Algonquin Hotel

After World War I a group of writers ate lunch at the Algonquin Hotel on a daily basis. The group of writers was called "The Round Table". The group of writers included Dorothy Parker, Franklin Pierce, Harpo Marx, Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber, Robert Sherwood, Heywood Broun, Herold Ross, Alexander Woollcott, Marc Connelly, and George S. Kaufman. Many of the guests who stay at the Algonquin Hotel claim to see the members of the round table in the lobby and dining room.

Belasco Theater

The Belasco Theatre is one of New York City’s oldest theatre. In 1931 the theatre’s builder David Belasco died. He lived in an apartment at the top floor of the theatre and it is said that he still haunts this theatre till this day. There have been claims that the ghost will interact with actors and give handshakes to some of them. Many people have reported hearing footsteps in the theatre late at night after everyone left the building. People have also claimed to hear the elevator running, even though it has been disconnected for years. People have also claimed to see a lady in blue, and they claim that she is possibly David Belasco’s girl friend. There have been numerous reports of seeing her in the theatre.

Billop House (aka Conference House)
Staten Island

Located at the Southern end of Staten Island the now 226 acre park (originally 932 acres) was originally known as The Manor of Bentley. In 1676 British Navy Captain Christopher Billop was given this piece of land. By 1680 Capt. Billop had built the above shown 2-floor stone house called The Conference House. Additions to the house continued through 1720.

During the American Revolution, Colonel Christopher Billop (Capt. Billop's great-gandson) lived in the house. On September 11, 1776 (2 months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence) the Conference House was host to an attempted peace negotiation between the American colonies and the British. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge met with British Lord Admiral Richard Howe to try to negotiate a peace that would give the colonies independence from England but keep strong relations (at the time the British controlled all of New York City, Long Island and Staten Island). Although Howe himself wanted a peace his orders would not allow for any agreement that recognized the independence of the colonies. The Admiral made it very clear the British had no intention of entertaining the idea of independent colonies and that the revolution leaders would be severely punished after the British crushed the revolution. Benjamin Franklin and company made a hasty departure from the house after the first day of talks. The result was the 7 year American Revolutionary War.

Colonel Billop himself was a very forceful and unforgiving man, given to frequent fits of rage. During the war Colonel Billop was frequently kidnapped and held for ransom by the colonists. Colonel Billop became convinced someone in his house was informing the revolution of when he was in the house. Legend has it that one evening Colonel Billop saw a servent girl place a lamp in an upper floor window. Colonel Billop took this to be a signal to the revolution that he was home and proceed to accuse the girl of being a spy. He chased her through the upper floor to the downward stairs. It is not clear whether the Colonel pushed the girl down the stairs trying to kill her or she fell to her death  trying to get away from Billop.

It is said her ghost and the ghost of British Redcoats who died in the house during the war still haunt the building today. Although the building is said to be very active the Conference House Association that manages the site refuses to allow paranormal investigations of the facility.

Bridge Cafe

The building of the Bridge Café dates back to 1794.

In 1847, Bridge Café was opened as a porter house, which became New York Cities oldest bar. The Bridge Café got it’s name because it is built under the Brooklyn Bridge.

It is said that the ghosts of pirates who regularly patronized this bar still haunt the bar to this day.

Chumley's

Henrietta Chumley is the former bar mistress, and owner of Chumley’s.

The people of the West Village claim that Henrietta comes into the bar, sits down and orders a drink called the Manhattan. They also claim that she plays around with the restaurants jukebox to get peoples attention.

Ear Inn

The Ear Inn is said to be haunted by a sailor named Mickey who lived in the Ear Inn, when it was a boarding house. Mickey got killed by a car, which hit him in front of the Ear Inn.

Manhattan Bistro

Elma Sands, a young woman, was murdered in December 1799 in this SoHo building. Her body was dropped in a well, which is now the basement of the restaurant. There was strong evidence that claimed Levi Weeks murdered Elma Sands, but he was never convicted.

People claim to have seen ashtrays knocked off tables, plates being broken on the floor, and even bottles flying off shelves. They say it’s the spirit of Elma Sands.

Old St. Patrick's Cathedral

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Church in New York City. There are supposedly two ghosts that haunt the cemetery that is connected to the church.

Pierre Toussaint is said to haunt this area. In the 19^th century he was a slave that became a hair dresser. The ghost of Bishop Dubois is also said to haunt the cemetery. He is buried right at the front entrance of the cathedral.

There have been reports of seeing the ghost of Bishop Dubois inside of the church.

One If By Land, Two If By Sea Resturant

This restaurant used to be Vice President Aaron Burr’s carriage house. He is famous for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11, 1804. There are many customers and restaurant employees that have claimed to see flying dishes, and chairs being pulled out from people. They think that the activity is do to the ghost of Aaron Burr.

Aaron Burr had a daughter named Theodosia Burr Alston. She disappeared off of the coast of North Carolina on a trip to New York to see her father. People say that she also haunts the carriage house. The female customers claim that the ghost of Theodosia removes their earrings when they sit at the bar.

St. Paul's Chapel Burial Ground

George Frederick Cook an English actor who died in September 1811, is buried at the Episcopal Church’s Cemetery. After donating his head to science to pay for doctor bills, George Frederick Cook has been buried headless. It is said that in the productions of Hamlet, his skull was used as a prop in the movie. People say that when walking past the cemetery at night they see a headless man walking around.

Trinity Church

Trinity Church Burial Ground is one of the oldest in New York City. People have reported hearing laughter near one of the tombstones in the cemetery late at night. No one is sure which tombstone the laughter actually comes from.

Washington Square Park

During the American Revolution, Washington Square Park was used as a hanging ground. There are also 15,000 bodies buried on the grounds of Washington Square Park, because it used to be used as a burial ground. There many claims to see apparitions walking around the park late at night.

Staten Island Monastery

Since its closing in the late 1960's and again in the mid-1980's, the St. Augustine Monastery on Staten Island, NY as it was originally named, has become a hot topic of interest for both paranormal investigators and urban exploration.

The monastery was once used as a school house before being converted into a spiritual retreat in its later decades. Activity reported from those who have entered the abandoned building range from hearing moaning echoes and loud noises as well as extreme temperature drops, all closely associated with the paranormal.

The urban legends which have come to surround this decaying landmark remain closely related and share similar aspects in their telling. Agreed upon by most of the monastery enthusiasts is the fact that the structure, though only rising a few stories from the ground, in fact continues for many levels beneath the surface where horrible atrocities were believed to have taken place. Some say that there was a great fire back when the building served as a school house, trapping a number of children underground in the lower levels,. However there is no sign of fire damage nor city record of such an event.

Additionally, it is said that in the time where the monastery was used for spiritual recluse, there was a monk who was driven insane and would drag his fellow spiritualists down into the basement to torture them and eventually murdered them. The exact number of underground levels is not known for certain, though it has been rumored to descend for 20 or so sublevels.

First hand accounts of the structure in its modern standing state that the main basement level is flooded, leaving no possibility for further exploration.

The House of Death

This building was constructed in the 19^th century. People claim that there have been 22 deaths in this house and all 22 spirits haunt this house. Mark twain also stayed in this house from 1900-1901 and it is said that he haunts the stairwell of this house. In more recent times, in 1987 Jessica Steinberg died in this house by getting beaten to death by her adopted father Joel Steinberg, who was later convicted for murder. It's infamous history has earned it the name "The House of Death".