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February is a month dedicated to the celebration of Black culture and achievements in the United States. In New York City, you can commemorate Black History Month with special events and programs at museums, theaters, art galleries, pop-up markets, parks, and more. From listening to the Harlem Chamber Players perform pieces by legendary Black composers to viewing period rooms inspired by homes from Seneca Village at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, here are 20 ways to celebrate Black history throughout February.
See the list here

Photo courtesy of Whitney Cox

January 13, 2023

Tours of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre are back

Tours of Brooklyn's historic Kings Theatre are back. Over the course of the 75-minute tour, guests will be transported nearly 100 years into the past, learning about the opulent theater's history and striking architecture. Highlights include insight into the theater's baroque stylings and a closer look at the Robert Morgan Wonder Organ. Tours will be hosted on February 18 at 1 p.m., March 11 at 1 p.m., and for the first time, a weekday tour on Tuesday, March 21 at 7 p.m.
Learn more here

Brooklyn icon Sahadi’s recognized by the state as a historic business

Image via WikiCommons

January 3, 2023

Brooklyn icon Sahadi’s recognized by the state as a historic business

Sahadi's, a New York City staple for more than 120 years, has been added to the state's Historic Business Preservation Registry, as first reported by the Brooklyn Paper. The Middle Eastern grocery store and cafe first opened in Lower Manhattan in 1895 before moving to Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue in 1948 where it has been located ever since. The registry, overseen by the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, recognizes businesses that have operated for at least 50 years and have "contributed to their communities' history."
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Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and more: The history of New York City’s holiday windows

Shoppers check out a holiday window, via The Library of Congress

December 1, 2022

Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and more: The history of New York City’s holiday windows

Santa rode in on his sleigh at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Christmas Tree is now lit at Rockefeller Center, so you know what that means: It’s officially the holiday season in New York. It’s fitting that Macy’s heralds the beginning of our collective good cheer since R. H. Macy himself revolutionized the holiday season when he debuted the nation’s very first Christmas Windows at his store on 14th Street in 1874. Since then, all of New York’s major department stores have been turning merchandise into magic with show-stopping holiday window displays. Historically, New York’s holiday windows have deployed a combination of spectacle, science, and art, with cutting-edge technology and the talents of such luminaries as Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, and Robert Rauschenberg. From hydraulic lifts to steam-powered windows, take a look back at the history of New York’s holiday windows, the last word in high-tech, high-design holiday cheer.
Look at more holiday history here

Park Slope’s Lesbian Herstory Archives becomes first official LGBTQ+ landmark in Brooklyn

Street view of the Lesbian Herstory Archives at 484 14th Street in Park Slope; © Google Maps

November 22, 2022

Park Slope’s Lesbian Herstory Archives becomes first official LGBTQ+ landmark in Brooklyn

A row house in Brooklyn that is home to the country's oldest and largest collection of lesbian-related historic material is New York City's newest landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate the Lesbian Herstory Archives building as an individual landmark, the first in Brooklyn designated for its connection to the LGBTQ+ community.
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Your guide to Carnegie Hill, the essence of history and culture on the Upper East Side

Photo credit: CityRealty

November 14, 2022

Your guide to Carnegie Hill, the essence of history and culture on the Upper East Side

Bounded by 86th and 96th streets, Third Avenue, and Central Park's east side, the enclave of Carnegie Hill, well within the refined embrace of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a neighborhood that transcends trends. A significant portion comprises the Carnegie Hill Historic District with its 19th-century townhouses of brick and brownstone and ornate mansions, converted hotels, and large apartment buildings from the early 20th century. Culturally rich on par with any neighborhood in the world, with a convenience that's hard to beat anywhere in the city, this elegant residential New York City neighborhood appears untouched by time. But within its borders are some of the Upper East Side's most exciting recent residential conversions and new developments.
What to do and see, and where to live in Carnegie Hill

Events & Things To Do

The history of Hudson Valley’s abandoned Bannerman Castle and how to visit

Photo (cropped) by H.L.I.T via Flickr cc

October 26, 2022

The history of Hudson Valley’s abandoned Bannerman Castle and how to visit

Have you ever noticed a castle in the middle of the water about 50 miles north of New York City? That’s Bannerman Castle, a long-abandoned arsenal turned adventurer’s hotspot. Stationed on Pollepel Island, the early 20th-century structure sat as an abandoned ruin from the time it caught fire in 1969 until 1992 when a resident from nearby Beacon, NY started the Bannerman Castle Trust and subsequently stabilized the structure and opened the island its famous relic up for tours. Ahead, we uncover the sensational history of Bannerman Caste and fill you in on how you can visit.
Catch up on the Castle

History

A history of the Village Halloween Parade: Puppets, performers, and NYC pride

Photo via John St John / Flickr

October 12, 2022

A history of the Village Halloween Parade: Puppets, performers, and NYC pride

By Dana Schulz

The Village Halloween Parade may not be as completely outrageous as it once was, but this annual holiday extravaganza is quintessential Greenwich Village. Though many parade attendees are there to show off their costumes and check out those of others, there's a large number of guests who revel in the nostalgia of a New York tradition that's marched downtown since 1973. But there's a lot more history to the parade than most people may know. For instance, it didn't always go up 6th Avenue, and there's an entire art form behind those supersized puppets.
All the history right here

