Welcome to the complete directory of every article we have published on ClassicNewYorkHistory.com. This site has been a labor of love for years, and it has grown to cover just about every corner of New York life, past and present. There are stories here about the great department stores that once ruled Manhattan, the Broadway theaters that still shine brightly, the bridges, the ballparks, the pizza, and the neighborhoods that shaped generations of New Yorkers.
My name is Brian Kachejian, and I am the founder of ClassicNewYorkHistory.com. I was born in Manhattan, raised in the Bronx, and also lived on Long Island. I went to college in upstate New York and currently work in all five boroughs of New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, and the wide swaths of upstate New York.
We built this page so you can browse everything in one place. The articles are organized by topic, and the entire list is numbered so you can see just how deep the collection runs. Whether you are researching a piece of New York history, reminiscing about a store or a stadium that is long gone, or just looking for a good story, start scrolling. Something below is going to bring back a memory.
New articles are added all the time, so bookmark this page and check back often.
Iconic Buildings and Landmarks
History of the Empire State Building
History of New York City’s Chrysler Building
History of New York’s Fascination with the Flatiron Building
New York’s Woolworth Building, The Original Cathedral of Commerce
History of the Helmsley Building, Original New York Central Building
History of New York’s MetLife Building
IAC Building New York City History
The Dakota Building, New York’s Most Exclusive Address
History of New York’s City Hall
A Look at New York’s Gracie Mansion
History of the United Nations Headquarters in New York
History of New York’s Winter Garden and Brookfield Place
A Look at NY’s Pershing Square in All Its Old School New York Glory
History of New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
History of Times Square in New York City
New York State Plans to Reopen the Statue of Liberty
History of the New York Stock Exchange
History of Christie’s Auction House in New York
NYC’s Shops at Columbus Circle Is a Spectacular Star Holiday Attraction
The Attraction and History of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library Lions, Patience and Fortitude
History of New York’s Spite Houses and Tiny Homes
Midtown Magic at the Lexington Hotel
Rockefeller Center
History and Attractions of Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock
History of the Rink at Rockefeller Center
History of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
History of New York’s Rainbow Room
History of NBC Studios at Rockefeller Plaza
Museums of New York
History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
History and Attractions of Met Cloisters Museum in NYC
Guggenheim Museum History and Tour of NY’s Guggenheim Museum
History of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
History of New York’s American Museum of Natural History
History of New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art
History of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York
History of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
A Spectacular Visit to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York
History of Madame Tussauds Museum in New York
All About the New York Hall of Science
When in Jamestown, Don’t Miss the Lucille Ball Museum
History of the New York Yippie Museum Movement
Bridges of New York
History of the Brooklyn Bridge
History of the George Washington Bridge
History of the Manhattan Bridge
History of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge
History of the Hell Gate Bridge
New York’s 59th Street Bridge Traffic Romance
History of Staten Island’s Outerbridge Crossing and Goethals Bridges
History Of New York’s Triborough Bridge
History Of The Williamsburg Bridge
10 Most Iconic Bridges in New York: History, Engineering, and Stories
Airports, Trains, and Transportation
The History of New York’s LaGuardia Airport
History of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport
Grand Central Terminal, A Postmodern Cathedral
History of New York’s Pennsylvania Station (Penn Station)
History of New York’s Oculus Transportation Hub at the WTC
History of the Second Avenue Subway Project
Union Square Station, Crossroads of NYC’s Subways
New York’s 168th Street Subway Station Is Elevator Only to the Street
St. James Train Station, 19th Century Building Still Stands
History of New York’s Empire State Express Train
History of New York’s Yellow Taxi Cab
Are New York City’s Citi Bikes Safer Than Personal Bicycles?
