History

Prospect Park to host Battle of Brooklyn reenactment for borough-wide 250th anniversary commemoration

Battle of Brooklyn reenactment in Green-Wood Cemetery. Credit: Allison Meier on Flickr

August 21, 2026

Prospect Park to host Battle of Brooklyn reenactment for borough-wide 250th anniversary commemoration

Relive the first and largest battle of the American Revolution this weekend as part of a borough-wide commemoration of the Battle of Brooklyn's 250th anniversary. Fought in August 1776, just weeks after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the battle took place across parts of present-day Prospect Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Fulton Ferry Landing, and Fort Greene Park. To mark the anniversary, Prospect Park will host a reenactment of the battle on Saturday August 22, following in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought there 250 years ago, while Green-Wood will host its own reenactment on Sunday. The events are part of Brooklyn 250, a borough-wide commemoration by six cultural institutions with free events, tours, and discussions on the historic battle's role in American independence.
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Explore how ‘The Odyssey’ is depicted in art at the Met

Photo by Rebecca Schear, Courtesy of The Met

August 10, 2026

Explore how ‘The Odyssey’ is depicted in art at the Met

By Devin Gannon

If you haven't been able to snag one of the elusive tickets to see Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" in IMAX 70-millimeter film at AMC Lincoln Square (join the club), a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art may temporarily suffice. The museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works, including several related to Homer's epic poem, a story that has inspired artists for thousands of years. Ahead, discover pieces currently on view at the Met that retell the story of Odysseus' 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
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MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Tdorante10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia

August 5, 2026

MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Devin Gannon

The sturdy steel vending machines with giant buttons and colorful hardware that spit out MetroCards to commuting New Yorkers for 30 years are now a thing of the past, with the ubiquitous rollout of OMNY. But some transit enthusiasts can relive the glory days of the devices: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday said it is auctioning off a limited number of MetroCard Vending Machines and MetroCard Express Machines. Note that the winning bidder must pick up the machines, which weigh over 1,000 pounds, themselves.
Details here

Macy’s giant shopping bag sign is removed, revealing 100-year-old building hidden for decades

The iconic Macy’s shopping bag sign was removed. Photo © Devin Gannon / 6sqft

July 28, 2026

Macy’s giant shopping bag sign is removed, revealing 100-year-old building hidden for decades

By Devin Gannon

The giant shopping bag sign proclaiming Macy's Herald Square as "The World's Largest Store" was removed over the weekend, revealing a 100-year-old building that had been hidden for decades. The red-and-white billboard, which had wrapped around the corner of the building on 34th Street and Broadway for 60 years (through several iterations over the years), will be replaced with something more modern, as the New York Post first reported, but it's unclear exactly what will be displayed. For a short time, though, the 240,000 pedestrians who pass the corner every day will get a peek for the first time at what was behind the iconic sign: a five-story building that is one of the city's most famous "holdouts" in real estate.
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Historic Studio 54 theater prepares for $100M renovation

Renderings courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group unless otherwised noted

June 3, 2026

Historic Studio 54 theater prepares for $100M renovation

By Michelle Cohen

Plans for a major renovation of the historic Studio 54 theater moved forward on Monday. The City Planning Commission certified Roundabout Theatre Company's application for a special permit to generate bonus floor area to enable a $100 million rehabilitation of the Manhattan theater, which has never received a comprehensive renovation in its 99-year lifetime. Since there are no sites on or around their lot available for development, the theater seeks a text amendment to allow it to transfer its bonus development rights offsite, which would fund the renovation project. Roundabout Theatre, which has owned the property since 2003, has planned a complete overhaul of the iconic venue by David Rockwell and Ennead, raising funds through their Next Stage Campaign.
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History

A short history of New York City’s foul air shafts

Photo by Bikes And Books on Flickr

May 11, 2026

A short history of New York City’s foul air shafts

By Cait Etherington

If you think there is nothing worse than renting an apartment with windows and no view, think again. At one point in the city’s history, where one may now enjoy a small sliver of daylight and at least some fresh air, there was no light or air at all. Indeed, tenants’ windows looked out onto slits—sometimes a mere 28 inches wide—that were teeming with waste, rancid smells, and noise.
on the history of NYC air shafts

The Flatiron Building is getting a new restaurant from the chefs behind Via Carota

Chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi in front of the Flatiron Building. Photo credit: Alex Stein

April 28, 2026

The Flatiron Building is getting a new restaurant from the chefs behind Via Carota

By Devin Gannon

The celebrated chefs behind some of New York City's most acclaimed restaurants are opening a new spot in one of the city's most iconic buildings. James Beard Award-winning duo Rita Sodi and Jody Williams will open a location of their Bar Pisellino at the base of the landmarked Flatiron Building, which is currently being converted from offices into condominiums. The new restaurant marks the first restaurant outside of the West Village for Sodi and Williams, who are behind beloved downtown restaurants Via Carota, I Sodi, Buvette, and The Commerce Inn.
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Three buildings linked to New York City’s immigrant history designated as landmarks

All photos courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 8, 2026

Three buildings linked to New York City’s immigrant history designated as landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

Three buildings in New York City with long histories of serving immigrant communities have been designated as individual landmarks. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted to designate Public School 15 Annex in Downtown Brooklyn, the Church of Saint Mary on the Lower East Side, and the Lithuanian Alliance Building in Midtown as landmarks, citing their "value as part of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics" of the city. The designations come amid a heightened crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration.
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These beautiful NYC civic spaces are now available to rent for events

Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street. All photos courtesy of the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).

