The Bowery Boys: New York City History
FILM REVIEW The story of Robert Moses versus Jane Jacobs has grown to such an epic scale by this point that it scarcely represents reality anymore. Their legacies have taken on super heroic form — the Avengers of New York City history, if you will — representing the basic evils of corrupt government and the essential good of… Read More
Jane Butzner was born 100 years ago in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Jane Jacobs died on April 25, 2006, in Toronto, Canada. But for much of her life in between, she changed the way people thought about cities from her perch in North America’s largest — New York City. Jane Jacobs was a revolutionary thinker in an age where… Read More
We hope you enjoyed our 200th Bowery Boys podcast on Jane Jacobs. For further reading on her life, philosophy and work, we recommend the following books, most of which we used as source material for this show. The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs — Obviously you should start with Jacobs’… Read More
PODCAST The story of Jane Jacobs, the urban activist and writer who changed the way we live in cities and her fights to preserve Greenwich Village in the 1950s and ’60s. Washington Square Park torn in two. The West Village erased and re-written. Soho, Little Italy and the Lower East Side ripped asunder by an… Read More
Above: This is the Bowery, 110 years ago. Â One of the recommended Jane’s Walks highlights the rapid changes along this historic street. (Picture courtesy Shorpy) There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city; people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans. — Jane… Read More
Above: look west on Wall Street 1883 (Courtesy Cornell) No need to walk around New York City this weekend completely devoid of purpose and context! The Municipal Art Society will be providing dozens of dozens of free walking tours this weekend as part of their annual Jane’s Walk NYC. It’s going to be sunny and… Read More
Above: A dramatic depiction of a fire which took place 160 years ago today. W. T. Jennings was a fine gentleman’s clothing store located at 231 Broadway, on the site of today’s Woolworth Building. A tremendous fire took the building on the evening of April 25, 1854, causing thousands of dollars in damage and destroying the… Read More
If you see large clusters of people walking around historic neighborhoods this weekend, drop what you’re doing and join them. The Municipal Art Society celebrates the May 4th birthday of urban planner Jane Jacobs with dozens of free walking tours this weekend, led by volunteers through a great many corners of New York City. … Read More
(Jacobs, as seen in Canada) We finally made it over to the Municipal Art Society’s exhibit on the extraordinary Jane Jacobs, community leader and civil planner whose theories on a successful urban landscape are currently fueling community activism today. Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York is part-bio on Jacobs, part inspection of her… Read More