The Bowery Boys: New York City History

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Today there’s an entire generation that only knows the World Trade Center as an emblem of tragedy. But people sometimes forget that the World Trade Center, designed by Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki, was a very complicated addition to the New York skyline when it officially opened in 1973. While it might be fun to think of New York City in the 1970s through the lens of places like Studio 54 or CBGB , the Twin Towers were what really redefined New York. The journey to build the world’s tallest building and its expansive complex of office towers and underground shops began in an effort by David Rockefeller to stimulate development in Manhattan’s fading Financial District. By the time Port Authority got on board to fund the project, the Twin Towers were bonded together with another vital project — a commuter train from New Jersey. The World Trade Center inspired strong opinions from critics and the public alike, but eventually many grew to admire the strange towers which marked the skyline. And for some, the Twin Towers became objects of obsession. FEATURING : The insane, completely outlandish and ultimately successful feat of acrobatics by a very bold French tightrope walker. PLUS : An interview with Kate Monaghan Connolly of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum about how that institution memorializes those lost in the tragedy while still celebrating the technological marvels that once stood there. And visit our website for more historical images of the Twin Towers. This show was recorded in 2021 for the 20th anniversary, reedited and remastered by Kieran Gannon . We have a batch of brand new episodes of the Bowery Boys starting next week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do vibrant New York City neighborhoods react to major changes to city life while retaining their historic character? For the next three weeks, we will present three neighborhood-history shows from the Bowery Boys podcast in a new light, exploring how these historic areas survive sudden changes in economic growth, housing needs and tourism. And listen to our prior shows on SoHo and Downtown Brooklyn. Little Italy is the pocket-neighborhood reminder of the great wave of Italian immigration that came through New York City starting in the late 1870s. It was once a densely packed, vibrant district of pushcarts, cheese shops, barbershops, and organ griders, the home to thousands of new immigrants living in aging tenements. The area still contains some of New York’s oldest continuously operating shops, from Ferrara Bakery to Di Palo’s . But the neighborhood also has a darker history, marked by Black Hand extortion plots and the enduring presence of organized crime. T oday’s Little Italy remains charming , though it continues to shrink, existing more as a tourist destination than a true Italian enclave. What does the future hold for this important landmark in American immigration history? A version of this show was released in 2015—this newly re-edited and remastered version by Kieran Gannon. Watch an video version of this show, with a stroll through the neighborhood, on YouTube. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Downtown Brooklyn has a history that is often overlooked by New Yorkers. You’d be forgiven if you thought Brooklyn’s civic center — with a bustling shopping district and even an industrial tech campus — seemed to lack significant remnants of Brooklyn’s past; many areas have been radically altered and hundreds of old structures have been cleared over the decades. But, in fact, Downtown Brooklyn is one of the few areas to still hold evidence of the borough’s glorious past — its days as an independent city and one of the largest urban centers in 19th century America. Around Brooklyn City Hall (now Borough Hall) swirled all aspects of Brooklyn’s Gilded Age society. With the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and a network of elevated railroad lines, Downtown Brooklyn became a major destination with premier department stores on Fulton Street, entertainment venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and exclusive restaurants like Gage & Tollners. The 20th century brought a new designation for Brooklyn — a borough of Greater New York — and a series of major developments that attempted to modernize the district — from the creation of Cadman Plaza to New York’s very own ‘tech hub’. In 2004 a major zoning change brought a new addition to the multi-purpose neighborhood — high-end residential towers. Today these streets are darkened with the shadows of the borough's tallest buildings -- including the very tallest Brooklyn Tower. What will the future hold for the original heart of the City of Brooklyn? How do vibrant New York City neighborhoods react to major changes to city life while retaining their historic character? For the next three weeks, we will present three neighborhood-history shows from the Bowery Boys podcast in a new light, exploring how these historic areas survive sudden changes in economic growth, housing needs and tourism. See last week's show on SoHo for the first part in this series. This episode was remastered by Kieran Gannon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do vibrant New York City neighborhoods react to major changes to city life while retaining their historic character? For the next three weeks, we will present three neighborhood-history shows from the Bowery Boys podcast in a new light, exploring how these historic areas survive sudden changes in economic growth, housing needs and tourism. Picture the neighborhood of SoHo (that’s right, South of Houston) in your head today, and you might get a headache. Crowded sidewalks on the weekend, filled with tourists, shoppers and vendors, could almost distract you from SoHo's unique appeal as a place of extraordinary architecture and history. In the mid 19th century this area, centered along Broadway, became the heart of retail and entertainment, department stores and hotels setting up shop in grand palaces. (It also became New York’s most notorious brothel district). The streets between Houston and Canal became known as the Cast Iron District , thanks to an exciting construction innovation that transformed the Gilded Age. Today SoHo contains the world’s greatest surviving collection of cast-iron architecture. But these gorgeous iron tributes to New York industry were nearly destroyed — first by rampant fires, then by Robert Moses . This show was remastered and reedted by Kieran Gannon. It origiinally ran in July 2017. Visit the website for images and more information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before the era of the tabloid, New Yorkers got their gossip fix from a publication known as Town Topics , where the shocking secrets of the Gilded Age were revealed. But its publisher, William D'Alton Mann , was into more than just a bit of sleaze; he used these scandalous revelations to blackmail members of New York’s high society. In this very special presentation of the Gilded Gentleman podcast, Carl Raymond and his special guest, Vanity Fair writer Joe Pompeo , introduce you to this forgotten scheme which threatened to tear apart the morals and polite mannerisms of Gilded Age society. And for more adventures through Gilded Age New York, check out the Gilded Gentleman podcast , wherever you get your podcasts. This show was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our book, The Bowery Boys Adventures in Old New York, was just re-released as a 10th-anniversary edition with lots of brand-new entries. So to celebrate, we thought we would highlight three of our all-time favorite stories from the book. Featuring: — The Astor House , one of the first luxury hotels in the United States, owned by the original Astor himself — John Jacob Astor. When it opened in 1836, it wrote the rules for how people even stay in hotels in New York City. Why was it considered so revolutionary during its day, and why did its eventual demolition in the 20th century take almost 13 years? — The Haymarket , the most scandalous dance hall of the Gilded Age! This lively and bawdy place, where both men and women met (sometimes upstairs, behind the curtains), sat in the heart of New York’s turn-of-the-century entertainment district, the burgeoning theater district. But the show inside was MUCH more risque. Oh-la-la! Tom gives you a little tour of the joint, so pull up your stockings. — The Nabisco Factory in the Meatpacking District was New York’s very own Willie Wonka’s chocolate wonderland, the American center of cookie and cracker making for decades. The sweet smells from the National Baking Company’s ovens were a relief in the late 19th-century district of meat processing. It was here that two of the most important manufactured desserts in American history were born. Visitors to the High Line and Chelsea Market may not realize they are strolling through a veritable cookie paradise! This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s a scene more commonly imagined today in a Wild West saloon -- a shootout at Stanwyx Hall, across from the most elegant hotel in New York. The year was 1855, and the combatants were bitter rivals who had fought many times, including once in the notorious neighborhood of Five Points. By the end, one man lie bleeding on the floor -- William Poole, a member of the Bowery Boys street gang, better known as Bill the Butcher. The Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York , loosely based upon the Herbert Asbury book, features a version of this character (named Wiiliam Cutting) played by Daniel Day-Lewis. But the story of the real William Poole is far more fascinating, stretching from the west side's Washington Market to the streets of today's SoHo neighborhood. In this episode, Greg takes you into the world of Bill Poole and the domain of the mid-19th century street gang, mostly seen as scourges of the public good -- that is, until ruthless politicians began to see them as useful. What was the Bowery like in the 1840s? And just who were the Bowery Boys? This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon. Visit our website for more episodes related to this one and some additional images. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alexander Hamilton vs Aaron Burr ! Delmonico's vs Sherry's ! John Adams vs everybody! Some of history's most fascinating stories involve important figures who did not like each other very much. In this edition of Bowery Boys History Live! , recorded at Manhattan's City Winery on May 26, 2026 , Greg Young from the Bowery Boys brings some of these stories to a live audience, featuring author Laurie Gwen Shapiro , tour guide Billy Nemec, and the Gilded Gentleman himself, Carl Raymond. Featuring tales of Revolutionary War spite, obscene Gilded Age banquets, and Jazz Age flights of spite. PLUS: New York City's longest-running rival. NOTE: We performed at City Winery less than 24 hours after the Knicks clinched their place in the NBA Finals. This episode for produced and cleaned up by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bowling Green is best known today as the calming, flower-filled oasis in lower Manhattan, next to the decidedly less calming, lumbering sculpture Charging Bull, which is popular with tourists. But this peaceful park was once home to New York City’s most infamous statue -- and the stage for America's first No Kings protest. In 1770, the old park became the home of a monumental statue of King George III on horseback, an ostentatious artifact meant to remind the rebellious colonists of just who was in charge. On July 9, 1776, following a reading of the freshly minted Declaration of Independence , angry New Yorkers violently pulled down that statue of King George and, as legend has it, rendered his body into bullets used in the battles of the Revolutionary War. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States , we also mark the 250th anniversary of this event — not a moment of jubilation and freedom, but of anger and uncertainty. The Declaration beautifully set down the words of independence. The tearing down of King George made the same statement — in a far messier, more violent manner. In this episode, take a trip back to the city right before the war, when New York was split into those sympathetic to the Tories and those to the Sons of Liberty , an early organization dedicated to the liberty of the American colonies. PLUS: Find out where you can locate artifacts from this story throughout the city today. FEATURING: A young Alexander Hamilton , William Pitt the Elder , that rascal Cadwallader Colden and the enterprising ladies of the Wolcott household. This special episode is not a rerun! It's a riff on a 2020 Bowery Boys episode. It has been rewritten and rerecorded (including for video on YouTube) in honor of America 250, and newly produced and edited by Kieran Gannon. Visit the website for images and other podcasts associated with this show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City will be at the center of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States, thanks to the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships to sail into New York Harbor — a reminder of the city's storied maritime history. It will be like ghosts of the past returning from a long voyage. The parade of tall ships, known as Operation Sail , first assembled in New York waters for the 1 964 World's Fair and later for the big U.S. Bicentennial of 1976. The city had a lot going on that year, most notably a financial crisis and a public spat with President Gerald Ford . But when television cameras turned to film the big event, they saw not just majestic ships, but a diverse array of New Yorkers, reinventing what it meant to be American. Tom and Greg are joined on this show by Captain Jonathan Boulware , the President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum , to discuss the Seaport's unique connection to Operation Sail and the museum's latest exhibition, The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation , which places the nation's most important documents in a unique waterfront context. This show was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon If you're looking for a walk through New York's Revolutionary past, please check out the augmented reality app Echoes of Revolution NYC , launching on June 29, 2026. Visit our website for images and more podcasts related to this subject. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New York Knicks are the ultimate New York City sporting franchise. Why would we make such a big claim? It's all in the name . The Knicks were founded in 1946 as one of the inaugural teams from the sports professional league which became the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their owner Ned Irish, from Madison Square Garden , chose the name Knickerbockers, quite literally pulled it from a hat, because the word evoked the spirit of Old New York and the early days of Dutch New Amsterdam. However there were no notable Knickerbockers in the original Dutch settlement. Where did this odd name come from? Tom and Greg go on the hunt for the origins of this unusual name, charting a course through the Hudson River Valley in the early 19th century -- to the romantic Knickerbocker Mansion in Schaghticoke, and then following the various wanderings of a young Washington Irving. His character Diedrich Knickerbocker would not only bend the will of history, he would inspire generations of New Yorkers to boast traces of their lineage to the city's Dutch past. By the Gilded Age, it would be a stand-in for New Yorkers in general, adhered to steamships, hotels and even beer And so the spirit of Washington Irving shines down upon the Knicks to this day! This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson 100 years ago on June 1, 1926. In late 1954, on the cusp of major Hollywood stardom, Marilyn moved to New York City on a quest to become a better actress and to find a little peace on streets where she could sometimes go unnoticed. The year 1955 was one of discovery for the star of The Seven-Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — exploring the city, working on her craft and generally being the toast of the town. In particular, she came to New York to become a better actress via the Actors Studio and the influence of Lee Strasberg . But she also managed to see the most glamorous corners of New York. That deep connection she made with New York City never left her. As an extra treat, Greg and Tom are joined on the show by Alicia Malone of TCM (and Tom’s co-host on “The Official Gilded Age Podcast”) and author of the book Girls on Film: Lessons from a Life of Watching Women in Movies to discuss how the city changed her career and performances. We’re big old movie buffs here on the Bowery Boys, and to celebrate a century of Marilyn, we’ve remastered and re-edited a show we recorded on Marilyn’s New York back in 2022. So