Automats, Taxi Dances, and Vaudeville : Excavating Manhattan’s Lost Places of Leisure

Winner of the Publication Award for Popular Culture and Entertainment for 2009 from the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in AmericaNamed to Pop Matters list of the Best Books of 2009 (Non-fiction)From the lights that never go out on Broadway to its 24-hour subway system, New York City isn't called "the city that never sleeps" for nothing. Both native New Yorkers and tourists have played hard in Gotham for centuries, lindy hopping in 1930s Harlem, voguing in 1980s Chelsea, and refueling at all-night diners and bars. The slim island at the mouth of the Hudson River is packed with places of leisure and entertainment, but Manhattan's infamously fast pace of change means that many of these beautifully constructed and incredibly ornate buildings have disappeared, and with them a rich and ribald history.Yet with David Freeland as a guide, it's possible to uncover skeletons of New York's lost monuments to its nightlife. With a keen eye for architectural detail, Freeland opens doors, climbs onto rooftops, and gazes down alleyways to reveal several of the remaining hidden gems of Manhattan's nineteenth- and twentieth-century entertainment industry. From the Atlantic Garden German beer hall in present-day Chinatown to the city's first motion picture studio - Union Square's American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - to the Lincoln Theater in Harlem, Freeland situates each building within its historical and social context, bringing to life an old New York that took its diversions seriously. Freeland reminds us that the buildings that serve as architectural guideposts to yesteryear's recreations cannot be re-created - once destroyed they are gone forever. With condominiums and big box stores spreading over city blocks like wildfires, more and more of the Big Apple's legendary houses of mirth are being lost. By excavating the city's cultural history, this delightful book unearths some of the many mysteries that lurk around the corner and lets readers see the city in a whole new light

From the lights that never go out on Broadway to its 24-hour subway system, New York City isn't called the city that never sleeps for nothing. Both native New Yorkers and tourists have played hard in Gotham for centuries, lindy hopping in 1930s Harlem, voguing in 1980s Chelsea, and refueling at all-night diners and bars. The slim island at the mouth of the Hudson River is packed with places of leisure and entertainment, but Manhattan's infamously fast pace of change means that many of these beautifully constructed and incredibly ornate buildings have disappeared, and with them a rich and ribald history.

Yet with David Freeland as a guide, it's possible to uncover skeletons of New York's lost monuments to its nightlife. With a keen eye for architectural detail, Freeland opens doors, climbs onto rooftops, and gazes down alleyways to reveal several of the remaining hidden gems of Manhattan's nineteenth- and twentieth-century entertainment industry. From the Atlantic Garden German beer hall in present-day Chinatown to the city's first motion picture studio-Union Square's American Mutoscope and Biograph Company-to the Lincoln Theater in Harlem, Freeland situates each building within its historical and social context, bringing to life an old New York that took its diversions seriously. Freeland reminds us that the buildings that serve as architectural guideposts to yesteryear's recreations cannot be re-created-once destroyed they are gone forever. With condominiums and big box stores spreading over city blocks like wildfires, more and more of the Big Apple's legendary houses of mirth are being lost. By excavating the city's cultural history, this delightful book unearths some of themany mysteries that lurk around the corner and lets readers see the city in a whole new light.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review.

