The Bowery Boys: New York City History: episodes
60 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show
The Real Historical Figures from Broadway's 'Ragtime'
May 15, 2026 · 49 min
The actors who play Harry Houdini and Evelyn Nesbit in the new Broadway revival "Ragtime" find the real-life inspirations behind their roles.
#485 The Painter Who Brought The World To New York
May 8, 2026 · 51 min
The world according to Frederic Church, the master artist whose work was like the cinema of the mid-19th century
The Garment District: Where New York Fashion Is Made (Rewind)
May 1, 2026 · 52 min
A history of the Garment District, one of New York City's great centers of manufacturing and the birthplace of many 20th-century fashion trends.
#484 The Phrenology Craze
Apr 24, 2026 · 55 min
During the mid 19th century, New Yorkers flocked to a very curious tourist attraction near City Hall -- a "house of skulls," the phrenological cabinet of the Fowler family.
#483 The Treasures of Carnegie Hall
Apr 17, 2026 · 1h 17m
The greatest nights in American music history took place at Carnegie Hall -- but that's just the start of the story.
The Pushcarts of the Lower East Side (Rewind)
Apr 10, 2026 · 58 min
Before there were food trucks and hot dog carts, there were pushcarts, mostly concentrated on the Lower East Side in the late 19th century.
The Scandalous Hamiltons: Sex, Lies and Blackmail (The Gilded Gentleman)
Apr 3, 2026 · 53 min
The great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton meets a beautiful woman with a dubious past in this thrilling true-crime Gilded Age caper.
#482 Pride and Preservation (The Streets of the West Village Part 3)
Mar 27, 2026 · 1h 25m
The West Village is born -- thanks to Jane Jacobs and a group of local activists. And the Stonewall Uprising ignites a new movement, leading to the neighborhood's first national monument. What would Carrie Bradshaw think?
#481 How The West Village Became A Neighborhood (The Streets of the West Village Part 2)
Mar 13, 2026 · 1h 26m
Speakeasies, subways and smoky jazz clubs come to the early 20th century West Village.
#480 The Streets of the West Village: Creating the Village (Part 1)
Feb 27, 2026 · 1h 20m
Our epic history of the West Village begins here -- tracing the winding streets back to the earliest days of country estates, creeks and burial grounds.
Frozen in Time: The Great Blizzard of 1888
Feb 22, 2026 · 48 min
Remembering one of the worst weather incidents in American history -- the Great Blizzard of 1888.
How To Dig a Train Tunnel Under the Hudson River (from HISTORY This Week)
Feb 20, 2026 · 35 min
#479 NYC '84: The Case of the 'Subway Vigilante'
Feb 13, 2026 · 54 min
Looking back at the violent 'Subway Vigilante' incident and the subsequent trial which dominated headlines in mid-1980s New York City
#478 The Disappearance of Judge Crater
Jan 30, 2026 · 1h 5m
The notorious disappearance of a famously corrupt judge unearths a deep well of misdeeds in 1930s New York City.
The History of Brooklyn Heights and the Promenade
Jan 16, 2026 · 1h 42m
The epic tale of Brooklyn Heights and its Promenade -- which might help explain current events upon the New York City transportation landscape today.
#477 Chester A. Arthur: The Gentleman Boss
Jan 2, 2026 · 47 min
The fascinating tale of 'accidental' president and New York poltiical boss Chester A. Arthur who travelled a very unconventional path to the White House -- via Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.
#476 Hot Victorian Holiday: Bowery Boys History Live! at City Winery
Dec 23, 2025 · 1h 16m
Live from City Winery -- it's Greg Young! An an irreverent look at the holidays through a Victorian lens.
#475 Subway Tokens, MetroCards and Other Historic Fare
Dec 19, 2025 · 1h 17m
The surprisingly interesting story of paying for the subway, the streetcar and the bus -- on the occasion of the MetroCard retirement.
The Great Fire That Transformed New York
Dec 12, 2025 · 35 min
On a cold winter's evening in 1835, a terrible fire tore through lower Manhattan, destroying hundreds of buildings. But this fire also changed the course of New York City history.
#474 Made in France: The Statue of Liberty’s Forgotten Origin Story
Dec 5, 2025 · 1h 22m
The history of the Statue of Liberty -- from the other side of the Atlantic. Tom heads to Colmar, France and the museum devoted to sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.