PREFACE

Like many others whose stories are in this book, I came to New York from elsewhere. My own migration from the Midwest was relatively short. My parents moved to New York City when I was a teenager. Immediately, I fell in love with the city and its multitude of people and attractions. As an adult, work and family drew me to Washington, D.C. New York City became a special occasion place. This book represents my attempt to return to New York, to walk its streets, to integrate my life into its life and to revel in its every facet.

New York City, known for modernity and change, boasts nine National Monuments, Memorials and Sites, more than any other city in the United States. Only presidents and the United States Congress can designate a site as a National Monument in consideration of its extraordinary place in American history. A National Historic Landmark designation indicates that the secretary of the interior and the National Park Service regard the site as important to American heritage.

For this book to exist, I am deeply indebted to Banks Smither, my editor at Arcadia/The History Press. Dr. Thomas Keaney, Dr. Jeffrey Kelman and Ann Sauer kindly read drafts of the book, and each made very helpful comments. I would like to thank them for their support and contributions. James Maher, the photographer of all the beautiful images, has succeeded in conveying the majesty and vitality of New York City and its citizens.

The visit to sites in each chapter’s “Your Guide to History” section is organized by general topic and geographic location from Lower Manhattan to Inwood in Manhattan, followed by Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

The New York City skyline from Central Park. Courtesy of James Maher.