The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Delve into the fascinating history of the New York City Subway from its renegade beginnings in 1904 to the modern network we know today. Learn about the challenges of construction, including accidents and political obstacles. Discover how the subway system evolved with the 'Dual Contracts' and IND lines, shaping the city's transportation landscape. Uncover the excitement of the subway's inaugural opening and the frenzied events of its first day in 1904. Explore the competition and expansion of subway lines into the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, transforming the city's transit system.

From a dingy train ditch to a luxury address, Park Avenue's evolution reflects wealth and glamour. Discover its humble beginnings under steam locomotive domination. Explore the rise of glamorous apartment buildings and iconic landmarks. The construction of Grand Central Terminal reshaped the avenue. The automobile age brought further transformation to this iconic street, culminating in 1950s modernism with innovative office towers. Delve into the cultural establishments and challenges posed by 'super tall' structures along Park Avenue's southern stretch.

Join Kieran Gannon, a Flushing history expert, along with Elise Helmers and Emily Vieira Haley from the Bowne House, as they delve into Flushing's rich history from a Dutch settlement to a vibrant cultural hub. Jason Antos shares insights on the Kingsland Homestead, while Kyle Supley explores the enchanting tales of Flushing Meadows and its World’s Fairs. Food guide Owen Phan tantalizes taste buds with the area's diverse culinary scene. Together, they unravel the historic significance of religious freedoms, Quaker heritage, and Flushing’s evolution over centuries.

In today’s episode, Tom visits the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side to walk through the reconstructed two-room apartment of an African-American couple, Joseph and Rachel Moore, who lived in 1870 on Laurens Street in today’s Soho neighborhood.Both Joseph and Rachel moved to New York when they were about 20 years old, in the late 1840s and 1850s. They married, worked, raised a family – and they shared their small apartment with another family to help cover costs. Their home has been recreated in the Tenement Museum’s newest exhibit, “A Union of Hope: 1869.” The exhibit reimagines what their apartment may have looked like – and it also explores life in the Eighth Ward of Manhattan, and, specifically, within the black community of the turbulent and dangerous decades of the 1850s and 60s.This is the first time the museum has recreated the apartment of a black family – although, as you’ll hear, the museum’s founders had long planned for it. And the exhibit is also the first time the museum has recreated an apartment that wasn’t housed in one of their buildings on the Lower East Side, but in another neighborhood. So, just who were Joseph and Rachel Moore? And how and why did the Tenement Museum choose to put them at the center of their new exhibit?  FURTHER LISTENING:Tales from a Tenement: Three Families Under One Roof (episode #246)Nuyorican: The Great Puerto Rican Migration to New York (episode #384)The Deadly Draft Riots of 1863 Seneca Village and New York's Forgotten Black Communities Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence is a perfect novel to read in the spring — maybe its all the flowers — so I finally picked it up to re-read, in part due to this excellent episode from the Gilded Gentleman which we are presenting to you this week. The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s most famous novel, an enduring classic of Old New York that has been rediscovered by a new generation. What is it about this story of Newland Archer, May Welland and Countess Olenska that readers respond to today?Noted Wharton scholar Dr. Emily Orlando joins Carl Raymond on The Gilded Gentleman podcast to delve into the background of this novel, take a deep dive into the personalities of the major characters and discuss what Wharton wanted to say in her masterpiece.  Edith Wharton published The Age of Innocence at a very important moment in her life. When the novel came out in 1920, she had been living in France full-time for nearly 10 years and had seen the devastating effects of World War I up close. Her response was to look back with a sense of nostalgia to the time of her childhood to recreate that staid, restrictive world of New York in the 1870s. A world that, despite its elite social cruelty, seemed to have some kind of moral center (at least to her).  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Baseball, as American as apple pie, really is “the New York game.” While its precursors come from many places – from Jamestown to Prague – the rules of American baseball and the modern ways of enjoying it were born from the urban experience and, in particular, the 19th-century New York region. The sport (in the form that we know it today) developed in the early 1800s, played in Manhattan’s many open lots or New Jersey public parklands and soon organized into regular teams and eventually leagues. The way that New Yorkers played baseball was soon the way most Americans played by the late 19th century.But it wasn’t until the invention of regular ball fields – catering to paying customers – that baseball became truly an urban recreational experience. And that too was revolutionized in New York.Just in time for spring and the new Major League baseball season, Tom and Greg are joined by the acclaimed Kevin Baker, author of The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City to discuss the early history of the sport and its unique connections to New York City.This show is truly the ultimate origin story of New York baseball, featuring tales of the city’s oldest and most legendary sports teams – the Yankees, the Dodgers, and the Giants. AND the New York Metropolitans – a different team than today’s Mets located in Queens.Where was baseball played? Kevin shares the secrets of New York baseball’s earliest venues – from the many Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan to Ebbets Field in BrooklynThis is a true five-borough origin story! With stops at Hilltop Park (Manhattan), Yankee Stadium (Bronx), Fashion Race Course (Queens), Washington Park (Brooklyn), and St. George Cricket Grounds (Staten Island) among many other sites.FEATURING the surprising link between baseball and Boss Tweed and his notorious political machine Tammany HallPLUS How did segregation distort the game and where did Black ballplayers play the sport? What was baseball like before Jackie Robinson?Visit our website for more information Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Explore the intense skyscraper race in 1920s NYC with rival architects, Van Alen and Severance, competing to build the tallest building. Learn about the influence of Walter Chrysler's brand on the design of the Chrysler Building. Discover the evolution of NYC's skyline from the Jazz Age to the present skyscraper surge.

Explore the sweet history of sugar in Brooklyn, from the iconic Domino Sugar sign to the rise of the Havemeyer family as sugar titans. Learn about the evolution of sugar production in New York City, the impact of the Havameyers Sugar Empire, and the closures of sugar factories. Discover the marriages of Harry Havemire, the Sugar and Coffee War, and the transformation of the Brooklyn waterfront.

Madison Square Park has been a cultural epicenter since the Gilded Age. Discover its transformation from a Lenape hunting ground to a vibrant urban oasis. Learn about the iconic Franconi's Hippodrome, famous for its chariot races, and the odd history of the Statue of Liberty's arm on display. The infamous 1906 murder of Stanford White marks a pivotal moment, symbolizing the end of an era. Finally, explore the park's revitalization, featuring trendy dining spots and its evolution into a cherished community space.

Explore Truman Capote's extravagant Black and White Ball at the Plaza Hotel in 1966. Learn about his socialite friends, known as his 'swans', and how his friendships elevated his status. Delve into the preparations, lavish costumes, and secrecy surrounding the ball. Discover the influence of Harper Lee, Frank Sinatra, and other famous attendees. Get recommendations for additional reading and resources on this topic.