The Bowery: A History of Grit, Graft and Grandeur

By Eric Ferrara

The cultural and criminal history of downtown Manhattan comes to life in this far-reaching exploration of a legendary street.
 
Originally a Lenape trail running the length of Manhattan Island, The Bowery has become one of the most notorious streets in America. Developed in stages by the Dutch, the British, and then Americans, this stretch of street has continually risen from its own ashes, experiencing a seemingly endless cycle of popularity, poverty and prosperity.
 
The Bowery has been celebrated as a haven of culture, entertainment, and theatre. But is has just as often been denigrated as New York's "skid row." Home to bums, bohemians, criminals, artists, performers, and the rich and poor alike, The Bowery has attracted the most diverse population of any place in New York City's history. Travel down the Bowery with New York City historian Eric Ferrara, as he explores its rich, fascinating, and at times, troubling past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781614230045

Eric Ferrara

Eric Ferarra is the founder and executive director of the Lower East Side History project, an award-winning nonprofit research organization. He also founded the East Village Visitor Center, as well as the first museum in America dedicated to gansterism. Ferrara is a popular public speaker, sits on a number of local boards and has consulted on numerous movie and television projects. A true product of the Lower East Side melting pot, Ferrara's ancestors arrived to New York City from Sicily (1880s), Ukraine (1909), Russia (1917) and Naples (1940s.) He is a fourth-generation native New Yorker and dedicated community activist. This is his second title as an author for The History Press.

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Reviews for The Bowery

[flexatone_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful little book which goes block by block through 200 years of Bowery history, often with some exciting then-and-now photographs. Ferrara is not the most engrossing writer, but the book is well researched and a great addition to the NYC history shelves.