Rediscovering New York

Join us this week as we journey to New York’s two greatest Train Stations: Pennsylvania Station & Grand Central Terminal. In typical New York fashion there were/are two of them!

My guests will be Chief Experience Officer and Lead Tour Guide Justin Rivers of Untapped New York, and Rediscovering New York regular Joyce Gold, Founder of Joyce Gold History Tours.

Segment 1

Jeff starts this segment by sharing some fun facts about Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal. He then introduces the first guest of the night, Justin Rivers. Justin was born right outside of NYC, in Hackensack, NJ. Justin began his career as a teacher. After several years as a teacher, he decided to learn about the history of NYC and explore writing. Justin tells the audience of the history of why Penn Station is located where it is. Justin chats about the partnership between Penn Station and the LIRR. The conversation transitions into discussing the infrastructure and architecture of Penn Station. The segment ends with Jeff referencing the original Penn Station. 

Segment 2

Justin starts this segment by informing the audience about his upcoming tours. Justin continues by discussing why Penn Station’s walls were originally made out of pink granite.  He explains why the granite was used; light exposure and cost. The gentlemen discuss the engineering of Penn Station and how it came about. Penn Station originally had dual tracks; where incoming and outgoing commuters would get on and off without meeting each other. Fun fact: Most Presidents came to NYC through Penn Station because it goes through D.C. Penn Station went through a tough time, when commuters were choosing planes and cars over trains. Justin explains how Penn Station tried to attract more commuters by modernizing itself. The segment ends with Justin talking about how Madison Square Garden helped Penn Station become what it is today. Justin reveals that there are still some original Penn Station parts in the new Penn Station. 

Segment 3

Joyce Gold is the second guest of the evening. Joyce starts of by talking a little bit about her background. She briefly discuss how she got into the tour guide business. Joyce begins to talk about the origins of Grand Central Terminal. The station was originally called Grand Station Depot. She talks of why the new Grand Central was set up at 42nd Street. Joyce then explains why the new Grand Central was built. Unfortunately, there was a tragedy on a train, and this proved to be one of the major factors behind building the new Grand Central Terminal. This segment ends with Joyce discussing the history of the architecture and the designs of Grand Central. 

Segment 4

Joyce begins this segment by informing the audience about her upcoming tours. Joyce then discuss notable architectural features of Grand Central Terminal. She discusses the height of the ceilings, the waiting rooms, and the ramps. Grand Central has the deepest basement in New York. Joyce discusses Grand Central during WWII, and the activities therein. Grand Central Terminal fell on hard times as well, as commuters began to travel via car and/or plane. Joyce talks about how we almost lost Grand Central Terminal and how it was saved. The segment concludes with Joyce discussing the landmark status of Grand Central. The phrase “Red Carpet Treatment” originated in Grand Central.

Join me this week as we journey to Flatiron and NoMad!

My guests will be architectural expert and Rediscovering New York regular David Griffin of Landmark Branding, and George Calderaro, board member of the 29th Street Neighborhood Association.

Segment 1

Jeff introduces his first guest of the night, David Griffin. David begins the show by discussing his childhood and the areas he grew up in. He talks of the many different games he would play as a child/teenager. David then transitions the conversation into talking about the history of Madison Square Park. David continues by exploring the histories of other sites, such as the Madison Cottage and New York Knickerbockers Club. David also shares an interesting fact of how Theordore Roosevelt was born in the Madison area. 

Segment 2

David opens up this segment by discussing his new venture and his new blog. David also talks about his architectural business. David begins to discuss the history of the Fifth Avenue Hotel and its architecture. The Fifth Avenue Hotel started a wave of luxury hotels. Next, David talks about Madison Square Garden and how it came about. He delves into how the venue was constructed, the costs, and all the different aspects inside the venue. Jeff and David then discuss the Lady’s Mile and its historical significance. The segment ends with David informing the audience about NoMad. 

Segment 3

George Calderaro opens up this segment by talking about where he grew up. He also discusses his professional career at  Columbia University. He talks about how he became involved with Historic Districts Council and what the HDC does. Once George moved to NoMad, he became aware of the 29th Street Neighborhood Association. However, the area that he was most intrigued by was, Tin Pan Alley. Tin Pan Fun Fact: Tin Pan Alley is the birthplace of American Popular music. 

