When New York looked like Ancient Rome

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This video explores how Roman architecture and city planning shaped Manhattan.
Check out my interview with Elizabeth Macaulay on the ancient architecture of New York: • The Ancient Architectu...
My new book, "Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines" is now available! Check it out here: www.amazon.com/Insane-Emperor...
Check out my other KZbin channels, @toldinstonefootnotes and @scenicroutestothepast
Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
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If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:34 Streets of Manhattan
1:36 the Croton aqueduct
2:05 City Beautiful Neoclassicism
3:29 Mckim, Mead, and White
4:25 Classical infrastructure
5:11 Monuments
5:40 The anxiety of influence
6:40 Trade Coffee

[@toldinstone]

Thanks to Trade for sponsoring this video! Click this link to save $15 on select plans and get your first bag of coffee free: drinktrade.com/ToldInStone

[@user-wi6cz4hh5b]

Hello do you know if a channel named Mystery History still exists? The creator was a hippy type of man.

[@shaynewheeler9249]

😢😢😢😢😢

[@bostonraymudfloodadventures]

I just stumbled upon your channel , what is your opinion on " Great Tartaria ???" Have you ever actually looked in to " Tartary???"

[@actoraa]

I can't believe a building such as Penn Station was torn down.

[@GabiN64]

Yeah that generation was crazy

[@bobbo11357]

I agree. My Dad thought it was even more beautiful than Grand Central Station

[@lornamorgan3575]

They did the same to Euston Station in London. Then, built that vile concrete box. All that's left is an entrance arch.

[@jackthebro6548]

REBUILD PENN

[@littlsuprstr]

Those people were poisoned by lead in the atmosphere from burning leaded gas and newsprint.

[@antichristhater3440]

The US literally had an open canvas to make our country beautiful with elegant architecture and instead we defaulted to shit.

[@craigr6842]

All stolen. Yes, that's correct. These were here.

[@Layer67]

@@craigr6842ignorant comment every civilization in human history has used ideas and concepts from other civilizations to build architecture.

[@NarasimhaDiyasena]

Yeah cause the J’s seized control via the Federal Reserve the same time we started making money, hijacking’s our ability to be something more than we are today.

[@theFORZA66]

​@@craigr6842the phone you types this brainrot from is also stolen

[@wcsii]

Go back to Korea for that comment

[@rockutron9000]

The demolition of the original Penn Station is insanity.

[@flochforster7864]

They hate our culture.

[@peanut422hb]

Must have been high tech. The destroyers from the 1800's don't want us asking questions.

[@thedarkenigma3834]

@@peanut422hbDoes this has to do with Tartaria or the Mud Flood?

[@peanut422hb]

@@thedarkenigma3834 I don't know exactly, but something is very wrong. When limestone and marble are destroyed 50 years after building according to their script . Go back and look at this behemoth of a building. .

[@craigr6842]

​@peanut422hb These buildings were already here. New York is an ancient city

[@Littlegoatpaws]

When New York was truly at its peak. Maybe not in size but in splendor, relevance, and innovation.

[@jamesleyda365]

Absolutely! Truly awesome!🗽

[@robroy6374]

In my opinion NYC was at its peak from the 1960s to the 2000s

[@espdtx4260]

All of these buildings were here before from a previous civilization they're in every city even little towns think about it they all have buildings that we can't build today and spent every war destroying evidence

[@Littlegoatpaws]

​During that 1960s to 1980s period so much went under the wrecking ball. Crime and decay rampant, depopulation, bankruptcy. It was rock bottom. It recovered some before 9/11, but it was never the same. Sort of like how Constantinople recovered after the Justinianic plague, but never with quite the same energy. At least that's kind of how I see it. ​@@robroy6374

[@mgp1203]

​@@robroy6374 Never been to the US but when I think about a US state in their peak from 1960's and onward, I think mainly of California. When I think of NewYork, I always picture the city imagery from 1980's or 2010's imagery.

[@Thx1138sober]

My dad took me to NYC in 1964 at age 6. While there, he took to a huge hole in the ground ringed in plywood and said, "Son, you are looking at one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century."

[@jotrem4877]

I’m so intrigued. What exactly was this “hole”

[@hollister2320]

@@jotrem4877 Penn station 😢

[@Ravum]

He took to it? Like he liked it?

[@kettelbe]

He took me. i guess​@@Ravum

[@Vlaedx]

I don't understand this. Can you explain?

