Posted: Dec 26, 2012 | 11:12 PM
1657: Religious Freedom (tolerance) comes to North America via the Flushing Remonstrance, a local sheriff's declaration to protect the freedom of Quakers/Friends to worship in Flushing, Queens. This was in defiance to the intolerant Dutch Governor/CEO/Director General of the Nieuw Nederlands Colony.
"Wee desire therefore in this case not to judge least we be judged, neither to condemn least we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or fall to his own Master. Wee are bounde by the law to do good unto all men....
The law of love, peace and liberty in the states extending to Jews, Turks and Egyptians, as they are considered sons of Adam, which is the glory of the outward state of Holland, soe love, peace and liberty, extending to all in Christ Jesus, condemns hatred, war and bondage ....
Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us, we cannot in conscience lay violent hands upon them, but give them free egresse and regresse unto our Town, and houses, as God shall persuade our consciences, for we are bounde by the law of God and man to doe good unto all men and evil to noe man...."
Such beautiful language and sentiments; it makes me proud to be a New Yorker.
This successful defiance made what would become the colony of New-York unique among its British-American colonies, some of which had freedom of religion of the intolerant kind.
That is: 'freedom for me; you can and should fry in hell.' Or why wait? 'Get in that that bonfire over there, which will send you to hell faster. Your sizzling sounds good.' This is an actual paraphrase of a diary of the same people who were saved by the Natives on Thanksgiving a few months before.
In any case, here in Nieuw Nederlands, people were standing up for other peoples' rights. They weren't perfect: the Native Americans had it tough here, too, but we were above average.
1892: Cathedral of St. John the Divine's construction begins. Happy 120th Birthday!
It is the world's largest Cathedral, and third largest church,
seating 6000 and standing another 2000.
The Statue of Liberty can fit inside (150 ft, 50m, 15 stories) the dome.
More about the Cathedral of St John the Divine's future, that didn't happen (yet?) is below, plus some notes for future editions.
1927: "Show Boat," by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, opened at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. "Old Man River" is still a favorite song.
1927: Agnes Nixon, the Queen of television soap opera, born in Chicago.
1932: Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City.
The original performance, including the Roxyettes (now the
Rockettes), lasted six hours. (This is not pictured here.)
The subsequent format was briefer including live and filmed performances.
All of Rockefeller Center was supposed to be called Radio City, and where the Music Hall is was supposed to be the Metropolitan Opera's location. The original vision was for steps going up and the roof having a network of parks suspended over the developments below. I'll try to get pictures of this, or you can send them to me.
Radio City Musical Hall was once the largest indoor theater in the world. Seating almost 7000 (more than the Cathedral of St. John, the Divine), it is still one of the largest and most beautiful.
The hourly tour is very worthwhile.
1937: 75 years ago, Actress Mae West was banned after she performed an 'Adam and Eve' sketch on NBC radio.
1945: The World Bank was created by 28 nations.
1947: "Howdy Doody," the children's show, debuted on NBC.
1964: The Supremes perform on the Ed Sullivan Show their first time.
1967: Red Holzman, the best New York Knicks coach, assumes the role.
1970: "Hello, Dolly!" closed on Broadway after 2,844 performances.
Here are some things about the Cathedral of St John the Divine I will add in future years, interspersed amongt images of the proposed future of the Cathedral:
A St John the Divine early concept, looking SW
Yet another early concept, looking SW
Another early St John the Divine concept, looking NE
Santiago Calatrava's contemporary completion concept, looking south.
[story about rival architects, subway's tiles and Guastavino's tiles]
[ rivalry with Catholics St Patrick's and St Ambrose ]
[ still under construction even as a landmark being renovated ] [ insert story about Bonkers my dog marking one of the pillars on St Francis Day, amongst elephants and giraffes. ]
[ insert story about me teaching a class there for UHAB ]
[ insert story about development of sculptures in my lifetime and the local stone masons who carved them ]
[ Saturday Cathedral Tours: 2 'Vertical Tours,' and 2 'Highlight Tours' Reservations and flashlights requested (212) 932-7347. If you are going, let me know. I want to join you. ]
Posted: Dec 26, 2012 | 12:30 AM
by Jared Goldstein
1891: Henry Miller, "a Brooklyn boy, a city man through and through," and author of the long-banned "Tropic of Cancer," born. When he became serious about writing, he quit his job and sold his poems door-to-door. He died in 1980.
