ABC Gotham

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.

Like Maine's lobster, New York's oyster used to be our iconic food.  New Yorkers feasted on them, exported them, and bragged about them.  This attracted visitors (including Charles Dickens!) to our town, where you could find oysters of every possible preparation, if you were careful to walk around the enormous heaps of oyster shells (which are called "middens") on the sidewalks.  Oysters could be had at fancy restaurants like Delmonico's, oyster cellars like Downing's, and even the eternally ubiquitous street carts.  But where are all those oysters now?? Kathleen and Kate tell you all about these amazing little bivalves, their history, and their future in New York Harbor. The name of our favorite historical walking tour company, Urban Oyster, will make sense after you listen to this podcast. The Oyster Blog is truly remarkable. They have a complete (updated as of 8/2/2012) list of NYC happy hours with oyster specials, cross-referenced by the day of the week. So if you're looking for Kate, she's probably in one of these bars.

Like Maine's lobster, New York's oyster used to be our iconic food.  New Yorkers feasted on them, exported them, and bragged about them.  This attracted visitors (including Charles Dickens!) to our town, where you could find oysters of every possible preparation, if you were careful to walk around the enormous heaps of oyster shells (which are called "middens") on the sidewalks.  Oysters could be had at fancy restaurants like Delmonico's, oyster cellars like Downing's, and even the eternally ubiquitous street carts.  But where are all those oysters now?? Kathleen and Kate tell you all about these amazing little bivalves, their history, and their future in New York Harbor. The name of our favorite historical walking tour company, Urban Oyster, will make sense after you listen to this podcast. The Oyster Blog is truly remarkable. They have a complete (updated as of 8/2/2012) list of NYC happy hours with oyster specials, cross-referenced by the day of the week. So if you're looking for Kate, she's probably in one of these bars.

Like Maine's lobster, New York's oyster used to be our iconic food.  New Yorkers feasted on them, exported them, and bragged about them.  This attracted visitors (including Charles Dickens!) to our town, where you could find oysters of every possible preparation, if you were careful to walk around the enormous heaps of oyster shells (which are called "middens") on the sidewalks.  Oysters could be had at fancy restaurants like Delmonico's, oyster cellars like Downing's, and even the eternally ubiquitous street carts.  But where are all those oysters now?? Kathleen and Kate tell you all about these amazing little bivalves, their history, and their future in New York Harbor. The name of our favorite historical walking tour company, Urban Oyster, will make sense after you listen to this podcast. The Oyster Blog is truly remarkable. They have a complete (updated as of 8/2/2012) list of NYC happy hours with oyster specials, cross-referenced by the day of the week. So if you're looking for Kate, she's probably in one of these bars.

From 1806 to 1966, The Brooklyn Navy Yard in Wallabout Bay, Brooklyn, constructed and repaired our nation's ships-- especially battleships-- in its 4 dry docks.  The 200 acres were covered with offices, store-houses, factories, hospitals, barracks, and extrordinarily lavish homes for admirals and the Commandant. At its maximum operation during WWII, over 70,000 peole worked there around the clock. Ships that played major roles in American history, like the Maine (its unexplained explosion in Havana triggered the Spanish- American War), the Arizona (it sank in the attack on Pearl Harbor), and the Missouri (it was the site of Japan's official surrender, ending WWII) were built there.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about the amazing past at the Brooklyn Navy Yard-- and the exciting events going on there now! To check out after you listen: Thirteen.org's The City Concealed Navy Yard episode-- well worth the 9 min 28 seconds! AWESOME Navy Yard tours by bus or bike Great restaurant in out-of-the-way Vinegar Hill Some more details about Brooklyn's waterfront bicycle greenway in the Navy Yard area

