Clear Comfort, a nationally designated site of LGBTQ history, was purchased in 1844 by Alice Austen's grandfather, John Haggerty Austen, a well-to-do businessman, whose wife gave the house its name. Located at the entrance to New York Harbor, Clear Comfort stands today as a reminder of the picturesque suburban "cottages" that dotted the shore and hills of 19th-century Staten Island.

Harlem native and former state judge Bruce Wright called the Harlem Hospital a "mother figure." The Harlem Hospital has provided healthcare for a majority of the area's residents for over a century. It's where a young Martin Luther King Jr. was saved from a near-fatal knife wound, which he referenced in his final public address, "I Have Been to the Mountaintop." Read on to learn the history of the Harlem Hospital.

Audrey Munson (1891-1996) was once the most famous artist’s model in the United States and her likeness can be found in a dozen public sculptures in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In 1913, her likeness had become so prominent in public spaces that the New York Sun dubbed her "Miss Manhattan." For an in-depth look at the rise and tragic fall of America’s First Supermodel, we recommend “The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel” by James Bone and “Miss Manhattan” (Episode 200) of the 99% Invisible podcast.

As New York battles the Coronavirus pandemic this summer, city businesses and public spaces are re-opening in phases. In Phase 3, libraries, tattoo parlors, spas, massage and nail salons, basketball and tennis courts, dog runs, and public beaches are among the spaces to open back up to the public—including some of these long-standing New York City establishments.

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.

We know there's a lot of stressful news in your timeline, so here's a round-up of calming images for a #MuseumMomentofZen.

1 Wall Street, at the southern corner of Broadway, has long been a prized address. In 1905, the 30' by 40' lot that had been occupied since the early 19th century by a four-story commercial building changed hands for the highest price per square foot ever recorded for Manhattan property: $615 This story is adapted from an exhibition at the Skycraper Museum. The original version can be seen here.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Landmarks Law, which for the first time allowed buildings, neighborhoods, and sites to be preserved through landmark designation in New York City. Designated on April 29, 1969, the Greenwich Village Historic District is one of our city's oldest and largest historic districts. At over 2,200 buildings and 100 blocks, it covers much (but not all) of Greenwich Village between University Place and Washington Street, 13th Street and West 4th Street/St. Luke's Place. Its continuing preservation and oversight remains at the core of Village Preservation's mission, along with that of the 15 other historic districts, over 100 individual landmarks, and eight interior landmarks designated in our neighborhoods since — you can view an interactive timeline of all of these designations here. The Greenwich Village Historic District is undeniably charming — so much so that it’s virtually impossible to come up with a top-10 list of its most alluring architectural gems. But with no insult to sites not included, here is one run at 10 of the most charming sites you’ll find in this extraordinarily quaint historic quarter.

How did New York build one of the largest Cathedrals in the world? Not quickly, using traditional craftsmen, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine took a century to reach its current state. As the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of New York St. John The Divine remains in active use to this day. This blog is adapted from Historic District Council's Six to Celebrate, which can be viewed here.

The 1898 consolidation of all five boroughs as one unified City of New York brought the population from 2 million to 3.4 million people and intensified the need for more water. In 1905, the City established a Board of Water Supply to plan and build a new system of reservoirs and tunnels that would ensure access to clean water for the growing population. The next year, the Board started planning the Catskill Aqueduct and installed a laboratory at 147 Varick Street to test equipment and building materials, and to analyze water and soil samples. The Board also hired a photographer to document this monumental project, and put the photo lab here to print and store thousands of images.

Welcome to 155 Rivington Street. Before you climb the stairs, step back and take a look at its elegant facade. Think of all the people that have passed through this space over its 117-year history. From horse and buggies, through prohibition, and the great depression, this building has seen a lot.

Though immigration is a currently contested topic in the United States and around the world, it also has a long, established, and detailed history – people have been moving from one country to another practically since countries have existed. It may be a complicated topic, but these complications have not prevented immigration from being one of the enduring touchstones of the modern world. This story can be read in its original format here.

Sol Libsohn was a New York-born early documentary photographer whose large body of work chronicles, amongst others, the American oil industry, the life of the Ringling Brothers' and Barnum and Bailey circuses, and New York's working class. In addition to his work under the WPA, Libsohn co-founded the New York Photo League with Sid Grossman. This story showcases Libsohn's work in New York City.

2019 has been as busy as ever at Urban Archive as we've added more locations, collections, and posts to the platform. Here are some interesting facts, stories, and images from throughout the five boroughs that we dug up along the way.

Oy! 2020 has been a whirlwind, but we sure made a lot of interesting discoveries along the way. Here's a round-up of our partners' favorite historical photos and finds from the year. More to come over the next few weeks!

Take a look through some of our partners' favorite stories from this year.

