Podcasts about Bowery boys

When Prospect Park was first opened to the public in the late 1860s, the City of Brooklyn was proud to claim a landmark as beautiful and as peaceful as New York's Central Park. But the superstar landscape designers — Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux — weren't finished.This park came with two grand pleasure drives, wide boulevards that emanated from the north and south ends of the park. Eastern Parkway, the first parkway in the United States, is the home of the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, its leafy pedestrian malls running through the neighborhood of Crown Heights. But it's Ocean Parkway that is the most unusual today, an almost six-mile stretch which takes drivers, bikers, runners and (at one point) horse riders all the way to Coney Island, at a time when people were just beginning to appreciate the beach's calming and restorative values.Due to its wide, straight surface, Ocean Parkway even became an active speedway for fast horses. When bicycles became all the rage in the late 1880s, they also took to the parkway and avid cyclists eventually got their first bike lane in 1894 — the first in the United States.FEATURING: A tale of two cemeteries — one that was demolished to make way for one parkway, and another which apparently (given its ‘no vacancy' status) thrives next to another.  Get your tickets for the Bowery Boys Evening Cruise of New York Harbor by visiting Like Minds TravelVisit the website for more information about other Bowery Boys episodes

NYC has a long history, filled with (unsurprisingly) MANY ghosts. So we called in an expert to tell us about them: Greg from The Bowery Boys discusses his favorite ghost stories and urban legends from over 18 (!!!) years of podcasting about the history of NYC!Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, murder, organized crime, child endangerment, kidnapping, ableism, and animal death.GuestGreg Young is the co-host and producer of The Bowery Boys, a podcast exploring the rich and sophisticated history of NYC, everything from the arrival of Henry Hudson to the shores of Mannahatta to the arrival of hipsters to the shores of Williamsburg. Housekeeping- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests' books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out our merch store, where we're running a sale on pins and stickers!- Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344Sponsors- BetterHelp is an online therapy service. Get 10% off your first month at https://betterhelp.com/spiritsFind Us Online- Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com- Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast- Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch- Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast- Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com- Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast- Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.com- Goodreads: goodreads.com/group/show/205387Cast & Crew- Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin- Editor: Bren Frederick- Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman- Multitude: multitude.productionsAbout UsSpirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On October 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford walked into a press conference at the National Press Club and, using more precise, more eloquent words than legend remembers, but in no uncertain terms, told New York City that the federal government was not going to bail it out.The following day the New York Daily News -- the city's first tabloid newspaper summarized his blunt, castigating speech into one succinct and memorable headline -- FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.Of course, the president never literally said DROP DEAD. But his words did signal the severity of New York City's problem -- the city was on the brink of bankruptcy. In this episode, Greg dives into life in New York City during the year 1975 and the circumstances surrounding its most dire financial crisis, one which threatened the livelihoods of its millions of residents and damaged New York City's reputation for decades.Directors Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn join Greg to discuss their new film on the New York financial crisis Drop Dead City, which uses gritty archival footage and a series of special guests (such as Harrison J. Goldin, Charlie Rangel, Betsy Gotbaum and former Bowery Boys guest Kevin Baker) to explain this complicated story. If Michael's name looks familiar, that's because his father Felix Rohatyn played a critical role in bailing out the bankrupt city.Visit the website for more informationMore information on DROP DEAD CITY here 

Join us for an interview with Instagram historian Keith Taillon (@keithyorkcity), whose detailed posts about New York's history have earned him nearly 60,000 followers and launched a successful tour business.Keith shares the story behind his remarkable pandemic project of walking every single block of Manhattan in 2020, capturing the empty city in photographs that now appear in his first book, "Walking New York: Manhattan History on Foot."From his childhood fascination with urban history to his graduate studies at Hunter College, Keith reveals how his personal journey led him to become one of the city's most engaging historical storytellers. You'll hear how he crafts walking tours that go beyond landmark-hopping to explain why New York looks and functions the way it does.Plus: Listen to Keith's appearances on The Gilded Gentleman Podcast episodes on The Real Mamie Fish, The Hidden World of Gramercy Park, and a Gilded Age Tour up Manhattan.   Visit the Bowery Boys website and become a member of the show at Patreon.com/BoweryBoys.

This week The Frick Collection will reopen its doors to the public after a renovation and restoration of nearly five years and a cost of $220 million dollars. Visitors will again see the elegant Beaux Arts mansion once occupied by Gilded Age industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his wife and daughter. They will also see the priceless collection of masterworks of art from the Renaissance through the 19th century, much of acquired by Frick himself. In this episode, a companion show to the Bowery Boys "House of Beauty: The Story of the Frick Collection", Carl talks with managing educator Caitlin Henningsen about her work researching the domestic staff who worked in the mansion, just who they were and what their roles in the household were. They also speak about how Frick thought about blending art with domestic space in several of his homes and what he wanted to achieve with this mansion before it became a museum after his death in 1919.  Caitlin and Carl also discuss, thanks to extraordinary archival records,  how the Fricks entertained in a grand Gilded Age style in the very dining room visitors see today.   Find PART ONE over at the Bowery Boys podcast House of Beauty: The Story of the Frick Collection

It's one of the most foundational questions we could ever ask on this show -- how did New York City get its name?You may know that the English conquered the Dutch settlement of New Netherland (and its port town of New Amsterdam) in 1664, but the details of this history-making day have remained hazy -- until now.Russell Shorto brought the world of New Amsterdam and the early years before New York to life in his classic history The Island At The Center of The World. His new book Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America functions as a sequel of sorts, revisiting the moment when New Amsterdam ceased to be -- and New York was born.Shorto joins Greg and Tom for a very spirited discussion of international warfare, displaced princes, frantic letter writing and ominous warships in the harbor.At the end of this story, you will not only know how New York -- the city, the state, the whole place, from Buffalo to Long Island -- got its name, you will know the exact forgotten historical figure who gave it that name.Visit the Bowery Boys website for more information. Get Russell Shorto's new book Taking ManhattanThis episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

Send us a textEpisode 183William Poole ~ The Butcher of the Five PointsNew York City, March 8th 1855. The streets of Lower Manhattan are a battleground of politics, power, and blood. At the heart of it all is William Poole—a gang leader, a prizefighter, a political enforcer, and a man whose very name struck fear into his enemies.That man is about to draw his last.Born into a butcher's family, Poole carved out his own empire, not with a cleaver but with his fists and his ruthless ambition. As leader of the Bowery Boys, he was a fierce advocate for the Know-Nothing Party, a group that thrived on nativist fear and anti-immigrant violence. He terrorized his rivals, clashed with the notorious Dead Rabbits, and made enemies in the city's most dangerous circles. But in the end, it wasn't the streets that took him down—it was a bullet.Who was William Poole? A patriot? A villain? Or just another product of a city where survival meant being the meanest man in the room?This is the story of William Poole—the Butcher of the Five Points.Support the showInsta@justpassingthroughpodcastContact:justpassingthroughpodcast@gmail.com

The Dead End Kids, Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids and the Bowery Boys.Get all the news you need by listening to WBZ NewsRadio 1030 on the free #iHeartRadio app! Or ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio.

