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Archive for the ‘History’ Category
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Posted: March 30, 2013 by HaverstrawLife.com in Cafes & Restaurants, Downtown, History, Uncategorized0
Haverstraw is Rich in History
Posted: March 27, 2013 by HaverstrawLife.com in History, DowntownTags: 1906, Albany, artisinal, artistic, artsy, award winning play, Babe Ruth, Benedict Arnold, Bing Crosby, black box film studio, Brickmaking Capital of the World, brickyards, Broadway, Brooklyn, Bushwick, catholic church, children, Clermont, Commune, Communism, Communist, Conservation, Cottage Industry, couples, Creative, Creative Class, debut, demographics, development, Dobbs Ferry, docks, Downtown, East Williamsburg, economics, Edward Hopper, exodus, experiment, ferry, ferry terminal, film, George M. Cohan, George Washington, Glen Rock, Greenpoint, growth, Haverstraw, haverstraw ferry, haverstraw village, Headin' Home, High Tor, high tor mountain, hip, hipsters, Hipsturbia, History, homerun, House by the Railroad, Hudson River Valley, industrial revolution, Irvington, Jazz, John Cheever, Julie Andrews, killed, landslide, Larchmont, made-for-TV movie, Major John Andre, Mamaroneck, Marcus Lowe, Maxwell Anderson, Modern Day, movement, New York Times, new york waterway, Newburgh, Ossining, Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Peekskill, play, population, Pulitzer Prize, Richard Florida, Ridgewood, Robert Fulton, Rockland County, Silent Film, Sing Sing, social status, sprawl, Spy, steamship, strip mall, studio, suburban, suburbia, suburbs, Tappan Zee, tappan zee bridge, Tarrytown, taste our history, tattoos, Tiffany Stained Glass Windows, Treason, urban, urbanism, Village, walkability, williamsburg, Yonkers, young couples
Fighting Fire and Preserving History at Relief Hose No. 3
Posted: September 9, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, HistoryTags: fire, fire department, fire house, fire truck, firefighter, fireman, firemen, Haverstraw, history haverstraw, Hose Relief Number 3, Relief 3, relief hose no. 3, village of haverstraw, volunteer fire fighting
Organized in 1895, Relief Hose No. 3 was intended to provide additional fire protection to the ever-growing Village downtown. In the days of horse-drawn water pumps and low-pressure hand pumps, additional firehouses were needed to cover new neighborhoods that sprung up in the North West corner of Haverstraw. The newly formed fire department was housed in a barn and carriage house, which still stands at the corner of Westside Avenue and Gurnee Avenue. Today, the structure is a dwelling; originally, the house contained barn doors on the ground floor where the original fire wagon and then a motor car (pictured at left) rigged with a pump were stored. (more…)
Visualizing Scale & Density
Posted: September 9, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, Opinions & Politics, SustainabilityTags: bike, cycling, density, development, Downtown, economic, economic growth, Economy, europe, growth, Haverstraw, Hudson River, Hudson Valley, jakriborg, new urbanism, New York, scale, sustainability, sustainable growth, transportation, urban, urbanism, vibrant, Village, walkability, walking
Jakriborg, Sweden, a medieval village of 500 families and a major tourism destination can fit within a relatively small area in the Village of Haverstraw. Such an exercise in scale really shows how zoning can have such a major impact on the built environment and the economy. How many Jakriborgs can your town fit? Better yet, how many Jakriborgs can a nearby Walmart parking lot fit? Now, think about the economic consequences of this. . . My inspiration for this graphic came from an article posted here at the Small Streets Blog. http://blog.smallstreets.org/post/18496915718/turn-this-parking-lot-into-a-village
“Reconnecting Rockland” Column in the Rockland County Times
Posted: April 27, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, Opinions & Politics, SustainabilityI started writing a monthly column in the Rockland County Times called “Reconnecting Rockland.” In it I focus on planning, engineering, real estate development, and architecture issues that the County (where Haverstraw is located) is facing. Check out Part 1 and Part 2, aptly named “Back to Our Roots.” Recently, a follow-up to the first two articles was printed: “Get Out & Walk”
Why Buy Local?
