| New York City |
| What can one say about New York except that it is one of the world's great cities, full of life, atmosphere, friendly people and some amazing architecture. OK it has its not so good points too, but so does everywhere else, and as cities go this is one of the best ! |
| "The Whitehall Building, on Battery Place, between West and Washington Streets, is the largest single office building in the world. The original building, 20 stories, 254 feet high, was finished in 1903 at a cost of $1,000,000; the new addition of 32 stories, 416 feet high, was finished in 1911, and cost $4,600,000. The building covers 21 city lots. Home of the Weather Bureau and of the Millionaires' Club." |
| A rather strange postcard of the Rockefeller Centre, probably from an architect's sketch. |
| The St Paul Building by night - an unused and thus undated postcard. |
| "The Trinity Building is located at 111 Broadway just south of Trinity Church. It is a magnificent modern office building of pure Gothic architecture rising to a height of 308 feet and resting on 70 pneumatic caissons, each one sunk 75 feet below the sidewalk. The United Realty Building just north is connected by a bridge near the top of the building." The Trinity Building was completed in 1905, the Realty in 1907. Click here for images from another website. (Z) |
| "The Grand Central Terminal covers 69.8 acres facing East 42nd Street, from Vanderbilt to Lexington Avenue, the largest and most costly Railroad Station in the world. It has 31 miles of tracks under cover, with a capacity for handling 200 trains and 70,000 passengers each hour. There are 42 tracks for long distance trains on the 42nd Street level, and 25 tracks for suburban trains in concourse, 25 feet below the Street." |
| "Cooper Square where Fourth and Third Avenues merge into the Bowery. Cooper Union was founded by Peter Cooper in 1859. It is a free school of science and art with an endowment of $4,000,000. The Bible House built in 1852 by American Bible Society has issued 90,000,000 Bibles in 95 years." |
| "Madison Square Garden occupies an entire city block from Madison to Fourth Avenue and 36th to 37th Streets. It is the largest Amphitheatre in America, the interior being 300 by 200 feet, 80 feet high with an arena 268x122 feet, seating capacity 12,000. The tower is 341 feet high, statue of Diana is 13 feet high. Erected in 1890 at a cost of $3,000,000." This was the second of four Madison Square Gardens, built in 1890 and demolished in 1925. (Z) |
| Historic Claremont, Riverside Drive. "Claremont Restaurant is one of the historic land marks of the city, being located along Riverside Drive, on a bluff overlooking Grant's Tomb. It was modeled after Lord Cleve's historic Claremont in Surrey, England, which is now owned by King George. Claremont was once the residence of Joseph Bonaparte who was made King of Spain by Napoleon." It has been difficult to find much about this place - click on this link. |
| This postcard was mailed in 1906. It's an interesting view of the Bowery, spoiled by having had "sparkle" glued on it - this was quite common in the 1900s and was thought by some to enhance the cards !! |
| The Woolworth Building. "Cathedral of Commerce. Highest Building in the World. Height 792 ft. 69 stories. Gothic Architecture. 12,000 people occupy the building. There are 3,000 offices. Contains 24 High Speed Elevators that can travel at the rate of 750 feet per minute. The Power Plant generates sufficient electrical energy to supply the requirements of a city of 50,000 population." |
| Three more views of the Flatiron Building - which is very photogenic !! the left hand card is from 1911, the centre from 1909 and that on the right is unused and thus undated. Follow the (Z) to buy a reproduction of the postcard on the left. |
| The Brooklyn Bridge in the 1940s. (Z) |
| This postcard shows the view from the Fuller Building at 23rd St, Broadway and 5th Avenue. This was the first Fuller Building and is better known as the Flatiron Building - the second Fuller is on East 57th. |
| "Seventh Avenue uptown is one of the main thoroughfares and is lined on both sides with prominent and imposing apartment buildings. 125th (sic) Street is the center of the uptown shopping district. Many of New York's finest apartment buildings are to be found in this section." |
| "42nd Street is now the most prominent Street in New York. It is the very center of the theatre and Hotel district most of the large play houses and hotels being located on 42nd or nearby streets. This view is taken from the front of Grand Central Station." (Z) |
| "New York Public Library is located on Fifth Avenue covering two entire blocks from 40th to 42nd Streets. It is built entirely of marble and cost $9,000,000. The corner stone was laid Nov 10 1902 - the library was opened May 23rd 1911. The main stock room is 270 feet long, contains 1,600,000 volumes and has 7,000 periodicals on file." |
| The Elevated Railway - click on the link for an excellent website with loads of information !!. |
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| Postcards of the Past |
| "The new Municipal Building on Park Row, facing City Hall Park, completed 1913, 34 stories (15 in tower), contains offices for the various city departments. Its foundation, the most difficult ever constructed, consists of 116 pneumatic caissons, sunk in some places 260 feet below street level."(Z) |
| A 1909 postcard of the Flatiron Building. |
| A 1908 postcard of the St Paul Building on Broadway and Ann Street, built between 1895 and 1898 and demolished in 1958. When completed, this 315 feet building was the tallest in New York City. |
| "The Woolworth Building, just completed, occupies a plot 152 X 197 feet at Broadway and Barclay Streets. It is the tallest building in the world, rising to a height of 750 feet 55 stories above the ground. The foundation consists of caissons 19 feet in diameter sunk to bedrock 110 to 130 feet below the ground. Total cost is estimated at $15,000,000. " The building was completed in 1913, so this dates this postcard. (Z) |
| "Fifth Avenue North from 42nd Street, formerly a center of fashion, is now a congested retail business district, some of New York's leading retail stores being located here. The City's foremost clubs are located near 43rd, 44th and 45th Streets. Delmonico's Restaurant, founded in 1828 is at 44th Street." |
| "Trinity Church is located on Broadway at the head of Wall Street. Trinity is said to be the wealthiest parish in the world, owning £10,000,000 worth of real estate in the lower part of the city. Trinity church was founded in 1696, this being the third building on this site, completed in 1846. $40,000 bronze doors and a $100,000 marble altar, donated by the Astor Family." |
| There is a vast amount of information about New York City on the internet - try using the Search Box to see what you can find ! |
| Have a look at some postcards of the original York in England. |
| A great postcard of Herald Square and Macy's - or at least that's what it says on the postcard ! However, one of our "viewers", a NYC resident, has pointed out the postcard manufacturer's error. The large, white building which dominates the picture is in fact not Macy's but the old Saks department store, and the square is Greeley Square, not Herald Square. Macy's is the building behind Saks (with two flags on the roof). The postcard also shows the Sixth Avenue Elevated Railway which was built in the 1870s and finally demolished in 1939. Thanks, Neil, for the information. (Z) |
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| We think you will enjoy postcards of Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Wildwood, NJ or Niagara Falls. |
| Our 2010 Calendar of old postcards of New York City is now available - click here to preview and buy it. |
| Click here for more old postcards of NYC ! |
| And Did You Know........that Danny Kaye, the actor, singer and comedian, was also born in Brooklyn, in 1913 ? |
| Did You Know........that Robert de Niro, the film actor, director and producer, was born in New York City ? |
| And Did You Know........that Douglas Fairbanks Jr, the actor and World War 2 Naval Officer, was born in New York City in 1909 ? His father was the actor Douglas Fairbanks. |
