On October 26, 1825, the fate of New York City – and the entire United States – changed with the opening of the Erie Canal, a manmade waterway that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was the most significant engineering project of its time, linking the ocean to the nation’s interior — a… Read More The post The Grand Tale of the Erie Canal: New York’s Engineering Icon Celebrates 200 Years appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Get into the spooky spirit of the season with the Bowery Boys’ first-ever ghost-themed walking tour — with Historic Haunts of Lower Manhattan, sponsored by Founded by NYC. Discover amazing history and hear mysterious tales on this enchanting walk through Lower Manhattan. And for this tour, we’ve called into service one of New York City’s… Read More The post Historic Haunts of Lower Manhattan: The Bowery Boys first-ever ghostly walking tour appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York...| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Dominicans comprise the largest immigration group in modern New York City, and Dominican culture has become embedded in the city’s rich fabric of immigrant history. And in one place in particular — Washington Heights. This historic neighborhood of Upper Manhattan is named for George Washington, who led the Continental Army in an early, pivotal battle… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Today’s New York neighborhood called NoHo, wedged between Greenwich Village and the East Village, holds many captivating stories from the 19th century, and the tales of many people and places that then went on to become associated with the Gilded Age. The Astor family began their dynasty here in both investment and real estate as did the well-known… Read More The post 19th Century NoHo: Glamour, Greed, Money, and Murder appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Above: John Purroy Mitchel, the ‘boy mayor’, in 1910 PODCAST As New York City enters the final stages of this year’s mayoral election, let’s look back on a decidedly more unusual contest 110 years ago, pitting Tammany Hall and their estranged ally (Mayor William Jay Gaynor) up against a baby-faced newcomer, the (second) youngest man… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
On January 3, 1924, 25-year-old George Gershwin was shooting pool in a Manhattan billiard hall when his brother Ira read aloud a shocking newspaper article: “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto.” There was just one problem—George had never agreed to write any such piece. What happened next would change American music forever.… Read More The post Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”: A Jazz-Age Drama appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Since its launch in 2011, NYC Broadway Week has become a beloved tradition for theater lovers, offering a rare opportunity to experience world-class productions at a fraction of the cost. Held twice a year, Broadway Week allows theatergoers to purchase 2-for-1 tickets to many of Broadway’s top shows—making it easy to bring along a friend,… Read More The post Broadway Week: The Best Theater Value in Town Returns in September appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
PODCAST The fascinating story of the Public Theater and Joseph Papp’s efforts to bring Shakespeare to the people. (Episode #88) What started in a tiny East Village basement grew to become one of New York’s most enduring summer traditions, Shakespeare in the Park, featuring world class actors performing the greatest dramas of the age. But… Read More The post Joseph Papp vs. Robert Moses: The saga of Shakespeare in the Park appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Ever since the premiere episode of HBO’s “The Gilded Age”, viewers and historians have discussed just how close the fictitious character of Bertha Russell (played by Carrie Coon) may be to the real-life socialite steamroller Alva Vanderbilt. She’s the subject of this week’s episode of The Gilded Gentleman podcast. There certainly seems to be similarities from Bertha and Alva’s mutual unrelenting drive to claw a place in… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
On the evening of December 5, 1876, the glorious Brooklyn Theatre caught fire, trapping its audience in a nightmare of flame and smoke. The theater sat near Brooklyn City Hall (today’s Brooklyn Borough Hall), and the blaze which destroyed it could be seen as far away as Prospect Park. The horrible truth was revealed in… Read More The post The Terrible Brooklyn Theater Fire: The Forgotten Gilded Age Tragedy appeared first on The Bowery Boys: New York City History.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
The history of New York City — as told through the stories of its oldest bars.| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
Who do you think picked up the tab: Paul Morrissey, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin or Tim Buckley? To get you in the mood for the weekend, every other 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… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
So we don’t know if you’ve heard, but New York City is an expensive place to live these days. So we thought it might be time to revisit the tale of the city’s most famous district of luxury — Fifth Avenue. For about a hundred years, this avenue was mostly residential— but residences of the most… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History
In 1886, during a miles-long parade celebrating the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, office workers in lower Manhattan began heaving ticker tape out the windows, creating a magical, blizzard-like landscape. That tradition stuck. Today that particular corridor of Broadway — connecting Battery Park to City Hall — is known as the “Canyon of Heroes”… Read More| The Bowery Boys: New York City History