Our first stop is at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse Theatre - which began its life as a part of the Croton Aqueduct system that brought reliable freshwater service to Manhattan for the first time in modern history. This particular pipe resides to this day at 106th and Morningside.

We’ll start off the tour by discussing how and why NYC has the best tap water in the nation - some might say in the world - thanks to the incredible aqueduct system built and maintained by the Sandhogs.

The United Electric Light & Power Company mostly operated in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, building out an electric network that operated on alternating current (AC) in contrast to the direct current (DC) preferred by the Edison companies. They built the huge Sherman Creek power plant, and then realized that they could encourage people to use more electricity by wiring their homes and selling them electric appliances.

We see here a mobile ad for the new electric vacuum cleaner powered by an electric car!

On this tour, we will visit the UEL&P store at 138 Hamilton Place

Where does the water go after it rains, it goes down the sink, and why don’t we know about it? Well, for people in West Harlem, that last question is an easy answer - they are certainly aware. The North River Wastewater Plant was sited up here despite community opposition, and in its rush to avoid fines under the EPA’s Clean Water Act, NYC cheaped out on the odor and emissions control systems for the plant. People in the community noticed health issues along with an awful smell, and eventually lodged a series of successful lawsuits. In exchange for bearing that burden the City, the State, and the Feds partnered to fund a park as a “sweetener” for West Harlem.

Riverbank State Park - the only park on atop a wastewater plant in the USA - welcomes upwards of 3 million people per year - and will visit it on this tour!