Some time ago, I was scouting Upper West Side lobbies when I came to the apartment building at 253 W 73rd Street. Tucked away behind the palatial Ansonia, I’d honestly never noticed it before, and decided to take a peek inside. At first, the entrance seemed like your typical building lobby – a desk to…
There is nothing more seemingly antithetical to New York than its armories. In a city where every building strains toward the heavens without much of a thought to width, New York’s armories brazenly buck the trend by being massively wide and extremely squat – which is one of the reasons I love them so much….
This past weekend, I was scouting one of those gargantuan pre-war beauties along Riverside Drive. While in the basement, I accidentally walked into the laundry room and stumbled upon the coolest thing… Check out these amazing laundry drying cabinets, easily 100+ years old! Each slot features a vertical rack that slides out, with numerous rungs…
A few months ago, I had to charter a boat to take scout pictures of Davids Island, located in Long Island Sound off the coast of New Rochelle. As we were curving around the southern side of the island, I noticed something in the distance… A squat, one-story structure on its own private island. ….
Last month, COS (H&M’s sister brand) opened a store at 129 Spring Street in Soho, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of either Swedish minimalist fashions OR allegedly haunted 18th century wells. If you fall into the latter category, head into the store’s first floor and hang a left… Proceed down…
Last week, I was taking pictures of the bridge over 96th Street on Riverside Drive… …when a detail caught my eye on the apartment building to the north… This bit of decoration on the corner… …featuring a buffalo skull with ceremonial decorations: As I stared at it, I started to notice more interesting details, like…
On Call Hollow Road, in the Pomona/Stony Point area about 25 miles north of the city, there is a trail that leads off into the woods. Follow the trail in, and you’ll quickly find yourself surrounded on all sides by towering trees. A few minutes up the trail, just after you cross over a small…
Last week, I was scouting a hospital basement for interesting spaces when I happened to notice something lurking in one corner… …this enormous iron wheel-shaped machine: As it turns out, this was part of the original steam generator system that powered the hospital in the early 1900s (now long since out of use). Made by…
One of my all-time, hands-down, most favorite places to explore in New York City is the abandoned hospital complex on Ellis Island. Normally off-limits to the public, tours are suddenly being offered for the first time in 60 years, and I highly, highly suggest you go while the opportunity exists. I wrote about my first…
When you first come to Eighth Avenue between 43rd & 44th, it appears to be nothing more than a strip of touristy gift shops. Swing around the corner on 44th Street, and you’ll just find a row of restaurants. But look at this intersection from above, and you’ll see something unusual hidden from view… Nestled…