Belle da Costa Greene is a truly unique historical figure. As the librarian of Gilded Age financier J.P Morgan's extraordinary personal collection of rare books, manuscripts and historical objects,  Greene was one of the most visible and formidable players in the art world of the early 20th century.  She sourced precious objects from major galleries and at auction not only in New York, but also throughout Europe with her deep expertise and drive.  As Belle competed regularly against other major collectors in this male dominated world and was covered regularly by the press, although much of her own personal story remained unknown or the subject of speculation. Belle was born into an affluent African-American family in Washington DC but upon moving North with her mother, she passed for white. With new research and curatorial insight, even more is now known about this exceptional woman and her role in creating one of the world's most important libraries and museum collections.   Carl is joined by Morgan Library and Museum curator Philip Palmer to discuss and delve into the world and life of Belle Da Costa Greene. This episode was edited by Kieran GannonVisit the Morgan Library and Museum and check out the Belle da Costa Greene exhibition (through May 4, 2025) And listen to the Bowery Boys podcast on the history of the Morgan Library and Museum

Greg and Tom have taken off their historian hats and have become -- movie critics? Close but not quite!This week we're giving you a 'sneak preview' of their Patreon podcast called Side Streets, a conversational show about New York City and, well, whatever interests them that week. In honor of the Academy Awards, the Bowery Boys hosts pay homage to the great Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert while looking at five award-worthy films with strong New York City connections:-- Anora with its captivating south Brooklyn locations-- A Complete Unknown, taking us back 1960s Greenwich Village -- Wicked, a spritely interpretation of the Broadway musical-- The Brutalist, an epic about more than just architecture-- Saturday Night, a frenetic tribute to the comedy-show icon which turns 50 years old this yearTo listen to all episodes of Side Streets, support the Bowery Boys on Patreon This episode was edited by Kieran Gannon

Today on another encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to Gary Hall, son of comedian Huntz Hall. If you are a fan of The Bowery Boys or The Dead End Kids, you absolutely know Huntz by his trademark hat and his verbal and physical comedy. Along with his pal Leo Gorcey, Hall made countless films together – there were 48 alone for The Bowery Boys – and even appeared together on Broadway which kicked things off in 1935. They were so indelibly linked together that The Beatles wanted to put them both on the cover of their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band but only one of them is on there. Hear why on this episode! We also talk to Gary about his often strained if loving relationship with his father who was often at work and play so much there wasn't much of a bond between father and son. We discuss much of his film career including later films like The Phynx, Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood andValentino. We also discuss how Huntz and host Josh Mills' mother, actress Edie Adams starred in a production in the late 80s of the classic Arsenic and Old Lace along with Dody Goodman, Jonathan Frid and James Mac Arthur. Whoa, that a trip that would have been! Moreover, we get a dose of classic Hollywood upbringing when we discuss Gary's involvement with the school administration of The Oakwood School, which Josh attended and many of our podcast guests have come from. This is the Rarified Podcast. Everyone has a story.

One of America's first great Italian neighborhoods was once in East Harlem, once filled with more southern Italians than Sicily itself, a neighborhood almost entirely gone today except for a couple restaurants, a church and a long-standing religious festival.This is, of course, not New York's' famous "Little Italy," the festive tourist area in lower Manhattan built from another 19th-century Italian neighborhood on Mulberry Street. The bustling street life of old Italian Harlem exists mostly in memory now.If you wander around any modern American neighborhood with a strong Italian presence, you'll find yourself around people who can trace their lineage back through the streets of Italian Harlem. Perhaps that includes yourself.But it's not all warm nostalgia and fond recollections. Life could be quite hard in Italian Harlem, thanks to the nearby industrial environment, the deteriorating living conditions and the street crime, the early years of New York organized crime.So who were these first Italian settlers who left their homes for what would become a hard urban life in upper Manhattan? What drew them to the city? What traditions did they bring? And in the end, what did they leave behind, when so many moved out to the four corners of the United States?Visit the Bowery Boys website for more adventures into New York City historyThis show was produced by Kieran Gannon.Join us on Patreon for extra podcasts and lots of other goodiesShare your love of the city's history with a Bowery Boys Walks gift certificate! Our digital gift cards let your loved ones choose their perfect tour and date.Grab a Bowery Boys tee-shirt, mug or water bottle at our merchandise store.

A star of the New York City skyline is reborn -- the Waldorf Astoria is reopening in 2025! And so we thought we'd again raise a toast to one of the world's most famous hotels, an Art Deco classic attached to the Gilded Age's most prestigious name in luxury and refinement.Now, you might think you know this story -- the famous lobby clock, Peacock Alley, cocktail bars! -- but do we have some surprises for you.The Waldorf Astoria — once the Waldorf-Astoria and even the Waldorf=Astoria — has been a premier name in hotel accommodations since the opening of the very first edition on 34th Street and Fifth Avenue (the location of today's Empire State Building).But the history of the current incarnation on Park Avenue contains the twists and turns of world events, from World War II to recent diplomatic dramas. In essence, the Waldorf Astoria has become the world's convention center.Step past the extraordinary Art Deco trappings, and you'll find rooms which have hosted a plethora of important gatherings, not to mention the frequent homes to Hollywood movie stars.To celebrate the renovated hotel's reopening this spring, the Bowery Boys present a newly re-edited and re-mastered version of their original show from 2016.This show was re-edited and remastered by Kieran Gannon.Join us on Patreon for extra podcasts and lots of other goodiesShare your love of the city's history with a Bowery Boys Walks gift certificate! Our digital gift cards let your loved ones choose their perfect tour and date.Grab a Bowery Boys tee-shirt, mug or water bottle at our merchandise store.

There were very few history podcasts around back in the year 2008, but the Bowery Boys Podcast was certainly here ... and so was The Memory Palace, hosted by Nate DiMeo, presenting small, often forgotten vignettes from history in a descriptive, narrative format.In this special interview episode, Greg talks with Nate on the occasion of his new companion book "The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past" (Penguin Random House) which features many of his fable-like historical portraits, including many from New York City history -- from revolutionary amusements on Coney Island to less frequented corridors within the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAnd Greg and Nate go deep on the relationship between history and memory, on the reliability of memory to help us relive the past and how our own experiences can help fill in the gaps within histories that seem lost to us today. Featuring a couple of elephants, the Wallendas, Parks and Recreation, the X-Men, a very large painting of Versailles, and the big secret about the monster hiding in your closet right now.Listen to episodes of The Memory Palace here. it's also available on Spotify, Apple and the other podcast players, the same places you find the Bowery Boys. This episode was produced by Kieran Gannon. To donate to those affected by the California wildfires, head over to these verified fundraisers at GoFundMeJoin us on Patreon for extra podcasts and lots of other goodiesShare your love of the city's history with a Bowery Boys Walks gift certificate! Our digital gift cards let your loved ones choose their perfect tour and date.Grab a Bowery Boys tee-shirt, mug or water bottle at our merchandise store. 

Grace Church, a soaring neo-Gothic church built in 1846, still sits today at the famous bend in Broadway at 11th Street.  Throughout the 19th century it was the most fashionable church for old New York society, even when the elite moved up the island of Manhattan.   Grace represented the early world of the Astors, the Schermerhorns and other families who had their beginnings in the neighborhood around Lafayette Place. The church which has a vibrant congregation today was the scene over its history of many famous events including the christening of Edith Wharton in 1862, the wedding of Tom Thumb in 1863, the wedding of one of the most famous "million dollar princesses" Consuleo Yznaga, the future Duchess of Manchester in 1876 and the funeral of famed social arbiter Ward McAllister in 1895. In this episode from the archives of the Bowery Boys history podcast, Greg Young and Tom Meyers trace the history of this landmark church as well as pay a visit themselves for a talk with the Reverend Harry Krauss, Grace Church historian. For lots of historic images from this show, visit the Bowery Boys website.

