NYC Museum Group

Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn

2009-08-31T00:09:00.008-04:00

Ironically, the Vinegar Hill section of Brooklyn was named in honor of an Irish battle against the British, and it resides on land that was confiscated from the British. The land was initially the property of Rajaike, an English farmer and loyalist who supported the British during the Revolutionary War. At the end of the War he was accused of spying and his farm was confiscated. The Sands brothers, Comfort and Joshua, bought the confiscated land from the Commissioner of Forfeitures. The Sands were merchants and speculators; their goal was to create a summer retreat called Olympia on this hilltop location.

Olympia was to be fashionable and exclusive, an oasis in an area surrounded by water, with salubrious air, an excellent spring, nearby farms for produce and readily available building supplies, all of which eliminated dependency on Manhattan. The Sands were sure that Olympia would grow and prosper as a summer retreat, but this was not to be. The dream that was never realized; instead much of the character of the area was the result of John Jackson's plans.

John Jackson was a ship builder. He established a shipyard at the foot of Hudson Avenue, where he also constructed homes for his workers, and he sold some of the land to the US government for the for the creation of the Navy Yard. He named the area Vinegar Hill in hope of attracting Irish immigrants. The Battle of Vinegar Hill was a bloody battle fought between the Irish and British troops for control of Ireland. And it was this battle that galvanized the Irish in guerrilla warfare that eventually led to the return of Ireland as an independent country.

The Vinegar Hill Historic District is an example of a pre-Civil War working class neighborhood. The homes are modest and many are untouched today by modernization. Walking through the neighborhood feels something like being in a twilight zone where any minute a horse and buggy may appear, along with a rowdy group of workers. Hudson Avenue, the main shopping street, has store fronts that create the small town feeling that existed after the Revolutionary War. According to an old directory, there were 58 households in Vinegar Hill and the majority of the residents were laborers. Tavern proprietors composed one quarter of the population.

While Olympia did not take hold as a summer resort, the homes and businesses in the area were built in a splendid Greek Revival style, with columns, cornices and pilasters reminiscent of ancient Greece. The Greeks represented democracy, and the Greek architectural style proclaimed the arrival of democracy as an ideal both in government buildings and in a working class neighborhood homes.

One interesting contrast to the modest homes is the Commandant's house located on the ridge overlooking the Navy Yard. Constructed in 1806 by the US Capital Building architect Charles Bulfinch, it boasts an oval office similar to the one in the White House. The house is landmarked and privately owned. We can only hope that someday it will be open for tours. Right now, we have to be content with a view through a twenty-foot high fence.

It was at the bottom of this ridge that the bodies of American Revolutionary War soldiers who died on British prison ships were found, in shallow graves along the bay. A monument, the Martyrs Tomb, was erected and the bodies interred under the monument. However, the remains were moved yet again, this time to Fort Greene Park where they do remain.

Hunters Point, Queens

2009-07-05T23:27:00.013-04:00

Hunters Point

Hunters Point is sometimes referred to as Long Island City although it is just a part of LIC, which is a much larger area. The neighborhood has long been a transportation hub. In fact, one of the defining features of the area today is the sheer number of trains that rim the boundaries. You name it, and it stops at Hunters Point: the Long Island Railroad, the BMT, IRT and IND subway lines. The current resurgence of Hunters Point as a residential area owes much to this transportation phenomenon and the wonderful waterfront views.

Transportation Hub

During the railroad's heyday in the mid 1800s, when the railroads were being built across the country, passengers and goods bound for Manhattan from Long Island had to terminate and unload in Queens. There was no tunnel at this time and, therefore, no way for the long distance trains to cross the river and enter the City. The trains ended in Hunters Point and the passengers and goods were transported across the river by boat.

Commerce flourished, centered around the ferry industry that transported passengers from the LIR terminal to 34th Street in Manhattan. Inns and taverns were built to accommodate the passengers, and small industry developed to service the railroad industry. Many of the rich and famous passed through, including Theodore Roosevelt when he was headed to his home in Sagmore Hill, Long Island.

But the dirt and noise generated by the railroad industry got worse. The Hunters Point stench, as it was called by the New York Times, became infamous since the odor could not be contained and wafted over to Manhattan. The old established families began to leave. Many homes were abandoned and became rooming houses, with working families as tenants. The ethnic and religious power structure changed as the Protestant population was reduced by the establishment exodus, and the simultaneous influx of workers, who were largely Catholic, further tipped the balance. This shift in power became a source of discord.

Religious Hotbed

By the early 1900s, The New York Times reported many disputes between the Protestants and "upstart Catholics." Many of the NY Times articles centered around religion in the schools, citing instances such as "Catholic priest marches into school and takes the kids to church" and "Catholic priest demands that the Protestant version of the Lords Prayer not be read in school." At this time prayer in school was legal, hence raising the question of which versions should be read. Maybe the religious haggling was legacy of the karma left by the "fiery" Dutch Minister, Dominie Everadus Bogardus who first purchased the land then drowned.

