Hi there,
This site and newsletter were created to help you get more out of your time in New York City.
Most people visit or live in NYC without really seeing it. They rush. They pass by. They forget.
But you’re different. You want your time here to matter more. You want to feel connected. You want to understand the history and stories beneath your feet.
If you’ve ever paused mid-step and wondered who walked this block before you… you’re in the right place!
And let’s face it. Living in or visiting NYC is expensive. Your rent, your hotel, your time, your energy… it’s all an investment.
This site and newsletter helps you make the most of it.
What You’ll Get
Each week, I publish true and fascinating stories from New York City’s past. These aren’t dry textbook facts. They’re vivid, narrative-driven accounts of real people, places, and moments that shaped the city.
You might read about a forgotten New Yorker who lived in your neighborhood. Or a historical moment that happened near your job. Or how immigrants transformed the neighborhood you walk through every day.
These stories look to add depth to you lived experience in NYC. To help you see your commute, your street, even your hangouts with friends in a new light.
My goal is to turn your daily life here into a more meaningful experience. To help you see the city differently and feel more connected to it. To help you feel more grounded in the city. That’s what gives your time here more meaning. That’s what makes it more worth it.
Newsletter
For the best experience, subscribe to the newsletter and get each new story delivered straight to your inbox:
If you want to feel more connected to the places around you, and join a community of people who love New York City, stories and history, I hope you’ll subscribe!
Who’s Behind This
I’m a New Yorker who has spent much of my life working to make this city better, more welcoming, and more alive for everyone. Along the way, I fell in love with its history, trying to understand how things came to be the way they are.
I’m also a collector (hoarder, really) of ephemera, antiques, books, and artifacts that hold pieces of NYC’s past. I own hundreds of antique books, maps, and periodicals, most from the 1800s. On I’ll share a few of them here.
I write under the pen name M. Knickerbocker, in homage to Diedrich Knickerbocker, the fictional historian created by Washington Irving in the early 1800s.