Good grief, welcome back to another round of Where & When,  where conversation and controversy flourish continually.  Or at least since the last game, where we had a little controversy about the actual location and date.  Nevertheless, it served a purpose and we all remain friends, ready to jump all over each other on the next challenge… I mean, jump all over the next challenge…

This is yet another picture I like a lot; something about the imposing aesthetic and the antiquity it represents.  This photo was undated by my source, but I’m sure a few of our clever participants will be able to round up, if not find the exact year or date this picture was taken.  Lots of clues to go by in that regard, so take your best shot. Some of you probably see this on a regular basis, but have not seen it in this manner for a long time, if ever.

A stein of Brigham’s Brew for the lucky number one who gets the name of the building in the background (when the picture was taken, important distinction) and the name of the street in the foreground along with an approximate date, and a cold bottle of Faygo for the rest who have similar responses. Bonus if you know what the building is called now and who owns it. I wonder if you know I’m keeping score somehow… anyway, enjoy; leave your responses in the comments and don’t peek at the photo credit.  Happy Hunting!

[Photo Credit: Wired New York]

Good morning, and welcome back to Where & When; tracking down locations over the eons. Well, at least in the 200 years or so… I have wanted to introduce the new feature I vaguely described, but I’ve had a rush of work come at me lately, so it has to wait for the opportune moment.  In the meantime, let’s track down the origins of the following pic:

I really like this one; the size and design seem very imposing in its girth as opposed to it’s height (which is still too high for me to swan dive into an Olympic-sized pool of chocolate milk below), but it also reflects the rugged undiscovered nature of early New York.  That was not likely the case when this photo was taken, but compared to what we have now, it was certainly both an achievement and a period marker.  I don’t have to give much in clues for this one; you’ll likely see it in other places, but it’s history is interesting enough, so feel free to discuss what you’ve found during your research.  Tell us what building this is and when it was built, and bonus points for knowing whether this building still stands or was replaced by another. Explain how you came to your conclusions and you’ll be able to honorably imbibe one of the following:  Steelhead for the first player with the right answers, and Sprecher for everyone else.  Enjoy! And no peeking at the photo credit… >;)

[Photo Credit: Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images]

Well, well, well; welcome back to the exciting and intriguing Where & When. Did you miss us? We missed you… holidays are always the toughest days to come back from.  How about we help refocus your brain matter so the rest of your day can be a piece of cake (insert favorite flavor here _________)…

And for your pleasure, how about another piece of cake:

Nice day for a stroll, it seems.  Crazy nice, in fact.  Maybe more than crazy… maybe it was that time of the year, or maybe it was that year.  Well, don’t lose your mind trying to figure out the date; you’ll be really mad when you figure that part of it out.  But if you do… well... (yep, if you understand this one, you and I are on a wavelength that deserves much pity.)

Post your answers below in the comments and feel free to help out and discuss.  I’ll will be peeking in now and again (work work work) and offering some thoughts throughout if I can.

How about some of Dad’s stash if you are the first with the answers, and some Hansen’s Natural for the rest of us, butterfly included.  Now run along and sleuth, chop-chop! (Bonus if you know what all these awful puns are referring to… >;)

Hey, welcome back to Where & When; where you are not alone in your struggle to find the truth when you have the proof… yeah, I know, but it’s late so…

Work is getting tougher by the day, not to mention colder, so I warn you now of inconsistencies in publishing the game, but if you are really interested in hosting an episode, drop me a line along with a challenge you would like to present and we’ll hook you up with a guest spot.  These are a lot of fun and the conversation is pretty clever among our regulars, plus there’s (fictional) root beer and cream sodas, which is a plus for any endorphins!