The Last Mayor of Long Island City

Hunters Point was incorporated into Long Island City and became the seat of government for that city and all of Queens County. The power in this area was in the hands of a popular mayor known as Battle Axe Gleason, who was infamous for taking the law into his own hands. He spent many a night in jail, with his loyal supporters cheering him on. He acquired the status of local hero when he and his followers tore down a fence erected by the railroad because it blocked the path of local residents. But he was not invincible and did lose a re-election bid because of the shadow of corruption. However, the mayor refused to leave office. He also destroyed public documents that might have shown his hand in the till,particularly in regard to the construction of PS1, a school built under the mayor's most watchful eye. He was, however, the last mayor of LIC, which then became the borough of Queens and part of the city of New York.

Between 1900 and the present, not much happened or changed in Hunters Point until recently, when the current transition into an artistic community began. It is interesting to note that P.S.1, now an experimental art center and no longer a functional school, is at the forefront of this change. Thus the site ultimately responsible for Mayor Gleason's demise is today a focal point in an exciting artistic resurgence.

The neighborhood, which is a mecca for art institutions as well as subways, is also seeing the development of residential buildings, restaurants and other amenities that serve the growing native population and visitors. The latest addition is Gantry Park and beach, accessible by water taxi. How fitting, since ferries were part of the scene back when Hunters Point first became the transportation link to Manhattan.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2009-06-20T22:59:00.009-04:00

Which Williamsburg, Which spelling?

There are three distinct communities that comprise the area known as Williamsburg. The northern section is where the artists have created a vibrant community with galleries, late night music venues and trendy restaurants . South Williamsburg (south of Broadway) is the Hasidic section, not just any Hasidim but Sadmars, a highly insulated community with their distinctive dress and communal life. East Williamsburg is a Hispanic community with deep roots in Puerto Rican culture.

With or without the H?

There are two spellings of Williamsburg, with and without the H. The current spelling without the H, came about after the after the consolidation of Williamsburgh into Brooklyn, when the H was dropped and the fabric of the neighborhood changed along with the spelling. The original spelling can be seen on such institutions such as the Williamsburgh Saving Bank. An interesting note is that the area was named for the surveyor Colonel Jonathan Williams, Williams + burgh, not for Richard Woodhull, the owner of the land. All he did was survey it. When he actually designed the northern battery on Governor's Island, the battery was also given his name, Castle Williams.

Williamsburgh attracts Wealth

WilliamsburgH came into existence in the 1840s, quite late in Brooklyn historical terms, and within a 15 year period WillliamsbugH went from a town to a city and finally was incorporated into Brooklyn as the Eastern District. But more amazing than the rapid status change was the rapid growth and accumulation of wealth in the area. Think Standard Oil, Corning Glass, Pfizer, Domino sugar, Esquire Shoe Polish, Dutch Mustard : all originated in WilliamsburgH.

Names such as Vanderbilt, Jim Fisk, Charles Pratt, Charles Pfizer walked these streets, did their banking here and set up industries. The institution of the ferry to and from Manhattan and street names such as Grand do not adequately reflect the wealth that was in Williamsburgh. According to Wikipedia, ten percent of the wealth of the US was in WilliamsburgH. It became a major banking hub, and the number of banks and elegant buildings are testimony to the magnitude of the money. Three of these buildings survive today. The Kings County Savings Bank, now the Williamsburg Art & Historic Center (photo at right), looks more like a mansion than a bank.

The Williamsburg Bridge (no H)

This bridge lacks the panache of the Brooklyn Bridge, and was the second bridge to span the East River. The entrance to the bridge was in the heart of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and the bridge became a convenient byway giving immigrants access to Brooklyn both to live and work.

Tour of North Williamsburg
http://touristforaday.blogspot.com/2009/08/tour-of-north-williamsburg-brooklyn.html

Downtown Brooklyn

2009-06-17T01:27:00.008-04:00

Downtown Brooklyn is the civic center of Brooklyn. Within the radius of a few blocks you have Borough Hall, formerly City Hall, The Municipal Building, with its compendium of bureaucratic services, several courts, a law school and a jail, aka house of detention. In short, there is everything you need to govern a city, which many residents still consider Brooklyn to be despite its official status as one of the five boroughs of New York City.

The City of Brooklyn

A hundred years ago, Brooklyn was a separate city. The icon of Brooklyn as a city was its City Hall, now called Borough Hall. It was here that the mayor had his offices and the city council, court and jail were located. The construction of the building began in 1837 but took fourteen years to complete, delayed by the usual fiscal problems. It was just ten years ago that the crowning piece, the statue of justice on the roof, was installed. But the fact that it was completed so recently is a testimony to the continued importance of the building, which is the home of the Borough President.