 Greenwich Village is one of America's great music capitals, an extraordinary distinction for an old neighborhood of tenements, townhouses, dive bars and a college campus.So many musical titans of jazz, folk, pop and rock and roll got their start in the Village's many small nightclubs and coffeehouses, working alongside artists, writers, actors and comedians to create an American cultural mecca unlike any other.And it was here, on January 24, 1961, that a nineteen-year-old young man from Minnesota entered the fray -- Robert Zimmerman, otherwise known as Bob Dylan.The Village completely transformed the young folk singer into the voice of a generation, working out his transformation on the minuscule stages of the Gaslight, Cafe Wha? and Gerde's Folk City.But this show isn't strictly about Dylan's ascent to greatness, but the neighborhood -- the people, the streets, the basements! -- which cultivated artists like Dylan (and Billie Holiday and Nina Simone and Pete Seeger and Barbra Streisand and Joan Baez and so on.)PLUS: Bob Moses and Jane Jacobs stop by for a hootenanny (and a protest)Visit the website for a list of music credits, research sources and further listening ideasJoin us on Patreon for extra podcasts and lots of other goodiesShare your love of the city's history with a Bowery Boys Walks gift certificate! Our digital gift cards let your loved ones choose their perfect tour and date.Grab a Bowery Boys tee-shirt, mug or water bottle at our merchandise store.

The Rockettes are America's best known dance troupe — and a staple of the holiday season — but you may not know the origin of this iconic New York City symbol. For one, they're not even from the Big Apple!Formerly the Missouri Rockets, the dancers and their famed choreographer Russell Markert were noticed by theater impresario Samuel Rothafel, who installed them first as his theater The Roxy, then at one of the largest theaters in the world — Radio City Music Hall.The life of a Rockettes dancer was glamorous, but grueling; for many decades dancing not in isolated shows, but before the screenings of movies, several times a day, a different program each week. There was a very, very specific look to the Rockettes, a look that changed — and that was forced to change by cultural shifts — over the decades.This show is dedicated to the many thousands of women who have shuffled and kicked with the Rockettes over their many decades of entertainment, on the stage, the picket line or the Super Bowl halftime show.This show is a re-edited and remastered version of our 2014 show with a new introduction -- in honor of the upcoming 100th anniversary celebration of the dance troupe which would become the Rockettes.Join us on Patreon for extra podcasts and lots of other goodiesShare your love of the city's history with a Bowery Boys Walks gift certificate! Our digital gift cards let your loved ones choose their perfect tour and date.Grab a Bowery Boys tee-shirt, mug or water bottle at our merchandise store.

Brittany Kriegstein, breaking news reporter at WNYC / Gothamist, reports from the Liberty's ticker-tape parade on how the championship team and their fans are celebrating, and Greg Young, creator and co-host of the Bowery Boys podcast, talks about the history of ticker-tape parades in New York City.

On January 1, 1898, Greater New York was formed from the union of two cities – New York and Brooklyn, along with other towns and villages of the region, creating the five boroughs we know and love today. But each of those five boroughs brings their own unique histories and personalities. And so for this year's annual Bowery Boys Halloween Special, we thought we'd give each borough the spotlight – or rather the spooklight – to highlight the city's haunted landscape, from rural escapes to densely populated urban centers. Ghosts, you see, can manifest anywhere!And a special treat -- every single one of these ghost stories was sourced from actual newspaper and magazine reporting of their respective eras. Journalists on a ghost beat, finding ghostly activity in every corner of the city.The Bronx: The Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo doesn't seem like a haunted house, but when a sudden ghost whistling disturbs both man and beast alike, zoo directors call a meeting .... and a medium.Brooklyn: When a former hospital in Flatbush converts into a luxury apartment tower, horrifying poltergeists stop by to spook the new tenants. Is it all a ruse -- or something more sinister?Manhattan: The Russian mystic Madame Blavatsky attempts to divine the identity of a spooky ghost orb along the East River waterfront. Is it the apparition of the beloved watchman Old Shep?Queens: The 19th-century town of Flushing seemed overflowing with ghost stories! But none more notorious than the sight of three sword-wielding spirits at the Old Meeting House, the 17th-century house of worship with a few secrets under its foundations.Staten Island: A tombstone-nabbing ghoul at the Old Clove Cemetery in Concord decides to ride a trolley.Find the complete list of Bowery Boys ghost story podcasts here.Get tickets to our live Ghost Stories of Old New York podcast (Oct 29-31, 2024) at Joe's Pub here

Episode 232: 1943: Huntz Hall: Don't Kill Your Friends. Joe is joined by the very rev Gary Hall, son of legendary comedian Huntz Hall of Bowery Boys & Dead End Kids fame to discuss Huntz Hall in the 40's. Including his WW2 training video, Don't Kill Your Friends. We also discuss his friendship with Shemp Howard, his comparisons to the Beastie Boys, Milton Berle babysitting, his impression of a machine gun that got him cast, his church mentors Bing Crosby, Loretta Young and Jack Haley, as well as a fun little mob encounter. American Timelines is a member of the Queen City Podcast Network and a product of History for Jerks. Music by Matt Truman Ego Trip.

Ida Wood had a secret. Born Ida Mayfield in New Orleans, Ida moved to New York in the 1850s and through her marriage to Benjamin Wood, publisher of the New York Daily News, she entered society. By the 1870s, Ida's name was regularly found in the social columns of the city's newspapers. So why, in 1907, did Ida Wood cash in – withdrawing her fortune from the bank and then, along with her sister and daughter, retreat into a suite at the Herald Square Hotel… for decades?This is the story of a Gilded Age Belle turned recluse, who chose to withdraw from society while still living in the heart of it. It's also the story of the fortune hunters who circled around her in her final years. And most incredibly – it's the story of what happened next. Check out the Bowery Boys website for photos of Ida, Ben, the Herald Square Hotel, plus the "alternate ending" proposed by Joseph Cox, author of The Recluse of Herald Square.After listening to this episode, dive into these past shows with similar themes and locations-- Herald Square-- Fernando Wood-- When Longacre Square Became Times SquareThis episode is part of the Bowery Boys Season of Mysteries, running through September and October:-- The Ghosty Men: Inside the Collyer Mansion This episode was edited by Kieran Gannon

Send us a Text Message.In this Episode: Kelly is joined by historian Greg Young! He is one of the creators and hosts of the Bowery Boys podcast which he's been producing with his co-host Tom Meyers for over 17 Years! Join them as they talk about the history of podcasting itself! Learn how Greg's show, "The Bowery Boys" became one of the first podcasts! They talk about how the show has grown and changed over the years, and Greg talks about what he's learned doing the show for so long. Kelly and Greg then talk about some of their favorite episodes of the show. They cover the titanic, the Netherlands, freedom land, buffalo, and Ken Jennings! all in relation to the history of New York. Finally, Kelly asks Greg what he hopes people take away from his show, and asks him to talk about what he gets out of doing the show. And of course Greg tells us what it means to him to be a New Yorker.Because above all else; Greg Young is a New Yorker. 

