The Bowery Boys: New York City History
I’m very pleased to be able to join author Eric K. Washington in a special ‘virtual history’ discussion of the Silent Parade of 1917 — courtesy a special event sponsored by Green-Wood Cemetery. Join Eric and I on Wednesday, August 19 at 5pm for an illustrated discussion of this important moment in New York City… Read More
Another cool live event coming your way — and a mysterious one at that. Green-Wood Cemetery is bringing you a haunting outdoor event on the evening of Saturday, June 17, entitled A Night of Victorian Tragedies and Greg will be emceeing the event — and bringing you one of the spooky stories himself! Here’s the description… Read More
The stunning colors of autumn are upon us, and  you can appreciate the full glory of fall within the limits of New York City, accessible by public transportation. In past years, I’ve focused on the spectacular leafy vistas at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wave Hill and the New York Botanical Garden, as well as Sailors Snug Harbor in Staten… Read More
It’s the return of Niblo’s Garden, the 19th century pleasure garden and entertainment palace once on Broadway and Prince Street! Except this time around, it’s in a cemetery. Niblo’s is perhaps most famous as being the site of the first Broadway musical (at least, some form of it). The venue’s impresario William Niblo is buried… Read More
Green-Wood Cemetery celebrates its 175th year as Brooklyn’s oldest greenspace, populated with deceased politicians, writers and actors. It’s the final resting place for some of New York’s most famous and notorious characters — Henry Ward Beecher, Horace Greeley, DeWitt Clinton and Boss Tweed among them. The Museum of the City of New York debuts its… Read More
Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s latest crusade against sugary beverages in excessively large containers had me thinking about the origins of soft drinks. Most major brands of soda started in the South — Coca-Cola in Georgia, Pepsi in North Carolina, Dr. Pepper in Texas, Mountain Dew in Tennessee. Even the Big Gulp, an invention of the 7-11 convenience stores,… Read More
The city received a right, proper Transylvania-style thunderstorm this weekend, with more than a few bolts streaking overhead early Sunday morning. You might find this shocking: According to the National Weather Service, the Empire State Building is struck by lightning an average of 23 times a year, or slightly more than one might be comfortable… Read More
A special illustrated version of our podcast on Green-Wood Cemetery (Episode #64) is now available on our NYC History Archive feed. Just hit play and images of our topic will appear on any compatible media player. If you’re looking for a beautiful landscape of shaded hills and meandering paths, filled with classical architecture and populated with… Read More