POLL: What Object Best Defines NYC’s History?

October 22, 2014

If you read 6sqft’s version of “A History of New York in 101 Objects” you know that we received quite a diverse mix of responses. But there were a few items that proved to be most popular. So we want to know which of these three you think is THE object that defines New York City.

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More: History

Tags: A History Of New York In 101 Objects

The history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, a NYC holiday tradition

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The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, considered the "worldwide symbol of Christmas," will be lit on Wednesday, marking the 93rd tree lighting ceremony. Ahead, learn about the history of the iconic spruce, from its start as a modest Depression-era pick-me-up for Rockefeller Center construction workers to World War regulations to its current 900-pound Swarovski star.
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The 7 absolute best pastrami spots in NYC—and the stories behind them

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Other than the $1 slice of pizza, a bagel with lox, or a street cart hot dog, is there any food more synonymous with New York City than a pastrami sandwich on rye bread? The classic deli staple has been featured on Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live, and, of course, who can forget that famous scene in Katz’s from When Harry Met Sally? But pastrami’s legacy in the Big Apple began long before these pop culture moments.
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November 4, 2025

New $21M home for Lower East Side’s ABC No Rio art space tops out

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After breaking ground in summer 2024, construction began for a new home for ABC No Rio, the iconic DIY punk rock venue and arts/cultural space that had been a fixture on the Lower East Side’s street scene since 1980. On Friday, leaders and volunteers from ABC No Rio joined city officials to celebrate the “topping out” of their new home at 156 Rivington Street. The $21 million facility, funded by the city, will replace the tenement building previously occupied by the venue. The new building, designed by Paul A. Castrucci Architects and scheduled to open in late 2026, will meet LEED Silver and Passive House energy efficiency standards.
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October 24, 2025

How the 1919 World Series was rigged at the Upper West Side’s Ansonia

By Emily Nonko

With the World Series about to kick off, it's amazing to think that one of the most iconic landmarks of the Upper West Side played a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the World Series in 1919. Back then, the Ansonia was a brand-new, luxury residential hotel in Manhattan; it opened in 1904 with a grand total of 1,400 rooms and 320 suites. The lavish locale quickly became popular amongst athletes; even Babe Ruth would stay there and come to treat the entire hotel like an extension of his apartment. But in 1919, baseball players and the mafia found a match in the hotel. A small group of players, and one very powerful, moneyed mafioso, came up with a deal that would throw the results of the game pitting the Chicago White Sox against the Cincinnati Reds.
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August 21, 2025

Step into 1776 during a Battle of Brooklyn commemoration this weekend

By Devin Gannon

The first, and the biggest, battle of the American Revolution took place in Brooklyn. In August 1776, just weeks after declaring independence from Britain, the first armed campaign for the colonies took place across the borough, through present-day Prospect Park, Fulton Ferry Landing, Fort Greene Park, and Green-Wood Cemetery. While the British soundly defeated the colonies, the historic battle led George Washington to develop a new strategy vital to the eventual win for independence. This weekend, the Green-Wood Cemetery will commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn with historical demonstrations, costumed interpreters, music, and a parade march up Battle Hill.
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August 12, 2025

New MCNY exhibit traces a century of NYC housing activism

By Aaron Ginsburg

While New York City's current housing crisis has pushed rents to all-time highs and the vacancy rate to an all-time low, it's not a new problem. New Yorkers have been rallying for more affordable housing and tenant protections for over a century. A new installation at the Museum of the City of New York, "Housing Activism: Rent Strikes and Tenant Mobilizations, 1908-1939," explores the rich history and lasting impact of tenant organizing in the early 20th century through photographs, drawings, flyers, and other artifacts. The installation covers a period of immense housing pressure, harsh winters, overcrowded tenements, and soaring rents—and the grassroots movements that helped win many of the tenant protections still in place today.
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Crown Heights co-op opens waitlist for Mitchell-Lama apartments, for sale from $19K

Here’s a rare opportunity to own an affordable co-op in New York City. Applications are currently being accepted for waitlist spots for apartments at Crown Gardens, a Mitchell-Lama building in Crown Heights.

