Manhattan
-
Will This 200-Year-Old Farmhouse Be Torn Down For Condos?
I’ll never forget the day I first spotted the 19th century West Village farmhouse that shouldn’t exist. I was driving down Greenwich Street when I happened to glance over and notice a strange little building poking through the trees. I pulled over and headed down Charles Street… …and came upon what has to be the…
-
Searching For An Underground River in Morningside Heights
About a year ago, I got a letter from a reader about an underground river hidden somewhere in Morningside Heights: Years ago, I lived at [removed]. My father swore there was a stream running under a lot of the buildings there. I’m endlessly fascinated by Manhattan’s underground rivers. Once an island covered in streams, brooks,…
-
The Last Two L-Shaped Streets in Manhattan
When driving in Manhattan, I love taking a random turn and finding myself on a curved street. While commonplace pretty much anywhere else, crooked streets are incredibly rare in Manhattan. There are certainly avenues and streets with gradual curves, but when it comes to sharp angles – the kind that require you to really twist…
-
A Strange Building In Midtown
Last week, I was trudging through a very slushy midtown when I happened to turn onto 47th Street… …and walk past what has to be one of the strangest buildings in Manhattan: A six-story office building, the facade of 15 East 47th Street is completely obscured by a wall of brass-colored rings: Here’s a close-up.…