Thursday, September 19, 2013

Morning Walk #99 - The Hudson and Ladies Mile

A steam ship paddle boat (a little worse for wear) chugs up the Hudson


55 degrees, 58% humidity and clear skies

Pigeons sleeping under benches

A man wearing a royal blue t-shirt and a yellow and orange floral tie

Two film shoots:  Law & Order: SVU back in the projects and Broad City


This building opened in 1896 as the Siegel Cooper Dry Goods Department Store - the biggest store ever at the time.  On opening day 150,000 shoppers stopped in and were assisted by 3000 employees.

In addition to clothing, furniture and household items, the store sold groceries including meat from a refrigerated meat room and live fish from a huge fish tank.  There was a beauty salon, barber shop, post office, dentist office and the bicycle department had a track for prospective buyers to try out the equipment.  Even more progressive was the classroom provided for the children employees to have 2 hours of classes every day.

An ornate fountain was the showpiece on street level and the catch phrase of the time was "Meet me at the fountain."

The overextended Mr. Siegel sold the store in 1904 to Mr. Greenhut who was a little late to the Ladies Mile party as other large department stores were moving uptown but he kept it going till 1918.  The building had a short life as a military hospital during World War I.  Today it is broken up into TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Bed, Bath & Beyond and numerous offices in the upper stories.  The façade still has lots of the same features that it had on opening day.

Steps: 7420

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