Category: Blog

Williamsburg

One of the most famous neighborhoods in the city in recent years is the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. Connected to the Lower East Side of Manhattan by the Williamsburg Bridge and by several subway lines to the rest of the city such as the G, J, L, and Z, the neighborhood has become one of New York’s hip areas.

The neighborhood started out as part of the independent village of Bushwick (now the neighborhood immediately adjacent to Williamsburg). The neighborhood gained its name from American military engineer Jonathan Williams, who surveyed the area in the early 1800s. The village (and later city) was folded into the City of Brooklyn and later became a hub of industry. Long a German and Irish neighborhood, Williamsburg changed into an area that was mainly populated by Latinos and Jews who had either left the Lower East Side or fled from Europe in the aftermath of the Holocaust by the 1940s and 1950s. As industries moved to less crowded parts of the country and areas with more inexpensive labor, the area went into decline. Starting in the 2000s, the area saw an influx of new arrivals as people came to Williamsburg because of its proximity to Manhattan and (then) cheaper rents. Development took off in 2005 when the city (in a bid to get the 2012 Olympics), rezoned many Northern Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Greenpoint and Williamsburg—leading to taller buildings being constructed and more development in the area.

Today, Williamsburg is known the world over for its unique shops and restaurants, excellent weekend flea market, setting of the classic novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and as the spiritual homeland of so-called hipsters. The area is also home to a large Latino and Hassidic Jewish community today as well—although gentrification in this area is still a major issue in the city. You may ask for a special request tour of Williamsburg at sightsbysam.com.

Christmas and Holidays in New York

With the beginning of November, the focus of many becomes the holiday season. Christmas lights go up, ads with fashion models in holiday colors appear on billboards and on public transportation, and store windows along Fifth Avenue go to war with each other over which is the most over-the-top display of Season’s Greetings. As New York is the country’s largest city, it lays claim over several important Christmas traditions.

In the press and writing, New York can lay claim to one of the first modern interpretations of Santa Claus through NYC native Clement Clark Moore’s 1823 poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” which describes the lovable Santa Claus most people recognize delivering gifts from house to house on his sleigh pulled by reindeer. Santa’s existence and reputation was solidified in an 1897 editorial from the New York Sun, entitled “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” This editorial, reprinted on Christmas Day by most New York papers, is believed to be the most reprinted editorial in history. Many neighborhoods ring in holiday cheer with residents of some Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst putting up large Christmas and holiday light displays in front of their homes.

Perhaps the quintessential symbol of the holiday season in New York is the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. The first tree was a small, 20 foot tree raised by construction workers at Rockefeller Center in 1931 by workers building the complex. First raised officially in 1933, the tree is usually a Norway Spruce between 70 and 100 feet tall. In recent years, it has been harvested from New York State or a neighboring state, but it has come from further afield in the past. The tree, which is crowned by a massive star made of Swarovski crystal, is up for display in the middle of November and lit the day after Thanksgiving. The tree is in the court in the middle of Rockefeller Center and is near the famous ice rink, a must-see for any visitor to the city during this time.

Many visitors come to New York this time of the year to see the city at what many would say is at its best. In addition to shopping and seeing the city in its spectacular holidays decorations, it is also a great idea to take a Sights by Sam walking tour of the city—especially a nightly holiday tour that will run from December 1st to December 31st. You are able to book this tour at sightsbysam.com.

Halloween and NYC

Halloween is one of the biggest unofficial holidays in the United States, with ghouls and goblins adding a certain sense of joy and millions of dollars to the economy. New York, like most other places, celebrates this unofficial holiday.

Halloween is believed to have originated with Celtic tribes in what is now France and the British Isles. They believed that the spirits of the dead roamed the Earth for one night. In order to stop this festival, the Roman Catholic Church moved the observance of All Saints Day to November 1st from the springtime to stop the observance of the pagan ritual–although many continued to unofficially celebrate the holiday. Even though Halloween was not widely celebrated in the U.S. initially, Halloween gained popularity in New York as Irish and British immigrants brought customs such as dressing up in costumes and asking for treats from neighbors. As New York was a major port of entry for immigrants from these countries, it began to catch on among residents of the city. By the early 20th Century, many towns across America had begun to celebrate the holidays through Halloween parties to unite towns and neighborhoods.

Like other communities across the country, there are many haunted houses and block parties throughout the city celebrating Halloween. Perhaps the most famous Halloween event in the city is the Village Halloween Parade. This event has been around since 1974 and grown out from a simple parade of trick or treaters through Greenwich Village to one of New York’s greatest spectacles. The parade occurred after September 11, 2001, when a giant phoenix float was featured that symbolized the rebirth the city. The parade did not occur in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of costumed revelers participate in the parade annually, which starts after sunset on Halloween.

While this holiday only comes around once a year, Halloween is a colorful time to be in the city—especially if the weather is nice and crisp for fall. You can learn about the history of holidays in New York and important moments of the city’s history on a Sights by Sam walking tour of the city.