Segment 4

George begins this segment by sharing the website information for The 29th Street Neighborhood Association. At the moment, he is working on getting a Landmark designation for a building in NoMad, in which the current owners want to demolish and build a hotel. George continues the conversation by talking about other historical and modern buildings in the neighborhood. George ends the segment by talking about the things that he struggle with within the neighborhood; for example homelessness.

Join me this week (on the show’s first anniversary!) as we journey to Jackson Heights, Queens.

My guests will be Queens historian and author Jason Antos, and longtime Jackson Heights resident New York City Council Member Danny Dromm.

Segment 1

Jeff introduces the first guest of the night, historian and author, Jason Antos. Jason begins by discussing how he first began discovering his neighborhood as a child. He also discusses how he became interested in the Queens Historical Society. Even at a young age, Jason was curious and would do research on the history of Queens. He then goes on and talks about the history of the neighborhood of Jackson Heights and how it got its name. He talks about the significance of “Heights” in the name of the neighborhood. He also talks about the Dutch and British history in Queens. He ends the segment by discussing the IRT, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Garden Apartment Movement. 

Segment 2

Jason begins this segment by talking about the books he has authored, and upcoming books. The history and construction of Linden Court is discussed next. Jason transitions into exploring the history of the first buildings with elevators in them, and where they were built. Next, Jason discusses how there was once an airport in Jackson Heights; Homes Airport. He tells the audience an interesting fact of how the runway of the airport is still there; it’s used as a through-street. The conversation then shifts into how the influx of immigrants influenced the neighborhood. Jason concludes the conversation by talking about the work he does with the Queens Historical Society.

Segment 3

The second guest of the night is introduced, Danny Dromm. Danny is a New York City Council member, lives in Jackson Heights, and is fluent in Spanish. Danny begins to chat about how he came to settle in Jackson Heights. He then chats about how and why he became a public servant as a teacher. Danny continues by talking about his early days of activism and his work with the LGBT community. He tells us of how and why he transitioned into the NYC Council from activism. He talks about how he came up with the idea for  the Queen Pride parade. Danny ends the segment by talking about how he believes LGBT programs should be in schools.

Segment 4

Danny opens this segment by talking about the vibe/atmosphere in Jackson Heights. He says that the diversity makes the neighborhood an exciting place. Danny continues the conversation by discussing how the neighborhood has changed throughout the years. He then chats about how he’s worried about gentrification and the price of everything rising. Danny then give advice to anyone that wants to open/start a business in the neighborhood. Danny then discuss how he sees the future of Jackson Heights. Danny ends the segment by telling the audience his future career goals after his NYC Council membership ends.

Join me this week as we journey back in time to the history of holiday-time in New York!

What were the holidays like? How did some of our most treasured traditions develop? And what were some of the more outrageous ones that didn’t make it to the 21st Century?

My guest will be Rediscovering New York regular and the show’s special consultant, David Griffin of Landmark Branding.

Join me this week as we visit New York's famous South Street Seaport!

My guests will be Captain Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, and Maura Kilgore, Seaport resident, activist, and General Manager of Cowgirl Seahorse.

Segment 1

Jeff starts off the show by introducing his first guest, Jonathan Boulware. Jonathan think he is born to love sailing. He started sailing when he was a kid and he continued sailing when he got older. He then got his captain’s license at a very young age. Jonathan then talks about how he gets involved in the South Street Seaport Museum.  

Segment 2

Jeff came back asking Jonathan about the history of the South Street Seaport. Jonathan then talks about the growth of the shipping around the area. Then he talks about when was the South Street Seaport Museum founded. The Museum tells the story of New York as a port city. Jonathan also talks about the lightship AMBROSE the first ever lightship that guide ships to safety board New York Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. 

Segment 3

Jeff came back introducing his second guest, Maura Kilgore. Maura graduated in law school  but she missed the restaurant industry and want to go back to it. Maura then talks about how she got invited to work in Cowgirl Seahorse. Then Maura talks about what she likes about the Seaport neighborhood, she likes that Seaport is like a little town in New York City.  

