Broadway : a history of New York City in thirteen miles

An eye-opening history of Manhattan told through its most celebrated street. In the early seventeenth century, in a backwater Dutch colony, there was a wide, muddy cow path that the settlers called the Brede Wegh. As the street grew longer, houses and taverns began to spring up alongside it. What was once New Amsterdam became New York, and farmlands gradually gave way to department stores, theaters, hotels, and, finally, the perpetual traffic of the twentieth century’s Great White Way. From Bowling Green all the way up to Marble Hill, Broadway takes us on a mile-by-mile journey up America’s most vibrant and complex thoroughfare, through the history at the heart of Manhattan. Today, Broadway almost feels inevitable, but over the past four hundred years there have been thousands who have tried to draw and erase its path. Following their footsteps, we learn why one side of the street was once considered more fashionable than the other; witness the construction of Trinity Church, the Flatiron Building, and the Ansonia Hotel; the burning of P. T. Barnum’s American Museum; and discover that Columbia University was built on the site of an insane asylum. Along the way we meet Alexander Hamilton, Emma Goldman, Edgar Allan Poe, John James Audubon, "Bill the Butcher" Poole, and the assorted real-estate speculators, impresarios, and politicians who helped turn Broadway into New York’s commercial and cultural spine. Broadway traces the physical and social transformation of an avenue that has been both the "Path of Progress" and a "street of broken dreams," home to both parades and riots, startling wealth and appalling destitution. Glamorous, complex, and sometimes troubling, the evolution of an oft-flooded dead end to a canyon of steel and glass is the story of American progress. ** Review “Meticulously researched...Leadon’s tale is a whirl of characters...It is a whirl, too, of events...graced with wry wit.” - Clyde Haberman, *New York Times Book Review * “Part lively social history, part architectural survey, here is the story of Broadway―from 17th-century cow path to Great White Way.” - Wall Street Journal “A new history of the street that tells the story of modern America.” - David Taylor, *The Guardian * “Fran Leadon’s Broadway uses the thirteen miles of the great New York avenue to tell the remarkable story of the city’s evolution―its landmarks and legends, its high-rollers and lowriders. Part architectural history, part social history, it’s a cornucopia of intellectual delights. Endlessly fascinating and full of fun.” - John Lahr “A magical mystery tour of the street that invented American popular culture.” - Mike Davis, author of *City of Quartz * “[An] entertaining look at how the growth and development of New York City’s most famous street paralleled that of Manhattan...A welcome complement to more daunting and encyclopedic volumes on New York’s history.” - Publishers Weekly “Impressively detailed...A lively history of one of the most famous streets in America.” - Kirkus “[Leadon's] knowledge is expansive...[ Broadway ] is engagingly written and supplemented by good, easy-to-follow maps at each milestone.” - Booklist About the Author Fran Leadon is an architect and coauthor of the fifth edition of the AIA Guide to New York City. A native of Gainesville, Florida, he teaches at the City College of New York and lives in Brooklyn. All Identifiers : amazon:B073VXFJ6L Number of Words in Auth: 2 Formats : EPUB Number of Formats : 1 Has Cover : Yes Single Author : Fran Leadon Original Source : New Epubs from KAT Wk 2 Sorted Author by LN, FN: Leadon, Fran Title Length : 053 Title Parm D : Broadway_A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles Title Parm G : Broadway Num of Aut : 1 Title Parm B : ( Title Parm H : A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles Record ID : 8683 Uncomma Author : Fran Leadon Title Parm A : Broadway_A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles In The Early Seventeenth Century, In A Backwater Dutch Colony, There Was A Wide, Muddy Cow Path That The Settlers Called The Brede Wegh. As The Street Grew Longer, Houses And Taverns Began To Spring Up Alongside It. What Was Once New Amsterdam Became New York, And Farmlands Gradually Gave Way To Department Stores, Theaters, Hotels, And, Finally, The Perpetual Traffic Of The Twentieth Century's Great White Way. From Bowling Green All The Way Up To Marble Hill, Broadway Takes Us On A Mile-by-mile Journey Up America's Most Vibrant And Complex Thoroughfare, Through The History At The Heart Of Manhattan. -- Publisher's Description. Mile 1: Bowling Green To City Hall Park. Soaring Things ; Mud And Fire ; Promenade ; Fire And Progress ; Barnum ; Traffic -- Mile 2: City Hall Park To Houston Street. Across The Meadows ; A Glance At New York ; Millionaires And Murderers ; Broadway Is Never Finished -- Mile 3: Houston Street To Union Square. The Bend ; Grace ; Union ; The Rialto ; Incendiary Speech -- Mile 4: Union Square To Herald Square. Ladies' Mile ; The Merry Chair War ; The Freak Building ; The Light Cure -- Mile 5: Herald Square To Columbus Circle. Great White Way ; Eden ; Times Square Types ; Broadway Ghosts -- Mile 6: Columbus Circle To 79th Street. The Boulevard ; Down There ; Chickens On The Roof ; Harsenville -- Mile 7: 79th Street To 106th Street. The Raven Of Speculation ; Boomtown ; Hometown -- Mile 8: 106th Street To 122nd Street. Asylum ; Acropolis ; God's Skyscrapers -- Mile 9: 122nd Street To 143rd Street. Honest To Goodness Slum Land ; Murderville -- Mile 10: 143rd Street To 165th Street. The House On The Hill ; Necropolis ; Minnie's Land -- Mile 11: 165th Street To 179th Street. The Heights ; Hilltoppers ; The Fourth Reich ; The Bridge ; The Cut -- Mile 12: 179th Street To Dyckman Street. Mr. Billings ; Mr. Molenaor ; Mr. Barnard -- Mile 13: Dyckman Street To 228th Street. Life And Death In Inwood ; The Last Farm ; Indian Trail ; Where Does This Road End? Fran Leadon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Today, Broadway almost feels inevitable, but over the past four hundred years there have been thousands who have tried to draw and erase its path. Following their footsteps, we learn why one side of the street was once considered more fashionable than the other; witness the construction of Trinity Church, the Flatiron Building, and the Ansonia Hotel; the burning of P. T. Barnum's American Museum; and discover that Columbia University was built on the site of an insane asylum. Along the way we meet Alexander Hamilton, Emma Goldman, Edgar Allan Poe, John James Audubon, "Bill the Butcher" Poole, and the assorted real-estate speculators, impresarios, and politicians who helped turn Broadway into New York's commercial and cultural spine. [This book] traces the physical and social transformation of an avenue that has been both the "Path of Progress" and a "street of broken dreams," home to both parades and riots, startling wealth and appalling destitution. Glamorous, complex, and sometimes troubling, the evolution of an oft-flooded dead end to a canyon of steel and glass is the story of American progress."--More from dust jacket “Part lively social history, part architectural survey, here is the story of Broadway—from 17th-century cow path to Great White Way.”—Geoff Wisner, Wall Street Journal From Bowling Green all the way to Marble Hill, Fran Leadon takes us on a mile-by-mile journey up America’s most vibrant and complex thoroughfare, through the history at the heart of Manhattan. Broadway traces the physical and social transformation of an avenue that has been both the “Path of Progress” and a “street of broken dreams,” home to both parades and riots, startling wealth and appalling destitution. Glamorous, complex, and sometimes troubling, the evolution of an oft-flooded dead end to a canyon of steel and glass is the story of American progress.