Explore

Shofuso Japanese House & West Fairmount Park

Shufuso is a traditional 17th century Japanese house and garden. This villa was featured at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City in 1956. 2 years later it was reconstructed in West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. It was built in 1953 as a gift from Japan to America, a post war friendship between the two countries. It uses traditional Japanese materials and techniques. Continue reading →

Camac Street

In the 1830s it was very noisy in the bustling city of Philadelphia. Camac Street is a landmark of a time when Philly was testing out new pavement. The clop-clop-clopping of horse hooves on cobble stone was the largest source of noise pollution. Local businessmen and the city government came together with the idea to use wooden blocks to absorb the sound. Continue reading →

Inside an MTA Substation

We still didn’t quite understand what a substation was after the tour but it was still cool. After some googling, we have our answer: “It coverts High Voltage AC current into the DC current used by the New York City subways.” Quoted from untappedcities.com. Continue reading →

Rockwood Hall

The Rockefeller family contributed a lot to US history. When you hear their name you think of Rockefeller Center but from museum wings, historic mansions, state parks, public policy, etc – they are there.

Along one of our favorite walking paths, the Old Croton Aqueduct trail, lies Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Continue reading →

The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park

We first learned about The Old Croton Aqueduct Historic State Park on the MTA’s one day getaways section. It’s no longer listed on their website. It spans from Croton Dam in Westchester County and use to go all the way down to the NY Public Library on 42nd Street. Continue reading →

Croton Dam & The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

This is one of the easiest trails we can get to by public transport (Metro North). The old Croton Aqueduct Trail runs from Croton Dam to Yonkers. It goes through backyards, parking lots, and in some areas it’s just you, the trees and the occasional walker, jogger, biker. It’s a nice change of pace from the hustle of the city. Continue reading →