2020 sure has been a whirlwind! Here are some interesting facts, stories, and images from throughout the five boroughs that we dug up along the way.

And just like that, another year here at Urban Archive is coming to a close in just a few short days! We've asked our partners to pick some of their favorite stories, images, and facts they encountered this year to share with you. Check them out below!

Where you now see Temple Emanu-El, Mrs. Astor's French chateau once stood, with a ballroom large enough for 1200 guests. Mrs. Astor— the only name she went by—was the gatekeeper of Gilded Age society. And a ticket to her annual ball told you whether you had made it in.

2020 marks HDC's 50th anniversary! To celebrate 50 years of preserving history, we've picked out 10 sites (two from each borough) to highlight. The sites selected highlight the diverse and varied types of buildings and structures that HDC works to honor and promote.

5Pointz was claimed as the "World's Premier Graffiti Mecca," attracting international artists and graffiti writers to cover the outside walls of the disused factory on the outskirts of Queens. Inside, hundreds of artists occupied studios that formed a collaborative community of makers. The same developer who made the growth of the space possible would ultimately call for its demise.

Did you know that the construction of the IRT Flushing line (known as the Corona Line until 1925) was the catalyst for real estate development that transformed the rural areas of Queens into vibrant neighborhoods?

On January 16th, 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on a fire that devastated the Atlantic Basin and injured a number of firemen.

Samuel Longley Bickford began a career in restaurants just after the turn of the century, but it was not until 1921 that he established his eponymous restaurant chain.

Located in the Brooklyn neighborhood previously known as Yellow Hook (today Bay Ridge), Owl’s Head Park is tucked along the water in the neighborhood’s northern most section, offering spectacular views of the bay and nearby New Jersey.

"A town isn't a town without a bookstore," -Neil Gaiman 📚📚📚

Sitting in Eastern Brooklyn, Brownsville has a long history. But how did the neighborhood develop? Its story begins with a small church in East New York.

Named for the Canarsie people who once lived on the surrounding lands, this neighborhood of Brooklyn has undergone drastic transformations through time. The now-densely packed residential area was once a sparsely-populated farming and fishing village that saw growth soar only after the end of World War II. Of course, the area's history includes some oddities, including a string of lavish beach-front hotels and an amusement park that was once a competitor to Coney Island. Read on to learn more about Canarsie.

The men and women of the New York City Department of Sanitation are vital first responders. History has thrown many challenges the agency’s way and each time DSNY has risen to the occasion.

In 1905, James Hazen Hyde threw one of the grandest parties of the Gilded Age: a Versailles-themed costume ball at Sherry's restaurant.

Catholics make up over twenty percent of the population of the United States. However, there was a time when the novelty of a Roman Catholic cathedral in the country made it a tourist destination and an artist's subject. St. Patrick's on Mott Street below Houston was one of such churches.

There’s no place like Grand Central. The sheer scale and elegance of the main concourse transforms the daily commute into a complex choreography as commuters and tourists negotiate through the hallways, overheard conversations turn into mysterious plots of other people’s dramas, and what can be mundane becomes a unique experience. Grand Central has seen a steady tide of humanity for the past 100 years, becoming a beloved New York landmark.

The Hotel Earle (Now The Washington Square Hotel) has been a haven for writers and artists for more than a century. Everyone from Bob Dylan to Norah Jones has been housed under its roof!

Few restaurants have a better claim on being an integral part of New York Restaurant History than Delmonico's. From its beginnings on Wall Street to its expansion uptown, Delmonico's was the first and last word on Gilded Age fine dining.

This story is about the lot between First and Second Avenues between 126th and 127th streets. The city is presently redeveloping this block-spanning lot into a cultural center, memorial, and mixed-use development. The memorial will commemorate the African Burial Ground, which was part of the Dutch village of Nieuw Harlem. The excavation of the cemetery took place after the New York Transit Depot closed the bus depot that had operated on the site. The project will be called the Harlem African Burial Ground Memorial and is planned for completion in 2021. Between the cemetery and bus depot, this lot has taken on quite a history in its own right. Take a look at the history of this corner in Harlem.

Brooklyn has long been a gateway and refuge for immigrants. In the 19th century, Irish and Scandinavian families lived and worked on Brooklyn’s waterfront near present-day Brooklyn Bridge Park. By the following century, communities of Arab, Hispanic, Italian, and Puerto Rican newcomers put down roots along the western end of Atlantic Avenue near Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Brooklyn waterfront and New York harbor have served as sites of arrival, departure, and employment for many of these immigrants.

Take a drive up the West Side! This story guides us along the path of the West Side Highway. Following the western shoreline of Manhattan is the West Side Highway. In history, it has passed the World Trade Center, various warehouses and slaughterhouses for livestock received on piers in the Hudson, and Moses' famous failure, the West Side Elevated Highway. Since the 19th century, the West Side Highway has been a vital part of the city's system of roadways.