raise a toast to Marilyn tonight — and put on something a little extra glamorous for fun. This episode was remastered by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She arrived in New York calling herself Eliza Brown — but she’d been born Betsy Bowen, daughter of a woman jailed for running a disorderly house in Providence. By the time she died in 1865, she was Eliza Jumel -- Manhattan’s richest woman, mistress of a hilltop mansion in Washington Heights, the widow of a former vice president, and the subject of so many wild rumors that even her New York Times obituary couldn’t keep the facts straight. Tom is joined by Catherine Hughes and Danielle Gaita of the historic Morris-Jumel Mansion to sort the legend from the life. Born in 1775 to grinding poverty, Eliza reinvented herself as an actress at the Park Theater, married the French merchant Stephen Jumel in 1804, and in 1810 moved into the grand house that had served as George Washington’s headquarters in the fall of 1776 — Manhattan’s oldest surviving residence. And from there the story only grows more intriguing. Paris in the age of Napoleon. A staggering art collection. Real estate dealings while her husband stayed an ocean away. A whirlwind second marriage to the 77-year-old Aaron Burr — and a scandalous divorce, finalized on the very day Burr died. Plus: Lin-Manuel Miranda writing Hamilton lyrics in Burr’s old bedroom! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Lincoln Center revival of Ragtime — with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, adapted from the novel by E. L. Doctorow — has just garnered 11 Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, along with multiple acting nods for its acclaimed cast. This new production feels more timely and resonant than the one that first played on Broadway in 1998. In addition to the fictional Coalhouse Walker Jr. and the archetypal figures known simply as Father, Mother, and Younger Brother, Ragtime brings to life several real celebrities and power brokers from turn-of-the-century New York. Anna Grace Barlow , who portrays Broadway sensation Evelyn Nesbit, and Rodd Cyrus , who embodies legendary illusionist Harry Houdini, join Carl Raymond from The Gilded Gentleman podcast for a behind-the-scenes conversation about their characters and their experiences bringing this revival to the stage. This show is brought to you by The Gilded Gentleman podcast, produced by the Bowery Boys and edited and produced by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Perched over the Hudson River near the city of Hudson sits Olana State Historic Site , once the wondrous home of painter Frederic Church . This Gilded Age mansion is unlike any in the valley, mystical and imposing, evoking Persian and Moorish architectural styles and reflecting the art and ambitions of its former owner. Church was more than a Hudson River School painter; he was an adventurer and dreamer, bringing the vistas of the world to America within his massive landscape creations. In 1859, when his Heart of the Andes made its New York debut, thousands lined up to soak in its impossible beauty. Victoria Johnson , author of the new biography Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America and America to the World , has walked in his footsteps — from the Ecuadorian volcano Cotopaxi to the heights of ancient Petra. She joins Greg and Tom on the podcast this week to discuss Church’s unusual life — both as a New Yorker and as a daring traveler. After this show, you may never look at a landscape painting the same way again. This show was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon Visit the website to take a look at some of Church's paintings , as well as a list of other Bowery Boys podcasts related to this show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Garment District in Midtown Manhattan has been the center of American fashion for almost one hundred years. The lofts and office buildings here still buzz with the business of making clothing — from design to distribution. But the district has become endangered today as clothing manufacturers move out and the entire industry faces new challenges from online sales and overseas production. During the mid-19th century, garment production thrived in New York thanks to thousands of arriving immigrants skilled in making clothes. Most clothing in the United States was made below 14th Street, in the city’s tenement neighborhoods, especially the Lower East Side. As the industry grew more prominent, the residents and merchants of Fifth Avenue feared it would overtake their fashionable street. So, by the 1930s, a new district was born. Hardly a stitch was sewn in the United States without passing through the blocks between 34th Street and 42nd Street, west of Sixth Avenue. Listen in as we describe the Garment District’s chaotic flurry of activity — from the fabulous showrooms of the world’s greatest designers to the nitty-gritty bustle of its crowded streets. Visit our website for images related to this subject and other podcasts related to the Garment District and New York's garment-making history. In celebration of Made In NYC Week , we present our tribute to New York City's active and thriving garment industry. A version of this show was originally presented in January 2016. Now with a new introduction and ending, this show was reedited by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our modern world, people are turning to all sorts of unusual beliefs and fringe disciplines just outside the bounds of medical science and psychology, all in search of a better understanding of the human mind and the origins of personality. In the mid-19th century, New Yorkers with