A stately English Tudor mansion in the historic Fieldston neighborhood of Riverdale, considered one of the city’s best preserved early 20th century suburbs, has just hit the market for $3.5 million, and it’s oozing history filled ghosts, science fiction, New York master politicians, and urban planners. Former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia moved to 5020 Goodridge Avenue after serving three consecutive terms as mayor and living in Gracie Mansion. He lived a quiet life after politics but is said to have hosted people like Robert Moses in his house. The home was originally built for magazine illustrator Arthur I. Keller. LaGuardia died in the house in 1947.
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia
Features, Greenwich Village, GVSHP, History
Caffe Reggio, via Prayitno/Flickr
Many think of Little Italy’s Mulberry Street or the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue as the centers of Italian-American life and culture in New York. But some of the most historically significant sites relating to the Italian-American experience in New York can be found in the Greenwich Village blocks known as the South Village–from the first church in America built specifically for an Italian-American congregation to the cafe where cappuccino was first introduced to the country, to the birthplace of Fiorello LaGuardia, NYC’s first Italian-American mayor.
History
Police Commissioner William O’Brien smashing a pinball machine in 1949
It’s hard to believe, but between the 1940s and ’70s pinball was actually banned in NYC, as well as other major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, for its questionable ethics. While most of us consider the arcade game a wholesome activity, its first iteration was without the flippers and considered a form of gambling. From city raids to seedy backdoor operations, pinball prohibition lasted for more than 30 years, and efforts to get the beloved game legalized were equally dramatic.
MOST POPULAR ARTICLES
Artist Jasper Johns’ modern rustic former home and studio in the Hudson Valley lists for $600K 
NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes 
The 7 best beaches in NYC 
125 affordable units available at energy-efficient building in East New York, from $419/month 
‘Cornelia Street’ townhouse once rented by Taylor Swift asks $17.9M 
California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M 
1920s Riverdale estate has magnificent indoor pool house and landscaped grounds for $7.25M 
Manhattanhenge magic is returning to New York City’s grid