Raymond Kaskey’s Portlandia

The facade of Robert Graves's Portland Building is graced by Raymond Kaskey's Portlandia. It's a huge sculpture in proportion to it site: just over three stories on a 15-story building. The…

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Naming the Gates of Central Park, 1

First in a series; second is here, third is here. In 1898, Andrew Haswell Green was proclaimed "Father of Greater New York" for his efforts to see Manhattan consolidated with…

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Read more about the article Brookgreen Gardens (Five Favorites series)
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Diana of the Chase, 1922. Brookgreen Gardens. Photo: Doug Coldwell / Wikipedia

Brookgreen Gardens (Five Favorites series)

There's a lot to be said for a building as full of art as the Metropolitan Museum of Art: if you don't like one piece, you can shift your gaze…

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Old & New Kosciuszko Bridges, 3

The Kosciuszko Bridge, opened in 1939, carries I-278 (the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, or BQE) over Newtown Creek, which divides Brooklyn and Queens. The old bridge is being replaced with side-by-side cable-stay…

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“The Listeners,” by de La Mare

This poem has always stuck in my mind because of the brilliant way de La Mare leaves the beginning of the story to the imagination. "The Listeners," by Walter de La Mare, 1912…

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The Reynolds Affair, Phase III (Hamilton 63c)

In which Callender accuses Hamilton of speculation, and Hamilton replies: June to August 1797. [NOTE: My latest thoughts on the Reynolds Affair are available in Alexander Hamilton and the Reynolds Affair.…

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The Reynolds Affair, Phase II (Hamilton 63b)

In which Reynolds accuses Hamilton of speculation: December 1792. [NOTE: My latest thoughts on the Reynolds Affair are available in Alexander Hamilton and the Reynolds Affair. For a shorter version,…

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