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.
The Evolution of the New York Restaurant Scene
In colonial America, restaurants as we know them today were virtually unheard of.
Is There Really a Link Between Mental Illness and Homelessness?
"Housing first” programs are helping cut homelessness in big ways. How significant is the link between mental illness and homelessness?
What Did Fashion Magazines Have To Do With Dada?
When you think of Dada, do you think of Europe? If so, you’re missing one of its hotbeds—New York.
Walt Whitman the… Politician?
Before Walt Whitman was a famous poet, he was a scandalous poet, but before even all that he was in the thick of local and national politics.
The Psychology of Copycat Crime
A recent wave of subway slashings in New York City is an opportunity to examine the criminology and sociology behind copycat crime.
How the March Blizzard of 1888 Challenged New Yorkers’ Self-Perceptions
Winter's not over quite yet. The great Blizzard of 1888 was in March.