Any place that has a long history and a large population has its fair share of ghost stories, and New York City is no exception. The city is home to a wide range of haunted sites, each with a unique and terrifying story. St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, a historic Episcopal church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, has the distinction of being haunted by one of New York’s oldest European ghosts. The church was originally built on the estate of Peter Stuyvesant, the last director general of New Netherland and New Amsterdam, which is what this area was called when it was under Dutch colonial control. Stuyvesant, sometimes called “Peg-Leg Pete” due to the fact that he had a wooden leg, is buried beneath St. Mark’s, and was reportedly a stern, short-tempered man. It is not surprising then, that “one of New York's earliest ghosts came back from the grave, so the story goes, to complain about noise.” According to local legend, in 1865, Stuyvesant had become displeased with the growth of the city disturbing his land and his peace. One night, the townspeople were awoken by the sound of the church bell ringing. They raced to the church and found a terrified sexton claiming that the ghost of the former Governor had chased him through the night. Upon examining the church, within which the bell was still ringing, the townsfolk found the door locked. When they finally got inside, they discovered that the bell’s rope had been cut off high in the air, too far up for anyone to reach. They searched the building for whoever had rung the bell, but the only thing they found was a length of rope sitting on top of Stuyvesant’s crypt. Since then, stories abound of Stuyvesant’s ghost lingering around New York’s most haunted church, and some say that you can hear him wandering around, the distinctive tapping of his wooden leg echoing through the building.
London Landmarks
Sometimes, when you are familiar with a place, you can forget to appreciate its most unique facets. Playing tourist in a city you know well is a fun way to see places like this in a new light. London’s Tower Bridge, for example, is a functioning bridge that people drive over every day, so it is easy to forget its long and rich history, and its status as an iconic landmark. But in taking the time to look at it in the way that someone who has never seen it might, you remember how remarkable it is. The gorgeous bridge took 8 years to build and is well over a century old, but it looks bright and modern when it’s lit up at night. Nearby, the historic Tower of London sits in stark contrast to the sleek, sparkling buildings of the financial district. These ultra-modern skyscrapers and the people who live and work nearby share space with a centuries-old castle that has housed royalty, prisoners, and maybe even ghosts. It’s a fitting place to play tourist, especially now that the Halloween season is here!
Tower of London at Night
Although it’s one of the most iconic structures in London, for those who see it often the Tower of London can be easy to take for granted. Sure, when William the Conqueror built this stone tower at the center of his London fortress in the 1070s, defeated Londoners must have been impressed, as the site Historic Royal Palaces notes. But compared to the Gherkin and the Walkie-Talkie, is the Tower really that special? We were reminded of the beauty and history of this structure as we walked along the Thames one night this week. We especially like the stories of the ghosts that haunt the Tower. Anne Boleyn reportedly stalks Tower Green where she was executed. Arbella Stuart, the cousin of Elizabeth I, who starved while imprisoned for marrying without royal permission, reportedly appears at the Queen’s House. Two smaller ghosts are named the “Princes in the Tower,” and reportedly a huge ghost bear occasionally appears to frighten visitors to death. We’ll just stay on this side of the river, thank you very much.