[@skitsschist11]

Copying the architecture of Rome is cool, but we didnt have to copy their collapse too

[@graciemaemarie11jones16]

they lasted 100 years. usa aint nothing

[@caelin4174]

​@graciemaemarie11jones16 youre double wrong lil bro

[@druna4721]

I really love Roman/Greek architecture, wish we could see more buildings built in this style today.

[@bastait]

yea we god damn know you want america to be europe

[@ecurewitz]

Won’t happen, it’s too expensive

[@nathanventura548]

They're pretty but unoriginal at this point. Most architecture in the 21st century is mass produced, including classically styled buildings.

[@robertozeladarodriguez5321]

@@ecurewitz Not really they are not much more expensive than a modern building, unless you want everything to be marble, on average I read that it is between 3% more expensive.

[@ecurewitz]

@@robertozeladarodriguez5321 perhaps, but the builders still don’t want to spend any extra money if possible

[@kutter_ttl6786]

If anyone wants to get an idea of how it's like to walk in the waiting area of the old Penn Station, visit Ottawa in Canada. The Senate of Canada building was the former central train station, and the main waiting room was also inspired by the Baths of Caracalla. It looks almost exactly the same as the old Penn Station's, but in 3/4 scale.

[@knightstar1312]

Interesting! I did go to Ottawa years ago. Are you referring to the interior of Parliament, the Senate section?

[@ookie4179]

Pfffft nobody wants to see inferior 3/4 ottawian architecture

[@yesfredfredburger8008]

Misread the title as “What New York Looked Like In Ancient Rome” and thought I needed a little more sleep

[@oliviabb73849]

Love it lol ❤

[@andersonklein3587]

The brutalist designs that became more popular around 30-80 were pretty bad, but the Art Deco was not a downgrade, the Chrysler Building is still one of the most beautiful edifices in the entire world. Just saying.

[@ccccaaal]

Brutalism emerged in the 50s

[@timdella92]

I’m still mad about the demolition of Penn Station.

[@paulkoza8652]

Nice job. Classical architecture abounds in New York. You just scratched the surface.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

"...and finally, in 2024 New York, the transition from the City Beautiful movement to the City Cesspool movement has been completed."

[@subnormality5854]

'The Hidden Roman Design of New York City - KZbin' Saving this original title for later

[@ideatorx]

This is why I love Washington DC so much, its like being in a neoclassical dreamland, its stunning.

[@777jones]

The Lincoln Memorial is my favorite structure in the US.

[@FlyingAlfredoSaucer]

​@@777jonesmine is the Jefferson Memorial

[@RonPauldidnothingwrong]

The Manhattan Municipal Building is absolutely stunning in person. Me and a friend admittedly got very stoned in Thomas Pain Park/Foley Square in May 2022, and turned the corner to face the MMB with the setting sun gazing down on it indirectly from the west and it was the most grand looking building I've ever seen in my life at the moment. The bottom Roman-esque pillars with its Golden statue peak reflecting the sun were magnificent. Despite its faults NYC is an amazing megapolis worth exploring indepth.

[@jbug1979]

You can still visit the Croton Aqueduct. Parts of it have been preserved as historic sites and greenways for walking and biking. It's a pretty nice day trip, if you live close by.

[@Rice_BaL]

I recently visited New York for a school trip and was amazed by the neoclassical architecture mostly around Times Square and the fashion district but it was pretty pretty much everywhere i went in manhattan

[@BLACCRAINBOW1997]

The US had many beautiful building, these were all taken down and replaced with "modern" architecture. Early architecture in the states was amazing and an inspiration to the ppl making America.

[@rodtack8420]

Because those beautiful buildings were not built by us but were already there. They were the evidence of a lost civilization that existed and were FOUNDED it. That is why we FOUNDED our cities and FOUNDED America. Not created... Ask yourself why they bulldozed them? To erase the true history. And why we don't ever build anything that beautiful to this day. Even billionaires with all the money in the world do not make structures like this.. because they can't!

[@crossfire7474]

Thanks for sharing the podcast interview and your new book. Hope to look into it soon.

[@aalexander928]

Thank you so very much for this short and excellent video of neo-classical architecture in Manhattan. As a New Yorker I mourn the loss of so many of the exquisite structures depicted. It remained a beautiful city through the 1950's.

[@matthewroth1299]

Your videos are always 10/10--not terribly long, extremely interesting, well-edited, and of course educational.

[@user-rl3iv2jk9q]

12 March 2024 AD : After two fullll years or more , I remain a stout Told in Stone fan , looking forward to them every Friday . Very thsnk you Dr .Garrett Ryan .