Welp, here is the newest challenge, and I think you’ll like the drama involved in this one:

I really wish I could present a larger picture that also contained a full snap of this building.  There’s quite a bit of significance attached to it, starting with the fact that the Yankees were involved at some point.  How’s that, you ask?  You’ll have to tell me and the rest of the readers, and while you’re at it, tell us the name of the building, the address and when it was built.  Bonus if you happen to know some other significant events or nouns involved with this building.  There’s a lot to tell, so I hope you have enough time to find out and spill.  A snifter of Zuberfizz for the first with the correct answers, and a tankard of Baumeister fr the subsequent entries.  Post your answers in the comments and I will be checking in throughout the day.  Have at it! And no peeking at the photo credit; it’s okay if you come across it during your independent research, but don’t click on the link below.  >;)

[Photo Credit: Ephemeral New York]

Welcome back to another challenge with Where & When, where you follow sketchy trails to get finer details when you have the time to do so.  I have to admit, the last game was pretty interesting and generated a bit of feedback, so I’m inclined to keep that same format for the time being and hope that it will attract new players and get more people talking.  We’ve got a long, long winter ahead of us, so why not at least make it interesting?  Natch.

Oh, and speaking of sketchy, here’s an interesting sketch:

As I’ve mentioned before, this could be pictures of any type; this is probably the first time that I’ve had a drawing to use for a challenge, but the good news is the structure is still standing and in fact was landmarked within the last decade.  It is within city limits, so you don’t have to scramble too far for clues.  One last clue: there’s been a sort-of battle of wits with the community and a well-known business intent on setting up shop in the area that would likely prefer not having to deal with this structure, but is obligated to restore it under their present agreement with the owner.  They’ve done some work on it already, which is not half-bad, considering.

So as with last time, I am allowing answers to be posted in the comments so that we can generate a hearty conversation about the general area.  What I’m looking for is the name of this building (original or according to the landmark commission, which are fairly the same) and the date it was built, which I’m sure you will find if you know what the name of the building is.  An Appalachian for the first person with both answers and a Goose Island for the followers. Enjoy the game, I’ll try to hit everyone up this afternoon.  Oh, and by the way…

I’m introducing a new feature to the game that’s not necessarily part of the game, but an additional topic of discussion.  I hinted at it from the last game, but I’ve realized that time constraints have forced me to table this feature until later. However, that does not mean that you can contribute or anticipate it’s coming (the nature of my field predicts that I’ll have time in the winter season to fully introduce this part), but as a teaser, I will give you a sampling of what is in store. Again in the last game, the town that was spotlighted was Sleepy Hollow, NY, a place I am intimately familiar with.  I intend to feature places up and down the Hudson Valley (on both sides of the river, of course) to relate some interesting tidbits, history and points of interest.  Sleepy Hollow, in fact, has quite a lot of each; so much so that it would be impossible to do a quick post in just one game.  But I could highlight a particular feature and come back at another time…

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow includes references to quite a few real places and people from Washington Irving’s time; the church, the bridge, Van Tassel and so on.  The route that Ichabod Crane traveled on during his ride with the Great Pumpkin, er, the Headless Horseman, is highlighted as a walking tour through the Tarrytowns (Tarrytown and North Tarrytown as it were) along present-day Broadway, which also includes a few other historic markers and locations related to the American Revolution and Hollywood royalty.  Then there’s also the waterfront, which also features interesting stories of it’s own.  I’ll get to all of these stories over time, but if you have any particular stories relating to those points of interest, feel free to share them below.  There will be more of these types of stories in the future. Talk with you all soon!

[Photo Credit: Pardon Me For Asking]

Hello again, welcome back to Where & When; trying to keep your minds sharp and, well, distracted from the obvious.  It’s getting a bit chilly outside, so we’ll try to keep the gears burning and get you thinking hard about this newest challenge:

This one looks like it could be easy or tough.  The important thing is to search the whole picture for clues, which will make it really easy once you find one.  In fact, I hope I haven’t made it too easy.  Your job today is to find out where this was taken and give us a good idea when.  It doesn’t actually have to be exact, but if any clues give you an indication, you’ll get credit for being closest to it.  Bonus if you have an idea what this area looks like today. Send your answers to cixposse at gmail dot com; post on the thread to let me know you sent an answer and I’ll verify.

Do not click on the photo credit for your answer, but you are allowed to use the internet for research; if you find the same exact picture, detail your activities that brought you to it (show your math!) Guesses are okay, but more credit will be given to those who can show a path of progression to their answers.

