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The New York City skyline is one of the most recognizable, but it’s also ever-changing — and beyond the skyscrapers, there are countless other impressive feats of NYC architecture. If you find yourself wandering the boroughs, simply take a look up, down, and all around you to see the city’s history. Coming prepared with cannabis products from The Travel Agency’s menu is a great way to take your architectural sightseeing tour to new heights.

The Wyckoff House

5816 Clarendon Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11203

The Wyckoff House is the oldest structure in New York, and it calls Brooklyn home. This humble farmhouse was built in approximately 1652, making it older than this country, and is now open as a museum. While you can step into the past in its interior, the outside today serves as a functioning garden, with a farmstand on Saturdays from July to October.

Bridge Cafe

279 Water St, New York, NY 10038

The Bridge Cafe is the most historic wooden building in Manhattan. It may appear to have gotten its name from its location next to the Brooklyn Bridge, but it was standing for almost a century before the Brooklyn Bridge’s 1883 opening.

Its walls have seen quite a bit of history: The building started as a grocery store but has been a brothel and home to various restaurants. It has been closed since it sustained damage amid Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but you can stand outside it and appreciate its all-wood facade anytime.

Fraunces Tavern

54 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004

Fraunces Tavern serves up quite a menu today, but it used to be New York Mayor Stephanus van Cortlandt’s home back in 1671. Then, it was sold to Samuel Fraunces, hence its name.

Its biggest claim to fame, though, is that it’s where George Washington delivered his Farewell Address to his officers on December 4, 1783, nine days after the Revolutionary War ended. Step inside for modern design that honors this historic location’s original features with vast arches, or gaze at the small exterior pillars that evoke olden times.

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower

1 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower (different from the tall, rectangular MetLife skyscraper) was built from 1905 to 1909. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in the world.

This building was designed to represent its namesake company’s integrity and was featured in magazines and on cereal boxes, coffee packets, and cars, sometimes with the slogan “The Light That Never Fails.” The clock face between the 25th and 27th floors on all four sides of the building’s tower is an NYC architecture must-see.

The Woolworth Building

233 Broadway, New York, NY 10007

When the Woolworth Building was completed in 1913, it took The Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower’s place as the world’s tallest building. Though not still NYC’s highest sight, it remains a favorite among NYC architecture aficionados.

There’s a magic to how the Woolworth’s wider bottom portion condenses into a narrower column toward the top. The contrast between its classical materials and the modern glass of nearby buildings makes it all the more gorgeous.

E. V. Haughwout Building

488 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

The E. V. Haughwout Building was the first with a commercial passenger elevator, with a speed of 0.67 feet per second, much slower than today’s elevators. Although the E.V. Haughwout Building was set for demolition to accommodate the Lower Manhattan Expressway, this highway never came to be.

Today, the E. V. Haughwout Building remains completely intact and is a historic landmark. The tall, narrow arches surrounding its windows stand out beautifully from the standard rectangular features in most of the surrounding structures.

75½ Bedford Street

75½ Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

When you think of NYC architecture, “big” and “tall” might come to mind. 75½ Bedford Street in the West Village is different — it’s the narrowest house in New York. Built in the West Village in 1873, the interior of the home ranges from eight feet and seven inches in width to just two inches.

A few artists and actors have lived here, including Cary Grant, John Barrymore, and William Steig. There’s a fireplace on each of the three levels, and the only storage is beneath the first-floor stairwell. But even from the outside, this tiny house stands out as an unforgettable Manhattan sight.

Hess Triangle

110 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014

While not technically a building, the Hess Triangle tells the story of what was once a building. It may well be the ultimate symbol of Manhattanite stubbornness.

In 1910, landowner David Hess continuously battled the New York City government when around 300 buildings were to be demolished to widen the city street and broaden subway access. In the process, he was forced to give up an apartment building he owned.

After his death, his estate identified a small corner of the seized property that was excluded from city ownership. The Hess Triangle marks this 500-square-inch corner, making it the smallest plot that could technically be used to build a structure in New York. The Hess estate has never dedicated this land for any public purposes.

Staple Street Skybridge

9 Jay St, New York, NY 10013

Another tiny but mighty architectural feat in New York is the Staple Street Skybridge. The titular street once connected two towers of a hospital back when ambulances were horse-powered. Today, the bridge connects a condo unit to a townhouse.

Staple Street certainly isn’t a name with the level of prestige or exposure of Houston Street or Seventh Ave — after all, it’s only two blocks long. It’s tucked away in Tribeca, parallel to Greenwich Avenue and Hudson Street, spanning Duane Street to Harrison Street. Despite how narrow and little-known the street is, plenty of architecture lovers regularly head here to see the skybridge and be transported back to a different time.

Pairing your history excursion with cannabis

There’s so much to see in the vast world of New York architecture. Pairing your adventure with cannabis may help you truly experience it all. Here are some pairing tips to keep in mind.

• Start low and go slow. It’s always better to be not elevated enough than to reach the stratosphere, even if you’ll be looking up a lot. Always consume a small cannabis dose to start, then wait till after the usual onset time passes. Then, if you want stronger effects, feel free to consume more.

• Shop only at licensed dispensaries. Only these dispensaries, such as The Travel Agency, sell products that undergo state-mandated cannabis lab testing to ensure their potency and quality. A teal QR code near or at the entrance that directs you to the NYS dispensary verification tool signifies a licensed dispensary.

• Study up before. While you may see some of these buildings every day, knowing their history can help you appreciate them so much more. As you brush up on this all, you should do the same for rules about cannabis consumption in the city. After all, although cannabis is legal, you can’t smoke weed anywhere in NYC. Know where you can light up and where you can’t, or choose edibles or vapes for convenient, discreet travels.

Experience the best NYC architecture with The Travel Agency

If you’re looking for something other than the Chrysler Building or Empire State Building to show your loved ones when they’re visiting, take your NYC architecture tour off the beaten path. Start at The Travel Agency, where NYC’s best cannabis products await amid stunning interior design and striking modern-day architectural achievements. You can find us on Fifth Avenue in Midtown East or in SoHo, Union Square, and Downtown Brooklyn. Come take a tour.