Over the centuries, the coast of Lower Manhattan has been reshaped by tides, fires, demolition, development, and various colors of gentrification. Walk with us as we unveil details of Lower Manhattan's unique architecture, piers, and urban transformations.

Yacht "Oneida", 1895. On July 1, 1893, under the headline "President Seeks Rest," the New York Times reported on President Cleveland leaving Pier A in lower Manhattan on his friend's yacht, the "Oneida," for a fishing trip to his summer home on Cape Cod. In fact, the relaxing trip was a ruse to cover for oral surgery the President would secretly undergo while at sea. The small cancerous tumor (with a couple teeth and a piece of the jaw) was removed through the mouth itself while on the open water by a team of six surgeons. Remarkably, the whole procedure was completed in only 90 minutes. Without a visible scar, and with the president's substantial mustache still in place, the incision was easy to hide. Cleveland worried that publicizing this health issues would lead to political and financial instability at a time when the country had just entered into a depression. A few weeks after the trip a Philadelphia Press reporter named E.J. Edwards published a story about the surgery, which was flatly denied by the President; his staff went so far as launching a smear campaign to discredit the reporter. In 1917, long after the president's death, one of the doctors present published an article with the truth. Today the tumor can be seen at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia.

Pier A, May 5, 1936. Pier A Harbor House is the last surviving historic pier in New York City. Constructed between 1884 and 1886, the building was created for the New York City Department of Docks and Harbor Police. Many of New York's distinguished political and cultural visitors who arrived by ship were officially greeted here. The pier was expanded in 1900 and in 1919 a clock was installed in the tower as a memorial to those soldiers killed in World War I. In the second half of the 20th century (1960-1992), the building was used as a fire boat station by the FDNY. The Fire Department ceased using the pier in 1992 and for the next two decades the property fell into serious disrepair. In 2009 a redevelopment project began and the newly restored pier and building opened to the public in 2014. The new Pier A Harbor House includes a bar and restaurant and large event spaces.