One-two-three-four! The Ramones, a four-man rock band from Forest Hills, Queens, played the Bowery music club CBGB for the very first time on August 16, 1974.Not only would Joey, Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee reinvigorate downtown New York nightlife here -- creating a unique and energetic form of punk -- but they would join with a small group of musicians at CBGB to revolutionize American music in the 1970s.In this episode we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Ramones' first performances in downtown Manhattan. But this also a tribute to New York rock music of the 1970s and to the most famous rock-music club in America.CBGB & OMFUG officially stands for "Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers," and Hilly Kristal's legendary hole-in-the-wall music venue on the Bowery would be best defined by that "other music" -- namely punk, new wave and later hardcore.Over the course of 70 performances, the Ramones would perfect their sound and appearance on the ragged little stage here at CBGB, building upon musical influences like the local glam rock scene (The New York Dolls, Jayne County) and their own nostalgic callbacks to the Beatles.The mid-1970s CBGBs scene would produce other artists who would go on to mainstream, international fame -- Patti Smith, Television, the Talking Heads and Blondie. Not only would these artists become associated with the Bowery, but most of them would live on the surrounding streets.On this special episode, Greg is joined by an incredible roster of guests including Ramones record producer and engineer Ed Stasium; longtime CBGBs fixture BG Hacker; tour guide and Ramones fan Ann McDermott and music historian Jesse Rifkin, author of This Must Be The Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City.Visit the website for more information and imagesSee the Bowery Boys live at Joe's Pub this October!After listening to this show, check out the Bowery Boys podcasts on the history of the East Village:#416 Creating the East Village#417 Walking the East Village  

Follow along with Greg and Tom in this stand-alone travelogue episode as they visit several historic cities and towns in the Netherlands -- Utrecht, De Bilt, Breukelen and Haarlem -- wandering through cafe-filled streets and old cobblestone alleyways, the air ringing with church bells and street music.But of course, their mission remains the same as the past three episodes. For there are traces of Dutch culture and history all over New York City -- through the names of boroughs, neighborhoods, streets and parks.From Spuyten Duyvil Creek flowing into the Harlem River along the Bronx shoreline to New Utrecht, Gravesend and Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn. All of those place names can be traced to the Dutch presence of New Amsterdam and New Netherland.In the final Bowery Boys episode recorded in the Netherlands, Tom and Greg head to several places that have unique links to the New York City area, mostly through Dutch colonial connections made in the 17th century.Utrecht -- The medieval city with its unique canal wharves and monastery courtyards that may be the bicycle capital of the world. What are its connections to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn?Breukelen -- How did this charming, quiet old town on the Vecht River become the namesake of the borough of Brooklyn? Both places have "Brooklyn Bridges." But there are a couple of other surprising parallels.De Bilt -- The ancestral home of the Vanderbilt family, can Tom find one of their 17th-century ancestors among the stones of an old cemetery?Haarlem -- Manhattan's Harlem remains one of America's cultural centers, and the rustic Dutch city that inspired its name also has cultural riches aplenty -- from its museums to its historic windmill Molen de Adriaan.WITH -- Mysterious pharmaceuticals, pedal boat misadventures, ghostly apparitions and Aperol Spritzes!PLUS: The s pecial link between Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter and New York City's Lower East Side -- through pickles Visit the website for images of their journeyFollow Instagram to see reels from their trip

Hey! It's the Bowery Boys! Today we welcome a podcasting Hall of Famer, 2024 Webby Award Honoree, a history buff to challenge all history buffs, our esteemed ambassador from New York Greg Young! With his co-host Tom Meyers, his podcast The Bowery Boys is now on their 17th year telling the story of New York from Pre-colonization to modern day. We're lucky enough to have Greg spotlight Mad Men with us and also give us his take on the portrayal of New York City, the city in other media, and how he brought his fascination of the Big Apple to life on his podcast. Tune in for our chat with Greg in the first 39:09. What can we say about Mad Men that you don't already know? The dozens of awards, the 8 years of critical acclaim, it's appointment viewing TV status that reigned almost since episode one. Matthew Weiner took a group of purposely non-famous actors and turned the entire bunch into A-listers. Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Christian Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser, and Kiernan Shipka to name a few. Join our deep dive on the birth of this show, the emergence of cocktail culture, and so much more. Check and subscribe to the Bowery Boys anywhere you listen to podcast. While you are at it check out some episode picks from Greg himself, their recent Park Avenue show (https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2024/04/up-and-down-park-avenue-new-york-city-history-with-a-penthouse-view.html) which goes into a few landmarks that have been in Mad Men, or the Miss Subways show  (https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2023/06/the-story-of-miss-subways-queens-of-the-new-york-commute.html) which is about a 1940s ad campaign that could have been dreamed up by Don Draper.  Hosts Greg Young (Co-Pilot) Geoff Kerbis Max Singer Rich Inman --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pilotslicense/support

Announcing an epic new Bowery Boys mini series -- The Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands. Exploring the connections between New York City and that fascinating European country.Simply put, you don't get New York City as it is today without the Dutch who first settled here 400 years ago. The names of Staten Island, Broadway, Bushwick, Greenwich Village and the Bronx actually come from the Dutch. And the names of places like Brooklyn and Harlem come from actual Dutch cities and towns.Over the course of several weekly shows, we'll dig deeper into the history of those Dutch settlements in New Amsterdam and New Netherland -- from the first Walloon settlers to the arrival of Peter Stuyvesant.But we'll be telling that story not from New York, but from the other side of the Atlantic, in the Netherlands.Walking the streets of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities, searching for clues. Uncovering new revelations and new perspectives on the Dutch Empire, And finding surprising relationships between New York and Amsterdam.For this series we visited Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Haarlem and more places with ties to New York. We kick off this mini series next week (June 7). talking with the man who literally wrote the book on New Amsterdam -- Russell Shorto (The Island at the Center of the World)That's the Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands. Coming soon.June 7 The New Amsterdam ManJune 14 Adventures in the Netherlands Part OneJune 21 Adventures in the Netherlands Part TwoJune 28 Adventures in the Netherlands Part ThreeJuly 4 Adventures in the Netherlands Part Four 

The New York City subway system turns 120 years old later this year so we thought we'd honor the world's longest subway system with a supersized overview history -- from the first renegade ride in 1904 to the belated (but sorely welcomed) opening of one portion of the Second Avenue Subway in 2017.New Yorkers like Alfred Ely Beach had envisioned a subway system for the city as early as the 1870s. Yet years of political delay and a lack of funding ensured that dreams of an underground transit would languish. It wasn't until the mid-1890s that the city got on track with the help of August Belmont and the newly formed Interborough Rapid Transit.We'll tell you about the construction of the first line, traveling miles underground through Manhattan and into the Bronx. How did the city cope with this massive project? And what unfortunate accident nearly ripped apart a city block mere feet from Grand Central?You'll also find out how something as innocuous sounding as the ‘Dual Contracts' actually became one of the most important events in the city's history, creating new underground passages into Brooklyn, the Bronx and (wondrously!) Queens.Then we'll talk about the city's IND line, which completes our modern track lines and gives the subway its modern sheen.Through it all, the New York City subway system is a masterwork of engineering and construction. In particular, after listening to this show, you won't look at the Herald Square subway station the same way again.Today's episode is a remastered and re-edited edition of two 2011 Bowery Boys podcasts, featuring newly recorded material to take the story to the present day.Visit the website for more information and images FURTHER LISTENINGOther Bowery Boys podcasts on the subway and mass transit:Miss Subways: Queens of the New York CommuteOpening Day of the New York City Subway The First Subway: Beach's Pneumatic MarvelSubway Graffiti 1970-1989Cable Cars, Trolleys and MonorailsNew York's Elevated Railroads The East Side Elevateds: Life Under the Tracks  

