New York has many buildings with the former title of “Tallest in the World”, so much so that you can lose track of them. The Park Row Building was the tallest office building in the world when it was completed in 1899. Reaction to the building was mixed. Some people marveled at the sheer size of it, other’s pointed to the building’s side which was effectively a blank brick wall that went up 391 feet. The Park Row Building is also unique for New York skyscrapers in that it was built before any zoning codes so its facade can rise straight up without having to have any setbacks. The Park Row Building was built on what was called Newspaper Row, where dozens of daily papers had their headquarters. The Associated Press called this building home and it was also the headquarters of the Inter-borough Rapid Transit System, a private precursor to the subway. Today it is primarily condos of the luxury variety. It was landmarked on June 15th, 1999.
If you walk towards South Street Seaport, you might be surprised to see an inland lighthouse. There are two unique things about this lighthouse, the first is that it was actually used in New York harbor, and the second, is that it is a memorial to the victims of the Titanic who never made it to their final destination. It was built in 1913, thanks to a fundraiser to support the survivors of the infamous shipwreck. When it was first built, it used to sit on top of the Seaman’s Church on the tip of Manhattan and was used to synchronize ships clocks when the ball on its top would drop at noon everyday. This principal was adapted at midnight for the New Years Eve Ball Drop in Times Square The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse was landmarked as a part of the South Street Seaport Historic District on May 10th, 1977.
There’s always a chance for a crazy light leak when I’m dabbling with film. This is an extreme example in this photo of 30-32 8th Avenue in the Village. These two homes were built in 1841 by William Faulkner, who ran a carting business. It’s unclear if he ever lived here or if they were just an investment property. By the 1870s, No. 32 was home to John W. Crawford, who, along with two other men, was indicted when 321 West 11th Street collapsed. Crawford was the mason who had worked on putting the walls up and was alleged to be negligent, contributing to the collapse. Bail was set at $10,000 for each of the three men, or roughly $265,673.77 in late 2025 money. Today, both buildings are connected and are a boutique hotel. This photo was taken on Cinestill 400. Let me know if you’re a fan of the film look or if I should save my money and stick with digital ;).
Have you ever wondered why there is a church at the World Trade Center? Most people visiting think of the WTC as just an office complex but there’s a lot more to it than that. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine was rebuilt after its collapse in 2001, it is a symbol of rebirth and a vibrant community space in Lower Manhattan. To learn more, check out the link in my bio or go to www.explorewtc.com to plan your visit to the church and the World Trade Center as a whole. @explorewtc #ExploreWTC #WorldTradeCenter #WTCPartner
One thing that has always struck me about the village is that architects generally weren’t involved in the design phase of a building. The architect and builder were usually the same person, training through apprenticeship or by following a guide. One such person was Edmund Hurry, who built 611 Hudson Street, as well as a row of townhouses on West 12th Street in 1842. Hurry was the owner and builder but would actually go on to become a professional architect, one of the few employed in the area. In 1857, architecture became a licensed profession in the United States with the creation of the American Institute of Architects. Hurry would live a few doors down from this building until 1851, after which he would be appointed as an architect for the Crystal Palace located in Bryant Park. 611 Hudson Street was modified at the end of the 1800s to include a storefront on the lower level. Today, it is condos as well as a restaurant. 611 Hudson Street was landmarked as part of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29th, 1969.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours.
Merry Christmas Eve. If you’re anything like my family you’ll be rewatching Home Alone 2 this year. I thought it would be fun to talk about just a few of the landmarks that show up in the film. Which is your favorite? It doesn’t have to be one of the three I mentioned.
Did you know that Central Park could have been on the East River? The city initially set its sights on Jones Wood, a wealthy country retreat, but when their lawyers proved too troublesome, the city instead turned to the middle of the island where the park is today.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many pigeons in New York and how they got here? I decided to find out.
The Peninsula Hotel is one of the most luxurious in New York and has been listed by Travel and Leisure as one of the best hotels in the world. When it was built in 1905, it was a very new trend. Hotels up until this point were notably more residential in scale and far more modest. 5th Avenue at the time was mostly low-rise mansions for the city’s elite. That began to change with two events: the first was the Astor family building the Waldorf Astoria on the current site of the Empire State Building, and the development of rapid transit. The Astor family knew that the city was continually pushing northwards and that 5th Avenue would not remain residential forever. With the opening of the original Waldorf Astoria, hotels began to grow in scale. The Peninsula, known as the Gotham Hotel when it opened, was 20 stories tall, a new development in hotel design, towering over the churches which used to be the tallest structures on the avenue. With the opening of the subway and the ease of access to move uptown and to the outer boroughs, lower 5th Avenue began to commercialize, which the hotel was able to capitalize on. In 1988, the hotel was bought by the Peninsula Group and underwent extensive renovations. It received its landmark designation on June 6th, 1989.
New York’s streets are plagued with cars and traffic. But before the invention of the automobile, it was packed full of horses pulling everything from carts to trolleys. Well-to-do New Yorkers needed a place to keep their horses and carriages, which led to the popping up of small alleys across the city. Mostly known as mews, these were the first garages. Sniffen Court was built in 1864 as storage for families living in Murray Hill. As time went on and horses grew less prevalent, the carriage houses were converted into residences. You can still see the shape of the large arches that once held doors. Sniffen Court was landmarked on June 21st, 1966.
