Tag: New York City history

May 2, 2019

Book Excerpt! On Bicycles: A 200 Year History of Cycling in New York City

“In On Bicycles, Evan Friss fills in the missing chapters that bicycles hold in New York City’s near-miraculous transportation history and shows how the city’s streets are finally catching up with them.” ~ Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates, former NYC transportation commissioner...

May 1, 2019

Director’s Foreword City of Workers, City of Struggle: How Labor Movements Changed New York

“City of Workers, City of Struggle reveals how early colonists, later immigrants, and rural migrants became central to New York City’s manufacturing, trading, and financial industries. Evocatively illustrated, each chapter offers tales of mobilization and resistance experienced by diverse and ever-changing...

March 5, 2018

Book Giveaway! The Untold Journey: The Life of Diana Trilling

This week, our featured book is The Untold Journey: The Life of Diana Trilling, by Natalie Robin. Throughout the week, we will be featuring content about the book and its authors on our blog as well as on our Twitter feed and our Facebook page. Enter our book giveaway by Friday...

November 26, 2014

Doughnuts as Thanksgiving Food and the Early History of the Holiday in NYC

The surprising history of doughnuts and Thanksgiving as explained by Andrew Smith, a contributor to “Gastropolis”

March 17, 2014

When Was the First St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City?

An increasingly controversial event, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has nevertheless been a staple of New York City life. But just how much of a staple is it? To answer that question, we turn to When Did the Statue of...

February 6, 2013

Jonathan Soffer on the Many Legacies of Ed Koch

“It was clear to most New Yorkers that Koch had a deep abiding love for his city. That reputation, that started when he was in public office, was solidified because he stayed in the public eye. He would exert political...

January 23, 2012

Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City

The following is a video for Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City, which is now available in paperback. For more on the book, you can browse the book using Google Preview or visit the site jonathansoffer.com

January 3, 2012

"You don’t have to be a geometry major to love The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan 1811-2011"

The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan 1811-2011, by Hilary Ballon was recently reviewed in today’s New York Times. The exhibit currently at the Museum of the City of New York upon which the book is based was also...

December 15, 2011

13 Facts About the Greatest Grid: How a Plan from 1811 Allowed New York City to Grow

The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011, edited by Hilary Ballon, recounts the history of the planning, implementation, and impact of the grid on New York City. Conceived as a plan that was both logical and a reflection...

December 14, 2011

Images from The Greatest Grid: Scenes of New York City Before and After the Grid

The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011, edited by Hilary Ballon, contains a variety of different images and artifacts that offer a visual history of how the city changed as the grid evolved. Below are some images from...

December 13, 2011

Hilary Ballon on the History and Impact of New York City's Grid

Our featured book of the week is The Greatest Grid: Manhattan’s Master Plan, 1811-2011, edited by Hilary Ballon. (The book makes an excellent gift and is part of our special 40% off holiday sale). The following is an excerpt from...

December 12, 2011

The Greatest Grid: Hilary Ballon and Jon Meacham on the History of Manhattan's Grid

We are very excited to be publishing The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011, edited by Hilary Ballon, which accompanies an exhibit of the same name at the Museum of the City of New York. In the following...