History

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Image courtesy of the Coney Island History Project

October 26, 2023

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

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Celebrate Coney Island's 200th anniversary by honoring the neighborhood's oldest surviving artifact this weekend. The Coney Island History Project, located at 3059 West 12th Street next to the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, is displaying the 200-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign from 1823. The artifact will be on view on Saturday, October 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
MORE ON CONEY ISLAND's 200-YEAR HISTORY HERE
Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

All photos courtesy of Jane Kratochvil

October 18, 2023

Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

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A new sculpture in Union Square Park plays on the century-old myth that alligators live in New York City's sewer system. Created by Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor in collaboration with Mollbrinks Gallery, "NYC Legend" is a bronze sculpture depicting a life-sized alligator sitting atop a manhole cover. The artwork is inspired by an urban legend that originated 100 years ago claiming New Yorkers set pet baby alligators loose in the sewers after they grew too large to handle. The installation is on display through June 2024.
learn more
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire memorial unveiled in Greenwich Village

Photo courtesy of Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.

October 13, 2023

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire memorial unveiled in Greenwich Village

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The first permanent memorial honoring the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was officially unveiled in Greenwich Village on Wednesday. Designed by artists Richard Joon Yoo and Uri Wegman and commissioned by the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, the memorial is located on steel panels fixed to the exterior of 23-29 Washington Place, also known as the Asch Building, where the devastating event took place. All 146 names of the workers who perished on that fateful day are etched into the panels.
more on the memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

Photo courtesy of Marsha Miller for LBJ Library on Flickr (public domain)

September 27, 2023

Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

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A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be on display in Queens in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. "The Wall That Heals," a traveling three-quarter-scale version of the memorial in Washington D.C., arrives in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on Thursday, a way for New Yorkers to remember the lives lost during the conflict. The memorial is free and open to the public from September 28 through October 1.
read more about the memorial
NYC dedicates 220-year-old tombstone of Irish immigrant in Washington Square Park

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks

September 22, 2023

NYC dedicates 220-year-old tombstone of Irish immigrant in Washington Square Park

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A 220-year-old tombstone uncovered in Washington Square Park over a decade ago will now be honored and put on display. The New York City Parks Department on Friday dedicated the headstone of James Jackson, an Irish immigrant who died in 1799 and was buried in Washington Square Park, a potter's field from 1797 to 1825. The headstone was discovered during a renovation project at the park's Sullivan Street entrance in 2009. The relic is now being presented in one of the windows of the Park House close to where it was discovered, accompanied by an informative sign where visitors can learn more.
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Center for Brooklyn History reopens in Brooklyn Heights after renovation

Photos courtesy of Gregg Richards

September 15, 2023

Center for Brooklyn History reopens in Brooklyn Heights after renovation

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The world's largest collection of Brooklyn history is once again accessible to the public. Located at 128 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights, the Center for Brooklyn History reopened this week following an extensive renovation of its first floor, which includes space for visitors to read, study, and enjoy exhibitions. As part of the reopening, the Center debuted "Brooklyn is...," an exhibition celebrating the borough through the photos, artworks, and words of Brooklyn residents, who are invited to submit their personal memories to be featured.
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The history of New York’s railroad apartment

Photo by Martina Maffini and Michael DePasquale exclusively for 6sqft.

September 12, 2023

The history of New York’s railroad apartment

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Apartments comprised of a series of directly connected rooms—without a hallway—are a common feature of the New York City housing market. Generally, this layout is described as a “railroad apartment.” With origins in the city's turn-of-the-century tenement lifestyle, the layout today comes with its share of pros and cons. At its best, this apartment layout offers considerably more space at a lower cost than a conventional layout and desirable pre-war details. At its worst, this layout offers nothing but a dark and dank space that can be especially awkward when shared by roommates rather than couples.
find out more here
All the MTA fare hikes of the last 100 years

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1936). El station, Sixth and Ninth Avenue Lines: downtown side, 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue Retrieved from NYPL Digital Collections.

