Blog - For The Record — NYC Department of Records & Information Services

NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES: A community history pilot project by Sunset Park High School and the NYC Municipal Archives

In the spring of 2017, NYC Municipal Archives staff gave a community history presentation to 11th grade students at the Sunset Park High School (SPHS). Using archival photos and documents from the agency's collection, the staff engaged students about local Sunset Park history, infrastructure, and community change.

In a civic effort to document change in Sunset Park and understand how the neighborhood has evolved, the students then set out to interview a local business owner. With help from their teacher, Sarah Crichton, the students planned questions and prepared for the interviews.

Haunted Buildings of New York

When people say that New York is the city that never sleeps they typically are talking about the 24 hour subway, diners, shows and concerts. But in a city that was established in 1624 as a Dutch colony, there have been other whispered stories about why New Yorkers never close their eyes: the paranormal. New Yorkers takeghost sightings so seriously that in 1991 the New York courts ruled in the Stambovsky v. Ackley case thathomeowners who withhold information on a haunted house can nullify the sale of the home with the buyer having no repercussions. From historic homes to popular bars and restaurants, no building can presume to be free of a paranormal past but below are the most notable in New York City today. 

DISPATCHES FROM THE URBAN HEARTLAND, Part 6: I’ve Often Wondered...

Welcome back to the Urban Heartland. As I was thinking about what my last official post would be, the thought that stuck was examining some of the buildings that I’ve looked at over the years. Throughout this region, there are buildings that have a sense of having history, or are examples of the striking changes communities go through. I wanted to make sure that I selected locations that were in areas I hadn’t covered in previous posts.

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