New York can sometimes seem so immense that it would make sense that some of the world's largest animals would have roamed its streets.

The city is home to more than one million school-aged children—at least an eighth of the population across the five boroughs. While there many distinct ways to be a kid in New York City, there are also some iconic experiences, places, and routines that most, if not all, city kids share as they grow up.

In the closing decades of the 19th century, New York underwent a profound physical and cultural transformation. Fueled by the wealth of the exploding financial and manufacturing sectors, the city rapidly evolved into a world-class metropolis. The bold ambitions of civic and business leaders, architects, and engineers of the era manifested in landmarks such as the vast Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the stately U.S. Custom House, the towering Municipal Building, and the original terminus of New York City’s first official subway line—the ornate City Hall stop. The sweeping interior spaces common to all of these structures, and hundreds of others, depended upon a venerable Mediterranean building technology adapted to contemporary American construction: arched tile ceilings—or vaults—that were not only self-supporting but could also bear the weight of floors or roofs above them. These vaults were designed and built by a single New York firm, founded by Spanish immigrant Rafael Guastavino (1842-1908) and later headed by his son Rafael Jr. (1872-1950). The Guastavinos’ patented system for building domes and vaults involved multiple layers of thin ceramic tiles bonded with quick-drying mortar. The resulting structures were not only exceptionally strong, but also lightweight, easy to build, and inherently beautiful, thanks to intricate patterns of exposed tile that formed finished, decorative surfaces. Guastavino vaults figured prominently in more than 1,000 projects across the nation, including 200 in Manhattan alone. During its 73-year history, the Guastavino Company helped build some of the most impressive interior spaces in America—veritable palaces for the people. This list based on MCNY's exhibition Palaces for the People, contains many of Guastavino's masterpieces in the five boroughs, both those that remain and those that have been lost to the wrecking ball.

The Bronx Zoo was founded by the Wildlife Conservation Society in 1899. Since its inception, it has dedicated itself to the conservation of the natural world - displaying 6,000 animals across 256 acres in replicated habitats.

Constructivism is an art movement and philosophy that originated in Russia in 1915. The style uses architectural line drawings as symbols of protest against the government. Using these images, think about what it means to apply these abstract ideas to NYC buildings to make your own Constructivist art. This story was created for Christina Rinker's art class at Knowledge & Power Preparatory Academy.

With so many of us staying indoors these days, it is helpful to remember the glories of New York City’s public landscape, past and present. Here are a few examples to remind you of treasured sites we look forward to visiting again, appreciating in person, and sharing with others!

Elephant House interior ca. 1940 The architectural heart of the Bronx Zoo is Astor Court, a group of Beaux-Arts pavilions designed by Heins & La Farge. The principal building, originally called the Elephant House, is structured as a series of Guastavino vaults crowned by a two-tiered dome covering a central rotunda. The shallow inner dome features a distinctive herringbone tile pattern pierced by a ring of circular skylights. Polychrome tiles initially finished the tall outer dome, later re-clad in metal.

Bronx Zoo Built 1899-1910; Heins & La Farge, architects; Harold A. Caparn; landscape architect. Sculptural decoration by Eli Harvey, Charles R. Knight, and Alexander Phimister Proctor. National Collection of Heads and Horns (now Security, Education and International Conservation Offices). Built 1922; Founded 1895, opened 1899 In 1884, Fordham University sold a large parcel of its campus to the City for use as a zoo and garden, known as Bronx Park. The property had historically been part of the Lorillard estate, whose snuff mill is still extant within the New York Botanical Garden. In 1888, the City allotted 250 of its acres to the New York Zoological Society, and in 1891, another 250 to the New York Botanical Society. The largest of the city’s five zoos, The Bronx Zoo is divided into northern and southern sections. The north is characterized by its formal layout, with Astor Court in the center, surrounded by Beaux Arts buildings, some of which are designated city landmarks. The landscape in the south is more naturalistic, with buildings ranging in style from Modern to Brutalist. This entry is the Asia Gate, which leads into a forest surrounding the Bronx River, with Asian wildlife displays.

Elephant House, Bronx Zoo, ca. 1975. The Beaux-Arts Elephant House, completed in 1908 and now known as the Zoo Center, is the centerpiece of the Astor Court master plan designed by the Heins & La Farge firm. The elaborate structure features Guastavino tile and extensive terra cotta sculptural detail.

As New York battles the Coronavirus pandemic this summer, city businesses and public spaces are re-opening in phases. While we await the call to reopen museums and other indoor cultural activities, Phase 4 will bring New Yorkers back into the zoos, botanical gardens, and key tourist attractions throughout the city like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Plus, professional sports will resume, though without fans in the stands.

There is no place like New York — and there is certainly nothing like growing up here. This collection will give you a look into the lives of New York City's youngest and cutest, dating from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.