A Big Ol’ Bundaberg for the first person with the right answers, and an Old Fashioned Killebrew for the rest.  I’ll be busy today, but I’ll check in whenever I can and post an answer at or after 4pm today (don’t be discouraged if you find you’ve run out of time; I tend to come in pretty late.)  Have fun!

[Photo Credit: Queens Gazette; courtesy of Newtown Historical Society & Q Gardens Gallery]

Welcome back for another round of Where & When, the geography detective game that’s keeping your brain warm for the impending Hot Stove season. Or at least that’s the intention; the more you play this, the more exercise your mind gets and hey, the smarter you become! Plus, you get to brag to your buddies that you know something about the city that they probably don’t; if nothing else, it cuts down your chances of getting mugged >;)

Speaking of challenges, here is the latest:

This place was within the five boroughs until recently. It had been around for quite a long time, and unfortunately it was in this condition for a considerably long time as well.  If you know what the name of this building is and where it’s located, then tell us also when it was built, when it first opened for business and when it was closed for good. Bonus if you find a picture of when it was pristine and intact.

Send your best guesses to cixposse at gmail dot com.  Alert me on the thread that you’ve sent in your guess and I will verify; as per rules of the game, do not click on the photo credit to find the answer. You’re welcome to discuss any aspects of the challenge, including your tracking methods or knowledge of the general area, without giving away the answer (so be discreet if you can).  Above competition, this is also a general place to discuss what you know or learned, so feel free to discuss either.  I’ll try to get back with the answer in the evening around six EST.

A Sea Dog for you if you can find all the answers requested first, and a Jones for those who follow.  Don’t burst a vessel over this, since I’m asking for a lot of specific info it might take some time to track it all down.  Take your time and have fun!

[Photo Credit: Nathan Kensinger ]

Couple of posts on Plato’s Retreat: One from the Afflictor; another from Ephemeral New York.

Via Ego Trip, dig this Wild Style: Then and Now over at Complex.

Welcome back to another edition of Where & When, where we try hard not to peek at the photo credits while sleuthing for the answer to the $64 questions about New York City, past or present.  Speaking of which, I’m presently trying to bring some of these challenges to the present, but it’s not an easy thing to present.  Instead, I drag you back into a familiar era (a present for you already!) and present you with this:

Maybe some of you are familiar with this place, which still stands as it did over a hundred years ago and is surprisingly still in use, but for a lot of commercial urban crap. If you were to go there today, the remnants of this building, which served a long-defunct train line that is now used mainly by Amtrak and Conrail (clue!), are still visible.  Regarding the picture, it was taken 22 years before the train line it served closed.

So you know how this goes; you try to figure out where and when this was taken, and perhaps flash a little knowledge such as who designed the building or what was the name of the train line and where did it begin and end, or even what significant features of today are missing from the picture… or the name of a store that presently occupies the building?

Send your answers to cixposse at gmail dot com (Doggone spambots) First one to get it right gets a root beer, those following suit get a cream soda. I’ll check in with you later in the day and post the answer here and in the latest thread at or after 6pm (or earlier if you figure it out sooner).  Have fun!

Welcome back to Where & When, where we use our fine detective skills to figure out where and when a given picture was taken, and then we settle into general satisfaction, swapping of tales and quaffing of root beers and cream sodas.

Here is today’s challenge:

This one shouldn’t be too tough. Some may see a similar view on a regular basis. So, tell us the location depicted, including the structure, which should also give you a notion when the picture was taken. Bonus if you can list any other features in the picture (relative to the year).

Send your complete answers to cixposse@gmail.com. I will try to reveal the answer later in the day here and in the most current thread. Stories and descriptions of neighborhoods are especially encouraged, so share away and good luck!

This past July the Times had a story on the future of the Brill Building:

If ghosts paid the rent, Eric Hadar would have an all-star tenancy: Freddy Bienstock, Johnny Burke, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and Jimmy Van Heusen, to name a few. Not to mention J.J. Hunsecker and Danny Rose.

