what about the plastic animals?

Smokin' Joe

A tribute to Joe Frazier on St. Nicholas Ave. outside the 125th St. subway station.

The Hidden Elephant

I've walked by the corner of 116th and Manhattan Ave. a few thousand times in the past ten years but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I noticed this elephant on the building's facade.  There's a mirror image elephant looking to the left as well.

Bonus:  Turtle fight in the Morningside Park pond.

Theo. F. Tone & Co. Coal

They've been demolishing the buildings at 125th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd the past couple of months and last week that demolition was sped along when one of those buildings collapsed on to the BX15 bus.  Luckily, none of the 17 people who were hurt faced life-threatening injuries.

The removal of the buildings has uncovered two wall ads that are at least a century old.  Theodore F. Tone had a coal company at the docks of Manhattanville near where Fairway is today.  I couldn't find out much about Mr. Tone or his coal company.  There was a brief mention in an 1857 Times article that he had procured a business license.  Tone was one of the few people to speak out against the construction of the viaduct that would eventually connect Riverside Drive and Boulevard Lafayette.

A bit further down in that 1897 column of short articles in the Times was "Dropped Dead in the Street:  George Kramer, a liquor dealer of 322 East Sixty-fifth Street, between First and Second Avenues, yesterday afternoon, with his wife." 

Mr. Tone, the coal dealer, died at the age of 81 in 1908.  He was prominent enough that his death was noted by the Times but not so prominent that he got a full obituary.

I've put several other photos of the old signs on Flickr if anyone wants to take a look.

Inside the Hamilton Grange

After a three-year restoration Hamilton Grange opened to the public today!

From the 1880s until June 2008 Alexander Hamilton's house, Hamilton Grange, sat here on Convent Ave.  In June 2008 the house hovered above Convent Ave for a couple of weeks until it was moved down hill and around the corner to St. Nicholas Park.

The basement of the building includes a gift shop and a display on the life and work of Alexander Hamilton.  Period drawing and dining rooms and a study are on the first floor, as are a couple of displays and a short video of how the house was moved.

Alexander and Eliza Hamilton paid a visit.  Given how long they've been dead that was quite a surprise. 

The Richard Rodgers Ampitheater

I didn't get around to photographing it until yesterday, but Marcus Garvey Park has a new ampitheater that opened earlier this summer.  The family of composer Richard Rodgers, who grew up across the street from the park, generously donated funds to replace the old, and not so great, ampitheater.

A new stage!  Benches with seat backs!  Thank you, Rodgers family!

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in the ampitheater was rained out last weekend but it has been rescheduled for the evening of Friday, September 23rd.  Be there!

Speaking of music.  A link, in case you're the last person to not see today's Google Doodle celebrating Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday.

Trendy

Ooh, look at this.  The Times declares my neighborhood the trendiest and most stylish neighborhood in New York.  The glitterati are finally catching up to me!

How Many Dollars?

Seen on my walk home this evening?

The not quite correct answer is after the jump:

Harlem Tavern on the Wall

The Harlem Tavern has put up a snazzy new sign at their soon-to-be-opened space.  I snuck a photo through the fence this past weekend.  Harlem Bespoke reports that the tavern's opening date is just a couple of weeks away.

Fun:  First ever triple back-flip on a BMX.

Wet Paint Is Wet

In case you were wonder if wet paint was really wet. 

Hamilton Grange Update

It has been more than three years since I mentioned Alexander Hamilton's house, Hamilton Grange.  Back then it was sitting in the middle of Convent Ave., waiting to be moved to its new, and presumably final, home in St. Nicholas Park.

I'm pleased to report that the house is looking really good.  It is certainly much less cramped than at its old location.  Side porches have returned for the first time in more than a century!

The Park Service's latest update, from March, anticipates a summer opening.