Brooklyn conscripted into the ranks of NYC

Brooklyn was a city for seventy years before it was absorbed, along with the other boroughs, into New York City. From the very beginning, control and dominance of the area was in Manhattan. Perhaps the first and most important coup was Manhattan's gain of control over the East River. This was granted by the Dongan Charter (see photo of Thomas Dongan) when New York was a colony under British rule. As a result of the charter, Brooklyn had no say about its own waterway.

In the mid 1850's, Brooklyn was a separate and growing city and considered, famously so, in the Emily Lazarus poem inscribed on the Statue Of Liberty,"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free....," which refers to the "air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame."

Brooklyn has always maintained a fierce pride in its own separate identity and fought hard to maintain its independence. Brooklynites wanted to preserve the special feeling that characterized Brooklyn culture. But it was no match for Manhattan's determination to become the most powerful and influential city in the country. And Manhattan never seriously regarded Brooklyn as a separate and competing city, seeing it rather as a "suburban bedroom community" for Manhattan middle classes. The next threat to Brooklyn independence came in 1857 when the state of New York combined the police, fire and health departments of the two cities, giving Manhattan another large measure of control over Brooklyn.

As the century moved on, Brooklyn's freedom became precarious. Manhattan's quest for incorporation intensified, fueled by competition with Chicago, which was threatening to overtake Manhattan in size and prestige. Manhattan needed to expand to assure supremacy over Chicago and other challengers and to gain more waterfront property. This meant annexation of Brooklyn and consolidation. Brooklyn, after all, had much to offer in addition to population. It was home to half of the sugar cane industry and all of the Atlantic oil refineries, as well as to the bakeries and breweries. Even so, Brooklyn was running dry, literally running out of water and money.

The consolidation so coveted by Manhattan came to a vote in 1898. The result: 64,744 pro consolidation and 64,467, against. By a margin of 277 votes, Brooklyn as a separate entity --The City Of Brooklyn-- no longer existed. If there were hanging chads or counting irregularities we will never know. Brooklyn, linked by the bridge, is subsumed under the banner of New York.

Pre-consolidation Buildings and Statues

Cadman plaza, a green square, has two interesting statues:

Henry Ward Beecher statue was sculpted by John Quincey Adams Ward, known for his over-sized sculpture of George Washington. Beecher was a local preacher and prominent abolitionist who represents the spirit of Brooklyn.

Christopher Columbus statue was sculpted by Emma Stebbins, best known for her Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

The General Post Office building, now the Bankruptcy Court, is a wonderful structure worth seeing, with an interior that has a beautiful semi-circular balcony that will transport you back in time.

(Beecher & General Post Office)

Post-consolidation Building

The Brooklyn Municipal Building, across from the old City Hall at 10 Joralemon Street, is similar in tone and mood to the Manhattan Municipal Building but smaller in scale. Many government agencies, including the City Clerk's office where marriage licenses are obtained, are located here.

Red Hook, Brooklyn

2009-05-31T08:22:00.019-04:00

Red Hook is a scruffy waterfront district, with the new sprouting among the old landmarks. In an area where cargo ships once loaded grain, cruise ships now transport tourists. Landmarks are largely in disrepair, but artists have found the old warehouses hospitable and mega-stores have found the space they crave for expansion. It is a work in progress, an unfinished picture.

Tobacco The Cash Crop
Roode Hoek, Red Hook or the red corner as it was called by the Dutch settlers when they arrived in 1636, became a profitable center for tobacco farming, an enterprise that was begun by the Lenape Indians.

Pre Civil War Period: The Boom Years
The construction of the Erie Canal allowed grain grown in the Midwest to be shipped to New York via the Hudson river and loaded onto ships in Red Hook. The Beard Warehouse is typical of the warehouses that lined the shore here during that time. The Beard Street Warehouse, built in 1860's, is actually many smaller warehouses linked together. There were so many warehouses built on the shores that, when viewed from Manhattan, Red Hook looked like a walled city.

Bust Years
Housing projects were built for the dock workers in the 1930's and amenities included parks and a wonderful pool often used by an after-hours crowd adept at climbing the fence. But the construction of the Expressway cut the area off from the rest of Brooklyn. This, combined with a lack of train service to the area and the shipping industry's migration to New Jersey, dealt Red Hook a fierce blow. Unemployment in the 1950's was running at 30 percent.

The area had acquired a reputation not only as a waterfront but as a mecca for tough, blue collar workers, and the neighborhood was the setting for several blockbuster books, movies and plays. Think of Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, the family in Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge and the world of Al Capone. This was Red Hook in its heyday.

