My solo guest will be Rediscovering New York regular and the show’s Special Consultant, David Griffin, Founder and CEO of Landmark Branding.  

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Jeff introduces the topic of today's episode about portrayals of New York by authors, as well as introduces the guest for today’s episode David Griffin, the Founder and CEO of Landmark Branding. David retells how he became interested in architecture history, as well as what drew him to New York architecture history specifically. David brings up how living history can be experienced through architecture and buildings. Jeff outlines how the two have picked out five specific authors and their depictions of New York, and that this might be part one of two depending on how many authors they get through in today’s episode. The two start off with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his most well known novel The Great Gatsby. David explains what about The Great Gatsby makes it a quintessential New York book. He continues to explain how New York City is not described in concrete terms within the novel, in part as the book is a Long Island book rather than a New York City, but it is still a quintessential New York book, for the themes of the book. Throughout the book Fitzgerald focuses on how those who live in the suburbs on Long Island interact with the city. David continues to explain how the Plaza Hotel is the New York Landmark that Fitzgerald makes use of the most. The two discuss other New York landmarks that can be found throughout The Great Gatsby.

Segment 2

Jeff and David discuss the valley of ashes within The Great Gatsby, and why Fitzgerald might have included it as much as he did within the novel. David explains the different motifs and symbols found within the valley of ashes, and how this scene is written poetically. The two continue to talk about the real life version of the valley of ashes, which is an ash dump in Corona, NY. Jeff and David continue on to discuss other aspects of New York that Fitzgerald portrays in The Great Gatsby, including what is now considered Washington Heights where the character Mabel lived in. David brings up the original cover of the novel that depicted Coney Island, which Fitzgerald wasn’t happy with as he removed the section of the novel that included Coney Island, and the history behind the cover that lead to Fitzgerlad keeping that cover.

Segment 3

Jeff starts off the segment by thanking the sponsors, as well as requesting the listeners to feel free to reach out to him about the show. Jeff and David discuss David’s recent articles that he has had published in different publications. The two then begin discussing the second author they had picked out, Joseph Mitchell. David explains that Joseph Mitchell was an important figure in New York writing and journalism, as he was one of the first writers for the New Yorker. Mitchell was an important figure in the change of how journalism was written through the school of writing that diverged from how the high end newspapers of London wrote their articles. David explains Mitchell’s journey through journalism and how he worked for the New Yorker up until his death. Jeff and David discuss the kinds of things that Mitchell wrote, and how he was most interested in the outcasts of New York rather than the glitz and glam other journalists focused on. They also discuss Mitchell’s later years of writing

Segment 4

The two discuss the other aspects of Mitchell’s life, including the play he wrote for Broadway and the different societies he was a part of. David goes in depth about the racist slur for the Roma people, who Mitchell was sympathetic for but continued to use that slur. The two also discuss Mitchell’s love for the waterfront, and his time spent there and how much effort he put towards the preservation of the waterfront and the architecture there. The two end the episode with discussing how Mitchell’s love of New York City impacted his writing style.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Today’s episode starts off with the introduction of today’s guest and topic. Tonight’s celebrating two city islands. Our host Jeff gets to know guest Mandy, who is a Chicago native and explains her background. She’s a naturalist who is dedicated to sharing urban discoveries. She believes everything she does is connected through applied anthropology. Although it seems contra dictionary, she explains that you have to understand one setting to understand another. She goes through a bit of Governor’s Island history, going back to English colonization times.

Segment 2

Coming back from the break, the podcast goes deeper into Governor’s Islands history throughout the wars. It was often used to store weapons and arms. It was used to train militia and even as a prisoner of war base. Mandy also shares that some remnants from these times are still on the island today. She explains women’s role within the island and how they were kept separate from the men. They skip forward to after the wars and talk about how the island was no longer a war base. The island renovated and the function for it changed. The conversation takes a turn for a more personal story. They talk about the personal connection veterans who used to live there and their families may have with the island. 

Segment 3

This segment starts with a few announcements from the show’s sponsors. Jeff introduces the next special guest: Joyce Gold. Joyce first explained how she became interested in the historical sites of New York City. She then goes on to talk about the next topic of the show: Ellis Island. Before it became the famous immigration center, it was a privately owned fort. Before Ellis Island, immigrants had to go through piers and Castle Clinton. Due to the increase in federal immigration laws, the State of New York decided to make Ellis Island the site for immigraion in 1892. Joyce explains how different laws and changes in them affected immigration through Ellis Island and the difficulty of getting into America. 

Segment 4

For the final segment, Joyce talks about how strict the rules could be at Ellis Island. Often because of medical reasons, immigrants would be turned away. If there were any suspicions about someone, they would get marked and it would be known that there was something “wrong” with them. Joyce then goes on to explain what Jewish people specifically had gone through with Ellis Island. The episode ends off with Jeff asking Joyce about her tours. She explains what her tours are, her most popular are the ones through the Financial District and the Greenwich Village. She has dozens of different tours that people can sign up for, including public and private tours.

 new content during the pandemic, and what their future New York programming may look like. My guests will be Rediscovering New York regular Justin Rivers, Chief Experience Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York, https://untappedcities.com/; and Corey William Schneider, CEO and Founder, New York Adventure Club, https://about.nyadventureclub.com/about/.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Tonight’s show is focused on the topic of virtual New York tours a year and a half into the pandemic. Justin Rivers is one of the guests who is the Chief Executive Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York. He is originally from New Jersey then went to school in New York and never returned. He first got into the industry after pitching a Penn Station tour idea. Justin was unsure about the responses he would receive but everyone enjoyed it which led to more opportunities in the future. Eventually, he accepted a principal position at Untapped New York. During the pandemic, they successfully embraced the challenge of converting their in person tours into a virtual experience that was just as informative. 

Segment 2

One of the first tours that Justin offered once the pandemic occurred were of Grand Central and Penn Station. He was very surprised to see how many people were attending. Many people also enjoyed his virtual coffee tour. Furthermore, Justin cannot believe that it took the pandemic for people to realize how big the virtual tour market is. Even after the pandemic ends, he is still obligated to continue virtual tours because he has many members all around the world who cannot visit New York personally. In addition, he mentions how the most popular tours at Untapped New York are usually the ones that display what the state was compared to what it is currently. People can learn more information at https://untappedcities.com/. 

Segment 3

The second guest is named Corey William Schneider who is the CEO and Founder of the New York Adventure Club. He started the group in 2014 after going on a personal journey and exploring on his own. Before he knew it, he had many people messaging him online asking him how to buy tickets. Around the start of the pandemic, people started canceling their events and meetings around February 2020 which led to a complete shut down. He was also forced to convert his live tours to virtual after deciphering how. His audiences love being able to sit at home and learn virtually. Some of the most popular tours for New York Adventure Club are nostalgic ones. People love reminiscing on their memories.

Segment 4

Corey and New York Adventure Club offer a whisky, wine and chocolate tasting that can be sent to a client’s home. Jeff has attended multiple whisky tastings. Furthermore, Justin mentions how much the accessibility of his tours has improved. He does all virtual events on Zoom which allows people to share the access code. This permits more people to learn about New York while also growing his business. The majority of his events are New York focused but they are currently working on covering London. People can find out more information at https://about.nyadventureclub.com/about/.

My guests will be expert tour guide Jeremy Wilcox, Founder and Owner of Custom NYC Tours; and Walter Puryear, Senior Director at the Andrew Freedman Home, a center for arts and artists located on the Grand Concourse.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight’s show topic will revolve around the twin neighborhoods of Concourse and Highbridge in the Bronx. The first guest will be Jeremy Wilcox who is the Founder and Owner of Custom NYC Tours. Jeremey first became a tour guide about five years ago but has always gone exploring around neighborhoods with his friends. One of his friends inspired him to quit his job and follow his dreams which paid off. The first tour he gave was in the Summer of 2016. The first tour he got paid to give was of Wall Street and the World Trade Center Area. Highbridge got its name after the bridge that connects the neighborhood to Washington Heights and Manhattan. It stretches over the Harlem River.

Segment 2

One of Jeremy’s most famous tours is his tour of landmarks as well as his art deco and Highbridge tour. People can find out more information at NYCtours.com. Originally, the neighborhood of Concourse was not a part of the Bronx but was built up during the Great Depression which eventually helped lead to them joining. The original walkway of Concourse was finished in the early 1900’s. When the buildings went up, the first communities who inhabited the location were mostly middle class people along with Jewish people. At the beginning of this century, investors started to invest in the area. Also in 2011 a renovation took place which led to the neighborhood’s reinvention.

