Historical New York City

Historical New York City

The Lower East Side — To walk those streets always gives a person the sense of what life was like in the City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Tenement House Museum only reinforces that feeling. I always tell my friends they should not miss this part of the city when they are visiting.

For its splendor and grandeur — Grand Central Station

For its small-town feel— Commerce/Barrow/Morton Streets plus St. Luke’s place in the West Village.

There are some historical treasures that are more personal then others. Maybe not officially historical – I read of the subway tunnel at 173rd and Broadway. A family member has a journal describing — day to day — the building of that tunnel. The journal belonged to his grandfather, he was the contractor on that job and his foreman kept a careful record of each day’s progress. Some of the hardest rock in the city had to be blasted — People complained about damage to their stores, windows, houses — As they made progress in the tunnel the sludge had to be carted out. It was an amazing accomplishment and having the first-hand record of it makes it all the more interesting.

I’m sure we all have our favorites . . . . .

I will close with —

The words of F. Scott Fitzgerald — “The view of Midtown from the 59th Street bridge in the evening always makes my heart sing.”