NYC's Architectural 'Secrets' Laid Bare In New Book

NEW YORK, NY — Most of New York City's architectural wonders are well documented, but there are hundreds of historically significant architectural quirks, monuments and designs that go unnoticed every day. Architectural historian and mapmaker John Tauranac set out to document these hidden gems in his new book "Manhattan's Little Secrets."

The book, which hit stores this month, is an architectural guide that shines a light on the sites that guidebooks often deem unworthy. The book features two maps of Manhattan and 120 photos of the "little secrets."

As an architectural historian, Tauranac has always had knowledge of many small-yet-significant sites around the city. One site in specific — a clock installed within the sidewalk on Broadway and Maiden Lane by a jeweler who once had a store on the corner — inspired him to write his book.

"You know how many standing clocks there are on curbsides, but a clock in the sidewalk — that's just loony," Tauranac told Patch. "And a gazillion people might walk up Broadway, stepping on the clock, and never noticing it."

While Tauranac admittedly "doesn't deal with major issues in the book," he hopes it will help readers look at the city differently.

"It would be wonderful if as a result of the book people started looking at the city differently. Everyone with whom I talk about the book — native New Yorkers or transplants, people who have lived in the city for years — it seems to a person I hear 'Jesus I never noticed that,'" Tauranac said. "And that is a very satisfying thing to hear."

Tauranac said the guidebook is best suited for long-time New Yorkers rather than tourists and short-time visitors because it doesn't focus on the city's main attractions. Even if they've never heard of him, most New Yorkers are familiar with Tauranac's work. In 1979 he was part of the team that designed the New York City subway map still in use to this day.

"Manhattan's Little Secrets" features hundreds of spots around the city. Here are some of Patch's favorites from every neighborhood on the island (all information from "Manhattan's Little Secrets" by John Tauranac):

Lower Manhattan: "The Clock in the Sidewalk"

• Location: Northeast corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane.
• Details: The original clock dates back to 1884. The current clock is a mystery, but likely the early 1950s. The clock was originally installed in the sidewalk to advertise the William Barthman jewelry store in the building. When the clock was mechanical, an employee had to wind it from underground.

The Lower East and West Sides: "Kapital Idea"

• Location: 173-175 E. Broadway between Rutgers and Jefferson Streets
• Details: In a capitalist enclave like New York City it's unusual to see monuments to the authors of "The Communist Manifesto." The faces of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels adorn the facade of the building that was once the headquarters of the Jewish Daily Forward — now just The Forward — which was the largest-selling Yiddish newspaper in the world.

The Villages; Greenwich and East: "West 10th Street, Let Me Introduce You to West 4th Street"

• Location: The corner of West 10th Street and West 4th Street (yes, that's right).
• Details: This oddity in New York City's traffic grid is a result of city planners disregarding already developed properties west of Sixth Avenue in the early 19th century. When the city attempted to rename the maze-like streets of the West Village, the road formerly named Amos Street became West 10th Street and the road formerly named Asylum Street was named West 4th Street. The two streets intersect just west of Seventh Avenue South.

Chelsea to the Garment Center: "Not Encouraged"

• Location: The Memorial Chapel of the Good Shepherd, West 21st Street between Ninth and 10th avenues.
• Details: This church is one of only two remaining Episcopalian churches in the city to feature what's called a "rood screen." The screens were designed with a crucifix in the midpoint and lost fashion during the Reformation to open up churches to the congregation. The rood screen at the Memorial Chapel was designed to benefit the students at The General Theological Seminary, who would sit on one side of the screen while guests sat on the other.

Union Square to Murray Hill: "Is That You, Seward?"

• Location: Southwest corner of Madison Square, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street.
• Details: The statue of former New York State Governor and Senator William Seward is considered a little too flattering. The statue depicts Seward — also famous for the purchase of Alaska — as a tall man. In reality, Seward was likely 5-foot-6. One theory for the discrepancy between the real-life Seward and the statue is that the sculptor simply sculpted Seward's head onto an already-made body of a statue for Abraham Lincoln.

Midtown West: "Not Your Garden Type Variety"

• Location: Firehouse Engine 65, 33 W. 43rd St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues.
• Details: Images of the mythical salamander — a fire-breathing lizard — are etched into the facade of this Midtown fire station. It was believed that the salamander could survive in fire because it was colder than any other animal and that it could excrete a liquid that could extinguish flames.

Midtown East: "Flogging the Product"

• Location: The 31st floor setback of the Chrysler Building. Lexington Avenue between East 42nd and 43rd streets.
• Details: Tauranac doesn't entirely ignore New York City's world-renowned architecture in "Manhattan's Little Secrets," but instead focuses on aspects of the buildings that are more obscure. In writing about the Chrysler Building, Tauranac focuses on the tower's 31st floor setback rather than its eye-catching spire. The setback features depictions of Chrysler fenders, tires and stainless sell hub caps and wings. More than other car company headquarters, the Chrysler Building was truly an advertisement for the company's product.

The Upper West Side and Morningside Heights: "The Poseidon Station"

• Location: Northwest corner of West 72nd Street and Central Park West.
• Details: The New York City subway system isn't know for being pretty, but this entrance at the corner of West 72nd Street and Central Park West defies that stereotype. The station entrance — which opened in 1932 — incorporates the cast-iron railing of the neighboring Dakota Apartments and features an image that's likely a depiction of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon.

The Upper East Side: "Push Ahead"

• Location: Madison Avenue between East 94th and 95th streets.
• Details: A plaque reading "boutez en avant" — French for "push ahead" or "press forward" — is affixed to the Squadron A Armory on Madison Avenue. The story behind the plaque goes all the way back to 1884 when Squadron A was formed as a unit called the First New York Hussars, who actually had not affiliation with the military. The group was mostly a social club with hoity-toity uniforms, but became an actual unit of the New York National Guard by the end of the 19th century.

Harlem and The Heights: "A Greek Temple on the Hudson"

• Location: The northbound Henry Hudson Parkway by West 190th Street.
• Details: This near-perfect reproduction of Ancient Greek architecture in the Doric style was built to be more than a pretty sight for motorists heading north up the Henry Hudson Parkway. In fact, it predates construction of the roadway. The temple structure was actually one of the best-looking bathrooms in the city. After decades of neglect the temple has fallen out of use as a bathroom, but recent efforts have restored the railings, columns and roof to their former glory.

Photos courtesy Globe Pequot Press