1. Architecture

Architecture, built environment and urban details

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  • FEATURED WORK: Dying Slave Redux (Hotel de Police), Paris, 2008

Finalist -- Photographer´s Forum Magazine's 29th Annual Spring Photography Contest of 2009, and published in the hardcover compendium, "Best of Photography 2009."

This curious building is located on Avenue Daumesnil in Paris's 12th arrondissement, near the Gare de Lyon. It is viewed from the Promenade Plantée, a linear park--like the High Line it inspired in New York City--that converts an ancient elevated railway into a modern greenway. Although the building's showy façade evokes a Hollywood set piece à la Busby Berkeley, it is actually a police headquarters.

The building's atlantes figures are replicas of "The Dying Slave," a statue by Michelangelo, whose original is in the city's Louvre Museum.

    FEATURED WORK: Dying Slave Redux (Hotel de Police), Paris, 2008 Finalist -- Photographer´s Forum Magazine's 29th Annual Spring Photography Contest of 2009, and published in the hardcover compendium, "Best of Photography 2009." This curious building is located on Avenue Daumesnil in Paris's 12th arrondissement, near the Gare de Lyon. It is viewed from the Promenade Plantée, a linear park--like the High Line it inspired in New York City--that converts an ancient elevated railway into a modern greenway. Although the building's showy façade evokes a Hollywood set piece à la Busby Berkeley, it is actually a police headquarters. The building's atlantes figures are replicas of "The Dying Slave," a statue by Michelangelo, whose original is in the city's Louvre Museum.

  • Night corner, Edgecombe Avenue, NYC

    Night corner, Edgecombe Avenue, NYC

  • A kiss restores Bank Rock Bridge to an ancient purpose, Central Park, NYC

    A kiss restores Bank Rock Bridge to an ancient purpose, Central Park, NYC

  • House Divided, Promenade Plantée, Paris

    House Divided, Promenade Plantée, Paris

  • Barbados: Drip-stone Filtration (George Washington House)

    Barbados: Drip-stone Filtration (George Washington House)

  • Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres, France

    Cathédrale Notre Dame de Chartres, France

  • Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Riverside Park, NYC

    Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Riverside Park, NYC

  • Untitled photo
  • Hamilton Grange, Hamilton Heights, Harlem

    Hamilton Grange, Hamilton Heights, Harlem

  • Untitled photo
  • Garrit Storm mausoleum, Trinity Church Cemetery & Mausoleum, NYC

    Garrit Storm mausoleum, Trinity Church Cemetery & Mausoleum, NYC

  • Morris-Jumel Mansion, NYC

    Morris-Jumel Mansion, NYC

  • Frank Gehry's IAC Building, from High Line, NYC

    Frank Gehry's IAC Building, from High Line, NYC

  • Washington Square Arch, Greenwich Village, NYC

    Washington Square Arch, Greenwich Village, NYC

  • Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

    Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

  • St. Joseph's RC Church Manhattanville, West Harlem, NYC

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church (and Rectory, set back unseen behind the tree to the left of the entry) was founded and built in 1860 as St. Joseph of the Holy Family. It is located at the northwest corner of 125th Street and Morningside Avenue (formerly Ninth Avenue). The church originally served the German Catholic population of Manhattanville (now encompassed by West Harlem). A 100th anniversary souvenir history in 1960 noted: “While the construction of the church was going on...on May 30, of the year 1861 was celebrated what was probably the first public Corpus Christi procession in New York City.”

The late 19th-century Harlem contractor John J. Hopper reminisced about this church in his series of Manhattanville history newspaper articles, circa 1920, as “the German Catholic Church at Ninth Avenue, which my father [Isaac A. Hopper] built” during his boyhood on Manhattan Street [now 125th Street] from 1853 to 1865.

Although the AIA guide attributes the church’s architecture to the Herter Brothers in 1889, that building date is incorrect, probably confused with that of St. Joseph's ancillary school building around the corner at 168 Morningside Avenue; architectural historian Sandra Levine attributes the architecture to Henry Engelbert. David Dunlap cites this church in his book, “Glory in Gotham: Manhattan’s Houses of Worship,” as the oldest church in Harlem, but that observation would apply only to the building itself.