Brooklyn’s Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new ‘ornamental’ entrance

All renderings courtesy of NY State Parks on Flickr

August 26, 2022

Brooklyn’s Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new ‘ornamental’ entrance

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday revealed the design of a new gateway to Williamsburg's Marsha P. Johnson State Park. Located at the Kent Avenue and North Eighth Street entrance, the ornamental entrance is meant to "communicate Marsha P. Johnson's spirit and legacy" while complementing the park and surrounding neighborhood. The design of the gateway will continue through the fall of 2022 and construction is expected next year.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

Asking $3.2M, a rare pair of townhouses on Brooklyn’s quaint ‘secret’ block with tiny doors

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

August 26, 2022

Asking $3.2M, a rare pair of townhouses on Brooklyn’s quaint ‘secret’ block with tiny doors

New York City never runs out of surprises, and some of the best ones are hidden in plain sight. Dennett Place in Carroll Gardens is just such a hidden surprise. The fun-sized block near the Gowanus Canal is lined with equally diminutive townhouses, each with a miniature "hobbit door." Though the neighborhood has changed, the block still has the look of a quaint European alleyway and the charm of a tight-knit community–though no one seems to know what the half-pint doors are for. The homes here don't change hands often, but a pair of multi-family townhouses at 14 and 16 Dennett Place is on the market for the first time in 100 years, asking $3.2 million for both.
Six units, endless potential, this way

From neglected mud patch to outdoor oasis, a Brooklyn backyard gets a garden makeover

Photos © 6sqft

August 25, 2022

From neglected mud patch to outdoor oasis, a Brooklyn backyard gets a garden makeover

After a top-to-toe renovation of their 1870s Clinton Hill two-family townhouse that spanned two years (read all about it here), 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen and her husband, Stanley Peck, decided to relegate sprucing up their brownstone backyard to “phase 2.” They’d already added a rear terrace with steps to the yard and created a small roof deck above their lower extension. The couple certainly planned to address the neglected outdoor space–even though the existing weed-jungle-meets-mud-patch had a certain overgrown charm. Below, hear from Michelle about the results, along with professional advice for creating a verdant outdoor space in the city.
How to create an urban garden retreat

Architecture And Design

All photos courtesy of Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

July 8, 2022

Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home is back on the market with refreshed interiors for $4.25M

By Devin Gannon

The oldest home in Brooklyn Heights is once again for sale, following an update to its interiors. The history of the Federal-style corner property at 24 Middagh Street is fuzzy, but reports date the home's construction between 1790 and 1829. The five-bedroom home, which also includes a separate two-story carriage house and a private courtyard, was last on the market in 2018 for $4,500,000; it is currently listed for $4,250,000.
Take a look inside

In Brooklyn, Fred Wilson’s first large-scale public sculpture examines concept of freedom

All images courtesy of Daniela G. Maldonado

July 7, 2022

In Brooklyn, Fred Wilson’s first large-scale public sculpture examines concept of freedom

Bronx-born conceptual artist Fred Wilson last week unveiled his first-ever large-scale public sculpture. Located within Columbus Park in Downtown Brooklyn, Mind Forged Manacles/Manacle Forged Minds features the use of ornamental gates, fences, and 10-foot-tall statues of African figures as metaphors for systematic racism and "acts in conversation" with the neighborhood's nearby landmarks and buildings. Presented by More Art, Wilson's sculpture is on display through June 2023.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

Photo credit: Caroline Culler via Wikimedia cc

June 28, 2022

The ultimate guide to Dumbo, a neighborhood that led the way to Brooklyn’s 21st century

Brooklyn's 25-block Dumbo neighborhood gets its name from where it can be found: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, which explains not only the neighborhood’s location, but its cultural and residential evolution. The waterfront district’s iconic East River and Manhattan views and its stunning bridge-framed architectural vistas have defined it long before its current acronym and status as a coveted residential choice. Unlike many other Brooklyn neighborhoods, the area it occupies is quite small, but its architecture, infrastructure, and economic status are formidable.
Your guide to Dumbo, this way

Events & Things To Do

May 18, 2022

10 places with ties to New York City’s maritime history

Fleet Week is here, and soon New York will be awash in sailors. If you're moved by all the festivities and want to get in on the maritime merriment, there are sites exploring New York's links to the sea throughout all five boroughs. From barges to schooners to yachts to dry docks, here are 10 sites where you can celebrate New York's seafaring spirit.
Check them all out

