PortableNYC

Audrey Munson – American Venus

There are many rags to riches stories in the American experience, as well as the stories of falling from grace and losing fortunes. But out of all of them – hers was the most bizarre. Her name was Audrey Munson. The name was forgotten, but her likeness, cast in granite, bronze, and marble, is…

Owls in Manhattan

James Gordon Bennett Jr. was obsessed. His obsession was quite unusual – it was owls. Some of them, with flickering eyes, can be seen on Herald Square, guarding James Gordon Bennett Monument. Herald Square takes its name from the New York Herald, a newspaper founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr and inherited by Gordon Bennett…

Evelyn Nesbit and “the Trial of the Century”

The premiere of “Mam’zelle Champagne” did not go well. Despite the lovely songs and beautiful ingenues, the show was simply a bore. The performance took place on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden – a lavish venue designed by Stanford White, an accomplished architect and a socialite about town. That fateful night he was enjoying…

Edwin Booth, the Hamlet of New York

In the center of Gramercy Park, there is a statue. It depicts an actor in the role of Hamlet, forever contemplating “To Be or Not To Be”. This actor is Edwin Booth. One of the great American Shakespearean actors of the 19th century, he was particularly famous for his signature role of Hamlet. In 1864…

Margaret Bourke-White and the Chrysler

It’s practically impossible not to photograph the Chrysler Building. Most people achieve it standing on the ground, looking up… However, some striking photos were taken from the dizzying heights of the glistening Chrysler crown. While the Chrysler was being erected to be the tallest in the world – a typical requirement for a skyscraper in…

Lucky Luciano

Romanticized by Hollywood as a fearless and dashing mob boss, Lucky Luciano was one of the biggest criminal minds of the 20th century. Should he have lived in a different era and applied himself to a legitimate business venture, he could have climbed to the very top of the corporate ladder. He is considered the…

Mona’s

Mona’s 224 Avenue B at 14th St A place that remains untouched by time as the world turns. Mona’s would probably be the last place you would plan to visit on your trip to New York City. Why would you? It’s a dive bar way out on the East Side with no decorum and no…

The Flatiron Room

The Flatiron Room 37 W 26th St Step into The Flatiron Room and find yourself transported to 1920s. You are about to experience a truly classy establishment with cocktails, jazz, and over 1000 variants of whiskey. According to the New York Magazine bar guide, “Time stops when you pass through the doors of the Flatiron…

Umberto’s Clam House

Come here for clams or scallops, and don’t mention what happened here in 1972… Location: 132 Mulberry Street, between Grand and Hester Streets in Little Italy Umberto Ianniello, the original owner, recognizing the dearth of Italian seafood restaurants in Little Italy, decided to open his own establishment. The restaurant, with its unpretentious atmosphere and flavorful…

Jefferson Market Library

The striking High Victorian Gothic building doesn’t just look beautiful… it’s certifiably beautiful. In 1885 Jefferson Market was voted as one of the 10 most beautiful buildings in the United States by a national poll of architects! Location: 425 6th Ave Built: 1873-77 Architects: Frederick Clarke Withers and Calvert Vaux Originally known as the Jefferson Market Courthouse,…