The Bowery Boys

13/12/2025

Thanks to every one of you who came out to see us at City Winery last night for the latest installment of Bowery Boys History Live! Featuring Aaron Radford-Wattley (author of Hot Victorians), clock whisperer Kyle Supley and the Gilded Gentleman himself, Carl Raymond.

More to come in 2026. Happy holidays!

12/12/2025

This month we mark the 190th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies to ever befall the city of New York — the Great Fire of 1835 which destroyed hundreds of buildings and very nearly gutted the city’s economy right at the moment that it was beginning to thrive due to the Erie Canal.

What made this fire so especially awful? Why couldn’t they get it under control? And what malevolent forces even worked to spread the blaze?

Learn more in the latest Bowery Boys podcast.

11/12/2025

Did you enjoy the Ken Burns mini-series The American Revolution? The publication New York Groove has a good round-up of Revolutionary War sites in New York and I'm quoted throughout the article with my favorites:

A guide to what to do with yourself once you've finished the new Ken Burns

06/12/2025

In the newest Bowery Boys podcast, Tom heads to Colmar, France, and the Musée Bartholdi to discover the fascinating origins of the Statue of Liberty. And afterwards he strolled around the town’s famous Christmastime market.

Listen today on your favorite podcast player.

05/12/2025

On the new Bowery Boys podcast, Tom heads to the hometown of Frédéric Bartholdi (and to the charming Musée Bartholdi) in search of the origin of the Statue of Liberty. Along the way, he discovers the symbol's many different meanings. Available now on our favorite podcast player.

She stands in New York Harbor as America’s most recognizable symbol—but the story of the Statue of Liberty begins thousands of miles away, in the charming Alsatian city of Colmar, France. In this on-location episode, Tom ventures to the picturesque town where sculptor Frédéric Auguste Barthold...

05/12/2025

Today (Dec 5) marks the anniversary of the worst disaster in Brooklyn history — the Brooklyn Theatre Fire, killing almost 300 people. The theater sat near Brooklyn City Hall (today’s Brooklyn Borough Hall), and the blaze which destroyed it could be seen as far away as Prospect Park.

Listen to the Bowery Bouys podcast — episode 467 — for more information.

05/12/2025

Watching the excellent series Death By Lightning and I can now say there will be a related Bowery Boys episode in a few weeks.

03/12/2025

In 1912 the first community Christmas tree was placed in Madison Square Park as a way to unite the rapidly growing city. But the tradition caught on — first in Washington DC in the 1920s, then back in New York by the 1930s at that towering new development named Rockefeller Center.

Listen to the Bowery Boys podcast on the history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree for more information.

02/12/2025

Greg was on WNYC earlier today, chatting with Alison Stewart about the history of New York City bridges. Here are a few of the episodes mentioned in the show. You can hear the whole thing now on the WNYC website: All of It With Alison Stewart

Did you hear Greg today on WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart? They talked about New York City’s greatest and most underappreciated bridges. And lots of history! We’ve covered many, many bridges on the podcast over the years. Take a dive into one of these: #424 Kosciuszko! The Man. The Bridg...

02/12/2025

Today on WNYC — Greg talks NYC bridge history with Alison Stewart on All of It, show starts at 12pm ET. Tune in!