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What Would Be In A NYC Time Capsule Created Today?

Jen Carlson

Published Sep 24, 2013

Modified Sep 24, 2013

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Jen Carlson

Published Sep 24, 2013

Modified Sep 24, 2013

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Replica of the 1939 time capsule under Queens

Yesterday we revisited the time capsule that was buried 50-feet underground in Queens during the 1939 World's Fair—it won't be dug up again for over 4,000 more years. Since we won't get the satisfaction of seeing that one unearthed, we started thinking about what would be in a NYC-centric time capsule made today (let's say 2000 - present day)—what would we like future generations to know about the five boroughs as it is now? We have some suggestions...

CitiBike FOB
A Cronut, magically preserved
A Ramen Burger, also preserved
MetroCard
Subway and bus map
Copies of the NY Times, The Daily News, The NY Post, The New Yorker
Video of 9/11/01 coverage
A replica of Mayor Bloomberg in Deal With It glasses
Ray Kelly's turtleneck and blazer
A $5 black umbrella, broken
Photographs of the more iconic, smaller venues and restaurants that aren't landmarked, just in case: Katz's, Bowery Ballroom, etc.
This URL written down: www.instagram.com/samhorine — we might be biased, but Mr. Horine does a fine job of capturing the city
A link to our Ask A Native New Yorker column, since everyone in the future will be a gentrifier
A photo of the space where the Urban Outfitters lifestyle center is slated to go, since soon we will not remember a world in which it didn't have a bar
Photos of street art, maybe some Hanksy?
All of Phish's NYC shows on DVD, including this one:

Artisanal mayo
A sealed test tube of water from the Gowanus Canal
Craft cocktail recipes stuffed into a mason jar
Pizza recipe from Juliana's

What else you got?

Tagged

time capsule

original

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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