The Story of E-ZPass in New York and How to Sign Up
Visiting the Just Opened New York State Thruway Rest Stops
My Experience Taking a Greyhound from NYC to Plattsburgh
The Nightmare of the Long Island to New York City LIE Commute
Life on the Long Island Expressway
How to Get Around NYC: 65 Years of Local Advice from a Born-and-Raised New Yorker
Parks, Gardens, Zoos, and Public Spaces
History of New York’s Central Park
History of Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park
History of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
History of New York’s Battery Park
History of Manhattan’s Bryant Park
History of Washington Square Park
History of Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan
A Fascinating Look at New York’s Exclusive Gramercy Park
History of the Bronx New York Botanical Garden
The Enduring History of the NY Aquarium
History of Old Westbury Gardens
History and Tales of the Williamsbridge Bronx Oval Park
Smith Point County Park, Suffolk County’s Grandest Oceanfront Park
Broadway Theaters
List of Broadway Theaters in NYC with Information Guide
History of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway
History of the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway
History of the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway
History of the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway
History of the Barrymore Theatre on Broadway
History of the Belasco Theatre on Broadway
History of the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway
History of the Booth Theatre on Broadway
History of the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway
History of the Broadway Theater on Broadway
History of the Circle in the Square Theatre
History of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway
History of the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway
History of the Gershwin Theatre, Biggest Theater in New York
History of the Golden Theatre on Broadway
History of the Hayes Theater on Broadway
History of the Hudson Theater on Broadway
History of the Imperial Theatre on Broadway
History of the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway
History of the Lena Horne Theatre on Broadway
History of the Longacre Theatre on Broadway
History of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway
History of the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway
History of the Lyric Theatre on Broadway
History of the Majestic Theatre on Broadway
History of the Marquis Theatre on Broadway
History of the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway
History of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway
History of the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway
History of the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway
History of the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway
History of the Palace Theatre on Broadway
History of the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway
History of the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway
History of New York’s Shubert Theater on Broadway
History of Broadway’s St. James Theatre
History of the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway
History of the Studio 54 Theater on Broadway
History of the Vivian Beaumont Theater on Broadway
History of the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway
History of New York’s Winter Garden Theatre
History of the Shubert Brothers and Shubert Organization
History of Times Square TKTS Ticket Booth and Bleachers
Music Halls, Theaters, and Entertainment Venues
The Wonder and History of Radio City Music Hall
History of New York’s Carnegie Hall
History of New York’s Beacon Theater
History of New York’s Apollo Theater
History of Staten Island’s St. George Theatre
History of the Ed Sullivan Theater
History of New York’s Iridium Theater
History of New York City’s Famed Cafe Wha?
Lincoln Center, The Cultural Jewel in New York City’s Crown
History of the Hippo Ballerina in Front of NYC’s Lincoln Center
History of the New York City Ballet
History of Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York
Department Stores and Retail History
Macy’s Department Store History and Info
History of New York’s Bloomingdale’s Department Store
History of New York’s Gimbels Department Store
History of New York’s Lord & Taylor Department Store
History of B. Altman and Company Department Stores (Altman’s)
History of New York’s Bonwit Teller Department Stores
History of New York’s Henri Bendel Department Stores
History of New York’s Abraham & Straus Department Stores
History and Tales of Alexander’s Department Stores
History of New York’s Korvettes Department Stores
History of Stern’s Department Stores
History of New York’s Ohrbach’s Department Stores
History of Loehmann’s Department Stores
History of New York’s John’s Bargain Stores
History of TSS Stores, Times Square Stores in NY
History of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
A&P Supermarket History and Memories
History and Memories of Bohack’s Grocery Stores
St. James General Store Is the Oldest General Store Still Open in the U.S.
Bobb Howard’s General Store, New Hyde Park
NY’s Convenience Store Battle, 7-Eleven or Stewart’s Shops
Can New York’s Dead Malls Be Saved?
