"Sixth Avenue, at the N. E. corner of West 20th Street, showing the P. E. Church of the Holy Communion. 1940."

Church of the Holy Communion Complex ARCHITECT: Richard Upjohn DATE: 1844-46 STYLE: Gothic Revival The Church of the Holy Communion and Sisters House and Chapel form a remarkably attractive homogenous architectural group of buildings executed in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. It was the first “free” church in the City. It had the first boys choir, and it was the home of New York’s first Anglican Sisterhood. The Sisters founded St. Luke’s Hospital in the Sisters House, destined to become one of the great hospitals of New York City.

Church of the Holy Communion ca. 1928 Rarely does such a complete ecclesiastical group survive intact from the Gothic Revival. Although this diminutive church, parish house, and rectory represent that style pared down to its bare essentials, the general effect is delightful and sincerely religious in its lack of pretentiousness.

Between 1954 and 1957, the Municipal Art Society surveyed historic buildings in all five boroughs to create a database of potential landmarks to preserve. Local residents and MAS staff compiled individual sheets devoted to about 200 buildings. Each sheet outlined the building’s date, location, and style and provided a description and a small photograph. This is the list of Manhattan buildings.

Church of the Holy Communion, date unknown. The Gothic Revival church was constructed between 1844-1845. Designed by well-known church architect Richard Upjohn, it was the first asymmetrical Gothic Revival church building in the United States. The architect designed it to resemble a small medieval English parish church. Though the church was an influential building in the 19th century, it is the building's later 20th century history that is most well known. In the mid-1970s, the church was the Lindisfarne Association's headquarters, which created a cultural center, hosting poetry readings, concerts and lectures. Oddysey House, a drug rehabiliation program, next occupied the church. Then, from 1983 until 2007 the church housed the Limelight, a notorious nightclub. First a disco and rock club, it would evolve into a place for techno, goth, and industrial music. It was frequented by the club kids of the 1990s and was closed and reopened a number of times during its history due to police raids. The Limelight finally closed in 2007 (by that point it had been renamed Avalon). Today the 1840s church is occupied by an upscale Chinese restaurant and a branch of the David Barton Gym chain.

From its earliest days, New York has been a city in a hurry. But luckily, from hot dog carts to taco trucks, there have always been places to grab a bite on the go. This week we combed our archives for photos and history of street food in New York.