History nerds, rejoice. The Downtown Express has a neat little article on a recent finding in the Battery Park City landfill recently. Construction workers there uncovered a historic concrete bulkhead, which is actually on the State Register of Historic Places (this wasn't the first time a part of the wall has been exposed). It was put in place over 100 years ago when Civil War Gen. George McClellan launched the project "because silt and refuse was building up along the Hudson River shoreline and rotting piers, preventing ships from landing." Historic archeologist Joe Sopko allowed the workers to remove part of the slab, noting: “It’s just concrete." However, he points out it was one of the first examples of a large amount of concrete used in a construction project. [via Curbed] more ›

Until recently it was believed that a wall in Gowanus was part of the old Washington Park stadium, where the Dodgers played until moving to Ebbets Field in 1912. In fact, it was believed to be "the oldest section of any former major league ballpark still standing in the country." However, the 20-foot wall, located on 3rd Avenue between First and Third Streets, isn't quite what baseball historians thought it was. more ›

The 17-century Bowne house in Flushing, Queens is finally getting restored after ownership was transferred to the city; news that comes with much relief to Landmark nerds and historians (and anyone who hates to see beautiful old structures disintegrate in front of their very eyes). With $5 million from the city, state and private groups, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced the plan to restore it is moving "full speed ahead," according to the Daily News. more ›

The owner of what many consider an historic house in Bayside, Queens is sparring with some locals over a landmark status for the home. The Daily News reports that the 19th-century villa was built by farmer Robert Bell in the 1870s for his daughter and son-in-law. Members of the Bayside Historical Society and ther advocates are urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission to save the structure on 213th Street, but owner Robert Bell says it too "inelegant" to get such a status (which would make it difficult for him to make any major changes). Reportedly he declared, "We're not saving something that doesn't need saving!" at a commission hearing earlier this week. His opponents say that the Bell family can be credited with establishing the local water system as well as creating area streets, and their Second Empire style home with a mansard roof deserves to be saved. Of course, one nearby landmark in Fort Totten is currently suffering demolition through neglect. more ›

The Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously yesterday to make Fillmore Place in Williamsburg a historic district. The one-block street holds 29 mid-19th-century rowhouses, including Henry Miller's boyhood home, which will now be protected from any major alterations. The LPC's chairman told the Brooklyn Paper they were “Constructed for working class-tenants, the architecture of the buildings in this district has more in common with fashionable middle- and upper-class single-family rowhouses than the tenements that were typically built to house them. The district is an evocative reminder of this period in Brooklyn’s history.” Last year there was a machete attack on the block, but hopefully this designation will shine a positive light on what Miller himself once called “the most enchanting street I have ever seen in all my life." more ›

Exciting news for homeowners: for the first-time ever, This Old House is coming to New York City. Bob Vila Kevin O'Connor & Co. are currently looking for a home to renovate in the area ("a great old house in need of help, with plenty of things to save and update"). Some more details on what they're looking for:

The project's scope must be "just right"— not a whole house, but more than just a kitchen. The renovation must be completed in about 4 to 5 months, with construction beginning as early as August and finished by December. The ideal project should already be underway with design plans and have the ability to be “fast-tracked.”

Columbia University’s 17-acre, $7 billion dollar expansion plan (which was approved late last year) has some up in arms, and standing firm. more ›

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s historic concert in North Korea concluded hours ago, marking the first performance by an American orchestra in the impoverished, totalitarian nation. The event also marked a first for much of the press, who are routinely denied access to North Korea and, once inside, usually find their movements tightly controlled. The Times has a stunning slideshow of photos snapped en route from the airport to the center of Pyongyang, something the photographer says is never permitted. more ›