The honor of Harlem's two oldest local congregations belongs to the Elmendorf Reformed Church (established in 1660 as the Reformed Low Dutch Church) in what is now called East Harlem, and nearby St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Church Manhattanville, established in 1823.

    St. Joseph's RC Church Manhattanville, West Harlem, NYC St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church (and Rectory, set back unseen behind the tree to the left of the entry) was founded and built in 1860 as St. Joseph of the Holy Family. It is located at the northwest corner of 125th Street and Morningside Avenue (formerly Ninth Avenue). The church originally served the German Catholic population of Manhattanville (now encompassed by West Harlem). A 100th anniversary souvenir history in 1960 noted: “While the construction of the church was going on...on May 30, of the year 1861 was celebrated what was probably the first public Corpus Christi procession in New York City.” The late 19th-century Harlem contractor John J. Hopper reminisced about this church in his series of Manhattanville history newspaper articles, circa 1920, as “the German Catholic Church at Ninth Avenue, which my father [Isaac A. Hopper] built” during his boyhood on Manhattan Street [now 125th Street] from 1853 to 1865. Although the AIA guide attributes the church’s architecture to the Herter Brothers in 1889, that building date is incorrect, probably confused with that of St. Joseph's ancillary school building around the corner at 168 Morningside Avenue; architectural historian Sandra Levine attributes the architecture to Henry Engelbert. David Dunlap cites this church in his book, “Glory in Gotham: Manhattan’s Houses of Worship,” as the oldest church in Harlem, but that observation would apply only to the building itself. The honor of Harlem's two oldest local congregations belongs to the Elmendorf Reformed Church (established in 1660 as the Reformed Low Dutch Church) in what is now called East Harlem, and nearby St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Church Manhattanville, established in 1823.

  • Former 32nd Precinct Mounted Police Station House, Washington Heights, NYC

Built in 1871, the former 32nd Precinct Mounted Police Station house at the southwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue  and 152nd Street is a holdout from the days when this area was best known as Carmansville (which is the name of the public playground across the avenue). The so-called “trans-Harlem” area of upper Manhattan was a country district where mounted police were a substantial part of the force. The old precinct house is built in the French Second Empire style, its mansard roof with iron cresting still conspicuous above the relatively low-scale streetscape. The building now belongs to a local church.

    Former 32nd Precinct Mounted Police Station House, Washington Heights, NYC Built in 1871, the former 32nd Precinct Mounted Police Station house at the southwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 152nd Street is a holdout from the days when this area was best known as Carmansville (which is the name of the public playground across the avenue). The so-called “trans-Harlem” area of upper Manhattan was a country district where mounted police were a substantial part of the force. The old precinct house is built in the French Second Empire style, its mansard roof with iron cresting still conspicuous above the relatively low-scale streetscape. The building now belongs to a local church.

  • New Yankee Stadium from the Bx6 bus window

    New Yankee Stadium from the Bx6 bus window

  • Bronx Terminal Market Power House, Mill Pond Park, The Bronx, NYC

    Bronx Terminal Market Power House, Mill Pond Park, The Bronx, NYC

  • Former Bronx Terminal Market Building, NYC

    Former Bronx Terminal Market Building, NYC

  • Old Broadway Synagogue, Manhattanville, West Harlem, NYC

Exuding old world charm, Old Broadway Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish shul. The little brick building is located on Old Broadway - a vestige splinter of Manhattan's colonial-era Bloomingdale Road, which much later evolved into today's Broadway - between West 125th and 126th Streets. The congregation incorporated in 1911 under the Hebrew name Chevra Talmud Torah Anshei Marovi (which roughly translates as West Siders’ Congregation Torah Teaching Center), but did not erect this building until 1923. Old Broadway Synagogue has endured to become the last affiliated Jewish synagogue in Harlem - formerly New York City's second largest Jewish community, after the Lower East Side - most others having been adapted as Christian churches. In 2001 Old Broadway Synagogue was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

