The Atlantic Yacht Club, located on the shores of Gravesend Bay in south Brooklyn, is perhaps best known for its contributions to New York sailing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For many years, it was one of the largest and most prestigious yacht clubs in New York City. [Read more…] about Atlantic Yacht Club: A Brief History
New York City
Staten Island’s Freedom Struggles (Virtual Underground RR Talk)
The Underground Railroad Education Center is set to continue it’s LibertyCon 2021 Zoom Series on April 24th, from 3 to 4:30 pm, with Debbie-Ann Paige, MA, and Staten Island’s Freedom Struggles and the Underground Railroad. [Read more…] about Staten Island’s Freedom Struggles (Virtual Underground RR Talk)
Anthropodermic Bibliopegy Skills of A Brooklyn Bookbinder
In early America, Boston was the main centre of the book trade (including bookbinding), followed by Philadelphia and, by a distance, New York. As most early bookbinders worked anonymously, it is difficult to put a timeline to developments. [Read more…] about Anthropodermic Bibliopegy Skills of A Brooklyn Bookbinder
New Technology Being Deployed At Lake Agawam Algal Blooms
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of a new research project to evaluate the potential efficacy of ultrasonic devices to reduce harmful algal blooms (HABs) on Lake Agawam in the village of Southampton on Long Island. [Read more…] about New Technology Being Deployed At Lake Agawam Algal Blooms
New York’s Whaling Industry: Some History
In 2011, the nonprofit Gotham Whale recorded just five humpbacks spotted off New York City. Since then, the number has soared. By 2018, sightings had jumped to 272. Less than a year later, 377 whales of different species were observed.
A recent Discover Magazine article cites two main factors that drive the increasing presence of whales. [Read more…] about New York’s Whaling Industry: Some History
Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway Completed
The final section of the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway on the southern shoreline of Long Island has opened to cyclists, runners, skaters and walkers. [Read more…] about Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway Completed
Accessibility Improvements At FDR Four Freedoms State Park
Work to expand accessibility has started at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park in New York City. Under a $1 million project scheduled to conclude in late spring, work will include a new incline platform lift at the granite Grand Stairway and renovation of two stone pathways to enhance accessibility. [Read more…] about Accessibility Improvements At FDR Four Freedoms State Park
South Street Seaport Historic District (Historians Podcast)
This week on The Historians Podcast Jim Kaplan reports on the history of Manhattan’s South Street Seaport and a proposal to build a new high rise in the area of that historic district. [Read more…] about South Street Seaport Historic District (Historians Podcast)
Boilermaker Challenge Along Empire State Trail
New York State is joining with organizers of the Boilermaker race in Utica to promote the “Empire State Trail Challenge” a four-month virtual race to run, walk or bicycle segments of the new 750-mile Empire State Trail. [Read more…] about Boilermaker Challenge Along Empire State Trail
Train Ferries: The Hudson River’s Most Unusual Steamers
Among the many hundreds of steamboats plying the Hudson River when that waterway served as a primary method of moving people and freight, a few stand out as unusual. The most remarkable of these is perhaps the railroad transports, used to ferry railroad cars.
Also known as train ferries, or car ferries (not to be confused with auto ferries), they were fitted with railway tracks and doors at each end to allow for loading and unloading. [Read more…] about Train Ferries: The Hudson River’s Most Unusual Steamers