security
Jallen Gueye
CHN Patrol Car Officer
Excel Security
Yasin
CHN Patrol Car Officer
Excel Security
Board of Directors
* Executive Committee
Emeritus: David Balderston, Cynthia MacGrath, Ronald Spencer
Trish Preston*
Chair
I moved to Carnegie Hill over 25 years ago. I remember telling my husband that I would only do city living for one year and then wanted to move to the suburbs. Well, that changed! I love city living and our neighborhood. I joined the Carnegie Hill Neighbors board three years ago to help make an impact and keep our neighborhood special. I had the privilege of co-chairing the annual spring benefit in 2019 and the first virtual benefit in 2020. Through those experiences, I met many “neighbors” who all want to keep Carnegie Hill special. Favorite thing about Carnegie Hill: The small-town and friendly feel
Barbara Coffey*
I joined the CHN Steering Committee, predecessor to the board of directors, to help revive the Carnegie Hill News in 1978 and have since served in various leadership positions. Editing the newsletter has always been a labor of love; being part of the board comes with assurance that our efforts have made our neighborhood a better place. Everything CHN has accomplished is the result of neighbors and a dedicated staff working together to improve our community. The best part of living in Carnegie Hill is being in a village just a hop away from everything that New York City has to offer.
Susan Gottridge*
I have served on the board of CHN for over 20 years, and am most concerned with improving the streetscape. Issues such as graffiti, unused and damaged newsboxes, and street furniture in need of repainting are the types of initiatives I spearhead for the organization, to continually improve and beautify the area. Over the years, I have also enjoyed working on the malls plantings to keep Park Avenue as a crowning gem of Carnegie Hill.
Sarah Bramwell
As a firm believer that “charity begins at home,” I have enjoyed being involved with CHN over the past decade and seeing first-hand all the good work our organization does for the neighborhood we all call home. I am active as an editor and contributor to Carnegie Hill News, and chaired CHN's first-ever virtual benefit in 2020. It's hard to narrow it down to just one thing, but I love that Carnegie Hill is truly a village nested inside this big city, with friendly shopkeepers and a degree of neighborliness impossible to find anywhere else. That, and the Reservoir and Bridle Path!
Sada Grieve
I love our small community. It is so easy to meet people. My whole life is here. My husband Gordon and I moved to Carnegie Hill in 2015 and our three children are all in neighborhood schools. I was first introduced to CHN as a volunteer when our third child, Ainsley, was just 6 weeks old. I came to help stuff envelops for a mailing. Now my older two help out on occasion and we treat it as a family project. I love volunteering for CHN, either stuffing envelopes or now, serving on the board.
Diane Jaffee
To serve on the board at CHN helps promote the neighborhood, honor our history, and support our community through good and difficult times. I’m grateful to be associated with the hard charging CHN team with big ideas and huge hearts. My favorite things about Carnegie Hill are the friendly local shopkeepers and neighborhood parks and green spaces.
Chris McLaughlin
Chris McLaughlin joined the board in 2024, having watched his mother, Joan McLaughlin (CHN Board Member, 1995-2016) stick stamps on envelopes and count raffle tickets while he did his homework. Chris grew up in Carnegie Hill above his family’s eponymous store, J. McLaughlin, founded by his father and uncle in 1977. After working as a buyer at Bloomingdales, Chris left to partner with his father in restaurants and real estate, and to help manage neighborhood staple, Island Restaurant. He and his wife, Eliza, are raising four children in Carnegie Hill. He serves on the CHN Quality of Life Committee. He joined Carnegie Hill Neighbors because this neighborhood is very much a part of his family’s identity, and he wants to work with a collaborative group to benefit a collective interest.
Ginger Pitman
I moved from West End Avenue in 1973 with my two young daughters who attended The Day School of the Heavenly Rest. CH is their “hood.” They made their first friends, had their first parties, and gloried in their first graduations here. When I joined CHN, I worked on the original Historic Guide, with the assignment to research the neighborhood’s historic buildings of which there are many. In 1986 I received my Citizen Pruner certificate from Trees NY, and joined CHN’s Street Tree Care Committee, which I now co-Chair with Julia Bradford, former CHN Board Member, and Suzanne Goldstein.Favorite thing about Carnegie Hill: The Corner Bookstore, and Feldmans - the answer to life (almost)!
Jason Schwalbe
As a native New Yorker, I care deeply for our city, especially now that I am raising a family in our very special neighborhood. I believe Carnegie Hill has maintained its uniqueness and charm amongst the neighborhoods of New York City, with its combination of schools, restaurants, museums and natural beauty. A personal goal of mine is to provide new and dynamic ideas that focus on community involvement and connection while maintaining the quiet, composed reputation of our neighborhood. I feel honored to join this board which provides residents a platform to keep our neighborhood special and to use my background in real estate to improve upon our community’s safety, comfort and connection.