1909: Frederic Remington, artist of the dying old west, died.
1921: Prolific entertainment great Steve Allen born in NYC.
1933: Caroll Spinney, Actor, Big Bird on "Sesame Street" born.
1933: Edwin Armstrong patents FM Frequency Modulation wideband radio, which improved greatly improved the sound of radio over AM. Huge corporations tied him up in patent and FCC suits for decades, including RCA/NBC/GE's David Sarnoff, who had an empire of AM stations. FM was not to be widely adopted until about 40 years after its invention. Columbia's jazz station WKCR was the first such station.
1939: Phil Spector, recording producer and songwriter born in the Bronx. He was convicted of murder.
1947: New York's greatest snowfall began, accumulating 26 inches (35 cm) in 16 hours, killing 80.
1947: During this great snowstorm traffic, buses, and streetcars were cancelled, so
over ten thousand NYC tennis fans walked through deep snow to MSG to witness Bobby Riggs' victory over Jack Kramer.
1956: David Sedaris, writer and performer, born in NYS, ironically, during christmas season. His hilarious deadpan depiction of not being a cheerful Santa Land elf at Macy's made his career. Yet another miracle on 34th St.
Posted: Dec 24, 2012 | 10:56 PM
by Jared Goldstein
Merry Christmas! A new concept, invented here in NYC:
1806: Christmas riots claim a life. For a second day, riots break out during Christmas, with a mob harassing Catholic worshipers, and Irish Catholics banding to defend themselves on Christmas Day. The riots kill one: New York City's first policeman killed in the line of duty.
Part of the reason for Santa Claus' promotion in 1810 was to create a genteel shared tradition of calm quiet Christmases at home.
It is better to have Santa Claus breaking into your home to give presents to the well-behaved, than to be breaking into stores. It is better to have families quietly sharing presents that they bought, than to be in drunken, noisy, and violent mobs.
Santa Claus helps hearken back to a shared peaceful Christmas heritage and traditions that didn't actually exist in New York or Nieuw Amsterdam.
Santa helped bring peace to New York Christmases, ridding us of our actual shared heritage of Christmas riots.
So, now we can Have a Merry Christmas! It started here in NYC.
Ironically, there is a new subversive naughty Christmas days tradition, the drunken SantaCon pub crawl with bad Santas playing the nightmare before Christmas games.
1806: New York City's first policeman killed in the line of duty quelling a Christmas riot. He died of a stabbing. His name was either Christian Luswanger or Christopher Newfanger. The unrest was one of the worst riots in early American history, stretching over a quarter mile.
"Christopher Luswanger one of the watchmen chased an Irishman armed with a club overtook and knocked him down another Irishman immediately followed him and struck him a left hand blow with a sharp pointed weapon which penetrated below the right pap and from the semblance of this wound it appears to have been made by a stiletto. The man fell instantly and expired without a struggle. The body was taken up immediately and carried to the Alms house."
Mayor DeWitt Clinton offered a $250 reward for the capture of the murderer.
Two days later, the assailant tried to find an Irish Captain to take him from the country. Captain Menzies "took him to Mrs Sutton's tavern on South Street where he was amused until some watchmen were sent who seized him in the bar room and conveyed him to the police office."
See the previous entry for more about the Christmas riots.
Question: If a child is on a Santa Claus tour, how does one bring this up?
1899: Humphrey Bogart the great actor, born.
Bogart and wife Lauren Bacall, longtime Dakota resident.
1907: Cab Calloway, Bandleader of Harlem's Cotton Club and much more, born. Famous for Minnie the Moocher, he passed in 1994.
1912: Madison Square Park sponsors the first public community Christmas Tree Celebration to encourage unity among rich and poor. Below is the newspaper announcement.
1912: Madison Square Park's Christmas Tree reveals the first outdoor electric Christmas Tree.
1941: Bing Crosby performs Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" for the first time. The song's popularity percolated for a while. It was released in the summer of 1942 as one song in the film "Holiday Inn," which is a love story centered around Christmas. It struck a chord with our troops abroad and the song gained popularity until it became the best selling song int he history of music.
Berlin already knew he was onto something when he penned the song out west, and declared to his Secretary to: "Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!"
The song suggests the strangeness that New Yorkers feel when we see palm trees decorated in Christmas lights, or the homesickness of troops overseas, or of a father who lost his son on Christmas, which happened to the Jewish-born immigrant Berlin.
