#93 City Hall and City Hall Park

Published: Nov. 13, 2009, 1:37 p.m.

New York City Hall sits majestically inside a nostalgic, well-manicured park, topped with a beautiful old fountain straight out of gaslight-era New York. But its serenity belies the frantic pace of government inside City Hall walls, and disguises a tumultuous, vibrant history. There have actually been two other city halls -- one an actual tavern, the other a temporary seat of national government -- and the one we're familiar with today is a little less than 200 years old.\nJoin us as we explore the unusual history of this building, through ill-executed fireworks, disgruntled architects, and its near-destruction -- to be saved only by a man named Grosvenor Atterbury.\nPLUS: We look at the park area itself, a common land that once catered to livestock, British soldiers, almshouses and a big, garish post office.\nwww.boweryboyspodcast.com\n\nSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys