Want to be a part of it? Of New York that is (duh)? Of course you do! And who better than the Bowery Boys to help make that happen…
We’re not talking about the notorious (/notoriously dapper) members of one 19th century gang of volunteer firefighters – although they’d certainly be worth the mention. We’re talking about Greg Young and Tom Meyers, the Bowery Boys of the 21st century. Alright, rather less infamous, but by no means no less interesting!
The boys focus exclusively on New York in 50 or 25-minute episodes (of which there are currently 261, so don’t worry about running out), and explore a specific event, a person or a place. New York for New Yorkers if you like – but that old NYC charm can’t hold us back. Although the Bowery Boys Podcast also offers a couple of virtual walking tours of the city, its real appeal is in the detail – specifically the detailed histories on the survival of renowned (not to mention postcard-perfect) American attractions like Grand Central Station, snapshots of New York – for example peepshow culture in the 70s – and short introductions to people who made their fame here.
Take the Empire State Building for instance, undeniably one of the most famous American icons. It rises an impressive 1454 feet from the ground with a debated 102-103 floors (why you ask? Have a listen…). The Bowery Boys reveal that despite the humungous amount of times it is lovingly featured in the selfies of passing tourists, it hasn’t always been beloved by New Yorkers themselves. You might even discover exactly why the Empire State Building, and the city with it, has risen quite so high above ground level over the years.
This podcast is … addictive, and not just because it’s incredibly interesting (sorry, I promise to stop raving soon), but also because the boys let their good chemistry strike the perfect balance between preparing their material and keeping things spontaneous (#yolo ? ). Even the post housing the podcast has been helpfully sorted for us. Before you start googling pics, scroll down the post to discover some carefully chosen images, their captions and a summary of each episode.
Make sure you’ve downloaded a few episodes for your flight so that you can impress (or annoy… your call) your fellow travelers as you discover the New York of the present and its attractions by listening to its fascinating past. If you haven’t got a flight already booked, you will soon…
P.S. Done with New York? (If that’s even possible!) Then head to our previous much-loved podcast of the month, the Travelust Podcast, to get up close and personal with a London at its finest!
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