Category: New York City History

Lately I’ve been reading some great history books dealing with the dark and criminal side of the city’s past and true crime in New York City. One is an old classic, the other just came out last month. I thought I’d share these with you and at the same time let you know about a couple of cool mysterious events going on around town, from my Murder, Scandal and Vice tour to the stage show Murder For Two.

If you go down to McSorely’s Old Ale House on East 7th Street, you might notice a strange looking lamp hanging above the bar. Atop this lamp hang the moldering, century-old wishbones of WWI soldiers who placed them there before heading off to war.

Boroughs of the Dead has an amazing crop of ghastly tours coming up this November, including a reprise of the Poe tour that was pretty much sold out for all of October, and a brand new tour, The Weird West Village, that features among other tales a nod to the sinister life and works of H.P. Lovecraft.

October 20th marks the birthday of Olive Thomas, a beautiful Zigfield girl, flapper, and silent film actress who was married to Jack Pickford, Mary’s wild little brother. Olive has another special distinction, though: she is sometimes better known as the Ghost of the New Amsterdam Theatre.

For those interested in going beyond the usual Halloween activities, I’ve compiled the following short list of things to do this October in New York City for the adventurous and those not faint of heart.

Poe has the most amazing way of popping up in New York City history. This makes sense, when one considers the true character — and career — of the man. He was by no means an introverted shut in; rather, he was a man about town, and an accomplished editor and journalist, though one not above the occasional foray into publicity hoaxes. And sometimes, he puts in his two cents on the most seemingly unlikely of affairs. Such is the case with Polly Bodine.