History

A Hungarian Princess Once Kept a Pet Lion Cub at the Plaza

The Plaza (L) and Goldfleck’s headstone at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery (R)

July 2, 2015

A Hungarian Princess Once Kept a Pet Lion Cub at the Plaza

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Last week, we explored the history of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, America's oldest and largest cemetery of its kind. We mentioned that beloved pets laid to rest in this upstate burial ground include much more than just cats and dogs. One of the most notable unconventional pets is Goldfleck, a lion cub who lived the life of royalty in the Plaza Hotel. Goldfleck belonged to Princess Elisabeth Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy of Hungary. She was a well-known portrait painter with a love for animals. After visiting New York twice, she moved to the city permanently in 1909, taking up residence in a 14-room suite on the third floor of the Plaza. She had seen a cute lion cub at the Ringling Brothers circus, but when she asked to buy him, the circus owners refused. They did, however, agree to sell him to Daniel E. Sickles, a Civil War hero whose portrait the Princess had just painted. He immediately turned the cub over to Princess Elisabeth.
Find out the rest of the story
VIDEO: See the 1970s Graffiti Culture of NYC in This BBC Documentary
June 29, 2015

VIDEO: See the 1970s Graffiti Culture of NYC in This BBC Documentary

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Watch this 26-minute video without sound and you'll see a striking, visual portrait of the 1970s graffiti movement in NYC, where everything from park monuments to subway cars was covered in tags. Listen to the commentary, though, and you'll find something much deeper. Created as a mini-documentary for BBC, the video explores the root of graffiti culture. Is it folk art, youngsters marking their territory, planned-out vandalism, a result of pent-up anxiety, or quiet rebellion? Keep in mind this one of the roughest and crime-ridden decades in the city, so it's interesting to see how some of those interviewed saw graffiti as a parallel to the crime, while others felt it was an artistic alternative that typified the energy of New York.
Watch the video here
VIDEO: Here’s What It Was Like to Live in 1960s Greenwich Village, a ‘Countrified Cosmopolitan’
June 25, 2015

VIDEO: Here’s What It Was Like to Live in 1960s Greenwich Village, a ‘Countrified Cosmopolitan’

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Yes, the 1960s were a rocky period; a turning point for a nation at war and an era that birthed a counterculture movement that would transform the world as everyone knew it. But amongst all the chaos, life went on in NYC. And in Greenwich Village things were especially great. We recently uncovered this fun little film that takes viewers through the trends and lifestyles that permeated throughout the beloved neighborhood. Although the times were far different—apartments were filled with struggling creatives like Dylan Thomas, Norman Mailer and Bob Dylan versus wealthy celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sarah Jessica Parker—the life that's depicted isn't all that different from what the neighborhood's uber-rich residents enjoy today. Daily habits, or "chores" as the video calls them, ranged from "minding the laundry, browsing through antique shops for possible bargains, or discovering a rare volume in a quaint bookstore." Folks would then of course follow up all that work up with a "relaxing moment" at one of the many sidewalk cafes where they'd find an artist ready to draw them.
Watch the video here
Landmarks Preservation Commission Maps 150 Years of LGBTQ History in Greenwich Village
June 25, 2015

Landmarks Preservation Commission Maps 150 Years of LGBTQ History in Greenwich Village

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We're right in the middle of NYC Pride Week, and this Sunday will be filled with festivities surrounding the 45th annual Pride Parade, the largest parade of its kind in the world. And in a perfectly timed decision, the Landmarks Preservation Commission announced on Tuesday that it had designated the Stonewall Inn as the city's first LGBT landmark. The LPC now has even more to share, releasing a fun new interactive map called Taking Pride, which documents 150 years of LGBTQ history in Greenwich Village, the hub for gay activism in the city, and even the world.
READ MORE
Looking at NYC’s 10 Scenic Landmarks and What Sets Them Apart from Other Public Parks
June 24, 2015

Looking at NYC’s 10 Scenic Landmarks and What Sets Them Apart from Other Public Parks

