New York is a city of layers. Not just the layers below us—the subway tunnels, sewers, and landfill containing trash-turned-artifacts going back 400 years.
The city also has layers on its sides: the rarely visible faded outlines of older buildings that were torn or fell down.
Catching sight of them is like getting a secret glimpse into the city’s past. New development obscures them fast.
One of my favorites is this pattern of what looks like a Federal-style roof on West 15th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues (left).
Whatever it was—a 19th century single-family home? A stable?—sat between a townhouse and a tenement until it was bulldozed.
This one on Sixth Avenue and 26th Street below doesn’t look so remarkable . . . but the three chimney outlines and what looks like a roof access area are so well preserved. What was it?
The ghostliest of all is this perfect pattern of a Federal-style house—chimney, roof, and dormer windows all clear—on Hudson and Dominick Streets in Tribeca.
Luckily its twin still stands, letting us know what a little 19th century gem of a home was lost.
Tags: brick tenements New York City, building facades NYC, faded ads in New York City, Faded outlines of old buildings, Federal houses New York City, New York street, Tenements NYC
March 19, 2012 at 4:14 am |
I love this! It reminds me of the book The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. That poor little house that was squished by new development until someone moved her out to the country. Sadly, I don’t think that was to be the fate here. However, I do like to think about what might have happened 🙂
March 19, 2012 at 4:20 am |
I wish I knew. I’m betting it was bulldozed though….
March 19, 2012 at 2:43 pm |
I love these “phantoms”. I see them all the time in Tribeca. As much as the area has been claimed by the employers of dogwalkers and nannies with strollers, these wonderfully stubborn reminders of the past are all over the place.
March 19, 2012 at 5:49 pm |
Beautiful. Thank you.
March 19, 2012 at 9:01 pm |
Great stuff, and wonderful photos! I love it!!
March 19, 2012 at 9:32 pm |
This is fantastic. And one of my favorite things about walking around any city. Also, broken sections of road/wall that reveal previous building materials and uses. Just this morning, I found a buried set of train tracks.
March 19, 2012 at 11:23 pm |
Thanks–I hope that last one isn’t covered up anytime soon. It’s so eerie, in a good way.
Half-exposed train or trolley tracks are great too. There are some in Brooklyn and they deserve their own post…..
March 20, 2012 at 12:19 am |
great post!
March 20, 2012 at 12:35 pm |
And NYU is responsible for the “ghosting” of many buildings!
March 23, 2012 at 2:11 am |
Very cool.
April 12, 2012 at 12:54 am |
this is so cool and sad all at once
May 1, 2012 at 1:08 am |
400 centuries?
May 1, 2012 at 2:16 am |
Thanks, I fixed it. My proofreader is drinking on the job again…
June 6, 2012 at 4:17 am
LMAO!
August 6, 2012 at 5:00 am |
[…] of these ghost buildings, remnants from an older New York, are visible for just a short period of time—between the bulldozing of the old structure and the […]
January 12, 2015 at 7:43 am |
[…] More faded building outlines—dormer windows too!—can be seen here. […]