In Search of “Authentic” New York: A Conversation

“The whole of New York is rebuilt about once in ten years,” diarist Philip Hone observed in 1839. Though still true in 2015, this has never stopped New Yorkers from arguing about what is or isn’t “authentic” about their protean city. Debating authenticity has become a favorite Gotham pastime, whether it takes the form of a preservation battle or a “pizza war.” But how do we recognize the “real” city: does such a place exist in the five boroughs, or is it only a charming fallacy, perpetuated by Woody Allen, Jay-Z,and (now) Taylor Swift? Join historian Elizabeth Bradley and humorist Ian Frazier for a lively conversation about the myth and meaning of “authentic” New York.

Elizabeth Bradley is author of the new Cityscapes guide New York (2014) and Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York.

Ian Frazier is a longtime staff writer for the New Yorker.  His award-winning books include Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, and Gone to New York.











When: Tue., May. 12, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Where: Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave.
212-534-1672
Price: $16
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“The whole of New York is rebuilt about once in ten years,” diarist Philip Hone observed in 1839. Though still true in 2015, this has never stopped New Yorkers from arguing about what is or isn’t “authentic” about their protean city. Debating authenticity has become a favorite Gotham pastime, whether it takes the form of a preservation battle or a “pizza war.” But how do we recognize the “real” city: does such a place exist in the five boroughs, or is it only a charming fallacy, perpetuated by Woody Allen, Jay-Z,and (now) Taylor Swift? Join historian Elizabeth Bradley and humorist Ian Frazier for a lively conversation about the myth and meaning of “authentic” New York.

Elizabeth Bradley is author of the new Cityscapes guide New York (2014) and Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York.

Ian Frazier is a longtime staff writer for the New Yorker.  His award-winning books include Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, and Gone to New York.

Buy tickets/get more info now