1953: Lee Shubert, the iconic Broadway theatre mogul died at 82. For fifty years the Shubert brothers had a Broadway theatre juggernaut.
The Shubert Organization is still the top Broadway show producer.
1958: New York Yankee great (1985-89) and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rickey Henderson born.
1977: Film star, producer, comedian, United Artists founder Charlie Chaplin died at 88.
1984: Bernard King scores 60 points, a club record, 40 in the first half. Nonetheless, the Nets win 120-114 at MSG.
1989: Five time New York Yankees manager and all-time hard drinker, Billy Martin is killed in an automobile accident at 61. Martin was not driving.
Martin had a great career as a baseball player, and as manager he led the Yankees to winning the World Series in 1977.
He and his sometimes nemesis, sometimes boss, Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner appeared together endorsing Lite Beer, but they argued why: Tastes Great or Less Filling!
2006: Singer James Brown, the hardest working man in show biz, died at 73.
He stopped rioting from breaking out in 1968 after Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated.
His body was in state at the Apollo Theatre with throngs waiting to view the great. Brown's Live at the Apollo Theater from over twenty years before was a pioneer of that format for popular music.
I saw him play at the Apollo around 1987, where he played many times. That night he got on stage around 11 PM!
Billy Mitchell, the great Apollo Theater Tour Guide tells of James Brown having young Billy read to him to encourage
literacy.
There are several other James Brown stories I like to share on Harlem walking tours.
2008: Eartha Kitt leaves this side of the earthly coil. She was born in 1927.
Posted: Dec 23, 2012 | 11:36 PM
1893: Harry Warren, 3-time Academy Award winning composer of "42nd St.," "Lullaby of Broadway," "Shuffle off to Buffalo, "September in the rain," and 300 others, born. His birthname: Salvatore Gauranga from Brooklyn.
1907: I. F. Stone, a guru and conscience for generations of political journalists, born. He eventually started his own journal: "I.F. Stone's Weekly". He died in 1989
1912: The first public and electrically lit Christmas tree in Madison Square Park is celebrated by rich and poor alike.
1920: Enrico Caruso's last public performance at the Metropolitan Opera.
1931: Working on Christmas Eve, construction workers decorate the Rockefeller Center development (when whole thing was called "Radio City") with a makeshift humble Christmas Tree.
Is it decorated with TP? They are getting their paychecks.
1963: Idlewild International Airport renamed for John F. Kennedy, a month after he was killed.
1967: 'Broadway' Joe Namath leads Jets football to its first winning season in its history, passing 4007 yards.
1997: Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn marry. He 62; she 27. But there is more to the story than that, so click the link. I saw them once.
Posted: Dec 23, 2012 | 1:28 AM
1784: The Continental Congress decides to move the Confederation Capitol to New York City from Trenton, NJ. New York City will remain the capitol through the Confederation and into 1790.
1821: Sante Claus, the Childrens' Friend, published by Gilley inspired his neighbor Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem, or did Clement Clark Moore write this illustrated children's book companion poem (quoted below), that influenced A Visit from St. Nich?
“Old Santeclaus with much delight
His reindeer drives this frosty night.
O’er chimney tops, and tracks of snow,
To bring his yearly gifts to you…..
Each Christmas eve he joys to come
Where love and peace have made their home”
This illustration was America's first lithograph.
Santa was very important propaganda, and not just for kids.
1823: The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (by Clement C. Moore?) was first published, in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel.
It became a national hit, establishing Christmas Eve as a quiet gift-giving time, as well as establishing Santa/St Nicholas as fat and jolly, looking like an elf (actually being an elf that can fit down chimneys), having a (New York style) sled, and eight magic reindeer.
You probably wouldn't be surprised that this is covered on my Santa's NYC Birthday tour.
1867: Sarah Breedlove Walker, NYC hair products millionaire and philanthropist who was probably the first black woman to be a millionaire, was born. She died in 1919.
She was not the first black New Yorker to become a very wealthy philanthropist from hair care; that's Pierre Toussaint's story. That was on my Saints of NYC tour.
1942: Jerry Koosman, the longtime Met's pitcher who won the 1969 World Series, born.
16 Oct 1969, New York, New York, USA --- Jerry Koosman of the Mets pitching during the final game of the World Series, 10/16, against the Baltimore Orioles at Shea Stadium. The Mets won and took the series four games to one.
1946: Actress Susan Lucci born.
1947: Bill Rogers, four time NYC Marathon winner, born.
