Gothamist: New York City Trivia Game

Naomi Fatouros

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 22:30:44 -0500

I recently learned that in 1924, four years after my father, H.I.FELDMAN, was graduated from Yale's School of Fine Arts (there was no School of Architecture back then) he designed the Shlomo Kluger yeshiva/ synagogue located at 376-80 East Houston Street. After his graduation, this building was the second Manhattan building he had designed as an independent architect. Jim Naureckas, owner of the website from which the comment about the "ill advised widening of the Street," told me he thought the building had been destroyed. I've been trying to find a picture of the building for my research files on my father's many New York City buildings.

Naomi Fatouros

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 22:29:37 -0500

Reid

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 20:22:30 -0500

Uh, I meant "overpass." Obviously. (Otherwise I'd be referring to the little-known neighborhood called "DUMBU.")

Reid

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 20:21:28 -0500

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Underpass. (I'm not a New Yorker, by the way!)

Cheryl

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 15:24:16 -0500

Another note on Houston Street: It is the origination of two of the most famous areas of Manhattan: SOHO and NOHO (SOuth of HOuston and NOrth of HOuston respectively). Another trivia question: What does DUMBO stand for?

Alex Trebek

Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:38:06 -0500

- Patience and Fortitude CORRECT (Named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Great Depression) - Idlewild CORRECT - I don't know! WRONG - Verrazano WRONG - Staten Island WRONG - $24 or $20 - something nutty like that CORRECT 3 right, 3 wrong -Houston street was named after what/who? William Houstoun -Which bridge is the longest suspension bridge that connects to Manhattan? Williamsburg Bridge (the Verrazano is longer, but unless I'm mistaken it doesn't connect to Manhattan) -Which borough is also known as "The Planet"? Brooklyn An interesting note on Houston Street--I snipped this from a website: "Pronounced HOW-ston, not HYOO-ston, because that's apparently the way the guy it's named for, William Houstoun, pronounced his name. Houstoun, a lawyer, was a delegate from Georgia to both the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. So how does that get him a street named after him in New York City? It doesn't--the street is named for him because he married Mary Bayard, whose father Nicholas Bayard was the landowner who first cut this street through his own estate. The east end of the street was originally called North Street. The street was badly damaged by an ill-advised widening project in the 1950s--removing whole rows of houses and leaving big blank walls exposed along much of its length--hence the abundance of building-side advertising."

Jim

Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:23:49 -0500

WNYC just did an hour long interview with the games' creators. There was an on-air quiz and the questions didn't seem too hard. I think the interview is archived at their website. (and if you want to fork out $100 for their pledge drive you can get a copy of the game) -Jim

Jen

Tue, 24 Feb 2004 17:34:40 -0500

Okay, my guesses while jetlagged and illin' - Patience and Fortitude - Idlewild - I don't know! - Verrazano - Staten Island - $24 or $20 - something nutty like that

Alex Trebek

Tue, 24 Feb 2004 15:10:46 -0500

Some more trivial questions: What are the names of the two lions outside of the big NY Public Library on Fifth Avenue/42nd Street? And who named them? What was the previous name of JFK airport? Houston street was named after what/who? Which bridge is the longest suspension bridge that connects to Manhattan? Which borough is also known as "The Planet"? Manhattan was purchased from the Native Americans for what dollar amount's worth of goods?

candleblue

Tue, 24 Feb 2004 14:23:27 -0500

I was just about to comment on that! Sounds more like an UES prep school.

tien

Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:25:19 -0500

the stuyvesant school?!? why didn't they call it stuyvesant high school?