Once America's wild and raucous theater district, before it declined into skid row abandonment, the Bowery is also the oldest and most architecturally diverse thoroughfare in NYC. Beyond the myths, legends and gritty reputation, the Bowery tells an unexpurgated story of New York's underground past and a record of the rowdy political history of the American Republic.

Once an important Native American trail, the Bowery has undergone many changes in its modern history. From elegant opera houses to rowdy working-class theaters; from America's vice district controlled by gangs and crooked politicians to a haven for the homeless and downtrodden as "skid row" during the great depression; and from factories and warehouses to pioneering artists' lofts. Today the Bowery has become a popular hotel, restaurant and nightclub district, but buried beneath the five-star offerings is a repository of social, economic, political, immigrant, labor, underground, criminal, deviant, marginal, counter-cultural, literary, musical, dramatic and artistic history.

Your Guide:

| More...