Discovering NYC

What is the Use of Struggling?: The Real-life History of The Gilded Age in NYC, Season 3 Episode 4 - Discovering NYC The lavish Vanderbilt-Marlborough wedding ceremony in the Church of St. Thomas. From The Illustrated London News, November 23, 1895. Bridesmaids wearing white The bridesmaids dresses worn at the Vande...

I've been attempting to escape "melancholia" by writing blog posts about the Gilded Age.

We're halfway through the season so it's high time I post them here. No folderol!

discovering.nyc/what-is-the-...

The Jefferson Market and Courthouse - Discovering NYC The Jefferson Market and Fire Tower, c. 1866. The police court was towards the back […]

Finally pulled myself up out of the depths of grading to cobble together a post about the Jefferson Market Courthouse. Come for the old fire tower, stay for an overview of the courthouse, and enjoy the bonus pictures that my grandfather took of the old Women's House of Detention in 1966!

@swordsjew.bsky.social Ok great! It's on the docket for my next discovering.nyc post and I'll be sure to let you know when I post it

I think it's worth a watch no matter what, but particularly for William Poole playing Daniel Day Lewis playing Bill the Butcher.

Pro tip: generally suspend historical disbelief for much of it, although there are some cool callbacks to actual events that happened.

A long time ago I did a deep dive into the history behind Gangs of New York & explored how accurate the movie was. It was accurate in some surprising ways! while being completely wrong in others. Anyone want to see this revived for a new blog post?

Also ofc Daniel Day Lewis can do no wrong!

I’d watch every single one

Chicago pope blessing the “L” when

Track level, showing stairways and elevators leading to the exit concourse.

Exit concourse, showing an elevator and stairway.

The concourse, looking towards 33rd Street.

Old Penn Station appreciation time, just because. Not that one ever needs an excuse to share this beauty.

Yankee Stadium postcard, ca. 1930s
#cardsky
@bballhist.bsky.social @discovering.nyc

There was once a working trolley terminal underneath Delancey Street. Beginning in 1908, the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal was the departure point for streetcar service running over the Williamsburg Bridge.

There was once a working trolley terminal underneath Delancey Street. Beginning in 1908, the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal was the departure point for streetcar service running over the Williamsburg Bridge.

There was once a working trolley terminal underneath Delancey Street. Beginning in 1908, the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal was the departure point for streetcar service running over the Williamsburg Bridge.

There was once a working trolley terminal underneath Delancey Street. Beginning in 1908, the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal was the departure point for streetcar service running over the Williamsburg Bridge.

#DidYouKnow that there was once a working trolley terminal underneath Delancey Street? Beginning in 1908, the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal was the departure point for streetcar service running over the Williamsburg Bridge.

Fun Fact: Baseball legends Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle both hit their first home run as a member of the New York #Yankees on May 1st! (The Babe in 1920, The Mick in 1951) ⚾️ #May1st #MLB #Trivia #History #RepBX

See Beach Express: Alfred Ely Beach and New York City’s First Subway - Discovering NYC When the so-called “secret” subway line opened in February 1870, many New Yorkers were completely […]

It was a lot of fun exploring the Beach Pneumatic Transit and the delightfully named "atmospheric" railways and their "ethereal" science (Victorians, right?!). It must have seemed magical to those who flocked to see Beach's innovative system in the three short years it was open. #history

Obligatory Five Points post (I can't believe I haven't done one yet!). This view shows the eponymous junction, where Orange Street, Cross Street & Anthony Street met.

From Valentine's Manual of Old New York, 1855. It is a reproduction of an oil painting by George Catlin from c. 1827. #NYChistory

Folks ascended an escalator to the loading platforms within the angular striped terminal. Going around the loop took eight minutes, with the trains proceeding around 9 miles per hour. Enthusiastic attendants were on hand to point out notable features and attractions as folks enjoyed the beautiful views. Visitors flocked to ride the futuristic mode of transportation.

The colorful monorail built by the American Machine and Foundry Company for the 1964-65 World’s Fair. Fully automatic, it featured seven two-car trains running along a 4,000 foot loop. Visitors could "see the fair from the air" in the air-conditioned cars, which must have been a treat! #history

An aerial view of the 1964-1965 World's Fair fairgrounds. North is to the left in this view, which highlights the layout of the fair. To the left is the old Shea Stadium, and between the stadium and the fairgrounds the Flushing subway and LIRR line can be seen.

On April 22nd, 1964, the 1964-65 World's Fair opened in Flushing Meadows. Here's a fantastic aerial view of the expansive fairgrounds in Flushing Meadows park, showing Shea Stadium on the left.