August 22, 2023

All the MTA fare hikes of the last 100 years

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The MTA's latest fare hike went into effect on Sunday, the first increase in the subway base fare since 2015. The agency approved a 5 percent increase for the cost of a single subway or bus trip, with the price jumping from $2.75 to $2.90.  Instead of just lamenting over another 15 cents lost, we're taking stock of all the ride increases over the last 100 years.
All the fares here
Pre-Civil War church in Bed-Stuy to be demolished

Streetview © 2023 Google

August 21, 2023

Pre-Civil War church in Bed-Stuy to be demolished

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A historic church in Bed-Stuy constructed in 1856 is set to be razed and will likely be replaced with apartments, according to Brownstoner. Last week an application was filed for the full demolition of the St. Lucy-St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church at 295 Willoughby Avenue and 920 Kent Avenue. The church agreed to sell the property in July for $12.25 million to developer Water Capital Group. Due to the size of the lot and zoning in the area, investment firm JLL marketed the site as a "rare opportunity to develop a sizable luxury residential building in a burgeoning Brooklyn neighborhood."
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NYC memorial honoring Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire victims to be unveiled this fall

Renderings courtesy of Uri Wegman and Richard Joon Yoo

July 28, 2023

NYC memorial honoring Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire victims to be unveiled this fall

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A permanent memorial in Greenwich Village honoring the lives lost to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire will finally be built. Designed by artists Richard Joon Yoo and Uri Wegman and commissioned nearly a decade ago by the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, the tribute will feature the names of all 146 workers who died, cut into steel panels outside of 23-29 Washington Place, the building where the tragedy happened over 100 years ago. As first reported by the New York Times, a dedication ceremony for the new memorial is scheduled for October 11.
Details here
Women’s History Month began in New York in 1909 to honor the city’s garment workers’ strike

(1917) Picketing in all sorts of weather. N.Y. Day Picket. United States Washington D.C. New York, 1917, [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress.

March 8, 2023

Women’s History Month began in New York in 1909 to honor the city’s garment workers’ strike

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International Women's Day, and what later became Women's History Month, originated in New York City over 100 years ago. On February 28, 1909, “Women’s Day,” was celebrated as the one-year anniversary of the city’s garment industry strike led by the International Ladies' Garment Workers’ Union. The Socialist Party of America chose the day to honor the women who bravely protested miserable labor conditions. American socialist and feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman addressed a New York crowd, saying: "It is true that a woman's duty is centered in her home and motherhood but home should mean the whole country and not be confined to three or four rooms of a city or a state.” At the time, women still couldn't vote.
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Little Italy’s Alleva Dairy cheese shop finds new home in New Jersey

Image courtesy of Marcela on Flickr

March 3, 2023

Little Italy’s Alleva Dairy cheese shop finds new home in New Jersey

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After falling behind on rent and closing its doors due to the pandemic, Little Italy's historic cheese shop has found a new home in New Jersey. Alleva Dairy, the 130-year-old cheese shop that was forced to close in February, will move to a bigger location in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, as first reported by NBC New York. The new location is currently under construction and is expected to open to customers in August.
Learn more here
How to celebrate Women’s History Month 2023 in NYC

Photo courtesy of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

March 2, 2023

How to celebrate Women’s History Month 2023 in NYC

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Every March, Americans celebrate Women's History Month to honor the countless achievements and contributions of women nationwide. New York City, where the month-long celebration originated, has plenty of special events and happenings for those looking to show their appreciation to the women of the world. Ahead, here are some ways you can celebrate Women's History Month in NYC, from learning about the influential women behind Central Park's most iconic attractions to listening to music by trailblazing women composers at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
See the list
New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

San Juan Hill neighborhood, 1939.Lee Sievan (1907-1990). Museum of the City of New York. 92.70.1. Gift and © Howard Sieven, Executor of the Estate of Lee Sievan

February 15, 2023

New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

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Once home to New York City's largest Black population, Manhattan's San Juan Hill neighborhood no longer exists. The diverse working-class neighborhood was razed during the 1950s to make way for the Lincoln Center campus. This week the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts unveiled a new digital resource dedicated to San Juan Hill as a way to explore the history of the neighborhood and ensure that its legacy, and the people who lived there, are remembered. The "Legacies of San Juan Hill" website includes essays, historic images, articles, maps, and other archival content.
Learn more here
Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

Photos © James and Karla Murray

February 14, 2023

Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

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After a three-year pandemic hiatus, in-person tours of New York City's abandoned City Hall subway station are returning this spring. The station, which is where the first ever subway ride departed in 1904, has been decommissioned since the 1940s. The New York Transit Museum has exclusive access to the station and offers 90-minute tours that explore its ornate vaulted Guastavino tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights. Tickets will go on sale this March and are only available to members of the museum.
Get the details
15 Underground Railroad stops in New York City

