History & Guide

New York is a city of superlatives. It has the largest population, greatest wealth, broadest diversity and most elegant museums in the nation. With that comes an amazing history.

This tour of the Big Apple goes beyond the traditional guidebook to offer visitors and residents alike a chance to walk back in time along the streets of Manhattan. George Washington took his first oath of office on the steps of Federal Hall. Visitors can still dine at the famed Fraunces Tavern and worship at historic St. Paul's Chapel. From the Brooklyn Bridge to stunning skyscrapers, the city celebrates its own history and that of the nation. Join author Alison Fortier as she traces the history and heritage of America's largest metropolis.

In 1778, two years after the British forced the Continental Army out of New York City, George Washington and his subordinates organized a secret spy network to gather intelligence in Manhattan and Long Island. Known today as the "Culper Spy Ring,'? Patriots like Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend risked their lives to report on British military operations in the region. Vital reports clandestinely traveled from New York City across the East River to Setauket and were rowed on whaleboats across the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut shore. Using ciphers, codes and invisible ink, the spy ring exposed British plans to attack French forces at Newport and a plot to counterfeit American currency. Author Bill Bleyer corrects the record, examines the impact of George Washington's Long Island spy ring and identifies Revolutionary War sites that remain today.

Since this Manhattan neighborhood was named for the Murray family and their contributions to the American Revolution, many of New York's most illustrious residents have made Murray Hill their home. The mansions of J.P. Morgan Jr. and William Waldorf Astor stood along its streets. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt lived here as newlyweds, as did Admiral Farragut, Commodore Perry and Sinclair Lewis, along with Andy Warhol's famous Factory." Not only homes but also many quintessential New York landmarks are located in this historic district--visit the original Tiffany & Company building, the Civic Club, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and a once-famous B. Altman Department Store that is now New York's Science, Industry and Business Library. Experience the striking architecture and discover the stories of Manhattan's Murray Hill."

Created by Samuel Ruggles as a haven for wealthy New Yorkers, both Gramercy Park and Union Square have been among Manhattan's most desirable neighborhoods for more than 150 years. From writers and artists to powerful politicians, illustrious figures like O. Henry, Andy Warhol, Samuel Tilden and Joseph Kennedy have walked its streets. The National Arts Club and the Players Club attract patrons from around the city who are in search of a taste of grander times. Tourists flock to historic sites like the Theodore Roosevelt House, the Gramercy Park Historic District and the picturesque Union Square Park. Local tour guide Alfred Pommer and coauthor Joyce Pommer reveal the stories on the streets of the neighborhoods.

Genesee Country, composed of Allegany, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe and Ontario Counties near the Genesee River in western New York, is rich in local history with national importance. The Seneca and Algonkin nations once called this lush land home, and after the American Revolution, settlers came in hordes to till the soil and raise families. The region later became a hotbed of activity for abolitionists, early supporters of women's rights and religious movements that influenced the entire United States. In this book, author and local historian Rose O'Keefe chronicles the sites where these and other important events took place. Join her on a tour of Genesee Country's legacies.

A literary and pictorial stroll through the charming and history-filled streets of New York's West Village reveals the history and little known tales of this fascinating and picturesque neighborhood.

Greenwich Village is a tourist's dream and a favorite weekend destination for New Yorkers. A part of Manhattan Island that holds its own amid the noise and confusion of the twenty-first century, it still retains much of the character of the old farming community that was part of the original settlement of Manhattan. The West Village, the northwest section of the neighborhood, is bounded by the Hudson River on the west and Greenwich Avenue on the east and is where it all began. Famous people such as Sinclair Lewis, Fiorello LaGuardia, William ""Bill the Butcher"" Poole, Frank Serpico, James Baldwin and Jackson Pollock, among dozens of others, called this neighborhood home. Stroll down the back streets and along the waterfront and peer behind the facades of these historic structures to discover its fascinating history, hidden secrets and little-known tales.

SoHo, short for South of Houston," is one of New York's trendiest neighborhoods. Innovative restaurants and fashion-forward shops line Broome and Spring Streets, and artists reside above in modern lofts. But it is also part of the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Its beautiful old buildings hold stories of the neighborhood's fascinating history, urban decline and regeneration. It was once the center of New York's show business world and its most infamous red-light district. The richest and poorest Manhattanites walked these streets: John Jacob Astor, Harry Houdini, Aaron Burr and P.T. Barnum. Local authors Alfred Pommer and Eleanor Winters reveal these and other stories of an ever-changing SoHo."