Posted: February 16, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Activities, Cafes & Restaurants, Downtown, History, New Stores
“Every day we’re faced with choices: Buy from Home Depot or the guy that owns the hardware store in the Village? Get a cup of coffee from Starbucks or the local coffee shop? In these difficult economic times, to me it makes more sense to shop, buy, and dine at our local businesses. Buying local strengthens our local economy, creates jobs and makes our community unique. Buying local supports you and your family: When you buy from an independent, locally owned business, more of your dollar stays within the community and is used to make purchases from other local businesses. It’s a virtuous cycle! Buying local keeps your community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun makes North Rockland our home, and it makes it a better place to live. When you buy local, you invest in your community. Local businesses are owned by your neighbors, people who live in your town, and who are more invested in your community’s well-being and its future. So yes, I buy local whenever possible. I may pay a little more and sometimes get frustrated with inconvenient hours or unavailable items, but it’s important to me to support business in my community. I really enjoy running into neighbors and friends when shopping here. Chance encounters add something special to my day. I especially like the fact that I know the owner of a business or restaurant by his or her first name. It’s worth it to me to pay a little bit more and help out my neighborhood businesses, especially in these trying times.” — Taryn Raia Herbert, North Rockland Community Member
Bill Batson’s Take on the ‘House by the Railroad’
Posted: February 7, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in History, Local Artisans
Artist Bill Batson takes on the ‘House by the Railroad‘ with his sketch of the famed house in Haverstraw (left) that inspired Edward Hopper to paint and Alfred Hitchcock to kill off his leading lady on-screen in “Psycho.” Read more about Batson’s take on Edward Hopper and the house that started it all.
Batson discusses the motifs and historical elements of both the painting and the film: the growth and decline of Victorian America, issues of highways’ isolating effects, and the economic implications of America’s love affair with their automobiles. The author and artist even had a chance to interview the owners of the beloved house on Route 9W in the Village of Haverstraw. Read the article at Nyack Sketch Log here.
How or Why Cars Erode Cities & Villages
Posted: February 7, 2012 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, SustainabilityTags: Architecture, automobiles destructive, car, cars, Cars Erode Cities, downtown Haverstraw, downtowns, Haverstraw, Jane Jacobs, Main Street, New York, Old Fashioned, parking, storefronts, streetscape, sustainability, traditional neighborhood, village of haverstraw, walkability, walking
Do Cars Belong Downtown? Haverstraw in 1940.
Jane Jacobs was one of the first writers to document the effects of cars on urban fabric. By “urban,” I mean “old-fashioned” or traditional towns and downtowns. Densely populated cities and villages throughout the United States were beginning to take steps to incorporate automobiles into the built environment. Planners and politicians began to see parking garages, wider streets, more lanes, and asphalt parking lots as essential infrastructure in all places. The more successful and desirable a city or village was, the more parking was required. Ultimately, though, this mindset led to the demolition of millions of acres of the nations’ most precious neighborhoods. Really? Yes, “cars erode cities” and our desire to be in downtowns. (more…)
Lower the Floor in the Haverstraw Tunnel?
Posted: November 29, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in History, Sustainability
W Haverstraw Station - NY Central Line
The great Cap’n Transit wrote a blog post on the virtues of lowering the floor of the Haverstraw Rail Tunnel, which is seen by State officials (and the CSX freight rail company) as the biggest impediment to restoring passenger rail service on the West Shore Line. Before 1959, New York Central ran passenger service from Hoboken/Jersey City to Albany, New York on the line, stopping in the Village of Haverstraw, West Haverstraw and Stony Point. By lowering the floor, a cheap alternative to blasting a larger tunnel cavity, vertical clearance is increased allowing for double-tracking through the tunnel. It seems suspicious that the tunnel is the biggest deterrent to restoring passenger service. It is more likely that CSX doesn’t want to share its tracks with passenger services, as this would limit the number of freight trains that can use the line per day. Since 1990, New Jersey Transit has been studying passenger service restoration to West Nyack with the option of building a terminal in Haverstraw or West Haverstraw.
A Facebook Vignette: Urban v. Suburban
Posted: November 18, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Activities, Downtown, History, Opinions & Politics
I love the Haverstraw – Our Hometown Facebook page. It features several discussions on the history of Haverstraw and brief accounts of life in the Village, today and in the past. Renee, a member of the page recently gave an account of her experience while visiting Downtown Haverstraw. She describes perfectly the relationship between density and a vibrant street life, which is all-too-often missing from the suburban strip mall. Haverstraw is not suburban. It is a uniquely urban place with a breathtaking view of the Hudson River, sitting in the shadow of the towering peak of High Tor. Because of this, many existing residents of the sprawl areas of Rockland County fear the Village. They cannot understand the benefits of living in an urban environment, because they have become so familiar with an inhuman, car-dominated sprawl landscape. Here are more excerpts from Renee, Dianne, Peter and other members of Haverstraw – Our Hometown. (more…)
Haverstraw Village Local Currency Plan
Posted: October 14, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, Events, History, SustainabilityThe Concept: Haverstraw Notes
Local currency is a powerful, local economic development engine. The problem with national currency like the U.S. Dollar is that value is quite often removed from a local economy, as that value is transferred to national retailers (chains) or is spent elsewhere, in other communities. By creating a local currency system value is retained within the community, and additional value may be funneled into the local economy. The United States Constitution explicitly states that bank notes or paper currencies are legal, however, minting coin is prohibited.
How it Works
Village patrons can use the currency in the same way they use the U.S. Dollar; they can use the Haverstraw Notes as a replacement for, or in addition to, the Dollar. They might receive a discount for using the Notes at a local restaurant. The Haverstraw Note will grow in value over time, which is its interest rate. Essentially, a Bank of Haverstraw is created to administer the Haverstraw Notes.