Back Up Again
It is hard to pinpoint what brought about the changes occurring in the neighborhood, but they have been gaining momentum. The artists, the food vendors at the soccer fields, Fairway Food Market and Ikea are all part of the new equation. There is still much of the past to savor and enjoy. You can walk along the waterfront and see splendid views of the Statue Of Liberty, ponder the boats moving about the harbor, pop into small artisan shops, drop into a pub or, on a weekend, walk over to the soccer fields and enjoy a carnival of food treats from Central America.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn

2009-04-21T23:34:00.019-04:00

Greenpoint is a charming, village-like neighborhood in Brooklyn, where Polish is heard on the streets and restaurants serve traditional Polish cuisine from bilingual menus.

The first families
Greenpoint was originally settled by Christine Vigne, from a French wine making family, and Dirck Volckerten. a Norseman. Because of Native American attacks, Dirck’s hot temper, which brought him to court many times, and the exile of his outspoken daughter Magdalena, the family abandoned Greenpoint for points north. The property was sold to Jacob Hay, and it was his daughter, Maria, her husband, Pieter Praa, and their descendants who farmed the land and kept the verdant quality from which the name Greenpoint derives. For almost two hundred years, Greenpoint remained isolated farmland.

Industrial transformation

Neziah Bliss, who married into the farm family, saw an opportunity. Bliss bought property, carved out streets, opened a public turnpike on what is now Franklin Street, and established a ferry service to Manhattan. With Greenpoint connected to the rest of the city by roads and ferries and miles of waterfront, Greenpoint was set for the influx of industry. Ship building was the primary industry. The first ironclad ship, the USS Monitor, which participated in the Civil War, was built here. Secondary industries such as printing and pottery factories followed, as did housing, churches and schools. Thus a small industrial village was formed.

A walk down Milton Street provides a glimpse of what it was like. The homes and churches are almost untouched on this landmarked block. At the head of the block stands St. Anthony of Padula, built in 1874 by the master church architect, PC Keely. In the center of the block are two churches, the Lutheran Church with its flying buttress and the Greenpoint Reformed Church, once the home of Thomas C. Smith who owned the Union Porcelain Works. Charming 19th century homes line both sides of the street, and at the end of the street is the waterfront with a factory building.

Enter the New York High Rise

The green pasture transformed into a small industrial village is now facing its next transformation. The high rise industry has arrived, attracted by the miles of waterfront that are prime real estate property. There will certainly be a big change from the apartment house built on Franklin Street by Pratt of Astral Oil Works for its workers and from the village as we have come to know it. However, the landmarked clock on Manhattan Street keeps ticking, a remnant and reminder of the industrial past. Greenpoint’s name is itself a remembrance, a tribute to the original farming community.

Cobble Hill: Jennie Jerome House

2009-04-11T16:05:00.009-04:00

Winston Churchill’s Brooklyn roots

Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American born in a simple brownstone in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn in 1854. Leonard Jerome, her father, was a financier and an avid horse racer. He built a race track in the Bronx and one of the main Bronx arteries, Jerome Avenue, bears his name. Jenny and her sisters were taken abroad where she met Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill when the family was on holiday on the Isle of Wight. They were engaged three days later, which caused some controversy, as did Winston's birth some seven months after their marriage.

One birth, two houses

In 1953 Winston Churchill paid a visit to Cobble Hill to see the home where his mother was born. But did he see it? There are two houses claiming to be the birthplace of Jenny Jerome. Sir Winston visited 426 Henry Street, a plain brick brownstone building that displays a plaque claiming this distinction. However, the historian Francis Morrone and The New York Times state that the birthplace was at 197 Amity Street. Alas, it bears no plaque. But Sir Winston may have been misinformed. What is notable is his regard for his mother that motivated this visit to Cobble Hill.

Who was this short-hair beauty?

Pictures of Jenny Jerome show a shockingly beautiful woman with short dark hair, the darkness attributed by some to Native American blood on her mother's side. By all accounts she was a woman of great energy and determination, with a fine wit, strong opinions and zest for life. She is quoted as saying that "We owe something to extravagance, for thrift and adventure seldom go hand in hand." And extravagant she was, in her behavior most notably. After the death of her husband, Lord Randolph, she had several liaisons and two marriages, both with men who were twenty years her junior. Reportedly among her lovers were King Edward VII of England and King Milan of Serbia.

Her influence on her son, Winston, is of importance. She is thought to have advised him to enter politics and to have been there to lend an ear and helping hand throughout his career. She believed in having a purpose in life and in hard work. In her era, it was the men who had the careers, and her advice to the young men she loved and befriended was that, "…for a man life means work, and hard work if you mean to succeed." Happily for history, her son Winston Churchill both heard and heeded this advice.

