On this week's show we will take a historic stroll along two storied, and at times notorious downtown avenues: The Bowery and Allen Street. My guests will be Joyce Gold, Founder of Joyce Gold History Tours, and Bob Brenner, Founder of Pig Feet Walking Tours.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Joyce gold is a tour guide who for the past 40 years has lead private tours as well as group tours through New York’s City streets. She is also a published writer, with books such as From truck street to Bohemia, and From Windmills to the World Trade Center: Lower Manhattan, a Walking Guide Through History. Joyce Love  for New York city streets began in the mid-70s when she discovered a 100 year old guidebook. That helped paint a picture of New York rich history. Today we were taking a look at the battery, A street that Got its name from Dutch settlers. During the 19 century the battery became Posh up-and-coming place, But when the Civil War came It’s crime had increased and become a place where people were told not to go, but that didn’t stop it from being a melting pot  for different ethnicities to gather with  Irish on the east and German on the west. The battery was becoming a place where people wanted to be with its diverse theaters and shopping areas.   

Segment 2

During the 1890s Bowery became a please where the LGBT Community would gather. For social environment. Sailors also gathered at the battery  to get tattooed as it became a hotspot where tattoo shops would open up. Tattooing got banned in New York from 1962 to 1967 because of fear of hepatitis being spread by needles. As the battery became a place for the misfits of New York it was also the birthplace of the YMCA in 1978. The Barry mission was an Organization to help the New Yorkers   Who were down and out people whether it was food or providing clothing. 1920 affected the battery as it lost much of its Business to the prohibition as it was no longer the only place with bars and clubs, and because of that it became known as the battery bum, For many decades, But the  Bowery is up and coming as They open up hotels and art galleries which is a clear sign of it the rebirth of the Bowery.  

Segment 3

Robert Brenner is also a Tour guide who started pig feet walking tours in 2015 because he wasn’t able to Find towards the cater to his interest so he started his own. Bob has created tours for the Historic district council and New York public library and Many more. Robert is not a native New Yorker, he grew up in Nyack New York , but that in no way Lessons his love for the city, As he began exploring the city as a young teen in the 1970s. Bob takes us to a trip down memory lane as he talks about the rich history of Allen Street. Which got his name from a famous battle that took place in 1874 naming it after War Hero. By the 1830s it was a very prosperous place for the upper middle class, But that all changed when the elevator train made its way to Allen Street. 

Segment 4

The train made Allen Street an definitive Street for Dive bars Prostitution. . It is very diverse with many different people lining the streets with its Greek and Romanian Jews. Bob came up with the Name for pigs feet walking tour from his adventurous eating as he sampled many different styles of pig feet. His include Times Square in the 1970s and Tenderloin in the 1890s, he’s also doing a tour of Yorktown in 1930 when it was a Center for naughty activity. Because of Covid he is now doing ventures virtually. on January 15 he will be doing a webinar of New York City in the 1970s, Time Square, Canal Street, and much more.