History

NYC AIDS Memorial debuts powerful sound installation for World AIDS Day

Photo: John Moore, Circular Space Photography

December 1, 2020

NYC AIDS Memorial debuts powerful sound installation for World AIDS Day

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The voices of New Yorkers affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic will be heard daily as part of a new program installed in Greenwich Village. In recognition of World AIDS Day on Tuesday, the New York City AIDS Memorial will launch a sound-based installation composed of speeches, poetry, music, and readings of texts related to the history of the epidemic. The hour-long program, titled Hear Me: Voices of the Epidemic, will be broadcast from the memorial nightly at 7 p.m. for the month of December, along with a new lighting installation.
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The Harlem Hellfighters: African-American New Yorkers were some of WWI’s most decorated soldiers

New York’s famous 369th (Old 15th) Infantry Regiment arrives home from France. From the National Archives via Wikimedia Commons

November 11, 2020

The Harlem Hellfighters: African-American New Yorkers were some of WWI’s most decorated soldiers

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By the end of World War II, the Croix de Guerre, France’s highest military honor, would be awarded to the 369th Infantry Regiment. Better known as the Harlem Hellfighters, the regiment was an all-black American unit serving under French command in World War I, and they spent a stunning 191 days at the Front, more than any other American unit. In that time, they never lost a trench to the enemy or a man to capture. Instead, they earned the respect of both allies and enemies, helped introduce Jazz to France, and returned home to a grateful city where hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers turned out to welcome home 3,000 Hellfighter heroes in a victory parade that stretched from 23rd Street and 5th Avenue to 145th Street and Lenox.
The whole history
5 U.S. presidents who lived in New York City

Portrait of George Washington via Wikimedia, Photo of Chester Alan Arthur via Wikimedia; Photo of Theodore Roosevelt via Wikimedia; Photo of Barack Obama via Wikimedia; Photo of Donald Trump via Wikimedia

November 6, 2020

5 U.S. presidents who lived in New York City

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New York City's presidential history runs deep. Our nation's very first president lived in the inaugural presidential mansion on Cherry Street during the city's two-year reign as the country's capital. As the 2020 presidential election finally wraps up, we're taking a look at this original New York presidential residence, as well as those that followed, including Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama, and most recently, Donald Trump.
Where are the presidential homes in NYC?
Mist garden from 1964 World’s Fair restored at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Photos by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

November 2, 2020

Mist garden from 1964 World’s Fair restored at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

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When the World's Fair descended upon Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1964-1965, one of the big attractions was the Unisphere. And leading up to this 140-foot-tall stainless steel globe was the Fountain of the Fairs, a large reflecting pool that acted as an interactive mist garden. Though they were renovated in 2000, the fountains were seriously damaged during Hurricane Sandy and stopped working. However, after a recent $6.8 million upgrade, they are back up and running.
Find out more
Did you know the world’s oldest pet cemetery is in Westchester, New York?

Photo by Anthony22 via Wikimedia Commons

October 26, 2020

Did you know the world’s oldest pet cemetery is in Westchester, New York?

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Did you know the country's first pet cemetery opened right here in New York, and still to this day is the world's largest such burial ground? Hartsdale Pet Cemetery was established in 1896 by NYC veterinarian Samuel Johnson (an early promoter of the ASPCA), who provided part of the apple orchard at his Westchester retreat to serve as a burial spot for a client's dog. Nearly 125 years later, this area is the resting place for more than 80,000 pets, from dogs and cats to reptiles to a lion cub who called the Plaza Hotel home. Known as "The Peaceable Kingdom," the grounds are also home to a 50-ton above-ground mausoleum for a pair of spaniels and the War Dog Memorial, a post-WWI tribute to military canines that was the first of its kind. Even Diana Ross, George Raft, and Mariah Carey have buried their four-legged friends here.
Find out more about this historic pet cemetery
On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands of NYC women marched for the right to vote

Pre-election parade for suffrage in NYC, in which 20,000 women marched. 1915. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress

October 23, 2020

On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands of NYC women marched for the right to vote

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This August marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave some women the right to vote. In New York, a hotbed of suffragist activity in the mid 19th- and early 20th-century, women won the vote a few years earlier in 1917. While New York women were on the frontlines of the suffrage movement early on, one event served as a major turning point in winning the vote. On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands of New Yorkers dressed in all white took to Fifth Avenue, marching roughly three miles from Washington Square to 59th Street. It was the largest suffrage parade to date, with city officials at the time estimating between 25,000 and 60,000 participants.
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New ‘Virtual Village’ platform offers 36 free history tours of Union Square South
October 22, 2020

New ‘Virtual Village’ platform offers 36 free history tours of Union Square South

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Non-profit Village Preservation has launched a new online platform called Virtual Village, which is part of their larger efforts seeking landmarks protections for the "South of Union Square" area, where Greenwich Village meets the East Village. The interactive online tool offers 36 free, guided walking tours of the neighborhood, ranging from architectural topics like the Cast Iron Tour to cultural topics like the German History Tour to social topics like the Women's History and LGBTQ Tours.
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Did you know the MTA had an armored money train that ran from 1951 to 2006?