[@reference2592]

Your videos are always sooo good. Thanks.

[@dingjo5027]

what a great video, will watch it several times, I will need to research McKim, Mead, and White further, Thanks!

[@GravityZx]

I really apreciate your work. Thank you!

[@conrad4852]

This was a fascinating & informative video. Thank you.

[@BC-lo6rf]

Outstanding as always.

[@colorays]

Off topic, but thank you for putting your ads at the end. KZbin is so full of ads, and it is maddening to hear an add break after the first thirty seconds of a video.

[@c0bra969]

I wish youd do longer vids and more podcasts! Ive listened to them all 2 plus times! Channel is great.

[@verandi3882]

great video, i love this channel

[@calebdoner]

And women wonder why we think about the Roman empire so much. It totally surrounds us.

[@ackvevo]

Idk about you but I think about the Ming Dynasty little bro

[@princejaxisblack8789]

who’s we? you French or sumn? 💀 I don’t think about a particular European empire

[@timothymatthews6458]

@@ackvevo The Ming was inferior the the Qin and Han. It was a relatively weak dynasty because the aristocracy was eliminated centuries prior.

[@ackvevo]

@@timothymatthews6458 based The Ming weren’t afraid of exploring the world either

[@timothymatthews6458]

@@ackvevo Um, when I said it was weak, I was not implying that it was a good thing. It is bad when a state is weak.

[@Dano12345100]

New York still looks like Rome but of course it looks like Rome one century after the fall.

[@danielwoods404]

I love that your videos do not have unnecessary background info or introduction.

[@OstiaNumismatics]

Love these videos. You should do one for Philly, we have a ton of great neoclassical buildings.

[@thomasmacdonough288]

My father used to work at the (now defunct) Grand Prospect Hall, a beautiful 1903 Victorian style banquet hall in Brooklyn. Between my fascination with that building, and reading the Great Gatsby in HS, I found great admiration for early 20th century NYC and used it as a reference in art classes, so it's the version of the city I'm used to seeing. But whenever I see what they've done to the skyline in person, I feel disgusted. In the never ending tale of NYCs destruction, that aforementioned Grand Prospect Hall was torn down in 2022 to make way for an apartment block.

[@pegcity4eva]

Just googled it. Damn shame.

[@Charlie-hv3dh]

Really cool channel man!! Love this lol!

[@christiantaylor4027]

Most people don't see what's around them. I'm probably the same but I look at the architecture of small towns and big cities. It talks but only if you listen. Thanks for this vid.

[@xXcangjieXx]

And the fun part is you only need to look, sometimes even the most mundane buildings can have amazing details. Just the other day I went inside a boring industrial building from the 50s but once inside the whole entrance lobby was covered from ceiling to floor in a beautiful green swedish marble.

[@christiantaylor4027]

I agree. You never know. Great features turn up everywhere you look.@@xXcangjieXx

[@lordbiro]

Always great these vids 😊❤ thanks. Now hurry up with the next !! 😂😂

[@kartos.]

Thank you for mentioning Philadelphia, it's tiring when William Penn's contribution to American city layouts gets ignored. Just look how Boston turned out

[@JJ__]

“the anxiety of influence” - another Bloom fan? love that book

[@williamsullivan3967]

I really enjoyed this. Thanks!!

[@YadraVoat]

I suppose this finally explains the state nickname "The Empire State."

[@AmericaandWorldArchitectureCha]

super video, thank you

[@ns7353]

Don’t fail to mention the significant of ley lines ! The free masons would want them remembered

[@jileel]

Many old structures in L.A. still stand, although our current civilization isnt wise or wealthy enough to care for them.

[@aurorathekitty7854]

Never been inside the city but drove past it couple times. Seeing it as I drove past was good enough for me

[@akombalasau4022]

I'm so Fascinated of the past architectures.

[@PerennialAWL]

I guess that’s why they call it “The Big Ap-Palaiologos”

[@robroy6374]

😂

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

As the city decivilizes into complete collapse, unfortunately neoclassical architecture won’t leave ruins as picturesque as the original.

[@martinfernandez882]

I long for the prewar New York cityscape, so beautiful.

[@TrailBlazer5280]

Some of the old destruction was bad planning or negligence, but much of it was an intentional attack on our society. These were meant to remove beautiful things and heritage from our daily lives so we the workers would become indifferent to our surrounding. Be ok with moving often and prevent us from establishing community and pride.

