Showing 1-8 of 8 results
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Abyssinian Baptist Church
Founded by an Ethiopian businessman, the Abyssinian Baptist Church began as a downtown institution but moved north to Harlem in 1923, mirroring the migration of the city's black population. Its charismatic pastor, Calvin O Butts III, is an important community activist whose support is sought by politicians of all parties. The church has a superb choir and the building is a beauty.
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Eldridge St Synagogue
Built in 1887, this landmarked house of worship was once the center of LES Jewish life, attracting thousands to its services. It fell into disrepair in the 1920s, and closed in the 1950s. In the 1980s the community started the Eldridge St Project to restore it and it's now almost complete. It hosts concerts, art exhibits, educational lectures and readings, too.
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Grace Church
Nestled into a surprisingly verdant patch of land not far from Astor Pl, Grace Church's ethereal Gothic Revival design is quite an eye-catcher. Designed by James Renwick Jr, it's made of marble quarried by prisoners in Sing Sing, the prison upstate. It's also a much-sought after school, and students love the Harry Potter-esque feel of its hidden nooks, stained-glass windows and old libraries.
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Riverside Church
Built by the Rockefeller family in 1930, this Gothic beauty overlooks the Hudson River. In good weather you can climb to the observation deck for expansive river views. There are frequent high-quality events such as concerts and lectures held here, many with an activist, multiculti, queer-friendly, anti-war bent.
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St Mark's In The Bowery
Still a working Episcopal church, St Mark's was built in 1799 on farm land owned by Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant - he's buried in the crypt below. Sunday services are a big draw, but St Mark's is also revered for its cultural contributions. Regular poetry readings (Poetry Project; 212-674-0910) and dance events (Danspace; 212-674-8194) culminate every New Year's Day in a 24-hour nonstop orgy of poetry, song and performance.
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St Patrick's Cathedral
Across from Rockefeller Center, this cathedral features an elaborate interpretation of French Gothic styles. It was built at a cost of nearly two million during the Civil War without the front two spires, which were added in 1888. Although it seats 2400 worshippers, most of New York's 2.2 million faithful will have been inside at one time or another.
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St Paul's Chapel
Part of the Trinity Church parish, St Paul's Chapel was built as a companion to its larger, more elaborate sister house of worship. It's homey style wasn't too humble for George Washington, who had a pew inside. St Paul's was the center of rescue and recovery operations post-9/11 and has a permanent exhibit about that effort.
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Trinity Church
A hugely influential church in the annals of New York history, Trinity was built in 1697 by King William III. Its clergy were required to be Loyalists, even though many of its members were dedicated to American independence by the mid-1700s. Its serene cemetery, set above the street surrounded by skyscrapers, has headstones bearing names that would be familiar to any student of the American Revolution, couched in a wonderful garden of tulips, azaleas and magnolia and cherry blossom trees.
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Showing 1-8 of 8 results
