Curbed Classics
Touring the historic homes of Staten Island's Lighthouse Hill
The quiet Staten Island neighborhood is home to some spectacular real estate, from a 20th-century landmarked lighthouse to a Frank Lloyd Wright prefab.
The grisly history of the Bowery's infamous 'Suicide Hall'
A luxury condo now stands on the site of one of the Bowery’s most notorious saloons
The birth of NYC’s first settlement house for young black women
The White Rose Mission was the first of its kind to serve the city’s young African-American population
On Staten Island, one of NYC's oldest African American enclaves is preserved
Remnants of Sandy Ground, a community for free blacks on the island’s south shore, can be found to this day
The haunted history of Broadway's Palace Theatre
In this week's edition of Curbed Classics, we look at the history of Broadway's Palace Theatre, said to be home to a variety of ghosts—both friendly and frightening—many of whom once graced its legendary stage.
Exploring the Staten Island home of a pioneering female photographer
If you are in need of a tranquil respite as well as an impressive view of The Narrows, look just a bit further south to the Alice Austen House, once home to the titular pioneering female photographer.
How the Martha Washington went from women-only lodging to hip hotel
At the turn of the 20th century, Midtown Manhattan became an important destination for luxury hotels. While that hasn't changed, the purpose of these lodgings has—take, for example, the Redbury New York, which used to be a women-only hotel.
Tracing the origins of an early labor union’s NYC history
New York City is considered a beacon of the Labor movement, so with Labor Day fast approaching, it seems fitting to feature an influential institution that was assembled to protect the basic rights and ensure the safety of its workers.
A 19th-century Brooklyn church plays witness to a changing borough
The Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church, along with the Flatbush Reformed Church and the Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope, was established in 1654 by the order of Peter Stuyvesant. It's a remnant from the area’s early Dutch colonial history.
Exploring the history of Jacob Riis Park, the “people’s beach”
The century-old beach is experiencing a resurgence in popularity
John Street Church in Lower Manhattan is a living link to the past
The brownstone-facaded building, home to what’s considered "the oldest Methodist congregation in America," was built in 1841. It's now open to the public for tours, sermons, and more.
The boom and bust of Kreischerville, Staten Island's lost company town
Once a bustling 19th-century town, Kreischerville on Staten Island is one of the city's most distinct lost company towns. Still, some historic treasures remain to give us a glimpse of what life was like for the Kreischer family and its employees.
The 19th-century origins of the home of NYC's LGBT Center
With Pride Month in full swing, we’re looking back at the history of the building that houses the NYC LGBT Center, often just referred to as the Center.
The History of Villa Charlotte Bronte, a Romantic Idyll in the Bronx
Perched atop a cliffside in the Bronx overlooking the Palisades sits one of the most charming residences within New York City: Villa Charlotte Bronte. It was designed, and has survived, as a pastoral escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
On the Upper East Side, a Link to Colonial New York Lives On
Given Manhattan’s history of constant development and redevelopment, it is not surprising that many of its earliest buildings cease to exist. Fortunately, that fate did not befall the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum.
The Many Lives of Brooklyn’s Herman Behr Mansion
This is the story of how one Brooklyn Heights home has transformed over the past century: from single-family mansion to hotel (and brothel!) to a home for Franciscan brothers, and finally to—what else?—a highly coveted rental building.