Stroll the romantic, rambling paths of historic Central Park in this week's episode, turning back the clock to the 1860s and 70s, a time of children ice skating on The Lake, carriage rides through the Mall, and bewildering excursions through The Ramble. You’re all invited to walk along with Greg through the oldest portion of Central Park. Not only to marvel at the beautiful trees, ancient rocks, flowers, and the dizzying assortment of birds but to look at the architecture, the sculptures, and the fountains. The idea of a public park -- open to all people, from all walks of life -- was rather new in the mid-19th century. The original plan for Central Park by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux emphasized an escape to the natural world. But almost immediately, those plans were altered to include more monumental and architectural delights. In this rambling walking tour, Greg visits some of the most beloved attractions of the park including Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Naumburg Bandshell, Bow Bridge and Belvedere Castle. And he's joined by two very special guests: -- Sara Cedar Miller, historian emerita of the Central Park Conservancy and author of Before Central Park -- Dr. Emma Guest-Consales, president of the Guides Association of New York City and tour ambassador at One World Observatory. Visit our website for more information  

#415 The Early Years of Central Park

The tides of American history lead through the streets of New York City — from the huddled masses on Ellis Island to the sleazy theaters of 1970s Times Square. The elevated railroad to the Underground Railroad. Hamilton to Hammerstein! 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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The Bowery Boys Podcast is going to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for a very special mini-series, marking the 400th anniversary of the Dutch first settling in North America in the region that today we call New York City. But before they go, they're kicking off their international voyage with a special conversation -- with the man who inspired the journey. Chances are good that if your bookshelf contains a respectable number of New York City history books, we imagine that one of those is The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America written by Russell Shorto. The best-selling book re-introduced the Dutch presence in America to a new generation of readers and revitalized interest in New York City history when it was published in 2004. Kevin Baker (a recent guest on our show), penning the original review for the New York Times, proclaimed, "New York history buffs will be captivated by Shorto's descriptions of Manhattan in its primordial state, of bays full of salmon and oysters, and blue plums and fields of wild strawberries in what is now Midtown."  And so before Greg and Tom begin their mini-series by speaking with Shorto about his classic book, his experiences in Amsterdam and his work with the New-York Historical Society, where he has curated a new exhibition New York Before New York: The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam. Russell also gives Tom and Greg some tips on places to go and advice on how to explore Amsterdam's old canals and corridors. Is it possible to find traces of New York City's past in that city's present? And then -- immediately after the interview -- they head for the airport! Visit the website for more information

#433 New Amsterdam Man: An Interview with Russell Shorto

Announcing an epic new Bowery Boys mini series -- The Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands. Exploring the connections between New York City and that fascinating European country. Simply put, you don't get New York City as it is today without the Dutch who first settled here 400 years ago. The names of Staten Island, Broadway, Bushwick, Greenwich Village and the Bronx actually come from the Dutch. And the names of places like Brooklyn and Harlem come from actual Dutch cities and towns. Over the course of several weekly shows, we'll dig deeper into the history of those Dutch settlements in New Amsterdam and New Netherland -- from the first Walloon settlers to the arrival of Peter Stuyvesant. But we'll be telling that story not from New York, but from the other side of the Atlantic, in the Netherlands. Walking the streets of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities, searching for clues. Uncovering new revelations and new perspectives on the Dutch Empire, And finding surprising relationships between New York and Amsterdam. For this series we visited Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Haarlem and more places with ties to New York.  We kick off this mini series next week (June 7). talking with the man who literally wrote the book on New Amsterdam -- Russell Shorto (The Island at the Center of the World) That's the Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands. Coming soon. June 7 The New Amsterdam ManJune 14 Adventures in the Netherlands Part OneJune 21 Adventures in the Netherlands Part TwoJune 28 Adventures in the Netherlands Part ThreeJuly 4 Adventures in the Netherlands Part Four  

The Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands TRAILER

Consider the following show an acknowledgment – of people. For the foundations of 400 years of New York City history were built upon the homeland of the Lenni-Lenape, the tribal stewards of a vast natural area stretching from eastern Pennsylvania to western Long Island.  The Lenape were among the first in northeast North America to be displaced by white colonists -- the Dutch and the English. By the late 18th century, their way of life had practically vanished upon the island which would be known by some distorted vestige of a name they themselves may have given it – Manahatta, Manahahtáanung or Manhattan. But the Lenape did not disappear. Through generations of great hardship, they have persevered. In today’s show, we’ll be joined by two guests who are working to keep Lenape culture and language alive throughout the United States, including here on the streets of New York -- Joe Baker, enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and a co-founder of the Lenape Center, an organization creating and presenting Lenape art, exhibitions and education in New York.  -- Ross Perlin, linguist and author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York

