Cities and Urban Areas
The Monument to Electricity That Never Was
In 1922, Hugo Gernsback envisioned a 1,000-foot tall concrete monument that "would be a lasting tribute to our race, and to the progress that is exemplified by Electricity"
May 03, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Case of the Sleepwalking Killer
The evidence against Albert Tirrell was lurid and damning—until Rufus Choate, a protegé of the great Daniel Webster, agreed to come to the defense
April 30, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
All Aboard the Beijing-Lhasa Express
The writer casts aside concerns about comfort and political correctness to take the rail trip of a lifetime
April 26, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
The House that Polly Adler Built
She entered the brothel business without apology and set out to become the best madam in America
April 12, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Who Would Live on Wall Street?
In the wake of the financial crisis, New York's financial district is getting something new: full-time residents
April 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Hiroshima, U.S.A.
In 1950, a popular magazine depicted what an atomic bomb would do to New York City—in gruesome detail.
March 30, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
An American Library in Paris
Founded after World War I, the City of Light's English-language library has long been a haven for expats, including Hemingway
March 25, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
Tomorrow’s Mobile Home
Moving is a lot easier if you live inside a giant ball
March 23, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
It’s Always Springtime at the Flower Market
Exploring New York City's mid-town bloom bazaar, a unusual burst of color and perfume amid the helter-skelter of the city
March 20, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
On Heroic Self-Sacrifice: a London Park Devoted to Those Most Worth Remembering
In 1887, a painter was inspired by an idea: commemorate the everyday heroism of men, women and children who had lost their lives trying to save another's
March 19, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
New Zealand: What’s Hot and What’s Not
From Stewart Island in the far south to the Surville Cliffs in the far north, New Zealand is a country almost as geographically diverse as the United States
March 01, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
1970s Children Draw Robot Presidents and Nuclear Apocalypse
Kids predict the darndest things
February 23, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
A Spectacle of Horror – The Burning of the General Slocum
The deadliest disaster in New York before 9/11 killed many women and children and ultimately erased a German community from the map of Manhattan.
February 21, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Imagining a City of Treelike Buildings
Amid growing concerns that skyscrapers were blocking sunlight for people on the ground, a British architect proposed a novel solution.
February 17, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Is Paris Really for Lovers?
Give Paris its due, but the place has at least its share of unromantic features
February 10, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
The Man Who Wouldn’t Die
The plot to kill Michael Malloy for life-insurance money seemed foolproof—until the conspirators actually tried it
February 07, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
What to Look for on the Train Ride From New York to Washington
Sure, the view along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor has its share of grime. But there are also sights that'll make you want to put away your smart phone
February 02, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
Sunday Funnies Blast Off Into the Space Age
When Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus met President Kennedy in 1962, JFK told him, "The only science I ever learned was from your comic strip."
January 27, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
New Zealand and Other Travel Locales That Will Break the Bank
New Zealand is worth visiting, but I'm not sure how long I can keep traveling here while claiming to be "on the cheap"
January 12, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Moving Sidewalks Before The Jetsons
The public's fascination with the concept of "movable pavement" extends back more than 130 years
January 11, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
