Brooklyn History
The disappearance and mysterious death of Calvert Vaux
On November 19, 1895, Calvert Vaux went for a morning walk from his son's home in Brooklyn. He never returned. The 70 year old architect had…
Articles
History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.
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Revolutionary HistoryThe Unbelievable Life of Benjamin Franklin: A Podcast in Three Parts
April 7, 2022
Benjamin Franklin helped to create the modern world. His legacy is all around you -- from the electricity which powers and illuminates our homes to the ideas that form our system of government. For the past three episodes of The First: Stories of Inventions…
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Parks and Recreation
Ten unusual views of Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza
When park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux regrouped after the success of Central Park to design another great park for Brooklyn -- encompassing Prospect…
Parks and Recreation
The Convent of Central Park and a famous Revolutionary War site
Pictured above is a remarkable structure that once dominated the scenery on the northern side of Central Park. This was the Academy of Saint Vincent on a hill…
Parks and Recreation
Where was Manhattan Square? The Gilded Age remaking of a neglected park
Theodore Roosevelt Park (77th and 81st Streets, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue), which contains the beloved American Museum of Natural History, is the oldest developed section of…
Friday Night Fever
What’s behind the Bronze Door? Gambling in the Gilded Age
A tantalizing stretch of New York nightlife history lies in the shadows, illegally operated, often fueled by police bribes -- the opium dens of Chinatown and…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
The Doomsman: an apocalyptic view of New York City in 2015, written in 1906
"Such is the world, or, rather, one infinitesimal portion of the cosmos, in the year 2015, according to the ancient calendar, or 90 since the Terror."…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
In ‘The Great Disappearing Act’, German New York fades into the background
In the 1850s, New York City had become the third largest German-speaking capital in the world, topped only by Berlin and Vienna. In just thirty years…
Food History
How to Pluck a Peacock: Delmonico’s Charles Ranhofer and The Epicurean
The New York restaurant Delmonico's became famous for bringing elegant, luxurious dining and sophisticated French dishes to American tables. The culinary genius behind these dramatic dishes was Delmonico's celebrity…
Food History
At The Movies: ‘The Automat’ and the glow of restaurant nostalgia
Any new film which features an interview with the always hilarious and candid comedy legend Mel Brooks should be seen and celebrated. Now add interviews with…
It's Showtime
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Prepare for the New Season with These Bowery Boys Podcasts
Midge, Joel, Susie and the gang are back! The world seemed like a much simpler place the last time we saw a new episode of The…
Gilded Age New York
Ladies’ Mile and the Glamour of Gilded Age Shopping
On a new episode of The Gilded Gentleman, it's time to board the elevated train down to New York City's premier commercial district to experience a…
Film History
The original IMAX: Jacob Riis and his magic lantern
Jacob Riis changed the world with "How The Other Half Lives." By using the new technology of flash photography, Riis was able to capture the squalid…