oysters Archives - The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Oyster stands in Fulton Market, 1870, courtesy New York Public Library

Once upon a time New York City oysters were not only plentiful and healthy in the harbor, they were an everyday, common food source. The original fast food!

For that reason, the oyster could be an official New York City mascot. Oyster farming was a major occupation. Oyster houses were an incredibly common place for people to eat. The greatest restaurants in the city served oysters, as did the small basement dives.

In many ways, they united all New Yorkers, not just from the Lower East Side to Fifth Avenue, but even with those people who came before – the Lenape indigenous tribes, the original Dutch settlers and even the colonial English.

South Street from Coenties Slip, 1898. Today the elevated FDR blocks this view. Courtesy New York Public Library

Oysters defined the New York City palate by the early 19th century. Businessmen like Thomas Downing (one of New York’s first successful Black restaurateurs) fed the stock brokers on Wall Street while the Delmonico Brothers served them on the half-shell in their new French inspired eatery.

But today — New York City oysters are inedible. And for most of the 20th century, they were functionally extinct thanks to the harbor’s notoriously poor water quality.

Thanks to organizations like the Billion Oyster Project, however, the oyster has returned to the harbor. And soon we may see a billion oysters — and more! Brian Reagor, director of development and communications at the Billion Oyster Project, joins Tom and Greg to discuss the fascinating process of reintroducing the oyster to its old home in New York harbor.

LISTEN NOW — NEW YORK: THE CITY OF OYSTERS

The Bowery Boys Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Founded By NYC, celebrating New York City’s 400th anniversary in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

Read about all the exciting events and world class institutions commemorating the five boroughs legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that’s always making history at Founded by NYC.

Oysters for days! An oyster shop in 1867, according to Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.

Billion Oyster Project was founded in 2014 by Murray Fisher and Pete Malinowski who envisioned a healthy, biodiverse New York Harbor — and who shared the belief that restoration without education is temporary.

For more information and to look for ways to volunteer, visit their website.

A fascinating view of the ‘North River’ (Hudson River) oyster boats, 1885. [link]

Midsummer in the Five Points, 1873, from Hearth and Home magazine, courtesy New York Public Library

Hannah R. Newton’s Oyster House, photo taken 1890-94, courtesy New York Public Library. It was located at *268 Sixth Avenue, corner of 17th Street*. “Her husband, Richard W. Newton (1834-1907), an oyster dealer, also farmed in Ronkonkoma, Long Island.” [link]

At the Billion Oyster Project on Governors Island

As we celebrate events in New York City through Founded by NYC, his week we’re celebrating Hamilton: An American Musical which is marking its 10th anniversary this year – can you believe it, ten years since its debut at the Public Theater.

And Lin-Manuel Miranda and the rest of the production are celebrating with a special 10th anniversary production on August 6, 2025, at the Richard Rodgers Theater.

PLUS Leslie Odom Jr will soon be reprising his role as Aaron Burr, a role which earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor. Odom’s back in the show starting on Sept 9 for a limited run through November.

Read about Hamilton :An American Musical and all the other exciting events and world-class institutions commemorating the five boroughs’ legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that’s always making history at Founded by NYC.

FURTHER LISTENING:

Shows with similar themes from our back catalog.

While traipsing through Red Hook a couple months ago, I happened upon a family of raccoons camped out underneath a pick-up truck.

New York City is actually a bit of a zoo — if you open your mind to what constitutes a star attraction. Sure, we don’t have lions wandering around (thankfully), but what zoo creature is more famous than Pizza Rat?

WILD CITY
A Brief History of New York City in 40 Animals
Written by Thomas Hynes
Illustrated by Kath Nash

In Wild City, author Thomas Hynes and illustrator Kath Nash reveal an urban environment more exotic and thriving than any city of concrete and steel has right to be.

The creators focus on forty creatures — from the ancient mastodon whose skeletal remains presumably linger underfoot to the clever starlings who have bullied their way into the American habitat (to the detriment of other birds).

New York really became a metropolis because of two particular living creatures — beavers and oysters. But one can hardly deny that horses may be the most important animals to New York City history, for better or worse.

Seals make the list! Picture courtesy NY Harbor Nature. Visit their website for more information about the plight of seals in the harbor.

In a sense, a city with underground tunnels, green parks and a skyline with a million perches seems suited for particular kinds of beasts. Even those from urban legend like the sewer alligators (which, it turns out, aren’t mythical after all).

And when nature itself doesn’t provide, the need for companionship invites them — from dogs and cats to more, um, unconventional pets (such as Su Lin, the first panda to ever come to the United States).

Yes there are shipworms and mosquitoes and bed bugs here too — yikes! Luckily Wild City is such a calming, enjoyable read — and so beautifully illustrated — that you might be a little less inclined to swipe away that annoying insect next time you’re in the park.

And I think I’m going to go look for those raccoons again.

LISTEN NOW — NEW YORK: THE CITY OF OYSTERS

FURTHER LISTENING:

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