Neighborhoods
History repeats itself? Protesting demolition at Penn Station
Sixty years ago today -- on August 2, 1962 -- the Action Group for Better Architecture in New York (AGBANY), a group of young architects and…
Articles
History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.
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Amusements and ThrillsIn the Pleasure Gardens of Old New York
August 3, 2022
It has become a name so associated with American sports and entertainment that you barely think about it. In New York City, when you say you are going to The Garden, you aren't going to see flowers. Most likely, you're going to see the…
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Landmarks
A Tour of New York City Through 60 Years of Spider-Man Comic Book Covers
The summer blockbuster Spider-Man: Homecoming may be the greatest New York City superhero movie ever. It doesn't treat New York like a series of famous backdrops (although there…
ON TELEVISION
Movin’ On Up: New York City as depicted in the opening themes of 1970s TV shows
In honor of the 100th birthday of television icon Norman Lear (creator of All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times and many, many more) I've…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
Spending the summer with two Pulitzer Prize winning histories
Two books won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History this year, underscoring the excellent offerings on the history shelf in 2021. They are two wildly different…
Gilded Age New York
Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York
What was life like for a valet, a cook or a scullery maid in the mansions of late 19th century New York? How were houses with…
Health and Living
Hot as Hell: Surviving the deadly heat wave of July 1911
The New York Tribune of July 7, 1911, says it all: "Heat's Scythe Mows Down 56 On Fifth Day." The city was in the midst of…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
‘Freedomland’: A New Book Explores the Story of Co-Op City
Most New Yorkers have probably never been to Co-Op City, the massive residential development in the Bronx. And that's partially by design. This historic development, built…
Revolutionary History
George Washington’s copy of the Declaration of Independence
George Washington’s copy of the Declaration of Independence is perhaps the most well-known of the almost 200 copies first made of the document. As a facsimile, it’s certainly…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
That Kid From Bensonhurst: ‘The Adventures of Herbie Cohen’
Playboy Magazine called Herb Cohen "the world's greatest negotiator" and whether or not that was true, Cohen could convince you that it most certainly was. He…
Music History
Forever Lena Horne: Nine New York places to celebrate her life and legacy
The superstar and civil rights activist Lena Horne had such a dynamic, multi-faceted and enduring career -- starting in 1933, she worked regularly well into the…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
‘Rebels at Sea’: How Privateers Helped Win American Independence
Privateers have been much maligned in history, so much so that perhaps you didn't realize their important role in gaining America its independence from Great Britain.…
It's Showtime
The Ultimate Guide to Judy Garland’s New York: From the World’s Fair to the Palace Theatre
Frances Ethel Gumm was born 100 years ago (June 10, 1922) in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, a world away from the glamour of Hollywood and the lights…