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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| New York Today: A Lost Little Syria | New York Today: A Lost Little Syria |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Updated, 10:34 a.m. | |
| Good morning on this drizzly Tuesday. | Good morning on this drizzly Tuesday. |
| You’ve probably heard of Little Italy. But Little Syria? | You’ve probably heard of Little Italy. But Little Syria? |
| Travel back in time, New York. | Travel back in time, New York. |
| From the 1890s to the 1920s, Washington Street from Rector Street to Battery Place was the heart of New York’s Arab world, filled with thousands of immigrants from Greater Syria — roughly present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. | From the 1890s to the 1920s, Washington Street from Rector Street to Battery Place was the heart of New York’s Arab world, filled with thousands of immigrants from Greater Syria — roughly present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. |
| Many left their homelands because of troubles like starvation, lawlessness and religious intolerance. | Many left their homelands because of troubles like starvation, lawlessness and religious intolerance. |
| Others came for economic opportunity, said Matthew Jaber Stiffler of the Arab American National Museum, in Dearborn, Mich. | Others came for economic opportunity, said Matthew Jaber Stiffler of the Arab American National Museum, in Dearborn, Mich. |
| Many of those involved in Greater Syria’s silk industry, for example, took their talents to New York, where they became renowned for making kimonos and women’s undergarments, Mr. Stiffler told us. | Many of those involved in Greater Syria’s silk industry, for example, took their talents to New York, where they became renowned for making kimonos and women’s undergarments, Mr. Stiffler told us. |
| The streets of Little Syria were also vibrant with smoking parlors, cafes whipping up Turkish coffee and shops brimming with everything from rugs and brass lanterns to pistachios imported from the Middle East. | The streets of Little Syria were also vibrant with smoking parlors, cafes whipping up Turkish coffee and shops brimming with everything from rugs and brass lanterns to pistachios imported from the Middle East. |
| But the bustling neighborhood began to dwindle after the Immigration Act of 1924, Mr. Stiffler said. | But the bustling neighborhood began to dwindle after the Immigration Act of 1924, Mr. Stiffler said. |
| And the Little Syria that remained was demolished when construction for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel began in the 1940s. | And the Little Syria that remained was demolished when construction for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel began in the 1940s. |
| You won’t catch a whiff of the hookah and spices there anymore, but look closely at Washington Street today, and you can still see traces of the quarter’s Downtown Community House and St. George Chapel. | You won’t catch a whiff of the hookah and spices there anymore, but look closely at Washington Street today, and you can still see traces of the quarter’s Downtown Community House and St. George Chapel. |
| You can learn more about Little Syria and its legacy at an exhibit by the Arab American National Museum that opens tomorrow evening at the Department of Records and Information Services on Chambers Street. | You can learn more about Little Syria and its legacy at an exhibit by the Arab American National Museum that opens tomorrow evening at the Department of Records and Information Services on Chambers Street. |
| Here’s what else is happening: | Here’s what else is happening: |
| Hang on everyone, we’re about to experience weather whiplash. | Hang on everyone, we’re about to experience weather whiplash. |
| Expect wet umbrellas on the subway and frowns on the street. It’s going to be chilly this morning and the rest of the day looks cool, gray and rainy as well. Here’s hoping we hit today’s high of 68. | Expect wet umbrellas on the subway and frowns on the street. It’s going to be chilly this morning and the rest of the day looks cool, gray and rainy as well. Here’s hoping we hit today’s high of 68. |
| On Wednesday, summer comes to town: Temperatures should rise into the 80s and stay there for the rest of the week. | On Wednesday, summer comes to town: Temperatures should rise into the 80s and stay there for the rest of the week. |
| • Lawyers for nine Rikers Island corrections officers who are on trial over the 2012 beating of an inmate unexpectedly rested their case without presenting any evidence. [New York Times] | • Lawyers for nine Rikers Island corrections officers who are on trial over the 2012 beating of an inmate unexpectedly rested their case without presenting any evidence. [New York Times] |
| • A private ambulance company in Brooklyn is providing emergency medical care in Chinese to cater to the city’s growing Asian-American population. [New York Times] | • A private ambulance company in Brooklyn is providing emergency medical care in Chinese to cater to the city’s growing Asian-American population. [New York Times] |
| • Thieves apparently broke into a Queens bank through a hole in the roof, where they left a number of deposit boxes. [New York Times] | • Thieves apparently broke into a Queens bank through a hole in the roof, where they left a number of deposit boxes. [New York Times] |
| • The city’s roughly 500 feral cat colonies are under threat from gentrification and city development. [New York Times] | • The city’s roughly 500 feral cat colonies are under threat from gentrification and city development. [New York Times] |
| • Employees of Babeland, a sex toy store with locations around the city, joined one of the country’s largest retail unions. [New York Times] | • Employees of Babeland, a sex toy store with locations around the city, joined one of the country’s largest retail unions. [New York Times] |
| • The New York State attorney general has accused Domino’s Pizza of wage theft in a lawsuit. [New York Times] | |
| • Scoreboard: Mets exile Nationals, 7-1. | • Scoreboard: Mets exile Nationals, 7-1. |
| • For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Tuesday Briefing. | • For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Tuesday Briefing. |
| • Take a tour of Gracie Mansion, which many of our mayors have called home, in Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan. 10 and 11 a.m., and 2 and 3 p.m. [Free, R.S.V.P. here] | • Take a tour of Gracie Mansion, which many of our mayors have called home, in Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan. 10 and 11 a.m., and 2 and 3 p.m. [Free, R.S.V.P. here] |
| • Explore the Bronx Kill Salt Marsh, where you’ll see local wildlife, at Randalls Island Park. 6 p.m. [Free] | • Explore the Bronx Kill Salt Marsh, where you’ll see local wildlife, at Randalls Island Park. 6 p.m. [Free] |
| • Pride Prom, featuring drag performances and more, is at the Queens Museum. Dress code: “Fabulous.” 6 p.m. [Free] | • Pride Prom, featuring drag performances and more, is at the Queens Museum. Dress code: “Fabulous.” 6 p.m. [Free] |
| • Officials from the White House and other experts join the New York Aquarium for a discussion on our ocean ecosystem at the Columbia University Faculty House in Morningside Heights. 6:30 p.m. [Free] | • Officials from the White House and other experts join the New York Aquarium for a discussion on our ocean ecosystem at the Columbia University Faculty House in Morningside Heights. 6:30 p.m. [Free] |
| • Shakespeare in the Park, featuring a modern spin on “The Taming of the Shrew,” at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. 8 p.m. [Free, ticket information here] | • Shakespeare in the Park, featuring a modern spin on “The Taming of the Shrew,” at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. 8 p.m. [Free, ticket information here] |
| • Liberty host Dream, 11 a.m. (MSG). Yankees host Blue Jays, 7:05 p.m. (YES). Mets at Nationals, 7:05 p.m. (SNY). | • Liberty host Dream, 11 a.m. (MSG). Yankees host Blue Jays, 7:05 p.m. (YES). Mets at Nationals, 7:05 p.m. (SNY). |
| • For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide. | • For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide. |
| 4, 5 and 6 trains are running with delays. | |
| • Subway and PATH | • Subway and PATH |
| • Railroads: L.I.R.R., Metro-North, N.J. Transit, Amtrak | • Railroads: L.I.R.R., Metro-North, N.J. Transit, Amtrak |
| • Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s. | • Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s. |
| • Alternate-side parking: in effect until May 30. | • Alternate-side parking: in effect until May 30. |
| • Ferries: Staten Island Ferry, New York Waterway, East River Ferry | • Ferries: Staten Island Ferry, New York Waterway, East River Ferry |
| • Airports: La Guardia, J.F.K., Newark | • Airports: La Guardia, J.F.K., Newark |
| Give my regards to Broadway. | Give my regards to Broadway. |
| Really, please do. | Really, please do. |
| A record 13,317,980 people attended Broadway shows in the past year. | A record 13,317,980 people attended Broadway shows in the past year. |
| And theaters grossed a record $1.373 billion. | And theaters grossed a record $1.373 billion. |
| That’s the best turnout and the highest-grossing season in the history of Broadway, the Broadway League announced. | That’s the best turnout and the highest-grossing season in the history of Broadway, the Broadway League announced. |
| “Broadway attendance in the 2015-2016 season topped those of the 10 professional New York and New Jersey sports teams combined,” it said. “Broadway surpassed the combined sports teams by over 2.7 million attendances.” | “Broadway attendance in the 2015-2016 season topped those of the 10 professional New York and New Jersey sports teams combined,” it said. “Broadway surpassed the combined sports teams by over 2.7 million attendances.” |
| You can thank Simba. | You can thank Simba. |
| Alexander Hamilton, too. | Alexander Hamilton, too. |
| So does that help our chances of seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda rap about our founding fathers until we’re moved to tears? | So does that help our chances of seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda rap about our founding fathers until we’re moved to tears? |
| Nice idea, but not quite. | Nice idea, but not quite. |
| New York Today is a weekday roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till late morning. You can receive it via email. | New York Today is a weekday roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till late morning. You can receive it via email. |
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| What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, email us at nytoday@nytimes.com, or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. | What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, email us at nytoday@nytimes.com, or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. |
| Follow the New York Today columnists, Alexandra Levine and Jonathan Wolfe, on Twitter. | Follow the New York Today columnists, Alexandra Levine and Jonathan Wolfe, on Twitter. |
| You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com. | You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com. |