Food, Restaurants, and Drink
History of New York Cheesecake
History of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs at Coney Island
History of New York’s Hebrew National Hotdogs
History of Horn & Hardart Automats
Why New York’s Katz’s Delicatessen Serves the Best Pastrami Sandwich
Enjoying an Old School NYC Egg Cream in 1963 and 2023
Famous Original Ray’s Pizza Review, Times Square
New York’s Eataly Is Little Italy Under a Roof
Dreams of Fame Begin and End at the Stardust Diner
History of Chock Full o’Nuts Coffee Shops and Lunch Counters
History of the Baby Ruth Bar and Reggie Bar
The History of Dairy Queen and Its Return to New York
Why Cracker Barrel Won’t Come to Long Island or NYC
New York’s Vineyards and Wine Making History
Spirits of New York, History and Recipes of New York Cocktails
Main Street Patchogue Restaurant Row
A Trip to Pino’s Pizzeria in Deer Park, New York
A Trip to Clay Oven Restaurant, Halal Indian Cuisine, Hauppauge NY
A Trip to Don Jono’s Pizzeria in Smithtown, New York
Family Tradition to Sweet Success, The Dirty Cheesecake Story
History and Review of Smithtown’s Spectacular Heritage Deli
Hildebrandt’s of Williston Park History
The Pepper Is the Hot Place to Eat in Downtown Plattsburgh
Mickey’s Restaurant & Lounge in Plattsburgh Review
Plattsburgh Says Goodbye to Duke’s Diner
Mel’s Diner Opens in Plattsburgh, Keeping That Hometown Feel
New York Baseball
Complete History of the New York Yankees
Complete History of the New York Mets
A Met Fan’s Take on New York Mets History
New York Mets Trade Max Scherzer to Texas Rangers
When Bobby Murcer Was Our Favorite Yankee
Bobby Murcer, Three Home Runs, Yankee Stadium 1973
Why New York Yankee Fans Loved Phil Rizzuto
Baseball’s Opening Day in New York
New York Football
History of the New York Giants NFL Football Team
Another Year of NFL Playoffs Without the New York Jets
Jets Curse Storms into Stadium, Swallowing Aaron Rodgers
The Real Reason the New York Jets Drafted Sam Darnold
Experiencing an NFL Draft Party with the NY Jets
Super Bowl Jets Team Honored at MetLife, Namath Delivers Again
New York Jets Put Fan Tweets and Instagram Pics on Stadium Screens
How PSLs Have Destroyed the NFL Home Game Experience for Fans
New York Basketball and Hockey
Complete History of the New York Knicks
Complete History of the Brooklyn Nets
Complete History of the New York Rangers
New York Rangers History, 90 Years of Excitement and Heartbreak
New York Rangers Goalie Henrik Lundqvist Reaches 400th Win
Complete History of the New York Islanders
The Night I Sat Courtside at Madison Square Garden
Stadiums and Arenas
History of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
Constructing the Original Yankee Stadium of 1923
Yankee Stadium’s Decline and the Forging of a New Era in the 1970s
History of Shea Stadium in Queens, New York
History of the Polo Grounds in New York
History of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands
History of Madison Square Garden
History of Brooklyn’s The Barclays Center
History of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Racetracks, Casinos, and Gaming
History of Belmont Park Racetrack
Roosevelt Raceway History and Tales
History of the Meadowlands Racetrack
History of the Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx
A Trip to Jake’s 58, Suffolk County’s First Casino
History of the New York State Lottery
Amusement Parks and Freedomland U.S.A.
Do You Remember Freedomland U.S.A.?
65 Years Ago, Freedomland U.S.A. Appeared on the Map
Freedomland U.S.A., The Italians at America’s Theme Park
Freedomland U.S.A., The Definitive History Is a Book Not to Miss
Michael R. Virgintino Releases His Second Book on Freedomland U.S.A.
History of New York’s Frontier Town
After Eighty-Nine Years, Rye Playland Is Still Open
Top 10 New York Amusement Parks
Top 10 Water Parks in New York
Restoring America’s Carousels, The Work of William Finkenstein
Poughkeepsie Overlook Drive-In, One of New York’s Last Drive-Ins
New York Events and Traditions
History of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
History of the New York City Marathon
History of the U.S. Open in Queens, New York
History of New York Fashion Week
All About the New York Renaissance Faire
History of the Great New York State Fair
Movies, Television, and Pop Culture
Top 15 Essential New York Movies
Top 15 Essential New York Film Actors
Top 15 Essential New York Film Actresses and Their Greatest Roles
History of Ghostbusters’ Role in New York’s Hook & Ladder Company 8
Experiencing Avengers Endgame Opening Night at AMC (No Spoilers)
New York Comic Con 2017 Was Wonderfully Overwhelming, Here’s Why
More New York Comic Con Fan Pictures from NYCC 2017
Having a Blast at Long Island’s Eternal Con Comic Con
Zombies, Sons, Saviors and Fun at Walker Stalker NJ 2017
