Fort Amsterdam Walking Tours Blog

You probably already know that New York City is a haven for movie fans. There are dozens to choose from in Manhattan alone, from the multiplexes at 42nd Street and Union Square to the basement art theaters on 12th and 13th Streets. The Lincoln Center-66th Street stop alone has at least four movie theaters within a three block radius. My three favorite movie theaters in New York City can all be found on Houston Street. The Film Forum at 209 West Houston has been screening movies since 1970 when it was just a single projector and a few rows of folding chairs. It’s still fairly small, but it probably has the best repertory film program in New York City. For modern films, the A ngelika at Houston and Mercer has a terrific selection, and I’ve always been charmed by the occasional rumble of the 6 train rolling by. But if you’re looking for a great space, it’s hard to do better than the Landmark Sunshine at 143 East Houston. * With five screens stretched across three floors, the Sunshi...

"It did not seem possible that so much wealth could be assembled in one spot...There seemed to be enough clothes to supply an army. There were trunks filled with precious gems and silverware. Antique furniture was stacked against a wall and bars of gold from melted jewelry settings were stacked under newspapers. There were scales of every description to weigh diamonds." - Journalist, upon discovering "Marm" Mandelbaum's hideout Born in Prussia in 1818, Friederike Henriette Auguste Wiesener may not have seemed like an underworld queen at first blush. At 250 pounds, with a ruddy complexion and beady eyes, she was no looker, but what she lacked in beauty she made up for in shrewdness. She set her sights upon Wolfe Mendelbaum, who she wooed with bland, easily-digestible cooking to cure his "chronic dyspepsia." The two wed in 1847 and moved to New York City, with Wolfe going first to earn money for Freiderike's travel. By 1854, the Mandelbaum...