Hunters Point, Queens; P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

2009-03-18T00:50:00.006-04:00

P.S. 1 is an exciting, cutting edge experimental art center, affiliated with MOMA and located in Long Island City, a burgeoning artistic hub. The center is literally an experimental space, not a museum with a permanent collection, and the setting, itself, is unusual. P.S. 1 was a school building in the 19th century, and the original structure remains intact. It is fun to walk the halls and find exhibits tucked away in a boiler room or a swimming pool you can walk under or a former classroom housing a unicorn. The experience and arrangement of space is very much a focus here. The exhibits change frequently and are too new to categorize. One fascinating production, by the auditory artist Janet Cardiff, had visitors walking through the school corridors wearing headphones and listening to Ms. Cardiff whisper directions: 'Now go behind the stairs. Here it is. This is the place. Sit down and wait...Close your eyes." The stimuli are multi-dimensional, and the interpretations are uniquely individual.

The art center emerged in the 1970's when the abandoned school building was saved from oblivion by Alanna Heiss of The Institute for Art and Urban Resources, whose mission it was to convert abandoned buildings into artistic spaces. The history and evolution of the building is itself, colorful. P.S. 1 was constructed during the tenure of Long Island City mayor Patrick J. Gleason and the building was at the center of a fiscal scandal that led to the mayor's being voted out of office. He refused to leave, requiring the court to intercede, but managed to destroy the contracts and documents relating to the school before he stepped down. Consequently, to this day the architect of P.S. 1 is unknown. But Gleason reappeared, regaining office for a brief, one-term period preceding the incorporation of Long Island City into the City of New York in 1898.

During the area's heyday, when Hunters Point was a transportation hub, the school was overcrowded. The building was then enlarged in anticipation of even higher enrollment, which never came to pass. The closing of the ferry lines and the construction of the Queensboro Bridge isolated the area from Manhattan and the rest of Queens. By the 1960's, the residential population had shrunk and the school, no longer needed, was abandoned and its beautiful clock tower was razed.

Happily, the area is no longer isolated and, changing yet again, has become an artistic hub. Not far are the 5 Pointz Graffiti Mecca, Noguchi museum, and Socrates Sculpture Park. The museum is open noon to 6pm, Thursday to Monday.

DUMBO: Gair Buildings

2009-03-11T06:43:00.018-04:00

One of the first things you notice in DUMBO is the prevalence of old factory buildings designated as Gair Buildings. Robert Gair, a Scotsman, was at the commercial forefront as well as the waterfront. His innovations are very much a part of our lives today, in the design of our factory buildings and in our food packaging.

Gair discovered a technique for mass producing printed cardboard boxes when his printing press accidentally cut through the cardboard and he realized that printing and cutting could both be done mechanically. He used this technique to create the showy cartons we see on the shelves of our supermarkets.

When he was building his third factory, on the Brooklyn waterfront in the 1890’s, Gair began to use a new building technique employing reinforced concrete. He was persuaded to do so by Dixon and Turner, the engineers and founders of Turner Construction Company, the pioneers of concrete construction and a corporation which, today, has annual revenues of over $4 billion. They convinced Gair that this new material would permit the installation of expansive windows, allowing more light and ventilation in the buildings.

Gair stated that he owed much of his success in life to what he learned as a soldier in the Civil War. He was a member of the 79th New York Highland Regiment, the first to answer Abraham Lincoln's call to defend the union. Gair admired Lincoln's clear vision and business acuity, particularly praising Lincoln's decision to place power in the hands of generals in the battlefield. Speaking of his war experience and insight, Gair said that he learned to "... never duck, stay with it until you are mustered out or you are knocked over.... You hear people talk about what a mule can endure. A man, with a head upon his shoulders, who can say no when tempted, can outwork and outlast a dozen mules if he takes no chances.” Robert Gair’s choices were imbued with his willingness to work and determination to endure.

By the time Gair died in 1927 he had moved his factories to Piermont, and the 10 factory buildings connected by railroads and tunnels were being leased in the area then known as Gairville. The area became an exclusive hub of factory and other commercial interests, which declined in the 1930’s. The rebirth of the area began in the 1970’s when artists moved in. Subsequent conversions of many factories into condominiums gave both the area and the factory buildings a new life.

Bedford-Stuyvesant: Hancock Street

2009-02-22T18:54:00.024-05:00

In the 1890's the New York Times called Hancock Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant one of the most attractive residential spots in Brooklyn and so it was and still is. The street is lined with three and four-story homes built for prominent citizens in an array of styles from Queen Anne brick and terracotta structures to a High Renaissance mansion. The original inhabitants, while people of wealth and achievement, were not immune to personal hardships and tragedy.

One of the simplest homes on the street is a brownstone located at 176 Hancock Street, whose owner, Augustus Van Wyck, was one of the first residents on the block. While not an elaborate house, it did have a extensive judicial library. Van Wyck was the 7th generation descendant of Cornelius Van Wyck, who arrived in New York from Holland in 1650. Augustus Van Wyck ran for governor against Teddy Roosevelt and was narrowly defeated. Like Teddy Roosevelt, he married a southern belle who was a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy.