The story of a filthy and dangerous train ditch that became one of the swankiest addresses in the world -- Park Avenue. For over 100 years, a Park Avenue address meant wealth, glamour and the high life. The Fred Astaire version of the Irving Berlin classic "Puttin' on the Ritz" revised the lyrics to pay tribute to Park Avenue: "High hats and Arrow collars/White spats and lots of dollars/Spending every dime for a wonderful time."By the 1950s, the avenue was considered the backbone of New York City with corporations setting up glittering new office towers in the International Style -- the Lever House, the Seagram Building, even the Pan Am Building. But the foundation for all this wealth and success was, in actually, a train tunnel, originally operated by the New York Central Railroad. This street, formerly known as Fourth Avenue, was (and is) one of New York's primary traffic thoroughfares. For many decades, steam locomotives dominated life along the avenue, heading into and out of Cornelius Vanderbilt's Grand Central (first a depot, then a station, eventually a terminal).However train tracks running through a quickly growing city are neither safe nor conducive to prosperity. Eventually, the tracks were covered with beautiful flowers and trees, on traffic island malls which have gotten smaller over the years. By the 1910s this allowed for glamorous apartment buildings to rise, the homes of a new wealthy elite attracted to apartment living in the post-Gilded Age era. But that lifestyle was not quite made available to everyone. In this episode, Greg and Tom take you on a tour of the tunnels and viaducts that helped New York City to grow, creating billions of dollars of real estate in the process. FURTHER LISTENINGListen to these related Bowery Boys episodes after you're done listening to the Park Avenue show:The Pan Am BuildingIt Happened In Madison Square Park The Chrysler Building and the Great Skyscraper RaceThe Rescue of Grand Central Terminal FURTHER READINGThis week we're suggesting a few historic designation reports for you history supergeeks looking for a deep dive into Park Avenue history. Dates indicated are when the structure or historic district was designatedSt. Bartholomew's Church and Community House (1967)Seventh Regiment Armory/Park Avenue Armory (1967)Consulate General of Italy (formerly the Henry P. Davison House) (1970)New World Foundation Building (1973)Racquet and Tennis Club Building (1979)Pershing Square Viaduct/Park Avenue Viaduct (1980)Upper East Side Historic District Designation Report (1981)Lever House (1982)1025 Park Avenue Reginald DeKoven House (1986)New York Central Building (1987)Seagram Building (1989)Mount Morris Bank Building (1991)Expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District Report (1993)Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1993)Pepsi-Cola Building (1995)Ritz Tower (2002)2 Park Avenue Building (2006)Park Avenue Historic District Designation Report (2014)

Few areas of the United States have as endured as long as Flushing, Queens, a neighborhood with almost over 375 years of history and an evolving cultural landscape that includes Quakers, trees, Hollywood films, world fairs, and new Asian immigration.In this special on-location episode of the Bowery Boys, Greg and special guest Kieran Gannon explore the epic history of Flushing through five specific locations -- the Bowne House, Kingsland Homestead (home of the Queens Historical Society), the Lewis Latimer House Museum, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and a downtown dumpling restaurant named Old Captain's Dumplings.Built on the marshy banks of Flushing Creek, the original Dutch village of Flushing (or Vlissingen) was populated by English settlers, Quakers like John and Hannah Bownewhose home became one of America's first Quaker meeting places -- and the site of a religious struggle critical to the formation of the future United States.By the early 19th century, Flushing was better known for its tree and shrub nurseries which would introduce dozens of new plant species to North America. After the Civil War, Flushing became a weekend getaway and commuter town for the residents of western Long Island. The former civic center of town -- the 1862 Flushing Town Hall -- is still a vibrant performance venue today.The creation of the borough of Queens in 1898 brought surprising changes to Flushing -- from the arrival of the early silent-film industry to the development of new parks and highways (thanks to our old friend Robert Moses).But the most stunning transformation of all came after 1965 when American immigration quotas were eliminated and Flushing gained thousands of new residents from China, Taiwan, Korea, India, and other South Asian countries.

Richard Lewis"This is Joyce, Richard's wife. Thank you for your loving tributes. He would be beyond thrilled and so touched, as am I. In response to the many queries , I know Richard would appreciate donations in his memory to the Los Angeles based charity http://comedygivesback.com or the charity of your choice.""If you wish to know who Richard Lewis truly was, I urge you to see his greatest dramatic achievement, a 1995 motion picture titled “Drunks”.As a comedian there were few who could match his Lenny Bruce inspired delivery.Lenny's daughter Kitty was a  friend of Mr. Lewis as she respected his comedic bravery.The film is an enduring creation combining all of the creative and complicated parts that made this man one of the most unique artists of our time.Richard was a grateful, kind and beloved recovering alcoholic and drug addict with 30 plus years of sobriety at the time of his death.Lewis had been sober since the mid-1990s after ending up in the ER, feeling near death. He went on to become an advocate for others treading the same path, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis.“He helped me. I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone,” Curtis said in a series of Instagram posts paying tribute to her co-star in the sitcom “Anything But Love,” which aired on ABC from 1989-1992."- Rich Buckland Norm McDonald Over the years Norm McDonald made numerous appearances on various late-night shows, including Late Night with David Letterman and Conan, eventually assuming a revered “comedian's comedian” stature as he routinely left Letterman, O'Brien and anyone within earshot in stitches. In one memorable 2014 appearance on Conan — which O'Brien's Team Coco later posted on YouTube under the title “Norm Macdonald Tells the Most Convoluted Joke Ever” — Macdonald reduces the talk show host and his sidekick Andy Richter to tears of laughter and frustration with a rambling, shaggy-dog tale about Quebec, beluga whales, baby dolphins and an outrageous pun that prompts O'Brien to admit, “I love you, I really do.”Shecky GreeneAmong the many notable stories about Greene's life used for material, perhaps his most famous include him driving his car into the the fountain in front of Caesars Palace and Sinatra saving his life when five men were beating him, per The New York Times.On television, Greene starred as Pvt. Braddock in ABC's Combat! for eight episodes, and later made appearances in The Fall Guy and The A-Team in the '80s. His film work includes appearances in 1971's The Love Machine, 1976's Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood and Mel Brooks' 1981 hit History of the World: Part I, in which he played Marcus Vindictus.Leo GorceyLeo  was every bit as recognizable to the average man and woman as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Bob Hope.The leader of the Dead End Kids, the Bowery Boys or the Eastside Kids, depending on the year, the diminutive Gorcey was the reason the series were successful. They sputtered and died after Leo opted out of Hollywood around 1956 and headed for his “ranch” on the Sacramento River near Los Molinos, living there for a good part of the time until his death, three wives and a dozen years later.

From the Dead End Kids to the East Side Kids to "The Bowery Boys," this week Steve interviews journalist and film historian Craig Edwards about the history of Slip, Satch and the rest of those wacky Bowery Boys whose 48 films form one helluva comedy legacy. 