From 1806 to 1966, The Brooklyn Navy Yard in Wallabout Bay, Brooklyn, constructed and repaired our nation's ships-- especially battleships-- in its 4 dry docks.  The 200 acres were covered with offices, store-houses, factories, hospitals, barracks, and extrordinarily lavish homes for admirals and the Commandant. At its maximum operation during WWII, over 70,000 peole worked there around the clock. Ships that played major roles in American history, like the Maine (its unexplained explosion in Havana triggered the Spanish- American War), the Arizona (it sank in the attack on Pearl Harbor), and the Missouri (it was the site of Japan's official surrender, ending WWII) were built there.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about the amazing past at the Brooklyn Navy Yard-- and the exciting events going on there now! To check out after you listen: Thirteen.org's The City Concealed Navy Yard episode-- well worth the 9 min 28 seconds! AWESOME Navy Yard tours by bus or bike Great restaurant in out-of-the-way Vinegar Hill Some more details about Brooklyn's waterfront bicycle greenway in the Navy Yard area

From 1806 to 1966, The Brooklyn Navy Yard in Wallabout Bay, Brooklyn, constructed and repaired our nation's ships-- especially battleships-- in its 4 dry docks.  The 200 acres were covered with offices, store-houses, factories, hospitals, barracks, and extrordinarily lavish homes for admirals and the Commandant. At its maximum operation during WWII, over 70,000 peole worked there around the clock. Ships that played major roles in American history, like the Maine (its unexplained explosion in Havana triggered the Spanish- American War), the Arizona (it sank in the attack on Pearl Harbor), and the Missouri (it was the site of Japan's official surrender, ending WWII) were built there.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about the amazing past at the Brooklyn Navy Yard-- and the exciting events going on there now! To check out after you listen: Thirteen.org's The City Concealed Navy Yard episode-- well worth the 9 min 28 seconds! AWESOME Navy Yard tours by bus or bike Great restaurant in out-of-the-way Vinegar Hill Some more details about Brooklyn's waterfront bicycle greenway in the Navy Yard area

In the second part of the Robert Moses podcast, Kate and Kathleen discuss Moses’ downfall: his compromises, his miscalculations, and his failures.  While the U.N. worked out as planned, the Mid- Manhattan Expressway, the Battery Bridge, and World’s Fair certainly didn't.  Hear about the increasingly critical press coverage of his works, which fed New Yorkers’ growing disillusionment with their Master Builder. To check out after listening: Andrew Lynch’s amazing maps of unbuilt Robert Moses expressway projects.  They're incredibly accurate in their resemblance to Google maps.  Furthermore, they're incredibly important in their ability to truly evoke the astonishing destruction that would have to happen on our beloved Manhattan streets-- and indeed, the kind of destruction that DID happen in so many other places throughout New York. Our Facebook page for these and other Robert Moses-related pics, including photos from an exhibit of protest posters, the hideous New York Coliseum, some AMAZING Moses- inspired graffiti in Baltimore, and of course Moses  himself in an old- fashioned men’s bathing suit.

In the second part of the Robert Moses podcast, Kate and Kathleen discuss Moses’ downfall: his compromises, his miscalculations, and his failures.  While the U.N. worked out as planned, the Mid- Manhattan Expressway, the Battery Bridge, and World’s Fair certainly didn't.  Hear about the increasingly critical press coverage of his works, which fed New Yorkers’ growing disillusionment with their Master Builder. To check out after listening: Andrew Lynch’s amazing maps of unbuilt Robert Moses expressway projects.  They're incredibly accurate in their resemblance to Google maps.  Furthermore, they're incredibly important in their ability to truly evoke the astonishing destruction that would have to happen on our beloved Manhattan streets-- and indeed, the kind of destruction that DID happen in so many other places throughout New York. Our Facebook page for these and other Robert Moses-related pics, including photos from an exhibit of protest posters, the hideous New York Coliseum, some AMAZING Moses- inspired graffiti in Baltimore, and of course Moses  himself in an old- fashioned men’s bathing suit.