similar questions became obsessed with the unusual practice of phrenology , which promised to unlock the secrets of the brain through a careful examination and mapping of the human skull. By the 1840s, visitors to New York City Hall and Barnum’s American Museum could walk just a short distance to the curiosity cabinet run by the Fowler family , a group of phrenologists and publishers who helped popularize this now-debunked practice. At this very odd tourist attraction, visitors could examine rows of skulls and casts of skulls taken from both celebrated figures in human history and some of the world’s most infamous criminals. Phrenology attracted the interest of some of the 19th century’s most notable figures, including P. T. Barnum and Walt Whitman . The Fowlers’ empire of unusual disciplines soon expanded to include mesmerism and even spiritualism . But there was also a darker side to phrenology: it was used by many to justify elitist and racist philosophies. Greg is joined in the studio by Paul Stob , author of the new book Empire of Skulls: Phrenology, the Fowler Family, and a New Nation’s Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Mind , to explore this strange craze, what people believed they saw when they looked at the skull, and why New York City played such a crucial role in its rise. Visit the website for more images and others relating to this topic. You can also watch this show on YouTube This show was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carnegie Hall is one of America’s greatest and most enduring cultural landmarks, enchanting audiences and making history since its opening night on May 5, 1891, when Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky appeared there in his first performance in the United States. This groundbreaking performance space (originally known simply as “Music Hall”) is in fact a trio of distinct venues, all nestled within a single, opulent Italian Renaissance–style building. Although its benefactor Andrew Carnegie and his fellow Gilded Age elites had moved their grand residences farther up Fifth Avenue, New York’s established cultural institutions, like the venerable Academy of Music, still lingered well to the south. Carnegie Hall helped shift that center of gravity uptown. Yet the true history of Carnegie Hall lives inside its walls—within the experiences of the audiences and the artists, and, for this week’s show, within the archives themselves. Tom and Greg have been invited into the Carnegie Hall archives for an exclusive, unprecedented encounter with the story of American music. Kathleen Sabogal and Robert Hudson of the Rose Museum & Archives guide the Bowery Boys through the Hall’s past, using some of their collection’s most cherished artifacts: a clarinet, mysterious locks, ledger books, stickpins, suffrage buttons, beaded jackets, photographs, and autograph books that together bring the spirit of Carnegie Hall vividly to life. And in the end -- they even take to the stage! Visit the website for more information and to listen to more episodes of the Bowery Boys podcast. You can also watch this show on YouTube. This episode was proudly sponsored by Carnegie Hall. Visit CarnegieHall.org for information on upcoming shows, including the United in Sound: America at 250 festival, a multifaceted reflection of the United States 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Once upon a time, the streets of the Lower East Side were lined with pushcarts and salespeople haggling with customers over the price of fruits, fish and pickles. Whatever became of them? New York’s earliest marketplaces were large and surprisingly well regulated hubs for commerce that kept the city fed. When the city was small, they served the hungry population well. But by the mid 19th century, mass waves of immigration and the necessary expansion of the city meant a lack of affordable food options for the city’s poorest residents in overcrowded tenement districts. Then along came the peddler, pushcart vendors who brought bargains of all types — edible and nonedible — to neighborhood streets throughout the city. In particular, on the Lower East Side, the pushcarts created makeshift marketplaces. Many shoppers loved the set-up! But not a certain mayor — Fiorello La Guardia , who promised to sweep away these old-fashioned pushcarts that packed the streets — and instead house some of those vendors in new municipal market buildings. For those immigrant peddlers, the Essex Street Market — in sight of the Williamsburg Bridge — would provide a diverse shopping experience representing a swirl of various cultures: Eastern European, Puerto Rican, Italian and more. But could these markets survive competition from supermarkets? Or the many economic changes of life in New York City? Originally released in November 2020. This show was re-edited and remastered by Kieran Gannon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1889, Robert Ray Hamilton, great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, became ensnared in a sensational web of deceit — forged identities, attempted murder, and brazen fraud that captured headlines across the country. Although this gripping saga played out over a two-year period, it has largely faded from public memory. In his book The Scandalous Hamiltons , author Bill Shaffer resurrects the scandal in vivid detail. Bill joins The Gilded Gentleman to unravel this astonishing true-crime drama, a story that shocked Gilded Age readers and is sure to raise eyebrows even today. This show is brought to you by The Gilded Gentleman podcast, produced by the Bowery Boys and edited and produced by Kieran Gannon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.