History, Natural History & the Arts
St. Francis Woodlands, a former Franciscan Friars property in the Staten Island Greenbelt, is full of hidden ecological treasures.
The 25-acre property features a 0.4-mile elevated boardwalk and viewing platform that make the forested environment and upland swamp habitats accessible to all visitors. [Read more…] about A Natural Sanctuary: Staten Island’s St. Francis Woodlands
Wildlife cameras and conservationists along the Bronx River captured footage of a North American beaver (Castor canadensis) near the Mitsubishi Riverwalk in the Bronx Zoo, marking the first confirmed resident since a previous short-time resident disappeared in 2018.
Biology student and Bronx River Alliance intern R.J. Hawkins found the new beaver on trail cameras set April to May. A fresh tree gnawing and saplings cut down also proved a beaver was living and working in the area. [Read more…] about Bronx Beavers: Rewilding the Bronx River
In summer thoughts turn to fun at the beach, pool and in parks. The vertical files of the New York City Municipal Library include a trove of publications describing City government’s role in providing recreational opportunities between 1919 and 1979.
A good portion of the contents are news clippings that track, decade by decade, City residents’ recreational choices. “Eel Season Ending For City Anglers” the New York Times reported in 1967; “People Pushing Horses Out Of Park” the Daily News decried as the Claremont Riding Academy was poised to close in 1970; and the perennial “New York on Next to Nothing” from the New York Post are just a few of the titles. [Read more…] about Play Streets & New York City Recreation History
“Once a central gathering place for school sports and community events, the city has determined the long-shuttered stadium building at Van Cortlandt Park is beyond repair, with demolition now considered inevitable — even as funding to carry it out remains uncertain,” reports The Riverdale Press. [Read more…] about Demolition of Van Cortlandt Park Stadium Expected
Shooters Island in Newark Bay, near Staten Island, is so-called because the Dutch supposedly went there to shoot wild geese. Its industrial use resulted in filling and expansion of the area of the island from its original six acres to upwards of 42 acres today, it lies on the border between New York and New Jersey. [Read more…] about Shooters Island: Hunter’s Haven to Bird Sanctuary
About 11,500 Americans lost their lives aboard British prison ships from 1776 to 1783. More soldiers, sailors and civilians died aboard the prison ships than in all of the Revolutionary War battles combined. It started with the Battle of Brooklyn (the Battle of Long Island).
The City of New York played an important role throughout the American Revolution. Not only was the city an important port of commerce, providing supplies and food to the Continental Army, but it served as a central communications route between the northern and southern states. [Read more…] about Remembering the British Prison Ship Martyrs of New York City
A long-standing plan to fill in the gap in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway along the East River near the United Nations is moving forward. New York City’s Economic Development Corporation has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to supervise the construction of an esplanade spanning a gap in the Greenway between East 41st and East 53rd Streets.
Closing the less than a mile-long gap is the latest effort toward completing the planned 32-mile pedestrian and bicycle path along the Manhattan waterfront. [Read more…] about Plans To Close Manhattan Waterfront Greenway Gap Moving Forward
New York City’s Battery Coastal Resilience project, a $200-million component of the overall Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency strategy, broke ground last week to rebuild and elevate the wharf promenade in The Battery to 11 feet above sea level to protect against expected sea level rise due to global climate change. [Read more…] about Battery Coastal Resilience Project Breaks Ground
Located in Southwest Staten Island adjacent to Raritan Bay (Richmond County, NY), Wolfe’s Pond Park is a picturesque park on the outskirts of New York City, with great fishing and recreational opportunities and a salty past. [Read more…] about Wolfe’s Pond Park, Staten Island: A Salty Past
In early December, the Historic District Council of New York City and the Victorian Society New York presented a Policy Report to the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission outlining what they see as shortcomings and gaps in the agency’s current Scenic Landmark Review process, and offering a host of policy proposals they believe would improve the process. [Read more…] about New York City’s Scenic Landmarks Review Process
The Historic Districts Council of New York City’s Executive Director Frampton Tolbert penned a rebuttal letter in response to Ginia Bellafante’s New York Times article, “Why Has This 258-Year-Old Mansion Been Left to Fall Apart?” concerning decay at the Morris-Jumel mansion in Upper Manhattan. [Read more…] about The Decaying Morris-Jumel Mansion, Landmarking & Affordable Housing
Hart Island is the largest public cemetery in the country and has served New York City since 1869. While Hart Island is currently only used for city burials, the island has served many uses since the 19th Century, including a quarantine station, a psychiatric hospital, a tuberculosis ward, a reform school, a homeless shelter, a rehabilitation facility, a military base, and a jail. [Read more…] about NYC Parks Launches Public Access to Hart Island
Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)
Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.
*Donations are not tax deductible.
(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).