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History in the making – 12/8

Above: At the Helmsley Building, downtown Manhattan Hollywood hits the Chelsea Hotel [Hotel Chelsea Blog] The thankful return of the former East Village institution 2nd Avenue Deli [Eater] The forboding home of ‘Mamie’ Fish, successor to THE Mrs. Astor [Lost City] The latest on Officers Row, Brooklyn Naval Yard’s in-danger historic section of 19th Century… Read More

FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER: Coyote Ugly Saloon

Above: From the official website — the girls of Coyote Ugly 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… Read More

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Podcasts

PODCAST: The Flatiron Building

What are the Bowery Boys doing in Chicago? Just a little detour in our search for the origins of the Flatiron Building, the wedge shaped, wind producing oddity — built as an office space in a department store neighborhood which grew to become one of the most romantic, elegant buildings in New York City. Listen… Read More

New York’s most evil winter day

Photo courtesy of Global Graphica I’m going way meteorological on you today. It’s already gotten pretty cold in New York City this month, striking 21 degrees F on Sunday, assuring that a replay of last year’s relatively mild winter may not be in store. Come, let’s reminisce. The record high temperature in New York City… Read More

What about the old New Museum?

The oddest thing to ever peek its head above the Bowery, the brand new New Museum of Contemporary Art, captured the culture headlines last week during its week-long opening. Critics, even the toughest ones, praised its architecture by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the Japanese firm Sanaa, admired its open gallery spaces glowing with… Read More

FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER: Gerde’s Folk City

ABOVE: Gerde’s in its original location, circa 1960 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. Few… Read More

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Podcasts

PODCAST: The Original Bowery Boys / B’hoys

For our very special 25th episode, we give you all sorts of Bowery boys — the cultural and fashion trend of the 1840s, the notorious enemy of the Five Points gangs, and that slapstick bunch of New York actors from the 1930s and 1940s. And of course, a little bit about us! LISTEN HERE: The… Read More

The unsweet view from Manhattan’s oldest window

Sugar holds a sour spot in New York’s revolutionary history. As the British swept through Manhattan, driving Washington and his Continental Army up to Harlem Heights, they collected a fair number of rebel prisoners. At first they thought to hold the prisoners in churches of ‘dissenting sects’ (i.e. non Anglican); finding those inadequete, they prepared… Read More

Ah, the bad ole days of Needle Park

BOWERY BOYS RECOMMEND is an occasional feature whereby we find an unusual movie or TV show that — whether by accident or design — uniquely captures an era of New York City better than any reference or history book. The traffic island at 72nd and Broadway has always been one of the Upper West Side’s… Read More

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It's Showtime

Broadway’s first musical: The Black Crook

The Broadway theater season begins again with another new batch of musicals hitting the boards — from an unusual adaptation of War And Peace to a stage version of a Robert DeNiro drama.  Some believe that this musical tradition begins all the way back in September 12, 1866, back when musicals based on movies and popular Founding… Read More

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Podcasts

PODCAST: The Copacabana

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. During the 40s and 50s, any celebrity worth their… Read More

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Once an Underdog, always an underdog

This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature balloon representations of Mr. Potato Head, Kermit, Ronald McDonald, Scooby Doo, Flying Ace Snoopy, Shrek and Hello Kitty. And if you see a balloon that looks like Dolly Parton, don’t flinch — that’s actually Dolly Parton. What will not be flying by is Underdog. Ask any person… Read More

New York salutes America’s favorite Frenchman

The Marquis de Lafayette might be a minor figure of the American Revolution for some people, but the French man takes center stage at the New York Historical Society with “French Founding Father: Lafayette’s Return to Washington’s America.” (Pictured: the Marquis in Union Square) The show opened this Saturday with a host of costumed actors… Read More

Manhattan’s long-lasting caffeine high

Gothamist ran this disturbing list of Starbucks locations in 2006. The history of the New York coffee house has taken a catastrophic twist in the 21st century. Before I go further — this is not a defacto attack on Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks is over-priced, often high-calorie burnt tasting swill. However it has a fairly good… Read More

FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER: the Palladium Ballroom

ABOVE: Millie Donay and Cuban Pete, the queen and king of Latin dance, cuttin’ it up at the Palladium 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… Read More