Welcome to the West 102nd & 103rd Streets Block Association
Contact us via
  • Home
    • Board of Directors
  • Join Us
  • Blog
  • Events Calendar
  • Block Party
    • Vendor Agreement
    • FAQs
  • Resources
    • Newsletter Index
    • Alternate Side Parking
    • Tree, Hydrant, and Lamp Map
    • Eco-friendly Block
    • Open Streets W. 103rd Street
    • Bloomingdale Aging In Place
    • Hunger Resources
    • Bloomingdale History
    • TriBloomingdale
  • Quarterly Newsletter
  • Neighborhood Hall of Fame
    • 2022 Honorees
    • 2021 Honorees
    • 2020 Honorees
    • 2019 Honoree
    • 2018 Honorees
    • 2017 Honorees
    • 2016 Honorees
    • 2015 Honorees
    • 2014 Honorees
    • 2013 Honorees
    • 2012 Honoree
    • 2011 Honorees
    • 2010 Honorees

It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale

4/3/2017

0 Comments

 

Locate that Element!

Picture
You know the rules. Locate that element!
By Caitlin Hawke

Oh, diner. Oh, oh diner. Oh, oh, oh. Looking for my diner (to paraphrase Hair).

Yes, I gave a big contextual clue in the last "It's Elemental" by talking about the Metro Diner, because the element I featured was the beautiful third story of the woodframe Grimm building, now occupied by the diner.

The thing of beauty is how many readers got it right.  You love your old buildings, Bloomingdalers! And you gave me some juicy additional details, which I will feature in an upcoming post.

My traditional hat tip goes to those who know their frontage. So kudos to Anthony, Elizabeth, Emily, Jim, Lorne, and Pam.
Picture
The historic Grimm building taken from the south side of W. 100th Street -- at the intersection with Broadway -- looking north

Henry Grimm built it in 1871 as a grocery store for the up and coming neighborhood. It came to be known as "The Boulevard House" and among its many incarnations was a saloon and a millinery store. And darn if it isn't a miracle that it still stands!

I featured this intersection below in a "Throwback Thursday" post back in June, relishing that some corners actually have stayed nearly the same for the past 110 years.
In the post that gave the clue, I featured the third floor because I love a beautiful cornice propped up on scroll brackets, and who can resist clapboards in Manhattan? And also, decontextualized, it looks mighty unlikely that it would be anywhere near us.  But near us it is, sitting at the northwest corner of W. 100th Street and Broadway. 

The second floor -- now a salon, but once a saloon -- was originally similarly clad in clapboards, but according to The Daytonian in Manhattan, the clapboards were removed around the Great Depression and large windows put in.

It's got a great history, so click through to the Daytonian piece to learn more.
Picture
Built by Henry Grimm in 1871, here's an image of the historic building in 1909 taken from the east side of Broadway looking west down W. 100th Street. Of course when Grimm built it, the avenue was called "The Boulevard."
And when you see Frank and Fotios at the Metro, thank them for keeping the little wooden building going since 1993.  Remember, they are the "new" kids on the block, but since the Times wrote about their having taken over this building to bring us the Metro, diner culture has begun to vanish.  Or so they say.

So, fellow Bloomingdalers: it's time again to locate that element! You remember the rules. The blog feature "It's Elemental" is our version of Name that Tune. Tell me what and where the architectural element at the top of this page is.  As always, extra points for any additional history you might know.

Put your answer in the comments or email: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.  Stumped and have to know? Check back and at the top of the next "It's Elemental" post, I will reveal the location.

And stay tuned for more lore about the Building Grimm.

To receive Block Association blog posts directly to your email, please enter your email address:

0 Comments

It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale

3/21/2017

1 Comment

 

Locate that Element!

Picture
Where is this? Hint: Think very old!
By Caitlin Hawke

Ok, so this feature, "It's Elemental," was supposed to be regular and somewhat interactive.  I send out apologies for the lag time between posts.  But we did have a few respondents, all answering correctly that the red "Restaurant" sign featured on November 26, was indeed a detail from the sign of the Broadway Restaurant pictured on this page in fuller context.
I was inspired to feature it when the NYT ran this piece about the Vanishing Diner Culture that I refuse to believe in. I can't bury one more special thing about this city, so the VDC needs to be rectified pronto stat.

In the article, the Times chose to focus on the neo-retro Metro while the downer-'n-dirtier retro-retro cousin just north and across the street is what I think of when I think of a diner.

Alas both are at risk in this VDC.

For playing along and successfully locating the sign, renewed hat tips go to Terence and Anthony.  But Ozzie was new to the game and also answered right off the bat.

Now with all that said, please locate the element at the top of this page!  If you do, I promise to tighten the elapsed time between postings.