Segment 4

Jeff came back talking about his visit to the Cowgirl Seahorse last Saturday and he saw a show hosted in the restaurant. Then Maura talks about different special events thats held in the restaurant every other day. Maura also talks about the things that make Seaport unique and not much New Yorker know about the neighborhood. Maura then talks about the struggle that she faced as a business owner and she also give some advice to those who want to open a business.

Join me this week as we journey to Coney Island!

My guests will be Richard Eagan, artist, local history buff, and Co-Founder & Director of the Coney Island Hysterical Society, and Raechael Russo, Co-Owner of the famous Gargiulo’s Restaurant.

Segment 1

Jeff starts off the show by introducing his first guest, Richard Eagan. Richard talks about his first visit in Coney Island. Then Richard talks about his arts about Coney Island. He wants to record the beauty of the island. Jeff then talks about the history of Coney Island. Richard explained why Coney Island is called Coney Island, it was first named “Konijn Island” by the Dutch people because there are many rabbits on the island at the time.

Segment 2

Richard talks about the Coney Island Hysterical Society and some of the projects that they worked on. Richard then talks about his art works in a group exhibition in 1985. Jeff asks about one of Richard’s projects the Coney Island Spookhouse. Richard then talks about the changes he sees in Coney Island since he first arrived.

Segment 3

Jeff came back introducing his second guest, Raechael Russo. Jeff asks Raechael what she likes about her career in education and why she left. Then she talks about the ‘Balloon network’ that she was in. Raechael then talks about how her family first got in the Gargiulo’s Restaurant. Gargiulo Restaurant was one of the oldest restaurants in Brooklyn. She talks about how her family bought the restaurant from the original Gargiulo family in 1965.

Segment 4

Jeff came back asking Raechael what she likes about the recent changes in Coney Island. She thinks that Coney Island came to life again and more and more people visit Coney Island and the Gargiulo Restaurant from all over the world. Raechael then talks about the big octopus on the ceiling of the restaurant, she talks about how was it first hanging there and why do they took it off. Raechael also talks about the struggle that she faces as a business owner, the problem of finding the right staff to work in the restaurant. Then she gives some advice for those who want to open a restaurant.

Join me this week as we journey to the Lower East Side.

My guests will be historian Morris Vogel, President of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and chef and restaurateur Neil Kleinberg, Founder and Co-Owner of the Clinton Street Baking Company.

Segment 1:

This week’s guest, Morris Vogel starts off by talking about where he's from and how he grew up. He also tells us what brought him to New York. James Delancy and his legacy is mentioned. Morris discuss when the lower east side became urban. Next, we discuss the history of the neighborhood and how it became what it is today. Real Estate becomes the next topic of conversation. The conversation goes into what the neighborhood was like when immigrants came over. Segment ends with guest discussing the why the Jewish population settled here in the lower east side of NYC. 

Segment 2

Morris opens this segment by talking about the history of the Tenement museum. Congress has recognized the museum as a national historic site. Morris begins to discuss the social organizations which were built by the immigrants.  Morris then talks about other immigrants that moved into the lower east side after World War 2. We end the segment by discussing the legislation that opened up the US to immigration. 

Segment 3

Neil Kleinberg is our second guest; he is a co-owner of a bakery. Neil talks about what influenced him to cook. He talks about the previous cooking jobs that he had, before he opened his first restaurant. He talks about how he became the executive chef of his first restaurant. He then discusses the different opportunities that he had, which led him to come back to the lower east side. He explains how his wife became his partner in his business and how the restaurant has taken off. 

Segment 4

Neil opens up this segment by talking about how the neighborhood has changed throughout the years. The guys start to talk about the different businesses that have popped up in the neighborhood in the past 18years. Neil begins to describe the vibe of the lower east side. He talks about the mix population there and who comes into his restaurant. Neil ends the segment by giving advice to people that want to open up a business on the lower east side.

Join us for a special edition of Rediscovering New York, where we will go back more than two and a half centuries and retrace the steps of American Presidents who lived in New York, or who visited here. David Griffin of Landmark Branding, will return to the show to explore presidential history in New York!