He won the first NYC Marathons that were citywide across the
five-boroughs from 1976-79, which brought a great deal of pride and development for NYC.
I remember those days. Some Marathon insiders were worried that the runners might get mugged, but the city's "outer-borough" residents were so happy to be included in the event, that marathoners love NYC's marathon for the spirit of the locals who cheer them like no other, and supply them with water.
1970: WTC 1, the north tower (the one that had the broadcasting antenna and the restaurant), tops out with the customary American flag,
making it the tallest building in the world.
(In 2012, the new WTC 1 became the tallest building in NYC. The observation deck is at the level of the original one.)
When WTC 1 is destroyed 31 years later, it will still be among the top half dozen tallest in the world, but still the most massive. Tower 2 will top out in early 1971.
1979: NY Rangers fans reach over the boards and start grabbing Boston Bruins' hockey equipment and attacking the players.
Team members leap into the lower seats beating on the rabid fans.
One Bruin attacked an audience member with the spectator's own shoe. This player later became a coach and later a general manager for the Rangers' rival, the Islanders.
Nowadays, there is "Fan Abuse" regulations in which fans are not supposed to shout profanities at the teams.
1995: The Snow Bowl. NY Giants fans assail the San Diego Chargers with snow and ice balls, halting the play, nearly forfeiting the game, hospitalizing three security guards, knocking out the Chargers' equipment manager. 175 were ejected and 14 were arrested.
The Giants had a lousy game at the end of a lousy season, and there was a lot of drinking. A $1000 bounty was put on the head of the pictured snowballer. Take a good look:
? Donald Trump ?! No, Jeffrey Lange. He lost his job in computing as a result, but he now works in events management.
Ironic?
Posted: Dec 21, 2012 | 5:32 PM
1882: First electric Christmas tree. Edward Johnson, an Edison Executive, outfits his tree with 80 red, white, and blue bulbs, the size of walnuts, on a revolving tree in his home on 136 E 36th St., near Lexington Ave. 19 years later Edison will market Christmas lights, but they were expensive, mostly used for store window displays. 
1883: Marcus Hurley, 3 Olympic Cycling Gold Medalist (1904) and 3 time Columbia Basketball All-American (1905-07), born in New York.
1895: The Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee debuted the modern one-star flag of Puerto Rico at a meeting in Chelsea. It was illegal to display the flag in Puerto Rico, but the design is officially adopted when the commonwealth establishes its own constitution in 1952.
1917: Mother Cabrini, the first American resident to be canonized, known for her work with poor and sick New Yorkers, died at 67. She founded 65 orphanages, schools and hospitals.
1937: The Lincoln Tunnel opens.
1945: Diane Sawyer, television journalist from "Good Morning America", born.
1960: Jean-Michel Basquiat the artist born. He died at 27.
1962: Old Town Bar wishes actor Ralph Fiennes a happy birthday in 2012.
1984: Bernhard 'Bernie' Goetz, 'the subway vigilante,' a slight white man, provided his own version of "Death Wish" and "Revenge of the Nerds" when he brutally shot four black young men with criminal records who were harassing, threatening, and robbing him on a crowded train.
Goetz was on the lamb for over a week until he turned himself in.
He was charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and illegal gun charges. He was convicted for illegal gun possession. He served eight out of twelve months.
Context:
The New York City of the 1980s was an intense period for the city with a sense of danger and violence pretty much anywhere anytime, especially in the subways.
Violence broke out anywhere over haircuts, and more commonly and more viciously, over: race, class, and robbery.
New York City's violent crime rate was 70% higher than the national average.
Now NYC, with 20% of its violent crime rate of twenty years ago, is the FBI's "Safest Big City in America."
Goetz: survivor of several attacks before his big case:
Earlier, in 1981, Goetz was violently robbed in the subway, and the assailants had him detained in jail!
His assailants escaped serious consequences, even though Goetz is still chronically injured from the incident.
Subsequently, Goetz used an illegal gun to fend off two additional muggings.
His fourth incident in three sparked a national debate in 1984-85.
The upshots:
Most of Goetz' assailants/victims quickly returned to committing even more serious violent crimes.
One of Goetz' victims/assailants is paralyzed and has brain damage. As far as I know, these injuries assisted him in becoming a law-abiding citizen.
