Since 1984, the Preservation League of New York State’s annual Excellence Awards program has shone a light on the people who are using historic preservation to make all our lives better — through exemplary restoration projects, indispensable publications, individual action, and organizational distinction. [Read more…] about Preservation League of New York State Names Excellence Award Winners
The Bronx
Preservationists Reviewing Siting for Thousands of 5G Towers
The Historic Districts Council of New York City is a consulting party to the Section 106 Historic Review Process for proposed Link5G Towers.
This summer, CityBridge, the private contractor installing 32-foot tall 5G towers, sought to begin the review process. [Read more…] about Preservationists Reviewing Siting for Thousands of 5G Towers
Roberto Clemente State Park Celebrates Golden Anniversary
The Bronx United Drumline set the party atmosphere for a celebration of 50 years of Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx.
Roberto Clemente State Park is a 25-acre waterfront park located along the Harlem River. The park offers a variety of recreational and cultural activities year-round for youth, adults, senior citizens and the physically challenged. [Read more…] about Roberto Clemente State Park Celebrates Golden Anniversary
Bambino Boa: Big Snake Recovered Near Yankee Stadium
On Sept. 26, while on patrol, ECOs Ableson and Goonan received reports of a large snake in Macombs Dam Park next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. [Read more…] about Bambino Boa: Big Snake Recovered Near Yankee Stadium
The Odd Couple: Yussel the Muscle & Maximilian Schmeling
Joe Jacobs was born in 1896 to Hungarian Jewish immigrants. He grew up in the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown Manhattan, then a bastion of poor Irish Americans, where his father ran a tailor shop.
For many young males living in that tough setting, boxing was both a badge of identity and a means of survival. Every immigrant neighborhood had its own champions and heroes. Boxing was a flag of ethnic pride, attracting a large and loyal local following. [Read more…] about The Odd Couple: Yussel the Muscle & Maximilian Schmeling
Marty Glickman: American Jewish Sports Legend
The book Marty Glickman: The Life of an American Jewish Sports Legend (NYU Press, 2023) by Jeffrey S. Gurock takes a look at Marty Glickman, who for close to half a century after World War II, was the voice of New York sports. [Read more…] about Marty Glickman: American Jewish Sports Legend
The Story of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Many people have heard of and enjoyed Haagen-Dazs ice cream, but the story of its beginning is equally cool. A headline in JGirls+ Magazine from 2022 says it all: “Haagen-Dazs: A Jewish Story of Immigration, Entrepreneurship, and Ice Cream.” The story began with Reuben Mattus (originally Nifka Matus), born in Grodna, Poland in 1913 who arrived in New York City in 1921 with his widowed mother and older sister. [Read more…] about The Story of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
175th Anniversary of the High Bridge Celebration
Opened in 1848 as part of the 41-mile Old Croton Aqueduct, High Bridge was deemed an engineering marvel, enabling the delivery of clean water to the city of New York, catalyzing its development and expansion.
Use of the structure to deliver water to Manhattan ceased on December 15, 1949 and was closed to pedestrians in the 1960s. Now a National Historic Landmark, High Bridge is the oldest bridge in New York City and a pedestrian bridge that connects the neighborhoods of Washington Heights in Manhattan and Highbridge in the Bronx. [Read more…] about 175th Anniversary of the High Bridge Celebration
New York City Historic Districts Council Names ‘Six to Celebrate’
The Historic Districts Council (HDC) has announced its Six to Celebrate, an annual listing of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. Six to Celebrate is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities. [Read more…] about New York City Historic Districts Council Names ‘Six to Celebrate’
The Two Alexander Macombs: A Slaveholder & A Duplicitous Negotiator
Alexander Macomb, the elder, (1748–1831) was a fur trader, land and currency speculator, and slaveholder who supported the British during the American Revolution and provided the occupying British army with trade goods. [Read more…] about The Two Alexander Macombs: A Slaveholder & A Duplicitous Negotiator