[@johnsolo1701d]

Chicago too - in some ways more so!

[@ipanonymously9503]

Way more

[@JO3BID3N-is-a-P3D0]

the entire u.s.a and the rest of the world actually

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

Far more, more than you'd believe.

[@777jones]

I took an architecture class that really focused on Chicago. Its rise was a bit later and better organized than Manhattan’s.

[@Oscar-zi2pp]

My favorite piece of neoclassical architecture in NYC is the Con Ed building near union square. It is so grand on the skyline and feels larger than life! Great video as always

[@oliviabb73849]

Can you * please * do an extended length on this or something of similar nature ❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊

[@oO-_-_-_-Oo]

Fascinating.

[@endrawes0]

New Yorker here. Not sure how new Tom's is but love the Seinfeld reference! Also I be was hiking the Old Croton Aqueduct trail just this weekend! Amazing feat for it's time

[@prototropo]

My favorite reminder of classical grace in public architecture is Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Small in scale but vast in evocation, it never fails to send my thoughts winging to the ancient shores of a more eloquent, noble idea of civilization.

[@jorgemaza8142]

Stunning

[@jpvansplunder]

Absolutely fantastic video. I love the voiceover and over-all style.

[@FuNPUNFun777]

Nice bro

[@StirlingCookie]

I watch your videos every night before bed. I look forward to it every night.

[@turtleanton6539]

Oh thats so interesting 🎉

[@pavopija]

Rome and NYC are my two favorite cities I visited. Coincidentally, while not having visited that many cities around the world, I think they are the two greatest urbanistic achievements of mankind.

[@jhfdhgvnbjm75]

I wish the city beautiful movement had lasted, or better was still with us :(

[@squidmeta]

Wake up honey, new toldinstone video

[@zachesherman]

And she immediately throws the pillow in your face “why do you always think about the Roman Empire?”😂

[@1Rab]

​@@zachesherman Are you in NC?

[@zachesherman]

@@1Rab ummmm.... no. Why do you ask?

[@into_the_void]

Im up . .... Im up .. jeeZ

[@Winkle-Dinkle]

IT’S BABE YOU RAPSCALLION

[@markvenaglia1548]

Positively thrilled you've referenced, often, City Beautiful! Are you on gram?

[@Trebor-17]

Andrea Palladio 🇮🇹 "Father of American Architecture"

[@richardpchaseii5084]

A lot of beautiful buildings in Boston/Cambridge, by McKim, Mead and White, too. I'm not sure who was responsible, but one of the oldest buildings, at MIT, sure qualifies as "Romanesque"!

[@tafutokuta2344]

The past had so much more class and respect to form

[@sophiaoconnell1927]

There’s a lot of places where you can still catch the vibe to be honest especially around lower midtown and Wall Street. There’s even some Babylonian looking buildings with wild stone work.

[@nwilt7114]

Now we have giant twig skyscrapers that are eyesores in the city skyline.

[@wauliepalnuts6134]

Novum Eboracum

[@knightstar1312]

Interesting latin translation

[@ejakobs9881]

We need a city beautiful movement back, big time.

[@CanYouDigItMan]

Old school is the best school. True for almost everything.

[@PopeLando]

Penn Station based on the Baths of Caracalla. Oh, *that* paragon of virtue!

[@whoami8752]

I don't think "modern" when I think New York, I think of decay and rot.

[@froodsmash]

RIP old Penn Station

[@ChrisWashburn]

5:47 Small correction...the marble structure was dedicated in 1895, but it was finished 1892, after a year of fundraising and planning by public committee. Original concept Arch work started in 1886, and finished in 1889 was made of wood-frame and Plaster. Fun facts: The area in the 1790s was originally a burial ground, with public executions, which the area 30-40 years later was covered over and became a housing development for the rich.

[@andrejr.2001]

I really love Roman and Greek Architecture. I wish there were more splendid architecture like that today

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

I buy my coffee beans directly from a local roaster. Can't ever go back to store bought beans! Getting coffee within a week or two of it's roasting is absolutely critical if one wants to achieve maximum coffee lovers' bliss, aka a coff-gasm.

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

Gay

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

@@canadianmmaguy7511 Appreciate your interest but I only like women. Cheers.

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

@@bentationfunkiloglio cheers

[@CDLuminous]

My town has a coffee roaster. We can never tell if the smell is coffee roasting, a skunk or someone smoking a blunt.

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

@@CDLuminous Must be roasting beans for Starbucks.