A Bronx jury, after a civil lawsuit trial that took 11 years to happen, awarded the criminals/victims a $43 million judgment, but it doesn't seem that they've seen money from it. (Bronx juries are renowned for their lenience on criminals, locals, and peoples of color.)
Goetz still lives at the top of Greenwich Village, running his electronics repair business, Vigilante Electronics. I think I've seen him at least once. He appears earnest.
Goetz advocates and cares for the squirrels of NYC.
He has run for local office on a platform of vegetarianism, especially in the NYC schools.
In 2010, 80% of Black and Hispanic NYC Public High School students, the great majority of our one-million public school students, will either drop out or graduate with substandard educations.
Here are Goetz' websites:
http://www.bernieformayor.com/
http://www.berniegoetz.net/
2000: Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie, who moved her from NYC. They divorced in 2008, paving the way for her return to NYC at an Upper East Side townhouse.
Full Story
Posted: Dec 21, 2012 | 1:47 AM
Winter is here.
Touring through NYC's winter days and nights can be a wonderful experience. The horizontal
light, clear air, and bare branches make Brooklyn Heights tours and
touring Greenwich Village ideal, for example. Many residential neighborhoods look great. And you avoid the crowds so you can get great pictures.
Even so, most people don't consider walking tours in winter.
Well, Santa taught us that Coca-Cola is not just refreshing in summer. I'm telling you that touring in winter can be great, if you use a little planning.
We hear the terms on the weather reports, but what do they mean?
All American weather reports are based on the National Weather Service, which has official terms with precise meanings that are good to be aware of because NYC weather can be harsh and nasty. Fortunately, with this glossary and improved weather predictions, you can have days to plan and schedule or reschedule.
My rule of thumb for winter is: If the weather is in your eyes (eg blizzard), then no tour. See which other terms denote dangerous conditions that warrant a rescheduling. I will denote this with !! !!
If you book a winter walking tour, work out a policy for weather.
One thing to keep your NYC Tour Guide aware of: suburban driving and bridge driving conditions are more hazardous than most NYC street conditions. If you cannot make it to or from the tour safely, then alert your guide.
Winter Weather Terms
ADVISORY
Statements that are issued by the National Weather Service for probable weather situations of inconvenience that do not carry the danger of WARNING criteria (see below), but, if not observed, could lead to hazardous situations especially with regard to driving, such as slick roads.
Blizzard !!
A blizzard means that the following conditions are expected to prevail for a period of 3 hours or longer...
* sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; and
* considerable falling and/or blowing snow (i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than ¼ mile).
Blizzard Warning !! means that snow and strong winds will combine to produce a blinding snow (near zero visibility), deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
Blowing Snow !! is wind-driven snow that reduces surface visibility. Blowing snow can be falling snow or snow that has already accumulated but is picked up and blown by strong winds. Blowing snow is usually accompanied by drifting snow.
Channeled High Winds ! In cities with tall buildings, air may be channeled through constricted passages producing high winds. Channeled high winds are local in nature but can be extremely strong. These winds generally occur in well-defined areas.
Drifting Snow !! is an uneven distribution of snowfall/snow depth caused by strong surface winds. Drifting snow may occur during or after a snowfall. Drifting snow is usually associated with blowing snow.
ENHANCED WORDING is in ALL CAPS !! !!
E.G., the statement "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTREMELY DAMAGING WINDS," usually when an event is occurring or forecast to occur.
!! I generally cancel or postpone tours with ENHANCED WORDING or reports with "Warning," "Dangerous," "Hazardous," "Storm," "Heavy," "Severe," "High," "Squall," "Strong," "Flood," maybe 'Gusts' !!
Not all tour companies and operators cancel or postpone due to hazardous conditions. This is an indicator of their prioritization of money over safety.
I have learned this through bitter experience in which I have been endangered or those of my guests have been, despite my advance warnings based on weather reports. I don't work for such companies anymore.
In fair weather, this kind of policy also might indicate that the quality of their guides is uneven. If they don't care about safety, then what about quality?
Freeze A freeze is when the surface air temperature is expected to be 32°F or below over a widespread area for a climatologically significant period of time. Use of the term is usually restricted to advective situations or to occasions when wind or other conditions prevent frost. "Killing" may be used during the growing
season when the temperature is expected to be low enough for a sufficient duration to kill all but the hardiest herbaceous crops.
Freezing Rain or Freezing Drizzle ! This occurs when rain or drizzle freezes on surfaces, such as the ground, trees, power lines,
motor vehicles, streets, highways, etc. Small accumulations of ice can cause driving and walking difficulties while heavy accumulations produce extremely dangerous and damaging situations primarily by pulling down trees and utility lines.
