Weekend History: Bloomingdale Grows and Prospers, 1790-1820
New York City had to recover from the Revolutionary War after George Washington marched back to downtown Manhattan in November … Read the rest of this entry >>
Nine Local Community Gardens With Fascinating Backstories
“It is a treasure. I have had great conversations in a beautiful spac … Read the rest of this entry >>
Weekend History: Enslaved African Americans in Bloomingdale
The enslavement of African Americans was prevalent in colonial New York, where 40% of Europeans owned sl … Read the rest of this entry >>
Weekend History: The Revolutionary War in Bloomingdale
So many historians have written about the Battle of Harlem Heights on September 16, … Read the rest of this entry >>
NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass Talks About Police Morale, Ethics, and Jewish Cops
When we think of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), rabbis and other religious le … Read the rest of this entry >>
A City Council District’s ‘Carve-Out’ Has a Fascinating History Involving Race and Class
There is a small section of the Upper West Side separated from the rest of it by its City Council district. Located in the northeastern c … Read the rest of this entry >>
Weekend History: 18th Century Bloomingdale Residents Before the American Revolution
New York City’s colonial history provides a context for Bloomingdale’s history before the American Revolu … Read the rest of this entry >>
Throwback Thursday: Remembering When ‘Off to the Races’ Meant West 72nd Street
"...the clientele was considered by non-bettors to be unattractive, lazy or just unsavory. I, however, did not see it that wa … Read the rest of this entry >>
An Old Church Has a New Life as a Theater; Shows This Weekend!
Unbeknownst to many, that beautiful church building on the corner of West 86th and Amsterdam is being used as a theatre and artist space … Read the rest of this entry >>
Throwback Thursday: Remembering Countess Vera, the Lady Who Loved Pigeons
I think most people thought she was a crazy old lady, but I knew that was not true, be … Read the rest of this entry >>
Pilates Was Created During the Last Pandemic; It’s Back on the UWS as We Fight the Latest Pandemic
Pilates, a mind-body exercise method which focuses on strengthening, stretching and core work, was founded in Europe in the midst of the Influenza pandemic of … Read the rest of this entry >>
Weekend History: The Story Behind An Upper West Side Ice Cream Sign
Upper West Siders treated themselves to ice cream long before the likes of Emack and Bolio’s and Shake Shack came along. The building at 302 Columbus Avenu … Read the rest of this entry >>
Throwback Thursday: Ye Very Olde Bloomingdale Road (Broadway) in the Colonial and Post-Revolutionary Era
A few months ago, a new website developed by John Jay College caught my attention. Like many institutions of higher education, the Co … Read the rest of this entry >>
Columbus Statue Still Getting Round-the-Clock Police Protection
On a rainy Thursday morning several months ago in June the police arrived at Columbus circle and they have not left … Read the rest of this entry >>
Two UWS Sites Make Citywide Map of Black History
The Landmarks Preservation Commission has created an interactive map of important sites from Black history, and there are two locations in the neighbor … Read the rest of this entry >>
Hundreds of Vignettes About Former ‘Notable’ Neighbors Collected in a New Book; Hear More at 5:30 Tuesday
At the age of 34, in her Lockheed Vega, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic without stopping, a … Read the rest of this entry >>
How Do You Turn a Century-Old Church into a Child-Friendly Museum? An Architect Explains and Shows New Renderings
The Children's Museum of Manhattan is building a new home in an unlikely spot -- the landmark First Church of Christ, Scientist on Central Park … Read the rest of this entry >>
40th Anniversary of John Lennon’s Death Brings A Large Crowd to Strawberry Fields, and Sparks Emotional Memories
John Lennon died 40 years ago today, after being shot by a man of questionable sanity in front of his home at the Dakota Apartments, on West 72nd Street and Central Park … Read the rest of this entry >>
Monday: Hear from the Author of a Book on Notable Upper West Siders
Local historian Jim Mackin has written a book on famous Upper West Siders -- from Humphrey Bogart to Thurgood Marshall -- including stories about 600 l … Read the rest of this entry >>
Throwback Thursday: Photos of the Thanksgiving Parade in 1953
Macy's started holding a Christmas parade through the city starting in 1924, and switched it to a Thanksgiving parade three years l … Read the rest of this entry >>
