Great Fire of New York (1776)
The Great Fire of New York was a devastating fire that burned through the night of September 21, 1776, on the West Side of what then constituted New York City at the southern end of the island of Manhattan. It broke out in the early days of the military occupation of the city by British forces during the American Revolutionary War.
The fire destroyed about one third of the city and some unburned parts of the city were plundered. Many people believed or assumed that one or more people deliberately started the fire, for a variety of different reasons. British leaders accused revolutionaries acting within the city, and many residents assumed that one side or the other had started it. The fire had long-term effects on the British occupation of the city, which did not end until 1783.
Background
When the American Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, the city of New York was already an important center of business, but had not yet become a sprawling metropolis. It occupied only the lower portion of the island of Manhattan, and had a population of approximately 25,000. Before the war began, the Province of New York was politically divided, with active Patriot organizations and a colonial assembly that was strongly Loyalist. After Lexington and Concord, Patriots seized control of the city, and began arresting and expelling Loyalists.
New York City
New York—often called New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part—is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. A global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.
Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a separate county of New York State. The five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 8,491,079 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. By 2014 census estimates, the New York City metropolitan region remains by a significant margin the most populous in the United States, as defined by both the Metropolitan Statistical Area (20.1 million residents) and the Combined Statistical Area (23.6 million residents). In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of nearly US$1.39 trillion, while in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion, both ranking first nationally by a wide margin and behind the GDP of only twelve and eleven countries, respectively.
New York (Anthony Burgess book)
The 1976 book New York is a work of travel and observation by Anthony Burgess. It was written for Time–Life's "The Great Cities" series of books.
Burgess lived in the city for two years in the early 1970s, teaching literature and creative writing at City College and Columbia University.
New York (Glee)
"New York" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the forty-fourth overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, filmed in part on location in New York City, and first aired on May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States. With a $6 million budget, it was reportedly the most expensive episode of Glee at the time of broadcast. It garnered a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Costumes for a Series. The episode features an appearance by Patti LuPone as herself and guest stars Jonathan Groff, Cheyenne Jackson, and Charice. The McKinley High School glee club, New Directions, performs at the National show choir competition in New York City and finishes in twelfth place. While they are there, the glee club members see the sights, including Times Square and Central Park; and Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) sing a song from a Broadway stage, as does their director, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison).
Great Fire of New York
Italic text
The Great Fire of New York (1835) was one of three fires that did extensive damage to New York City in the 18th and 19th centuries. The fire covered 17 city blocks and destroyed hundreds of buildings. The fire killed two people and cost an estimated $20 million in property damage.
Background
By 1835, New York City was the premier American city and its financial prowess surpassed that of Philadelphia or Boston. The opening of the Erie Canal ten years earlier connected New York to raw materials and commercial interests in the Midwest and allowed the city to rise to prominence as both a national and international market hub. Over half of the country’s exports left through New York harbor while more than a third of American imports arrived there. Insurance companies, investment firms, real estate companies and others made New York their home. Railroad terminals were rapidly built within the city to facilitate commerce. As the city expanded northward and its economic significance increased, fire was once again a major concern. Insurance companies worried that a large fire could sap their resources; influential politicians and citizens feared the potentially disastrous impact of fire on the city’s prospects for continued growth. Moreover, the mayor and numerous common council members held stock in or were board members of many of the city’s fire insurance firms.
Great New York City Fire of 1845
The Great New York City Fire of 1845 broke out on July 19, 1845. The fire started in a whale-oil and candle manufacturing establishment and quickly spread to other wooden structures in the neighborhood. It reached a warehouse on Broad Street where combustible saltpeter was stored and caused a massive explosion that spread the fire even farther.
Before it was subdued, the fire destroyed 345 buildings in Lower Manhattan in New York City and caused $5 million to $10 million in damage, as well as killing 4 firefighters and 26 civilians. The 1845 fire was the last of three great fires that affected the heart of Manhattan, including fires in 1776 and 1835. The 1845 fire was very destructive, but it affected mostly older wood-frame construction in a confined section of the city. This proved the efficacy of the fire-resistant building practices that had come into play in surrounding areas of the city in previous decades.
Fire
The fire started at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 1845, on the third story of J. L. Van Doren, Oil Merchant and Stearin Candle Manufacturer, at 34 New Street in Manhattan, known as a seller of whale oil. The fire spread quickly to adjoining buildings. The City Hall alarm bell began to ring at about 3 a.m., summoning firefighters.
York (group)
York is a German electronica music duo, founded in 1997 by musicians and brothers Torsten and Jörg Stenzel. Producing ambient, downtempo, chillout, house and trance, their productions are known for catchy guitar hooks, atmospheric soundscapes and delicate dance textures.
Career
Torsten Stenzel began his musical career early in his childhood, learning the piano from the age of five when he began his classical training. In the early 1990s his musical orientation changed, and he discovered the growing techno/house movement. He built his own recording studio. Torsten Stenzel is credited for several gold and platinum awards, an 'Echo' nomination and over three million record sales.
Jörg Stenzel has, since the age of eleven, been interested in stringed instruments, the guitar in particular. The two brothers combined their talents in 1997 and project 'York' was born.
York has released four successful UK singles. Their first single, "The Awakening", reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1999. Their second single, "On The Beach" (which sampled Chris Rea's song, "On The Beach") was their biggest hit, the 'CRW edit' helped the single to reach #4 in the UK chart in June 2000, and it sold over 200,000 copies. The next chart entry "Farewell To The Moon" reached #37 in November 2000. Their final UK hit single to date was "The Fields of Love" which featured ATB. It reached #16 in January 2001.
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