The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers, Greg Young

The tides of American history lead through the streets of New York City — from the huddled masses on Ellis Island to the sleazy theaters of 1970s Times Square. The elevated railroad to the Underground Railroad. Hamilton to Hammerstein! Greg and Tom explore more than 400 years of action-packed stories, featuring both classic and forgotten figures who have shaped the world.

Episodes

#431 Up and Down Park Avenue: History with a Penthouse View

The story of a filthy and dangerous train ditch that became one of the swankiest addresses in the world -- Park Avenue.

Apr 25

1 hr 19 min

#430 The Story of Flushing: Queens History, Old and New

Few areas of the United States have as endured as long as Flushing, Queens, a neighborhood with almost over 375 years of history and an evolving cultural landscape that includes Quakers, trees, Hollywood films, world fairs, and new Asian immigration.

Apr 11

1 hr 35 min

#429 The Moores: A Black Family in 1860s New York

Tom visits the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side to walk through the reconstructed two-room apartment of an African-American couple who lived in 1870 on Laurens Street in today’s Soho neighborhood.

Mar 28

1 hr 5 min

The Age of Innocence: Inside Edith Wharton's Classic Novel

The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s most famous novel, an enduring classic of Old New York that has been rediscovered by a new generation. What is it about this story of Newland Archer, May Welland and Countess Olenska that readers respond to today?

Mar 21

48 min

#428 The New York Game: Baseball in the Early Years

Tom and Greg are joined by Kevin Baker, author of The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City, to discuss the early history of the sport and its unique connections to New York City.

Mar 14

1 hr 9 min

#427 The Chrysler Building and the Great Skyscraper Race

The Chrysler Building remains one of America's most beautiful skyscrapers and a grand evocation of Jazz Age New York. But this architectural tribute to the automobile is also the greatest reminder of a furious construction surge that transformed the city in the 1920s.

Feb 29

1 hr 25 min

#426 Behind the Domino Sign: Brooklyn's Bittersweet Empire

Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Refinery, built in 1882, was more than a factory. During the Gilded Age and into the 20th century, this New York landmark was the center of America's sugar manufacturing, helping to fuel the country's hunger for sweet delights.

Feb 15

1 hr 13 min

#425 It Happened at Madison Square Park

A look at 200 years of history and culture in and surrounding Madison Square Park, one of America's most famous parks thanks to the performing venue which bears its name.

Feb 1

1 hr 24 min

Rewind: Truman Capote and the Black and White Ball

Truman Capote's 1966 masquerade ball at the Plaza Hotel would bring together a most outrageous collection of famous folks -- movie stars, socialites, politicians, publishing icons. An invite to the ball was the true golden ticket, coveted by every celebrity and social climber in America.

Jan 18

52 min

#424 Kosciuszko! The Man. The Bridge. The Legend.

Why is the Kosciuszko Bridge, one of New York City's most essential pieces of infrastructure, named for the Polish national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, a man who spent little time in New York City?

Jan 4

50 min