Interior of the money train via Wikipedia

October 8, 2020

Did you know the MTA had an armored money train that ran from 1951 to 2006?

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In order to collect fares from various stations, the MTA created a special armored train that moved all the subway and bus fares collected to a secret room at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. As Untapped Cities learned, the money trains, which ran from 1951 to 2006, had 12 collecting agents and one supervisor, all of whom were armed and wearing body armor. After the Metrocard arrived, the revenue collection system changed, and the final armored train rode in January 2006 on the same day the Money Room closed.
Find out more
Amazing archival photos show New York City in the 1940s and ’50s

“Bar Scene” Village Preservation (GVSHP) Image Archive

October 7, 2020

Amazing archival photos show New York City in the 1940s and ’50s

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Nonprofit advocacy and educational organization Village Preservation is well known for many things, one of which is its historic image archive. Their newest addition is the Jean Polacheck Collection, which dates largely from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, and includes scenes of Washington Square Park, the interior of clubs and restaurants, and other NYC street scenes. Ahead, step back in time with a sneak peek of some of these wonderfully illustrative photos and learn about the woman behind them.
See more here
See inside the secret train track hidden in the depths of Grand Central Terminal

Image © Emily Nonko for 6sqft

September 25, 2020

See inside the secret train track hidden in the depths of Grand Central Terminal

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The iconic Grand Central Terminal is a building with more than a few secrets. Constructed in 1913 with the wealth of the Vanderbilt family, there was a lavish private office (now known as The Campbell Apartment), glass catwalks, a hidden spiral staircase, and even artists' studios on an upper floor. One of the most infamous secrets of the terminal, however, was a secret track used specifically for a president to access one of the most famous hotels in the world. Known as Track 61, it leads to a special platform that was never used or intended to be used in regular passenger service—it just happened to be in the right place.
Keep reading about Grand Central's secret track
Manhattan’s 13th Avenue takes claim as the shortest avenue in the entire city

1885 map showing 13th Avenue, via the New York Public Library

September 11, 2020

Manhattan’s 13th Avenue takes claim as the shortest avenue in the entire city

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You may be scratching your head at the mention of the 13th Avenue in Manhattan, but it does exist--and it's the shortest avenue in the whole city with a fascinating history behind it. The minuscule stretch covers prime Meatpacking District real estate, just west of 11th Avenue and between Little West 12th Street and Gansevoort Street. The single block across the West Side Highway is unmarked, but officially known as Gansevoort Peninsula. The avenue was created by the city in 1837, and in no way was intended to be so short. In fact, by the mid-1800s 13th Avenue encompassed nearly 15 blocks and was planned to stretch all the way up to 135th Street. But the block never left Chelsea and was mostly destroyed by the city at the turn of the century.
Read all about the life and death of the Avenue
356 years ago, New Amsterdam became New York City

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris’s painting “The Fall of New Amsterdam, which shows New Amsterdam residents begging Peter Stuyvesant to surrender to the British. Via The Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

September 8, 2020

356 years ago, New Amsterdam became New York City

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On September 8th, 1664, Dutch Director-General Peter Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, officially establishing New York City. To take part in the fur trade, settlers from the Dutch West India Company first established the colony of New Netherland in 1624, which would eventually grow to include all present-day boroughs, Long Island, and even parts of New Jersey. The following year, the island of Manhattan, then the capital, was named New Amsterdam. But when Stuyvesant's 17-year run as Governor (from 1647 to 1664) turned unfavorable, he ceded the island to England's Colonel Richard Nicolls, who had sent four ships with 450 men to seize the Dutch Colony. The name was promptly changed to honor the Duke of York and his mission.
Get the whole history
U Thant Island: Manhattan’s smallest island that’s off limits to the public

Photo via Wiki Commons

September 3, 2020

U Thant Island: Manhattan’s smallest island that’s off limits to the public

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Between the United Nations building and Long Island City sits a tiny 100-by-200 foot piece of land, known as U Thant Island. The East River man-made enclave is just south of Roosevelt Island and legally part of Manhattan. As Atlas Obscura discovered, the land did not exist until the 1800s when a trolley tunnel was dug beneath the River to connect Manhattan and Queens. While U Thant looks like a nice place to get some sun and relax, the island remains closed to the public as a bird sanctuary.
Find out more
Why is New York’s Houston Street pronounced ‘How-stun?’

