Peck Slip and Pirates

The Brooklyn Bridge holds a special place in my heart, because immediately south of it in Manhattan is a street called Peck Slip. My mother has done some genealogical research on our ancestors and traced them back to the family that this street was named after. 

Photo taken by Kate in December 2010

My ancestors Johannes Peck (also called Jan) and his wife Maria met and married in New Amsterdam after emigrating from the Netherlands some time before 1650.  The family name has also been spelled Pake, Peek and Peake - amazing how that quirky spelling gene has gone down through the generations.   

 Malcolm on Peck Slip with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background (February 2006)

As you can see the street is quite broad.  It used to have a wide bay down the centre of the street where ships could be moored.  Peck Slip was once the heart of a busy maritime seaport and was even mentioned in the novel Moby Dick.  What was once a busy seaport, later became a fish market, and is now a parking lot with restaurants and businesses on either side. The street is slated to be redeveloped in the next year or so and be turned into a sea-inspired park. 

The ship's mooring posts still evident along Peck Slip (photo taken by Kate December 2010)

Me on Peck Slip with the ramp up to the Brooklyn Bridge in the background (February 2006)

 Peck Slip (you can see the Brooklyn Bridge reflected in the lower left-hand window).  Photo taken by Kate.

Looking toward Peck Slip from the Brooklyn Bridge (photo taken by Kate)

Detail taken from above photo of the buildings along Peck Slip

Postcard showing shops along Lower Hudson Street c. 1865.  Notice the name on the shop in the middle of the photo - John Peake

My ancestors Jan and Maria Peek were quite the colourful couple.  They were the owners of Peek's Tavern and on more than one occasion they lost their licence due to serving liquor after-hours and on Sundays as you can read in this account:

JAN PEEK LOST HIS LICENSE TO TAP AND HAD TO PAY A FINE BECAUSE HE WAS TAPPING ON SUNDAY DURING PREACHING AND ALLOWING DANCING, JUMPING AND THE ENTERTAINMENT OF DISORDERLY PEOPLE AT HIS HOUSE. THE DRUNKARDS MADE SO MUCH NOISE ON A SUNDAY THAT THE SHERIFF HAD TO TAKE ONE OF THEM AWAY IN A CART.

Finally, in 1664 Maria was "accused of selling liquor to the Indians, fined 500 guilders, and banished from New Amsterdam".    My Mother told me that they moved to Peekskill in upper New York State - a town that was also named after them ("kill" meaning stream in Dutch).  Eventually one of their descendants came to Ontario with the United Empire Loyalists.
 

Gravestone of Samuel Pake taken last summer in Prince Edward County, Ontario

In  writing this post, I decided to look up some of the dates and spelling of names on the internet because my parents are away in Arizona so I couldn't check with my Mother.  I found this article online and discovered that Jan had many different jobs.  Not only was he a tavern-keeper, but he was a trader, an explorer, a broker (due to his fluency in both Dutch and English), a hunter, and even once was described as a PIRATE.  That was something I had never known, but was pretty excited to find out.  I mean who wouldn't want to know they had some pirate blood in their past.  My kids figure they are much cooler now!

Painting by Naima Rauam of the South Street Seaport and Peck Slip

All I can say is that I'm from a wicked lot - serving liquor on Sundays and a pirate.  What more can I say me mateys!

Little Blue Boxes

When Kate and hubby went to New York just before Christmas (which you can read more about here), they spent some time at Tiffanys - well actually they spent a little more than time.   They bought Kate and me souvenir porcelain boxes along with a little something else for me.   I don't know what that something else is yet because I won't open the present because it looks so pretty and because I'm strange like that.  I think maybe I'll just savour the pretty box and ribbon until my birthday in February.  I might - just might - be ready to open it then.

I loved the look of the three pretty blue boxes - two with red ribbon for Christmas and one with the traditional white - under the Christmas tree.  On Boxing Day I cleaned all the needles up that had fallen on the tree skirt and had a little photo shoot.  The lighting was perfect and it was so much fun.  I think our Christmas tree skirt looks like it was meant to have Tiffany boxes on it, don't you?

 

Christmas in New York City

We have a tradition in our family that when each child graduates from high school either hubby or myself takes them to New York City for a few days.  It is a wonderful bonding time and the trip is tailored to the interests of the individual child.  

I took our eldest to NYC almost five years ago now and we had a blast.  We did the usual sites like the Statue of Liberty and the museums, but we also went to see one of the locations where they filmed the Godfather movie.  The raunchy bar is still there and I made my son go in with me to have a quick look around.  We still talk fondly about our adventures together.

Kate finished high school in June so she and hubby went to New York City the week before Christmas - and thankfully missed the big snowstorm.  They had an amazing time and, of course, she took tons of photos.   Being the good girl that she is, Kate has let me share them with you.  What really impressed her (and me) were the Christmas windows, especially the ones at Tiffany and Anthropologie.

Come on a NYC Christmas tour with me. 

The fabulous Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center

Giant lights at the Rockefeller Center

Outside Fox News

Fifth Avenue

Hanging snowflake at the corner of 5th Avenue and 57th Street

A Christmas tree covered in bows at the Seaport Museum near the Brooklyn Bridge

Wreath on a lighthouse at the Seaport Museum

The Christmas tree inside the New York Public Library

The Christmas store windows were truly spectacular. 

Window at Mont Blanc

Silvery Dior window

 Chanel's window.  I love the Christmas trees and may have to make something like that next year

Giant snowflakes in the Burberry window

Large illuminated boxes in the Louis Vuitton window

I love the tree trunks and fake snow used in the La Mer window

TIFFANY - The whole experience was amazing, according to Kate.  The windows were gorgeous and they had the interior decorated in flocked trees and wreaths with Tiffany blue and silver decorations.  On one of the upper floors they were giving out hot chocolate in Tiffany paper cups, with Tiffany blue serviettes, and macaroons in Tiffany blue, and Tiffany blue candy canes.  Could a girl be any happier?

 Displays on the first floor of Tiffany

Does it get any better than this?

Even the typewriter is in Tiffany blue

ANTHROPOLOGIE - the visit to Anthropologie was another highlight of the trip.  The store's decorations were innovative and creative and, as always, inspiring.

Anthropologie's store window with crazy clocks and garlands and chains

Another Anthro window with a miniature snow covered hill dotted with trees and little mushrooms

I adore the knit snowballs flying into the mitten sun

Another Anthro window with a tree covered in colourful birdhouses

 

Mason jars filled with pine cones and other bits of nature hanging from a ladder

A giant pinecone made out of coffee sacks

Felt icicles hung from wooden stick antlers

A stairway made from books that works its way up to the ceiling and across to the chandelier that is made from coiled printed paper

The market canopy covered in snow

And finally, Kate went skating at Bryant Park with the Empire State building in the background.   How Christmassy is that?

Kate and hubby also did a bit of shopping at Tiffany so there were a couple of blue boxes under the tree at Christmas.  I'll show you those in another post.