#279 A New Year in Old New York: From Times Square to Chinatown

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers

Places & Travel, History, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.7 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 27 December 2018

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The ultimate history of New Year's celebrations in New York City! This is the story of the many ways in which New Yorkers have ushered in the coming year, a moment of rebirth, reconciliation, reverence and jubilation. In a mix of the old and new, we present a history of world's most famous December 31st party, paired with a short history of New York's other transitional celebration -- Chinatown's traditional (and occasionally non-traditional) Chinese New Year parade. Why did Times Square become the focal point for the world's reflection on a new calendar year? And how did Times Square's many changes in the 20th century influence those celebrations? Featuring Dick Clark, Guy Lombardo -- and Daisy Duke. THEN: Greg brings you the story of the Chinese New Year which has been celebrated in Manhattan's Chinatown since before there was even a Times Square! boweryboyshistory.com Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of the Barry Boy's podcast is supported by True West on Broadway, starring Oscar nominee Ethan
0:07.3	Hawk and Golden Globe nominee Paul Deino. Opposites attack in Sam Shepard's explosive drama that
0:14.4	gleefully detonates our misguided myths of family, identity, and the American dream. As two hot
0:21.3	blooded brothers face off over issues like order versus chaos and art versus commerce, they'll discover
0:28.0	that they have more in common than they think. James McDonnell directs this limited 11-week
0:33.2	engagement at the American Airlines Theater in the Heart of Times Square, True West, starring Ethan
0:39.7	Hawk and Paul Deino. Tickets and more information at roundaboutfeator.org. And before we begin the show,
0:47.5	I just want to call attention to our latest live show, which is finally here on January 11,
0:53.5	2019 at the Bellhouse. We'll beat the Bellhouse as part of the Brooklyn podcast festival,
1:00.0	presented by Pandora. And in this show, we're going to explore the life of Walt Whitman. We'll be
1:06.0	celebrating the writer's life in New York and Brooklyn because they were two separate cities
1:10.9	when he sat down to pen his classic Leaves of Grass. We've got some special guests, some special
1:16.5	surprises lined up. So please join us. That's the Barry Boy's live at the Bellhouse, Gwana's
1:22.1	Brooklyn on Friday, January 11. Visit our website for more information or head over to cityfarmspresents.com-slash-events.
1:31.7	The Belly Boy's episode 279, a new year in Old New York, from Times Square to Chinatown.
1:39.1	Hey, it's the Belly Boy's.
1:40.6	Hey, support for the Belly Boy's is provided by our listeners. Join us for as little as a dollar
1:47.4	month by visiting patreon.com-slash-bowryboys.
1:54.3	Hi there, welcome to the Bowry Boys. This is Greg Young returning to the scene of a very famous
2:00.0	celebration. The biggest annual party in New York, of course, the New Year's Eve party in Times Square.
2:07.0	Now, what you're about to listen to is an interesting mix of old and new material, which I hope
2:13.7	you find fascinating, because we don't do reruns on this show. You understand. So first, we'll be
	...

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