Segment 3

The second half of the show will feature a second guest named Walter Puryear who is a Senior Director at the Andrew Freedman Home which is a center for arts and artists located on the Grand Concourse. Walter has lived in New York for the majority of his life. He has lived in many different locations around the Bronx. He has been around arts and artists since he was around the age of six. He was a child actor. Next, the origin of the Andrew Freeman home is discussed. Andrew Freeman was someone who created a place to house people who were suffering through unfortunate circumstances and needed assistance. The home also has advanced medical services.

Segment 4

The Andrew Freeman home also makes an emphasis on trying to transform a person overall. They were already known for their workforce program that was geared towards the adults but later they expanded. Their after school and weekend programs became more art focused and the themes of the shows they were putting on were based on real world issues. Walter has helped many people who work a certain occupation use their skills in other ways they never thought possible. It is important for him to help others realize that they can create their own narratives. In addition, he will be having a small opening in September for the Redlining exhibition.

On this week's show we will explore the history of the "enemies within", spies and saboteurs in New York City who were in the service of the country's enemies, or soon-to-be-enemies during wartime. My guests will be author Kevin Fitzpatrick,

https://fitzpatrickauthor.com/; and tour director Bob Brenner, Founder of Pig Feet Walking Tours,

https://www.pigfeetwalkingtours.com/.

 Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Tonight’s show topic is all about spies and saboteurs in New York during times of war. The special guests are author Kevin Fitzpatrick along with tour director and Founder of Pig Feet Walking Tours, Bob Brenner. Kevin has ties to the Marine Corps and is very proud of his Irish heritage. In 1864, a group of saboteurs set off 19 total fires in order to disrupt the election. This act could have been very damaging to the city but luckily they were Greek fire so less damage was dealt. Greek fire is essentially a substance that gets set ablaze once exposed to oxygen. Furthermore, Kevin is the author of “World War I New York: A Guide to the City's Enduring Ties to the Great War.”

Segment 2

Kevin also has written books about Dorothy Parker as well as Round Tables. He has a great interest in jazz and speakeasies. In regard to the Spanish American War, Kevin states that there likely was not much spying or sabotage going on. The war did not take place for a very long time which may partially be the reason. Also, Kevin explains how the Zimmerman Telegram was a secret document issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917 that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States entered World War I against Germany. It was intercepted which led to the declaration of the First World War as well as the famous explosion of Black Tom. 

Segment 3

The second half of the show features the second guest named Bob Brenner who is a New York City Tour Guide. He is also the Founder of Pigs Feet Walking Tours. Bob lives in Chelsea but is not originally from the state. Bob first got interested in spies and saboteurs in NY along with NY history overall after seeing Nazis in Yorkville and experiencing how they acted. Yorkville was also the home of the German American Bund. Their main responsibility was to promote propaganda that pushed America to stay neutral and remain out of the war. In addition, they hosted summer camps that taught pupils how to handle firearms and craft explosives such as bombs. 

Segment 4

Bob recently has been doing webinars and tours on various topics such as New York City in the ’80s and ’90s. The leader of the Bund was named Fritz Julius Kuhn who was corrupt and spent group funds on his mistress. He was later kicked out and lost citizenship. William Sebold was an American citizen who was born in Germany and had a family who lived there. Eventually, he went to go visit his mother when Nazis recognized that he had American traits and made him become a spy for them or else his family would be hurt and he would not be allowed to leave. He agrees but later devises a plan with the FBI to get wired for sound and set up the German Government once they told all of their information. 

On this week’s show we will visit Dyker Heights, In Brooklyn. 

My guests will be expert tour guide Jeremy Wilcox, Founder and Owner of Custom NYC Tours, https://www.customnyctours.com/; and Alfred DiScipio, owner of La Villa Pizzeria, https://lavillapizza.com/

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

On today’s show, we focus on Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. The episode features Jeremy Wilcox who is the founder and owner of Custom NYC Tours. He always loved exploring New York City neighborhoods in Ben before he got paid for it. He enjoyed going exploring with his friends in his spare time. The Dutch first began to settle in the area in the mid 1600’s. Dyker Heights originally got its name from Dyker meadows. When war started to take place, coastal control became more in demand. This led to another fort being built across The Narrows.

Segment 2

This summer Jeremey will be doing many in person tours around New York City including his Central Park walking and Midtown landmark and architecture tour. People can find out more by visiting his website www.customnyctours.com. Next the two discuss Walter Johnson and how he is known as the father of Dyker Heights. He is responsible for creating many beautiful homes within the city of Brooklyn. By the start of the First World War, the neighborhood was mostly settled. Later, some major renovations took place that made some buildings unrecognizable but the neighborhood remains the same. Jeremy explains how the sloping streets and big houses with stone frames make it unique compared to other suburban neighborhoods. Annually, there is a Christmas tradition in which the natives elaborately decorate their homes which attracts many tourists.

Segment 3

Tonight’s show will feature another guest for the second half of the show named Alfred Discipio. He is a New York native who was born in Brooklyn and moved all around the state. His family is originally from Italy. He owns the pizzeria La Villa Pizzeria and has a relative who owns an Italian Ice shop. Alfred’s cousins were in America before his parents came in the 1950’s. One of them was very smart and invented the pizza press. In 1962, they opened the doors of their new factory that Alfred worked in for many summers. This became the family business. He eventually decided to open his place in Dyker Heights and his family was so glad that he had come back.

Segment 4

Next Alfred describes the vibe of the neighborhood. He explains how he sees how families are setlng there longterm and making the location a home. He sees many children and families in the area. The restaurant in Dyker Heights opened up in 2017 and construction started in 2016. He noticed at his other location in Park Slope that there are many people who are regulares who do not live in the area. Some people travel multiple blocks to come in which is great. As a business owner, the pandemic was a big hit for him and his business but he has overcome the obstacles.

From Lever House to the Seagram Building, to Expressionist landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum and the TWA Terminal at JFK International Airport, we will discuss the buildings that created a new era of American design.

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

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Today’s guest is David Griffin who is a regular of the show. He is the founder and CEO of Landmark Branding and the special consultant of Rediscovering New York. Landmark Branding provides creative sales-enhancing services. He first got interested in this industry when he was young and one of the first employees of the Park’s department in Long Island. Sometimes he got the opportunity to stay overnight in one of the old structured buildings which he loved. His mother also made it a point of concern to educate him on history. Today’s main topic is modernism which is a branch or art that symbolized revival or a new era.

Segment 2

In 1939, the Museum of Modern Art was designed by Edward Darrell Stone. He had the assistance of the trustee Phillip Godwin. It eventually moved from its former location on 5th avenue to a custom built home on W 53 Street where it still remains today. The garden was designed by the Architectural Curator named John McAndrew. All together it is found to be one of the most beautiful small scale environments in New York City. Public housing is also discussed, including the Williamsburg houses in Brooklyn. They were built during 1936-1938.

Segment 3

David founded Landmark Branding in 2013 and ever since he has offered marketing support for real estate brokers, developers, designers and architects. He also writes articles, has a blog and offers VIP tours. Next, the Lever House is brought up. It is the first building in the city to be entirely glass. Its construction took about a decade and stood as a renowned milestone for American architecture. In 1982, it was designated an official landmark. The Seagram building is also discussed. It is made of bronze and stained glass which are expensive materials. The place was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1958.

Segment 4

To end the show, the two banter about famous American architects. Frank Lloyd Wright was the first. He had no formal training but was still one of the best. He did not call himself a modernist architect because he did not want to put himself into a certain category. When Wright was collaborating with Solomon R. Guggenheim, Wright did not love the location being in New York at first but they settled on 5th Avenue and loved it because of its close proximity to the famous Central Park. This ended up being one of Wright’s most famous buildings.

On this week’s show we will speak with the people behind the newest exhibition “Stoop Stories” at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

My guests will be Hana Elwell, Vice President of Exhibits and Education at the Museum; and Marj Kleinman and Lara Weinberg, producers and creators of this inspiring work.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Today’s first guest is Hana Elwell who is the Vice President of Exhibit and Education at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. In 1998, she was drawn to New York due to its art and culture. She loved how she was surrounded by what she loved as soon as she moved. Her professional path started working at the museum in Brooklyn. It is her responsibility to plan museum exhibitions and decide which stories will be told. Hana states that one of their main goals is to provide a safe space for everyone to learn and be inspired, not just kids. The museum was founded in 1899 making it the first children’s museum in the world.

Segment 2

Children’s museums are important because they provide a positive environment for families. During the pandemic, the museum was shut down but everyone is now glad that the missing energy and laughter has returned. There has been plenty of great feedback on the new exhibitions and return overall. The museum hosts an exhibit called stoop stories. This is their way of reflecting the way they want people to feel when entering by putting photos of families on their home stoop on the walls. Many people viewed the wall as a sign that they are not alone as a community.

