Tony the Tour Guy's Blog

Behind the brownstone veneer

2008-08-01T19:16:00.002-04:00

This partially demolished wall at the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea is an excellent illustration of how brownstone structures were made.

Brownstone is essentially sandstone, a form of sedimentary rock composed of layers of sand. The rich brown color of much of the material seen in buildings around town comes from the presence of iron ore. Widely used in 19^th century New York (it was cheaper than other stones and readily available in New Jersey and Connecticut) brownstone was primarily used as a veneer over brick walls. My first photo illustrates this, with a layer of brownstone blocks about 4 inches thick cemented to brick. The close-up shot of a broken brownstone block shows how the sandstone is composed of layers.

The Mighty New York Sparrow

2008-07-29T18:06:00.001-04:00

The ubiquitous House Sparrow (passer domesticus) does not share in the contempt which New Yorkers have towards city birds, especially starlings and pigeons. Maybe it’s because they’re small and attractive, but we tend to look fondly upon these tiny creatures. They seem so frail and vulnerable. Ecology and history tell us otherwise.

Like the much-despised pigeon and starling, the urban sparrow is a European transplant, brought to the New World in the 19^th century as a means of controlling insects. And since sparrow chicks consume an enormous amount of insect larvae, they did help. But the Big Apple was such a hospitable environment that their number exploded. Passer domesticus, it appears, is ideally suited to urban life. Besides insects it also consumes seeds, both of which are in abundant supply, and it will build its nests just about anywhere. As for its small size and tendency to shy away from humans, don’t let that fool you; the house sparrow is aggressive and will often take on other birds when competing for nesting space.

SUV drivers and their phoney "patriotism"

2008-07-25T11:37:00.002-04:00

You’ve seen ‘em – the huge, gas-gulping SUVs and Hummers roaring down the streets of NYC. Just why a person would need such a truck (I don’t think of them as cars) in a town such as ours is beyond the scope of this post. What gets me is when their owners decide to display their alleged patriotism with American flags or bumper stickers stating “support our troops!”

What’s going on in the heads of these people? Each time these guys fill their tanks they are sending a check to Crown Prince Abdullah and his cronies in Saudi Arabia, a nation which has, to be charitable, a …’mixed’ record on terrorism. And isn’t it the world’s dependence on oil that is behind so much of the tension in much of this world?

If such individuals really wanted to help their nation, and prevent more Americans from dying due to IEDs, they would be pedaling bicycles or, at least, driving compact cars.

The Bronx's Answer to Sunnyside Gardens: Hillside Homes

2008-07-03T17:51:00.004-04:00

Most people don't think of the Bronx when it comes to historic preservation. But one block off of Boston Road in Williamsbridge lies Hillside Homes, a model housing complex that has made a remarkable comeback following years of decline.

Around New York, architect Clarence Stein is best known for the Sunnyside Gardens and the Phipps Houses developments in Queens. A leader in the movement to create low-density, quality housing for people of modest means, Stein specialized in developing communities with plenty of open space. Like the Phipps Houses, Hillside featured mostly four-storey buildings, great brickwork, landscaped gardens and many walkways. Stein also added a community center, playgrounds and sunken interior courts.

Like many areas, Hillside Homes was hard hit by economic hardship and the drug epidemic. But new management and some tough-minded residents have really turned this community around, and nowadays Hillside is a huge success. When I visited there with some friends a while back I found the entire six-block area to be clean, well-maintained and cheerful. Kids played and older people relaxed outside. The residents we met were proud of their homes, which were graffiti-free. Compared to the projects, it was a virtual paradise.

Hillside Homes is located one block west of Boston Road at Eastchester Road. It's a little bit out-of-the-way, but if you're interested in local history or historic preservation, it's worth the trip.

Vintage trolleys in San Francisco

2008-06-07T10:31:00.002-04:00

Public transit fans have long loved San Francisco, with its cable cars. Less well-known, but almost as much fun to ride, is the city's "F" line - a collection of vintage trolleys from several countries, all lovingly restored. Their route runs along Market Street from the Castro district to the waterfront, where it turns and continues to Fishermen's Wharf. It's a fun way to get around SF.

Tweeding Revisited

2008-05-31T10:41:00.003-04:00

Some opponents of big developments in this town seem to be singling out poor immigrants as the problem, instead of big developers. They see the problem as "Tweeding," a reference to the infamous political boss of the 19th Century, "Boss" William Tweed. Tweeding politicians, they argue, are anxious to pack their districts with loads of immigrants whom they can lavish with services, such as low-income housing, in return for votes. One guy I know keeps referring to "immigrant barracks" popping up. If there are any big low-income housing developments going up around town, I would like to see them. But, that notwithstanding, here are a few points to consider:

Most poor immigrants are not citizens. Therefore they cannot vote.
There is just about no money out there for low income housing. The NYC Housing Authority is running in the red big time.
Constituents for the most part don't want low income housing in their communities. Putting in such housing would not make a politico very popular.
Developers are almost universally building "luxury" buildings.
The "affordable" housing that is often talked about is actually for people in the middle income bracket. It most certainly is not "affordable" for a dishwasher making minimum wage.
New York City is pretty solidly democratic to begin with, and the state is most definitely "Blue." Politicians don't need any more voters.

Let's quit bashing poor immigrants.

Bye-Bye Queensboro Garage

2008-05-27T20:38:00.003-04:00

I'm no fan of big developments. But today's Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/05/27/2008-05-27_vacant_long_island_city_garage_might_go_.html
reports that a developer may be tearing down one of the ugliest buildings
in Queens: the now-vacant parking garage at Queensboro Plaza. In its place
will be an office building. (Oh, well, at least it won't be another luxury
coop).

You can get a good view of the garage if you look to your right just as
Flushing-bound 7 train leaves the Plaza. Tall weeds now grow on its roof,
while at street level the storefronts have been vacant for years. The
concrete monstrosity, which the News likens to a bunker, is straight out of
the Cold and Sterile school of modern architecture. Like so much of
Queensboro Plaza, it just reeks of urban blight. And why? At a time when
any place convenient to Manhattan is booming, QB is still a seedy
collection of largely empty office buildings, downscale eateries and
"gentlemen's" clubs. At night prostitutes strut their stuff. Yes, there are
those luxury apartment houses and hotels sprouting up like weeds on the
north side, but they do nothing for the community.

Hopefully the demolition of the municipal garage will help spur a
revitalization to this unfortunately ugly gateway to Queens.

Urban Railroad Tracks

2008-05-16T19:04:00.002-04:00

Check out these old railroad tracks laid into the streets in DUMBO.

Sick Puppies on Petfinder.com

2008-05-13T21:25:00.002-04:00

No, I don't mean the animals. I mean the wack jobs and slime buckets who respond to ads placed on this web site, seeking good homes for pets.

In case you're not familiar with the site, www.petfinder.com is a site that, amongst other things, allows you to place a free classified ad if your pet is up for adoption. It's a great idea, so when I was looking for a home for a cat I have I placed a notice. Almost immediately my mailbox was full of strange messages from all over the world offering to take my pet, sight unseen. None of these messages mentioned the cat's name, or even that the animal for adoption was a cat. Some senders said they wanted to "buy" my pet. It was pretty clear to me that the senders were sending spam. Most likely there was some hustle involved. I got so disgusted that I pulled the ad.

All people who engage in "phishing" on the Internet are scum. But those who go after animal lovers on sites like Petfinder are worse.

Why did people say "Disco Sucks?"

2008-04-17T18:24:00.000-04:00

I’ve read several serious books about the 1970s, and all of them seem to have gotten the wrong idea regarding the popular late-decade “Disco Sucks” phenomenon. Remember that? There were t-shirts and even songs ridiculing the disco movement, typically worn by working-class kids.

The...errr… scholars… blamed racism and homophobia for the rejection of what they saw as Disco’s progressive side. After all, people of all races and orientations went to discos, right? So those who didn’t like the music must have been a bunch of reactionaries. Wrong on both counts, I say. Having grown up during the Seventies I saw things very differently.

For one thing, while people from all backgrounds may have enjoyed going to discos, they didn’t necessarily go to the same clubs. The discos my friends went to were just about as informally segregated as most other institutions of the day. What was more, the type of men, and to a lesser extent women, whom I knew that were drawn to Disco culture were anything but “progressive.” They tended to be much more conservative than others, and reveled in a movement that for them meant clear distinctions between the sexes, big cars and expensive clothes. We used to call them “Greasers” when I was in college.

By contrast, those who grew up in the earlier part of the decade, and who rejected Disco, embraced a much more laid-back culture, with casual “unisex” clothes and haircuts, more tolerant attitudes and music by bands such as the Grateful Dead. Whether your dad was a doctor or a bus driver you looked the same and pretty much acted the same.

It was these cultural differences that, in my opinion, caused many people to hate Disco and the lifestyle that seemed to go with it. Besides, some folks simply disliked the music and the kind of dancing that you did to Disco. I recall one journalist comparing disco dancing, which he liked, to “the psychedelic writhing you did to the Grateful Dead.” Well, if by “psychedelic” he meant free-form, and if “writhing” implies that you got your whole body into it, then he was right. The styles were vastly different. And some of us preferred the Dead’s variety.

Sunnyside Gardens Walking Tour May 17

2008-04-13T16:16:00.002-04:00

I'm kicking off the 2008 walking tour season with a benefit for the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance. We'll cover Sunnyside Gardens during the most beautiful time of year, and will also see the fascinating Phipps Garden Apartments.

For info just e-mail me at tonythetourguy@gmail.com

What happens when you don't landmark an area?

2008-03-10T19:34:00.003-04:00

Well, this. W. 123 St in Harlem holds a beautiful collection of Neo-Grec and Queen Anne style houses, many recently-renovated. Alas, the current building boom in Harlem resulted in this ugly monstrosity being built right smack in the middle of the block.

