The Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group is a group of Upper West Siders interested in the history of the area from about 96th to 110th Streets, Central Park to the Hudson River, and once known as “Bloomingdale.” The group presents history talks from time to time and maintains an archive of historical materials at the Bloomingdale Branch of the New York Public Library on West 100th Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam.
bloomingdale history 
Please send me news about upcoming events
I very much enjoyed yesterday’s lecture. Please send me information on upcoming events.
A few months after I wrote this, I spoke with Gil Tauber, who explained that the deed stipulated that a single-family home be built on the site before anything else could. The cottage was built by Charles Paterno. I remembered it as wood, but it was steel, and I guess the boulder wasn’t so very big, but I was three or four at the time. I very much enjoy your lectures and am delighted to have encountered this group in my old/new neighborhood.
Emily Berleth
Does anyone know anything about a cottage that for a few years stood on a boulder on the corner of 107th and Riverside, across the side street from the marble mansion (which I remember was a collection point for scrap metal during WWII). My family moved to 108 and Bway in 1943, and I remember the cottage from when I was very little.
My grandparents moved to 109th street right after WW I. My grandmother often told me stories about the neighborhood. In particular she remembered the rat problem when the Lion brewery was torn down.
As a native westsider and “Bloomingdelphian? I love the stories.
Good morning,
My name is Mark O’Rourke and I’ve been working on my family history for several years now. In short, John J. O’Rourke (a lifelong steamfitter who worked at The Brooklyn Navy Yard), my paternal grandfather first lived at 102 West 102nd Street when he arrived in NYC from Ireland in May 1921. His two maternal aunts, Annie and Kate Duggan (who were Housekeepers and “hotel chambermaids”) lived on 102nd Street from the early 1900’s until their deaths in 1942 and 1951 respectively. They themselves emigrated from Ireland in 1878 and 1882 and helped many nieces and nephews to come to the United States just prior to, and after, World War I.
If possible, I would really welcome it if you perhaps, by chance, had any photos of the building that used to stand at 102 West 102nd Street. It is my understanding that such was demolished when the Frederick Douglas Housing Area was built in the 1950s and 1960’s. Thank you in advance if you are able to help with this request. Thanks as well for your wonderful website which I’ve enjoyed reading a great deal.
All the best,
Mark O’Rourke
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Good morning, my name is Marco Liechti and I live in Switzerland. I found a menu card in the memories of my great-grandfather Eduard Moser. The menu card is from Gertner’s Restaurant located on Broadway at 97th and 98th Street. Do you know anything about the history of the restaurant?
Thank you very much and kind regards from Switzerland.
Hello Marco,
Thanks for your question. Did your great-grandfather Eduard Moser live in the Upper West Side neighborhood?
I did some research today on Gertner’s Restaurant. I used a newspaper database and did not find any mention of one on Broadway at 97th Street in 1924. However, in the 1930s, I found a Gertner’s at Fifth Avenue and 22 Street, another at Seventh Ave and 47th Street, and another at Foley Square.
Then I tried Googling the name and found an article on Jewish delicatessens that stated that Mr. Gertner owned five restaurants on Broadway. Since our neighborhood (I live on West 97th now) had a subway stop and more than one movie theater near West 96th Street in the early 20th century, I would guess that Mr. Gertner had one of his restaurants there. The document you sent is quite lovely, and I thank you for sharing it.
Best,
Pam Tice