Presidential History in New York

While Washington has been the capital of the U.S. since 1800, New York (which was the former capital of the country) has been the unofficial capital of sorts as the country’s center of media, culture, and has people from every corner of the planet. Despite the fact that the city is no longer the capital of the country, it has a rich political history involving the leaders of the country, with successful candidates, and those such as Al Smith and Samuel Tilden who were never elected. This has been most notable through three individuals, George Washington, Ulysses Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt.

The history of New York with the presidency has to do from the very beginning of the country when George Washington took the oath of office at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan. Washington also prayed at St. Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan when the capital was in New York. Washington even had an association with New York as a great leader of the country when he helped to liberate the city from the British at the end of the war and had his farewell dinner with his military officers at Fraunces Tavern after the war.

Ulysses S. Grant was born in Ohio and was living in Illinois when he became the 18th president of the United States. A famous Civil War general, Grant’s presidency was marred by various scandals involving corruption. After retiring to Upstate New York after his presidency, Grant died in 1885. His tomb was built in Morningside Heights in 1897. The tomb suffered neglect over the years, but was recently restored in the last 20 years. Grant remains the only president buried within the city limits.

Theodore Roosevelt, the only president born within New York, has one of the most lasting impacts on the presidency and the city. Before being president, Roosevelt was governor of New York State and the NYPD commissioner. He is also famous for leading his “Rough Riders” up San Juan Hill in Cuba. Roosevelt is associated with the former NYPD headquarters in the Lower East Side as well as his birthplace, located between Union Square and Madison Square Park. He also had an important role in helping to build the collection of the American Museum of Natural History in the Upper West Side..

Guests are able to learn about the rich history of New York on any Sights by Sam walking tour. Anyone attending a tour can also learn about other significant presidential moments such as the speech that Abraham Lincoln made at the Cooper Union that made his presidency and the special rail car FDR used to travel in and out of the city among others.

African Burial Ground

In the Civic Center of Manhattan near the Ted Weiss Federal Building is an important monument that commemorates 15,000 people of African descent—both slave and free, who were buried in a graveyard that was on the then outskirts of the city. The African Burial Ground National Monument commemorates these individuals and their contribution to the early history of New York.

It is believed that the Dutch first imported African slaves into the New Netherland colony in 1626. While the Dutch offered some degree of emancipation to slaves in their colony, this was rescinded by the English after 1664 when they took the colony from the Dutch. One of the many restrictions placed on people of African descent is that they could not be buried with Europeans in their cemeteries, necessitating the foundation and use of a burial ground on what is now Duane Street (north of the old borders of the city). Although the burial ground was heavily used (as New York had a very large African population), much of this population fled with the British after the American Revolution (as Americans demanded the return of slaves to their masters). The area of the graveyard was filled over and built upon (which ironically preserved most of the graves).

In the 1990s during the construction of the Weiss Federal Building, bodies were discovered during the excavation to anchor the building to the bedrock of Manhattan. After hundreds of bodies were found, archeologists were called in and it was discovered that the building was planned over the burial ground. Due to protests from African Americans, the federal government declared the area a National Historic Landmark, which halted construction of the building over the site (its plans modified to be away from the burial ground) and called for a monument (finally completed in 2007). This site is important in the cultural history of the city and can easily be seen as a follow-up to the “Foundation of New York” tour from Sights by Sam.

Sylvan Terrace

Located near the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Washington Heights, there are many important residential areas that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The rash of building occurred when the heirs of the Jumel Family sold off their vast landholdings.

In addition to stately apartment buildings and cultural institutions that were constructed at nearby Audubon Terrace, one of the more unique streets is the cobblestoned Sylvan Terrace. Forming a “stair street” on 161st Street, 20 wood framed houses were built by Gilbert Robinson, Jr. in 1883. The houses were originally rented to laborers and servants who lived in the neighborhood and worked at some of the more stately buildings in the neighborhood. After decades of neglect, New York City made the area a historic district and restored the houses back to their original appearance.

Today, each of the houses in the district is valued over $1 million. The residences are very stately and the surrounding neighborhood near the Harlem River is very picturesque. In addition to the Morris-Jamel Mansion, the area is also close to High Bridge Park and Fort Tryon Park. This is the type of information you will learn on a Sights by Sam tour of New York.

New York City Marathon

Every year in November, one of the most important athletic events on the calendar in New York is the New York City Marathon. With around 50,000 runners per year, the New York City Marathon is the largest in the world, with professionals and amateurs alike competing.

Because of the popularity of the race, spots are given out on a lottery basis, with some runners allowed in automatically if they have run in previous New York City Marathons or in certain qualifying marathons elsewhere. Runners looking to enter may also join the New York Road Runners Club (which organizes the annual race) and follow certain rules to earn a place in the marathon. Like all marathons, the race is 26.2 miles. It winds its way through all five boroughs of the city— beginning in Staten Island and going across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and then into Brooklyn and shortly into Queens before the course crosses into Manhattan. The race takes a brief jaunt into the Bronx and then back into Manhattan before ending near Tavern on the Green. The first New York City Marathon took place in 1970, exclusively within Central Park. It is hardly believable that only 55 finished the race, being watched by only around one hundred at the finish line. Today, runners are spaced out in staggered waves (they are tracked and timed via transponders embedded in their racing bibs).