Segment 3

The next two guests played a major role in creating stoop stories. Their names are Marj Kleinman and Lara Weinberg. They are both New York natives. Today, both of them live in the neighborhoods they grew up in. Stoop stories is their first involvement with the museum. They were pleased how they got to work together on this project after wanting to collaborate for a while. Marj got inspired to create stoop stories after interviewing people on their stoops. Currently, they are trying to expand the exhibit by adding more neighborhoods and boroughs.

Segment 4

The two are the co-producers and co-creators of stoop stories. Lara says that this exhibition is different from others because they go to you and share your story and message. They come to them so that people are more likely to be their most authentic selves. Some people are sought out by them while others are more likely to reach out. Many people find relief and relaxation in sharing their story. People can share their own stories at stoopstories.net.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1

Tonight’s show will be on New York’s art organizations. The guests are Craig Peterson and Brian Rogers. Craig Peterson is the Executive Director Artistic Director of the Abrons Arts Center. Growing up he was always interested in art and dance. He eventually moved to New York to be an artist. Craig admits his adjustment to the artistic director position was slow but he kept working at it. In 2014, he became a program director before moving to Abrons. They provide an art source for so many people. 

SEGMENT 2

At Abrons, they provide multiple disciplinary education programs. They present art mainly across theater, art and dance. Scott is asked if there are any challenges that small art organizations may face. Being a smaller organization could possibly effect certain things but Scott confirms that there are not many differences between what larger organizations face. Theyjust want to reach as many people through art as they can. A large number of people come in from outside of the neighborhood. The art center is internationally recognized and they support international artists. 

SEGMENT 3

The second guest is Brian Rogers who is a director and filmmaker. He was born in Los Angeles but mainly grew up in Idaho. He went to art school in Vermont then had his mind set on going to New York because that was where the action was. He later helped create The Chocolate Factory Theater and is now the Artistic Director. The venue is named the way it is because it used to be a chocolate factory. In 2004 the organization started but money was tight. Brian admits it took a while for it to get better but was glad it did. Furthermore, unlike other organizations, the Chocolate Factory Theater is run by the artists which is good for the culture of the organization. 

SEGMENT 4

The Chocolate Factory Theater is best known as an experimental art company. They host a variety of theater, dance and music performances. Brian also does fundraising for the theater. He admits that it is very challenging for small organizations to make money because they rely heavily on donations and grants. The generosity of others is very important to them. Brian states that ticket sales make up less than five percent of their income. The give and take relationship between the city and organization is what keeps them going. 

In this week’s show, we will explore the new music scene in New York. Actually, new music from the 1980s.  

My guests will be Sean Corcoran, Curator of Prints and Photographs of the Museum of the City of New York, who will talk about the Museum’s new exhibition, New York New Music: 1980-1986, and recording artist, performer, producer, and author Richard Barone, who was also the front man for the band The Bongos.

‍Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

The show starts by introducing the topic of the history of music in New York specifically in the 1980s. One guest is Sean Corcoran who is a New Yorker. He is the curator of prints and photographs of the Museum of the City of New York. He has always had an interest in art and photography. He loves how photos can be both scientific documents as well as art. With the museum, he did exhibitions on film director Stanley Kubrick and graffiti. So much went into creating his most recent exhibition. Many people played a role in it.

Segment 2

The music scene in the ’80s was different depending on the location. Sean states that in New York people were very open with their music taste. Clubs would book performers of multiple different genres. Furthermore, people were experimenting with the crossing of genres. Producers began to use more jazz elements in hip-hop music which also helped contribute to the growth of DJing and MCing. As time passed, the music began to define the location but it was the population that embraced it. This was also a time when many New York musicians began to tour and grow further than NYC.

Segment 3

Tonight’s second guest is Richard Barone who is the frontman for the band The Bongos. He is a recording artist, performer, producer, and author. He has worked with The Beach Boys among others. Currently, he is writing a book focusing on the music scene in the ’60s. During that time, New York was a very popular spot for new upcoming artists. It became the new place that attracted people. Richard was drawn into the location and became a member of the band as a result. The group got their sound from their love of fusion music. They used that as an inspiration to fuse with their pop foundation.

Segment 4

When the group got started, they immediately started playing in New York clubs like The Peppermint Lounge and Mud Club. The group would work with the venue in order to have their video shown in the club. At first, they were signed to a British label but they eventually signed with RCA records which allowed them to create greater quality videos. The Bongos’ main focus was to differentiate themselves from others. They loved to contribute with others but wanted to establish a sound unique to themselves.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight’s show is featuring the location of Jamaica, Queens. The guests are Jason Antons, Jennifer Furioli and Elena Calderon. Jason is a returning guest who is a resident of Fleshing, NY. Today, he is the President of Queens Historical Society. Growing up he heavily enjoyed writing about Queens. In 2004, he first got involved with the Queens Historical Society. Jamaica was first given an alternate name by the Dutch which translated to Jamaica. Many different people coming from NJ, Manhattan and more used Jamaica as a crossroad. Historically, the Dutch were settled western while the Native Americans were Eastern and they did not get along. The British fled their homeland in pursuit of religious freedom while the Dutch were looking to colonise. Eventually, a hard fought battle takes place.

Segment 2

In addition, Jason is an author who just published a book. He has book signings coming up soon at the Queens Historical Society. In the past, the majority of the Jamaica population were loyal to the king and were supportive of the colonies. However, there were some people from that location who fought against the king in the war. Many were hanged for treason. Later, the English evacuated but there is still reminisce of them today. Jamaica’s Union Hall is one of the first learning facilities. The city first became a part of New York City in 1899. It has always been a greatly diverse and populated city. Jason urges people to explore the city because of how much it has to offer.

Segment 3

The second half of the show will feature two guests. The first’s name is Jennifer Furioli who is the Executive Director at the Jamaica Center. She works at one of the largest business improvement districts. The second’s name is Elena Calerdon who is the owner of Rincon Salvadoreno. Jennifer originally is not from NY but moved here for grad school. She got her start working an internship then got a job working at the small business districts. With all of the changes that took place in the area, Jennifer loved how she got the opportunity to work in such a location. Elena’s husband originally came to the state pursuing a business opportunity that turned into much more. During the pandemic, Jennifer and her colleagues developed a better communication system which allowed people to better contact each other in a crisis.

Segment 4

Next, the vibe of Jamaica is discussed. Elena really loves the feel of the whole community even though the place previously had a bad reputation. Some people are still afraid to visit due to this despite all of the improvement. Throughout the years, development of the area has improved. There are much more business today. Elena has hopes that the area will grow further once construction is finished. Furthermore, Jennifer states that the community is very excited for the future.

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

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

The show initially begins by Jeff summarizing all of the previous episodes. There have been a wide variety of guests and occupations. Tonight's show will feature the topic of nightclubs. The solo guest for tonight is David Griffin of Landmark Branding who has been on previous shows. He grew up mostly in Long Island but has spent time in the Hudson area. He knows The City very well. He got started due to his interest in the past that his siblings also shared. They would constantly go out to explore and examine. Nightclubs are directly tied to New York City and its culture. The city served as one of the largest urban hubs in North America. African American music was very popular in this area. Performers and entertainers were drawn to this city due to its large population and diversity. People also loved the architecture of New York City. It is very unique. The bright lights and lifestyle of the city match the nightlife perfectly. The Cotton Club is an older club in New York where several great entertainers performed. During the enforcement of Jim Crow laws, black people were not allowed to enter the club as guests which was ironic because they were profiting off black performers. Eventually, the law was lifted.

Segment 2

The Cotton Club helped break down barriers in the entertainment industry. The next club being discussed was opened in 1929. It was titled Stork Club and founded by Sherman Billingsley. The decor was described as elegant but not particularly eye-catching, Some of the famous guests were the Rooselvelt family and Evelyn Walsh Mclean. Later, many of the guests stopped visiting because of the protesting that took place. Billingsley was very hard headed when it came to the union. Soon after many of the prestigious guests no longer want to be associated with it. The Copacabana was opened up in 1940 and based off of Brazilian music and decor. It was also a segregated club like the Cotton Club. Sammy Davis Junior and The Supremes were two of the famous acts who performed there. In the 1950’s some of the Yankees went to the club and some racist was hurling slurs at one of the performers which led to the team getting into a brawl with the man. There were some lawsuits after the fact.

Segment 3

At Landmark Branding, David offers branding and marketing support for real estate, architecture and design professionals. He is currently pitching a book idea and is an active blogger. Also, he is the special consultant of the show. Next, the Peppermint Lounge was discussed. It was disco heavy that featured the technology to play records. The dance called the twist was born here. The club was geared towards a younger crowd. Also, many people of the gay community were drwan to it. Eventually, many celebrities started visiting to learn the dance. The Beatles visited while making their first trip to the United States. The Beach Boys were one of the famous bands who performed there. Cafe Society was up next. It was a fully integrated club from the start and treated everyone equally as long as you were dressed well and there to listen to the music. The place features some of the greatest African American musicians. Some of the music being played there was political. For example, Billie Holiday first sang Strange Fruit at this location. El Moraco was then talked about. It was originally a speakeasy which became extremely popular after prohibition. The place was very popular because they had a house photographer who would take people’s photos.