From 30 years of progress, 1934-1964 by the Department of Parks. #NYChistory

Historic Lithuanian Church of the Transfiguration Faces Closure and Demolition - New York Almanack The Church of the Transfiguration by Lithuanian architect Jonas Mulokas, in Maspeth, Queens, is unlike any other building in the NYC area.

The Church of the Transfiguration by Lithuanian architect Jonas Mulokas, at 64-25 Perry Avenue, in Maspeth, Queens, is unlike any other building in the New York City area. #history #queens #historicpreservation

For anyone celebrating today’s other “holiday” 😜: discovering.nyc/the-short-hi...

Crowded sidewalks on 5th Avenue, with people dressed in their Sunday best. Many are coming from Easter services. This view is looking north from 47th Street.

Happy #Easter for those who are celebrating!

Here are impeccably dressed crowds promenading up and down 5th Avenue after Easter Services, c. 1900.

The 5th Avenue facade nearing completion, 1902. You can see the old building peeking out behind it on the right. From Scenes of Modern New York.

The plan for the four sculptures on the 5th Avenue facade. They were to be designed by Karl Bitter as allegories of Sculpture, Painting, Architecture and Music.

The new wing with the old building behind. This view has been obscured by subsequent additions. From New York, the Metropolis of America.

The view along 5th Avenue c. 1940. From New York, the Wonder City.

In 1902, the now-familiar entrance opened on 5th Avenue, designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Visitors enter directly into a grand new great hall and wing. Interestingly, funds ran out and the planned Karl Bitter sculptures atop the columns (see view 2 below) were never completed. #history

The first addition to the old building. From A History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Early Institutions of Art.

Sketch of the expanded building, with Cleopatra's Needle behind. From Leslie's Popular Monthly, December 1889.

The expanded building, with the original building with its distinctive roof seen on the right. From Greater New York illustrated by Rand McNally.

The building from the park. By this time, it had been expanded twice. From An album of selected views of Greater New York.

As the museum collections grew, so did the building, with two subsequent additions designed my Thomas Weston. Note that the original approach to the museum was from Central Park. #NYChistory

The first building in Central Park, designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould and opened in 1880. From A History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Early Institutions of Art.

Celebrating the opening of the new building in March 1880. From A History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Early Institutions of Art.

Scenes at the newly opened Metropolitan Museum of Art. From Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, April 10, 1880.

Folks enjoying the art. From Harper's Weekly, April 10, 1880.

On April 13, 1870, the Metropolitan #Museum of Art was officially incorporated. Originally housed in a brownstone and then a mansion on 14th Street, its first dedicated building, designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, opened in 1880. Sources and more info in the alt text + more images below!

10 Secrets of NYC's Highbridge Water Tower - Untapped New York Uncover the secrets of Highbridge Water Tower, recently reopened for tours following a $5 million restoration!

For more about High Bridge, and the water tower in particular, see @untappedny.bsky.social's fantastic article #history

High Bridge and the old "High Service Works" reservoir as they would look when completed. This early view also includes a curious rendering of the iconic water tower. Now a familiar feature, the octagonal water tower opened in 1872.

From D.T. Valentine’s Manual, 1868. #engineering

"Wheelman's Rest" in Prospect Park c. 1895. Bicycling up and down nearby Ocean Parkway, which had a dedicated path for doing so, was an immensely popular activity. Clubs such as the Kings County Wheelmen provided a space for people to plan outings and other similar activities. #Brooklyn

This is amazing! I’d love to see an NYC version of this. My grandfather, an art history professor, defended graffiti as an art form beginning in the 1970s and I’ve always appreciated it immensely.

A four car train on the 9th Avenue el near 116th Street, 1880. Although many of the lots are still empty or have shanties, development is quickly encroaching. The buildings behind are part of a growing Harlem.

From The Tracks of New York Number 3 by Alan Paul Kahn and Jack May. #history

The magnificent Dorilton Apartments seen from 70th Street, 1909. This view looks up Broadway, with the Ansonia Apartments across on 73rd. The sketch is by Joseph Pennell, from The New New York: A Commentary on the Place and the People by John Van Dyke.

The Early History of Nieuw Haarlem: Manhattan's Other Village - Discovering NYC The burgeoning village of Nieuw Haarlem was situated on the banks of the Harlem River […]

Here’s the first post on #Harlem if you missed it.

The magnificent Burt Lancaster is the only Lancaster I need! 🤣

#skystorians

Dividing Manhattan: Tracing The Harlem Line, or how Harlem nearly became Lancaster - Discovering NYC The British took over New Netherland in 1664, and English rule passed onto the residents […]

For the follow-up to my first post about New Harlem, I explored more of the village's early #history and how residents absolutely refused to allow their village to be renamed Lancaster (understandable). Plus a short history of its role in the American Revolution and subsequent development.