Building History
Margot Gayle, Savior of SoHo
It’s a beautiful day in SoHo: the sun peeks through stately cast iron buildings to shine down on cobblestone streets teeming with residents, business...
The Complete History of the Empire State Building
“From the ruins, lonely and inexplicable as the sphinx, rose the Empire State Building.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, My Lost City, Personal Essays 1920...
Architecture
How the Electric Elevator Defined New York’s Skyline
Over half the world, approximately 65%, live in cities, with Paris, Tokyo, and Manila boasting some of the largest populations and population density. By...
Why Do Some Buildings Skip the 13th Floor?
There seems to be a phobia about everything these days. Arachibutyrophobes, for example, are scared of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of...
The Complete History of the Empire State Building
“From the ruins, lonely and inexplicable as the sphinx, rose the Empire State Building.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, My Lost City, Personal Essays 1920...
Coolest 7 Durst Properties in NYC
One of the oldest family-run commercial and residential real estate organizations in New York, the Durst Organization is a staple of the city. The...
The Kinko Homes and Other Historic Buildings of Brooklyn
It's hard to imagine that Brooklyn was once roaming farmlands where locals planted corn, tobacco, and fished along the rivers. But as we all...
Charles B.J. Snyder: The Man Who Built New York City’s Schools
Charles B.J. Snyder was an architect, architectural engineer, and mechanical engineer widely recognized for revolutionizing and innovating the design of New York City public...
How the NYC Carnegie Mansion Came To Be
In 1898 Andrew Carnegie and his wife, Louise Whitfield Carnegie, bought a large green lot in northern Manhattan with the mission to build “the...
Federal Style Architecture in NYC
Along with the formation of the United States arose a unique architecture style that came to be known as the federal era architecture.
What Is...
History of Gothic Revival Architecture in NYC
What do steeply pitched roofs, stained glass, pointed arches, and gargoyles have in common? Here’s a hint: they are all remnants of a bygone...
Spooky Stories
The Backstory of New York Public Library’s Haunted Reputation
The New York Public Library isn’t just home to an impressive collection of paranormal books – rumor has it: the original location and other...