[@zbs8334]

Is there any signs of Roman influence in Milwaukee?

[@s_mau6902]

if you haven’t seen it already, the old northwestern mutual insurance building is a really cool and great building with an obvious neoclassical influence, but it looks like most of milwaukee’s influence is german

[@MBP1918]

What a time it was

[@ronthesinger]

Francis Ford Coppola now has an upcoming film titled "MEGALOPOLIS", an epic Roman fable set in a fantastical New York City. :)

[@Aboriginal_American_Hebrew]

New world is the Old world of ancient times

[@olivere5497]

'We wuz Caesars n shieeeeeeeet!'

[@yodasmomisondrugs7959]

😆

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

We wuz kangz

[@canadianmmaguy7511]

We sold other kangz to whites

[@solar_warden81]

😂

[@akhripasta2670]

Every Germanik ever Look at Notsee parliament logo, Holy "Roman" "Empire" US "Senate"

[@GazerBeam420]

This is a great documentary piece, but the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition was already there, there's no way they built 600 greco roman stone buildings in less than 2 years

[@Fart420.69]

As always, an interesting video with cool facts that enrich what I knew. Can't wait to visit New York again and look for the hidden Roman architecture!

[@virgiliotopolino3928]

You dont not forgotten the villa pamphili in Pompei like to San Francisco other Manhattan!❤

[@SJam491]

Penn Station still exists, but it's entirely underground now. What stands above it is Madison Square Garden.

[@APAL880]

Madison Square Garden was also built by that same great firm that designed the old Penn Station. But that was demolished too in place of the cheap brown concrete mess called MSG.

[@DukeoftheAges]

yeah but the building above ground needs to be brought back

[@youtubegoogleb]

The glory days

[@seanrizzle]

I've lived in New York City for 13 years, and I still sometimes get lost in the financial district...

[@betterwithcheddar5698]

Pretty salty that i was born before having the chance to visit the original penn station. At least we still have grand central!😊

[@user-ie4tt1xp7j]

WE WUZ ROMANS ET FECES

[@seldenification]

JULIUS SEEZUH WUZ BLACK

[@Mai-Gninwod]

Racist?

[@seldenification]

@@Mai-Gninwod 🥹

[@Blox117]

lmao

[@ingold1470]

Interesting that the beautiful buildings that so many contrast with the glass towers of today and the brutalist nonsense of 50 years ago were the result of a short-lived concerted effort.

[@wesdowner5636]

Nice shot of the Seinfeld restaurant! (Tom's Diner.)

[@AloysiusChristopher-pm7gg]

Thank god we have modern architectural wonders such as Walmart, Dollar General, and Red Lobster.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

Don't forget the interior design of Chillys. Gives me the shivers and shakes everything I walk in.

[@ModeSOLOgaming]

Someone, somewhere, just sees this architecture as proof of the tartarian empire. If you don't know, look it up. Hilariously bad conspiracy.

[@byEFox]

Ask questions bad, accept historical account as completely objective and factual

[@udontknowhoiambutiknowhereuliv]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@byEFoxjust because someone doesn’t believe the whole ratardian empire theory, doesn’t mean they advocate just blindly following the official narrative without question. And if the original commenter thought asking questions was bad as you implied, why would he tell people to look it up for themselves in his comment?

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

​@@udontknowhoiambutiknowhereuliv Don't listen to these...ugh, beings, they make everything sound like the end of the world, and have zero hope in their tone of mind. I'm going to drink a delicious cup of fruit punch with shaved ice now, and give the middle finger to these freaks of nature that have started popping up from god knows where.

[@jac6995]

fucking mud flood nonsense...

[@waxonwaxofffg3768]

Torn down to hide the past.

[@dbyspae122]

Tartaria the way you think of it never happened bud

[@joecool9739]

​@@dbyspae122 Tartaria was the name given to the Eurasian Steppes by Medieval historians It was inhabited by Tatars and it was a hellish wasteland In Greek "Tartarus" was the name for hell...Medieval historians were fluent in Greek and Latin Not hard to see why they called that land Tartaria

[@jesusisking8502]

Obviously.

[@Svenburchard]

@@dbyspae122 They say many of these buildings took a year to build. It doesn't need to be tartaria to be suspecious.

[@Poisson4147]

@@Svenburchard The Empire State Building took less than 18 months. There's MOUNTAINS of evidence documenting how it was done. Hard work and loads of planning can do all sorts of incredible things. Nothing "suspecious" [suspicious] about it if you understand anything about project planning.