In its people and its real estate, New York maintains a complicated relationship with its past: though always moving forward, the city is also preoccupied with its grand old architecture, a refined sense of nostalgia and an idealized sense of times gone by. Still, few New Yorkers know much about the city's actual history. Historian and music journalist Freeland (Ladies of Soul) provides an excellent correction in this detailed exploration of Manhattan's lost leisure spots, from defunct 19th century Chinatown beer gardens to the earliest integrated theaters in Harlem. Along the way, Freeland unreels meticulous accounts of Manhattan's more fascinating and scandalous moments. New Yorkers past and present will learn much about parts of the city-buildings, neighborhoods, people and hot spots-long gone, or so transformed as to be unrecognizable. Focusing on five neighborhoods-Chinatown, Union Square/East Village, the Tenderloin, Harlem and Times Square-these stories provide a vivid cross-section of the city as a whole in ways a more generalized approach couldn't. Exceptionally well-written and researched, this volume will satisfy anyone curious about New York, or the way a modern metropolis builds and rebuilds itself to reflect the times.
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Winner of the Publication Award for Popular Culture and Entertainment for 2009 from the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America Named to Pop Matters list of the Best Books of 2009 (Non-fiction) From the lights that never go out on Broadway to its 24-hour subway system, New York City isn't called "the city that never sleeps" for nothing. Both native New Yorkers and tourists have played hard in Gotham for centuries, lindy hopping in 1930s Harlem, voguing in 1980s Chelsea, and refueling at all-night diners and bars. The slim island at the mouth of the Hudson River is packed with places of leisure and entertainment, but Manhattan's infamously fast pace of change means that many of these beautifully constructed and incredibly ornate buildings have disappeared, and with them a rich and ribald history. Yet with David Freeland as a guide, it's possible to uncover skeletons of New York's lost monuments to its nightlife. With a keen eye for architectural detail, Freeland opens doors, climbs onto rooftops, and gazes down alleyways to reveal several of the remaining hidden gems of Manhattan's nineteenth- and twentieth-century entertainment industry. From the Atlantic Garden German beer hall in present-day Chinatown to the city's first motion picture studioUnion Square's American Mutoscope and Biograph Companyto the Lincoln Theater in Harlem, Freeland situates each building within its historical and social context, bringing to life an old New York that took its diversions seriously. Freeland reminds us that the buildings that serve as architectural guideposts to yesteryear's recreations cannot be re-createdonce destroyed they are gone forever. With condominiums and big box stores spreading over city blocks like wildfires, more and more of the Big Apple's legendary houses of mirth are being lost. By excavating the city's cultural history, this delightful book unearths some of the many mysteries that lurk around the corner and lets readers see the city in a whole new light. Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 Part I. Chinatown, Chatham Square, and the Bowery......Page 30 1 A Round for the Old Atlantic (The Atlantic Garden)......Page 34 2 Chinatown Theater (The 1893 Chinese Theater)......Page 54 Part II. Union Square and the East Village......Page 72 3 A Roof with a View (American Mutoscope Studio)......Page 76 4 Caretakers of Second Avenue (Hebrew Actors’ Union)......Page 94 Part III. The Tenderloin......Page 108 5 If You Can Make ’Em Cry (Tin Pan Alley)......Page 114 6 Tenderloin Winners and Losers (Shang Draper’s Gambling House)......Page 136 Part IV. Harlem......Page 158 7 A Theater of Our Own (The Lincoln Theater)......Page 164 8 Rise and Fall of the Original Swing Street (West 133rd Street)......Page 184 Part V. Times Square......Page 194 9 The Strike Invisible (Horn & Hardart’s Original New York Automat)......Page 198 10 Last Dance at the Orpheum (The Orpheum Dance Palace)......Page 216 11 Nights of Gladness (Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe)......Page 232 Epilogue......Page 252 A Note on Sources......Page 260 Notes......Page 264 Bibliography......Page 280 A......Page 286 C......Page 287 D......Page 288 G......Page 289 H......Page 290 L......Page 291 M......Page 292 P......Page 293 S......Page 294 V......Page 295 W......Page 296 Z......Page 297 About the Author......Page 298 With A Keen Eye For Architectural Detail, David Freeland Opens Doors, Climbs Onto Rooftops, And Gazes Down Alleyways To Reveal Several Of The Remaining Hidden Gems Of Manhattan's Nineteenth- And Twentieth-century Entertainment Industry.--[book Cover]. Chinatown, Chatham Square, And The Bowery. A Round For The Old Atlantic (the Atlantic Garden) ; Chinatown Theater (the 1893 Chinese Theater) -- Union Square And The East Village. A Roof With A View (american Mutoscope Studio) ; Caretakers Of Second Avenue (hebrew Actors' Union) -- The Tenderloin. If You Can Make 'em Cry (tin Pan Alley) ; Tenderloin Winners And Losers (shang Draper's Gambling House) -- Harlem. A Theater Of Our Own (the Lincoln Theater) ; Rise And Fall Of The Original Swing Street (west 133rd Street) -- Times Square. The Strike Invisible (horn & Hardart's Original New York Automat) ; Last Dance At The Orpheum (the Orpheum Dance Palace) ; Nights Of Gladness (billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe). David Freeland. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 251-255) And Index.