Segment 4

Studio 54 is another popular club.The club featured a lot of unique lighting. It had a cinematic quality to it. For the first time, the crowd could be lit up brightly. There was no color barrier at the club but there was a “cool” barrier. If you were not cool enough you did not get in. The owner only wanted people who were good enough on his dance floor. The Limelight opened in 1983. It is known as a post disco club. During this time period, the style is moving more towards punk and rock. It really earned the media’s attention in the 90’s after a scandal took place.

My guests will be will be returning Rediscovering New York expert Joyce Gold, Founder of Joyce Gold History Tours; and Richard “Rip” Hayman, co-owner of the famous Ear Inn on Spring Street.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight’s show will revolve around Hudson Square which is a place many New Yorkers are not entirely familiar with. Today’s guests are Joyce Gold who is the founder of Joyce Gold History Tours. She got her start working on Wall Street and eventually stumbled upon a directory that discussed all of the places she passed everyday. She then started giving tours on the weekend which led to a full time business. She does more private tours than public. One day she was asked to give tours on Hudson Square in order to get people more familiar with it. It is sometimes referred to as the New Hudson Square because of all of the construction that is occurring. Richmond Hill was a hill that was a resident of Hudson Square that is now flattened. Some renowned historic figures like George Washington were also former residents. He used to live at 1 Cherry Street. Washington’s home was on top of the hill which was right next to the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District.

Segment 2

Joyce is now back to giving tours due to the near end of the pandemic. She says that she will have 11 tours being offered by the end of the month. Hudson Square first became a major contributor to printing in the 1920’s. Later, the Holland Tunnel was built which was a big help getting cars into New York. Before this tunnel, there were only a couple alternative routes. There was a big effect that it had on the neighborhood. There was a huge amount of construction going on. In addition, while building the tunnel it was stressed not to overcomplicate the roadways. While it was being built in the 1920’s, air regulations had to be followed so that excessive pollution did not take place. Furthermore, Donald Trump has a hotel that is running in Hudson Square. The name was changed to The Dominick once he decided to run for president because many people did not like him. There are also some great entertainment places in the area. One of them is titled SOB or Sound of Brazil that is still open today. This place features music and dancing styles of Brazil and Africa.

Segment 3

To begin this segment, the second guest is introduced. His name is Captain Richard “Rip” Hayman who is the co-owner of The Ear Inn on Spring Street. He is also a United States Coast Guard mariner and former president of the Hudson Valley Line.He is originally from New Mexico and came to New York as a student. He realized his love for the sea while at a beach in New York. The Ear Inn and the James Brown Building was built right next to the docks of the Hudson River. Also, since it was part of a major shopping district, the sidewalks are very spacious. James Brown was a tobacco merchant. The Ear Inn’s name has a history that goes back all the way to prohibition. At first, it was called The Bar Inn but had to be changed. There were rules in place against the adding to the name but none in place that prohibited subtraction. They eventually settled on The Ear Inn, simply altering the letter B.

Segment 4

Captain Richard Hayman today owns a bar that he says he brought when he was young and stupid. At first, he was renting out one of the rooms. Later one of his female friends bought the bar from the former owner which transitioned it from a place where mostly men went to one that was more welcoming to everyone. During the pandemic, Richard was not able to serve his community the way he was accustomed to. Now that it is near an end, he is able to serve people seated outside at a bigger capacity. The parks that are in the area are a good contributor to his business.

My guests will be Wayne Norbeck and Jordan Rogove, co-founders and partners in the architectural firm DXA Studio. And co-hosting this special episode with me will be Rediscovering New York regular and the program’s Special Consultant, David Griffin of Landmark Branding.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here..

Show Notes

Segment 1

To start the show, the topic of New York landmarks was introduced and what goes into designing them. Two of the guests being featured on today’s show are the co-founders and partners of the architectural firm DXA Studio. Their names are Wayne Norbeck and Jordan Rogove who both have years of experience. Today’s co-host is David Griffin who is a New York historian working with Landmark Branding. Next, the background of the guests is questioned along with how they got into their career field. Both of them explain how becoming an architect was a natural choice.They have wanted to become architects since they were young. There are some challenges that go into working with landmark protected places. Wayne explains how a client can be in for quite a learning experience when working on a project if they are not educated about what is permitted and what is not. In the past, clients have wanted to put a 20 story edition on a building which was not allowed. Also, Jordan discusses the importance of making a project authentic and one way of doing that is to take note of the design and style of architecture that matches the others in the area.

Segment 2

After the break, 7 Harrison Street in Tribeca, New York was brought up because that is the first place with landmark protection that was worked on by DXA Studio. When a building has landmark status, it is very challenging to change the appearance of it from the street. At times, Jordan and Wayne have to be careful to ensure that whatever they're building is a contribution instead of a hindrance. When adding additions to buildings, they must make sure no one's windows are being blocked for example. One Hundred Barclay is another project that was worked on by DXA. The building is located near the new World Trade Center. They are responsible for the design of the exterior as well as the interior lobby. The two architects explain how a lot of the process was working with designers in order to illuminate a space in the best way possible.

Segment 3

Next, 827 & 831 Broadway is asked about which used to be a place for artists to produce their work. Many great painters were natives of that location. These buildings are very important to the state culturally. Jordan and Wayne eventually developed a project to create a vertical extension. They wanted to expand on a place that contains so much history, however, the project is currently delayed. Some people are making the case that the project is not appropriate and unnecessary but the two are confident that it will get built in the future.

Segment 4

Landmark branding is a company that provides branding and marketing support for real estate, architecture and design professionals. David works there and ensures that New York is backed. When Jordan and Wayne are assigned a project that involves religious landmarks they do their best to preserve what they find. In the past, they have preserved stained glass windows among others that are still around today. When they were working on the Brooklyn Bridge, they attempted to bring it back to its original look and feel. The project was received well by the public. They were given some great feedback and many people liked the design.

My guests are David Campany, Managing Director of Programs at the International Center of Photography in New York; and Alex Harsley, documentary photographer and Curator of the 4th Street Photo Gallery in the East Village.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Video by Clicking Here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

The topic of photography is mentioned first. It is an artform that means a lot to the state of New York. Today’s guests are David Campany who is an author and the managing director of programs at International Center of Photography. In addition, Alex Harsley has joined who is a documentary photographer and Curator of the 4th Street Photo Gallery in the East Village. When David first came to America, it was in the late 1980’s. He is from England but loves the people and the light of New York. The city is so theatrical it seems to be asking to be photographed. David also mentions versatility and how one can walk just two blocks in New York and feel like they’re in a new place. He states how important it is for his program to build strong relationship with their surroundings and community He was able to open a gallery featuring hundreds of images

Segment 2

David is asked what attracted him to the ICP and he explains how it is a perfect fit for him. He enjoys the creative side to his work by taking a space that is given and presenting it in different ways. He also likes collaborating with others to produce a quality finished product. Next, he talks about how in a photography institution, everyone will have a variety of reactions towards an image. That is less likely to occur with painting and drawing. The ICP has a show running currently featuring the theme of life and how it just goes on. He says that it is very gentile and observational work. His staff works with the artist to coordinate the gallery.

Segment 3

The second half of the show will be with the guest Alex Harsley who has photographed a number of historic figures throughout the years. After being taught to be a farmer, he concluded that was not what he wanted to do and moved to New York. He first got into photography in 1957. He eventually got into photojournalism and got to see a different perspective on situations that others did not. Furthermore, he talks about how much he wanted to take photography in school because equipment was not very accessible for him. Most people only used cameras for capturing portraits and significant moments. His family had a camera but was not allowed to touch it. After he got his equipment he began capturing moments of his life, friends and environment.

Segment 4

Alex is asked about if racism was an issue while transitioning from North Carolina to New York in the 1950’s. He explains how there was some discrimination but the neighborhood he grew up in was a melting pot and nobody was racist. Alex first started the 4th Street Photo Gallery after observing what was occurring in Far Rockaway New York. He took some documentary shots which contributed to opening the gallery in 1974. Next, Alex confesses how it is the diversity and ability to dream of the East Village citizens that motivates him to continue doing work in that area.

My guests are Rediscovering New York regular Justin Rivers, Chief Experience Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York, and Wilma Alonso, Executive Director of the Fordham Road Business Improvement District.