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Since 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the New York City landmarks law, we've been talking a lot about historic buildings–those that have been saved, those that were destroyed, secrets of some of the city's most famous spots. We even discovered that there are two landmarked individual trees. And starting tomorrow, the New York City Parks Department is hosting a new exhibit at the Arsenal in Central Park called Living Landmarks, which takes a look at nine of the city's ten scenic landmarks, showcasing "their contributions to landscape design and to the dynamism of the city through historical and contemporary photography, renderings, maps, artifacts, and memorabilia." Many of these, like Central Park, Prospect Park, and Bryant Park, are no brainers, while others like Verdi Square, Fort Tryon, and Ocean Parkway, are a little more under-the-radar.
See the rest and find out what makes these public spaces landmark-worthy
General Lee Avenue and Other Markers Pay Tribute to Brooklyn’s Confederate Past

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

June 23, 2015

General Lee Avenue and Other Markers Pay Tribute to Brooklyn’s Confederate Past

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We've all seen the news this week regarding the debate over Confederate flags in the South following the tragedy in Charleston. But a fascinating article today from Business Insider reminds us that the issue isn't necessarily limited to the southern states. In fact, there's an homage to the Confederacy right here in Brooklyn, and it goes largely unnoticed. General Lee Avenue is a half-mile street that runs through Fort Hamilton, the city's last remaining active-duty military base, and is named for Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee, who was the base's engineer before he left for the south. Additionally, there's a plaque marking the home where Lee lived from 1841 to 1846.
Find out more here
Preservation Groups Push for a Lower East Side Historic District
June 22, 2015

Preservation Groups Push for a Lower East Side Historic District

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Of the city's many rapidly changing neighborhoods, the Lower East Side has for the most part maintained its historic architectural integrity. However, with looming projects like Essex Crossing and a slew of new condos set to rise along the area's most storied drags, the character of the neighborhood is starting to come under threat. As such, the Lo-Down reports that locals are now banding together in full force to curb development, with two neighborhood preservation groups asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to designate a Lower East Side Historic District.
READ MORE
What’s the Meaning Behind Those Peculiar Red Frames Found in Union Square Station?

Images by This Hidden City

June 19, 2015

What’s the Meaning Behind Those Peculiar Red Frames Found in Union Square Station?

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You've surely walked past these bright red frames beneath 14th Street-Union Square numerous times, but probably haven't given much thought to why they are there—or if you have, you've likely just assumed they were another one of the city's unfinished construction projects. But as it turns out, these seemingly simplistic outlines hold great significance, each piece pointing to a very special time in New York's transportation history.
Find out more here
This Barge Floating in the East River Is Home to 800 Prisoners

Photo via Wiki Commons

June 19, 2015

This Barge Floating in the East River Is Home to 800 Prisoners

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Thanks to "Law & Order" and "Orange Is the New Black," we all think we're experts on the local prison system. But there's a lot more to incarceration than Elliot Stabler's interrogation room and the Litchfield Penitentiary. For example, we bet you didn't know there's a giant floating barge in the East River that is home to 800 prisoners? The Vernon C. Bain Center is a 47,326-ton jail barge used by the New York City Department of Corrections, located near Hunts Point in the Bronx just one mile west of the SUNY Maritime College. It was built in 1992 in New Orleans for $161 million as a means to curb overcrowding at Rikers Island. In the past, it's been a facility for traditional inmates and juveniles, but today it's used as a temporary holding and processing center.
Find out more about this floating prison
VIDEO: What to Expect if You Were a Tourist Visiting NYC in the 1940s
June 17, 2015

VIDEO: What to Expect if You Were a Tourist Visiting NYC in the 1940s

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Welcome to the "city of romance and excitement" in a time "where all roads lead to Gotham." This fascinating film produced by the city's PR arm back in the '40s is a total time warp that will transport you to the better days when everyone enjoyed travel by train, dapper suits were daily uniforms, and the New York skyline was downright demure with just the Empire State Building and Chrysler piercing the sky. Though all the landmarks featured are ones you'd expect to see (Grand Central, the Top of the Rock, The Statue of Liberty) and don't appear all that much different than they do now (kids were bathing in Washington Square Park's fountain back then too), a number of the shots and commentary provided by the film's narrator really highlight how much our city has changed (imagine a harbor full of Titanic-like ocean liners and no 432 Park). Watch the 22-minute video ahead.
Watch the video here
This Man Dove off the Flatiron Building into a Collapsible Plastic Pool for 20 Years

