City Tavern in Philadelphia is located at 138 South 2nd Street. It’s a recreation of the 18th century building that used to sit there. The original tavern was a favorite spot of our founding fathers. Continue reading
History
Loew’s Wonder Theatres – Loew’s Jersey
The Loew’s Jersey Theatre is one of the five Loew’s Wonder Theaters in the NY area. It was designed by architectural firm Rapp and Rapp like Kings Theatre, their sister theater. The Jersey theater opened to the public in 1929 in Journal Square, Jersey City. The building is built in Baroque/Rocco style. In 2009 it was designated a New Jersey Registered Historic Site. You met the sister theatre in our post here. Continue reading
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
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, Curaçao
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, Curacao is the oldest surviving synagogue in use in the New World. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family visited in 1992. 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
Elfreth’s Alley
Elfreth’s Alley is a street in Philadelphia and referred to as “Our nations oldest residential address.” It dates back to 1702 and is a National Historic Landmark. The cobblestone street and Federal and Georgian style houses that line the street were common back in the 1700s. It’s named after Jeremiah Elfreth, an 18th century property owner and blacksmith. Trades people lived on this street and was once full of printers, carpenters, and different types of crafts people. Continue reading
NY Farm Colony & the Cropsey Legend
NY Farm Colony is located in Staten Island. It was a poorhouse, a government run facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. The Farm Colony was abandoned in 1975. After sitting empty for so many years, the Farm Colony will get a second life. 5 of the ruin buildings will be rehabilitated and turned into senior housing for people 55 years and older, commercial space, green space, and parking. It will be called Landmark Colony. Some of the units will be set aside for affordable housing. One ruin, the men’s dormitory will be a stabilized ruin and the others will be demolished. The condition is so bad in some of the buildings they can’t be preserved. Continue reading
Jebus Mews & Andrea 