A Block in Time: A New York City History at the Corner of Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Third Street

Journalist Bird (The Sultan’s Shadow) sheds light on the evolution of Manhattan from the 17th century to today in this colorful history of “the block between Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth streets, Fifth and Sixth avenues.” She sketches the island’s natural history before introducing the block’s human inhabitants, including Solomon Pieters, who, in 1680, was awarded “the largest land grant ever given to a Black man,” 30 acres on which the block later developed. A chapter focusing on real estate tycoon Amos Eno, who opened the Fifth Avenue Hotel at the corner of 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue in 1859, gives insights into the early days of the city’s hospitality industry. Perhaps the most intriguing story is that of surveyor John Randel Jr., “a young, inexperienced, dark-haired man with a temper and a passion for details and math,” who spent three years making measurements and pounding 1,600 bolts and markers into the ground in order to create the 1811 grid that formed the basis for the current layout of Manhattan’s streets. Elsewhere, better-known historical figures including financier James “Jubilee Jim” Fisk and architect Stanford White, who kept a “love nest” on the block and was shot and killed in the rooftop theater of the nearby Madison Square Garden, make appearances. Enriched by Bird’s brisk character sketches and copious research, this is an entertaining and eye-opening snapshot of New York history. (Mar.)