Murder, Mystery and Mayhem November 14, 2013 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.
The Bones of War November 11, 2013 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.
Upcoming tours for November November 4, 2013 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.
Olive Thomas, Broadway’s Flapper Ghost October 20, 2013 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.
Strange, scary and beautiful October happenings October 13, 2013 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.
Edgar Allan Poe and the Witch of Staten Island October 4, 2013 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.
Save over 50% on Halloween Tours with Amazon Local September 26, 2013 Get a discount of over 50% on Amazon Local. Choose from either Dark Histories of Lower Manhattan or The Ultimate Greenwich Village Ghost Tour. Vouchers are $24 for two tickets to either of these seasonal favorites.
Historic Costumes on Ghost Tours: Cheesy or Awesome? September 25, 2013 When you take a historical or ghostly walking tour, do you want your tour guide to be in costume? Would you be disappointed with a guide who wasn’t in costume? Or would you be embarrassed to be seen with one who was?
The Friendly Horror and Other Weird Tales September 24, 2013 Two Staten Island residents, Jessica Burke and Anthony Burdge, have woven the strange history of the island into their fiction, a marvelous Lovecraftian collection of short stories called The Friendly Horror & Other Weird Tales.