Places

Within the Alienist books, many well-known places around New York are used as settings for the stories. Here you are able to find some detail on the places visited within the books.

Click the links below to navigate the places section of the site.
Maps | Houses & Offices | Other Locations

Maps

Map of Manhattan

Within New York City, the primary centre for all events within the books is the Borough of Manhattan. Here at 17thstreet.net, a map of many of the key book settings has been put together for easy reference using an original map of Manhattan from the late 1800s. You can view the map by clicking on the link below. Please note that it will appear as a large image file.

Map of Key Locations in Manhattan

Map of Ballston Spa

Within The Angel of Darkness, the team visit the town of Ballston Spa to conduct a large portion of their research and to present evidence in Libby Hatch's trial. The town is located in Saratoga County, NY. Historically, it was first settled in 1771 and derived its name in part from the founder of the town, Reverend Eliphalet Ball, and in part from a mineral water spring located within it that was believed to be "pure, healthy, and medicinal".¹ It also featured the Sans Souci Hotel which was the largest hotel in the United States in the early 1800s.² Within the books, the town is described as follows.

The Angel of Darkness, 330:

The train depot sat just below a hill what separated the industrial parts of the town from the homes of the local swells. On top of said hill ran what some imaginative mug had named High Street, where most of the town's churches, along with the country offices, were located. The station building itself wasn't much to look at, just a long, low structure of the type you generally find in such places [...]

Due to its importance, a map of the town highlighting key book settings has been put together for reference. This is based off an 1865 map but as the town’s layout had not changed significantly by 1897, it was thought that it would still be suitable. You can view the map by clicking on the link below. Please note that it will appear as a large image file.

Map of Key Locations in Ballston Spa

References

1. Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, "History of the Villages and Towns of Saratoga County: Village of Ballston Spa", History of Saratoga County, New York 1878. Link.
2. Wikipedia, "Ballston Spa, New York" 10 Mar. 2008. Link.