The Bowery Boys: New York City History
It’s odd to hear people speak passionately about pickles, as if they’re a lifestyle. But that’s how people talk about Guss Pickles, the self-proclaimed ‘largest pickle emporium in the world’ and an institution of the Lower East Side since 1910. But as you shall see, those calling themselves the ‘largest’ and that store currently sitting… Read More
Above: a hilariously hideous Robert Moses mosaic, on the sidewalk at Flushing Meadows Robert Moses wanted the World’s Fair of 1964 in Flushing Meadows to be a family affair with little controversial material. Not surprisingly this meant few displays for American art. So how did an Andy Warhol mural get plastered on the New York… Read More
Come with us as we jettison ourselves into the future as it was seen in the past — namely the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens. Fans of Robert Moses, 1960s space-age optimism and really, really large tires should take special note to listen. Listen to it HERE: The Johnson Wax Pavilion, surrounded in… Read More
Above: Guests admire a strange piece by Martin Puryear The biggest surprise behind the revolutionary creation of the Museum of Modern Art is that the characters who put it together were almost as colorful as the modern art they championed. Tag along as we peek behind the canvas of New York’s oldest temple of avant… Read More
Above: Diego Rivera’s contentious creation Despite JD Rockefeller Jr’s aversion to the ‘impropriety’ of modern art, Rockefeller Center has always been bursting with it, from the large outdoor installations sprouting up in the plaza to the gorgeous art deco blazing from its walls. As with modern art for public display however, the Rock has sometimes… Read More
I’ve had a couple emails asking us to do a New York Giants podcast this week. Oh, had I known! We would have planned one. However, by the end of next month, we will unveil another major sports-themed podcast. In the meantime, here’s a few New York Giants’ non-statistical, history-related factoids to chew on and… Read More
The Lever House at 390 Park Avenue, along with the United Nations building, ushered in New York’s obsession with the International Style of architecture in the 40s and 50s — clean and blocky thin glass icons in the sky. It’s no surprise to find the building was built in 1952 for a soap manufacturer, the… Read More
Take a stroll through southern Manhattan’s Battery Park and Castle Clinton. Listen to it for free on iTunes or other podcasting services. Or you can download or listen to it HERE A famous depiction in its own right, this is of Jenny Lind inside the Castle Garden auditorium: Castle Clinton as Emigrant Depot Castle Clinton… Read More
Before we leave Cooper Union, I thought I was draw your attention a rather controversial decision they’ve made in the past few years that has marred an institution of Astor Place — the Carl Fischer note clock. Carl Fischer, still a leader in printed sheet music, began as a tiny musical instrument store on East… Read More
Cooper Union is one of New York City’s more storied institutions, not only fostering the best and brightest of art and architecture, but playing host to presidents and activists. Also, find out a little about its amazingly resourceful founder Peter Cooper Listen to it for free on iTunes or other podcasting services. Or you can… Read More
Our modest little series about some of the greatest, notorious, most important, even most useless, mayors of New York City. Other entrants in our mayoral survey can be found here. Abram Hewitt could easily be considered a very pivotal mayor in New York City, given the significant development and personal connections he had to the… Read More
The Bowery Boys explore the story and the family behind the Brooklyn Bridge, one of New York’s most treasured landmarks. Plus: Looking to get really close with the Brooklyn Bridge? Take one of our Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tours, with the Great Great Grandson of Washington and Emily Roebling, Kriss Roebling! The walkway in 1894…. ….and… Read More
Sorry, we’re experiencing some extreme technical difficulty with our podcast this week. We’ll post it here and on iTunes as soon as we get everything to work. Thanks!
We speed ahead over a hundred years after our last Know Your Mayors entry to that jovial man with the funny name, Seth Low. He holds a very unique place on the list of mayors, as he has been both the mayor of Brooklyn (from 1881 to 1885, back when it was a separate city)… Read More
You’ll be forgiven if the corner of Pearl and Dover streets does not happen to ring any bells for you. Although nearby a few South Street Seaport restaurants and bars — including the Bridge Cafe — its mostly unused given its proximity to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge and FDR Drive. But a sad,… Read More