Saving Old Astoria Village

2007-12-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

Many folks have never heard of this historic neighborhood, reduced to a few blocks between 12th and 14th Streets south of Astoria Park. For years it was home to some stately and handsome homes and churches from the days when Astoria was essentially a suburb, and later a part of Long Island City when it was, indeed, a separate city.

Unfortunately, the developers knew about it, and they've come in force. Without landmark protection, many of the beautiful old homes in OAV were torn down and replaced by ugly multi-family "Fedders Houses." It's truly tragic.

My hope is that the good people left in OAV will soon start mobilizing for landmark protection.

Why 2 Rite Aids back to back?

2007-12-02T18:46:00.000-05:00

Lots of people have complained about the deluge in chain drug stores around town. But Sunnyside has the dubious honor of having 2 Rite Aid stores next store to one another. The monstrosity happened as a result of Rite Aid's having gobbled up Eckerd's.

Sunnyside now has at least four Rite Aids. How do these places stay in business?

Uggggh! Queens Crap Blog Gives Preservationists a Bad Name

2007-11-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

Much has been written in the "Blogosphere" about the Queens Crap blog, supposedly dedicated to tackling the issue of overdevelopment in that borough. Take a look. Such a beautiful logo. The guy(s) who run that site are VERY angry, and they are obviously xenophobic. Note the references to the Chinese, always in a negative light.

Oh, they'll deny it, but just listen to their rants. We don't need people like these poisoning the historic preservation movement in this town.

Strivers' Row is well worth seeing

2007-11-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

My camera phone does not do these great buildings justice.

Located on 138th and 139th Streets between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglas (that's 7th and 8th Avenues for those of you unfamiliar with Harlem) Strivers' Row remains a beautiful example of late 19th Century architecture, as well as a vital part of the community's history.

Served by private rear alleys (note the "Walk your horses" sign) these rowhouses are not brownstones, but are instead mostly faced with the smooth brick which you'll also find on Park Slope homes from the same era. If you want to see Harlem brownstones there are plenty of other blocks, mostly further south, which offer great examples of Neo-Grec, Queen Anne and other late 19th Century styles.

Find your family in old City Directories

2007-10-26T13:06:00.000-04:00

If you're curious as to where your family used to live and what they did then there is no easier thing to do than head over to the New York Historical Society on Central Park West and 77 Street, where you can consult city directories going back as far as the 1830s for free in their beautiful library.

For decades before telephone directories were introduced various private companies published listings of the residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn, along with their addresses and the occupation of the head of household. Widows were also listed along with the names of their deceased husbands. Just look for your ancestor in the alphabetical listings. I've found numerous family members this way.

City directories are fun to browse even if you don't care about family history. They contain numerous ads for businesses and services, and you can get a good idea as to what ethnic groups lived where by looking up common surnames.

There are other places where you can access old city directories, but the NYHS has many in print form - much easier to deal with than microfilm. They also have very friendly staff, and a beautiful building, which features history exhibits, a fun gift shop and a cafe.

One More Step Towards Landmarking Sunnyside Gardens!

2007-10-23T19:55:00.000-04:00

Today the NYC Council's Landmarks sub-committee voted 9 to 0 to approve landmarking for Sunnyside Gardens, New York's most successful planned community. This is yet more good news for perservationists and lovers of our town's history.

Located 20 minutes from Manhattan and just north of Queens Blvd, SG is a beautiful oasis of small homes and low-rise apartment houses, surrounded by plenty of green space. Architecture and urban planning students study the Gardens all of the time, and for good reason.

Landmarking has been a cantankerous issue for Gardens residents, largely due to a small contingent of arrogant, noisy neighbors who either want the freedom to do whatever they want to their homes (such as put in illegal carports), or believe their own race-baiting propaganda. They made a lot of noise at a few meetings, but quickly shrank into insignificance after the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to classify Sunnyside Gardens as a Historic District.

If you've never seen SG, Fall or Spring is the best time to go. Just take the 7 train to 46 St, and exit at the 47th Street staircase. Go up 47th north of Queens Blvd and you'll see it.

To view the Landmarks Preservation Commission's beautiful presentation on SG, click here. Then visit the site of the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance.

Go to the Pros for Family History

2007-10-22T19:26:00.000-04:00

Here's one place that you can get invaluable help in researching your NYC History. This is the Queens Family History Center, located in Woodside, just 2 blocks from the 7 train and the LIRR. Like all Family History Centers, it's affiliated with the gigantic LDS (Mormon) Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and you can order microfilms from Salt Lake for a small fee. But more than that, the FHC is a friendly, supportive place, staffed by eager volunteers. You'd much rather do your research there than at the Municipal Archives; believe me (the last time I visited the latter they didn't even have a men's room key!) Besides renting films from Salt Lake, you can use a variety of online resources and consult a small library of how-to books. Everything is completely free, except for the rentals, which are about $5.75 per microfilm.

Now, I know what you're thinking: A bunch of guys in white shirts and dark ties are going to start preaching at me. NO!! Trust me on that one; proselytizing is not allowed in any FHC, and they really keep to their word. Most of the volunteers are not missionaries, anyhow, but amateur genealogists, just like you, except typically better. The Latter Day Saints Church has the best in the business. Use 'em.

Researching YOUR New York History

2007-10-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

If your family has been in NYC for any length of time, then the best way to learn some of the social history of this town is to research your own genealogy. OK, I know what you're thinking; genealogy is a lot of stuffy nonsense about "pedigrees" - a hobby for those who want to get into the Daughters of the American Revolution or some other group. Well, wrong. What we're talking about here is family history, and what your family has done is intimately tied to the history of NYC.

An example: I've long had a professional interest in the Lower East Side because so many people have descended from immigrants settling there. But it wasn't until I found, through Census records and old City Directories, that my own family had roots there going back to the 1840s when Ludwig Meyer, a tailor from Alsace, France, set up residence in the area, that my fascination with the place really grew. Ludwig and his progeny, along with several other branches of my family, were part of the huge migration of Germans to the Lower East Side in the 1840s and 50s. At that time the place was actually called "Kleindeutschland," or "Little Germany." Why would a Frenchman settle amongst Germans? Of course, he was from Alsace, a region of France close to Germany.

As I dug through records, a process made much easier nowadays due to online resources such as Ancestry, Kleindeutschland really came alive to me.Everything fell into place.

Another example: we don't read much about New York's contribution to the Civil War. Two of my ancestors, I learned, served in that war, and I was easily able to order their Army records from the feds. History comes alive when it's your own.

Some practical stuff on family history will follow.

Honoring Chaplain Mychal Judge with a Church In Dallas

2007-10-21T21:02:00.000-04:00

Friends will know that I'm big on honoring the memory of Fr. Mychal Judge, the FDNY chaplain killed on 9/11. In a nation where the term "Christian" has come to mean "arrogant, right-wing, Bible-thumping bore," it's easy to forget what the term really stands for. And Judge was the real thing, dedicating his life not only to firefighters, but to many whom the Catholic church has turned its back on. I've heard of a movement to have Fr. Mychal canonized. That's great, but given the leanings of the current occupants of Vatican City, we shouldn't hold our breath.

In the meantime, some folks in Dallas have taken the daring move of naming their church for "St Mychal." No, this isn't the "official" RC Church, but apparently a spin off of the Dutch Old Catholic Church. Take a look at their web site. Mychal would be pleasantly amused, I think.

Let's Abolish "Fedders Houses!"

2007-10-21T20:45:00.000-04:00

You've seen them - those cheap-looking brick 2 and 3-family homes, sometimes with a garage, that developers are throwing up all over Queens. They call 'em "Fedders" houses on account of the air conditioner covers that typically adorn them.

Fedders Houses have no class. They're certainly not ritzy. Nor do they have the funky charm so evident in many working-class communities. No, they are just boxes for people.

NYC Was Not A Haven for Abolitionists

2006-03-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

YC was a hotbed of Abolitionist ferver, right? Wrong. True, we had Henry Ward Beecher, packing thousands weekly into Brooklyn Heights's Plymouth Church (dubbed the Grand Central Depot of the Underground Railroad) to hear his tyrades and donate money for rifles to be sent to anti-slavery settlers in Kansas (in boxes labeled "Bibles"). And we contributed some fierce soldiers to the Civil War. But although slavery was illegal in NY since the 1820s, that did not mean that everyone here was gung-ho to fight a war to end the practice in other states, as the Civil War Draft Riots demonstrated so shockingly. Why?

The primary reason was a fear of unemployment, chiefly amongst the largely uneducated immigrants. If slavery were ended, they feared, thousands of freed blacks would come to the northern cities looking for work, competing with them for jobs. Of course, this did not happen right after the Civil War, but that constitutes hindsight. People act according to what they perceive their best interest to be at the time.

Another factor was the Bounty system. Middle and upper class New Yorkers could essentially buy their way out of military service. Just as working class kids resented the college boys with their student deferments during the Vietnam war, the poor Irish and German immigrants who could not afford to buy their way out of the Civil War were not thrilled by this arrangement. Beecher may have roared "Give me war, redder than blood and fiercer than fire!" but he didn't enlist.

The Origin of Housing Projects

2006-03-10T19:26:00.000-05:00

To many New Yorkers the mere mention of the Housing Authority’s “Projects” calls to mind what? Drug dealers? Litter and graffiti? Violence? It’s easy to forget that public housing began as a noble experiment in providing decent homes for working people of modest means (ant that perhaps this ideal can be restored). In the meantime, a look at the history of the NYC Housing Authority provides some interesting insights into the mindsets of those who created its developments, to some extent as a form of social engineering.

I urge everyone to visit the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street in order to see what life was like for many thousands of poor New Yorkers in days past. Not only were the tenements crowded, but sanitary facilities were in short supply. Such buildings were considered not only inhumane, but a threat to the public order, in that they contributed to problems such as crime. Towards the end of the 19th Century assorted philanthropists, such as the famous A. T. White started creating model housing for working class families on a private basis. These were not charities, per se, but enlightened corporations whose owners believed that they could achieve a decent return on their investment while providing a public service (White’s motto was “Philanthropy plus five percent.”) Imagine telling a contemporary real estate developer in this town that they should build modest-priced housing and be content with such a rate of return! The experimental developments were innovative, but there never were nearly enough of them.

Enter the Great Depression, and the infusion of Federal relief funds. In 1934 Mayor LaGuardia initiated the New York City Housing Authority, an agency which, like any of the other public authorities which were emerging, was a semi-autonomous agency. NYCHA’s first development was called, of all things, the First Houses, opened a year later and was located on the Lower East Side. Instead of building entirely new structures, the Authority took several blocks of existing tenements; knocked down every third building in order to provide light, ventilation and some open space, and renovated the remaining apartments. Thousands of New Yorkers applied for these dwellings.

Soon afterwards larger NYCHA developments were opening, most consisting of high-rise buildings in large groupings. A popular design concept for such projects was the “Tower in the Park” model, in which tall structures, many of which featured four wings in a cross shape, stood in a landscaped area featuring trees, lawns, paths and playgrounds. Although some of these buildings were quite ugly, to this day one can see some good landscaping in certain NYCHA developments. Still, these projects were rather bare-bones affairs. Bureaucrats such as Robert Moses saw no need for luxuries such as toilet lids, and many of the buildings had elevators which stopped only at every other floor. I have visited many people who live in these buildings, and have been appalled by the smallness of their quarters. In many NYCHA kitchens it seems possible to use the stove, sink and refrigerator without moving one’s feet. Moses and Company also tended to locate the new developments in out-of-the-way areas, which is why you will find so many projects in places such as Coney Island and Far Rockaway.

Project life was anything but anarchy in those days. Tenants needed references and were required to abide by strict codes of behavior. Most were hard-working people who took great pride in their homes. What happened? I guess that depends partially upon whom you ask. But from what I have read, income limits for admission to NYCHA buildings failed to keep pace with inflation, with the result that most working people were considered too wealthy to qualify. At the same time, thousands of welfare recipients were moved into the projects, often because these were the only places whose rents they could afford. The City also had a policy of placing those who lost their homes due to fires in public housing, and guess what happened next? Then came the drugs and criminals.

Many experts blame the design of the mega NYCHA complexes for some of the problems their residents face. Putting huge numbers of unemployed people in out-of-the-way places loaded with drug dealers and other vermin did not exactly provide young people with good role models! The high-rise buildings were also difficult for the police to patrol. Starting in the Sixties housing theorists began to argue for smaller-scale developments, spread throughout the community. But at the same time funds for the construction of new public housing were drying up. Besides, who wanted a project in their back yard?

In recent years, many of the projects have made a remarkable comeback. They are well-maintained and patrolled, as residents partner with the police and other agencies to keep the trouble makers out. Some have butterfly gardens!

Why do They Call It Union Square?

2006-03-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

Many people presume that this well-known park got its name from its
proximity to the headquarters of many trade unions. Indeed, the area has
long been associated with labor, as well as grassroots and radical causes.
On the night in 1927 that Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti ("Anarchist
Bastards," according to the judge who sentenced them) were executed in
Massachusetts, a huge rally was held for them in the Square.

Alas, the real reason for the name is more mundane: it is at the union of
two major north-south thoroughfares: Broadway and 4th (aka Park) Ave.

The Great Cadaver Riot of 1788

2006-03-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

The current scandal regarding the illegal "harvesting" of body parts by
"tissue banks" ain't nothin' compared to the brouhaha in 1788, when it was
discovered that medical students and doctors were robbing graves in order
to obtain cadavers.

At that time doctors had neither refrigeration nor embalming to keep the
bodies which they studied ....errrrr..... fresh. So, there was a great need
for new cadavers by hospitals and medical schools. So, they employed
hospital staff to recruit study subjects from local cemeteries.

Needless to say, the public was not pleased to learn of this. In addition
to the anger which one could be expected to experience at learning that a
loved one's remains had been snatched, there was also the prevailing
superstition of the day, which held that people who were not properly
interred could not "rest in peace," and would come back as ghosts. As word
spread of the practice, a huge mob invaded New York Hospital, snatching all
the cadavers and taking them back to the cemetery for proper burial. They
also captured many of the medical students and doctors.

The civil authorities of the day were somewhat accustomed to rioting; it
was a fairly common occurrence, and in this case they sympathized with the
crowd's outrage. After a time they negotiated with the mob to have the
medical personnel turned over to them, so that they could be imprisoned.
This was done, but the people were still furious. They demanded (and got)
the right to search academic institutions and even the doctors' houses for
more corpses. Following this, the growing crowd besieged the jail, intent
upon inflicting frontier justice on the doctors. Eventually a large militia
was brought in, and the crowd disbursed, but not before three rioters were
killed. On the defender's side, those attacked included NY Governor
Clinton, General von Steuben (yes, the parade's namesake) and future
Justice Department chief John Jay.

The MTA's $2 Sightseeing Tour

2006-02-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

From time to time the Transit Authority has tried various projects geared towards history buffs and tourists. I am not referring to those. Instead, I am suggesting a great way to learn more about our neighborhoods and architecture for a mere two bucks- just by taking a local bus.

The height of a city bus gives one the chance to see the upper portions of many buildings which are difficult to see from the street. The best views are usually found from the same side of the bus as the driver's seat. Since traffic moves to the right, this allows you some distance from the buildings on the other side of the street upon which you're riding - great for viewing above storefronts.

I hopped the Q32 bus today - a line which runs from Jackson Heights, Queens to Penn Station via 60th Street and 5th Ave. It's amazing to see what's above the ground level of so many buildings. For one thing, I noted how many buildings that hold stores were originally brownstones. There is also all manner of terra cotta and other architectural detail that you just can't see from the sidewalk.

Try it sometime.

Why did the Italians Go Republican?

2006-02-07T19:51:00.000-05:00

Historically, most immigrant groups coming to this town have voted for Democrats, and have established a notable presence in that party. But why were the Italians different? After all, they arrived at about the same time as the Eastern European Jews and the first wave of Chinese.

The answer is Tammany Hall, the great political machine, which for some reason never really reached out to the thousands of mostly poor immigrants who came from Italy. Although usually portrayed as a very Irish institution, Tammany had also embraced the Germans, Jews, and other recent arrivals, offering needed services and help in becoming citizens - who would then remember the favor. It was not uncommon for a Tammany politico to run from Irish pub to synagogue to ratskeller to meet with constituents.

Why the Italians? Some have argued that the Italians were more conservative to begin with, but there is no real evidence to support this, other than sentimental musings about their strong "family values," which are supposed to be a conservative trait. And certainly the Republican party was not the solidly conservative institution that it is now. I think that one reason why Tammany ignored the early Italians was simple prejudice, both ethnic and religious. The German Catholics were not a terribly religious bunch, but when they did practice their faith it was not that different from that practiced by the Irish. The Lutheran Germans were from another church, but their style was not that different. They were also Northern Europeans. The Jews, both the early migrants from Germany and the later wave of Eastern Europeans, practiced a different religion, and the Tammany honchos were ready to accept them. But the Italians were Southern Europeans, and their Catholicism was very different from their predecessors'. There was much more emphasis upon feast days and saints, things which struck the Irish and Germans as primitive and bordering on paganism. The Italians also did not hold clergy in the high esteem that others did, often due to the fact that back in Italy priests came heavily from the more wealthy classes. Indeed, many Catholic churches did not even permit the Italians to worship in the same sanctuary as the other immigrants; they were consigned to the basement. Perhaps this resentment of the Italians spilled over into politics.

Of course, other groups moved in to try and recruit the Italians. Protestant missionaries were active in trying to recruit them to their churches, with some success. And meanwhile, the Italians, wanting to become Americans just like any other ethnic group, went where they were welcome - to the Republicans. Witness Mayor LaGuardia, the first Italian American to occupy City Hall.

In the future, as Italians moved into the mainstream, the political machine recognized that they should be courted, and many in the subsequent generations became Democrats. But political affiliation is often a family affair, and many others stayed Republican.

The Two Sides of Tammany Hall

2006-01-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

Tammany Hall - the hotbed of corruption and "machine politics." For over 100 years the Society of Tammany or Columbian Order, as it was formally known, dominated politics in our city, siphoning off millions of dollars in tax revenues for its crooked members and their cronies. Everybody knew Tammany Hall was crooked. So why were Tammany politicians so often in power?

Well, one reason is simple: the Tammany bosses brought home the goods. Just like contemporary representatives who try and get big chunks of Homeland Security money for their consituents, the machine politicians saw to it that their followers got a piece of the pie (while taking a good chunk of it for themselves as a finder's fee, of course). Their constituency ran heavily towards the poor and working classes, recent immigrants and lower-level civil servants. These folks needed help from time to time, and the local party boss was one of the few people to whom your average cartman or widow could turn to in the event of, say, a major fire or the need for a job. Institutionalized welfare at the time was in short supply, and the private charities overburdened. But the Ward Boss would often be amongst the first on the scene in the event of trouble. And he could be approached by anyone.

Of course, there were the "Goo-Goos," as advocates of Good Government were known, who were outraged at what Tammany was doing. They were right; Tammany was crooked as hell. What's more, the brazen machine politicians often saw nothing wrong with what they were doing; some called it "Honest Graft." The nerve of them! But who were the Goo-Goos?

Mostly, they were drawn from the upper classes, those who paid the most taxes and were educated. They could see what was happening with their tax money, and were understandably outraged. But to millions of ordinary folks, idealism and the pursuit of honesty did not pay the rent. Tammany not only provided services, but a first step onto the ladder of political influence. One did not need much formal education or "proper breeding" to move into government; all it took was the will to do some favors for the local boss, like electioneering or kicking back a portion of one's salary for a while in return for help in getting the job.

Great NYC Cocktails

2006-01-05T11:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! In this installment we talk about some of the most famous potables which have been invented, or popularized, in our town. Even if you don't drink, these tales make great holiday party banter. All recipes cited here are from www.epicurious.com .

Much of cocktail history is folklore, legend or simply imagination. Let's face it, alcohol doesn't exactly help the memory process! And there are numerous variations on each recipe. In deciding upon which to list here, I have elected that which seems closest to the traditional.

THE MANHATTAN

The best-known of drinks named for our town, this concoction was allegedly invented by a bartender at the Manhattan Club in 1874 to celebrate the election of Governor Samuel Tilden. There are lots of variations, including a Spanish Manhattan, which is made with sherry. But the following seems pretty close to the Classic:

2 and 1/2 ounces blended whiskey
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters
3 or 4 ice cubes
1 Maraschino cherry

Mix all the ingredients but the cherry in a mixing glass. Stir them well, then strain. Add the cherry.

BRONX COCKTAIL

Waladorf Astoria Hotel bartender Johnny Solon invented this one around 1900. Quoting the mixologist himself:

"No, it wasn't really named after the borough, or the river so-called. I had been in the Bronx Zoo a day or so before, and I saw, of course, a lot of beasts I had never known. Customers used to tell me of the strange animals they saw after a lot of mixed drinks. So when Treverson said to me, as he started to take the drink to the customer, 'What'll I tell him is the name of the drink?' I thought of those animals and said, 'Oh, you can tell him it is a Bronx.'"

1 and 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 or 4 ice cubs.

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass. Stir well. Strain.

THE JACK ROSE COCKTAIL

"Bald Jack" Rose, born Jacob Rosensweig, was a well-known Midtown gambling boss shortly before the time of World War I. He became heavily involved in the famous Becker-Rosenthal case, in which an NYPD detective was convicted of ordering the murder of a mobster who had gone to the press regarding police corruption. In later life Bald Jack became a caterer, and this drink is named for him:

1 and 1/2 oz applejack
1/2 oz grenadine
1 and 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake vigorously, and strain.

BRANDY ALEXANDER

New York wit Alexander Woolcott reportedly came up with this drink in the 1920's. Speaking of its potency, actress Helen Hayes recalled:

"The lethal mixture tasted like ice cream....I drank one down, and took another and drank it down, and I was blind."

Ms Hayes at the time was looking to get rid of a large piano which she owned. But the alcohol content of her blood stream caused her to make the offer, "Anyone who wants my piano is willing to it." Hearing this, playwright George S. Kaufman replied, "That's very seldom of you, Helen."

See if you can speak a coherent sentence after a couple of these:

3/4 oz brandy
3/4 oz crème de cacao
3/4 oz heavy cream
2 dashes Angostura bitters
ice
Combine all ingredients; shake vigorously; strain.

There are some legends that the Martini was invented in New York. One popular tale has a Waldorf bartender creating it for John D. Rockefeller. Too bad old J.D. was a devout Baptist, and didn't touch the stuff.

Additional sources:
Robert Hendrickson, NEW YAWK TAWK, NY, Checkmark Books, 1998.
Andy Logan, AGAINST THE EVIDENCE - THE BECKER ROSENTHAL AFFAIR, NY, Avon Books, 1972.

When Long Island City Really Was a City

2005-12-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Most of us know that Brooklyn was a seperate city up until 1898, when the City Charter was approved and the Five Boroughs were consolidated. Less known is that the western portion of what was then Queens County was, indeed, a seperate city for a mere 28 years, with its own government, police and schools, one of which still stands and is a popular cultural institution.

During most of the 19th Century the County of Queens extended all the way to Suffolk County. Nassau did not exist. Much of the area was very rural, and consisted of seperate villages and towns, with no centralized street system. The county seat was Newtown, near the old Elks Lodge on Queens Blvd.

The Western portion of the county was somewhat more built-up, and had a growing population, including many immigrants from Ireland and Germany. Feeling short-changed by the present system, the residents of Western Queens elected to form their own city effective 1870. Long Island City became the new county seat for Queens, which made sense because it was also the terminus for most of the railroads which at the time were the principle form of land transportation. It was also a short ferry ride from Manhattan, and across narrow Newtown Creek from Brooklyn. The area near the present 45th Road/Courthouse Square stop on the 7 train became the city's Gold Coast, with many beautiful rowhouses.

The boundaries of LIC were the East River on the west, Long Island Sound on the north, Newtown Creek on the south, and the now vanished "Old Bowery Road" on the east. Exactly where the road passed is a matter of some debate for local historians. In the northern part of LIC it followed Hazen Street. Indeed, once you cross Hazen into Elmhurst, you will notice that the street grid changes radically. In the south, estimates for the road's location vary from 48th to 52 Streets. I tend to think that the latter is probably closer.

One of the greatest industries for LIC, and for Queens in general at the time, was death. Laws severely limited burials in Manhattan, and soon huge cemetaries were being created in Queens, typically owned by religious organizations. Going to the cemetary was not ncessarily a somber experience at the time. In an era when many New Yorkers lived in crowded tenements with little open space, a trip to visit Grandma's grave in beautiful new Calvary Cemetary was often quite litterally a picnic for the whole family. An Irish immigrant named Patrick Jerome Gleason created a horsecar line to take folks to the cemetaries, and quickly got rich. "Battle Axe" Gleason, as he was known, served as Mayor of LIC, with a reign of corruption that would make Boss Tweed jealous.

1898 saw the ratification of the City Charter and the demise of LIC, although the name is still utilized to designate parts of Western Queens, especially near Hunter's Point.

The one well-preserved government building from the LIC era was Ward School One, today known as the PS1 Museum.

The Vanishing NYC News Stand

2005-11-04T18:42:00.000-05:00

This year’s Chucky Cheesy Award for the Mall-ification of Manhattan goes to the Grand Central Partnership, who has been helping to eliminate the colorful diversity in street fixtures in its area through such ‘improvements’ as the above “Prototype Newsstand” and street planter, both found along Lexington Avenue in the early 50s.

For generations the NYC newsstand has been more than a place to get a paper. It’s served as a candy store, stationer, pharmacy and tourist information kiosk, typically staffed by a succession of new New Yorkers. Each one has been slightly unique, and its chaotic quality reflected our town. Just as the big chains have largely destroyed the funky independent book stores, these ‘quaint-icized’ sardine cans are just one more step towards making our town look like a giant mall.

A poster on the side of this stand boasts of the Partnership’s success in the elimination of “unsightly street furniture” -read benches where elderly, frail or tired New Yorkers could rest their feet for a moment. (Could this also be part of an attempt to make the area less hospitable to the homeless?) GCP also bragged about its hundreds of street planters, all of which seem to sport the same design. Now, I have nothing against sidewalk planters, even though I am aware that the real reason for the existence of so many of these is not horticultural, but to stop would-be car bombers (just note where they are located). But BCP seems to have adopted a “one size fits all” approach to their style. The planter shown here may be appropriate in front of a stodgy old hotel, but I found it in front of the Citicorp Center. It’s an ill match indeed!

What makes our town (and the other great cities of the world) special has been precisely what groups like the GCT have been trying to eliminate. Chaotic newsstands are part of our history, just like musty book stores. When visitors come here, what do they want to see? Stuff they can find at their local mall?

"Blinkies," "Punch Drunks" and Other Famous NYC Beggars

2005-10-29T23:18:00.000-04:00

Making it is tough in this city, especially for a panhandler. Let's face it, you have to be good to get a jaded New Yorker to fork over some loose change. In this installment we will look at some of the more colorful, not-always-honest mendicants in our town's history.

Up until about the time of the New Deal care of indigent New Yorkers was generally provided by crowded, depressing institutions such as the municipal Almshouse on what is now Roosevelt Island, or vermin-infested sleeping quarters located in local police precinct houses. Compared to life in such a place, panhandling was a practical option. Amongst the ranks of those who solicited to survive were a large number of people with visible infirmities, often the results of wartime injuries. A person with such an affliction was clearly more likely to obtain money from strangers than a well-appearing counterpart, and it eventually dawned upon a few entrepreneurs that profits could be made in teaching the able-bodied to appear infirm, and to supply them with the requisite props. The result were a number of 19th Century establishments known as "Cripple Factories," Fagin-esque academies where one could learn the art of appearing blind, or borrow a false prosthesis which could fit over a healthy extremity. After a day of begging the student would no doubt have developed quite a thirst, which could be conveniently quenched at the saloon with which the school was affiliated.

"Blinkies," as those feigning blindness were termed, could be so skilled in their craft that only a physician was able to determine whether they were malingering. And this was exactly what the City tried to do in 1937 when it instituted a unique program called the Beggars Clinic. Since being a vagrant was technically illegal, panhandlers were rounded up by the Police Mendicant Squad (a rather low-status assignment within the Department) and brought to the Night Court, where a team of medical personnel would determine if their disabilities were real. In the case of alleged blindness, the doctor would shine a light into the beggar's eye. If the suspect were truly blind, the theory stated, his or her eyes would not blink. (Of course, it may be argued that the majority of people meeting the legal standards for blindness have a small amount of residual vision, and their eyes would probably react to the bright light as well). Those judged to be legitimately incapacitated were brought to charitable agencies for assistance, while the rest were charged with indigence. How successful the Beggars Clinic could be will never be known; budget cuts forced it to close only a year later.

One particularly tragic type of solicitor who was well-known during the rough-and-ready days of boxing in our town was the "PD," or "Punch Drunk." Victims of brain damage caused by too many blows to the head, PD's would often be seen outside out of arenas where boxing matches were conducted. Considering them bad for business, a few boxing promoters would agree to give their local PD's generous payments in return for their not begging in front of their premises.
Other panhandlers chose to rely upon outrageous conduct in order to dramatize the alleged severity of their plight. The Safety Pin King was a fixture in front of the Empire Hotel in the 1930's. As aghast tourists looked on, he would proceed to swallow pins and other metal objects while asking for change. Eventually the police brought him in for a medical examination, which revealed no permanent damage to his no doubt rugged digestive tract, and he was then sent to a mental hospital. "Diving" was a strategy which was typically utilized by several beggars working together. When a likely donor was spotted, a crust of bread would be tossed into the gutter by one of the participants in the scheme. Immediately accomplices would dive upon it, often convincing the passer-by to take pity upon them. "Nibblers" would stand outside a restaurant, pretending to gnaw upon a small scrap of stale bread, hoping that those who had just partaken of an expensive meal could be shamed into reaching into their pockets.

Popular opinion regarding solicitation has always been sharply divided in NYC. Despite the notion prevailing in much of America that ours is a bastion of "bleeding heart liberalism," both official policy and informal attitudes have usually been quite hostile to panhandlers. Stories have always abounded of beggars carrying their wheelchairs up and down subway stairs, blind performers spotting approaching trouble and the now cliche "Spare some change for something to eat?" But despite this animosity many New Yorkers do continue to give. At the same time, local mendicants have continued to find new and creative ways to appeal for funds, and to locate the best sites for their craft. The theatre district has been an historically fertile turf, as have the subway lines which run beneath it. It may be that Broadway audiences are flush with cash (as one must be to afford dinner and a show nowadays!). Or perhaps theatre fans appreciate the ongoing drama and comedy in a town where, to paraphrase the Bard, all the sidewalks are a stage.
Sources:
Luc Sant, Low Life, NY, Vintage Books, 1991.
Meyer Berger, The Eight Million, NY, Columbia University Press, 1983.

Why do they call it an "Egg Cream?"

2005-10-29T23:16:00.000-04:00

It isn't made with eggs, or cream. This famous soda fountain concoction was a favorite for many of us, and is currently enjoying a comeback in many restaurants and diners. A mixture of milk, syrup and seltzer water, just how it got its name is one of those things nobody seems to know for sure. But recently a friend gave me a copy of the 1983 edition of NYC ACCESS, which attempts to explain the drink's origins.
According to NYCA, the original egg cream was produced in Manhattan. The syrup which was used was made with eggs, and cream was used to give it a richer taste. Later milk and regular syrup were employed, but the name was kept. However, recently I discussed the matter with a Bronx native who recalls getting a drink with the same name that had egg whites added to make it more frothy. If any of you wish to share your own experiences with this beverage, please feel free.

The egg and cream issues aside, most locals agree that traditional New York egg creams were made by placing a small amount of chocolate or vanilla syrup at the bottom of a tall glass. To this was added a few ounces of very cold milk. Just like a properly-poured pint of Guinness, there was a certain art in the preparation of a good egg cream. A good "soda jerk," as fountain counter servers were frequently called, would first inject a brief spurt of seltzer straight down into the syrup in order to cause it to mix with the milk. They would then fill it to the top by directing the stream against the side of the glass, to avoid creating too much foam.
As soda fountains and ice cream parlors disappeared, true egg creams became harder and harder to find. Some of us tried making our own, but unless you could get real seltzer water delivered to your home, the results were usually rather lame. I am happy to report, however, that more and more restaurants around town are again offering the real thing. At one place I visited the waitress actually brought the siphon bottle to our table.

The Coney Island Bicycle Railroad

2005-10-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

New York has seen some creative approaches to transit, from the pneumatic subway secretly built under Broadway to the helicopter pad that once sat atop the Pan Am building. But for sheer originality, nothing compares with the experimental rail line built by a Mr. Boynton in 1879.

Boynton's idea was simplicity in itself: adapt bicycle technology to railroading. Conventional trains required over a ton of equipment per passenger, and much of the energy that they expended was wasted due to factors such as wind resistance and side sway. But Boynton was convinced that a system incorporating a single rail on the ground, plus another on the top of the train for stability, would not only be more efficient, but could transport people at the then-unheard-of rate of over 60 miles per hour. Brimming with enthusiasm, he set up an experimental line approximately a mile long in the grasslands of Coney Island. His locomotive, which was dubbed "The Flying Billboard" by some critics, weighed a scant 4 tons, and pulled a series of double-decker passenger coaches only 4 feet wide. In test runs the train indeed hit sixty MPH, and could have conceivably gone much faster, had there been sufficient track for it to reach full velocity, and the ride was so smooth that the upper rail hardly seemed necessary. The public was impressed, although some doctors expressed the then-popular notion that such high rates of travel could be dangerous to passengers' health. Boynton began to propose rebuilding the city's elevated lines to accommodate his new technology, and spoke of inter-urban lines to Boston.

Although Boynton's invention fascinated many scientists and engineers of his day, he was never able to garner enough backing to expand beyond his small demonstration line in Brooklyn. Railroad historians, however, believe that his major handicap was simply being born a century too soon, as modern monorails incorporate the same principles which he advocated in 1879.

A High-Pressure Fire Pumping Station

2005-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

In the past not all fire hydrants were created equal. Some were connected to a special high pressure water system maintained by the FDNY for major fires.

The High Pressure Fire Service had its own pumping stations. This one, now a private home, is located at the foot of Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Brownstone Brooklyn Coal Chute Covers

2005-09-30T21:06:00.000-04:00

There has become considerable interest lately in the preservation and study of the many different styles of manhole covers to be found on our streets. I think it's time to do the same with coal chute covers. These photos were all taken in the Brooklyn Heights area, mostly on Hicks and Henry Streets.

Just about all brownstones were built in the 19th Century, and were initially heated by coal. In front of each house was a coal chute decorated with the name of the company which supplied the fuel, typically via horse cart. The designs on these covers were not simply decorative; they provided traction so that pedestrians did not slip on them during wet weather.

The bottom photo is of a chute cover owned by the W Taylor company of "Brooklyn, LI." Here is an intact example of a pre-Consolidation address, from when Brooklyn was a separate city.

Double-Decker NYC Busses!

2005-09-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

Here are some vintage double-decker NYC busses. The photos were taken by my fellow transit fan Ben at the Transit Museum's 2005 Bus Fest. Note that some of these busses bore the markings of private bus companies, which used to provide much of the transit in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Views of Hoffman and Swinburne Islands

2005-09-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

Off the coast of Staten Island, roughly parallel to South Beach, lie two man-made islands, now inhabited only by wildlife. Hoffman (the larger) and Swinburne Islands were constructed from landfill and opened in 1872 as a quarantine station for immigrants with contagious diseases. Following the closure of the hospitals the Coast Guard used them for a brief period, and now they are Federal park property.

The hightest view here shows the location of the two islands, between South Beach, Staten Island, and Norton Point, which is the tip of Coney Island.

These pictures came from Google Earth, who allow personal use of them on blogs. Check with Google on copyright restrictions.

A Combination German Menu/Dictionary

2005-09-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

This pamphlet came from the long-gone Steuben Tavern on West 47 Street, circa 1956. What a great idea - a brochure to help patrons pronounce their favorite foods. Can you imagine one in a Vietnamese place?

Bill W - the Unsung Humanitarian

2005-08-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

As you read this, chances are that somebody is quoting Bill W. It might be in a hospital, a jail or perhaps even on board a cruise ship. Indeed, he could easily be considered one of, if not the most widely-quoted (or possibly mis-quoted) Brooklynites of all time. Yet thousands of his followers know little about this man, who was billed by the VILLAGE VOICE as "one of the great unsung humanitarians," whose revolutionary ideas have helped millions.

William Wilson (1895 to 1971) was born on a Vermont farm. His father, an alcoholic, abandoned the family and his mother went away when Bill was young in order to study medicine, leaving him in the care of his grandparents. It was while serving in the Army during World War I that he started drinking heavily, although at first he was able to continue to function in military and then civilian life. Shortly after leaving the service Bill married Lois Burnham, the daughter of a prominent Brooklyn Heights physician, and the two settled in her parents' brownstone at 182 Clinton Street. The young veteran soon became successful on Wall Street, where he showed a knack for investigating companies for potential investors. Success and a loving wife did not stop his drinking, however, which steadily worsened to the point where he lost several jobs and was practically helpless.

What started Bill on the road to sobriety was actually a combination of factors. He had been treated at local hospitals for alcoholism, with little long-term success, but it was during one such hospitalization that he began to get the then novel idea that what he was suffering from was actually a medical problem, and not simply a matter of poor restraint. At the same time, he recognized that recovery from the affliction could not come about without a sincere effort at self-development. A philosophy termed the Oxford Movement was widely popular at the time, and Bill drew heavily upon its emphasis upon character development and service to others. Bolstered by support from the Oxford group, he managd to start getting his life together again, albeit not without several relapses, and soon was taking his message to fellow drunks, whom he would often bring home to stay at the Clinton Street house. As he did this, Bill stumbled upon a truly keen insight: that helping others to deal with drinking kept HIM sober. By addressing alcoholism as a disease he also helped ease the guilt and denial that often accompany it.

The pivotal meeting which resulted in the rganization of the group which Bill is most famous for occurred in Akron, Ohio durin a 1935 business trip. Alone in a hotel, Bill felt the need for a drink. Rather than succumb, Bill decided to try and find another alcoholic whom he could help. He called a local minister, who put him in touch with Robert Smith, a surgeon whose drinking had rendered him incapable of performing his work. The two hit it off immediately, and soon took their message to a third man. The net result was sobriety for all.

Lois and Bill had no children. While she continued to work, Bill started devoting most of his time to his new organization, which eventually came to be known, of course, as Alcoholics Anonymous. Aided by "Dr Bob," as Smith came to be known, Bill helped develop many of the documents and ideas which formed the backbone of AA's philosophy. Bill read widely, and one of his prize possessions, which he kept in a top desk drawer for constant reference, was a letter from the noted psychiatrist Carl Jung, who agreed with much of the new group's approach to treating addictions. With enthusiastic support from the medical, religious and legal communities, AA grew exponentially. Despite its size, however, the group never forgot the traditions which made it successful, including equality of members, honesty and the healing power of helping others.

When Bill died in 1971 his funeral was held in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Lois helped organize Al-Anon, a parallel organization for families of alcoholics which is based upon the same principles as AA. Nowadays some of the ideas and slogans which Bill hoped promote are sovpopular, given the proliferation of "12-Step" groups, that they have become almost cliches, and are occasionally abused by those do not fully understand them. It is easy to forget just how influential Bill was, and how many lives he has touched.

A REAL New Yorker: FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge

2005-08-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

So much has been written, said and even sung about Father Mychal Judge, the first recorded FDNY 9/11 casualty. I don't intend to repeat what others have said so much more eloquently than yours-truly ever could. The point of listing him here is to show how this Franciscan priest not only exemplified the ideals of his order's founder, but was a true New Yorker in the best sense of the term.

At a time when his religion's leaders were becoming increasingly conservative and intolerant of dissent, and the very term "Christian" was being hijacked by reactionary twits like Pat Robertson, Mychal Judge stood out as the real thing. He celebrated Masses for Dignity, the gay Catholic group, and showed love to everyone - not simply those who strictly subscribed to Rome's teachings. Judge was also, by all accounts I've read, charming, witty and generally fun to be with. He was close friends with the rock band Black 47 - whose leader Larry Kirwan wrote a beautiful ballad in his memory.

NYC is a skeptical town. Pompous, self-righteous Holy Joes who claim to know what is best for everyone else aren't very popular around here. We've heard it all before, from Henry Ward Beecher's womanizing, to rich teenage gurus to the Covenant House scandal. If somebody wants to earn respect while talking about religion, it helps to understand that God's people are a quite varied lot, in terms of their background and lifestyle, and don't always hold to the same creeds. Those who cannot deal with such an idea, or who spout glib moralism while doing the exact opposite, won't last long here. New Yorkers can quickly spot a hypocrite.

We New Yorkers are more interested in how one lives and treats others than formal doctrines. As for vocation, firefighting, driving a patrol car and (yes) even playing rock and roll are just as legitimate a calling as the formal ministry.

Fr. Judge was definitely not a pious Preacher Sam. He was the genuine article, which is why so many people loved him. The term "humility" is derived from the same root as the term "humous." In its most fundamental sense, it means to be "earthy." From this perspective, Mychal was truly a humble man.

I have heard of a movement to push for the canonization of Fr.. Mychal. Not only are the present leaders of Catholicism not very likely to confer such a title on him, but I have the distinct impression that the good padre would laugh heartily at the whole notion.

George Waring, Jr - Recycling Pioneer

2005-08-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

If you think that this town is dirty, you should be glad you didn't live here in the 19th Century, before the time when the famous George Waring, Jr reformed what was then called the Street Cleaning Department. Before then ashes, household trash and dead animals were routinely dumped onto public thoroughfares, which were irregularly cleaned by a hodgepodge of governmental and private concerns.

Waring took office in 1895 and promptly instituted military-style discipline and uniforms for his cleaning staff, suspended ocean dumping and beginning what would nowadays be considered an aggressive recycling program. Organic solid wastes were processed into grease and fertilizer by a privately-operated plant, while scavengers reclaimed old bottles, rags and metals under permits from the City. Tons of street sweepings and ashes were used as landfill. Indeed, most of what is now Rikers Island was created this way.

REAL New York Heroes

2005-08-24T21:00:00.001-04:00

As we approach the 4th Anniversary of You-Know-What I'd like to take the opportunity to honor the memory of some of the great New Yorkers who really made a difference in our town - especially those who are lesser-known. We'll salute a man who (literally) cleaned up NYC by founding what is now the Sanitation Department, a nurse who helped revolutionize home health care and a host of others.

Anyone wish to nominate an unsung hero?

If you paint it, maintain it!

2005-07-28T17:58:00.000-04:00

This colorful mural was created beneath an underpass near an entrance to the Bronx Zoo. As you can see, it was defaced by some wiseguy who wanted to make a unique artistic "statement."

Those who advocate murals in public spaces need to be responsible for them. If somebody defaces the mural, then the people who sponsored it ought to have it immediately re-painted. This is the best way to stop graffiti; get rid of it as soon as it appears. Ideally, murals should be covered with a special graffiti-proof sealant, so that any future vandalism can simply be wiped off.

From Chaos to Energy: Natural Gas in NYC

2005-07-25T21:47:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about studying our town's history is that just about everything is on such a grand scale as to be interesting. Let us look at a utility which most New Yorkers take for granted, except when heating bills start to increase.

Natural gas has been known to exist since ancient times, although it has only been within the last fifty years that the infrastructure has existed to bring this fuel to Gotham. For most of our history, gas has had to be manufactured, and it was a discovery by the Belgian alchemist Jean Baptiste van Helmont in 1609 that started humanity in this direction, through an experiment similar to that performed today in countless high school science laboratories. Hoping to turn common materials into gold (the dream of all alchemists) van Helmont noticed that, when certain substances were heated to high temperatures, they gave off what appeared to be two separate gaseous byproducts. The first, of course, was smoke, but the other, invisible matter was something the Greeks called "chaos," or 'wild spirit.' Van Helmont called the substance "gas."

Scientists may have been fascinated by gas, but they lacked the means to effectively and safely harness it. It was not until 1792 that William Murdock, inventor of the locomotive, discovered that he could light his house with the gas which he derived from heating coal, and shortly thereafter, the cities of London, Paris and Baltimore began experimenting with street lighting powered by coal gas delivered through underground pipes. Not everyone was thrilled with the idea at first. Napoleon called it "foolishness," while Sir Walter Scott dubbed its English proponent a "madman." Besides the fear of this new technology, gas developers had also to contend with opposition from chandlers (candle manufacturers), as well as whalers, who supplied much of the oil used to fuel lamps of that day. Nevertheless, the fledgling industry grew, and gas lighting came to New York in 1828.

Gas in New York was produced from a variety of substances, including coal, oil and rosin, in plants known as "gas houses." Since the heating of coal created large quantities of foul-smelling sulfur, the areas in which these early structures were located were not exactly prime real estate, with two of the more infamous zones being the legendary "Gashouse District" on the East Side between approximately 14th and 27th Streets, and the Gowanus Canal area in South Brooklyn (which we tour on our Carroll Gardens walks). Initially used primarily for lighting, gas was prohibitively expensive, although prices did come down considerably after more companies began to compete. Since nobody had yet developed a metering system for the new utility, suppliers charged each customer by the number of lamps they had. Every evening at about 10:30 an inspector would come around, rap his cane on the sidewalk for attention, and cry "Lights out!," at which time homeowners were expected to extinguish their gas lamps and switch to lanterns or candles. Should his orders not be heeded, the inspector had the authority to turn off the lights himself.

In 1884 many of the independent firms supplying Manhattan joined to form the Consolidated Gas Company of New York, the predecessor to you-know-whom. At about this time the industry encountered its most serious competition so far - electric lighting. The newly-opened Brooklyn Bridge was illuminated by this new technology, and Thomas Edison himself opened the city's first generating plant on Pearl Street in 1882. Bit by bit the City made the transition to incandescent street lighting, until in 1903 the final strip of gas lamps on a portion of Fifth Avenue were extinguished for good. Luckily for the suppliers, New Yorkers were finding new uses for their products, and gas cooking became popular, with the first stoves being brought from England around the turn of the century.

As the technology for producing gas from coal improved, plants became more efficient, and were able to harness a number of useful byproducts from the process. Coal tar has been used in the manufacturing of everything from perfumes to waterproofing to the artificial sweetener saccharin, while a substance known as lampblack has been employed to make ink, paint and synthetic rubber. Useful as these derivatives were, the coal plants became obsolete in the 1950's when New York was able to receive natural gas via pipeline.

Today all of New York City's gas comes from natural sources. Clean and odorless, it is still the preferred cooking fuel, and has made serious inroads for home heating. (The familiar odor that we associate with the substance is actually a second, inert gas which is added by utility companies in order to make it easy to detect potentially dangerous leaks). Probably the biggest dangers to our town's gas supply in the foreseeable future are depleting reserves and high prices. Who knows? If natural gas becomes too expensive or scarce the era of the gas house may return.

A Lush Oasis in Chelsea

2005-07-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

Such a bucolic academic setting as this really does exist right in the midst of Manhattan. These shots were taken at General Theological Seminary, which occupies the entire block along 9 Ave between 20 and 21 Street. As you walk along the streets which border this remarkable place you'll see how it really did at one time sit on the side of a hill.

The Shortest Street in NYC?

2005-07-25T21:28:00.000-04:00

I have not found Moylan Place on any map of Manhattan. It runs under the viaduct which carries the IRT #1 train over 125 Street, just south of that thoroughfare. As you can see, there's barely room to park a single car along its length.

My hunch is that Moylan originally continued through the area now occupied by the Housing Authority's Grant Houses (the brick buildings you see in the photo).

Does anyone have any information on this street?

The Hunter's Point Historic District

2005-07-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

Most of us don't think of Long Island City as having many beautiful rowhouses. But the tiny Hunter's Point Historic District, right off of the 45 Road/Courthouse Square stop on the 7 train, has many interesting examples of late-19th Century homes, most very well-preserved.

Most of the houses are limestone and brick, although there are a couple of sandstone facades. Brownstone never caught on in Queens to any significant degree. Italianate is the most commonly seen architectural style, although you'll also see some Neo-Grec and Romanesque elements.

It's worth a visit to see this beautiful enclave.

The Bogus Opium Den and NYC's WORST Tour Guide

2005-07-16T20:43:00.000-04:00

Imagine this scene: It is sometime around the end of the 19th century. A young Chinese immigrant is walking along Mott Street in Chinatown when he suddenly finds himself being pointed to by a Cantonese-speaking American who is leading a large group of unfamiliar people. Excitedly, the American
tells his audience that the young man is a hit-man for a sinister "tong" gang. The accusations are groundless, but that does not give the young immigrant much consolation.

Chuck Connors, the self-described "Mayor" of Chinatown, was one of many early tour guides in our City who specialized in sensationalist and not-always- factual excursions through the poorer and more "exotic" parts of town. Catering to a combination of xenophobia, fascination with unfamiliar cultures and the thrill of the slightly dangerous, tour leaders such as Connors would direct their guests, who were often wealthy foreign visitors, through immigrant communities while relying upon their alleged inside-knowledge of the underworld to tell tales of crime, sin and debauchery. Connors was the undisputed king of the trade. He actually spoke some Cantonese, which added to his credibility, and he knew enough about the local community to bill himself as its unofficial "mayor." Eager to bring in tourist dollars, a few local Chinatown entrepreneurs found it profitable to cater to the visitors by constructing such attractions as fake "Buddhist temples," to which they would charge admission. Since the tourists typically had no exposure to Asian culture, they were easily fooled.

The highlight of Connors' tour was a visit to an "opium den." There his guests would listen to tales of degeneracy told by alleged "addicts" and "white slave girls." Although one would think that such 'tabloid tourist' would cater to the unsophisticated, Connors' tour clients included Sir Thomas Lipton and the German royal family.

Sources:
Kenneth Jackson, editor, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW YORK CITY.
Gwen Kinkead, CHINATOWN: A PORTRAIT OF A CLOSED SOCIETY.
Rena Bulkin, FROMMER'S WALKING TOURS OF NEW YORK CITY.
Luc Sant, LOW LIFE.

Copyright 2000 by Historic New York Tours

The Dan Quayle of City Hall

2005-07-16T20:41:00.000-04:00

In 1932 the flamboyant (and incredibly corrupt) Jimmy Walker resigned from the mayoralty in order to join his paramour in Europe. In a special interim election, John Patrick O'Brien was elected to finish the term. Although O'Brien was a Tammany hack just like his predecessors, he lacked some of their gift of blarney. Three incidents speak for themselves:

Attempting to woo the Jewish vote, O'Brien told the assembled members of a synagogue how he had always admired that great scientist "Albert Weinstein."

Speaking before a Harlem audience, O'Brien tried showing some solidarity with the listeners by stating "My heart is as black as yours."

Tammany Hall leaders had been busy trying to convince the press that they had no control over whom the Mayor appointed to various posts. In responding to questions from reporters about whom the new Police Commissioner would be, O'Brien replied, "I don't know. They haven't told me yet."

Source: Robert A. Caro, THE POWER BROKER, NY, Vintage Books, 1975.

Ailanthus: The Tree that Grows in Brooklyn

2005-07-16T10:38:00.000-04:00

"Some people called it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed fell,it made a tree which struggled to reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up lots and neglected rubbish heaps, and it was the only tree that grew out of cement. It grew lushly, but only in the tenement districts."

- Betty Smith, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, 1943.

Everyone has seen the Ailanthus. It grows everywhere. I saw one giant specimen coming out of a window on the third floor of an abandoned building in East New York. Easily distinguished by its long, pointed leaves, Ailanthus Altissima, as the botanists call it, was originally brought to New York from central China in the last century as a street tree. Able to withstand droughts and other harsh conditions in its native land, the Ailanthus was well-equipped for life in the big city. Although its admirers dubbed it The Tree of Heaven the strong odor given off by its flowers gained it the nick-name of Stink Weed.

And like a weed it spread. A single Ailanthus sapling can grow 12 feet per year, and a mature tree may produce 325,000 seeds annually. What's more, the Stink Weed is notoriously difficult to destroy. If you cut one down, new shoots will grow from the stump. City officials banned planting of more trees of this species, but Ailanthus has managed to prosper without any human help. One could liken it to the cockroach in terms of its innate ability to thrive in the worst of environments. Indeed, as Smith remarked, it seems to like urban blight.

In recent years however, Nature has been able to accomplish what people have not. A fungus which attacks Ailanthus has arrived in our area, one which is capable of killing its victims. Although it is too early to tell how serious a threat this poses, it seems safe to say that Ailanthus is here to stay, whether we want it or not.

Source: Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson, WILD NEW YORK, NY, Crown Publishers, 1997.

Copyright 1999 by Historic New York Tours. All rights reserved.

"Dem Bums!" - How the Dodgers got their Nickname

2005-07-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

The Dodgers were probably Brooklyn's most beloved institution. More than a baseball team, they were s source of pride (and more than occasional anguish) amongst all residents of the borough, who displayed a fierce loyalty to the boys who played at Ebbet's Field.

Most of us know that the Dodgers took their name from the fact that so many trolley lines criss-crossed Brooklyn at one time that its residents were sometimes called "Trolley Dodgers." But the source of their affectionate nickname is lesser-known. I have heard it suggested that the term was in affectionate reference to the quantity of alcohol which some of the team's members would consume. The real credit, however, goes to a largely unknown sports fan known to radio audiences only as "The Spirit of Brooklyn."

The Depression years were about as good for Brooklyn baseball as they were for the economy in general. One particular fan, who always had a seat behind home plate, became so disgusted at his team's performance that he took to yelling "Ya bum, ya!" (that's 'You bum, you," for those overseas readers not familiar with Brooklyn accents), whenever a player made a mistake.

The games were broadcast over radio, and sports announcer Sid Mercer took to labeling the anonymous fan "The Spirit of Brooklyn." Soon the nickname caught on, with cartoonist Willard Mullin creating a character of a bum to symbolize the team. Later a five piece band of amateur musicians from Greenpoint, calling themselves The Dodgers Sym-phony, took to performing comical songs from the stands while dressed in bum attire. When an umpire came onto the field they would begin playing "Three Blind Mice," and an opposing pitcher who was knocked out would find himself serenaded with "The Worms Crawl In. The Worms Crawl Out."

In 1955, as every Brooklynite knows, the Dodgers made their home town proud by winning the World Series. For many of us, it was the greatest moment in Brooklyn history since the opening in 1883 of a bridge which led to that certain little island which Walt Whitman dubbed "Gomorra across the East River." Alas, even the fierce loyalty and love of an entire city could not stem the market forces of major league sports, and in 1957 Dodgers President Walter O'Malley (boooo) moved the team to California. Every few years since then we have heard rumors of the beloved Bums returning to their rightful home, but it has never came to be. Brooklyn suffered some tough times since the Dodgers left, but has in recent years has made a mighty rebound in many areas. Prospect Park is being renovated; the Coney Island Mermaid Parade is again held each year and the Downtown area has seen a tremendous renaissance. But the town will never be the same without Dem Bums.

When Mae West Went to Jail for Free Speech

2005-07-16T10:31:00.000-04:00

Of the many stars to be born in my native borough of Brooklyn, few were as outrageous as the daughter of a small-time boxer from Bushwick Avenue named Mary Jane West, better known to the public as you-know-whom. By 1926 Mae had been making a name for herself in the theater and vaudeville, and decided to try her hand at writing plays. Her first production, entitled simply "Sex," failed to gain backing by the major producers of her day, and was bankrolled in part by Mae's mother and Owney Madden, a founder of the famous Cotton Club and a notorious mobster.

The play was set on the waterfront, and told the tale of a good-hearted prostitute who rescues a wealthy society matron who has been drugged by criminals. Rather than thanking her helper, the wealthy woman has her arrested. As revenge, the prostitute persuades the matron's son to marry her, but backs out at the last minute and returns to her true love, a sailor. After opening in New London, Connecticut, the work received disastrous reviews. BILLBOARD wrote:

"Poorly-written, poorly-acted, horribly-staged, SEX does not even contain anything for the dirt seekers."

What the critics had not counted upon, however, was the appeal which such a production would have in a town which was home to a large naval base. The sailors cheered, and soon SEX became a cult play. After it was moved to New York, some papers refused to even print the title. The NEW YORK TIMES ran an ad for "Mae West in that certain play." City Hall at the time was occupied by the none-too-puritanical Jimmy Walker, a friend of Madden. However while Walker was on vacation the administration of the city was turned over to his assistant Joseph McKee, known in some circles as "Holy Joe" for his fanatical Catholicism, and a member of the Society for the Prevention of Vice. As part of a sweep of controversial plays, SEX was raided.

The police offered to drop charges against Mae if she agreed not to resume the play. Recognizing the publicity that could be obtained from such a case, however, Mae stuck to her guns. The courtroom was packed, especially when our persecuted playwright took the stand. A detective testified how "Miss West moved her navel up and down and right to left." Although her sarcastic comments were well received by the gallery, Mae's cocky attitude backfired, and she was sentenced to ten days in the women's prison on Blackwell's (now Roosevelt) Island. (The Riker's Island jail did not open until 1935).

