At last, a beautiful summer’s night. Eight people passed on an evening spent in their yards or a stroll along the shore to attend the book discussion last night. Their presence, as always, was much appreciated.
Our book last night was Broadway: a history of New York City in thirteen miles by Fran Leadon. When the Dutch established a colony in Manhattan in the early seventeenth century, there was a wide muddy cowpath the settlers called Brede Wegh. As the colony expanded and the street grew longer, it housed churches, homes, farms and taverns. Later, when the British took over the colony, they changed the name of the street to Broadway. The author provides an interesting structure to the book, devoting chapters to each of Broadway’s thirteen miles and the people who built and lived along it. While most of us associate Broadway with the theatre district and shows, the history of the boulevard is much richer and deeper than that. Of course, the author covers the growth of the theatre district, but also describes the growth of housing, shopping, industrialization, and the role of Broadway becoming Manhattan’s cultural and commercial spine. Our conversation was lively and funny, with people recalling their own experiences of going to Broadway, both past and present. We also discussed the roles of Columbia University, George M. Cohan, the immigrants who settled along Manhattan’s spine, George Washington Bridge and, of course, the very important role of the master builder (or destroyer) Robert Moses. It was a good evening. At last, a beautiful summer’s night. Eight people passed on an evening spent in their yards or a stroll along the shore to attend the book discussion last night. Their presence, as always, was much appreciated.
Our next meeting will be on July 25th, 2019. The book to be discussed, Beautiful Boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction by David Sheff, is available at the Circulation Desk. All are welcome
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