Hidden Surprises
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The 145-Year-Old NYC Gas Station That Started Out As A Blacksmith Shop
Last week, I spent a few days scouting the College Point neighborhood of Queens. As I drove down 15th Ave, I happened to notice the gas station at the corner of 126th Street. It’s a pretty neat little 1950s-style service station…
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The Queens Movie Theater You Will Not Believe – Scouting The Valencia Movie Palace
Last week, I was scouting on Jamaica Ave when I noticed a movie-theater-turned-church up the block. This is pretty common in New York, where are a LOT of once great theaters have been gutted and repurposed, most often into churches, pharmacies and gyms. I’ve stopped in quite a few hoping to find the rare gem…
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A Secret World on the Upper West Side: A Trip Down Pomander Walk
When you first turn onto West 95th Street from Broadway, it seems like pretty much any Upper West Side block: a few apartment buildings, some fire escapes, a tree or two…Nothing in particular to catch the eye. In fact, I’m not even sure how many trips down the street it took before I finally noticed…
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Stumbling Upon An Underground River In Manhattan
For the longest time, I’ve been fascinated by the fact that underground rivers are said to flow deep below Manhattan, many following the same path they’ve taken for hundreds of years. And, the other day, while scouting for evil villain lairs, I finally got to see one for myself.