    Old Broadway Synagogue, Manhattanville, West Harlem, NYC Exuding old world charm, Old Broadway Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish shul. The little brick building is located on Old Broadway - a vestige splinter of Manhattan's colonial-era Bloomingdale Road, which much later evolved into today's Broadway - between West 125th and 126th Streets. The congregation incorporated in 1911 under the Hebrew name Chevra Talmud Torah Anshei Marovi (which roughly translates as West Siders’ Congregation Torah Teaching Center), but did not erect this building until 1923. Old Broadway Synagogue has endured to become the last affiliated Jewish synagogue in Harlem - formerly New York City's second largest Jewish community, after the Lower East Side - most others having been adapted as Christian churches. In 2001 Old Broadway Synagogue was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

  • The Union League of Philadelphia

The Union League of Philadelphia, at 140 South Broad Street, was one of numerous organizations established in 1862, during the Civil War, to promote Union loyalty and support of President Abraham Lincoln's policies.

    The Union League of Philadelphia The Union League of Philadelphia, at 140 South Broad Street, was one of numerous organizations established in 1862, during the Civil War, to promote Union loyalty and support of President Abraham Lincoln's policies.

  • Hamilton Heights

    Hamilton Heights

  • Triple townhouse group at nos. 458-462 West 152nd Street, built in 1890 by C.P. H. Gilbert, Sugar Hill, Harlem

    Triple townhouse group at nos. 458-462 West 152nd Street, built in 1890 by C.P. H. Gilbert, Sugar Hill, Harlem

  • Red steps

iPhoneography

    Red steps iPhoneography

  • Vintage Omega Oil painted ad, Harlem

Vintage ad reading "Omega Oil for Sun Burn for Weak Backs" is painted on the side of a Harlem apartment building on West 147th Street, between Frederick Douglas Boulevard and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.

    Vintage Omega Oil painted ad, Harlem Vintage ad reading "Omega Oil for Sun Burn for Weak Backs" is painted on the side of a Harlem apartment building on West 147th Street, between Frederick Douglas Boulevard and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.

  • George Washington Bridge, from Fort Lee, NJ

    George Washington Bridge, from Fort Lee, NJ

  • The Little Red Lighthouse, on the New York side of the Hudson River, seen from the pedestrian walk of the George Washington Bridge, Washington Heights.

    The Little Red Lighthouse, on the New York side of the Hudson River, seen from the pedestrian walk of the George Washington Bridge, Washington Heights.

  • Spars and strips, West 34th Steet, NYC

    Spars and strips, West 34th Steet, NYC

  • Railroad causeway and Macomb's Dam Bridge, Harlem River

    Railroad causeway and Macomb's Dam Bridge, Harlem River

  • Manhattanville demolition and Riverside Drive Viaduct

    Manhattanville demolition and Riverside Drive Viaduct

  • Wrought iron entry arch, Bona Vista Court, Washington Heights, NYC

iPhone photo

Built in 1905, the Bona Vista Court apartment building at 945 St. Nicholas Avenue has always intrigued me. The unusual wrought iron arch over its entryway embeds the building's name on its underside, and the peak of its curve appears to have once contained a lantern. On September 16, 1920, a time bomb detonated outside the offices of J.P. Morgan at 23 Wall Street, killing 38 people. The perpetrators, believed to have been Italian anarchists, were never found out. But one man living in this building was listed among the numerous injured employees of the Equitable Trust Company; George Williams, who suffered cuts, became the personal link from a giant bit of history exploding ten miles away to this little Washington Heights apartment building.

    Wrought iron entry arch, Bona Vista Court, Washington Heights, NYC iPhone photo Built in 1905, the Bona Vista Court apartment building at 945 St. Nicholas Avenue has always intrigued me. The unusual wrought iron arch over its entryway embeds the building's name on its underside, and the peak of its curve appears to have once contained a lantern. On September 16, 1920, a time bomb detonated outside the offices of J.P. Morgan at 23 Wall Street, killing 38 people. The perpetrators, believed to have been Italian anarchists, were never found out. But one man living in this building was listed among the numerous injured employees of the Equitable Trust Company; George Williams, who suffered cuts, became the personal link from a giant bit of history exploding ten miles away to this little Washington Heights apartment building.