Photo of 1974 jump via Daily News

June 15, 2015

This Man Dove off the Flatiron Building into a Collapsible Plastic Pool for 20 Years

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Picture this: You walk by the Flatiron Building, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the entire city, and see a man positioning himself to jump off. Today, you'd call 911 without hesitation, but 50 years ago it was annual spectacle. Ephemeral New York uncovered the story of Henri LaMothe, the "diving daredevil" who performed a stunt around the country where he did his "flying squirrel" dive from 40 feet above ground into a collapsible plastic pool with only four feet of water. On his birthday on April 2, 1954, he climbed to the 40-foot mark on the Flatiron Building and did his signature jump. For the next 20 years, he performed the feat annually on his birthday, decreasing the water level each year. On his 70th birthday in 1974, he dove into a pool filled with merely one foot of water, and many say when he stood up, his back was still dry thanks to his famous belly flop.
Find out more about this daredevil
VIDEO: From Painted Caves to 3D-Printed Houses, Watch How Housing Has Changed Throughout History
June 11, 2015

VIDEO: From Painted Caves to 3D-Printed Houses, Watch How Housing Has Changed Throughout History

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With 3D printing taking hold as the hottest new building trend, it's worth taking a look back at how far humans have come in the realm of home construction. Over 16,000 years ago, mammoth-bone houses were the biggest thing in architecture, and that was only a step up from painted caves. These and other home construction milestones are highlighted in a short animated video by the Atlantic called "Home Is Where the Hearth Is: A Brief History." The astutely named video demonstrates how housing has changed from prehistoric times to the present.
Watch the video here
Trolley Map from the 1930s Shows How Easy It Was to Get Around Brooklyn
June 10, 2015

Trolley Map from the 1930s Shows How Easy It Was to Get Around Brooklyn

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Long before there was a subway packed full of angry crowds and unidentifiable organisms, New Yorkers in Brooklyn enjoyed above-ground commutes serviced by a streetcar system. This map posted recently by a Redditor is a blast from the past, showing just how complete and comprehensive this network was. In fact, by 1930, nearly 1,800 trolleys were traveling along the streets of BK from Greenpoint to Gowanus to Bay Ridge and beyond. Though the system proved to be profitable (yes, NYC once ran a transit system that actually made them money), the streetcars were eventually forced out of the city by none other than the auto industry.
find out more and see the complete map here
New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology
June 5, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Michael Schneider on Telling Tales of Immigration on Ellis Island Using Technology

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Modern-day storytelling ranges from the age-old tradition of oration to the modern take of 140 characters. But what happens when the story is a mix of old and new and is intended for an audience that ranges from elementary school students to centenarians? That's where ESI Design, a firm dedicated to enriching the human experience, steps in. ESI was founded in 1977 by Edwin Schlossberg. Their unique focus on melding traditional techniques with modern technology made them the perfect fit to design the recently launched Peopling of America Center at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The center–conceived with the vision and support of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation and its president Stephen Briganti and the National Parks Service–highlights journeys undertaken before Ellis Island opened in 1892 with "Journeys: The Peopling of America - 1550s-1890," which opened in 2011. On May 20th, another wing called "The Journey: New Eras of Immigration" opened to give visitors the chance to look at immigration that took place after Ellis Island closed in 1954. One of the visionaries at ESI is senior designer of media and technology Michael Schneider. For the Peopling of America Center, he was responsible for figuring out which of the available technologies worked best for the new exhibits and their audience. We recently spoke with Michael to learn how ESI approaches storytelling and, specifically, how the firm designed the galleries for the Peopling of America Center.
Read our interview with Michael here
QUIZ: Play 6sqft Trivia to Test Your Knowledge of NYC History, Architecture, and Real Estate
June 5, 2015

