[EPISODE] The Upper West Side

Tune in for this week's show as we journey to the Upper West Side!

My guests will be local historian Lucie Levine of Archive on Parade, and Katie Thompson, owner and Founder of the KT Collection, and Runaway Poppy.

Segment 1

Jeff’s first guest is Lucie Levine. She shares memories of growing up in the Upper West Side, studying history, and how her love for her home city developed in her formative years. Lucie traces the early history of the Upper West side from the original Lenape through Dutch and English development of the area. Lucie emphasizes the influence of the railroad in the area and how it brought a bit of the Wild West to the city. She shares the origin of the nickname Gotham for NYC.  

Segment 2

Lucie explains her business, Archive on Parade, where she brings to life archival research through walking tours throughout New York City. They touch on the Dakota building near Central Park. They discuss the design of Riverside Drive, Riverside Park, and the 79th Street Boat Basin. They note the residential development of the Upper West Side in the 1920's. Lucie describes the gentrification in the 1990's and how it has changed the area.   

Segment 3

Katie Thompson joins the program to share her experience as a business owner in the Upper West Side. Katie discusses her beginnings selling jewelry to her family and how she developed her passion for jewelry at an early age. She then traces her career in travel and leisure throughout Europe and South America. Katie describes how eventually she rediscovered her passion and decided to pursue jewelry design as a career.   

Segment 4

Jeff and Katie discuss the merchandise available at KT Collection and Runaway Poppy.They note some of the big draws in the area and the mix of cultures Katie’s experienced working in the area. They note how each street (Broadway, Columbus, Amsterdam) seems to have its own unique identity and how that affects the character of the neighborhood. They conclude with advice for business owners looking to open in the Upper West Side.