At the finish line, runners are traditionally greeted by a statue of Fred Lebow, which is moved from its spot in Central Park near East 90th Street. Lebow was the founder of the New York Road Runners Club after taking an amateur interest in running in the 1960s. A former Romanian refugee who fled his homeland after World War II, Lebow worked tirelessly for years to raise the stature of the marathon and created several other races in the Metro New York area—notably the Empire State Building Run-Up, which is one of the more colorful races in town where participants run up 1,576 steps to the top. He died in 1994, weeks before that year’s marathon.

The only time the marathon was cancelled since its inception was in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy occurring right before the marathon. Supplies such as water and generators needed to help volunteers at the marathon were diverted to help people hurt by the hurricane in areas such as Brooklyn and Staten Island. In terms of superlatives, the fastest woman to run the marathon was Margaret Okayo of Kenya, who ran the race in 2:22 in 2003. The fastest man was Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2:05 in 2011. The race attracts thousands of spectators and volunteers every year to see both amateurs and professionals run. This is the type of information you will learn on a Sights by Sam tour.

Morris-Jumel Mansion

For all of the towering skyscrapers and massive edifices in the city, New York is home to a few historic houses. In addition to the Dyckman Farm House in Inwood and the Wyckoff House in Brooklyn, one of the oldest and most famous houses in the city is the Morris-Jamel Mansion.

Built in 1766, the Morris-Jamel Mansion takes the names of two of its most famous owners, the Morris Family, who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War, and the Jumels, who were originally from France. The house is famous for briefly being the headquarters for General George Washington during the Battle of New York and actually was a place where he slept (regarding the old popular adage). Perched on a commanding bluff overlooking Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Jersey, it made a logical headquarters. After the Revolutionary War, Stephen Jumel, his former mistress Eliza, and their children moved in. After an extensive redecoration of the house and the death of Stephen, Eliza married Aaron Burr, the former vice president and murderer of Alexander Hamilton. She was married to Burr from 1832 to 1836 when Burr died (Eliza had actually filed for divorce from him in 1834 and it was granted on the day of his death). Eliza lived in the house until 1865 when she died.

In the intervening years from 1865 until the present day, the formerly vast landholdings were broken up into pieces. In 1903, the City of New York acquired the house and the area is now a park. The house itself is perched on Coogan’s Bluff,a high point on the island where the former Polo Grounds were once visible and is today within visual range of Yankee Stadium. The interior of the mansion is currently being restored to how it would have looked during Eliza’s life. This is the type of information you will learn on a Sights by Sam tour.

Brooklyn Bridge Park

As mentioned in an earlier blog entry, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the sights that many visitors to New York have on their list. The bridge, with its famous architecture, incredible history, and beautiful vistas make it one of the best photo opportunities anywhere in town. On the Brooklyn side of the bridge is an incredible park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, which I think is worth seeing during your visit.

For centuries, the area where Brooklyn Bridge Park now is was industrial waterfront—the Port of Brooklyn, piers, and ferry terminals dotted the landscape. With the construction of East River bridges and the gradual move of harbor traffic to the Hudson River in the early 20th Century, the Brooklyn waterfront went into decline. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ended cargo operations on the East River frontage of the Brooklyn waterfront in 1984. Over the next three decades, nonprofit groups and concerned citizens worked to turn the abandoned port facilities into a new park. Brooklyn Bridge Park opened for the public in 2010, and also incorporated the former Empire-Fulton State Park site into its footprint.

Today, the park has numerous facilities for recreation, retail, and even an antique carousel that was brought to the city from Youngstown, OH. In addition to providing fantastic views of the structure giving the park its name, Brooklyn Bridge Park is also an incredible spot to watch a sunset and see the skyscrapers of Manhattan turn on their lights at night. This area can be seen on a special request tour booked through Sights by Sam.

Williamsburg Bridge

One of the three “BMW” bridges, the Williamsburg Bridge connects Delancey Street in Manhattan with Grand Street in Williamsburg. The bridge over the east river forms a sort of anchor between two historically important and up-and-coming neighborhoods in the city.

The Williamsburg Bridge was completed in 1903. It was designed by Henry Hombostel and constructed by Leffert Buck. At over 7300 feet long, the bridge was at one point the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge has eight lanes of roadways and two subway tracks. It initially had two trolley tracks on it that formed an important commuter link between Brooklyn and Manhattan. A direct result of the bridge’s construction was the rapid expansion of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as thousands of people left the crowded Lower East Side and journeyed to new homes across the East River.

Throughout its history, the bridge has seen its fortunes ebb and flow with the surrounding neighborhoods. In the years after World War II, rising crime and depopulation of neighborhoods on both ends of the Williamsburg bridge occurred. The bridge also bore the scars of this era with increasing wear and tear in addition to becoming vandalized. After decades of deferred and substandard maintenance, the bridge was closed in the 1980s to make structural repairs and renovated from the 1990s to the 2000s. As the bridge was being rebuilt, the areas it connected became popular destinations for shopping and nightlife. Today, the bridge forms an important link between these two neighborhoods. This is one of the things you will learn on a Sights by Sam tour.