Author Archives: therealtamara

For an opinionated woman such as I, blogging is an excellent outlet. This is one of many fori that I use to bloviate. Enjoy! Comment on my commentary.

The Mayor’s residence

Gracie Mansion is set, in keeping with its origins, in a bucolic parkland. Built from 1799 to 1802 as a country home by Archibald Gracie, a then-wealthy merchant, it has been the official home to sitting mayors for some 80 years.

Here are some of the twists along the road that led it to play its part in New York City history. Gracie lost his money and standing, forcing him to sell the property to Joseph Foulke in 1823. In 1857, Foulke sold it to a fellow named Noah Wheaton. In 1896 the City took over Gracie Mansion for back taxes.

For a while, the Mansion provided the concessions stand and pit stop for the public park that surrounded the building. In 1923, the City converted the Mansion into the Museum of the City of New York. The Museum moved to its Fifth Avenue home in 1932 and the Mansion was turned into a historic home museum.

In the 1940s Robert Moses, master planner and Parks Commissioner convinced the City Council that Gracie Mansion should become the Mayoral residence. Fiorello LaGuardia reluctantly moved in in 1942. In the years since only Michael Bloomberg stayed in his own home during his years of service.

Gracie Mansion is maintained by a Conservancy, like the ones that help keep our City parks green. It is open to the public on a limited tour schedule.

Bridge

Let’s look at a panorama of bridges today.

Looking north from Asphalt Green onto bridges.
A footbridge by any other name..
The Queensboro was renamed after Mayor Koch but we oldies consider its legitimate name the 59th Street Bridge.

A NYC Holiday walk

This must have been two years ago when I took a tour of the 5th Avenue decorations with my friend C.

It’s nice when your memorable times and impressions of New York at its best are so easily preserved.

A brief explanation

Where does Asphalt Green get its name?

The nonprofit converted the asphalt plant that occupied this space originally into part of the gym complex. The uniquely shaped structure still stands, repurposed and bannering the name.

Where to?

Breakfast joints worth a try have recently cropped up in the extended neighborhood.

Your choice from a couple of schools of higher learning in the upper 60s and 70th: Hunter College or The New York School of Interior Design.
You’d be hard pressed to go 5 blocks without encountering a construction site.
One Grand Central Place has a grand lobby.

There was a coffee spot called Grumpy’s I passed on the bus- too fast to capture its image. I had tried it in the past and, Yes, that’s how I felt after sipping a cup.