The problem with defining a city isn’t that there aren’t any good definitions for what makes a city, a city; there are many. The question becomes, can any explain what happened on Manhattan? When we say “the city“ moved uptown, does it mean anything more than the fact more buildings were built? A linguistic lifeline […]
Category Archives: Madison Square
1800s, Fifth Ave, Madison Square, Old Posts, The Bowery, Union Square
42nd Street to the Battery: 1855
05
Jun
Jun
The last post showed the city from 63rd Street to the Battery by putting together two pictures from the 1850s. Here they are again; click here to read the original post. A painted line runs down Fifth Avenue in both pictures, and you can see the dome and flag of the Crystal Palace on 42nd Street in both. The top one is from 1855, the […]
Broadway, Madison Square, NoMad, Old Posts, Old Roads
The Haymarket, Broadway & NoMad—and a Long Forgotten Street!
28
Jan
Jan
There’s a strange part of town that’s in the middle of everywhere. In the 1990s it was the counterfeit garment district; and not just clothing, but it’s where they made the knock-off Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags until even that “industry” moved overseas. Today the area is a bizarre amalgam of third rate retailers, “wholesalers to the public,” and […]
Broadway, Madison Square, Morningside Heights, Old Posts, Old Roads, Union Square
Why the West Side is Different
31
Dec
Dec
The west side and the east side are frequently sized up against each other, and it’s often the residents themselves who are the first to point out the defining personality traits—the “energies” if you will—of the two parts of town. The conventional wisdom holds that the east side is younger, more bustling and vibrant; the […]