Join me this week as we journey to Flatiron and NoMad!

My guests will be architectural expert and Rediscovering New York regular David Griffin of Landmark Branding, and George Calderaro, board member of the 29th Street Neighborhood Association.

Segment 1

Jeff introduces his first guest of the night, David Griffin. David begins the show by discussing his childhood and the areas he grew up in. He talks of the many different games he would play as a child/teenager. David then transitions the conversation into talking about the history of Madison Square Park. David continues by exploring the histories of other sites, such as the Madison Cottage and New York Knickerbockers Club. David also shares an interesting fact of how Theordore Roosevelt was born in the Madison area. 

Segment 2

David opens up this segment by discussing his new venture and his new blog. David also talks about his architectural business. David begins to discuss the history of the Fifth Avenue Hotel and its architecture. The Fifth Avenue Hotel started a wave of luxury hotels. Next, David talks about Madison Square Garden and how it came about. He delves into how the venue was constructed, the costs, and all the different aspects inside the venue. Jeff and David then discuss the Lady’s Mile and its historical significance. The segment ends with David informing the audience about NoMad. 

Segment 3

George Calderaro opens up this segment by talking about where he grew up. He also discusses his professional career at  Columbia University. He talks about how he became involved with Historic Districts Council and what the HDC does. Once George moved to NoMad, he became aware of the 29th Street Neighborhood Association. However, the area that he was most intrigued by was, Tin Pan Alley. Tin Pan Fun Fact: Tin Pan Alley is the birthplace of American Popular music. 

Segment 4

George begins this segment by sharing the website information for The 29th Street Neighborhood Association. At the moment, he is working on getting a Landmark designation for a building in NoMad, in which the current owners want to demolish and build a hotel. George continues the conversation by talking about other historical and modern buildings in the neighborhood. George ends the segment by talking about the things that he struggle with within the neighborhood; for example homelessness.