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Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

To begin, Jeff introduces the topic of Fordham along with other great places in New York. Then Wilma Alonso and Marco Shalma are introduced. Both of them are not originally from the empire state but they have both made great contributions. Wilma started the Fordham Road Business Improvement District in 2005. She admits that it took 25 years to build a bid on Fordham Road. It took hard work but was made possible thanks to the supporters. Marco is currently working on something called a Radio Park that is a unique experience that is rooted from broadway performances. It is a drive in theater with a band that plays the soundtrack while dancers are also performing. It is currently located in Queens. In addition, Marco’s love for food and wanting more types of food to be attainable in The Bronx lead to him creating the Bronx Night Market which is located on Fordham.

Segment 2

Due to the pandemic, Marco and the Bronx Night Market have had to put some restrictions on themselves. In 2019, they had tens of thousands of people entering and leaving daily. They are known to welcome in anyone as a food marketplace but now they cannot to the same extent. Marco is looking forward to getting back to normalcy so he can resume serving the borough like how he used to. Wilma loves the vibrance of the people that live in Fordham. When speaking to them, it is interesting for her to hear their stories of places she is familiar with. It gives the two of them a connection to each other and their environment. Marco describes the community as super direct. He appreciates how the people always tell him how it is.

Segment 3

Justin Rivers is introduced to begin the second half. He is the Chief Experience Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York. He is from New Jersey but went to school at Fordham New York. Fordham got its name because it was shallow and appeared as though it could forge a river. Eventually, Fordham Manner originates and an English man contributed to the name. Fordham was a village that was right outside of New York. It can sometimes get forgotten or lost because it became more of the Bronx. Furthermore, Edgar Allen Poe was a Bronx residence who always had money issues. His house was one of the first built on Fordham road. The home is still around today. It is described as a cute little cottage. There still remains some remnants of it including Fordham Plaza which was the village square and the Poe house. There is also some Revolutionary War history in the area. George Washington was running from the British through Fordham and people gave him coverage.

Segment 4

Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, tours are now being offered again. Justin is a tour guide for untapped New York who feature many unique tours including the remanence of Penn Station. Irish immigrants played a key role contributing to Fordham University. Many of them were migrating that direction from Manhattan. Later, Dagger John buys Fordham Manner. He also founded St. John’s University which eventually becomes Fordham. He got the name by coming to a New York that was very Protestant which contrasted to the Catholicism being brought over. Many people did not like the change being brought to the town. Catholics start to get beaten up and burned. Eventually, John interferes and states that if anyone attempts to burn the churches, he would burn the town like Moscow. He lined guns to be aimed at the entrance of the church and threatened to shoot people. He got the name by always fighting for Catholicism.

We will explore how shopping habits have changed throughout the City’s history and the effects that commerce had on everything from women’s emancipation to holiday traditions.

Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman’s, B. Altman’s, Bloomingdale's, Wannamaker’s Lord & Taylor and Bonwit Teller were some of the august names both past and present.

My guest is Rediscovering New York regular and the show’s Special Consultant, David Griffin of Landmark Branding, https://landmarkbranding.com.

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Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Video by Clicking Here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

The show begins by reflecting on all of the historic topics that have been covered and where they can be accessed. This then translates to a discussion on department stores with guest David Griffin who is a writer, blogger, CEO and owner of Landmark Branding.. He was originally born in Long Island and lived there for twelve years before moving a bit north to get closer to family. Many great stores in New York are no longer with us but so many remain. David majored in Art History in college and is an expert on New York history, He states that a department store is a store that sells more than one dry good. The first one in New York was Stewart’s Department Store that was the first to hold a series of fashion shows and helped develop a luxury experience when shopping. Siegell-Cooper is a store that rises and falls within a 25 year period which is rare. They originated in Chicago then moved to New York looking to expand. They grew to 120 different departments including a bank, arcade, ticketbooth and more.

Segment 2

Siegell-Cooper was a store that mixed dry goods with wet goods. They sold groceries along with dry goods. The downfall of the store takes place once the owner is convinced to sell the business after he over extends himself trying to make the perfect one stop shop. In addition, another store was rivalling him. Eventually he opens back up but people are no longer shopping at the same extent. Later, Macy’s opened in 1858. Business is not flowing at first but it does later. Once it does, they are forced to pay about one million dollars just to keep the corner of land they were operating on. Macy’s now hosts one of the biggest parades on the holiday of Thanksgiving. As a game, they used to have balloons float down on people who could then exchange it for a cash prize. This got shut down due to the hazard that it was creating in the 1930’s.

Segment 3

David founded Landmark Branding in 2014. The company offers branding and marketing support for real estate, architecture and design companies. The department store Gimbels becomes a major rival to Macy’s once it emerges. By 1930 they had several flagship stores including one neighboring Macy’s building in New York City. Gimbels was more plain and straightforward. It was not intended to be as fancy as the others. They catered to middle class people. Their downfall was their lack of appealing qualities compared to their counterparts. People began to feel like there was no need to visit New York just to shop at a generic store. B. Altman and Company was a luxury department store that was founded in New York in 1865. The flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York ran from 1906 to 1989 before falling to bankruptcy.

Segment 4

Another store that closed recently is Lord & Taylor. They were founded in 1826 and were located up the road from B. Altman. David recalls them as a convenient department store to stop in and admire their alluring windows.They also had great holiday displays. Sax Fifth Avenue is a store that branched from Lord & Taylor in regard to their windows along with their holiday celebrations. They were a store who hired artists to do their mirrors which acted as a way for two different types of artists to work together. Some consumers enjoyed the collaborations more than others. One of the most famous window artists was named Andy Warhol. He was hired in 1951 but did not get much popularity until about ten years later when he used his art as commercialism.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Jeff begins the show by introducing the topic of historical sports stadiums along with the two guests. He reads off the long list of pieces that Jason has written throughout his career. Next, he introduces David Kaplan stating that he is an adjunct professor at Montclair State University and the founding director of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. Jason has always had a passion for sports and the history of New York which helped to fuel him. While in high school, he realized that he wanted to do writing and journalism professionally. He graduated from the University of Miami and got a job writing for the Gazette Newspaper. Dave attended Cortland State University, a school that embraces sports. His dream was to combine his two passions of sports and journalism which led to him becoming a sports editor. After introductions, they begin discussing the history of where the first few baseball games were being held. The first baseball game where admission was charged in a stadium was in the town of Corona. The Brooklyn Dodgers were playing in Washington Park but eventually they relocated to Brownsville. Since they were not getting the same amount of attendance while playing here, they moved back.

Segment 2

To begin this segment, the Polo Grounds are discussed. The original Polo Grounds was designed for the sport of polo. However, it became the home of the New York Giants in the late 1800’s. John McGraw and Bill Terry were two of the great historic Giants players. Eventually Willie Mays began playing there and left an amazing legacy behind. They eventually left N.Y. because they were persuaded that the west coast was more to offer. They would reunite with the Dodgers and resume the rivalry. In addition, the field they were playing in was not really designed for cars and New York was transitioning into something new which convinced the baseball club to move. Eventually, the Polo Grounds was refurbished for the Mets to play their first few seasons. The Polo Grounds also was the home of the Yankees from 1913 to 1922. Next, Paul Ebbets was discussed who originally was a bookkeeper for the Brooklyn Dodgers and eventually took over the team. He was going to keep the name of Washington Park but was eventually convinced to title the field after himself.

Segment 3

Next, Shea Stadium was discussed. Jason remembers watching game six of the 1986 World Series live when he was younger which only increased his love for the sport and the stadium. Furthermore, David begins discussing Yogi Berra and how down to earth he was. He states that what you saw was what you got. Yogi was part of one of the most memorable Yankee teams. He is a Hall of Fame catcher for the team who everyone loved. Next Ebbets field is brought up again. It meant a lot to all of the New Yorkers. Many game changing players played there including Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers ultimately left Brooklyn because of money. Parking was an issue and many New Yorkers were moving to Long Island. They did not want to change boroughs because they were so committed to Brooklyn. However, eventually they moved due to a decision made by a high ranking executive. Later, a super stadium was built which hosted multiple different sporting events. Furthermore, the history of Yankee Stadium was talked about. It will always be remembered for Lou Gehrig’s famous speech, Don Larson’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series and Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. In addition, the rivalry was brought up between the Yankees and Dodgers. The two played in the same city and state for many years. They met in the World Series six times but the Dodgers only won once.

Segment 4

With New York now with only one team, the Yankees, many citizens were upset. Expansion was discussed. Talk of another league began to surface but eventually they began brainstorming ideas for another team name. They were going to try to replace the Dodgers in Brooklyn but eventually they decided to settle the team in a less developed area. The team eventually became the Mets. Shea Stadium was eventually torn down because of the demand for more modernism. It was outdated and cheaper to start from scratch. Also, many baseball fans enjoy being able to shop while at a game because Shea Stadium did not offer. However, ironically Citi Field does not offer as many seats as Shea Stadium. Despite the fact that it is no longer standing today, the memory of the stadium still lives through Jason’s book “Shea Stadium.”

