Devil's Mile

The Rich, Gritty History of the Bowery

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Architecture, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Devil's Mile by Alice Sparberg Alexiou, St. Martin's Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alice Sparberg Alexiou ISBN: 9781250022813
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group Publication: July 24, 2018
Imprint: St. Martin's Press Language: English
Author: Alice Sparberg Alexiou
ISBN: 9781250022813
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication: July 24, 2018
Imprint: St. Martin's Press
Language: English

The New York Times Book Review: "Alexiou guides us through this checkered history with gusto."

Kevin Baker, author of ***The Big Crowd:***"Devil's Mile is a terrific read. Alice Sparberg Alexiou knows her history, and she brings it all brimming to life here in the story of the Bowery, the most notorious street in America."

A fascinating cultural history of New York City's Bowery, from the author of The Flatiron.

The Bowery was a synonym for despair throughout most of the 20th century. The very name evoked visuals of drunken bums passed out on the sidewalk, and New Yorkers nicknamed it “Satan’s Highway,” “The Mile of Hell,” and “The Street of Forgotten Men.” For years the little businesses along the Bowery—stationers, dry goods sellers, jewelers, hatters—periodically asked the city to change the street’s name. To have a Bowery address, they claimed, was hurting them; people did not want to venture there.

But when New York exploded into real estate frenzy in the 1990s, developers discovered the Bowery. They rushed in and began tearing down. Today, Whole Foods, hipster night spots, and expensive lofts have replaced the old flophouses and dive bars, and the bad old Bowery no longer exists.

In Devil’s Mile, Alice Sparberg Alexiou tells the story of The Bowery, starting with its origins, when forests covered the surrounding area, and through the pre-Civil War years, when country estates of wealthy New Yorkers lined this thoroughfare. She then describes The Bowery’s deterioration in stunning detail, starting in the post-bellum years. She ends her historical exploration of this famed street in the present, bearing witness as the old Bowery buildings, and the memories associated with them, are disappearing.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The New York Times Book Review: "Alexiou guides us through this checkered history with gusto."

Kevin Baker, author of ***The Big Crowd:***"Devil's Mile is a terrific read. Alice Sparberg Alexiou knows her history, and she brings it all brimming to life here in the story of the Bowery, the most notorious street in America."

A fascinating cultural history of New York City's Bowery, from the author of The Flatiron.

The Bowery was a synonym for despair throughout most of the 20th century. The very name evoked visuals of drunken bums passed out on the sidewalk, and New Yorkers nicknamed it “Satan’s Highway,” “The Mile of Hell,” and “The Street of Forgotten Men.” For years the little businesses along the Bowery—stationers, dry goods sellers, jewelers, hatters—periodically asked the city to change the street’s name. To have a Bowery address, they claimed, was hurting them; people did not want to venture there.

But when New York exploded into real estate frenzy in the 1990s, developers discovered the Bowery. They rushed in and began tearing down. Today, Whole Foods, hipster night spots, and expensive lofts have replaced the old flophouses and dive bars, and the bad old Bowery no longer exists.

In Devil’s Mile, Alice Sparberg Alexiou tells the story of The Bowery, starting with its origins, when forests covered the surrounding area, and through the pre-Civil War years, when country estates of wealthy New Yorkers lined this thoroughfare. She then describes The Bowery’s deterioration in stunning detail, starting in the post-bellum years. She ends her historical exploration of this famed street in the present, bearing witness as the old Bowery buildings, and the memories associated with them, are disappearing.

More books from St. Martin's Publishing Group

Cover of the book To Punish and Protect by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Heiresses #5 by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Lady and the Poet by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book First Earl I See Tonight by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book Keeping Lucy by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book City of Ink by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book We Took the Streets by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book Purrder She Wrote by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book Manage Your Stress by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Tourist by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book A Gathering of Secrets by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Good Fat, Bad Fat Counter by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Cover of the book The Kate Burkholder Series, Books 1-3 by Alice Sparberg Alexiou
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy