USA

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 106th Anniversary

March 25, 1911 was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in NYC and one of the deadliest in US history. It occurred at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory at 23-29 Washington Place in Greenwich Village. 146 garment workers  – 123 women and 23 men died. Some jumped to their deaths because entrances were blocked, others died from smoke inhalation, falling, and fire. The oldest victim was Providenza Panno, 43 and the youngest Kate Leone and Rosaria “Sara” Maltese, 14. Most garment workers were Jewish and Italian immigrants. Continue reading →

Grand Central Terminal Behind the Scenes

We’ve been eying this tour since the summer. We read it gets really hot in some areas so we waited for cooler weather to go. Behind the Scenes Grand Central Tour is one of our favorites. We booked it through New York Adventure Club which is one of our favorite off the beaten path local tour companies. Continue reading →

Eldridge Street Synagogue and Museum at Eldridge Street

The Eldridge Street Synagogue was built in 1887 and is located on the Lower East Side. This landmarked beauty was a synagogue from the very beginning unlike others that were converted from churches. The building was designed by architects Francis and Peter Herter in Moorish Revival style. Continue reading →

First Shearith Israel Graveyard

My Dad used to take us for long walks around Downtown Manhattan. Whenever we’d pass by Chatham Square, he would bring us to Oliver Street and tell us the story of how he lived there with his family as a kid. Then he would walk us over to First Shearith Israel Graveyard and tell us to look at the sign – this is the first and oldest Jewish Cemetery in Manhattan. Continue reading →

St. John the Divine

St. John the Divine is the oldest building in Morningside Heights and one of the largest churches in the world. The cathedral was never completed. They have the largest rose window in the United States. Originally, the cathedral was supposed to be designed in a Byzantine – Romanesque Revival style but was changed in 1909 to Gothic Revival. It was designed in 1888 and work began in 1892, it’s design has gone through a lot of changes and construction was interrupted in WWI & WWII. They are often referred to as St John the Unfinished due to its ongoing construction work and renovations. Continue reading →

City Hall

Philadelphia’s City Hall is one of our favorite buildings. It’s the most ornate and largest City Hall in the country and was almost torn down two times. It’s located at 1 Penn Square and was the tallest building in the world from 1894 to 1908 surpassing the Eiffel Tower and Washington monuments. It remained the tallest building in Philly until  the construction of 1 Liberty Place that formally ended the gentlemen’s agreement limiting the height of the city’s buildings (no building was built taller than City Hall until Liberty Place was constructed 1984-1987). Continue reading →

Women’s March on NYC

100,000 people were expected, over 400,000 people attended. The march’s organizers put the tally at 600,000. It was incredible, we owned those streets! Again, thank you NYPD for doing an amazing job managing the situation. They couldn’t contain the crowds anymore, the masses swelled into all the side streets and marched up 5th Avenue to Trump Tower. Continue reading →

Fairmont Water Works & Fairmont Park

Fairmont Water Works was designed by Frederich Gaff and is Philadelphia’s second municipal waterworks. It was built between 1812 and 1872. It was in use till 1909 when they had to close due to water being too polluted from population and industry growth; there were newer and updated facilities that took it’s place. In 1976 the water works was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Continue reading →

Schuylkill Regatta & Boathouse Row

We were in Philadelphia for Halloween weekend. Not only is Philly our home away from home, we go annually for Eastern State Penitentiary’s fundraiser “Terror Behind the Walls.” It’s a haunted house set up in an abandoned jail. We enjoy haunted houses and find it fun, we don’t care to dress up for Halloween. October is a happening month for Philly. Some friends took their kids to the Harry Potter fest on another weekend. Continue reading →