In this episode, Kelly is joined by NYC Historian Peter Aigner! He is the director of the Gotham Center for New York City History, and the co-founder of “Echos of Revolution: NYC,” A new immersive walking tour experience that uses geolocation to put you in the world of historic New York.

Join them, as Peter talks to Kelly about the process of obtaining his PHD. Peter talks about why he decided to pursue higher education, and talks a bit about the history of the study of history and why it was important for him in his family. Peter talks about his family's chocolate shop and how it's been around for 100 years! He talks about the legacy of the shop and being a part of it while he was growing up.

Kelly and Peter talk about some important figures and time periods in NYC history. Peter talks about how we are currently in the second Gilded Age and makes comparisons to the first one. Peter talks about Daniel Patrick Moynihan and the book that he's writing about him: what his legacy was, how he was a scholar, as well as his influence on modern politics. They also talk a bit about the history of transportation in America and the significance of the Highway Act.

Kelly asks Peter about Echoes of Revolution. Peter talks about the inspiration behind the project. He talks about how he got involved with Niantic and Ubisoft, bringing them together to revolutionize the tour business. Peter talks about how the app works and what people will get from using it. He talks about the process of designing the tours and how they wanted the experience to work, and how being in person enhances the experience for the users.

Kelly asks Peter about New York City during the time of the revolution. Peter talks about how many people lived in the city at the time, what percentage of them were revolutionaries, loyalists, or in between. Peter talks about what the city limits were at that time, and how New York was impacted by the battles, the invasion, and the fires. He talks about why New York was such an important city during the Revolutionary Era and how it was left out of the conversation nationally.

Finally, Kelly asks Peter some quickfire questions about his favorite historical spots, his favorite historical figures who came from New York City, and what NYC means to him in one word.

But above all else; Peter Aigner is a New Yorker!

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Peter's Social Media

@gothamcenternychistory

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - Meet The New Yorkers
• (00:02:43) - Peter Eigner on Growing Up in Queens
• (00:05:36) - Long Island: The Gold Coast
• (00:10:00) - What is the Gotham Center?
• (00:14:30) - NYC resident on mass suburbanization
• (00:18:49) - Bookmark: Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• (00:21:36) - The Life of Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• (00:23:53) - New York's role in the American Revolution
• (00:28:20) - The First Battle of New York
• (00:29:46) - The darkest years of New York City's history
• (00:36:48) - The Story of New York
• (00:42:42) - New York City History: The Discovery App
• (00:48:15) - The Story of New York in the US
• (00:53:46) - George Washington and the Liberty of Slaves
• (00:56:45) - NYC on History of the American Revolution
• (00:58:36) - Most Underrated NYC Historical Spot
• (01:02:20) - What It Means To Be A New Yorker
• (01:05:36) - The New Yorkers: Thank You!

In this episode; Kelly is joined by: Kim Lee! She is the owner and founder of Kawaii Coffee, and an immigrant from Vietnam.

Kim recently opened her coffee shop in the west village, which had been a dream of hers for a while. After attending business school and working in midtown at a nail salon, she decided her next step was to run her own business.

Kelly asks Kim about moving from Vietnam to the United States. How the culture differs, what was hard to adjust to, what was more similar than you might think, and what it's like starting over in a completely new country.

Kim talks about the coffee culture in Vietnam. She tells us how life is much slower there: people go to their favorite coffee shops at around 7 in the morning and wait two full hours for it to drip while they are there! She talks about how they use condensed milk as a sweetener, and the different reasons Vietnamese people go out for coffee. Kelly asks Kim what parts of that culture she hoped to bring with her to New York.

Kelly asks Kim about Vietnamese culture in New York. They talk about the food, different events, and how Kim can contribute to that culture.

Finally, Kelly asks Kim some quick fire questions about coffee, culture, and where she likes to live.

But above all else; Kim Lee is a New Yorker.