On this week’s show, broadcast during Tartan Week here in New York, we will celebrate how Scottish immigrants contributed to and influenced New York, especially our architectural heritage.

My guests will be architect John Kinnear, founder of John Kinnear Architects, and board member of the American Scottish Foundation; and Graham Dobbin, business coach and public speaker at Asentiv New York, and host of his own trailblazing radio program “The Mind Behind Leadership”

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Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

tonight on Rediscovering New York we’re taking a deep dive into Scottish heritage. Starting with tartan week, it is a Celebration of Scotland contributions Scott’s have made in the United States United States. If you look up AmericanScottishfoundation.org there you will find the events that are going on this week. there is no parade this year so all events are happening virtually. Our first guess is John Kinnear, founder of John Kinnear Architects, and board member of the American Scottish Foundation. John found a passion for architecture very early in life. He was Building things and taking trips around New York. So he felt it would be a great fit. The Scottish been here since the formation of New York. The Livingstons were the first family to Really make a name for themselves and they purchased land across the Hudson River. Alexander Hamilton One of the founding fathers. his family was also one of the wealthiest families in Scotland, but he did not end up inheriting, and had to work his way up. John McCone was another Scottish man who became famous for his architecture in New York and eight of his buildings have become landmarks. He has cemented himself in New York history.

Segment 2

if you’d like to contact John you can go to JohnKinneararchitect.com. Charles McCain was a Architect of Scottish descent born in America. The University club on fifth Avenue is such a gem.It’s marketed as an Italian Renaissance. The interior of the building is beautiful; the library is modeled after the Vatican library. He also helped develop Pennsylvania station, the original Penn station, another staple in New York architecture. Wallter cook is known for being the architect of the Carnegie mansion. Frank Lloyd Wright was another Scottish an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Sadly he designed a house for Marilyn Monroe that was never built and he passed away in New York.

Segment 3

Our second guest is Graham Dobbin, business coach and public speaker at Asentiv New York, and host of his own trailblazing radio program “The Mind Behind Leadership. Graham I just was drawn to New York and it’s magic and decided to build a home here. Carnegie, One of the most famous architects Settled in Pennsylvania. Carnegie became well off at a young age as his investment paid off . Putting money into Railroads Oil derricks and bridges. And he founded Carnegie steel. We should become the biggest steel company in the world. He understood people and business and that made him the success that he was.

Segment 4

Graham Works with multiple companies such as BMW, google. As a business coach he really is involved. He takes a practical approach and knows that one size does not fit all when it comes to working with businesses. If you wanna get in contact with Graham go to Lincoln.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight we are going back to the island of Manhattan and visiting East Harlem The first guest is Kevin Draper. He is the Director of New York Historical Tours. Kevin. Is a respected historic consultant for media publications such as CBS ABC The New York Times. Kevin grew up on Long Island, And he went to school in New York and he’s just never left. Kevin always had a passion for New York history since he was five years old and when he got older he just decided to switch up his career and make his passion his career. During the 19 century is where East Harlem really started to take shape as they put in the railroad. As the neighborhood was first developing The businesses that you would see were restaurants and barrel making for The breweries. East Harlem gods name Late 19 century is when the local started calling It East Harlem. The communities that would move to East Harlem in the 19th century were Irish, Jewish, and Italian and German.He’s tall and became a model for urban living during those times.

Segment 2

Covid has really affected a lot of businesses but thankfully Kevin has reinstated his tours If you go to his website NewYorkhistoricaltors.com all the tours that are listed are now available. They are available as private tours. Meaning that it’ll just be you .East Harlem was the original Little Italy. East Harlem has a rich histories of Italians and Patty’s is one of the most famous restaurants in New York opened up in the 1930s. Was also home to a lot of organized crime, such as The blackhand. They would scare people into extortion and that was really the beginning of the Mafia

Segment 3

Our second guest on tonight's show is Julio Valdez. Julio was born in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic. He’s a painter, a printmaker teacher, and an installation artist. has exhibited internationally since 1984. This training and print making an oil painting in New York and in the Dominican Republic. Julio studied in the national school of fine arts in the Dominican Republic from 1984 to 1986. He founded the Julio Valdez Studio. specializes in. Nontoxic contemporary printmaking. He's had 31 printmaking exhibitions most recently In 2020 at June Kelly’s Gallery in Soho. Julia was always interested in it but decided to really take it seriously when he was 15. His father had passed away but right before his passing he set up Oil painting classes for Julio. He was Offered the fellowship for a year in New York and just built a life here.

Segment 4

Julio has a studio in East Harlem. Originally his first year was in the Lower Eastside. He became unhappy there because he felt like it was very pretentious and it was at home to real artists. I felt that Estar warm was home to a larger Latino community. and East Harlem brought that flavor and feel of culture that he was missing.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

On tonight’s show, we’re celebrating women’s history month with an important woman from our past as well as The present. Our first Guest is Joyce Gold History. She's been doing tours for 40 years, and on her tour, she discusses famous women like Elizabeth Irwin, She was an educator at the beginning of the 20th century. She had different ideas about teaching. On the way to go about it. She wanted to let the children experience what they were learning about by letting them go on the field trips instead of lecturing them. They Ended up firing her. She lost her job but she got offered a church to use a classroom because some people really loved the way she taught children. Henrietta Rodman was another woman who impacted our education system. Henrietta was a member Liberal club in the emergency park and they did not allow African-Americans to join; she was against it and ended up leaving the club because of it. If you want to find out more about Joyce this is toward you can go to Joyce gold historytour.com or you can check her out on Instagram at Joyce gold history tours.

Segment 2

Because of the pandemic Joyce is now doing private tours. She’s designing some new tours for Rose Hill, The Hudson square, and many more. Maple Dodge She had a salon where once a week she would choose a topic like Margaret Sanger,Contraception Labor movement. She wanted to create a space where nothing was off-limits and women didn’t have to feel restricted about their conversations. Ida Tarbell was a woman from western Pennsylvania who had traveled to Paris, a very sophisticated woman. Her father ended up going into business with Rockefeller but, shortly after became bankrupt. Ida is responsible for pulling back the curtain on big business and really bringing to light the monopoly of it and how it works.

Segment 3

Our next guests are Wendy Hilliard Wendy is a gymnastics Hall of Fame member. She was the first African-American woman To represent the US rhythmic gymnastics and coached a 1996 Olympian And was the first black president of the women’s Sports foundation. In 1996 she founded The Windee Hillford gymnastics foundation. Which provides free low cost Gymnastics for 55,000 Youth in New York City. Alongside Wendy is Alexis Page, and she was raised in Harlem in 2003 she joined The Hilliard gymnastics foundation. 2009 Fifth on the rhythmic gymnastics Junior National team.From there she’s completed all over the world.Wendy got inspired at 12 years old by watching gymnastics on television that’s where it all started. Alexis just started doing flips and kind of acrobatics at home and it just went from there.

Segment 4

Alexis Found a great opportunity through Wendy’s program and now she is Head Coach there. They have a program where they started doing it 18 months ago. Introduction to gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics opens the door for you young people to learn about music and how to take care of their bodies and it’s something that can help you in all different aspects. This organization really has come full circle with Alex and opened the doors for so many kids.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight on the show we have a returning guest Jeremy Wilcox. He’s a New York Native and the owner of custom NYC tours. His small walking tours focus on neighborhood history and architecture. as a New York Native he grew up In Richmond Hill. Now he lives in Flatbush. Jeremy was looking for a change of pace in his career and he just loved New York in the fact that you could get lost in it so he decided to start his own walking tours. Red Hook got its name during the colonial times they first called it Roadhock. The red came from the soil and the clay that was underneath the ground, and the hock came from the fact that it came out pointing to a New York Harbor. The Lenape people were the first to settle in Redhook. Name for the canal got the name for the Gowanus canal Comes from one of the Lenape Chiefs. RedHook was very crucial during the Civil War because of its location near the water. A Very famous battle ensued on the water during the Civil War where the boat was getting shot from Governors Island and Redhook at the same time.

Segment 2

Jeremy, likes to focus on small personal walking tours Posed to the bigger tours he wants to create more of a person feeling for his tours. As an outdoor Central Park tours well as a He doesn’t Midtown architectural tour focusing on the art deco style. Does street art tours, and much more. If you wanna reach Jeremy you can go to www.customnyctours.com, and he also does customize tours. You can email him to him know what kind of tour you would like him to create

Segment 3

Second guest is Susan Povich, Long time Redhook resident and business owner. She graduated from Harvard Law school in 1988 After a brief time in law school she left two Pursue another passion of The culinary arts. In 2009 she opened a restaurant Red Hook lobster Pound with her husband In 2009. She expanded with a mobile food truck. The food truck was anointed best food truck in the county in 2013. Susan spent a lot of time in Maine and her husband one day came up with the idea of opening a place where they would sell lobster rolls. That little idea I was able to take them on a journey they could’ve never imagined. She started selling lobster rolls at a market underneath a little tent. The recipe came from her childhood of growing up in Maine. She came up with her own style of lobster roll called the main style, Made with homemade mayonnaise. She also has the Connecticut style that is made with butter instead of mayonnaise. That’s what really put her on the map.