Extra points if you can tell me the original name of the building at top.

Picture

Picture
Click the image for the last post, which of course was an element from the Broadway Restaurant, our old time diner -- long may she ride.

To receive Block Association blog posts directly to your email, please enter your email address:

1 Comment

It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale

11/26/2016

1 Comment

 

Locate That Element!

Picture
Can you locate this element?

By Caitlin Hawke

The location of the last element I featured here which is pictured at right is the carved base and bracket of a two-story oriel window at 312 W. 102nd Street.  

And the winner was…well we didn't have any guesses.  Was the clue too tough?

For round three I am going to ease up.  At top is the element to identify. You remember the rules. The blog feature "It's Elemental" is our version of Name that Tune. So locate the element at top and tell me what it is and where it is.  Extra points for any history or good stories you know about the place it is connected to.

Put your answer in the comments below or email it to: blog@w102-103blockassn.org. Then check back for a future "It's Elemental" post where I will reveal all.
Picture
Last time, I featured this element from a neighborhood building and asked for an identification. Click image to see the last post.
Picture
It is a detail from the facade of this wonderful building constructed in 1905 at 312 W. 102nd Street. It has a twin directly to the east with similiar intricate detailing.

More about 312 W. 102nd Street

Both 310 and 312 W. 102nd Street were designed in the Romanesque or Renaissance Revival style by architect Martin Van Buren Ferdon (1860-1950) and built in 1892.  They are twin buildings laid out between another Ferdon-designed set of twin buildings in an ABBA pattern.  The houses at 310 and 312 are beauties, covered with delicious architectural details, including these sumptuous carvings, plus carved spandrels and a gorgeous cornice. Even the transom is illuminated with gold-filagree decoration around the street number.  It's beautiful!  Ferdon designed many other townhouses on nearby cross streets and on West End Avenue.  Alas, many have been demolished.  He was prolific and worked throughout the city.  The townhouses were originally owned by Alphonse Hogenauer, a real-estate maven.

Picture
Picture

To receive Block Association blog posts directly to your email, please enter your email address:

1 Comment

It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale

6/26/2016

0 Comments

 

Locate That Element!

By Caitlin Hawke

Location of the last element:  855 West End Avenue.
And the winner was Anthony Bellov, followed in quick succession by Terence Hanrahan.

Alas, no extra points are awarded.  I asked what the significance was, and I now believe it was an effigy of the woman who built 855 West End, Maggie Mitchell, actress of yore.

You remember the rules. The blog feature "It's Elemental" is our version of Name that Tune. 
Picture
Last time, I featured this element from the facade of 855 West End Ave. Click the image to see the last post.
So, fellow Bloomingdalers, it's time for another round: locate the element below! Tell me what it is and where it is.  Extra points for any history you know about the element.

Put your answer in the comments or email: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.  Stumped and have to know? Check back and at the top of the next "It's Elemental" post, I will reveal the location.

Picture

To receive Block Association blog posts directly to your email, please enter your email address:

0 Comments

It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale!

6/6/2016

1 Comment

 

Introducing Our Version of Name that Tune

By Caitlin Hawke
A block association is about nothing if not people and place.  This blog leaves a lot of room to depict our members pursuing activities like the Halloween Parade or planting day together. And we've been featuring a lot about our place, but in historical context.  So now here's a new occasional feature: It's Elemental, My Dear Bloomingdale!

This space will be reserved for pieces of our neighborhood. Literally, morsels.  Disconnected from their other context.  Think of it as a sort of "Name That Tune" game but in an architectural edition.  We may get creative.  If you have something you'd like to submit once you get the hang of the game, send a shot my way: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.  The ground rules are simple:  it should be an architectural or abstracted detail that one could see on a stroll around our catchment.  And you should provide in your email an exact address or location so the element you submit may be found. 

So here goes:  name that tune, er, I mean, locate that element!  Put your answer in the comments or email: blog@w102-103blockassn.org.  Stumped and have to know? Check back and at the top of the next "It's Elemental" post, I will reveal the location.

Game on!
Picture
Where am I? Extra points for the significance of this decoration! Send your guess to blog@w102-103blockassn.org.

To receive Block Association blog posts directly to your email, please enter your email address:

1 Comment

    Categories

    All
    Aging In Bloomingdale
    BA Events
    Blog Favorites
    Community Issues
    Families
    From The Vault
    Green Neighborhood
    History
    Hyper-local Eats
    It's Elemental
    Local Events
    Mom & Pop
    Neighbors
    Seen
    Throwback Thursday
    Traffic

    Archives

    October 2022
    December 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Subscribe to our email list and receive regular news.

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.