At the heart of New York’s Gilded Age — the late 19th-century era of unprecedented American wealth and excess — were families with the names Astor, Waldorf, Schermerhorn, and Vanderbilt, alongside power players like A.T. Stewart, Jay Gould and William “Boss” Tweed.They would all make their homes — and in the case of the Vanderbilts, their great many homes — on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.The image of Fifth Avenue as a luxury retail destination today grew from the street’s aristocratic reputation in the 1800s. The rich were inextricably drawn to the avenue as early as the 1830s when rich merchants, anxious to be near the exquisite row houses of Washington Square Park, began turning it into an artery of expensive abodes.In this podcast, Tom and Greg present a world that’s somewhat hard to imagine — free-standing mansions in an exclusive corridor running right through the center of Manhattan. Why was Fifth Avenue fated to become the domain of the so-called “Upper Ten”? And what changed about the city in the 20th century to ensure the eventual destruction of most of them?The following is a re-edited, remastered version of two past Bowery Boys shows — the Rise and Fall of the Fifth Avenue Mansion. Combined, this tells the whole story of Fifth Avenue, from the initial development of streets in the 1820s to its Midtown transformation into a mecca of high-end shopping in the 1930s. This could also serve as a primer to the HBO series The Gilded Age, the official podcast co-hosted by Tom Meyers! You can listen to the Official Gilded Age Podcast on all audio podcast players as well as YouTube.For even more Gilded Age tales, check out The Gilded Gentleman Podcast.Visit the website for more images and adventures with the Bowery Boys Podcast.
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#461 The Story of Inwood and Marble Hill
People who live in Inwood know how truly special it is. Manhattan's northernmost neighborhood (aside from Marble Hill) feels like it's outside of the city -- and in some places, even outside of time and space. Unlike the lower Manhattan's flat avenues and organized streets, Inwood varies wildly in elevation and its streets wind up hills and down into valleys.It's a twenty minute walk from the mysterious "Indian caves" to some of the best Dominican food in New York City. You can experience the ghosts of Gilded Age mansions close to New York's last remaining forest. Revolutionary War artifacts sit a few blocks away from vestiges of a 20th century Irish community.In this special on-location episode, Greg Young and producer Kieran Gannon wind their way through the streets of Inwood and through (that's right) thousands of years of history -- from salt marshes to old amusement parks, from ancient arches to Broadway musicals, with ducks and egrets and dogs and beavers making guest appearances along the way.And since we're on the subject -- what IS the deal with Marble Hill? What do you mean, it's a Manhattan neighborhood?Featuring special guests Melissa Kieweit (Dyckman Farmhouse), Cole Thompson (Lost Inwood) and Led Black (Uptown Collective)Visit the Bowery Boys website for more information on our guests and some additional images.This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.The Bowery Boys Podcast is proud to be sponsored by FOUNDED BY NYC, celebrating New York City's 400th anniversary in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Read about all the exciting events and world class institutions commemorating the five boroughs legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that's always making history. foundedbynyc.com
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.
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