Peter hasn't seen Ronnie Costello in 53 years, since they played together on their high school baseball team. It has also been 60 years since they attended Belmont Hills Elementary School together. They lived on different sides of Mary Waters Ford Road, the street that, like the Maginot Line, separated the mostly Irish and Italian kids of "The Hill" from the mostly Jewish kids of Penn Valley. There are a lot of stories that each of them could tell (and have) about living on those two sides of the road, and a few years ago Ronnie decided it was time to do just that -- but as a series of imaginative adventure stories under the general title called the On The Hill series. In these books, such as Dead Kids Don't Speak, Insomnia, and The Visitor, the kids that both Ronnie and Peter grew up with back in the day, are now fictional characters (but under their real names) in fabulous action adventures where they go up against the Mafia, Russian spies, and even alien invaders in the 1960's. Think of these books as The Bowery Boys meets The Hardy Boys meets David Lynch, all happening in Belmont Hills.One thing that Ronnie and Peter had in common as kids is that they both loved the pizzas and cheesesteaks at Mama's Pizzeria. Now, 53 years later, they reconnect in this nostalgic, memory-lane conversation about Ronnie's terrific, action-packed books, while discussing all that has passed since those not so innocent childhood days on "The Hill." They also talk about what it was like reinventing Ron's old friends and family members as fictional characters and placing them into outrageous, roller-coaster-like adventures. As you will see, this conversation brought back a flood of memories for them both as they share their divergent journeys of roads taken, and not taken, to places neither of them thought they would go.For more about Ronnie's book's, check out his website at https://www.onthehillbooks.comClick here for the video versions of Pizza Quest. If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.

Viewers were introduced to Emily Roebling on the second season of The Gilded Age. Now learn the entire story of the Roebling family -- father, son, wife -- the engineers responsible for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. As a special bonus episode to end the year, enjoy this 2023 show from the Bowery Boys podcast archives, looking at the extraordinary individuals responsible for this 19th century marvel. Greg and Tom walk through the history, then chat with Kriss Roebling, Washington and Emily Roebling's great-great grandson, who leads specialty tours of the bridge today. The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was a technological wonder when it opened in 1883.  The story of its construction, which took over 14 years, is an odyssey of passion, ingenuity and tragedy.   In the end, it was Emily Roebling, wife of Washington Roebling who, in the face of her husband's debilitating illness, dedicated herself to completing the project in the male dominated world of engineers and contractors. Visit the Bowery Boys website for images and other information

The HBO series "The Gilded Age" is a sumptuous drama about old money vs. new in 1880's New York. The costumes are ornate, the architecture is Beaux-Arts, and the elbows are sharp. Behind the veneer there is labor unrest, economic inequity, segregation, and opera wars. We speak with Greg Young, the co-host of The Bowery Boys podcast, and Carl Raymond, the host of The Gilded Gentleman podcast, about the real history underpinning the series.

For decades New Yorkers celebrated Evacuation Day every November 25, a holiday marking the 1783 departure of British forces from the city they had occupied for several years during the Revolutionary War.The events of that departure -- that evacuation -- inspired annual celebrations of patriotism, unity, and a bit of rowdiness. Evacuation Day was honored well until the late 19th century. But then, gradually, the party sort of petered out.....Of course, Americans may know late November for another historically themed holiday – Thanksgiving, a New England-oriented celebration that eventually took the place of Evacuation Day on the American calendar. But we are here to tell you listener – you should celebrate both!Greg and Tom tell the story of the British's final years in their former colonies, now in victory known as the United States, and their final moments within New York City, their last remaining haven. The city was in shambles and the gradual handover was truly messy.And then, on November 25, 1783, George Washington rode into town, basically traveling from tavern to tavern on his way down to the newly freed city. The Bowery Boys chart his course (down the Bowery of course) and make note of a few unusual events -- wild parties, angry women with brooms, and one very lucky tailor.PLUS: Where and how you can celebrate Evacuation Day today. Other Bowery Boys episodes to check out when you're done with this one:-- New York City During the Revolutionary War-- The Revolutionary Tavern of Samuel Fraunces-- The Great Fire of 1776-- The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill  

Greta Garbo in New York! A story of freedom, glamour, and melancholy, set at the intersection of classic Hollywood and mid-century New York City. The biography of a legendary star who became the city's most famous 'celebrity sighting' for many decades while out on her regular, meandering walks.Garbo had once been Hollywood's biggest star, a screen goddess who survived the transition from silent pictures to sound in such movies as Grand Hotel, Queen Christina, and Camille. But her career was over by the 1940s, her exotic and distant screen presence no longer appealing in the years of World War II.And so the actress -- famous for her line "I WANT TO BE ALONE" -- moved to New York City and stayed here for the rest of her life, living in a fabulous apartment near Beekman Place on the east side of Manhattan.Her favorite activity was walking, two long trips a day in her dark glasses and trench coat, committed to freedom of urban exploration and enjoying a livelihood in the city that we all take for granted.In attempting to live her life freely, however, she opened herself to the intrusive behavior of others — some obsessed with her as an iconic movie star, others simply gravitating to her elusive reputation. By the 1970s and surging by the 80s, Garbo sightings became a popular urban scavenger hunt. You had Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and Greta Garbo! Visit the website for more information and imagesInterested in more Bowery Boys podcasts about New York and the movies? Here's some suggestions:Marilyn Monroe: Her Year of ReinventionThe Life and Death of Rudolph ValentinoAt Home With Lauren BacallMae West: 'Sex' on Broadway  Her New York story reveals some bigger themes about living in a big city -- finding privacy and even solitude in a place with eight million people.

So we don't know if you've heard, but New York City is an expensive place to live these days. So we thought it might be time to revisit the tale of the city's most famous district of luxury — Fifth Avenue.  For about a hundred years, this avenue was mostly residential -- but residences of the most extravagant kind.At the heart of New York's Gilded Age — the late 19th-century era of unprecedented American wealth and excess — were families with the names Astor, Waldorf, Schermerhorn, and Vanderbilt, alongside power players like A.T. Stewart, Jay Gould and William “Boss” Tweed.They would all make their homes — and in the case of the Vanderbilts, their great many homes — on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.The image of Fifth Avenue as a luxury retail destination today grew from the street's aristocratic reputation in the 1800s. The rich were inextricably drawn to the avenue as early as the 1830s when rich merchants, anxious to be near the exquisite row houses of Washington Square Park, began turning it into an artery of expensive abodes.In this podcast, Tom and Greg present a world that's somewhat hard to imagine — free-standing mansions in an exclusive corridor running right through the center of Manhattan. Why was Fifth Avenue fated to become the domain of the so-called “Upper Ten”? And what changed about the city in the 20th century to ensure the eventual destruction of most of them? The following is a re-edited, remastered version of two past Bowery Boys shows — the Rise and Fall of the Fifth Avenue Mansion. Combined, this tells the whole story of Fifth Avenue, from the initial development of streets in the 1820s to its Midtown transformation into a mecca of high-end shopping in the 1930s. This could also serve as a primer to the HBO series The Gilded Age, the official podcast co-hosted by Tom Meyers which debuts on October 30.Visit the website for further information.

In this truly spooky episode. Greg and Tom from the Bowery Boys podcast travel to Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island to delve into four tales of the unexplained, the perhaps unforgotten and definitely the unsettling.  Our stories include a massive elegant mansion that once graced the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx. Built by merchant and trader Benjamin Whitlock in 1850 and later owned by Cuban sugar importer Inocencio Casanova, the mansion is the site of numerous unexplained mysteries including an extensive system of vaults and secret rooms hidden well beneath the mansion's main floors. A stop on Manhattan's East 27th Street (near the Gilded Age's fashionable Madison Square) uncovers reports of a curious and very active poltergeist and a trip out to Queens explores two mysterious deaths at the location of a remote farmhouse, the site now part of Calvary Cemetery.  Greg and Tom conclude their visits with a few of the ghosts of the Gilded Age with a stop at the Vanderbilt Mausoleum in Staten Island, the final resting place of Cornelius Vanderbilt as well as his son William H. Vanderbilt and grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II.  And as with any visit with the Vanderbilts, one discovers a few secrets that may lurk beneath the surface. Visit the Bowery Boys website for images related to this show.

