Image of Fort George Amusement Park via the Museum of the City of New York
Here’s what the Untapped staff is reading in the HQ today:
- Straus Square Pedestrian Plaza Takes Shape with New ‘Skate Proof’ Street Surfacing [Bowery Boogie]: For the last several nights, a contractor crew has been preparing the tiny sliver of Canal Street between Rutgers and East Broadway for a new pedestrian plaza. Specifically, the granular rumble-strip coating and its adhesive were installed late last night, a surface meant to deter skateboarders from claiming the spot.
- The history of Fort George: Manhattan’s long-lost amusement park in Inwood [6sqft previously covered by Untapped Cities]: Did you know Washington Heights and Inwood used to be home to a giant amusement park? In 1895, the Fort George Amusement Park opened on Amsterdam Avenue between 190th and 192nd Streets, overlooking the Harlem River in what is now Highbridge Park. Located in the same spot as George Washington’s fight against the British, “Harlem’s Coney Island” rivaled Brooklyn’s Coney Island with roller coasters, Ferris wheels, a skating rink, fortune tellers, music halls, casinos, and hotels.
- MTA considers ban on subway dining; snacking might be ok [6sqft]: After an upper Manhattan track fire this week reminded them that trash catches fire, the Metropolitan Transit Authority is considering limiting the all-too-familiar practice of stuffing one’s face with hot, messy food while riding the subway. The New York Times reports that MTA chairman Joseph J. Lhota said Tuesday that he’d like to curb inappropriate eating as a way to eliminate fires caused by the ensuing litter.
- Bed-Stuy garage-to-residential conversion gets the go-ahead from Landmarks [Curbed NY]: Plans to transform a set of parking garages in Bed-Stuy into apartments and townhouses was approved by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, on the second attempt, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Today’s popular Untapped Cities reads:
Fort George is in Washington Heights, not Inwood.