Frost describes the formation of thin ice crystals on the ground or other surfaces in the form of scales, needles, feathers, or fans. Frost develops under conditions similar to dew, except the temperatures of the Earth's surface and earthbound objects
falls below 32°F. As with the term "freeze," this condition is
primarily significant during the growing season. If a frost period is
sufficiently severe to end the growing season or delay its beginning, it is commonly referred to as a "killing frost." Because frost is primarily an event that occurs as the result of radiational cooling, it frequently occurs with a thermometer level temperature in the mid-30s.
Hail !! ice particles that fall to the ground in storms, causing more than $1 billion in damage to property and crops each year, and sometimes falling at speeds faster than 100 mph. This is a good reason to postpone a tour.
Heavy Snow !! This generally
means...
* snowfall
accumulating to 4" or more in depth in 12 hours or less; or
* snowfall
accumulating to 6" or more in depth in 24 hours or less.
In forecasts, snowfall amounts are expressed as a range of values, e.g., "8 to 12 inches."
However, in heavy snow situations where there is considerable
uncertainty concerning the range of values, more appropriate phrases are used, such as "...up to 12 inches..." or alternatively "...8 inches or more...".
Another good reason to cancel.
High Wind !! Sustained wind speeds of 40 mph or greater lasting for 1 hour or longer (Near Gale to Gale), or winds of 58 mph or greater for any duration (Storm to Violent Storm).
I don't like touring in winds that flap flags, generally over 15 miles per hour, known as "Moderate Breeze." This is based on the Beaufort Scale.
Ice Storm !! describes occasions when damaging accumulations of ice are expected during freezing rain situations. Significant accumulations of ice pull down trees and utility lines resulting in loss of power and communication. These accumulations of ice make walking and driving extremely dangerous. Significant
ice accumulations are usually accumulations of ¼" or greater.
Knot = A nautical unit of speed equal to the velocity at which one nautical mile is traveled in one hour. Used primarily by marine interests and in weather observations. A knot is equivalent to 1.151 statute miles per hour or 1.852 kilometers per hour. Rule of thumb: 1 Knot is around 1 Mile.
Medium Range In forecasting, (generally) three to seven days in advance.
NOR'EASTER !!
A cyclonic storm occurring off the east coast of North America.
These winter weather events are notorious for producing heavy snow, rain, and tremendous waves that crash onto Atlantic beaches, often causing beach erosion and structural damage. Wind gusts associated with these storms can exceed hurricane force in intensity. A nor'easter gets its name from the continuously
strong northeasterly winds blowing in from the ocean ahead of the storm and over the coastal areas.
Outlook ! is used to indicate that a hazardous weather or hydrologic event may develop. It is intended to provide information to those who need considerable lead time to prepare for the event. When you read or hear this word, call your tour guide.
SEVERE WEATHER !! Generally, any destructive weather event, but usually applies to localized storms, such as
blizzards, intense thunderstorms, or tornadoes.
Shear Variation in wind speed (speed shear) and/or direction (directional shear) over a short distance. Shear usually refers to vertical wind shear, i.e., the change in wind with height, but the term also is used in Doppler radar to describe changes in
radial velocity over short horizontal distances.
Short Term Forecast A product used to convey information regarding weather or hydrologic events in the next few hours.
Sleet ! is defined as pellets of ice composed of frozen or mostly frozen raindrops or refrozen partially melted snowflakes. These pellets of ice usually bounce after hitting the ground or other hard surfaces. However, it can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorists.
Heavy sleet is a relatively rare event defined as an accumulation of ice pellets covering the ground to a depth of ½" or more.
SNOW ADVISORY ! A statement or advisory issued when snow is expected to create hazardous travel conditions. It warns of less severe weather conditions than a winter storm.
Snow Flurries are an intermittent light snowfall of short duration (generally light snow showers) with no measurable accumulation (trace category).
Snow Showers is a short duration of moderate snowfall. Some accumulation is possible.
SQUALL ! A sudden onset of strong winds with speeds increasing to at least 16 knots (18 miles per hour) and sustained at 22 or more knots (25 miles per hour) for at least one minute.
The intensity and duration is longer than that of a gust.
STORM !! An individual low pressure disturbance, complete with winds, clouds, and precipitation. The name is associated with destructive or unpleasant weather.