A brand new batch of haunted houses and spooky stories, all from the gaslight era of New York City, the illuminating glow of the 19th century revealing the spirits of another world.Greg and Tom again dive into another batch of terrifying ghost stories, using actual newspaper reports and popular urban legends to reveal a different side to the city's history.If you just like a good scare, you'll enjoy these historical frights. And if you truly believe in ghosts, then these stories should especially disturb you as they take place in actual locations throughout the city -- from the Lower East Side to the Bronx. And even in cases where these 19th-century haunted houses have been demolished, who's to say the spirits themselves aren't still hanging around?Featured in this year's crop of scary stories:-- A ghostly encounter at the Astor Library (today's Public Theater) involving a most controversial set of mysterious books;-- A whole graduating class of ghosts stalks the campus of the Bronx's Fordham University, and it may have something to do with either Edgar Allan Poe or the film The Exorcist;-- Just north of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, a haunted townhouse vexes several tenants, the sight of a hunched-over man in a cap driving people insane;-- In the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, a small apartment in today's Two Bridges neighborhood becomes possessed by a poltergeist with a penchant for throwing furniture .... and punches. One vainglorious showoff named Jackie Hagerty learns the hard way;-- And before the days of Riverside Drive, a rustic old mansion once sat on the banks of the Upper West Side, with a mysterious locked room that must never be opened.Visit the website to see images of the real-life haunted houses and places featured in this podcast.Listen to the entire collection of Bowery Boys ghost stories podcasts here.

Instead of looking back to the history of New York City in this episode, we are looking forwardto the future -- to the new generation of creators who are celebrating New York and telling its story through mediums that are not podcasts or books.Today we are celebrating the historians, journalists and photographers who bring New York City to life on social media platforms like Instagram. There are a million different ways to tell a good story and the guests on today's show are doing it with photography and short films, exposing new audiences to the best of New York City – its landmarks, its people, even its diners.Featuring interviews with three of our favorite people:Nicolas Heller, aka New York Nico, the "unofficial talent scout of New York City," the filmmaker and photographer who manages to capture the magic of the city's most interesting and colorful charactersRiley Arthur, aka Diners of NYC, who explores the world of New York City diners, great and small, in hopes to bring awareness to many struggling local businessesTommy Silk, aka Landmarks of NY, who shares illuminating photos and videos featuring the city's most interesting and sometimes overlooked architectural gemsFeaturing stories of the Neptune Diner, the Green Lady, the Little Red Lighthouse, Junior's Cheesecake, Tiger Hood and City Island.And follow the Bowery Boys on Instagram and on TikTok and on Threads (@boweryboysnyc)

It's one of the great narratives of American urban history — the northward trek of New York society up the island of Manhattan during the 19th century. Bringing you this special story today is writer, tour guide and historian Keith Taillon from KeithYorkCity, joining Carl Raymond from the Gilded Gentleman podcast to analyze this unique social migration. They present a fascinating virtual tour through over 100 years of New York City history, showing how the Gilded Age developed and evolved from an architectural and urban planning point of view. For more information visit the Bowery Boys website, subscribe to the Gilded Gentleman podcast and check out Keith's adventures at his website. 

A special bonus episode from the  Bowery Boys archives!  Join Tom and Greg for an in-depth look at the architect that, as some have said,  gave the Gilded Age its look. In the years before the great firm of McKim, Mead and White with its star architect Stanford White, another American born and Paris trained architect was translating European style with uniquely American taste. Richard Morris Hunt was one of the very first to establish architecture as an art form and his work included such iconic structures as the base of the Statue of Liberty, the grand facade and entrance hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as mansions for Mrs. Astor and the Vanderbilts. Join Tom and Greg for this uniquely fascinating look at Hunt's life and influence and how he brought a refinement and sense of art into American architecture. For more images, visit the Bowery Boys website.

The history of pizza in the United States begins in Manhattan in the late 19th century, on the streets of Little Italy (and Nolita), within immigrant-run bakeries that transformed a traditional southern Italian food into something remarkable.But new research discovered in recent years has changed New York food history, revealing an origin tale slightly older than what the old guide books may have you believe.Understanding the history of American pizza is important because it's a food that brings people together, young and old -- from pizza parties to corner slice places, from classic traditional pies to the latest upscale innovations.Pizza lovers of all kinds -- even you, Chicago deep-dish lovers -- will find much to enjoy in this show, tracing the early origins of American pizza and specifically how New York City-style pizza was born. (What even is New York style pizza? Even that answer is trickier than you think.)On this wandering episode -- through Nolita, Greenwich Village and even the Bowery -- Tom and Greg are joined by the prince of pizza himself Scott Wiener of the long-running Scott's Pizza Tours.Perhaps nobody in New York City knows more about pizza than Scott, and he takes the Bowery Boys on a culinary adventure which includes two of New York's most famous pizza restaurants -- Lombardi's Pizza and John's of Bleecker Street.And a stop at the most important restaurant-supply store in American pizza history, a place were dreams (and pizza ovens) were once made.Visit our website for pictures and other informationOur deep thanks to Chicago pizza historian Peter Regas whose research was used in this show.FURTHER LISTENING: Episodes of the Bowery Boys with similar or related themesThe Big History of Little ItalyThe History of the BagelChop Suey City: The History of Chinese Food in New YorkA Walk Through Little Caribbean in BrooklynA Culinary Tour of the Lower East Side

Enter the magical world of New York by gaslight, the city illuminated by the soft, revolutionary glow of lamps powered by gas, an innovative utility which transformed urban life in the 19th century.  Before the introduction of gaslight in the 1820s, New York was a much darker and quieter place after sunset, its streets lit only by dull, foul-smelling whale-oil lamps. Gaslight was first used in London, and it made its American debut in Newport and Baltimore.The New York Gas Company received its company charter in 1823 and began to install gas pipes under the street that decade.  With gas-powered lighting, New York really became the city that never slept.It meant you could work late without your eyes straining – or wander the streets with less apprehension. It meant greater ease reading a book or throwing a lavish ball. Gaslight brought the 19th century city to life in ways that are easy to overlook.In this episode we're joined by author Jane Brox, author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light who discusses the curious charms of this rare and enigmatic light source.FURTHER LISTENING: After you listen to the show about the history of gaslight, check out these past Bowery Boys podcasts with similar themes.-- Electric New York: With the discovery of electricity, it seemed possible to illuminate the world with a more dependable, potentially inexhaustible energy source.-- Tesla: The Inventor in Old New York -- Building Stuyvesant TownIf you like our show, please consider giving the Bowery Boys podcast a five-star review on Apple Podcasts

Dorothy Catherine Draper is a truly forgotten figure in American history. She was the first woman to ever sit for a photograph — a daguerrotype, in the year 1840, upon the rooftop of the school which would become New York University.Catherine was the older sister of professor John William Draper, later the founder of the university's school of medicine. The Drapers worked alongside Samuel Morse in the period following his invention of the telegraph.The experiments of Draper and Morse, with Catherine as assistant, would set the stage for the entire history of American photography.The legendary portrait was taken when Miss Draper was a young woman but a renewed interest in the image in the 1890s brought the now elderly matron a bit of late-in-life recognition.To see the photograph of Draper and other early photography, visit our website. This episode originally appeared on Greg's podcast called The First which had a respectable run a few years ago. The feed for that show will be going away soon so we wanted to present some of that show's greatest hits over the next few months, in between regular episodes of the Bowery Boys as bonus stories about American history. Enjoy!

