Go Bronx Podcast

In this final episode of Go Bronx Pod, Angel and Olga go back in time and highlight some of their favorite Bronx stories from the history of Jonas Bronck (ep. 1) to great Bronx Stories About Famous People (ep. 17). It’s been fun sharing Bronx History…Bronx Stories…Bronx People with our listeners. Plus, we have been nominated for a Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Limited Series. Please vote for us so that The Bronx can represent. The deadline is May 6. Vote here: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/features/best-limited-series Thank you for listening always!!

Learn about how The Bronx established its transportation infrastructure throughout the centuries from canoes to trollies to commuter trains and buses. 

In 1977, The Bronx Walk of Fame was established to lift the spirits of Bronxites and fill them with pride by honoring the sons and daughters of The Bronx who have made significant accomplishments and contributed the society through their respective fields. Today there are over 120 inductees, many have their street signs displayed along the historic Grand Concourse. There are plans in place to redesign and replace the signs to give the Grand Concourse a fresh new look. To see a list of Bronx Walk of Fame inductees, go here: http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/bronx-walk-of-fame/ Also, you can find some of The Bronx Merch we wear while recording our podcast in any of these places: https://georgerafael.com/ https://www.bronxnative.com/ Follow DJ Sam Real on Instagram for a sample of his line  @djsam_real For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to https://gobxpod.podbean.com/

Did you know that Lincoln Hospital began as a school for “colored nurses?” Or that the first Black jockey competed (and won) at the Jerome Racetrack? What African American notables are interred in Woodlawn and St. Raymond’s cemetery? New York was built on the backs of Black enslaved people. Many fought in the Revolutionary War and even spied for General George Washington. In honor of Black History Month, we delve into the history of Black people in The Bronx and honor the legacy of our brothers and sisters. Find out more in this episode. You can find some of The Bronx Merch we wear while recording our podcast in any of these places: https://georgerafael.com/ https://www.bronxnative.com/ Follow DJ Sam Real on Instagram for a sample of his line  @djsam_real For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to https://gobxpod.podbean.com/

Did you know The Bronx was slated to have an airport way before Queens’ LaGuardia? Olga Luz and Angel delve into how the proposed Curtiss Airport would have changed the entire landscape of the borough.Here is a research link https://www.earlyaviators.com/as01.htmFor more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

Where in The Bronx is Highbridgeville, Adamsville and Connersville? Do you know anyone who lives in the Dangerville or Actorsville section? Historian Angel Hernández and host Olga Luz Tirado take us on a tour of  neighborhoods that no longer exist.   For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

Way before PS5 and air conditioning, summertime meant outdoor fun. In years past, how did Bronx families spend their free time and what little disposable income they had during the hottest months? The borough was once home to several amusement parks offering Bronxites plenty of options for family-friendly entertainment during the dog days of summer. Olga Luz and Angel have a conversation with Mike Virgintino, author of Freedomland USA: The Definitive History, who tells us about one of the most remembered and cherished theme parks by a myriad of Baby Boomers.For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

The Bronx is one of the more diverse boroughs of New York City. The Latin American influence dates back to the 19th century.  Latinos and Latinas have made significant economic contributions to the borough from sports, the arts and social justice. Today the LatinX community makes up a majority of The Bronx’s population. For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/We also reference the Hip Hop Museum. Click here for more info. www.uhhm.org 

The Bronx is home to two historic cemeteries: St. Raymond and the historic landmark and arboretum Woodlawn Cemetery. Notables are interred in both of those cemeteries and Woodlawn gives tours sharing those stories. But there are other gravesites that hold secrets to the history of the borough. In this episode we talk about those burial grounds, some dating back to the 17th century, and many hold secrets of the borough’s history. For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

We compiled a group of celebrities with ties to The Bronx and are sharing some little-known stories about them. Is General Colin Powell bilingual? Where was Joe Pesci working when he was “discovered?” We even talk about a few famous neighbors who coincidentally became known in the exact same industry. What was in the water? For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/Here are a few more linksGeneral Colin Powell interviewed on CUNY TVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-apiFO1tEQGeorge Carlin’s speech at Cardinal Hayes High School April 23, 1983https://vimeo.com/26686044

What influence did the French movement “ARTS DÉCORATIFS” have on The Bronx? We talk to Anthony Robins, Vice President of the Art Deco Society of New York and explore this architectural marvel throughout the Grand Concourse and beyond. If you want to know more about Art Deco, go to ArtDeco.org. For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

The Bronx has a rich history of beer brewing. Angel and Olga Luz explore the Bavarian brew masters that made their way to the borough in the mid-19th century bringing their traditions to the new world. One of the beer brewing families even produced the first Bronx Borough President.For more Go Bronx Pod episodes go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

When Jonas Bronck arrived in what became The Bronx in 1639, there was already a Native American civilization of culture and norms that had taken root many years before. This episode gives us a snapshot of that experience as we discuss the history of the borough before European colonization.  For more Bronx Stories go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

