‘Baron of Yorkville’ Steps Down from Four Freedoms Dem Club After Decades of UES Activism

To Be Frank–Frank Wilkinson, accomplished author of fiction (“Bygones”), a Princeton graduate who grew up on the Philadelphia Main Line and emerged as a stalwart leader in UES Democratic politics where he served as a district leader for 30 years is stepping down from his latest post as vice president of the Four Freedoms Democratic Club.

The longtime activist was affectionately known as the Baron of Yorkville.

When elected district leader, Frank’s club was the East Side Democratic Club. He succeeded Jerry Tarnoff as district leader and was succeeded himself by Adam Roberts. Eventually, the East Side Democratic Club dissolved and Four Freedoms (FF) was their successor.

Frank’s career in Democrat Party politics began when he was campaigning with his best friend, Bill Thom, who was seeking a Civil Court judgeship. He became a judge in the Ed Koch years when there were three Dem clubs in the UES Assembly District where Frank resided–the East Side Democratic Club (ESDC), the Yorkville Democratic Club, and the Lenox Hill Democratic Club–in addition to the venerable Lexington Democratic Club. Today, the UES Dem clubs are Lex and Four Freedoms

He joined Tarnoff’s ESDC. In those years, road runner and activist George Spitz was going to run a primary against Tarnoff. Enter Frank Wilkinson. Tarnoff blinked. Spitz backed off. No primary. Wilkinson won.

When ESDC was dissolved, around 2015, Four Freedoms Democratic Club (FF) was born, Frank briefly served as president of the newly formed club and, before resigning at the end of 2024, was the club’s VP. Throughout the years, Frank’s service to the party continued, both as a member of the county party Judiciary Committee and as a longtime board member. In saying sayonara to Frank in their newsletter, FF informed the membership that he was stepping down as VP of the club and thanked him for his decades of service and noted that “Frank earned his title “Baron of Yorkville” not through peerage, but through his efforts to improve and build up the party, as well as his ubiquitous bicycling around the neighborhood.” In closing, FF said that they were “grateful for Frank’s dedication to our Democratic values and his many years of friendship.”

Having been a member of ESDC and as a current FF member, I can assuredly say that few, if any, can compete with Frank’s prowess in petitioning and getting Manhattan Democrats on the ballot. And for that we are eternally grateful and look forward to his leadership and participation in UES politics.

Whitewashing Warhol–Back in November 2023, I wrote about the canopy at 1342 Lexington Ave, on the northwest corner of 89th St. The photo accompanying the column showed that the words “The Warhol” on the canopy had been whitewashed.

However, and as I reported, the whitewashing may have resulted from a cease and desist letter from the Warhol interests. In the last month or so, the canopy was replaced with a new one and there is no vestige of “The Warhol.” I wondered why. And then I read in several publications, including East Side Feed, that Warhol’s former house, where he lived with his mom in the late 50s, early 60s and where his soup cans were stocked and maybe shelved, was on the market. It wasn’t clear if it was for sale, because only a monthly rental of $22,500 was reported. No sales price. Whatever. It was probably worth the owners investing in a new canopy.