Photo by Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons

August 31, 2020

Why is New York’s Houston Street pronounced ‘How-stun?’

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One of the surest ways to know an out-of-towner is if they pronounce it "HUE-stun" instead of "HOW-stun" Street. But have you ever wondered why we don't say it like the Texas city? The Times received this question from a reader and turned to Gerard Koeppel's book "City on a Grid: How New York Became New York" for the answer. According to Koeppel, "Houston the city is named after Sam Houston. Our street was named after a fellow named William Houstoun, who was a prominent Georgian, from a long line of Scotsmen."
The whole history right this way
Inside the stunning, abandoned City Hall subway station

Photo © James and Karla Murray

August 25, 2020

Inside the stunning, abandoned City Hall subway station

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When the New York City subway opened on October 27th, 1904, it was the magnificent City Hall station that served as the backdrop for the festivities, with its arched Guastavino-tiled ceiling and skylights. But by 1945, the newer, longer subway cars could no longer fit on the station's curved tracks, so it was closed. Today, the New York City Transit Museum occasionally offers tours of the abandoned station, which is how photographers James and Karla Murray were able to capture these beautiful photos. Ahead, see more of the station and learn all about its history.
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Inside the graffiti-covered 191st Street tunnel, NYC’s deepest subway and only underground ‘street’

All photos and video © James and Karla Murray

August 17, 2020

Inside the graffiti-covered 191st Street tunnel, NYC’s deepest subway and only underground ‘street’

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The deepest subway station in New York City lies 173 feet below ground (18 stories!) at the 191st Street stop of the 1 train. This stop is also known for the 1,000-foot-long tunnel that connects its station at St. Nicholas Avenue to an entrance on Broadway. Called "Tunnel Street," this is technically the only underground street in the city. For years, however, it was a dark and dingy passageway that troubled locals, so about six years ago, the city commissioned six artists to paint the tunnel with colorful murals. Ahead, photographers James and Karla Murray give us a video tour of the tunnel, along with the insanely deep subway station.
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New interactive map tells the story of women’s suffrage in Greenwich Village

Screenshot of the 19th Amendment Centennial StoryMap, courtesy of Village Preservation

August 12, 2020

New interactive map tells the story of women’s suffrage in Greenwich Village

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Next week, on August 18th, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Though the fight to give women the right to vote was a national effort, much of the movement had roots in New York City. And like most 20th-century advocacy efforts, a lot of that action was centered downtown. To mark this momentous occasion, Village Preservation has created an interactive 19th Amendment Centennial StoryMap that showcases the remarkable number of people and places in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho that played a key role in the women’s suffrage movement.
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1,500 maps showing 450 years of development in Brooklyn now available online

Created by the Olmsted and Vaux firm, this map shows the original plans for Prospect Park, as well as the historic reservoir at Grand Army Plaza (1871)

July 17, 2020

1,500 maps showing 450 years of development in Brooklyn now available online

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The Center for Brooklyn History, a collaboration between the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Brooklyn Public Library, launched a user-friendly online portal that contains the institution's collection of nearly 1,500 maps of Brooklyn dating back to 1562. While researchers will no doubt appreciate the new accessibility to the unique maps, the tool is also a fun way for all residents of the borough to explore the evolution of their neighborhood over the last four centuries. From rare Revolutionary War maps and original plans for Prospect Park to a subway map detailing how to get to Ebbets Field, the maps span more than 450 years and include transit maps, cultural maps, survey charts, and more.
More this way
Preservation group asks New Yorkers to suggest cultural sites for landmarking

Photo of the Stonewall Inn, a cultural landmark, by NPCA via Flickr cc

July 15, 2020

Preservation group asks New Yorkers to suggest cultural sites for landmarking

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When it comes to landmarking in NYC, some of the biggest news as of late is that the LPC has calendared a building in Downtown Brooklyn that was home to abolitionists before the Civil War. If landmarked, the decision will be based on the structure's cultural merit, not necessarily its historic architecture. And with more and more people realizing the importance of preserving cultural history, the Historic Districts Council is asking New Yorkers to suggest the cultural sites that they believe are worthy of landmark designation.
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Before Nathan’s there was Feltman’s: The history of the Coney Island hot dog