Segment 4

RedHook is going under some serious construction as they’re taking the waterfront and building hundreds of warehouses. The worry is in the next five years Redhook is going to be consumed with trucks and the soil won’t hold up the infrastructure. After Hurricane Sandy a lot of focus was put on red Hook and they came back stronger as they opened restaurants and businesses. RedHook is like a little seasonal town. Which means you won’t make money six months out of the year but if you understand that you will be a successful business owner in Redhook.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.



Show Notes

Segment 1

On tonight’s episode we venture out into city Island in the Bronx . Our first guest is Barbara Burn Dolensek, she moved to city Island in 1976 with her husband; he was the veterinarian at the Bronx zoo. Barbara has her hands in many things. She’s on the staff of the island currently as a copy editor and reporter, since 1985. She's been an officer of the city Island Fiffick Association since 1992 , and so much more. She is passionate about city Island and it shows. Barbara Didn’t grow up in New York. She's actually from Massachusetts. She loves the water so she got a chance to move to the Bronx because of her husband‘s position at the zoo. She fell in love with it right away. City island has been around forever but the name hasn't got its name before the civil War it was called a number of different names before that. It was purchased because a man thought it could Compete with New York Harbor. The Lenape people were the first people to settle and call the island home for over 400 year.

Segment 2

Barbara is the administrator for the city Island nautical museum. Sadly They didn’t open last year because of the pandemic but they are Hoping to open in May they did a series of webinars for the past couple months. They have tours in the spring and summer and they’re hoping to continue that this year. If you want to know more information about the museum go to ww.Cityislandmuseum.org. During the 1940s that’s one city Island got into the oyster business.Unfortunately towards the end of the century oysters became polluted, and oysters were overfished. People known as the oyster pilots would steal hundreds of oysters.

Segment 3

Our Second guess tonight is Paul Klein, President of the City Island Chamber of Commerce. Paul grew up in Baltimore After college he decided to move to New York he knew he had to live there. Paul is a jewelry designer who worked at David Yurman’s. He ended up opening his own jewelry store in the village in 1988. Paul opened another jewelry store in the city but after meeting his husband he decided to close it and open another store in city Island. Now has a gallery called Kaleidoscope Gallery. Where he sells important jewelry and different types of gemstones. He also sells local artists' work.

Segment 4

Paul is a big part of the city Island arts and craft fair. He has permits for the first weekend of June. June 5 and 6 and September 11 and 12th. It usually brings a crowd of 50 to 60 arts and crafts people. They even have a clam chowder contest, and live music. The culture of city Island is alive and well hopefully we can all enjoy what they have to offer this season

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

In tonight‘s episode we’re going to talk about Nonprofit organizations that have had a hand in helping New Yorkers during this pandemic our first guest tonight is Robert Snyder. Robert is a successful writer Who has published a number of books such as Crossing Broadway in Washington Heights and the promise of New York and many more. Robert grew up in suburbia but his family has many routes in New York. His grandmother grew up in the Bronx and his parents were New Yorkers. Robert's passion for history was always apparent but started to grow during the Vietnam war when he wanted to know the reason behind it. The flu pandemic of the 19 century and the pandemic we’re facing now has strong similarities. We are using some of the same practices social distancing mask-wearing. Crowding was one of the ways the flu spread whether it was in tournaments and troop ships. In 1918 kids were encouraged to go to school because it was seen as a safer place for children to be than for them to be home. Responses to the flu were left to the people of the city because the government was more focused on World War I. During the 19 century New York had departments that handled the Health system ,Settlement house worker is visiting nurses, Reformers working to save the people of New York City and it laid the foundation of the public health system we have today.

Segment 2

Some of the organizations are providing help through this pandemic for the local communities are The Northern Monahan improvement incorporation. Founded during the 1970s. The Covid NYC documentary project it’s a network of historians activists Photographers etc.Who started meeting last April. This project helps record the pandemic so in the future we don’t repeat our mistakes and handle a state of emergency better and begin the work to make sure if something like this does not happen again. Digital production is really a big part of capturing what’s going on with the black lives matter movement as well as the pandemic itself. And that way we can kind of put together a time capsule to Help better understand what is going on right now.

Segment 3

Second guest is Victoria Neznansky,Came to New York in 1989.Victoria came to New York because it was a city of dreams and they were very welcoming to refugees.Victoria has a degree in social work from NYU. She was witnessed to the trauma and heartbreak that immigration can cause.That’s when she decided that she wanted to devote her career to helping immigrants. The Y was established in 1917. She started working at the Y in 2009. She was drawn to it because it was a place where refugees from World war one would find refuge. The idea that they could reset somewhere and have a better life in New York really caught her attention and that’s why she wanted to be a part of it. The Y has many programs for Holocaust survivors, The staff only spoke German and they did the same thr Dominicans who came to the US. The Y has adapted to the people that need it and that’s what makes it so successful. Whether they’re helping teens or early childhood development they have a team ready for all aspects of life that they assist with. 

Segment 4

As a local community organization, the Y struggled during this pandemic. Overnight people lost their health and their lives there jobs. The Y Felt the need so strongly during the pandemic so they stepped into action. They were able to pay local restaurants and just keep the community working. Since the kitchen at the Y was closed because of Covid. They reached out to local restaurants to get food out to those who needed it. They got a list together of the most vulnerable sinners and started delivering meals to them. They served 300 seniors. They were able to get half $1 million to give out to the families in need. This organization and many others like it just go to show that New York does what it needs to do to keep their city alive.

My guests will be author and local historian Erik K. Washington, who will talk about his recent book Boss of the Grips, The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal; and Founder and Artistic Director of On Site Opera, who will speak about On Site’s upcoming production of The Road We Came, a project that explores the composers, musicians and places that define the rich African American history of the City.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

On tonight's episode we’re going to take a walk through the past and talk about very influential people Eric K Washington as our first guest He’s the owner of tagging the past which reconnects forgot history to present landscapes. Through articles and talks and tours. Eric loves New York and sadly when he was three months old his parents moved to Staten Island, and when he was 16 he returned to New York to live in Harlem and New York has become the best for most of his life now. Eric is a writer who has won an award for his book called boss of the grips The life of James H Williams. It’s a heartwarming story about the determined nation and ambition. The inspiration for his book came from a mature tour through Grand Central Station that he created. 

Segment 2

if you want to take a look at Eric’s tours for tagging the past you can go to ekwashington.com. James H Williams grew up in New York. He was a child of two former slaves in Virginia. He was born in 1878. His florist Charles Thoroughly played a major part in Williams's life because he helped him get the job at Grand Central Station he was the first African-American to work on Grand Central Station. Williams worked with Charles at the flower shop and it helped him really in the city. They were thinking of changing the system From all white red cab to all black red caps. and they thought William was the perfect candidate because he knew the city and had a good temperament and he was great with people. In six years he would move up to be one of the head guys working on Grand Central Station and also be an activist Working with NAACP And raising the most money.

Segment 3

Our second guest are the creators of an opera Celebrating Black New Yorkers. The opera company is called on-site opera and I produce operas in nontraditional venues. By staging operas in places traditional to the opera itself itself. amplifying the world of the opera and its audience. The creators of the latest creation which will be premiering in June called the Road we came. Eric Einhorn, is the artistic director of the company. Glimmerglass festival and the MET are just some of his achievements. Robert McKinney is another part of the company. He’s been called one of the finest singers of his generation and is celebrated by the opera news as a voice that drips with gold. With many things closed because of the pandemic Ryan adapted his love of opera to the film screen. At the beginning of the quarantine he found a keep the music going productions. He took live and recorded performances to raise money for The artist struggling during this time.

Segment 4

On-site opera takes place It’s centers around three Part of Manhattan and upper Manhattan Midtown tour. The places that this takes place this place is that you’ll No already. Carnegie Hall Lincoln Center just to name a few. It takes pleasure in places you know if you were in New Yorker but also places that you would walk by and think nothing of. They include a lot of historical figures like links to Hughes Shag burgers center. there’s a lot of sections about the underground, And information on Frederick Douglass. very influential people tor black history. You can be standing in such an influential place with so much history and you wouldn’t even be aware of it. That’s what Eric and Robert really try to show you through the power of opera.

My guests will be Ed Wendell of the Woodhaven Historical Society, and Mark Gallagher, owner of the famous Manor Deli, and other Queens culinary businesses.