Lo van der Valk*
President
I was first introduced to zoning matters when neighbors on my block were opposing a major mid-block addition to the school across the street. After working closely with several CHN board members on this project for a year, I was invited by them to join the board. My first role was chair of the CHN-managed StreetSweep program, which meant meeting local store owners and asking for money - twice a year! When settling in Carnegie Hill, I was attracted by the nearby reservoir running track and the many impressive landmarks. Back then there was no internet and the slim CHN Architectural Guide of 1989 was an indispensable resource. I was drawn by the interest and necessity to landmarks and zoning issues and became president in 1997. There have been many issues and battles over the years, and it is exasperating, yet fascinating, to see how new issues keep appearing. I love our local shops and the way our great landmarks blend in as part of our neighborhood.
Mark Goldsmith*
Very simply, I have served on the board of directors of CHN for close to 25 years because it is the service organization that has had the most positive influence, outside of the NYC government, over Carnegie Hill, where my wife Arlene and I raised two children and have lived for over 50 years. Its focus on beautification, safety, and preservation align very closely with our thoughts about what is really important to us with respect to where we live in NYC. Selfishly, serving on the CHN board has always been an easy “do” for me as I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that the work that I am doing makes life better for the Goldsmith family as well as the neighborhood at large. My favorite thing about Carnegie Hill are the people who live here.
Kevin Roe* Treasurer
I have called Carnegie Hill home since 2011, where I live with my wife and with three children. My hobbies include golf, tennis and skiing in Vermont. Professionally, for over the past 20 years I have been a leading Telecommunications industry financial analyst.My commitment to CHN feels like an extension of my commitment to my family and home. For instance, we all want to live in safe and clean neighborhoods. That is a key mission of CHN. We all want sensible historic preservation. Again, CHN works tirelessly to preserve our unique neighborhood for future generations to enjoy. Favorite thing about Carnegie Hill: Is CHN and the hands-on work of its many dedicated volunteers. For me, at the top of the volunteer activity list is tree pruning!
Jennifer Garrett
My favorite thing about Carnegie Hill is that it has such a distinctive sense of place—when one is in Carnegie Hill, one knows one is in Carnegie Hill. I serve on the CHN board because I firmly believe that our neighborhood is the best that NY has to offer— character, community, convenience, diversity of activities and people, energy—and I am privileged to live in this corner of the world.
Punch Hutton*
Carnegie Hill has it all - history, beauty, character, Central Park, safety, traditions, and a strong sense of community. I am so grateful to be living here and raising my family in this neighborhood. Some of my favorite rituals include: Walking my children to school, Trick or Treating with friends and family at the Spooktacular, meeting up for a cozy dinner at Island and having cocktails at King’s Speech speakeasy, browsing for novels at The Corner Bookstore, taking those first bites of flaky almond croissants at Julien, getting a blow-dry at Val More, marveling at Gracie’s perfect alterations at Carnegie Hill Cleaners, exchanging greetings with various doormen when I walk my dogs to and from Central Park, picking flower arrangements at Jerome florist, strolling through the Guggenheim Museum. I’m honored to be a part of CHN and I look forward to contributing to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of our unique and charming Upper East Side enclave.
Margaret Loeb
Margaret Loeb found Carnegie Hill Neighbors through the organization’s efforts to rally community opposition against sidewalk cell towers in historic districts. She joined the board in 2024, wanting to help protect the historic integrity of Carnegie Hill. Margaret worked at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company for more than two decades, and now serves as a senior advisor, while also running her own consultancy. She loves watching ballet and antiquing. Margaret lives with her partner, Eric, and their adopted Siamese cat, Simba, having moved to the neighborhood from Greenwich Village in 2002. She serves on the marketing and preservation committees.
Nicole Mellody
I am a working mom of three, and my husband and I chose to set down roots and raise our children Carnegie Hill because of the schools and small town feel. We especially love the ready access to nature, and culture, in Carnegie Hill. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to visit any of the incredible museums in the neighborhood.
Molly Rand
I moved uptown to Carnegie Hill when I married my fifth-generation New York husband almost 25 years ago. Over the years we sent our two daughters to both preschool and grade schools a short walk from our home. My favorite thing about Carnegie Hill is its proximity to a plethora of world class museums. My husband and I love to wander in and out of exhibitions on the weekends and then stroll into central park, our “backyard”. Another favorite thing about Carnegie Hill is its businesses. Whether nail salons, hair salons, grocers, hardware stores, restaurants, and dry cleaners, we have everything we need all within walking distance—a small and friendly village within the best city in the world. Being on the CHN board connects me to others who cherish and want to protect the integrity of our neighborhood.
George Stonbely*
My wife Christine and I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than Carnegie Hill, for its historic charm, clean streets and neighborly atmosphere. Working for many years in Times Square and other high visibility locales, I find the pace of the neighborhood is a perfect respite to the fast pace of greater Manhattan. I serve on the executive board of CHN, spending most of my time working on street safety and business improvement initiatives to ensure a vibrant and welcoming pedestrian experience for all who live here and for those who to enjoy the many cultural attractions that Carnegie Hill has to offer. Favorite thing about Carnegie Hill: is the feeling of serenity and calm I experience upon returning home after a long workday under the bright lights of Broadway and Times Square.