The Bowery Boys: New York City History
On the passing yesterday of the 105 year old Astor family monarch Brooke Astor, I thought I’d give you a brief rundown on all the places in which they’ve left a literal impression. Her passing has the feeling of an institution having left the building. She married into the family via Vincent Astor, the only… Read More
In this week’s podcast, we briefly touched on a pivotal moment in the history of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. They assisted in the defense of St Patrick’s Old Cathedral during a raid by anti-Catholic, anti-Irish rioters. The Ancient Order of the Hibernians are essentially the Irish-Catholic version of the Freemasons. The Pope had… Read More
To get you in the mood for the weekend, every Friday we’ll be celebrating ‘FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER’, featuring an old New York nightlife haunt, from the dance halls of 19th Century Bowery, to the massive warehouse spaces of the mid-90s. Past entries can be found here Holy Communion Episcopal Church was never meant to be… Read More
The fashionable district of NoLIta happens to be home to a few ghosts as well, tucked behind the walls of St Patrick’s Old Cathedral. Come with us as we unearth some info about a mysterious New York fraternal order, the occupants of a few cemetery crypts, and the origins of a legendary film director. Listen… Read More
The New York subway was particularly bad this week, with a rainstorm that caused a transit calamity, paralyzing trains and leaving New Yorkers in hot, muggy tunnels waiting for transportation that never arrived. (Gothamist tries to get to the bottom of just exactly why our subway keeps flooding.) However, maybe we wouldnt have this problem… Read More
The Film Forum is in the midst of their five week NYC Noir screening series, featuring some of the best thrillers, mysteries and action films set on the streets of the city. In this blog every Thursday of the series, we’ll feature a bit about one of the films, and encourage you to go check… Read More
Angels and Demons Part 1: New York’s most famous horror movie and the fascinating story behind its insidious setting. Plus: Lauren Bacall, Connie Chung and some dumb waiters! Listen to it for free on iTunes or other podcasting services. Or you can download or listen to it HERE
It’s very revealing to me how bizarre, completely unnatural shapes just sprout up out of the ground in New York City, and we walk by them as if they were natural fixtures, as common as a mailbox or a newsstand. The spinnable cube in Astor Place is the best example of this. Could you imagine… Read More
There are very few ‘real’ diners left in Manhattan. My personal favorites still in existance are the Pearl Street Diner in the financial district, the Square Diner in tribeca (order the onion rings, trust me on this), and the far less endangered Empire Diner up in Chelsea But mention of the words ‘Manhattan’ and ‘diner’… Read More
To get you in the mood for the weekend, every Friday we’ll be celebrating ‘FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER’, featuring an old New York nightlife haunt, from the dance halls of 19th Century Bowery, to the massive warehouse spaces of the mid-90s. Past entries can be found here How can I continue to do this series without… Read More
The Film Forum is in the midst of their five week NYC Noir screening series, featuring some of the best thrillers, mysteries and action films set on the streets of the city. In this blog every Thursday of the series, we’ll feature a bit about one of the films, and encourage you to go check… Read More
Here’s some pictures illustrating a few ideas from our podcast this week. The lovely cluster of residences along Washington Square’s north side called ‘The Row’ (they always look better with snow on them): Early Washington Square was a military parade ground. The unveiling of the Washington Arch in 1888 was so successful that a permanent… Read More
Something’s afoot in Washington Square Park. Join the Bowery Boys this week on an expedition through one of New York’s quirkiest (and most beloved) parks — from Hangman’s Elm to Bob Dylan. You’ll be moved… fifteen feet! Listen to it for free on iTunes or other podcasting services. Or you can download or listen to… Read More
Our weekly tribute to a severely off-the-beaten-path museum or landmark that you may not know about. Instead of Moma, why not try out one of these places? Past entries in this series can be found here. President residences arent what you call ‘unusual’ by any stretch of the imagination. But the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Historic… Read More
New York City is a terrible place for horses, or for that matter, any animal bigger than a rat. However, the animal has been instrumental to New York’s history. Today you can see them trotting through Central Park, looking lobotomized, carting around tourists in frilly carts. Already a rather demeaning usage, the horses are also… Read More