On Sunday, September 14, a few students participated in a tour of Coney Island sponsored by the Historic Districts Council led by Melissa Baldock, Kress/RFR Fellow for Historic Preservation and Public Policy at the Municipal Art Society and architectural historian Jane Cowan. The dynamic duo presented the past, present and proposed future(s) of Coney Island. Post tour we discussed what we learned over hot dogs at Nathan’s and shared a terrifying ride on the Wonder Wheel.

PHPO visited Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, CT on September 5th. Built in 1949, it predates Mies Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House by two years. Upon the death of Philip Johnson in 2005, the Glass House and its 47 acre campus became a stewardship of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The mission of this International Style residence is “to be come a center point and catalyst for the preservation of Modern architecture, art and landscape design.”

Tickets for the Glass House go on sale for the 2009 season on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 9am. Tickets are $30 for 90-minute tours and $45 for 2-hour tours.

Perched above Los Angeles in Griffith Park, the Griffith Observatory was designed by John C. Austin in 1935. It was the dream of Colonel Griffith Jenkins Griffith to provide a park and observatory to the public for both recreation and education. In 2002, the city-owned observatory was closed in order to undergo a four-year, $93 million renovation.

This Art Deco gem is a pop culture icon, best known for its feature role as back drop in Rebel Without a Cause [and subsequent ripoffs like Paula Abdul’s Rush Rush video and Dylan & Kelly’s touching first date on 90210].

- Tara

In 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright established his Fellowship for students in architecture. Built in 1937, Taliesin West continues to house the school and studio during the winter months. As headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, tours are available throughout the year. [I don’t recommend visiting in the summer — it’s HOT!]

Nearby in Phoenix is the Arizona Biltmore, officially designed by Albert Chase McArthur. A protege of Frank Lloyd Wright, he studied under the famous architect in Chicago from 1907-09. Built in 1929, FLW was close at hand while working on Taliesin West, and thus had a large impact on the final design of the hotel.

- Tara

Built in 1908, Greene & Greene’s Gamble House turns 100 this year! This masterpiece of the Arts & Crafts movement in Pasadena, CA is a National Historic Landmark. In addition to the standard house tour, the bookstore offers a self-guided tour of the neighborhood which is chock full of beautiful Arts & Crafts “bungalows.”

If you’re not up on your architectural history, you may still recognize the garage from from a certain 80s flick.

- Tara