132 episodes

Rediscovering New York is a weekly show that showcases New York City’s extraordinary neighborhoods. Each week we focus on a particular neighborhood; we explore its history, its vibe, its feel and its energy, really what makes the neighborhood special.

Rediscovering New York Jeff Goodman

    • Education
    • 4.7 • 23 Ratings

Rediscovering New York is a weekly show that showcases New York City’s extraordinary neighborhoods. Each week we focus on a particular neighborhood; we explore its history, its vibe, its feel and its energy, really what makes the neighborhood special.

    New York Between hardcovers Part 2

    New York Between hardcovers Part 2

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    • 1 hr
    Yorkville

    Yorkville

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    • 1 hr 3 min
    Hard Cover New York: How some great authors conceived of and portrayed the City

    Hard Cover New York: How some great authors conceived of and portrayed the City

    On this week’s show we will explore how some of America’s great authors thought of and portrayed New York City in their writing.  
    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

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Two of new York's most Famous Islands

    Two of new York's most Famous Islands

    On this week’s show we will discuss two of the City’s most iconic islands, both in Upper New York Bay: Governor’s island and Ellis Island. My guests will be will be returning Rediscovering New York expert Joyce Gold, Founder of Joyce Gold History Tours, http://www.joycegoldhistorytours.com/; and Public Historian, Naturalist and Author Mandy Edgecombe, https://untappedcities.com/author/mandyedgecombe/
    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.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Virtual Tour Events One and a Half Years Into the Pandemic

    Virtual Tour Events One and a Half Years Into the Pandemic

    On this week’s show we will explore how some of New York’s best tour companies have been providing their programming and even creating
     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/.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    The Grand Concourse and Highbridge, The Bronx

    The Grand Concourse and Highbridge, The Bronx

    On this week’s show we will visit the twin neighborhoods of Concourse and Highbridge in the Bronx.  
    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 NotesSegment 1Tonight’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 2One 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 3The 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 4The 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.

    • 1 hr

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
23 Ratings

23 Ratings

SFsourDoh ,

Great info

I really enjoy the show and have discovered many new places by listening and learned things about the places I have already been.

Insights will transform you ,

A bona fide journey into NYC’s DNA, hosted by an expert!

I’ve been a fan since my first Rediscovering New York walking tour with Jeff Goodman 7-8 years ago. The pandemic has accelerated Jeff’s beloved excursions onto digital platforms so he can now broadcast to the world. I ought to know: I’m now an ExPat living abroad and I look forward to Jeff’s NYC podcast so I can keep close to the city in which I spent my life.
For those trying out Rediscovering New York for the first time, I envy you the experience. You’ll be impressed by the vast catalog Jeff has built up, by the thoroughness of his approach, by the experts he regularly turns to for deep dives, and by his joyful professionalism. Plus, you will learn so much about the history, geography and the fables spun by the life force we call NYC.
Enjoy the tour!

Shanebaker ,

Everyone should tune into this!

Started listening to this podcast and I LOVE it. Living in the city since 2012 after immigrating from Ireland, and I'm always interested in the history of this great wonderland! Keep up the great work, and I'm looking forward to going through all the episodes !

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