As of Tomorrow Morning... |
Main
| The Long Day
January 27, 2006
Magnet Test
Yesterday I spent several hours pouring over Cast-Iron Architecture in New York-- one of the books for my latest class. I had never really thought about cast-iron building frontages before and this book was the perfect introduction. Manhattan has several original cast-iron buildings that are still in existence; most are in SoHo.
The coolest thing about this book, however, is that it was written in 1974, which means that pretty much none of the stores and businesses that inhabit the old SoHo warehouses and buildings are there anymore. No more egg or cheese distributor. Nothing "awaiting demolition in the shadow of the World Trade Center" (the old Hoboken Ferry Terminal on Barclay & West Streets).
I have started making a little map of all of the locations (I had wanted to create a Google map of everything but couldn't quite figure out all of the API and code crap); hopefully, in the next few weeks, I can get out to each place and photograph what they are now.
Of note: This class makes me grin from ear to ear. Last week I had the "wow, okay, maybe I can be a full time student if I am doing something like this" feeling for the first time.
Posted by callalillie at January 27, 2006 7:38 AM | City Life
Whe I was 16 I spent the summer working as a crate packer/delivery boy at the place where your grandfather worked at 241 West Broadway. One Friday after I got paid (cash envelope back then), I walked down to one of the egg distributers on my lunch break. Hundreds of women sat candling eggs to determine grading, picking up one at a time, holding them to a light, and placing them in an egg crate depending on the size of the yolk.
For 75 cents I bought a dozen double-yolked eggs to bring home for the family for a special Saturday morning breakfast. I was earning $1.25 an hour and felt, for the first time, like I was a breadwinner.
It still makes me smile.
Posted by: bobtrancho at January 27, 2006 9:13 AM
That was exactly what I was thinking about (actually, I thought about the night when we went to El Teddy's and you found the building). I think there's a photo of the building in the book.
Posted by: corie at January 27, 2006 9:14 AM
what class did you decide to take?
Posted by: yp at January 27, 2006 9:22 AM
you might want to check out wayfaring.com - its an easy way to map out many locations and save the map.
Posted by: dahl at January 27, 2006 10:29 AM
I'll have to check that out.
Youngna-- the class is about the architectural history and development of nyc. The theory class that I wanted to take was not offered this semester, so I'll probably take an intro to architecture over the summer.
Posted by: corie at January 27, 2006 1:21 PM
