A place that presents the "Truth From The Ashes"

Sandwiched in between the Hudson River to the west, Greenwich Village to the north, Soho to the east, and Tribeca to the south is a little patch of New York City called Hudson Square.  Most people will probably tell you it's West Soho but whatever you call it, this little area is one of the oldest districts of New York and still retains some of the gorgeous architectural features of the time.

My purpose for coming here today was to visit the New York City Fire Museum, located in the former quarters of the Fire Department of New York's Company No.30, and renowned as "one of the nation's most prominent collections of fire-related art, artifacts, gear, and apparatus from the late 18th Century to the present".

The three-storey building is chock-full of memorabilia and is a celebration of the FDNY family.  The very top floor is now a party space, and there was a kid's birthday celebration in full swing when I was there.  I was just grateful that the kids had run rampant though the museum before I actually arrived, because I have to say that I quite enjoyed having the exhibits to myself.

The New York Fire City Fire Department (FNDY) wasn't always a homogenous organisation, and the Museum shows you photos and badges and helmets from back when Brookyn and Queens were separate units.

Even back in the old days, "badge bunnies" were a thing - and women across the City would fan themselves at the strength and bravery of the City's firefighters - both voluntary and paid.  The fire departments were not ignorant of this either, and there was a lot of competition between the different companies for who could get to a fire the fastest, and who could exhibit the most superior fire-fighting prowess.

The upstairs level of the Museum walks you through you all the history of the FDNY from its earliest days, at a time when bucket brigades were the norm and little glass jars of chemicals were thrown onto smaller fires, and man-powered buggies were used to fight bigger ones.

Brooklyn became part of NYC in 1898 and with it came its firefighting force (and their 113 years of experience).  The Long Island City Fire Department in Queens also came into the FDNY fold that same year, adding to the reserves of manpower available to save the City.

Horse-drawn steam engines were the next innovation and the Museum provides beautifully-preserved examples of this period in history.  The Museum has some stories about how the FDNY responded to the Great Fire of NYC in December 1835, when the frigid temperatures froze both the steam engines and the water reserves, so the FDNY Chief's only option was to blow up the threatened buildings to contain the damage.

All throughout the Museum, you're given the clear message that the FDNY is a real family, one that takes its motto "Truth From The Ashes" very seriously.  They are a company that takes care of its own, and videos around the room interview FDNY members who talk about the generations of firefighters in their family and why they signed up.

This family spirit also extends to stories of their beloved canine mascots, one of whom was a stray who wandered into the fire house one day and began fearlessly dashing into burning buildings to save stranded humans and animals.  He had been repeatedly injured in the line of duty, and was finally killed in a hit and run - but the FDNY had his body stuffed and kept in the firehouse as a lasting reminder of his courage and service.  The pooch now peers out from behind glass at the Museum - slightly creepy perhaps, but a lovely tribute when you know the backstory.

Part of the museum that is definitely not creepy is the 9/11 tribute to the 343 FDNY personnel who died that horrible day.  Indeed, the courage of the FDNY on September 11 was part of the reason I came to the Museum today.  During the week I watched a Netflix documentary called "The Saint of 9/11" which profiled the story of the FDNY Chaplain, the Franciscan priest Father Mychal Judge, who was declared the first official victim of 9/11.  As you can see here, Father Mychal's FDNY uniform is on display in the 9/11 section of the Museum and it is a sombre area of the firehouse.

The exhibit also includes twisted FDNY tools and dusty, broken helmets that were recovered during the rescue efforts (but never claimed), as well as some beautiful photographs of what was a tragic day.  I understood pretty quickly why the Museum had put two boxes of tissues next to their guest book.

The New York City Fire Museum is a great catalogue of the brave men and women who work together as a family to save the City in its worst hours.  And while this is largely a celebratory effort, I have to say I needed a palate cleanser, particularly after the still-warm reminder of 9/11.

A few blocks west of the Museum is one of the oldest bars in the City.  "The Ear Inn" opened in 1817 and other than the staff, a coat of paint or two, and the installation of some modern beer taps, I doubt anything has changed inside.

The Ear Inn is one of those dive bars in New York where you can just feel the history and what it would have been like back in the day.  There is actually a painting on the bar of the Ear Inn with oil lamps outside and the water of the Hudson River lapping almost at its front door.  That's exactly what it would have been like at the time, before the City expanded and pushed the River over a few blocks to make way for urban development.  Perching myself up at the bar, I had a pint of "Ear Inn Ale", made especially for the place by Brooklyn Brewery.

The building used to belong to an African-American man named James Brown (not the one you're thinking of!).  He was a Revolutionary War veteran who owned a tobacco store where the bar is now.  During the Prohibition it was a speakeasy (called "Green Door"), and a brothel too.

Now a City Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, "The Ear Inn" was doing a quiet trade today, but with some lively, regular customers and a lovely bartender who took great care of everyone.  It is a definitely must-visit place in the City.