In the second part of the Robert Moses podcast, Kate and Kathleen discuss Moses’ downfall: his compromises, his miscalculations, and his failures.  While the U.N. worked out as planned, the Mid- Manhattan Expressway, the Battery Bridge, and World’s Fair certainly didn't.  Hear about the increasingly critical press coverage of his works, which fed New Yorkers’ growing disillusionment with their Master Builder. To check out after listening: Andrew Lynch’s amazing maps of unbuilt Robert Moses expressway projects.  They're incredibly accurate in their resemblance to Google maps.  Furthermore, they're incredibly important in their ability to truly evoke the astonishing destruction that would have to happen on our beloved Manhattan streets-- and indeed, the kind of destruction that DID happen in so many other places throughout New York. Our Facebook page for these and other Robert Moses-related pics, including photos from an exhibit of protest posters, the hideous New York Coliseum, some AMAZING Moses- inspired graffiti in Baltimore, and of course Moses  himself in an old- fashioned men’s bathing suit.

It's almost impossible to overstate the impact Robert Moses ("Master Builder") had on New York City, Long Island, and New York State.  Head of the Parks Commission plus countless other titles, he's the man who brought us the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway, the Long Island Expressway, the Cross- Bronx Expressway, the Triboro Bridge, the U.N., the 1964 World's Fair, hundreds of parks and beaches, massive block- like housing projects, and much much MUCH much more.   This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, this iceberg is so huge, we had to split all the Robert Moses info into two separate podcasts.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to check out the Facebook page for more pictures of the unbelievable devastation he wrought (or the glorious developments he accomplished, depending on your point of view).

It's almost impossible to overstate the impact Robert Moses ("Master Builder") had on New York City, Long Island, and New York State.  Head of the Parks Commission plus countless other titles, he's the man who brought us the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway, the Long Island Expressway, the Cross- Bronx Expressway, the Triboro Bridge, the U.N., the 1964 World's Fair, hundreds of parks and beaches, massive block- like housing projects, and much much MUCH much more.   This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, this iceberg is so huge, we had to split all the Robert Moses info into two separate podcasts.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to check out the Facebook page for more pictures of the unbelievable devastation he wrought (or the glorious developments he accomplished, depending on your point of view).

It's almost impossible to overstate the impact Robert Moses ("Master Builder") had on New York City, Long Island, and New York State.  Head of the Parks Commission plus countless other titles, he's the man who brought us the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway, the Long Island Expressway, the Cross- Bronx Expressway, the Triboro Bridge, the U.N., the 1964 World's Fair, hundreds of parks and beaches, massive block- like housing projects, and much much MUCH much more.   This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, this iceberg is so huge, we had to split all the Robert Moses info into two separate podcasts.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to check out the Facebook page for more pictures of the unbelievable devastation he wrought (or the glorious developments he accomplished, depending on your point of view).

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was one of the greatest mayors in US history.  New Yorkers agree-- they reelected him twice.  The Progressive Republican ran the city from 1934 to 1945, managing to turn around the city after the Depression, defeat Tammany Hall, and crack down on the mob starting with having Lucky Luciano arrested on LaGuardia's very first day in office.  A straight shooter with zero tolerance for bullshit,  this is the guy who said  "Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of American people do not want it enforced and are resisting its enforcement." To check out after listening: Bette Davis is a gun moll who testifies against her mob boss in The Marked Woman, based on the prosecution of Lucky Luciano. The Pulitzer Prize- winning musical Fiorello! For a ton of information on everything related to LaGuardia, go to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at CUNY. Follow Fiorello on Twitter, courtesy of WNYC. (He REALLY cares about food.)

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was one of the greatest mayors in US history.  New Yorkers agree-- they reelected him twice.  The Progressive Republican ran the city from 1934 to 1945, managing to turn around the city after the Depression, defeat Tammany Hall, and crack down on the mob starting with having Lucky Luciano arrested on LaGuardia's very first day in office.  A straight shooter with zero tolerance for bullshit,  this is the guy who said  "Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of American people do not want it enforced and are resisting its enforcement." To check out after listening: Bette Davis is a gun moll who testifies against her mob boss in The Marked Woman, based on the prosecution of Lucky Luciano. The Pulitzer Prize- winning musical Fiorello! For a ton of information on everything related to LaGuardia, go to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at CUNY. Follow Fiorello on Twitter, courtesy of WNYC. (He REALLY cares about food.)