Stony Brook Film Festival to Open July 20
Music, Concerts, and New York Musicians
10 Essential Songs About New York City
Why NY’s Summer of 1977 Defined the Greatest Concert Season Ever
A Look at the Career of Bronx Born Songwriter Laura Nyro
Following Through on a Calling, The Music and Life of John Tabacco
A Look at NY’s Own Progressive Rock Power Trio Bear Success
What You Need to Know Before Buying Jones Beach Concert Tickets
Newspapers, Radio, and Media
Cousin Brucie Returns to WABC 77 AM Radio to Play Rock and Roll
New York Says Goodbye to WABC Radio’s Dan Ingram
The Real Reason Mike Francesa Decided to Return to WFAN
Farewell Regis Philbin, New York Just Lost a Great One
New York City’s LinkNYC Now Provides Free Wi-Fi and Phone Calls
In a Pandemic, Altice Optimum Continues to Raise Consumers’ Bills
Churches and Religious History
History of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC
History of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Patrick’s
History of New York’s Trinity Church
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
The Beginnings of Maryknoll and U.S. Catholic Mission
Father Vincent R. Capodanno, Remembering Staten Island’s U.S. Navy Chaplain
Revolutionary War and Military History
How the Taverns of New York City Stirred the American Revolution
History of New York’s Fraunces Tavern
The Battle of Sag Harbor in the War for Independence
The British Raid at Pound Ridge, New York
Revolutionary War Massacre at Pines Bridge, Part I
Revolutionary War Massacre at Pines Bridge, Part II, Davenport House
Sybil Ludington, New York’s Revolutionary Heroine
Revolutionary Westchester 250 Launches This Man’s a Spy
History of the Revolutionary War’s Odell House and Its March Towards Preservation
Historic Fishkill, It’s Time to Preserve Its Revolutionary Past
History of the Battle of Plattsburgh
MacDonough Monument, History of Plattsburgh’s Famous Monument
New York City Mayors
Fiorello La Guardia, History of New York City Mayors
Robert F. Wagner Jr., History of New York City Mayors
John Lindsay, History of New York City Mayors
Abraham D. Beame, History of New York City Mayors
Ed Koch, History of New York City Mayors
David Dinkins, History of New York City Mayors
Michael Bloomberg, History of New York City Mayors
Psychiatric Centers of New York
Rockland State Psychiatric Center History, Old Buildings, New Hope
Pilgrim Psychiatric Center History, Days of Past and Present
Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center, Testament to Changing Times
What It Was Like Performing at the Kings Park Psychiatric Center
Ghosts, Mysteries, and Dark History
Amityville Horror History and High Hopes
Shanley Hotel History, Presidents, Mobsters, Madams and Ghosts
Ghosts and Good Times at the Carmel, New York Smalley Inn
Manhattan Well Murder, The Ghost Stories That Followed
Lily Dale, New York’s Impact on Spiritualism and Mediums
History of Willowbrook and the Terrifying Legend of Cropsey
The Kitty Genovese Murder and Its Controversial Legacy
Long Island
History of Levittown and the American Dream
How Robert Moses Shaped the Long Island He Misunderstood
Lake Ronkonkoma History, Memories, Myths and Pizza
History of the Hamptons’ Grey Gardens Mansion
When Summers Beach Club Was the Hottest Place in the Hamptons
Little Gull Island Lighthouse History
TWA Flight 800 Memorial Stands in Tribute at Smith Point, NY
Russian Warship Spotted Close to Long Island
Upstate New York and the Hudson Valley
The Beauty and History of Lake George
The History of Lake George, NY, From Ancient Formation to Modern Resort
History and Review of Plattsburgh, New York’s Most Popular Hotels
Brewster, New York, A Little Village with a Big History
Washington Irving, Sleepy Hollow, and the American Short Story
Billie Burke, Oz, Ziegfeld, and the Hastings-on-Hudson Estate
Bronx Memories and Personal Stories
A Bronx Life on Bainbridge Ave and 204 Street
Life Along Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx
Living in the Bronx During Son of Sam
Experiencing St. Brendan’s Catholic School in the 1960s and 70s
St. Brendan’s Class of 1975, 50 Year Reunion
The Transformation from City Life to Suburbia for a Teen in the 1970s
New York Life, Culture, and Stories
The Many Reasons Why New York City Is Called the Big Apple
Naming Gotham, Who Does New York City Honor and Why?
Little Italy, What You Need to Know
Walt Whitman and His New York Love Affair
How War and Conflict Fuel New Art Forms, A Classroom Presentation
Real New Yorkers Photo Series, Part 1, Streets of Manhattan
Why I Will Never Leave New York
Top 10 New York Destinations for Honeymooners
New York City in Pictures During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Describing the Experience of Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine in NYC
In Pursuit of a Dream, The Anthony Sena Story