In the 17th and 18th century, the landowners of some of the mansions still standing in The Bronx were built by enslaved people. In this episode Olga Luz is joined by Laura Carpenter-Myers, director of the Van Cortlandt House Museum to pay tribute to some of those people by name. The Enslaved People’s Project is an initiative of the Van Cortlandt House Museum, the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, the Kingsbridge Historical Society, a Kingsbridge/Riverdale community coalition, and Manhattan College students. For more Bronx Stories go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/

From quaint farmhouses to Georgian Manor Architecture with Greek Revival interiors, learn about some of the historic homes of The Bronx and the famous people who lived or visited there. A few were homes to famous poets and writers. Some famous residents even played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. For more Bronx Stories go to http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/home/gobronxpod/ 

The Bronx is the Borough of Parks, The Borough of Hip Hop, The Borough of Salsa, and, as it turns out, the Borough of ISLANDS. Some were used as prisons, asylums, or burial grounds. And one is a thriving community with the best seafood in New York City.In this episode we explore a handful of over 20 islands that make up The Bronx Archipelago.

Voter Registration and turnout is the highest ever despite a global pandemic. The citizenry is demanding to be heard and partisanship abounds. Voter turnout in The Bronx was so great that some officials asked the board of elections for additional voting booths. One-third of the entire registered vote had been polled by 10 o’clock in the morning. Double lines had been forming in front of most of the voting places and some districts were overwhelmed. This was the scene in November of 1920, one hundred years ago. In this episode, we go back in time with Susan Olsen, Director of Historical Services for Woodlawn Cemetery where well-known suffragette movement leaders Carrie Chapman Catt and Mary Garrett Hay are interred.

The Bronx is home to many monuments and statues. What is the history behind them? What famous family of carvers were responsible for many of the most iconic symbols in New York City? Is Lady Justice truly “blind” in The Bronx? Also, during the Revolutionary War… did General George Washington sleep in The Bronx?

The Bronx is called “The Borough of Parks” because one quarter of the borough’s landmass is parkland. We discuss the history of parks in The Bronx from Pelham Bay to Van Cortlandt. Also, what’s the story behind The Grand Concourse, one of the borough’s busiest boulevards?  

In this episode we learn about Leonard Walter Jerome, financier, philanthropist, and grandfather to one of the most influential figures in global history. From humble beginnings on a farm in upstate New York, he left a Bronx and overall New York City legacy, which includes Jerome Avenue, the Jerome reservoir, and Belmont Racetrack.Want more Bronx? go to ILovetheBronx.com

A lot of things were made in The Bronx, but did you know that the borough was also the birthplace of one iconic crime stopper? He was brought to life by two Bronx residents living along the Grand Concourse, one an illustrator, and the other a storyteller. We interview Marc Tyler Nobleman, author of Bill The Boy Wonder as he tells us the story of the unsung hero behind the superhero – BATMAN!

Let’s visit The Bronx Zoo and learn the pivotal role this iconic institution played in saving an animal from extinction. Also, we talk to a Wildlife Conservation Society executive on how they helped establish the American Bison as the official mammal of the United States. Why is The Bronx “el condado de la salsa?” It’s all here in episode 5.  

Go Bronx Pod brings one of literature’s most prolific writers – Edgar Allan Poe back to life. This show reveals why the “inventor of detective fiction” relocated to The Bronx (the country) with his wife/cousin and mother-in-law/aunt in May of 1846. While living in The Bronx Poe authored “The Bells,” “Annabel Lee,” and “Ulalume.” 

The Bronx was home to one of the most infamous crime bosses of the early 20th century. Arthur Flegenheimer, AKA Dutch Schultz, was a bootlegger, numbers runner and cold-blooded killer. In episode three of Go Bronx Pod, we learn about this ruthless mobster’s life in The Bronx. We also talk about the brief time presidential assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, lived in the borough and how a dedicated Bronxite helped capture the Lindbergh baby’s kidnapper. What is a “Bronx Cheer?” Find out in this week's episode of Go Bronx Pod.

The Morrisania section of The Bronx is named after one of the country’s founding fathers and author of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. In this episode we discuss the life of Gouverneur Morris and his contributions to Bronx neighborhoods like Mott Haven, Morrisania, Port Morris, and more. We will also learn who is the inspiration for Max Fleischer’s cartoon “Betty Boop.” Or will we? For more information on past and future episodes, visit GoBronxPod.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GoBxPod

The Beginning: The story of a Swedish-born immigrant who came to the “new world” in 1639 and bought land along a river. It was soon be known as Jonas Bronck’s river and eventually, the Bronx River. In this episode we will tackle a few misconceptions about how The Bronx became The Bronx and learn of the story of the Bronck family legacy. We will also learn why The Bronx is known as “The Boogie Down.”  For more info on past and future episodes, go to GoBronxPod.com 

The Bronx Tourism Council (BTC) has announced the launch of the new weekly podcast covering Bronx history…Bronx people…Bronx stories.Go Bronx Podcast, a 30 to 40 minute show is hosted by Olga Luz Tirado, executive director of BTC and co-hosted by Bronx-born historian Angel Hernández. Together they will cover a wide range of historic topics and conduct interviews with Bronx cultural leaders and notables.