At 247 Hancock is a 60 foot-wide mansion, the Queen of Hancock Street. It was designed in the High Renaissance style by the architect Montrose W. Morris and is an emblem of this community of prestige and wealth. Today, it is still a one-family home. It was built for John C. Kelly, who was a leader in the powerful Reform Democrats of Brooklyn. Kelly was born in Ireland and made his fortune manufacturing water meters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In 1895 he was appointed by President Cleveland to be the Collector of Internal Revenue. Kelly also served as President of the Board of Education.

At 258 Hancock Street, tragedy struck when the mother, Mrs. Emily Salmon and her daughter, Mrs. Tooker, were out riding in their horse and buggy along Eastern Parkway. The horse was spooked and bolted into the Plaza at Prospect Park. The carriage overturned, killing Mrs. Salmon, while Mrs. Tooker escaped with only a broken ankle. It is interesting to note that, according to The New York Times, both were excellent drivers.

318 Hancock Street has not fared well. The building and its immediate neighbors are, today, in notable disrepair. Ironically, the original inhabitants of this simple brownstone building did not fare well, either. The building was the scene of violence and scandal when in July of 1901 Mr. Albert C. Latimer was killed and the grand jury debated the details of the crime. According to the New York Times, Mrs. Latimer maintained that a burglar shot her husband. However, Mr. Latimer claimed on his deathbed that he knew the gunman, and a private detective testified before the grand jury to having been hired by Mr. Latimer to do surveillance at the home of one Mr. Tuthill, whom Mr. Latimer suspected of having a liaison with his wife. The decision of the grand jury was that the killer was unknown.

Hancock Street, itself, remains the beautiful place it was originally. The grandeur of the architecture is largely intact and reflects the sense of pride and strength of the original and current inhabitants.

Lower Manhattan: James Watson House & Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

2009-01-10T20:43:00.015-05:00

Nestled among the skyscrapers near the water's edge is a federal style row house built for James Watson, a wealthy merchant, in 1794. It now serves as the rectory for the church next to it, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, built in the 1960's in complementary style. The church houses the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was the first American to be canonized and who once lived in the house that Watson built.

The Watson House is the last remaining example of the typical row house that lined the streets of the area in the early 1800's. The house was designed by John McComb, whose impressive list of buildings includes City Hall and Gracie Mansion. The location was perfect for the merchant to keep an eye on the harbor where the safe arrival of ships was crucial to his livelihood.

By the 1880's the city was expanding at a rapid rate. Large numbers of immigrants were entering the city only a block away at Clinton Castle, the immigrant processing facility for New York. Charlotte Grace O'Brien, an Irish writer and activist, arranged to have the house turned over to Our Lady of the Rosary to serve as a home for Irish immigrant girls. She wrote prodigiously about the terrible conditions that the young women faced when they arrived in America and succeeded in awakening consciousness and creating a safe haven for the women. Although Charlotte O'Brien was born into a wealthy Protestant family, she converted to Catholicism out of sympathy with the Irish peasants.

The first American saint, whose shrine is in the Church, was also a convert to Catholicism. Elizabeth Bailey was born in New York City in 1774 and married William Seton. After his death she converted to Catholicism. She, her children and her sisters-in-law, who also converted, moved to Maryland where they started The Sisters of Charity and founded the American parochial school system.

These two enduring buildings stand at the harbor as a shining beacon dedicated to the humanitarianism that was the hallmark of these two extraordinary women. Through their personal changes they brought about social changes.

The church and the shrine are open to the public, but it is not possible to tour the Watson House.

Lower Manhattan: Trinity Church Churchyard

2008-12-21T22:40:00.028-05:00

The Trinity Churchyard, located at Wall Street and Broadway, was originally the northern boundary of the fortified Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. The land on which the church and cemetery now stand was first used as the Governor's orchard and garden and later a burial ground. When the Church of England purchased the land in 1696, almost seventy five years after the founding of New Amsterdam, they continued using the old Dutch cemetery for their congregants.

Among those buried here are several giants of American history such as Alexander Hamilton (First Secretary of the Treasury), Robert Fulton (inventor of the steamboat), Captain James Lawrence (naval officer who uttered the famous dying words "Don’t give up the ship!"), and Albert Gallatin (founder of the House Committee on Finance and NYU). Amidst the graves of these well-known historical figures is the grave of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the widow of Alexander Hamilton, who died in the infamous duel with Aaron Burr. Hamilton's death left her destitute. She nevertheless defended his reputation against sexual scandals and financial improprieties and went on to found the New York Orphan Asylum Society in 1806, an agency that still functions today under the name of Graham-Windham.

Another page of American History is represented by the grave of Charlotte Temple, the eponymous heroine of the book, Charlotte: A Tale of Truth, by Susanna Rowson. The book was published in 1794 and became America’s first best seller and is still in print today. Charlotte's life is the stuff of opera librettos. She was seduced by an officer in the British Army, brought to America unbeknownst to her family. She was then abandoned, left pregnant, alone and penniless in the New World. Her heartbroken parents searched for their only child. Her father arrived in America just before she died after giving birth to a daughter named Lucy.

