The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers, Greg Young

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.

Episodes

The Bowery Boys Adventures in the Netherlands TRAILER

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.

May 30

2 min

#432 The Lenape Nation: Past, Present and Future

The Lenape were among the first in northeast North America to be displaced by white colonists. But the Lenape did not disappear. Through generations of great hardship, they have persevered.

May 23

1 hr 22 min

Rewind: History of the New York City Subway

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.

May 9

1 hr 33 min

#431 Park Avenue: History with a Penthouse View

The story of a filthy and dangerous train ditch that became one of the swankiest addresses in the world -- Park Avenue.

Apr 25

1 hr 19 min

#430 The Story of Flushing: Queens History, Old and New

Few areas of the United States have as endured as long as Flushing, Queens, a neighborhood with almost over 375 years of history and an evolving cultural landscape that includes Quakers, trees, Hollywood films, world fairs, and new Asian immigration.

Apr 11

1 hr 35 min

#429 The Moores: A Black Family in 1860s New York

Tom visits the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side to walk through the reconstructed two-room apartment of an African-American couple who lived in 1870 on Laurens Street in today’s Soho neighborhood.

Mar 28

1 hr 5 min

The Age of Innocence: Inside Edith Wharton's Classic Novel

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?

Mar 21

48 min

#428 The New York Game: Baseball in the Early Years

Tom and Greg are joined by 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.

Mar 14

1 hr 9 min

#427 The Chrysler Building and the Great Skyscraper Race

The Chrysler Building remains one of America's most beautiful skyscrapers and a grand evocation of Jazz Age New York. But this architectural tribute to the automobile is also the greatest reminder of a furious construction surge that transformed the city in the 1920s.

Feb 29

1 hr 25 min

#426 Behind the Domino Sign: Brooklyn's Bittersweet Empire

Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Refinery, built in 1882, was more than a factory. During the Gilded Age and into the 20th century, this New York landmark was the center of America's sugar manufacturing, helping to fuel the country's hunger for sweet delights.

Feb 15

1 hr 13 min