#371 A Visit to Little Syria: An Immigrant Story

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers

Society & Culture, History, Documentary, Places & Travel

4.8 • 3.6K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2021

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Just south of the World Trade Center district sits the location of a forgotten Manhattan immigrant community. Curious outsiders called it "Little Syria" although the residents themselves would have known it as the Syrian Colony. Starting in the 1880s people from the Middle East began arriving at New York's immigrant processing station -- immigrants from Greater Syria which at that time was a part of the Ottoman Empire. The Syrians of Old New York were mostly Christians who brought their trades, culture and cuisine to the streets of lower Manhattan. And many headed over to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn as well, creating another district for Middle Eastern American culture which would outlast the older Manhattan area. Who were these Syrian immigrants who made their home here in New York? Why did they arrive? What were their lives like? And although Little Syria truly is long gone, what buildings remain of this extraordinary district? PLUS: A visit to Sahadi's, a fine food shop that anchors today's remaining Middle Eastern scene in Brooklyn. Greg and Tom head to their warehouse in Sunset Park to get some insight on the shop's historic connections to the first Syrian immigrants. boweryboyshistory.com Join the Bowery Boys Podcast on Patreon for extra audio features, access to cool merchandise and early access to tickets for live events. Please considerwriting a review of our podcast on Apple Podcasts. Brand new reviews are useful in getting the show more visibility. We greatly appreciate it. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys

Transcript

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0:00.0	Episode 371 of The Bowery Boys.
0:03.0	A visit to Little Syria, an immigrant story.
0:07.0	Hey, it's The Bowery Boys.
0:22.0	Hi there, welcome to The Bowery Boys. This is Greg Young.
0:25.0	And this is Tom Myers.
0:26.0	Now, we had told the stories of many different groups of immigrants who have made New York their home,
0:32.0	particularly in the late 19th century.
0:35.0	But we have never yet told you a story like the one that we're about to share with you.
0:41.0	Starting in the 1880s, people from the Middle East began arriving at New York's immigrant processing station.
0:48.0	Immigrants from Greater Syria, which at the time was a part of the Ottoman Empire.
0:54.0	They soon settled in a neighborhood near the waterfront that would be referred to as Little Syria.
1:00.0	Although the Syrians themselves would have called it the Syrian colony or Syrian quarter.
1:06.0	Perhaps you'll be surprised to find out where this neighborhood was.
1:11.0	The streets and blocks just south of today's World Trade Center area.
1:17.0	And just north of Battery Park, a forgotten neighborhood of Lower Manhattan.
1:23.0	Now, several months ago, we released an episode on the construction of the World Trade Center.
1:29.0	That was episode 350.
1:31.0	And in that show, we did discuss what occupied this area of Manhattan before the towers first started going up.
1:39.0	So this story today is a bit of a prequel to that show, but so much more.
1:45.0	Yes, because these Syrian immigrants didn't just transform Manhattan.
1:50.0	They also created a rich Middle Eastern community in Brooklyn, also interestingly near a waterfront district.
1:59.0	But Tom, this is also a show about literature, about publishing, about jewelry, and about food.
	...

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