Abe Lincoln and New York City will always be linked by Lincoln’s legendary speech at Cooper Union in 1860 (which we will cover on February 27), but on February 19, 1861, Lincoln set foot in New York City for the first time as President-elect. In doing so, he entered the lion’s den, one of the most…
Between 1959 and 1989, New York City blacks and Latinos went from having almost no political power to building a coalition that elevated David Dinkins to mayor. In his new book, Upsetting the Applecart: Black-Latino Coalitions in New York from Protest to Public, Frederick Douglass Opie chronicles this often unrecognized story of grassroots activism and organized…
Not a lot has happened in New York City on this date, but fortunately for “separation of powers” fans, on February 18, 1975, the Supreme Court ruled in New York’s favor in the sewage treatment financial allocation battle, Train v. City of New York. I practiced law for a while, and this is actually more interesting than…
The Occupiers: The Making of the 99 Percent Movement by Michael Gould-Wartofsky was a difficult book to review. In the three years since Occupy Wall Street, I have struggled with reconciling the energy of that period, which has never been replicated during my years of activism, with the failure of OWS to advance the causes…
When New York’s all-black 369th Infantry Regiment set off to fight in World War I, they were men without rights at home or in the military, sent on a mission to “make the world safe for democracy.” One could have forgiven them for serving with cynicism. Instead, they were some of the most decorated and accomplished American soldiers…
This year Presidents’ Day comes on the heels of the coldest night of the winter, a fitting time to remember that one of our favorite president’s, Teddy Roosevelt, once kicked thousands of homeless people into the streets. The story begins with Jacob Riis and his puppy. Riis is best known for his photo essay, How…
The all-important topics of real estate power and affordable housing in New York City have spawned a thousand academic treatises and nonprofit reports but not many readable explainers for the lay public. Housing is a messy, complicated topic that features a quadrennial showdown in which policy buffs throw around acronyms like confetti. Enter artist and…
Dear Janos.nyc readers, The last month has been incredibly exciting. The site’s content has been well received, and last week we held a successful fundraiser. This endeavor is incredibly rewarding, but it needs support. We currently have an Indiegogo campaign going until Wednesday. If you can find the time between now and then to contribute $10 or…
“This is the most gloomy period which New York has ever known. The number of failures is so great daily that I do not keep a record of them, even in my mind.” – Philip Hone New York City was on rough times in the 1830s, visited in succession by plague, fire and famine. In 1832, nearly…
In honor of this weekend’s NBA All-Star Weekend being played in New York City, the NBA has put together an amazing map of New York City basketball legends. These are New York City’s greatest. I’ve taken the list and put together a team for the ages. No Knicks are on this team unless they grew…
janos.nyc 