Feltman’s via Boston Public Library

July 2, 2020

Before Nathan’s there was Feltman’s: The history of the Coney Island hot dog

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The name Nathan's has become synonymous with Coney Island, whether it be for the annual hot dog-eating contest or the childhood nostalgia of the boardwalk. It's also become arguably the biggest name in the hot dog world in general. But, believe it or not, Nathan's was not the first place to serve up franks in the seaside neighborhood. That distinction goes to Feltman's, which was begun in 1867 as a pushcart by German immigrant Charles Feltman, considered the inventor of the hot dog on a bun.
Find out how the Coney Island hot dog got its start
13 things you didn’t know about the Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building, then and now. L: Image courtesy of Library of Congress via Wiki cc; r: Image Norbert Nagel via Wiki cc.

June 29, 2020

13 things you didn’t know about the Woolworth Building

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When the neo-Gothic Woolworth Building at 233 Broadway was erected in 1913 as the world’s tallest building, it cost a total of $13.5 million to construct. Though many have surpassed it in height, the instantly-recognizable Lower Manhattan landmark has remained one of the world’s most iconic buildings, admired for its terra cotta facade and detailed ornamentation–and its representation of the ambitious era in which it arose. Developer and five-and-dime store entrepreneur Frank Winfield Woolworth dreamed of an unforgettable skyscraper; the building’s architect, Cass Gilbert, designed and delivered just that, even as Woolworth's vision grew progressively loftier. The Woolworth Building has remained an anchor of New York City life with its storied past and still-impressive 792-foot height.
Find the city's history in the Woolworth Building
Jersey City moves forward with $40M renovation of historic Loew’s Theatre

All photos taken by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

June 12, 2020

Jersey City moves forward with $40M renovation of historic Loew’s Theatre

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The historic Loew's Wonder Theatre in Jersey City is finally set to receive the restoration it's waited years for. Built in 1929 by architect George Rapp in a gilded, Baroque-Rococo style, the Loew's Jersey was as a lavish entertainment destination for decades, until it was converted to a triplex movie theater in the '70s and almost faced the wrecking ball in the '80s. But through a grassroots preservation effort, the city bought the theater in 1987, allowing the nonprofit Friends of the Loew’s to begin restoration and operate as a nonprofit arts center. Though the group has made incredible progress, a significant amount of work remains. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is searching for a commercial operator to help with the $40 million restoration and modernization effort of the 3,000-seat theater.
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Celebrate NYC neighborhoods virtually with Jane’s Walk (from Home)

Courtesy of MAS

April 24, 2020

Celebrate NYC neighborhoods virtually with Jane’s Walk (from Home)

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One of New York City's greatest annual events is going virtual. Jane's Walk honors urbanist Jane Jacobs with free volunteer-led walking tours across the city for one weekend every year. Adapting to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic, the Municipal Art Society (MAS) announced this week plans to host virtual activities that still celebrate the five boroughs, but safely from home.
Find out more
55 years and 37,000 designations later, Landmarks releases anniversary story map

Photo by Cody Nottingham on Unsplash 

April 17, 2020

55 years and 37,000 designations later, Landmarks releases anniversary story map

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Just a few years after the demolition of the original Penn Station, the city founded the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in part, to make sure beautiful historic buildings were never destroyed again. When Mayor Robert Wagner signed the Landmarks Law on April 19, 1965, the commission was officially tasked with protecting sites that represent New York's history and culture. During its 55 years in existence, the LPC has designated more than 37,000 buildings and sites. In honor of this anniversary, the commission this week released an interactive story map highlighting its work over the last five decades, from its first individual landmark, the Claesen Wyckoff House, to its first LGBT designation, the Stonewall Inn.
Explore the map
The 18th-century Yellow Fever pandemic that led to NYC’s first Health Department

“New York, View From South, Man-of-war at Left,” 1793, via NYPL Digital Collections

March 23, 2020

The 18th-century Yellow Fever pandemic that led to NYC’s first Health Department

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A spot of hope amidst the chaos of our current moment is that we will come out stronger, safer, and more prepared than we were before. Historically, that has actually been the case. For example, New York’s 1795 Yellow Fever Pandemic led to the creation of the New York City Board of Health, which in turn became the Metropolitan Board of Health, then the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which helps keep the city healthy to this day. Ahead, we take a closer look at this pandemic, which ebbed and flowed from 1793 to 1805, from quarantines to new hospitals to public data.
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