The story of Pennsylvania Station involves more than just nostalgia for the long-gone temple of transportation as designed by the great McKim, Meade and White. It's a tale of incredible tunnels, political haggling and big visions. Find out why the original Penn Station was built to look so classical, why it was then torn down, and what strange behaviors the tunnels that connect it to New Jersey exhibit every night. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Apr 10, 2009•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Whyos (pronounced Why-Ohs) were New York's most notorious gang after the Civil War, organizing their criminal activities and terrorizing law abiding citizens of the Gilded Age. Find out when they lived, how they broke the law and who they were -- from Googie Corcoran to Dandy Johnny, as well as two particularly notable guys named Danny. ALSO: How much does it cost to have somebody's ear bitten off? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Mar 28, 2009•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Great Fire of 1835 devastated the city during one freezing December evening, destroying hundreds of buildings and changing the face of Manhattan forever. It underscored the city's need for a functioning water system and permanent fire department. So why were there so many people drinking champagne in the street? Listen in as we recount this breathtaking tale of the biggest fire in New York City history. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Mar 13, 2009•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is Freedomland U.S.A.? An unusual theme park in the Bronx, only in existence for less than five years, Freedomland has become the object of fascination for New York nostalgia lovers everywhere. Created by an outcast of Walt Disney's inner circle, Freedomland practically defines 60s kitsch, with dozens of rides and amusements related to saccharine views of American history. Along the way, we'll take a visit to the Blast-Off Bunker, Casa Loco, and, yes, Borden's Barn Boudoir! www.boweryboyspo...
Feb 27, 2009•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast F.W. Woolworth was the self-made king of retail's newfangled 'five and dime' store and his pockets were overflowing with cash. Meanwhile, in New York, the contest to build the tallest building was underway. The two combine to create one of Manhattan's most handsome buildings, cutting a Gothic profile designed by America's hottest architect of the early century. So what does it all have to do with sneakers and gym clothes? www.boweryboyspodcast.com (with an extra 'Bowery Boys blooper' after the s...
Feb 13, 2009•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Williamsburg used to have an H at the end of its name, not to mention dozens of major industries that once made it the tenth wealthiest place in the world. How did Williamsburgh become a haven for New York's most well-known factories and how did it then become the wildly diverse neighborhood it is today? Find out how its history connects with whalebones, baseball, beer, and medicine for intestinal worms. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Jan 30, 2009•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast We embark on the tale of the birth of New York City flight -- featuring a Wright brother on Governor's Island, the site of a glue factory turned Brooklyn air strip, Queens' forgotten first airport, and finally to the pet project of mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Jan 17, 2009•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cue the dancing girls, lower the props, raise the curtain -- it's the Bowery Boys and we're taking on Broadway's most famous producer, Florenz Ziegfeld! We give you a brief overview of the first days of Broadway, then sweep into Ziegfeld's life -- from his early successes (both professional and personal) to his famous Follies. And find out how the current Ziegfeld Theatre, a movie house, relates to the original Ziegfeld Theatre, home of Broadway's first 'real' musical, Show Boat. www.boweryboysp...
Jan 16, 2009•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Webster Hall, as beautifully worn and rough-hewn as it was during its heyday in the 1910s and 20s, disguises a very surprising past, a significant venue in the history of the labor movement, Greenwich Village bohemia, gay and lesbian life, and pop and rock music. Its ballroom has hosted the likes of Emma Goldman, Marcel Duchamp, Elvis Presley, Robert F Kennedy and Madonna. Listen in to find out how it got it's reputation as 'the devil's playhouse'. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: htt...
Jan 02, 2009•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's the summer of 1969, and the police have raided the Stonewall, a popular gay bar in the West Village. Join us as we look at the raid, the riots, and their significance today.www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 29, 2008•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast The fascinating story of Grant’s Tomb — and a quirky history that includes an ambitious architect, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, lots of ugly raspberry paint, and strange charges of animal sacrifice. NOTE: A bit of a misspeak early in the show. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, not Pleasant Point. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Dec 28, 2008•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast You know PT Barnum from his circus, but he was bringing the freakshow to New York long before then. Come take a tour with us of the craziest museum to ever hit New York City. Co-starring the Fejee Mermaid, the Witch of Staten Island, Tom Thumb, the original Siamese twins, some unfortunate whales, and the strange and mortally offensive What IS It? www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 23, 2008•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join the Bowery Boys for a commute through the history of Grand Central -- the depot, the station, and the terminal. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 21, 2008•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do Salvador Dali, John Jacob Astor, Peter Stuyvesant, the Civil War, and a big pile of trash have to do with the world's biggest penal colony? We connect the dots in this history of Rikers Island. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 20, 2008•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast JD Rockefeller Sr. may have earned his money is some rather unscrupulous ways, but his son Junior made good by giving midtown a towering city-within-a-city, a complex of Art Deco buildings that serves as New York's beating heart. We take a compact look at the complicated lineage of Rockefeller Center, from its controversial artwork to its famous Christmas tree. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys...
