If you haven’t been to the Museum of the City of New York recently, I can’t recommend highly enough that you do. Not only do they have a number of exhibits that change regularly, but also their recently opened permanent exhibit, “New York at Its Core,” is a wonderful overview of the past, present, and future of the city. You can learn about the first settlers of the area to the plans being put in place to keep New York a sustainable place to live in a world with ever-increasing changes in technology.
The museum is also a hub for events that correspond with their exhibits. Here are three of the upcoming events this month, along with CALA courses you may be interested in to add depth to your knowledge.
“The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge”
Wednesday, July 12 at 6:30 pm at the Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue)
Washington Roebling constructed one of America’s most iconic structures, the Brooklyn Bridge, but his story spans much more than just the East River. It’s a story of immigration, personal adversity, and pushing the boundaries of possibility. Join Erica Wagner, author of Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge, and Kevin Baker, best selling author of America the Ingenious, for a conversation about this incredible feat of human engineering and the making of modern New York. Reception and book signing to follow.
Register online at mcny.org/offthepage | Use the code NYUSPS for $10 tickets (regularly $20)
If you want to learn about some of the other massive architectural achievements undertaken in New York City, you can check out Olmsted, Vaux, Central Park, and 19th-Century New York or Robert Moses and the Making of New York.
“In the Steps of Salsa Walking Tour”
Friday, July 14 at 3:00 pm beginning at the Museum of the City of New York
Inspired by their exhibition, Rhythm & Power: Salsa in New York, Elena Martinez, folklorist at City Folk, will lead a walking tour of East Harlem, the barrio of salsa, to explore the music venues, theaters, and social clubs that fostered the nascent dance movement. Stops will include the first Spanish Methodist Church where the Young Lords Party staged some of their most audacious civil rights campaigns, New York City’s oldest botanicas, spiritual shops that sell candles, herbs, and amulets, and the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center, a community staple even to this day. Includes Museum admission.
Register online at mcny.org/salsa | Use code NYUSPS for $20 tickets (regularly $30)
One of the greatest advantages of courses in New York is using the city as your classroom. You may want to take Manhattan History: Pre-European to Post-Revolutionary War and New York in the Jazz Age: Art Deco Architecture from Tribeca to the Upper West Side to view the city from other historical angles.
“Feeding the Fight: The Culinary History of WWI”
Tuesday, July 18 at 6:30 pm at the Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue)
Savor a bite of culinary history by exploring the food and drinks that defined the American experience during World War I. Inspired by their exhibition, Posters & Patriotism: Selling World War I in New York, food historian Libby O’Connell, author of The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, will delve into American cuisine both at home and abroad during war years.
French 75s, a cocktail popular during the period named for the French 75 mm field gun, will be served courtesy of the new wine cocktail company Pampelonne and attendees will receive a copy of an original cake recipe promoted by the Red Cross to send to soldiers overseas.
Register online at mcny.org/posters | Use the code NYUSPS for $10 tickets (regularly $20)
To learn about the time after World War I using a slightly different lense, you may be interested in Interwar Breakpoint: 1929 in World Literature or The Rise of Italian Fascism.
