Last week, I was walking up Third Avenue near 22nd Street when I noticed something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before in New York… …an enormous, 21-story highrise that appears to have been built to accommodate a diminutive, three-story townhouse below. What bizarre parallel universe had I stumbled into?! Here’s a view from straight…
Whenever I drive down Bay Street in Staten Island… …I always wonder about the boarded-up movie theater between Union and Prospect. Shuttered for over 25 years, this was once the art deco Paramount Theatre, one of Staten Island’s grandest movie theaters. Built on the site of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s childhood farmhouse, the Paramount opened in October,…
A few days ago, I was scouting for office space around West 57th Street when I happened to walk by Stack’s Rare Coins shop… …and noticed what looked sort of like an ATM out front. Curious, I looked a little closer and realized this wasn’t any ordinary ATM… This ATM dispenses gold. Gold or silver,…
Looking to do a day trip out of the city this summer, but not sure where to go? I’m not much of an oenophile, but to me, nothing beats doing a few wine tastings at picturesque vineyards on a warm summer day. Over the years, I’ve gone on several excursions to the various vineyards that…
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,…
For the longest time, I’ve wondered about a mysterious ghost sign at the corner of 51st & Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen: If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a ghost sign is a sign left from a business that no longer exists. This one is for “Network – The Entertainment Company,” and it’s in such…
Hey everyone – Just received word that the Tabernacle of Prayer church will be offering a rare tour of the unbelievable Valencia movie palace (read my full post here) on Saturday, May 24th, at 11am – yes, that’s this Saturday! Tours are by appointment only – contact Sister Forbes at 718-657-4210 ext. 20 to sign…
A few years ago, I was driving an art director around on a scout when he asked me to take him to a gritty section of New York. Not exactly sure what to do, I drove him to a neighborhood with one of the highest crime rates in the city. He stepped out of the…
While researching my recent article on Dead Horse Bay, I happened to come across a NY Times article on 101 things to love about New York City. Normally, I don’t pay any attention to Best Of lists, but this one caught my eye because it was written in 1976. I think it’s the oldest one…
Last week, I was driving down Division Place in Greenpoint when I noticed something at the corner of Porter Avenue… …what has to be the weirdest limo I have ever seen: Once a normal Lincoln Towncar, the body has been covered in metalwork straight out of Mad Max: Everything is jagged and menacing, from the…