QUIZ: Play 6sqft Trivia to Test Your Knowledge of NYC History, Architecture, and Real Estate

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On Tuesday, 6sqft celebrated its first birthday with a party attended by some of our biggest supporters and readers. The evening included an intense three-round game of trivia, where our guests tested their knowledge of New York City history, architecture and real estate. Some of the questions stumped all ten teams, while others turned out to be well-known factoids. Didn't make it to the party? We've created an online version of our trivia game just for you. No Googling allowed!
TAKE THE QUIZ
VIDEO: Driving Around NYC in the 1920s Was a Dangerous Task

Say, you crazy nut — where did you learn to drive?

June 1, 2015

VIDEO: Driving Around NYC in the 1920s Was a Dangerous Task

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I didn't. It's a gift. Next time you're holding on for dear life in the back of a taxi, watch a few seconds of this video and you'll likely feel a bit better about your fate. In this 1928 parody of what bad drivers New Yorkers are (some things never change), actor Harold Lloyd, famous for his silent comedy films, assumes the role of a city cab driver who takes passengers on a bumpy ride, dodging street-level trains and weaving in and out of traffic. We then see that the alternative modes of transportation, horse and carriage or bus, are just as dangerous.
Watch the full video here
Shhhhh…Secrets of Your Favorite NYC Landmarks
May 27, 2015

Shhhhh…Secrets of Your Favorite NYC Landmarks

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Sure, pretty much everyone living in New York City is familiar with Grand Central Station, Central Park and some of our other more notable landmarks, but these well-known locations still hold secrets that even born-and-bred New Yorkers may be surprised to learn. We’ve gathered together just a few to get you started, but in a city this size, with a history this long, there are many more that await your discovery. How many of these secrets were you aware of?
Find out all about these hidden gems here
New York Public Library Releases Interactive Map of Its 80,000 Historic Photos
May 22, 2015

New York Public Library Releases Interactive Map of Its 80,000 Historic Photos

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For us NYC history nerds, the New York Public Library's digital archive is one of the most valuable tools. We can search historic photos by address, building name, or neighborhood. This can get a little tedious, though, especially if a location no longer exists or we don't know the exact street number. But sleuthing for vintage pictures just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new mapping tool from the library's NYPL Labs team. OldNYC is an interactive map that features red dots on every location for which the collection has photos from the 1870s through the 1970s and lets you explore and interact with the images.
Find out more here
Chart Shows Where to Find the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers Over the Past Century
May 19, 2015

Chart Shows Where to Find the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers Over the Past Century

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The number of skyscrapers a city can count is often a marker of how much progress they've made; these tall towers point to innovation, technology, ambition and most importantly, they scream "We have money!"—which of course equates to power. For the better part of the 20th century, the United States has accounted for the majority of the world's tallest skyscrapers, but with the emergence of new economies over the last few decades, there's been a definitive shift.
Learn more here
If Robert Moses Visited NYC Today, Here’s Where We’d Take Him
May 12, 2015

If Robert Moses Visited NYC Today, Here’s Where We’d Take Him

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If you have even the slightest interest in architecture, urban planning, and NYC history, you know Robert Moses. Unforgettably profiled as the "Power Broker" by Robert Caro, Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York and its environs. He was a larger-than-life character who had very set ways of approaching urban design. He advocated for highways over public transportation (he built 13 expressways through NYC), dense housing towers over low-scale neighborhoods, and communities segregated by race and class over organic, mixed-demographic areas. Of course, there are plenty of much-loved aspects of the city that also came from Moses–Jones Beach, the United Nations, and ten public swimming pools like the one in McCarren Park. Regardless of your feelings on Robert Moses, though, we can all agree that the city would not be the same without him. But a lot has changed since he lost his post as director of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority in the mid 1960s and even more so since he passed away in 1981. So we can't help but wonder what he would think of our fair city in 2015. To have a little fun, we planned a present-day tour for the ghost of Robert Moses.
See where we'd take the Power Broker here
NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