TSUNAMI !! An ocean wave with a long period that is formed by an underwater earthquake or landslide, or volcanic eruption. It may travel unnoticed across the ocean for thousands of miles from its point of origin and builds up to great heights over shallower
water. Also known as a seismic sea wave, and incorrectly, as a tidal wave.
WARNING !! Issued to inform the public that a significant weather situation is imminent or in progress. Warnings state a particular hazard or imminent danger, such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash and river floods, winter storms, heavy snows, etc.
Watch Issued to inform the public and cooperating agencies that current and developing meteorological conditions are such that there is a threat, but the occurrence is neither certain nor imminent, of the possibility of a particular hazard, such as
tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash and river floods, winter storms, or heavy snows.
Wind Chill ! One of the gravest dangers of winter weather is wind chill. The wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin by combined effects of wind and cold. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate,
driving down the body temperature. Cover up and wear layers.
Wind Chill Advisory !! Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be a significant inconvenience to life with prolonged exposure, and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to hazardous exposure.
Wind Chill Warning !! Issued when
wind chill temperatures are expected to be hazardous to life within several
minutes of exposure.
WINTER STORM !! Any one of several storm systems that develop during the late fall to early spring and deposit wintry precipitation, such as snow, freezing rain, or ice. Related terms: blizzard, ice storm, and nor'easter.
Winter Storm Warnings ! are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected to begin.
Winter Storm Watch means that severe winter conditions, such as heavy snow and/or ice, may affect your area, but its occurrence, location and timing are still uncertain. A winter storm watch is issued to provide 12 to 48 hours notice of the possibility of severe
winter weather.
A watch is upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning !! when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring.
Winter Weather Advisories ! weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences that may be hazardous. If caution is exercised, advisory situations should not become life-threatening.
Watch --> Advisory --> Warning
Full Story
Posted: Dec 20, 2012 | 10:02 PM
by Jared Goldstein
1860: Henrietta Szold, founder of Haddasah, the women's
charity for Israel, born. She died in 1945.
A few blocks from me is a mini-street, Szold Place
between 10th and 12th Streets and parallel between Avenues C and D. It is quite obscure, but it is no longer a place to get lucky for a parking spot.
It used to be Dry Dock street, because that is what was there. As you can imagine, with a name like that, it was severely flooded in 2012's Super Storm Sandy.
I am trying to find out why this particular place is named for her, except perhaps as a sop to the Jewish population that was in the area through the 1950s.
1913: The crossword puzzle born in NYC at the New York World newspaper, also the birthplace of investigative journalism. Speculation has it that its creator Arthur Wynne was inspired by a similar puzzle carved onto an Egyptian tomb.
This is the first crossword puzzle
1935: Phil Donahue, talk show host, the inventor of the talk show, the longest running one (until at least 2015), celebrates his birthday. Sometimes during tours I use his style of getting into the audience on the level, asking different people what they think to get them involved and to gauge my audience's reactions.
1937: Actress Jane Fonda born in NYC.
1950: Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg born in NYC.
1957: Queens' Ray Romano, Actor, "Everybody Loves Raymond," born.
1958: Harry Wills, the "Black Panther,"
heavyweight boxing veteran fighter of 100 battles dies. Because of his race, Wills was not able to compete for heavyweight champion of the world against Jack Dempsey.
After the racism following Jack Johnson's success, Wills was barred. He later became a Harlem Real Estate Broker.
1967: "The Graduate" premiers in NYC. I like to show off Dustin Hoffman's townhouse on Greenwich Village tours.
1971: The UN Security Council elects Kurt Waldheim as secretary-general. He succeeded U Thant, who has a little East River Island across from the UN named for him.
1987: The racist "Howard Beach" manslaughter conspirators convicted a year and a day after their deadly and violent attacks, including on Michael Griffith, a young black man who was killed by an automobile after the teens chased him onto the Belt Parkway. By way of reference, the Belt Parkway has aggressive traffic and nowhere for pedestrians.
1988: Pan Am Flight 103, from London to New York was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 16 on the ground. It was the greatest loss of American life until the attacks of 9/11/01. The saga for justice is still continuing for the families caught between politics, international relations and other deals.
1994: A local man firebombed a subway downtown injuring over 40 passengers, and earning him 94 years in prison.
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Posted: Dec 19, 2012 | 8:53 PM
1879: Edison demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park (now Edison), NJ. It will rapidly spread to NYC.
