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pschles   01-03-2007, 02:36 AM
#1
The reference to the "168th Street Armory" brought back many, many fond memories. I wonder, though, how may people know that it is (was?) officially the 102nd Engineers Battalion Armory. I'm sure that's still engraved on the facade, but I think it was "de-mobilized" as a true armory a few years ago. Last time I was in the neighborhood, it was being used for track meets and such.
For many years, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (across the street) tried to buy the property. Apparently, the armory is built on solid bedrock and nothing less than a direct hit by a small nuke would ever disturb it. (OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but the truth is pretty close.). The med center wanted the property simply because it was so solid.
Tid-bits......(not all of this is necessarily true today, but was in the early 60's)
Just up the street, towards Broadway, was a hospital-owned residence strictly for nurses working at the hospital.
One of our favorite places to play as kids was a big open field just east of the Henry Hudson Pkwy, right off Riverside Drive (you could look down onto the HH from a horseshoe-shaped lookout point). We were furious when Columbia-Presbyterian bought the land and put up tennis courts. The they bought yet another favorite area and made that into a parking lot.
There was a small hospital - I always understood it to be a cancer center - called Francis Delafield hospital - on Fort Washington Avenue between 163rd and 164th Streets. We used to use the delivery driveway of Delafield to get quickly from out neighborhhood to Riverside Drive. Heading west, it would take us to a street the name of which I don't remember, but we called it Snakey or Snake Hill. It was rather steep and somewhat winding and we'd ride out home-made scooters or clip-on roller skates (remember skate keys?) down the hill right to Riverside Drive.
Ah, nostalgia!
webby   01-03-2007, 02:47 AM
#2
Welcome to the board, pschles! Enjoy your visits and post often!

.
It's Thirteen O'Clock
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"I said, Hey Senorita - that's astute, I said, why don't we get together and call ourselves an institute?" --Paul Simon
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"In the final analysis, the last line of defense in support of freedom and the Constitution consists of the people themselves." -- Ron Paul

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
fpw   01-03-2007, 10:45 AM
#3
pschles Wrote:The reference to the "168th Street Armory" brought back many, many fond memories.

[SIZE="3"]During high school I'd commute from NJ to NYC. I'd come in through the Lincoln tunnell but go home over the GW Bridge -- the latter entailed a subway ride from Chelsea to Washintgton Heights. The bus station was within throwing distance of the armory and attached to a White Castle (or was it White Tower?) burger joint. Fond memories of those greasy little burgers on cold afternoons.[/SIZE]

FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
Maggers   01-03-2007, 11:09 AM
#4
I work at Columbia Presbyterian, now called the New York Presbyterian Hospital. The armory is, indeed, a track now and was going to be used as a venue if the Olympics ever came to New York. I'll look for that plaque you mentioned. However, most of us tend to avoid that block because the armory is also a shelter for homeless men. I've been acosted just walking by them, even with the busy Hospital right across the street. The headquarters for the Columbia School of Nursing is still there, standing cheek by jowl with the armory/track/homeless shelter.

Thanks, Pschles, for the trip down memory lane. So much of the area has changed because of the Hospital. The New York State Psychiatric Institute, for instance, is the westernmost building of the huge medical center. It was built on a triangle of land that was part of a park overlooking the Hudson. We now have a triangular building with the most oddly curved walls. When the construction began there were protests from folks in the neighborhood because of the infringement on the park. In the end, though, the building has a smaller footprint than you'd think and the remainder of the park is still quite large.

They are now dynamiting everyday to blast through the bedrock you mentioned to build a new Heart Center between the Irving Center and the Milstein Pavilion. There isn't much room to build but somehow they are doing it. Hopefully, once built, the Heart Center will provide more patients with greater care for ailments like FPW's recent scary episode.

Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005


Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.

Elwood P. Dowd

Pleiades   01-03-2007, 09:17 PM
#5
Welcome, Pschles. I know you will enjoy reading the works of FPW and I hope you enjoy being part of this group. One thing you will learn is that whenever a thread involving Conspiracies is started, I will eventually post some boring Telsa thing. So here it is: I was wondering where the Shoreham railroad station was located (note the connection to nostalgia). I know where the tracks were, but not where the station was. Upon searching the internet for pictures of the station to find a point of reference, I came up with the following 1914 photo:

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

After looking at it, I realized that the only place it could have been taken was from Tesla's tower! Note the trusses and the fact that it was the highest structure in the area, and still would be if it stood today.

You really only need three things: WD-40, Duct Tape, and a pointy stick. If it's supposed to move and doesn't, use the WD-40. If it moves and isn't supposed to, use the Duct Tape. If you want it to move and it doesn't want to, use the pointy stick. The rest of life is easy.
cobalt   01-03-2007, 10:24 PM
#6
Welcome aboard Pschles. If you like trivia and RMJ, then this is the place to be.

EWMAN
Silverfish   01-03-2007, 11:37 PM
#7
Welcome to the board and the world of Repairman Jack. Stick around and you will have a blast.

Stephanie

Abe's raised eyebrows caused furrows in his extended forehead. "Five in twelve hours?"
"Oh, and like you've never had a cranky day?"
Maggers   01-03-2007, 11:40 PM
#8
Pleiades Wrote:Welcome, Pschles. I know you will enjoy reading the works of FPW and I hope you enjoy being part of this group. One thing you will learn is that whenever a thread involving Conspiracies is started, I will eventually post some boring Telsa thing. So here it is: I was wondering where the Shoreham railroad station was located (note the connection to nostalgia). I know where the tracks were, but not where the station was. Upon searching the internet for pictures of the station to find a point of reference, I came up with the following 1914 photo:

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

After looking at it, I realized that the only place it could have been taken was from Tesla's tower! Note the trusses and the fact that it was the highest structure in the area, and still would be if it stood today.

Ron, exactly where was the station? I gather it was nearby Tesla's tower, and I know where that was, but do you know the road the station was on? I'm really curious because I know that neck of the woods really well, too.

Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005


Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.

Elwood P. Dowd

Pleiades   01-05-2007, 02:50 PM
#9
Maggers Wrote:Ron, exactly where was the station? I gather it was nearby Tesla's tower, and I know where that was, but do you know the road the station was on? I'm really curious because I know that neck of the woods really well, too.
Maggers, after some research, it looks like the station was on the South side of North Country Road, just East of the intersection of Randall Road, where it turns into Briarcliff Road.

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I'm not a Railroad buff, but got interested while I was looking for a new Tesla-related avatar. I found a picture of Tesla's tower being demolished and thought about using the picture of it beginning to topple over. After shrinking to 80 pixels wide, it looked like:

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

It had a well, easily misinterperted appearence. :o So, I wisely opted for the STAR particle tracks.

You really only need three things: WD-40, Duct Tape, and a pointy stick. If it's supposed to move and doesn't, use the WD-40. If it moves and isn't supposed to, use the Duct Tape. If you want it to move and it doesn't want to, use the pointy stick. The rest of life is easy.
Maggers   01-05-2007, 03:04 PM
#10
Pleiades Wrote:Maggers, after some research, it looks like the station was on the South side of North Country Road, just East of the intersection of Randall Road, where it turns into Briarcliff Road.

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
I know exactly where that is. I learned to drive on Whiskey Road (then unpaved) and Randall Road. Thanks, Ron!

Quote:[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

It had a well, easily misinterperted appearence. :o So, I wisely opted for the STAR particle tracks.

And that is hilarious!

Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005


Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.

Elwood P. Dowd

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