ABC Gotham

The Underground Railroad was an organization of safe houses, churches, schools, and brave people willing to break the law to help slaves escape to safety.  New York City was the site of several important locations, including Plymouth Church, "the Grand Central Station" of the Underground Railroad.  Kate and Kathleen discuss the political mood in NYC at the time and the major "stations" and "conductors" along the dangerous trek to freedom. Two different groups lead walking tours of major Underground Railroad sites: Inside Out Tours leads The Underground Railroad Tour and Viator leads The New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour. John Strasbourg's 2007 New York Times article On the Trail of Brooklyn’s Underground Railroad was extremely helpful with research for this episode.

Today it is merely a symbol of corruption in city government,  but Tammany Hall was once the political machine to end all political machines.  New York City politics were controlled thanks to those ubiquitous tools of leadership: graft, corruption, patronage, cronyism, and exploitation.  From its beginning in 1786 until 1936, when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia dealt Tammany Hall's death blow, their influence could be felt far and wide.  Kate and Kathleen describe the leaders, their methods, and all their dirty tricks in this episode.  And let's all be thankful that we now live in city that is completely, absolutely, 100% free from corruption. Check out our Facebook page for more Tammany Hall images!

Today it is merely a symbol of corruption in city government,  but Tammany Hall was once the political machine to end all political machines.  New York City politics were controlled thanks to those ubiquitous tools of leadership: graft, corruption, patronage, cronyism, and exploitation.  From its beginning in 1786 until 1936, when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia dealt Tammany Hall's death blow, their influence could be felt far and wide.  Kate and Kathleen describe the leaders, their methods, and all their dirty tricks in this episode.  And let's all be thankful that we now live in city that is completely, absolutely, 100% free from corruption. Check out our Facebook page for more Tammany Hall images!

Today it is merely a symbol of corruption in city government,  but Tammany Hall was once the political machine to end all political machines.  New York City politics were controlled thanks to those ubiquitous tools of leadership: graft, corruption, patronage, cronyism, and exploitation.  From its beginning in 1786 until 1936, when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia dealt Tammany Hall's death blow, their influence could be felt far and wide.  Kate and Kathleen describe the leaders, their methods, and all their dirty tricks in this episode.  And let's all be thankful that we now live in city that is completely, absolutely, 100% free from corruption. Check out our Facebook page for more Tammany Hall images!

Secret subway stations are the lonely places where trains and riders no longer go.  Many of the “ghost stations” were abandoned when the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) unified the Interboro Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn- Manhattan Transit (BMT) lines, which resulted in redundant stations all over the city.  Some stations couldn’t be renovated to accommodate increased ridership (like lengthened platforms and 10-car trains).  One of these stations, City Hall, is stunning, while another, Myrtle Ave, is a showplace for a clever art installation.  However, most are grimy and deserted, still covered with the graffiti from the 1970’s and 1980’s. What the heck is a zoetrope? The Myrtle Ave subway station experience video The Bowery Boys graffiti podcast NYC Transit Museum WNYC Ghost Subway blog

Secret subway stations are the lonely places where trains and riders no longer go.  Many of the “ghost stations” were abandoned when the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) unified the Interboro Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn- Manhattan Transit (BMT) lines, which resulted in redundant stations all over the city.  Some stations couldn’t be renovated to accommodate increased ridership (like lengthened platforms and 10-car trains).  One of these stations, City Hall, is stunning, while another, Myrtle Ave, is a showplace for a clever art installation.  However, most are grimy and deserted, still covered with the graffiti from the 1970’s and 1980’s. What the heck is a zoetrope? The Myrtle Ave subway station experience video The Bowery Boys graffiti podcast NYC Transit Museum WNYC Ghost Subway blog

Secret subway stations are the lonely places where trains and riders no longer go.  Many of the “ghost stations” were abandoned when the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) unified the Interboro Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn- Manhattan Transit (BMT) lines, which resulted in redundant stations all over the city.  Some stations couldn’t be renovated to accommodate increased ridership (like lengthened platforms and 10-car trains).  One of these stations, City Hall, is stunning, while another, Myrtle Ave, is a showplace for a clever art installation.  However, most are grimy and deserted, still covered with the graffiti from the 1970’s and 1980’s. What the heck is a zoetrope? The Myrtle Ave subway station experience video The Bowery Boys graffiti podcast NYC Transit Museum WNYC Ghost Subway blog

What happens when a group's simmering rage boils over?  Kate and Kathleen describe 3 of the many riots that New York City has seen: the Draft Riots, the Stonewall riot, and the Crown Heights riot. Hear about the complex social problems that led up to them, the days of violence, and what changed (if anything) as a result. MeasuringWorth.com is the site to check when you want to compute the relative value of a U.S. dollar amount over time.  For example, I learned that the $3 admission to Stonewall in 1969 would be $14.70 today! Check out the July 14, 1863, issue of the New York Herald which first reported the draft riots. The photograph above appeared on the front page of The New York Daily News on Sunday, June 29, 1969, showing the "street kids" who were the first to fight with the police at the Stonewall riots. There's a great "All Things Considered" about the Ali Forney Center, which currently provides housing for homeless gay youth. And of course, check out our Facebook page for 25 great bonus images!

What happens when a group's simmering rage boils over?  Kate and Kathleen describe 3 of the many riots that New York City has seen: the Draft Riots, the Stonewall riot, and the Crown Heights riot. Hear about the complex social problems that led up to them, the days of violence, and what changed (if anything) as a result. MeasuringWorth.com is the site to check when you want to compute the relative value of a U.S. dollar amount over time.  For example, I learned that the $3 admission to Stonewall in 1969 would be $14.70 today! Check out the July 14, 1863, issue of the New York Herald which first reported the draft riots. The photograph above appeared on the front page of The New York Daily News on Sunday, June 29, 1969, showing the "street kids" who were the first to fight with the police at the Stonewall riots. There's a great "All Things Considered" about the Ali Forney Center, which currently provides housing for homeless gay youth. And of course, check out our Facebook page for 25 great bonus images!