The 7 absolute best pastrami spots in NYC—and the stories behind them

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August 12, 2025

City landmarks five Garment District buildings ahead of major changes in Midtown

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Midtown South could look a lot different in the coming years, with a neighborhood rezoning imminent, but at least five buildings will remain protected. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate five buildings that not only are unique architecturally, but also reflect the development of the Garment District and the importance of the fashion industry to New York City. The designation comes as the City Council prepares to vote on the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan this week.
details this way

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August 7, 2025

Restored Richmond Barthé frieze returns to the Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights

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A monumental artwork that has been a fixture of a Crown Heights public housing complex for 80 years has been restored. Created by Harlem Renaissance artist Richmond Barthé, "Exodus and Dance" is an 80-foot cast-stone frieze depicting biblical scenes and Black figures dancing that has been on display at the city's Kingsborough Houses since 1941. Eight decades of exposure to the elements caused the stone to crack and crumble, requiring a major restoration to preserve the public artwork. After an 18-month conservation project, officials on Thursday cut the ribbon on the rehabilitated "Exodus and Dance" sculpture, which once again stands as a community landmark.
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May 20, 2025

Before Chelsea, there was Midtown: The lost art galleries of 57th Street

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May 1, 2025

Moving Day: When all New Yorkers moved on May 1

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From colonial times up until World War II, May 1 was Moving Day, the one day a year when people in New York City moved. It's said the tradition came from the Dutch, who set out for Manhattan on May 1 and therefore celebrated each year by swapping homes on this day. Later, landlords had to notify tenants of rent increases on February 1, which would take effect three months later at 9 a.m. Tenants waited until May 1 to move, and the streets would be filled with "moving vans," Long Island farmers' wagons led by horses, clogging up the city streets and creating complete pandemonium.
More on this curious history here

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On her own: The legacy of women’s hotels in New York City

By Michelle Cohen

The tale of a woman on her own, arriving in New York City to find her fortune, began long before Mary Tyler Moore exuberantly tossed her hat into the air. The city's history is inseparable from international women's history, and a handful of residences that offered refuge for young ladies arriving solo is undoubtedly part of this story. With good moral intentions–and rules and regulations–they were gracious in the amenities and camaraderie offered. Introduced here are some of the historic hotels that helped generations of women gain a foothold in the big city–as well as one set to reopen this year as a modern women-only residence.
a room of one's own

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Fraunces Tavern exhibit will explore revolutionary history to mark 250th anniversary of United States

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A New York City bar that had a role in the Revolutionary War is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with a special exhibition. This spring, the Fraunces Tavern Museum will open "Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation," a chronological, multi-year installation exploring the historic events that took place at the tavern and in New York throughout the American Revolution. Opening on April 22, the exhibit will also showcase the tavern’s role in history, from hosting the Sons of Liberty to serving as the site of trials that led to the emancipation of thousands of Black Loyalists.
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Bergen Brooklyn

323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

studios starting at $825,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,925,000
3 beds starting at $3,050,000
4 beds starting at $6,000,000

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POLL: What Object Best Defines NYC’s History?

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For $9M, a Noho penthouse that captures the spirit of the neighborhood's past, and then some

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For $2M, a Boerum Hill co-op with a colorful Scandi kitchen

For $950K, a condo with a terrace that puts the 'green' in Greenpoint

Park Slope townhouse sells for $13.9M, a new neighborhood record

For $5M, be the first new owner of this historic Cobble Hill wood-frame home in 40 years

Turn this $6.9M Brooklyn Heights three-family townhouse into an urban mansion with original details galore

POLL: What Object Best Defines NYC’s History?

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Leave a reply Cancel reply

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