History

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

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

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 2, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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.
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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

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

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

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

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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History

Moving Day: When all New Yorkers moved on May 1

Moving Day (in Little Old New York), Unknown Artist. (1827) Courtesy of The Met, via Public Domain

May 1, 2025

Moving Day: When all New Yorkers moved on May 1

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

History

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

Women in the dining room of the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls, undated. Photo courtesy of 92NY Archives

March 27, 2025

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

History

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

Credit: Carl Mikoy on Flickr

March 4, 2025

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

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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Brooklyn’s 300-year-old Lott House to become Marine Park’s first museum

All photos courtesy of Hendrick I. Lott House

February 12, 2025

Brooklyn’s 300-year-old Lott House to become Marine Park’s first museum

One of Brooklyn's oldest homes will finally open to the public. The Hendrick I. Lott House, a rare surviving example of a Dutch Colonial home in New York, is set to become a museum, offering visitors the chance to explore the historic interior for the first time. The 300-year-old home will undergo interior and structural renovations starting in early 2026 to preserve its historic charm while modernizing it, transforming it into a fully functional museum, the first in Marine Park. The museum will shed light on the neighborhood's history, the Lott family, and those who worked and lived on the farm.
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Forces of Nature Dance Theatre. Photo by Solwazi Afi Olusola

February 11, 2025

NYC’s best Black History Month events

Even as the federal government attempts to downplay the significance of Black History Month, New York City will continue to celebrate. Throughout February, honor the contributions of Black people in New York and beyond with live performances, art, conversations, exhibitions, and more.
our picks here

The 2023 parade. Photo courtesy of Macy’s, Inc.

November 26, 2024

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by the numbers: Fun facts and figures