ABC Gotham

Yellow cabs are everywhere throughout New York City, but where did they come from?  Why do we have them?  And why are they, of all possible colors, yellow? Kate and Kathleen, but mostly Kate, tell you all about the iconic form of NYC transportation.

Want a real Checker Cab for a wedding or a photo shoot? The Checker Guy is your man.

A surprisingly interesting and funny blog about cabs and cabbies.

Don't forget our Facebook page for lots of yellow cab bonus images!

Yellow cabs are everywhere throughout New York City, but where did they come from?  Why do we have them?  And why are they, of all possible colors, yellow? Kate and Kathleen, but mostly Kate, tell you all about the iconic form of NYC transportation.

Want a real Checker Cab for a wedding or a photo shoot? The Checker Guy is your man.

A surprisingly interesting and funny blog about cabs and cabbies.

Don't forget our Facebook page for lots of yellow cab bonus images!

Malcolm X had an immeasurable impact around the world, but a great deal of his activism happened while he was living in New York City.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about his crimes in his youth, which led to prison, which led him to the teachings of Elijah Muhammed and the Nation of Islam.  His work as the leading voice of the NOI came to an abrupt and ugly end, but this didn't stop his work and greater impact on civil rights and human rights.  Learn all about this fascinating person in Episode X.

More info to check out after you listen:

The Autobiography of Malcolm X would be required reading, if podcasts had that. It is so good. It reads like a novel. READ IT.

A video of Malcolm X discussing his "chickens coming home to roost" comment

Plenty of other videos of Malcolm X's speeches

Learn more about Malcolm X and his work at The Malcolm X and Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center

As always, our Facebook page has lots of bonus images!

Weeksville was a bustling community, far off in the wilds of Brooklyn, established by former slave James Weeks in 1838 for free African- Americans.  This was only 11 years after the abolition of slavery in New York state-- a time when African- Americans had very few opportunities for land ownership.  That area is now where Bedford- Stuyvesant, East New York, and Brownsville meet.  Your hosts Kathleen and Kate tell you all about how Weeksville was started,  how it was almost lost from history forever, and the miraculous rediscovery and restoration of this amazing town in African- American history.

Links to check out after listening to the 'cast:

The Weeksville Heritage Center

Thirteen.org's excellent video about Weeksville

A video of a white guy talking about Weeksville. Kenneth Jackson is a Professor of History at Columbia University.

A great blog post featuring Weeksville in NYPL's awesome digitized map collection.

As always, our Facebook page has a ton of bonus images!

There are 1165 acres of hills, ridges, valleys, verdant forest, wide- open fields, and other assorted gorgeousness waiting for you up in the Bronx!  Van Cortlandt Park has a hiking trail that is a National Historic Landmark, world- class running paths and trails, two public golf courses, boccie courts, cricket pitches, and a Gaelic football field.  And that's in addition to everything ELSE you can expect at one of the biggest city parks: basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, handball courts, pools, and playgrounds.  What are you waiting for?   Your hosts Kathleen and Kate will see you there-- once the weather warms up a bit!

Links to check out after you listen to the podcast:

Hey You Know It is a fantastic podcast by our excellent friends Jacquetta Szathmari and Katie Kazimir. Soon- to- be- released episode HYKI92 features Kathleen and Kate discussing ABC Gotham! We tried to keep the topic for episode V a secret, but Katie and Jacquetta managed to weasel it out of us, those tricky dames.

We're not the only people doing the history of Van Cortlandt Park!  Friends Of Van Cortlandt Park have an oral history project to record everyone's VCP memories.  Want to hear 92-year old Walter Perron's stories of the park in the 1920s and 1930s? Click here and scroll to the bottom.

In 1895 it cost $624.80 to construct the golf course. Thanks to MeasuringWorth.com we know that golf course would have cost $78,800.00 if built today.

See more pictures on our Facebook page!

There are 1165 acres of hills, ridges, valleys, verdant forest, wide- open fields, and other assorted gorgeousness waiting for you up in the Bronx!  Van Cortlandt Park has a hiking trail that is a National Historic Landmark, world- class running paths and trails, two public golf courses, boccie courts, cricket pitches, and a Gaelic football field.  And that's in addition to everything ELSE you can expect at one of the biggest city parks: basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, handball courts, pools, and playgrounds.  What are you waiting for?   Your hosts Kathleen and Kate will see you there-- once the weather warms up a bit!

Links to check out after you listen to the podcast:

Hey You Know It is a fantastic podcast by our excellent friends Jacquetta Szathmari and Katie Kazimir. Soon- to- be- released episode HYKI92 features Kathleen and Kate discussing ABC Gotham! We tried to keep the topic for episode V a secret, but Katie and Jacquetta managed to weasel it out of us, those tricky dames.

We're not the only people doing the history of Van Cortlandt Park!  Friends Of Van Cortlandt Park have an oral history project to record everyone's VCP memories.  Want to hear 92-year old Walter Perron's stories of the park in the 1920s and 1930s? Click here and scroll to the bottom.

In 1895 it cost $624.80 to construct the golf course. Thanks to MeasuringWorth.com we know that golf course would have cost $78,800.00 if built today.

See more pictures on our Facebook page!

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.

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!

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