There are many people with interesting stories buried here. Take a walk through the churchyard, choose a name that catches your fancy and google away.

Staten Island: Fresh Kills Park

2008-12-12T07:08:00.011-05:00

The world largest garbage dump or landfill is in the process of being transformed into New York City’s newest park. It will be three times the size of Central Park and completely man made. The name Fresh Kill originated with the Dutch. A kille is a water channel and Fresh Kills is the name of the spring that flows through the area. The park will restore freshness to this area of Staten Island where wildlife was once abundant.

The process of converting the landfill into a gorgeous park is complex but extremely effective. The waste is first covered with soil which is covered with a plastic liner, to which a drain for the sludge (leachate) is added. Then all is covered with another barrier of soil and a layer of planting soil...Gas vents are inserted to collect the methane gas that is generated by the fermenting garbage. Voila, a park is created that is not only incredibly beautiful but also environmentally safe, with a sophisticated monitoring system.

There is much work to be done and the process will take thirty years to complete. Some sections may be opened in 5 to 10 bureaucratic years. In the meantime, Urban Rangers team up with other environmental agencies to provide tours of the developing park. They drive you in their minibus to the top of the mountain on a winding dirt road where the views are incredible.

Also incredible is the growing wildlife population. The first deer arrived this spring, joining the growing population of animals at the Fresh Kills Park. Who knows what next spring will bring.

Lower Manhattan: Federal Reserve Building

2008-12-01T00:14:00.011-05:00

The security here is tighter than at the airport. The vault itself is five flights down and the view inside the vault is dazzling, with billions of dollars of gold bullion displayed. The present for taking the tour provided is a bag of shredded money.

The Federal Reserve building is a modeled after a Florentine palace that was designed by York and Sawyer. Its hallways are austere stone walls with no place to hide. In order to hold the weight of the gold, the vault rests on bedrock 80 feet down, 50 feet below sea level.

Thirty percent of the world's gold is located in this vault. While most of the US gold is kept in other reserve banks, the NY Federal Reserve Bank is the keeper of gold that belongs to other countries, the names of which remain secret.

Free tours of the vault are available Monday to Friday. Advance sign-up on their website or by phone is required. No personal belongings are allowed on the tour and there are lockers provided for them. In addition to the gold vaults, there are exhibitions. Be rest assured there are always security persons nearby to answer any questions you might have.

Staten Island Botanical, Staten Island: Scholar's Garden

2008-11-29T16:35:00.010-05:00

Tucked away within the Staten Island Botanical Garden is an artistic gem, a Chinese Scholar's Garden. A scholar's garden is the epitome of landscaping art for a private home. Located in a densely populated city, it creates a sense of tranquility and countryside, with the rocks symbolizing the distant mountains.

Entering the garden transports you back 700 years to the Ming Dynasty in China. The Assured Tranquility Pavilion, Moon Gate Of Uncommon Beauty, and Court Of Pure Mind And Spirit are just three of the eighteen named areas in the garden that create a sense of infinite space in a small area. Walking through is like a journey, each step providing a different and surprising sight.

This scholar’s garden was created in Suzhou, China and was rebuilt here with a team of forty Chinese artisans, and it was opened in 1999. Complete with all the traditional elements of rocks, water, walls, poetry, art, and walkways, it is a garden that draws you in, entices you, and invites you to stay.

Marble Hill: Its soul is in Manhattan but its body is in the Bronx

2008-11-12T09:36:00.009-05:00

Tucked away in a corner of The Bronx is an area called Marble Hill, an area that is technically part of Manhattan. The story starts in 1895 when the Harlem River Shipping Canal was dug, separating Marble Hill from the rest of Manhattan, and creating an island. In 1914, the old Harlem River bed was filled, attaching Marble Hill to The Bronx. Landfill has changed many areas of New York but this creation of dual affiliation is unique.

In 1939, during the consolidation negotiations that set the borough boundaries, the Bronx borough president planted the Bronx flag in this area, claiming Marble Hill as part of the Bronx. The fifty residents protested and in 1984, forty years later, the New York State Legislature officially declared Marble Hill as part of Manhattan. Politically, it is part of the Manhattan, voting with Manhattan, but the US Postal Service lists the area as part of the Bronx. The telephone company takes a middle of the road approach, giving the area a Bronx area code but listing the residences in both the Manhattan and Bronx directories.

Marble Hill gets its name from dolomite marble which was quarried here as early as the 1600's and was used in building federal buildings in lower Manhattan such as the Bank of United States, the Merchants Exchange, and the Assay Office, whose marble pediment is on display at the Metropolitan Museum. Unfortunately this marble weathered badly and buildings built with it seemed to melt away. By 1840 quarry operations ceased and the quarry is now hidden under the Harlem River. The name Marble Hill was coined in 1891 as part of the real estate development plan.

