The Unique Benefits of New York City Stoops

Harrison Trautschold Brown examined the unique culture and history of stoops in New York City, noting that it first originated with the Dutch settlers in pre-Colonial times to protect homes from flooding.

The Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam in the 1600s in the marshy lowlands of Holland the Dutch built outdoor staircases as protective measures against flooding.

As New York became more settled in the 1800s, it also provided health and sanitation benefits, as well as the perfect space for desired class distinctions.

As the city grew more populated and industrialized streets filled with more and more trash animal carcasses and other unhygienic substances Stoops literally elevated the entryway to one’s home above the dirty public streets due to New York’s high density. …Wealthy New Yorkers built Stoops to create entrances separate from their servants which was something the city’s upper classes considered to be important to their dignity.

Stoops have been, and always will be, an intractable part of the urban landscape within the five boroughs. In fact, even more so in modern times, as they offer important gathering places for neighbors during times of isolation, like COVID.

Stoops are part of what makes New York New York you can’t help but sit on the stoop and have a random conversation with a passerby and we talk on the stoop all day …Many New Yorkers will probably remember how Stoops became especially important important during the pandemic when Public Health rules made it hard for people to meet up indoors and particularly during the pandemic.

via swissmiss