Photo of Harriet Tubman statue in Harlem via denisbin on Flickr

February 9, 2023

15 Underground Railroad stops in New York City

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For over 200 years, most of New York City favored slavery because the region's cotton and sugar industries depended on slave labor. During the colonial era, 41 percent of NYC's households had slaves, compared to just six percent in Philadelphia and two percent in Boston. Eventually, after the state abolished slavery in 1827, the city became a hotbed of anti-slavery activism and a critical participant in the Underground Railroad, the network of secret churches, safe houses, and tunnels that helped fugitive slaves from the south reach freedom. While some of these Underground Railroad sites no longer exist or have relocated, a few of the original structures can be visited today, including Brooklyn's Plymouth Church and the Staten Island home of staunch abolitionist Dr. Samuel Mackenzie Elliott. Ahead, travel along the Underground Railroad with 15 known stops in New York City.
See the stops
20 ways to celebrate Black History Month 2023 in NYC

Photo of the Seneca Village mosaic courtesy of © 6sqft

February 1, 2023

20 ways to celebrate Black History Month 2023 in NYC

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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
NYPL acquires archive of Joan Didion’s papers including personal photos, letters, and more

Joan Didion, undated.

January 27, 2023

NYPL acquires archive of Joan Didion’s papers including personal photos, letters, and more

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The New York Public Library (NYPL) has acquired an extensive collection of papers and personal items belonging to writer Joan Didion and her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. The archive of writings, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera provides a rich portrait of the celebrated couples' life and work.
Find out more about the collection
Plan to resurrect NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Banks skate park moves forward

The Brooklyn Banks in 2009. Photo credit: Rasmus Zwickson via Flickr

January 27, 2023

Plan to resurrect NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Banks skate park moves forward

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Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project announced plans Thursday to bring the much-loved Brooklyn Banks skate park back to life in a partnership with the nonprofit Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan/Create Gotham Park project. The organizations have joined an ongoing initiative to develop Gotham Park and return the iconic skateboarding mecca to the community by creating a new public park under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. During his State of the City speech on Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams voiced his support for the new public space.
Find out more about bringing back the Banks
Hell’s Kitchen church home to first Black Catholic parish in the north sells for $16M

Photo by James Russiello on WikiCommons

January 19, 2023

Hell’s Kitchen church home to first Black Catholic parish in the north sells for $16M

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The first Black Catholic church to open above the Mason-Dixon line has been sold for $16 million, as first reported by Bisnow New York. Located at 342 West 53rd Street in Hell's Kitchen, the former St. Benedict the Moor church was constructed in 1869 as the only church for Black Roman Catholics. The property was sold by the Archdiocese of New York to developer Walter Wang's JMM Charitable Foundation, whose future plans for the site are unknown, according to W42ST.
Learn more here
Tours of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre are back

Photo courtesy of Whitney Cox

January 13, 2023

Tours of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre are back

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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
Restoration of New York City’s Titanic Memorial Lighthouse moves forward

Photo courtesy of Friends of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse

January 9, 2023

Restoration of New York City’s Titanic Memorial Lighthouse moves forward

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Plans to restore New York City's Titanic Memorial Lighthouse are moving forward. Built in 1913 to honor those who died aboard the Titanic, the 60-foot-tall lighthouse featured a working "time ball" that dropped down the pole each day, along with a green light. After a four-year campaign, a request for proposals has been issued to restore the monument to its original working condition.
Get the details
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

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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."
Get the details
On this day in 1912, the nation’s first public Christmas tree went up in Madison Square Park

Bain News Service, Publisher. Xmas tree in Madison Sq. Park, N.Y.C. , ca. 1910. [Between and Ca. 1915] Photograph. Library of Congress Digital Collections.

December 21, 2022

On this day in 1912, the nation’s first public Christmas tree went up in Madison Square Park

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On December 21, 1912, a 60-foot-tall tree arrived by horse-drawn truck from the Adirondacks to provide Manhattan's Madison Square Park with the glow of 2,300 colored electric bulbs. The twinklers were donated by the Edison Company, and the tree was the first of its kind: Having a Christmas tree in one's living room was a familiar custom, but a tree outside in a public park was something new.
Get the whole history right this way
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