Within the New York City of Edward Hopper's imagination, the skyscrapers have vanished, the sidewalks are mysteriously wide and all the diners and Chop Suey restaurants are sparsely populated with well-dressed lonely people.In this art-filled episode of the Bowery Boys, Tom and Greg look at Hopper's life, influence and specific fascination with the city, inspired by the recent show Edward Hopper's New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art.Hopper, a native of the Hudson River town of Nyack, painted New York City for over half a decade. In reality, the city experienced Prohibition and the Jazz Age, two world wars and the arrival of automobiles. But not in Hopper's world.In his most famous work Nighthawks (1942), figures from a dreamlike film appear trapped in an aquarium-shaped diner. But Hopper has captured something else in this iconic painting: fear and paranoia. No wonder he's considered a huge influence on Hollywood film noir and detective stories.Hopper painted New York from his studio overlooking Washington Square Park, and both he and his wife Josephine Nivison Hopper would become true fixtures of the Greenwich Village scene.PLUS: Tom visits the Edward Hopper House in Nyack, New York, to talk the artist's early life with executive director Kathleen Motes Bennewitz. And Greg finds some of the hidden puzzles in Hopper's paintings thanks to American art historian Rena Tobey.Visit the website for more pictures and other interesting information from this episode.Other Bowery Boys episodes related to this one:-- The Armory Show of 1913-- Jane Jacobs: Saving Greenwich Village-- New York University:  A School For The Metropolis-- Tragic Muse: The Life of Audrey Munson

A Special Presentation: We know some of you like to celebrate the holiday spirit with actual alcoholic spirits so we thought you'd enjoy this episode of The Gilded Gentleman, the Bowery Boys spin-off podcast hosted by Carl Raymond, which lays out everything you've wanted to know (but were afraid to ask) about absinthe -- aka the green fairy.Absinthe was one of the most popular and most mysterious drinks in the Belle Epoque and late Victorian and Edwardian worlds,   fueling Paris and London's cafe society and artistic circles Brilliant men like Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Marcel Proust and Oscar Wilde were proponents of the 'green fairy' along with members of the upper classes as well as everyday workers. Myths sprang up that the elixir created dramatic hallucinations and even provoked ghastly crimes. It became banned throughout most of Europe and even in the United States by the early 20th century. Join Carl and his guest Don Spiro, creator of New York's Green Fairy Society to discuss and demystify the myths and legends of this most evocative of spirits. And after you're done with this episode, head over and listen to the latest episode of The Gilded Gentleman, also featuring Don Spiro. Only this time they're talking about the history of champagne. 

In 1890 the Danish-American journalist Jacob Riis turned his eye-opening reporting and lecture series into a ground-breaking book called How The Other Half Lives, a best seller which awoke Americans to the plight of the poor and laid the groundwork for the Progressive Era.Riis exposed more than a humanitarian crisis. He laid bare the city's complacent Gilded Age divide in revolutionary ways, most notably with the use of a new tool -- documentary photography.For our 400th episode, following our tradition of exploring the legacies of urban planners in past centennial shows (#100 Robert Moses, #200 Jane Jacobs, #300 Andrew Haswell Green), we finally look at the life of the crusading police reporter and social reformer who forced upper and middle class New Yorker to examine the living conditions within the city's poorest neighborhoods.Riis was himself an immigrant who spent his first years in the United States drifting from place to place, living on the street, his only companion a faithful dog. Journalism quite literally saved Riis, providing him with both a stable living and a purpose, especially after he became a police reporter for the New York Tribune in 1877.But it was his fascination with visual media -- magic lantern shows and later flash photography -- which set him apart from other crusading writers of the period like Nellie Bly (who we only wish had a camera with her!)Jacob Riis' culminating work How The Other Half Lives made him one of America's most famous writers -- his friend Theodore Roosevelt called Riss "the model American citizen" -- but the book has an imperfect legacy today, with Riis' broad characterizations of the people he was writing about undercutting the book's noble purposes.PLUS: The legacy of Riis lives in a very popular Queens beach. And Robert Moses chimes in!Visit the website for more informationFURTHER READINGThe Battle with the Slum / Jacob RiisThe Children of the Poor / Jacob RiisHow The Other Half Lives / Jacob RiisThe Making Of An American / Jacob RiisThe Other Half: The Life of Jacob Riis and the World of Immigrant America / Tom Buk-SwientyJacob A. Riis and the American City / James B. LaneJacob Riis: Reporter and Reformer / Janet B. PascalRediscovering Jacob Riis: Exposure Journalism and Photography in Turn-of-the-Century New York / Bonnie Yochelson and Daniel CzitromAfter listening to this show, check out these past Bowery Boys episodes with similar themes:-- The First Ambulance-- Has Jack the Ripper Come to Town?-- Case Files of the New York Police Department 1800-1915-- Women of the Progressive EraStories from this website:"The original IMAX: Jacob Riis and His Magic Lantern""The harsh lives of New York City street kids, captured — in a flash — by Jacob Riis""Jacob Riis' Not-so-Rockin' ‘Sane' New Years Celebration""The legendary police headquarters at 300 Mulberry Street""Finding Pietro"   

Beware! The ghosts and goblins of the Hudson River Valley have been awakened.In this year's annual celebration of New York urban legends and folktales, Tom and Greg journey up the Hudson River to explore the region's spookiest stories.Tales of mystery and the supernatural have possessed the villages and towns of the Hudson River Valley since ancient times, when native tribes whispered of strange places and islands one simply didn't visit.When Dutch settlers arrived in the 17th century, they brought their own mythology, populating the dark mountains with evil, mischievous creatures. These stories have carried over into modern times and continue to fascinate (and terrify) the residents of this beautiful area of New York State.The Bowery Boys put on their most menacing and spooky voices to tell several stories of the region including:-- A ghost-filled mansion in Nyack, New York that holds a unique place among all American supernatural sites. The house is legally haunted.-- The unsettling tale behind those mysterious ruins known as Bannerman Castle-- A ghastly death in the Colonial-era Catskills leads to a disturbing life sentence and the appearance of several hellish creatures-- The secrets of Kingston's Old Dutch Church and an entity which may trapped beneath its holy steeplePLUS: Who is the Heer of Dunderberg? And why should you run shrieking in fright if you happen to see him on a cold, stormy evening?Check out the entire collection of Bowery Boys ghost story podcasts here. boweryboyshistory.com 

Cautionary Tales returns next week, but in the meantime a story of disaster from The Bowery Boys Podcast.  It's July 30th 1916, just after 2am, and a massive explosion rips apart the munitions depot on Black Tom, an island off Jersey City. Tons of debris and jagged shrapnel pepper neighboring Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Thousands of windows across New York are shattered, and millions of residents are awoken wondering what had just happened. Was it an accident or German sabotage?  The Bowery Boys is show about the people and events that have shaped the history of New York City, and really, shaped America. Listen to more episodes of The Bowery Boys at https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/bowery-boys-first/bowery-boys-podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.