March 6, 2026

These beautiful NYC civic spaces are now available to rent for events

By Devin Gannon

New York City is home to an abundance of stunning event spaces and venues, but there are a few hidden gems you may not know about. The city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) on Friday relaunched its "Halls of the City" program, which allows New Yorkers to rent landmarked civic spaces for special occasions. The program includes 13 city properties, from the grand neo-classical Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan to the 180-year-old Brooklyn Borough Hall, the oldest public building in the borough.
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Astor Theatre, 45th Street and Broadway, December 24, 1936. Courtesy of NYC Municipal Archives.

March 3, 2026

New exhibit celebrates 400 years of NYC history and the people who shaped it

By Devin Gannon

What makes New York City, New York City? That's one question a new online exhibit from the city's Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) explores. Featuring more than 100 items from the city's archival and library collections, "NYC's Story: The City on Record" uses government records that reveal the 400 years of NYC history, from documents showing land transfers in 17th-century Queens to a 2025 primary election ballot.
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History

Historic Hunterfly Road Houses in Weeksville reopen after $4M renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

Four wood-frame homes built in the 19th century as part of one of the nation's largest free Black communities before the Civil War have been restored. The Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn reopened last week after undergoing a $4 million renovation, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Friday. Last month, the center also received $1.2 million in state funding to maintain the historic homes, support staff and daily tours, and expand literacy and community programs.
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New Underground Railroad stop discovered at Merchant’s House Museum in Manhattan

All photos courtesy of the Merchant’s House Museum

February 13, 2026

New Underground Railroad stop discovered at Merchant’s House Museum in Manhattan

By Devin Gannon

A previously unknown site connected to the Underground Railroad was discovered in Manhattan this week. The Merchant's House Museum, a well-preserved 19th-century home-turned-museum on East 4th Street in Noho, unveiled a narrow passageway hidden beneath a built-in chest of drawers on the second floor that descends 15 feet to the ground floor. As NY1 first reported, the link to the Underground Railroad is the first uncovered in the city in over a century.
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Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

Photo © James and Karla Murray

January 2, 2026

Here’s how to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station

By Aaron Ginsburg

You don't have to be the mayor to tour the abandoned City Hall subway station, but you do have to be a member of the New York Transit Museum. After Mayor Zohran Mamdani's midnight swearing-in at the old subway station in Lower Manhattan gave New Yorkers a peek at the historic underground space this week, the museum announced tickets will go on sale January 14 for upcoming tours, which are the only way to see the City Hall's grand interiors (if you're not the mayor). The landmarked station, the showpiece of the city's first subway ride and which has been decommissioned since the 1940s, is known for its ornate vaulted Guastavino-tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights hidden beneath the city streets.
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Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library

December 31, 2025

Mamdani to use 19th-century Quran from the New York Public Library at swearing-in ceremony

By Devin Gannon

At his swearing-in ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will use a 19th-century Quran from the collections of the New York Public Library. Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, will put his hand on a Quran that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a historian and writer whose collection of Black literature, art, and other materials formed the foundation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
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Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

December 11, 2025

10 ‘secrets’ of Gracie Mansion

By Lucie Levine

Gracie Mansion, the gracious Federal-style mansion that overlooks the East River from Yorkville’s Carl Schurz Park, has been New York’s Mayoral residence since 1942. But the house had a long history before it started hosting municipal magistrates. Since construction began in 1799, Gracie Mansion has served as a residence, a museum, and even an ice cream stand. As the city prepares to welcome a new mayor to the mansion, here are 10 secrets of the People’s House.
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History

12 things you never knew about the Radio City Rockettes

Photos courtesy of MSG Entertainment

December 9, 2025

12 things you never knew about the Radio City Rockettes

By Dana Schulz

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Rockettes. And while this momentous occasion probably brings to mind Radio City and those famously in-sync high kicks, there’s so much more to this iconic dance troupe. For example, did you know the Rockettes actually began in the Midwest, not New York City? Or that they’re required to wear red lipstick? Read on for all the secrets and little-known facts about the Radio City Rockettes.
high kicks and red lips, this way

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

The 1931 tree, courtesy of Tishman Speyer

December 3, 2025

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

By Dana Schulz

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.
More on the history here

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

A pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Deli. Photo by City Foodsters on Flickr

November 18, 2025

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

By Dana Schulz

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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Rendering courtesy of Paul A. Castrucci Architect

November 4, 2025

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

By Michelle Cohen

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

The Ansonia in 1904, via Wiki Commons

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.
Keep reading about the illicit deal

Step into 1776 during a Battle of Brooklyn commemoration this weekend

All photos courtesy of The Green-Wood Cemetery

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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New MCNY exhibit traces a century of NYC housing activism

A rent strike in Harlem, September 1919. Photo via WikiCommons

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

The Furcraft Building on West 30th Street. All photos courtesy of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

August 12, 2025

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

By Devin Gannon

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

Photos courtesy of the Public Housing Community Fund

August 7, 2025

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

By Devin Gannon

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

All photos courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York

May 20, 2025

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

By Michelle Young

In the interwar years in New York City, the cultural epicenter of New York, particularly its art galleries, was centered around 57th Street. One block, in particular, between Fifth and Madison Avenues was the crème de la crème of addresses. Today, the short 450-foot stretch is populated by luxury brands like Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Burberry. The cluster of art galleries is part of the subject of my new book "The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland," which covers the flight of Picasso’s art dealer, Paul Rosenberg, and his family to New York City during World War II.
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