Nooks & Corners of Old New York

A collection of short historical sketches of lower Manhattan landmarks, tracing the island's evolution from Dutch settlement to nineteenth-century city. Entries describe original fortifications and early streets, notable sites such as the fort that preceded the Battery, Bowling Green and its toppled royal statue, Castle Garden's successive uses, and surviving houses and public buildings; street-name origins and vanished lanes are noted, along with monuments, churches, and civic institutions. The book combines topographical explanation, local anecdotes, and architectural notes to map how irregular colonial layouts gave way to later planning and how specific corners preserve layers of urban history.