What happens when a group's simmering rage boils over?  Kate and Kathleen describe 3 of the many riots that New York City has seen: the Draft Riots, the Stonewall riot, and the Crown Heights riot. Hear about the complex social problems that led up to them, the days of violence, and what changed (if anything) as a result. MeasuringWorth.com is the site to check when you want to compute the relative value of a U.S. dollar amount over time.  For example, I learned that the $3 admission to Stonewall in 1969 would be $14.70 today! Check out the July 14, 1863, issue of the New York Herald which first reported the draft riots. The photograph above appeared on the front page of The New York Daily News on Sunday, June 29, 1969, showing the "street kids" who were the first to fight with the police at the Stonewall riots. There's a great "All Things Considered" about the Ali Forney Center, which currently provides housing for homeless gay youth. And of course, check out our Facebook page for 25 great bonus images!

The Queens Museum of Art, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, has the coolest thing you've never seen: The Panorama of the City of New York. It's a model of the whole damn city-- all 5 boroughs.  It contains every building in the city built before 1992 (the year it was last updated).  It was built by (who else?) Robert Moses for the 1964-1965 World's Fair.  It took 3 years to create, has over 895,000 structures, and had a margin of error less than 1%.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about it in this special micro-episode. It is definitely worth the long subway ride to see it. See more pics on our Facebook page! Jeremiah Moss's excellent blog post about "New York Paleotectonic", which he describes as "the final resting place where removed Panorama pieces are interred". It's the first of three great posts that were very helpful in researching this episode. Wonderstruck is an amazing children's book by Brian Selznick. A good part of the action is set in the Panorama. If you go to see the Panorama, Kate and Kathleen STRONGLY recommend going to the Nan Xiang Dumpling House after, a 20-25 min walk from the museum. Get the steamed pork dumplings and the fish and salt cabbage soup.

The Queens Museum of Art, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, has the coolest thing you've never seen: The Panorama of the City of New York. It's a model of the whole damn city-- all 5 boroughs.  It contains every building in the city built before 1992 (the year it was last updated).  It was built by (who else?) Robert Moses for the 1964-1965 World's Fair.  It took 3 years to create, has over 895,000 structures, and had a margin of error less than 1%.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about it in this special micro-episode. It is definitely worth the long subway ride to see it. See more pics on our Facebook page! Jeremiah Moss's excellent blog post about "New York Paleotectonic", which he describes as "the final resting place where removed Panorama pieces are interred". It's the first of three great posts that were very helpful in researching this episode. Wonderstruckis an amazing children's book by Brian Selznick. A good part of the action is set in the Panorama. If you go to see the Panorama, Kate and Kathleen STRONGLY recommend going to the Nan Xiang Dumpling House after, a 20-25 min walk from the museum. Get the steamed pork dumplings and the fish and salt cabbage soup.

The Queens Museum of Art, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, has the coolest thing you've never seen: The Panorama of the City of New York. It's a model of the whole damn city-- all 5 boroughs.  It contains every building in the city built before 1992 (the year it was last updated).  It was built by (who else?) Robert Moses for the 1964-1965 World's Fair.  It took 3 years to create, has over 895,000 structures, and had a margin of error less than 1%.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about it in this special micro-episode. It is definitely worth the long subway ride to see it. See more pics on our Facebook page! Jeremiah Moss's excellent blog post about "New York Paleotectonic", which he describes as "the final resting place where removed Panorama pieces are interred". It's the first of three great posts that were very helpful in researching this episode. Wonderstruckis an amazing children's book by Brian Selznick. A good part of the action is set in the Panorama. If you go to see the Panorama, Kate and Kathleen STRONGLY recommend going to the Nan Xiang Dumpling House after, a 20-25 min walk from the museum. Get the steamed pork dumplings and the fish and salt cabbage soup.

During the Revolutionary War, British forces imprisoned 11,000 captured Americans in foul, overcrowded, disease-infested, rotting ships with scarce food, water air, space or even sunlight.  This is one of the most tragic, but little-known, events in American history.   Three times as many Americans were allowed to die in the prisons and prison ships than were killed in the combat during the entire war. In the summer, they suffered from suffocation.  In the winter there was no heat, and few blankets or coats, and they froze to death or died of pneumonia. They had little food or water, so the prisoners had no resistance to the outbreaks of dysentery, typhoid fever, smallpox, yellow fever, and tuberculosis. It was one of the most horrible tragedies in American history.  But some important heroes came out of this, including spies and brave people who helped prisoners escape.  Today a monument honors these patriotic martyrs in Fort Greene Park.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about this grim but important event in New York City military history.

During the Revolutionary War, British forces imprisoned 11,000 captured Americans in foul, overcrowded, disease-infested, rotting ships with scarce food, water air, space or even sunlight.  This is one of the most tragic, but little-known, events in American history.   Three times as many Americans were allowed to die in the prisons and prison ships than were killed in the combat during the entire war. In the summer, they suffered from suffocation.  In the winter there was no heat, and few blankets or coats, and they froze to death or died of pneumonia. They had little food or water, so the prisoners had no resistance to the outbreaks of dysentery, typhoid fever, smallpox, yellow fever, and tuberculosis. It was one of the most horrible tragedies in American history.  But some important heroes came out of this, including spies and brave people who helped prisoners escape.  Today a monument honors these patriotic martyrs in Fort Greene Park.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about this grim but important event in New York City military history.