November 2025 - Page 2 of 2

Photo: Chase Manhattan Bank Tower construction workers, New York, 1960

editorNovember 3, 2025November 3, 202503 mins

In the summer of 1960, nearly three thousand construction workers—fitters, engineers, electricians, and laborers—lined shoulder to shoulder in the open window openings of the new Chase Manhattan Bank Tower (today 28 Liberty Street). This photo became emblematic of an era: a time when New York City was trying to bring life back to where it…

Shutter Houses in New York

editorNovember 3, 2025November 3, 202503 mins

There’s a building in New York that, at first glance, probably won’t impress you. A perfectly symmetrical box, carefully placed on a narrow lot in Chelsea. The façade is a strict grid of squares, often covered with metal bars. Everything seems dull, cold, and unwelcoming. But once you understand how this building works, even a…