The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers, Greg Young

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

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first

#491 Adventures in Old New York
Three extraordinary stories from the glory days of New York City -- the first luxury hotel (Astor House), the Gilded Age's most scandalous dance hall, and the place where Oreos were invented.
Friday · 1 hr 14 min
#490 The Murder of Bill the Butcher
The life and misdeeds of William Poole, aka Bill the Butcher, who slashed and punched his way through mid-19th century New York.
July 17 · 49 min
#489 Heated Rivalries from American History (Live at City Winery)
A few of the most memorable frenemies and catfights from American history -- including the story of New York City's longest lasting rivalry.
July 3 · 1 hr 15 min
Tearing Down King George: Revolutionary Summer 1776 (Rewind)
George Washington reads the freshly inked Declaration of Independence, inspiring New Yorkers to tear down their least favorite monument.
June 26 · 37 min
#488 Party Like It's 1976!
Some of the ways New York City celebrated the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 will return for the massive party for America 250.
June 19 · 1 hr 18 min
#487 The Knicks and the Knickerbockers: The Story of a Name
How the Knicks got their name -- from little marbles to basketballs.
June 5 · 1 hr 4 min
Marilyn Monroe at 100: Her Life in New York City (Rewind)
The world's biggest movie star -- on the streets of New York City (and over the subway grates) in the mid 1950s.
May 29 · 1 hr 18 min
#486 The Many Intrigues of Eliza Jumel
Eliza Jumel was one of the richest women in New York City in the early 19th century. And after she passed, the subject of vicious rumors.
May 22 · 1 hr 3 min
The Real Historical Figures from Broadway's 'Ragtime'
The actors who play Harry Houdini and Evelyn Nesbit in the new Broadway revival "Ragtime" find the real-life inspirations behind their roles.
May 15 · 48 min
#485 The Painter Who Brought The World To New York
The world according to Frederic Church, the master artist whose work was like the cinema of the mid-19th century
May 8 · 50 min
The Garment District: Where New York Fashion Is Made (Rewind)
A history of the Garment District, one of New York City's great centers of manufacturing and the birthplace of many 20th-century fashion trends.
May 1 · 51 min
#484 The Phrenology Craze
During the mid 19th century, New Yorkers flocked to a very curious tourist attraction near City Hall -- a "house of skulls," the phrenological cabinet of the Fowler family.
April 24 · 54 min
#483 The Treasures of Carnegie Hall
The greatest nights in American music history took place at Carnegie Hall -- but that's just the start of the story.
April 17 · 1 hr 17 min
The Pushcarts of the Lower East Side (Rewind)
Before there were food trucks and hot dog carts, there were pushcarts, mostly concentrated on the Lower East Side in the late 19th century.
April 10 · 58 min
The Scandalous Hamiltons: Sex, Lies and Blackmail (The Gilded Gentleman)
The great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton meets a beautiful woman with a dubious past in this thrilling true-crime Gilded Age caper.
April 3 · 53 min
#482 Pride and Preservation (The Streets of the West Village Part 3)
The West Village is born -- thanks to Jane Jacobs and a group of local activists. And the Stonewall Uprising ignites a new movement, leading to the neighborhood's first national monument. What would Carrie Bradshaw think?
March 27 · 1 hr 25 min
#481 How The West Village Became A Neighborhood (The Streets of the West Village Part 2)
Speakeasies, subways and smoky jazz clubs come to the early 20th century West Village.
March 13 · 1 hr 25 min
#480 The Streets of the West Village: Creating the Village (Part 1)
Our epic history of the West Village begins here -- tracing the winding streets back to the earliest days of country estates, creeks and burial grounds.
February 27 · 1 hr 20 min
Frozen in Time: The Great Blizzard of 1888
Remembering one of the worst weather incidents in American history -- the Great Blizzard of 1888.
February 22 · 47 min
How To Dig a Train Tunnel Under the Hudson River (from HISTORY This Week)
For more historical deep dives just like these, check out HISTORY This Week wherever you get your podcasts! February 14, 1905. A stick of dynamite detonates under the Hudson River — and the ground above swallows a locomotive whole. It's the latest setback in an audacious plan to tunnel beneath the river and bring trains into Manhattan. The Pennsylvania Railroad is the largest corporation in the world, but the goopy riverbed keeps fighting back. How did they finally break through? And why are these 115-year-old tunnels still the most critical infrastructure in America? Special thanks to our guests: Polly Desjarlais, content and research manager at the New York Transit Museum; Jill Jonnes, author of Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels; and Andy Sparberg, former LIRR manager, transit historian, and author of From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA. Link: http://historythisweekpodcast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
February 20 · 34 min

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

#491 Adventures in Old New York

#490 The Murder of Bill the Butcher

#489 Heated Rivalries from American History (Live at City Winery)

Tearing Down King George: Revolutionary Summer 1776 (Rewind)

#488 Party Like It's 1976!

#487 The Knicks and the Knickerbockers: The Story of a Name

Marilyn Monroe at 100: Her Life in New York City (Rewind)

#486 The Many Intrigues of Eliza Jumel

The Real Historical Figures from Broadway's 'Ragtime'

#485 The Painter Who Brought The World To New York

The Garment District: Where New York Fashion Is Made (Rewind)

#484 The Phrenology Craze

#483 The Treasures of Carnegie Hall

The Pushcarts of the Lower East Side (Rewind)

The Scandalous Hamiltons: Sex, Lies and Blackmail (The Gilded Gentleman)

#482 Pride and Preservation (The Streets of the West Village Part 3)

#481 How The West Village Became A Neighborhood (The Streets of the West Village Part 2)

#480 The Streets of the West Village: Creating the Village (Part 1)

Frozen in Time: The Great Blizzard of 1888

How To Dig a Train Tunnel Under the Hudson River (from HISTORY This Week)