Officer Stanley Kronzak, North Brooklyn Beat from 1936-1954
Like most of New York City, the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of north Brooklyn have changed considerably in the last 75 years. I obtained a unique glimpse into these neighborhoods’ … Continue reading
Summer in the City
Now that summer is in full swing, we look back at the ways New Yorkers have either escaped or embraced the heat. The Drive in Central Park was a place … Continue reading
Walt Whitman’s New York
Walt Whitman, one of America’s most celebrated writers, was born into a working-class Long Island family on May 31, 1819. Four years later, the family moved to Brooklyn. Whitman cherished … Continue reading
“The God of Vengeance”: Is the Play Immoral?
A father lives with his wife and teenage daughter above the brothel that he owns. It’s a simple story. A young girl is drawn to a world forbidden her. A … Continue reading
Construction of the 74th Street Power Station
For the past two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of digitizing our photographs of the construction of the 74th Street Power Station located on the East River between 74th and … Continue reading
The Prospect Park Concert Grove
As mentioned in May 22nd’s post, Saving the Interior of the Plaza Hotel, New York City isn’t known just for its landmarked buildings, but also its scenic historical sites, as … Continue reading
Prizefighters
If anyone had asked my opinion on boxing a few weeks ago, my response would have been tepid at best. I’d never really given the sport much thought. And yet … Continue reading
Saving the Interior of the Plaza Hotel
Landmark designations are not only for buildings. Any piece of property that the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) deems to have important cultural, aesthetic, or historical characteristics may become a landmark. … Continue reading
The Struggle to Save the Austin, Nichols and Co. Warehouse
“This building is a piece of trash, and it should be knocked down.” – Simcha Felder, member of the New York City Council and chair of the council’s Subcommittee on … Continue reading
Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation
After reading Lauren Robinson’s fantastic blog post about the return of Mad Men, I found myself haunted by the destruction of the original Penn Station. And as I dug deeper, … Continue reading
Mott Haven Historic District
The neighborhood of Mott Haven is located in the South Bronx, and is situated on a portion of land historically referred to as Morrisania, named after the powerful Morris family … Continue reading
Riding the Subway with Stanley Kubrick
As most New Yorkers know, the subway system is the lifeline of New York City. In 1946 Stanley Kubrick set out as a staff photographer for LOOK Magazine to capture … Continue reading
Lincoln’s last play; or, the continuing fascination with “Our American Cousin”
A distant cousin stands to inherit a large British estate on the brink of financial ruin. Sound familiar? The main storyline from the phenomenally popular British series “Downton Abbey” shares … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 