#432 The Lenape Nation: Past, Present and Future

The New York City subway system turns 120 years old later this year so we thought we'd honor the world's longest subway system with a supersized overview history -- from the first renegade ride in 1904 to the belated (but sorely welcomed) opening of one portion of the Second Avenue Subway in 2017. New Yorkers like Alfred Ely Beach had envisioned a subway system for the city as early as the 1870s. Yet years of political delay and a lack of funding ensured that dreams of an underground transit would languish. It wasn't until the mid-1890s that the city got on track with the help of August Belmont and the newly formed Interborough Rapid Transit. We’ll tell you about the construction of the first line, traveling miles underground through Manhattan and into the Bronx. How did the city cope with this massive project? And what unfortunate accident nearly ripped apart a city block mere feet from Grand Central? You'll also find out how something as innocuous sounding as the ‘Dual Contracts’ actually became one of the most important events in the city’s history, creating new underground passages into Brooklyn, the Bronx and (wondrously!) Queens. Then we’ll talk about the city’s IND line, which completes our modern track lines and gives the subway its modern sheen. Through it all, the New York City subway system is a masterwork of engineering and construction. In particular, after listening to this show, you won’t look at the Herald Square subway station the same way again. Today's episode is a remastered and re-edited edition of two 2011 Bowery Boys podcasts, featuring newly recorded material to take the story to the present day. Visit the website for more information and images   FURTHER LISTENING Other Bowery Boys podcasts on the subway and mass transit: Miss Subways: Queens of the New York CommuteOpening Day of the New York City Subway The First Subway: Beach's Pneumatic MarvelSubway Graffiti 1970-1989Cable Cars, Trolleys and MonorailsNew York's Elevated Railroads The East Side Elevateds: Life Under the Tracks  

Rewind: History of the New York City Subway

The story of a filthy and dangerous train ditch that became one of the swankiest addresses in the world -- Park Avenue.  For over 100 years, a Park Avenue address meant wealth, glamour and the high life. The Fred Astaire version of the Irving Berlin classic "Puttin' on the Ritz" revised the lyrics to pay tribute to Park Avenue: "High hats and Arrow collars/White spats and lots of dollars/Spending every dime for a wonderful time." By the 1950s, the avenue was considered the backbone of New York City with corporations setting up glittering new office towers in the International Style -- the Lever House, the Seagram Building, even the Pan Am Building.  But the foundation for all this wealth and success was, in actually, a train tunnel, originally operated by the New York Central Railroad. This street, formerly known as Fourth Avenue, was (and is) one of New York's primary traffic thoroughfares. For many decades, steam locomotives dominated life along the avenue, heading into and out of Cornelius Vanderbilt's Grand Central (first a depot, then a station, eventually a terminal). However train tracks running through a quickly growing city are neither safe nor conducive to prosperity. Eventually, the tracks were covered with beautiful flowers and trees, on traffic island malls which have gotten smaller over the years.  By the 1910s this allowed for glamorous apartment buildings to rise, the homes of a new wealthy elite attracted to apartment living in the post-Gilded Age era. But that lifestyle was not quite made available to everyone.  In this episode, Greg and Tom take you on a tour of the tunnels and viaducts that helped New York City to grow, creating billions of dollars of real estate in the process.  FURTHER LISTENING Listen to these related Bowery Boys episodes after you're done listening to the Park Avenue show: The Pan Am BuildingIt Happened In Madison Square Park The Chrysler Building and the Great Skyscraper RaceThe Rescue of Grand Central Terminal  FURTHER READING This week we're suggesting a few historic designation reports for you history supergeeks looking for a deep dive into Park Avenue history. Dates indicated are when the structure or historic district was designated St. Bartholomew's Church and Community House (1967) Seventh Regiment Armory/Park Avenue Armory (1967) Consulate General of Italy (formerly the Henry P. Davison House) (1970) New World Foundation Building (1973) Racquet and Tennis Club Building (1979) Pershing Square Viaduct/Park Avenue Viaduct (1980) Upper East Side Historic District Designation Report (1981) Lever House (1982) 1025 Park Avenue Reginald DeKoven House (1986) New York Central Building (1987) Seagram Building (1989) Mount Morris Bank Building (1991) Expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District Report (1993) Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1993) Pepsi-Cola Building (1995) Ritz Tower (2002) 2 Park Avenue Building (2006) Park Avenue Historic District Designation Report (2014)

#415 The Early Years of Central Park

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