Local Currency Plan for the Village of Haverstraw
One concept that can provide value to the Bank of Haverstraw, and allow the bank to pay an interest rate on its Notes, would be to invest the Bank’s holdings of U.S. Dollars into growing the fresh produce for the restaurant. The Bank would accept Notes as payment for produce, and can also sell the produce in exchange for U.S. Dollars in order to increase the value of its holdings. This means we are “pegging” the Haverstraw Note to both the value of produce and the U.S. Dollar. The Note’s value is literally backed by fresh produce. Cool huh? Remember the Gold Standard? This is the Produce Standard.
We can start this process by calling the Notes “Gift Certificates.” This allows the conversation to run more smoothly, and more people would feel comfortable adopting this concept. Have any questions?
Actual National Bank of Haverstraw Note, 1875
What’s in a Name?: “Short [and] Long Clove”
Posted: October 14, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in History
Believe it or not, the origination of the word “Clove,” which is featured in the names of two prominent mountain passes at the southern end of Haverstraw, Short Clove and Long Clove, begins in Dutch-influenced Afrikaans. A “Kloof” is a deep ravine or mountain pass in Middle Dutch tradition. “Kloove” is directly translated as a “cut or gash in the body of Mother Earth” in Old Dutch. The Dutch, in their conquest of new worlds settled many regions including the Hudson Valley, parts of the Caribbean, and Africa. The use of the term arrived with the earliest Dutch settlers as they settled Haverstraw. “Clove” is an anglicized version of “Kloove” or “Kloof.” The Short and Long Clove are rifts in the Palisades Escarpment south of High Tor Mountain, which became the most obvious locations for Native American then Colonial paths out of Haverstraw and south in to Clarkstown and the Nyacks. Today, the Long Clove hosts Route 9W and the Short Clove allows the passage of vehicles on Haverstraw Road past the Quarry and toward South Mountain Road.
Tony Bourdain’s Take on the Hudson Valley
Posted: July 29, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Downtown, History, WaterfrontTags: Anthony Bourdain, black dirt region, blue crabs, cruise, culinary, food, Haverstraw, Hudson River, Hudson Valley, New York, No Reservations, Pine Island, television, Tony Bourdain, village of haverstraw
Here’s the Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations episode on the Hudson Valley. He captures the classic attitude of most New York City dwellers (and tourists) toward “Upstate,” or the Hudson Valley. I continually argue that the Hudson Valley is a world of its own, not a piece of the generic “upstate” moniker. Keep your eyes peeled for some nice shots of Haverstraw. I’ll warn you, there are a few errors in the episode. At 7:00, shots of Grassy Point are mistakenly used for Verplanck. Below is the first of three segments. The following two segments will automatically play, so keep watching.
Haverstraw from Above
Local photographer Thomas McGuire captures Haverstraw from atop High Tor Mountain. High Tor towers above the Village of Haverstraw, which is nestled between the base of the peak and the Hudson River. Photo #2 is the old Haverstraw High School, today Haverstraw Middle School, seen from above – the school is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. The Haverstraw Community Garden, visible in the foreground of Photo #2 has been expanded by nearly 1/3 to make way for new garden plots and increased local food production.
Haverstraw High School building
How to Spark a Downtown Renaissance
Posted: April 11, 2011 by HaverstrawLife.com in Cafes & Restaurants, Downtown, HistoryTags: Andres Duany, community, Conservation, Death and Life of Great American Cities, Downtown, farmers market, gentrification, Haverstraw, haverstraw ferry, haverstraw village, HaverstrawLife, Hudson River, James Howard Kunstler, Jane Jacobs, manhattan, new urbanism, New York, renaissance, revitalization, Richard Florida, Rob Hopkins, Robert Caro, Robert Moses, Robert Owen, Transition, Urban Planning, Village, village of haverstraw
I’ve been studying urban revitalization for some time now. The myths and secrets about economic growth, revitalization, real estate and change in urban areas are plentiful. To understand how your community might develop into one of those places you’ve dreamed of living in and why certain places ascend, and other places decline, it helps to read works by the top experts in the field. I have found that I’ve learned so much reading the likes of Jane Jacobs, Robert Caro or Richard Florida. New ideas have arisen over urban growth and revitalization just in the last ten years. It really helps to keep up on these issues. If our politicians really understood the fundamentals of diverse and vibrant downtowns, then the future of our communities could be very different. Here are my suggested readings:
THE BIBLES OF URBAN PLANNING & SHAPING OUR CITIES:
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs (and her other influential books)
- The Power Broker by Robert Caro
ALL OTHERS INFLUENCED BY THE ABOVE:
- All of the Richard Florida books (most notably The Rise of the Creative Class)
- The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler
- Suburban Nation by Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk
- Triumph of the City by Edward Glaeser
- The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins
There are more to read, but these are the essentials. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