If you think the outside of the New York Public Library is impressive, just wait until you go in. In addition to the building being a landmark, the lobby and Rose Reading Room are separately landmarked, making sure that millions of future visitors will get to enjoy it. Astor Hall, as the main lobby is called, was completed in 1911. It is made completely from stone; there’s no plaster in disguise here. In addition, there are four murals painted as part of the Great Depression Era Works Progress Administration and unveiled by Mayor LaGuardia. While the lobby looks incredible no matter what time of year, it’s looking particularly good with its Christmas decorations. It was landmarked on November 12th, 1974.
You would think for a building as iconic as the Empire Diner, the construction date would be pretty straightforward, however it’s not. According to the Diner’s website it originally opened as the Manhattan diner in 1946. That being said, city records show that this building went up in 1930. In 1928, the 1856 townhouse that was originally on this site was demolished, it would have looked the same as the neighboring building at 491 West 22nd Street. Diners, as I’ve found through my research were originally horse drawn carts with seats inside, they would eventually go on to mimic the railcars of the era. The Empire Diner was actually designed by the Fodero Dining Car Company. In 1976 the diner was refurbished and officially opened as the Empire Diner on February 29th of that year. There used to be a large replica of the Empire State Building on the corner of the roof which was removed between 2009 and 2011. In 2017 the diner re-opened under new management. It was landmarked as part of the Chelsea Historic District on February 3rd, 1981. This photo was taken with Cinestill 400.
273 West 12th Street was built in 1831 as a two-story home. However, in the 1870s, it was modified when a third story was added. Many buildings like this that were built in the 1820s and 30s would have been two stories with a little gambrel window or two. The same thing happened to a few other buildings on this street at Nos. 275-279, if you’re ever in the neighborhood and want to take a look. Those buildings, as well as this one, were owned by a man named James McAllis. McAllis was a local grocer and ended up owning all of these properties for the better part of 40 years until his death. In more recent history, this home sold for almost $7 million in 2013. It was landmarked as a part of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29th, 1969.
This handsome building at 43 MacDougal Street is truly a survivor. The structure was build in 1846 for owner Grove Wright on property that used to be part of the Richmond Hill estate, which at one time was owned by Aaron Burr. Over its history the building has had apartments and retail. I always like digging through the New York Times archives to see if anything interesting happened at these buildings, especially ones where the designation report is short on details, and 43 only came up twice. In the 1950s, it and the surrounding buildings were used for an air raid drill, with police, fire and other first responders simulating an incendiary raid of the city. In the 1980s, it was home to the organization, Citizens for a Better Village, which fought for Italian American rights, who filed a complaint agains the FBI for a raid on a social club which involved elderly members being held at gunpoint by the authorities. By 2011, the building was in rough shape, having been abandoned for almost a decade. The Greenwich Village Preservation Society had pushed the city to act on the then absentee landlord. There were fears that the building would collapse, a tactic called demolition by neglect that some building owners use to get around landmark laws. Luckily by 2014 a new owner arrived and began renovating the building. It’s hard to believe this was nearly lost looking at it today. It is home to apartments once again, and Roscioli’s Italian restaurant. It was landmarked as part of the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District on August 16th, 1966.
You are probably familiar with the Gowanus Canal, but have you ever wondered how it got here and why it’s so contaminated? This is one of the fastest changing neighborhoods in the city but should it be?
I hate that snow has become so rare that it’s noteworthy but here we are. So here are a few scenes around Brooklyn from today.
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, and to celebrate, we’re looking at the Bialystoker Synagogue on the Lower East Side. This building was constructed in 1826 as the Willets Street Methodist Church. Its simple exterior was made from locally sourced Manhattan Schist from a quarry over on Pitt Street and was inspired by traditional Greek temples. The Church was in operation until the early 20th century when financial difficulties led the congregation to sell the building to the Bialystoker synagogue. The synagogue was founded in 1865 by immigrants from Bialystoker, a Russian town that is in modern-day Poland. During the Great Depression, the congregation decided to renovate the interior to provide a sense of hope to its congregants. The sanctuary is a stark contrast to the simple exterior with vibrant murals and artwork adorning the walls and ceilings. It was landmarked on April 19th, 1966.
If I asked you to picture an Austrian Consulate, you probably would think of a similar building. It’s appropriate then that Austria’s consulate in New York has been located here at 31 East 69th Street since 1952. This stately townhouse was commissioned in 1917 by Augustus Paine Jr. Paine, a successful paper manufacturer and banker, because everyone in early 1900s New York had a job and was somehow also a banker. Paine commissioned architect C.P.H. Gilbert to design his home for him. Gilbert was an accomplished architect and had commissions all around the Upper East Side at the time, partly spurred by the covering of the New York Central Railroad Tracks under what is now Park Avenue. Suddenly, an eyesore became a beautiful boulevard, which caused the properties on side streets to be snapped up. Paine lived at the home until his death in 1947. The Austrian Consulate was landmarked as a part of the Upper East Side Historic District on May 19th, 1981.
It wouldn’t be Christmas in New York without Radio City. This massive theater was built in 1932 and seats nearly 6,000 people. Prior to the construction of Rockefeller Center, the land Radio City was built on was supposed to be home to the Metropolitan Opera, but those plans fell through. Radio City ended up being the successor to those plans and the only one of five theaters planned for the complex. It’s hard to believe, but it was nearly torn down due to declining revenue during the 70s, but the State stepped in and began leasing the theater. Shortly thereafter, it was designated a New York City Landmark and put on the National Register of Historic Places. This Art Deco marvel received its designation on April 23rd, 1985.