The Cathedral Basilica of St. James

I happened to stop by here and randomly ended up at mass. It was awe inspiring. The stained glass is stunning. The alter is very beautiful and the seats are very well maintained. It is nicer than most churches I encounter around the city.
Def recommend a visit if you are into churches and faith.

This is not your patron saint’s basilica, it is distinctly New York.
A beautiful piece of history, tucked away in Vinegar Hill, behind the labyrinthine twists and turns of the expressway entrances, from the outside it looks narrow and small but it opens up to vaulted ceilings and a very long centre aisle. The light colored stone and marble create a nice lighting effect when the light bounces off of it and fills the room. The pipe organ is just for display, from the sound of things a modern organ is used in services.
For weddings, they allowed for bringing in a priest from the family parish (a different diocese) and required all the usual pre cana, donation, etc. I think if you wanted, they would also be okay with bringing in your own musician/​singer/​organist.
St. James was the first Catholic church on Long Island and was founded in 1822 and a year later the first Catholic cemetery on Long Island was established at St. James.
It was made a basilica by Pope JP2 in the 90s, which is kindof a big deal.