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Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight we’re going to journey to Queens With Edwin Dell, Everything Ed has done has been local he’s lived in Woodhaven most of his life. He's President of the Woodhaven block association, and the president of Woodhaven's cultural at historical Society. When he’s not championing Woodhaven history he is a Head of an IT department Quick international courier shipping company that specializes in clinical trials and dangerous goods. Woodhaven block Association was Founded in 1970 Was a place for people to come in air their complaints and meet their local elected officials. School Sisters of Notre Dame Education for women. They offer free English as a second language education, and GED for women. Cultural and historical Society was founded in 1992 by A group of resident , who started printing the Woodhaven history book and hanging up historical markers and promoting the history of Woodhaven.

Segment 2

Ed is working on a book of Woodhaven history if you’d like to get in touch with him email him at Woodhavenhistory@gmail.com or you can go to projectwoodhaven.com. he has weekly zoom meetings where they look at old photographs. On October 15 1821 the union course race track was the largest dirt track at the time. They would have a match races the north versus the south with hundreds of people showing up to witness it. Ed does a small walking tour where you can see pieces of the race track . Bridges together old and new Woodhaven. The union course race track during 1860s was a camp for soldiers. Then later on they ended up building houses over it. Residential development really started in 1900s when the farm started dying off and they started making room for new developments. Woodhaven gave birth to a lot of factories after the Civil War one of the biggest was the tin factory where they made kitchen utensils.

Segment 3

Our second guest is the fifth generation of Woodhaven Mark Gallagher. Mark is the proud owner of Mark delicatessen he's been in business since 1905 he also started Another business called toberfest marks great great grandfather worked in one of the factories in Woodhaven that’s how he made his roots there. He started Working there when Mark was 16-year-old He was working at the deli through college and He went to baroque for business and didn’t know what he wanted to do. When he realized that once the owner was gone there would be no one to take over he decided that he wanted to fill that role.

Segment 4

Mark has two restaurants called Oktoberfest Where they make beer and schnitzel it just has a really authentic German feel he opened that in 2006 and 2009 He opened up a full bar and restaurant. The thing about Woodhaven is it’s always constantly changing it went from working class to upper middle class and now it’s more of a working class but it’s ever-changing.

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

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

This week’s show David Griffin will take us on a journey to explore two famous “Roundtables” of New York: at the Algonquin Hotel, and Andy Warhol’s Factory. David is a lifelong architect enthusiast and the founder and CEO of landmark branding, David also has a special series “Called Room at the Top”, where he is the host with Jennifer Wallace. “ Call room on the Top” it’s a networking series that features tours of Manhattan's greatest buildings. David got interested in architecture when he first got hired as a kid to be costume interpreters at a Long Island museum. The Elegante hotel wasn’t always a hotel, it was a normal building where people got to pay rent and lived in their apartments. It was very common for people such as bachelors or people that have small families. It opened in 1902. Some of the famous members of the roundtable were Robert Benchley; he was a very well-known writer of that period. Dorothy Parker, ’s probably one of the most famous of the round table, she was well known for tossing around vicious insults at her friends.

Segment 2

Tula Bankhead was the model for the Disney villain Cruella Deville. Tula Bankhead was a stage actress at the time. She was part of a show called the “Little Fox” which was known as one of the greatest live performances of that time. The round table began to fade in 1869 in part to the Stock Market crash. It affected the style of the round table for these well-known funny lavish writers. The time wasn’t all glitz and glam, it was falling apart and you could no longer live that type of lifestyle. There was an oak room at the Elegante it was a very highly guarded place to perform. It was a very conservative and intimate room because not too many people were couldn’t get inside . It became one of New York's most premier nightclubs. Later on it closed down permanently in 2002 due to the fact David was tired and exhausted.

Segment 3

David is now doing a number of writing projects. David has an article and Ground Stoner he’s working on. David is also writing an article about the oldest brownstone in New York. A blog is also being created by David. The blog is about every building in The fifth Avenue. He’s also doing a new series for the New York adventure club, where they do virtual tours of global architecture. He has a talk coming up on the 26 which will be about artist homes and studios. It’s about how the great artists of the world have created their own environments, David mentioned. Andy Warhol had a way of really getting into the commercial reality of America. He did commercial drawings in fashion drawing advertisements. Andy Warhol's factory had three different locations. One of those locations was an industrial building on 241 E. 37th St. The rent Was only 100 dollars per year. Warhol had to leave in 1967 when they tore down the building. His first factory was covered in tin foil and silver paint. He did a lot of silkscreen work at his first factory. He also dipped into the filmmaking industry. The factory really had a feeling of studio 54 did as a Liza Minnelli and so many more walk through those doors.

Segment 4

The velvet underground was really bad. Warhol was also associated at the time. Meiko was the vocalist for the first two albums and she had a very unique voice. Baby Jane Warhol was The first of the Warhol superstars. She’s a major figure in the art world. She was an early start of Andy Warhol films. E.g. Sedgwick was a young lady who came from a very upper-class family and she kind of broadened Andy’s mind. But sadly she died of a drug overdose. The Andy Warhol era was full of artists and young people who passed away at a young age because they couldn’t keep up with the lifestyle. That was one of the reasons why the factory fell apart.

My guests will be Jeremy Wilcox, Founder and Owner of Custom NYC Tours, and local business owner from the wonderful neighborhood of Bushwick, Toby Moskovitz. Toby Moskovits is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Equity Partners.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.



Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight Jeff Introduces us to Jeremy Wilcox a licensed New York City tour guide. A New York native and the owner of custom NYC tours. His small group Of private walking tours Focuses on the neighborhoods and their history art And it’s architecture. Jeremy is no stranger to New York as he is a New York native who grew up in Richmond Hill. He's been running his Tours for 5 years. It all started when he realized he could make a living exploring the city that he loved. Tonight we take a tour with him through Bushwick. The name Bushwick originates from the 1600s comes from the Dutch, It means deep woods. Some of the first people to Settle in Bushwick In the 19 century where the Germans population they were the first immigrants to really create identity with that part of Brooklyn. You can still find the remnants of The then in the old churches and some of the street signs. Beer brewing really put Bushwick on the map.

Segment 2

Jeremy offers a wide variety of different tours Midtown Art Deco architecture tour as well as A Bushwick Tour and a beautiful Walk around Central Park. He also customizes tors for the individuals. Jeremy once did a Customize ninja turtle tour around New York. They went to a pizza place and a ninja gear shop. Pfizer the pharmaceutical company started in Bushwick , founded by a German immigrant named Charles Pfizer. The birthplace of Pfizer pharmaceutical l corner of Harrison Avenue and barlet street. Bushwick is a place of rebirth and transformation as A lot of buildings transformed and adapted for new uses. The Pfizer building is now being used for food production and school. Edwin Heckelman brewery is now a Recording studio and a bar called the well. Bushwick has went through many changes , it had seen a lot of rioting and looting during the 70s it was a very different place. The younger generation of This century has really given a new face to Bushwick they have migrated there and with them they have brought coffee shops restaurants and turned old buildings into art studios. Along with that comes a vibrant street art scene That Jeremy is a part of as he leads groups see . If you’re interested in customizing your own tour you can get in touch with Jeremy by www. Customnyctours.com

Segment 3

For the second half of the night show our guest is Toby Moskovits is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Equity Partners. She also runs a l mentor program at Williamsburg high school. For architect and design. Toby‘s grandfather migrated to the US from Poland in 1973. He would buy army uniforms and repair and sell them, and that’s how her family made their routes in New York. She got her NBA in Israel. In the 90s she was interested in venture-capital and entrepreneurship. She used here knowledge that she gains in Israel to get into real estate. She helped people find Construction financing when the market crashed in 2007 and she realize she had a passion for real estate. She loves converting old buildings in to new things but she also loves the architecture of New York and tries to stay true to that . She does a lot of work with nonprofits such as spring board enterprises. Springboard enterprises is a Woman’s nonprofit organization that helps Women owned company raise money. Her goal is to build a bridge with her nonprofit organizations for young people to discover new opportunities that they would not be aware of otherwise.

Segment 4

Toby is the Founder of The bushwick generator. The idea first came to be in 2014. She wanted to bring more workspaces into Brooklyn. She was drawn to the energy and the creativity of Bushwick. Toby found a site that was being used to make large garbage containers, and was able to converted into Bushwick generator. The thing that makes Bushwick charming is that it’s still has a lot of industrial production near the Morgan Avenue stop. Converted buildings into bars and movie theaters. Warehouse converted into a grocery store, and then you have the historic Corner stores and stores that have been there for a while so it’s the perfect collaboration of the new. And old. Brooklyn generator concept really is to bring everyone together and create jobs and opportunities that benefit everyone that live there. It’s about getting all the smart people in one room to make a please where the older generation and younger generation can be successful.