Needless to say, Mae caused quite a stir at the city jail. Ordered to strip for a search she replied "What?! I thought this was a respectable joint." Finding the prison-issued undergarments uncomfortable, Mae brought her own, made of silk. She was given a fairly light assignment dusting, and quickly won the favor of the warden, who considered her "a fine woman." He even took her for lunchtime rides in his car (strictly in the interests of rehabilitation, of course). The other inmates also enjoyed her company, and after being released Mae donated $1,000 to expand the prison library.

Holy Joe's crusade may have temporarily appeased some voters who were concerned about the moral depravity in our fair city, but it also gave Mae more publicity than any agent could provide. Her next theatrical work was entitled THE DRAG, and featured, in its creator's words "Seventeen real-live fairies."

Just what is Brownstone?

2005-07-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

Only in our crazy town can a type of rock be controversial. To most New Yorkers a "Brownstone" signifies a stately 19th Century rowhouse. The rich, chocolate brown stone adorns the fronts of thousands of Manhattan and Brooklyn homes, usually in areas originally populated by the then new urban middle class, as well as many university buildings, churches and other institutions. To others, however, brownstone was an affront to the eye, a symptom of pompous bourgeois bad taste and a nightmare to maintain. The author Edith Wharton called it the ugliest stone she had ever seen.

As we shall see, the history of the use of this stone says a great deal about our city. In the period prior to the 1830's or so, most of the rowhouses being constructed in New York had either brick or wood facades. Alternatives such as marble existed, of course, but these were far too costly for most homeowners to consider, especially since the stone had to be
cut by hand and transported long distances. With the growth of the new urban middle class came a desire for something more sophisticated in appearance than simple brick, and more durable than wood. Brownstone, a type of sandstone, was readily available from quarries located in New Jersey and Connecticut. A form of sedimentary rock which frequently contains fossilized footprints of prehistoric animals, it owed its unique dark brown color to high concentrations of iron, which turned color with exposure to water. Using barges, it could be shipped easily to New York, where it quickly became popular. In Brooklyn, brownstone houses could be found anywhere from Bedford Stuyvessant to Brooklyn Heights and Carroll Gardens.

Houses themselves were not constructed of brownstone, but rather a veneer less than a foot thick was placed on the front of each home, which was actually constructed of brick. The mark of a good brownstone mason was his ability to cut and assemble the blocks of a facade so carefully that it almost appeared to be a single mass of stone. Look for this the next time you are in a brownstone community. The development of steam-powered stone cutting equipment, as well as the continuing expansion of the middle class, eventually caused brownstone to lose some of its appeal as a status symbol. Indeed, many experts on the subject claim that the stone which was quarried and sold to New Yorkers after the Civil War was of significantly poorer quality. As the 19th
Century drew to a close new styles of architecture and other materials were coming into vogue. As a result, almost nothing new was being built using brownstone. Meanwhile, the very composition of the stone was causing headaches for those whose homes were made with it. Brownstone consists of many layers of compressed sediment, and water would easily find its way into the material, causing it to crack and flake.
When layers of brownstone chip away, the stone which remains is often of a substantially different color. This can create some interesting visual effects, but does not exactly create a dignified appearance. In an effort to repair such pock-marked surfaces, many brownstone owners have taken to using special colored cements - a practice which some historic preservationists are quick to condemn. As one can easily imagine, it is difficult to create a stucco compound with the same precise shading and texture of a block of stone quarried over 150 years ago.

The current boom in the renovation of old buildings has created a new market for brownstone, and some quarries in Connecticut are now back in business, although experts disagree over the quality of the material currently being cut. One of the recipients of this newly cut stone is the beautiful Cooper Union building.

Today, fans of brownstone architecture can delight in many stunning examples of the stone's usage, chiefly in Manhattan and the downtown areas of Brooklyn. To sample a good variety of the architectural styles with which the stone was used, I suggest a stroll from Cobble Hill, where the earlier Greek Revival homes dominate, through Boerum Hill and finally Park
Slope, which offers stunning examples of the Neo Grec, Italianate and Romanesque forms. Residents of Queens will be forced to settle for a few isolated houses near the Astoria waterfront. For an interesting example of a modern building constructed with brownstone, see the Bobst Library at New York University, on Washington Square South.

Sources:
Gerald Wolfe, NEW YORK, A GUIDE TO THE METROPOLIS.
Tracie Rozhon, "Brownstone (the Real Thing) Comes Back," NY TIMES, 7/4/2000, p1.

Little Syria: NYC's Early Arab Community

2005-07-12T21:16:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has been to the lower portion of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn or parts of Steinway Street in Astoria knows that NYC has a large Arab population. However, most of us are not aware of its origins, or culture.

The first major group of Arabs in NYC arrived in the latter part of the 19th Century and settled in an area near the current site of the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Most hailed from areas which are now part of the modern nations of Syria and Lebanon, and they soon became successful businesspeople. With the destruction of their area to make room for the tunnel entrance, many relocated to the Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn, opening shops along Atlantic Avenue. In time many moved on to Bay Ridge.

Probably the biggest misconception about these immigrants and their descendents has been about their religion. Although there has been an Islamic presence in NYC since the 19th Century, most of the early Lebanese and Syrian immigrants were either Catholics or members of various Orthodox churches. The Egyptians, of course, were typically Copts. The downtown Brooklyn area still features two of their churches, most notably Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral http://www.stmaron.org/. Although under the jurisdiction of Rome, the Maronites, like other Eastern Rite churches, have traditions which separate them from their Western Catholic brethren - such as married priests. Originally the Church of the Pilgrims, OLL's building was designed by Richard Upjohn, who also created Trinity Church Wall Street, and features doors salvaged from a sunken ocean liner! It is a must-see during any visit to Brooklyn Heights.

Probably the best-known fixture of NYC's Arab community is Sahadi's http://www.sahadis.com/ - Brooklyn's answer to Zabar's. Charlie Sahadi's family have the best selection of dried fruits and nuts anywhere- and at great prices. Even if you have no interest at all in Middle Eastern food, their collection of cheeses, Italian olive oils and other gourmet items makes Sahadi's a delight.

Why do they call it an "Egg Cream?"

2005-07-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

After all, it typically has neither as an ingredient.

I have gotten several inquiries on this topic, typically from folks who have fond memories of this remarkable soda fountain drink, typically made from seltzer water, syrup and a small amount of milk. The origin of the term is a mystery, although some people from the Bronx have told me that they have, indeed, had such concoctions which had a small amount of egg white mixed in -presumably to create a thick, frothy head. And others have told me that they have enjoyed the drink with a small amount of heavy cream, or a dollop of ice cream.

As in a game of Fire Escape Basketball, there are no official rules for making an egg cream. Each "Soda Jerk," (as practitioners of the art have historically been called - and not with derision) has had his/her own recipe. And, like a properly-poured pint of Guinness, there's a certain skill in preparing a good one. But most have called for Fox's U-Bett syrup, milk and real seltzer water - from a fountain or siphon. I have tried homemade egg creams created with bottled seltzer; bottled soda water is to the fountain type what real draught beer is to what you get in a can. It just doesn't cut it.

Fortunately, there has been a revival of interest in the egg cream, and more and more restaurants have been offering them - of varying quality. One place actually made them at your table, with the waitress bringing over a siphon bottle. I've gotten inquiries from many countries asking where one can get a really good egg cream in NYC, and I honestly can't say. If anyone has a recommendation, please post it.

Just who is "Tony the Tour Guy?"

2005-07-12T20:21:00.000-04:00

Back in 1997 I started doing walking tours concentrating upon the more offbeat parts of NYC - typically on weekends and after work. Wanting to maintain a certain separation from my day job (and since most folks seem to have trouble pronouncing my surname) I decided to stick with the nickname "Tony the Tour Guy." It sounded right to me. I'm not a moonlighting history or architecture professor, just a native of Brooklyn (currently residing in Queens) who enjoys learning about our crazy patchwork of a town's history and sharing what he knows with others.

Most of my tours cover Queens, Brooklyn and Roosevelt Island. It's not that I have anything against Manhattan, but there are dozens of folks out there covering the Village, Harlem, SoHo, the Lower East Side, etc - and doing a damn good job of it. I like to think that I've carved a good little niche for myself - especially in the Western Queens areas of Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside. These communities are loaded with fascinating history, great food and loads of really hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people who are doing a wonderful job at helping their neighborhoods and each other.

My "credentials?" Well, I got interested in local history back in 1980 - while taking a graduate course in NYC's future at Columbia, although you could say that I inherited my passion for the subject from my mother, who was always scouting out obscure ethnic eateries and offbeat architecture in Brooklyn. Mostly it was just a hobby of mine until one night in 1996 when I had dinner with a pal who had just quit a job as a guide for a (fortunately now-defunct) double-decker tour bus company. Over plates of bifstec at an Astoria Colombian restaurant, we decided that the only way to really see this town was on foot- and that there was a real need for tours concentrating on the more offbeat, quirky and blue-collar sections of the outer boroughs. We both got our Sightseeing Guide licenses (yes, you need a license from Consumer Affairs to do tours!) and started laying the groundwork. Then my buddy got cold feet, but I was psyched to go. My first tour, in April, 1997, consisted of the Brooklyn Bridge and parts of Fulton Landing.

Since then, I have amassed a collection of dozens of books, periodicals, etc on our town, and have provided tours to unions, religious groups, schools and social clubs, as well as the general public. John Montone interviewed me on WINS Radio for the 75th Anniversary of the Three Stooges. And you'll find my articles on various topics all over tne Net.

If you want to get on my mailing list, just send a message to me at tonythetourguy@yahoo.com