Star of Queens

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:56 PM EDT

Michael Perlman
Chairperson
Rego-Forest Preservation CouncilCOMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Michael Perlman is the chairperson and founder of the two-year-old Rego-Forest Preservation Council, a group of volunteers. The Council’s mission is to identify possible landmarks - both individual sites and districts - in Forest Hills and Rego Park and propose them for designation to the Landmarking Preservation Commission (LPC). Forest Hills and Rego Park have no historic districts and while Forest Hills at least has two individual landmarks, Rego Park has none, so the Council works towards changing this, Perlman explained.

PERSONAL: Twenty-five-old Perlman, of Forest Hills, who also volunteers his time for other preservation organizations, such as the Queens Preservation Council, has always felt passionate about landmarking. He said it reminds him of his childhood, when he used to take leisurely walks with his family on the streets of Forest Hills, admiring the architectural beauty of the buildings. He has particularly fond memories from marveling at the Tudor-style structures on Austin Street.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The LPC’s policies are the greatest difficulty Perlman faces. “The LPC frequently rejects significant sites for designation in Queens,” Perlman said, explaining that all his pleas to landmark properties in Forest Hills and Rego Park have been rejected. The LPC usually favors sites in Manhattan, Perlman said, pointing out that it has about 500 individual landmarks, while Queens, although a much bigger borough, has only 50.

FAVORITE MEMORY: One of Perlman’s fondest memories as a preservationist is from 2007, when he helped save SoHo’s famous Moondance Diner, the city’s oldest diner, from destruction. Perlman explained that he and others saved the landmarked diner by having its body transported on a truck to La Barge, WY.

INSPIRATION: The artisanship and the intricate detail of buildings with historical and cultural significance are the things that inspire Perlman. “The architectural styles communicate with me,” he explained.

- Yaldaz Sadakova