History

From NYC’s first gated community to Woody Guthrie: A history of Sea Gate

Photo via Flickr cc

May 4, 2022

From NYC’s first gated community to Woody Guthrie: A history of Sea Gate

What do Woody Guthrie, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Frank Schubert (the nation’s last civilian lighthouse keeper) have in common? They all lived in Sea Gate, a private community at the westernmost tip of Coney Island. Sea Gate began as a 19th-century playground for the rich, turned into a hotbed of Yiddish literature and Socialist labor activism in the 1930s, and sported at least one commune in the early ‘70s. Today, Sea Gate is home to about 8,000 residents who enjoy private beaches and expansive views of the Verrazano Bridge. If you want to “get in the Gate,” as the locals say, but aren’t ready to relocate west of the Wonder Wheel, you can snag a summer membership at the Brooklyn Beach Club, where even non-residents can while away the hours under a cabana. Or, you can read on for the history of a Coney Island beach town you’ve probably never visited.
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History

The history of New York City’s original rooftop bars

Casino Roof Garden, 1899 via NYPL Digital Collections

April 20, 2022

The history of New York City’s original rooftop bars

How many summer evenings have you spent at a rooftop bar? While the rooftop bar was indeed born and bred in New York City, it’s nothing new. Even before New York was a city of skyscrapers, denizens of Gotham liked to take their experiences to vertical extremes. And when it comes to partying, New Yorkers have been conquering new heights, drink in hand, since 1883. That year, impresario Rudolf Aronson debuted a roof garden on the top of his newly built Casino Theater on 39th Street and Broadway. The rooftop garden was soon a Gilded Age phenomenon, mixing vaudeville and vice, pleasure and performance, for well-heeled Bon-Vivants who liked to spend their summers high above the sweltering streets.
Get the scoop

History

The ultimate guide to Greenpoint, a Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood on the rise

Photo courtesy of Greenpoint Terminal Market

April 19, 2022

The ultimate guide to Greenpoint, a Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood on the rise

Situated in Brooklyn's northernmost corner, bridging the popular enclaves of Williamsburg and Long Island City, Greenpoint is an eclectic star in the North Brooklyn neighborhood constellation. A somewhat sleepy industrial neighborhood for much of the 20th century, Greenpoint was settled by Polish immigrants who came here to work along the waterfront nearly a century ago. In the 21st century, having been made irreversibly famous by the hit TV series Girls, it has become one of the most desirable residential areas in Brooklyn.
Your guide to Greenpoint, this way

Brooklyn Heights carriage house loft has a private roof deck and Brooklyn Bridge views for $2.2M

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

April 11, 2022

Brooklyn Heights carriage house loft has a private roof deck and Brooklyn Bridge views for $2.2M

In a prime spot at the intersection of Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo, this out-of-the-ordinary duplex loft at 7 Everit Street is in a 19th-century carriage house. Asking $2,195,000, the co-op loft is on the upper floors of the former horse and carriage storage facility for the Eagle Warehouse next door. The Brooklyn Bridge and East River views from almost every window of the two-bedroom home are as iconic as the building itself, and a sprawling private roof terrace provides a chance to enjoy the view in the open air.
Tour this unusual Brooklyn loft

Distinctive Homes

New mural in the East Village honors history of Ukraine

All photos courtesy of Mike Krautter

March 28, 2022

New mural in the East Village honors history of Ukraine

A new public art installation was unveiled in the East Village this weekend that aims to show solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Created by New York-based Ukrainian artist Misha Tyutyunik, "Ukraine: A History in Solidarity" depicts a famous monument inspired by the story behind the naming of Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. A gift from Citizens Bank, the artwork was designed with help from Kyiv residents during Tyutyunik’s time in Ukraine in 2019 and painted on Saturday with help from the public.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

Where to celebrate Women’s History Month 2022 in NYC

Photo courtesy of the Locker Room

March 8, 2022

Where to celebrate Women’s History Month 2022 in NYC

March is Women’s History Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of American women–and March 8 is International Women's Day. The origins of the month-long celebration–and the suffrage movement itself, have their roots in New York City, and the city is a great place to learn more about the women who shaped the world as we know it. Top local arts and culture organizations are offering lectures, festivals, tours, and art exhibits in the five boroughs, all month long. More reason to celebrate and mark your calendar: Most hosts have returned to in-person events.
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How to celebrate Black History Month 2022 in New York City

“Renaming Project” Exhibition, Photo Credit: Daniel Avila / NYC Parks

February 7, 2022

How to celebrate Black History Month 2022 in New York City

In the United States, February is a month dedicated to the celebration of African American history and culture. Ahead find a variety of events to commemorate Black History Month in New York City, ranging from community service and walking tours to jazz concerts and live performances.
Full list ahead

New York’s first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition to open at the Brooklyn Public Library in Greenpoint

Image courtesy of Gregg Richards

January 19, 2022

New York’s first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition to open at the Brooklyn Public Library in Greenpoint

The first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition in New York is coming to Brooklyn. Presented by the Brooklyn Public Library and The Lenape Center, Lenapehoking features a collection of masterworks by Lenape artists and educational programs that teach visitors the story of the Lenape community. The collection is curated by Joe Baker, the co-founder and executive director of the Lenape Center and enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. The exhibition opens on Thursday, January 20 at the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center and runs through April 30.
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How New York keeps its cool: A history of ice skating in NYC

Central-Park Winter, 1862, via NYPL Digital Collections

January 5, 2022

How New York keeps its cool: A history of ice skating in NYC