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History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.

100 Years Ago: Somebody actually shot the mayor

January 6, 2010

New York City started 2010 with an important bit of ceremony: the swearing-in of Michael Bloomberg. One hundred years ago, New Yorkers did the same thing, but with a new face -- former state Supreme Court judge William Jay Gaynor, replacing George B. McClellan.I…

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100 Years Ago: Women still can’t vote, but they can march

All The Single Ladies: though I believe the women above are actually garbed for a suffrage march in 1912, I just couldn't resist this photo (Courtesy…

Jan 5, 2010 Read →

100 Years Ago: Queens and the influence of Penn Station

Pic courtesy ShorpyOver the next few posts, I'm turning back to exactly one hundred years ago, to contrast the beginning of 2010 with the events of…

Jan 4, 2010 Read →

Uncategorized

The Bowery Boys 2009: A Year of Podcasts In Review

Here's the whole menu of our 2009 podcasts. As always, you can download them all for free from iTunes and or your favorite podcast aggregator. The…

Dec 31, 2009 Read →

Uncategorized

From New Amsterdam to Alicia Keys: NYC history in 2009

(Photo courtesy of Only In Holland)In 2009, New York went Dutch. One hundred years ago, the city threw an elaborate party, the self-important, historically aware (often…

Dec 30, 2009 Read →

Holidays

Jacob Riis’ Not-so-Rockin’ ‘Sane’ New Years Celebration

Social reformer Jacob Riis is one of the most important men to New York City history, exposing the ghastly living conditions of city tenements and using…

Dec 29, 2009 Read →

‘White Christmas’ roots in the Lower East Side

It's 1943, and Irving Berlin's pouring himself a cocktail (photo by Peter Stackpole, courtesy LIFE)HOW NEW YORK SAVED CHRISTMAS Throughout the month I'll spotlight several events…

Dec 14, 2009 Read →

Joy Fong and memories of Chinese food past

I have this thing for kitschy Chinese restaurant design, so this picture from 1971 made my day. Joy Fong Chow Mein was located on Avenue J…

Dec 8, 2009 Read →

Welcome to Cerebrum. Do you have a reservation?

FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER To get you in the mood for the weekend, on occasional Fridays we'll be featuring an old New York nightlife haunt, from the…

Dec 4, 2009 Read →

Decked out: America’s first Christmas tree market

Outside the Barclay Street train station, circa 1903 (courtesy LOC). The Christmas tree marketplace had been well-established by then.HOW NEW YORK SAVED CHRISTMAS Throughout the month…

Dec 2, 2009 Read →

1855 New York City Hall: the Earliest View

The picture above, taken in 1855, may be the oldest existent photograph of New York's City Hall building. This is three years before the famous fire,…

Nov 18, 2009 Read →

Chester A. Arthur’s Indian food connection

One hundred and twenty-three years ago today, the 21st president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, died in his Murray Hill home in New York…