The Bowery Boys podcast turn 5 years old today!

And so our little history podcast experiences a little bit of a historical milestone itself.

Five years ago today, Tom Meyers and I sat down to record our very first podcast, over a bottle of wine and some brand new recording equipment. That first episode went by the unfortunate and unoriginal name ‘New York ‘Cast’, a name which we abandoned in the second show, having been suddenly inspired by a certain well-dressed street gang described in Herbert Asbury’s ‘Gangs of New York’. This blog came along a couple weeks later.

The first topic of our first show was Collect Pond and Canal Street. We re-explored the topic to far more interesting effect in our 50th episode.

Hopefully you’ll indulge us over the next few weeks as we look back on some of our big moments and give nod to some of the history we’ve already discussed.

I’m also using this occasion to launch a couple other Bowery Boys projects later this summer. The first should be ready to go starting late next month!

We’ve recorded 139 shows, with number 140 coming up next week. Although I’ve recorded a few solo shows — and there have been a handful with special guests — the most popular have featured both myself and Tom. If you haven’t yet listened to the podcast yet, give it a try! Go to iTunes and download a few shows.

Here’s a list of what I would consider our most successful episodes — either by number of total listens/downloads or by the overall quality of the program. If you wouldn’t mind, please vote for your favorite. This will help us come up with new ideas for the rest of the year.

Below: Take our poll!

The Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast: What’s your favorite episode?




At top: A rather unconventional looking New York City skyline. ‘High buildings in New York at night.’ Turn of the century postcard, courtesy the New York Public Library

13 replies on “The Bowery Boys podcast turn 5 years old today!”

cheers, tom and greg! i’m a huge fan of the podcast and tune in religiously, even while abroad (which admittedly makes me a bit homesick). here’s to many more years.

quick question: where would i find the first 50 podcasts? i see the library starts at september 2008. thx!

Congrats! I just got back from my 6th visit to NYC and this time I visited a couple of places you discussed in the podcast. You guys make one of the best podcasts on the planet.

5 years! Congrats guys! The podcast has truly educated and entertained me on all things to love and appreciate about this wonderful city. It’s been about 3 years that I’ve been listening and I try to turn people onto it as often as I can. From peg-leg tales of Stuyvesant and his farm to the revolutionary war to the collect pond contamination to racist mayors or titans of progress in the last century– you’ve taken even the dryest details of city history and made it fun. Cheers to 5 MORE years!

I’ve visited New York from Canada a couple of times since I started listening to your podcasts and I relied on them to get the most out of each visit. You helped make a great city even more interesting. Thank you both for doing such a great research job.

Thanks, Boys, for making work go by just a little bit more enjoyably. I’ve been going through the library in order in honor the anniversary. I’ve been listening since about the Chrysler Building podcast, and you and this city only get better every week!

I’ve been listening for years and always plan my yearly birthday weekend (9-11) to NYC around places I’ve heard on your podcasts. I love the episodes wherein you crack yourselves up, like the recent Rockaway Beach one . . . you had me laughing out loud. Thanks for all your hard work! Donna Muller

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