Manhattan Airport image via Archidose

May 12, 2015

NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

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Imagine never having to sit in hours of traffic heading to JFK or enduring all the local stops on the 7 line trying to get to LaGuardia? Your dreams almost came true in 1946 with the proposed 990-acre Manhattan Airport, which would have "stretched 144 blocks from 24th to 71st Streets and 9th Ave to the Hudson River at 200 feet above street level," according to Untapped. The idea of real-estate mogul William Zeckendorf, who owned the Chrysler Building and Astor Hotel, the airport would have cost a whopping $3 billion, a staggering sum in the 1940s, which was planned to be paid off in 55 years from rental income.
More on NYC's Manhattan Airport
New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Reference Desk at the New York Public Library with Philip Sutton

Philip Sutton and the Irma and Paul Milstein Division, via NYPL

May 1, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Behind the Reference Desk at the New York Public Library with Philip Sutton

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Though we're living in the digital age where we can do a tremendous amount of research online, sometimes we still need the library, and more importantly, the help of an actual person. If you happen to be researching your family or interested in learning the history of a particular building in New York, then perhaps you've stopped by the reference desk at the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy of the New York Public Library and asked librarian Philip Sutton for help. Philip has worked in the Milstein Division for almost five years as a reference librarian. On a daily basis, he takes the journey with New Yorkers looking to learn more about their city and more often than not, to answer deeply personal questions about their families. It's a unique position to be in, and one that he takes very seriously. Originally from London, Philip has a particular expertise in helping people conduct research on building history in New York. He writes blog posts on the topic for the library and teaches a bi-monthly course aptly titled, “Who Lives in a House Like This? How to Research the History of Your New York City Home,” during which he instructs New Yorkers how to get started with their research. We recently spoke to Philip about his role at the library, and, as expected, he was full of helpful resources.
Read our full interview here
The Four Seasons: An Iconic Interior Landmark Faces an Uncertain Future

Photo via Le Travelist

April 29, 2015

The Four Seasons: An Iconic Interior Landmark Faces an Uncertain Future

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As you probably already know, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the NYC landmarks law. And one of the ways the city is marking the historic event is with an exhibit at the New York School of Interior Design called Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York’s Landmark Interiors, which focuses on some of the 117 public spaces throughout the five boroughs that have been designated interior landmarks. In conjunction with this exhibit, Open House New York recently hosted an interior landmark scavenger hunt (for which 6sqft took eighth place out of 40 teams!), which brought participants to designated interior spaces in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn over the course of seven hours. One of the spots we visited was the Four Seasons restaurant inside the famed Seagram Building. Through our scavenger hunt challenges here, we learned just how groundbreaking this restaurant was for its innovative design and role as the quintessential Midtown "power lunch" spot. But the Four Seasons, despite its landmark status, is facing an uncertain future.
Learn about the past, present, and future of the Four Seasons here
EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

Engine 33 via Eric on Flickr

April 24, 2015

EVENT: FDNY to Mark Its 150th Anniversary with Citywide Firehouse Tour!

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Firehouses represent some of the most beautiful architecture in New York City, and now instead of just peeking inside through the windows (or ogling the FDNY calendar) you'll have the chance to get up close and personal with these firehouses (and maybe even some of the calendar models). To mark its 150th anniversary, the FDNY is hosting a citywide open house on Saturday, May 2nd where the public will be welcomed inside.
Find out more here
Infographic: Here’s NYC’s Immigration Patterns over 387 Years
April 24, 2015

Infographic: Here’s NYC’s Immigration Patterns over 387 Years

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We often talk about specific neighborhoods' immigration history–Little Germany in the East Village, El Barrio in East Harlem, or the capital of Jewish America on the Lower East Side. But when we look at the city as a whole, there's been some pretty interesting immigration patterns over its nearly-400-year history. To visualize this timeline, the data gurus over at Metrocosm have put together an interactive infographic that shows the change in these immigration waves from 1626 to 2013 and how they relate to world events regarding these given countries.
READ MORE
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