P.S. 179 Edward R. Reynolds West Side High School (New York City, New York)

USA / New Jersey / West New York / New York City, New York / West 102nd Street, 140
3-story modernist-style school completed in 1998. Designed by John Ciardullo Associates, it is clad in orange brick and reddish-brown and beige tiles. The main entrance is deeply recessed between east and west wings, approached by a wide staircase leading up to a small plaza area. A ramp winds up to the plaza at the right, beneath the overhanging upper floors of the west wing. At the back of the plaza the north-facing wall is clad in orange brick and the ground floor is slightly recessed below the upper floors, behind four round, blue columns that organize it into three bays, with the blue metal doors set in a glass surround located in the west bay. At the base of the 2nd floor is a concrete band, with metal lettering spelling "WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL", and smaller lettering above "EDWARD R. REYNOLDS". The upper floors have four bays of windows, the middle two divided by black metal framing into 2-over-4 panes (with the inner ones much wider) and the outer bays 3-over-2 (with both outer panes wider). To either side of the recessed middle section is an intermediate section of reddish-brown tiles banded with beige tiles, connecting the outer wings and middle section. The inner-facing walls of these sections have two small, square windows at the 2nd & 3rd floors (and blue metal service doors at the ground floor, facing the plaza), and another small window on the 2nd & 3rd floors of the north-facing walls. The same tile materials form a pair of retaining walls that frame the staircase, topped by metal railings. The outer wings have the same tile on the lower part of the ground floor, recessed below the upper floors, with both wings having a pair of round, blue, supporting columns at both ends. There is a broad concrete band at the base of the 2nd floor, and the east wing has another set of service doors at the ground floor facing west. The ground floor of the west wing has two double-windows flanking a single-window (the same as on the upper floors), and the east wing has four single-windows further recessed than the west end of the ground floor here (the upper floors match those on the west wing). The windows on the upper floors have concrete lintels, and the roof line is marked by a concrete band.

The west facade has the same tiling on the exposed basement level, with small, square windows, and orange brick on the floors above, with a mixture of double- and single-windows, varying by floor. The 3-story section extends about two-thirds of the way back, with the south end of the building only one story high (above the basement level) and fully clad in banded tiles. The east facade is similar to the west.

Known for many years simply as "West Side High," it was renamed in honor of the school's longtime principal following his unexpected death in 2001. The school was originally founded in 1972, located on West 93rd Street. It first moved to this location in 1981, taking over an old elementary school building. In the late 1980s, the building, which dated from the late 1800s, was condemned, and the school moved into an office building on West 35th Street and 8th Avenue. After eight long years at the 35th Street site, West Side returned to a new building built by the New York City Department of Education on this same site.
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Coordinates:   40°47'49"N   73°58'0"W

Comments

  • Born and raised in Douglass Houses and attended PS179 from 1970 to 1977. Kindergarden thru 6th grade.
  • I went to this school from 1st to 6th grade! Very special memories for me... If anyone has any other pictures of this school, I would love to have them shared with me.
  • Mr. Wallace was the Principle ("Shakey") and Mr. Malaski (Bull Horn) was the Vice Principle.........During my time there. (74-79)
  • I also went there in the 70s mr malaski would give you a charley horse on ur leg good kids and bad kids went to this school
  • I attended this school from the 2nd grade through the 5th grade, skipping the 6th grade and going on to Joan of Arc Junior High School. I lived in Frederick Douglas projects until 1969. I received the best education a child could receive. Mr. Krug was my teacher for my entire education at P.S. 179. He recognized my thirst for knowledge early on, therefore, recommending that I skip a grade to study with my intellectual peers. Those were truly the best days of my life.
  • Oh my goodness, I had Mr. Krug too! Best teacher I ever had!
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This article was last modified 4 years ago