Construction Maison

Author John Freeman Gill takes Fodor’s on an urban safari. If you make the effort to gaze skyward in New York, you will discover (hiding in plain sight) a city teeming with remarkable architectural sculptures : gryphons and sea monsters, cherubs and pelicans, goddesses and kings. These exuberantly expressive artworks were the creation of gifted immigrant stone carvers who poured into New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries , most of them from the British Isles, Germany, and Italy. The ornament on the grandest edifices was typically specified by architects, but on the vast majority of city buildings , the design of the carvings was left up to the individual stoneworker. The carvers took this freedom and ran with it, incising their imaginations into New York’s skyline and transforming its streetscape into a marvelously quirky public art gallery . 555 Washington Avenue John Freeman Gill Ever since my novel, The Gargoyle Hunters , was published, I’ve been besieged by readers a...

For a family, the quarters were cramped: 900 square feet, with a closet-size kitchen and a bathroom down the hall. For an artist, which Ms. Sherman considered herself to be, Studio 1208, was near-ideal. It was flooded with light from skylights and floor-to- ceiling windows facing north toward Central Park. And it was surrounded by stimulating, photogenic neighbors. The whole complex, with its rehearsal rooms, ballet and drama studios and work-live cells, was a hive of talent. Marlon Brando, Norman Mailer and Marilyn Monroe had been, or would be, in temporary residence; musical traffic came and went in Carnegie Hall downstairs ; Manhattan was just outside the door. Photo Installation view of “The Duchess of Carnegie Hall” at the New- York Historical Society . Ms. Sherman used an 8-by-10 camera to take portraits of celebrities. Credit Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times But life for the Shermans was not easy. Money was hard to find. A photographic practice had to be developed an...

:: 2 Works Cited Length: 1431 words (4.1 double-spaced pages) Rating: Purple       Open Document - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Written by Chinua Achebe , “Things Fall Apart” describes European imperialism through the eyes of the Nigerian tribesmen as they interact with European colonists. What makes this piece of literature valuable is not the fact that it criticizes imperialism; it is the way in which it criticizes imperialism. Achebe portrays the African tribes as having very rich civilized and social cultures, not as being animalistic savages, which other literatures would lead one to believe. Because of this, the reader is able to connect with the mindset of an African native. This enables the reader to view imperialism from the opposite side of the spectrum, as people whose culture is being destroyed by foreign invaders (Shmoop). Achebe uses the ill-fated Okonkwo as a vehicle for this enlightenment. Okonkwo is a well-respected member of...

A Broadway landmark was reduced to a pile of bricks and steel beams by a wrecking crew Aug . 15. An excavator equipped with a metal claw began knocking down the building at 700 Broadway, which became a structural hazard once fire gutted it Aug. 6. The intersection of Broadway and West Seventh Street was blocked to car traffic and walkers, but several dozen people stood on both streets to watch the action on the building, which also was known as the Thistle Block or the Thistle Building. The excavator claw ripped into the building starting just after 1:30 p.m. >>PHOTOS: Demo begins on 700 Broadway Advertisement “It’s devastating,” said Marco Calo, 35, a resident who lost many personal belongings in the fire. Calo said his losses included copies of his resume and paperwork for scheduled job interviews , leaving him without directions for finding work. Using his cell phone, Calo streamed the demolition live via Facebook, communicating with family and friends. “Have ...

Occasionally , a local news story reduces the mess of New York City gentrification to its essential boorishness. Earlier this year, a Torontonian opened a “ boozy sandwich shop ,” according to the eatery’s Web site, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a neighborhood built on a gentle slope. One might speculate that it was this topography that inspired Becca Brennan, a former attorney and the business’s owner, to name her new establishment Summerhill. One might also surmise that Brennan had reached a bogeyman’s conclusion about the recent demographics of Crown Heights. Last month, Gothamist reported that Brennan had issued a press release featuring a photo of a radioactive-looking cocktail against a dented green wall . “Yes, that bullet hole-ridden wall was originally there, and yes, we’re keeping it,” the release boasted. Brennan’s belief—that the previous renters, bodega proprietors, had operated a clandestine weapons ring in the back of the store—was quickly debunked on social media; on Su...

Will Daniels of Macon, who now pronounces Forsyth correctly I’m delighted to announce, wrote a beautiful Letter to the Editor on Aug. 17. He quotes Matthew’s story of Jesus curing the daughter of a woman who was not Jewish (Matt. 15:23), and Daniels makes the point that Christianity has “elevated the status of women in society” based on scriptural stories such as these. How I wish that were true. Daniels could have quoted many more biblical stories about Jesus and women. Matthew and Luke both tell their nativity stories, praising Mary and Elizabeth. Mark tells us that one of the first healings Jesus completed was for Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29). Women permeate Luke ’s gospel: the widow’s son (Luke 7:11), and the women healed (Luke 8:40), etc. And it’s in Luke’s account of the “followers” of Jesus (Luke 8:2) where we get a glimpse, however fleeting, of how much women were both valued and loved by Jesus. (More on this later.) And it is true that women today have broken the glass ...

CLAIM A list authored by Roman statesman Cicero describes "the situation during his lifetime." See Example(s) EXAMPLES Collected via Facebook, June 2016 RATING FALSE ORIGIN As we’ve noted many times in these pages, one common way in which people attempt to demonstrate the aptness of a particular social or political viewpoint is to put its expression into the mouth of a revered historical figure . Surely if one of great minds of our civilization, someone who lived hundreds (or even thousands) of years ago, said the very same thing we’re thinking today, then surely that’s proof we’ve hit upon some eternal truth that should be sagaciously heeded. In short, attributing apocryphal quotations to everyone from Confucius to Abraham Lincoln is an attempt to capitalize on the maxim that “great minds think alike.” 1. The poor, work & work. 2. The rich, exploit the poor. 3. The soldier, protects both. 4. The taxpayer, pays for all the three. 5. The wanderer, rests for all the fo...

CLOSE Family- friendly spots in NYC Wochit The Hills on Governor's Island. (Photo: Timothy Schenck 2016) During the last two weeks of summer, when summer camp is over but school has yet to begin, getting the kids out of the house is a must. And if you're not jetting off to Europe — or even heading down the shore — you're going to need a plan. Lucky for you, we have one. From a ferry ride out to Governor's Island to a tour of an aircraft carrier, from 65-million-year-old fossils to playful sea lions , very much alive, we have curated six fun trips to New York City that promise to keep your child not only occupied, but entertained. We've even included plans for lunch.  Kids' decor:: Little girls' backyard dream house comes to life Going 'round:: Take a spin on these magnificent carousels Governor's Island Governor's Island is a pretty magical place to escape to for the day, and there really is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. The ...