Top 400 New Yorkers of All Time Announced

1861: Mathew Brady upon his return from the First Battle of Bull Run

Who has helped define this city's history for the past 400 years? The Museum of the City of New York (who we really wish would shorten their name) has compiled a list in commemoration of Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage into the Harbor. "The NYC400 is the first-ever list of New York City's ultimate movers and shakers since the City's founding—from politics, the arts, business, sports, science, and entertainment."

Beyond the Bloombergs and Barnums are some possibly lesser known or more forgotten names, like "Mathew Brady (1822-1896), who was a New York-based photographer noted for his portraits of celebrities and politicians, such as Abraham Lincoln, and Civil War images. In 1856 he created the first modern advertisement in the New York Herald by using a typeface distinct from the paper's text."

For the more current-minded, both Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) and Sean "Diddy" Combs also made it on the list. Other names include the controversial Robert Moses and magazine mogul Condé Montrose Nast. Find out who else is at the core of the Big Apple; the entire Top 400 list is here. And do tell: who is missing...

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on September 9, 2009 6:34 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Al Lewis, notably absent.

Snoopy

How about my uncles's brother, Jim Henson?

T Howard

Um, George Gershwin but not Ira? Huh?

And along with Damon Runyon, how about Frank Loesser who set Runyon's stories to music in GUYS & DOLLS, but also provided a shrewd satire for New York corporate culture in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING.

Also missing: Lenny Bruce, Barbra Streisand, and as someone else mentioned, Robert DeNiro?

brandonz

Where is Todd P?

Keith Stern

At least 36 of the top 400 were LGBT -- for that information visit "Gay News Daily" or click http://tinyurl.com/lqwa4q

verbal

The list is bogus; Bloompolean is on it.

He's a carpetbagger from Boston that has sucked this city dry for his own personal benefit and that of his sycophants and cronies. That being said, non-natives are not immediately disqualified; this is a city of immigrants after all.

But no Paul Simon or DeNiro - that's just wrong.

As for the name of the museum; it reflects the correct name of the city.

George Washington was not a delegate to the constitutional convention, he was the leader of the Virginia militia at the time, and was enlisted by the congress to lead the rebellion.

astor

Francis Lewis was a signer of the Declaration of Independence for New York, for which he paid a heavy price. He was a great New Yorker, particularly compared to some of the others on the list.

Snoopy

Ease up dude. Francis Lewis Boulevard was named after him. Whoever he was.

Damn I was so close to be invited to the four hundred party but they said I was too obvious.

Go figure.

Regarding all those individuals that signed the declaration of independence, do you realize that toothless piece of crap, George Washington, did not sign it? Father of our country? Bullshit he didn't do shit. He was hedging his bets.

longacre

Francis Lewis is more worthy than Herman Badillo, I can tell you that.

schizofriendly

I nominate the sociopathic clown who used to busk for money (in full Bozo costume) on the 1-train in the mid-nineties. Anyone remember him? Hoo-boy...

MidC Frank

schizofriendia: Remember him! Wow, such memories. One time I smirked at him in the middle of his spiel, and he started ranking on me -- ended up in a screaming match with the whole car cheering me on! Good times!

schizofriendly

Damn! There was always some incident like that! He was alot like the chilling '70s character actor, Marjoe Gortner. Terrifying. No telling what might happen when he burst into the subway car. He always provided a true NYC moment.

Bravo, MidC Frank!

TuraLura

Um...Conde Nast was so a person. He was the founder of Conde Nast Publications in 1907.

Missing from the list: Philip Glass, the Marx Brothers, Louise Brooks, Greta Garbo, Kurt Vonnegut, Bill Moyers, Katherine Hepburn, John Lennon, Debbie Harry, Robert DeNiro, Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs, Diamond Jim Brady, Richard Foreman, Willem de Kooning... like many of the people on the MCNY's list, some of these people weren't born here, but they contributed to NYC culture and adopted the city as their own. Hard to confine a list like this to just 400, and a bit silly that they felt the need to add Diddy and Jay-Z.

fishfryin

langston hughes and willem dekooning are on the list you retard. john lennon wasn't born in this country and didn't move here until he was famous. i do, however, agree that robert deniro should have been included. AND WHAT ABOUT PAUL FUCKING SIMON!!

Snoopy

Eustace Tilley was and still is one of the greatest New Yorkers.

Snoopy

Huh? Dumb fucks! Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor is not listed in this bullshit list? She was the one along with Ward "Make a lister" McAlister to name the original 400 prominent New Yorkers of the late nineteenth century. Brooke Astor would not even been invited to one of her parties. Along with probably 375 of the other assholes listed by the MNYC.

Time to look for a new curator at MNYC.

MT

Seriously! Ward McAllister was Caroline's toady. How did he make the list instead of her?

And what about the Coopers? The Van Cortlandts? The Fishs? All the families who made New York and it's institutions are gone. Somehow I doubt Jay Z is more important than them. What BS.

mrguy

pretty weak that they just listed them alphabetically. i want to know who was NUMERO UNO BABY. Can I holla at a ranking system?

Mr Mel

Yeah, p diddy and Jay-Z are the new 400. The 400 should consist of press agents.

thefacts

No Bob Dylan but Jay-Z? WTF?

What Parliament Funkadelik sang could apply to Jay-Z: "What's hip today will soon become passé"

jchez

Dewitt Clinton made New York, New York. If he had not set up the perfect square grid, Manhattan wouldn't be what it is today. If he hadn't pushed for the Erie canal, New York would be just another coastal commerce city.

So, without Clinton, New York would be just another Boston.

Snoopy

How did Mathew Brady take that self portrait? Did he also invent the first electric self timer for cameras? Was B&H his first choice in cameras and video equipment?

Come on people at MCNY, you should realize including contemporary individuals will not hold the test of time. The cut off date should have been twenty years ago.

Keith Stern

In those days he might have opened the lens, walked in front of the camera, stood still for a minute or two, and walked back to close the lens.