The Real Reason Why NYC’s Skyscrapers Are Where They Are
Why does Manhattan have two business separate districts? Turns out that it's not because of the usual story about bedrock depth.
The Sandhogs Who Built the New York Subway
Unlike other laborers, who toiled anonymously on bridges and buildings throughout the city, the sandhogs had an iconic status in New York City.
Why Have Whales Come to New York City?
What brought whales to the city? It’s a tale of water quality, plankton, and an unassuming but vital fish called the menhaden.
Why Stonewall?
The Stonewall riot in June, 1969 is generally remembered as be the beginning of the gay liberation movement. But there was precedent for the event.
“Give Us Bread!”
In 1917, a food riot erupted in Brooklyn over the prices of staples. These forms of protest, sadly, are not quite yet ready for the dustbin of history.
Race and Labor in the 1863 New York City Draft Riots
An enormous historical event that shaped New York City is not much spoken of today. In July 1863, ...
Frederick Law Olmsted: The Complicated Man Behind Central Park & The Nation
Struck by something naturally beautiful in an American city? Odds are that you have stumbled across the work of Frederick Law Olmsted.
The Pneumatic Subway That Almost Was
New York almost had a pneumatic subway system, but political, legal, and financial reasons kept the system from expanding.
Refugees Have Always Made Americans Nervous
What happens when a big stream of refugees enters an American community, bringing their foreign customs and values and taking scarce jobs?
What Did Manhattan Look Like in 1609?
The Welikia Project recreates a lost vision of Manhattan, one composed of marshes and forest surrounded by wide, meandering rivers.