The Church of Saint Edward the Martyr, 1941. The church was designed by architect George A. Bagge and completed in 1887. A 1903 expansion, financed by philanthropist, lawyer, senior warden of the parish Elbridge T. Gerry included interior decoration such as stained glass, mosaics, and marble and metal work, designed and installed by famed decorative arts firm J. & R. Lamb.

Huddlestone Arch was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould and built in 1866. Located near the northern end of the Ravine, it is made entirely of rough, uncut boulders and was constructed without the use of any binding material.

Businesses on West 124th Street, off of Lenox Avenue, 1932. Storefronts include: Lenox Auto Renting Co.; Harding Hand Laundry; and L. Pelzling, Tailor. Today, the second story cornices and wooden clapboards have been removed, but underlying structures remain.

By 1897, New York City was well on its way to becoming the metropolis of steel and concrete that we know today. Elevator cars were carrying passengers up and down in the earliest skyscrapers, while the elevated rail lines stretched further and further uptown. It was around this time that photographer James Reuel Smith embarked upon a quest to document part of the city’s vanishing pastoral life—its springs and wells.

Block House No. 1. This stone fort, which sits on top of the large rock, is the oldest original structure in Central Park (Cleopatra's Needle was created elsewhere and moved). It is one of a number of fortifications built in the area during the War of 1812 (and the only one that survives). Despite the threat that prompted their construction, none of the forts were used in wartime combat and they were abandoned when the war ended, soon after being built. It was later used for ammunition storage.

Parkway Hospital, August 3, 1928. The Parkway Hospital, a private 70-bed facility on the north side of Central Park, opened to the public on January 5, 1929. The West 110th Street building became the Italian Hospital during the 1950s. In 1973, Italian merged with Columbus Hospital, creating the Cabrini Medical Center and shifting care to a new facility in Gramercy Park.

The McGown's Pass Tavern was built in 1883-1884 and served refreshments to Central Park visitors for the next 30 years. Originally called the Mount St. Vincent's Hotel (after an earlier establishment), the first proprietor was Patrick H. McCann, brother-in-law to a Tammany Hall boss. Supposedly McCann lost his lease on the business in 1890 after refusing to provide Tammany men free entertainment (a capital offense to the presumptuous and overly indulged political machine leaders). The Tavern closed in 1915, its furnishings sold at auction, and the building razed.

\*Odetta (1930- 2008), born Odetta Holmes, was an influential artist/activist of the civil rights generation. During her 60-year career, she influenced numerous performers, including Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin. Her signature song was “This Little Light of Mine.” Odetta took part in the historic freedom marches of the 1960s in Selma, Alabama, and in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. named her “Queen of American Folk Music.” President William J. Clinton honored her with the National Medal of Arts, saying, “Odetta reminds us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world.” \*Text from the Cultural Medallion placed on 1270 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

From 1939 to 1942, the internationally popular African American cabaret singer Jimmie Daniels owned and operated his eponymous Harlem supper club on the ground floor of this building. The famed nightspot hosted European royalty, high society from both sides of the Atlantic, and Black and white, gay and straight notables from the arts. You can read more about Jimmie Daniels at the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project.

Subway construction at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue, August 10, 1910.

Huddlestone Arch, 1895. This dry-stacked arch was made of uncut boulders, forming its shape without the use of mortar or any kind of support structure. In this photograph is Robert L. Bracklow, a photographer, and (presumably) Mary Granger, his lifelong partner.

Harlem churches have been an important part of the historical shaping of the neighborhood. For decades, they have been centers for community bonding and healing. Many of these churches have been involved with social movements like the fight for civil rights and the abolition of slavery. Many historic Harlem churches have lost some of their popularity as time has passed, but they still hold spiritual importance in their neighborhoods. As property values rise in an ever-gentrifying city, a few churches have been struggling to stay open as tithes and parishioners have dwindled. However, the members remain hopeful. On this walk, interact with structures of beauty and importance in the Harlem community.

The upper portion of Central Park is perhaps the less visited section of New York's man-made oasis but includes some lovely areas. Take a look at some of the lesser-known spots in the park.

This photo shows tunneling under Central Park for the Lenox Line. Unlike cut and cover, these tunnels are deep underground and cannot be built by digging through the street. Drillers made holes for dynamite that helped explode the rock, and then excavators removed the spoil and cleared the way for the shield, a device that kept workers safe as they dug. The shield is a temporary support that acts to protect the workers from falling debris as they chip away at rocks ahead of the shield and put in place permanent support walls behind it. Sandhogs used pickaxes, shovels, air powered drills, and sometimes dynamite, to break through the rock.

In tandem with our exhibition, Cycling in the City: A 200 Year History, we are excited to invite you on a bike tour throughout our neighborhood. MCNY's little section of the world, nestled between the Upper East Side and East Harlem, has a plethora of amazing buildings and sites with an even more amazing history. We suggest that you stick to the labeled bike lanes and follow the safety rules of biking in the city. Never text and ride at the same time, and always wear a helmet!

Storefronts on Madison Avenue, south of East 109th Street, undated photo. These deteriorating tenement buildings would be demolished and replaced by Public School 108.