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…
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History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.
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100 Years Ago: Women still can’t vote, but they can march
January 5, 2010
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 LOC, click pic for detail)It seems so bizarre now that it feels funny writing it -- one hundred…
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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…
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…
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…
‘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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
Mad Men
Cocktails with ‘Mad Men’ at the Hotel Pierre
The following posting is littered with television spoilers, so please avert your eyes if you're a 'Mad Men' fan who hasn't seen last night's season finale.…
Voted down: Six New York City mayoral wannabes
By the end of the day today, one person will be named the mayor of New York City and many other people will be named the…