In keeping with the inclusive mood generated by the dual location, there are quirky and oddly beautiful homes, a cedar shingled church that was established in 1825, a curving street tracing the foot print of the now gone fort built by General Washington, Target and Marshall's mega stores, a strip mall, and an Applebee. Putting it all together, we might wonder, "Am I really in Manhattan?"

Columbus Circle, Manhattan: The Museum of Art and Design

2008-10-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

The Museum of Art and Design has moved into its new home at 2 Columbus Circle.
The best feature of the renovation is the insertion of narrow windows that are strategically placed and offer unparalleled views of Columbus circle that provide a respite from exhibition viewing. There is a view of the Time Warner Center that highlights the linear lines, a view down 59th Street to the river, and a vista of the statue of Christopher Columbus standing guard at the park.

Two Columbus Circle was built in 1964 and has undergone several functional changes:

· For 5 years, 1964 – 1969, the Gallery of Modern Art displayed the Huntington Hartford Art Collection.
· For 6 years, 1969 -1975, the New York Cultural Center, owned by Farleigh Dickinson University, presented art exhibitions.
· For 5 years, 1975 -1980, it was owned by Gulf and Western Industries and didn't have any function. They gave the building to the New York City.
· For 18 years, 1980- 1998, New York City used the building as a Visitors Center.
· For 10 years, 1998 - 2008, the building was again vacant
· In 2008 it became the new home of the Museum of Art and Design.

In its 50 year history the museum that has changed its name 3 times:
· Museum of Contemporary Crafts (1956)
· American Craft Museum (1986)
· Museum of Arts and Design (2002)

Jackson Heights, Queens: The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead

2008-10-06T03:47:00.000-04:00

The Lent-Riker Homestead is located a footbridge away from Riker’s Island, which was once part of the Riker family estate.

The homestead was built in 1650’s as a modest farmhouse and is the oldest private home in the country. It has had only three owners: the Riker-Lent family, William Gooth, who was a personal secretary to the last Riker to own the house, and the Smiths, the current owners and occupants.

Gysbert Riker was descended from a prominent Dutch family. Two of his progenitors were knights during the Crusades. During the Dutch religious wars with Spain the family suffered and Gysbert and his son Abraham immigrated to New Amsterdam from Holland. They were given large tracts of land by Governors Kieft and Stuyvesant that included the area that are now LaGuardia Airport and Riker's Island.

Abraham Riker married Grietie Harmensen. She was the daughter of Hendrick Harmensen, a neighbor who forged tomahawks for the Natives. Legend has it that he was slain by his own tomahawks. Abraham and Grietie had 9 children; this marks the beginning of the prolific Riker line in America. In the late 1700’s many of the descendants moved westward to Kentucky.

The Smiths, who bought the house in 1980, have both restored and renovated the house making it a living piece of history while retaining its integrity as a historic landmark. They also maintain the large graveyard that has many Revolutionary War patriots. Among those buried here in the 132 graves are the Rikers, the Lents, the exiled Irish Catholic patriot, Dr. William J. MacNeven, who was married to Jane Riker. Also interred is Catherine Ann Tone, wife of Wolfe Tone, leader of the Irish revolt.

One of the oldest gravestone reads, "And in Memory of his grandsire Guysbert Riker, a native of Holland, who came to America in 1630, obtained a patent for his lands at Bowery, L.I., bearing date 1632".

The Smiths open their home to tours once a year in the fall, and visitors can see the original farmhouse with the eclectic renovation and the graveyard.

Flushing, Queens: Friends (Quaker) Meeting House

2008-09-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

Built in 1694 and still used as a house of worship, The Meeting House stands as a monument to religious freedom.

Quakers were forbidden to meet for worshipping.
The Flushing Remonstrance, presented to Peter Stuyvesant in 1657, demanded religious freedom for all. It stated that “…do not judge least we be judged neither condemn least we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or fall to his own Master (and) … the law of love, peace, and liberty in the states extend to Jews, Turks, and Egyptians, as they are considered the sons of Adam”

Stuyvesant response was swift and harsh. He arrested and exiled members of the community. The case was taken to Holland and Stuyvesant was rebuked “(they are) … to have and enjoy the liberty of conscience, according to the custom and manner of Holland, without molestation or disturbance”

“The consciences of men at least ought ever to remain free and unshackled”
Nice to think about while walking around Flushing.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden: Native Garden

2008-09-23T09:39:00.000-04:00

While The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is famous for its Japanese Garden designed by Takeo Shiota and amazing Cherry Trees displays, my favorite spot is the Native Garden.

Constructed in 1911, it is designed to show the nine distinct plant communities found around New York City: serpentine rock, dry meadow, kettle pond, bog, Pine Barrens, wet meadow and stream, deciduous woodland, and coniferous forests.

Walking here is a grand tour of the New York City area.