Scientific American cover about urban electric lighting
Edison's company became General Electric. In 2010 GE stopped making light bulbs. Edison also founded ConEd.
1880: Electric lighting comes to NYC after Cleveland and Wabash.
"Like stars emerging from darkness," the fancy Broadway shopping district from 14th St. to 26th street is lit first. Throngs clog the sidewalks, window shopping, and celebrating just being out during one of the longest nights of the year. Some New York women complained that the lighting was not flattering.
The new arc street lights are twice as tall as the old gas poles.
Shop windows are lit. People are out having fun at night. Urbanity and retail is revolutionized yet again in NYC.
1881: Brooklyn's Branch Rickey born. He was the baseball executive who hired the major league's first black players.
On the left, Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Rickey created the farm team system. He died in 1965.
I like to show this plaque off on Brooklyn Heights walking tours.
1946: Happy Birthday, Dick Wolf, "Law and Order" producer. Thank you, sir, for helping NYC's visibility from 1990-2010. You've provided jobs in tourism, acting, writing, and for technicians.
1946: Frank Capra's film "It's A Wonderful Life" previews for charity at New York City's Globe Theater. Initially it was a flop, but it set the standard for positive Christmas movies as it became a television classic.
1947: Knicks play their first afternoon game at Madison Square Garden prevailing over Boston 70-58.
1968: John Steinbeck, author of American classics and Nobel Literature prize winner, dies in his Upper-East Side apartment with 66 years.
1973: The Bronx' Bobby Darin, pop star, died at 37.
1986: White youth from Howard Beach chase Black men having pizza there into traffic, killing one that way, and severely beating another. The 1980s early 1990s in NYC was very racially charged.
1993: Donald and "Georgia Peach" Marla Maples marry at
Trump's Plaza Hotel, beginning six years of bliss until they divorced. The Broadway starlet met Trump sitting weekly in the front row of his church wearing fetching hats. This was where Trump married his first wife. When a reporter asked Trump if he met his second wife during his first wedding 'Trump vehemently denied it.'
Trump is a rich source of mirth for tour-groups, or at least their Guides.
One day maybe I'll tell you about my elevator ride with Trump. It was mortifying for everyone including him.
2005: NYC Transit Workers strike for three days.
Posted: Dec 19, 2012 | 12:10 AM
1776: Thomas Paine published his first "American Crisis" essay, "These are the times that try men's souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.." Washington had these words read to embolden his troops, many had already fled, but those that remained were so inspired that they crossed the Delaware with him.
1882: Paul Krichel, the Yankees' Scout
from 1920-1957 who signed and/or discovered Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Whitey
Ford, Mark Koenig, and Vic Raschi, born in New York.
1903: The Williamsburg Bridge opens, opening up the Lower East Side's density like a pressure release valve to what was to become 'the Jewish Riviera,' Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The bridge carries the J and the Z trains, which a young Shawn Corey Carter took to the rough Marcy Avenue projects where he grew up. He was later named Jay-Z, partially for his train lines. It also plays a role in many other aspects of NYC culture.
For around 20 years, the bridge was the longest in the world.
1924: August Belmont, Jr died. He was a great figure in Thoroughbred Horse racing, who founded Belmont Raceway and
the Belmont Stakes.
Belmont is to the right.
Belmont financed the development of New York City's subway,
and he used the same architect, LaFarge to design part of the Cathedral of St John the Divine, which he also financed. He had good taste in heaven, turf, and under earth.
1933: Happy Birthday to Actress Cicely Tyson, who cut her teeth in the Harlem Y's theater.
1968: Dave DeBusschere joins the NY Knicks as big forward, with teammates Willis Reed and Walt Frazier, they led the Knicks to great years for over five years.
1974: NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller sworn in as Vice President, replacing Ford, who replaced Agnew and then Nixon as President. Ford, accidental President, was lampooned as accident-prone by Chevy Chase.
2000: The UN Security Council imposes
broad sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban leaders unless they closed
terrorist training camps and surrendered Osama bin Laden, who was indicted for
the African Embassy bombings.
2000: Ex-Mayor John Lindsey died at age 79.
What a mixed legacy of idealism,
enduring aesthetics, fiscal failure...
1980: Happy Birthday Jake Gyllenhaal,
who puts people to sleep on the subways, but not in the cinemas.
1986: The Mets' World Series parachutist sentenced.