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Kim's Social Media

@Kawaiicafe203

You can find her shop here: 117 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - New Yorkers Podcast
• (00:02:25) - Vietnam is a dream to visit
• (00:04:45) - Living in the Biggest City in Vietnam
• (00:06:09) - Vietnam entrepreneur opens her first shop in Australia
• (00:08:33) - Toronto is more diverse than New York
• (00:10:18) - Japanese women start a nail salon in NYC
• (00:13:04) - Where to Start a Coffee Business in the West Village
• (00:15:48) - How to get from the Bronx to the West Village
• (00:16:06) - What Is Vietnamese Coffee?
• (00:19:23) - How Vietnamese Coffee Is Adjusting to Americans
• (00:23:01) - Vietnam's First Taste Test in America
• (00:26:01) - Kawaii Cafe, 117 Christopher Street
• (00:26:39) - The cafe in New York's West Village
• (00:30:20) - How New Yorkers Are Helpful
• (00:32:16) - The Space Where My Business Is Located
• (00:35:34) - Viral Coffee Shop
• (00:37:19) - Vietnamese living in the United States
• (00:39:06) - What do you feel like that New York City has that Vietnamese doesn
• (00:41:25) - How to say 'Same Year' in Chinese
• (00:42:21) - Married Vietnamese People Talk About New York
• (00:45:23) - How to Not Be Lonely In New York
• (00:45:57) - Vietnam vs New York
• (00:47:35) - Vietnamis talk about life in NYC
• (00:49:49) - Teens Talk About The Subway
• (00:52:36) - "A Woman's Perspective On Her Husband"
• (00:52:55) - What It Means To Be A New Yorker

With me today, I have Jim Somoza! He is the Managing Director at Industry City.

Join them on this episode where they go back in time. Jim tells us what it was like growing up in New York in the 70s and 80s. He talks about how his dad moved to an apartment on the upper west side, overlooking central park. He tells us how he would spend his afternoons in the parks, and weekends in the west village with his best friend. He talks about going to the arcades in Times Square, as well as other games they made up to entertain themselves.

Jim then talks about his time as a Real Estate Lawyer. How when he started his practice, it was very difficult to find work. But after sticking with it, even through the crash of the late 90s, he was able to find work and also met people that would bring him to his next career shift in working on Chelsea Market.

Kelly asks Jim about the history of Chelsea market: How it got started, what it was like to work there, and he tells us about its founders' vision and what he wanted Chelsea Market to be. Kelly also asks him about a famous sweet treat that was invented at Chelsea Market, and Jim tells us a little known fact about it.

Jim then talks about his time developing Industry City. He talks about how the proposal came to him. He tells us what Industry City used to be and how it used to function. He talks about how large it is in comparison to Chelsea Market and even the Empire State building. He then tells us what his strategy was in order to get not only retailers in the space, but also offices and patrons. Jim talks about the community aspect of Industry City, and what he hopes people will get from it when they come for a visit.

But above all else; Jim Somoza is a New Yorker.

Kelly's Social Media

@NewYorkCityKopp

Jim's Social Media and Industry City

@Jim_Somoza

@IndustryCity

Jae's Social Media

@Studiojae170

• (00:00:00) - Inside New York's Industry City
• (00:00:40) - New Yorkers
• (00:01:56) - The Story of New York City
• (00:05:17) - Living in New York City in the 70s and 80s
• (00:09:59) - Coming soon: Jay-Z on Growing Up in Brooklyn
• (00:11:24) - Living The Warriors In NYC
• (00:15:24) - Brooklyn doctor on New York City
• (00:21:06) - Real Estate Broker: The Crash of the Internet
• (00:26:50) - Real Estate Story: The Chelsea Market Sale
• (00:30:54) - Joe Bastianich on Chelsea Market and
• (00:34:07) - The Chelsea Market Building Sale
• (00:38:27) - The Fight for the Upper Flights
• (00:40:11) - The Japanese grocery store in Brooklyn
• (00:44:10) - Brooklyn Core: The Sake Brewery
• (00:47:32) - Mayor Bill de Blasio on New York's Walking Communities
• (00:51:20) - What Does It Mean to Be a New Yorker?
• (00:53:58) - Jim Samoza on New Yorkers Podcast
• (00:55:30) - New Yorkers: Thank You!