Our School's
Story
From a five-story building on Tenth Avenue to a mural that has greeted neighbors for fifty years, here is how PS 87 became one family under the sun.
Our History
Established in 1895, PS 87 has been a cornerstone of education on the Upper West Side for well over a century.
Our original five-story building stood at West 77th Street and Tenth Avenue (now Amsterdam Avenue) and served as part of District 14. It featured 44 classrooms and could accommodate up to 1,600 students. In 1905, a gym and auditorium were added, and by the 1920s and '30s, the school served both boys and girls—though with separate entrances and grade levels.
Our Current Building
The PS 87 building you see today was constructed between 1952 and 1954, designed by architects Rosario Candela and Paul Resnick. Students even helped move books and supplies from the old school to the new one! The original structure was later replaced with Tecumseh Playground, affectionately known as “Metal Park.” The playground has been updated several times, most recently in 1997.
Our Mural: 50 Years of Community
Beside our entrance stands a mural that has welcomed generations of students, families, and neighbors for 50 years. In 1976, parents staged a sit-in to keep PS 87’s doors open during the city’s financial crisis. Among them was local artist G. Augustine Lynas, who afterward transformed a graffiti-covered wall by the entrance into a “living mural,” a volunteer gift to the school that he has cared for ever since.
Watch the story behind the mural
Notable Alumni
Timothee Chalamet - Academy Award–nominated actor
Henry Winkler – Actor and author of the Hank Zipzer series, based on his experiences at PS 87
Jordan Peele – Actor, comedian, and screenwriter
Charles Strouse – Composer and lyricist
PS 87 has a proud tradition of nurturing talent and creativity. Notable alumni include:
Brian Greene – Theoretical physicist and string theorist
Erica Jong – Novelist and poet
Mike Nichols – Director, writer and producer
Gerald Schoenfeld – Chairman of the Shubert Organization
We honor Earl “Speedo” Carroll, lead singer of The Cadillacs and later The Coasters, who became a beloved PS 87 custodian. Featured in the children’s book That’s Our Custodian, he saw his music career revived and became a fixture on PBS Doo Wop specials.