With the historic restaurant now reopened, Brooklyn Historical looks back at Gage and Tollner's storied past!

Take your mother for a stroll around East and Central Harlem above 125th Street, straddling Fifth Avenue, the traditional dividing line between East and Central Harlem. Members of Landmark East Harlem (LEH) will introduce you to the treasures of the second historic district that LEH has proposed for listing on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Featured sites include 19th-century wood-frame houses, Victorian-era rowhouses, landmarks associated with James Baldwin and Langston Hughes, former church buildings that have been given new purpose, and the brownstone stoop that served as the site of the iconic 1958 photograph of jazz musicians by Art Kane for Esquire magazine.

Join Adelaide, as she traverses through Queens and discovers its many historical and hidden secrets!

The Queensbridge Houses, often called "The Bridge," by various rap and hip hop artists who grew up in the complex, is the largest public housing project in the United States. The complex consists of the North and South Queensbridge Houses, spanning the area between Queensboro Bridge and 41st Avenue from Vernon Boulevard to 21st Street. The Houses are part of the New York City Housing Authority.

New York City has the largest network of community gardens in the United States. Community gardens borrow from earlier urban-gardening movements, such as Frannie Griscolm Parsons' educational "Farm-Gardens" of the early 20th-century and Depression-era "subsistence gardens" which provided for communities across the city. Beginning in the 1960s, New Yorkers increasingly favored progressive government programs and looked towards the city to sponsor many past-due revitalization efforts for neighborhoods. One such effort was community gardens, which beautified abandoned lots and, most importantly, allowed the community to have an active say in the design of their urban environment.

In 1902, the first Farm Garden was opened to provide city children the invaluable experience of cultivating and caring for the land. Its founder said of her creation: "I assure you that all the virtues can be taught from a little patch of ground, not eight feet square." Read on to learn of this history and legacy of New York's Farm Gardens.

Before Olmstead sculpted Fort Tryon Park, the land was the grounds of a luxurious estate.

By Justin Martin Once Frederick Law Olmsted and his mentor, the British-American architect and landscape designer Calvert Vaux received the nod to proceed with their design for Central Park, the commissioners pressed them to move quickly. By 1858, the issue of a large park in New York had dragged on for many years. Millions had been spent obtaining the land; thousands more had been spent clearing it. To justify all this expenditure, some progress needed to be shown. The plan was to open the park to the public in stages. The board asked Olmsted and Vaux to have certain sections ready by winter so the park could receive its very first visitors, ice skaters. Read this in its original format here

Williamsburg was incorporated into Bushwick as the "Village of Williamsburgh" within the Town of Bushwick in 1827. After two years, it had a population of over 1,000, a fire department, and a post office. Its prime location on the East River encouraged industrialists to build shipyards around Williamsburg. As such, it became a hub of industry. In 1840, Williamsburg separated from the Town of Bushwick and became the Town of Williamsburg. Edmund Smith Driggs, a Williamsburg resident, was elected the first president of the Village in 1850. Driggs Avenue is named after him. It became the City of Williamsburg (then discarding the 'h' in 1855 and was organized into three wards. Finally, in 1898 Brooklyn became one of the high boroughs within NYC and so Williamsburg became part of the City of Greater New York. The Williamsburg Bridge was opened shortly after.

William D. Hassler was a photographer working in New York in the early 1900s. He shot all around the city, but let's take a look at his images of his own life in the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood.

A portrait of Hamilton Beach, previously known as "Ramblersville," and "West Hamilton Beach" prior to neighboring JFK's expansion. The neighborhood is bounded by the A-train tracks, Hawtree Creek, and the 102nd Street Creek. It is accessible by one road and two pedestrian paths. These photographs are from Sister Sonia Duthoit, who lived in New York from 1964 to 1968.

The area of Fieldston in the Bronx is a privately owned neighborhood that was largely developed in the 1920s. The area was managed by the Fieldston Property Owners Association. Buyers of land in the area followed strict requirements: first, they were required to buy a minimum of three lots which each averaged $5,000; second, their home was to be designed by an association-approved architect; third, the drafted plans of their design were to be approved by the Architectural Committee of the Fieldston Property Owners Association. Lots were by design varied in terrain in order to discourage "flat uninteresting rows of suburban houses" according to engineer Albert Wheeler, who finalized the plan of the area in 1914. Houses of the area exemplified various styles of American Revival Style Architecture. This story provides a look at some of the picturesque homes in Fieldston designed by architect Dwight J. Baum, many of which have remained almost completely untouched. Baum was chosen by the Property Owners Association for his work in Revival Architecture. Recognizing the opportunity that this presented, Baum moved his office to a lot across the street from the Fieldston sales office after building his own house in Fieldston in 1915.