In Plain Sight
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They Don’t Build ‘Em Like They Used To: A Public School Art Deco Gem in Valley Stream
A while back, I was driving around southern Long Island when I happened to pass by Valley Stream High School. At first, it seemed like just your typical deco-style public school. But the closer I looked, the more I started to notice a number of really unique little details… The first thing to catch my…
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The Angels by the Brooklyn Bridge
One of my favorite things to stumble across are bits of architectural ornamentation that are nearly invisible from the street. Case in point: 150 Nassau, near the Brooklyn Bridge. Looking up from the ground, this is the view. You can tell there’s a bit of detailing at the top, but it’s too difficult to really…
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Scars In Limestone: Finding Traces of the 1920 Wall Street Bombing
As I was scouting around Wall Street this past weekend, I noticed a number of tourists taking pictures of the usual sights: the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall… However, no one seemed to be paying any attention to one of the more interesting historical remnants, found at 23 Wall Street. Swing around to the…
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New York City’s Prettiest Subway Station Is In The Bronx
One of the things I love most about New York City’s prettiest subway station is the way it unexpectedly appears out of nowhere. As you’re heading east along 180th Street toward Morris Park Ave in the Bronx, look north… …and all of a sudden, you’ll see a red terra cotta-roofed tower rise into view just…