But ghosts do not pay the rent. Neither do fictional characters. Their onetime home, the Brill Building, 1619 Broadway, at West 49th Street, now stands more than half empty, after the closing last year of Colony Records and the Sound One postproduction studio.

I worked for Sound One when I was in high school and college and then later as a freelancer. That building is where I came of age in many ways. Bummer what’s going on there now.

[Photo Via: The Brill Building Documentary]

Welcome back to Where & When; to make up for my error from Monday, I’m presenting an extra challenge this week. Today’s game is hosted by RIYank who writes:

Let’s change decades for this one.
There are obvious visual clues for the approximate year, and also a kind of conceptual clue.
I don’t think it’s too hard to get the approximate location, but see how precise you can be.
I’ll release a clue later in the day.

Send guesses to:

whereandwhen.riyank@spamgourmet.com

Good luck!

[Photo Credit: Ephemeral New York]

Today’s gem is a little a little difficult to date, so I’ll be lenient with the exact date unless you can figure out the hint.
Hint: This picture was taken two years after one of the buildings in this picture was built.

A root beer to you if you get the location depicted and the date. Bonus if you know the nickname of a certain feature within this picture. Feel free to discuss as much as you want on the thread about it without directly revealing the answer (which will be published at or after 6pm tonight). Hey, I’m still trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t, so bear with me >;)

Answers, challenge submissions and suggestions can be sent to cixposse@gmail.com. As usual, do not use the photo credit link in researching your answer. Have fun!

{photo credit: Shorpy Historical Photo Archive}

Our last game worked out pretty well, with Banter regular rbj winning a root beer for being the first with the full correct answer. To make this even more fun, I’ll be tallying winners throughout the month and posting the leaders on the last post of the month. Thus, one correct answer = 1 root beer, and subsequent correct answers in each game will receive an honorable mention = 1 cream soda >;)

Here is today’s challenge:

Hint: This picture was taken when one of the clues in this picture was in its second year of operation.

The first player with the complete answer of Where the picture was taken and When (what year; exactly or closest to it) wins a root beer >;)

You may submit your complete answer to me at cixposse@gmail.com

The deadline for answering will be midnight EST tonight, and the answer and winner will be posted tomorrow morning at or after 9am EST. No peeking at the photo credit. Good luck!

[Photo Credit: Shorpy Historical Photo Archive]

Welcome to the first official edition of Where & When, wherein you the player try to solve the mystery of where and when a given picture is taken. Because of the success and fun of the Geography Quiz post, it’s been decided to post subsequent games semi-regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. I had a list of rules and regulations sketched out and all, but I’ve decided to kinda let things fall into place by themselves and answer any specific questions you may have as we go along. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to post a comment. Above all, have fun!

Our first challenge comes from Banter regular RIYank who, I must say, gave me the inspiration to make this game, so it’s only right that he leads off:

“I don’t know if this one is easy or not. I would find it quite confusing, though there is definitely enough information in it for you to figure out the location and the approximate year. I’m tempted to say more, but I’m afraid extra commentary would make it too easy.

A Klein bottle full of Brett Gardner’s Famous Imaginary Root Beer to the winner!” – RIYank

My only current requests are that you answer the question fully: Where is the location and When was the picture taken. Also, although you are allowed to use the internet, in the interest of fairness please refrain from using the photo credit for your research. The link is for copyright purposes and may reveal the answer to the challenge, which would basically negate the purpose and spirit of the game altogether. Be sure to credit the sources you do use while answering the question; be it a web page, a book, personal experience, whatever. Feel free to share any trivia or personal experience you may have related to the location depicted, and again, have fun.

The answers will be posted at or after 6pm the next day, so that our friends overseas or on night shift duties can also play.

Have at it!

[Photo Via: Ephemeral New York]

Happy Birthday to the Old Penn Station. 

Lookit what our man Michae found–that there looks like the GWB.

Fine Print NYC, a spot for browsing and happiness.

A Then and Now photo gallery from Gothamist.