If you haven’t already seen it, the Municipal Art Society web site is host to a great map, developed by the MAS Planning Center, which gives the location of every landmark in the city. The map shows each of the 51 City Council Districts, allowing the user to see which districts host the most landmark sites. After a few seconds, it is easy to see that few landmarks have been designated outside of a select few districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Perhaps the Observer should have reviewed these maps before responding to Tom Wolfe.

The maps can be downloaded here .

In September 2003, the city’s Independent Budget Office (a city agency charged with a watchdog role over the budget and city agency performance) issued an interesting report entitled The Impact of Historic Districts on Residential Property Values. The findings confirmed what every preservationist already knows, that landmarks are good for the city’s economy.

The findings include:

• All else equal, prices of houses in historic districts are higher than those of similar houses outside historic districts.

• Although prices for historic properties have at times increased less rapidly than for similar properties outside historic districts, overall price appreciation from 1975 through 2002 was greater for houses inside historical districts.

To view the report, click here .