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The modern electricity grid began in Lower Manhattan on September 4, 1882 when Thomas Edison started up the first grid based electric system with a power plant located on Pearl Street. This trip/talk will focus on how this happened and its implications for New York City. It will also discuss two other important figures from this time. Nikola Tesla, who had a laboratory at 89 Liberty Street, and JP Morgan who had an Edison electric generator in his house at 35th and Madison Avenue. It will end at 47th and Madison where Tesla gave a famous talk on electricity on May 20, 1891.

Because of the distance, and because Jane Jacobs loved to bike, this will be a bike ride and not a walk.