There is a common misconception surrounding the history of Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan, that is the building in which George Washington was inaugurated. While it is true that the building in which George Washington was inaugurated in once stood in the same location as the current Federal Hall, the Greek-revival style building that now stands on Wall Street ... Read More »
There are few visual reminders of upper Manhattan’s farming past but in the neighborhood of Inwood stands a lone homestead keeping history alive. The old Dyckman house is the oldest farm still standing on Manhattan Island. Built in 1784 by William Dyckman, the home once stood on over 250 acres of land which originally belonged to William’s grandfather, Jan. ... Read More »
High above Manhattan, in northern Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park, sits a strange site of what appears to be a medieval monastery overlooking the Hudson River. This complex of buildings, including a bell tower, is The Cloisters. Loved by New Yorkers for its idyllic setting and lack of tourists, The Cloisters is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s medieval European art wing ... Read More »
There are few places in New York City where original trees stand, green spaces aren’t landscaped and one can see the rocky outcroppings that once littered the island. However, travel up to the northernmost Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood and you’ll find 196 acres of park Inwood that still boats virgin forests, rolling hills, hidden caves and the only salt ... Read More »
Designed by architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux, the Jefferson Market Courthouse was began construction in 1875 and took two years to build. The architects’ “Ruskinian gothic” style along with a large influence from the Venetian Gothic creates a grand and arresting structure. In the 1880s, the building was chosen as the fourth most beautiful building in America. Read More »
Type in McNulty’s into Google and again and again, entry after entry, you’ll find articles waxing hyperbolically about the feeling of stepping back in time as you enter the tea and coffee shrine that is this Greenwich Village staple. And you know what? They are all right. Since 1895, the atmosphere of McNulty’s has barely changed with sacks of ... Read More »
There are few locations in Manhattan, outside of Central Park of course, to escape the noise and congestion that accompanies city life. Most small parks are framed by busy traffic and the green spaces along the shores are surrounded by highways. But nestled on 9th avenue in Chelsea is a campus that will bring peace to any soul looking ... Read More »
In 1991, work began on new federal offices in downtown New York City but excavators soon turned-up something they weren’t bargaining for, skeletal remains. Building halted while archaeologists moved in to excavate what would end up to be the largest bioarchaeological site of its kind, which uncovered 419 men, women and children. The bodies were that of free and enslaved ... Read More »
MUSEYON BOOKS Smart City Guides for Travel, History, Art and Film Lovers