Dec 19, 2008•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast You don't have to be a beautiful celebrity to enjoy the history of New York's greatest disco, from its early days as an opera and television studio, to the late 70s, full of wild parties, famous folk and a really difficult door policy. With Warhol, Minnelli, Jagger and Grace Jones in her Sunday best. It's Studio 54, are you on the list? www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 19, 2008•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Come listen to the strange and shocking facts of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, of a workplace tragedy that changed how New Yorkers live an work in a world of tall, flammable buildings. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 15, 2008•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast EXTRA! EXTRA! Origins of New York Scandal Sheet Revealed! Post May Be Responsible For Central Park! Rupert Murdoch Property Was Once A Nest of Liberal Sympathizers! PLUS: Was there really a "headless body" in a "topless bar"? www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 13, 2008•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York's most hectic park has been the stage for massive Civil War rallies, somber funerals, passionate workers gatherings and both premier and inexpensive shopping. Today, it's got a little bit of everything for everyone. Join the Bowery Boys as they did into the history of Union Square. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 13, 2008•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Get ready for nine innings (or 30 minutes) of the greatest sports team ever -- the New York Yankees. Hear about their modest beginnings, their best players, and the fate of Yankee Stadium, their home for 85 years. (And I apologize in advance for this week's wonky recording sound!) www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 07, 2008•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast You'll be surprised by Tiffany's 170-year history as a vanguard in New York luxury. See how they went from selling horse whips to world class diamonds. And what makes Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast At Tiffany's particularly important to the fate of this upscale retailer? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 06, 2008•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast A podcast that's "very Saks Fifth Avenue," we get to the origins of the famous upscale retailer, follow its path from Washington D.C. to Heralds Square and then to "the most expensive street in the world," and tell you a little about a glamorous milliner named Tatiana. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Dec 05, 2008•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast We've never done such a saucy show -- full of sex, lies, and petticoats. Meet Henry Ward Beecher, Brooklyn Heights' most notorious resident, and find out about the fascinating and provocative history of the church that turned him into a national celebrity. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 30, 2008•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast What was life like in New York during the British occupation during the Revolutionary War? Overcrowding, prison ships, food shortages, spies ... and theater? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 29, 2008•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's 1776 and revolution is in the air! Join the Bowery Boys as we tackle the British invasion and takeover of New York. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 29, 2008•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Bowery Boys stop for a nosh at three Jewish culinary stalwarts of the Lower East Side -- Katz Delicatessen (a movie-friendly dining experience), Russ and Daughters (a tale of herring and girl power) and the Yonah Schimmel Knishery (and its surprising connection to Coney Island). www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 29, 2008•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's 1964, and we're heading out to Flushing Meadows, Queens, where Robert Moses has constructed the World's Fair of his dreams -- for a second time. Join us for this tale of yesterday's World of Tomorrow... Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 29, 2008•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast The biggest surprise behind the revolutionary creation of the Museum of Modern Art is that the characters who put it together were almost as colorful as the art they championed. Tag along as we peek behind the canvas of New York's oldest temple of the avant garde. PLUS: We debut our first Bowery Girl! www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 26, 2008•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Castle Clinton, built to defend New York City from a war that never arrived, has worn a lot of hats in its almost 200 year history; it's been a performance hall, an immigration center and an aquarium! And you can find it in Battery Park, today host to a variety of monuments and made from the materials of ole Fort Amsterdam. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 23, 2008•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cooper Union is one of New York City's more storied institutions, not only fostering the best and brightest of art and architecture, but playing host to presidents and activists. Also, find out a little about its amazingly resourceful founder, Peter Cooper. www.boweryboyspodcast.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys
Nov 23, 2008•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