Join us this week for a special episode about “Gotham”, its past and a little bit of its present. Hint: Gotham didn’t start with Batman.

The concept of New York as Gotham is more than two centuries old! My guest will be Rediscovering New York regular, and the show’s special consultant David Griffin of Landmark Branding.

Segment 1

Jeff opens the show by informing our audience about Guy Fawkes Day. He goes into detail about the history of this day and why it is celebrated. Jeff introduces his guest of the night, David Griffin, whom is a regular on the show. David starts off by briefly talking about his early history with the city and how he became interested in historical architecture. The conversation transitions into discussing the history of the word, ‘Gotham’. David takes us on a historical journey through Gotham. He discusses the idea of Gotham, the origin of the word, and the people of Gotham. 

Segment 2

Jeff comes back by asking David about the history knickerbockers and Washington Irving. David delves into the history of Irving in New York City and his literature. Interestingly enough, the New York Knicks have a history with the term knickerbockers. David continues by discussing some of the ways Irving depicted New York in his literature. He mentions that Irving was into gothic things. We end this segment by talking about the later life of Irving and his influence on Christmas holiday traditions. 

Segment 3

David opens this segment  by discussing his business, Landmark Branding. His mantra is “If you are not gonna demolish, polish!” Jeff brings the discussion back to Gotham and how it is the location in the Batman movies. David tells us of the history of the city of Gotham within the Batman movies; the creator wanted the city to be a fictional city. David explains how the symbolism in the movies tap into the architecture of NYC as a whole. The segment ended with a fun fact: New York City is not full of dark alleyways as the movies suggest; there are maybe 1 or 2 alleyways in the city. 

Segment 4

The segment opens up by discussing Tim Burton’s first Batman movie. David gives us a few fun facts about the movie and it’s architecture. He continues by discussing later Batman movies, their production, and influences for the movies. He explains how later films were actually shot in Chicago, and not New York City! Next, the guys discuss the new movie, Joker. David delves into the architecture within this new movie. He explains that Joker was mainly shot in Newark, NJ and why. David ends the segment by discussing the backdrop of the infamous “dancing on the stairs” scene.

Join me for a special episode this week when we explore two wonderful New York museums.

My guests will be Sarah M. Henry, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Museum of the City of New York, and Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Segment 1

Jeff opens the show by introducing his first guest of the night, Sarah Henry. Sarah begins by talking about the history of different neighborhoods/areas in New York City. Sarah goes on by talking about her background and how she became a curator. While discussing her background, Sarah transitions into talking about the history of the museum. Sarah delves into the infrastructure of New York City and how museums became an integral part of the city’s culture and experience. Sarah ends the segment by discussing the location of the museum and how the diversity of the area adds to the overall ambiance of museum.

Segment 2

Sarah begins this segment by mentioning the collections that are currently being shown at the museum. Cultivating Culture is an exhibition on display at the museum now, and Sarah discusses the history of this exhibition in great detail. Sarah also informs us about upcoming shows at the museum; one in particular that is about basketball in New York City and how it is woven into the fabric of the city. She ends the segment by talking about her most inspiring exhibitions that she has been a part of.

Segment 3

Jeff introduces Stephanie Hill Wilchfort and her accolades. Stephanie starts by discussing the Brooklyn neighborhood in which she grew up in. Stephanie discusses her background and how she got her start in this business. Jeff asks Stephanie to explain/elaborate on the difference between children museums versus “adult” museums. She continues by discussing the history of how Brooklyn Children’s Museum and how it came to be. Stephanie goes on to discuss how the museum added to the culture of the Brooklyn community.

Segment 4

Jeff brings us back by asking Stephanie to discuss how the museum enhances the community. Stephanie explains how the museum has a community feel due to the fact that it’s largely interactive and the kids are able to play with each other. Stephanie goes into detail about the different collections that they have on display now. Stephanie talks about the different core exhibits that are currently on display right now. She discusses their Survival of the Slowest exhibit, which features a live sloth! Stephanie also informs us about the after-school program that the museum runs. She ends the segment by informing the audience about how they can learn more about the museum, their shows, and exhibits.