  • Evening on the High Line

    Evening on the High Line

  • Theo F. Tone & Co. Coal Warehouse, Harlem Office advertisement

    Theo F. Tone & Co. Coal Warehouse, Harlem Office advertisement

  • Please Close Gate

iPhone photo

    Please Close Gate iPhone photo

  • Brill Building, 1619 Broadway, near Times Square, NYC

iPhone photo

    Brill Building, 1619 Broadway, near Times Square, NYC iPhone photo

  • Commuter carrousel

iPhone photo

    Commuter carrousel iPhone photo

  • Mt. Zion Lutheran Church window, Convent Avenue, Harlem

iPhone photo

    Mt. Zion Lutheran Church window, Convent Avenue, Harlem iPhone photo

  • Time Warner Towers, Columbus Circle

iPhone photo

    Time Warner Towers, Columbus Circle iPhone photo

  • Hearst Tower, 959 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan, NYC

    Hearst Tower, 959 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan, NYC

  • Hearst Tower

iPhone photo

    Hearst Tower iPhone photo

  • Hearst Tower III

iPhone photo

    Hearst Tower III iPhone photo

  • Hearst Tower IV (serrated edge)

iPhone photo

    Hearst Tower IV (serrated edge) iPhone photo

  • Bennett Building, 93-99 Nassau Street, NYC

iPhone photo

    Bennett Building, 93-99 Nassau Street, NYC iPhone photo

  • Slate paver, City Hall Park, NYC

iPhoneography

    Slate paver, City Hall Park, NYC iPhoneography

  • In December 1920, Ed H. Wilson opened a small hotel expressly for Harlem’s African-American clientele. The Hotel Olga evokes little nostalgia today, but its idle 3-story building at Lenox Avenue and 145th Street was once a crucible of black tourism. Its registry, published weekly in papers across the country, assured intrepid travelers of a comfortable, safe and respectable sojourn to be had in New York. In an era when Harlem’s now iconic Hotel Theresa still loomed as a citadel of racial exclusion, Wilson conjured up his swank haven for “the Race” from an earlier mixed-race watering hole on the same site, the Dolphin Hotel. His new hotel coincided with the erasure of Lenox Oval, a rear through-block sandlot noted for culturally diverse athletics. For a quarter century--spanning the storied Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression and WWII--Wilson’s little venture offered travelers of color a key waypoint in America’s most renowned black community.

Click to read more about the Hotel Olga, Dolphin Hotel and Lenox Oval:
www.examiner.com/article/hotel-olga-race-resort-of-the-ha...

Listen to audiobite: soundcloud.com/eric-k-washington/hotel-olga-race-retreat-...

    In December 1920, Ed H. Wilson opened a small hotel expressly for Harlem’s African-American clientele. The Hotel Olga evokes little nostalgia today, but its idle 3-story building at Lenox Avenue and 145th Street was once a crucible of black tourism. Its registry, published weekly in papers across the country, assured intrepid travelers of a comfortable, safe and respectable sojourn to be had in New York. In an era when Harlem’s now iconic Hotel Theresa still loomed as a citadel of racial exclusion, Wilson conjured up his swank haven for “the Race” from an earlier mixed-race watering hole on the same site, the Dolphin Hotel. His new hotel coincided with the erasure of Lenox Oval, a rear through-block sandlot noted for culturally diverse athletics. For a quarter century--spanning the storied Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression and WWII--Wilson’s little venture offered travelers of color a key waypoint in America’s most renowned black community. Click to read more about the Hotel Olga, Dolphin Hotel and Lenox Oval: www.examiner.com/article/hotel-olga-race-resort-of-the-ha... Listen to audiobite: soundcloud.com/eric-k-washington/hotel-olga-race-retreat-...

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